Happy New Year everyone!

Here's a very sweet news article about a couple participating in the Navy's tradition of the first homecoming kiss :)

Just dropping by for my own records. I passed all of 1st round assessments at the beginning of the month but endurance. But I'm making progress! As of last night I'm at 22.5/25 (in 5 minutes). Just 2.5 laps to go. Slow, incremental progress is still progress. That's what I'm telling myself.

Feminist Ryan Gosling has made my afternoon. :)

There's other stuff, but I don't really have time to write now. Short version: things are good.

Things have been pretty quiet lately, which I really appreciate. Work, derby, and the commute are taking most of my energy these days.

So here are some random links.

Animated desserts set to Verdi. Charming.

I discovered Elinor Carucci's photography this week at work. I particularly love the intimacy of her Closer series. Also: bellydancing! Oh and I love the one of her breastfeeding her two tiny new babies in the recent work section, and "Cherries I Ate By Myself" from Crisis.

Have you seen the story about the Louisville reverend with the secret? A little long, but worth it :)

Guard Llamas! They work (according to AlreadyPretty)

"Because North American wolves have never seen a llama, which means it essentially looks like A SPACE CREATURE to them. Additionally, llamas are totally badass and will defend an adopted flock in a most serious way. Including the spitting."

I'm hanging out with a cuddly kitty on the couch tonight. It is nice. Yay Friday! Gorgeous day today. Work was slow, but I had some interesting things to do. Had lunch with mom outside, that was nice. Yeah not really much of an update here. We're planning on a quiet weekend and I am *thrilled*.

Here:

Women Fighters In Reasonable Armor

This pleases me.

From Already Pretty. (Other good links there as well, check out the 100 years of style vid.)

I just got back from the salon. I really needed a haircut as well as to do something that made me feel more put together and in control of something. I have a good relationship with my hairdresser (B.'s seen her for years and they are super open with each other, like B. and I she's a talker). My hair was last cut around end of May beginning of June.

I was going through all the things that have happened in the last ten-ish weeks. And it's one thing after another after another, some good, some bad, several very intense. (Most I've talked about here although there's at least one I haven't mentioned, because it's not primarily about me, but still effects me.)

Oh. That's why I feel kind of exhausted. That's what happened to the summer.

If big dramatic stuff could stop happening for a bit, that would be really great. Maybe we could just cruise along for a while, focus on work and hanging out with friends and family? I'd like to turn the dial down a little.

Tuesday night I had horrible pain in my abdomen. It started out as what I thought was stomach pain, but then was lower and more intense. I didn't finish the last half hour of roller derby practice so P. drove me to my aunt's. Then she got me tea and toast. :)

I tried to sleep but it didn't work. Called my cousin who's a nurse, she thought it might be a burst ovarian cyst? Took a bunch of OTC pain reliever and used a heating pad and fell asleep around 2am.

Wednesday I went to work in the morning and had a doctor's appointment back where I live in the afternoon. They did a test and said I had a UTI.

Now, I've had 4-5 UTIs before. They have all felt similar and nothing like this. I didn't have the urge to pee all the time and the pain was different, in a different location, and much more intense. But they prescribed me antibiotics and they helped.

Thursday morning I went in for a follow-up appointment. They drew some blood and gave me a CAT scan. I was feeling better so intended to go to work in the late morning or early afternoon.

The CAT scan showed appendicitis! And I had to go *right over* to the hospital for surgery. It all happened really fast. B. met me at the hospital. I've never had surgery (other than my wisdom teeth out in the dentist's office) and was nervous.

But I had the surgery. It was fine, no complications. My mom drove down and was there when I got out of surgery along with B.'s dad and brother. I spent a long time (over an hour and a half) in recovery because it was for them to find me a bed. I'm seeming to recover well and was checked out tonight.

From my appointment this morning until my discharge from the hospital was exactly 12 hours.

Guess I'm not going in to work tomorrow either.

On the one hand it would have been nice if this had happened when I had paid sick time. On the other time I'm really glad it didn't happen during vacation last week.

I'm sore now, but not in too much pain. B. is out getting my prescription. I suspect I'll be going to bed soon.

Wednesday:

We were running a little late so we just grabbed "breakfast" (really lunch) at the food court at Caesar's. My tacos were pretty good.

Caesar's is right now my favorite casino in terms of awesome, over the top, design.

The spa was so great! They have the nifty, four-sprayer showers. The massage therapist was excellent. I spent a lot of time in the cedar sauna. They also had "roman baths" so three pools: hot, medium, and omg so cold I could only go in for a second. I also sat in the "arctic room" to cool down. It had snow! well "snow", but still! Nifty!

Then we went through the shops. I spent maybe a little too much money at Bettie Page buying 50s style dresses. They are so much fun!

Then we went to Planet Hollywood (I think) for cheeseburgers at this kitchy-cool hawaiian-themed place (I had my first mai tai, funny I hadn't had one before, it was too sweet).

