lillian13: (Default)
 (taps mic) Is this thing on?

So... it's been a minute, hasn't it? 

Huh, let's see. I got let go from my job at the end of September 2016. Finally got another full time job right after my birthday in July of this year. However, I have the BEST FRIENDS IN ALL THE UNIVERSE and I was able to get some temp gigs, so I came through pretty well. I got a refi on my house so I finally have a French drain next to the workshop which so far has kept the workshop dry, a new back door, and a few other things that needed taking care of sorted.

Spencer the Cat disappeared on me October 25th, 2017. He went out and never came back. (No comments about indoor/outdoor cats, please. I'm well aware of the statistics, but he was completely out of control unless he got to go outside for a large part of the day.) Ripley has been absolutely thrilled to be an only cat, so I'm holding off becoming a Cat Lady until after she passes away. Which will be a while, she may be 14 1/2 but the vet says she's one of the healthiest cats she's ever seen, LOL.

I've been harassing [personal profile] seperis a lot; making her feed me and harassing her, Child, and the bunnies.

Christmas was pretty good. Excellent present-wise, but I had to spend 3 days dealing with in laws and future in laws (my brother is getting married again, OH JOY), plus I had a funeral on Saturday. By Christmas Day, I noped out of any further celebrations, slept late, and went to see Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse. Go see it!
lillian13: (Default)
While I am making great strides (LOL) in my knee recovery, I've reached the stage where my brain is tired of TV and reading and keeps telling me that I Need To Be Productive, Damnit. So I went on an errand--just a quick run to the pharmacy, the Asian grocery in the same strip center (frozen dumplings!), and the Post Office.

Spent the rest of the day on the couch, under the ceiling fan, with my cold pack on my leg. Ugh.

What killed me was standing in line at the Post Office though I wasn't in line for very long. Standing still for any length of time is...annoying. Plus it's hovering around 90F during the day with high humidity and a lot of haze coming up from Mexico where they're burning fields.

On Sunday I somehow managed to completely lose my main key chain--it had my house keys (unlabeled) and my Mazda car key/fob. Guess who couldn't find her spare car key, even after tearing apart the house and having a friend come over and look? So I used AAA to get the car towed--luckily I had left it unlocked after my last trip--and took it to the dealer. Thank goodness for an upgraded membership; at least the tow was free.

A couple of hours later, I had two shiny key fob/keys. They only cost the equivalent of TWO car payments and at least one water bill. 

And on Monday I had to have the appliance repair dude come out and work on the fridge.

However, I continue to astonish my home PT person. I have figured out how to not only clean the cat box, but how to move the big trash cans to and from the curb. (Her comment, "Now you're just showing off.") She's releasing me to outpatient PT next week.

How are YOU doin'?

lillian13: (Default)
 All right, the House Elves are officially On Notice. Since I moved in 2 years ago, the following items have vanished: my nuclear tie-dye hoodie, a long-sleeved t shirt, a (brand new!) short-sleeved t-shirt, one striped sock, and now a pillowcase.

That I know of.

This is getting annoying.

I have my own washer and dryer, no roommates. 

THE T SHIRT AND THE HOODIE WERE NEVER IN THE WASHER.
lillian13: (Default)
 Um hey...been a while.

I'm mainly on tumblr..https://www.tumblr.com/blog/bylillian

So, I'm 51 today. Not feeling it--I've been kind of down lately, thinking about my sister who died just about 2 years ago. Now all I have as a direct relation is by brother, and we don't communicate. 

ANYWAY. I've had some very good shows. SoonerCon was good and shows signs of being one of those cons that will get better the more often I am there. I have ArmadilloCon in a couple of weeks, and I do pretty well there too. I keep being asked to do one day pop up shows outdoors and I'm all NOPE. No more outdoor shows until the fall.

Spencer Cat got into something last night. I've been letting him out in the evenings; he usually runs around for a bit and then just lounges on top of my car. Last night he was coughing a little and today I can see scratches on his head and ears. He's kind of grumpily curled up in the smaller cat bed, but he did eat last night and he did come out to supervise the AC guy this morning. So I'll keep an eye on him.

