she_jackel

This was too cute to pass up :)

OMG - they have been playing Christmas music here in Las Cruces for the last week! It not even flipping Thanksgiving yet? WTF? I think its the retail stores that are panicing about the economy and they are trying everything in their power to get stuff sold before the end of the year so they don't lose their stores or have to file bankruptcy.

As far as me ...sure bring on the holidays. I really don't celebrate Christmas (more than giving presents to the kids and grandbabies). I like to hang with friends and family but nothing too intense and certainly not in crowded areas! I will be happy when its all over and January 2010 is here.

So nothing else new ..still working the contract job for the civil engineer in Mesilla Park. I've got my application in with the State, City and County here but I was horrified to see the LOW wages they pay for state employees ..holy shit how does anyone make it on that wage? I'm only getting $11.25 an hour now (and I was making $27 an hour before I left southern CA) and I'm barely making it (well I'm not if you count the few bills that are going to collections ~ sigh and nothing I can do about it for now). I guess if you had a roommate or significant other that would help but I have neither :-(

I do have a lot to be grateful and thankful for though! Good friends, family and loved ones. Folks that stepped up to help me when I moved here to Las Cruces. You know who you are! I couldn't have made the move without each and every one of you! By Temple family rocks and I'm so damn lucky to have them :)

Ok ..gotta get back to work but wanted to at least put something up in case you were wondering if I had dropped off the face of the earth :P

P.S. - I do have another journal going on Facebook under my english name and you are welcome to friend me on it but please note I do not discuss KO on that site as its set up for my personal and professional stuff. I'm using this LJ account for my temple posts and friends.

Have a great Thanksgiving and take care of yourselves. Talk to you all again soon!

Senebty! hugs to everyone

Em hotep all! Here are a few pictures of our Opet Festival we did today out in the Desert. It was a great success. The only thing we could not do was to take a picture of Amun (he wanted to stay 'hidden). We had a great time ..glad I brought a cooler full of water as we went through them all! The other two (Mut and Khonsu) were ok with them being out in the open but Mr. Amun (well you know) he had to stay 'mysterious.' Brought a ton of offerings as you can see and fresh flowers to toss into the path as we proceeded down the road. We had someone doing oil and throwing flowers as we went ..it was so cool! The place we used had two roads and a crossroad with a north and south axis as well ..so we set up shrines on the axis road and carried the statues down and said all the appropriate things as we went. We even had a picture of Hemet on the alters so we could address Her as well. We made an extra offering to the local food bank for the poor like they would have done in ancient times (they fed the poor at the festivals). This was a trial run for next year - we will be inviting anyone that wants to come out and attend. The weather was in the mid 90's today. If you were wondering where I am ..I'm taking the pictures. Weshebut's mom took some of me so when I get those I will put them up. Thank you to the Las Cruces group - way to go guys and we rock!!

Hello everyone!

Just a quick note to let you know I'm settling in nicely over here in Las Cruces. Found a beautiful historic house in old town Mesilla (you NEVER see rentals there) the story goes its haunted! (for folks who know me its perfect). I was in there last night talking to the landlord's sister whose family has lived there for generations. They confirmed for me the house is most definately haunted (by their grandparents and relatives). While we were there Grandpa and Grandma showed up and hung in the kitchen while we chatted (for about an hour). I could see them standing there ..and they were trying to talk to one of the young girls who was there with her mother (the sister of the landlord) but she couldn't see them. They were all so excited when I told them I could see and hear the dead and I think they will be spending a lot of time at my place talking to me (the younger ones will for sure). If all goes well I'll be moving in there by October 10.

I've been to one agency and job interview ..and got the job immediately! Wow...that has not happened for years! I was not able to find anything decent in Phoenix and I come here and the jobs are laying around for the taking..but of course the pay is lower and I've not worked this low for years but its money so I'm not complaining. I'm working a contract for an environmental engineer and he's really laid back and my hours are flexible and he will let me have time off for filming (he's given me permission to take as much as I want) and they really like me so I think if I play it right I will have a job for awhile :)


Other news: I am waiting to hear back from the local Hospice organization regarding my volunteer application as I'm still wanting to do this and open up my own business doing funeral services when I can get enough contacts and get my business license.

