Amata
02 July 2009 @ 10:51 pm
This post is a little bit after the fact - I am writing this preface so that no one feels worried about making any hurried "are you okay?" phone calls. Of course, I welcome phone calls for both of our sakes - but I do want people to know, going in to this note, that Yes I'm Just Fine.

So, I've got a bunch of stuff that's been in my head lately. Dunno why; I guess there's a little bit of this and a little bit of that. One thing that touched this of was a particularly bad night the other night - complications from pms, I think - but Kaitlyn was at work, so I was home by myself & I ended up very upset (with myself). I put on my favorite pair of sleeves, and thought about how wonderful my parents have been, actually.

I sat curled up at the top of the stairs counting the half-hours until Kaitlyn came home from work, and holding my cellphone just in case I needed to call someone. (I didn't, but I'd like to thank all the people who were probably alseep at the time, but would have been perfectly okay waking up and taking that call from me if I had needed to make it)... Anyway, that kind of thinking reminded me of when Kaitlyn and I went to Dallas for my mother's birthday party (last year??) - the Pirate party.

Dad gave me a new pair of sleeves, especially pirate-themed. He gave them to me with a smile and a sort of "just in case" - so I wouldn't have to let life keep me from staying in the room and being part of, well, life. Those sleeves aren't necessarily the pair that I tend to use; but they are one of my special treasures.

Just now, I was heating up some food for a late dinner, and I remembered this song ("Hate Me" by Blue October) - certain edits of the song begin with a recording from the musician's real life answering machine, a message left by his mother during a time in his life kinda like times that have been in my life:

(”Hi Justin, this is your mother, and it's 2:33 on Monday afternoon.
I was just calling to see how you are doing. You sounded really uptight last night.
It made me a little nervous, and a little... well, it made me nervous, but it sounded like you were nervous, too. I just wanted to make sure you were really OK,
And wanted to see if you were checking in on your medication.
You know I love you, and...
Take care honey
I know you're under a lot of pressure.
See ya. Bye bye”)

Today I found out that the particular person that was the reason I joined my guild has left the guild. Let me back the story up a little bit: I enjoy playing WoW when it's a game that people play together, but otherwise I could care less. If I'm not playing with people, I might as well log off and go read a book under a nice tree. A while back, Kaitlyn (being the outgoing half) introduced me to a very amiable gal who was pleasant to chat with & enjoyable to play with. She was part of a guild that she pretty much sold as "more of the same type of people, no stress" - it was almost entirely because of her that I gave the guild a go. For the longest time, she was right & the guild was pleasant, social, and decently skilled.

And then there was a exodus - a handful of people went off and joined a different guild and there was a bunch of bad energy. ... But we hung on and she, specifically, said that she would never, ever leave the guild.

Today, I found out that she & another one of my favorite guildies have left - and joined that other guild. Kaitlyn and I are just a tad bit upset about this; I don't want to put too much time bothering about what ought to just be a simple game.... but it's bothering me that online communities are basically crap. With the sole exception being, perhaps, those online connections that are an outgrowth of connections already present in real life.

So that whole mess is kind of a let down.

I've been trying to find ways to save money on wedding attire.
Kaitlyn and I both have large families, and the last thing we want to do is save money by cutting down the guest list. I'm frustrated because it's the first thing that All The Books say; if budget is a concern, reduce the guest list. But I just can't figure out a good way to cut the guest list... I dunno. Anyway, I've been surfing around trying to find a way to make a wedding dress inexpensive.

And what I discovered is that I don't really know what I want anymore.
I thought I used to know what "look" I wanted... but now I have no idea what I want the dress to look like, or the wedding ceremony, or anything really. I've totally lost the vision/concept/inspiration. I dunno. I have all of these ideas, all these different concepts that could be awesome (none of which go together) - and I almost want to say "I'll take whatever is the least expensive"

... but I don't want to look back and be disappointed.

