OCD+ADD=OMG

We finally got the kitchen around 1, and all the ladies went in and unpacked as much as they needed and began cooking. Mom knew that I was feeling bad, so she told me to find our cabins and unpack our clothes and such. She gave my cousin Patricia the key to unlock the bunkhouse and all the cabins, and I agreed to follow her and just plah-kay myself down in whichever one of the cabins I choose. So, Pat, Jerry (Bernadine's youngest) and I dissembarked. I was in my little car (which reeked of rotten watermelon) and Pat and Jerry were in Pat's big diesel truck. They lead and I followed through the twisting labyrinth that is Chicot State Park. Finally we came upon Cabins 1-5. So, we parked on the side of the road and went over to cabin 1 to try and unlock it. It wouldn't unlock. We tried again. Still, no go. We went over to cabin 2 and faced the same thing.

So...we left my car parked where it was and went back to the front office. Pat explained our problem and then returned to the truck laughing. Turns out, there are 5 cabins behind the kitchen (where we were originally)...... so, we went and got my car, and then went back to the group area. We trekked back to the 'cabins'. It was pathetic. They were little rooms, each with six bunk beds and an AC. That was it. There was a separate building that had mens and womens shower stalls and toilets (two of each). We were told that all these facilities were self contained (meaning furnished with everything you would need)... they aren't. The beds are almost entirely bare. The kitchen, though full of pots and pans, had no seasonings, plates, forks, knives, spoons or glasses. When we told Mom, she was so disappointed and frustrated, she looked like she might cry. I know for a fact that she wanted to. We tried to make light of it, and assure her that we could handle it anyway, but she was still upset by it. Still, they were busy making the gumbo and potato salad for that night, so she had something to occupy herself with... otherwise, she would've thought about it too much and been more upset. You know how that is.

Technically, we got this place at a great deal. It isn't cheap by any means, but it's cheap in comparison for what we want. But still, the pictures of the cabins online are the pictures of plush places, with sofas and beds and flat screen TVs. Not wall-to-wall bunk beds and communal bathrooms. Mom's worked hard to pull this together, and it's upsetting to see so little be supplied considering how much she's put into it.

Most easily put, I hate this place. I'm still sick, though not feverish, so at least that isn't a worry. But still. I'm the type of person that likes my own space. Bunk beds are confining. And the fact that I can't have privacy in a shower... That's just my own private hell. If I were perfectly healthy, I would hate this place.

We've managed to borrow sleeping bags from those that came more prepared. Still. It just isn't what we'd thought it'd be.

Oh well. I'm absolutely exhausted, and it's terribly freezing in here. Goodnight, Sunshines =..=

You Are "Across the Universe"

You are spiritual, deep, and at peace. You try to keep life in perspective. You can't help but realize how small you are in the universe. You're just thankful you exist. You tend to be a stream of consciousness thinker. You just let your thoughts flow, even when they don't make sense initially. You trust your intuition to guide you. You know that whatever is in your heart is right and true.

What Beatles Song Are You?

Blogthings: We Have a Quiz for Almost Everything

 

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The hardest things to move... were things with drawers in them. Dad and I spent most of our time taking drawers out of things and moving the drawers single file, then taking whatever the drawers were in. My night stands weren't so bad, right? And we took apart the bed and that made it a little easier. Still... it wasn't easy. I'm hoping that that'll be the hardest of things to move...because we still have my computer and TV/TV stand to move o..o

Dear God,

Please let the worst be over?

Much love,

Me

=..= So.... I'm basically just sitting in my guest room filling you guys in :) After that it'll be nothing but relaxing, and Mako-kun will turn into a glorified DVD player >..> No offense, buddy.

Tomorrow... or maybe even the next day, we're going to get groceries... for both houses. Because I'm next to bare over here and Mom and Dad are getting low too. So, we're stocking up tomorrow. Probably move a few more things too. As for tonight... I'm thinking of marathoning it :D Something to celebrate you know? I mean, I've got Chinese take-out in the fridge and all, so... what's better than left-over Chinese food and a movie marathon? So! That's where you shall find me now; in my house... watching hoards of movies ^..^

Later, Sunshines!

 

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Your Evil Name Is Maura Celina

Muhahahaha!

What's Your Evil Name?

 

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So, after I left ya’ll Thursday, Mom and Aunt Carolyn came back from the store with spray paint and...whatever else they went there for. We decided that the kilz had dried, and it was time to start painting. So, we set ourselves up with a system, learning from our mistakes with the kilz. Y’see Dad’s room (and mine as well) is panelled, so there are grooves at varying widths throughout the room. When we’d tried to roll on the kilz primer, the grooves left voids. So, we learned, go over the lines with a paint brush first, then roll out the roller! So, the system was, me on the floor taping off the base boards; Mom using a simple brush to paint the lines, and Aunt Carolyn working on the trim around the two windows and ceiling (she’d get to the base boards when I was done taping off). Aunt Carolyn said that she could do the other trim just fine, but due to gravity, she’d need the tape for the base boards....so there ya go. Now, this continued till I’d taped off all the base boards and Mom had painted all the lines. The trim took a lot of time, being as it’s careful work. Then, I grabbed a roller and started painting what I call the center zone.

