Improvements!

Well, Andy is feeling a bit better today (or, more accurately, was feeling a bit better yesterday)... I'm feeling sorta better too. I was kinda down last night after work (surprise, surprise)... I really gotta get outta this place.

On the upside, I might be able to get another bit of money for glasses... this is my 3rd year here at work, so maybe my benefits (which take place every 2 years) will be acceptable again. If not, no biggie... it'd be nice to have contacts for the Kendo tournaments coming up, but it's not critical.

Anyway, I'm happy that Andy is feeling better, I hope that she's up for having sex again soon (really, this one day on, four days off thing isn't really cutting it for me), and I'm really, really, REALLY sick of my job.

She's in a Snit

You know, I really have to start keeping track of the number of days Andy is depressed or otherwise "unpleasant". Because while I don't mind the occasional downward turn (I mean, it happens to even the best of us), it's getting a little ridiculous. When she's in a good mood, she's incredible... funny, sweet, cute, caring, and an all around pleasure to be near. When she's in one of her *moods*... she just sucks the joy out of everything.

Offer to help? Get rejected.
Help anyway? Get snapped at.
DON'T help anyway? She's crushed that you don't try harder.

WHAT THE HELL?!

Anyway. If this keeps up much longer her and I are going to have words. I'm patient... I'll put up with this. But be damned if I'm going to live like this for much longer. She needs to figure this stuff out... faster would be better.

In other news, Kendo was okay on Monday... still small classes (big gym, though!), which is nice, but I still don't feel like I'm getting any better. I practice more than anyone else except the Sensei and maybe Chris Han... I'm there every practice, and I still feel like a rank amateur. Slow, predictable, sloppy, inaccurate... it's somewhat frustrating. Very frustrating, even. But whatever. I'm practicing as hard as I can... maybe I should do more at home on my off days, just to try and improve faster.

Oh, and I have to remember to book the 15th of June off work... Andy's convocation and a trip to Toronto. Might be fun, even!

Andy's Birthday

Well, today is Andy's birthday... I've done just about everything I could think of. I bought her that Bose Sounddock she's been asking for since... uh... well, at least as long as I've known her ($450), I got her Peking Duck (after a LOT of begging... apparently the restaurant here in London... the ONLY good Chinese restaurant in the whole city, "Hong Ping", needs about a week to prep the duck... I managed to get it in 2 days, but it was pricy), and today I put balloons (helium ones) on her present and tied one to her car... I thought about putting them all in her car but I figured that might annoy her. I hope it was enough to let her know that she's special to me... but if not, at least I tried!

Other than that, Paul and Christine came down for the big dinner last night (and it was BIG... in addition to the Peking Duck we had 2 crabs, a whole steamed fish, beef and broccoli, and a chicken satay dish) and played a bunch of games afterwards... which was very fun... they're cool peeps. I like 'em!

Tonight... I have Kendo! Which is good... I'm going to need a lot of working out to counter that dinner last night! Woo!

Couldn't Last

So, Andy is in a mood again. Bleh. Hopefully it won't last long.

Kendo last night was good... exhausting, but good. Only 4 of us, but it was still a really nice practice... very intensive. I just wish I were faster... apparently I need to do lots of suriyashi practice (footwork, footwork, footwork!). Ah well... I have practice again tomorrow, so that'll be nice!

Oh, and I have to ask the guys about lunch tomorrow... hmm. Whatev'. If Andy's in this kinda mood, I'm not sure I want to ask... wouldn't be much fun for anyone involved.

Anyway, have a pile of work as tall as that stupid Solyndra unit today... and I need to get those figures for Egbert (again)... which I'll be held liable for... of course... damnit. I hate this job.

Half-Done

Well, it's Wednesday already... Gil finally sent that information to Dr. Beck from Solydra, so that's a weight off my mind. Not that I really cared one way or the other, but it is nice to not have to worry about it any more.

I have Kendo tonight! Yay! I'm going to suck at it! Yay!

No, seriously... I've put on weight recently. And it's slowing me down... more than usual, even! And that's saying something! Hopefully I'll get back into fit shape starting this week... you'd think an hour of biking plus Kendo every week would be enough... apparently not yet! It's nice to be back at twice a week, though!

Oh, and I HAVE to buy Andy her present soon! One Bose Sounddock, coming up!

Shogun Is a Good Game!

