My journey to Nerd Nirvana and back...IT'S VEGAS BABY!! My Vegas Vacation 2016

So it's been a really long time since I've updated. A lot of that had to do with losing Chester. I used to post weekly pictures of him and Milly and even though I never stopped taking pics of Milly, posting them here reminded me how much I missed Chester. So I stopped. I didn't stop writing, but I stopped publishing temporarily to concentrate on my day job and my health.

I'm not sure how much I'll actually be back since my health has been declining steadily. The monster that is lupus has become very active and worsened, even more so over the last couple months. I'm on a new medication that will hopefully not only make me feel better but possibly put me into remission. I'm supposed to give it six months to start to work and so far I'm not hating it. More on that later!

Back in 2014, I had a really hard decision to make. I could go to GayRomLit (which I had just paid for and promised to share a room with a fellow awesome author!) or I could go to Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival in Las Vegas since their Fan Festival was going to happen right over my birthday in Vegas at the Rio. I really wanted my husband to go but he was over protective of Milly and decided he would stay home with her.

It was a hard decision to make, but I decided to head to Chicago to have an amazing time, but vowing if I had a chance again to head to Vegas for Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival, I would drop everything and go.

Low and behold, in December 2015, faint stirrings of rumors began that Fan Festival planning was brewing and by God, if they had to wheel me in on a stretcher, I was going.

So hubby and I talked and unanimously agreed. We were going to Vegas, baby! And while we are at it, we're dragging my baby sister along (who is a player and fan as well!) and then afterwards we're going to have a well deserved vacation.

Before we get started on my tales of wonder, I'm going to give you a rundown on my game so you're not completely lost.


::MAJOR NERD ALERT::

I'm going to give you a basic run down of the game. It's what is called an MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) called Final Fantasy XIV. When it first came out, my hubby decided after hearing a bunch of bad reviews and then playing Final Fantasy XIII, he would skip the game. It was buggy and just not the intense and beatiful Square Enix usually brings to the table (Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy XII and other games in the series, etc) but they hired a new designer by the name of Naoki Yoshida (aka Yoshi-P) who decided to rebuild the game from the ground up. 

Had I heard this when Yoshi-P was actually doing the work, I would have been skeptical. In books, if something has gone that terribly wrong with your manuscript, usually you scrap it and start anew. But Yoshi-P had a vision, of what would be like a new game...which became Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. 

It's pretty damn awesome. That's another reason I haven't been around as much or released as many books. Since my health has been in a terrible downward spiral, I've had less energy and I've unfortunately had to rely on more medications that have made me tired, loopy and worst of all, foggy-brained. It sucks, however, my husband dragged me in front of the PS4, sat me down and said, "Play." And I haven't stopped since. It was something to do while I was recovering from the effects of Methotrexate on a weekly basis. It was fun to talk to people while in game and very soon, I was hooked.

I play a Miqote, which is a cat race.

 

Duh! Did you think any differently? :) 

From the moment I saw the game, I had the urge to pick up an axe. My husband tried to steer me toward being an Archer/Bard (a support class DPS) but I was feeling the axe. I had a lot to choose from (Paladin, White Mage, Scholar, Summoner, Black Mage, Dragoon, Monk though Dark Knight, Astrologian, Ninja and Machinist came later in other patches)  I started out as a Marauder, got my soul crystal for Warrior and even though I've leveled all my other DPS and Healer and Tank classes, Warrior always stuck with me. Maybe because I'm a lupus warrior XD

Which brings me to something else about the game. You can also play as many different races, change your appearance and you also can switch jobs. This is my first MMORPG so from what I've heard in other games, once you pick your job, you can't switch but here, you can be a healer (so you keep your party going with healing) or a tank (which means you stand in front of the enemy and take all the damage) or DPS (which stands for "damage per second" and basically you kill our enemies) I'm currently a WAR and fairly well geared too. 

Something else that is really awesome about this game is how LGBT friendly our game is. I rarely see hate in game and when I do, it is shut down hard. There's a marriage option in game and it doesn't matter what race, gender or color you are, if you want to get married, you can. Even Yoshi-P said when he announced the marriage option was coming out that there would be no restrictions. 

Now, through out this journey, I'll be using in game names (IGN) for all the people involved. Mostly because that's how I know them. I met my husband online and it has taken a really long time for me to stop calling him Archchancellor.

Are you ready?

(me with my raid team in our contest winning picture)

T-minus 4-months:

It is announced that tickets will be going on sale for Final Fantasy Fan Festival 2016. CUE EVERYBODY FREAKING OUT! Where do we stay, who are we flying on? I'm so excited! I did figure there should be some time to mosey about and then grab tickets to this. After all in 2014, they didn't sell out, which was one of the reason why I was still debating at the end to head to Vegas. I had spent the last three years apart from my husband on my birthday to go to conventions. I wanted to spend this one with him!

On the day of the tickets sales, we log in using our special code e-mail to subscribers only. There is some very complicated queue system that I will never understand but we secure tickets for all three of us. AWESOME! Yay! It's a damn good thing we logged in right away. Tickets sold out in four hours. O.O

BUT WE ARE GOING! Somehow. Someway. We'll get there with my sister, even if I have to call in sick for her to school. OMG OMG OMG we're going!

I will watch her while you're gone.

The next few months are spent meticulously planning for maximizing our time in Vegas. It's also about the time I realize I'm going to have a Benlysta infusion right before the festival. Ugh. I would have liked a week out for recovery time but there's not much I can do. I have to stick to the schedule.

My blood tests haven't improved that much and also my liver enzymes and other tests show my kidneys aren't working like they should be. I solider on, taking each day and week as they come and try not to think the worst.

About this time, I start having a never-ending period. Over the course of the next few months, I am diagnosed with uterine polyps, scheduled for a D&C and then popped back out, not even realizing this was surgery, though minor. I think I would have waited because it did require recovery time, but probably not because it had to be done due to blood loss. I was getting dizzy and still have issues today.

There have been some tense moments over the past few months with my health. Am I okay to go? I see a couple of my doctors before I leave and they all tell me to take it easy but have a great time. *thumbs up* I'm good to go.

