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Troblems

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Blog Entries posted by Troblems

  1. Troblems
    It’s not quite time to reflect yet, but I’m a scarcity around here anymore, so here is what you get. My going to Bronycon started as a joke. I’m too unhealthy to go to a new city on my own. We certainly didn’t have the funds. Plus I would land and leave again to go to Mexico within 24 hours. But we made it work. I’ve told a few people, but the reason I disappeared for a few years was that I was pregnant. And then I wasn’t. It was a dark time for me. I’ve had a few forum members apologize to me because they knew and didn’t reach out to me. Don’t. I was actively pushing everyone away. I just wanted to be in my miserable bubble! And that’s okay.
    I brought up BronyCon to my husband as a joke. I could never go. He was either in the process of or was actively losing his job. We couldn’t afford for me to go. But then he told me my mental health mattered more, and that I needed to. He was sick of hearing me mope, even if he was always supportive. So I went. I was nervous about my classes, but that’s later Trob’s prob’s. I had a fantastic four days and it genuinely helped me heal. From helping @Jeric get her skirt ready to when @Jedishy was handing out bracelets. I’m still wearing mine. It looks a little worse for wear. Bunking with someone I was chill as hell with, one I didn’t know, and one I was actively terrified of. @LadyMercury is cool as hell by the way. The whale. @Pathfinder and the art that came out of it. Hanging with @Snow at the airport. Dude is also cool as hell. @~C. Discord~ who introduced me to his MHW friends and let me face roll Nergigante. There’s so many more rad people. @Randimaxis in general. 
     
    I know a lot of people don’t know who I am, but Bronycon lit a fire under my ass. I’ve been trying to graduate early. I’m hoping to have 18 units completed this term. Assuming I do that, I’ll have 30 left to graduate. That doesn’t split nicely, but if I continue at my current pace, and particularly with my current motivation, I could be done with those 30 units in 9 months or less. I’m pretty pumped. I hope y’all will excuse my random dropping in. I’m trying to better myself, and I’m pretty excited for the proposition.
    Also I would be remiss if I didn’t mention surprise, it’s seizures, and the new hip thing in 2020, the rona. Wash your hands, cover your face, you nasties.
  2. Troblems
    I’ve been going to a neurologist for a long time. I’ve had migraines since the age of around 11. They’ve never been as bad as some people I know, but they suck all the same. My neurologist suggested back at the end of September that my migraines might be seizures. At first I was in denial. Then I was busy through October and November traveling. Finally at the beginning of December I was able to get an EEG. It took until today to get the follow up appointment because of scheduling shenanigans. I have left temporal epilepsy. That’s really about all I got from the appointment, even though it was over an hour long. Apparently this could be what is causing or exacerbating my learning disability, so uh... that would have been nice to know before now. I’ve been on an anticonvulsant for several years already to treat other things, so that’s been keeping the headaches manageable, but I’ll be coming off that most likely. 
    This is a lot. There’s a good chance my mom also has it, which sucks. There are more questions I wanted to ask, but couldn’t because being told you have a seizure disorder isn’t conducive to asking smart questions. I also feel like I’m letting my husband down a bit. He didn’t sign up for all this. While I had all these medical problems when we married, he didn’t know that. Nor did I, to be fair. 
    On the upside because of the break I took I was able to pass my term. My husband also was able to find a new job as well, and I’m super proud of him. <3
  3. Troblems
    I finally got to see my best friend for the first time since thanksgiving day. I gave her a gift card, and a t-rex pin because she loves dinosaurs. Kind of lame, but my mind wasn’t really in Christmas mode after international travel. Anyway she got me the coolest friggen Christmas gift ever. Or rather made it for me, and I love them. 

    She made our OCs as miniatures. My OC is a unicorn, and hers is a pegasus, but it was so incredibly thoughtful that she bought the figures, and painted them, and had to ask my husband for a reference of my OC. I love them so much. Plus the eyes on hers are hilarious.
  4. Troblems
    I’ve had migraines since I was 14, I actually clearly remember getting my first one. Lately they’ve been stupid manageable to the point where I’ve not had one since December 16 of last year. The reason for that is I’m on an anti migraine pill that helps with all over pain, which is a thing I have. It’s also anti seizure, and my doctor is worried that the pill isn’t blocking migraines, but rather seizures. Cool. Love that for me.
    So I had an EEG today. I had been trying to get ahold of the hospital doing the test for three weeks before they finally picked up their phone. That was a nice touch. When they finally did and I got scheduled, they left out some details. An EEG captures what your mind brain is doing, and you’re supposed to be sleep deprived during the test so you can conk out. But there’s also a person in the room watching you try to sleep. It takes me excessive amounts of time to fall asleep, so that was cool. Then someone knocked on the door saying they need to work on the plumbing in the next room over. I was already in pain, and that hour was basically torture.
    In the first 5 minutes of the test, the flashed strobe lights at me for what seemed like forever. Bright lights can absolutely trigger a migraine, and that was truly an awful several minutes. 
    On top of that, they stick electrodes to your hair. I have stupid fragile skin, which the tech rubbed pretty hard to get the paste off. I seem to be allergic to the paste, and my head was bleeding. So good times were had by all. 
    I’m stupid sleep deprived. While today wasn’t awful, it wasn’t pleasant, and I don’t want to do it again, and I still don’t know the results yet! Cool day, my dudes.
     
