Sparkly Things

And lo nine years ago, we managed to convince most of our family and friends to travel to Clarks Summit, PA and watch me get married to the snuggliest Woobs to ever Woob.  I will admit to crying as I walked down the aisle (they were tears of JOY, slaggit!) 

This morning we woke up and were running late on account of partially sleepless nights on both parts.  The morning drive in was pretty sonomolent, so it wasn’t until I got in the office and turned over the daily calendar that I realized what day it was.  Thank goodness for cell phones.  Calls were made, as were plans, so we’ll be having a nice date before we go home to clean up the house for the weekend’s festivities. 

In our defense, we were both counting next week’s trip as kind of a “together” thing anyway, so it’s not like we completely forgot.

“If I know what love is, it is because of you.” –Herman Hesse

As I was reminded by my Outlook e-mail today, I have about two weeks to go before we go to Kal-ee-fornia for BOTCON!  (Yes, I know I’m a geek, but I come by this honestly)  This is made more exciting by the husband’s recent back injury and my co-irker’s increasingly extended convalescent leave, but slaggit, I’m still thinking positive!

As we will be preparing for con stuff, I will have less time for WoW.  This is just a break though, I promise!  I still love the game and will back in with enthusiasm once we return in June.

To do:
Get all garden plants planted
Contact catsitter and arrange key transfer
Stop mail
Secret gifty projects
Arrange for library sitter if co-worker unable to return
Prep autograph book
Clean house
Wardrobe overhaul
Day of beauty
Pack
Consolidate funds

On the health front.  The weight loss continues slowly.  I’m down 30 lbs from my starting weight and noticing that I have more strength and endurance than I did and my clothes are fitting better as well.  The pills are keeping the ladyparts regular (a mixed blessing).  I moved my follow up appointment with the ladyparts doc back until after the trip, because I can’t get away from work right now.  I’m torn on wanting it to warm up.  I’d like to get in swimming, but I get more yardwork done when it’s not blisteringly hot.

Cats are well.  Hubby is recovering, so all in all a good week.

I’m home again from my trip.  The train ride was long, but uneventful.  We had another exciting river trip yesterday.  Thankfully, we didn’t swamp this time, but we had to get out on several occasions to haul the boat over fallen trees.  We put in around 10:30 AM and took out just as it was getting dark at 8:00 Pm.  Long day.  Today’s a clean up day before work tomorrow.

So I’m out from home this week.  The Army Librarians are having their bi-annual conference, so I’m at that until Friday.  We’re in Southbridge, MA at a very nice facility.  The weather is a little cold and rainy, but really, there is no need to go outside at all.  The conference center has a pool, an exercise center and a good resturaunt.  The prices are affordable and there’s more high speed WiFi than you can shake a stick at.  I may venture out tomorrow if it stops raining though.

I took the train to get here.  I like travelling by train, although it’s not as pictureesque as it used to be, at least in the urban areas.  It is fun to come into the city centers to the train station instead of mooching around on the outskirts like you do when flying.

The most…interesting part of the train trip was the set of baby Yalies we picked up in Washington.  They sat a few rows behind me and chatted away for the four or so hours to New Haven in the loud gormless way of college freshmen everywhere.  It really wouldn’t have been that remarkable, except for the fact that they managed to name drop the school about three times a minute for the ENTIRE time they were in the car.  Well that and the arts heavy majors that they were discussing.  We had an actress, a composer, a playwright and some kind of musician.  Maybe pre-law majors are quieter or something.  It was nice to go around and see other students around the train working hard on post Spring Break homework.  I always love looking at other people doing homework.  It makes me happy that I don’t have any anymore.

I disembarked in Providence, RI and the first bus that passed me had an ad for the Hasbro’s Children’s Hospital.  It’s nice to know that the company supports its hometown.

I’ve decided that one of the things I like about my job is that little moment of intellectual free fall when someone first asks you a question.  You take a brief second while all the gears whir and click to determine if it’s going to be a challenging, lengthy search with many twists and turns or just one of the six routine questions you answer all the time, but the beauty of it is in the potential.  It’s especially fun when the person is all stressed out and you totally make their day by knowing EXACTLY what they want and how to get it.  So rewarding.

On the mundane update front, we delayed putting in the garden for a week as the forecast called for possible overnight freezing temps this week.  Spring in NC is often very blustery, as the warm and cool air swirl around before getting themselves sorted out.  This Spring has also been very rainy, a point that was driven FORCEFULLY home this past Saturday.  We took the canoe out for a shake down cruise down one of the local rivers.  Due to a combination of very high, very fast water, unfamiliarity with this particular river and human error; we wound up dumped in the 65 degree water twice in the first 40 minutes.  Thankfully we had some other folks along to help pull us out, but it was a more challenging trip than either of us had originally intended.  We’re going to try again in a few weeks, and we’ll definitely be practicing in the mean time. 

It’s that time again!  tiernen  is having his birthday today.  He’ll be out at Attilium’s fighter practice on Sunday (weather permitting) if you’d like to show up and give him a birthday challenge.  Other than that, we’ve got gaming tomorrow night and we’re going to get the garden started this weekend.  I hope the good weather sticks around!

So I bought the tickets today for BOTCON.  This is the annual US Transformers collectors convention.  This year it will be in Pasedena, CA near the end of May.  In addition to the con, we are getting a tour of Paramount studios and dinner on one of the sets of the upcoming Transformers movie.

I expect it is a testament to what I geek I am that the only thing that could get me to VOLUNTARILY fly to California would be giant robots.  Actually, as I’ve never been to CA before and we’re staying at a nice hotel, I am also looking forward to the trip on its own merits.

Still a geek tho’.

Oh well.

And we’re getting TOYS.

*toyjoy*

This charming article came to my attention courtesy of SCA Today.  Apparently an Indian journalist stopped at an SCA event and then wrote a story about it for his local paper.  I love his use of “explantory quotes” and the little cultural touchstones he uses to get the idea across to his hometown readers.  I’d love to know what the reaction is back in India.  I guess the SCA is just another of those wacky things that Americans do.

http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Jan302009/sesame20090129115345.asp

About two weeks ago.  Here are the pics, behind a cut to save your load speed.  Enjoy.  We did!

Carolina snow? Who would have thunk it?

So, if you’ve been keeping score, you probably know that my birthday is tomorrow.  It’ll be my “Dennis” birthday.  We don’t have big plans, there’s an A&S workshop tomorrow and we have gaming on Sunday but I think Tiernen has plans for a date somewhere in there.  I like having parties, but the house is all torn apart right now, so we’re going to pass for now.

Thank you to happy_emmie  for the gift of a paid LJ membership.  I’ll have to add some more icons and such to take advantage of the additional features.

Interesting development on the health front, I’ve been diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome.  This is a hormonal imbalance that affects my menstrual cycle and can lead to diabetes and heart disease.   Apparently I’m a textbook case.  I researched it after getting the diagnosis and I think it’s pretty accurate.  It is treatable and I’m working with the doctors to develop a plan for managing it.  I have two more Dr’s appointments this month and after that I’ll know quite a lot more.   

So things continue, I’m still working, still content and feeling loved.  I have things to look forward to and fewer regrets than usual.  All told, I’m doing fine.