And then, there's a bearded fetus.

I survived Monday! It was super busy at work, and I was very tired by the time I got off. I'm always grateful that I get off a bit before my sister so I have an hour of just Jess and I. A lot of times when I get off, I don't want to talk to people (Jess is not people, they're just part of me as far as my brain goes.) So I have quiet time/D&D talk, etc for an hour, and by the time my sister gets home, I'm a little more communicative.

We drank some of the wine last night. I had slid the bottle of Niagra into the fridge, so we pulled it out and cracked it open, and had some of the fintest sweet white wine in the land. I forgot how much I loved Mt Hope Winery, because this was fantastic.

Today, more work, and then I shall go forth to pick up Jess from their tattoo. They're getting a phoenix feather to match the raven feather on their right arm. It's their same tatoo artist, who is amazing, so I know I'm going to love it.

Then I shall come home and see if I am cooking dinner. My back has been a bit too peeved to stand at the stove. Last night we had Chinese. It was very tasty.

My ring and Jess' suit came! The suit definitely needs some altering. They couldn't quite get the pants zipped. but the suit coat looked nice. Pictures of my ring tomorrow--I'm going to try to get a picture in the morning light that shows the sparkle. I love it though, and I would 100% recommend Provence Gems for jewelry. It seems like each piece is made to order, complete with Computer Aided drafting and a real dialogue to make sure you're happy at each step. Now I'm debating on a bracelet or necklace to set off my dress.

It's a very busy weekend of games! I have four (three of which I'm DMing) games between Friday and Sunday, plus one coming up tomorrow (also not GMing). Jess actually has six games, as their game of Strixhaven is Sat night.

We were able to shift our early afternoon game an hour ahead, and will be able to sneak out and watch KPop Demon Hunters in the theater. We're going to try out a new theater (in the same location as the old theater). It's a kind of ritzy theater in a ritzy area of town. I wish I could go to the movies during the week. Tonight is Lost Boys and Thursday is Blade. I freaking love Blade. It was such a formative movie. I have not yet seen KPop Demon Hunters, but a lot of people who I know really love it. Jess swears the music is fun and earwormy. So that should be fun.

I think we need to get out of the house more, honestly. Every time we go out, we're like "this is so nice." and then we don't go out again for a few weeks. There just haven't been any movies I wanted to see or that much fun to go do. I need to look for some festivals and stuff that we could do.

November is not great for games, so we're going to have a couple of free weekends in there. Already got brunch with poisontaster in mid November, so we'll have to figure stuff out for other fun things.

Okay, time for me to go forth and get myself together. Everyone have a wonderful Tuesday!

It's Sunday! And it is ostensibly Renn Faire day.

On the other hand, during our outing yesterday, I managed to tweak my back, and it's still rather cranky today. I'm still probably going to go, but it may be a short-ish visit.

We went to Yankee Candle around 10:45, and were easily able to find parking at the mall. I'd planned to just grab my package and go, but there were these absolutely adorable halloween smaller candles. One was skull hands clutching a cauldron and one was a lidded cauldron. And the very sweet person behind the counter reminded me that I had a $5 off $10 coupon. And they were already 75% off! So, they came home with me, too.

My house is gonna smell good, dammit!

Then we were debating on food for lunch, but nothing opened til 12, and it was barely 11. So we drove the 20 minutes to Shrewsbury and went to Cracker Barrel. It was here that I annoyed my back, and I did it by...sitting quietly in a chair. My back just sudenly spasmed, and continued to hurt for the rest of the night and into this morning. Aging bodies *suck*. The food was pretty good, though.

Tonight, we shall have game. This is the third arc of a longrunning campaign, fully homebrew. I'm looking forward to it! We just had a little tough combat which is winding down, and now we shall actually get some plot relevant information.

Tomorrow of course, is back to work, having had a lovely weekend to enjoy, despite the back spasms.

Now, it's off to get ready to go get a turkey leg! Everyone have a stupendous Sunday!

It's Friday! Time to do the happy dance. I cleared some things off my Saturday, so I have nothing to do until around 7pm when we have game. It occurs to me that we also have game tonight, and I'm not sure I've read the module. I should get into that.

Yesterday was a steady day. I spent most of it getting emails for people to call and backfilled a couple of cardiac slots. In between, I wrote some more on the campaign, and created a new Kanka website for it. There's a lot of things that I need to do for it, but I feel good to have the beginnings sorted. I also want to make one for Crooked Moon, which is really what I should be working on, as that game is in a month.