Center Zone: Painting Ref. - The center of the wall easiest to reach, between the top (nearest the ceiling) and the bottom (nearest the floor).

<..< uh...yeah.../clears throat. So...I had all of one wall painted and half of another, when my hand started to cramp. Mom took over, letting me rest. I didn’t rest long though. I went in and got my camera to get pictures of us actually working and all. Then I came back and started working again. Mom and Aunt Carolyn were both up and tending to the top zone nearest the ceiling........Then....It happened.

Without any warning or provocation, Aunt Carolyn went to step down from the stool she was on to reload her brush, her ankle gave out, she fell down.....and knocked right into the full can of paint, knocking it over onto the carpet in a huge glob ;_;

Yeah...talk about scurrying. We scurried to make sure she was ok, and then I hopped up and ran to the bathroom for towels, ran back to soak up as much of the paint as possible. It didn’t really matter though, the damage had been done. Aunt Carolyn was so upset with herself, but it’s not like it’s something that she did on purpose. Accidents do happen after all, and there’s no use in placing blame. In fact, Mom and I were more upset with ourselves; earlier when we started priming the walls, I told Mom that we should spread that tarp over the entire floor as opposed to just over the computer desk so that if there were any spills it wouldn’t damage the carpet =..= When did I become psychic? Srsly, I don’t want that type of power....at least not until I’ve gotten myself a job in middle management...

>..> ....anyway. So, we soaked the carpet in water, oxiclean, tough stuff and a number of other stain removers. We used Aunt Carolyn’s steam cleaner and Mrs. Karen’s shampooer....the stain isn’t as solid as it was but...it’s still prevalent. Not to mention, the water we used for cleaning and the shampooer seems to have spread, staining most of the carpet surrounding the original stain. I told Mom that it might be time to invest in a room-size area rug to complete the ‘makeover’ :)

Knowing Dad, he’ll probably say, “Looks nice! Paint the entire floor that way!” or something like that. I doubt it’ll really faze him. Still, it was just one of those things that kinda sickens you. Talk about bring the mood down -..- We did finish painting the room, and the walls look awesome (the carpet, not so much). We’ve loaded the dresser and end tables back into the room, and we’d planned on taking the tarp off of the computer desk and putting it outside with the bed frame so that we could spray paint the bed and all....and then it snowed yesterday >..< It was all gloomy, windy and humid Friday, so we really couldn’t have done it then. I mean, that needs time to set and if the conditions are not right, it will look terrible.....so...yeah. As long as we can get one good day...just one good day!....before Wednesday =..= This is looking more and more impossible. Still who knows.

In totally unrelated news, my replacement printer finally arrived. I hooked it up and...it didn’t work at first....so I unhooked it, uninstalled the software, deleted the printer from the computer’s printers & faxes thingy, and then reinstalled the software and re-hooked up the computer. It works fine now (thank God). If it hadn’t worked...I think I might’ve busted a blood vessel in my head at the very least. So now, I just have to box up an ship the old malfunctioned one back.

Oh...yeah...it snowed yesterday. It started around 9 a.m. and they said it’d go till Midnight...not sure if it did (it gets dark out and you just don’t see the white stuff falling), but it definitely got a lot of coverage in. I took some pictures, but most of them are from inside. I did go outside to check the mail and send a letter off to Scamp, so I took pictures when I went out, but the weather really didn’t encourage one to remain out in it. I mean, the wind was so strong, it nearly knocked me down. Not to mentioned all your extremities get that ‘seep in and stay’ cold, to the point they feel like they’re on fire when you step inside. I’d never seen a white out before (well, unless it rained really hard in LA, and I used to call that a gray-out :D), but yesterday almost was one. It was snowing lightly in the morning, but when the latter half of the cold front passed through, from our house, we couldn’t see the trees on the other side of the road o..o Luckily, my Arkansas cold weather initiation began and ended with the January Ice Storm...

...I can’t think of anything else to write...I need to post some pics to FaceBook and MySpace...enh...maybe later =..= I’ll talk later, Sunshines.

You Are From Mercury

You are talkative, clever, and knowledgeable - and it shows. You check in with your friends as often as possible! You're witty, expressive, and aware of everything going on around you. You love learning, playing, and taking in all of what life has to offer. Be careful not to talk your friends' ears off. Temper your need to know everything.

What Planet Are You From?

