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Sunday, May 24th, 2009
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4:43 pm - Fieldwork!
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Hi all! *waves*
I had an increadibly stressful and overwhelmingly busy second semester. Sorry for dropping back into lurker-dom again. I really miss you guys!
But things are going very well, mostly, or at least I have conquered many things, like not getting my passport back from the embassy until the friday before my sunday flight (i thought for a while I was going to have to rearrange everything) and now, I am in Mozambique! Maputo to be specific, before we head off to the field (a small village) in a few days (there are things to do at the university here first).
I'll have very sporadic internet access for the next two months if at all, and won't get to watch many season finales until I get home at the end of July (the 31st!) - I'll be in Toronto until at least the 23 of August. I don't know how much catch up will happen, but if you want to link me to anything important that I miss, I'd be grateful... I just checked the American Idol results and am less than pleased (I loved Adam from his first audition - like that surprises anyone who knows me. heee).
Anyways have a stellar summer all, and I'll see you on the flipside.
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| Friday, February 27th, 2009
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7:25 pm - Ummm...
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Hi. *waves very sheepishly*
Thank you so much to everyone who commented about my grandfather. It means a lot and I am so very sorry I have not yet replied to you each individually (nor as a group until now). *hugs everyone tight* You all are amazing, and I'm so glad to know all of you.
It's been... interesting since then. Catching up last semester happened, and I survived, but it was a challenge. Then I went home and collapsed for a couple of weeks over winter break(well, a week to write papers, a week to visit with family and friends (sf made me watch merlin and it's adorable), and then a week to try to cram in all of the things I hadn't done yet).
And now, I can't believe I'm about half way through second semester. I've been behind since about week 2. Wheeee. But things are going very well, school-wise, my supervisor and I are getting along, I am loving being in the lab, I think this summer is likely a go, and my cohort has really jelled (beer and archaeology talk at the pub at least twice a week) -- it's the intellectual university experience I've always wanted. As long as I can get everything done this semester I need to (you've been around when I've bitched about essays and my slooooowwwww process in the past, I'm sure).
So with always being behind, I am an awful friend to you all, and I'm sorry. I wind up reading in fits and spurts while I should be doing other things, so I don't comment cause I'm not suposed to be on LJ and then feel bad, even though I do often read the flist and want to spread hugs and love. So I'm sorry for that.
I'm really not sure what this space is going to be in the next little while - if I will return to radio silence, try to feel less guilty and comment more, or do small random updates of amusement.
Like how today my collegue tim has become dead to me because he hates (and he called "hate" not strong enough to describe his loathing) moxy fruvous (he considers them "worse" than the backstreet boys).I can't understand. This just does not compute.
Or how I caught up on Supernatural over Feb break (which I spent feeling gross and in bed and also sleeping for the whole week instead of getting on top of things) and fell in love all over again and spent far too much time watching interview clips on youtube. The accents! Boys! Though also, I feel awkward shame and embarassment far too often listening to con Q&As. I am clearly ridiculous.
Dollhouse... ummm... I want to like it. And will give it some more time.
I'm about 3/4ths finished two sweaters. The knitting bug is still going strong.
And now it is almost time for BSG.
If there's anything all you are wondering, feel free to ask. And lately, I tend to be better via email. stellargal at hotmail.
*loves you all*
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| Sunday, October 5th, 2008
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7:11 pm - I really don't know what to title this...
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I am unexpectedly back in Toronto as my grandfather died yesterday evening. The funeral is tomorrow and we will be siting shiva all week, except for Yom Kippur. He was 90, and he was doing very well, so while it shouldn't seem sudden it is (he just collapsed, and 6 hrs later he was gone). The entire family was together today, and everyone is pretty much a wreck. Grandpa was a big part of all of our lives. It's very surreal.
The grandchildren put together out thoughts for the service tomorrow, and I'd kind of like to share them (and him) with you.
( my grandfather )
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| Sunday, September 21st, 2008
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5:11 pm - Busy, busy, busy
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So, behind on things already (ie unrealistic expectations, wheeeee). So, top of the list of things I should NOT be doing? Probably this. But I so not in a mood to be doing work right now.
