Oh thank jeebus. My period just started.

This has been the strangest period so far.

I normally PMS for about two days, without any major food cravings.

This time it started with irrational anger (which is usual), and wild mood swings.

It progressed into the desire for red meat. Specifically, steaks, cooked very rare, and lots and lots of fluids (it started with a bottle of red wine, and since I can't very well keep that up, continued into drinking three or four cups of water within a minute, several times a day).

At the peak of the crazy, I ate two large bloody steaks for dinner, and nothing else. I made veggies also, but I barely touched them.

I was also getting cramps so strongly I expected my period right there and then (I can usually feel within the minute of when I begin).

The cramps went away first.

Then the crazy mood swings.

Then the food cravings (after four bloody steaks).

I still kind of feel the desire for red meat (possibly because I just started bleeding), but not the walk-to-the-grocery-store-in-freezing-weather-and-only-buy-meat cravings.

Then today, when I was getting worried enough to look for the emergency pregnancy test I keep around, and all my symptoms had passed, in it comes like a lamb.

I shouldn't say *all* symptoms have passed. I have black sunken shadows under my eyes and I feel exhausted, although I have been sleeping well and enough, and eating properly (except for the few days I ate nothing but meat).

If my cycle continues as normal, the exhaustion and dark circles will go away in a couple days when my active bleeding has ceased.

Ugh.

And now, enough talking about my period.

In other news, I've been faithfully keeping one of my writing books with me, and I pull it out every chance I get.

I was working on a scene from the Novel Which Shall Never Be Finished, but then I decided to start focusing on short stories, and am nearly complete a sort of fairy tale about a woman with a changling child.

I hope it comes out well. It's been fairly easy to write so far, but it will definitely need editing. I plan on editing it once I transcribe it from my book.

I was talking to Jenn (formerly wonderchai) the other day and realized we've been internet buddies for, like, FIVE YEARS.

Crazy.

She also pointed out that I've been writing in this here diary for nine. Nine!

Can you imagine!

That's significantly longer than all of my relationships put together.

Oo! And I just got my new Realms of Fantasy this afternoon.

I made sure my face was nice and clean in case Cute Bookstore Boy was there. (He's so creamy. I'm so tongue-tied.)

Alas! They have shut down half the bookstore for renovations. I (perhaps no so subtly) asked the very helpful cashier whether they'd had to let go a lot of staff because of the renovations.

She said some were leaving anyway, so it worked out okay.

I swear, if Cute Bookstore Boy left and I never asked him to coffee, I'm going to kick myself.

He's just so...so...dreamy. I get all stupid and tongue-tied when he comes within twenty feet of me.

I feel obligated to buy books there when he's working cash, just so I have a socially expected conversation with him.

Ugh. So pathetic.

(So dreamy.)

Anyway.

Rosie is bleedin' from the crotchal area, so she must go find some chocolate and feel generally sorry for herself.

.

Rosie.

Before&After