I know this is two days late, but I’ve been having problems with my laptop connecting to the internet and problems getting Tumblr to load long enough to post without eating everything I write. So there!

On Saturday, I planned to just relax and knit. Initially, I was hoping to go to the beach but it wasn’t in the cards, so I was set to enjoy a nice day relaxing with the windows open to enjoy the fresh air. Instead, I was awoken by a text and whisked away to breakfast at IHOP, and eventually Duke to go look through the Nasher Museum. Modern art, folks, and it was awesome. I especially enjoyed the exhibit that housed most of the contemporary pieces they’ve collected in the last five years. Very interesting stuff.

Saturday night, we all hung out until late, watched some Harry Potter, and I was hit once again with how badly I don’t want to go back to New York. Were it not for Gracie, Stevie, my mom and my siblings, and my friends, I’d be down here for good. Perhaps in two years, if Long Island hasn’t swept me up by then. Who knows?

Sunday was a good day, too. Most days are good days down here, I can’t say that I’ve been angry about anything down here, besides hockey. Coming from me, that’s something, because I spend 90% of my awake life in some state of negativity. There’s no room for that down here, trying to help Gee out. Negativity can’t take root, because then nothing will be accomplished. Now all I gotta do is apply that elsewhere and hope for the best. 

We had a family barbeque at Aunt Amy’s house on Sunday, featuring some really great chicken, marinated in something that originates out of Binghamton, NY if I heard correctly. I can’t remember the name of it, but it was absolutely delicious. I enjoyed it quite a bit. And because it was Aunt Amy and Uncle Adam’s house, we had to play some games. Or one, because that’s all we had time for. Pickomino was the name of the game, and I’m not going to try and explain it. You’re a chicken, you roll eight die for worms. I didn’t win, clearly. My mom has been trying to get all of us in New York to play, and now she finally has someone else who understands it.

The trucker hat is worn because the light hurts her eyes.

Inside the bundle Aunt Amy has is a tiny puppy.

Also on Sunday, after much debate and peer pressure from some of my friends, I purchased a ticket for the 4/2 Islanders game, and since it’s Social Networking night, I was informed I got a free signed puck and a shirt. Now, it wouldn’t be as big a deal to me, but I could potentially get a puck signed by Matt Moulson, and he’s my favorite. If not him, I get Grabner, and I love him as well. All for 25 bucks? Couldn’t turn that down.

I’ll have Monday’s post up soon. Again, I’m sorry for the lateness!

This is gonna be a big one. I don’t quite know how to start it, but I figure I’ll try and do it as chronologically as I possibly can manage. I came so close to tears quite a few times yesterday, and I’m hoping I don’t get choked up writing this, but you never know.

The morning started late. I came down to check up on Gee at around 9:30, and made sure she had her breakfast and was ready for the day. We changed her sheets and got her room in order— well, she got her room in order and I watch X-Files and knitted a lot. Once she was ready, we got right into our Silver Sneakers. We slacked a lot this week, so instead of taking it easy on her, I made sure we did the full workout, only taking a break or two for water.

Gee and I were chirping back and forth all day about the hockey game. It’s a lot of fun. Gee could smack-talk the Isles all she wanted, and I had the stats to defend my boys. I could tear down the Canes as much as I wanted, and Gee always had the info to fight back. Not a lot of girls my age have grandmothers as willing and able to talk hockey shit. I absolutely love it.

The rest of the day, we just hung. Gee napped between phone calls from my mother, her sister, and her cardiac nurses. Those nurses, by the way, messed up her appointment so I won’t be taking her to a biopsy on Monday. Instead, we’re just going to borrow Aunt Amy’s car and do fun stuff. We’ll come up with something. We might go on another yarn hunt, and we’re for sure going to Trader Joe’s and Neomonde’s again.

Throughout the day, I knitted and watched more X-Files, Torchwood, and Doctor Who. I had to get my nerd on if I was going to be a sports nut later in the day, that’s how I saw it. I got all my Isles gear on, including orange nail polish for my toes and fingers, and a blue nail-pen to decorate my fingernails with my favorite players’ number and NYI. Being an Islanders fan is a real commitment, obviously.

