Sick on a Sunday

I really want to go to the dollar store and get cheap ribbon for headdresses (RenFest is coming up y'all) but I'm feeling pretty awful today. 

The worst part is that my beloved kitty Narcissus is probably dead.  We knew he was really ill and dying, but he stopped coming home when my parents let him outside (he hates litterboxes) and we figured he was snoozing under a bush (this, plus sleeping under our cars in the driveway was about all he did for the past year) and his body finally gave out.  I can't even go look for him because they're in Florida and I'm here in Texas.  So I'm pretty down over that, even though 16 1/2 years is a pretty damn good run for a cat.

On top of that I'm definitely sick.  I'm sure my body is just trying to make me slow down, but grad school doesn't allow for such niceties.  Fortunately, I realized I was sick while I was shopping (if the coughing and headache and clogged chest shouldn't have tipped me off when I woke up...) so I managed to buy some orange juice. 

On top of *that* I'm seriously worried about money.  I've been approved for a freelancing gig doing transcription, but I know I'll be pretty slow at that, especially since I don't have a lot of time with lots of quiet which I'll need for that.  I've also started freelancing on fiverr, but of course, I have to wait for people to come to me.  Hopefully between the two of those, I'll make the extra $260/mo I need to survive.  I'm filling out surveys on a website to earn $10 prepaid Visa gift cards for spending money (I told you I'm desperate), and I've formed a new resolution to send out my novel to one agency per day.  If it were just that, that'd be ok, but I also have a lot built up on my credit card (from conferences, being underemployed for months, and sudden, unavoidable expenses) that I desperately want to pay off ASAP.  I have a tiny amount saved up but I'm thoroughly disinclined to spend that because it's my only safety net. 

In one way it's fortunate I'm no longer interested in a social life.  I go out once a month or so to my favorite bar for wings and a few beers (it's a dive bar and those wings are so worth the calories and the expense), but other than that I scurry home as soon as I can every day, knock as much work as I can out of my way, and settle down to Netflix/Amazon Prime and a vodka (diet) tonic with lime in my ugly, comfy clothes, and some soft pillows and my Kindle.  Of course, if it's a week day I usually skip the drink and have a 40 calorie frozen popsicle and don't bother with the Kindle because I already have a headache, but still. 


Oh well.  I have a loving, supportive family even if they're far away.  And I'm going to keep on writing and maybe one day I'll get some love (and money) from that.  In the meantime, it's time for me to curl up on the couch and relax.  I've spent today getting shit done despite feeling like crap and now I'm tired out.  I don't think I'll even prep the week's lunches today.  I can do that tomorrow since I don't have class or work (thanks to that I usually reserve Mondays for doing as much thesis/hw as I can to make the rest of my week easier) and can cook and eat whenever I'm hungry.  Yay for good planning!

A memory for the ages

Had a thoroughly fabulous day today!  Ok, so all last night the kitty was moving from spot to spot on the bed and I didn't sleep too well, and Mom dragged me out of bed at 8:30ish so we could get my car to the mechanic, but after the mechanic we went to the Orlando Premium Outlets and since the Croc store had "buy one get two half off" she bought two pairs for herself and one pair for me as a present!

http://www.crocs.com/p/womens-capri-v-shimmer-flip/202845.html?cgid=footwear&cid=040#q=silver&start=15
^^ This pair, in silver.

Next stop was the Florida Mall and as soon as we walked in we saw A REAL-LIFE BRICK AND MORTAR THINK GEEK STORE!!!!!
We had the best time, but were very good and did not buy anything, although I really really wanted the Captain America backpack/shield and Mom really really wanted the Twitchy Kitty tail.
http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/iniv/?srp=1 < she wants to wear it in class to express her angst at her students without getting in trouble.
OMG do I ever want to work there.

Then we hit up Lush (drool), Sephora (I am in LOVE with NARS lipstick "Cruella" but the shop assistant found me a Sephora-brand dupe that costs $12, whereas the NARS costs $26), a soccer shop (Portugal jerseys cost $90...no way, Jose!), Franchesca's where I found the cutest dinosaur earrings that will be in my Christmas stocking later this year, a jewelry store called Tous (their stuff is GORGEOUS - http://www.tous.com/us-en/new-arrivals/jewelry/), and finally after Chinese in the food court for lunch, we went into JC Penny on the way back to the car and their costume jewelry is 50% off basically *everything* except sterling silver as long as you buy at least two pieces.  The sterling silver jewelry is 65% off if you buy at least two pieces!!  Mom and I were going nuts and she's gotten half of her Christmas shopping done now and she's thrilled at the prices she got on everything, and I went a little crazy and bought a beautiful gold bracelet and a lovely long gold necklace with dainty little inclusions here and there.

