snapdragon76: this is made of win and awesome (Default)
This is going to be a very stressful week. My dad and step-mother (as well as the people they care for) are visiting and, while I get along great with my dad, things can be tense with my step-mom. Not that we don’t get along in general, it’s just certain aspects of her personality kinda rubs me the wrong way. Dad said he thinks she may have an undiagnosed mental illness such as bipolar disease, but refuses to acknowledge this in order to get diagnosed. It’s… frustrating and convoluted at times. I can only take the whole crew for more than a few days. So while I was disappointed not to go to DC with them, it was probably for the best, because being enclosed in the relatively small enclosure for even four days, it would’ve been too much to deal with. So, I’d still like to go, but maybe just with mom and sometime during the fall when it’s cooler and less active.

So, we’re set to go to Oak Ridge, TN tomorrow (which is two+ hours away. Help me), and it should be an interesting experience. Hopefully I won’t break out into an anxiety attack (like I almost did at dinner tonight). Luckily mom will be with me to act as a buffer. She’s a calming influence on me and it helps to have her around.

Working at the library is very busy, but not in a bad way. I like doing what I do and am learning quite a lot about how a larger high school library works. I’ve gotten a bit more confident when it comes to getting kids to be doing what their supposed to be doing and I get a hands on experience. I still have to do a collaborative lesson plan, so that’s a bit nerve-wracking, but I just have to suck it up and do it. It’s just for one day and I like the teacher I’ll be collaborating with, so that will help. I just need to do the same when I return to the other school I was at once they return from fall break. Then I have to gather the materials I need to do my Oral Presentation toward the end of October. Hopefully I can get to a point where I can sit and do all of that stuff relatively soon. I can survive until December. I know I can!!
snapdragon76: this is made of win and awesome (Default)
Today has been a fairly long day.

I had my Remicade treatment today. I tend to sleep through it, so it's not like it's super stressful. I mean, I don't like being poked, and my veins are starting to scar over and soon it'll be difficult to find a viable one to use. I'm considering having a port put in near one of my shoulder blades so that there is one spot to put the IV in as well as take whatever labs are needed. I'm going to talk to my doctor about it as soon as I can.

After that, I went to eat at my favorite Chinese buffet (which I will miss greatly once we move) which satisfied my craving for at least a little while.

Then I had to go over to the main building of our company and fill out paperwork and do a little dance in order to get everything set to be an employee of the company that bought ours out. It was a lot of hoops to jump through. I needed to bring in my Degree for some reason as well as copies of my driver's license and social security cards (as well as the originals) and fill out a lot of paperwork. I had to get a picture taken for the new badges we'll be getting. Hopefully it won't look too hiddy, but I'm not holding my breath. Then came the lab work. Routine drug testing, but instead of just the urine test, we had to get our blood tested as well. It took bloody forever.

For starters, they call you back two at a time and have you stand in line. First, you have to wash your hands, then stand back in line. Then they call you back for your blood work. Since my veins are thin and my one good vein was already used today, they had to find a smaller one to draw from. That was a lot of laughs. They took five vials of blood which makes me wonder just what they're testing for. I'm surprised I have any blood left.

Then after the blood work, we stand in line again for our urine sample. This is what took the longest. You get up to the test administrator, present your photo ID, partially fill out more paperwork, grab a specimen cup, go into the toilet to fill said cup, come back out, wash your hands again while they pour your urine sample into a smaller cup to be sealed, sign and date the seal, finish filling our the paperwork and then you can leave. Good Lord!

So after that was all done, I thought I'd go ahead and wait for mom to go back and finish her work up for the day and go home with her since we have to share a car.

And for some reason, the new kitty Tor-T has gravitated more towards me than mom even though ostensibly she's more mom's cat than mine. I have no idea why. I do nothing to encourage her to do this. I mean,  I'm nice to her and scratch her on occasion when she'll let me, like mom does, but for some reason she like to lay on my bed with me more so than mom. And mom is kind of upset about it. I mean,  I can see why since she wanted a cat for her to love on. What can I say? Cats are fickle. I don't know why they do what they do. So now I have to deal with mom being emo over her cat liking me better than her. You can't win for losing.

Maybe things will look up once the weekend comes and mom's best friend from her school days comes and visits.
snapdragon76: this is made of win and awesome (Kureno -- happiness (flamika))
It caaaame!!! XDDDDDDD So, needless to say, I'm very happy. I'm all plugged in as I write this. Now I can take my tunes with me to work as I scan, which was my main reason for getting one. There are a couple of songs on my PC that I want to add to it that didn't seem to get transferred over onto my Mac. Yesterday, when it didn't come still, I had a Pixy Stix bender…

And I thank [livejournal.com profile] dracschick for my virtual chocolates!! Yumms!

Mom seems to be upset about something, but I don't know what. She's being very closed up about it. Something obviously happened at work, because she seemed fine at lunchtime. I hate it when she gets like this because it fills the whole apartment with tension. Ugh.

Well, now to figure out what to do for dinner and try not to get caught up in emo!mom's emotional tidal wave…

Word of the Day: immutable
Pronunciation: /I-MYOO-ta-bel/
adj : not capable of or susceptible to change
snapdragon76: this is made of win and awesome (Aka no Ou -- blood splatter)
I STILL HAVEN'T RECEIVED MY FRAKKIN' IPOD YET!!!! *fnarl* It's hung up in either Memphis or Indianapolis, the Fed Ex tracker isn't sure about that one. Stupid blizzard! Why'd you have to muck up my iPod aquirement! I have headphones, but nothing to attach them to! *fumes*

Why I'm posting so late is because we were over at my aunt's house where we ate dinner and played a hand of "Shanghai Rummy." I lost. My aunt from up north is leaving early tomorrow, so it was nice to spend time with her before she leaves. Of course, the batteries in my camera had to quit.



