Wednesday, July 28, 2010

State of the Neko address: week 23, part 2

song+ Strangers Like Me- Disneymania
book+ Batgirl Rising
scent+ chocolate
quest+ apartment rearranging
upper+ i'm feeling rather productive lately
downer+ none? how odd
attire+ work clothes
drink+ cherry 7up


so really the inevitable semi-confrontational this-is-what-i-need-from-you roommate discussion with Moose went better than i'd originally anticipated. after a few days of avoidance, this morning she broached the subject of moving out herself. turns out someone else pointed out to her that she really can't afford to pay rent, pay off her tickets, and make car payments since she'll be buying a new car from a dealership now that Phineas is being (rightfully) repossessed by mom. she has a few friends that have offered to let her room with them rent-free in exchange for chauffeuring services. i said essentially “good for you! you understand that you still owe us the rent we floated you at the beginning of the year, right?” so presently things are going about as smoothly as possible all things considered. she should be moved out sometime between now and the end of August. that's fine, Kyu and i finally get studio space.

first thing he said “when this this and this *pointing at smaller tables* are upstairs, i'm putting in a big table for playing Warhammer on!” okay, whatever. it can go there *points* i'll be upstairs ignoring you and your nerdy friends. xD i like his friends just fine, but that doesn't mean i wanna listen to them play games that take hours to get through. if he has his Warhammer gaming area downstairs i'll just have a photography station set up upstairs so i can possibly get pictures taken without fighting the camera's flash for 10 minutes every time. xD between that and shifting my sewing stuff out of our room, there could actually be space to rearrange things.

..i don't even feel the slightest bit bad that we only had the “yeah, no more being roommates” conversation this morning and Kyu and i are already discussing just how we want to rearrange everything. xD it's gonna be nice having room to navigate around everything. i'm eager for space to dedicate to our hobbies without them piling up everywhere ready to tumble like a landslide at the slightest cross breeze. this is the perfect opportunity to indulge my obsessive love of hyper-detailed organizational schemes too. whee!

i foresee the purchase of numerous clear plastic organizational things over the next few months. just as i can afford them, other things are higher on the priority list. like a working sewing machine. i'm also thinking of going for a serger. i like the efficiency of them, and if i decide to go into doll clothes manufacture for spare money (like i've been thinking of doing) i'm sure as hell not gonna hand-sew everything! xD it'll also make people-sized costuming endeavors run smoother. i think i could make decent spending money by creating accurate dolly cosplay for hard-to-fit sizes. i'd specifically stick to JiD/EiD (girls), DoC/DoT (both genders), and Kid Delf (girl) since that's what i have and i'd need a model physically nearby to get a perfect fit. i also have Momo, but sewing for a tiny is fiddly and obnoxious. based on my own preferences i'd likely specialize in Western superheroes, but i think being open to other things could be fun too. it's not worth seriously planning out until i have the space and proper tools, but it's something i've thought about more than once lately. i love costuming and design, so i may as well find a way to profit doing something i love, right? i should ask around and see if there's any interest in those things.. for the most part, the doll hobby skews toward Anime/manga more than superhero comics. i'm personally passionate about capes and tights though.

Monday, July 26, 2010

State of the Neko address: week 23

song+ Everything Is Beautiful- Kylie Minogue- Aphrodite
book+ Wonder Woman- Gods of Gotham
scent+ chocolate
quest+ dolly sewing/ fixing the Moose drama
upper+ i'm feeling rather productive lately
downer+ Moosifer drama has increased exponentially
attire+ pajamas
drink+ milk


so i did a bit of sewing this weekend. nothing's done, but i'm not too far from the point it can be photographed. I'll probably work on it a bit more tonight. the one dress i have at a reasonable stage of completion isn't the one i was most excited to make, but i can't find the fabric i wanna use for it, so it's on the back burner. hopefully i'll be able to find it soonish. the one i'm working on is pretty nice though, definitely satisfied thus far.. the EiD boobies are somewhat terrifying to fit. X.x so massive! and the hips too.. if someone else has worked up basic patterns for EiD clothes, i totally need to get them. i know i just can't make them myself, it'll be WAY too much work!