T-minus 1-week:

The storm of the century Hurricane Matthew is headed our way. We are scared shitless because this storm just took out Haiti and the Bahamas and is headed our way. While saying prayers for the lives lost, we hunkered down for the storm. We figured if we needed to rebook the flights, we would. We just wanted to stay safe and we watched with wonder as this powerhouse hugged the coast of Florida and moved off.


T-minus 1-day:

Due to DOT laws, all deliveries were shut down and my doctor's office couldn't get my Benlysta. There was only one dose left and due to the schedule, it would go to another patient. I told the nurse I would be on stand-by in case the patient couldn't make it. Around noon, I got the call I could come receive my treatment. Yay! Apparently the previous patient had brought her sick kid along with her to the appointment. O.O whut? Who does that? The whole office is full of immunocompromised patients where a cold can turn into a killer pretty quick.

God, I don't remember much past that, except throwing clothes in a suitcase and playing online while chatting with friends all jealous that we were going.


Lift-off! (or are we there yet?)

We wake up at a reasonable time and spend some time with Milly. This is always the hardest part of leaving. We made reservations ages ago for her to board and this is my most hated part of the trip. I knew going into this vacation that Milly would be boarding for the first time without her brother so I let the folks at Best Friends' Pet Care know she was on her own this time. It's hard to believe that he's gone and it's been 2 1/2 years since we said goodbye to him.


After dropping Milly off (with lots of hugs and snuggles and kisses) we fill up the car with our bags and we're off. Flying out of Orlando is really easy and painless. Once our bags are checked and we see only 10-15 minutes wait for security, we decide to have a bite at one of the airport restaurants, which I could have done without because airport food taste like plastic no matter where you eat. But soon, we are whizzing past security and directly onto the plane to first class.

Okay...so I thought we were going to take off but...no? Emergency maintenance. Geez, I thought that only happened in game. We kept being promised fifteen minutes until take off, which turned into two hours. The waiting wasn't a huge deal, except we missed our connecting flight. They hadn't rebooked us at all, which they swore up and down on the ground in Orlando they had when they realized they couldn't make up time in the air. Not only was I very sick from the treatment and having to keep my head on straight to get us on the next flight, when American did rebook us, we were split up and stuck in middle seats.

American Airlines fucked up. BADLY. I was so sick, stuck next to a jerk who refused to move and crowded me deep into my middle seat. Right then, I promised myself I would never be that person who splits up two people like that. I've always given up my seat for someone else. I lost a little faith in humans then...until the guy on the other side of me offered me his biscotti when he saw how much I liked mine.

I was nervous at this point. If this flight was any indication of what the rest of my trip was going to be like with things going wrong, I was going to be miserable. But worry not! This is Final Fantasy Fan Festival 2016 and Hildebrand and Godbert would never let a lady such as myself fret!

As we landed, dead tired, our limo was awaiting us and I almost cried with happiness. We got our room upgrade to a suite, with a sitting area and a huge spa tub in a bathroom that is the size of my master bedroom at home (not exaggerating here) I also can't seem to upload a picture that isn't sideways for some reason so here's a picture of our feet.

 

Cruising in luxury!

We got some last minute items at CVS on the strip next to the hotel, saw some shady night life and found a crepe place inside the Paris. I needed dinner, since dinner on the plane was for first class only so we grabbed the snack. I scarfed down my ham and cheese crepe, grinning the whole time.

VEGAS!! I have arrived!

Day 1: A day of rest and lil sister arrives...or not?
 


This day was planned way ahead of time. I knew I would need as much recovery to be able to enjoy my time at the FFXIV Fan Festival. We took it pretty easy all morning, just chilling out because my sister would be arriving in at 11pm that night and a dearest friend IGN Jane Jangles, would be picking her up at the airport.


Now, when we checked in, we weren't warned of remodeling, otherwise we would have made sure that we could have a room that would have less noise than others since I would need lots of rest today. So while they were switching rooms for us, we met up with a long time game friend IGN Rei Toro. She's an awesome White Mage (healer) and we ate with her while we waited for Jane Jangles to show up.

I knew Rei would probably be cool in person (hey, she's Canadian) but I didn't know she'd be that cool! :) we had a great lunch and then wandered around to get checked in for the fan festival.

A proper tribute to Harchefaunt

Afterwards, we just kinda wandered and rested while we waited for Steph's plane to arrive..except she was caught in maintenance in Houston, like we were. I was pretty confident they would take off no matter how late, because the airline didn't want to pay for 200 hotel rooms. Finally after hours of waiting, I passed out hard but my husband supervised my sister checking in. Big thanks to the Jangles for picking her up. In my coma-like state, we agreed to meet for breakfast, or at least I think we did.

Day 2: It has begun! Or...how to live on crepes and Pedialyte.

OMG, my 40th birthday is soon, but damn, my ass is sore and tired and I'm feeling like 90. Like fuck this. When did I get old? I need coffee to even open my eyes...okay, I'm being dramatic but between the time change, my lupus treatment and staying up late waiting for my sister, I was tired.

Hubby dragged me out of bed because soon, very soon, there would be a keynote where major announcements for the game would be made.

BOOM! I'm out of bed, grabbing a cup of coffee and my meds for the morning and creamers. I'm downstairs in a flash, grabbing breakfast with my sister and Rei. The dear and awesome Jane saved us seats in the fifth row to see what would set the tone for the festival -- which was the trailer for the announcement of the next patch.

OMG, I can't wait! Coming Spring 2017

The pulsing excitement in the room was absolutely breathtaking. Before long, the memes were up, the videos were online and my reddit, FB and discord chats were all lit up with Yoshi-P talking at the keynote, with Koji Fox translating. Our new patch is coming out and the new job has been confirmed. Last year was Dark Knight, this year looks like...Red Mage? 

