alfclaw

[alfclaw]

Ghost cat is here to stay :3

Ghost cat has not left, he is here to stay!  Too bad it doesn’t fulfill little Erling Goth’s wish to adopt a cat :/  Meanwhile, Wilhelm made a panda topiary :3

Erling Goth brought a boy named Doyle Stump back to the house.

But Erling must not have really liked him, because as soon as they got home Erling decided to go to bed.  Zombie teddy rises from his carpeted grave.

Fortunately lil Aku is ready to jump in!

It’s past 9pm and Doyle has moved onto dolls.  Wilhelm ignores him.

Well actually he was going to introduce himself after breakfast but then he suddenly had his birthday and it scared Doyle who immediately ran out of the house.  Wilhelm is now cool old guy still making metal sculptures. 

[alfclaw]

Wilhelm’s latest creation earns him a promotion at work, he’s reached the rank of Obelisk Architect :)

And just in case he catches fire again, he replaces his tub with a shower so he no longer has to jump in the neighbor’s pool.

Rosalie comes over to visit and they talk about gardening while a plant tries to eat her leg.

The visit turns into a date as the plant starts to gnaw on Rosalie’s other leg.

Things are going well and Wilhem wants to kiss uwu

Success! ^w^

They go to the movies and see Facekicker 4: In Your Face!  Then off to eat at a nice restaurant, and they say their goodbyes, it was a great date :)

[alfclaw]

Wilhem meets a girl :3

Her name is Rosalie Cornish, and she’s so impressed that she falls in love instantly!

Meanwhile, in another part of the park, a random Sim woman is trapped between two moving swings.

She begs them to let her go but they refuse.

Then, instead of eating at a picnic with his new friend, Wilhem decides to eat a raw onion he was keeping in his pocket, like a weirdo.

Meeting attractive girls and eating stinky onions is tiring, so he goes home for sleepies, The End :)

[alfclaw]

I’ve been inspired by Twitch streamer Pixel-Dreamz to start sharing screenshots and stories from my games when I’m playing them off stream, so here’s what Wilhelm Goth from my Sims 3 game has been up to when he’s not on stream!

Wilhelm kept gaining weight back even though he’s eaten nothing but salads since the day he moved into his own place, so he went to the hospital and got surgically slimmed.  It was a success... for about a day, then the weight started coming back.  With no other option, plus feeling lonely and hoping to meet somebody, he went to the gym and got back in shape, but nobody else was there at 11:00pm at night for some reason, so he went back home and crafted this totally goth metal chair. 

[alfclaw]

Maybe I’ll do the blog thing another time

I don’t think I can do it right now, I lack the motivation and stuff to write about.

[alfclaw]

I’ve been depressed for quite a while

But only recently started being more honest about it.  I’m still working on Russian, but everything else has been getting away from me.  It’s personal and it’s complicated.

[alfclaw]

Blogging once a week starting now

Today I’m starting work on #37 on my bucket list: start a blog and keep it going for at least a year.  After making a list of my interests as possible blog topics, I decided that writing about my progress on my bucket list makes the most sense.  Who knows when the world will end?  Better get cracking before I kick the bucket!  From now on that’s what you’ll find here, hope somebody likes it.  If not, at least I’m still having fun.

Active items from the list:

#6 Learn a New Language. I’ve been learning Russian on and off for years now, it’s time to finally buckle down and get it done.  No more taking weeks or months off.  I study every day, and on weekdays I livestream it on Twitch (not on Alfclaw), I’ll be active on VK again, and I’m exploring Russian sites and videos.

#35 Make a Time Capsule and Bury It (and #239 Write a Letter to Myself and Open it in 10 Years). I made a time capsule, put in some meaningful personal items and a letter to my future self.  I buried it in 2017, to be opened in 2027.  

#37 Start a Blog and Keep It Going for at Least a Year.  That’s what this is!  I’ll blog every week, once a week, until April 2020.  

#44 Change My Hairstyle. I’ve been keeping my hair short for many years.  Now I’m letting it grow out, at least shoulder-length, and then go from there.

#52 Complete All New Year’s Resolutions I Set in a Year (get a job, complete ACNL Museum). I’ve been looking and submitting applications around town, had a couple interviews but no job yet.  I took a resume writing workshop, am taking whatever free classes online that I can to improve my chances.  For the Animal Crossing New Leaf museum, just need a firefly (available in June) and several pieces of art.  I used to have “get my jaw fixed” as a New Year’s resolution too but that doesn’t make sense, that process started over a year ago and I don’t have control over it, can’t make it happen any faster.  It’s its own bucket list item.