Work is...work. I'm starting to sniff around in the job market, since I don't have a hope in hell of advancing much here and I'm really bored with the actual job. I've been here 15 years though, hard to break that habit.

Going to see Minions tonight with J & L. Will celebrate with the family after the World's Best Niece and Her Fabulous Finace (they're getting married next year!) come back from Comic Con. I am soooo jealous. I need to go back next year.
lillian13: (Default)
Argh1: What I thought was a strained muscle in my left shin is, in fact, stress fractures. WTH? All I can figure is they started last year when I was working with my trainer (I had similar symptoms though they were gone pretty quickly), and I somehow did something at the show last Sunday to exacerbate the problem. I'm seeing my PT on Monday, at least I will have a course of action.

NON-ARGH 1: The World's Best Niece is now engaged! I really like J, he's smart and funny and a huge nerd and he respects her.

Arrgh 2: Have been informed by my home financer that my payment will be going up almost $100/month. I'm calling them on Monday to find out what the problem is. I JUST got my tax notice in the mail yesterday and I plan on contesting the 25% increase in listed value, so they have no call to increase my escrow...$100/month is a LOT of money to me right now, and I'd really rather not have to count every single penny in order to save a multinational corporation...$650.

NON-ARGH 2: Said Fiance, (now known as the World's Best Fiance), climbed up in my attic yesterday to check on some things for me because I Simply Do Not Bend That Way Anymore, Thank You. Good news, all my worries are merely cosmetic and resulted from the previous owner's DIY work cutting some corners.

Arrrgh 3: Car is hesitating upon acceleration again, AFTER I spent $300 to get the coil/plugs/plug wires replaced. Hopefully this is an easy fix.

NON-ARGH 3: I'm going to be on Amazon Marketplace! One of their handmade market recruiters saw my work at the Flea last month and I'm in the process of getting branded and my work certified handmade. I'm starting with my bowls and such since it takes so long to get jewelry certified, due to the sheer amount of fake "handmade" work out there. I will, of course, keep you posted.

Arrrrgh 4: Because of the stress fractures, I can'd do the Vortex show this coming weekend, and I'm hesitating about working in the workshop, because it involves a lot of getting up/down from my chair, which I think is what set them off.

NON-ARGH 4: My tax refund (thank you, home office deduction!) AND my "extra" paycheck showed up last week, so I was able to get the trees trimmed back and the yard mowed, buy jewelry supplies,  and pay entry fees into a couple of shows, including SoonerCon.
lillian13: (Default)
 Well, I left Austin on Friday with an annoying cough. I came back from Denver with real hacking cough, rattling lungs, clogged ears, and occasional shortness of breath. Saw the doc and I now have a steroid pack and an albuterol inhaler. We're trying to head this off a the pass before it becomes bronchitis. BUT--I got to see my lovely friends SJ and S and we had amazing Korean food on Saturday night. (I always like this convention. Sales are very good, I'm friends with many of the vendors, and the Girl Scouts set up in the lobby selling cookies. :-) )

It snowed on me in Denver on Sunday. Lovely, fluffy, wet snow and I was very glad to leave it. I am a Southern girl.

I see the oncologist tomorrow and on my FPs recommendation I'm asking him about my hormones; don't know if the script needs to be changed.

I NEED to start my taxes this week.

In good news, I got into both WhoFest and Soonercon! And I got an email from a woman who saw my work at the Flea. She "works with a team at Amazon to bring local artists to Amazon" and she loves my work.  eeep! This could be an amazing opportunity.
lillian13: (Default)
 I did hear from the oncologist last Friday, as I was frantically trying to get one of my "Project Goals" done at work--i.e., Projects You Take On To Look Good When They Decide Raises.

He says he's extremely sure I don't have a tumor--the T-cells were reacting as if they were fighting a local infection/inflammation. He was hoping to hear from the pathologist this week; but I have an appointment with him the week after next and he'll give me the details.

I'm...relieved? No longer anxious? The most noticeable effect is on my creativity--January was a black hole of suck but I'm back in the workshop again. I actually cooked for the first time in weeks (as opposed to heating up frozen things). I borrowed a ladder to finally get up in the attic and poke around.

