Argh...I want my hour back

I understand the concept of Daylight Savings, although I'm not sure why we do it at the beginning of April these days rather than the end, like when I was a kid. But considering I went to sleep at ten last night and woke up at ten (new time, making a total of 11 hours' sleep) and I still feel tired...oh, I want that hour back. Still, I have things to do, so must chop-chop. But I always feel a little hung over when we start this. It doesn't help that it's cloudy and much colder this morning, either.

By the way

...let me just give a quick yay! regarding the defeat of the latest bid to pass an amendment to Kentucky's constitution banning same-sex marriage.

I wish people would stop trying to legislate this subject by mucking with a constitution. Constitutions are documents that help protect citizen rights; they shouldn't be used to discriminate.

I feel absolutely overwhelmed...in a good way

This year has been a whirlwind of activity surrounding my birthday. I'm certainly not lonely! Having visited my family last weekend and then spent time in various group and one-on-one activities, I'm tired but definitely feel loved. Today I was taken to see Hellboy--which is, for anyone who doesn't understand the Lovecraftian role-playing game I sometimes talk about, a very similar sort of setting. We tend to fight lots of tentacled-things from other worlds and rely on physical skills, innate abilities, and holy objects to fight the good fight. Ron Perlman was wonderful as Hellboy, and I loved the voice characterisation of David Hyde-Pierce for Abe, the aquatic sapient. I thought the role of Liz was a little weak, but it was a good action film. It's not one of the comic titles I've read--most of mine were DC Vertigo--but I spoke to one of the guys at the gaming store who's a big fan and he loved it; he saw it twice yesterday and although certain parts of the story had been changed, he thought it actually flowed better than in the comics. I was also treated to a gardenburger at Backyard Burger and Elizabeth Peters' (my favourite mystery writer) latest Amelia Peabody novel...which goes back to the 'missing years' of the saga and is a second foray into the lost oasis of The Last Camel Died at Noon, which is probably my absolute favourite of the series. Thank you so much...you know who you are. And thank you, the rest of you, who in a very difficult year--and a seemingly impossible turn of age...37!--helped make this birthday wonderful. I'm happy for the gifts, but even more so, I'm glad for the company.

It was a perfect spring day, and in retrospect I'm glad for the sunny weather today, when I'm off work and can enjoy it, even if it did rain on my actual birthday. The nearly-full moon is rising bright and beautiful, and it looks like Venus is setting along with the sun, given how bright the evening star is.

That's enough for now, I think...since I have been running around, visiting other cities, out most of the day, finishing assignments, and doing dog-bathing, I think it's time to curl up with my own mainstays--my kitties and Cerys--and have some quality nap time.

30 years ago today

Devastation rained from the skies in what became known as the Super Outbreak of 1974. I was in Louisiana, having just moved there; a year before, though, I'd been living in Danville. My grandparents told me of their experiences, where they had been in different areas of the city. My favourite story was one by Pat Fitzwater years ago...he had been living in Paris, Kentucky, at the time and a tornado came right up to the city limits, lifted up from the ground, and then went across the town and came back down after passing the city limits on the other side. Remarkable.

Best Birthday Ever

I woke up a bit ambivalent about my birthday, but in the end, I think I can count it as one, if not the best ever. I:

• came to work to find a purple star balloon tied to my chair and a home-made bouquet of daffodils and pear blossoms,
  
• was given a pizza party for lunch with about eight people in attendance
  
• enjoyed/shared a combination carrot/chocolate cake that proved that engineers can bake well
  
• received a gift certificate to Good Foods, a fuzzy pink elephant that I had fallen inexplicably in love with, and a geode to break in case of frustration [the latter was a real surprise; I collect rocks, and I love geodes--but the woman doing my birthday didn't know that; we must have just been on the same wavelength]
  
• had a really good job interview
  
• went to Cincinnati with six people (not the same ones) to an Ethiopian restaurant that just rocked! There I had a vegetarian combo with:
  
  
  • Yemeser Sambusa--an appetizer with a crusty shell stuffed with seasoned lentils, onions, and green peppers,
    
  • Yemiser Weet--split red lentils cooked in berbere (spicy red pepper) sauce and herbs,
    
  • Yekik Alicha--split garbanzos flavoured with curry and herbs,
    
  • Yetikel Gomen--cabbage and carrots saut&eacut;ed onions and spices,
    
  • Gomen--chopped collard greens cooked with onions and spices (and the only time I've ever eaten and enjoyed collards),
    
  • Yemiser Alicha--split red lentils in curry and herbs,
    
  • Yemetin Shiro--imported beans cooked in spicy berbere sauce and herbs,
    
  • served on a plate made of injera (flat bread made from teff, the world's smallest grain) and eaten with the hands using small bits torn from rolled injera
    
  • Ethiopian coffee, which is somewhat like a combination espresso/Turkish coffee, but not syrupy
    
  • and discovered that I really like the taste of Cincinnati water, which has a metallic taste rather like spring water.
    
