Definitely not mine - I only seem to buy boyfriend/girlfriend two packs !

Current Mood : Slight excitement...

OK. So. Seems that I need to re-think a few things. First off, dragging other peoples' conversations over here to debate them is pretty weak of me. Even worse when it's a one-sided rant - complaining about other people's rants ! So let's not do that anymore. Surely there's other things to discuss, and better ways to do so. Thanks, VenusBoi79, for the gentle reminder.

Not much else going on, unless you count some odd computer problems. If I run Chrome, and leave it up, wandering off to do something else for a while before returning, invariably I come back to a restarted system. Weird. That just started. Doesn't happen with Firefox or IE, just Chrome, and come to think of it, Windows just had an update. (sigh) I'll figure it out later. 

Oliver-kitten is completely entranced with the bubbles of Lagoona's Hydration Station, so I sort of have to be careful leaving it on around him. With the water, it's pretty heavy, but still... Pulled out the glitter lamp today, and fitted the Station in its place - I like it better ! I'd offer the glitter lamp to Dearest Son, but it gets very hot, and he tends to leave things running for much too long, so I'm gonna wrap it up and donate it.  

You're gonna laugh at this but...I'm slowly discovering that most of the junk-stuff I love to eat tastes like crap - or nothing at all - now. It's true. Potato chips, Chex mix, French Onion dip, rye bread, the occasional stolen loop from our Funyun-addicted son's bag...mostly taste like twigs. Sweet things still mostly keep their flavors, but it's weird when you expect a burst of fake cheese off a Cheetoh, and all you seem to get is texture and air.

Oh, and yet another 'buy a set to get the one you don't have' three-pack has surfaced. This time, you get to buy (or re-buy) 'Dawn of the Dance' Clawdeen and Frankie to get DotD DracuLaura. And frankly, the fan versions I've seen did a better job with the dress. A week of solid effort with good fabric, and I'd have created my own better version of her dress. Kinda disappointed, but since I wasn't gonna buy one solo or in a set, it's not a chest-crusher for me. But a lot of other fans have wanted that particular DLaura for a long time, and having to buy yet another set is stirring the muttering. 

Hmm. Turns out that Target.com has finally updated their MH listings, which now include the 'locker' dolls. While the .com itself is sold out, I can still use the listings to see if the local stores have 'em - it's how I got Ghoulia and Holt so long ago. 

And they're open at 8am tomorrow, it says...

Stay cool !

Current Mood : Hopeful

Even less going on today - Beloved Hubby dropped off the 'scripts for pickup on Monday, Dearest Son is still at his grandparents'. I'm still trying hard to stay awake during the day, because just now, I'm sleeping maybe 20 minutes out of every hour at night ! May not sound like much, but it's a vast improvement over rolling around all night like a bead in an empty drawer, for hours. 

I'm still playing with the Hydration Station, even though I should have put it back away days ago. It's that pretty. Plus, once it is where it belongs, that's pretty much the end for MH furniture purchases, I'm outta space ! It's funny that, even though I know exactly how it's put together - because I'm the one what did it - I still partially expect Lagoona to be soaking wet when I open the door, instead of exactly the way I put her in there. 

Never got a decent photo of it with the lights on. So I'm thinking of taking a full-motion video this weekend, posting it on YouTube, for kicks. Heck, Dearest makes his own videos, it can't be as difficult as I'm fearing. I have a tripod, after all...

Well, that's really about it for the day. Beloved's home, so we're just relaxin'. Hope your day was as chill !

Hot fun in the summertime...

Current Mood : Giggly

Not much going on today - DFIL picked up Dearest Son for a visit this morning, so once he was showered and packed, the bulk of my 'to do' list for today had a line through it. Took out some trash, did more laundry, just puttered.

It was so hot here today, Beloved Hubby was home after lunch for the day, so we got an early start to the weekend. I found one of the two 'mystery movies' of my misspent youth on Netflix and settled in. Back in my day, the only physical activity you could get me into without a fight - besides long walks along the beach, I was a proto-geek - was roller-skating. It's not immodest to say I was pretty good at it, I routinely taught at our local rink, and I felt graceful and slightly talented for three hours a week. Not bad. 

So when any movie - or any media - promised the tiniest bit of sweet roller disco action, you know I was there. And you're already aware of my slight Xanadu fetish, right ? It's the one right next to the disco mirror ball one. Well, there were two other skating movies out just prior, and I know I watched one in a theater. But which one ? As you can imagine, they share more than just quad skates - from what I can tell, they also divvy up 90% of a very basic plot. Wow, there's a big competition that'll determine who's the best skater of them all ?!! OMG !!

Well, it wasn't Roller Boogie, I know that now. Fun to watch, but ultimately just too boring. I'm sure that, when the universe finally tosses Skatetown, USA in my path, I'll be as let down, if not more so. Heck, I still haven't gotten over how bad Speed Racer cartoons are, compared to my memories...

It's so shiny and pretty...and doesn't photograph for crap, darn it !

Current Mood : Sleepy, for once !

I have to confess - between my medical pros and Beloved Hubby, I'm sort of on a modified 'house rest' sort of thing. We're slowly but surely getting the house back in order in the evenings, with Dearest Son's help, but during the day, I'm on 'rest, relax, sleep' orders. Sounds nice, but even I can only space out for so many hours out of each day. It's not long before the sweet home I share with my fellas starts to feel like a spacious hospital room with a kitchen. Still don't trust m'self to sew yet, so I'm looking around at fun stuff I missed when I was too out of it to care - now that I'm just barely 'into it' again !

