Writing, Endo, & Moving

I've been awarded a great job writing for companies! It's a lot of fun, and it really challenges my writing speed, research skills, and creativity. Of course, writing for a living means that my typing bone has been re-energized, so I'll be back here more often as well. Heck, I already have several posts just ready to go, so stay tuned! I won't be posting every day any time soon, but I will be posting at least once a week, if nothing else, just to keep you posted on current happenings and so forth. *smile*

In other news, I've started having some of the symptoms of Endo again, so I'm afraid the doctor might not have gotten it all, even though all of my girly innards are gone. Luckily the discomfort is mostly just an annoyance at this point, but I'm going to set another doctor's appointment soon anyway, just to be safe.

We moved again, this time into a new place that's just beautiful. A friend of ours is letting us stay in his home while he's not using it. This will allow us to save up money to get our own place, or, *hope hope* to make a down payment on a place of our very own. It would be so nice to finally own a place! *smiles wistfully*

Anywho, I have to get back to work, so I'll talk to you later. Thanks for hanging in there with me!

.

Back Again

I know, I know. Bad blogger. Let's move on now, shall we?

Life's been crazy and hectic since the surgery. I moved into a new place wit my new boyfriend, and promptly went so far into debt trying to pay off all the bills that I can't see where I'll ever get out without moving again. Of course, moving will cost a lot of money that I don't currently have, so I sold off a lot of my personal possessions at a yard sale last month. I still don't have enough money to move yet, but I'm really hoping that I can make that up this weekend when I have my massive Tupperware liquidation party and my stone-painting art party.

Other than that, my recovery is still going on. My back and abdomen are killing me on a pretty regular basis, but not nearly as bad as it was just after the operation. I've gained a whole lot of unwanted weight, skyrocketing back up to 220lbs! Needless to say, I'm a very fat case of not happy about that, not only because of the extra strain, and therefore, pain, but also because I now no longer ave any clothes that fit me properly. I've started NHRT, so I'm hoping that will help with the uncontrolled weight fluctuation.

I've started an exercise regimen, and if I can somehow remember to do it every day (damnable ADHD), I should be back in the shape I was before the surgery in a couple of months. Wish me luck!

Moving Right Along

Yes, I know I'm a bad, bad blogger and you've missed me. *wry smile* Now that we have that over with, let's move on, shall we?

Things have been really crazy as of late (like when aren't they these days?), and I have quite honestly had no time but for the most basic of essentials; food, sleep, work, and a little socializing.

I made a very hard decision, and I labored over it for a very long time before I was able to decide what I felt needed to be done for the best of all parties involved. It's not something I care to share with the world, but if you know me well, you know of what I am writing.

While I was making that decision, my lease came up on my apartment, and it was time to move, just after I started two new freelance jobs. In all of that craziness, I ran into an old friend at the library who offered to help me pack for my move, and we reconnected in a way that I never thought possible. I finally have a truly stong and capable man in my life. One who is fully and completely my equal, and I love him dearly. At the time of this writing, we have been together for a little over 3 months and can see no end to our mutual devotion. He has helped me through many tribulations in the short time we have shared.

We're now in the final stages of finding a new place to live (the final, mutual decision comes this Monday), and we hope to be moved in by the 23rd of this month or earlier.

The reason for the odd move-in date is that this coming Friday, I have an appointment with the surgery team that will be assisting at the hospital when I have my hysterectomy on the 24th. After the 23rd, I will be unable to assist with moving in any way, shape, or form for at least 6 weeks. Some women who have had the procedure themselves, have said that the healing process can last for as much as 6 months before I am fully back to my current activity levels.

I'll likely be blogging a a lot more often after the 24th, if for no other reason than the fact that I won't be able to do much but lie in bed propped up on some pillows and recouperate, trying to entertain myself on my laptop for quite some time. Trying to look on the bright side, always. *weak smile*

I am sad, excited, happy, nervous, and terrified all at the same time. A page has turned in the story of my life, and a new chapter has begun.

Business Ahead

So I have a busy day tomorrow.

I have a business meeting at in the morning, and right afterward, a conference.

Of course, I am supposed to start work at 2pm too, so it may well be interesting if I get a call during my conference, but I'll just have to deal.