it's really that the chest area is so curvy that it's an exercise in frustration to attempt wrapping any paper around the torso to try to figure out the basic needed darting. i may attempt the tape-and-plastic wrap approach, but even that could prove tricky. i'd really rather find someone else's patterns and go from there. or possibly try shrinking down an adult human pattern that already has darting figured out. and i guess there's always buying stuff pre-made from Iple and trying to structure a pattern based on that. *shrug* it's kinda a pricey way to do it though. i mean yeah, she'd totally wear whatever i ordered, but the international shipping isn't cheap, even (especially) on smaller orders. i guess i could host a group thing.. we'll see.

for now i'm just focused on getting through repeats of old roommate issues i thought we'd worked out with Moose. apparently mature conversations about expectations and considerations expire after a few weeks. who knew? frankly i'm sick of it and when she comes home tonight i'll tell her as much. she has until Dec 31st to be an adult roommate and not a spoiled child. we are not the managers of a closet/storage business. she can be an adult and treat us with respect and consideration, or she can find somewhere else to live. we're re-signing the lease here through (i think) February. if at the end of December i still feel like i wanna ground her then she'll have two months to find somewhere else to live. we've catered to her whims more than has been good for her, for far too long. in February she will have had full-time employment for a full year, that should be enough time to catch up her debts and stop being immature and irresponsible. i'm done being understanding and accommodating. i want what she owes me, i want to be able to respect the people i live with. i still love her, as infuriating as she can be, but i don't think i can live with her anymore. not having a driver living with us is part of why we moved so close to work, but i don't like this neighborhood, and honestly since she's NEVER HOME we may as well not have a roommate at all. frankly i think she'd be better off with the tough love, not living with us will show her how much she's taken us for granted. i'm thinking i'd rather conquer my terror when it comes to driving (thanks to 'lessons' bordering on verbal abuse from Poppa- definitely more of a “this is what you DON'T do” scenario) and buy my own car than deal with her entitled attitude and “i've renounced drama from my life” drama. yeah, for someone who claims to be above petty dramas (she's in a “more spiritual place” apparently homelessness is good for that at least) she generates more of it than anyone else i've ever known. that's not even factoring in her passive-aggressive (i'm kinda the authority on it, ask mom!) ways of obeying the letter of the laws Kyu and i passed down but not the spirit.. there's been more than one conversation along the lines of this, usually for about 20 minutes before i hit my breaking point.

us: these things will not be permitted in our apartment under any circumstances.
her: what if it's not mine?
us: why would you have it then? still no.
her: what if i don't know?
us: tell your friends beforehand it's taboo, still no.
her: what if someone does something somewhere then brings along the byproduct?
us: doing that is stupid in the first place, still no.
her: what if..
me: i said NO! What part of this are you failing to comprehend?? were you hit with the stupid stick??

admittedly, i'm not the most patient person when someone's trying to fine-print/loophole around the things i just plain refuse to compromise on. i'm not her mother and if she wants to screw up her life doing stupid things, that's her choice- agency and all- but damn it, she's not gonna screw up mine! also the rules we insisted on were the same ones we insisted on when Nasian was our roommate, and he didn't find them hard to deal with at all, so it's definitely a maturity thing.. and honestly being borderline alcoholic living an essentially Mormon existence was BIZARRE for him, but the nights he wanted to do something he knew would make me uncomfortable, he'd let us know he had other plans and he'd stay gone until he was sober again. Moose isn't an alcoholic, don't worry, but it should be easier for her to behave since she doesn't have the horrible burden of addiction. just stupid extended teenage rebellion against any perceived authority trying to keep her from having any fun. whatever.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

