6. March 2010 by Bex.

Holy shit, long time no blog!  I’d like to say there is nothing new in my life but there is tons going on.  So here is an update:

First off:  We beat Bioshock 2 just in time for the March 11th expansion pack. I haven’t planned any of the online portions of the game yet so I can’t really say much about the multiplayer, online death matches.  However the story was good for a sequel and the graphics, though at first seemed grainy, turned out to be really awesome.  I thought the game was harder overall with more melee type attacks.  Playing it on easy gave you a lot of hints that seemed a little unnecessary but that’s ok too.  I love the art deco themes and the characters are interesting.

Second:  Lasik went awesome!  I can see!  It was horribly uncomfortable and while they give you a lot of valium, that just wears right off when you are under the laser.  It was nice that my husband was allowed to sit in there with me and I clawed the shit out of his hand during the procedure.  But the awfulness lasted only about 20 minutes followed by a horrible ride home.  I took something to help me sleep and by the time I woke up 4 hours later, I felt worn out but fine.  I did have to wear some groovy blinders at night for a few days to keep me from scratching my eyes.

I had some lovely impressions in my flesh every morning.  But it turned out really well and I’m happy with it.  No more contacts or glasses.  Schweet.

I’ve been working pretty hard at my health shit.  I found some books at the Half Price Bookstore which talk about fibromyalgia and endometriosis.  I’m working on a symptom and food diary to try to pinpoint triggers.  During this time I’ve had a fever that came out of nowhere and am trying to figure out if there is any rhyme or reason to things like that.  So we’ll see what comes of this new experiment.  I still would like to lose the rest of the 40lbs I gained.  That means I have another 15-20lbs to go.  Being overweight and chronically ill is not easy.  It just exacerbates all your shit.

No new pets and no pets have passed away, no matter how old and infirm they are.   I’m starting Patton on obedience classes this coming week.  I hope that when he gets over his fear of oh…..EVERYTHING….he will be able to start training for a therapy dog program.  Our vet seems to think he’d be excellent at it because of his very mellow temperament.  He went in today to get his distemper shot and a heart worm test. He’s a very sweet dog and I think he’d be a great ambassador for his part Staffordshire Terrier breed.  So many Pit mixes like him are put down right away or taken from their homes in cities with breed bans.  We are learning a lot about this because of our involvement with a pit bull rescue.  This volunteer work has been very rewarding as well as educational.  Just to get it out there, I fucking hate the media.  I hate them all.  Their mission is to sell news by freaking the shit out of everyone in a community.  Period.  Misinformation be damned!  We have to sell newspapers, ratings, etc!  Fuck the truth!  Ok sorry, I’m off my soapbox for now.

Last couple of thing:  I’m going to take a pinup photography class next weekend.  I’m going by myself, which for a hermit, is a big deal.  I’m freaked out by social situations like this but I think it will be fun and informative.  I think the new pin up style with the tatts and vintage/rockabilly themes are awesome.  This all proceeds the Pinups for Pit Bulls event in KC on the 19th.  I’m all for animal rescue organizations, beer and music.  Now, what to wear?  No clue…  The last item of discussion is that I really want another tattoo.  I’m trying to find something that reminds me of my mother.  Yesterday was the 26th anniversary of her passing.  A long ass time ago.  I really miss her and would like my next tatt to be something to do with her. Ron is pretty ready for more ink so we’re going to investigate some new tattoo parlors.   And finally, I hope to hit up the roller derby around the end of the month.  It’s going to be a girls night comprised of women I work with.  I think we’re going to get a little drunk and watch some chicks on roller skates beat the crap out of each other.  That should be fun!

I’ll update my blog with another stitch or two when the time is right.  I’ve got some ideas on the burner for new embroidery and I’m excited to get started.  So overall things are good but everyday is a learning experience.  Some times I fuck up royally and other days I have things in control.  I can’t seem to predict from one day to the next how it’s going to go.  Just doing the best I can!

Tschus.

