Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Panda

Do you know about Pillow Pets? That's a thing. They fold in half to be an easily carried stuffed animal toy, and unfold to become a travel pillow! I searched forever for a panda one, since that's my favorite animal - it's an unhealthy obsession - and I finally found one. I actually found it a while ago, but didn't take it with me when I moved away from Memphis. Since I'm visiting home this week, I broke him out!

So cute, right?!
Seriously, though. I have way to much panda stuff. Lamps, wall scrolls, paintings, candles, mugs, bowls, stuffed bears, jewelry, clothes, blankets, and even a pair of panda shorts - as in shorts that look like a panda, not shorts with a panda image on them. I might need help.

Monday, September 29, 2014

Good News

My job search has sucked. Royally and often. It has had me incredibly frustrated, annoyed, depressed, and even outright angry at times. But I have always, in spite of all of that, been confident. I am a good person and a good therapist, DAMMIT, and someone would eventually see that and give me a job.

Don't get excited. I haven't got a job. Yet.

I'm just trying to set the stage so you fully understand the depths of my insanity. Despite almost 5 months of no offers and scarce interviews, I felt 100% certain that I would eventually find something I loved. It was just taking longer than I wanted.

Sure enough, in the last several days I have been called in on 3 interviews. All at places that I was genuinely excited to be (possibly) working for, not just something I would feel I had to take because I need money. Good news, right? I had the first of these 3 interviews this morning, and had been floating on air leading up to it. Surely, with that much saturation, I'll get at least one offer! I mean, I'm awesome, after all! I thanked my interviewer and stood up to leave feeling like I had rocked the house. I was confident, calm, well-spoken, and downright charming.

By the time I reached my car, everything in me told me that today is the day I fail. That I'm not good at this, they hated me, and I won't get an offer. That even if I do manage to wrangle a job, 2 days in they will see how incompetent I am and I'll be right back out.

(source)
It's hard for me to convey just how sudden and overwhelmingly this wave of complete self-doubt and self-loathing hit me. And I have no goddamn idea why.

I've been struggling with myself for a little while now, feeling down. I have explained it away in the past few weeks. I cry into my pillow because I am constantly anxious about how my lack of employment will ultimate spiral into a pit of debt and homelessness until I die at age 37 in a cardboard box in an alley somewhere. Thank my mother for those kind of mental digressions that take the smallest misstep and turn it into life-ending tragedy. But except for the dramatic conclusion, it didn't really seem to be that unusual to feel down about out about being unemployed. As I've said, even over the summer, I've felt sad about it, just confident it would eventually resolve. Now even that has passed and part of me wonders, given my history, if there isn't something more going on here. Because clearly, feeling like a complete failure after making some progress for the first time in months is not a rational reaction.

I don't know if I've yet mentioned Dooce here, but if you've checked my profile you know I follow her blog. She has posted something this time of year for the past several years about how the changing light in fall and spring (season changes) can negatively affect the mental/emotional state of some people. I never figured I was one of them, being that I'd never noticed the pattern before. However, I never notice patterns when it comes to my own health. I've been menstruating for about 15 years now. Safe to say I'm an expert. But it was only in the past couple of months that I finally put together my chronic headaches are associated with my period. So in thinking back, really thinking on it, I've realized that phenomenon might just apply to me.

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I always get nostalgic in Autumn because academia is the thing I've always been confident in, always been good at. So I'll start thinking back to those happy days of starting a new school year - even when I was still in school, as I have been almost every year until this one - and get a little melancholic. Some days are worse than others, but it always passed by about November. I feel a little lost in Spring as well, and always blamed it on a sort of general anxiety about upcoming tests or projects or job hunts (summer jobs or full-time). Maybe, just maybe, it's something more.

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Frankly, even if it's not - and I'm not likely to know since I don't and likely won't see a professional - I'd really like to blame the seasonal change anyway. At least then I can explain it. Point to something and say, "This. This is the answer to why I fall asleep on a tear-stained pillow, or sleep all day, or don't want to talk to anyone, even though nothing has happened." It's reassuring, in the midst of irrational emotions, to find the answer to a question I didn't know I had.

Tip Top

This is the best sandwich I have ever had or made. I am so freaking impressed with myself over here. It was ri-goddamn-diculously good. 

