ElvenJuiceBox

ah..sleep

2009-06-10T18:12:36Z

had full night's rest for the first time in almost two weeks...go me!

Happy Cat News

2009-06-05T16:03:13Z

Finally, I've got something good to write about on here.

This morning James and I woke up, worked our routine, yadda yadda yadda. We heard crying noises and thought it was Sophie, the new little white cat but it was coming from the wrong direction....it was outside...

James jumped up, ran outside and I stayed in with the babies looking out the window at the backyard. James poked his head in and another head poked in too...a little orange and white head....I freaked, let me tell you I was so happy I was shaking. I looked at Henry and the first thing I did was pick him up and tell him "I thought I was never going to see you again!" and per his usual he looked up at me and just went "Mao" like he was telling me I was overreacting.

Alice hissed at him a little, he smells like the outside and other cats, but was following him around. He's thin, dirty and has a little bite mark but over all seems to be healthy and doesn't even seem phased by the other kittens.

The universe has finally thrown me a bone....well....a catnip toy.

Feeling Cursed

2009-05-31T14:59:12Z

It seems like all that I do is post about my cats on here and lately it's depressing things related to cats.

Friday morning I took Henry to get his pompoms pew pewed (neutered) and he was acting on par for the course, mao-ing etc. We used a new carrier because we couldn't find our red carrier, apparently there was a zipper malfunction because when I went to take him in to the Vet's office, he got out and ran across the street. I ran inside to get help and then went across to find him. He ran when he saw the vet techs, with nets no less, and went around the corner and over the fence.

He hasn't been seen since. I know because I've spent the last three days looking for him in the area that he supposedly ran in. I've passed out fliers, posted on craigslist and pet harbor and the only thing I have to hope for is that someone finds him and finds a poster and brings him home. If not that they take care of him and give him a good life.

The animal shelter, animal friends connection and pals all have fliers of him and right now I'm hoping for a miracle.

I feel cursed, upset, afraid. All these stupid disney animal movies keep running through my head and then I have bad visuals horror movies shortly after, I only pray he meets the first fate instead of the second.

I'd really appreciate it if anyone with cats would keep him in your thoughts and if it's your thing, pray.

A sad, sad day.

2009-04-26T16:20:42Z

So last night was pretty awful. Our neighbor Bob came over, I thought it was to bust our balls about Jacob getting in his yard and leaving him presents, supposedly. Then James comes in in tears and tells me that Jake's been hit by a car and killed. Bob said he didn't know for sure it was him until he saw Alice trying to pull Jake out of the street into safety. Bob had scared her off and then came over to let us know, he hadn't actually seen him get hit but just found him.

We buried him in the backyard and so far I think we're all half expecting him to pop his head in the window like this was all a bad dream. Alice is taking it hardest out of all of us, she's spent all day crying for him and staring out the window, watching for him "just in case".

I don't have any more to say or that I really want to say, i just needed to vent that.

Writer's Block: AKA

2009-02-27T19:31:37Z

What's the story behind your username?

View 503 Answers

Elvenjuicebox was the original name of my amateur production company for film in Highschool. I decided to go with another name (Eyes on You) and I liked Elvenjuicebox so much I decided to keep it.

Rrrrrrgh!

2009-02-26T18:34:53Z

F-you, wellsfargo. Go suck a cucumber.

AHHHHHH!!!!! Abney Park will be in San Francisco!!!

2009-02-25T15:49:18Z

http://www.slimstickets.com/evinfo.php?eventid=31645&sid They are the coolest band ever!! I want to go!! Sadly it's on a Wednesday :(

Writer's Block: Daily Grind

2009-02-24T09:27:04Z

Describe your morning routine.

Submitted By its_miley

View 501 Answers

1. Make sure James sets the alarm for 7am
2. Turn off Alarm for 7am as I can no longer get back to sleep.
3. Fight off Alice as she attempts to attack my feet. Repeat for Henry.
4. Walk bleary Eyed out of bedroom and turn on VH1, prepare to have some poptastic song stuck in my head for the rest of the day.
5. Check Email/Facebook/Etsy
6. Fight off Henry as he attempts to google AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
7. Cuddle Henry.
8. Chase down Jacob and Alice to see what the big noise was.
9. Look at clock and realize I've wasted most of my morning herding cats and frantically get ready for work.
10. Hurry back inside to hastily grab my keys, turn off lights and uncover the Bebes
11. Turn off Vh1 and vow never to watch it again as I hum "Womanizer" out the door.

