So I am typing this blog on a phone, so it’s a very quick update.

We get off the ship tomorrow. It went too fast, but at the same time I am ready to go home. I want to sleep in my bed and see the doggies. Also I have been plagued by a lot of migraines this time around. Something in the food or drink I think is triggering them, never had that happen before.

We visited St John and went to the beach there. I actually got in the water cause it was so clean. I have photos.

In St Marten we just went shopping. I stopped in a cute little catholic church, cause I love historic churches. A local crazy man was also there and proceeded to expose himself to me. I kid you not, in a church! Of that I don’t have photos, I was just too shocked to snap one.

Onboard I rocked Glee Karaoke for Wii and now have the high score for “Defying Gravity”. Heidi signed us up to do Karma Kameleon in real Karaoke. Now that I’ve done that, I never need to again. We were horrid!

I have had lots of relaxing massages. So the stress and tension is all gone, until next week when work starts again

Uploading photos is a bit difficult on the phone. So I’ll post a link to a webshots slideshow when I get home.

So we boarded the gigantic Allure of the Seas yesterday and have been on the ship for about 24 hours now. This sucker is HUGE! I also don’t care what people say about the big ships, you can still feel it rocking at times. I should hopefully stop feeling that shortly Last night my stomach was Oooooo from it at times. Tonight it also is too, but thankfully I got the dramamine! It was in our luggage last night, which was late to be delivered . . .

I am hoping for a good nights sleep tonight, as so far the first two nights (one on the ship, one in Ft Lauderdale) have not been pleasant (bad beds, migraines, grr!). I may be seeking out some sleeping pills tonight if the ship has some . . . . or just some adult beverages – which might work too Tonight is the 80s dance party, so that should tire me out I am hoping. I get a nice massage tomorrow, which should also hopefully relax me. Thanks to two nights of tossing and turning I am just in knots.

Other things of note for this short update?

- My friend Heidi and I did a Michael Jackson dance class. We learned the “Thriller.” I’m fairly certain it was taped and will be shown on TV all week . . . not so thrilling!

- We played 80s Name That Tune. I won a plastic keychain, incredibly valuable. Yes, I’m sure your jealous.

- I’m taking a cupcake decorating class tomorrow! I am in fact the only male. I guess I’ll have several new girlfriends soon

- Tonight is formal night, the only time you’ll find me in dress clothes AND a tie. Too bad you aren’t here!

- Photos I’ll try and get up shortly. I probably won’t have the large high quality ones up till I’m back though.

That’s about it. Till next time!

So the Christmas from hell has come and gone. If I’m to celebrate Christmas next year there will have to be changes. #1 is that John will be coming down to Virginia with me on Christmas Eve to spend Christmas with my family. In 9 (or coming up on 9, I’m too tired to count) years we have never done a Christmas together. I have always gone home to Virginia, he has always had to go to his sisters and take his mother. However every year it becomes more and more of a “have to” rather than a “want to” for him . . . and I hear about it! Each year he seems to become more and more irritated that he’s stuck with his sister’s husband’s family . . . who mind you wouldn’t welcome me should I choose to stay here . . . which is why I don’t. After he became Scrooge and Marley incarnate this year, I told him he had a whole year to tell his sister and mother he was not coming next year, and they had a whole year to figure out who would drive his mom to his sister’s house. I am serious too . . . why the hell do you want to be unhappy on Christmas? It SUCKS!

Gift wise, I did have a good Christmas. But as any good Xtian will tell you, gifts are not what this holiday is about . . . . (then again they also go postal if the clerks at the stores they spend money at for gifts wish them “Happy Holidays”). But I digress, you can clearly get awesome gifts but still have Jesusmas spoiled. As I was asked in my shoutbox, I got some good loot I got a keyboard for my iPad, which now replaces my laptop for traveling. I got some good games (okay 2 I bought for myself). John got me this fun mini-cupcake maker, oh and he bought us this giant ass HD LCD TV! We have both been in awe over it . . . . I think him more than me thanks to “Twilight” movies airing this weekend.

