{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:arin_rowan","title":"THE DARK SIDE","subtitle":"(because everyone likes cookies)","author":{"name":"arin_rowan"},"link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/data\/atom"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"service.feed","type":"application\/x.atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/data\/atom","title":"THE DARK SIDE"}}],"updated":"2012-07-31T00:52:56Z","entry":[{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:arin_rowan:84077","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/84077.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=84077"}}],"title":"Love and Magic","published":"2012-07-31T00:52:56Z","updated":"2012-07-31T00:52:56Z","category":{"@attributes":{"term":"work"}},"content":"Me: *checking new card orders* Oh! L! Gossip.
L: Huh?
Me: Tim ordered more Magic cards!
L:....so?
Me: Don't you know? He only got into Magic because of his boyfriend, and he broke up with his boyfriend, so why is he buying-
L: He and Steve broke up?!
Me: Yes, and he was selling all of his Magic cards to us because Steve was the only reason he got into it, so why would he be buying more unless-
Our boss: *overhears* He and Steve are back together.
Me and L: Really?!
Boss: Yeah, he took the advance I gave him for his cards and used it to go to Portland with Steve. He said it was just what they needed.
L and me: Aw....


(People in retail know more about your private lives than you think)"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:arin_rowan:83850","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/83850.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=83850"}}],"title":"What would be the insulin?","published":"2012-06-12T02:59:21Z","updated":"2012-06-12T02:59:21Z","category":{"@attributes":{"term":"work"}},"content":"(Employees at my store sometimes get to open packs of Magic cards for the store, usually when we're trying to find a specific card. We can only open them when our boss gives permission, which is never as often as most of us would like, because opening packs is actually kind of fun. My coworker gave the best analogy I've heard in ages for the situation.)

Coworker A: [Our boss] doesn't just let us open up packs indiscriminately for the store. Otherwise we might get pack diabetes!

(<3 <3 <3)"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:arin_rowan:83590","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/83590.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=83590"}}],"title":"arin_rowan @ 2012-06-06T18:36:00","published":"2012-06-07T01:41:25Z","updated":"2012-06-07T01:41:25Z","category":{"@attributes":{"term":"work"}},"content":"Coworker B: *appears to be fighting off a migraine*
Me: \"What's up?\"
Coworker B: \"A customer ordered a number of NM (near mint) cards from us.\"
Me: \"And?\"
Coworker B: \"He's complaining that our nm cards are near mint, not mint.
Me: \"Um.\"

(If it was just one card, okay. He's claiming three cards, one which we sent to him separately, were all not near mint. And wants store credit. Yeah, clearly not someone trying to rip us off.)"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:arin_rowan:83286","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/83286.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=83286"}}],"title":"A Day At Work ","published":"2012-05-19T01:03:20Z","updated":"2012-05-19T01:03:20Z","category":{"@attributes":{"term":"work"}},"content":"(Coworker B is currently trying to get our boss to fire her by never clocking in, or logging any hours that she works. Don't ask.)
Coworker B: \"Okay, I'm gonna head out. Remember, I wasn't here.\"
Me: \"So don't clock you in behind your back again.\"
Coworker B: \"Right.\"
Coworker A: \"Because you weren't ever actually here.\"
Coworker B: \"Right!\"
Me: \"Because today's your day off.\"
Coworker B: \"Exactly!\"

(Leaves)

*beat*

Me: \"Clock her in for two hours, or three?\"
Coworker A: \"Two, I think.\"
Me: \"Cool. Coworker C, can you-\"
Coworker C: \"I was going to say four.\"
Me: \"Let's go with three.\""},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:arin_rowan:83062","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/83062.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=83062"}}],"title":"ICELAND","published":"2012-03-27T14:12:44Z","updated":"2012-03-27T14:12:44Z","content":"<\/a>

So, I went to Iceland for a week with two friends. Other than the part where I sprained both my knees while climbing a glacier (A GLACIER. I GOT TO CLIMB ON A GLACIER THAT HAD VOLCANIC ASH SPRINKLED INTO LAYERS OF ICE LIKE CHOCOLATE CHIPS IN A REALLY GOOD CUPCAKE) and am still limping the entire experience was amazing. My girlfriend's boyfriend also proposed to her while we there, which was great because everyone but her knew what was coming and she was getting really annoyed with all those people telling her to go outside to the observation deck because it was cold, dammit people why does she have to leave the nice warm room?



