A Safe Space for Moogles

I shorted out the stove today. Spilled a little instant-ramen broth on the controls, and zap! That was all she wrote. Lucky thing I figured out how to unplug the whole shebang, or we'd have a smoking crater for a house right now, and then who'd feed the fish? Still, we are left stove-less until Dad fixes things.

I think the next level of fail is to set something on fire. This is why I really should stay out of the kitchen. -_-

On the subject of Winterthing presents (NOOOOOOOOOOooooo....), I think I'll be giving out skibbles or something this year. I about killed myself crocheting something for everyone last year, and I'm pretty sure everyone's sick of yarnthings anyway. ;P I'd do baked goods, but, well, see above re: kitchen fail.

So, as threatened, I stayed up as long as it took last night to do my mom's blanket.* I got about two hours' sleep before I had to get up and go to work, all told. But I knew that was going to happen going in, so off I go like a trooper moogle and arrive at the Dog Place promptly at eight. ...Half an hour later I gave up and went home, very confused. I hadn't seen another soul and the building was locked up tight, so unless they were playing an elaborate prank on me... Maybe I was supposed to come in in the afternoon, I thought. So I opened presents with my parents, took a nap (homg needed that so much), and returned at 2:30 for what I thought would be the afternoon shift.

At 3:00 I was just about to give up again when my boss shows up. He winds up telling me that the Christmas Day dogwalking shift starts at six. Six. You'd think someone would mention this to the new girl. *headdesk* Anyway, he assured me it wasn't my fault, and I got to walk dogs with him, which gives me my holiday pay. So, all's well that ends well. ...I'm never going to hear the end of this when I come in to work tomorrow, am I?

Other than that, my Christmas is going just fine. It's really nice and warm outside, my parents are cooking dinner upstairs, and I have books and shiny things to keep me occupied. ^_^ ...but, uh, definitely going to bed early tonight.



*I was really expecting this to be a pain in the butt, but there's something oddly restful and cozy about crocheting a big fluffy blanket for someone you care about. I sat there in front of the computer and read old RP logs and the time and the yarn just flew. ...Don't think I'll be doing it that often though. *winces and flexes fingers*

...O hay, it's Christmas.

(Yes, I'm still up. I'm not done with Mom's blanket yet. *crochets furiously* If I hurry, I might still get a few hours' sleep before I have to go to work. But I will damn well stay up all night if I have to!)

I don't really have any deep thoughts this year. I'll save the introspection for New Years'. Just... I love you all. Thanks for sticking around and listening to me whine and encouraging my vices. ;) Stay safe and enjoy your Winterthing, whatever that entails.

Hugs, kisses, cookies and porn for all.

Love,
Moogle

I'm... dreaming...

Of an icky cold rainy...

Christmas...

Stayed up 'til 2 AM to do it, but my last Xmas presents are shipped out. And then I got up five hours later and kicked some ass at work. So! Day 8: Nap makes me happy. Because nap owns.

....

*thud*

Day 5:
Me: You know, C is for cookie.
Mom and Dad, in unison: And that's good enough for me!

XD

(Srsly, though, you guys, Mom went to a cookie-exchange party yesterday and now we're in cookies up to our ears. I am going to be one roly-poly moogle by the time the holidays are over. ...Anyone want to come over? :D?)

Day 3: OMG BABY TURTLE. Seriously, guys, the stubby little feets and cute little face are adorable, but that little headtilt? Slays me. So hard. *hearts*

...look, you want dignity, you're on the wrong blog. ;P

Speaking of no dignity, this is what I'm getting my grandmother for Christmas. At my mother's insistence, mind, because - is anyone else as creeped out as I am? o_o I feel like I should be wearing a cross and waving garlic. I'm amazed Mom doesn't see it, as big a Buffy fan as she is.

So, Mom and I decorated the tree this evening.

*ahem*

We've got big balls!

And they're dirty big balls!

AND WE'VE GOT THE BIGGEST! BALLS! OF! THEM ALL!

*runs for the hills* *I'm stupid, I'm stupid!*

...I really shouldn't be surprised I get cracky dreams. *rolls eyes* At least I could sleep in today.

( Dream 1 ) ( Dream 2 )

...just for the record, my brain? Scares me. Every once in a while.

In other news, the 'rents have the house all decorated for Christmas, and the kitchen is absolutely filled with Dad's sugar cookies. Eeeee. ^______^

So, Christmas.

poptartodoom came over to spend the night on Christmas Eve, and we had a brief crocheting bee and watched Muppet Christmas Carol and March of the Penguins complete with snark and squeeing over the baby penguins. And then there was conking out.

Christmas morning I woke Poptart up around nine so she could make eggnog french toast. It was amazing and delicious, even though none of us could find the cinnamon. XD After that there was presents, presents, more presents, turkey dinner, and falling asleep on Poptart watching my new Mythbusters DVDs. ^_^;;; (And yes, drharper, my TF/MB bunny is firmly latched onto my ankle, before you ask.) Other presents of note include a pink exercise ball, handmade earrings, a set of pretty blue dishware, and a brand-new set of speakers for my computer.