For New Years all the plans were insane this year. Didn’t know who was doing what, who wanted to come over, who wanted to go where. It ended up a last minute thing and in the end myself, John and my friend Kaitlyn just went to Holihans for dinner then watched Ryan SeaCrap and other stuff at home. The fact that John’s brother just TOLD US he was coming down New Years Eve also put a crimp in plans, cause that was a bedroom taken up that could have gone to friends. I’ll just shut my mouth on this issue . . . .

We now fly out to Florida in a week for our cruise, which I am so not prepared for at all. I have so much work to do this week it’s not funny, and I know it’s not all getting done. I’m used to having to work on vacation at this point, I’ve done it every year as is. It will just be finding the time to sneak off to the library or something to work

I am also not to happy that I’m going on vacation big as a house! I never lost the weight I had hoped to, and I while a lot of that is because of too much fast crap food, I’m sure stress had a lot to do with it too. My commuting schedule this fall was just too much, and I’m glad I told University M that I could not work there in the spring. Nothing against them, I just had too much I was supposed to do and I didn’t realize how much time it would suck up. I am going back next fall, when I’m scheduled to teach 4 classes between University R and M. I’m probably going to be a nutcase then too, but it’s along ways away Well really not that long . . . . Ack!

Happy New Year . . . . 2012 will be here before we know it . . . .

So let’s see . . . first I’m sick. I tried to avoid it as long as I could, everyone around me had it, and I eventually got it. Blah! Not fun. I was supposed to go to Virginia for the weekend to help decorate, but that got canned. I’m hoping to go down a little earlier than planned next weekend though.

I have slowly gotten most of the decorations up here in Jersey this week. I had planned to finish them yesterday, but I got hit with this cold. I might be able to drag my ass off the couch tomorrow to do so. Oh yes, the pink nightmare is back . . . and this year so are the peekaboo penis beads! Grrrrr . . . and John said I wasn’t allowed to strap Baby Jesus to the top of the tree because it was “twisted.” I said so were his beads!

I spent the day watching ABC’s “25 Days of Christmas” while sick. I will at least say for once they played Christmas movies. Bottom of the barrel ones, but Christmas movies. Don’t ever ever ever watch the movie “Jack Frost,” cause it’s horrible. Next week ABC Family returns to their regularly scheduled shlock . . . Disney Pixar Movies (which are NOT Christmas movies even though they try and claim they are).

What else . . . John’s sister got us a yard nativity! I have my suspicions . . . . I had been taking photos of the most tackiest ones I was seeing while shopping and sending them to John’s phone. I don’t know if she picked up on that I wanted one, or he picked up on the fact that I might buy an inflatable one and was frightened . . . She got us a very tasteful cut-out one though.

I could consider this my “new” nativity set for the year . . . but I learned there is now a Playmobile nativity set. OMG I need it! I actually would have loved that as a kid. (It would have gone well with Playmobile cowboy and indians and Playmobile Civil War). Here I thought nothing could beat the Charlie Brown Nativity set I bought last year.

Anyways, I’ll post some photos of our house when it’s all done. Then of course of 2nd home in Virginia later on.

I just realized it’s under one month until the cruise. Oh lordy! I haven’t even found us a hotel for the night down in Ft. Lauderdale, I guess I best get on it. This year we are finally moving on up, and doing the Allure of the Seas on Royal Caribbean. It’s the biggest and newest ship! We wanted to do the sister ship last year, but it was just too expensive. This year we are going with my friend Heidi and her husband. This marks our third cruise together. Keith, who has also been a cruising buddy in years past, can’t come this year because of work. The ship should be amazing, and because it’s a new ship we’ve never been on, I’ll be taking a million pictures. It goes to a bunch of the smaller islands, so no Mayan ruins on this venture (I think I’ve seen most of them at this point anyways).

