And then, there's a bearded fetus.

I'm not sure why I did this to myself. I had work yesterday, a game last night (after which, I slept for shit) work this morning, and then a game at 2 and a game at 7pm. What was I thinking?
I'm going to be unconscious by 10pm tonight. I will live, but damn, it's going to be rough. Hopefully the cat will let me sleep in tomorrow.

Oh well, I'll just be having all the coffee in the meantime.

I'm sitting here listening in the hallway, because it's milk delivery day. I'm hoping they get here before the dog wakes up. We'll see. I didn't order as much this week, mostly just some milk...and gnocci, and cookies and yogurt. Okay, it's still a bit of an order. The milk is just so damn good. A little bit more expensive than regular, but not a whole lot. I really should just get it from the store, but it's the one little luxury that I'm holding onto.

Work was slower yesterday. But steady. I ended up at around 45 calls. Then, I went into a flurry of cooking for Valentine's day dinner. First, the potatoes and brussel sprouts went in. After 45min, I turned the burner on high, and put my cast iron fry pan down, and pulled my giant ass steak out. The steak seared nicely, despite the tomahawk of the steak hanging out. It was mobile enough that I could push the steak down to get a nice sear. (It looked so pretty and smelled amazing.)

Then, the sprouts came out, and the steak went in. While that was baking, I sliced strawberries for dessert, only to find that they were basically just vaguely strawberry flavored. Not sweet, and not very strong a flavor. So, I dumped them in a pan with sugar, and started stirring until I had a compote. Potatoes came out, and the steak was about 10 minutes behind.

It all turned out very well. I was very pleased with everything. The steak was tender, the brussels were garlicky and well cooked, and the potatoes were actually done. For dessert, I used (store bought) poundcake with the strawberry compote and whipped cream to make a pretty decent strawberry shortcake.

Then it was time for game, which is a battle against a god. It's not going great for the god so far, so I'm going to need to do some adjustments between this and next session to make it more challenging.

Okay, time to go forth and get myself together. Steak and eggs for breakfast? Don't mind if I do!

Everyone have an amazing Saturday!!

Happy Thursday! We're almost to Friday. I'm a little bit woofled today on account of a really nasty migraine last night. I was supposed to play, but had to drop 30 minutes before game time because neither Ibuprofent, tylenol or muscle relaxants worked. I went to bed and stayed there for the rest of the night. Still have a little bit of an achy head today, but hopefully, it'll just stay minor and not flare back up.

I have paid my bills for the week, whoo. We will have electricity and phone and car for the month! I hate that things are so tight, and just wish Dad's probate would hurry the fuck up. At the speed the courts are moving, maybe by Sept/October we'll have something? That's a long time to squeeze by. We'll make it, but goddamn.

It doesn't help that I'm horrible with money. I ended up the same way my parents did, and I hate it. I struggle by, liberally using apps like Earnin and Dave when I need them. I've gotta take the dog to the vet next week, and I'm trying to figure out how to manage that. But ne needs his yearly appointment. I wish there was a class in school (or that one of my parents hadn't been a disaster). I know there are classes I could take now, but they all seem to assume a certain level of adultyness that I just don't feel like I have. I'm working on it, but it feels like it's a never ending grind making sure I pay all the bills. I swear, when Dad's money comes in, I'm paying off everything, and starting fresh. (Seriously, I may take out enough to pay off my car, the car insurance, and our share of the rent for a few months.) Then, maybe we could build some savings up.

Today, I'm going to attempt to make some chicken pot pie. I have to go get Jess and my pills after work, so I can stop somewhere and get a pie crust, so hopefully after that, it'll be good. I've never made pot pie, so it could be a challenge. I might cut some of the veggies this morning, and then sauté them during lunch, so it can simmer all afternoon.

Okay time for me to go forth and start getting my ass in gear. Everyone have an awesome Thursday!

