A Birthday of Brimstone and Fire
Oct. 25th, 2016 10:01 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dielloI asked Charles if we could celebrate my birthday on Sunday, since we'd both be gone most of the day on Monday, my actual birthday.
But I'll get to that later.
Work lasted an hour and a half before the fire alarm went off. "An emergency has been reported." Shouted the intercom. Different than the usual fire drill announcement, I noticed (but wasn't sure anyway). I always take all my stuff with me regardless if it's a drill or not. Most people do, or so I thought.
After ten minutes of freezing my butt off (very thankful I brought my spring/fall jacket for the first time all season), and no word that we could go back inside, I began to wonder what's happening. We heard sirens, but that's not unusual downtown.
After 20 minutes, the construction workers on the scaffolding along the sides of the building began shouting to each other to get down.
After a half-hour, we heard more sirens, and we finally got messages on our phones about smoke detected in the halls of the 5th floor. Or something. I was huddled in with a bunch of faculty, keeping warm in the entry of a parking garage, listening to them checking their phones, as the garage sapped my phone of its entire battery. They'd been hearing that students are not yet cleared to leave.
After 45 minutes, we get a notice that classes are cancelled and offices are closed. Go home.
Not 30 seconds after we get word, idiots start crossing into the busy street - mind you, traffic is at a crawl - and someone manages to get hit by a car. Not even at a crosswalk. Pretty sure that's some shabby attempt at a lawsuit, but with the circumstances, she's not getting anything but a bruise.
I asked my co-worker, who is still blocking the door from students trying to go in to get their stuff, because the building is on goddamn fire, for a dollar for the bus. I wasn't expecting to go home so early and my phone died, so I can't call for a ride. His stuff is inside, too, though he was away from his office at the time of the alarm and had no choice.
So I walked over to the Eastman School of Music for a stop at the ATM. My free birthday coffee was rocking around inside my bladder and I couldn't even bare to stand at the machine, so I scooted around the corner for a pee first. Then back to the ATM. Then to the cafe next door to break the change. Headed to the nearest stop and hoped I'd make it in time. I made it with five minutes to spare, surprisingly, as the nearest bus-stop clock assured me I wouldn't make it :)
I was meant to have been picked up from work by Emily, but I was a bit stoked about going home early, even though I made it there only an hour or so before I'd normally get home. Still had ample time to play with my new toys (still, I'll get to that later).
Emily texted to say she'd be late. Thank goodness I didn't need to rely on her for a ride from work anymore.
I stayed in my room most of the afternoon, trying to get warm, playing with the toy, when I heard a peculiar sound coming from the hallway. I'd made a huge mess of the pantry last night, toppling the recycling bottles all over, so I assumed they were just settling or something, and I didn't bother to leave the comfort of my bed, as it'd gotten really cold inside.
But when I did...
I saw that the attic door was open.
I stared at it for an eternity, silent and still, listening for any signs of life coming from any direction. I heard nothing. I texted Charles to come home ASAP, and to my surprise, he did (must have been on his way or nearby already). When he got home, he saw the door, grabbed a pair of sharp shears, and I called for him to wait.
I reached into my hiding place to grab my machete and it was GONE!!!
I STILL have no idea where it is.
I even looked for my hatchet, and that was gone, too! But.... we ventured into the attic to inspect, and I did find my hatchet, thank goodness.
All clear.
Retelling this story to Emily, she got a major kick out of the fact that she'd guessed about a machete and I replied "I'll get to that," and the fact that I have a hiding place for it.
Emily and I had a simple adventure. We went to the gym (very glad she wanted to do this, because I'd skipped my last workout and wasn't expecting to make this one either) and went thrifting, where, at long last, I found a butter crock (otherwise known as a butter bell or French butter dish)! I'd been looking for one since July. I also got a warm sweater, a pin for a costume I'm planning, and a gift - all of which Emily paid for, for my birthday.
Now, the haul.
I got a free sushi dinner, courtesy of my mom, on Friday, as well as $50.
I got my stash of comics, courtesy of Charles, on Saturday.
Charles also got me a load of great items on Sunday:
A Brooklyn Ogio bag, straight from my Amazon wish list.
Two beautiful Halloween "snow" globes, which I'd asked for back in August, when Halloween stuff went up at the craft stores.
A 1000 piece puzzle of Hieronymus Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights - also from my wish list, but also from a life-long search.
Inside the bag were two more gifts...
Beyond: Two Souls (for PS3)
And an Apple Pencil.
I'd never heard of an Apple Pencil.
Charles reached behind him and pulled out my last gift: a fucking 12.9" iPad Pro! Jailbroken and fully loaded with art apps (and five times as many music apps for himself).
OMG YES.