(I must admit, I'm also having trouble envisioning my body in any wedding dresses. I just don't know what dress I could put on and look good or be comfortable in... I begining to think maybe Kaitlyn and I should just wear what we always wear: jeans and sloppy sweaters)

...

And those are pretty much the major stops along that train of thought which all lead to "... and now Amata cries."
 
 
Amata
29 June 2009 @ 11:01 pm
This is dedicated to all those lifeless dorks, who - like me - can tell you from memory the safest way to travel on foot from the port at Booty Bay to Shadowfang Keep.

I just signed up today for this week's raids (Tues: OS 25, Wed/Thurs: Naxx 10)... no Ulduar for me; I just don't have good enough gear yet. And, for the record, Shaman healers are so much better than Druids.



...

More DOTS! More DOTS!
50 dkp minus!!
 
 
Amata
24 June 2009 @ 10:37 am
Today's Nostalgia Critic review is for Disney's animated series "Gargoyles"
(I disavow the so-called third season (Goliath Chronicles), just fyi).



... Good times.

Good times.
 
 
Amata
21 June 2009 @ 11:23 pm
Amata: *holds up a skirt*
"what do you think?"

Kaitlyn: "that's very you"

Amata: ...
"does that mean 'very you' in that 'godawful and i hate the way it looks but that's the crazy-you' kind of 'very you'??"

Kaitlyn: ...
"no - it would look good on you! but then again, you'd look hot in a burlap sack."

Amata: "i'll keep that in mind for ways to save money for the wedding... i'll have to remember to google 'white burlap sack'..."

Kaitlyn: "so it has to be white?"

Amata: "i grew up dreaming of my Big White Poofy Dress."

Kaitlyn: "You going with virginal white, or ... off-white?"

Amata: "i'll have to find 'I'm a lesbian and I've been having sex for years' white."

Kaitlyn: "that's called red."
 
 
Amata
21 June 2009 @ 06:38 am
Let it be known that there IS a teen/vampire series that rocks the world. Here's a hint for the teenyboppers who don't know a good thing when it tries to suck their blood: it aint Twilight.

 
 
Amata
14 June 2009 @ 10:58 pm
From the Whittier pool party after-party (aka: the 6 pm front lawn wine-and-lounge)...
I highly endorse Small Gods by Terry Pratchett, followed by American Gods by Neil Gaiman. (American Gods has a related-like-a-sequel book recently published; Anansi Boys.

These two coauthored Good Omens, which might be one of the best books in the entire world.

...
Also, Mom, you really ought to read the Time Traveler's Wife.
Any day now.
Really.
 
 
Amata
13 June 2009 @ 04:36 pm
So, I've been thinking about weddings. (And, understandably, about my own wedding ceremony)...

Today, I've had Kaitlyn stuck on my mind, and I've also been walking around humming a song from my childhood, Power of Love by Bob Hurd.

I finally went to OCP (yay!) to find the lyrics, because I was thinking about writing myself a note about maybe asking Kaitlyn about using the song in our ceremony somewhere... or whatever. If you go here: Power of Love | OCP and click on the "mp3" tab, you can actually listen to the whole song, not just a clip.

...

Apparently, there was a lot more Jesus-wha-wha in that song than I remembered. I was humming the bits and pieces of the song, and missing the first line of all the verses except the very first one (the one that starts, "power of love...."). Subsequent verses do not also begin with those words.

To be fair, I guess it's not all that Jesus-wha-wha. If you are Christian (which this song is), then yes "prince of peace" and "lamb of god" are titular references to Jesus. On the other hand, I've got my own ideas about gods that would accept the very same titles - so it's not like these words are the exclusive property of JC.

And then I'm thinking: both Kaitlyn and I were raised Catholic anyway. Maybe it would be a nice gesture to our parents, who will be paying for the whole festive affair, and I'm not opposed to recognizing where I came from. And it might make Dee more happy / comfortable at our wedding ceremony than she otherwise would be. Which is important to me.

Anyway. Not sure what to think now.
Kaitlyn? Thoughts?
 