<\/a>

I loved it and I hope to go back again. I met some wonderful people- my two friends were there for a video game convention called Fanfest- and bought too much chocolate and tried something called skyr and discovered a donut that no matter how hard I look at it looks like a vagina. All in all, a wonderful time.



<\/a>

And in three days, Emerald City Comicon. Preparing to freak the hell out in three, two, one..."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:arin_rowan:82651","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/82651.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=82651"}}],"title":"My days of fun in the world of psychiatry are certainly coming to a middle","published":"2012-03-07T20:13:51Z","updated":"2012-03-07T20:13:51Z","category":{"@attributes":{"term":"mental health"}},"content":"*Looking around for new psychiatrists and making a trial phone call*
Me: \"Hi, I emailed you earlier?\"
Her: \"Oh, yes. I was a little confused by your name, and want to make sure I had it right?
Me: \"Oh, right. Z is my real name, but I prefer to use Y, and sign most of my stuff ZY so people aren't so confused when I start using Y.\"
Her: \"I see. So, how long have you been transitioning?\"
Me: \"Um.\"
Her: \"I just want to make sure I'm using the pronoun you're most comfortable with. Do you prefer he or she?\"
Me:\"...uh...\"

(Apparently if you call people in the metal health industry with a deep voice and a gender neutral nickname, assumptions are made. Only in Seattle)."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:arin_rowan:82383","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/82383.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=82383"}}],"title":"arin_rowan @ 2012-02-26T23:32:00","published":"2012-02-27T07:32:41Z","updated":"2012-02-27T07:32:41Z","category":{"@attributes":{"term":"work"}},"content":"*checking messages for Magic card shipments late Sunday night*
Me: *yelling from the front to be heard in the back* Hey T (my boss), we have a guy wanting to know why his order hasn't shipped yet.
T: *yells back* When was it placed?
Me: Friday.
T: What time?
Me: *checks* ....Saturday at one in the morning.
T: Fuck him!

H: Can you tell him it hasn't shipped because he touches himself? Please?"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:arin_rowan:82101","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/82101.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=82101"}}],"title":"somehow this is my life","published":"2012-02-05T09:40:24Z","updated":"2012-02-05T10:57:02Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"work"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"real life"}}],"content":"The staff:
1. The weird one who starts crying if anyone yells at her, gets anxiety attacks, rarely wears shoes, likes dancing while typing on the front computer and reminding her boss or coworkers food is good. Somehow has the best self-preservation instincts of the entire store.

2. The one who doesn't understand she is allowed to stop and eat during her eight hour\/twelve hour shift, and who thinks following orders from her boss means she can ignore the ones she thinks are stupid. Mildly autistic with a growing hatred of Magic players.

3. Neurotic Jewish boy who resembles an incontinent puppy currently trying to get legally emancipated from neurotic Jewish parents. Currently has a six hundred dollar Magic card debt with the store.

4. Easy-going tattooed one who keeps showing up functionally high or stoned, who owner hired and currently has a crush on after realizing 1. is essentially an asexual lesbian.

5. Live-action Eeyore impersonator nearing fifty who is convinced everything is ultimately meaningless.

6. Cousin of owner who wants to leave to finish school and become a physics teacher but as she's store-manager and 1-5 aren't good replacements for varying reasons, her attempts to leave have thus far been unsuccessful. Addicted to Red Bull and is codenamed Rutabaga.

Owner: Bisexual man who keeps hiring people based on whether he wants to sleep with them and\/or they are crazy in manageable ways instead of going through the interviewing process. Averages two hours of sleep a night, one meal a day, and goes back to his apartment once every other week. Somehow knows and is friends with an implausible number of young, attractive women in relationships with other people that show up around midnight-two in the morning and watch movies with him in the backroom. No, not 'watch movies'. Watch movies. No, seriously.

....can someone please tell me why no one's making a webcomic of my workplace?"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:arin_rowan:81855","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/81855.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=81855"}}],"title":"arin_rowan @ 2011-12-25T23:18:00","published":"2011-12-26T04:18:13Z","updated":"2011-12-26T04:18:13Z","category":{"@attributes":{"term":"real life"}},"content":"So, turns out working full-time is exhausting. Who knew.

It's even more exhausting when you're trying to manage your own business on the side. Admittedly a small business, but one which still meant on my 'days off' I would work anywhere from one to ten hours on jewelry, or drive sixty miles to set up a consignment. I've switched to a four\/ten schedule instead of a five\/eight, which should help. The holiday rush being over also will.