After enjoying the delights of the tailgating, we all headed in to grab our seats. We had a little drama with finding them, and they weren’t all together like they thought. Apparently the YY seats we had were not supposed to be sold, but they were. We exiled Hector and Uncle Adam to those seats. I don’t think they minded all that much, and I sure didn’t. Uncle Adam had some feisty things to say about the Isles, but told me after the game that they could be his second team after the Canes.

We got to our seats and the game started. I’m not going to go into the hockey too much, but I probably will anyway. The Canes scored first, and the RBC Center lit up. This was my first NHL game, and I knew it was going to be intense, but damn. The Canes truly have some great fans. The Isles answered with a goal moments later, and the silence that fell upon the place, besides my own shouting, was astonishing. I can’t wait to see the Isles on their home ice. The feeling I got watching the game was the same kind of feeling I had at all of the Envy on the Coast shows I went to last year. This is something serious, and a sign that my love for hockey won’t fade in just one season. 

In the beginning of the second period, the fastest man in the NHL scored, bringing the Isles to the lead. Grabner is truly a cheetah on skates, seeing him live in action is absolutely mind boggling. Seeing how fast paced the whole game is, for that matter, but especially Grabs. The Canes did not answer that goal in the second period, and I was starting to get excited for the Islanders. My heart also started to beat a little faster. It’s exhilerating.

With four minutes in regulation to go, Gee’s boy Erick Cole tied it up. I was excited and bummed out at the same time. No teams scored in those last moments, so it went to overtime. The Islanders don’t do well in overtime or a shootout, but I wasn’t going to lose my faith just yet. Even so, the Canes ended up scoring in overtime and got the win. They needed to two points to tie the Sabres and hopefully clinch a playoff spot, and the Islanders still at least got one point, I can’t be upset.

Now for the emotional shiz. When Gee went into the hospital, just around the time my great grandma passed away, I started to watch hockey. I followed the Syracuse Crunch a little, mostly reading blogs about their games. But I never really watched. Last Winter Olympics, I watched hockey religiously. With all the shit going down with less than healthy family members, I needed a distraction. So it was hockey. I picked the Islanders because I love Long Island.

When Gee got out of the hospital, my mom told me I’d have to go down and help take care off Gee. I was all over that. I was going to go, it was just a matter of when. I did my research and I saw that the Canes and Isles were playing each other on March 18th. I wanted to be there to take Gee. I wanted her to be okay enough to go.

The whole time I’ve been here, I was trying to get Gee to the point that she could handle the crowds, the stairs, everything. And yesterday, she handled it like a champ. I could’ve cried every time she stood up to cheer on the Canes. Every time she lifted her arms higher than she had in our exercises. Every time she yelled ‘Ref, you suck!’ or ‘Atta boy, Cole!’ or ‘Let’s go Canes!’. We worked so hard to get Gee well enough to enjoy a live hockey game, and she did.

I’m getting choked up right now but we’re all watching Harry Potter together so I’d rather not. 

The game was amazing. I love my family and I never ever want to leave here. I’ve learned a lot, and I feel like I’ve made a very good impact on Gee’s life. I don’t want to leave her, but I know she has to get better on her own, too. I’m going to give her all the tools I can for her to get better while I’m not here.

In conclusion, the Canes and Isles played a hell of a hockey game. Despite my team losing, I feel like I won the biggest prize out there.

DiPietro hasn’t played since February 2nd, and is not starting tonight.

I’m so excited, seriously.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

There was no hockey on tonight that held any significance to Gee or I— the Islanders were en route to Raleigh all day and the Hurricanes had the day off after two back to back games. So I guess they have a good excuse. I am seriously beyond excited for the game tomorrow, I can’t stop talking about it. DiPietro is making his return to the net after being out since February 11th with fractured facial bones and knee swelling. I hope he can work some magic, Montoya needs a break. I’m going to give DP a chance and not shit-talk him. Unless the Canes take a huge lead on us. I’m not responsible for the words that come out of my mouth if that is the case.