After that, I have two meetings with friends for Freecycle things, and then, maybe, I'll get to come back to the office and work on the computer and build up the websites I need to finish while I work my assigned shift until 10pm, at which point, I may well have to drive to Nixa before I can head home.

And T wants to go spend the night at her grandmother's house. I'm thinking not, since grandma has a landline phone and a mobile that can both be quite easily used by a sneaky teen, in addition to her ever-tempting notebook computer that she bought off of QVC and never freaking uses.. Yeah, not likely that little princess sneaks-a-lot will be allowed to spend the night at grandma's house tomorrow evening.

Today, I spent all day writing a paper to read at court, and the conference is essentially an editing session with the prosecuting attorney's liaison so that we can get it to say everything that I want to say in the time that I will be allowed for my statement.

Back For A Minute

Things have been crazy-hectic around here for the last few months, and while I have been able to find the time to talk to you about it, I haven't really known what to say.

See, back in January, I got diagnosed with adult ADHD, and since then, I've been working with my doctor to get put on a medication that actually works for me, that Medicaid will actually cover the prescription for. Of course we need something that they will cover without making my doctor jump through a thousand hoops, which they are not willing to do because it takes too much time from the other things their staff has to do each day.

I've been experimenting with at-home cognitive Behavioral Therapy for myself, while my eldest daughter has begun showing increasing signs of her own issues. Both of the girls are finally in counseling to help them deal with their separate and distinct issues that had sprouted from the molestation of my eldest, and we're looking into getting eldest into a long-term treatment facility because of how her behavior is effecting her safety, and that of those around her. Of course, because she isn't safe to be around much of the time (what she talks about is very age-inappropriate for a 9yo to hear, for example), her little sister has been staying with friends until we get everything straightened out. It's been pretty rough, but we'll get through this if we stick with it, with patience, love and understanding for one another.

The court case to decide things for the perpetrator of the molestation is on Monday, and I'm rather nervous about what I am going to say. The prosecutor's office said that I could prepare a statement and simply read it to the court, but I don't know where to start, really, and time is running out quickly for me to do something for the sentencing.

My notebook computer broke, and I'm working on getting that fixed right now, but that also takes time, and I need that machine specifically to be able to finish the work on my website, and another website that I am working on for a friend's business. Time is at a premium though, so I'm not really sure when that might happen.

In other news, business has been great, I've discovered a new, fantastic convention at which to sell my wares, my friends are amazing, each and every one of them, and several of my close associates are popping out babies, making for a very busy last few months in addition to everything else that's going on.

So while I've HAD the time to type to you, I haven't really known what to say, or how to say it.

Now that you are somewhat up to date, I'd like to thank you for sticking with me, and for your patience during these long stretches between posts.

Too Busy For Words

Emi, a friend's sister wrote in her journal the other day, and I just have to share some of it with you.

"I am burning the candle at both ends, and maybe a bit in the middle too. I feel like there's not enough me to be all the places doing all the things thinking all the thoughts I want to be."

Wow, I couldn't have said it better myself!

She goes on to say quite a bit that can be adapted to our life, so without further ado, my edits (like this) apply to our family, inserted into her words.

"Noveling has (My house & children have) to remain a huge priority, because there's no way in hell I'm not striving for that 50,000 (the completed remodel & well-adjusted kids) when I've (we've) already come so far, plus I'm really enjoying and growing form and incredibly happy with the NaNoWriMo experience (direction our lives seem to moving towards). But I can't cut drum practice (Tupperware parties) out of my schedule, because I have paid gigs (good party attendance) now, and when someone pays you (books a party), you have an obligation to sound really good (be amazing at the party, and get them the most goodies for free possible). I also have to study for my learner's permit (work with the kids on their education), another essential thing because I need to get it before the laws here change and make me have to pay 1,500$ (I want to make sure they can pass the little test-prep exams I want to give them at the end of the year). Plus my social life is a consideration. It had already been taking back seat, and now I'm shoving it even farther back into the trunk of this metaphorical car, and if I'm not careful I'll tip it out the back onto the highway and speed away, and that I do not want(!!!). My online social life is dying is as well, and I haven't even considered replying to a RP since November started (actually made it through to the end of my email in far too long)... Not to mention I've been meaning to get my room (house) cleaned out and repainted and redecorated for months. I'm sick of living in (what I feel is verging on) a disaster that doesn't reflect my personality or provide a good atmosphere, and I'm really hyped to get it how I want it to look, but I just don't have the time. I really want to get serious about selling plushies (Getting products ready for Vision Con in January), I need the money badly, but I haven't sewed a thing since November started (ordered any of the supplies yet) either. And now there's plans and shopping for Christmas on top of all that, as if that mountain wasn't enough..."

