Juni's Magick Brownies....

Well done Glatt!

Thor's new hockey team looks like it's going to be a really good match for us and he's going to get a shirt with the logo of the pro team that play at the same arena (who we like to watch/support) and he had a great practice today :D

Tonight, we buried Dad's ashes, and planted a cherryblossom tree in my brother's garden.

It's a stretch of woodland at the back of the house that leads into the wider woods. There are areas set out for seating (logs and sunk chairs, a swinging chair, couple of hammocks. A vegetable patch and ferret runs. A caged house with climbing trees for Darwin, the rescue squirrel (he can come and go as he pleases and has apparently acquired a mate). There's a tree house with a little observatory platform. Lanterns dotted around. A campfire in a clearing. And now a cherryblossom in another clearing

It's a lovely setting.

It'll attract bees. Which would please dad no end. Loved his bees *smiles*.

Mart had already prepped a spot; and we planted the tree and buried his ashes by moonlight and campfire. Then sat around on logs and in hammocks, drinking wine (juice for the little-un) and baileys, chatting and laughing. Me, Mum, my bro and his wife and their two girls. And Dad, of course, in a way :P

It was lovely. And given how much of a night-owl dad was, it was right too.

That sounds really nice Dana. Peaceful.

How beautiful, Dana! I'm sure your Dad would have liked it.

Oh it was:) and he really would. :)

Well done!

It sounds like a nice location. Peaceful, and close to family. It's nice.

Thanks you lot. :) It's still a struggle some days, but I think I'm pretty lucky.

Dana, that sounds just right!

Ah Dani I'm pleased.
He was loved, he is remembered and his remains are somewhere special by his own reckoning.

I'm not sure what's making me happy today, but I really am.
Perhaps just Autumn - my favourite season and where I'd live all year if I could.

Walked into town even though I was tempted to get the bus - within 100 yards I was so glad I had. Exercise, weather, money in my pocket (even though it was all allocated for bills and household shopping) all combined to put a smile on my face.

Now I have full cupboards, a shop bought sandwich for lunch (my one indulgence - I didn't have my traditional payday McDonalds breakfast!) and enough staples in the cupboard to last another month.

Oh and Mum & Dad have been lusting after something shown in a TV advert without knowing what it is. I've identified it as Eggs Benedict for them - it's really only an eating out breakfast here, and comes in far lower than the traditional Full English. I've offered to make it for them for lunch one day. So Mum is once again looking at me as the harbinger of all things sophisticated and cosmopolitan. I like that.

Oh, oh - and I've found my winter jacket!
It's in Tesco (supermarket) so it's reasonably priced. I doubt I'd find anything so nice on eBay, especially once you factor in postage. And anyway it's exactly what I want. Picture below, although I'll be buying it in fuschia pink.
Did I mention I love it?
Going to save up.

I wore my cape all last winter, but my internal temp was screwed up by being so very overweight and by drinking. I might feel the cold a little more this year as I continue to lose weight and stay off the sauce. So I'm going to buy it in a size 18 (tried it on, buttons nicely over a vest but is a little snug yet) as an incentive.

It'll be the first new winter coat/ jacket I've bought this century.

Here it is in green, the fuschia has black buttons.

Sounds beautiful Dana - When I die tell someone to do that for me, I'd really like to bee around sorta.

We did something very similar for my brother. A gathering of friends and family scattered his ashes on a hill that he was very fond of. There's nowhere else he'd rather be, of that I'm sure.

My father is stargazing amongst the red rocks of Sedona. Someday, when it's her turn, my mother will join him.

awe. I'd like a piece of that, pie.

Something like this.

Sounds like a peaceful place to lay your father down to rest Dana.


As for me I just received another interview invite. That's two in seven weeks of unemployment. Things are looking up! Even if I do not get a job at least I'm getting bites.:D

Fingers crossed for you!

Ancient Chinese Salad Lady is back!

:celebrat:

Yes, my life is that boring...

After educating Mum on Eggs Benedict, she made it for her and Dad this morning for breakfast.
I always get up later than they do - mostly indolence (and my ongoing issue sleeping - I might not fall asleep until 04.00) but also to keep out of their morning routine, which has been 40 years in the making.

So when I got up at 09.00, Mum was already over at Maureen's, feeding her cat - Maureen has gone away for a few days, it's a reciprocal arrangement. Mum came back and said, "Oh, I left some Hollandaise sauce, I was going to offer you breakfast."

GUTTED. I'd just had Shredded Wheat with skimmed milk. So much healthier, but I never have anyone to make me breakfast, let alone the fiddly, washing-up-rich fare of Eggs Benedict.

