Contact Is All It Takes ~ Sessions Update

Just posted an update to Sessions. This is a sort of feelgood piece. No drama, nothing earth-shattering but it is something we have been wanting to do for awhile but couldn't fit in with the flow of the storyline.

The lot used in the second scene is the wonderful Seaside Bistro created by xtina. Thank you again xtina for your fantastic work! Please check out her wonderful creations.

And special thank you goes to Beth for helping me get past the string of pearls in order to see things clearly.

A couple of the shots are a bit stiff. Some of the writing is as well.

The piece is called Love Walks In. Accompanying song is by Van Halen, #20 in the playlist.

EDITED TO ADD THE STORY LINK

Road to Recovery ~ Week Ten

Also known as the return to modified duty.

My first day back to work was not exactly uneventful. The first thing I did was forget to take my security badge so I had to get a visitor pass from the front security desk. I can't believe I forgot my access badge since it was sitting right next to my purse. And I left my snack food sitting on the kitchen counter...

Second thing was finding a note taped to my phone letting me know that my PC was infected with a virus (one they have apparently been battling for the last week or so) and that my PC was removed from the network. No one bothered to clean it for me. So I spent the first 4 hours back to work resolving a virus issue. Not a problem really since I was able to sort through emails on my Mac (I managed to get through around 200 before I had to go home).

Third thing...two of my passwords that I use for certain systems and servers were expired. My regular password expires in a week and a half. Now I have to come up with new passwords...ugh!

I am freaking sore. I moused with my left hand on my Mac (not the best plan) while I moused with the right on my PC. And I have PT tonight so I expect to be even more sore tomorrow. Thankfully we have a potluck (yummy!) tomorrow so I should be able to take longer breaks.

I installed McAfee on my home PC since I get it for free with my ISP and I got tired of AVG and when it ran a scan last night it found trojans in Peggy zips that were stored on my backup drive. Let this be a lesson to always scan zips before extracting files to your hard drive. Not sure how harmful they were but they're gone now!

I'm tired so I am cutting this short and leaving out the Lessons Learned. Hope you all have a great holiday this week (for those of you in the US). Not sure if I will get to a holiday post prior to Thursday.

Leaving you with a blogthing!

What Your Thanksgiving Meal Says About You

When it comes to the holidays, you follow and love the big traditions. You look forward to them every year. You see the holidays as a time to be close to loved ones. It's a good time to reconnect and make memories. You like the aspects of the holiday that remind you of your childhood - opening presents, treats, and old favorite foods. During the holidays, you are likely to feel comforted. At your worst, you feel a bit over-indulgent. You consider yourself to be a bit of a purist, and you're proud of it. You tend to spend your holidays sharing and pitching in. You'll do whatever needs to be done.

What Does Your Thanksgiving Meal Say About You?

Blogthings: Cheaper Than a Therapist

Chameleon Update Part 5

I, first of all, want to thank xtina for making the bar for this piece. Although you don't see the entire place, it is really wonderful, the best biker bar ever! Showing you an arial shot in the above picture. Thank you xtina! I will definitely be hitting you up for more lots down the road!

This piece has been done for awhile but I was avoiding the shots. They weren't all that hard except I had one hell of a time finding the right props and had to rewrite since I couldn't find my knife. So it took the better part of the day to finish it and rewrite. I don't know about you all, but I struggle more with finding things in the catalog than anything else when it comes to setting up and shooting.

I also want to thank SB for assuring me constantly that the piece worked. I can be such a baby sometimes...

Click the drunk bartender below to access Prompt 25 - Strangers.

Road to Recovery ~ Week Nine

At least I mastered the art of raising a glass with my right hand.

I am working on more character bios. This was a shot I considered for my sim-self's bio but I opted to use a different one. Irrelevant, trivial fact; now on to the good stuff.

Just got back from the surgeon's office for my follow-up. They are quite pleased with my progress and are returning me to work half days and with modified duty. They are going to try and get one more injection approved for my right shoulder (they injected platelets to assist in healing the tear in that shoulder to avoid surgery) so we will have to wait and see how that goes. I hate needles and it is a painful procedure but I would much prefer it to Cortisone injections.

I am both happy and sad to be going back to work. I love my job but have thoroughly enjoyed being a stay-at-home mom despite the fact that I couldn't really do anything. It was good for my mental health as well as the physical part. I needed the respite from my daily stress.

I've been writing a bit during my PC time, nothing earth shattering. Sometimes I think my writing has become unexciting, mundane, pedestrian. I keep telling myself that not everything has to be deep and fraught with emotion. I have even been considering doing a *gasp* legacy type of story. I have been so intrigued by the work of some great writers (too many to name them all so I won't even try but you know who they are) who have complete worlds, time lines, births, deaths, actual aging within the Sims arena and have been captivated by the idea.

I cannot bring myself to do something like this with some of the most beloved people in my Sims world. I am way too attached to let time run its course, or rather their life span. Meh, ignore me, it isn't like I actually have the time to do this and will have even less when I return to work. Just a passing thought.

Week Nine Lessons Learned:

• I have a very small window of tolerance for temperature change
  
• I don't have enough winter clothing
  
• I feel much better if I slap on a little mascara once in awhile
  
• Soup with a dollop of non fat yogurt is tasty
  
• This time off has helped to heal mind, body, and spirit
  
• I cannot control anything except my own path

Not sure how many more of these posts I will do. I will probably chronicle my recovery at least through the end of the year.

