Christmastime is here

First, the good news.  I heard back from the Coroner's Public Relations office.  They got the results of the autopsy and are able to release the death certificate for my brother now.  Hypertensive Cardio-something, basically his high blood pressure wore his heart out.  Even though he was doing better, I guess the damage was done.

I've been struggling a lot this season.  Between being flat out depressed over Thanksgiving and then getting sick a week ago, it's just been hard.  I listen to my Sirius radio Christmas stations in the car, and run the Primary Christmas songs we've been learning through my head.  I did manage to get all the presents wrapped and those that need shipping got shipped.  Though there's still a couple more I should probably ship. Hmm.

But- (potential spoilers)

The new Star Wars movie is out.  The Last Jedi.  I really liked it.  I need to see it again before I know exactly where to place it in my 'favorite Star Wars movies' list, but I enjoyed it quite a bit.  There's been quite the uproar on Facebook about it - apparently a lot of people didn't like it, and one of the main reasons is because it didn't meet their expectations.  Which is why I try to have as few expectations as possible when I go in to these movies.  I enjoyed it a lot, though.  Poe is my favorite, even though he basically managed to single-highhandedly destroy the Rebellion through his hubris.  Oops, that was probably a spoiler.  He was still adorable.  Rey was really good, and there's this lightsaber fight between her and Kylo Ren that was so awesome.

So that's my update.  I go to Glen's for Christmas this year, so I'm just counting down the days and hours until I can leave.  I have NO vacation time left so I really can't leave early. :(

A trip to the Temple

Last week was a bad week.  We still have not received my brother's death certificate.  I asked for help from my law enforcement peeps on Facebook, and as a result contacted the San Bernardino District Attourney's office.  The Public Relations person there was very nice, and has sent my request to the Sheriff's Public Relations people.  Hopefully we'll hear back from them in a day or so, or I'll contact them directly.

I was feeling very sad, almost in tears, but since I have no vacation time and no more sick leave, I had to go to work. I've had a lot of doctor and dentist appointments lately as well, which means I've been in a little more pain than normal (stupid teeth decided to fracture so now I need crowns on three of them).  Plus my blood sugar has been uncontrolled for about a year now.  I changed doctors and am working on my lifestyle changes again, but these things take time and I'm depressed now.  Not to mention I've had a headache for over a week :(  Even the Chiropractor didn't really help.  Although I've got to stop sleeping on the couch (it's just so comfortable!)

Friday night I considered calling in sick to my temple shift (I work as a Temple Receptionist twice a month in the Los Angeles Temple), and it occurred to me that what ails me is not physical, but rather mental and spiritual, and the cure for that is to be had in the temple.  So I went, and during my shift the Lord kept me busy.  My last station they didn't need me, so I went home early, and was still feeling pretty miserable, to the point where I ordered Domino's, even though I'd ordered Domino's already that week.  And ate most of it.  And fell asleep on the couch again. 

But when I woke up I felt so much better.  Like capable of doing things and going places and even cleaning my house.  That feeling has lasted to some extent, and the darkness that had overshadowed my soul seems to have lifted.

A fairy godmother didn't come down, wave her wand, and make all my troubles disappear, but my stint in the Temple helped me overcome my despondency and made me able to care for myself once again.

Sad Days

It's been a difficult month for me.  My brother Mike (3rd oldest) passed away August 3, 2017 in his sleep. 

Looking forward to a break

So when I last wrote, I was between trips - a business trip and a personal trip.  The business trip to CO went well.  The personal trip was SO MUCH FUN!

We went to New York!

All I do is travel...

I have been doing a lot of traveling lately.  Kitty is not pleased

Beach Living

So yeah, it's been almost a year.

And it was a very hard year at that.  I did move to California, and did get my house sold, and for a while everything was new and exciting.  Then I took Kitty to the vet and she was diagnosed with Lymphoma (a type of cancer having to do with the intestinal tract). 

Blessings

I feel the need to record this, and given that no one reads my blog anymore, I feel pretty safe doing it here.

Brief Update

Just so you know, my house sold and I moved to California (not in that order).  There were a lot of blessings and exercised faith involved, but Kitty and I are now ensconced in a nice apartment in Artesia, CA.  It's about an hour to work one way and an hour to my family the other, so it's a nice compromise for now.  I may move closer to work when my current lease is up, though.  Just because it's hard for me to drive for so long in such traffic.  On the plus side, they don't mind me staying late at work until the traffic is better.  I get more work done that way too :)

Moving right along... mostly...

