Thursday, November 27, 2008

Blood Doesn't Make a Family, Love Does.

So, it’s a half hour before midnight on Thanksgiving and I have been remiss. Now is the time I thank the characters who live in my head (and my heart).

Thanksgiving is supposed to be all about family (also turkey and the taking over of Native American land, but I digress), so I want to take this opportunity to say a word of thanks for the characters I know and love. To begin with, my Mimi: you were my first and my most constant. I love you chica! To Mark, Roger, Joanne, Angel, Collins, and little Gloria (who is growing up so very fast). To the boys who study history in Hector’s class and the ones who sell papes on the streets. To the coffee shop owner and her family, to her clients, to the Torchwood team (and assorted partners and children spanning the verses I’ve created for them), to the Doctor in the TARDIS and Rose in the Parallel World. To the garden boy and the piano girl. To the other Captain in braces and his crew of misfits who fit together. To the characters I created and the ones I borrowed from those better than I. To the characters who are me and the ones who are my friends and family. To the tart with a heart and the OC kids with kids. To the determined Helena and the puckish Robin Goodfellow. To the princess with a passion for fashion and the dirty rotten girl. To the love sleuth and the girl in the fuzzy pink bra. To Wilson caring loudly in his office, to the scared girls with Huntington’s. To the boys of Babylon and the vampires of the Underground. To the older versions of my young characters. To the Angel and the Demon who bring Good Omens. To Nancy and Tegan and the drama they provide with Hannah and Russel by their side. From the Brooklyn Heights to London’s Underground, from South Wales to the land east of the Mississippi River. From the Evans’ to the Lloyd’s. From the Harkness-Jones’ to the Marquez-Jefferson’s. From the newest arrival Rosie to the teenage version of Gloria and Radames II.

I give thanks for each and every one of you. You’re all brilliant characters that any writer would be lucky to work with and I’m thrilled to call you all mine. To you all: thanks for being there.

Monday, November 24, 2008

The Way We Get By

Spent all of yesterday (around eight whole hours) at Kris' house yesterday, watching Torchwood with her, Justin, and Jorge from Miracle Worker. I did the best lines along with the telly, shushed our commentary for the best lines "He just..." "Came and went.", and generally made a dork of myself (even hid under my jacket during the more gory bits of Countrycide). But the best part was I was being a geek in front of people who are geeks as well! Justin and Jorge are now Torchwood fans, so my work is done!

But as the saying I have just made up goes: "As you shareth your obsessions with others, so shall they shareth their obsessions with you." Translation: I watch 3/4 of an episode of Supernatural and just HAD to finish it when I got home. Bless you oh, surfthechannel.com. Now, as soon as I finish my gorram papers for Queer Theory and Feminism (assuming I ever do finish them before I commit hari-kari), I am going to watch more episodes.

What clinched the fact that I would now seek out Supernatural? This clip, as shown by Kris:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bgd30bjQmes

Friday, November 21, 2008

Connection in an Isolating Age

So, I spent my afternoon hanging out with Evie and Aubrey. We had Chipotle's (which hurt like hell due to jaw-thingy, but I fought through), then headed off to the mall.

On the way we sung Rent (haven't done that in far far too long), finishing with "Out Tonight" before we got out of the car. Then we just wandered around, looking at nothing and everything. Eventually the characters started mucking about (Ianto is unnerved by Roger, exasperated by Jack, likes Rose, and is still snappy with the Doctor, we've learned). Evie bought some CDs for their road trip/move to Arizona *cries and misses already*

Then we came home and hung out for a while. Showed Aubrey the pics from Dragon*Con (Evie was discussing WoW with my brother *rolls eyes*), and the posters and pictures with the boys. Told them the story of Gareth's name plate being in my possession, the friends I made, the fun I had...

Here comes the particularly fun bit: Evie bought me my first vibrator (it's pretty and pink). Which seems paradoxically really weird and like a rite of passage. Bugger is I have no AAA's. Fuckwank!

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Instrumental

So as I was finishing up a phone call before Feminism today, I slowed to a stop to say goodbye. I happened to look to my right, then quickly again to be sure I wasn't seeing things.

