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  • Silvertree

    Mod post: No wishlist posts in blogs

    By Silvertree

    Please be aware that we do not permit swap-related content on profiles or in blogs. Please post this content only in the For Sale, Swaps, and Wanted forums, or in the Wishlists topic. ~from Swapping 101  Thanks!
    • 5 comments
    • 7,300 views
Sourball Ho!
 

Am I old?

Currently listening to: "This Side" by Nickel Creek -- I this CD   Currently smelling like: Port-au-Prince, then Montresor   My unofficial goal with this blog was to go 1 full month of entries, and I couldn't even accomplish that -- I created an entry yesterday, but deleted it as so craptacular I couldn't post it, lots of familial complaining. So what's happened since then?   Yesterday: my Mom turned 60! I can't believe it. That sounded so old when I was growing up. DH even said, "Your mom is 60? She doesn't look it." She doesn't act it either. That's my goal: to not act my age. My mom has so many hobbies and interests, plus she and dad own their own business, they're busy and interesting. I admire their lives and want to be more like them in that aspect.   Today: we probably spent too much at Home Depot, but I told DH as we got in the car, "I like going into those stores, I just wish we had the money to do what we wanted." It was outside stuff, topsoil and grass seed and stain and waterproofing for a little wooden bridge. Then we went to a pub and drank beer and I had the best baja spicy shrimp tacos EVER and then came home and watched Sopranos. Oh, and both the Suns and Mavericks won their playoff games, so DH is happy.
dawndie

dawndie

0
Fishnets and Frankincense
 

Damn the torpedoes

Do you ever have one of those spells in your life, where you'd just like to put the universe on notice that he/she/it can stop tossing grenades in your path? That maybe you're just tired of dodging explosions in the road, and a bit o' smooth sailing might be a lovely change? Just long enough to have a little time to get some things figured out? I think some people are given a life of more combustables than others. And my life, for the last year, has been a series of big-ass explosions and smaller rumblings, more akin to a volcano getting ready to blow. I'm getting weary of it.   Maybe if I could be a little more clueless, everything wouldn't seem so acute to me, but who wants to be clueless? Sometimes I think those of us who are rather gothic in our outlook are simply the people who just can't stop paying attention long enough to get clueless. Not that I can't be clueless about many things, but they usually aren't important enough to tranqulize me to what's going on.   But I suppose to be awake to the difficulty of life is also to be awake to the gorgeousness of life, so why be a whiny-pants about it?
valentina

valentina

2
Whiskers and Whispers
 

Freedom is over...and French Enraged Bunnies!

Currently smelling of: Bess (first time testing), and the Lion (smells of sugared amber iced tea!)   I just have to show this little flash off: hmm, Enraged Bunny Musk, anyone?   Holidays are now finished...as intensive studies season begins. Coursework and exams!   I'm back on campus and a little bit homesick, though not too much. I have my BPAL to console me, thank goodness. The stupid boys have returned and invited their girls in, but they've been pretty quiet so far. I'll see what happens as the night progresses.   It'll be nice to see my friends again tomorrow, but also annoying to get back to studies and loads of coursework. I have maths coursework due in on Tuesday and as usual, I'm procrastinating again! Must get back to work...
PurringPulsar

PurringPulsar

0
Filling the Periodic Table
 

Who isn't in love with Lloyd Dobbler?

