"So, what will you do now?"

"Carry on, I suppose. Keep walking forward through life, one step at a time. Sure there'll be tragedies, but there will be good times, too. It'll all work out in the end; I've just got to keep on keeping on, you know?"

"I mean, are you going to bed now?"

"Oh. Yeah, probably. I'm getting punchy."

I made some widescreen wallpapers of yesterday's pictures. They're 1920 x 1200 resolution.

http://drop.io/qvab6lj#

Did I lend the strategy guide to Final Fantasy XII to someone? The book database thinks I own it, but it's not on the shelf.

It was warm and sunny out yesterday, and it occurred to me that the fuzzy people hadn't been outside in a while. Also, that the kitten has been growing rapidly and I hadn't gotten any pictures of her lately.

( Cam-whoring Kitten Ahoy )

"You wrote a Twilight fanfic? No, of course I'm interested in hearing it... do go on."

Your turn.

F'ugly Perseus, monsters straight from one of the Lord of the Rings video games, and I get the feeling that any minute someone is going to look straight into the camera and bellow "THIS IS JOPPAAAAAAA!"...

This is an abomination unto Nuggan. I think I need to go find my CotT DVD and hug it for comfort now.

An Immoderate Proposal

The boy just threatened to turn the kitten into a small, but attractive, hat.

( Costume pictures )

Brett and I were sitting on the bed, talking. Spazzy McHyperactivepants (otherwise known as Vienna) was snoozing in the corner.

"Look at her," Brett said, "sitting there all mellow. Everyone should be like the kitten. Be more like Vienna." He pointed at me.

So I bit him.

"Like she is RIGHT NOW!" he protested, reaching out a hand to stroke her fur. She squealed and bit him.

A bunch of people on my Facebook list -- which is mostly family people I knew from high school -- are freaking out over the "dangers" of vaccines. Last week it was OMG SOCIALISM. Part of me wants to set them straight. The rest of me knows that, once I go down that route, I'll never stop shouting. And I won't convince anyone of anything, anyway.

Also... Tricia's started referring to my brother as "Daddy". As in, "Daddy said this" and "Daddy did that today". Really? Really? That's how my grandmother refers to my grandfather. And I find it creepy when she does it. Of course, Tricia also posts every FB entry in ALL CAPS WITH NO PUNCTUATION EXCEPT FOR LOTS AND LOTS OF !!!!!~!!!!!!!!!!

I heart my LJ friends. Seriously, guys, don't ever change. Please.

The date for this year's turkey dinner is December 12. Which is a little far from Thanksgiving, but we had some scheduling issues this year. Everyone is welcome! There will be Turducken again, supplemented by another bird because we were expecting leftovers last year and you people ate the whole thing (I cried. Seriously.). The side dishes are potluck; so far we have mashed potatoes, pie, and cake pledged.

If you're planning on coming, please let us know what you'll be bringing as early as possible. We're trying to avoid ending up with three green bean casseroles this year, so we're keeping a list.

Crash space is limited, but available.

Well, Bath and Body Works has just lost some customers. We'll have to find another place to get the boy's lotions, because I won't spend another dollar there.

I'll be writing them a letter tomorrow.

See what Brett and Holly bought me? See? See? It's sooooo pretty! And it came just in time to wear to Extra Life.








The artist is a friend of Brett's, and she's got some gorgeous stuff, so go take a look.

We are blowing the total from last year out of the water! As of 11:00 p.m.,the total for this year is $137,000. Thank you so much to everyone who participated and donated and volunteered and promoted and put their hearts into Extra Life! We have four and half more hours to go here in Houston. I hope you guys who have already put in your 24 hours are getting some well deserved zzzzzz’s.

Stay tuned to Sarcastic Gamer for updated totals, as the money is still coming in! The website will be accepting donations until October 31.


I'm dead on my feet, sore, and have a truly epic headache. It was SO worth it.

