Vacation + Anniversary Post!
Finally I will chronicle what's been up lately. Lack of motivation has been eating me for a bit, but I have conquered it for today.
Vacationnnnnnnnnnnn
I flew down on to Florida on the 22nd, from the O'Hare airport at Chicago. Jeremy was nice enough to drive me, even though we were both dead tired because we had to leave at 2am and neither of us had had more than an hour's nap first. I would have gotten lost and missed my plane except that Jeremy kept steering me to the correct places, so I got to the gate just as boarding was beginning. It was interesting to get to fly again, since the last (and only other) time I've done it was when I was eleven years old; mostly it was boring and I read a book and the seat was uncomfortable so my butt was sore when I disembarked in Orlando.
I met up with chieira at the airport (after we couldn't find each other for a bit, lol), then got to see ALL THE PALM TREES and have Wendy's chili and go shopping with them at Aldi. That evening, we went to Wal-Mart to get ingredients for apple pie, then made that and watched YYH. It was super fun, but I was super tired at the time, so I don't remember if there was other stuff. (eyedart) Then on Sunday, we went to the beach! I did wear sunscreen, but evidently not enough and also I forgot to reapply after swimming, so although it was immense fun and I found all the tiny seashells, I got sunburned all over my back. It didn't really hurt until Monday, though, so the rest of Sunday was trolling Ron Jon Surf Shop for a new bikini top (did not find one; everything was too small o.0) and board shorts, then back to the apartment, with a stop for KFC and Long John Silver's (WHERE IS THIS IN MY LIFE). On various nights that week, we watched Asian horror movies (A Tale of Two Sisters and Muoi: The Legend of a Portrait) and another horror movie I don't remember, Cabin in the Woods, all the Resident Evil movies (we went out to see Resident Evil: Retribution in the theater!), and lots and lots more YYH.
Mostly it was a lot of hanging out and talking to both chieira and her fiancé Josiah, nerding out about movies and having philosophical discussions and doting on their cat, Chance. I rediscovered The Dark is Rising and got to ride on Josiah's motorcycle. It was one of the most relaxing weeks I can remember for years, insofar as I literally forgot what day it was a couple of times and didn't feel anxious when I realized it. I was afraid I was going to feel anxious all week, actually, because I'm so bound up with 'home' and always need to be at home to recharge, but I didn't freak out at all… except at the airports, for which I think I cannot be blamed.
I also got a tattoo! I wanted to get a full FMA transmutation circle, but the guy said he couldn't do it that small, so I got a symbol from part of one. I've since been told that I could probably get the full circle a lot smaller than that guy said was possible, so I may yet save that for later. :3 It was on Friday so it was the last full day I was there, and it hurt SOMUCH but I evidently sat through it stone-faced even though the whole time I was certain I would burst into tears at any moment.
chieira and Josiah drove me back to the airport on Saturday (amidst joking about how we were picking up Jeremy, right, and NOBODY WAS LEAVING WERE THEY) and so I got into Chicago around 3pm. Jeremy and I had a bit of worry about finding my suitcase at baggage claim-it was brand new, since I had to buy a new one in Florida at Wal-Mart because the duffel I'd brought had burst its zipper, so that it had security tape all over it when I found it after getting off the plane in Orlando-but we made it back on the road fairly quickly, and shared driving so neither of us would fall asleep. Dovaan kept us company. We got back to Iowa City near 8pm and then had a short but awesome session of Exalted before I crashed extremely hard. I spent Sunday decompressing and gaming. On Monday, I randomly got a flat-screen TV with Susy's help, and because she also lent me vacation money I owe her all the dollars and am desitute.
Then came the week of being depressed, inexplicably, mostly centering around another spate of OHGOD NO ONE EVER INITIATES CONTACT WITH ME OR CARES ABOUT KEEPING THEIR PROMISES and culminating in the events of this past Sunday, when my GM was itinerant and kind of an asshole and. Things. I've therefore decided not to bother gaming for the next few weeks, not because I don't want to, but because I don't think I can handle having shit not work out as planned. Instead I am doing lots of extracurricular game work and building rolling tables and trying to keep Jeremy from poking verbal holes in the GM on my behalf every time he encounters him.
Yesterday was my 4th anniversary, so Jeremy and I both took the day off from work, and… did nothing. We contemplated going somewhere and doing something, but instead we hung out at the house all day, watching Star Trek and talking and cuddling and gnawing on each other. It was really nice and really relaxing. I also discovered that Netflix has Cadfael and Poirot, which made Jeremy have a long-suffering eyeroll but even just the theme music made me all asdgasdfggwaeMYCHILDHOOD.
In related news, Jeremy and I have agreed to look for a house together-as in, a house to actually buy and be ours. I am beyond ecstatic, since I've been wanting this for an unfathomably long time but previously he's been resistant to the idea. We talked about it, and he acknowledged that really the reason he hasn't wanted to, is that he doesn't want to feel tied down to Iowa and having a house feels like the Seal of Residential Permanence for him; however, he said he realized that was mostly emotional, and all the practical reasons why we really should get a place of our own were, well, really practical. We couldn't even have realistically moved out of state for years, anyway, or at least not without losing some things we really rely on right now (like the medical insurance both of us get through my job), so we'll be hunting about for an agent with chieira's help (LACI ILU).
So I'm back up to feeling okay this week, I think, apart from no gaming for a while, which despite being my decision is still making me a sad kitty.
