Still Stuck

Hi.

It's been too long since I've updated here, or written anything more creative than a Hashtag War post on Twitter. I plan to be changing that now that life has settled in a bit.

My soapmaking business, Lyeslingers, can currently be found at this link right here. Facebook is working well for communicating with customers and I get better sales as a result. Right now it's coming up on mosquito season so my special catnip laced Skeeter Dope formula will be ready in a couple of days and 2 oz bottles will be found for sale this week so check out the Facebook link if you're up for this or any of the dozens of other products I've invented.

Vaping vs. smoking: I'm still struggling quite a bit with getting tobacco out of my life. I do still use both my nic pens and smoke cigarettes, but it's time to look at quitting again. I'm too sensitive to drugs similar to quit drugs like Chantix, so that's out as a help to me and I've never had much luck with Nicorette products except for their inhalers--they come closest out of what Big Pharma offers to tobacco products so I've already gotten familiar enough to know the patches don't fill my hands as they're used to, lozenges make my teeth ache and contain artificial sweeteners (another no-no, since I have a chronic pain issue and new studies are actually showing the anecdotal evidence my friends and I had already discovered has science behind it), and the inhalers just don't have enough to make me feel like I'm actually smoking. The vaporizers have been the best shot I seem to have but Whole Tobacco Alkaloids (WTA) seem to be the larger issue I'm not addressing. If I can find a way to deal with it I'll be setting (yet another) quit date and trying again.

I'm still pretty damned tired of being treated like a criminal for being a smoker, and being a vaper instead doesn't seem to have many perks other than as a way to get off tobacco. As of this writing nicotine liquids aren't being taxed heavily in my state (they are in some) and just the usual sales tax on equipment, so this is the way I want to go. The hard part will be staying in supply for my preferred style of vaporizer. High-output "sub-ohm systems" make me seriously ill (I accepted a generous loan from a friend, using the lowest nicotine content liquids, then cutting them with nic-free liquid when I started getting sick from the slightest use) so I've had to really stock up batteries, atomizers and of course the liquid I need to use for my lower-powered systems.

Something I should add: There are studies (funded by tobacco companies) used very high voltage/high wattage systems (no info around on what liquids they used in the testing) have shown some odd output chemicals that didn't show up in European studies, done with lower-powered systems like what I use. Johnson Creek still supports my systems, and the new batteries they sell and recommend for them are still widely available but I'll be watching for sales and keeping an eye out to be certain JCSmoke continues to support pen-style systems. They're also supporting a sub-ohm system that looks cute but I can't use them, They're also not only making their own liquids for sub-ohm vaping and cloud chasing, but they're bringing in other companies' products.  No, JC, I'm not thrilled--I began with your original system, can't use sub-ohms and hope like hell your company continues to support non-sub-ohm vaping as well.

More changes: Both my mother and father passed on a little over a year ago. Mom had her family here for support; I hadn't gotten word about Dad until after Mom passed. While it's yet another reason to quit smoking, it's far from the strongest one. Between taxes, restrictions, regulations, changes in allowed products and even whether or not I can or should smoke in my own house, I'm tired of dealing with it. I'm no criminal and not only am I treated as someone who should be controlled because of a perfectly legal habit but I'm paying for the shitty treatment too! I pay every one of the people who think the places I go and the things I like to do to treat me this way and I think that bites ass on steroids, which is why so much about quitting goes on here.

WausaubiCon lives on--I have stepped down as event Co-Chair and board of Directors Vice President. I have been asked to stay on as an advisor and I agreed to do so. I've made it clear that I'll be waiting for the Board to tell me when they don't need me anymore, so I'm not sure how long I'll continue in my role but I expect likely through the next event (more on that once they announce them).

I need to write better crap than day to day crap so as I do it'll be here. Meanwhile look around--I'm not hard to find.

I've been cheating on you, all zero of you

Hi you, the occasional person who flips past this page,

I actually have been cheating on my blog. 

Part of the reason is that I tend to save this space as publication for the better work I do. I haven't had a lot of time to write and other types of publishing to the Intarwebznetzsen are faster and suit the types of work I've been picking at lately, so that's where most of the nonsense winds up. 

