Blather, rinse, repeat

My new boss is a TOTAL BOSS. :) Okay, here there be TMI so be warned. This is girlstuff.

Last few months, ovulation has been a little twingy on the left side. (Ovaries are supposed to take turns but sometimes both of mine go at once. Twins run in the family.) Well this time, starting I guess on Wednesday (it's Sunday now,) it hit a ridiculous level. Like this:



Only without the usual reason of having listened to Tom Hardy speak for a while.

It was, like, doctor-callingly bad. So, I called my usual crotch doctor's office yesterday before work because IT WAS THAT BAD. I was like, "My left ovary is exploding. When is the earliest I could see Dr. So and So?"

The receptionist said, "August."

WHAAAAAAAT. "Are you kidding me? What happens if my ovary explodes in the meantime?"

Really dismissively she says, "Go to the emergency room."

I'm like, "So, I have to actually wait until something happens – until a cyst ruptures, then go to the emergency room, then someone will treat me?"

She said, basically, yeah pretty much.

So I said, "Fine, give me something for August then, I'll just hope that nothing bad happens before then."

She goes, "Oh, I can't do that. You have to call back at the end of July."

So, eff them. Okay, I realize this doc is awesome and she's hard to get, but this woman was just so blithely dismissive that I just don't even feel right about going back there.

Off I went to work, where it was a little better but still twingy on and off. I was asking around, the girls I work with, if they knew any awesome crotch doctors. One of my co-workers was like, "Oh my god, I had the same thing a few years ago. Sucks, doesn't it?" She finally had surgery for hers. Anyway, she gave me a recommendation for a good doctor. And she has to be a female doctor, you know? Because I think I man can't honestly know what it feels like. I think you can study something all you like and know it inside and out (*snicker*) but what it comes down to is, have you lived in a female body, with all its various parts and functions and misfires? No? Then you can't really understand.

ANYway so, I was talking to my boss, the acupuncturist. She's generally awesome. She's 39, pregnant for the first time, and working all the way through. She looks like she's in her 20s and is very soft-spoken (I have to strain to hear her sometimes.) So I tell her what was going on and she goes, "Do you want me to put a tack in your ear?"

Umm. What?

"An acupuncture tack." She explains that the ear is shaped like a fetus and there are points corresponding to the different body parts and functions. The "tack" is a teeny acupuncture needle with an adhesive, and it stays there all week. So I said, "Sure, I'll try anything!"

So she stuck the teeny needle in. I didn't even feel it. As I was giving treatments, I started to get that little twingy pain again, the way it was the night before just before it got worse, and I got nervous. But, surprise! The pain never came.

Color me impressed. I studied acupuncture for about a semester, but I never actually tried it because I was too nervous. But now I think I'm really going to give it a go, for just general wellness, if I can afford it. OR, I can also barter for it. :D

That's another thing I love about my job, the bartering. My co-worker and I did our first barter between last week and yesterday: we traded deep tissue massages. It was great! And this week, I'm bartering with the reflexologist if there's time.

(Not only that, but I barter with my friends, too; I have something to give them now when they help me with something. My training brothers are coming by for treatments now, in exchange for them helping me. For example, High School Homeslice came by to take down the remainder of the pool. Snarklit saw me on the side of the road with a flat and stopped to help me change it. The thing is, they would help me out anyway if I asked them to, for nothing. But, I can give them something in return that helps them. Trigger point therapy, general wellness, treatment for muscle strains, etc. )

/digression

Anyway, that is the story of my cool boss and my ovary. Please don't worry, this is nothing really serious (*knock on wood*). I live in my body and I know what it's up to most of the time. I'm pretty certain of what's going on and it's nothing more than a nuisance that I need to take care of. If a doctor can see me, that is. :/

Right, so now I want to address some more of the phrases that brought people to this LJ. Some are hilarious, some are not.

To the person who found my LJ by looking for "PEENCEPTION," you absolutely made my day. I realize you probably found the link to his movie (awesome) but I hope you also found this post. WARNING for Tom Hardy's peen, okay?

To the seeker of " advent children mr. Fluffy " That was hilarious, right? I remember that.

I do not know who or what "beanarie anon" is.

"Disney Lookism" – I'm not sure I ever addressed this. Did I? If not, I should. I know I address lookism once in a while.

"F--- yeah Wirrow" – YES, SCORE. I'm sure I never actually said that on here, but it sums up my thoughts anyway.

To the person wondering about "Lomi Lomi vs. Swedish" – I like them both! And I wish I knew more Lomi Lomi.

"Rude Trees" – I am so happy that someone found my LJ searching for rude trees. I hope I've provided you with some, or at least with some rude plants.

"My shiny new job" – Wow, what are the chances?! Are there other people with shiny new jobs, or was someone looking for that specific post? Neat!

