Sunday, November 30, 2008

30 Posts in 30 Days

Well, I made it. This is post number 30. I'm proud of me.

And I don't really have much to say about it (or anything else).

Other than to apologize to Ace once again for snapping some earlier. I know I'm tired, but that is no excuse for snapping like I did.

So, there you have it. A month of our lives.

Next month, I'm not pushing myself so much. But I think I'll go through and read some of the other blogs that also tried to do NoBloPoMo. Because I originally meant to do that during the month, but then I got distracted with other things and didn't do it.

So, if I don't post tomorrow, it's just because I'm taking a short break from posting until something exciting happens (which probably won't be long).

TTFN!

Saturday, November 29, 2008

What I Learned/Things That Happened During the Week of Thanksgiving '08

Today, you get a short list of things that happened or things I learned this week.

1. My step-mother's sister-in-law (who is only about 5 years older than me) has decided that I should call her aunt even though I didn't meet her until after I was 18 (I'm not going to do it, because I don't know her well enough and I haven't known her long enough to even really contemplate this idea).

2. This same woman found it surprising when I said the word @$$ while we were playing Uno (I was loosing, badly). She jokingly threatened to tell my dad, but I pointed out he was standing right there and obviously heard it and didn't care. Then she threatened to tell Ace (what she thought he would do is beyond me). When he came out, she informed him. Ace mentioned that he overheard and didn't care.

3. Guillermo is not to be trusted with his food (he'll eat until he's full and leave nothing for later) and he strongly missed us when we were gone. He tries to come with us each time we go somewhere now and he spent quite a bit of time as close to us (mostly Ace) as he could get (he apparently laid down on Ace's socks to feel close to him).

4. Our love seat currently stinks a lot. It smells like a combination of dog sweat and man sweat. It is not attractive. Ace has promised to Fabreeze it later, and I'm not sitting there again until it no longer stinks so much.

5. Ace's grandmother doesn't remember most of her family at this point (she kind of remembers she has sons, but doesn't remember who they are). She still eats all the chocolate she can get her hands on (Ace had to hide anything with chocolate on it while we were at his parent's house).

6. My stepmother got one card in the mail for her birthday. It was from us.

7. While my dad goes to sleep quickly, he wakes up at every sound at night. I got reminded that he normally sleeps in a chair in the living room most nights.

8. I really need to remember not to reach very far with my right arm right now. And I should not keep pushing myself just because I'm having fun and it's habit.

9. Ace is the best husband in the world as evidenced by the fact that he doesn't say "I told you so" when I am in pain because I didn't take his advice (and he didn't give it early enough) and now have a sore shoulder.

10. Ace is also the best husband in the world because he gave up about 2 hours sleep to try to get me out of pain and let me get some more sleep, and didn't complain once about it (he was tempted to give a dirty look to my "aunt" when she commented on when he finally got up, but didn't as he figured she probably didn't know why he slept as late as he did). He got about 6 hours of disjointed sleep Wed. night/Thurs. morning (which beat my 2 to 3)

11. And, if all that wasn't enough of Ace, he did the laundry when we got home so that I wouldn't have to.

12. He took off Friday, partly to get back on a good sleep schedule, but partly so that he could help me find my warranty on my ring so we could get it inspected before the month ended (we did, and don't have to think about it for 6 months).

13. A full-sized bed isn't big enough for two people who are used to sleeping on a queen-sized bed. Especially if one of them (me) can't really sleep very well if someone is touching them.

14. Ace's father has not gotten any less nosy since I last saw him. His uncle is cool and someone I would like to spend more time with sometime, if possible, maybe.

15. Smoked turkey (even when it's a little dried out) tastes better than oven roasted (especially when it's a little dried out).

This is probably about the tip of the iceberg of things I learned or things that happened over the past week (actually, it's from Wed. night to Fri. evening, so not really all that long).

So, when I tell you that I'm still a little tired from my odd trip to see my dad, you'll believe me completely.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Sleep Isn't (Just) For the Weak

People, I fought my body to stay awake for most of Thanksgiving. I had 2 hours of sleep, and put caffeine and vitamins in my system to help me stay awake.

I made it (somewhat barely) through dinner at my in-laws house (2 and 1/2 hours there, the first hour of which was waiting for dinner to be ready). I was fighting to stay awake pretty much the whole time (with diminishing caffeine and weakening will power to actually stay upright until I got back home).

Shortly after getting home, I was laying down and fell asleep within, I'm guessing, 20 minutes (I normally take AT LEAST 30 minutes to fall asleep). I woke up after roughly 2 hours and lurched my way into the bathroom, requested a drink from Ace, and then returned to bed for another hour of sleep.

