And then, there's a bearded fetus.

I realized that in my not quite awake state yesterday, I forgot to wish my wonderful spouse nilchance the very happiest anniversary. It's been 21 years since we clustered into an attic with friends and said our vows. Our handfasting can officially crack open a cold one in the US. I love you so much. I know this isn't exactly the life we'd planned for, but I hope it has it's compensations.

Yesterday went quickly. Work was steady, but with nothing exciting. The two managers either decided to send out kudos to the people who were at the party independently, or they slipped up and both got me, because I got two very nice compliments about showing team spirit.

One of my former IKEA coworkers had an interview yesterday. I hope she gets it, and not just for the bonus I'll get if she stays 6 months. She definitely deserves a better paying and less soul crushing job.

Today is all game all the time. Starting at 12, with Mad Mage, and continuing til 7pm with Festival of the Lost. As soon as I finish my entry, I'm going to go look at both and start preparing.

Mad Mage is slowly slipping towards the land of semi-homebrewed, because it's rather dry otherwise. Dungeon crawls can be fun, but for a longer one, I feel like you need to spice it up with backstory shit.

Tomorrow, we shall have lunch, and then play some more. Its going to be hopefully relaxing weekend where we primarily stay in the cool air.

And now people are awake, so I'm going to hop off and do some prep work for games today! Everyone have the best Saturday!

Thursday has arrived! Which means I have a picnic to attend. Sadly, it's going to be hot as balls, about 89 degrees while I'm at the park. I've got plenty of water, plus a small battery powered fan, so hopefully I'll be good. I mean, it's not going to be pleasant, but hopefully, it won't be powered by heatstroke.

Yesterday was a weird day. It started out really good. Within the first 40 minutes of starting work, I had a customer who wanted to speak with a manager to tell them how awesome I was. She was really sweet. The compliment gets sent to the entire team and was surprisingly lovely. She apparently is a frequent flier to Hopkins with many different specialties, and I was the kindest and best she's ever had. After that was sent out, the big manager, sent me a message on teams telling me that I was awesome, and was kicking serious butt and how glad he is that I joined the team. So that was seriously good for the ego.

Not an hour later, the ortho called, that he had a memorial service on 7/10, and we needed to move my surgery. They offered the day before, but unfortunately, the brother in law is getting his cataract done then, so instead it got moved about a month out. I'm actually okay with this. It seemed like a lot of work to get things ready before then. Downside, I'm not going to be 100% by the time I go to Chicago, so that might be difficult, but I'll make it work. I'd planned to check my main bag anyway, so it's not like I'll have to put it above me.

Then, a few hours later, I started with a massive headache. I struggled through my last hour of work, only to find that my check hadn't deposited at it's normal time, so we were left scrambling for dinner. The headache only got worse, so I bowed out of the game, which ended up being cancelled because I wasn't the only one who couldn't make it.

So, like I said, weird day. The deposit has gone into one account, but not the other as of this morning, so we'll see how that goes.

Hopefully today will be slightly less rollercoaster-y. And on that note, I'm going to hop off and go forth to get dressed and shit. Everyone have a terrific Thursday!

We survived Monday!! It wasn't horribly busy actually. I only ended up doing about 53 calls, which isn't too bad.

So, on Thursday, I had mentioned to my manager that if an earlier shift were to come available, I would love to be considered for it. She said that when they did the shift evaluation, she would mention it. I said I appreciated it, and resigned myself to waiting for a while.

Instead, yesterday, my big boss (2nd in charge of the department) hit me up on teams yesterday. He said that he'd heard I was open to a new shift, and how did 8-4:30 sound? I, of course, said that it sounded amazing. He asked when I could start, and I said that I get up at 6 every day, so I'd be good to start whenever they needed me. He said how about tomorrow. So, starting today, I have the schedule I really wanted!

I previously had worked 8am-4:30pm at IKEA, and had really liked the schedule, so I am over the moon. I spent the rest of the evening all excited.

As I told a friend, I almost feel like this is my reward for being passed over for so many promotions at IKEA and for the shitshow of 911. I really enjoy the job and the management seems to be bending over to make me feel special and valued.

One of my former IKEA coworkers has an interview with Hopkins on Friday. I'm excited for her. I hope it goes well. She used me as a referral, so if she gets it and stays for 6 months, I get $1000. I told her I'd split it with her, so I'll actually get $500, but still, it'll be a nice little bonus if it works out.