For personal info, my Facebook page is https://facebook.com/pandora.wilde . Most day to day bitching and happiness wind up there. I can use my phone for posting to Facebook so as-it-happens bullshit and hilarity tend to wind up there. My shop's base of operations is there as well--check it out if you're looking for my soap. I'm plotting an Etsy page but not sure if it's worth the time. However, I'm making soap again and will be getting the current stock list up soon as I'm able.

I've also put work into cutting a hole into all the rambling I tend to do--Blogger is great for large piles of information but doesn't exactly encourage brevity. Twitter, however, requires it with the 140 character limit. I use whatever hashtag crap is running as a prompt, either coming up with an answer or just jumping off from an answer that would take a little scene-setting. Most of those don't come out well so they're not here either.

I do have a Deviant Art page; I don't often use it and it's mostly pics and an occasional journal entry. When I come up with something decent I'll send a copy here.

SO--that leaves the other part. The Tumblr part.

Yes, I've been seduced by The Dark Side. They lied about the cookies though.

However, it seems like I see more of the people I know in real life. I've also lost track of many of the people I've known here, so I'm putting in my links around the pixelated universe so you can pick and choose what you're looking for me for. 

(By the bye, I'm doing an Indian incense buy--including the Best Sandalwood on the Planet--that I will close on TUESDAY! Sept. 8, 2015 for the spirit of things never dying online. Anyhow--if you want good incense until I can begin to make it again, this is where to score the best. Read the 2015 Incense Nut Buy note and follow the instructions for near-instant gratification! The best sandalwood is already in so you'll get that one either right away if you're local or I can ship separately.)

Do keep in mind that many of the changes you're seeing are due to needs generated by having my mom currently in a nursing home. That's a rather long and personal story and what I'm posting about it right now online is on the Facebook page, so go check things out there if you're interested.

So, what's going to go here? Easy--the same thing I always put here--the best of what I write. I'm working on a short story but it doesn't seem to know it's only a short story and keeps blowing up. I may have to give up and write the book, in which case you may see bits here. Just keep in mind all you see here is owned by ME. I grant copyright exceptions on a case-by-case basis, so hit me up on Facebook for questions on that, especially with time limitation requests.

So yeah, I'm alive, putting bits here and there out here. It's just a matter of knowing where to find what you're looking for.

Incense Buy Update

Hi everyone,

The incense buy I posted below will be closing early--minimums are met and it's been a few days since anyone's contacted me so I'm assuming everyone who's interested has gotten in touch.

The order is being placed either Monday the 3rd or Tuesday the 4th.

If you haven't been in touch see the email in the post below and get in touch with me so I can include your order.

Thanks for making this a very successful buy!

--moi

Incense Group Buy--Want Some?

Hi everyone,

I love scent--and one of my favorite ways to get scent into my life is incense. I really like it.

...really really really REALLY like it!!

I do make my own hand-dipped incense, but I can't keep up. With Wisconsin's humidity it takes quite awhile to cure it. I tend to order incense in wholesale lots to keep myself supplied and bring down my costs. I have a great place to get awesome Indian style incense from too, one where the prices are awesome and the service is great. There's only one catch.

I have to meet a minimum order. Even for me, $75 is a lot of money for a single incense order, especially at these prices--you'd be surprised how much incense you can get for $75!

I solve it by doing group buys--I set a date, put out a list of what I can get, then take prepaid orders. It lets us all get quality incense at great prices and I don't have to cough up the whole minimum on my own.



My next group buy is beginning May 19--the order will be placed June 8. UPDATE: Due to low interest this order is being placed Monday June 3 or Tuesday June 4.



If you're interested, please email me--don't leave order info in the comments. Do feel free to ask questions in the comments--chances are you're not the only one who wants to know, so put 'em there so everyone sees the answers. When you email, include the following:


Real name
Email address for your PayPal account if you're not local to me and paying in person
Home address with Zip code if I need to ship to you
...and, of course, your order

If you live near me or I know I'll be seeing you in a reasonable time, there's no other charges.

If you don't happen to live in my area, I can ship anywhere in the USA--Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation for an extra charge. You'll also need to send me payment, either online via PayPal or through the US Mail, where I accept Postal Money Order or Cashier's Check only, no personal or business checks please. I'll send a PayPal invoice with the total so you know where to send payment. Sending cash through snail mail is a bad idea, I'm not responsible if it's lost in the mail, but I can't stop you if you choose to pay this way.

