Tuesday, July 20, 2004

*twitch*
My arm has been twitching uncontrollably ever since I got my blood drawn. =/

As soon as I got up this morning, I was told to call my dad on his cell phone. Well, actually, I was woken up and told to call my dad on his cell phone.

So, I called, still pretty much half asleep. I talked to my dad, who told me to get ready to go, as he was coming to pick me up within a half hour to go to the hospital and get my blood drawn.

SPROING

My eyes shot wide open. The thought of a needle going into my arm definitely got my heart racing. I was fully awake. I got dressed, put my contacts in, etc. etc.

My dad pulled in, I hopped into the car, and we drove to the hospital. My mom had just finished with work, and so we'd bring her back home with us when we left. We handed over the paperwork at the front desk, and they directed us to the lab. We turned in more paperwork there, and waited for a little while. My dad was giving me crap the entire time. =P

"I remember one time this guy couldn't find my vein, so he started twisting the needle around inside."

"Yeah, one time they couldn't get my vein, so I had to get stabbed about three times in one arm, and then once in the other one."

And assorted stuff designed to make me feel better. It didn't, really, but my dad likes to kid around.

I heard my mispronounced name called, and went into the lab. Alone. I told my parents I would be all right, when they offered to come in with me. :P

I was seated by a very pretty, very nice young nurse. She had apparently drawn my dad's blood many times before. Something about her just sort of set me at ease. She pulled out a needle, and I looked away. I felt the pinch, and I could tell something was in my arm for a moment. The nurse withdrew the needle, and had me hold a piece of gauze over the bleeding hole.

My center vein wasn't good to get the blood from, or something. So, she took another, different sort of needle, and put that into my other vein on that arm. Poor me got pricked twice today. v_v

After she had taken about five vials of various sizes worth of blood, she withdrew the needle. She had already put a bandage over the first hole, and she then put a piece of gauze over the second. She taped it on, and pulled out a marker to put something on the tape. I thought it was some sort of medical code or something, until she pulled back her hand and revealed a smiley face. :D

She drew a smiley face on the medical tape securing my bandage. ^_____^ I felt special.

After I was done, we went to the bank within the hospital and then to the little cafe/restaurant they have. I was very hungry, and yet still conscious of what Becky said I should be eating and drinking.

I grabbed a bottle of water, a small chicken salad, and ordered a tomato and cheese omelette. All were scrumptious, besides the water. The omelette came with a piece of bread, though. A nice, golden, buttered, toasted piece of bread. It was the first temptation.

And I succeeded in not eating it! Yay! :D

After that, we headed over to my grandparents' house to drop off my siblings's bathing suits and drove home. So, I came up here and typed this up. I don't really have anything else planned for today yet. =/

Sitting here and thinking about it, I may go and mow the lawn. Or I might clean my room, to perhaps have a friend over. Or maybe I'll work on Yu-Gi-Oh decks for myself and sister. At some point I plan on going down to Sacred Heart to deliver Victoria's lobster.

AH! That reminds me!

I need to get those Maine entries up. ^_^

That's what I'll do right now.


EDIT: The first four days of Maine are recorded here.
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Monday, July 19, 2004

   Beetles are bastards.
Gah. I hate all of these stupid beetles that are invading my room. I don't ever see them come in, they're just there!

I've got a window fan. In order for these stupid insects to get into my room, they first have to go through the fan. Note that as a testament to them. They are tough little buggers.

One of the things that annoys me is that they're always in the same spot, and there is always only one of them!

If there were a dozen, or something, I could go on a insecticide spraying spree. But no, in ones, I have to squash them. And that's if I can find them. >_<

They know enough, it seems, to stop any and all movement when I am attempting to locate and destroy them. The buzzing wings stop, and the shadow circling my wall stops. Silence, except for the fan and myself. They can smell the animosity, I think. They know when I'm looking for them.

