Eliriel's Blog

I love YouTube!

2006-10-28T21:26:00.000-05:00

It's possible to find all kinds of talented people on YouTube, which is why I like it so much. Take the new cover of "Hey Ya" (originally sung by Outkast) by Obidiah Parker. I can't get enough of it!

Listening to that song makes me want to film a short movie. lol

So... I don't really have anything else to write about right now. My hermit crabs are doing great. I cleaned their ISO yesterday again, and gave Chipper a spritz... and just as I expected, a huge mite came out of her shell. :( poor baby. I hope that's not her abdomen that's swollen. I'm hoping it's a molt sac. She probably needs to molt and she can't because there's no sand in the ISO... :S I hope she's okay. I worry about her sometimes... especially when she makes strange movements in and out of her shell, like something is biting her. :<

I had yet ANOTHER dream that Pic had surfaced in the main tank... lol

Anyway... enough talk about that. Now I'm going to surf the net a bit... if I had working headphones I'd listen to my audio book for an hour or so. I'm not sure, but we might watch something. I'll update again soon! :)

Long time no update

2006-10-24T15:05:00.000-05:00

Heya! Jeez... 10 days between updates! That sucks... but I'm here to make one now, so it isn't too bad. lol I haven't forgotten about you, dear blog of mine. ;P

I just got back from returning a book to the library. It was raining, and I found it to be beautiful. Mom and Nan weren't back from the installation, so I went and sat down in the park for 10 minutes. I forgot how much I enjoyed doing that. I love to observe people... I wonder what they're doing, where they're going, what's on their mind... lol it's strange, perhaps, but I find it quite interesting. I've been more thoughtful lately.

So, anyway... I really need to change my socks. They're sopping wet. :\ and blow my nose, too.

I finished a bracelet the day before yesterday... the weave is Euro 6in1, with 3/16" ID rings. It's really nice to wear a stainless steel bracelet. It's so shiny... I love it. :) actually, I'm thinking of making a ring in the same weave (or perhaps Euro 8in1 would be better suited)... hmm... something to do when I'm not feeling so sick.

My cough is getting a lot better, and my throat is no longer sore. So that's a definite improvement. :)

I have to do the dishes, now, and then I'll probably play UT2004 or Jaws Unleashed (which totally rocks, btw!). I'm not sure if we have anything to watch tonight, so I might work on something in Photoshop. I'm feeling creative.

Alright... catch ya later!

P.S. - as for my hermit crabs, 8 of 9 are in the ISO... Pic is hopefully still molting in the main tank... I'm a bit worried about him to tell the truth. But he did have a limb to regrow, so that might explain why it's taking a bit longer than usual for a crab of his size.

Wreaking havoc

2006-10-16T00:15:00.000-05:00

Heya!

I just changed out the substrate, the food and the water in the ISO for the second time today. lol I can't stand it when the tank is messy like that. And besides, there's less harmful bacteria when it gets cleaned regularly. You wouldn't believe how much my hermies poo! After only two days, the second level net where the seven crabs spend most of their time was practically covered in droppings! I had to wash it this morning. I mean, how would YOU feel if you had to sit and sleep in poo all day? lol but really! The paper towel was soaked, torn up (they like to eat it lol), and pooped on. The food was starting to smell funky because it had gotten damp. All this in only a few hours! :P

I find the humidity is not a problem in the ISO. I've figured out how to keep it stable at 80%. But the temperature kept fluctuating all day. I like it to remain at around 78-80F at all times. But there were several times when it dropped to 76F, which (for some reason) grates on my nerves - even though that temperature is perfectly acceptable for the crabs.

So anyway... they're all chilling out on the second level now (I put them up there so I could fix the mess). They are really too adorable. I just love to watch them. They do the most adorable things sometimes. I wish I had a camera to take pictures of them... at one point the other day the six teeny crabs were on the net in a single row (basking in the light, I guess), and Chipper was on the very end, hanging from the net upside down! It was too perfect. *sigh*

So... I think I'm going to see about installing Photoshop now. It's killing me that I don't have it installed. I can feel the creative energies inside of me... it feels like a small fire in my solar plexus. :D I found a couple of great tutorials on dA during the past couple of weeks, and I'm just dying to try my hand at some digital art. Body parts... I want to try hands, feet, faces! :)

Alright, catch you later!

Feel like cleaning

2006-10-11T14:44:00.000-05:00

Heya. Yeah, I feel like cleaning right now. I'm going to start with my room, then scoop the litterboxes, wash the dishes, and vacuum too.

Only then will I reward myself with a couple of games of Montana. lol

I also need to clean my hermit crabs' ISO (the paper towel and food and water has to be replaced). Four out of the five crabs in the ISO are sleeping on the second level net I put in for them yesterday. lol I wish the other crabs would resurface so I could deep-clean the main tat. Atleast it's not so bad for the crabs in the ISO now... they have a lot more space since I put in another level. I could even knit another level... something rectangular this time. And I'd be able to use it as a climbing wall in the main tat later. Hmm... lol

Later I'll have a shower, give myself a manicure, and then settle down with my book.

So even if it's one of those grey, depressing-looking days, I'll have kept busy. ;)

Update

2006-10-10T21:10:00.000-05:00

Heya.

Sweetie didn't make it. She passed away sometime this morning. I miss her a lot. I also kind of wish I had some pictures of her too. I plan to bury her tomorrow and write a little tribute to her.

One day, when I write a book, I will dedicate it to all my crabbies who have passed away.

I've got some more crabby news to report as well. This morning I went to the dollarstore and bought some suction cups and jute cord so I could knit my crabbies a second level for the ISO tank. Well, that's just what I did! They really love it. Right now as I type this, Moony and Nib (who I found out is a male btw!) are climbing all over the net. Hehee. I'm so happy they like it!

Well, I have to go and watch Heroes now. I'll cya around.

To Sweetie: I love you, my baby.

Sweetie's having trouble

2006-10-10T08:23:00.000-05:00

She dropped 2 legs and she's pretty weak. I hand-fed her some honey and spent some time with her, talking to her in soothing tones and just being close to her.

It doesn't look good for her, but I do have hope that she'll pull through somehow. I'll keep you updated. In times like these, I'm really, really thankful that places like the HCA exist.

In other news, the crabs have already made a mess of the ISO. There's poopies in every corner and food all of the paper towel... lol I had to change the salt water because it got really dirty. Humidity and temperature are both at 78. Everyone's just chilling out, except for Chipper. She seems to really want to escape. She's climbing all over the teeny crabs. :S I don't blame her. She must feel a bit claustrophobic. There's only about a square foot of floor space in the ISO.

Which reminds me, to solve that issue I'm going to knit a net specifically for the ISO. It's not very wide, but it's very tall. The net will be in the shape of a triangle, with a long piece hanging down so they can climb up. That should solve the space issue and the boredom issue. Although, they don't look bored to me... all of them are stuffing their faces. lol

I'll keep you posted. Cya later.

A crabby solution

2006-10-09T21:32:00.000-05:00

Yay! Wow.

So I just gave the 5 crabs who were above ground (unfortunately, one of the crabs, Houdini, dug down while I was away - damnit!) a salt water bath for 5 minutes (I just realized I forgot to use 2x strength salt water, but then again I ran out of salt earlier today - I'll have to buy more), then a dunk in fresh water (I didn't have any stress coat to use unfortunately). Then I put the crabs in the ISO unit I set up today. Everything was washed and rinsed extremely well. Paper towel substrate, margarine-container hidey, kibble and salt water. I hate to give them the bare minimum, but it really is temporary (hopefully), and it's less to clean when I repeat the process in about 3-4 days (until the other 5 crabs currently underground resurface).

I also made a whole ton of salt and fresh water for the crabbies today. It was so good to just do it and get it over with. And it's not that time-consuming, if you know what you're doing. I'm starting to get the hang of it, I think.

I can see the ISO clearly from where I am at the computer desk. It's sitting right on top of the main tat. (It's really unfortunate that I don't have a second humidity gauge. It makes things a bit more difficult. :S) I can see Moony and Chipper and Enlil - or is it Enki? They look identical! - (who I was able to identify as a female btw!) and Sweetie is inside the hidey, and Nib is near the entrance. They are all so cute! I'll be able to watch them from my bed before I fall asleep.

