How to Feel Better

We all have those days when we feel like crap.  Days when someone has run us over and we just want to run home and cry to Mum to make it better.

Of course when you're nearly 40 that isn't exactly a practical suggestion.  I just don't think someone with a kid of their own, that is nearly a teenager, should run home after a bad day.

So I did what an self-respecting woman should do - I went and bought new shoes. Shoes always make me feel better.  I would love to be Imelda Marcus and have a huge room and 500 pairs of shoes and lots of opportunities to wear them.  Personally I think I have about 50 pairs of shoes, maybe more.  I have managed to get through the first two weeks of the year only wearing some repeats of shoes. It makes it harder to chose what to wear when you have to not wear favorite shoes more than once.  My current favorites are a pair of Steve Madden silver/gray ones.  They are high, but comfortable and look great with so much.  Steve Madden happens to make my favorite because they have a nice wide toe box (my feet are widest at ball of my feet) but a narrower heel.  I appreciate how they a re made and they do tend to have more padding at the ball of the foot as well.  Not the best made shoes in the world, BUT I have a great fear of trying on something that costs more than $100 a pair.  Mostly because I have a serious shoe fetish.  And I'd be spoiled and never be able to properly enjoy my collection again.  Therefore, until I make my first million, nothing too expensive even gets a try on.  Sad.

I now have a FAB - U - LOUS pair to wear to a wedding tonight.  Sparkle and everything.  I have decided to dedicate my Twitter account to tweeting pictures of my shoes.

And just as a reference, here is there pictures of my shoe storage.  I am in desperate need of a second shelf.  Perhaps in the new year I can get that done.

So what is Christmas....

It is one of those things that doesn't always seem to boil down to words.  Funnily enough I had a lot of pictures of people last year, but this year I didn't seem to manage that.  I am not sure why family didn't come into a lot of pictures because I was definitely with them.  Family is what makes everything worth while.  It makes the days good and enjoyable.

Well that and time off of work.

Luckily I have been off for nearly a week now and it has been quite worth it.  I definitely needed the time off and to rest and get some sleep.  It has been delightful.  So far the part was the long and quiet walk around the neighborhood looking at the lights from Christmas.  It was cold though so I wasn't out as long as I might have liked, but perhaps next time.  At least I didn't freeze to death! 

Least favorite so far has been the hideously long drive to Duluth and back.  No one likes to drive, but I am glad to have gotten to spend time with my boy-o on Christmas day.  And the weather was nice which was delightful so the drive was easy compared to the last time I had to deal with that.

Pictures I have though are the things that remind me of the holidays....

Cookies - handmade by my mom

A month's worth of work - delicious and delightful!

We spent six hours frosting cookies, but every minute was worth it.  Such a great plate this year!

Family - Wild and Wacky

Kieran and a video game

Mom, Leah and John in the common gathering place - the kitchen

John in his great new hat

Christmas table setting - always my favorite thing to do

Biggest view of the table

Better view of just the center piece

 I have to admit that the whole thing was about $10 or so.  The glasses are all from the dollar store, painted with modge podge, rolled in Epson salts and glitter and lit with battery operated tea lights.  The silver paint cans are from the dollar section at target with dollar section bulbs in silver.  I think the most expensive part was the two trays.  They were from IKEA, but worth the expense.  The green is a garland from the dollar store.

Place setting with Christmas cracker - silver chargers from the dollar store.  I love the dollar store!

Better view wherein you can see how warm the room was with just the candlelight going.

Christmas tree - I love my tree.  I am so glad I took off the blinkers this year.  It's nice and warm looking.

All lit up

Warmth

Playing with the camera settings.  I think I need to learn a bit more about how to use my camera

Kieran on my tree

Using the flash - almost all ornaments are homemade - such a nice feeling...

It was a good Christmas and a time when I felt much better than I have in a long time when facing this time of year.  And for once a new year shall bring peace.

What I want for Christmas....

I have decided that what I really want is a date with Nathan Fillion.  I wonder if I can put that on my Amazon list?! 

*click* A date with Nathan Fillion has been added to your wishlist - tweet about it?

Okay so he's a real human and can't be randomly collected like some kind of baseball card.