  5. Troblems
    Nord VPN has verified that it was compromised in March 2018. VPNs have been making money hand over fist with deceptive marketing practices, as they basically advertise that they are a one stop shop for all of your online safety needs, and that's just not true. It's kind of like owning a house. You can't just put a lock on your front door and call it good. It depends on the neighborhood you live in, how often you're home, if you trust your neighbors, etc. You'll want to have several layers of security, and you never want to be the worst, or best house in the neighborhood. You always want to be somewhere in the middle to avoid being targeted. I could go on about physical security all day, but I won't because this isn't about that.
    So how VPNs work in that they rent servers all over the world, and those servers create a tunnel between you and that server that basically makes it hard for your ISP to see. It also makes it hard for your router to see, so that makes it a good choice if you're on an unsecured router say at a coffee shop or hotel. Now that means that you're going to have to trust your VPN provider more than your ISP, so there's always a trade off. One good thing is that most VPNs take cryptocurrency, so if you really don't want to be tracked, you can go the crypto route. That's on you.
    I chose to subscribe to Nord personally a few years back. I'm going into cybersecurity, so I figured a VPN is probably a good thing to have. I was choosing between two, Nord and Express. Express is a bit more expressive, but tends to have a bit quicker connection. Both are outside the five eyes, and Nord was cheaper, so I went with it. Always pay for your VPNs.
    Now, the reason why the Nord hack seems like it's not that big of a deal, it was in Finland on a rented server, with an asymmetric key, so it's not like it could have been used indefinitely. I personally don't connect to Finland. What's the big deal? Well, it was more than a year and a half ago. I know it can take a while to figure out if a company even has been compromised, but Nord said they found out about it "a few months ago". You need to let people know about that shit. That's just unacceptable. Additionally, if the service is touting itself as your one stop shop for all your safety needs online, step up your game, and actually be secure. Don't be gross. It's a serious violation of the trust of people who know better, and especially those that don't.
    TechCrunch has a great article on the entire thing for anyone who is interested. Tom Scott also has an incredible video about VPNs, and he even wrote a more honest commercial about them. I don't agree with everything he said in the video, especially because intercepting network traffic at a coffee shop is still a very real threat, but overall, it's very well done.
    This is just a really short overview of my thoughts because I could talk about this stuff for hours, but I've seen people's eyes glaze over when I start talking VPNs, online safety, securing your house, etc.
  6. Troblems
    I’m briefly home. I went on a Disney cruise, and was fabulously sunburnt. Got to go snorkeling, which is among one of my favorite things to do. Odd since for those who know me well know I detest water. Being wet, baths, showers, rain, pools, swimming, wet dogs, you name it, not a fan. But I adore snorkeling. Didn’t care for the second degree sunburn.
    Anyway I got to talk to IT onboard the ship, which was rad. I think they enjoyed speaking to someone in a normal tone, rather than getting yelled at. The two guys my husband and I spoke with were so excited to talk to us about their job, and then the girls at the front desk were teasing them because apparently they never laugh. It’s just they were with their people, mang! They verified what I had already suspected, what sort of telecommunications devices Disney uses. That’s not really a secret. If you know anything about big corporate networks, you can take a pretty good guess. They talked about the logistics of their job, and how they basically do everything onboard, and a lot of what they do is liaise with the offboard team to finagle solutions until a more permanent one is found. My last cruise I was able to talk with the costume crew, which was also rad. The woman I spoke with showed me how they did quick changes for Elsa from Frozen on stage. 
    Food was fabulous. I read a lot. We had a great time.
    Anyway, I’m only briefly home. I leave again in the next few days for Spain. I don’t expect to be on a whole lot, and in theory the connection in Spain is decent, but my house has a fiber connection. I’m just saying. 
    I *hope* to talk about the Nord VPN breach in the next few days, because that’s my field, and it’s also a huge area of interest for me, but I’m not sure I’ll get to it. I’ve also been awake way too long. Good night.
  7. Troblems
    I've been waiting since Mother's Day to pick up my rabbits from the animal shelter. The US Mother's Day was on 12 May, so two and a half weeks. It was only supposed to be a couple of days, and I was actually supposed to pick them up the day after my birthday, on the 18th, but there was a double booking with the surgeon, so that didn't happen, but they're home now!
    Anyway, I've had two rabbits before, one died about a year and a half ago. She was the first pet I got with my husband, she was deaf, and the queen of the household. She bossed everyone around, and was completely fearless, probably because she was deaf, and lost a lot of the skittishness associated with most rabbits. She was fucking rad, and I miss her.
    So the two bunnies I brought home had the most ridiculous names when we got them, as shelter pets tend to do. My dog, named Pascal now was called Leroy, and while fitting, that obviously had to go. His dog (yes, my dog has a dog) was named Aioli, now named Lovelace. Not the worst shelter name I've ever heard. My second rabbit didn't have a name. One of my cats was Lennon, as in John Lennon. One of the guys that worked there loved the Beatles, and really took a shine to him. Anyway, the rabbits were named Timmy and Nugget, and those obviously had to go.
    One of the rabbits is significantly larger than the other, and while at the shelter was completely chill. Bring him home, no chill. He's been a nightmare. He's pushy, doesn't want to be touched, won't eat any veg, massive sweet tooth, and if we're being honest, is kind of fat. Super unhealthy for most animals (including humans) but really bad for rabbits. He was apparently outdoor bun, only got out once or twice a week. Doesn't like to be picked up, but that's normal for rabbits. Super intelligent. I adore him already. He's going to be trouble; I can tell.