Posted in Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Endometriosis, Crafts, Embroidery, Video Games, Dogs, Animals, Hobbies | 1 Comment »

27. September 2009 by Bex.

We hit the jackpot this weekend at Game Co.  It’s like Game Stop only more vintage, and they pay a lot more for your games.  We got a nice credit with them and picked up several used games.  I was pretty geeked to find two Evil Dead games on XBox:

I haven’t played A Fistful of Boomstick yet but I did play Regeneration for over an hour today.  It is HILARIOUS.  Ted Raimi does the voice of your midget Deadite sidekick and Bruce does Ash’s voice, of course.  There are a lot of catchy one-liners and general hilarity.  The best part?  You can lock on your enemies and punt the Deadite to attack them.  I love it!    Since having an XBox is relatively new to me, I didn’t pay much attention to these games before.  I now have all the ED games but not all the games with Bruce’s voice.  Which is ok, as I’m not sure how much of a geek I want to allow myself to be.  Here is a link to the games: http://www.bruce-campbell.com/group.asp?grp=49

Crap, I just noticed this as well: http://www.bruce-campbell.com/pilot.asp?pg=action_figure It’s a BC action figure.  Crap….$60?  I may be a geek,  but I’m a cheap geek.  Damn.

The other thing I did this weekend was finish up a book called Shadow of the Wind.  It is one of the best novels I have read since The Historian.  The author, Carlos Ruiz Zafón, writes very descriptively.  The setting is 1940’s and 1950’s Barcelona, set in the aftermath of Spain’s civil war.  It’s a mystery and very well woven.  I’m sure I could have figured out some of the twists and turns if I had let myself think about it, but I really enjoy just letting a story take me along.  I can’t write a good review on it but you can find some great reviews on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Wind-Carlos-Ruiz-Zafon/dp/1594200106  Apparently The Angel’s Game is a prequel that just came out in English only a year ago.  I’ll have to grab that up soon.

Long story short, read it.  I was dubious at first but I went from summer beach reading to this book.  You have to get your brain in the right mode to really let the story suck you in.   If you read it, let me know what you think!  I should really join a book club but am too damn lazy.

I also finished another cross stitch but will have to wait to unveil it until after I send it.  I made it for a swap for a photo group I participate in on Flickr called Phat Quarter.  After the recipient receives the piece, I’ll post photos of it.  It’s actually very lovely if I do say so myself!  I also finished an embroidery not long ago that is for a breast cancer awareness challenge on Craftster.  It’s another photograph-to-embroidery piece:

This photo has over 12,000 hit on Flickr, but that’s probably only because my boobs are partially showing.  I hate that pervs are looking at it but the photo has done some good.  I’ve had some people contact me to ask about the reconstructive part of mastectomies.  I personally feel better having talked to someone who has gone through this shit before me, no matter what it is.  So I keep the damn picture up for others to find, in case anyone else has questions.  The contest on Craftster starts in a couple weeks and I’m eager to sumbit this.

Rowdy is shrieking/whining for his supper so I better go.  Dogs do not like to wait for their supper!  Tschus!

Posted in Cross stitch, Needlework, Crafts, Craftster, Bruce Campbell, Photography, Video Games, Books, Flickr, Hobbies | 2 Comments »

21. August 2009 by Bex.

It was posted today!  See the Stitchgasm on Facebook.  (I’m not sure where it is on the main site, so I have to link you to it on Facebook.)  I’m pretty excited and happy, etc etc etc and to be honest, having this happen and my first Etsy sale in one week is exactly what I needed.  I’ve been having a hard time keeping my spirits up and got all doom and gloom.  It’s good to be reminded that there are good things going on too.

So!  If you are a crafter or looking to start, check out Mr. X Stitch blog about the 1st birthday of the Mr. X Stitch site.  They are having giveaways and other fun things.  Good stuff!  Check ‘em out and start subscribing!

Posted in Stitchgasm, Mr X Stitch, Crafts, Etsy, Embroidery, Needlework, Hobbies | 1 Comment »

17. August 2009 by Bex.

Here is my little recap for the last week or so:

Last week was hell as far as health goes but this is a new week!  I was a shit-load of pain from endo and arthritis last week but thankfully, these things aren’t an everyday problem for me.  Shit could always be worse!

Ma Burley came on Friday night and we chilled out together on Saturday and went to the Harrah’s casino Saturday night.  What a culture shock!  I did see plenty of casinos in Vegas but it just seemed different because it was here in KC.  I lost $50 in the slots which sucked and the drinks were $5, not free like Vegas.  Casinos are fun for a few hours but after that, I’ve had my fill.  It’s loud, reeks of smoke and there are people EVERYWHERE.  Not a great place for recluses like myself.  Her visit was too quick but it was really great to see her again.

My Etsy hasn’t sold anything yet however I think I have a few interested in “Ass, the other Vagina.”  I have a couple private requests also that I need to get started on.  I’m excited about that because it’s fun to make these but even more fun to know that people are going to put it in their homes soon.  As soon as payday gets here, I am off to the crafy store again to get supplies.  I’m geeked!

