AlderWitch's Scribblings

I haven't used this thing in forever. The baby is a full fledged toddler and work is everpresent so between all of that I have been too, too busy. But, my mother got me a wii fit for Christmas and between that and the bento diet that I'm playing with starting, I'm gonna try and keep a log of my success (and failure) and thought I'd try keeping that here.

So far, I'm on day three with the wii fit. It is a horrible, taunting device but the games are short and kinda addictive.

My goals: Lose weight and tone up the flab, regain some of that last troublesome recovery in my knee, and get the machine to stop telling me that I am a giant fatty.

So far, I am moving my way through all of the exercises to get a feel for all of them and trying to do my weigh in daily. Eventually, I'm going to put together a few routines that focus on what I want to get out of the thing, but for right now, its getting a baseline feel for the activities and getting into the routine of doing it everyday, then moving from there.

On the bento box diet, it's basically portion control with the excuse to get a nifty bento box for work. 1/2 rice, 1/4 vegetables, 1/4 protien. So, we'll see how that goes :)

One of the first friends I made when we moved down here died this week in a drunken-driving car wreck. He was out celebrating his birthday.

I'll be back with posts that I owe, pictures of the baby and alliance/nero babblings when I'm a little less shell shocked.

I am enjoying Second Life (I know, I know. Gasp! Shock! Horror!)

I don't *think* any of my friends here are on Second Life, but if you are (or want to be!) I'm on as Tempest Vyper.

And on the baby front, Taran dislikes the time change quite a bit.

Thank goodness winter down here was glutted with boots. I got a great pair of new boots for the event that have sneaker soles. They're not MY boots, but I actually like them a great deal. Good ankle support without being too tight. And they even zip up the side for those midnight dash out of the cabin to life people. It's kinda sad I planned for that but my tunics that I'll probably be sleeping in are knee length and split up to the thigh on the side for movement. So while I might flash a fair bit of leg, I'll be decent in my skivvies without having to sleep in my pants.

Please note this does not mean I want to be woken up in the middle of the night just so y'all can be blinded by my white-ass legs :)

We're pretty much done. I got make-up today (expensive! but decent quality. Thankgoodness for the gift card leftover from my b-day.)

All thats left to do is weapon construction and finishing up the sewing on my pouches. All we need to pick up is a light socket adapter, cord for my bodice and red duct for Josh's sheild. And food, of course, but that's when we get there.

I'm getting off of work at noon on Thursday, then we'll head outta here to be back to the real world on Sunday.

I :heart: my new robe SO MUCH.

So, once Josh finishes up S's garb, we will be done with garb sewing! It looks amazing, but especially the blue and black and silver of Jakartins look. Josh made my design for it look just as final fantasy as I pictured it. Well, Josh will be done. I have a few more closures to hand sew.

We have a few odds and ends to pick up and weapons to make. We leave Thurs at noonish, and will drive back sunday. I will take pictures, I promise.

Got to make weapons and packets. Finish closures. Embroider Josh's belt pouch if I can... yay!

Sometimes, often even, games die out before the story ends. Or the story takes a different direction. I think I have more characters with games that have never ended. But here are my top five 'wish' list for things I would have loved to play out.

1. Arie, changeling - I think the fact that this character is the supporting character in the comic I'm puttering on makes it clear how hard it is to let go. She was my very first rpg character and I still tease/beg the gm about a reunion campaign.

2. Angela, vtm - man, I loved playing her. Now, santa carla was a smoking wreck when I left and the story took so many twists and turns that she was broken on so many levels. That said, if someone told me I could make anything in a vampire larp, I'd be running for the matrix club wear in a heartbeat. Of course, I made it look much better a decade ago. Sigh.

3. Kiren, wheel of time - Josh ran us through the plots of the books, deleting the main characters. I loved my little brown ajah sedai. I even got Lan. Hah! I nagged Josh into telling me the ending but its not the same.

4. Cadix, vtm - y'all know she was gonna be prince one day, right? ;) she was a ton of fun and I had some cunning plans in motion that I couldn't wait to see come to fruition. I really wanted to see who finally took her out or if she fell from her humanity in the end.