I've also been accepted as a volunteer for the Chihuahua Desert Wildlife Refuge and will be meeting folks this coming week. I will be helping feed, rehabilitate and take care of the raptors, birds (songbirds, water fowl), amphibians and reptiles...I'll do whatever they need me to do!

As if that wasn't exciting enough ..I got a call back regarding the casting agency here in Las Cruces! I'm on the casting call for October (start filming 10/9) when they start filming the new movie "DUE DATE" which will star Robert Downey Jr. (one of my favorite actors) in a comedy. Its being filmed locally as the movie folks have been doing a lot of work these last few years in New Mexico and especially out by White Sands (Transformers 1 and 2 were filmed there). My role will be an extra sitting in my car during a scene where he drives by like 100 cars trying to get home before his wife gives birth to their child. I'm really excited about this as its going to be so much fun.

No rest for the wicked so I'm looking for more work please (as I have committed to helping the kids stay in the house in Phoenix since I moved out - I don't want them to have problems down the line with a lease breakage so I will do what I can to keep them close to me) and will be very busy.

I will post pics of the new place as soon as I know for sure I'm in. Its so beautiful .. a little 2 bdrm house with so much history and ghosts! Its a block off the main plaza and the old church (basillica) is absolutely gorgeous! There is a spirit inside the church (Senut and I met him the first time we went in to the church to pray) who wanted to know who we were and we told him ..and after that he was very nice but we didn't know for sure until after we found out that there was a priest who is actually buried on the grounds. The church is Catholic and the local population here a mix of Native American and Hispanic. The end of October will be the huge Day of the Dead celebration. I never ever imagined I'd be able to walk to it from my own house right in the middle of the party!

This historic place is also where a lot of the Old Wild West happened. The courthouse where Billy the Kid was tried and found guilty has been turned into a tourist store but the vibes are still there and the whole city has been restored so it looks like you stepped back into the 1800's. Its not far from the Rio Grande and the Tortuga tribe is one of the local indingenous tribes that has owned land in Mesilla for generations. The man I'm renting from is also with this tribe and his family has owned the house for generations (and I look forward to meeting the other relatives who are hanging around the house as I was told a good number of them passed away in the House). He was just out at White Sands last weekend (doing an ancestor ritual) when we met. The house has been empty for months and he's been waiting for the 'right' person to rent it to ..I think he's found one (ME).

Other than that ..Las Cruces is awesome! I'm here with Neb, Weshebut, Azebet, Kai Imakhu Senut and a huge group of other folks in the pagan tradition so its got a good variety of folks and things to do here. We are celebrating Opet Festival this Sunday by going out into one of the state parks and taking our icons and doing it outside! This way Amun can definately 'survey' his kingdom.

Once I'm settled in I will be opening up my State shrine for House members to come and visit as Yinepu really ...really wants to meet you all!

Dua Netjer (thank God) for all the blessings you have given me this last two weeks. I will do my best to play it forward.

Em hotep all :)

Just a short note to let my LJ friends know I will be out of town - heading to retreat in Chicago. Will be gone Aug 1 to Aug 9 back in town on the 10th.

Its that time again the annual House of Netjer New Year retreat ..time to see old friends and new friends ...can't wait to see everyone again.

So for now ...I'll be absent but will post when I get back from there. I will be taking lots of pictures so look for those when I get back.

Hopefully our gods ..will make sure that the next year is a good one :)

Senebty

Meres

Well ...yes its been like almost a year since I posted (well last October sometime I think) and I'm alive and kicking still :P

I've set up another site over on Facebook that has my personal life and family pictures and outings posted there while I'm keeping my LJ account for my Egyptian and pagan friends to keep in touch with me.

I moved from southern CA in March over to Phoenix, AZ and I'm living with my daughter and grandsons in a nice little 4 bdrm 2 bath house over by South Mountain park.

The weather is to die for (literally) but we've made use of the innertubes and have been tubing down the Salt River a few times now and had a blast doing it ..as well as having a large number of my prior Alaska family that has relocated here now too (they have pools!) so we manage to keep from heatstroking.

I'm looking for a FT job but its very slow here and nothing so far. I've done 2 contract jobs that were short and nothing lined up yet for this next month.

I'll be going to Chicago for the annual HoN retreat over in Joliet so I'll be offline while I'm gone but will check back in when I return and maybe post some pics of this year's celebration (I still don't know the names of the Gods to whom this new year belongs).

