artemishi

If I thought February would be any less hectic than January, I was a fool.

This month, my boss has given 50% of my time to a project that takes place in another location in Seattle (and I AM counting commute times as part of my work day, damnit). I know absolutely nothing about this project, so I'm a little concerned about being lost and overwhelmed. The fact that my "to do" whiteboard list has 24 items on it already (of varying length/effort) is a bit intimidating. This also means that my telecommuting privileges on Fridays are indefinitely suspended, and my work hours may lengthen considerably in order to accomodate both bosses.

This month, I must find a renter for the condo. I am conducting an Open House on Saturday to that end, and hopefully fruit will come of it. In the meantime, I am reposting the ad everywhere, including on paper form in my work building, the local grocery stores, and the local coffee shops. Desperate? Definitely.

This month, I am starting my first business class, for Temptress. I have never taken a business class before, so I'm curious.

This month I am pursuing another avenue of money making which may or may not pan out, depending largely on myself. I'll know more on Monday 2/8.

This month, I am supposed to have a work holiday on 2/15, but due to a server move I will in fact be working that Sat, Sun, and Mon. No perks. Just drudgery. I have my fingers crossed that someone brings in donuts and coffee to share. Maybe that should be me. Hrmm...

This month, I am tasked with sewing two calzone, or Italian 1500s breeches/bloomers, and embroidering them for a competition in early March. The construction should not be too hard. I hope. But I have never embroidered anything in my life (aside from a really bad attempt at a rosebud for Adam's favor, which failed). I have materials to gather for all of this, as well as actual sewing to do. Good thing my weekends are somewhat open...aside from this one.

This month, as usual, I have D&D every Thursday and my CSA pickup every other Wednesday.

I have settled the auto half of this whole Geico mess, and today Sascha was towed away. This is a huge relief, and a temporary stopgap in the arterial wound that is my finances right now.

I will be very relieved when the injury half of this Geico mess is over and done with. And when I have a roommate to share the condo with. I'm having an Open House in a week, which I am hoping will help.

I am also pursuing avenues of money making that require bodily sacrifice, but don't sound too terribly painful. The biggest issue there is keeping my weight down. I tried skipping dinner last night to get myself on a more 'large lunch, tiny dinner' track. At 8pm my body rebelled and I snarfed down a bowl of oatmeal. Damn that survival instinct!

I unpacked my last box today, which feels like a win. I still have organizing to do, and decorating (as soon as I do grocery shopping past 2, which includes getting picture hangers), so it's not totally over just yet. But progress is good.

So I spent all day getting stuff done, and now it's 3pm and I feel like death warmed over. This is the conundrum of my life- being active makes me physically and psychologically happier. But it also increases my chances of getting sick. And once I'm sick, I can't be active (or I can, but it makes the illness more prolonged and painful). See the viscious cycle there?

Here's to hoping February (and Imbolc) brings more peace, health, and prosperity to all of us!

Here I am, on the eve of my flight to see Adam. I should be relaxed. I should be ecstatic. I should be feeling fine.

I am the opposite of these things.

( Long. Very long. You are forewarned. )

I would like to be at the party upstairs, being beautiful in silks and chatting up cute (?) men and drinking homemade mead and imported scotch. Instead, I am sitting in bed with three other women in the room who are sleeping or attempting sleep. You see, the thing about getting older is that your brain and heart still want to live it up, but your body says no. It then becomes a matter of will and persistence. And also, being shy about being in a room full of strangers. And getting a headache from all the noise.

Damn getting older making me seem all lame and missing an opportunity to rock the room in a dress I worked my fingers to the bone to produce.
 

Time for a frivolous post that has nothing to do with sewing. Yay! :D

( Bring the lengthy time-wasting, minstrel! )

I've led a pretty damned good life so far. So when frustrating things pop up to block my progress on activities, or keep me from completing goals, I tend to get really upset. Maybe more than is appropriate. For instance, me not getting to go to SCA 12th Night this weekend, even given all my hard work on the costumes, is not the end of the world. Disappointing, frustrating, and embarassing (to flake yet again), but survivable. And probably the smarter decision in terms of my health and getting the house fixed. Still, it has me grumbling. In between coughing fits.

