I had a giggle fit at the most inopportune time ever, which made me laugh even more, which got me into trouble...


I REGRET NOTHING!!

I wasn't going to apply for anymore internships, but there is one that's just a few minutes walk from where I live. It means I probably wouldn't need to spend any money on transport and it's a 9 month internship so should be somewhat stable.

While I have my name down for a full-time course starting next month, it would only run for a few months and then I'd be wondering what I'm doing again (though I am really interested in the subject). So, I'm going to apply for this.

I know I was only venting about internships in the vent thread the other day, but I'm weighing up possibilities.

So, I was really nervous when I got the email from my auto insurance company, because I haven't paid them yet, but I had a gig today that required me to drive some twenty-five miles each way.  So, I promised myself that I would do nothing that would necessitate referencing my insurance (like getting pulled over or having an accident).

Got home, finally decided I better check the message.  It's a cancellation WARNING, not the actual notice.  The actual cancellation doesn't kick in until a little over a week after my next payday...and I can get paid up by then.  I'd have been fine, money-wise, if I hadn't had a $200 dental bill last week for the wisdom tooth removal (which is healing up nicely, thank goodness!)

Only $200? Insurance? Hooray for healing!

Unfortunately, my health insurance doesn't cover dental.  And the pain meds are still below the deductible for my coverage.  I just have an awesome dentist who doesn't believe that he's gotta wring every available dollar (plus a few more) out of my wallet anytime I go in to see him.  I mean, I don't like going to the dentist...but I like my dentist.  I picked the right guy to go to after two decades without any dental care beyond my own efforts at proper dentifrice.

I was complaining to a friend of mine who is waist-deep in the sci-fi and speculative fiction authoring world about how my days now feel somehow frustrating if I haven't put down 1500 words or more on a page, and how it was beginning to bug me. He told me (with a grin I could hear over Skype) "You're an author now."
Hearing it from him really made my day.

Started working on putting together a costume for an event I'm working at the end of the month (which is, I'm starting to realize, a lot closer than it sounds).  The theme for it is sci-fi/time-traveler, with kind of a 'modern hippy' vibe to it (one of the two production groups collaborating on it has a pretty large contingent they send to Burning Man every year...and since they don't get enough of that, they do their own smaller, local take on it a few more times during the year...)

Started rummaging through my closets, and found several items that I'd tucked away 'just in case the need arose' (sleeves I took off a chain-mail shirt for a film I worked on, silver pants, vintage motocross boots, an old-school tactical vest...)  Started mixing and matching and I feel like I've got something that I can wear to this without feeling like I'm hopelessly out of my depth.  There will still be a lot of people there with cooler outfits...but I'm used to that.  I'm pretty sure I'll be the only one with chain-mail chaps...*grin*

My room.  It is rearranged and completely SPOTLESS.  I am very happy about this.

It fits me completely for the first time since I moved into this house.

I have room for another bookshelf and I will be doing a portrait gallery above my bed.

Epic win.  That is all.

^_^

Today I celebrate my 13th wedding anniversary with the greatest man in the world ^_^  Im looking forward to 13 more.

My boys' team just won the school "Battle of the Books" and will be representing their school at the district meet!  Proud papa...

Got a glowing review from the head of our Safety/Loss Prevention Dept. at work, during the recent round of inspections with the local fire marshal.  There's stuff that needs to be fixed, and they're coming back for a 'verification check'...apparently, we're not allowed to have anything stacked within 18 inches of the ceiling (why that's suddenly an issue this year, when we've had stuff on those shelves for AGES without anyone batting an eye, I don't know, but whatever...)

Fortunately, we just found another storage space for the junk piano someone dumped in the far corner of our work area, so I had space to set up some other shelves over there to accommodate all the junk we had to take down.

My dad came home from his trip to Mexico and he brought a suitcase full of candy *_* It's like Christmas in May.

I'm celebrating today. :)

Finally got a chance to see the pictures, and I've gotta say it...I'm really pleased with how my Jedi costume turned out (wore it for a friend's May the Fourth karaoke party...)  *grin*

They are making an Ender's Game movie.

No more need be said, imho.

I'm excited because I'm starting a full-time course on Monday.

So, it's not the same as a full-time job, but it'll be good to have some more constructive things to do with my time, other than job hunting and playing online games.. and chatting (can't forget the chatting). ;) Not to say I don't love *some* of those things, because I do.

It's in PHP/MySQL, so look out for more unsolicited advice! In truth though, there will probably be less. I may have taken on a few too many games of late and they need keeping up with. They're fun, though.

Munchkin is a very fun card game and probably made me love rpgs all over again when I was losing the faith. We're now at a point where we're going to play until the first person gets to Level 20 to keep games going longer...

Epic Munchkin! XD

Not quite sure where to put this, but here seemed to be as good a place as any that exists on here...

