Callie

thistlerose @ 2:22pm: I've told my cat not to be evil. Why won't she listen?

After a year and a half she's suddenly interested in the things on my shelves. The very breakable things on my shelves. She keeps jumping up there and I keep chasing her away. Usually, she's perfectly good when I leave her alone for the weekend, but I'm kind of afraid I'm going to return on Monday and find my apartment a disaster area. Or maybe she's only doing it for the attention. I don't know.

The snow is falling pretty lightly, but they're still expecting about 8 inches before all is said and done. Ugh.

thistlerose @ 12:07pm: It's supposed to snow all day, but I still plan on digging out the car and driving to Minnesota tomorrow afternoon. Not really looking forward to it, but apparently my mom's making her excellent mac and cheese for tomorrow night, and there'll be a fire in the stove, and doggies, and I think I'm seeing "Up in the Air" with a friend on Saturday, then going out for sushi. Yay!

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Since I'm snowbound:

Ask me any fandom-related questions in the comments. They can be fandom specific, general, or about fandom/lj stuff/fic writing/etc. in general.

Questions can be as wacky as you want and have as many subparts as you like. Ask me about tv shows, characters, fanfic in general, fandom issues/meta, anything about any of my stories specifically. Whatever you want.

Fandoms: Star Trek (Reboot, TOS, DS9, TNG), Harry Potter, Gundam Wing, Voltron, Dragonriders of Pern, The West Wing, Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Angel, The Big Bang Theory, Battlestar Galactica (reboot), Firefly, Veronica Mars, Gilmore Girls, Prydain, Narnia, Doctor Who, Torchwood, others that I'm probably forgetting.

thistlerose @ 8:19pm: Today I discovered that applesauce comes out better if you boil the apples on the stove top, rather than exploding them in the microwave. Don't judge. And I haven't blown up (well, more like melted) any apples since I was 23. (I couldn't find applesauce in Japan. And, occasionally, I'm dumb.)

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Yay, my immersion blender is here! I'm not going to have time to play with it until I get back from Minnesota on Monday. What are your favorite soup recipes that require blenders? I feel like making soup. Soup is hard to screw up.

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My muses aren't cooperating. *pout* On the other hand, I'm sleeping so well - for the most part, but I still don't have much energy - which is the opposite of what happened the last time I had a long-ish vacation. It's cold. I sleep better when it's cold, but apparently I write better and go out and do more when it's coolish to fairly warm. Huh. Maybe I should look for jobs in the south. I hate the heat, but...

thistlerose @ 11:07pm: I had this rant about warning for het and warning for slash (especially in communities devoted to particular ships) but I deleted it. I'm not in the mood for a rant.

I did update my profile, and I added the Midnight Conversations Arc to my story arcs master post. Um, yeah. Wow, I wrote a lot between 2003 and 2006. I couldn't find everything, but most of the big stories (Burns Night, 3 Weeks, Secret Language of Cats, etc.) are there.

One of my local Blockbusters is closing, so all their pre-viewed movies were being sold for $1.99. I picked up a few I wouldn't have bought at full price, including "Waitress," which I saw in the theaters and actually do like despite the fairy tale elements of the story. Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion are adorable and OMG PIE. I want pie now.

I was amused by how many copies of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crystal Skull" the store still had. Seriously, shelves of them. *snort*

thistlerose @ 9:38am: So, apparently it less time for a small package to get from New Zealand to here than it did for my night parking renewal request (with a first-class stamp) to get all of 1.8 miles to the downtown police station. The hell? I would think that anything addressed to the police would take priority, even during the holidays, but apparently not.

In any case, the permit is on its way. In an ideal world it would arrive tomorrow. Yeah, right.

But at least I don't have to drive down there!

thistlerose @ 10:57pm: I started rewatching Queer as Folk (UK version) to remind myself that, once upon a time, RTD could do subtle. I forgot how much I love this show, omg. Vince! Stu! Hazel! Nathan! Donna! ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

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Tomorrow I have to deal with the police department about my night parking permit. Which I ordered over a week ago and which isn't here yet. The old one expired on the 31st, so... I kinda need the new one! They're generally nice - or they have been when I've had to deal with them about avoiding getting tickets - but it's really annoying. I just want to be able to park close to where I live without being afraid of getting a ticket! Wtf?

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I got to work at the reference desk by myself today. The entire time, almost. We're on inter-term right now, so it's fairly quiet, but still. They wouldn't turn me loose if they didn't trust me, right?

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Three days off, then work, then Minne-snow-ta. Yay? It's like -12 there. O_O

thistlerose @ 1:55pm: Slow afternoon at the library. I wish I could write porn here; I'd work on my km_anthology fic. Which is getting plotty and character-study-y. O_o Quite enjoying my turtle mocha and ginger-date scone.