    The other one is significantly smaller, and while he was really brave with the cage door closed at the shelter, didn't really want to be touched. bring him home, and he instantly is more comfortable with me than the other rabbit is. I was actually able to get the medication he needs into him, which was not the case with the larger one, because rabbits are surprisingly strong. He was also happy to sit with me, which was nice. He refuses to eat in front of me, which I find to be a little humorous, but you do you, little dude.


    They met briefly. I had to separate them because they immediately started humping each other, and while normally I'd let them, it's apart of rabbit dominance, and pecking order and all that, y'all just got neutered yesterday, SLOW YOUR ROLL. So their cages are close for now, they can smell, they can see, but they cannot touch, nor hump. Will try again in a few days, after they've healed a bit more. Especially once they've lost a few more of the hormones.


    They also stink, because all shelter animals stink.
  8. Troblems
    I like every season aside from Winter. I find Winter to be truly lovely, but I’m not much for Christmas, and cold makes my body ache. Back to Spring. Spring means it’s starting to warm up, my birthday is on the way, and baby critters are imminent. We’ve adopted all of our pets this time of year, usually this week. And this year is no acceptation. 2017 my husband and my’s first pet that we got together, a mini lop rabbit died due to liver failure. Our deaf, poorly behaved, commanding, fearless rabbit that lived through driving cross country, died. They even did an autopsy so they could learn from her, and give better care in the future, which I thought was beautiful. I can’t even type this out without tearing up.
    We got our dog Pascal, our puppy Lovelace, and our cats Hypnos and Ganache all this time of year. But we’re missing someone. Our little miss pants, our rabbit with an attitude who was completely fearless. While getting new rabbit won’t replace her, I hope to honor her memory with two new bunny pals.
     
