Tons of Stuff

Do you want to play the cutest little internet games you've ever seen?

Oh, go on. You know you want to.

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I have to share this because, well, it's kind of amusing. Before Valentine's Day, Michelle and I and her children went to the store to shop for supplies.

On the way back to drop me off at my house, Bean asked me if I had a new house, and I said, "Yes, I live with Aunt Mary now."

Hannah took this moment to pipe up from the backseat, "You had to move because you couldn't AFFORD it anymore, right?"

Sigh. As my friend said, "Thanks for the salt, kiddo."

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I am still working on the sweater for my little nephew. I'm finished with the lace panel on the front, and now I'm onto the back portion. Then it's on to the other front panel and then the sleeves. And then done! Hopefully before he grows too big for it.

Knitting is stressful.

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I have some pictures of the art projects I've been doing at work with the kids I work with, and I want to share them with you, because I think they are amazing. They make me really happy.

This picture was made using the watercolor pencils I got for work. I drew the phone and colored it in, and then he used his fingers to "paint" with water.

Hopeful

Here's hoping that this year is like March;  I hope it came in in the opposite way to which it will be going out.  In:  sad, inadequate, degenerate, alone.  Out:  happy, whole, productive, surrounded with love.  Not that I haven't been surrounded with love, but it's not completely been the sort of love I need.

Part of that will change soon, because I have finally connected with my sister.  I can't believe it took me this long, except I can totally believe it took me this long.  We're such different people, and only half of it stems from her being adopted out of the family.  I'm over the worst of it, though, and I really want things to be good for us.  I find it disgusting that she never met Bruce, for example.  One of the many ways I know that one or both of those relationships were not healthy for me.  Sadly enough, I'm sure that any inadequacies in that department belong to me.

I'm trying to blast up my year, my life.  In some ways it's not working as well as I'd have liked, but in those ways I have no control over it, so it is marginally acceptable.  I'm sure most of the people who read this are breathing a sigh of relief that I'm starting to count parts of life in the plus collumn again, after so much doom and gloom at the start of the year.  In my defense, however, one can't start out the year feeling awesome if one wakes up in one's car at 6AM having tried to drive on railroad tracks the night before on New Year's Day.

That's purely hypothetical.

For those of you who don't know, or who read my site through a reader (Hello!  I use Google Reader!  Please publish your full feed!), I'd like to mention that I have a sidebar application for Twitter, which I update (somewhat amusingly) a few times a day.  If I knew how to do a sideblog, ala:  Kerflop, then I would and save us all the trouble, but I'm unable.  

And He Will Use His Thumbs to Make a Space

Hi.

Those posts down there need to stop being up here, so I'm posting something new.

I don't have anything inspiring to say, though, because for this chica, 2008 is sucky so far. Hopefully yours is going better.

Latest thing to suck: work hours cut by about 50% and big chance of benefits ending at the end of January.

Day 29

I told my moving buddy that I'd be ready to go at 6:00, so this is all the posting I'll get done today, chances are. I need a shower before he gets here.

Day 27

Most of my kitchen is now sitting in a storage facility in town. There it will remain until I'm ready to use it again, whenever that may be. The shed is only 10x10, so we'll see how much we can wedge in there. Hopefully, we won't have to use any of the Lake's garage, because the less explaining to do, the better.

I was not the talk of the Thanksgiving table, as I had feared. But we also didn't have our full Kiddie Table set up, and Mom joined us instead. As I whispered to Robby as she sat down, "Having a mom here totally negates the whole Kiddie Table magic." Then I spent enough of supper looking longingly at our missing member to get a kick under the table for being obvious.

Soon, the cats will move. Then goes the dog, and then goes me. Hopefully we get the rest of my stuff, as well.

Day 7

The time is drawing nearer when I'm moving back to my parents' house. I know most of you are probably cringing at the very idea, but I think it's the best decision for me right now. I want to pay off some of the debt that's been riding along with me for almost 10 years (student loans, ha. What good did being a student ever do me?) and then save up some money. I hope to someday buy a house, and it's not going to happen before those two things get done.

I like my parents, but I'm worried about some things. Things like my animals. Specificially, Huck. He's very naughty, and my parents let him get away with it. I'm going to have to specifically put down some ground rules so he doesn't turn into the world's worst dog while we're living there.

Rules:

1. No people food.

2. No people food. No matter how cute he looks.

3. If people food falls to the floor and he snatches it, either ignore him completely and let him think he's sneakier than he is, or shout at him and shake a spoon or something to make him think you're really mad that he ate the people food. Do not make squealy noises or otherwise indicate that you're secretly pleased he got away with something.

4. It's not cute when he jumps up into your face. No matter what your brain is telling you. Don't let him do it. No excuses.

5. Don't make him think he is the most important part of your day. Even if he is. He shouldn't be. He's a dog.

I'm sure there are more. I'm getting antsy thinking about it. This will be ok, right? RIGHT?

Last Straw

Sarah: OMG there's a place in SW MO selling CHEESE CURDS
http://www.localharvest.org/farms/M10790

bruce: LMAO
nice

Sarah: That's it, I can move back now
:D

Dead Horse? Beaten

I think one of my oldest friends and I are drifting apart.  When I look back on the years, it's been happening for quite some time, but it's still stingy, you know what I mean?

She's always been a black-and-white person. I have a huge quadrant of grey. Huge. Most people would think I'm dull to be so accepting. I realized a few months ago that part of the reason we've been friends for so long is that I think she's mind-boggling. She's so different. In that she's so snooty about so many things.

I don't know. I didn't used to feel this way about her. She didn't used to be so crabby and judgemental. I can feel our friendship slipping away, and I'm honestly not sure what kept me holding on for so long.

This feeling isn't pleasant.