"Advent Children Complete Deleted rape scene" – WHAT. WHAT, NO. There isn't one. And if there was, I wouldn't support Advent Children, Final Fantasy, or Square Enix anymore.

This actually leads me to the next keyword search, which was "My Chemical Romance Women's Rights". Yup, I also boycotted Advent Children Complete because Gerard Way was on the soundtrack, and if anyone out there stands against women's rights, in a sly, insidious way, it's My Chemical Romance. That's because they used to pretend to support women's rights. And minorities, and gay rights, and this and that. Not only did they recently come out and say that that isn't their way anymore, they actually went on to promote violence against women, and said some hideous things via Twitter. Threatening women, making jokes about forcing abortions, and Frank Iero using the N word. I don't even have to get into them dragging the hate-fueled Mindless Self Indulgence on the road with them and supporting them. My Chemical Romance is hate-fueled enough on their own.

Next, someone searched for "Lohi'au's traits." Hmm. Well, Lohi'au was a chief, was handsome and talented at chanting at at the Hula. He was also something of a piner. He pined to death for Pele, remember. And he got killed a few times, too. See, there weren't a hell of a lot of gender roles in ancient Hawaiian legends, so often it was the women who were pursuers and the men who were pursued. The men who were locked away, to be discovered and "rescued" by the women. Anyway, the Pele/Lohi'au/Hi'iaka/Hopoe story is one of my favorites ever.

Also? I think that Hi'iaka and Hopoe might have been sweethearts. That's an interpretation I got from a few songs, you know. Mälama ke kanaka mälama ka lehua
Mälama ke kaunu moe ipo ... Are you picking up what I'm putting down, here? :)

To the person looking for FFVII essays, I hope you got some use out of it. :)

"Joseph Gordon-Levitt" – He's pretty fly, isn't he?

"Tahitian scream" – Yup, I can still do that, and it's ear-splitting.

"Link's Queen" and "Tilly" – Oh my god, hilarious, wasn't it? Come and say hello, anon. Those were fun times.

And to those looking for "blather rinse repeat" and "Kapunua" – Hello everyone!

Right, so now I've got the day off, and I'm going to draw some things, and dick around on the internet. Come on, internet, amuse me!

COURAGE. That is how I feel today, so HA. (I did try the sword form with that new sword. Haaaarrddd. But fun.)

Well, today is a day off and it is gorgeous out. Nearly 80 degrees (finally!) breezy and shiny. I tried to take the dogs to the beach (which I do on every day off now) and, BIG mistake. It was way too crowded. Sano was in hysterics. Welp, it's Memorial Day weekend, after all. The beginning of a-hole season. I swear I nearly up and murdered some people while driving yesterday. I swore, promised myself, made a vow that I was not going to leave the house at all after work yesterday. But, if the vet is open tomorrow, I'm going to have to go into Speonk to pick on Sano's meds. Ugh, traffic, UGH.

Speaking of vets, Haku was boarding at the vets yesterday. They turned their backs on him and also left his leash and collar within his reach (which I have warned them, so often, not to do,) and he ate his collar. He didn't get any of the tags, but the metal parts got stuck in his mouth and cut his gums to pieces. They're giving me a free service, so there's not much I can say. :/ Still, I don't think that "free" should mean "we're not even going to bother." On the other hand, accidents happen. On the OTHER hand, this is a known thing, and it's half the reason why he has to go in daycare in the first place.

In more pet news? I'm pretty sure my gourami Eames ate my favorite angel fish, Trowa. Trowa is nowhere to be found today, Eames is huge, and my other angel, Quatre, is acting like he witnessed the rapture. I am so upset. Trowa was the most mild-tempered fish I've ever had. He used to swim into the feeding cup and come up for petting. :( This really blows.

Umm, yesterday at work was really awesome. I had lots of nice people and they gave me lots of nice money. Gas and groceries this week (and replacing Haku's collar.)

Oh, that little 'keet, Derek? The neighbors' kid, who found him, was allowed to take him. I was real happy to hand him over to her today. She was thrilled. And they went out and bought him a beautiful cage with all the necessities and extras. Good bye, Derek! Have a good life with your new family. ^_^

What else did I do today? I totally managed my closet into submission. Got my summer stuff out, winter stuff away, everything organized. I even threw away clothes that were torn and unwearable. And I hate throwing things away. I set up the bird feeders, watered the plants, dicked around on HitRECord.