Repeat Monday thru Friday.

Rick-Rolling and Temp Agencies and how they're evil

2008-05-20T02:44:14Z

SO.....in 48 hours I've been well...HAD in a not so nice way (use your choice of scam expletive.) I was in the Grocery store pickin' up some stuff...mostly icecream cause it felt like hell on earth.

Really.

I have no a/c, It sucks.

Anywhoo..So i'm perusing the scarce magazine section for girly magazines and all the sudden I hear it...That terrible bizarre disembodied voice promising in his oh-so lightrock ways that he'll never break your heart or make you cry. I got rick-rolled. That song used to be on my grandmother's yamaha electric keyboard and if you were unfortunate enough to hit the demo button on it, you'd hear those same promises, only synthesized and in poor tempo. Except it was the eternal rick-roll. you couldn't get the damn thing to turn off unless you took out the batteries and poured some holy water on it.

***********************

Speaking of crap situations...the temp agency I've been working with failed to mention that the position they said i was going to have was suddenly taken on friday but they didn't bother to tell me that until I called them Today. And, OH, not to worry, they were sure they'd get some more requests and that they'd call me as soon as they found something out.

Right..like they called me when the job I supposedly had was taken and I'd called them that morning..and they'd promised to call me when they had more information?

I've about as much faith in their reliability as I have in my ability to disarm a nuclear bomb.

Writer's Block: Where am I in the garden?

2008-05-13T12:40:45Z

What vegetable or fruit do you relate to most?

View 502 Answers

Um.....I'd say an ear of corn...cause I'm from Illinois. I'd say potato but that I don't have enough eyes.

Brittany

P.s. I got the temp job at BlueShield..WOOO!!!

Writer's Block: Personality Trait = Trouble

2008-04-30T23:28:52Z

What personality trait has gotten you in the most trouble?

View 500 Answers

I'd say my impatience, I have a serious lack of sympathy for people who don't understand something that only requires common sense.

I have a plan..I'm gonna go to Fiji and buy a sheep an' a cow..an' breed horses!

2008-04-25T12:18:50Z

What are you most looking forward to this weekend?

View 501 Answers

Stitch and Bitch and a Panera Turkey Bravo...(really, who didn't see that coming?)

I ordered 2200 yards of cornflower blue yarn on ebay last night.....for 20 bucks....how freakin' awesome is that?? I have one goal this summer...to knit a damned lace shawl! I fully intend to knit in full force again...well....in full force but with less project ADD. Now I just have to decide what lace shawl to knit..knowing me I'm going to fall in love with a shawl that requires more than the yardage that I have or a different weight and I'm going to be stuck with 10 balls of yarn. I suppose if it goes down in flames I could knit a pair of reaaaaallllllyy long socks. I'm perusing Flickr.com to see which finished project I like best and maybe go from there. But if all else fails I have an arsenal of lace shawl patterns (don't ask me why..perhaps I'm preparing for a sudden chill in the over sixty crowd?)

Torchwood series one should be waiting for me when I get home...I'm curious about it, I heard James Marsters (Spike from Buffy) is supposedly in it.....O.o?

(one thousand bonus points who can tell me where the title's from)

The Ikea Drinking Game

2008-02-09T14:59:27Z

Players: 1-100 (though that many drunk people could be dangerous)

Equipment:

A piece of Ikea furniture (your choice-assembly required only though!)
A shot glass
Your favorite alcholic beverage
Dice.
All required tools.

Optional:

A timer
A helmet (actually, this is probably a good idea)
score board.

Instructions:

Long-
(one move equals one screw/peg/shelf installation etc)
Each person has their box of furniture, they each take a shot and take turns rolling the dice. The smallest number is how many moves you can make, the largest number is how many shots you must take. If doubles roll again until you get two different numbers. After your roll, take X amount of shots and then work the number of moves. repeat this pattern till completed.

the first to complete their piece wins, or the last person left standing wins!

Short-
(One move equals one step from the manual)

ONLY ONE DI Needed.

