Friends

Time for some shameless self promotion!

Sue (my wonderful mother who many of you have met at conventions) opened up a NeonDragonArt.com etsy shop for discontinued or limited quantity items. Etsy is very easy to use, and she and I are very excited about it. In the etsy store you will find some con-only items, discontinued (and thus discounted) items, and some popular items from the neondragonart store.

At the etsy store we have a pair of throw pillows left over from Youmacon. We walked into the show with 25 pillows and left with two; they were very popular! Because the pillows must be ordered in bulk, we can't place orders for them often and thus we don't carry them in the NeonDragonArt.com Store on neondragonart.com itself. Because of this, they're pretty much a con-only item. They make great xmas gifts! Very soft.


We also have t-shirt designs that we've discontinued carrying from conventions. We're selling these shirts at etsy for a discounted price. For available sizes, check the description. You can still order any design on any color of shirt off the NeonDragonArt.com site store, but you will pay full price.


There's also fun things like keepsake boxes, dogtags, and buttons available as well.


Click here to take a peek at our etsy shop. Thank you!

( Ramble about crafts, glass pendant necklaces, and handmade soap. Probably rather dull, and thus I cut to save your flist! )

Thus ends a very rambly ramble. I geek out over dumb things. It's 4AM. I wonder if I'll still be geeking out about soap in the morning; everything's cool at 4AM.

• 01:11 Just spent the day hanging out with friends. I guess this is how normal people spend weekends? It worked out! #
• 13:48 Experimenting with SPB Mobile Shell. It looks like a good Today replacement, so far. Blows TF3D out of the water easily. #
• 20:40 Watching the premiere of V on Hulu. Yes, eight day timeshifts suck, but it's better than no chance to watch at all... #
• 21:33 Looking for a good urban fantasy novel with a dragon as a major (or main, even better) character. Any recommendations? #

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Well it's offical now, me and blue are past the point of broke and our ship is sinking. I don't know what's going to happen, I can't even afford to look for work now, all the gas has to go to blue getting to work.

He's been really sick, so he missed a few days of work, which cost us a great deal. His check will be below $120. On top of that, the bank is going to nail os tomorrow for $20 over, which was gas, and that never clears right away, so they're going to hit us with that 20 over plus $32 overdraft fee,

That leaves us $68 for the week. We can't pay in to any of our bills, that has to go to food and gas for the week so he can make up the hours at work.

We're not going to be able to make rent on time, as we owe $190 to rent.

I believe our current situation of debt is;

Rent-$190
Power-$108.50
Gas-$85.40
Internet-Unknown (We've never seen a bill yet)
Phone-$84.90

Our bills are getting bigger and bigger because we can't keep up with them, only one we've managed to get any money in to has been power, and that was only $50 last month, so that only even half paid it off, which it went right over where it was before. We've never paid anything to gas yet, or internet.

This is fucking stupid as shit. We don't make enough, yet the state doesn't seem interested in helping, they won't help me because my address is still legally my parents, my name is on none of the utilitys, so the DMV refuses to reissue me a new license with out some proof of where I live, so the state refuses to help me, and we can't afford to take blue in to the DMV and get him registered in the state of Wisconsin, so no help either way we look at it because we CAN'T AFFORD IT.

We're kinda sorta doomed from this point; I'm going to start packing my stuff up after MFF and moving it in to my storage garage, which we managed to keep paid up, and from there, That way, if, or when we get kicked out, we don't lose anything.

Me and blue still plan to make MFF (I know; How furry of us, right.), but that at least 35 miles away, and him and I both get the convention for free because we're staff. Being as broke as we are, we're just going to hang around it a little is about all. I have a room in line, but I don't know if me and blue are supposed to pay for it, if that's the case, then I'm taking the alternative; I'll spend what little we have in gas to drive back home at night, or just sleep in the car. Either way, it's the only real way to save money that we, really... don't even have to begin with.

Oh well I guess, I still have my parents to move back in with...

• 15:51 The YA section at Borders is over 60% vampire. #

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If you'd like to exchange christmas cards with me, leave your address here. Comments are screened!

These days, I find myself thinking a lot about strength, though, it probly isn't what most would expect at first glance. In my mind, I just want to know, what does it mean to truly be strong?

A lot of people seem to think that to me, being strong has to do with having big muscles, or bring able to pick up things, and other bs like that. But no... that's not what being strong is to me. I really don't have a clear cut definition to be honest. It's always been something that's very gray to me, never black and white.

So, what does it mean to be strong? Is it having the muscles and power, or is it more than that? Is it being compassionate? Does it mean being able to persevere though things that pain you? Is it, no matter what life throws in your path, being able to continue being you? Is it to continue walking down the path you think is right? Is it making your own path, despite what you hear?