In that last entry of mine, I was rambling about listening to Makaha Sons again, right? So, I did. Well, mostly. I couldn't find Ho'oluana then I realized I'd given it to my Dad because the songs were already on my old computer. But, I listened to all the others and I was fine, for two days straight, up until the last song, Pua Carnation. And I don't even know why. It wasn't even one of my Dad's favorites. I'm sure he might have been aware of its existence, but he might not have even recognized it if he heard it. And the lyrics are nothing significant having to do with my Dad, either. So I don't know what got me started. One second I was on my way to work, merrily singing along, and the next, I was floodcrying like they do in anime. Out of frigging nowhere. Effing mourning, HOW DOES IT WORK.

Okay, enough negativity now. I am over that for the moment.

The rest of the week looks to be pretty decent. Movies with Glassworker Best Friend, maybe possibly movies with That Guy I Met (boy, he needs a code-name stat.) Nice weather, family, friends, good job, and teaching Hula next month.

Oh, yes! I am up to six students so far. And there's still a few weeks for more people to join. Am I excited? YES! :D

One more thing I just remembered! I just got that "keyword search" extension.

So, to the people looking for Kapunua: HI!

To the one looking for quotes about how praying won't help, it was Led Zeppelin.

To the one looking for "hula pa'u skirt color hi'iaka", I think it's red, from what I can remember having been told by a Kumu Hula once. Also, remember, Hi'iaka did have a magic red pa'u that she put over Lohi'au. :) Hope that helps.

For the one looking for "fa'arapu", mine isn't what it should be / used to be.

To the one looking for "legends about Camp Hero" and "into the radar tower," I hope you liked the short film.

To the one looking for info about "Male dog's urethra cut during neuter," in Haku's case, it was the ureter – or so I'm told by a few other vets and techs when I asked them, without mentioning the Idiot Vet's name, the date of surgery, or anything, if it was possible. Yes, apparently, it is.

To the person looking for "king arthur and the spiders story " please tell it to me, because I've never heard it but it sounds like it's right up my alley.

I love keyword search!

Okay, have a great weekend, everyone. And if you're travelling, please drive politely, don't slow down at every single goddamn effing corner, and please don't be a-holes to the locals!

Haku had a seizure at 10 this morning, which is a really weird time for him. Well, I guess they are all really weird times, but I think that 10AM is a first. It was a short seizure, about two minutes, and he bounced right back from it, but still. I never get used to it. He forgets his situation for a short time after each seizure, and he walks around on his injured leg. Because he can't remember that it's supposed to be hurting him.

Aaaaand Sano had massive blow-out diarrhea and vomiting for two days straight. Seems to be over now since I just started giving him rice and sweet potatoes. Still, OMG. WHAT.

In better news! The place where I'm working has an upstairs studio where they teach Yoga. It's a really nice studio, with wood floors and lots of space. Bosslady asked me last week if I would be interested in offering Hula classes up there over the summer.

Extra money, and I get to teach, and dance, which is what I most love to do? YES PLEASE. I really, really, really hope this one works out. It's what I want. Hello, universe! *taptap* Let me have this!

Work is both predictable and unpredictable. I can usually guess how many treatments I'm going to be doing, but I can't rely on tips. Some people tip, some don't. The first week was insane, I made about $90 in tips. But, I was covering for someone who's been there for over a year. Now I'm not covering for her anymore, treatments have dropped off a bit. And actually, some people just don't tip. They don't know they're supposed to, I guess. Or, not supposed to, but that it's super nice if they do. And some people think that $3 is a suitable tip for a $80 service. I guess they just don't get it. So, you just have to learn not to actually count on them.

I'm just happy that I'm making actual, real money. It's not a lot, and I'm not being realistic when I'm thinking that this is going to solve my problems and keep me in my house. I know I need to make more. I'm hoping that within a year or so I'll get a really steady client base and that will take some of the burden off.

I also have the best friends ever. Remember last summer when the pool collapsed? Well, it's been sitting there in shreds all over the yard since then. Most of it was still standing, just a big empty ¾ circle of scrap metal. My Kung Fu brother, Homeslice, came over Tuesday while I was at work and started taking it down. He just PMed me, showed up with a Sawzall (or whatever it's called,) and cut most of it into manageable bits. Now, I can sell them to some scrap metal company! Then they recycle it, which is awesome. In return for Homeslice doing this, I give him some treatments and we're square.

I love bartering. I really think it's the way to get things done. :)

In writing or whatever news, I've got one query still out. I had two more rejections. I'm still hanging on to that one awesome one I got ("You are a fantastic writer and even though this isn't my thing, someone will love it.") I just know someone will pick it up. It's a matter of finding the right match, that's all. So, I'm waiting on a third, then if that one is a "no" (but my fingers are crossed! This agent has a client that I really like!) I go out searching again. I think I like to do 3 at a time. 3 is a lucky number. :)

Then, I'm also translating this epic poem on HitRECord into Hawaiian. It's so freaking huge. And it challenges everything I knew about the Hawaiian language. All the mele that I can so often understand is written in an entirely different idiom. There's no model for something like this. So I have to figure my way around phrases and patterns that I don't know. Hawaiian language patterns are hard for me. But I'm still glad for the challenge because I've missed speaking Hawaiian.