I have thus far had awesome, mainly work free weekends. However, yes, this has not been condusive to sanity during the week (though, you know, still very excited about classes and the PhD and everything). However, awesome, awesome weekends, visiting ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) cajoje (horses! drumheller! sky forever! rockband! garlic peppers!) and being visited by euphonium (knitting! dougie maclean! folkclubs! wandering around calgary! coffee coffee buzz buzz buzz! tea!). But I think I'm going to have to take a bit of a breather for the next couple of weekends...
Sarah Connor Chronicles continues to make me ridiculously happy. I can't watch House (my mom is taping it for me) as I go to Portuguese class that night. Tudo bom! And the Canadian channels here do not pick up Supernatural. Booo. This week, I'm looking forward to Criminal Minds, and am cautiously excited for Heroes... TV and knitting are still my coping mechanisms of choice. I just finished the back of my first cardigan, but am not casting on for the fronts until I have done a significant amount of work that needs doing.
So yes, work... probably should get back to that...
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| Thursday, September 4th, 2008
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12:07 am - Bones nitpicking
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A nice thing about sharing an appartment with a Forensic Anthropologist is that you have someone to laugh and groan and nitpick Bones with who won't roll their eyes in disgust when you complain about the plot/science and tell you to watch for the characters (I love you, brosia and witchnyn, *tthhhbbbptt* and I do enjoy the characters too).
So, to clear up some things that really bothered me (asside from all of the, "that does not work/yield info that fast" which is problematic in all forensic shows)...
For the record, Forensic Anthropologists do not typically supervise archaeological digs (they may get called in if they specialize in osteology and we find bones, but typically that's if they are bioarchaeologists).
And ossify does not mean what they think it means. Fossilize (or maybe petrify) would have made a whole lot more sense. (Ossify technically is to become bone, and bone is already bone). My roomate spotted that one.
Though on the side of win, the diagrams that show the peaks of the Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) when they do material composition analysis appear to look right, though I am pretty sure they don't narrow things down quite like that, nor can I be sure that the diagrams shown would actually correctly correspond to the actual substance they are identifying.
And the warning for "graphic forensic content" never fails to make me giggle.
Of course, since it's opposite Pushing Daisies, I'm not sure how much more Bones I'll be watching this season... Though making this post was very, very satisfying.
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| Monday, September 1st, 2008
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6:08 pm - The Middle Man and Calgary and SFX, oh my!
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There are probably three separate posts I should be writing... but instead there are numbers.
1. I finally was able to watch The Middle Man. I love it so much guys. (Not that I doubted I would, considering who of you have been raving about and pimping it). Matt Keeslar! From Psycho Beach Party! I love everyone on it. That it exists makes me so very, very happy. I mainlined the first 9 episodes in 2 days, and now really need to watch them all again. Cause yes. So much yes. I wish I had something more intelligent to say about it, other than I love it with my whole heart. But that’s how I feel.
2. So, I’m in Calgary now! The last couple of weeks with the packing and the finishing of the MRP and seeing Toronto area folks was insane. And then there was the running around in Calgary with my folks, unpacking, the ikea runs, putting together the ikea furniture, linens and things and other department stores, the grocery run. It was a lot to pack into the five days with my parents here, and also insane and exhausting. But on the plus side, pretty much everything went right. It’s almost making me nervous. The apartment is perfect, my roommate is beyond nice. She has a cat! Who loves to sit in my lap while I am trying to knit (and at other times too). My room feels like my room, and my bed is so very comfortable. I think I’m going to like it here. Also, the soft water makes my hair super curly and awesome, even though my cuticles are dry and awful (I bought cream that made them better).
3. SFX this year. Accompanied by my awesome partner in crime/cons, sffan. I wore the dandelion costume from Pushing Daisies and it was awesome. It’s not the most work I’ve put into a costume (hello Inara), but it’s the one that has garnered the most attention – I couldn’t go ten feet without someone asking for a picture. It was really cool, I’m so not used to that. And about half of them even knew who I was supposed to be.