FYI, Koji Fox is MAJORLY talented. He does all the localization for Final Fantasy XIV. Not only does he do his best to translate Yoshi-P's fire rapid Japanese, he also tried to put the energy and joy that you can easily read off Yoshi-P expression into his translation as he's speaking. Not everything translates perfectly but one of my favorite lines ever is "Please look forward to it." which is a way of saying we're excited about this upcoming event and hope you are too! YES WE ARE!

Okay, so I head back upstairs to rest. Damn it, as much as I want to be racing all over this hotel, I need a rest, so I hide out in the room while hubby goes on a treasure hunt! I text him, cuz I'm a little hungry too...and those fucking crepes are calling my name. I head back down to the convention hall and...

FAT CHOCOBO LINE IS SHORT. The merchandise line is still fucking long but I was never going to stand in that. So I grab hubby and we geek out and color in our books while chatting with my sister in the primals line. You have to have a full group to head over there so they are just waiting for us to be done.

We're finally at the front and I realize what the fuck did I get myself into? This thing is eight feet tall. I have a serious fear of heights and no joke, they gave you a rickety staircase that I'M GONNA DIE CLIMBING THANKGODIVEGOTLIFEINSURANCE.

 

You want me to go where??

We head to the Primals gaming line and while waiting in the last few minutes, they have the cosplay competition and OMG!! So cute!!

We have a lovely dinner at Gordon Ramsay's Steak and then I'm too pooped to pop. We missed the concert tonight but we absolutely will not miss it tomorrow because it's PRIMALS LIVE.

Hubby goes to gamble a little while I head back upstairs to pass out. I keep wanting to watch a movie, especially the Secret Life of Pets, but I know I'm just gonna snore my way through it. After a bath and some pedialyte, I'm out.

Day 3: Wherein I disappoint myself.

Okay, so I'm a huge fan of Koji Fox. Some of his translations are down right amazing, pulling on US pop culture references (Like a fight in game is called "It's Never Lupus" in which you fight a huge crab -- cancer, get it?) and other amazing pop culture references. Like one boss is named after David Bowie...I could go on and it was the one panel I couldn't miss!

*splat* face down on the bed after breakfast and I couldn't even move. I was exhausted. I thought a little nap would help me some but I slept through his whole panel. So sad!

After I woke up, I got my blood tests back. Not looking good. My liver enzymes are up, kidney function is still down. I'm not sure what this means for future treatment but I decide I need to enjoy this moment and worry about this when I get to the doctor's office. I also know this means I can't drink AT ALL. Not even sips either. :(

Lil Sis and friends decided to head for McDonald's with Jane and friends so I headed for...you guessed it, crepes. Yas. So much yasssssss. After that, it was watching the letter from the producer where he answered questions. From his answers, we all know now that Yoshi-P enjoys watching us be in pain...as if the Mhach raid wasn't enough proof of that.

And then...Primals Live!! Because we don't want to miss it, we eat at the very amazing noodle and rice bowl shop I had heard about in the hotel but never had a chance to try. It was amazing. Jane works at a Asian Fusion eatery so he could hand out advice on what to try. Everything was delicious.

The tribute to Harchefaunt kept growing. 

We never wanted to music to end. With Koji Fox live on vocals (yes, he also sings the songs in game) I danced even though I hurt and thought I might pass out. It's these moments I wanted to remember and enjoy. As the set ended and the FFXIV staff came out and said their goodbyes, no one wanted it to end, but when the show is over, it's time to go home. As people got up and left, Yoshi-P came running back out onto the stage and yelled "Please look forward to it!" and everyone cheered!

As we walked out, I held my husband's hand and squeezed it. "Best vacation ever!" I said. "Same," he said. And it was.

I'm not going to lie, I am also looking forward to that crepe I'm about to scarf. I swear this is my last one.


Day 4: It's so hard to say goodbye...

Everyone is taking off today. Across my FB feed, all I see if notes of goodbyes and 'see ya in game' and we head downstairs for a final crepe with our dear friend Rei. We linger a really long time because we don't want to lose our new met friends who are so damn awesome. We buy Rei a mimosa and hug her hard because...she's Canadian. Enough said.


So for this whole vacation, I have felt like I have been moving from one restaurant to another and that's okay with me! We're on our way to a late lunch at The Palm. We're huge fans of the one here in Orlando so we figure the one is Vegas will be same but on steroids (cuz trust me, everything tastes better on roids.)

O.O The service was terrible. The food was average. At least Jane's crab was good or they might have had an angry kitty howling in the kitchen. After our late lunch, we have to say goodbye to Jane now and I'm just heartbroken. Steph heads off to say goodbye and then we lay down to rest because...

WE'RE GOING TO PENN AND TELLER.

 

We were so close, we were almost on stage...wow.

Halfway through the show, I realize why my husband and sister love these guys so much. They're all left wingers to the max and they all put on an amazing show!

Okay, so pro-tip: Teller actually talks outside the show and I don't know if anyone noticed when he does talk, everyone shuts up. He instructed us on how to line up for selfies and everybody obeyed. Penn still does his old school so make sure you bring someone who knows how to take pictures in your group. Ours turned out fuzzy because I went to sit down.

We get back to to the hotel with a horrid Uber driver (his car stunk of strong perfume and he had rap music with swearing in it turned up way loud. It's one of my favorite songs, but minus the swearing dude, while on the job) He tried to chat up my husband in a creepy way. My husband pretended to be on the phone.

We head out for one last crepe but on Sunday... THE CREPE SHOP CLOSES EARLY. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOES. It's okay, you can order them through room service!

 

Nutella and caramelized bananas. I added strawberries to mine.

At 4am, I waved goodbye to my sister outside the Paris hotel. I didn't bother to change out of my night gown. I'm certain this is not the strangest thing that has been seen in Vegas. I head back upstairs and fall back to sleep when my sister texted me that she was all checked in at the airport.

Day 5: Empty nest


OMG. The kids left and what are we going to do with ourselves? Well...it is Vegas so we decide to do SHOPPING! We wander around the strip, enjoying the sights and sounds and digging into delicious food and stepping outside the crepe zone. There's a Mexican/Chinese take out at the Cosmopolitan that I wanted to try but Hubby dragged me away from. There is so much to do and see throughout the strip. I'm not a gambler so for the most part, I just want to enjoy the sights and shopping. It's a relaxing day full of crepes and we finally sit down to watch Secret Life of Pets. Damn, this movie is dark. Just a little tiny bit. O.O


Day 6: When I finally start to relax! Until...

