Ah, Spring in Tornado Alley

I can't believe how fast I got both kids and all four cats into the safety of the laundry room when the sirens started going off.

Weather is NASTY tonight in N TX.

No idea yet just how many tornadoes touched down, but it's several. Haltom City got totally hammered. Lots of damn good funnel cloud and tornado images from storm spotters, now they just have to figure out how many there really were.

Luckily, other than some heavy wind, heavier rain, and golf-ball hail, things weren't TOO bad here (they think the hail set off the sirens). Reports of up to baseball hail at the airport, about 5 miles from us. Fox 4 News went totally off the air for about an hour -- apparently their broadcast tower got hit by lightning.

However, there's another cell forming behind the first wave, and heading our way, so we're not entirely out of the woods yet tonight. Maybe 10-15 before it hits us. Whee.

Spring, in North Texas. Are we having fun yet?

Card Making

I love playing with watercolours!

The scanner didn't pick up some details, like the shimmer of the embossing powder used on the outlines, or the shimmers of the PearlEx used in some of the detailing, like on the dragonfly wings on the first card, and the coins on the second. Ah well.

The Pain in My Brain is Mainly...

... down the drain. Goneish. Yay.

I called my regular pain clinic last Monday because I just couldn't handle the pain and the puking anymore. Surprisingly, they said "Is Friday good?" FUCK yeah! The doc even wrote me another pain med scrip to hold me out till then.

Friday: HUGE storm rolls in. Tornado watch, Severe Thunderstorm Warning, Flash Flood Warning. Panic wonders what will happen if I'm on the table and they're shoving the needles into my skull and the power goes out. Like any normal person, I'm terminally afraid of hearing a doctor say "Oooops."

But the storm cell passed, leaving a few hour period between it and the next one, and things went off without a hitch.

Feeling pretty good, considering. I can actually open my eyes without light causing stabbing pain, and the uber headaches are absent. The back of my head aches a bit, but when you think about how many needles got poked around in there, that makes sense. Next 48 hours will be touch and go with pain as my body reacts to the intrusion there, but I've got ice packs and pain drugs, so I should be all right.

It's nice, to not feel like my brain is going to ooze out through my eye sockets.

Got another scrip for pain meds that I haven't even bothered to fill. Awesome!

Saturday: Watched some J-Horror, and slept a lot. YAWNING a lot. Now that was cool. Tired. Tired because my body is recovering and trying to heal and make up for lost sleep, instead of just being overall exhausted. Took it easy most of the day, did a little shopping with a kidlet to get some entertainment, got food -- and was actually HUNGRY -- then snoozed. A lot.

Sunday: Tired. So tired. But it's tired in a good way, it's the healing kind of tired, instead of overall exhaustion. The kind of tired where I actually YAWN. My body is trying to heal itself, and make up for the lack of quality sleep. Another day or two, and hopefully I'll be caught up and back on track.

Running a low-grade fever, which is nothing to be concerned about with me. It's just how my body reacts to 'abuse' like having multiple needles shoved into my skull. Nothing serious, nothing high-grade or over 100, just enough to feel a bit under the weather.

But I'm down to just one prescription pain med, instead of several drugs in combination, and my stomach is already much happier. Reflux is behaving to the point that I've only had to take Prilosec once since Friday, and that was because I got a little carried away with the "OMFG I'm HUNGRY!!!" and ate things that irritated my stomach. Yes, I'm actually hungry again, and keeping food down without massive nausea.

Haven't had to use the icepack for tenderness on the back of my skull since Friday, which is great. I'm sleeping in any position I want without owies there. And other than the fact that the sun was out yesterday for the first time in days withou any cloudcover, light isn't bothering me. THAT kind of bright bothers me even when I don't hurt, since my eyes are over-photosensitive and always have been.

I should even be able to endure the noise and light of a movie theater next weekend if DG comes home.

Still haven't filled the pain meds. I don't really need them, and I had some left over from earlier in the week. I <3 my nerve blocks.

Right now, I just want to snuggle up in bed with someone that appreciates J-Horror and watch a few movies so I don't feel as bad about dozing off in the middle of the day for a well-earned nap.

Yawn. Night night.

Is it April Yet?

And make a wish.

Oh god, what a week.

First off, the brain spikes are back in full force, leaving me clumsy, disoriented, and in constant pain. The new neurologist that I was recommended to won't be back in the office till Monday so I can't even get an appointment yet -- grr. I need another occipital nerve block BAD.