Each person has their box of furniture, they each take a shot then take turns rolling the di, the number on the di is the number of shots you take before your next move.

The first to complete wins, or the last person standing.

Gotta Love That New House Smell....

2008-02-06T03:56:26Z

Luckily for us, the new house smell is more like...60 plus years of lived-in splendor and all the joys of a working fireplace.

We're almost officially out of the crap-hole (read:apartment) and out of the hands of the crazy lady who wanders the complex and the asshole with the monster work truck who parks right next to me without fail. We are, however still not unpacked in the house and so we're working with a skeleton crew of necessities and fast food (eating healthy really is kinda hard right now).

The beebs are loving the acoustics of the house as instead of being heard from one portion of the house they are heard about half a block from the house, maybe a little more. So much for making friends with the neighbors. Dublin is also thrilled at being able to SEE the television, not just hear it from his former perch on the entertainment center. Which, I'm happy to report has been banished to the Garage of No Return.

Also, I'll only ever admit this once, I've never been so happy to have a fricken' washing machine in my life.

Writer's Block: Chinese New Year

2008-02-06T03:46:15Z

2008 is the Year of the Rat. Which animal year were you born in?

View 500 Answers

Tiger, Rawr. You know, Eye of the Tiger. Survivor. ROCKY...BALBOA!

My year rocks.

What Do You Have To Say? - My Secret Talent

2007-12-29T03:07:07Z

What's your secret talent?

Brought to you by HP

View 251 Answers

I wouldn't call it a secret, but I have a strange ability to answer damn near any trivia question. People loathe when I play Sceneit, disney or any other designation. I'm a big fan of logic puzzles and watch way too much tv so that combination in an of itself can make a popculture einstein.

What Do You Have To Say? - I'll Never Forget This Birthday

2007-12-06T04:08:59Z

Write about your best (or worst) birthday.

Brought to you by HP

View 292 Answers

I was turning 17, I had invited a slew of friends over and my grandma cooked food for a huge barbeque. We spent most of the time just talking and hanging out and laying around in our backyard listening to music. There wasn't any drama, no troubles just plain fun.

elvenjuicebox @ 2007-06-26T15:54:00

2007-06-26T23:15:22Z

A
• Are you available?: No
• What is your age?: 21
• What annoys you?: People Who fail to educate themselves about insurances processes, cruelty to animals, lacking the internet
B
• Do you know anyone named Billy?: Um...no
• When is your birthday?: April 11th, 1986
• Who is your best friend?: Um...I can't say I have a Best Friend, I mean that would constitute like a contest or something right? And, well..I mean...I'm not very organized so everyone would win! Cause I'd feel bad...
C
• What's your favorite candy?: Haribo Gummy Bears, Yes, I'm Specific.
• Crush?: No, I'm married, unless you count celebrity crushes....which I won't
• When was the last time you cried?: Last Night, I missed my puppies

D
• Do you daydream?: Ofcourse.
• What's your favorite kind of dog?: I really love Black Labs, and Miniature Pinschers
• What day of the week is it?: Tuesday

E
• How do you like your eggs?: Hardboiled
• Have you ever been in the emergency room?: Yep
• Ever pet an elephant?: I don't remember. Which is Ironic, cause elephants never forget...hahaha
F
• Do you use fly swatters?: Fly Swatters are for wussies...like me.
• Have you ever used a foghorn?: I can't be trusted with objects that make loud noises
• Is there a fan in your room?: Yes

G
• Do you chew gum?: Only after I drink coffee.
• Do you like gummy candies?: HELLO...HARIBO GUMMIES
• Do you like gory movies?: Eh, I can stand them but it's so rare to find a quality horror flick.

H
• How are you?: I am anxious, I want my laundry to be dry.
• What's your height?: 5'4"
• What color is your hair?: Kinda Reddish blond, later it will be Flaming RED

I
• Whats your favorite ice cream?: Ben and Jerry's Cinnamon Bun and Steven Colbert IceCream
• Have you ever ice skated?: Oh EM Gee, Ofcourse, I used to go every weekend, I miss it.
• Ever been in an igloo?: Do the doghouse ones count?