You can see why I chose her to copy a bit from, right? After all, she said it nearly perfectly, and it's not like I actually have TIME to blog right now... *laugh*

But life is good for us. *smile* Do, please, go read her blog. Her commentary on her love of words is simply beautiful, and it brought to mind many things I had not thought about in far too long.

http://moordred-fangirl.deviantart.com/journal/28357941

Automotive Nonconveyance

I drove up to Buffalo the other day on business, and on my way back, my car decided that it's get up & go had got up and left. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get up to 65 on the highway when your acceleration is nil?!? Yeah, not fun.

You know that sound that souped-up mega-cars make on the raceway? Yeah, that's the sound my car was making. Along with the lurching, it was quite an experience for myself and the girls!

So, the car is now in the shop, waiting to be checked thoroughly after they can get it to hold fluid sometime in the morning. *boggle* I don't know how it happened, but all of a sudden, it was all very seriously messed up and essentially undriveable.

I hope it's fixed really, really soon, because I have things I need to do, like buy more food for the bizarre foods party I'm holding this Sunday. It's been such a hit, so many people have RSVPd, that I have to go buy more foodstuffs to endure that everyone gets a taste of what I'm serving! *grin*

The party is open to the public, so if you're interested, drop me a line. (If you comment about your interest and leave your number, I won't post it for others to see, I promise.)

Upcoming Events

I have been having an absolute blast micro-blogging via Twitter, and been so busy that it's all I've had time for! *chuckle*

What has been keeping me so busy, you may ask?

Well, here's the short list.

I have been really enjoying painting faces at birthday parties and MSU's Bearfest Village with ArtFoodFun.com.

Tupperware parties and fabulously fun meetings have held shining spots in my weekly calendar.

Unpacking and setting up the new apartment is coming along steadily.

The kids are adjusting to the new ways our household is run quite nicely, and they have decided that our more-rigid scheduling is a comfort in our daily lives instead of an inconvenience. *chuckle*

I've even managed to spend a bit more time with my friends than I was the previous couple of months!

Life is great, and getting better all the time!

FaceBook Ate My Brain

Several months back, I was merely being a bit sporadic with my blogging. I was working hard on getting back into my good habits...

Then FaceBook came along.

No, not really Facebook, more the evil, time-sucking, amusements known as FaceBook applications. You know the ones; cutesey little games with graded levels of success, bonuses, gifts for your friends and the like?

Well it all started out with Pet Society. A cute little custom pet that does stuff on your computer. Not so great by my description unless you think on the game's addictive qualities. The fact that you can buy really neat and cute things for your pet and to decorate your pet's personal little house, for example. Or that there are mini-games, gifting, gardening, Mystery boxes that harbor exclusive treats and goodies for your pet, and new, special, one-week-only items that are worth a lot on the trading forums....

Yeah, about that trading thing. See, You can trade goodies in Pet Society with other players. Different things have different values, depending on their perceived rarity. Like, say you want a black cat? That was put out Halloween of last year as a one-week-only item. Lots of people love and collect them. Very valuable, those. Likely you would have to trade two or three other, slightly ore new one-week-only or mystery box items for just one... If you are really lucky, AND the other trader is feeling exceedingly generous...

Of course, there is another way to go about it.

See, a lot of the folks who are addicted to one game on FaceBook are addicted to at least one or two other games... That means that you are likely to find folks looking to trade Fish Wrangler gold for a pink hearts rug in Pet Society, or Super Brie cheese from Mouse hunt for hammers in Egg Breaker, which you can then trade for pet food in Fluff Friends so you can barter for some Red Love Chum in Fish Wrangler, which you can then trade for gold, which you can then trade for that dad blamed pink rug you just HAD to have...

