When did I get a social life ? I'm still not sure I want one...

 

Current Mood : Mentally snoring

 

I'm wiped out ! We had family over last night, and they didn't leave 'til late, then another family member called at 4am in a financial panic. (sigh) I was tired when I got up, and it's been go-go-go all day ! I don't know how Beloved Hubby put in a full day of work after all that, but he did. I put him to bed early tonight.

 

Unfortunately, family came by when the house was still torn up, from Beloved Hubby's Studio renovations and furniture swapping. Only place with uncluttered seating was our computer area. This bothered me, so I busted butt for two hours and got the living room invitingly clean. Dearest Son cleaned up his play table, which was hip-high with toys and junk, and I got to vacuum. Twice in one month ! It's almost a shame the rest of the place is still a disaster. Poor Beloved has zero time to finish his Studio, much less finish my computer repairs, fix DFIL's truck brakes, and everything else piled on him lately.

 

So I've tried like heck to take as much off his shoulders as possible. We finally got to use our Dumpster this week, and we had trash waiting for two weeks to go in there ! I got that done for him, and ran a few errands for him. It's 10pm, but I have laundry going, so he'll have fresh clothes tomorrow. Put two loads away already - one I had in the dryer, the other was sheets I had on the line that just needed to be fluffed a bit. Once the load drying is done, I'm bed-bound !

 

I'm also doing as much computer work as possible. I really like Windows 7 ! I swear, it makes my monitor look better, and all my software really flies. I've installed PaintShopProX2 already, but I'm not gonna load PSP 5.03. If I'm ever gonna learn how to use PSPX2, I have to use it exclusively. Sure, 5.03 loads quicker and does most of what I need it to, but X2 has a wealth of features I haven't studied yet - and never will if I have a simpler version of it. I also used my backup CD-R of embroidery designs to reinstall them. I was very fortunate to have a near-complete backup. I haven't bought any new designs or really even downloaded any freebies since I burned the disc.

 

That got me thinking. (Look out, Universe !) Back when the same hard drive was giving me trouble - necessitating all those purchases in December '09 - I learned that my CD drive wouldn't burn discs for backup. So I put the important stuff on a little $10. USB jump drive. Dug through three before I finally remembered where I tucked the blue one away, and - all right ! Most of my journals and photos were backed up after all ! Yaaay ! True, most of my doll photos and any journal or blog entry past November 09 is gone unless they reside on the defunct drive, but heck. Most of those doll photos and blogs are already on my site and blog, so there's no huge loss. The important stuff - images of Dearest and Beloved, and most of three years of journaling - truly was on that little jump drive. What a relief ! Now I'm truly in no hurry for Beloved to sift through that old one.

 

We had to download a mail program, which was surprising. Windows Mail had always come with most Windows updates, but not 7. S'OK, it's not like there aren't dozens of other free programs out there. We snagged Mozilla Thunderbird, and it's pretty nice. I don't have filters installed to weed out the spam, but I actually like seeing it all when it comes in. That way, I can dump it all at once, instead of having to remember to go through the 'Junk Mail' folder sifting for real messages.

 

Wake me when...oh, just let me sleep...

 

Current Mood : Was invigorated by all the changes, now just plain tired

 

Whew. Still recovering from all the renovations yesterday. I'm still amazed how much better Beloved Hubby's Studio looks, just with texture on the walls. The blue is mostly covered, which is 90% of it. I hated that blue when it was on my Lab walls. It somehow makes everything darker, and almost depressing.

 

He hasn't had time to even choose a color from the gallons of paint we have, much less paint it. He also textured the rest of the hallway, so I had to take down all the stars I had hanging up there. Frankly, the hall looks better without all my tacky treasures, so I'm gonna keep my favorites and find places for them elsewhere, and donate the rest.

 

I've come to a similar conclusion about my desk. The space we have for it in the former dining area doesn't allow for the hutch, so I have a much more open area now. I wasn't sure how we'd handle the printer and paper trays, but Beloved was on it. He reinforced then cut the hutch right where the printer shelf was, so I now have a partial hutch, and that fits. Without the rest of the hutch dictating how space is used, my desk is much more open, and much nicer when I don't have a ton of stuff cluttering it up. I redid a few things and changed how I stored others, and since I'm right by the window, I think I'll really like my new computer space. Especially since the chibi Millennium Falcon still has a spot on top of the printer hutch !  While it's plugged in, I haven't needed the printer, so it's not been turned back on yet.