    We pick them up Saturday from the adoption agency. Once they’re used to each other, they’ll share a space. Once they’re used to the space, they’re area will expand to all of my office, and so long as they’re comfortable, hopefully the whole house. The little black and white one is a bit timid, but he’s not been around people too much. The bigger white male was instantly friendly and wanted to hang out. Neither were even interested in being aggressive.
    The balance of power is going to be wrested firmly away from us ladies, me and Lovelace, but we’re tough, and we can handle it. I just miss having softs to low key cuddle with.
  9. Troblems
    I used to make plushies. I enjoyed it a lot but they just weren’t lucrative enough for me to keep doing so I decided that I’d rather do something I love, and make them for friends and family rather than profit, and get my degree in something I loved. Cool? Cool.
    So I started working on my degree, and it’s great. Then I get this great internship, and start shopping for clothes that make me look less slummy than I usually do. Except that uh, yeah everything I look at looks like garbage. Neat dude! I like the cut and color, but I try it on and it fits like a garbage bag. And that’s because off the rack clothes are meant to fit everyone within a given size threshold.
    Now I am a certified cheap ass. I have no problem admitting that. I don’t want to spend a lot of money on clothing that I’m only going to wear 40 hours a week that I hate. So either I’m going to have to start dressing better (boo), or not spend very much on this wardrobe upgrade. That’s much more my speed. Which means Mervyns, Sears, Toy’R’Us...I think I’m funny. Costco and Target. Cheap, available and affordable, because I hate shopping and I’d rather spend money on other things.
    Now here’s the brilliant part. As mentioned above... I already know how to sew! But stupidly, it took me a really long time to connect the two for some reason? Basically I started tailoring my own clothes. And I mean all of thems. I started with a Fluttershy shirt I’ve had forever. I ended up cutting off 6 inches of fabric from the sides, slimming the silhouette of the shirt to thank of something that actually fit me, saving it from going to Good Will into something back in my regular rotation.
    So, if anyone wants to join me in tailoring everything they own, where do you start? (My husband’s clothes won’t be saved from this treatment either) I got you. The YouTube channel Stylish Dad has been really helpful. He gave me the confidence to actually take scissors to my clothes and wasn’t just like “take a shirt that fits you, and use that as a pattern!” What if I don’t have that, you ass? Anyway, super helpful channel, and clothes that fit you are just sexier than clothes designed to fit everyone. And with that, I’m off to cut up more of my wardrobe.
  10. Troblems
    I moved in January. I love it here. I relocated from Marin county, an area I borderline despised due to the feel of entitlement that emanated from most denizens, to Austin, Tx. As soon as I arrived, I felt like I was home. My husband and I chose where we lived, which was not the case in Marin, a house owned by his father, and while a beautiful house, was never home. We hated our neighbors on one side who lied, stole, and declared themselves 'the good neighbors' (a direct quote, mind you) after they sprayed their hose in through our open window.
     
    When Husband Horse and I moved in here, all of our neighbors introduced themselves, and were really happy to see us, because the 'bad' neighbors had apparently lived in the place we're in now. Having never actually met or interacted with them, we have only hearsay to go off of.
     
    After being miserable so long in Marin, I gained a lot of weight. And now that I'm a lot happier, and we're in a lot cheaper area, we've joined a gym. Not to say that I was completely unhappy in Marin. I had my husband, he was who kept me sane, and me him, but now we're both a lot healthier. So here's where the big project bit comes in.
     
    We officially arrived in Texas on December 31 2015, pulling up to our new place with New Years fireworks going off. It was pretty symbolic of our new life. Moving stuff. Literally. Lololol. Anyway! It's been 6 months, and I've lost over 35 pounds. I've started slimming down some of my favorite clothes, because they've become tent like. I've still got most of a wardrobe to go. Between the move and at one point being bedridden for a year, I got up to 208 pounds. For being 5'3, I was just under being morbidly obese. I've now dropped to the overweight category.
     
    Now, I still have a long way to go. I realize this. But also remember that I'm older than most of the demographic on this site, have a learning disability, and am physically disabled. This isn't meant to be inspirational, but if I can do this shit at 31, you guys can do anything. Seriously. I put a lot more personal information about myself in here than I usually would, but I also left a lot out. If anyone wants to know what I did leave out, like why I was in bed for a year, feel free to PM me.
     
    I'm continuing on my weight loss journey, since I have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome hypermobility type, AKA type III, which means all of my joints go at least 15 degrees past where they're 'supposed' to stop, making them really weak. To those who have met me know that I walk with a limp. The more weight I lose the less likely I am to be a gimp. (I can call myself that. If anyone else calls me that though, it is damn rude.) I hope within the next few months that I will be willing to post a picture of myself on the forums without shame. I've noticed my face has significantly slimmed, and I feel better about myself, odd considering I never felt particularly bad about myself.
     
    Anyway, at this point I'm just sort of rambling. I've been looking at YouTube videos of how to cut up t-shirts and make them super cute, so I'm going to do some of that, and some I'll just slim down. I don't have the money to replace my wardrobe completely, nor would I want to. I'm proud of myself, and I'll still have the signs of being heavier, but I don't think I want to lose those. I need those reminders of where I've been and where I don't want to be again.
  11. Troblems
    I gripe regularly about my disability. I try not to whine about the pain, as it would be all I talk about, but the disability itself, I'm pretty open about. I'll cover it again, though.
     
