Sparkly Things

So I dinged 80 last night!  Woot!  And it wasn’t too late.  Now I can go back and help the hubs level and work on my gear for guild stuff.  It’s nice having the pressure off for the time being.  I’m sure I’ll go back pretty soon and start working one of my alts up, our guild is woefully lacking in tanks, so that’s probably my next move.

In other news, look out Earth the slime is coming home!  This is exciting as I have been a fan of the show ever since we were introduced to it by frothingslosh71 back in the day. 

Projects have been slow due to absorption in game things.  I have bespoke garb to finish up and then another round of mending.  Then some decor stuff for the living and bedrooms.  I’ll get pictures up here some day.

Work continues apace.  The hubs is getting checked out for joint pain by a rheumatologist and we hope to get him on a regimen that will help.  Maybe the Dr will have some good ideas.  That’s about all for now.  TTFN.

I’m gonna leave this open and hope I don’t catch too much flak from the hubs about talking about him.  It’s one of those danged if you do, danged if you don’t situations.

Anyway.  He’s been cooking.  I REALLY appreciate this, because I’m often very uninspired after coming home from work.  If left to my own devices, I’d make a sandwich or some eggs and call it a night, but since I have a husband I feel obliged to prepare food for two if I cook.  That and he’s a super picky eater, so my choices are pretty limited and you know you just get to the point where you contemplate preparing meat-starch-vegetable (peas, corn or carrots) and you just want to give up from ennui.  I’ll EAT it, but PLEASE don’t ask me to COOK it again.

So, he’s been cooking for us.  And also for himself.  This is cool.  I love it.  I love him for doing it.  He’s awesome and wonderful and amazing and the best husband ever born.

…but…

(you knew there’d be a ‘but’)

I just can’t watch.  I don’t know if this is a guy vs. girl thing or specific to him, but it’s the little things…clearing the work area beforehand, trimming the fat off the meat, cutting things to a uniform size, not spilling stuff all over the counter when seasoning, wrapping up excess and leftovers, and wiping up afterwards.  The little things you do without thinking, except he doesn’t do them.  And don’t ask him to follow a recipe.  He likes to improvise.  Everything TASTES all right (usually), but watching it get there is nerve-wracking.  And suggestions, of course, are criticism.  (Because I secretly hate him and am only eating his food so I can complain about it.) 

I don’t know.  He’ll watch the cooking shows with me, but for some reason the technique and theory just flows over him without making an impact.

I love that he’s making an attempt.  I just wish I could find a way to steer him to being slightly more neat and hygenic without all the time by the emo door.  (And that everything isn’t boiled or braised, seriously, you’d think he’s English or something.)  I guess we could cook together.  He’s a lot better about following instructions than a lot of guys I know, and our current kitchen is much larger than ones we’ve had in the past.  However. I’m a little concerned that he’ll retreat because I’m there.  I want him to learn, not leave. 

Any other ideas for gentle teaching without being critical?  I do love the big lug and he’s got some great ideas.  He just needs to develop some chops before he goes off on a 20 minute drum solo.

Oh, and don’t ask about the dishes.  

And now I look back on 2008 in an evaluatory fashion.  Hmmm.

Big events:  Purchased home and moved into same.

Tiernen took on a new job with his company that allows us to carpool in together in the mornings.

Status quo:  Tiernen and Jenn still employed and living in NC

Jenn’s parents still living and working in PA

Jenn’s lil’ sis still going to school and being a whackaloon in Iowa

Tiernen’s siblings still living and working in PA

Friends:  Lovely, lovely people on Comics in Disguise still lovely.  Also lovely WoW guild.

SCA went on largely without us this year due to various work and personal conflicts with events and meetings *sigh*.

Tiernen has been very active with his ghost hunting.

Gaming group continues on steadily.

Health:  We’re getting old and fat. Too much good living, I guess. *sigh*

Kittehs:  Wendy and Winston survived the move and have settled into the new home with minimal fuss.  They are both very sweet and snuggly.

Looking to the future:  Tiernen’s planning to take some classes for work.  Jenn’s got travel plans for work and fun.  More exercise and we’ll be putting in a garden.  We’re also hoping to get more active in the SCA again now that the crazy moving stuff is under control.

So, best wishes to one and all and Happy New Year! 

…in that I have too much of the one, and not enough of the other. 

So we got the hubs Rock Band 2 for an X-mas gift.  And we tried it out.  It’s wicked fun.  Good music choices (albeit a bit heavy on the Duran Duran in the early venues).  However I am stuck trying to retrain my fingers so I can move up to the higher difficulties on the game.  I’ve already figured out that I have to move my grip down one place so that I can operate two buttons with my index finger.  And I’ve been playing that way consistently now so it’s getting relatively natural.  But now my middle and ring fingers are getting stupid.  Especially when we get to multiple button runs.  I know I used to be able to do this.  I played brass for eight years.  (Trombone and tuba, in case you were wondering)  But switching between my fingers in time to the little lights on the screen is baffling me for some reason.  I despair of ever including my pinky for hard and expert levels.  Oh well, more incentive to practice, I guess.

