Monday, August 29th PST
August 29, 2005

Bad Day!



Yesterday started out okay...I was set to play softball as a sub, which was a little nervewracking for me because the team is division A and I am nowhere near that level. Not even in my dreams. But, I was glad to be asked to play in any event, so I left with plenty of time to get there. So, we're playing along, and I am, as usual, not really playing that well. And this makes me mad and embarrassed and dredges up every memory I have of high school gym class and the fated freshman year gym teacher who wrote on my report card that I needed to get more involved in school (I guess forensics, band, choir, the newspaper, pep club, jazz band, Spanish club, and all the other out of school activities that I was a part of just ain't good enough.). As if being in a sport is the only way to be a part of the school. And I've always wanted to be athletic...REALLY! Everything that I excel at is of the more solitary variety: writing, music (although band isn't solitary, I guess), knitting, computers. I guess that explains my recent foray into more group sports. Anyway. I wasn't doing well. So I got to play catcher, and it went the way it always seems to go: the team doesn't even throw it to me the majority of the time when someone is running toward home, because they figure I can't catch it. Which, is probably an accurate assumption, but still seems to hurt my feelings. So the team just racked up five billion scores and and I feel like I am responsible for most of them. Then, near the end of the game, someone actually does throw the ball to me and I think that I caught it, but my left hand, which was near my glove to trap the ball in case it tried to bounce out, got in the way. Really, my left ring finger took the brunt. And let me tell you, it didn't feel to good. At all. Thank God for sunglasses that hide crying because OH MY GOD IT HURT! And no one on the team really even asked how I was, which either means that they didn't really care or I was just really good at hiding it. Anyway. The next inning I had to bat and holding the bat was difficult, but I managed to get on base. It's not like I could just stop playing...I was subbing! There weren't enough girls if I left. So I muddled through the game.

Then later that night, I slipped either on a book or a pillow on the floor and fell really fast and hard onto the floor. I landed on my right hand. So I got up and went to where I'd been headed and started to feel nautious. Not enough to throw up...just in a weird way. And I kind of saw stars. Then my ears started to ring. Really loudly. So loudly that I could barely hear the other person in the room. And I got clammy. This lasted maybe a couple minutes and then it all subsided. I didn't hit my head when I fell, so I don't know if I fell so hard that I jarred everything and my body freaked out or if it was unrelated and just happened to occur after my fall.

Today, my finger that was injured in softball looks like a sausage that maybe got left out too long and is bloating and turning colors. I can type pretty fine, thank God, but writing is interesting. I am SO thankful that I wasn't wearing Grandma's ring when it happened!! And now my right arm is all messed up; I couldn't lift my laptop bag this morning and I wince whenever I have to turn the arm over at all. I am falling apart.

Nikki on 08.29.05 @ 08:46 AM PST [link]


Wednesday, August 24th PST
August 24, 2005

Novel Ideas



I've been working on the novel a lot lately...well, "a lot" I guess is a relative term. "A lot more than I have been" is probably a better descriptor. I am up to nearly 200 pages; I believe I will hold some kind of celebration once I hit the 200 mark. (celebration TBD) I bought this workbook that has been great for kicking my ass into gear and giving me a lot of ideas. Yesterday I received another book, which I had forgotten that I ordered. The trick is, not reading so many books about writing that I never get any writing done! I am, however, becoming well acquainted with where every Starbucks on the Eastside is. I spend my mental time during working out navigating my way through Redmond/Bellevue, looking for a Starbucks that is close to whereever it is that I am going to next. I don't like the small ones. Fortunately, I live in the land of bountiful Starbucks, so really the trick is finding one that will be open late enough for my needs. Usually it isn't a problem. I like it on Saturday nights when I go to the one in U-Village. That one is open until 1 am. I haven't been there in awhile...

Last night I fell asleep at 6:30, after beginning reading The Da Vinci Code (No, it didn't lull me to sleep.) and stayed asleep until this morning when the alarm clock went off. Well, I did manage to wake up long enough to remove my contacts and feed Mika, who was pestering me. It was a nice sleep. My enormous piles of laundry and dirty dishes suffered for it, though.

