elrhiarhodan

Okay - remember how I said that I was taking the day before and after Thanksgiving off?

Well, I might not have been at the office, but that doesn't stop the work... Just spent the last two hours on a conference call and have a contract to review and get signed before Friday morning.

You bet your sweet bippy I'm putting in these hours against my precious PTO.

And in other fail!news. Picked up my iMac with the shiny new hard drive, got it all hooked up and when I went to restore the backup, I set it to restore from the wrong backup. Have to start from scratch.

Also, it's giving me the same error message that I was getting before the drive went into die-die-die mode. I'm hoping that it's simply an artifact of the old backup and when I finally have the chance to update to Yosemite, it'll go away.

Anyways, hope everyone is all tucked in and getting ready for the day off. And to my friends in the Northeast, I'm hoping that your travel plans aren't borked by the weather. It's been sleeting since 8 am.

Jeez, Louise! It's been quite a while since I've done a ramble. June was the last time I blathered away about my life. And now it's October. Where has the time gone?

( My Life, Illustrated )

It's Tuesday and I am stuck on a conference call that has nothing to do with my job. So, what better time to ramble?

( For the seriously patient, a bonus at the end, under the cut )

I keep looking at the little clock at the corner of my computer screen, and I'm constantly amazed at the time. And how slowly it's moving. Why isn't it 5 PM yet? According to my dear theatregirl7299, it's because god hates me.

Apparently so, because as I'm writing this, it's still not even time for lunch. ETA - it's actually well after lunch, but damn it, Jim, it's still not five o'clock.

( It's been a while since a ramble, so we've got a few things to discuss, right? )

Been a while since I rambled (checks tags, last usage of the "rambling rambles of randomness" tag was December 5th). So, there's quite a bit to catch up on.

( It's Friday, and that doesn't mean there's no bonus Bomer below the cut )

I'm rambling all over the place in this one, it's been a long while since I've had the headspace to just ramble.

( So, be patient and when you get to the end, you will be rewarded! )

I probably don't have time for writing this, but the rambling bug has bit hard.

( The bonus Bomers at the end may actually make up for the length of this ramble )

Did everyone have a good weekend? I did - it was sort of non-stop, go-go-go and then collapse.

I should be working on my Big Bang, but can't seem to find the motivation right now. The thing is, I'm at the part of the story where I should be highly motivated, but I'm feeling like ten types of crap (thank you, life-saving medications for wrecking havoc on my digestive system) and there's the sinus headache, to boot.

( So, instead of adding words, I'll just ramble about the words. )

Back in the dark ages, you know, when I was a girl...

Ladies didn't sweat, they didn't even perspire. The "glowed." Which was the gospel according to Miss Belsen, our elementary school gym teacher.

( This is more than tangentially related to White Collar. )

Friday morning, I picked up rabidchild and set out to our first meet-up with the fabulous dmk0064. We had been planning this for a few months and finally were able to settle on a date and a location - Hunt Valley, Maryland, which is outside of Baltimore.

To the infinite amusement of our inner seven year-old boys, the hotel was actually in Cockeysville, Maryland. How appropriate is that? A weekend of writing and talking about porn in a place called COCKEYSVILLE!

Much fun was had by all. Friday night we had dinner at a Japanese steak house - teppanaki-style, Saturday was spent writing and talking and writing and watching silly YouTube videos of a baby monkey riding backwards on a pig (and suffering from the earworm from the song - I blame RC for that), and some more writing and talking and earworming (Let's see if you can be infected, too: BEBBEH MONKEH, RIDIN' BACKWARDS ON A PIG, BEBBEH MONKEH!!!)

These meetups never seem to last long enough. We had plans for doing writing challenges and such, but we were having such a good time getting to know each other that we never got around to it. Maybe next time.

Sunday morning rolled around all too soon, and then it was time to depart.

In addition to her other virtues (and there are many), RC is the perfect travel companion, she's quiet when you want quiet, magically talkative when you need to stay awake, and she gives excellent directions. Sadly, I had to drop her off and continue back home without her.

If you haven't had the opportunity to meet up with fandom friends, you should do it. It's been (at least for me) a 100% positive experience.

And in conclusion...

COCKEYSVILLE!!!!!

A post you may want to avoid. ( And for that reason, no bonus Bomer )

I'm going to be off line for most of the day - having fun with BFF V until the evening. And since I was up until 1 am this morning, and then woke for the day at 7, it's possible that I'll get home and crash.

So, for those of you waiting (so patiently) for a beta read, I'll be back with you either later tonight or early Monday.


