Ugh. I feel like life cast "Gravehands" on me recently. For those of you who don't play Imperian, imagine that a large number of skeletal arms have thrust up from the ground and are grasping at you, dragging you down. Just like in the seminal "Everything Counts" by Depeche Mode. Anything I write here and now is going to sound all emo, like I've been listening to Counting Crows and the Cure or something (which I do, but that's beside the point). So bear with me, I'll keep it brief. Or at least as brief as I happen to be capable of. Yeah, I know, better get your popcorn...You all know me too well.

Classes and work are putting incredible amounts of stress on me now. If they weren't so time consuming, and in some cases difficult, things might be better. But work especially is heating up again; grinding me down. I've pretty much given up on my Senior Thesis. I don't have the time and energy to devote to it, so I just sort of gave up. I hope I can get an incomplete on it. That'll take some pressure off, just knowing I've got that. I think I finally secured an apartment for the summer (waiting to hear if my application was accepted), but the rent's quite a bit steeper, so while having the thing is a relief, the increased cost is also weighing on me. Hopefully, it'll cost a lot less to keep cool, maybe keep my power bill around fifty bucks. That'd be nice, and could largely defray the extra rent. I will take possession the 3rd of May, and start doing the move in stuff. To my friends: guess which incredibly large bit of recently received furniture I'm going to dragoon you into helping me move in exchange for pizza and booze.

I owe the library some $75 in late fees. Forgetting that I could recheck my books online and just deciding that I'd keep them until I was done with them did not, as it happens, turn out to be a good plan. So I'm falling deeper and deeper into debt. I need my paychecks from work, but there was a bit of a mix up and my hours from spring break won't end up on this paycheck...whenever we get them now, since I hear we're changing what day we get paid on.

Hell, I'm even avoiding my games, that once brought me such joy. Only Oblivion offers me solace now. I have responsibilities in Imperian, that are rapidly catching up to me...why I decided Loenar needed an apartment is now beyond me. I think I can afford one more year's (two weeks) rent and then I'd better find some money, or I'm going to end up in trouble. It's sad when the video games you play stress you out.

On a cheerier note, congrats to Jolynn for finally securing herself a new boytoy. I hope you enjoy him. *grin* Oh, and this doesn't get you out of a visit from me, just so you know.

Well, I've at least got some good news. I just got the call. The couch delivery guys will be on their way shortly (they're on the delivery just before mine right now). I'll be updating this with images of the couch, at LONG last, just as soon as it gets here. And now to convince Luke that he needs to buy us a DVD player...

-- Update: March 22, 2006 5:11PM --
And I have it! Here's a nice picture of my lovely couch.

There is a slight tear in the back. It should be covered under warranty, so I guess I'll call them tomorrow about it. I just hope they don't want to take it away from me again or something. *frown*

Bugger all! Me and my stupid laziness, forgetfulness, and procrastination. My apartment complex of choice for the summer doesn't have any one bedrooms left... That leaves me looking for apartments at a bad time for it. Damnation, why didn't I do this two bloody weeks ago when I first intended?!

Okay, here's what's been up since I last posted. Lots of work and schoolwork. Since I got a laptop to do my work on, I get to do work all the time. How wonderful. And since everyone suddenly started using the software, it suddenly appeared to have 1.21 gojillion bugs in it...And my efforts to hurriedly fix them, since I don't have adequate time or information for testing, just create different bugs. Yay.

Senior thesis has me nearly doomed. I think that's all that's needed to say concerning that.

I should finally get my bloody couch next week, that is, the 22nd. Assuming of course that the delivery people can actually find the residence hall. I'll post images as soon as it's in the room.

Imperian deserves its own post. I won't get around to it tonight, which means you might not get one at all, but enough things have been happening to deserve a separate post.

And we finally began the Haunted House mod in Spycraft last night, after much ado. And some yelling on my part. Forgive the venting, but honestly, my players need to figure it out: I've been running this game for over a year now. If you want to come late without a very good reason, I can and will write you completely out of the campaign. I don't have a shortage of people who'd be willing to play if I had open slots. It's one thing if something comes up and you can't make it. I prefer you to call and tell me, but even if you don't, as long as it's something you couldn't get out of that holds higher presidence (work, school, or family stuff mostly), that's fine. I've got no problem with you coming late or not at all if its unavoidable, especially if you let me know ahead of time. But this crap where you're downstairs playing another game? You know for a fact that I've been trying to get the Spycraft game started as close to 8PM as possible for the past year. I won't believe objections to the contrary because I know you're not retarded. I think I finally made it clear that they have to choose. I will not have people blow me off for a startup game of D&D that they've played for less than a month. If you want to do that, fine -- but you won't be blowing me off anymore because you won't be playing with me anymore. I'm not very sympathetic here. In fact, I'm being a downright bastard. I try to put a lot into this game. The least my players can do is actually dedicate their time. It's not as if I didn't work bloody hard to get a time everybody could play. I don't know if they've forgotten what it's like to GM a decent game or what, but they should know that I don't consider this behavior acceptable -- and neither do the other players. We started without some of them this time, because the other half of the players were sick to death of waiting. So I hope they get it into their heads. Not only are they wasting my incredibly valuable time (you want to waste it, fine, I'm paid $9.50 an hour, get your pocketbooks out), but they are wasting the time of the other half of the players. And none of us want to stand for it. From the sound of things, they've figured that out and gotten it worked through, after I shouted at them last week.

But anyway, they've geared up for it. I'm looking forward to this mod, since it's almost all random events. I have no real idea how things are going to turn out either. I know the basic story, and I'm working up the house itself, but the exact events are a mystery to even me. Sure, it's going to be hard. But it should also end up being a gas.