National Pecan Pie Day!

Mood:

One of my fave pies!I think it's a difficult one to get just right. Some are too sweet, some barely have any pecans, and some have way too many (making it extremely dry). But, when it's a perfect balance, it's amazing! Apparently French immigrants living in New Orleans baked the first American pecan pies. 

I marched with the local Pride group in a 4th of July parade. There was also the trans support group represented within it. Kind of like there was a mini Pride parade within the regular one.I got to hold a huge Pride flag, along with about 6 or 8 other people. It was quite impressive. Before deciding to help hold it, I checked to see if they had any ace flags. I was a bit disappointed when there wasn't any.There were quite a variety of different flags for people to hold individually. I think one of the Pride organizers said that he saw it in the office they store them in, but forgot to bring it. Oh, well.

It was cool, weather-wise, at the beginning. It warmed up as soon as we started, and there wasn't much shade. At least, it wasn't as warm as last year. Like last year, we went to Starbuck's afterwards. I needed something cool to drink (that being an iced chai), and some sort of snack (a sugar cookie). It was at the newer, louder, busier one. Surprisingly, not very many people there. This one also has a drive-through. Kind of weird.

I still haven't emailed my gastroenterologist, yet. She told me to do so 2 to 3 weeks after our phone appointment. It was the 4 week-mark yesterday. I don't know why I'm reluctant about it.Especially, after she clearly seemed to want to help me during that appointment. Unlike how I felt when my blood test results seemed to indicate remission, but I still had symptoms. She seemed to ignore them that time. But, she's different now. I still haven't done that nasty test she wanted me to do. I'll email her today or tomorrow, even though I haven't done that test yet. 

Woke up in the middle of the night (early Monday morning) with the worst sharp stabbing pain in my right mid-abdomen area. I actually screamed a few times.It came in waves. Scared me, too. Hurt to even breathe. I called the 24/7 nurse hotline about it after brunch that day. It really feels like they ignored the actual problem. They think I'm constipated. Yet, I'm a lot better than I was about a month ago. I didn't have this sort of pain back when I was the most constipated. I'm not 'regular' yet, but I'm certainly better. That doesn't explain why the pain in my side has suddenly gotten much worse...I still think it has to do with an organ or a section of my small intestines. 
I'll go with their suggestions for now. Which is to go back to having Citrucel twice a day, and take Milk of Magnesia. I absolutely hate Milk of Magnesia.Also, my gastro recommended it as a last resort. Actually found a bottle yesterday that has its own dosing cup, and is cherry flavored. Tasted like pepto-bismal. (Better than the last time I had it.) Had a full dose last night. The nurse said if the pain doesn't improve in that area after using it, I need to see someone. In the email I'll send out to my gastro, I'll mention this stuff, too. See what she has to say. Right now the pain in that area's a bit duller. But, I do have 'attacks' where it turns spiky throughout the day. (Not sure if attack is the right word...)

I'm also having some lower abdominal pain, still dizzy quite often, feeling sick to my stomach, etc. I'm getting really really tired of this!We'll see what my gastro has to say, though.

Despite the pain and symptoms making me feel less motivated to do my walks, I think I'm still losing weight. In fact, if I do any type of exercise like the marching or doing the garbage, it seems to be coming off of me even faster. I'm not sure if that's really a good thing. I still like to think as long as I'm not underweight, it's good for now...It doesn't seem normal, though. I'm still trying to stay within the calorie range I've set up for myself. Even with that, I'm slightly more lax than usual lately. Maybe I need more calories? I don't know. 