Speaking of stitchery, I finished my first photo-to-embroidery project.  Here is the result and a comparison of the original photo to the cloth and thread result:

I felt pretty good about the overall end-product.  This has been a complete learning experience for me and I see what I need to work on now.  I have ideas for the next embroidery project already!  I like the idea of taking my photography and doing something more with it.  My ultimate goal is to get a gallery show.  I think I’m on my way as *enter drumroll* I’m going to be featured in the near future on Stitchgasm.  ACK!!!!  This is exciting to me although most of you probably don’t know what the fuck I’m talking about.  See the following website: http://www.mrxstitch.com/  I am not sure what day it will be, but one of the people who works on this newsletter is a woman known as Beefrank.  She is a witty, creative genius and her work makes me laugh a lot!  You can see her work on Flickr by going to http://www.flickr.com/photos/beefranck/.  If you appreciate humor, talent and witicisms, please check out her stuff!  Also, subscribe to Mr. X Stitch via the site or Facebook.  (He is also megacool and a Brit!)  This stuff absolutely feeds me inspiration as well as making me laugh.  I can’t believe how creative people can be and it is freakin’ awesome to see so many talented people out there producing so much stuff.  Ok sorry, I got a little carried away!!

Add that to a confirmation email I received about enrollment in a free digital photography course and I’m about to implode!  Whoopee!

All right, enough of that crazy shit.  As always, I hope everyone is well.  Catch ya later, tschus!

Posted in Cross stitch, Embroidery, Needlework, Stitchgasm, Photography, Flickr, Hobbies, Family, Blogs, Health | No Comments »

5. August 2009 by Bex.

General brain befuddlement has prevented any new creativity as of late.  I did however crank out a couple of things about a week or so ago:

I have a set of Hitchcock stamps that I collected years ago that I want to frame.  That is what inspired the Hitchcock piece.  The Super Bitch came from a book of cutsey patterns I bought.  I also happened to find small frames at Wally World and this was an experimentation with small designs.  I’d really like to put it at my desk at work but don’t think it would be wise.

Lately I’ve been looking at embroidery and wanted to try it.  Again I’m lost as to what to stitch.  However I woke up last night with an idea and spent the day looking at the internet for tutorials on how to make the images in my brain come to the fabric.  There are a few photographs I’ve snapped over the years that I really like and I’ve decided to make embroidery patterns out of them.  Thankfully there are people out there in the crafty world who blog and make how-to videos for the internet.  Here is part of the pattern I put together:

I’m afraid that I might start filling up the spare room with projects so I put up an Etsy store finally in the hopes of getting rid of some of them.  You can find the store here:  www.ndbex.etsy.com.  So far I haven’t sold anything but there is still hope in me to get rid of some things.  I made them pretty cheap!

Double dosing with the new drug and the Cymbalta is still a hellacious experience.  I was laid up in front of my computer all day because of it.  I hope I can get this out of my system soon.  In order to get away from all the stress, Ron and I booked a cabin for the weekend down by Stockton Lake.  It’s only a couple hours away, we can take the dogs and we’ve been there before.  If we can afford it, we might rent a pontoon and spend Saturday morning tooling around the lake.  We badly need to get out of town and have some fun.  I’m so excited to go!

That’s my exciting life this week.  Tschus!!

Posted in Needlework, Etsy, Crafts, Embroidery, Cross stitch, Hobbies, Photography, Cymbalta, Health | No Comments »

18. July 2009 by Bex.

I survived another week of Hell at work.  The harassment has somewhat abated but things have turned into a pretty uncomfortable work environment.  I am trying to get a bunch of medical records together and that is  very time consuming.  I also saw a new doctor yesterday: a neurologist.  She was very nice and talked to me about how Fibromyalgia is a problem with the neuro-receptors in the brain.  The brain processes pain differently and the smallest bit of pain is amplified.  She told me to quit a couple drugs I’m on and try something new.  So here’s to hoping I don’t react negatively to it.  I’m so damn sensitive to chemicals so I’m sure I’ll have at least some side effects.

I’ve been keeping calm and distracted from work by doing more stitching.  It’s been a nice way to keep my sense of humor alive.  Here are my two latest:

I’m going to finally cave and set up an Etsy shop.  More on that later.

I better get going.  We are going to have lunch at the Cinema Suites and watch Transformers 2.  Maybe next weekend we’ll get some tickets to Harry Potter.  I’m so geeked!

I leave you with a photo my friend Summer sent me the other day.  It sums up my feelings from the past two weeks PERFECTLY:

Have a good Saturday!