 

Dearest Son and I are side-by-side, and I'm back-to-back with Beloved. I also feel better having a closer vantage point at what Dearest's viewing online. Only problem is, all this shuffling around has completely trashed an already messy house. I swept and emptied my desk, but that was about all I had time for. Tomorrow, I'm cleaning the living room if it kills me ! We inherited a recliner earlier from Aunt S., and this weekend got the matching glider. That got moved into the space my desk was in, so now we have an actual living room with seating. I love it.

 

Beloved's Studio reorganization freed up two TV trays, and today's cleaning cleared a third one and the coffee table. So now, we eat there. What the heck, we normally ate there anyway. At least we're together when we do so ! 

 

And just think ! Once all the extra work is finished, I still have tons of laundry and dishes waiting for me. Wheee.

My Sunday with Mud.

 

Current Mood : Pleasantly exhausted.

Current Image Notes : I have no idea if this his the brand Beloved uses - what we burned through today was leftover from a job site. But I know I've seen this box around before, more times than I can count !

 

Today was going much like any Sunday when Beloved Hubby's home - we've all slept as late as possible, and then we spend most of the day frittering around on computers or watching TV, just letting the hours eddy around us. It's nice. Especially when yer broke.

 

But shortly before noon, Beloved announced that he was gonna clean up his Studio, and get it more like he wants it. He's spent so much time in there on DBIL's tattoo, the mess, clutter, and crappy wall color finally got to him. For whatever reason, his Studio is the same ugly weird blue that my Lab used to be, except it never had the odd purple iris wallpaper border orbiting the ceiling. That summer I cataloged all my patterns I spent in there, and I could swear, the walls depressed me. So hearing that was gonna go bye-bye made me wanna help in any way I could.

 

While we went through papers, outdated catalogs, office and school supplies, and tools, replaced the ancient power sockets with grounded gang boxes, and we also talked a lot. That was the best part of the day. We discussed what we wanted to do with our current living situation, and decided that having my computer in the living room, his computer in the dining area, and Dearest Son's in the Studio didn't work well for us. But how could we improve it with the space we had ? I suggested ditching the dining room table, and using that space for all the computers. The table is really just a raised magnet for junk we don't wanna deal with, and on the few days a year it's clear, we don't eat at it. It's just waiting for the next tsunami of mail, bits of AirSoft weaponry, tools, doll magazines, class papers, and drinking glasses. Occasionally some keys get lost in there, to add to the fun. It's hard to let go of the idea of a family dining room, but sincerely, we weren't using the space well. I'm kind of looking forward to relocating, even though I'm not sure exactly where Beloved plans to put me. I just know it always felt just a bit weird to have my computer in the living room.

 

So, while we waited for the texturing to dry, we broke down the dinner table - DFIL took it - and began moving things around. Dearest's desk got brought out of his room and into the dining area, and soon his computer was back up and running. We decided to move mine tomorrow, so I'd have time to empty the hutch and get everything on it arranged. Unfortunately, while we had the power off to change the electrical sockets, my limp-along hard drive finally bought it. Arrgh. About all I'd backed up to CD-Rom was the embroidery designs, trusting the Backup Monkey program to grab the rest and store it on the new terrabyte drive we got me for Christmas. Too bad that didn't work. I just get gibberish when I try to access any of the files.

 

My old drive may yet be recoverable, but it'll be a while before Beloved can get to it. And, frankly, if my files are there, they'll be there next week or next month. Or not. No rush. About all we could to was load a fresh copy of Windows 7 - something else we bought at Christmas but hadn't used yet - on my mostly unused new hard drive. So, while I have a computer, nearly everything I had on my 'old' one is gone. Oh, well. At least I'll have tomorrow to reinstall Stitch Era Universal, Pulse Ambassador, Word, Paint Shop Pro, Firefox, the printer drivers...