In the interim, you can rewatch the iSnuggles video until you go into diabetic shock, or you can check out the spoilery awesomeness of next week's White Collar episode, The Original (the first one in a long time that makes me ask, "why isn't it Tuesday yet?")

(Both links take you to my dropbox, not YouTube, BTW).

If that doesn't float your boat, here's a Tim and Matt for you:

Hiya, folks! I'm back.

( Rambles and the inevitable bonus Bomer under the cut. )

It feels like November, today. Cold and gray and rainy. I remember, for some odd reason, learning about poetry in second grade and having to write a poem about November. No, I don't remember the poem, but I do remember the sense of it - cold and gray and rainy. Just like today.

( Make it through the ramble, and you've got yourself a lovely bonus Bomer as a special gift. )

I've said many times over the last two weeks that things could have been so much worse for me. My home was undamaged, ALL my friends have been unstintingly supportive, and I always had a place to go when I needed light and shelter and (gross) bathing facilities.

( Hopefully, this will be the very last time I use my 'Fuck You, Sandy' tag. )

Been a while since I rambled...I think the last such post was when I was sitting in Penn Station and whining about my injured toe.

Believe it or not, the damn thing STILL hurts. It's most healed, but I banged it hard and there is just no way to keep off of it. And since it's no longer at all feasible to wear sandals in the office, my shoes don't help. Sometimes, the best part of the day is when I come home and slip into the fuzzy slippers.

( Let's see - what's going on? (plus the bonus Bomer) )

I find it very hard to believe, but it's October first. I'm wearing socks and shoes, a sweater and a shawl. I was COLD this morning.

Sadly, the leaves haven't started to change color here. I need to check with my New England-based sibling to see if she's got any fall color this year - last year was a complete dud.

( And still more about the House, and Writing. And a bonus LOL or two under the cut )

Well, the Verizon guy was here at 8 am SHARP! (Good thing I set my alarm). He worked for almost seven hours installing everything, and I have to say that I am totally pleased.

Didn't think I would be - I've been with that OTHER company for more years than I want to count.

Anyway, I digress.

New house is still wonderful and lovely and I've got my office computer set up almost the way I like it (I've got about a third less desk because the return wouldn't fit into the room - oh, well. Now it's going to be a matter of finding the important stuff that got packed, despite the explicit instructions, the stuff that ended up in the basement, the stuff that was put into the wrong room and now behind very heavy boxes.

But all in all, I am so damn happy I keep pinching myself.

And I know I've settled in because I had really good dreams last night. Tim DeKay dreams.

Oh, get your mind out of the gutter, ladies. It wasn't THAT type of good dream.

For some reason, I'm with a whole bunch of strangers (but Dream-Me seem to know them) AND Tim. And we're watching this imaginary episode where Neal is agonizing over his breakup with Peter, and he's ruminating about how beautiful Peter is, and how he looks so beautiful in blue. Matt's emoting like there's a Daytime Emmy at stake (there were tears and sobs and much tearing of the precious hair) and I'm enthralled.

I sort up spontaneously utter how Eastin's really playing up the slash, and Tim overhears me and says, "Yeah, you might see it that way." Of course, Dream-Me is highly embarrassed. But then Tim says, "And I do, too. See it that way."

Then I woke up.

Also have done a little writing - some domestic schmoop. Maybe I'll finish it tonight, but it won't be posted until after my Big Bang goes up, since it's a timestamp for that story.

I want to thank everyone again for all of your good wishes and kind thoughts. I will try to reply to your comments this week. I don't head back to work until Wednesday.

Love ya!

Where is Matthew Keller when you need him?

( Whining and a bonus spoilery Bomer in action under the cut )

Drive-by update, my friends. Hope you're all enjoying the Labor(less) Day weekend.

( This got longer than I thought, so a bad ass Bomer is waiting for you at the end )

Hi there!

(I've been listening to too much Peter Gabriel these days - and "Big Time" is in heavy rotation).

Anyway - remember this post? The one where I whined about not having time to write my rough draft for the WC Big Bang?

Well, as some of you know, I had written a story that I realized I couldn't give to my WCP recipient (I misread the want/don't want list), but since I loved the story, and I still had a window of opportunity with the WCBB, I've submitted my draft. I won't have art for it (unless I do it myself), but while having art is nice, it's not essential.

That's not the reason for this post. I've been working on another story - tentatively titled "The Next Six Days" - it's the "Comfort" to the "Hurt" in Six Hours to Freedom. That story has officially reached Big Bang status.

What IS it with me? I whine that I can't write and THIS???? And it's not like I've had a lot of time on my hands these days.