#301 Get a Driver’s License. I’m ready to take the written test, it’s just a matter of getting to the DMV to take it.  Then I’ll have my permit, so I can get practice on the road, until I’m ready to take the driving test.

#306 Get My Jaw Fixed. The last I heard, I may get that done sometime this summer.  For those who don’t know, my jaw is too far back, and my teeth don’t come together correctly.  This is not a cosmetic surgery, my jaw hurts every day and that restricts what I can eat, it causes me sleep apnea, it prevents me from chewing food properly which leads to delayed gastric emptying which restricts what I can eat even more. It sucks.

[alfclaw]

Updated Bucket List

Some things have been completed, some things have been removed, some things reworded. Here’s a list of things I’d like to accomplish before I die, from the quick and easy to the long and complicated.

#4 Plant Something.

#5 Learn to Play a Musical Instrument.

#6 Learn a New Language

#7 Start a New Tradition.

#10 Reach My Goal Weight.  June 12, 2018.

#11 Write a Song.

#12 Design a Family Tree That Traces My Lineage.

#16 Relive a Childhood Memory.

#22 Take a Day Trip to a Wildlife Reserve.

#25 Join a Club.

#27 Attend a Séance.

#29 Send a Secret Admirer Letter.

#30 Attend a Protest.

#33 Attend a Drive-In Movie.

#34 Celebrate the Dia de Los Muertos Festival.

#35 Make a Time Capsule and Bury It (see #239).

#37 Start a Blog and Keep It Going for at Least a Year.

#38 Have a Pen Pal in Another Country.

#40 Raise Chickens and Enjoy Fresh Eggs.

#44 Change My Hairstyle.

#45 Learn CPR.

#52 Complete All New Year’s Resolutions I Set in a Year (get a job, complete ACNL Museum, get jaw surgery.)

#53 Start a Weekly Game with Friends.

#56 Throw Myself a Birthday Party.

#59 Visit the Local SPCA or Humane Society and Play with the Animals.

#60 Experience the Northern Lights.  September 7, 2017.

#71 Jump in a Bouncy Castle as an Adult.

#72 Dress in Disguise for a Day.

#86 Write and Publish an eBook.

#87 Donate Money to a Worthy Cause.

#89 Kiss Under a Mistletoe.

#92 Go on a Spiritual Retreat.

#96 Try Yoga.

#99 Go On a Journey of Self-Discovery.

#102 Witness a Geyser Erupting.

#103 Find a Four-Leaf Clover.

#107 Create Your Own Card Game.

#109 Fly a Kite.

#110 Learn to Write Calligraphy.

#112 Read Over 100 Books in One Year.

#115 Visit an Island.

#119 Make Someone’s Wish Come True.

#122 Enter a Contest.

#129 Take My Dream Vacation.

#131 Go to a Nude Beach.

#132 Go Camping (see #211).

#133 Create a Children’s Book.

#138 Invent Something Useful.

#143 Visit a Ghost Town.

#147 Learn Self-Defense.

#149 Get a Celebrity to Tweet Me or Retweet a Post I Made.

#153 Give Up Five Bad Habits for at Least a Year.

#154 Learn a Magic Trick.

#156 Make a Difference in at Least One Person’s Life.

#157 Have a Summer Romance.

#158 Canoe Down a River.

#159 Buy Myself an Entire New Wardrobe.  September 2, 2017.

#160 Visit Five National Parks.

#161 Explore a Cave.

#163 Visit a Castle.

#165 Go Skinny-Dipping in a Lake.

#169 Have a Candle Light Dinner.

#171 Walk on Stilts.

#174 Visit the Birthplace of My Ancestors.

#176 Create a New Recipe.

#179 Visit the Grand Canyon.

#180 Learn to Juggle.

#184 See a Lunar Eclipse.

#186 Make an Investment in Something.

#188 Pay it Forward Every Day for One Week.

#191 Take a Life Drawing Class.

#200 See a Shooting Star.

#203 Stay in a Log Cabin for a Night.

#204 Create a Playlist for Someone.

#206 Solve a Rubik’s Cube.

#211 Roast Marshmallows at a Campfire (see 132).

#214 Master My Physical Fitness Level.

#218 Learn Survival Skills.

#221 Jump on a Pogo Stick.

#222 Tour a Ruin.

#224 Build an Igloo.