Although no one in the dealer room had the things I most wanted (I’m going to have to order the doctor horrible t-shirts online and the babydoll fruity oaty bar one too), we stopped by the Polaris table and I was delighted by surprise guest Kate Hewlett!!! I may have been a little flustered cause she is lovely and I think she is awesome (and I feel guilty cause I’ve wanted to go see her plays in Toronto but it’s always around the time when I’m locking in my basement writing papers), but we did some mutual geeking as she was kindly enthusiastic about my costume (she loved the eye lashes and wanted to know how they worked and asked if I was an artist! Dood!) and I was excited over her. She was nice enough to pose for a picture with me (look at how gorgeous she is!) and made some jokes about me poking her eye out with my headdress. It was awesome, as is she. (I’m still feeling sucker-punched by the SGA non-renewal, though as a lurker in the fandom I also feel out of place a bit, and like now I’ll never de-lurk).
And Aaron Douglas was signing as a guest for Polaris next to Kate, and he was delightfully mischievous over my costume. In that he said he wanted to pluck me and then *makes blowing noise* -- Kate called him a naughty man, and he said he could say whatever he wanted cause it was his birthday (he had a cupcake with a candle in front of him). We promptly wished him happy birthday. *giggles*
We only went to two guest talks, and cause I’m so very braindead (both then and now) they won’t be my usual level of detail. ( Kate Mulgrew )
( Michael Rosenbaum )
I forgot my card reader, so I’ll upload photos when I get a new one. They are basically a ton of Rosenbaum. I kind of forgot to take out my camera otherwise;)
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| Friday, August 8th, 2008
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3:04 am - Thesis=done!
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Well, mostly done. In that I am uploading files to email it to my advisor for comments/revisions, so I don't have to think about it until I hear back about that. Thankfully it's really just a master's research paper, so I don't have to defend.
It's 21,000 words. I have never written anything this long, ever. Plus over 100 pages of diagrams, as this is a visually heavy methodology that I've proposed. It took too long for me to figure out the word I wanted was propose in that last sentance. I would like to not think for a while, or have to find the right word for anything.
My favourite typos of this experience are sidcussing (should read discussing), blow the tip, (should read below the tip) and overlap spits the tip (should read overlap splits the tip). I make my own fun.
It's totally time to interact with my friends and be fanish again. I miss you! (As has been demonstrated before, extreme paper writing = I can't deal with anything else, except knitting and the ocassional mindless hour of telelvison. Or not so mindless as I've been eating dinner over clt's nightly broadcast of the West Wing, which I didn't watch when it was on the air, though I have no idea why and I love it so very, very much. Banter=yay!)
And now I have 2.5 weeks or so to revel in acomplishment before I move to Calgary for my PhD.
I don't know how that happened.
*hugs you all*
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| Tuesday, July 15th, 2008
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10:59 pm - Polaris 22 Con Report
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*waves sheepishly*
Still in thesis/lurker/shouldn’t be online mode. *sends hugs to all*
However, as should be evident by now, if I don’t write a con report right away it does not happen. At all. TTrek 17, 18 and 20 as well as SFX 2006 are prime examples. But, when I do write one, I tend to write a lot (see SFX 2005... this time, I’m clocking in at a little bit over 5000 words... ummm... Enjoy!?)
So, while de-compressing post-con in the hotel room and waiting for How do you solve a problem like Maria? to start with the wonderful janeeyre17, puffgirl_two, and sffan, I started in on my recollections of the Q&As, and have added to it bit by bit over the past two days while briefly taking breaks from my thesis.
Also, in regards to that, I am reaching the "I am so screwed and am not going to get it done in time for my supervisor to look at it and give me time to fix anything he thinks needs improvement before I leave for Calgary and the PhD because it turns out the way the program deals with the data needs to be double checked as it may have messed everything up which has added several days to my already so very much later than my last ditch planned guestimate of getting done" point. I really should have skipped the con, but I had bought my ticket, had some time to decompress, and got to spend time with janeeyre17, puff, and sf (though it’s never enough as it goes by sooo fast), see a lot of folks I only ever see at cons, and am generally very glad I went. Also, ladies, if I missed/misremembered anything, let me know and I’ll fix it... And feel free to link, or whatever.