Decided to enroll both my novels into the July promo on Smashwords. It's only through them, and goes until July 31st. With the coupon, Sweet Endless Terror: An Anthology of Nightmares will be 50% off. Making it $0.99. Alliance will be free with that coupon. I've sold 4 copies of Alliance so far. 2 were sold today. One early in the morning, and one in the afternoon. (Kind of adds on the excitement for me to have 2 in one day!) For a while, it seemed to be one copy sold every other day. It's good that they were free copies of Alliance. They can read it, possibly review it, and tell their friends. It will probably take them a while to read...It is categorized as an 'epic'. I think Smashwords was the one to put it under that. Must be if they reach a certain amount of words. By the time they tell their friends, it might be after the promo. Who knows? And, even if they're still able to take advantage of the promo, they can tell their friends, as well. The other one is an anthology of 12 short stories based on my recurring nightmares. I'm not sure if that's a turn-off, though.They might be more interested in the fantasy one, rather than the horror one. (Although, Alliance does get pretty dark, and there are slight horror moments as you go through.) Here's Sweet Endless Terror's direct Smashwords' link: SET And, here's the other: Alliance. 

I'm also thinking about writing a sequel to Alliance. Hopefully, won't be as long. I ended it with a huge cliffhanger, and creating their world was fun.There's a lot more I can do with this one. I think I'll reread the whole thing beforehand. I never make outlines of what I write beforehand, which makes the story open to the many different directions it can go. However, it makes it a bit difficult to remember the main story line after not reading it for so long. I'll probably take notes/make an outline of Alliance as I read. Kind of backwards to the way some people do things, but oh well.I do brainstorm before I write things, though. With Sweet Endless Terror, I wrote one-liners about the recurring nightmares that I might use. That triggered memories of them, and I didn't have to write much for that to happen. With Alliance, sometimes I would brainstorm made up names of places, people, etc. Sometimes, would write out ideas for just that chapter. Or, of building designs. Also, on character backgrounds. I guess it depends on what I was writing about at that moment. While I'm writing I usually make a mental map of the story. I can remember tiny details, and bring them back in at some point. So, things aren't all over the place. There's certainly a framework and logic to it. But, when I'm done, I kind of forget about it all. I have a lot of other ideas for novels, too.

I'm also thinking about using Youtube's vlog or video blog. I normally hate seeing myself in media, but maybe I could get myself to be more used to it and/or comfortable. I've always felt weird around being photographed, on video, hearing myself in a recording, etc. Many of that stuff got worse when I was at my heaviest. It's gotten a lot better now, though. So, maybe it'll help a bit more. I'm not expecting a lot of subscribers, although that part should be interesting. I already have 6 right now. The only vids I've posted in that folder were a couple of them testing my iPhone camera with Rosie, and one of a fountain with no noise. (Should be another way to test my iPhone's camera as well.) Maybe those 6 like what I fave, and the playlists I make. I think of any of that sort of stuff as a social experiment. The only thing I don't want are the infamous trolls.I can block those people, though. Also, moderate the comments before they're posted. But, I would still have to see at least some of it to determine if they're trolls. Some people don't allow anyone to comment on their vids. I'll probably start with an intro series. Eventually, it'll just be things going on at that time, or topics that pop up in my head. It might be weekly or biweekly. But, hopefully not a longer time in between. I don't think I want them too long, either. If the vlog is supposed to be like a blog, why not use it like that? Hopefully, they'll be somewhat short. Also, might be another way to get the word out for my novels.

Went through my desk for the first time in a long time. Found 2 really old cameras. One was my first camera. Not that great, but ok for the time I got it. It was one where you had to turn a dial to take another pic. Also, used a roll of film. There were 17 pics on it, but I don't really care what they were of. So, I tossed it. I don't know how many places would actually develop the roll, anyways. The other one was a step up, and I think only took black and white pics. It wasn't that great, and I think I had it because I was taking a photography/video class in junior high. I think they wanted us to explore different techniques, and I decided on doing a series of black and white pics. I loved that class.It had a dark room, so we could develop our own film. Anyways, it's not that great, and uses rolls. So, I tossed that one, too. 