As you can see by the fact that once I started eating,
I got halfway through before I though to stop and take a picture.
Curious as to how you can recreate this amaze-balls treat for yourself? Well, dig in because I'm about to tell you!

The avocado doesn't look great, but I promise it was still good!
I toasted bread and on the interior of both slices I spread onion chive cream cheese (I suspect garden veggie would work equally well). Then, on the right side I placed thin slices of cucumber topped by sliced of avocado. On the left, I sprinkled dill, celery salt, and pepper. Finish it off with 3 slices of bacon, smush it all together, and voila! Nirvana. Heavenly Mana. You'll be ruined for all other sandwiches. Making more of this sweet, sweet nectar will become an obsession that consumes your life. You've been warned.

But it's totally worth it. It's that good.

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Home

I mentioned I would be traveling today, and here's why!

Old photo, but it still pretty much looks like that.
I'm visiting my parents! This is their house. Huzzah! Exhaustion has set it, along with allergy medication, so I'm going to stop here before I pass out on the keyboard.

Saturday, September 27, 2014

All Better

Here's my beautiful boy, all fixed up! He got his sutures removed yesterday, so he is officially recovered from neutering. He also got a heavy duty bath to make him fresh and shiny and soft, as well as killing off some fleas. AND! Today he got his monthly Heartgard and Advantix treatments. So this little pup is good to go!

And exhausted after all that excitement.
He gets better medical treatment than I do, but look at that face! It's not like I could take less good care of him, he's too cute not to get the best. Meanwhile, I can't even remember to take my daily Zyrtec and multivitamin. Speaking of...

Friday, September 26, 2014

Update!

Hello all! As predicted - if you follow me on Facebook, which you should, link at the top! - this post is coming late. Its also a bit short, because it's really just an update! I just wanted to let you all know that I have some projects in the works that are going to be requiring a lot of my time and attention, so for the foreseeable future I'm cutting back posting to twice a week: Monday and Friday.

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I know, I know, you live for my updates and this is the worst! I'm sorry, my dears, but content is hopefully going to improve now that I can focus more energy on each post. Daily Smile will still happen daily. Obviously.

Before you ask, the projects I'm working on are personal and will therefore be kept private. For now. I may have something I can share in a few weeks. I certainly hope to.

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Thanks for your readership and support, my lovelies! Keep it up; there's more to come.

Sandwich

I've been avoiding sandwich shops for a few months now since I'm cutting most of the bread out of my diet. But Fiance and I have been sorely desiring some date like activity, so today we decided to do a lunch date. I drove to meet him at work and we went to Penn Station. As you can see.

These are the leftovers.
I've never been there before, but I ended up really liking it. Their fries are super good since they don't skimp on the salt. Plus, even though it was a simple thing, it was nice to hang out with my fella somewhere besides home.

Thursday, September 25, 2014

TBT - Blackout Game

I thought I'd finally join the Throwback Thursday trend - several months/years late - via the Daily Smile! This particular photo is from this same time back in '08 (geez, that was 6 years ago! Doesn't feel like it) at MTSU's blackout game. MTSU's main color is blue, so when they played another team that wore blue, our side changed to black uniforms. The fans supported our boys by also wearing black attire, hence the name "blackout." I honestly wouldn't remember the experience at all if it weren't for the photographic evidence contained herein - thanks, concussion!

Mrs. Wilson and I at the game. Doesn't look like she was sporting black, but who knows?
Despite being in the world famous BoB (band of blue), and therefore attending most games for 2 years, I really didn't pay much attention to football. It was mostly an obligation for me be there, or at best, a social event. Still, the games were typically a lot of fun. Especially the second half, when I didn't have to worry about performing anymore.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Friends Questionnaire part 6

Here we are at last, the final chapter. Read my previous answers here, find the list I'm working from here, and as always, comment with your answers below and feel free to ask me about anything I haven't covered. I promise I'll respond to the question, though I may not actually answer it depending on what you ask.