::JACKHAMMER:: OMG, not again. Seriously, if I had known the hotel would be under construction while we were here, I would have a booked a different hotel starting Sunday. Maybe one still in the Caesar's group, but not this one. Even though THOSE FUCKING CREPES.

I'm barely waking up when my husband comes rushing out of the bathroom. "There's no water."

O.O "What??"

"No water. All the water has been turned off."

After a panicked call to reception and with tons of reassurance that they left us a letter (they didn't) and told us upon check-in (they did not) and we would receive a food and beverage credit for water (ugh, not enough) we head out. They are not telling anyone about the noise or no water because I informed a nice couple coming out of the lobby if their room was between 5-14, your water is out. They looked surprised and a little pissed before running back to reception. Ugh.

Anyway, we head for In-and-Out. Yum. OMG, I missed this.

We get an Uber back to Caesars and wander some more. During this time, I see we've lost a member of our raid team and I send them this picture, which quickly became a proposal of a replacement.

 

It's official. You've been selected to be our new ninja! Congrats! May the odds forever be in your favor...or something.

So it's our last night and hubby is knackered and so am I. After buying a few last minute gifts for my dad and family, we mosey around and pack our bags. After a quick salad at Gordon Ramsay Steak (I almost cry when I realize I have no more room in my tummy for a last minute crepe) I head upstairs, totally tired out.

Day 8 - Our journey home

This day is fairly relaxing, with a limo ride to the airport and first class check-in. We head for the lounge and with an hour to wait, we snack and have beverages before we board our plane.

 

Five hours in a tin can sucks. I think we would go to Vegas more often if I didn't have to fly that far. I see why people from California head there all the time. It's fun! After hours of traveling, we finally get in way late. After picking up milk, I head over to pick up Milly. She's sleepy but so happy to see me! I feel the same way, my little princess.

All in all, this was a great trip. The whole time, I had so much fun! Between our suite and first class, and then having my sister there and going to the fan festival, it was the perfect vacation. I felt like that the whole time. It was a dream come true.

If you like reading about the crazy times on my vacation, please visit my other posts about when I visited England, went on a cruise and to Yaoi-con. They will not disappoint you, I promise.

As far as my writing, I'm still plugging away though my day job and health are top priority. I have been working on the next book in SOCA/Dangerous Affairs series (even though SOCA in real life has been absorbed into another government agency in England...and what about that Brexit...hmmm) plus another series that isn't really romance. We shall see which one jumps up first. And I promise, I'll try to keep this more updated, even if it is just random geeky updates XD

So...please look forward to it! Lori Toland, over and out.

Sun sun summer fun...

Woo hoo! Summer is here! (Wait, why am I excited? It's hot out there. OMFG!)

Anyway, my dad rented a boat for his birthday. It was a little speedboat made for the intercoastal or lakes. It's not very big but it gets up to 35 mph. Both my grandfathers had boats back in my childhood so I grew up with sea legs. I can still steer a sailboat but I'm a little scared with speedboats and their power.

Needless to say, we had a ton of fun. We brought sandwiches, tons of water and watermelon. We beached the boat on a beach in the intercoastal where there is a tiny walkway to a gorgeous beach. It's only accessible by boats so it's really quiet annnnnnddd... THERE WERE BABY SEA TURTLE NESTS! :D ZOMG, *is dead from the cute* They had all been helped out for the day so there were just empty eggs and no pics. 

Anyway, I saw the surf and I had to swim. We didn't hang around for very long because the riptide was really bad and the rain was coming. This is a good thing because I didn't think I would be swimming (because eww, who wants to swim in the intercoastal?) and I didn't have to wear sunscreen as a child. Being Native American and Hispanic, if I ever did get sunburnt, it was very mild and turned to a tan. The odd thing is due to so many blonds in the family, my hair turns platinum very quickly.

TL;DR, I got sunburned on a tiny strip of my back. I had been warned that with my lupus meds that I needed to watch my skin these days but this drove it home. I've spent nearly a week dealing with this burn and it wasn't even that bad. It was just a nice healthy pink but it FUCKING HURT. I felt like such a baby while whining about it, especially since my sister had been sunburned a few weeks really badly. She turned purple.

The real advice here is: wear sunscreen.

The funny thing is I listened to this on my drive down to Port St Lucie:

It's true. Wear sunscreen.

Anywho, I'm off on a writing hiatus. What does this mean for this blog? Well, if you came here via LoriToland.com, you'll be seeing a new website soon put together by the very fabulous Lex Valentine. My blog will still be updated here so if you read it through Blogger, have no fear. I'm not going anywhere. I think.

I'll still be around throughout my hiatus. I won't be hibernating with my computer while writing my sexy Italian Stallion Tony Terranova. Oooh, never mind. I do want to run away with him and hibernate. Byyyeeeee!

Wait! I'll be around on Twitter and Facebook and posting of my cat pictures will go on! :D I'll possibly be updating here but my writing hiatus means no new stories for a bit because I'M WRITING! But you'll be happy to know I'm finishing a couple books in two different series, hopefully for release by the end of the year.

TTYS!! :D

'Stop your whinging and go home'... or was that my wishful thinking?

So... if you've read my Twitter or Facebook, you'll see that I had an appointment with an head and neck  surgical oncologist. I know you're probably saying "Whoa, back up a little. You looked fine at GRL and you just visited England."

For about a few months now, I've been struggling with my thyroid and having trouble getting it under control. I thought it was the stress of being diagnosed with lupus but I noticed a couple of symptoms, including a lump in my throat. After chatting with my primary care (who got mad when he heard how long I had been silent about it) I was shuffled to ultrasound which showed the nodule in my thyroid.

