Spending Labor Day preparing for Muzume...
Finally! I put together my office so it doesn't look like my stock in Post-Its exploded. Additionally, I finally got the computer that Hunny gave me and Kayrin reformatted up and running. While my current monitor is doing some sort of flashing fading in and out, the computer is running like a champ! Yay having friends to help you out when you need it! I knew the old tower was dying a slow and miserable death, but I ALSO knew that there was no way I would be able to go to graduate school with it. Not only was it freezing and restarting itself randomly, but when it was running, it would take forever to load anything, to the point where I went through Smurf's photos at work and had them printed out in Philly because I just couldn't take looking at the monitor anymore. It was a big panic for about three months trying to figure out how we could afford a new computer, and then Hunny just suggested that her and JonBenet had a tower they were no longer using.
Seriously, if you put out enough positivity into the ether, eventually it comes back when you need it.
The office is nicely arranged; I finally got the trash out, organized the aforementioned Post-Its, and put some of my new schoolbooks in the stairs Kayrin made when we were in college. The printer is live (I'm not sure if it'll print yet, but at least I finally found the cords after eight years!) and the desk is somewhat cleared off. The free weights are neatly arranged by a bookcase, and I got my foam roller out of the packaging. While both Fidget and I are not exercising today, it's nice to be able to take a day off and relax.
Smurf's bachelorette weekend was a tiring experience. Though I had high hopes on Friday when I left work and didn't hit any shore traffic, I was stopped dead when I crossed the PA line. Gigi took me through the brighter side of Chester (/end sarcasm) in order to head up and finally get to see Numfar. While we lamented for a few hours, I then took her on an adventure to procure liquor for the weekend. Then I followed Gigi again to get to the Walgreens for the pictures, finally arriving at Kayrin and Otter Bucket's apartment around 1900.
We ate an awesome dinner of steaks, mushrooms, and roasted beets and turnips, then loaded up Toby for the long drive North. After arriving at 0130 amid setting Toby and myself on fire, Kayrin and Otter Bucket went to bed while Smurf and I planned her wedding until 0430. I was tired, but glad I could be there for her in order to help get things a-rolling.
(Kayrin is doing very well quitting smoking, however, she knew she would cheat. Right after crossing the New York border, she asked for Otter Bucket to give her a cigarette from the back seat. Otter Bucket didn't know Kayrin had the cigarette, so when she went to pull away, she pulled the cherry off with her fingers. This prompted Kayrin to flick the embers below her console, which I easily put out. Then I felt my left side getting hot; she had ignited half of a straw wrapper under my butt! I was now pouring water onto the seat and telling Kayrin to pull over, which we did. We arrived at a service area with Kayrin having blisters on two of her fingers and I having a wet Rorschach blot on the back of my grey work pants. It was an exciting ride.)
After sleeping for only six hours, we awoke to boggart Otter Bucket's lunch with her parents for some awesome food. Kayrin and Otter Bucket then went off in an adventure to find a tiara and maybe some beads, while Smurf and I headed back to the house to finish the invitations and assemble my craft project for the evening's festivities. We got all dolled up, went to a wine bar, and had an excellent night. The red-headed sluts and my scrapbook went over very well.
We awoke on Sunday to get ready to go to Smurf's parents', where we had a late birthday lunch. Most of her family was there, so it was good to catch up. Afterward, we got back on the road, taking longer to drive due to torrential rains. I was finally able to work my way home at 2330 last night.
It was a very busy weekend. While I had hoped to wake up this morning and go to Power, there was no chance after an exhaustive and tiring argument with Fidget. I woke up, finally finishing the dumb book Smurf gave me, and then started reading for my first class in Muzume. (Yes, I have reading due on the first day of class.) I ended up passing out of sheer exhaustion for a couple hours, then got my stuff together and came upstairs to finally assemble this office.
I'm hopeful for the next couple days. I'll be donning some comfy clothes and heading downstairs to eat the cheese plate and other noms that Fidget is preparing. After we have a good night, we'll wake up tomorrow to face my four doctor's appointments, Fidget's one, and Onyx is getting taken care of as well. We'll be all set for the first day of school.
Indeed, there is work due around Smurf's wedding. While I do have a test that day, Bluejay and I have concocted a scheme where she might live with us for a week in between Smurf's wedding and the last Covered Bridge, as Mary K is moving. We might be able to relax and see each other over a span of a few days, instead of my working my ass off to finish the paper that's due for one class and study for another. I have visions that I will be sitting in the back of the party bus on the way home from Connecticut, wearing ear plugs, and trying to focus on some type of assessment type something.