It's Tuesday! We survived Monday. I was a naughty girl and left work an hour early so I could get up to Sam's at a reasonable time before the heavy duty crunch of rush hour. I got stuff for Valentine's dinner. Some seasoned brussel sprouts, some bacon wrapped scallops, and the biggest fucking steak I've ever seen. It's a cowboy tomahawk, and I'm thinking I'm going to have to cut the meat off to sear it, and then put it and the bone in the oven to finish. It's like 2 1/2" thick and as big around as a small child's head. I figure it works no matter whether it's just Jess or I, or if it's all three of us. It was about 3 lbs of meat, so I think that'll be good.Aside from that, I got more eggs, and also some more creamer. All in all, I was in and out in twenty minutes. I love Sam's Scan As You Go feature. You scan things as you put them in your cart, pay and just...walk out. It's lovely.

Yesterday, I was sitting there working, and realized that I wanted something a little sweet. I was debating on what I could have, and the thought of bread pudding/french toast casserole came to me. And I realized: I had gotten cardamom for the schwarma! I could make cardamom bread pudding. So I did. On my lunch break, I pulled out the eggs and milk and my spices and made a nice mix. I'd had some bread left over from the last creamery order, a little stale and a little dry, so I tossed that in. It turned out SO well. A little cinnamon, a little ginger and a hit of cardamom, with some maple syrup to sweeten it. We ended up having it for dinner with some bacon, and it made for a tasty and filling dinner.

Today will be the pork ribs that we didn't have yesterday. I'm considering seeing if they'll fit in the air fryer. The question will be the side dish. I've got turnips, so I'm considering mashed turnips with butter.

Yesterday, work was bugfuck. I took 42 calls, even with leaving a bit early. I expect it to be the same today and tomorrow, because we're getting snow this afternoon into evening, followed by freezing rain on Wednesday. It seems like my sister is going to be staying home, so no romantic valentine's dinner for us, but it'll be good anyway. Steak is steak. And the brussels were amazing when we had them before. I will definitely be posting pictures of the meal when it's done.

Hopefully, the freezing rain isn't too bad, since I have a hair appointment at 5:15. We'll see!

Okay, time for me to consider pants, even if I don't really want to. Everyone have an amazing Tuesday!!

Another weekend day where the cat said no to sleeping in. Not really shocked. She's a ltitle nudge. I have a game at 9, so 7 isn't horrible for a wake up.

Yesterday, we had out Mad Mage game with Jess' friends and poisontaster. I love D&D, and I love all my games, but once in a while you have a normal game kick into high gear like Mad Mage did yesterday. It'll be going along, and suddenly, it's hitting all the right emotional beats, and it just kicks up a notch, and at the end, you're left with this great rush of endorphins. It's an awesome feeling. It's like for a few hours you slip into to sync with your players. And we had that yesterday. Ended up playing for 4 hours instead of three, because no one wanted to pause until we got through the scene.

This was after spending the morning prepping for dinner, and making a trip over to the house to pick up a couple of things. I really didn't want to go to the house, but I did. Then, we made a quick trip to pick up Yoda's prozac from the vet.

After that, I made some surprisingly good chicken schwarma and yogurt sauce.

Tonight, I shall let Jess make dinner, as I have a game at 3. It's just the boursin cheese with chicken and pasta, so it's super easy.

Okay, time for me to get myself together, short one today. Everyone have a wonderful Sunday!

It's Friday! (cue cheering) I'm sitting here waiting for our delivery from the local creamery. They deliver directly to your door. I went a little insane this week, and ordered basically one of everything. I've got bread, milk, chocolate milk, some beef bresaola, duck prosciutto, pork lomo, a bunch of cheeses, some pickles (dill and bread and butter) and yogurt to make my chicken schwarma tomorrow.

Though, I just looked at the website and it says it was delivered. the problem was that I don't see it anywhere. I'll wait til they open, and call if it's not here by 8am, which is the cut off time. If they put it in one of the other apartments, I'm going to be super annoyed. It's not like the check where I'm going to go looking for it. It's a lot of food, and it's going to be heavy. They can damn well bring me a new one. It was a big order, they should be able to deliver it at the correct door.