I will destroy them. One by one. Until they are all gone.



I ate dinner, finally. Going against much of what Becky told me, I ate a bunch of pierogies. And these didn't just have the normal unhealthiness of carbs inherent in pasta. No, these pierogies had mashed potatoes inside! >:)

Call it a Last Supper before I really start to work out and eat better.

._.

What's beneficial about eating this late is that I can't get my blood drawn until ten-something tomorrow morning.

Wait. Crap. That means that I'll be almost fully awake. >_<;;

Gyeh, I dislike needles.

And, as a final parting note, I thought I'd let everyone know that I chronicled the first few days of my Maine trip, and I will have them hosted up somewhere soon. I expect you to read them and know them by heart.




Well, at least read them, would you? :p
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A stretch and a yawn.
I got back in from Maine last night a little after 8 o'clock. Seeing as nobody made a move to bring our bags inside, I figured that the chore could wait.

I grabbed a few things that were already nearby, and then my laptop bag. Into the house I went, picking up my internet adapter from where I'd left it in the living room. I was up the stairs, quick as a flash, and my laptop was up and running before I had even plugged it in. Internet connection was made, and I was back! :D


WAZOO!

I stayed up late into the night and early morning, catching up on things I'd missed. And then, coincidentally, I was reminded of things I had long since missed. Thus came the list you see below. =/

Thank you, by the way, everybody who commented. It's nice to see that people care. ^_^;;

Whenever I stay up late, though, I get moody and depressed. I'm alright again upon waking up the next day.

I did not mean to imply that what I have now is less than what I had. All of my new friends are held just as closely as the old ones, and I enjoy the OB/MyO just as much now as I did before.

It's just different, is all. And sometimes the difference....makes all the difference, or something. >.>;;


In other news....

I woke up late today, as would be expected from my late time getting to bed last night. I puttered around the internet, as usual, and eventually wound up making some fish sticks for lunch.

Today was a rather uneventful day for me, up until about 2-ish. That's when I decided to finally take a shower and get ready for my appointment at 4.

The appointment was with my dad's nutritionist, a busybody named Becky. She took my height, weight, age, blood pressure, etc. She talked to me about my eating habits and my exercise habits, and what sort of things I should be eating.

There was more than that she talked about, but the gist of it was my health and fitness. She reckons that in the six weeks until school starts, I can make a dramatic difference in myself.

I've heard the sort before, but I always believe it when it first comes spewing from an optimist's mouth. My dad and I are both going to try and get into a healthier lifestyle again. We're going to check out getting me a membership at the gym, for starters. Food plays a big, big part, too, though.

Right now I'm very hungry. I haven't had anything to eat, really, since I left Becky's office. Everything we have at home is the sort I should be avoiding. And I'm supposed to have blood drawn tomorrow, and so I'm not supposed to eat for twelve hours.

Well, I'm not starting the twelve hour count until I get something to eat. There's no way I could last that long on this hungry tummy. :p

Things to do, things to do. I'm off for now, and you should be too.

Yay for pitiful rhymes. >_>
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   Nostalgia.
Compliments of the "Precious Memories" thread on OB.

Things that I miss.

Any and everything to do with GinnyLyn, including; but not limited to:

Sledgehammers
CCEBs
Gryf(mon)
Random Digimon images everywhere
Myotaku.com/digimon
Jyoulyn
Ginny's obsession with Ken, and then with Auron.
Talking to Ginny on AIM, or by PM.
Spontaneous Digimon adventures on AIM.
RPing with Ginny.

Bleh, I miss Ginny. v_v;;

Everything else.

Talking to friends on AIM. (Like, actually talking. Not just the polite, idle comments on how everybody's feeling)

Long-gone RPGs.

All my friends going off to college, especially those from OB.

My overactive imagination, which fueled many a writing project.

My thirst for reading, which fueled my overactive imagination, and which was killed by high school.

My playful arrogance.