  The only disappointment I had was that they were out of mead (honey wine), which is one of the few alcoholic drinks I like, and I'd looked forward to trying theirs since I wasn't driving. We shared a series of platters, with the vegetarians having one, and the meat-eaters sharing two. Dwana had been a little reluctant to go because she'd had a bad reaction to shrimp not long ago at a Chinese restaurant that nearly landed her in the emergency room. I got to be the allergy police because they would have put her husband's shrimp dish on the same platter as her chicken one until I mentioned it--and they put hers on a separate dish from anyone's just to be safe. Then I gave her a head's up that the cloths they passed around to wash our hands with before the meal were bleached (we both have problems with that). So...we avoided any trips to the hospital, and since she was paying for this as my birthday present, I figured it was the best way to thank her. They were accommodating, although the server was somewhat challenged with separating the tickets...she wasn't Ethiopian, but rather was a blonde from Louisiana who sounded like she was from Ohio who'd come up to school there. The lady who made our coffee and served it I believe was the owner. She was quite beautiful and was very nice. For dessert we had baklava, which isn't Ethiopian (it's Greek/Mediterranean) but they serve it since so many people ask for dessert. It was excellent, the best I've had in a very long time, and excellent with the coffee. Some of the others tried a delicately spiced tea that I think was cinnamony. My total (appetizer, combo platter, coffee, dessert, and soft drink came to $26, which wasn't bad at all for the amount of food. The entr&eacut;e's themselves run around $8-$12. The platters run $14-$18 and are akin to sampler platters I've had at Indian restaurants. There is a lunch buffet that I think was about $6, and a full-service bar, including Ethiopian beers. I wound up stuffed quickly (after all, you're eating bread with each bite) and so I took 2/3 of mine home. I think the seven of us together were about $128.) It also didn't do a number on my somewhat beleagered digestive system, except I probably shouldn't have dosed an ulcer with such strong coffee; thankfully Dwana had some Tums in her purse of plenty. (I think she carries the world in that bag). I have a copy of their menu if anyone would like it. I don't think they have a website but you can check the review link below and otherwise contact:
  

  Queen of Sheba Ethiopian Cuisine and Lounge, 126 W. 6th St., Cincinnati, OH 45202--513.421.0100.

  
  We were all pretty wiped out, since many had been up early for work, we'd driven about 160 miles total, and got home around 11:30 pm. But it was well worth the trip, and I highly recommend it to anyone else in the area. There is another related restaurant of the same name in Indianapolis...I think it's run by the owner's aunt.
  

Later I also:

• shared cake with more friends
  
• watched a silly cat with poor depth perception try to catch a ceiling fan from about six feet away
  
• came home to find my mom on voicemail singing a happy birthday to me--I love that :)
  
• discovered that Darius thinks mylar balloons will eat him
  
• and stored the leftovers from the restaurant in the fridge and am looking forward to about two more meals from them. :)
  

Tomorrow I'm being taken to see the movie Hellboy. I've really enjoyed all this. Thanks to all of you who helped make this such a wonderful birthday. :) This despite a little rain and getting lost on the way back to the interstate (P.S., I wasn't navigating or driving.)

Yay, AMBER Alerts...

Police Believe Missing Infant Has Been Found In Good Health

Holy Crap! A local AMBER Alert!

This happened in the town my mom lives in, about 45 minutes away from Lexington. Apparently a nurse's aid left the hospital with a 12-hour old newborn. She was later caught at the Kentucky-Tennessee border, but they don't know where the baby is.

I wonder if she passed the baby off to someone? The Amber Alert above isn't showing it yet, but if any of you have any information, please call 911 or 1-800-AMBER17.

WKYT 27 NEWSFIRST & WYMT Mountain News - AMBER ALERT: Police Find Suspect; Baby Still Missing

I'll update as I have more details.

This is where we're going tonight...

