elanya

So 2019 is upon us.

I'm not super looking forward to going back to work next week, but it does feel like I've had a real break, and I'm glad it's only a three day week ahead of me.

Jola is getting a CT scan next Sunday. She seems fine but the swelling is not getting any better, and is, if anything getting worse. She's on some pain meds that seem to help - I haven't seen her limping much except right in the morning or in the evening before they get refreshed, or if I cave and take her on the too-long walk she demands. She's been a bit more sookie lately, but only for her. However we confirmed over the break that she has been peeing in the basement, generally when she can't get someone to take her out, and are looking for a solution o she can let us know when she needs to go. Probably we'll try the old 'bells on a rope by the door' trick, which she used to know and should be easy enough to go back to.

Maze is okay. I need to take a urine sample to *his* vet at some point soon, but its so friggin *far*. I think my best bet would actually be to walk it down after work some day and then bus home from there. I'll let him out of kitty jail after the tree is down and general Christmas Debris put away. Every time I think I'm doing better with his boxes I find out that I am not, so, uh, I really need to do better. At least (other than the ego table), the other things we thought were him are *not* him. However this means that the toilet in the downstairs bathroom is leaking :p

In non-pet news, I did basically no knitting over the break, even though I'm really pretty close to finishing my shawl and super close to finishing my headband. I *did* do a ton of writing, which was nice. After not really feeling it, I got very into the yuletide spirit when it came time to help the tag-mod team with story checking. I finished my assignment and wrote two treats, and everything seemed pretty well received, with a bunch of comments on everything. I'll do a separate reveals post. I also did noms for chocolate box... I talked to Nary and Longpig and we decided to nom and request a bunch of Diablotin stuff, even though really we'd just be writing for each other if we get matched to it. I'm excited! I should do my signups...

What else, hmm. I'm not really much one for resolutions or anything like that, but I have some general goals. I'd like to write more, and journal more. I want to focus on some more original fiction, but I also just want to make time more consistently for writing. Writing everyday would be great but I'm not sure its reasonable or not. Maybe? Maybe I can start carrying a writing journal and just writing... whatever in it. Release myself form the idea that it needs to be coherent or complete or relevant. Just anything. Maybe I'll use the journal Nary got me for my birthday for that. I started poking at a bigger project yesterday but I have no faith in my own staying power there, so we'll see. It's all good practice, right? I also finished an AW fic I started before yuletide and posted it, which also feels like good momentum.

How are you all, internets world? Any fun projects planned for the new year?

Also, does anyone know any good ways to crosspost form DW to pillowfort yet?

Written last night...tfw when you are too tired to actually hit 'post' but your tab saves your entry for you :V

Today was a weird day - I wasn't at my regular work, and got to mess around with a bunch of collections stuff in preparation for a huuuuuge transfer! Which is closer and closer to happening. My hands are all scratched up though. But it meant leaving home later and also getting home earlier, but a lot of moving stuff around in between.

I feel like I was going to talk about something specific, but now I forget. This is why I never write entries unless they are mundane' this was my day!' sorts of things.

All my games continue to be awesome. I am getting a character portrait commissioned for Korivan, who is my cannibal hobgoblin, and I've got the sketch now and I'm super excited for it! I really liked the artist's style (zuzaarti on tumblr), and I found them by looking for other D&D character commissions >.>

I think I am done my chocolate box fic! I had to remind myself that it is a relationship exchange and does not actually *require* smut ;p I think my fic is different from the prompts but also it hit a looot of their likes so I hope they enjoy it!

Uh, uh uh... what else. I bought snow shoes and then all the snows went away and have not come back in sufficient quantity to shoe in :(so we'll see whether that was a reasonable purchase or not :V

What else, what else.... Maze has been out and about around the house more often, and Sierra is.. growing more accustomed anyway. It means he's been engaging in typical kitty shenanigans like destroying baked goods and trying to drink mouthwash and such. People here have not been prepared to *actually* live with a cat, so that's been fun! I'm also out of the habit, so it's an adjustment all around.

Annnnnd....I guess that's all for now :3 Bed time!

Took an allegra and a rectine. No hives or faceleaking but I am dumb and sleepy af.

But I got many kitty toes trimmed and had some nice cuddles.

