purple_stardust

Ammonia: .5ppm / Nitrate: 0ppm / Nitrate: 20ppm / Salinity: 1.022 / PH: 8.0

purple_stardust

Hooray! I don't even like football, but if I get four-cheese Doritos and cheese dip for the occasion, then I'm all for it. Besides, Willie Nelson's H&R Block commercial was worth it.

purple_stardust

* load and run dishwasher
* scrape algae off the nano-cube walls
* look online for shoulder-length o.b. gloves
* transfer scribbled saltwater tank notes into book
* convert paper dvd boxes into plastic cases
* read camera guide, bang head on desk
* sweep and straighten up

purple_stardust

Blog Binders: http://www.blogbinders.com/
Live Journal PDF: http://gads.eu.org/ljbook/

Old Guestbook: http://books.dreambook.com/stardust95/dreambook.html

Create a South Park Character: http://www.comedycentral.com/southparkgames/character/

Magnetic Poetry Kit: http://www.magneticpoetry.com/magnet/index.html

Shining Force Central: http://www.shiningforcecentral.com/
The Phantasy Star Pages: http://www.phantasy-star.net/

Shoulder-length Gloves: Jeffers | Hoegger | Tunze

purple_stardust

In the interest of keeping away the trolls, I have hidden my "friends of" list and removed my interest list altogether. Isn't Live Journal great now without the invite codes? ... /sarcasm

As always, this journal is friends-only; comment if you'd like to be added.

purple_stardust

More snow and freezing rain. Which is good, because my driveway was *almost* bare from the last batch. And oh joy, I need to go to Walmart today! Could life get any better? It sure could! Because I'm also having my period, AND I'm out of coffee creamer, AND Rusty is home from work and disrupting my regular routine! Oh happy fucking day! Shoot me now...

purple_stardust

* clean off dining room table
* complain about shitty-ass weather
* test nano-cube's water parameters, top off
* experiment with various camera settings and tripod
* transfr scribbled saltwater notes into book
* walmart: pick up sarah's portraits
* new shining force usericons

Edit: I can't find my small tripod. I thought I'd accidentally forgotten my large [SLR] tripod when we moved, but I found that one. I cannot find the small [point-and-shoot/digital] one, however. Dammit. I have a permanent case of the shakes and it's blurring my fish photos.

Edit: Never mind; I figured out how to use the good tripod with the digital camera. Hooray!

purple_stardust

Ammonia: .25ppm / Nitrate: 0ppm / Nitrate: 20ppm / Salinity: 1.022 / PH: 8.0

purple_stardust

I said something to eyelid, kind of a light "ya'll play nice" kinda thing, but we really don't need her shit any more than we needed pester's. If she keeps it up, we'd best nip it the bud before it gets ugly, eh? Why is she even posting at all? She isn't a member of the group, is she?

Edit: I just checked, and eyelid is in some weird communities, but not .

purple_stardust

I did absolutely nothing.

purple_stardust

* make bookmarks
* balance checkbook
* mail mortgage check
* load and run dishwasher
* update jbc's link repository
* scrape front glass of nano-cube
* transfer saltwater notes to notebook
* order new test kits, elbow-length gloves
* ask rag forum about cycling problem
* check water parametrs, top-off
* re-arrange liverock (again!)
* sweep and straighten up
* thaw spaghetti sauce
* clean coffeemaker
* put away dishes

purple_stardust

My fancy new water test kits and long-ass gloves are on the way!

purple_stardust

* chip and shovel our sidewalk
* chip and shovel neighbour sidewalk
* bitch about the nasty icy winter weather
* transfer maintenance log notes to notebook
* re-arrange liverock again, curse aiptasia
* test water parameters in nano-cube
* play sf1 until our eyes bleed

purple_stardust

I haven't seen Crablet for a few days. :(

purple_stardust

We drove to Winchester in search of a peppermint shrimp, but found none. Dammit.

purple_stardust

Coolest story ever, compliments of closertofine:

Roy and Silo, two chinstrap penguins at the Central Park Zoo in Manhattan, are completely devoted to each other. For nearly six years now, they have been inseparable. They exhibit what in penguin parlance is called "ecstatic behavior": that is, they entwine their necks, they vocalize to each other, they have sex. Silo and Roy are, to anthropomorphize a bit, gay penguins. When offered female companionship, they have adamantly refused it. And the females aren't interested in them, either.