Have to admit, I'm quite excited...it looks like it'll be a good group, probably two cars' worth. It's been awhile since I've been on any sort of road trip. :)
CiN Weekly - Queen of Sheba

I had a small breakdown tonight...

: Drained

Maybe it was inevitable, given the success of yesterday's presentation. Or the uncertainty of the traffic stop. Or just that the pressures related to basic living expenses and little coming in finally got to be too much. Having the traffic ticket didn't help--$125 or so of money I don't have regardless of whether I do traffic school or not, with the main difference being avoiding points on my licence/increase in premiums for my insurance...something my mother is already paying for me because I can't. And to make it all the worse, I'd found out a dear friend might suffer due to my desperate (but maybe not the best) coping skills having a domino effect.

All at once, I was right back emotionally where I had been before. I felt as if I were nothing, as if I should just go home, slowly put my animals to sleep, and then do the same, never to wake up.

I didn't act on that impulse. But the fact that it's there means that I can never really let go of the constant vigilance I must maintain to conquer mental illness.

In the end, most everything turned out okay. The friend whose phone call triggered the spiral called back and everything had been worked out; I made some phone calls and managed to at least postpone one bill and removed about $60 from my monthly lines of red. I'm still very much in need of funds, but I have basic necessities and as someone reminded me, all is flux; this will change, probably for the better. The job hunt is earnestly continuing. I interview for a security guard position tomorrow at the hospital that would help me raise my hours a bit. There are a lot of people out there trying to help me find a job and get help in the meantime to maintain some standard of living that includes being inside with electricity and food.

I have faith that things will get better. They have to. This is one of a long series of challenges in my life that will, in the end, make me stronger. But it's not fun. But still, I am so much better than I was; others can see it, so where I might not believe myself, I must believe them.

After I'd recovered a bit, several friends and I went to Starbuck's and played Hear Me Out. That helped calm me further, although I feel emotionally drained now--you know, that drained, almost hung-over feeling. But I enjoyed myself. It was nice, cheap entertainment. It was good to be surrounded by people whom I care about, and who likewise worry about me.

Tomorrow is my birthday. I've felt strangely...ambivalent...about it. I don't know why. Normally I feel excited. The girls at work have planned a celebration. Then several friends and I are going to go up to Cincinnati to try an Ethiopian restaurant, with Dwana treating me. Another friend is taking me to see Hellboy soon. And I have to admit, now that I'm home and alone, I am feeling a little excited. I guess today I just felt things crashing down and that made it hard to feel good emotions as well as bad.

Anyway, I'm sure tomorrow will be better. If I can just learn to stand still and breathe for a few moments rather than letting my mood run away, I'll see my life change for the better. Wish me luck.

Oh. Brain. So. Hurts

It's a one, two, three punch, in one hour:

1. Witch Hunter Robin concluded yesterday and [adult swim] started the series over, with a terrible, brain-hurting twist: they drew in moustaches, beards, scars, (and in the case of the balding boss, smiley faces) throughout. Since I missed the first three episodes, I wanted to see how it began and actually had considered taping it. It was actually quite funny how they did it, but it really hurt my brain.
   
2. So, brain slightly bruised, I went out in my car. As I came to the intersection of Euclid and Rose, the turn arrow was yellow, and although I would normally have just stopped, I knew I'd wait through a light where they alternate giving you the arrow and then not...so I went on through, and it changed to red whilst I was in the intersection. As I followed through I realised there was a UK cop car there at the intersection, and I saw him turn around in my rear-view mirror. Busted. Sigh. So, now I have a lovely citation to pay for running a red light. Note to self: Do not run through the light, especially at 12:30 on the last night of the month, right in front of the police. Still, it's the only time I've ever been pulled over for anything...I suppose that's pretty good for eighteen years of driving. And I behaved myself...I didn't get defensive, or aggravate the police officer, who after all was just doing his job. I just had my licence and papers ready and sat quietly, then apologised and went on my way once released. Go, therapy.
   
3. You know how brothers tend to do things like hide in the shadows and spring out at you like Bruce Lee did to the Green Hornet? Let's just say that this happened. Needless to say, I screamed and that was the straw that broke my brain and I sort of gibbered for a few minutes. But in retrospect, it was probably good, since I had a lot of tension and I let it go all at once. I'm just glad I didn't pee my pants, although I did really need a hug after that.
   

Oh, Well. Happy April Fool's Day. :)