I've also been reading that module. The book is 638 pages, so it's been slow going. I'm looking forward to the game, but it's a lot of prep. I'm thinking I'm going to be done by 11/26, but we shall see.

Today shall probably be a bit quieter, maybe? I can never tell. Plus it depends on how many cancellations there are that I end up filling.

I'm really looking forward to Sunday when I can go to the Renn Faire. I think we're going to leave early, and do our booze shopping at the Winery half first. If we get there early, we can put the booze in our car to bring home, and then go to the Faire and eat our way through.

Does this not look amazing?

The downside of the wine shop is that this is my favorite winery, but I hardly ever get up there to get wines, so I'm going to be shopping til I drop. Since the last time we were there, they added a brewery, a cidery and a distillery. I want everything, probably to the tune of $200+.

I will downsize. Maybe I don't need a Reisling and a Niagra wine. (Oh yes, I definitely do.)

Okay, time for me to get myself together. Everyone have a most excellent Friday!

It's Wednesday and we're halfway there! Yesterday was a long day at work, but a pretty good day overall.

Work was busy. My email was flooding with the patients I needed to call to offer earlier appointments. My first emails were there waiting for me when I signed on, and they really didn't stop. I figure I ended up with about 20 incoming calls? The rest were all outgoing.

During quiet moments, I worked on my game and started working on a subclass for one of my player's new Pied Piper Bard.

Jess kindly went and had no trouble getting the money orders from the post office, so after work, we got dressed (and prettied up a bit in my case) and went to get our passports started. The lady was SUPER sweet, and despite some mistakes (on our part) that necessitated refilling the forms out, she walked us through and did our pictures, and lo, we were done.

Yesterday morning, I saw a thing about some bars near us that had liquor license violations (serving minors). I looked at them and discovered that there's a bar right on the main drag that's an Irish Pub and restaurant. They're very close to the library, so I suggested picking up dinner from them. We ended up going and eating there, which worked out well. It was such a little dive, but the food was really good. We started with curry fries, which were amazing. It's hard to find British curry around here, and this was perfect. I had the shepherd's pie, which was excellent. It had the little rosemary kick that I really wanted. Not overwhelming, just a nice little touch. Jess had a steak and stout pie. I liked mine better, but it was still pretty good. The best thing about them is that they have a back parking lot, so you can 100% avoid the main road. Very convenient and tasty and atmospheric. We took my sister some fish and chips which she enjoyed.

Today, I'm definitely going to cook something, just not sure what. Probably steakums. We'll see. I also have chicken out, so it could be either.

As the week has gone on, I'm getting more and more exited for the Renn Faire. I keep going back to the list of food and trying to make a game plan.

On that note, it's time to go forth and get myself together for the day. Everyone have an outstanding Wednesday!

And just like that, it's Monday again. I've moved back to my normal space, which is going to be so nice. It just didn't seem like it was worth it. Hopefully, they'll send us a note before they come do the dryer, but I'm just not going to be able to wait for it. I've spent three weeks in my sister's room, on a much smaller monitor and desk. I'm not going to do it any more. I need my sunny window.

Yesterday, my sister got back from vacation at about 12:15, which gave us time to slip out and get some delicious Indian food from the buffet. It was quite tasty. Then we came back, and game got delayed because all the players had migraines, so I had some time in which I could conceivably been productive, but was not.

The biggest thing I did yesterday was to begin to plot my next D&D campaign. It's for the other server to come after Arvandor. That still probably has a few months, maybe more, left. But probably in spring, we'll be looking at a new campaign. I've got the setting, and the basic premise, but now I need to figure out the actual plot. I've got a while, but I want it to be ready to roll out right away.

I decided on a Fairytale land, where the land is slowly dying, and no one knows why. The king picks a bunch of fairytale or fairytale adjacent people to find out, traveling around the domain, into various kingdoms, each holding one or two fairytale archetypes. They'll have a quest for each but they'll be interacting around the tale or intervening in the tale, or whatever as well. (For instance, I don't think my players will be cool going about their business when the prince is on his way to have his way with Sleeping Beauty.) Like I said I'm not very far into it, but I do love me a dark and messed up fairytale. I want to go multicultural, so I'm going to be doing some looking at non western European fairytales as well. I know that Japan and the Nordic countries have some fucked up shit, and I'm betting others do too.

I was talking with poisontaster last night about how many of our campaigns will be wrapping up over the next few months and there's a fair number of them. It kind of makes me sad, but some of these games are fully five years old. It's time for them to wind down and make room for new. We've got a lot of new people on the server, and a bunch of campaigns that are closed. @poisontaster mentioned that shed like to offer a campaign with a focus on the new people, so they can get a shot, and I'd like to as well. I don't know what that'll look like, but I'm excited to see.

