Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Might be a long night...

This is me, Skoora.
I took my girlfriend, Skoora, to the airport tonight so she could fly out to Boston for her MFA residency. she'll only be gone for two weeks but that's two whole weeks that she's there and not here, with me. Last time she went to one of these I flew home to visit my family and some friends back in Kansas. It was different. But, I am very happy she is in this program and that she has the opportunity to do this. I already miss her.

I won't be staying home with her parents the entire time that she's gone. Nope, I am going to visit a friend in another town for a few days and will be bringing her back to my house, where she in turn will spend a few days. Our plans are to discuss Neo-pagan topics (there are some things I need to read before I leave), explore the area she lives so I can get some pictures and she can get out of the house (as long as my back holds out), and she's going to teach me to crochet. Which reminds me, I thought of an idea for a quilt.

I haven't decided exactly what I plan to do for the 4th of July. If my friend stays until then, I thought I would see about watching the city's fireworks show. I know I am invited to Skoora's aunt's house for swimming, games, and a cook out. Whether or not my friend stays or goes home by then, I will at least attend for a little bit. Then of course, I need to get online and play Guild Wars with my Dad.

Oh speaking of my Dad, he got his first tattoo! He hates needles so I am proud that he stuck it out. His tattoo is the snake from the Gadsden flag. I wonder if my Mom will get a tattoo now? I have two and hope to one day get something on my back, between my shoulder blades, something pagan, but what, I haven't decided. I have to keep in mind cost, time in the tattoo chair, if I will have to have more than one appointment, ect...

As of right now, I'm kind of tired, but I don't know if that will be the case once I lay down to sleep. I have decided that I will keep the TV on tonight, for noise. It's going to be so weird to sleep in our bed without Skoora, at least here. However, I will have the kitties, and if I can't sleep, I will read.  

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Hell's Gate Camping Trip

This picture was not taken by me. 

At the beginning of this week Skoora and I headed down to Moscow to visit some friends before gathering said friends up for a small camping trip. Our destination was a place in Lewiston but no one in my car seemed to know or remember the name of the place.

The drive was nice except for a little patch of road just before you get to Lewiston. You have to drive through a bit of mountains and while the road wasn't bad, the strong gusts of wind were enough to put me on edge.

At first we went the wrong way, because whoever designed the streets had to have been drunk or high, but we figured it out and got on the right track again and finally arrived at the camp ground. When I saw the signs I couldn't help but think 'Hell's Gate, well that's an uplifting name'. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much since the mountains surrounding the camp were brown and grassy, with an absence of trees. Everything around, city and Snake River aside, looked kind of barren. The further we got into the park things changed. Lush, green grass blanked the ground. Tall trees stood, providing shade. There were small cabins, a nice place to use the bathroom and shower. Plenty of camping spots with fire pits and picnic tables, even electric hookups. Really, this park has a lot to offer but I couldn't help but feel like this was a planted park. A place where people came in and planted the trees and grass to create a space. Not that there's anything wrong with that, I just don't know if I feel exactly cheated or not. I can't explain it to myself so I have no hope of explaining it to you.

After we pulled into our spot we set up camp. There were two runs made to the Clarkston Wal-Mart, the first of which I had gone on. I opted out of the second one since my back was killing me and I wanted to keep a fellow camper company. I feel bad because I don't really know him and ended up rambling while everyone else was gone. I have been assured that was okay and I'm glad because honestly that hour and half would have crawled on if we'd spent it in an awkward-I-don't-know-you-so-I'm-not-going-to-talk-to-you kind of silence.

I did get a couple of pictures before it started to rain. They aren't very good but it's a new camera and I'm still trying to get used to it.

Speaking of the rain, once it started it didn't really stop. Everything was soaked and I think everyone's tent leaked in some fashion. Everything we left out on the picnic table was soaked and where there is darkness and moisture there are earwigs. I actually went to bed early half because I was in so much pain I couldn't stand it anymore, and also because earwigs were dropping down on me from the tree I was sitting under. EWW! Worse, when I was laying down in the tent trying to sleep, I could see them crawling on the outside of my tent in the firelight. Also, someone let their dog take a crap outside our tent during the night. I don't know who but it wasn't a pleasant thing to wake up to.