Anyway. Today was awesome. Gee and I got going almost as soon as Aunt Amy lent us her car. We first went to Trader Joe’s. Can I live in there? I’d like to rent a small space in the aisle where they have all the chocolately goodness. I could set up a camp and eat all the S’mashin S’mores my stomach could handle, and wash it down with pomegranate juice. That sounds awesome to me. I’d move down here just to go to Trader Joe’s, and I’m going to have to do some research to see if there is one close to Oswego/Syracuse when I get home. I need it, alright? Don’t judge me. It’s a healthier addiction than most, and I think I have to go back just one more time.

After getting some sweet treats, Gee and I headed to the craft store. I am by no definition a skilled knitter. The project I’m working on for my mom started out with a certain number of stitches and has doubled. Needless to say, it’s looking kind of wonky, but I hope she can appreciate the ‘character’ that my first knitting project surely holds. Gee supports my drive to improve my knitting, so she bought me some yarn to make scarves for my friends. I got this furry blue yarn for a scarf for my friend Chelcee, as it’s her favorite color, and the most fabulous rainbow yarn for my most fabulous friend Nic. It’s going to be great.

Gee found a yarn she really liked at Jo Ann Fabrics, but they only had one ball of it in the dye lot she needed, and so she didn’t purchase it. She needed two. We headed to Michael’s to look for a similar kind, but we were not successful. We’ll have to do some more searching. So far, I really love knitting, and Gee’s sending me home with a couple of pattern books, a stitch book, lots of yarn, and lots of memories of her teaching me to knit ad my hilarious failures.

Even after Trader Joe’s and two craft stores, Gee still had the steam to want to conquer the Asian market. One thing I really love about the Raleigh/Cary area is the diversity. It’s, to me, as diverse as New York City, but a lot cozier. I am in love. Yesterday it was Neomonde’s, last week it was Capri, and today it was the Great Asia Market. I saw a man ask for a fish and the woman who worked there scooped it live out of the tank for him. It doesn’t get a lot more authentic than that. Gee and I bought some dumplings to steam for a quick lunch.

By the time we got home and had our dumplings for lunch, Hector and India were getting home from school, so we had to get dinner started. Being that today is St. Patrick’s Day, Gee and I wanted to do a sort of Irish-inspired dinner. Corned beef and cabbage was out of the question, though, so we did ham and potato soup instead. 

Tomorrow, we tailgate. Gee seems up to it, and we’re taking everything super easy tomorrow, but still doing Silver sneakers, so she can hang for the festivities and the game. 

Let’s get hockey out of the way. I know I always say that, or I say I won’t talk about it. As Aunt Amy pointed out, I did still talk about it a lot more than intended. Since the Isles didn’t play tonight, I don’t have much to say! The Hurricanes, however, did have a game, against the then-eleventh ranked Toronto Maple Leafs— a team just as likely to get into the playoffs as the Canes. In the end, the Leafs came out on top, knocking the Devils down to eleventh, and now they’re right behind the Canes, who are now two points out of eighth place. Sadly, the Hurricanes will not win any points in their game this Friday. Tough.

Gee and I, instead of packing one day full of errands, planned to borrow Aunt Amy’s car for two days this week. We had a lot of places to go, and we had to plan everything out. For Wednesday, being that we needed a little bit of last minute stuff for dinner, we first stopped at the Super Walmart. I got the clothing items I desperatly needed, and was happy to see that they had restocked on the pomegranate green tea. I bought four jugs, and will somehow have to jam them into my suitcase. Gee is offering to get me more, and let me borrow a suitcase, on the condition that when I visit, I bring it stocked full of Hoffman hotdogs and some Italian sausage. 

After Walmart, Gee and I dropped by Neomonde’s. It’s a Middle-Eastern bakery and deli. Aunt Amy told me that there is a restaurant in Raliegh (or Cary, I can’t remember) that is also called Neomonde and has very good high-end Middle-Eastern food. We bought pita bread and a classic baguette. It was hard not to crack open all the bread and lovely carbs and eat them right in the car. It’s so good. I’m going to seek out similar places in New York, although Syracuse isn’t nearly as diverse a place.