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In other news, this morning while we were watching the Food Network, a show came on that I’d never seen before in my life. But it was a show called Giada at Home and the only reason I kept watching it was because they showed some sort of sushi roll and someone in the back was saying “Doesn’t that look good?” Or something like that. And Mom was like, “Oh look, she’s gonna show you how to make sushi.” and so...you know, I taped it (naturally). But the sushi she was making...well, it just didn’t thrill me. So, I did what I always do, turn to my dear friend Google. From my search I found 2 web sites: Sushi Recipes and Sushi Links. From the Sushi Links place, I found the Sushi Magic Kit which looks fantastically awesome (it’s also awesomely fantastic :D), and that is now the top priority on my Amazon.com Asian Theme Wish List. Among the myriad of books in my Book Wish List, the one at the top of the list is Sushi For Dummies (for obvious reasons :D). Also, if you scroll down a little, you’ll see after all the sushi books the Where’s Waldo? The Complete Collection book XD Feel free to laugh, I usually do.....my goodness but I did love those books.

Anyway...it has been a busy day. Mom didn’t sleep well, so she’s gone off to take a nap. I plan to stay in the living room for a while and hang the clothes up when they’re done...and make sure the fire does not go out. Other than that, it seems it will be a very slow, lazy day.

Last night, before I went to bed, I managed to upload a bunch of pictures to my deviantART page. I now have 2 small galleries, one is Trees and the other is Sunset. I’m actually really happy with all of them. Sunset especially, but I did manage to get some really good shots of those trees in Bayou Blue. So, I’m happy with both.

....I really can’t think of anything else to write...Ice storm - check. Sushi obsession - check. Photos on deviant - check. Guess that’s everything. :) Later, Sunshines.

 

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You Are a Playwright

You are a highly literate wordsmith. You love both reading and writing. You are also a natural storyteller. You can turn a mediocre anecdote into a riveting tale. You find people and all aspects of life fascinating. No topic is off limits for you. In modern times, you would make a good filmmaker or novelist.

What's Your Medieval Profession?

 

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So, I should probably say that each day here has been really nice. I mean, I’ve been able to sleep in and Mom and I have managed a bit of shopping and such, but over-all everything’s been nice and quiet. Except for the on-going fight between me and my computer…but that’s another story.

So anyway. Mom had a migraine yesterday, and she’s kinda still down with it today. My Aunt Carolyn (mom’s sis) came over this morning to help with a few thing, but she left before 10, and Mom went to bed. Around 2ish...I smelled something really bad. So I went into the living room to check the fireplace…it smelled like smoke, so that’s the logical place to check, right? Well, the fire had died, so I knew it wasn’t that. I figured, maybe the fan that blew the heat from the fireplace into the room had got some ash in it or something and that was the smell. About then, Mom got up. I asked her if she smelled it too and she said she did. She said she was hungry, so I cut a few slices of pizza I’d made for her. I put it in the microwave and hit start….and that was when I saw it.

Outside, smoke was billowing onto our carport and covering the car with ash. I immediately ran out and looked, and it first looked like an extension cord had caught on fire right next to the house, and it had melted the siding off the side of the house and was starting to melt the siding on the roof of the carport. I ran back inside and grabbed a little can of extinguisher we had (not an extinguisher, just this can for people with fireplaces who want to put out a fire). I ran back out and emptied the can onto the fire. It was still going. So I ran back inside and grabbed the car keys. I went around to the front of the car (because the fire is on the driver’s side, it’s just towards the back), got in, and got the car out of the way. Then, I went back inside to see what else I could use to put the fire out.

Mom had grabbed the phone, and was on the phone with 911 and the fire department. She said they were on their way, so she was going to go and get dressed real quick (she was in her night gown since she’d been sleeping all day). I looked around the kitchen and grabbed a really deep pot that Mom had used to make soup. There was still some soup in it, but …who cares about that right? We’d been eating the soup for three days anyway! I ran back out and doused the fire with the soup (it flared up a bit at first, but then it died off. Later Mom joked with the firemen that I either was desperate or I really didn’t like her soup ^..^). It still wasn’t completely out, so I kept running back into the house to fill the pot with water and then running back out to empty it on the fire. Mom came out about my third or fourth trip and she took some flour out and was putting that over the smoldering embers to smother the rest of it down.

By that time, the fire was pretty much dead. The house was full of smoke, though I’m pretty sure I killed me a smoke alarm =..= Five minutes or so later, we hear the sirens…they sound lost because they’re approaching and then they’re going and then away and back again. Of course, the fire’s out at this point, so all we really need them for is investigation. We both decided to use the time we had to open up the house, doors and windows and all so that the smoke could filter out again. The smell was really bad and my lungs were still heavy from inhaling so much smoke. Then we went outside to wait for the fire trucks to find us. I look down, and I’m wearing my sleek black exercise pants (the ones with the sky-blue stripe down the side of the legs), and a dark grey sleeveless top that has the built in bra AND I’m barefoot.... It’s about 58 degrees outside, but I’m hot form…well the fire, for one, and two – adrenaline!