What do you think of my new photo? I've been under a lot of stress and had to make some major changes in diet and habits I've had the last few years ..so I'm finally getting healthy and lost weight which has helped some of the pain in my back and knees.

I found out I have a torn rotator cuff on my left shoulder but with no insurance and no money ..there isn't any way I can have surgery until I find a job that pays medical and benefits you know? So you have to do what you have to for survival.

On a side note its been a really tough year since October's post. I lost my newphew, my little sister and my father all within about 8 months of each other. We expected my father but not my sister or her son. Very sad and it really broke my family unfortunately ..so there is a lot of healing that has to happen to get us all back on track.

In the meantime ..how is everyone else out there in cyberland? Feel free to say hello. Take care and see you again.

Senebty!
Meres

Its been six weeks since my last confession ..oops.. .I mean posting ...

Still alive and kicking. Thought I should post an update since I don't call or write as often as I should or would like to .. I used to love getting on the computer at home after work but when you do it all day for a living ..I hate sitting at home waiting for my crappy dial up to load ..so I don't get on as much as I used to.

I'm in the middle of so many things right now ..... the old Yinepu site I had over on Homestead is gone ..and I'm trying to learn Dream Weaver 4 so I can rebuild it (better and stronger than it was ..oh ..wrong movie) over on Cedant. I have parked the new site name and won't give it away ..it hadn't been thought of before this and I think its going to be very nice when its all said and done. The new site will have much more content and I'll be doing my own research and fact finding but of course will give credit when its due (for pictures, work or other research as well as graphics).

On the home front ..looking for work ..still on disability but that will end now and I'll be on unemployment while I'm looking for work. Its been tough to find anything out in Riverside which sucks big time ..and I've jumped through all the hoops for Riverside County and the State ..but want to try for San Bernardino as well. Or ..perhaps I should say screw the legal field and go for property managment (I've done that in my past as well and it would be nice to find a small place that I could manage in return for free rent and/or small salary) or try getting into administrative or executive type work (personal assistant etc.).

My knees are still hurting and the shots have not worked that I can see yet. It can be weeks for the effects to take hold but having to go thru the series of very painful injections was not fun and having no relief isn't helping my stress level :P I will not be able to do anything for awhile until I'm employed FT again and have insurance ..but thankfully I got the dental work done that I put off for the last few years.

There are happy things to report though ...

For the folks out there in southern CA area ...there are a shitload of lectures coming up in the next few months on Maya if you are interested :) There is a FREE lecture on October 15, 2008 at 7p at the Beckman Center in Irvine. The speaker is none other than Michael Cole (Breaking the Maya Code). He is here along with a plethora of other very famous Maya scholars for that weekend's symposium (October 17, 2008). I was stunned to get an invitation to the private reception the Friday night before the lecture, The next day is open to the Public. If you go to the Saturday session the cost covers the breakfast, the lecture and material, the lunch ..and a fab dinner with the guest speaker from Yale. If you can go to this I'd really recommend it as I know there will be some authentic 'surprises' at this symposium. I will be working the registration that morning :)

I've met such a fantasic group of folks that call themselves the "New World Archeology Council". I'm a member of the Orange County group. They are so much fun ..and the folks and connections they have are amazing. I've been privilged to be able to attend functions and meet the archeologists and scholars in person and get to discuss one of my other favorite subjects.

Along with the local ARCE chapter here in Orange County my free time is full with attending lectures, exhibits and musuem openings (and most of them are absolutely FREE). I would very much like to sign up for a class at UCLA this next year if I can swing it (either a Archeology course or Middle Egygptian).

Since I'm not working full time yet and doing contract work I'm squeezing out a week to go see the kids up in Alaska. Yes ..I know I said I would never do it again in the winter but the circumstances are long and boring but suffice to say my family sucks when it comes to taking care of my kids or grandkids so I'm flying up to spend the time with my grandbabies while my daughter and son in law are in Hawaii for a week with Chandra's dad. It will be good for her to spend time with him and I'll enjoy the week with the boys by myself. Of course the other good thing ..is that they have one of the Nintendo Wii's!!! I only got to play it for a few hours the first time I saw it last year..this time Grandma is going to be playing all night after the boys go to bed :P I will be back in town on the 15th and then will have other company visiting from out of town :)

I'm not planning anything else for this year that I'm aware of but you never know what can happen ..its a new Year for us Kemetic folks :)

Hope all is well in cyberland for you all.

