Holidays are so strange sometimes.
So I'm finally back in Chicago, after a lengthy string of shenanigans.
It was a pretty good visit home, all things considered. Tuesday night we went out to a concert at the Kennedy Center - "the Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber." I know it's not what the 'cool kids' think, but I do really enjoy his music, so that was a lot of fun. Selections from Whistle Down the Wind, Sunset Boulevard, Aspects of Love, Phantom of the Opera, Evita, Cats, and a few others that I wasn't very familiar with in the first place so I didn't really recognize the music, although I recognized more pieces than I thought I would have, due to my obsessive fangirling of Michael Ball. Tuesday night I also started and finished reading Sandman volume IX. I have volume X in my bag, courtesy of Mike, and will read it sometime before he gets back on Tuesday.
Wednesday was very quiet; I mostly laid around and played Persona 4. (More on that in a minute.) rabbitbenrin showed up around 6. We had tasty nom chili for dinner, and then annoyed Mom, played some games, I refreshed Yuletide obsessively for a little while after midnight, and then there was sleeping.
I got up moderately early on Christmas Day, and we had the traditional breakfast of orange spiced scones and my mom's cinnamon rolls. Cousins of my mom's showed up, and then the whole kit and caboodle. Around 4 pm the sheer noise was too much for me, so I ran away upstairs to my bedroom and shut the door so I could call Mike, who was in fact skiing at the precise time I called him.
I went back downstairs and there was epically wonderful Christmas dinner. My cousin Steve only decided to start shit twice, and I was sharp and sarcastic back in both cases, and I'm pretty proud of myself for only actively starting (well, responding to) that crap twice. I got to see my Uncle Robbie, who's my godfather, and that was pretty awesome. He promised he'd come out to Chicago this year. Then again, he said that last year, so I have my doubts. But I still adore him. XD
After all the family left, we opened presents, which we'd meant to do before everyone got there, but sometimes it doesn't happen. I got a Wii Fit from my parents (which I have been unsuccessfully hunting for for a while now, and I'm really excited.) They also gave me an electric teakettle and a small electric griddle, two things which were sadly lacking in my otherwise very well-equipped kitchen. Oh, and a really awesome cheese slicer in green marble with one of those handles that goes up and donw guillotine-like. We tried it out when Mom was making a snack plate yesterday and it is very, very effective. Much more so than a knife. Happy cat is happy.
Mom also gave me Eternal Poison and The Last Remnant, both of which I knew I was getting because I actually purchased them and brought them home, then Mom reimbursed me. Daddy gave me a 750 GB external hard drive (for the record, that triples the max capacity of both my computers combined!) and so backing up my data will become much, much easier. Yay. Oh, and there was an ornament - my parents have started giving me an ornament every year. I got a gorgeous berry-coloured sweater from Banana Republic, and a sizeable gift card to same. I also got a Best Buy gift card from my cousin Bobby, and a sizeable gift in cash from Uncle Robbie. A pretty generous haul, all things considered. My Grandma Mim sent me a card with some money in it as well.
Ben stayed over Thursday night also, and we fuzted around for most of Friday being lazy. There was more Persona 4, and snuggles. About noon my phone rang, with United informing me that my flight was cancelled. I was not at all a happy kitty. Fortunately my mom purchased the trip protection for me, so they rebooked me right away - to the 6 am Saturday flight. *headdesk* *sigh* I spent a little time last night playing the piano, and realized that the pieces for which I have muscle memory - "Keyboard Jewels" and "the Music of the Night" - went much easier than anything else I tried to play, but hell if I haven't completely forgotten how to read bass clef. Treble I am completely fine with, but bass clef and I don't get along.
I didn't sleep well last night and caught some broken napping between 1 am and 3:45 when my alarm went off. I got up and Mom and Dad drove me to the airport, then stood in line with me while I checked in. The check-in line was stupidly long, and the security line even longer, although to be fair to security it was moving faster than any security line I've ever seen at BWI. I managed to get through security and sprint to my gate, arriving at the latter at 10 till 6 (closest I have ever in my life come to missing a flight), but they were aware that they had people still checking in so they were pretty good about it. I tried to sleep on the flight, but I was too tired and too wound up to sleep. Most of the flight was very smooth, but it got really bumpy around Chicago thanks to the ridiculous fog. When we were landing, it was like flying through cloudbanks except I could make out the Rosemont Convention Center off to the right - very disconcerting.
I got my luggage faster than I have ever managed to do at O'Hare before, and caught a cab home - I was in my apartment by 8 am, which is not bad at all. I figured if I didn't get my necessary errands done right then, I wouldn't wake up in time, so I promptly dropped my luggage (the elevator is out, which is NOT AT ALL HELPFUL) and hightailed it off to the Whale to feed intorporeal's pets. From there, I hit Jewel to get what I needed to make dinner for yi_sen and celeloriel tonight, and then went to the vet, where I retrieved a very unhappy Ganon from boarding. The rain was absolutely pouring down in solid sheets while I tried to maneuver my way back from the vet's. I stopped at McDonald's to get breakfast - not the healthiest, I know, but damned if I haven't lost another 5 pounds since Thanksgiving putting me solidly at 134, although I have no idea how that happened since I've been eating everything in sight - and then managed to wrestle the 20-pound cat, a 20-pound tub of kitty litter, three bags of groceries, my purse, and my breakfast into the apartment, without incident, and without benefit of the elevator. This was aided by a very nice neighbour who opened the downstairs door for me, but I'm still pretty proud of my accomplishments.
