Today's Life With Kid Revelations:

• The song Stacy's Mom now makes me uncomfortable.
  
• The saying that parents/a mom never eats a warm meal is not an exaggeration.

I keep telling myself to make a Life Updates post one of these days, since I'm 99% sure I haven't posted since like, November. HAH NOT EVEN CLOSE - October 18th. But 'Drowning in Life' is still very appropriate. And Life and Work and Things are happening all over the place and I'm too busy to even write, and if that doesn't tell me that my life is out of order, I don't know what does.

So, let's start with a journal post.

( Work is craziness and awful and awesome and exhausting and challenging and craptastic and so many things all at once. )

( In other news, I have a new Health Issue: )

As for bigger news, ( my roommate/best friend/Heart-Sister Shi-chan is pregnant. )

-Yawns- I think my thoughts are finally winding down again ...

Shi-chan's birthday was today, and some friends took us out to dinner. They are FABULOUS people, and we all had a great time. These friends are an amazing couple that blow me away every time I see them. Like I'm being reminded once again just how much I genuinely like them both. They're the kind of couple that balance each other out: she ranted to us about her awful day, while he listened patiently and nodded along with occasional annoyed commentary on her behalf, and later she listened patently while he gushed at me me in great detail about a movie that I'd reminded him off and how much he loved the beer he'd ordered and half a dozen other things. They also share this fantastic ability to somehow energize the people around them. I'd been fighting a nap all afternoon, and after two and a half hours with them, I'm just now getting sleepy again, four hours later.

And he wore a kilt to dinner. With a T-shirt with a lionhead symbol on it. He's good people. ^_^

Watching them also made me think about my own romantic relationship, and just how happy I am in it. It was a lovely feeling. ♥

It still feels like there's so many fun and crazy stories I should be telling. Laughing hysterically at the carwash this morning because Shi-chan's car had been horribly bird-bombed the night before, and it was so bad the guys working there were laughing too and offered to run us through the automated system again. My new New Nintendo 3DS, in pretty sparkly deep red. My newest game, Story of Seasons, which is both beautiful and adorable and I have no idea WTF I'm doing. Seeing Star Wars: The Force Awakens with a co-worker and her husband and having an amazing time. (Finn is THE BESTEST and POE OMG POE and oh yes #ishipit.) My lovely and amazing girlfriend and her adorable kids that alternatively completely accept me in their lives despite having never met me and have no idea why I'm interested in their lives at all. Being SURROUNDED by pregnant women, like it's in season or something. (I'm at three, waiting for confirmation on a fourth.) Hunting down dragons for Shi-chan's baby theme because It's All Target's Fault. Discovering the wonderful show The Librarians and finding an interpretation of Santa Claus I have actually been able to not only accept and enjoy, but nearly been brought to tears by. Various Crazy Cat Antics because Things Are Changing and This Is Not Acceptable. Making DC Comic jokes at work and discovering people who actually get them. Being torn between wanting to write Charlie's Drama Story and wanting Antonio/Jayden cuteness and fluff. My intense hatred of Windows 10 and my fierce desire to see it burn in hellfire.

I suppose it's still life. And I'm still living it. Which leaves me feeling much better about things than I did when I started this post. ^.^

Okay, this is the second time this has happened to me today, and I'm getting increasingly upset about it to the point that I need to say something somewhere:

This past Thursday, Brother called to tell me that his grandmother passed away.

( I knew it was coming. )

She wasn't my grandmother, but I miss her. I miss her smiles and her hugs and her AMAZING strawberry-rhubarb pie. I miss the warmth she brought to a room, and the way she always, always made me feel welcome and loved.

I miss her.

But she wasn't mine.

And invalidating my feelings of sorrow? THIS IS NOT OKAY. When I say 'I'm not okay', you don't stare at me in confusion and ask me why. When I say 'this person passed away recently and I'm sad about it' in an e-mail, you don't get to read over and ignore it. You DO NOT get to tell me who I am allowed to mourn.

Because she was still Nana to me, and I miss her. And I'm allowed to cry.

My Shi-chan called me today to ask me for a favor. I was on Yahoo talking to punkpinkpower about the latest chapter of Changing Tactics at the time, which led to this conversation:

PunkPinkPower: SO please tell me the punchline to this story is NOT Antonio getting offed?
PunkPinkPower: your silence is concerning
Akume: -Laughs- I'm on the phone.
PunkPinkPower: okay, good
PunkPinkPower: phew
Akume: Shi-chan would like me to inform you that she thinks I should kill off both Antonio and Jayden.
PunkPinkPower: :-O
PunkPinkPower: WELL
PunkPinkPower: SAY HELLO TO SATAN FOR ME
Akume: "Satan says hello, friend!"
PunkPinkPower: *quick angry breathing*
PunkPinkPower: YOU GET ENOUGH BAD ANGSTY IDEAS FROM ME
PunkPinkPower: TELL SHI CHAN TO CUT IT OUT
PunkPinkPower: Because *sniffle* if you kill them both off I will cry and I will be so mad and I will just
PunkPinkPower: *Thinks what she has left to theaten you with*
PunkPinkPower: NEVER WRITE YOU MORE JAYTONIO PORN
Akume: NOOOOOO !!!! ;_;
PunkPinkPower: YEAH TAKE THAT
PunkPinkPower: :->
PunkPinkPower: No, seriously, why would you kill them both off?
PunkPinkPower: How is that going to fix Lauren?!