Copied from spookykat:

The Fanfic Cliche Meme

( Of how many am I guilty? )

thistlerose @ 3:27pm: Fan Fiction Sorted By Story Arc
Eventually, I'm hoping to locate and organize all the story arcs I've written, but for now, this is a work in progress. Story arc = a series of three or more connected stories. All of these stories can be read independently. Unless otherwise noted, all links go to livejournal posts.

This post does not include my one-shots. At some point, I may catalog them as well, but for now, I think LJ's tag system does the job.

( Star Trek Reboot )

( The Dragonriders of Pern )

( The Lion in Winter / Plantagenets )

( Harry Potter )

( Gundam Wing )

thistlerose @ 12:03am: I swear, I wanted to tranquilize Sophie today. I had to put her in the penalty box (i.e. the bathroom) twice. O_o She was crazy. She's five and a half. Shouldn't she be mellow by now?

ETA: For people who are new to this journal: Sophie is my cat, not a child. *g* I wouldn't lock a child in the bathroom. Probably.

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Good librarian that I am, I thought I'd round up all the story arcs I've written and make a master post. There's the Forever-verse from ST, the Pern AU, the Angels arc from GW, the other GW arc where all the fics are in the first person, Midnight Conversations, and the HP AU that "In Theory" is a part of. I think.

Yeah, this is where my inability to remember what the hell I've written becomes a problem. Also, I'm seriously daunted by the sheer volume of Harry Potter fics in my back catalog. O_O

Also, I'm not sure I want to facilitate the finding of certain fics, particularly from my Gundam Wing days.

Maybe it'll be a project for Monday, if work is slow.

thistlerose @ 4:01pm: I've ordered a blender! One of those little wand-things. I'm excited about this. I haven't had a blender since I moved here. I'm going to make yummy soup and smoothies (when it's not ridiculously cold).

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There's a very good chance I'll be in the Twin Cities this coming weekend, from Friday night to Monday afternoon. I think my mommy may be planning something for Saturday or Sunday, but whichever day I'm free, if any of you are free, perhaps there could be meet-ups.

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OMG, I'll be thirty two weeks from tomorrow. O_O OMG, three decades of me! The two in the middle weren't so spiffing, but I have high hopes for the next one.

Just thought I'd put that out there.

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Yet another fandom meme, copied from boosette:

( First Fandom of 2009 and other exciting things. )

thistlerose @ 1:03pm: Yuletide 2009 stories
Once again, I went back to my roots for Yuletide. Many, many thanks to archon_mentha and semielliptical for beta reading.

The Truth of It
Fandom: The Prydain Chronicles
Rating: all ages
Characters: Doli and Gwystyl
Summary: Doli wouldn't say that he MISSED any of his old companions. Still, he couldn't help wondering how they were getting on.
A/N: For isilrandir. Set post-series. 1,590 words. I swear, the actual writing of this story didn't take half as long as trying to figure out which plants were native to Wales and blossomed in the early autumn. That should have been easy. It wasn't. (Humph!) All the same, I do like this story. Doli has ever been one of my favorite characters.

Unlike most of his kindred, he'd dealt directly with mortals, mostly of his own free will. He'd fought alongside them, bled alongside them, shared their sorrows and triumphs.

__________

Knights and Ladies
Fandom: Voltron (Lion Team)
Rating: all ages
Ship: Allura/Keith
Summary: In which our heroine figures out what she wants and goes for it.
A/N: 1,910 words. For lunasky.

Why was she being so timid? She wasn't the girl she used to be, shivering under her blankets in her cave, just listening to ghostly voices out of legends, pretending she could rely on their protection. Here was one of her knights, in the flesh, and here was she, his equal.

thistlerose @ 12:00am: Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be fogot,
And auld lang syne

For auld lang syne, my jo
For auld lang syne
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne.

And surely ye'll be your pint stowp!
And surely I'll be mine!
And we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

We twa hae run about the braes
And pou'd the gowans fine;
But we've wander'd mony a weary fitt,
Sin auld lang syne.

We twa had paidl'd in the burn,
Frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin auld lang syne.

And there's a hand, my trusty fiere!
And gie's a hand o' thine!
And we'll tak a right gude-willie-waught,
For auld lang syne!

For auld lang syne, my jo
For auld lang syne
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne.

(It's more fun in Scots.)

Happy New Year!!!!

♥

thistlerose @ 8:53pm: 2 more ficlets for 2009
I wrote these for the pan-fandom fic-a-thon inell is currently hosting. So with just over three hours to go...

Atonement

Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Rating: teen-ish (language)
Characters: Faith & Buffy
Summary: She's no good at saying sorry - because, most of the time, she isn't.
A/N: Post-series, no comics spoilers. 430 words.