#237 Make a Bucket List.  August 18, 2017.

#239 Write a Letter to Myself and Open it in 10 Years.

#245 Get a License for Something Other Than Driving.

#246 Learn How to Surf and Go Surfing.

#252 Target Practice and Hit the Bull’s-Eye.

#253 Find My Way Out of a Maze.

#255 Live in Another Country.

#257 Start a Collection of Something.  September 1, 2017.

#258 Play Charades at a Party.

#259 Enjoy and Document a Year’s Worth of Exploration.

#261 Kiss Someone at Midnight on New Year’s Eve.

#264 Learn to Ice Skate.

#266 Get a Book Autographed by Its Author.

#271 Visit a Wax Museum.

#272 Take an Online Course to Better Myself.  May 4, 2018.

#283 Build a Snowman.

#284 Have a Spa Day.

#290 Do a Road Trip Across the USA.

#291 See a Solar Eclipse.

#293 Sing at a Karaoke Club.

#294 Ride a Train.

#299 Play a Round of Golf.

#300 Write a Mission Statement.

#301 Get a Driver’s License.

#302 Be Blind for a Day.

#303 Write My Last Will and Testament.

#304 Learn to Cook.

#306 Get My Jaw Fixed.

#307 Learn to Draw Manga.

#308 Learn to Sing.

#309 Watch 100 Movies in One Year.

#310 Brush an Animal.

#311 Make a Private Bucket List.  August 19, 2017.

#312 Participate in National Novel Writing Month.

#313 Play 100 Video Games in a Year.

#314 Make My Own Religion.

#315 Watch the Sunrise with Someone.

#316 Watch the Sunset with Someone.

#317 Make a Stuffed Animal.

#318 Make My Wand.

#320 Invent a Holiday and Celebrate It.

#321 Complete a Pen and Paper Campaign.

#322 Live in a Two Bedroom Home.

#323 Stream in Russian at Least Once a Month for Six Months.

#324 Learn Basic Auto Maintenance.

#325 Have 100 Lucid Dreams in One Year.

#326 Make a Trip to the Desert.

#327 Cast 100 Spells in One Year.

#328 Get a Carnivorous Plant.

#329 Write 100 Thank You Notes in One Year.

#330 Make My Life More Like a Video Game.

#331 Write 100 Dreams in a Dream Journal.

#332 Be Left-Handed for a Day.  July 21, 2018.

[alfclaw]

I made a food collage

Sometimes I get pretty down about all the foods I can’t eat because of my gastroparesis + misaligned jaw.  To cheer myself up, I made a collage of the foods I can still enjoy.  It’s not so bad.   Pictured: spaghetti squash, yogurt, green tea Kit Kat, apple sauce, iced mocha coffee, fruit smoothie, Reese’s white chocolate peanut butter cup, avocado, water, cottage cheese, turkey, plain donut, hot dog, frosted sugar cookie, McDonald’s apple pie, jello, Little Debbie zebra cake, canned peaches, cooked carrots, green tea, chicken noodle soup, fried egg on toast, macaroni and cheese, canned chunk tuna, soft bananas, mashed potatoes, hawaiin sweet rolls, marshmallow peeps, canned chunk chicken, string cheese, and nigiri.

[alfclaw]

Look at my rock collection!

Look at my rock collection!

These belonged to my mother-in-law's uncle before he died.  There was a bag of them, and she said I could have any I wanted to start my own collection.  These are the ones I picked.  They're all polished and they're all from Lake Superior :)

[alfclaw]

Completed bucket list activity #267

Activity #257: Start a Collection of Something (Stamps, Coins, Etc.) Date: September 1st, 2017 Where:  Aaron's parents' kitchen Who I was with:  Aaron's mom

I told Aaron's mom that I wanted to start a collection, and I had been considering rocks and/or stickers.  Both were things I used to do as a kid.  She showed me a bag full of rocks, most polished, that her uncle had collected over the years before he died.  She said I could have any that I wanted, and I took several special ones, including one that looks like it has a face, and one that looks like it has the image of a coffee cup in it.

Would I do this again?  Yes, I've decided to start the sticker collection too :)  The blank book where I'll keep them should be here by Wednesday!

