...awash, adrift, afloat, aloft...

Something from several years ago (2003)

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:00:25 GMT

2003:

[name] Megan Mitchell, but occasionally Lacey Parker. Sometimes also Duckie, munky and very rarely Maire
[location] The Boonies (Duvall) King County, WA, USA, North America, Terra, Sol 3, Milky Way Galaxy,
[eye color] Blue
[height] somewhere between 5'9" and 6'0"
[heritage] Scots-Irish, Welsh, French, German, Cherokee, Creek and probably the other 50 varieties as well.
[last cd I listened to] Follow the Leader by KoRN
[artist i have the most albums of] Not quite sure, I think its Presidents of the United States of America, but it could be Smashing Punmpkins
[last time i turned on the radio] I don't turn on the radio. Other people do before I get there.
[last place i drove to] Woodinville and back
[last holiday i took] Ummm...Christmas? I s'pose that counts.
[most beautiful place i've ever been to] home
[country i would never want to visit] a plague-ridden dirty one, but I can't think of any off the top of my head
[worst roommate] nyself
[most paranoid about] being abandonned
[the person i tell the juicy stuff to first] Gana
[best online friend] prolly Tom
[number of jackets i own] a lot
[type of car i wish i had] something with four wheels and an engine, I suspect. I'm not too picky, I just don't have a car right now. Hybrid would be nice, though.
[dream job] Ancient Artifact Recovery Specialist (Grave Robber/archeaologist)
[fave lip gloss or chapstick] key lime unpetroleum jelly
[last kiss] I don't remember
[fave pen] Right now, my two in one pencil and pen
[countries i have been to] Canada, US, Mexico.
[other languages I know phrases in] French, Japanese, Russian, English (as oppsed to American)
[other language I would love to learn] Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, English, Italian, German, Greek

2009:

[name] Megan Mitchell, but occasionally Lacey Parker. Sometimes also dude, Jude, M, hey you, elder spawnling, Michael
[location] The Boonies (Duvall) King County, WA, USA, North America, Terra, Sol 3, Milky Way Galaxy, the Universe
[eye color] Blue
[height] somewhere between 5'9" and 6'0"
[heritage] Scots-Irish, Welsh, French, German, Cherokee, Creek and probably the other 50 varieties as well.
[last cd I listened to] Hair, original Broadway recording
[artist i have the most albums of] Oingo Boingo
[last time i turned on the radio] the last time my Zune was dead? sometime earlier this week, I think.
[last place i drove to] Bothell, Bellevue, Safeway, home.
[last holiday i took] short one in August for the last of the Kane concerts
[most beautiful place i've ever been to] home
[country i would never want to visit] anyplace where I wouldn't be welcome
[worst roommate] Ashley >.>
[most paranoid about] right now, failure. I have a lot that's getting ready to be done, and I'm really scared it will all blow up in my face and I'll be stuck this way forever.
[the person i tell the juicy stuff to first] Gana
[best online friend] Lissa
[number of jackets i own] two hoodies, one boss orange windbreaker
[type of car i wish i had] Tesla.
[dream job] I think being a librarian would be cool.
[fave lip gloss or chapstick] key lime unpetroleum jelly
[last kiss] from my mom
[fave pen] toss up between my blue rocketship pen and my short little stubby pen.
[countries i have been to] Canada, US, Mexico.
[other languages I know phrases in] French, Japanese, Russian, English (as opposed to American)
[other language I would love to learn] Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, English, Italian, German, Greek, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Thai, Romanian, Russian, French, Spanish, Latin, Swedish, Hebrew, CSS

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 18:42:05 GMT

Hi, I'm still alive.

Cold passed. I'm healthy-ish again.

Middle sib's baby shower is on November 14. It'll be fun, I think. 15 people on the guest list, and invites are going in the mail today.

BFF Panda's little brother is getting married the week before. I'm hoping to go to the wedding, and have recieved my invite. I need to see if anyone else is interested in going with me so I can send the RSVP card in. Gorgeous stationary, by the way.

The Sib has gone back to school, but changed schools. She's now at the voc-tech that Middle Sib almost got her degree from. The Sib is working toward a degree in computer support, and is taking three classes right now to get the core learning out of the way: Psychology 101, Math 90, Public Speaking 220. Once she has those out of the way, she can focus on the degree-specific courses.