Then on the way home we stopped at our favorite International supermarket and I got a couple Croatian beers to smuggle back to Texas, and Mom got more boerewors for our braai this weekend.  In sad news, they only get Walkers' crisps at Christmas and Easter now, so once again I am without my beloved ketchup crisps :(

While we were driving home the garage called and my car was ready, so Mom dropped me off there and went on home while I went to our local mall (10 minutes from my parents' place) to get some tank tops at H&M (no H&M within 90 miles of my apartment in Texas!) and check our Franchesca's for more dinosaur earrings so Mom could use them as additional Christmas presents.  I did find another pair, and bought them, and since THEY were having a BOGO 50% sale, I also bought myself a lovely gold ring studded with tiny zircons. 

Then I was all out of energy and definitely out of money so I marched myself home and I've had a lovely evening watching DVDs and working on a novel.  I'm so glad I worked all those extra hours on Tuesday so I fulfilled my hours of the week on Wednesday and get today and tomorrow off from work.  Of course, tomorrow I have to buckle down extra-hard at my thesis because I skived off today, but that's alright.  Maybe I'll even be inspired and write like ten whole pages!

Headache Express

I got a lot done today folks.  Finished my SSI training online, took my diving final test, made a couple cakes (took them to the test to cheer everyone up), turned in a final paper, worked, cleaned, and did two loads of dishes.

Tomorrow I have a lot to do as well, but with the following thought uppermost in my mind: THE SEMESTER IS OVER!!

I have an unpleasant headache now, which is preventing me from really enjoying the relief.  I took a hot shower, which helped.  May take some pills in a bit; I think it's been long enough since I had that beer with dinner.

The ingredients for bolos de saboia - flour, baking powder, sugar, eggs, and lemon.  That's it.  Unless you count butter or spray to grease the pans/parchment paper with.

I broke one egg yolk in the cup, and it's now in the fridge awaiting the omelet I'll make for breakfast, but other than that the only yolk that broke happened in the bowl, so I'm really very proud of myself.

The finished cakes!  Not quite like Mom's, but she has a standing mixer and it's easier for her to beat stuff up for longer.  Still pretty good and my classmates liked it a lot, but dang I have a lot of cake left!


My head is getting worse.  Time to find that ibuprofen.

The Grump List

GIS prof emailed me asking to drop off a hard copy of my final paper at his office.  I guess he likes writing on things while he grades?  I can do it tomorrow before my exam, but GRR!  I thought I was completely finished with that class!

Also, dive test tomorrow.  Only written, and I do know most of this stuff...only do I know it enough to get an 80% on the test?  I NEED this certification.

My apartment has been tidied again.  It's amazing how disgustingly messy it gets during exam season.  I'm also on a very weird eating kick because I ate an entire sleeve of jaffa cakes and I'm still 500 calories under my calorie limit for the day.  I should make a stir fry so I don't eat more junk.

I've sorted out all my dive gear.  My gear is in the bag under my bike table, and the uni's gear is in a laundry hamper I bought specifically for scuba stuff so I can take it to campus tomorrow.

Really, all I have left to do - other than study - is scrub the kitchen/bathroom and do my mending.  (Besides my thesis, of course.) Soo...studying it is.

I would still prefer to do nothing.

Cinco de Mayo...part one?

I guess it's technically May 5th, being 12:37 am here in the Central Time Zone.  I guess I'm feeling bloggish today!

Had my meeting, went to the shops on the way home (got an adult coloring book for $1 at the dollar store which I'm feeling a bit smug about), got home, grabbed an apple and went for my walk in the sunset.

It was a glorious walk, and at one point I even saw a cottontail rabbit!  I only just noticed it in the nick of time; was walking around a bend in the path and looked up just in time to see him rear up in alarm and then bounce away showing his adorable little cottontail.  It was the sweetest thing, and I find it a major pity that rabbits don't enjoy being cuddled, because if they did I would TOTALLY get a pet rabbit and snuggle it like crazy.

