I'll Laugh My Whole Way Through the Hurricanes and Fire

So, apparently my brain would rather do anything but write. Despite mapping things out in my mind and booting up the computer at around 7:00 AM, I wandered away to have my morning smoke and got distracted by the idea of breakfast. Generally, unless it's Sunday, breakfast is composed of a) toaster strudels, b) cereal, c) a microwavable Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwich.

This morning I fried some of the worst bacon I've ever seen - it was cheap, and it's terribly fatty - and made a coffee cake. Technically I was going to make cinnamon swirl bread, since I have an overabundance of cinnamon, but when I finished the batter I found I had lost my bread pan. So I switched a couple things up, grabbed the cake pan, and there's coffee cake in the oven.

Now I'm contemplating hash browns and scrambled eggs. Or playing No More Heroes. With the little voice in my head saying 'it's not even 9! You have plenty of time!'.

But that's what got me into this trouble in the first place. I can excuse breakfast because hey, nijawial's got a big day today! (So everyone wish her luck and send her good thoughts!) So a big breakfast is a necessity! Maybe I could have gone without baking an entire coffee cake, but...why not? Besides, all I had to eat yesterday was a Sonic burger and some rice cakes.

Oh yes, and I also spent some time over at the Animanga Multi-Fandom Frieding Meme. Hello, new friends! Welcome to the madness. :D

Wajas has also been offering distraction, but there's only so much to do there, so it's an alright distraction. I only spend maybe ten or fifteen minutes over there. And now even less, since I went broke buying a breeding pair of Banes. Both of them have 100% cheetah marks, both have a visible mane. Their first pup is due day after tomorrow!

But despite all this, as soon as my cake is done, I'm buckling down. I've got a good feeling about this one. This one wants to come.

I had smut dreams about Wilson last night. He walked me home from work, we stopped in a gourmet cheese store and bought cheese, and then he invited me back to his place to 'smoke up and maybe get to know each other better'. I think we ended up running a bath, and it overflowed because we were too busy getting naked with each other on his couch. So there's someone new I've had a naughty fandom dream about.

Apparently, the inspiration bug is still biting, which is a very good thing. I've been working on Some Things, and I think they're coming together nicely. Though it most likely helps that the research aspects have been quite fun. Mmm, burial and sacred ground folklore.... I'm also working on fic, though my fic takes very little research.

I am practically dying over Winry and Tamaki's fourth shift conversation over at damned. Mmm, epic misunderstandings abound! Poor Tamaki spent a brief moment under the fear/impression that Ed was married with children. ;)

I think tonight I'm going to do homemade pizza. I have a delicious recipe for honey seasoned pizza dough I've been itching to make, and we have this exquisite fancy garlic dipping sauce I picked up a few days ago on a whim. I love discontinuation sales. And I am determined that we are going to eat well in this household. We may be dirt poor, but by Hohenheim we can still have delicious food!

It's still raining and icky, but I can't really find it within myself to complain. If rain and clouds end up putting me in the mood to write, then sound that thunder and bring on the storms!

I should get my butt up to Hasting's to pick up those issues of Marvel's 'The Stand' that summoneddestiny is holding for me. 2 and 3, respectively. This is the only comic that I will actually purchase volume by volume, rather than waiting for the trades. Screw the eventual trades, I want my epic apocalyptic battle between good and evil and I want it now. I also want to pick up Pet Shop of Horrors: Tokyo - Volume 3. And possibly Just After Sunset. Bah, I also need Fables trade 3, I believe. And the seventh VHD novel. I'm terribly behind on my publications, I'm afraid. And I'm still somewhat aching for the Cosmode USA Glamour Book. It's worth it for the tutorials alone, honestly. I'm kicking myself for not snagging it for 20$ in Phoenix now that it's basically only available online.

Well, I can actually afford my comics at the very least. The rest can wait. And eventually, I'll get my hair done. Though that's looking more and more like wishful thinking at this point.

That's life. ;)

I have this horrible feeling that within the next few days, I'm going to be wandering around the neighborhood offering random neighbors baked goods. Because I've made a lot of things that can't be mailed to friends, and probably won't all be eaten by the household.

I just finished up a chocolate mint cream pie in chocolate crust, and now I'm eyeing this recipe for chocolate phyllo chimichangas.

I clearly can't be left alone. I did this in Seattle, too. When I'm knocking around the house alone, I get weird and fidgety and to keep it from escalating into a full scale panic attack, I bake. I need to focus on it, it takes mental and physical energy, and there's a nice structure to it that keeps me calm.