( The words came out all strange, kind of crinkly-sounding, like her throat was lined with broken glass. )


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Pillowcase

Fandom: Star Trek Reboot
Rating: teen-ish (language, allusions to sex)
Ship: Kirk/McCoy (UST)
Summary: He has this shirt of Bones's, and he's not giving it back.
A/N: 700 words. I borrowed some elements from the Forever-verse, so this could take place between Heading Straight For A Fall and The Next Time You Say Forever. Or it could be read as a completely independent ficlet.
ETA: shingo_the_pest made art! Eeee!

( It’s a little embarrassing, probably a little childish, but what the hell. )

thistlerose @ 10:15am: Plan: laze around in pajamas, shower, laze around in clothes, heat up frozen tempura, watch "The Two Towers," observe the stroke of midnight, bed. Not as much fun as last year, but I'm in a supremely lazy mood.

( End of the year meme. )

thistlerose @ 5:53pm: Hmmm...

the I AM meme

thistlerose @ 4:19pm: I got my grades for the semester finally. A, A, and A-. (The latter is for Metadata. Considering how little I took away from the class, I'm not complaining. Though I will say my final project turned out well.) I do feel as though I worked hard, so. Yay!

I'm so bored right now. I ran errands during the morning. I watched some tv. I read a chunk of my book. I extolled the virtues of my new laptop (Serenity) to a friend who's in the market. I did a few crossword puzzles to keep my brain awake. Now I have nothing to do. This is the problem with getting up early when you're on vacation!

(I woke up with my kitty cat's little chin resting on my arm. I opened my eyes and she blinked sleepily back at me. N'aaaaw, kitty.)

I should write something. The story I'm working on now isn't due until mid-Feb, but ... none of my other bunnies are exciting me at the moment. Well, there's Epic #3 ... though I haven't even written up an outline for that one yet.

I've been thinking again about getting a second master's degree. It would be in history, probably American History. I should do it if I want to get myself on a tenure track, but I'm daunted by the prospect of shelling out another $10,000 a semester. O_O I'd rather get myself hired by a college or university, and take classes there - at a discount, I would hope - while working.

Hmm. I should update my resume and start looking around for job openings for September. *writes smut instead*

thistlerose @ 10:12pm: I got out of the apartment again today! I drove to Brookfield with a friend, and we had lunch at a vegetarian restaurant called Cafe Manna. We shared a very nice, interestingly spiced lentil burger, and this flatbread pizza with feta, spinach, blood oranges, pine nuts, and persimmons. We ordered the latter because it sounded too bizarre not to try, and we quite liked it. Definitely an odd mix of flavors, but it kind of worked.

Then I came home and did nothing. *hangs head*

I was going to write, but somehow that didn't happen. I dunno. Must be because the story I'm supposed to be working on now is a very happy one. I can't do purely uplifting anymore. O_o

Then I came up with this other bunny, which could prove epic. I don't need another epic. *wails*

I need cookies. How are there none here?

Oh, the results of this quiz were not altogether surprising:

( Which Star Trek Character Are You? )

thistlerose @ 2:49pm: I wonder if any of you can guess which stories I wrote for Yuletide this year. (Two of you know which ones they are, so, uh, you can't play. Sorry. *g* ) If you guess one or both, I'll write you a ficlet in the fandom of your choice. (Well, no HP. Probably. We'll see.)

Hints:

They're both in fandoms I've written before.
They're both set post-canon.
They were both written for Yuletide itself, not Madness.

That's it.

ETA: Comments screened.

thistlerose @ 10:44am: Do any of you have an mp3 or m4a of Dylan's "Make You Feel My Love"? I realized the other night that I have three covers of the song, but not the original, so I figured I'd ask before downloading it from iTunes.

Thanks!

thistlerose @ 10:43am: After wibbling yesterday, I actually did sit down and rewrite the second sex scene in The Next Time You Say Forever. (And updated the chapter.) At present, I'm quite satisfied. More than I was before, and I only left it so long because I couldn't put my finger on what was wrong. I think I finally did: they're tired and still kind of shaken up. So, the new version takes that into account. It's also a bit more descriptive, a bit longer (to the tune of 500 words) and a tiny bit more banter-y. So. Yay.

I also wrote about 150 words of my Mirrim story. *g* She's such a brat, and that's one of the reasons I love her. She's going to get into so much trouble. And I don't think T'gellan's going to bail her out his time. Well, she's not going to let him. I honestly do not know where this is going, but sometimes that's the way that works.

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I have recs too! From Yuletide. The treats are up, and OMG! I got two adorable "Order of the Stick" ficlets, both about Daigo! Whom I've adored (along with Kazumi) ever since he realized that just having a name increased his chance of survival. In Background Characters' Guide to Survival he gives a pep talk to some NPCs. In Rhymes With "Can-o-Data" he and Kazumi give some musical advice to Elan. They're both hilarious and could seriously be inserted seamlessly into the comic.