Well, that was a most enjoyable weekend! Helped Dave and Chantal move all Saturday (basically)... sore as hell afterwards, but content. Sadly, I broke one of Chantal's coffee tables (a nice one from Ikea)... I'll have to replace that for 'em. And there were TEN people there to help! It really was slightly insane... but it taught me a lot about how to pack for when Andy and I move to Toronto.

Boxes. Lots of boxes.

Anyway, Sunday we played games (I finally got to try Shogun out... and it IS a fun game!)... went for a walk, and then headed home. Andy was in a bit of a bad Sunday afternoon until we got home... after that she thawed out again and we had a great little Monday... played games all day, ate good (and healthy!) food, had fantastic sex... you know, little stuff like that.

Oh, and we may have had sex Sunday morning in Dave and Chantal's new place... hee hee hee... we were very careful not to leave a mess, but I think we may have had sex there sooner than Dave and Chantal did... hee hee hee... I'm a bad person.

Anyway, I really like Kameo (for the 360)... beautiful, fun little game, although the opening sequence is bloody, BLOODY hard! I really like Ash (the dragon) and Deep Blue (the only Aquatic elemental I've gotten so far)... but they're all fun! F.E.A.R. will be played again tonight (before Andy gets home... she doesn't like it as much), I haven't opened Gears of War yet, and I'm returning Viva Pinata because Andy doesn't like it... don't know what I'm gonna get instead, but I'll burn that bridge when I get to it. All in all I'm happy with the purchase... it's a neat system, very pretty, and Andy really likes playing some of the Xbox Arcade games (Hexic HD particularly), so I think she's happy with the purchase too. Which makes me happy.

A Good, Long Weekend?

Well, tomorrow Andy and I are off to Port Credit to help Dave and Chantal move... I do love helping other people move (and, correspondingly, dislike moving myself!). It should be fun! And then afterwards we're sticking around for a day to play games and just chill together... which is cool! Yay!

And then Monday we have off... granted, my father wants me to come in and work (surprise, surprise), but I think I'll pass. I'll ask Andy, just in case... she might prefer a long weekend some other day, but my preference would definitely to take the day off. Otherwise I might never get it!

Other than that, Andy bought an Xbox360 Elite... I may have encouraged her a little, but the final decision was hers. It's a purty little thing... works like a charm so far and plays "Yourself Fitness", which is a very good thing. Updated it, even! I've been playing "F.E.A.R." so far and leaving Kameo and Gears for later... otherwise I might NEVER play F.E.A.R., and it's been kinda fun so far. And Halo 3's coming out in a few months... ooh, gotta remember to pick up a new controller and some rechargable packs when we go for lunch today. Yay!

Wednesday. Whoa.

Actually, nothing much of interest happened last night... we bought a house-warming gift for Chantal and Dave, bought fish to steam (and then proceeded to steam said fish for dinner), and watched CSI last night. Oh, and the last half of Star Trek Nemesis. Andy was sad that Data died (I was too, but I've seen it before).

That's about it... pile of work to do today, so I'd better get to it. Joy.
(Have I mentioned how much I hate this job? Yeah).

Good Morning!

Ah, morning sex. Truly one of the most fabulous of all things.

Last night was good, though... Kendo (which I was a bit late for), followed by dinner. Low key, but enjoyable... Andy's been pretty sore recently due to her workouts (which I sympathize with), but she's starting to see how good looking she is (which is nice!). Not really a whole lot else to say... I'm really looking forward to Saturday and getting to hang out with Dave and Chantal (even if it involves moving them... I really don't mind moving other people, but I have to remember to bring some gloves from work!).

With any luck, I'll even get a chance to play Shogun (Finally!). Yay!

Hurray!

Last night, Andy sits down next to me... and then suddenly turns and says "Hey, you want to have sex?"

I have the best girlfriend... ever!

It's been awhile since she's approached me... it was a very nice change of pace (and the sex was awesome, which is always good).

Anyway, Kendo tonight at the UCC Squash Courts... not ideal, but I'm just happy to be practicing 2x a week again! Hopefully I can get back into better shape fast!

Weekend Tai-Sei-Ko...

Well, that weekend is now over. All in all it wasn't bad... Andy was, again, in a bit of a mood... but still, she rallied like a trooper and Sunday turned out okay. C&C3 keeps crashing on me (boo), and Andy won't install Civ4 (boo again)... and while I have plenty of other games to play, those are really the ones I want to finish (or at least START) the most right now. I don't know why she won't let me install Civ4... but whatever.