Next it was to the Bellagio for O. The show was incredible! Probably my favorite cirque du soleil show (although Varekai is also still up there). Much more satisfying than Zumanity. I loved the visuals and the world-building (and the clowns!). They also had a ton of aerial arts stuff which I especially love after taking trapeze. Water! Fire! More Water! I heart O.

Then we watched the fountain show outside the Bellagio. Pretty.

We popped into the Mirage for a minute. The view from the roof-top parking was nice. Unfortunately the white tiger had moved to a pay area and the Beatles Love store was closed (B. wanted to stop in), but it was nice to see another hotel.

At some point we will get around to gambling a little. Hopefully tomorrow since it is our last day.

Saturday:

Yesterday we went to the buffet at the Bellagio, soooo much food. I especially enjoyed the company (B., B., and B.) and my dessert sampler.

Then we went shopping. At chain stores which was a little weird, but I found a great dress at Ann Taylor that was 50% off (and interacted with one of the most helpful salespeople ever).

Then this other things happened. Here is my synopsis written at 2:00am when I was really tired.

Then we had a strange experience in Lucky Jeans, where the salesguy *really* wanted me to find some great jeans, and I did too, but they were out of the ones that would have been perfect (ie worth the expensive price) in my size, so we left. But then we saw this green jacket in the window, I've been looking for one since JA (friend from work) bought this great one that looks great on me, but it's been sold out, blah blah blah. Anyways this one at Lucky looks awesome! but was too expensive ($100) so he offers to buy it for me and give it to me "as a gift" because he gets an employee discount. So I give him $60 in an envelope and we wait outside the store until they're done closing (about 20 min.). Thinking this is a little sketchy and just bizarre. Then he says he needs $5 for tax, and I send B. off to get change, and he comes out with the jacket and said that he threw a ten in and gives me change. This makes no sense to me. And I give him $5, so for $65 I got a jacket and $5.63 back is change? WTF. And we can't figure out if the guy was just being really nice, but you can get in big trouble at work for giving your employee discount to random people, or was he hitting on me? but neither of us really got that vibe? but are people really that nice? Or was he trying to really get us to come back on Tues. when the news jeans come in so I can buy them? (Which we might do.) Anyways. Weird.

Then we went back to the con hotel, hung out at the pool and chatted which was really nice.

--

Sunday:

We spent most of the day at the con, which was good. I really enjoyed the Leverage panel, and watching the new episode with fangirls tonight!

I also took some time to chill and read a book out by the pool. It was very relaxing.

B. and I had a GREAT dinner at Border Grill in Mandalay Bay. I didn't realize until we got there that it's owned by Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger from Top Chef Masters (they had a big sign with a picture in front of the restaurant). The atmosphere was relaxed and fun and the food was SOOOO GOOD!

We had:
-a sour cherry mojito, this was excellent, very well balanced
-Chicken Adobo Quesadilla, the best quesadillas we've both ever had
-Peruvian Ceviche (lime marinated hawaiian fish, aji amarillo, cilantro, red peppers, pickled onion, avocado, plantain chips), this is only the second time I've had ceviche and it was really good, even B. liked it and he's not a very adventurous eater
-Baby Back Ribs with honey and chili(?), on special, the perfect mix of hot and just a little sweet

Then back to the hotel for Leverage and chill-at-the-pool time (obi_ki you were missed!).

Now wonderful sleep. Tomorrow we're meeting my cousin at the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area for a picnic and hiking!

I'm in Vegas!!! We arrived yesterday. This weekend is the con and then vacation is the rest of the week.

Sat next to a chatty conservative guy on the plane who kept drinking beer (he bought B. one and kept offering us more, but we passed). I don't usually talk for so many hours with people whose life view is so opposite of mine. Given that it was pretty interesting and respectful. We discussed politics, taxes, abortion (we have opposing views), the NEA (I got a pretty animated on this one, the stewardess may have asked us to quiet down), and eventually movies (thank goodness).

B. and I did some education:
guy: [discussing the Strauss-Khan thing] "well she was a whore"
me: "it's still rape even if she's a prostitute"
B.: "a woman can withdraw consent at *any time*"
me and B.: [more explanation on this point, it's rape even if it's your wife, etc.]
him: "Huh. I didn't know that."
me: [internally: OMG That Women Are People Is News to You, 45 Year Old Man!!!]

To his credit he did seem to get it; it was like he had just never considered the issue before. ::facepalm::

Then later:
guy: "I believe that Americans are morally superior to people in other countries."
me and B.: "We disagree with you."

[There was more discussion, qualification, etc. but you get the point.]

-----

Back to Vegas!

We've been pretty chill so far. Drove up the strip and checked into the time share. It's pretty nice. The bedroom has an adjoining area (before the bathroom) with a whirlpool tub. Awesome. There are weird shutters you can open so you can chat with the person in the tub from the bed. A little strange (but maybe that's just a failure of my imagination?).

We hung out with people last night. I saw part of the vid show and then hung out with people in the pool.

This morning B. and I had breakfast and then I chilled for a couple hours. I just started The Girl Who Played with Fire. Attended a pretty good Dr. Who panel this afternoon. I think tonight we might go see the movie with everyone or gamble a little.