Adding up the cost of these dreams

bb!hockey is back in town and I'm so excited.

Yesterday met up with a friend from 2 jobs ago and did our 2-person book club check in, had lunch, and bought some cookies that I absolutely didn't need. But they were delicious, so it was all good. Last night met up with friend from one job ago (and also booster club) and checked out a spot for a party. Going to be too small, but will cater for us. One of the media interns for the team works there, and we want to support business that are also fans, so it will be nice. Restaurant was cute and food was good. Will have to go there again.

In my "going to try new restaurants" goal, I'm going to a place today called "Philly Ya Belly" because why not, right?

Back to school on Monday. I have to take 1/2 day on Thursday because I have a dentist appointment to do...something with my gums. I don't know. There's pulling? Hopefully it won't mean gum surgery, because that will be bad. Still, I would prefer my teeth to not fall out or whatever.

Car wasn't finished yesterday. When will I get it back? I don't know. It's terrible. Monday I have to call a zillion places and Wednesday we have an event for the booster club and, seriously, my schedule is crazycakes through mid-March. And then playoffs. Not complaining, but still. There's going to be a lot.

This weekend I have to help a coworker with an essay he's writing for school. I've read it and I'm not completely sure how to help him with it. Haven't really read or written this week. Or done much of anything. I will probably feel bad about that when I go back to work. Also will feel bad about fucking up my sleep schedule. I will blame Heated Rivalry/HR fanfiction for that. Because it's obviously not my own fault.

Ok. Must get ready for foods and hockeys. *mwah* (also I apologize all journal entries will be new TAI lyrics)(the new song does not have many lyrics. Lots of repetition. Still good. Oh, band.)

Hello friends! I am on midwinter break, which means I have a week of trying to figure out something to do. I mean, I have things - puzzles, books, movies, etc. - but actually doing them seems to be the hard part. I have, like much of the universe, watched Heated Rivalry and fallen in love (except episode 3. It's just as blah as the book it's based on). I'm actually writing something, which I haven't done since 2021, so that's both cool and weird. I've been writing it longhand, but that means I have to type it up, so it's taking twice as long. It is helping with my "use three journals" goal for this year though.

I am taking my car in for service on Monday and I'm not sure how long it will take to do what it needs. I also found out on Thursday that someone slammed something into the rear passenger side. I can't quite figure out what given the placement, but whatever it was, it makes me mad.

I have decided that I'm not going to buy candy for myself this year. I will still eat candy, mind you, but only if other people buy it for me, because I'm a weirdo. That said, I really want some candy. I might bake bread to take my mind off sweets. We'll see.

I wish my life were more exciting so I had something to share with you. Alas, it is not. I don't even have hockey right now, because the team's on a road trip through central Canada, so I don't have any games to go to. WOE. Though starting in an hour I'll have the away games to watch, so that's something.

But now, bread.

I don't know where the year went. I don't know where I went. Many things. I don't know. Saw TAI in concert. They're coming to the PNW next year, so will see them again (twice). Hockey, whirlwind trips, Christmas, whatever. Everything. I don't even know.

How are you?

I have next week off as well (school holidays are the best). It is not chill, despite the hoped for chillness. So many things. I have not come up with my 26 things for 2026, so that doesn't bode well. Read 75 books this year (well, 73 1/2, but there's still time!). Haven't figured out what exactly to fill my time with now that school (school-school) is done, which means lots of sitting around brainlessly.

Favorite bb!hockey continues to wear a Yankees cap (a new one! wtf!), so he is no longer my favorite (lies). I'm looking for a new favorite though, because he's terrible (lies). We have a great team this year. They are the most dramatic of boys though. Come from behind wins, shoot-outs, overtime, everything. My blood pressure is not good during hockey.

Woke up at 4 AM with a very sore neck that is not responding to advil or tylenol, so that sucks. Kind of want to go back to bed, but fear it will only get worse.

Anyway, I am boring.

Hi friends, I did not forget you. I've just had a busy week/weekend.

I spent most of the week doing homework and cleaning up around the house - cleaned the gutters (that I could reach since I couldn't find the tall ladder to do all of them), swept up about 298374982734987239473 million pine needles, and worked on my giant project for one class. After that I flew out on Friday morning at 12:45 to go to the bridal shower of my goddaughter. She didn't know I was coming so it was an amazing surprise. Spent the weekend there, meeting her soon-to-be in-laws (who were absolutely delightful), making a pound cake, and then sitting in an airport/airplane for about 14 hours.

After that it was focusing more on school. My goal is to be done asap so that I'm, you know, DONE. Fortunately this summer's classes have been easy so I've been able to fun stuff too. August is crazy-cakes with stuff to do (shower, board meeting, work training, baseball, Josh Johnson, birthday, training camp (supposedly, they haven't announced it yet), dropping my mom off for a cruise, and then Jordan Klepper). I've also started cutting hockey sticks to make coasters, will soon graduate to frames, and coming up with other ideas for the year, hopefully. I'm also picking up flooring from a friend and redoing my entryway and, all things willing, finally getting the fucking carpet out of my kitchen.