Went grocery shopping! It was rather grueling, and I feel awful because I exclaimed 'fuck' in front of a little old lady. :/ I hate swearing in front of people who are older than me - I never really grew out of the idea that 'all 'adults' are authority figures, authority figures need to be respected a certain way' and even now, anyone significantly older than me gets labeled the same way.

I did have a very nice pick-me-up, though. I took my cart up to a register, and there was a new bag boy, probably early twenties. He not only bagged my cart, insisted he take it out for me because of the weather, but he rushed around the stand to unload it for me and put everything on the belt. And chatted enthusiastically the whole time. This was not done for the people before or behind me. And I know it wasn't the cane, because when I go shopping, I don't use it. I use the cart as a walker. So that cheered me up a great deal.

At my parents' house, safe and sound! We had to run last minute errands before Thanksgiving, which worked out well, because Nija and I now have a six pack of Mike's Hard Cranberry and a bottle of rum! Plus cherry coke to put the rum in!

Unfortunately, I was a moron and forgot my pumpkin filling for the pumpkin pie. Luckily, there was a can in my mother's pantry, so I used that. The pumpkin pie came out wonderfully, and there's a Swedish Apple Pie in the over.

On the subject of pies...

My mother made a very big deal about the pies I was going to make this year. It was epic. She called almost every other night for the last week to talk to me about the pies. I have been mentally preparing myself for this epic pie bake, gearing myself up to the challenge of making so many pies. I selected my ingredients with the same care as a surgeon chooses his instruments. I was ready.

And she went and bought half the pies I was going to make.

*headdesks*

Ah well, leaves up time for the cinnamon bread and the cookies, anyway.

It's strange being back here, as I haven't been since I moved out. But it's not the bad kind of strange, just the strange sort. And my uncle is being...well, my uncle. Apparently he's driving my dad more off the wall than usual. This is unsurprising.

I have the urge to write some more fic.....

I think I'll just assume that I didn't surprise anyone on my Flist save for talia_speaks. Or I'll knock off the memes, since this is the fourth or fifth one I've posted with next to no results. ;)

When the hell did I get so boring? Somehow, when I lived in the middle of nowhere and did nothing, I was more interesting than I am now. Mark that one up in the old irony column. And no, I'm not being whiny and emo over this, and I honestly don't care if people do memes I post. I just find it interesting. But I've always been interested in things like 'what makes an LJ entry eye-catching' and things like that. It's all about the writing, baby.

I'm just in a particularly strange mood this morning. I'm going to blame everything on hormones and let that be that.

My mother called me last night because she'd lost one of our traditional family recipes. Luckily I had it mostly memorized, and the internet was able to help me fill in a few gaps by looking up similar recipes. No Thanksgiving crisis yet.

I think I've wandered away from NaNo. This doesn't mean I'm going to abandon the fic, but I think trying to race to finish it in time will leave me stressed and worried and freaked out and massively disappointed if I don't manage it. So I'd rather save my sanity. Plus, both RPs have been massively distracting lately. ;) And I have another project in the works, and today I just want to write a lot of pr0n. So I think I'm just going to write a lot of pr0n today.

Maybe I'll do that shuffle meme, and write five pieces based on whatever songs come up, or something.

(Speaking of...I need more music!)

Okay, sorry to spam you all, but!

One, I made cheese soup (and garlic cheddar biscuits) for our big meal today, and thought I'd share the simple, tasty recipe!

2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
As much cheese as you want, shredded, any type. I use about two cups of a blend of cheddar, swiss and colby. With Parmesan on top.
Salt
pepper
Galric powder

Bring the chicken broth to a boil. Let simmer. Mix flour, milk and dry ingredients in a bowl. Add slowly to the chicken stock. Bring to just bubbling, add cheese, stir until melted. Remove from heat and serve!

It's nummy with bread of any sort - breadsticks, biscuits, garlic bread, whatever. easy, quick, and deliciously filling!

SECOND!

I HAVE STARTED MY OKTOBERFEST FIC! 100 WHOLE WORDS! GO ME!

Where the hell did the day go?

It's after five o'clock already! And we have a Wind Advisory in effect until 11:45 tonight - wind could get up to 55 MPH. Wonderful.

I did a lot of cleaning. I also started some apple butter, which is in the crock pot now. summoneddestiny and enigmablade gave us a crock pot, and I'm finally breaking it in! Soon the house will smell of apples and cinnamon! And not industrial strength cleaning products!

