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March 20 SaturdayMy life is pretty boring, so I apologize that this is all I have to write about. But this Saturday, Dad and I went to El Chapparral, my favorite Tex-Mex place. We'd been going to Chacho's, but Chacho's is really a fast-food Mexican place and not really a regular restaurant. So, it was good to go back there and see that the food was still good. I was afraid they'd change it or something, as most of them do when they get really busy. They start using stuff out of a can or something. But it was good. I had tamales, which I'd forgotten they serve there. Dad had enchiladas as usual. Luckily I didn't need a prescription, although the expensive one comes next weekend. Sucks, but what can I do. I'm trying like hell to get a job. Anyway, Dad wanted to see if he could get me some more clothes at Ross, but they didn't really have anything this time. It was really crowded, being a Saturday, and they didn't have shorts or anything. That would be what I'd get more use out of. Then, we looked around at Target and Payless Shoes since we were nearby. Dad had his car at the shop and we went to pick it up after that. They'd over-charged him by over $100, and he managed to get a refund. That put is in a better mood for sure. At Starbucks, I got an iced caramel macchiato. Yum. The decaf for the day was the breakfast blend, which Dad liked. I'd never tried that one before, so I had no idea if it was good or not. We had our usual trips to Walmart and H.E.B. (although H.E.B. was right before I went home). But we went to the bread store again. I got this honey 7 grain bread that looked good, and some hamburger buns because I wanted to get some lean burgers at H.E.B. (Turns out they didn't have the lean burgers, so we got regular burgers--oh well). Dad got some pecan rolls. But when we rang up, it wasn't $5, and Dad wanted that free item, so he went and got another box of pies. I remember that from when I was a kid. Sometimes we'd get so much stuff and it wouldn't yet be $5. We'd keep going back to get more stuff. It seems to last a long time, too, as compared to getting the store brand at the grocery store. Sometimes that bread would only last a few days before getting moldy. This other bread seems to last longer than that. Woohoo. : ) Well, I'd better go. I'm getting hungry and I should make lunch. Take care everyone. March 16 Signs that summer isn't quite here yetFirst, the grass isn't dead yet. There's still a little green out there. It's starting to turn brown, but we've had some rain recently. That won't happen over the summer. So for now, there's a little green left and things look a little more pleasant. Then, in another month or so, there will be no rain for a few months and everything will die. Obviously, you know I hate summer, so this is sad to me. Second, it still cools down at night. That's not to say it's cold. It's not. It's comfortable. In the summer, it would be hot all the time. Mom wears a sweater at night to walk the dog. I don't think it's quite that cool, but it's nice to have some time of day when it's not hot. I'm not back to eating salads yet, but I'll probably eat more of them over the summer. The only thing is that I like spinach salad and baby spinach spoils really fast. IP says Romaine lasts longer. I'm sure that's true, but it has a different flavor. Maybe I'll just have to eat Romaine. I still like Romaine better than iceberg lettuce. Iceberg lettuce is nasty. No flavor at all. I really hate bland food. Last, people still do stuff outdoors. It's hot, but you can still get out and go hiking or go to the park or barbecue in the backyard. In the summer, you have heat warnings, etc. and it's not so pleasant to be outdoors. To barbecue would be awful. I mean, when it's over 100F out, do you really want to stand by a fire? I certainly don't. So, for now, things are tolerable weatherwise. I just hope summer waits until May to arrive for real and not come around April. We'll see. March 15 Summer's practically hereOkay, it's not like we've only just come out of winter, but there are a few signs that summer is here in San Antonio already. One, more and more wasps are showing up. It won't be long until we're fighting to keep the nests out of the stairwells and off the balconies. Seems like they can pop up in just a few hours. I hate wasps. I actually am afraid of pain, so that makes wasps up there with needles for me. It's a nervous time for me. I actually had a panic attack while hiking once because I had this hyper-sensitivity to sound and could hear all the wasps around the forest where we were. Really. I know it sounds like I just thought I could hear them, but I kept hearing these noises and finally found out it was wasps munching on leaves. It had been so loud to me, that I was sure it was a cat or dog or something stomping through the underbrush. But no. I saw one close up and the sound went along with it. That was when I realized they were all around and I freaked out. Of course, poor R was attacked by wasps when we were only about 3 or 4 years old, so I doubt she likes them much more than I do. Second, my underarms smell more than usual. Yes, it's hot and I'm sweating. No deodorant can compete with it. I've yet to try one that works better than the one I use already. Still, I wish there was something that worked longer and didn't give out after a couple of hours. I hate perfume-y ones because all you smell is deodorant and in the heat it just gets really strong and overpowering. It makes me nauseous. Yuck, yuck, yuck. So, it's either stinky underarms or perfume. Either way it's not a good choice. Personally, I'd rather smell like something from Bath and Body Works. Next, I hear the blenders going all the time at Starbucks. For a while, people were getting hot coffee, even though it didn't really stay cold very long. I think everyone just wanted it to be cold and getting hot coffee made it seem like it was cold outside. But now, it's Frappuccino time. It's too hot out to pretend anymore. Need that iced coffee. Lastly, everyone's wearing shorts. Sometimes, they'll wear jeans at least until it gets to 90, just for variety, but it's too hot already. They're all in shorts everywhere you go. I'm doing the same thing, of course. I just don't like hot weather. After a certain point, there's only so many clothing items you can take off (and still be decent), and after that you're not getting any cooler. You can wear next-to-nothing in 100 degree heat, but it doesn't make any difference. There's nothing you can do to cool down except stay indoors (and hope the a/c doesn't go out--they're on year-round, they don't last long that way). Well, I'm going to get my 5th or 6th glass of water for the day. I'll go over 8 glasses for the day for sure. I don't really drink anything else, except a cup of coffee 2 or 3 times a week. Anyhoo, that's it for now. Take care everyone. Hope I didn't scare you off with my ranting last time. That jerk just made me mad. I'm feeling a little more normal now. : ) March 13 Something's really bugging me...It's something the head of the continuing education department said on the phone. I was in the classroom across from his office and overheard him. The first comment I don't remember, but it was bad and at first I thought that maybe I hadn't heard him right or that he was only playing along with some jerk he was talking to. Then, he said, "There's Muslims over by [where I live], too. You've got to be careful." That last part of the comment says it all. "You've got to be careful," like if they're Muslims they must be up to something bad. I have to say that I felt hurt because I had believed him to be a nice guy after what he did for me. But after that, I really didn't feel comfortable around him. I know I wasn't supposed to overhear him, but he was speaking rather loudly. It's just that prejudice makes me angry. I've been the victim of it many times. Stereotypes, even if