Today my parents left for Illinois for family tiem, leaving me to hold down the fort until New Years'. I've pretty much just been puttering around and thinking up ideas for a backup Ohayocon costume. Due to a lack of funds I'll probably just end up revamping my moogle costume, though I may go get something that fits me better to use as the body. I had a set of white sweats, but they're much too big and make me look like a marshmallow. -_-

Other than that, I just have to think about Sources of Income, both now and after I graduate. A job would be nice, of course. I'm also working on Etsy ideas, but I have to wonder what kind of trouble I'd get into if I sold FF7 plushies on there. Here's the copyright thing. I don't think Etsy does much in the way of self-policing, and if so I'd be okay as long as I kept a low profile. Still, it wouldn't hurt to play it safe.

In other news, I'm tempted to do this to the Nativity scene at a nearby Lutheran church. Does that make me a bad person?

My goals for this evening is to finish Ravyn's present. My goal for Friday is to crack 20,000 words in my novel. Possible obstacles to these goals include TF:A premiering tonight, which may make me fangasm.

Well, it's Christmas. I'm feeling kind of introspective.

It's been kind of a rough year for me. I've gone through some of the happiest and saddest times of my life. I've made some new friends, struggled and bitched my way through classes, taught myself to crochet, loved and lost, been frightened and exhilirated by the future. And wrote porn. Now the year is coming to a close, and I feel like I've walked a million miles just to come home safe again.

That's really what Christmas has always meant to me: a homecoming. I don't have any real place I call home, being a military brat, so for me it's about the stupid little things that never change from place to place. The smell of Dad's sugar cookies, and Mom's candles, and pine. Decorating the tree, telling the same stories again for every ornament. The sign Mom puts up in the hallway that says "Dear Santa - I can explain." How The Grinch Stole Christmas and The Muppet Christmas Carol. Mom cajoling me into helping her bake despite my insistence that I'm hopeless in the kitchen. Bantering and stealing cookies and having smartass contests with Dad. Hugs and kisses and the comfort of the people I love.

It's been a long, rough road, and I'm exhausted, but I'm home again at long last.

So, here's my Christmas wish for you: may your patron deity, Mother Terra, and the universe bless you as I am blessed. May you find yourself among family, friends, those you love. May you fight and bitch and laugh over stupid things, be warm and fed, and lay down at the end of everything and know that you are home.

I kind of adore Jennifer Love Hewitt now. And I don't even watch any of her work. XD It's just nice to see someone who hasn't let The Industry brainwash her into being completely neurotic about her body.

On the Christmas front, I'm starting to unload the vanguard of my Winter Holiday Of Choice presents, trucking along on my auntie's scarf after several false starts, and getting sick of hearing Christmas music. Which probably surprises none of you, but it's actually a new thing for me. I must be finally nearing the end of my rope after twenty-three years. Don't get me wrong, I love a lot of Christmas music - Barenaked Ladies, KT Tunstall, Elvis, the Charlie Brown Christmas score, anything involving a Muppet. I'd be thrilled if I heard something like that on the radio. What do I get instead? Elevator music with a side of baby Jesus. I'm worried I'll start throwing things. Like poisonous animals. "It's the most wonderful tiiiime, of the yeeeaaar! With the kids jingle belling and everyone telling you be of good CH'AAAAAARBOK!"

Ahem. Next post: things I like about the season. Featuring snow, if the meteorologists aren't talking out their asses.

...maybe I should go to bed.

The feeling of having finished a project you know your recipient will adore is second only to the feeling of having a challenge ahead of you: the challenge of creating something from your skill and imagination that you know the recipient will adore.

Bouncy, squeaky, happy moogle. ^_^ ^_^ ^______^

EDIT: No, self, a Phoenix Wright/FF7 crossover would not be a good idea. On the long list of things Sephiroth needs, 'legal counsel' does not appear. And a Phoenix/Seph/Edgeworth sandwich, while hot, would probably just be messy.

...that plus my period conspired to make Renfest this past weekend kind of a drag. But! Coming up is Celtic Dreams Weekend. I am guaranteed lots of men in kilts to ogle! YAY! Also, I brought _kyri, agamaed, and their friend Sarah over for pizza and Pan's Labyrinth on Saturday night, so that was made of awesome. ^_^ Goooooood movie, btw; I hadn't seen it before. apprentice_lurk, you'd like it, assuming you haven't seen it already. XD

This week I have off from school, and while the 'rents are away, the Pepper will... be lazy, mostly. ^_^;;; And do some Xmas-present planning. Yes, I do it eeeeaaaarly. Mostly 'cause I know I never have as much free time as I think I'm going to, and I make most of my presents. (Cheap moogle, and entirely-too-enamored-of-crochet moogle.) But! I still have to clean my room, and call people about happy pills. I shall do this on the morrow! Determinedmoogle!

In other news, I want a DS right now. *whimpers* Three more weeks, then I get the rest of my Renfest monies and can get one...