Tonight we start out plethora of games for the week. It should be a lot of fun, and will probably finish off the mini campaign. It's been a lot of fun, and I enjoyed DMing it.

Tomorrow, I have a game with poisontaster that sounds really cool.

The coolest thing is that with my new schedule, I'll have 2 1/2 hours between work and game, so I will have time to eat and prep instead of having to prep in the morning and then suck down dinner.

Okay, time for me to get myself together for work! Everyone have a wonderful Tuesday!

Yesterday I had a bit of a bad brain. I think annoyance at Dad and anxiety about the surgery are twisting up into one braid of total bitchdom and I hate it.

It started first thing in the morning, when getting dad up had me ready to scream. I was just so grumpy with him. And I know he's a selfish and impatient bastard, but getting shitty only makes me feel shitty about myself.

Then we took Jess to the acupuncturist, and I chilled for a few minutes while they had their appointment. There was a brief sad where I suggested going away for a couple of days, and Jess rightly pointed out that we can't really do that. I was a little petulant about it, but they were correct.

Then, we went off to the bakery for cupcakes. After some consideration, I decided to go to a different one, because I didn't feel like makkng the long drive to the one I like. We went to a new place, and hopefully they'll be good. I've had their pastries, which were excellent, but not their cupcakes.

Then, it was off to pick up groceries and back home by 11:30. Then we sat for a while, and my sister got very talky. We had the TV on, she was watching tiktoks and then telling me about it, and the three competing sounds were just not good for my already unhappy brain.

I went downstairs for a bit and took a nap and played on my phone in the quiet.

Then it was game time, and that was a lot of fun. We played a winter-themed game which was kind of nice to imagine cool snowy vistas.

Today we have a wrapup for a game that we started a few weeks ago. This is the ultraviolent vampires on a mission to kill Hitler game, which is awesome.

Aside from that, just going to take it easy for the most part. Maybe watch an episode of Dr. Who if we have time.

And on that note, it's time for me to prepare for game, and basically do nothing else. Everyone have a wonderful Sunday!

It's Friday! You've almost made it to the weekend!! For me, of course, it's also game night! It's actually a weekend full of games, which I'm hoping will be a lot of fun for all involved!

I have made a new decree as it relates to dad. I refuse to keep working my ass off to get him up during my lunch break, only to have him want to go to bed almost immediately. Yesterday, I had a super early second break. One that meant he would only have to stay up about an hour. He agreed. Then, five minutes later, as I'm trying to eat my sandwich before the end of my break (the first part having been used to get his ass up) he looks at me and says "when can I go back?" I pointed out that he said he'd stay up til my break and he says "I changed my mind." I'm sitting there eating, and his selfish ass insists on being put back. So, I'm not doing it anymore. I'm tired of breaking myself for him. I feel like Jess and I are doing all the work, and he's not willing to do anything. So I'm not doing it any more. If we have a game, I'll try getting him up during the day, but otherwise, he can wait until my sister is home and I'm done work. I need that 40 minute break, and I'm tired of losing it so he can pretend that he's actually doing something.

I feel like I'm being the worst daughter, but I'm to the point where I actively dislike and resent him. When he throws his little temper tantrum, it pisses me off so badly, and then I yell at him or get short and I feel bad. It's just a no win for me, so I'm opting out.

I won't be able to do it when I get the surgery anyway, so why not start early?

I am very sore today. I assume I slept in a position my body didn't like, and it's telling me so loud and clear.

The expensive pillow I bought for my shoulder does not work. It's simultaneously too big and too small. The arm length is too long. My elbow doesn't bottom out in it. But the arm circumference is way too small. It digs in to the flab of my arm, and the velcro rubs unpleasantly. I'm debating between sending it back or reselling it. I'll probably resell it, because I'm too lazy to send it back.

This weekend, I may try sleeping with my sling, just to try to get used to it. The Reddit community is all about how long they needed to sleep in a recliner, but as I have no recliner, I better be ready.

Hopefully work is a little slower today, because I ended up doing 60 calls yesterday. Usually, Fridays are a little quiter, but it's been a weird week.

Okay, time for me to get myself together and actually eat something and take some pills. Everyone have an excellent Friday!

