Posting under cover of darkness...
Jun. 16th, 2006 02:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stillaneBrace yourselves. I'm about to update about many a random thing, and promise no cohesiveness anywhere therein. Anybody interested in skipping to the good parts: I'm still alive and kicking. Dad's surgery went well, and he's healing nicely. Everything else is in the shrug stage. So, overall, thumb's up.
The Good
- As mentioned, Dad came through surgery just fine. So fine, in fact, that his surgeon seemed a bit stunned at his bounce-back abilities. Now he's pacing around like a particularly stubborn jungle critter, amusing himself with a campaign to educate the cats ala water pistol about the sanctity of the living room. When he's not lurking with unholy glee, squirt gun in hand, he's decimating every crossword in a tri-state range. If you have words across and down, fear him.
- Today was also the day of masculine lawn care. All available males in our somewhat odd adopted familial congregation showed up to tackle our acreage. This included two neighbors and my sister's boyfriend (aka The Boy). It was like having our own personal staff of gardeners, with wages paid in beer (food in The Boy's case).
- There might be beachy activities in the next few days. Maybe. This remains to be seen, but even the remote possibility is more than there's been in a while.
- I feel marginally able to write again. My words got... broken, just for a bit, in the chaos of graduation, etc. This may mean that I'll actually get the Atlantis Basics challenge story finished sometime in the very near future, and thus I could potentially stop feeling like an absolute heel. I just haven't wanted to force it and wind up with utter crap. Of course, at this point, it's going to take a damned masterpiece to make up for my bad case of Delicate Writer. I am sorry, truly. And in my defense, the placeholder I wrote qualifies as a story in its own right under the rules of the challenge. This is what I tell myself, at least, while I try frantically to finish the big one.
- Fidelity was recommended on![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
crack_van by the wonderful scribewraith. Given that the comm was one of the first places I stumbled into in fandom LJland, there's something very full circle about the whole thing. Consider me currently pink, both of the tickled and blushing varieties.
- This is being posted over a DSL line, wonderfully enough. No more weeping with frustration over Dialup Hell while stranded at the Ancestral Abode. I'm shaky on just how much bandwidth we get per month, and leary of being too piratical while on the parents' dime, but the improvement is still huge.
The Not-so-great
- Dad spoke with a doctor on the phone the other day, and a phrase or two pinged my unease radar. He told us afterward that everything was fine, and not to worry. He's likely right, and it's probably nothing really scary, but I'm gun-shy these days. I don't know how much I trust him to tell me what's going on, and it makes me a little unsteady. I don't have any right to demand to be told, of course, I just... I like to know what we're in for. I do think it will be okay this time, though, and might be just as trivial as he's making it sound. We'll see.
- The job thing is not progressing at the rate I'd like it to. *sigh* The non-profit I've been interviewing with would want me to move to New York (city, not just state), assuming they extend an offer at all. This freaks me out on a number of levels, not the least of which is my severely rural upbringing. I'm not quite sure I could handle that much... well, that much. New York visits always leave me feeling small and marginally disliked. I think I might be too much of a wimp for the place. Plus, you know, the cost of living is going to utterly kick my ass. Presuming, again, that they make an offer. Which they haven't. Yet.
Anybody in the market for a slightly used semi-paleontologist with some background in veterinary medicine and a specialization in Medieval literature? I'd work cheap.
- It's been kind of a bummer of a night. Dad didn't exactly endorse my driving abilities in a ringing fashion when called upon to do so (read: got a vaguely manic look in his eyes and shook his head very fast when presented with the idea of me road tripping). I'm not that bad. I swear. Then the mom... well, there were some youngish pictures of me discovered earlier, and in the midst of the awwing and general nostalgia, a comment of two slipped out about them being taken 'before you began to pick up weight' and the like. I'm entirely too sensitive about both subjects. I need to get less touchy and stop letting it bother me, but in the meantime I still wilt a little. Don't mind the moping.
The Huh
- I've been treating my poor flist like a terrarium lately. I peek in every now and then to make sure evolution hasn't gone spastic and created new species or anything, but am otherwise neglectful as all getout. Because of that, I've got some requests for the lot of you.