    I have Ehler Danlos type 3, also known as hypermobility type. It's not the kind that will cause me to drop dead, luckily. It does cause me a lot of pain and discomfort. It also causes this:


    Like my nails? Teehee. All my joints do that, but it's most obvious in my hands. Anyways, I recently got a new prescription for an anti-inflammatory, which is one of my biggest combatants for pain issues. Normally they also cause me really bad heartburn, so I can't take them on a daily basis. In comes the magical new prescription, Voltaren. Now, this stuff is pretty expensive, but the tube is huge. Tube, you say? Yup, tube. It's a topical gel.
     
    Unfortunately it doesn't work well on places like my hips, which right now is one of my problem areas. About three months back my left hip dislocated, which is a regular issue for me, and in probably another 10 years I'll need to have it replaced. But for joints like my hands, wrists, knees, elbows, and other smaller joints, it's a godsend, working in less than 5 minutes and not causing heartburn. The biggest downsides I've noticed so far is that the pain comes back in a few hours where with the anti-inflammatory pills, they would often knock the pain out. The other is that I smell like old people.
     
    This may be a bit TMI for some, and for that I apologize. While the gel isn't life changing, it has made a major impact in my life in the less than a week I've had it, and I feel like it's worth sharing, particularly if it can help even a single other person on this forum. If anyone else has inflammation issues here in single small joints, I'd seriously suggest you talk to your doctor about this medication, because it's so much better than taking a pill and waiting the 40 minutes to an hour for it to kick in.
  12. Troblems
    Or rather, my cat found a thing. Luckily my 85 pound (36ish kg) dog is really protective of small animals, and saved it. We have not washed it. Rather, it's covered in dog slime. Yippee.

    I figure at this point it doesn't need to be traumatized any further by washing it. Husband Horse has gone to whole foods to get it some goat milk, the recommended diet for a critter that size. I don't have high hopes of it living. It doesn't seem to be injured, but with something that size, you never know. If it does live, we're going to take it to the vet, have it altered, get it shots, and keep it, since we already have a rabbit. And current rabbit is going to be SO ANGRY. She's already pretty surly. We may have to keep them separate.
  13. Troblems
    Not the forums. Besides, announcing my departure in that way isn't my style. Nor my staff position, though my current member title contradicts that. Since February Husband Horse and I have been working on moving to Texas from California. Aside from several months abroad, we've both lived here our whole lives. Now we're moving not only halfway across the country, but away from our parents. Now, being that we're grown ass adults, you'd think this would be no big deal. This turns out to be the exact opposite.
     
    Husband Horse's mom has been crazy during the move. She pulled this during our wedding, too. Normally she's just annoying, now she's unbearable, and a good chunk of the reason we're moving. His dad lives overseas, so we don't see him that often anyways. The problem comes in with my family. I've always been uncommonly close to my parents as well as my brother. It's been a few years since I moved away from my brother, so that blow is a little less harsh. However I haven't lived more than a few hours from my parents ever.
     
    My mom is, like I am, physically disabled. We deal as best we can, but if anything ever happens to my dad, she's going to have to come live with us. No two ways about it. I'm fine with that, although I hope, as many children do, that my dad will live forever. If something happens to my mom, I don't see my dad living through it. He's incredibly stoic, and hides well his emotions, but his entire life is focused around keeping her happy.
     
    I asked my parents to come with us. We have the space. Everything is bigger in Texas, right? My mom flat out refused. Without visiting, without having ever been to Austin, she said no. That struck me hard. She chose to stay in California over going with us. My family has always been poor. My dad is a car salesman, and my mom can't work. Moving to Texas would be a huge financial boon to them. That's another big reason for Husband Horse and I to move. We're hoping to be able to not be so poor.
     
    I'm hurt by my mom's decision to stay. I can't fault my dad, because whatever my mom says goes. Perhaps I should be upset with him, but I can't bring myself to be. I've always been my parent's kid. My dad's goofy sense of humor, my mom's brash, anything goes attitude. I'm going to miss my mommy and daddy.
  14. Troblems
    Soooo yesterday morning at around 6am I woke up because the back of my hand was itching. This is in no way abnormal, so I popped a short acting allergy pill and went back to sleep. When I woke up, I had a gnarly rash on the back of my hand. Hives are in no way unusual for me, but they are generally tiny bumps, and not big red patches. The night before was a lazy day since that night I needed to pick up some family at the airport, and I came into contact with nothing that would normally set me off. I figured it would be gone by this morning.
     
    To my surprise, I awoke with a swollen hand and the rash which the night before had been small splotches was now large ones that were red and swollen. Considering my past allergy issues, I always carry epi pens, so armed with two of them, I sojourned to the ER.
     