Found 2 large photo albums filled with stickers. I was really into them as a kid. Plus, everywhere I went, they gave me a sticker. They gave them out at banks, after seeing the dentist, sometimes at grocery stores, etc. Kind of fun. A lot of them were '90s designs. The more recent ones were from a friend in college (I think?) that gave me a ton of Chococat stickers. I think they're made to be put on envelopes when you send letters out to friends. Chococat is a Sanrio character. I think he's the counterpart to Hello Kitty. He is kind of cute. I don't write letters, though.In fact, I had a heard time with writing them when they were more popular. My grandparents used to urge me to write to them, but most of the time I forgot. To me, it's a lot easier with email, messaging (through Yahoo, facebook, forums, etc.), and texting. It's instant, too. So, I never opened the Chococat ones. I also found several different kinds of stationary. I'm keeping most of that stationary and the sticker albums for the time being. Some of the stationary are different kinds of Thank You notes. That might still come in handy.

Also, found some sewing stuff. 2 big plastic containers, that I think were originally used for jewelry. They have divided sections in each one. They're filled with different types of threads. I think one of them has some needles, too. Nice, but might be more than I would need in the future.

Also, found the 2 fringed shawls I had been planning to turn into tallitot (plural for tallit or prayer shawl). One has really fancy feeling material, and the other seems slightly tacky to me. The first one feels kind of like silk, is cream colored, and has an interesting clear beaded pattern. The other one is a bright pinkish fuchsia color, and looks a bit more rough. My mom and I made a tallit for my Bat Mitzvah. I chose the materials, did the cross-stitch of the atorah (an area near the neck), and the tzitzit (basically knotted tassels on each end. There are a certain amount of knots it has to have). Mom used her sewing machine to sew the atorah on, the stripes on, and the corners on. (I think she also made button holes for the tzitzit in the corners.) It already had a fringe. Mom continued to make many more tallitot after that. I thought I would try to fully do my own at some point, too. So, I found these 2 shawls. Maybe I'll get to them in the future.I think I still have the instructions on how to make your own. Also, have a really old sewing machine in my closet. Never used it, but that would be interesting. Found some cross-stitch projects as well. Hopefully, I'll get to them eventually.

Also, had to toss most of the pens and pencils I had collected. They were either broken, or the ink had dried up. Oh, well. Now that I've gone through my desk, it's a lot more roomy.I now have a designated writing/novel drawer. Everything related to either novel will be there. That includes notes, promo ideas, some of the drawings, and printouts of both stories. I only have up to the 8th story printed out for Sweet Endless Terror. There are 4 more. I have all of Alliance printed out. Nice to have some physical part of them. But, those last 4 of SET are still just floating in my computer and at online retailers.I'll get to those at some point. Found another unopened black ink cartridge, so that would help.

Decided to try the Pokemon Go app for iPhone last night. It seems like it'd be a fun app. Gets people out there, and they can explore the area around where they live. Or, explore other places. Kind of fun to be able to interact with something that isn't really there, but still interacts with the environment. I have 7 pokemon so far. I still remember the Pokemon craze in the '90s. I wasn't very into it, but some of my friends were. Kind of the same thing as with pog back then. I've noticed a lot of people around my age are into it, along with some teens. Some people who are much older than me are into it, too. I think with my generation, it's kind of like a touch of nostalgia. Some people say it's helped them get more exercise than several actual fitness trackers have. I can definitely see why. I think turning learning or fitness into games, is smart and helps people. It makes it fun.It's a lot more encouraging. I noticed that there weren't any pokemon in our neighborhood. (Unless you have incense.) There's a PokeStop at a Mormon church just outside of the neighborhood. Not sure what's beyond that. I haven't actually visited that area while playing the game. I pass the church during my regular walks, though. I noticed while we were at Shari's last week, two of the people we were with were playing it for the first time. There was a pokemon on the table, and a couple others in other places near us in the restaurant. It's probably good for when you're waiting for a table or in line for something, too. 

