Paranoia is always justified...

Since I don't plan to stay where I'm at more than a year, if that much, my soon-to-be roommate and I will soon be looking at moving trucks. I have quite a bit of gear, and it'll end up being cheaper and quicker than repeatedly loading my dad's pickup and driving back and forth, especially if we move quite a bit aways from my parents house. Most of my stuff is still packed, amusingly enough, though that makes it hard to find certain items. I have a gallery, an auction and store section, an arts and crafts section, a massive collection of electronics and computing gear for school and other things, probably a hundred programming books, not to mention the anime collections, or the gaming center, which takes up quite a bit of our time and space. So we will definitely need a truck, and possibly some movers to help us, especially given my airbrushing center with the compressor that weighs more than I do.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my fans! giggles As if I have that many, but well wishes to anyone who crosses this path during their journey across the internet.

I'm zonked on pain medications - Thank God for those during major events, ne? Registered for MTAC, so now I have to work on a NON Naruto outfit for the Ninja event, because I'm going to throw up when 99% of cosplayers show up as Naruto. It was an astounding 80% this year, so now that it's a ninja theme, I'm sure I'm going to have very boring generic photos. Any ideas on who we should go as? Me and the chibi, of course, unless my darling Aislin can make it, but our normal cosplay will be as Evangelion, which was NOT represented at all this year. I'll be the oh-so-charming Asuka and chibi Gryphon will be Shinji for me to beat up on during the Para Para competition.

And I lost some weight! Need to lose more but I'm in so much pain lately... Maybe I'll get some time to practice my routines after cooking today? Taking some courses from my ACM membership, and found several game programming guides online in their library, so that should help me and Gryphon out quite a bit. Games section has been designated to him for the time being while I work on the store and inventory, and the separated category blogs.

Also, I finished my NaNoWriMo novel! I get a badge for the first time! So tickled about that... the novel didn't quite reach it's conclusion but I'll finish it for a publisher or agent. Much love <3

We had one of the worst imaginable scenarios happen to us a few years ago. Just three doors down, there was a break in, and a family slaughtered, because the father was a drug dealer. We never knew, and I can't even say how frightening it was to hear on the news. It was as if this thick grey dread had covered the neighborhood, and we immediately got a home security system. Despite living in a neighborhood where helicopters roam for criminals, we'd never had one, but now even my son knows to set it, and how to turn it off. Our house has been vandalized twice by fourth graders in the past few months, while I was home alone, but I feel safer since I keep the door locked and the alarm on. I just couldn't stand for my son to go through anything worse than what he's already seen - the gang fight at the State Fair, where he was screaming that he didn't want to die was the last straw for me. So hearing those little beeps as we set it, and knowing that the audacious noise it creates would scare off any attacker, helps me sleep at night. It's sad that we live in such a world, but you should always try to keep yourself and your family as safe as possible, even if it means sitting down with a young one and explaining why those few steps every night are very important for him to check as he goes off to bed.

You know, I really enjoy this class even if most of it is simple stuff. Now I feel like I understand more of what I'm working on, when most of it has been trial and error, and browsing through books. I re-upped my ACM membership; I really cannot even begin to say what an INCREDIBLE resource it is for anyone into computing, especially the vast amount of training and free books you can get for a measly $19 a year. I need to get on there more, actually, and study for certifications, but right now, I'm just trying to get through the holidays. Still, if you are of a like mind, and are maybe, just slightly, the tiniest bit, well, COMPLETELY consumed with electronics and even the social aspects of them, you just have to join the ACM and hook up with me. I am in such geek mode!

Maybe that means you'll get to see some new stuff from me, since I have a break for projects after I finish my extra credit assignment. ~_^

Next semester is gonna be kinda slow, I think, since I have design and networking, but that's okay, I suppose. I need to look for books so badly. Gryphon is being a handful, so plllleeeaaassseee let me know if you wanna go to the museum or park or anywhere this week.

Oh, how the conspiracies abound!