*sigh*

And you end up playing all of the games, just so you can get the best goodies for your little pretent pixellated internet pet, and each game takes a certain amount of devotion in the terms of time, and after a while...

Someone invites you to plant a garden or grow a farm, or run a virtual restaurant, and you start to play... "For just a couple of minutes" or "just a few days", you tell yourself. "Just to see what it's like and why your friends like it" you rationalize.

But it's already too late.

You are doomed!

Your fate was sealed as soon as you clicked on "accept" instead of "block this application", and you knew it before you hit that button, but you did it anyway.

Staying up until the wee hours of the morning every night, clicking your mouse, becoming a strange new type of being that gets barely anything valuable done each day, but has strong typing fingers, myopic computer-screen eyes, a constant migraine, and a broad talent for warming chairs.

So I've stopped paying so much attention to my silly little pet, all those eggs waiting to be cracked, and the little fluffy pet. From time to time, I still drop in to take a photo of some ghost or another, feed my pet in my quest for the elusive golden poo, plant and harvest some crops on my farm, or reel in an interestingly bizarre fish with a penchant for playing dress-up, but otherwise I'm done.

It was an interesting addiction diversion while it lasted, but now I have more important things to do. Hells, I had more important things to do then too, I just didn't do them.

I've managed to re-install a portion of my brain, and the synaptic repair process is well underway. I do warn you though, there may be times when the wires get crossed and the cranial server is down for a little bit, but please rest assured that we have our best techs working on rectifying the error. *wink*

Squirrely Cricket-Legged Women

Hot summer days and dresses don't work well together. Actually, they work really well together, if you are trying to start a fire.

Bare legs rubbing together like a cricket during a 90 degree evening.

There seems to be something missing...

Oh yeah, the fun factor, that's what's missing.

Nothing fun about catching fire to one's nether-regions due to heat and friction.

Blah

Unpacking

Well, we're in, but we're not done unpacking. We love it here though. The neighborhood is great, the neighbors are fantastic, and the landlord rocks!

The plants are doing great, and things are hopping. We should be able to have our housewarming party within the month, if things keep up being so busy that is. *chuckle*

Just wanted to drop you a note, but I have to run again.

Love ya!

So Long & Thanks For All The Wheels

We are now finally out of the old place, having cleaned the living heck out of it, and left it better than we found it. Everything that we now own is either over at my mother's house waiting for me to have a huge yard sale later in the summer, or at our new place.

We couldn't have done it without all your help, especially when I didn't have any transportation. Thanks, for everything.

For now, we're leaving it all where it is, locking up tight, and going camping. We'll be gone for about a week, but we'll be back to our new home, and back to blogging, shortly.

May you have a glorious and safe fireworks and family celebration!

What Era should you time travel to?

Too funny, of course I knew that one already, I just wanted to see if I would get the correct result from a silly little Facebook quiz. *chuckle*

Victorian England You like elegance and value wisdom. Curiosities and scientific tid-bits facinate you to no end! You like to be in charge and pay attention to even the smallest detail. Making people feel at ease is one of your many talents. Your analytical style makes the intracate Victorian life style endlessly facinating to you! So gentlemen don your top hats and ladies lace up your corsets because your time machine is ready to take you to Victorian England!

Tibetan Ricepaper Minefield

So we've found a place, and it's both a little more and a little less than what we expected. It's perfect in size, location, and price, perfect in amenities, and even has great neighbors.

A very exclusive place, you must know someone there to be able to even view, much less rent a unit.

The bad part is that it doesn't come with any appliances, so I have to provide my own stove, oven, air conditioner, and fridge. Not that it is much of a problem though, since I have a toaster oven, a small chest freezer, fans, and a dehumidifier. Later today I am heading out to buy another used small freezer and mini-fridge from someone who advertised it online. I also have a propane-powered steel camping cookstove that I can use if I can't manage to find a different stove before we move in.

Yesterday, we completely ran out of boxes, so the packing came to a screetching halt. Everything half-packed and partially sorted, walking through the house was like trying to navigate a Tibetan ricepaper minefield.

But we have more boxes now, so the work begins anew. We'll need new boxes shortly, as I'm sure we don't have enough at this time, but for now, we have some supplies to work with.

