I don't usually talk about this, but I sort of want to get off my chest what's going on with my family, and my mom especially.

Three years ago, when I was a junior in high school, my mom started having trouble walking. We thought it was just a problem with her legs from standing up for such long hours at Target, so we got her a brace and started taking her to see doctors. None of them were really sure or convinced of what she had, and she steadily got worse. She went from just having the brace, to needing a cane, to needing two, and still they had no idea what it was.

They eventually settled on Sjogren's, which is an autoimmune disease wherein your body eats your own nerves. Not pleasant. They put her on steroids, but she didn't get any better and she started doing extra research into what else she might have since she didn't exactly fit the Sjogren's diagnosis. She eventually went to seek out a second (actually, a fourth, but since all three doctors agreed on the diagnosis, well... anyway.) opinion and this doctor told her that maybe she has Lyme's disease.

You know, the thing carried by ticks which she could've easily gotten being out in the woods up north with the family and supposedly very easy to treat. We weren't sure that was it because she was tested twice and both were negative. However, it was explained to us that it's not uncommon because there is only ONE lab in the entire United States that tests for this enzyme that shows up when the Lyme-causing bacteria is present and it happens to be in California. This test came back positive and Mom was redirected to a specialist in Duluth, MN.

She consulted with him and he determined the best course of action was direct antibiotics into the heart via a port, the same system they use for certain chemotherapy treatments. By this time, she was wheelchair bound. Twice a day, she had to take this antibiotic and I was told that without insurance, it would have cost us $250 out of pocket PER DAY of her treatment. All of her medical expenses - the doctor visits, the physical therapy, the drug treatments, the nurse coming to draw blood once a week - completely maxed out our yearly insurance copay deal so that, thankfully, we didn't have to pay for treatments like getting the screws removed from my brother's elbow after the break healed. I don't know what would've happened if we didn't have the insurance...

They recently took her off of the port medication and she got worse. She's taking a new oral medication, but it leaves her so completely exhausted that she can't even get out of bed on her own anymore, let alone get up and down stairs or even wash dishes in the sink. She's been retired from work for almost two years and because of some stupid mix-up in the computer system, she was listed as part-time active duty while we paid extra money to get insurance from my dad's work and now that his contract expires, we're waiting to get booted from his insurance until we can (maybe) get onto Target retirement insurance. I'm going to college, my brother's getting ready to graduate high school...

These have been some of the worst three years of my entire life. I hate to see my mom and family suffering like this because of money and beauracratic bullshit and I know that there are other people out there who haven't been as fortunate as us (if you don't know the full spectrum of the issue, find the documentary "Under Our Skin" about the Lyme's epidemic). If I can't make my mom better, I'd like to make it better for other people, any way I can...

Last spring, I found a cat skull. If I didn't write about it earlier, the summary is as follows: My dad needed me to help move a truck in a barn and in the process, I found the skull under one of the tires. He said I could keep it if I really really wanted and I really really wanted. My then-future-roommate demanded I name him Yorrick. So his name is now Sir Yorrick CatSkull, copilot. (The last part is his title because he usually winds up sitting in the cup holder of my car.)

Well, it had been the plan all along to clean and sun bleach him, but I never got around to bathing him (the barn is mostly unused, but because of his location, he was saved from bird poop, he's just covered in a lot of dirt) and the sun bleaching didn't work as well as I'd hoped. So this weekend, I'm going to bleach him finally.

The past couple days, I've been cleaning him with water and, at first, a wash cloth to get the big spots done, and then a paper towel, and finally q-tips. He's currently soaking in a plastic cup of dish soap and water. When I found him, he was a skull. No tissue anywhere. So this soak is really cleaning his sinuses and brain cavity of dirt and such. I'm glad he fits in the little cup so I can just fill that with peroxide and let him bubble in it.

I'm told he'll be mostly bleached after the bubbling is done, which was a lot quicker than I expected. After that, unless his teeth have fallen out, the only thing left to do is coat him in a glue/water mixture like what is used for elementary age papier-mache projects. Hopefully he'll be acceptable to leave out of his plastic baggie then. I want to be able to stick him on my desk or something where he can chill out and be safe.