Maybe I will just settle for a date.

Dear Santa,

Please bring me a hot man.  Sense of humor required.  Must tolerate cats and nine year old children.  Desire to have babies a large plus.

Love and believing always -

Me

I don't think that always works either.

I have to admit though that despite blogging twice in two days (somewhere along the line a new record), I am actually feeling rather content at the moment.  There is little to complain about other than work which is not one of those things I can really fix as you are not allowed to simply eject the stupid people from the bus.  Instead, you just encourage them to find a seat closer and closer to the door.  Someday they might even get the hint.  Possibly...

Maybe santa can give me an ejection seat....

I did get to go and see the Nutcracker ballet last night.  I love the music and the power of the dancers.  It was a nice small community kind of production though you could tell the dancers were professionals if nothing else.  The budget was not spent on the story telling though.  And they did not have a lot of male dancers - perhaps a common issue.  I missed some of the parts of the story - the tree growing, the prowling evilness of the Mouse King, Clara's excitement over her new dress.  I have a version of the story that talks about how the nutcracker came to be so imprisoned which is so wonderful.  I would love to see a ballet that incorporated some of that.  A lot of what I missed from this was the idea that this happened to possibly be a 'dream' and how the dream was to have had echoes of what happened to Clara the night before....  It's all just a part of the magic and mystery of the season.  That part that appeals to the romantic in me.  That person who desires hearts and flowers and all kinds of love and to be swept off my feet by prince charming....  Ooo - maybe Santa could bring him!

I am currently watching Holmes INspection and I have to say - I hope that I never have this man in my house.  Not because he's not great at his job - I wish more people had the work ethic that he does, but having him around means my house has LARGE problems.  I am thankful then that I had the inspector I did.  Even though he spent three hours here and climbed in and out of every thing in the house, I know I'm pretty good.

My train of thought derailed with a screech and a shuddering thump.  I think it means I should go and sleep

Or craft.  Whichever comes first.

Just so you know...

It is about that time again.  Another delightful update.

This one topics three important topics:  1. Home Improvement 2. Cats and 3. Christmas.

Why one might ask?  (or might not.  Maybe you merely accept my idiosyncrasies.  If that be the case, I have some people you need to talk to....)

In the meantime, let us continue on with the show starting with topic Number 1:
Home Improvement

One must continually improve one's home.  How Am I doing that these days?  Well the painting is done aside from the touch ups to the dining room.  I made the rather sweeping decision to not change the paint color in that room from what the previous owners had.  It's grown on me so now I just need to find the paint gallon down stairs and bring it up and touch up where I have tested other colors. 

Aside from that issue.  I have not done much else.  I did take Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend and go to IKEA for the deal that they had on the four cubicle shelves.  They were only $19.99 and well worth the price.  Now I just need to get them together and get the basement all settled.  I am hoping to have some desire to get that done tomorrow.  On the other hand, there is a lot of stuff to prep for for the season with shipping overseas and the like.  I have GOT to get my Redditt SS stuff sorted and mailed.  I also have the Sam-chan to get done as well.  And as both have projects that are handmade, I can't mail until I finish those.  I think the basement might have to wait until Christmas break.

I could also consider painting my bedroom them.  And getting the flooring for the basement.  I know I should consider doing that before setting the furniture but the cost isn't something I can afford at the moment.

(On a side note, I hate these Lexus Holiday commercials.  Seriously!  NO one gets a car for CHRISTMAS!  And David Bromstead, I liked you and then you did a room based on Twi-*gagging sound* -light and now I can never see you in the same way - handsome and all.  My heart must solely belong to Nathan Fillion now.)

Aside from that issue, I have other IKEA things I want - my bed for one.  My new sofa...  I think i may have spent my tax return before I even get it.

On to topic two:

CATS

I love my cats, really I do.  I seem to constantly have them cuddling with me these days - either in bed or on the couch.  It makes it difficult to get up and down off the couch and get anything done.  I am usually pinned to my seat by this large fluffy black thing.  It is heavy and keeps me pinned down.  I can't think of why he does it other than to keep me from moving and suck out all the heat from my body.  They get warm and warmer and I freeze regardless. 