 

Looks like it's gonna be a busy week !

Domesticity...can be fun, if you pick your tasks.

 

Spent on Doll Clothes : $1.

 

After having the doors open to the outside nearly all week, to ‘blow out the winter', with the heat off, we awoke to two inches of snow on the ground. 63 degrees yesterday, and snow today. How insane can the weather get ? It's mostly melted already, and the streets look wet, but not icy, since it's already in the mid-thirties.

 

Beloved Hubby woke me up with pancakes ! How sweet. I got to watch a couple reruns of ‘Magic's Biggest Secrets Revealed' with the Masked Magician - I love those. If you didn't get to see ‘em on original run, the premise is a Masked Magician runs through numerous classic and favorite illusions, to the chagrin of other illusionists, who stick to the Magician's Code - a working magician never reveals the Art of Magic's secrets, or how a trick works, lest he or she wish to risk the wrath of the others. Kinda silly, if you ask me, since even Houdini wrote books detailing his secrets, both before and after his death, via ‘ghost writers' (giggle) granted the permission and information. It seems to me more of a ‘protect your job' thing than a ‘protect the Art' one.

 

Anyway, after three or four specials, the Magician revealed himself, basically saying that with advances in film effects and video games, Magic was getting lost in the shuffle, and Magicians were relying on tired old tricks instead of creating new ones. At least with this series, people talked about Magic again. I learned that, far from mere eye candy, the assistants are well-trained, versatile men and women who truly support the show. After watching an episode or two, I have to keep myself from sweeping gestures and high-kicking through the house for several days.

 

In between my little chorus line exercises, I decided to go ahead and cut Odette's hair, since it was cut to her chin only on one side, with the back and opposite side left original. It really looked odd. I damped it down, and used a rubber band to wrap her hair around her neck, then tugged it up until the cut edges were just barely under the rubber band still. Cut as close to the band as possible, in hopes it'd be even, then let her relax and dry. We'll see how it looks tomorrow.

 

I was surprised to see there was a flea market at the Fairgrounds this weekend, since the usual Craigslist ad wasn't up. Not much there, and I really shouldn't have been surprised. I did spend a dollar - on a vintage striped knit top identical to the one in Barbie's Resort Set (#963), but in red instead of blue, and an 80s turquoise mini-dress with pink triangles applied to it. Even though I found out it's  1983's Fashion Fun #4808, "Right In Step", and it was shown with matching pink cowboy boots, sold separately, I'll probably still peel the pink triangles off.

 

But ya'll know me, I'm more into the vintage striped shirt. Shape-wise, it's identical to what's pictured on a Bubblecut in today's image. Filthy, with one shoulder unstitched - thread still attached - but without any picks or real damage. It's soaking in my takeout tub ‘washer', awaiting a few more shake-up cycles before it's out to dry and then, in for repairs. It has that cool vintage tag and everything.

 

With everything I scored yesterday and today, I actually bowed out of Dearest Son's promised trip to TRU. He really wanted it to be a ‘guy thing' with his Daddy, and I was OK with that. Beloved was kind of tired anyway, and if I went, I'd be in the doll section for ten minutes, minimum. So, while my guys were gone, I raided Dearest's former Star Wars toybox - now there's a bit of everything in there - in search of the missing parts to his former Galactic Heroes Millennium Falcon (that's mine now). Found the cockpit canopy and the satellite dish, the two pieces I was hoping for most. Poor ship looked naked without them !

 

Still missing the quad guns up top and the boarding ramp, but I can probably ask Dearest to find ‘em for me for a couple more Deloreans. But even if they're never found, I'm OK with how it looks now. Later this week, I'll dig the Han and Leia figures that go with it out of my jewelry box memory drawer and pose them on the shelf under the Falcon. That makes me happy. 

A local GoodWill has a Grand Opening - and Dorrie is there !

Spent on Dolls and Doll Stuff : $10.80

 

Today was yet another ‘Dorrie Fun Day', and I stupidly went out, even though I really should have stayed in. Still, I'm glad for a nice time during a beautiful day.

