BRB, going to MN!!

LJ just vomited a batch of backlogged notifications into my email. Not cool, LJ. I suppose it's rather poetically appropriate seeing as how I'm posting for the third day in a row, which while not a record is certainly unusual. New friends who thought I was only an occasional poster, sorry for the bait and switch.

Anyway, the storm system was rather slow moving, so December 9th ended up being the date of the first blizzard. Officially the blizzard warning didn't start until midnight, but it was blizzard-y enough yesterday that area schools got out early. The undergrads were making talk about classes possibly being canceled, but my reaction was "don't bet on it."

Then I got up this morning. Snow? Check. Wind? Check. Area schools? Closed. University classes? Canceled. University employees? Expected to make reasonable attempts to come in as scheduled. Well damn. Since my attempt to come in involved the force to be reckoned with that is the bus, I had no trouble. Wasn't even late. "Blizzard?" says the bus. "What blizzard?"

This blizzard, bus:



That's my dearly beloved but much maligned Cirrus under that blanket of seven inches (and counting) of snow. It's a good thing I have enough groceries and cat food to get to the weekend, because shoveling off the car is going to be a weekend job.

It's cold. Really cold. Like, I'm wearing a long shirt, jeans, and a shawl and I'm still freezing cold. What I really need right now are slippers and a Snuggie. Yes, I would actually wear that overpriced abomination of a sleeved fleece blanket if I had one.

It snowed sometime overnight. I got ready for my day in ignorant bliss, but when I pulled back the shades right before I left I think I actually screamed. And swore. So December 7th is the first snow that actually sticks. December 8th might end up being the first blizzard, as we are in a blizzard watch right now and the snow is supposed to hit the fan around midnight. This feels excessive. Too much too soon, weather.

This morning I was awoken from peaceful slumber by the whine of the tornado siren. It wasn't a snownado, though, just a test since it's the first Monday of the month. I lay there for a while, wondering how the hell early they were blowing the sirens when I glanced at my clock and realized I'd overslept by an hour. Someone didn't set my alarm properly last night. I blame the cats. Because I can and they can't defend themselves.

So, the good news is if there is a tornado in the middle of the night I'll probably hear the sirens and not die, but the bad news is...well, being late, I guess. The extra hour of sleep was marvelous, though. Then I got Java House coffee, which I haven't done in ages, and accomplished about half of what I intended to do at work. Now I'm home, freezing instead of working on Christmas presents, and waiting on the midnight blizzard. I think I need tea. Slippers and tea will make me warm enough to sew. Screw the Snuggie.

It's Sunday, and that means my very short break is almost at an end. I'm not ready for that. I still have a messy apartment and and no groceries, and no motivation to fix either of these things.

What I have found motivation for, suddenly, is knitting. Which is actually kind of hilarious because knitting is an activity that requires very little in the way of motivation--you sit, put on some music/TV/movie, and knit. Once the frustration of following directions on a crumpled up piece of paper wears off it's actually not that bad. I still have to watch what I'm doing pretty carefully, but it doesn't take much effort and that's what I need right now.

Aaaand Riley just fell out of the cat tree. He's currently licking his shoulder and pretending he totally meant to do that, but I caught his look of shock on the way down. You can't fool me, Riley.

Where was I? Right, knitting. I was just doing that until my iPod died of dead battery, so I'm going to get that sucker charging and then take a shower and put away the clean dishes so that I feel like I've done something today, and after that...who knows. Maybe shopping for cat food and craft stuff (the stores are right next to each other), and groceries after that.

Goddammit, Project Runway! You are dead to me. You hear that? Dead. D-E-D. At least until next week. Maybe on life support then.

And you started out this season so well, what with eliminations making sense even if wins didn't always. It got a little rocky recently, but I could sort of see the logic. Until now. Screw you sideways, show. You get until the finale to make it right, but then I'm pulling the plug on you.

Don't make me have to quit again and skip next season.

It's snowing. SNOW. ING. What is this fuckery? I don't think it has snowed this early in...I don't even know. YEARS! Certainly not since I moved here, I don't think in college, or all through high school. October snow (never mind October 10th snow) was that one legendary year there was a blizzard right before Halloween, and I stood out as a witch and my brother blended right in as a ghost.

I don't know what to do about this. Maybe nothing. I wasn't planning on going anywhere today (damn you, Homecoming game), I have food, plenty of things to work on here, and the cats. And the cats have food. This might just have to be a laundry/sewing/piano day. I think I'm okay with that.

Fuckitall. Fixing the Cirrus is going to be expensive. Quite probably more expensive than it's worth, but still less expensive than getting a new car. I may be making a mistake fixing it, but I think that's a less grievous mistake than car shopping on short notice would be. That's what I'm going to tell myself anyway.

With any luck after this the car will last until I'm done with schooling, and then I can upgrade at my leisure, and not in a hurry.