[alfclaw]

Completed bucket list activity #159

Activity #159: Buy Myself an Entire New Wardrobe Date: September 2nd, 2017 Where: St. Vincent's Who I was with: Aaron

I started looking through the women's clothing, and I was feeling the office styled collared shirts.  I only had 2 when Aaron finished looking at the men's stuff.  So he wouldn't be bored, I asked him to see if he could find anything he would like to see on me.  He found a couple soft pairs of jeans, and a 2 piece suit.  I liked it, and ended up getting 2 suits, 3 pants, 2 lovely sweaters, a cardigan and a gray tank.

Would I do this again?  Sure.  I love the office/preppy/adult style now, but I'm open to a change in the future.  It was fun and a wonderful feeling to get a good haul, a new look that I was confident about, for cheap.

[alfclaw]

My Bucket List 2017

I purchased a book called My Ultimate Bucket List and checked off the activities that I wanted to put on my own list.  The ones after #300 are ones I came up with myself.

#5 Learn to Play an Instrument (keyboard). #6 Learn a New Language (Russian). #7 Start a New Tradition (monthly fancy bath)? #10 Reach My Goal Weight (120 lb). #11 Write a Song. #12 Design a Family Tree That Traces My Lineage. #16 Relive a Childhood Memory (Xmas). #22 Take a Day Trip to a Wildlife Reserve. #25 Join a Club. #27 Attend a Séance. #30 Attend a Protest. #32 Learn to Say Hello in 10 Languages (Svensk, Norsk, Finnish, Danish, Icelandic, Russki, German, Dutch, Japanese, Korean) #33 Attend a Drive-In Movie. #34 Celebrate Dia de Los Muertos (10/31 to 11/2). #35 Make a Time Capsule and Bury It. #37 Start a Blog and Keep It Going for a Year. #38 Have a Pen Pal in Another Country. #44 Change My Hairstyle. #45 Learn CPR. #52 Complete New Year's Resolution. #53 Start a Weekly Game with Friends. #55 Drink Directly from a Coconut. #56 Throw Myself a Birthday Party. #59 Visit the Local SPCA or Humane Society and Play with the Animals. #60 See the Northern Lights. #71 Jump in a Bouncy Castle as an Adult. #72 Dress Up in Disguise for a Day. #73 Go to a Luau. #79 Post Something to Youtube. #81 Go to a Floating Lantern Festival. #86 Write and Publish an eBook. #87 Donate Money to a Worthy Cause (ASPCA). #89 Kiss Under a Mistletoe. #92 Go on a Spiritual Retreat. #96 Try Yoga. #99 Go on a Journey of Self-Discovery. #102 Witness a Geyser Erupting. #103 Find a Four-Leaf Clover. #104 Name a Star. #107 Create Your Own Card Game. #108 Attend a Toga Party. #109 Fly a Kite. #110 Learn to Write Calligraphy. #112 Read Over 100 Books in One Year. #114 Sleep in a Hammock. #115 Visit an Island (Mackinaw). #119 Make Someone's Wish Come True. #122 Enter a Contest. #129 Take My Dream Vacation (Russia)? #131 Go to a Nude Beach. #132 Go Camping. #133 Create a Children's Book. #136 Dye My Hair. #137 Give Blood. #143 Visit a Ghost Town. #147 Learn Self-Defense. #149 Try to get a Celebrity to Tweet Me or Retweet a Post I Made. #153 Give Up 5 Bad Habits for at Least a Year (Oversleeping, Greasy Food, Pop). #154 Learn a Magic Trick. #156 Make a Difference in Somebody's Life. #157 Have a Summer Romance (with Aaron). #158 Canoe Down a River. #159 Buy Myself an Entire New Wardrobe. #160 Visit 5 National Parks. #161 Explore a Cave. #163 Visit a Castle. #165 Go Skinny-Dipping in a Lake. #169 Have a Candle Light Dinner. #171 Walk on Stilts. #174 Visit the Birthplace of My Ancestors (Sweden, Mexico). #176 Create a New Recipe. #179 Visit the Grand Canyon. #180 Learn to Juggle. #181 Visit Stonehenge. #184 See a Lunar Eclipse. #186 Make an Investment in Something. #188 Pay it Forward Every Day for a Week. #191 Take a Life Drawing Class. #199 Renovate an Old Piece of Furniture. #200 See a Shooting Star. #203 Stay in a Log Cabin. #204 Create a Playlist for Someone. #206 Solve a Rubik's Cube. #211 Roast Marshmallows at a Campfire. #214 Master My Physical Fitness Level. #218 Learn Survival Skills. #221 Jump on a Pogo Stick. #222 Tour a Ruin. #224 Build an Igloo. #237 Make a Bucket List. #239 Write a Letter to Myself and Open it in 10 Years. #242 Cash in a Winning Lottery Ticket or Scratch Off. #245 Get a License of Something Other Than Driving. #246 Learn How to Surf and Go Surfing. #252 Target Practice and Hit the Bull's-Eye. #253 Find My Way Out of a Maze. #255 Live in Another Country. #257 Start a Collection of Something. #258 Play Charades at a Party. #259 Enjoy and Document a Year's Worth of Exploration. #261 Kiss Someone at Midnight on New Year's Eve. #262 Climb a Tree. #264 Learn to Ice Skate. #266 Get a Book Autographed by Its Author. #271 Visit a Wax Museum. #272 Take an Online Course to Better Myself. #281 Try to Beat a Guinness World Record. #283 Build a Snowman. #284 Have a Spa Day. #290 Do a Road Trip Across the USA. #293 Sing at a Karaoke Club. #294 Ride a Train. #296 Collect Honey from a Beehive. #299 Play a Round of Golf (mini). #300 Write a Mission Statement. #301 Get a Driver's License. #302 Have Low Vision for a Day (like my dad). #303 Write My Last Will and Testament. #304 Learn to Cook (World of Warcraft cookbook). #305 Donate My Old Clothes. #306 Get My Jaw Fixed. #307 Learn to Draw. #308 Learn to Sing (properly). #309 Watch 100 Movies in a Year. #310 Brush a Pig. #311 Make a Private Bucket List. #312 Participate in National Novel Writing Month. #313 Play 100 Video Games in a Year. #314 Make My Own Religion. #315 Watch the Sunrise with Someone. #316 Watch the Sunset with Someone. #317 Make a Stuffed Animal. #318 Make a Wand.   #319 See a Solar Eclipse.   #320 Invent a Holiday and Celebrate It. #321 Complete a Pen and Paper Campaign. #322 Live in a Two Bedroom Home.