My blogthing for the week.

You Should Rule Venus

Venus is a mysterious, stormy planet - shrouded in a thick layer of clouds. You are perfect to rule Venus, because you are quite emotional and volatile yourself. Your emotions change as rapidly as the weather on Venus, and both you and the planet are incomprehensible to others. While you are not a logical thinker, you are quite empathetic. You can care for and understand others, but your emotions swirl around too quickly to truly understand yourself.

What Planet Should You Rule?

Blogthings: If Quizzes Are Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Take Quizzes

It Only Hurts

This update was painful. Hard to plan, hard to write, hard to shoot. I say this, not because I did any of it but, because Beth did. The community lot gave her fits, game crashes, all of it. If you are looking for my contribution here, it was in not being able to lift a finger to help. I think she did an incredible job and although I know she would have liked the shots to be different, they are incredible as is the writing. There isn't one thing she does that isn't right up next to perfection because that is the amount of effort she puts in, above and beyond.

And she revamped the blog pages on top of everything else!

You can view the update here -> Sessions 19 - It Only Hurts

Song in the playlist is by Default.


Type rest of the post here

Road to Recovery ~ Week Eight

Astounded that my arm can actually raise this high without help...

Yeah, yeah, I know...it's Wednesday...again. I am enjoying the fragrance of a honeysuckle scented candle as I write this.

Tomorrow is my last day of PT until they (presumably) approve another 8 sessions. The therapist performed an evaluation yesterday and my strength is slowly (very slowly) returning and my range of motion is on target with the projected recovery. Of course they don't seem to take into account that my arm does NOT move to the positions they measure without assistance. I can't get my arm at a 90 degree angle away from my body without someone lifting it and holding it there for example. I mean, I can lift it only so far but holding it there or raising it further just isn't happening without assistance.

WARNING: Lots of self-indulgent pouting and whining ahead. Proceed at your own risk!

I finally made a decision to move on, move forward. It's time. Out with the old and all that. I'm a pack rat, shameful really since I criticize my own parents for that very behavior, but I am learning to let go...of a lot of things actually. I am surrounded by memories, both good and bad, things I don't need or don't use. Sometimes you can hold on for too long and even if letting go feels sad and final, it also can heal.

I have slowly been letting go of the guilt, the pain, the anger, the loss, the emptiness, the betrayals. I have even *insert sharp intake of breath known as a gasp here* talked about it!

If this doesn't make sense to most of you, it's okay. Those of you who know me best will understand that bit of nonsense.

Week Eight Lessons Learned:
I have learned a few things this week, mostly of a personal nature. Maybe I didn't actually learn them, perhaps I just am acknowledging them.

• People I thought were the closest to me or should have been do not understand me at all
  
• I seriously wish I could stay home and not return to work
  
• I have never, ever been at the top of anyone's list of priorities
  
• I need to be at the top of my own list of priorities (aside from my boys who always come first)
  
• Time is moving by entirely too fast
  
• I am more cynical than I realized and I do not trust
  
• Sometimes I feel quite invisible

Sad, but true to quote Metallica. I leave you with a couple of Blogthings.

Your Fashion Style is Playful

You love fashion, but unlike most fashionable folks, you're no snob or label lover. In fact, the thing you like most about fashion is being able to try on different looks. You're very eclectic. You are the type to mix and match interesting items. You'll wear something designer with something discount. Or you'll sport something classic with something vintage. You truly believe that fashion should be fun. And you're having a lot of fun breaking all of the rules.

What's Your Fashion Style?

The First Rule of Blogthings Is: You Don't Talk About Blogthings

Your Primary Mood Color is Blue

You are a sensitive and reflective person. You have a good intuition for emotions. You can sense what people are feeling and even sometimes what they are thinking. You communicate well, and you're also a good listener. You cherish your friends, and every word they say is important to you. You are always there for the people you love, and you expect the same in return. You crave deep connection and understanding.

What's Your Primary Mood Color?

The First Rule of Blogthings Is: You Don't Talk About Blogthings

Crawling in the Dark

Chapter 4 of Chameleon has been posted. It (loosely) follows the prompt Conspire from the simfic50 table.

I want to thank S.B. for doing the heavy lifting and putting up the shots and text for me to the post.

Chapter is here -> Conspire

Road to Recovery ~ Week Seven

Mid-week morning bun. I had one yesterday. First one in 7 weeks! It was good...I made it last and chased it down with a peppermint mocha.

Again not much to report. I am out of the sling more or less and only wear it if I am going to be out somewhere for any length of time. Range of motion is getting much better. Pain is getting worse but...no pain no gain. Strength is still iffy but I never had a lot of upper body strength so that makes a difference.

I wish I didn't have to go back to work, not because I don't love my job but because I am essentially lazy and would rather stay home and do fun stuff. And I can't believe the year is nearly over.

Anyway, that's it for this week. Didn't learn a damned thing. Except that my celebrity baby name is Astrella Leelee...

You Are Most Like Laetitia Casta

Curvy, beautiful, and wild

Which Victoria's Secret Angel Are You?

Blogthings: We're Not Shrinks, But We Play Them On the Internet

Just Desserts

I am really happy we got this one in the books. Sweet satisfaction is all I can say.

Can't wait for the feedback!

Update is here -> Sessions 18 - Hangnail