The Castle in the Middle of Town

This is the mosque. Does it not look like a castle?

With all the hate going around for the Muslim community once again, I thought I would share the time I learned about Muslims. We have a mosque in our hometown although I have never met anyone there who I knew was Muslim. I thought it was the prettiest building I had ever seen, like a castle. Driving past it one day, I said to my parents "I wanna go to that church!"

"That's a mosque." said my dad.

"What's a mosque?" I asked.

"That's a church for people who are Muslim." he replied.

I was not unfamiliar with the word "Muslim". I had heard it from Mrs. Doubtfire when Daniel tried to cover his face with a tea towel, replying "I'm not a Muslim." Although I had no idea what the word meant. "What's a Muslim?" I asked.

"Well," my dad replied. I am guessing he was trying to find the right words. "They are people of a different religion than us. We're Christians. Some people are Jewish and some people are Muslim."

Now, I did know someone who was Jewish. Her name was Brittany and she was in my class at school. We knew she was Jewish because she brought in food for us on Jewish holidays. One time she brought in matza and another time she brought in apples and honey. We liked Brittany. Her food was good and she introduced us to old radio shows. It was probably the first time I had laughed so hard my sides hurt. My child brain thought if Muslims are like Jews, they must be cool because they bring food into their class! What kind of food did they eat during holidays? I wanted someone Muslim in my class, especially if they were as cool as Brittany. But I never did at least that I knew about.

Another Busy Day

Weight: 226ish
Mood: Light, albeit a little tired and stressed

It is getting easier to go to the gym every day, but I have to go in the morning or I will lose the will to go. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are arm days. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday are leg days. Sunday is my day off. Each day I get on the elliptical for five minutes, stretch, get back on for 10-20 minutes (some days I can do more than others) and then head to strength training. I need to think about when I am going to do my core. Tonight I plan to research gym equipment, how to use it, and what muscles they work, so as to maximize my workout. I am excited actually.

My mayoral website is up: www.sarahklaudaformayor.com. Turns out we only got 10% off a year of having a domain name/website. We ended up paying around $85 for it. I will have to add that to my book. There has been little time for the book. Everything else is getting in the way. There is a little less than a year until the election. We will see how I do.

Many of the past night have ended with me finishing up some work or getting a headstart on the next day before immediately going to bed. I miss the days of Let's Plays but both of us are too busy to think about taking it back up again. There have been some extra expenses the end of this year and MAGfest is in February. And I just realized I scheduled my psychiatrist appointment on the first day of the convention. I will have to reschedule that. Dangit

Keeping it Going

Second day of super productivity and I am feeling good, albeit tired. I will have to work during the weekend but maybe I can rest up on Sunday as I listen to the Ravens game. There is a lot going on in my life right now. There's the gym, keeping the house clean and maintained, clients, general entries for acceptance, my coupon book, my children's story, my mayoral campaign and website, blogs and online stuff, and keeping myself in good mental health. It all makes me feel important and accomplished actually. When I actually need a vacation day, I have earned one, it just feels so much better. I was able to give myself a coffee sugar scrub to sand off the sweaty dead skin the gym has created on my body. Now, I'm baby-butt smooth and feeling fresh. Scrubs are messy and feel irritating but man are they effective.

Khaleesi has a small abrasion on the bottom of her paw. She won't let me get anywhere near it. I have to work on her trusting me with potential pain. Honestly, her paw is not that bad and I could just bandage it with some neosporin and a sock to keep it clean. I will keep an eye on the wound over the next few days. My main concern is that it is a splinter or something is stuck in the wound. That is just asking for infection. She is not limping or anything. She just likes to lick it.

One thing I need to work on this week is delegating tasks to Mikey and keeping him on track. I have myself somewhat on track and he needs help with his goals at home. Like me, work drains him. Unlike me, he can stop when he gets home. My day is from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed, nearly every day. I kinda like it though.

(Un)Eventful Weekend

Mikey did not get as sick as I did last week. He is still coughing, but then again so am I. Nothing got done on Saturday since it was the third dreary morning and my mood could no longer keep up without the sunshine. It was sunny in the afternoon most of the time, but if I do not get a good start in the morning, it can ruin my whole day. Siberia went out to explore the front yard. She went in the neighbor's yard once but mainly sniffed around and waited at the door when she was ready to come in. She's such a smart girl and I am so proud of her.

I tried cleaning up trash yesterday but I forgot to tie back my hair, my allergies acted up, and Khaleesi was not having fun going with me. There was a dog I had never seen before walking up and down the street. Khaleesi wanted to meet it but once we started walking toward it, it turned around and walked away. After a long struggle to put Khaleesi back, I went to look for the dog and could not find it. Then, I got Khaleesi back out, saw the dog again, put Khaleesi back to look for the dog, and could not find it. After all of that, I was done. I will clean up more trash when I do not have anything else to do or when I have a down day and cannot get anything else done. I skipped the property of that guy who has been harassing me about my dog crapping in his yard (which she has never done). I will not touch his yard ever again, good or bad.

