Blood Bank, Don't Trust the B**** in Apartment 23, and what goes up must come down

Shell Overlord 

Amanda wanted to have someone to fangirl with her over a yaoi webcomic she found called Blood Bank. So I decided to start reading it last night. I finished it this evening and it was really good. I adore Shell Overlord, the impossibly adorable Vampire. The comic itself is about a post cataclysmic world in which Vampires are on top and humans are subservient. Its sexy, fun, and then gets dark, but I enjoyed all of it and recommending checking it out if you don't mind vampires, BDSM, or yaoi (m/m). 

My cousin Shi-chan recommended I watch Don't Trust the B**** in Apartment 23. It is a comedy series starring James Vander Beek and Kristen Ritter. So far, I really like it and bonus, Amanda is watching it with me! She doesn't really like Kristen Ritter, but I do. She also doesn't always like comedy shows, but well, I do. But I like lots of things. Anyway, it's on Netflix. 

I didn't sleep well last night. I was reading until I fell asleep. I woke up for a little bit this morning but had the beginnings of a migraine, so I lay down on the sofa and slept more. I got up when Amanda came back from running an errand, we watched netflix for a little bit, then we decided to make dinner. Only for some reason I had a strange burst of mania and was extremely energetic, singing, rolling back and forth through the kitchen in a chair, and then it all came crashing down without warning and I ended up having an ugly sob-fest. Amanda took over making dinner and I went to the sofa to read for a little bit. I'm a bit freaked by it actually. I've never had a swing so quickly like that. I'm okay now, actually, I feel a lot better, but I've spent the last couple of hours reading and then Amanda and I talked about some writing stuff. I don't know, but it will be something I talk to my therapist when I see her again and then maybe even my doctor. 

Aside from that, we're lamenting the loss of the coffee pot. Thorin decided he simply had to jump up on top of the refrigerator, the only problem with that was that he knocked over the coffee pot I had just cleaned and also a glass that banged into and broke the coffee pot. So now we're going to see if we can find a replacement at a thrift store, because the replacement is 15 dollars on Amazon and to get the coffee pot plus the maker is like 24, which we think is really dumb. So, yeah. And wouldn't you know it our little boy had quite the little bitchy face! I love it! 

Camp Nanowrimo, I fucked up, black, purple, and green sparkles, What We Do in the Shadows

It is Camp National Novel Writer's month again and I signed up to participate. Then we went to stay the night at a friend's house for two nights and I am behind. I am sure I can and will catch up, but tonight, I've cried and haven't been able to really settle. Hence why I am trying to crank out a blog; to force myself to focus. 

The progress on my story is that I am up to 328 pages. I am hoping to finish it soon and start editing. 

I screwed up this weekend. While at my friend's house this weekend I was sitting out back while she and her boyfriend were doing yard work. I felt like a total tool just sitting there and after awhile couldn't take it anymore. So I got up and raked a little bit of the the yard. That was a really horrible, stupid decision. Not only couldn't I not do it for more than ten minutes, but I felt worse when I had to sit down. Then afterward, while I was trying to hide the fact that I had overdone it and was hurting, we watched a comedy routine and I laughed so freaking hard that I hurt myself even more. So I am really sore today and kicking myself. I'm a "get back and up and keep moving" kind of person so I get really angry with myself when I can't do what I need or want to do. 

While we were visiting our friend, she cut my hair for me. I like it. I need to bleach and dye it again. Oh and I found a really nice conditioner that made my hair feel normal again. It hasn't felt right since I had surgery. Amanda decided that we needed to do pedicures, so she did my feet (which are super sensitive and she teased me about it) and painted my toenails dark green with pretty blue-green sparkles. She also painted my fingernails alternating black and dark purple.  

We watched Too Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything and What we Do in the Shadows. I hadn't seen Too Wong Foo except in bits and pieces growing up. It was cute and a lot of fun. Bloody Hell Patrick Swayze is a gorgeous Drag Queen, and so elegant. I felt swept up by his performance, as if she could teach me so much. She's the kind of woman I want to have tea with. 

What we do in the Shadows was so much fun. It's a mocumentary about vampires who are flatting in New Zealand. Fun fact's: Freya of the youtube channel It's Black Friday has a part in it but is unaccredited. The alpha male werewolf in the film is also the voice or Coran on Netflix's reboot of Voltron. I heard him speak and said "Holy crap, is that Coran?" Sure enough it was. 