I had 13 today and it was a really good session, I think! I'm so lucky to have so many good engaging games, and such awesome people to RP with in all of them. Also got some knitting done.

Yesterday I brought in the yarn in the cherry bark bath.... and there was nothing, no change at all. I'm super disappointed. It just smells gross now :/ I'm not sure if I should rescour it and go through the whole mordanting process again, or what. Maybe I can try again with some queen anne's lace/wild carrot tops, which are supposed to be green. Maybe bark dyes just don't work with solar dyeing. I dunno, but I am disappointed, boo :(

I need to pick a writing project. I finished all my exchange fics and have freedom to do what I want if I only could decide what that is ;p

Today I filled in for a class, giving a tour and showing people the database at my old work.

The database, I would like to note, is not finished and doesn't work. Well, you can't use it to add live data. I have no idea what the proff/director thinks he is going to have people do with it. I told them that if the idea was to help SA, then what they could do, practically, was physically put codes on objects. If the purpose was to help them get familiarized with how archaeological data is organized, then putting info into the testing database could be useful. I don't think he actually understands that you can't use live data in the test database, because they use different pools to draw their unique numbers from - so if you have assigned an object, or a box, a code in the live database, it won't b recognized in the test database, and vice versa. And you can't even import other information, necessarily, because if the forms change or get renamed, information gets orphaned and it throws errors at you. And also there are so many bugs in the test database still that it was painful to try and show it off :p I did what I could :p

I wound up eat out for lunch and dinner - a burger at 5 Guys for lunch, and then a salad with grilled chicken and smoked bacon for dinner at the Early Bird. And then a bunch of junk (pop corn and a brownie sundae) at knitting. Knitting was fun - there were a few new people - and I got bunch done on my sock.

Also this morning I woke up to unexpected kitty cuddles, so that was nice :3 Apparently kitty was out roaming, so BiL opened my door to see if he wanted to come in. The downside was the allergy attack that came later, and having to wash my quilt and vacuum in my room. Stupid allergies :/

Another not-super productive day, though I did manage to wake up early. Tomorrow at the museum should be good - I at least have things to do, which is always better than me trying to find things to work on. I did some more writing and got my sister to look it over and assure me that it is comprehensible and interesting. Woohoo! I've got a better handle on the plot now too, and things are Moving Forward.

Tonight was knit night, which is always nice. It can be a bit like introvert club, depending who is around, where we mostly just sit quietly together and work on our own things we meet at the boardgame café in town, and it can be fun to listen to other people. There were some folks playing a game called... um... battlesomething? Superfight? I forget, shoot, because it looks like a ton of fun. The basic gist from what i could tell is that everyone drawn an adjective and a non card, and then you argue for who would win in a fight, with the person whose 'turn' it is arbitrating. There is some way of modifying things as well. It seemed like it would be awesome with a group who was sufficiently creative and ready to go to bat for their weird ideas (50 moose vs internet trolls, google vs the grim reaper, etc).

In terms of actual knitting, I got most of the heelflap re-done on my sock. I can finish that and probably get the heel turn started on the bus tomorrow if I opt to knit (I probably will). I'm sort of sick of knitting them at this point, though.

Maze was about catting around a lot today. I coaxed him out when the kids were playing video games in the morning, and after he sat with me, he decided to follow me around the house, Sierra was closed in Longpig's room, and kittyface was being sufficiently cute that she left Sierra there after she got up, and he hug out causing minor kitty mischief all morning and part of the afternoon. Apparently he can't tell the difference between mint and catnip. I also managed not to have a major allergy attack while petting/playing with him, though my hand is still red and itchy where he scratched me (my fault, I couldn't resist the belly...)

( Pet pics! )

In other news, I failed at waking up before 10, probably because I didn't get to sleep for well over an hour after I went to bed. I think journaling before bed is probably not my best plan, all told, as it does not help my brain settle. I have found and ripped back my knitting, trimmed Jola's nails (it's an ongoing battle vs entropy to ever try and get them short), and written about 200 words. Rogue One (again!) tonight!

I mentuioned that we've been having some animal adjustments noqw that I've moved in with longpig and wererogue... especially as regards Maze, my kitty.

We have a set up where the laundry room is latched so he can get out, but the door won't close all the way, so it won't close *on* him. The dog and kids can't get out, so it gives him somewhere to be safe that he can retreat to, but can come out and explore when he's feeling safe.