The hours of sleep I used to get.

The Digimon forum, all that it was, and everyone who was a part.

And many, many more...


Years ago, when I was still relatively new to Otakuboards, I dreamed of buying a laptop. With the device, I could conceivably be on the computer for undisturbed hours at a time, and anytime I wanted. I would never have to leave my friends for long, and I could stay up to date on all of the happenings on OB.

What good is it that I finally have it, when so many friends are gone or leaving?



Ergh.


I hate it when I stay up late and muse.
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Sunday, July 11, 2004

   Comment Commentary!
In honor of my actually getting five comments on that last post, I'm going to respond! :D

Shinmaru: I am so glad to have finally finished with that. >.>;;

Mimmi: Did you read?, did you read? :p

Arcadia: The Duelist League's got nothing on me! Bunch of wimps. ~_^

Maari: Maybe if you came around more often you'd understand better. ~_^ I did have fun, thank you.

Aleia: Whee!


Last post before I head off to Maine for the week.

Yesterday only got better. *smile*

My grandparents had planned a party/picnic this afternoon in celebration for the fireworks that were to be done over the river last night. They do this every year, by the way. In the past few years, it came to my attention that I was allowed to invite people. This was cool, and yes it does pertain to what I will be saying. :p

After the Duelist League, I headed home to get clothes ready for Maine. I had told Victoria that people would be showing up at my grandparents' house after 4, because that was what I had been told.

Well, as 4 approached, I realized that my mom wouldn't be ready to drive us down at that point. (Too furious a packing frenzy. :p) So, I tried to call Victoria's cell phone to tell her I could not make it there by 4, and that she might consider waiting. I didn't think she'd want to wait in the company of my grandparents. ;p

I didn't get ahold of her, and so a little while later I got a phone call from my grandma. v_v
Victoria was at her house, she said, and she wanted to know if I would be coming down soon. I said I didn't know when I'd be there, but I'd try to get down there soon.

I told my mom, and she suggested that I start walking. =p

So, I walked down. Victoria was sitting at a table under an fixed umbrella.

To make a long story short (as my dad is getting angry with me, because he wants to leave) we waited together for other people to show up.

Christina arrived about an hour and a half later. We talked, we swam, etc., etc. We went to see the fireworks together down by the river, all huddled under the same blanket. ^____^;;

Swam again, and we all parted after a very nice night. I'm sending them postcards from Maine. :D

Now I must go, or suffer bodily injury. >_>;;

See you in a week! :D
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Saturday, July 10, 2004

   That's right. I rock.
I finished my sign-up for "The Daughter" late last night. With a quarter of a bottle of Coke keeping me relativelty alert, it only took me about an hour.


Or so. >_>;;

I really could not think of anything to write, or when I did, I'd discard the idea in favor of something else. I think the end result was not the best I could have come up with, but I think it keeps your attention. We'll see.

I can't post it until I get home, though. I'm at my grandparents' house at the moment. I'll be leaving soon to go home and pack. As soon as I'm done (or maybe before ^_~) I can finally get the sign-up in. Maybe if I have time enough I could start working on Hattori Hanzo. Well, that probably isn't going to happen; but I can dream.

I had a very rough time sleeping last night, down in my grandparents' basement. Tossing, turning, getting up and walking around; it wasn't a very restful night.

But, this morning, I still went to the Duelist League. I got there half an hour after it started, but more chairs were provided and I was able to sit. :D

I watched my friend Mark play a duel or two, and then I played my friend John, whom I'd not seen since school ended. He has a new deck, focused on a combo to draw Exodia, the five-card monster that instantly wins you the duel.

My new offensive deck was most effective.

My Beatdown deck tore through his strategy like bullet train. >:D Who has time to sift through their Deck for the pieces of Exodia when I they're faced with huge monsters and defense-crippling magic?



John didn't. ^_________^

I beat him two or three times in a row, and then moved on.