Lagoona's Hydration Station had to be #1 on the list. I didn't even know what the 'three different aquatic light effects' were yet, and I hadn't used that too-cool branded funnel to add water to the forward chamber, either. Originally, I'd hesitated because I didn't wanna use rechargeable batteries - all the AA size we have - but I was ready to be done with such concerns. Besides, using rechargers means I'd need to change the water more often, most assuredly a good thing. I was too curious to let that stay in my way any longer. 

It is *lovely*. The lights are blue and green, two of each, and there's three settings with an 'off' in between. First is a short burst of lit-up bubbles, a pause, then another burst. The second is more dancing green and blue bubbles, for as long as you like. Last, the lights fade and brighten, like rave Christmas lights. Not my favorite, it gives weird shadows to the doll within's face, but nice to have. 

Further experiments reveal that, even without the stand, the only way to get two dolls in there is to either leave off the protruding shelf back door and substitute your own out of paper or cardboard. Which is easy - attaching the door in the first place is 90% of the 'assembly required' part. And you'll have to prop and fit the dolls in there like an odd game of Tetris. The guy dolls just barely fit, and it's best to remove their shoes. If you really want the truth of the matter, Lagoona's a tight squeeze herself, and she was *made* to go in there !

Still, there's a lot to like - especially if you got a good price on it like Beloved. The bubble motor isn't loud at all, but when he's across the room, he says it sounds like voices. Could be creepy ! It always bugs me when you see a toy ad and somehow, you can hear the doll/toy/whatever speak clearly, but in the ad, you never hear the servomotors working the mouth. If I'd have known the mechanisms on the Furby line were so loud - something completely removed in the ads - I probably wouldn't have purchased one, much less two. 

I'm enamored of her stand, although really, it's identical to all the others, just the back part is bubble-shaped. It, and nearly all the included props, are done in a fresh and delightful transparent pale blue. I liked how the stand could either fit in the Station directly, or outside of it with the included matching base. It would have been easier to make it one or the other, so it was nice to see Mattel use both. 

Not a lot of other props, but I like using the matching light-blue skullie brush, and the tiny Lagoona-themed funnel was a blast. Chamber took maybe a third of a liter to fill. There is a fill-line, but it's small and barely noticeable, which was nice. My Neptuna, Lagoona's pet fish, had a slight eye rub, no big whoop. His (her ?) little matching eye-mask was so adorable, I couldn't stay miffed. Removing Lagoona's mask was a PITA, since they used six tiny white tags, and I usually end up snipping a hair or three trying to remove those darn things. And that's when I use the equally-tiny, super-sharp embroidery scissors !

There's a water bottle, a shampoo bottle, a Nautilus-shaped makeup compact, a tiny Lagoona-size composition-book diary with her name on it, and a matching blue 'pen'. Sometimes I wonder if it's the little accessories that really make me love Monster High.

Sorry I went AWOL again...

Current Mood : Dare I write it..."overwhelmed" ? 




...while I'm OK, I'm still weak and haven't been playing, much less taking photos of anything. Hope to get the 'locker' Monster High dolls soon, too. I've been writing, and hope to catch up tomorrow. Photos are gonna rank, though ! (grin)


Hope the sweltering end of July has gone better - and healthier ! - for you !

Money, money, money

Current Mood : Whiny

I kinda knew better than to try for prescription quotes on a Monday, so I put it off 'til today. Turns out, nearly everyone has about the same prices - except on my one expensive 'script. That one was $55. at Mal-Wart last time, was listing as $62. at Walgreen's (if you shell for the $20. annual 'savers card'), and - are you ready for this ? - $73. at Target. Wow. I almost wanted to verify it with her again, but she'd read it back correctly. Yikes. 

So we're gonna give Mal-Wart one more chance - hopefully having paper 'scripts in-hand and asking them to delete my previous records may help. I'll need 'em Saturday, so we'll probably run 'em by Friday evening. 

Playing phone quotes with pharmacies gave me something to do in the morning - I'm wiped out from yesterday ! My arms hurt, the leg I bruised has some sort of trembling muscle ache on random occasions, and staying conscious was a challenge all day.

Mattel, you drive me crazy....

Current Mood : washed out

After a weekend of goofing around, with a heavy emphasis on sleep, I was pretty much ready to get some work done around here. My stupid, weak body, on the other hand...

Still, by taking my time and lots of breaks, I got four loads of laundry washed, dried, and put away. Not bad ! Sad I got about twelve more loads to go, but four is about right for a day. Gives me enough time to get it all done, without leaving a wet load in the washer to molder until I remember it, or one in the dryer for the guys to dig through, looking for socks or underwear. Used the new setup I finally got going in the hall closet for Beloved's work pants and shirts, and I think it'll work out great. The Airsoft uniforms and winter clothes will still get hung up in our closet, but tossing his right-side-out shirts in the basket's much easier than hanging them all up for the day or three it takes for him to need 'em ! 

Even Dearest Son was impressed by his momma workin' hard. He put his own laundry away, and I let him. He'll leave it in the basket for a few days, then want the basket for some play scenario, and hang everything up. At least he knows better to not just dump his clothes on the bottom of the closet (anymore !).

San Diego Comic Con has passed, without much comment from me - mostly because I just didn't care enough to spend hours up at the computer. I swear, the fandom kerfluffles have really done a number on some part of my psyche. Plus, it was just easier to play with my new girls - Dead Tired Ghoulia and Lagoona - on the sofa when I had the energy than it was to get worked up about more. I'm fairly certain 'Arachne-Girl' won the polls, and once again, I just didn't care. When chicken noodle soup gives you raging heartburn, stuff like whose doll 'won' tends to fall by the wayside. I'm not bitter or disappointed, I honestly just don't care. 