We met up with Aunt Amy for lunch, and chose to eat out at a pub called Spirits. It’s always a treat going out to lunch with Gee and Aunt Amy, and Aunt Kristin on occasion. I had an awesome chicken club sandwich with bacon and onion rings on it. I’m never going to be content with ‘eating out’ at some fast food place. Ever.

For dinner, Gee and I made hamburgers and heated up left over mashed potatoes. Our vegetables were peas and I, instead of a bun, put my hamburger in pita. This will go down as probably one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life, to date.

Thursday is St. Patrick’s Day, so we’re making potato and ham soup!

I considered starting this, once again, with a hockey update. However, I will not speak of the Islanders embarrassing game this evening against the Rangers. It sucks when ‘rival’ teams don’t play like rivals. You know things were bad when we put Lawson in goal. That’s desperation. Despite the Isles sucking more ass than I thought suckable, the Canes shut out the Sabres. This is a big deal! 

Tonight, I was hoping the Isles could win so the Rangers would stay put in eighth and the Canes would just be a few points behind. Even so, the Rangers pushed the Sabres back to eighth and the Canes are now only two points from reclaiming their spot. It’s just no good for them that they will not get a point on Friday from my boys on Long Island. The Isles will get their shit together. There’s no way I’m doing my nails and wearing my Moulson shirt if they’re not going to pull it out. I know they can beat the Canes like they should’ve beat the Rangers. Statistically, if they hadn’t gotten only one point in a twenty game stretch, the Isles could be in fifth or sixth place right now. But we’re in fourteenth.

Of all teams that I want the Isles to spoil the playoffs for, the Canes are not it. Still, I want my guys to win over anyone else. That’s always how it’s going to be. I’d rather the Canes go to the playoffs than the Rangers and/or Sabres. Bane of my existence right there.

Moving on, today was a slow day. I say that a lot, but a lot of days have been slow. Gee and I planned our route for the next two days, as we have a lot of stores to hit this week, and we want to get to Bond Park. Tomorrow, out plan is to go to Super Walmart so I can get some equipment to keep gravity from messing with my body, some more pomegranate green tea, and I’m sure Gee will come up with things that she has to have, of course. We’re also going to Capri, family owned Italian goods shop, and Neomonde’s for some pita bread and other such things. Very excited. Shopping around with Gee has made me appreciate locally owned and operated businesses. 

Tomorrow, I’m also going to make Gee step it up when it comes to Silver Sneakers. She didn’t do a whole lot of walking today, and I’ve been slacking. I only have a week left here, and I need to make sure Gee is set up for success when I go. She’s already expressed that she wants me to give her instructions on exercises to do, that she wants to get a set of weights for progression in the video, and that on Monday at her biopsy, she’s going to ask about physical therapy. This is a Big Deal, guys. Things are looking up, and she’s going to be better than ever.

Gee and I also talked about me coming down to visit again in the summer. I was thinking for a short time, but she told me I should stay from may until I have to start school at FLCC. I know it wouldn’t be hard for me to find a job down here, but I have some serious thinking to do.

Anyway, for dinner we made pigs in a blanket (hot dogs in bacon), kielbasa for Gee and I, dill mashed potatoes, and corn. I had never tried kielbasa before and it was really great. The dill mashed potatoes are something I guarantee I will make at home. I love dill.

We’ve yet to determine exactly what we want to make tomorrow, though I’m sure it’ll come to us.

Happy Pi Day! I know you’re shocked to see this blog up so early. It’s crazy. There are no hockey games on for me to blog about, and while Drag Race is on in a few hours, I’ll save that for tomorrow. I know you’re all waiting for your daily dose of drag queens. Who isn’t?

Today got a late start. I downloaded a sleep tracker for my phone, so I slept in until ten. I didn’t want my sleep debt for this week to add up. This is some serious stuff. I came downstairs to find Mara hangin’ out, and we watched some super classy television while I knitted. I made some real progress on my project, it has doubled in size since this morning and I’m very happy with how it’s all going. I need to learn new stitches and at some point, Gee and I are going to a craft store to get more yarn and a pattern book for me. 