26. What's the weirdest thing you've ever done on a date?
This is an odd question for me because I've never really done dates. I've had only 2 relationships, both long term, and both started kind of amorphously. There was no dating stage, we just "hung out" and on some indeterminate day morphed into a couple. There was one random before all this. Some guy I met my junior year (I think) took me to a sushi place (I think) where he paid (I think). I don't even remember his name, or if he actually asked me out, but I do remember getting ready with a bit of apprehension because I was thinking of it as a date. I remember almost nothing about it, and I don't know that anything weird happened. So I'll say the weirdest thing I did was waiting until 20 years of age to go on a date.

(source)
27. What do you hope to achieve by 50?
I don't know that I have one specific thing. Being that I am currently half that age, I would hope I'd achieved a lot of things by then. I would say "be employed" but that's just because I'm disappointed by my current job search, and honestly if it takes that long to find a job, I'll probably be dead before 50. Other goals I first thought of include things like: be married, have kids, and own a home. But again, I hope to achieve all of that much sooner than 50. How about travel? By 50, I hope to have been out of the country at least once - preferably several times - and see the Grand Canyon.

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28. What has been your best moment this year (so far)?
Despite my current rut, I've actually had a lot of good moments this year. Passing my grad school comprehensive exams (comps), passing the Praxis, and graduating from grad school. But my all-time best for the year, and probably even my life thus far, has to be getting engaged to Fiance. I've said it before and I will again, he's easily the best person I know and the best thing to happen to me. If you're curious about the specifics of the proposal, I actually posted the story a while back (when it happened) and you can read all about it here.

My family wanted tons of pictures, so the event is pretty well documented.
29. Would you rather be stuck in traffic for 2 hours, or have Chipotle run out of guacamole?
I'm not sure I've ever eaten at Chipotle, and I know I don't like guac on a burrito - dip only please! - so I'm going with option B. I'm from Memphis, so angry aggressive driving has been programmed into me. I don't need 2 hours of traffic to bring it out, and I definitely don't want to exacerbate the problem.

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30. Why are you so amazing?!
Good genes, good jeans, and hard work! Plus, I come packing an interesting and effective combination of persistence and easy-going-ness (I just made up a word, probably). And! I'm a kick-ass blogger! Right?

Yes, that is Fiance and I dressed as Black Widow and Captain Hammer.
We attended GMX a couple of years back, and it was pretty awesome.

Crumb Cake

I have been craving sweets like mad the past several days. This is unusual for me. For all that I like baking, I don't really enjoy eating many baked goods. A bite or two if it's the right dish or the right occasion, and I'm easily satisfied. I blame this new-found craving on the heavy reduction of carbs in my diet; my body grew to crave them and deprived of that sugary goodness, I've started going for more traditional treats. I've allowed myself to indulge because I quickly discovered that I still don't eat much of whatever pastry I buy, just that one bite or two, as before. I just actually crave that one bite rather than taking it out of obligation - after all, you can't say no to cake at a wedding or pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving! - so I've started keeping something around. For instance, this crumb cake.

From Publix, which has an indecently good bakery for a grocery store.
There is about a quarter of it left, and considering 2 people have been eating on it for a little over a week, you can tell we don't partake heavily. Just a bit of sugar on the tongue every now and again. I want to be healthy and long-lived, but I also want to enjoy that life, which means I am allowing myself to eat cake periodically without guilt. Not that there was ever much risk of that in the first place. 

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Blacklist

Fiance is off today and we are spending our time catching up on The Blacklist. I was incredibly intrigued by this show when it first went on the air (a whole year ago!) especially because of my great love for James Spader. I mean, Daniel Jackson was one of my childhood heroes! An archaeologist in space? Ultimate dream job.

But I digress. Fiance and I, in the tradition of long-term, committed couples everywhere, have taken to watching shows together, It got started as a way to spend time together when we were doing the long distance thing. We'd Skype while watching the same show - the closest we could get to a date - and that activity has carried over to present day. Isn't there just something so comforting and fun about snuggling up with your partner and watching spy thrillers?

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The answer is yes.

Monday, September 22, 2014

No Poo Conditioner Recipe

Have you heard about this no poo movement? In case you haven't, let me go ahead and put your mind at ease; it has nothing to do with feces or lack of feces. It's a hair care movement.

I feel like "movement" is the wrong word. Movement should be reserved for campaigns for national, social change, not a change in grooming. Right? But I don't have a better word, so movement it what will be happening, deal with it.

