A lackluster helloooooo and Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe Yule/Jul/ Christmas!

I will eventually post the books we received and maybe some of the movies. Amanda gave me The White Queen which is about Pre-Tutor England. I am excited for it. But posting that stuff will have to wait. I'm far too exhausted and in too much pain to go gather all the books and fight with my camera to do so. My camera is acting up and I'm not sure why. The photo above was taken with my phone but I really don't like my phone camera, it's grainy as hell and I haven't figured out how to tinker with it yet. Not that I have actually tried mind you. 

I finally finished my Water and Fire afghan. I want to do Air and Earth next but I will save that project for a later date. I decided to start an afghan for my cousin because she needs all the love she can get. She requested purple and black and I chose a wave pattern. I started it last night while watching a Nova episode on the Viking Sword which only made me miss the blacksmithing I did when I was in the SCA. Yes, you read right, I did some blacksmithing. I wanted to try everything and found pounding hot metal soothing and was excited to see something take shape and form. We also watched Ever After High and a movie about a cat although I can't remember the name of it. 

Yesterday was an awful sort of day in that I awoke late and in a lot of pain all over, even my toes hurt. It was so awful! I spent an hour or so toying with the idea of going back to bed and Amanda made the decision for me when she arrived home early from work. She made me take some medicine and put me to bed, of course she came with me. She wasn't feeling very well either. Today, I'm not feeling much better but I am going to try taking a hot shower and use some of the wonderful bubbling body scrub that a friend sent us for Christmas. It's soft enough that I don't think it will hurt. Sometimes when I have big flare ups of pain, even my clothes hurt. 

I think Galen has a cold. He's wheezing more than usual and making a very strange cough/gagging sound. He is still eating and drinking and when Amanda gets paid we are going to get him some medicine. 

Well I've sat at my desk as long as I can stand so I am going to go take my shower and hope it helps. Have a happy and safe New Year and I will see you next year! 

   

Flowers, Squirrels, and friends.

Flowers on the table in front of the window at Grandma's house.

I've been in Kansas this month thanks to my girlfriend, Skoora. I miss her and I miss the kitties. However, I am glad that I was able to come. I've enjoyed spending time with my friends/ pseudo siblings Lucas and Emma and with my family. It's been a very peaceful and mostly stress-free visit. 

My parents took me to see Star Trek: Into Darkness and no matter how much my Dad hates going to movie theaters, I loved that he went. My Mom and I also met Lucas and Emma for an evening to see Iron Man 3 which was really fun and I enjoyed both films. 

While visiting one day, my friend Emma passed on her old camera to me. I kind of panicked a little bit because it's such an expensive gift. She would like me to practice and perhaps, if I get good enough, someday work with her. That would be very nice. I took the picture above with it and several others but I am still trying to get the hang of it. I think I will be playing with it for quite awhile before I really feel comfortable. But that's what the cats and nature are for. 

I haven't written anything since I've been down here but I have worked on the Detangled Writer's blog some. My Dad and I had to look at the xhtml and we've both decided what to do about the white blocks. I've taken care of most of it and know how to deal with the rest. I had to change the background of the blog to make things look better. 

We had a day where there was severe weather. Nothing as terrible as what happened in Oklahoma, and to those folks, I send good thoughts and sympathy. However, we did have a Tornado at the airport which is very close to my parents house. There was hail and wind and rain and for a little while I was concerned that we might lose the basement window. We didn't, thankfully. To the left is a picture of a squirrel after the storm. He and one of his fellows were in a tree in my parent's backyard and hanging on even after the storm had passed as if they weren't going to be taken from their tree.  

I have also spent sometime with my cousins. We've watched some movies and a little bit of last seasons True Blood. I would like to spend a little more time with them and with my Aunt. And of course I have been to my Grandparent's house. In fact, Grandpa was even comfortable enough (he has Alzhimer's and gets confused and uncomfortable when talking) to tell me some family stories I hadn't heard before. There were some that I had heard but I don't mind it when he tells those to me. I just like it when he talks to me. I was supposed to spend the night at their house one night but my back was bothering me and for some reason I had a small panic attack because my Mom was starting to make the motions of leaving. I don't know why I panicked over that, I've never had an issue spending the night at my Grandparent's house, but I suppose me hurting and getting over being sick might have had something to do with it. 

I am finally getting to spend some time with my Dad. The first two weeks of my visit he was finishing up the semester. We've played Guild Wars and gotten our faction farming donation numbers up again. We also farmed Sunspear points. Aside from that we've talked shop about writing and he's going to look at some technical things I am having trouble with in one story and I would like some of his input on another. 

The rest of my time has been spent with my Mom and their dog, Kali. My Mom has managed to break a toe one day and then bruised the rest on the same foot two days later. Tonight she stubbed those poor toes on something in my Dad's office. She just can't win. Oh and I conned her into watching Vampire Knight today. 

That's all for now, I need to lay down and get some sleep so I can get up and shower and try to visit all those that want to see me tomorrow. Sadly, I don't think I will be able to spend time with everyone who wants to see me tomorrow. I get so worn out and tired and y back has been bothering me pretty badly lately.