I haven't been around here much, but life is good. I just got a job at GameStop; I start tomorrow. I'm excited.

My husband just got home from his second tour in Iraq. It's nice to have him here again, obviously. Four months goes by more quickly now that I've gotten used to living alone. He was gone 4 months, then 6, then 4. Including TDY's (shorter trips away basically), he's been gone half our marriage. Much as that sounds horrible, I'm kinda okay with it. Strange, eh? I figure the job security and benefits are worth the trouble. He's Air Force and therefore not exactly on the line of combat. I accept there's always a risk, but his is minimal compared to what it could be. So, we're in the readjustment phase now. It was much easier to get back into the cohabitation flow this time, which I'm thankful for. He also came back with a couple solid friends who I seem to be able to chill with no problem. That's a good thing. I usually don't get along with his friends.

I'm still looking for a job, but it's slim pickings, as it is across the nation. We're not hurting for money, but we are more or less living paycheck to paycheck, so the extra income would allow us a bit of breathing room. We had a nice road trip up to D.C. to see my good friend Katie and her husband Ed, also Air Force, then to visit my dad and step-mom. I got to show Matt (husband) the "D.C. death march" as we call it. Memorials and monuments and a fabulous lunch at the Old Ebbitt Grill (my favorite part). They have really good mojitos and I've never ordered anything there that wasn't a number one flavor explosion in my mouth.

I've got three 80's on Alleria now. My love, Venndyalah (nelf hunter), my gay male priest Roellstra, and my new obsession, Samnaya (warrior tank). They're all ICC25 geared. Venn>Sam>Roe. The priest I rarely play unless someone requests a healer. He's equally geared for shadow, but I'm just not a big fan of casters. I stomp faces on the hunter. She's still survival and won't be switching to the silly MM ArP nonsense. I'm looking forward to Cataclysm, though I am skeptical that Blizzard won't fuck it all up. I'm 11/12 in ICC on both ten and twenty-five. I want to kill the stupid Lich King already. >< I predict my ten man will get him down this week or next, so fingers crossed. I'm also leveling my WHU hunter, Venndwarf, on Icecrown for the next event. Dwarf hunters only, new level cap is 30. If you don't know what I'm talking about and are interested, check out Frostheim's blog (Warcraft Hunters Union). Frostheim is my WoW crush, despite his seething hatred for us "butterfly-humping hippie nelves". Hunter power!

I'm trying to decide if I'm an alcoholic. If so, do I want to change?

I never, ever drive while drinking.
I drink, on average, 6 days a week. I have 6-12 drinks a night.
I drink rum 99% of the time and expensive scotch or a bottle of Shiraz when the mood strikes.
I don't get "Hangovers", at least not the head-pounding, I-want-to-die kind I associate with my college days. I typically wake up sleepy and with a huge libido, but am fully functional and ready to go about the day. I never shirk commitments or duties. I cook for my husband every night and I do it well. Our relationship is solid. I maintain the house and have a good relationship with both my parents as well as friends from around the world (military).

What is the face of an alcoholic?

Hello again everyone.
I'm trying to get caught up with all the lovely sets since I was inactive for quite awhile. I'll be around...

I posted a new 'set' in my pics... check it out if ya want to see me naked.

I'm working on getting it into PSW as well.

Thanks for all the well wishes.

I'm back home in Japan now. Mom's stable and all we can do is wait. I'm fine, so don't anybody worry. I got a nice, warm welcome from my friends Katie, Ed, and Marcy with a home-cooked meal and a relaxing night of YouTube videos, LOLCats, and Wii Mario Kart.

Oh and I have lots of pictures to catch up on.

My mom's in the hospital. I'm in the States until the 22nd of July...

My 23rd birthday is next Tuesday (July 1st)! Yay!

I'm pretty psyched this year because I've got a great group of friends now who I can't wait to go out with. I was worried last year because I didn't have a solid group yet and couldn't imagine a birthday alone (husband deployed, no less! ) I ended up getting to go back to the States and got to celebrate with my mom though (whose birthday is the same day).
I'll definitely miss her on 'our' day. (moment of silence)

Anyway, we're celebrating on Saturday night and we're going to a traditional Japanese restaurant called Tsubahashi's, which I've come to adore. They have the best freaking beer! And I'm a liquor girl! Lol... from there, we're going to a karaoke bar called Maneki Neko (aka 'beckoning cat' or the infamous 'lucky cat'... you know the one with one paw up ). I'm a karaoke addict, let me tell you. Hopefully it will be filled with and not so much Hehe...

In other news, I had a random creative burst, so I put it to good use and did some SG Fan Art! Check it out in my folder or in the group!

I just watched the movie, "Candy."

I haven't had that good a cry in awhile.

As a Cancer (and I don't wish to debate the zodiac at the moment), I am extremely emotional. I enjoy every outburst of emotion to its fullest.

It touched me in a way I knew it would and yet that I never expected. As a Heath Ledger fan, I was excited to see it. As an addictive personality, I was devastated. I mean that in the best way. I mean that I got the opportunity to examine my addictions. I've danced with many drugs and I've been loathe to abandon quite a few. I thank the gods that I never was interested in heroin. I can't claim to understand it because I don't. I do, however, have experience with just about everything else. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who struggled (or doesn't) with addiction in its many forms. I also recommend it to those who don't, but wish to get a glimpse at it.

In completely different news, I shot another impromptu PSW set last night. I still need to edit it with my pathetic Paint skills , but I hope to have it viewable soon.

So, teaching has turned into something I can't imagine I did without before. After the first couple classes, I got over my nervousness and am starting to believe the compliments I've been receiving on my teaching style. I didn't realize I could have a style without any previous experience.

The job has consumed me though, truly. I think I might love it. I find myself thinking in terms of what songs might be appropriate for my next class when I hear them on the radio or what articles I read online would be perfect to teach new vocab with.

My students are amazing. They surprise me and make me laugh, challenging me to think about things I take for granted in a new way. My husband has already mentioned how much more clearly I speak and that I seem to have patience where there was none before.

I realize as I read back over this that it sounds a bit too good to be true and possibly narcissistic too. I just feel giddy at the prospect of the realization of a dream I've never been sure was possible: loving one's job. I've always secretly never been willing to accept a career doing anything less than something I'm passionate about, something that I'm excited to prepare for rather than dreading it, and I certainly never expected it to be something so respectable as teaching. I am a happily purring kitten with my first taste of cat mint at the moment.



Also, the Buffy musical episode "Once More With Feeling" is fucking fantastic.