I purchased a cute little Green Bay Packers belly button ring last week and it came this week. It's the "good kind," with internal threading, so hopefully I won't lose anymore caps or scrape the inside of the hole (which isn't pleasant, let me say).

Softball came to a close on Saturday. We lost the first game of the tournament, so it was rather anticlimactic. My playing sucked more than the usual, but oh well.

On Sunday, Judy and I went to the Renaissance festival in Gig Harbor, since I had the free tickets. It was pretty cool. I saw a lady with an outfit very similar to the one I'd worn the weekend before. It was a lot bigger place. Not as many shows, many more booths. There was even a troll under a bridge! I think I could become addicted to these things...I was kinda bummed that I wasn't in costume. They're just not as fun that way! I even tried on a beautiful purple dress, but it was a tad small, despite the size tag stating it was my size. Oh well.

Back to work...

Nikki on 08.24.05 @ 09:24 AM PST [link]


Thursday, August 18th PST
August 18, 2005

Hazzah!



Camlaan FaireCamlaan FaireThis weekend, I attended my first Renaissance faire at Camlaan Village. It was great fun. First of all, I had a great dress. I paid a lot to rent it, mind you, but I was the best damned courtier there! But let me tell you...it was hot! Sometimes I could feel the sweat dripping down my legs! :) But it was definitely worth it. I had several compliments on the richness of my gown. I just went about pretending that I was Queen Elizabeth. (Okay...maybe I have been reading too many Phillipa Gregory books, but it was fun!).

While the Camlaan Village is smaller than I expected, it was quaint. There were several stations where minstrels, storytellers, a juggler, etc. performed. There were building and booths setup to purchase medival types of things; I bought a cool Saxon swirly necklace. (The lady at that booth called me My Lady, which gave me way too much pleasure I think. :) ) My escort and I dined at the Boarshead (or something like that). What we ate, which I cannot recall the name of, was...interesting. It was minced beef and pork and...strawberries. Not bad. But it was kind of bland tasting. We also had a variety of cheeses which weren't too bad. I drank some mead, which I've always read about but didn't know how it tasted. I guess it has honey in it. It tasted like wine to me. Don't worry, I didn't become inebriated. A lady does not appear drunk before her kingdom!

Near the end of the day we watched the joust, which, while obviously staged like a play, was amusing. By this time, my feet hurt a lot from the pinchy shoes and I couldn't wait to be free of my tightly laced corset-like dress. There is another faire in Gig Harbor this weekend... Judy and I might go since the costume rental place gave me free tickets to it, although not in costume. I just know it's not as fun not in costume, though. But, I doubt Judy will want to go to the great lengths, and expense, that I did to get a costume. It would be fun to refer to her as one of my Ladies in Waiting, though...okay, maybe I am taking this too far! :)


Nikki on 08.18.05 @ 12:22 PM PST [link]


Tuesday, August 16th PST
August 16, 2005

Birthday Boy



Jeremiah and MeSo here's a picture of Jeremiah and I while I was in Wisconsin. He's not too cuddley, really, so it was sweet that he rested his head on me.




















Nikki on 08.16.05 @ 08:07 AM PST [link]

Friday, August 12th PST
August 12, 2005

Books



So, here it is not even the middle of August and I have finished reading my two book quota for the month. Granted, the second one is nonfiction and I started it long ago...but still! I think I need a little break from Phillippa Gregory books...a new one doesn't come out for several months anyway!

I've been trying on various dresses for the Renaissance faire...of course the store with the best dresses is the most expensive. However, their price includes all the accessories and the shoes; two things (especially the shoes) that I was wondering what I was going to do about. I have a couple more places to check out tomorrow morning, but I will probably end up going back to the first place. Isn't that usually the way it goes?? Anyway, the dress is red and gold. I am not usually a fan of gold, but it seems you can't get away from it with these dresses - almost all of them had gold. I am praying that it's not too hot since the dress I want is heavy and bulky. The funny thing is, it's one of those dresses that actually laces up in the front so I can create the illusion of a cleavage. :) Now I have to figure out what to do with my hair. I wish I hadn't cut it back when so it was long now.