I'm considering going back to school. Shock and amazement, I know. I really think I can do well in the college setting, though. It's amazing to think about, considering my longstanding stance of "school and I don't mix." I'm thinking either the beauty school or drafting.

Spending a lot of time on a particular forum these days: Animal Crossing Community. The people are nice, for the most part. I have a "job" for Animal Crossing, which is kinda cool because it keeps me playing. I'm the Public Relations Director and acting Wild World Department Director, so I'm in charge of the people taking the orders, the people telling potential customers about our service, and the people that supply/deliver the Wild World orders. It's pretty sweet.

Entertainment-wise, all our regular shows are back on-air (House, Lie to Me, NCIS, Criminal Minds, CSI, Dollhouse, Monk, Psych), and we've added Bones to the viewing schedule. Still watching cartoons. Total Drama, Stoked and Ben 10: Alien Force are the ones we record to make sure we get to see them. I love me some Canadian animation. Our off-season shows are on hiatus, though, so no True Blood, Royal Pains or In Plain Sight. And no new United States of Tara until next year.
I've taken back up reading, forcing myself to make time for books. I finished Catch-22, and am working on House of Leaves. After those, I'll try to tackle Twilight again.

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 18:34:21 GMT

I'm sick. Went to bed day before yesterday with a sore throat and woke up with a sinus cold from hell. Today, everything is draining, so I'm nauseous. Ugh.

This sucks.

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 18:23:15 GMT

So, Middle Sister is going to have a baby. Her due date is February 28 at the moment, but it may change as the pregnancy goes on. No matter what, my little neice/nephew (we don't know yet) will be a Pisces. That fills me with glee.
We're doing a baby shower in November. We took a trip to Babies'R'Us and she showed us what she'd like. There's some cool stuff there. She's going to use cloth diapers while at home, or when there's a washing machine at hand. For trips, it'll be disposables. She wants a lot of gender-neutral stuff, and a diaper bag that doesn't look like a purse.

I'm really looking forward to being an auntie.

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 23:09:39 GMT

I'm gonna be an auntie!

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 06:52:20 GMT

Okay, since getting a facebook account, I'm really lousy at updating anything else. I don't know why. Larger audience, maybe? Sorry, anyone who still relies on this journal to keep in contact with me.

Since Father's Day...went to Portland, saw a freakin' great concert. Christian Kane (Lindsey from Angel, Eliot from Leverage) and his band were performing at a bar across the street from Chinatown. He was hungover and the bar was half-full of fangirls, but it was fun. I had this pink thing that the tab listed as a Stoli raspberry. Whatever it was, it was good. We stayed at the beautiful Embassy Suites two blocks away. Came back home and have been playing Animal Crossing (Wild World and City Folk), waiting for the conclusion of Harper's Island. And what a conclusion it was. No spoilers, just saying that the curse was broken- my favourite character didn't die.

Next weekend is Summerstar, my annual camping trip, so this week will be the annual car cleaning frenzy. I need to get my rearview mirror reattatched, clean the small amount of trash from the backseat, check the fluid levels, download a copy of "All American Boy" and wash my car. Tuesday, we're planning the weekend meals, so I guess Monday will be the packing list day. Thursday, we load everything in the cars. Friday morning, we head out.

It seems like I'm super busy, but that's really only the summer months. Usually, I just sit around playing video games. After Summerstar, I'll be hitting jobsites again, and maybe this time someone will hire me. I'd like a steady part time job so I can help pay off my car.

I think my cat is gone for good. A bit of history here: I've had three cats. My first was a wonderful, irreplacable boy named Sterling. He was a beautiful silver tabby who joined our family when I was in sixth grade. He stayed with us through two moves before disappearing into the greenbelt behind our house...ten years later? My next boy was Kaneda, a brown tabby that vanished at least a year and a half ago. He was adorable, always sticking out his tongue. In between the boys, I got a girl. Her name was Jenneth. She was dark grey with light yellow splotching, almost tortoise-shell. She had wide yellow eyes and always looked scared. I haven't seen her since before we went to Portland.

I think she's not coming back.