So of course, that can't POSSIBLY be enough stress. Noooooo, never.

Yesterday, I get a call from Thing 2's school. She's in the vice-principal's office, and in trouble. Big trouble. Great. It's a long story, and I'm not even going to get into it because my blood pressure is already through the roof from TODAY, much less going back and reminding myself about yesterday. Let's just say that she's seriously grounded, and leave it at that.

TODAY, I walk outside to get the mail, to find an ambulance and fire truck across the street. Fuck.

See, the neighbors there are literally adoptive grandparents for the Things. Their own grandkids are far away, and they know that the Things grandparents are a distance away, so it was a mutual adoption all the way around. These are the people that saved my ass on Halloween when I fucked up my ankle. The wife is the one that drove me to the ER, and stayed with me the entire time, holding my hand and generally being wonderful, while the husband watched the Things for me till we got home. They go to almost all of Thing 1's band concerts. The husband is the cop that helps watch out for us when DG is out in the field. In short, they're fantastic people.

And I walk out to see her being loaded into an ambulance. Right. Cue panic attack. I race over there, to realize that she's so out of it she doesn't even notice I'm there. ACK! I ask if the husband is there, to make sure she has someone to go up with her, despite the fact that I needed to pick Thing 2 up soon. Luckily, he is -- along with the other neighbor that takes Thing 2 to school. Yes, this neighborhood is that tight. We take care of each other.

They THINK she just got really dehydrated, and I'm all too familiar with how bad that can mess you up.

So I go pick up Thing 2, and then Thing 1 and her Rukia-clone buddy (and I swear I want to adopt both her and her older sister, those kids are great), get Pooka's Taxi Service all sorted out and the kids where they all need to be, and go up to the ER.

She was doing much better when I got there, not as pale, and actually made a joke that the tables had turned and it was her turn, and wasn't I supposed to be the one flat on my back on a gurney? Good sign. They expect her to go home later, after the blood work comes back and she gets another bag or two in her IV, but they too think it's just dehydration.

It then becomes my job to make the update phone calls, to take some of the burden off him. Neighbor is updated, Thing 1 is updated (and starts sobbing with relief, she REALLY adores these people), and Thing 2 is now busy working on a Get Well card.

All this, on top of the brain spikes and the resulting clumsies and crankies, and me being too damn exhausted from constant pain to really be functional and do anything, plus DG of course being off in OKC, and the whole 'single mom' thing, and, oh yes, my MOMSTER deciding at 8:30 on Sunday night to SHOW UP AT MY HOUSE because they were in town for a train show.

I had to figure out how to get the energy to a softball game, since half of Thing 1's friends were in the game, and ALL have adopted me as the Coolest Mom Evah and want me to be there to help cheer em on. They lost both games. I doubt I qualify as a good luck charm. And of course, I got sunburned, first scorch of the year.

There ain't enough anti-anxiety meds in the world to deal with this week. I think I may drive out to the Temple later and inhale some zen.

Pan's Labyrinth and Felted Grapevine Cuff

First off, if you haven't seen Pan's Labyrinth yet, what in the HELL are you people waiting for? It's definitely an 'adult' faerie tale, and although my 10 year-old really enjoyed it, it certainly isn't for all kids, so parents beware. While it isn't particularly scary, it is a bit graphic on the violence in places, and some of the themes (all right, MOST of them) are pretty dark, but it is utterly amazing. The 3 Oscars it earned were much deserved.

Faerie fans, it's a Must See, preferably in a theater to get the full visuals. It's a beautiful film.

Two Pooka Thumbs Up.

Next, the obligatory Quality Control Inspector visual:



Don't ask about the camo yoga pants. Shut up, they're comfortable.

The newest felted bracelet:

This is about the second stage or so, after the base has been wet felted. The grapes are needle felted onto the base.


Then, I wet felted up a sheet for the leaves, cut them out, needle felted them on, and added in some wool yarn for the twining vines.



Last step was the velcro closure.

Bracelets, Faeries, and Quality Control

My quality control inspector has been quite busy. I'm not entirely sure if he approves of the felting process (mostly because it keeps him out of my lap).

The following three bracelets were for an order, and have been shipped and received.









"I believe in faeries..." This is the 'simple' version of this bracelet. I've yet to do the complicated version -- just not capable yet.