 

I hit Dollar Tree first, since I wanted to see a few of the items in their online ad. Mainly, their new dolls ! We all know they're cheap blow-molds, but sometimes their clothes are worth grabbing. But not this time. Yikes. I'd feel bad about clothing dolls I was giving away in what those were sold wearing.

 

Nothing really new in crafts, either - I wanted to see the ‘hanging wood ovals', since they'd make for good ‘frames' for stand-alone lace embroidery. With a lace initial attached, it'd be a thoughtful, easy, and inexpensive gift. But like the dolls, they were just too dirt cheap to buy. I could get Beloved Hubby to cut me a couple of circles from scrap lumber in his Shop, staple a hanging loop of tulle to the back for nearly free. If I shaped the edge with his router (learned to use one in Shop class back in Jr. High - I'm sure Beloved would give me a refresher course if I asked), I'd be light-years improved on the DTree ones. So, maybe later, we'll make a few.

 

I examined hairbrushes and headbands - the fabric and elastic ones I can make, and every plastic one I've ever owned was a choice. Did I want comfort, or did I want my hair out of my eyes ? If it hurt, my hair stayed back. If it felt or looked good, it soon fell out, or my hair did. I may make a few fabric/elastic ones, just for kicks.

 

I snagged a couple of neat bamboo potholders and placemats that'll make fantastic flooring or wall décor for the dollhouse or photos, and snagged a few things we needed around the house.

 

I'd planned to drive a bit further, hit the GoodWill. So I was amazed when I saw the thrift store had relocated across the street ! When did that happen ? An up-and-coming MegaChurch used to be there, before it moved to a massive custom ‘compound' just off the highway. So I scootled over. Grand Opening ! I saw what must've been hundreds of folks pushing carts laden with cheap China-made coffee makers, water filters, tea makers, and small stand mixers, and what must've been just as many kids screaming for toys. All brand-new. I found a large bedding bag with several Barbie dolls and clothes sealed inside for $7., and joined in the fray. I left with the bag, some dog-based books for Dearest Son, a heavy silver star candy bowl, a nice portfolio, a coloring book, a bear wearing what would soon be a cute blouse and jumper for Timey Tell,  and VHS copies of The Black Cauldron, Mary Poppins, and Mars Attacks. Also a really good poppy-seed bagel and a small cup of apple juice.  Whew !

 

I got everything inside at home when I suddenly remembered - it's Friday. If I wanted to get the dog and cat food we needed, and not be at Mal-Wart all day, I'd best get going. Got the groceries we most needed, then sat down to digging through my Barbie bag ! Long ago, I discovered that my idea of a great day was to obtain a huge bag, box, or any other conveyance of dolls, and spend a short eternity sorting through it all. If I don't keep a single piece of it, that's fine. The $5. or $10. I spent is like buying a ticket to a movie. It's perfectly OK with me if I don't leave with anything but the experience, the entertainment, a bit of imagination, and the fun !

 

So, all that said, this buy was kind of a mixed bag. There was plenty to dig through, but not much I wanted to keep. I now own a Bratz doll, and I can't wait to ditch her. She's well made, really, and if it weren't for the rather ‘KMA'* smirk on her oversized head, I'd probably kind of like her. But the half-closed eyes, FM heels, and one-sided smile just make me think of jaded...um, ‘tradeswomen', which wasn't helped by the fact that this Bratz in particular was nude under a black and purple fake fur coat. Next to her, the string-bikini-wearing Butterfly Art Kira also in the bag looked downright wholesome.

 

I also found a blonde Barbie wearing the 1997 red and white ‘ribbon candy' Happy Holidays gown, another blonde in a lovely but generic brocade and gold gown, a third blonde in a knockoff green nylon dress, Jasmine in a generic pastel princess dress, and the Barbie Holiday Sister from 1998, nearly complete in her black and plaid gown, headband and jewelry, missing only shoes. I'm keeping the two holiday gowns, probably for alterations later. Dearest can have the 1997 bright-pink Vespa clone scooter - he already has one -  and I'm redonating the magnetic paper doll sets.

 

I'm keeping the two pairs of Ken pants and jackets, including a very nice Miami Heat basketball jacket from 1998, the green Pretty in Plaid dress, and the pink and blue swirl-bodice princess dress. I already have it, but I really like it, so I'll probably alter that one, too.