What else? Oh! Tomorrow I'm probably going to the dollarstore, where I'm going to look for shells for my crabbies and jute cord (so I can knit climbing nets for them). lol I'm so obsessed. But I love them so much! ;)

Well... I'll post again as soon as there is something interesting to report. Until then, have a good night! We're going to be watching Robot Chicken and Desperate Housewives soon! Hehee!

Mites. :(

2006-10-09T12:20:00.000-05:00

I discovered two different types of mites on two of my hermit crabs, Chipper and Sweetie (who molted recently) last night. I gave them both baths.

But it looks like I'm going to have to do something more about it. I went to the HCA forums and asked what I could do about it. I mentioned how a deep clean is not really possible right now because there are crabs underground who are probably molting (some have been down for over a month). Several people suggested buying beneficial predatory mites, but they also mentioned they can be expensive. I don't exactly have money coming out of my wazoo right now, so I asked if there was something else I could do that would be just as effective. Someone recommended setting up a temporary 2nd tank (I do have another one) and giving all the crabs who are above ground baths and putting them in the temp tat. Except that I don't have a second humidity gauge. :\ it looks like I don't have a choice though... I suppose I can switch the humidity gauge between the two tanks (seeing as these kind of mites don't occupy the rest of the tat, they stay on the crabs) every few hours to monitor the humidity level.

Then when the other crabs come up, I will give them all baths as well and deep clean the tat. Unfortunately, I don't have enough sand to completely change out all the sand. I might have to call a few petstores and see how much some Forest Bedding or Eco Earth costs (the kind that comes in a 3 brick package). If that's too expensive I'll simply go and buy some sand at Reno for about $3. Of course, if we had a working oven, I could just sterilize the sand by baking it a few times. But I don't know.

Anyway. I have no salt or fresh water left, so right now I'm going to make some more crab-safe water.

I peeked into the tat a few minutes ago and saw one of the four crabs who came in Haitian Tree snail shells in the food bowl. I had named them Houdini (because he managed to escape the ISO), Shelly, Enlil and Enki (these two were both missing a walking leg when I took them home). Shelly changed shells and then dug down a day or two after I first brought him home. Houdini has remained above ground all this time. That leaves Enlil and Enki, both of whom dug down almost immediately to distress and, apparently, to molt! I can't be sure which crab it is, but whoever it is, he definitely molted and regrew his walking leg. Yay! That's 5 successful molts so far!

When Mom gets back, I'll go get the plastic 10 gallon tank from the storage room and clean it out. I'll have to set it up and give it a few hours to see what the temperature and humidity settle at.

Alright, I'll update again later. See you!

Moony

2006-10-04T15:28:00.000-05:00

Last night Moony was changing shells like crazy. He changed into Nib's old Pica, then back to the Rapana bulbosa, and he finally settled for his old shell (a Nerite, I think), before digging down near the salt water pond. He left a little window for me to see him through. He's so adorable!

Hopefully when he resurfaces I'll have ordered and received my shell order from www.paradisepetsupply.com. I can't wait! They're going to have so much fun shell shopping.

Now I have to go do the dishes so we can have supper. Hehee. And we've got movies and stuff to watch tonight.

Lazing around

2006-10-02T13:34:00.000-05:00

Soooo... it's freezing cold. I think I'll take a small nap with Puss'n.

The reason I wanted to update was to say that Moony changed shells! He changed into a nice white Rapana bulbosa. He's in the food bowl right now, munching away at the kibble.

Humidity and temperature in the tank are at 78% and 77F. I can't wait to go get the lights for them. I think they're going to be much more active. I really do hate using desk lamps to heat the tat.

Chipper dug down!

2006-09-29T22:37:00.000-05:00

Finally! I hope she has a healthy molt. I'm so happy. I can also see two more smaller crabs through windows near the bottom of the tank.

I love my hermit crabs! They're such wonderful, interesting little creatures!

So I changed the food in the tat... I gave them regular marigolds instead of pot marigolds (Calendula officinalis), so I have to take it out. :S oops... luckily, no ones been in the fresh food bowl yet. Anyway, I just checked in on the tat and Moony is pigging out on the kibble. Jeez, do they ever love that stuff.

What else is going on? Well... I saw Smallville and Supernatural tonight! AHHHH! Squeeeeee! lol I can feel the fangirl in me ready to burst out. :p oh wow. I love those geniuses who make those shows totally kick ass, every single one of them. You rock!

*SIGH* And I lurve Dean Winchester. Hehee.

'Kay... gotta go. I want to read a few chapters of Tanequil before I go to bed. Cya 'round!

SQUEEE! I'm so excited!!

Update from the library

2006-09-26T14:57:00.000-05:00

Heya!

I changed the look of my blog a bit. I like it a lot more now. It looks cleaner, brighter and seems better organized. I joined a few fanlistings as well. :p

I've begun to visit the library more over these past few days. I took out a new book by Terry Brooks, The High Druid of Shannara: Tanequil, the day before yesterday. I'm already on Chapter 11... :) but jeez. It's been SO long since I've read a good book. I can barely put it down once I start to read, and then I force myself to read until the next chapter and... well, you can just imagine.

Sooo... what else is new? I went for coffee with my mom and my aunt this afternoon. I had the most amazing coffee mocha, with the cream and sprinkles... and a maple-glazed brioche. Wow, was that ever good. I'm going to need to exercise extra tomorrow. lol

My hermit crabs are doing good... well, the ones I can see anyway. Currently, only three of my ten crabs are above ground... Chipper, who moved from her usual place in the corner to the coco-hut this morning, Houdini - or Shelly, I'm not exactly sure - and Nib. The rest are either digging or molting (there's probably atleast one doing the latter). I've been having a bit of trouble with the temperature and humidity over the last week... but it looks like I took care of it, since they were both stable at 79/79 during all of last night and this morning.

The new season of Desperate Housewives premiered on Sunday! Hehee. I think Smallville and Supernatural are starting sometime this week... I can't wait to see what happens next!! They are both fantastic, but if I had to choose my favorite of the two, it would definitely be Supernatural. Hey, I just realized I haven't joined the fanlisting for either of those shows... hehee!

Yay! I'm also excited 'cause I'll be ordering shells for my hermies this Saturday. Since I don't have any large crabs (and it's not likely that I'll be getting any), most of the shell openings are between 3/4-1.25", with a few being 1/2" just in case. I never realized how beautiful some of the shells are... I'll probably be getting quite a few shells changes! :) my babies really need new shells.

Alright... that's it for now. I'll cya around!

So sore! God...

2006-09-22T20:55:00.000-05:00

My muscles are killing me!

I decided since I missed the class registration period for this fall's activities, I would start an exercise routine. I don't want to be holed up inside during the winter without any kind of physical activity. Besides, it would be cool if I was in shape more come my 18th birthday.

So the other day I went out and played about an hour of hacky sack. I didn't stretch enough beforehand. Not only that, but I tried playing using my left leg.

I'm still aching.

Anyway. What a dumb thing to do. I'm going to take it a bit easier from now on. The last thing I want to do is injure myself.

I looked up some simple beginner exercises on the net... I did a few sets of weight lift exercises and abdominal crunches today.

I'm also drinking more water.

And I'm having fun too.

I'll probably start to see results in a matter of days. For some reason, my muscles develope very fast when I use them. My dad has it too. We think it's has something to do with our genetic make-up. It could also be that we're vegetarian. Probably a combination of the two.

Anyway... I'll try not to hurt myself. lol

finally, an update!

2006-09-18T15:24:00.000-05:00

Hey there... I haven't been around much. I also haven't been doing much, either. Well, that's not the complete truth. I did sell one of my sterling silver half-persian 4in1 chains for $159.00. It makes me very happy to know that people will pay lots of money to own my jewellery. :)

Maybe I'll take a walk to the library later on. I wanted to take out The DaVinci Code. I enjoyed the movie immensely. While I'm on the subject of movies... I saw American Beauty for the first time last night. I don't know how to describe it, only that it is definitely one of the most ingenius movies out there.

I'm at my grandma's right now... I'm going to leave in a few minutes. When I get back home I'll clean up my room and then hop in the shower. There's a couple of things that need doing... I need to prepare more water for my hermit crabs, and my plants haven't been watered in centuries... and I have a ton of herbs in my garden that I want to pick soon.