When I woke up again, I felt much better sleep wise (not feeling like I needed to just go straight back to sleep again). And, I finally found my apatite (after smelling turkey and ham for most of the previous 24 hours, I'm not surprised that I was hungry, I was just surprised that it took so long to get hungry).

Now that I've eaten and slept, I feel much more human. And less likely to fall over any minute now from exhaustion. I'm not expecting to stay awake to the time I normally go to sleep, but I should be able to move back to my normal sleeping habits by tomorrow.

And maybe tomorrow, I'll discuss various points of my different Thanksgiving dining experiences. Today, I'm not up for it. I'm still reminding myself that I don't have anything I have to do other than catch back up on some sleep and relax.

TTFN!

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone out there (in the US) has a fun and safe holiday.

Don't drink and drive.

Drive carefully.

Later!

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Greetings From a Tired Insomniac

I was busy yesterday. We got everything except our laptops packed by Monday night, so there was little fussing left to do (we had already taken care of everything else that was worrying my mind.

I got up earlier than normal, in an attempt to help ensure we would leave town by a certain time (ha, that didn't happen). I made it by the chiropractor early. Ace took care of all the little stuff around the house while I went to my appointment. And then, we discovered that we needed to buy a few things before we left (besides food and drink). And that took us an hour to do.

We finally made it on the road, and I start wanting to go to sleep, but I can't because I need to act as navigator (as well as doing a couple of other things, but nicely Ace has pretty well figured out how to get here). So, once we got here (and I got untangled from all my various cords, I started feeling tired again.

Other than a short nap around 11 pm, I've not slept yet. I'm tired, I want to sleep, but I'm used to being up, so my body is rebelling against the idea (I'll get up way to early for the amount of sleep I've gotten, possibly take a nap later, and then go to bed at a reasonable time for not being exhausted on Thanksgiving, just like I always seem to do when we're at my dad's house). I don't have much to fight it with, because I don't want to turn the light back on and go back to my book on grammar (Ace is asleep, and I want to let him sleep), so I guess I'll try to find something that I find interesting enough to read (online) while boring enough to let the tiredness I feel overtake me.

And now you know how a tired insomniac goes to sleep (I'm not normally an insomniac, it's just the rapid change in sleep times).

TTFN!

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

If I Hear...

If I hear one more person around me act like they are surprised I think that kids are a blessing, I may scream.

Hear me out before you decide I am insane.

Ace and I are trying (TRYING) to grow this little family of ours. We want me to get pregnant. We want children (ok, we want to start with child, but we eventually want children). I, personally, think that children are a blessing to your life and help you see the world around you in a new and different way.

I understand that with children there are days you want to give them away (for a few hours). I understand that newborns don't do much (BUT they don't stay newborns forever). I know that babies don't poop roses. I know all of this mostly because my siblings are so much younger than I am. Basically, if you want to tell me some of the bad things associated with kids, I KNOW.

BUT that doesn't matter to me, because I also know all the good stuff. All the excitement from seeing them learn something new. All the time spent imagining and playing games and exploring the world. All the dress up and excitement to see family because they want to share what they've done lately. All the kisses, hugs, and "I love you"s.

And, I for one, am willing to put up with the hard, bad days to get all the good ones.

So please, stop acting like my views on children are ridiculous and will change when I've got a baby in my arms. Because I'm looking at a bigger picture than the day to day.

Plus, I'd rather not scream.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Mentally Preparing

Tuesday, Ace and I are going to visit my dad for Thanksgiving. We won't get to spend all day Thursday there (Ace has told his family we would eat with them that evening, which means coming back home mid-day). I'm hoping we get to stay long enough to eat (we should, but I'm still hoping). I'm also hoping that dinner with his family will go smoothly (and that they will not say anything to me about me working, as it isn't any of their business).

So, I'm thinking right now about what all we need to do before we go (a couple of loads of dishes, pack, find someone to come by and feed Guillermo, figure out when we'll go grocery shopping for perishables) and wishing that Ace was off early tonight so that we could talk about this. Instead, I'm spending the time he's at work mentally making lists, figuring out what I want to wear Tuesday-Thursday, and trying not to get myself stressed while preparing for a long day Thursday.

Despite how stressful I just made all this sound, I am really looking forward to seeing my dad and step-mom again. And my sister and I are trying to figure something out for her to come up here to visit and let me meet her boyfriend, which I am also somewhat excited about. And I'm trying to focus on those things, because they help me calm down (the Christmas music isn't doing enough to calm me down).