So, report, by event:
( Gareth David-Lloyd Q&As (spoilers for series 2 as no one even remotely pretended all of us hadn’t seen it even though it hasn’t aired in Canada yet – and also, kind of rated PG-13, at least. If you are too young to watch Torchwood, you are probably too young to read his Q&A report.) )
( Autograph and Photo with Gareth )
( Rainbow Sun Francks Q&A )
( Rachel Luttrell Q&A )
( Jason Dohring Q&A )
( Terry Farrell Q&A )
( Costumes and other observations )
link to photobucket album
And now, you probably won’t hear from me again until the thesis is done… *hugs* I wish writing it went as fast and was as easy as writing this con report (seriously, it took me a month to write as much on the thesis as I’ve written here. How, I don’t know…) And once that happens, with the being done, I’m going to try to remember/re-learn how to make posting a habit again, cause I miss you and being fannish all a lot.
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| Sunday, April 27th, 2008
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2:29 am - Remix and other Sundries
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Well, now that we can go non-anonymous (un-anonymous, de-anonymize?), I can reveal that I wrote Come One, Come All (The Gorram Snakes Remix), which I think would have been painfully obvious to anyone familiar with my writing (especially my tells of fragmentary, beat-poet River with mythical allusions, and the hint of Simon/ Kaylee I couldn’t resist).
Sorry I didn’t post earlier with a guess my fic... Or with a thank you, here, to the person who remixed me! Look, look, adorable Simon/Kaylee! It takes the fic out of the dense and thinky Simon I am prone too, with really neat results! And also gives us the missing crew-party scene, with reactions, which was delightful;)
I really need to work my way through more of the remixed fic, I’ve barely looked at any of the other cool things I’m sure have been written... *puts it on the overgrown list*
( more remix/writing process babble )
( And some really stupid issues that remix inadvertently raised, ie why do I always assume blame? (blathering and no actual answer) )
In other news, as I am sure has likely been gathered from the crickets chirping in this space, is that I am in one of my hibernating/lurking phases. I should have been done with a paper about two weeks ago. I have done little more than sleep (and also knit, my new I cannot sit still, without soemthing in my hands, mindless-ish just when I am in front of the television hobby (beads make more mess and are less portable/put down-pick up and less repetitive – on the knitting note, if anyone has a good 50s style eyelet cardigan pattern (think pushing daisies) for dk weight yarn, I can’t find anything online or in the knitting book section of indigo even close to what I want to make and am totally not at the pattern making stage, so help would be appreciated)), and ( more whinge, I’m sure you are as sick of it as I am of feeling it, as it appears to happen every year, but somehow once I start typing it I can’t seem to stop. Please ignore;) )
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| Monday, March 17th, 2008
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10:14 pm - I miss my BDHs...
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I got my hands on the Serenity comic. It is glee, and I hear their voices in my head as I read. I've missed them so much. Though the preview pencils were better, Simon actually looked like Simon in this one (mostly), as opposed to generic pretty boy. Woooo! Mal had extra comic-style muscles, which was vaguely weird though not unexpected... Also ( spoilers, though not for plot points... ) I want more. Also, I am rather sad the lunchboxes have been postponed until June, but when they are, they will be mine;) And then, Serenity was on the space channel, and I watched it while knitting (I have a new knitting project that is not a scarf and I love it, it's so relaxing).
Mrs. Pettigrew lives for a day was delightful. Delightful. And a confluence of many actors I have always adored, from way back. Amy Adams (Psycho Beach Party), Ciarn Hinds (Persuasion), Mark Strong (Emma (the non-gweneth one)), and oh, Lee Pace, the main reason I wanted to see it. Mmmmm. English accent, scruffy, sings, and wears a tux. Yes, please. The costumes and sets were terrific. I want to see it again.
ETA: Folks who I was talking to about all the amazing critters at the Casa, I mentioned linking you to pictures, and my darling mamakins posts a lot of wonderful pics here. So there you go;)
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| Sunday, March 9th, 2008
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5:53 pm - by the numbers...
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Ugh. I think I’m sick again. Stupid, stupid nose/throat. I’ve been feeling really crappy for the past few days, and kind of spent them in bed. Ugh. I’m so behind on work.