My house is on the market, and keeping everything clean and ready to show is starting to drive me nuts.  I guess I never realized just how sloppy I can be.  Two people have come by to see the house, though, so I guess it's worth it.

My Christmas Letter!

While I'm on a roll, I decided I should probably put this here so it doesn't get lost.  I'm actually quite proud of it. Even if I can't get the pictures to post :(

Three month hiatus

Sure feels like it! I haven't written my blog for over 3 months! So much has been happening, though.

I'm going to Mars!

Or my name is, anyway.  My Boarding Pass (which may or may not display properly)






Want to come with me?
Send Your Name to Mars

14 and counting

So here's my progress update.  Memorial Day weekend I went through all my clothes and even my fabric stash.  Women from church picked through my fabric and took what they wanted, then the majority of the rest of it went to the Drama Club.  Whew!

Went a little nuts pulling things out of the drawers..

Tidying up

I've been reading this book:

I got the Kindle version. 

A little bit of April in my life

So tomorrow is  April Fool's Day.  I will be on alert for all the "George Lucas returns to Star Wars" or even "Moon is going to hit the earth" posts on Facebook.  And be skeptical of them all.

Personally, I'm just glad that spring is finally here.  This was 10 days ago:

A lot of nothing

Pretty sure I've lost all my readers by now....

but that's ok.  I forget that this is supposed to be my journal now.  I do so much on facebook that it's difficult to remember that there are (or were) people who read my blog too.

So the short version would be:

November - a whole lot of putting in extra hours at work and getting ready for December

December - went to Middle Earth (more on that in a separate post)

January - mostly depressed and sad I wasn't in Middle Earth anymore

End of January - went to FanX in Salt Lake City and met  Carrie Fisher!!  Love her!!  Got to be with my family for a couple of days too.  Didn't take many pictures this time.

February - it snowed a lot.  About once a week.  I've only been able to go to one kettlebell class per week because of the weather.

March is coming, and with it Daylight Savings Time and Spring.  Though I'm about convinced that winter is going to last well into March.  I hope my tree doesn't bud early.

Days of Scaring

It's almost Halloween.  Three more days.  I have the Sister Missionaries coming over for dinner (I'm thinking pumpkin chili, I can put it in the crockpot and it will be yummy when I get home, then some quick cornbread and I'm set).  then I can pass out candy to the neighborhood children without being thought creepy or a stalker or something like that.  And this is my costume:

Lady Sith Hameva (she will cut you in half!)

This time she's smiling.  I would be scared if I were you.

I wore this to the ward Trunk-or-Treat last Saturday.  I love it when my costume is so good people can't tell it's me for a few minutes.

This is also the costume I did not wear to SLCC - I figured I would just wear it for Halloween. Except on Friday I'm so wearing my boots.  Those shoes are great, but they don't really go with the outfit.  Not that you can tell in these pictures...

I am strong.

I have a couple fun things that I need to blog about - a meeting in Downtown DC to listen to the Principle Investigator for the New Horizons mission that's less than a year away from Pluto (it was a year when I went).  I went to Salt Lake Comic Con, which was so fun.  Exhausting and fun.  And the inaugural trip of the Museum Group I started with some friends.

However, today I just wanted to pop in, let you know I'm still alive, and show you this:

This was taken today, October 14, 2014.  I started personal training a year ago (a bout a year and two weeks ago).  I am strong.  I am lifting two 20 kg kettlebells - just under 90 lbs.  First time ever.  Ok, second time ever :)

My Precision Nutrition journey has stalled - I got side-tracked by stress about 3 months ago and it took a while for me to recover.  I'm still working on that.  But I have my habits to work on, so we're ok.  I will be making measurable progress again soon.

Now I need to stop being a slug at home and get around to those projects I've been meaning to do.  I had a guy from Lowes out yesterday to measure my back door to get it replaced.  I really want to redo my basement but don't have the means at the moment.  I did, however, finally replace the badly bent bed frame on my bed.  It's taken some time to get used to sleeping flat again :)

I also have several small sewing projects and about 4 major ones that I want to start working on - a new hobbit dress/outfit, a top, a quilt, and a cover for my swing in the back yard.