Now, nodules in thyroids are pretty common, especially with hypothyroidism. So when I went into my appointment with the surgeon, I expected her to say, "No problem with this nodule. We'll remove it since you're having trouble swallowing." Or I expected her to shove me out the door and tell me to stop wasting their time.

Instead, I got the talk about 80% of nodules are benign but we're going to test it and get a sample from your thyroid before we schedule you for surgery because this could be cancerous and at that time, we would have to remove your thyroid instead of just the nodule.

Wait, back-up. WHAT?

Now I've known a few people who had thyroid cancer. You have surgery, maybe some radiation. It's serious but you have like a 99% survival rate. So I was cool. Even with this big fat camera scope they pulled out to check out my throat, I was doing okay dealing with this. Great odds and my nervousness was disappearing because my doctor had a great bedside manner, as did her nurse and PA.

I drifted down the hall trying to absorb all the details and when I sat down at scheduling, which was by the front lobby and a small waiting room, I looked around. Big mistake.

All around me, there were the people with cancer and it shocked the hell out of me. Some people might be lucky and escape with a scare. I hope I'm one of them. But the people who were tired of fighting and the people who fought and won but bore scars, they frightened me.

I was among their numbers now and it sunk in fast that this was serious. It took me a day not to just be in complete shock. Even my posts on FB and Twitter were slightly disjointed. I'm still dealing and just taking it one day at a time, which is all I can do.

So the biopsy on the 26th looms. It's a day most people won't notice but for me and my family, it'll be an important day. So think of me and mine on that day and think good thoughts please. I'd appreciate it.

On a side note, Chester cuddled to me the night before my appointment. He knew exactly what his mum needed: lots of tender loving care. :)

So more when I know more. Laterz! :)

The last leg of my journey... or also known as the THIRD LEG!

Day 9: Our last full day in Southport...

Yeah, I wish.

I've given up on sex and writing. So souvenir shopping can take the place of that, right?

NO.

How about instead some really fucking amazing Italian food? We go to a place called Prezzos and we have a wonderful lunch. Highly recommended.

It's our last day in Southport and the whole time, other than seeing hubby's Grandparents, we haven't been into the City Centre. I can't tell you how mad I am about this but damn, it's a big reason I came to England.

I'm sorta pissed but there's nothing I can do now. We rush about getting last minute souvenirs and then head to hubby's mum's house for a delish dinner and down the hatch go my methotrexate pills.

I'm out of coffee creamers too so it's time to head for home.

Meep. :(

Day 10: Now it's time to say goodbye... October 4

You're not leaving, right?

Yeah. It's time to start our journey back home. We're all packed. I'm going to miss my lovely MIL but I'm not coming back until we can have a door. Minimum requirement. :)

Anyway, we drag our bags back to the Rail and low and behold, our train breaks down. (Or at least that's what they said because that bitch booked out of there when we vacated the train)

So stuck on a platform with all the rest of our train goers, we wait for the next train with our load of bags. Now, once we board the train, a woman with a pram (stroller) grabs the area reserved for priority seating for those who have mobility needs.

She acted like we weren't there (even though my husband was stumbling around with his cane) and when I asked her to move, she ignored me. I really lost my temper on her and my husband had to hold me back, which turned into a wrestling match with him when his bad knee gave way as the train took off. I almost left the train in a fit of rage at the next stop but waiting another fifteen minutes would only put a crimp in our travel plans.

Anyway, she left but had much difficulty getting off the train since our bags had magically boxed her in. *innocent whistle* When my husband sat down, his poor knee wouldn't bend. I almost had a screaming fit.

(Note: when I'm on my methotrexate day, because I'm not feeling well, I tend to get angry easier. I usually fairly easy going.)

Anyway, the rest of the train ride wasn't too bad but the Midland trains seemed to run late and break down every time we rode on them, even when I headed to meet up with RJ Scott.

AND OMG!! I met RJ! *spin*

It was lovely to meet her and her family, even though I was totally knackered from traveling. I wish I had pictures but my phone was lost in my bag and dude, I wasn't thinking straight on my methotrexate.

While I was hanging with RJ, hubby was hanging with his BFF. It was good to see Little Dave. :)

Day 11: Sorta boring but a welcome boring. October 5

After a yummy brekkie, I go back to bed for more sleep. I'm exhausted and thirsty. Hubby brings me back two massive bottles of Evian and I officially love him!!! :D

Who knew my love could be bought so cheaply?

So now that I know the value of a door, I will treasure them always. :) I took a big nap and then got ready for a dinner out with Hubby's dad and family.

It's been six years and my hubby's brother and sister are so big now! They're teenagers and... oh god, they all know about my writing. *hides under the table* I don't think I've ever turned that red. I guess hubby's dad asked for help in googling me.

No worries! We have a forward thinking family. I think. :D

Day 12: London bound. Oct 6

After waking up and having another nommie brekkie buffet (and sneaking a sausage sandwich back to the room for hubby) we head out to London for our last full day in England. We're alone in First Class on the train all the way to Euston and we chat about missing home all the way down.

I mention his man cave and he rattles on about it and I agree with him. Except that last part wasn't "Fortress of Divinity", instead he said "Fortress of Virginity" Anyway, I pointed out that wasn't true because it's been a long time since he was a virgin and he has a bad ass man cave.

Anyway, at London Euston, I nearly was run over by a crazy cabbie but I had three bags and a purse. Fucking bite me, okay? Don't mess with Texas.

So we go to the Intercontinental Park Lane. O.O Wow. I've stayed in some nice hotels but nothing like this. I kept thinking we were in the wrong hotel. But this hotel was WOW. Like Pretty Woman... except I'm not a hooker. Wait, I think I wrote a book like that.

The bar. We tend to see a lot of bars in our travels.

Anyway, I rest up for the fabulous dinner we have planned at Shogun's. So much has changed in my life since I was here last. I got married, wrote a book, lost my mom, my aunt and two grandparents, my sister, and a cousin. And this place doesn't look any different and the menu is still fabulous and I almost made myself sick again eating all that was on my plate.

Last time, we stayed in the hotel the restaurant is attached to. Tonight, we stayed in super luxury. And life will continue to change but it's good to know, some things will stay the same.

