I Don't Do This Enough

Well, it's Thanksgiving. One of my favorite holidays. I generally end up working though, because I don't travel, I have no kids, and in general, I'm really flexible--it's not the date you celebrate, it's the celebration you have, regardless of what day. And although I'm pretty much the only one of my family out on the west coast, I am still really stubborn about practicing a ton of traditions that I grew up with. I'll be calling at least one of my grandma's to check in on my way home. The cornbread dressing is in the fridge, ready for the oven; as is the mac-n-cheese. I went out of my way to find "bacon ends & pieces" for the greenbeans, which must be fresh popped. And even though it may be 6pm, 8pm, or even later when we go to chow down on our feast, I will enjoy every bite.

Normally on Thanksgiving, or Replacement Pseudo Day of Turkey and Excessive Food Gorging [RPDTEFG? nah] I collect lost souls and force-feed them until they explode. It's just what I do, okay? Damn that soft spot for puppies and broken things. Luckily, I only cook in one mode, and that is "make enough to feed a small army!" Sadly though, this is perhaps the first year that I'm not adopting anyone to feed who doesn't actually live in my house. It's kinda sad for me. But at the same time, we are planning to take a plate to some folks tomorrow--long story, just go with it. Plus, the last time I adopted something for Thanksgiving... well, let's just say I'm still feeding it on a daily basis, teehee.

Point being. The one tradition that nearly everyone participates in on Thanksgiving... the family goes around the table and says one thing they are thankful for. I was thinking on this idea while I drove to work this morning, crafting and formulating a Facebook post in my head [hey, I'm an English Major, okay? It's what we do], and I realized that I had way too much to say to just let it slip by momentarily on Facebook. I also figured that I'd get cut off by whatever character limits there are. So without further ado, and in no particular order, Things I Am Thankful For:

-I am not deployed. I am not on duty. I may be working, but I get to go home afterwards and spend time with people I care about. I have a big hurty spot on my heart for anyone who is away from home because of the military.

-I got to cook. Or more accurately, I get to eat! It's not the galley, it's not the ship, it's not an MRE, it's not whatever else some poor sailors/soldiers/airmen/Marines are stuck with right now. I have a kitchen, and by golly I am putting it to use.Two years ago, I think my dinner consisted of Tuna with Rice and Sirracha, and a chocolate bar.

-I'm off the ship in general. My life has improved by lengths and bounds since I left that hellhole. Seriously. My current co-workers care about people, generally have common sense, and finally, a generalized sense of humor!

-Family, and "Family." Family is what you make it. I am thankful for both the family that "raised" me, as well as the "family" I have developed over the years. I am thankful for people and relationships; the ability to cultivate and maintain them; and... man, I don't know, the fact that we all exist?

-Coffee. And the people who sell it. Being greeted not with "what can I get you?" but instead a smile and, "how many shots today?" Seriously, that means so much to me and I don't know why.

-Kitties. My kittens probably don't get enough credit and cuddles. But they are so sweet, and I don't care if you hate cats, I can tell you that they love me every bit as much as my dog did.

-The past year. Change. Turning points. So much has gone upside down and topsy turvy and backwards, but honestly it all seems to in general be for the greater good.

-Scars. Internal and External. They remind me of who I am, what I've been through, what I am capable of, and how strong I can be. They remind me where to draw the line, and the essential need to take care of myself. They show me that I've changed.

-Me! I mean sorry to sound narcissistic here, but really, I'm pretty glad to be me. Generally speaking, I like who I am, especially now. I may have moments of jealousy, but when it all comes down to it... nah.

-The Italian. Mon Chere, Mio Amante, L'uomo che amo, Mo Anam Cara, Namaste. I am still amazed every day that such a caring, genuine man can even exist. And that he somehow accidentally fell for me.  I am thankful for the lessons he has taught me, and for throwing me a floatation device when I needed it most. But he didn't just reel me in, he showed me that if I didn't do the work myself it wouldn't really count. Even when we are both stressed out and frustrated, it is still obvious that we were meant for each other. I strongly feel that everything happens for a reason, whether or not we understand it, and the experiences we have had separately only managed to completely prepare us for each other in the present. Now I look forward to every day, and I no longer fear my future.

-The Internet. Without which, on some level, none of the above would even be possible.

See? There was no way that was going to fit on Facebook.

A Bit o' This and A Bit o' That

So I haven't been updating very often, but I've been decently busy. Luckily I have trained myself to take photos as I go, so I'm just writing about things afterwards. Lately I've been on this very odd bi-phasic sleep schedule. I'm not really sure why this happened, but if I had tried to do it on purpose, I couldn't have done it. Just seems like I can't sleep for more than about 3-4 hours at a time anymore. But it's a nice deep sleep, and splitting it up actually seems to be giving me more usable hours of the day--so long as I don't mind tip-toe-ing around to bake cornbread and spray paint things at 2 am.  I have been waking up in plenty of time for work, which is nice, and I do still get some awesome night time cuddles, plus day time hang-out time, too. The other reason it's nice is because it's flexible--so when I switch work schedules every two weeks, it's not really going to be a big deal. 

