I've had to lock up some of my entries lately, so if you want to read, it's best to add me as a friend. Please comment here to let me know you are and there is a 98% chance that I will add you back. As long as you aren't related to me by blood.

So I guess I should make a real post in here every now and then. Because, you know, LJ is so hopping.

Ha.

Well, what's going on in my life?

...

Not much.

Last I wrote in here I was talking about going to Bakersfield for my uncle's surgery and that has passed. He's doing well but has a long recovery ahead of him as the surgery ended up being more extensive than they intially thought. My Uncle from Ohio is coming out at the end of this month and we'll be going back to Bakersfield to visit the other uncle for a day and then on to Los Angeles for a couple days. So there's that.

Other than that, life is just me driving people places and being boringly domestic and injuring my knee while exercising (I THOUGHT EXERCISE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE GOOD FOR YOU) and basically being lost and confused all the time. So. Yay. Hi. I thought this was going to be a longer post, but that's that. Just checking in. Most people here follow me on Twitter which is where you get the daily updates anyway. So. Yep.

So quick updates on things (as quick as I can make them)...

- Birthday. Yesterday. That happened. It happens every year, so no big deal. It was nice and I mostly can't complain. I'm a little disappointed in a few people who basically failed to even acknowledge it (like, a happy birthday would have been cool, that's all I'm asking), but that's life and it happens, and sometimes I forget birthdays too so it's not a huge issue. Important people acknowledged it and I had a nice evening with family and that's all that really matters. :)

- Right now is basically a crappy time to be one of my uncles. My mom has 3.5 brothers, and well, the .5 doesn't count because we disowned him due to him being a complete bigot and asshole. The other 3 are having a shit time of things. I posted here right before Christmas when my aunt died, so that's been rough for that uncle. He has good days and bad days and he's coming out here in the spring to visit us so hopefully that will be a good thing for him. My uncle that lives here is going through a lot right now, because my aunt is battling breast cancer again and it's just getting worse. I posted about here in September, but things are not getting better. She's almost at the end of her radiation treatment but more lumps have appeared and we don't know what's going to happen. I think we're all really worried that the doctor is going to get to the "there's nothing else we can do" phase soon and that's just terrifying, especially for my cousin. Then my other uncle who lives outside of Bakersfield is having surgery soon because he has some nerve thing in his neck. If he doesn't have the surgery, he'll end up paralyzed. But, even with the surgery, there is still a chance he'll end up paralyzed.

- So that's my longwinded way of saying I'm going to Bakersfield in 2 weeks. Just me and mom for a couple days so she can see him before the surgery and be there, and then we'll be back. My uncle (from here) wanted to come but obviously he has WAY too much going on right now to take a trip anywhere.

- Other than that, everything is okay? Could always be worse.

Since I haven't had time to write about my Yuletide stuff yet, might as well do it on reveal day...

SO FIRST. MY GIFTS. MY WONDERFUL AMAZING AWESOME DELIGHTFUL GIFTS.

Monday's Child (2526 words) by pwincess
Fandom: Push (2009)

AHHHH. IT'S JUST SO LOVELY. The characterization is dead on, IMO, and the writing is so sparse and lovely and just right. Such beautiful snippets of their lives. And basically, it's perfect. (Also, from the "it's a small world" category... My lovely writer is the person that peasantings wrote for. Out of a thousand people... IDK, small world.)

And then I got a gift for madness:

You'll want to change your path (531 words) by Odyle
Fandom: Revenge (TV)

I should clarify... WE got a gift for madness. The wonderful odyle wrote this perfect little gem and gifted it to both me and galfridian. BECAUSE IF THAT ISN'T THE CUTEST THING EVER THAN I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE COULD BE. (For those not aware, galfridian and I co-run the LJ & Tumblr for Nolan/Emily, so, basically, adorable.) OH YES, AND THE FIC IS GREAT TOO. I want ALL the post-canon fic for these two, and this one is short, sweet and completely fills the bill.

Thank you to both of these awesome writers for making my Yuletide gift receiving experience so wonderful. NOW. EVERYONE GO READ THESE TWO FICS IF YOU KNOW THE FANDOMS. AND THEN TELL THEM HOW MUCH YOU LOVE THEM. BECAUSE THEY BOTH DESERVE IT. I COMMAND THEE.

( Now, on to my writing experience... )

Life post, musings about Yuletide, answers to comments, and more to come soon. But until then...

READ THIS POST
(if you have not already seen it on Tumblr)

I have a big mega post that I need to write and post and all that. But in the meantime...

I discovered a couple nights ago that everything on my Nook that is unread is really depressing. Like, murder, suicide, depressing. Everything is just so bleak. (Don't get me wrong, I have some cheerier things on there but I've read them all.)

So I'm in need of some book recs. Stuff that is silly, funny, lighthearted, mindless entertainment. Because I'm not in the mood for bleak right now. Basically anything that won't have me wanting to crawl in the fetal position and cry my eyes out.

(Also, no talking animals. Whatever. It's a thing. I can't explain it.)

Thank you in advance. :)

So. My aunt died?

I say that with a question mark because I'm still completely in shock. She had been feeling sick lately and being stubborn about going to see a doctor (like she kept saying she would go after the holidays, etc.), but this was totally unexpected. She was 57 and lived in Cincinnati and collected frogs and worked in a bakery and had a son with cerebral palsy and met my uncle at Weight Watchers and they were married for over 27 years and she once sent me a vintage Muppets lunchbox as a gift because I collect lunchboxes and one day we were supposed to go with their family on a trip to Boston and... I don't know what else to say. I feel so terrible for my uncle and cousin more than anything that I just want to vomit.

I don't think any of it has processed yet. I'll be okay. We all will. I just had to write something down somewhere.

Holiday Love Meme

Like I said on Tumblr & Twitter, I feel like I'm asking for something insane by even posting that because I have already received an overabundant amount of love from all of you this past year (and in years before that). Like, it's immeasurable. So. I'm not really deserving of a whole thread devoted to loving me because, I get it, I am loved. It's hard to wrap my brain around it, but I know that I am and you all are wonderful. But, blah blah blah, tradition, and blah blah blah, just do it. Cause I like to bookmark it and look back on it when I'm having a cruddy day. :)

I'm bookmarking everyone's threads as I go along and I plan to sneak attack all my lovebombs when you least expect it. ♥

I might be getting a new phone for an early birthday present because the phone I currently have is a ginormous piece of shit. So bad. So bad that all the reviews online are like "HAHA WORST PHONE" and when you take it into Sprint, they're like, "HAHAHA SORRY" because there is nothing that can be done about it. I've only had the damn thing since the end of January and it's terrible. If it was just a problem with the apps or Android platform, I'd be okay and just deal with it. But it's now interfering with me sending/receiving texts and making/receiving calls which is WHAT A PHONE IS SUPPOSED TO DO.

So obviously what I get will be up to what my parents are willing to spend and I don't know what that is yet. And we will likely stay with Sprint because we get a discount and I like their service, I just hate this phone. BUT. I'm willing to listen to any advice you guys have even if it's with another carrier. And I'm trying to be diligent about researching this shit because, admittedly, I was not the last time.

So. If you like your cellphone, rec it to me. If you hate it, tell me what to avoid. I'm cool with Android, iPhone, etc. whatever so have at it. I'd tell you not to rec the Samsung Intercept to me but they don't even sell it anymore because it is SUCH a piece of shit.

Thanks!