 

While trying to figure out which Princess originally wore the swirl bodice dress, I got a better look at the blonde Barbie wearing the red and white Holiday ‘candy' gown. She had slots on her back, and a battery panel, but no on/off switch. An even closer look showed she lacked the standard embossed panties, and she had a twist waist, where the embossed ‘©1966 Mattel, Inc /Indonesia' trademark was unusually large, and was even a bit smeared-looking. She also has graceful hands with separated fingers, and a very pretty face. Understated makeup, and a lip color that suits her pale skin tone. I'd about given up on non-bubblegum or watermelon pink lips on Barbies lately !

 

A few minutes of research - aided by a familiar gown in the pile - showed that she was originally Odette, from the 2003 Swan Lake series ! Her missing light-up wings originated from a pink plastic rectangle hidden by her hair, that plugged into the now-empty slots. I'm assuming the pink part also held the on/off switch. Her dress came with her, but that's all, and her hair's been badly cut on one side. Hmm. I may keep her, see if I can finish wrecking it. I love her soft expression. Just not sure she's gonna like being called ‘Odie' by pretty much everybody at Chez Insanity.

 

 

*Kiss My Assets... or Assessments, possibly.

Well, I bought the $3. SStar doll anyway...

 

Current Mood : Mad-scientisty

Spent on Dolls today : $3.24

 

 

But it's not like I didn't have plans for her ! (evil laugh) Had to run up to Mal-Wart this afternoon, snag a well-earned Bakugon Gauntlet for Dearest Son - they still had three in the markdown section, where he saw it. And for almost half the price TRU's still asking ! Is it bad to brag about your ten-year-old's bargain skills ? 

 

What he really wanted, though, I couldn't find, either in Markdowns or the Bakugon section, so we may be off to TRU this weekend. Anyway, long as I was over in Toys, may as well peek...wow. The endcap that held well-scaled erasers last week now featured a box display of SuperStar ‘tribute' dolls, still priced at $3.

 

Thought it over for a minute. That was a really loud dress, and I wasn't sure I still wanted it... but then I remembered. When the photos of these ‘tribute' dolls came out, everyone lamented that it would have been ever so much cooler if they'd made a real SuperStar for that box. I kind of know why Mattel didn't - I'd only paid $10. for the My Favorite Doll version of the SuperStar, a serious markdown. It didn't make real sense to make more when Round #1 didn't sell. With a more current face and body, sporting an ‘update' of the classic scorching-pink disco dress, it'd hold appeal for both kids and collector adults, even at the $12. original price point. At $3., though, she'd be darn irresistible, which is probably why our TRU and Target are completely sold out. It's entirely possible that the only reason Mal-Wart still had ‘em was because they got put out so late.

 

The idea hit me, and I grabbed one, chortling slightly to myself. This was gonna be fun...

 

Got home, and pulled my new doll out of the box. From the bottom, of course. Cute molded-on Barbie logo panties, and the as-promised non-bending legs. Dress was cute, but the was uber-cheap stiff costume satin was already fraying at the Velcro, and the boa is half white elastic, where it won't show. Not much for the doll, or her usual 'horrible in the back' hair, but truly, she wasn't gonna matter at all in a few minutes. I removed her jewelry, took note of her starry pink platform FM heels, and dug through my culled dolls and my regular cast of characters before settling on Charlotte as my makeover ‘volunteer'. Comparing her to the box back, she had the requisite bent arms, no bangs, big smile, and single-color blue eyes I'd need for my current little project.

 

Dressed her in Tribute's clothes and jewelry - the dress doesn't close in the back, and I had to auger her ears a bit for the thick earring posts - and posed her in the box liner. About three dozen trials and minor adjustments later, she looked good, in my opinion, and I had a deeper understanding of why Mattel staples new doll heads into the box liners with those annoying t-shaped plastic tags. I still hate ‘em, and don't know why they always use two, but I can see why now.

