anagram of brat

It's not even about the game, or the award show, or whatever is on the TV. Sometimes it's about having a kitchen full of food and a living room full of friends, and having any old excuse to have both at any given time.

Thanks for coming, gang. :)

Just briefly:

avalon616 throws an excellent party. :) Also, omgwtfaninja and bloodandsmoke should just hang around in togas all the damn time, they look scarily good in them.

No major aftereffects to be had, I think I had all of one drink due to my intestines crying havoc and letting slip the dogs of... I could continue with that metaphor, but it's gonna go somewhere gross. Nonetheless, it was good to see everyone in one room, the ball dropped, I got kissed at midnight (and again at 1, which was midnight somewhere, right?)... I'd say New Years was a success.

New Years Day sees me up and procrastinating hard from cleaning up the kitchen (I started, but it's pretty daunting, as cell23 made stuffed dates and hot wings for the party and thus the place looks like a bomb went off. D:) and other housecleaning stuff. Eeegh, starting the year with procrastination, this is not a good sign. Also the other big to-dos are some major hair stuff (involving conditioner and yarn, since I got a new skein yesterday. "Cherry Cola." Hmm. Appropriate.), a good portion of which will involve plopping myself on my couch and knocking a few things off my netflix queue. Company is welcome for that. Also some work and projecty stuff.

I have resolutions, though when asked last night they all flew out of my head. Mostly they can be summed up by the wisdom of a certain dog:



Also see dedicating a lot less time and brainspace to the Internet, certain people that shall not be named, drama and bullshit.

Eggs though. Girl has to have one stupid internet indulgence.

~~

Anyway. Off to do things.

So one of the things I would like to do in the first half of 2011 is clean up/upgrade and tweak EPEEN. I am not good with config and hardware; I admit to being lost nigh until twirling compass when it comes to doing more with the computer innards than occasionally adding a drive or a ram stick or replacing a CMOS battery. Anything other than that I haven't really bothered with, so I'm going to need a hand.

EPEEN Stats:
It's a Dell XPS 410, purchased in January 2007. From its spec sheet:

• Processor, 6700, 2.66, 4M, Core Duo-conroe, Burn 2
  
• Dual In-line Memory Module, 1G 667M, 128X64, 8, 240, 2RX8 (x4)
  
• nVidia GeForce 7900 GS PCI-e 256Mb Video
  
• Sound Blaster X-Fi card, SB0467 - F7710

I put a 1/2 T drive in last November; it came with a 250GB drive.

What I do and do not want to do:
I'm not interested in buying a new box right now. I get... attached to my computers and tend to use them until they either die or there's a game I really want to play and it Just Won't Run. Plus my next compy like as not will be a laptop.

I do want to upgrade to Win7. I realize this is going to give the LINUX fans on my f-list heart attacks, but I'm perfectly comfortable with Windows and have no desire to stick it to the proverbial man by using an OS that has made me want to defenestrate all in my path, which my encounters with Ubuntu and its ilk have invariably made me want to do.

Not really interested in anything huge, just generally tweak it so it'll run things like Cataclysm, LOTRO and whatever else the gang is playing with a minimum of fuss. It already mostly does this (i've been able to run LOTRO and WoW with all the sliders up with no problems), but it IS a four year old computer and it's slowing down as it approaches decrepitude, likely due to OS bloat. All my personal crap is on HD#2 so wiping and reinstalling shit on HD#1 is an option. Also I am well out of warranty so if taking a blowtorch and a pack of specially trained weasels to EPEEN's innards is what needs doing, so be it.

I also want to look into backup storage, as I've got a lot of music and pictures I'd be very upset if I lost for whatever reason.

This is a "Not Right Now" project, but definitely something I want to do before June, so I'm putting it out there as a "hey, something to think about, y'all, any advice, volunteers?" sort of call.

In other news and "things to think about for the coming year" sort of things, cell23 and I were invited to join renegadethumper and deliriumdeva for dinner last night, which was delicious. It got me thinking about the social schedule among the squirekids and excuses to throw parties/events, especially since I do have that set of good dinnerware Dad gave me for Christmas in 2009 and I have yet to use. Course I can't exactly throw a dinner party until cell23 and I manage to get some actual chairs, but it is something to consider. Definitely need to work on not hiding under my rock so much in 2011 - being cooped up in the house all fall and winter has definitely warped my fragile little mind more than I'd like to admit.