it's a good one, are hurtful. I guess I expected more from someone who works in education. Everyone at UTSA seemed so open-minded. But that comment may as well be aimed at Hispanics, African-Americans, or any other group. It's just as bad as if someone assumed I was probably going to shoplift because I'm Hispanic, or that I'm dealing drugs, or involved with gangs, or any number of other things. It's ignorant. You condemn a large population of people for the actions of a few. It's the same thing with the Mexican border. To say that it's a national security risk is ridiculous. The Canadian border is much less secure. But no one is saying to build a wall up there. I heard of someone recently saying that Mexicans come here carrying drugs and committing crimes. The vast majority of them simply come across the border looking for work. Even the low-paying jobs over here are better than they could get at home. They're just trying to feed their families. It's easy for an American to condemn him when we've never had the same living conditions, economic conditions, etc. that Mexicans have to deal with. Who's to say we wouldn't risk our lives to cross the border if we were in the same circumstances. You wouldn't know what it's like at all. And here's another thing. I'm sick of people assuming that, because I'm part-Hispanic, that my family are illegal immigrants. They're not. They came here legally. My grandmother and aunt and uncles were all born in the United States. My dad was the only one of the children born in Mexico, yet he had to get a Green Card. That's not racist? Someone I know of in California was working in a factory when government officials came in and started asking all the Hispanics for proof that they were authorized to work in the United States. This person stood up to them and said, "If you're going to check I.D.s, check everyone's and not just the Hispanics." Sure enough, the only 3 illegals were white and from Europe. It's a double standard. If you're going to complain about illegals taking your jobs, think about the white ones. They can get better jobs and could actually get jobs Americans would want. Mexicans, however, aren't much of a threat. They don't speak very good English sometimes and have to take jobs where that doesn't matter. I mean, how many times have Americans gone after jobs as a day laborer, a housekeeper, or a gardener? Really? Not that many. Sure, maybe a few of them might commit crimes. But there are criminals in every population. It's not like these militia types are doing background checks. They want to stop everyone from coming across, not just the few "bad apples". You can't condemn the whole population just for the actions of a few. I mean, it's not like I have a fear of educated, middle-aged, white guys just because serial killers come from that profile. Really. That's just absurd and childish. Grow up people. And don't say you're not racist. The statistics don't back up your statements. March 11 Getting to know you e-mail
1. What time did you get up this morning? 7:00
2. Diamonds or pearls? Pearls 3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Eragon 4. What is your favorite TV show? 24, The Shield, Prison Break 5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Cereal 7. What is your middle name? Jean 8. What food do you dislike? Broccoli 9. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Crowded House self-titled 10. What kind of car do you drive? Mercury Tracer 11. Favorite sandwich? Philly Cheesesteak 12. What characteristic do you despise? Meanness 13. Favorite item of clothing? Shoes 14. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Paris, duh 15. What color is your bathroom? Beige and cream, but I have a multi-colored shower curtain 16. Favorite brand of clothing? Polo Ralph Lauren (from Ross, so I can afford it) 17. Where would you retire to? France or Hawai'i 18. What was your most recent memorable birthday? When I was 17 and we went on this road trip. We crossed the state line on my birthday and it was the first time I ever left TX 19. Favorite sport to watch? basketball.....go Spurs :) 20. Farthest place you are sending this? England 21. Who do you least expect to send this back to you? The lame people 22. Person you expect to send it back first? The ones who already did. 23. Favorite saying? "Yield, Asshole" and various other profanities while I'm driving 24. When is your birthday? June 25 25. Are you a morning person or a night person? Night person 26. What is your shoe size? 5 or sometimes 5 1/2 27. Pets? My papillon, Starbuck 28. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? Crowded House are getting back together! 29. What did you want to be when you were little? Teacher or a singer 30. How are you today? Fine. How are you? 31. What is your favorite candy? Lindt Lindor truffles 32. What is your favorite flower? Tulips 33. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? Tamale Day 34. What church do you attend? The church of Me 33. What is your full name? XXXXXX XXXX XXXX 34. What are you listening to right now? Eukanuba Tournament of Champions 35. What was the last thing you ate? Cereal 36. Do you wish on stars? used to 37. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Lavender probably. Everything always ends up being a shade of purple 38. How is the weather right now? Hot and sunny 39. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Sis, M 40. Do you like the person who sent this to you? No, people who I hate always e-mail me 41. Favorite soft drink? none. I don't care for soda unless I'm airsick or something 42. Favorite restaurant? Sompong's, Chacho's, Bei Fang 43. Hair color? reddish brown 44. Sibling? 2 sisters, 2 brothers-in-law 45. Favorite day of the year? Tamale Day 46. What was your favorite toy as a child? A brown stuffed rabbit 47. Summer or winter? Winter in Texas--spring or summer elsewhere, I suppose. 48. Hugs or kisses? Depends on who it's from 49. Chocolate or Vanilla? Are we talking ice cream? Candy? What? 50. Do you want your friends to email you back? No, I like wondering if they still like me. 51. When was the last time you cried? An animal abuse story on the news. 52. What is under your bed? A box of some kind 53. Who is the friend you have had the longest? IP 54. What did you do last night? Watched the Spurs win and talked to Mom 55. Favorite smell? Maybe fresh plumeria or the smell of a French bakery 56. What are you afraid of? Everything 57. Plain, buttered, or salted Popcorn? Buttery and salty! 58. How many keys on your key ring? 2, plus numerous key chains 59. How many years at your current job? I've been searching for a job for 3 years now 60. Favorite day of the week? Any day I have company 61. How many towns have you lived in? Just 1. Yawn. 62. Do you make friends easily? Not really or I'd have more of them by now. 63. How many people will you be sending this to? 8, I think. Could be wrong. There we are. My intensely interesting responses to a getting to know you e-mail. The questions were rather dull, and I'm not very creative. Hope this was worth it to post it. Go get some coffee and wake up now. : ) March 10 Budgeting bonusesA couple of good surprises today, even though Dad wasn't in a good mood. He just seemed a little distracted or tired. But, we went to this cool bakery outlet store. It's the Mrs. Baird's ones that we used to go to when I was a kid. Well, there's one not too far from here. I had to look it up on the computer, but it's not too far. Not really close either, but you can't have everything. Anyway, got a loaf of raisin bread, a loaf of French bread (not a real baguette, but the American kind of French bread), a couple of honey buns, and Dad's box of cherry pies for $5! Then, because we spent $5, we got an extra item for FREE! Yes, so I got bagels. Bagels ain't cheap, so I'll take a relatively expensive item please. I think we'll be going to this store more often from now on. Our budget is going to be pretty tight