 

A few photos later, and I had what I wanted - a real SuperStar tribute doll ! For now, she's by the My Favorite Doll SuperStar, and she may well stay there. Y'see, you can't tell now, but she has slightly damaged feet and a loose neck. I was about to donate her. Now, I can keep her forever ! Best of all, though, is that I got what I wanted.

 

Ever considered making yourself one ? I'm gonna go post this on In The Pink, but I wanted ya'll to see it first ! Later, lovelies !

Nearly 24 hours Drama Free ! Happy St. Patrick's Day !

Current Mood : Pretty good, actually.

 

Current Image Notes : It's a cheapie light-up Belle pen, bought on sale three years ago, still never used.

 

I think a good part of my ‘feelin' pretty good right now' is due to finally updating yesterday ! The hang-up is often photos, but occasionally, I don't know what to write, either - especially when there's drama I don't want to bog ya'll down with, or I'm too sick to really do anything of interest. Usually, though, it's the Image of the Day that's also the Issue of It. Sorry for throwing random graphics up this week, but it was either that, or string along updates for another week or so. I write nearly every day, and miss it when I can't or haven't, so it bugs me when I don't have much to say !

 

Thanks to the Family Drama, Beloved Hubby's more or less off for the rest of the week, so he's catching up on stuff he wants to do - helping DBIL move, doing some tattooing, upgrading the AirSoft weapons stock. After all he went through with dear ole Drama Llama, I'm glad to see him enjoy his days, even if we are pretty broke as a consequence ! Heck, we've been broke before, I'm sure we'll be broke again. Part of me clings to the little faith I have that things always work out, and money is always something you can obtain more of later. Life, however, isn't nearly as negotiable.

 

So, while he's hangin' and helpin' DBIL, I finally quit messin' around and did some Lab work. When I got Prince Ken from the thrift a couple weeks back, he was nude, but he came with elements of three different princely costumes. Honestly, Mattel, I'd rather have full-length pants and cheep shoes on the guys than more of these useless knee-high breeches with tacky boots or stockings. Still, I keep them, since menswear is always harder to find, and ya never know when the Castle is gonna host a ‘Kings and Queens Ball', and all attendees will need costuming. But it is annoying to sort through a round dozen tuxedos (all one piece), fifteen jerkins, and eighteen pairs of breeches when you want a t-shirt and jeans for one of the guys. So I reorganized the menswear box while I had it open - and now all the separates are on top, tuxedos are at the bottom, and costumes/kingly garb are in the middle. I'm amazed at how many shirts the guys have, now that I can see them !

 

Speaking of the Castle, it was folded up before I put the Fashion Plaza together, but it was still squarely in the middle of the Lab floor. I had no idea where to put it. Or the box to the Plaza - it was not only too good to ever ditch, but I'm still charmed by the bit of tape and Christmas wrapping paper I found clinging to the back. Awwwww ! I found a small space for the Plaza box, but what to do with the Castle... Hmmm. At least it folds up nearly flat. I positioned it in front of the fabric crates, where it hides the profusion of craft boxes on the bottom row. I rather like it that way.

 

That left a few dozen bits and bobs to store, and that's been slow going, but at least I have floor space again. And I don't dread going in there any more ! Repaired a pair of Beloved's sweatpants - the waist drawstring had vanished -  during a break. One less thing on the Lab floor ! I also removed the cross-your-heart elastics from Grandma Heart, and her hair is almost perfect. I'm keeping one elastic on a bit longer, since it still sticks out a bit, but by the time the weekend's here, her hair should be just fine. I completely forgot to damp it down a bit, so I may do that later.

 

Beloved came home with a surprise for me - the miniature Eiffel Tower I got in Paris ! I'd wondered where it'd gone. It's nothing really special, just a dime store souvenir sold by the millions annually, but... well, it was mine, and I missed it. Not enough to worry anyone over - it's not like we can jet back overseas because I misplaced a $2. souvenir bought 25 years ago. But I'd kind of been looking for a replacement whenever I dug through trinkets at thrift stores and yard sales. Turns out, he and DBIL discovered it while cleaning out the shed behind DM & FIL's house. We'd stored some stuff there, and I thought we had it all. Not quite ! After a quick bath, it's going in a place of honor in the Lab tonight.