    The picture below is my hand as I waited for my prescription to be filled:


    Pretty ain't it?
     
    After a shot of steroids, a handful of steroids to take home, and a topical steroid cream, the swelling is beginning to go down. However, it's still spreading. Yay!
     
    I also made two different doctors scratch their heads. It's not bug bites. Considering my OCD, I wash my hands way more than is strictly necessary, which should have spread the rash to my other hand. No changes to my diet or daily routine.
     
    It hurts a bit, but more than that, it itches like the fire of 1000 suns. And through all of that, my nails are still perfectly manicured. Teehee.
     
    Probably a bit too graphic but misery loves company, and right now I'm full exactly that.
     
    Did I mention my joint disorder also makes me metabolize topical medications usually before they can actually be useful? Good times, right here. Good times.
  15. Troblems
    I'm currently working on a Rarity plush, and so far she looks amazing. There's one issue: Even though I wear gloves during the process, white picks up every speck of dust in the room, and collects oil faster than the bottom of a McDonald's fry container, which had been stressing me out like mad, since Rarity is white, not a drab off-white gross...thing. Considering how many of us in the fandom have white plushies, I figured I would pass the word along.
     
    After pouring over the internet hoping to find some source of hope, I was able to find the magic ingredient that fixes all collected grossness, and it's something almost everyone should have in their kitchen.
     
    Baking soda.
     
    Seriously, that's all it takes to get your white plushies to (proverbially) sparkle like the day you got it. I've tried the technique on one of my test plushies, and it worked like magic. The result was staggeringly simple.
    Stick your plush in a pillowcase that you are positive won't leak any dye onto your plush, because that would suck
    Dump in a goodly amount of baking soda (depending on the size, 2 tbsp for a 5 inch tall plush, going up from there), enough to give the plush a good dusting all over its body
    Tie off your pillow case
    Shake! I usually shake for about 3 minutes pretty vigorously
    Let sit about 10 minutes, more depending on how badly soiled it is
    Remove plush from pillowcase
    Dump out the baking soda from the pillowcase

     
    Optional:
    Turn pillowcase inside out
    Put plush inside the inside out pillowcase
    Tie a knot in the pillowcase (No escapees!)
    Toss that sucker into the dryer (Use a dryer sheet if you so desire)
    Only leave it in for 2-3 minutes

    The optional bit will fluff up your stuff(ie) just a bit, but isn't required for cleaning
     
    Now you want to get out as much of the baking soda as you can. Much like beating a rug (sorry Rarity!), you don't want to do this too hard, but at the same time you want to make it so you don't get covered in white powder every time you give your plush a squeeze. Once you get all the excess, you're done. While it won't be the same as when you got it, it shouldn't be as dingy anymore. Just be aware before you start that not all plushies will make it through this process. Make sure that all the seams are strong enough to withstand a toss or two in the dryer.
     
    Additionally, if you feel so inclined, you can unstuff your plush if you have sewing ability, soda your plush, and restuff with new, fluffy stuffing. Make sure you know how to do this before attempting to do so. This involves not only sewing, but you should know how to stuff a plush. It's not as easy as it seems. (seams? Haaaa.)
     
    Anyways, that's all! It shouldn't take more than 15 minutes.
     
    A couple of notes:
    This is not a method I came up with, but because it was so useful, I thought other people could use it as well.
    I have no tested this on any color other than white. I may work, I just don't know.
    If for whatever reason your plush gets screwed up in this process, it's not my fault. I'm just passing the word along.
  16. Troblems
    BABSCon has been great so far. I haven't spent huge amounts of time at the con because of health issues, but the time I did spend there has been a blast. While hanging with the other staff members of the Poniverse has been great, I wanted to touch on something that had a rather profound impact on me.
     
    I live in the area (sort of) where BABSCon is being held, the bay area of Northern California. I haven't been happy here for quite a while for a variety of reasons, and my husband and I are working on moving. One of the biggest reasons though is how inconsiderate and rude most people seem to be in this area.
     
    Going to BABSCon today was like being in a whole different world. Everyone I spoke with today was kind, or at the very least courteous. People at the con would hold doors open for you. Say please when they requested something. There were acknowledgements to kindnesses, even minor ones. Thank you, while said a lot, was a genuine phrase.
     
    I often read about people who have become disillusioned with the fandom. They feel disappointment for one reason or another. Perhaps most people when they go to conventions are on their best behavior, but today the cordial manner with which everyone treated everyone else with was refreshing. I didn't see one person that was rude, nasty, or mean. Almost everyone wore a smile. The graciousness and hospitality were felt everywhere.
     