I watched "Say Anything" again tonight. (for like the 1000th time)   I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that.   I'm a brain. Unfortunately, *not* trapped in the body of a game show hostess.   My boyfriend basically shares Lloyd's worldview. He's not into the whole buy/sell/process worldview. He doen't have a degree, and although he has a good job in computers, I don't think he's figured out what he wants to do when he grows up.   Plenty of aquaintances have questioned what the hell the two of us are doing together. He makes me laugh. He's sweet to me. He's the kind of guy who would point out glass for me walk around. I spent about 11 or 12 hours studying today. He brought me a warm lunch, and warm dinner. He's been cleaning the apartment. He makes the whole house run while I focus on my studying.   ---   I was discussing relationships with other actuaries at a seminar a couple of weeks ago... And we all realized that of the sucessful corporate high-ups we knew, most of them did not have high-powered spouses. Even the female partners at the consulting firm I used to work for, their husbands were artists, caterers, one owned a fly-fishing shop... All good careers, but not corporate. And the men too, their wives didn't work, or also had similar non-corporate careers.   I think there's a lot of value in having both people in the relationship working in fields with very different challenges and very different definitions of success. I think it makes it easier. You get stressed over different things, and not always at the same time, kind of makes it easier to be there for each other.   That, and for people in very time-consuming or high-stress careers, I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to be with someone who is more home-oriented than career oriented. I don't think it's a gender role thing, after all, I'm the one working all the time, and who spent the first couple of years as the primary income in our household. But, you know, *someone* needs to keep the home fires burning.
antimony

antimony

2
Whiskers and Whispers
 

Weird 'rainbows' and end of holiday moanings.

Currently smelling of: Eclipse (delicious cinnamon-heavy bottle, mmm), and will smell like Bathed and Infused Italian Wedding Cake after my bath.   I saw something weird in the sky today. It looked like a little piece of rainbow-but it wasn't raining-it was a sunny, hazy day. And rainbows usually form in the part of the sky opposite the sun, usually against the raincloud. This 'fragment of rainbow' was actually in the haze just to the left of the sun, and just stayed there for about 20 minutes and at times it was quite bright, it looked almost like a muted, colourful, second sun, whilst at other times it looked like a faint fragment of rainbow. It was a beautiful but strange phenomenon-I have no idea what it is and what caused it though-I'm guessing it's the same mechanism that causes rainbows but normally hazy clouds don't go all rainbow-y! I just wish I had a camera at the time...   I really am going to miss living at home. No more of my mum's lovely cooking. No more peace and quiet. No more lovely smells. I have to go back to my little room where I have to put up with constant NOISE from the boys-be it extreme bass from their awful hip hop/RnB music (the bass is so high, it's almost tremor-inducing!), having to hear them vomit every morning because they drank too much, hearing them chat loudly and drunkenly in the corridors at 4am, and hearing the guy opposite making his girlfriends scream with the door ajar (I really hope the screaming isn't what I think it is!!) so everyone can hear how much of a ladies' man he is, and the early morning prank fire alarms set off by the drunk boys. I also have to put up with the messiest, greasiest kitchen ever, and the stink of those awful chicken nuggets and fried sausages and George Foreman grilled burgers, and the sheer stupidity (and the smell!) of the boys in my flat-they seem to have evolutionarily reversed back to their ape stage. Their girlfriends are not much better, yapping like deranged chihuahuas at 3am every morning. And the boys smoke weed despite the uber-strict no smoking rule for our halls (so strict, that no candles or incense is allowed in the rooms!) and the stink of the stuff seeps into my room all the time...   But another thing I'm not looking forward to is exams. Loads of exams and tons of coursework. I'm struggling with the maths coursework already, it's giving me real grief! And I have to do physics coursework as well, three lots of it, including one about quantum physics, which is very fascinating, but the maths behind it brain-meltingly difficult! Stuff about one-dimensional boxes and semi-infinite wells and so on...oh, my poor head...   I'm hoping to come back next weekend-to a nice new bottle of UNDERPANTS!!! I am really looking forward to trying these pants on, seriously. And the Raging Rabbit too!
PurringPulsar

PurringPulsar

0
Sourball Ho!
 

Unsophisticated

I realize I'm unsophisticated. To some people I'm probably pretty tacky. I'd rather hang out in a bar eating something fried out of a basket and drinking a beer than somewhere fancy and expensive and all dressed up. Our home furnishings range from "comfy" to "odd." Some pictures on the wall are posters in cheap frames. I don't travel to exotic places, and really don't want to. We got married in Vegas, and my dress cost $100 online.   But I work full time. Everything we have we've paid for -- we didn't get help with the house, or the cars, or have a bunch of money placed in our bank account. I have a college degree, but went to an inexpensive school and got a 4-year scholarship.   I have extended family members who have a lot of money, and they live nearby. They probably feel obligated to invite us to family functions. They like talking about their vacations and how much their house is worth. Their kids go to the privatest of schools and are thought to be perfect in every way.   I'm tired of pretending I like them. And I'm not going to do it anymore.
dawndie

