A Leif on the Wind.

Only…I just looked up to pronunciation of the word to find that it’s not said the way I thought. XD OH WELL!

It doesn’t matter, because Leif is the name of which I first met my boyfriend back in either 2002 or 2003 at my very first LARPing event. LARPing, as in Live Action Role Playing, is where you go off to some rented sight, dress up like your character and play make believe with weapons made of foam and PBC piping and little packets of seed. Someone who was introducing my group to the other important characters in the game brought me…a healer…over to the leader of the healer’s guild. “Calita, this is Leif.” He was too busy to be introduced or tell me anything about the healer’s guild, and rather rude about it as well. My character immediately decided that he wasn’t worth her time, and with him in charge…neither was the healer’s guild. The group I came in with didn’t return to the game for another year.

After that, we tried to go as regularly as we could afford…but keep in mind it was a four hour trip for us, so it wasn’t as often as we would have liked. But Plot loved us! We were fresh and new and they wanted to include us in as many modules as possible. Leif messaged me about running a MWE Stew module. MWE being Mystic Wood Elf, which was the character race I played. Calita gets captured and put into a big pot for stew, and the people she traveled with would come to her rescue. The people she traveled with…and half the town. Apparently, Calita was much loved by more than I would have ever expected. My favorite story was of her accidently getting obliterated by a big and powerful plot character during a pleasant conversation that was interrupted by some outside confrontation. She was thankfully brought back for the abyss, but the big and powerful plot character was scolded for it. “Now Nihil…you should know better than to obliterate everyone’s favorite MWE…”

But I digress…after that little module, and me attending less and less events and Leif and his wife leaving Plot due to the internal politics behind the game, we started to chat more and more over email, AIM, later making up new characters to RP on GaiaOnline, and over all…strengthening the bonds of our friendship. When he and his wife started to flounder in their marriage, I was the ear he chewed on as he tried to figure out what it was he wanted in the marriage, how much he loved his wife, and how to let her know how he felt. He thanked me for saving his marriage, just for simply listening and being supportive when he was able to sort out his thoughts.

For a good eight to nine years we kept in touch on a pretty regular basis. We’d complain about our jobs, make plans for me to go to Atlanta to visit them for parties and gaming weekends, or for them to come and visit me in Savannah, primarily having a free place to stay while we hang out with some friends they met through a video game. We watched movies, played video games and role playing games, he commissioned me to draw several character pictures for him in trade of computer related services, including building me a computer from the spare parts of my very first one and leftovers from his wife’s upgrades, as well as maintenance. He is my go-to guy whenever I’m having computer problems, even with living so far away from each other.

When things blew up between me and my previous boyfriend, they offered me a place to stay. I never went, because with their other roommate and numerous cats they had…their house felt too crowded. And then things started falling apart with their marriage, as well as their losing the house and both of them looking for work farther and farther away. With my move to the north, I did everything I could to remain cheerful for Leif and his wife, being supportive and saying a fresh new start in a new area will do the both of them good. They ended up separating in the end.

But Leif and I didn’t stop being friends. We stilled chatted, still RPed whenever we got the chance. It wasn’t until early last month that his spirits had gone downhill. He couldn’t stop focusing on how much he hated his job, how much he hated where he lived and how the women…just didn’t make sense to him. They either stop talking to their guy friends when they start dating, or abandon their friends and families all together when they start dating. Why would anyone want to do that?! It made no sense to either one of us. Even when I was dating my last boyfriend, Leif and I still talked on a pretty regular basis!

We are each other’s best friends!

I’m not sure, but I think it took me threatening to stop talking to Leif that helped to turn his life around a bit. No…wait…he recently told me that it was during said threat when I told him that I loved him that turned him around. Afterwards…after a lot of talking and suggestions and attempts of being supportive during his depression, he thanked me…thanked me a lot for being his friend, for talking him through it, even when I was really upset with him; for pretty much not abandoning him.

