Oooh, it's a pretty skin! I missed out on the fun April 1st, but this is nice. I doubt I'd ever go premium, since I can ignore ads and I don't buy a ton of prints and what not. Some day that may change, but not for a while.
I just love the local farmer's market that goes on every Saturday here. And there's lots more in the next town a few miles down the road, and local produce stands dotting around. Every week there's 2 or 3 florists, one of them specializes in orchids and mini orchids. Ah, if only I had the room for one or two! I usually buy a bunch from this guy who carries stasis, stock, gladiolas, gerbera daisies, freesia, and much more. I'm in love with my stock flowers since they come in a variety of lovely colors like magenta, light lilac, pale lemon, and peach pink. They smell sweet like honey and warm like cinnamon. Sadly, some have drooped, and since their stalks are so thick and woody, when they begin to die they just bend in half. ;_; But they still smell good! I've learned they drink a lot of water as well. In a couple weeks the florist thinks the irises will be ready - he promised to hold a bunch for me, since I usually don't get there until after 11am.
Last Saturday hubby and I bought a bunch of artichokes, since they're so delicious! Worlds better than what you find at the grocery store, even Trader Joe's. We also got some baby artichokes to try, since they shouldn't have the 'choke' - the immature purple flower petals that are attached to the heart. For those unfamiliar with artichokes, they're a vegetable that is in the thistle family, and basically looks like a giant thistle if you allow it to bloom. So tasty when you steam cook them, and I dip them in melted butter with a bit of garlic powder. Yum!! Older generations often like it with mayonnaise. *shudder*
I got some huge golden raisins which are about 3 times bigger than what you find in stores, and they had two varieties of the dark raisins. We tried a white fig, which was good but I've never been a huge fig fan, and some fresh walnuts. I was never a fan of breads with nuts in them until I made banana bread with fresh walnuts one time, trying out a new recipe. The freshness makes all the difference in the world.
Local honey is the best, and the guy selling it also sells molded beeswax candles, beeswax and goat milk soap, and flavored honey sticks. I love their Star Thistle unifloral honey, and the spearmint flavored honey. Mint and honey go very well together.
Most of the sellers at the market were selling vegetables like greens, beets, beans, snap peas, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, bokchoy, and radishes. I even saw one stand with Daikon radishes, and a couple weeks ago someone had these huge leeks! They were as thick around as a baseball! There's also several stands selling breads, pastries, and cooked food, as well as free-range chicken and fresh caught fish and seafood. There's new stuff every week, and the farmer's market is open year-round. I can't wait until corn, cherries, and peaches become available, though I do worry that with the drought that California is still suffering under that it will reduce what crops people are able to harvest. Some areas they have to tear down whole orchards, because the water table has dropped so much, it has left high amounts of salt in the soil, which prevent the trees from absorbing nutrients. No doubt it will affect many crops, in yield, size, and quality.
Still doing the house-hunting quest, though we've gotten a couple recommendations to local agents that will be a lot better than the last one we had. We really love this area, just outside of San Jose, and it's not too far to his work, so we're seeing what we can afford in this area. At this point we're thinking of buying a condo or townhouse, just to find a home to settle in. My chronic back pain is changing again, which I thought wasn't going to happen after so long. I fear it's getting worse, I'm having more bad days, and they're gaining in intensity and length. I'm going to schedule an appointment with my GP, and see if we should try a stronger drug. Keep your fingers crossed!
Journals149
Newest
Update July 2016
2 min read
I feel guilty for not being active on DA (and other social sites) for around 2 years, but life and stress gets in the way at times. Life throws twists, turns, and blockades at you in unpredictable ways and without regard for timing. For one thing, my marriage is essentially over and there's just the death kneel of divorce paperwork to finish it. The details are unpleasant, repulsive, and horrifying in various ways which I shall not name here. No need for any more people to have to wade into the filth than absolutely necessary. In certain ways, I'm very grateful that I found out some things when I did and before specific events might have occurred.
I'm now living with my mother and younger sister in a lovely little town near Crater Lake in Oregon, USA. Lots of bee keepers here, and I have a wide selection of local raw honey to enjoy!
I'm working to get my feet back on solid ground, but I've been dealing with a resurgence of my chronic back pain, though we've got it stabilized and now my doctor and I are trying to switch me back to a safer medication for the long term. I'm talking to a counselor who's nice, has a good sense of humor, and has already helped me so much in dealing with recent events, and we've changed my depression medication back to a previous one, which despite the weight gain side effect has helped me in other and more important ways.
I'm working on my first cross stitch piece in years, and I hope to be inspired in writing again. I really miss it and have been frustrated with the creative block. I've begun to feel much better and more myself again, and I hope that I will continue to improve. I intend to be more active online here at DA and elsewhere. But I really have to set a timer for Pinterest, cause it tends to suck up my time like a black hole.
I'm now living with my mother and younger sister in a lovely little town near Crater Lake in Oregon, USA. Lots of bee keepers here, and I have a wide selection of local raw honey to enjoy!
