Preludes And Nocturnes

I will be vague. I will just say that I really wish it were easier to get someone to help you with something. But by the time you explain everything and then go over and over things and then alter so it will work and, and, and… really, just do it yourself.

Now, this is not true if you are trying to teach someone how to do something. If the ultimate goal is to learn. But if the goal is to save yourself time and effort - is not usually gonna happen.

On the upside, my person who bought the latest set of cards paid me this morning. I am so happy! As a reward, I went and bought WONDERFUL paper today. WONDERFUL! *squeeeeeeees*

I’m in another treasury - which is pretty damned cool.

It is here.

I’ve been making a whole lot of new cards, and I hope to get a few more of them posted on Etsy soon(ish). One of my sets is up already here.  I did a crazy happy dance as I sold a set of cards today (my Koi) but the buyer hasn’t paid yet.  This can be a problem and eventually mean I just get them relisted and my fees returned.  I’m still very hopeful they will pay and that they are just new and don’t realize they should pay at the time of clicking buy…

*crosses fingers*

But yes, all in all that little business is just chugging along quite nicely.

Stolen from Mouse (and Menley Nin… and I think Callie/Helen had it too)

Career meme

1. Go to Career Cruising,www.careercruising.com

2. Put in Username: nycareers and Password: landmark.

3. Take their “Career Matchmaker” questions.

4. Post the top twenty results

Rupert renamed Jim’s My Documents with wingdings (a huge string of them) and then created a shortcut to said folder along with another shortcut to his recycle bin - all on his desktop.  He then executed a file (that luckily the computer couldn’t continue with to the end, started the “search” function (it couldn’t find “osnlqw;w..owsa” though), and attempted to find another local network.  There were no less than seven screens opened this morning on Jim’s computer.

He also loves to attack my new music device.  The headphone cords in particular.  He just launch himself across the dining room table to grab the cord.  That was across my chest.  I think I now have a pierced nipple.

And finally, here I am on a Sunday night - prepping.  I have a secret to share - prepping for the classes really and truely seems to take longer than ever taking the classes as a student.  This seems like something I should have already known.  But there ya go.

So I spent hours yesterday loading music onto my laptop and now I’m sorting it down to a good playlist for my shuffle.  Two discs I loaded were Pink Floyd’s The Wall.  I’m listening to them right now and I’m struck by the fact that despite having not listened to them in.. probably upwards of 15 years (non-stop grade 11 and 12 art periods were spent listing to this on an old 8-track we had set up in the art room) - I still know all the words.

All. The. Words.

Two discs.  Fifteen years.  Yet I can’t remember to pick up more dishwaster detergent from the supermarket.

The strangest part is being able to also remember every emotion I had at that point in my lift.  The worries about friendships and boyfriends and assignments.  Holy flashback batman.

So I’m bemoaning the fact that for some reason all my music didn’t actually make the journey from the old laptop to the new laptop. Leone has been kind enough to send me some key music that I suddenly CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT. But beyond that, I’ve spent the last three hours (on and off) loading music onto my laptop.

So that I can then load it on here:

Yay! (mom made me do it.. she used the following question “well, have you bought your ‘back to school’ present for yourself yet?” - I had not realised there was such a thing. Now we know.)

Roop (as we call him) is so damned cute I cannot handle it sometimes. He does these flying leaps at Chuck’s head (Chuck tends to just reach out one paw and deflect him), and he will sometimes clean his belly while on the couch and roll right off by accident.  I just pick him up and give him kisses all over his little kitten head.  And sometimes he just smells so good - like a cinnamon bun or something.  Especially after sleeping in a sunbeam.

Sometimes he smells horrible, though, and we tell him to clean his stinky bum.  There is an amusing/horrifying story about Jim calling out and telling him to lick his bum and me realising 1) the window to outside is open and 2) we don’t want to think about what that could have just sounded like to the neighbours. Anyways, I’ll just leave that for now.

Rupert likes to come and get snuggles while I’m at the computer, and he’ll let out the most adorable little mew and he launches himself up from the floor into lap - and then shoulder.  He likes being snuggled then - leaving me to try to do any typing/navigating with one hand.  He sits on Jim’s shoulder and sometimes cleans Jim’s hair for him.  SO CUTE.

Of course, also kitten no-so-cuteness like him deciding the closed bathroom door (the litter he likes is in the bathroom, the one he doens’t like is in the back room) means he can just go take a poo on the kitty bed.  *sigh* We’re working on getting him happy with the second litter box in the back.  We’re also working on getting another kitty bed… that one went out in the garbage this morning.

In other news, work is crazy busy for both Jim and myself.  We work at work, and then come home and work at home.  We work all evenings, most mornings, and sometimes also through the afternoon.  I tell ya, it is a good thing we’re making millions from these jobs because they are way more hours than those other jobs I’ve had.

What?  We’re not making millions?

Er, I think we must be very silly people.

Yeah, I am sucking at this whole “update” thing. Life is busy; the good and the bad. My friend is in very rough shape. She doesn’t realise the extent of her injuries and makes comments about getting in to work by the end of the month. Her back is broken and she is paralized on one side of her body. They are hopeful this can be fixed via surgery later this month. She has had surgery for her leg and her knee already. I will admit this whole situation makes me very confused about life and living and work and what is important. I am trying to remember all this when I’m getting grumpy about prep and work. I find myself being thankful I can vacuum my house and go get groceries. And run. I had been getting back to the gym lately, regardless. But I’m now making a real point of going at least three/four/five times a week and running.

I don’t want to be all weird. One could get rather caught up in an unproductive loop where we always feel like we can’t be unsatisfied or not happy with having to do something because “hey, think of how bad it could be” - and that can be detrimental in its own way. But seeing a friend’s life suddenly turned upside-down and fundamentally altered does remind me to be thankful for all that I have.

Hugs,

Jenn

(and some kitty pictures to keep us all happy) - Taken in the same week, these show how Rupert can be little squished up kitten or long and lean kitten.

A friend I just met has been in a very serious car accident.  She is the other sessional in the ENGL dept and we’ve been hanging out chatting about prep and teaching and just, all in all, becoming good friends.  She is in the ICU and surgery today.  I’m feeling so ill about it all.  She was just going about her daily business and then this happens.  She had just finished her MA and this was her first teaching gig.  It is scary - she’s gone from all this excitement and prep and crazy time to being in the hospital.

They hope she’ll be able to teach in January.  I’m so sad for her, and for the fact that I will not have my partner in crime around this term.  Just a really sad day.