for a while as Mom isn't sure she's ready to go back to work for a while. Sucks, being that I want a job and can't get one and she doesn't want one but could probably get one. Anyway... Then, later, we went to the pharmacy. I had to pick up 2 prescriptions. One was Synthroid (really, I like Levoxyl better, but doc thinks Synthroid is better and keeps trying to get me to take it--it's okay if he gives me free samples, but I have to pay, Levoxyl is cheaper). Synthroid normally runs at $30 or so. With the CareNow card, it was $20. Not a huge difference, but the prescription isn't that expensive. Then, I had to pick up Zoloft. Zoloft is actually not much more expensive than the generic, but I'll take savings wherever they come. Generic is $116 for 45 pills. But with the CareNow card, it was around $80 last month. For some crazy, surreal reason, it was $22.60 today. It's got to be a mistake. I even double-checked that it said 45 pills, just to be sure. But, hey, I ain't complaining. Did the price go DOWN? Usually, they just go UP, like gas prices. Did it actually go down? I'll just be floored if that's the case. I just can't imagine that happened. So, not much going on otherwise. I was just excited by my bargains, I got to tell ya. Today, we went to Red Lobster for lunch. Hadn't done that in a while, and lunch prices are reasonable. If you haven't had the fried flounder, you've got to try it. It's great broiled, but I always crave the fried. Really bad for you, I know. I'm supposed to be dieting, but I have to pick up some items from R before I can really be conscientious about it. It's hard to keep track sometimes. Plus, they have these beef and bean burritos at H.E.B. that are 10 for $2.50. You can't beat that. Again, we're trying to save money here. I promise I won't eat them every day. I swear. Well, I'd better get going. There's a Spurs game that's going to be on in about 10 minutes. They've actually been winning, so I can watch again. It's just too painful to watch when they're on a losing streak. They're lucky I didn't run into any of them around then because I'd have yelled at them worse than the coach. I'd even use swear words. Yeah, that bad. They'd better get past the first round of the playoffs, too, or they may yet hear from me after all. March 08 Finished Illustrator!Okay, not completely. There is another chapter I have to read about printing, but since I couldn't print anything at school, I left that chapter to read at home. Pretty cool that I don't have to go over there anymore. Still don't know if I'll end up getting a job as a result of this, but it can't hurt to try. Still no interviews, but I keep applying daily. Eventually, someone's gotta want an interview, right? They can't say "no" to my resume forever. Of course, I need to spice up my portfolio. Not much in there at present. D sent me a copy of the software! Yippee! Hopefully I won't have any problems installing it on my PC. Then, I can work on my portfolio, maybe even at Starbucks next week. Mmmm. That would be sweet. : ) Not much going on lately. That's why I haven't been posting. It would be pretty dull if I did it every day. Actually, maybe I shouldn't say that. My posts probably aren't interesting NOW. I guess I'm not good at coming up with stuff lately. R said my "weird stuff about me" things weren't really weird enough. Well, that's all you're gonna get. I'm sure there's other stuff I could post in there, but it ain't gonna happen! Well, maybe I'll include additional posts with other trivia, but you're not going to learn anything really embarrassing about me. Bucky's pretty bored of me lately, too. I guess I've been gone a lot, going to school. Then, I've been on the computer a lot. Some of it's because I've been looking at videos on YouTube. It sucks to be an American fan of some bands because their videos don't air here. So, I've been watching videos and interviews of Crowded House and Neil Finn. I know I've mentioned the Finns as being one of my favorite artists and that Crowded House is getting back together. I can't say how happy I am about this. That means there's an album coming out soon and possibly a tour. They're great live. I don't know how I'm going to get tickets without a job, but I'll figure something out. I HAVE TO GO. I mean it. They're doing a warm-up show in England, but the tickets sold out as soon as they went on sale. I just hope I can actually GET tickets. Could be a problem as they sell out everywhere they play. But, I just can't miss it. Did I say I HAVE TO GO? I'd even be willing to buy overpriced tix on eBay. Whatever. Anyway, I guess it's dinner time and I'd better take my meds, too. Kinda can't skip it, you know? Hope I sleep better tonight than I did last night. Too many nightmares. Awful. Well, that's it for now. Take care everyone. March 03 More weird stuff about meI'm sure you didn't get enough of this in the other post, so here's more weird stuff you might not know about me. I'M AFRAID OF FLYING. Well, actually, just climbing on top of furniture can make me nervous, but flying just seems to me to go against the laws of physics. Of course, I'll admit I didn't do as well as I would have liked to in physics class and of course, the plane has to go with the laws of physics or else they wouldn't actually fly, but it just doesn't seem right to me. Plus, if you're in a plane crash you aren't likely to survive. That's scary. However, I'll still fly somewhere rather than cruise, because you're in the plane for less time than you'd be on the boat and the boat could always sink. You never know. But, I'm white knuckled the entire 9 hours from here to Paris, I assure you. I WANT TO LIVE OVERSEAS BEFORE I DIE. Preferably Paris, but I'll take somewhere else, maybe the south of France. I've always wanted to do this. When I was in high school I wanted to live in London. But that was before I'd been overseas and before I'd been to Paris. Now, it's Paris all the way, Baby! I READ A LOT. I'm not talking about those textbooks that I've been going over lately. I mean, I read a LOT. I'm not as fast at it as Mom, but in high school I'd be reading a book for English class, plus another book that I'd read for fun. I always had lots of books with me. Yes, I'm a nerd. At first, I thought I'd be an English major in college. Really. In jr. high R and I would read Mom's college textbooks for fun. I could read Hamlet over and over again. I USED TO SING IN CHOIR. This was jr. high. I was a first soprano (no ties to the mob). I loved it and wanted to be a singer. I would get addicted to the stage fright that came before a show. I had an A+ average. I wanted to take choir in high school, but the uniforms and other expenses were pretty high and I knew Mom couldn't afford it. Of course, then, I got out of practice and my voice is nowhere near as good as it used to be. I wish I could still sing, but I made my choice and I don't think I could have done anything differently, except to train on my own. But depression set in and I hardly felt like singing or doing anything else I enjoyed. In that way, it would have been better to be in the class because it would have forced me to keep up my training. I'M AN ATHEIST. Don't try to convert me please. It gets really old, when everyone always tells you, "Well, you haven't heard my (preacher, priest, minister, etc.)". It's not that I doubt my religious upbringing. It's that I've come to believe something else. So, being an atheist isn't the same as not believing in God. It's that I believe there can be no such thing as a god. There's a subtle difference. It just goes against everything I've learned in my life and everything that I believe. So, I have a religion, please respect it. If I were any other religion you'd be respectful (i.e. not try to convert me). So please, understand that it is a system of beliefs (a religion by definition). I wouldn't disrespect you by trying to convert you. I LOVE FILM PHOTOGRAPHY. If I could set up this darkroom