I'm working to get my feet back on solid ground, but I've been dealing with a resurgence of my chronic back pain, though we've got it stabilized and now my doctor and I are trying to switch me back to a safer medication for the long term. I'm talking to a counselor who's nice, has a good sense of humor, and has already helped me so much in dealing with recent events, and we've changed my depression medication back to a previous one, which despite the weight gain side effect has helped me in other and more important ways.I'm working on my first cross stitch piece in years, and I hope to be inspired in writing again. I really miss it and have been frustrated with the creative block. I've begun to feel much better and more myself again, and I hope that I will continue to improve. I intend to be more active online here at DA and elsewhere. But I really have to set a timer for Pinterest, cause it tends to suck up my time like a black hole.
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Yay for Free Premium Day!
5 min read
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I'm so sick of hearing all the wild theories and accusations about flight 370. Yes, it is a tragedy for the families and loved ones, and a true mystery in this modern age to completely lose something as big as a 777. There does need to be reprimands on the Malaysian government for the contradictory statements, hiding certain facts, and dropping the ball on immediately investigating pilots and staff. But as tiny bits of information dribble in, everyone and their dog is running wild with theory after theory. It's way too soon to make any conclusions, and all this chatter about theories on CNN, HLN, Fox News, and other stations only confuse the masses as to what is really true on what they do know, and what are only the imaginings of people clamoring to put in their 2 cents and get their 15 minutes of fame, claiming to be experts. Well, I'm an expert on bull and it's gotten so bad that I can't stand to watch even Fox News unless they have real news, unless it's more shocking revelations about the Democratic millstone that is Obamacare, or all the commentary about Crimea and Putin. Here's how that's going to go: Putin will keep Crimea, absorb the rest of Ukraine bite by bite, Europe may talk and posture but they won't do much against Russia since they're so dependent on Russian oil and gas. Obama and Kerry will pout, spout dire consequences that ultimately mean nothing and will do nothing, and try desperately to schmooze Putin into submission (which doesn't have a chance in hell), flap their hands uselessly, then give up and try to convince the American people that having Russia take back Ukraine in their opening war to restore the Russian empire isn't a dangerous calamity waiting to set the stage for WWIII. Yeah, and once the White House announces that the Ukrainian people are better off under the wise guidance of Putin, most media coverage will immediately cease, since the Democrats who run most of the networks are firmly in the back pocket of the Obama administration, and going against the opinion of said administration earns you a "you're a racist" label. Never mind that the White House is breaking their pact with Ukraine to protect their sovereignty, it's just quietly swept under the rug with the IRS scandal, Fast & Furious, Benghazi, and Obamacare enrollment numbers.
On to funner subjects. (I really should turn off the news when typing these journals...) Final Fantasy X & X-2 HD Remaster for the PS3 and PSVita is released!! And for all those in North America, this means in FFX we get the option to use a more advanced Sphere Grid, new bosses, and Dark Aeons! Also, we finally get to see the cutscene that preludes FFX-2, where Yuna decides to set off in her journey in search of him, in case you haven't already watched the Japanese version on YouTube years ago, like me. In FFX-2 we get the Last Mission content, with new dresspheres, a new dungeon, and the Coliseum battle arena. Both games have improved voice audio, remastered soundtracks, PS3 trophies (!!), and there's an exclusive 30-minute audio drama after the credits of FFX. (Not sure what that's about yet) And of course, you have the HD improvements, like: improved map and character/monster textures, remade character models, and higher quality cutscenes. Make no mistake, you will be able to tell that this is a PS2-gen game, but FFX and FFX-2 fans will love the smoother look and the new content.
There are 3 versions of this game: Standard Edition, which basically has just the disc with the 2 games; Special / Limited Edition, which has a cool cover box of Yuna and Tidus on it, a small 24-page concept art book that slides out of the cover with a few notes from the developers, and in the back of the book is the game disc; Collector's Edition, which has a hardcover art book, a 6-hour Final Fantasy X HD Remaster original soundtrack blu-ray music disc, and five lithographs of art from both games. If you only have the money to buy the Standard edition, look for the special / limited edition, which is the same price as the standard, though some speculate that it will go up in price after a set amount of time (nothing is confirmed). If you have a spare 2K or so rattling around in your savings, you could go on eBay and bid on a Collector's edition signed by Producer Yoshinori Kitase and Art Director Yusuke Naora. Be wary of people selling just the artbook without the rest of the collector's edition items, like say, the game itself.
Depending on where you live, it may be hard to find the game if you didn't pre-order. Amazon only has sellers in their marketplace (starting at $80), eBay has crazy people jacking up prices (the worst I saw was a Standard edition for $500), and Target doesn't seem to offer it online or in a lot of their stores. Local places are hit or miss. I love Fry's Electronics in California, but they only offer the Standard edition. Our local Wal-Mart only has a couple copies of the Special / Limited edition. My advice is that if you see it somewhere and simply must have it, buy it now and don't open it until you're sure you don't intend to return it in case you find a better price or version somewhere else.
Last piece of advice - don't bother buying the new strategy guide unless you really want to spend the cash. You can find all the details on the new content online, like GameFAQs, from players who have already played the International versions.
P.S. - For my sister, please don't be jealous. This was a late birthday gift for me from my loving husband, and I swear the next visit we have you can have free reign playing it, and I will hopefully be far enough in the storyline that I can show you all the super cool cutscenes. He bought out the extra 2 copies at that Wal-Mart and plans to sell them on eBay, but maybe I can convince him to save one as a birthday gift for you. Can't promise anything yet, but I'll try.