I met a new duelist to the League, James. Apparently, he was a friend of the middle-aged man who attends. Anyways, he was a friendly guy so I decided to play him.

It was so much fun.

He really was a great guy, and we traded taunts and ridiculous ideas back and forth. His good-natured frustration kept me smiling as I plowed my way through both of his decks....


....multiple times. XD

I must have played about 10 times this morning, and I won every single time. Most were against James, but I still enjoyed myself immensely.

This is compared to last week, with my 3 victories of 8 games. :p

Oh, geez. It was so much fun. I look forward to seeing James again soon. :D

YU-GI-OH!


EDIT: I put in the hyperlinks and text HTML for my sign-up! It's done, and it's in the Recruitment Forum! I AM FINISHED!

*collapses*
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Friday, July 9, 2004

Whee.....!
I put up a new layout. The stolen items were getting old, as nobody really had the stuff I stole anymore.

I guess that makes sense, kind of. =P

But, regardless, it's changed. Enjoy. See you later.
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   Just waiting...


It was kind of nice to sleep in again. I won't make a habit of it, though. I really don't need to get back to that zombified state of existence. >_>;;

I've been working on my "Daughter" sign-up for Kill Adam 2 most of today. "Most of today" doesn't really mean all that much, though, as I've only been awake for a little more than four hours....

I contrived a very unique pair of weapons for her to use, and edited a decent enough picture. Now all I need is the scene for the character usage....example.....thing...

I'm really hoping that something will come along and inspire me, because I'm really drawing a blank right now. I'm sure I'll think of something in time, but for every moment I wait, that leaves that much less time to work on Hattori Hanzo.

I don't know what I'm doing later on this evening, but I do know that I'll be busy most of tomorrow and I leave on Sunday for Maine.

So, it's rather important that I get this (or these) sign-ups done by tonight.

I've got to prepare my Deck for tomorrow's tournament, and I've got to do some laundry for the trip.

Toodles. :D
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Wednesday, July 7, 2004

Three down....
Only two more sign-ups to go. v.v

I did my Blood Debt sign-up two nights ago. Status still pending on that one.

Last night I did my sign-up for O Fortuna. I only found out last night that sign-ups were due in last night. So, I got together a good sign-up and went to bed. I think I posted it up about ten or eleven-ish. Just in time, basically.

Today I pieced together my sign-up for Shy's hero.

And now I've got the two Kill Adam 2 sign-ups to work on, and them I'm finished with the Recruitment forum for a while. Probably just a little while, though.

I was really very proud of my Biographies/Histories in my sign-ups. I generally don't flesh out my characters very well, however original they may be in name and idea. In the past three sign-ups, I think I've gotten progressively better at filling the gaps in my characters. I'm still not great, mind you, I just think it's a big improvement, if only in terms of size.

My Bios were usually one-paragraph crap heaps that named a single event in the character's history, no real development at all. >_>;;

In my sign-up for hero, I probably wrote more about my character's brother than I used to on my own characters.


I babysat this morning and made $40. Nothing else very eventful has happened. =/

I'm wearing my new shirt right now, and I hope to go to some public place and show it off. :D

I love it so much, I'll reiterate what it says. :p

It's a navy blue shirt with big yellow letters saying:

"YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT."

In slightly smaller writing underneath, it says: "Anything you say will be misquoted, and then used against you."

Yes...I like this shirt...

Tonight or more probably tomorrow I will do a sign-up for Kill Adam 2. If I'm extremely lucky, both will be done before I head off to Maine this weekend. If not, one will just have to do.

Which reminds me; I'm leaving for Maine on Sunday morning. I'll be there for next week until Sunday, and there's a minute possibility at my staying another week more. I don't know for sure, though. Hopefully it won't be; I've just signed up for a heap of RPGs. :p

I'll have my laptop, though, so I'll be able to get some writing done on something. Balmon has already agreed to give me something for O Fortuna.