And the felting ....


The colours are off here, I was experimenting with my camera settings. The next two pictures show about the correct colouring for the felt. This will be a wrist cuff when completed.

Only the dry felting has been done so far -- wet felting being beyond me at the moment.



I want my life and energy level back. Now.

Pierced "Freaks" only ... heh

Just out of curiosity -- anyone else out there with a nose piercing interested in custom surgical steel nostril screws with a pure silver design?

I am, of course, going to do a dragonfly for myself, and probably something else I haven't quite figured out yet. (Hell, maybe a crayon!)

I think I've found a pretty good site for ordering the surgical steel posts, but I was wondering, since shipping wouldn't increase if I added a few more (but would if I ordered more a second time), if anyone else was interested.

I DO have sterling silver flat ear posts that are about as long as the 'curve it yourself' nose screws I currently have, though one pair is already dedicated to Thing 1's silver strawberry studs, and I'm going to attempt a first one with these and see how it works out.

I -will- admit now that they won't be particularly cheap, just due to the silver costs for the PMC to do the design, but they won't be ridiculous, either. I'm guesstimating around 20-25 each.

Anyone interested?

Felting Classes

Or, "thank God it's over."

Actually, teaching the class wasn't that bad. I only ended up with 11 or so students (surprisingly, three guys in the class, whoa! That was a reality check.), which Thing 1 said was actually the most they've had in a LONG time. Cool.

I had a few kids that were really sharp and seemed to love the idea of felting, and what all could be done with it. A few were slow, and never really caught on. One of the kids had a really good eye for design, and a decent amount of talent when HE applied himself and didn't just laze through it. Yes, He.

Sammi, the kids had FITS over the colours -- you done GOOOOOD. They also had a blast when I walked through the beginning, showing them the absolutely raw just shorn and funky wool (they got a big kick out of sniffing it, lol), the different rovings (the girls got the giggles over the angora and all glared at Thing 1, who has an angora sweater), and how each stage affected the fibers. Even went through the "why we never use scissors" routine.

The regular teacher thanked me profusely. See, a month or two ago, she took a weekend class on felting, and apparently it was a Very Professional Class, and the methods they taught were so complicated, she lost some interest. Well, she's got her interest back in a big way, and thanked me for making it easy enough to follow. Hell, folks, I taught Thing 2 how to do it a few days ago, teens are no big deal.

And she wants me back. So do the kids.

Vengeance is MINE, sayeth the Things

White as far as the eyes can see out my front door. It's not just snow, it's sleet, too. And lots of it. And it's freakin COLD out there. 27*.

School is, of course, closed. The Things were positively SMUG about the whole thing.

I guess it explains why I was in so much pain that I still haven't been to bed yet. Though at least I've been productive. I've got a canvas prepped, the rim spackled for texture and the first coat of colour on it, and some of the collage elements figured out.

Edit: Got the collage piece done, if only I could figure out how to get pics from my cell phone to my email ... oy. Decoupage is my friend. I'd forgotten the smell of Mod Podge, brings back a whole lot of memories.

Lighter cover -- tubular peyote

This was a fun project. I picked up a great coffee table book called "Gold of the Pharaohs", and it had some wonderful examples of Egyptian beadwork in it.

I picked out a few colours that were close, and just started beading.

Tubular peyote, no pattern, Delica beads. I just winged it as I went, loosely basing it off the bracelets of Queen Ahhotep. The middle section has the hieroglyph "Nefer", meaning beauty.



The colours are off in the photo, the gold is very antiqued-looking, and the red and turquoise aren't quite so bright.

Dragonfly (in progress)

When completed (I've already got the ultrasuede cut for the backing), this will be the centerpiece on a collar.

Ignore the cat hair visible in the work. My boys "help" me when I work, including trying to eat the thread. They feel a piece isn't complete until they shed on it.



The antennae will be twisted wire and beads.
Combination of 15/0, Delicas, 11/0 hex, #1 and #2 bugles.

I've got some lovely AB matte Magatamas to go around the outside.

Closeup of a wing:



Yes, I know some of the beads aren't flat, the piece puckered a bit as I worked, but it's not finished and I'll go back and ensure that everything is down right and secure before adding it to the suede backing.

Gravity Works

Oh yes, gravity works. Unfortunately.