By noon, I had Gee doing her Silver Sneakers exercises. We didn’t take it too intensely, she’s been so sore from coughing. On Wednesday, we’re going to step it up, work out for longer, and do some more higher intensity moves. On Friday, we’ll work out in the morning and take it easy all day so she can have the energy to watch the Hurricanes lose to the Isles. Her allergies have been really intense lately, and I’d really like them to calm the shit down so Gee and I can do fun things. The allergies make her cough, which make her sore, which means she has to take pain killers. Gee’s felt shakier than usual today, and despite all of that, she says she’s still feeling better than before. I’m honored to know that I’m helping with that.

For dinner tonight, we made grilled cheese and tomato soup. The soup was from Trader Joe’s, and Gee had to add some ingredients of her own. It was very delicious.

The bread isn’t burnt, it was pumpernickel, and it was the best. I had rice at the bottom of my soup, and ham with the grilled cheese. I really don’t have words for how such a simple meal could taste.

Today’s a short entry, but it’s on time! You can’t have both, people.

Most weekends, Gee and I do little more than hang around the house, doing some housework and maybe a couple of laps outside. This weekend was a little different. The plan was for Gee, Hector, India, and I to accompany Aunt Amy to Raleigh for the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade. Friday night, Gee had a rough time trying to sleep, coughing quite a bit from her allergies. That’s the one thing that sucks about the weather getting better— everything is in bloom and for those with lots of allergies, like Gee, it spells out something less awesome. All the trees are pretty to look at, but hearing Gee cough to the point where she’s sore is not fun.

So since she had a rough night, she didn’t go to the parade. Myself and the little cousins did, though. I call them little cousins like they’re significantly younger/smaller than me. They aren’t. They’ll both probably be taller than me, which isn’t fair, and I may just have to forcefeed them coffee or otherwise stunt their growth. It’s heartbreaking enough that my little brother is taller than me. Very upsetting.

Aunt Amy pointed out that one nice thing about parades in Raleigh is that you don’t have to show up at six in the morning t get a good spot on the route. We showed up at about 11:30, for a noon start, and were toward the end of the route.

It was a nice parade like any other: a couple of bands, some organizations, the mayor, the Hurricanes Storm Chaser van along with Stormy, and candy and beads. One of my favorite parts was when the Carolina Roller Girls skated on by and came up to me to ask me to try out. My pink and purple hair is a beacon for roller derby, apparently. I happily told them I’m going to participate in a team back home, so there’s that.

Of course, I won’t leave out the bagpipes. My Aunt Amy and my mom are Scotland’s biggest fan. Yes, I know that Saint Patrick’s  Day is an Irish holiday, but stay with me. The two countries share bagpipes. And that’s fine, because I doubt any other countries really want in on the highly competitive bagpipe industry. The NC State Pipe and Drum Corps was in the parade, which meant a lot of men in kilts marching while playing their bagpipes. Both my aunt and my mom go on about kilts, and I must say, I’m developing an appreciation for them, as well.

After the parade, and after watching the Pipe and Drum Corps play a couple of songs, we decided to leave to get something to eat. The line for any kind of food at the block party was ridiculously long. We grabbed lunch at MoJoe’s Burger Joint, and it was really, really good. Some of the best onion rings I’ve ever had, hands down. Their fries also had a seasoning similar to the fries my family used to get at Boga Bar in Iceland. I’m not sure if Boga Bar was in Keflavik or what, but definitely the best fries on the planet, so I enjoyed MoJoe’s.

That about sums up Saturday. Mara came back from California that evening, as well, and hung out at the house for a little bit to tell us the tales of her San Francisco adventure, one of which circled around ‘the only remaining pot smoker’ of California calling Jesus to send three thousand angels to the bus, among other things.

Sundays are usually relaxed, like Saturdays, but Gee was on a mission. We needed some groceries for dinner Monday and Tuesday, and she needed to get more pants that were shorter in length. India went with us to Walmart for the clothes, and Gee bought me some nail polish so I can get all Isles’d out for the game on Friday. Let me take another second to tell you how excited I am. After Walmart, we were off to Trader Joe’s for the tomato soup we needed, and other vegetables. India and I also discovered these Smores bites, and I’m going to have to make another trip there and buy them in bulk. Microwave those things for twelve seconds and the marshmallow oozes right out. So good.