We had a fairly short game with just two players last night. It was a lot of fun, but I feel like the sweet spot is right around 4-5 people. Next weekend, I'm running two one shots.

Okay, time for me to go grab a shower. Everyone have a superb Monday!

It's Saturday! And I slept in until 7:30am, which is an accomplshment.

Yesterday proceded apace. My sister left for vacation, and I went and started work. It was a busy day calling patients back. I was so tired by the time I got done. I had an utterly obnoxious vaccine headache that nothing would touch, but I persevered. Then I took a little nap. It didn't particularly help, but it was nice.

Then we walked Yoda, and came back. I had game last night, which I'm not sure how I did. We had three players, plus four onlookers. It was weird but kinda cool. I had my own actual play game. It might not have been my best ever game, but it wasn't bad. I think everyone had fun.

Then it was to bed for some interrupted sleep in my sister's bed. The dog likes to be pushed up against you, and will try to push you our of the bed. Jess is kind of a lamprey at night, so it's not completely unusual to me. But you know, different bed, different sounds. I'll be happy to have my bed back tomorrow.

Today is CONfab, so I'll be mostly doing that. I enjoy the con, and am frequently found chatting about various topics in the discord.

I set up an appointment to get my dresses altered, It's not til the end of November, but at worst, it'll be done by January.

My ring for the vow renewal is done! I absolutely love it. It's a silver and moissanite ring.









It's so shiny! I can't wait to recieve it, though it's coming from overseas so that might be a slow, tariff laden process.

Okay, time to get ready for my panel at noon. I've gotta download a couple of documents, and prepare. Everyone have an awesome Saturday!!

Its Thursday morning at 4 am. I'm up super early because Jess' appointment at in DC at Sibley is at 8. This is normaly about the time I wake up to go to the bathroom, so it's not a big deal to get up then.

Hopefully this will be the last Sibley trip for a little while, but we'll see. Everything looks like it's healing pretty well to me at least.

After three attempts at getting customer service from fedex, the shoes finally arrived! They're very nice, and I immediately wore a pair out for walking the dog. Probably won't do that again, the dog insists on off roading, and the hiking boots are better for that. But for general stuff, sure.

The maintenance never showed up to do the dryer, so I spent all day locked in the bedroom with the dog. I was peeved. And now I'm annoyed, because I don't know if they're coming today or if I'm going to be stuck in the bedroom for another day.

My sister and brother in law are going away this weekend, and we have CONfab, so it's going to be a full weekend for us.

Originally the dog was supposed to be spending his first night at the doggy daycare, but since he flunked that's not going to happen, obviously.

Today, after Sibley, I'm scheduled to get my flu and covid shots. I'm tempted to add an MMR to that if they have it. Though that, I'm not sure how I would be afterwards, so I might hold it for a calmer weekend. I'm at least fairly certain that Novavax and the flu won't be a problem.

Okay, time for me to go forth and get ready to head out at ass-o-clock. Everyone have an incredible Thursday!

It's No longer Monday! Yay! Yesterday was a lot. We were very busy, and then, not one or two, but three Cardiac CTs and 2 Cardiac MRIs cancelled for the week, and I had to refill them. It was a lot. IT took the better part of an hour and a half to get that all done. Yet, I still ended up at 43 calls.

Today will hopefully be our last day in the bedroom. They're supposed to come and change the filter on the furnace and check it over, and then be done. It hopefully will be a fast visit, that is accomplished early.

I did not really feel like getting up this morning. I was very sleepy and was having a good nap. I always get up around 4am to hit the bathroon, take my Rybelsus, and then go back to doze for another hour.

In addition to work stuff, I spent yesterday in customer support Hades. SO I have a package that has been sitting at the destination warehouse in Sparrows point for four fucking days. It was supposed to be delivered on the 10th. So I played on the website, and was unable to get anywhere with it's bot.

In the meantime, we're waiting for dinner to arrive. And the little car on the doordash app tells me that the driver is on his way to me. Then he goes probably 30 min out of the way, and also sits for 20 minutes. I finally got through on doordash, and they gave me a $5 credit and called him.

By the time he got here, the food was not great. Any crispy items (Gyoza, shrimp tempura) were mushy from sitting for what ended up being over an hour. I was so pissed.

After that frustrating experience, I went ahead and called fedex, and got someone who gave me absolutely no indication of what was going on with my package, and that I should reach out to the shipper and let them know.