We left early the next morning. We'd had enough of the rain and someone of my fellow campers had to get back to town so they could shower and go to work. It's been a couple of days and I am still recovering from the trip physically. I didn't play and bounce around like my friends, in fact I took it easy but somehow, the chair I was sitting in, the drive, already being in pain, and getting in and out of the tent just really fouled me up. Still, aside from the bugs and back pain it was a good trip. I just wish my parents had been there with all of their camping stuff. My Mom and Dad would have cooked us a fantastic meal in real camping fashion. My Dad has all sorts of stories from when he worked on the Dude Ranch in Colorado he could have told, plus my Dad has a banjo. Sure, none of my friends would have really enjoyed a bluegrass element but I sure would have.

Actually one of my fondest memories was when I was little and there was a night full of severe weather. There is a support beam and pole that runs through the middle of the basement and my Dad put me (and my favorite stuffed animals) next to it on a pallet and stood a mattress set up, the box springs on one side of me and the mattress on the other. Mom lit candles and sat somewhere, I'm not sure where because I couldn't see her, and Dad set up a spot for himself in front of me. He took out his banjo and played and sang for us until I fell asleep. It was awesome!     

Eeek! Sleeplessness and poo.

I awoke after having less than three hours worth of sleep. I needed something to drink and also I'm in so much pain, I just can't sleep. So, because there is nothing more annoying than being in a room full of sleeping cats and a snoring girlfriend when you can't sleep, I decided to play some games on Facebook.

I love Dragon City! Some of the dragons are too cute and some are really pretty. But I also play Bubble Witch Saga and am currently stuck on level 35. A few days ago, because I was curious, I decided to start playing Candy Crush Saga as well. It's okay but nothing I would write home about. Speaking of writing home... I need to write another letter to my cousin Shi-chan.

It is a good thing that I am awake so early this morning for Yoda hopped up on the bed next to me. I thought he smelled a little strange but it wasn't until he pushed his way between me and my computer (my desk is right beside my bed) and up on my pillow, that I realized what the stick was. He had poo stuck in his fur and he wasn't happy that I had lifted his tail either. But I told him to stay put, went to the bathroom for some toilet paper and a washcloth with soap. After some glaring but surprisingly no fussing, Yoda is clean and my pillowcase has been changed. I will have to trim his fur again but I will do that later since he's sleeping.

On a non-poopy matter, I finished the anime Darker Than Black, last night and it was really good. I thought I saw something about another season somewhere so I will have to look. In the mean time, I guess I will see if I can get back to sleep.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Vulture kitties


Please excuse the laundry
I love my cats, I really do. They are my babies and I spoil them occasionally with catnip, a toy once in awhile if I can afford it. We bought them a water dish that circulates the water to help keep them healthy and we buy them a good brand of cat food. We pet them, brush them, and play with them too and they are pretty good kitties... Most of the time.

There are two of them there.
I let Yoda, the kitty in the picture above, sleep on my pillow (until he gets pushy and tries to kick me off it). I let him sleep next to me in the bed. He likes to take up as much room as a whole person. Sometimes, if I'm not hurting so bad, I let him sleep on my hip.

Galen, the bigger cat to the left, doesn't really like to sleep on anyone. He's kind of an ass, but he does like to be petted occasionally. He also likes to nurse on your clothes and we don't let him do that, it's weird, and uncomfortable. Galen freaks if you are in the bathroom and he can't get in. If I leave it open for him, that's his favorite time to be petted.

Last we have Ellie, the black and gray mass also to the left and behind Galen. She is a spazzy Persian and I think she looks more like an Ewok than a cat.  She likes to bother you in the bathroom as well but she likes to drag her claws down your leg if you don't pet her while doing your business.

At the moment all three kitties are having their daily communal nap time. It usually starts about noon and ends between 2 and 3pm. Sometimes they are out in the living room but most of the time they are in on my bed like they are now. I have a feeling that they are on the bed with me today because I will pet them off and on.

So what makes them vultures? FOOD! They have awoken me in the morning with yowls and herded me into the bathroom when they have an empty dish even though their idea of empty isn't actually empty. They stand at the kitchen entrance to beg for little morsels. Yoda likes cheese and various fruit items and for some reason anything potatoes. Galen is always after the meat items. He even stole a piece of chicken out my fridge when I wasn't looking. Don't worry it was cooked. Galen has also stolen whole slices of pizza right out of my hand! He's destroyed whole loaves of bread because he ripped the bag open and ate what he wanted and then left it to dry out, with a bit of his drool for flavor. For some reason he loves bread.

Ellie likes strange things but mostly she just wants to be underfoot and smell EVERYTHING! Last night she was begging me for my treat of a Twizzlers. Oddly enough, she tried to eat it. She also sits and stares at people until they gave her kitty treats and if she thinks she's sat long enough, she claws your leg to inform you thusly.

