You're so Vain, You Probably Think this LJ is About You

 It feels weird to be posting an update (of any kind)...the last time I wrote something in an online journal, I had not gone to India or Nepal or Bhutan. My brother-in-law was alive, as were my kitties Ohno and Jiji. The last time I posted was two jobs ago. We were still reeling from my father's death. JP was relatively well and mobile. I only had 1 nephew. We had a president I was not ashamed of. Truly, a closed chapter now.

The world turns and I'm just hanging on for dear life. But I thought I would try broadcasting again. Into the ether and whatever handful of folks still remain out there. :) I miss live journal and the days when it was okay for us to have opinions that were not drawn along political party lines. As liberal as I have always been, I have been accused of not being liberal enough. The irony stings and frightens me at the same time. 

I'm older, but not wiser. I drink more. I am sadder than I used to be. None of this feels scary, though. It just feels like a natural progression. I feel angry sometimes and it almost makes me happy to know that the fire hasn't been put out yet. 

JP and I still laugh and poke fun at things...it gets us through the day. I worry that when he goes he will take my ability to laugh at the absurdity of life. Without that, I don't know what I will do.

I still have my family. The Kid and his wife now have four kids, all as dear to me as if they were my own. They are funny little things, each one so distinct and unique, I look forward to knowing them now and finding out who they will become. I am acutely aware, as I was with the Kid, that I cannot make this life easier for them and hope that their heartbreaks will be few and far between.

Work is work and I am lucky to have a steady job. My mom, Davy Boy, and JP could be better, but I have them now and am determined to enjoy being with them as long as possible. The last of the original four kitties, Kyo, has seen better days but as long as he eats and plays fetch, I know he is okay. 

Wow, this is way more depressing than I had planned. But it feels good to get it out. If I am not a total lazy ass, I will download some pics of my three months in India and travels to Bhutan and Nepal...

I haven't given up on LJ, but I must admit it's been distressingly easy to not post for over a month. Hope all y'all are well. I've been busy, mainly working and watching a lot of Netflix. I recently bought a fitbit and am enjoying playing with it. It's the nicest, most high-tech pedometer I've ever seen. But I'm trying to make an honest effort to exercise and document what I eat. Fitbit even records my sleep patterns (apparently, I fall asleep in 3-12 minutes and wake up 3 or 4 times a night, on average).

Last weekend was the San Japan con and JP and I attended as panelists. We hosted an all-day cel and toy showroom every day of the convention. It was exhausting! We barely got to see the rest of the con, but had a blast talking about cels to the people who wandered through. JP shot a quick video of our room. We set up and broke down that whole thing three times, LOL!

In other news, nearly naked Jeremy Renner in The Bourne Legacy gets two thumbs up from me! I know a lot of people were bummed when Matt Damon bowed out, but I really like Jeremy Renner's take on the assassin who starts to ask too many questions. There is a scene between him and Edward Norton that lasts only a minute or two, but is so powerful. Sin eaters, indeed. Rachel Weisz is also awesome. I have a total girl-crush on her and always have had since The Mummy (incidentally, she does not age. Fact.)

I am trying to be good about money because poor JP's root canal became abcessed and we had to take him to a specialist who basically undid the crappy job his crappy dentist did in the first place. Of course, the insurance wouldn't cover a second root canal on the same tooth (DON'T get me started) so we had to pay $1100 out of pocket. That's gonna leave a mark!

So, no more clothes shopping for the time being, although I am seriously lusting after this coat (because it will be so useful to me here. In South Texas):



Okay, I guess that's it. I'll try and pop in here more often.

I have fallen in love with The Mighty Boosh (a little late to the party, but whatever) after JP foisted a few episodes on me. It's just absurd and lovely and funny and whimsical and even though I haven't seen all the seasons, I am already re-watching some of the eps. I have really weird crushes on the four main characters (including a lisping Naboo and the guy in the gorilla suit).

Don't be jelly, JP - you are still my number 1 weirdo!

Hmmm, I think that's it except to say I made a carrot turnip mash the other day and it was delish!

Oh, the excitement! I can't take it!

Got back from Fort Davis last week and I've been running around like a crazy person ever since. We had a blast at both state parks (nearby Balmorhea had a giant spring-fed swimming pool). The Davis Mountains are beautiful and lonely. No cell service at the lodge (although we had cable TV...score!).

We went to the highest point in the park to star gaze and watch passing storm fronts. We drove up to the McDonald Observatory (still not totally impressed, but we had a cloudy night and didn't get to see the giant telescope). Fort Davis proper is like two blocks long and everything is mom and pop-type places. No Walmart, no fast food. It was totes awesome, but I don't know if I could have survived more than a few days there. However, all in all, it was a fantastic vacay - exploring the parks and Fort Davis (the actual fort is really cool!), vegging out, kicking back with my Kindle in the middle of the afternoon.