I'm also exhausted. I can't seem to wake up properly, and am tempted to venture out for another damn java mocha espresso drink thing. I still need to scrub the shower and tub. And take out trash. And vacuum. And I'm contemplating doing the kitchen floor. Sometimes I just get overwhelmed by these urges to clean and cook. I'm in the grips of one right now.

I also am going to try and write some fic tonight. I have Oktoberfest plus my 30_lemons claim, and ideas floating around for an episode-style Venture Bros Halloween fic. Maybe one of those will work for me.

Someone jump start my brain, please?

I was up relatively early for a Sunday morning - 9:30 - and was awake in time for my dad to wander down and offer me breakfast. I popped one of my pills and feasted on ham and eggs and toast, and it was delicious. I just ate the yolks, to be safe, but it was still quite tasty and I haven't fallen over in the fetal position with gut cramps yet, so I figure my pill worked.

Last night I lost internet, so I popped in the first DVD of Getbackers and zoned out to goofy fun anime. I also finally found a way to keep my new DVDs neatly displayed and contained in my living room. I dug out my box for that Death Note triple figure I got at Sabo, and it happens to be the perfect shape for holding DVDs. It's currently housing Getbackers, Saikano and Aeon Flux.

Speaking of, I think I'm going to bring the figure itself out here. It's currently on top of my bureau, but it's somewhat hidden behind all my PVC figures. And I certainly can't have those out here - well, I could, but I'd feel slightly awkward about it. It's bad enough when my dad happens to pop his head inside my bedroom and comment teasingly on the half or near naked 12 inch high anime girls all over my room. It would be even worse if they were in my living room.

This will of course ruin the eventual Steampunk decor I'm aiming for, but meh. I can put it on the shelf behind the television. It will look just lovely between my apple teapot and my Sanrio lunchbox.

I really need to organize my crap.

Piroshkis came out delicious. I ate two yesterday, and my mother heated two up for brunch today. The rest are in the freezer for later. We're trying the pub again today, despite our last two visits being less than great. But they have the best ale in town.

Thunder's starting up already. I should take my bath before it hits us.

I have over 1,000 words of a Death Note Steampunk AU mystery/thriller written. It's nice to be writing again.

I had one of those experiences yesterday that shakes you to the core. Not in a good or a bad way, it just shakes you. Stumbled upon the Livejournal of an old, old ex. I didn't read any of it - I felt far too close to stalkerish just looking at the userinfo - but it really hammered once more how far I've come and how much I've changed.

Apparently Sci-Fi channel ran out of bad horror movies to show. This almost makes me sad.

My piroshki dough is rising - I added a little more brown sugar than the recipe calls for, because it really makes the dough. I'm getting hungry already, thinking about them.

There is a wall of blackness headed towards my isolated ranch, and I'll confess, it's making me nervous. I can't even see the Bradshaws, which means those dark storm clouds could well be a dark sheet of rain. The temperature has been fluxing between 89 and 70 degrees over the course of the last few hours.

I'm almost worried my Century Plant is going to end up breaking due to the weather. And it's so terribly close to blooming, too. I have my fingers crossed that it holds out just long enough to bloom. There's something very humbling about realizing you'll be one of only three people to ever see this plant bloom. (I of course intend to take pictures, but that's a bit different.)

Speaking of! talia_speaks finished the editing from our last shoot, and I'm happy with them photographs! We went in a different direction than usual, but it was fun to play around with something new. And it was such a great day, anyway. As always, her photography skills are incredible, and she manages to find angles and lighting arrangement that make me look like something other than a corpse. (Though I saw clear evidence of my slacking in the photographs. Ah well, I knew it was inevitable with my health and the weather over the summer.)

I'm torn now between playing more Origins (more points for having area names that are sure to invoke a shiver) or cleaning up my workroom. I essentially just dumped my stuff on whatever area was clear, and now it's rather a mess. Though I'm amused at the random juxtaposition of items. A Furuba hat, a wine bottle, a dozen or so springs, some fake flowers, boxes of cigarettes, an old copy of The Divine Comedy, a tin of cashews and a scattering of wig heads that resemble the victims of a sociosadist with a blinding fetish...

I'm actually inspired to write. (And something other than deviant AUs or the epic monster SH2/SH4 crossover I've undertaken.) It's been some time since a bunny bit me hard. Perhaps we'll see where it goes....