Now, that's not to say I wouldn't be dressed in 45 seconds and in the Diesel if Beloved Hubby said we're out on a locker-doll hunt, but that's unlikely. Besides, I just got new stuff I haven't even had time or health to enjoy. I'm sure that those dolls will be there when we have time and money. 

Not to mention that, after Mattel made the Gloom Beach Ghoulia only available in a five-pack exclusive with all the other GB dolls, I'm a bit ticked at 'em. Not that I'd shell out $60. for the Target-only set, especially after I've already bought the other four girls, but it does put a bad taste in a lot of fan mouth. As others have noted, if you decide to get this set, make sure you know what Ghoulia's supposed to look like. I can imagine too many 'uber fans' buying one, replacing GB Ghoulia with Bratz Swimsuit Dead Tired Ghoulia, resealing the box, and returning it to Target. Seen it too many other times with Barbie, and they weren't even collector dolls, just playline.

Sometimes, stupid *does* hurt ! owww...

Current Mood : Nursing my stupid. 

Today we learned a rather hard lesson about gravity and clutter. My hip still twinges a bit, and I imagine the bruise will be epic when it's done flowering. What happened was, the semi-sheer curtain I like to use in our Playroom keeps falling down. It's just a cheap, simple tension rod, so every time a vibrating sound machine blasts down the street, it wiggles the window frames, giving the rod just enough space to lose tension and fall again. Since I tend to sew partially dressed - it gets hot in there - I really need that curtain up. Unfortunately, a lot of Beloved Hubby's Airsoft and art supplies are right in front of the window. Not blocking the light, but right there at sill-level. 

Since Beloved had to replace the curtain twice yesterday - I can't reach it - I was looking for more permanent solutions. That poor tension rod just wasn't cutting it. So I dug around and liberated some cup hooks until I had a matched set. Gave m'self a half hour to rest before I went for the install, since my breathing's still heavy and I'm still kinda out of it. 

I should have just bagged the whole thing when I realized there wasn't any truly stable place to grab. I really was too far back from the window, and there was still too much in the way. So, when the inevitable happened, it was a disaster. I leaned a bit too far on the step-stool toolbox, it lifted up, I jumped off - and slammed my arm into a shelf he'd put up over his desk, and my hip into the desk itself. To avoid falling over further, I'd grabbed another shelf in desperation, and ripped it right out of the wall. And still fell over. At least my landing was slow and cushioned. And the bruise didn't hurt 'til later. Even now, it's not really a 'hurt' unless I hit it on something. 

Surprisingly, all the noise and thumps - I didn't yell, but lots of stuff got knocked over - didn't wake Beloved, so he didn't know until he saw the bruise I'd forgotten. It does look like a purple and yellow tattoo, possibly of a sea cucumber. Beloved simply re-hung the curtain the way he has the last six times it's fallen, so eventually, when I have more sense and energy, I'll put in the cup-hooks. After I've moved a bunch more stuff so I don't topple over again !

Finally - one off the 'To Do' list !

Current Mood : Jubilant !

Today started out rather quiet- Beloved Hubby had a job to go to, so I had the day to m'self. Last night was another 'catch an hour or two of sleep here and there' night, so I was still dragging when he left. Next thing I knew, it was nearly noon. I'd crashed on the sofa trying to decide what to watch with breakfast. 

After a quick early lunch instead, I debated having fun or getting work done. A quick glimpse at Lagoona's brand-new Hydration Station decided it for me. I figured I'd have just enough energy to clean out that hall closet, get it ready to store some of Beloved's wardrobe the way he planned. Of course, that meant taking everything off both shelves in there, mostly sheets and linen and some memory-type stuff, then reorganizing it, and getting it back in, hopefully leaving one shelf bare, but I could take breaks when I needed to...

It took much longer than I thought - over an hour, with all the brief  'catch-your-wind' stops - but I got it done. Now I can concentrate on the laundry for the next couple days, and have somewhere to put it while it's getting done. I confess, the laundry pile's gotten so bad, I can't get to the closet to get stuff put away, and having it in clean and dirty piles just means it all becomes a 'dirty' pile within a day or three. So this had to get done - and I'm sorta proud of me. It was on the list for earlier this month, but I've been meaning to get it done since Beloved mentioned it shortly after we moved in. 

Also got some more trash gathered up, and some minor puttering work done. Soon Beloved was home, but he was so tired - and lightly sunburned - that all he wanted was a nice long nap. So I made sure he got one. And then I got sleepy, and there went the day. Fine with me - I still have toys I haven't played with yet !

About time I got a second Lagoona !

Current Mood : Moony

Even DC-kitty only came in to eat - very lightly - and sleep. You know it's hot when cats come inside to rest !

I'm now completely off sodas - even my beloved Dr. Pepper - and 90% off carbonated drinks. The 'brown sodas' still don't taste right, and anything carbonated is making my feet puffy. Just my feet. But that gets uncomfortable really fast, so I'm mostly drinking stuff like lemonade, tea, and water. These days, once I get that water cold enough, it's a treat all by itself. Found some small plastic bottles that, if I freeze the water within for an hour, it'll crush down and give you ice cold water with built-in crunchy cubes !

Still haven't played much with the Hydration Station. I'm probably gonna try rechargeable batteries soon, it's all we have in AA size on a consistent basis. Not sure what I'm gonna do about Lagoona. She's so lovely, and so different from my first one that, you guessed it, I wanna keep her, but...

And, of course, now that I have a big, expensive playset, the 'locker' set dolls are making appearances a state or two away. Ah, well. I'll get 'em eventually ! 