Clearing Out & Slimming Down

We're getting down to the wire for moving, and very serious about getting rid of all the things we no longer need or want. The pets also have to go due to space constraints.

We're shopoing around for a flea market booth to sell most of the goodies in, and have located a storage unit for the few small things that we plan to keep.

Come have a look at a small selection of what we are selling!

View my listings on

Springfield (MO) Free Classifieds

Tell your friends, prices are negotiable, make an offer!

More stuff is being added constantly. I'll save you money on neat things you want, and you'll help us move, okay? Let's help eachother out. *grin*

Off We Go A-Courting

Got all prettied up and finally got to court 45 minutes late. Luckily for us, the prosecuting attorney bluffed, saying that we were on our way. Both the defense and prosecuting attorneys waived their right to a pre-trial, and the formal charging hearing is a week from Friday.

That's when they'll charge him with the class C felony, and tell him what his sentence could be.

Other than having to go through all of that, things are going as best as they can be, and we're working hard on getting everything ready for moving and camping at the end of the month.

Getting Comfortable is Dangerous Business

I've long said that getting comfortable is dangerous.

At least for me.

While it might be my paranoia and depression talking, it seems that every time I get comfortable, something truly annoying happens to disrupt our lives, often in a pretty massive way.

In our last apartment, it was that after three years, we had to move out because, as our landlord said "your children deserve a better place to play, with more room, that's safer"... Not that we hadn't been there happily for three years at that point, but, he thought we deserved better, so he kicked us out on our ears. We ad gotten quite comfortable with our location, neighbors, and our little garden...

But it was not to last.

We had finally settled into this apartment and gotten everything set up the way I'd like when we had the Clifton incident, and things went to hell again.

And it's not just a recent development. When I was a child, every time I got comfortable enough in a home that I managed to start making friends with the neighbor kids, my mother would move, and we'd start over.

So I've earned this paranoia, but I just can't seem to manage to not get comfortable, not become relaxed in a place, so it just keeps happening.

Every single time, without question.

If I feel at ease, something will happen to screw up our lives.

So, less than two weeks after the owner of our current management company gave me permission to start a garden..... We've been asked to move out of our apartment. It seems that the owner of the property has decided that they need to kick everyone out of their homes so that they can remodel the places and raise the rent sky-high for upscale yuppies.

Yes, we live in the downtown area. No, we didn't expect this, even though we probably should have with all of the high-dollar rentals going up all over the place.

And I've been looking around and discovered that everything currently available for rent, that we can legally live in as a family of three, is FAR too expensive for us to afford.

One of these days, maybe I'll learn to just stay on edge and scared all the time, for the sake of my family's stability, but is that really a way to raise the children?

I can't help but think that if I hadn't allowed myself to become comfortable, this wouldn't have happened...

For now, I need to find a storage unit, and pack up the things that we simply must keep. Everything else gets sold, bartered, or given away.

Oh, did I mention that The Radish is closed now too?

Yeah, I became an active part of the daily goings-on, then got comfortable with it. *sigh*

Cycling

Ain't that the truth?

The Answers

Ya know all those great stories I've promised you over the years, that somehow, never got written?

And all the grand projects and schemes that I've had, that never quite made it off the ground, or, made it off the ground just fine, then crashed and burned due to overt neglect?

My irritation over silly things like someone touching the chair I'm sitting in, and
more than one sound running at the same time. My excessive forgetfulness and inability to keep any reasonable track of time or remember what happened as little as three minutes ago.

I can't reliably remember who I've told what stories to, or who told me what, or when, regardless of the fact that I remember exactly what was said.

The appointments, events, and fun that I've missed completely, or been exceedingly late to, and more are all explained quite concisely in the little graphic below.

Yeah, out of a potential highest score of 70 and up, I scored a 102...

So as soon as I can find a spare moment, enough time to concentrate on finding someone to do the testing, and make it to a doctor's appointment on time, I'll be diagnosed, and have meds to help with the problem...

Riiiight.

Parties and Particles

I worked a birthday party last Saturday.  I had a lot of fun at the party, and I look forward to my next event with excitment. *smile*

There aren't any particles, I just named it that to throw you off.

Have a great day!