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 20:43:06 GMT

Busy three weeks is over. I'm sleeping until next week, with bursts of consciousness for Sims 3. This coming weekend, I'm going to Portland for a concert instead of Tacoma for a concert. The Portland one is cheaper, still has tickets available, and won't be filled with screaming (pre)teenage girls.

Um, happy Father's Day to the Dad on my flist. I love you.

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 05:34:25 GMT

This will be a busy week: I've a dress to make, cakes to bake, marzipan cookies to mold and bake, and maybe even the lawn to mow. Saturday is the Sib's birthday party. About a week and a half ago, I mentioned that I wanted her to dress as Alice sometime. That set the whole thing in motion: plans were made, invitations were sent, decorations and fabric were bought. I have the apron 97% done, just need the pockets and buttons put on. On the test run for the dress (since I was enlarging the pattern and fitting for a specific person), I discovered where I needed to edit the pattern more and that I can make it in a little over a day. Everything is running according to schedule, so that makes me happy. If I can keep up the pace, the full costume will be done by Wednesday, and I can spend the rest of the week doing the cake and other bits in preparation.

Long story short, I'm a busy person until next Sunday.

Thu, 14 May 2009 04:07:00 GMT

There's something that's been bothering me for several months: socially acceptable idiocy. Example 1: the endless PC vs Mac debate. Last time I checked, Macs are Personal Computers. So guess what, all you Mac people- you're PCs, too. Example 2: PIN number. Doesn't PIN stand for Personal Identification Number? So, when people say PIN number...

I don't know...it bothers me a lot.

Tue, 05 May 2009 05:26:48 GMT

I'm feeling kinda mood-swing-y. Normally, I'm an upbeat, chipper person. Randomly, for the past few months, I've been hitting terrible lows. I just want to cry all the time, and nothing makes me feel better.

Today, for example, was pretty good all around. Drove Mom to the radiologist's office so she could get an MRI done, then to her office so she could put in a few hours of work. Nothing bad happened. However, come 7pm, I'm feeling depressed and want to cry. Trying to figure it all out makes me feel worse, and I start questioning all of it. The big questions, y'know? What's it all about, why am I here, will I ever be productive, do I really have any talent? Or am I really just wasting my time (and everyone else's) with my crappy drawings?

I think I may hate talented people, just because things seem so much easier for them. I wish I could string together something coherently linear, but every comic idea I have goes nowhere. I just can't stay with something long enough to make it work.

Possibly the worst part is that I know what I want to draw, but can't (that's a physical can't) translate it onto the paper. So, instead, I draw Mary-Sues and sponge other artist's styles because I'm not original or dynamic enough in my own.

I hurt all the time. I cry for no reason. I can't even pin down what makes me feel happy. Not even video games make me happy right now. I just don't know anything anymore. I want the confusion to end. I'm tired of it, of everything.

I just wish that life were easy. Or at least, easier. As it is, I think the world will end before I'm a productive member of society.

Fri, 01 May 2009 17:10:20 GMT

Happy Beltaine, everyone! Summer is officially here, officially.

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 03:23:33 GMT

It's been a while since my last update of substance...here's what has happened in the interim.

Interview fell through, I didn't get the job. I've been jobless now for over a year, and my outlook is grim. The hardest part is waiting the three months for my applications to clear from systems.

My birthday was great. I got almost everything I asked for, and the day went really well until dinner. We went to a local "Mexican" restaurant, and my dinner had something crunchy in it that reminded me of crustacean. Ew.

B's husband's birthday was next. Luckily, he's easy to shop for: I just buy things I would want. Plastic cowboys and indians, silly putty, and Pez.

Beyond the disappointment in the job market, and birthdays, I've been avoiding real life by playing video games. Played a bit of Rune Factory 2 (a fantasy Harvest Moon) and a lot of DSCute (Another Wonderful Life for DS).

Looking forward to next month, and the month after. The Sib's birthday is coming up, and I'm excited for it. It'll be great. I got my tax return, so I've been able to get her some great stuff. I also replaced my windshield wiper blades, put gas in my car, and bought some toys I've been wanting for a while. Pretty sweet.

I'm trying not to think too hard about anything. If I start thinking about real-life stuff, I cry becuse I feel hopeless. So I don't think. Instead, I focus on the internet, video games or reading. And that's the short of it- why I don't update with anything other than memes, or why I sometimes just don't update.