equipment I have, I would love to. That's not to say I don't think digital photography is great. Since I photograph in color, it would be great to be able to manipulate the images so that they're the way I'd print them myself instead of trying to get a lab to do it. Color is harder and more expensive to do than black-and-white because you need a big machine to do the prints (the chemicals can be toxic if you breathe the fumes--you want it all contained in the machine). But black-and-white is simple enough. I even got to where I liked the way the chemicals stank, like an addiction or something. I loved working in the darkroom. Someone would have to force me to take a break at times. It's kind-of a shame that people are doing less film photography now. Personally, I'd love to have a big, old viewcamera even. Well, that's going to be it for now. Hope I didn't embarrass myself too much. Some stuff I'll keep private so as not to be blackmailed or whatever. Well, I doubt I can be blackmailed since I have no money or anything. Plus, I doubt any of my secrets are that important. Anyway, I'm still a somewhat private person, although I do have this blog for all to see. I doubt I get that much traffic. : ) Job searchI have been looking for a job for a while, as some of you may know. I left my last job in March of '03, took about 18 months for psychiatric help and diagnosis, then went back to searching for a new job. I've been looking ever since then. Of course, I can't say in an interview that I took time off for psychiatric treatment. I'm still working on how to handle that one. But there's this now 4 year gap in my employment history that I know looks really bad. They see it on my resume before I even get in there for an interview. If it weren't for that, I know I'm a good candidate for a lot of jobs, so that's the only thing holding me back (that I can think of). So, calls for interviews are very few and far-between. I'd like to think I'm good in interviews. That's the only question I have trouble answering. "What about this gap?" What about the gap? What can I say? Anyway, I sent my resume to several companies already, now with a little more education under my belt. One asked for samples of my portfolio. Imagine my scrambling, as I didn't have a portfolio. Well, I had samples of photography, but that wasn't really relevant. So, for a couple of days, instead of doing lessons at school, I simply worked on making a small portfolio. I'm not really proficient enough to come up with a large portfolio in so short a time, but I came up with a couple of samples. I did a Flash banner that, for some reason, won't e-mail. I burned it to CD and it opens on the CD, but trying to e-mail it is a problem. I worked hard on that one, though. Anyway, I also came up with a banner for R's blog. There's an alternate version as well. Then, I did a logo for a fictitious coffee house, as well as a simple ad. We'll see if any of these get me anywhere. Still, I was hopeful that someone wanted samples to begin with. Pretty cool. The company is in Dallas, though, and I really wanted to stay in San Antonio, but beggars can't be choosers. Thursday, H wanted to hang out, so I took some time off. We went to Starbucks and shared a cranberry orange scone. Fantastic. But, she paid for it, so I tried to leave most of it for her. It was hard to do, but next time I'll get one of my own. My drink of choice has been the passion tea lemonade. It just seems light and summery, and easy on the budget. Then we shopped at Hobby Lobby for a bit, where I found yet another charm I wanted to put on my bracelet, but I wanted to solder them on so they don't catch and come off. I lost a couple of them that way. We did find a soldering gun there, but it was $50! Crazy. It didn't look that fancy to be $50 either. It just looked like a regular soldering gun. I was sure I could find one somewhere else cheaper. But, I bought the solder there, because I wanted it for silver jewelry and not electronics or something. Then, we went to Lowe's where I found one for $15! Wow. Quite a large jump from $50. It was battery powered, though, and I was wary, but you can't beat the price. They didn't really have any others, so there wasn't any choice. When I got home, I was anxious to try it out. I managed to solder 2 of my charms, then the gun stopped heating up enough to melt the solder. It was hot, just not hot enough. Crap. So, I had to take it back yesterday. I know Dad has one, so maybe I'll borrow his if he hasn't lost it or given it away or something. I'll just use the money for something else. I tried on this cute knit dress at Target that I liked. I had a knit dress a couple of times before and always loved them. They're so comfortable, especially for summer. One, I wore so many times that it wore out. So, maybe I'll get the dress from Target. Anyway, sis is probably in Hot Springs by now. She and hubby were going on an anniversary trip. It's been 5 years and seems like it's been much shorter. Time really flies. Hope they're having a good time, although I know Hot Springs wasn't their first choice. C's Mom booked it as a surprise for them before they'd really decided. R wanted to go to Colorado, Chicago, or New York. Well, it's still time to themselves, which is important. C's mom is watching little E, so it's a few days to just be married and not be parents. R will probably go crazy with worry, but they're only there until Monday. H thinks maybe we'll make a weekend trip up to FW and visit R when she gets her tax return. That would be fun. : ) February 27 Weird things about meSo, R can do this, I can, too. I know I need to post a link to her blog, but I just keep forgetting. I'm stupid like that. Anyway, here goes... I can't stand teddy bears. I must be the only person on the planet, besides R, who doesn't like them. I can't explain it. There's no real reason or anything. I just like puppies and bunnies more. Teddy bears just don't strike me as being as cute as aforementioned cuddlie I HATE bugs. This isn't limited to the ones that bite or sting. Just something about their alien physiologies strike me as disgusting and creepy. Too many legs, antenae...you know. It just seems otherworldly or supernatural that they are so hard to kill. (okay, sorry about the mixup on colors. It won't let me change it again. I'm stuck on red) I have a weakness for animals. I can't stand seeing bad things happen to them. I can't stand hearing about abuse cases on the news. I'll switch channels to avoid it, or else I'm up all night crying about it. It can stay with me for days. I want to live in Paris. I've been other places and not loved them as much as I love Paris. I've never been anywhere I felt I wanted to live in until then. I'll admit I haven't done as much traveling as I'd like to and I haven't been that many places to compare. But, I love Paris and I still want to live there. I love bread. I tried the Atkins diet. It didn't last more than 2 weeks. Maybe it's a bread addiction, I don't know. I just can't avoid it for any length of time. I wish I loved veggies that much. I'm sure there's more I could list, but the red text is really bugging me. I never intended for it to be more than just a phrase or two. Goodness. Anyway, that's it for now. I've had problems getting text attributes to change in the past, but I guess I thought it was a one-time quirk. Oh well. Take care everyone. February 24 ScaryOn the news, there was a story about a poor woman who was raped on the college campus that I go to. She was raped in the parking lot near where I park, and in the evening, when I'm there. Of course, this is very unnerving to me as I'm already nervous going there. The college isn't in a good part of town. I'm going there when there aren't as many people there. I'm very petite. I'm sure I look like a good target. So, now I have to be even more alert than I was before. I'll probably get an escort to my car. I just hope I can finish my lessons quickly