On the plus side, Ace called, and he is willing to get most everything packed tonight and has some good ideas for who is nearby who could feed the dog.

And now I must go, for Ace is home and we are now going to do somethings to lessen my stress level greatly.

TTFN!

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Dreaming of Children

Occasionally, I have dreams where I am a mother. Usually, the baby doesn't look like most babies (I've had several dreams where the entire baby was just a head, which I know doesn't happen), but with this dream it did.

And I even did some of the normal things that you do to when you have a baby (feeding the baby, changing a diaper, etc.). And I was happy to have a baby (in case you're wondering, it was a boy).

And then, in my dream, I had an older girl too (the fact that it was a girl was the only thing that told me that I wasn't just skipping time forward in my dream). And, for the short time of my dream, I felt whole.

Now, I'm just waiting for my dreams to become reality.

TTFN!

Saturday, November 22, 2008

How Guillermo Drove Me to Drink

Let me set the scene.

Ace and I watch an episode of Mythbusters and decide that if the heat is ever off in the house again, we'll let Guillermo on the bed with us to help keep all of us warm. Of course, this conversation is said out loud, because we are sitting a few feet from each other and that's how people communicate.

A little while later, while watching an episode of Hogan's Heroes, we notice the dog leaving the living room and heading toward our bedroom for no apparent reason. We call him back into the living room and shrug it off. When he goes back that way in a few minutes, we call him back into the living room and start speculating.

Then, we stop him before he disappears again and I walk into the bed room. I find that he has obviously been getting on the bed which he is not allowed to do (on MY side! where his is really not allowed) and he follows us into the room. The sheets are wet, not all over, but it's obvious that he's drooled on them, and mostly near where my head and body will be tonight (eeewww).

And I am having trouble keeping my composure, because part of me just wants to cry because who wants to end their day with changing the sheets because the dog thought it would be fun to get on the bed? Instead, we get to witness Guillermo jump on the bed yet again and Ace decides to discipline him for it. Then, I finally get a hug and a suggestion that I laugh instead of crying, because it will be better for me. So, in an effort to cheer myself up, I grab the only alcohol in the house and chug down a few drinks (I'm not even feeling tipsy).

And then, I go strip the bed so we can put clean sheets on it. And I demand a 24 hour period in which the dog gets no people food as punishment. His puppy eyes do nothing to my frustration and the sentence stands.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Excess WoW

There are a few times where Ace convinces me to get on World of Warcraft for a few minutes (an hour, tops) and the next thing I know, I'm wanting to get off the game because it's been several hours (like 8).

And it's starting to make me think that we need to set time limits on WoW on Ace's days off (which is when we are more likely to go to excess on playing). Because I need to not spend so many hours playing a game. I have other things to do (like remembering to do the laundry).

So, any suggestions on how to limit our time in the game?

Thursday, November 20, 2008

The Bribe

Ace is thinking of offering me a bribe to get up when he goes to work (I'm not quite sure why he cares, but he does). His bribe is a bath, ready for me to relax in.

My thoughts, besides "Yay, a bath everyday that I don't have to run!", is that this could blow up in his face. I could be so relaxed after my bath that I go back to bed and sleep for a while.

But, we'll see if this even gets off the ground. He goes back to work Friday, I'll find out then if he is actually going to remember to run the bath.

So, for now, I will enjoy "my bath at a convenient time" for his days off right now. And I'll adjust life as I need to Friday, depending on what Ace does. And I'm fine with that.

TTFN!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Jeff Dunham Is Very Funny

Ace and I have now bought all the DVDs that Jeff Dunham has put out. All three of them.

And we laugh through them all. And then Ace and I start quoting lines from the show to each other. And then we laugh all the more.

So, if you are looking for a laugh, go out to Wal-Mart and buy Jeff Dunham's DVDs.

And Jeff, if you ever read this, I hope I get to see you live again sometime soon.

Later!

P.S.: I'm loving the Christmas show. It's hilarious.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Feeling Empty

I still have things to talk about (I am a chatty person).

Ace and I went grocery shopping. We had a short list, so we stuck to a grocery store close to home. Afterwords, we went to McDonald's to get me some food (I was hungry).

After getting home and eating, I'm still left feeling like I have an empty stomach. Okay, it doesn't truly feel as empty as it did before I ate, but it's not too far off.

And now you know what I mean, tonight, that I'm feeling empty.

TTFN!

Monday, November 17, 2008

Inspirational Movies

I started to write about my shoulder and all the stuff that I'm tired of talking about, and it hit me that I need to focus on something else. So, I decided to write about movies that I find inspirational.

