Week in Review – Week of November 8th – 14th

This week was a lot of fun, aside from being up and down emotionally. I got to attend the Thigh Scream Social -- a roller derby skills camp – which was a great time. I enjoyed it so much that I think I’m going to join the men’s league here in town as soon as I figure out when and where practices are that won’t conflict with this weekend’s plans or my work schedule. I’d go to the practice with them Sunday, but I’m going to be in Chicago with Mira. B)

Sunday after Jero’s bout she and I slept in as late as we could, and then got up so I could have breakfast before the first day of the Circle City Socialites and Race City Rebels’ Thigh Scream Social. Jero watched as the CCS and RCRs warmed us up and taught us day one of our basic derby skills. I was very shaky and wobbly at first, but our coaches were incredibly friendly and supportive, and so I got through the first day just fine. When we got back Jero helped me clean my apartment.

Monday Jero took off work and we slept in after staying up super-late cleaning out three boxes of crap from my apartment. In the morning we showered and brought an entire cartload of recycling out before heading up to Journey for a yummy meal (even if we wound up eating way too much). At Jero’s we got onto the MUX. I got to role-play with Deadline as General Flint, Lt. Bludd as Father Cobra, Optimus Prime as Blaster, and Snoop as Alpha Trion. Fun!

Tuesday I started off in a good mood, but that RAPIDLY deteriorated once I got to work.
That evening was Day 2 of the Thigh Scream Social, where we learned and practiced more skills that I was surprised I could do. After practice Jero dropped me off at Ke’s, and Ke and Nivagi made nachos for dinner. I’d missed V, but we watched The Daily Show and The Colbert Report before Nivagi went to bed, citing work in the morning. Eventually Ke and I went to bed as well, since I had to get up early also.

Wednesday was the last night of the Thigh Scream Social. We practiced falling and whips*, and learned dominance and hitting. I was expecting to be knocked on my ass, but the experienced derby skaters were primarily there to take hits and give feedback. At the end of the last practice we played a few rounds of Queen of the Rink Rank Ruler, which was a lot of fun – it was a last-skater-standing game, and then I *did* get knocked on my ass. We all graduated the derby 101 camp, and were pronounced official derby girls skaters. I definitely look forward to following up and skating again!

Thursday night Ke wanted some time to study alone before I came over, so I went to Jero’s to give her some snuggles until Ke was ready for dinner. When I did go over to Ke’s Nivagi wasn’t home yet so Ke and I enjoyed beef stroganoff. (mmm… meat!) When Nivagi came home we watched The Mentalist and ate blueberries in yogurt for dessert. Nivagi went to bed early since she had to work early, and since Ke had a test in the morning she and I went to bed soon after.

Friday work was busy and annoying, but I got to leave a little early, which made me happy. I went to Nivagi’s and played on my laptop while she cleaned her house. When Mira arrives we plan to go out to dinner with Ke and her. Then Nivagi and I will either head back to my apartment, or sequester ourselves in Nivagi’s room so Ke and Mira can have the night alone. It’s only fair, since I’m kidnapping Mira the rest of the weekend.

This weekend Mira and I plan to role-play Saturday when I get off work, and then Sunday the two of us are going up to Chicago. We’re going to spend the night Sunday, and with luck we’ll get to see Keje and his main squeeze while we’re up there, as well as hitting random museums and sex shops. I’m very much looking forward to seeing Mira this weekend, and excited that she’ll be here soon!

Have a good weekend, all!

*“You know, the whip is the fastest way to gain speed on the track!”
-- 'Hot Tub' Johnny Rocket, Whip It

Week in Review – Week Ending April 18

Last week was very nice. I got to start the week spending time with Caro in Minneapolis, and after I got back to Indy I had a pleasantly quiet week with Jero, Ke, and Nivagi. I ended the week going to see a roller derby bout with Jero, and hanging out with not only Ke but also Asca, whom I’ve actually gotten to see almost once a month this year (after a long stretch of about once a year, tops). I’ve gotten to talk with Mira a lot on the phone and over text, and she’ll be coming to visit this coming weekend, which will be great. Unfortunately Mika got sick this weekend, so I didn’t get to hang out with her, but I’m hoping she’ll feel better soon so we can reschedule.