As it appears this semester, I vary between jumping in and babbling and hibernating, and it’s all a matter of when, which is totally random, and totally not directed negatively at anyone.
1. TV: I also watched the first 7 eps of Torchwood s2, thank you so much sf! It’s seriously a perfect I feel crappy and can’t concentrate show – and I’m enjoying this season way better than last (I don’t know if it’s me, or if it’s the show, but it feels way more cohesive). Ianto Jones is made of awesome (mmmmm vests and snark. Yes, I have a type).
Sarah Connor Chronicles is rocking my world. I want to rewatch the whole thing, but I want to be less crappy feeling to do it. My parents were with me while I was watching the finale, and as the was outloud squeeing, I actually used the phrase "don't harsh my squee" in real life. The looks I got were priceless. *giggles*
2. MUSIC: The Beautiful Unknown (formerly Barlow) finally has a cd, and it is really, really good – after hearing several versions (ie live and their ep) I love the new mixes. You can hear some of it on their myspace. My favourites are I’m Giving up on You (though I’m sad that the bit where there’s a cracking-like drum beat after the line “I crack the whip” that they do live isn’t as apparent on the recording) and Riot in the House of Ruin. They’re playing again on April 22 – sf, if I’m here (and I should be), wanna? Anyone else wanna?
Danny Michel also has a teaser up for his new album here. And it sounds like it’s going to be so utterly amazing – everything I love best about him. It’ll be really interesting having a new Danny album where I haven’t heard everything (almost) live before, and learning things album first.
3. WRITING (eeeeee!): Also, is anyone up to looking at a little (1000-ish words) post s1 Logan and Veronica VMars fic that’s been sitting on my HD for forever? I think I finally connected the two bits of conversation that weren’t flowing, thought I still have several out-takes that I would love to be able to re-insert (hell, I may just post them after, as out-takes at this point, cause I love them so much). Help, please?
Also, I think I may have decided on my fic to be remixed. I’m looking at not only a POV change, but a substantial tone change. The rewrite as if it was your own is very interesting – I didn’t really understand how that would work, at first, but as written, this fic is definitely not how I would choose to have done it – so my immediate panic on how to remix has lessened, slightly. Maybe.
4. *hugs*
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| Saturday, February 23rd, 2008
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1:24 am - Remix Redux (why, yes, I am insane, ask me how)
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So, I decided to take part in the remix redux challenge. Whether this was a good idea or not has yet to be seen. However, I've always thought it was a really, really cool idea - I love retellings, I love two (or more) sides of the story, many truths and I love experimental styles. I'm very excited and also scared to be participating. I miss writing things other than papers, and it appears I'm not going to unless I give myself a deadline of some kind.
I even updated the story page on my website! http://www.liquideyes.compromisingpositions.net/fanfic.htm (I know the code is ugly, and I'm sorry... but at least it's up?) If anyone finds any problems with it, please let me know.
To whomever gets me - I really hope you like Simon? Sorry? Although it may seem that that, and s/k is all I write, there are other things there, I promise! Though those other things do have a tendency to be short. More room to spin? I hope you find something to tickle your fancy. Seriously, I am so curious to see what you come up with! Go crazy and have fun (or is that have fun going crazy?)! I look forward to it. And thank you!
Eeeek?
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| Wednesday, February 20th, 2008
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8:00 pm - Catching up is hard to do...
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So, an attempt to recreate my last post… Hmmm… I’m pretty sure it started out with some sheepish waving. *waves* and some *hugs* all around.
Well, I fell off the wagon (not the drinking one, the staying on top of things one) after Halloween…
So, in the past few months, I wrote a 20 page essay, applied to graduate schools, went to vegas for a few days of sunshine with the parents, had a lot more family things (mostly good) since my grandparents are not wintering in Florida for the first time in forever (can’t get medical insurance), continued with the beading, attempted to deal with my stomach problems (I’m on my fourth set of meds, after various elimination-type diets) and still nothing works -- All of you who deal with chronic illness, *hugs you,* I have even more sympathy and awe (not that I didn’t before, but I have something relatively minor that is making me miserable, and I don’t know how you all do it, I truly don’t. You amaze me! *more hugs*) -- I hibernated a lot, and when I wasn’t doing that, I had some good times with my fantastic friends, and I got to see my baobei! I also fell further into the world of bpal (at least I smell fantastic! OMG, Snow White and Gingerbread Poppet, OMG yum!) and dragged a few of you with me *grins*… And I am currently fighting off a cold.