Day 13: Heading home! YAY!#!@! Oct 7

I haven't been this excited to see my home since... well my last vacation. Let's face it. We're homebodies. My idea of a vacation is shutting off my phone and checking my messages when I feel like it. So no more trips to... wait. I'm going to GRL.

I'M GOING TO GRL!?!?! I forgot about this. It's nine days away. 9 DAYS AWAY!?!

Oh God. Well it's 6am London time and I keep thinking it's 1am Orlando time. Fuck. Well anyway, we head to Gatwick and got on a broken train. *sigh* but we made it there. We go upstairs to the First Class check-in and we have our tickets.

I swear to goodness, traveling first class out of Gatwick is worth it for the special security checkpoint. We were the only ones in there and there was jazzy music playing. Snazz!

Anyway, we hit the first class lounge where I starting on my foraging for the day with Eggs Benedict. Yum! I also do a little bit of shopping for everyone, including Mary Calmes. :)

When I come back, I ask how much longer it will be until the Orlando flight boards, because it's nearly boarding time on our pass. The lady says not for another half hour. Well that's odd. I should have just gone at the point so we could have a leisurely stroll and board when we felt like it but I listened to her.

BIG MISTAKE! We almost missed our flight!

When we leave the lounge, it says the gate is closed. We thought "That can't be right" so hubby starts running with his cane but I can't keep up. I tell him to run ahead and let them know to hold the plane.

They were calling our names for us to check in or risk the plane leaving. Anyway, we are the last people to get scanned in but it took me a few minutes to catch my breath. I had no time to get situated before we took off. I was mad.

And then we are leaving and flying in the air! Bye London.

 

Why is Titanic on this map?

I know my boy is from Liverpool, but seriously...

Across from us, there was a couple and they reminded me of Hubby and I but twenty years from now. They were cutie!

Next to them was a gay couple that was adorable! I hearted them!

As nice as first class was, it's still nine hours in a tin can. No matter what you do, you're still trapped up there with not much to do.

Except maybe eat scones?

Fortunately, I took it out on my manuscript.

For eight hours, I pounded away at my computer and I'm so close to being done with Dangerous Submission. I'm loving these changes!

But I loved being home with my kitties even more! I missed them so much. OMG. Love them!

4362 miles since my last check-in? Holy shit!

Again, they knew right away it was me and Cheddar started meowing and Milly wouldn't come out until she knew it was me.

I'M NEVER LEAVING AGAIN!!

GRL! OMG. It's nearly here!

Good thing I have swag! :)

All in all, at the end of the day, it's good to be back home. There was so much to do and so much to see. I love seeing my MIL (I promise to be a good DIL) and Father-in-Law and Nan and Grandad and BFFs. It's good to go but it's so nice to come back home.

That's all folks! :D Tune in next time, which is hopefully a long time from now, when Lori goes on vacation and does whatever the fuck she wants to do! :D Sayonara! 

Part Deux of the Tolands GO TO ENGLAND (WOOOO!)

Onward and upward is what I always say!

The cattery called and Milly and Chester are fine. Picky eating (like at home) but just fine :)

Day 5: Next Verse, Same As The Last - Sept 29

This is a lovely way to wake-up and enjoy my coffee! Still have creamers left too!

Today we just messed about in Southport doing shopping. There's all sorts of charity shops (I swear they are all in Southport) and I love all the kitschy shops around town. But we nearly walk our legs off and this is all really cool because I feel better. Maybe the iron pills are working? :D YAY!

They are still not done with my damn iPhone unlocking. It will have to be picked up on Monday. $#%@ I'm about to lose my temper.

But we have a lovely dinner and then off to bed!

Day 6: Off to Grandmother's (and Grandfather's house) we go! - Sept 30

First off I have to say: don't plan shit on Sunday in England. It will ALL GO WRONG!!

It rained most of the day but we still had plans to head off after Hubby's grandad got back from church. I should have nixed it then but we gather our things at set off.

Still a lovely view with the rain!

We stop for a bite to eat before getting on the rail and I decide on a steak and kidney pie. I'm so excited because I love pies :D Oh yum! One place in the US does a lovely pie, which is George Washington's home. I could eat ten.

It gets there and something about the smell turns my stomach. Hubby added to my sadness by trying it out and telling me how delicious it was too. I wanted to cry. Something about the methotrexate just changed my tastebuds. Some foods taste great, some turn my stomach (including some green teas) I'm destroyed.

So now that I'm about to toss my cookies (translation: vomit), we headed into Liverpool and... wait. What the fuck do you mean the Wirral line is closed? Is it actually closed like it was when we arrived (it wasn't! it was just the station that we needed to change at) or was it completely not running?

Not running and buses are replacing train service. Well, considering Grandad's house is only a short cab ride outside of City Centre, we decide to take the train as far as we can and then grab a cab.

And it was lovely seeing them. Nan was sick so I couldn't chance hugging her but we had a lovely chat. After a while, we didn't want to wear them out so we took off and when Nan got up to see us off, Hubby handed her the cane he uses for his knee and it was almost as tall as her and I'm not exaggerating!

They are the most adorable couple ever. We say our good-byes and catch a taxi. And OMG, this is where we almost die!

Again, not exaggerating!

Going back to City Centre in the rain, we are almost run off the road by a crazy guy when going through a toll booth. Considering we had been waiting in line and he could have gone through the toll lane he was blocking, he had no reason to roll down his window and start shouting at our driver.

Are we supposed to pay extra for the LOLs?

Anyway, finally back home, safe and dry. Time for dinner and sleep!

Day 7: OMG NOOO! - Oct 1

Hubby is officially sickie.

Whoa. Back up here. How the hell did I not get sick with my depressed immune system but my hubby did? What the fuck? (Maybe Airborne works... I dunno)

I put him back to bed and he had better be all better by tomorrow (hopefully) but I share a taxi with my MIL into Southport and I'm off to walk around because I feel good. (I'm enjoying this while I can and oh it feels amazing!)