Senebty

Could be .......

My law firm has lost its biggest paying client (aka the car company that was paying my firm to do their discovery work for the legal suits) and the ironic part of this ..is that they lost it to a rival firm that we do business with as well! That goes to show you that the way they treated the employees (not well) is the way they treated their clients - disorganized, lack of communication and no one knowing what the hell the other half was doing. It showed in the constant review of billing I did every month because stuff was not corrected from the month before and the client got tired of our constant screwups and staff turnover we've had since I joined said law firm :P

So ..I've been out on disability leave for the last two months and I found out by a co-worker's good-bye email to the team that this was happening. I also found out that some of the partners (the ones I worked for) were aware of this going down but of course never said a word to anyone (they never do) and only some of the team (the clerical staff that supports the 7 attorneys) was asked to go to the new firm to work on the new team.

Since I was not notified (and I'm still waiting on my firm's HR folks to get back with me) I'm assuming that I'm not going to the new firm (which is ok by me since the new office is located in downtown Los Angeles and there is NO way I'm making that god awful commute). I'm hoping that they will now just cut me loose and let me go since my attorneys are no longer with the firm and there really isn't any work for me to do now ..so I'd like to just walk away with a nice severance package and collect unemployment until I find another job closer to home.

I will wait until they come to me before I go to the labor board :) I was unhappy there for some time due to the work loads and lack of assistance and of course there is all the stress that they put me through ..enough to have my doctor pull me off the job until they fixed it (which they had not even up until the firm was let go from the account) so there is no love loss here. The best I could get would be the pink slip and a good refernce (and a small severence package would be nice but I'm not counting on it).

Other than that ..I'm in round two of the knee injections. No relief that I can feel yet and the knees are hurting like hell and spasms more now than before the shots but I've got one more week of treatment and then I wait to see if it helped. I didn't know until this week that the shots were $300 each (and I'm doing both knees for three weeks). I had to get the ok from the insurance company before I could start the treatment. Its the synthetic gel (Euflexxa) that I'm getting injected into my knees to replace the lubricant that is missing (I'm bone to bone). Its better than surgery and I'm exploring all the other options first :P

Talk with you later. Have a good week.

Senebty

Hotep everyone [henu]

Hanging out today. The weather has been in the mid 90's to low 100's here. I'm going to lay by the pool for a little while today. Since I pay an arm and leg for my 660sq ft box (aka my apartment) I might as well use what they charge me for :P I'm hanging out because I'm still sore from the injections into my knees (long story short - trying different methods to see if I can get the mobility back in my knees since the arthritis has reduced me to bone on bone). I'm on a new drug called "Euflexa" which is a snythetic gel that takes the place of the body's own 'gel' and gives the patient up to 1 year of relief. You have to go thru a series of three treatments (one in each knee per week for three weeks) and I've just started since the medicine had to be pre-ordered and did not arrive in time for me to do the treatment before I left for retreat so that's why I'm doing it now.

I took a short drive yesterday (an hour out) and sat in the middle of the 'quiet' desert. The temperature was about 108. I'm nuts I know but I love the hot dry weather. It was hot while I was in Chicago but accompanied by that awful humidity! Who likes to be dripping wet the minute you step outside? not me :P The dry heat is the best.

I had gone out to the desert to think about things and what the Gods had said to me this year regarding what I'm going to do with my life. I saw cindercones, lava flows and huge sand dunes! I was surprised a few times and took it as a good sign (both times). The first time I was driving off the dirt road leading from the Kelso Dunes (big sand dunes located in the heart of the Mohave Desert Preserve) and stopped to take a picture. When I looked down into the wash I noticed something odd ..and thought why would folks throw their grapefruits out here? It turned out to be 4 long strands of desert gourds! I had heard that they grow in the desert but had only seen it once before when I was friends in Las Cruces and we were out hiking and found a branch of them. The gourds were in different stages of decay but I pulled off the good ones (and took pics before and after) and threw them in the back of the car and brought them home. I want to do something special with them but not sure what.