Found out that a friend of mine, many years ago before I ever even knew her at all, was in the throes of depression compounded with the all-too-common sense of adolescent disconnectedness, not knowing where she fit in or feeling like she belonged anywhere.  She had it all figured out...how she was going to do herself in, even the day she was going to do it...

She got to school that day and saw a poster for auditions for the school musical--a show that she loved--on the very same day that she'd planned to put herself out of her misery.  She opted for the audition...and that started a string of experiences that totally turned her life around.  By the time I met her, she was one of the sweetest, happiest people it's ever been my pleasure to work with.

So, on top of the nine years of shows that I've worked on with the guy, I'm thankful to the director of one of the local high school drama departments for creating an environment that convinced my friend that she did, in fact, belong somewhere in this world and she did have something worth living for.  We're not particularly close or anything like that...but I can't help but think my world would be a less-awesome place had she been absent from it.  And as I consider the fact that he's taught for over 35 years, I can't help but wonder just how many others stepped back from the edge because his efforts--totally unaware of their problems--ended up shifting their self-perception from loathing to acceptance.

One man can make a difference...it's not just a platitude.

when I was young I may not have understood or appreciated all that my father had to teach me.  but now that I am older and hopefully wiser I can look upon some of my actions and realize that some of the things I do, I do because that is how my father taught me.


Earlier this week I volunteered myself to assist in the repair of the mats at the Hapkido school I train at, I was told it would take up to 8 hours.  I asked the man in charge if I needed to bring any tools, he said just a battery drill if I have one.


This morning when I was getting ready to go to class, yes I went to class and then stayed to fix the mats, I pretty much packed ALL of my tools.  I don't if we will need a hammer but I brought one,  I didn't know if a staple gun or pliers would be useful but I brought them, etc etc.


We used a lot of the tools I brought including the pliers, hammer, and staple gun.  I stayed the whole time and worked hard.  my contribution was greatly appreciated.


I realize that I did that because of the lessons my father taught me.  He always volunteered to help at school, with boy scouts, in indian guides, anything.  If somebody needed volunteers my father could be counted on to help and to work hard.  My father always brought more than enough tools to get the job done.  And my father was always one of the last to leave, making sure that the job was done and everything was cleaned up.


These are lessons that my fathered passed onto me and sometimes I find it interested to see these connections.


Thank you Dad

I know tonight that which ever dark place my depression leads me to, whatever may happen... There are memes that I have passed onto my close friends and I see my interetes and motivations passed onto them.

This gives me pride and a new found sense of freedom. I know they will all be fine. I may be an agent of chaos, but sometimes chaos brings good change.

Maybe not much, but i was checking the RPoL Chamber of Lost Souls section when i spotted something i hadn't before. Not sure why, maybe i just looked past it a number of times, but i hadn't really noticed it was there until today:



Dunno, just made me grin. For a second my mouse hovered over the 'Request Access' button, but i decided not to after making a guess which thread my account name would have shown up in.

Some games you just want to not be a part of i guess :P

Redundancy to Job offer in 2 hours. now thats good going.

My son finished this semester with a 3.8 GPA - all A's.  I am so proud I could bust.  Such a smart kid and has to put forth little effort.  He plans on going to college for graphic design or video game technology or something along those lnes.  He talked of moving to Seattle for school (gulp) but now he is talking Chicago (I live in Indiana so that is a relief!).

On a less than bright note - I am now the mom to a senior.  Say what?!

It's opening night.  I'll admit it...when the Power That Be said they wanted a show built around a live rock band on the stage with the singers, I had my reservations.  A LOT of reservations.  And if the band members had been cast wrong, I think it could have been a disaster.

But the band is awesome, the singers are great (and with only a couple of exceptions, are learning how to make the most of having a live band on the stage with them and interact with the band instead of acting like the band is set dressing and the music tracks are still pre-recorded), and I'm more excited for this show to open than I've been for opening a show at the park in a LONG time.  Even though about half the music is stuff that we've used in other shows, earlier, I actually feel like we've created something new, rather than just recycling the same stuff again and again.  It helps that we've got new choreographers this year...who actually believe that even if the song is something we did before, we should try and make it SOMEHOW a little different (the choreo we've had for the past eight or so years just remounted the old numbers, without bothering to figure out a different dance routine...)

But I'm excited about being excited, even...sometimes I worry that this job gets me jaded, that I get so tired of the same stuff that I stop caring as much and stop trying as hard.  It's good to know that I can still be hyped for opening night, as opposed to coming into it thinking, "Well, thank goodness we made it through dress rehearsals without me wanting to shoot anybody..."  THIS feeling is part of why I got into theater...the joy of coming up with something new and original.  I've missed it, here.

Welcome back, old friend...

One week from today I will be heading off for vacation!!  Two weeks of being away from the stress of every day life.  Woot!