The new TV season has started, and I've started culling my tv shows.  Realized that I shouldn't be watching Revenge even as I told my nieces they shouldn't be watching it.  Nothing good happens to the people in that show.  And they all behave badly, even the good ones.  Dropped Forever just because their world-building left a lot to be desired.  Added The Flash and Scorpion, though.  Pretty sure The Flash will last, a little worried about Scorpion.  Considering dropping NCIS and the new NCIS New Orleans.  both really good shows, but I'd rather spend my time watching other things.  Like Person of Interest and Chicago Fire.  Did drop Chicago PD, though.  My heart just wasn't in it.  I do know the characters, though, so the crossovers will be ok.

Ok, back to my regularly scheduled work day.  Have fun!

If you're going to San Francisco Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair...

So I went to San Francisco, California for the last weekend in June, to attend the Evolution Expo started and run by Julie Caitlen Brown (I know her from Babylon 5, Na'Toth).  My nephew Erick joined me.  It was Very Fun.  There weren't very many people there, though.   Here's a brief synopsis:

 Cute bag, huh?

Thursday

• Arrive at airport.  discover Erick will not be joining me until Friday (oops)
• Take shuttle to hotel and check in.
• Decide to take a nap before getting dinner.
• 11 hours later...  I swear there's something in those matressess that make me want to sleep.  Too comfortable.  I should look into buying one for my home (at over $1000 I think maybe not)

Friday

• Decide to see what the Fitness Center is like in this Marriot hotel.  It is fabulous.  I do a complete workout.  My trainer was very proud.
• Have breakfast at the hotel.  Very tasty, but about 5 times what I'd pay anywhere else.  Decide not to go back.
•  Get ready, put on Serenity T-shirt for the first day
• Go get in registration line to pick up my badge and stuff.  Except there isn't a line.  There's one other person, and it doesn't look like the staff quite know what's going on yet.
• Get my stuff and sit down to wait for the dealer's room to open.  Meet Johanna, the other person that was in line.  Have a nice talk about cons and things like that.  Make friends.Dealer's room opens.  We head over, stopping by the dealers booths in the hallway first.  Not many of them.  That should have been our second clue.  The lack of people at the check-in line should have been the first.

The Framed Picture that the dealer wanted me to buy.










 

• Go into the Exposition Hall.  Look around.  There are maybe 12 dealers.  See the Autograph tables all set up with lines and everything.  No one is there.  See the photo booths across the room.  No one there either.  The poor dealers are bored and sad.  They talk to us.  This freaks me out but Johanna runs interference for me.

• Get to go see the brief planetarium show by the local science center.  Decide I really should make plans to go to the Science Center next time.
• Go get my picture taken with Wendy Lawrence, Astronaut.  She was just great.  Later I got our picture signed by her.
• Lose Johanna somehow, so I go get lunch.
• Return and go in to see Garret Wang (Voyager, Ensign Harry Kim).  He was great.  Very funny, some really good stories
• Erick finally arrives!!!!!  We go to the room, he takes a few minutes, then we take him to lunch. 



John Rhys-Davies, of course!




• Return, go see Kevin Sorbo and John Rhys-Davies.  Later get picture taken with John.  He was very sweet.  Very cuddly.

• Go get dinner.  Return and watch The Three Musketeers in the room until Concert Time.
• 10:00pm, go to concert.  Spock's Beard was first.  They were good, but appeared to be mostly instrumental.  We did notice their lips moving, but we didn't hear any vocals.  
• Jefferson Starship!!!!!  They were fabulous.  Even if they did all look like they should be in a retirement home instead of on stage at midnight.  But they were so wonderful.  Grace Slick is A-MAZE-ING!!
• Bed time.  FINALLY!

Spock's Beard

Jefferson Starship!!

Saturday

Erick, Yoda, and me

• Sleep in. Well, ok I'm still on Eastern Time so I still woke up early for me and decided to go do kettlebell swings at the Fitness Center.  Yes, they had kettlebells.
• Walked to Starbucks for breakfast.  It was ok, but seriously, Starbucks is not a good place for breakfast.
• Return to our room for me to change into my Jedi outfit.
• Took Erick through the Dealer's room.  That didn't take long.
• Got my autographs from Kevin Sorbo, Jason Momoa, and John Rhys-Davis.  And Garrett Wang.  So excited
• Went to John Rhys-Davis' panel, then to two of the Hard Science lectures presented by Dr Christopher McKay (no relation to Dr McKay on Stargate Atlantis) and Dr John Jaquish.  Dr McKay runs the rovers on Mars, Dr Jaquish invented a machine that cures osteoperosis.  Amazing.