Unicorn Poop

I trained my arms yesterday and they are still a little achy. Yesterday, it felt like their muscles were falling off of my bones and onto the floor. It was funny because I went to use the machine that has the bar you pull down but it was too high up, so I jumped for it. The guy working out next to me offered to help me. Mikey said I probably looked like a child trying to work out on the big machines. After my, what would you call them- reverse chin ups?- I went to another side of the machine and used the individual handles that I could reach by myself. It was a great workout and I think it kickstarted my day yesterday which was one big sparkly unicorn rainbow dump. I am proud of myself for getting back to the gym right after my cold. Today's workout was hard. I went for five minutes on the elliptical, stretched my legs, and got back on for another five. To think, I used to be able to stay on an elliptical for an hour. I will build back up to that if I believe in myself.

Oh the amount of clients I have is beginning to pile up, which I love and hate at the same time. It means more money but it also means I do not have time to work on my mayoral campaign or my recreational writing. At least it keeps me busy and gives me hard deadlines.

Mikey caught what I had. He's in the beginning of it so he can rest this weekend but that means he will not be able to help me with some of the things I needed his help with. They will have to wait until next weekend. It also means my parents cannot come up and go to the Y with us until at least two weeks from now. I need to get working on their Christmas present. It is going to take forever. Not telling what it is. It's a secret!

Back to the Real World

From what I can tell, I might still have a cough and it has been keeping me up for the past two nights. It might have been allergies and the vacuuming I did today might help. It ends up being a tickle in the back corner of my throat that will not go away until I drink water, have a cough drop, and wait it out. We will see what happens tonight. I did not go to the gym today because I still had a bit of that cold lingering in my body but I promise I will go tomorrow.

At least my schedule is back to normal and I have mostly caught up with my house chores. I was incapacitated for less than two days and the house turned into a mess. This is why it is so hard for me to take a sick day and when I need a mental health day, I feel like a waste of space. I need to let myself be flawed and have bad days. It is going to happen and there is little I can do to prevent them besides eat well, exercise, and keep up with the rest of my mental health maintenance.

Also, I cut my hair this evening but forgot to thin it out. It was filthy when I did it but it turned out better than expected. Now it is so much easier to wash my hair and it is not touching my collar or the back of my neck. I want to dye it but my MAGfest costume prevents me from doing so. I need blonde short hair. I also need to lose some weight to fit into my costume. Not too much like I would need a miracle, just enough to get back on track of losing the weight. I can spend more time at the Y when I do not have a ton of clients. For now, the workout in the gym area will be fine with the occasional sauna and swim, maybe on weekends.

Speaking of weekends, this weekend I plan on going around the neighborhood and cleaning up garbage since I missed the beautification day a few weeks ago. We were out and about getting our eyes checked and running important errands. I forgot about it and I feel bad. If I am going to be mayor, I need to be involved in this type of thing and show my support for my neighborhood, despite the meanies who do not like Khaleesi or me.

At 50% Power

I need to redo the ads on my blog. I am not getting anything from them, nada. Not even a few pennies a month as I used to. Not asking you guys to click on ads or anything.

My cold is nearly gone. I was able to get a few things done today without passing out. People's voices were not echoing in my head either. But I did have a headache throughout most of the day and went through a good amount of tissues. Hydration and a good amount of rest helped. I was super sick yesterday and I realize that now. I grew up with the idea that if I did not have a fever, I was not sick. My body is weird. When I feel my worst, no fever. If I have a high fever, I am just tired. Hopefully, tomorrow I will be back to 100% and I can tackle what happened in the world while I was out.

Yesterday, I was walking Khaleesi and I do not usually bring bags with me because Khaleesi rarely goes poop outside of the fence. The one time she did and I did not have a bag, I picked it up with a piece of trash and threw it in the nearest trash can. One of my neighbors appeared from behind his truck and started accusing me of allowing my dog to crap in his yard. Although in no health to argue, I tried my best. He talked over me, so I just walked on. It still bugs me because I am a responsible dog owner. I see dog crap someone did not clean up and it is always a smaller size dog, not a toy size though. A shih tzu size dog. There are tons of them around that owners do not put on leashes and do not clean up after them. I have found dog crap in my yard too. I want to compare Khaleesi's crap with one of the ones on his lawn right in front of him, and demand an apology because he was quite nasty. People in my neighborhood do not like my dog but do not bat an eye at all the loose mean smaller dogs. If I was not running for mayor, I would march right back there and give him all I have.

One True Sick Day

At first, I thought I had allergies but now I am sure this is a cold. But I had to hold up through the weekend because I had work to do, parties to attend, and got tickets to the Ravens game at the last minute. That game was an all-day affair and we had to climb four floors of ramps and stairs. These are stadium floors two, so about twice the size of normal floors. Against all odds, the Ravens beat the Chargers. I was too weak to finish my last assignment, due today. Mikey woke me up at 5am and I worked through it. Afterward, I just laid in bed until 11 only to get up to take Khaleesi for a walk and to have some soup. I also slipped and fell on the stairs, giving my left leg a good bump and breaking the handles off of my and Mikey's favorite mugs. I am forever grateful that it was just the handles. There is a lot of swelling on my leg but not too much pain. I am feeling some better but I still have more recovering to do. I just hope it does not go into my chest. I want to be able to taste again.

