Happy things, maddening things, and well, lots of things!

My Downton Abbey came in the mail today.

Isn't pretty! I know Downton Abbey isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I love it and seasons 1-4 have come into my possession! Okay, I got it in the mail today after ordering it from Amazon on a fantastic deal! I paid 30 something for this set. I posted as much on facebook and my friend Emma demanded I send her a link, which I did. The price has gone up to 40 something, but that's still a really good deal.

I have been very busy as of late. Like I said before, I'd gotten sick. Playing catch up with my homework has pretty much consumed most of my time. I have since learned that the Math lab program is a pain in the ass of dastardly proportions and that I am basically doing the calculus of statistics. I've put in so much time working on the Statistics homework alone. I finally had to set it aside because my context of writing class was suffering. And it wasn't that I didn't know how to do the math homework. I was doing it just fine, it was just taking me 2-3 hours to do one problem and I got booted from the system the 1st time I did it. So when I logged back and found that my answers hadn't saved and I had to do it all over again with a completely new set of data, I kind of freaked. But I did it, only I forgot to put in a negative sign on the answer and had to do it all over again. Finally, I gave up on that problem but things just escalated from there and after three days of endless statistical hell, I just said screw it. I have an appointment with the tutoring center in the morning because apparently there's a software that does this stuff for you, you know so you aren't doing it step by step by hand. I will see how that goes and if this problem doesn't get resolved, I have vowed to fail the class. I simply cannot devote any more fruitless time to it and let the other class suffer. I will simply have to find a different math class to take. 

I really haven't done much else aside from homework and a few errands. I just haven't been feeling very well. We have done a little shopping, granted most of that has been online from Amazon. It was cheaper to get my textbooks for the next term from them and there were a couple of things I haven't been able to find locally. I actually do like to shop locally. 

The night before Thanksgiving Amanda and I were out running a few errands. I needed some winter candles for my altar and we decided to buy Christmas/Yule cards because I just don't think I will have time between now and when they need to be sent out to make them like I usually do. Which is actually a shame because I do enjoy making cards and playing with my embossing gun, paper, and stamps and ribbon. Anyway we found two long tapper candles that are pine scented, two small pillar candles that are cinnamon scented, and an apple cider tall pillar candle. We also found some beautiful non-religious Christmas cards that will work for all of our friends and family. Amanda is working on a little Yule/Christmas poem/letter and I've got all the envelopes addressed with the return address. We are printing out everyone else's address and gluing it on the envelop. 

Unfortunately, that trip to the store was marred by the fact that my Aunt Laura called me. She's my Mom's identical twin. Anyway I got the lecture about calling her more often. I got preached at and she really needs to stop that because A) I know she knows I am pagan because she likes the pagan things I post on facebook, B) She is the biggest hypocrite I have ever met and so many ways, and C) I am happy with the spiritual path I a walk. It is mine, not hers! On top of that this woman lied to me again! She was talking about how she has bone cancer and is going to have surgery and blah blah blah. She insisted on talking to Amanda after that and told her something different. Then she got pissed at Amanda when Amanda accidentally let it slip that we are moving to Spokane instead of back to Kansas. Needless to say that was not a pleasant conversation for us. We hadn't wanted to talk to her but we figured that we ought too, so my Cousin Shi-Chan wouldn't bear the brunt of my Aunt's vicious wrath. Seriously, this is no exaggeration.

I spoke with my Mom after that and my Mom clarified that Aunt Laura doesn't have bone cancer, something just looks odd on an x-ray and she will have to have some tests done. Well, my Mom must have said something to Aunt Laura because I got a heated message on my voice mail from my aunt demanding that I call her back because she NEEDS to talk to me. Until I hear from my Mom that it is in fact bone cancer, I refuse to believe my Aunt. She's screamed bone cancer and all sorts of things before so much that haven't be real or true that when she does come down with something no one knows if she is telling the truth and she is such a rotten person, no one really cares. I know that sounds insensitive, but this woman makes it her life's purpose to terrorize everyone around her. Just this morning when I spoke to my Dad, he was telling me that Aunt Laura had come over to scream at my Mom with a list of demands. She wanted soda, cigarettes, and various pills. As if my parents are the corner drug store. First of all, my parents don't have medicine to give out and they sure as hell wouldn't give it to her. Second, she was screaming so loud and fighting with my Mom that my Dad could hear it over his headphones up in his office. Now, Shi-chan said that her Mom was in a decent mood today but we all know that is because she wants Shi-chan to pay half the bills at the 1st of the month. As soon as Shi-chan does, Aunt Laura will just go back to being a monstrous tyrant. 