I am not submitting this as a big bang, though - I hope to finish it tonight and get it posted by Monday.

::shakes head, WTF::

Honestly, I don't know which picture makes me more excited:

( Pretty pictures under the cut )( Pretty pictures under the cut )( Pretty pictures under the cut )

And I couldn't be happier!

( Rambling rambles and a bonus Bomer under the cut )

Waves!

Can't believe it's April already. One quarter of 2012 is already gone. Sheesh, talk about time flying.

Let's see, what's up?

Finished my entry for the White Collar Kid!Fic fest. I am very pleased with it, if I must say. Sometimes you can write something and never hear the suck-voice. Sometimes you write something and it feels as effortless as breathing. Sometimes you write something and never struggle for the right word, the right phrase. Sometimes you write something and you just want to keep going and going and never stop.

That was this fic. It was supposed to be a simple bit of Five Times schmoop - but somewhere along the way, I found a real story to tell. And 5x fics do not have chapters that qualify for big bangs.

Of course, without my dearest coffeethyme4me, I doubt I would have made it past the first chapter (which would have satisfied the challenge).

What else?

Was brunchnapped yesterday. V and new mutual friend N took me to a very post Sunday brunch in advance of my birfday. We would have gone next Sunday, but that's Easter Sunday, and the place is closed. We gorged on all sorts of delicious om-nom-nom goodies like lobster and seafood paella and more lobster. And bread pudding with raspberry sauce, which happens to be my most favorite dessert in the world.

V and N and I spent the afternoon beading, which is always much fun - I can understand the special joy of quilting circles. Doing a creative activity with others seems to increase the creativity geometrically. Sort of like writing get-togethers.

And in the I'VE GONE INSANE news. Early in March, I signed up for the A/U Big Bang. Today I signed up for the White Collar Big Bang.

Which brings me to the last bit of news...I think I have a shiny new fandom.

Inspector Lewis.

I loved dracofiend's stories, even though I hadn't seen any of the episodes. Then I found them on Netflix and was sucked in.

My god, the UST is all but canon. And having two such wonderfully damaged characters to write. Except I don't know if I can - I am so mono-fannish. That's not to say I haven't been reading all of the fic I can find - it's just - well, everytime I try to write something other than WC, I (1) feel like I'm committing adultery and (2) feel like it's just crap.

So, in order to come to terms with this, I am writing a White Collar/Inspector Lewis crossover for the Big Bang. Wherein Neal finds a set of missing manuscripts that are the property of the Bodlein Library and ends up going to Oxford with Peter. There is a dead body and Neal and Peter get to meet with Lewis and Hathaway. There will be delicate flirting between Neal and Hathaway, much grumbling from Lewis and Peter, and everyone will get to live happily ever after.

It already has a title - A Murder of Crows.

I am such a dork.

A sun dog or sundog, scientific name parhelion (plural parhelia) from Greek παρήλιον (parēlion), meaning "beside the sun" (also called a mock sun or a phantom sun), is an atmospheric phenomenon that creates bright spots of light in the sky, often on a luminous ring or halo on either side of the sun.

Sundogs may appear as a colored patch of light to the left or right of the sun, 22° distant and at the same distance above the horizon as the sun, and in ice halos. They can be seen anywhere in the world during any season, but they are not always obvious or bright. Sundogs are best seen and are most conspicuous when the sun is low.

Wikipedia

Driving to work this morning, I was entranced by a sun dog. It wasn't particularly strong and for that matter, I couldn't see it without either looking at it through the polarized portion of my windshield or my sunglasses. But it was mesmerizing - this patch of rainbow sky - a parenthesis to the sun. It lacked it's partner, though - at least as I could see.

I've taken to driving the scenic route to the office - not because it's scenic (that's just a bonus) but because it takes less time. The expressway is the direct route, a straight line for 13 miles or so, and it rarely gets backed up (my office is south and east, the opposite direction of most commuter traffic). But when I have to get off the highway, the traffic has become insane. Just before I get to my office, I have to deal with a huge and busy huge intersection where the north-south and east-west turning lanes can't go simultaneously. If I miss the light, it's almost three minutes before I can try again. Once school is in session, it takes an average of nine minutes to make that turn.

By taking the scenic route, it's 3 miles longer, but about 8 minutes shorter most mornings. And today, as an extra special bonus, I got the sun dog. The sky was particularly beautiful, filled with a patchwork of high cirrus clouds, gilded by the rising sun. I'm not a particularly good morning person (aesthetically, I prefer sunset to sunrise), but this was a good one. Hopefully a harbinger of the day to come.