dawndie

0
Fishnets and Frankincense
 

Hey Jack Kerouac, Part II

Really, Jack Kerouac was once so amazing, and I would have shamelessly chased him around when he was young and beautiful and angsty and idealistic, before he became a totally gone alcoholic former hipster angrily spewing forth bloated hateful bile in his overly dominant mother's home in Florida, renouncing all of his hepcat Zen ways and pushing away everyone who had adored him.   (That was a poor attempt to write just a bit like him.)   So let's just look at him when he was so fine:  
valentina

valentina

6
This Old Snark
 

Aging Geeksters Unite!

Oh man, the Thomas Dolby concert was AWESOME. Even if "She Blinded Me with Science" is the only song you know, Snarky highly recommends this! There won't be any body slamming or sweaty zeitgeist communion, but there will be a definite bond of geekitude, nostalgia, and just "ain't it cool" gee-whizzedness.   And now Snarky has this song stuck in her head:   "One of Our Submarines"   One of our submarines is missing tonight Seems she ran aground on manoeuvres One of our submarines A hungry heart To regulate their breathing One more night the Winter Boys are freezing in their spam time The Baltic moon Along the northern seaboard And down below The Winter Boys are waiting for the storm Bye-bye empire, empire bye-bye Shallow water - channel and tide And I can trace my history Down one generation to my home In one of our submarines One of our submarines The red light flicker, sonar weak Air valves hissing open Half her pressure blown away Flounder in the ocean See the Winter Boys Drinking heavy water from a stone Bye-bye empire, empire bye-bye Shallow water - channel and tide Bye-bye empire, empire bye-bye Tired illusion drown in the night And I can trace my history Down one generation to my home In one of our submarines One of our submarines One of our submarines One of our submarines is missing tonight Seems she ran aground on manoeuveres One of our submarines   Today Snarky's wearing what's left of her Tombstone/Sweet Cove SN combo from last night and the zesty fragrance of Pangea Organics Chilean red clover with geranium & grapefruit lotion (she got a free sample).
darkitysnark

darkitysnark

2
Denise's Cool Blog
 

I've succumbed to temptation...

and ordered some more imps from a forum member! I'm hoping they don't take too long to get to me, so that I'll have something to discuss on here "for real", soon. Here is what I am getting:   belladonna delirium juliet la belle au bois dormant lolita undertow   and the bonus of "embalming fluid", which I asked about and she had! Thanks for the suggestion!   Of course Katie just pointed out to me that I already ordered Juliet. *sigh* I'm just such a ditz... I'm lucky it was only 1 repeat! It is just insane that with the zillions of flavours, I still managed to repeat one. I have the cool spreadsheet, but no Excel at home! And, honestly, I swore I even double checked. LOL.   I also decided to make some icons for what I have ordered (didn't finish yet), but I'm not sure anyone liked them :-X I posted them, and everyone sort of ignored it. Oops. I guess I suck! LOL. Here is what I made so far:       If you happen to like them, feel free to use them! No need to credit... but please save them to your own computer (no hotlinking). Yay!
eviltemptressdq