My house is a disaster area. Since I didn't clean up before I left for Wisconsin, all of that is compounded by the suitcase and more dirty clothes, etc. Maybe tomorrow. After the ball game, which is at noon, I should have time.

Three sodas today...bad...

Nikki on 08.12.05 @ 12:08 PM PST [link]


Tuesday, August 9th PST
August 9, 2005

Can You Spell OCD?



So, I am back from five days in Northern Wisconsin. It was nice and relaxing and not too hot, fortunately. I only was bitten by a few mosquitoes and Keely only beat me once (well, once that left a bruise at least!) (just kidding about the beating...not about the bruise, though).

As is the trend when a group of us gets together, a theme emerged. In the past, themes have revolved around the terms "ghetto," "Take you to Target," and "Ass scarf." This week's theme was "OCD" or "Obsessive Compulsive Disorder." I am not sure how we got on this topic, but soon, everything was OCD this or OCD that. We began to compile lists of ways each of us are OCD. Judy tried to claim there were no ways in which she was OCD, which only made Keely and I laugh hysterically because she leads the three of us in this tendancy. I am a close runner up, though, admittedly. Here are some of mine:
  1. Hair bumps I can't stand when I do my own or someone else's hair and there are hair bumps. This especially happens during French/Roman braiding. I have been known to pull out an entire braid because one small hair bump emerged at the top. Once one forms, it's difficult to be rid of it without just starting over. I blame this OCD on the fact that when I was in high school, it was the style to have completely smooth hairdos. Now that unkempt look is stylish...if only that would've been okay 15 years ago...I would have saved a lot of money on bobbypins.
  2. Bed making I make my bed about once a week. However, when I make my bed, it has to be a certain way. I really can't just flip the covers up and be done with it. It really necessitates me stripping the bed and starting over. I really hate it when the fitted sheet is loose and makes all those ripples. Good lord I hate that!
  3. Morning Routine I am not a morning person. I really can't stand to talk to anyone for about 15-20 minutes after I wake up. To propel myself through this hideous part of the day, I have a very careful routine that I must follow in order to get myself out the door and escape the magnetism of my bed (I feel sorry for my future husband if he dares to be a morning person):
    1. Hit the snooze button a couple times before rising
    2. Go to the bathroom
    3. Brush teeth
    4. Take meds/vitamins
    5. Weigh myself
      6. Shower
    6. Eat breakfast
    7. Get dressed
    8. Put on shoes
    9. Put in contacts
    10. Put on face lotion
    11. Girly things: perfume, makeup, do hair, etc.
    12. Assess look in full length mirror
    13. turn off all the lights and the radio in my bedroom
    14. Pack lunch
    15. Grab stuff and go
    God forbid if this routine is interrupted somehow.
  4. Calendar I have a calendar in my office library room and I keep track of things I have to do or did do, meetings, dinner with friends, dates, appointmens, when I worked out, all kinds of things. Even if something comes up unexpectedly after work like I go to dinner with Judy or something, when I return home, I add it to the calendar, as though it had been planned out all along. I do not know why I do this. I think it's part of my OCD to make lists and keep track of the minutea of my life.
  5. Tracking I keep track of all kinds of things: books I read, guys I've dated, New Year's Resolutions...Someone once asked me how many journals I had and I had to ask, "That depends on what kind of journal you're talking about." It's not the kind of OCD where I will freak out if I don't track something...I just like making lists of things.
    6. I am pretty sure there were more that I can't remember right now. No doubt Keely and Judy will remind me. :) The point is, everyone has SOMETHING that they're OCD about.

    Nikki on 08.09.05 @ 12:57 PM PST [link]


Sunday, August 7th PST
August 7, 2005

Floating Down the River



Just got back from floating down the Flambeau River on inner tubes. It was very relaxing!

More later! Home tomorrow night.

Nikki on 08.07.05 @ 12:11 PM PST [link]