State of the Neko address: week 22, part 2

song+ Aphrodite- Kylie Minogue- Aphrodite
book+ Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour
scent+ chocolate
quest+ dolly sewing/ DQ9
upper+ Rorotime was awesome!
downer+ i'm back at work
attire+ work clothes
drink+ milk


so DQ9 is still epic-awesome. I'm nearing the end of the story, which means the other 2/3 of the game should open up to me soon. xD i'm having so much fun with it i've even brought it to work every day this week to play at lunch. i generally leave my DS at home where it's safe.. most of the time. tonight i should finish the story part though, so my intense focus will diminish to determined persistence over a broader span of time. xD post game for me will be maxing out skills and stats, and doing copious amounts of dungeon crawling through the Grotto maps. facing down the legacy bosses will be particularly amusing for me, so i hope to unlock some of them soon.

i think after beating the story part i'll slow down a bit and actually take the time to do other things again.. like sewing for dolls, or playing other games, or even reading the new books i've bought and not touched at all for the past two or three weeks. who knows, i may even pay attention to Kyu again. xD he's been particularly needy and attention-starved since i returned from my Roro-trip. i'm trying to be comforting, but without letting myself be smothered. not too sure i'm doing a good job of it. *sigh*

i am ready for something creative though, i think. i wanna go buy some fabric and see what i end up with for Eve this weekend. i wanna make some more grown-up stuff for her, then i think i'm interested in really trying some doll-scale cosplay things. like i really wanna do something like Scarlet Witch (FaithAnn), Stature (Eve), and girl!Hawkeye (Rosalie) for an Avengers-themed grouping. xD though i'm not sure where i could find MSD scale silver-framed purple-lensed sunglasses.. much less a color-coordinated bow and quiver. xD maybe i could make them myself.. if i have to. i have other ideas i definitely wanna get done too, character-specific, not group things, so maybe i'll start on all that. if i can work up some pattern templates, everything else will go smoother. patterns just aren't fun enough for me to really want to get them made.. sometimes spontaneous draping is more intuitive creatively. great for Eve and her personal style, not so much for superhero costuming.

this week has taken a long time to go by. i mean i don't feel like “oh geez, will this day ever END??” but i have noticed every day this week that it's never as late as i think it is. it can't just be me readjusting to the time zone difference because Kyu's noticed it too. xD whatever. i just hope tomorrow goes marginally quicker, so i can get home and start on awesome weekend stuff. some of which will definitely be dolly-oriented since i promised Roro pictures of a few things that i have yet to take care of. i also wanna show off the awesome Tedros cane i bought for Kyu. it's sweet!

I know Kyu is thinking of taking a few mental health vacation days soon. if he takes August 13th i will too and we'll totally go see Scott Pilgrim together before anyone at work can spoil it for us, and it'll be totally epic. xD having read all 6 volumes i'm super excited for it. i can see how someone who knows nothing about it could think it looks dumb though. the premise (hero must defeat 7 evil exes -of increasing strength- of the girl he likes to date her) is very nerdy. the whole series has heavy video game and music influences. i find it awesome, but i totally get that it's not everyone's thing.

Monday, July 19, 2010

State of the Neko address: week 22

song+ Heartstrings- Kylie Minogue- Aphrodite
book+ Wonder Woman- American Icon
scent+ four cheese pasta with chicken
quest+ dolly sewing/ DQ9
upper+ Rorotime was awesome!
downer+ i'm back at work
attire+ work clothes
drink+ milk


my week with Roro was awesome. we never got around to watching any of the musicals i packed, but we did see the Wonder Woman animated movie, and played HOURS of Dragon Quest IX together. xD which is kinda even better. we ate at a lot of the favored places, saw a movie, visited both malls, had a goofy good time overall, and almost forgot to take any pictures at all, but managed a few.. on the very last day i was there. xD they'll get shared later.