All I know is that I need to do something about my boredom. It's no fun at all. All it does is bring me down.

good news and bad news...

2006-09-07T15:55:00.000-05:00

Well, I'll give you the bad news first. Kismet, my medium PP who was missing her little pincher when I bought her (on August.20th), dropped her big pincher on September.4th. I think the stress of the petstore and the bad conditions there were just too much for her to handle. I freaked out, of course. I cried a bit, paced around my room a bit, and then I sat down at my computer and went to the HCA and LHC forums for help. I isolated her as much as possible with fresh and salt water and honey available to her. Then I went to bed, still worried, but knowing I'd done all I could for her without causing her more stress.

Kismet passed away on Sept.5th, 2006. She was a hermit crab, but she was my hermit crab, my baby. I wrote a memorial for her...

To Kismet: I only knew you for 2 weeks, but it was enough time to start to love you like my own child. I knew the moment I saw you we were meant to meet in this life, if only for a short while.

Kismet, I love you. I'll miss you every day. Thank you so, so very much. You made such an impact on my life.

Goodbye, my hermit crab baby.

I hope her last days were spent in peace, in a nice enviroment and with lots of love directed her way. I know she deserved it.

If there is some paradise where the souls of the living go when the body ceases to function, then I know Kismet is there, on a sandy beach with lots of beautiful shells and food and friends to talk to and play with. And if there is no such place, I'm so content having known her and loved her, even if it was for a short time. :)

I found the blade for the blender and my mom and I made a staple food for my hermit crabs. We followed the Daily Dry Kibble recipe from this site. There are a few ingredients which I don't have (spirulina being one of them, unfortunately), but I was able to substitute a few things. I'm so happy I can make stuff like that for my crabbies now! Hehee!

And I worked on the sterling silver half-persian 4-in-1 necklace yesterday. I managed to do about 10 inches in the afternoon, and I'll be doing some more either tonight or tomorrow. I need to finish it before Friday though so Scott can show it at the bar. If all goes well and someone wants to buy, I'll make $139.00. :D then I'll be able to afford some things I've been wanting for the crabitat and I'll order some more sterling silver rings too.

Alright. See you around.

Crocodile Hunter dies

2006-09-04T16:14:00.000-05:00

"Irwin, 44, was filming an underwater sequence for a television series on remote Batt Reef off the far northeast coast of Australia when he encountered the stingray and was stung in the chest about 11 a.m."

You can read the rest of the article here.

I loved that guy! I'm so sad. Well, when I think about it... atleast he died doing something he loved.

Howdy there!

2006-08-16T20:44:00.000-05:00

So. It's been a bit, huh? I'll give you a quick summary, and then I'll play Hardwood Solitaire for a few minutes before going to watch Star Trek: Voyager with my mom and dad.

Mom went away for a week to build a house, from the 7th to the 12th (I think). So Dad and I had fun... we set up the mirror so we could watch movies on the projector, we played NFS and Flat Out 2 - which totally rocks btw! - and loads of other fun stuff.

Three of my four hermit crabs are burried in the sand, and the other one, Chipper, is pretty lethargic and is quite content to stay in her corner. I believe she's pre-molt because she seems to be showing some of the signs... exo's looking ashy, she's fasting (as far as I can tell), and her antennae are slow. Hopefully she'll have a good molt... I've been keeping the temp and humidity pretty stable. Right now temp is 80F and humidity is 77% (it's dropped a bit 'cause I have the fan on - I'm just about to spritz with the saltwater mister). I'm worried about Pic, NIb and Sweetie though. I hope they all survive their first molts with me.

And I would totally love to get some more crabbies. :D you can never have enough. They're the most wonderful little creatures. :)

Welcome Sweetie!

2006-08-02T20:24:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I got a new crabby! She's a PP. She's absolutely adorable and the least shy of all my crabbies. As I type this, she's in the food bowl eating some banana (with some yellow bell pepper, pumpkin, and walnut).

I don't want to make this a long post because I only have a few minutes before we watch Star Trek: Voyager and I want to have a quick wash-up in the bath first. It's so fricking hot here! Luckily, we had a bit of rain in the afternoon and now it seems to be cooling down for the night. I was getting worried because the crabitat was at 83F. I froze a bottle of water and then put it on one side of the tank, which seemed to help a bit. I managed to get it down to 81F for a while. Then it crept back up. Ugh.

K. Gotta go wash up. See you around!

New crab!

2006-07-26T20:13:00.000-05:00

So the petstore did have one hermit crab left. I haven't found a name for him yet, so I'm referring to him simply as "New Crab" for now. I'll tell you more about him later! I'm going to go watch Star Trek: Voyager now. Afterwards I'll have a shower and do some reading before I go to sleep. Cya!

another before-bed update

2006-07-25T22:17:00.000-05:00

Okay. This time I really will make this a quick one. I haven't been able to use my computer pretty much all day.

Now for the update: I completed the gold byzantine bracelet on the 21st. It's very delicate and quite intricate-looking. I think the byzantine weave is starting to grow on me... though my favorite is still the half-persian 4-in-1, followed closely by the rope weave. :)

And as for the crabby update, Pic burried himself in the sand again sometime yesterday (if I remember correctly). Maybe he's going to molt, or maybe he simply enjoys tunneling. Or he might still be destressing. And Chipper is once again up on the 3rd level. I had to take her down yesterday so I could soak the moss in salt water... I'm paranoid about mold (or anything that might hurt them, for that matter). So hopefully that helped to disinfect and kill any germs.

And tomorrow I might be going to buy some more crabbies! I still have to call to make sure they have them in stock. We'll see!

Eliriel out. :D

More great news!

2006-07-19T16:31:00.000-05:00

Pic came up!! I found him in the food dish around 4 o'clock this afternoon. It looks like he'd dug himself a little tunnel under the potpourri hut... lol now he's in the salt water pond... he went in all by himself! He's so adorable.

Guess what? I have fresh, unseasoned fish for them! They're going to love it!

Man... I'm just so relieved. I'm so happy he's alive and healthy!

So... it looks like I'm going to be selling another bracelet... ;p tomorrow I'm making a byzantine bracelet with the left-over gold rings. And hopefully I will be getting a deposit this Friday. :D

I also found another pet store not too far away that sells hermit crabs for $5.99. So if all goes well, I will be able to afford a few more hermies! There doesn't seem to be that much interaction between Chipper and Pic. And now that Pic is up, Chipper spends all her time up on the 3rd level. lol

Alright. I'm going to go finish washing the litterboxes, tidy up around my room and then go have supper. See you!

bracelet finished

2006-07-13T10:30:00.000-05:00

I'm going to make this a short post, because I really need to use the bathroom.

I completed the gold bracelet yesterday night. It took 5 hours and 45 mins to make, from start to finish. It's absolutely beautiful. I'm going to charge $60 for the work (I've already charged $80 for the cost of materials).

Also, I have a little less than half of the 3/32 22g rings left, so I may be asked to make another bracelet in the byzantine weave somewhere in the future, and possibly some earrings as well.

In other news, I think Pic dug down for a molt (or he could be destressing). Either way, I couldn't find him. So I'm trying not to worry too much, but I think about him pretty much every other minute. I hope he's okay. :

I keep beating myself up over the sea salt. :| if all goes well, I'll be able to buy some marine salt this weekend (at the latest!). *sigh*

I finished reading my book the other day and so now I'm yearning for new reading material. Demonoid is my friend. :p

I also have an urge to write and to sketch. I feel more inclined to do the latter right now. So I may have something new to upload to DA. Hmm.

new crab

2006-07-11T23:30:00.000-05:00

Heya! I'm going to bed now. I just wanted to tell you that I did indeed buy a new addition to the tank (on the 8th). I named him Pic, which is short for Picolo/a (small in Italian) and also those really small CPUs that they use in robots. :p

He's a teeny, about the size of a quarter. I'm pretty sure he's a Ruggie (Coenobita Rugosus), because he has markings behind his eyestalks going along his sides and a marking on his back, also his armor leg is kind of flat and very characteristic of a Ruggie. His eyestalks are also parallel to one another and look like this ===O . But he's very small and very shy, so I haven't been able to get a real good close up look at him yet. I don't even know if "he's" a he! I might never get the chance to see. lol

He likes to sleep/hide a lot in the potpourri hut. I'm not sure, but it might be because of Chipper. lol she is a lot bigger than him. :D

Chipper discovered the 3rd level. She likes to dig under the moss and sleep away the day... or two, or three... I'm glad she's found a place where she can destress and be a happy crabby.