Dinner on Monday is grilled cheese and tomato soup! Easy, but good.

Small hockey note: The Isles played the Devils on Saturday, and they were down for a lot of the game. They came back to tie it, but did lose in overtime. It was a very well fought game, despite super shitty officiating. I usually wouldn’t blame a game on shitty officials, and I’m not saying the sole reason we lost was on their shoulders, but a ten minute misconduct and a refusal to tell that player OR the Islanders coach why they were giving him a misconduct? That’s just fishy.

Let me get hockey out of the way fast. As I predicted yesterday, the Isles defeated the Bruins in a pretty spectacular come from behind win. It was magnificent. For the first thirty-nine minutes and fifty-eight seconds of the game, the Bruins led the Islanders by two points, but on the power play with two seconds left in the second period, good ol’ number twenty-six scored his twenty-ninth goal of the season. Leave it to Matt Moulson to get the team pumpin’. The Isles went on to score three more in the third period, with four goals in a row going unanswered by the B’s.

Things were not so hot in Canes country today. The last few games for the Canes have been rough, and facing a confident bunch of Caps, it wasn’t going to be easy. The 2-1 loss was very hard to swallow, and Gee was upset. Instead of reassuring her, I made sure to let her know to get used to it, because the Islanders are coming to town and they’re going to wreck the Canes. Hopefully. We’re playing like a playoff team, though we won’t be one this year, and we’re at least going to spoil the fun for hopeful teams. Like the Canes. I heard today that the weather is supposed to be nice next Friday, and if it is, that we might tailgate before the game. Let me tell you how excited I am to be in a parking lot overflowing with Canes fans in my super sexy Moulson shirt-jersey. I might have been able to fly under the radar in Isles gear if I hadn’t just re-done my hair. Darker pink, lots more purple.

I always feel bad when the day following a busy one is a relatively slow one for Gee and I. I got a very late start, rolling out of bed by 10:30 and making pancakes and sausage for myself as brunch. My routine always includes a little bothering of Gee, mixed with some kind-hearted teasing. She already had breakfast and wanted no part of my chocolate chip pancakes. And believe me, they were very heavy on the chocolate chips. I enjoyed them while getting down to some more Doctor Who, and I happily caught the episode of when Nine regenerates into Ten— I really dislike Nine and Ten’s alright, but someone bring me Eleven. Fine man, he is, and I can’t wait until next season.

Throughout the day, I napped and knitted, as if I hadn’t gotten eleven hours of sleep last night or anything. Gee didn’t get a moment to relax because I made sure to get in her business and remind her that I was there. No need to make her think she’s safe from my torment or anything. I had her do shoulder rolls and stretches while watching TV. It’s easy stuff.

Don’t get mad at me, but I didn’t get a picture of dinner tonight. We weren’t even sure of what to make until about three, and Gee had most of it done by the time I wandered into the kitchen at four. We made chicken soup with orzo. And it was good, so good. You know you’re doing chicken right when Aunt Kristin says it smells good and she’s not even a fan of chicken. Mission accomplished. Dinner was good, because it was both easy and did serious damage to all the damn chicken we have here.

Gee and I already have a couple fun and easy meals in mind for next week, as it’s my last full week. We’re both insanely excited for the hockey game on Friday and also looking forward to the Saint Patrick’s Day parade and fair tomorrow in Raleigh with Aunt Amy! And maybe Aunt Kristin, but she went to bed early like the elderly woman she can sometimes be. This is coming from someone who enjoys the comforts of a good granny nightgown, I have license to make fun of other’s old lady qualities.

As I said in the last post, Aunt Amy graciously allowed Gee and I to reschedule stealing her car, so we were able to go cruisin’ on Thursday. We were spoiled, because that meant Gee got out of the house and walking around three times this week instead of the usual two. It might not seem like much, but Gee doesn’t get to walk around much at home, unless she strolls around in front of the house. She’s told me numerous times that she feels better about walking when she actually has a purpose, and yesterday it was earring shopping. This only makes me worry more that progress she’s made will drop off since she won’t be getting out much without me here. I don’t want to leave. I want nothing more than for Gee to get better, and everyone here is doing an amazing job, but with all my aunts working and being very busy, I know it’ll be difficult. It’s frustrating that I can’t afford to be here longer.