So yeah, computer stuff, and chairs. Pretty much the sum total of my 2011 musings for the day.
~~

That is all.

Guess I was more hung over than I thought - round 4:30ish I felt like I'd gotten kicked in the stomach by a horse. FROM INSIDE. The hell. Plus sore and headachy and cranky this evening. NGL, sleeptimes would be an amazing thing right now. :)

Today was good despite post party recovery, or "Andee, I'm sorry you completely missed partying while in college, but you're discovering it 12 years too late and you're OLD, knock it off." renegadethumper and deliriumdeva wandered over to pick up stuff they'd forgotten last night and help us clean up the detritus, which honestly there wasn't THAT much of; we just needed friendly company to get it done. :) And I got to watch deliriumdeva rage at Super Mario World so it was all good.

Geist I think is going to be Game group #2 I'm going to maniacally enjoy playing in. I suppose if I had any sense I'd be squoobly about verbena76's warning to list all potential trigggery stuff/stuff to avoid because it's probably going to be THAT kind of game, but I don't. Have sense that is. Truth be told, I kinda like the whole dark side of the subconscious territory that tends to get dredged through in WoD games, so if anything I'm kinda MOAR excited. Alas, the headache that's been playing peek-a-boo with me all damn day kinda went nova behind my eyes a little bit mid-meetup, so I think I will be calling it a night and crawling off to bed with Messires Kavalier and Clay after posting.

BTW, there's a set of purple gem dice at off the wall games that are PRETTEH and they will be mine, precious. Just putting it out there because I probably won't make it back to buy them before the holidays are over but if anyone wants to festoon me with presenty goodness and since I will actually have need of dice rather than them sitting in a box looking pretty, hey.

....oh crap, I'm gaming again. -9000 resistance to pretty dice. FFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

Oh shit, need to grab a Hess truck before they fucking sell out too, come to think of it. Goddamn it December, stop being expensive.

Night, interbuttz.

Guys, I think I've found my calling in life, or something, because I apparently throw bitchin parties. 'Course with the crowd of people that showed up to our house to properly usher cell23's fourth decade in last night, it's quite hard to have a bad party. Hell even the people that couldn't come but sent well-wishes via twitter (you were there in spirit, Mr. Berube!) helped, so yeah. There were also Muppets, Batman, Castlevania, and Mario Kart assisting. :) Special guest stars: cell23's now infamous Gay Bar Dance while he beat the shit out of his princess pinata (aersi helped). The terrifying pin the tail on the donkey game that oneforellis brought that looked like a donkey staring worriedly at his ass as red liquid appeared to pour out of it (it was supposed to be a target painted on, but it looked way too much like severe intestinal damage). THE MOTHERFUCKING INDIANA JONES CAKE WITH WORKING BALL. That's right you heard me. That cake was BOSS.

But yeah, you know how you know it was a good party? 2 reasons: 1) I just stumbled downstairs in search of breakfast (by the way, aersi? you're a motherfucking genius, thank you for the bagels) saw the horror my living room and kitchen are after everything... and grinned my face off. 2) The part where towards the end of the evening, cell23 (who tends to detest having a big thing made of his birthday, so yes, I threw him a party cause I'm a bitch like that ;) ) was being glomphed by all the remaining ladies present, and while cackling maniacally, declared that he should turn 30 every year.

I clearly win at everything. Including hangovers. I had quite a bit of "kool-aid" (hawaiian punch, sierra mist, tangerine vodka and slushed ice make great punch, btw) and then another_murray brought over pomegranate liqueur and i was just done for afterward. but I only have a bit of a headache this morning and that may well be because I forgot to make/get coffee. Yeah, I know.

But yeah, thanks guys. And happy birthday cell23. I love you, and I think it's safe to say so does everyone who was in attendance. :)

Attended two major shindigs today - the first being Scott and Juli's wedding, which was beautiful and classy and fun and all the food was delicious and holy crap fastest actual ceremony ever. Like, short short version fast. O_O like for serious, bridal party walked in and three minutes later they were recessing and cocktails had STARTED. But yeah, fun and wedding like and wow okay the whirlwind season of holy crap three weddings in two months is OVER and while I love weddings, oh man am I glad.