And in all honesty…that has thus far been the only time I’ve been upset with him ever in our friendship. That’s how we’ve always gotten along with each other. We have always been open with each other about every topic that’s come to mind, we understand how the other feels about a variety of subjects, what experiences brought us to how it is we react and deal with certain situations…and we’ve figured out that we have so much in common, especially in the way we think and act…that…the primary things that make us different from each other is our genders…and the fact that I’m skilled in the Arts while he’s skilled in Computers.

So…as we talked over the past month, about the changes we were making, how we dream of ways to better our lives…we reevaluated our friendship. It wasn’t entirely the first time we thought about dating, but we always came to the same conclusions that it wasn’t worth the risk. We lived too far away from each other…and we didn’t want to risk ruining our friendship. But then further thoughts and discussions came along…we’ve always been long distance friends…we weren’t looking to rush into anything with anyone else…and we trusted each other more than anyone else. Not to mention that we were a weird couple of people to begin with so…why not give a try? On Xmas Eve…after coming home from work, I made a suggestion, he asked if that’s what I wanted…it felt like we were either way…and…it became official.

People doubt it will work, but we figure the main reason most Long Distance Relationships don’t work for normal couples is because the people are so used to being around each other all the time. We’re not used to being around each other all the time…we’re used to living far away from each other, so…we figure we’ve got a better chance than most normal couples…because we’re not normal couples! XD We’re a couple of weirdoes who like to RP during our free time, who hang out by playing video games online…who enjoy watching the same shows and movies! We’ve got a lot in common with each other, not just in hobbies but in the way we think and figure out problems. We are a good match.

We’re nervous about it…don’t get me wrong…but we trust each other…we trust that we will work through the problems when they come up, and pretty much play it by ear as we figure out where we go next.

There’s no one else I’d rather be with, and no one else I want to give my love to. Happy Birthday, Leif.

A Square Peg in a Round Hole.

This is a conversation I had with my Assistant Manager earlier this month.

Me: ~goes up from behind and scratches AM’s back~ Rawr. ( I tend to do this a lot to most of my coworkers, and they all seem to enjoy it. )
AM: What, you’re a tiger now?
Me: Yeah, sure.
AM: Does Karper call you his tiger? ( Because everyone at works like to tease me about having a drop dead gorgeous guy as a friend who I refuse to date. They’re under the impression that there’s something wrong with me, since I give him Hershey Kisses whenever he asks for a kiss. It’s not like he really specifies what kind of kiss…besides, that’s what he gets for calling me sweet. ;p My dad would say Karper doesn’t know me very well. XD )
Me: No. But my sister used to call me her Little Tiger, because of my eyebrows. And Taxim calls me his Tigress, and I call him my Little Tiger Cub. Karper just calls me a dryad.
AM: A what?!
Me: Dryad. D-R-Y-A-D. Dryad.
AM: What the hell is that?
Me: It’s a tree spirit. ( Simplest explanation that doesn’t involve boring her to death. Something my friend Kyla is proud of me for; I have social skills! ) I like to climb trees, so Karper says I’m a dryad.
AM: Girl…there's something not right with you. You need to get some lovin’ from Karper’s oven.
Me: o.O What…? What exactly is that suppose to do?
AM: I don’t know! It just sounded good at the time!
Me: XD

For the most part, it seems that my Assistant Manager believes that everything she finds weird about me would easily be fixed if I get a man in my life. “What, so I can be as miserable as you?” “Exactly!” I guess she’s trying to find something in common with me to piss and moan about…that has nothing to do with work. Thus far, it isn’t working.

I’m just not like most people in this town.

It was brought to my attention a month before said conversation that the Pregnancy Test shelf was completely empty. All we had left were the expensive brand that was kept up at the register. “Wow…seems like nobody can keep their legs closed around here.” Thankfully excluding myself; a joy of preferring to be asexual. When I thought about it while talking with a couple of women that had brought the bare shelf to my attention (because this happens more than once), I admitted that I had been selling a lot of Pregnancy Tests in the past couple of days, usually two to three at a time. Thus, I decided to predict that there would be a Baby Boom in town around spring time. “Well, I hope they’re at least married.” One lady commented. “A small percentage didn’t look like they were out of school yet.” “Well, there’s nothing to do around here except for making babies.” Said the other lady; which again makes me so glad that I don’t have much of a life outside of work and my long distance friends. Considering the tears I’ve seen out of some girls that immediately take the test in the store bathroom…suddenly being pregnant when you’re not ready for it is a stress I don’t ever want to experience.