Or people.

Minas, who I knew from my very first acting class was standing there, looking just as surprised to see me. We were both shocked, but quickly hugged. We discuss how we'd all lost touch and how good it was to see each other again. He introduced me to his friend Michael (whom I apparently danced with at Minas' birthday party. I don't remember that, but he was cute, so I'm fine with it =8->). Minas has (obviously) grown up quite a bit in the nearly three and a half years since we've seen each other. Taller (but he was always), scruffy-faced (in a good way), and his voice got much deeper. Uninvited, the tiny crush I'd harboured on him decided to show back up (looking extremely tan from the vacation it's been on for three and a half years) and flutter it's manic wings. I walked into my class grinning like a loon, staring off into space, the whole deal.

He asked if I have my classes at 2 every Tuesday and Thursday. I said I do. Maybe that means we'll see each other again. You never know. See? That's the flutter I was talking about...

Monday, November 17, 2008

5 Reasons Why Jennifer Baumgardner is my Hero

1. Her book Look Both Ways: Bisexual Politics was the first I'd ever seen with the word bisexual on the cover. It is brilliant and inspired me in so many ways I cannot even begin to describe.

2. She is a kickass feminist and activist who campaigns for all the things we need: GLBT rights, women's rights creating a dialogue about abortion, creating a dialogue about rape.

3. At the lecture she gave today, she was incredibly intelligent and clever and she's coming from a place of research, not just feelings.

4. She's gorgeous. (Shallow, I know)

5. While I was waffling on about how awesome she is after the lecture as she was signing books, I mentioned that if I had the money I would buy her book. If I wasn't a fool, I'd have brought Bisexual Politics to ask her to sign. Wanna know what she did? She bought me a copy of her own book. I coudn't even manage the words to refute the gesture or thank her for her kindness. I think I stumbled out something about how awesome she is and kind and shook her hand. All I could manage, I turned to intellectual jelly in her presence.

Find something she's done: one of her amazing books, the film I Had An Abortion that she helped create, an article she's written...anything and read it. She's absolutely wonderful and more people need to read her work. She's a visionary and that is not a word I throw out all the time, believe you me. Trust me and go read her work.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

A Day Spent Cooing Over Crafts: Priceless

There's always been something about craft fairs for me. Now I have pretty much no practical uses at all; I am nearly inept at making arts and crafts. But I am amazed by other people's ingenuity.

Similarly, I'm also a huge fan of yard sales (might have one of my own to help pay for school). Next door had one today, so after returning from the craft fair I headed over. I like the almost voyeuristic aspect of buying someone else's things. You look at their offerings and wonder where they got them and how and why.

Today's purchases:
Craft Fair
A sweet little shell ornament to remind me of home when I'm in St Augustine (and later Cardiff) -.50
A white snowflake ornament sprinkled with green and purple face made by the kiddies of the church. Along with a lovely card featuring a Christmas scene on the coast (to put Mum's gift in) -1.00
A painted wooden good luck elephant, a inlaid wood cat, and a keychain that says: Love is a sweet poison (bit more...cynical is perhaps the right word, than I normally like, but something called to me) -7.00
Scrabble tile pendant: A bit of French art (le journal) with an E on the opposite side. -6.00
The big purchase was an absolutely beautiful pen with a pattern of purple swirls along the shaft. -20.00

Yard Sale
I would like to invoke Excuse #294 (Barrowman made me do it!) into play here. A lovely cotton wall hanging with Robert Burns on it, along with a quote and pictures of Scottish landmarks. -.50
A Kitchen Witch with hooks on the bottom of the panel. I'll need all the help I can get in my own kitchen... -.50
The Bells of St Mary's VHS (Mum's present): an old Bing Crosby movie that I adore. -.50
Travel the World: Italy VHS (because if I go to Verona, I should have at least some background knowledge) -.50
A red beret that I am going to figure out how to hide my hair in if only to fasten on a waistcoat and declare my Ianto Jones w/Red Unit Cap *winks* -1.00


See? Christmas shopping, new flat shopping and damn good time all for less than $40. Course now I will need to have my own yard sale in order to cover the costs and make some extra towards Christmas shopping for everyone else on my list.