Though my brain continues to be weird. I JUST NOW NOTICED that my first show of the year is on this Sunday, not Saturday. Which is good! I can get some more earrings made with my new blanks and maybe make a quick run to the farmer's market.

I'm heading to Denver over the weekend of the 13th for Genghis Con, flogging shirts for Mr. Pegasus. I'm supposed to hear from a couple of conventions this weekend--WhoFest says I'm in (but I have yet to see an invoice), and Soonercon. I hope I do get into Soonercon--I'm told it's a nice large fan convention and I tend to do well at those. Plus I have friends to stay with. ArmadilloCon still doesn't have a Guest of Honor, and they aren't getting my money for a table until they do.

That's all for now. :-)
lillian13: (Default)
Saw the oncologist today. He was very reassuring. Not a talk-down-to-you type of specialist, thank goodness. He figured out pretty quick that he could speak to me like an intelligent adult.

They drew blood, because he wants to test the T cells that were spotted in the lymph gland tissue.

If they are all one type of T cell, that possibly means cancer, and they'll want to do more tests and such.

If there are several types, that means there was a general inflammation of the lymph gland for whatever reason, and we just keep an eye on it from now on. 

So, after a very nice chat with the phlebotomist (five vials of blood!), I went back to work. I'm glad I'd gotten a ton done this morning before I left, because I got jack-all done the rest of the day. It was a weird combination of relief and exhaustion. I came home and cried and made myself eat dinner and then just vegged out in front of the TV. I've been doing that an awful lot lately, but I have had zero mental motivation to do anything, really. Even go into the workshop, which is annoying. I can feel myself trying to slide into depression again and I really would rather that not happen, OK?

If I don't hear from the doctor by next Monday with the blood test results, I'm supposed to call him. Here's hoping I'll hear from him before then.

lillian13: (Default)
I've come to the realization that the amount of stress in my life may be just a tad high. 

Tuesday, I think I had a genuine panic attack.

I checked my bank balance after the long weekend (well, long for those who get federal bank holidays off), tried to subtract my mortgage payment, and the resulting large negative number almost made me faint. I went into overdrive: I immediately moved my tiny savings into my checking account, remembered my hoarded $100 bill from Christmas in my wallet, and begged a $200 loan from a coworker. I drove over to the credit union, slammed the money into the account. and was driving back, calculating how much food I had in the house....

....when my actual fore brain kicked in and gently reminded me that I had, in fact, paid the mortgage 2 weeks ago, right on schedule. I had made arrangements to pay my sales taxes out of this paycheck, along with covering some show fees, some supplies, and maybe some computer "reading" glasses. (Yes, I need "readers". I hate getting old.) Everything was fine, and what the hell was all the yelling about?

So, I went back to work, apologized to and thanked my friend; promised her I'd have her cash back in the morning, Then I spent the rest of the afternoon shaking and weird.

That evening my gynecologist called. She'd been having a hard time getting a specialist to look at my results. The cells were "atypical", and she wasn't totally convinced that it was just a lymph node flare-up. So, I'm seeing her specialist, an oncologist, on Monday, and he's going to go over my options. He seems to think that the lab wasn't rigorous enough in their cell testing. I have no idea what to expect.

I had lunch with [personal profile] dremiel  on Wednesday, which helped quite a bit.

Today was rainy and cold and gross and I haven't been getting enough sleep (surprise!) and so I've been feeling really down. But bingeing on 5 episodes of "Galavant" have helped. Plus ice cream.

Just gotta get through until Monday afternoon. Wish me luck?

Boob Update

Jan. 7th, 2015 05:26 pm
lillian13: (Default)
 Home again, with an ice pack and the Good Cupcakes from the Good Bakery. Plus a chocolate croissant.

The procedure went well; everyone was very nice and willing to explain things to me. It was kind of cool to see the needle go into the lymph note in the ultrasound. They took 3 samples and then put in a little titanium tissue tag to mark it in case they need to come back in. 

Then I got a bonus mammogram, but it was not nearly as harsh as my usual ones. They needed to check the location of the tissue tag. 