Today's 'fan who makes me afraid' comes to my notice from another doll forum that has a side-board for stuff like Monster High and Blythe dolls, and that section's pretty busy. As mentioned before, Mattel's doing a 'vote for the next' promo on some prototype dolls at the comics convention, no big whoop. Yet someone managed to take that personally. He/She mentioned having to get off the MH Facebook page because his/her rage over his/her favorite of the three not firmly and irreversibly ahead in the polls. Yes. Someone Out There is extremely upset, to the point of rage, that a doll isn't 'winning' a popularity contest. Of course, this was followed by all the reasons why the current fore-runner is such a terrible choice. (sigh)

What scared me worse is that several other board members agreed and sympathized ! Yes, they too feel intense anger at the unfairness of it all, and it's nothing the original poster should be upset about. Heck, another denizen admitted that board members do a lot of that - 'b*tching about stupid people on Flickr, or people elsewhere who don't see our (dolls) through the same eyes we do.' 

Yet some of these are the same people who urged me to be more patient and be glad Mattel was willing to sell my ungrateful azz anything at all. Is it just me, or has acceptance, tolerance, and trying to see from another viewpoint gone right the heck out the window ? If I don't agree with you on everything, I'm a target of your rage, too ? Sad. 

Truly, the fandom is starting to scare me, and I may have to stick to just Flickr (guess that makes me one of the stupid people) or risk having the 'fans to fear' segment be an ongoing blog 'feature'. Ugh.

My Beloved is the BEST !

Current Mood : Dizzy lucky !

My medical appointment was all done by 9:45am, and while my chest was tight, it's wasn't abnormally so, and with an upper pressure air system that just won't go away, they've been seeing lots of patients with tight airways. While I haven't lost weight, I haven't gained any, either, so that's good. They want me to continue to take it easy in this environment, but get more exercise than I am. So, back to housework for me, darn it ! 

Left clutching two sample inhalers and paper print-outs of my prescriptions. Normally, I'd just ask them to fax the 'scripts right over to whichever Mal-Wart pharm we live near, but they really borked us around the past few months. They are definitely not getting the easy renewal. So, this week or next, I get to call around for prices. I'd love it if Target was cheaper - I hardly ever get to go there !

Got a double load of laundry done but not put away yet - I was wiped out ! To recover, I sat my desk and hummed around. Early preview photos from the San Diego Comic Con were coming in, and there's lots more Monster High showing there than there ever was at any Toy Fair. Glory alleluia, there's gonna be 'school club' outfits sold separately, including DLaura's adorable 'Newspaper' one, shown earlier this year as line art, and a 'Dead Fast' fan outfit for 'Comic Club' Ghoulia. The Want begins anew...

They also had a voting booth for the next doll, with three choices. The white-eyed green 'Banshee' background girl from the webisodes, the Headless Headmistress, and a really exotic spider girl, complete with six arms. Wow. I knew spider-girl would win, but I still voted for my favorite, the Headmistress. It was actually a tough call, since I also liked the Banshee girl, and really loved her outfit - which included a MH letterman-style jacket ! How many dolls would I love to have one of those for ? (sigh) 

Finally decided on a tasty baked potato lunch, and while it was being nuked, noticed the 20% off ToysRUs coupon I meant to stuff in my purse for tonight - since we may go out ! - wasn't where I had it, under the Membership Rewards card. Which was also gone. Well, ceiling fans, pushy kittens, and thundering Dearests will cause anything to scatter. I'd find it after lunch. In newer, brighter light, I concluded that the thrift store Malibu PJ I got a few weeks back is Sunsational - what I think is a dark blue line around her pupil actually is the dark purple of her eye shadow, it's just difficult to tell if the light is dim. 

Ended up falling asleep right in my chair, watching a Hoarders rerun. I've learned which ones I can watch while eating ! I'd barely awakened - and had just moved into the living room to watch the Korean live-action version of Boys over Flowers - when Beloved was home. I worry about him in this heat until he's home. He was a bit burned, but beaming, bearing a large TRU bag ! Could it be...?

Well....not exactly. Ours doesn't have the 'locker' dolls yet, but he wanted to bring me a surprise, so I'm now the proud owner of Lagoona's Hydration Station ! It's so awesome ! And the doll isn't nearly as grey-bland as I thought. She's actually quite elegant, and I can't wait to test out her bubbles ! We just have to buy some fresh batteries...whoops !

It's funny, though. It even comes with a 'Lagoona Skullie' embossed funnel, so kids won't have such a hard time filling it - the hole is pretty small. I love her stand, and the matching aqua-blue clear skullie brush is my favorite one so far. It's identical to the rest, but the color is irresistible ! 

Well, I guess I know where the coupon and card went ! He was quite proud of remembering it, and with those, the Hydration Station was only $34., with tax. Wow. When I think of the folks who paid Hastings $85. - plus shipping - or $80. to eBay sellers, I'm so proud of him, too. 

And I can't wait to get you some photos ! Just have no idea when I'll be out for batteries !

Thinking of good things...

Current Mood : Nervous but happy

I actually slept last night ! In bed, lying down like a normal person. Yeah, I was rolling my eyes at m'self when I went to bed so early, and I was about to get up an hour later because I was still awake, but the next thing I knew, it was 5am - I'd slept nearly five hours ! Whoo-hoo ! Of course, that didn't keep me from nodding off this afternoon for two more hours on the sofa. That was a really boring movie Dearest son picked out...

Well, ya snooze ya lose, and by the time I realized that ToysRUs.com had the 'locker' dolls available for mail-order sale this morning, they were sold out. Just as well - we're still broke ! It's still kind of funny, though. Beloved Hubby says we may  be able to do a bit of shopping this weekend, though...