They finally arrived...two trucks and a couple cop cars at first, but another pulled up a minute later. The fire had nothing to do with the fireplace, and though it had melted the siding, it did not get into the house. So, we were very very lucky to have caught it so quick. It melted an extension cord partially and reduced an ice chest to almost nothing... we were extremely fortunate because right next to the blaze was a cinderblock and on top of that cinderblock was a container of oil. If the metal had melted enough, and the oil got onto the fire….there wouldn’t have been anything I could’ve done to help.

Once the firemen left, Mom called my Aunt Carolyn to tell her what had happened. Aunt Carolyn was beside herself, because she said she’d put what she thought was a dead log right where the fire started. She said that the log could not catch on fire in the fireplace, so she just put it there…and the wind must have got whatever was on fire on that log to burning, and it was right next to a pile of dead leaves so...I imagine it just evolved from that. Mom tried to tell her not to worry about it too much, because we’re both safe and sound and (even if we do have to repair the siding) the house is pretty much undamaged.

I took some pictures after everything had died down. You can really see how close we came from them.

( Ready, Aim.. )

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We’re very blessed to have so little damage and all. And now I am so very very tired! After it all happened, Mom and I fixed supper...I hadn’t eaten all day. I woke up at 10 and had a cup of coffee, and that was it, and I still was not hungry. But I went and showered while Mom put some eggs on to boil for a salad. When I got in the tub, I was scrubbing the black off my feet, and I noticed on the top of my feet there were two small round blue things. I reached down to scratch them off, and I had to pry them off me. There were two round pock marks where they were, and all I can assume is that some blue plastic or something had popped out of the fire and onto my foot and just burned there. 

After I showered I was hungry so...Mom and I had our salads. It was nice. Only just now am I really really tired (and really hoping my lungs clear themselves up soon).

…in related news, Mom and I have decided to use the central unit for heat and not light another fire ^..^

 

 

I went out and got Scamp Saturday. The drive was fun, but my house was being whittled down little by little in the 4 hours it took. My parents had moved everything from upstairs into the shed and many of the things I just didn’t need as well. My mattress was on the floor downstairs. During the down-time we had when my parents were busy with...something else…Scamp and I exchanged birthday gifts! She loved her gifts and I was sooo happy! I got her the Hoard key chain and made it into a necklace, and I got her a Figure Print of Fallena! It was so awesome! And she loved it and stared at it in awe for a long long time. Scamp was...uh, a little disappointed when one of my gifts didn’t really work out. She and Bear had gotten me a beautiful necklace of an owl flying with a moonstone in it’s claws, but she’d also gotten me this tank that has fake jellyfish in it...but, the pump for the tank didn’t work so the jellyfish just sank to the bottom of the tank -..- so yeah, she was disappointed. I loved the necklace though! I told her, “I shall call him ‘Jareth’ and he shall be mine :-D!”. That night was miserable, because my dad’s snoring is unholy...and since we were all sleeping in the same room, that really came into play that night.

Sunday, after church, we all went to Subway. Tried that new Chicken Pizziola or whatever it’s called...it wasn’t bad. Just…not something I’d go out of my way for. When we got home, Mom and Dad had packed up to leave for New Orleans, but the battery on Dad’s truck died. So he had to go to town and get a new one. But once that was done, Scamp and I were pretty much on our own. The geek fest began and much talking and giddy babbling commenced.

Monday was a little harsh...work was just so intense after the more busy than usual weekend. Also, at this point, everyone’s panicked because they realize it’s my last week. Monday and Tuesday went by pretty much the same. I was so very very tired, and went home to talk more with Scamp and vaguely pay attention to Bones. We packed as much as we could, but even when we were doing that, we were talking so much it was like we weren’t working. My parents actually got back from N.O. that afternoon, but they were staying with my Aunt Carolyn for the night. And, yesterday, I canceled my DSL for the 20th, and then later that day, Scamp tells me that they unhooked the computer and packed the wires in a box =..= so yeah...work’s the only way to post aside from Voice Post...which may happen tomorrow ^..^ Scamp managed to crank out some seriously awesome WoW fan fiction too. I dunno if it's cause we just talk about our character so much or because here she can relax a bit more or what, but it was awesome! And just in time too, because my parents showed up to pack everything just after she finished =..=

Oh! And I found something I desperately wanted. I’ve been wanting a mac for so long, but I can’t afford it. Aaaand, I’d been wanting to get a lap top too, because…well, sometimes I shut my computer off and late at night I get ideas to write...and I’d just like to have a laptop. Especially since my Dad was saying there are two colleges in the town and I might go back to college again o..o But anyway! I looked on Amazon.com to see if there were any good laptops that weren’t too highly priced. Well, I found a pretty awesome MacPro...and it’s about $700 (yes, it’s considered used, but it’s ‘Like New’ so I’m sorta ok with that!), which for a Mac is really awesome! So, I was thinking of saving up my next two checks as much as possible (which is what I’d be doing anyway) and spending my money on that...Merry Christmas to Me, you know? It’d be nice...