One of the techs mentioned that I was one of the nicest patients they'd had! I explained to her that I COULD be a raving bitch, but I preferred to save it for when I actually needed it. :-)

I went over to [personal profile] dremiel 's house and met the new cat, and then we went to lunch at the Frisco. I ran errands for a couple of hours since it will be wet and cold this weekend instead of just cold and windy, and bought the Good Cupcakes. I may or may not cook tonight. Pizza may be in my future.

Now I wait, and ice my boob. And catch up on my shows. (Person of Interest, why did you feel the need to gut me?)
lillian13: (Default)
 Aaaarrrgh.

Just got a call from the Womens' Imaging Center where I had my appointment to get my needle biopsy. 

Seems an alert tech was going over her schedule for Monday and noticed that they shouldn't have scheduled my procedure at that location, because THEY DON'T HAVE THE EQUIPMENT THERE. (Because I'm not getting just a needle biopsy of my boob, it's my lymph node.)

So, they called to reschedule. For Wednesday. Much farther away. The scheduling person very kindly offered to make it Friday so I'd have a long weekend ("If you work". What. The. Actual. Fuck.) I rather tartly replied that I'd rather get this over with, thankyouverymuch.

So now I have an additional 48 hours to stew. I'm glad I'm not much of a drinker because I have a whole 6-pack of good cider in the fridge along with some excellent local mead.

And it's too cold to go out in the workshop.
lillian13: (Default)
 Quick update...

After various holiday office closings, I finally got my doctor to give the go-ahead to the clinic for the needle biopsy. Going in Monday morning at 8:30, so I guess I'll get an early start on fulfilling my deductibles! I was told not to lift anything over 5 lbs for a couple of days after that and I'd want to take the day off from work. So I've emailed my lead (since he's off until Monday). So I have even more time to stress, yay!

In better news, I had a lovely nice long conversation with my brother-in-law and have introduced him to the cult of texting me weird pictures on his phone. And I'm having dinner with my nephew and his girlfriend tomorrow sometime, and I had a great lunch with a couple of old gaming buddies who I never get to see anymore.

I've already blown a chunk of my Christmas money on a new bookshelf and 2 sets of storage drawers from IKEA. I think I'll spend New Year's Eve putting things together, because it will be Amateur Drinker's Night out there and it will be raining and slick and cold.

Thank you all for your forbearance and kind words. I'll try to be a better correspondent next year.
lillian13: (Default)
 It's been a week and it's only going to go on. Venting ahead, feel free to skip.

Last week, on the prep day for my colonoscopy, the mammogram folks called me and wanted me to come in for an ultrasound of my left breast. So I had that anxiety free-floating all through the horrible all-liquid prep, subsequent dehydration and FOUR TRIES to start an IV on me (I have some excellent bruises). 

I did have a good show on Saturday, where I was not only inside but next to the bar, and a lovely woman named Mary Grace and her two teenage sons insisted on helping me load out. And by "helping", I mean they did 90% of the moving and loading. It was very appreciated!

I wanted to to that show on Sunday as well, but since I have FOUR CHRISTMAS FAMILY THINGS this week, I needed Sunday to Do All The Things. I did A Lot Of The Things.

Got up too early this morning (though nowhere near as early as Colonoscopy Friday, 4 am is just gross), and after my boob was ultrasounded, the radiologist explained that my lymph node was denser and rounder than last year, and they really want to do a needle biopsy. So now I'm waiting to hear from my gynecologist, which may not happen until after Christmas. I'm calling tomorrow just to speed things along. Because I Do Not Need This Shit Right Now, Thanks.

I KNOW, logically, that it is overwhelmingly likely that it's nothing serious. But I lost both my sister and mother to cancer, and I'm really, really scared.

It didn't help matters any that I came in to find a work crew busy building out the cubes on the other side of my wall, so my day was spent with very loud banging, drilling, talking, dropped metallic objects, and did I mention the constant hammering and banging that transmitted into my desk and keyboard? I was able to escape for a bit with my boss's blessing, but driving around 3 days before Christmas on errands is not exactly soothing.