In other news, I'll be starting work on Nan's bracelet tomorrow morning. She decided on the rope weave (which is my favorite! yay!). I can finish it within a day, and then I'll meet with her to make adjustments to the length of the chain (if need be) and to the safety chain. It's going to be so beautiful! My first gold chain!

And so, money will be coming my way this week. I'll be able to buy a few things for my hermies - marine salt, an infra-red bulb, and a few more decorations (like plastic plants and maybe some wood to climb) - and another hermit crab or two... or maybe more! :D

Alright. Pleasant dreams!

Chipper is female!

2006-07-08T08:32:00.000-05:00

Yup. I found out yesterday afternoon. Chipper is a little female. :)

Today I might be going to buy the smaller hermie (the one I rejected on Wednesday). I really hope he's still there. I'm going to call in a few minutes.

Alright, I'll keep you posted. We're going for breakfast now.

My first hermit crab!

2006-07-06T22:45:00.000-05:00

YAY! So on Tuesday my supplies came, and I set up my tank immediately... and on Wednesday morning we went to the petstore and I bought my first hermit crab! He's a medium - golfball-sized - Purple Pincher (Coenobita Clypeatus). Someone on the HCA forums described him as a "chipper fellow" when I said he came out of his shell to greet me in the petstore, and so I decided to call him Chipper. He's an adorable, sweet crabby!

He changed into a new shell last night! He's been resting/destressing/lazy around all day. Right now he's chilling out in the lego hut I made for them. I think he really likes it in there. :) He also really loves honey. lol I gave him a bit of blackstrap molasses, pear, peach, banana, and spinach with egg shells for tonight, and I smoothed out the sand around his bowl so I'll be able to tell if he ate.

There were only 2 hermit crabs left at the petstore on Wednesday... the lady told me someone had bought 4 a few days earlier. Out of the 2 that were left, I only bought one because the other's armor leg was damaged. Also, the tank conditions in the petstore weren't too hot. Literally. There was a sponge in the water bowl for humidity, but the AC was on almost directly overhead and there was no source of heat. I did ask her if she had some caresheets and when she said they didn't, I asked her if I could bring her some and she said yes! I inquired as to whether or not she could order more, and when I called tonight she told me she would have them in sometime next week. And I was payed back some money, so now I can afford to buy 3!

I feel bad that I didn't take the smallest one home with me as well. When we go back this weekend, I'm going to buy him. If he's still there, that is. :S Poor baby... :( Mommy's coming. Hang in there, sweetie.

The crabitat is superb... I installed 2 other levels, both filled with sheet moss, with little jute nets which I macramed. I never fully appreciated suctions cups, until now!

The temperature is stable at 80F (I've got the UTH and a desk lamp w/ a 40 watt bulb turned on) and the humidity is at 79%, which is very good. The only thing that's missing is a saltwater source. I bought a 2 kg bag of Hagen Aquarium Salt, but it's "not for use in marine aquariums" and so I'm going to have to buy marine salt this weekend.

YAY! My babies! I can't believe how much I love hermit crabs! I can't wait 'til my first molt - I mean, their first molt with me. lol :P

Okay. I'll keep you informed on Chipper's status! :) Oh, and I will take pictures tomorrow and post them here!!

not long to wait!

2006-06-26T00:26:00.000-05:00

Heya!

Well, my stuff will be coming in sometime Thursday morning. I got amazing discounts on everything! I'm so happy... and I'm sure my crabbies will be too! I'm going to get them this coming weekend!

So... not only did I get a great deal on the prices, but I was also given a reptile mesh cover for my tank, and it fits perfectly. I know it's not a glass top, unfortunately, but it will do just fine. If I wrap it in saran wrap it should keep in the humidity. I ordered one of those handy clamp-on light fixtures instead. There's UVA light bulbs at the dollarstore. I don't think I'll be having any problems with temperature. ;p AND I'm also going to be getting a 10 gallon aquarium free of charge (which I can use for my ISO tank)! Yay!

We went to Reno this morning and I picked up an 18kg bag of washed playsand (which means it's been sterilized already - all I have to do is throw it in a bucket and mix in a bit of dechlorinated water) and two small glazed ceramic plates to use as food and water dishes for my hermies.

When my stuff comes I'm going to go pick it up and start setting up the crabitat right away. The most important thing though will be to stabilize the temperature and humidity before I get my crabs.

Ooh. Hehee. I just macramed a net ramp for my crabs to climb up to the second level. The second level is going to be a plastic container with a hole cut in one side, filled with sand and shells and suspended in one corner by suction cups. I'll hot glue the net to the entrance and the crabs will have a great time finding their way up.

I know, I know... I'm crab obsessed! But I'm so excited! YAY! :p

Tomorrow I'm walking down to the dollarstore to pick up some more stuff. Alright. I'm going to bed. Cya!

going to return desk

2006-06-23T16:27:00.000-05:00

Heya! I have just enough time to update my blog with some more good news. I'm going to return the desk... which means I'll have my $70 back! So I'll be going to the petshop tomorrow afternoon or the next.

I took a walk to my local petstore and the owner, who's pretty nice, gave me a free cuttle bone and thermometer for my hermies. He also said if I needed anything, I could check out the Hagen website and come to him for a discount on any products I want to buy... so I jotted down a list and I'm going to be bringing that to him. I want to find out his prices before I buy elsewhere. Cool!

So after I return the desk, I'll go to the dollarstore and pick up some decorations for the crabitat. I might find a few other things as well! Unfortunately, the one I really want to go to is out of the way. No problem, though.

Oooh! My "old" desk is so nice! We modded it and it looks brand new! It looks amazing. I wish I could take a picture. I'll probably buy a disposable camera so I can take pictures of my crabitat and hermit crabs. We have a digital camera, but the resolution isn't as good as I would like it to be.

Alright. HEHEEE! *dances around* I'll cya around...

A little change of plans...

2006-06-21T13:44:00.000-05:00

Okay. There's been a change of plans.

So this morning I go to take a look at my desk and see about assembling it. The next thing I know, I find out one of the panels is really messed up, like it was smashed by a sledge-hammer or something. (Now I know why it was on sale for $59... lol) So anyway... I'm waiting for a call from my grandma so we can bring it back. I'm going to get a refund instead of a replacement... check this out: I'm going to mod my old desk, instead of spending $70 to buy a new one. That way, I can buy everything (or pretty much everything) for my crabitat.

And no, it didn't occur to me to modify my desk before... I don't know why. I guess I was so set on buying a new one I just never thought out all my options as carefully as I might have otherwise. Erm. So there you go.

Now I'll have a "new" desk AND I can buy the UTH, glass lid, and thermometer and hygrometer. I'm not sure, but I might even have enough money left to buy a few decorations at the dollarstore (ceramic flower pots, plastic plants, etc). Yay! We've also got margarine containers and other things in the kitchen which I can use as little hiding places for my crabs.

Okay. So I'll update again tonight. Wish me luck! :D

Yay! I bought my desk!

2006-06-20T19:15:00.000-05:00

Yay! Take a look at my new desk! Isn't it nice? It's simple! It was on sale for $59... hehee! Now I can finally get rid of the big eyesore in the corner!

So I'm going to install that tomorrow... oh, it's going to look so nice! I'll probably hang a plant up in the corner, atleast until I get my bookshelves up. That's the next step... installing bookshelves above the desk so I can make room for the 25 gallon. Still no word from FreeCycle on that aquarium stand... but if I had to I could use the black coffee table. Of course, I'd rather have something a little higher up so the cats don't jump on top of it.

I also bought two 20kg bags of washed sand for the crabitat. So I have my substrate now. That leaves the UTH, thermometer & hygrometer, glass lid, and a few other things (most of which I can probably get at the dollarstore).

It looks like I found the place where I'll be buying my hermit crabs... they sell them there for $5.99... the guy said he had around 6 in stock. Hmmm...