It may be a way though to make sure that I don't accidentally shut my cat outside again.  Yes.  I shut my cat outside.  Here is how it all ran down.  I went outside to unplug the lights on my balcony.  Normally my cat ignores the door.  This time, it (this is Delusional btw - Paranoid is too agraphobic to go outside or come near the door regardless of where I am), followed me out.  I unplugged the lights and came back in and shut and locked the door and went to bed. 

Paranoid was not himself in the morning.  (Which shouldn't be that odd, but he was).  I finally realised, after most of my chores, that Delusional was missing.  I finally found him outside.  He had managed to get himself shut out on to the balcony.  I can't believe it.

Of course, they have been clinging to me ever since.  I have been trying to craft and they have been 'helping'.  How do they help?  Sit on my lap.  Chew on packaging.  Bat the jewelry chain around the room.  Of  course.  All things the cats should do, right?

Could someone inform me again of why I have these things that meow constantly, get themselves locked out and eat me out of house and home?!

Yeah.  I didn't think so.

TOPIC 3: Christmas

I am constantly amazed by Christmas.  First of all, this is my favorite season of the year.  I love nothing more than decorating for the season and all the things that go with it.  I like shopping for people and finding just the right present.  I like making things for people.  It is just a super enjoyable part of the year.  Of everything that is just what I love.

I am annoyed about crap at work meaning that we can't celebrate the season or even enjoy Christmas kinds of things with the kids or Hannukah or anything.  It is so annoying that I can't have that enjoyment.  I do get to go to the Nutcracker tonight though so at least I get something.  And I have brilliant shirts from Old Navy to wear about all the time - well, when I am not at school clearly.

Well I had better go.  the cats are meowing and clearly they need to be fed.  Far more important than anything else.

I suppose I should pay more attention to this blog.  Maybe actually use it to write or something.

Or something.

I am not even sure what I should write about.  I am definitely very busy with work crap.  Alright, I shouldn't say crap.  But some days I feel like I wade through far too much of it.  Mostly you want to occasionally knock heads together because you think that some days adults should act like adults.  And you want to be treated (and better yet PAID) like a professional, then you should stand up and act like.

People either get that or they don't.  I can't make them do what I want.  You can lead the horse to water but you can't make them drink.

In the end, I need to focus more on my house when I am here instead of recovering from work.  I have managed to paint the basement.  I need to get the floor laid.  I decided to put down an IKEA laminate floor which is going to make a difference down there.  I considered one of those peel and stick kinds of floors, but I ended up deciding that it would be better to put down something I knew about.  I think it will look better.  Of course I also have a wonderful new saw to help me lay it and I think it will make a difference.  Now I need to decide what kind of furniture to put down there.  I decided it is definitely going to be an office area so I have to measure and lay everything else.


I did get a new piece of furniture to refinish.  It is a super cool vanity. I found it for a grand total of $35 at a thrift store.  It should be awesome when done.  I need to sand it and either paint it grey or black.  I would love to even use wallpaper or something on it - like on the drawers or something.  I shall have to think on it.  Of course I should also consider painting the walls in the bedroom.  I also want to do the bathroom.  I pulled down the extra cabinet that was over the bathroom toilet.  it was super ugly and not me.  I think I might put something up instead, but what I am not sure what.


Now I just need to find motivation to get all this stuff done.  And not want to sit around and cuddle my purring kitty.  I need a purring kitten.


And a hot man.


I wonder which one I might actually get ....

Crazy Mixed Up Dreams

So I wasn't sure that I wanted to post this, but in the end, I need this crazy mixed up OMG dream out of my head. That and someone to tell me what it all means. I am sure that there is something deeply psychology about the whole thing. And another part of the issue is that it was a dream that occurred near the time I finally woke up. That makes for weird dreams regardless I am sure. I think what makes it even weird is that I wasn't able to make any connection between the dream and what I had been doing before or after.

I dreamed I was Ginny Weasley.

(This is where the WTF?! really begins. I haven't done or said or interacted with anything Harry Potter in AGES. I have not seen the last two movies or the current one. It has been years since I read the books or did any kind of HP RPing - though I will admit that I did often RP as Miss Weasley though she wasn't the person I RPed most recently. And I've been reading Game of Thrones which bears NO resemblance to HP in the slightest. And before I went to sleep I did NOT remotely think about HP!)

