Nasty White Sneakers

Lounge of Dreams turns 2 and we had a party last night and we're having another tonight!! If any of y'all SLifers out there want to join in on the fun, come on over! And, for those not in SL, click here for pics from last night's party!

Signed up for Yuletide, perhaps foolishly. EEK! Wish me luck! Short post today b/c am using my phone to post. More tomorrow!

This entry was originally posted at http://scribbulus-ink.dreamwidth.org/511088.html. It's cross-posted to LJ and IJ, and comments are enabled at all three journals.

http://www.almostfabulous.com/ripley/archives/2009/11/the_day_before.php

Finished up the last of the shopping today. Went out for lunch. Put up the tree and decorated it. Cleaned. Wrapped presents.

I don't know if we've done everything or not. Guess I'll find out tomorrow.

drusillas-rain asked, "How long have you been writing? Have you written original fic? Can we expect to see more stories like Spooky Little Girl or was that a one-off? How do you and arionrhod collaborate together (the process)?"

I've written about our collaboration process before here, and even though I wrote that in 2007, it's still pretty accurate regarding our process. The only thing that's changed in the last two years is that we've moved toward writing more single POV stories than the alternating RP style.

As for more SNB next gen stories... We'd been kicking around the idea of writing one for a while, and we finally got around to doing it. "Spooky Little Girl" was a lot of fun to write, and we like the characters a great deal. Although we don't have concrete, specific plans for another next gen story, I'd say it's likely we'll write the kids again. Some of them proved to be quite... vocal about having their stories told, although I can't say when we'll get to it.

I wasn't sure if the first two questions were for me alone or for me and Arionrhod together, so I'll answer both ways.

I've been writing since I was old enough to hold a pencil. My earliest memories of writing is of writing what could be called Disney fanfiction. As I grew older, I branched out into bad hobbit, bad dragon rider, and bad wolf rider fanfiction, with a dollop of bad teen angst rhymed couplet epic poems thrown in for good measure. I've dabbled in original writing and had a few short stories published, and I got thisclose to getting a Regency romance novel accepted before the publishing company I submitted it to closed the Regency line. I've got a manuscript I've been tinkering with for years, and some day, I would like to finish it and try to get it published.

Arionrhod and I have been collaborating since August, 2004, and we've actually toyed with some original writing. We've played with the idea of turning the "Blood Bathory" concept into a novel, and we've done some brainstorming on a steampunk idea, but I think we need to stop getting distracted by fanfiction if we want any hope of finishing some original writing, either together or separately. There are only so many hours in a day, after all, and we're both busy with our jobs and relatives (and knitting! *G*), so if we focus on fanfiction, the original writing goes by the wayside and vice versa.

Maybe we'll get the original muses in gear after we finish all our holiday fest writing!


Topic suggestions welcome here on LJ, here on IJ, and here on DW.

This entry was originally posted at http://scribbulus-ink.dreamwidth.org/510955.html. It's cross-posted to LJ and IJ, and comments are enabled at all three journals.

Sesame Street turns 40 today!! WOOHOO!!!

http://www.almostfabulous.com/ripley/archives/2009/11/music_fest.php

Tonight, we attended Music Fest at the high school. K's band, along with four other bands from schools in the area, each played two pieces of music and then they joined together in a massed band for three more. It was entertaining and I really enjoyed it.

What I find most impressive is that these kids, along with an outside conductor (ie, not one of their regular music teachers), learned how to play these pieces of music together in a single afternoon. Plus, they played O Canada together at the end which they did not rehearse at all. Massed bands are cool.

http://community.livejournal.com/urban_decay/2307513.html

http://community.livejournal.com/urban_decay/2307206.html

Prezant Auto Ocks...

http://crevette.livejournal.com/304563.html

Still in bed. Still coughing. I'm feeling slightly better, despite the ongoing low grade fevers, so I'll take that as a plus.

I've been in bed pretty much all day with exceptions to get Liv from the bus stop and to order pizza online for dinner. I've been reading a message board about Scientology all day too.