Later on, a guy came through my line wearing a shirt that stated: “Virginia might be for Lovers, but Pennsylvania is for Intercourse.” If that’s the case, then I’m living in the wrong state. >.<

I can’t remember what we were talking about, but another guy…a regular customer who comes in on a near daily basis was asking what my boyfriend thought about…whatever it was we were talking about. “I can’t say. I don’t have a boyfriend.” “Oh? Why not?” “Don’t want one.” “You didn’t switch teams, did you?” “No…spent the past 15 years dating and pretty much got tired of it.” Most of the time people can’t believe I’m single to begin with...insert a variety of compliments on youth and beauty which is nice and all, but…it gets repetitive after a while. Especially the…”Oh if I were ‘x amount of years’ younger, I’d make sure you were never alone”…from the same older men over and over again, usually ranging in their 60’s to 80’s. To which I have to confirm the age they think I am and amaze them with how old I really am…insert more repetitive compliments to which I smile and giggle politely and be thankful that the sales transaction is over and I can move onto the next customer. I really get my kicks from the guys younger than me that think I’m younger than them. “When someone looks like they’re younger than me, I always ask their birthday when they buy lighters.” “Wait…younger than you?” “I’m 31.” O.O “NO WAY! You don’t look 31!” “I know.” Plaster big-ass grin on my face while refraining from flat out laughing in their faces.

I wish I was paid $10 every time someone gave me a compliment. I wouldn’t have to work ever again.

I’m constantly told it’s because I don’t have any kids. Well…that works for me, because I don’t want any kids. I love my nieces and nephews, but when it comes to infants and little kids…I really have no patience for them. “Oh, that’ll change once you have one.” No. I know of several cases where that’s not true, and I’m pretty certain that I would fall under that same category. I usually try to avoid such conversations these days, because it seems that most mothers have the same mind-set: I’m wrong about what I like and don’t like, and they’re always right. Just because I look like a child doesn’t mean I think like a child. I am capable of looking at a variety of perspectives and coming to a rational and logical conclusion. Just don’t expect me to agree that your way of living is the right way for me. We all can’t find happiness in the same thing, or else we wouldn’t be uniquely individual.

Thankfully, my two best friends from work understand that I’m not like most women. They love me for my weirdness, and know that I enjoy doing my own thing instead of following the norms of society. Mama Karper considers me blessed and/or lucky for not being tied down, as she goes on about how she and her husband differ on so many levels. They all have my deepest respect and admiration.

As much as I seem to be a square peg in a round hole here in town, I’m thankful for the friends I do have here, and love them so very much. They help to keep me sane in this otherwise insane town! XD

Over the Mountains and Through the Woods...

Ok…not really on my way to grandmother’s house, at least not yet. But I thought I’d post some pictures I took in the past couple of months. Including some videos.



The first set are from a park Statler and I took Dad to. It was Father’s Day, and instead of watching a movie, since there weren’t any movies either one of us were interested in, we decided that a nice walk around a national park would be a far better time! I treated Dad to breakfast at a diner, and Statler made a rather untraditional picnic lunch. No, while others at the park were having hamburgers, hotdogs, and fresh made salsa (Dad watched this one Hispanic lady make a whole meal from scratch, enthralled with the way she cut the veggies up without even looking at what she was doing.)…we had some mustard chicken with flatbread, fruit salad, and some kind of grain that I can’t name at the moment. My memory fails me too often.



Either way, it was rather yummy and we had a grand time hiking, taking pictures, and eating healthily.



This here was a bug nest/burrow of sorts. Don’t know if it was a beetle, bee, or spider, but something black and fuzzy with multiple legs was crawling around there adjusting the purple fuzz! Statler might have gotten better pictures of it.