Finished watching Spec, and I'm unsure if I'll watch the next season. The last two episodes were really good. The only time I felt it was well acted. I kind of predicted that the one who was the real villain wasn't who he said he was. He could erase memories and write new ones, if he touched your head. He continuously did this to Toma. Making her think that they were in a relationship, and that her brother died in a fire along with the rest of her family. In reality he was a creepy stalker, and had manipulated her brother. Her brother was poorly misguided and was made to look like a villain. I think he went crazy towards the end. Killing people left and right. I kind of hope they didn't really kill him off at the end. Both him and Toma realized the truth by then. I kind of feel like the organization that's full of spec users were actually behind Toma and the others killing the main villain. They wanted him to be eliminated, but it had to be in a way that he didn't see it coming. He was annoying, so in that way, it was a good ending. I'm not sure how there could be another season, but I might try it.

Finished watching Koutetsujou no Kabaneri. It was pretty good. Left it open for another season. The opening and ending music were lame, to me. Opening sounded a lot like the Star Wars theme. Both were overly dramatic, too. 

Finished Bungou Stray Dogs. I loved this one!This is going to have a 2nd season coming up in the fall. It was witty, most characters were based on real life authors, some were based on an author's famous work, there was and still is a lot of mystery, interesting powers, one character doesn't have powers but seems to be very powerful anyways, every character is packed full of personality, and more. It was fun to watch, even when it was supposed to be serious. Apparently, most of the scenes were based off of real places in Yokohama, too. Someone did a comparison, and they were pretty spot on.

Finished reading Prayers for the Dead by Faye Kellerman. I think it was one of the longest ones I've read of the series so far. It had a bittersweet ending. Not much having to do with Judaism in this one. Most of the books in this series have a Jewish theme. Some have it more subtle than others. This was the 5th book I've read of the series. The next one that I'll read is called The Forgotten. From the synopsis, it seems to be somewhat Holocaust related. I'm skipping 3 books this time. It's the next one that I had. In total, I've had to skip 9 books. Maybe sometime in the future I'll find and read those others. 

Started watching Fukigen na Mononokean, or The Morose Mononokean. It's pretty good so far. Reminds me a lot of xxxHolic. Only, the person who exorcises things is a guy. The 'demons' are cute so far. Kind of feel bad for them. 

Started watching 91 Days yesterday. I'm unsure about this one. I'm giving it one more episode. It takes place during the Prohibition Era in America. The main character has been plotting his revenge on a mafia family for over 7 years. He plans to carry out this revenge within the next 91 days. (Don't know why that number exactly yet.) That mafia killed his entire family over a misunderstanding. His friend is a bootlegger. Apparently makes good enough alcohol that the mafia wants him. It's very dark, violent, depressing, not much humor, etc. so far. I like 'mature' shows, but this doesn't really have a good mix of things. The art is beautiful, and at times very realistic. It's interesting that it's based in America, too. I know that's a very dark time period, anyways.

National Candied Orange Peel Day!

Mood:

I usually have chocolate covered candied orange peels during Passover. Surprisingly good stuff. I'm not sure if I've had it without the chocolate...I've scraped the chocolate off and tried it that way before. I don't think that's exactly the same, though.It still tastes unique. I thought I'd hate it or there wouldn't be much to it before I tried it. It's also National Orange Juice Day. I can't seem to drink it by itself. Has a similar affect on me as when I try to have milk by itself. My throat closes up, I get phlegmy, and end up choking. It's weird.But, cooking with orange juice is good. It's also International Firefighters Day. They definitely deserve to be appreciated and have their own day.

This is my wallpaper for May. It features most of the main characters from Pandora Hearts. I thought it'd be nice to have a cute and lighthearted wallpaper during such an emotionally tough month for me.My mom's anniversary of passing away was on the 1st, there's Mother's Day, then her yahrzeit which is on May 17th this year, her birthday was on the 21st, and my parents' anniversary was this month as well. So, most of this month reminds me of her.