I am still hankering for fan art of Valyn as The Godfather. I curse you Vista, for taking my Sims from me! Because with Sims, I could not only emulate that, but I could have a great deal more RP icons for my IJ journals.

I saw the box art for Homecoming today. It made me weak in the knees with want.

I'm going to buy an XboX 360, aren't I?

Holy hell, it's hot.

Which means, inevitably, I'm not feeling well at all. My body doesn't react well to heat, and it tends to leave me nauseas and dizzy. And for some reason, the AC is doing nothing to cool down any of my rooms but my workroom. I finally had to suck it up and clean the bathroom, and did so in a tank top and boxers, with many short breaks to sit down and have water.

In fact, I am only using this icon because just looking at it makes me feel vaguely cooler.

But I did get the bathroom clean, and I did get a fic written. I...don't know what I'm going to do about pants. I'm running out of fabric. If I can find a solid, non-patterned pair of old PJ pants, I can dye those. Everything else for the whole costume has come out great, it's just the damn pants I can't manage.

My nightstick is nearly done, too. One more coat of paint to smooth some things down and even the tones out and that will be that. Managed to get some RP replies in, too! Now the smell of grilling burgers is making me both hungry and ill. I will be dining on something cold and light tonight, because I can't handle anything else.

It was supposed to break today, too. Now they're saying tomorrow, probably, but definitely by Wednesday. That doesn't please me.

And the rainy season is coming. I do not fear it, though, for when it comes I shall be able to dance with Maryjane again and not be rendered an invalid for the month due to the pain. And there are good things coming soon! Such very good things.

It doesn't help that I am seized with the desire to make manjuu. Filled with jam rather than anko, because I have yet to find anywhere around here to buy red bean paste. I am also craving steamed buns, as I so often tend to do. And I discovered a recipe for sweet, chocolate filled naan.

That's it, I'm foraging for some food.

ETA: SILENT HILL KINK MEME! ALL MY SILENT HILL FRIENDS, GO! I WILL TOTALLY BE WRITING SOME REQUESTS!

I was Bad today. I had ham and cheese roll ups and chips for lunch. Sweet sliced ham, plain old yellow American cheese, and normal chips. But I figure since I'm down to a 29 inch waist, I can afford to splurge just a little bit. And it's Sunday, and I don't feel like putting anything together for lunch. Hey, it's still well within my calorie limit for the day.

I picked up everything I need for candy sushi this morning, as well as some unflavored gelatin for cosplay wounds. I'm using the gelatin trick instead of liquid latex, because nowhere around here carries it. The local costuming shop went out of business a few months ago - I still mourn it's passing.

Yesterday I washed and brushed all of my wigs, so they look brand new. I'm quite pleased.

I need to steam and febreeze my AB!Lust costume, and I need to fix Sirius' fly mask. The warm weather has gotten to the horses, and they're being idiots. Rohan pulled off Sirius' mask, and the two of them began playing tug-of-war with it. It was rescued in the nick of time, and is now drying. And of course, I need to clean.

Stitched the mask, got some cleaning done. I could have gotten more done, but I was distracted by comics and wasted half an hour on my bed with them. Then I did some cleaning in my workroom and the kitchen, and while finding a place in the kitchen for my bento - on top of the bread box, it actually looks quite nice there - I was distracted by looking online at bentos and bento supplies.

I kind of want to get one of those Wal-Mart debit card things so I can order some mini-cookie cutters shaped like bunnies and strawberries and hearts and things so I can make cute little sammiches and stuff. Also, I sort of want one of these. HUSH! I LIKE NOVELTY THINGS! And imagine the lulz it will bring when I casually mention 'oh, I have to stick the humping dog into Watari'.

I still need to do my AB!Lust costume and a bunch of ironing, but it's dinner time now - healthier than lunch, roast beef sub with low-fat cheese, sliced cucumbers and pears.

I'll catch up on responses and posts sometime tonight.

AND! THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE DAY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY talia_speaks! I won't get all gushy on you, but I seriously hope you've had a good one. You deserve it.

And do me a favor. No one mention pants to me, please? Pants make me go stabby stabby.

I woke up at 8:30 to bake bread. I'm not sure if this means I'm productive or just plain crazy.

I ended up passing out on the couch last night - passing out as in falling asleep, not passing out because of health reasons. One minute I was watching Ghost Hunters, the next I'm coming to and peering at Destination Truth on the TV and wondering why all the lights are out. Turns out it was around 1:30 AM. I stumbled off to bed and slept for another few hours.