5. Aeryn, Nero - she's still around and kicking but she's had sooo many plots die on her. Even worlds. I've got two 'would love to's with her, both involving Darius, her now grown kid. I miss just rping with him as his player is still one of my most favorite people ever and only the second person irl allowed to call me mom (he's old enough to vote now and has tattoos, m'god.) Also, I swear someday I'm going to get the truth about his existance outta S. So help me. :)

Meh, I say!

I am on a creative upswing and a fiscal downswing. Our landlords giving us bills that I know we paid him for but he has all the bill copies. Have to deal with that this week.

On the bright side, I am working out kinks in my art hand. I have a digital painting that's taking forever but once is done, I think I will be back to work on the comic.

Garb is going well. Love my new, almost done robe but so tired of putting buttons on things. Ears are on their way. Left to do:

Me:
Brown pants
Belt
Boots
Finish packet pouch closures and decoration

Josh
Tabard
Cloak
Pouch
Belt
Boots

Taran
Vest
2nd robe

S.
Vest
Pants
Shirts x 2

And that's it. Still seems long but its really not bad. My pants, Joshs cloak and tabard are mostly done.

Can't wait!

I am sick as the proverbial dog so forgive me if this post comes out all mangled and confusing.

I've been thinking a lot about IC romances of late. It used to bug me that I enjoyed romance plots. Heaven forfend I like typical girly things. But as I a) read romance novels like they're popcorn and b) enjoy romances in all my television, it stands to reason that I would also enjoy watching them play out in role playing games.

Now, I think romance plots have gotten a lot of flack for the drama they can cause. We all know if the in game/outta game line blurring that goes on and how that can be especially messy when there's feelings involved. Usually my ic partner is also my husband. The fact that there are no concerns about boundries aside, I enjoy interacting with Josh in games. We've been rivals, opponents, co-conspiritors, allies and lovers in games. Sometimes more than one at a time with certain characters I can think of.

The folks that I can run romance plots with though are few and far between I've found. Some people and characters I'd dearly love to run those sort of plots with wouldn't touch a romance plot with a ten foot pole. Some folks aren't comfortable running those plots. Others, I'm not comfortable enough with them to run them.

Which leaves me usually playing in a corner with Josh. Not that that isn't fun, but sometimes we're playing characters that simply don't mesh.

So what do you all think? What kinda plots do you prefer playing in?

So, this is cross posted from the Alliance SF boards.

Josh and I and Taran are looking for people willing to share a cabin with an 18 mo. old. He's really very good! I promise we're not bad to share with.

I have six life spells per day!! :)

Also, Taran's garb is coming along. It's TERRIBLY CUTE. We picked bold bright colors and poly fleece to make his outer wear out of. He's mostly in long sleeve shirts and sweats under it. But his cloak is done, green super soft stuffed animal fleece and lined in red muppet-fur. It's awesome. Taran keeps cuddling it. Too cute.

When I was a teen, I loved the SCA. The events were my first real forray into many of the hobbies I still know and love. Lately, I've been trying to get back into it, and honestly I'm trying to decide if its worth fighting to save the SCA that I know and remember or whether I should look to my other outlets for that enjoyment instead.

The SCA is not welcoming to new people any longer. They simply aren't. I was told by an autocrat at an event that people would approach me in one to two events if I stuck around. And that they were tired of wasting the effort on people who might or might not be there for the long haul. Excuse me? What on earth would make a new person come back with that as a greeting?

At the last 12th Night I attended, everyone but a specific household was kicked out of open court so they could have a 'special meeting'.

I have never been an authentist but I am one of those people who likes the 'Middle Ages the Way they Ought To Have Been' line. I am tired of their royal majesties holding keggers on the field after a tourney. That is not my SCA.

And, that this is even a debate, much less a pipe dream, offends me to my core.

I'm not sure my SCA exists anymore.

I have never wanted a pair of boots the way I want these.

Le sigh.