1. Remember the Titans - a story about football that is really about not judging people based on their skin color (or anything else). It's about a group of boys who learn to become men, at least most of them do. And it's a good lesson for today even.

2. Serenity - a story about doing the right thing, even when it costs. It's about not giving up just because the other side has more power and more people. It about the fact that sometimes the truth is more important than the life of the individual. And sometimes, the government is wrong and doesn't want to admit it.

3. The Rookie - a story about making your dreams come true. And not giving up just because you think you've passed your dreams by. Pursue you dreams because they will not just be handed to you.

4. Major League: Back to the Minors - okay, I know that there are a lot of sports movies on here, but sports movies are rather inspiring. A story about pushing yourself to greatness and not giving up until you get there. And that you can learn something from anyone.

Well, this is where I'm left for now. These are movies that inspire me. What movies inspire you?

Sunday, November 16, 2008

TMI?

For the sake of being honest (and to have something to talk about) I will reveal something I had been keeping to myself for a while. I don't shave my legs everyday or even every other day. I'm somewhat lazy about shaving (and Ace doesn't care), so I shave about once a week.

Except...

Well, I let myself slide on that for a few weeks before my massage (because I just didn't care). And then, I had issues with my shoulder for just over a week (it's almost fully functional now). So, when I got in the tub tonight, you don't really want to imagine what my legs looked like (I wish I could forget).

But now, they are smooth and I feel 100% better just for having gotten in the tub and shaving. And I don't know what made me wait so long before my massage (There was a comment, likening me to Chewbacca but my legs weren't quite that bad.). I do know what kept me from shaving afterward, but since I'm feeling so much better (without the aid of pain killers, muscle relaxant, or improvised slings) I knew that I couldn't wait any longer. Plus, I was feeling rather disgusted with myself.

Now I'm trying to push these good feelings down inside me to get me to keep up the shaving. Because, come on! Who can't do something so basic once a week?

And now you know way more about my grooming habits than you probably wanted to (at least I didn't mention anything else I may or may not have shaved).

And now I must go, for I have to try to figure out when Ace needs to be off work for the next year.

TTFN!

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Doors and One Other Issue

Ace almost always opens doors for me. I say almost because there are a few, rare times when I must open my own door. If we are done with our grocery shopping, I get my own door while he puts the food in the trunk. If Guillermo is going somewhere with us, I normally get my own door, because it's easier to let Ace concentrate on the dog. If I deem it too cold to wait, I get my own door. Otherwise, Ace gets the doors for me. And it's gotten to where I'll wait at doors when he isn't with me (if there are other people around) for some other male to open the door for me (although, I will get my own door if they ignore me, because I have things that are more important to me than waiting on someone to show some good manners).

I am quite capable, even with a healing shoulder (which is feeling much better today, thanks for caring), to open my own doors. I just see it as a sign of respect for me that I don't have to open my own doors when I am not alone. I will open doors and hold them for other women, especially those with strollers or children. But I don't understand why some men refuse to hold open doors for women. Is this a women's lib thing?

When I started my degree, I was going to a Christian university. The only building on campus where I regularly had the door opened for me was "the Bible building" (the building where all the Bible classes are, which probably reminded all the males that holding open the doors for the females was the polite thing to do). I would, in fact, have people walking in front of me (by a few steps) who wouldn't bother holding the door open long enough for me to grab it before it swung shut in the other buildings. It was something I couldn't understand (and I guess I still can't).

I am a capable person. I have no problems opening my own doors. But, I do appreciate it greatly when the door is held open for me. I am constantly telling Ace thank you when he holds doors. I probably confuse a few people when there are double doors and I stop in between them (I am waiting on Ace to open the next door for me, usually). And normally, there is a thank you given for each door. In fact, I've made it just as much a habit to appreciate the door holding as I have waiting on the door to be held. In fact, I enjoy showing my appreciation just as much as I enjoy not having to open my own door. It thrills me that my husband wants to be a gentleman and open the door for me, and I'm fairly sure it helps him keep that habit hearing me say a simple thank you.

On the subject of manners, I was reminded the other day that I should show some at restaurants when I go out to eat. I should say please and thank you. I don't always do this (I don't think, I don't go to sit-down restaurants much, normally Ace and I go through the drive-thru), and I should. Because dealing with the public is hard. And a little appreciation goes a long way. So, I'm going to work on this (I am not rude to the wait-staff, I just don't normally think to say please and thank you) so that when I have children and we go out to eat, I am a good example of how they should act.

Well, I'm going to go. I've got a comfortable bed and I want to stretch out on it.