Halloween started out pretty good. I had my nifty witch costume on and got a lot of compliments (especially on the fuzzy tarantula I was wearing on my shoulder), but there weren't a lot of trick or treaters out. After it got slow, I put the Things in the car, and we went over to a neighborhood where a bunch of Thing 1's friends were. I was herding around quite a group of kids, when I had to break and take one of them home.

On the way to the car, me and my screwed up neurological system decided that it was going to forget how to walk. Next thing I knew, I was coming down on my left leg, and my ankle snapped sideways underneath me. I hit the ground, but at least I know how to fall, so I just have a skinned right knee .... and the ankle.

It immediately started swelling up and totally filled the combat boot. I managed to drive everybody home, with a whole lot of whimpering and groaning. Then I made the big mistake. I took the boot off.

At that point, the Things bolted for the neighbors. One took me to the ER, while the other took the kids.

It's not broken. That's the BAD news.

The ER doc told me I'd have been better off I HAD broken it. Every Single Tendon and ligament in my ankle is fucked up. Those that aren't torn are pulled. I'm in a hideously annoying splint for at least 3 weeks, and on crutches for that long as well. I also was ORDERED to see an orthopedist to work on trying to handle the damage. Hopefully I can see the same one that rebuilt my arm and worked on DG's ankle.

Unfortunately, they gave me the exact same pain meds I regularly take, so for this intense new pain, they ain't doin squat. I HURT.

And of course, DG is off and working, so it's just the wounded and crippled me here with the kids. Fun fun fun.

SO .... how was YOUR Halloween?

Still can't sleep right.

Got the phone call this morning from the animal hospital. Zam's ashes are ready for us to pick up. Sigh.

I still keep looking for him, expecting him to be there. It hasn't entirely registered that he's gone and not coming back, but there's a big empty space, not just in the house, but inside me.

I'm not the only one. Ozymandius is having serious issues. Zamboni was his play partner. Felimid is too fat and lazy to play chase, and Harley just runs and hides. Now he chases the Things around the house when they're wearing skirts or anything that dangles. I'm going to have to buy some new toys to entertain him.

Now, when -anyone- leaves the house, Ozzy sits and HOWLS. I went through the grief-stricken kitty hysterics three times this morning, when DG left, and when each of the Things left for school. Add this to my inability to sleep, then the phone call, and getting back to sleep was right out.

Ozzy just started the mournful howling again. Thing 2 left to go to a friend's house.

He's become Velcro cat. Follows us around the house, pounces immediately, Must Have Lovings Now. Poor Oz has become completely neurotic and paranoid with Zam gone.

Double sigh. We just got a sympathy card in the snail mail from the animal hospital. They did good by Zam, and the card is just another example of how well they try to treat both the pets and the people that love them.

Is it September yet? I think I've had enough of August already.

Goodbye, my friend

Stick a fucking fork in me, I'm done.

Zamboni went from his normal loving Maine Coon self to hiding. One night, he was normal kitty. Next day, after not seeing him all day, I hunted him down to find him hiding under Thing 2's dresser. He was yellow. Skin, eyes, mouth. Overfuckingnight. Don't ask me to spell the hepatic whatever.

We took him to the vet immediately. He'd been there since Thursday, I think. This last week has blurred with everything else going on. He wouldn't eat at all, he was on an IV, they were having to force feed him. He wasn't improving, but he was at least stable.

Until today. When DG went in to see him, he was just laying there and drooling. DG knew something was really wrong when they took him straight to a room instead of to Zam's cage.

I know DG made the right decision in having the vet go ahead and put him down. Zam was suffering, and the vet thinks there may have been a cancer involved, or some other problem they hadn't found yet, because this sort of mass liver failure usually attacks older cats.

What sends me into total hysterics is that DG didn't come home and get me first. I didn't get to say goodbye. I'm mad, I'm furious, I'm hysterical. This was MY cat. I know that he didn't want me to go through it again after Blackthorne, but dammit....











The vet will send his ashes home to us. I need to find the perfect container. If anyone has any ideas, please help, because right now I can't think straight at all.

Letter to the Devil

Dear Lucifer,

I apologize for all of the snow you've been recently inundated with. I realize that your enviroment is not designed for such elaborate amounts of ice and cold, however, while I am sorry for any inconvenience this may be causing you, I must say that the circumstances enabling hell to freeze over have been created by such sadistic virulence that I think you would be proud of me.