I think tonight, Jess and I may go out for dinner. I'll get my sister something good from doordash, and we'll have a little night out. Tomorrow, we have a mid day game and Sunday I've got one at 3pm, so we don't really have time during the weekend.

Tomorrow, I do not have work, so I will be attempting to sleep in. No guarantees, but I'm hoping to make at least 7am if not a little bit past.

I really hope the order is still to be delivered, but if not, I put in a small grocery order, with some tomatoes and boursin cheese, so if worst comes to worst, I can make that with the chicken. I've got spaghetti, so that should cover me for dinner tomorrow if they get difficult at the creamery. I really want schwarma, so I'm hoping that it comes through.

Okay, time to go forth and get my pants on. Maybe I'll go scout for the order, and get Jess to help me carry it.

Okay, had to walk the dog, and did not see it, but before I could get cranky, the truck pulled up and delivered all my dairy and meat goodness. I had forgotten that I got turnups, so I'm defintely going to be mashing them with some butter in the near future.

And now, time to get ready for work. Everyone have a outstanding Friday!

It's Wednesday already? Wow, the week is going by at a reasonable pace this week. Not fast, but at least it doesn't feel like it's dragging.

The weekend is almost in sight. We have a pretty chill weekend. A couple of games, though nothing on Friday, so funds depending, maybe we could go out for dinner. Valentine's day weekend is PACKED with games, except on Sunday when we have a little time. But I was considering going to see Captain America then. If Jess wants to. We'll see how it goes.

Last night, I tried the Gadré surimi snow leg style krab. I boiled some potatoes to make them soft, and then in another pan I melted butter and sauteed some onions. On that, I added a fuckton of old bay, garlic and some cajun spice mix. Once it had softened, I threw in the drained potatoes and more butter, then added the legs and stirred gently. They kind of fell apart, but that's okay. They tasted amazing. We have leftovers that I'm planning to have for lunch. I finally broke out the box of glass storage containers for the leftovers. Definitely will get more of them. For $10 for 2lbs, it's a pretty good price and good for a break from chicken and pork.

Tonight, Jess is making dinner, a stewed chickpea meal. I cannot remember what all is in it, just that it sounded amazing.

Yesterday, I had my mid year review (Hopkins goes by the fiscal year). It went well. I'm exceeding at everything, and have had 10 customer compliments from July-December, which feels like a lot. I'm doing about 42 calls/hr, when the center average is 31. Basically, everything is good, and I should keep doing what I'm doing. I also had a customer complement yesterday morning. The pt was the sweetest thing, and when we finished she said "You're so sweet and pleasant, how can I leave a compliment for you?" We do not have surveys, so I offered to transfer her to someone who could take a compliment. She must have continued to be a sweetheart, because I got recognition, a certificate, and points in the store. I don't have enough to buy anything but some cheap jewelery, but I'm getting there.

In two weeks, it'll be my one year anniversary at Hopkins. It feels like a blink, but also longer. I've settled in, and made my own place, and I still love it. And starting on Monday, I'll have a friend joining. She'll be having her orientation, so we probably won't be talking much then, but it'll be nice to have someone to chat with once she's settled. She's so excited about starting. I hope she likes it as much as I do. Even if she doesn't, that $3 more per hour than she was making will definitely make up for it. lol

Okay, speaking of work, time to go consider the merits of clothing. I was all camera ready for my mid year, and we didn't bother with turning our cameras on. (Which I am very happy about.)

Everyone have the best Wednesday! We're halfway to Friday!

Have a little Duran Duran to start your week! It's Monday and back to work day. I had a good weekend, but I'm still sad to see it end. I could probably use one more day to loaf around.

Yesterday morning, I started out making everyone breakfast. Jess had bacon, since they don't like mushrooms or eggs, but for my sister and myself, I made a mushroom and bacon omelette. It turned out very well, and looked almost restaurant quality.



Omelettes never look that good in pictures. That's the one I made for my sister with a bite out of it.