I've also been watching (bingeing) a few Netlix mini-series - The Haunting of Hill House, The Fall of the House of Usher, and currently Midnight Mass. They're all done by Mike Flanagan who I had never heard of until I saw an article on good mini-series to watch. I've enjoyed them all so far. He uses a lot of the same actors, so it's kind of fun. I just watched The Haunting of Bly Manner, but I didn't like that one as much.

Ok, I started this a few days ago and have failed to post anything yet. Even more things are happening, so apparently I've decided to cram all of my summer into the last two weeks before school. I lost a crown, so there have been three dentists appointments, two lunches, a doctor's appointment, and an extra day at work (and possibly missing a training camp day - though we don't know the times yet for one of said dentist appointments. Still, I'm happy to get them all in so I don't have to take time off of work.

Also since the start of this, I've completely finished one of my classes, and am almost done with the other. The group I'm working with (god, I hate group projects) fails at communication, so I don't actually know what the fuck we're doing.

BUT in amazing news, my ex-captain bb!hockey got re-signed by the Firebirds, so yay! I love this kid. He's great, I tell you. One of the other bb!hockeys I follow has moved to a team in Sweden, so I will not be seeing him play any time soon. Speaking of hockey - if you like hockey, bank heists, absolutely ridiculousness, political corruption, whiskey drinking thieves, and complete stupidity, you should listen to Attila: Heists and Hockey because it is all of those things and hosted by the amazing radio announcer for my bb!hockeys, and he's so good and funny. I had to pull over once while driving because it made me laugh so much.

Anyway. There you have it. Further reports on exhaustive schedule likely yet to come.

I had a boyfriend once who was really into Firesign Theater and introduced me to "The Further Adventures of Nick Danger", and I haven't really thought about it in years, but the phrase "You can't get there from here" has always stuck with me, and been the catch phrase of many of my journals. Tom Lehrer's death reminded me of it for some reason. So I'm going to listen to that today as well as some of Lehrer's stuff (I am happy to admit that my two favorite Lehrer songs are from Electric Company). Same kind of vibe, I guess.

The radio guy for the bb!hockey team has a podcast Attila: Heists and Hockey and it is a most ridiculous story, and Casey's amazing and, anyway. If you're interested in hockey, stupid people, and good storytelling, there you go.

I have to do some interviews for my capstone class, and so I got two done this week. The two licensed clinical social workers I talked to were amazing and I got some great information. No one else on the group project has started. I love group work (also - if you are a licensed clinical social worker and would be willing to answer some questions, I'd love to talk to you).

Going to spend today doing homework, going out to a late lunch with hubby and some of the kidlets, and doing laundry. The excitement of my life knows no bounds.

I'm not sure if it's trying to post here again or being off work for the summer or what, but I did more adventuring this weekend, heading up to Canada and going to Stanley Park. We took the scenic route around because I fail at turning at the right time because the little map lady likes to tell me right after I pass the turn. Anyway, Pictures.

Actually I've heard 7 times make a habit, but I don't believe it. But who knows. I think a habit is something you have to force for one reason or another (have to or want to) until it just sticks. And if you slide, doing it gets harder.

However, I did some things! We went to the Paranormal Cirque and it was a lot of fun. People doing things like running on wheels in the air and scaring the breath out of me when something didn't go quite right, a guy dressed up as Leatherface who was fucking hilarious, and making one of the "spooky" things in the haunted house almost laugh when my response to being scared was "Jiminy Crickets!"

I rewatched Generation Kill and I love it so much. I also am not...not writing? For the first time in 5 years. Part of it might be that my classes are easy this term, it's my last term, I have the summer off from work-school, and I love them GK boys. I'm not sure I have their voices right, so might have to watch a couple more times (oh, darn). I have three friends from the old LJ days that I'm sharing bits with and the bonds of fic shall never be broken.

Oh, and I went to this little concert. This band called MCR. It was amazing, though I prefer smaller venues to stadium shows. Gerard was the MOST dramatic, and Mikey was all smiley, and Ray was a guitar god, and at the show the camera didn't really focus on Frank that often, so I was bummed. Here are some pictures, but be aware that they're taken of a giant screen by a phone camera from the 300 level. Had I known security was pretty much non-existent, I would have taken a real camera and given you all pretty pictures. https://www.flickr.com/photos/27659024@N08/albums/72177720327490285.

Having learned to choose comfort over costuming at a concert, I was nice and cool in my capris and tank top and sensible, unlike the emos in all black, makeup, high heels, and such in the 80 degree weather [27 degrees to my non-American friends].

Also, if you think about it, the dad in Black Parade is really awful. I mean, who takes a young kid to a parade and instead of letting him enjoy himself, makes him promise to be the savior of the broken, beaten, and damned. That's a lot to put on a kid who just wanted to hear the trombones.

Portland Leather Company also opened a store in Seattle and this weekend was the grand opening. I spent too much then had whipped feta and tomatoes on garlic bread for lunch, and hung out with a friend through it all, so it was a good day/weekend altogether.

