Emlykate

I've officially become a LJ lurker rather than poster... have very happily spent the last year reading my friend's list, learning things, laughing at the fabulous entries of people who have writing styles I admire. Me, lame writing style, I know, never really figured out that "wit" thing, too much explaining going on.

Anywho, it's New Year's Eve, and this time of year is always a bit iffy. On the one hand, celebration, friends, food, general fun. On the other hand, looking back at last year's resolutions, realizing you're an abject failure. Then there's the third hand, which this year, I'm glad to have re-found. I accomplished a LOT this year. Who cares if it wasn't on a resolution list. I have a fabulous partner who I love more every day. I've managed to stay at my job another year, no small feat when you acknowledge that you're barely capable at it and that's it. We've moved to a much nicer home, and it's a home now, not just an apartment. I've traveled abroad. I've made good friends, I've found something I truly enjoy in the SCA. I've sewed clothing, I've fed large quantities of people, and I'm planning an event.

So... screw the broken resolutions, set new ones, but most of all, make sure that sometime this year do something you can look back on and be proud of. That's my big resolution this year.

We made it to thrown weapons practice again yesterday, and I advanced my score significantly. Last week my best royal round was a 25, yesterday, I threw a 41. Mind you, I also threw a whole lotta junk, but still, very respectable.

Throwing axes feels strangely confidence inducing. There's something about standing there, preparing to throw kinda heavy things, and knowing I can do it, and will hit the target, and it's going to stick, and stick hard. Throwing knives on the other hand, not so much. I'm not as successful there, which apparently is normal. I'm a little afraid of them, possibly from years of conditioning that "knives are dangerous, be careful, don't run with the point out, don't run with a knife!" and then... THEY ALSO BOUNCE SPECTACULARLY. Which is kinda scary when they bounce backward point first.

Then of course, I also get to hang out with people I don't get to spend time with all that often, which is good. Final plus? It's inspired me enough to write in this journal again, which is a good thing. We'll be making it to practice again next week.

I don't want to be a career woman... I'd much rather be a housewife and mom (not that I am in any position to become a "wife" or a "mom" in the immediate future). I enjoy my work, and enjoy the paycheck that comes with it, but I'd be much happier at home, putting, and keeping, things in order.

The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me. It will be about or tailored to those seven who respond first.


This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

I make no guarantees that you will like what I make.

What I create will be just for you.

It'll be done this year.

You have no clue what it's going to be. It may be a mix tape. It may be fic, or a poem. I may draw or paint something. I might bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!

I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

Additional caveat: You cannot ask for something you know I'm already working on for you. :-)

PRESENTS FOR YOU:
1)aphoenixrain
2)
3)
4)
5)

Apparently, I've gotten more laid back about crummy weather. Or more adjusted to it. Or at least less likely to freak.

This morning, I got myself stuck in my parents' driveway thanks to a healthy sheet of ice covered with several inches of slush. Not exactly conducive to making it around the right angle left turn and up the driveway. Managed to correct the 90 degrees of spin this created and got up the driveway after finding a little traction.

Then... less than half an hour later, I found myself at the top of a hill on a back country road, feeling the car slipping. Gradually applied brakes, maintained control of the car for as long as possible, and did a gentle slide off the road and into a small snow bank/pile. All without freaking, swearing, or generally losing my cool. After a few minutes to compose myself, I worked myself out of the snow pile and back and the road, making it to the bottom of the hill with no further drama. Go me.

Word to the wise... the Insanity Sauce? Available here: http://www.davesgourmet.com/ is really really really insane. 4 drops in a whole quesadilla? Pain, mouth burning, eyes watering, nose running, sweaty, give me something to put the fire out in my throat hot. Also tasty. 2 drops next time.

After almost 3 weeks, I finally finished decorating the Christmas tree... just in time for Christmas and now the apartment feels like it.

I'm feeling rather like I'd prefer to be a hermit for a week or so. Of course, that's not an option, what with work, and holidays and general CRAP going on. But then again... sometimes the best time to make yourself go out and do stuff is when you're feeling rather hermit like. Bah.

Ok, so yes to the business meeting tomorrow night, come hell or high water. No to doing anything at all productive tonight except sleeping. Maybe that'll balance things out.

So.. tonight I was driving home with my dog, and chattering away at her like usual. We passed a few especially horrible home light displays, and I was educating the dog on the proper light displays to bark at, and the ones we should respectfully acknowledge with silence. As an example, I pointed to the "big white house up there with just a single candle in every window. Oh wait. That's not a house, that's a funeral home." (I still haven't totally readjusted to life here, I forget where things are.) Anyway, after a pause, I informed Katie that, "well, funeral homes generally are very tasteful, and not at all tacky, so you shouldn't bark at them for that reason alone."

In my head, I recalled a funeral home I spent time in a little over a month ago. One in which the bathroom floors were painted with glittery gold paint. Like someone had mixed glitter into the paint and poured it on the floor. We literally reached a point in which we were sending people into the bathroom to check out the floors because, after all, everyone needs a shocked chuckle when spending hours in one of those places.

Perhaps Katie should bark at funeral homes.

Ok, so apparently my brain has completely forgotten the basics of crochet architecture. Darn it. Now comes the frogging of a ripple that I forgot to ripple the ends of. How is it that I can ripple in a circle like a champ but rippling in a straight line is a total failure? Sheesh.