My Grandparents are home from the rehabilitation center and my Mom is over to help them. My Dad is working but suspects he might have strep throat. My Mom's twin (the evil aunt) is back in the hospital for the second time this week.

Aside from that, I am trying to take it easy. I spoke with my therapist this weekend and told her that I am worried that I am still a little bit manic. I'm still not eating or sleeping as I should be. She wants me to try some relaxation stuff and try to go to bed at the same time every night. We are happy I am writing, but she thinks that I am using writing to escape life now, especially with the panic from being away from it too long. However, when I talked to my Dad about it, he said I was using life to escape writing before so maybe turn about is fair play. He said said if I wasn't writing 6-8 hours a day then I wasn't working full time and probably not that serious about it, so since I am doing that now, and it is what I want to do, then he doesn't really see a problem with it. So I don't know. I think at the moment, I am just going to write when I can and am feeling up to it and worry about creating a schedule later.   

Birthday, friends, pain, and other stuff

Art by Amy Brown

Today (or I guess now it is yesterday), I leveled up or rather turned 33. When I woke up to nibble enough of something to take the pain meds, it was snowing. Nothing stuck, but it was still snowing and that's all that mattered to me. 

I hope this blog makes sense, I am fighting my pain pills to write. I should go sit on the sofa for the night, but  I wanted t get some writing done today.

The day was good, very low key. The plan was to rest, watch all three extended edition Lord of the Rings  Blurays, and rest. Some of our friends stopped by to drop off food and some presents. It was all very low key and happily relaxed. There were a couple of people I hadn't seen a lot of lately that I had missed and enjoyed seeing again. We did watch the Fellowship of the Ring and the Two Towers, but I was visiting through the first and dozed off and on through the second. I'll have to re-watch them again, probably without friends over, so I can really enjoy it without distraction. One of the things I love most about watching Lord of the Rings is getting swept up in it. 

I got a couple of books for my birthday. One book was a collection of modern day Heathen Stories, Amanda bought me Neil Gaimen's Norse Myths. There were a couple of coloring books and gel pens along with a  Raccoon necklace. Later in the evening another couple of friends stopped by and dropped off Bram Stoker's Dracula Omnibus and some horrror movies. There were some bottled shots of liquor as well, but I will save them when I am finished with the pain pills. Oh and Amanda bought me a parasol that will block UV rays.

I knew there would be pain after my surgery. You don't have major sections of yourself removed and not have pain. Anyway, I figured I would be in more pain than I am. I expected to be bed ridden for at least a week if not two. But I'm not. I've been up and moving around my house, I've taken a car ride to the grocery store and even walked through the store, trying to take it easy but hurry with my shopping. Amanda thinks I am super woman, she's pleased and a little freaked out that I am doing so well. I told Amanda that the pain I am feeling through the pain pills is what I felt all the time when I had cramps. So it hurts and sometimes I want to vomit, but because it is a familiar level of pain, I'm just kind of going about my business, but being as careful as I can not to over do it. If I didn't have any pain pills I have a feeling the pain would be much worse.

Speaking of pain. I am having a bit of trouble with it when going to the bathroom. I feel very bruised inside and think I might have hurt myself the day I first went number 2. Since then going poop or farting, sometimes even peeing, has been an adventure into cold sweats, near passing-out and great deal of  pressure and pain. I can't reached around and wipe on my own ass either (Strained something awfully bad when I tried) so Amanda has to help me out there. She's been rubbing my back, getting me drinks when I ask here and there. There have been many kisses and hugs.0

 I think she is still in a  state of shock. First there was all the fear and anger and sadness and now not only did I make it through surgery, I am not doing what she expected, so it is throwing her for a loop. She's happy, but I think she also wanted to take care of me a little bit. I think she'd prepared herself for the worst, which is good. Now she's just letting me do my thing- which at the moment is writing- although she wishes I could lay down in bed with her. I want to, but I don't  feel that I can get up as easily. So I have been sleeping, sitting up, on the sofa with my feet propped up on the ottoman. 

I also woke up from surgery with a little bit of my old sass. Or maybe its just that some of my old sass is beginning to come out again. Either way, its kind of nice. 

Well, I don't know how much sense this blog is making. I am really fighting the pain pills and this post was more of me trying to get some writing done and post happier news for a change. I've tried to write the damned thing three times today. Also, our friends are a true blessing, but I will have to write about that later.

Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes on facebook!  

Haunted Humpday

The other night our friend Rachel came over and we put her idea to put my empty gallon pickle jars to use. I have a pickle addiction, but hey it is better than smoking and its a nice 0 calorie snack. (I am currently out and very sad about it.) We made luminaries. 

