Monday, Monday

Well, today was my last day of no work, no school for the break and I dare say it went much too fast. I am NOT looking forward to the start of the new semester just yet, which somehow feels strange to say out loud. I'm still trying to sleep off last semesters finals fatigue, but I'm sure I'll feel better once the new semester gets started.

The good news here is that somehow I have managed not to spend the entire winter terribly ill. I had that one really miserable bout of the flu after I got my flu shot, but other than that I've been well. Normally by this time of year I'm so exhausted from being continually sick for three months that I'm ready to just fall over dead. So I suppose I should count my blessings.

I spent the day doing laundry. Every single thing we own is clean. It took me just over 24 hours to do, but it's done.

I also got the Peaquod looking decent. We made a trip out to the local fish store (LFS) which is not exactly local, but you know, whatever. I got a midday bulb for the Johanna Karoline since they were out of the pink colormax bulbs, but I'm pretty happy with it. The only thing I dislike about the tank now is the background. Because we bought it secondhand for next to nothing from the (actually local) LFS before it went out of business the background was already painted blue. But because the tank is a blackwater tank, thanks to the driftwood releasing tannins, the background now looks like a weird shade of green. I might add some more carbon to the filter to try and minimize the effect, but I'm not sure yet. Don't know that I can justify spending the money on it, especially since I don't have any at all. Ha! Anyway, I switched out the substrate in the Peaquod, which was a massive pain in the butt, but it looks much better. Plus that large gravel is really hard to plant anything in. I added some plants and we got a large anglefish (yet to be named) and some cherry barbs and the tank looks lovely. (Thank God, because it was seriously becoming a bit of an eyesore).

The dog, for the first time ever, knocked over the garbage can Saturday night and ate an ENTIRE chicken carcass. Every. Last. Bone. So we spent a good deal of time fretting over her yesterday and today. Goose was very worried that she was going to die, particularly because the emergency vets charge an obscene amount of money upfront before they'll even do anything and we just couldn't afford to take her if anything went wrong. But she's fine. Fat and happy. Sleeping it off.

We didn't do anything for New Years, as per the usual. Mostly because neither of us are very social and parties make us anxious and are way too draining to be worth it. We don't really drink, don't like crowds, and aren't big on loud music so bars were out of the question, plus drunk people, both on foot and on the road are a variable I can't control which makes me panicky. Instead we hung out at home and worked our way through season 6 of the X-files. Sounds lame, I know, but it was nice. Even if we are becoming increasingly isolated in your absence.

I still haven't solved my book collection problem, but I'm working on it. We haven't gone fossil hunting in MONTHS. Mostly because the temp's been hovering around 11 degrees at the site, and neither of us want to brave THAT kind of cold. It's been in the 70's around these parts, and I'm much, much more comfortable with that.

I texted you on your Birthday, I think QD texted me back, but I'm not sure. I'm assuming that's who it was...anyway he said he'd be sure and let you know, and to have you call on your day off. Hopefully you got that message. Hopefully you actually get a day off sometime soon! I know, I know, you and I, we can't quite sit still.

Well my lovely, that's all I know. It's been pretty still around these parts.

Oh, and I think my sister's gone crazy, did I tell you that? That all she would talk about at x-mas was hippie food and calories and saturated fats and how Gramma's generation screwed up the food supply for the rest of us which is why we all have cancer (and why she 'needs' lipo for her 'mom thighs'). The other recurring topic of conversation was how she's convinced Dad (and Teena, lol) supports her smoking habit AND that she's going to get him smoking (weed) to prevent him from getting Alzheimer's. I tried to inject some logic into this conversation, but failed miserably. She's convinced she's onto something here. That she's going to save the world with her non-fat cool whip, quinoa, and some marijuana.

Aside from that, she actually got us all gifts this year, which is very unlike her. Lovely ones at that. And she did engage us in conversation all night which was nice, even if everything she says sounds a little crazy.

And THAT, is all I know. Hope things are decent in your neck of the woods. Miss you. Lots of love.