Other than that, the usual. Still spending a lot of time with Boychild, going to Kung Fu, hanging with friends, watching movies, making movies, dicking around on the internet.

But spring is here! So exciting! :)

Kay so, yes, another Kung Fu pic spam, but this one has a point, I mean it. This is the pic spam from the Dan Dao seminar on Sunday, the 2 hour broad-sword class. All of us who've been there for years and years and years pretty much know it, or a version of it, but these seminars are to A) teach the new people and B) fine-tune what we do know, so that we actually do it right instead of the lazy way you start doing things after a few years. Like, with forms, you really do forget some of the most important details. ("Oh, you step with your left foot..." "I've been angling the sword wrong for three years!" etc.)

Since it was a Sunday and I had no one to watch Haku for me, I had to ask Sifu if I could bring him along. Happily, Sifu said yes. So I set up a blanket for him to lie on and tied him by a bungee to one of the punching bag rigs. He lay there quite calmly for the most part, only occasionally whining at me out of anxiety or whatever.

It was over two hours of hardcore broad-sword form, hitting all the stances and whatnot. Just about after the second hour, my knee started to swell up and get crunchy. But there was only a bit to go, and I didn't want to miss it. Let me tell you, I could hardly effing walk yesterday and today.

I took vids of a lot of it, so as to have something to look over when I start to forget it again. Some of these are screencaps of videos, and some are photographs taken by various people. It's rare that everyone shows up for something (and actually, not everyone did, but most did,) so we all had our cameras out.

My two favorite pics are the one of the entire class, and the one of just Snarklit, Gold Dragon, and me.

So here is a picspam!

( Dan Dao seminar pics )

These are my favorites and I'm not gonna cut them. :D





^_^

So, that was a really cool day!

Today is Tuesday and I went to Camp Hero to collect some stuff for my help_japan auction. That's a whole 'nother story and set of pictures, people. I'll try to get those up tomorrow. SPOOKY is the word! :)

Forms, and sword form, and nakama etc. :)


( Kung Fu pic spam )


^_^

Yesterday was my JOB INTERVIEW, THE SEQUEL. Also, I was waiting on a good friend's medical results, and Haku's blood tests since had been off his food for a while. So,yesterday was a little stressy for me.

After dropping Haku off at the vets, I went out around town for a bit. I wanted a costume for Distant Worlds in two weeks and I knew I could not pull Tifa off in time, so I decided on Matron from FF8, because it's damn easy:



Plus she's like everyone's Mom, so it's kind of age appropriate.

Imagine my delight when I walked into the first store on my list and found the little grey ¾ sleeve, and the long black dress? Like within two minutes? SCORE 1.

On my way back, just as I was turning the road to my neighborhood, a silver pit bull puppy literally ran in front of my front tire. I had already slowed to turn and jammed on the brakes because I saw him on the curb a second before. I ran out of my car and he came around the the driver's side, all waggy-tailed with his head bowed like, "I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing but it's not this!" So I picked him up and stuck him in my front seat, over my damn groceries. I didn't drive four feet when another car stopped at the deli next to me and waved me over. The folks in the car told me it was their friend's dog and they were looking for him. So I handed over his wiggly little puppy body and home I went, with a huge rash because I'm allergic to pit bulls. Still, he was SO CUTE.

Then, I went home and stressed about my friend's medical results. A few minutes later though, she messaged me with her very awesome news and we decided to celebrate later in the evening.

My Interview The Sequel was looming, and I still hadn't heard anything about Haku's test results or even how he had fared in today's rehab. I had to run out the door and just try to focus on what I was trained to do – which I hadn't done in about three months. I wasn't so sure it wouldn't come back to me.

The place is very peaceful, I liked it the moment I saw it. It's around where I used to work at The Bad Place, same neighborhood, same street, about a mile away. Driving down there, I realized that, even as I did not miss that crappy job, I did miss the area. It's a really beautiful drive, just endless farms, bison, horses, vineyards and farmstands. I like it out that way. I was glad to be going there again, and I felt really hopeful. I have this weird hang up about having connections to certain places, when it comes to where I work.

So, I gave a massage to the boss's sister, who wanted really strong hands with good pressure. I was known for that in clinic so I thought, 'Well, maybe I have a chance.' I also threw in some Lomi Lomi and some stretches. As I was working, I was thinking about how nice the room was, how mellow the entire place was, and that I liked it, and it'd be really nice to come here and get paid a really good salary in such a quiet location.

Soooooooo.

I GOT THE JOB. Well actually, the boss said, "We'll call you thursday," but her sister said, "You're amazing and we need what you have to offer; it's a done deal."