So I've got $40 left. I still have 14 more sachets to sell (another $20 for me), and then there won't be anymore lavender until Mom orders some more - and sews more sachets. So I'm going to have to find the odd job here and there to come up with a few bucks. No biggy. And I could probably sell a few chains at the bar for something like $25 each. That would be good money. Actually, that's probably my best bet right now. All I need is some more 20ga wire. (Unfortunately, the wire I bought at the dollarstore was 19ga, so I can't use it to make the chains I have in mind.) Next time I'm in the area I'll pick some up.

Alright... I'm gonna change and brush my hair, then play UT2004 for a bit. Cya around.

YAY! It's so exciting. I love making money and saving it up so I can buy fun things. :P lol

my feet are killing me. ;p

2006-06-14T18:24:00.000-05:00

Ahhh. I just got back from selling sachets. I sold 16 this time, 14 smalls ones and 2 big ones, in an hour and a half. :D So I made another $24 for myself.

Now I've got $60, which is almost enough to set up my aquarium. Then I can buy (or adopt, preferably) 2 hermit crabs. I've been reading everything I can find on hermit crabs on the net. I'm so excited! I can't wait to start crabbing. :) I want my hermies to have the very best.

Currently I have a 25 gallon aquarium, but without a top, so I'm going to see if I can get a free 25 or (even better) 30 gallon aquarium with a top on FreeCycle. Then I'll look into buying the under-tank heating pad, thermometer and hygrometer, substrate, and - hopefully, if it's not too expensive - UVA/UVB lighting (like ReptiSun 2.0).

The problem which presents the most challenge, however, is that I don't have an aquarium stand... but it is true that I might also be able to get that for free. That would be really cool.

Alright. So I'm pooped now. I'm going to wash my feet and change and probably take a very short nap. I'll see you later!

blegh. it's gray.

2006-06-08T11:49:00.000-05:00

Today is just so gray and cloudy outside. I know I could probably force myself to cut some rings or something, but I'm just too lazy to do that. I'd rather do chores or sort through some potential website templates instead.

Actually, there's this thick layer of dark yellow grime on my ceiling, probably from all the incense that I burn. Looking at it makes me want to wash it.

Well, yesterday was a whole other story. I made $17.50 an hour selling lavender sachets door-to-door. Pretty fricking good, if you ask me.

Now I have $40, and I don't know what to do with it.

Normally, I would order some materials from TRL right away... but after last time, I really don't want another fuck-up. I can't afford it. I'm already a bit down.

I've decided one thing, though. I'm not going to be buying wire until I know I can cut lots of rings from it. This time when I order, I'm going to order saw-cut rings in the size I want in bright aluminum (for example) and a small bit of wire in the same metal to see how well and how fast it cuts. In that case, if I'm not happy with the wire, I can still make jewelery using the pre-cut rings. I don't have to lose out. And if the wire cuts really fast, I can decide if I want to order wire next time, and save some money.

I don't really mind cutting rings, as long as it isn't TOO time-consuming. I want to be able to cut several hundred rings in a few hours. That way, I can take a break from cutting and start on a chain, if I want.

Anyway, we'll see. It looks like that's what I'm going to do. I'll check out the prices of rings on TRL later and think on it some more.

In other news, Dad got his new Logitech keyboard and mouse yesterday! They look really sweet. So I got his keyboard and mouse, which is an excellent upgrade. The only problem being that the middle mouse button doesn't work, which makes surfing the net a bit annoying. But I can always plug my other mouse into the USB if I need to.

I downloaded a whole bunch of mods for Oblivion over the weekend. Now the game really rocks. I finished the main quest, but I still have the entire land of Cyrodil to explore. I've upped the difficulty level too, so fighting monsters is a real challenge.

Alright, I'm gonna get lost now. Probably play UT2004. That will get my adrenaline pumping. Maybe then I might feel up to do something constructive.

I might ask Mom for her library card later and go for a walk. I'd like to take out some books.

lavender strikes back :)

2006-05-15T18:33:00.000-05:00

Well, alrighty then. This will be a quick entry, because I'm truly exhausted. I was just out in the rain for a whole hour and a half, selling sachets door-to-door.

I sold 9 sachets (one more than the last time), which is pretty amazing, considering it's a Monday (which is not payday) and the weather is so grey and dreary. I suspect I would have sold more than 9 had it been a sunny Wednesday or Thursday.

But the most amazing thing of all is that I trusted my instinct, and it payed off. I called it quits after having sold 6 sachets and was walking down a small street on my way to buy cat food when I got this strong feeling that I should try selling at the next house. It was an elderly man who answered, and he didn't want to buy one. Feeling discouraged, I started to walk past the neighbouring house, but I decided "what-the-hell, I might as well try this one!"

It was a woman with a small child (which is usually a good sign - I've noticed so far that women with small children are more likely to buy my lavender sachets)... and she bought THREE! I made an extra $15 because I listened to my intuition.

Cool? Very! And there's still 8 sachets left (Mom stills needs to order more lavender in order to make more) so if the sun decides to shine one of these days, I'll go out and try to sell the rest.

Looks like I'm quite the little salesgirl. ;D hmm, just imagine if my french didn't suck! Maybe I SHOULD brush up on my grammar... lol

Oh, yeah... I ACTUALLY ordered 184 feet of 20ga stainless steel wire and a pair of chainnose pliers (without teeth!!! no more scarring on my rings!) from TRL on Friday. So, hopefully that will come within the week, and I'll get to work on cutting 1/8" & 3/16" ID rings. The first thing I'll make will probably be a necklace in the half-persian 4-in-1 weave. I'll tie a price tag to it and give it to Dad to bring to Charlie's next time he goes. It will be beautiful! :P

Ok. So much for a quick entry. I just blabbed my face off incessantly. I'm gonna have a nap. See you around!

finally posting

2006-05-12T00:56:00.000-05:00

Yay! I'm finally posting. :)

So things are looking up (so far). Atleast, one thing is for certain: things have definitely gotten interesting. Though I can't be sure... things may have always been interesting, and it was only I who failed to be interested. ;P

My computer is working again. Hasn't rebooted once all day. Which means I can get back to using Photoshop and writing and stuff without having to worry I'll lose my work. Yay.

I uploaded some of my artwork to deviantArt since I last posted here, but my urge to draw things has been fluctuating a lot. I suspect I'll be feeling a bit more up to it now that I'll be able to work in Photoshop though.

Erm, what else...? Went to the library, got a ton of books... some on drawing, one called The Meaning of Star Trek (which looks really good), and the first book in the Dragonlance series which is also really good. I think I'll probably read a bit before I go to sleep.

Oooh! I jog now. lol I'm serious. Since Tuesday. This morning I bummed around 'til 11 a.m. but I finally forced myself to get out of the house and jog around the block, and when I came back I jumped into the shower. I'm telling you, it's the best feeling in the world. That new shampoo and conditioner are doing wonders for my hair. I've also been drinking a lot more water, which is not only cool but actually good for my health. (Hmmm, I just remembered... ran out of St. Ives apricot scrub a while ago, will have to buy more.)

I made $20 the other day and I just ran out of 20ga galvanized steel, so I'm going to order 20ga stainless steel wire at The Ring Lord tomorrow (before I spend it on something I need a lot less). It shouldn't cost me more than $7 bucks for 184 feet, plus the MO and shipping costs... 'tis perfect! :D and that should come in 2-3 days. Yum! Stainless steel! It's so shiny! *SQUEE* :D

Um... also brought my resume into a bunch of places which were looking for new blood. lol yes, well. We shall see.

We've got only 2 episodes of Star Trek: TNG to watch, and then it's over! *cries*

And talking about TV shows... the season finale of Supernatural!!! *Guh* WHY?! And just when I was starting to ~~drool over~~ adore Dean... :P

Alright, well... it's late. I should be getting to bed now. I can't wait! Tomorrow is a new day. Yay. I'd like to get up bright and early to go jogging.

So cya. :)

almost summer again!

2006-04-19T19:56:00.000-05:00

Well, I know it's been a while since I've posted... but now I feel it's the right time to do so. ;)

I feel like doing everything - writing, sketching, gardening - but at the same time, I feel a horrible laziness trying to prevent me from doing anything creative... however, I've been fighting the urge to laze about and do nothing.

I worked on my latest photomanipulation some more. I've really been feeling more and more like drawing lately... I've been wondering if I should get serious about it - you know, the whole nine yards... researching, studying, observing, sketching everything and everyone at random, whatever else is needed to become a talented artist. I know I have potential... but I wonder if it's the right path for me.

