I've been inspired by how very transitional people in apartment complexes are for this next novel idea. The fact that in the little over two years I've lived here my balcony neighbors, as I like to call them (the neighbors who live directly across from me on the second floor on this side of the building, we share a staircase, and the staircase balcony) have changed four times. Each time, I've known when they moved in, but somehow each time, I missed them moving out, they're just gone. The apartment stays empty for a while, then someone else moves in.

Three college guys were the ones who just recently, as of the beginning of last week I think, moved out. They moved in during the first couple weeks of September, so they didn't stay very long at all. I think they were commuting (at least some of them were) to Corvallis, so perhaps they moved closer in that direction.

This, however, is the basis of my current novel. Just a nice old building converted into apartments where you see people move in, but then, one day, they're just gone.

It is, of course, more complex and plotty then that, but it really bugs me. I'm a very observant (see nosy) person, and I can't believe I've missed four different people move out of that apartment. I must be slipping in my old age.

HotD:

Fresh and sparkly clean.
A new year will dawn tonight,
I wish you the best.

Sav stopped by today for a few hours. She brought me a belated Birthday present, which she didn't need to do, because she had already bought me some really pretty picture frames and the Zombie Survival Handbook, which every girl should own. You never know when the zombie Apocalypse will strike, and you should really be prepared.

She got me the entire Kolchak the Night Stalker series on DVD, the old one not the new one (very awesome!), which is officially the first TV show I own on DVD. She's also loaning me her old cell phone because she got a new one (a very swanky Razr), until I can get mine turned back on. It's a prepaid, so I'll have to fill it with minutes, but I really appreciate her doing it for me. I hate feeling so cut off all the time.

So I have a few minutes, so I can probably send texts until I can get more minutes on Tuesday. If you want the number, leave me a note and I'll E-mail it to you.

I have the coolest friends.

I'm such a boor, that I'm dragging out my chemistry books so that I can get a jump start on the first couple weeks of reading so that I don't feel so behind when classes start again on the 8th. Someone come save me, let's go see a movie or do go to an arcade or something, don't let me waste my last week of vacation studying like the nerd I am.

Melissa posted a really good Vblog about religious intolerance that I think people should go watch and respond to. She has some really good points that she makes and plus, she's just so darn cute, how can you not stare at her with dreamy eyes? I know I do.

I'm working on the first very rough couple of chapters on a novel idea I've been batting around since November for the first WilWord meeting of the year in January. I shall humbly submit it to my fellow WilWorders and hope that they don't kick me off the raft, since I, technically, am the one next in line to be thrown over for the alligators.

The novel is horror (of course) and is a really simple idea that I hope will be fun and refreshing to write. Especially after the garbage that spewed during NaNo this year. I need something enjoyable to work on for a while.

HotD:

Warm and steaming cup.
Fragrant smell of herbs and spice,
Tea is so yummy.

Since Christmas dinner was at Robin's house this year, I didn't have to mess with cooking. As sexy as having flour smeared all over your face, and getting burned by splattering fluids from the stove are, it was a nice change, as often I do dinners at my house. Not cooking, Figments, means I don't have to do the dishes, and that is sexy.

When Robin finally gave me the boot from her house, she sent me home with quite a bit of leftovers. Some ham, some turkey (she made both), a whole pumpkin pie (hello ten pounds I lost since October! I missed you so) and a bunch of other side dishes.

I've done the obligatory turkey and ham sandwiches, and I was looking for something different, so I whipped out all the veggies that are otherwise going to rot in the crisper drawer of my fridge, made some biscuit batter, and made turkey and dumplings for dinner. It turned out pretty good Figs, want some?

It only took 30 minutes, Rachel Ray would be proud. It's got potatoes, celery, onion, garlic, carrots, and green beans in it. Of course it has turkey and biscuits in it too. My oven didn't even burn it, which is a shock to me, because usually my oven burns everything within ten minutes of putting it in there. I really need to have it looked at, because it has no temperature control whatsoever.

Since it's just little old me, I don't really cook very often. I don't eat very often, to be honest. I have a horrible habit of buying groceries and then letting them go to sludge in my fridge. It's a habit I'm trying to break, but with all the rushing I do all the time, it's hard for me to come home at night and want to cook for myself. I like myself and all, but sometimes it would be nice to cook for somebody else for a change. Plus, I have horrible table manners, and I often dribble my food all over me, which is just plain rude.