Someday, when I win the lotto. :)

In the meanwhile, I have to work on Monday when the rest of my office is on holiday. On the bright side, I'm getting March 13th off for Alliance (NERO) without using any vacation. NERO dates are 13-15 in March. We'll be there. I'm sending our pre-reg next week along with the reserve for our cabin. Josh is turning the big 3-0 in April and all he's been wanting is to make it to the events.

In other news, tomorrow is Valentine's Day. I am late in sending out my valentine. I suck.

So, I am totally addicted to America's Best Dance Crew on MTV. It is the only thing I stay up to eleven (:gasp:) on weeknights for. It's had a clogging team - Dynamic Edition - which I absolutely adore on it and I've been staying up to vote for their awesomeness. Sadly tonight they were kicked off by a bunch of skank cheerleaders from Miami. Judges pissed me off.

Tonight's challenge was to include illusions in the dance show. (Which totally had me thinking of S. for most of the show.) The all girl beatfreaks did this awesome dance including a floating ball which was just an all around amazing routine. It was the only one that didn't have the trick look completely shoved into the midst of a bunch of dancing.

I digress. The cloggers were, as always, technically amazing. One of the girls on the other team all but fell out of their split into the roll, like a good three full beats before the other girl began her tuck out. So dumb. Hopefully, tomorrow I will mellow. It just really irks me that something thats about amazing dancers, the girls wearing the gold lame and bootyshaking are going to beat people who have near perfect technique.

In other news, garbing is going well. I have embroidery and finishing work to do on a few things. (S.'s packet pouch, both my pouches, Josh's pouch) My new cloak though is soooo pretty. Green faux suede to cut wind chill, lined in microfleece for warmth. Josh is getting so darned good at constructing things. He's finished one of his yoke shirts and has just the hemming on his second.

This weekend we need to scoot down to the fabric store for the President's day deals. We still have the last fabric to pick up for S.'s vest and pants, fabric for Josh's second pair of pants, tabards and cloak (ouch!), and then fabric for the baby's muppet cloak and second doublet.

Still need to buy ears, belts, boots. Make a sword, hammer, shield.

Still not king.

Every so often, when I'm going off on the glory days of the comics of my youth and how everything now is crap...

I have to remind myself what the 90s comics were really like.

I have a lot to get done for March. I should say WE have a lot to get done for March. Josh is cutting and pinning and sewing and cursing a little. I have limited time to get the finish work done but done it shall be!

We have most of the fabric for all projects. I found lovely blue for the shirts for Sketch, one dark, one lighter. Spent more than I wanted to on the fabric for my cloak. Thank goodness was all on big-time sale. It is going to be sooo warm, suede lined with fleece including a mantle to wick off any water. Josh currently waffling between demi and full cloak. We'll end up with both for him eventually I am sure, its just what he wants for this event.

Feeling the creative bug. Decided to learn how to knit this weekend and have five inches of scarf today.

Sketch has me hooked on Dr. Who with the tenth doctor. Buckled and downloaded the first season with Tennant to add to my must watch list.

Classes start next week again for Josh, Mondays and Tuesdays. This time with actual cooking. He's excited and nervous.

Taran is beautiful and clever and sweet. He gives these big hugs now where he tucks his head under your chin and goes "Snnuuuuuu!" which is his abreviation for snuggle. My sweet boy. He's growing up faster than I'm really ready for. Literally and figuratively. He's the size of a four year old now despite having turned just 18 mos. He loves to dance and coo along to music these days and he copies EVERYTHING.

So, life is busy but well.

You know... with a little planning and saving, I could afford the alliance chapter start up fee.

In this case, the window is on my computer. I miss my boots and have been lusting after a lovely pair that would buckle up to the knee. I've got plenty of work clothes thanks to the stepfather (bless him!) but I only have two pairs of jeans and a few regular old t-shirts. I am seriously lacking things to wear on the weekend and now that we're starting to get out and about again with Taran old enough, I've moved out of the sweats and tshirt phase.