( Peektures )

In other news, we saw the documentary Buck, about the real life Horse Whisperer. As predicted, I cried through a respectable portion of it. But it's a sweet and simple film with a beautiful message. If you are an animal lover, you will love it.

Also, we went downtown to catch Harry Potter again but while we were killing time at Rivercenter Mall, JP had his wallet stolen. >__< Thankfully, they found the wallet (minus the cash and credit card) at the bottom of the pool at the Marriott Hotel that is attached to the mall. They made off with about $30, but JP cancelled his card right away and the thieves missed the Game Stop card and movie passes. All in all, best possible scenario for a robbery.

We did wind up seeing Harry Potter (but not then...IMAX comped us tickets for the following day) and I did like it better the second time around. I dunno...spoilers? Highlight to read: 

I love Alan Rickman and I thought he did a great job in his flashback scenes, but something about it left me cold. Like, if you didn't know the story already it was just as if he lost his childhood friend, not the love of his life. I guess I felt a bit cheated. I also wish that they would have shown the other people who came to fight for the Order. It wasn't just a handful of adults and children versus thousands of Death Eaters. Voldemort was creepily AWKWARD but I guess they were trying to make him tragic? A slice of his back story would have solved that.

Anyhoo, all the kids were great and I cried when McGonagall did the spell on the statues and when Harry was talking to his mom and the Maurauders (dude, his dad gets NO screen time...where's the love for poppa?!). I also hate how his parents are too old...they were killed when they were what, 21? They are not aging well in the ghost world. I actually liked the fan fiction ending on film...it seemed sweet and not totally cheesy and forced, the way I felt it was in the book.

So, overall, I did enjoy it although it wasn't exactly how I envisioned it. I have begun re-reading all the books. YAY!!!

Happy Mother's Day to all the mommies on my flist! Hope you have a great one!

I met up with Nay-nay on Friday night and we enjoyed watermelon martinis at Olive Garden (YUM) and then went shopping for clothes I didn't need (bought a fabulous dress, though).

Yesterday, JP and I went to see Thor and, I must say, it was pretty good! Chris Hemsworth is just gorgeous and even though I am pre-disposed to love anything Kenneth Branagh does anyway, he did a great job moving the story forward and preventing it from looking or sounding ridiculous (which is no easy task when you are talking about THOR). My favorite bits included the main character coming to Earth because I love 'fish out of water' scenarios. Oh, yes - Stellan Skarsgard and Kat Dennings are fantastic in their small roles. Highly recommended!

And now I leave you with this...JP found it and thought of me. A skinny, English steampunk rapper. Does my boyfriend know me or does my boyfriend know me??

If there is one person or more on your friends list who makes your world a better place just because they exist and who you would not have met (in real life or not) without the internet, then post this same sentence in your journal.

Y'all know who y'all are. ♥ ♥ ♥

JP made me watch the first episode of Darkplace and I found it disturbingly enjoyable. It is so...odd and awkward. LOL...

So. Hungry.

Yay, JP called me! I feel like I used to when we first started dating and I was always waiting for the phone to ring. ♥ ♥ ♥

1. Thanks to my friends who remembered that I was on my own this weekend and invited me for drinks at a local bar.
2. Thanks to the generous bar patron who bought the house a round of beers.
3. Many, many thanks to the crazy bar patron who bought the house not one, but two shots of Patron tequila. That really fucked me up. ^__^

I hope I am not hung over tomorrow...

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! I had a short, but pleasant weekend. JP got me a stuffed Pooh and Eeyore (dressed as Cupid!) and the Playstation network game Flower, which is beautiful and relaxing and draws you in from the get-go. It's just lovely and moody. I already finished playing it! Me! And a game! I made dinner (chicken with spinach, cheese, and red sauce over noodles) and we just had a quiet night in.

Yesterday, we saw A Single Man and it was beautiful: sad and poignant, with small moments of joy and hopefulness. Colin Firth is a revelation. Go see it. It will break your heart and make you glad to be alive.

I am currently in the process of getting rid of some shelves in the master bedroom and there is crap EVERYWHERE! I also need to post San Fran pictures and talk about the vacay a bit because in spite of our difficulties at the end, the majority of the trip was a blast.

And finally, in case any of you were wondering, the book Vampire Darcy's Desire SUCKS ASS. As if there had been any doubt. The author talks disdainfully in the preface about horrible P&P sequels and then has the gall to write the worst fan fiction known to man! Eliza giggles and sucks face with Darcy every chance she gets while Darcy is the whiniest vampire ever. Buck up, little camper! If Regina Jeffers wanted to write horror, she should have paid more attention to the Bronte sisters instead of Austen - those bitches knew how to write a Gothic novel!