sleep study day!

don't i look excited? my hair is now washed and braided, and i'm looking like a 90s r&b singer. at least that's one less thing to do for tonight's sleep study. i need to throw my pajamas and pillow pet ina a bag, shower, eat, and be ready to go by 6:30p.

it's snowing in new york city. this is strange for october. we have to drive through the slush just to get to the sleep lab.

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last night darrel and i drove-- well, he drove us to nassau county in long island to go to the cheesecake factory. i've heard about them for years and never tried it. the food was average, as in most chain restaurants. the dulce de leche cheesecake was average, too. slight disappointment, but darrel was so excited to take me since i've never been, and he said i had such a long week and needed a date. this week, i was in tons of pain. a lot of soreness in my shoulders and legs, and swelling in my fingers. when i have flares, i get extra bitchy and moody, but he kept his cool. i love him.

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now culture(d). is up on etsy. making bracelets tend to calm me a bit. sales have been going pretty ok, luckily, i'm not depending on this to make a living. here are ten new bracelets i need to take pictures of an post, but of course, the weather's preventing me from doing so. in the mean time, if anyone wants to check out the online shop, it's CisforCultured.etsy.com

i got a bunch of packages in the mail! lately, i've been getting at least one almost every day, and they're always beads, but not this time. one package was a pair of black knockaround. fort knocks sunglasses i ordered a few days ago. darrel bought me these in tortoise when i got out of the emergency room. two days later, i went back to get a black pair and they were sold out. i wear a ton of black, so i'm uber excited to put these to use.

another package was a surprise from my favorite sis, alex. we started making jewelry about the same time, and she sent me her newest creation, duafe earrings. the duafe, or wooden comb, is the west african adinkra symbol for beauty, cleanliness, and desirable feminine qualities. i can't wait to wear these. i've actually been thinking about getting a duafe tattoo..

my square also came in the mail today! i can now take credit cards on site, so if anyone sees me and wants to buy a bracelet, you don't have to go through etsy! that actually wasn't the purpose of me getting this: that will be revealed at a later date.

i'm tired and in need a nap, but of course, i can't take one. i should attempt to get some things done before having to leave. maybe some homework, because i'm definitely behind.

i know i'll have a very emotional post to write once tonight is over.

random update.

forgive my absence, once again. things are crazy, as i am trying to keep myself somewhat busy and not so engulfed in this jail we call fibromyalgia.

super duper quick post before bed:

• saturday i went to lunch with my natural hair girls. i needed that. lots of good laughs. we went to coffee shop in union square; i love their herb fries!
• i started making bracelets. they're just cute little trinkets to keep me amused and entertained. i'm still debating if to sell them, since i tend to get aggravated when i have to depend on a hobby for a profit or income.
• today we had a little earthquake; it was more of an after shock. i didn't feel it in my office, but other buildings on the street did and they evacuated. cell service was down for a while, so i had a hard time getting in contact with my parents, darrel, or my family in virginia where the quake hit, but everyone's accounted for, and no one was injured.
• my tattoo's itching. horribly. i've never had a tat itch so much. but it's healing.
• tomorrow's another doctors appointment. i hope he doesn't agree with this whole sleep apnea theory.

that's about it. i'm watching whites on hulu until i knock out.

the big reveal..

so i got a new tattoo!

back on august7th, i posted this pic:

well my darling alex asked me about it, and after explaining it, i decided it would be a great tattoo. it would be a great reminder that no matter how bad my day is going or how much pain i'm in. i need to stay strong.

my little cousin chanica works at greene avenue tattoo in bed stuy. after work yesterday, i met up with a few of them and we all went.

she was happy to call herself my support system for that moment.

white boy did i great job! he was very talkative, which helped me relax a lot more.

the pain was definitely not as bad as i thought it would be. the pd tulip on my back hurt a hell of a lot more!

and it's done! thanks white boy! i'll be back soon =]

here's a sneak peek!!

here's a hint: i posted about it once before!

more details coming soon!

tattooed you..

tattoos hurt, i know; i have four, and i'll soon be working on my fifth.

how is it that we can tolerate the pain of getting a tattoo, but flares feel like it's the end of the world?