But I doubt we'll have much cash after my medical appointment tomorrow. I was lucky they had an early cancellation I could step in to. Kinda nervous, since so much has changed since last year, most of it within the last two months. Since all I really want (and all we can really afford) is a new set of prescription refils, I don't think I can talk about much.

 I am gonna ask to have my inhaler prescript changed back to Ventolin. The new one, Pro Air, is more difficult to use than I like. Even keeping up with the device cleanings, it's very difficult to tell when or even if I'm getting the medicine, much less if it's a full dose or not. Truly, I can't even tell if they cylinder's still got meds in it or not, it's so hard to detect. And frankly, if I don't know if I'm getting it, I'll end up overdosing just to be sure, which isn't what I need. It's a shame, because Pro Air worked great those first three or four weeks.

DFIL is picking me and Dearest up, dropping Dearest off at his house, escorting me to my (hopefully quick) appointment, then bringing me back home. Whew. That's a lot to ask, but he says he's pleased to help out. While I got one of the appointment times Beloved asked for, he's got more running around to do than expected, and DFIL volunteered, so...  I just hope I let him know how much we appreciate it. Dearest asked if he could stay overnight tomorrow, and with everyone in agreement, he is. Since Beloved's got Friday plans, tomorrow will be our night together.

I don't think I told ya'll this, but here 'tis - there's another big Airsoft game in September. And this one is invitation-only. Guess who's Beloved Hubby already got the nod ? Mine ! He's honored, and a little thrilled, but kinda undecided about going. I'm trying to encourage him, and he's going to a meeting of sorts about it Friday night. Those tend to go on for hours, so I think I'll relax at home, maybe try to sew. That's what I'd really like.

That and a couple oranges, nectarines, a peach, and maybe some mixed nuts...

Oh, and my most recent 'Encounters with Fans that Make Me Sigh' happened today. An otherwise charming young lady described her visit to a local TRU by contrasting it with a group of four 'soccer moms' / 'crazy heifers' who were there at the same time for the same reason - finding and buying Monster High dolls. She described the group as tearing through the store as soon as doors opened, ripping open boxes with car keys, claiming what they wanted and discussing past victory/failures while waiting for checkout lines to open. She'd hung back, grabbed what she wanted, and waited behind them in line, evidently forming such charming bovine-based names for them.

I had trouble discerning what they 'soccer moms' did wrong - or any differently than the storyteller did. One person called her on the 'heifer' comment, which she blithely brushed aside, saying she hadn't been waiting for hours for TRU to open, she was just in the area, and she didn't tear through boxes or race through the store. I guess that's what sets her apart ? She wasn't excited and wasn't expecting much ? She further remarked that she'd rather pay more money via eBay than go through that horrible experience again. I was again at a loss. What was so terrible ? Several fans shop together... or is it because it's at her store, and they might actually find and (gasp !) buy something she wants ?! Before she can get to it ? OH, my. Two other comments apologized for her having to deal with that ( huh ?) and one commented that, with roving packs of soccer moms terrorizing the stores, it was no wonder supplies were limited. I couldn't even formulate a response.

So now, anyone who buys what you want within 50 miles of your house is the enemy ? A hooliganized soccer cow ? Someone who has a bit more time than money to invest in dolls is less than human ? Showing up early and eager with friends who enjoy the same thing is bad ? Sure, maybe opening the shipping boxes wasn't the best thing, but I've seen TRU do that for its more popular toys before, and we've all seen h#lluva lot worse there  the closer we get to December. And if whining about the witch who 'stole your Spectra' in a checkout line is such a horrible offense, you may as well shut down any website that has the words 'Monster' and 'High' within two pages of each other, because that's a constant.

I'm starting to see Shinobu running with her doll again...

Roadside thrills !

Current Mood : Waiting for bedtime, although I doubt I'll sleep...

Wish me luck - I'm hoping the Dr's office will have an appointment available Thursday, Friday, or Monday. If they don't, I may have to find out if DFIL is available for transportation. I'm a little nervous about going - I hate going when I don't feel my best. But maybe that is for the best. I will say that all the water I'm drinking (still haven't gone back to soda) has improved my gravelly complexion. Doubt I'll ever lose the dark circles under my eyes - they may be hereditary - but the rest of my face is about as even-toned as it's ever been, and I'm not breaking out at all. Go figure.

Beloved Hubby also had an unusual event to report - down the street from the house he's working on, he spotted an older but quite intact Oreck upright vacuum in the trash. Now, Beloved has a fair aversion to trash picking, 'curb shopping', Dumpster Diving, urban recycling...it embarrassed him when I did it and he wasn't even in the same county. But our Hoover is once again fritzed, and the Shop Vacs aren't as easy to use...so he looped around and grabbed it.

Here's the funny thing - it works ! It's an older model, but it works just fine, it's not even noisy. Found the owner's manual on Oreck' s website and all. Even the 'headlights' operate ! It needs a new disposable dust bag, of course, and the zipper track on the 'overbag' (?) part is rough and without a pull, but that can be easily fixed. Heck, a girl can buy a whole new 'overbag' for $50. on Amazon.com.

But I'd prefer to imagine getting a whole new vacuum cleaner for free instead !

Other than that, today was a basic 'clean the living room, get everyone bathed' day. Wish me luck with the kitchen tomorrow, I'm gonna go for it as soon as I wake up ! 

Current Mood : Well-fed, for now ! Just wish I felt like eating...

Current Image Notes : Ghoulia thinks the internet fad 'planking' isn't that hard, but it does put her in easy daydreams of Dead Fast, her comic book hero - daydream supply.

You can tell I'm still weak and weary when Beloved Hubby does the grocery shop solo - with no protest from me. I think he was relieved, because if I came, then Dearest Son would, and we both will promise to not want anything, just wanna look...but of course, that's when ya find.

