Anogete's Journal

( luella and tony )

On a not-so-magnanimous note, I'm in a foul mood over going to Jason's mother's house again for another family function. They need to restrict these things to once a freakin' month or something because I can't hang.

I've been in such a terrible funk all week. I haven't worked out for days, nor have I read anything beyond news articles foretelling of doom and gloom since Sunday. I need to get back into the swing of things, but Jason's sister's damn graduation is tomorrow. I want to cry out, "It's P.I.M.A. for crap's sake! Who makes a big deal out of their P.I.M.A. graduation?" Plus, unlike the rest of the world, I work until five o'clock. Her graduation is downtown at six o'clock. I get terribly bitchy when I haven't eaten dinner before six o'clock. This means we're going to be late. Jason and I have already had the first of many arguments about this. He leaves work early on Fridays, so the time crunch isn't an issue for him. If I had had more notice about this stupid ceremony, then I might have been able to leave work early as well. As it is at the moment, we're in the middle of an audit. I can't just up and leave whenever I feel like it. And the kicker is, he doesn't even want to go. We both think this is bullshit, but we still have to bitch about it to each other. I'm not even going to think about the party on Saturday evening. Ugg. Part of me wants to orchestrate events so we are so late for the graduation that we miss the entire thing. That is the petty, manipulative part of me. I shouldn't let it win.

A local radio station and their morning show crew are broadcasting from the Children's Hospital here in the city. It's the premiere place to take kids for serious injuries and illnesses, and it is publicly funded. They are in the midst of their annual fundraiser, and they're allowing the kids being treated there to be interviewed on the air with their parents. Last year, there was a little boy named Luis who was very ill with leukemia. His health has improved, but he is still at the hospital for treatments quite often. The DJs were joking with him about how they aren't allowed in the play room because they are adults, and that maybe they would be allowed in if he were with them. The poor kid is sick and wearing a surgical mask, and he tells them to let him know when they want to go play, and he'll help them get into the play room. So, of course, I pulled my car over, got out my cell phone,and called to give them my card number for a donation. A few hours later, Luis and two of his friends in the hospital made a sign the radio station posted on their website. You can see the three of them in their little masks right here. Luis is in the middle. So, that made my day a bit better. :-)

I desperately want to go on a walk outside after work, but by the time I'm home and fed, it's too dark. The weather here is gorgeous--mid 70's with a bit of a breeze and sunny skies.

Oh, and Richard Armitage is unbelievably attractive. So attractive that it is bordering on disgusting. I might faint if I ever met him.

I finally broke down and decided to buy a Sigg bottle. The model I got was slightly expensive (a little over $25), but I freakin' love it. It's beautiful and very handy while working out. Plus, it holds a full liter of water, and I am a water-drinking fiend.

My original intention for this weekend was to read voraciously. I read a whole two chapters in Welcome to Temptation because I kept getting distracted by various other things. Damn responsibilities. I did finish the last novel available in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Sadly, I liked all the subplots much better than the snore-fest that was Phury and Cormia's romance. John Matthew and Xhex? Just the thought of it makes me squeal with delight. And Rehvenge? ::faints:: My new favorite. Even if his half-sister is blackmailing him into screwing her. Incest, eww. Rehv's book now, please? Now? Can I also have icons? BDB communities, anyone?

My mother tells me the same stories every single time I call her, and I only call her once a week. If I have to hear about the debacle at the Lions Club meeting that happened two months ago, then I'm going to beat my head against the wall. For real.

And just so you all know, the only reason Fleetwood Mac was anything at all was due to Lindsey Buckingham. He knocks my socks off without fail. Everything he writes gives me chills, especially "I'm So Afraid." Just that moment when his voice first cuts through the instruments, sounding fearful and in so much pain. Ack, it kills me.

I used part of the gift card on something I've been wanting for a while.