So "no poo" refers to the absence of shampoo. Most conventional shampoos and conditioners have unnecessary and scalp-damaging ingredients. Specifically, sulfates get added to a lot of hair products because they create the suds we associate with cleaning. However, these sulfates strip your hair and scalp of their natural oils and actually end up drying out you hair and therefore damaging it. If you are a woman with curly hair (henceforth referred to as a curly girl) like me, this is especially problematic as our hair is naturally dry already and requires lots of moisture to bring out the curl. 

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Not me, just a picture of awesome hair I wish was mine.
You've probably heard from various hair care specialists that your not supposed to wash your hair every day for reasons similar to what I've described above: your scalp's natural oils are good for your hair and washing using conventional methods strips said oils. If you're a curly girl, you should have been told to wash even less often. For about 8 years now, I've been shampooing twice a week at most, always using moisturizing shampoo and conditioner to care for my curls. The problem is, just cutting back on shampoo use isn't enough. 

Have you heard stories about, or perhaps experienced yourself, the problem with face wash? That by washing too often, or using the wrong kind of cleanser, you can dry out your skin, causing your body to produce extra oil to compensate; thus, face washes designed to prevent oily skin and acne can often actually cause it? Your scalp has a natural pH of 4-7, just like the rest of your skin, and using sulfate-laden shampoos can cause the same problems on your scalp that I just described about your face. When you cut back to intermittent shampooing, it's certainly better than daily, but you're ultimately still living with the same problem. Shampoo either dries you out by stripping those natural oils, or causes oil production to go into overdrive and makes your hair oily. The no poo movement wants you to stop using store bought cleansers altogether.

The most common substitute presented (as described if you clicked the link at the top) is baking soda dissolved in water to use for shampoo, and apple cider vinegar (ACV) dissolved in water as conditioner. Many people have problems with the baking soda part of this method. While it may work at first, over time extensive baking soda use can also damage your scalp. It's a highly alkaline substance with a pH of around 8 or 9, and combined with rocketing your scalp's pH down to 4.5 with the ACV just minutes after, can be very bad for your scalp and hair. It's the same basic principle used to color or perm hair, called clarifying, which we all know is bad for it. I would advise against using soda more than once a month, especially if you have fine hair (curly girls typically do have fine, if thick hair).

What's a girl to do instead? Well, there are lots of options. If you are willing to pony up the dough, there are all-natural and sulfate free cleansers available in stores for purchase. I've also read about people substituting bar soap. I myself tried an oatmeal/goat's milk bar I had when first starting this process, but with thick curly hair, its almost impossibly for a solid to make it to my scalp. Many people have also used liquid castille soap, but used on it's own, liquid castille presents the same problems as baking soda. Finally, you could just make your own. This recipe uses castille soap diluted with other ingredients. This one, my personal favorite, is specifically designed to balance your scalp pH and only requires 2 ingredients! There are also a bunch of recipes out there for DIY conditioners as well, including one that I made up and is pictured below.

It doesn't look like much, but it's good stuff, I promise.
This is one I made up after reading a lot of random hair care tips on the internet and in books (yes, I own actual books about hair care) specific to curly hair. IF YOU HAVE OILY OR STRAIGHT HAIR do not use this recipe:

You will need:

16 oz jar (best if you can find one like that pictured above with measure markings on it)

2 oz course salt (approximate by pouring directly into jar- salt water is REALLY good for curly hair)

1 teaspoon coconut oil

a few drops of essential oil (any variety, this is optional and used only for scent)

It's really easy to construct. Just dump all of the ingredients into the jar and put it within reach of your shower. When you are ready to condition, put the jar under the tap and fill with warm water. Use a spoon to stir it well and make sure all the ingredients are dissolved (doesn't take long). Then, pour over your hair. Let it sit for a few minutes while you wash your body or just enjoy the hot water, then rinse. I like to rinse with an ACV mixture (2 tablespoons of ACV in 16 oz of warm water) first, and then do a final rinse under cooler tap water, which is better for your hair. 

I find, when using this recipe, I don't need to apply anything to my hair after the shower to bring out it's curl or control frizz, but if you do, take just a dab coconut oil and spread throughout your hair. I promise, this recipe works wonders. I've been no poo for about 3 months now, and my hair has never looked better.