Some days, mornings seem to come earlier than others. I didn't sleep great. Woke up a couple of times and had trouble getting back to sleep, the latest around 3am. Then I was awake for a good 45 minutes before I dozed back off. When that alarm hit at 6, of course, I was sleeping soundly. I could have stayed for a little longer, but instead I got my ass up so I could get coffee and pain killers. It's like my shoulder knows I'm having trepidation about the surgery and is reminding me of why one might want it.

Yesterday was a busy day at work. I had two meetings, first my 120 day check in, and then my first Quality meeting.

The Quality meeting went okay. The person who scores me is very nice, and was complimentary, but I did forget a few things, so I'm going to try to do better on those.

The other meeting was apparently where they decide whether they want to keep you on as an employee beyond probationary. I thought that happened at 6 months, but apparently not. It went well, and I am officially a permanent employee of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. It was a good meeting, we went over the checklist, which just asks whether the employee is meeting their goals or not. I am meeting and exceeding all of mine. I had some nice feedback in the free text fields, mostly about how nice and respectful I am. And then the meeting closed out with my manager informing me that now I was stuck with them. And that I'm already one of the best employees they have, which was nice to hear.

I'm glad I didn't know that this was the permanent hire meeting, because I would have fretted. Not because I thought I was doing poorly, but because after 911, I was kind of convinced that I didn't have value as an employee. I know it's stupid, but in three months, they managed to completely demolish any self worth I had left over from IKEA. (Which was it's own kind of demoralizing, to be fair.)

But no. I'm actually really damned good at what I do. It's just hard to remember that when the jerk brain starts in on you.

Today, more work! Then tonight we have weyrlady's NASA game! This should be a lot of fun. I, as per my usual, have a (probable) pain in the ass spellcaster. A kitty sorcerer this time, which I haven't played very often, so I'm looking forward to learning now to play one bettter.

Okay, time for me to get myself together and maybe put on pants. Everyone have an amazing Wednesday!

It's Monday and I slept like a rock. I was antsy at first, but Jess just snuggled up behind me and wrapped an arm around my waist, and before long, I was warm and snuggly and sleepy, and then I passed out, to not wake up until my alarm went off. It was nice.

The cat didn't hop on me at all last night. I'm wondering if she dislikes my new pillow. In preparation for surgery, I got a wedge pillow that's supposed to make it easier for me to get up and down, and put less stress on my shoulder. I decided that I should get used to it early and slapped it on my bed Saturday night. It's not bad. I don't mind the 45 degree angle at all. Yesterday I slept well, but my back was a little twingey, but today, my back is good.

Yesterday was a day when I was 100% over dad. Friday and Saturday, he didn't let my sister sleep at all, calling her for various tasks all damn night and then insisting upon getting up at 6:30am on Saturday and 7am on Sunday. He was also a dick during the day, just demanding and whiny.

Oh! And my favorite, when I told him that I couldn't make the print bigger on his Chromebook, he rather snottily said "I guess you get what you paid for." I nearly murdered him right then and there, considering that it was his Christmas present, and was not cheap. It wasn't a top of the line one, but it wasn't a particularly inexpensive one either.

I just really have had it with him. I literally broke myself on him. I tore my infraspinatus tendon too the bone, and the most he'll say, when I'm pulling him up in bed with my right hand. is "Don't hurt yourself." My dude, that ship has sailed.

I'm just tired of my life having to revolve around him. We schedule everything so that one of us will be available. Jess sits in his bedroom for the first half of my workday so he doesn't scream across the house that he has to pee while I'm on the phone. We spend ridiculous amounts of money on juice and cookies and Ensure to keep him fucking happy. I cook boring meals, and then he doesn't eat them anyway.

Insert Belle singing about wanting more than this provincial life right here.

Aside from dealing with him, yesterday was good. We had an excellent game last night, and relaxed a bit.

Today, it's back to work. Tomorrow, I have my 120 day check in, and my quality meeting, so that'll be fun. I hate listening to myself, and that's part of the deal with being in a call center. Beyond that, we've got games on Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun this week, so that should be fun! I'm especially looking forward to Wednesday's game, which is a 2 shot that weyrlady is running for us! It's always fun to see new GM's running styles and break them.

Okay, for now, I'm going to get myself together, take pills all that good shit. Everyone have a wonderful Monday!

Digging deep for our subject line this Saturday. We've shifted way back to 1985! Let me just go get my neon leg warmers to round out the picture.