Someone put together a Bob Ross stream on Twitch. It is soothing to the core, especially now since I am sick and stressed out. I was never a fan of Bob Ross when I was young. I thought he was boring, but as an adult he is a great inspiration for any artist. It is like opening a time capsule and comparing 20-30 year difference. I am thinking of playing the channel as I work and see if it increases my productivity. That will have to wait until tomorrow at least.

Tomorrow is going to be a doozy of a day. Before I was sick, I had a minor depression so I have not been at my best in awhile. Going back to the Y will hopefully not release more toxins hiding in my body and will put me on the road to happy recovery.

The Perfect Crime?

An episode of Deadly Women did a story of a lady who shot two of her husbands in bed. Both times, she claimed that she heard a noise downstairs, went to get the gun that was under her husband's pillow, and it accidentally went off. She got away with it the first time and I started to wonder how plausible that would be as an alibi for murder. There are so many "gun nuts" in this country, many of them rich as hell. I hate guns and any evidence I can find to put more restrictions on how to get them is a good thing.

Looking it up online, the most popular gun in the US is the Glock 19. Glock claims that the 19 has three safety features in the trigger, the firing pin, and a drop safety (meaning it will not fire if dropped). It would be easy to forget the firing pin safety and you would not have to drop it. The only problem would be the trigger which would take some extra pull. The Glock trigger needs 5.5 to 6.5 lbs of force normally but it can be modded to 4 lbs.

If the culprit used an older gun without decent safety features or one that was not well maintained, it could work. The only problem is finding a gun nut who cares less about his guns. If one could pull it off, would it be the perfect crime?

Maybe...

Snips and Snails and Puppy-dog Tails

It is uncanny how much this dog looks like Zombie

I probably cut over three pounds of fur off of Zombie today. It went a lot better than it normally does but I still had to stop several times since the blade got hot. I need another razor. Yes, I cut Zombie's hair myself and no I do not know how to do it. I just give him a stereotypical kennel cut/shave. It always ends up looking terrible but I do not care. His stench and skin problems are much easier to manage with less hair and he does not slide around much on the wooden floors downstairs. I still have to do the hair on his paws but that will take scissors and patience. He needs a bath soon.

Today was Mikey's last day off. He goes in tomorrow for a long Friday and then has the weekend to recuperate. With Halloween on Saturday, I do not know how much rest we will get. I honestly just want to put the bowl outside on the porch and tell kids to take one/some. My friend Kara is having a Halloween party and I want to get there early so I have an excuse to pass out two hours later. We do not have costumes this year. When you are a geek and an adult, Halloween can be every day. Nothing stops us from putting on a costume after work and spending the evening eating an entire bag of candy.

It's Fun to Stay at The Y...of... MD?

Mikey and I joined The Y of Central MD. It was cheaper for both of us to join and they have a pool. If anything is going to motivate me to start exercising, it is swimming. They have a cycling room, full gym, gymnasium, and rock wall. Now I just have to get there every day and sticking to a strict diet. I am not supposed to lose weight fast but I need to. None of my winter clothes fit and my weight is out of control.

Food has such a hold on me and I cannot think of anything else I would want to reward myself with. We do not have the money for me to shop and buy new things, especially now that we have this monthly membership and had to go back to Comcast for internet. Let's Plays used to be my outlet but OBS does not work on my computer. I can use Mikey's but that is only when he is not home. I am always busy until evening. If I wait until the evening to do something, I am too tired to do it. Just thinking about it is frustrating.

I felt wicked sick yesterday afternoon and last night like I had the flu, muscle aches, tired as anything, chills and overheating without sweating, but no fever. If anything my temperature was low. I had some homemade ramen and felt loads better but had to go to bed a little early. I feel okay this morning. It was probably due to stress. I am overwhelmed with dates and things I have to do. Everything piles up fast. Mikey will be home for three days so he can help with the chores. I will try to put off things that Mikey can do starting tomorrow.

Guuuuuuuurl, lemme tell you!

Today is only half over and it is already one of those days where I could call my husband to ask him where my phone is. Our kitchen floor has taken a beating throughout the years and become uneven. More tiles have cracked than we have replacements for (although I think I saw the same tiles at Home Depot). Even a temporary repair would cost about the same as pulling up the whole floor. One solution would be to put a rug in the kitchen so we would not trip on the tiles. The problem is a certain disabled cat who pees named Applejack on every rug she can. The rug can be any texture and she will still soil it. I do not know exactly why. She only has one pay that is completely healthy since she has a clubbed foot and front declawed. I have tried using rugs and mats that I thought would hurt her feet but she easily peed on it. So I do not know what to do for now. We have too many other expenses right now to fix the floor. I bought her some toys that dispensed treats since she loves them so much. She gets bored of them easily and Khaleesi keeps getting to them, destroying them. Keeping peace and happiness in the house is getting harder.