Not the best picture, but I promise it looks good!

Hobbit Day

It's Hobbit Day, 2014! That is, Bilbo and Frodo's shared birthday. Celebrate by reading a Hello Giggles article about it, watching the movies, or reading the books again! Because you've obviously read the books at least once already, right?

(source)
So happy birthday, Bagginses! See you again next year.

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Sangria

So today we decided to clean out the fridge, and look what we found! Liquor. Well, a bunch of almost empty wine bottles, one unopened, and a small bottle of hard cider that is not pictured. So we decided to send summer off with one last hurrah and make sangria with the remnants of our Engagement Party, plus some frozen fruit we found (strawberries, mango and peach chunks). 

The red bottle is Soda Stream ginger ale.
As of this writing, I have not tried it, but I will be sure to report back once I have and tell you whether or not it was a success.


UPDATE: It was.

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Recovery

Moose is recovering quite nicely from his procedure on Monday. 

Look at his goofy, sleeping butt!
Don't you just want to eat his cute little face!
He slept a little more than usual the first couple of days, probably because he was medicated, and we had to keep him quarantined in our room, but it all went pretty well. He doesn't try to lick it much and is easily redirected, and he's out and about again for the most part. Hooray, Moose!

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Hair

I had this great ambition that I would keep growing my hair out until the wedding so I could do beautiful, intricate styles. But I've been fighting the desire to cut it all off for years (I'd actually like to try it even shorter than this someday), and with no wedding date in sight (stupid job hunt) I decided to go for it. It grows back fast and I can always get temporary extensions if I decide to go with a longer style on the day. So here it is!

Can you see all the nerd stuff in the background?
Stylists seem to struggle with cutting my layers because of the curl in my hair, so the length of the top layer on your left (my right) is a little shorter than I want, but that'll be better in a few weeks. I'm also thinking I'll go back red soon now that it'll be so much easier to maintain. It's also much easier to straighten now, as you can see I've done in the photo. I'll post another picture in a few days of the new cut curly.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Friends Questionnaire 5

It's that time again! Please comment with your answers or additional questions for me, check out my previous answers here, and the list of questions here.

21. Who has influenced you the most?
Probably my mom. I feel like that's such a cliche, especially in the South, but who can deny that our parents are almost always a powerful influence on us? Even if they aren't around, that itself can have a pretty profound impact. My mom has always been there. She is the one who always worries and checks on me, the one who encouraged me to pursue my (failed) career because she wanted me to be able to be independent and not beholden to anyone. We talk all the time, and have settled into the more mature part of the mother-daughter relationship, when I, as the daughter, am old enough for us to be more like friends that an authority figure and a child. As much as we may disagree from time to time about specific things, she has always been on my side and in my corner. She's my cheerleader and my challenger, and I don't know how I would have survived without her. Thanks mom! (My dad is there for all this too, but I felt like the question was asking about one person.)

Pictured: 3 generations of women.
I'd also have to acknowledge that my ex has had a pretty big impact on my life and who I am today, though he didn't intend for it to work the way it did. For all his terribleness, it's also true that without him I wouldn't be here, but it's more that my time with him required me to rise above it and be better. Negative reinforcement instead of positive.

22. What are your favorite lyrics?
Jeez, that is tough. There is so much good music out there, and I listen to almost none of it. For some reason, music is very emotionally challenging for me. I get swept up in it way too easily, and as a consequence, I avoid listening to it very often. Also, for like 2 years I didn't have a working radio in my car, so that didn't help. I'm feeling all romatical lately, what with planning a wedding, so I'll go with something on theme:

There was a time when I would have believed them
If they told me you could not come true, just love's illusion.
But then you found me, and everything changed.
And I believe in something again.

I know I'm not the only person in the world, far from it, who experience limited to no romantic success earlier in life. As I've mentioned before I was 21 before I ever kissed a boy much less dated one, More significantly, I was 21 before I had the opportunity to do so. I really thought for a long time that I wasn't the type of person who ends up happily married. It seems ridiculous that I was so hopeless at such a young age, but it wasn't being older and not married yet that was the problem, it was the length of time totally single. For 2 decades, it seemed that literally no one was interested. Then along came terrible. And for all that he was terrible, I came out of that situation with, ultimately, a bit of hope. There are people out there who might like me, I just have to find one who is not a complete ass-hat! And I did. Fiance is, hand down, the best person I know and the best thing to happen to me.