I am also auditing a course where I am learning Petrography, ie identifying minerals in thin section under polarized light. It is *so cool*! Microcline feltspar is plaid! And if I ever write original sci-fi/fantasy, I really feel compelled to name a character Lamellar Twinnings. It just rolls off the tongue. And I am also currently toiling away at my MRP, and will be for the next several months.
In the fannish…
OMG, Sarah Connor Chronicles is sooo awesome. I had never seen the movies (I was born the year the first one came out), which was remedied (all three in one day), and I enjoyed them very much, in all of their angsty awesome glory. Of course, I do fail at action movies, as when they were all done, my main sentiment other than cool, was what happened? Nothing happened! The response that garnered was “stuff blew up,” followed by a list of said stuff. Really, that does not qualify for me as stuff. So I fail at action movies. I do, however, love John Connor like woah. It seams I have a tendency to pick up angsty, irreverent, heroes named John (Crichton, Shep and now Connor). And I adore the show like mad. *puts hands over ears and lalalalas over the fact that it’s sci-fi on Fox and hasn’t been picked up yet*
Sffan introduced me to Psych, and I adore it, and mainlined the first season. It’s so much fun. It should hit my embarrassment squick, but Sean/James Roday’s total lack of embarrassment and shame makes it more or less ok. And the spot the Vancouver actor game continues to be fun. Though I wish they would stop casting said guest stars as the murderers as it take some of the fun out of trying to figure out who done it.
I am sooo happy Pushing Daisies is coming back, though am impatient that it won’t be until fall.
Juno was brilliant and I bought the soundtrack.
I think there were more things in the fannish section, but I really don’t remember them. Ooops? I wish I felt fannish-er. I’m not doing more than watching things and squeeing, as you can see from above. Any requests for things to talk about? *sigh* I miss Firefly, and am contemplating being ready for a rewatch. I am also debating about signing up for the Remix...Redux challenge -- I love the idea, but my challenge track record is not stellar. Though it would be a push to write something... Thoughts?
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| Saturday, February 16th, 2008
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10:48 pm - Living 'til the End on Canadian TV!!!
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Unfortunately, it’s a specialty channel (Superchannel), which I don’t get, but for all of you who do, the extremely talented Sean Maher and Jaime Ray Newman’s awesome indie flick is airing several times this week (7:00 am and 11:45 am on Feb 17, 5:00 am on Feb 18, and 10 am on Feb 25). Check the details here!
The extra special bonus news is that is has a new ending (not on the dvd) – an extra minute or so, and according to the wonderful writer/director Amanda Goodwin, a minute can change everything! (If anyone has this channel, and can tape it, so I can watch this part, that would be *amazing*)
I promise a real update soon. I had a huge one written out, but my computer restarted with an auto-update so I lost it (I was writing it in word, and auto-save didn't happen for some reason). In the interum I'm sorry for dropping off the face of the earth, *hugs* and I love you guys!
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| Wednesday, November 7th, 2007
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10:15 pm - Hey, Dandelion, I wanna blow you!
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The title of this post was indeed said to me by a random girl, at 2:30 am, while my friends were waiting in line for street meat between Yonge and Church.
You know, I hadn't thought of that. But *awesome*! (No blowing did actually occur)
I love Halloween. An excuse to wear costumes makes me happy. Nearing midnight, not 10 minutes after having left my house, I was stopped as I was entering the subway by someone who actually knew what my costume was, was excited about it and requested a picture! *squee* That never happens to me!
More Pictures!
The costume was a definite success.