….

…..

Aaaaand… I have nothing else to say. I did work on more of [livejournal.com profile] kawaiiayu's scarf. I have more to do on it, but maybe some this weekend with any luck.

Word of the day: pogonip
Pronunciation: /PO-gan-ip/
n : a dense winter fog containing frozen particle that is formed in deep mountain valleys of the western U.S.
snapdragon76: this is made of win and awesome (Sei & Okita --gaze (lilsuika))
Well, I've survived my first full week of work. And I'm not as cranky this time around. I think it was due to the fact I was wearing more comfortable shoes.

I was able to visit with my dad this weekend. It was very nice. We went to the bookstore. I was actually able to contain myself and only get 4 books. Three were CSI novels and the fourth one was a mini-book in the Princess Diaries series. I didn't get any manga this time, though (I got Victorian Romance Emma the day before however). I still couldn't find issue 4 of the Legacy comics. I'm getting a bit perturbed.

Afterwards, we had lunch at the Chinese buffet I like. Dad was able to get some of his raw oysters that he likes. I was successful in the fact that I didn't lose what I had just eaten while he sucked them down. Blech!

When we got home, dad showed us his pictures Germany. It's a beautiful country. I hope to go someday.

In regards to Victorian Romance Emma, it a very well done lovely series so far. The cover isn't the shiny smooth paper that is generally used. It feels rough and antiquey. The art is very very nicely done and meticulous. I think I shall definitely be keeping up with it, despite the fact that CMX is the one doing it.

And I just downloaded and "read" the latest chapter of Kaze Hikaru. *squish* Very cute. A few adorable Sei/Okita moments. Plus, I'm coasting on the high of some Vash/Meryl squish in the most recent chapter of TriMax. *dies of glee*

Trivia of the day: Cut-outs of a moon and a star were used in colonial times on outhouse doors to designate the gender of the intended user. Originally, the moon cut-out was for women and the star was for the men. But men's outhouses were usually such a mess that men preferred using the women's outhouses. So, eventually the use of stars were phased out.<--I've kinda wondered about that
snapdragon76: this is made of win and awesome (Hachi/Takumi -- tenderness)
Just a quick little post before I hit the shower.

Today was better than yesterday. I was kept more busy and didn't actively notice the time until more towards the end of the day when I started to feel like a human popsicle. I don't know why most buildings always have to keep things so ice cold all the time. *shivers* tomorrow I'm bringing a jacket to be sure.

We had a bit of a kafuffle today. One of the ladies that works in the back with me had something stolen out of her purse while she was taking a restroom break. I was nearby, but I didn't notice anything because I was too busy with the task I was doing. So there was an impromptu meeting with all of us in the department about needing to secure our things and the possibility of getting us lockers. I don't really have an assigned area, so I have to keep my things in a cubby hole by the back wall. Since I've been working in the back, I can generally keep my eye on it, but I think having a locker will make me feel more secure.

Dad called and said he'd be down this weekend. My grandmother's latest "gentleman friend" sold his property on the West Coast and dad is coming down tho help them move things up to Michigan. He said he'd be in my neighborhood on Sunday and that perhaps we'd eat lunch and possibly stop by the bookstore (our favorite haunt). I told him it sounded nice.

Well, I've got to hurry and take my shower before Lost comes on. Hopefully I'll be able to get through my FL tonight...

Trivia of the day: Inventor Gail Borden, Jr. invented condensed milk in the 1850's and later the Lazy Susan, but he struck out with one other invention: the poorly-received "meat biscuit."
snapdragon76: this is made of win and awesome (Default)
Actually there were much more than just two, but just go with me here.

Saturday we went to a Ladies Tea hosted by one of the ladies at church. It was very nice. I've been to other teas hosted by her, but they were usually more intimate and this time there were over 20 ladies present. I had an enjoyable time, though. Afterwards, we did a few minor errands (since we were out and mom and I were basically shanghaied... so to speak). Later on that evening, my uncle and my cousin came with us to eat dinner at Texas Roadhouse. We called ahead, but we still had to wait quite a bit once we got there. My aunt who lives down here was getting a little annoyed. But, eventually we were seated and placed our order. I also ordered an apple-tini because I was curious to how it tasted. It wasn't too bad, actually. I'll be posting pictures of it further on down (as well as some random ones.

Sunday we had a dinner for my grandmother's birthday (which is today, actually) and my cousin's (which is Wednesday). It was just hamburgers on the grill, but it was still pretty good. We had strawberry shortcake for dessert.

Before I get to the picture post, I will say that Friday I spent a great deal of time making the covers for the Shikito fan mix [livejournal.com profile] flamika made. Being my first, it wasn't too bad actually. I told [livejournal.com profile] miyabita13 I'd post them on here, so I shall.

Front Cover

Back Cover

Not too bad for my first time.

Now that that's out of the way, it's picture time!!

Time for Tea!! )

That's all for now! Later on I hope to go to the bookstore and get a few books I saw and wanted.

Trivia of the day: Brazil shares a common border with all South American countries, except Ecuador and Chile.