23. Stretchy jeans or jeggings?
I'm going to say stretchy jeans because they tend to be more functional. They're still denim, so they're a little tougher, and they have pockets. Jeggings are often made of some other material and typically don't have pockets. And baby needs her pockets. (At least I think they don't. I might not know what the difference is between these two things.) Seriously, what is with the lack of pockets on women's pants? I know some people say designers do it so you don't ruin the line of the pants, but can't that be my decision? Give me the option, and leave it to me whether to choose form or function.

(source)

24. On the first day of ruling the world, what would you do?
Abolish student loans. Wipe out all standing student loan debt and convert higher education to be free so no new students have to endure them. The system is screwed up, and people shouldn't be in debt their whole lives because they wanted to try to improve it. It's hurting our citizens and our economy and it just makes me sad.


(source)

25. If you were forced to open a bakery, what would you name it?
I like that this says forced. There is a man with a gun following you around through all the steps of opening a bakery: finding the building, getting a license, opening and running it. That's a weeks to months long commitment, anonymous bakery obsessed gunslinger. You've got some dedication to cake. I feel in those circumstances, I would honor the person who got me so far in opening my new business and call it "Reluctant Bakery." It works on two levels, because although I do actually like baking, I don't like eating sweets.

Triple thumbprint, jam filled cookies I made. Could never get a good photo.

Burger

I caused Fiance to declare he won't marry me (jokingly) by telling him I thought I might like turkey burgers more than regular beef ones. It's his fault, though! Look what he made me for dinner.

Seriously, it was SO good.
That is a turkey patty with cheese and ham cooked in the middle of it because we made the patties from scratch. On the "bun" (a low carb pita substitute bun) is spicy mayo, mustard, and sriracha. I then topped the burger with salt and pepper, lettuce and onion as you see. I wish I'd added another slice of cheese on top, but the whole thing was crazy delicious anyway. Nothing can ever truly replace beef in my heart because I love steak too much, but I think turkey may be my go-to burger now.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Mail's Here!

I have nothing to say about this personally, I just find it unreasonably hysterical. Just look at that poor kid!

Right in the mouth!
It's adorable and funny. 

A lot has been going on over the course of the past week or so, and I'm very hopeful I will be able to share some things with you all soon. However, I want to wait until everything is settled before writing about it, both because until then I don't know what to tell you and because this... situation is keeping me pretty busy so I don't have much time to write even if I knew what to say. Happy Tuesday, lovelies!



Monday, September 15, 2014

Surgery

Today, I'm forgoing a regular post as Moose is having surgery. Specifically, he's getting neutered today. I know it's not really that big a deal, but for some reason I'm incredibly excited/nervous about it. Since I don't currently have any children, and won't for years yet, Moose is the closest thing I have to offspring. He's the first real pet I've had (my crappy ex got me both a cat and a dog at different points in time only to give them away after a few weeks, all without discussing it with me, so I don't count them), and since we rescued him from the street when he was only 2 months old, I've really bonded with him as my "baby." So taking him to the vet for various check-ups and treatments has had a feeling similar to pediatrician visits for me, and this event especially feels like such a key, parent-y moment. Also, given my rant about responsible dog adoption and ownership a few weeks back (spay and neuter to reduce the number of homeless and euthanized pets!), this event is a significant moment in living up to my own standards. 

Nothing to do with his surgery, I just thought this was funny.
He was trying to jump from the bed to the chair and didn't quite make it.
He was able to wriggle his way up eventually. We did not help because
we believe in fostering independence and also it was hilarious to watch.
All that said to explain that I'm a bit high-strung today for what I fully realize is a ridiculous reason, but given my state, I won't be writing a full post. I'll just be sitting here, pining for my sweet puppy while he's at the vet, and giving him lots of care and love while he recovers at home. Happy Monday all, may you have a week filled with adorable pets and/or children!