 

Well, as the day ends, DBIL's tattoo continues, and Dearest Son is keeping company with the guys. The Lab is cleaner, but cluttered corners and full boxes await further sorting, and stand as reminders for me to not seek more of anything anytime soon. I repaired the fraying dishcloth that's also been floor debris for weeks, and filled some bobbins. In short, the kind of activities we called ‘d!*king around' when I was a kid - but now I know how necessary they are to adults. They're quiet reminders of peace and hope in days that frequently involve chaos and crap and clutter. And they don't cost a dime.

 

But they are priceless. Hope you had some d!*king around time today.

Yaay ! I'm all caught up !

Current Mood : Improving !

 

I feel much better ! It's weird, but the Family Drama, while not completely over yet, has at least reached its lowest possible point, and it can either be dealt with or ignored decisively. Yes, last night, impossible as it sounds, Drama Llama somehow still managed to ramp it up, and we are done. No more excuses, no more second-chances, and I'm not even gonna try to understand ‘why' anymore. Done. After all the crap Llama has put Beloved Hubby through in the last few weeks, I'm really looking towards ‘ignore', if not outright ‘cut direct'. It rather ranks to write this, but I've cut off one family already - and I can do it again, given similar circumstances ... and these are unfortunately too similar. NO ONE abuses my Beloved or our Dearest Son. Especially not with words, baseless accusations, or just plain insanity.

 

Besides, Beloved and Dearest have enough to deal with, and that's me. There's probably a reason I'm the only female in Chez Insanity. Yes, even DC and Friday are boys. Then again, ya'll know I enjoy being the Empress...

 

My big plans, before I got sick, included spending all Sunday in the Lab, cleaning and storing and enjoying. This morning, even though I felt better, I wanted to be... you know, around, for Beloved. Can't do that tucked away in the Lab. We talked about stuff and things for a while, and he at least got to voice his frustrations about the whole situation, and I like to think it may have helped. Still wanna choke the Llama a little.

 

But anyway... Corel invited me to join a web seminar a week or so ago, ostensibly to improve our Paint Shop Pro skills, but mostly to get us to view the new X3 version. Of course, the ‘webinar' was today,  but I attended anyway. It ran a bit late, and I actually learned a bit more in the Q&A after than I did during the actual webinar, since, as you may have correctly surmised, it was mostly ‘look what cool stuff X3 can do' instead of ‘look what you can already do'. Seriously. The leader covered how to crop an image in detail (it's almost painfully easy in the X series) but completely glossed over layering, which I completely do not understand. The one demonstration of it was nearly a drive-by, since they were trying to make up time. (sigh) Guess it's back to the manual instead !

 

It's been a good day to hang out in the living room. DFIL came over with tasty take-out sandwiches for lunch, and I think he doubled up on the snacks so we'd all have a comforting fat intake. His store sells great cookies, I can state that as fact now ! This evening, Beloved decided he'd enjoy some quality target shooting, so DBIL came over, and we made a night of it. BIL brought soda and chips, we got hot dogs and ice cream, and while the guys shot at llama targets - not Drama Llama targets, pictures of real llamas I printed for a laugh - I enjoyed some quality time in my Lab. It's still a mess, but I got a couple of new nude dolls clothed, the culled dolls bagged up, played with the Plaza for a few, and relocated all the new fabric to one place. I haven't bought any, it's the stuff I was given a few months ago, but it's almost depressing how much I still have to store.

 

The same kinda goes for the rest of the new acquisitions. I love every doll I'm keeping, I adore the Fashion Plaza, and I still enjoy the Castle. But I am so tight on space in there, I almost despair buying all this stuff. I swear, I got more of a high going through and ditching so much ! Arrrgh ! Have I learned nothing from December ? And all these blasted ‘Hoarders' shows I'm addicted to ?

 

Well, at least I caught it early. Before yard sale season really begins. With Dearest home, I won't be shopping as much this year, that's for sure. That's good news - the less I go looking for, the less I'll find ! If there's one thing I have learned from the clutter-bug shows, it's that, if you don't want piles of stuff, some of it has to go out if it's still coming in. And at least I have the ability to toss out unidentifiable bits of Barbie plastic. Believe this or not, I used to keep it all, just in case. The bag got huge, and I matched all of one piece - that I didn't even like ! - out of all of it, so when we moved here, I dumped it. Now I just ditch as I go, it's much easier !