My beagle calendar features one beagle looking regal into the distance. I think this one's slightly older than the previous ones. Looks even more like Buster.The info blurb this time mentions some things about their sense of smell and taste. Their sense of smell is the most heightened. Taste is related to smell, so it's one of their strengths as well. They love food, seem to always be hungry, and will do anything to get even a small treat. Wow, that sounds familiar.Buster was into eating almost anything he could find. There were very few things he wouldn't eat. Like onions/onion skin. That's poisonous to them, so makes sense. But, he did get into a pound of coffee, a huge box of candles, a bag of peanut butter M&M's, goldfish food (ate everything including most of the actual container), half a challah loaf in a few seconds, bark, etc. He was very sneaky about getting things. They also mention that the comedian Dave Barry once described his in-laws' beagle as "a nose with feet".

My Jewish calendar's main pic features a Shabbat lamp, has an anonymous maker, made out of copper, Poland; 1800-1900. I'm not used to seeing these lamps in real life. They must have been a thing in Europe back then, because there have been a few featured in the past with the museum that puts out this calendar. This one has flowers blooming out of the middle. With some sort of wispy windy design just under it. It's interesting. The 2nd thing featured is actually split into 2 pics. It's a tallit, has an anonymous maker, made out of textile, Netherlands; 1800-21. The pics are really just of one corner each of the tallit. (A tallit is a prayer shawl.) So, they're not showing all of it. The two corners have interesting designs. Both have olive branches encompassing 2 different things. One has the initials JDC that look like they're in calligraphy, and a big crown over it. The other one has the tablets and a big crown on top of it. I think the second pic's crown is bigger than the first. Interesting to see parts of such an old tallit.

The month-long holidays are: National BBQ Month, National Egg Month, National Hamburger Month, National Salad Month, National Salsa (the food) Month, National Strawberry Month, National Vinegar Month, Drum Month, Jewish-American Heritage Month, Mystery Month, National Guide Dog Month, National Inventors Month, National Pet Month. Some are for important causes, some are to make you appreciate things you may take for granted, and some are just for fun.

Ended Passover a day early, mainly because I couldn't stand it any longer.I don't think the restrictions during the holiday agree with my digestive system. Or, the way I end up eating during it. I might have to switch to the Sephardic way next time. This was my first Passover after my diagnosis/symptoms of IBD. So, I guess it was somewhat of a trial run. I might read more about what other Jews with this eat during it next year. It's supposedly more common with Ashkenazic Jews, so there should be some material on it.

On Saturday, we did our monthly big grocery shopping, ate out, and went to the mall. That weekend felt weird because of the anniversary of my mom passing away.So, it was kind of nice going out and eating some comfort food. I kind of had my own little chametz festival, too. Feels good to eat 'normal' food again.

Went to Elmer's for an early brunch (got their waffle special), got some lemon bar ice cream at a local ice cream place for a snack, and went to Red Robin for dinner. I got Red Robin's burger special. It was a ramen burger. Kind of felt more like eating a beef and ramen stir fry. The noodles were crispy on the outside and soft in the inside. There were a variety of vegetables, and 2 sauces. It was impossible to hold like a normal burger. Fell apart as soon as you touched it. But, that's why they have silverware...It was good, except it had a slight burn after each bite. I got it without the jalapenos, and they told me that was the only thing that might have made it spicy. So, I don't know why it had that effect. Ever since the last time I was hospitalized, I haven't digested spicy food well. They warned me about it, too. They said that after being given so many things to get better, it wiped out most of my flora and fauna in my gut. Therefore, I don't have as much of that as I used to. Somewhat of a different issue than my IBD. But, this means I have to be careful with how spicy something is. (I used to love spicy food!)

Last month, I had tried on those smaller sized jeans to see if they fit. I didn't actually get them then. It was just to see. Turns out the old jeans I had at the time had gotten much worse within that month. They were falling off of me, threadbare in the top part of the back, thinning, and starting to get holes.(Also, had strange lines. Almost looked like measuring lines, like you would see for sewing.) So, even though I felt really full from all the food I ate on Saturday, I decided to try on another pair of the same smaller size in the 'normal' section. They fit me like a glove. Maybe better than last time. (I thought I was gaining a bit...) I even asked Dad if they had fit well, to also make sure I wasn't imagining it. She agreed that they did. They don't actually slide in the butt, I fill them out more, and they're bell bottom-styled. I love that style. Hard to find in the larger sizes. The only problem was I'm apparently too short for the 'short' size.It shrunk a bit, but it's still a little too long. I'm really happy about getting them, them fitting well, and the idea that I really did lose that much.Also, yesterday was the first day that I wore them after they had been washed. They feel nice and comfy. 