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Drive-in

This is coming to you late because I've been allowing myself a lazy Sunday. In part because I was up so late last night doing this:

Drive-in!
My brother, sister-in-law, Fiance, and I went to a double feature at the drive-in last night. Since they have to wait for sundown to start and we were watching Marvel films, it lasted until past midnight. Plus we had to drive back to brother's house to get my car and then Fiance and I had to drive to our home. We went to bed about 2:30 in the morning. However, we saw Guardians of the Galaxy and X-men: Days of Future Past which are both incredibly awesome. And, that drive-in has kick-ass concessions, so....

WORTH IT.

Happy Sunday everyone, welcome to Autumn!

Saturday, September 13, 2014

The Family Business

It's a special post in honor of Supernatural Day! Today is the anniversary of the day on which the first episode of Supernatural aired back in 2005. By order of our overlords in order to commemorate the event, SN fans are wearing SN themed clothing and accessories and writing "The Family Business" on their arms.

As you can see I've done here, though I don't have my other gear on yet.
In case you missed my Croatoan post, or are just new here, I'm going to let you in on a not-at-all-secret: I LOVE Supernatural. It's easily my favorite show (more on that some other time), so of course I celebrate the high holidays. You should to.

JOIN US.

*I'll update later with pictures of the rest of my gear me in a SN shirt.

UPDATE! Here's the rest of the get-up.

You can see the whole shirt here, from TeeFury.
This shot includes my arm brand, to prove I did all of the things at the same time.

Coke

It finally happened! I've been on a quest for a Coke bottle with my name, by which I mean I've checked out all the gas station coolers in my area, ever since the promotion finally hit the south a month or two ago. And then! Fiance just randomly spots it at work!

Hooray!
So of course, he bought it for me! It doesn't seem like such a hard name to find, but it always has been. I was the unlucky child in vacation gift shops who could never find my name on any of the kitschy collectibles. Probably why my parents chose the name, to save money. And now, I can never drink it. Because I'll never find it again. But still, HAPPY DAY!

Friday, September 12, 2014

Friends Questionnaire 4

Find previous entries here, and comment with your answers! Also, feel free to ask me anything that I haven't covered, but check out the list I'm working from first to make sure it won't be covered in the last 2 entries, forthcoming.

16. Rugrats or Doug?
Rugrats, easily. I think it was a more popular show generally, not just for me, because they had several movies. I know I watched Doug, but I just don't remember it as well, and I certainly don't remember laughing as much at it. Rugrats, because of those movies, lasted much longer as an interest in my life. And then they did the new series All Grown Up as well. It wasn't as good, of course, but Rugrats had legs that Doug just didn't. Which is weird considering the popular one was about infants and the less popular about pre-teens/teens. Re-watching some episodes more recently, I now find both of them terrifying. They were like fever-dreams, or drug-induced hallucinations. What was wrong with us as kids that this stuff was entertaining?

(source)


17. Which house would you belong to in Game of Thrones? Like, very honestly?
Okay, I've taken multiple quizzes about this which could back me up, so I am officially declaring myself a Targaryen. It makes sense; powerful blonde little sister rises up to rule far across the ocean from her home? That's basically my life's story. Plus, I'm a dragon on the Chinese zodiac, my favorite character from Wheel of Time is The Dragon Reborn, and I own several dragon figurines.

(source)
18. If you got a (new) tattoo, what would it be of?
This is strongly related to the answer above: a dragon. In honor of my house, my sign, my hero, and my rebirth. I decided 3 years ago, after I got out of that crappy relationship and got into grad school that I wanted a tattoo that represented my new found freedom, purpose, and self-possession. Lots of people choose birds or butterflies for that, and that makes sense. But I wanted something that, as I mentioned, meant more than just the freedom wings represent. Fire is a cleansing force that is commonly associated, in myth and story-telling of all kinds, with characters who come through a hardship stronger, sharper, and more refined. I can think of no better embodiment, then, of myself than a dragon. Bonus points, it completes my Wheel of Time torso - 3 other tattoos I currently have on my ribs in recognition of the other 2 main characters and the series as a whole.