I bought $90 of dog food at Target, but saved $34 and stunned the cashier with the coupons I had. That is why I bought so much dog food is because I could maximize the coupon savings. When I put my mind to it, it is normal for me to get 1/3 or 1/4 off my groceries with coupons and finding out what is on sale. It is impossible to extreme coupon with the stores in our area, but I do the best I can. If the lady at Target thought it was impressive, maybe I should write instructions on how to get the most out of coupons without it overwhelming your life. It might sell well.

Let's Go Ravens!.. Oh, come on!

I am decked out this morning in my Ravens hoodie and slippers. The game starts at 4:25pm but I am going to listen to it way in the background. They have not been doing well;1-4. I do not think I have ever seen them do this bad. My brother says the preseason does not say anything about the regular season but I beg to differ. The Ravens usually win three games and lose one during the preseason. This year it was the opposite. Unless we win every game from now on, we are sunk. The Lions, the worst team in the NFL, are the only team that are doing worse. We even lost against the Browns which has not happened in almost a decade. Most of our experienced players have retired or switched teams and Suggs is out for the season on a knee injury. Our second quarterback gets some lucky breaks and is okay for a rookie, but Flacco cannot carry the team. I do not know if he is trying. He might be doing what McNair did; sliding into retirement while collecting his millions.

A real fan does not abandon her team and I do not plan to do so but I want to find another team to hope for. The problem is all I have is the radio and available stations will probably only cover Ravens and Redskins games. I am not a Redskins fan in the slightest but I would feel bad if I listened in just to rout for the other team. I have great respect for the Saints. I used to like the Cowboys. Those are the only teams I can think of.

Baltimore is going through a cold spell right now. We did not realize that the heat was off and it was about 60 degrees inside. No wonder I could not get warm! I gave Zombie a bath yesterday and he could have gotten a cold! I kept him warm for hours on the bed because he was shivering so hard. His hoodie is around here somewhere. We are on the lookout for it.

Today is also going to be a day of relaxation and doing what I want to do, not work. It will also be a day of focus for the next week. We are thinking of getting a short membership to the Y since they have a pool. Swimming is the only exercise I will eagerly do. They also have a fitness center which I would love to take part in.

Nickelodeon Now

ProJared had a small cameo on a new Nickelodeon show, Game Shakers. While at my in-law's house, there was an episode on. I caught the last 2/3 of it and I cannot describe how sad of a mess it was. Nickelodeon used to have some of the best shows on. They might have been a bit silly, like All That, Kablam, and whatever else, but they were somewhat intelligent and not just cheap laughs. Game Shakers was painful to watch. It was so stupid. Did you ever see an episode of Kenan and Kel or All That where they would do something stupid with food to solve a problem? It made some sort of sense and was usually an accident. This show was pure... that. For instance, one character covered himself in peanut butter and birdseed so the pigeons in the studio would swoop down and he could catch them.

Here is the zannyness that was All That

And here is the sadness of Game Shakers
Kel, you have fallen so far.

So, for the ProJared fans out there, I'm saving you some trouble. Here. Now never look back.

The Old and the Lonely

I cannot catch a break. All I wanted was a picture of an old dog. What I got were several pictures of old dogs being left at the pound and captions of them begging not to be left behind. My fragile mind cannot take that sort of thing because I have seen people do it in real life. The rescue gets mostly cats but some dogs that have aged too much for their owners who want a new puppy. It is common for people to adopt a kitten or puppy and then return them once they are bigger.

Of course this is a terrible practice. When it comes to how we treat animals, I comment that we would never do that to a human. In this case, we do. Millions of our elderly are in nursing homes where no one comes to see them and they simply fade away to the family. Nursing homes can be terrible places like mental institutions decades ago. I applied to a few for administrative assistant and program manager. It was terrible how little people interacted with the patients and how much they were talking to each other behind the counter.

I joke with my parents that we decide what home they go to, but the idea of doing that just because they are old makes me sick. We had to put both of my grandmothers in a nursing home less than a month before they died because we did not have the resources to care for them.  It was not something we wanted to do and we came to see them whenever we could.

When people become old, fragile, and as helpless as an animal, I think that is when I care more about them. I have never been into respecting my elders just because they were old, especially if they think they can get away with something since they are old. Yet how can someone take their parents, those who have cared for them when they were helpless, turn around and abandon them at their greatest time of need? I do not have the best relationship with my parents but they did their job. No matter how they are as old people, I am going to do what I need to when they need me in their old age. Even if that means dealing with their religious beliefs and helping them find their false teeth.

Get Another One

A teenaged female brought in a rescued chinchilla to Dr. Pol's office during one of the episodes I watched. The chinchilla ended up being a lot older than she was originally told and died on the table. She was heartbroken. Dr. Pol told her to get another chinchilla. Even I was taken aback by how blunt he was about it but I know he did not mean it in "that way". He meant that since she loved animals so much, she should rescue another to fill the hole that was left when her chinchilla died.

