Vague ramblings.

The inevitable has happened: Once I start feeling better, I lose my head and overdo and wind up in more pain than I started out with. However, the pain is shorter-lived and there's actually a reason for it so it's a little less annoying. Still feel like a dumbass for doing this, though.

So, not much going on with the knitting. I'm still spinning about an hour a day but can't take more than that. It's physical therapy as well as a hobby, though. I'm so glad to be such a hard-core crafter. My occupational therapists and I have always managed to cook up something interesting for me to do with myself, rather than the 'real' treatments like rolling a ball bearing around with my thumb. Compared to that, I'd MUCH rather sew flowers or do origami.

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Yesterday was the 19th anniversary of the husbeast-Samurai hookup. We'd originally planned a real wedding, in a church, with bridesmaids and groomsmen and all the trimmings. But our families kept getting in on the act and demanding we do one thing or not do another, and, well, even in our early twenties we were stubborn cusses. So we canceled the wedding, took a Wednesday afternoon off work, and went to the Justice of the Peace.

The old rhyme, "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue"? For new I wore a casual sort of suit I'd bought for the occasion. For old, borrowed, and blue, I wore a pair of the husbeast's underwear. At the time I was working for a guy who was nosy in the manner of a young boy (openly curious, not judgmental or offensive), and the next day when he asked "What did you do yesterday?" I said "Got married" and he about fell over.

We had known each other ten years at the time we got married. I grew up with the husbeast's cousins and we met at a family function when we were about twelve. So when we went to the JOP and the whole family on both sides spazzed out and said it was 'sudden', well, I still don't get it.

It's been an interesting couple decades. For everything that's sucked, and of course there have been some rotten times and lousy aspects, there have been dozens of other events, experiences, and moments that were wonderful. I'd never have gotten to Hawaii to live if the husbeast hadn't dragged me out there, kicking and screaming (that's another good story, for another day). We've still got long-range, vague plans to retire to Oahu in another couple decades. Right now we're enjoying the novelty of being near our families again for the first time since we got married.

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I think I mentioned this before. Meet the new Blackberry. I named it HAL. I always name things that talk to me. Usually so I can swear at them.

Anyway, we originally purchased it because it has GPS and navigation on it, to help me deal with the highway system around here, and it does work beautifully for that. The husbeast has the same model in black, and he purchased it because he's Son Of Gadget and had to buy the phone with the most buttons on it when he got a new phone. After playing around with it myself (mostly making sure I could push the buttons), I agreed I wanted one. We originally meant to get mine next year after my current contract expired. But I needed GPS anyway, and I text a good bit, and we just gave up and got the Blackberry. In purple, so we could tell it apart from the husbeast's.

I meant to only use it as a phone, for texting occasionally, and the GPS. Really. Instead, I fell down the rabbit hole. I keep the grocery lists on it. I keep a 'book list' of books I want, so I've got it with me when I wander a book store. I've been listening to the radio on it. I watch TV on it while I'm spinning (or sitting with the cat on my lap). I surf the internet and chat with my buddies on Twitter while riding around with the husbeast in the car (I never, ever text while driving, but I text nonstop when I'm riding). The husbeast has been calling it my "Crackberry" as in I'm hooked.

I feel like the biggest geek in the universe.

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And while I'm geeking out, Girl Genius is getting REALLY GOOD.

If you've never read it, start here and work your way through. As a former English major, I have got to say it is one of the best-plotted stories I've read in a long time. I'm constantly impressed by it as a Lit Student. Add in that it's hilarious, and it's pretty much perfect. Seriously, if you love a good story, go read.

I'm pretty sure the husbeast is moonlighting as Airman Higgs. Or Airman Higgs is moonlighting as the husbeast. The resemblance is striking, as is the shared mechanical ability and attitude.