Mind you, I live in Clearwater--spiritual home of the COS. I could walk to the Fort Harrison hotel. I see Flag busses pass my street every day. Most of my neighbors are COS--Nice people, but distant. I don't hang with them, they don't hang with the rest of us--It's very West Side Story but without the music, dancing, gang violence or angst. So nothing like West Side Story, really.

Living here, I kind of have a different viewpoint on the COS, I guess. I mean, whenever people come visit, I take them downtown to the Starbucks to go Scientologist spotting. I am assumed to be COS because of my zip code, so I get a lot of their mailings about their "approved" businesses, activities, schools, summer camps, yadda yadda.

I will admit to being a bit afraid of the COS as well. I mean, they are NASTY to people they don't like and they don't like a few of my friends. But still, some of the stuff that I'm reading about how they treat their 'parishoners' is blood-curdling. Poor people. It certainly makes my already-done avoidance of those "approved" businesses feel even more like the right thing.

So anyway, here I sit, bored out of my skull and typing whatever comes to mind. I haven't done that in a long time because... well... I've been busy and drained and sick and worried about my internet footprint and my professional life and freaky people knowing who I am and wanting to hurt my family and and and...

Blah. I've also consumed a Lortab(for the cough), an Augmentin, a Juicy Juice (fruit punch--mmmm) and five Golden Double Stuffed Oreos--which are the food of the Gods and will never, EVER be allowed in my house again. (When I had no appetite and eating three of them with the Augmentin to be sure I didn't puke and then wouldn't eat anything else all day, that was fine. Now that my appetite is back, OH HELL NO I CAN'T HAVE THIS IN THE HOUSE.)

So anyway, what to talk about?

It's turning a little chilly tonight--may drop to 58F or so. I'm going to have to remember to pull out an extra blanket before the Lortab really kicks in. I won't really care that I'm cold but when it wears off and I wake up to pee, that will be tragic.

Liv is struggling in high school. Part of it is the change--it is a big change from middle school, after all. She's not used to having to study hard in all her classes. Hell, she's not used to studying and doesn't grasp the concept of "working ahead" very well. And when I get the progress reports in that say she's not doing her homework after I ask her EACH AND EVERY DAY, "so, any homework?", well, yeah. THAT conversation went well, as you can assume.

And the issue is this. She's in high school. I can only do so much and I should only HAVE to do so much. She's getting close to adulthood and she's going to have to learn how to handle consequences on her own. And as much as that sucks, it is a truth in life that if you don't work for what you want, you won't get it (well, usually. Some people always seem to have everything handed to them, but that's never been us. And there's always the caveat that no matter how hard you work, sometimes you don't get what you want either, but at least you tried.) (can't you tell I've taken a narcotic? Why are you reading this?)

I'm still incredibly blessed. Liv is an awesome kid and since we've had the 'conversation', she's been writing down all her homework assignments and then showing them to us to show us she's completed them. (we don't... CAN'T... check for accuracy--her classes are too advanced for us) She admitted today she likes having to do that because it MAKES her have to do them. So hopefully this will be the end of it. I hope. She's too smart to be screwing up her future with stupid stuff.

She is making top grades in Honors World History (columella should be proud). She was a little bummed when she had to do an oral report on Alexander the Great.

"That's awesome! I love his story," I said.

She rolled her eyes and whined, "he's BORING. BORING."

I was driving so I was only able to side glance at her. "You know he was gay, right?"

She sat straight up. "What? Really?"

"Or at least Bi. His lover was ... I can't remember his name. Some servant, I think. You'll have to research that part."

"THAT IS SO AWESOME."

She received a 100% on that report too. Went over her alotted time and everything since she'd researched him to the hilt based on that one sentence.

She is so my kid.


What else???

Evan the kitten is doing well. Luna is sleeping on my feet as I type this. We've had to completely seperate them because Luna is not accepting him, and he's not too happy with her either. He and Leyla get along okay and I've seen her actually tolerating a little bit (not much) of play out of him.

The worst part is that Evan teases Luna through the glass door. He likes to sit right on top of carrier I keep out there (he likes to run in and out of it and sleep in it) and stare in at Luna. This, of course, drives Luna batshit and she charges the door, jumps on it, tries to push it open, tries to dig under it, yadda yadda. Evan sits there, stares at her, meows at her and then makes those kitten feints at the door with his paw.