So that's what I've been up to. Sorry I haven't been on lately, I've just been exhausted."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:arin_rowan:81607","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/81607.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=81607"}}],"title":"Life Update","published":"2011-10-06T07:40:51Z","updated":"2011-10-06T07:40:51Z","category":{"@attributes":{"term":"real life"}},"content":"I am the only person I know who accidentally wanders into a full-time job. Especially when I wasn't looking. *confused*

On a sad note, had to drop my jewelry class because of the above. Time management skills are not something I'm known for having, and this is a class I want to be able to devote my full attention to.

Back to making earrings for the convention I thought was in two weeks that is actually this weekend while ignoring my burgeoning carpal tunnel\/tendonitis."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:arin_rowan:81327","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/81327.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=81327"}}],"title":"arin_rowan @ 2011-09-26T22:37:00","published":"2011-09-27T05:40:09Z","updated":"2011-09-27T05:40:09Z","content":"Colonoscopy came back normal. This is good in that it means there's no sign I have colon cancer or Inflammable Bowel Syndrome. it's bad in that I still don't know why my Irritable Bowel Synddome has been flaring up so badly as of late. Follow-up appointment in two weeks where I'm getting some biopsy results and asking more questions."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:arin_rowan:80856","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/80856.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=80856"}}],"title":"Update","published":"2011-09-16T06:13:22Z","updated":"2011-09-16T06:13:22Z","content":"I've been busy. A lot of stuff has happened, some of it awesome, some of it exhausting. I mean to sum it up later. PAX was involved and something awesome called IronDie.

If you follow my journal you likely know I have irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS. I'm used to most of the inconvenience at this point but had a bad flare-up for the past few weeks, including some alarming symptoms that mean it's within my best interest to undergo more medical tests to confirm everything's alright. I have yet to meet anyone who considers being told to drink a bottle of ex-lax and have a camera shoved up their rectum a day in the park, so yeah, less than thrilled about this.

On the bright side, I HAVE A KITTEN! Photos will be forthcoming."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:arin_rowan:80530","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/80530.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=80530"}}],"title":"arin_rowan @ 2011-08-06T01:00:00","published":"2011-08-06T08:04:07Z","updated":"2011-08-06T08:04:07Z","content":"My father is in town for the weekend. He took my sister and I to dinner tonight at a nice restaurant. Right before my lasagna arrived he blurted out that he and my mother were getting a divorce.

He hasn't lived at home for five years. He was at seminary, now he's looking for a job, and in the five years both he and my mother have grown as people while they grew apart. They weren't very close to begin with, admittedly.

I'm not angry at either of them, I'm sad. Something is ending and something is beginning and I hope this gives them the happiness they never had together. For my mother, I feel it already has."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:arin_rowan:80341","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/80341.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=80341"}}],"title":"Interesting Times","published":"2011-07-29T08:43:25Z","updated":"2011-07-29T08:43:25Z","content":"I'm currently dealing with some shit in my life. Mostly it involves my stress levels being higher than they should be and needing to adjust my meds. Stressors like working at a job that pays entirely in store credit and two cats that aren't killing each other but are very sullenly playing pissing games, and everything in August. Everything includes two major conventions I'm selling jewelry at, one where I'm working entirely by myself, a third one I need to make things for, two people coming to visit me, and because I'm a masochist I start fostering again. And of course because my scheduling abilities are nigh nonexistent, one of the people coming to visit me is arriving the weekend of one of the conventions."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:arin_rowan:79696","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/79696.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=79696"}}],"title":"Update","published":"2011-07-23T04:49:13Z","updated":"2011-07-23T04:49:13Z","content":"1. I have registered for jewelry making classes at the local community college.

2. I have a part time job organizing an absurd amount of Magic cards that pays me entirely in store credit.

3. I have adopted another cat named Sarabi. If the name sounds familiar, it's the one Jeremy Irons snarls at the top of his lungs in the Lion King.


<\/a>"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:arin_rowan:79413","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/79413.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=79413"}}],"title":"That's no moon","published":"2011-07-12T21:00:51Z","updated":"2011-07-12T21:00:51Z","content":"That is not the moon
Nor is this
The spring of years gone by
I alone remain
As I was before.
- Narihira, c.a. 850

As much as I love that poem, I must disagree. The moon, the spring, they have stayed the same. I am the one who is not as I was.