Yoda has been the pushiest lately and very bossy. He yowls for me to come into the bedroom if that's where he is and I'm not. He yowls for me to be in the living room if he's there and I'm not. He follows me around the house and waits for me in doorways, staring at me like I should know exactly what he wants. He's been bossy about getting petted and sitting on me. His favorite place lately has been my boobs. You know, so I have to hold him with one arm so he doesn't fall and I can't really see my computer, the TV, a book I am trying to read and so forth. He likes to be held and carried, especially if I am cooking in the kitchen.

But the worst (not that any of the above is that bad or something I would punish him over) of this bossy, pushy behavior, has been his sense of entitlement to my dishes of food. I was eating Yogurt and he pawed at the spoon ad tried to climb me to get at it. I had some Cheetos for a small snack and he just dove right on in and no matter where I put the bowl, he followed it. My taco salad dinner was of interest to him last night. Oh man, anything with cheese and he's all over me. If you have cereal you are definitely a person of interest to all three cats because they want the milk. And they know when you have food, its like they have radar, and then they swoop in and watch for dropped crumbs and morsels, then sneak up when you aren't paying attention to snag what they can.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Pain with a side of breakfast

I awoke in pain this morning, not that that's anything new, but today it was much wore than usual. Damn it, even my teeth hurt. Ugh! So in effort to alleviate some of said pain, I grabbed my favorite quilt, my cat, and my laptop and headed out to the living room where thankfully, the air conditioner had been turned on. Laptop so I could distract myself with mindless point and click games and the quilt and kitty for comfort. 

My lovely girlfriend got up and made me breakfast this morning. I don't move so well in the morning and in the last couple of years I've somehow become adverse to cereal. I jut really have to be in the mood for it and when I am it's usually in the evening. Most of the time I eat left overs- if we have any- or yogurt, cheese, and some lunch meat. But today I got a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich with chocolate milk. Yum! And I didn't have to cook it. 

Now, I am going to con said girlfriend into getting me my meds and curl up with Yoda-chan (that's my kitty for those of you who don't know), for a little bit before I have to get moving. It's going to be a really slow day I think. 

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Witch, Vampire, and Fairy dolls

Vampire Dolls

I had trouble sleeping again last night. I even had the window open to bring in cooler air but it didn't really help much. So, of course I am dragging ass today and despite the back pain and the fact that it will take me twice as long to do anything, I am going to some hardcore cleaning today in effort to stay awake.

Now since I was having trouble sleeping last night, I decided to look for a few things on the internet. Several years ago I saw a couple of Witch dolls or figures at a friends house. They weren't ugly or green, they were lovely and I haven't been able to find them anywhere. I am starting to wonder if they weren't OOAK (One Of A Kind) like you can nab from Etsy, Ebay, or Deviant art. Of course asking said friend would be the easy route but we aren't friends anymore. She decided to throw away everything that was 'pagan' among and destroy any semblance that she was ever a decent human. Enough about her because really I could write a whole two part blog on her and I really don't want to. I want to write about dolls damn it!


Onward. I have decided that Google sucks as far as image searches are concerned. Yahoo is better for it and I found some really interesting things. Most of the OOAK dolls are Monster High dolls that people have repainted and made clothes for. That's really cool, but I really like the Monster High dolls so I just don't see myself giving one an overhaul.  Then there were the Barbie dolls and some of those were very pretty but not really what I was looking for. Of course there were the typical green witch dolls and the chubby-long nosed-warts and moles-scraggly haired witch dolls, and then there were some really ugly looking ones. But nothing really of what I was looking for. Dare I say it, I am going to have to learn how to sculpt and make doll clothes.

After being a little discouraged, I decided to look for Vampire dolls. You know, I didn't like Twilight as a book (gasp!) in fact I couldn't get through the first page. I didn't like the writing. I watched the movies and they were interesting but honestly, I'm not that fond of the whole Twilight frenzy. But to see how many Twilight dolls there are. Ugh! they overpower the search results. And if it's not Twilight, you get to see the really creepy dolls and what is with the vampire baby dolls? I had to type in BJD at the end of my search to find the really pretty Vamp dolls. But as most of us know, BJDs are very expensive. I promised myself that after I finished and published my book I would get two BJDs as a reward. I want them custom made to look like the main characters of my novel.

After I'd searched through the Vampire doll results I turned to Fairy dolls because I've seen some really
pretty ones in the past. Thankfully, that was about the time that I started to fall asleep so I didn't get very far. There is hope in that search because it seems that there are a lot more of what I was looking for. I suppose it would help if I mentioned what I want these dolls for. Decoration mostly. I'm not going to buy a whole bunch but one or two would be nice. I plan to do Gothic/macabre for the fall and winter months and fantasy for the spring and summer.