Posted in Bruce Campbell, Cross stitch, Work, Movies, Hobbies, Health | No Comments »

6. July 2009 by Bex.

I saw my doc last week.  She is very sympathetic and wants to help me get off this medication.  She bumped me down to 20 mg and wants me to take it everyday for a week, then every other day, then every third, day, etc.  I hope this works.  Taking it everyday is the suck.  It’s hard to get back on it everyday; I don’t sleep, feel jacked up.  I am not a lot of fun to be around lately and have been keeping close to home for the most part.  It’s hard enough functioning at work let alone socializing.  Hopefully this will get better soon!

With that being said, we really didn’t do anything this weekend.  We went out to the park with the dogs and went out for ice cream.  It rained a lot and when it wasn’t rainy, it was steamy/humid/nasty.  But hey, time off is time off.  I’ll take what I can get!

I’m also working on a new cross stitch.  It’s a good way to keep my brain focused and my thoughts off of how I feel.  It’s not done yet but here is what I have so far:

I started stitching Tom Servo last night.  I’ll post a photo after it’s complete.

Hope everyone had a safe and happy 4th!

Posted in Cross stitch, Cymbalta, Dogs, Hobbies, Health | 2 Comments »

4. June 2009 by Bex.

I started an account on Imagekind.com a while ago.  It’s a lot like art.com but anyone can upload images to sell.  It’s also a great way of connecting with other artists, most of whom are commercial artists.  Also people start accounts there so they can print and frame their images.  Everyday they feature certain artists and artwork and today one of mine is there.  I’m really happy and excited about it.  I’ve been in a creative slump lately and this was just the motivation I needed to continue.

I have a couple photography field trips planned.  I’d like to visit some of the area historic cemeteries.  There is also a KC Zombie Walk tomorrow downtown.  What a cool opportunity to get some unique shots!  Here is the link: http://www.myspace.com/kczombies.  I think it will be unique and fun and it coincides with First Friday in the Crossroads Art District.  http://www.kccrossroads.org/  I’ll be sure to post images later.

I also want to mention today that I got a bunch of free tickets to the Narnia exhibit.  If any of the locals are interested in going, I can give you a ticket or two.  Please let me know and I’ll hook you up!  I think it’s safe to say that the success of the exhibit will help to extend my job and the jobs of many others.  Kind of a big deal.

That’s my exciting news.  I have to say I’m tickled freakin’ pink about the photo site.  It really makes me want to keep trying.  I never expect to make a dime from anything I shoot.  I’m simply doing it because I love it.  It’s a great outlet for an introvert like me.

I leave you with my favorite youtube video of the day, Advanced Cat Yodeling:

Posted in Photography, Work, Museum Exhibits, Hobbies | No Comments »

12. April 2009 by Bex.

By the way, I finished a new cross stitch today.  It’s a Laugh My Ass Off bookmark!  It’s coming in handy since I have a bunch of new books to read.  Currently reading The Golden Compass and absolutely loving it.  It’s so original and descriptive.  As good as the Harry Potter series.

I hope to read the next two in the series after I finish this one.  Thank goodness for the public library.  Keeps the Amazon.com bills down!

Posted in Books, Hobbies | No Comments »

12. April 2009 by Bex.

Happy Easter.  Today we baked a ham with cranberry bourbon sauce, green bean casserole and biscuits.  We hung close to the house this weekend as I’ve managed to obtain a lovely cold virus.  Some of our Easter photos:

We have yet to torture the Peeps.  Hopefully if we do so, photographs/blog will follow.

Please note the new double chin and lack of makeup.

They are waiting for something to drop; my floor cleaners

Ron’s rockin’ the bourbon/cranberry sauce

Photos from work: Train Alley

Detail of the ceiling

Card catalog

My doctor called me in on Friday.  I was having so much bleeding that they wanted to do an ultrasound.  At first they thought it was a miscarriage but thankfully it is not.  I’m just a freak that doesn’t respond to the medication like others do.  Most women have suspended cycles and they are fine.  Not me!  I told the doc that I’m going to be the abnormal case study for everything.  I’m sure in time he will learn to take me seriously.  Yep.   Maybe now that I’m off some of the hormone medicines, I’ll drop the 5 lbs I gained overnight.  HOPE HOPE HOPE!

I did find a venue to hock my “wares” (aka photography) at a site called Imagekind.  http://ndbex.imagekind.com/  I don’t feel I’m up to par yet or close to the other artists on there, however I think I can get to a higher level.  Any constructive criticism is welcome.

Hope everyone had a good Easter or whatever you celebrate.  Tschus!

Posted in Infertility, Hobbies, Health, General | 3 Comments »