and not have to go there anymore. I wish I could do my lessons at home so I wouldn't have to go there at all. Other than that, there's not much going on. Got lunch with Dad in a little bit. Thursday, I took Bucky to Petsmart and got him some chew sticks, which he likes and are good for his teeth. Then, I took him to Starbucks and I sat outside so he could sit with me. Can't really take him inside. If I was in Paris, I could take him inside. Ahh, Paris. But alas, I had to sit outside and I read for a while, before some smoker came and lit up. Then I had to go. The wind was blowing it right toward me and I felt like I couldn't breathe. It's not like there wasn't a huge fire near our apartment that's been blowing smoke at me for months now. I mean, I think I get enough smoke inhalation just staying home. I don't need to get it when I go out, too. Plus, I've had my allergies giving me hell and I didn't need a smoker to make them worse. That afternoon I went to school and managed to get through 2 chapters, so I was very pleased. I am now more than halfway through the textbook. So, I hope it's not too much longer that I have to go over there. IP called me last night. I'd tried to call her last weekend, but she wasn't there. I guess she was just returning my call. I was really glad to hear from her, though. She was telling me about the weather there in NJ, which is a far cry from what we've got here. She's looking forward to summer, while I'm dreading it. I wish it would stay cool a little longer here. I mean, we've got 80s and it's only February. It's just getting hotter from here on. Well, I'd better go. Dad's going to be here any minute. I'm really hungry, too. : ) Keep in touch, people. : ) February 21 Went to school againThe director of the continuing education department said I could come at 2 pm instead of coming in the morning because someone wasn't always there in the morning, but they were usually there in the afternoon. I was just hoping there would be parking when classes ended. I went to the library first, because I was almost finished with my book and I was sure I'd finish it that day and then have nothing to read. I picked up a couple of books and went to look at CDs, but they didn't have much. A lot of them were checked out already. Then, I went to the grocery store near the library for some cereal and bagels. The bagels I got on Saturday were the light ones and I didn't read the packaging very well, so I didn't know. They tasted like cardboard. Anyway, so I got some different ones. Then, I went to Starbucks and drank a passion tea lemonade while I finished my book. They let me know when it was 2 pm because my phone died and I don't have a watch. When I got to school, there was plenty of parking and I got to spend the entire 2 hours at the computer, which worked great. I think I'll go at that time from now on. I had fun playing with the pen tool and drawing curves and such, then played with coloring images with the paintbucket and the texture swatches. It took me twice as long to get home in rush hour traffic as it took me to get to school in the first place. But then, I had dinner and played with my puppy. Not much, but I was glad to finally get to work on Illustrator. I'd like to go to school again today, but I may stay and bathe the dog, brush him, etc. I could also wash my bedspread. It's pretty nasty. We'll see. : ) February 19 Do notebooks just suck?This is the second one I've had and now there's an audio problem. At first, it was the defective memory stick. Well, at least that was fixed. But ever since I got my computer back, the audio doesn't work. The last one, of course, I fried. Maybe it was really my fault and not the computer's, but so far I've had bad luck. Mom's computer, her ancient PC from 1998, is still hanging in there. But it's a desktop. Do notebooks just not last as long? I'm starting to wonder. R's desktop is lasting pretty well. Dad's is almost as old as Mom's and it's working okay, too, albeit slow. Is it a notebook thing? I was going to take my computer back to the shop today. I don't want to because I need my computer. But I need the audio, too. Whaddayagonnado? I just hope they don't reformat the drive again. It just seems like when they don't know what to do, they just reformat the drive. Kind of annoying to have to download Mozilla over and over again. However, the computer has to wait because the smoke alarms are chirping. They tend to wait until 2 am to start up. But it hasn't stopped and we're thinking the batteries are low. But, we have these high ceilings and can't do it ourselves. Mom called the office to come do it today, but they don't know when maintenance can get here to do it, so I'm stuck here waiting all day. It's not like I don't have things to do around here. I could study. I could read. I could check the job listings for the hundredth time. You know? Stuff. But, I wanted to go to the library and check out some CDs. Getting kinda bored of the ones I got. I kinda wanted to go to Starbucks. Kinda wanted to go to the store to get some new bagels since I don't like the ones I got last time. They taste kind-of cardboard-ish. You know? Stuff. Gotta find a way to stay occupied and not just turn into a recluse. Well, that's it. Just had to gripe a little. I suppose I'll go back to those job listings again. Woohoo. Fun. Yeah right. February 18 SaturdayNothing much going on lately. My life is pretty dull anyway. But the latest thing is that they want me to call before heading to school to work on the computer because someone's not always there to let me in. However, if I wait until someone's there, it's past 8:00 am and the parking spaces are gone! I've gone later and there's no one leaving, there's no one going to lunch, there's no visitor spaces, there's no spaces on the street, nothing. So, I don't know how this will work out, but I'll have to think of something. Yesterday, Dad and I went for Chinese food. I was so hungry by then that I ate my entire plate of food. Usually, I take half of it home for later because they give you so much food, but I ate it all yesterday. Sadly, I wasn't painfully full afterward either. Dad had a cold last time I'd seen him, but he said he was feeling better and was still just trying to get over the cough. Sucks. But at least he's feeling better. We did a little shopping, then went to pick up my prescription. I was relieved because I now had this CareNow thing that I'd signed up for in Fort Worth when I went to the emergency clinic that also offered discounts on my prescriptions. The Trileptal was $220 or $230 and with the card it was supposed to be $160. Great, right? Well, when we picked up my prescription, they'd raised the prices on it to where it was $233 with the discount! The regular price was $261 or something. It wasn't that high before. So, I was pretty pissed that they could raise the price and not care about people who already can't afford the things. I know it wasn't my pharmacy that's responsible because I looked up the prices at other pharmacies and it was the same everywhere. It SUCKS! If I had insurance I could only hope the copay would stay the same, but some of them have pretty high copays anyway. I just wish I didn't have to rely on these people so much. I HATE taking so many prescriptions. I wish I was normal. They just take advantage of people who are ill. At Starbucks they were pretty busy, so we didn't get to chat very much, but Dad got another Americano and said he liked it better than the regular brewed coffee. I'm sure that's true. Espresso is awesome. I got an iced white mocha, which I hadn't had in a while and probably shouldn't have had if I want to lose weight, but I was in a bad mood after the pharmacy. It was a nice day and the weather wasn't too hot outside, so I could actually take my jacket off and be comfortable but not hot. Supposed to be similar weather all week, although we might have a little rain one day. We'll see. It's been a