I was laying around on the pillow-covered couch while the movers were doing their thing, and when I shifted I felt a wiggly lump beneath me. I jumped up and pulled up the comforter to find a precious little Nemmie-Boff hiding underneath. I proceeded to fall on the floor laughing.

All this noise and excitement is just too much for him.

Our Valentine’s Trip to NYC ended up being cut short a day thanks to the weekly 2010 Snowpocalypses we’ve been having, but Amanda and I made the most of our time there.

There, sadly, was no room for a Bensonhurst/Spumoni adventure, but we managed to do some shopping, hit up Other Music, dine at El Cantinero, and get drunk off tequila all night before devouring a pint of ice cream and watching The House Of The Devil. Not to mention the general delight it brings me to be with my James and Kevin, surrounded by love and laughter.

Our ride home proved to be quite a surprise when we discovered that we had been sent to the wrong bus, and were heading for Richmond instead of Norfolk. Luckily, our amazingly-kind-and-awesome-and-over-the-top-generous friend Dave Nye drove to Richmond and picked us up, getting us back to Norfolk just in time for last call.

This was my 3rd Valentine’s I have spent with my dear Amanda, and definitely the best.

For the real-deal Valentine’s Day, we had a fun party at 37th & Zen with special screenings of Punch-Drunk Love and Sid & Nancy (a V-Day tradition that will never die). I had fun quote-texting with The Worst Person Ever all through both movies.

It was nice to spend the evening with favorite friends. And humorous to spend it with Amanda’s boyfriend. I have happily taken on the role of placeholder in their relationship.

Happy Birthday to my most favorite Other Jared in the whole wide world. He is currently far, too far, away from me, but I’m sending birthday hugs and kisses across the country to you!

Also, yesterday we had L&B slices and spumoni. This always makes for a very happy Atlanta.

The past two days have been a whirlwind of fun and silliness and yucky wine and bumpy busses and love. Tonight is Fever Ray. It just keeps getting better.

After many long discussions with him about his behaviour, I have invited Mr. Oso Loso, Esq. back into the house. He was banned last summer due to his incessant urinating in places I did not want him urinating. I got fed up, and I kicked him out.

But I really missed him. He is cuddle buddy extraordinaire. And now that it is just me and the Nems in the house, I felt like Nemmie needed a friend (and I needed a cuddle buddy).

So we talked. I told him this was a trial run, and if he starts to pee again, he’s out. He’s been bathed, had his nails trimmed, and I’ve been spoiling him with meaty food. So far, so good. He is taking the cuddling a bit to the extreme, but we have a year to make up for, so I’m allowing it. Hopefully the ecstatic drooling will subside soon.

I need to take him to the vet next week. Looks like he may have an abscess. He has notoriously bad teeth (just like his poppa). He’s eating fine, but his mouth is always slightly open, and he looks a little dumb. He’s too handsome for that.

Happy Birthday to my favorite ManEatingVixen! An evening of chilaquiles lessons and Romy and Michele is in order. And new tunes.

1. Smokey Hormel – Louise Marie Wa Motema
2. Elvis Perkins In Dearland – Shampoo
3. Howling Bells – Cities Burning Down
4. Rainbow Arabia – Harlem Sunrise
5. Chosen Armies – Children Collide
6. Anjulie – Boom
7. CuCu Diamantes – Mas Fuerte
8. Looper – These Things
9. Eels – Fresh Blood
10. The Dirty Projectors – Stillness Is the Move
11. Phantogram – When I’m Small
12. The Horrors – Sea Within a Sea
13. Bat For Lashes – Use Somebody (Live Lounge BBC Radio 1)

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Dear Beloved Clancy-Boff,

You were a good kitty. Almost everyone who met you liked you. And those who didn’t were idiots and we happily pretend that those kind of people don’t exist anyways, so who cares. But smart people really liked you. You were quite the charmer. A big ol’ ball of retard who would butt her head into anyone for a pet.

I think that you had a fun 13 years of life. You seemed pretty content living the spoiled life of a chubanella. From your beginnings as a tiny little bagel stealer in Richmond, to becoming Jared’s number one science experiment, you always appeared to be enjoying your existence as much as we were.

Some fave memories of you:

• The way you would always manage to get into the trash can closet to eat leftovers, even though we had a lock on the door
• That time you came charging through the living room and ran into our wax melter and got hot wax all over you
• When you tried to jump from shelf to dresser, after I had just commented on how surprisingly graceful you were, and you completely missed the dresser and fell and landed in the litter box instead
• Your appreciation for art
• The way you couldn’t meow unless your head was looking up, and the quack that came out instead
• That funny tongue thing you did when scratched in just the right spot
• How you would straddle yourself across my neck while I was sleeping
• Your ability to always find the smallest space to squeeze all of your fat into
• Your love of potato chips
• Your love of all food, really (except spicy)
• The time you pretended to be a cuckoo clock

There were numerous songs written for you, you were quite an inspiration, but tonight I sing this one by Jared in memory of you:

You were very much loved by me, Miss Boff, and I am going to miss you very, very much.

Meow.

It’s been an interesting week so far. A lady died at the Naro Monday night during From Here to Eternity. She went out peacefully while enjoying the film. The people around her thought she was just sleeping, until they noticed how cold she had become. Weird.

On my ferry ride home from Norfolk to Portsmouth, I was invited up to the “captain’s quarters” and I got to drive the ferry. It was awkward and totally awesome all rolled into one.

And as of now, my house is officially for sale. I’ve been slowly packing things up, dividing between what’s going to the condo and what’s going into storage. It’s always interesting to look at each and every thing you own one by one. I am so sentimental about my stuff. I do love it so. And I have yet to find anything in here that doesn’t make me think of Jared. This is our house through and through. I hope the next people enjoy it as much as I have.

1. B. Dolan – R.S.V.P.
2. Gang Gang Dance – First Communion
3. Palenke Soultribe – No Voy a Morir
4. The Phenomenal Handclap Band – 15 to 20
5. Santigold – Shove It (Live)
6. Nightmares On Wax – da Feelin
7. N.A.S.A. – A Volta (Feat. Sizzla, Amanda Blank & Lovefoxxx)
8. Psapp – Marshrat
9. Booker T – Get Behind The Mule
10. Nino Moschella – Continue to Call
11. Ceu – Bubuia
12. Bat For Lashes – Daniel (Lo Fi Version)
13. One Eskimo – Given Up

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