Since I feel like I am beginning to ramble and my eyes are a little droopy, I'm will end it here, and get on to cleaning.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Rainbow Raccoon the air is too still!

No, I'm not doing drugs, I just haven't slept very well the last couple of days. Either I've been been too hot or in too much pain. I think I got 4 hours Saturday night and less than 2 Sunday night. However, last night, well last night I crashed early on the sofa, don't remember getting to bed, and didn't want to wake up this morning.

I am still tired but not really able to settle enough to nap. Also, I've had to turn off the air conditioning again. The air feels very still, almost stale, but a little humid or moist. I don't like it but someone or a couple of someones will bitch if I turn the air back on. I will be moving into my bedroom shortly to sit in front of the fan.

Mixing bowls
Since I haven't been able to sleep I've been looking at pictures on the internet, mainly looking for something to replace the laptop skin I bought. We had to cut the skin to fit my computer but it doesn't want to really stay. So I was thinking to getting something smaller, like a car window decal. In all reality, I probably won't get a sticker any time soon. I have to save money for medicine and gas and things I actually need. Still, looking was fun.

Speaking of looking at things to look, I've also searched the Internet for dishes, side tables, and housewares in general. Eventually Skoora and I will be moving and we will need some things again,
especially since I'm unsure of what has been broken, what has been borrowed- not likely to be returned, and what we got rid of before we moved and then moved again.


I know for certain that its about time Skoora and I have a decent set of mixing bowls. Since I gave away our old dishes, we will need set. I like that the set to the left has 45 pieces but I don't know that I necessarily want white. Sure white will go with anything and everything, but I kind want something fun. Yet, I don't want something that can be dated or too heavy. Of course it seems silly to have a 45 piece set of dishes for two people except that we like to entertain and I really want to have holiday dinners at my house.

Of course I would love to have a KitchenAid Mixer but they are so expensive that I will just be content with a hand mixer for now... Assuming I still have one. At one time I had two and I'm not entirely sure how that happened. Also, since I will most certainly be on a tiny mission to start making cakes again, I thought picking up this cake decorating pen thing would be a good idea. My hands shake at the worst moments so it would be really nice to have a little more support when it comes to holding the icing bags.

And I will most certainly be doing this kind of organization in our next place! Why we weren't doing this before is beyond me.

Oh and thanks to my parents, I was able to get my car into the shop. It has been fixed and is just waiting for me to pick it up.


Friday, June 7, 2013

Music and a few other things.

Good news on the car front. It is only going to cost me $350 to fix it. YAY! That's so much better than what I was dreading.

Lately, there has been some unrest within my alliance in Guildwars. How do you not have issues where tons of people are involved, even small groups, especially where  only text is involved? You don't. Well, a few people were annoyed with the alliance leader and decided to leave the alliance. There was an issue with how they left, which, I agree was not handled in the best of ways. Those that left wanted my Dad and I to join them. I thought it over and talked to my Dad about it. We decided to sit on it for a few days. As it turns out, I don't think we will be leaving the Alliance to join theirs. There are some things going on in their alliance that I don't like. Sure it's one person but that person is also having a friend still within my alliance spy on me and other active players. I don't like that. So, I think we will simply remain friends with those who have left and play with them when there is an occasion.

I have been blogging a little bit today. I wrote a couple blog posts for Detangled Writer's. I wanted to work on a draft for this blog, but I just didn't feel up to today. My back has been hurting and I've had to shift my position from laying down to sitting up several times and never seem to be able to stay in one position long enough to be comfortable to write the lengthy blog that's waiting to be written.

On to music! I have mentioned it before and I'm sure I will again many many times, that my favorite internet radio station was taken off the air a couple of years ago. Since then I have had the worst time trying to find something to supplement. You know how you just find the right mix of things and it feels good and you can relax but not be distracted in weird way? Well this radio station was a mix of Gothic Rock, Love Metal, Industrial, Gothic Metal, Dark Wave, and New Wave. It was awesome! Of course I listened to other things too, like Jpop and JRock, my movie and anime soundtracks, and Radio Rivendell which does fantasy music and soundtracks. I also listened to Traditional Chinese music when  the mood struck me. But all in all that station was on almost 24-7. I wrote to the music playing the airwaves, slept to it, and listened to it while doing just about everything else.

Pandora sort of helps. I have two stations I can flip between. It's not the same but it's helping me get to a place where things feel right, enough to gain a little confidence in writing. Maybe that doesn't make sense to anyone else, but it does to me and that's all that matters.

