(no subject)

Oogh. For my birthday I gave myself a couple extra hours of sleep and a break from languages, because waking up at 2 to leave at 3.30 in the morning yesterday gave me about four hours of sleep and that was not fun.

On the plus side? NO MORE TRAVELLING. May travel is over and done with and there is no more travelling and this makes me a happy, happy kitty. I can sit at home, settle into my routine, and do my writing and bugger all traveling. Except maybe out to the farm or somewhere for a day trip. And that's it. Kitties are happy I'm not leaving them again, too. There is a lot of head-bumping and rubbing and so on. Today I think there may be settling into exercise routine. Or maybe just getting back into going to work routine, actually. Tomorrow there will be getting back into languages and exercise routine. Sleep was more important.

Plague has receeded. Good vacation was had. There will be makeup practice tonight, along with some house cleaning and some writing while the boy is off at the second wedding of the month of people that we directly know. Representing the both of us because damned if I'm going to leave the day after I get back, and I don't actually have to do anything but show up for this wedding. The boy can show up for the both of us.

Still need to catch up on Castle, Supernatural, The Mentalist. Kind of just want to hang out and marathon Prison Break, but work needs me to show up. I shudder to think what I'm going to find when I get to work, but they need me to show up. And it'll be nice to get back to work. Just, work, writing. Things simpled up again. There might be more to say but I'm still half asleep. See icon.

(no subject)

[Poll #1566543]

So, apparently the problem with being me and deciding that for my birthday I'm going to splurge is that I have absolutely no idea what I want to splurge on. Seriously. I am not a material person. I went splurging on things over the holidayish I just took, mostly on meals out but also on pretty blouses (which, I now have no need of pretty blouses ever more thank you) and eye makeup, but now that I've done that I find myself going to my bank account, eyeing it, being all "Okay, yeah, I have enough money here to splurge on something." And then being all, "well, what do I want to splurge on?"

Um. Hmm.

Seriously, there's very little that I can think of that I do want. I mean, foundation would be nice, and I probably need some more eyeliner since mine is a year or so old, ish. I think. I don't remember when I opened the second one but the first one is definitely a year old. And I could probably use some more lip color because I'm pretty sure I've had those three since college. But the thing is, I actually use it now. Still. Seriously. And it works, and I can't bring myself to go, yeah, I should buy new.

DVDs, I'm sure I have a list of, well, I can think of at least one DVD set that I wouldn't mind getting, which is The Shield, but other than that all of the movies on my wish list are kind of, eh. Comics, same. I want the Hellblazers, but other than that, meh. Books... I need to organize the damned bookshelves first. Which may be a task for the rest of the week/weekend (particularly while the boy is away and I can get cleaning done without him being underfoot. >.>) But I wouldn't mind owning a pretty complete collection of Terry Pratchett. But the want isn't strong enough to drive me to get any/all of it, even when I'm splurging with birthday money. Maybe especially then. It's like, now that I've given myself permission, I have zero interest.

So, yes. Tell me what I should splurge on for my birthday. Alternatively, suggest things I should do for my birthday that do not involve splurging on buying things! I already have the hot bath with candles and such thing lined up, that's on, but any other ideas are welcome. If you're going to suggest something fairly generic like books or DVDs, please do specify in comments, because otherwise I'll be sitting here going "... well, what kind of books/DVDs/etc do I want. Huh." and we'll be back here all over again. Or, again, failing that, suggest something that does not involve splurging that I should do for my birthday!

... And then the Elf Lord handed me a card. Aww!

Oog. I am looking forward to having a few days of resting after travelling so much and as semi-awkward as it sounds, a few days of resting without the boy. Seriously, there is a time to keep me up at night, and when I am trying to readjust my sleep schedule to normal after having been up for about twenty hours straight on 4 hours of sleep? That's not it. And don't then get pissy at me because you're tired and I'm tired and I didn't wake you or nap when you think I should have. I thought you needed the sleep, and I made the decision to stay up and go to bed early to reset. I'm a responsible adult and you don't need to try and get me to do things your way because you think it's better. (Seriously, I almost killed him last night.) Resting will be good. And then he'll be back from the 1535235th wedding this month and we can both settle back down.

There is one more big thing I want to do, which is to get my driver's license over the summer. Which will first involve me hitting up the social security office when the boy gets back to get my stupid social security card (seriously, they want you to use these for everything and carry them around always and yet they make them out of paper?) and then going and getting my learner's so I can legally practice. I haven't driven in a couple of years and I probably could use the practice. And then taking the stupid test. And then... something. We'll still only have one actually working car, but I'll at least have my license? I should also go for an eye exam since my last one was about two or three years ago and I should probably get my eyes re-checked and a new pair of glasses. Not until I get my license, though. I need to actually get in the habit of wearing them so that they don't become the next $250 paperweight.

So, I'm thirty. For some reason in my head this means I'm actually a grown-up. No, I don't know why. It's kind of nice, though. Apart from that, I feel no different. I'm happy with who I am, and who I'm working on being. It's definitely a good place to be.

(no subject)

The poll seems to think I need BPAL and makeup. This amuses me. I also need an icon of being a girly-girl, and not the Robert Pattinson sparkly Maybelline one.

So. Things what I have learned from my first attempt at doing makup on my own.

* Use a brush. Use a brush. Use a goddamned brush for the concealer. It doesn't conceal a damn thing splashed all over your face.

* Do not wet the brush before you start powdering your eyes. This is not stage makeup.

* Do wet the brush before you start lining your eyes with eye powder. This is good and appropriate.

(Note to self: Try powdering THEN lining next time. It works better. Also, still not stage makeup.)

* Do not, do not, DO NOT OVERLOAD THE BRUSH. You wouldn't do it in mini painting if you were painting on primer there, so don't do it here.

* Ridges get highlights, crevices get shadows. And other things. You know this from mini painting too.

* Swirl, tap, THEN apply blush, my god, woman.

* Makeup brushes are not only for minis.

I think that's it for this first try. About the only thing I didn't completely flail and flounder over was the mascara, which I do know, and the lipstick, which I didn't bother with. That needs resupplying first, I think. On the plus side, while I didn't get the absolutely fantabulous look the guy at Sephora gave me, I actually don't look hideous. Or like a stage actor. Or a circus clown. And I don't feel caked in makeup. This, actually, is a big step for me.

Also my highlights still look fucking amazing.