I set up Ganon's litter, fed him and watered him, ate my breakfast, and then txted celeloriel to let her know I was in, then went to bed. This was around 10:20 am. Mike called around 11:30 and we chatted a little bit, and then I went back to sleep. My cell phone shrilled at me around 12:30 to remind me to take my medication, and I batted it to silence without getting up (which reminds me, I should do that now. Okay. Done.) Celeloriel texted me back sometime after that, at which point I was vaguely conscious because the alarm was nagging me, and I finally dragged my butt out of bed at about 1:45. I feel a lot better, although my head aches - I know it's from lack of caffeine, so I'm finishing up the sweet tea I got from McDonald's.
Still to do today: Unpack; clean my apartment so it looks like less of a pigsty and the leftover cat fur doesn't kill Cel when she gets here later; maybe some more P4 if I have time. I was going to do laundry but I'll just take care of it Monday night. I don't feel like wrestling more heavy things around tonight.
Alright, I totally and epically spoiled myself for Naoto's gender reveal, and even if I hadn't, her voice would have given it away in SPADES. Her dungeon kicked my ass pretty epically, but Protagonist is up to level 55 so I'm feeling pretty good about it. I need to level my alt party - consisting of Kanji, Teddie, and formerly Yukiko but probably now Naoto - when I can go back to face off with the optional boss. I obviously don't have Naoto in my party yet because she hasn't recovered.
I've maxed out a couple of S.Links - Magician, Death, Temperance, Devil, and Sun - and I'm getting really close on Hierophant and Priestess (both at 8). My Understanding still isn't high enough to get Tower, but I've got Empress at 9 (not high enough level to fuse Trumpeter), Emperor at 7, Hierophant at 8, Lovers at 5, Chariot at 7, Justice at 7, Strength at 6, Hanged Man at 1, Hermit at 8, Moon at 2. Since I'm only on October 1, I think I can max out my S.Links in full except maybe Tower by the end of the game. At least, I really hope so. :) I'm already looking forward to a second cycle.
It was a pretty good visit home, all things considered. Tuesday night we went out to a concert at the Kennedy Center - "the Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber." I know it's not what the 'cool kids' think, but I do really enjoy his music, so that was a lot of fun. Selections from Whistle Down the Wind, Sunset Boulevard, Aspects of Love, Phantom of the Opera, Evita, Cats, and a few others that I wasn't very familiar with in the first place so I didn't really recognize the music, although I recognized more pieces than I thought I would have, due to my obsessive fangirling of Michael Ball. Tuesday night I also started and finished reading Sandman volume IX. I have volume X in my bag, courtesy of Mike, and will read it sometime before he gets back on Tuesday.
Wednesday was very quiet; I mostly laid around and played Persona 4. (More on that in a minute.) rabbitbenrin showed up around 6. We had tasty nom chili for dinner, and then annoyed Mom, played some games, I refreshed Yuletide obsessively for a little while after midnight, and then there was sleeping.
I got up moderately early on Christmas Day, and we had the traditional breakfast of orange spiced scones and my mom's cinnamon rolls. Cousins of my mom's showed up, and then the whole kit and caboodle. Around 4 pm the sheer noise was too much for me, so I ran away upstairs to my bedroom and shut the door so I could call Mike, who was in fact skiing at the precise time I called him.
I went back downstairs and there was epically wonderful Christmas dinner. My cousin Steve only decided to start shit twice, and I was sharp and sarcastic back in both cases, and I'm pretty proud of myself for only actively starting (well, responding to) that crap twice. I got to see my Uncle Robbie, who's my godfather, and that was pretty awesome. He promised he'd come out to Chicago this year. Then again, he said that last year, so I have my doubts. But I still adore him. XD
After all the family left, we opened presents, which we'd meant to do before everyone got there, but sometimes it doesn't happen. I got a Wii Fit from my parents (which I have been unsuccessfully hunting for for a while now, and I'm really excited.) They also gave me an electric teakettle and a small electric griddle, two things which were sadly lacking in my otherwise very well-equipped kitchen. Oh, and a really awesome cheese slicer in green marble with one of those handles that goes up and donw guillotine-like. We tried it out when Mom was making a snack plate yesterday and it is very, very effective. Much more so than a knife. Happy cat is happy.