So what have I done? Well, I picked up a few little wooden holiday ornaments last time I was at Michael's and finally got around to painting them. Of course, you know my idea of "painting" is a little... well... yeah. They're clear coated, just waiting for that to dry before I flip them and spray the back side as well. I have a pair of stars I did with a paint pen as well, and a dozen or so clear glass globes that I haven't yet started to play with. I know Christmas isn't for a while, but this kind of stuff I don't mind doing in advance. No Christmas tree or lights until after Thanksgiving though!

after the metallic paint but
before the granite layer.
I'll repost when it's upstairs!

 Speaking of painting... This has been a sort of long-term pet project I've been dealing with for quite some time. I can't find the page now--I just looked for about 30 minutes--but I read about how you can use spray paint, painter's tape, and plastic bags to create a faux-marble finish on just about anything. The author had done it to her patio/doorstep and it looked fantastic. She also recomended it for garage flooring as well. I really wanted to try this, but I doubt the rental company would like that. I had an old bookshelf sitting down in the garage missing a couple shelves. I was originally going to turn it into an entertainment stand for the big tv, but we ended up just buying one from Big Lots instead. But, I had already gone to Home Depot and had them cut the new shelves I measured out. I figured I might as well keep the project going, although it took me weeks to crack at it a little at a time. For example, I started the black lacquer coat, found out the hard way that I was one spray can short. I picked up some granite spray to work with. I taped out a random square-based pattern--wishing now I had actually measured and marked it--and sprayed down the layers. Unfortunately though, the painter's tape [which isn't supposed to stick to anything really] pulled up the lacquer. Feeling a little frustrated, I decided not to redo it, but instead I just went over the lines with regular acrylic paint. I threw on a clear coat after that, and I might do one more clear coat just in case. Since one corner of the giant bedroom upstairs has kind of been turning into a kitchenette, I wanted to use this as both a counter [the coffee pot needs a solid place to live] and a wall/divider-type thing. Now my only delay is whether or not I'm going to wait until after laying down the tile flooring to bring it upstairs or get impatient and do it now. I wish I could find the floor in a different color, but I guess that one's not so bad.

...the letters are backwards because the glue is drying.

Another project I looked up, bought supplies for, and then ignored for a few weeks was the yarn-wrapping. These are just basic wooden letters, wrapped in yarn with a little bit of tacky glue. The only problem I ran into was zoning out and not realizing that I ran my way mostly through the red and white yarn. So it's not as solidly covered as I'd like, but I like the texture of it anyways. I'm not sure how I'm going to mount the layers onto the heart [I was definitely planning on the letters hanging over], and figure out how to hang it [thinking something to do with thick black wire, but not sure how to attach that]. The plus side of this project was having the epiphany that it would make a great gift for some other couples I know.

There may or may not have been
Amaretto in that mocha...

Last but not least. Snack Bar had long ago asked me if I would make homemade mac-n-cheese again. Again, I bought ingredients... and then... couldn't get around to making it. I finally had a day where I had the time and the motivation, except it was the same week of whatever most recent WoW expansion was released--there's no way he can raid and eat mac-n-cheese at the same time, that's just inconvenient! So I made up the chicken-broccoli-mac that he really likes, and got the brilliant idea to turn them into cupcakes! I sprinkled a bunch of cheese on top of course. The secret is to spray the cupcake pan with butter spray, and then cover the cups with breadcrumbs. They popped right out of the pan perfectly! I thought I had regular mac noodles, but I remembered incorrectly and had to stick with penne. Close enough. Definitely something I will make again!

Army of Cranes

I guess it's been a little while, hasn't it? Adjusting to a new pace of life has been exhausting, exciting, and rewarding. Aside from some pretty nasty shoulder pain, things have been getting better. The nice new "part time" military  is working pretty well. It's really nice to have a day off to recover and get things done around the house, taking care of things around the house. Not to mention epic marathons of House... the show, that is. I suppose that's not very interesting, but it's very comforting.

I've only been dabbling in the arts lately, not as productive as usual. I've had a bit of the fog and fatigue going on, which is killing my attention span, motivation, and that 'good' feeling when you do things. The one thing that has been able to keep my attention has been paper cranes. I had a great idea a while back, about paper cranes as a Christmas ornament. So far I'm liking the wrapping paper ones better than the ones out of actual origami paper, but I'm getting more ideas. I still need to figure out how to preserve and strengthen them--torn between spray shellac and coating them with mod-podge or gel medium--but i'm excited to play with more papers and also two layers of paper. My dad is sending me more charts so I can play with them as well. I'm also thinking of doing some cheesy wrapping paper ones. Below, I had some fun playing with neon paints, and a quote that I am trying really hard to remember to practice daily. I need so much of a reminder that I actually posted it next to my bedroom door so that every time I leave the room, it catches my eye.