The lovely tastiness that is my vacation ends in a sad six days. Although classes do not start up again until the 8th, there is lots of work to be done in the office that I really need to get in and get going before I have to start studying every waking moment again.

Today I'm kind of just mellowing out from the crazy rushing that has been the last couple of weeks. I've got myself a nice mug of blueberry green tea and a good book, and I'm just bumming around. Truth be told, I didn't even get dressed today, which was kind of nice.

I'm reading Through A Glass Darkly, because it's always on someone's list of must reads, and I've never read it. I'm not a big fan of these kinds of novels (it's pretty much just 742 pages of angst), it's not that it's bad, it's just very much Gone With The Wind/Jane Eyre-ish, and I can only stand so much of it before I retch a little in my mouth.

There is a prequel (Dark Angels) and a sequel (Now Face To Face) and I may or may not read them just to see what happens, but they're not going to be high on my list I don't think.

I'm on my way back to the Library tomorrow to pick up some more tasty reads to finish out my vacation. I could use some suggestions, so leave them for me would you? I makes me sad not to get any comments at all anymore!

HotD:

House is all quiet.
Vacation slowly slips by,
Closer to new years.

Here I sit Figs, in my jammies at 11 in the morning, with a bowl of left over fruit salad from last nights Christmas dinner, listening to it absolutely pour down rain outside and surfing YouTube. Stupid YouTube. I blame this entirely on Melissa, who has started a VBlog channel which has forced me to compulsively check hers (and other) channels for updates, and has me searching for a good camera to make some of my own.

Stop me. Don't let me do it Figs! Don't let me become a YouTube whore! Save me from myself before it's too late!

I have to say however, YouTube is a zillion trillion million and three-quarters better then MySpace, which is a complete and total waste of every brain cell and does nothing but lower the collective IQ of society. I hate it there, I hate that people insist on messaging me there and not using my real E-mail address, thus forcing me to log in more then the once a never I would prefer. Going there is like using a blow torch on your eyeballs just to see if it hurts or not.

In other news, my Christmas was a very nice and quiet one spent at Robin's house. I ate far too much food, played lots of games (and lost and pretty much all of them) and just had a really nice day.

My brother and his fiancee couldn't make it up this year, so it was a little bit smaller of a group then it normally is. I missed seeing them, because I so rarely get to see either of them during the non-holiday season. I'm sure, however, they enjoyed having their holiday alone together with out us crazy people.

Lane spent the night last night, and we stayed up gabbing like little school girls until nearly 5. She's still asleep in the other room, and will probably sleep until this evening if I let her, and I will, because I'm a great sister like that. She doesn't have to work until tomorrow evening, so she's planning on just staying until then. This is good, because somebody really needs to clean the bathroom, and it's not gonna be me.

I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday and didn't vomit from eating too much pie, and that you have a fantastic and safe New Year.

HotD:

So much food is left.
Gingerbread and cookies, man.
Lots of turkey too.

Miracle on 34th Street is currently on not one, not two, but three channels. So, I'm watching Dirty Jobs. There is a marathon on today, and I am a lazy bum and haven't left my house yet.

It's okay though. Sarcastic, smart men with voices that can read the phone book to me any day are just so darn sexy.

Merry Christmas Eve, Figs!

So I'm almost completely done with disk 2 of the first season of Supernatural, loaned to me by Savvy because it's sooo Christmasy to watch while baking. My cakes, biscuits and about one dozen of my cookies are done, and are turning out nicely. I only burnt myself once!

I have about two dozen cookies left (I have more dough then I thought I did) and then all I need to do is let everything cool and pack it up.

This years cookies are topped with the leftover orange chocolate on the cake, crushed peppermint, and sprinkles of course. I'll totally share if anyone wants some.

I need to finish wrapping up presents, but I ran out of paper and won't be able to pick some up until tomorrow. I hate it when that happens, because it makes me feel really behind. I feel like I should have been done with wrapping days ago. I have about six peoples worth of stuff to wrap, and it's killing me. I also need to finish packing my bags so I can get out of here in the morning, but other then that, I'm good to go.

I want to wish all my Figments a very Merry Christmas and I hope your holiday this year is the best it's ever been.

Merry Christmas!

So I've got a ton of baking to do, because tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I'm skippin' out of Dodge pretty early in the morning to head to relatives until Monday night. I love my relatives, and I suspect they love me a teensy bit, but probably not enough to allow me to completely take over their kitchens and dirty every dish in their house.