Other exciting news, I ended up in the ER with serious chest pains on Thurs night. I'd been having them off and on for the last week but chalked it up to stress. They were bad enough leaving work on Thurs that my friend and coworker called 911. One short ambulance ride, and one long stint in the ER, several EKGs, bloodwork and goodness knows what else later (they even gave me nitroglycern while I was in the ambulance), and I have a fricking pile of perscriptions and a diagnosis. You know how we keep saying the baby is huge? The baby is huge. I ripped a muscle in my back up by the shoulder blade and everytime I set it off, the muscles in my chest go haywire trying to compensate, compress my chest wall and cause these wracking chest pains.

So I have to rest and take anti inflamitories, pain killers and muscle relaxants for the next few days and keep the heavy lifting of the 45 lb kiddo to a minimum. He, of course, is still only 18 mos old and doesn't get why I am not picking him up instantly like I always do.

In short, I hurt - a lot, I have a crabby kid, and I am turning 29 this Wednesday.

But I am thankful that it's not a heart attack.

First off, why the heck is my little flower emoticon pulsating for the 'indescribable' mood. That's just weird.

Hmm... I was hoping that would be a better segway into my post.

I rang in '09 in a way that I would have never imagined doing a few short months ago. It was awesome, incredible and (flower pulsating?) indescribable.

You'll all likely be noticing me going vague on this journal now and again. This is becoming less of a dumping ground for me and more of a processing space which means some things that I'm starting to write about are a little too personal to blast out in public livejournal posts. Also, I am horrible at responding to comments so any real conversations are much better when they happen on IM, the way I work. I do read and appreciate everyone of them, but I really suck at responses, I know.

In just about a week, I'll be turning 29 and my headspace is good. Tired, but very good.

Relationship and family front is really awesome. I love the little person my son is becoming so much it makes my heart hurt. My confidence is up and I'm not holding myself back from what I want out of life as much. After a 9 mos of pregnancy and then another 7-8 of breastfeeding, I'm reclaiming my body for me. I'm down to a size in my jeans that I haven't been since college, and its a healthy weight this time.

I think, at 29, I'm going to get my ears re-done by a professional piercer, get the pixie cut that I always wanted to try and look into that tongue piercing I was too much of a chicken to get in college. But this time, these choices are all for me. Not because I want to fit anyone else's ideal but my own.

Musingly,
the witch

So, living in the snow is very pretty. Digging your car out of the snow, not so much fun.

Walking back to your house, which is two miles away and up hill in the snow because they opened the road too early and there was a carwreck to end all car wrecks... least fun of all.

Thankfully the ten minutes of digging the car out kept me from being in the middle of the accident. I parked my car off to the side of the road and then hiked back home. Thankfully, I wore my wool jacket and crocs instead of a lighter jacket and heels. By the time I got home I was so cold that I didn't shiver until I jumped into the shower.

Josh, being the he-man that he is, walked back to retrieve the car when they cleared the road two and a half hours later.

And we might get more snow on Christmas!

BTW, if you're trying to get in touch with me, I'm swamped with being at year end with payroll. Out of the goodness of my heart, I moved payroll up the day before Christmas but that means I am hopping to get things done. I have that, the Christmas Holiday coming up, my own garb project and afore-mentioned super sekrit project.

I'll be better after Christmas, promise.

So, had to come home from work today before the road to my house closed. It's storming and SNOWING. Like a good inch of snow on the cactus. These fat flakes are just dropping from the sky and have been all day.

If you had told me I was going to move down to the desert to live in the snow, I would have laughed.

Hopefully the road will be open to get down to work.

Other than that, working on my garb and super sekrit birthday project for someone special. Will have pics when the project is done.

Also, I signed up for facebook and myspace. So lemme know if you want my info for either of those.

Off to put the baby down.
Ta!

It has to be some pretty fucked up shit when it manages to offend me:

ATTN. FASHION INDUSTRY: EDGY DOES NOT EQUAL DEAD HOOKER ON CAR.

http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2008/12/11/most-disturbing-ad-of-the-year/