Second all that need be said are three words: "Halloween at Atramoria."

I will say that both my planned outfits worked out splendidly, especially since I was aided in the second by bringing my own, er, rabbit to the party. Rabbit being cell23 dressed in white thermal underwear and a t-shirt with bunny ears, a tail, a cigar and more than a little surly. I had a very pleasant and at turns drop dead HILARIOUS evening and at some point tomorrow I will dump my camera drive when I'm not freezing and exhausted out of my mind. But now, crawling into my nice, pre-toasted bed, dear gods.

Oh by the way? no I am not drunk. Designated driver back from the wedding, didn't feel like more than one cocktail at the party. I will say this though - orange soda, vanilla vodka and Rated X coctail? Decadence. Nom.

It occurs to me this morning that I should have a Grosse Pointe Blank party.

Now bear with me, before y'all get excited, I often have ideas for random theme parties (especially based on movies) and they don't tend to happen because I don't have the spoons to bother with actually throwing them. But I do have the ideas from time to time and occasionally feel the need to write them down.

So.

I'm thinking it's a brunch party. Why? Omelets, made to order. Though someone present is required to order the Nada Omelet and the I Left My Heart In San Francheesy.

Also? pew pew pew POPCORN. By the bucketload.

Nerf guns also I think, and maybe a ritual bonfire where we all set our high school yearbooks on fire and pour a bottle of whiskey on top as an accelerant.

ETA: that was just supposed to be Yearbook Pictures. I'm rather attached to my own actual yearbook, though I've got a couple of Smith ones I wouldn't mind burninating.

Yeah IDK.

Last night was all about TV old (watched a few more episodes of The Middle Man with aradiadiane) and new (if y'all haven't seen Archer yet...). Today I get the rest of my crap out of storage finally (!!) and lunch with the Foole, and then I don't go into the office so I guess it's a day off? Except I don't get days off, I get days where I don't go to the office and I get all guilty about not working. Yes this includes the weekends, I'm weird, shut up. It looks to be a beautiful day and weekend so I'm going to at least try to get out and take some pictures with the Hatemonger and try not to stress too hard in the meantime about everything. :) Challenging, I know.

We interrupt this self-administered seclusion to bring you the following cattle call.

Around 9pm I will be putting on the teakettle (though not filling it as full as I did yesterday) and pulling out the Boobyhaven copy of Apples to Apples. Possibly also putting on a movie, as the DVD player is only acting slightly possessed instead of full on "I can't play that, Dave" wonky.

You should be there. Bring teabags, booze and/or people not on my friends list, if you got them. But I'm kinda sick of my own company and need to not be by myself for a couple of hours tonight.

email if you have no idea where Boobyhaven is.

good friends, good times, good pizza, good tv, excellent cake, and good times were had by all.

Anytime anyone wants to marvel at the glorious trainwreck of Too Many Drugs that was the 70s, watch the first two seasons of the Muppet Show. Holy Carp.

We have shittons of leftover booze and soda. People should come hang and drink it. I also have a 2L of Diet Coke no one cracked into that I would very much like out of my house, as neither Cara nor I consume Teh Evil Aspartame.

All in all, a quite successful day indeed. Party over, kitchen clean, and I'm left toying with the idea of driving down to NY tomorrow to pick up things. It's getting to the point where I seriously need my coat, not to mention my somewhat longer underthings. Kinda want to be lazy, clean my room, work out and warcrack tomorrow though. Bah, decisions. Course the other thing I could get cracking on is decorating a bit for Halloween. Namely getting off my arse and getting some pumpkins...

Okay, time to stop babbling into LJ and entertain more immediate matters, like bedtime.

Just a reminder that our Jim Henson themed houswarming is tonight @ 7ish! Come over, watch movies, bring snackies and booze to share if you can! Hope to see ya!

Also! a rousing glorious happy birthday to one of my first LJ stalkers evar - the funny, bold, huggable and wonderful _kyri!!