Happy 2012!

Hey, Everyone!

Happy New Year!! :)

Did everyone survive the holiday season?

I'm thankful to have made it to 2012.  Last year was a tough one and will go down as one of my Top 10 Least Favorite Years (along with 2007 and 2009).  I have high hopes for this year!  Hopefully there will be a little time to relax--while still making money!  (Unemployment/lack of clients wouldn't be very relaxing!)

Ringo: Master Relaxer.

I didn't do anything especially awesome for New Year's Eve.  I had food poisoning (2011 had to be a jerk just one last time!) and spent a good chunk of the day in the bathroom.  I spent New Year's Day and today ("New Year's Day Observed") working.

Around/on Christmas, Ramiro and I visited with my parents, my mom's brother, Steff, and Danielle.  We also saw my friend James at the supermarket.  That was cool.

Robert made out really well with Christmas "loot" this year:

Licking his catnip pillow from Danielle

Chillin' with his llama from Steff

It looks like Robert doesn't really like his llama, but you're wrong.  He's just tired.  I took that picture after he wore himself out playing with it.  All the other pictures I tried to take of Robert + llama ended up looking like this:

Yikes!!

You might notice there's another llama/alpaca plushie on the bookshelf behind Robert...  That one's mine!  I got it in September and Robert kept trying to steal it.  Fortunately, now that he has his own (thanks, Steff!), I no longer have to worry about that.  :)

Anyway, thanks again to all of you who visited, gave gifts, sent cards, and shared your general good wishes in our direction.  Much appreciated!

Time to get back to work!

A picture of me at work (with my "esteemed colleague," of course!)

When I write here again, I'll be another year older.

--Lauren*

http://littlezotz.com

LittleZotz.com (This is Going to Be a Long One!)

Hey, Everyone!!

First of all, I would like to direct your attention to...

LittleZotz.com!!!!

That's right! For at least the next three years (and hopefully forever after), I am the proud owner of littlezotz.com. And I built the website myself! I know that it looks very plain right now, but I'm learning--with the help of books & a few savvy friends--how to make it look better. Be patient.

My Pro Blog shall be updating from that address from now on as well, so please update your bookmarks. (It still updates Wednesdays as usual).

I had a fantastic weekend! My friend Steff came over for a visit:
I hardly ever get to see Steff anymore since she moved, so I always get really excited when she comes up for a visit. :) Even though I talk to her every day, it's still a treat to see her in person.

She gifted Ramiro & me with a digital camera! Which we immediately used to take cat pics:

Robert standing guard over his two favourite things: Toys & Food

Ramiro and I then went to Descanso Gardens, intending to bring along our new camera, but, of course, we were already on the road and halfway there when we realized we forgot to bring it. And, OF COURSE, we ended up seeing all sorts of amazing things. (Isn't that just the way of the world?). Here's a crappy cell phone pic I took of some geese we saw:

We also saw beautiful dragonflies, gigantic spiderwebs, and spectacular views.

Ramiro and I conquered three mountains and were about to take on a fourth when I felt a "pinch" on my right thigh. When I looked down, I was bleeding through my jeans. Remember how I was in the ER for puncture wound last October? All the exercise we were doing split open my scar.

Olive View, being the worst hospital ever, did a really shoddy job on my leg... They told me it needed stitches, but this was before my freelance writing career really took off and so I couldn't afford to pay. When they heard that I wasn't a paying customer, they decided to chintz out and give me "butterfly" stitches instead. So basically they put a couple strips of tape on it, gave me some ointment & pain pills, and sent me home. Ramiro and I had a devil of a time trying to take care of it on our own. It never healed properly; but, until yesterday, I thought it had healed "good enough."

Then, when we got home, we noticed that a HUGE bruise had appeared. We traced it, just in case. If the bruise grew any larger (if it went outside our outline), it would mean I was bleeding internally and I'd have to go to the hospital. Fortunately, that didn't happen. The bruise is big and gross-looking and my leg's a bit swollen and painful, but, other than that, I'm fine.

I don't want to gross anyone out with a picture of my leg (plus bruises never photograph very well), so here's a picture of the sunburn I got instead:

I had to put a picture of SOMETHING there. Too much text...

Anyway, this has put a damper on my exercise routines for the time being. (I had been doing daily walks & going rollerblading on Saturdays). Sort of ironic considering my next Pro Blog update was about just that subject. :\

I'll have to think of something else I can do to get fit in the meantime.

All things considered, this was still the BEST weekend I've had in a long time!! :D

I also got to work on a lot of my own writing and I played a lot of my fave PC games:

Bookworm Adventures

And I even teamed up with Ramiro and played some Portal 2. Hilarious results.

And, of course, I became the proud owner of...

LittleZotz.com!!!

So happy.

--Lauren*
http://littlezotz.com