On to funner subjects. (I really should turn off the news when typing these journals...) Final Fantasy X & X-2 HD Remaster for the PS3 and PSVita is released!! And for all those in North America, this means in FFX we get the option to use a more advanced Sphere Grid, new bosses, and Dark Aeons! Also, we finally get to see the cutscene that preludes FFX-2, where Yuna decides to set off in her journey in search of him, in case you haven't already watched the Japanese version on YouTube years ago, like me. In FFX-2 we get the Last Mission content, with new dresspheres, a new dungeon, and the Coliseum battle arena. Both games have improved voice audio, remastered soundtracks, PS3 trophies (!!), and there's an exclusive 30-minute audio drama after the credits of FFX. (Not sure what that's about yet) And of course, you have the HD improvements, like: improved map and character/monster textures, remade character models, and higher quality cutscenes. Make no mistake, you will be able to tell that this is a PS2-gen game, but FFX and FFX-2 fans will love the smoother look and the new content.
There are 3 versions of this game: Standard Edition, which basically has just the disc with the 2 games; Special / Limited Edition, which has a cool cover box of Yuna and Tidus on it, a small 24-page concept art book that slides out of the cover with a few notes from the developers, and in the back of the book is the game disc; Collector's Edition, which has a hardcover art book, a 6-hour Final Fantasy X HD Remaster original soundtrack blu-ray music disc, and five lithographs of art from both games. If you only have the money to buy the Standard edition, look for the special / limited edition, which is the same price as the standard, though some speculate that it will go up in price after a set amount of time (nothing is confirmed). If you have a spare 2K or so rattling around in your savings, you could go on eBay and bid on a Collector's edition signed by Producer Yoshinori Kitase and Art Director Yusuke Naora. Be wary of people selling just the artbook without the rest of the collector's edition items, like say, the game itself.
Depending on where you live, it may be hard to find the game if you didn't pre-order. Amazon only has sellers in their marketplace (starting at $80), eBay has crazy people jacking up prices (the worst I saw was a Standard edition for $500), and Target doesn't seem to offer it online or in a lot of their stores. Local places are hit or miss. I love Fry's Electronics in California, but they only offer the Standard edition. Our local Wal-Mart only has a couple copies of the Special / Limited edition. My advice is that if you see it somewhere and simply must have it, buy it now and don't open it until you're sure you don't intend to return it in case you find a better price or version somewhere else.
Last piece of advice - don't bother buying the new strategy guide unless you really want to spend the cash. You can find all the details on the new content online, like GameFAQs, from players who have already played the International versions.
P.S. - For my sister, please don't be jealous. This was a late birthday gift for me from my loving husband, and I swear the next visit we have you can have free reign playing it, and I will hopefully be far enough in the storyline that I can show you all the super cool cutscenes. He bought out the extra 2 copies at that Wal-Mart and plans to sell them on eBay, but maybe I can convince him to save one as a birthday gift for you. Can't promise anything yet, but I'll try.
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Liquid diets suck in a bad way..
8 min read
It occurred to me this evening, as I was clenching gauze between my teeth, that I am very very grateful for modern local anaesthesia. Without such a thing, dentistry would be the government's preferred method of torture for information. Many people fear the dentist, but personal experience is a funny thing, because I've endured lots of painful dental procedures, and overall pain severe enough to wish someone would knock me unconscious, but my heart beats faster when I have to give blood for tests than having a tooth extracted. As long as the dentist is competent enough to get the numbing right the first time around, I don't mind the contraptions shoved in that keep the mouth open, or the comments of "hold her jaw steady", nor does it disturb me when they use what I assume is a chisel to smash to bits the remnants of a tooth.
Ha ha ha. That's sounds more disturbing when I type it out than in my head. I'm just grateful for small things, like the dark glasses they give me so the light doesn't blind me and stuff doesn't go flying into my eyes, the blanket they gave me when I told them I get chilled easily, and that the oral surgeon is so good that he hit every nerve the first time when he was numbing my jaw. How do I know he got each nerve properly? By the intense radiating pain that throbbed over my face for the few seconds it took to inject the drug in various places. I guess most people wouldn't appreciate things like that. This dentist office I now go to is very considerate - they have a wheelchair to escort patients out to the vehicle who can't walk very well, they give out bags with after-procedure care, an instant cold pack, and lots of gauze. I really like the glasses they let you wear during the procedure, it shows a lot of consideration on their part. I'm also impressed that they got me in, numbed up, and tooth extracted in 20 minutes. (It took longer to get my prescriptions filled than to get the tooth out.) I brought my iPod thinking it might take at least 30 minutes, since despite my overall congenital poor teeth health I have some strong and deep roots. I guess I'm just lucky that I have lasted this long with most of my natural teeth, since my maternal grandmother had full dentures on top and bottom by the time she was my age. This recent dentist thinks it's some congenital weakness in the tooth enamel, since I've been plagued with tooth decay from a young age. It's something for me to look up and study.