So now I'm very tense and slightly hyper, I have work the next two days and the in-laws Christmas tomorrow (about 45 minutes north of here), then Christmas Eve with L and J and J's mom, and I have to clean that day since we're doing the Divorce Christmas again, with my brother in the morning and at my place with my sister-in-law that afternoon so my house has to be at least habitable and I've been staging shows out of it for a month and I've just about had it and it isn't even goddamn Christmas yet.

EVERYTHING is setting me off. Normally I just roll with things and weeks like this but it's just been one damned thing after another and I'm just so stressed and worried. I've been crying over everything and my stomach is all in knots.

But I did get the thank-you cookies to the cafeteria crew and the mailroom crew at work, and dropped some off at my pharmacy (because they're awesome) and bought cupcakes for my mechanics and a box of candy for the lovely folks selling my work for me at Blue Genie. And I'm leaving brownies in the mailbox for my mail carrier. And my Christmas lights look awesome and I've been selling well at Blue Genie and that rattle in my engine compartment I thought was serious was just my loose hood lever. (Thus, my mechanic gets cupcakes.)

lillian13: (Default)
 OK, since it's been...THREE MONTHS? since I posted last, here is What Has Been Happening, the Short Form:
  • I had a wonderful time in San Francisco--we ran around, went to a Giants game, ate All The Food, and went to the Winchester Mystery House. Very fun and relaxing and I even bought shoes.
  • Summer shows went well--I sell very well at SF conventions, and now I'm seriously considering doing Soonercon in June, since I have a couch to crash on.
  • I would love to go to Sasquan in Spokane next year, but even a year out the air fare is something like $300, plus I have to buy a $140 membership on top of a $250 table. Since The World's Best Niece and her new boyfriend want to go back to San Diego Comic Con, I may just do that instead, since I have several standing offers for passes from friends who are dealers.
  • I may be getting the other bunion fixed before the end of the year since I met my deductible, and now that the other one is fixed I can tell that this one is bothering me.
  • After I deal with the madness that is Austin Celtic Festival this weekend, I have to start prepping for the Blue Genie Art Bazaar! This is a juried month-long indie artist craft mall--the organizers handle all the transactions, etc., and the artists are responsible for their displays and restocking. Getting in was a Big Deal for me, and now I'm panicking just a wee bit, trying to figure out my display, etc. 
  • The wonderful woman who let me use her garage as a workshop for over 2 years passed away. Joan was incredibly generous to someone she didn't know (I know her daughter). She went out on her own terms, though. Came home from the hospital, walked around her house, had a couple of margaritas, and went to bed. She died in her sleep. I miss her terribly.
  • I'm on tumblr, where I mainly post pictures of my work: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/bylillian
lillian13: (Death and Death and DEATH)
Well, I asked and was gifted: the Austin Municipal Court rescheduled my court appearance for the 14th of July. So I don't have to spend half of my birthday dealing with traffic court, which is awesome.

Birthday plans continue apace--if you live local to Austin and want to come, the party is at Mr Tramps on July 10 from 7-9. Presents totally optional but loved (as I am 12).

I now have new glasses! They are very hipstery:




Yes, that is chain detail at the temples. I am such an old metal nerd.

POSTCARD CALL! I'm going to San Francisco in a couple of weeks and I'll be finding and sending postcards. Let me know if you want one. (You can message me your address if you've never gotten a card from me or if your address has changed in the interim.)

 
lillian13: (Default)
I keep meaning to post and meaning to post, but I open up the window and stare at the blank screen and go "...fuck it" and go do something else. Like play Threes on my iphone (OMG addicting game).

The foot surgery went fine, despite me being moved from the much-less-expensive surgical center to the hospital proper because my BMI was too high. The hell? Yes, I'm overweight and working on it, but I will defy you to find a "thin" person who has better bloodwork, etc. than I do. *sigh* I had pins sticking out of my toe for a month, and I had to wear a boot-thing, then stiff-soled sandals for another 2 weeks, but it is now a pretty darned happy foot and I'm back to my regular routine at the gym, etc. Which is good since I need to be in good condition to visit San Francisco in July!