Whew and that's all I will say about that.   

Thanksgiving was spent in pain. We went to Amanda's Aunt Lola's for the afternoon. She rented out the clubhouse where she lives, which was awesome! But the metal folding chairs were too low to the ground and me, being a long-legged person, had kind of hard time with that. Plus they really hurt my back. I did switch to another type of chair in the club house for a little bit, but I barely fit in it and it kind of hurt my back in other ways. Aside from the physical pain, I had a lot of fun. I watched part of Frozen with Aunt Lola's granddaughters. We played 99 and I learned how to play card bingo, speed, and Mao (sp?). 

Later Thanksgiving night we decided to go visit a friend. But first, because we thought she was taking a nap, we stopped by Hasting's to get a coffee and look around. We found a few Christmas/Yule presents there, which was cool and it wasn't very busy. After we went there we went to visit our friend and watched a few episodes of RWBY with her. It was really good and I want to finish the show. 

I have also learned that not only is a friend having trouble with her husband (he told her he wanted a divorce on her birthday and this is after she found out he was cheating on her) but that she may have lupus. She and I haven't always been friends, there was a huge mess when she left my cousin Tony- as she was right to do but I didn't really know why she did at the time and on top of that, it was the way in which she did. That aside, we have since become friends, she is a wonderful mother, and has been a great friend to my cousin Shi-Chan. More than that, despite the fact that she and Tony had an ugly fall out, she still brings their kids over to see the rest of the family, which she really doesn't have to do. She never had a problem with the rest of us just Tony. Anyway, I am really scared for her and pretty much want to smack the shit out of her husband because he just doesn't care. He still wants a divorce and has said something awful to her son, something that pretty much made me cry a little for him. He is quite honestly the kindest, sweetest little boy I have ever met, well mannered, and so loving and that man just ripped his heart out. It is disgusting and my friend doesn't really know what to do. She will probably go ahead with the divorce, what else can she do, and then try to figure out where to move her kids and herself. Either she'll stay in the town she is in or she will move back to Wichita. As much as we all don't want to kids to have to change schools in the middle of the year, it might be easier on them if they are closer to family that can help their mother and who love them to pieces. 

Last night Amanda and I cuddled in bed and watched Snowpiercer after I finished some homework. It was pretty good. We then watched a few episodes of American Dad before deciding we needed toast and Coco. We got a little sucked into a movie on the Hallmark channel her mother was watching. It had cats in it. 

Today I have managed to get a little more of my homework done, but really I am just overwhelmed and in need of a couple of days without homework period. I just need to crochet and watch movies or read something for fun, something that's not a text book, and I need to get some sewing started... except I can't do that until Cathy gets her stuff out of the dining room, or at least gives me some room to sew. 

But for now, I am going to get back to homework before laying down for bed. I have to make sure I am up at a normal, decent time, so I can be ready for my tutoring appointment. Since I've been sick, my sleeping schedule has been a mess. I've been getting up around 2 pm and that's not okay. I will feel better when I get back to a normal routine and rhythm. Seriously, I almost cried over the anime I used to watch but haven't in a long time. That's just silly.  

Swollen and the Clorox Kitty

He looks cute but don't let that fool you.

The handsome shit-head to your left is Galen Gladamir. He's one of my cat and I'm pretty sure he's got some electrical problems. He's actually an asshole most of the time but in the last year or so, he's been getting rather needy and cuddly with me. Me, the person he hisses at when she take her towel off after a shower, and yes, he really did do that. He hisses at you when you walk passed him too, or if you look at him wrong or, well just look at him. Once, I told him that I loved him and he growled at me. So, I told him that I hated him and he stopped. What the hell, right?