I still remember one visit to the dentist as a child, they wanted to use nitrous oxide (laughing gas) on me while they did some work, but I was terrified of it and adamantly refused. Looking back on it, I think even at that young age I hated the thought of something making me do something I didn't want to do. Even if it was just laughing. (It turns out, I'm completely immune to nitrous oxide - I tried it a year and a half ago, and I felt absolutely no difference.) I've sometimes thought what kind of a person I might have become if I didn't have my religion and my testimony. To be truthful, in weak times I like the feeling pain drugs give of the euphoria and carelessness, so I'm sure I would be susceptible to street drugs and possibly alcohol, though the drunk me would probably be so depressed as to be suicidal. It's easy in times of pain to fall into the pit of thinking that nothing can be done to overcome addiction, so morals are senseless when it comes to finding ways to get that fix that dominates the mind and body. Even if no one ever says it, I know I'd be that type of person, if I didn't have a strength to cling to, to have as my foundation for my life.
It's sad how an unspoken rule in society seems to be to never look at your weaknesses, in fear perhaps that they would become stronger, or perhaps in shame that anyone would admit to having weaknesses. Isn't it better to face plainly your weaknesses, to know what they are and how you could fall into them, so that you can deliberately choose to avoid them? At the very least, to acknowledge them so that your enemies can't shame you with a side of yourself you don't want to face. Admitting to having a weakness is not the same as living the weakness. Declaring your own weaknesses takes away that weapon that an opponent could use against you - as recent media reports prove, fiercely denying a weakness only makes people more sure that it exists and that you are in complete blindness and denial.
Eesh, I guess I get kinda morose when I'm hungry and stuck on a liquid diet. Just 13 more hours and I can try eating soft foods. I absolutely love Olive Garden's chicken & gnocci soup, and I'm going to ask hubby to buy me a gallon bucket. The chicken pieces and gnocci are soft enough that they don't really require chewing, and this soup is robust enough to really fill my stomach in a way that smoothies, yogurt, and powdered meal replacements can't touch. I really need to practice on a replica recipe for that soup, but there are so many reviews of recipe tweaking that people post online, it's hard to know which will give me the taste I'm looking for. Finding a really good gnocci recipe is challenging too; instant mashed potatoes and flour just don't cut it.
Ha ha, as I'm typing this, I'm watching hubby play inFAMOUS. He already finished the Uncharted trilogy we got recently and was looking for a new PS3 game to play. He's not into the time sink that Skyrim has to offer, with all the varied little quests and slogging through raising skill levels that I love so much, but he does enjoy watching me play. Good thing I have inFAMOUS 2, and when he finishes that I'm going to have him try Odin Sphere - it's a unique gem of a game for the PS2, and while he may not want to spend the long amounts of time needed to level up the characters so they're strong enough to handle the last battles, well, that's what game cheats are for. I kept my PS2 after buying the PS3 cause I knew while it would play the games, it wouldn't recognize the cheat disc. I don't use the cheats often, unless I'm short on loads of free time and want to keep the story moving, and some games I refuse to use any cheats, just to appreciate the difficulty of winning. (Curse you for being stingy with the sand, Prince of Persia! My sister probably still remembers my, umm, vocal frustrations with the last battles in Sands of Time.) After that, I'm showing him Okami and then the Prince of Persia trilogy. He enjoys figuring out puzzles and the precision of timed attacks. Now, if only we can get a hold of a PS4 in time for inFAMOUS Second Son's release in March, things will be hunky-dory.
Now to go find something to put in my stomach so I can take my pain med; my jaw is beginning to ache horribly and the Tylenol/Cod #3 he gave me just barely takes care of the pain, but I don't care to take it on an empty stomach.
Last random thought: Plenty of times I've thought about starting a blog, sharing the experiences and knowledge I've gained from various sources about how to make natural and inexpensive products that can be used for health and body, as well as household items, as well as old recipes worth knowing and new ones worth keeping, but there's so many blogs like that out there already, how could I possibly offer something special that would gain followers? Oh well, I guess I'll just keep bookmarking and building up my personal database, to whip out when someone expresses a need for something. I'd feel kinda bad for posting something that I took from another blog, especially if I wasn't able to adequately reference back to where I originally found something. Plus, I'd probably stress myself out over making consistent posts, finding new things to write about, and keeping things entertaining and witty. Ugh, no thanks after all.
Ha ha ha. That's sounds more disturbing when I type it out than in my head. I'm just grateful for small things, like the dark glasses they give me so the light doesn't blind me and stuff doesn't go flying into my eyes, the blanket they gave me when I told them I get chilled easily, and that the oral surgeon is so good that he hit every nerve the first time when he was numbing my jaw. How do I know he got each nerve properly? By the intense radiating pain that throbbed over my face for the few seconds it took to inject the drug in various places. I guess most people wouldn't appreciate things like that. This dentist office I now go to is very considerate - they have a wheelchair to escort patients out to the vehicle who can't walk very well, they give out bags with after-procedure care, an instant cold pack, and lots of gauze. I really like the glasses they let you wear during the procedure, it shows a lot of consideration on their part. I'm also impressed that they got me in, numbed up, and tooth extracted in 20 minutes. (It took longer to get my prescriptions filled than to get the tooth out.) I brought my iPod thinking it might take at least 30 minutes, since despite my overall congenital poor teeth health I have some strong and deep roots. I guess I'm just lucky that I have lasted this long with most of my natural teeth, since my maternal grandmother had full dentures on top and bottom by the time she was my age. This recent dentist thinks it's some congenital weakness in the tooth enamel, since I've been plagued with tooth decay from a young age. It's something for me to look up and study.