The second time I was sitting at one of the rest areas admiring the lava flows (the lava flow came down through the valley and is actually all over the rest area) when I heard a voice in my head (male) tell me to take 4 of the little cinder pieces home. I was to use them for creating and building for this year and to set them up in the 4 corners of my apartment. I will do that later today after I do the rite. Some kind of good heka perhaps?

Anyway got to run. Hope you all have a good week.

Happy Wep Ronpet (aka Happy New Year to the non-kemetic folks here)!

You are probably saying to yourself where the heck have I been?  Long story short -  Busy with the job and health stuff.  Its been forever since I posted.  This last year took its toll on a lot of people.  It was a Bawy year which meant that we had to get stuff in order and deal with things that had been put off or swept under the rug.  For myself I had a few that came back with a bang.  I will try to be more consistent this year since its supposed to be a good year for building and creating (per the Aset Oracle this year).

Been off work for a few months on disability.  I tried to work things out with them but they didn't want to listen so my doctor took me off on stress until they reshuffle some of my workload and get my desk caught up (no temp to do my work while I was out they just let it keep piling up and when I tried a two week part time session in June I walked into 6 weeks of work that didn't get done and they just kept piling it on top of the huge stack on my desk each day ...so I said nope ..not going to do it again as what you are asking is unreasonable) and I went off again full time for a few months so I can get my sanity back :P

So I've been destressing and looking for another job closer to home in the meantime.  With the price of gas and the long commute and the ongoing stress issue with the current job its just not cost effective anymore for me to keep driving to Newport Beach every day.  My commute is 70 miles each day without any side trips to the store or errands.  I think gas is down to like $4.05 here in Corona but that's still to damn high!

On a happier note I got to attend the House of Netjer retreat this year.  I missed it in 2007 and you really can't miss many of them when you've got your obligations (priest) so I made sure I got there for 2008.  It was a lot of fun and this had to be the biggest group we've had so far (or at least the 8 retreats I've attended).  Its always great to put names with a face and then I remember who they are after that.  Some of the folks that came are ones that I've been talking to for years on the internet but had not met in person.  This year there were 16 new folks that I had not met.  We all got along so well and each event was a big success.  

We had workshops, meditations, rituals and one of the most kick ass thunder and lightening storms that I have ever seen!  It came of course on Set's birthday.  What a show.  I've not seen the likes of that ever.  It was worth the group of us dancing in the rain and lightening outside the hotel's front entrance that night (although we did get weird looks from the other guests and employees).  We also had one of the best raffle/auctions I think we've ever had.  Of course I have to say that I do give credit to the jackals for this success (it just turned out that way honest we didn't rig a thing [or did we?].  Thanks to my fellow jackals for a job well done.

I also received my elevation this year.  Its hard to believe I've been here this long.  The time has gone by but it has done so at a steady pace.  I've lost track of how many beginner groups I've worked with or how many folks I've counseled ..but I know that I've met some very special people along my way and I'm grateful every day that I'm with the House and have the opportunity to serve my parent, my community and my King.   This year I asked for help and got a new beloved.  She is the one that can heal what I need healed. 


Gotta run for now.  

Senebty!

Wow

Long time no see ..no hear.   Its been stressful and the job is sucking my soul slowly but surely.   Don't get me wrong - I'm able to still have some fun but the job is just so intense and stressful and more changes coming with the 'reorganization' going on currently.  My desk and another position are going to be combined when the other secretary leaves and I'm not wanting to get pushed into that new position.

I will be stuck doing admin work (which I hate) and will end up with 7 attorneys versus the 4 I have now.  A person can only take so much before they just explode.  I'm on the edge of exploding ..and I've had two meetings with my administrator but he does not seem to be listening to me ..and if I have to ..I'm going to play my trump card - stress leave for as long as I can qualify for it.  I'm not making any sudden decisions but taking my time to look at all the angles and make sure I have everything I need before I take that road.

On a brighter side .. everything else is ok.  Spent Thanksgiving by myself contemplating ...and took the 4 days to decompress and be super lazy.  I've been reading up a storm and I'm on the last Harry Potter book and can't seem to put it down.  I loved the movies from the get go but it wasn't until I read the books that I had a greater appreciation for the author.  I love the story and I've been re-watching the movies after each book (up to number 5 so far).   I'll be reading the Aragon series and the Golden Compass in the next few weeks.  

