Land of the Lost

This is just fascinating.

Scientists Discover Remains of Dwarf Human Species
What kills me is how they throw "hobbit-sized" in as an adjective, with no explanation of what a hobbit is or what its dimensions might be. I guess they just expect everyone to know. :D Which amuses me greatly. Apparently there were all KINDS of weird things running around this island - miniature elephants, Komodo dragons and the like.

Tonight I'm going to try and watch 'Lost.' This is the first time in a LONGGG time that I have purposely tried to catch a TV show. I guess it made an impression on me last week.

I had a great visit to Potsdam with the girls. I will post some pictures later... I just don't feel like getting the pictures set up yet.

Knitting Adventurer! Sounds about right.

You appear to be a Knitting Adventurer.
You are through those knitting growing pains and feeling more adventurous. You can follow a standard pattern if it's not too complicated and know where to go to get help. Maybe you've started to experiment with different fibers and you might be eyeing a book with a cool technique you've never tried. Perhaps you prefer to stick to other people's patterns but you are trying to challenge yourself more. Regardless of your preference, you are continually trying to grow as a knitter, and as well you should since your non-knitting friends are probably dropping some serious hints, these days.

http://marniemaclean.com


What Kind of Knitter Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

...actually, that sounds pretty accurate.

That said, the past couple of days I've mostly been an FFX-2 adventurer. :p Hey, I can't help it, it's fun and I'm already 52% through the game. And I'm a little down on the craft front - I finished the apron so I need to start a new sewing project, and I had to frog my poncho (all 3 inches of it) the other day because I realized I'd somehow picked up two extra stitches, which threw off the pattern. Bah. I'm halfway back to where I was on that.

Last night, as my mom toddled out to the family room around 2 am (allergies), she came to a conclusion: she said that if I could just play Final Fantasy, sew, knit, and read for my whole life I'd probably be very happy. I don't know if that's true. There are SO many things I like to do, and while it does go in waves (doing one particular thing obsessively for a while) there is a lot of variety involved. *shrug* I dunno. I did appreciate the question on the knitting quiz about "There's not enough time or space for all my knitting projects and yarn! I wish my boss would just let me knit instead of work." :)

Ugh, stupid Blogger.

Blogger just ate my post. So here's the quick recap:

1) Crystal called this morning - she was going to visit but I warned her of my cold germs, so we'll do it another time. She also told me Tyler got his 9 month picture taken today - in the sweater I made him!! :)

2) Brion is ecstatic over the Jets game. They are now 5-0 and as we all know, they are going to win the Super Bowl this year. :D

3) I've been working on some Christmas projects. As always, I'm sure it will come down to the wire in many cases, but at least I'm making an earlier start than usual.

Now I'm off to play more of my game. :D I've gotta beat Shinra in Sphere Break.. gee, this should only take about 12 tries. :p At least I beat Baralai on the first try. :D :D :D I <3 Baralai, but my first time through the game it took me 5 or 6 tries to beat him. I'm kind of excited because I think with doing all the side quests and stuff, I'll get to fight Nooj and Gippal too. :D :D :D

[edit: I actually beat Shinra on the first try! ...thanks to the strategy guide. With the hint they gave about Echo Bonuses, it was *ridiculously* easy.]

WOOHOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

#1: I finished my apron. :D It's super-cute and turned out nicely; I'll post pictures later.

#2: I BEAT GUNNER'S GAUNTLETTTTT!!!!!!!!!! XD XD XD XD XD

...okay, so I understand that most people aren't going to be very excited about that. It's a mini-game in Final Fantasy X-2, and it took me, literally, close to 100 tries to make the necessary 500 points. And I blew it out of the water too, with 605. :D Take THAT, Beclem, you pompous bastard!!! :D :D

*dance of joy*

Fun with IM, part 2

Me: i have been printing out news articles i think would interest bryon
Me: like the one about the privately funded spacecraft that flew a couple of weeks ago
Kim: oh Yeah!
Me: and one about ken jennings, the guy on jeopardy
Kim: i was kinda excited about that.....
Kim: not ken jennings
Me: lol
Me: what, ken jennings doesn't excite you?
Kim: ummmm Not in that special way... or in ANY way really
Me: ROFL
Me: "ken jennings does not excite me in that special way"

Good things about today:
* I have Double Stuf Oreos.
* I also have Rubbermaid containers for my yarn and my sewing stuff.
* I even have plain vanilla ice cream!!
* I am starting to feel a bit better.
* I am going to see the off-Broadway version of "The Full Monty" this evening. [edit: ended up not going, which is completely fine.]