I still haven't decided what a want to do "when i grow up". Jeez, I'm 17, almost 18 - time goes so fast - and I don't really want to feel the same uncertainty when I ~~get shoved~~ cross over the proverbial threshold of adulthood.

I've been taking a bit of a break with my chainmail. I still haven't got a website, and that among other things has lent to my discouragement quite a bit... but I haven't given up yet. I don't really want to. I really enjoy doing it. It's something I love immensely. If I had all the right tools and materials, I feel I would do nothing else but eat, breathe and live chainmail. Ah well... suppose I'll have to stop complaining and just come up with some cash so I can get my stuff.

I actually visited the garden today. I left around 7:30 p.m., and worked until it got too dark to see (around 8:30 p.m.). basically I pulled weeds, did some tidying up of my plants and turned over the soil. I did about half. I've decided to get up at 9:30 tomorrow morning, have my cup of coffee, and set out to work a bit more in my garden. My Oregano (both kinds) are already growing profusely, and so is my Mullein. My French Lavender has begun to grow, as well as my Peppermint.

It was beautiful and sunny today, and the temperature was amazing, so I've started to wear my shorts and a t-shirt. No more coats or sweaters!

In other news, I finished reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince for the second time (it'd been almost half a year since I'd first bought it and decided it was time for a refresher). Well, it was amazing, of course. I can't wait 'til the next book... I wonder when it's coming out? I know OotP is going to come out sometime in 2007... oooh, I can't wait! It's all so exciting! I think it's still my favourite book in the series, although HBP really does come quite close.

Well, it's suppertime now. Mom made a salad and I'm feeling famished. We've got the 7th season of Star Trek: TNG to watch, and they've already started Descent Part I without me (not to worry, already saw it).

I'll see you around though. ;)

Good morning! :)

2006-03-28T11:22:00.000-05:00

Hiya! It's sunny and beautiful outside, and I am again feeling quite productive, and so one of my goals for today is to figure out how much time it takes me on average to sawcut an inch of 1/8" ID 20ga rings - 1 ring at a time; I still haven't bothered to buy a wooden dowel (hmmm... maybe I should go do that and see if it works) - and 1/4" ID 18ga rings... then I can do some work in Excel (Nan showed me how to use it!).

And guess what? You'll never believe it! I've managed to make roundmail from 1/16" ID (using a 14ga wire as a dowel) 24ga gold stainless steel thread... and it's absolutely beautiful! I'd already a piece 5 rings wide of euro 4-in-1 made from those rings, and it made just a bit over 2 inches of roundmail. I'm going to use it in the sample keychain I mentioned yesterday. Should blow my client's mind. lol

Alright. I'm going to get dressed, then see about that wooden dowel... and get to work. Cya. :D

great stuff! :)

2006-03-27T20:17:00.000-05:00

Yay! I had a super-productive day today... I decided yesterday that I needed to get back on my feet after a lazy week, and so I started the day by getting my chores out of the way (which coincidently felt fricking great).

Today I completed my first roundmail bracelet, using 1/8" 20ga galvy rings! Can't wait to take pictures... mmMMmm! :P it's licious.

Also, I made another $15, which will go towards ordering my stuff at TRL as soon as I make another $40 atleast. I'm owed $30, but I might have to wait a while to get it back. And I've got an opportunity to make $50 if I manage sell all of Mom's lavender sachets - there are 25 sachets at $5 ch. so I'll make %50 of the profit. I'm going to try to make some door-to-door sales on Thursday. :) They smell fricking amazing, so I'm confident they'll sell, especially seeing as Thursday is pay-day for most people.

And it looks like I've got a potential client at Charlie's, as well, so I'm going to start a sample key chain (a key chain with several different weaves on it) to give to dad to show him.

I also added another portrait to NWVault, and updated one of the older ones with a newer, improved version. Kewl. :)

So, it's still early. Unfortunately, I can't saw right now, or I'd probably be cutting more rings for tomorrow - for the sample keychain, 'cause I'll probably want to start with the full persian weave, and I'm out of 1/8" 20ga rings. But I've got Harry Potter and the Half-Blooded Prince, which I started on the 20th, and which I'm only reading the second time around... gods Harry Potter rocks! Thank you J.K. Rowling! :D

Alright, we'll probably watch TV later... we're already half-way through the 5th season of Star Trek: TNG... can you believe it?! Wow. It's just so fricking excellent.

Oh, talking about excellent, Dad got that new game, Elder Scrolls Oblivion... and it kicks ass. He let me play it on his computer while he was making supper - unfortunately, it doesn't work on my computer because my graphics card is not supported (RRRRR!); only ATI Radeon 9500 + (I've a 9100, duh) - and so far so good... the characters are highly customizable (which I love). So I'm looking forward to playing that some more. lol But I really hope they come out with a patch, because they really isn't anything wrong with my 9100. It's not supported, but I know it would run just great (with everything turned pretty much all the way down).

Alright, enough ranting. Cya around! :)

One of those lazy days...

2006-02-26T03:24:00.002-05:00

(posted March.12/06)

Heya. It's one of those days again... there's usually a minimum of one per week, when you don't feel like doing anything. All you want to do is laze about, nothing more, nothing less... lol

I suppose I can allow myself this. I got a lot of stuff done this week. I made a beautiful pair of byzantine earrings (would love to get nicer beads, though, preferably gemstone beads), 1 ring in the European 4-in-1 pattern, completed a bracelet in the same pattern, and I crafted two hand flowers, the first of which the rings were a bit too large (having in my possession only 1/8", 1/4", 5/16", and 1/2" rods respectively).

I think a little cash is going to come my way tomorrow, and then I can order some things via The Ring Lord (TRL), such as a pair of chain nose pliers W/O teeth (relief!), a round nose plier (essential for beadwork in chainmail), a 1/16", 3/32", and 3/16" rods, and a small, assorted selection of fire polished glass beads. If I don't have enough - I need about $30 - I can go to the dollarstore and spend $5 on stuff which I can then use to sell a chainmail bracelet on e-bay. That would be preferable, as it's more likely I would be able to afford some bright aluminum or annodized niobium wire.

As for my website, I haven't really been working on that. One step at a time... :)

Alright. I'm still feeling lazy. I think I'll scoop the litter, light some incense, and play UT2004 for an hour or so.

We have Star Trek to watch and cake to eat for tonight! YAY! Star Trek is so good. I think I like TNG even more than DS9. And Data is amazing! (I just had to mention Data... lol)

uber chainmail chic lol

2006-02-26T03:24:00.001-05:00

Well, much has come to pass since last I dared recount my daily bores... however, life has gotten considerably less boring of late. After months of dreaming, I finally got my jeweller's saw. :) I love perseverance, particularly when it's beneficial. :P

I do still need some wooden dowels, but it's not big deal. I can work with what I have for now, until I can make a little extra cash.

Indeed the reason I'm even writing this late is because I have so much creative energy in me at the moment. It's wonderful and horrible all at once... much of it can be blamed on the research I did on chainmail weaves about an hour ago, and I'm terribly excited to begin learning new weaves. The half-persian 4-in-1 is especially tantalizing, though everyone says of all the common weaves, it is extremely difficult, perhaps one of the most difficult. That doesn't faze me... I've got to try. It's so beautiful, especially in 20G 1/8" ID rings!

Anyhow. Crap. All I can think of is chainmail! Weaves and rings and all the projects I'd love to do... I have to be careful, I know. I've noted in the past that if I don't take it one step at a time, and take the time to appreciate the experience, I could become disatisfied. I have a tendency to rush into things. Already I feel that planning a business may be a little pre-mature. I've decided to slow it down a tad bit, perhaps learn a few new weaves first... once I've experimented a bit, and tried my hand at a few of the more difficult weaves, I'll know my limits (temporary limits, baby!). :P

In the meantime, I can of course work on my website. Take some pics of my finished products, etc.

Hehee. I was feeling so high on creative energy, I had one of my infamous spontaneous artistic ventures... lol in other words, I sketched myself in front of the mirror again. Oh, what the who.

Tomorrow morning we're going for breakfast pretty early (tomorrow is Dad's birfday!), and I'm so tired. I think it's finally time to go to bed. My lids feel ready to collapse.

Goodnight. Tomorrow when we get back, I'll get to work on the half-persian weave. Perhaps I'll start with the easier 1-in-3 weave... I really don't want to get discouraged.

fucking blogger

2006-02-26T00:24:00.001-05:00

(posted March.20/06)

Blogger seems to be experiencing problems or something. The date of every single new fucking post I make is February 26th, for some fucking reason. I did make a post on February 26th, but I didn't do anything that should warrant a fucked up error like this one. Shit like this almost makes me want to go over to livejournal, which is quite sad, really.

I don't have the patience to contact the blogger support team, either. No doubt they will just ask me if I've read the Help and FAQ sections, tell me to clear my cache and republish my blog (which I've done twenty so odd times already).

Piss me the fuck off. RRRR!

first half-persian 4-in-1 chain!

2006-02-26T00:24:00.000-05:00

(posted March. 20/06)

Heya!

I'm super happy right now. I just finished my first chainmail necklace... a beautiful half-persian 4-in-1 chain, made with 1/4" ID galvinized rings. I can't wait until I've got enough to order some sterling silver or gold-plated wire... my jewelery will be to die for!

I was sick this last week. I don't know why. It seems I might be allergic to tree pollen or something of the sort... in any case, I seem to have gotten over it 2 days ago. I woke up with a little bit of a sore throat this morning, but I believe that is due to my not drinking enough water.

And I've found a new interest, perhaps even a new hobby. Chess. I admit I was always a little intrigued by chess. I thought it was a game smart grown-ups would play. :P (Besides, they play 3D chess in Star Trek: TNG... I guess that kind of pushed me over the edge. lol) So, I got ChessGenius Classic 7.1, and I enjoy getting my ass kicked around the board by the engine. LOL I also love to watch the computer play against itself. Very cool.

Yay! I'm a nerd! I love it!

Nan lent me her chess set so I could play with Mom. She's not bad, but I've beat her two times already. Not boasting, just saying. :D

I also looked up places to play chess in downtown Montreal, and there's the Chess Club there which I'm hoping I can join one day, if I'm still interested.

Yeah... so, it's almost 4 p.m. I think I'll put away the clothes I folded last night, and tidy up my room a bit as well. Then I'll do the dishes... and after that I'll either cut some more rings (I'm out of 1/4" rings now lol) or I'll take an hour long break and play UT2004.

In any case, I will try and update within the next week. See you around. :)

about to drop

2006-02-15T20:47:00.000-05:00

We just got back from Jazzercise. I think I probably exerted myself too much. But anyhow... I'm back and I feel good.

We had a light supper of salad and fried fish before we left, but now I'm starving again... Dad made salsa and Mom bought those round corn chips we like so much... oh, and there's also coffee yoghurt - which I haven't had in a LONG time... *drools* mmm.

So now I'm going to change into something decidely less smelly and sweat-drenched... and then play UT2004 until we watch something. Dad downloaded a whole bunch of movies to watch, including Flight Plan with Jody Foster! And of course there's TNG to watch... yay! *coughDatacough* :P

Also, I can hardly wait 'til Saturday, when I get paid $60 for the rings Nan commissioned from me for a client's drapes. (She gets a lot of sun, and the rings on her roman shade were cracking and falling off) There was 260 rings, so that's $0.23 per ring! So I'm planning to use that money to take a trip downtown and buy my jeweler's saw and saw blades. The jeweler's saw I'm looking for has a depth of 2 1/2 inches, and usually costs around $15-20. The saw blades are about $5 for a box of a dozen, but it depends how fine or coarse the teeth are. And while I'm there I'm going to buy gum acacia ($5 for 28 grams) for my incense-making as well. The store is open Monday to Friday (8-4 p.m.), so that won't be 'til next week sometime.

Then I can complete a simple, neat layout for my website and start making some jewelery! Once I have a few demos I can take some pictures to post on the site... and voila!

Alright... gotta go change now. Ew. Cya.

late update

2006-02-07T22:54:00.000-05:00

Heya. Wow...

I just read a wicked article about hundreds of new species previously unknown to science which were discovered by an international team of scientists in New Guinea. Supposedly, the place hasn't even been seen by humans... very interesting...

Mmmm... I'm eating soup.

Since last I updated, we'd finished watching Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. That's it. No more DS9. It was fricking amazing. I'm going to miss it... until next time! :D

A few days ago we started The Next Generation... it's a bit corny right now (in a good way, of course)... I really like it though, and I hear it's going to get even better. And I knew right away who my favourite character was going to be... Data! :) I wonder if they're going to mention Isaac Asimov...? Bet you they will!

So anyway... we just watched some TV... now I'm going to get myself another bowl of soup, and play a little UT2004... or maybe I'll play NWN... I haven't played that in quite a while...

We have exercising tomorrow night... which is good. Yesterday I was feeling a bit down - well, actually, that is a bit of an understatement... I felt really angry and pretty much depressed all day - but exercising did alleviate some of my anger... I was even able to fall asleep in under an hour! My dreams have been getting weirder as well... I wonder if that has anything to do with it...

Oh, I locked my old diary... and removed the link to this blog. It actually feels THERAPEUTIC... intriguing. :P

I did some artwork earlier today as well... another NWN portrait. I uploaded it to NWVault. I hope to get some comments on it. My techniques have definitely improved.

Alright... going to get that bowl of soup... and play a game. Cya.

amazing exercise!

2006-02-01T20:46:00.000-05:00

Ahh... that was great!

We just got back from Jazzercise, and wow... it was amazing! I feel so refreshed, so energized!

Time to change, and then make supper... we're thinking of making salad with beans and onions and fried tofu and cheese sandwhiches. You're supposed to have plenty of protein in your meals, especially when you're exercising. Mmmhmm, protein! :P

I wrote two really good poems today... and I've got another one in mind, which I haven't written yet, but of course I plan to as soon as I have a moment... I haven't added a permanent link to FictionPress on the right of my blog, yet... I should also do that as soon as I get a chance.

Yay! I'm blogging regularly. I've happily forgotten about my old diary by now... and I feel no guilt about it whatsoever. Sure, I don't have any friends in this community, but that doesn't really bother me. I'm perfectly content just to record my daily occurences, etc, here on this blog.

Dad's at Scott's. He left this afternoon, and should be back some time tomorrow. Unfortunately, that means we can't watch Star Trek tonight, but Mom and I have other things to watch, like Supernatural and CSI: Miami, which I've been wanting to catch up on.

Okay. Gotta get comfy and go help out with supper. Cya around.

feeling creative

2006-01-31T20:45:00.000-05:00

Just had salad for supper... (and I'm already starting to feel hungry again, but I think I'll wait it out this time and save myself from unnecessary gluttony... maybe I'll make some buttered toast with jam later).

We watched DS9 early this morning... we're already on episode 14 of season 7! I saw "Treachery, Faith, and the Great River" and it was every bit as good as I expected it would be. What a shame that Weyoun 6 had to die... it would have been interesting to see the "defective" Weyoun on the station, and the resulting interactions... lol and the Founders are dying of some mysterious illness... talk about karma!

I got some reviews over on FictionPress, which is very inspiring. I want to dedicate some time solely for writing later tonight. I feel I'm making some progress.

Talking about progress... I thought my interview went very well yesterday. I don't feel like discussing it in detail right now. However, I'm completely confident that I gained something from going to another interview, something which can be very useful indeed: experience.

I messed around in Photoshop a bit this weekend... I learned how to create realistic-looking starfields, planets and suns. Maybe I'll do another self-portrait tomorrow... or better yet, come up with something a little more original. :P

Tomorrow it's likely we'll be passing out more pamphlets, which is cool, and we also have Jazzercise tomorrow night... so busy! ;)

Alright. I want to finish up my surf before we watch our shows. See you.

got an interview

2006-01-27T18:03:00.000-05:00

Well, it looks like I've got an interview, Monday at 10 a.m. Should be interesting to see how it turns out. I've just got to relax and be myself. I know they'll like what they see.

I'm willing to do almost anything to get a job at a computer store with a good salary. Besides, why shouldn't I get the job? I'm a hard worker, I'm responsible, and I love to challenge myself. I'm like an open book. I realize that even if I don't get the job, I will have learned something in the process. So I'm a winner either way. All I really have to worry about is being a broke winner. ;P

It's almost time for supper, but Dad isn't home yet. I suppose that in the meantime I could play some UT2004.

I can't wait to watch DS9 tonight... if we start early enough we might even finish the 6th season!

And to express my love and appreciation of a certain Vorta, I joined the Vorta Fan Forums... *cheers on the bad guys*

farting around

2006-01-25T14:45:00.000-05:00

Heya...

Woke up around 11 o'clock this morning, even though I went to sleep after 7 a.m. Watched Underworld: Evolution. Fell asleep at the end, which is a real shaft, nevermind plain stupid. I hate to miss the ending to a movie! Or anything, for that matter.

I think I'll fix myself something to eat, then wash the dishes. Then maybe play UT2004 for an hour or so.

I figure I might try to do something artistic... you know, to save the day. Something productive... I should probably install Poser on my computer soon. I think I could do some real great NWN portraits once I've learned my way around the program.

Listening to music right now... "Aeroplane" by Red Hot Chilli Peppers. :P

I gave myself a manicure and my fingers are thanking me. I really don't like the bad habit of chewing on my dead skin too much. It's kind of gross. I painted my nails a dark red color, which I'm beginning to think is a bad idea... since the nail polish I used is a cheap one, and I have no more nail polish remover to take it off once it starts to chip. Which will look horrible. Anyways. It's not that big of a deal. However, it might be if I want to procure myself a job. lol

I should probably listen to another Russian lesson today as well. I do want to be fluent in Russian one day, hopefully soon. Just think... I'll be trilingual! The more tongues the better. LOL

Looking forward to tonight... to Star Trek: DS9! It's so damn good. My new favorite character is *cough cough* Weyoun. He's so intriguing! Too bad his appearances are so few. ;) I think we'll be seeing a lot more of him during the 7th season. Yay. Bad guys... you gotta love 'em. It'd be nice to see them win once in a while... or atleast get the girl. lol

We have some other shows to watch as well... Desperate Housewives, Masters of Horror, Supernatural... all I know is that we'll probably watch something after Mom and I get back from Jazzercise. She signed both of us up for Jazzercise! I actually like it... a lot. It's a lot more fun than I imagined it would be. Every Monday and Wednesday, for 8 weeks. I expect to see results sooner; I'm hoping I'll have the discipline to keep at my own exercise regimen.

Alright. See you. I'm out for now.

Hey... cool! A blog!

2006-01-17T18:42:00.000-05:00

Wow... I almost forgot that I still had this blog. I just haven't been using it much... oh, alright, I haven't been using it at all. Which is a shame, because diaryland really is kind of stupid compared to blogspot. I've finally decided to take the advice of my father. :P

So how am I doing? Well, I'm not doing bad. I could certainly be doing better for myself... for one thing, I'm totally broke. I was given money on New Years' and on my birthday and I spent it all. I suppose that's not a bad thing, since I decided to go shopping at Village des Valeurs and bought myself several fantastic tops and three pairs of pants (all of which fit me perfectly). I'm really happy with my picks this time.

But I haven't really been looking for work. These past few months I've been taking a break and just relaxing. I know I'm going to have to start looking for work again soon. I need to begin saving up for my own apartment... I expect my parents are looking forward to kicking me out when I turn 18. ;) In any case, I would like to get a hope chest going.

I've been reading, writing, and drawing a lot to keep myself occupied in my spare time. I've also been learning Russian. I've always wanted to learn a new language, but after seeing Goblet of Fire I decided I was going to learn Bulgarian. lol :D anyway, I found out about the Cyrillic alphabet and instead decided to go with Russian. I'm taking the Pimsleur Approach audio lessons, which are really great.

Mom just got back from grocery shopping! I'm absolutely starved. I can't wait for supper.

Last night I went to bed at one o'clock... I couldn't even stand. I hope I'm not developing the bad habit of falling asleep while watching TV shows... if so, I think I know why. No coffee! So, I woke up around 8:30 this morning, and did my chores pretty much right away. Then I farted around. I'm still farting around. lol

Talking about watching stuff... that SNL Lazy Sunday video is really popular. So much so that someone decided to upload it to YouTube, where it's been viewed some 3,000,000 times. You can check it out here. And there's this really creative short film which you have got to check out... it's called Far Away.

We'll probably watch another episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine tonight. We love DS9! It rocks! Then later on we're watching a movie, Innocent Blood.

Okay dokey. It's going to be time to eat soon. I'll see you around.

tired but happy

2005-06-23T19:15:00.000-05:00

Hey there! I finished work early - I did a split shift, from 9 - 12 p.m. and 4 - 7 p.m. - and Dad came to pick me up. On our way home we picked up a movie - Harry Potter & PoA YAY! - and some chips (new flavour, can't wait to try). I got paid $240 for one week's work today! Hehee. Yup yup.

And so I paid Mom back $150 of the $180 I owe her. And when I get a day off - sometime next week LOL - I will go to the hardware store, and the dollarstore, and buy the supplies I need in order to begin making chainmail, with the intent to practice, and eventually sell my creations. I already have a few original design ideas... yay!

Tomorrow I'm working from 10 - 6 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 2 - 7 p.m. Lots of hours.

We're starting Harry Potter at nine. I can't wait to see it again!

Mára mesta ar no in elenath hîlar nan hâd gîn. (Goodbye and may all stars shine upon your path.)

my new job rocks

2005-06-12T19:12:00.000-05:00

So, I love, love, LOVE my new job...

I quit my second job yesterday, so I'm going to have to find another one. I think I want to work at a computer store. Or maybe a pepiniere, although they have none close by.

I've been pretty busy lately, and when I'm not I don't feel like posting. But I just want you to know that I am really doing great with my new job.

And I get a 20% discount on any plants I want to buy. >:D

Tomorrow I'm doing a split shift, 9-11 a.m. and then 4-8 p.m.

Wow, I need a shower. Chow, bella!

i got the job!

2005-06-07T23:15:00.000-05:00

This morning I got a call from Cleo at Centre de Jardin, asking me if I could come in for an interview... and I got the job! I'm finally going to be working with plants! It's great! And on top of that, I'm going to be getting paid $9 an hour (which is more than at the clinic) - although I could have gotten more of a salary if I had known how. I start this Friday!

I've got two jobs.

Can't touch this - du-na na-na na, du na du na...

And I give thanks for the abundance. :)

time to relax...

2005-06-04T18:27:00.000-05:00

I finished work at noon, and then we went out to eat at Ikea. And then got lost in Ikea. Wow, it's huge! Just to give you an idea, you could probably fit a few sequoias length-wise inside it. lol and they have really affordable prices too.

I bought a new bathing suit at Wal-Mart for $30 - it's about time to0, I've been wearing the same ugly old one for 3 years now. It's a black tankini, and it fits just right. We went swimming, and the water was just wonderful. Oh frick, is this summer going to be a hot one or what? No air conditioning at the workplace... :sigh:

We did the tour of the my grandmother's jardin, and it's beautiful. She's done such a great job. I can tell she really loves to garden. I know that feeling. It's the best feeling in the world, to be doing something you love. You could devote yourself to it all day.

I watched a bit of Exhibit A: The Secrets of Forensic Science. Very interesting stuff. I still have to see the season finale of CSI: Miami...

Right now I feel like a few minutes of Dungeon Seige, after I tidy up my room. And get a nice cold glass of fresh orange juice.

I need to water my plants... which reminds me, I think I'll go to the garden a little later and see how my herbs are doing.

Ahh! Life is good. It's the simple things.

Rock on.

my first post on blogger

2005-06-03T13:15:00.000-05:00

Heya. My name is Eliriel, and this is my first post on blogger.

I just came over from Diaryland, which really SUCKS FYI. So this is a new start for me. I don't even think I'll bring over all my old entries, because 1) it'll take forever 2) it's too much work, and 3) why would I want to do that when I can just link to my old blog?

Last night I watched Hellraiser VII all alone, and it was pretty good. Heheh. I still haven't seen Hellraiser II, IV, or VI... I rented the 2nd movie on my 16th birthday but it turned out they had given me the 1st one instead.

I'm going to spend a few minutes customizing my new blog, and then I have GOT to scoop the litter... I have ten cats. ;)

I've got work tomorrow, from 8 - 11:30 a.m., and then we're going for lunch.

See you around!