I may have a new candidate for The Trip From Hell.

I was set to fly back to Idaho from Texas on Friday. I had my itinerary number, I knew all my flight info, stuff was packed, I was all set. Shi-chan took the day off from her second job and got a half-day for her first, so she and Awesome Co-worker were able to take me to the airport, as her car is still in the shop. No worries.

( No worries until I landed in Phoenix. )

So the latest Trip From Hell is over. I feel like absolute crap and just walking up and down stairs leaves me needing to stop and sit down for a minute. My arms are still sore, I've had a headache since yesterday, I may have to toss a pair of blood-stained jeans, and my headphones had to be replaced. But damn it, I am FINALLY in Idaho again.

Some advice for everyone in the future: if you're planning on having sex, make sure all pets are out of the room first.

Shi-chan brought The Boytoy over tonight. It's not the first time, and we're all grownups here, so whatever. They stay in the bedroom, and I camp out in the living room and listen to music.

I had *just* made a comment to Zad - one of her two cats - about 'Where's your brother?' and went to shut the balcony door. All of a sudden I hear this scrabbling noise. I turn around and there's little gray paw flailing at me frantically from under the bedroom door.

Barely five minutes later, Shi-chan opens the door looking amused and somewhat embarrassed, and Sky comes running up to me with very wide eyes, meowing his head off. 'AUNTY AUNTY GUESS WHAT MOMMY WAS DOING?!'

BUT IT GETS EVEN BETTER.

Awhile later Shi-chan came out to get something from the fridge and tried to pick Sky up to snuggle him. Normally he tilts his head back against her arm or snuggles under her hand. This time, he kept pulling his head as far away from her as he could, with this completely traumatized look on his face.

I nearly died laughing.

It's been a busy few couple of weeks around here. And Brother's factory had a shutdown for the past week (which they do every so many months for cleaning), so he's been hogging his computer to play Eve and leaving me without internets. -Makes a face at him-

( Christmas was surprisingly pleasant. )

My best moment of getting present thought, would actually have to go to weesta by ( sheer shock value and moment of awesome.  )

The day after Christmas I had ( another physical therapy appointment. )

Brother's mom and I spent the rest of the day shopping after-Christmas sales, which was fun. I always enjoy spending time with her. ^_^ She even got me things! I finally have a decent sized coffee cup that says "Coffee and shoes take away the blues" (I don't care about shoes, but the coffee part is true), a box of cherry candy canes, and two pairs of earrings that look like poinsettias.

We planned on going to see The Hobbit that night, but after Brother and his dad drove to meet us, we found out they were completely sold out. x.x So we agreed to go the next morning instead.

( The Hobbit )

We spent New Year's Eve ( at home. )

Other movies seen over the last week included:

( Meet the Robinsons )

( Rise of the Guardians )

( The life of Pi )

Ironically the first of ( the last of my Christmas presents arrived today! )

Resolutions for the new year? Meh, not really. Possibly to continue my Word Count Goal of 1,000,000 words in a year. I made 56959 for 2012, which is ... incredibly pathetic. -_-;;; Getting my arm fixed so I can work again? Writing?

Really, I suppose I just resolve to hope for the the same things I wished rosabelle when she texted me Happy New Year. The same things I wish to all of you.



May it be filled with writing, love, and happiness. ♥

Spent the last two days helping Brother's aunt and grandparents move into a new house. Which is, y'know, fun when you can only use one arm. I was *mostly* good about not using it (namely because Brother's mom convinced me to wear my sling as kind of a visual reminder), but I ended up overcompensating with my left arm. >.< That, and today I was dumb enough to try and lift some clothes on a hanger up and back over my shoulder so they wouldn't drag on the ground while I carried them, and ... yeah. OW. OW. ALSO OW.

I will say this: I have never seen so many random people willing to pitch in and help with moving before. We had an entire truckload - the last of the furniture and stuff no less - finished in just over an *hour*. It was rather mind-boggling, especially when most of them just sort of disappeared once the truck was empty. o.O

We stayed longer to help with the actual unpacking, and didn't get home until after 8:30. I sort of vegged in bed for an hour before convincing myself that I could do to bed if I wrote something for my NaNo. It wasn't much, but my word count is now 1734 and I've actually written three days in a row, so. And if I can figure out what happens next, I can easily catch up tomorrow. -Crosses fingers-



* Okay, my shoulder's not *really* that bad, but it hurts more than it has in awhile. The pain is mostly around my shoulder blade, so I figure I tweaked it again when I moved my other arm back. But I'm definitely spending tomorrow curled up in bed as much as possible. I figure it's a good reason to play catch-up on my NaNo anyway.

Idaho Vacation So Far:

( In which there is much squee and CAPSLOCK. )

And now Brother is asleep because he's currently on graveyard shift (his schedule rotates), and I am doing internet research, checking updates, and squeeing over loot.

Yeah, you guys probably won't hear from me for a few days.

Weeks.

Months.

Whatever.



* Yes, I am a gaming nerd, even if I'm not a serious gamer. Mostly I take notes for games like Harvest Moon, which requires lots of plotting and planting and calculating, and for keeping track of what my Sims have/what level they are on Sims: Medieval.

** I want a recliner.