rants and ramblings of utter randomness

I spent seven hours or so today (actually, yesterday, since it's past midnight) at Chez croosa/tapped_trish.

At one point in the day, all my kids were there, plus Trish and baby-in-progress (I mean, she couldn't exactly walk around without him/her, y'know?) Also zacks, Trish's mum, mr_t00by's girlfriend, and various friends and relatives (and one other baby-in-progress! *g*)

It was great weather for sitting outside, because it was kind of overcast and I could hang out without passing out, which is what I would have done if the sun had been blazing. Except I forgot that, hello, sunburn happens even if there's no sun in these cases. So now I'm pretty pink, and it's not a pretty pink. At least it's not a horrible sunburn, no peeling or blistering and it'll be gone by tomorrow. Still, no sunscreen is a bad thing.

Oh, and I played beer pong. I've never played beer pong before. I'm so not one of the cool kids.

So, um, anyway. A pointless (but fun!) survey meme, because I like them. From unanon:

( mind-numbing pointlessness under here )

Clearly the bullet list is my drug of choice these days:

• Where is Stan Rogers when we need him?
  
  He wouldn't have been at all surprised, I'm sure. :(
  
  
• I really want to make a list for mission101, but I don't know if I can come up with 101 things I want to do in 1001 days. I want to make them meaningful, you know? I don't want to list something like "start list" and "finish list" and "go to the bathroom".
  
  
• My mother's blood pressure is in the 90/50 range. She also has chronic anemia. She's been dizzy and weak. She's on several BP meds and Lasix. When she told me what her BP was (and it's been somewhat below 90/50) I practically ordered her to not take the Lasix or the BP meds until she saw the doctor. The doctor cut her Lasix in half, and also halved her lisinopril. IMO she needs to not take ANY Lasix. No edema, no symptoms of CHF. She's post-op but doing well considering. Also, one of the side affects of Lasix is ANEMIA. *headdesk* The doc said she may have to go over to Westerly Hospital for blood if her labs come back anemic. Yeah, I'd go with that, but um. I think the fecking meds are causing an exacerbation of the anemia. Of course, I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV. If I did, I'd have a newer car.
  
  Dear AMA,
  
  Giving meds isn't always the answer. People aren't robots, they don't always respond the same way.
  
  No love at all,
  
  Me, on behalf of my maternal unit.
  
  
• songdogmi (not to be confused with songdog, although both are Very Nice People) links to this:
  
  Killing wolves is still illegal in Michigan
  
  Why was it ever legal? Wolves are LESS AGGRESSIVE than dogs. Do we want to open up dog hunting? I don't live in Michigan, but it seems to me that unless an animal is directly attacking humans/livestock/pets, we should leave it well alone. And anyway, since wolves and dogs are almost identical genetically, how is a hunter going to tell he/she's not going after someone's Malamute? I don't remember any news article about pocket DNA tests being invented for use by hunters. wtf?
  
  Also? Cutest. Thing. Ever:
  
  
  
  (from this site, which says "wolves need friends, not owners.") See? Fraser was right. *g*
  
  
• Fannish projects are humming along, despite RL issues. Yes, even axial_tilt. I've also started writing what will likely be my longest fic ever (no, not the Barrett's Privateers one, although that's in the works and I'm gathering info, 'cause that one's hard). I really like the tiny scene I've written; it's one that's been in my head for weeks, and it turned out pretty good on (virtual) paper.
  
  
• Night shift tomorrow. I'll make the obligatory "entertain me" post, I'm sure. No youTube, though, because Butler Hospital is Big Brother about youTube. :/
  
  
• I'm going to have my Tarot cards read with tapped_trish, et. al. on Thursday. I haven't done that in ages. I can read my own, ostensibly, but I haven't in ages.
  
  
• My house is clean save for my room. I'll clean some tomorrow when I'm not writing (see list item re: axial_tilt). But my kitchen! My dining room! My living room and bathroom! Yay!
  
  
• Little Mosque holds its own opposite American Idol.
  
  I cannot tell you how pleased I am about this. LM is cute (not great, but cute and very watchable). AI is teh evil, and shouldn't be shown to kids under, liek, fifty. I loathe it from the depths of everything I have depths of. Bleh. Ick. Ptui. Yay, cute little sitcom!
  
  
• Here, have some Stan Rogers:
  
  Free in the Harbour
  
  
• ETA: How could I forget to add this? Happy birthday to mickeyvt, and kupukello! Many happy returns, dears.

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

Macbeth, Act V, Scene V



Hello from the night shift, wherein I make twice as much money (if it's a double shift) to be twice as bored as I am on the evening shift.

Entertain me? You know the drill. Drabbles, picspam (fannish and otherwise), amusing anecdotes, meta, tell me about your day, rec me a fic or a movie or a book or something. *asks nicely*


( Anyway, so, okay, the play )

As for my wet!room, it ended up being a brief, minor leak, and I actually managed to sleep in my own bed after a fashion. I got to bed at oh-dark-thirty, but when don't I?