while. Well, that's pretty much it. Mom and I watched a little of the NBA All-Star stuff on TV. I read a little from my book. The smoke alarms went off again. They probably need batteries, but I'm sure the smoke from that fire doesn't help any. Don't know when that fire will ever get put out. It's been burning since Christmas. We'd change the batteries in the alarms ourselves, but the ceiling is pretty high and they told us not to try to do stuff like that. We don't happen to have a ladder anyway, so we couldn't do it even though we'd like to just to shut the things up. Hope everyone else is doing well. Keep in touch. : ) February 13 24Why can't Lennox be wearing a wire? I just think that would be great. Or at least carrying a mini-recorder. Of course, he seems like just the sort of jerk to follow the secret plan. Then, why is it that whenever a person is being coerced, they go along with it and don't tell someone about it? Why didn't Karen Hayes rat out the weasel? Now, with terrorists threatening the country, Jack's sister-in-law doesn't tell him someone's got her son (Jack's father) before they pass the house they need to find? This Russian guy is disturbed if he wants to blow up those nukes just out of spite. I mean, I know finding him would probably mean the show is over and that's why the sister-in-law didn't tell anyone about it. But, really, can that be realistic? Wouldn't she want someone to help get her son back? I know it was hinted at in the preview of the next episode that she tells Jack. But it would be better to tell someone before they passed the Russian's house? Also, aren't there people who can be tortured and not say or do what they're being asked to say or do? How many thousands of lives are threatened because Morris did what he was asked to do? Speaking of Morris, wasn't Chloe's last name already O'Brian? I thought Morris was her boyfriend or something and not a family member. Or is it just a coincidence that his last name is the same as hers? I know it's possible I could date someone with the same last name as mine as it's a pretty common name, but it's just weird if it happens on TV. I'm sure there are other things I could rant about and don't take my ranting for not liking the show. We're always yelling at the TV during it and it's fun to watch, even if there are weird things that bother us. Now, I suppose I'd better go eat as I can finally eat. I have to wait 2 hours after taking my Synthroid before I can eat. Oh well. I'm hungry. I look forward to next weeks' 24. : ) February 11 Misc.I'm really pissed at the Spurs right now. I mean, they haven't been going the distance in their games recently. Against Orlando they started out with an 18 point lead in the first quarter and ended up losing the game. WTF? Today, they lost to the Heat, although that one was close most of the game, but again they didn't hold out to the end. They played great in the first half, but at the second half they seemed to stop trying on the defensive end and kept trying to make too many outside shots on the offensive end. It's really frustrating. I know they can play better than that because I've seen it. It's a hard time to be a fan. I wish I had Illustrator on my home computer. I want to keep using it and working through the textbook, but I can only go to school 2 days a week for 2 hours at a time. I don't have enough gas to go every day and I only get $20 in spending money for the week. Not enough for regular expenses and gas, too. Really, I'd like to have the entire Adobe Creative Suite because I love Photoshop and having Dreamweaver would be nice, too. All that stuff is really fun to me. Bucky's stomach was upset all night and this morning. I tried to give him some Rolaids, hoping that would help. Even with the fraction of a tablet I tried to give him, he wouldn't take it and kept spitting it out. I tried every technique I could think of, but I felt like I was torturing him after a while, so I gave up. He seems better now, but is sleeping a lot. It took a while for me to get to sleep last night. The neighbors across the hall but on the first floor had a party with all their windows open. It was cold outside. Again, WTF? Then, when I think they'd quieted down, the smoke alarm starts beeping. I know it's not the batteries because it's done this before. It does it every night for the past couple of nights, but it only goes on for a couple of hours then stops. Why it can't do it in the middle of the day when we're not trying to sleep is beyond me. The dogs don't like that either and are unnerved by it. Bucky was just shivering up by my head for a while before he relaxed. Needless to say, he didn't sleep very well. Neither did I. It seemed to go on for longer than 2 hours last night, though. I don't know for sure because I wasn't checking the clock. Oh, and stuff keeps reminding me of chocolate lately. I don't know. They keep mentioning it in the book I'm reading. I keep seeing it on TV. I just really want some chocolate right now. The best would be some Lindt Lindor Truffles. I love those. I saw at World Market that they have extra dark chocolate ones now. I'd so love to try them. I wonder if I can somehow fit it into a diet where I could have at least one. The other thing I thought of was the Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. They have it at the Barnes and Noble near our apartment in the cafe. It's quite possibly the best cheesecake I've ever had. Then, the last thing I wanted to mention was some of my favorite songs. I just think "Fragile" buy Sting might be the best song ever written. The words are beautiful and it still makes me cry when I hear it. One of my favorite a-ha songs of the moment is "Time and Again" off of Lifelines. That's not to say I don't love "Early Morning". But I've been listening to Lifelines and that song stands out to me. Maybe some of my favorites are the more subtle ones, but I love "Elevation" by U2, too. It just makes me want to crank it up in the car when it comes on. Then, there's "Private Universe" by Crowded House. I could listen to it over and over, along with "Fall at Your Feet". And, let's not forget Neil Finn's brother Tim. Love "Not Even Close". This is from his self-titled album Tim Finn. Strangely, that's not his first solo album even though it's self-titled. But the songs are mostly autobiographical and I can really relate to them. I know "Not Even Close" is about a breakup, but I've certainly felt let-down by someone before and like I never really knew that person as well as I thought I did. It's a great song. Okay, I've kept in touch and I'm trying not to neglect this page now that my computer is back. Hope you'll indulge me. : ) February 09 I have my computer again! : )Should anyone have missed me, I am now back. I took my computer to the shop and they had it for several days. I just got it back yesterday. At first, I didn't even remember what it was like to have a computer, but now I'm ready to blog and I hope I'm not too ramble-y or annoying. I had to type a long letter to S, as the poor thing wrote to me that first day I was in FW and hadn't heard back from me. She wrote me today asking if I'd gotten her last e-mail...Well, a lot has happened since then. I told her about the stomach flu and the nasty SUPPOSITORY I had to take. Really. Could they make me MORE miserable, please? As if throwing up blood and fearing they'd stick me with needles wasn't frightening enough. Now I have to stick stuff up my ASS! Well, I might have left that prescription in FW. Oh darn. I was really missing that whole experience. Just so you know, stuff doesn't always stay up there. It doesn't stay in solid form. So, I'm going around and hoping people don't hear the stuff coming back out. Luckily, I was wearing sanitary napkins at the time. Then, there's the whole thing with the Illustrator class. Don't remember if I've mentioned everything that's going on there. But, first I was registered for the class, showed up day of the