Vienna is sitting behind an open closet door, staring intensely at it. Suddenly, she lunges forward in a very short pounce, striking the base of the door with her front paws. It swings forward several inches, before slowly settling back to its original position as Vienna returns to a predatory crouch.

Repeat for twenty minutes. *thump* ... *thump* ... *thump* ... *thump* ...

Vienna is a nut.

If you were planning on donating anything to Texas Children's Hospital for Extra Life... now would be the time. The 24-hour video game marathon starts tomorrow at 9am.

Thanks to everyone who's already donated; so far I've raised $355.06! Just a few donations would bring that total over $400...

The good news is that I now know what size I wear in men's jeans.

The bad news is that the reason I know this is that Sears no longer sells non-spandex "denim" products for women.

Have I mentioned how much I hate shopping?

All right -- time to go knock off that list of chores.

Get hair trimmed
Buy jeans
Get gas
Buy stuff to make Pinwheels
Buy a case of pop Decided against this -- I already overspent on the pinwheels.
Deposit cash donations
Donate deposited cash on donation page using check card
Get $20 in case of pizza
Make Pinwheels
Enter phone numbers in new cell phone
Print lock-in ticket and put it in laptop bag
Make sure laptop bag is holding: Laptop, Cable, Mouse, Controller, FFXI Security Do-Dad, Dingoo, Lock-in Ticket, New Cell Phone, and Wallet.
Find out what side of the mall this cafe is on so I'll know where to park
SLEEP
ETA: Visit Indian restaurant because they double-charged my check card.

Today we learned that shouting out GlaDOS' lines from Portal during the last third of Logan's Run is really funny.

Paraphrasing is good, too: "The Enrichment Center would like to remind all citizens that first you will be renewed, and then there will be cake."

I haven't bled since Monday, so I am cautiously optimistic that the Three Week Period of Doom is over. Yay! The cold / sinus thing is pretty much gone, other than some occasional coughing. Double yay!

If the headaches and general exhaustion will also go away, I might actually feel pretty good.

So yeah... day 19. Guts churning. Still not sleeping. Impending sinus infection. I hate you all.

... Well, except maybe for you.

Brett found the world's smallest snapping turtle in our yard yesterday. It's standing on a regular-sized maple leaf in that last picture.

Have you donated to Extra Life in support of pediatric cancer research yet? The deadline for the event is in just under three weeks, and my total is... well... honestly pretty pathetic. I know that this year has been hard on everyone, but surely people can spare $5? Or even $1?

Please Donate Today.

Also, if you're in the Auburn Hills area on October 17, Team Limit Break Radio will be hosting their gaming marathon at the Timbuktu Internet Cafe in Great Lakes Crossing Mall. Feel free to come see us and play some games. Or just point and laugh. Whatever.

John -- I contacted the relevant department at Texas Children's Hospital about the EIN and got back a "someone from my department will get back to you on this", but that was some time ago. I'll try again, but they're not being particularly responsive.

So I'm into day 14 of my period now. I think that probably is the reason why I've spent all morning fantasizing about bashing someone's head in with a baseball bat until long after they've stopped moving. I'm craving raw meat (not a euphemism for "rare"; I want to buy a pound of ground beef and eat it straight out of the package). I feel dead on my feet, but the instant I crawl into bed the last thing I can possibly do is sleep. I'm brooding. Also seething, dithering, and stewing. And trying not to burst into tears for no reason. I had my first migraine in a year and a half on Monday and Tuesday; by the feel of things, my skull is getting ready for an encore. Emotional wreck? I hit that point two days ago.

Go ahead; make a menstruation joke. I dare you.