I would like to say, the movie version of The Last of the Mohicans totally screws the book. All the wrong people falling in love with each other, and most of the people who die in the movie are still alive in the book, and vice versa. Sheesh. Still a really good movie though.

Observation on sewing.

When a pattern tells you you need 2 1/4 yards of rickrack, and you buy a package that allegedly contains 2 1/2 yards, you should NOT come up a foot short.

*moan* *groan*

I'm sick.

*cough cough* I think I'm coming down with a cold.

Falllll.

Well, the weather's been downright cold lately, except today which is really rather lovely. There's a cool breeze, but it's very sunny and pleasant. Unfortunately, I missed most of it by sleeping until 4 pm. It wasn't intentional - I've been hanging out with the girls pretty late and last night I was trying to print out some pictures to put in magnetic frames for Bryon. I guess I needed the sleep.

Anyway, I got up and zipped down to the post office to mail Bryon's package. So at least that's accomplished. Speaking of packages, Kat of Pinku fame FINALLY received her package from the swap we did AGES ago. I can't believe it took this long, but it serves me right for sending it by surface rather than air. *sigh*

Yesterday was a really fun day. Dad and I hit the Friends of the Library book sale, went to McDonald's for lunch, and then stopped at Little Tree Orchards to pick apples.



I also talked Dad into a half gallon of cider... although I'm the only person in the house who drinks it. It's delicious, hot or cold. :) (I used my lovely, soft, orangey sweater as background because it's so wonderfully fall-like.) Later in the evening, the girls and I made plans to head out to The Snooty Pig, a new pub in the area - but then we decided it was too cold and too far, so we ended up at Denny's again. Unfortunately my French Toast Slam made me sicker than a dog so we cut the evening short, getting out of there by 11:30 (which is incredibly early for us). Sorry girls. :(

Ahhhh... I think for now I'm going to work on my poncho some more, or read, or something like that. My throat is SO dry from sleeping in a warm room all day... I'm eating tomato soup to help it but it's not doing much so far.

Bryon's baaaaack!!!!

Today has been a good day. Stine and I journeyed to visit Kim (although we took an hour-long detour to a yard sale...). The three of us headed to the mall. I visited Jeremy, one of my buddies from work. He's in the new store and, unfortunately, is completely and utterly miserable. :( You can see it in every movement and look. He's in a really bad situation... I just wish there was something I could do for him. :(

We ended up eating at a pizza place in the mall - and during dinner - I got a message from Bryon!!! :D :D :D He's finally back at the base. I don't think I've ever text messaged so much in my life. The whole rest of the time we were walking around the mall, plus for part of the drive home (via Stine, I'm not about to text message while driving), we sent messages fast and furious. Once we got back to my house, I hopped online and talked to Bryon for .. good grief, I think it was a couple of hours!! Heheh.. normally he can only be on for half an hour, an hour at most, and here he was on for probably 4+... gotta love that Bryon mojo.

He's doing fine, although it seems like being there is wearing on him (not surprising). He describes it as being "a very dirty place" and says that it smells like garbage. :( Oh! While they were on the latest mission, they had a reporter embedded with them - and guess who ended up in the pictures he took! :D


That's my soldier! :D

And here he is again...
And one more!
Doesn't he look SCARY? It's his "you do NOT want to mess with me!" face. I'm glad he's using it. I don't want anyone messing with him either. He also sent me his Flat Stanley picture. :D He's such a good man.

We talked for hourrrrrrrrrs. It was so good to just know that I could finally ask him all the stuff I've been wanting to ask, and tell him what I've been wanting to tell him. It's just never enough time. :( He thinks he MAY have leave in November sometime, but it's not at all definite. I don't know how I'd handle that - I'm sure I'd completely lose it as soon as I set eyes on him, and how could I possibly let him walk back out the door, knowing where he was heading??? I don't know how Sharon did it.