( what did i get? )

Damn these social engagements. Damn them. We're leaving in a few minutes to go to Jason's paternal grandmother's house. We haven't seen her for two years, even though she lives in the same city. She's just very... weird. And she mostly speaks Spanish, so Jason finds it very difficult to converse with her since he speaks zero Spanish. I can muddle my way through some things, but I have no idea what to talk to her about. Luckily, Jason's dad and sister will be there as well. And Jason's aunt and uncle, who are very odd. They are deeply religious with approximately five gazillion crucifixes in their home. Everyone in the family suspects they have never actually had sex before, despite being married for nearly thirty years. How can one live without the sexors? How?

Done! ::hits timer and displays a smug smile:: My father's Christmas present arrived in the mail today. I have finished the presents shopping, and I did it all on Etsy. Actually, I do need to buy my brothers a couple video games off their wish list, but that's not a big deal since I can pick it up during a normal shopping outing. I secretly want the hat I bought for my grandmother. I'm not usually into the girly pink/lace/roses thing, but the hat is too gorgeous for words. I also wouldn't mind keeping the earrings and matching necklace I got my mother, too. If you're still Christmas shopping, I humbly (but highly) recommend you check out Etsy.com. The crafty folk on there have beautiful handmade items, many of which would be perfect gifts.

I love Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons. Love. I can't even describe the happiness that flows through me at the guitar intro about twenty seconds in "Lets Hang On."

( that little chip of diamond on your hand ain't a fortune, baby, but you know it stands )

I'm truly my father's daughter when it comes to music. I can remember sitting in the car and listening to Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons with him all the time. He's a sing-alonger, and if you've ever passed me in the car while I'm jamming out, you'd know that I'm a sing-alonger as well.

Have I mentioned how much I hate parties? I have? Well, let me reiterate, I hate parties. This party, that party, those parties, all parties. Are there people at that party? Then I hate that party. I feel like three-fourth of the people in this world are psychic vampires, and they all happen to attend the parties I go to just so they can eat my energy and life force. Yes, I'm being paranoid, but I'm half out of my mind with exhaustion. Jason's mother decided that she needed to throw a huge 60th birthday bash. There were well over thirty people there, most of whom I don't know or only see two or three times a year. Did I mention how much I dislike hugging? Yes? Well, drat. I feel like Scrooge here. Or maybe Golem. I hates it, my precious.

The highlight of my day was hiking in the Sandias this morning. I didn't take a great deal of pictures just because I forgot I had the camera with me after the first few minutes. I dragged Jason along, even though he says he hates hiking. He's obviously a liar. Ferguson had great fun bounding through the brush. He's even in a couple of the pictures looking like he thinks he's a German Shepard when he's really just a ten-pound chihuahua.

( the pretty pictures )

I haven't seen the past two or three episodes of True Blood. I took a step back because some of the changes were annoying me. How are things going with that? Have they ruined Sam? They were tettering on them when I stopped watching by making him super dooper jealous and protective of Sookie. Has there been more Eric?

I'm going to go take something for this creeping headache and catch a nap while Jason watches stupid B-movies.

My mother found my MySpace. o_O I got one a couple years ago because it was the easiest way to communicate with a friend of mine from back home. I didn't put any effort into it at first, but then I started finding old friends from my high school days, and I got sucked into creating a decent profile and uploading some pictures. It's been nice to talk to people I haven't seen in years. Anyway, my mother knew I had a MySpace because a few other family members had found it and friended me - cousins (hers and mine) and the like. This evening, I got a message that 'Kim' had sent a friend request. I immediately thought it was the boss's daughter who works with us now. I clicked on the profile and found my mother. So, now I'm friends with my mother on MySpace. I had to go through my profile and my minimal blog on there to make sure I didn't need to remove any incriminating evidence of my deviant behavior. Oddly enough, there wasn't anything that needed to be removed. (All of that stuff is on this LJ, no doubt.) On the other hand, I think it's neat for her to be able to see into this side of my life. I've never been very open with my mother about my interests just because she doesn't share them. She's not really opposed to them; she just doesn't seem understand them all that well. Her favorite movies all involve Martin Lawrence, for crap's sake. Plus, it will be a nice way for her to keep in contact with other family members. I left her a comment on her page, but I'm still a bit weirded out.