Oh, and last night, after class, everyone had a little party for me with this awesome cake and everything! It was funny because they gave me the cutting knife, and I sorta twirled the handle a bit so that the point was facing downward and just stabbed in the center of the cake, and everyone who was watching went, “Whoa!” After we ate and went over to join the others that were sitting about, C.J. asked me “So, did you get any more s words?” and I was like, “S words? Like…Salamander? Or...Sincere?” and he was like, “No! Swords!” and I was like. “oh....” only a minute later did I get S Words put together equals Swords...kinda like Flo Rida, put together is Florida. Yeah -..- I was tired. But yeah. I told him that I’d found the Halo Sword on Amazon...and that I had a whole Wish List dedicated to various swords and weapons...he was thrilled, but I’m not quite sure why O..o Funny how it amazes me to meet someone just as geeky as I am...in a place where I thought I knew how everyone already was before.

So...today Reiko comes over. The girls said that they’re treating me to Zen’s (well, they said it was my choice so booya :-D.). There are still things to worry about...but I kinda don’t want to anymore. I’m so tired and I can’t. So I’m just going to give the girls at work their Christmas/Going Away presents and have fun and enjoy my last few days here. I even brought my camera today to mark the occasion. I don’t have enough pictures of the girls as far as I’m concerned. So that’s all I’m worried about today. I do still need a change of address form, and to talk to my Edward Jones guy, but I’m thinking that’s something I might be able to squeeze in today and tomorrow. I’ll just have to check. But I refuse to worry about it.

I guess I’m off again. I was taking a little brain break because in the little time I’ve had sitting down I manage to get 7 pages of stats done =..= I can’t wait till 5. So, I’m off again, Sunshines.

Power, running water and internet…we have that, but no cable still. Some people have gotten it back, but my cable’s pretty much been out since the 1st. There’s nothing to really do about it, because the crews are working as hard as they can and as fast as they can...it’s just an annoying dilemma. I totally missed the first episode of Supernatural, and I’m hesitant to buy it on iTunes...I bought all of season 3 on iTunes, and even if it made it easy for me to catch the episodes I missed, I still was a little less enthusiastic about the 3rd seasons box set when I actually got it. I haven’t gotten the second season of Heroes yet either (trying to save money) either…I know I’m going to miss the third season opener – or at least I’m preparing myself for that since I don’t think I’ll have cable by then. /sigh. what a mess these hurricanes are.

I finally placed an order with Amazon.com the other day (I had a $24 gift certificate too…which…I don’t understand, but thanks to whoever got that for me!). So now, my list of gifts has included Scamp’s Birthday and Christmas presents (which I’ve had for a long time now), Part of Dad’s Christmas present, Jen-Lyn’s birthday and Christmas presents (I got more than one, so I just figure I’ll call them both) and Chibi’s Birthday Present. I still need to buy Christmas presents for Mom, Chibi and Reiko...But, I’m working on it.

Big dent in my money – Reiko called me yesterday saying she’d found a shop in New Orleans (or somewhere) that had her perfect wedding dress and perfect bride’s maid dresses. I needed to call them, before 4 pm that day, and give them my measurements in order to not have a rush order and pay $40 more. Oh, and of course, it’s my job to throw the bachelorett party…which would be just fine if that meant that I had to invite girls over, decorate my house, and put on Supernatural, but I have this bad feeling that Reiko will want alcohol involved, and I’m not up on buying booze so…yeah. I may just buy the decorations I was looking at and tell everyone BYOB if you must. Pull out the futon and air mattresses and let everyone sleep over…….oh, also, I’m designing her wedding invitations. I’ve done it before, but never someone who was so important to me. I really hope I can give her what she wants.

Dad finally came in from offshore. What a fiasco that was. I’ve never hated a company so much in my whole life. He had been told to drive to Lafayette, LA when Lafayette was being evacuated thanks to Gustav, right? Well, they rerouted him to Houston, TX, and flew him out to Mexico from there. When he come in, they brought him to New Orleans, then fueled up the plain again to fly him to Memphis, TN (Quoi?) and then back to Lafayette, LA, where he had to catch a hot-shot drive to Houston, TX………….WTF, People!? Seriously! Is that not crazy? He finally called me around 10 pm Monday night saying that he was safely at his truck in Houston, and that he’d be driving over to my place. I told him I’d leave the door unlocked for him. It’s a good thing I did, because he didn’t get in till about 3 am.