I'll be out of town over Christmas ..I said I wouldn't ..but I did it anyway ....I'm going to go back to Alaska for a few days to see my kids and grandsons.  I've really missed them and its the only thing I want to do while I"m there.  I'll be gone from the 21st to the 26th.  It will be so nice to get back on the plane and go home to tropical ..sunny southern CA (I'll eat cat food on the beach first before I move back to that god forsaken iceberg).

I also signed up to work on one of the floats for the Pasadena Rose Parade.  I found the booth at the Day of the Dead festival and it starts right after Christmas.  I'm working on the City of Sante Fe Springs (CA) float  whose theme is the Day of the Dead).  I've watched that parade for like over 25 years ..and this time I'm going to be helping putting one of the floats together....SCORE!

Ok..gotta run ...trying to finish Harry Potter 7 (I last left off at the wedding of Fleur and Bill being disrupted and everyone disappearing).....


Be safe out there and have a great holiday and a wonderful New Year!









 

I'm trying to post a new pic of me but can't figure out for the life of me how ...I tried loading it out of my hard drive off my own computer but when I click on upload nothing happens (its quite a change from the me you've all seen).

I don't have a website of my own currently to link to a url so not sure if I can get it up here or if I have to have a sight or url to get this to work?

Any suggestions?

On another note...made the decision to get off my butt and finallly start trying to get healthy.  So walking 3 miles 5 nights a week.  Almost at it for a month now ..can see a slight difference.  I'd like to keep it up as I know if I don't do this now..I'll never get the weight off so I'm giving it my best shot.  Before I start jogging though I'll wait and have my bone scan and consult with the orthopedic dude next week to see what's been going on with my left leg/knee.

Thanks for any help you can give .. have a great week.

Senebty

Just a quick note to say ...still working same contract job (started the week of Thanksgiving). Somehow I let myself get so run down and tired while the kids were here (I was working in between playing tour director for the kids for the two weeks they were here) that the germ just slammed me :-( Everyone at the office where I'm working has been sick and out sick for the last month and passing it around like a fruit cake :P

I've had it since Friday. Went home and went to bed. I didn't do anything for the whole time ..I've been in bed ..So I missed work yesterday/today and still not feeling better. Its moving from my throat down to my chest and I'm starting to cough.

Christmas is next week and this year is one of the crappiest money wise as there isn't anything extra for anyone including donations to any charity this year.

I'm doing the best I can but the last 18 months has been tough and its still not exactly where I want to be but I'm thankful for so much this year even if there isn't anything extra. My bills get paid which is more than most folks this time of year. I am blessed regardless.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays - whatever you celebrate do it joyfully :)

May Netjer bless you and grant you all a prosperous 2007.

Senebty

Hey all

Sorry its been so long since the last post. The prior law job was frying my brain. I was assigned to 3 attorneys and they worked us like dogs (no pun intended). I was learning a lot but it was hard going and more than I've ever had to do before as legal secretary. This was one of the hardest jobs I've had to 'walk into' with no training whatsoever.

I has just finished my 30 probation about a month or so ago. Things were going ok I thought until last Thursday when the bastards called me in with a hour to go and said "Its just business don't take it personally but we need to 'cut you loose' and we just can't take the time to train you like we promised we would." Just like that.... I was let go. They felt bad after they told me that as I looked him in the eye and said well you've pretty much F***** me for the holidays and the rest of this year. They offered to let me come in a few hours a day for a few days to help them catch up on 'overflow' work. I had initially said I could use the hours but then after thinking about it over the weekend I thought to myself "Why the hell should I do them any favors? They sure didn't do me one." So I went in on Tuesday and said thank you but no thank you. I'll be packing up my desk and you can send Terri over to watch and make sure I don't take anything that does not belong to me or try to sabotage the network. They didn't send anyone to watch me pack. Some of my friends came over to my desk and said they were so sorry and hoped we could stay in touch ..some I will...most I won't :P

Damn and double damn! Has Corporate America gotten so out of touch with humanity and reality that they can fire you right before the holidays, right before your kids and grandbabies show up for 2 weeks and with no notice or severance pay? Apparently they can :P

So..I'm unemployed as of last Thursday. I've got a temp job to work next week for 2.5 days (they will close early on Wed and then they are closed for Thanksgiving and the Friday after it). I'm looking for a job closer to home or one that I can commute via train (I really don't want to fork out the extra money for gas and toll road fees) and a part time job as well.