Momo had fun playing ponies and having picnics with Lorelei and Sarabelle. FaithAnn and Rosalie just chilled with Ichigo all week, though Rosalie's brown eyes did arrive (so she's pretty much complete at this point) and FaithAnn got a short black wig from Roro. it's better than the oversized wavy brown she'd been making do with, and for now she likes it (plenty cool in the sweltering summer) but later she'll want longer hair again.

i got a lot of sun, i'm actually almost tan. i'll likely be back to glow-in-the-dark by next week though. my legs also got a pretty good workout, walking almost everywhere. they don't feel sore though, so that's good.

being back at work today is kinda surreal. like i'm still all relaxed (yay!) but in some ways it feels like i didn't go anywhere because every week here is the same as the one before. easy to get back in the swing of things and feel like i'm not behind though. this week i'm gonna try my best to get some sewing done for Eve, and take pictures of what i've made for her so far. the EiD body is crazy-curvy, especially the large bust, so it's kinda scary to sew for. i enjoy it simply because Eve is so easygoing, she makes it fun to play mannequin with her. xD i think i could probably finish the outfit she's been lounging in tonight, if i don't get distracted by DQ9.. which is a distinct possibility. xD i've played it every day but Wednesday since i got it last Sunday (the 11th) because it's just that addictive! i picked up some really cool accent pieces i wanna use for necklines on dresses for Eve while i was with Roro, so that's kinda on the forefront of my creative processes at this point. now i'm just trying to figure out what colors i wanna work in. i'm actually thinking warm brown or pink for the antiquated pearl-and-copper looking pieces. something classy and original.

but yeah, i'm thinking of sewing extra EiD outfits to sell for Vesuvia money. the EiDs are tricky to dress, so i'm sure custom items would do well. i'd have to figure out workable patterns though, and that could be annoying. xD *so unbelievably lazy* it'd make things a bit easier to save for though.. i'd have to pull less of it from my regular job's income. I now have Vesuvia and next year's Dolpa to save for (third year's the charm, right?) and i'm absolutely determined to achieve all three this time. no more failing at the last possible second.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

State of the Neko address: week 21

there is no week 21. too tired. sleep now

Friday, July 9, 2010

State of the Neko address: week 20, part 2

song+ Heartstrings- Kylie Minogue- Aphrodite
book+ Wonder Woman- American Icon
scent+ new luggage
quest+ remembering everything i need
upper+ almost Rorotime!
downer+ i'm kinda freaking out a lot
attire+ work clothes
drink+ dr pepper


last night i bought my first set of adult luggage. i got mostly packed before i went to bed last night. tonight is just a final check, then sleeping since i have to get up stupid early to catch my flight. the only things not packed at this point are the things i'll need as i get ready to go tomorrow morning- hairbrush, toothbrush etc. i synced up my ipod and charged my phone already so i could pack those cords today. and i have the girls i'm taking with me (FaithAnn, Rosalie and Momo) dressed to travel with a few outfits each already packed in my carry-on. i left room in it for my journal, wallet, and keys.

i'm excited and terrified at the same time now. xD still totally terrified of flying, but i'll make it through okay, i'm sure. seeing Roro will totally be worth it. <3 my hair has been successfully re-greenified, and i'm pretty much ready to go in every way, but i'm panicking thinking i've forgotten something vitally important.. that's why i have all my lists, but going through them hasn't made me any more secure in thinking i've got everything. X.x i need to stop spazzing for real yo. i'm making it worse for myself, i know it, so i'll just have to stop thinking about it for a few hours. it's kinda strange to be thinking that this time tomorrow Roro and i will be doing something together. xD awesome, but still strange.

Monday, July 5, 2010

State of the Neko address: week 20

song+ the Day We Fell Apart- Kelly Clarkson- All I Ever Wanted
book+ Special A
scent+ fruity hair dye
quest+ re-greening my hair
upper+ almost Rorotime!
downer+ i'm kinda starting to freak out a little
attire+ work clothes
drink+ milk
!

so my weekend was nice and boring. i had Friday off to make up my July 4th holiday pay, and Thursday after work Tiff and i went to see the Last Airbender. it was mediocre at best, which is about two steps better than i was expecting, and everyone else seems to be surprised and disappointed by how truly bad is ended up. it is seriously NOT GOOD though. one person said he wished he could go back in time and not-see it, another said he regretted spending his 5 bucks to get in (at the discount theater no less). when the strangers to my left got up 30 minutes in, i was honestly surprised when they returned. i seriously thought they were walking out, not going for snacks. xD the highlight for me was probably buying my ticket- i called it 'Avatar' and the kid at the counter looked confused. either that moment or that the opening was a recreation of the opening bending sequences from the tv show. that actually turned out kinda cool. xD not worth seeing the whole thing though.

