January 2nd

So today was kinda fun!

Let me quickly recap what happened over the holidays. We stayed over at my parents house for Christmas so we could wake up and open presents with other people. We saw Atlantean's family for Christmas Day. Then on New Years, we went to a party at my parents again.  My break was long and a little rough at the beginning. After a day of doing absolutely nothing (knowing it would be followed with 4 days of nothing) and knowing it would be me all alone and I shouldn't go driving around or spending frivolous money. So I stayed at home and got kinda depressed after my first day, but Atlantean stayed home the day after Christmas and he got New Years Day off, so it wasn't all bad. I also made like ten gnomes worth of syrup. A gnome is a green glass bottle (I've been saving like all year) and then adding a red felt triangle for a hat, a pink pom pom for a nose and then a patch of batting for a beard. It was a cool Christmas thing that I could finally pass out to loved ones! I felt like an accomplished woman and we hardly spent any money on Christmas gifts for people! Whoot whoot!

We did have multiple suicides this season. It seems like this holiday time is when people get pushed over the edge. There was one at Atlantean's work, Atlantean's cousin, and then, when I got back to work this morning, my coreceptionist said her break had been all about her friend who had committed suicide and had no family, so she and her family were planning his funeral. It was very sad.

We got some great presents! I bet I could say them all, and I like the minimalism. (atleast for me) I got a new shirt and dress, which I picked out. I got 2nd season of 30Rock, The Great Mouse Detective, and Coco and Improv Nation (a book). I got a loofa on a stick from my brother and a fur shawl, and Curse of Strahd (D&D book) and the corresponding DM's screen from Atlantean. (We have missed D&D so much over this past December, we had to cancel because of so many schedule conflictions, but are starting back up this Friday! And Aos Si is DMing! Imagine that! Proud moment.) We received two more small cast irons, money, chocolate and tickets to Evermore!! from Atlantean's family. It was a good haul. Also, did I mention that I won our Doughy Maker at my work's White Elephant and then at my work's bingo, I won exactly what I wanted on the table which was a ship's wheel keychain for Atlantean (I stuffed it in his stocking), a set of massage equipment (score!), and a beautiful red wood grain looking plate. (my very first own non-Christmas themed display/dinner plate! I love it) I also got Atlantean Bismuth from Natur, a big barrel-shaped mug Siegfried's delicatessen Jinn and I went to downtown after visiting Decades, and a DC bead-it (perler beads) set that I had picked up when Brownie and I had gone black Friday shopping at Joanns for our sewing machine.

I sent my cousin my extra Great Comet Piano book because I already had one and it's a very obscure musical (especially for the piano...) but she texted me saying she appreciated it! That was nice. I've always kinda tried to get close to her.

Recently went pants shopping! Like, yesterday... I've been putting on some weight. But you know what was weird, as I looked in that mirror, all close up, trying on pants that were too small or much too large, I didn't feel ashamed of my body hardly at all. It was a nice feeling and I stayed under budget AND got two (two!) pairs of white pants, which I was super stoked about. One of them is SO white, I put my underwear and Elvis Presley to shame. I'm wearing it right now. So pure...

Brownie came over and we learned to knit! But not normal knitting ;) She bought yarn with loops and I bough thick chunky yarn and she learned to finger knit (pretty easy) and I learned to arm knit (I totally failed) I learned the process and the moves and such, but the execution, not so much. We called it a "spiders web" but that also is too kind for it. It was pretty bad. I'm thinking of unraveling the whole thing and trying again.

My new play is ... existent. Kind of. Lol. Spriggan is being kind of difficult getting songs to me, so I took advantage of even me just seeing him and took him down to a piano where I recorded the sound and the movements of his hands for the two songs (more like one and a half) he's done so far. Looks like I'm going to have to either try my own hand or find someone else.

I got a new calling! I am in the Relief Society Member Committee (basically a Party Planning Committee). I guess I did so well on the Christmas Party with communication and execution, that I come highly recommended (lol). I'm actually really excited. It should be a fun calling.

BUT I wanted to talk about today! Because today was fun! Today is the day I've finally come back to work after a long winter break! Unfortunately, our white car, Aria, has been having more issues, and Atlantean drove our new car, Murky to work today, so I was supposed to walk.  But this morning, when I woke up at ten. (-_-) I realized something. I could take Aria to Tunex and then walk from there. The pros: Aria would get more time at Tunex than she would if we dropped her off an hour before closing, which is when we get off work. Also, I would be able to drive halfway to work. Cons: I didn't know how well I remembered how to drive stick shift. So, with half an hour to go to decide whether or not I was going to be walking or not, I took Aria for a ride around the block to see if I still had it. I had it! I could still drive her just fine! Though it was true that she was not having the best time starting. Atlantean had claimed that she was just stopping suddenly when he was coming home, and we had taken her into Tunex once already. They wiped down one thing and said it should be better. So I set aside some time, did the dishes and then drove Aria down to Tunex this morning! I was pretty proud of myself! And when Atlantean called, I told him, and he was pretty proud of me too! Some of my greatest accomplishments this year were learning piano and stick shift! Woohoo!

What 2019 holds for the Atlanteans:

January we'll be doing Kickboxing and Sword Fighting. Fortunately for Atlantea, the Sword fighting class prices look reasonable. Unfortunately for me (and based on a phone call I had this morning) I don't think I'll be continuing this year. What I had said I was willing to pay for them annually is what they want me to pay MONTHLY. Heckin no. With car payments, rent, groceries and pending car insurance we can't afford that. But I'm really excited to see Atlantean get some sword stuff in. He's excited too. He deserves this. A nice class actually on something he's interested in.

The plan currently is to move to Logan in September and save up $6,000 before that so we can maybe pay for two semester. We'll rent up there. I'll go with English Technical Writing so we can be done in four semester and I can have a skill of sorts. Hopefully (or God willing) we don't get pregnant or terribly in debt. Doing our best! I would not be upset if we got pregnant, just foiled since we had plans. I am excited to have kids! But people tell me you have kids forever. This is the time to get your education and be a little freer.

We have other plans! But we will see what 2019 brings! Happy New Years!!

~ Nymph