You see, I found myself swept up into a massive cleaning spree, and apparently it was contagious in ways that I had never dreamed of. Now while in the past I have been known as a neat freak, and obsessive about keeping things organized (even my 'clutter' is organized, I know where everything is and why it is there), in the past few years I have just simply been unable to maintain my former diligence. I'm certain that the initial light snowfall was little problem for your continued operations, but now I realize that the scale must have increased to a magnitude approaching total shutdown.

Critical mass of hell freezing over, if you will.

While I have not yet been able to infect my rebellious offspring with the cleaning virus as of yet, it has been passed on to one who, for the most part, has spent all the years I've known him as -- well, there's just no kinder, gentler words for it -- a slob. Certainly, the virus has yet to reach complete cellular amplification in his system, for one still cannot walk in the small space along his side of the bed.

However, when one takes into account that he's finally cleared out boxes that have been in place and blocking not only my dresser, but his dresser, his desk, the closet, and the walkway to the bathroom since we moved into this house several years ago, you'll see that there is a more than valid reason why the cold front has set in and you're now having to deep freeze the damned instead of roasting them over pits of lava.

I hope that Hell's version of FEMA is far quicker to respond to your current disaster than ours is, and that your order of snowplows and shovels arrives soon. You may want to add parkas to your purchase order as well (and I do know how difficult it will be to find a manufacturer that takes tails and horns into account, but I'm certain someone with the resources you have available will prevail), for the disease is still progressing with no end in sight.

In closing, while the saying does go that "cleanliness is next to godliness," I would like to point out that conniving, pleading, manipulating, and infecting others into doing half the work for me should still help ensure my position there in the future.

Keep my seat warm.

Pooka

And now for something completely similar

I'm sure I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but at least for now the playback is without all the nasty scratchy sounds.

Had my follow-up appointment with the pain clinic. Unfortunately, my COBRA'd insurance won't pay for PT with that clinic, but they will pay for it elsewhere, so as soon as things settle down a bit with DG's new job, I'll be starting 'occupational therapy' instead of straight old boring PT.

They're also setting me up for biofeedback and meditation to try and help control my response to pain surges, so that I can THINK my way to lower blood pressure and less agony. Taking into account what I've seen about Buddhist monks being able to totally control their bodies through thought -- even body temperature -- it's certainly possible to do it.

Considering the pain psychologist's commentary about me, I believe that to be entirely possible in my case. He said that I was already in the proper mindset for pain management, at a point that he said he usually doesn't see in patients until they've been coming to the clinic for months, so I'm already ahead of the game. Impressed him several times, the weight loss totally blew his mind, and convinced him even more that I was going to be a successful patient. Shiny.

The horrible brain spikes are still absent. This is just amazing, I feel like a totally different person at this point. Sure, I still have normal pain, and the burning throbbing from the RSD, but it's all tolerable pain that I'm used to by now. So long as my head isn't exploding, I can handle just about anything. Still get the dull headaches from the Chiari, but they're tolerable.

And I'm FUNCTIONAL again. I've been out of the house more often since the nerve block than I had in the year before that point. I've totally torn apart and reorganized my office space. Ditto to the bedroom, and not just my side of it, but have most of the rest of it under something resembling control.

It helps the mindset, with everything going on, to see at least SOME sign of organization and control. I may not be able to control everything, but I can control my personal space and sometimes, that's all that matters.

I have a curling iron now for my hair, which has actually been used. My way-too-old makeup has been tossed out, the remainder reorganized, and I actually wear it from time to time. I wear nailpolish again, even though I have to keep my nails ridiculously short because of the way they curve under.

Been reading like a fiend as well. Lots of quantum physics, forensic science (pathology, psychology, crime scene), epidemiology. While my mind still isn't as reliable as it was years ago, without the intense pain it's easier to concentrate and pay attention.

The Things have finally gone back to school, which is an inordinate amount of relief to stress. Kids were starting to drive me screaming up the walls bugnuts insane this summer. They seem to be adjusting pretty well, with few dramatic angsty moments (so far, but you know how teens can be).

"It's life, Jim, but not as we know it."

Image Stream - Ephemera

A random collection of new pieces off the tip of my digital "crayons."


Dead Man's Party
"You’re late," Dax rumbled.

"You started without me."

"Negative. They started it." Dax ignored the incredulous look Liya spared him as she reloaded.