Is it being able to forgive? Is it the capability to know that someone has greatly wronged you in the past, yet in spite of that transgression, being able to go on and have forgiveness in your heart for them? Is it to be caring, about those you hold dear? Is it about being there for other people when they need you? Is it having the knowlege to know when you're wrong, and admit it, and to be humble from that? I don't know myself...

Some of these things... I always try to be. Over the years, I noticed that I closed myself up slowly, but in spite of that, I've always tried to do these things. I've always wanted to be strong. For the love of my life who has stood by me since I've met him, to my friends who I can count on through my darkest times, for myself.

I don't know if I'm strong or not.... I'll never know I suppose. It doesn't stop the wanting of it. One of these days... maybe I will know. Until then, I'll continue to search for my own meaning of it. For my man, who I feel has always been strong for me when I felt weak. For my friends when they need someone to hold them up when the weight of the world seems too much to bare. Most of all, for myself, so that I don't have to tire when I people who count on me, and need me to be strong for them, so they don't have to be all the time.

Good times were had at the game last night, was awesome finally getting to go to that arena. And best of all, they won :D

So I ended up going with my sister and 2 friends from college days. They were running a deal with 4 tickets, 4 hot dogs, 4 sodas for $149 which was quite fair. Seats were up in the mezzanine but the view was quite good as you can see from the pictures I took ^_^

We actually got there a little late, I blame that on my sister because she couldn't get out of work any earlier :p But we took train to newark, newark light rail to penn station, and then walked a couple blocks to the arena. We missed a good chunk of the first period by the time we got to our seats and the Islanders were already up 1-0 D:

We went to get our free foods during the first intermission but of course everyone else did as well. So we missed a bit of the second period as well and the first Devils goal, lol. Thankfully we did get to see the 2nd Devils goal and properly celebrate it and that's what the game ended up bein, 2-1 Devils :)

After the game I wanted to stop at a coffee place I had heard about as they give cafe mochas for 50% of if you have a ticket stub from the game. I went there with my sister while my two friends went for more food. Apparently we went towards the wrong direction of Newark cause there were some uhh, interesting folk near the pizza place they went to :p They ate as fast as they could and then we scurried away back to the train station >.>; Ended up getting home a bit past midnight, was good fun though, gotta do it again :)

Didn't take many pictures but here they are!
http://picasaweb.google.com/mnementh/Devils#

I also recorded video during a Devils power play but of course they didn't score on it XD
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/CUMRvNntPUQk_owZZVkcfg?feat=directlink

Just a shortlist as of today of all commissions, trades and such...

Commissions

- Nerversis -
Character(s): Tempest Beta
Status: Paid Nov 2008, Pending

- Muzz -
Character(s): Various
Status: Paid Apr 2009, In Progress (8 / 10 Completed)

- KoalaKitty -
Character(s): Various
Status: Paid May 2009, Pending (0 / 15 Completed)

- Bluebane -
Character(s): Various
Status: Paid Jun 2009, Pending (0 / 5 Completed)

- Maneater -
Character(s): Tempest Beta
Status: Paid Sep 2009, Pending

- Taoren -
Character(s): Tempest Beta
Status: Paid Sep 2009, Pending

- Reginho-
Character(s): Tempest Beta & Tempest Omega
Status: Paid Nov 2009, Pending (0 / 2 Completed)

- King-Aubrey -
Character(s): Tempest Beta & Tempest Omega
Status: Payment when completed, Pending (0 / 2 Completed)

- Reverseblade -
Character(s): Various
Status: Payment when ready, Pending (0 / 4 Completed)

- Wereremjiff-
Character(s): Muzz
Status: Payment when ready, Pending

Trades

- Dracojeff -
Character(s): Tempest Omega
Status: Awaiting their part

- Azelyn -
- Bauske -
- Blotch -
- Bo-Gilliam -
- Chibi-Marrow -
- Cougr -
- Dreke -
- Jay-Axer -
- Kitora -
- Kyuuhari -
- Moonstalker -
- Moonbryn -
- Unshackledfenrir -
- Wolfy-Nail -
- Zen -

It's not going to change much I think... >_>;

My father taught me to be very careful with touch screens. When he bought me a PDA as an experiment to see if it would help me work around some of my various learning disabilities (with its to-do lists, reminders, and general Pocket Word and scratch-pad functionality), he wouldn't let me so much as use it until he got a screen protector for it, impressing on me how fragile it is. I took him at his word, since I could see the thin resistive film on the screen, and it was obviously not very sturdy. So we kept my Cassiopeia E-125 in screen protectors, switching them out about every month because this is before screen protectors were especially good.