I eat at this lovely parlor (roast beef dinner) that has seriously the most delish lemon meringue pie ever.

Heaven on a plate? I think so! :)

So I walk until I'm almost silly in the head but I can't seem to find anywhere that is able to unlock my iPhone. So after some shopping, I head home, disappointed.

But Hubby is better so I'm happy :) and I'm also happy I'm not sickie either.

So off to bed, and night night ickle Rosie!

I'm going to eat your face off while you sleep. 

Because I'm a fat cat and I'm that hungry!

Day 8: No door! I'm going out of my mind! Oct 2

Oh! We have pictures of our babies in my e-mail this morning! Oh how I love them and miss them.

He loves the camera!

Mum is not here so I'm not getting out of bed!

We don't get to walk around much at home in Orlando so we're just wandering about town grabbing little items as souvenirs and food. Yum! We get candy for Kele's brood. 

And for fuck's sake, can you please make some more tea mugs that have something Liverpool on them? Residents don't want them but foreigners who need something to bring home to mad frothing family members who are brilliantly excited that you've gone to Liverpool want to hold a coffee mug from the illustrious city. 

That is all *puts away soapbox* you may carry on. 

Also the whole time we've been here, we've had a lovely bathroom to shower in but no door to our bedroom. I didn't mind we had Hubby's old double bed (sorta romantic actually.. *giggle*) but privacy would be lovely. 

By now, we're sort of on edge. Not even lupus or my husband's wonky knee has killed our sex life but no door is such a damn cock-blocker, I'm losing my mind! I can't even concentrate on my writing, even though the iron is helping.

Oh yeah, we did shit today but fuck me if I can remember it. I think we visited the ocean?

If we shack up here for the night, 

does it mean we're paying for sex?

In the next installment, will Lori lose her mind after being denied sex for over a week? ARGHHH! Stay tuned.

Back from the dead...My time in England and back to the US!

The good news: I made it back from England in one piece. The methotrexate my rheumatologist put me on has done wonders so far. My cats don't hate me for being gone so long!

The bad news: Arseing my way across England with five pieces of luggage was really hard. I couldn't get my old iPhone unlocked in England so I couldn't tweet/check-in/communicate with the outside world. I couldn't eat pie.

The ugly news: I had no door on the room at my MIL's house. I'm still not done with the rewrite on Dangerous Submission (OMFG %$#@). The trains system in England picked all the days we traveled to fuck up. (I CHECKED!!!!)

So allow me to explain.

Day 1: Take-off! (Sept 25th)

My husband has been flying to and from England in First Class on Virgin Atlantic since he immigrated to the US and I have been wondering what all the fuss is about.

Note: Fuss is pretty much deserved. First Class on Virgin is quite nice.

Heading to the airport is pretty cool since my BFF Kele Moon and her husbank took us to the airport so we didn't have to pay ridiculous parking fees. After agreeing to write lots of iMessages and e-mails to her, we went to check-in.

Even Upper Class has its own check-in behind the lovely rope. No standing in line. It's straight to a small place with a bench for you to sit down and gather your thoughts...and realize you forgot your damn skin cream you only manufacture.

Fuck. But I'll be fine. I'm a big, tough girl and things will be fine.

So we head to the lounge and hang out. There are awesome little snackies, including these Biscoffs that I am addicted to. I snarfed down a few before getting a load of them and shoving them in my purse. (That's right, I'm pilfering from the 1st class lounge. :D how lovely)

We decide to leave early to hit the Duty Free shop but they've already closed my flight for liquor and I'm so pissed. I knew I should have bought it when I was down there the first time. *sad*

Anyway, we head for our flight, which was slightly delayed but after we boarded, we were able to settle in.

My little suite in the sky!

Yeah, that's champagne on the tray next to me. :)

So these are massive seats with little foot rests for you to stretch out on while flying. And a table pops out from by where the TV is. I watched Men In Black 3, which was great. I loved how they tied the series together at the end. 

This soup was lovely!

OMG, so was this steak :D

This was sooooooo yummy! OMG!

After dinner and a movie, I played a bit on my iPad and tried to get into another movie but it was difficult. So Time For Night Night!

Please lower the lighting and make my bed please... thank you!

That's the bar in between the seats. Yeah Baby! :)

Now all I need is a good book to read... hey!

So many good books to read. 

It says new if I haven't read it on this device. 

I think.

After a few minutes of reading, I was sleepy. For 8 hours, you are trapped on this tin can in the sky and you know what? Going there, it really helped to have a lay down bed! I slept and woke up refreshed.

My husband, poor baby, didn't sleep, but it was hot on the plane so I wasn't surprised. Anyway, after a full English brekkie...

Almost forgot to take a picture, it was so nommie.

...It's time to leave! And after a quick inspection at Border control (where I got confused because they asked if we were partners - I said no, hubby patted me on the head and said yes) and I'm in England. 

Day 2 (sorta): Onward Ho! Sept 26

After we've collected our bags and grabbed our first class train tickets, we're on our way to Liverpool! I love Liverpool. It's so gorgeous. 

Speedy train takes us away and after a quick snack and a nap on the train, we have arrived. 

Note to self: Don't let hubby try to figure out anything while operating on no sleep, especially not tube maps showing where NOT to get off. Also, don't listen to the train people, especially if you are rolling big huge massive bags. They mean well but they aren't rolling huge bags. 

We manage to get on the Northern Line and head for Southport. Hubby is nearly passing out by this time and after we manage to get dropped off at his mum's house, he crashes.

This is when we learn the room we'll be staying in at my MIL's house has no door right now as her partner is working on it. *facepalm* right now, we don't care. Sleep rules.

I let him sleep it off while hanging out with his mum. Tonight is my night for my methotrexate dose so we arrange for a kebab takeaway. While we are figuring this out, I get an emergency message from my BFF that my rheumatologist called with my blood tests and I'm officially anemic. 

*head desk* so that's the headaches and dizziness and flightiness. Well, I thought the flightiness was the blonde moments but I'm not usually like that. Anyway, before the takeaway and since hubby is up, we go foraging for iron pills. This is a lot harder than it looks because England and the US don't always match up as far as medicines are concerned. 