J
• What's your favorite Jelly Bean?: Jelly Belly Pomegranite
• Do you have a job?: Yes, I'm an Customer Service Rep for United Hellthcare
• Do you wear jewelry?: Yes, I wear mostly jewelry my husband gives me. Cause it's pretty...

K
• Who do you want to kill?: Well, it depends on the time of day..
• Have you ever flown a kite?: Yep!
• Do you think kangaroos are cute?: They're cute allright, and soft.

L
• Are you laid back?: When I'm not uptight
• Lions or tigers?: Um...Tigers, cause they're F-IN HUGE and they could protect me. or eat me.
• Do you like black licorice?: EWWWW EWWW EW!

M
• Favorite movie as a kid?: Mary Poppins and Cinderella
• Ever shopped at Moosejaw?: HU-where?
• Favorite store at the mall?: Hot Topic or the Sanrio store

N
• Do you have a nickname?: Brit, Bri'any, Kiddo, Dungeon Mistress.
• What's your favorite number?:11
• Do you prefer night or day?: Day, I'm a morning person....yeah shoot me now.

O
• What's your one wish?: To be happy with whatever I'm given
• Are you an only child?: Hell, no.
• Do you like the color orange?: OH, Baby. Yeah

P
• What are you most paranoid about?: Um....probably hurting my computer. Or strangers.
• Piercings?: 2 lobe piercings and one up top, all on the ears.
• Do you know anyone named Penelope?: If I knew someone named Penelope, I'm sure I'd be busy asking her parenty wtf they were thinking.

Q
• Are you quick to judge people?: Eh, If anything, I'm really lenient then I have to lay down the hammer quick
• Do you like Quaker Oats?: Instant Oatmeal is mana from heaven
• Know anyone that makes quilts?: Not Personally.

R
• Do you think you're always right?: I don't think, I know.
• Do you watch reality TV?: Um, Not by choice. And my only choice would be miami ink.
• Reason to cry?: Um....well....not much really, being broke could be a good reason but then I could just spend less money.

S
• Do you prefer sun or rain?: Rain....though I don't like to be in it.
• Do you like snow?: No...I went "offroading" in snow and almost took out a lightpole.
• Whats your favorite season?: Fall

T
• What time is it?: 4:11pm
• What time did you wake up?: 3:30 A-F-IN-M

U
• Can you ride a unicycle?: HAHAHAHA
• Do you know anyone with a unibrow?: Yes, but they pluck them.
• How many uncles do you have?: Alot, more than I can really count.

V
• What’s the worst vegetable?: Lima Beans...eww
• Did you ever watch Veggie Tales?: HAHAH, yeah.
• Ever considered being vegan?: I love meat. And Icecream. And Wool.

W
• What's your worst habit?: Nailbiting, spending money
• Do you like water rides?: Um...sometimes. Not the ones that are 5 stories off the ground and require you to stand on open stairs with crazy children running around forever..Um...maybe not.
• Ever been inside a windmill?: No, actually.

X
• Have you ever had an x-ray?: Yes, I almost broke my wrist.
• Ever used a Xerox machine?: For days.

Y
• Do you like the color yellow?: On M&M's
• What year were you born in?: 1986
• Do you yell when you're angry?: Yelling doesn't really begin to explain it....

Z
• Do you believe in the zodiac?: I'd rather not know what my day is like so I can actually feel surprised when it turns to crap.
• What's your zodiac sign?: Aries
• When was the last time you went to the zoo?: Um....shit..I forgot..must have been when I visited the elephant.

Moved!

2006-10-26T20:02:05Z

Hello Lovies!

I've moved on over to here.

Be sure to give it a look and I'll try to keep it better updated than here!

Dysfunction at Chez Duncan

2006-09-26T03:49:47Z

So things are going great as far as married life goes, love it. However, being the mother of two fluffballs has had its downsides at the moment. I don't know how mom's do it with human beebs.

Tiels are almost too much! Slurpee has shown herself to be very jealous when Dublin is around, she does not like him being on "her mommy" or "her curtain rod" or "her knitting needles" and can tolerate him being around "his feet" but that's about it at this point. She does however do a good job of sharing her food and sharing his food and his cage and the top of her cage. The cohabitate well enough on the broad spectrum but she has "bubble issues" I think.