I'll work as much as I can with the kids here and take the few days I had originally planned to go with them to sight see. I'm so looking forward to them visiting. It will be cramped ...3 adults and two little ones in my small one bdrm apt but it will be fun I hope :)

I could use all of your prayers and good thoughts.

I took the Tarot card test and got the Moon ...duh...like I didn't see that coming :P I am the MOOON :PPP

You are The Moon

Hope, expectation, Bright promises.

The Moon is a card of magic and mystery - when prominent you know that nothing is as it seems, particularly when it concerns relationships. All logic is thrown out the window.

The Moon is all about visions and illusions, madness, genius and poetry. This is a card that has to do with sleep, and so with both dreams and nightmares. It is a scary card in that it warns that there might be hidden enemies, tricks and falsehoods. But it should also be remembered that this is a card of great creativity, of powerful magic, primal feelings and intuition. You may be going through a time of emotional and mental trial; if you have any past mental problems, you must be vigilant in taking your medication but avoid drugs or alcohol, as abuse of either will cause them irreparable damage. This time however, can also result in great creativity, psychic powers, visions and insight. You can and should trust your intuition.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Did you know that there is a subway that runs underneath downtown Los Angeles??

I didn't :P Found out yesterday when I met up with a friend to hang out. We found out by accident from the clerk in the little store in the lobby of the hotel. We were asking how far to Union Station and Olvera Street.

We walked a few blocks from the hotel and there right in the middle of the concrete jungle was the entrance to the alleged subway - right under a new remodeled apartment building (corner of Flower and Wilshire).

We went down and then down two more levels to catch the red line that took you to Union Station. 3 stories underneath the streets? Man I had no idea that it was there. I think some of it has been there for a long time but the new construction going through will link downtown with Hollywood, Antelope Valley and the backside of Riverside county. It currently runs to Long Beach and Pasadena too :)

That was my first time ever in a subway! I thought it was pretty cool but you couldn't see much as it was dark most of the way. The stations were decent and since we were in the middle of the day and there were some crowds we had no problems.

We got off at Union Street and wandered through the station checking stuff out. They just don't make those kind of buildings anymore you know? The huge vaulted ceilings, the polished floors, all the wood counters, chairs and tables. It was awesome. I had to sit in the leather chairs (the whole station is leather chairs at the main entrance) to check them out. From there is was a five minute walk over to Olvera Street.

I've been wanting to check this place out since I got here. Its the original location (you folks who know your CA history correct me if I'm wrong) where folks settled in downtown Los Angeles. Its very heavily spanish influenced and there is an old mission that sits on the plot. I think it was called our Lady of Los Angeles (I'll check with my friend for the exact name). It was one of those old beautiful churches. I love to go inside. look at the pictures, icons and feel all the good vibes they give off.

We went into this one and it was stunning. Huge gold leaf framed pictures up front behind the main alter. To the right and left of the alter were two huge pictures of the Madonna, one side with her wearing one of those christian crowns and the other side she was not (I don't know the significance of that). We went in and bowed and sat down on one of the pews up by the front.

Whenever I go into those places I always pray. Sometimes I hear things sometimes I don't :) This time I did. I started with my normal prayer and when I got to the end of it I heard a voice (I think it was guy) say "You're not one of mine"? I almost laughed out loud. I explained that I was not but I came into pray and check out the church and I hoped I did not offend anyone with praying to my Gods. I heard the voice say No it was ok and "They" didn't mind that we were there. :) It was at that time I noticed there was a little shrine on the wall behind the alter and below the pictures. It was the kind of box that was glass on the front so you could see the object inside (which appearead to be some sort of oil container or something along those lines), the kind of box that would hold a piece of something holy like a bone or body part from a saint :)

So now I need to know who and what is buried in that little box behind the alter. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I might do that? I'm pretty sure that's where the voice was coming from but I could be wrongg.