I've got two cakes (one devils food orange cake with orange chocolate icing, and one peppermint cake) trays of about a dozen honey biscuits, almond roca cookie bars (they were a big hit at Thanksgiving) and about two dozen sugar cookies. I like baking lots, which is funny because I don't eat dessert type foods because I think they're icky. But I still love to bake and I like baking for the holidays the best. I finished my gingerbread house yesterday, and I have to say, it looks awfully cute.

Here is my current problem - somehow something got spilt in my oven (which I have no idea what it possibly could have been) and now my oven is smoking. When I opened it, there were flames. Yeah, you heard me right: flames. I set my kitchen on fire. Gold star for me!

My smoke alarms (all of them) went off and everything. They are those hard wired into the electrical system alarms, so they sound worse then normal battery ones. Luckily with them being electronical system type things, when one turns off, they all turn off, unfortunately they work the same way, when one alarm goes off they all do.

No cute firemen in cute suits visited me though. A thing that I am both highly disappointed and deeply thankful for.

Everything is fine, it's just a little smokey, but now I have to clean my entire oven to get whatever the crap it is spilt in there off so that I can finish my baking, because I have trays and pans and what have you sitting on counters (and in the freezer, in the case of my sugar cookie dough) waiting to get all toasty yum golden brown.

I can't clean the oven however, until it cools off, so I'm sitting in my living room with the door open (and it's cold outside Figs) writing a post instead. Oh, and semi-listening to whatever movie is on TNT right now...um...one of the LOTR movies.

I suppose I should go see if the oven has cooled off enough to let me scrub it. Bleech, anyone want to come clean my oven for me? Next to the toilet and the fridge, it's always one of the worst things to clean.

HotD:

Christmas cooking time.
Butter and milk, eggs and more,
Missing from the store.

My friends Cory and Terra stopped by last night on their way out of town for the holidays. While they were here, I gave them their very sad Christmas presents. I got Terra a set of crystal votive candle holders, and I gave Cory money - not because he's hard to shop for, but because since he is my babies mommy, I suppose giving him some kind of child support during the holidays is the responsible thing to do.

While they were here, I told them all about the sadness that was my day when I came home from Christmas shopping yesterday, and found poor Kero dead in his aquarium thing. He was fine when I left, but it made me wonder if because the weather has been so strange, and my house isn't insulated that well and it's always cold, if it got too cold for him.

I'm very sad about the loss of my frog. I had him for about three years, and I feel really crappy, like I must be some sort of horrible person to kill a froggy. Seriously, he wasn't that hard to take care of, so I must suck.

Terra suggested a burial, but since it was nearly nine, and they still had a long way to drive last night, and it was storming, we couldn't do it. Putting him in the freezer in a box was suggested, something that I'm horrified about. Actually, I feel horrible about anything we might do with him. I'm such a wuss.

So, probably sometime next week we're having a funeral for my frog because we're all big dorks. If you'd like to come, and say a few words...that would be great. In lieu of flowers, just make a donation to Pacific Northwest Herpetological Society, which works to promote education, conservation and care of reptiles and amphibians.

HotD:

Wrapping paper time.
Pretty bows and ribboned tags,
underneath the tree.

Happy Birthday to my brother Kevin. I hope you have an awesome day!

I promise to post a blog that isn't just wishing someone a happy holiday or something soon. Perhaps this evening, I'll take a picture of my way awesome gingerbread houses and post them. Doesn't that sound super exciting?

Yeah.

Happy Yule, I hope that it's a wonderful holiday for those of you who celebrate :)

I just had the best three or so days ever. Seriously. The best.

I shall elaborate on them later, but right now I'm trying to thaw my mail apart, as it has frozen together in the mailbox. It's really cold outside, Figs.

HotD:

Frosted trees and plants.
I am shivering right now,
From cold winter days.


Happy Birthday Michael

Happy Chanukah! I hope that it's a great one for all of you and your families who celebrate it.

Nostradamus and I share a birthday. I wonder if people forgot his like they do mine.

Oh well. One step closer to ancient. Happy Birthday to me.

It's pouring down rain outside, and has been for the last couple of days, along with some pretty strong gusts of wind, and the chance of snow over this next weekend.

I've been sitting around half-dressed (half-dressed meaning wearing half real clothes and half jammies, as opposed to half-dressed as being half naked...uh...just to be clear) all day and shooting glances out of the corner of my eye to my vacuum cleaner, which has been beckoning to me to get feisty with it and give it a good shoving around.

