Took me long enough. Okay, these pictures aren't of great quality, because of the lighting. Also, they're just not the greatest shots. Some of them are shaped funny, because I looked terrible in them, and so I cropped myself out. XD

The wench is my step-sister, and the black knight is my step-brother. The policeman (PJ) and fireman (Ethan) are his sons, and Raggedy-Ann (Cadence) is my step-sister's daughter. Johnny would be the lion. Rawr!

[Pics]

Also, those thumbs are more or less the middle of the pictures, so you might have to click on some of them to get any idea of what's in them.

Hmm. Other news later, once I can sort out my thoughts. Be prepared for either long awkwardness, or dismissive brevity. =D

~Rach

 

Today I got up at a reasonable hour and my mom came to pick me and Johnny up for his portrait. He was kind of clingy in the beginning and didn't want to sit still, but I'm happy overall with the ones I picked. The ones I have here aren't necessarily the ones I picked—these are just the ones she shot with the camera and burned to the CD—they don't have all the custom options I picked. But there are a few there anyways if you want to look at them.

While we were there, the girl who took Johnny's pictures was going through some photos on the computer while the guy filled our lab order, and she came across this really sweet family portrait. My mom and I said, "That's really nice," and then she broke down crying. And then she told us that the family in the portrait—the mom and the baby boy were the ones that were found dead here in St. Pete. She said, "That little boy survived two brain surgeries and open heart surgery just to be shot in the head by his dad. I took his first pictures, and I took his last."

She left the room after that, and I didn't know what to say. It got me thinking about mortality a lot. Mom and I discussed life insurance on the way home.

Apparently, there's a policy that exists—on me? Mom's the beneficiary. Huh. Good thing I trust her not to go cuckoo-bananas.

Gonna go write now and work on this Hellmasker fan-art. He looks like a PotC ghost-army reject.

 

I posted my TifaxYuffie story for the yuri_challenge community last night. It felt good to get it out of the way, and I can honestly say I'm very happy with the way it turned out. It's a shame that things I'm not as pleased with garner more attention, but hey, what can you do.

I was going to try and push chapter sixteen of Agapé out, but then I decided to rewrite the entire chapter. Yeah, I'm terrible. Oh, well. I will try to get it out soon.

BUT! I noticed that our cable is out. I think my dad cancelled the account, even though we were giving him the money for it. So don't be surprised if my internet gives out and I disappear during the night-time. At any rate, I'll try to keep up with stuff and make it work.

I put Johnny down for sleep a while ago, and I think he still hasn't gone. Not even when he was being perfectly quiet. Right now I hear squealing, laughter, and raspberries in the next room, plus a random string of syllables.

Let it not be said that my son cannot very well entertain himself. He does a damned right job of it, if I have anything to add. Although it's very entertaining when I see him get into contests with Joe. While my psuedo-husband might have the greater lung capacity, Johnny knows where to take a breath. Three adorably long raspberries in a practiced row beat one not-so-cute one, in my opinion.

I believe it's time to hoist someone out of his crib and make another mess. Maybe bananas, this time, or something else that won't kill me if I get it in my eye. =)

 

Johnny likes it when I dance to Weapon of Choice. Apparently. XD

 

Ok, let's hope this works. LJ is still giving me crap, so I'm trying this through the e-mail feature. Hope it shows up right. I'll try to keep it to the point. Or whatever.

The past few days have been interesting, I suppose. Johnny had a heat-rash looking thing that came and went. LJ had some crap going on, so I couldn't post anything long enough worth mentioning. Joe made a great dinner with coconut, curry, shrimp and rice (with pineapple and mango). Live at Gotham City was good Friday night - Jim Breuer (hosting) doing SEMI-INTELLIGENT and NON-OFFENSIVE humor, omg and I like him now, where before I thought he was stupid. I guess parenting changes some people.