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 02:37:45 GMT

I have an interview on Saturday.

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 03:51:43 GMT

So, my birthday is officially in one month. The eternal question looms: what do I want?

I think I've used up my big gift karma until Christmas, so I won't ask for the Nintendo DS and video games, but...

·cotton lounge pants
·new windshield wipers (15", 20", 22")
·a new copy of One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, the I can read by myself version
·shelves to put up in my room
·white low ankle socks
·monkeys
·dinosaurs
·cats
·Muppets
·Chi Chai Monchan
·action figures

memememememe

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 00:53:35 GMT

1. What is your name: M____
2. A four Letter Word: move
3. A boy's Name: Max
4. A girl's Name: Mary
5. An occupation: motivational speaker
6. A color: mauve
7. Something you wear: my pj's
9. A food: macaroni
10. Something found in the bathroom: my toothbrush :)
11. A place: Mars
12. A reason for being late: my car broke down
13. Something you shout: Mama
14. A movie... Monsters, Inc
15. Something you drink: mucho agua
16. A musical group: Menudo (MDO)
17. An animal: mongoose
18. A street name: MLK Way
19. A type of car: Mercury
20. The title of a song: My Girl

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:34:46 GMT

1. The phone rings; who do you want it to be?
my imagination

2. When shopping at the grocery store, do you return your cart?
to the parking lot thingy

3. In a social setting, are you more of a talker or a listener?
usually a listener, unless I'm in a car that I'm not driving. Then I don't shut up.

4. Do you take compliments well?
sure, I say thank you.

5. Do you play Sudoku?
daily, or rather, nightly.

6. If abandoned alone in the wilderness, would you survive?
yes. I had survival training at camp in sixth grade. I learned how to build my own shelter, I know how to start a fire without matches, I have a good understanding of what's edible.

7. Do you like to ride horses?
love to, but I'm afraid I can't ride anything but a warhorse at this point. Something used to that much weight.

8. Did you ever go to camp as a kid?
there was the evil day camp, which was like recess at school; sixth grade camp, which was fun and informative; horse camp, which I got to go to twice, thanks to the evil day camp

9. What was your favorite game as a kid?
Clue, Scotland Yard (why don't people know this game?), and more recently, Cranium and Redneck Life

10. If a sexy person was pursuing you, but you knew he/she was married, would you go for it?
Is their spouse okay with it? I don't aid in cheating.

11. Could you date someone with different religious beliefs than you?
everyone I've dated has had different religious beliefs than me. I'd like to try someone with the same, but the only ones I know in my age group are gay.

12. Do any songs make you cry?
frequently. I cry at the wierdest things: Total Eclipse of the Heart (Bonnie Tyler), Hymn to Her (the Pretenders), Requiem (Akira OST)

13. Are you continuing your education?
not in any traditional sense- education continues regardless of scholar status.

14. Do you know how to shoot a gun?
in theory, but not in practice. I'd like to remedy that, though. We live in the sticks and I can't shoot. I feel inadequate

15. If your house was on fire, what would be the first thing you grabbed?
my blankie

16. How often do you read books?
frequently. I'm trying to get back in the habit of reading real books with words, but we don't have many that pique my interest. I'm supposed to be reading Twilight, but have kinda given up on it 23 pages in. Partially into Angels and Demons, 2/3 through Journey to the Center of the Earth, but not really reading actively.

17. Do you think more about the past, present or future?
I reminisce about the past, I worry about the future, but live in the now. I'll get ulcers if I worry too much, and I don't have health insurance. Bad mix.

18. What is your favorite children's book?
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, by Dr. Seuss. *meep meep*
Where the Wild Things Are has a special place in my heart. Also, anything by Jane Yolen.

19. What color are your eyes?
blue. ish.

20. How tall are you?
5'8". ish.

21. Where is your dream house located?
the Northern Territory. Someplace cold and spacious that I can have dogs at.

22. Do you have a secret fetish?
nope.

23. Have you tried sushi?
yes, yes I have.

24. Have you ever taken pictures in a photo booth?
not that I remember. I shy away from cameras.

25. When was the last time you were at Olive Garden?
over 25 years ago... as in, never in this lifetime.

26. When was the last time you were at Church?
several years ago, for midnight mass at Christmas. If there was a church locally that performed it actually at midnight, I'd go.