PayPal orders will include a charge to cover the additional cost of using PayPal--I am charging nothing extra in the prices listed, so there's no profit being made here and I'm paying for everything I order in this buy just like you are--I'm just looking for people to help meet the company minimum.

Go ahead and post questions in the comments--you're probably not the only one wondering about whatever you're asking about.

So--here's the list--have fun and let me know if you're interested.



Incense List

Mysore Sandal Agarbathies Incense Sticks—best Sandalwood ever!
6 boxes/case, 20 sticks/box, price $5.50/case
(retails $2.25/box and up—I’ve seen it as high as $3.50/box and it’s still worth it!)

Wild Berry brand, price $10/100 sticks
(retails for $13.95/100 or $1.95/10)

Scents:
Amber
Aphrodesia
Arabian Night
Awapuhi
Bayberry
Baking Brownies
Blend 22
Cactus Blossom
Candy Cane
Carmen’s Hat
Green Apple
Champa
Cherry
Cherry Vanilla
Christmas Kiss
Cinnamon
Citronella Lavender
Clove
Coconut
Cranberry
Desert Sage
Dragon’s Blood
Egyptian Cotton
Evergreen
Eucalyptus
Fairy Dust
Fantasia
Fiesta Lime
Fizzy Pop
Forest Dew
Frankincense
Fresh Rain
Gingerbread
Good Earth
Harmony
Havana
Herbal Mist
Honeysuckle
India Moon
Isis
Jasmine
Latin Lover
Lavender
Lemon
Lemon Citronella
Lilac
Madagascar Spice
Magic Garden
Melon
Misty Mountain
Mountain Heather
Mulberry
Musk
Myrrh
Mysteriosa
Night Queen
Nirvana
Ocean Wind
Opium
Orange
Oriental Charm
Patchouli
Peace of mind
Peach
Pear
Pinion
Polo Crest
Pomegranate
Pounding Surf
Queen of the Nile
Raspberry Rose
Root Beer
Rose
Royal Violet
Rugged Leather
Sandalwood
Sensuality
Simmering Cider
Sky
Strawberry
Summer Day
Sunshine
Tibetan Orchid
Tranquility
Vanilla
Virgin Woods
Wild Honey
Yin Yang
Zen


Hem Incense Sticks, Cases of 6 pks, 20 sticks per pack, price $5/case
(retails for $8.15/case or $1.95/box)

Scents:

African Musk
Almond
Aloe Vera
Amber
Amber Sandal
Anti-Stress
Chamomile
Cedar
Champa
Cherry Jasmine
Chocolate
Cinnamon
Citronella
Clove
Coffee
Dragon’s Blood
Egyptian Musk
Eucalyptus
Frankincense
Frankincense and Myrrh
The Galaxy
Gold Rain
Green Tea
Heena
Honey
Honey Rose
Lemongrass
Lotus
Magnolia
Moon
Morning Mist
Musk
Night Queen
Opium
Patchouli
Peach
Precious Patchouli
Lemon
Cherry
Aphrodesia
Cinnamon Apple
Strawberry
Tangerine
Precious Jasmine
Coconut
Precious Lotus
Precious Lavender
Precious Lily
Precious Musk
Precious Rose
Red Rose
Rose Musk
Precious Sage
Sandal
Sun
Vanilla
Vetivert
Violet
White Sage
Ylang-Ylang


Gonesh Extra Rich, 20 stick packs, price $1.50/pack
Gonesh comes by single packs, not in cases as the other brands do.
(retails for $2.50 or more)

Scents:

Amber
Rose
Pine
Mint
Green Apple
Apple Cider
Black Cherry
Cedarwood
Coconut
Cherry Blossom
Cinnamon
Wisteria
Violet
Strawberry
Dragon’s Blood
Dreamsicle
Frankincense
Gardenia
Harmony
Honeysuckle
Jasmine
Lavender
Lemongrass
Love
Musk
Nag Champa
Ocean
Orange
Patchouli
Peach
Raspberry
Vanilla

Kamini Cone incense, case of 12 boxes, 10 cones/box, price $8.50/case
Each box includes a cheapie burner (piece of tin—should be in an ashtray to use these burners)
(retails for $1.50/box)