Mom also gave me Eternal Poison and The Last Remnant, both of which I knew I was getting because I actually purchased them and brought them home, then Mom reimbursed me. Daddy gave me a 750 GB external hard drive (for the record, that triples the max capacity of both my computers combined!) and so backing up my data will become much, much easier. Yay. Oh, and there was an ornament - my parents have started giving me an ornament every year. I got a gorgeous berry-coloured sweater from Banana Republic, and a sizeable gift card to same. I also got a Best Buy gift card from my cousin Bobby, and a sizeable gift in cash from Uncle Robbie. A pretty generous haul, all things considered. My Grandma Mim sent me a card with some money in it as well.
Ben stayed over Thursday night also, and we fuzted around for most of Friday being lazy. There was more Persona 4, and snuggles. About noon my phone rang, with United informing me that my flight was cancelled. I was not at all a happy kitty. Fortunately my mom purchased the trip protection for me, so they rebooked me right away - to the 6 am Saturday flight. *headdesk* *sigh* I spent a little time last night playing the piano, and realized that the pieces for which I have muscle memory - "Keyboard Jewels" and "the Music of the Night" - went much easier than anything else I tried to play, but hell if I haven't completely forgotten how to read bass clef. Treble I am completely fine with, but bass clef and I don't get along.
I didn't sleep well last night and caught some broken napping between 1 am and 3:45 when my alarm went off. I got up and Mom and Dad drove me to the airport, then stood in line with me while I checked in. The check-in line was stupidly long, and the security line even longer, although to be fair to security it was moving faster than any security line I've ever seen at BWI. I managed to get through security and sprint to my gate, arriving at the latter at 10 till 6 (closest I have ever in my life come to missing a flight), but they were aware that they had people still checking in so they were pretty good about it. I tried to sleep on the flight, but I was too tired and too wound up to sleep. Most of the flight was very smooth, but it got really bumpy around Chicago thanks to the ridiculous fog. When we were landing, it was like flying through cloudbanks except I could make out the Rosemont Convention Center off to the right - very disconcerting.
I got my luggage faster than I have ever managed to do at O'Hare before, and caught a cab home - I was in my apartment by 8 am, which is not bad at all. I figured if I didn't get my necessary errands done right then, I wouldn't wake up in time, so I promptly dropped my luggage (the elevator is out, which is NOT AT ALL HELPFUL) and hightailed it off to the Whale to feed intorporeal's pets. From there, I hit Jewel to get what I needed to make dinner for yi_sen and celeloriel tonight, and then went to the vet, where I retrieved a very unhappy Ganon from boarding. The rain was absolutely pouring down in solid sheets while I tried to maneuver my way back from the vet's. I stopped at McDonald's to get breakfast - not the healthiest, I know, but damned if I haven't lost another 5 pounds since Thanksgiving putting me solidly at 134, although I have no idea how that happened since I've been eating everything in sight - and then managed to wrestle the 20-pound cat, a 20-pound tub of kitty litter, three bags of groceries, my purse, and my breakfast into the apartment, without incident, and without benefit of the elevator. This was aided by a very nice neighbour who opened the downstairs door for me, but I'm still pretty proud of my accomplishments.
I set up Ganon's litter, fed him and watered him, ate my breakfast, and then txted celeloriel to let her know I was in, then went to bed. This was around 10:20 am. Mike called around 11:30 and we chatted a little bit, and then I went back to sleep. My cell phone shrilled at me around 12:30 to remind me to take my medication, and I batted it to silence without getting up (which reminds me, I should do that now. Okay. Done.) Celeloriel texted me back sometime after that, at which point I was vaguely conscious because the alarm was nagging me, and I finally dragged my butt out of bed at about 1:45. I feel a lot better, although my head aches - I know it's from lack of caffeine, so I'm finishing up the sweet tea I got from McDonald's.
Still to do today: Unpack; clean my apartment so it looks like less of a pigsty and the leftover cat fur doesn't kill Cel when she gets here later; maybe some more P4 if I have time. I was going to do laundry but I'll just take care of it Monday night. I don't feel like wrestling more heavy things around tonight.
Alright, I totally and epically spoiled myself for Naoto's gender reveal, and even if I hadn't, her voice would have given it away in SPADES. Her dungeon kicked my ass pretty epically, but Protagonist is up to level 55 so I'm feeling pretty good about it. I need to level my alt party - consisting of Kanji, Teddie, and formerly Yukiko but probably now Naoto - when I can go back to face off with the optional boss. I obviously don't have Naoto in my party yet because she hasn't recovered.
I've maxed out a couple of S.Links - Magician, Death, Temperance, Devil, and Sun - and I'm getting really close on Hierophant and Priestess (both at 8). My Understanding still isn't high enough to get Tower, but I've got Empress at 9 (not high enough level to fuse Trumpeter), Emperor at 7, Hierophant at 8, Lovers at 5, Chariot at 7, Justice at 7, Strength at 6, Hanged Man at 1, Hermit at 8, Moon at 2. Since I'm only on October 1, I think I can max out my S.Links in full except maybe Tower by the end of the game. At least, I really hope so. :) I'm already looking forward to a second cycle.