    When I first joined the fandom, I wasn't sure it was something I wanted to be apart of. After joining several communities online and slowly fading from them for whatever reason, I found the brony community to be among the most sincere and most decent.
     
    I came for the ponies. I stayed for the bronies.
     
    You guys are the best.
  17. Troblems
    Dumb cat is home! And at the rate that he's costing us, he better start shitting gold. Like yesterday.

    Sigh. At least he's home. And alive. And some bank exec is making a very nice living off the credit we've used saving Dumb Ass's life. He's also got these stylin' bald spots on his legs where they did ...vet things. He also gets special (expensive) food from now on. Lucky him. He will forever be fed in the crate of shame.

    Where's my special food? I want special food.
    I think this week just needs to be over.
  18. Troblems
    I made a blog before about my cat, and how he had a gaping hole in his leg that I have no idea how he got it. That recovered fine, he walks with a mild limp occasionally. Anyways, about a week back he was acting funny, so he got put on antibiotics because he had a fever. Then today I noticed he was laying on the floor under my sewing desk, a place he only inhabits if I'm working.
     
    I approached him, and he shied away from me, something he never does because I'm his favorite person in the whole world (he likes boobs). Concerned, I started to press on things, softly but firmly. His abdomen seemed inflamed and he would cry out occasionally. We rushed him to the vet, and my guess ended up being right: His urinary tract is completely blocked by stones. Sometimes I hate being right.
     
    By the time we got him there his bladder was about the size of a softball, though it hadn't ruptured, which is the one saving grace. They're not sure they can save him. I've kind of devolved into a puddle, and am trying to distract myself in any way possible.
     
    Out of the four pets my husband and I have, he's the least favorite. He's dumb as a rock, doesn't understand that claws are sharp, and demands more of my time than I'm usually willing to give (All of it, if he could have it). But I really hope he pulls through. This whole thing is going to end up being about 2000$, money we don't really have, but there was never a question of just having him put down.
  19. Troblems
    I'm poor. People in their 20s generally (but not always) are. So I figured I could pass along my money saving secrets for the girls (or guys!) of the forums. I make a lot of stuff from home, especially beauty products. So here's my recipe for homemade shower scrub:
    Coconut oil (virgin, unbleached, uncooked)
    Granulated white sugar
    1 whole citrus fruit
    Several heaping spoonfuls of honey
    Vanilla extract for smell

    If it needs it, melt the coconut oil. Do not put it in the microwave or into a saucepan to melt it. That will get rid of all the good stuff in the oil. Instead, boil some water, and get two bowls: One fairly large, the other small enough to fit inside the second. Put your hardened coconut oil into the smaller bowl. Pour boiling water into the larger, and float the smaller in the water of the larger bowl. Pour the melted stuff as needed into your (third, large) mixing bowl. Make sure it doesn't harden while you're melting the rest. Have patience, this could take 10-15 minutes. Just keep stirring the hardened coconut oil, and replacing the boiling water as it cools.
    Once it's in liquid form, put it all into the large mixing bowl, and add all liquid ingredients. Zest your citrus fruit, then juice the insides into your oil. Add vanilla extract and honey. Stir all the liquids together.
    Once you've got all of them mixed, add your sugar. Go slowly, adding 1/3 of a cup at a time. Your first couple of scoops will melt completely into the mixture, and that's fine. Keep adding and mixing until it's grainy.
    Pour into an airtight container, and off you go to the shower. Depending on how much you made, and how often you shower, this can last you several months. If you live in a cold climate, while your showering, you may want to put the container on your shower floor before you use it so it can soften a bit for use.

    When I use it on my face, I usually apply it at the same time as conditioner, so that the oil can sit on my skin a bit, and make it super soft when I get out. After applied, always wash it off with soap, and it will be extremely greasy if you don't. Also, it seems kind of like a no brainer, but don't get it in your eyes. Citrus in your eyes is unpleasant.
     
    Q&A:
    Okay, Troblems, that's great and all, but how much of each do I use?
    This is by no means an exact science, and it depends how much you want to make. this last time I used about a cup of oil, but I made a container for myself, and one for my mom. We both got a good heaping amount of the scrub.
     
    What is it supposed to look like when it's made?
    It depends on how much honey you use, because that's the most colorful part.
     
     
     
    OMG it smells amazing! Can I eat it?
    Sure, why the hell not? You can use other extracts aside from vanilla, such as Jasmine, but don't each it at that point. Also, don't add astringent oils like tea tree. You don't want that all over your face.
     