By DEVLIN BARRETT and JEFFREY McMURRAY(AP)–1 hour ago

WASHINGTON — A U.S. Census worker found hanged from a tree near aKentucky cemetery had the word "fed" scrawled on his chest, a lawenforcement official said Wednesday, and the FBI is investigatingwhether he was a victim of anti-government sentiment.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jbzG_BlkG2Hfc818EPRRn1bBlP6gD9ATASJ00

So I started a new neighborhood in TS3 lately. It's completely empty thanks to Pescado's destroyallhumans command, and I need some neighbors. I know there are a lot of Sims players on my f-list; how about an exchange? They don't have to be self-sims, or even necessarily beautiful; just some interesting people would do.



This is Simone. In my game she showed up in Sunset Valley with nothing but the clothes on her back. Forced to sleep on park benches and eat apples from the trees, she dreams of one day possessing 50,000 simoleans in cash. She's ambitious, snobbish, clumsy, a bookworm, and has no sense of humor. Download her here.

Instructions to put her in your game:

1. Copy the .sim file to your documents/.../Savedsims folder
2. Go to Create-A-Sim
3. Click on the "premade sims" button
4. Click the various filter buttons until your search matches the downloaded sim's properties (age, sex, etc.) 
(tip) Click the little custom content star icon to only show sims that you've created or downloaded
5. Select the portrait of the desired sim and whack the checkmark button

Instructions to export your own sim without dealing with the launcher (which sucks):

When in Create-A-Sim, click on the icon that says "Save in Bin". This will create a file in your documents/.../Savedsims folder. It should have your Sim's name and a .sim extension. Copy this file and upload it to a file hosting site in order to share it.

I read Seanan McGuire's Rosemary and Rue last week and I'm finally getting around to writing about it now. Sorry; it's been a busy month.

The only reason I didn't read it in one sitting is because my lunch hour is not actually three hours long. At least, it isn't if I'd like to stay employed. So call it two sittings.

It's a murder mystery set in a San Francisco where fairyland and what we humans think of as the "real" world exist side by side.

If you like urban fantasy, pick it up. If you like heroines who kick ass and take names, pick it up. If you like spending a couple hours on Wikipedia running down references, pick it up (note: NOT actually necessary to the enjoyment of the story). If you like Jim Butcher or Charles de Lint, pick it up. Trust me; you won't be sorry.

Now to wait for the sequel.

>wait
Time passes.
>wait
Time passes.
>wait
Time passes.
>eat pocket fluff
Stuffing pocket fluff in your mouth would do little to help at this point.

*sigh*

WHERE CAN I FIND WAREZ LOLOLOL


...happy Talk Like a Pirate Day.

For Halloween this year, I'm thinking of dressing like a human disco ball (foil-covered panels over a round pumpkin costume, possibly), with vampire fangs and a copy of "Stalking for Dummies" (altered "DOS for Dummies" that I still have from 1993) tucked under my arm.

Or would that be too subtle?

The party, by the way, was awesome. There was yummy food, really great company, fire, and s'mores. Some guy and his two kids happened by -- they're friends of one of the neighbors that we don't know and asked if the kids could take a look at the pond -- and we gave them some marshmallow-y and chocolatey goodness as well. Our bats finally decided to make an appearance when someone other than us was around, which was cool, and it was pretty close to eleven when people started leaving and we let the fire die down.

Good times.

Mom's Spinach Salad


Ingredients:

1 bag baby spinach leaves, clean and dry
1 head iceberg lettuce, clean and dry
1 bunch of green onions (roughly 1/2 cup when sliced)
2 containers of water chestnuts (roughly 1 cup total)
1-2 bags frozen young peas
1 jar mayonnaise
1 block of parmesan cheese, finely grated
3-4 eggs, hard-boiled
bacon


Put spinach leaves in a large baking dish (I think ours is 9x13x2.5). It should fill the pan about halfway.
Slice iceberg lettuce and layer on top of spinach, filling the pan the rest of the way. Press the layers down to compact the salad and make room for other ingredients.
Dice green onions and water chestnuts into small pieces and sprinkle evenly over the lettuce layer.
Add layer of frozen peas. Attempt to prevent cat from playing Frozen Pea Hockey with the ones that inevitably roll off the counter.
With a spatula, spread a thin layer of mayonnaise over the salad as though you were frosting a cake.
Top with a generous helping of grated parmesan.
Refrigerate overnight (not necessary but recommended)
Crumble hard-boiled eggs and crispy bacon, and sprinkle over top.
Slice and serve.

