a real update

[brightbluegirl]

My birthday was GREAT. Thanks for all your well wishes and sweetness. I had a great time. :D

Not only that, but Andrew got me some WONDERFUL presents. This is the first year I let him spend any money of note, and he is so thoughtful... it was delightful. :D

I got to see my delightful zaftigvegan and her lovely family, I got to eat good food, and see Wallace and Gromit, and get some GOOOOOD teas with a gift certificate that gergg and sekushina_mushi gave me, and watch 21 jumpstreet (Andrew got me the first season!! YAY!).

We didn't walk the seawall, but our hope is, if it's nice out on Sunday (or even, just not raining), we'll go then.

Anyone want to join us?

In other news, I left work around 12:30 today. I was having horrid nausea.

There is something very wrong with the fact that, since I started feeling better just as I left, that I felt horribly guilty. There is also something wrong with the fact that I felt less guilty just recently because I started feeling bad again.

*sigh*

---

Speaking of which, I got to speak to a very special, very dear, very intelligent, wonderful friend of mine last night, for not enough time.

I've since been mulling over something, and I think perhaps, once it makes financial sense, that I want to look at working 80% time instead of 100%. About 30 hours a week, or 32. That works for me. Either 6 hours a day for 5 days a week, or 8 hours a day for 4. Something a little less busy.

Frankly, that probably won't happen until Andrew is doing carpentry, for mostly financial reasons, and also that goddamned guilt I've been struggling with, but hey.

I'm going to look into it anyway.

---

We found some things to use the baby booties for:

---

I had a realization about Halloween...

Don't hate me, ok?

But I'm just not all that into it.

I just can't get into a holiday that requires I put effort into making a costume just to go to a party.

What's worse, is that far too many people use this day as an excuse to pretend they aren't themselves, because they hate their lives. And why do they hate their lives? Because they spend too much time in front of the tv. Or have bought the bullshit media-defined ideal. Or haven't run that marathon painted that picture loved that boy kissed that baby LIVED THEIR LIFE THE WAY THEY WANTED IT.

So yeah. I don't want to go out and be near those people. Even when I know good people will be with me. I don't want to figure out a costume to wear. I don't want to spend my money on it, I don't want to drink to it, I don't want to leave my goddamned house for it.

Sorry. I'm just not into it.

Christmas/Yule/Solstice, hell yeah. Any excuse to show people I love them, and try to make them happy with presents I made or picked out especially for them. Lots of time for cozy get togethers and hot tea and staying inside with my loved one. You betcha.

Comments

[sinndar.livejournal.com]

That picture of Andrew is hilarious! The t-shirt is perfect. Heheheh.

Hey, I forgot to tell you... HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! :D

[sinndar.livejournal.com]

p.s. Halloween is an old pagan holiday too. (I'm sure you know that!) It probably didn't involve crazy costumes though. I hear ya, I always agonize over what to wear, but I LOVE the pumpkins and the scary movies and this time of year in general. :)

[freakykitten.livejournal.com]

Actually, people dressed up to confuse the ghosties/gobblies/devils about who was who...

Yeah, but that's not why people celebrate now, you know? I dunno. It's been so consumed by the parent culture that I can't stand it.

[fanlain.livejournal.com]

those american liberals eat sushi, drive volvos and put baby booties in their ears to defy morality!

[sinndar.livejournal.com]

Nice pony tails. ;)

[zaftigvegan.livejournal.com]

ahaha, i like how andrew has to have bear in a headlock for zee foto.
anyway, halloween is supposed to be about celebrating the cycle of life and death and our ancestors and the fun in being scared and spooky shit like that. all this twinkies dressed up in black leotards and kitty ears making googoo eyes at the menfolk are SO going to PAGAN HELL.

anyway, so you're not into halloween. maybe this year you can make my day of the dead feast, instead? eh? eh?

[freakykitten.livejournal.com]

probably. :D I seem to remember I had to work overtime last year... that is SO not happening this year.

[angelstrange.livejournal.com]

you so NEED to send those pictures to your mom.

[pennycuts.livejournal.com]

hahhahahah great idea!
You two are hilarious!

[zaftigvegan.livejournal.com]

actually, if you wanna get technical, the kitty socks idea was mine. hmph.

[pennycuts.livejournal.com]

hahah GREAAAAAAAAt idea:)

[zaftigvegan.livejournal.com]

i know. pure comedy gold, right there. i should get paid to think up this stuff.

[freakykitten.livejournal.com]

hey now, to be fair, we'd had the idea before too, we just didn't do anything about it until you came over. you instigator, you. ;)

[kreggerling.livejournal.com]

You forgot another use for the booties.....(hint...if Andrew uses one he'll
have another when that one gets dirty...)
Your b-day bash was great .

[freakykitten.livejournal.com]

oh, we didn't forget... I just didn't post the picture. ;)

[hukuma.livejournal.com]

I'm not a fan of Halloween myself, mainly because I don't like dressing up. (I'm not that fond of Christmas either, but that's for a completely separate reason.)

Oh, and happy belated birthday!

[youmns.livejournal.com]

Happy belated birthday! I'm glad you had such a wonderful day.

Your mother and those booties... You really should send her those photos.
My friend, Sarah, told me that her mother told her to start with the baby-makin'. Her mom told her to marry the guy she's seeing now (they've been dating for a month) and to get pregnant as soon as possible.

[estrojenn.livejournal.com]

I respectfully disagree with you saying "What's worse, is that far too many people use this day as an excuse to pretend they aren't themselves, because they hate their lives".

That's a pretty huge judgement call. I tend to think people dress up for halloween because it's fun. Of course, if you don't think it's fun than you don't have to participate. But I strongly disagree with you that people dress up because they want to pretend they aren't themselves. If anything, what they choose to dress up as is a big reflection of who they are.

And for kids, Halloween is a great way to spark their creativity and get them to make their own costumes and stuff. I think it's a really important thing for kids to participate in. We used to make the most amazing costumes without spending a penny. That was the cool part (and still is for me).

[freakykitten.livejournal.com]

I respect your opinion.

I don't think that everyone does this, nor do I feel that anyone I know personally any more does this.

But I think for many people, it is the case. Just like I think many holidays are an excuse (for many, not all) to drink and do things one 'normally wouldn't do' because people won't be honest with themselves about what they want in their lives, for various reasons (e.g. being unwilling to go against tradition or what their friends do).

There are many ways that children can be encouraged to be creative. And halloween is one, for many people. But many people also buy plastic costumes for their children, and many children think halloween is just about the candy.

I remember really liking dressing up in everyday life as a child (and I still do - many a clubbing night or party was a reason to dress up silly/different/fun, and we often had dress-up get togethers 'just for fun'), it doesn't just have to be about halloween.

For me, this dislike of halloween can be likened to many people's dislike of Christmas. It's been subverted, a lot, in such ways that I don't agree with.

[(Anonymous)]

yeah, i loathe xmas. to me it's nothing more than a hallmark holiday to me. a big excuse to make up for the rest of the year where important things are missed that really should be acknowledged. actually, i basically think most holidays blow. i forget the idiots out there who make halloween about candy, we dont eat candy. nor would our kids. thats all. i have nothing else to say on this. i scuba dive on the holidays. the oceans are dying and i would like to help save them.

[estrojenn.livejournal.com]

weird...i wrote the above and it says anonymous...

[spinsterbait.livejournal.com]

Happy Birthday!

... but if you don't dress up for Halloween, the evil spirits will come and eat our brains!!! ...

;)