I'll try not to vanish again for super-long periods, yes? Also I will picspam soon.
Vacationnnnnnnnnnnn
I flew down on to Florida on the 22nd, from the O'Hare airport at Chicago. Jeremy was nice enough to drive me, even though we were both dead tired because we had to leave at 2am and neither of us had had more than an hour's nap first. I would have gotten lost and missed my plane except that Jeremy kept steering me to the correct places, so I got to the gate just as boarding was beginning. It was interesting to get to fly again, since the last (and only other) time I've done it was when I was eleven years old; mostly it was boring and I read a book and the seat was uncomfortable so my butt was sore when I disembarked in Orlando.
I met up with chieira at the airport (after we couldn't find each other for a bit, lol), then got to see ALL THE PALM TREES and have Wendy's chili and go shopping with them at Aldi. That evening, we went to Wal-Mart to get ingredients for apple pie, then made that and watched YYH. It was super fun, but I was super tired at the time, so I don't remember if there was other stuff. (eyedart) Then on Sunday, we went to the beach! I did wear sunscreen, but evidently not enough and also I forgot to reapply after swimming, so although it was immense fun and I found all the tiny seashells, I got sunburned all over my back. It didn't really hurt until Monday, though, so the rest of Sunday was trolling Ron Jon Surf Shop for a new bikini top (did not find one; everything was too small o.0) and board shorts, then back to the apartment, with a stop for KFC and Long John Silver's (WHERE IS THIS IN MY LIFE). On various nights that week, we watched Asian horror movies (A Tale of Two Sisters and Muoi: The Legend of a Portrait) and another horror movie I don't remember, Cabin in the Woods, all the Resident Evil movies (we went out to see Resident Evil: Retribution in the theater!), and lots and lots more YYH.
Mostly it was a lot of hanging out and talking to both chieira and her fiancé Josiah, nerding out about movies and having philosophical discussions and doting on their cat, Chance. I rediscovered The Dark is Rising and got to ride on Josiah's motorcycle. It was one of the most relaxing weeks I can remember for years, insofar as I literally forgot what day it was a couple of times and didn't feel anxious when I realized it. I was afraid I was going to feel anxious all week, actually, because I'm so bound up with 'home' and always need to be at home to recharge, but I didn't freak out at all… except at the airports, for which I think I cannot be blamed.
I also got a tattoo! I wanted to get a full FMA transmutation circle, but the guy said he couldn't do it that small, so I got a symbol from part of one. I've since been told that I could probably get the full circle a lot smaller than that guy said was possible, so I may yet save that for later. :3 It was on Friday so it was the last full day I was there, and it hurt SOMUCH but I evidently sat through it stone-faced even though the whole time I was certain I would burst into tears at any moment.
chieira and Josiah drove me back to the airport on Saturday (amidst joking about how we were picking up Jeremy, right, and NOBODY WAS LEAVING WERE THEY) and so I got into Chicago around 3pm. Jeremy and I had a bit of worry about finding my suitcase at baggage claim-it was brand new, since I had to buy a new one in Florida at Wal-Mart because the duffel I'd brought had burst its zipper, so that it had security tape all over it when I found it after getting off the plane in Orlando-but we made it back on the road fairly quickly, and shared driving so neither of us would fall asleep. Dovaan kept us company. We got back to Iowa City near 8pm and then had a short but awesome session of Exalted before I crashed extremely hard. I spent Sunday decompressing and gaming. On Monday, I randomly got a flat-screen TV with Susy's help, and because she also lent me vacation money I owe her all the dollars and am desitute.
Then came the week of being depressed, inexplicably, mostly centering around another spate of OHGOD NO ONE EVER INITIATES CONTACT WITH ME OR CARES ABOUT KEEPING THEIR PROMISES and culminating in the events of this past Sunday, when my GM was itinerant and kind of an asshole and. Things. I've therefore decided not to bother gaming for the next few weeks, not because I don't want to, but because I don't think I can handle having shit not work out as planned. Instead I am doing lots of extracurricular game work and building rolling tables and trying to keep Jeremy from poking verbal holes in the GM on my behalf every time he encounters him.
Yesterday was my 4th anniversary, so Jeremy and I both took the day off from work, and… did nothing. We contemplated going somewhere and doing something, but instead we hung out at the house all day, watching Star Trek and talking and cuddling and gnawing on each other. It was really nice and really relaxing. I also discovered that Netflix has Cadfael and Poirot, which made Jeremy have a long-suffering eyeroll but even just the theme music made me all asdgasdfggwaeMYCHILDHOOD.
In related news, Jeremy and I have agreed to look for a house together-as in, a house to actually buy and be ours. I am beyond ecstatic, since I've been wanting this for an unfathomably long time but previously he's been resistant to the idea. We talked about it, and he acknowledged that really the reason he hasn't wanted to, is that he doesn't want to feel tied down to Iowa and having a house feels like the Seal of Residential Permanence for him; however, he said he realized that was mostly emotional, and all the practical reasons why we really should get a place of our own were, well, really practical. We couldn't even have realistically moved out of state for years, anyway, or at least not without losing some things we really rely on right now (like the medical insurance both of us get through my job), so we'll be hunting about for an agent with chieira's help (LACI ILU).
So I'm back up to feeling okay this week, I think, apart from no gaming for a while, which despite being my decision is still making me a sad kitty.
I'll try not to vanish again for super-long periods, yes? Also I will picspam soon.