Crazy thing I learned today from my college reading that you will never believe: People who can afford therapy for their autistic children and are able to devote more time to working with them have kids that do way better. Weird, right? Like, WOW. Who would have EVER guessed that. I wonder what else that might apply to? [does the sarcasm come through enough? I'm not sure]

Hello my friends! I have not done this in 80 bazillion years, which is apropos since I haven't done a lot of things in 80 bazillion years. Like, I used to write. I used to have ideas. But I've been going to school (getting my BS in psych) and working and doing the booster club thing, so I've been busy and so brain-full that creativity has been restricted to those things. However I'm in my last quarter of school and I'm on summer break from the job, and hockey season hasn't started yet, so I thought I'd try to get back into the habit of being human and stuff.

I spent the past weekend at my mom's helping her with her annual garage sale. It was fine, and we always have fun, but it's a multi-person garage sale, and one of the ladies that is there (who is a good friend of my mom's) drives me a little bit bonkers because she never. stops. talking. Which I guess is good because it makes me get up and walk around.

I bought a walking pad a while ago and haven't used it, but I'm working on getting back into a rhythm with it. Luckily I have decided to do it during the hottest days of the year so far, because that's how I roll. This would likely not be a thing if we had an air conditioner, but we don't, so there you have it.

My other goals this summer are to do some mini-adventures, rewatch Generation Kill, listen to serial killer podcasts, read a bunch of books, graduate, sleep a lot, and come up with ideas for hockey season. For today, goals are to do some errands, do the walking pad, then do some school stuff. I got a late start because I didn't really sleep at my mom's, so I slept in today which was amazing and I approve of it. We'll see if I can manage adding posting here to the summer goals as well.

And, because I wouldn't be the person I am now without it - I shall shout out two of my bb!hockeys - Carter Bear and Shea Busch who got drafted this year to the Detroit Redwings and the Florida Panthers respectively. So proud of my boys. (my kids are my kids, the kids I work with at school are my kids, and the hockey kids are the boys. It's kind of a system).

Anyway, hi friends! I have been reading about your lives, I promise. I love you all.

Things that have happened since I last remembered to post:

1) Work-School ended - rough year for everyone, I think.

2) School-School ended - Managed Dean's list again. Yay me!

3) Summer - I didn't do school, so I had more time off, but pretty much kept myself busy enough. Being exhausted by the previous year probably made that easier.

4) Dryer - Fixing the dryer didn't actually fix it, so husband went down into the crawl space to take things apart and found bees. Yes. Bees. In our dryer vent-thing. Anyway, my dryer still isn't fixed.

5) Vacation - 12 days in Florida is my max. We didn't go to NASA, but we did manage to sort of see a rocket launch. Basically it was staring into the sun and then hearing/feeling the sonic boom. We spent a day at the beach looking for shark teeth but mostly I just got in the water and got beat up by ocean. It was great.

6)Disney - Related to vacation, I think I'm done with Disney World for a while. Probably Disneyland too. Now that they don't have fast passes, you either pay or wait forever. I paid enough to get there, and I wasn't about to pay more to get on rides faster. We did do the virtual queue for Tron, which was fun, and Guardians, which was a lot of fun. So we did have two non-additional expense long line rides. Disneyland might be different, but it's hard to say. Sadly I can't say I won't go back to DisneyWorld again because apparently they're putting in a Villains Land, and I'm all for that.

7) Reading - So, I've been doing a lot of that. Since I got out of school on 6/24 I have read at least 32 books. Some have just been novellas and some have been graphic novels, but yeah. So many. My "to-read" pile seems no smaller though. I did a TBR journal and ended up needing 5 of them and have over 1900 books in the queue on my kindle and over 50 physical books.

8) Work-School (part two) - Had one training day where all the new teachers/paras in the program got together, and also got our starting schedule. I'm only working with two teachers (one of whom I am not fond of but am apparently with because I am apparently non-offensive. The other one I've worked with before, so that should be fine. I am with none of my favorite teachers though, which sucks. Of course, knowing how things work, that will all probably change within the first five minutes.

9) School-School (part two) - Fall quarter starts at the end of September. This term is developmental psych, digital pornography (the study of the business, not actually required to watch porn for the class), and ancient history. I'm excited for the term. Psych that's actually the area I want to study, one of my favorites and something new and (hopefully) interesting.

10) Hockey - Hockey's back! Yay! My ex-bb!Captain is with the Firebirds now and, I don't know if you know this, but California is WAY closer to Washington than Newfoundland and Toronto are. Already have tickets to go watch him in Canada (which is even closer) and, potentially, he could become a Kraken, and Seattle is even closer-closer! I'm super happy for him. One of my other ex-bb!hockeys finished his contract, but got a new contract with the Condors, so again closer than Savannah and also will play in Canada. Two of my bb!hockeys that left this year (breaking my heart) are playing for University of Manitoba, which means they'll play against University of British Columbia, so I'm going to see them play again too. We have a new coach and new GM and what looks like a good team this year, so I'm excited for my current bb!hockeys. We got the number one draft pick who is rated "exceptional", which means he gets to play a full season even though he's only 15 because he's just. that. good. He also appears to be a super-generous player, so I'm happy to see that. YAY HOCKEY!

11) Many goods, fewer not-so-goods. Which, really, is all one can ask for, right?