Luna spends most of her time glaring at him, tail done up like a bottle brush. We have very strict times when they are allowed into the main part of the house. Only Leyla gets free access to everywhere, but she'd rather sleep.

Liv thinks that Luna has gained weight since Evan arrives, and swears that it is all muscle. She thinks that either she's got a kitty weight lifting gym hidden somewhere or she's on steroids. She then states the steroids would explain the aggressive behavior--'roid rage.

We were discussing possible sources--Leyla has never liked Luna and could be trying to set her up. But that would be too much work for Leyla and would cut into her 26 hour a day sleep schedule.

We finally decided the squirrels were the source and were imitating squirrels in trench coats lifting up their arms, pointing at their wares and squeaking.

Of course, Thom thinks it is strange that we still think this visual is hilariously funny. Figures.

Thom's father continues to worsen. It is my understanding that he was near unresponsive last time his brother went up to see him. That makes me very sad

And under the heading of "It keeps piling on", my sister/aunt (long story) Cissie is in ICU in Jacksonville. Long story short, the woman pretty much raised me and was my favorite sister. She protected me from my alcoholic (grand)mother, and then ran away and got into a lot of bad things over the years. Ruined her liver with alcohol and drugs, and looks like she may have gone too far with the latest binge.

I'm so sad for several reasons. Obviously, I can't take off and go see her, and I think I'd rather not. I love this woman so much that I think I'd rather remember her before she got messed up--and it makes me so sad to think how far back I have to think to find a time when she wasn't messed up. Fucking drugs. It makes me so damn angry sometimes to think about lives wasted.

But anyway... I really don't have much else to say. Maybe I'll go dig up Eternity of Blood or something while I'm wasted.

A quick one, because it's been a long and busy day, and I'm running low on brain cells.

Lore asked, "I know you love Johnny Depp, but what made you pick that particular quote and title for your journal?"

This refers to my Insanejournal only, because I haven't transferred the title/quote over to LJ or DW.

For those who haven't seen it, the title is "Upsetting All the Buffalo", and the profile quote is "The story opens on these mysterious explosions. Nobody knows what's causing them, but it's upsetting all the buffalo", which is from Ed Wood.

I have a fondness for Ed Wood and his movies (ditto William Castle, king of the gimmick), and I went to see the bio pic (Burton directed; Depp played Wood) when it was released. A while back, I realized it had been ages since I'd seen it, and I was in the mood for it, so I rented it from Netflix.

There's a scene where Ed Wood is poring over random bits of stock footage, including a scene of a buffalo stampede and a scene of bombs going off, and he makes up a story on the spot about what he's watching and starts thinking about how to turn it into a movie script. I was vastly amused by the sheer badness of the story, but also impressed that Wood was such an enthusiastic storyteller, he'd make something up about anything and try to make it work, no matter how crappy the end results were. He wasn't a good writer, but he had passion, so it was the juxtaposition of something that's awful and funny and pathetic and yet somehow inspiring that struck me enough to preserve the quote.

It serves to remind me that passion and determination trump talent. You can have all the talent in the world, but if you don't use it, it's wasted and no good to anyone. Meanwhile, someone who's utter crap can get things done if they have enough enthusiasm and drive to do it. The mere fact that Plan 9 from Outer Space is still available, aired, and watched attests to that.

It serves to remind me that I need to get off my ass and upset some buffalo while I still can.

This entry was originally posted at http://scribbulus-ink.dreamwidth.org/510718.html. It's cross-posted to LJ and IJ, and comments are enabled at all three journals.

We need a pinch hitter! We're looking for someone who can write romance, smut, and light kink, preferably someone good with threesomes. No dark!fic or heavy kink for this one, sorry. The deadline for the pinch hit will be November 30.

If you're interested, email the Snupin Santa mods at snupin_santa @ yahoo.com. Thanks!

So, the other day someone tried to sell me something he claimed was for even skin pigmentation, but was marked on the box as 'skiin-lightening'. I mentioned this on twitter and a few people were pretty surprised that they existed.

