12.11.2025

Retail and Christmas Music

 Ok, I am not Christian by any stretch, however I loooove music. And while there are some songs that have definitely been overplayed, and we ALL know which ones those are! I do have some favorites that fall into the Christmas music genre..

 Now, I work retail part time, not a ton of time but I can absolutely tell you that since I've started that a couple years ago, the holiday music - SUCKS the SOUL out of me! 

I can't listen to it when I'm in the car or at home most of the time, and if one of the dreaded songs comes on when I am changing radio stations I instantly cringe. 

Can I listen to those favorites I have? I think mostly. If anything though, I much rather listen to classical at this time of year more than anything.  I really have missed listening to classical music in general lately. Maybe I need to create a nice long playlist on on my spotify of classical favorites.

I wish the playlist that the retail store I work at was better. It would be nice if it was the same fucking songs every time. I am sure there is a financial reason but good gods, lets not make people lose their damn minds with that shit.

Minor rant over 

12.09.2025

Thoughts for next year

 As this year is finally wrapping up, I think I want to start thinking of what I would really like to do/get done in the next couple of years.

I mean, the obvious is getting closer to clearing my debts.

Otherwise, I think I would really like to get a new tattoo or 2. I have been wanting to cover up my paw prints on my forearm for a while now, so that would be nice to get done first. 

 I am going to start taking ballet as well. I need something to help me get into shape, and while I have started doing some actual exercises (shush) I have always loved ballet. So what if it's been like 35 years! 

Otherwise, it will also be to continue crocheting projects, spend time with my kid and maybe not work harder, just smarter.

Fingers crossed it's not another insane year.... 

12.07.2025

WTAF Cookie Baking Edition

 I am making 600 cookies for my kid's squadron and shipping them to his base. Fine, done this the last few years because I love my kid and love baking so it's a win. Right? It's a fucking win when the stupid ass cookies bake correctly and not spread like the legs of a whore! I mean, come on! It's fucking chocolate chip cookies, there should not be this much of an issue! I have made this standard fucking recipe for like a decade, and this is just stupid. Ok, they do still taste good but it's annoying me and disappointing me that they look like clusters of chocolate chips with a thin spread of cookie surrounding them. Ugh.

Fucking stupid ass cookies.

 I've adjusted my temperature and I sit in front of my oven trying to time it just right so that they aren't so brown on the edges and the center is done. It's just really stupid. Stupid stupid. Triple stupid.

I was reading on Reddit (don't @me) and it seems that has been some quality issues with butter lately. My other ingredients are all fresh, nothing is over 3 or 6 months and again it's a standard recipe. The only thing that could be a bit sideways is the butter. And ok, I do not measure the vanilla, I guide that by instinct but whatever!

Wait. The chocolate chips are older, but that should be what's affecting the spread.  

Watching cookies bake was not what I thought I was going to be doing all day today.  

6.21.2025

Surgery, Projects and Changes - oh my!

Holy fuck I haven't written in a long time!! There have been a couple moments in the last year where I've thought about and even came here to write but I just...didn't.

OK, so some quick updates then! 

 I had a double mastectomy with an immediate Diep Flap reconstruction in February. I was off for 2 months and while for the most part it was a good and non complicated recovery, there was some minor issues once I got home from the hospital. I don't know if it was a reaction to the surgical tape used or if one of my 4 drains kinked at some point in the 1.5 hour drive home or whatever, but I ended up with some lovely blisters on both breasts which necessitated daily wound treatment. My boyfriend did absolutely an awesome job in assisting with that. And I loved the overall results! I will say, the resulting size was somewhat larger that I was anticipating...and I won't argue if they go down a little bit.

Another side of effect of a 13 hour surgery and 3 days in the hospital, I came over literally 11 lbs heavier. That was wild. I swear it's all in my thighs. I gained another 7-8 lbs in the proceeding months. I was not stressing over this, I know that it's temporary and I'll lose the weight again. It is annoying.

Then I just had another surgery last week, it was an outpatient surgery and again it was for the breasts and the dog ears on my hips from the Diep Flap. Minor reconstruction to fix some of the typical things that need to be fixed once the healing is mostly done and the swelling is resolved. And holy fuck there was some lipo involved and that shit, THAT fucking hurts. 

I will eventually lose the weight and once that is stable, I would definitely like to get these puppies lifted. I do hope they also go down in size as I lose weight but if they don't, it's what it is.

And when I look in the mirror, it's absolutely crazy to see how skinny I look. I do not recognize myself. I will eventually buy new clothes and whatnot, right now I am fitting in my older clothes and I've gotten some hand me downs to tide me over and I have bought a couple of new shirts and things that I needed for surgery anyways. And oh wow, having to find things that don't bother my abdomen has been wild! 