The morning did not start out stellar. I was woken up by a cat at about 5:30. Her latest thing is to come over and lick my face. Like a dog. A very scratchy-tongued dog. Then, if that doesn't work, she gets a bit bitey. Not like going for blood. Just a pinch to get attention. I petted her for a while and dozed back off til 6:20, when my shoulder was just hurting like a sonofabitch. So, I rolled on my side, and repositioned, and went back to sleep. At 7:30, I sat up to go to the bathroom, and put my foot down on a dead mouse. (thank you Boodle, so very much.) I'm pretty sure my little yip of surprise woke up Jess.

This is the second dead mouse in a month. Humane traps are on their way from Amazon to protect them from Boodle. Obviously we have a bit of an issue, but I can't figure out how they're getting in. Oh well, I'll think about it.

Apparently Dad made my sister get him up at 6:30am, so she was just as grumpy as I was grossed out.

Today, Jess has a accupuncture appt, and then we're going to go grab lunch. Not sure where yet. Figuring out finances atm.

Then, we come back in time for game, and that'll be our evening!

Tomorrow, nothing until the evening, when we will play in poisontaster 's game Rise of the Ice Dragons.

And now I will consider putting on pants to get ready for the day! Everyone have a stellar Saturday!!

We have arrived at Thursday! Two more days til the weekend!

Looking forward to a fun weekend, filled with games and hopefully good food. But first, two more days of work, including an extra long day today, due to staff meeting, so that should be fun. Fingers are crossed for no fucking icebreakers. I'm not looking forward to an hour and a half meeting anyway, but if there are icebreakers or other cutesy stuff, I will...not do a damned thing, but I'll be cranky. I'm hoping it's an off camera meeting. I mean, I'll be ready either way, but I'm not putting on a bra. Getting it on and wearing it hurts the shoulder some, and I don't care if they see me saggy. They're lucky I'm not showing up in a nightgown.

Sadly poisontaster was feeling cruddy last night, and was unable to GM, so no game. It was okay, because that meant I was able to get extra sleep, which I also dearly love. Dad went to bed early, so I got to go to bed early too! Aside from that, it was a busy day at work, where I took 58 calls.

I'm not sure how I keep taking so many calls, but it just seems like at the end of the day, I've got between 50-60. Which is considerably more than the 35-40 I'm supposed to be taking. I don't think I rush anything, but I suppose since I'm being scored now, I'll find out what our Quality team thinks.

Tomorrow, we have work and then game, which I'm looking forward to. And I have a pain management appointment, so that I can continue to get the meds that help my shoulder. That is at 8am, so I will be home well before work. Then, Jess has their appointment with my psych doctor, which I really hope goes well. I like Dr. Ayechi, and I hope they do as well.

Then, Saturday! I get to sleep in, take Jess to their accupuncture appointment and then, we go for good food, and come home for game.

Okay, time for me to consider the merits of putting on pants. Everyone have an excellent Thursday!

We survived Monday, but it went out fighting. I could not get to sleep last night to save my life. I finally did doze off around 1 when the cat came and slept on me for a while. Her little warm weight on my legs was what I needed to settle down. I'm a little tired today, but not horrible. As long as I get some sleep tonight, I should be okay for game tomorrow night.

I continue to be on my bullshit, scheduling another game for Saturday. Tomorrow, we have Brindlewood Bay, starting a new mystery, so I'll need to be somewhat with it for that.

Aside from scheduling a game, we're making plans for the weekend. Jess has accupuncture, so I'm going to run them to that, wait for them to be done, and then we shall go to a place in York, PA called Smokey Bones. They do BBQ, which sounds very good. The other option is Rosario's for Italian food. Rosarios is much closer, but we'll see. I've been wanting to get up to Smokey Bones for a while now.

Yesterday was super busy at work. I mean, it was Monday, so I guess that's not shocking, but by the end of the day my throat was dry and a little scratchy. Hopefully today's not quite as bad.

This week, on Thursday, I have our quarterly staff meeting. It'll have me staying until 6:30pm, so yay overtime!

With surgery coming up in a month, I'm looking into things that will make my life easier afterwards. I'm not sure about this pillow. It's super expensive, but I'm supposed to wear the sling for the first like 6 weeks, and this looks like it could be an alternative, a possibly more comfortable one. I think I'm going to order it and see and if it's not good, I'll send it back. I know I need a wedge pillow to help make it easier to get out of bed.

Okay, time for me to decide whether I want a bath or to get dressed. Everyone have a wonderful Tuesday!!