Sunday was the 4-year anniversary of my mom passing away. Her yahrzeit, which is the anniversary on the Jewish calendar, is on the 9th of Iyar. Since that calendar is lunar, the dates seem to jump around when compared to the regular calendar. In reality, the dates never change when just looking at the Jewish one. The 9th of Iyar is on May 17th this year. (Interestingly, it's the 26th of Nisan right now. Start of the 27th is tonight.) We had the unveiling of her headstone that day. I like the design of it now that I can see it more. It was just Dad and I for the short ceremony. A rabbi that we know pretty well gave us suggestions on what prayers, readings, etc. we could say. Also, on how it usually goes. I brought what was originally Mom's tehilim (or psalms' book) to read from. It has suggestions of which ones to read/say for certain occasions or situations. Like, when visiting a cemetery and a loved one that's passed away, a bris, a wedding, a bar/bat mitzvah, having children, being sick, etc. It's very interesting and can be handy. They also have the Hebrew version of them alongside the English translation. It was really nice out, too.

I thought we were going to have a picnic there after the unveiling. We went to one of, what was, my mom's fave restaurants instead. It's a local fish place called JJ's. I got their fishwich. I think it was the first time I've had theirs. It's a fried fish (cod or halibut?) fillet with cheese, and tartar sauce on top of that. It comes with some extra fixings on the side. Like, lettuce, tomato, onions, etc. It came with fries. The only problem was that the sauce only made it to a small part of the sandwich, with most of the rest landing on the plate. It was tasty overall, though.

I might post the pics of the food I ate that weekend soon on facebook and deviantART. I posted them pretty much right away to instagram. People seem to like them on there. To me, a lot of the food seemed unique. Like the ramen burger. Also, hopefully, I'll get back to posting on here more often.

Started watching some of the new anime from this current season a couple of weeks ago. I didn't really like Sousei no Onmyouji or Twin Star Exorcists at first, but it's growing on me. Interesting how supposedly the two main characters, who are considered to be the strongest, have to marry and their kid will be the 'miko'. That miko will be the most powerful exorcist. They didn't explain that until a couple of episodes into it. Those two exorcists are considered the 'Twin Stars'. It seems funnier after they brought this up. The way it started, it seemed like it'd be too serious.

With Bungou (or Literary) Stray Dogs, I liked it right away. Very interesting concepts. All the characters from the detective organization are based on real life authors from the past. Most of the authors are from Japan, but there are a few who aren't. Their attacks are based on the real life authors' most famous works. Their real life personalities are reflected in the characters, too. Except, I think I read that, one of the characters is actually based on a character from one of the author's works. They made her into his sister. Supposedly that character originally was sex-crazed, and in the anime she's all over him. They seem to never be separated from each other. I think that's the only character like that. The mafia characters in it might be based on authors, too. Since they have similar abilities. The main character, Atsushi, changes into a white Siberian tiger. (My fave animal!) He can't control it. It just happens. He's been abandoned from many places because of this ability. The detectives took him in, though. They're very powerful. The mafia's after him because apparently he's worth a lot on the black market. Very interesting so far. The manga was written by Kafka Asagiri. Someone named Kafka (probably a pseudonym) writing something like this makes a lot of sense. Kind of cool, too.