Last Sunday was Caro’s birthday, so I was up for whatever Caro wanted to do while I was there. Her first request was for me to go with her to IKEA, so we ventured out to the land of oak and some pine and a handful of Norsemen so Caro could size up new storage space for her ever-growing yarn stash. Sunday night we had a yummy sushi dinner with Caro’s local boyfriend and his wife, both of whom seemed very cool. Caro seems to have a preference for long-haired geeky guys – who knew? B) That night we snuggled on the couch and watched Futurama while she spun yarn, before going to bed to cuddle and sleep.

Last Monday Caro and I had breakfast and then went to the bank so she could open an IRA -- she figured since she was 30 now she should do something responsible. We went to a bookstore so Caro could sell some used books and so she and I could conform to our traditional “sushi and bookstore” weekend. >B) We went back to Caro’s for a shower and a nap, and then had to leave so she could bring me to the airport. The trip back was a little sad but uneventful. Jero picked me up when I got back to Indy, and made me dinner before we snuggled in bed to watch Dollhouse. Caro was actually in Bloomington this past weekend, but she was busy with her family so I didn’t get to see her again. We might meet in Chicago in July.

Tuesday I went to Ke’s after work, bringing food from the crowned ruler of burgers. Ke and I watched The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, mystified at why, if NASA wasn’t going to name a node after Colbert because they "… typically name U.S. space station hardware after living people,” they named it Tranquility instead of Serenity, which I believe had won the online poll. Why have a poll and then ignore the results, aside from publicity? I thought we’d wind up staying up late playing on our laptops as we usually do, but Ke suddenly announced she was going to bed, so I shut down and followed.

Wednesday night after work I ran home to grab a shower and then went over to Chpa and Nivagi’s to pick up Nivagi. I’d expected another quiet night in like last week, but when I got there Nivagi suggested we could go to the club, which we’d been planning for a while but hadn’t done yet. I was still a little stressed from work, but I told Nivagi if she wanted to go the club I would be up for it. Nivagi and I headed to the Red Eye for a late dinner. While eating and enjoying Nivagi’s company my nerves gradually settled, and by the time we were done eating I was more calm and ready for a social outing, so we went to the club at last and had a good time.

Thursday morning Nivagi and I managed to drag ourselves out of bed early enough to have Le Peep before I had to drop her off at work. Work for me was busy at first since they’d sent everyone else home with e-time and left no one else to answer the phones, but in the evening it quieted down, which was more pleasant. Thursday evening I avoided siren songs of snuggles with Ke to have a night to myself to catch up on journaling and laundry, and just to recharge my social batteries. I watched a little Family Guy on Hulu, and went back through some of my old journals, reminiscing on the past. I stayed up way too late, but it was worth it just to have some rare downtime alone in my apartment.

Friday work was another crazy-busy day for the first four hours and then quiet the rest of my shift. When I got off work I met Ke at the Chinese buffet. She had just gotten a surprise scholarship, so she bought me dinner since I’m saving money in case we still strike. After we ate we went back to Ke’s and played on our laptops until Ke was sleepy, which wasn’t long. Unfortunately, although the food at the buffet was very yummy, it wound up making me feel a little sick for the rest of the night. I thought about watching The Colbert Report on Hulu before bed, but ultimately I wound up just joining Ke in sleep.

Saturday morning Ke and I stayed in bed as long as possible, until Ke’s hunger nearly caused her to resort to cannibalism. I grabbed a shower and then ran out to Denny’s, dropping food off at Jero’s on the way. Back at Ke’s, Ke and I ate, watched Bones, and played in the Internet before I headed back over to Jero’s. Jero and I went out to dinner and then to the Circle City Socialites bout. Jero was extremely cute in how excited she was about seeing CCS play again, and indeed they have improved tremendously since we saw them last in Evansville just a month ago. After the bout Jero and I went back to her house and stayed up way too late figuring out what events we wanted to sign up for the next day when Gen Con registration opened.