Now I have dough rising and a turkey thawing.

I do believe Tamaki is going to be making a strongly worded bulletin announcement regarding Clinic etiquette tomorrow. He is not down with people just bursting in, ignoring the entire staff, and essentially just taking crap without so much as a nod of request, and then just leaving. He's annoyed enough as it is this evening, what with feeling like he's not being a very good leader and not being able to get a minute to even say 'hi' to Ed. The poor boy only has so much patience.

I've got another sleeve to do on nijawial's costume, then it's just hemming and finishing the seams. And then I attempt to conquer the bane of my existence. Wish me well, my friends.

I'm going to fix myself a small bowl of cereal and then watch some anime while my dough rises. And try not to panic that I can't find my phone card info, because I kind of need to put more time on it before Sabo. O.o

My first attempt at making raisin bread from scratch came out wonderfully. It was a long process, but well worth it. I just had a piece and it was crunchy on the crust, soft and fluffy on the inside, and chock full of raisin-y goodness.

( I Finally Put My Bread Box To Use )

If anyone wants the recipe, just let me know!

I have raisin bread dough rising happily on my counter. It has another forty five minutes to go, then I punch, knead, and separate into two bread pans. The recipe is simple in that there aren't many ingredients, but the preparation is a bit time consuming. No apple butter today because there's meatballs simmering in the crockpot.

It is a gray and soon-to-be raining day, so a good day to cook and bake.

And the announcement that apps are open in damned in two days is making me twitchy. I can't finish my Original Cindy app, but there's that little voice in my head reminding me I could easily write up an app for Eileen. But I promised I would app Original Cindy, and she has a canon-mate there already, and it would just be so cruel to stick Eileen into that situation. Besides, I wrote my character request letter for Cindy. I shall just soothe my Eileen muse with oodles of fan fiction.

I've had a crossover Eileen/Naomi fic idea rattling around in my head for a little bit. Also have been working on crackover.

I found a surge protector multi outlet strip thingy so I can hook my Gamecube up out in the living room, too. I realized earlier I am sadly lacking in Gamecube games. I own three. Pokemon Gale of Darkness, Eternal Darkness, and Smash Brothers. I wonder how hard it is to find the Harvest Moon game for Gamecube....

Going to check my dough now. And see if my wash is dry enough to bring in. O.o

I made Apple Ginger Pork Chops for dinner tonight, topped with sauteed apples and raisins, and unfortunately no one liked it but me. Which I find ironic, because it was my parents who wanted it. Ah well.

Now I have apples and raisins left over, so I think I'm going to make raisin bread and an apple butter spread tomorrow. Or tonight, depending on how bored and restless I get. I also have almost a full bottle of white wine. I don't drink wine, and I rarely cook with it, so I have no idea what to do with it. I'll have to hunt down some recipes that call for it.

When I feel the need to be active, which I've been feeling lately, I tend to exorcise it in the kitchen. Nothing takes care of it like spending hours over the stove or cutting board. And the result is generally well worth it.

I'm considering finally getting around to playing the Born From a Wish scenario on SH2 Greatest Hits. I do have my brain rotting model show on - I can't help it, I'm addicted, and the clothes in the photoshoots are so pretty! - but we'll see. I don't think it's a particularly long scenario.

But before I do anything, I'm going to shower.

Well, I think chocomimi and my's prank was a success. This pleases us. And I do apologize to everyone who was shocked and terrified by porny-pikachu. But hey, it's a little change from Rickrolls, isn't it?

I have come to realize how badly I need a dressform. I'm trying to do these dress alterations, and while the top is going fine, the waist is impossible to measure and pin accurately without actually being on a body. And I've gotten into areas where I can't just throw it on myself and pin like that, because my arms only reach so far.

When we get our Air Conditioning serviced, I sometimes with I had an interest in men. At least then I'd be able to appreciate the gorgeous Australian man that does our service. He's here now. At least I can still appreciate his accent.

I wish people would make up their goddamn minds. I'm sick of not knowing what's going on, and having to piece together bits and pieces, only to be told different a few days later.

I'm really getting frustrated with my lack of RP. My escapism is dwindling.

New recipes to try tonight. Oktoberfest Apple Ginger Pork Chops. My parents saw it on some Food Network show, and want me to make it. It looks delicious, but not a recipe for Spring. I'm very odd about that.

Ah well.