But she then continued, "I'll have to make it for you fo lunch instead."

RESULT! And I am now full of lovely, fatty, buttery goodness, and feeling much loved. Helps that I pulled off an awesome honey & mustard pork last night I think. Oh and they're going out for dinner with my sister's family - for my neice's 15th birthday and I'm not invited. Mum feels guilty, but of course it's not her guest list and totally not her fault. But hey, I got a lovely lunch out of it.

thank you limey!

Outstanding - I could see it in my mind's eye - wish I could do the same for my dad. I'll pretend he's next to yours, and I was next to you, if you don't mind.

I've been unemployed since the end of August. I barely see my wife these days because she's going to school full-time and is now working almost full-time. I live in my mother-in-law's house, and will probably be here at least another year. And I hit my highest weight ever 2 weeks ago.

But you know what? I'm happy to be alive. I have a wonderful wife, a roof over my head and caring friends and family. The situation is not very good right now...but it will get better. And it could be a whole lot worse.

All I can do is keep plugging away...eventually I'll have a job and my wife will be done with culinary school. And I'll be able to buy my guitars back and she can have her dream kitchen. And we will have our own place to live again...hopefully a house!

I've been in some pretty dark moods the past few weeks. I just try to keep telling myself that things WILL get better. It may take a while, but it will get better.

Damn right it will bro. Oh make sure you fix your fantasy team before those remorseless Ponies put a hurt on you. :)

Wow, sorry to hear all that sycamore. You had to sell your guitars?!?! That sucks. Well keep your head up. Good vibes sent your way.

She has someone she needs to fix...a WR, I think.

In looking at my team by players and points, it doesn't look that bad. But when I look at it as a whole, I'm just like, "Fuck!"

What a beautiful tribute.

Unfortunately, yeah: my bass, my guitar, my effects board and my PS2 and all its games. Didn't want to, but we hit a financial low point in August so they became expendable.

I am hoping...HOPING...that this is the absolute low point in my life. I thought I hit it when I got sick 4 years ago, but no...this seems to be the low. And if this IS the low, then I'm gonna be alright.

BD#2 told me today that 10-yr old grandson has become totally obsessed with Dr. Who.

She said, in some bemusement, "and he has all of the last Doctor's episodes on hold at the library. What a nerd."

That's my boy!

*cheers*

I just got word they found a liver for my ex cow orker and he went into transplant surgery Tuesday night. Waiting for word on outcome!

OMG - Thats such wonderful news Shaw!

fingers crossed...

Thanks guys. Isn't it wonderful? From death's door (more than once) to hopeful recovery. My ex-school put the word out to bombard him with cards, and I had just put one in the mail that had a big mean cat on it that said "Are you going to get well soon?" The inside said "Or am I going to have to get crabby?" LOL...I think he'll like it because we did some serious crabbing (and laughing) when we both worked there. :)

New news: off respirator and breathing on his own. Liver and kidneys functioning, getting color back. He's a little behind in recovery because he was so weak to start with, but it looks good.

happy dance! By Gawd, I'm gonna see that effer at NEXT year's Chicken Festival. :)

I'm praying for him.

That's awesome, Shaw!

Make sure you're signed up to be an organ donor, y'all. It might save someone's life.

Good point, Clod. Thanks! :)

Oh Shawnee that's so fucking amazing. *big hug* What wonderful news.

What's making me happy, is a haircut. yes, I know, after Shaw's that sounds woefully trivial but...I've avoided going into a hair dressers for most of the last decade. Every so often, maybe four times in last ten years, I've gone to a salon. It's always been stressful and a Big Deal. Mainly because I have eczema on my scalp and am very self-conscious about it if there's someone messing about with my hair. And also because it generally feels like a big spend to me, especially if I am wanting to colour it too. And then using the colour is always stressful, in case I react. So...making an appointment a few days ahead, I'd end up dreading it. And then half the time I've walked out not entirely happy with the cut.

I am fortunate that both my mum and my SiL can cut hair pretty well. But a professional haircut is a different thing.

Having some back-up cash in the bank (from Dad), removed a big chunk of stress from the idea and I've been mulling it over. Then I suddenly thought yesterday that actually, the eczema is hardly there at the moment. Haven't felt it much for a few days. So on my way into uni to see my supervisor, I dropped into the campus salon (in the underground campus shopping centre) and booked in for a cut and colour for after my meeting.