Then, last night, Jess cooked short ribs and baked beets for dinner, both of which were amazing.

We've been getting seasonings from this company called Kinders. I got one on a whim, their barbecue sauce, because it was only 24oz, where everything else on Sam's was 48+. And while I love me some BBQ sauce, I don't love it 48oz worth, nor do I have room in my fridge for that shit. It was 100% amazing. Sweet, smoky, tangy. Just what I want in a bbq sauce. So, we got some other sauces, which were also very good. Just this week, I got two of their seasoning mixes. One is called Buttery Steakhouse, and it seems tasty, but I need to try it on the meat. Second was Woodfired Garlic, and OMG, it is so good. It smells like a campfire, but on the meat, it gives it this amazing smoky flavor. Jess put it on the ribs, and it was so good. Today, we shall have hamburgers, and if I get ambitious, potatoes. Depends on if I have the energy to pull out the airfryer.

Tonight, it'll be hamburgers. I'm debating between the merits of frying vs baking. Baking is certainly easier, but I haven't had a fried homemade hamburger in like 5 years? Maybe longer? I could try the steakhouse rub in the meat, I suppose. See how that is.

Tomorrow, I'll probably spend my lunch break chopping vegetables for the beef bourguignon. I'm looking forward to tackling Julia Child's recipe.

We played Strixhaven yesterday, and it's amazign the difference between character backstory and how it plays out. I'd planned on making the character a surly goth girl, but I'm incapable of being surly, so instead, I have a very practical but sweet character. She's a touch weird, but mostly just tired.

I wrote a backstory that she was the bastard child of a minor lord, and had spent her childhood happily playing with the servant children, but as soon as she started to develop, he slammed her into ettiquite classes and finishing classes, in the hopes of her snagging a richer husband. She turned out to be a little too weird, and sat on the sidelines for all the dances. In an argument with one of the other lord's children, she lashed out and her powers came into their own and nailed the girl she'd been fighting with.

What it's played out as is that the father is Very Important (TM). Her mother was a great beauty, so he accepted Bryony in the hopes that she'd be the same. She is lovely, and her singing voice is beautiful, but her weirdness is a constant disappointment. Once it became obvious that she could be an asset, she was handed off to a string of tutors and assistants who tried to mold her into the perfect demure trophy daughter. It didn't come easily. She could fake it, but eventually, her natural weirdness would come out.

As the years have gone on, she's become curious about her particular brand of magic, and is hoping that at Magic College she can find out more about her lineage, and maybe feel closer to her long absent mother.

Okay, I have definitely babbled enough. Have the very best Monday that you can Monday!

Yay, it finally stopped raining! The weather changes have been killing my head.

Huzzah, the groomer reopened her slots for today! Yoda's poopy butt is saved. It's not a bad poopy but right now, but the plan is to keep it like that. I had made an appointment for another groomer, but something told me to check the website today and lo! They had cancellations! I am so fucking excited. Best of both worlds. Yoda gets groomed and it's by his normal groomer!

Which again means it's a good thing that I cancelled our game, as we'd be right back in the same situation again with having to cancel.

This means no fun lunch for us, but that's okay. Maybe one night we could go out for dinner, once the second check clears. Or, there's always next weekend, as Saturday we have no games scheduled, so that could work.

Last night, I made a modified turkey dinner, with turkey breast cutlets (do recommend, super easy) and dressing and gravy. It turned out really well, and was tasty as hell. Tonight, gochuchang beef. I'm going to put it in a pan and just cook it until it's tender with onions carrots, gochuchang paste and some bean sprouts. Then we're going to eat it on lotus buns, because I've watched too many Korean Mukbang videos. Maybe Ill fry an egg to add to it, since that seems to be a favored ingredient. Then some finely sliced green onions to top. I think it'll be really good.

No clue what I'm making tomorrow. 85% of my groceries have arrived. There's just a few things that are being shipped that we're still waiting on. We have so much food, y'all. It's just bonkers. The freezer is so stuffed that I'm afraid to open it. Might be spare ribs. They looked pretty good, and I know they're near the front. Maybe some mashed potatoes to go with it. Mash in a little garlic and heavy cream, and it'll be tasty.