TTFN!

Friday, November 14, 2008

Ouch, Still

I hate complaining like this. I also hate being in pain like this.

But for now, I am unhappily still in pain. I am taking pain reliever, and it helps a lot, but it can't fully kill the pain. Mostly, it stops the pain as long as my shoulder is immobile, which is less time throughout the day than it probably should be.

And I've been wanting to spend most of my time sleeping lately (No, I'm not pregnant. I started my period and that's just been another bit of fun on top of everything else, let me tell you.). Which might do a little bit of help, but I'm not as sure about that as I could be.

And can I be done with the complaining? Can this November start going right now, please? Can I just have something great happen now? You know, to balance out the suckiness of the month so far.

I'm going to go, because soon Ace and I will get some precious time together, and I should start feeling a little better emotionally just from that. Plus, I want to make sure Serenity ends like I remember it ending.

TTFN!

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Feeling Christmasy in November

Normally, I don't start listening to Christmas music until Thanksgiving, but I was exploring the new music stations on DirecTV (since they merged their music only stations with Sirius satellite, some things have changed). And I discovered their holiday music channel, so I've started listening to Christmas music early.

I love Christmas music, and have in the past listened to it in April (during finals week to help relax some between finals) and June/July (I forget which, but I was trying to relax). Christmas music always puts me in a cheerful mood, and even listening to the same songs on rotation, like I did last year while working at Bath & Body Works (although, they did wait until closer to Thanksgiving before starting Christmas music up) doesn't bother me as I still want to listen to the music.

I don't even really care that much about which style of music the singer normally sings, because the Christmas songs seem to cut through all borders musically with me (although, I've never heard any Christmas rap songs, so I can't say I've been able to fully judge). Christmas music puts a smile on my face, and I'm more than happy to learn new Christmas songs (although, I keep hoping to hear "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas").

Basically, what I'm saying is that I'm floating on air over here, and my shoulder doesn't even matter right now. Ace is just happy that I'm in the bedroom enjoying my music without him as it is way too early for him for Christmas music (he'll put up with it pretty well after Thanksgiving and will let me listen mostly non-stop the week of Christmas (and a little on the way to my dad's for celebrating Christmas, even if the holiday itself has passed), because he's all like normal people that way.

What do you like to do at times other than "normal" times (like my Christmas music throughout the year)?

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

The Verdict On My Shoulder Is...

Spasming muscle. Apparently (a word I'm very fond of), the massage which relaxed a lot of muscles from being all tense and up tight (I try to get them to party, but do they listen to me?) got this one muscle to spasm when it's not being supported.

So Ace has been trying to be patient and caring (it's not his fault that he wasn't able to play World of Warcraft for much of the day and that got him frustrated with catering to my, usually, simple demands/suggestions). He's doing really well, he only expressed frustration once (I tried to get his attention at an inopportune time and he has since apologized for snapping).

So, all I can do is take pain reliever, my natural muscle relaxants, use an improvised sling, and wait.

Can I be done waiting now, please? Ace and I would both very much appreciate it.

In other, non-shoulder news, I can't tell if I'm about to start my period, I'm pregnant, or my body is all out of whack because of my shoulder. And that is making me slightly cranky (a situation compounded by a sore shoulder).

Be glad you weren't in my house during all this insanity.

TTFN!

P.S.: World of Warcraft is back up now, so Ace is A LOT calmer again. I'm sure it doesn't hurt that I've left him alone for a while. But I do think it's about time for some more juice.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Happy Veteran's Day!

That's all I have to say about that. Other than I appreciate them serving their country so that I can have freedoms that I all to often take for granted (and a thank you to those of you out there who are currently serving our country or have loved ones serving, we appreciate your sacrifice).

Ace and I did our grocery shopping tonight (a fascinating topic to pick, I know). Right as we first walked in, I caught sight of some strawberry mini-doughnuts. And I know they were put there as an impulse buy, but I thought they looked good, so I grabbed them. Then, the next thing I know, Ace and I are buying 4 packages of mini-doughnuts (strawberry, powdered, chocolate-coated, and cinnamon) and they are only $10 for all 4 packages. That was, pretty much, the only thing we bought that wasn't on our list (Ace also grabbed some Swiss Rolls, but I wasn't there to stop him and I just didn't care by the time he got back to me with them, and there will be no mention of my lemonade purchase since it was just $1 for a 2 liter).