I really do need to clean my house. It's not like it's filthy or anything, I'm pretty reasonably most of the time a clean person, it just...I guess I'll just have to come out and say it. I'm a piler. It's true, I pile stuff. Everywhere.

I clean my house, and then begin making piles of things. On the dining room table, on the living room coffee table, on my computer desk, in my guest bedroom...everywhere I make piles. Piles of stuff that don't even belong in the room I piled them in, it was just convenient to put it there rather then walking a dozen steps to put it where it belongs. My laziness will eventually be the death of me, I shall die smothered by my piles of crap that I have perilously teetering on the edge of every visible flat (and not so flat) surface of my house.

So, in order to combat my Obsessive Piling Disorder, I force myself to clean up my piles at least once a week, but it's more like once every month or so, and then I give myself a treat. Like...ummm...a sticker, or a new book, or stalking my current TV boyfriend.

Once it's done, I have clean slate on which to pile again. The only problem is, is that even though it really only takes me an hour or two to pick everything up, it's like pulling my own teeth out with pliers to force myself to do it.

It's a constant struggle that eventually leads to things said to myself I really didn't mean, and then being forced to put myself in time out for shoving everything under my bed. Putting things under the bed, does not mean you cleaned it up.

I don't have that much to do. I need to vacuum, clean my kitchen (dishes are perfect for piling!), and mop my floors. Also, I need to rearrange my living room furniture so that I can put the tree I'm picking up tomorrow next to the window. Right now there is a recliner type chair there. It would be nice to have a big strong guy to move it for me, not because I'm a girl and can't move it myself, but because it's more fun to watch a cute guy do it instead. Vapid and sexist, but true.

Sometimes I think I should just throw away everything in my house, and then I wouldn't have to clean stuff anymore, because there would be nothing left to clean.

HotD:

Creepy BK King.
Haunts me in the night it does,
With its big whopper.

So my vacation has officially begun. I have lots of fun things planned for this free time, because it will be my last real free time for a long while. I plan on being as worthless as possible, which started with a trip to the library to update my reading list for Winter.

I may or may not have gotten about 20 books, and may or may not have read two of them yesterday in about four hours. I have the best mutant power ever.

I need to update my side bar with books, but first I need more books. So as always figs, I would love to pick your brains. Tell me what you've read lately that you think I should read as well, so I can add it to my list. I will read just about anything, so give me whatever you've got...book wise, that is. You can keep whatever is making your face boil up to yourself.

HotD:

Holiday cheerfest.
Mistletoe and garland hung,
And pretty lights glow.

Term is over Figs, this makes me so very happy. Guido is still broken, which doesn't make me happy. I guess it balances it out though. I have 30 days of vacation, but am lacking the wonderful tools in which to make my vacation as slakerific as possible. I'm assuming this is fates way of telling me that I should clean my house, or something worthless like that.

Melissa, am I allowed to talk about your new blogging?

Let me know, 'cause I wanna.

I'm on my way to an art show, where Robin has a display. It should be fun! I'll post again later, and more often, now that I have nothing else to do, and time to waste.

Hurray.

NaNo once again ends for another year. Because of the untimely illness of Guido, I only made it to 36,000 words, which isn't winning, but it's better then nothing.

I'm so proud of my Wrimos, we had more winners this year in Salem then any other year ever, they are so rockin'! I look forward to working with them again next year.

Yesterday was our TGIO party, it was very laid back and small, with lots of game playing and even some novel bits reading. It was fun. Sav and I gave 'winner' medals to all of our winners, but really, everyone who participated was a winner for even giving it a go.

My friend Tif loaned me her laptop for a bit so I can be a little connected (no car, no phone, no computer makes it really hard to keep tabs on what's going on at work and whatnot) until I can get Guido working again. I won't be able to get my phone back on, probably ever, because even though I bust my ass working, I barely make enough to keep my house and power on.

If anyone knows of some good night jobs that pay something decent and have shifts of only four or so hours a night, pass them my way, would you?

Christmas is coming! I'm both excited and really sad. I'm so broke nobody is getting anything from me this year, which bums me out, especially in the case of my siblings, who I really like to spoil. I'm excited though, because I really really like this time of the year, there is just so much to do, and it's always so much fun.

I pinched a nerve in my back yesterday, so I'm sitting on my couch being a bum. You should message me, and keep me entertained.

HotD:

Next week is finals,
A month of vacation looms,
Bright like the north star.