I still remember one visit to the dentist as a child, they wanted to use nitrous oxide (laughing gas) on me while they did some work, but I was terrified of it and adamantly refused. Looking back on it, I think even at that young age I hated the thought of something making me do something I didn't want to do. Even if it was just laughing. (It turns out, I'm completely immune to nitrous oxide - I tried it a year and a half ago, and I felt absolutely no difference.) I've sometimes thought what kind of a person I might have become if I didn't have my religion and my testimony. To be truthful, in weak times I like the feeling pain drugs give of the euphoria and carelessness, so I'm sure I would be susceptible to street drugs and possibly alcohol, though the drunk me would probably be so depressed as to be suicidal. It's easy in times of pain to fall into the pit of thinking that nothing can be done to overcome addiction, so morals are senseless when it comes to finding ways to get that fix that dominates the mind and body. Even if no one ever says it, I know I'd be that type of person, if I didn't have a strength to cling to, to have as my foundation for my life.
It's sad how an unspoken rule in society seems to be to never look at your weaknesses, in fear perhaps that they would become stronger, or perhaps in shame that anyone would admit to having weaknesses. Isn't it better to face plainly your weaknesses, to know what they are and how you could fall into them, so that you can deliberately choose to avoid them? At the very least, to acknowledge them so that your enemies can't shame you with a side of yourself you don't want to face. Admitting to having a weakness is not the same as living the weakness. Declaring your own weaknesses takes away that weapon that an opponent could use against you - as recent media reports prove, fiercely denying a weakness only makes people more sure that it exists and that you are in complete blindness and denial.
Eesh, I guess I get kinda morose when I'm hungry and stuck on a liquid diet. Just 13 more hours and I can try eating soft foods. I absolutely love Olive Garden's chicken & gnocci soup, and I'm going to ask hubby to buy me a gallon bucket. The chicken pieces and gnocci are soft enough that they don't really require chewing, and this soup is robust enough to really fill my stomach in a way that smoothies, yogurt, and powdered meal replacements can't touch. I really need to practice on a replica recipe for that soup, but there are so many reviews of recipe tweaking that people post online, it's hard to know which will give me the taste I'm looking for. Finding a really good gnocci recipe is challenging too; instant mashed potatoes and flour just don't cut it.
Ha ha, as I'm typing this, I'm watching hubby play inFAMOUS. He already finished the Uncharted trilogy we got recently and was looking for a new PS3 game to play. He's not into the time sink that Skyrim has to offer, with all the varied little quests and slogging through raising skill levels that I love so much, but he does enjoy watching me play. Good thing I have inFAMOUS 2, and when he finishes that I'm going to have him try Odin Sphere - it's a unique gem of a game for the PS2, and while he may not want to spend the long amounts of time needed to level up the characters so they're strong enough to handle the last battles, well, that's what game cheats are for. I kept my PS2 after buying the PS3 cause I knew while it would play the games, it wouldn't recognize the cheat disc. I don't use the cheats often, unless I'm short on loads of free time and want to keep the story moving, and some games I refuse to use any cheats, just to appreciate the difficulty of winning. (Curse you for being stingy with the sand, Prince of Persia! My sister probably still remembers my, umm, vocal frustrations with the last battles in Sands of Time.) After that, I'm showing him Okami and then the Prince of Persia trilogy. He enjoys figuring out puzzles and the precision of timed attacks. Now, if only we can get a hold of a PS4 in time for inFAMOUS Second Son's release in March, things will be hunky-dory.
Now to go find something to put in my stomach so I can take my pain med; my jaw is beginning to ache horribly and the Tylenol/Cod #3 he gave me just barely takes care of the pain, but I don't care to take it on an empty stomach.
Last random thought: Plenty of times I've thought about starting a blog, sharing the experiences and knowledge I've gained from various sources about how to make natural and inexpensive products that can be used for health and body, as well as household items, as well as old recipes worth knowing and new ones worth keeping, but there's so many blogs like that out there already, how could I possibly offer something special that would gain followers? Oh well, I guess I'll just keep bookmarking and building up my personal database, to whip out when someone expresses a need for something. I'd feel kinda bad for posting something that I took from another blog, especially if I wasn't able to adequately reference back to where I originally found something. Plus, I'd probably stress myself out over making consistent posts, finding new things to write about, and keeping things entertaining and witty. Ugh, no thanks after all.
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How Did I Let It Slip This Long?!
11 min read
Oh boy, do I feel blonde. I can't believe I let it slip so long without putting out a new DA journal. My only defense is that I had other things on my mind. 
My hubby and I were married and sealed for time and all eternity in the Mt. Timpanogos temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in American Fork, Utah on December 8th, 2012. We had our honeymoon at a great bed & breakfast in Provo, and spent the rest of the year in Utah before we drove out to California.
We've been staying at various long-stay hotels to date, cause house-hunting is never as easy or quick as one might like to think, even in this market. The closest we've gotten is this awesome cabin in the mountains around San Jose, which is completely off the grid and fairly isolated on 40 acres. It would've meant a long commute for Scott, but he would only need to go into the office once or twice a week as long as there was reliable internet so he could work from home. We did a walk-through of the place late September, and we were waiting for the pre-approval from the bank (which got held up because of the shutdown), when we unexpectedly learned that someone else had put in a bid. We were both pretty miffed because we asked the owner to notify our agent if anyone else put in a bid (which he didn't) and our agent didn't contact us either (which she should have).