Anyway... in more trivial news, I finally started on my poncho. I also bought a BEE-YOO-TIFUL corset/bodice thing at Charlotte Russe. I'd tried it on AGES ago, as in, before Bryon left - but I was trying to wait for it to go on clearance. Didn't work; instead it vanished out of the store for months. Yesterday I finally saw it again, so I went against all my coupon-cutting instincts and bought it right there. It was SO worth it. XD



Now (yes, at 3:06am) Sara and Stine are over, and we are watching Adult Swim and looking at stuff online. Yippee.

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Depressing Link of the Day:
'Superman' dead at 52
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Best line (of the evening) from Family Guy:
Chris: I'm NOT fat! I'm Rubenesque!!!

Last day, last day.

Well, I'm done. It's been a long, hard, frustrating week here in Julieland, but now it's done, I am home, and I don't have to work tomorrow! Or the next day! :D I wonder how fast I will tire of this.

Everyone at work was soooo nice to me. Mark called (on his day off) to say goodbye, because he left yesterday while I was at lunch. He's my buddy... and he gets sorta emotional about this kind of thing - very nearly made me cry talking to him on the phone! Yesterday my co-workers gave me a nice card (and way too much money), and the manager also called to say thank you. Very sweet people that I work(ed?) with.

I am working on the new job thing... I've been playing phone tag a bit but at least I know, that they know, that I'm interested. Updates forthcoming.

So far all I've done is come home, watch some of the second debate, (third if you count the one between the VPs) and watch Titan A.E., which I got at Target for $5.50. I'd forgotten how good that movie was.

In other news, last night I had my first actual nightmare in YEARS. I dreamt I was living in this apartment complex thingie, although it was sort of like college dorms... anyway, I was walking home (to my apartment) at just before dusk, when I reached the narrower area about 100 feet from the door. I realized that there was a guy a ways behind me, with a backpack on (hence the college assumption). I started getting a little nervous, being that I was by myself, and I was fighting the urge to run to the door. Still, since it wasn't that far away I was telling myself how silly the urge was, and still walking normally. That's when the guy grabbed me by my shoulder and started attacking me. In the dream, I knew I had to scream really loud so that someone might hear me and come running, or maybe at least scare the guy off, so I started to let out this strangled yell - and that's when I woke myself up. My heart was pounding and I was scared out of my wits. I really think I yelled myself awake, and furthermore I could hear my mom moving around in her room so I think I woke her up too. ;_; Whoops. I really haven't woken up scared like that for ages.

I also dreamt something about a huge submarine that could also float in the sky (shades of Sky Captain?), and a bunch of other weird stuff. Once I woke up that first time, though, I kept waking up every hour or so to check my phone to see if Bryon sent me a message. And yet, I wasn't that tired when I woke up, and here it is 1:55am and I'm still pretty perky. Go figure.

Well, we'll see what the next few days have in store! So far I know I'm visiting Kim sometime this weekend, hitting another big book sale, probably going to JoAnn Fabrics (wheee!), and continuing to make my list of Things I Want To See In New York.

AHHHHH.

AHHHH!! The crispness!

...just kidding.

2 days left. Whew. Every day the drive gets longer, and the job more annoying. I swear, I'm going to fall asleep in the kiosk one of these days. In better news though, Mark and I got out at 9:01 tonight!! We left before the Sprint guys, which is absolutely amazing. It's always completely dead in their store, so they are always shooting out right after 9. Go us.

Hopefully Bryon will be able to contact me in the next day or so!! :D :D :D

Off to bed, reading, knitting, something, I dunno.

Oh dear.

This is what happens when you get a group of yahoos in one chat room...

D: I don't watch leaves doing private acts
Stine: sure you do
Stine: you dont think photosynthesis is private
D: ... .. *snort*
Stine: how would you like people watching your cells change colours?
D: then why do they do it in the open?
Me: lol
D: I think leaves are exhibitionists.
Stine: much like Richard Gere, they have no place else to go

In the home stretch...