Oddly, my shoulder started hurting about the time I got dressed to go shopping (roughly an hour before Ace got home) and stopped about 30 minutes (I think) after we got home from shopping. No clue why, but I did let Ace do all the heavy lifting both at the store, and here at home. On the plus side, I do know that Ace doesn't think I'd lie about something like that (Who fakes wincing at pangs of pain in their shoulder?) because he knows me well enough to know that I wouldn't lie about something like that.

On the plus side for my shoulder, I have a wonderful husband who will be home for most of the next 3 days to do any heavy lifting I've got. And all the heavy lifting I'm currently seeing is the laundry, which will be done later, and getting me juice, which he doesn't mind doing.

Well, I'm going to go, I've got some time with Ace before we go to sleep nearing, and I want to take advantage of it while it's here.

TTFN!

P.S.: Sorry for this being so random today, apparently I've got a wondering mind and it's taking my fingers with it for the ride. Hopefully I'll be a little more cohesive tomorrow.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Nostalgia or Hormone Rush?

I've been getting sappy lately about the weirdest stuff. I'm thinking about things people have done for me in the past, and the next thing I know, I want to cry a little and say thank you about 5 bazillion times.

So, is this nostalgia or is it hormones?

It's kind of hard to say, because it could be hormone caused nostalgia. Or it could be just the hormones (although, I don't seem to tend to think about my past right before my period, even though I have been most of this past week). There is a small chance that it might be because of the time of year (my first Thanksgiving after breaking off my wrecktastic relationship with my mother left me kind of down, but I haven't had that problem since).

Either way, I'm feeling a little silly for being so sappy. And I'm fairly sure that Ace doesn't want to hear me say thank you every second he's with me.

So, I'm going to wait and see if the sappiness continues, as that is all I can do.

But feel free to weigh in on what you think could be causing me to be so sappy, because I love hearing what people have to say (or comment on the weather, I really don't care, just comment) (And now I seem sad, because I'm begging for comments. Never thought I'd get this way.).

TTFN!

P.S.: You can leave a sappy comment if you would like.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

The Sore Shoulder

Way back at the end of June, Guillermo dislocated my right shoulder (it's about half his fault and half mine, and unfortunately for me I'm right handed and that hasn't helped matters any since I have problems just not using my main arm) when trying to go sniff a dog he's sniffed before. It's healed for the most part, but I still have to be careful about resting my weight on that side.

Either the massage (and the stretching done within the massage) or my night's sleep earlier seems to have popped my shoulder back out of place (and after my chiropractor was nice enough to ensure it was back properly not too long after the original dislocation). I relaxed my arm earlier and after a loud pop, my shoulder started feeling better and is allowing me to pick up things that are heavier than an empty Styrofoam plate (don't lecture, I'm just mentioning it to show you how bad my shoulder was).

It has meant that Ace gets to do the laundry when he gets home (yay for him!). On the plus side, he knew that it was possible that I would still be too sore from the massage to actually do laundry myself (I doubt either of us thought that I could have problems with my shoulder like I seem to have though).

It's still not wanting me do much of anything with it (like rest the slightest bit of my weight on it when I try to sit more upright and lean forward some). So, I'll have to be more gentle with myself over the next few days and let my shoulder heal up, again, while hoping that I'll do better at keeping myself from straining it while it's already unhappy.

But, it does give me a good change to work on relaxing more (if only I didn't need to shave my legs so badly, I wouldn't care at all, but...). And that is a good thing to come out of this whole experience. And maybe I'll get a little better at doing things with my left hand.

I've got to go, because typing is starting to hurt.

TTFN!

P.S.: The ouch from yesterday still stands.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Ouch for now

I had a massage earlier. Which is great. I needed it. I haven't had one in a very long time and I'm owed several. I should have scheduled one sooner.

But for now, I am sore. Muscles that felt wonderful right after my appointment hurt now. And I just want Ace to get home and put some stuff on my shoulders and lower back to make the pain go away (it's similar to icing down an injury without needing ice).

So, for now, I'm feeling the burn of muscles that were abused a little too long and need to recover. And part of me just wants to be knocked out for this, but it's not too bad and will disappear at some point.

I must go, for typing isn't helping me feel any better.

TTFN!

P.S.: Ouch!

Friday, November 7, 2008

Graduation Countdown

My sister graduates high school this year (okay, it's not until May, but it's this school year). She is extremely excited about it. She's been ready to be out of school since last May at least (from what she says). And I completely understand that. I wasn't wanting to still be in high school when I was her age, although having most of my friends being in the same year helped to keep it interesting at lunch at least.