~.~.~.~ 

Yarn - I have SO MUCH YARN! When I hear about Joann's going out of business in January, I absolutely panic bought a shit ton of yarn. So. I decided to open a small business, Stitch & Cuddle. At some point I will get my website updated. I've made several items so far this year already, see below.

 




 There are more I've made and I need to get more pictures done. I need to get some of my finances updated with the state with what's already been done but otherwise, I seem to be stress crocheting a lot. Thankfully I have quite a few projects that will benefit because of this. Suffice it to say, everyone is getting home made gifts this year for the holidays and birthdays. 

~.~.~.~ 

 And both of these things are part of the changes. Another change - potentially - is work. We are being acquired rather soon and I'll find if I have a job still. No stress, none at all (insert eye roll here). Part of the reason I am stress crocheting. Especially with this market, political environment and everything else. The world is only slightly insane right now. This is very, very stressful. I really don't like this timeline to be honest and I hope to wake up to a better world at some point. If I am let go, I will do what I do and figure it out and life will be okay. 

 That's my quick update for the hot moment. 

11.18.2024

Ok, so I finally read the text

 And I thought it would be worse. It seems like she is seriously and fundamentally confused. Like, on everything. She mixed random thoughts in with a hint of a truth. And by a hint, it's a stretch of a hint from another Marvel multi-universe. Maybe it's an alternate reality. I don't know.

I'm not upset, or mad or hurt. It's all just sad. 

Her verbiage though, it's like she's trying to upset me or get me to react in a hurt manner and I just don't feel anything. And I don't because what she is saying is so absolutely not true or real so it doesn't mean anything. 

And I suppose me being truly content and happy (ok, not with politics or where the world is about to be headed, but aside from all of that) with my life and choices in my life seems to make some people upset. I don't have to justify my happiness or my choices to anyone. Nor does anyone have to do that with me. 

This is just wild. But ok.

It's all still insane

 I am still processing. I think I am in a slightly better place. I've definitely already lost 1 friend. She blew up my phone, unfriended me on Facebook, went quiet and then texted me again from a different number. I read the headline of her text but not all of it because how fucking LONG that text was.

My niece came over yesterday, I asked her to read some of our previous texts so she could see what all the conversation was about politics and then the one I didn't read because I wanted to make sure I wasn't being an asshole. If I am, then I need to make adjustments. If I'm not, then it's not on me. And she was like, she sounds like her mom - which means my now ex-friend is acting crazy crazy. Hard core crazy if you will. 

I feel like I want to hand out Kool-Aid packets.

I don't understand, how a woman who is on the witchy side of things and has always been open minded I thought is now just sooooo far down the cult rabbit hole. And became so mean in the process. Damn.

11.07.2024

Opinion

Can someone explain to me, like I'm 5, how ones "opinion" is somehow better than known facts? Or how a fact or proof of a previous action, say the Jan 6 insurrection or 34 felony convictions, is somehow not impactful to the choice of a leader of a country? Or how ones decision to follow that direction is going to be ok to just hang and drink a beer with, because you know, fuck whatever else is going on we can still drink together right? Still be friends? Still pretend we have the same values or cares or morals? I am really struggling with this. How do I remain a friend to someone who, even if they didn't think their vote counted bc of where they live, still actually CHOSE that person ?? I mean, trying to tell me this issue or that issue or whatever is the THING, that they were voting about. Seriously? 
Can you not see the bigger picture?
UGH
o·pin·ion
/əˈpiny(ə)n/
noun
  1. a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.
    "I'm writing to voice my opinion on an issue of great importance"

  2. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opinion
1
a
a view, judgment, or appraisal formed in the mind about a particular matter
We asked them for their opinions about the new stadium.
b
approvalesteem
I have no great opinion of his work.
2
a
belief stronger than impression and less strong than positive knowledge
a person of rigid opinions
b
a generally held view
news programs that shape public opinion
3
a
a formal expression of judgment or advice by an expert
My doctor says that I need an operation, but I'm going to get a second opinion.
b
the formal expression (as by a judge, court, or referee) of the legal reasons and principles upon which a legal decision is based
The article discusses the recent Supreme Court opinion.


10.21.2024

Back to logging

 I have not really logged my food consistently for several months now. I still have been losing weight, I am on Wegovy and Metformin, so that is why and well the fact that I had WLS and my stomach is still small. But I know I have NOT been eating right, I need more water and protein and need to reshape some of my current habits. It's just kinda wild how the Wegovy as intensified my cravings for sugar. I definitely don't drink alcohol nearly as much. 

3 steps forward and 1 step back. I won't argue it at all.

Dr. is now switching me to Zepbound and I will see how this goes. Since I will have surgery early next year, all the weight I can lose now (ugh and all the ab workouts I can do) would be beneficial.

Which is why I am back to logging and seeing a clearer picture of far I've gotten out of balance.

I am still 70 lbs down from where I started and to be honest, that is awesome sauce right there. Even if I maintained, I would be happy.