 
Amata
13 June 2009 @ 04:20 pm
Have x-posted pictures from the past weekend on Flickr and Facebook.
Includes shots from Kelly's wedding ceremony (bad quality bc of no flash photos - sorry); also pics from the reception, karaoke, and the morning-after breakfast;
last, pictures from the Dominguez family pool party on Sunday.

I was offloading these pictures because I need my camera clean for tonight's festivities (Michelle is getting married!!)
 
 
Amata
13 June 2009 @ 11:28 am
They're singing songs about Love in the living room right now -
Michelle is getting married this eveing -
and I am so happy to be listening in on the music...
makes me impatient for my own day, when
we can sing these songs again.
 
 
Amata
08 June 2009 @ 10:39 am
For all the geeks I know, who just happen to be girls
(cuz living in a male-dominated subculture isn't hard enough already)

 
 
Amata
05 June 2009 @ 08:15 am
Here I go: 10 days and 2 weddings.
(And the gods know how many hours of pool party wine drinking BBQ eatin' fun)

Kaitlyn was sent home from work yesterday because she's coming down with something awful. So, on the one hand, I feel really terrible about leaving NY right now. Also, the weather here is absolutely gorgeous - I'm not looking forward to the TX heat.

However, I'm totally PSYCHED about Kelly and Jared's wedding. Can't wait!!!
And then a week chillin' with the family & getting some work done for once. (LOL)
Then Michelle and Evan's wedding - at the Dallas World Aquarium: FTW!

Too awesome for words.
 
 
Amata
30 May 2009 @ 10:49 pm
I have drunk, and can now die happy.

Seriously.

My parents gave Kaitlyn and I a bottle of wine as a gift for our paper-wedding. It was a 2005 bourgogne. It was ... really really good. We're going to keep the bottle enshrined.

So, mostly I wanted to post a note for my parents: wine has been drunk. It was soooo good. Oh, so very good. Amazing, even. Like a little bit of liquid heaven on your tongue. I really hope you guys kept a bottle of this stuff for yourselves. Seriously. Cuz now I'm feeling bad that we didn't insist on drinking this with you two.

I made goat cheese tortellini, with grilled italian herb chicken strips, and both marinara and cream sauces (so that you could mix-n-match, as desired) (cuz Karen can't eat dairy). Anyway, we had a yummy dinner & shared the wine. We then watched Mr & Mrs Smith (fun times), and I think we're going to play some board games now.

In all, delighted with life.

Omg. Best. Wine. Eva.
 
 
Amata
28 May 2009 @ 12:13 pm
Wheee!
We were dogsitting for a bit there (which was fun). I discovered that our townhouse community has a dog park. Very nice.

Also, right in the middle there, Karen and Jim arrived from out of town to stay with us for a fortnight or so. So far, we've met up with mutual friends for Memorial Day appetizers and drinks. Also, one night when Kaitlyn was working, we went out to the Old Toad for dinner & drinks. It was Kevin's last time to go to Toad (having now graduated from RIT). We let him crash one night here on our couch before leaving Rochester For-ev-er. Lately, couch space has been a rare commodity here. Our four-man crew swung by the Memorial Art Gallery yesterday. Today we plan to eat sushi and go see Night at the Museum 2.

Other points of note: I hit 80 on my draenei shammie. I have also located & begun playing Civ Revolution again. Karen is currently playing the Prince of Persia reboot. I picked up and read Sky Coyote the other day - fun read, and then I discovered that not only is there a sequel to the book - there is an entire effing series. D'oh. So, that's one more thing to contemplate "one day" getting/owning/reading/etc.

Kaitlyn is pushing her way through Amber Spyglass (the last book in the Dark Materials trilogy). I hacking my way through another work week. ... blarg. Karen and Jim are watching season 4 of The West Wing (yay!). And Kaitlyn and I are about halfway through season 2 of Heroes.

Incidentally, Karen is the best drum player for Rockband that I have ever seen! The four of us pretty much kick butt when we were playing the other night. Woot!!!