Well, these aren't in my price range, at least not just yet, but this site not only has tv stands, it has foot of the bed lifts, which could help my mom's ankles. It's really too bad I can't get one for Christmas since she's been to the doctor several times and is still in so much pain she can barely stand it. She really doesn't want me discussing that topic much, so let me just tell you that these furniture pieces are absolutely gorgeous. o_O

I would so love to redo my room with pieces that aren't just the standard superstore stock, and they even have some pieces from Craftsman I love. And I am such a total dork... it has tv stands for the foot of the bed, not medical supplies. Yes, laugh at my cluelessness, for I haven't been all here lately, but that's still pretty cool, especially for people like me with back surgeries. I could at least see the tv in style and watch my X-Files with ease. ^^

is the most amazing game ever. I love my current characters, and hopefully I'll get to 55 with one soon so I can get a DeathKnight with the Lich King expansion.

Things are very hectic here; I'm doing well in Database of course, but with medical issues between my mother and I, not so well in everything else. Nothing is posted for sale at the moment, and I'm dreading my confession appointment tomorrow.

Doing most of my Christmas shopping through MyPoints, which is helping me add up gift cards, so that's nice, but I don't have the money to get everyone what I really wanted to, unfortunately. Really drained and tired of being on all these meds, but I have to go back to the neurosurgeon. No fun at all, really.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, just in case I"m too busy to say it on the holiday! Yes, I have been writing articles, but I'm behind on my sites, as always, because there is just SO much going on and I'm not well.

There have been quite a few articles about people getting cancellations on their inaugural visit lodgings, and many people renting out their homes, so I'd look for travel deals now that the election is over, since that considerably changed what hotels and other services were charging. I know they've had a huge influx of requests, and I'm not going to the inauguration myself, saving up for anime conventions, but you can always compare prices on different locations, hotels, airfare, and suggestions for international trips. We're going to the Smoky Mountains in June, after MTAC - I traveled so much as a child but Gryphon hasn't had the opportunity to just yet.

Okay, other than election talk, I've been working on my novel for this month (which reminds me, I need to update my word count) and I've become addicted to World of Warcraft. Lich King comes out today!!!!

And I'm in a lot of pain, so will be going back to the doctor on the 19th to find out what else we need to do. Have very limited mobility unless I take pain meds, which I'm not a fan of, and it's just been a rough couple of weeks.

Midterms are past, so I actually do have more time to update the sites, which is nice, since class is tapering off a bit. I like working with databases - need to have my right hand looked at though as well, since I'm showing the same pain as my left hand before that surgery. If anyone says the word surgery or Obama around me, expect to get water dumped over your head, but I've read some good stories lately that deserve reviews.

Gryphon's Hei Lin Wushu class had an issue but it was resolved quickly by Sifu, so I'm glad about that. Bullies should not be allowed to come to martial arts to learn to be better bullies, and maybe I can't stand up for myself very well, but I will always stand up for my son. Two of our cars broke down on the same day so that took away from Christmas money... and um, not sure what else there is to say since I've been laid up. A lot of posts will be going down in order to replace them with articles regarding parenting, arts, literature, and events, so don't get confused when that happens.

If you're looking to sell your home or just make it a nicer place to live in, you'll want to consider all the details of your furnishings, including crown molding. I enjoyed how nice and clean the layout of this site is; It made it easy to shop, and was easy on the eyes, just the way you want your living space to be. I have to redo my room, so it's always helpful to get links like these, especially when there's such a large selection with nice, tight pictures that you can readily imagine in their rightful spot.

It isn't often you find a store like Inviting Home that lists the inspiration for their pieces, and it appeals to my artistic nature - after all, isn't anything that makes your world more beautiful an artistic endeavor? I didn't even realize I was suffering from "Naked Interior Syndrome" until now! I find myself on the verge of panic, and scurrying for brushes at this dreadful thought! After all, better to spend my copay on some furnishings and medicate myself than to spend all day in the dismal doctor's office, amongst uninspired rooms and tattered magazines from last year. Perhaps my recent depression could be cured by finding my niche in life - my functional wall niche that is! They even have one named after my city, and I love it!

