OUCH!
I'm stretching some of the holes in my ears just a TINY bit and it hurts! I didn't think the earrings I bought were much bigger than the boring old studs I've been wearing, but apparently they are! And even a slight stretch hurts a bit. :/

Today I did NOT punch my brother Chris in the face.
Our other brother, Matthew, is in town this weekend and texted me this morning saying he was going to come down and visit me in Long Beach after all. Then he said Chris was going to drive them both down and we'd hang out and stuff. I was a little apprehensive about it, but it turned out to be just fine and we all got along and had a good time. We went down to Trendy Second Street near Belmont Shores and had lunch, followed by frozen yogurt and walking on the Belmont Pier. Then we came back to my house and visited with the grandparents for a bit, then came up to my room and Chris cleaned out the virus(es?) that had seriously infected my computer last week. The three of us just hung out and chatted while Chris worked on the computer and I worked on the loom and it was actually very nice.
This week is already WAY better than last week!

"Horem padem" is a czech film that loosely translates to "Up and Down".

I'm feeling better now, though a little embarrassed about my earlier post. I do think, however, that letting my rage out helped me move on a bit quicker, so I don't really regret it. I also really appreciate the support people left in the comments - sometimes I just need a hug.
I'm realizing how close to the surface my emotions are lately, and I'm sure it's due to stress. Back in September I fell into a chasm of situational depression, but managed to come back pretty well in October. I've had a lot of up and down since then, but the "downs" have been getting tougher again. I dread falling back into that chasm, and I feel like I'm always just barely holding it together. Little things make me more angry than they should, I feel like crying a lot, and I have trouble really believing that things will get better.
I know what these symptoms mean, and I am no stranger to emotional wellness through therapy. I guess I thought everything would be fine as soon as I got a job, and we've all been telling ourselves that the recession will end soon, but what if I don't find more work for another 6 months? Or a year? I'll crack way before then. I think maybe it's time I found a counselor in the Long Beach area.

I am pissed off.
( Contains angry words )( Read more... )

*Forehead smack!*

I just realized something about my weaving project. It has 1200 ends. An "end" is a warp yarn, which must pass through the eye of a heddle on one of the shafts on my 8-shaft loom. Therefore, I need 1200 heddles. I'm sure I don't have more than 800 heddles. Crap.

I have a few options here, but if I had realized this before I started, I could have adjusted my project and saved myself quite a bit of work. *sigh* I always forget to count the heddles before I start a project, and more often than not I have to make last-minute adjustments.

Someday I'll learn.

I've been mostly keeping up with my new exercise plan. It helps that I've got a friend checking in on me to make sure I actually do it.

I finally made progress on my projects for Arts & Archery. I think I might actually be able to finish everything in time! Only problem is, I just found out that A&A falls on my grandmother's birthday and some family members are coming in from out of town for a little party for her. Dammit.

(This is copied from my Facebook notes.)

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I did my daily exercise today! I kinda backslid over the weekend and didn't exercise at all, but I'm back on the wagon now. I also got some healthy food for my lunches this week.

Time to get moving on my A&S projects for Arts & Archery! 0_0
Step 1 - clean off the table.
Done!

That's it - no more sloth and gluttony for me! With the help of my friend, Conor, I have started my new exercise plan. I've got daily minimums of push-ups, pull-ups, squats, lunges, calf-lifts and planks, and other core and cardio work a few times a week. Conor is going to call me each week to keep me honest, but I AM GOING TO DO THIS!

In a few hours I'm heading off to Winter Weekend! I think it'll be fun! :)
Sloth, gluttony, and craft! Whoohoo!

sidelong posted a neat entry recently about getting to know her SCA friends/acquaintances better. She wisely pointed out that the best way to start getting to know people is to give out information about yourself! So she invited anyone who felt like they could learn more about her to ask questions with the intent of getting to know each other better.
I think this is a great idea! There are many people I know through the SCA who I consider friends, but don't actually know a lot about them. It's kind of rude, though, to just start bombarding them with questions about their life! But if this idea catches on, and we all start doing it, maybe we can get to know each other a little better. :) Plus, I'm a total sucker for "icebreaker" games!
Ok, so, does anybody out there have questions for me? Is there anything you want to know about me?

Yesterday I posted a quote from a classic Rolling Stones song: "You Can't Always Get What You Want". The comments I got pointed to the fact that we can learn a lot about life from some classic rock song lyrics. Tonight I was wondering what other pearls of wisdom can be found hidden behind rockin' beats and sweet guitar licks?

"But if you try sometimes, you just might find... You get what you need"!

I'm looking for a good piercing salon anywhere in the LA area. A good, trustworthy, piercing artist is worth a higher price and/or a bit of a drive. If you know of one, will you please let me know? Thanks!

Grandpa was crouching down to pick up some crumbs off the floor and he fell over. Fortunately he wasn't far from the ground when he toppled, and the floor is carpeted, so there's no damage. He can't pick himself back up again without help though, so Grandma and I spent a few minutes getting him back up again. The only part that scared me was the fact that his mouth was full of food and I was worried he would choke. (You see, for Grandpa, the time he spends chewing his food is time he could can be doing other tasks...*sigh*)
Anyway, Grandma is not happy with him 'cuz he wouldn't stay in his chair after this until after the 3rd or 4th time she told him to sit down and stay put for a few minutes. She also took the opportunity to point out that this kind of situation is the reason their kids keep bringing up the idea that in the not-too-distant future it would be a good idea to have someone (a paid professional) come live with them full-time. Of course, when that happens I will need to find someplace else to live because said Aide would move into the room I'm currently living in.

I have a job interview tomorrow! I had a really good phone interview this evening and they asked me to come in tomorrow at 3:30! So, cross your fingers, say a prayer, light a candle or something for me tomorrow, if you please!
(I'll post more info about the job if it goes well tomorrow...)

I sold my car today, and boy do I need the money!! I was really stressed out all day over this and I'm still having a hard time believing it's really taken care of. I'm worried that they'll decide the car was more broken than they realized and change their minds. That would suck SO much! I really hope that doesn't happen.
So, I'm rejoicing, but afraid to get too elated 'cuz I'm worried it won't work out. :/

I'm going to see the Doctor in a little bit. I still haven't found a new one yet, so I'm still going to my old antibiotics-cure-everything Doctor. I hope it's a productive visit, but my hopes aren't that high... :/

Hey everybody.
I hate to bug y'all with this, but I'm still looking for work. If you know about any job openings in your office, (or anybody's office), I would *love* to hear about it.
I'm looking for Administrative Assistant / Clerical / Entry level office work. I've got 1.5 years Admin. experience and a Bachelor's degree. I'm looking for something that pays at least $14/hr.
Answering want-ads just isn't enough in this economy. The book "What Color is Your Parachute" says that the best way to get hired is through people you know. Right now, I think it's the ONLY way.