eviltemptressdq

0
Sourball Ho!
 

Hey! Watch it! *shakes fist*

One guy from work flew into town tonight for a meeting tomorrow, and DH and I were going to take him to dinner. We're driving to his hotel and almost got run off the road!   Why is it instinct with some people that when there are 2 lanes going in one direction with no turn bays, and someone's stopped to try to make a left turn, the person behind them simply veers into the right lane? It's like the tradeoff between waiting behind someone and causing an accident is a toss-up. So we're in the right lane and luckily DH swerved in time, was able to hop the curb, not hit the electric pole and pull into a Brothers Chicken parking lot. The other car slowed down, some guy in the passenger seat half-assed waved to us, like "sorry you almost wrecked your car," then pulled away.   DH was so mad, and we didn't even know if our car was damaged at that point, that he took off running down the street waving after the car. I in the meantime was writing down the license number, but after I hopped out of the car I checked the front and everything looked fine. One guy came out of the restaurant making sure the car wasn't hit. He saw DH take off down the street and said, "Damn! He's mad!" Hee!   Anyway, I didn't want to go on about bad drivers. We had a great dinner and I pick him up first thing tomorrow to go to the meeting. So tomorrow will be a beating, then it's the weekend! *boogies in my chair* And my rash went away, so I'm trying to wear my BPAL smellies without being all itchy! I'm wearing Pink Phoenix and I smell goooood.
dawndie

dawndie

2
Fishnets and Frankincense
 

Hey Jack Kerouac

The domme of this blog spends way too much time trying to figure out why certain things happen. Way, way too much time, but she thinks she can somehow divine the workings of the universe. What bullshit! Sometimes it's very liberating to say "I don't know," and when one of the last living members of the Beat Generation and Zen wise man Gary Snyder tells you so, you might as well listen. Here's his quote:   "I must confess that I don't have the faintest idea what my purpose is or what's going on. I became comfortable with that mystery a long time ago -- that I would never know how any of these things fit together in any explicit way."   Yuppers, ya just have to roll with it sometimes. Actually, all of the time would be a good idea, but if I can do it just some of the time, I'm doing real well. And speaking of the Beats, was Jack Kerouac a babe or what?
valentina

valentina

0
Alannah's Blog
 

I hate hot weather

So it's already been pretty consistently in the 70s here and I guess I have to say goodbye to my favourite spicy/heavy BPALs until the cooler weather comes back. I've been trying out a bunch of new aquatics lately--today I'm wearing Sea of Glass. I have to say, many of them smell pretty similar. I guess I should sniff them side by side so I can make better comparisons. I like them all about equally so far (with the exceptions of Numb and Storm Moon, neither of which did much for me) but I'm trying to find one that I LOVE. I've got Hurricane and Undertow on the way with my next order, so we'll see how those check out!
Alannah

Alannah

0
This Old Snark
 

Aural Fixation

Darkity never really got in to music. Even as a fledgling hedonist, she has managed to neglect that one of her five or six senses, hearing.   She listened to talk radio when her contemporaries were tuning in to the 80's oblivious bubblegum pop and/or nihilistic (yet also oddly poppy) electronic underbelly. She did manage to catch a bit of that hair metal infection like everybody else, though.   Then she met The Mister, who as an opening salvo to their courtship, compiled six mixed tapes to express his past, present, and possible future. He has been instrumental (har-dee-har-har) in opening up her ears to the world of sound.   Still, even with his admittedly diverse tastes, she finds herself floating passively along in the wake of whatever catches his interest and can't help but feel... a bit lost and sort of back where she started, musically.   Tonight the Snarks are going to see Thomas Dolby perform. Besides his one song she can think of ("Sah-sah-SCIENCE!") she couldn't remember anything else by him. After The Mister's hilarious recreation of "Europa" she's still stumped. They have one album (probably a best of) that she will cram with before heading out tonight.   Later in the month they will also see Sigur Ros (whom they have seen before, to great effect) and The Editors. Darkity suspects that the audiences will get progressively younger at each concert.   The Snarks are now in a city known for its diverse and rather indy music scene. The pace of trends here (in fashion/lifestyle/food as well as music) is breakneck, yet oddly retro. Darkity wonders if she'll ever get the hang of this.
darkitysnark

darkitysnark

3
Emain Macha
 

Twilight Alchemy Lab

How the heck did I miss Determination from the last update?   Hmm...   Anyway, my tentative wish list goes something like:   1. Blessing of Isis 2. Anthelion 3. Blockbuster 4. Hymn to Pan 5. Lionheart 6. Mantle of Venus 7. Road Opener (for my boyfriend) 8. Foundation of Fortune 9. Haitian Gambler 10. King Solomon's 11. Lady Luck 12 Perpetuum Bonum 13. Snake Eyes 14. Aegis 15. Determination 16. Energy   Himm...that's what...$400 worth of oils? Ahem...might need to pare that down a bit.
Macha