I'll try to post pictures, but I make no promises because I only have my phone camera...

( Caution: SCIENCE is under the cut. Read at your own risk. )

Sometimes, for fun, I write science. Because I love it. I love taking mythical animals and making them scientifically plausible. Or as plausible as my extent of understanding is. People who want me to switch majors because it looks like I'm not having fun in a certain class or they think I'd better fit something more artsy or soft-science... they don't see this. (If you have the chance to read this, please please please give me some feedback. Even if it's just to clarify a point that you don't understand. I forget that not everyone understands the biological mechanics like I do. It'll make the writing better.)

Way back in... junior high, I'd say, Casey started writing this story about a place called Abalon. Since we were in junior high and Casey's not as much of a writer as I am, he quit writing it, but fortunately after I'd transcribed it to my computer. Last year, he gave it to me to do with as I wish and I started rewriting it, fleshing it out, but because he didn't get very far, neither did I. A few days ago I told him we should do a project together because we work together pretty well, like... make a tabletop RPG in the tradition of Dungeons & Dragons out of this story he wrote way back when. And he agreed and so now we're gonna make it happen.
( The introduction to the RPG book )

It needs a lot of editing, so if you'd like to be part of the crew who continues to prod and poke and test this with us, would you please give me your input? Keep in mind, this is all we have so far and some developments may be kept in secret until they're almost fully flushed out. Anyway, thanks for reading!

Mr. Schultz - Minnesota ecology, animal behavior, zoology
Mr. Ferry - Intro to geography, sociology, track coach
Mr. Z - Comic book club
Mrs. Wills - AP English 12, one-act, three-act

Those four teachers were basically the reason that Osseo continued to be AWESOME even through all these shitty budget cuts. Honorable mentions: Borgy, Ms. Klecker, Mrs. Foley.

I broke my phone yesterday. Had both my car keys and my phone in my back pocket... and then I sat down. Put a nice crack in the screen and now I can't see anything so it's basically unusable. Let's hope they'll fix it at the T-mobile store. I want my pictures and contacts back.

ANITA BLAKE! ANITA BLAKE!!

(Yep, I'm bored.)

Airplane.



My brother's? Exit.

So... I have two projects this summer. The first is the one that I'll likely be working on for most of the summer. It's finishing my Gryphon costume from Alice. We were pressed for time at the end of the prep time for the show and I didn't get to do all I wanted.
( Here's the plan... )


My second project likely won't get underway more than simple planning. I'm going to make a quadruped Wolf!Link costume. I've been sworn to keep it as simply a Halloween/convention costume. No weird furry stuff. But still, it'd be freaking amazing. I have big plans for it. Much like Beetlecat's Targ. She's an amazingly talented fursuit maker and I don't even care. Her stuff is really realistic and I mean, just look at that beast! She made the design from scratch. It's almost on par with Disney costumes - I know that from firsthand experience too.

Of course, you know... I need to go to conventions to show it off... >.> Anyone want to come with me to one? It'd be fun, maybe?

And finally, I'm doing a photo shoot through my talented photographer friend, Jess. My theme is werewolf/vampire gothic fantasy. I'm really excited 'cause I've never had the chance to to anything like this. And I get to use my own props, my fangs and trenchcoat and Ceres, the coyote skin. Anything else she and Ben decide would look good on me. I feel pretty already. ^_^

Okay, I have to finish some more homework now and then go to bed. Sleeeeeep.

Hello everyone! I am back from the wilds of Wisconsin, smelling of cigarettes and beer.

It was a decent trip but I will definitely not go alone next time. I spent too much time with people I don't know very well to be comfortable alone again. Also, I will get a hotel. I feel like I was imposing...

I went to Milwaukee Pride Fest and I must say I like TC Pride better. It's warmer here, first of all, and larger. Of course, that could've been just because it was the first day but still. I got hit on a lot, so that was odd. But okay, whatever.