I'm reasonably quiet in my Monster High Wants lately. Stuff I know want - the 'locker' dolls, primarily - still aren't in wide release yet, and the stuff I want a closer look at - the 'Day at the Maul' clothes set, Abbey Bominable, and the new 'hang loose' Lagoona - is also in a sort of limbo. Besides, Beloved says we'll probably have fundage in two or three weeks for the locker sets, and hopefully by then, they'll be out and available. So there's no use in getting keyed up and wired. Plenty of time for that later.

After going through two sets of cheap blue air conditioner filters in three weeks, he wanted to look for some other alternatives. Seriously, those cheap blue ones had dirt on them thick enough to come off in sheets on both sides, with more dirt trapped within. Are we that filthy ? Well, all the AC cleaning did stir up a lot of vintage dirt, and we live in the former Dustbowl, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. He was most curious about air purifiers, but I've never had good luck with them. They've always worked well until it was time to replace the filter the first time, and after that, they just rotated and sucked up air and power. Beloved's folks once took back a gift Sharper Image ultra-sonic ne deluxe ultra one four times, because each time, the newest one would break a week or two shy of its warranty expiration. When the last one bellied up, they found a note on their file basically telling the next clerk to just shrug at them and do nothing, SI wasn't replacing another. No reason, and half the time DFIL was there to return the latest POS, he wasn't the only one in line with the same box.

I didn't say any of this to Beloved, but he spent about 20 minutes or so in the air cleaner aisle before realizing that none of them really did much beside make a few vague promises. So instead, he upgraded the Cheap Blues to a $17. electrostatic filter, and I can almost swear I can tell the difference. We're both coughing, which really is good news, since we've both felt chest-clogged for weeks. Getting whatever it is out would really help, I think !

Not much else as exciting. But you never know what happens around here next !

Laze-around Sunday

Current Mood : Nodding off

Current Image Notes : Sunday afternoon at the Yelps' home - much like it is at Chez Insanity, too. We just don't have the neat Bratz furniture.

Had a bit of a late-night scare about 3am today - when I went to get a drink of water, there wasn't any. Seriously, rotated the taps all around, nothing. I panicked for a few seconds, then remembered we're on City Of water, so it's likely to be a simple case of late-night maintenance or a busted main. No online information, nothing Beloved Hubby could do, so there was no sense waking him up. I got some bottled water - stored for just such an emergency !- and some ice cubes from the freezer. About 20 minutes later, I heard the kitchen taps start and spurt, so I was glad I just relaxed.

Not much going on today, either - got the rest of my bedside clean, and most of my desk. What little that got clean in the kitchen got dirty again when we decided to have French toast and hash browns for a late breakfast. Darn it. Breakfast was sure good, though...

It was a lazy day for all concerned, since Beloved's already expecting a rough, long week.

There's never an escape from...storage problems ! And sometimes sharks.

Current Mood : Relaxed.

Current Image Notes : With apologies to Richard Dreyfuss, Stephen Spielberg, and everyone else who loves Jaws. 

In  a small effort to tidy things up, but not move around a lot - still wheezing - my housework tends to be highly contained these days. For this stay-at-home weekend, I decided to hack through the ole in-box, which has pretty much gone unchecked since a few days before my birthday. Ah, if e-mail Spam was chocolate, the world would be happier.

I found that I'd forgotten I'm a member of Embroidery Library's 'Birthday Club', and got my usual two offers - $10. off any embroidery designs, or half off any sets, my choice. So I had a merry hour choosing four designs from the Wishlist I also forgot I had, and snagged five freebies at the same time - nine designs for free ! Now if I can just get off my stuck-in-neutral butt and get in there and sew / embroider something...

While trying to sleep last night - yes, insomnia's back, but at least the nightmares are staying away - I also tidied up bedside, gathering all the loose doll stuff into an old hot-pink nylon Sailor Moon soft-side lunch tote that was also cluttering up the space. That poor lunch tote. It didn't wash up very well, so paint is flaked off in long strips, and the eye-searing hot pink just isn't 'me' anymore. But I'm gonna use it for Monster High doll shoe storage, since the smaller bags I'm using are overflowing. It'll also keep the Sailor Moon bag in use, and let me know whether or not to look for a similar MH-themed kit during the back-to-school sales. Or just save the six bucks and make one. There's several out this year, but I haven't really seen a design or print that I like yet.

I also had to squeeze in about six more sets of stands, a handful of props, a few diaries, and more 'how to use your new toy' leaflets in the plastic shoebox I use for them. Glad I don't want much more, that box is packed ! Found the Bratz 'sofa' in the bottom, and pulled it out... you'll be seeing it soon. It looks great with Ghoulia's pajamas !

Turns out, the Sailor Moon bag not only fits great in the box, but holds everybody's shoes, even the guys' skateboards, eliminating two smaller makeup-bag size containers. That box is getting pretty full, though. Once I start sewing again, it won't be long before the 'stands and stuff' box either has to come out, or I'll need a bigger MH container. 

Flappin' through Friday...

Current Mood : Hopeful still

Current Image Notes : I really like this image, for so many reasons...

Until last night, I thought the perfect kitten toy was loose airsoft pellets. They're cheap, they're everywhere if you have an airsoft fan in the house, and they're unpredictable - move a shirt to the laundry pile, and you just unleashed 20 or more ! And you'll be hearing that skittering bounce-and-roll for days.

It's good, but there's something better. Got three of 'em in last night. And Oliver-kitten went nutz. Truly the best cat-toy anywhere has to be a flight of half-dead, semi-suicidal Junebugs, attracted to oblivion by the steady thread of your porch-light as you wait for Beloved Hubby to come home. The poor brown husks were already a memory by the time DC stopped in this morning for a snack and kitten-lesson, but Oliver really enjoyed them. That may be why I found all three in a single cardboard box, one that'd been used to ship a product evaluation here last month. I really need to clean this place...