We found out about the bid thanks to Zillow, and that only because we requested to be notified if the status ever changed. So last we heard there were two people bidding, and it had gotten higher than our pre-approval loan, and there was something about an inspector finding something wrong with the septic system. Now we're back to square one, and we're thinking of just finding a nice apartment or condo to move into while we again slog back into the fray of buying a house. We're fairly far from his work place right now, because we moved to a small town that's close to the cabin in anticipation of closing the deal. We're thinking of going back to the Fremont area or even up to Sunnyvale, where his work is located.
I really love the temperate climate of the coast - I have had nearly zero weather headaches or back pain related to changes in the weather. And my allergies and sinus problems have dwindled down to nearly nothing!! It's so wonderful to be able to breathe and not avoid the outdoors. There are even days when I can skip my pseudophedrine, which I thought I'd never be able to do.
The fly in the ointment is that my skin, after 18 years in the dry desert, has had some adjustment problems. While I have had fewer problems with acne and breakouts, my skin has become very resistant to exfoliation treatments. Normally I use a back brush, loofah sponge, sugar scrub, facial scrub, and shampoo brush for my scalp. These have always done the trick for me before, but now it's as if I never even bothered with all of it. After a couple days I can rub my fingers on my arms, legs, shoulder, back, face, and abdomen and come away with a noticeable white roll of dead skin cells. Gross! I'm acting like a shedding lizard, and I'm nearly at my wits end with how to deal with it.
Yes, I soak the skin in warm water before I exfoliate and I do notice results, but when I dry off I get more dead skin cells that flake off with the towel and all over my clothes. It's gotten to the point where I have started using the fine side of my pumice stone to exfoliate my legs, upper arms, and most of the rest of me while avoiding the moles. (It's harder than you think when you have DNS - Dysplastic Nevus Syndrome) They're hardly ever flat, and they like to grow and multiply. The bonus of using the pumice stone on my legs is that I have less hair to shave. But if you want to try it, be very careful not to rub too much when you first begin. Be gentle and don't put pressure on the skin and limit how many times you go over the same skin, and be very careful of the backs of the knees and the inner thighs.
That's enough about that.
Oh yes, my new med Zyprexa I mentioned in my last journal? Well, it did a good job of stabilizing my moods, but the doctor didn't warn me that practically everyone who takes it has strong cravings for carbohydrates and gains weight. Yeah, she mentioned that some people gained weight, but another doctor here in California revealed to me that nearly everyone was subject to that little side effect.
Yeah, that'd explain why in the time between August and December I gained 20 pounds. W.T.F. 
I am so thankful that my wedding dress was what one might call "weight-resistant". I wore a kimono, and you couldn't even tell I didn't have a waist. Thanks again for the suggestion, Rei-chan!
Needless to say, my doctor here switched me to another drug in the same class as the Zyprexa. I'm now on Seraquel, and I have lost 18 of those nasty 20 pounds. It came off so easily and quickly that my doctor was a little concerned at first, since it happened in just 3 months. (No, I didn't exercise myself to death in that time frame) I'm much happier and my cravings for pastries is more easily ignored. I feel that the Seraquel is better than the Zyprexa for me because it does a better job at quieting my mind, and I'm still surprised at how little time it takes for me to fall asleep when I lay down. I've been used to years and years of having to exhaust my body before I can sleep, and spending hours laying in the dark listening to soft music and audio books hoping that I'll drift off.
On to happier things. Being married to my hubby is so wonderful and I'm so happy and content every day. For skeptics out there, no, we have never had a fight or even raised voices. Unless we're watching Doctor Who - we get a little excited at times, due to the superb script and directing. British writers are the tops with surprises, unexpected twists, cliffhangers, and overall brilliant work. *Ahem* There's no one reason to give as to why we have had no contention in our marriage, and I fully intend to keep the peace going and I have no doubt he feels the same. A very wise and kind LDS apostle once mentioned that in all the years of marriage with his wife before she passed away, he never spoke a harsh to her. A lot of people would hear that and scoff. A lot of people would say "That doesn't work for everyone." But I've come to the belief that it can work for everyone, if they work at it, stay humble, don't take offense at words misspoken, tell your spouse you love them at least once each day, and put their needs above your own. There's so much good advice out there for couples, but not everyone takes it to heart. Naturally, it won't succeed unless both partners are fully invested in making it work. My love and I are coming up on our first anniversary, and I'm making a promise to make our second year together as wonderful as our first. I'm sure that there will be some disagreements on the road ahead, but I'm not going to waste my time dreading it, and I know that we're capable of talking things through to come to a good resolution.