This is a good leftover salad, too -- it lasts up to a week in the fridge and still tastes great.










Sorry about the less-than-magazine-worthy pics, but I decided to take them this morning. You know, after the party.

The kitten is away getting spayed today. The house is incredibly quiet. Meanwhile, Fancy is hissing every time she sees me, Al is nowhere to be seen, and Folly is being Velcro Cat. I think they may have figured out something is up.

Last October, video game players from all over the world came together to raise money for Extra Life, a 24-hour gaming marathon to support the cause of pediatric cancer research and treatment. Overall, we raised an astonishing $120,000 dollars for the Texas Children's Hospital. Well, it's that time of year again, and we intend to blow our previous total out of the water -- and for that, we need your help.

What is Extra Life?

Extra Life is a 24-hour charity gaming marathon that aims to raise money to fight pediatric cancer. Extra Life is working in partnership with Texas Children’s Hospital and all funds are earmarked for the Texas Children’s Cancer Center.


When does it take place, and is there a certain location where Extra Life will be happening?

This year's event will take place on Saturday, October 17 beginning at 8:00 am and ending at the same time Sunday morning. While there aren't any large scale gatherings planned by the Extra Life organizers, Team Limit Break Radio, which is the group I'm a part of, will be holding a live fundraiser in the Timbuktu Cafe internet and LAN arcade at the Great Lakes Crossing Mall in Auburn Hills, MI. This will be open to the public between 10:00 am and 9:00 pm; there are a lot of activities planned, along with a streaming audio webcast of the whole event. Come check us out if you're in the neighborhood! After the mall closes, fundraisers will be locked into Timbuktu until the marathon ends Sunday morning.


How does it work?

A whole lot like a "walk-athon", only instead of being sponsored to walk a certain number of miles on the specified day, I have committed myself to playing video games for the entire twenty-four hours of the event.





Visit my donation page! There, you can donate any amount that you wish via a secure, encrypted connection. This money will go directly to Texas Children's Hospital, and can be spent immediately in the fight against cancer. Also, if I personally manage to raise $5,000, I will be donating my hair to Locks of Love.

https://waystogive.texaschildrens.org/netcommunity/ashcraft


Times are tough right now. I can only donate $5 or $10. Is that okay?

That's not okay -- that's great! Times are hard, and five dollars is a whole lot better than no dollars. If a lot of people donate a few dollars, it adds up, so give what you can!


Is there any other way that I can support Extra Life?

Yes! If you donate -- and perhaps especially if you aren't able to do so -- please spread the message by forwarding this to your friends and family, or posting a link to it on your blog or social networking site. We need the word to spread as far and wide as possible to ensure Extra Life's success!

You can also become a fundraiser yourself by signing up at the Extra Life website. You can raise money on your own behalf, join an existing fundraising team, or start your own team. Then, on October 17 you can join video gamers all over the world in the gaming marathon.





Where can I find out more information about Extra Life, Texas Children's Hospital, and Team Limit Break Radio? Links, please!

My donation page – donate now!

Extra Life Home Page

Team Limit Break Radio

Texas Children’s Hospital

Sign up to be a fundraiser!

Timbuktu Internet Café


THANK YOU!

With (supposedly) a year until the simultaneous world-wide release, Squeenix has started releasing tidbits about FFXIV. So far, it's looking incredibly pretty. I can't wait for the beta announcement!








( Pre-beta gameplay under cut. )

I had a klutz attack today, resulting in a burned thumb and stained pants. There was also yummy Indian food, but my thumb still hurts and the yellow splotches are still on the pants after a washing.