I am hoping that while she's overly excited she will keep in mind to try to find ways to make the year enjoyable. And that she'll work hard at making good grades. Because I know she's smart, but I'm not sure she knows what she wants to do after she graduates. I think she's a little less than sure about what she wants to do with her life. And that's fine at her age. But it doesn't keep me from wondering where she'll be in the next few years.

While not everything in my life is how I want it currently, I am moving toward my long term goals and know how to get the things I want. And that's really all I want for her.

Hopefully, after getting a massage later, I'll be less sentimental and have thing to actually talk about. But for now, I think I'll take my sappy self and talk with Ace.

TTFN!

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Your Mission...

Your mission, if you choose to accept it is to tell me how you would spend a day off (not doing any housework or work outside of the house).

Would you stay in your pajamas all day and watch TV? Would you spend 10 hours playing video games? Would you take a bath and read a book? Would you go shopping? Would you spend it outdoors? Would it change things if you knew it was rainy?

I chose to stay in my pajamas all day, watch TV, play online, take a bath and read a book, mess with my new teddy bear's fur (he still needs a name, it hasn't come to me yet and I've had no suggestions). Ace has spent the day (the day being Wednesday) playing World of Warcraft and watching TV with me after sleeping in until 5 pm (his first question when he woke up was if it was really after 5, because he's cute and doesn't sleep like that very often).

So, yeah. Tomorrow (Thursday, which I realize is technically today, but I haven't been to bed yet), we'll be back to being busy (lunch out to eat, going by Bass Pro Shop, and a table to clear before 6). And hopefully, I'll have something exciting to talk about in my next post.

So, I'm looking for info on what you do on your day off and for suggestions on naming my bear.

TTFN!

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

It's Bigger Than I Remember

Ace and I went shopping at Wal-Mart earlier (no, Wal-Mart isn't any bigger than I remembered). We went around most of the store and found a teddy bear that I really liked (it's all soft, fuzzy, and dressed for winter). Ace decided that if the price was reasonable, we would get it. We checked the price and it was $10, so that settled that and the teddy bear is now mine.

I teased Ace about the fact that it's been almost 6 years since he's bought me a teddy bear (The day before Thanksgiving 2002, he bought me a teddy bear that is named after him. I got him a matching one for Christmas that year, which got named after me, and they now sit beside each other on my dresser.). He hadn't realized that it had been that long.

So, we got home and I put down my new teddy bear (who doesn't have a name, yet) to help put away groceries. Then I don't remember to grab him before moving to the living room to relax, and then I just kind of forget about him.

So, Ace just recently helped me move to the bedroom (I'm about to lay down and will probably go to sleep soon). He then came back in and brought me my new teddy bear (minus tags) and my first thought was "he's bigger than I remember."

So, any suggestions for names for my new bear?

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

And the Winner Is...

Okay, so I voted. And I feel good that I did go make my voice heard.

Does this mean I can stop hearing about the election now?

I'd say that it took us an hour to vote, but that would be lying. Ace and I got up at 1 (pm) to go vote. We took about 30 minutes to get dressed (Ace kept playing with the dog, and I kept trying to wake up enough to be effective at performing my civil duty). Then, we went by McDonald's (is this supposed to be a possessive use here?) to get something in me (a vanilla shake and a few fries that seemed entirely too greasy so I stopped eating them).

Then, about 1:35 or 1:40 (I didn't keep track of the time), we made it to the polling place and got in line behind some other people. I noticed a possible need to go to a different polling place, but I was just not reading the map right. We signed in, got our ballots, and went off to vote.

I finished quickly (well, more quickly than Ace) and we were on our way back home by 2.

It helps that we could go vote after the lunch rush (if there is one at our polling place) and before the evening rush (which I'm somewhat sure they do have). Instead, there were enough people there to use all the individual voting booths (which, sadly, have no curtains here), but not so many that there was any wait (by anyone) to vote.

And now, I get to relax until we go out to dinner with my brother-in-law, Ace's sister-in-law (whom I like, a lot), and our niece. We're finally celebrating our niece's birthday with her (she had her party and then they went out of town for a little while, and then it's just been a planning thing). Hopefully, we'll go somewhere more kid oriented (like Chuck E. Cheese or Incredible Pizza) so it will be easier to keep it focused on our niece (who loves being the center of attention).

So, I'm going to do that relaxing now.

But, I did go vote (and no, I won't tell you who for, because I'm avoiding having any kind of controversy happening here, since controversy happens too often in my real life).

Monday, November 3, 2008

The Men of Buffy

I was taking a bath and pondering (again) which of the men that were in Buffy's life I would have wanted to spend a lifetime with (you know, if I were in a fictional tv show).