He spent the next two days helping me buy some groceries (my fridge was virtually bare), mowing the lawn, fixing busted pipes, and mending the roof to both our houses. I mentioned to him about this printer I’ve been having my eye on. It’s the Kodak EasyShare 5500, which I’d seen advertised one day. Sure it’s a great printer and everything, but what really got me interested in it was the fact that the black ink cartridge is $9.99 and the color is like $14.99 – together you can get them for $22.99. And that’s an amazing savings right there. Plus it’s a superior printing product. So, after I’d told him about it (Because I knew Mom needed a new printer too) he says, “Well, you’ve got my credit card. Why don’t you just put it on the credit card and buy that?” So that’s my birthday present from my parents. Thanks, Mom and Dad!

A couple of nights ago, I read a lot of the Twilight saga before bed. Then I had a dream about it...and it wouldn’t go away. So, I decided to write a Twilight fan fic…Which is both wonderful and terrible at the same time. If only I could channel my inspiration and just work on my original story! But, alas! I must write within a world of hot vampires and werewolves…../sarcasm. woe unto me. I’m surprised at how quickly it’s coming though...maybe because I’m making myself get into the characters and stare at the computer screen…really flushing out what I want from this story and who the characters are and all that jazz. I have 2 chapters and one prologue...it’s all small stuff…but then again that last little fic I wrote about my and my cousin’s WoW characters was small too….maybe I’m expecting too much of myself. Maybe I should focus on smaller chapters. /shrug. who knows. Either way, at least my creativity is going and not dead.

Work’s been work….it has actually been somewhat bearable if only because it’s all-consuming. I work on a mountain of files and don’t notice what time it is for hours. I find myself saying things like, “Whoa…it’s already 12 (3, 5)?” It’s actually pretty awesome. Oh, and you know what else is awesome? For the week of the 1st through the 5th (you know, when Gustav hit and power was out and all that?) my boss is paying us without taking away from our vacation/sick time. How cool is that? My bosses rock.

….what else is there to talk about? Hmm….well, I finally got back on WoW the other night…well, night before too. I got together with my cousin and we did some RP. But last night, I took Agaruwen to ….wherever she was before I stopped playing =..= I don’t even remember the name of the place! I might’ve played for about an hour...just doing the quests she had and all. But without anyone there to talk to, it’s sort of boring, so...it wasn’t long before I called it a night. Still. At least I’m playing a bit.

…Kinda feel a little pleased with myself. I woke up this morning, put on a pot of coffee, swept my kitchen, washed the dishes and set the clothes to washing….now, I really should go and have some breakfast =..=

Later, Sunshines.

What Your Purple Umbrella Says About You

When faced with adversity, you remain together and graceful. You are very balanced, and it's hard for you to let yourself get too down. You are brainy and philosophical. It's hard for you to lose your broad perspective on life. You accept things as they are. You don't try to change anything that can't be changed. On a rainy day: you should spend the day reading

The Umbrella Test

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P.S. Most awesomest icon EVER! Dramatic Dean – dun dun dun!!!!

I called Circuit City to ask about that guy who was supposed to call me, and they said that he hadn’t come in and that they couldn’t find him. I spoke with the manager directly, explaining my problem. I was called back a little while later by a young lady saying that he had told them that he had told me to bring my car in Wednesday or Thursday morning...which, is crap because I firmly remember him telling me he was booked up all for Monday and he’d go in to Sam’s Audio early and get the part he needed, and call me at nine to get it installed. I asked if I could make an appointment for Wednesday morning at open. Then after thinking about it, I called Sam’s Audio asking if they had a similar stereo system, and how much it’d be to install it. They gave me a quote and I made an appointment for this morning at 9. I was so furious and anxious about the whole thing, that I gave myself a panic attack. My doctor had given me some pills to take when I have a panic attack, so I broke the pill in half and took half of the pill, hoping it’d help to calm me down.

….I broke out in a clammy sweat all over my body, it was very hard to breath, I was dizzy and drowsy and nauseous, I got the shakes, and everything, even sitting in my chair and staring at my monitor, was taxing. I finished the work-load for Saturday’s mail (God knows how), and told Lo that I had to go home. The girls looked at me and told me they were not comfortable with me driving myself home, because I’d gotten very pale and just didn’t look good at all (not to mention that I’d gotten deathly quiet the moment the pill kicked in, and they know that means I’m really not feeling good). So, I called my Aunt Carolyn and asked if she could come and pick me up. She said she’d come with Uncle George, and she’d drive me home while he followed in their car. I am glad they picked me up too, because I kept feeling like I was going to throw up at every turn. I got home, made myself some dry toast (the girls had recommended it) and went to bed. It felt like I wasn’t really sleeping, you know? Like I was motionless and my eyes were closed, but I was aware of everything. And yet, it was like no time had passed. I have to admit, other than feeling like my stomach was made of lead, all the other symptoms (save the grogginess of course) went away. So maybe it’s just that I couldn’t be up and moving around under those meds…lots of good that’d do me.