So I decided to do the cruise in January . . . and then the Karma Chameleon Monster bit. Today when I got home, Moo Kitty had accidents all over the house. At first I thought he was puking, but it was more. It seemed he was leaking a lot of nasty fluids. I took him back to the vet . . . . yup he’s got an infection! They drained as much as they could, and now he’s on 14 days of antibiotics. He is unfortunately over taking pills, so I have to find ways to get them in. One is particularly bitter, and on first attempt he chocked on it and his mouth foamed and what was left eventually came back out. This is going to be fun! Oh and on Tuesday he has to have another operation to clean up this infection and have the inner incision checked and possibly replaced. This was MORE money I had NOT anticipated spending . . . .

Let’s enjoy some photos of Moo Kitty when he was a kitten, and when he first met Percy.

So the deadline to pay for the cruise is fast approaching, and I have not fully made up my mind. Each day I lean one way more than the other. More than just trying to get the dissertation done by the end of the year is now affecting my decision. There was Moo Kitty’s unexpected and expensive trip to the vet, as well as my work schedule for the spring. I’m teaching at least 2 classes, one I’ve never taught before (but it’s archaeology so I’m excited at the same time). There is possibly a 3rd as well. The 3rd however may not happen for many reason, my choosing not to take it being one of them. While the money would be nice, I’ve quickly learned the hard way the amount of driving I’ve been doing is taking its toll on me right now with everything else going on.

John and I briefly discussed vacation alternatives should we not do the cruise, and it would be something local. I really would love to see Salem as well as Plymouth Colony . . . . however January might not be the best time of the year to do so! I also suggested Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos. Heidi and I went to one in Wisconsin and it was so much fun. It’s basically a giant indoor water park/hotel. Plus there would be other things to do nearby, such as skiing. I’ve never done it, but think it would be fun. John is not a fan of the cold, and said I’d probably be over it in about an hour. Emily said I’d probably break my leg. Truth be told, both are probably right

John suggested New York and Broadway. “Priscilla Queen of the Desert” hits Broadway early next year. Broadway is always fun, but NY is a day trip at most. I have a hard enough time relaxing on vacations as is (my mind thinks about what I need to be doing and should be doing instead). Add in NY and you just have too much stress. I like NY, but it’s as I said a day trip. NY in January really isn’t much fun. It’s cold, windy, miserable and god forbid it snows. You can’t go anywhere because you can’t get a taxi.

While I have a good number of reasons to just cancel the cruise this year, many of them also become reasons to go oddly. I’m so stressed right now, that a vacation will be wanted and possibly needed by January. Plus it’s the only time of the year John and I can get away together and just both relax. Okay I try to relax as much as I can, but it would be easier honestly if we could go away during the summer like normal folks rather than the week before another school semester starts!

Aside from vacation ponderings, I have yet to motivate to decorate inside. John’s brother, who is now regularly here on the weekends, noticed I didn’t have the Halloween village out. I carried some of it up last night, and it sits in boxes in the living room right now. My friend Keith comes this weekend, so I figured I better put some of it out. Only a few pieces are going up this year, just on the mantel I think. In years past I’ve put pieces all over the living room. Truth be told, I just don’t wanna deal with taking it all down this year I might motivate to decorate while watching my shows tonight.

Our house currently smells like cat piss. Moo Kitty apparently has some abdominal swelling from the surgery the vet thinks is putting pressure on his bladder, which makes him feel like he has to pee a lot. So rather than making it to the litter boxes downstairs, he just pees wherever. I am however developing an alternate theory. I think Moo Kitty is just angry and is pissing anywhere out of spite. Given how much I paid to save his life, I am hoping the swelling theory is correct and this stops soon. Cat piss SMELLS and it never comes out. He has pissed on brand new carpet John put down on our steps and the kitchen nook, which now needs to be replaced. I am spraying and shampooing it as much as I can, cause it’s not going to be replaced till January when John is off . . . and the SMELL!

