It's been almost 9 months since I last wrote here. Feels weird to be doing it really. I've gotten my raise at work and had to fight for that. They're still denying me my back pay and I'm still asking for that. They also haven't gone up like they were supposed to on minimum wage and because of that I'll probably have to go to the BBB and get my money. I hate to cause trouble like that, but honestly....it's my money. I earned it. They have enough money to constantly waste and fiddle with my paycheck, and probably others. I'm going to finish school and be done with that place. Hopefully 3 more years is all I have to give to them.

On a higher note I've decided to start my own in home business. Not one of those things you see on TV or on the Net, but a real one. I found that I like painting glass, and what's more I'm fairly good at it. So I've decided to sell my stuff at craft shows, online(maybe) and basically anyway I can. Hopefully it'll pull in some money. If not I can give the stuff I make as gifts so it won't be wasted money.

I can say that I have a new nephew. He was born on the 21st or thereabouts. I don't know his name yet, or if they even decided, but it'll probably be something off the wall. I think it's rather funny.

I've been with my boyfriend for over 4 years, almost 4.5 years. I will say this, this is my longest lasting relationship and even though we joke about getting rid of each other we know we can't. I love him. It's no longer the first flights of love with the butterflies. It's more of the familial love you have for family you're born into. I'd be devasted if he left or something because he's more like family now. His nieces and nephews are mine because we've been together so long. His family, in general, likes me. My family...has yet to meet him, but hopefully next year will be good(whenever he can leave the State again.)

O....some new news. I've started posting videos on YouTube. Mostly right now they're about witchcraft tool making, and some on witchcraft in general. They've been received pretty well. Many people like my take on how to make different tools(mostly just the "in general" ones as anything can be used) and gave me the want to start my business(which'll also include homemade pagan tools, but that'll have to be sold online.) I've only gotten one video response and made a reply to that. Though I will say that it was a bit of a jumbled mess because I only had 10 minutes in which to reply and had a bunch of points to hit. But overall I think it went well. I like I have something like 60 subscribers and I subscribe to everyone who I can. I love YouTube! Not only is it nice to watch funny things on there, and my cousin loves the animal videos when he watched YouTube, but because I feel connected to a wider pagan community.

I will say that I have a hard time meeting people on my own when I don't have to. I hate going places by myself unless I'm running errands, and even then I like to take someone with me if I can. So YouTube makes it easier for me to communicate with pagans when normally...I wouldn't. Or couldn't. There are pagan meetups and stuff in my area, but I find it hard to go. I find it hard to step out of my comfort zone when it comes down to it. I want to, but I don't think I'm ready. Which is very funny for a Gemini. I can be pretty outgoing, but in some things...doesn't happen.

Hopefully it'll happen sooner or later. I'm not looking for a coven or anything, just a place where I can talk to other pagans. I love YouTube, but I'd like to talk to someone face to face.

O, one last thing, or couple of things. Our water heater broke and flooded half the kitchen. Because of that we have to get a new floor and new furniture. But we now have a tankless water heater on the outside of the house and it works wonderfully. I love it.

So I've been talking about the war with someone who doesn't agree with the war and doesn't support the troops. And that's all well and fine, but there are a few details to the conversation.

The person isn't an American citizen, and this is, overall, an American war. We do have our allies, but for the most part it's an American thing. I don't comment on any wars or conflicts in say...Asia because I'm not a citizen, have no way to know the details and feel I can't comment because it's not a personal thing. The war in Iraq is personal for me. My best friend is a medic with two tours under his belt. I'm a daughter and granddaughter of soldiers.

But she feels that, and this is the most recent, that any good done by the soldiers, no matter how small, cannot compare to the devastation being caused. And she's right, to a point. Sometimes small acts of kindness done by someone can mean more than large acts of evil. I've experienced it. When I was having serious trouble in school and I was hating it severely a few kind people went out of their way to make me feel good, when they didn't have to. And why should we continue to dwell on the bad when there is good?

So what are your feelings? Should the minute good the soldiers are doing not be counted at all? To me that's a slap in the face of the soldiers who help the Iraqis when they're hurt or when they leave their families to fulfill a sense of duty. It's a slap in the face to those who truly care.

So I just got finished reading this article about P. Diddy or whatever his name is now and really...I don't know what to say.

Here's the article.

Now I have to say....really? I mean weren't you paying attention before this? All of a sudden now that it effects you you care. Suddenly because you can't fly privately you care. Suddenly because you have to sit with all the rest of us, and still not really because it's first class, you care.

This is just some more Hollywood elite, stuck up, I can't remember when I was poor because then others might remember, bullshit.

Now some people in Hollywood really do care about the issues, but this...why it even made news baffles me. But since it did, and I read it, I'll comment.

He suddenly cares because he can't do what he used to. And it's not like that even a big deal. He can still eat food that costs way too much, give his kids things they seriously don't need, and do whatever it is that he does.

But we, the common folk, have been suffering for a few years now. I mean I have to choose between eating and gas with my paltry paycheck. I live at home and I'm lucky. I don't even have kids and my car does get really good gas mileage. So to be honest I feel for those with children and have to work far from where they live. I feel for those in gas guzzlers(and can't get a new car because there's no money.) And I know it's been worse in other places, but seeing as how I'm American I'll stick with that. It's crazy that my car, which used to take $8 to fill up on E, now takes almost $25. And the gas is no better. It seems to run out quicker than when it took $8. I do even less running around town too. So I'm getting less and I'm paying more.

So to me this is very selfish. I watched the show and I personally see him as selfish.

All I have to say is, "No shit, Sherlock."