Wow, my fingers are tired.

Maybe I'll go swimming.
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Monday, July 5, 2004

   As if that weren't enough...
I signed onto OB not too long ago, only to find that I had a PM from a member named Balmon. And, wouldn't you know it, the PM entreats me to sign up for his new RPG, O Fortuna.

I'd like to say that I receive PMs everyday requesting my RPing services, but I can't. Well, not truthfully anyway.

Now, regardless of whether or not I'm trying to steer clear of RPGs or not; if someone actually goes out of their way to ask me to participate, chances are I won't say "no".

Tack on another RPG to my list of things to do; O Fortuna has just gotten my participation. Or, it will, just as soon as I sign up for it.

Before I saw the recruitment thread, I had seen mention of it in Shy's MyO. If it hadn't been for the recognition, I might very well have overlooked it. I browsed the thread, honestly not paying very much attention to it. >_>;;

Apparently Balmon saw me snooping about, however, because he said so in the PM. :p

Oy. When am I ever going to have time for all of these sign-ups? -_-;;



"So, Ben, what did you do this afternoon?"

So nice of you to ask.

After taking a long-needed shower, I headed over to Birch Plains golf course/driving range. My dad had been working there some time ago, and has once again picked up hours there to earn some extra money. He needed some golf carts driven back to the garage, as it was too wet out to make use of them. My younger sister and I were more than happy to oblige.

So, after Conny (another guy who works at Birch Plains) and I parked two of the carts in the garage, my sister gave us a ride back to the clubhouse. Conny got up in the passenger side, and there wasn't room on the seat past that. So, I hopped on back where the golf bags normally go. It's exhilarating to be standing up on the back of a golf cart; particularly when there are low-hanging tree branches. ^_^;;

After driving the carts back, I talked with my dad for a time while my mom and two younger siblings drove around the edge of the driving range, looking for stray balls. They brought back a bucket full of 'em.

We left Birch Plains to go to the mall, as my sister and I needed shorts. Upon entering JC Penny, however, my mom spotted a rack of pants on sale, and insisted on buying two pairs for me. I tried them on before she did, and found them satisfactory, as well as two pairs of shorts we later discovered.

In the same section as the pants, though, were a bunch of shirts. Most of the shirts had writing on them, and not a few had pictures to go with the text. Most were humorous, some were hilarious. I eventually narrowed down my selection to two shirts. One had the owl from the Tootsie Roll commercials on it, and had the phrase "How many licks does it take?" around it.

The other, which I wound up getting, is navy blue and has bold letters saying:

"YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT."

In slightly smaller writing underneath, it said: "Anything you say will be misquoted, and then used against you."

I plan on wearing this shirt very often.

I mean, geez. If I knew such cool shirts existed, I'd go clothes shopping much more often. With my own money, even. >_>;;

After JC Penny we headed over to Waldenbooks. I was browsing around, when I came across a row of books, including the Shannara series, which I have been looking to read. I mentioned this a little while ago, but when I checked the library, they did not have the Sword of Shannara. Waldenbooks did. It was a shame that I only had a dollar on me.

But then I remembered, I still had a Waldenbooks gift card in my wallet. I didn't know how much I had on it, but I guessed at about $5-10. I had probably used it by then.

Lo and behold!

Not only had I never used the card, but it had $20 of credit on it! More than enough to buy The Sword. So, I bought it, with a good $12 still remaining on the card. I was very happy indeed.

Then we stopped at KB Toys briefly to look around and went home. I checked up on OB and MyO stuff, and had some dinner. It's nearly 9:30 now and I plan on doing something in the next half hour before I head off to bed. Perhaps I'll get to work on some of those sign-ups. =/


"Why not try for both parts ? :x" -Mimmi.

*smacks forehead* Duh. :p

Thanks Mimmi! :D

Later on, everyone. ^_^
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