Our crotchety old neighbors are moving. Or they are trying to I should say. They are LOADED, have a nice house (set far back on their large property) and are either 1) going to get taken to the bank in this poor housing market or 2) just not be able to sell it right now. John says whether they can sell or not, they are moving. They had originally thought of dividing the land up into four plots and selling them as well as the plot their house is on (and thereby resulting in 4 new houses going up), but that hasn’t happened and probably won’t (because of the market I guess). However the option is there for whomever might buy it, the land has officially been divvied by the county to make it possible. To be honest, I expected to be asked to “take down some of my decor” outside, but wasn’t. These are the people that planted a row of pine trees, sending our house into eternal shadows and cutting off our sunlight, simply because when they drove in and out of their driveway they didn’t want to look at our house. They had an open house today . . . . I don’t think anyone actually came by from what I could tell.

Anyway, I leave you with some photos of myself, John and Princess I made with some monster morphing app I got off iTunes. Hey, these days, I have to get my fun where I can find it

So I had originally been planning to bring Facebook sometime after next week, which is when I go back to work, as well as my birthday. However I realized today that I was surviving without it just fine (and Twitter too). I thought maybe it would be a good idea not to race back into the addiction. I also hung out with some school BFFs, and they too had since pretty much given up on the thing (one had gone offline as well).

Following up on a previous posting, I did finally bite the bullet and book a cruise. Well I should say I put a deposit down on one. I, and friends, have till the end of October to decide if we will go. The boat I wanted was filling up, and I was afraid the price would just keep going up at this point (which it was when I booked it).

So the date the final payment for the cruise is due is October 27th . . . Which in fact is 2 months from now. I’ve decided that this is “the date” to aim for on all fronts. I had said I wouldn’t book a cruise till I defended, and there was a reason for that, aside from it being a reward. If I defend anytime before January 21st (or whenever the Spring semester starts), I do not have to pay another semester of tuition. If things dragged out, I might not be able to go on vacation in lieu of defending.

For me defending before that date is a must on many levels. First, I really don’t want to go into another new year with this over my head, I want to be done! Second, I’m tired of tuition! I don’t know if I’ve ever stated it, but I did not take out loans to put myself through school. I worked and saved to pay everything on my own, including having to fund my own research (cause I didn’t get initial grants I applied for, and didn’t want to wait around to try again a year later).

Therefore, October 27th is the date. I want a defense date set by then (or at least a projected one). This means getting the final draft done and in tip-top shape. For once I am actually feeling good about things. I just came off another 2 week writing camp and am feeling really good about where things are, and where I can be by that date. Make no mistake, it will take hard core discipline, and I might not be having much fun at all the next two months However usually when I sit down to write and edit, I am overcome with panic attacks and/or get frustrated. I amassed far too much data for my dissertation, probably in hindsight enough for 2 of them. Dealing with this, and the fact that I’m a perfectionist, hasn’t been fun But right now I feel like I’m over the hump, and I am managing it all pretty well. I just have to continue this feeling when I go back to work (luckily for once I’m not teaching a new class, so I’m hoping it will be easy).

Perhaps I will consider October 27th as the date for my return to Facebook too? Or perhaps I should say the latest point I’ll return to it. Here is hoping final drafts get turned in, approved and dates set far before then

Anyways, right now? I’m off to do a little more writing, then tonight to see the Scissor Sisters in concert! I do in fact feel like dancing too

So I am making a bigger post on my earlier post about deleting Facebook/Twitter and the like, which was just posted quickly by me during one of my many frantic moods

….. Okay so basically I had intended to write out all that has been going on and stressing me out, but it’s too much, it will come off as too whiny, and you don’t need to hear it all. Basically same shit different day . . . dissertation writing stress, living off saving stress, upcoming going back to work stress . . . add in the insane heat waves this summer which have just been migraine inducing as well as sitting around and gaining back way too much weight . . . yes I’m a barrel of laughs right now. There is also vacation stress, as whether we go on a vacation in January is yet again up to me. Part of me knows I’ll need a break come January (and I did have a great time last year), the other part of me knows I don’t want that on my credit card bill right now. I’ve been monitoring prices and right now they are going UP, so here is hoping they go back DOWN later on. Oh and then there is John having to work to 9-10pm every other night as well, so I never see him anymore.