This TRIPLES MY SALARY.

SCORE 2.

My immediate reaction was a kind of, "Oh, cool." Then, in the car on the way home, it was just total relief. I realize I still have to (sadly) leave behind a job I have now, that I'm fond of, with a really nice company, and I'm dreading that. But, RELIEF. It's a good place, the people seem nice, it's lovely there, and the money is, well, let's just say that with tips, I should eventually be back on my feet.

It starts slow. Clients tend to not want the noob, so I'm lucky if I get ten hours the first few weeks. Then it builds up over a few months and if all works out well, I even get a raise into the deal. In a few months' time, I could probably be getting $50 or so an hour and maybe getting 24 hours a week.

This company also allows me to freelance, and do whatever I want outside of work, so long as I don't steal any clients. Which, obviously, why would I even do that? See the cool thing is that, working on my own, I was going to ask about $50 an hour for having people come to me, $60 for me going to their house. BUT, I was going to pay my own overhead, all the supplies, laundry, everything. With this, the company pays all my overhead. I don't have to clean, do laundry, NOTHING. Just what I was trained to do, and I get the money I was going to ask for anyway.

I will probably still work for myself. Tips alone will be awesome if I do that in the summer in the Hamptons. But, MAN, this seems like a sweet deal.

Anyway, as I walked into the door, I saw my messages blinking on my phone. It was a message from the vets saying that Haku's blood tests were all fine. SCORE 3! TRIPLE WORD SCORE.

Then of course, some dude I've known for years had to go and harsh my buzz on Facebook, getting on my crap because I'm trying to do my best to help Japan. Why? I HAVE NO IDEA. This isn't the kind of person who generally goes around acting like this, it was totally out of character for him. And it actually was a buzzkill, because I hate when people come out of left field acting like someone they've never been before. And he never explained, either.

And then today, I got some bad news about the health of a different friend—this one very dear to me, whom I've known for a really long time--and then some further bad news about the health / situation of yet another, newer friend.

Yesterday as I was driving home from my interview, I was listening to my iPod and the song "Three Little Birds" came on. The remake, with Ziggy Marley and Sean Paul. That was always my "yes, every little thing is gonna be all right!" happy song. I was sort of flying down the road, feeling all good and buzzy. Then I remembered that this song was my feel good song a few years ago, too. And after that, you know, everything went straight to hell.

But yes, every little thing is gonna be all right. And then, one day, it's not. And then it will again. And then for a while, it won't be.

I've always liked the song "That's Life" by Frank Sinatra – except the end; I've never liked the end. I remember David Lee Roth covered it in the 80s and he changed it to "roll myself up into a big ball, and.... FLYYYYYYY," which makes absolutely no sense and gives me a really ridiculous mental image. But I still like it better than "die," jesus.

One more thing before I go, to put this all into perspective. This is a video that Matt Conley of HitRECord released last night:



Oh, that little kanji animation at the end? I did that. :)

I, like all of us, have those "every little thing is gonna be all right" times and the "roll myself up into a big ball" times. But my entire town has not been washed away by a tsunami and then irradiated ffs. How quickly and unexpectedly all of our issues can crumble into a fault line. You know? So.

I'll take what I can get.

Some comments on my little clip!

From a HitRECorder whose parents are Chinese physicists:

As the child of two Chinese physicists this really makes me happy. I have distinct memories of my parents talking to me about gravity as well as the principles behind ba gua. This is a nice synthesis of the worlds i grew up with. :)

Now this video has my head trying to relate string theory to aspects of eastern philosophy. >.< I think its amazing how thousands of years later and technological canyons apart the same idea can emerge. Then again, before Big Bang gained credibility what was it but an idea some intelligent people had about how the universe might work.

That's just too legit to quit. ^_^

From Joe:

BRAVO jules!! This is really great work. Not only is the content (the ideas and sentiments) intriguing; the form (the execution and presentation) keeps all six minutes entertaining. Not an easy balance to strike!

One thing that jumped out at me was the rule of eight. I remember from highschool science that electrons make balanced groups in intervals of eight, but I'd forgotten. The number eight is a big deal in western music because of octaves: you go up or down eight post-Bach "whole steps" and you get back to the same note just in that higher or lower key. And that fits in with the Fibonacci snailshell pattern 1,1,2,3,5,8,13...

There's SO much stuff here that makes for good springboards as we move forward on wirrow's Creation Myth(s) collaboration.

thanks!

DOUBLE OMG. ♥ Joe. ♥. Film-maker props, and music/math geek props? He totally said "Fibonacci sequence" dude. Fantabulous.