And as of yet, those changes have been ones I don't have to regret."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:arin_rowan:79112","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/79112.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=79112"}}],"title":"Feminism ","published":"2011-06-28T07:53:45Z","updated":"2011-06-28T09:35:33Z","category":{"@attributes":{"term":"feminism"}},"content":"I identify as a feminist.

It's been brought to my attention that a number of women of my generation who do likewise don't seem to understand what that term is actually supposed to mean. Allow me to clarify.

I am a feminist:

Because in Afghan and other parts of the world families are socially and morally obligated to kill their daughters if they're raped. Because in Darfur a man left his wife and five children because she was raped. Because in China and India female fetuses are aborted. Because in India a peasant woman who has a daughter is back working in the fields three days after she's given birth instead of the month of rest she'd be granted if it had been a son. Because in Egypt female babies are abandoned in empty lots. Because I want to be able to be economically independent. Because I want to explore my own sexuality without being condemned.

Not because I am a victim. Not because I believe men are evil. Not because I believe in insulting or attacking or belittling men, or that men should feel ashamed because of their gender. Not because sex that was awkward or less than ideal should automatically be labeled as a rape. Not because I want to punish anyone who has the same gender or background as someone who oppressed or injured someone with my same gender or background.

I am a feminist because I believe in having access to the same opportunities as men. Women who take advantage of legislature and attitudes that were meant to protect us, that our mothers and grandmothers fought and bled and died for, and use it to hurt men in some bizarre power trip, are no better than the men who rape and abuse women.

ETA: It's that time of the year where Goodwill has a crapload of books college students didn't get around to selling or chucking in the dumpster. Got a bunch of East Asian Studies and Women's Studies books, and reading either of those topics results in soliloquies on m part."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:arin_rowan:78685","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/78685.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=78685"}}],"title":"arin_rowan @ 2011-06-16T04:55:00","published":"2011-06-16T11:55:07Z","updated":"2011-06-16T11:55:07Z","category":{"@attributes":{"term":"fostering"}},"content":"Two days ago I went to the cat shelter where I volunteer and found that Shivali and Gilgamesh had not, in fact, been adopted. The couple I'd been nervous about who said they would adopt them wound up never coming to pick them up. As Shivali has this wonderful ability to get layers of shit, cat food, and litter all over whatever crate she's staying in and tries to get out whenever anyone opens it to clean up, the best route was to take her back until the next fostering event.

I am very, very not happy. I have been taking care of her and her sons for four months. I have scars on my hands and chest from giving them three weeks of meds, I can't take a shower in my bathroom, and whenever I need to pee I have to deal with an avalanche of escaping cats. I cleaned up puddles of daily puke and diarrhea when they got sick, and when they were two weeks old had to give them anitbiotics for ten days while being convinced I'd fucked up and gotten the kittens killed. And right now they're on another round of meds for five days, a round of meds which has me, two days in, with scratches on my hand, wrists, and thighs, and both of them spitting up most of the meds I give them- which I don't have any extra of, by the way, so I need to explain to the shelter I've been 'wasting' them because when a fucking cat I'm holding who has been scratching me and squirming and twisting decides even more that they want me to let the fuck go, or escapes, guess what- they fucking escape and spit out the meds I haven't gotten them to swallow.

I am one goddamn person and both Shivali and Gilgamesh have very strong personalities, meaning they do not put up with any shit. All of the supposedly foolproof methods of giving them meds seem to require me growing four arms. And I'm tired of four months of dealing with this crap, of getting this close and getting an alpha stray cat to trust me only to know I'm giving her up."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:arin_rowan:78347","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/78347.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=78347"}}],"title":"arin_rowan @ 2011-06-10T21:53:00","published":"2011-06-11T04:53:28Z","updated":"2011-06-11T04:53:28Z","category":{"@attributes":{"term":"fostering"}},"content":"Everyone got adopted today. I'm nervous about Shiva and Gilgamesh, who were adopted by a couple who have never had cats before, and part of me's almost wishing that they would return her so I could take her back. I don't know if they're going to know what to do with the two of them, and after a four month investment I just want to know they're going to be loved and happy."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:arin_rowan:77914","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/77914.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=77914"}}],"title":"Gilgamesh, Merlin, and Shiva","published":"2011-06-07T00:24:41Z","updated":"2011-06-07T00:24:41Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"fostering"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"cats"}}],"content":"This was them back in March:

<\/a>

And this is them last week:

<\/a>

Today they are all getting fixed, and Friday Merlin is going home with his new family and Shiva and Gilgamesh get put up for adoption, and I start the cycle all over again with new cats."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:arin_rowan:77616","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/77616.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=77616"}}],"title":"D-20 Necklaces","published":"2011-06-03T01:12:40Z","updated":"2011-06-03T01:12:40Z","category":[{"@attributes":{"term":"jewelry"}},{"@attributes":{"term":"dice"}}],"content":"A new item I've been making.