27. Where was the furthest place you traveled today?
straight line: from my room to the dining area. most steps: into the kitchen.

28. What was your favorite job?
I really liked the paperwork side of management, the short-seeming days of downstocking costumes, the paperwork and self-sufficient-ness of cash office.

29. Do you like mustard?
depends on the mustard, and where its going

30. Do you prefer to sleep or eat?
sleep.

31. Do you look like your mom or dad?
mostly my mom, but with some of dad's features.

32. How long does it take you in the shower?
anywhere between 15 min and 30 min.

33. Can you do splits?
no

34. What movie do you want to see right now?
Strangers, Wolverine, Camp Rock 2

35. If you could fast forward your life, would you?
can I also rewind? pause? play normal speed again?

36. What did you do for New Year's?
played cards until 11:45, then went to bed.

37. Do you think The Grudge was scary?
not particularly. Ju-On was much creepier.

38. Could you relate to a character in Mean Girls?
do't remember the characters, so can't really say.

39. Do you own a camera phone?
yes.

40. Do you have an "ex box" with pics and letters from past lovers?
*snort* no.

41. Was your mom a cheerleader?
nope, she was drill team.

42. What's the last letter of your middle name?
e

43. Do you like your middle name?
yep. unique.

44. How many hours of sleep do you get a night?
between 3 and 10.

45. Do you like care bears?
yep.

46. What do you buy at the movies?
nothing. I'm broke.

47. Do you know how to play poker?
I remember the rules for five card stud.

48. Do you wear your seatbelt?
Every single time.

49. What do you wear to sleep?
skin

50. Anything big ever happen in your hometown?
yup.

51. How many meals do you eat a day?
small, snack, large, snack

52. Is your tongue pierced?
yes, and has been for almost five years now.

53. Do you like funny or serious people better?
depends on the situation

54. Ever been to L.A.?
yes. when we stopped there for gas, I was scared.

55. Did you eat a cookie today?
nope.

56. Do you steal or pay for your music downloads?
yarr, what you be thinkin'?

57. Do you hate chocolate?
yes. I hate choclate so much I eat it to put it out of existence.

58. What do you and your parents fight about the most?
nothing recently. I used to have attitude problems.

59. Are you a gullible person?
depends on the source.

60. Do you need a boyfriend/girlfriend to be happy?
tch, no. all I needs my BFFs.

61. If you could have any job what would it be?
professional slacker. I'd like to be paid for living my life, my way.

62. Are you easy to get along with?
for the most part.

63. What is your favorite time of day?
morning. I feel like I can do anything.

IT'S PEANUT BUTTER MEME TIME!

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:30:58 GMT

Pick one word from each pair that you think describes me the best and comment with your choices. Then copy this and post it in your own journal to see how your friends view you. Snagged from the f-list.

*iz curious*

* dominant or submissive
* logical or intuitive
* social or loner
* kinky or vanilla
* cute or sophisticated
* kitten or puppy
* warm flannel sheets or sleek satin
* leader or follower
* quiet or talkative
* spontaneous or planned
* teddy bear or porcelain doll
* hiking or window shopping
* tequila or vodka
* top or bottom
* bare foot or shoes
* jeans or slacks
* tender or rough
* aware or dreamy
* nerd or jock
* brains or brawn
* common sense or book smarts

I'll take "Things I Do Instead of Getting Ready for my Sister's Wedding" for 500, Alex.

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 05:08:15 GMT

So Middle Sib is getting married in a week.

She'll be the first to stop carrying the family name.

I'm spending some time this week crying, I think.

Big changes on the horizon.

Sat, 17 Jan 2009 21:31:53 GMT

My best friend makes the best cocoa mix.

Thank you, Panda!

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 22:54:37 GMT

I've been neglecting everything for Harvest Moon.

I started a game of Island of Happiness (where I'm going to marry Shea), but haven't gone very far in it. Halfway through Spring, first year. I gave it a rest to play DS Cute, partially because it has characters I already know and love, partially because the controls are closer to the GBA versions. In IoH, you use the touch screen to move and throw items; in DSC, you use the directional pad and buttons to move and set down items, and the touch screen is for the animal mini games and the menu screens.