And from a HR pal Dusty, who is a mathematician:

jules! i am CERTAIN that this is a wonderful explanation of chinese creation myth, and that i'd like to watch it again. not only was it entertaining, but you're so clearly passionate about chinese creation myth and physics and it warms my little math-worshipping heart! i love your crow and how when you gave her(?) the tomato she was like FUCK YEAH I HAVE A TOMATO. love love love to both of you! also i totally got chills when you mentioned the eight valence electrons, i have wondered that too but never associated it with the rule of eight! <3

Dusty knows I'm MATHCURIOUS.

From collab's creator and artist, Wirrow:

sometimes i watch the tv static for ages just to steal some of those virgin untouched photons. one day i will steal them all...
im really glad we're on the same wavelength with this stuff jules.. and u presented it amazingly. like.. ridiculously amazingly. it's a little film all by itself

Wirrow is another physics geek, lectures and all! Wirrow who I just want to squeeze.

Also a comment from Metaphorest, my number one HitRECord writer squee:
You had me at the pet crow. WOW! Love this in several ways. <3


And the best! HitRECorder HATI!


I NEED TO GET TO NY BECAUSE YOU ARE SO AWESOME. :D

And I will bring my own nucleus to share, since Havok is a grinch. <3

Hati is actually skitty_kitty AND SHE IS COMING TO VISIT ME IN THE SPRING. Which really has nothing to do with the collab or the video but still! We're going to create a universe with awesomeness alone and then make an apple pie from scratch. ^_^

In short, THIS WAS A TRIUMPH. :D

I am fangirling skitty_kitty so hard today, for uploading a file of herself singing so freaking gorgeously. With her bird singing along. Holy crap. Talent. She's dripping with it. I'm impressed and a little intimidated. (You'll be pleased to hear, Hati, that iTunes chose to play JGL's "Nothing Big" randomly right after your song. Awesome.) Speaking of, you best put that up on HitRECord, damn it, so I can flail for you there.

Hmm. Just had a thought. Will PM you or something.

Well, in other, less fangirly news, Haku had his pre-surgery consultation today. Apparently, ACL repair surgery has come a long way since I used to sit in on the procedure at The Bad Place. I'm pretty sure The Bad Place still does it the old fashioned way, so I was really glad to find out that Haku's surgeon is doing it New and Improved. Even though it's costing $2500 +.

I definitely have to be a hooker now. I think I'll be a specialty hooker, you know, for men with unusual tastes or something. Guys who like funny-looking gals who can just tell them jokes all night, OR! Maybe they want a gal who can arm-bar them, throw-down, or submission-hold, maybe break a finger or two and call it a night. There's gotta be a fetish market for that. Sure.

I kid, I kid. Really. ^_^;;

The worst part of Haku's surgery is going to be the post-op care, because if he so much as moves the wrong way in the first six weeks, then it's all for nothing because the prosthesis over-stretches and they have to go in again. Keeping Haku still for six weeks. Yeah.

And I was thinking, Well, in this case (the $2500 debt that I didn't see coming,) it looks like I'm going to have to not even wait until I take my state boards, and just go desperately job-hunting now, and take something really quick, whatever kind of spa work that comes along, and work under someone else's license. But, if I have to keep Haku from moving around for six weeks, how am I supposed to do that if I'm working full time? And it's six weeks until I take the board exam, anyway.

But listen to this. Yesterday I was at work, chatting with this old guy about dogs and such. He's getting a puppy and he said he just lost his old dog over the summer. He got all teary-eyed and said that most people didn't understand, that the dog was a member of his family and not a day went by that he didn't think of her. I told him that I knew the feeling.

He went on to tell me that his older dog had torn his cruciate and had surgery in NCY to repair it ("about $9000!" he said, the whole time my head spinning and the words echoing: "OVER NINE THOUSAAAAND.") I asked him how his dog did after the surgery and he said he did great.

Then I told him that Haku is epileptic too and missing a kidney and blah blah, if it's not one thing it's the other and the guy goes, "Oh. Well, in that case, you might not have him for much longer."

I just stared at him for about twenty seconds, because I wasn't sure if I heard him right. He must have wondered at my silence because he clarified himself by saying, "Well, when dogs are already sick like that, they don't really live a long life. Add on something like this and, you know."

Seriously? All I could come up with to say to him was, "Well. Have a nice day."

REALLY? Do you honestly think that's okay to say to anyone? How is that even acceptable?

For the rest of the day I felt like he'd laid a curse on me and my dog, and I kind of still want to punch him in his useless piehole. Because that was a mean, stupid thing to say. And it reminded me very much of Dr. Dickwhistle from The Bad Place.

I actually did discuss that with the surgeon and she was like, "That's preposterous. Yes, we take extra precautions with the liver and kidneys and seizure watch, and especially because he's a Saluki, but it doesn't lower his chances any more than about 2%." She explained that it was a quick surgery, too, about 30 minutes. Which is like a quarter of the time that Dr. Dickwhistle spent doing his neuter (cryptorchid) surgery when he was a puppy, and a lot less than his exploratory last year.