Around 6, my parents called – and I thanked God I’d had the good sense to keep my phone with me. I talked with them for a bit and then, I think I fell back to sleep. I woke up again around 7ish. I got up, ate a bit, watched some TV (mostly my Daria DVDs), and worked on organizing the pictures for the Mecha Con Scrap book. I did get some of my clothes washed, but I went to bed right after my shower.

I only took half of that pill, and I still feel drugged. But I felt well enough to come in to work and bring my car in, and the whole mess is over. This morning, after I dropped my car off, I texted people….because I was bored just sitting there. I hadn’t thought to bring something to read. Reiko was busy at work, Chibi was at chapel, and only asked texted back to ask when I was going to Arkansas. Scamp, got my text message and called me! We talked…for about 45 minutes or so. Which was sort of funny, since she’s spending time with her honey, Brian. I hope he didn’t mind =..= Still, after I hung up, we were still texting. Twas amusing...even if I was still bored all by my lonesome.

Now, the only thing I have to worry about for my trip, is packing! I’m so ready to just be gone! Tonight, I’ve gotta finish packing, load up the car, wash the dishes and try to straighten up some, make sure TomTom’s all ready to go, and...and….ummm….oh! Wrap Mom’s gift =..= Yeah, I got her the card, made it all out for her and I even used my stamps on the gift box, but I’ve yet to actually wrap the gift. Nice right? Doh...

I put my jeans on to wash this morning when I got up, and then when that was done, I put them on to dry. That’s the only reason I couldn’t finish packing last night. My jeans (the most integral part of my wardrobe) were still in the dirty clothes pile. Dad left a pair of his jeans and a shirt behind, so I need to remember to bring that too. My brain keeps going through all of the things I need, and I’m like “Can I pack that yet...I don’t think I need it, so I think I can.” And then I keep reminding myself, “Don’t forget Wednesday, after you use that, you’ll need to pack it.” It’s insane. I’m thinking of bringing the little thing of Folders coffee...I know my Dad doesn’t drink coffee as much as when I was there. So, it’d be a good idea to be prepared.

Oh well.. I can’t think of anything else, and there’s work that needs doin’. I’ll talk later, Sunshines.

Saturday, we dragged ourselves out of bed around 9 to go to Vs. A Leo. We ended up walking in just as they started (thanks to Reiko and Reign’s smoke breaks). Talk about hilarious. I don’t know how they end up with come-backs so quickly, but those two guys are hilarious. After an hour of amusing ourselves with that, we headed back out (because Emphysema and Bronchitis needed their fix again). We hung out (invariable going to the dealers room or just walking around) till 1, and I went to see the panel called 15 Years of Sailor Moon…..which…..ended up frustrating me, and I just left that panel early.

There was more hanging out till about 4ish, when we headed down to the bus area. The cosplay competition had gotten so big, they actually reserved Angelle Hall on the University of Louisiana at Lafayette campus. Talk about madness. We got in on the second bus (first seats), and the lobby of the hall was full when we got there, and I’m fairly sure two more buss loads were dropped off. Then they opened the doors O..O I managed to scamper down and get us seats on the edge of the 6th row to the far right side. Finally, it seemed like everyone got seated and situated.

Then they made us wait an hour. But of course, we’re anime fans…and most of us are kids to boot. So we didn’t just sit quietly. First there was singing, clapping, everything we could do to keep ourselves entertained. Then, the guys in the back who control the lights, sound and everything in the auditorium used one of those red laser lights and he was pointing out things on the stage….well, it turns out someone else…brought a laser light. Two to be precise. There was one red one and one green one, and they would chase each other around on the walls and ceiling. Then the guys in back made the spot light chase them around. There was music, and eventually dancing by everyone in the auditorium, but…it stopped when someone stupid got on the stage. Yeah. But then we all sat down and watched the laser lights ^..^ Twas funny.

The cosplay competition was good. I got it all on Zeiss, but for some odd reason, none of the pictures Reiko took came out. But it was pretty awesome, and I did get it on DVD at least. There was a “Dating Game” thingy in between the competition and the awards (so that we don’t all go stir crazy again), and there was a “Het” Round and a “Yaoi” round =..= Oddly enough, the Yaoi round was funnier, but I didn’t record it! So yeah. I wanted to have room on the DVD for the awards and stuff, so I didn’t record that, but you know. Whatever. The memories will still rock.

