As I mentioned earlier, I’m doing NanoWriMo the year. My novel is going to involve vampires. I just read the Twilight Saga this summer. Whatever I do write, my main character isn’t going to be an annoying no-personality blob.
During September I’m going to be doing vampire research. This will also eventually go on my dark-creatures.com website (not up yet). I own at least 4 vampire “non-fiction” books already. I have a show on vampires saved on the DVR (along with Bram Stoker’s Dracula). And I took The New Annotated Dracula
out of the library today.
I’ve been “into” vampires since before it was trendy. I remember when I was in 11th grade, sitting in the lunch room reading a book on vampires I had bought (the only book on vampires the store had). The girls I was sitting with probably thought I was quite weird.
During October, I’ll be outlining my novel. I didn’t do this last time and it may be a part of why I gave up after a week. And possibly doing more vampire research on TV, as it is Halloween month.
August 30th, 2010 - Posted in Books, Creativity | No Comments »
I don’t do much cooking by myself anymore. Not anything complicated anyway. I’ll make baked macaroni and cheese, brown hamburger for tacos, stuff like that.
Today I decided to make sunnyside up eggs for breakfast (Joe works this weekend). I prefer over-easy, but I’m not going to attempt to flip an egg. First egg came out perfectly. Didn’t break the yolk putting the egg into the pan like I often do. Then, the second egg. I was trying to open it into the pan when I touched the side of the pan with my right middle finger. I pulled my hands back…and dropped the egg onto the floor. While Spencer was working on cleaning the egg up, I tried to do another egg. Didn’t burn myself, but broke the yolk.
Later on I decided to try and make Spinach Artichoke Dip. This is the first time I’ve made it. It involves chopping, something I’m not very good at. I did the best I could, although the garlic and onions were rather chunky. Next step was to put the spinach into a food processor. I’ve never used our food processor myself. I had Joe get it out for me last night, but I should have asked him how to use it. I could not get it to turn on. So I gave up and decided to try and chop up the spinach and artichoke myself. When trying to open the bag the artichoke hearts where in, I stabbed myself on my left middle finger. There was a good amount of blood.
I finally got it all cooked and managed to eat some of it without futher incidents. It was really good, even with the non-food processing and chunky garlic and onions. I ate it with baked tortilla scoops. If you like spinach-artichoke dip, I recommend this lower-calorie version.
August 28th, 2010 - Posted in Health, Life | 1 Comment »
I love my netbook for more than just being adorable.
My other computer is a laptop. One of the desktop-replacement varieties. It’s a great laptop, but it can be heavy to pick up and hot on my lap, even with cooling items.
I use my laptop by reclining on the couch with some pillows behind me so I’m somewhat sitting up. I sometimes take it into the computer room and put it on my computer desk and hook it up to my big monitor. Mainly to play World of Warcraft with Joe.
If I want to just look something up quick, it’s a pain to do so with my laptop. Literally. I don’t mind that it hurts me to pick it up if I’m going to be using it for awhile. My laptop lives on the endtable at the end of the couch. So sometimes I would just sit sideways at the end of the couch and use it, which was also painful.
The netbook is light enough so it doesn’t usually hurt when I pick it up. I can lay down completely while using it. I barely can feel it’s weight on me. It’s great if I just want to check Twitter and LJ, visit the sites I usually visit. And I’m sure it’s going to be great when NanoWriMo comes around.
So, if you have a chronic illness where you spend a lot of time on the couch, I totally recommend getting a netbook.
In other exciting news, my diagnosis of possible Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome has been become definitely Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.
August 27th, 2010 - Posted in Health, Life | No Comments »
I haven’t updated on my weight in awhile.
Today I weighed 160 lbs. This makes a total of 31 lbs lost since January. Go me!
I haven’t been tracking my calories or eating particularly healthy. I haven’t been exercising. I’m sure I would have lost more if I had been doing those things, but I’m still eating less in general.
I didn’t go swimming much this summer like I had planned. On July 4, at our family picnic, I had to leave early. It was in the high 90′s that day and I couldn’t take being outside. Turns out I was probably running a fever too. I found out later in the week I had a sinus infection, ear infections in both ears, and bronchitis. It took me most of July to recover full and I still don’t really feel like being outside.
I started on Wellbutrin a few weeks ago. The first few weeks were great. Energy! I could think again! Couldn’t sleep without Ambien though. That wore off, but I still think the brain fog is better. I asked the doctor to up my dose, we’ll see what she says. I don’t have much less of an appetite, but I seem to get full more quickly.
I’ve been having a lot of pain in my legs lately. I really feel like it is due to the EDS and I’m going to tell the rheumy that when I see him this Friday.
Starting today, I’m keeping track of my food again. I also printed out some new recipes to try from sparkrecipes.com.
I’ve been working 6 hours a day instead of 5 lately. I have a lot of work to do plus we need the extra money (to pay for things like this netbook that I’m writing on). The first two weeks I did this, I wasn’t on the Wellbutrin yet. I was EXHAUSTED. Couldn’t think at all. Now I’m handling it pretty well. It’s definitely progress because before I was barely able to make it the 5 hours. If I work over 6 hours in a day, I need to take a lunch break, so I will have to work even more to get in more hours. There would be no point in working 6 and a half hours. I’m not ready to handle being there 7 hours yet so I’m going to stick with 6 for awhile.
August 21st, 2010 - Posted in Health | 2 Comments »
I had a bad night last night.
I went to sleep around 12ish. Around 12:50, I got up and told Joe there was a huge spider in the bed.
I’m still not entirely sure if there was actually a spider there or if I dreamed or hallucinated it.
The spider was laying on Joe’s side of the bed, near his pillow. It was big and black and furry. I seem to recall it being several inches long. Much bigger than any spider I had ever seen in my life, except ones in the pet store.
Joe searched all around the bed and shook out the covers several times. No spider.
I think it took me several hours to fall back asleep. I kept opening my eyes and looking in that same spot for the spider (which doesn’t really make sense…why would it be there again?).
I’d be more inclined to believe the spider wasn’t actually there, if it hadn’t been for an incident this past winter.
For two nights I thought I had seen a spider on the covers as I fell asleep, but couldn’t find the spider when I looked for it. A black, furry one, although much smaller than the one last night. I was horrified on the third night, when it happened again, and I FOUND A SPIDER ON THE COVERS. I had been sleeping with a spider for the past two nights! I had to chase it around a bit before I finally got it between a cup and a piece of paper and took it outside.
Since I started taking muscle relaxers at night, I’ve also had some odd hallucinations. One I remember the best was seeing one of our cats sitting on top of a mirror. The mirror is one that only has a thin metal frame and no place for a cat to sit. When I have these hallucinations, I have to look hard at something for about a minute until it resolves into what it actually is.
Last night as soon as my mind registered “Spider! Bed!” I was out of that bed and on my way out of the room without checking to make sure a spider was really there.
Later last night I had a dream where Joe found the spider in the bathroom and it was about 7 inches long. Then I woke up and unfortunately had to go to the bathroom.
August 15th, 2010 - Posted in Life | No Comments »
I’ve been wanting a netbook since I first saw one. They are just so cute!
I decided I wanted to do NaNoWriMo this year and thought a netbook would be fun to write it on. I’ve looked around for the past week, but none jumped out at me (except a $899 Sony Vaio…). Finally, today I found the perfect one for me (and at a more reasonable price). We placed the order for it tonight. Yay for Best Buy credit cards and no interest for 18 months!
It is the Samsung N150 in Flamingo Pink
Isn’t it just adorable?
August 9th, 2010 - Posted in Life | No Comments »