Oh, I donated plasma yesterday and am going again tomorrow. It doesn't bother me as much as I thought it was going too. Better yet, the phlebotomist who hooked me up to the machine was really good. Even though she had to dig a little to catch my rolly-poly vein, she got it, didn't blow it, and it didn't hurt. I am going to keep donating plasma for as long as I can. Sure I like getting money out of it, who doesn't, but I also like that I am helping someone, especially since I am not an organ donor. I've caught shit from people for not being one. People have unfairly made me feel uncomfortable as if I was some horrible person for not being one. Do Not EVER tell me what to do with my body now or after I am dead. I have my reasons and if I choose to become an organ donor in the future, I will do it in my own time.    

The cats are doing well, except for all three of them needing baths. Galen has been pretty clingy today. Ellie is snoring happily beside me and I have no idea where Yoda went but he had a treat today, some ice cream. I gave him just a tiny bit  and then let Galen lick the bowl so he'd have a little bit of a treat as well. The cats all love to curl up on my bed but I think they like it even more so now since we have two fans going and the room dark. It's so hot that I closed the blinds and the curtains. I am thinking of buying another fan and putting a blanket over the window. 

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Vehicular Woes

No, this is not my car, my car is white, and currently sitting in a local repair shop. The mechanic will call me and let me know if I will have to pay $300 or over $1,000 to get my car fixed. If it is the latter, you know what he told me? He said that I might as well sell it because they would have to tear out the whole front end.

SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!

I can't afford to fix it and I can't afford to sell it. Mainly because I can't afford to get another car and Skoora's is still out of commission since we couldn't afford to get it fixed either.

I really don't want to be down to using Amanda's parent's car. That will make things very difficult. At least there is a free bus in town if I ever need to get to the library.

And I suppose I should get signed up at the Plasma place near Hayden. I could make 50 bucks a week selling myself off like a little blood whore. UGH!

I'll be okay and less angry tomorrow after I know something for sure and when I don't have a screaming headache.

Monday, June 3, 2013

Blogging about not wanting to blog, what?

Maybe I am still experiencing jet-lag and or I am just tried and in a lot of pain, overwhelmed, or something, but I don't really feel up to blogging tonight. But I'm right here blogging. Doesn't really make sense does it? No, I thought not.

I am back in Northern Idaho. My flight was okay for the most part. Did you know that Delta airlines serves peanuts in flight? I did not and am really glad that I'd taken some allergy medication that morning else I would have been in a world of trouble. As it was my throat tightened up a little. Also, the woman next to me on one of the flights decided that my hip was her personal arm rest.

Back to blogging about not wanting to blog.  Earlier in the day I'd gone to the library and planned to write up several posts and post date them. Everything was going well until for some reason my computer decided that it wasn't going to let me do anything with the internet at the library. Jeez, what a punk ass! Any way, I had to save the post to a document and calm myself by perusing the shelves. I satisfied myself with a book on weapons and another on castles. You know since I need to know about that kind of stuff for my stories.

I might have picked up where I left off as far as blogging went when I got home but I just didn't feel up to it and when we came in the words "What the fuck?!" left my mouth. Why? Because Dad-in-law decided to rearrange the living room again. So I helped finish it up. Only I didn't do much at all, just dusted a few things and then made dinner.

I might have tried blogging after dinner except we decided to go to Hasting's for the 2 for 1 happy hour coffee special. I decided that I would be happier playing Guild Wars except that I wasn't.

I left a guild and started my own with my Dad several years ago because I didn't like drama. Dad managed to talk me into joining an alliance. So far things have been okay, but people come and go and there has been some drama here and there. Well, two guilds left the alliance recently and that pissed off the alliance leader. He sort of talked to me about it yesterday but was kind of vague about it. I noticed that a couple of other guilds had left including a couple of new ones that had joined just yesterday, today. And then I got a private message from someone explaining what had happened and what was going on, one of the people who had left. Oh boy! And when I thought there might be a group of people to faction farm, the alliance leader who said he was going to put the call out for such a group decided to log off. That's fine, no problem, I went on a vanquish mission. But for the next few days, I'm not looking to push the envelope on faction farming. I do not want to donate faction into an alliance that is unstable.

And of course now that I am home, not having internet connectivity problems, and have played my game, I've looked at my draft list and said "Nope, not happening". Tomorrow is another day. Well, I guess it's already tomorrow but I haven't slept so it doesn't count and after I wake up, I should be more inclined to write as well as blog.