In other news, she claims "we don't do anything"... perhaps true, but by no fault of mine. I must suggest a dozen things, and she's just never in the mood for anything. I don't know if she realizes that the reason she feels so restless has nothing to do with how much we do or don't do... it (much like most things) is internal. She's restless in her life and therefore it manifests in all sorts of weird and wonderful ways. But whatever... hopefully it'll pass.

Oh, and I have to remind her to book her tickets for this weekend's trip to help Dave and Chantal move. That should be fun!

Hmmm.

Well, another interesting talk with Andy last night.
Apparently, I'm still not being supportive enough... no, not supportive, not sympathic enough.

See, the thing is that when she gets cold and hostile with me, I try to be sympathic... and I try to be understanding... and when these things don't work (and they don't), I try to be cold and hostile in return. Which works.

Andy says that she wants me to be more understanding... when she's being hostile to me, I should be more "Why are you doing this?", and less "Alright, cut the crap and stop doing this".

[shrugs]

I'll try, for sure.

Anyway, I hope she's feeling better sooner rather than later... if we want to move to Toronto in August, we have to get our butts in gear now, not later. And she's still not "ready" to apply for work... I'm trying to be as understanding as I can be, but she's kinda putting a lot of pressure on ME to make sure things are okay... I mean, if I quit my job in June (like I very, very much plan to do), what then? Suddenly our only real means of support disappears...
[sigh]

I'm sure everything will work out. I'm really looking forward to the weekend, though... some time to sleep and relax will be very welcome!

Pretty Content...

Well, I'm out of debt... a $9,000 infusion from my brother saw to my debt, finished my worries about moving to Toronto, and gave me enough left over to spend a bit on a few new toys (I'm thinking a new HDTV for starters... apparently they have 40" LCDs at Costco for $700).

So that's one thing dealt with.

Andy's been having a couple rough days... nothing terribly serious (despite her keeping me up until 3am on Sunday and having me on the verge of tears four or five times), but still upsetting. She just gets into these moods sometimes... drives me up the wall. I just want to relax a bit after work... and suddenly she's all on edge and I can't seem to do anything right! Ah well... it's not really me, and I know it... but whatever. She was happy again this morning, so here's hoping it lasts!

Last little note... we have a practice at the Adelaide Dojo today, but I don't know if I can make it... I'd have to be home by 4:30 at the absolute latest, and because of the stupid visit by the stupid Solydra people tomorrow (who aren't really stupid, sadly) I may be stuck here late. We'll see, I suppose.

Friday! Huzzah!

Well, it's Friday... which is a nice change of pace from the rest of the week (or at least the rest of the working week). Tomorrow is "Free Comic Book Day", and Andy and I are going to wander around downtown London, picking up free comics and shopping for dresses (we're so cosmopolitan).

Sadly, I left my Nintendo DS at home today... which will make the working day a wee bit longer (ie: Much, much longer). Which sucks.

But, I do have Kendo tonight... so that'll be fun. And we're starting to have 2 practices a week, which is good... apparently we'll be practicing at Althouse (with the wooden floors). That's most excellent to hear. I wonder how many people will show up for Monday's practices... I'm hoping at least 5-6, but not more than 10-12. I like the smaller classes... you get more sensei-time.

Update.

My girlfriend is awesome again... she wasn't in a great mood when she got home, but she was much, much better after making some phone calls for work. Tonight she won't be home until about 8pm... getting waxed (poor thing... but I do love her for it!), which means I'm going to play some C&C3, maybe some BF2142... but first I gotta get through the next 7 hours of work. Joy.

Not much else to report... I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to make Andy's birthday special... I'm hoping there's some way to rent kittens. Or just borrow them for a week. I'd love to get a couple permenantly, but not until after we move.

Hectic Days

Well, I wrote down Andy's birthday wrong a few weeks ago and she actually noticed today... it was supposed to be a nice gesture (as in "Look! I remembered to write down your birthday because it's important!"), but sadly made her feel worse (as in "My boyfriend doesn't even know when my birthday is!").

I'm really torn with her sometimes... I mean, I love her, but she can be a bit of a handful occasionally. Not that I mind, really... I still think she has the potential to be great. She is great already... she has the potential to be even greater. I just hope she doesn't get too frustrated along the way.