Yep, I'm sick again. I caught it over Christmas, from my Mom, and it hasn't seen fit to leave. It doesn't help, I'm sure, that I'm staying up until midnight to sew, and pretty much running myself raw. I miss being invincible, like I was back in middle and high school. Gods only know how I will deal with being past 60 and all fragile and slow. Ugh. I have 8 hours of sick time that I can take this month, BUT I have been warned that I've already drawn negative attention to myself for taking so much sick time before (swine flu, bad migraines, mental health days, sinus infections, flu, etc). And even though I'm entitled to the time, if I take it so regularly, they'll think I'm worthless in this place and lay me off to save money. And you know what? They would. I'm underworked and not a skilled IT person (because, ya know, I was hired to be a technical writer, not IT), and it would be a financially savvy move for them to lay me off.

And that wall-punching thing? Still hurting. My hand seems ok, but my arm, especially the joints of my wrist and elbow, are aching and hurt every time I type. It feels very similar to when I had to get PT for my repetitive movement injury/tennis elbow from work. Fantastic.

And the house? Broken heater in my room, no hot water in my bathroom, plugged kitchen sink, total mess of boxes, no roommate (not even a potential one)...it's as much of a mess as I am.

The good news is, I'm taking a trip to New York Jan 20th, and I'm going to have a great time. There is no other option. And thanks to Eros for fixing that issue- that was really swift.

I'll take pics after the whirlwind of unpacking is done. My parents are still in town until tomorrow evening, so Thursday will be the first chance I get to really arrange things. I started on my kitchen last night, but I have a feeling the arrangement of it may change soon.

Also, I am sick. It has gone from sore throat to constant headache, sinus pressure, and plugged nose (waaayyyy back by my eyeballs). Regardless, I will don a mask and continue with life as normal, because there is sewing to be done. Everything has been cut out for my Venetians, but I still need to channel and bone the bodice linings, serge the remaining skirt pieces, serge the boned lining and outer bodice together, sew the bodice pieces (both the thick semi-finished bits and the inner lining), then sew those together (to create three layers), sew the skirt pieces together, then sew the skirt to the bodice. And then there are the accessories... In all, I have all day Friday (yay holiday), Sat, Sun, and three hours or so Monday and Tuesday to do this. And to help Lorenza and Gabriela with their pieces and Their Maj's pieces.

So no rest for the wicked, as usual.

In other news, I am watching a lot of Torchwood, and I think I've gotten to the point where my brain is full. I had a lovely romantic dream last night, only my complication was both himself and Ianto at the same time. It was awesome at the time, but a little odd now. Maybe it's just a reflection on my love of WDMs? Speaking of, Spooksquad, if you haven't seen any Torchwood you totally should. It's fun...and WDMs! :P

Anyway, I will be celebrating New Year's Eve by unpacking. What about the rest of you?

I baked sourdough English muffins last night as a prelude to our traditional Christmas brunch of mimosas and eggs benedict, and they were a success (despite Mom's spaztic bitching about how there was no way I'd succeed). Really, I don't know where this is coming from with her. She still loves me, but it's like she doubts everything I do. Gone are the days of "you can do anything you put your mind to". Now I get "there's no way you will be able to do that". Constantly. WTF? Is this jealousy? Illness? Fear that I'll get hurt (in some way I have never been hurt before, and therefore might not survive)? Or is she experiencing some personality shift? It never truly bugged me until yesterday, when she would not stop nay-saying my baking, despite all evidence to the contrary. I didn't lose it on her (three days with the entire family under one roof and I've only lost it on Noel, and only once, thus far). But it did affect me more than I'd like.

Anyway, despite my weeping last night (a bi product of not being pregnant- thanks, hormones- and missing my complication fiercely, and then getting wound up in my own fears about that), Christmas was pretty awesome this year. The stocking stuffers were all a great success, and I am awash in dark chocolate, books, and fun toys. Oh, and kitchen gadgets and a new hummingbird feeder. Yay! We also laughed a lot today, and took a stroll in the afternoon, which was very nice. Both brunch and dinner were a success (as was my key lime pie for dessert), without anyone being stuck slaving away in the kitchen. This may be the lowest drama Christmas day since I graduated high school, thank the gods. Oh, and I had champagne in the morning and about 30 ounces of cider tonight, so that didn't hurt.

Tomorrow I start hauling my boxes to the condo. That in itself is exciting. I'm hoping to unpack a bit on Sunday, after I do a cleansing/blessing spell. Though, to be honest, the energy of the place is fantastic. The previous owner cleaned a LOT, and it feels very well-aired in that respect. I may just crack open some cider and salt to annoint the linels and ward the place, and call it good. I won't be able to acually sleep there until after the 30th, as Noel is using my mattress while our parents are here. But since I can't move that over without a U-Haul trailer anyway, it works.

And my gift to you all is the Simon's Cat videos link: http://www.youtube.com/user/simonscat?blend=1&ob=4
Watch, and enjoy.