Losing a pet at any age is hard but when they die at an older age, they have had a fantastic life usually. Lots of dogs and cats never know the feeling of love and comfort. People spoil their pets and love them for the short time they are on this earth. A rescued animal is a life saved. Believe me when I say that getting another animal as soon as possible is the best way to honor your fallen pet. You can never replace that pet but you can allow another to warm your heart. Several people I talk to during adoption events tell me they cannot stand to have another cat or dog because it hurts so much when they die. They are family and it is like being 90 and losing your 65 year old child. Yet that possibility does not stop us from having children and loving them long after they are gone.

Getting another animal after a pet dies is never about replacing that pet. It is about having the companionship again, especially during the grieving process. It is about having room to save another life after a pet's time is up. You gave your all to that pet and now it is time to give it to another. In memory of those pets you loved so much, never let your love stop.

Rick and Morty and Mikey

Mikey has gotten into Ricky and Morty, big time. I think the show is okay. It seems like a mixture between Futurama (thought I pray to GOD nowhere near as sad) and American Dad. Both shows I thought were okay also. I thought Rick would be senile and it was a tribute to Back to the Future with comedy like Adventure Time (which I do not like). But we have watched at least a dozen episodes in the last few days because Mikey loves it so much. He is constantly laughing and gets excited when there is a new episode. Seeing him so happy is what makes me excited to watch it. I know it sounds sappy but I feel like this is what marriage is about. I love when Mikey is happy and he is so easy to please. It is one of his best qualities in my opinion.


And no, I am not a woman who lives to please her man (okay, sometimes I am on bad days). I just love Mikey so much even after seven years of marriage. Waking up next to him and going to bed next to him is such a joy. They say that the honeymoon stage goes away after two years. It has never stopped for me. Sure, we have fought and our lives are super busy so we cannot gush over each other all the time, but during the times when we can just stare into each others' eyes and cuddle are some of the best moments in my life.

It also helps that I am a major people-pleaser for those I care about. It makes me feel good to make others feel good. Call it low self-esteem or bragging. I believe that nothing is done out of the goodness of one's heart. We are rewarded in some way for everything we do even if it is just to make ourselves feel better for being a good person. And I thrive on the approval of the ones I love when I do something for them. If I were rich, people would love me during Christmas because I would be getting them huge things for the seratonin.

A Couple of or Distinct Lack of Periods

Do I usually announce my time of the month? I do not feel like looking back at previous posts to find out but I have a reason this time. It gives me a comparison for same-sex marriage and the bigots that try to stop it.

Several birth control pills, patches, and rings give women the ability to have only four periods a year. Most women seem to love this idea but not me. Despite all the symptoms and mess, I like being reminded that I am a healthy and sexually mature female. That my body can create life and is always ready to do so. Not to mention it gives me a physical reason to take a day off, eat junk, and get major cuddles from Mikey. Getting my period every three months does not seem natural to me although studies have shown it is completely safe. It is just not something I am into. Yet I am not going to stop others from doing so. I am not going to try to make those forms of birth control illegal and look down on women who want less periods. It does not affect me in the slightest and it is not hurting anyone.

I personally do not have a lot of homosexual friends who want to get married but I know the joy of marriage. It is not just about civil rights and privileges. Marriage makes everything official. You have committed your lives to each other before God or a judge, your friends, family, and that crazy uncle you did not want to invite but your mother made you (luckily I don't think I had one of those). it is the big day and every day after that when no one can judge your relationship. There is no easy break up, there is the nightmare of divorce. Whether you agree with it or not, it does not affect anyone except the couple. Let them be happy together like everyone deserves.

Poor Pitties

My mother-in-law once again introduced me to an addicting show; The Incredible Dr. Pol, a Dutch veterinarian who works with all types of animals. It is on Nat Geo Wild so the episodes I watch here are trimmed and much smaller. As long as I can hear it and see most of it, I do not mind. I like to listen to it while I work.. Lots of animals die on the show. It does not bother me too much. Most of the animals are old and go relatively fast. However, there was one young pitbull (younger than Khaleesi) that they discover has lymphoma. They elected to have her not wake up from surgery.

She was a beautiful girl with bad luck and I cried my eyes out. Seeing a young pittie lose his life hits home since no one wants to adopt them or they end up in bad homes who want to make them mean. They have such a bad stigma, certain residences do not allow them, and some animal control groups just kill them outright if they are found. Cops have been known to bust into houses and take pits (or dogs they think are pits) to be killed. Before watching that episode, I heard more people connect aggression with pitbulls more than usual.

So, the death of a pit that is not old is heartbreaking to me. I had to hold Khaleesi for awhile and pet her. Khaleesi knew Mommy did not feel well and gave me lots of kisses. She is such a good girl The Comcast guy came today and was scared of her. She barked and howled in our room while the guy worked. Poor girl just wanted to say hi.

Mikey's Birthday at Kings Dominion

Mikey and I went to Kings Dominion for his birthday. We had not been there in about ten years. I think our first date was the last time we went. There were two new rollercoasters. The Dominator is a floorless coaster that is like Apocalypse at Six Flags (which is a standing coaster). It was okay, better than Apocalypse but nothing to write home about. The floor coming back up once the train stopped was the best part. It was like watching the test chambers change in Portal.