Sunday I registered for Gen Con and then went home to meet Asca. We went out to eat, and then hung out at my apartment talking about music, role-playing, and how cute Jero is. Usually when I hang out with Asca it’s just a quick hello before she has to head home before her kid gets off school, so it was good to have more time to talk and relax. Tonight I’m staying home for MUX night, and hope to get a chance to meet up online with Hemy and maybe work something out for next week, when I’ll actually be able to get online when other people are awake, since I’ll be working from two to ten-thirty AM, and be a free (if zombie-like) the rest of the day.

"...President Bush gave a speech to the American society of newspaper editors. Not surprisingly the speech was entitled `Thank you for Marmaduke.'"
--Conan O'Brien

Week in Review: March 01 – March 07

This week has been really rough for a lot of people I know. So many friends have lost people close to them this month that I’m ready to join Ra in demanding to the Powers that Be: ENOUGH. I’m concerned about a couple of my relationships, but really, it’s hard to complain when so many people around me are dealing with so much worse.

Last weekend was good, but between a potential break with Amsc, Sero’s daughter Jennie Sutton dying, and Bemcco’s friend Jest’s baby being born, my emotional state was way up and down. I spent Sunday hiding out with Amsc and watching Dollhouse and Sex and Breakfast. We had lunch and dinner delivered, so I barely left the bed all day except to shower. It was a good way to hibernate and spend time with Amsc while I have the chance.

Monday morning I drove back to Indy and got to work early. The events of the weekend started to sink in, and my good hanging-out-with-Amsc mood started to fade. After work I went to Jero’s. She’d cooked me yummy Slither-beast, and after I ate we decided to skip MUXing since I get there so late on this shift that most people wouldn’t still be online. Instead we went to bed to snuggle and watch Bones. I called Ra before I went to sleep, and talked to her until she needed to get off the phone to call Sckl.

Tuesday night I got together with Ke. I got off work early since they had no more work for us, so I went to Ke’s house to wait for her. When she escaped the lab we went out to Wendy’s to grab late-night food and then ate and played on our laptops until it was time for Ke to go to bed. I’d snuggled with her under her electric blanket while I typed, but once she was ready to actually sleep I set the computer aside so I could cuddle her while we slept.

Wednesday evening I had a night to myself. I talked to Mira after work and then called Nivagi so I could make plans for Thursday. I got to talk to Ra on the phone again for a while and then talked to Jero. Mira called back, so I got to talk to her at the end of her evening as well. I was hoping to get some journaling done, but I was depressed and by the time I got off the phone I was also tired. I watched Family Guy on Hulu and poked around the Internets until I gave up and went to sleep.

Thursday I went to see Watchmen with Chpa and Nivagi. I love the comic, but hadn’t read it in a while, so there were still a few surprises in terms of small things I’d forgotten and changes they’d made to the story. As a fan I can say I approve of the slight change they made to the ending – if anything, it keeps the spirit of the original while increasing the emotional impact and making things even more personal. I enjoyed the movie and it was well worth staying up until 3 AM to see it, especially with Chpa and Nivagi along.

Friday morning I went to see Dr. Moretto for a check-up and to establish him as a new family doctor, something I haven’t had in years. Doc said everything looked good, but took fluids to check for cholesterol, etc. I was feeling down since Mika cancelled on me because she had to work mandatory overtime, so after work I hid out for an hour and then went over to Ke’s to hang out with her while she ran around in a cleaning frenzy.

Saturday I’d planned to go visit Jeso, who has recently moved back to Indiana from Texas, but I rescheduled with Jeso to have a chance to go down to Evansville with IceSpark to see the Circle City Socialites in their first interleague bout against the Demolition City Roller Derby Destruction Dames. It was great to get to see CCS play, even if they did wind up getting pwn3d this time out. We also got to see a rematch between the DCRD Dynamite Dolls and the NEO Rock’n’Rollers, which ended in an exciting last-second finish of Dynamite Dolls 100 NEO R’n'R 102.