1. First, the 'WTF?' Hate memes. What the heck was up with that? My own morbid sense of curiosity leads me to wish they were archived somewhere, just for the purposes of review. The whole concept, though, makes me do that cocked-head, blinking expression of 'wha?' So, great and powerful flist, I solemnly ask you: WTF?
2. 'Cohesion' hates me. The web version defies me on a grand scale and continues to have serious issues. I still have no idea why, and now am additionally plagued with no editing program. I was getting decent with the Dreamweaving, and then the trial ran out. *sigh* Any recommendations on cheap (or free; free is very nice) programs that are comparable and work on a Mac?
2. Going more broad in my net casting: feel free to mention anything you've seen lately that you've really liked. Fic, art, movie, song... any fandom or genre... the world is your oyster. Pimp yourselves, or just tell me what you've been up to lately in your own adventures. I feel like I've been missing just about everything, and all aids are welcome.
Okay. I think that's about it for now. The dog has stopped snoring long enough to give me the baleful eyes of sleep deprivation, so I'm going to toddle off to bed. Andfeartheotter, I may even be sociable sometime early next week. I've been getting better at keeping a "normal" schedule - and yes, it is approaching 3 am here, shush - but I might not sleep through the cell's ringing now that the Nyquil is out of my system. *g*
- As mentioned, Dad came through surgery just fine. So fine, in fact, that his surgeon seemed a bit stunned at his bounce-back abilities. Now he's pacing around like a particularly stubborn jungle critter, amusing himself with a campaign to educate the cats ala water pistol about the sanctity of the living room. When he's not lurking with unholy glee, squirt gun in hand, he's decimating every crossword in a tri-state range. If you have words across and down, fear him.
- Today was also the day of masculine lawn care. All available males in our somewhat odd adopted familial congregation showed up to tackle our acreage. This included two neighbors and my sister's boyfriend (aka The Boy). It was like having our own personal staff of gardeners, with wages paid in beer (food in The Boy's case).
- There might be beachy activities in the next few days. Maybe. This remains to be seen, but even the remote possibility is more than there's been in a while.
- I feel marginally able to write again. My words got... broken, just for a bit, in the chaos of graduation, etc. This may mean that I'll actually get the Atlantis Basics challenge story finished sometime in the very near future, and thus I could potentially stop feeling like an absolute heel. I just haven't wanted to force it and wind up with utter crap. Of course, at this point, it's going to take a damned masterpiece to make up for my bad case of Delicate Writer. I am sorry, truly. And in my defense, the placeholder I wrote qualifies as a story in its own right under the rules of the challenge. This is what I tell myself, at least, while I try frantically to finish the big one.
- Fidelity was recommended on
crack_van by the wonderful scribewraith. Given that the comm was one of the first places I stumbled into in fandom LJland, there's something very full circle about the whole thing. Consider me currently pink, both of the tickled and blushing varieties.- This is being posted over a DSL line, wonderfully enough. No more weeping with frustration over Dialup Hell while stranded at the Ancestral Abode. I'm shaky on just how much bandwidth we get per month, and leary of being too piratical while on the parents' dime, but the improvement is still huge.
The Not-so-great
- Dad spoke with a doctor on the phone the other day, and a phrase or two pinged my unease radar. He told us afterward that everything was fine, and not to worry. He's likely right, and it's probably nothing really scary, but I'm gun-shy these days. I don't know how much I trust him to tell me what's going on, and it makes me a little unsteady. I don't have any right to demand to be told, of course, I just... I like to know what we're in for. I do think it will be okay this time, though, and might be just as trivial as he's making it sound. We'll see.
- The job thing is not progressing at the rate I'd like it to. *sigh* The non-profit I've been interviewing with would want me to move to New York (city, not just state), assuming they extend an offer at all. This freaks me out on a number of levels, not the least of which is my severely rural upbringing. I'm not quite sure I could handle that much... well, that much. New York visits always leave me feeling small and marginally disliked. I think I might be too much of a wimp for the place. Plus, you know, the cost of living is going to utterly kick my ass. Presuming, again, that they make an offer. Which they haven't. Yet.
Anybody in the market for a slightly used semi-paleontologist with some background in veterinary medicine and a specialization in Medieval literature? I'd work cheap.