They were lovely. The place wasn't brimming with Beautiful Young Things as I had originally thought it might be. The Hairdresser I saw was great. Really nice atmosphere in there. Gave good advice on styles and colours. I was out of there in less than 90 minutes (pretty good with a permanent colour) and it only cost me £35 (plus £5 tip). Booked in a couple of hours ahead, so no build-up to stress. Didn't even have to travel to it, because it's right there on campus. Relatively cheap, but a nice salon; didn't feel stressed about the money because Dad's chased the wolf from the door.

I've gone to a darker and richer shade of brown. And I like the cut.

I, too schedule haircuts around my sporadic eczema outbreaks. What an aggravation.

Har! I just bought a new laptop and digital camera:)

I dont like travelling with my council laptop in case anything happens to it...and anyway I haven't got admin powers on it. My old digital camera has been a pain in the butt for a while - battery needs replacing and it's only 5mp.

I needed a decent one for my research trip at the end of the month, so I can take pics of the records rather than trying to note down all relevant details at the time. I also want a laptop I can work on comfortably. So...

Got an Acer Aspire 5536 Laptop (2.1Ghz, 1MB Cache; 4gb Ram; 320gb Hard drive) with a Sapphire blue finish.
And bought myself a Casio Exilim EX-S12 (plus additional 4gb Kingston memory card)

Did I mention I booked my research trip? *skips about a bit* oh yes. Travelling down to Kew Gardens on the monday (26th) spend all day tues and wed in the records office, travel back Thursday.

AND a new iPod?

you must have gotten a new sponsor?

Edit: ah..just saw your previous post. good for you, D. Material things CAN make you happy. it's just a matter of appreciating them.

Watch out Dana, you'll be a mainstream consumer/capitalist before you know it! You're on a steep, slippery slope!

Now, where's the instruction booklet for my home latte frother...

Honestly, I find the whole choosing and making decisions on purchases too painful to start going through it as some kind of regular hobby :P The ipod was easy to choose, because I'd already tried mum's. The laptop on the other hand has taken several trips to look around stores and two or three stints of web-searching and reading reviews etc. Likewise the camera. And I am not sure I was making an informed choice so much as a blinded by too much information choice.

Ran the laptop spec past J before buying it and seems I lucked onto a decent choice...which was fortunate because two hours earlier, I'd been a mouse press away from panic-buying a £600 custom built Dell on account of being able to have it in blue. The machine I bought was £379. It's blue. See...my brain turns to mush if I have to make major/important purchase decisions.

Wegman's finally opens its store near me. A supermarket that is 132,000 square feet in size. Everything top quality. Belgian beers, complete in-store bakery, three types of store-brand brie... fresh bagels with deli-mixed cream cheese in nine different flavors... Indian and Chinese food in the buffet...

In order to avoid health or wallet catastrophe, we are beginning a new round of dieting today. That should restrict us to the fresh produce and the chicken aisles.

WTF?!?!? BEER?!?!? No way.

:drool:
Man, this is torture. I used to live/work next to TWO Wegmanses. We're finally getting one here in Columbia, but it's going to be another year. At least they've started the construction!

Congrats, Tony!

So they're selling beer via The Pub? Nice move to get around PA's draconian liquor laws. Looks like a nice store.

Remember, UT...shop the outer perimeter. That's generally where the freshest and best for you food is.

Not so, sir! At Wegman's they have revisited every rule of how supermarkets operate. The produce is in the center of the store, and forms its own, larger aisle.

The beer is in the outer perimeter...

Really? Interesting...

Wait...it's actually in the store? How?

If you have beer, you can only check out through the registers that lead to the restaurant area.

Wegmans is awesome (ours is on Downingtown)... actually helped me kick my Wholefoods habit. I don't know how long they've had beer, but we noticed it over the summer at some point.

The red curry chicken on the chinese hot bar is outstanding.

The one in Princeton made awesome potato samosas. Their liquor store was adjacent to the main grocery store, and had its own cash registers.

Now I'm needing a samosa fix..

Birthday present inventory: Guitar Hero 5 (w/GH Van Halen on its way), $25 Best Buy gift card, a leopard-print Snuggie (w/free reading light), a new pair of pink Crocs and dinner at Mimi's Cafe...oh, and a birthday cookie! No complaints...this turned into a good birthday.

what? no butt plug?

He can always wrap the snuggie up.

You told me it would be here this morning...still waiting.

I'd love to see you enjoying all three of these at the same time. Photos please :D .

Happy birthday Sycamore!

I just realized, in one week exactly, I will have been here (at this job) for a whole year. Wow...time's fun when you're having flies!