I was trying not to be a Karen about it, but I was so frustrated and angry by the end of it. I went to the shipper's site, and they're open 8am-5pm, which will mean that I'm going to either be using all my lunch or having to call quickly at the end of the day.

I can't call at the end of the day, because I have to go get the money orders for our passports, the appointment of which is at 5:30. We'll see.

My sister is being very interactive this morning, so on that note, I'm going to go forth and get myself together for the day. Everyone have an stellar Tuesday!

Sunday! I had such plans for it, and then I woke up with my back screaming. I'm not sure what I did, to be honest. I'm hoping gentle movements and ibuprofen will help it to relax enough that I can get my work done. I've got like 4 bags of trash, plus walking the dog twice, so I need to do some shit. The dog, obviously is non negotiable. Can't let the little shit go unwalked.

Tomorrow, it's back to work, though to be honest I'm not sure where I should do it. On one hand, they're done the washer and dryer, but on the other, on Tuesday they're coming to clean the filter and check the furnace. This was conveyed on Friday, as usual, so we're going to have to see. On one hand, I miss my desk. On the other, I really don't want Yoda to be locked in the bedroom all alone.

It's a busy next two weekends, On Friday-Sunday, it's CONfab, virtual this year. I've got a game I'm running on Friday night, and a panel on Saturday, and then I'll probably take a couple of shifts as concomm. On the weekend of the 24-26th I have two games, a work thing and then a trip up to the Pennsylvania Renn Faire. It's held at a winery that has some of my favorite wines, so I'm looking forward to it. I can walk around and gorge myself on varioys faire foods, and then grab some wine and cider on the way out. Sounds perfect to me.

Today, I also have a game, the super fun Strixhaven game poisontaster is running.

My tennis shoes and slides seem to have disappeared into the ether. They're at the local terminal and thats where they've been sitting for the last three days. I want my fucking shoes, people. Soon would be nice. I'd like to break them in for the Renfest. I don't need the hiking boots as it's all paved, but I want some support.

And now, I'm going to consider a nice hot shower to loosen up my back. Everyone have an amazing Sunday!

Happy Friday! I made the mistake (?) of leaving my sister's window open yesterday while I worked, and today my allergies are making me pay. I'm snotty and my eyes itch. Definitely going to be grabbing a claritin before I start work.

We think they finished our work yesterday, but no one officially told us they're done, so I'm going to be locked in the bedroom for the first half of the day while we wait to see. If no one shows up by noon, I'm coming out. I may finish the day in the bedroom, but the door will be open. The closet looks nice. There's a pair of folding doors, and the closet is very nice. There's some floor space that we're using to store the toilet paper and paper towels, and two shelves. One shelf is about chest height, perfect for the laundry products. The second is about 7 feet off the ground. It has a little rack affixed to the bottom for hanging up your clothes, but the shelf itself requires a step ladder to put anything on it.

I don't really care, just happy as shit that it's done. It'll be nice to be able to do smaller, more frequent loads.

So, last week, poisontaster went to an SPN Con. And I loved hearing about it, but I also said, in my outside voice, "I just don't think I'm a con person."

I was kind of flipping through facebook last night and saw a thing for Steel City Comic Con in Pittsburgh. And I went because I'm always interested to see what kind of guests the east coast cons can get. And there, I found my Waterloo. There was a photo op with Ron Perlman and Linda Hamilton and one with Linda Hamilton and Michael Biehn. And I my inner Beauty and the Beast and Terminator fangirl went o.O. With goading and encouragement from my lovely spouse and sister, I bought the tickets. So, Steel City Comic Con in December.

My dresses have both come in. The first to arrive was the black. It's very pretty and has a motherfucking crinoline, but it does need some alterations. It's a wee bit big, and if we could shorten the straps and the hem, it would be perfect.



The second dress is what they call "ink blue" which is kind of really a green leaning teal. It's by Project Runway winner Christian Siriano, and I'm in love with it. It also needs altering, as the sleeves will not stay up, and the back shows my bra as is. It also needs to be hemmed for length so I can walk in it, but I love it. I might have a little bit of alterations, just to bring it in a little more, but it's gorgeous.



Siriano was my favorite Project Runway contestant, and later was a mentor, and I'm beyond excited to have one of his dresses.

Tonight, I'm going to get my covid and flu shots, since Costco has finally gotten in Novavax.

Tomorrow, it's off to get Jess fitted, then a game, then the Russian Festival. We missed it last year, so I'm very excited to get to go again.

And on that note, I'm off to consider the wonderful world of pants. Everyone have an stellar Friday!