( The delights of bleached skin and a colonised mind. )

Also, please do not compare these to skin tanning creams as they are not the same thing. One comes from a deep seated sense of self-hatred and colonialism; the other comes from a desire to appear like a 'healthy' person who had enough time to lie in the sun and get an even tan.

This entry was originally posted at http://ms-treesap.dreamwidth.org/51083.html | Please comment there using OpenID | ( so far)

http://community.livejournal.com/urban_decay/2306952.html

http://www.almostfabulous.com/ripley/archives/2009/11/transformation.php

I'm busy stressing over the fact that we're having Christmas here on Saturday so watch this video of an awesome Halloween costume (just over 1 minute). A friend of my son said, "I want!" followed by "That's a painted Optimus Prime helmet!" Whatever, kid, it's still very cool.

Title: Standing Outside the Fire
Pairings: Snape/Lupin (explicit) and Harry/Hermione/Draco (implied only)
Rating: NC-17 eventually. Brought to you by Dizilla who convinced me I could write porn, Thanks Diz!
Author: azurerosa
Summary: How does a Gryffindor court a Slytherin until he wants to be part of his life?
( Standing Outside the Fire part one )

Title: Office Boy
Author: snegurochka_lee
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: ~2,500
Warnings: EWE, probably. Also, see theme.
Summary: Harry watched the single bead of sweat slide down the side of Malfoy's face, slipping behind his ear and disappearing into his hair, and Harry's body gave a shiver at the thought of what was causing Malfoy's tension.
Notes: Written for the November theme of 'nipple clamps' at daily_deviant. Also, this is for marguerite_26, who was the most insanely tireless cheerleader and beta for my hd_career_fair story last month when I turned into a whinging snowflake of epic proportions and was wringing my hands over ever having been mad enough to sign up for an H/D fest. :) She suggested Harry/Teddy, actually, when I insisted on writing her a reward, but that shall have to wait for another day, because lo, now it seems my brain is all LET'S WRITE MOAR H/D OKAY. :/

( Office Boy ) - over at daily_deviant

http://crevette.livejournal.com/304310.html

Well, isn't this an interesting development so late in the season? And honestly, I wouldn't have even caught it if I wasn't friggin' BORED OUT OF MY SKULL AND IN BED FOR THE PAST WEEK.

So, let's see what happens here. I don't know if the Gulf is warm enough to support/accellerate a tropical system right now. Off to do my research. FROM MY BED.

::sighs:: ::COUGH HACK GAG::

I updated my flickr page with more SL pics! yeah!!

if you want to see them click here.

http://community.livejournal.com/urban_decay/2306728.html

I don't think I ever posted this set from back in the spring, so here goes:

Purplefluffycat asked, "If you were to meet Snape in real life (canon Snape or 'your' Snape, as appropriate) how would you react to one another? Do you think you could become friends?"

Recently, I saw an online discussion about Sheldon** from The Big Bang Theory in which a lot of women chimed in, "I love him!", and a guy asked something along the lines of "Why do women love Sheldon so much, but not me? I'm like him, but I can't get a date!"

My first thought was, "Because he's fictional, and we don't have to live with him." I think the same applies to Snape, whether canon or fanon.

Also, I think I'm too much like Snape in certain, fundamental ways - especially if we're talking about meeting "my" Snape - and we'd clash. I suspect we could spend a few hours swapping horror stories about our respective teaching experiences and making fun of particularly idiotic students, though. On that topic, we'd probably be in full accord!

But for a long-term, sustainable friendship, I need a Lupin-type - a yin to my yang - which is, I suspect, part of why Arionrhod and I have gotten along so well for so long. We balance each other out nicely, and she's patient with my quirks.



**For those who haven't seen BBT, Sheldon is an anal retentive, arrogant genius geek who has no social skills and doesn't care that he has no social skills because everyone else is less intelligent than he is and therefore not worth his time and attention anyway. Things must be done a certain way Or Else, and despite everything, he somehow manages to make everyone around him conform to his quirky demands, probably because giving in is easier than arguing with him. He lives in Sheldon World and is quite happy there.