So, yeah, as you can see, I have not really been good, ie I suck, with the writing (yet -- thank you for everyone who gave me prompts, I'm still trying). But I took the GREs (did well enough to get in, but probably not well enough for scholarships -- must decide what US schools I am really interested in, and email them to find out how important the GREs are. Which means I could take it again in December, if necessary), had an awesome Hallowe'en, my first bpal meet 'n sniff and am now starting to work on my 25 page paper, due in a month. Wheeeee!
Pushing Daisies is still love. So much love. I just -- my heart guys, my heart. So full. Of love. And pie. Ned's my favourite, but I love them all.*sighs*
And Heroes ( spoilers for this week, ie 2.07 )
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| Friday, October 19th, 2007
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12:14 am - Writing is hard, and Jewel is awesome
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So after a less than productive week (I'm sleeping too much/feeling fuzzy. And I'm having acid reflux issues, which sucks beyond the telling. Zantac failed, so I'm trying an elimination diet of sorts that is maybe working. Sorry, was that TMI?) I finally sit down to attempt to write under pressure, and wow, am I rusty. Like woah. I'd been at it for a little under an hour, and I only have about 5 lines/under 100 words. Of course, the first 30 minutes was my paralizing "where can I fit this in the series/who's POV/how do I approach this" which I'm trying to defeat by the insta-fic prompt. Oooops?
But it's a start. I'm still glad I wrote those 5 lines, and will write more and post it and move on to the next prompt tomorrow. Yes. *nods emphatically*
Of course, somehow I didn't realize that yuletide signups closed at 9pm, so no yuletide for me. Considering how well the insta-prompt-fic is coming, it's probably for the best, however I am seriously considering joining the pinch-hitting list... and there's always next year. *looks at my .doc of requests and carefully considered volunteered fandoms and puts them away for now*
So then, in procrastination, I read Jewel Staite's latest myspace blog, and basically, she is made of win. In which Jewel gloats over making out with Sean Maher, and writes a summary of her "ideal" Serenity 2 where there is femslash, mal/zoe/wash subtextually becomes mal/wash, Simon/Kaylee is love, and Jayne becomes a companion (wait, didn't someone already write that one?) *Glee*
So now, I heart the universe. *heart*
Also, Pushing Daisies is my new best thing ever. I am going to be a dandilion girl for Halloween. Oh, yes, yes I am.
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| Wednesday, October 10th, 2007
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11:41 pm - Attempting to mix school and fandom (ie prompts for the GREs)
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*Hugs to all*
My SSHRC grant proposal is now in, so it is time for the GREs! And perhaps time for me to start using this LJ again, on a more regular basis. (I will upload South Africa photos soon-ish! It’s almost next on the list...)
So I need to get better about just reading something and writing, no second guessing, minimal editing time. This is for the GREs essay section, actually. So, I figured, probably the most fun way to try to unlock this part of my brain is with fanfic. And this is where you come in, dear flist (or anyone who happens to read this *waves*). I need prompts. The GRE "prompts" are basically a fairly broad quote-like sentence that you either agree or disagree with, in a well argued essay. However, I usually freeze up trying to get that first idea and first paragraph down. I like to let things percolate, but that's no good when I have under and hour.
So, if you are willing to play, please leave me a comment with a fandom, character or pairing and a sentence or a quote or a song lyric. I guess you could leave a list of words, or a mood, or another type of prompt that I’m blanking on, but that’s less like the GRE prompt... You could even perhaps leave 2 for me to choose from, as the GREs will do that too. If there was ever something you wanted me to blather about, or hear my opinion on, giving me that topic would be nifty too.
Then, for about the next week, I’ll click on the next comment in my inbox, and take 30 minutes to write a snippet of sorts, and then post it. I’ll try for a couple per day.
Now I don’t promise that I’ll get to yours, or that it will be very good. But I would definitely appreciate any help with this brain unlock. Fandoms I can attempt to write in include Firefly, Wonderfalls, SGA, ummm... possibly Veronica Mars, RENT, How I Met Your Mother (which I recently mainlined and *love*), Desperate Housewives, Friday Night Lights, maybe Heroes uummm... anything else you’ve heard/read me gush about/know I am familiar with is cool too (no Doctor Who (I still haven’t seen most of season 3) or BSG (I still have not seen most of season 3)). Maybe even Pushing Daisies, even though there’s only been two episodes so far (pie is love). I haven’t seen much of the new shows this season yet, though I am taping many of them...