Macha

2
Is Anybody Out There?
 

ANGST

Here's the rundown of everything that's been going wrong in my life of late. I'll do a more positive one soon.   -I got violently ill during finals week last quarter. -I was violently ill the first week of spring break. -I was PMS'ing, too. -Surprise visit from my beloved cousin left little time for rest during the second week of spring break. -Ugliness and misfortune from friend in previous entry. -School starts. Yoga-ow. Math-ow. Archaeology-YAY. English-.... -Things resolve with friend, who gets kicked out of his apartment due to not paying rent. (This is a long story.) Instead of doing homework, I help him get moved. -S.O. gets sick. -Mom may have whooping cough. If she does, I will have to be tested for it as well. -If mom has whooping cough, she will go straight to the hospital. Scariness. -I get sick. I miss 3 of the first 8 days of classes. Catching up in math is going to be a bitch. -Friend gets moved in here. -English instructor is extremely condescending to me. It makes me sad. -At the urging of my S.O., I realize that I can't take archaeology. This is heartbreaking news. -A favourite uncle who has been really sick for a while now goes into renal failure and is on his deathbed. -Favourite uncle consequently dies. -I miss the funeral because it is out of town, and I've already missed too much school. -The death brings up a lot of past issues. -I'm still sick but attending school. My voice is mostly gone and I feel like shit, but I'm probably not contagious. -I tell my archaeology instructor in person that I'm dropping his class, and when he gets concerned, I damn near cry, because his class is the only one I enjoy. This causes more concern from him. Luckily (for me) he has a class and can't stay, but reassures me that I'm not giving up and I have to do what's best for me and all the nice things people say. -I cry. (In my car) -I cry some more. (At home) -For whatever reason, math just isn't sticking with me. I suck. I fail the first quiz. -My first english essay is late. -I cry some more. (In my car and at home) -I don't have wedding invitations yet. This is not good. -.... to be continued.
smallvoice

smallvoice

0
Sourball Ho!
 

New TALs

I started a huge work rant, then deleted it all. Work today went fine, a lot better than I feared -- I'm not blamed for the vendor flake-out, I'm already making arrangements with the runner-up, they seem pleased that we're back, and I'm glad I didn't burn any bridges.   Beth posted a whole bunch of new TAL oils, and I'm really intrigued. I should read the forum section, but I'm under the impression that people wear TALs as oil, or anoint a candle. I'm very interested in Milk & Honey, as it seems to speak to my goals -- I'm not looking for a financial windfall, but I like enjoying what we have and hope it continues. The description is, "A subtle love and money combination blend. Tends to invoke the luxurious, pleasurable aspects of romance and prosperity." I really like the image that creates.   How would you use some of the Temple blends? I'm guessing that if you have certain favorite deities, like Egyptian, you would use that oil. I need to do some more research.
dawndie

dawndie

0
Filling the Periodic Table
 

Girl stuff. whiny panties.

I'm PMS-ing. I have had a couple of little smudges in my panties today, but it really hasn't gotten started yet.   I have a seriously bitchy headache. My skull feels brittle. I feel like the right side of my brain is swolen. I tried to study for a couple of hours then gave up. I'm drinking strawberry chocolate iced tea and waiting for the advil to kick in.   This is my first summer using cloth pads, and I was a little afraid it would be hot to have flannel in my panties. I am pleasantly surprised. Yeah they're a little warm, but not *nearly* as hot as disposables. Also, forgive the TMI, but I am somewhat prone to getting a sweaty crotch... since the wings that wrap around are absorbant flannel as well, I don't get clammy around my upper thighs.   Rusty is out at the Drinking Liberally social tonight. Honestly, I'm kinda glad he's out of the house. I like the alone time. I'm feeling cranky and antisocial.   To feed my antisocialness, I'm watching Top Chef. Mmm. Snarky.
antimony