At one time, the two seemed so desperate to incubate an egg together that they put a rock in their nest and sat on it, keeping it warm in the folds of their abdomens, said their chief keeper, Rob Gramzay. Finally, he gave them a fertile egg that needed care to hatch. Things went perfectly. Roy and Silo sat on it for the typical 34 days until a chick, Tango, was born. For the next two and a half months they raised Tango, keeping her warm and feeding her food from their beaks until she could go out into the world on her own.

Love That Dare Not Squeak Its Name...

purple_stardust

* shred papers
* take the trash out
* straightn up around desk
* clean gunk off of stovetop
* load and run dishwasher
* sweep, straighten
* check water

purple_stardust

If you can see this, you are part of the uber-sekrit filter - which means I've probably known you for a while and trust you with my weird little life. I've eliminated any people that I don't know very well, or feel might be judgemental, or that I know IRL (except you, Laurie). My life (or at least, my mother's life) has gotten unusually weird, and I was waiting to see if things went back to normal before I posted about it, but they havent, and apparently won't. Anyway.

She (my mother) has been friends with a nice lesbian couple for a year or so now. They (Susan and Dawn) have been together for about seven years and seem very committed. We went to a New Years Eve party that they hosted, and of course, so did my mother. At the party, Susan started flirting with my mom. I don't know exactly what happened (and don't really want to), but since then, my mother has been spending A LOT of time at their house - like, days at a time. At this point, she is basically living with them, and Susan has given her a rather large heirloom diamond ring as a sign of her committment. I don't know if they (my mother and Susan) have a sexual relationship (and I don't want to know), but there is definately a romantic relationship, and weirder still, Dawn is fine with it. All three of them seem quite happy with the arrangement.

I don't have a problem with it, per se, but it's definately weird. I keep waiting for the ABC Afterschool Special that explains all of this to me. "Renee Has Three Mommies"...

purple_stardust

* Shining Soul 1 (available now!)

* Shining Soul 2 (available April 2004)

* Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon (release date: June 2004)

purple_stardust

* 30 gallon cube
* 60 gallon cube
* 60 gallon stand

I am coveting a larger cube tank in a bad way.

purple_stardust

* update amazon.com dvd wishlist
* update ign video game collection list [1]
* clean more clutter around desk

[1] - Holy crap! Estimated value of collection: $1,676.68... and that doesn't include the Super Nintendo or Sega CD games (since I don't play those anymore), or Rusty's football games, or several PC games that weren't listed, or that I left behind at the apartment.

purple_stardust

* Lego boat
* Lego phone

* Crablet shells: 1 | 2 | 3

purple_stardust

The school and year you graduated: Hedgesville High, 1987 (ouch).

Nickname in high school: I didn't have one that I remember.

Sport you were into: Skipping. Also smoking.

Had a circle of friends? The pothead drama geeks.

Best subject: Drama. AP English. Journalism. I also loved Psychology, and liked Biology and Bio II until we were supposed to dissect a cat - I refused and flunked the class. Oh well.

Worst subject: Latin. French. I'm just meant to speak English, dammit. Also Algebra.

A teacher you owe life lessons to? Mrs Miller, who taught me how it is adventageous to be very quiet and soft-spoken, so that when you do finally scream at someone, they pay attention.

Describe high school in one word: Suckass.

Your best friend? Vicki, I guess.

Worst friend? Most other people in high school.

How was the prom? How the hell should I know?

Who were the prom king and queen? See above.

Any achievements? Drama comps, Honour Bar Thespian.

Were you popular? No. I was a socially inept dork then, too.

Song that reminds you of high school: I dunno, what's a song about something sucking?

purple_stardust

* test nano water params
* unload, reload, run dshwasher
* install ms windows security updates
* clean more clutter from on and around desk
* file important papers - bills, banking, house stuff
* shred more papers - give to rats to play with
* organise dvd collection, dust shelves
* level up sf 1 characters (emu)
* sweep and straightn up

purple_stardust

I woke up this morning at 6:45am to find Rusty leaving for work. I rolled out of bed, staggered to the door, and gestured wildly at him as he was getting into the car. "Where are you going?" I asked incoherantly when he came back to the door. "Oh, did you want the car today?" he asked.

Well yes, I was planning to go to the bank and the post office and pay bills and get groceries and run errands today - like I've done every other Thursday for the past three years - but I guess this Thursday might have been different. I suppose I should have reminded him that I wanted the car today, but I foolishly thought that after three years, we had a routine down.