Koutestujou no Kabaneri or Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress has been interesting. I'm not sure if I like the style of animation style.Slowly getting used to it, I think. The story and their world seem interesting so far. Kabane are like zombies that infect humans with just one bite. It seems that they've taken over the world, except for villages near the train tracks. And, those are slowly being taken over. Many people actually live on the trains. If you're bitten, they either wait to see if you 'change' within a few days, or they tell you to immediately kill yourself (or they shoot to kill if you refuse to). Most of the time it's the latter. This has led to some hysteria and paranoia about it. Some might be accused of being bitten when they haven't been. Many people think you can't cure it. The main character, Ikoma, is trying to find a cure, and a way to kill the Kabane instantly. He was bitten, but managed to stop the virus by using a tourniquet and coming close to strangling himself to death. He's now considered a Kabaneri. Something that's neither human nor Kabane. One of the characters, who's also a Kabaneri, said they may be humanity's last hope. They become extremely strong, still keep their humanity, and apparently need blood to survive. Not sure what kind of blood (like human's or kabane's), or how they're going to get it. 

Mayoiga or The Lost Village has been a good mystery story so far. It's about a bunch of people leaving their previous life behind for a better fresh start. Getting rid of everything from their world and going to this 'lost village'. Most of them met online, and only go by their username. A couple of them know each other offline. Like, the main character's best friend went with him. All of them have a messed up past. We've only seen snippets of that so far. Another thing is, since many of them don't know each other, they're quick to accuse others. No one knew where this village was until someone emailed one of the organizers. They didn't leave any contact info, just where the village was and landmarks of it. Even the police don't know where it is. The residents seem to have left a day before the group made it there. Almost like they just vanished that day. There's also a weird monster that keeps howling. Each member of the group hears something different from it. They also seem to see different things, when they see parts of this 'monster'. There's a theory that they are all actually dead and stuck in this village. I wouldn't be surprised, but I think this idea has been used before in other stories. Hopefully, it'll be unique with what's actually happening that way. There's already the possibility that one of them was killed. How can you kill a ghost? They also apparently can't leave the village. Half the group thought it wouldn't be safe to stay with a weird monster on the loose, and decided to try and make the trek out. They ended up going in loops back to where they started in the woods. Then they found train tracks by going off the trail a bit, but it had crumbled away halfway over a very steep cliff. Some of the characters are annoying, but many of them are very interesting. Makes you wonder why some are there. The main character seems too innocent, friendly, and like he's acting out a role to get on the good side of others. It'd be cool if he was really a nice person, but we don't know yet. One of the characters said it was the nice and calm ones people should really watch out for. She also said she can tell when someone's about to die, and she said she sensed it from him.

Also, got another blood draw done on Monday. My gastro had told me to have it done a couple of weeks ago. I just didn't want to. I was bruised again. Got my sed rate back already. It's 20, and remission range is 0-20. It's a lot better. I just still don't feel better. My ALT (liver enzyme), and regular blood panel were both normal. I think there were a couple more that were ordered. How can I have good results when I'm not feeling that way yet? It's still semi-frustrating. I think my primary suggested that my system might be taking a while to catch up functionally. So, I'm better with the disease, but my digestive tract needs to 'get used' to it. It makes sense, but on the other hand, still frustrating. Why isn't it used to it already?I'm happy things are better with the results, though.

I've also found an interesting social network called Shabbat.com. They started as a way for people to host or be a guest at a Shabbat meal. Kind of cool. Their membership is really growing. Still not many people around me. A few in Seattle, but not many. They started in New York. They have people from around the world that use it, too. Some from Israel, Brazil, China, Australia, the UK, and more. It's also used just as a Jewish social site, like facebook. In fact, it has a similar look as facebook. They mostly have Orthodox Jews, but Conservative Jews I think come in 2nd. I haven't seen very many other Reform Jews. There are a handful of converts, and people who aren't Jewish but just are curious about it. They also have categories for what family background you have. Like, are you Ashkenazic, Sephardic, Mizrahi, etc. There's also a dating section of it. That part is a bit strange.They lock your dating profile for a certain amount of time, then only show it to certain people. You can have them pair you up, too. You don't need to do anything if you choose that. I had a ton of welcomes when I joined. Next to the 'like' hand, they have the option of welcoming people when they start using the site. Apparently, a lot of people like my profile pic, too. The site isn't perfect yet, and I hope they make updates to it in the future. I like the idea, and most of it so far has been good.