For mine, I had Amanda draw some bats out on black card stock. I already had a silhouette of a witch, you can find free ones on google. Anyway, I put down a layer of slightly watered down modge podge and tissue paper. Then I laid down the bats and witch after cutting them out, and put down another layer of tissue paper atop them to help lock them into place. I made two other jars, one with parts of a coloring page I had been coloring and then other with netting and stickers, the latter of which is below. 

Rachel did a lovely tree, graveyard, and fence on hers, which I didn't get a picture of. But I did get a picture of Amanda's- which I thought I hadn't when I was telling a friend about it this morning. Turns out I did, yay!

Amanda likes H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu and Octopi, so naturally she went with something along those lines. Meet Cthulhu. But it gets better...

He's going to eat the people of Seattle. 

At the moment that is all from the craft-o-sphere. It looks like only three of our pumpkins were good We've got them sitting on our patio for a little sun, to help two of them finish turning orange. Apart from that, I am saving some stories for next week.

However, we have watched two crappy Vampire movies and not too long ago, we watched Conjuring 2.

Neither of the vampire movies were very good, I can't even remember there names. While one was on netflix and the other on Amazon prime, I think both were independant- which is sad because sometimes independent films can be really good. One was supposed to have been campy but ended up just being boring and an excuse for sex. the other had plot holes, was a little difficult to follow in some places, and whatever campiness they were going for, failed. 

The Conjuring 2

I loved this movie. I really enjoyed the first one and I liked Annabelle. I don't know which I would say is better, I think all three each have equal footing. There's some foreshadowing in the beginning that I picked up on that Amanda missed, its so subtle and artfully done. I remember being a little confused and then when something is revealed, I was like, that's was awesome ad very well done. I don't want to spoil the fun of it though, so I'm not going to say what it is. 

That's all for this week!

Vampires, Star wars, lucid dreaming, dialing up the empath and feeling better

At the risk of sounding wacko to anyone who doesn't believe in such things, I'm a bit of an empath, in so much as I can generally sense when something is wrong with the people around me mood wise. It is especially strong when I am very close to a person such as my parents or Amanda. Yesterday, Amanda was throwing off a lot of ick and I was picking it up. She's stressed about a lot of things and sometimes takes stuff out on me. I am guilty of the same, it's not something that I am proud of and it is something that I am trying to work on. My nerves have been especially raw as of late because I've felt backed into a corner per se, hence the little emotional outburst of last night's blog. I've also been dealing with a lot of feelings of loss and feeling like a lot of me has been stripped away, taken away, or that I've had to give up some things that I wasn't ready or prepared to give up. It's been getting worse and I feel as though I am floundering in the "who am I" and "what the fuck is going on" and "why the hell is this happening" department. Like I've said before, I need therapy. But I digress. the point it, yesterday was a bad day for both Amanda and I and we both decided that we need to trust each other more than we have been. 

But like the title states, I am feeling a lot better this morning.  

On to the bizarre! I think I had my first lucid dream last night. Perhaps not totally conscious, but aware enough to realize that I was considering changing the outcome of the dream. And what a wacky dream it was. I was in the Star Wars universe but also in my childhood neighborhood running around with Jedi. We were trying to stop an attack of demons, vampires, although I'm not totally sure why or what for, only that it was really intense, and there were vampires and demons on our side. So bad demons and vampires vs the good and the Jedi order? Anyway, a girl got torn up and died. It was so sad, it was so intense, and in a way tragically romantic because she died in the arms of a boy she liked. I remember thinking whether or not it would be better if she were made into a vampire and brought back or if the story would have more intense punch if she remained dead.  I never truly decided before I woke up. I told Fiona about it this morning and she sing sang "fan fiction" at me. 

Honestly, it was just the coolest dream I have had in a really long time. So much better than the dreams where tornadoes are chasing me. 

Haunted Humpday #2: Vampire Kick

Rosario Vampire

Apparently I am on a serious Vampire kick lately. Sunday I watched several episodes of Vampire Diaries season 4 while working on an afghan. I've also been reading pretty much nothing but Vampire Romance novels when not doing homework. And I have two short story ideas lined for my Intermediate Fiction Writing class this term. So, I'll run with the vampy theme! 