Tomorrow is going to be stressful, but after that I can relax a little bit (at least until I get the auto repair bill). I think I'm going to go to bed early tonight instead of trying to bang my head against a wall anymore. That's all that's keeping me going at this point. I so need the weekend to be here.

The Cirrus has decided to be broken...again. Well, that's not entirely fair. I think it's actually gone an entire year and a half without being broken. Unfortunately for the Cirrus, my liking for it only depends on it's current state, which is currently broken. Or something. It's amazing I noticed at all, considering the volume my radio is usually at, but I suppose the fact that it was reasonably warm and I had the windows open had something to do with it--that and idling in the damn mall parking lot forever stupidfuckingtraffic.

Anyway, it's making a noise that says (or rather screams) "I am sad!" and so it's going in tomorrow for fixing. Or junking, but hopefully fixing as the occasional repair isn't really too much to expect from a thirteen year old car and it's still cheaper than getting a new one. I have to say, though, that coming right on top of the laptop dying was poor form, Cirrus. Now I gotta backburner that until I know what this car thing is going to do.

In happier news, I lost my keys this morning coming off the bus. No, I did say happier, and here's why--I was walking down the sidewalk all zombified on account of it being the morning and a woman tapped me on the arm and handed me my keys which I didn't even know were gone! Thank you, anonymous woman. You are my hero. I wouldn't even have gotten home without you.

I am watching Disney's Princess Protection Program because...IDK, I lost all self-respect? It's Disney, so it's cheese in a bucket and totally predictable, but for some reason it's not that bad.

This morning I went into lab and spent two and a half hours being a good grad student, and then abandoned my work at the nearest convenient stopping point to go home instead of finishing everything up before Monday. Maybe I'll go back tomorrow...maybe.

After lab I watched couple of hours of Hoarders, which was horrifying and made me do my dishes, clean out my fridge, and take out the garbage before going shopping.

At the not-grocery store I ended up getting nothing, but almost ran over some kid on a bike in the parking lot. If he had been going any faster I would have hit him. As it was all I could do was stop in time not to drag him under if he couldn't stop, which he did. I asked him if he was okay, he said yes, and we parted ways, no worse for scare.

Then I bought food, and somehow managed to get only one junk food thing but forget lunchmeat, so I'm going to have to have nothing but cheese sandwiches unless I go back, which I am totally not doing tonight. I'm tapped out and watching Princess Protection Program.

Goddammit. Today was the first day of football season and I am already so over it. I've been hearing nothing but drunk people and sirens all night and I'm just about ready to quit grad school and move just to get away from it all.

Really, people. I get the idea of going to a sporting event and having a good time and being excited when your team wins. I do. In fact, on Monday I'm going to see a baseball game--a Triple A minor league, one call away from going to the majors, end the season early because everybody is being pulled up for the MLB playoffs game. None of this college sports bullshit.

Where was I? Right, football. Anyway, my point is I like sports as much as the next person, but I prefer to watch them without the fog of thirty beers. No, really, try it next time. Then you won't spend the rest of the night driving me nuts (and making me fear a trek to the grocery store) and you'll wake up in the morning actually able to function. Novel idea, no?

Keep this in mind for two weeks from now, please. I'd really love to be able to go into work on a post-game Sunday without playing avoid-the-puke. It gets old.

So, you know those bio-degradable packing peanut things? Y'know, the ones that taste like stale popcorn and if you lick them they get sticky and you can build things and then people saw all the fun kids were having for free and decided to make them in funny colors and sell them at outrageous prices? Yeah, them. Anyway, I have invented a new game with them.

It's called lick them and stick them on your cat's back. You will be provided hours (or at least minutes) of amusement while they chirp and spin around in circles and just generally freak out until they either get it off or forget it's there (to be remembered at a later date to start the cycle all over again). Good freaking times. ILU, cats!!

So, I'm watching the All Star game on TV and I just have to say...our president is adorable. I've never seen anyone so happy to throw a strike.

Meanwhile, the game hasn't started yet, and coverage started at seven. I think that's a bit extreme. Plus St. Louis is just delaying the inevitable, because the American League is going to stomp all over the National League. Though not while Lincecum is throwing, I hope. I <3 that freakishly good young pitcher.

This weekend I was desperate for laundry money, so I sorted through all my pockets and my little pile of 2008 quarters, and broke out the state quarters box to determine which I already had and could add to the laundry fund. As of Sunday, July 12th I officially completed the collection I started in 1999--I have all 50 state quarters.

I even had enough left over to do laundry. Not that I actually got around to doing the laundry.

So, I'm at work today (missing the Derby too bad so sad) and it's taking longer than I thought and while I was sitting here wondering what the hell to do with two hours to kill downtown it occurred to me that I could go buy Photoshop with my student discount. Yes, part of my plan to spend money shamelessly stimulate the economy with my tax return was to buy Photoshop since the crappy photo-editing program I had downloaded on my laptop was wiped off when it died and had to be virus-cleaned (I think it might have had swine flu). However, when I finally got around to looking at buying the thing I balked. The prices range from more than I pay in rent to more than I actually got back on my return. Seeing as I had other things in mind with which to stimulate the economy, I decided to pass.