Friday, November 14, 2008

I Feel Like a 4th Grade Dweeb

Okay, so now I apparently need an MRI *whimpers* to find out what the flingin' flangin' hell is wrong with my jawline or teeth or whatever. The mouth did diddly squat in making me able to eat. And it's really fucking awkward.


What I'm loving right nowi: Rascal Flatts, Sugarland, Brad Paisley and Lady Antebellum all picked up awards at the CMAs on Wednesday; The Uncommon Reader is being shipped to me and I'll have it soon; I'm hoping to make some money selling my unwanted books (Push come to shove, I'll take 'em to school and barter); Jon Stewart's verbally ass-kicking Bill O'Reilly; the film Quid Pro Quo which is fucking amazing (Go watch now!)
What I'm hating right now: The continuing inability to eat without pain; people giving me advice about said inability to eat (rather starve than drink Ensure); my NaNo count is still below 20k and tomorrow's the halfway point.

Off to kick my own ass into gear!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Look to the Western Sky...

I have decided to officially claim the couch on the patio (where the dog used to sleep before the poor love got so old and fat she could no longer get up there) as my own.

I was sitting there this morning, nursing my cup of coffee sweetened to within an inch of its life and Ianto's patience. I had my book (Princess Sultana's Daughters for those interested), my sudoku puzzles (I am a sad addict), a pen (which came in handy as I got a story idea as I lay there) and I could just look up and see the uncluttered blue sky.

Never mind the condensing voices coming from the telly or the banging around in the kitchen as someone made their breakfast, I was at peace. Warm and contented. *sighs*

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Update

So it's been a while since I posted, so let's you all up to speed on me, all right my lieblings?

1. Had a run of The Miracle Worker at Masque Theatre. Went off brilliantly, tripped and fell on my ass one night (when my friends were there no less) and made some bloody brilliant friends! Who I really should be scheduling to watch Torchwood with one of these days when I'm feeling less lazy.
2. Went to Maine to visit my childhood best friend Caralyn for her baby shower (She's since had the child. Baby girl named Lilian, to be called Lily and Red for as long as I speak of her) Learned I hate long flights.
3. Went to Dragon*Con in Atlanta. Made friends with four other girls (Mary-Keith, Chris, Lisa, Nancy), two adorkable boys (Charlie and Andy) and kissed a Welshman (Gareth David-Lloyd, bitches! and James Marsters called me "gorgeous")
4. NaNo is in full swing, hence the obvious procrastination exercise that this is.

For those souls interested in my NaNo, here's my plans:
1. Novella-The 42 Adventures of Jack and Ianto-fluffy fanfic crossover of Torchwood and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy...and whatever else I fancy
2. Novella-Monopoly (don't ask why)-new girl in Torchwood, who is not a MarySue because she's not dating anyone...although she did flirt with Tosh before RTD broke my heart and killed her off. Not to be confused with my "Girl who's been in Torchwood this whole time...tralalala"
3. Novella, trying to become my whole novel-Untitled as of now-Original characters (oh, I remember those things) Nancy and Tegan making a go of it in a flat in Cardiff. Nancy's a drag king MC at the local lesbian bar (if anyone catches the reference tell me and I'll buy you a drink) and her girlfriend Tegan is an interior designer. Together with their landlady Hannah, Tegan's best friend Russel and her sister (and Nancy's ex) Kate, an occasional cameo by their families the two young women attempt to balance life, reality, and the whole crazy shebang.
4. Various stories, most involving songs I love or ideas I couldn't get rid of.


Okay, let's end with my new bit of fun.
What I'm loving right now: Series 2 of Secret Diary of a Call Girl, Ghirardelli dark chocolate squares, being the thinnest I've ever been

What I'm hating right now: My Medieval Society paper being due tomorrow when it's about half-done and half-assed, this fucking tooth or jaw or TMJ or whatever the hell is wrong and how no one can fix it and I'm starving, that my download is going to take another hour yet.

Mucho love, my lieblings! May those of you doing NaNo be blessed with big word counts!