Angel, her first love, was the kind of guy you would hope would be your first boyfriend. He was sweet, kind, caring, gentle (even if he was over 200 years old and still jealous of other guys in your life). At least he was until a moment of pure happiness, and then he went all evil. And as an evil guy, he was more interesting (as long as he wasn't going after you). But he left you no questions as to whether or not he was evil, he was evil to the core. He wanted (and tried several times) to end the world. That's evil.

Riley, her college boyfriend, was nice. He was the kind of guy you could bring home to your mother. He was dependable. Safe. Boring. He loved Buffy, but he didn't feel like he was enough for her just as he was. She faced a family crises, and he fell apart because she wasn't there to reassure him that he was still important. And then, he showed back up with his "perfect" life at a time when Buffy's life seemed bleakest and almost rubbed her nose in what she could have had.

Spike, her boy toy, was complex. He loved, deeply, even while he was evil. He was willing to kill, violently, but he liked the world. He didn't want the end of the world, he just wanted his life to continue as it was. He mourned, and drank, when his "dark princess" rejected him. He always seemed to hesitate just a moment too long when fighting Buffy (which gave her an advantage, and let her get back into the fight). When he found that he couldn't hurt humans, he tried snitching for blood money (or money for blood, however you want to phrase it). When he found he could hurt demons, he started working with his biggest enemy, because he liked to fight. He was willing to do anything for Buffy (after he realized that he loved her), even before he got his soul back (including nearly dying to save her sister). And after, he was willing to die to save the world one more time, even though he knew he would definitely be going to hell.

Um, if you can't tell just from paragraph size alone, I would willingly spend more time with Spike than any of Buffy's other suitors. Because he was a compelling character no matter what his circumstances. Even when he was whiny and contemplating suicide, he was still interesting (it helps that he was only whiny for like 2 or 3 episodes total). And the most interesting part is he was supposed to be killed off after only a few episodes, but the fans loved him enough that he got to stay and play a bigger part.

I like Angel. He got to be a more complex character once he got his own show. But, I still would pick Spike over Angel, because evil Angel, while cooler, was heartless and evil Spike wasn't.

So, there you have it. My opinion on such a vastly important and timely topic (now that Buffy has been off the air for over 5 years now). If you have any better arguments for Angel, or even Riley, leave them in the comments. Maybe you can change my mind (but I doubt it). And if you are as pro-Spike as I am, let me know too.

TTFN!

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Excitement and Time Changes

I love the time change in the fall. I enjoy getting an extra hour to do with what I will. Even if I don't normally do anything important with it. Conversely, I dislike the time change in the spring, where I feel out of sorts for at least a week.

Ace, since he had to work tonight, has a different schedule for the day (he went to work an hour early and leaves an hour early, which is why I'm excited). Normally, he works from 4 pm to 2:45 am. For some reason, there were issues with the time change with whoever was in charge thinking that if they didn't come in until 4, they shouldn't leave until it was actually 2:45 (which would be a whole extra hour of work, for no appreciable reason). Personally, I could understand making them work until the end of their normal 10 hour shift (make them work 10 hours, but let them start at their normal time, you know?), but I don't get to make those decisions.

So, I'm trying to be patient with the time, since I'm actually very close to seeing Ace again (and earlier than normal!), but it's not completely easy.

I've also found myself wordy today, itching to type, but holding that in check. That way, I have more things to talk about as the month goes on.

So, now I'm going to try to distract myself until Ace gets home, because I'm practically buzzing in my skin waiting over here.

TTFN!

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Happy November 1st!

So, today is the first day of NoBloPoMo.

And I'm excited about the challenge. Now we just have to see if I still feel that way by Thanksgiving.

In fact, I'm so excited that I'm starting the month shortly after it started (within the first hour of November)!

And now, I just need to calm down enough to figure out what I might want to say.

Since Guillermo has been back home, I've been taking pictures of him (at least one a day, it seems). It's so bad that he's gotten used to it. He'll just lay there waiting for me to finish snapping my shot on our digital camera before he moves (or even opens his eyes, really). Which, I'm finding very sweet.

He's also enjoying the cushion we bought for him the other day. He wasn't so sure about it when he first saw it, but Ace convinced him to try it (by putting a towel that Guillermo had been sleeping on already down on top of it), and he's been spending lots of time there, at least he is when Ace and I are in the living room (mostly Ace though, as I spend most of my time in the living room sitting in my massage chair).

So, yeah. I'm happy to have the big, sometimes stinky (but not often), shedding dog back home, but I kind of miss not having someone stare at me while I eat. I love him. Even when I'm complaining about him (mostly to Ace).

TTFN!