So I think he'll do okay tomorrow, but the recovery is going to be a bitch.

Does anyone want to hire a fighting girl for a beat-down? ;D Haha.

TINY BOOK OF TINY STORIES! What I didn't realize was that there were over 2000 entries and only the, what, 60 made it in? I had no idea. I wish I could hug the folks involved. Wirrow, Joe, everyone who did a drawing (there were 47 of them by printing! I still don't know which one he picked. :D )

For about three years I've been considering getting the Uncertainty Principle tattooed on my wrist. What stops me is that, if asked to explain it, I don't have a quick and simple phrase to sum it all up to people who know what they're talking about. Also, tattoos are forever. Also, having been in school and working in clinic, I wouldn't have time to keep it bandaged. But, I've been jonzing for it for years. It also makes me think of my Dad because his philosophy was always, "You never know. You never, ever know. And I thought, "Wow, cool, the uncertainty principle is like the cosmos's way of saying the same thing."

I think the fact that this is the first thing I've ever gotten in print is the sign I need to just effing do it! I still have to wait till I'm out of school though.

Which is next week. ^_^

That was the first awesome thing I want to cover. What I'm really journaling about today is the fact that this week has been made of so much awesome that I'm starting to get paranoid, which, yes, I realize how foolish and fatalistic that is. And I kinda semi halfway feel like maybe it's time for some awesome and I should view all of this with just unquestioning happiness rather than with trepidation.

Gift from the Universe 2: Kung Fu last night. First, I sparred with Te Ji Nan before black belt class. I haven't sparred in months, and I missed it ridiculously. We were just doing light contact and not even really connecting with the kicks, but it was twenty minutes of bouncing around and throwing techniques and I felt awesome after we were done. And then in black belt club, we're doing staff basics. So we did this really awesome line drill for about fifteen minutes, and then we paired up to do a two-person staff drill. I paired with Lady Chrysanthemum. The drill was a circular one, largely about stances and staff position, and we did it for about fifteen minutes, ceaselessly. There came a point at about the ¾ mark where the whole class was kind of in the same rhythm and the sound of the many staffs hitting each other was making the walls reverberate. It became sort of trancy and entirely awesome. At the end of it, Chrysanthemum said, "There were a few minutes in there when I felt like I was at a monastery in Toisan."

It was one of those classes that I can't get enough of. And next week, we're doing staff again and then after that, broadsword drills! I can hardly wait!

Gift from the universe 3: Today in clinic it was really, really slow. Lots of people canceled, for whatever reason. This meant that I got to have a treatment. Whenever two people are free, I get treatments by default because I'm the only one there who does five shifts in one day. Also, my supervisor is awesome. I've mentioned him before, he's one of those really smart geeks who likes tons of cool stuff and is easy to talk to. I actually like both my supervisors and I have to admit that I'm going to miss them.

Gift from the universe 4: All of my finals are done, forever. I got a 90 on the written and a 95 on the practical. I wasn't entirely happy with the 90, but it's over, so what can you do. The best part was sitting in the hallway studying with a group of fun and amusing classmates, who I now realize I'm also going to miss. Well, that's what Facebook is for! While I was studying with this one lass who I've known for about a year or so, some random lady came down the hallway and told us that she would pray to Jesus that we would pass our tests, and that if we forgot any of the answers, he would come down and illuminate them for us. We both thanked her (she was being really nice,) and then after she left, we kinda looked at each other and went, "Well... I'm about the least religious person in the world, so... LOL" and agreed that having Jesus tell us the answers would be cheating. Then we made some inappropriate jokes and laughed ourselves into hysteria. It was a really fun way to end that one class.

Gift form the universe 5: Today was my last day working with my pathology client, The Professor. Next friday is my last day overall, but he'll be on a trip then so I won't get to see him. He gave me a box of holiday chocolates, but that wasn't the actual gift. It really was that he thanked me for making him feel better. He said that he could move without pain for the first time in years, and that he dreaded being without treatments for so long. He told my supervisor that he'd been coming to the clinic for three years and no one had ever managed to get rid of the pain until we started treatments, and asked, "Isn't there a way you could keep her here?" I said, "Well, he could fail me!" Which, OMG, EFFING NO. :) At the end of the session he asked for my contact info and said he will hire me (and recommend me to others) once I am licensed. So, he's already giving me a client list. The chocolates and the future business are both really, really awesome, but it was being thanked that really made me go ^________^ .

Gift from the universe 6: My Mom got a job that she really, really likes.