Rosario Vampire (the anime): So far I believe I have only seen season one on netflix. It's about a human boy who accidentally ends up on the bus for a school filled with Paranormal beings. (Or was it an accident?) And he is really not supposed to be there! There he meets several girls who all adore him (some might even love him- this is one of those harem type anime's with some male geared fan service). Still, all of that being said there is plenty of fun, plenty of seriousness, and I kind of want to see to the rest of the series as well as read the manga. 

The Moth Diaries: I saw this movie several moths ago and well, it's kind of weird but I like weird. It's about some girls at a boarding school and new girls arrives. There's jealousy, one girl thinks the new girls is stealing her friend away, some mysterious things happen and oh wait... Is the new girl more than what she seems? 

Vampire Diary: This movie has been in my netflix queue for several months and I finally watched it tonight to take a break from my homework- and also as a distraction which will be talked about in another post. It was really interesting. I didn't think it was going to be found footage, but I don't really mind found footage. Anyway, it's about a woman who is making a documentary of the weekend vampire scene in London. While at one of these gatherings she stumbles on a beautiful female Vampire who is filming her in return. They end up becoming lovers pretty quickly, there are some definite surprises, death, some sex, and birth. It was was certainly a different take on vampire society and how they conduct themselves. 

Sadly, I don't have any crafts to show case this week or any stories. It's strictly visual media based (I've been really sick and had a huge load of homework last week). However, next week I am hoping to have more. We're going to dig my Halloween/autumn stuff from the garage and I might even have written one of the Vampire themed short stories for class to post.  Until next week, have a happy...

Vampires, Guild Wars Halloween, and Lana Del Rey

Love and Blood by Natsuki

I love this picture! Pretty Vampire, pretty boy, gothic setting, and a violin! In my 'someday' living room, I think I will have to buy this picture for the gothic/vampire theme I want to do for Fall and Winter.

Lately, I've been reading a lot of Vampire books. Well, I read the Vampire Academy novels, and Skoora bought me a couple of other vampire novels. Don't worry, I don't read just vampire novels. I read paranormal romances about dragons and urban fantasy. I'm not a big Werewolf fan, don't know why really, they just aren't my cup of tea but I do have one Werewolf book, just to try it out and give them a shot. I do need to see what other people have written after all and explore the lore- just not get lost in it. I love to research things. I can spend several hours just looking up pointless stuff.

Fun fact about me, I can usually tell you who several, if not all of the voice actors are in the anime shows I watch. Even some in the original Japanese. I'm also really good with actors from Tv shows and films. And if I can't tell you their name, I can tell you what else they have been in. I'm like that with other stuff too and a dear friend of mine calls me her IMDB. But with the other stuff I usually remember what people were wearing last time I saw them, how they had their hair, what we talked about, and so forth. See, not all of it is useless. I suppose.

Anyway, I've been listing to a few songs on You Tube this morning. Lana Del Rey: Dark Paradise Is one that I've decided goes on the writing soundtrack for the book I am currently writing. Of course I have four in the works at the moment, but Chloe's story is the one that's insisting to be written at the moment so I'm complying. But since I was depressed I wanted a 'pick me up' song so I listened to SMP Film's The Ninja Song. My friends are probably tired of me posting the crap out of this song, but I don't care, I love it! I adore Cory and his fiance Kate. They both have VLOG's and videos over on You tube. In case you're interested, it's SMP Films, Dude like hella, and Kater's17. Oh and don't forget The Mean Kitty!    

Guild Wars kicked off the Halloween festivities this week. I'm excited because for once, I finally have enough of a jump on it that I can actually get some quests done. Although, it's been a little difficult since not only has my back been hurting, but my legs and knees have been as well. I've been moving them, walking back and forth through the house. So far, I think maybe it was the chair I was sitting it. Which is a little strange since I sit in it frequently. I do think I pulled something in one of my knees though. It sucks but, what can you do? But anyway, yes, I will probably play a little guild wars today. Not for too long though, I have some other stuff I want to try to get accomplished today. 

NaNoWriMo time again!

It's National Novel Writer's Month again. I've had a very slow start. I wanted to finish in ten days or less but it doesn't look like I am going to make that this year. Frankly I would be happy just to finish at all at this point. My back is giving me hell which in turn makes it hard to focus. However, I am trying and I will finish!

My project for this year is to work on a novel I previously wrote but never finished. I've decided to remove an element and play up others. I haven't looked at my previous draft and I don't think I am going too. I would really like to somewhat start fresh. The plan is to begin at the beginning and see where it takes me. I'll remember the good stuff and add it in like I remember it and hopefully make it better. Oh and the book is about vampires and no I am not going to go into the details. I do hope to publish this book so no peeking for you.