A lovely chemist at Boots was able to help us out and told me while she didn't have it, I needed Ferrograd C and then sent us on our way. After a nommie dinner and my pills down the hatch, I hit the sack!

Day 3: Bottoming is so much fun! Sept 27

My MIL's kitchen is soooo gorgeous!

So I wake up and the first thing I do is realize I need food while going through the lows (bottoming out) of methotrexate. 

My MIL is a great cook but I need specific snacks that I know I will like because these pills do weird things to me (will be fully explained later) So this gives me a chance to head to Tesco's. 

Good part: I'm at Tesco's! YAY! *run around*

Bad Part: I feel like utter shit! Boo. 

After getting hooked up by Tesco's pharmacy with my iron pills, I pick up snacky bits like yogurts and cheese and bread and juices and tons of water, because I drink that by the bucketload when I'm on my methotrexate day. And of course Tesco's Gateaux! (Please click on the link for NOMMIE goodness)

I head home and after cheese and bread, I crash out for the day while hubby goes out to wander around.

I woke up that evening to find out that the kitties are not eating. Cue me freaking out while trying to not alert my husband that they are not doing well as I calculate how the fuck we can get home RIGHT NOW!

I gave them some tips and said I would call tomorrow. I cross my fingers and try to calm down but I'm worried about my babies! OH NOES!

Day 4: They are going by so quickly! Sept 28

I wake up with way low blood sugar (that's what I get for sleeping on a empty stomach) and we head out into town for a stroll and nom! We stop at this lovely cafe in town and hubby has the English breakfast and I have the beef (gotta up my iron intake) and then stroll about town. 

Did I read this right?

Getting to visit with my Mother In Law is lovely! I hear about everything and see all sorts of old pictures, including my husband from primary school. OMG, he was such an adorable redheaded boy! (Still is ;))

Every day is relaxing and I'm just enjoying myself. But I realize I don't have enough coffee creamers. This could spell disaster for the Toland trip to England. 

Learn more in the next of installment of Tolands go to England! :)

Facing my fears... in many ways: Halloween Horror Nights 2012

So if you've seen me on Twitter, you'll know I've been wringing my hands about going to Halloween Horror Nights. And if you read my blog, you'll know I'm a huge gaming fan so when Silent Hill came to Universal for Halloween Horror Nights, I had a quandary. I'm deathly afraid of Zombies. Hence the reason I've never been to HHN.

OMG, what to do? Well, I had to face my fears. I've gone through a lot this year and I'm not about to live the rest of my life being scared of zombies. Let's face it, I don't really think zombies are going to walk the streets and take over.

But it wasn't just going to the scare houses and wandering about being scared out of my mind. It was being severely open to infection and getting a cold or flu from being around people. So it was time to don my Mario magic mushroom shirt and head the Universal for a RIP Tour. :D

So I went armed with my flu shot and a bottle of hand sanitizer to make this happen. In the pouring rain. &%$#. Okay, so I'm happy I brought my hat, my knit cap made by the very talented Amy Lane. This would protect me from zombies too.

I could do this. I could totally make this happen!

And I did! Last night I went to Halloween Horror Nights and used a whole bottle of hand sanitizer but I made it through while screaming. My throat is kinda sore today from screaming in the rain but I'm okay. I almost lost my cap in the middle of chainsaw people but they didn't really bother me, except for the gas smell and fog.

Did I mention I have asthma related fog? Luckily because of the rain, there wasn't much.

*Sigh* In book related news....

And now for my books! I got my paperback copies of The Long Con. Woo! So excited. Because these are so damn sexy, I now have to make sure the sequel Dangerous Submission is novel length so it goes to print. :D

And they will be at GRL too so pick up a copy and I'll sign it! :)

(Thanks to Man Oh Man Reviews for a lovely review and quote!)

Rediscovering my love of reading.

While I've been feeling not quite up-to-snuff, I've been lucky to have an old friend nearby.  That would be a book, anything I can get my hands on to read and enjoy and get my mind off feeling yuck. I started methotrexate and that has been making me feel terrible, but it looks like I'm on the mend.

Books have always been my escape. And I have been really lucky to find some awesome books recently! I just finished No Flowers Required by Cari Quinn, which I really enjoyed and reviewed it here. Also a hot romance is Kele Moon's StarCrossed, which I read as she wrote it.

For M/M fans, I read Ellis Carrington's Feeling Neighborly which came on a solid recommendation from Mary Calmes. I really enjoyed the story and of course I'll be reading Three Fates Anthology and Steamroller but only after I finish Dangerous Submission.

Re-reading books is like visiting old friends :)

I've been in hiding.

I usually don't go this long in between posts but during the summers, everyone takes off on vacation and they stick me with the order line for my business. I enjoy this time because I usually get a ton of writing done, due to being chained to a desk.

Two computers is the shiz. You should try it.

(Oh yeah, that flag is from my Hubby's Citizenship Ceremony)

So I haven't really been in hiding, just really busy with my day job, which had given me little time to dwell on being sick. So I work, write and sleep. Which is good because I finished my latest novel, which is the sequel to The Long Con, tentatively named Dangerous Submission. More details on that when I can give them out.

To answer a couple questions about Dangerous Submission: 1. This book doesn't center around Tony and Bradley (sad panda) but they are in it in all their glory :) It centers around a new dom Drake Steele, a hot Scottish dom and the fiery Robbie Covington. and 2. Amanda will get her own book. I promise.

In awesome news, my cat has a twitter account. He will be updating and approving all pictures before they go out so he can look fabulous :D He is CheddarChan on Twitter. Go look him up and give him some love.

And lastly, the color for lupus awareness is: PURPLE. How awesome is that? So when I wear purple (which is often because I look good in purple) I'm supporting not only my GLBT friends but lupus awareness as well.

So that's it for this update. Come back soon because JP Barnaby will be stopping by on her tour of awesomeness for her final book in the Little Boy Lost series. TTYL!

(I removed Disqus. It was deleting my comments back to people. Fail!)