And that's kind of just the big stuff. This week, there was tons of general awesomeness like sharing jokes with my cousins, seeing great movies with my best friends, losing a couple of pounds from thanksgiving, listening to awesome music and such.

So I'm just going to take this for what it is, which is just an awesome week, and maybe it will continue into further awesomeness.

I've been vacillating about getting a tree and doing solstice / holidayish decorations. It would be the first time I acknowledged the holidays since losing Dad and Gran and I really, really go back and forth on how I feel about doing that this year. I realize that you just can't quit being joyful forever, and also Dad would hate that.

Plus, I've been getting all these pressies so maybe I should get a tree.

Think I will get that tattoo, also. Maybe it's a sign. ^_^

So, Thanksgiving! Yeah, it had its moments but it was fun. Early in the day, when I was first at Mom's, we had a few moments of, you know, I guess typical "how the hell can we even do holidays" kind of thing. But, then SB and Jo-chan and my uncle came over. We played Silent Hill, cooked, ate so much food it isn't even true, ate again, then a little bit of eating, a snack or two, dessert, and then we watched Pineapple Express, which was stupid.

SB played us some of the music he's been arranging, which, holy hell. There are so many days when I can't believe he was my little turkey that I had to carry everywhere, who loved Pink Floyd already at age 2. He'll be 22 in a few weeks. WTMFF.

This has been a strange year. '09 was just a tragedy, and no mistake. '10 had its share of tragedies as well (a personal one I won't get into,) and its moments of entropy. But a few things are slowly melding back into place. Or new places, I suppose. This Autumn I get to see Jo-chan at least once every week, and we have so much fun driving back home from her college every Thursday, then watching Family Guy or whatever at my Mom's house at night. So much is missing still, but one thing I'm really happy for is Jo-chan being around so often. And I get to see my cousins and the Boychild often, too. I keep getting reminded of Lilo and Stitch, at the oddest moments. "Little and broken but still good." That's sappy, I know. But yeah.

I've got five days of school left and then I get my walking papers. I handed in my 30 page pathology report (a few nights ago I had a nightmare that I got a B on it, woke up legit crying,) and I have two more finals left, both on the same day. Two more days of working in the clinic; ten more hours of internship. Then I'm done. I won't have to make that stupid drive two or three times a week. Won't have to see those halls where I spent the last two years, being, jeez, not even nickled and dimed, but like, thousanded or something. And I spent so much time there miserable. I remember sitting in the upstairs lounge trying to study, knowing I would be going to the hospital on my way home to visit Gran in her last days. My chemistry test that I aced two days before she died. And having to go back there for one last final the week after I lost Dad, walking around that stupid place like a zombie. I can't imagine another place I'll be so happy to leave behind.

So, I was off Friday, that's last night, and I went out with Gold Dragon to see Due Date. Every movie I see has to have a dead father in it, doesn't it? Jesus. There would have been moments of awkwardness if I'd been there with anyone aside from Dragon, because he didn't turn awkward or nervous on me. Just a solicitous nudge to the arm and smile like, "This cool with you?" And it was, because it's just a stupid movie. We had a good time and that dumb movie wrangled a few genuine laughs out of me, I'll admit. Mostly because of Robert Downey Jr.'s hilarious reactions.

I'm off work today, too! And tonight, Wonderful Glassworker is coming over and we're going to go out and see Harry Potter. I know already how this one ends and I'll bet I'm going to shed a single crystalline emo tear of eternal blue sadness, or maybe two. But dude, it's Harry Potter. You've just gotta see it in the theater, no matter what. It's tradition.

And guess what? I HAVE TOMORROW OFF TOO, AND MONDAY. It's like a vacation for chrissakes! I don't have school Tuesday but I do have my last finals on Wednesday, and those finals are going to suck out my soul. We reviewed for them last Wednesday and it was dismal. I feel like I knew more before the review. How the hell did that even happen? It's like the knowledge got sucked out of me. For the first time ever, I have a really, really bad feeling about a final. Like, it doesn't even seem possible right now.

And the girl I had to review with was the Meltdown girl from a few weeks ago. Okay, she really creeped me out. Let's never mind that she grabbed onto my feet (it's reflexology) and said, "OH MY GOD, I LOVE YOUR FEET, THEY'RE LIKE BABY FEET, THEY'RE ALL SOFT AND SPONGEY." Spongey, seriously? Is that ever a word you want to hear in reference to any of your body parts at all? But that aside, she also hadn't cut her nails and it was like getting a reflexology treatment from Freddie Krueger, wtmff, I was cringing the entire time. It was hideous.

Anyway. Yeah, so I don't feel anything close to confident about this last final. I think maybe I already checked out. I don't know. I'm so done.

Well, shoot. I should get back to straightening up before Glassworker gets here. Hurray for awesome hang-out days. ^_^