 

Humming various weird TV show themes...

 

Current Mood : Stunned

 

I'm sort of in shock right now, since the Family Drama has veered off into the Twilight  Zone, and there's not a blasted thing any of us can do about it. The one person who can is the one who's doing it, and our once-loved Drama Llama shows no sign of ending the insanity. So all we can do is circle the wagons, protect ourselves, and Do Not Engage The Crazy. We've already heard from most of the rest of the family, who are reassuring us that they know it's Llama's issue, not ours. Still, it's disheartening when one day, you're the best thing in someone's life, but then suddenly, they're... (sigh) I don't even want to describe what this Llama is doing. It hurts. Especially when I know no one has done a blasted thing that Llama suddenly believes.

 

But, hey, life goes on. I feel a bit better than yesterday, but I'm wiped out just the same. Since I don't move around much, I've been fiddling around with the stuff on my desk, and finally started to fix Grandma Heart's hair. While it's in great shape, and I love the rarely-used ash-blonde Mattel gave her, she'd evidently been crammed into a box for some time. Instead of falling to her shoulders - the previous owner had taken it down from the factory bun she had - it stuck straight out, like it'd been folded up against something else, and kept that way for some time. Ordinarily, a quick boil-perm would literally straighten that right out, but I liked the curls she had. Boiling water would remove them.

 

So I laid her out flat on my desk a few days ago, and forgot about her. Being sick and all. That helped a bit, but not much. So yesterday, I held her hair down around her neck with a couple of clear elastics I keep at my desk, from various doll and toy deboxings. You'd be amazed how many you'd find on car toys these days. Took that off today, and it was better, but again, not much. Today, I used the same two elastics to criss-cross her chest, holding her hair to her shoulders. If it would stay the way it looks right now, I'd be so happy.  I'll probably give her hair a quick spritz of water, just to experiment, and let it dry for a day or three. Truth to tell, the Mary Poppins I saved from a thrift store last December has a similar issue with her hair, so once G'ma Heart's bad hair day is resolved, I'll repeat it for Mary. (embarrassed flinch) I used tape to hold her hair down in the photos...

 

I got to see TLC's take on A&E's Hoarders today. Hoarders: Buried Alive seems to have been the pilot episode, since the series is going out as Hoarding: Buried Alive - Name of Episode. The debut ep name was ‘Welcome to My Nightmare' which kind of echoed what's been going on with Llama. Anyway... In many ways, I found TLC's more ‘real', if you'll forgive me that term. Instead of ‘we got two days to clean up your 20-years-in-the-making mess', it shows how slow the process really is. The Navy guy in the series doesn't appear to have made much progress at all, but I can see that being more accurate than a floor-to-ceiling makeover in two days. We actually get to see the ongoing work with his therapist, not just read that the patient ‘is scheduling' therapy. It's just sad that his girlfriend dumped him over it. 

 

Stellarly sick.

 

Current Mood : Whiny

 

Somehow, I'm even more sick today. Urgh. I'm coughing so hard, I see stars, and I'm not gonna describe the colors I see when vision returns. I've given up tissues - box is empty - and switched to handkerchiefs or soft, slightly damp t-shirt rags, which are always easier on my nose. Just pretty darn disgusting, so I keep ‘em close to me. Or tucked away in the computer drawers during the rare few moments I'm mobile.

 

On the plus side, my colds often go this way. I'm not quite all right on Day One, but it doesn't stop any of my plans. Day Two, it's clear I'm sick, but I still try to move around since I'm not completely miserable. Day Three, I am completely miserable, so if I can, I sleep a lot, and actually take cold medicine. We seem to be enjoying Day Three today, which is good, because Day Four dawns with more energy, less ick, and Day Five is nearly back to normal, and I wrap up on either Day Five or Day Six, which is nearly a carbon copy of Day One.

 

Not sure why I bothered to write all that. I'm sure everyone is pretty much the same way ! I just don't know what else to say.