[alfclaw]

Strawberry senbei from Japan

They’re delicious!  Aaron bought two more bags.  They’re crispy, crackery, a little salty, and just a drizzle of strawberry frosting adds the perfect amount of sweetness.  I love eating these with coffee.  I give it a 5/5 honestly!

[alfclaw]

German soccer ball candy?

Pico-balla?  Does it mean soccer ball in German?  I doubt it.  That’s the candy in Aaron’s hand by the way.  Never seen candy that looks like it before.  The texture is strange, reminds me of a pencil eraser when I first picked them up.  Much softer than that, not chewy like a gummy bear either, your teeth glide right through.  They’re fruity.  It confuses my mouth, kinda good, not bad.  Aaron and I both give ‘em a meh outta 5.  So, 2.5/5.  I wouldn’t get them again personally.

[alfclaw]

Taiwanese candy

Lucky stars!  They were hard candy, chalky tasting like weak-flavored Sweetarts.  Aaron says they taste like soap, doesn’t like ‘em.  Me either really, 1/5.

[alfclaw]

Good news and not-so-good news

The good news is that I’ve got three subscri-burgers now!  THREEE!  That’s pretty amazing.  I’m just a small town Alf, but having supporters for the stream makes me feel like a BIG MAN.  I’ve also gotten back on track with going to sleep on time, getting up on time, studying Russian every day (but I’m still not streaming it), getting fresh air and exercise every day.  For quite a while I wasn’t achieving any of those things.  Feels good to get out of the slump.  I still don’t really LIKE my cpap machine but I’m definitely getting used to it and can get a full night’s sleep now.

The not-so-good news is that Rip has hyperthyroidism, and *maybe* kidney problems as well.  We won’t know for several weeks, because hyper thyroidism can mask kidney problems.  While we originally wanted to treat his thyroid problems at a radio iodine facility, but they refuse to take him until they’re sure his kidneys are okay.  The only way to check that is to treat his hyperthyroidism with something else first, like a prescription diet.  After four to six weeks of that, the vet will run some tests to see if it’s revealed that he has kidney problems or not.  So, the whole process is going to be more expensive and take longer than we expected.  We have to wait a week before the special food arrives.  In the meantime we are both (Aaron and I) worried about Rip.  He has definitely become clumsier and whinier, and lost weight, all symptoms of hyper thyroidism.  Hope he won’t get any worse in the week we have to wait for that food.  Then, if we treat that and it turns out he does have kidney problems, what will we do?  How bad will it be?  Rip may already be 17 years old but we’ll keep him alive and well as long as we can.