"I suppose you just ‘returned fire,’ then?" Liya scowled. "Self-defense, was it? May want to duck first next time, cowboy."

Dax’s sigh turned into a groan as he handed her another round of shells.

"I’m really going to feel this tomorrow."



Caladorn
"Caladorn -- Tree of Light, he calls you."

Laurel is in trouble in the Dreaming again -- or is she? An enchanted harp in the hands of a bard ...



Siren
Character portrait to replace an old one that I got lazy on.

I hate trying to paint webbed hands. The gills turned out nicely, I think, but the hands ... meh.


Coming of Shadows
I don't know WHO put this particular expression on Liya's face, but I sure hope they've got really good insurance and have made their peace with whatever God they believe in.

Objects at Rest

Do you know what it's like to wake up, get out of bed, move around, get your morning caffeine, check mail, and take a shower without effort or pain?

I had forgotten what that was like.

Oh, sure, my body still aches, but I'm used to that, been living with it for so many years that it's nothing for me. It was the headaches that really got to me, and made me almost completely unable to function. Never have dealt well with pain above the neck; earaches, headaches, toothache, etc. Over 300 days of headache, well, you forget what "normal life" feels like.

The injection sites are still tender, but only really ache when touched -- like taking a shower. But it wasn't bad, just caused a few winces.

Got a party to go to tonight, and I'm actually looking forward to being social for a change. It's different, when your brain isn't trying to explode and ooze out your ears and eyes.

I have another appointment at the pain clinic August 4th, to start the actual pain management program, total profile, complete workup, and they're getting all my MRI results. I really liked the doc, too. I'm finally getting real help with conditions that are never going to go away.

Shiny!

Post-Op Update

I'm home.

The initial local has worn off, and the sites are a little sore, not bad. Got an icepack on it now, lounging in bed.

BUT ....

My head doesn't hurt.

I mean Does Not Hurt. I can turn my head without turning my entire body, and pain doesn't explode. I can look up. I can look down. I can COUGH without my head detonating. For the first time in a year (without the one day where I had benefits of morphine), my head DOESN'T HURT.

Still a little fuzzy from the Versed, but otherwise, things are looking pretty shiny.

T.M.S.

Not TMI, TMS -- or Too Much Shit.

So, I was looking in my purse of holding (just ask Jon -- and yes, Jon, I'm still using that same brown stressed-leather purse I had in DC), trying to find ... well, something, that completely escapes me now like most thoughts do these days.

Now, keep things in mind. In DC, my purse not only held all my vacation need stuff, but all of Jon's while we were out as well, with room to spare.

On the way to Houston for Christmas, knowing we had to go through some Really Bad Places to reach my parent's house, this same purse, along with all my necessary road trip stuff, held the Beretta, along with 3 full clips.

The asides done, as I went in, just digging and not looking (hey, we females usually don't have to look, we know what's in there) and my hand kept hitting metal. A lot of it -- and it wasn't the same thing, over and over. Curious.

So, in the spirit of "What the hell", I dumped my purse out for a regular cleaning. And found:

-- my mini-Swiss army knife
-- my Mini Pal punch blade
-- a 4" hooked Fury serrated knife
-- 4" serrated Gerber knife
-- and that I was missing my actual Gerber multi-tool.

I have four knives in my purse. Why in the name of screaming sweet baby Jesus do I have four knives in my purse? I could not tell you.

There's also a blow-torch lighter, my metal credit card Bill of Rights, an LED flashlight, and a bottle opener. Two pens, a notebook, copy of "Get a Grip on Physics", bottle of meds, 4 shooter's earplugs, bandaids, hairbrush, dental floss, powder compact, lip balm, packet of tissues. And a purple crayon.

Yes, not just any crayon, but a single lonely purple crayon in my purse.

Huh. So, I examine my bedside table, where I'm sitting.

-- 7 bottles of meds
-- three candles, two lit
-- 2 bottles of eardrops for chronic swimmer's ear
-- EIGHT tubes of lip balm
-- 2 bottles of moisturizer
-- scissors and hemostats
-- resin 'goblet' with half a dozen orphan jewelry bits
-- an uber powerful Sylvania Dot It LED light for emergencies
-- Oh, yes, and a fully loaded Beretta.

This makes me really not want to look at my desk.

1 am. Happy Birthday to me. I'm going to clean up my mess as a present to myself.

Now where the hell is my Gerber?