Coffee, chocolate, video games...

[merimask]

I think I've been working too much, perhaps.  Everything is upsetting me today.

The news is upsetting; the stimulus plan hopes to create five to six million jobs by the end of the year (that's an optimistic estimate) but I just saw on CNN that 600,000 new applications for unemployment were opened last week.  Over half a million people fresh out of work...in one week.  That scares the heck out of me.

The child is upsetting; Char told me yesterday that she thinks I love the dog more than I love her.  I can't tell if she really meant it or she was just trying to hurt me for some reason, but it still stings.  The dog, at least, never tries to make me cry.  

Friends are upsetting; I don't know why but my online social connections are all screwy & angsty & sad lately.  This is troubling because I am SO isolated between work & the weather that all my friendships are online.  & everyone is too grumpy to be nice.   Well...not everyone, but you know what I mean.

Winter is upsetting; today was supposed to be a bit warmer than yesterday.  Instead, the cold front has stalled out right over our heads, so we have another day of single digit temps.  I cranked the heat & still I'm freezing.

So.  I'm going on strike.  I did a load of dishes & a load of laundry.  I cleaned the cat box.  I made a few barrettes for my etsy shop...and that will have to be enough, today.  I'm putting on some big warm sweatpants and a big fluffy sweater & I'm going to play video games all day, I've decided.  I haven't played any games at all since I opened my Etsy shop over a year ago (yes truly!  I know in my DevArt profile I mentioned some games 'cause I used to play those all the time, but really I haven't touched any in over a year).  Greg bought me Ratchett & Clank games for our PS3, which is over a year old & I've never used it once.  Today I will remedy that situation.

If anyone wants me I'll be curled up on the couch, playing R&C.

EDIT:  Okay so I entered a contest on Etsy  (art submissions of holiday-themed pieces...I thought my Harlequin Romance masks were perfect for that).  And later I have to hop on & buy some darn Main Showcase spots 'cause they sell out in mere minutes & they only go for sale once every two weeks.  But that will be IT.  *doesn't know how to truly relax*

Comments

[ermine-rat.livejournal.com]

This time of year seems to be the hardest on people, snow or no snow.

[merimask.livejournal.com]

February is the cruelest month. If I had a brain in my head, I'd go away to some warm place (my brother is in Vegas, my sis is in Tampa...I wouldn't even have to find a hotel room)& stay there for a week or two & try to forget my life.

'Cept I have this kid here who thinks I like the dog more than I like her...

[golden-meliades.livejournal.com]

Where do YOU keep your brain?

[golden-meliades.livejournal.com]

In my (admittedly jaded) experience with teens, they say those things to be hurtful. It's extremely rare that they actually mean them...or at least, mean them for longer than ten seconds at once. It's usually said when they're feeling spiteful or sorry for themselves...or very manipulative. But usually sorry for themselves. My one-younger sister would have said stuff like that out of misguided self-pity when she was Char's age. She was the one who ran up the stairs, stomping, screaming tearfully that she 'couldn't do ANYTHIING right!'

I laughed when I heard her say that actually, because it's such a friggin' cliche! But she really said it. I NEVER said that, not once in my life. (I can't do anything right? Gimme a break. I get lotsa stuff right. Everyone does. I was never once under any other impression.)

Hmm...I'm going to send you some Skip Beat tomorrow and leave the rest of your Fday present for a little later as I keep not getting it finished. But you need some stuff to just sit down and be quiet with, without thinking about life in general. Think about Kyoko's life instead. It always works for me!

[merimask.livejournal.com]

I imagine I must be sitting on it or something... Obviously I have nothin up there in my noggin but a bowl of wet cornflakes, because I KNOW how much I hate this season and I KNOW how February always affects me, & yet here I sit in the cold, wondering why I am so depressed.

& I can't figure out how to work the PS3...

[golden-meliades.livejournal.com]

That must be frustrating. -_- Little stuff like that on top of bigger stuff, or a load of other little stuff...motive for mass murder.

[golden-meliades.livejournal.com]

PS: DO you have a LUSH near you?

[merimask.livejournal.com]

See...I know I'm in a bad way 'cause I actually teared up a little when I read that & squeaked "yeah! *sniffle*"

*is feeling very sorry for herself*

[merimask.livejournal.com]

At first I'm thinking "...a drunk guy who is coming on to me??" but then I assumed "heck no, this is Mel" & I googled it & found this:
http://www.lushusa.com/shop
& no...I did a search & all we have here in this area is "The Body Shop" & "Bath & Body Works". But it looks like a neat place.

[golden-meliades.livejournal.com]

*hug* Can you go outside for ten or fifteen minutes? The sun might be helpful.