Silly me. Anyway, I didn't feel like getting dressed and trying to get him to work by 7am, so I told him I'd go tomorrow. More paper control today, and waiting for my new water test kits.

purple_stardust

* wake up already
* cancel aol account
* sort out current bills
* clear living room table
* load and run dishwasher
* count and clip camel c-notes
* figure out new water test kits [1]
* shower, wash scroungy hair
* update the ghost website
* clear dining room table
* sweep and straightn
* shred more papers
* go get cigarettes

[1] - Egad. I got the Red Sea (made in Israel!) Marine Lab test kits, and it has ten bottles to test five things (nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, alkalinity, ph)... plus two more bottles to test calcium levels!

I feel like a mad scientist with all these bottles and test tubes...

purple_stardust

* go to bank, p.o.
* sheetz: cigarettes
* check lfs#2 for p.shrimp [1]
* petsmart: pet food, cheap cage
* mall: new slippers for rusty
* pay sprint pcs bill
* buy v-day card

* balance checkbook
* move newest rats upstairs
* assemble new breeding cage
* payfor tiny crablet shells
* bake challah bread

[1] - For all the good it does. I don't know who I have to sleep with to get a peppermint shrimp, but it obviously isn't Rusty. I've checked about five stores now, and nada. Sheesh.

purple_stardust

In rattery news, ZBR Brutoo and BR Sabine are spending Valentine's Day together. :)

purple_stardust

He waits to hear her say "forgive"
But she just drops her pearl-black eyes
And prays to hear him say "I love you"
But he tells no more lies.
How did we get this far apart?
We used to be so close together.
How did we get this far apart?
I thought this love would last forever.

I'm drinking wine today. Why am I drinking wine, you may ask? Well, I'll tell you. Because the fucking Christian majority in this country sees fit to use their holy days to regulate my drinking habits. In other words, the liquor store is closed, and I can't buy vodka.

Things are really very bad here today.

purple_stardust

* wash and dry my laundry
* wash and dry sarah's laundry
* wash and dry shithead's laundry
* work on tiger puzzle for sarah's room
* load and run dishwasher, unload
* test nano params, clean glass
* make deviled egg shtuff

purple_stardust

Yesterday we had a big fight because he "didn't have money" to buy me a Valentines Day card (he has $90 in his checking account) and wouldn't take time to write me a letter. My mistake, I tried to talk to him. I asked him point blank if he was IN love with me, and he got angry and refused to answer, which I took as a definate no. I went out and bought a bottle of wine, and spent the rest of the evening ignoring him. Last night, I tried to sleep in the blue chair, found it uncomfortable, and wound up on the floor. At about 3am, he woke me up and demanded that I come to bed, because he couldn't sleep. Eventually I did, because I just wanted to sleep.

This morning, he crashed around the house and ended up throwing the two boy kittens outside. I haven't seen them since. As much as I'm glad they're not inside (where they're a pain and could get the girls pregnant), I feel really bad. I really hope they find someone who will take them in.

Today he called me from work and tried to make small talk. Whatever. I'm so tired of being in a relationship where I don't feel loved, and don't dare ask for it.

purple_stardust

freethinkernj: are you still able/willing to transfer a cassette tape to CD for me?

purple_stardust

I have nothing to say today.

purple_stardust

* update ghost website
* start on personal website
* rearrange live rock one more time
* figure out how to use calcium test kit
* replace top layr of crushed coral
* boil new shells for crablet
* work on jigsaw puzzle

purple_stardust

* balance checkbook
* mail package (shells)
* pay phone bill (verizon)
* get groceries, cigarettes
* order coral book (amazon)
* pay for ebay auction (shells)
* work on sarah's jigsaw puzzles
* mix meatloaf fr dinner later
* boil eggs for deviled stuff
* load and run dishwasher
* test water parameters
* re-arrange live rock
* 10% water change

purple_stardust

I woke up this morning and found the pale and lifeless "body" of my new peppermint shrimp floating in the tank! My $6.99 (which seems mighty expensive for a shrimp I can't even EAT!), and the long car trip with my directionally-challenged husband flashed before my eyes. I had sudden visions of having to explain to said husband that we had spent four hours in the car, driving amongst the DC-metro lunatics, for a shrimp that had lived only six days.

Of course, after I had the mild heart attack, I noticed the shrimp hanging upside down in his usual spot, swaying to and fro, happy as could be. Apparently, shrimps moult occasionally.

