House Hunting and Job Hunting

So as almost a year has passed since graduation, I am beginning to get anxious about getting a job, almost anything that pays above min wage. I want desperately to be back with my partner and to have a place of our own, but we would need at least $1500 a month for just housing costs for a safe place. That is a lot when you can only find jobs for like $10/hr. This wouldn't include food, other bills, etc. So my stress levels are hitting a peak as I struggle to get out from under my parents. Please, someone should hire me... I am a hard worker (part of the reason I am not as active on here as I wish to be) and I am a quick learner so I can make up for my lack of experience (I only have some retail experience but I do have a Bachelor's, so that should count for something, right?). I really hope to find something in the Atlanta area, particularly in the Sandy Springs area. I don't know if I could do food service, I just don't think I could stand the pay system. But something dependable and something I could move up in? That would be amazing!

Missing my Partner's Birthday

So I know it can seem silly to be more upset to miss your significant other's birthday than, say, Valentine's Day. For me, however, missing my SO's birthday is worse. I couldn't be there to make the day special in little ways because I know my SO doesn't like their birthday and has negative memories tied to it, but I try my best to cheer them up and make it a special day. Being several hours away and unable to go visit, I couldn't do this for them. I barely even got to talk to them and all I could do was send a card because I have no income to buy them a gift.

I love my partner so much and I feel terrible not getting to show them. We have been long distance for 10 months and it is killing me a little bit every day we are apart and even more so when it is a day that should have been special.

So, I haven't been posting much

Well to start off, I am still trying desperately to get a job away from where I am currently to move out (my luck sucks though). I have not even gotten a single interview...

My mom has me on a diet to help support her on it (it is really just eating healthy which my mom sucks at) and it is alright but I hate egg whites... My mom keeps making "omelets" (with no cheese because dairy isn't allowed) so I am getting really sick of it. I am glad to have mostly fresh food (except for fish since we don't live near the ocean so ours is frozen) and getting plenty of veggies and fruits. But cutting out wheat is the hardest, other than cheese that I love, because where I live has little in selection for alternative. We have used brown rice noodles and they taste fine to me, but I miss bread, pancakes, and even like muffins. I know there is rice flour or flax flour but my mom refuses to try anything "outside her comfort zone".

I think that is my biggest problem with my mom in relation to this diet. She will not try anything healthier for her. She won't eat kale, quinoa, dark leaf lettuces, or any other food she has never used before. I would rather do this on my own to try different foods, not eat basically the same few meals over and over.

On another note, I have been working on a rpg campaign idea about a futuristic magical apocalypse. Despite never being a DM, I am using my time here (where D&D is considered taboo or even satanic) to plan out my world and plot. I have a sketch of a map and some history but I struggle with plots for players because I don't want to bore them or use the same rehashed plots.

So that is a little bit of why I have been busy and not posting, but I hope to fix that soon, since this is really good for me even if no one reads my more personal posts.

Reflections- Medusa

So I have a deep love of watching animation critics and sometimes it leads me to absolutely beautiful works that would otherwise remain unknown. A little background to why I love this short, I grew up on mythology. Even as a Baptist-raised person in a very conservative and uncultured black hole of a small town (I am not kidding we only got wifi in the past 3 years, and some phone companies who brag about having coverage all over don't get service here. Not to mention that the largest town in the county, of which there are only three towns in the whole county, pretty much has a Walmart and a few fast food restaurants, the rest is churches... of which there are 32 Protestant churches) I grew up reading books about other cultures and religions. \

One myth that I did not fully grasp was Perseus and Medusa. Of course it is written with Perseus being the hero but later I learned he is pretty much a puppet exacting Athena's twisted 'revenge'/punishment. This wonderful video takes place before that myth and expands on poor Medusa's backstory without dialogue and yet captures the heart wrenching tragedy that is her life. Though I do not remember why Athena cursed her, but since the other myths I remember the gods are often petty and cruel when it suits the story, I don't really need to know. While the animation style is not my favorite, it has GREAT music and atmosphere so check it out for yourself.