Scents:

Night Queen
Black Opium
Dragon’s Blood
Egyptian Musk
Frangipani
Frankincense
Jasmine
Lavender
Lotus
Aphrodisia
Nag Champa
Sun
Passion Potion
Patchouli
Sandalwood
Sun
Vanilla
White Sage
Ylang-Ylang
Zen Meditation
Romantic Rose
Coconut
Moon

Sandesh Incense Cones, 12 boxes/case, 10 cones/box, price $9.20/case
(retail $1.75/box)
Includes cheapie burner (same as Kamini cones but a little bigger)

Scents:

Amber
Champa
Chandan (Sandalwood)
Cinnamon
Coconut
Dragon’s Blood
Fortune
Frangipani
Frankincense
Jasmine
Lavender
Lotus
Love
Money
Myrrh
Opium
Patchouli
Rose
Success
Strawberry
Vanilla
White Sage


Ozium Air Sanitizer

3.5 oz bottles, $7.50/bottle
(retail $10.25/bottle)

Scents: Original, Outdoor, New Car, Vanilla

 0.8 oz bottle, $4.25/bottle
(retail $5.95)

Scents: Original, Outdoor, New Car, Vanilla, Citrus

NOTE: I can also get incense burners and oil diffusers--if there's a certain type or a particular one you've been looking for, send me an email. My wholesaler carries so many burners and diffusers it'd be impossible to make up a big list for this sale, so it's best if you ask things like "What kind of coffin incense burners can you get and how much for them?" than "Can you send a list of all the oil diffusers they have?"  I can't do that--this time of year is hectic and I'm doing the buy now because I'm nearly out of incense, someone else I go in with is closer to out and I have a friend interested in getting some, so I need to keep this easy.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Homemade Kahlua and something to do with it

An old friend gave me this recipe awhile back and I may pull it out for the holidays if my family that never drinks ever finishes a bottle of something so I have something to pack it in???

Anyhow, here it is:

Homemade Kahlua

2C. Water
2C Sugar
1/4-1/2 C Instant Coffee
1 1/2 C Vodka
1-2 Vanilla Beans
10 Kona Coffee Beans, whole (optional)

Pour the Vodka, Kona beans and Vanilla Beans into whatever
container/pitcher you will be useing.

Boil water and sugar stirring untill dissolved. Remove
from heat, and add instant coffee VERY slowly, and
stir well. Allow to completly cool. Add the cooled
coffee mixture to the vodka w/ vanilla beans. Cap
well. Shake several times per day X 21 days. Remove
beans, and enjoy!

I wonder if I can sweeten this with something else and use less water and get a flavoring for vaping? Add it to some VG or add VG to it to get a decent taste without PG (I'm going to try vape flavors without PG since so many are allergic). Might be worth a try when I can afford to play with it--I already know how to do menthol and stock the menthol for it and I've got a shit-ton of vanilla beans to try for a good flavor with those.

And as for something awesome to make with it?

Mudslide

1 jigger Kahlua
1 jigger Amaretto (DiSaronno is best)
1 jigger Vodka
1 jigger Bailey's or other Irish Cream

Mix thoroughly. Can be shaken in shaker and poured as shots or served
over ice in highball glass.  Those who find this drink too rich would
enjoy it more with a spritz of club soda added.

Beer Cheese Soup

One of the benefits of reduced tobacco smoking is having your taste buds and sense of smell come back. I've been finding myself bringing back an old hobby--making up recipes. Eating the same things I used to gets boring these days and while many people gain weight when they stop smoking, I have chronic pain issues that tend to ruin my appetite. Often the "I hurt too bad to mess with food" won out over "I just thought of something that sounds good--I should go make that." That's changed to an extent these days. I don't know why for certain, but it could be that the increased energy I have means I can pull off the ideas my brain cooks up before my back and neck decide I'm done messing around in the kitchen before my food's ready.

I started wanting to make Beer Cheese Soup after tasting a local restaurant chain's version. I liked it, but thought I could come up with a better one, so here's mine--it's sort of all my own. I started with a Potato Soup recipe I found in one of those church fundraiser cookbooks left from my Grandmother's house--my Aunt got most of Grandma's cookbooks, but she missed the one that Grandma actually cooked from, and that's where the recipe started. The rest is me altering it to come up with a copy of a soup the restaurant served. Of course you can alter it--and I have, even made it with leftover brats once and used a little Guiness stout for the beer and it was different but also really good.