Until, that is, I found out Photoshop is one of the programs I can get cheapish though the University. Hot damn! So with my two hours to kill I wandered over to the bookstore. Here's where it got interesting, though, because last year the bookstore was in the IMU, which flooded hardcore, and I haven't been since it moved to the Old Capitol Mall downtown. I went to the mall and found the bookstore and was promptly very confused. I bypassed the near-empty textbook shelves and the table handing out caps and gowns and ended up wandering the clothing section like a lost thing. Eventually I worked up the courage to ask a stranger a question (yes, this is very hard for me--I think it's genetic as my mom has the condition, too):

Me: Oh hai, I can has software?
Stranger: Sorry. Software is in 'nother castle.
Me: Alas.

Apparently there is not enough room in one location in the mall to hold all of the bookstore, so the computer stuff is down the way. Anyway, I go thence.

Me: *looks for software*
Cute guy: Hai! :)
Me: :) I can has Photoshop?
Cute guy: You can has! Sign this, pay that.
Me: :D :D :D

Then I left and did a little dance of glee, because $7 Microsoft Office it was not, but $1000 Photoshop Extended it was not either. Now I'm still waiting on my washes and killing time with LJ, but at least I'm looking forward to installing this thing on the laptop!

Nah, I'm not particularly concerned about pig plague. It's the flu, dudes, and it's the 21st century. Unless and until it turns nasty (which I suppose it might, but isn't of yet) it's influenza with a funny name.

Now, the pneumonic plague? That I'd be worried about. Nothing like the good old Black Death to really put the fear in people. You don't fuck around with Yersinia pestis.

But, being as I've not had the flu since about kindergarten (or the Plague ever), Imma go about my merry business touching things as I will and building my immune system like I've been doing since I was a baby and decided a bug was a good snack.

Sloth. Oh, so very sloth. I'm sure I hit all the other ones on occasion, but sloth is every single day.

Look up seven deadly sins on Wikipedia and there's my name under sloth...well, not really, but it should be. Just saying.

There's nothing in the world like doing nothing, and when I do something, it's usually not the something I should be doing. Like, I'll sew instead of prepare for class, or peruse TV Tropes for two hours research some obscure, fiction-related thing to death while my thesis papers sit around only half read.

Usually, this results in more stress later on, but I can't help it--I love me some sloth.

Doctor who?

This year I conducted an experiment. It was called "How long can I last just wearing the lining to my winter coat?" Yesterday I received the answer--until it is 5 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill of -15. Yesterday was a difficult day. Today I wore my full coat. It was much better.

Today it reached at least 12 degrees Fahrenheit, but countered that by dumping three inches of snow. Just when I was starting to think my driveway might become passable again, this happens. Iowa. Winter. Suck.

This weekend I'm making the long drive with the kitties to Minnesota, where it promises to be at least 10 degrees colder than here at all times. Excellent. My brother will also be there, booted off base by the Army who don't want to have to hang around at Christmas to teach him and his classmates, and he will beat me by a day.

He managed to earn himself some privileges there, so instead of flying back to Alabama he's going to drive his car, which I imagine is only slightly more reliable than the Cirrus (not that that is hard). Most likely we'll depart on the same day, and since Iowa City happens to be conveniently located at the 40% mark for his trip, he will probably crash here for a night. It will be fun. I will sleep in my bed and he can have either the couch cushions or the air mattress that Riley ripped a hole in two years ago. The cats will have a good time trying to decide which of us to torture during the night.

On fuzzpot news, they've gotten much cuddlier these past few weeks, as temperatures have fallen below freezing on a consistent basis. I think that should go in my findings somewhere, too. Cats as meters of seasonal temperature through observation of co-sleeping habits. Now, if I actually catch them cuddling together I will know the next ice age is nigh. The down side is that they like to sleep one on each side of me, so I can never move as much as I like ('cuz god forbid I disturb a sleeping cat) and wake up rather stiffer than usual.

I have seven different versions of "O Holy Night." This pleases me. I think my favorite is the Michael Crawford version. Phantom of the Opera meets Christmas. Fantastic.

Anyway, I should be bedding. Tomorrow I will try not to fall on my face getting out to the bus. I will also try to sleep through the inevitable six AM plowing of the sidewalk.

Iowa. Winter. Suck.

Non-existent ones. I am a cat person through and through.

There is only one dog I love and that's my sister's German Shepherd, because it would be pretty dickish of me to hate on a family member, canine or no, just for existing.

The rest of dogdom...I can take or leave, generally leave. They're okay in small doses, but I am happiest with my kittehs.

There's not been much worth updating on since election night (hells yes!) so I'll just post this meme. (Damn you, syriinx.)

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FUCK YEAH!!!