class, only to find out it had been canceled. Not really a "happy" surprise. So, they said they'd get me into the next class, even if they had to kick someone else out. I called when I got back from FW and, just to be on the safe side, asked if the class was still going to go on. Sure enough, NO. It had been canceled, too. This is after I'd tried to get into the class months ago, but the classes were all full. The head of the continuing education department was at lunch, so I called back later and he was extremely apologetic and felt awful. I told him that I already had the textbook and all I really needed was access to the program. The program was expensive and I couldn't afford it but I needed to know the program to get a job. Well, he was so-ooo nice. He offered to let me use the computers in that classroom twice a week. So, I've gone over there twice now. I'd like to go more often. I really enjoy using these types of programs. It's like drawing, but using the computer. In fact, Illustrator reminds me a lot of Flash, except that it doesn't do the motion graphics and stuff that Flash does. Of course, I'm still in the early part of the textbook and there is a lot it can do that I haven't learned yet. But to me, this stuff is kind-of like when you had recess in elementary school. An art supply store is like a toy store to me. I just really, really like it. Maybe that makes me immature, but whaddayagonnado. I wish I could go every day. So, today, Mom and I went to Gamestop. It was really HER trip, but she gave me her Gameboy Advance and said she'd get me some games to play on it. I like different types of games than she likes, of course. She's WAY more into it than I am. Really, I haven't much played video games since high school. We're talking Galaga, Centipede, Lock-on. I think I remember Pole Position, too. When I was a kid we played Pong and I thought it was really cool that you could play games on the TV. But, of course, the novelty wore off after that. Haven't thought much about it, but Mom is really into it and has all the game systems. She's waiting for the Wii to go down in price, but is a little more interested in Playstation 3, I think, since it's a little cheaper. She also subscribes to the magazines. She has a discount card at Gamestop. I think she'd like to work part time there just to get the employee discount. Really. She's obsessed with it and plays the games for hours every day. But we looked there a little bit, then went to lunch. I asked for the hot and sour soup without thinking. I'm really not supposed to have spicy food for a few weeks because of the damage from the stomach flu. But, it turned out not to be the racking pain that came from drinking a Smirnoff Ice. It was a little more burning than usual in my throat, but that was about it. So maybe I'm doing better. The alcohol caused bad pain, like someone was beating me up or like I was in a car accident or something. Won't do that for a while, even if I can't sleep. But the spicy food seemed okay overall. It really could have been so much worse and I've missed my Tex-Mex. I was trying to study a book about InDesign that I got in FW, but it's so much more boring than Illustrator. It's all layout stuff, like page margins and the like. I need to learn it, though. Hopefully it won't take too long to go through it all. Of course, it would be better if I had the program at home, but who has $600 when you're unemployed except rich people? Dad has been telling sis M that I'm moving in with H. I'm sure H would be surprised to hear this because I've never thought to do it. H is a little neater than I am. She doesn't procrastinate as much as I do. I just think I'd drive her nuts. She's also lived alone for a while now and I doubt she wants to move into a larger apartment just to take in a roommate. I don't really know why Dad thought that was going to happen. I'll have to find out tomorrow. Hopefully he won't be mad at M for telling me. Maybe we can come up with an alternative. Well, I'm sure this is a longer blog entry than I really needed to make. Hopefully you didn't find out some stuff about me that you really didn't want to know! I'm kind-of worried that you'll be thinking about my ass now. Not pretty. Think about something else, like puppies or bunnies or something if you want to be able to sleep tonight. January 31 Back Home!Got home after 10 last night after I hit traffic in Austin. I think there's always traffic in Austin. I don't think I've ever gone through there and not hit traffic. But I'm happy to make it safely. I had trouble eating, though. I just kept getting nauseous. Hopefully I'll be better today. I miss R already, of course, and little E. But Bucky missed Snoop, mom's dog. Mom says we're getting the HD channels starting today. We had an HD tv, but didn't have the HD channels. We got a cheaper cable package and mom got the senior discount, which helped. So the HD package only added about $3 to the bill, which is still cheaper than the package we had before anyway. She said the reason she did it was because the channel that broadcast 24 here is now in HD. While in FW, I heard that Crowded House is getting back together. You have no idea how glad I am to hear that. They were always one of my favorite bands. I'm sorry that Paul Hester wasn't here to see that happen, but it's a great way to honor him as it's something he wanted to see happen. Of course, no one in San Antonio knows who they are, but people in Austin do. Still, I'm excited. I think they're a great band that isn't as well known in the United States as they are in Australia and New Zealand, although everyone knows the song "Don't Dream It's Over". I love the album that song is from. I could listen to it over and over again. It's just fun to listen to. But, I think their best album is Together Alone. They also had a great album of B-sides that I don't think was released here called Afterglow. While I'm on the subject of bands, another band that is vastly underrated in the United States is a-ha. Why this is, I don't know. But they're a great band and are well-known everywhere else. a-ha's latest albums weren't even released in the United States. It's really a shame because getting an import is a pain, but it's worth it for this band. If you're unfamiliar with them, start with Memorial Beach or Lifelines. Those are my favorites anyway. J's husband A likes East of the Sun, West of the Moon. Anyway, I think I should recommend them especially to Americans. Well, I really should try to get out of the house today, even though I'm feeling pretty lazy. I have stuff to do tomorrow and can't do some of those things then. Maybe I'll take my computer over to that shop now that I'm home. First, maybe I'll get to the job hunt for a while. January 28 FWGot all the way up here to FW on Sunday. First thing I do is see the creepy neighbor that tried to kiss R glaring at me. I looked straight at him, hoping he'd look away, but he didn't. It was really unnerving. I mean, there were pervs at the library at college that stared at people that way. All I wanted to do was grab my dog and get inside. So, I lean in and unhook him from the seat belt and run inside, then realize I don't have my keys. Great. I went back out to check and sure enough, my keys are on the back seat and the doors are locked. Stupid, stupid, stupid. This is the second time in just a few months that I've done this now. R wanted to try to get it open with a coat hanger, but that didn't work after several tries. We tried 3 different coat hangers because some of them were too flimsy or whatever. It was tearing up the weather stripping on the car door. So, I called the insurance company again and had to wait over an hour for the locksmith. Well, that's how long they said it would be. It didn't seem quite that long for some reason. C and his friends got there not long after I called the insurance company, so it was good to see all of them. I had gotten some tortilla soup before