Dr Mckay

Dr Jaquish

• Returned to the Main Stage to see the last bit of Ty Olsson, who was so funny.  Mostly returned to see Amanda Tapping and Jason Momoa though.  They were fabulous. I love Amanda Tapping; she's an incredible woman.



Amanda Tapping, Jason Momoa, and Ty Olsson who crashed their panel (no one minded)




• Stayed to see Garrett Wang again.  Erick didn't get to see him the first time.

• For dinner walked down to the Jack London Pier.  It was so very nice.  Went to see How to Train Your Dragon 2 as well.  That was really good.
• Walked back to the hotel; Stopped at a grocery store so we wouldn't need to run for breakfast in the morning.
•  tried to decide whether or not to attend the costume contest that started at 10:00pm (they had events for the Elite and Gold members Friday and Saturday evening, but nothing for us general peons).  Fell asleep.  Guess I didn't go.  Oh well.  I heard it was fun.

Jack London Square. It was a gorgeous day.

 Sunday

Jason Momoa.  Yes, that's a painting of him as Khal Drogo

•  Sleep in again.  No workout on Sundays.
• Dress in my Witch costume.
• Avoid the dealer's room - well, walk in to show the one dealer my outfit.  She was great, and had a beautiful necklace with a rocket and a Jupiter stone that I bought.  Totally went with my Jedi outfit.  Not so much with my Witch outfit
• Talk to one of the dealers outside the dealer's room.  He thought I looked like I did Wiccan ceremonies.  I told him I just like Harry Potter.
• Go to all the panels on the main stage: Tim Russ and Garrett Wang, John Rhys-Davis, Ty Olsson, Amanda Tapping, Jason Momoa.

• The next panel was brought together by Gene Roddenberry's son, a bunch of people in the space and technology business. One of whom runs a company that's trying to get back to the moon.  I need to send them my resume.

The Roddenberry Panel

Punky Brewster - uh, Mayim Bialik

• Then the final panelist was Mayim Bialik.  Punky Brewster has a degree in neuroscience.  And she currently works on The Big Bang Theory.  She was interesting, but I do believe she's had it too easy.  She thinks getting a job in Hollywood is as simple as asking for one.  After Garrett's stories about how he went to auditions for a year with nothing, I think she has been very blessed.
• Finally done, I changed, then we went for Chinese.  We were two blocks away from China Town in Oakland.  It was so yummy.
•  Returned to the hotel.  Packed, I went to bed. Erick watched another movie.

The last shot of everyone involved.  They did a great job for a first-year con.

Monday

• got up and worked out again.  I miss that Fitness Center.  I want one in my house.
• The rest is pretty standard - we checked out of the hotel and then we got the shuttle back to the airport.  Erick's flight left a lot earlier than mine.

Alcatraz - crossing the Bay Bridge, on the way to the airport

So that was my trip.  Ok, so maybe not so brief.   It was fun though.

June already???

Yikes!  May just kind of disappeared on me!  Hmm, what did I do?

Here's the Rocking Chair I mentioned last time. Kitty has decided it can stay:

Easter weekend I went to see Beckie and her family again (I know, I do that a lot)

Malena and her new doll

We went ice skating at the Olympic Oval in SLC.  The little kids got frames to help them not fall down.  We wanted adult-size frames too!

Jack finding Easter Eggs (I like the light in this picture)

More Easter Eggs!!

Shannon and I went to Hershey Park - my very first time!  It was way fun, even if all the water stuff was closed.  APL and some other local corporations had the park to ourselves.  It was very fun.

We were just tall enough to be able to ride all the rides!!  Of course, I don't really like the crazy roller coasters, and Shannon can't go on them for medical reasons, so it worked out ok.

Back at home Rita's is finally open!  So of course I had to take the Sister Missionaries!!

I like the Mistos, they got Itialian Ice with Gelato on top

So yeah, a lot going on.  Progress is being made on the personal front as well - my doctor is SO HAPPY with me!! If I can keep this up, she'll consider taking me off some (or all) of my medications.  Yay!!!  And apparently my face has changed shape, though I can't really tell just yet.  Not a lot of actual weight loss, but definite redistribution is going on.

Lastly, here's my possessive Kitty.  She likes me to know that I belong to her :)

Yes, that's my leg, and yes, that's the quilt my sister made for me many years ago.  I love it.  Kitty wasn't pleased that I was moving around too much.

I think we are now caught up.  Next trip: San Francisco to Evolution Expo with Erick!!  My nephew - don't get any weird ideas.