Monday once again had a late start from my phone once again not going off. I gathered my things and headed to my mother's house to get some personal affects still left there. I called her but no answer. I missed her return call while I was trying to get all the cobwebs off my body (don't ask). When I called her back she said wait for her and take Woodstock out.

Woodstock is my baby brother's puppy, about 3 months old. I took him out, he peed, we played, I took him in. As soon as I brought him in he went straight for my mother's room and crapped on her floor. I was still cleaning it up when my mother got home. I see it as a great bookend, since my weekend started with having to clean up the crap left behind from another brother's dog.

We inevitably decided on a buffet for lunch since I don't eat Chinese food. I thought it was going to be incredibly awkward. I was even chivalrous enough to pay, but it was her birthday so I wasn't going to quibble. Conversation was minimal, but polite. I took her home then hit the road myself.

Overall, my weekend was a success. I got a bunch of comic, now filling up huge gaps in my collection. I found a couple DVD's I had been putting off getting until I saw the price. I tracked down the brand new Green Lantern Wave 3 Sinestro in Sinestro Corps uniform. I am now expecting a DC Superheroes Wave 1 Penguin to finish that collection. So I ended up 2 for 2 in that attempt. No video games though. And my younger brother (still thinking I was in there town) called wanting to make plans for seeing "Dark Knight". We have been making plans to see it together but we may have to see it apart first.

As I dreaded returning to work on Tuesday, dragging myself out of bed was an understatement. Work just seemed wrong after 4 days of doing nothing. Work itself was easy, and in the afternoon I took several of my "consumers" to the library. Guess what I found there? Comics for sale, quarter per or 10 for $1. Guess which one I got. I think this is a sign that I should be getting back into reading comics more more actively, considering how everything I ended up buying this weekend was comic or superhero oriented.

I need sleep so bad....

Another late start, but one I didn't mind. For today, I was going to shop. While on a small budget. Having already spent some of my money for the day, I had to maintain a thrifty mindset. No impulse buying.

Went to my third Toys R Us in three days. Nothing. Borders is a store I usually have a high success rate with. But today was one of the few instances they let me down when they didn't have the foreign DVD's I wanted. But I did find a video game guide I had been wanting. Target had the 4 of the 5 figures from the toyline I was searching for, but I already had those 4. Since I'm searching for a Penguin figure, I was about to have a Cartman moment and scream "D*** it, give me Pengin". But I lucked out and found a Batman Beyond Volume 2. I picked up my first two season of QaF at this town's Circuit City and they had always had the other seasons in stock previously. So I decided to try my luck there, but their TV on DVD is now compressed into one small back-to-back rack. I gave KMart a pity walkthrough.

I wrestled with the notion of going to the comic shop. Did I really need to after all the comics I had just bought yesterday? I finally rationalized... yes. As long as I action figure hunted and not bought back issues. I drove over and was blocked off. There was construction going on and a lot of foot traffic for a Sunday. As I tried to drive around to alternate ways of entering the area I was annoyed by all the police barricades and lack of parking anywhere near my destination. I was seconds away from givng up when I decided... no. I haven't been here in 2 years, I'm looking for one, maybe two things and they may have it. I risked parking in a nearby store parking lot (despite warnings of towing). Turns out there was an art fair going on right on the street I was trying to get to. Annoyed with it I went straight to the shop. I was in all of 10, maybe 15 minutes. After less than 5 I discovered one of the action figures I was searching for. As a reward I picked another figure I didn't even know existed.

After getting back to my brother #1's house I began to think "wait a sec". A 45 second search on ebay found yet another figure I had been searching for at a reasonable price. I payed my brother to buy it for me. I should recieve it in 3 to 5 days. My spending cash now down to $9 and miscellaneous change I can drive home happy tomorrow without complaints.

My mother and baby brother showed up for dinner. It was suprisingly painless, even pleasant. My father even stopped by. As we sat around the table the parents just started telling story after story of brother #1's antics and childhood experiences for his new wife. I sat there 1)amused to seeing them so happy about all the reminiscing, and 2)quite annoyed at the fact that they can do this with their 3 older children but not their younger 3. Before dad left he said "Here, this is for gas" and handed me $40. That shocked me more than anything else. And when my mother left she said to call her tomorrow so we could have lunch before I went home. While being protected in a bubble of nearby relatives is one thing, one-on-one time between the two of us NEVER ends well.

Slow start to the morning, but did get to watch 2 new episodes of Power Rangers Jungle Fury. Didn't leave until after noon.

