This, that, and some of the other.

Well, now, it's been an age and a day since I've posted. I don't know quite what my problem is other than writing a blog seems to smack of tiresome self-importance or a desire to inflict my le train train quotidien upon all and sundry which, frankly, makes for boring reading, viz.

6.45a - woke up
6.46a - hit "snooze" and dozed off
6.56a - jerked out of my pleasant doze by NPR recounting horrors in Darfur
6.57a - staggered out of room and into the lav, perform daily ablutions
7.3a - shrugged on clothing
7.9a - legged it out door, down stairs, and out of building to catch Metro.
7.11-8.3a - enjoyed terrors of daily Metro commute to office.
8.5a - 4.55p - work with its accompanying delights, joys, drudgeries, and irritants.
4.56p - 5.54p - further experiencing of Metro horrors on commute home.
5.55p - 6p - avoid strange homeless people and other human dregs that float about by my apartment building courtesy of the crisis centre next door.
6.1p - 6.3p - check to see if the ghettovator 900 is working, realize it isn't, stagger up five flights of stairs
6.5p -11p - home, dinner, dorking about, reading, bed.

Whee! What excitements!

Anyway, short version of what's going on:

Found out my dad has a really rare form of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma that has a 90% survival rate. Although, the fact that they're already talking of survival rates in percentages bothers me considerably. Mom's upset, we're all upset. Waiting for Dad to see the oncologist and have more tests performed.

Did not bother to go see And One. Kind of regret it now. Still, I hate El Corazon and all ages shows. Worst Venue Evarrr! Why we, as adults, should be treated like dangerous and wild animals that need to be kept corralled is beyond me. You'd think that they'd keep the cretinous youths locked away from us and give us more space to roam about in since... surprise! We have jobs and aren't minors. God knows that coming into contact with teenaged boy sweat is not high on most sane adults lists of Important Things To Do. But, I digress.

I bought a new divan. Whee.

My thirtieth birthday is next Sunday se'nnight. I have no idea what the devil I want to do, really.

Anyway, on the off chance that you may be contemplating gifts. Don't, please. I really do not need anything.

End of the Year Natterings and Christmas Recapping

I flew back to Spokane on Friday of last week after a hectic week of trying to get a ton of work done at the office. So far, every day has been filled to the brim with Things To Do - baking Christmas cookies (sprits, krumkake, rosettes, sandbakkels, kokosmakroner, and plain ol' sugar cookies), finishing a few last minute shopping things, wrapping presents since I couldn't wrap them before travelling as the tiresome airport security weasels would've had to unwrap them to make sure that my father's turtleneck work shirting wouldn't explode - I suppose this is a good thing, but it just means more work for me at the last minute.

Where was I? Oh, yes.

Saturday, I met up with Ian, Shannon, and Hannah (who, I might point out, is an awfully cute little kiddo - hopefully she liked her stuffed isbjørn that I got her! I know I sure did... hehe) for dinner at Moon Time with Sina which was a lot of fun since I hadn't seen them in donkey's years.

Sunday, we had a bit of a rest in preparation for the dizzying whirl that was Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We had the crabs that I brought home from Seattle on Monday and the traditional flatbrød and lutefisk, of course. There was a massive bowl of smoking bishop to be consumed (which was), bottles of akvavit (which were also drained), divers wines, etc. Much jollity. Tuesday started off with a bang as we woke up early to get the pastries made for breakfast down at my sister's house. I was distracted by something and ruined the custard I was working on, but we had plenty of marzipan for the other filling so we just ran with that. We loaded up the Jeep - presents, pastries, Mom, Dad, Sina, and me - and went down to Michelle's where the boys were sproinging about like a thirteen and an almost eight-year-old will. Eggs, properly toasted muffins, bacon, and sausage went down the hatch with plenty of hot coffee and pastries.

One of my presents was a set of scrapbooks that my mother made for me with pictures and other artefacts from my childhood. It was a very moving gift and I wanted to cry when I saw pictures of me in my early twenties and much, much thinner. So, I think this year I'll be hitting the gymnasium with Mr. Brad or someone to slim down. I miss being that thin (and I sort of wish I could be that young again... sigh).

I've been feeling very but at my back I always hear Time's wingéd chariot hurrying near over the last day or so.

At any rate, we returned to Casa Parents around noonish and promptly started preparing the Christmas Day Feast - Crown Roast of Pork, sauerkraut (surkål) with apples and caraway, rutabagas, turnips, and potatoes pureed, mashed potatoes with a hint of horseradish, brussels sprouts with balsamic vinegar, italian sausage dressing, brandied cranberries, cranberries and mandarin oranges in aspic, mince pie, and a yule log. Om beroofen.

My ancient grandmother thing was there. She looked rather frail and out of it. She kept asking me where I was going to high school - nevermind that I graduated eleven years ago. If we're lucky, she'll peg out this year and not linger on and be tiresome and expensive to maintain in her dotage.

Tonight, I'm going to try to get together with my friends Patrick and Brent. So, I must totter off and start ringing them.

Think the inconceivable, desire the untouchable...

Since I last posted:

1) I purchased and read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on the day which it was released;
2) I received a much needed (and much welcome) pay raise at work;
3) I've purchased my tickets for next week's Combichrist show and the Assemblage 23 show on 9 September 2007;

There has also been the usual run of le train train quotidien but none of it particularly interesting.

I've also fallen in love with the music of the German industrial/EBM band Seabound and must recommend it to those of my friends who appreciate such music. Dr. Echidna, naturally, needs no introduction to them.

I'm very excited about the upcoming Combichrist and A23 shows. Therefore, I shall give vent to an 'Aiiieeeeeee!!!'

AIIIEEEEE! [bounces up and down]

Oh, and my very lovely and exceptionally dear friend Sina will be coming to Seattle for her birthday next month. EEeeeeeeeee!! [more bouncing in seat]

At any rate, this concludes this update. I'm off to go watch the first episode of Firefly.