Today we went to my mom's for another cookout (I know, wtf), barbeque chicken for my step-sister's birthday, and Johnny went in the pool for the first time. He didn't like it at first, but once he got used to it, he didn't want to get out. He mostly liked being held and bobbing a bit, and splashing his little hand in the water. Eventually he was talking and grinning with his cousins, and by the time we left, he was making the puckered fish-face (I wish I had a pic to show everyone). He always gets happy when it's time to go, I don't understand. Some other things happened over the past couple days that I won't get into, but Joe's trustworthiness became an issue (don't worry, it's nothing like what you're probably thinking, but any kind of trust issues are a big deal with me), and I'm kind of still mad at him. I think life would be a lot easier much of the time if I didn't love him so damned much. Also, I got sick of my mp3 library, but that hasn't forced me to buckle down and write.

But I will. Right now. Also, I'm going to work on a list entry fanfiction catalogue for my writing journal, and maybe a recommended reading list while I'm at it. Then I'll work on new shrine layouts, when I get the time. Also, I joined a new text RPG at the Fantasy World Forums, and it looks really interesting, so I'm excited for its opening tomorrow.

Okay, I think that's it for now. I'll come back and edit my tags and tunes later or something. I don't really know how to use this feature too well.

~Rach.

 

So I figured out today that if I set Johnny down in his room with the door wide open, he will crawl over to the open door and bat it back and forth in his hands, then kind of peer around it to see if he can figure out how it works. It was very interesting to watch, him opening and closing the door, peeking through the open sliver of light to look at me. Hee.

Okay, I started out the night with another one of those heavenly drinks. Maybe not the best idea, but whatever. I got a few paragraphs done. But MY LEGS HURT. I DON'T KNOW WHY?

I'm just... right now I'm tired. And sick of everything. And I mean everything. I don't want to sleep, mostly because I want to write, but I can't make myself sit here anymore. I don't think a smoke or a drink would help. I don't think tea would, either. Thank goodness I don't do any 'recreational' drugs. I am tired of grape juice. I am tired of giving my opinion on issues I care about when it doesn't matter to anyone else. This rice? Is disgusting. I shouldn't have put teriyaki on it. I wish I could find a sound file converter that actually worked.

Maybe I will read myself to sleep. I could stand to do some more reading, especially since I have NEW BOOKS. When I finish them, I'll post so you know if they're any good or not. Yes, this is what I need. I'll get a fresh start in the morning, and maybe you'll see a new chapter of Agapé before the day is through. Like anyone's actually looking for it anymore.

[This song] could drive anyone crazy after a while. I am going to have it stuck in my head tonight, and I won't be able to sleep. But I like it anyways. I snagged it from Jay Gordon's MySpace page. What am I doing stalking him? Wouldn't you like to know.

~Des

 

Do not be alarmed! I have changed my LJ name. Yes, it is I... and also I'm making non-friends-only entries now, because I forgot the point.

Anyway, I hope everyone had a good three-day weekend. We went to the Boca Ciega Yacht Club (which in this case is really a fancy word for boat-parking plus a kitchen and some docks) to meet my dad and Jo-Anne, and her sister-in-law and father-in-law (from her ex). We had a picnic lunch and took Johnny out on the sailboat for a quick ten minutes or less, which we thought he'd love, but he hated it. He was sticky with sunscreen and the lifejacket apparently was too snug on his little shoulders and neck (who knew they actually made them that small?), so he cried the whole time and it was miserable. Oh, but when we changed direction and headed back to the docks? He was quiet as a mouse and lulled his head back peacefully. Grrgh. We later went to my mom's for filets and swimming - we thought - but Johnny was fussy and wouldn't eat anything but cheerios (he seems to not want to take anything from a spoon now, and it's really driving me up the wall coming up with meals for him), and cranky and tired, so no pool.

My kid brother crashed here that night, and Joe and I finished off the last of the rum. Coconut rum is good with bananas and orange juice and a teensy bit of sugar, if you blend it up right with the ice chips. Yum.

Sharing a cigarette with Steve was weird, though. Nevermind that he's younger, and was smoking long before I ever did. He's still my kid brother, and it's weird. I told him as much, but he pointed this out and said, "It should be weird for me!" Me, I only smoke when I drink, which is... well, twice a month to never. And yes, his six-foot-six lanky ass was sprawled all over my couch. Personally, I don't know how he managed to fit.