Speaking of spiders, the town I live in is swarming in them, and I think they’re getting ready to kill me. I’ve got a nest in my mailbox; I think I’ve figured out their plan. The eggs have hatched, and they’re tiny little buggers. The way I see it, they’re trying to gain entrance into my house via my mail, and once they’re all in, they’re going to swarm all about me and kill me in my sleep! Assuming the kittens don’t get to me first…



















HI DAD!







Ok, these next couple of photos I took while gazing up at the clouds out on Karper Road. Who doesn’t like a good cloud picture right?





But wait until you see the beauty I captured here on video! I’ve never seen a rainbow so big in my life, that I can remember! But what makes it more amazing to me is the time of day it was, at sunset! I texted a picture to friends and family, and got a reply from my coworker how she and her husband were looking at it to! They were generally in the same area as I, but it was still just truly amazing to see!





Oh right! So there’s this tree I like to climb on my friends’ property. One time after swinging down from the branches, I happened upon a pretty white gypsy moth that was hanging out on the trunk!



It’s not very often I want to get up early in the morning, but earlier this weekend I had decided to get up at the crack of dawn to take a looooooong walk down one farm road, to another, and to one I regularly walk back to home. Basically, think of it as a two hour walk around the block. XD It was great, because I got to get some beautiful shots that you can only get at sunrise, as well as made some new friends!



So I’m photographing these horses while they graze, admiring how the sun shines on their coats when one looks at me and decides that it’s going to come over to say hi. Well, maybe not so much as say hi as eat the flowers nearby and unload the end product from its bowels, but I decided to take it as a way of saying hi. Then the next thing I know, another horse looks at me and the other horse and is all ‘Well, I’ve got to check this out as well’. The next thing I know, most of the herd is coming over to say hi and graze nearby, all except one that decided it was content on the far side of the field. XD



I had even taken a video of the whole lot of them, but somehow…it either didn’t save or I accidently deleted it without knowing it. Sad, I thought for sure Animal and Mama Karper would have loved to see it.

























So later on, I come across a cow farm! Now, since I’ve moved from Upstate NY, I’ve refused to believe that cows exist in any other state. So I decided a good 10 years ago that these here are not cows, but pigeons that have been cleverly disguised with highly sophisticated holographic imagery! And now you’re asking why I’m so bent on believing such foolishness! Because Byrne Dairy Milk does not exist anywhere outside of NY State!



Yes. It’s already been established that I’m a nutcase. But I was raised on Byrne Dairy Milk, and one of my dad’s high school friends declared that I wasn’t lactose intolerant, but I was simply allergic to any other milk that wasn’t Byrne Dairy Milk! Of course! That makes logical sense now! Quick! Move me back to my home state so I don’t have to drink Lactaid anymore and return to my beloved Byrne Dairy Goodness!



ANYWAYS! These pigeon/cows had the same reaction to me as the horses did. One looked at me, and decided that the area I was standing in was far more interesting and tasty to graze in than where it was earlier! Though, I think with the cows, it was a general consensus that my hat was so weird that they needed to get a closer look to make sure that there was someone beneath it.



I have a Chinese straw conical hat that I wear on my walks when it’s too sunny out. The Karper’s neighbor likes it and said he kind of wished he had one. And when I wore it to the park on Father’s Day, my sister even said she wanted one, despite how weird Dad thought they were. It’s actually kind of nice, and I get a ton of weird looks from the locals because of it. ^_^

Smothered in Kittens!

Ok…so…I really don’t know where to start! I know that a lot of my friends that I normally talk to online are probably wondering if I fell off the face of the earth. >.< ; I promise I haven’t! I’ve just been wrapped up in kitten cuteness! I swear, these three are irresistible!



Momosito is the alpha male. He was originally going to be Mamasita, which is a nickname my bestfriend from work likes to call me on occasion. He looks a lot like their mother (who’s Travellar’s mother as well), so if he had been a girl, the name would have fitted him rather well. But it turned out he was a boy, so all the A’s were changed to O’s. No biggy. But he is definitely the alpha male, always taking charge and very aggressive towards what he wants. He’s very active, pouncing and bounding and wresting and clawing a biting; not to mention extremely possessive with the toys he plays with. Seriously…he growls at his siblings if they try to come near him and the toy, and then proceeds to carry said toy away so he can play with it on his own.



