Wake the Sun

Tried going to work yesterday and today, got sent home both time because sick. Go home, Effex. Nobody likes a martyr, Effex. You're contaminating the merchandise, Effex.

Bah. Guess I'm spending my weekend being just sick enough to be cranky and uncomfortable. I'll make a trip to the store tomorrow, then it's juice and snacks and tv and bed for me. Which... sounds pretty good, actually. Aside from the ick.

Fuck, what was I going to post for today? Uh, I had therapy today, that went pretty well. Chicago is finally cooling the fuck off, GIVE ME ALL THE AUTUMN. I.... Oh!

The thing about iPads and MacBook Airs are that they are light and very convenient for watching Hulu/Netflix in bed. Too convenient. I've been watching old episodes of The Voice, because the singing is pretty and the braining requirement is 0, and 'one more episode/I'll just finish this battle' turns into 11pm, 12am, 1am.

So I'm instituting a 'No TV On The Bed On A Work Night' rule. It may need to expand to 'No TV On The Bed At All' or 'No Interneting On The Bed On A Work Night', because my self control is shot after 10pm.

My sister is getting married in October! She's been with the guy forever and they've already bought a house together so functionally nothing will change, but it's still very exciting. She wants me to be her Maid of Honor, which is also very exciting!

She also wants me to wear a dress, which is... less so.

The thing is, I haven't worn a dress since senior prom, circa 2003. I've gradually faded 'femme' out of my wardrobe - I wear jeans and button downs and polo shirts, dress shirts/vests/slacks if I'm going out and want to impress. I don't call myself butch - I still do makeup and nail polish and limited jewelry - but I'm definitly not femme. I'm also, finally, the most comfortable I've ever been in my body.

My parents get this, a little (although I'm pretty sure they think it's a sexuality thing, not gender expression), and are backing my 'No Dresses' stance. We're working on some sort of tunic + pants compromise, which'll be a pain to put together in my size + her wedding colors but still better than anything from David's Bridal.

This is the first time anything like this has come up with my family, so I'm still sorting though my comfort zone vs my sister's feelings vs general familial harmony. It's tricky. Hopefully I'll do okay (and find a fucking tunic that works).

In Fannish Review: Uh. I was on a Fandomspotting podcast? And worked on it generally behind the scenes, though that was earlier in the year and not nearly as much as other folks. Also I watched/read some things and posted about them.

In RL Review: I moved to Chicago, was unemployed for a while, got a job, got an apartment, got a roommate, got a cat, got a therapist.

There's a lot I didn't do - make serious headway on my book and my comic, find some freelance gigs, do more fannish stuff, make friends outside of work. And there was some stuff that fucking sucked - two of my cats died and my grandparents are sicker. But, as my therapist keeps reminding me to remind myself, overall it's been a busy, successful year.

Things to try for in 2013: Get out more. Continue working on creative projects. Post more, even if it's random faffing. Get my ears pierced*. Take care of myself.

* Two in each lobe and one on the right upper helix. Why start small?


For all y'all - I hope your good things carry over, your bad things stay in 2012, and may you have a fucking awesome New Year.

* I'm still all about my job. Awesome coworkers! A non-abusive work environment! And I've been getting steadily more responsibility, which is cool. I mean, I'm in charge of the entire store + shutting down/locking up + a junior coworker one night a week, which was terrifying at first but has been going well.

* I'm writing a romance novel. Well, I'm writing the notes for a romance novel and spamming nepenthe with them, but she's instructed convinced me to try NaNoWriMo with it. I'm going to give it a shot, alternating with the script for my comic.

* I got the time off I wanted for Thanksgiving and Christmas, so I'll be able to hang out with my parents when they visit for the first and go home for the latter.

* Speaking of, my parent's got me a mattress as an early birthday present, on account of my air mattress dying horribly. I have been sleeping on an air mattress for eight months, you guys, this real one is like a dream.