<\/a>


<\/a>


<\/a>"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:arin_rowan:77486","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/77486.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=77486"}}],"title":"The joys of car ownership","published":"2011-06-02T05:27:52Z","updated":"2011-06-02T05:27:52Z","category":{"@attributes":{"term":"real life"}},"content":"Took my car in for a free brake check-up. I then learned that my front strut is broken, has been for a while, and as a result most of my front brake system needed to be replaced. The bill came to approximately two months rent.

On the bright side, the guys at the garage were very nice, actually showed me everything that was broken, explained what wasn't working about it and had me handle the busted pieces so I could see\/feel what wasn't working properly. The bits that were leaky or already starting to rip presented a compelling argument.

On a lighter note, finally filed my taxes for my business for last year. Yes, 2010's taxes. As they were so late I had a 25% percent penalty fee, meaning the amount I owed wound up going up to $13.76. Yes, $13.76. I don't know what they were expecting, I only registered the business in October and had around eight sales, but honestly, if I get audited for that it will be hysterical<\/i>.

So yeah. If anyone wants to buy jewelry from me, now would be a really really *really* awesome time for people to do it."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:arin_rowan:77168","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/77168.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=77168"}}],"title":"Birthday Thoughts","published":"2011-05-12T07:18:03Z","updated":"2011-05-12T07:18:03Z","content":"My birthday came and went. This past year in Seattle has helped me more than I ever thought it would. I have a social life, I have friends, I have an apartment and pets. I'm learning how to become part of a community that seems to welcome me instead of tolerating me. I still have a long way to go- figure out what's wrong with my blood sugar, be able to have a sexual relationship without wanting to have a panic attack, deal with how I keep needing to raise the dosage of my meds every few weeks, determine what role I play with my mother. But for the first time in a very long while I feel that the people around me aren't just tolerating my presence, are wiling to help me if I asked, and aren't convinced I'm some sort of deranged immature stalker. It's somewhat refreshing.

Also, the following is a favorite song of mine I use on days when all i want to do is hide and cry. The lyrics are beautiful and I love the melody. Jukebox Hound, I strongly recommend it to you.

http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=o7N-0I8Y1rk<\/a>"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:arin_rowan:76825","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/76825.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=76825"}}],"title":"Japanese Tsunami and Earthquake Relief","published":"2011-05-03T06:45:53Z","updated":"2011-05-03T06:45:53Z","category":{"@attributes":{"term":"jewelry"}},"content":"I lengthened the period my store would donate 30% to Japanese tsunami and earthquake relief from the end of March to the end of April. Final numbers: $223.31. Now, to figure out which charity..."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:arin_rowan:76759","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/76759.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/arin-rowan.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=76759"}}],"title":"Move along, nothing to see here","published":"2011-04-26T06:03:04Z","updated":"2011-04-26T06:03:04Z","category":{"@attributes":{"term":"jewelry"}},"content":"I was at a new gaming shop down in Olympia to consign my earrings. It was Yugi-oh draft night, so the owner was fairly busy and things were going slowly. I drifted towards a couple of conversations.

Group of guys: \"Dude, I'm just saying, if Kefka (FFVI) had gotten drunk he'd have taken over the world way more quickly.\"
Me: (Can't resist) \"What if Kefka had been high?\"
Guys: *stare at me for a moment. One of them: \"Wow. Wow. Um. I think you broke my brain.\"
Other Guy: *gives me a panicked look, which I later translate as 'oh my god cute girl don't scare her away don't scare her away pretend you're cool NOW*: \"Just ignore them, my friends just say some stupid crap, we're not all crazy nerds here!\"
Me: \"...I make dice earrings as a main source of income, hang out in comic shops, and own every volume of Dragonball Z in Japanese and English. I count as a nerd.\"
Other Guy: *gets giant look of relief on face and offers me a high-five*
In the background: \"Did someone say something about a Highlander\/Dragonball Z crossover?\""}]}