Here are some arts I've done in Procreate (dude, did you know you can set Perspective perimeters in it??? So great!)
But I'll get to that later.
Work lasted an hour and a half before the fire alarm went off. "An emergency has been reported." Shouted the intercom. Different than the usual fire drill announcement, I noticed (but wasn't sure anyway). I always take all my stuff with me regardless if it's a drill or not. Most people do, or so I thought.
After ten minutes of freezing my butt off (very thankful I brought my spring/fall jacket for the first time all season), and no word that we could go back inside, I began to wonder what's happening. We heard sirens, but that's not unusual downtown.
After 20 minutes, the construction workers on the scaffolding along the sides of the building began shouting to each other to get down.
After a half-hour, we heard more sirens, and we finally got messages on our phones about smoke detected in the halls of the 5th floor. Or something. I was huddled in with a bunch of faculty, keeping warm in the entry of a parking garage, listening to them checking their phones, as the garage sapped my phone of its entire battery. They'd been hearing that students are not yet cleared to leave.
After 45 minutes, we get a notice that classes are cancelled and offices are closed. Go home.
Not 30 seconds after we get word, idiots start crossing into the busy street - mind you, traffic is at a crawl - and someone manages to get hit by a car. Not even at a crosswalk. Pretty sure that's some shabby attempt at a lawsuit, but with the circumstances, she's not getting anything but a bruise.
I asked my co-worker, who is still blocking the door from students trying to go in to get their stuff, because the building is on goddamn fire, for a dollar for the bus. I wasn't expecting to go home so early and my phone died, so I can't call for a ride. His stuff is inside, too, though he was away from his office at the time of the alarm and had no choice.
So I walked over to the Eastman School of Music for a stop at the ATM. My free birthday coffee was rocking around inside my bladder and I couldn't even bare to stand at the machine, so I scooted around the corner for a pee first. Then back to the ATM. Then to the cafe next door to break the change. Headed to the nearest stop and hoped I'd make it in time. I made it with five minutes to spare, surprisingly, as the nearest bus-stop clock assured me I wouldn't make it :)
I was meant to have been picked up from work by Emily, but I was a bit stoked about going home early, even though I made it there only an hour or so before I'd normally get home. Still had ample time to play with my new toys (still, I'll get to that later).
Emily texted to say she'd be late. Thank goodness I didn't need to rely on her for a ride from work anymore.
I stayed in my room most of the afternoon, trying to get warm, playing with the toy, when I heard a peculiar sound coming from the hallway. I'd made a huge mess of the pantry last night, toppling the recycling bottles all over, so I assumed they were just settling or something, and I didn't bother to leave the comfort of my bed, as it'd gotten really cold inside.
But when I did...
I saw that the attic door was open.
I stared at it for an eternity, silent and still, listening for any signs of life coming from any direction. I heard nothing. I texted Charles to come home ASAP, and to my surprise, he did (must have been on his way or nearby already). When he got home, he saw the door, grabbed a pair of sharp shears, and I called for him to wait.
I reached into my hiding place to grab my machete and it was GONE!!!
I STILL have no idea where it is.
I even looked for my hatchet, and that was gone, too! But.... we ventured into the attic to inspect, and I did find my hatchet, thank goodness.
All clear.
Retelling this story to Emily, she got a major kick out of the fact that she'd guessed about a machete and I replied "I'll get to that," and the fact that I have a hiding place for it.
Emily and I had a simple adventure. We went to the gym (very glad she wanted to do this, because I'd skipped my last workout and wasn't expecting to make this one either) and went thrifting, where, at long last, I found a butter crock (otherwise known as a butter bell or French butter dish)! I'd been looking for one since July. I also got a warm sweater, a pin for a costume I'm planning, and a gift - all of which Emily paid for, for my birthday.
Now, the haul.
I got a free sushi dinner, courtesy of my mom, on Friday, as well as $50.
I got my stash of comics, courtesy of Charles, on Saturday.
Charles also got me a load of great items on Sunday:
A Brooklyn Ogio bag, straight from my Amazon wish list.
Two beautiful Halloween "snow" globes, which I'd asked for back in August, when Halloween stuff went up at the craft stores.
A 1000 piece puzzle of Hieronymus Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights - also from my wish list, but also from a life-long search.
Inside the bag were two more gifts...
Beyond: Two Souls (for PS3)
And an Apple Pencil.
I'd never heard of an Apple Pencil.
Charles reached behind him and pulled out my last gift: a fucking 12.9" iPad Pro! Jailbroken and fully loaded with art apps (and five times as many music apps for himself).
OMG YES.
Here are some arts I've done in Procreate (dude, did you know you can set Perspective perimeters in it??? So great!)