I have no idea how anyone ever got any wrapping done before without Vienna's expert supervisory technique.











Note to the boy: No, I will not tell you what is in the package. Neither will the kitten. Love and kisses, me.

My phone died over the weekend. It stopped charging and keeps asking for me to insert a SIM card. Rather than rushing out to replace it right away, it occurred to me to look over my phone usage and see if I could benefit from a less expensive plan.

It turns out that I already have the cheapest plan AT&T has to offer. It gives me 350 anytime rollover minutes, and 3000 nights + weekends minutes.

Over the last six months, I have used:

February - 113 +164
March - 26 + 45
April - 30 + 27
May - 31 + 43
June - 0 + 8
July - 81 + 17
August (to date) - 29 + 0

That's an average of 44 anytime and 43 nights + weekends. For this I consistently pay between $48 - $52 per month? That's sixty-five cents per minute! So I canceled my phone. Service ends on 8/15, not that it matters since my phone is dead anyway. My current plan is to buy an answering machine for the land line, and to get a cheap pre-paid phone to keep in my car for emergencies. This will probably happen after September first, since my paychecks are pretty much spent until then.

I'm going to try to get my address book off of the phone, but chances are good that it's lost forever. I'm screening the comments on this post; if you think I should have your contact info, please post it.

Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes. It was a quiet day, but a very enjoyable one.

I have an odd question that I've been wondering about since I woke up yesterday. How would menstruation work in zero gravity? Would a woman even bleed? If she did, would an absorbent pad work, or would a tampon be necessary? See, I had this dream where my grandparents moved to a retirement community on the moon and I was going to visit them, but didn't know how to pack for the trip to accommodate that sort of thing.

Vienna would like to remind everyone that all kittens are adorable.

( Cut for people who don't necessarily think that human infants are adorable )

If one more person asks me something along the lines of "I bet you want one of your own now, huh?" I am going to throw things.

I have seen actual babies before.

It's a boy: Declan John
7lbs 6 oz
19.5 inches
Pics to follow
Burma Shave

They've set the date for this year's Extra Life fundraiser on behalf of Texas Children's Hospital and pediatric cancer research. I'll be setting up a donation page and nagging the crap out of everyone requesting help sometime soonish. Last year I spent the 24-hour gaming marathon with FFXI's Limit Break Radio team. This year, even though they'll be having their event at a local venue, I was thinking I might host an all-night party, instead. Of course, this only works if I get some friends to actually come and stick out the whole night with me; otherwise I'll probably hang out with the LBR guys again to ensure that I can stay awake.

So, how about it? Would anyone be interested in an all-night gaming marathon to support the cause of pediatric cancer research?

So far, this weekend I have:

visited an apiarist and spent a half hour talking to the 93-year-old mother of the beekeeper
gone raspberry picking with Donna
started a raspberry melomel
visited the Detroit Institute of Arts with friends
seen Public Enemy in theatres
shot off fireworks
eaten pie
stayed up incredibly late
had loads of fun

Today I plan to slob around in my PJs and play Sims 3 and/or Fatal Frame. It's my day; I'll sieze it however I damn well please.

I wonder what the funeral home staff thought about the tribute for Uncle Pete, but damn if it wasn't absolutely perfect. From Maureen's sister's demands to know who is going to repair her car now and parting shot "In conclusion, Peter... blow me." to Dad's nostalgic description of "When I first met the wop, three weeks before he got me expelled from school...", there was more laughter than tears. And that's just as it should be to honor such a big soul. Dad was right, though... there should have been some really loud Motown. And maybe a water balloon fight.

The C. Diff test came up negative. Yay for food poisoning! ;)

So... yeah. Mice in the house? Not hypothetical. Vienna just nabbed one when I stupidly picked up the corner of the ottoman to see why she was so desperate to get under there. I took her outside and got her to drop it. It scampered off, but was limping.