So, hit me? *looks forward to returning to having some degree of fannishness*
If I do well enough on this, permaybehaps I’ll sign up for yuletide (I want to, as only one big paper is due in Dec this year, but also, eeeep *terrifying*)...
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| Friday, September 7th, 2007
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2:54 am - O wonderful, wonderful, and most wonderful/ wonderful! and yet again wonderful, and after that,/ out
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Which is how I feel about South Africa. There are things that make it another world, and sometimes not a very comfortable one at that. But it is a truly wonderous place. And despite various complications, both of the group interdynamic and my own work taking longer than I had hoped which makes me feel I wasn’t giving satisfaction (but I do have enough to still do something very cool involving hand axe production sequences) oh and also the lack of anyone fannish who understands squee (I don’t really know how to interact with ppl like that anymore, it took some adjusting) and a lack of physical contact, I was as happy as I have ever been. The country makes my heart sing and the joy bubble up unable to be contained or expressed in words and comes out in smiles and through the extension-stretch of my fingers. I took a lot of pictures.
Yet this is not the picture post I was planning to make today.
Right now, I hate jetlag. I was really good yesterday. I got home around 2 pm, after oh, over 24 hours in transit where for one of the first times I didn’t really sleep much on the plane (but I did get my vege meals, both going and coming). Adrenalin kept me up, I went out, saw some peoples and got hugs, was human-ish, walked alone down a street and felt weird not being behind gates and barbed wire, showed my parents a billion trip pictures, ate a lick’s vege burger instead of sushi cause I wasn’t up for it yet. Stayed up until after 2 am and got up at 8 am (the trip turned me into a morning person – I was usually asleep by 11 and up at 6:30 (but stayed in bed until 7:30). Slept in my own bed, in a room without other ppl for the first time in 3.5 weeks.
But then today I was kinda useless. Poked around a little bit on lj, read some fic (oh gods, 3.5 weeks without fic!) and didn’t get my pictures organized or anything washed (my tasks of the day). I just blasted trip music (the group freshly ground, which was popular in S.Africa – the song of the trip were their song “pot belly” which got played on the radio and has the chorus “fat thighs, flabby arm, [la la lala la]” stuck in Simon’s head and then in all our heads, and then several of us found and bought the cd, which is all I have been listening to all day (the full chorus is actually: fat thighs, flabby arms, pot belly, still gives good loving). Other trip music also consisted of ladysmith (“congratulations South Africa”) and the best of guns and roses (particularly paradise city and sweet child of mine) which we had bought, considering the radio was Afrikaner pop and music from grade 8) and missed South Africa. I had thought, pre-trip, that after pretty much never being alone for 3.5 weeks, I’d want to hole up and see no one, but that couldn’t be more not the case. I’m feeling separation anxiety for both a country and peoples. I didn’t really want to look at my pictures today – I just couldn’t. And then, I crashed around 6 pm. I had thought for a nap, but actually, I woke up around 1, so I’ve had my sleep and here I am. *hates jetlag*
So I’m home.
And I will post pictures and stories soon-ish.
And I’m seriously considering applying for a PHd at the University of Capetown.
Oh, and school starts on Monday.
I missed you.
*hugs*
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| Sunday, August 26th, 2007
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11:56 pm - Is anyone still up?
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For comment tag? I should be at the internet for another 15-20 minutes. It's 9 am here...
*hugs everyone tight*
South Africa is still amazing.
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| Monday, August 13th, 2007
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12:40 am - South Africa!
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I am here, I am safe, and I have no idea how often I'll be able to update/access internet.
The flight(s) was very long, but they did have all my vege meals, so I count that for the win. Haven't done much yet except sleep and we're off to the museum in a few minutes... (there may be time for soem quick comment tag, but I'm not sure).
Just wanted to let everyone know I've arrived. Hopefully I"ll be able to check back soon, but if not, there will be tons of pictures on my return in about 3.5 weeks. Be good, and please do not break the internets. And if there's anything you think I should see, please link me. I'd appreciate it!
*hugs*
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