(As an aside, the PDA thing helped a hell of a lot, which is why I remain reliant on one to this day. People use tools to cover for what they can't do with their bodies alone- well, this tool covers for what my brain can't do.)

Not that I got many more touch-screen devices; I took the PDA to college, but it was rather dated by then, and its battery life wasn't where it needed to be. (And believe me, you care about battery life on a device that loses all its data if the battery goes flat.) So I bought a floor model from Office Depot, bought a pack of "universal screen protectors" (with a 1mm grid on the backing, so I could trim the protector to fit the screen), and went with that for a couple of years, until we switched from Sprint to T-Mobile and I got my first smartphone, the T-Mobile MDA. (I've been with Windows Mobile for a while, yeah.) And it got a screen protector too.

Nintendo asserted up and down that the DS didn't need a screen protector, so I didn't get one. The only scratch it got was when someone ran into my elbow while I was playing Yoshi's Touch & Go, and it was only visible in certain light. But by the DS Lite, they gave up trying to convince people not to use them, so I got a screen protector for it- by now, I was on Invisible Shield. My DSi, in turn, also got one.

So it's almost a heresy that I'm considering peeling it off. But I think screen technology has improved a little bit in the last 14 years. My Nokia N810's been used rather thoroughly by both myself and blackvoiddragon since I got it, and the only damage the screen has taken is fingerprints. The screen protector included with my new HTC Rhodium (or, as T-Mobile called it, the HTC Touch Pro 2) was nearly impossible to apply correctly, looked horrible, and didn't sit on the screen right (it's cut to less than 1/10mm smaller than the screen, making it nearly impossible to line up against the bezel without it leaning up on it on the other edge), so I gave up on it, haven't replaced it, never applied one to Rakeela's, and the screen is absolutely fine. The phone relies on touch so much I can't use my usual screen protector- the texture of the Invisible Shield just doesn't work for that. Actually, that texture is exactly why I'm considering peeling it off my DSi- I don't think it's doing me any good at all.

I see on a lot of mobile device forums threads about screen protectors, with the occasional person mentioning not using them (generally for screen texture reasons, same as mine), and not having particular trouble with scratches. They're usually quiet voices, and don't divert the conversation much, but I think they're right: screen protectors are outmoded, unless you like to shove your electronic devices in the same pocket as your car keys.

So having used my (kick-ass) new phone for a while, and using it rather aggressively, and discovering that it looks quite literally like it's been completely unused after a quick wipe with an optical microfiber cloth- I really don't think screen protectors are needed anymore. I'm going to stop advocating them, at least.

*peels InvisibleShield off DSi*

Edited to add: ...wow, I hadn't realized just how non-invisible the InvisibleShield was for reasons other than my own imperfect application. Seriously yellowed. I should probably scan it to show the yellowing problem I've heard rants about.

• 08:16 Not alert this morning, having a lot of trouble waking up. Need to fix my sleep schedule/habits. #
• 10:18 Why does the entire building smell like french fries? #
• 14:18 The break room has piles of leftover Halloween candy. #
• 14:59 Someone just used the e-mail-to-SMS gateway to attempt to phish me out of my bank info. No, I'm not gullible enough to respond. #
• 15:00 Take it as a warning, though; someone's going through and e-mailing T-Mobile numbers with fake credit card warnings. #
• 19:58 The Onamotapedia: www.flickr.com/photos/apelad/sets/72157603961299379/ #

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Another thought today... ya know when you have problems with 'friends' and there's usually two outcomes of said problem. 1) you make amends or 2) you end up taking your losses/gains and ending it

well, lots of 'friendships' I've had pretty much end up in the 2 category... yet noticing not one have I of had anything to gain.

Now if I need to be less vague... I mean all these friends tried pretending I did shit to piss them off, yet it was me who actually did something. Whether it was help out with money, do art, or help them with some physical service (transportation etc.) I don't remember ending a friendship where I actually had something to say I gained anything from ending it. I guess that's probably why a lot of people are happy to end it, they all ready got something.

At some point I will have more than 5 minutes of free time to update my LJ. Heh.

Keith was here last weekend. We had a wonderful, wonderful time together. This weekend I'm heading down to Kankakee for my mom's birthday. We got her a very nice bday present that she has no clue about. It shall be awesome. :3

Hope everyone is enjoying the autumn weather and colors!

I'm goin! First time I'll be seeing the new arena in beautiful downtown Newark XD But nah, apparently the area around the arena has really seen a big turn around and everyone says the arena itself is really beautiful so I can't wait, so psyched!

*eats the clock* Weekend now plz!