if wishes were horses, beggars would ride

Last night I mixed a lot of paint and a lot of metaphors. Among the results: a sizable mess, a lilac cat, and a thoroughly beaten hobbyhorse. P.S. You can lead a horticulture, but you can't make her think! - Dorothy Parker. Ha ha!

Things I learned last night:

• I enjoy painting
• One should never paint a room while emotionally drunk
• Interior latex semi-gloss, when ingested, is not imminently harmful to cats
• If you're going to try to lock the stable door after the horse has bolted, don't do it with a loaded paintbrush in hand
• Oatmeal heather carpet, while generally unattractive, is an excellent choice for those who would disregard the aforementioned advice

Most importantly, you can drag a dead horse to water, but you can't make it sink.

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I found my envelope. Permits, cash, checks and all. It was, as I'd been praying, in one of those weird places that just hadn't crossed my mind during my wigged-out search. Fifty-two insurance docs plus $245 - thank you St. Anthony. Replacing everything would have been a leviathan pain in the ass.