How good is our relationship, you say? We easily take turns playing the PS3 (usually it's every other day
). He never complains about taking out the trash, I never complain about cooking, and we both manage the dishes. He doesn't mind when I sometimes forget to do the laundry on a specific day, and I appreciate it when he reminds me. We're both of the same mind on what kind of house to look for, and I don't nag him if he goes above the speed limit when driving. Naturally, I could go on and on about all the lovey-dovey stuff for quite some time, but one of the best examples in my mind is how comfortable I am with him. There really was no embarrassed, awkward phase of getting used to living together, no startled nights or mornings of "who the heck is in my bed?". We're best friends, and we're easy with the periods of silence, and supporting each other physically and emotionally. Scott's dealing with back pain of unknown origin, and through all the doctor referrals, tests, and meds, I'm confident in my ability to help and support him through it all. It's old hat to me, and we're both committed to chasing all leads in finding out what's going on and how to fix it. And he supports me on my bad days, which thankfully are much fewer than his.
I'm enjoying getting to know Scott's friends here in California. Naturally, nearly all of them work with computers in one form or another, so they're the go-to people. Thanks to them I finally had my first encounter with Spam, and I lived to tell the tale. It's never going to be my favorite meat product, but I think it's a little higher than bologna. I've learned to be a lot more cautious about red coloring in my food, because it could be crushed bug shells. Also, that 'natural' vanilla flavor in your ice cream (and other food) could be beaver anus gland. One of the funnest things is trying all the many flavors of Kit-Kat from Japan that two of them have amassed. I'm not a lover of Kit-Kats, but I do really like the cherry blossom, the chocolate orange, and the jasmine tea is okay. My least favorite is 'pumpkin', which is really a local gourd whose name I can't recall. A very distinct flavor and most likely an acquired taste. Pretty much every time we visit, Scott wanders over to the Kit-Kat cabinet to try a new flavor. We'll be staying put this Thanksgiving and will be spending the day with the group.
For those who are curious, yes we want kids, and yes, we are trying. There's a couple family names in the running for a girl, and we've already talked and agreed on a name for a boy. (It's a family name on his side and the initials spell a cool nickname: ACE!)
I think that briefly covers everything that's been going on, though I can't remember if I ever posted engagement photos. I'll check and write myself a note to do it if they're not already up. Then I'll write myself a note to look for our wedding pictures CD - it's gone missing again. Last time I lost and found it I was too clever for myself, tucking it between two PS3 game jackets to keep it safe since it was sent to us tucked into one of those worthless paper sleeves. I'm hoping it's either with the games again, or I put it in my 'drug bag' which holds all my medications, supplements, and essential oils. (Don't ask me why I haven't loaded the pictures onto the computer - I don't know either
)
My hubby and I were married and sealed for time and all eternity in the Mt. Timpanogos temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in American Fork, Utah on December 8th, 2012. We had our honeymoon at a great bed & breakfast in Provo, and spent the rest of the year in Utah before we drove out to California.
We've been staying at various long-stay hotels to date, cause house-hunting is never as easy or quick as one might like to think, even in this market. The closest we've gotten is this awesome cabin in the mountains around San Jose, which is completely off the grid and fairly isolated on 40 acres. It would've meant a long commute for Scott, but he would only need to go into the office once or twice a week as long as there was reliable internet so he could work from home. We did a walk-through of the place late September, and we were waiting for the pre-approval from the bank (which got held up because of the shutdown), when we unexpectedly learned that someone else had put in a bid. We were both pretty miffed because we asked the owner to notify our agent if anyone else put in a bid (which he didn't) and our agent didn't contact us either (which she should have).
We found out about the bid thanks to Zillow, and that only because we requested to be notified if the status ever changed. So last we heard there were two people bidding, and it had gotten higher than our pre-approval loan, and there was something about an inspector finding something wrong with the septic system. Now we're back to square one, and we're thinking of just finding a nice apartment or condo to move into while we again slog back into the fray of buying a house. We're fairly far from his work place right now, because we moved to a small town that's close to the cabin in anticipation of closing the deal. We're thinking of going back to the Fremont area or even up to Sunnyvale, where his work is located.
I really love the temperate climate of the coast - I have had nearly zero weather headaches or back pain related to changes in the weather. And my allergies and sinus problems have dwindled down to nearly nothing!! It's so wonderful to be able to breathe and not avoid the outdoors. There are even days when I can skip my pseudophedrine, which I thought I'd never be able to do.
The fly in the ointment is that my skin, after 18 years in the dry desert, has had some adjustment problems. While I have had fewer problems with acne and breakouts, my skin has become very resistant to exfoliation treatments. Normally I use a back brush, loofah sponge, sugar scrub, facial scrub, and shampoo brush for my scalp. These have always done the trick for me before, but now it's as if I never even bothered with all of it. After a couple days I can rub my fingers on my arms, legs, shoulder, back, face, and abdomen and come away with a noticeable white roll of dead skin cells. Gross! I'm acting like a shedding lizard, and I'm nearly at my wits end with how to deal with it.
Yes, I soak the skin in warm water before I exfoliate and I do notice results, but when I dry off I get more dead skin cells that flake off with the towel and all over my clothes. It's gotten to the point where I have started using the fine side of my pumice stone to exfoliate my legs, upper arms, and most of the rest of me while avoiding the moles. (It's harder than you think when you have DNS - Dysplastic Nevus Syndrome) They're hardly ever flat, and they like to grow and multiply. The bonus of using the pumice stone on my legs is that I have less hair to shave. But if you want to try it, be very careful not to rub too much when you first begin. Be gentle and don't put pressure on the skin and limit how many times you go over the same skin, and be very careful of the backs of the knees and the inner thighs.