Dublin is coping fairly well i think. He was thrilled to have a new feathered friend and I think she'll eventually warm up to him, and you can see the look in his eye when she gets fussy with him: just sheer dissappointment. So right now there is Dubby time set aside just for him, he pretty much does whatever, sits on me, insists upon his scritches. It's a throwback to our old routine a bit, which for me, is grounding.

I suppose like all families we will just have to learn to get along and keep experimenting till the right thing works.

Update, sans wedding (sorry!)

2006-09-21T15:14:18Z

Quotes of the Day

"You have bewitched me body and soul." Mr. Darcy, Pride and Predjudice 2005

"How many fucking preludes are there?!" Me, looking for Bach's Cello prelude number 1

"If houses were yarn, I'd be Sara Winchester." Jeanne, Delta Tulle Woolies

So I quit Raley's.

I can not fully express how giddy/happy/relieved to never have to work with those people again. The guilt is minimal, as it will always be leaving a job and a small portion of me says I should have given notice. However, as they can't be bothered to give me the respect that any human deserves, let alone myself, I can't be bothered to reciprocate. I know that the golden rule says treat how you would like to be treated but being a doormat didn't make them want to throw a "welcome" sticker onto their back and lay down. I can't honestly blame them, but that doesn't mean I sympathize or condone their actions.

But enough about them, I was only unemployed for a grand total of 10 hours which has gotten me a nice job, at a desk, working with people who need my assistance, not people who feel it is a right and it pays nearly double what I was making at the grocery store. AND it's full time.

Which means James and I can possibly move out very soon and that we can actually afford a place that isn't adjacent to a ghetto and or crackhouse. We are very happy at this newest development, for a long time it was looking like we'd be at his parents' home forever, not that its bad, we just need our own space.

In knitting news, this time being freed up has allowed me to go to the tulle woolies knitting group on tuesday afternoon along with the tuesday night stitch and bitch. I really like meeting with them and they do seem to be a lively bunch in the day.

I began knitting a sweater at the group and it's a very simple, plain sweater, (the name Vanille is appropriate, its on Blue sky alvarez's website, for those interested) and James said with a few modifications, he'd even wear it if I knit him one (cha-ching! we have a winner, now for some math! *booo*) I am almost done with the increasing and then i get a gazillion rows of stockinette, a whopping 16-17 inches worth, I haven't decided yet, the way the rest of the sweater is looking it's going to be a bit roomy so I may make it longer.

That being said, I have a gazillion Ideas for halloween, fall, random times. I want to go on a Photo Adventure, where we take a camera, snap shots of "a day in the life..." Or Amelie style and bring a gnome/sockmonkey and photograph it in fancy places.

I want to do a halloween party, costumes, candy and all. I'm thinking about going as a paper doll this year, taking some of my outlandish clothes ( I have them, they're just too outlandish to wear) and adding "tabs" to them and knitting a wig to match, or maybe a barbie doll..something odd...something different, which means no faeries, witches, pirates or vampires. Perhaps a character from a novel..anyway. That's all!

1 month exactly!

2006-08-03T06:33:46Z

By this time next month I will no longer be Brittany Shadis, I will be Brittany Duncan. It's strange to think, typing that, it just makes it all the more real. I can't imagine how anyone would find it easier to cope with the losing of their last name after some 30 odd years of being single. At twenty I find it terribly hard to wrap my brain around it.

You see this and think..."she's much too young!".

Like my dearest Ann said, "if you knew her, you'd think she was waiting far too long." I'm just mature in some regards and more ready to press on with life, rather than maintain proper social fashions of marrying old, struggling to have children and cope with my midlife crises way too late.

Not to say that marrying old(er) is bad, I just don't wanna.

On top of all this mind numbing brain wrapping, I broke my toe, I have tested this theory by moving it and have been greatly rewarded with stabbing pain.

You ask how? Well, normally pride would force me to not tell and then finally break down and agree to someone's theory so I wouldn't have to actually tell you. I tripped getting the mail....laugh, its ok, I'm cool with it.

I've begun to knit again, I didn't want to for a long time, I was beginning to enjoy sewing and making stuffies and creating sock monkeys. But suddenly I started reading and missing it, and next thing you know I'm picking up the needles and halfway through a fingerless glove.

elvenjuicebox @ 2006-05-01T12:18:00

2006-05-01T19:17:48Z

Post your name in a comment and I'll....