The rest of Olvera Street was great. Its like being in Tijuana or any of the border towns. The prices were much higher though and I didn't get very much. I did find some nice little stuff for the Great Pumkin exchange. We found some great material for the Day of the Dead Festival. I should have bought it then but I procrastinated and didn't. It was on black with all sorts of skeletons doing stuff on the Day of the Dead. I'd really like to go back there that weekend for the big festival. They have lots of shops and one shop in particular we took a picture of the "Ofrende" [sp] which was so beautiful. I could spend way too much money on all the skeleton items in those shops. We saw a shitload of sugar skulls but I'm not sure how well those would ship so I didn't buy any :-(

From there we took the subway back to the hotel. On the way we found a delightful cigar store ...and yes we went in and impressed the male owner with our finess on cigars (well we just bullshitted our way actually). We bought a few that we smoked later that evening.

We got back to the hotel and had a light dinner. From there we wandered up to the roof (this hotel has a bar/lounge on the roof with a small heated pool). I think we were like 14 stories up (as the elevator only went to 12 and then you got off and walked up two flights of stairs) and up top was this great little bar. The hotel has been refitted in 60's retro style. I kept expecting Mike Meyers aka Austin Power to show up at any time! The outside portion of the lounge had these red chairs that looked like huge red hershey kisses....and they were hollow inside so you could sit in them. Well we go over trying to look cool and sit down on the chairs....shit..they were waterbeds! My friend gets in and out with no damage...I on the other hand sit down and the bed is not full so my side goes down under the lip of the chair and we spend the next 5 minutes trying to drag me out of the damn chair without making a scene :PPP

Finally my friend looks up at everyone that is looking at us ..and says "IT sucks to be getting old" :PPP OMG's ..I was so embarrassed we got out of there real quick. We moved on to the blue chais lounges that were spread around the outside of the lounge. You could lay on them all the way back and look up at the buildings that were all around us and so much taller. We were a few blocks from the US Bank Tower (tallest building in downtown LA) and the view was so great! We took a few pics and they turned out so we'll post them when we can as they also qualify for a SW gathering photo :) We both decided that while it was fun to come into the city this was not the lifestyle either of us could live 24/7. We retired for the evening after watching our very ..very missed cable TV.

I left around 11:30 this morning and it took me about an hour or so to get home. I unpacked and promptly crawled into bed and got a 3 hour nap. I got up ran to the store, did my chores and I just finished updating my resume and posting it again on Monster.com. I'm looking for a part time job for awhile so I can catch up on my bills. I'm behind from the week off at retreat and then this last payday it really hurt as I missed 3.5 days from one pay period. Gods...I just want to be able to live my life without worrying about money and stressing you know?? I don't want a zillion dollars..just enough to pay my obligations and go on vacation at least once a year..to me that would be the good life :) Anyway..I digress...

If you get a chance to get into downtown Los Angeles ..check out the hotel its called The Standard. Its on the corner of 5th and Flower. Right downtown Los Angeles and minutes from the subway and all the cool stuff.

Hope everyone has a great week. Don't work too hard.

Senebty

I've had a horrible migraine since yesterday afternoon. I took my meds went to bed early yesterday (and no cleaning or lifting). I woke up around 3:30a this morning to screaming pain.

I got up took more meds and went back to bed. I did not want to call in since I was out 3 days last week with the torn ligament. I got up at 7a and had to take more pain meds.

I went into the office feeling like shit and hurting like hell. By 11a I couldn't take it anymore. When I get these I can't have any light sound etc otherwise I will get sick.

Well I got sick ...and that was that ...I had to go tell my supervisor I needed to go home. I explained the whole back thing (while its out of alignment and bone twisted ...it pushes against my spinal cord which causes horrendous migraine and back pain). I made sure my job was not in jeapordy (I just made it past probation but I've been out about a week total this past 3.5 months with my stomach (IBS) and back. Not really good but I am unable to do anything about it until I see the doctor on Oct 12 (my insurance kicks in on Oct 1) and can get this stablized by therapy and/or acupunture (I'm going to give it a try).

So..I drove home with my hands locked around my head (to dull the throbbing) and promptly climbed into bed before noon and did not move until about a half hour ago. I did not take any more meds after 7a this morning as I was afraid I'd get even more sick.

I'm up for a little while but the pain in my back and neck feels like my back is so tight it will snap if I move the wrong way. I can still feel the dull thudding/throbbing in my head but I'm hoping it won't go back into another migraine.

Any prayers you can send my way would be much appreciated. Thanks for listening.