If Junebugs are the day's thrill, you can imagine the rest of the hours. One interesting bit - I'd forgotten to put ice water in the freezer last night, so ended up drinking soda. I'd much rather have the half-frozen ice and water combo, but... anyway, it's been days since I had actual caffeine soda, but after a lifetime addiction, I didn't think much of helping m'self to a half-glass late this afternoon. Until my ankles started to swell up and get a bit painful. And that's hours after I took my daily diuretics ! Weird. They're still a bit puffy, so I think I'll go back to ice water, and trust that fat ankles will remind me to keep that going !

Someone on LiveJournal reposted photos she'd seen on FaceBook of the new 'Classroom / locker' dolls that I yearn so much for. So they're on the way - hopefully we'll have money by the time they get here, we still don't have half the new ones that were out weeks ago everywhere else. Haven't mentioned them to Beloved Hubby yet, he's already stressed and doesn't need my tugging at his sleeves right now. I already know it's a quiet home weekend, and that's fine with me. I got tons of housework, and I miss my sewing so much, I took apart an old doll dress without thinking about it at about 5am this morning. Hey - new material !

Anyway, the Classroom Assortment - that seems to be the most 'official' name for them so far - packaging is amazing. I really want. These are the boxes that get hung up for display ! Much as I whined and complained about the packaging changing when we got to see that first hotly debated look at the prototype Spectra, I can see how the new design works better for the whole line. I still miss the original, especially when I see my box lineup so far, but I'm not gonna quibble about cardboard (much) when the dolls are this imaginative. 

I keep hearing Taste of Honey's "Sukiyaki" in my mind...

Current Mood : Good. Good. Surprisingly good !

Current Image Notes : A lovely online kimono paper doll, new from Doll Divine - go play ! http://dolldivine.com/mega-yukata-creator.php

Let the choir sing and the heavens ring - I actually *slept* last night !

Decided that the generic Mucinex wasn't working as well, and quit taking it yesterday - I still have gunk, but I had it with or without the pills, so what was the point ? Kept my airways as clear as possible during the day the old fashioned way - horking and honking - and they were pretty much good to go during the night. No panic attacks, no asthma attacks (some tightness, but that's status quo for me at night), no gasping, no strange five-minute-long repeating dreams / nightmares, all night. Well, from about 1am until almost 5. Still, that's amazing for me lately. Still tired and sleepy, but I was actually hungry this morning, and I feel much more like m'self than I have in months. When this is a good thing, you know I've been off the rails for quite some time !

Of course, no good without some bad - Windows 7 installed a new Service Pack, which meant restarts and such for a good hour this morning, and the trash crews were out and about at 7:31am. Next week, they won't roll out until after noon. I'd just put the trash out Wednesday, but it's only allowed out between certain hours, or you're subject to fines. And no one thinks the 'Trash Day' videogame will sell...

Still tight-chested and very tired, but I finally feel like I'm on the road to solid recovery. Oliver-kitten is getting used to his every-other-day bath, and while he still doesn't like it, he seems willing to accept it for a safe home and limitless Meow Mix. DC-kitty is still coming around more often, and I honestly think it's to play and instruct Oliver. I'd been afraid introducing a new cat to DC's space would mean we wouldn't see him anymore. Glad it turned out the opposite !

Most cola-based sodas still taste weird. Had some root beer last night, and for some reason, I tasted licorice in it. Heavily. Generic Dr. Pepper is OK, but I still prefer lemonade, or nearly-frozen-solid ice water. Even milk tastes 'too thick' lately. Got some minor housecleaning done, and hope to have another good night to tackle the stinky kitchen. You know it's bad when you take out three bags of trash, and it's still aromatic in there ! 

There's always something new, even when you're in the middle of wresting with more of the same-old...

Current Mood : Melted, but re-solidifying...

No such luck. I had a virtual repeat of yesterday - repeated nightmares, variations on a theme - except this time, instead of worrying about what I said, the haunting was about my stomach. That it was erupting, bleeding inside, severely damaged, melting, on and on until I woke up ready to call an ambulance. At 4am, numerous distorted mirror images of my tummy didn't tell me what I needed to know, and I was convinced, in my sleep-deprived, addled brain, that Beloved Hubby knew there was something severely wrong, but for some reason refused to tell me. So I had to figure it out m'self.

That didn't last long. If anyone could see my massive gut, in ugly living color, it was Beloved. And if he even thought there was a problem with the slightest centimeter of me, it, along with the rest of my butt, would be on a stretcher before I had a chance to whine or second-guess about it. By the time he left for work, I'd worked it out and was tired enough to yearn for sleep. Took a two hour nap and felt much better. I'm now actively wondering what's on the slate for tonight. I think I can handle it faster and better, whatever it is - wish me luck !

Photos of the latest Lagoona Blue, from the 'School's Out' line of Monster High dolls, have surfaced - so far, it's from the same person who pretty much has every MH doll made, no matter if no one's ever seen 'em outside an overseas Toy Fair catalog or print ad. I wonder how this fan manages to get one of every new release weeks ahead of even pre-orders - and it's doll in-hand, with box and everything - but I've learned to just accept that Mattel just wants to sell all the new stuff overseas first now, and appreciate someone else's photos and the fact that they'll sell my whining-consumer butt anything at all. (Bitterness may not become one, but I see nothing wrong with the occasional indulgence ! )

Thing is, the new Lagoona is nice ! She's very pretty, and I love her entire outfit, especially those adorable 'bubble jelly' shoes. I had a very similar pair, back in the day - they were even pink ! They just had, you know, actual heels. But what made me really sit up and sigh, wondering if I could squeeze one more doll into the 'Want' list, was her right hand. Ah, Mattel... just when I get so angry and frustrated with you, ya step up your game and become irresistible again. Lagoona's right hand is molded into a thumb-and-pinky-out  'hang loose' sign, complete with webs still between her fingers and all. If they're all as well-made as the one I saw, it's a definite score !