My Favorite Cat Breeds: The Balinese

The Balinese is known as the long-haired Siamese, which is a pretty accurate description as they are pointed and have blue eyes. The breed originated as a natural mutation of the Siamese, making it essentially the same cat but with a medium-length silky coat and a distinctively plumed tail.

Just like the Siamese, they come in two different body types, traditional and modern. My personal favorite being the modern. Also any with the following colored points: Red Point (also called Flame Point), Cream Point, Cinnamon Point, Fawn Point, Seal Point, Chocolate Point, Blue Point, Lilac Point, Lynx Point (in any of the colors), Tortie Point (in any of the colors), and Torbie Point (in any of the colors), are actually called Javanese, as Balinese are only recognized in standard Siamese pointing.

Balinese and Javanese are sociable, vocal, playful and inquisitive, and considered among the most intelligent of all long-haired breeds. They love human contact, and crave attention. They have been claimed to cause fewer allergy problems.

My Favorite Cat Breeds: Sphynx and the Different Types of Hairless Cats

*Disclaimer: I promote adoption first, my cat is a rescue. But I have a love for some of the unique breeds that are rare to find in shelters and I would likely adopt another before being able to afford these breeds.)

The Sphynx breed actually has many sub-breeds which include: Elf, Bambino, Canadian Hairless, Russian Donskoy, Peterbald, and Ukrainian Levkoy.

Starting with the Canadian Hairless, this is what most people see as a hairless cat

The breed was developed in the 1960's and they are not truly hairless. They actually are said to feel like chamois. They can have whiskers or they may be broken or non-existent. Their skin displays the coloration or patterns they would have with fur.

Then we have the modified versions, like the elf and bambino.
 The elf was created when a sphynx was breed with an American Curl producing a hairless cat with curled ears.

The Bambino was created when a sphynx was breed with a munchkin, producing a hairless munchkin.

These breeds are distinct from the Donskoy and the Peterbald which are both Russian breeds, whose characteristic hairlessness is caused by a dominant gene, whereas the Canadian hairlessness is caused by a recessive gene. Otherwise, though, the Donskoy and the Canadian Sphynx look a lot alike.

The Peterbald, however, has an oriental appearance from a Donskoy being breed with an oriental shorthair. This gives it a long face and a leaner look with its long legs.

A drawing shows the differences between the three main breeds:

The final breed I will mention is the Ukrainian Levkoy, which I think looks like a grumpy old man.
This breed was created by crossing a Donskoy with a Scottish Fold so it has the folded ears.

Overall, my favorites from this group of breeds would have to be the Elf and the Peterbalds for their unique and exotic looks. I am well aware of the care that is required for these breeds and if I ever was in a situation where I could afford one of these babies, I would would do plenty of research before deciding if this breed is truly for me.

Tarot: The Magician I

We move to the second card of the major arcana. This card is associated with wisdom and I love the imagery of a winged cat. If I was to make my own deck, however I would like to make this card "The Artisan". As the Magician is a person who knows their craft, not necessarily magical. This card's background is one of my favorites because of all the details.

My Meaning:
This card symbolizes working towards a goal and bettering yourself through a pursuit of wisdom. With this card you are inspired to apply skill and initiative to accomplish all your goals.  This card honors the wisdom of someone who knows what they do, and works with creativity by utilising the skills, tools and resources that are available to you. This fits the cat (and my idea for The Artisan) because of their secret wisdom and creativity to use their resources to get what they want.

Reversed:
Just as a cat can use their creativity and resourcefulness to manipulate, the reverse of this card warns of greed and manipulation that can happen with the skills. This means your true potential is not realized because you are using your skills to take advantage of others, not better yourself. Similarly, the Magician reversed can suggest that you have a particular skill or talent that could help your growth but you are not yet using this skill.

In fact this card recently came up in one of my spreads for myself so I am having to look within to find that skill I may be overlooking. When researching this card one line of an example stuck out for me:

"For example, you may be studying the Tarot and reading for friends and family but what you do not realise is that you have a real talent for reading Tarot and could be reading professionally for a much wider audience. If you were to expand your Tarot reading, you may find that it also has benefits for your own spiritual journey."