AND STEPH IS COMING BACK TO FLORIDA!! Party at my house. This is going to be the best visit ever, even if I have to twist her arm -- or snog her (which I realize would probably only make matters worse, but I like to live dangerously).

I want to be on AIM with you guys tonight, but I will probably sit it out and try my best to get some of these chapters out. Again, I can't seem to concentrate on anything, or sit still. All these ideas are just backing up in my brain. One of these days, my head is going to explode.

...That every time I get on the internet I go and find music can't possibly have anything to do with that. Oh, no. Not at all.

I had totally forgotten about this song. Good thing I was on Wikipedia today, or I'd have quite possibly never picked it up again. Right click, "save as" for my current tunes... [mp3]

Okay, must turn off speakers now. Putting myself on lock-down in the office. Yes...

(I am so not going to write anything, I'm going to make TifaxHellmasker fan-soundtracks instead, because that's what this song does to me. YOU HAVE TO TURN IT UP LOUD!)

~Nighty Night~

 

I decided I'm going to try to write in this less, even though I usually keep it down to once or twice a week already, because I usually don't have anything important to say. So I'll only write when I do, instead of spamming you guys with junk (sorry).

As of today, both the books I ordered have shipped. The first is Rant: an Oral Biography of Buster Casey, which looks promising, and was written by Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club). The other is more or less a commentary on artists versus technology in the age of p2p filesharing. That was only $2, so I figured what the hell.

Found out mom's getting skin cancer taken out of her ear. Already had a biopsy, and I'm sure it's benign, more or less going off of that her dad's were all benign (though plentiful), and hoping I never go through that. Depending on how severe the area is though, she might eventually have to have reconstructive surgery on her ear (her dad has had a lot of surgeries and scars because of skin cancers). She didn't seem to mind much, though, since she could cover it up with her hair. My mom gets... sad about things, but she's not really fazed by much at all. If you pray though, or whatever you do... think of her. I'd appreciate that.

And today was Johnny's birthday party. Thanks to everyone who left LJ comments, or MySpace messages, or sent me texts. That was really sweet of you, and all waves/hugs/kisses/greetings were/will be delivered.

We broke out the Old Bay and had a seafood boil in the backyard, complete with plastic furniture and canopy shade (oh, so unashamedly southern). Joe did a lot of prep yesterday and today, and put a lot of work into it. He carved out an entire watermelon and made it into a basket for the fruit salad (and I took a spoon to the yummy insides he removed, ever so helpful). Corn and shrimp and crawdads, and real Maryland crabcakes (no filler!), and BEER and fruit salad, coleslaw and pasta salad. And there was a huge chocolate cake. When we were finished with the presents, we stripped Johnny down to his diaper and sat him in the highchair. Joe set a big piece of cake in front of him, and I grabbed the video camera, and we watched him go to town. Johnny ducked his head down and tore into that cake face-first, and from that moment on he was shovelling it in, looking like he'd acquired a Reeve-ish facial grooming made of chocolate when he did come up for air. When I reviewed the tape later, I realized Iron Man was playing on the radio in the background, and that cracked me up.

It's hard to believe I have a one year old, but a lot of things hit me really late. Like... today was the first day it has felt like summer to me in maybe ten years or more. Even when I was fifteen and worked at a summer camp, I didn't really feel summer. Not since I was going into the fifth or sixth grade, probably. And I realize this is probably because I jump into a lot of things that require me to forget what it's like to be a child.

Today, Joe and I hopped on the Suzuki and took a ride. The last time I was on it was probably about a month or two after the baby was born, if that. Before, probably not since I was a few months pregnant (real responsible, I know). But even before that, we used to take it out. There was nothing quite like having that wind in my face and my hair, and having that salty wetness trail behind my eyes, the noise and the vibration and the jolting bounce, and the fluid lean of two bodies and a machine. Sounds stupid, but I missed flying down the street, and having that feeling back was amazing. It was freeing.

Okay. I think I am done now. Going to curl up with Joe and a Moosehead lager.