Being somewhat of a gothic nature, I've always enjoyed adding my own personal touches to corbels - some silver leaf, rivets, a dark stain, but you need a good form to start with, one which inspires you to your creative heights. I like the Providence, Sarasota, and Vienna myself, for the more elaborate looks, though there were a few simpler designs I could have some fun with. ^^

Best of luck to the new administration, ironic that it's the 100th anniversary of the NAACP if I understood CNN correctly.

Sending out positive thoughts regarding the election tonight, and waiting to see the results.

I won't be around tonight because I'll be at Centennial but you may be able to catch me mobile if I have a signal. Midterm week, so if you do catch me, expect me to be studying while I'm there.

When I get my own place, I'm going with modern furniture, since I don't know, traditional just bothers me, and isn't my type of thing. And this site has some beautifully unique pieces that are more art than furniture. Some of the beds are so Japanese in design, that I could easily go with my Otaku theme and get the feeling without leaving the country, of being in a foreign land I've been dying to go to for so very long. I'm also very big on storage, and they have a roll-top bench which resembles the type of desks that used to close or roll the cover into the top, and that's just awesome. I love it when art combines with functionality. ^^

I have some progress on my novel, not as much as I'd hoped, but some.

And another reason I am DONE discussing this election - Some girl on Pogo accused me of being racist because another person I didn't know said something about people plotting to harm Obama if he gets elected, and my response was I didn't want my son to see that. Saying I didn't want my son to see a president get shot because his generation already lived through 9/11, and somehow she took that to mean that I didn't want my son to see a black president? I have no idea how, but I've also said that whoever wins, I hope the best for, and that I hope people aren't going to be idiots about it. So much controversy, and it is over for me. I cast my vote, I did my duty, and don't you dare say that I'm a racist simply because I'm open about voting McCain. It had nothing to do with Obama's race, and if you know my voting history, you'd know that. I actually had hoped Hillary would get the nomination, and hell, if Colin Powell ever ran, I think he'd do a great job. Last I checked, he was still black... So apparently I'm not that racist.

Humanity in general annoys me regardless of race, only when they are acting ignorant. Love you all, have to go write and paint, please post comments on my upcoming technical tutorials and blah blah. ^_^

My friend put the best comments, and I'm laughing my ass off right now:

Why did you decide to cancel your membership?

Checked: Too expensive, Had problems with the web site, Would rather play at some other game site.

Other (Please Specify): I pay for better games on a different site now... have already paid about $200 into them. You need serious improvements. And not allowing free members to keep their points more than 60 days ensures that they just lag the system, but can never reach a prize leve, and your new points for prizes rips people off. I think you suck. And if you think anyone wants to play this lame site without prizes like the below questions YOU ARE MORONS. Maybe a GOOD site like POGO which doesn't gaurantee prizes, I would pay to play for certain perks, but your site just sucks. It was a good site in November 2007, but you sent it straight to hell with bad business ethics and decisions.

Overall, how did you like your experience? Any other suggestions or comments?

I liked my experience a year ago, up until about 6 months ago. Your programmers are illiterate regarding good design, your games are flawed, you have no business sense, and I will personally be glad never to visit this site again, as will the other people who had accounts through me. All the decent players have left anyhow, so it's not like we have anyone left to play with but our small team. Way to take an ingenious idea, rub it in monkey feces, and throw it on a cute puppies face, guys. It seems that every time Kaplan logs online, fluffy bunnies run in fear for their cute little cuddly shelters, for fear that they may become your next feces-faced puppy test subject.

Suggestion: Kaplan has proven himself to be a failure at technology related endeavors and even written a book on the matter, so perhaps he should look into something more traditional, such as being a mail clerk.

I fall out of chair now to howl in laughter. Silly friends. Thanks for sending this to me, you little conspirating minx. ~