The con was about a dozen tables set up in a hotel atrium. I didn't have high expectations but this just felt sad. I did a polite lap around the circle to see what everyone had. I then casually browsed through some 50 cent boxes and ended up spending $16, which is good restraint for me. But then I noticed the center table prices. There were various prices, but the best deal was 50 books for $20. I browsed thinking I could fill some gaps in my collection. But then I discovered a TON of old, old Avengers and FF comics. I ended up spending $40 at those tables for 100 books. 133 comics for $56 (counting the free one I was given) is not a bad deal overall, averaging 42 cents a book.

After a couple of disappointing pit stops and a bite at this filthy and disgusting McDonalds I hate, I realized I had pretty much spent my cash for the day. But brother #2's family live near a comic shop I like so I had to stop there. They had 3 Bats as GL figures from the new Green Lantern line, but none of the ones I wanted. (Why does DC think that fans want/need/desire dozens of Batman and Superman variants? This one makes sense at least, but still...) I didn't really need anything, but I hadn't been in a comic shop for longer than 3 minutes in over a month. And this place has a graphic novel assortment that puts every other chain, comic and novelty store to shame. I think I ended up spending $52.06. I over extended myself a little over all, but not badly.

I then went and saw my new niece. She has a slight monkey face appearance, but a cute monkey face. And abnormally large toes which is what made me think of the monkey connection in the first place.

I love Bellacino's grinders. I knew one was in Peoria. Hence why I was adamant about eating there after a year of not doing so. I paid for it just incase brother #1 didn't like it, which tapped into my funds for the rest of the week. As we browsed in the Blockbuster next door I fought the impulse to buy a cheap, used Queer as Folk season 5. The clincher was that there was no box for the cases to slide into. I am about $14 short now in the overall average, but I can still live with it.

I have already sorted and alphabetized my new comics. I need to update my list on comicbookdb now but am being lazy. Should probably go into Bloomington tomorrow, but my mother will be coming over for lunch or dinner since we can't really celebrate her birthday on Monday. A shudder just went down my spine at the prospect of spending time with her.

Friday shouldn't count because I still had to go into work, but it was such an easy day. Did some client notes and watched a training video. But the video was so horrible and my colleagues and I were making fun of it so bad our supervisor shut it off in disgust (of the programming, he mocked it too). We then went and had a barbeque and I made friends with a millionare. Seriously.

Left Hannibal and went to Quincy. Got paycheck and hit the road. On the way I rationed my money so that I can afford over $67 a day and still be okay. This weekend I am on a mission. There are some particular DVDs, action figures and a video game I am on the prowl for. I stopped in Springfield to buy my 3 week old niece Kyleigh (sp?) a present and to test my luck.

Circuit City - didn't find what I wanted, but did pick up a decently priced copy of Reno 911 Season 4. Toys R Us - The new Care Bears irk me. They took a concept that was cute and adorable and have started to make it just stupid. But it is my thing to get babies their first Care Bears so I got the least revolting looking one I could find. I also found about a dozen of the rare Marvel Legends Emma Frost in diamond form exclusive to TRU. They were on the clearance rack so I figured I could afford it. When I got to the register, I was completely shocked. I got this rare, highly sought commodity for a grand total of $.72 plus tax. 72 freaking cents! 21.54 + 11.54 = 33.08, things are looking financially good so far. Thank God I was able to resist the urge to go to the mall or Barnes & Noble.

Am typing this because I was awoken by the ripe droppings of my brother's dog who hadn't been put out in 12 hours. When I confronted the dog, she then began to pee all over the floor (which she does when she knows she has done something bad). My brother and his wife caught me mid-clean-up.

Will be going to the comic convention in Peoria tomorrow. I'm a little suprised to realize this will be my first. I've tried to make a promise to myself I will avoid back issues (unless they are dirt cheap) and focus on the hunt.

It really started to dawn on me as I drove home from work on January 31st. Exactly one year ago at that time I was packing up some basic necessities to start my new job the next day. It was an odd feeling, considering how much had changed since then. On the first I went out with my co-workers to celebrate their January birthdays. I had just payed off my car. I sat down and organized all my bills, realizing I can be up to date with my next check. Things couldn't be going any better.

But the changes the last few days have killed the unnatural hugh for the time being. Monday - I get a call from a good friend saying that she is coming from Florida for a visit. Tuesday - I reserve the days off and receive the DVD a friend procured for me off ebay.

Then the buzz kill. The person neglected to mention the 5 disc set was incomplete with only four discs. The co-worker who got them for me was, out of the blue, let go. My friend called and told me her grandmother was in a car accident. Then had passed away two days later.

As I mentally prepare to help her through this painful time, I can't but help thinking of the close elderly friend I just lost a little over a year ago. And my upcoming birthday (always depressing in it its own right) isn't going to be any better than the 20 or so before it.

Here's hoping for happier times ahead.