The house continues to be scary but wonderful. I mean, I get compliments on it ALL THE TIME, and so far nothing major has gone splooey. We had a nice heavy set of rainstorms last week and since I put up my redneck retaining wall* on the side of my driveway that gets all the runoff from my neighbor's roof, there was no water in the garage afterwards! I need to add some concrete to the base of one of the poles on my chain link fence in the back yard since it's rusted out right at the base and frankly the money isn't there to do a major repair. I may do that tomorrow if I get up early enough for it not to be a damned sauna outside. I finally caved and turned on the AC, probably for good for the season, last night. The humidity was just too gross and I couldn't sleep.

I have changed doctors; I'm no longer seeing my brother. Which is good as I get the impression he's been phoning it in for quite a while. My new guy seems OK; he never mentioned my weight and gave me a couple of suggestions about why I'm having "hot flashes" when there is no way I'm going through menopause yet. (Heartburn, who'd've thunk?)

Also, I have moved all of my LJ entries over here, so if you have a DW account and I'm not in your circle, can you add me? I don't really trust our Russian Overlords not to get taken down by Putin.

* There was a pile of that cheap scalloped concrete brick in the back yard, which got moved in the rain because I am crap about planning ahead sometimes. It looks junky, but you can't see it from the street and it seems to be working so far. I'll replace it with something nicer as soon as my budget permits.


lillian13: (Default)
Well, it's official. I have my first broken bone.

Remember the toe? That my MD brother said wasn't broken? Well, last week I looked at it and said "This ain't right." to the cat, who was very unimpressed. I made an appointment with my podiatrist, who took x-rays and told me it was REALLY REALLY NO I MEAN IT BADLY BROKEN.

And, of course, it needs surgery, because that's just how I roll. He may also fix the bunion on that foot while he has the hood up; I'll know in a day or so.

My trainer gave me the exact same look my podiatrist did when I told them it really doesn't hurt (it doesn't). I'm beginning to think I may have missed my calling as a linebacker or MMA fighter.

So, right now we are tentatively set for April 2nd, not quite 2 years to the day after my first knee replacement. I already have a ticket to see Captain America 2 on that Friday and the Gem & Mineral Society's Swap Meet is the next Saturday. I want this done ASAP, as....

I am TAKING A VACATION OMG. Got the tax refund back (thank you, house!), and blew part of it on a ticket to San Francisco over the 4th of July, in order to take advantage of vacation days, a couple of excellent friends, and my 50th birthday the following week. No shows, no family, no commitments. Just FUN. And possibly baseball. (Just checked, they are playing the Cardinals the 1st-3rd. Awesome!)

House continues apace. I replaced my shower head and I 'm down to 3 boxes in the living room. House warming is the 29th, so I need to get art up on the walls!
lillian13: (Default)
Really, I'm not. I often say "The last bug that bit me DIED", and I haven't had to take more than one day (knee surgeries excepted) off for illness in over a dozen years. It was the flu then, and it's the flu now.

I already had a doctor's appointment to refill my scrips, but by noon I was feeling pretty terrible. I went in, mentioned my symptoms, and my doc said, "It's the flu. Get this filled and go home." So I hit the grocery store and went home. 

Yes, I got my shot. But that was back in September/October. It may have worn off or I caught a variant. So far it's been pretty mild--some fever, headache, sore throat, lower back ache (though that seems to be over), some sinus clogging (mostly my ears), and a Complete Lack of Brain. Seriously, [personal profile] dremiel  texted me to see if I wanted anything and I could not decide on what crackers I wanted. I just could not. I stared at my phone for a solid several minutes before I told her to get me whatever. 

THIS IS VERY ANNOYING. I just found out that I have a show next Saturday (8th) and I have to get some things done. I've been lounging around (well tbh, it's either been really cold or I've needed to Get Shit Done Around The House), and haven't rebuilt my inventory. I'm going to try to get some coin stuff done today, which mainly involves putting holes in things.

Also, I am trying to train to walk the Capital 10K. This will be my first race-like thing ever, and I'm doing it to celebrate my new knees and newfound strength. Luckily my company will pay my entrance fee, since good walking shoes are expensive. Very expensive. I know it's only 6.2 miles, but I really need to build up my endurance. [personal profile] dremiel  and her son will walk with me, which is going to be a huge help. And my trainer wants to come cheer me on--if he can spot me, they had 18,000 people participate last year.