on the bright side, both Scott Pilgrim (which i finished reading) and Voyage of the Dawn Treader look amazing enough to make up for it. also Dragon Quest 9 releases next week and i have people super psyched to play that co-op, and i hear Lego Harry Potter (years 1-4) released last weekend, so i'm excited to play that before too long. the only Lego game i really waited on was Indiana Jones and only because i figured i wouldn't get the humor since i haven't seen the movies. i know Harry Potter inside and out, so i'm sure i'll love the games about as much as i ended up loving Lego Batman. xD which is a lot.

i'm at the point in my preparations to visit Roro (i leave this weekend!) that i'm alternating between anticipation and terror. xD not over seeing Roro or meeting Christy & Co. in person for the first time, pretty much just the flying. i'm terrified of flying, and paranoid that the airline could lose my luggage. X.x it hasn't happened to me before, but paranoia really doesn't need a basis in reality. i'm at the point that i'm also obsessing over the possibility i'll leave something here or there, so i'm going over my lists again and again, like a total basket case. xD this is possibly the most stressful vacation i've ever taken, so far as the preparation goes.. it's gonna be fun though once it's underway, i'm sure of it!

tonight i'm gonna start packing, starting with the things i won't need this week. i'm actually wondering if i could get away with putting everything into one bag.. except that my only bags are carry-on size, and that's not much space. also, what's the dimension limits for a carry-on? i couldn't find that info when i bought my tickets. if i can just not check a bag, and have everything i need in a larger carry-on, that's one less worry for me. xD my musicals and my dolls are gonna be the biggest things space-wise, but i think i could condense the musicals if i put them in something other than their sales cases. like a small CD book. now i think i'll have to try to pack as condensed as possible, just to see what i'm capable of. xD i bet awesomeness. i packed a ton of Girl's Camp stuff into very little space year after year, so this should be a cakewalk.

also a serious legitimate question, a purse is usually not counted toward luggage totals, right? what if i got everything but the dolls into a carry-on, then had the dolls nestled into a large purse.. would that be allowed, you think? xD i don't own a large purse, but i know several people who do, so it could be a workable solution.. maybe?

today has left me plenty of time for brooding and fretting, i have my Monday stuff plus Jacinda's to get done (i got Friday off, she got today) but the computer is being SUPER slow, so waiting on it has given me time to do everything else, and now i'm almost where i should be, and still waiting for the stupid computer to finish spooling the print job so i can cancel it. X.x the printer ate the first half, and i managed to re-print everything else at a different computer, but i still have to let it finish spooling on the original computer (delayed considerably by the SEVEN paper jams) and cancel the rest when it's done thinking it through so there aren't hiccups in the system. *sigh* our comic-management program is SO stupid and frustrating, but sadly it's one of the best around.

i also need to find a point this week to rope Moose into helping me bleach and re-dye my black roots to match my green hair. xD it looks crazy-bad and i'm so sick of it, but she's NEVER HOME so i've got like seriously *stops to check out reflection to avoid hyperbole* about 2 (maybe 2 ½) inches of black roots starkly contrasting my (kinda fading/ increasingly mossy-toned instead of verdant emerald) green hair. it's not exactly the most flattering look for anyone. xP i'm about ready to tie her down just so i can casually proclaim “hey, look! we're both home at the same time! how'd you like to do my hair?” this morning she was like “well why don't you just let Este (her boss who does her hair) do it?” knowing full well i freak out when people touch my hair. it takes all my restraint to let Moose deal with it and i've known her all her life. someone i only kinda know isn't gonna work too well.. even if i do like her as a person. especially since i'd like it done this week and i don't drive and she's not super close by at this point in time.. though i think actually buying more green dye is really the first step. xD i can't do that unless someone takes me to the mall. it's pretty damn frustrating only being able to buy the color one specific place, and not having a convenient way to get there when i need to. guh. i WILL have my hair re-done before i leave.. i'm very determined on that point.