1. I'll respond with something random I like about you.
2. I'll tell you what song/movie reminds me of you.
3. I'll name something we should do together.
4. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me (or just me).
5. I'll tell you my first/clearest memory of you.
6. I'll leave you a quote that is somehow appropriate to you.
7. I'll ask you something that I've always wondered about you.
8. If I do this for you, you must post this on your journal so you can do the same for other people

visions

2006-04-18T15:48:26Z

Today I'm having visions of a thick warm snuggly, rainbowy, down to my toes scarf. For some reason or another I just can't get it out of my head, I see myself in my big black p-coat walking down the streets warm and cozy and colorful.

There are a few problems with that vision, like for instance, the fact that summer is fast upon us here in california now that it has finally stopped the forty days and forty nights of raining eversince I got here! The fact that I probably won't need my big beautiful wool p-coat now that I'm in a less snowy climate remove the need for a scarf as well, and the fact that it would mean starting another project and listening to another 2 hours of heckling from James about how I keep putting off his blanket. ok, so I realize if I'm ever going to finish the BBB then I need to get crackin, especially if its going to be before september (wedding) which I promised and have since aimed for every significant day before that.

Plus on top of his blanket, I have my wedding shawl to finish which is only on its 4th out of 15 repeats. Then i've got two shawls to make for my bridesmaids (this is a maybe, depending on how/when/what I make it with will determine how crazy I am) and while a scarf wouldn't be too detromental to my timeframe of wedding planning, i've got too much on my plate.

Write that one down, TOO MUCH ON MY PLATE. Plus there's the task of finding a job, which isnt going as quickly as hoped. Plus i'm going to start selling things I make 'cause well, frankly, I'm needing the money to feed my craft habit but I'm really putting myself on a craft diet,not just yarn diet. I have alot of craft stuff, and not alot of space and I really need to get rid of/finish some of this stuff, like the pillowcases I swore I'd embroider, magnets I'm forcing myself to finish, the tea chest I just decided to make to match my new teapot and all sorts of things that sit there.

James has begun to think I'm going off the edge, only I don't think he realizes that when things don't go how I like, I make things that work how I want. Therefore: Crafting, I can do it my way, on my time and nobody can tell me the what for. In addition to the pile up of schtuff, i've still got yarn to work to get down to a minimal and a granny square blanket to finish, which would eat up the yarn which would make room for my other stuff which would then leave room/time/less stress for other things.

Sum of all stresses: Finishing things, small goals, finding a job and trying not to work myself to death.

random perusing produces this!

2005-06-27T22:02:21Z

A is for - Age: 19
B is for - Bust Size: 36C
C is for - Career: Future-Teacher
D is for - Dad's name: Peter
E is for - Essential item to bring to a party: chips and dip
F is for - Favorite song at the moment: 3am by Anna Naleck
G is for - Guys you've kissed: around 12
H is for - Hometown: Boise, ID
I is for - Instruments you play: Recorder, and the keyboard
J is for - Job title: Co-ordinator, CCRT Summer program; Assisstant design and dresser for Murphy's Creek Theatre
K is for - Kids: One day, let's see how I deal with the thirty in my program this summer
L is for - Living arrangement: at home for the summer
M is for - Mom's name: Katharine
N is for - Number of people you've slept with: 0
O is for - Overnight hospital stays: None
P is for - Phobia[s]: Falling, proverbially and physically, people leaving, Spiders, strangers
Q is for - Quote: All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream-Edgar Allen Poe
R is for - Relationship that lasted the longest: If you count it as a real relationship a year, but my current one, with actual dates and stuff is the longest at 4.5 months
S is for - Sexual position: I wouldnt know cause I havent tried any..
T is for - Time you wake up: 6:30am
U is for - Unique trait: Mommy face
V is for - Vegetable you love: Brocoli!
W is for - Worst habit: Nail Biting, Obsessive worrying, Perfectionism, Disorganization
X is for - X-rays you've had: wrist, teeth
Y is for - Yummy food you make: French toast, other than that I've been banned from cooking
Z is for - Zodiac sign: aquarius. Aries!!!