So, bleah.

lillian13: (Default)
Well, this year has been a hell of a roller-coaster ride.

About this time a year ago, I was just starting to contemplate buying a house. It took six months but I finally found one. (I'm still a bit in shock; I'd always assumed I would be a lifelong renter. Both my Amazing Sister-in-Law and my Realtor-in-Law worked tirelessly to make this happen and I will always be in their debt.)

At the end of January, I finally bit the bullet and both joined the YMCA and signed up with a personal trainer. A decision I will never, ever regret.

In July, I lost my sister to lung cancer. It was a blitz attack; six weeks from diagnosis to death. And oh, yeah, I turned 49. And my brother's divorce became final. July has a lot to answer for.

In August, I lost an old friend to suicide. Still working on processing that one.

In September, I had one of my best shows ever (WorldCon in San Antonio.) I've started showing at SF cons more, which cost me more (out of town expenses), but usually pay out more. Plus, they're inside, unlike the majority of my local craft shows.

I discovered new fandoms/shows! Teen Wolf, Person of Interest, Elementary, Sleepy Hollow, Almost Human, Adventure Time, Pacific Rim...

For some reason, I appear to have also lost a friend. A woman I have known for over 10 years just...stopped talking to/communicating with me. No reason, no explanation. Since she won't tell me, there's nothing I can do. *shrug* It really bothered me for a couple of months, but now I'm at the point where she will either call me or she won't; it's all on her. I sent her a birthday card and a Christmas card, but if I don't hear from her, I'll have to write her off. I refuse to pine after someone who has apparently decided I'm not worth her time.

I hope your year hasn't been too horrible, and I wish you the best of all possible 2014's.


lillian13: (Default)
Sunday was InLawMas. Went over to my sister-in-law's family Christmas, which they have always been gracious enough to invite me to. I took over a basket of earrings and tie bars, plus a couple of gift cards for a new mom and a college guy who would have no use for a tie bar. I got a couple of gift cards and a nice bottle of wine. We ate until we all fell over, then I went home and did laundry. :-)

Christmas and Christmas Eve were very pleasant. I do Christmas Eve with my friends J and L and J's mom. It was kind of low-key, because L's hedgehog had died that day. So, she wasn't very upbeat. (The vet said it looked like the breeder had been very bad with inbreeding; Lilo's heart was about 4x too large and there were other anatomical problems. (Though personally I've never seen the point in having a pet with a maximum lifespan of 5 years, she was a very cute and friendly critter.))

We went out to Threadgills to have a dinner we didn't have to make--yay grilled pork chops and applesauce and chocolate icebox pie!) and then we went back to open presents. Everyone liked what they got--I know I put a lot of thought into their presents, since I've known them for almost 30 years!

Christmas Day, the World's Best Niece and I went over to my brother's house. We had breakfast (Aunt Mary's rolls, bacon, and homemade eggnogg) and watched Emily, the visiting Golden Retriever, destroy things. My nephew called and we did stockings--stockings are big in my family--and presents, and talked and talked. Then the Niece went off to do Newly-Single-Woman Christmas with her mom and I went home to watch Hogfather.

My friends from Connecticut are in town, so we went to dinner last night and talked and talked. We're going to dinner tonight and then we're all watching the Dr Who Christmas Special, among other things.

House: In the midst of all this I had the home warranty folks over to work on the oven, which I noticed was running 5-75F too hot. Not only was the thermostat in need of replacement but the igniter needed to be replaced. The thermostat is ordered, and at least it's only running about 25F too hot now...I've also trimmed back all my plantings and raked up some of the leaves. At least I can see the sidewalks now! I'm torn between putting them out for the trash guys or starting a compost pile.

Tomorrow IkkiCon starts, so I'm spending about half of my vacation time dealing with tween and high school anime fans. Yay. The cash will be nice, though.

Profile

lillian13: (Default)
lillian13

September 2019

S M T W T F S
1234567
89 1011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
2930     

Syndicate

RSS Atom

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Jul. 8th, 2025 04:54 pm
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios