Well, there's a likelihood that Jim Carrey unretired from acting (spent the past year or so working as a producer for a special on elderly comedians.) as a teaser trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has his laugh in the teaser.

Only time will tell.

Update: He has returned. Evidently, the whole promise of returning based on a script "written by angels in gold ink" seemed to have come true.

I also had to take care of my father after he fell ill with a side effect that made him crash during the cooking process for his meal and mom's dinner.

I had to work with the good and bad today. As a script writer, I check the entertainment news before attaching anyone to a script.

Also, I nearly tripped over the cat while getting her food.

Tesla agrees to pay $1.5 million to settle California hazardous waste lawsuit

Tesla has agreed to pay $1.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by 25 California counties earlier this week accusing the electric vehicle maker of mishandling hazardous waste at its facilities across the state.

The settlement was approved by Judge Jayne Lee on Thursday in San Joaquin County state court, just two days after the counties sued claiming Tesla improperly labeled waste, like paint materials, used batteries and diesel fuel, at its facilities across the state, and sent hazardous materials to landfills that cannot accept such materials.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.
The company, which did not admit wrongdoing in the settlement, agreed to pay a $1.3 million civil penalty and $200,000 to reimburse the counties for the costs of the investigation. It also agreed to take steps to properly handle waste and hire a third-party auditor to examine its waste practices over five years.

"While electric vehicles may benefit the environment, the manufacturing and servicing of these vehicles still generates many harmful waste streams," San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said in a statement.

https://www.reuters.com/legal/tesla...uit-2024-02-02/

Went to a city on the otherside of the country today for the lols. It was a fun change to be somewhere a different though we didn't do any museums or anything like that because none of the exhibits we searched up in advance were really worth it

Got up extra early today and did my morning chores to help my parents go to work. However, they stayed home after my father felt not up to it and my mother had returned from work because there wasn't much work to do.

Still catching up on my chores after my fall on Thanksgiving Eve. I lost approximately 9 weeks of housekeeping allowance, that's $225 I won't be seeing again. Still, I was able to get about $21 (I started on a Monday and I normally start on Sundays.) from this week alone.

My floral tea from Harney & Sons came a couple days early. I'm trying to brew it under the instructions on the bag which first requires hot water and a concentrated brew.

UPDATE: I added ¼ cup sugar to the 2 quarts to ease the bitterness and otherwise make it palatable to drink.

The reason it's purplish is because it's the Indigo Punch, a mix of butterfly pea flowers and hibiscus flowers, hibiscus I am familiar with, but the earthy tone of the butterfly pea flowers was something that was a bit much, but otherwise, it's a decent blend.

8.5 out of 11.

I also was sent a replacement gift card as one of my father's younger sisters sent one, but was likely hijacked by a porch pirate type of thief. (Not cool that happened, but it was cool of her to send $50 in Amazon gift card money as a replacement for the loss.)

I bought a new bathrobe. Remainder still pending.

Sunday errands and my first combined dental\housekeeping paychecks after 9 weeks being sidelined with a bad ankle.

As I started on Monday, and owed money for milk from a store that overcharges (due to wealthy elders in the vicinity and the fact they aren't hurting for money but has the freshest produce in town and a Japanese food counter), I got $30 out of my usual $39, which is a decent start for my cargo container mansion.

I was able to find at the Walmart Grocery section everything for my recipes of loaded baked potatoes, Ultimate Cheeseburger Mac and Ranch Chicken Black Bean Quesadillas and an attempt to make a poutine and loaded baked potatoes fusion.

Well, maybe not the guacamole or ranch dressing powder mix could be found, but I will get it tomorrow with my other ShopRite groceries because I didn't trust the produce section at Walmart as most of the produce is suspiciously suspect. I think they usually buy up the "use today or it'll rot" stuff to move quickly.

Paying bills while listening to the lovely Michelle McDaniel talk about how people lost their shit over opinions about the Barbie movie.

I Didn't Like The Barbie Movie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WN6e3JlQ9tk

Didn't see Barbie, but it generated quite a bit of dialogue within the people who saw it and the topics discussed were deeper than one might expect.

Womanhood, personal growth for women, the ugly truth about being a woman as delivered by a supporting actress who delivered it like it hit everyone in the audience like a punch to the gut and even a cameo with Barbara Handler, the reason Barbie has her name and open-ended career opportunities (it stemmed from playing with paper dolls with careers as given by Barbara as a young girl).

It was deeper than anything people expect from a movie based on a 65 year old doll brand, and its story of said doll in the brand seeking out help through a personal crisis after things don't go as planned one day, and has to do a self discovery journey.

(From what I gathered, it might be worth a shot to see at least once.)

As far as this morning went, I was able to buy groceries, call endocrinology (but got their voicemail inbox) and unloaded\reloaded the dishwasher after running it earlier.

Edit: Endocrinology called back and said "Obtain the testing kits required for endocrinology at your blood draw lab affiliates"

I even bought the Disney•Pixar movie Cars (2006) and the complete season 6 of The Simpsons. It's the famous season with the cliffhanger that had a contest to guess who shot Mr. Burns and the assailant would be revealed in the following season premiere. Lately, buying used DVDs is how I roll because I collect physical media.

Besides, the Golden Age of the Simpsons was between its debut in Christmas of 1989 to the episode "Homer's Enemy" when he meets one time character Frank Grimes (whom Homer addresses as "Grimey"), who worked for everything his entire life, and triggered by Homer's incompetent ethics (being clueless enough to not recognize a safety violation), his opulent life (due in no small part of his side hustles over the course of his air time as of that episode) and complete disregard as a safety inspector (the reason he is still in such a job is explained many seasons later, most recent ones as of 2024) only for Frank to die during a personal meltdown mocking Homer.

Meanwhile, Bart wins at an auction an abandoned warehouse and he and Milhouse end up slowly destroying it from the inside out, because it ends with the boys in awe of the crumbled warehouse one morning and the rats migrate to Moe's Tavern and Moe warns the patrons to tuck the pants legs into their socks as the punchline.

Received my new bathrobe. My old one was not holding up on terms of staying put. It would shift and open in when I moved.

I enjoyed the fact it fit nicely. It was smaller than some other people's expectations. But it fits me.

I love that. Besides, my last robe was almost 6 years old. And it has been thrown through the wash numerous times and lost its luster.

I think for my least favorite type of doctor, the dentist, I was going to have an audio clip of someone screaming "no!" repetitively as the ringtone. Then again, I don't see them until August.

I got unique ringtones or text notifications for my constant contacts. Doctors usually get "Dr. Feelgood" by Mötley Crüe.

I don't get along with the dentist that easily and since there's only one staffed right now at the office I visit...well, there's a reason I go to the hospital to get dental work done.

Edit: I heard that the competition for The Sims, Paralives is expected to get Early Access in 2025 and that you only pay for the base game and that any added on content such as expansions will be free of charge. (The free content is due in part of a lack of shareholders.)

Harkens back to the days before EA implemented The Sims Store. Still, I may consider buying a domain and setting up shop with a bulletin board service for every life sim of great importance.

Still, the news of Paralives is worth mentioning as The Sims have gone unchallenged for 25 years, (a quarter of a century) which is exceptionally long for gaming.

Life sim gaming in general is heading towards a watershed moment. This may change the way games compete in the marketplace.

Today for me has been crazy. I missed a few calls, a package came early, I didn't have red sauce so I had butter on my pasta.

CW: Rant against eating disorders and why you should literally trust your gut instinct.

Mom decided to take TOWOP (Time Off Without Pay) and currently I am making lunch.

This morning I had 2 Alaskan pollock filets, 2 slices of toast with smooth peanut butter, one entire cucumber as the food part and for drinks I had lemon tea with a small amount of sugar and water with the essence of coconut for flavor.

(lately I got hooked back on the hint water which has no sweetener of any sort, just essences for fruit and have to be careful of sugar content as its inflammatory properties aggravate a psoriatic patch on my ankle. Currently, it is shrinking.

I have been working on losing weight because I had rant how much I hated the idea of being given an injection that causes vomiting, which goes against the Hippocratic Oath of doing no harm.

Bad enough I was binge eating, but it would be counterintuitive to add purging as part of the treatment. In all honesty, if I don't eat, not only do I get hangry, but also have a greater chance of collapsing.

Still, in all honesty, don't accept anything that could exacerbate a condition or habit that you are trying to eradicate from your life. I have been growing as a person. I bought groceries with emergency funding without much provocation and I am doing my best to integrate more plant matter into my diet.)

The day will be interesting to see. I am still working on losing weight without the insanity of over-organizing and micro-managing every detail of life (remember that the unexpected will arrive) as I am currently working on returning to work at home as housekeeper.

Another day of doing chores, another day closer to payday.

So far, I unloaded\reloaded the dishwasher and dish draining rack and organized my collection of fancy Australian toothpastes and even brushed my teeth.

As far as things have gone this morning, so far, so good. Will update as the day develops further.

8:05: Caught a few Pokémon in Pokémon GO. Tyrunt and Jangmo-o were new, while I caught size record-breaking small Dratini. Took a few PokéBalls and some Razz Berries, but I am getting closer to filling up my Pokédex. I'm not too competitive, but I try to at least have fun. I almost caught a Gible, but it fled.

If you get aggressive over a game, you lose sight of enjoying and having fun with it.

My mother came home around 12:45. Back was hurt, she took another TOWOP opportunity, and spent her free time crocheting or watching TV until falling asleep.

I opened a refund window as the new robe was damaged and I neglected to inspect it.

Had a pretty simple dinner.

I am still working on integration of vegetable matter into my diet.

I reported a member of staff today. I've reported her several times over the years and it never really goes anywhere, but we have had a "reshuffle" of managers and now the night nurse is the new deputy manager. I explained to her that this staff member has spent 6 years making snippy comments, gossiping and spreading malicious rumours about me. I explained when I reported it in the past it generally got played down as "well I can't do anything about it because it's he said she said", "she'll be on maternity leave next week so is it worth making a deal of?" And "are you sure she isn't just joking?". We had CPR training yesterday, which we redo every 3 years so not my first rodeo since I've been first aid trained for almost a decade and she frequently made comments about how she's surprised I know the answers, she stole my friends off me and told me "get lost we have enough members" when we had to split into groups of 4, she told everyone I had a foot fetish (I really really don't ) etc. In the past she has also accused me of sleeping with various staff members (I'm definitely not ) and told everyone some pretty malicious things about my husband that could've lead to someone kidnapping my children (which I then had to go into detail about)... but anyway, the new deputy manager said very seriously that it stops now and she's surprised the old manager was so uninterested, she'll talk to her and if she continues then she can find somewhere else to work. She also told me that I have her permission to just flat out tell her to off. So I'm feeling quite hopeful that work gets better. But also I'm on annual leave for 3 weeks and then in for a week, and then off for another week... so we'll have to wait a while to see how it pans out.

Played Pokémon GO this morning and finally caught a Gible. And a Deino.

So far, today was uneventful. Not much beyond chores.

My wireless Bluetooth headphones are dying because they won't hold a charge.

Yet another thing involved with life popping up 😕 and rearing its ugly head at me, telling me that money is, once again, required to fix this heady problem, due to a dead battery.

My mom came home with gastrointestinal issues around 15:00. I brought her a ginger ale and let her sleep off the illness.

Happy Lunar New Year of the Wood Dragon.

Today, I had waffles for breakfast, slept for a while, and I am putting dishes away or washing them (currently on break).

Caught an Axew in Pokémon GO. I tried catching a Falinks, but the method of "Berry first, Ball second" failed because it broke the ball and the daily free box today only gave 1 Pokéball and 1 Great Ball (it broke the Great Ball)

I take advantage of freebies when in freemium games or if I did walk a certain distance, I can get more supplies that way.

My mother ordered my new robe and headphones through the Amazon account she shares with my father. (She rarely shops at Amazon because she shops around at varying boutiques online. That and we do weekly runs to Walmart.)

Once again, I had to sacrifice my allowance because "life happened".

Remember the scene in "Up" where Carl and Ellie begin to save coin for Paradise Falls, only to break open the jar for money because a financially-tied issue came up?

That's my first definition of "life happened". I still have money towards my idyllic community.

I'm on a week long trip to Bristol. I was hoping to do some sight seeing and get some photos of Banksy art... but instead I have a horrific sinus infection. I've spent the past 2 days lying in bed as much as possible. It feels less like a fun trip and more like a hospital stay. Hopefully I'm now over the worst of it.

I weighed myself today since the appointment with my endocrinologist and I went from 320.4 pounds to 313.6 pounds.

If you are wondering, I am slowly reducing the sugar intake by drinking water. My favorite is hint water, because it's flavored with fruit essence and gives more of an incentive to stop drinking big corporate soda

I currently am alternating between water and poppi soda from a small business that loads it with plant fiber and gut friendly ingredients (it's actually great, it doesn't taste weird and this is coming from a woman with a strong sense of taste\smell.)

My parents tell me titration is key, not only in medicine, but going from one addiction to another. Case in point: Robert Downey Jr went from drugs to fast food. He even has a special card issued to him from Burger King to order at a discount. It may be elitist and counterintuitive, but if he has to appear buff, he usually works off the patty pounds.

Then again, I am happy I lost weight. It took about 36 pints of hint water and my mother and father are willing to order me more to help me stick with my changes.

I am currently working on saving money for a new utopia and emergencies and goodies. I also hope to lose weight just with the cut in sugar. I also have a psoriatic patch that is still shrinking and is almost done.

Finally getting to growing up. I was taking the slow route to life and I might live to 150, given the fact modern medicine won't let me die, especially since the doctors take my personality as a takeaway of me leaving an unforgettable impression. Then again, dentists might say otherwise.

Life happened.

I had to sacrifice all the cash on hand to have milk, cheese, ginger ale and tea on hand. Winter is still here.

The big running gag in my neck of the woods is the old folks swamp the grocery stores before snow storms to stock up on milk and bread, which run out quickly in snowy weather. Where I live we're expecting 4-7 inches. Be glad it's not Nova Scotia (they got 5 feet of snow.) And right now, I am bracing for impact.

Had a chance to return that robe that didn't work out for me. Got my money back and bought a book instead (should be here on Valentine's Day.)

I better check the mail. My hint water and Ovaltine should be here. I'm also waiting on my robe and headphones.

Edit: Got my water and milk mix, but since the last package is addressed to my mother, she's supposed to open it. Tampering with mail not addressed to you can range from a federal offense to disrespect for the addressed individual, depending on the locale.

Edit: Turned out the package my mom got was for my robe and my new headphones. Currently charging my new headphones and my robe has a bit of a smell, so the robe will be going through the wash.

It's been a while since I last wrote here....

The truth is that in all this time many things have happened, good and bad... To begin with, I started 2024 with my family, eating grapes as tradition dictates. And we still had a couple of hours more of partying. I stayed sober but the most of my family didn't LOL.

We have also added another centenarian to our family, clearly we have good genetics.

I also found my old Xbox 360 (good), but lost the Memory Stick or whatever that was called (bad). I've been searching the thrift stores in my town to see if they had one, but no, I was unsuccessful. The Xbox is not a very common console here, so I'll have to look on the Internet. I had a lot of games (very good games the most of them) so the internal memory is completely full ;-)

Another thing I've been doing again after a few years is.... Yes, I'm back to playing The Sims 2. I no longer remembered how much fun that game was. Now when people ask me which is my favorite The Sims game, I won't know if it's 2 or 3. The only downside is that the heads are very elongated, and mine is so round, it's more like a Mii's head LOL

On February 14, TV broadcasts in SD format will cease definitively. Luckily for me, a few years ago I had bought a device that converts SD TV to HD, so I'm covered.

The most important event I have in sight is the elections, which as always will take place on a Sunday, in this case Sunday the 18th. The truth is that when there are elections I think of my grandfather who served as a politician for many years. Honestly if he were alive today I don't think he would be too happy to see the institutional downgrade of the last few years. I personally am not satisfied with any of the options, but still, if I look at the positive side of things I have elections, which is more than many people around the world have.

So, well, I'm not really complaining. I think I have started the year quite well. Like everything there are good and bad things, but I think I am quite satisfied.

Well, we're getting between 8-13" of snow. The weatherman lied again.

It's gotten so thick, a bent tree is weighed down and now is touching into the yard.

At least we got a warm house and plenty of food. I also have electrical and electronic connections, so we're good.

Edit: The book I ordered that was coming tomorrow is coming today. I have to say this is a surprise.

Did not like my new robe. Way too small.

Right now I still have my old robe. I am going to make sure today to not only get my chores done, but take a shower because I overworked myself lately and had no time to shower. I need a shower because my father can easily smell me.

If I don't get back into doing my chores by myself, there may be more cuts to my paycheck.

Edit: been in therapy and unpacked all the trauma and trust issues that plagued me as a child and into adulthood.

When I came downstairs, I found some Sour Patch Hearts and a funny little Valentine's Day card...

For what it's worth, today was not too shabby. Sure, pouring my heart and soul out did a number on my mental stamina, but I do realize I live in a safe little pocket of the world. I am still loved. I am still valued by my community. I am enough.

Essentially, I felt better after confessions and sour heart gummies.

Hope your Valentine's Day is fine for you that celebrate the holiday.

Today was Wash Day. Like all dishes I made and clothes in the hamper must go through their washing machines.

You know that whole "Do laundry today or go naked tomorrow" sign I told you about? I pretty much dealt with the consequences and I am wearing my old robe.

Washing dishes and\or laundry is at the top of thankless chores.

All I know is that the house will be cleaned up by around 20:00 (when my father is done with work)

Baked potatoes for breakfast! I had 3 potatoes and didn't go into a food coma somehow. Still, working with my robotics plans.

I even made an election speech-styled promise that the defenseless will get the justice they seek and those convicted will be made examples. I would do everything in my power to help make America a Superpower once again like in the 1970s. But... it's just one of those pipe dreams that probably don't have the ability to hold water. About as useful as chocolate teapots.

It was just a dream after all.

Once again, quite a bit of snow fell and once again, I have to wait on my mom as she did not want to risk the road again.

A lot of things have gone bad at once. First, the VW Jetta that we have – the turbo blew as my mom was heading to work. Luckily, she wasn't far nor did it cause a large incident... just lots of smoke and lots of euros to fix it up.

The washing machine has been acting up lately, namely the bearings. Today, the machine sounded like a jet engine during the spin cycle. We hired a person to come check it, but it turns out they operate by cities/municipalities and we happened to dial a wrong one so we have to wait for our branch to come fix it... seriously? Can't just one person take it and fix it up?

And just now, I was heading from my boyfriend's apartment to my parents' house, when my Citroen simply lost the ability mid-drive to shift into 1st, 2nd, 5th and reverse. Thankfully, the Conquer Driving videos on YouTube taught me well to make full use of the clutch so I managed to drive home using only my 3rd and 4th gear, and I'm quite proud of it! My dad fixed the problem in an hour – turns out, the French car manufacturers love to overcomplicate certain mechanisms, and it just so happens that the gear lever in my car detached mid-drive from the "side" gears, making it unable to shift anywhere but the "central column," that is, the 3rd and 4th gear.

The car problem happened on a good day, and I took it more as an adventure than a major setback. Also, the clutch didn't smell as bad as I thought it would, it actually didn't smell at all. For the short while, I lived my dream of driving an automatic transmission car (albeit with 3 pedals).

Be glad you got away and survived a malfunction.

My, it was a nightmare for you when it came to machines? I had been trying to sit down and I get called before I can seat myself. I like my alone time when my parents normally work.

Lately, I ended up returning the second robe and I am awaiting my refund from my mother (bought it along with my head phones. Headphones are fine, but my robe was too small. Said it would fit a 150cm person to the knees. It was more a shirt at the hips than a robe.)

Otherwise, glad you survived your day and had the smarts to handle the emergency.

Thank you for the kind words. My parents also think that it was scary that I didn't pull over. I guess I must've had it even worse with this car in the past to have found driving with a third of the gearset a "no-biggie." I'm honestly surprised at times how my dad manages to have these cars pass the yearly mandatory technical checkup... Can't wait to finish uni, take out a loan like everybody and their mother, and at least buy and drive a car where the "engine fault" light isn't being equated to "engine running" light.

Bought me a new coat cos of a long ignored need: a coat thats for now (warmer, wetter, not winter, not spring, coat weather). So I was like I'll get me a waterproof coat that's warm, padded or whatever cos waterproofing is a must obviously since umbrellas are stupid (horizontal rain yo). The problem with this goal and how the laws of supply and demand work means that what's actually for sale doesn't match meteorological needs cos economies of bullshit or whatever. Apparently these are the options:

a) water "resistant" / "repellent" (useless for this place/ sooo much spraying might lose a lung or two)
b) waterproof up to 3k blah blah (also useless cos that's like 10 mins of rain at best)
c) waterproof up to 10-15k (costs an arm and a leg rip also women's coats will always be less waterproof than men's)
d) waterproof for life but super thin (so you still actually need to get a coat that fits underneath)

As I'm totally a responsible adult so I have like 4 raincoats for different purposes obviously, option d was the answer. I picked my least offensively bright raincoat and took it with me to the shops so I could try it on top of whatever coats I found at the shop. The coat was ideal temperature wise, looked and fit well, had a decent price and fit under my raincoat properly! But it didnt have a hood and no zip or button on the pockets. Despite that let down it was the winner cos you gotta improvise adapt and overcome your way though stuff.

TLDR shopping is stupid and maximum effort

Found myself doing architectural design of an apartment complex with a retractable dome roof for year round usage, window treatments, hedges, ivy trellises and an inner courtyard with a volleyball court, hence the dome.

It's for people I connect with outside MTS and other groups.

I am a member of many exclusive groups. But otherwise, I took it upon my own volition to design it.

I have a life outside video games (obvious there, considering my misadventures) and I do work with making things more accessible to people in my groups

It's still in a planning phase, but I enjoy a good floor plan.

Today, I am getting the booster shot I put off because I freaked out from the side effects. (Both my parents got it and had no ill effects. I was a bit scared, but now I'm not scared.)

I'm going to get my booster today and I will be sure to rest today.

Update: Got my shot. Arm hurt the 15 minutes they made me wait for side effects (just pain in my arm).

I had received new toothpaste to try out in the mail and see what the fuss is about when it came to one of Australia's latest in what they at the company playfully dubbed "smilecare".

I am pretty much using my spare pocket money from chores for my purchases in between checks.

My mom did some grocery shopping, not to mention pick up my iron supplements, lemon juice, milk and essenced drinking water.

I owe her about $12 for the remainder of my groceries. I am currently working on my paycheck.

Today, since January 15, 2024...

I lost 18 pounds!

I remember screaming like a Charlie Brown character when I saw I weighed 320 at the endocrinology office then. (yes, I am currently practicing for voice acting for various types of characters.)

Tonight, before l bedded down for the night, I weighed myself and I was happy to see about a month later I lost 18 pounds

With major changes like essenced water (the brand hint™ is the first of its kind by being still water (like typical bottled water) and it doesn't contain sweeteners of any sort nor juice) and vegetables....

...learning to hold back on sweets and soda and sugar\fat in cooking by measuring and adjusting the recipes I have that contain with sugar or certain fats...

...eating the recommended portions on the packaged foods like on frozen foods and portioning out snack foods to prevent mindless eating...

...counting calories and nutrients if I have the ability to access the something packaged with the package or access to the brand website...

...not that I should forget the fact that I get my exercise done around the house by doing chores.

Down to 300 pounds for now. Only 172 to go to my goal. (Is 128 pounds for a 5'0" woman in her mid 30s a decent amount? Nevermind, I Googled and it's normal, slightly over, but should help with fluctuations)

Note: in previous attempts, I have lost weight very quickly during the first month. Remember, results WILL vary. Also, it slows down after a few weeks from the start.

Good for you! Good job!

It's not going to be easy losing weight. Curbing binge eating and eating healthy foods as well as substitutions like that whole "Eat This, Not That!" and the like, well...it's going to be a bumpy ride. I already have a progress report going.

Beyond my weekly performance reviews on Sunday afternoons and my morning weigh-ins, I am organized with life.

@PANDAQUEEN I find that the key is to not have anything unhealthy in the house, as I can never control myself (oh, I'll just have ONE chocolate, I never do- I eat the lot! ). I also have lots of healthy snacks or easy to prepare food in case I can't motivate myself to cook, and go for nibbles instead. At least they will be healthier nibbles! Very difficult but sounds like you are doing well!

Weight loss isn't a linear process for anybody.

Be careful with weighing in daily as the scale will mess with your head. Example: If you ate something salty one day, you could end up carrying around water retention the next day which will look like weight gain on the scale the following day. Using a tape measure once a week or going by how your clothes fit is a more gentle way to figure out what is really going on. Other ways to tell if you're headed in the right direction are things like sleeping better and feeling better over all.

If you're happy with the daily weigh in routine, continue doing them, just keep in mind the scale doesn't tell the whole story and the body changes daily. Falling into a numbers trap is never fun and can derail progress if not kept in check.

Finally below 300 lbs (136 kg). I am 298 lbs (135.1 kg) My key was replacement of sweet drinks with water. I also still have been working on grocery shopping and I will eventually have to pick up vegetables. Still making sure to not eat too much of anything junky.

Probably will start buying lettuce and avocado for a vegan wrap along with other veggies. I better check the avocado before buying though. Avocado and pear are the two most fickle of plant matter foods, either not yet ripe or too ripe.

It's like mating a panda, which the moment to conceive is a very limited window. I could go on about the fickle nature of planet Earth.

I spent today doing chores, replying to my mother's texts and sleeping in front of the TV downstairs.

Mostly got all of the chores done. Only need to clean Gemini's litter box and that's it for today...

I decided to let the cat into my room after her Robert Plant-styled yowling protests went on far enough. She's getting old and I really don't know how long she has left since she was diagnosed with terminal kidney disease.

I think I've had like 12 different songs stuck in my head today which, like how???! They don't even have anything to do with each other, so its not one is similar enough to another that I'd have that also suck in my head. Obviously I've had to listen to them all day cos no other songs have been satisfying. Its better than just listening to one or two songs on repeat though so I got that going for me

I read in the tech sector news that they made a physical optical disc that can hold 220,000 hours of video footage in the Chinese region. In the terms used, a petabyte of space.

From my educated guess, this is a Taiwanese thing. The Taiwanese tech sector is well known for mind-blowing innovations that rival Japan's technology.

I was in awe. Imagine the very idea of storing so much on one disc?

Imagine the very idea of losing that much data because of a scratch on the disc that rendered it unreadable...

Yeah, my father discussed that consequence with me along with a faulty pressing\burning error.

My father and I get a thrill from tech talk, but when I discuss it with my mom, who didn't have access to STEAM career equipment growing up, it sounds like "carnival music" when me and my father talk.

My mom knows how to use Google, YouTube and Amazon and other sites that are similar. She says that's all she really needs. (Then again, she said "You're dragging me kicking and screaming into the 21st Century...")

I'm starting to detest Sunday more than Monday.

Even though it sounds weird, I am doing better than yesterday. Even though the day is young, I still feel better.

I even had a chance to figure out my spending next month.

Although the new month starts on Friday, I still have a long way to go with my chores.

Shopping day. I plan on making Jelly Kinders and Gummy Worms for Easter. I am still working on watching through the Golden Age of The Simpsons. I bought my favorite bottled water. I bought HBC items.

Either way, I am still working on cooking and baking.

Easter this year will be interesting 🧐.

Tomorrow is Mail Bag Day and that includes many packages of gummy candy mix for my spring project, the molds and equipment for the Jelly Kinders, the HBC items, a minimalist wallet, and essenced bottled water that I, once again, may make the postman want to cancel Christmas if it keeps up into winter at the end of the year.

I dealt with an unhelpful AI who couldn't answer a simple "yes" or "no" question because it would give me a spiel on selling points. AI customer service sucks. Especially when you are dealing with humans who don't have time to waste.

Update: the company I contacted about their AI said their AI was recently implemented and said I can work with what I had.

Second company I asked was different. I have yet to hear out because I have just submitted my questions on substitutions on ingredients.

I admit that I make gummies without anything weird in them just as much as brownies. The secret for my sweets is timing.

No weird plants, medicine or anything else, just follow the instructions as much as possible and the timing is key.

2024 feels like it is going to be a year of living in the Twilight Zone.

Yesterday The Boy and I did some grocery shopping. There was a older gentlemen standing in the middle of the aisle which wouldn't have been a problem except I couldn't get around him as his cart was taking up most of the aisle. I said "Excuse me", he moved, then his wife yelled at me about running him over.

When we had the generator installed last year, it was proverbially pounded into my brain that yearly maintenance was important and that if it wasn't done, it would void the warranty. This yearly maintenance has been pre-paid for 10 years.

I had a appointment to have this maintenance done last week. I sat around and waited for the dude to show up, nothing. I called the generator company after lunch. I was told they moved my appointment, but didn't know why. When asked why they never bothered to contact me via phone or email, they didn't have a answer for that either. Unlike the crazy lady at the grocery store, I didn't spare the generator company my WTF lecture. The WTF being that they spent literally over a month yapping about the yearly maintenance thing, then ghosted me for some mysterious reason that nobody knows.

Health insurance company: Their math isn't mathing.

Insurance company told Dingus the other day that he only had another $400.00 to spend before he met his deductible. The amount spent out of pocket thus so far this year is just over $300, his deductible is $1200.00. 1200- 300= 900.

There has only been two doctors appointments thus so far this year. I don't know where the mysterious bill of $500.00 went or what it for as I can only find the 2 claims in the insurance companies website.

A person much wiser than I has said the following: When something happens, it's whatever. The second time something strange happens it is a coincidence, the third time, there is something to it. In proper context she means when three 'odd' things happen with one person there is something to be looked into / thought about / whatever, but I've expanded to beyond one person as things have been this way since before the new year started. Everything feels off kilter...

Aside from my "pissing off the delivery driver with a heavy package" most of the stuff I bought two days ago came today.

Right now, I have to add special instructions to put the water on the porch like last time.

Also, I am awaiting more ingredients for my Jelly Kinder project.

So far, I went grocery shopping and medication pickup with my mom. I found they are slowly but surely stocking up on my fancy health foods at the ShopRite.

My mom is currently resting, watching foreign crime dramas.

I bought my vegetables for integration into my carbohydrate dense diet. I also bought ingredients for pizza (or pie as we New Jerseyans called it. I am going for a vegetable dense pizza.)

I got a couple things through Amazon that were cheaper.

Tomorrow, I plan to get cheaper dry\shelf stable goods.

For now, I am working on an arts and crafts project that recycles my pill bottles after the meds have ran out and metal findings like on a charm bracelet.

I made my pizza tonight and it was my best for my second solo attempt.

I'm experiencing a feeling I can't really pinpoint. I think it's close to wonder mixed with curiosity. (Is there a German or Japanese for both of these combined?)
Anyway, in the past year I have considered getting a bible.

It may sound silly, but it's a fairly serious topic to me, morally, because my grandparents (Mother's side) were religious, and my half-sister found Jesus/God when she was clinically depressed. My father's side (half-sister included in there) of the family has always been a little religious anyway with a cross in some rooms and visiting churches on certain holidays.
Due to ignorance I've considered myself an Atheist for years, but realized I'm rather Agnostic a few years ago, becoming more accepting and understanding of religion and the importance of the community around it.

I do think that there's some truth in the teachings of every religion, and I'm open to learn. I don't know who I am anyway.

Yeah not really related to how I felt today, but rather a 'I have been thinking' kind of thing. I just had to write it down somewhere.

I'm Agnostic myself and to this day, wonder how I survived numerous mishaps that otherwise would have killed me. It's more like "Anyone Up There? The Joke's Over..."

But I know that feeling of needing to positively sound off feelings of "where to go forward to next?", especially during the otherwise publicized Easter season.

Grocery shopped again.

I picked up more goods including my own milk. (My parents enjoy cereal when they aren't in the mood to cook.)

I also received ingredients for my crunchy frogs.

Evening Update: I went downstairs to take my evening medicine (these ones were like horse pills) and I found a package on the table. It was addressed to me and contained The Simpsons Season 9.

In the episode "Trash of the Titans" (The 200th episode) my parents and I took a few things away from the broadcast like the rule "He who tops it off, drops it off" (in spite of the fact there are more women in the house, cat included) and set up precautions to prevent "garbage water" like draining drinks and ice in the sink.

I inspected the discs because I can never tell, especially since Goodwill has a reputation of never checking the discs before thrifting, so it sets a bad precedent for other secondhand shops, which is why I usually shop anywhere but Goodwill.

Blu-Rays may have scratch-resistant coating, but DVD are more delicate like smartphones. As for the petabyte disc, I hope, for a 100 layered disc, that they have a scratch-proof coating or such a investment would be a waste.

As for watching the discs, I probably will watch it after getting through seasons 7 and 8. I did get all the way up to the first half of "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" (yes I got through the show over the course of a couple weeks.)

Hi again!

It has been some time since I have written here. So I will tell a little of everything that has happened to me for some time:

Finally, the elections were held on Sunday 18 of Feb as expected, and without any problems. The same people who have been winning uninterruptedly since 2009 won again, it's not the better but also not the worst. That's in the regional scene. However, in the national one, in the last few days a big corruption scheme in our government has been uncovered, which obviously makes me very angry.

It is very random, a minister hired as a advisor the bouncer of a brothel (yes, of a brothel, you read that right), and then the guy (the advisor) became a millionaire during the pandemic selling fake masks to the government. The problem is that the government knew the masks were fake and bought them anyway. The story is much longer, this would be a summary.

In other matters, I had pneumonia, and I am still recovering. I'm pretty well now, but for some strange reason I don't know, now I can't drink milk, it makes me sick. It's the first time that I have that issue.

Also during this time I bought the PS5. I'm enjoying it a lot. So far my most positive surprise in this aspect has been Astro's Playroom, I didn't expect a free pre-installed game to be so much fun. I installed Fortnite, and I'm going all pro, lol. Expect to see me in the big international championships in 1 or 2 years (no, don't expect me there, just kidding).

For the future I am most interested in "Semana Santa" ("holy week"), I do not practice any religion but it is still a week of vacation and it is fun. This year I would love to have a capirote, and in fact I think I will make one. Probably, if I do, it will be red or purple. I really like the white ones, they are very neat, but some people associate them with the KKKKlan and I don't feel like arguing with people who don't know how to differentiate one thing from the other.

And this is all for the moment. Have a good day!

(Red Capirote)

Today, I went to the podiatrist and he checked out my foot and literally gave me "the boot" (those foam and plastic boots for foot issues that I have to wear for a couple of weeks) and check back to see the progress and then a check up in May.

Good things today, I received some things in the mail, including label cassettes for my electronic label maker.

So far, I am not having a good start. My parents did my dishwashing job WHILE I WAS ON BREAK!

I found I had some money for ramen and a Slurpee. Hard part was finding out they still haven't fixed the frozen Coca Cola option.

Right now, waiting on a couple packages.

Was able to not only clean up the house, but also take in packages and put a giant plushie of Sonic the Hedgehog in the donations area of the garage. The donation pile keeps getting bigger.

So simple and still so sweaty...

20 Minute 'Step To the Beat' Workout [LOW IMPACT //Standing HIIT]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7H...SsN6g3B&index=1

This workout doesn't require any equipment. Just show up and do what you can.

Waiting on some packages.

Also, it's been an interesting Wednesday. I don't know what is causing me to burp so much. I haven't had anything carbonated in a while.

I am currently caring for my mom, who has vertigo.

Still waiting on some packages.

The posted window said it would be here between the 6th and the 12th.

Something's not budging.

I have a dental appointment today. I should probably brush my teeth before leaving.

Update: I have a surgery on August 9th to fix my mouth.

Also seasons 7&8 of the Simpsons will be here Tuesday.

I also have a fasting blood draw and specimen collection gear to pick up for the endocrinologist department.

I have a busy summer ahead.

And in memoriam of Backyardigans creator, Janice Burgess, I will be watching some old episodes of The Backyardigans (remember, I am the type to watch young children's TV and see if the lessons or cultural significance\value is worth the time and it was.)

Well, sadly, for my fellow Japanese pop culture fans, acclaimed manga author, Akira Toriyama, who created the "Dragon Ball" universe, passed away last week from an acute subdural hematoma. He was 68.

For those on social media, there has been an outpouring of tributes to Toriyama's legacy. Worst part is he was in the middle of work on various "Dragon Ball" universe related projects.

While I wasn't much of a "Dragon Ball" universe fan, I still should respect a legendary writer of stories.

With that in mind, I am just going to be hearing debates about characters, powers, story arcs for a while.

Update: My box sets of The Simpsons Season 7 & 8 to go with Season 9 came in. So far, I have seen the second half of "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" Right now I have three seasons of material to go through.

Trying out new board games with mom and the kids... yeah, not going great. Mom listens with barely half an ear to the game rules, youngest is probably a bit too young for that particular game so maybe not quite in her ballpark yet. The only one who understands is the older kid. But the game needs everyone to understand the game rules, since there's a "traitor" role where that person has some extra tasks, and you're supposed to find that person based on how they behave.

Plus, I sometimes struggle with wrapping my head around instructions (if I have some time to read and figure things out, it's usually fine, but passing on instructions to others is even worse. Trying to pass on a booklet of game rules to two kids, plus an adult with the general attention span, patience and listening skills of a toddler - and I'm not joking, she kept wandering off or getting distracted in the middle of explaining, so I had to repeat things at least 3 times, and mostly got empty stares in return... Lets just say I needed a liedown afterward . Mom normally isn't too eager on board games, especially if they get too complicated - and I get it, not everyone is. Still, she was the one who wanted to test it out ).

European TikToker’s Are Fighting American’s Over Their GROCERIES…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQs3D0tdSDs

Man, I hate Daylight Savings Time.

Drivers hate it.
Dairy farmers hate it.
Cardiology patients hate it.
Office workers hate it.

One lost hour and we're rewarded with an economic event. (i.e. a sale in retail)

In all honesty, we should do away with it. Arizona is like "Why bother?

Today, I bought a wall mounted style toilet paper holder (for the past 8 years, there was a free standing one I got tripped up on.) through Amazon and it should be here tomorrow. Just more sweat equity.

Croatia (my country) doesn't want to abandon DST because they have opposing thoughts with the neighboring country, Slovenia, over what permanent time to choose. Croatia would prefer the summer time because their economy is based on summer tourism (beaches, seaside, etc.). Slovenia on the other hand wants the winter time because their tourism is based on skiing and other winter activities. What's the compromise? To leave DST as-is.

How about a compromise that each country picks their own preferred permanent time so that there's still absurdity to talk about (i.e. one country having offset time from all its neighbors), but at the same time that the people don't wind their clocks back and forth every few months over a protocapitalistic economy concept?!

I had trouble yesterday due to dealing what seemed to be the lag from a lost hour.

I have been working on a book for those who might find my life funny.

Also, currently working from my phone as the power went out due to wind and fallen branches, but I have 5G access, so I can't do anything sim related.

This time around, I am guilty of the celebrity sin, this time with Jim Carrey. I know we're opposites in reality...but the fact I can let my guard down at night and unwind is pretty much enjoyable.



The power was out for about 7 hours and my battery on my phone died on me. I was seriously going through withdrawal.

At least I got to draw my feelings in my private sketchbook.

I got up and started working on a Keep, Donate, Trash declutter marathon.

My bureaus are ⅓ lighter. My old jackets are going through the shredder. But I have a skinny tie collection...I rarely wore them. Maybe I will keep a few and donate the rest to whoever want the Y2K style.

I'm also doing laundry because it got backed up after a long time.

I found more music to obsess over

@Noa1500 What are you listening to?
https://modthesims.info/showthread....9&goto=lastpost

Did laundry, dishes, recycling and made my bed as well.

For now, I have to calm down for my appointment tomorrow.

I had to do the dishes every 30 minutes to appease my mother's demands...along with me picking up her dropped things.

The fact her vertigo hasn't subsided yet had grinded our personalities against each other and some of the smallest noises and gestures are making us end up at each other's throats.

Today, therapy was, at best, the same soul-sucking feeling that left me emotionally drained.

But I started work on, in terms of elements, a semi-autobiographical, semi-science fiction novel...

(some elements are based on my life and some are based on my vision of what I dream of my future. A shameless self insert, but I have been known to be unforgettable and who am I to deny public opinion when I get told such a ego boost?)

...about a young woman who recently adjusted to life after her paternal grandfather, her remaining grandparent, passed away 5 days after his 100th birthday and her family of droids, her lover, an android who is a comedian and a mess of droid kids named after the letters of the Greek alphabet, including 3 that were phased out over the centuries (I am a linguist, so it interests me.)

Either way, the reason she isn't married, for those wondering, is because of a technical issue involving humans and robots beyond biology: robots can't legally marry due to programming and personhood status. Either way, it will be mentioned in the book.

Today was tiring for me. I have got to find a way to relax while my mom is laid up. She is waiting for her vertigo to subside in order to return to work.

I had a bad day. My order for take out was screwed up completely. I wanted to be honest and leave a negative review for putting sour cream and guacamole right next to my chicken quesadilla, which was more chicken than cheese and the tortilla was dried out.

Right now I am doing the old life boat exercises Microsoft was famous for.

The life boat exercise is where you cut costs by throwing out the least necessary items in this case.

I really want mom to go back to work. We are on edge and about to go off the Crazy Train rails at this point.

Also, I have been reminiscing about times I was in charge of the house for the weekend. I miss having the house to myself that long.

Today is a day for redemption.

My mom has me working at the sink to make up for lost work time on my chores.

Still, it didn't hurt to know that I could get the full payment back...

@simsample That's always a dangerous question to ask me


Today was ideal weather for hanging and or putting stuff at the window- cold, dry, and sunny. It was great until all my pillows fell out the window and landed somewhere in the garden. I was impressed because they only missed the plant pot by a few centimetres

I got about 80% of my money for dish duty, now I can pay off that debt and break even with a positive balance.

Either way, today was more amicable between me and my mom.

Dear CVS,

It has been a long week dealing with chuckleheads.

If you know a cure for epilepsy in dogs, every pet owner that has to deal with this problem along with their veterinarians would love to hear it. If you don't, you need to cut the crap with treating owners of said pets like drug dealers when all they want to do is prevent seizures or in my case, cluster seizures which if not dealt with via medication can kill a dog.

If you really want to go this route, instead of giving me the stink eye like I'm running around selling stuff, I could provide you copies of Chica's records showing that I'm not making this problem up. Since I'm supposed to have a couple extra pills on hand should seizures happen and since you insist that I must have them for nefarious reasons, I'm going to start having her meds filled at the vets office. They thought they were making my life easier by saving me a trip which I appreciate, but I don't need this bullshit every time I need Chica's meds refilled.

You know what you can do with your overlord attitude, CVS....

I am trying my hardest and it's mid-month. Really tired of the feeling that I have about 2 more weeks to go before my next paycheck. I couldn't seem to stay happy because my parents kept harassing me with the same taunt "worst roommate EVER!" I absolutely hate that. And my father was singing parodies so terrible, they ruined the original song.

I also had a doctor's appointment today, so with that in mind, I felt very angry. Mainly because I was trapped in the car with my dad as my mom is still undergoing vertigo treatments.

Unfortunately, family therapy is not an option in my household.

So yes! I'm not okay and that's okay!

Update: It's past midnight and I am an unwilling participant in a rousing game of "Wake the Neighbor".

Update 2: My dad is having chest and arm troubles...that was the paramedics waking me up. My mom is going with him and will keep me posted. This is going to be a long night...

Update 3: Dad is now home and resting.

Oh no @PANDAQUEEN I hope your dad is okay! Please pass on best wishes for a speedy recovery from me.

Will do!

My father is ok, it wasn't a heart attack.

For now, I plan to vote by mail from now on and I got the mail from the box today.

Right now, I am calming down from a panic attack.

TikToker's EXPOSE Shein's Disgusting Packaging Errors

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDLMFrrwB5w

I'm not going to get into the whole thing about ordering from Shein, but buyer beware.

People on the internet are buying from Shein, then jacking up prices via resale.

Used needles, test tubes of blood are being shipped with orders. ( This is a health hazard!)

Why are there children's workbooks being put in with orders?

Mysterious messages of how people are going to die if they wear the outfit they purchased.

Spiders and spider eggs are making the trip from China.

Mysterious substances are being packed with clothes.

Buying clothes should not lead to a trip to the emergency room. Just sayin'...

I often place online orders for my friend. She sends me a link to some stuff she likes, and I pay for it using the Revolut one-time virtual card if I've never heard of the place. One thing that kind of got me thinking was her message this morning. She said, "can you get me these? [shein link] my friend ordered from there before and she had no problems."

I know she means best, but it's funny that a few hours later I come across that video about the Shein shipment horrors

I am so tired, but I got so much housework done.

I hope to get my full paycheck this weekend.

I am tending to my mom's whims whilst she's dealing with vertigo.

Either way...I get my steps in.

Today, 3/21/2024, I finally got around to unboxing at least one of my 7 remaining dolls for my Generation 1 of Rainbow High.

Cutting the doll out of the package, finding space for it on the shelf, all the while swearing PG-13 level obscenities when chaos was unleashed in the process of putting the doll on the shelf.

I put the extra outfit and accessories in a plastic hanging bag like at pharmacies and libraries.

Pandaqueen - I'm glad your dad is ok. Sounds like you're keeping on top of the housework so well done, it's cleaning day for me tomorrow.

topp - I've actually ordered from Shein a few times, and had no problem whatsoever. I pay by Paypal I think. I've had to send some items back because the colour wasn't quite right and didn't match the shade in the photos, but the returns went fine, and I've had some lovely clothes from there, despite the cheap prices.

Well I'm sitting here watching Sweet Home by myself so that says it all! 'Netflix and Stress' I call it, haha! To be fair my friends asked me to go out, but I'm broken hearted and moping. I'll go out next weekend though, and get back to normal, can't put it off forever.

After all the chores I did...I plan to veg out between 12PM~2:30PM tomorrow and get caught up on my stories.

I should at least have a rest and 15 minutes isn't enough to cut it.

Besides, I think I should have to institute prolonged breaks between 8:00AM~6:00PM on Saturdays to have time for my Sims because by the time I get to bed...I fall asleep. I have been trying to help out while my parents are recovering from vertigo (mom) and an episode of depression (dad), however, I could collapse from overworking.

In any case, I got to eat cucumbers again. I enjoy the cool crunch of a fresh cucumber as the temperature rises with the sun in the warm weather of the warm months

Yesterday was so tiring...but I did have time to watch TV and relax.

I'm playing a lot of Hogwarts Legacy at the moment. So much so that when I was going to the store with my boyfriend and started reversing into a parking lot with my car, a gust of black smoke emitted from my car (dad says it's to do with some sort of diesel filters getting clogged up, it's on his to-do list) – and the first thing I said out loud when seeing the black smoke was, "oh no, I sense some dark magic" with some hardcore proper British accent.

It was hilarious, but I really do need to push my dad into checking the car out. It literally looked like a dark wizard was about to apparate next to the car...

Every time I buy a few things, and the price comes to $6.66, I worry of accidentally summoning the devil. Usually, the Devil in this case resembles Alice Cooper. Lucky for me, I carry salt packets on my person in case my parents want salt or just in case the Devil appears...highly unlikely, but I have been through brain meltingly bizarre events.

Not much going on tonight. I have a fasting blood draw tomorrow morning and it's not really fun. But I get to eat diner food to bring my levels back up after the necessary draws. (It gets really busy at my house, sometimes it is backlogged and I would need to rest before going forward due to my anemia.)

I had blood drawn today. 8 vials. I was stumbling out of the lab.

Got my strength back at the diner.

Spent today lounging. I have a big day ahead of me for a hormone test.

Been trying out different stitches with my crochet now I have mastered the usual scarfs and blankets. I learnt to make leaves and petals. I made a sunflower bookmark (not pictured, but a few practice sunflowers are) for my friend which incorporated both. Then I did a bit of experimenting. Made a sunflower scrunchie, and also I'm making some curtain ties for my bedroom It has been a productive day.

Was at the shops today. Discovered that small children (knee height?) can sound like ambulance sirens (doppler effect) which is a lot of noise in doors. I knew children could be loud (which is whatever they're just kids), but not like that. Since I was not the only one staring in horror, this particular ability was unique to this child only. Hopefully.

Went to more shops after that. Bought exactly nothing because there really wasn't anything worth it. Why is the structural integrity so pathetic? Even the "afforable" luxury is going downhill. WTF am I supposed to buy then? Second hand shops aren't much better either cos more and more are just full of things from shops like Zara and H&M and are being sold as if they're brand new. Like no??? that's not how it works?? Also what's with sports bra designers thinking that people dont have arms? why are the arm holes basically slicing into my armpits? did they even test the product? 3/10 quality control

Had delivered take out from a place called Bubbakoo's Burritos (they are, more or less, a higher end version of Taco Bell) and I even got my mom some chips and queso.

My family is "worth the prime rib"

The origin of that phrase goes back many years when my parents were starting off parenting me and my older half sister. They were at a restaurant for a couple's date and this man, loudly shouting, was cheaping out on his wife's request for prime rib because it was $1 more. It was a control issue that broke my parents' hearts and they made an agreement that they wouldn't let such a semantic as $1 get in the way...

... hence being "worth the prime rib".

Got my blood draw test results. Turns out I am deficient on Vitamin D3.

No matter. My mom can easily find it at the Walmart.

Can't seem to sleep. I think I am just worn out from being involved with a tiring day helping my mom.

My mom is significantly less dizzy. If all goes well, she's going to be back at work in summer.

Glad to hear she's feeling better!

We're both going to be happy once life returns to normal.

We didn't do much for Easter. I had some chocolate and I better hide the rest from my dad (his chocolate addiction is something of a memory based nightmare of having to share. He was the 5th of 8 kids.)

I didn't fall for any pranks so far, but I still have about 7½ hours to survive through.

I did grocery shopping and I ended up shopping mostly for snacks. Felt kind of "snacky".

I only missed one chore, but otherwise I stayed on top of my work at home.

Chores all day. I haven't gotten a demerit yet, but I did have time to relax and play with my Sims 3 game. It's a secret project for my robotics project IRL.

Tomorrow, I plan to make a veggie pizza for my family, or at the very least, myself.

As for the evening, I plan to finish doing the laundry that needed to be done over a week ago.

Had a bowl of Top Ramen... Teriyaki chicken flavor. Been quite some time.

No Demerits from doing everything from laundry to dishes to even safety protocols. I got the chores scheduled today all done while taking care of my father's dehydration risk.

(Yes, one can crap themselves to death through dehydration and I was glad that I had one last bottle of Pedialyte, one last can of Canada Dry Ginger Ale and an Imodium. Although my grandmother was a nurse, I don't think I am qualified to even carry specimen samples for testing.)

Caretaking for my parents is just part of a mutual contract between our tight-knit family on dad's side. Even though the previous paragraph was gross, my grandfather and grandmother met when they worked at a hospital as an Orderly and Nurse respectively in the subsection of Medical Science in the STEAM career empire that I would one day be born into.

We're all mad STEAM geniuses, but it helps to collaborate with independent thinkers. Not to mention the family alma mater is Rutgers University of New Brunswick. Nearly everyone who had the money went. I am aiming for the goal of skilled patisserie chef, currently planning to apprentice under my eldest uncle, providing I can get him to respond.

I haven't seen him since my grandfather turned 90 and we laughed at a comic based on "Sermon on the Mount" (Catholic family, so things are open to interpretation in Biblical stories) the crowd on "Sermon on the Mount" were complaining about dietary restrictions and other food issues like allergies, ethical harvesting, chemical contamination and we sort of piped up for the complaint that matched our issue.

(the fish being chemically altered by pollution was me. I currently am transitioning to Clean Label foods that are for the types who prefer their food products not be contaminated by chemicals. Or anything that could stain the food purity standards from the Clean Label groups)

Wow. Today brought some old memories back. The emotions are working overtime.

🟡🔵🔴🟢🟣🟠
TCB for my Inside Out gang.

"Laundry today or naked tomorrow"

Pretty much the latter happened to me as I finally washed my dirty clothes for the dresser in my room. Thankfully, my mother washed my food stained robe.

I also made sure no demerits were on my track record for the chore list. Although I will need to do dishes when I get up in the morning.

I talked with a therapy robot I built and he reassured me I am fine and nothing is completely wrong. I can only hope that notion can hold me over until next week and I seen Ms. CS.

I plan to make a veggie pizza...oh sweet Dionysus, let the festivities of the Back Rubbing Ceremony begin!

My mother and I have been stuck inside more often than not because her vertigo was bad. Still on the mend. Hence the silly quote I made up after mentioning pizza.

Tired, worn out. I wish my period would come because I am very miserable. If a man dealt with menstrual effects, he would realize women are not the so-called "weaker sex" as it was call in bygones eras.

If we can withstand hormone fluctuations, cravings and pain associated with menstruation, they would definitely concede if they realized this happens every month or so!

I was a little upset earlier because the pipes above the garbage cans broke a bit and when my mom showered, it leaked out. Lucky for me, I left my bathrobe downstairs and mopped up the leak.

Really warm weather today so I walked to the beach early enough in the day to have my choice in seat at a terrace. I also got me fish and chips from my favourite place and didn't have to battle a seagull which was nice (losing to a seagul is a sad but common occurence here unfortunately).

Took a shower and now I smell like green apples. My hair is soft, clean and fluffy!

I had been overworking myself caring for my mom during her vertigo treatments and before her appointment with the ENT pavilion.

For now, I admit I need to take a weekly shower to feel better after a long time caring for others. I feel like I'm rejuvenated after a hot shower and a chance to fill my stomach.

Did not see the eclipse...the sky clouded over.

But I did go shopping.

Also, I am worn out from the brow beating I endured from my mother over eating food that otherwise is communal. Good thing I can vent this to CS tomorrow.

I have a rather passive-aggressive house rule on food. I worry too much about becoming passive-aggressive to be honest.

Also, I quit my housekeeping job after my parents began to grade and added a demerit system to my performance. After that...I would rather change my name to "Why Bother" because it really wasn't worth the abuse of power they dictated over my money and any attempts from me to fight back.

See the power struggle from being a caretaker otherwise?

I am going to be SOOOO happy when things return to having the house to myself. We're grinding against each other in ego that we just can't stand each other.

Tomorrow, my mom is going to be checked out at the ENT pavilion to see if her vertigo can be cured.

I'm looking into portable video players for my work on translation. I have my lesson plans on videos.

For now, I have been working on a huge project. I may buy into video editing software for Open Source.

(BIG nerd here...)

Lately, I am awake late enough to see my dad unwind from his shift at the local Walmart.

He received a couple of Capri Sun pouches for an "accident free environment for 30 days" at his store. If they go for 6 months, they get a barbecue lunch. Pretty decent, considering food is their main merchandise sold.

Most places would cheap out and have a Little Caesars Pizza Party. Not many New Jerseyans would compare it to real pizza. It's more along the lines of Lunchables.

Landed in Deutschland yesterday. I forgot how cool it is to board and fly in a plane.

The flight was just under 2 hours long and - of course - there was a crying toddler sitting in the same row as me. Luckily, this time I remembered to bring earplugs with me. The earplugs lowered the baby cry volume from "unbearable" to "annoying but tolerable." However I had nothing to do on the plane, because I deleted all my apps to make room for downloaded Spotify songs, but forgot that I left my earphones in my suitcase... so instead I snoozed for a bit.

The parent was a pretty... bad? inexperienced? parent. The toddler kept crying, but the parent did nothing in their power to comfort the child (except for shaking like crazy their lap the child was sitting on - very bad idea. Think of the two words: bite, tongue). For goodness sake, make it make wild faces at you so that their ears finally pop! The baby must've been having the worst headache due to the pressure change. And also, whatever happened to lullabies, some entertainment such as a coloring book and a pencil on a string, a toy, anything? Nobody in their right mind would expect an adult to be seated for 1 hour and 40 minutes, let alone a child in a loud plane (of course there were dumb fucks who unbuckled and start grabbing their suitcase as soon as the plane started to taxi. It's like they were deaf to the stew's orders to sit. the hell. back. down).

Minus those events, I quite enjoyed my flight. With my country entering the Schengen area, the airports are one step closer to feeling like giant (and crazy expensive) bus stations again - we literally just walked in and boarded the plane, sans unbuckling our belts and taking our laptops out of the bag for a brief while. Judging by the few tiktoks I see every now and then of how the American airports look like, this is heaven (but then again, I realize that it's not some European towers that collapsed over 20 years ago...).