[golden-meliades.livejournal.com]

There are four of them in New York itself (the city) but I don't know how near that is to you. They have little things called 'emotibombs' that are like bath bombs...but for the shower. They release scent into the steam, so you have a scented shower...I like the up you gets one and the up the wooden hill one (citrus and lavendar, respectively). They really work. I wanted to send you some but I won't be back to a LUSH for over a month, so it depends on when I send the bulk of your Fday present.

[empath-eia.livejournal.com]

I'm not grumpy! Here, have some love and peace. ^__^

(♥♦♥♦♥♦♥♦♥)

Edit I: Baw, I forget the code for stars. Have to go look it up.
Edit II: Have some diamonds instead. They're shiny too. :D

[merimask.livejournal.com]

She's being sort of a victim and sort of angry and she doesn't like this season any more than I do, so there's that. I suppose.

Kid drama in this family is like concentrated, because there's just her (only child syndrome) and I am tagged "it" in the parental influence department. With siblings, they act like buffers & take some of the pressure off. When one of us in my family got angsty or uppity the other two kids would laugh it off or help blow off steam...it wasn't all on my parents to diffuse the situation.

*sigh* I basically need a vacation from being ME. Kyoko's cute little life & quest for stamps is certainly a nice diversion. A weekend at a spa would be great too, but I'm totally dreaming, there.

[golden-meliades.livejournal.com]

I wanted to send you the emotibombs and steam facials and stuff...a little spa day right there...but like I said...I don't have access to the stuff for another month.

I'll send SB tomorrow and you'll have it in a week about...too bad I can't make it go faster!

Can I do something else to cheer you up? Seriously.

[merimask.livejournal.com]

You are too sweet. Y'know, since my tub is too small for a proper relaxing bath, those scent bombs for the shower sound perfectly lovely. I'm going to order some right now (& you know me so well...those are exactly the scents I like!).

*hug* You are a bastion of goodness in a forest of woe. ;-)

[merimask.livejournal.com]

You are already helping immensely. I'm just killing time til Etsy sells those showcase spots & I was just going to putter & send more PR inquiries but chatting with you is so much cheerier.

& the idea of a long good-smelling hot shower is a welcomed idea. Lavender & citrus o my...

[golden-meliades.livejournal.com]

I wish I'd thought further ahead and had them to send along with SB tomorrow. :(

I for some reason didn't picture you as the type to take lengthy baths, because you're always running around, making meals and masks and taking doggie walks and scouting out opportunities and NOT doing much to relax yourself in winter months. (It's all easier in summer. All easier.) So I figured the emotibombs would be better.

[merimask.livejournal.com]

I need to hook you up with my teenager so you can teach her how to not be a grumpyface. ;-)

Thanks for the love & peace...I've always loved your cute little hearts! How do you do that?

[golden-meliades.livejournal.com]

Up You Gets is the citrus one (other tones, but that's the main one) and Up the Wooden Hill is the relaxing bedtime one with all the lavender.

The lavender one is more softly scented. I suggest using this one when all you want to do is soak, NOT to wash your hair or anything else...as the scent of your shampoo will drown it out.

It's best to position the bombs beside, not right underneath, the flow of water, so that they don't dissolve instantly. They last about ten minutes if you're willing to go with moderate scent, but if you want strong place them closer to the stream and they'll dissolve faster and the scent will come out stronger.

I can do chatting right now :)

[merimask.livejournal.com]

It's -2 outside...in USA temps. That's waaay too cold. We have ice forming on the inside of the windows, & we have double-paned replacement windows. Coooooold.

[golden-meliades.livejournal.com]

It's -5.8 F here, today. THe thing is, once it goes down to a certain temperature, I find there's no difference. If I wear layers and make sure my skinny hands are protected, the cold would make little impression on me in ten minutes...I tend to not even do up my coat. (Really, I've NEVER been good at doing up my coat.)

Oh well, if it's too cold it's just too cold. Unless you do cartwheels or something that gets you all steamed up from the inside out, but that takes a lot of energy...

[empath-eia.livejournal.com]

LOL whenever you want.

Without the spaces: & hearts ;

Diamonds are & diams ;

:D

[ramblinsuze.livejournal.com]

*HUGS*

I've been on edge all week, too. Maybe there's something in the air? The cold, cold winter air? *brrrr*!

[merimask.livejournal.com]

They were all out of those two, but the "good luck" Chinese New Year shower bombs were citrusy-spicy so I got a couple of those instead. And a henna hair treatment. And a solid shampoo bar 'cause it looked neat. :-)

Cool site!! Thanks for showing it to me. They use Paypal too...an added bonus.

a test...

[merimask.livejournal.com]

♥