We went back to the hotel (after waiting for the buss for 35 minutes) and I went to sleep. Reiko, on the other hand, went to the “Mecha Con House Party/Rave”. Then she went and swam with some guys (though the pool was closed so they had to jump the fence. A storm rolled in though. So they came back to their hotel rooms….at 4:30 in the morning =..= Evidently Reiko had met a guy named Gaven that night, and they all agreed to go and eat sushi during the “happy hour” between 10 and 2. They agreed to meet at 11…….But see, they were all exhausted. I woke up and got ready around 10ish, and Reign knocked on my door around 11 telling me that Reiko needed to get up now because they’d all agreed to go out for sushi….She was ready by 11:40 but…there was no sign of Gaven. I found out that Gaven is the “Local Fraternity Rich Kid” and he knows all the local restaurants and what’s good…and plus he was really freakin’ awesome. So yeah, they really liked hanging around with him. He did show up around 12ish, and we went through the dealers room one more time (Gaven wanted a hentai shirt and Reiko got a black Yoshi plushy), and then we headed all the way across town…to find that sushi places are closed on Sundays. I knew this, but I guess I figured that, you know, maybe not all of them adhered to this. So, we ended up going to Chili’s for breakfast (of course, by the time we got there and ordered it was around 1:40). But after much toil and sorrow we got our food and were happy. At this point, we were having such fun hanging out that I decided to blow off whatever panels I might've wanted to go to that day. Who needs the con when you've got cool people, right?

After eating and goofing off a bit, we headed back to the hotel, and instead of prolonging the inevitable, we decided to go ahead and start packing up to leave. I’d gotten a text from Scamp, but my phone was on silent so…yeah. I texted back asking if she could show up in the lobby around 3:45. She said they might be a little late, but they’d be there. We headed down, and the boys were good to help us with the luggage cart. I told them to go ahead and take the luggage out and I’d check out. After check out, I walked out to the parking lot to find Gaven on the luggage cart (surfing it) with Reign pushing the cart, and Reiko trailing behind holding Reign’s leash…..these crazy kids are so much fun. We stopped outside (after turning in the luggage cart) and they took a smoke break ….and stalked Master Roshi. Reiko had gotten some new pants that say “I *heart* Kyo”, and who better to take a naughty picture with than Master Roshi, right? So, Master Roshi finally came back (they’d seen him pass already), and Reiko got her picture with him.

Needless to say the pictures from the trip are great….even if there aren’t enough of them. True, Facebook’s stupid 60-Picture limit would hinder anything more than the 125 we had, but it’d make a great album. I was thinking of buying a couple of matching albums and printing out the pictures so Reiko and I can have the ultimate memento. It’d be awesome…it’s just…to find the right one, ya know?

Sunday after the con is a blur really. I know that Scamp showed up and then we drove home. I uploaded pics to MySpace right away, but couldn’t edit them all….the internet kept crashing >..< Oh well. I’ll get around to it. Anyway, I went to bed late, not because I wasn’t tired, but because I was so tired I couldn’t rest. I tried to read a bit (and since I bought a crap-load of manga, that worked nicely for me ^..^). Monday was terrible. I wasn’t feeling good and I was zonked from the whirlwind weekend. After work (which just dragged by), I went over to my Aunt Carolyn’s house to eat. Mom and Dad had gotten in from Arkansas, and Aunt Carolyn had cooked jambalaya and white beans. I ate and was very happy.

After getting home, I got a call from Reiko. She said she’d been talking to Reign and Gaven and they were telling her about another convention coming up in December called Louisianime. She didn’t have internet though, so she was wondering if I could look for it for her. And since I put that link right there up, I’m gonna assume you all figured out that I found it =..= It turns out it’s May 8-10, 2009 at the Marriot in Baton Rouge….which is better time-wise, because she wants to cosplay as Seras Victoria from Hellsing. I still don’t know if I’ll be going…but it’d be more realistic if it’s next year and all. I’ve already taken off all the days I can this year.

….I think Reiko stole my cereal…But yeah! That was our Mecha Con Experience. I’m pretty certain that if I got next year, I’ll be reserving a suite for Thursday through Monday so that I can get there nice and easy and then leave whenever I want ^..^ I didn’t really do that much damage swag-wise either. I ended up with 4 hacky sacks that have cute anime-ish faces on them, my two Mokona’s (one white and one black), Volumes 6, 7, 8, 9 and 11 of W Juliet and Volumes 3, 5, and 6 of Kara Kano (there was a special...8 manga for $60 ^..^). Yayness. I now have absolutely no money =..= But Friday is payday. I shall be paying bills though so…yeah. I’m keeping it simple for the next couple of weeks. Luckily, I don’t kneed much.

I guess that’s all for now. Later, Sunshines!

You are the Sense of Sight

You are a very observant, detail oriented person. You are able to take in a lot of information at once. You often see things that other people never notice. You have a good eye for design and aesthetics. You love to be surrounded by beauty - natural or not. When you imagine how something should look, you see it clearly in your mind.

Which of the Five Senses Are You?

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P.S. Did somebody order a hurricane?...