Sunday morning Ke’s dad called her and told her that her grandmother, who Ke is very close to, was doing very badly health-wise and might not make it through the day. I cancelled my plans with Jeso again and went over to spend the day with Ke and keep her company. She took a long nap, and then we went to have dinner with Jero. After dinner Ke talked to her parents and Mira, and soon we will probably go to sleep.

“I check the list. Rubber tiring. Gas. Saw. Gloves. Cuffs. Razor wire. Hatchet. Gladys. And my mitts.” -- Marv, SIN CITY

Week in Review

This week started off sucking and then got better towards the weekend. I think I went back to work too soon and really suffered through my day Monday through Wednesday. I thought I’d be OK since my job isn’t physically taxing, but I overlooked the ability to lie down with some ginger tea when I felt bad. Luckily I had a nice four-day holiday weekend to spend recovering, which had me feeling 100% better by Saturday.

Last Sunday while Mira was in town Ke had to go into work for a while, so I ran home to get books and character sheets to role-play with Mira while Ke was gone. However, by the time I got back to Ke’s, Ke was already off work, so the three of us just hung out in Ke’s living room. Ke did homework, Mira wrote for NaNoWriMo, and I got distracted by the Internet journalled.

Monday I returned to work, which was probably a mistake. I felt like hell all day, and didn’t really get much done. After work I ran a TinyPlot on TFUMUX. It started late and ran far too long, but I had a lot of fun, and we accomplished our goal – rescuing Scarlett and Temera from the clutches of Cobra! It was cheesy 80s fun.

Tuesday was another bad day at work. Even though I wasn’t feeling all that well, and I’d had a really stressful day at work, I did have a nice evening with Nivagi. When I got home from work I had a little bit of time to unwind before Nivagi finally got a hold of me to tell me she was downstairs – I was having phone issues. The two of us went out to eat. I’ve been somewhat incommunicado since my energy level has been so low, so we had a lot to catch up on and talk about. After dinner we headed back to my apartment to snuggle and watch more Buffy.

Wednesday Ke was supposed to drive home to see her family for Thanksgiving, but she decided to postpone leaving until Thursday morning. I’d had another crappy day at work, and was planning to just hide out alone Wednesday night, but since Ke stayed in town we hung out and watched Family Guy on hulu.com. It was a good way to unwind after a bad work week.

Ke left town early Thursday morning, and I had much of the day to myself until Mika came by to visit. Mika and I wound up napping and then when she had to leave I headed over to Jero’s for Thanksgiving dinner. Jero made a fantastic meal with delicious turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, green beans, stuffed mushrooms, etc.

Friday I didn’t have any plans, so I got to enjoy the day off. Jero and I got to sleep in superbly late. Neither of us had to work -- Jero took off since I had the day as a holiday. We didn’t have any social obligations, so we both turned off our alarms and slept as late as we wanted. It was decadently sinful, and I enjoyed it very much. When at last we did wake up, we did some late Black Friday shopping and then hid away from the world.

Saturday Jero and I went to an open skate with the Circle City Socialites roller derby team, which was a lot of fun. Jero and I skated for two or three hours, which is the most exercise I’ve had since my surgery. When we got back to Jero’s, she set me up a profile on her Wii Fit, and I got in another half-hour of aerobic and balance-building exercises. When Ke got back into town, I went over to her house and we ate and watched TV until Ke conked out and I joined her in bed.

Today I got to sleep in late with Ke. When hunger drove us from her bed, we went to get Thai food, continuing my experimentation with how well I’ve recovered from my radiation treatments. The food was yummy, and after hanging out with Jero while Ke ran to work, I spent the evening with Ke, journaling while she did her nursing school homework. It was a pleasant end to a week start started off bad but finished well.

"You can count on my support for your efforts to revitalize the nuclear weapons infrastructure."
- Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, voicing his support in a memo for the nightmarishly Freudian "Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator," or "bunker buster" bomb, which House Republicans had cut from the 2005 Omnibus Appropriations Bill
Source:
The Washington Post