I was definitely Ginny Weasley though. It was a first person dream.

So the dream started out with the sense that someone was watching us - somehow we (I am not entirely sure who the we was - though my sense is that we were rebels (against what I know not) and needed to get away from something) were in trouble. We ended up watching some kind of show wherein we were still trying to hide, but people were being paired up. Of course, as Ginny I was paired with Harry (which is odd for a dream since I don't ship H/G). You watched these scences as lighted windows with shadows moving behind them.

Then of course (as its a dream) we shifted location. We ended up in some kind of remote rocky location where a group of us were trying to figure out a way to kidnap the minister (and no, I did not watch any heist movies recently either). I don't know what it was a minister of or who, but they were TEH EVIL to some level and we needed to get them. In order to kidnap the minister, we had to do so in the midst of a car race. It was a cross country race at high speeds. So most of the dream is about the group of us (Harry, Hermione, ron, Luna, Snape and McGonagall) had to use a combination of magic and car mechanics to not only win the race but also kidnap the minister (seriously - how did my brain come up with this?!). Funnily enough, Ginny (me) has learned how to drive and tune cars at University. (Really?!) It takes all of us to get the car to the speed and then Ron, Draco and I (all together in the front seat) drive in the race. (You cannot even imagine how my face looks at this moment - I can't believe this was in my brain!!!) We stopped the car carrying the Minister by using our car (?!?!?!) and Ron and Draco kidnapped the minister and I put in a new engine (we needed to go faster!!). We got the minister back and then we all had to scatter. Of course, I had to go with Draco because no one would suspect that I was with Draco.

Yes, bizarre. But what I haven't put in here is all the subtext between Ginny and Draco and Snape ending up with McGonagall (!?!?!?!!!!). Clearly my brain needed everyone paired up. But then D/G is definitely what I ship so that does make some kind of rather twisted sense in terms of the dream.

The rest makes none.

And now I am going to go and use bleach on my brain.

There and Back Again: Lessons from Vacation

Unlike Frodo, we were not required to walk into Mordor, merely drive to Wisconsin. Some would akin that to walking into Mordor, but I am going to give it the benefit of the doubt. On the other hand, I'd consider the trucks on 94 something akin to the black riders. Seriously.

So Lessons learned:

1. Trucks on 94 have the great desire to fuck with you. They have a hideous sense of timing and the slowest love trying to pass the slower. So that means you spend a good portion of time behind Idiot A truck or Idiot B truck while one attempts to pass the other. I hate that. Mostly because I happen to like using my cruise control and going one speed at all times. And of course, that speed is usually more than the speed limit, but that's my issue and not yours. Your job is just to get out of my way.

2. Jellystone is a great place - though something of a place for hicks. It is NOT the land of beautiful people. Though I suppose that might depend on your age level. There were some beautiful teenagers (or at least skinny ones who had clearly been tanning), but lots of middle age people wandering around following small children with beers disguised in those cooler things. Very priceless.

3. There are a lot of fun things to do at Jellystone - my favorite was definitely the wave pool. Monkey enjoyed himself and impressed me by learning to jump into the pool and swim to the side. When I feel less like I'm on vacation I will go and get the pictures and post them. Even managed a movie.

4. Always reapply sunscreen. Always.

5. Lumpy mattresses are no fun to sleep on with sunburn.

6. Every movement on a plastic mattress echoes through the room and keeps you more awake than it should.

7. Toilets should not rock. Ever.

8. Small children are so sweet when they fall asleep next to you after a long day of sun and fun and swimming.

9. Game of Thrones is a brilliant book. Now I only need to find the episodes somewhere. This is why illegal downloading happens. I've watched all the recaps and summaries and now I want the whole thing. And I'm madly in love with Tyrion Lannister - the Imp. If you are going to be a bastard, you might as well as do it in a big way. And when in doubt, piss off your siblings.

10. The best thing about coming home is my own washer. My purring kitties. My sweet soft quiet bed. My fan. My shower with lots and lots of pounding hot water.

Until the next vacation.....