(source)
That's not what it'll look like, but it gives you an idea.
19. What would you like to eat for your last meal?
I'm going to say lobster. I know a lot of people go for comfort food or "Mom's famous" whatever, but man, I love lobster. Maine lobster specifically, none of this rock lobster crab. And I want as much of it in my life as possible. I'd request 2 or 3. Maybe, if I skip sides, I could even fit in 4. I think I'd also request that it be lumped for me, instead of digging it out myself. I normally enjoy cracking open the lobster shell and digging out the meat - it's part of the experience! You have to work for your food, you have to earn it. But if I'm dying/being executed, we can skip all that. Just bring on the meat! With lots of butter.


(source)
20. If you had to be on a reality TV show, which one would you choose?
Easy! I decided this one a while ago: My Fair Wedding with David Tutera. I love that guy and I'm planning a wedding, so it works out perfectly. Truth be told, his events are a usually little more extravagant that I really would like for myself (understatement alert!), but that are always beautiful. And if it's free, why not? Let's go all out! He does the fashion as well, and sometimes jewelry, so it'd definitely be nicer than I can afford, and super unique. Plus, as the final bonus, it's a one-off deal. I'm in one episode, shot over a 2 to 4 week period, and then it's done. So there's very little disruption to my life, possibly even less than planning a wedding on my own would be. Like it, love it, done.

(source)
Some episodes are on Netflix you want to see his work.

(source)
A small sample of his work.

Cake

I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but I LOVE hazelnut based sweets, which are typically some combination of the nut/flavor and chocolate. Nutella is the bomb-diggity on basically anything, and you guys! You can even use Nutella to make cookies, cake, and popsicles with only about 2 more ingredients each! 

That is clearly not the kind of cake pictured here.
This is a cake Fiance made me. It's just good quality white cake with Nutella spread as filling between the layers, and a homemade chocolate hazelnut icing, made partially from the toasted hazelnut creamer that was pictured in one of the previous Smiles. That stuff is versatile. And, shockingly, this cake is crazy, stupid delicious. Can you tell, based on the fact that it's over half gone in just 3 days? Yeah. You're jealous because my future-husband is AWESOME.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

In Memoriam

A friend posted this image to Facebook in tribute to those lost on this tragic day 13 years ago.
(source seen above)
I think it is appropriate that today we focus on those who were lost, and leave any politics out of it. Today is a day that many relive the pain of losing a loved one in New York. They are in our thoughts and prayers.

Car Wash

Working at the car wash, yeah!

That was terrible, and I apologize. But I'm not sorry enough to delete it. Moving on!

Fiance took my car, and by necessity me, to the car wash yesterday. It was one of the automated kinds where you get to stay in the car. I have never experienced this before.

The foam wash portion was pretty, and this image didn't quite capture it.
It was terrifying. I don't like all that stuff moving so wildly so close to my car! He's old and fragile... But he is a little cleaner now. I'll have to use some old fashioned elbow grease to get rid of some of the tougher stuff. Still, it made me smile to see him sparkle in the sun just a little, and after the terror subsided, it was kind of fun to hang out in the car wash.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Loading

So, in case you have heard, today is Net Neutrality Day. People all over the internet are changing their social network images to things like:


and


or

It's a kitty!
to show how annoying and slow the internet would become at some of you favorites sites who either can't afford to or refuse to shell out the exorbitant amount of money cable providers want in exchange for providing the top tier of internet. This would give a hugely unfair advantage to giant, wealthy corporations, and really, they don't need any more advantages, do they? John Oliver explains it really well.



Now, that video is a bit old and I'm pretty sure the FCC is no longer accepting comments, which is why we're doing all this other picture changing stuff. Even Netflix is in on it!

See the thing on the bottom right? That's a banner in support of net neutrality.
Go the Netflix and check for yourself, or click on the image for a larger view.
Even though the Last Week Tonight (great show you should watch it) video is old, it still explains the problem really well. Basically, as the world stands now, with net neutrality, the internet is an even playing field where in theory anyone can make it. We've all seen this. Vloggers and Bloggers and people who got their start just by creating online content and are now kind of famous and able to make a living off of it. Those people might/probably would be doing something completely different without NN providing them with the same chance to be heard as anyone else. Let's send a clear message to the FCC and our government that this is how we want our internet to stay. Go to Battle for the Net and lend your voice and support.