 

"Do not delay the difficult decisions or avoid the new habits that are necessary to advance your life. What must be done should be done with haste, for life is precious."

--Brandon Buchard












And, to complete this post, I leave you with... yes, it's a kitty with a pistol. Also a book on Bonsai and an unfinished zentangle. Such is the assortment of items on my bedroom floor. He loves helping.

Finally! [x2]

Two awesome things happened today. Two awesome, plus one really nice, plus one pretty damn bad.

Awesome #1:
The bedframe came today, and now it is finally assembled and situated, and we live like civilized people. I don't think I've had a bed with a frame in.... oh, at least five years. And a headboard? I can't even remember. It's nice.

Awesome #2:
While I was flipping through magazines to trash in the name of art, I found a smaller version of the photo I have been trying to work into my latest piece. I thought it was a lost cause, but when I found this smaller version, I took the lesson I learned [lighten the background before you use gel medium] and applied it. I stuck down a white tissue paper heart, and gel'ed the hell out of it on top of that. And finally, finally, I have achieved the look I was going for! Or at least.... close enough. Excuse the blur, I'm tired.

Really Nice:
Date day! Chinese buffet, followed by Guardians of the Galaxy. The theatre has these awesome recliner chairs, so you feel like you're at home. But they make snuggling a little difficult.

Pretty Damn Bad:
Checked the mail only to find out that the apartment complex thinks I should pay $1700 for the repairs on the apartment. I know it wasn't in the greatest shape when I left, and I expected a couple charges. But a whole paycheck? I think they need to readjust what they consider to be "normal wear and tear" to consider the fact that I had been renting that place for about six years. I mean seriously. I don't know how much I can get them to knock it down, but that's a little uncalled for. Luckily I found a site dedicated to quick pro bono legal advice, so I shot them an email to ask for more resources. Hopefully I can get them to knock down the charges a little bit. I mean, $6 to replace four lightbulbs? Really? To hell with that.

Tomorrow:
Bring on the laundry. Bring on the boxes. Bring on the yoga. Bring on the cleaning. Bring on the arts. Bring on the cat box. Bring on the car. Here's hoping I wake up with more energy than I did today, so I can actually get a large chunk of it done. 

It Really Works.

I wonder if I could get a note from my doc saying that I need to leave work early [x]-number of times a week to participate in Art Therapy. I mean, forreal. I hardly know what I'm doing and I am having a blast. I don't know why it helps, I don't know what about it is making me feel better, but something is working. I don't have a whole lot of ideas, at least not cohesive ones. But I do bits and pieces and things come together sometimes. I am continuously learning and expressing, and boy if it isn't just the greatest thing ever. It's more positive than writing--although writing does seem to help me think and process more. I suppose somehow Mrs. K was right, and the best way to work through my frustrations, fears, and issues right now is to turn to creativity. I may not sort as much out this way, but it certainly is soothing.

mmmmm, silly string. 

That being said, I also spent a bit on RockSmith today. I'm still not totally sold on it. Part of that is because I've learned songs a certain way and I'm not the most flexibly-minded person on the planet. But, on the other hand, I did pick up a new song that otherwise would've taken me a bit longer to learn on my own. I have complaints, sure--their tabs are upside down [heaviest string on top, when you look at it] which is counter-intuitive to anyone who has ever read tabs; they have their own mechanics of gameplay and they call things by different names--but all in all I can see how it can be a useful tool. After adventuring with the program today, it's looking more like the Italian is going to learn bass, which leaves a nice Epi SG all to yours truly. I've been talking about picking up the guitar for months, if not years, now, so I guess I'd better make good on that claim.

Nothing beats playing with other people though, and I'm planning on going out to a weekly Rock-a-Roke event this weekend. For those of you who don't know, which seems to be everyone outside of WA, Rock-a-Roke is basically like Karaoke with a live band. Except you don't have to sing... I could look through their books, walk up, and say "I want to play [song] on bass. Gimmie!" and they would turn me loose. Not a bad gig really, considering that they are probably getting paid to show up, and really only having to play x-amount of the time... but the time they are playing, they have to be on point. They have to cover for newbies, novices, and drunkards; and let me tell you, from my experiences in Corson, that is not always easy. And also not all it's cracked up to be.

I've been settling in and putting things away little by little... by VERY little. I suppose when the bedframe gets here tomorrow that might give me a little more inspiration. I was hoping to get the whole garage cleaned out on this time away from work, but I think I'll settle for bedroom fixed up and the garage with boxes neatly stacked instead of the random pile of moving mess that we have now.