The Intimidator though, wow. 300 ft drop, 94 mph, and you just fly up the hill to your doom. It was incredible, one of my favorite rollercoasters. There was an older gentleman working the ride who was having the time of his life announcing everything. He was hilarious too. "Give me a thumbs up if you are excited to ride this ride!.. Well, most of you are excited. The rest of you are going anyway..." We missed him in the evening.

We rode it six times. There were no lines everywhere. The most we waited was about 15 minutes if they were operating one train. If your favorite ride was Dominator, you were in luck. Not only did they run two trains, each row had four seats.

There were several rides that were not open though. Flight of Fear, a childhood favorite, was open in the morning but they closed it to make it a haunted house. The Hurler, Crypt, The backwards side of Rebel Yell, Shockwave, and Windseeker did not run all day. That might be why there was not much of a crowd and I think the tickets were cheaper for that day. I did not mind because both of the new coasters were running all the time with no line.

We went through two haunted houses. One actor got me. Riding the Intimidator in the dark was scarier because there were no lights on the track besides the first hill. We came back earlier than closing because there was not much else to do. We were exhausted and needed a shower.

Save the Tatas

I try not to get involved in arguments that are not political because they rarely affect people. It is just someone stating what is in their head. Yet when a Facebook friend went off on how the breast cancer slogan "Save the Tatas" was such a horrible thing objectifying and sexualing women, I felt like I had to comment, not on Facebook but here, because if you all did not want to listen to me you would not read my blog.

First of all, if the movement was all about saving lives, the first thing a woman would do when she found out she had breast cancer would be to chop her boobs off to stop the cancer from spreading. But it is not all about lives. It is about breasts, male and female (yes, men's tatas can get breast cancer too). Breasts are lovely things. They come in all shapes and sizes, provide nutrients for our young, and yes, they are fun to play with during sexy-time. Women who lose their breasts during their battle with cancer feel less beautiful and less like a woman. If we had a slogan for testicular cancer that said "Save the Balls" or "Make sure his plums don't have pits!" no one would be making such a fuss.

Having been a woman for 28 years, it is quite normal for women to sexualize their own breasts and the breasts of others. We put on wonder bras, get implants, and talk about them sexually all the time. They are a part of our "naughty bits" in American society. Why do girls get to talk about breasts in a sexual way but the idea of a man appreciating them in a slightly sexual way is the worst thing since HW Bush said to Barbara "let's go upstairs and make a president"?

This is not feminism, this is nit-picking and seeking an argument. Your tatas are beautiful and important. Protect them, check them monthly, and save them and your life.

One Big Adventure

I got a good start to the day despite not having sleeping well last night. I am on schedule for the writing I have to do and jotted some notes for a few stories I might do. There are more things I want to do but I do not think I am going to be able to get them done since it is late. After a certain hour, it gets harder to get things done. I have a lot of fiction ideas going through my mind, but most of them would have to be published under my pen name, especially if I am running for mayor. Which reminds me, I need to get the paperwork in and get the ball rolling. I need to contact the elections office and ask questions first.

We finished the first season of Assassination Classroom. The second season starts next year and I cannot wait. It has become one of my favorite animes. It is funny and suspenseful. The premise is different and the entire story is heartfelt. The best teacher in the world is one who will eventually blow it up. We did not know if it would have a second season or end with 23ish episodes but the first season ended rather abruptly. We might look into the live-action movie if we have time before the second season starts.

My boots for my Mereb costume came in this afternoon. There is faux fur on the inside and they are suede on the outside. They are perfect for an adventuring and fantasy costume and super comfortable but I do not how they will feel once I have spent 12+ hours walking around in them. Gotta make sure I have plenty of clean socks!

Joe-A-Quin

Hurricane Joaquin decided not to come near us but he had a good impact on the weather. It has been cold the past few days and I did not feel like turning on the heat so we struggled through it. My ankles were screaming and my legs felt like they were going to melt. It is hard to get exercise when you cannot go outside and have Seasonal Affected Disorder. Khaleesi could not go out for her regular walk for almost a week. She took it out on our luxury mattress pad. We had to sleep on a hard mattress for two days but it was not as bad as I thought it would be. The cold was what kept me up. I had to get up in the middle of the night, pull out one of the quilts from under the bed (and broke the bag it was in), slide it onto the bed without hitting Mikey somewhere painful, and then hop in the tub to warm myself up. Have you ever been so cold you felt like you were getting sick? I do not get cold easily either. I am a winter girl and proud of it.

When I went out to replace the mattress pad, I also bought a cheap space heater, some new slippers (mine are at least 15 years old), new seat covers for the car (the other ones disintegrated),  and a low-flow washer for the shower. The old holder for the shower head must have had one built in. We get blasted with water when we take a shower and I hate to think of what our water bill is going to look like. The cold spell should be over by tomorrow or Tuesday and the space heater I bought is serving us just fine. The only time Khaleesi and Siberia get along is when there is a space heater involved. They will lay right next to each other in front of it, leaving me freezing right behind them while I work. That's pets for you.

This week was supposed to be about diet and exercise but by some random chance clients decided to hail me. Considering how little I did last week, I need to make up for everything. I am feeling a ton better though since I have something to look forward to (Kings Dominion) and some hope for some of my writing.