That's enough about that.Oh yes, my new med Zyprexa I mentioned in my last journal? Well, it did a good job of stabilizing my moods, but the doctor didn't warn me that practically everyone who takes it has strong cravings for carbohydrates and gains weight. Yeah, she mentioned that some people gained weight, but another doctor here in California revealed to me that nearly everyone was subject to that little side effect.
Yeah, that'd explain why in the time between August and December I gained 20 pounds. W.T.F. I am so thankful that my wedding dress was what one might call "weight-resistant". I wore a kimono, and you couldn't even tell I didn't have a waist. Thanks again for the suggestion, Rei-chan!
Needless to say, my doctor here switched me to another drug in the same class as the Zyprexa. I'm now on Seraquel, and I have lost 18 of those nasty 20 pounds. It came off so easily and quickly that my doctor was a little concerned at first, since it happened in just 3 months. (No, I didn't exercise myself to death in that time frame) I'm much happier and my cravings for pastries is more easily ignored. I feel that the Seraquel is better than the Zyprexa for me because it does a better job at quieting my mind, and I'm still surprised at how little time it takes for me to fall asleep when I lay down. I've been used to years and years of having to exhaust my body before I can sleep, and spending hours laying in the dark listening to soft music and audio books hoping that I'll drift off.
On to happier things. Being married to my hubby is so wonderful and I'm so happy and content every day. For skeptics out there, no, we have never had a fight or even raised voices. Unless we're watching Doctor Who - we get a little excited at times, due to the superb script and directing. British writers are the tops with surprises, unexpected twists, cliffhangers, and overall brilliant work. *Ahem* There's no one reason to give as to why we have had no contention in our marriage, and I fully intend to keep the peace going and I have no doubt he feels the same. A very wise and kind LDS apostle once mentioned that in all the years of marriage with his wife before she passed away, he never spoke a harsh to her. A lot of people would hear that and scoff. A lot of people would say "That doesn't work for everyone." But I've come to the belief that it can work for everyone, if they work at it, stay humble, don't take offense at words misspoken, tell your spouse you love them at least once each day, and put their needs above your own. There's so much good advice out there for couples, but not everyone takes it to heart. Naturally, it won't succeed unless both partners are fully invested in making it work. My love and I are coming up on our first anniversary, and I'm making a promise to make our second year together as wonderful as our first. I'm sure that there will be some disagreements on the road ahead, but I'm not going to waste my time dreading it, and I know that we're capable of talking things through to come to a good resolution.
How good is our relationship, you say? We easily take turns playing the PS3 (usually it's every other day
). He never complains about taking out the trash, I never complain about cooking, and we both manage the dishes. He doesn't mind when I sometimes forget to do the laundry on a specific day, and I appreciate it when he reminds me. We're both of the same mind on what kind of house to look for, and I don't nag him if he goes above the speed limit when driving. Naturally, I could go on and on about all the lovey-dovey stuff for quite some time, but one of the best examples in my mind is how comfortable I am with him. There really was no embarrassed, awkward phase of getting used to living together, no startled nights or mornings of "who the heck is in my bed?". We're best friends, and we're easy with the periods of silence, and supporting each other physically and emotionally. Scott's dealing with back pain of unknown origin, and through all the doctor referrals, tests, and meds, I'm confident in my ability to help and support him through it all. It's old hat to me, and we're both committed to chasing all leads in finding out what's going on and how to fix it. And he supports me on my bad days, which thankfully are much fewer than his.I'm enjoying getting to know Scott's friends here in California. Naturally, nearly all of them work with computers in one form or another, so they're the go-to people. Thanks to them I finally had my first encounter with Spam, and I lived to tell the tale. It's never going to be my favorite meat product, but I think it's a little higher than bologna. I've learned to be a lot more cautious about red coloring in my food, because it could be crushed bug shells. Also, that 'natural' vanilla flavor in your ice cream (and other food) could be beaver anus gland. One of the funnest things is trying all the many flavors of Kit-Kat from Japan that two of them have amassed. I'm not a lover of Kit-Kats, but I do really like the cherry blossom, the chocolate orange, and the jasmine tea is okay. My least favorite is 'pumpkin', which is really a local gourd whose name I can't recall. A very distinct flavor and most likely an acquired taste. Pretty much every time we visit, Scott wanders over to the Kit-Kat cabinet to try a new flavor. We'll be staying put this Thanksgiving and will be spending the day with the group.
For those who are curious, yes we want kids, and yes, we are trying. There's a couple family names in the running for a girl, and we've already talked and agreed on a name for a boy. (It's a family name on his side and the initials spell a cool nickname: ACE!)
I think that briefly covers everything that's been going on, though I can't remember if I ever posted engagement photos. I'll check and write myself a note to do it if they're not already up. Then I'll write myself a note to look for our wedding pictures CD - it's gone missing again. Last time I lost and found it I was too clever for myself, tucking it between two PS3 game jackets to keep it safe since it was sent to us tucked into one of those worthless paper sleeves. I'm hoping it's either with the games again, or I put it in my 'drug bag' which holds all my medications, supplements, and essential oils. (Don't ask me why I haven't loaded the pictures onto the computer - I don't know either
)
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