Jason and I just watched the tenth episode (Master of Monster) of Hellsing, the anime series. How can anyone watch that and not 'ship the hell out of Alucard/Integra. Just the thought of it makes me swoon. The bit in the dungeon when he is released from captivity by her and ends up taking a bullet in his arm to save her from her uncle? And then she uses his arm to steady hers as she aims her gun at her uncle to shoot him? Gah. My idea of romance is so twisted.

In related news, I'm going to publicly admit to my severe love of Eric from Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire novels. So, my problem isn't with vampires; it's just with Bill. Alcide has also grown on me in this third novel. I didn't think I'd like him all that much at first, but I can't help it. He's charmed me.

I started reading Henry Hazlitt's Economics in One Lesson because it came highly recommended. It's so ridiculously good, and now I'm even more disgusted with our government and the collective idiocy of nearly every single elected official in Washington. I want to make them all sit down and read this book. If they can read, that is.

It's not a secret that I do not want children of my own. Even if my extreme fear/disgust of actual pregnancy wasn't a huge issue, I'd never be able to keep my sanity/happiness while caring for children under the age of seven. I'm just not cut out for it. I'd be arrested for locking babies (and toddlers) up in the closet for hours at a time. So, it's for the best that I remain childless. However, I don't hate children. I actually enjoy them for about an hour. Then I like to give them back to their parents and wash my hands. Children have germs. And they drool on themselves. Eww.

So, Jason's sister has a little girl named Markel. She calls me Auntie Amanda, so I guess I'm her aunt, even if Jason and I never plan on getting married. Her second birthday party is on Saturday, and I've been working on her present for a few weeks now. The poor girl has only a handful (less than ten) of books which are being held hostage in a basket out of her reach. She loves books, but Jason's mother and sister (who are jointly raising the child) don't seem to understand the importance of encouraging a love of books early in life.

Books are my thing. I love books of all kinds, and I can't imagine not having multiple bookshelves filled with my favorites. Even as a kid, I had an ungodly amount of them hidden in my closet on a makeshift bookshelf fashioned out of old milk crates. So, I couldn't let Markel live another year without books and a bookshelf. Over the last few weeks, I've been collecting used children's books from used bookstores in town. I have nearly forty books for her thus far. At lunch, I went shopping and bought a two-shelf bookshelf with some alphabet stickers so I could put her name on the front.

( pictures because i'm a nerd )

I've already ran my plan by Jason's mother just so I know they have room for the bookshelf in Markel's room. It's going to be super awesome. I'm so excited about giving this to her. About half of her current ten books were given to her by me last Christmas. She threw all the toys to the side while she looked at the books on Christmas morning. I'm such a bad (good!) influence.

After putting the books on shelf, I feel like I should buy more. So, I might spend my lunch break tomorrow at the bookstore looking for some of my favorites.

I want to start a website, but I shouldn't. Everyone, please smack my hand away from the mouse when I try to register for a domain.

The office will be closed on Friday. I was worried, but it seems the boss hasn't totally lost her marbles and isn't going to make us work on a day we usually have off. Well, she has lost her marbles a little bit. She sent someone out to purchase four new toilets for the office. We don't really need new toilets, but she thinks they will fix the problem we've been having. Really, I think we just need a plumber to clean the calcium buildup out of the pipes, but whatever... I'm staying out of it because we're getting nice, new toilets that will look much better than the ancients ones in there right now.

Jason wants to go to the shooting range after dinner. I'd rather go for a walk, but he's all hot about practicing, so I guess I need to go pick up some rounds before I go home or I'll have to buy the insanely expensive kind at the range.

I've been recruited to bring dessert to Easter Sunday dinner. Have I mentioned how much I hate Easter Sunday dinner? Hate. It's all eggs and pastels and ham and flowers. I get nauseous just thinking about it. Ugg. I wanted to ask if I could just drop off dessert and go home. Apparently, this plan of action would be considered rude and anti-social. Dammit.