I headed up here and kept it in a cooler. I just wanted to surprise everyone, but it didn't end up being much of a surprise because I spilled it on the phone to R a couple of days before. R and I went out to Starbucks that night, though, and then I had some soup for dinner. Nothing major. The next day, Monday, I was feeling nauseous as soon as I woke up in the morning, but I hadn't slept well the night before. R made me some coffee (2 cups in fact) and I still wasn't feeling well. I thought it was having the coffee on an empty stomach, so I ate an apple. Still not feeling well, only now I have a monster headache along with the nausea and dizziness. I started to suspect it was a migraine because I had the whole sensitivity to light and sound and the whole thing. So, R took E and went off to her appointments. I ended up being in the bathroom throwing up the whole time. She got back and I was still in there. Then C got home from work and I was still in there. I tried to lie down for a bit, but I was so weak and I felt like I would pass out, but I'd have to go and throw up again. Eventually, I was throwing up blood! Well, that sends me into panic mode. R rushed me to the emergency clinic not too far away (there isn't an emergency room very close by) and they gave me something for the nausea, which luckily wasn't an injection. That would have put me into the worst misery, I'm sure. But, the medicine was a cream thing they rubbed on my wrists. It helped, but I was still feeling sick and now I was getting drowsy. Some of what they were telling R I comprehended and other stuff I missed completely. I was just really out-of-it. I was really dehydrated and managed to get down a glass of water when we got back to the house. I did sleep that night, although I had to manage it sitting up. Not comfortable. The next day I was still really drowsy and R had to pick up my prescription. I slept most of the day, although I drank some water and pedialyte stuff. I also had a little bread that evening. R, C, and E got to go to Medieval Times on Wednesday. I was still feeling bad. By Thursday I was better, but still sleepy. Friday I managed dinner with C's parents. Yesterday, R and I shopped until our feet were sore. It felt good to get out of the house and feel like doing something fun. My stomach still isn't 100%, but I'm feeling a lot better and wishing I hadn't wasted my whole vacation in bed. I'm staying on here a little longer than I'd planned, but I wasn't sure I was well enough to drive that far. We'll see how things go from here. The doctor thought it was the stomach flu, which I was hoping would pass me by, but they usually don't, so it was wishful thinking. Every time there's something going around, I get it. My immune system sucks for some reason. Well, that's my cheerful update. Thought maybe you'd wondered what happened to me, and well...it wasn't pretty. Things are looking up now, though. Hopefully I won't have another blowout or something on the way home. January 20 Cold!Don't miss the ice too much, but it was pretty. It looked like everything was encrusted with jewels because it fell in tiny droplets that froze almost right away. But it was rainy today, that messy, misty rain that I hate because it's not enough to put the windshield wipers on and you have to mist the windshield occasionally to keep it clean. But I've been wearing my coat, which I didn't get to wear last year, so it's kind-of nice to use a different fashion accessory. I was getting tired of shorts and sandals last year. I might even wear a sweater when I get to FW. That would be weird. So, today, Dad and I went for Chinese food and got far enough away from that brushfire (mulch fire?) that's burning in Helotes to escape the smoke. I would have gone farther, but I doubt Dad could stand being in the car that long in the rain. Got a couple of things for my trip, like snacks and such. Starbucks was packed. We were lucky to find a place to sit. I got hot coffee for a change, a nice caramel macchiato, strong, just like I like it. Then, as we were leaving, the manager there started chatting with us. He didn't have a coat on, so I think he might have been pretty cold, but he chatted on and on anyway. We all complained about the brushfire because the smoke is so irritating and I'm having health problems because of it. The fire started on Christmas and hasn't been put out yet. The first plan was to let it burn itself out. But the mulch pile is three stories high and 800 feet long. They said it would be months before it burned itself out. Well, I could have told them that myself and I don't know anything about putting out fires. So then, they tried taking part of it away, little by little, but it sent up tons of smoke and the city had to put people in the area up in hotels away from the fire because they were having respiratory problems. So now, they're putting lots and lots of water on it, but I don't see why they didn't try a lot harder early on. It could still be weeks before the fire is out. I'm glad to be leaving town for a week. Anyway, then he was joking about wrapping brisket in foil and putting it inside the mulch because it's mostly mesquite and it would probably smoke the meat pretty well. Then, he got on to the idea that you could have a stand outside selling meat that was cooked there, and baked potatoes, etc. Somehow, we got from there to Chacho's and barbacoa, fajitas, and tortilla soup. Long conversation for it being so cold outside and him having short sleeves on. He was really just running out to his car to get his wallet anyway. Well, we had a good time anyway and laughed a lot. Sometimes a good conversation is all you need to cheer you up, you know? Now, I'm mostly packed and I'm going to actually put my tool kit in my car when I'm packing up the car. I've had it inside forever and it's really made to go in the car. I've got the cooler ready and I turned the ice machine on. Really, I'm ready to go. Bucky seems to be worried he's going to be left behind. Poor baby. He's good in the car, too. He just lies there and sleeps most of the way. He'll be happy to see Benny, too. It's been a long time since he's seen his friend. Anyway, I'm off to check the weather reports, although I'm pretty sure I'm leaving tomorrow. May get to blog some while I'm there, but I don't know. R has some doctor stuff to take care of. Poor thing has an ovarian cyst, but most of the stuff I read about it sounds like it should be fairly easy to take care of. I wouldn't like it if it were me, but it should be okay. It might even be an outpatient procedure, which would be good. Sucks that I'm now at that age where "female stuff" starts happening and I have to make sure I get to all my doctor appointments. I've even heard of people going through menopause at my age. Freaky. I don't feel old. Read an interesting book recently. Well, the writing could have been a bit more...prose-y, I guess. But the story was interesting, even if the author had a tendency to repeat things sometimes. It's Dawn of Empire by Sam Barone, and it's about the beginning of the era of walled cities. It's a time when people are beginning to farm and build villages, but other people are still nomadic and raid these villages for food, livestock, and slaves. One large village decides to fight the coming "barbarian" horde (his term, not mine). Obviously, they try a new idea, and build a wall. There's more to it than that, but I didn't give you more than was on the jacket, so don't feel I gave too much away. It was interesting reading anyway. And, just in case there are some adults out there who think it's silly to read children's books, I know plenty of people (adults, too) who read Harry Potter books. So, I finally read some of them. They're fun to read and very addictive. Give them a try. Mom read them, too. Say you're getting them for your kids, nieces, nephews, or whoever. No one will know. : ) |
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