Island of Happiness is the most confusing HM game I've played. There's a system to growing crops that involves the weather and how many sun points a plant gets per day. The tools don't get upgraded normally- the system is similar to Materia in FFVII. Way different than using a tool and shipping it to the blacksmith with ore to upgrade it. The townspeople are great, though, and I love the characters. Once I get far enough in DSC, I'll switch back to it. I've introduced myself to Shea, and started on the path toward marriage. Luckily, I have no rival for him.

DS Cute is the girl version of DS, set in Forget-Me-Not Valley 100 years after A(nother) Wonderful Life. There's still Mineral Town connectivity, and the bachelors of FMN Valley are the same (though they claim ancestors looked just like them and had the same personalities). In Another Wonderful Life (girl version, again), my main player (Suzie), currently whatever chapter the child is an adult in, is Suzie. She's married happily to Marlin, and their boy is named Julian. Naturally, my DSC game is following that. I'm currently at a blue heart with Marlin (hearts go black, purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, red), so I should be married early year 2. My second game will star the Mineral Town heroine, and I'll marry Gustafa. It'll be fun.

2009

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 06:49:04 GMT

1. Will you be looking for a new job in 2009?
That is, will I still be looking for a job in 2009? Yeah.

2. Will you be looking for a new relationship?
Nope. I've given up on looking for new relationships.

3. New house?
Not that I'm aware of.

4. What will you do differently in '09?
I'm hoping to change my daily routine.

5. New Year's resolution?
Drop half my weight.

6. What will you not be doing in '09?
Illegal drugs.

7. Any trips planned?
Nothing planned that I know of.

8. Wedding plans?
Not on my end.

9. What's on your calendar?
Transformers.

10. What can't you wait for?
I can wait for everything. Really food patience.

11. What would you like to see happen differently?
I'd like to be able to put my trust in a new person and not have it bite me in the ass.

12. What about yourself will you be changing?
I'm working towads better shape. Wii Fit is being good to me.

13. What happened in '08 that you didn't think would ever happen?
I turned 25.

14. Will you be nicer to the people you care about?
If I get any nicer, I'll be nothing but a doormat.

15. Will you dress differently this year than you did in '08?
Not really, provided my "style" is available in smaller sizes.

16. Will you start or quit drinking?
I will drink more water. I will cut back on soda. I won't really change my alcohol consumption.

17. Will you better your relationship with your family?
It's alrady pretty good. My bond with Middle Sib could be better, but I so rarely see her...

18. Will you do charity work?
Probably not. I donate to the MDA yearly.

19. Will you go to bars?
No more than normal.

20. Will you be nice to people you don't know?
No more than usual- I don't bitch at people in the aisles very often.

21. Do you expect 2009 to be a good year for you?
No expectations. That way, less disappointment.

22. How much did you change from this time last year till now?
Then: I was running away from a bad relationship, trying to get back into the swing of my increasingly less satisfying job.

Now: I've spent an entire year as an almost hermit, and nine months of it jobless, bouncing between depression and mediocrity.

23. Do you plan on having a child?
No.

24. Will you still be friends with the same people you are friends with now?
Most likely. My friends are my friends for a reason.

26. Will you be moving?
Not likely.

27. What will you make sure doesn't happen in '09 that happened this year?
Hmm...can't make any guarantees one way or the other.

28. What are your New Years Eve plans?
Stay at home and play board and card games. Eat hoppin' john and cornbread.

29. Will you have someone to kiss at midnight?
IDK, my BFF Adam?

30. Wish for 2009?
*......*

...what? If I tell you, it won't come true!

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 04:48:22 GMT

I don't ever want to see this much snow south of the Northern Territory again. Three, three and a half feet. It wouldn't be an issue if we had this much snow regularly, but this as record-breaking snow. On one hand, it was awesome to be able to build a snow fort and a snowman, and still have enough snow to have several snowball fights. On the other hand, we have one vehicle with chains, and we don't drive it very often. My car, the only car with AWD, is having issues, so we didn't bother trying to excavate it. So, we're left with the Cobalt, the cute little Chevy. Front wheel drive, seats four comfortably.

The problem with winter weather is that no one is fully prepared for it. We have a generator, but couldn't find our 5 gallon gas can for a trek into town, so it has no gas. We can't find chains for the Cobalt because of the sudden snowfall (everyone rushed for them, something like the Tickle-Me-Elmo wars of high school).