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*g* The toast just popped and my cat jumped a whole foot in the air. Oh, Will.

thistlerose @ 5:15pm: I bought groceries (salad! apples! mmmm!) and mopped the floor. I am a hero. I have done nothing else productive today. :)

Well, there's this:

( End of the Year Fic Meme )

thistlerose @ 10:48am: I'm kind of in love with Yahoo Weather's forecast for Milwaukee this evening: snow transitioning into snow.

Really? :P

I wonder if I should bother trying to drive to the grocery store today, or just save it for Monday when the snow's supposed to stop. On the one hand, it's probably pretty yucky out there, since it rained all of yesterday and now the temperature is dropping. On the other hand, I have no salad, only apples that aren't very crunchy anymore. I'm my mother's daughter: a meal is not complete if there's no leafy green stuff. And I didn't leave the apartment at all yesterday.

OMG, I need to clean my apartment. That is what I need to do today, if I do nothing else. I haven't mopped the floor since ... I'm not telling.

Then I think I'll finish my Firefly marathon. I only have three episodes left. My favorite episode changes each time I watch the series. Right now it's "Our Mrs. Reynolds," since I've been thinking about Saffron and how she could have been an interesting foil for Mal. More so than any of the other antagonists he's had to deal with, even the Operative. Who was cool, don't get me wrong.

I think maybe I'll start writing one of these stories. But I don't know which one.

I slept weirdly deeply last night and had strange dreams. One was about "The Office," of all things. Dwight and Oscar hooked up, and I wish I could unsee what I saw. O_O (I love Dwight, but Oscar could do better.)

thistlerose @ 10:56pm: The other day, on a whim, I posted some old photos from elementary school, junior high, and high school to Facebook, and since then I've been getting nice messages from girls with whom I haven't really talked in ages. I'm so glad I did that. Most of high school wasn't much fun (junior high sucked beyond the telling, so I'm not even going to go here) but enough time has passed that I can look back and smile.

I should dig up some more old photos.

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Yuletide Archive still loading so slowly! Maybe I'll stop trying to read things tonight and save the goodies for next week. I've got the whole week off, which is kind of cool.

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I think I've decide to call the laptop Serenity. It's a gamble, but the day I finally started her up, I happened to watch "Out of Gas," and the way Mal was looking at his ship was kind of the way I was looking at my laptop. *g* So, there you go. I may live to regret this.

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Since I have the whole week off, I'm going to try to get some writing done. ( Current projects )

What's crazy is that I think I've written more this year than I have in a long, long time. It's hard to tell from my tags, since there are a number of short HP stories that I haven't linked to, but ... I think this is the most prolific I've been since 2004. And I maintained my A average! And have a job! Part-time, but still! Dude.

thistlerose @ 5:23pm: I'm bored and the Yuletide archive is loading so slowly and my cat has stolen my spot and I'm rather loath to wake her and move her since she was so obnoxious earlier and ... and ... (Heh. Can we say "whipped"?)

So, here's sort of a rant/observation about Star Trek Reboot, which some of you have heard before.

Let me preface this by saying: I love Reboot, and the more insanities I come across, the more I love it. But this has been bugging me for some reason, possibly because it's a mistake that did not need to be.

Also: I know I'm thinking about his way too much. I've been bored.

( Concerning the birth of our hero. )

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I'm also thinking of these boots or these boots or these boots. The suede boots are more my style, tbh, and would go better with my skirts, but people really seem to like the leather.

thistlerose @ 11:54am: Merry Christmas!

My goodness, my neighborhood is so deserted! There've been maybe three cars going by since I got up at 8:30 this morning, and there are no lights in any of the windows across the street. And it's so quiet! I've never been alone on Christmas before, and it's kind of spooky and cool. (Seriously. When I was in Japan six years ago, I spent Christmas at this youth hostel somewhere in northern Nagano, and the hostess made me a cake. Like, an actual cake because it was Christmas and I was alone and by that point I'd given up trying to explain that not all Americans celebrate the holiday. It was a lovely, lovely thing for her to do. ♥ )

Anyway.

This year some lovely, lovely person wrote Eyes Whirling Bright for my for Yuletide! It's Pernfic and it's about Moreta, my favorite gold rider! It's about her early days at Fort Weyr and it's full of sweet, touching moments between rider and dragon and I love it to pieces.

And I'm kind of excited that Yuletide Madness isn't open for business yet, because it means I have more goodies to look forward to later in the day.

Wow, it's nearly noon and I'm still in my pajamas. I think I'm going to heat up some of the leftover Chinese food, get back into bed, and watch "A Christmas Story" on DVD. I'm feeling supremely lazy and it's not like there's anything to do, what with all the people in my neighborhood having vanished. I suppose most of them have gone to church and to relatives' houses, since I think many of them are students. Hmm.

Anyway, I hope you're all having a very lovely holiday!!