Hitting Below the Belt

An issue of National Enquirer caught my eye while I was going through the checkout at Target. I have seen some really outlandish stories in NE, many terrible stories about recently dead celebrities of this caliber. But I found this appalling. Cosby has always been a jerk. Actors who worked with him on The Cosby show were open about how terrible he treated everyone, especially his female co-stars. He betrayed our childhood trust and hurt many women. Countless generations cannot laugh at his jokes without feeling bad.

However, accusing him of murdering his own son for a juicy story is pure evil. I do not believe in evil but it is the only word to describe it. Ennis was Cosby's only son and he was gunned down in a failed robbery. Ennis was a good boy who was done in by someone who was making the young black community look bad. Worse, the National Enquirer was the one that offered a reward for the capture of the killer who was caught.

Throughout the years if you look at Cosby's political stances and his comments about the young black community, you can hear the pain and anger in his voice. You can see it in his eyes. He is still hurting for what happened to his son. The killer confessing in 2002 might have brought him some solace but it seems like it is still a fresh wound for him. Pinning the murder on him without solid proof is a terrible thing to do despite Cosby's crimes. Honestly, I did not expect such cruel overkill even from National Enquirer. Punish him for what he has done but hug him for the pain of losing a child to murder. Cosby is at the end of his life. Leave him to his sins.

This Game is Not a Game

I had a dream last night that election day was today and I only got about 200 votes because I did not have time to get my name out. It disappointed me but I told myself I would try again and get elected for another position like district representative, although I do not know if I would do best in that position. But my neighbor told me that one guy has ran for representative for over a decade and never made it, so that's disheartening. My talent is fixing the big problems with Baltimore. My community is relatively safe and tight-knit due to our diligence with keeping it so. We have community meetings and people who get stuff done when the need arises. We only have a few problems including the homeless guys at the corner of major streets and people coming into our neighborhood to cause trouble. I have to remember that this is mainly a social experiment and there is very little chance I will even make it past the primaries.

Keeping out of arguments that do not involve the city is hard. I unfriend people I cannot get along with on my Facebook. Yesterday I unfriended a guy who thought his military service allowed him to be an immature bigot (is there an equivalent word for jarhead but for being of the army?). Most of the stuff he said was controversial but nothing I felt a great desire to contest. He shared a post with a shirt that said "#AllLivesMatter except pedophiles, murderers, terrorists, etc. F*** those guys!" So, he was gone.

I cannot stop my friends from having friends who are ignorant and loud. There are a surprising amount of them in the comments of my most level headed and educated friends. Kudos to them for being able to put up with them voluntarily. Those kind of people trigger a lot of stress for me.

Politics and Distopias

Why have I had such a hiatus with my blog? I guess I just forgot about it. We went back to our hometown last weekend for my mother and father in law's birthday. I bought him a copy of In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash. I think he will be able to relate to it and find some humor in it. My mom wanted a gift card and that is exactly what she got. Easy peasy.

We watched The Giver. It was not terrible but I could go on and on about how it is different than the book and how the book is better. The end of the movie reflects the end of the book but makes it a completely happy ending, fun for all. That is not what happens in the book. Although people can interpret the ending two ways, Jonas and Gabriel survive or they freeze to death, I do not think that is true. Elsewhere does not exist and there would not be any civilizations close enough to know about them or they would have outsiders coming in and out whenever they liked. They might even have been conquered. That is how society works. My mother in law and I were arguing about that. She read the book once so she could watch the movie. I read it in 5th grade, hated it, picked it back up in middle school, and have not put it down since. I know what I am talking about.

Release me from my mortal body you sexy Swed!

Alexander Skarsgård plays the father though, who works at the Nurturing Center and "releases" people, so he sort of like an executioner. Bad casting people, no sexy guys for death men! This is not a gothic BDSM film! Why is this sexy man always in charge of death and pointy things? What's next? Is he going to be an unmasked Pyramid Head in the next Silent Hill movie? Pretty please?


Big news: I am running for mayor of Baltimore City. Yes, I am serious. I do not think I will win, but I am trying my best. It has gotten my butt in gear for the political issues book. I wanted to write something on the federal level but it was not working out. Starting at the local level is much easier. I have a lot of great ideas and ways of making them possible. I have also asked other residents of the city what they would like in a candidate. Many of the issues important to them are part of my platform. I have a ton of issues on my platform but I have a lot I want to do. Perhaps if I put them in order of most important to back burner in the platform, it will be easier to read.

The days have gotten cooler so we turned off the air conditioner and opened a few windows. We also put the comforter on the bed for extra warmth at night. It likes to slide off the bed so I have to tuck it in some way.

Today is the first day in a few that I have felt like staying productive. I hate days like those and they are going to ruin me someday. I am trying to awake between 5:30 and 6am so I can get an early start on the day, even if I need time to wake up. Then I need to start working on my 1pm-3pm exhaustion lull.

A Worst Threat Than ISIS

I was too emotionally drained and distracted to make a post yesterday. Mikey had off yesterday and today so we had to share office space. I need to get more done but luckily we do not have to leave for our in laws until about 3pm. I might not even talk to Mikey until then so I can get all my paperwork and writing done.