But still hopeful! Wish my third class would post a syllabus, but I'll learn about it soon enough in a week. Right now, I just want to re-read the chapter on my Kindle in between all of the doctor's appointments, and work toward balancing the work-school-life balance that I've been talking about for the past year...
... we'll see how this all works out soon enough!
Seriously, if you put out enough positivity into the ether, eventually it comes back when you need it.
The office is nicely arranged; I finally got the trash out, organized the aforementioned Post-Its, and put some of my new schoolbooks in the stairs Kayrin made when we were in college. The printer is live (I'm not sure if it'll print yet, but at least I finally found the cords after eight years!) and the desk is somewhat cleared off. The free weights are neatly arranged by a bookcase, and I got my foam roller out of the packaging. While both Fidget and I are not exercising today, it's nice to be able to take a day off and relax.
Smurf's bachelorette weekend was a tiring experience. Though I had high hopes on Friday when I left work and didn't hit any shore traffic, I was stopped dead when I crossed the PA line. Gigi took me through the brighter side of Chester (/end sarcasm) in order to head up and finally get to see Numfar. While we lamented for a few hours, I then took her on an adventure to procure liquor for the weekend. Then I followed Gigi again to get to the Walgreens for the pictures, finally arriving at Kayrin and Otter Bucket's apartment around 1900.
We ate an awesome dinner of steaks, mushrooms, and roasted beets and turnips, then loaded up Toby for the long drive North. After arriving at 0130 amid setting Toby and myself on fire, Kayrin and Otter Bucket went to bed while Smurf and I planned her wedding until 0430. I was tired, but glad I could be there for her in order to help get things a-rolling.
(Kayrin is doing very well quitting smoking, however, she knew she would cheat. Right after crossing the New York border, she asked for Otter Bucket to give her a cigarette from the back seat. Otter Bucket didn't know Kayrin had the cigarette, so when she went to pull away, she pulled the cherry off with her fingers. This prompted Kayrin to flick the embers below her console, which I easily put out. Then I felt my left side getting hot; she had ignited half of a straw wrapper under my butt! I was now pouring water onto the seat and telling Kayrin to pull over, which we did. We arrived at a service area with Kayrin having blisters on two of her fingers and I having a wet Rorschach blot on the back of my grey work pants. It was an exciting ride.)
After sleeping for only six hours, we awoke to boggart Otter Bucket's lunch with her parents for some awesome food. Kayrin and Otter Bucket then went off in an adventure to find a tiara and maybe some beads, while Smurf and I headed back to the house to finish the invitations and assemble my craft project for the evening's festivities. We got all dolled up, went to a wine bar, and had an excellent night. The red-headed sluts and my scrapbook went over very well.
We awoke on Sunday to get ready to go to Smurf's parents', where we had a late birthday lunch. Most of her family was there, so it was good to catch up. Afterward, we got back on the road, taking longer to drive due to torrential rains. I was finally able to work my way home at 2330 last night.
It was a very busy weekend. While I had hoped to wake up this morning and go to Power, there was no chance after an exhaustive and tiring argument with Fidget. I woke up, finally finishing the dumb book Smurf gave me, and then started reading for my first class in Muzume. (Yes, I have reading due on the first day of class.) I ended up passing out of sheer exhaustion for a couple hours, then got my stuff together and came upstairs to finally assemble this office.
I'm hopeful for the next couple days. I'll be donning some comfy clothes and heading downstairs to eat the cheese plate and other noms that Fidget is preparing. After we have a good night, we'll wake up tomorrow to face my four doctor's appointments, Fidget's one, and Onyx is getting taken care of as well. We'll be all set for the first day of school.
Indeed, there is work due around Smurf's wedding. While I do have a test that day, Bluejay and I have concocted a scheme where she might live with us for a week in between Smurf's wedding and the last Covered Bridge, as Mary K is moving. We might be able to relax and see each other over a span of a few days, instead of my working my ass off to finish the paper that's due for one class and study for another. I have visions that I will be sitting in the back of the party bus on the way home from Connecticut, wearing ear plugs, and trying to focus on some type of assessment type something.
But still hopeful! Wish my third class would post a syllabus, but I'll learn about it soon enough in a week. Right now, I just want to re-read the chapter on my Kindle in between all of the doctor's appointments, and work toward balancing the work-school-life balance that I've been talking about for the past year...
... we'll see how this all works out soon enough!