Christmas Eve, power went out around 11.30p, came back on middle of the night, went out again at 7.30. Day 5 with B and C.

Christmas, we were supposed to go bowling and see a movie, but spent the entire day trying to get to a friend's house. Awkward because we had six people, so two trips. Luckily, friends had chained up his truck and was able to meet us halfway. Dad packed up the Sibs and C for the first load. Power came back on before he got back home, so I was able to get in a workout on Wii Fit (freakin' awesome program). Dad got home, lost a chain from the car when trying to get turned around. Excavation ensues, we get re-chained. At the friend's house before dark. Stayed there that night, and the next because we couldn't get chains or out of their driveway. Mom and Dad went home Saturday, I house-sat with the Sib overnight. Mom and Dad couldn't rescue us Sunday morning, so we were there until 3.15-ish, when truck got back.

And I had no cell phone from Friday onward. So, one week of B and C, too much snow, people going stir crazy. I started smoking again (not heavily- opened a pack on Thursday and still have 3/4 of it). On the plus side, read Callahan's Legacy, re-read Callahan's Lady (both by Spider Robinson), and watched the first and second season of Venture Bros., Doctor Horrible's Sing Along Blog and episodes two and three of Dexter. We're slowly working through that one, but Dad rented the first season, so we'll finish it all this week.

So, other than circumstances sucking like woah, not a bad week. This is still in my top ten winters.

Sun, 21 Dec 2008 18:27:23 GMT

IT'S SUNDAY!

Went to bed around midnight, up again at 4. Ravaged the stocking, cool stuff in there. Watched Venture Bros. until 7.50, when we woke everyone up. Presents were passed out, and the carnage began.

It was the best haul ever. I got two dinosaurs (one stuffed, one AI), a Velveteen Rabbit, a really cool shirt, a Transformers calenders, the Stargirl books, and a smelly candle. Totally awesome. :)

Also, meme.

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 05:40:32 GMT

1. Name a movie that you have seen more than 10 times: Big Troubl in Little China

2. Name a movie that you've seen multiple times in a theatre: Last one I can remember is The Devil's Rejects

3. Name an actor that would make you more inclined to see a movie: Callum Keith Rennie, Hugo Weaving

4. Name an actor that would make you less likely to see a movie: Tom Hanks

5. Name a movie that you can quote from: The Princess Bride

6. Name a movie musical that you know all the lyrics to all the songs: CATS

7. Name a movie that you have been known to sing along with: any movie with sign and dancing, but we'll say Shock Treatment

8. Name a movie that you would recommend everyone see: WALL-E

9. Name a movie that you own: Trainspotting

10. Name an actor that launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops: IDK, my BFF Adam?

11. Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in?: A couple of times in recent memory.

12. Ever made out in a movie?: Not exactly.

13. Name a movie that you keep meaning to see but just haven't gotten around to it: What Dreams May Come. I have it recorded on the DVR, but haven't watched it.

14. Ever walked out of a movie?: Nope.

15. Name a movie that made you cry in the theatre: I cry at a lot of movies.

16. Popcorn?: Yes but only if it's salted and buttered

17. How often do you go to the movies?: Rarely, too expensive

18. What's the last movie you saw in the theater?: Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa

19. What is your favorite/preferred genre of movies? comedy, good horror, bad horror, musicals

20. What was the first movie you remember seeing in the theater?: IDK, my BFF Adam?

21. What movie(s) has/have changed your life?: There are movies that make me want to be a better person. Can't name any off the top of my head, but...

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 05:06:53 GMT

So, the Solstice is fast approaching. We're doing presents on Sunday, hopefully with Middle Sib and her boy. We haven't heard from her, so we don't know if she'll be over on Saturday to spend the night...I really hope so. I like spending the holidays with my family. It's one of my things.

Today, I cooked. I made peanut brittle and a chocolate mousse (it was supposed to be fudge, but it didn't cook long enough). Next is haystacks and peppermint bark. Mom made haystacks and fudge (since mine failed). I may try again for it.

We're now watching the holiday movies. First up was National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, then we watched It's a Wonderful Life for the fist time, and now we're watching Scrooged. It's excellent.

Is it Sunday yet?