At least I'm missing all the drama back home

Holy crap is stress a learned reaction with me. I gave myself a four day weekend this weekend, and Friday/Saturday? Great! Tonight? STRESSBALL, just like I am every Sunday night, despite the fact I still don't have to work tomorrow.

Anyway.

A few weekends ago, Anton and I went to the New Hampshire Renaissance Faire, about 25 minutes north of where we live. It was tiny, but still bigger then what I expected for what is a charity event. We caught a few shows, including the Corr Thieves Merchants, and a fighting demonstration by The Neville Companye. After the fighting demonstration we met Jeremy of Knightly Arts based here in Mass. Barring anything crazy, Anton and I are going to start taking sword classes this summer, then move on to medieval weapons. Both research and fun!

In an effort to be ready, I've stepped up my workouts. I'm not having an easy time of it, my stress levels have only gotten worse since changing my schedule. And I'm one of those people who instead of losing weight when they're stressed, I gain it. I've been tracking my calories, trying to get them around 1600 a day. Problem  is? I'm usually averaging about 6-800. So, my body thinks it's starving but between the pain I have from my maybe ulcer and my myriad of food allergies, there just aren't enough foods out there for me. And, I'd have to be eating from the time I got up till I went to bed, which. No. So.

I've started adding in some protein powder to my drinks to help give me an added boost in the morning. Vegetables need more frickin' calories.

Return of things I Hate Thursday

Hopefully followed by Things I Love Friday.

• Schedule changes. It takes FOREVER to adjust to new sleeping schedules and as a result I've been a veritable zombie at work.
• Speaking of. My new schedule is 8-5. I've been working 8-6 or later, which is more than 10 hours in that building EVERY DAY. It's miserable. 
• Birds. I fucking. Hate. Birds. Specifically? The ones who live in the vent outside my window and wake up at 3 AM EVERY. FUCKING. DAY.  And they won't stop till the sun is fully up which at that point, I can't fucking go back to sleep. Thanks, jerk birds! 
• Talking on the phone. More than just because I do it for a living, but I really, really hate talking on the phone, even to friends and family. It feels like a trap. Email me, text me, whatever, but don't make me talk on the phone unless there's no other option.
• Thursdays. They're just miserable. 

Adventures In Urban Farming

Right. So. You may remember that in March, Anton and I got wild hairs up our bums and decided we were going to make use of our long balcony with excellent afternoon sun exposure and grow vegetables, exercising our green thumbs and sparing our wallets the brutal pain of buying fresh vegetables at the grocery store for a few months.

You may also remember that I live in the Northeast which is always, always, always fucking cold. We didn't.

So, occasionally we have nice weeks and all the plants can stay outside. They love it, we love it, the cats love it. But, inevitably, we have to bring them all back inside and cat-proof them so they don't freeze to death or get blown to bits by the fucking gale force winds that seem to love this area.

It's all gotten to be a giant pain in the ass, and I've become more and more uncertain of any type of payout from this adventure. It's a lot of hassle to move 2 dozen planters in and out and in and out and to make sure that Boyd isn't going to crush them all while they're in the house. But today, while cleaning, Anton discovered this:

A mother-fucking actual vegetable.  It's teeny, yes, but it's the first actual proof that any of these plants are actually  vegetable plants and not some crazy green leafy weeds we just happen to be nurturing.

Weekend Update, Boring Edition

Holy. Bananas. I am still so, so tired. Also, I think I have an ulcer. (Not in my normal 'oh my neck hurts it must be meningitis" but....pretty sure it's an ulcer. So I think I'm just going to stop eating.)

Anyway. The past few weeks at work have been exhausting, but we are finally fully staffed (for the first time since January of 2009. Jesus.) I like the new people all so far- in fact, we finally have a group of positive people, instead of the whining, back biters that were peppered in before.  

BUT, the best thing is we finally earned a bonus for 1st quarter- the first time since I started working there. I wasn't quite sure -what- to do with all of my check for $17.34, but I managed to blow it at Bullmoose in a few minutes like a fool. Maybe next time I'll manage to invest it or something. 

Speaking of solid investments, Anton and I finally have life insurance (So if one or both of us go missing, suspect foul play) and accident insurance (for things like when Anton broke his hand on the Jeep). I have a policy through work too, so if I die in the next 20 years, Anton is set. Again. Suspect foul play. 

In keeping with being a grown up, I start a new shift on Monday so I'll be working at 8 AM like all those other fools. Anton's trying to get his shift moved earlier, too, so that we can start taking Kung Fu together because it would be awesome, motherfuckers. 

Yeah. That was boring. Sorry.  

Rusty wheels

What do you do to feel inspired?

Sometimes for me it's music, or going out for a nature walk or painting. But when I'm feeling a creative streak coming on, but joining it is a severe case of self doubt, I watch "The Muppet Movie."

Ever since I was little, this movie has made me believe absolutely that I can do anything I set my mind and energy too. Probably because Kermit was on Sesame Street,and if he said it, it HAD to be true. He may be one of the must trusted figures in my life.

I'm putting my shoulder to the wheel again. I've got a new program (yWriter) I'm hoping is going to help organize my thoughts- that's the worst thing about me sometimes. I'm so god damn scatter brained, it's really, really  hard to focus my attention on anything for very long. My current project is spread out in 4 different notebooks- not because it's filled  four notebooks, but because I get writing in one, then switch to another for something else and before you know it, everything is scattered and I don't know if I'm coming or going. This is also a major issue for me writing on the computer- it's so counter-intuitive to how I think it's nearly impossible for me to get something done. Stupid computers, all left-brainy. (For instance, computer keyboards make you write straight on,and when I write by hand I actually turn the paper 90 degrees and write so my thumb is parallel to my chest and my elbow is bent 90 degrees. If laptops allowed you to type that way it might feel like I was doing the same thing and maybe I would focus instead of staring off at other things -13 times- by this point in the paragraph. Make that 14. Gah.)

This is also while I'll never win any blogging awards. Everything is stream of consciousness for whatever I can manage to focus to write. Which, of course, makes me terribly interesting. 


Moving on. One of the best things about working on our own separate projects together with Anton is the bonding. The frustration and the elation, we get to go through it together. Doesn't help my extreme jealousy of  his natural creativity though.Holy hell, he can pull you in to his world in a few words. Amazing, natural, untapped potential there.

Hey Hey They Say It's Your Birthday

Happy 8th Birthday to the biggest cacahead in the entire world. My life would be so boring and empty without you. 






Not that he gets online or can read English or has concepts of birthdays.