So basically all this stress ends up leading to me breaking down and/or blowing up . . . and this last time I went and destroyed all my social networks. I deleted Twitter, Facebook as well as all the check-in apps like Gowalla and Foursquare too.

In part, I realized if I’m gunna be nuts online and vent on these places, I don’t need complete strangers knowing I’m nuts. Twitter/Facebook (because it’s easy to link them) are just too easy to go to and post a quick rant. The blog still takes time . . . signing in, writing the post, proofing it, etc . . . Twitter/Facebook it’s basically just bitch’n'go really. I decided 1) I don’t need to just be using these things as a bitch fest, cause nobody wants to read that and 2) I have way too many people on them I have no idea who they are, so they don’t need to know my private biz-nass.

So I just went on a deletion frenzy I guess I should have just deleted people off my lists . . . but somehow at the time I thought this was easier. I know people loved the twitter feed on the blog, but the problem is for it to work properly with the blog, your twitter account needs to be open. That means anyone can sign up and follow you, and unless you take the time to go in and block them . . . they know your biznass. Also for many people Twitter has seems to lost its appeal. The people I got on there to start following don’t use it as much anymore, and most of the updates I see anymore are people spamming 10 news article/links every hour.

As for Facebook . . . well before Twitter/iPhone I never really updated my facebook much. It was too much trouble. I also just approved anyone who asked to be my friend, even if I didn’t really know them, so now I have 300 friends and probably only can really identify who 50 of them are . . . 25 of which I’ve probably actually met in real life.

While my twitter (and 4square etc) accounts got irretrievably deleted, I did save Facebook from utter destruction. I just have too many childhood and obscure friends I’ll never be able to find again on there (though I’m an easy google if they need to find me, the benefit of years of the soap page). So at some point my Facebook will be back. However I’ve decided I need to take a hatchet to my Facebook. I need to go through my friends list and if I don’t recognize the name – - – DELETE! I also need to make lists of trusted friends and general friends, so I can decide who sees what. I need to learn to deny people’s friends requests if I don’t know who they are, and not be afraid to delete/block people – which so far I’ve never done to anyone. However if I’m posting sensitive and personal stuff, I don’t want strangers seeing it!

On the upside, my blog has gotten a lot more attention without Facebook and Twitter

PS Monster Mania this weekend! So I should be having some fun

So here are some photos from my trip with some quick descriptions.

Mall of America Coasters

Drag Queens! Lady Boys meet Sailor Moon?

The House on the Rock from afar, and the gardens.

Giant chandelier from the organ room, giant carousel

I found Baby Jesus at the House on the Rock! The Mikado Pipe Organ

The Infinity Room

Creepy Doll Carousel , Creepy Killer Doll (in the back)

So I am typing this as Heidi drives us to Minneapolis for the day and evening. I just wanted to get a quick post up with some updates on my mini-break. Photos soon!

Upon arriving we went to the Mall of America, where we did some shopping and rode some coasters. One of them was impressive for a coaster In a shopping mall!

I broke down and bought some of those Sketchers Shape-Ups. I have had pretty poor shoes lately un terms of support, so I wanna see if these do what they advertise. I just thought they helped your back, but they are supposed to tighten the buttocks and your abs as well. We’ll see!

We spent two days in Wisconsin Dells at the Great Wolfe Lodge water park. It was so empty that we walked onto every waterside and ride. We also did a number of other things like Wizard’s Quest, Magi Quest and the Ripley’s Believe it or Not museum.

On the way back from the Dells we hit this place called The House on the Rock, a unique house built on an old Indian Rock Shelter by this guy who collected anything and everything. He had guns, cars, armor, dolls and dollhouses, pipe organs and a giant carousel. Very neat place, the dolls were a bit creepy though.

We hit their hometown nightspot Friday night, The Wild Moose. This band Jonah and the Whales was playing. I got a bigger kick out of the two Asian/Malaysian drag queens on the dance floor dresses up like they were some anime super heroes or something.

Tonight we hit Minneapolis. Actually today. We are on our way now. Hoping to see a museum or two, have yummy food, then go dancing.