    Which citrus should I use?
    Which one if your favorite? Or which do you have around the house? I've used meyer lemons (my personal favorite) oranges, grapefruit. I'm sure limes would smell amazing, but they are much smaller, so you would probably want to use a couple of them.
  20. Troblems
    Story time, kiddos
     
    Approaching Christmas 2011 I got an invite from this guy I was dating. He was nice and cute, if somewhat goofy. He asked me to come over for Christmas Eve, which I accepted. He hadn't told me that in Germany it was the norm to have the full Christmas celebration on Christmas Eve. I brought flowers and severely under dressed. Him, his brother, sister and mom all got me fairly nice gifts. I was rather embarrassed, and a little pissed at the guy. That night he called me his girlfriend.
     
    Boxing Day I ended up breaking it off with several other guys I had been seeing, and haven't looked back since.
  21. Troblems
    This is Stupid Hypnos. He's an indoor cat, and he somehow managed to get his leg sliced open. He's super sweet, but a couple tacos short of a combo plate. Anyways, we went to visit the scary lady that always gives him shots, and had to be put out to have his leg stapled shut. You can kind of see the wound in the picture. Needless to say, Stupid isn't very happy right now. Poor Stupid.
     
    The staples come out in about a week, but until then he's slightly drugged, and limping bad. He's just so pathetic right now though. Also visable: fabric scraps from the plushie up for auction. ><
  22. Troblems
    We're having a campout tonight, me and my husband. An alternate title for the entry could also be called the very very very very very very long weekend. Srsly, it was bad.
     
    It starts Friday morning, rising at 8am. I generally get up around noon, so that in itself was a feat. Got all our stuff packed and left the house. We drove an our north to pick up my hubby's best friend, and then back south, down the 101 freeway towards Santa Barbara. Drove about 5 hours, and dropped off the said friend (Ironhyde, as he goes by) at a hotel so he could meet a girl with whom he had been conversing with online. We drove the last hour and a half to hubby's grandmother's.
     
    We arrived at her house, and had dinner and disappeared for the night. We both wanted to unwind, so we excused ourself from her company, but of course she came to our normal room and kept yammering. Finally got her to go away, and we bunked down for the night. Next day I awoke at the crack of noon, and my husband was already in a mood from helping his grandmother. Now, I'm all for respecting my elders, but they have to deserve it. Honestly, this woman is just awful. She pulls guilt trips on everyone she can, which alienates them to the point that they don't want to be around her. She had asked my husband to clean out the two garden sheds (one of which he had previously cleaned, and she had messed up again). Inside the shed was a lot of chemicals that used to be legal household cleaning products. Now they're considered hazardous waste. Hubby took some down to be dumped, which got oil all over the back of our pickup. Great.
     
    That night we left to go further south and see my brother. I adore my brother. We had a great time. Apparently he and I have a sibling language that only he and I are in on. I never noticed it until it was pointed out to me. He's matured a lot, and I'm super proud of him. Anyways, back to grandma's house to conk out.
     
    By the time we got back, we found the driveway blocked with a passive aggressive note about how the truck was leaking oil, and she didn't want it in the driveway. It wasn't. It was the oil that had spilled earlier in the day. With much annoyance we trekked off to bed.
     
    This morning I got up around 9. It took us four hours to extricate ourselves from his grandmother. She's a lonely hoarder, and every time we leave, she cries. ARGH. Anyways, we finally get out on the road, pick up Ironhide (who had a fantastic weekend), slog through 6 hours of driving and two of San Francisco traffic, drop him off at home, an hour north of us, and finally head towards our house. YAY! I get to sleep in my own bed!
     
    Except I don't. We have two cats, and one of them was badly mistreated before we got him, so he has some inappropriate urination issues, and has this dominance thing going on with hubby because he's absolutely in love with me. Apparently our bedroom door was left open, so we come home to pee on my husband's side. :okiedokielokie:
     
    So we bust out the air mattress for the third night in a row, and we're in the front entryway, camped out in our own house while letting the bed dry. Honestly, I don't even care if anyone reads this or not, it felt good to just vent.
  23. Troblems
    So, this time last year, I was getting dolled up for a fancy shindig in my honor. I donned a pretty white number with Swarovski crystals adorned with a wine colored sash. I made a binding legal contract with some dude I had been shacked up with for a couple years.
     
    This morning the same some dude fed me breakfast in shower. It was delightful.
     
    Anyways, it's my one year wedding anniversary. May we have 50 more just as happy as this one.
     

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