Got home and got straight back in the car and went to my friend's place to check on her cats.  One of them escaped as I was walking in with the empty watering jug (watering her plants too - it's too hot in Texas to let them go a week without water) so I chased her around for a bit and then trapped her in the laundry room (it's outside, like a utility closet sort of thing) where she hid behind the washer and growled when I peered over and talked to her.  I texted my friend who told me to leave food and water in the laundry room and leave the door cracked and she should run right inside in the morning.  Let's hope it's true!

Came home again and called mom for a little bit before microwaving leftovers for dinner.  Did some homework and then settled down to work on my novel for an hour or so.  Then I made my grandmother's aguardente com mel FINALLY after having the ingredients in my larder for a month.  It can cure over the summer and I'll crack it open come autumn, just in time for such a thing.

Ta-da!
Then I put the dishwasher on, took out the trash, tidied up and polished off a couple chores.  I've really gotten a lot done today.  Not enough, of course, but when is it ever enough?  Now I have the French windows open so cool air is flowing through my apartment and dispelling the warm honey smell, and I'm going to settle down with my new coloring book while I watch my murder mystery.

There are compensations, even in Texas.

May the Fourth Be With You

My "fourth" is pretty grumpy so far, and I have no idea why.  I got up at a reasonable hour, went to my friend's place (I'm looking after her cats while she's away) and did my homework there (figured no wifi = fewer distractions, even with cats present) before coming home, going for my walk, and then settling down to doing my accounts.  (That was bleh - that conference cost me a thousand bucks and I didn't get a penny from any of the grants I applied for!  It's going to take me months to pay that off.)

Then I had some cornbread muffins for lunch and got down to working at my nonprofit job.  This new assignment is giving me a migraine because although these reports are usually half bolded (bolded stuff you don't need to code) this one has ZERO bolded font, and there are dozens and dozens of tables which take forever to code.  I wanted to ZIP right though this, and nope.  Not happening.  Oy.

Finished with that for the day, and I'm going to leave for a meeting in a bit.  Then I'll check on my friend's cats, go for another walk (because I can) and then home to work on a final project that's due Monday.  I'd hoped to finish it before now, but I've been having a hell of a time focusing lately.  Maybe it's because the weather is just so GLORIOUS that all I want is to be running around outside on the bike trail I walk (it's almost exactly 2 miles from my door, roundtrip back to my door), which passes by a lovely stream and two playgrounds (usually overflowing with kids which makes me happy - I can't imagine a whole childhood spent indoors with videogames, blerg!) and has wildflowers and birds and is really one of the best parts of living here.  I wish I'd found it sooner!!

Once the semester is properly over (i.e. everything turned in and tests taken) I'm hoping to have more time for my work/my thesis/and the gym, as well as getting to relax a bit, mentally.  I am at least taking a bit more time for myself.  Tomorrow a farmer's market is having a grand opening and I'm going, and I'm also going to see the new Captain America: Civil War tomorrow night.  Fingers crossed that it'll be a good one!  The reviews have been fab, so I'm feeling optimistic.

Sunday, one day

Had a hell of a weekend.  Worked 15 hours over 3 days at my retail job, not nearly enough at my nonprofit job, did some essay writing and thesis work and have been trying to organize some dive class stuff only people are being a bit slow about answering their phones which is irritating as heck!!

My stomach is also hurting right now - I think it's either the leftover pizza I had for lunch, or the leftover spicy rabbit mac n cheese for dinner.  Planning on a cheese-and-onion omelet for breakfast tomorrow, because if THAT upsets my stomach then I'm in for a world of hurt.

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day.  Long shift at work, then it's looking like we'll have dive class, and I'll need to get a couple hours of work in somehow, and do the final draft of my poster so I can print it on Tuesday.  I also need to start packing for the conference - my neighbor has already agreed to look after my place for the few days I'm gone - and figure out what the heck I'm going to do in the way of shoes.  If only my sparkly gold Gucci sandals ($13 at Ross) were appropriate conference attire!

There was so much more I wanted to accomplish this weekend, but I got quite a lot done so I suppose it could be worse.  I still haven't vacuumed or swiffered or cleaned my bathroom though...that will have to wait until I get back, I suppose.

Wouldn't it be nice to wake up and find out that all of my work was done, my house clean, my food prepped, my novel accepted by some agency, my thesis complete, and all my paperwork in order?  Talk about pipe dreams!