* I've been watching... a lot of reality TV, mixed in with Elementary and Gravity Falls. Mostly Hotel Hell and - wait, no. You have to see this:



Yes.

My local grocery - la Casa del Pueblo in Pilsen, which is possibly the best grocery in Chicago - has a large rack of discounted produce. It's packs of whatever's about to go bad; peppers, stew mixes, last week a shit ton of apples that I'm still kicking myself for not buying (apple sauce!), all for one or two dollars. Yesterday they had lemons (8 for a dollar), so I got a bunch and grabbed a box of strawberries. Spent the evening juicing lemons and watching Veronica Mars. Ended up with two quarts of lemonade and another two of strawberry-lemonade. Mmmmm.

Today I'm making another batch of oat maple-bacon muffins. Weekends (shush, Monday is totally my weekend) when I feel like making shit are the best.

I've been rocking the hermit lifestyle lately - go to work, come home and read/draw/play minecraft/watch cartoons, go to work again - because 1) it's hot outside and 2) I'm broke.

My parents + sibs (Dallas, 105 degrees) and nepenthe (Phoenix, 113 degrees) have no sympathy when I complain about 90 degree weather, but! It's less hot, sure, but still too hot to do much walking around.

Case in point: I went to Navy Pier with my Aunt and second cousin on Monday. We rode the Ferris Wheel, played some mini-golf, and rode the water taxi - it was fun! I also sweated buckets, made some poor eye-rubbing choices, and ended up with an eye infection. It was... super gross, you guys. Just, ugh.

Case in point 2: Dad visited a couple of weeks ago and we went on the absolutely fabulous Architecture Boat Tour. And got majorly sunburned. I've only just stopped peeling.

Now, you might say sensible clothing, less eye makeup, and sunscreen would have prevented all these things and... you'd be right. Moving on!

It's starting to cool down, at least - weather forecast says that we're heading into 80-85 degree days, which is much more my speed. So I need to 1) make a list of stuff to do and 2) get some exercise in. I haven't been walking as much and I'm starting to feel it.

First item on my 'Adventur' (100% stolen from copperbadge) List: The Adler Planetarium's having a Curiosity landing party! The Adler Planetarium's also impossible to get to, especially at midnight, so I will... stay home and have my own landing party. Virtually! With alcohol and snacks and nepenthe and possibly my Dad. And anyone who's online and watching, of course. Google chat for everybody!

I have discovered that living in an un-air conditioned apartment while temps are in the 90s will not, in fact, kill me. I'm as surprised as anyone! I was pretty sure I was a delicate hothouse (icebox?) flower!

I have also discovered that living in an un-air conditioned apartment while temps are in the 90s is some bullshit. Roommate and I pooled funds to buy an A/C off of Amazon. It cannot get here fast enough.

I swear someday I'll have the time/energy to be actively fannish again (instead of just mainlining fic. There is always time/energy for fic). Today is not that day but, ugh. Soon. I have fucking stories to write. I miss talking to you guys.

In the meantime, things are going well! We have a table and two chairs, so now there's a place to sit that isn't a bed. It seems like all I do is buy things - you need a lot of things when you're starting from scratch, I'd forgotten. Spent the weekend buying a mailbox and extension cords (because the oven needed to be plugged in and the only power outlet is on the other side of the room. This apartment is quirky) and cleaning supplies and food. And then cooking the food (roast chicken, roast beets, black beans, potatoes, yogurt popsicles... I'mma eat well this week). And getting my haircut and setting up dates with people on OKCupid and going to an art show and not talking to anyone, because at that point I was a little over-stimulated. [deep breath]

It's back to work tomorrow, which is going well - my feet/legs/back have finally adapted, everyone's still super nice, I'm learning fast, and the music's great. I dunno if my standards are low or I actually lucked into the coolest fucking job in Chicago, but I'm thrilled either way.

EMPLOYED.

I got the record store gig, I am officially Hip. Also, employed.