I also learned that TRU has the 'Classroom' / locker dolls up on their site - not available yet, but $21.99 each when they are. Since we're already a bit pinched for funds, I'm not even gonna mention it to Beloved, but it's nice to know there's so much out there to like !

And seeing them on TRU, even as 'not available', at least got me off my indolent rear and spurred me to list those two expensive doll pattern books I've been yammering about. You know, the ones I haven't used in years, then haven't listed in weeks. Well, they're ready for buyers with slightly less deep pockets - I always price mine a bit less than what's already there, to encourage quick sales - but even if they sold today, I won't see the cash for more than two weeks after I confirm shipping. Since I'm a 'new seller', Amazon can do that, and will. Ah, well. It's still a better deal than eBay. I'm still shocked that they take a chunk out of shipping fees - eBay, not Amazon. I pretty much emptied House Checking to pay off eBay, so I'm gonna give them wide space for a while.

Few minutes 'til bedtime. May still have insomnia, but I think I've gotten to the root of the nightmare issue, and if it's not conquered, I can at least deal with it better. Besides, I'm running out of stuff to be bizarrely scared over !




Thanks again, everyone, for your notes and encouragement, and tidbits from your experiences. They help, a lot ! I may be only barely conscious enough to read 'em, but each one is a line back to sanity, and I appreciate them. I haven't said it, but right now, even cheese tastes funny, and that's just plain wrong ! But maybe I'll finally lose weight when everything tastes like over-sweet or over-salted ashes. When ice really tastes good, you know things are goin' a bit wonky...

  

Don't Panic ! Wheeeee !

Current Mood : Much better, now that I got some green ! 

Current Image Notes : How could I ever have forgotten the 'Hitch-Hiker's Guide' logo ? I think I'll keep it handy, remind m'self not to panic - easier to keep up with than a towel ! 

I'm such a cheap tightwad. Thought about putting up a bid or three for the new journal / diaries that come with the second wave Monster High dolls. While I gratefully have the 'Forbitten Romance' ones, I was also interested in getting the 'School's Out' set, since there was no way I was buying the dolls. The all-new ones for Spectra Vondergeist and Abbey Bominable intrigued me, too. But remembering that my last foray into 'cheap' MH ancillary goodies led me to watch a simple DVD auction close at within two bucks of a $25. complete doll, and decided to explore other options. Within ten minutes, I'd found scans of all the new diaries, minus their covers for some reason. Good enough for me - and saved me the minimum $5. bid. After all, I just wanna read 'em, not make a shrine.

I'm learning a lot more about the connection between dreams and my possible panic attacks. Not sure what's causing them, but in that hour or two between 'awake' and 'almost asleep', I've had numerous, rapid-fire nightmares. They're always short and repetitive, sometimes identical, sometimes variations on the same theme, over and over for an hour or three until I wake up. Luckily, I don't get this every night/morning, but it's happening two and three times a week lately. 

Anyway, somewhere between yesterday and today, I had enough of these darn things to have me question what was real and what was nightmare. I honestly couldn't tell. There'd been times between nightmare clusters where I'd been awake and reading, or on the computer...or were those dreams, too ? Unfortunately, Beloved Hubby had already left for work, and Dearest Son was not yet awake, so I really didn't have anyone to ask right at that moment. It was pretty scary !

But I soon rode the tide, eliminating the stuff that was too ridiculous to believe, and worrying about what little remained. When I asked, Beloved said I'd either been sleeping or murmuring, or else he'd been asleep - he had no idea what I was saying or dreaming. I could just barely remember m'self, but feared that my screwed-up head hurt someone anyway. Glad I hadn't.

Hope this is over soon. I have hopes of sleep and no more dreams soon !

(incoherent noises and random sounds)

Current Mood : ARggghleblarghle.

I'm just gonna say it. Nothing got done, I'm miserable, and even having all these wonders about me, I still want to sleep until all this is over ! Hopefully tomorrow, I can trade a few shiny things for a better attitude, and come back improved. 

Netflix - The Final Guy Movie Frontier !

Current Mood : Strung out - but well-hydrated !

Today was pretty much like yesterday, except I taught Dearest Son to gargle. I was trying a hot salt-water one, to ease some throat tightness, and he was intrigued. It's always funny when you realize that your kid doesn't know stuff like that, but two minutes later, he's louder and gigglier about it than you ever were.

While Beloved Hubby's Netflix genre-fiction viewing habits were well served today - Star Trek Next Gen, Voyager, Classic, Enterprise, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century - I ended up snoozing a lot. It's funny to doze off to Captain Picard and try to figure out why Buck Rogers is wrestling with the same 'energy spheres' an hour or two later.

Science-Fiction masks ! How cute !

Current Mood : Out of it, seriously. 

Trying a 'Mucinex' type generic decongestant, since I constantly feel gunk at the back of my throat. It's helped, a lot, but now I feel sleepy all the time. At least it beats those horrible rumbling noises I keep making to keep my airways clear. The max dosage is six pills a day, but I only need two so far. Three would probably have me curled up like Oliver, asleep for hours.

Not that it mattered today. We all goofed around, watched Netflix, and slept. Hope your day was as satisfying !