We've also been leaving the downstairs door open at night. Two nights ago, he came up in to my room to snuggle with me at night, and I escorted him back downstairs in the morning. It was lovely to have him sleeping on my feet again!

This morning.... wererogue woke me up because he was out in the back garden @_@ We must have left the patio door cracked open to let in the cool air, and then the kids closed it this morning. I have no idea how long he was gone for - I assume it was after we all went to bed around 1, but before the kids were up at 6:30. The garden isn't closed off by any means, and there are other animals in the neighborhood...

I'm glad he is chipped and has all his outdoor shots, and that he CAME BACK but D: Scary!

We're going to have to be a little more careful.

So, the last time I managed to update was before I left the US.

( Now I'm in Canada, yaaaaay! )

Bah, v. 2.0

It turns out my brain is not the problem, or at least not the *only problem.

Stupid uterus.

On the other hand, I managed to capture a rare moment today where the cat and dog were somewhat grudgingly sharing space. The cat (Maze) had usurped Jola's regular space on the futon while Jola was hogging the sunny patch of carpet. She later started whine/growling at me to let her up on the couch.

As a side note, my poor puppy is always a little uncertain about whether she is allowed on the furniture, and sometimes needs to be expressly invited. I suspect this is because she is *not* allowed on the furniture at the dogsitters where she spends several days a week and who generally take care of her while I'm away. Just now I had to get up and tell her she could get up in her regular space. Silly Jola :3

Anyway, which morning I got her to go up on the couch, where she sat awkwardly for a few minutes, staring at the very indifferent cat, who was smugly napping. Yes, of course cats can nap smugly:

( pic under cut! )

I got Jola to lie down, but she did not look impressed:

( pic under cut! )

When I went back to the couch she stared expectantly at me for a little while longer, but when I resolved to get a picture of that as well, she decided to give up, cleaned herself, and curled up to sleep. They napped together for quite a while! I can't remember now what disrupted it... oh no, I can. I got up to get a piece of pie (coconut cream, made partially with coconut milk, baked by my roomate!), and Maze decided he needed to lick the plate.

Okay, I am feeling marginally better, so I am going back to this article for a bit :p Then maybe knitting and getting caught up with Person of Interest once naryrising is home from her dinner out :)

I had a very full sounding day that still included a lot of sitting around on the couch doing very little.

I got my roomie to help me take my cat to the vet in the morning to get some shots (though I realize I forgot to pick up Jola's flea and heartworm stuff - d'oh!), then treated myself to Subway for lunch ($5 footlongs :V). In the afternoon I had an interview for Tag Wrangling Staff, which I think went really well, and officially the longest interview I have ever had for anything. But computer stuff goes slower by its nature. I think it went really well though, and now I wait for them to finish other interviews and hear back from Volcom :3

After that it was minor hose things, like cleaning the cat box and doing dishes. Excite! I am working on weaving in the ends on my Night Vale socks, but there are a lot of them and I am not very good at it yet, especially where there is a lot of pattern to deal with. And there are 6-8 ends per sock :( I have four done in total. I think the ones on the toes were the worst though, and I did both of those. They were knit in black yarn on size 0 needles and I have a very tight gauge, so they are tiny and impossible to see. the advantage is that the fabric is so tight that I don't think it would be noticeable at all if I fucked it up (which I surely did >.>) If I remember tomorrow I'll bring my ruler downstairs and tell you the stitches per inch so you can shake your heads at me ;p But for reference, I was comparing gauge with tethys123 and to get the gauge she has on 0's, I would have to go up probably at least two needle sizes. The purple ends I have done were definitely easier. Never knitting in black on 0's again @_@

Tonight, other than end weaving, I watched another episode of Person of Interest with naryrising - now up to s1e5 :D I'm really enjoying it so far and I hear it keeps getting better, so score!

Gonna try and finish weaving in ends tomorrow, and if I do i will cast on my firelight vest. I also meant to clip Jola's toenails and somehow she escaped that fate for now! The other thing I would like to do if I have time/don't spend all day knitting and gaming, is to start working on background stuff for my changeling LARP that I am going to run at this year's Webercon. Because I am a masochist, or something @_@