I swear I heard the little bastard snicker at me.

purple_stardust

I'm Ulysses by James Joyce

Most people are convinced that you don't make any sense, but compared to what else you could say, what you're saying now makes tons of sense. What people do understand about you is your vulgarity, which has convinced people that you are at once brilliant and repugnant.

Meanwhile you are content to wander around aimlessly, taking in the sights and sounds of the city. What you see is vast, almost limitless, and brings you additional fame. When no one is looking, you dream of being a Greek folk hero.

Take the Book Quiz at the Blue Pyramid.

purple_stardust

* make deviled egg stuff
* load and run dishwasher (again!)
* take pics of liverock arrangemnt, label
* work on more jigsaw puzzles for sarah's room
* take pics of cats, start who's who page
* run vinegar through coffeemaker
* drink heavily, hate life

purple_stardust

Drunk.

purple_stardust

I had to take groceries up to my grandmother, but when we went out to get in the car, Rusty noticed that the front right tire had a big bulgey spot. Peachy. I drove up there anyway, but borrowed her car to get back. Now I need to get it legal. Blah. Anyway...

On the way home, I stopped at the petstore and bought some mushrooms! Hooray! They're purplish-green striped mushrooms on a really nice coralline-covered piece of live rock.

purple_stardust

* clean windows on filthy nissan
* call allstate fr proof of insurance
* grind shrimp and clams for shroomies
* sweep floor and stairs, straighten
* unload, reload, run dishwasher

Well, never mind. It's snowing/raining, so Rusty came home and we'll be gaming today.

purple_stardust

* unload dishwasher
* levelup sf1 characters
* clean meat grinder parts
* balance checkbook, sort bills
* sweep floor and stairs, straighten
* funk-fix broken window on dog porch [1]
* organse saltwater books, supplies
* rearrange rock, scrape glass
* test saltwater parameters
* make fishie bookmarks
* wait for coral book

[1] No idea how it happened, but the dogs were barking like crazy, and when I went out to check, one of the windows was broken. I thought at first that the dogs might have jumped against it and broken it, but the glass was inside the porch. I have no idea.

purple_stardust

angelsil: could you give me some info on what form/quantity/frequency to feed garlic to the clownfishes to prevent ick? I was telling a friend about it but wasn't sure of the details, and I can't find it in my book. He wants to try it, and I'd like to know for future reference.

purple_stardust

Today I recieved a postcard featuring FakeJesus on the front, and on the back an invitation to go see Mel Gibson's new movie and then go "explore the evidence" at a local church. Umm, NO.

In related news, Gibson's father has been in the news quite a bit lately. In a Newsday story, Hutton Gibson questioned the validity of the Holocaust, urged Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan be "hung," and said that Jews were attempting to take over the world. Nice guy.

So where does this charming guy take up residence? West Virginia. Why West Virginia?

"Jews have to go where there is money," he told Steve Feuerstein, host of Speak Your Piece, a show on New York's WSNR 620-AM. "There is no way they would come to West Virginia. They have to have some place to go that has money."

Thanks for stopping by, Hutton. Why don't you go back to Australia now, before one of us money-grubbin' Jews comes down there and kicks your grizzled old ass?

purple_stardust

I got pulled over and recieved THREE tickets before 7am. The karma gods are out to get me.

In other news, I went to Walmart and bought a bottle of Zantrex-3, among other things. I dragged out the Ab-Slide. I need to lose 30 pounds, preferably by April.

I hate my life, and I'd really like to just start over.

purple_stardust

* load and run dishwasher
* clean wax off hanukkah menorah
* go to dmv and get registration renewed
* go to supermarket for vinegar, lettuce, carrots
* stop at kmart for another jigsaw puzzle
* do 90 reps on abslide (30-30-30)
* do 10% saltwater change

purple_stardust

Rusty never came home last night. He called me around 10 pm to tell me that he was going to be sleeping at the office. The conversation was brief and to-the-point, and then he hung up. It's been like this since valentines day. What's more, I don't seem to even care any more. After he hung up, I watched ER and went to bed, and slept just fine. I'm just tired of the whole thing.

I just want to start over.

purple_stardust

Jesus time flies, especially when you pass out. Rusty is supposed to bring me tampons (I know, lucky him!) and then take me to the petstore for crabs and maybe more 'shrooms.

purple_stardust

Went to LFS. Bought a brain and a scarlet reef hermit crab.