- It's been kind of a bummer of a night. Dad didn't exactly endorse my driving abilities in a ringing fashion when called upon to do so (read: got a vaguely manic look in his eyes and shook his head very fast when presented with the idea of me road tripping). I'm not that bad. I swear. Then the mom... well, there were some youngish pictures of me discovered earlier, and in the midst of the awwing and general nostalgia, a comment of two slipped out about them being taken 'before you began to pick up weight' and the like. I'm entirely too sensitive about both subjects. I need to get less touchy and stop letting it bother me, but in the meantime I still wilt a little. Don't mind the moping.
The Huh
- I've been treating my poor flist like a terrarium lately. I peek in every now and then to make sure evolution hasn't gone spastic and created new species or anything, but am otherwise neglectful as all getout. Because of that, I've got some requests for the lot of you.
1. First, the 'WTF?' Hate memes. What the heck was up with that? My own morbid sense of curiosity leads me to wish they were archived somewhere, just for the purposes of review. The whole concept, though, makes me do that cocked-head, blinking expression of 'wha?' So, great and powerful flist, I solemnly ask you: WTF?
2. 'Cohesion' hates me. The web version defies me on a grand scale and continues to have serious issues. I still have no idea why, and now am additionally plagued with no editing program. I was getting decent with the Dreamweaving, and then the trial ran out. *sigh* Any recommendations on cheap (or free; free is very nice) programs that are comparable and work on a Mac?
2. Going more broad in my net casting: feel free to mention anything you've seen lately that you've really liked. Fic, art, movie, song... any fandom or genre... the world is your oyster. Pimp yourselves, or just tell me what you've been up to lately in your own adventures. I feel like I've been missing just about everything, and all aids are welcome.
Okay. I think that's about it for now. The dog has stopped snoring long enough to give me the baleful eyes of sleep deprivation, so I'm going to toddle off to bed. And
feartheotter, I may even be sociable sometime early next week. I've been getting better at keeping a "normal" schedule - and yes, it is approaching 3 am here, shush - but I might not sleep through the cell's ringing now that the Nyquil is out of my system. *g*
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-06-17 05:50 am (UTC)Glad to see the Dad's come through all right; I know the feeling, both the wilted relief and the gun-shy kneejerk responses. (I'd endorse the gentle questions route if those phrases remain on your mind [/unsolicited].)
In the Confronting Your Fears arena, I just drove the LA freeways for the first time this week. And I did not die. This is an inexpressible relief. And, you know, it's also kind of ...weirdly empowering to realise that not only can I merge at 70 mi/hr, I can totally get lost on the I-5 and still make it home in time for NBA playoffs if I have to. I mean, if I can do that, what else can I do?!
Santa Barbara had beautiful waves today; I saw both surfers and pelicans, but not at the same time. (Unfortunately.) In a related thought, travel by train is highly underrated, especially when it involves the California coast and ample snack foods near at hand.
As for readings, well, I'm still on the cartoon bender. If you're innerested, lemme know and I'll give details [/geek]
[geek]
no subject
Date: 2006-06-20 08:44 pm (UTC)Thanks for the Dad thoughts. The gentle questions seem to be keeping me in the loop, so yay. (And unsolicited is never the same as unwelcome here, especially when it's you. I'd say I have an open solicitation policy, but I think you can be arrested for that sort of thing. *g*)
L.A. freeways? Go, you! I visited San Diego a couple times and spent every transportation experience with eyes the size of saucers. Then I made friends with a Connecticut driver, and learned the true meaning of fear. Congratulations on the huge bravery and daring-do.
Incidentally... California? I think I missed something. Is this short or long term? Also, business or pleasure? (Well, okay, it's California, so I suppose it would be more like 'business or businesspleasure'. *g*) And travel by train is so much more than it's cracked up to be. I've become a convert to the ways of the rail in the last few years. I could only take so many hours on Greyhound before I hit my limit. That and the crazy lady of Port Authority who thought I was her long-lost argument partner convinced me that Amtrak was the better part of valor.
As for readings, I'm moseying on over to check out the explanatory post you mentioned way back when. The geek is always good. *g*
Hope the days of beaches continue to rule, with at least a 50 % chance of a pelican/surfer confluence.