Anyway, this dumb cat was caught licking Clorox off the bottom of the shower several months back which nearly gave me a heart attack and he was caught trying to do it again today. We think he might have actually gotten a little because he was really weird afterward. He kept sniffing and rolling around on the hallway floor as if he'd had some catnip. *Sigh* He's okay, just stupid. I have a feeling he will be underfoot constantly in the morning. We're cooking a turkey for Thanksgiving. He loves turkey and chicken and roast, and anything meaty really. He stole a piece of chicken out of the fridge once, even got past the plastic wrap covering it. He eats bread and never ever ever eat pizza unguarded. He'll rip that right out of your hand and run off with it. I'm not kidding.

As for swollen, I have been craving a lot of salt lately, don't know why. So, I've kind of been seeking out saltier foods and salting my food a little more than usual. (when I was a kid, I used to pour a little salt in my hand and eat it plain) So, in turn, I'm retaining water and am now swollen. If I can't get the swelling down overnight by having my feet up, then I'll have to take a water pill tomorrow morning. Very annoying, but if it helps, then I'll do it and drink more water. That's something else. I drank soda nearly all day two days in a row this week and if it wasn't soda it was coffee the rest of the time. I haven't done that in a long time.

I am almost finished with NaNoWriMo. If I can just crank out the last 5,000 or so words, I will win it. My novel is far from being finished, even 1st draft speaking. In fact, I'm having a lot of trouble with it and you don't even want to know what it looks like. Word Vomit isn't the correct term, it's much worse but I'm having trouble getting it out. The story bugs me when I am away from it and then says "haha, just kidding"  when I sit down to actually write. Ugh!  Needless to say it's been really frustrating and I actually toyed with the possibility of getting some rum, and seeing what I could do while slightly intoxicated. But I scrapped that because I take pain pills for my back and I don't really want to mix the two. The good news is, once I finish Nano, I am setting this story aside for a little bit to work on some Chritmas/Yule crafts, get a present or two finished, and just take a needed break from the story all together. A fresh pair of eyes, not being stressed out by who's coming when and what we still have left to do, might help. (We have a family Christmas party on December 7th, Skoora's family)

Well, I hope everyone has a happy and safe Thanksgiving. We are going to eat, play games, and if American football is playing on TV, I will happily find myself in another room doing something else.  

Thanksgiving and Christmas...

Thanksgiving, I've noticed, has been getting looked over more and more over the years. It's like all the meaning has been sucked out and replaced with nothing more than a day to gorge ourselves with food. There are hardly any decorations in the stores anymore.

My family always gets together at Grandma's house for Thanksgiving. Grandma makes mashed potatoes, turkey, grave, cranberries, stuffing, mandarin orange jello, stuffing, apple and pumpkin pie, a relish tray, and homemade bread. We also like to bring cookies or other odds and ends to help complete the dinner.

We also sit around the table and visit, catch up on each other's lives (on half of the family lives in another state). After dinner we sit around and talk until we decide it's time to go home and that's the end of Thanksgiving for us. It's not much and we don't sit around talking about what we are thankful for because we do that throughout the year on our own, in our own way. Thanksgiving for my family is about just that, family.

Now on to Christmas. I know that for a lot of people Christmas is their favorite time of year. That's fine but damn it, could we keep the decorations out of the store until after Halloween? It's like Christmas is trying to take over everything. Christmas is nice and another family oriented holiday for my family, but it seems that for a lot of people its not exactly a holiday of giving but rather of sales, shopping, and receiving. It's also a pissing contest for some to see who got who a better, more expensive or expensive looking gift. Now that's just silly, it's not about how much you spend, it's the thought. And it's certainly not about proving to your friends and family that you have more money than they do in an attempt to show them up or make them feel like shit. (This is something that also occurs in my family, which is why I hate it so much.)

For my part, I try to find things for friends and family that are useful, practical, and still fun and very much 'them'. But it's kind of hard when you don't have a lot of money. So my solution to that is to make people gifts using the skills I've learned over the years. I can paint someone a nice picture, sew a quilt for someone and customize it with embroidery, or make something yummy for them to eat, and all of it I can do at home and save some money. Sure I have to go out and get the things I need but I avoid the Christmas rush, avoid all the stress from shopping, and most of my friends and family really appreciate what I make for them. Besides, sometimes gifts are better homemade.

I am also going to make some decorations for the house instead of buying a bunch of stuff.