That's really the extent my life this weekend. Lots of cooking, and dog. I'm pretty boring. Jess has a game tonight and I have one in the afternoon on Sunday, but aside from that, nothing much going on.

I do have work today, so I suppose I should get myself together for that. Everyone have an astounding Saturday!

Greetings from Towson, where the weather is going to change to rainy this afternoon/evening and my head is premptively pissed about it. Ugh. It's not that bad yet, and I'm hoping some coffee helps even it out, but I'm not looking forward to working with it if not.

On the happy side, my MD state taxes arrived this morning. This is awesome, because it was looking like it was going to be a very lean week otherwise. Now I can get a fuckton of food. Like I said, we had food, but this will give us more variety, since I literally only got chicken and pork. I really want to make some beef stew, so that'll be good.

I may make that during my lunch period if I can get groceries here early.

Sadly, I had cancelled the dog's grooming because I just thought I couldn't afford it. So that'll be next week. I think we can avoid poopy butt for another week. I hope. But this means we might be able to go to lunch this weekend, which would be lovely.

Work has been really interesting. They've discovered that I'm willing to do a little investigating and find people to take appointments at the last minute. So when we have a big money appointment cancel, they're coming to me, and asking if I can find someone to take it. (I always can.)

They also tell me when they need certain appointments, so I can keep an eye out. (I do anyway.).

It's been nice to be trusted that much.

Food is all ordered. Sam's club couldn't come til tomorrow, but I was able to get some turkey breast cutlets and stuffing to come today, so that'll be good

Jess has a game the next three nights, but I am game free until Sunday. We had a game on Saturday, that we'd cancelled for Yoda's (now cancelled grooming) I could see if I could reinstate it, but people were talking about doing things, so I probably won't.

I'm feeling very boring today. I literally do nothing but snuggle in my apartment and work and cook and sleep.

I'm not mad about it, but it does mean I don't have much to talk about. Okay, time to go forth and get myself together. Everyone have an amazing Thursday!

Kitty is very active (and loud) this morning. She's been running all over the apartment, and now she's in the bedroom giving some big yells at poor Jess, who would just like to sleep for another hour.

Yesterday was a bit of a day. I was waiting on a check from a hardship distribution from my IRA, since. This week is going to be very tight money wise. So I'm watching the fedex tracking page, and I get the ping that it's been delivered. And I go look. No fucking check. I look at the little picture again, and it's got a door mat, which we have not yet gotten. So I put in a fedex complaint and then I go looking. Not upstairs. Not at the building to our right. Finally found it in the building to our left. Got back and needed to immediately sit down and take an inhaler and sit for a moment. Then, I endorsed it, and went to put it in. Bank #1 informed me that it was over my limit for check deposits. So, I put a line through the original endorsement, initialed it, and put it into bank #2. They declined it because of the strike through. Cue me trying to find somewhere I could cash this motherfucking check. I ended up starting a new Cap One account, but they're going to hold it until 1/31. (Later in the day they got back and said that no, they're holding it til 2/3, which, motherfucker.). It's not like we'll starve before then, we've got plenty of food, but I really wanted to do the big grocery shopping this weekend. Instead, I'm going to have to do a mini shop on Wednesday, and then save the big shop for next week. That's just fucking annoying.

Now I just realized that the dogs grooming is going to interfere with one of our games on Saturday. This is also annoying me. I can't switch the grooming again, since the dog is getting alarmingly fluffy, and that will lead to poopy butt every time.

Then, after the day was done, I went to bed, and woke up two hours later, just anxious as fuck. It wasn't really surprising after I spent all day worrying about money, but it still sucked.

Today will be a better day, hopefully. Or, alternately, they'll come to fix the dishwasher, and it'll be loud and obnoxious. Anyhow, everyone have the best Tuesday that you can Tuesday!