We let Magdalene go but I was able to pet the back of her before going inside. She was out of sight within a few hours. Bye bye Maggie, you fiesty bi-yotch.

I should start doing "Teen Mom" posts on Fridays since I watch the show so adamantly. I do not get to see it until Friday mid morning though since I do not have cable so MTV has to upload it. Even then the video might not load well depending on our internet that day. It gives me time to read the comments, most of which are so ignorant it is hilarious. It is sad that reality show stars get so much money for their appearances but I can laugh and point at the trash in the comments who do not get paid anything. They gain nothing from their ignorance and troll behavior.

Speaking of troll behavior, I wrote a comment on a YouTuber's video whom I knew had a shitty subscriber base. It was a nice comment and I still got someone calling me a fatass wasting my life. People online suck sometimes. Mikey and I were watching a video series (this is one of the reasons I was so emotionally drained) on why trolls are the way they are and Gamergate type people. Usually I would say that understanding them is the key to solving an issue, but Gamergate and other anti-feminism in video games movements involve death threats and harassment to the point where the victim has to go into hiding. Their life is ruined and the police normally do not do anything. Those are the type of people that need to be punished, no matter what their train of thought was. If anyone did that to me, I would retaliate the best I could. You ruin my life, I'll ruin yours. You do not do that to people and get away with it no matter if the law wants to get involved. The only time the FBI got involved was when one of the offenders dressed up like ISIS. Does that mean I have to tell them that my attackers are terrorists to get my country to do anything if I were in danger? Technically, there fit the definition of "terrorist" better than ISIS. They threaten and instill fear within our own borders.

He Was a She, See?

Depression had me by the cojones yesterday but I am feeling a lot better today. I have a ton to do. Aside from the errands I have to run around 9am, I am going to focus on writing this morning. A good amount of ideas came to me yesterday and I feel less overwhelmed. Here's hoping I get a lot of writing done today.

Sometimes when I wake up, I grab the laptop to get started on work or watch some videos while I sip my coffee and eat breakfast. Somehow I ended up watching videos by trans YouTubers, one of them being Julie Reads Mean Comments by PrincessJoules. Based off of Jimmy Kimmel's Celebrities Read Mean Tweets (which I love), she reads the mean things people have tweeted to her. The biggest difference is most of them are death threats about her being trans and not who she is. I do not condone mean tweets to anyone but at least the mean tweets at celebrities can be witty and reflect them as a person and not their gender identification. Here is the link. I think everyone should watch it (NSFW although she bleeps out a lot) because it gives a great look at how hateful people are toward trans people. Another important difference is people actually DO these things to trans people. They hurt them, they maim them, they kill them. Food for thought.

When I first met someone who was transgender, I was in college and the concept of her frightened me. But I never said a mean word to her. She was very huggy and I would not hug her, explaining that I had to get used to the idea and I had never met a trans person before. She understood completely. By the end of the year, we were always hugging. Just because something is new and scared of the concept does not give you the right to lash out. It is okay if you are not comfortable with something. I am not comfortable around evangelical Christians but I do not lash out at them because of their religion. I will call them out on something they said. Transgenderism is a concept that recently caught the public eye and is steadily normalizing. Our culture used to see it as something whoreish and deceitful. Like race, we need to change the misconceptions that come with gender identity.

I never realized that I had so much to say about the topic. It makes me wonder if I could write an essay about my experiences. If anything, I will try to continue with the topic in my next post. I think I have written enough for now.

A Weekend of Surprises

My friend Sam had two extra tickets to Six Flags so we went yesterday. We had not been to an amusement park in over seven years. Our honeymoon was the last time. Mikey made us a half hour late, ran a stop sign, and nearly got us into a major accident. I was livid at him when we arrived. I told the parking attendants and Sam what he did. They had a good laugh and we were soon having the time of our lives on The Mind Eraser and ROAR. I have had pictures of those two rollercoasters as the wallpaper on the laptop and my desktop to motivate me to work hard. We got to ride everything we wanted although the line for Batwing was not really worth it. It is not one of my favorites. Unfortunately, a cold front came in and we were not able to go to the waterpark.

They had two new rollercoasters that I had never ridden. The Ragin' Cajun made me dizzy. At first, you do not spin around but by the middle of the ride, you are flying through spins. If I had eaten before that one, I think I would have gotten sick. Apocalypse is a standup twister. I do not think it was as good as Shockwave but better than Mantis. I rode it three times because I could. The third time it bumped me around more than usual. After one more go on the Mind Eraser I was ready to head back home. I felt hungover on the ride home but it was worth it. The entire time I was on a ride, I was going nuts because I felt ten years younger. I had no responsibilities, no stress, and no real rules.

We still plan to go to Kings Dominion next month for Fright Fest.



When we got home, Magdalene had a little surprise for us. It is an ootheca, an eggsac. I do not know if it is fertilized (I doubt it since we have had her at least a week) but it is still a cool thing to see. When she passes, I will take the ootheca outside where it will be safe and it can hatch in spring.