antimony

6
What ever happened to Generation X?
 

Let's talk about jobs

I've always been something of a late bloomer. I didn't get my period until I was 14. Didn't go on my first date until age 16, didn't lose my virginity until age 17.   So I guess it only follows that my career path wouldn't be as rapid as that of many of my peers. I was supposed to graduate college in 1990. A friend of mine did, and she was offered a job at Arthur Andersen paying $28K a year (back then, that was very good money for an entry-level salary). She eventually moved into the six-digit range and now doesn't even have to work at all -- her husband, who does the same kind of work as she, makes enough money to support them both.   I, on the other hand, hit a few stumbling blocks on the road to yuppie success. I dropped out of college in 1988, worked several dead-end jobs (I still break out in hives at the word "retail"), returned to college in 1992, and finally graduated in 1995 with a B.A. in English literature (useful degree, that!). By 1997 I was finally employed in an entry-level job in my chosen field. I was 29.   Most of the people my age -- and a large percentage of those younger than I --seem to have achieved their career goals and are enjoying a comfortable lifestyle and income. I'm not even sure what my career goal is anymore. In some ways, I've achieved it. I work as a newspaper editor. I come to work around 10 a.m., surf the Net, read the paper, read and correct stuff that other people have written, assign stories and photos, tell the copy desk what stories and files to run on the next day's pages, then I head home around 6 p.m. I do this three days a week, and I get paid for 30 hours. It's not a bad job, and it's much more enjoyable than any other job I've had.   Here's the downside. I don't make a lot of money, and I'm not sure where to go from here. I enjoy having time to spend with my kids, but being part-time is probably going to keep me on the "mommy track" and slow any advancements I might make. The next job up from mine is one that I'm not sure I would even like. I'd have to work 60+ hours a week, no overtime, and the stress level is high.   If you're reading this, I'd love to hear from you. What kind of work do you do? Is it what you want to be doing? Did you follow a traditional or non-traditional career path? What do you hope to be doing in five or 10 years?
parrot_suspect

parrot_suspect

4
Fishnets and Frankincense
 

Love your feet

Wow, I have a friend (a man) who fell off of someone else's deck (which was only a couple of inches high) and freakishly managed to detach his quadricep (the big muscle that runs down the front of the thigh) from where it attaches around the knee, taking a few tendons with it when it blew.   After I finished wincing and groaning around about the huge amount of hurt that has to be, I realized that I wear stilettos much higher than the deck from which he fell. But he's a guy and I'd wager his joints were pretty tight and wouldn't tolerate the twist.   I rationalize high girl heels by not walking very much in them -- no Carrie Bradshaw-like trotting down the street in them. It's hard on the shoes and it's hard on the feet. That's where I found "Sex And The City" to be the ultimate fantasy; no self-respecting Manolo lover would walk that far on asphalt, because it rips the hell out of them. And there was never, ever, one scene of Carrie soaking her aching tooties after a day of cavorting around in her spikers after Mr. Big or Aidan or whatever man du jour she had her sights set upon. If I'm wrong about that, please comment and let me know. There was a show when Big had angioplasty, but never one where Carrie had bunions removed.   I love girl shoes as much as anyone, and if I ever get a pair of Manolos (or Jimmy Choos), I will post a photo of me wearing them on this blog. (My guess is that I would obtain a used pair on eBay, but you never know when the fairy godmother will appear. Hey, a girl can hope.)   But in the meantime, BPAL is so much more affordable and versatile. You can walk on the asphalt in Chuck Taylor high-tops and still smell like a princess. That's a good trade-off.
valentina

valentina

2
Whiskers and Whispers
 

My first ever Paypal phish...grrrrr...

Wearing: Peony Moon, Osun, Saturn and a bit of Mandrake.   I got my first ever Paypal phishing email today. One of those 'you need to update your details or your account will be suspended!!!' ones. Stupidly, I accidentally clicked the link, but as soon as I saw the link wasn't legit Paypal, I closed the window quick as lightning before it even loaded. Then I reported the fucker to Paypal. Changed my password. I hope such people get what they deserve.   Phishers deserve to get their balls pecked out by vultures.
PurringPulsar

PurringPulsar

0
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