5 days of work left before I'm done. I swear, the drive is getting longer each day, and the job more annoying. Plus everyone I know is leaving, trying to leave, or has already left. *shrug*

Had another day off today - first off, I took pictures of the cross-stitch project I finished the other day.



Second of all, I finished my Secret Project. I guess I'm going to post the pictures, but I won't say what it's for.





It came out pretty well - one strand of good ol' Caron acrylic (originally bought to make the Tohru Scarf until I realized it was completely the wrong color) and one of Bernat Boa in Phoenix. Lovely autumn colors (the first picture is actually very accurate), and it's nice and soft but has a bit more substance than my Muppet Scarf, because of the second strand of yarn.

I'm getting really drawn into The Last of the Mohicans. Still can't believe that Hawkeye and Natty Bumppo are the same person though. I will have to hunt down the other Leatherstocking Tales when I'm done. Heh, along with the 2304982925 other books I want to read.

Bryon's still doing ok as far as I know. I would imagine they're on a communications blackout for now. I hope he can contact me soon, though. :(

Work work work tomorrow, and every day through Friday. I'm closing my last four nights because I didn't think it was fair to make the other person work 10-9:30 all those days! Yippeee.

In more exciting news, Marisa and I are still planning our New York Adventure (well ok, it's more of an adventure for me than for her, seeing as she lives there all the time). :)

And the award for Best Quote goes to....

...um, I dunno.

Best quotes from the last two days:

(gets off the phone)
Julie: Hey Mom.
Mom: What?
Julie: Good news! I just saved a bunch of money on car insurance!
(...no really.. it was our insurance agent calling me on the phone, telling me that merely because I am getting old in December [turning 25], I will now be paying $300 a year for car insurance instead of $1100. Woo!!)
---------------------
Sara: Oooooh, look at the cute little grenades!!!!
(Ok, they were scrapbook stickers, the little cut-out-paper kind, with a military theme. And the grenades WERE cute.)
---------------------
Julie: So are you watching this crap? (meaning the debate)
Mom: NO. If it tells you anything, I'd rather be watching Cheez Doodles.
(They were watching that show, "Unwrapped," that tells you how candy and junk food things are made.)

Yes. It's been entertaining. Which is good because my nerves are frayed right now. Happily though, the offensive in Samarra has been carried off with very few injuries - one soldier was KIA and four wounded. That's fantastic. I'm still on edge though. Plus this morning the woman from the FRG called "just to make sure we're still getting the FRG emails" and I wanted to pop her one through the phone. Who in their right mind calls for that in the middle of a major offensive? I was about ready to jump out of my skin.

I've had a busy couple of days. On Thursday (after work) I met Sara at Michaels and we shopped for crafty stuff... then came back here and watched the debate. That's about when I found out about the Samarra offensive. I could feel myself juuust about to slip over the edge into blathering-idiot territory, so instead... I focused my energy on sewing my apron. So far I have two nifty ruffled pockets, attached to the main apron piece. Wheee!

Friday I met up with Donya at their house, which is being completely rebuilt after a nasty fire a while back. The new house is AMAZING... doesn't even look like the same place. The windows and doors and light fixtures have a strong Japanese influence. It will be completely fabulous when it is finished. Donya and I then journeyed to a restaurant that felt like it was half an hour away. We ate good food and had a two-hour discussion, much of which was about Harry Potter. I love my friends. We then got ice cream, and proceeded to sit on the bench outside for another hour or so, talking about the Beatles and Broadway plays. After that we swung by the high school just to poke around a bit (my locker is gone! I'm somewhat traumatized) and then headed over to Barnes and Noble and sat in the children's section for TWO AND A HALF HOURS (at least). For the last hour or so I gave up on the kids' books and picked up The Last of the Mohicans so I could make some progress on that.

Around 7:30 we were supposed to meet Kim at Donya's house, and that's about when we got the phone call from her saying she was JUST leaving (an hour away). So we headed over to Denny's for some lovely breakfast food, and eventually Kim caught up with us (and brought her dad, who sat with us for an hour or so too). I think we left there somewhere around 1:15. It was a longgggg day, but definitely an entertaining one.

Today I am working 1-9:30. Sooo... I'd better go get ready.