Saturday was spent mostly with Chrissy and her baby and Paul's mom and cousin. So that sucked. There was a party that night, which was pretty okay until we had about fifteen people in one room practically chainsmoking. My eyes still hurt.

Sunday, woke up when Casey woke up, but then went back to sleep until it was time to catch my bus.

Wow, when I put it like that, it sounds really sucky... Anyway! Casey's getting a kitten and my parents tentatively agreed to take care of it during the school year. If you or anyone you know is looking for a cat, Chrissy has two Siamese and a calico to give away to good homes. They're about eight weeks old now.

I guess I am going to Milwaukee now. On ze bus. I leave Friday morning at 7AM (so for I may get a ride from the bus station) and I'm not sure when I'm getting back Sunday. It could be midafternoon or it could be Monday morning. EITHER WAY, I have to pack and figure out what all homework I must take...

Lulu put my book on Amazon... Anyone want to go buy a copy or please to be recommending it to others?

http://www.amazon.com/Brethren-Caitlin-Daniel/dp/B002AD7UY4/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243390552&sr=8-7

I'm posting this from a friend's laptop, so I have to be quick before breakfast.

i moved out of the dorms yesterday and packed up my charger... somewhere. With my luck, it's in my Dad's half of my stuff and is currently on its way back to Minnesota while i stay at Patrick's. I'm working Larry the Cable Guy's show at Swiftel tonight so I won't be back in state until tomorrow. I probably won't be online much either because of the fact it's not my laptop (and mine is dead)

A tattoo.






I'm going to study math now.

When was the last time I posted something?

So last night, I saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and went to bed at 1? I can't remember, but I was talking to Ben in a very EXTREME WAY. Got up at 7:30, Patrick grabbed me at 8:30 and drove us over to the PAC, where I got to HAUL SHIT AROUND and set it up in Doner auditorium (way the fuck across campus, WHY.) Worked straight from 9 to noon, was too late in getting Subway sammiches so I got some delicious Quiznos with Patrick, worked again from 1 to 5, got back and ate dinner, did laundry and shit, then went over to the Union to hang out with my cousin and some of our friends.

I HAD COFFEE. AND YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I HAVE COFFEE.

Matt and I made a Tower of Java.



See? Tower of Java.




I'm not allowed coffee again. =D I'm also too tired to make my bed, so I'm blowing up my air matteress and sleeping on that. It'll be a party.

Our Jacks lost tonight. I'm really bummed because we were SO CLOSE. but i'm not going to go into it, it just upsets me more.


At least our name is out there now, right?

...

right?

I got into a car accident this evening. I'm okay. I'll talk more about it after I get back from getting my brother.

Okay. Here's the scoop.

So the rain from this afternoon started turning into ice right as I got into the New Hope area on N169 (I was actually between Rockford Road and 36th when it happened.) The irony is that I was trying to get off the freeway so I WOULDN'T have an accident. Anyway, I was heading into the exit lane and it turned out to be SUPER icy, so I started fishtailing.

I've fishtailed before, so I tried to get it under control. It didn't work, and I think my tire bit into the ground and took me sideways, sliding me into the light post with my front driver's tire. The force of that spun me around so I faced traffic. I glanced out my window to see the light post listing towards me... falling... and hit my hood. It bounced off the hood and smashed in the next lane. Lucky me I was the only one hurt by that.

I whacked my head against the frame of the window at some point during the spinning, but I took some asprin so the headache's gone. No bruises, no whiplash, nothing.

And that's my Grand Casino story!

Yeah, wow, this is late in coming. Anyway. My laptop completely died on Monday through a series of events that may or may not have been partially my fault, but only a little bit. I'm currently borrowing one from the desk and will have to return it before midnight. I'm not sure when I'll be getting mine back, sorry if you're trying to find me...

(Angry music makes me think of werewolves and I WISH I could draw better, so I could do a wicked cool werewolf picture, but alas.)

[edit] This is hilariously entertaining, but the style is not for everyone.