Weekend Spree

Taylor is still at the vet's. Still. The vet has tentatively diagnosed her with a disorder that affects the liver, pancreas, with no small about of irritable bowel disease and is called triaditis.

The vet told me in great detail about how wonderful Taylor is and it sounds like the feeling is mutual. Far more than Taylor's love of me. I hope the vet talks this way to everyone, as if all cats are above average. Otherwise, I could feel a mite hurt.

So there's Taylor at the vet's, with the meter running.

Karen arrived just as I was waking up from my nap. Much joy. We changed into fancier duds and headed out.

For dinner, we went to a little hole in the wall place with great Mexican food. Karen was thrilled. Then we headed back to the theater to watch The Chieftains. Karen was thrilled. We had great seats that didn't cost the earth. Karen was thrilled.

I have converted Karen to organic milk and I didn't even have to tell her about the pus.

The next morning, we headed to the Jersey Diner for breakfast. Karen was thrilled. The fact that Jersey is Jersey thrills her. I have to admit, I get a kick out of it, too.

Beware the devil's garden
Have you ever been to a flower show? I never had before this weekend. I had two free tickets so in we went. Karen was transfixed at the garden displays. "Look! There's Tom Sawyer's garden!" It took a minute to sink in to me, but yes, there was a huge display garden with the ubiquitous water feature and indeed, the sign on the side read "Tom Sawyer's Garden". We went through Mary Poppins' garden. We went through Tarzan's Man Cave garden. Then we found ourselves back by the vendors and it was here that I asked people to please, please shake me by the ankles until I didn't have any money left. This they gladly did. I joined the NJ Audubon Society. Karen was thrilled at the flowers on display.

I bought us each corms of Mexican tuberose, which smells like a hyacinth on steroids. Karen was thrilled.

There came a time when I was standing, dazed, in the middle of the Expo Center. "Karen," I said, "Get me out of here before I do serious damage!" So she led the way to the exit and told me to keep my eyes forward and no looking at anything else!

We went to Little India and there we both got a face threading. I feel much less...Sasquatchy today. Karen was thrilled. She said she must have looked like a cave man before. I said no, but there was a pleasantly noticeable difference.

I bought her some new kurti. I ran into a guy from work who looked shocked and scared to see me.

Next, a long stop at the Revlon factory store. There my favorite saleslady picked out moisturizer, concealer, foundation and lipstick for Karen. (A truly spree-ful cousin would have docked at the Clinique counter.) Karen tried on the lipstick and I swear, the transformation was instant. She seemed frightened by it, but it wasn't hideous. She looked lovely. She looked non-invisible anymore, like someone who didn't want to be invisible anymore.

Then it was time for Karen and Herschel to meet.

Herschel worked wonders with her hair. She looked beautiful. They fell in love. By the time it was all over, they had friended each other on Facebook, hugged, kissed, and swore undying affection for each other. I thought, hey... But Karen can have that effect on people.

Back to Little India for dinner and some henna tattoos. I forgot I'm allergic to henna. Still, dinner was fabulous. Karen was thrilled.

We came home and had more organic milk and more sugar free cookies while we watched a movie. And so to bed.

This morning, a lavish breakfast at the Fancy Schmancy Diner.

Back home, I gave her a car full of stuff that I know I would never need or use, so we loaded up her little car. Then we hugged, kissed, hugged again, told each other we loved each other.

Then she was on the road.

It's a little remarkable to me to see how willingly she put herself into my hands and let herself get passed from the makeup counter to the Indian beauty salon to Herschel and back again. I don't know that I would trust someone that much, but she trusted me. She was open to just about anything.

It was a wonderful weekend.

I am thrilled.