Mishka is the lone girl of the group, and she’s entirely grey. She reminds me of Kermit’s descriptions of Animal; she gives as good as she gets when it comes to fighting with her brothers, but she’s also very calm and serene when she’s with me. She’s very shy and timid around strangers, which she was with me for the first day and a half she was here. But when she warmed up to me, she started following me around, purring sweetly as she settles in my lap. She also likes to snuggle up to the back of my neck at night, playing with my hair some before settling in.







Blacky is the runt of the group, pure black and Karper’s familiar. Seriously, when Karper was over the night before he and his parents left town for their vacation…I could see the bond he and the kitten had when he scooped the little guy up. It was heartwarming. Blacky is quite the charmer too! Nuzzling his way up to my shoulder and purring sweet nothings in my ear…Karper might have a hard time getting me to let him take the runt home! XD But he’s the adventurous one of the group as well, ready to jump and climb without warning! He likes to scale up the walled corner of my bed instead of simply jumping up to the exposed edge. He’s quite silly at times, and rarely seems all that phased when confronted with the older cats hissing at him and his siblings.





They spent their first day with me up in the kitty play room; they thoroughly enjoying having all the open space to run around in! They also had fun rearranging all the soft boxes in there, barricading the door up to the room by the time I got home from work. XD







Their second day, I let them explore the second floor hallway. At the stairs, Mishka was confronted with Calista’s every angry hissing and growling…which I think made the kitten all the more hesitant about going down the stairs again. >.<; In fact, when Blacky and Momo decided to venture down to the first floor, Mishka was so distraught about being left alone on the second floor, she started crying and wailing. I had to rush up and get her before she got too upset. Momo was then found his way to Travellar, who proceeded to hiss and growl at the miniature intruder…only for him to hiss and growl right back at her! It’s going to be interesting, mind you…having three alpha cats in the house! XD



Calista, however…has learned that Trav’s doesn’t want to have anything to do with the kittens. Honestly, Trav has been camped out in the kitchen virtually the entire time. With that being said, Calista has decided that she can easily be out of kittens’ reach by staying up in high places, but out of Travellar’s reach by staying in the same general area as the kittens! XD Needless to say, the old broad isn’t stupid! I just hope she remembers that they won’t stay that small for long, and she’ll eventually have to lead them to Travellar if she doesn’t want to deal with their playfulness.

Me…I’m in love with each and every one of them! Especially when they’re tuckered out and in snuggle mode. The fact that the three of them will come up to the head of the bed and sleep on my pillow, or in reach of my arms, or snuggled up to my neck…it just makes me melt all over…until one decides to dig their claws into me. >.< Then they scatter once I yell…or I grip the scruff of the guilty party’s neck and send them to the floor. But they eventually settle down. Blacky is a burrower, trying to get in beneath whomever is in the spot he wants to be at, or even trying to burrow beneath me…I would assume for warmth. Mishka will play with my hair and give me a scalp massage before settling in, and Momo will either sleep at my feet, or come up to snuggle with his siblings…eventually snuggling in as close to me as possible. JUST TOO CUTE!

They’ve gotten to the point where they’re comfortable with being on the second floor, but haven’t tried to venture so much down to the first floor again. I think they also forgot that they had food in the kitty room yesterday, because they were pining last night…and Momo’s stomach didn’t look as pudgy as before. So I had called for them to follow me up the stairs, and both Mishka and Blacky were like…”Oh right! There’s food!” Momo waited until later to eat. I decided that maybe it was best to move the food down to my room…so they won’t forget to eat again. >.<;

And today! Oh! Today, I stole Blacky away to come to the first floor with me…and Mishka and Momo came following after! I have a feeling that Momo and Travellar are always going to be at odds with each other…such dominant personalities. They were growling at each other once they met again. XD



Oh! And here is a random picture of Karper…insisting that I needed to post it up on the blog. Taken last night in his hotel room bathroom. SAY HI! Mishka wants a shirt just like his. ^_~