Back to happier things now! Gee and I made sure to get an earlier start, allowing time to go to lunch with Aunt Amy, and our first stop was to a pet store to grab Pill Pockets for Nika since she’s been having a hard time taking some of her medicine. They were easy to find and we had a hell of a time looking at the fish and the birds at the store. The birds were all very loud, until Gee went up close to them. They knew to all sit quiet and pretty so someone would want to take them home. Seriously, they were only sixteen bucks. That seemed a little weird to me, considering some birds can live up to sixty years. You pay thousands of bucks at a store for a dog that’ll only live fifteen to twenty. Or, you know, you could do the right thing and rescue a dog from a shelter. The adoption fee is less and they really need a home. Buying pet store puppies supports puppy mills, but the Pet Supermart we went to wasn’t selling puppies, so that’s good.

Give me a minute to get off of my soapbox and I’ll get back to Gee blogging.

After securing the Pill Pockets, Gee and I headed to Cary Towne Center so Gee could get her bling on. By getting her bling on, I mean to say that Gee and I went to Claire’s in the mall to get some earrings for her. It may not be much, but knowing that Gee still cares about what she looks like, wanting nice clothes and nice earrings, refusing to leave the house without doing her eyebrows and hair, is a good sign to me. She’s not giving up. Even for as much as I rush her to get her hair done so we can get a move on. Having pride in how you look means something. She’s not letting how much pain she might be in on the inside bring her down, and her self-confidence is shining through.

Gee got three really cute pairs of earrings, some hearts, dangly ones, and some hoops, we ran back to Aunt Amy’s office to whisk her away to lunch. Yesterday at lunch with Aunt Kristin, Gee talking about wanting to go to Ragazzi’s, so that’s where we went today. Gee and I are truly spoiled by my aunts/her daughters. It makes me wish my mom had been able to come down, too, because I know she’d love doing all of this stuff with us. I had chicken limonata, and I don’t remember what Gee had, but I know it had lemon sauce, and Aunt Amy got some chicken dish with zucchini. The garlic breadsticks were absolutely amazing and I’m pretty certain I destroyed the basket mostly by myself.

We came home after that and it was time to rest before getting dinner prepared. I relaxed with watching some Doctor Who and continued knitting a gift for my mom. I need to get going on it, though, because I want it done by the time I get home. I figure an hour or so of knitting a day will do the trick.

When Hector and India got home from school, I let them control the television while I went into the kitchen to start making dinner. I’ve found that in recent days, I need less and less guidance from Gee because I’m starting to get confident in my cooking skills. I don’t run to her room every two seconds to ask if I’m doing something right. Besides, if I do mess something up, she can usually correct the mistake in a tasty way.

With all the ingredients prepared, I left Gee to do the cooking while I left to pick up Aunt Amy and give her the car back. By the time I got back, dinner was done and being consumed before I got a chance to get a picture of the full pan, so it looks a little sad in what I did manage to snap.

We made chicken fajitas. We’ve had a lot of chicken this week, so Gee and I aren’t sure what we’re doing yet for Friday. We have a lot of chicken, but there might be some beef hidden somewhere. Hopefully.

The Islanders and Hurricanes game is coming up. I really can’t wait, and both teams have games on Friday. The Isles face the Bruins and the Canes battle the Caps. The Bruins have had a rough couple games this week, from their loss against the Habs (with a brutal hit by Chara to Pacioretty, leaving Patch with a broken neck and no discipline for Chara, and in Chara’s defense it was a clean hit, just badly placed against the boards), to giving up the lead and losing to the Sabres last night, so I think the Islanders might be able to rally together and get it done. The Caps have been on fire, passing the B’s to claim the second spot in the Eastern conference, while the Canes have fallen to ninth, so they need this game. They’re two points behind, the next couple of games are crucial for the Canes. Sadly, they can count on a loss next Friday when Long Island comes to town.