On the holiday front.  I got the food shopping done and the creche put up last night.  Tonight is living room clean up and tree set up.  Then we’ll have a (hopefully) relaxing X-mas eve and X-mas day.  Maybe I’ll even get some crafting time in over the weekend.

Well be holding a Rock Band party on New Years’ Eve.  Festivities start around 7 PM and continue until everyone is rocked out!  If you read this, you’re invited.  Don’t have the address?  Send me an e-mail or a private message.

Til’ then, have a happy, or a merry whatever and remember that Festivus is upon us.  It’s time for the airing of the grievances!

And LO I did FINALLY find my box of thread and other notions.  It was in Tiernen’s office closet (of course).  I’ve been semi-frantic looking for the stupid thing because I actually have some holiday stuff that I was planning to do craft-wise and I was missing my scissors and all the other stuff I needed to make them. 

Hooray!

*dances*

So, now to get cracking with the crafts…this weekend…after cooking for the gaming potluck tonight and then said potluck on Friday…and unpacking the box…and cleaning up the sewing room for reals this time.

But still, box found, yay *tiny flag*.

I picked ‘ol Primey up there ’cause he’s so patriotic, plus fireworks.

I voted two weeks ago, anticipating that I am not a morning person, start early at work and have to accomodate my spouse and an additional carpool person.  Also, I’m teaching a class tonight that will take me in the opposite direction of my polling place.  So yeah, I voted two weeks ago.

Anyway I’m delighted with the turnout and sense of excitement about this election.  Usually by this point I just want it over with so I don’t have to hear about it any more, but this year I’m really excited about the outcome.  Of course I want my guy to win, but I’m not going to move away or anything if he doesn’t.  

In imaginary news, my friend Wheeljack helped my level my BE Paladin to 70 last night.  Now we can focus on getting Tiernen caught up and we can do all those high-level instances that we missed out on because we moved servers.  I really like our guild on Alleria and I hope everyone stays engaged in the game now. 

We had our housewarming party over the weekend.  It was a nice little event, about 20 people all told.  We played some Rock Band, enjoyed our company, and sat out by the fire.  And we’ve left the house all Halloween’d up so we’ll be ready for the Trick-or-Treaters this week. 

The only down side is that we had relatively secure RSVP’s from about twice the number of people who actually showed up so now I have more lunchmeat and cheese than two people can reasonably eat.  I’m going to try to find some recipes that will make freezable stuff.  I’m thinking some pot-pie/Hot Pocket style stuffed things and little casseroles.

I also have beer.  Which I drink, and Tiernen does not.  I think some beer bread may be in the offing. 

Now if we can ever get the blasted POD unloaded.  I keep putting it off and promising myself that I’ll do it once (other project X) is out of the way.  But all the other projects are done for now, so no more excuses! 

I am not yet dead!  In case you were wondering.  I have been busy with house and work and such.  Also my lovely parents came down to visit last week.  We wined and dined them and sent them off to my uncle.  Then I had srs nostalgia while I sorted through the stuffs they brought from home.  I should get the digi cam and do a retrospective series with pics.  But not today, Grasshopper.

We have an Open House/Halloween Party planned for Saturday the 25th of October.  I hope we’ll have a good turn out.  I’m trying to actually personally invite people instead of just announcing, because I think most people would prefer to be invited, but then I feel like I’m missing folks and they’re going to feel excluded.  I dunno, maybe I’m just being too worried over nothing.  I hope that’s the case.

Work continues on the house.  We’ve gotten most of the public spaces painted and I pulled up the stinky carpet and painted the floor in the husband’s office.  Next project is to do the same for my office/craft room and then paint the walls and put in the craft storage.

World of Warcraft is also eating a lot of time.   Our guild on Alleria now includes my sister and Tom’s nephews, so playing WoW has become a great way to keep in touch with the family as well as kill things.  And they’ve been adding content in preparation for the new expansion.  So much stuff, so little time.

Anyway, that’s all for now.  

And the work is not done.  But we are in the new house and more or less settled.  The cats were only lightly traumatized.  Wendy gets carsick.  She gets drooly and looks glazed.  However she has settled into the new place and is being very friendly and snuggly.  Winston is more composed while driving.  As long as someone is petting him, he settles down.  But he has been hiding  under the sink and only comes out a little bit at a time to scope out the new digs.

The kitchen needs the least amount of work, so I have been focusing on putting our stuff away there.  I’m also working on the clothing and the bathroom cabinets.  The other rooms are kind of on hold until we come up with a painting schedule.  I have been promised a living/dining room paint this weekend.  Then I can start getting those two rooms together.

We took the canoe out on Tuesday to tow some floating mats of vegetation away from our shoreline.  It was an interesting project, if a little stinky.

So we’re pretty happy, very tired and still married.  I’d call it a success.

So we did it!  The papers have been signed, the keys handed over and we’re set for a move next week.  Tiernen and I are now homeowners.