Beer Cheese Soup

2-3 raw potatoes, diced (at least one should be a baking potato--the others can be either baking or a more waxy potato, whichever you prefer)
1 qt. chicken stock, divided (veggie stock is fine if you want a vegetarian soup)
4-5 slices good bacon
1/2 to 1 medium onion
1-2 cloves garlic, fresh, minced or mashed
1 rib celery, diced
1 carrot or several baby carrots, diced (optional)
1-2 c. diced cooked ham
Other meats to taste, optional
1 c. beer, usually a lager works best
2 c half and half
Whole or 2% milk. approx. 1 qt.
1/2 lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed
up to 1 c. shredded cheese, any kind--I use whatever's on hand
Salt and pepper to taste

Peel and cube potatoes and put into a big soup pot. Pour chicken broth over the potatoes to cover. Boil til just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Chop bacon into 1-inch cubes (scissors work great on this job) and cook til done and fat is rendered. Remove bacon and set aside. Leave bacon fat in the pan.

Heat bacon fat til frying hot, then add onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Saute until onions are transparent.

Return bacon and potatoes to pot, then add ham and other meats, the beer and the rest of the chicken stock and heat to a simmer. Add half and half and bring back to simmering.

Add Velveeta cheese bit by bit, allowing each adddition to melt before adding more. Add other cheeses, being careful not to add too much as it will break the soup and ruin your yummies.

Bring all to a simmer and serve. This is awesome with fresh-baked breads, especially multi-grain or whole grains.

Makes about a gallon of soup. It freezes very well, but good luck having enough left to freeze--I seldom manage to.

Something old, something new

Asuma, Kirby and I spent the weekend working at Anime Fusion, a new convention that several of our old friends have put together. The idea was to combine the old favorites with views of where those old favorites have led the anime industry and its fans, and totally aside from numbers, bottom lines and whether or not there were piles of anything appearing or disappearing, I have to say they did it and I think the majority of the other 949 or so people who attended would agree. If you check my Facebook page you'll find pics from me if someone's tagged me in them. I didn't bring any cosplays along since I didn't expect to have time to get into either of the ones I have so all the pics you'll see are just plain old me.

My job was much different than most of the ones I do at conventions--I had to check identifications to ensure attendees of adult content panels were actually adults. I've worked on Security staff, but usually didn't interact with the average attendee unless I was helping at the door of a major convention event (such as a dance or costume contest). It did give me a chance to talk to people I don't normally get much time to chat with--more parents attending to support their child's presence and safety, more of the host hotel's staff, groups of people who aren't normally at the daytime events because they prefer the night life of a con... the list goes on but it was definitely a fun segment of the convention's attendees to work for. I had as much fun outside the door of the panels I was carding as I would have had inside (except for one that had little interest for me since I have a steady sweetie--I had WAY more fun outside that one!), unusual for the jobs I usually have.

The other thing that this unusual assignment gave me was a close look at something I was wondering as I picked and packed my vaping travel kit. I know geekdom tends to be ahead of the public curve when it comes to new electronic goodies, so I wondered if I'd see more than the occasional cosplayer (costumed player--person who dresses as a favorite character, sometimes also assuming the personality characteristics in the process) whose character is so often depicted with a cigarette that having one in hand or mouth is necessary for costume accuracy.

I didn't have to wait long.

I met my first vaper outside the first panel, just as I'd closed the door on a 100% full and very popular panel that couldn't possibly handle another single person. I parked my ass and pulled out my Vea to catch up on my nicotine intake while staying handy in case latecomers wanted to get in. Almost immediately I heard, "HEY!! What rig is that? I like!"

Turns out the guy had an eGo battery with a neat-looking colored clearo tank on it. We spent nearly about half an hour talking equipment, juices, and best for me, how to use a tank, something I've been wondering about since I'm such a n00b. Yeah, now I want a tank--probably one of the ViVi Novas, maybe the mini. It should fit my 510-threaded equipment and be about as much juice as I want out exposed to light and air max at once. He also let me taste his juice--awesome Mt. Dew duplicate and dead-on! The store he got it from doesn't have a website but he told me which mall it's in so I'll have to talk Asuma into taking me over there next trip to the Twin Cities.

From there I ran into several more vapers--all friendly, eager to talk and share notes and favorites. Since I only know one other person outside of either online or the con folk I know who vapes, it was really cool to expand my knowledge base and ask some of the questions that are just tough to answer without being face to face with the equipment in hand. I know there's a lot of video on YouTube but I just don't get a lot of online time to spend searching it out and digging thru a lot of drek to get to the useful stuff. I even loaned my spare batt(ery) out to a friend who wasn't sure his event job would let him slip out for a smoke--he didn't get a chance to use it since there was a way for him to get to the outdoors without leaving things he needed to watch, but he got a chance to check it out and compare it to the eCig he'd normally use in a situation like that. We didn't get time to discuss it but maybe next time I run into him we will.

I only really got one negative interaction on the subject of eCigs--a very young lady whose kneejerk reaction to overhearing a discussion I was having with someone curious about how I was making all that "smoke" without a cigarette. "It's still horrible for you," was answered with, "Maybe, but not nearly as horrible as the 4,000-6,000 chemicals and hundreds of carcinogens in tobacco smoke. This has 5 chemicals and other than nicotine none of them are harmful," followed by a list of those 5 chemicals. I've never seen a teenager drop a subject so quickly after being so aggressive in starting it.

I did relapse on the smellsticks--I probably went thru nearly 2 packs during the trip, the convention and the trip home. Smoking's always been a crutch when I'm short on sleep and I definitely went short before the trip even began--we needed to be in the Mall of America area well before noon and Friday night's "sleep" was actually about a 3 hour nap. I'm settling back to pre-con though--I allotted myself 10 tobacco sticks each of the last 3 days and have come up using 8 each day, so it's time to cut to 7 starting tomorrow and going thru the weekend. I'm also trying the tactic of not smoking my favorite brand, which is helping, I think.

Speaking of sleep, I had a doctor's appointment Wednesday. It went well, with lots of support coming without my even asking, especially on the subject of smoking cessation medications. I told him I'd quit using the Nicorette inhalers because the eCig was meeting my needs much more thoroughly, explaining the differences in using them. I did bring up that I don't want to use Chantix or Zyban as the side effects of Chantix sound like a risk I don't want to take, especially the recent study showing that it increases the risk of a cardiac event, and Zyban is out because I react very very very very badly to that medication--it's also marketed under the name Wellbutrin and I had a horrible reaction to that one when it first came out and was prescribed as an antidepressant. He listed a few more that wouldn't be appropriate for me, mostly to warn me that they'd interact badly with other meds I'm on, then wrote another prescription for Ambien for me to keep on file at the pharmacy in case I wind up with more sleep issues, again without my asking. I'm saving the Ambien for times when I go more than 2 to 3 nights on less than 4 hours' sleep due to withdrawal issues because I want to normalize body issues related to withdrawal with as little more than the vaporizer as I can, since the goal is to get to 100% eCig and functioning normally with that only. Beyond that, we'll see what happens.

I'm also changing my stop date, something else that came up with my doc. He's in favor of leaving it for a week from today; I feel I still have a lot to work out issue-wise as far as coping skills are concerned. I still smoked less at the convention than I did daily before getting my Vea, but more than I have been per day before the con, so obviously I have to identify the triggers and learn to deal with them before I reach my Stop Date (a suggestion from a friend, rather than calling it a "quit" anything--"stop" implies that I can "start" again if I choose, with "quit" being an implied pressure to never restart and puts more shame into a failed attempt). So, my Stop Date is now Dec. 1, 2012. There's another convention between now and then that I'll be working PR for (no staff duties, just promotion for WSBC) so I get another shot at functioning as a non-smoker.

Well, time for bed--the other reason to take it easy on Ambien is the horrific hangover. I've had a 2 hour nap and nearly fell asleep around 8 pm in spite of it. Have a fun night and I'll be trying to get here more--another suggestion from my awesome MD is to write more to put my reasons not to smoke, reasons to stop and reasons not to restart out where I can look at them. It's also time for me to do more writing for fun to keep this blog from being boredom central and worth your time and mine.