And now, a silly meme, because I can:

( geek, dork, or nerd test )

Fannish epistolary meme-thing in next post, which may or may not be upcoming. I know, y'all can't wait.

P.S. After seeing a high school production of the Scottish Play, I really do recommend that elementary schools never try it, no matter how much Mark, Susan, or Bob might try and convince you otherwise. So mote it be. *nods*

So today I'm driving up one of those steep roads on College Hill, and I have to stop at a red light, at an intersection located at the top of the hill. Now, I love my little VW Jetta. But she's very temperamental and apparently doesn't like going forward up a hill from a complete stop.

Anyway, I'm at the top of the hill, and the light changes to green. There's an airport shuttle van directly behind me. I try several times to go forward. I'm doing everything right, car in first gear, easing out the clutch and accelerating the way I'm supposed to (and with this car I have to accelerate like a LOT when I'm on a hill), so you'd think I'd go forward, right? Nope. I'm rolling backward, getting closer and closer to Airport Shuttle Van with every attempt. Seems my car has decided going to pick the "roll backward into a possible accident" option rather than the "do what's asked and go forward and save the body shop costs" one.

So here I am, with my arm out the window, gesturing frantically for Airport Shuttle Van Guy to please, please go around me. After he does, I figure, there should be enough of a gap to allow for some backward-ness. Airport Shuttle Guy doesn't do a damn thing. I keep gesturing, only now I'm yelling, "GO AROUND ME", louder and louder. Nothing. I try, "BACK UP, THEN!" This for some unknown reason makes the guy GET OUT OF THE VAN. I don't know what he was doing because I was too busy not dying to look. He got back in after only a few seconds, so wtf? By this time, people walking along the road (and this is the East Side of Providence at 5 p.m.; there are a lot of people walking along the road) are looking at me as if I'd lost my last brain cell. I didn't really care much, because again, the whole Not Dying thing.

As a last ditch effort I switch on my flashers and keep making with the gesturing. This apparently buys Airport Shuttle Van Guy a seat on the clue bus, because he finally goes around me. Carefully, because this was rush hour, after all. The space gives me enough room to accelerate like hell and finally go forward. It's taken only one change of the light, but it feels like an hour.

The stupid thing is that my car's refusal to go forward on a hill when directed has happened before, at the same intersection. I told myself that first time that I wouldn't go home over College Hill anymore, but of course, I don't learn lessons easily. :/

The very same thing happens, only in reverse, when I'm parked on a hill. The car doesn't want to back up, so if there's a car parked in front of me I run a huge risk of hitting it. So far I've managed to sweet-talk her into doing what I ask, but someday there's going to be a Problem, I just know it. I love my car because she's not huge and can maneuver around a city really well, gets good mileage, has great pickup (unless I'm on a freaking HILL) and starts up when I turn the key (okay, there was the alternator problem, but that wasn't the car's fault).

So yesterday I was thinking about how I've had my car for months and she doesn't have a name yet. Obviously it's a female because Jettas is Chick!Car personified. Or carified. Whatever. I couldn't seem to come up with the right name for her. But after today's prima donna act, and all the other stubborn things this car does (and after a LJ-comment discussion with sam80853, whose car DOES have a name), and because I love her, I've named her Ellen. It's so perfect and fitting, I should have thought of it before. The only thing better would be if she were burnt orange instead of Navy Blue. But eww, a burnt orange car? Icky.

Yeah. I have a life, and y'all care. And remind me never, ever to try to go home over College Hill again. Because that's just dumb.

Okay, if I didn't know I was the hugest music geek on the planet I do now, as evidenced by this:

I'm almost halfway through Getting Married in Buffalo Jump, and my biggest fangirly outburst is ZOMG, k.d. lang AND THE RECLINES !!!!. Maybe I'm coming down with something.

But really, this is a much better film than I expected (so far, anyway). Sweet, character-driven love story, more than just the Harlequin Special Edition I expected. Oh, Canada, how do you do television so much better?

And, um. The toothpick's a nice touch; they should've given it more screentime. Or perhaps a one-on-one contest with RayK's toothpick. Preferably in close proximity to each other. Toothpick smackdown, I can see it now.

Anyway, my conclusion so far: Paul Gross does 47 better than 32. Not that he's any slouch at 32. Just needs a few more laugh lines, is all. But ZOMGKDLANGANDTHERECLINES.

Clearly, I need therapy.



In other news, yay, I have tomorrow off! I have the following plans:

1. Get my car back, because yay (sort of) money.

2. Work on my stories, because hello, deadline. Oh, and I need a beta. *adds to list*

3. Go shopping, because we are out of food, like really.

4. Make a post at TR.

5. Buy, and consume, Mike's Hard Lime.

6. Finish up reservation stuff for Nawlins.

7. Clean my room.

8. Get my bookshelf and set up work/study/sewing space.


Okay, so all that won't be done tomorrow, but I can pretty much count on 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6, with a strong emphasis on 5.
I also have Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday off, so I should get most of it done soon, anyway. I didn't even list pay bills, do housework, or a thousand other RL things that need doing.

Also, I'm surprised that there haven't been more guesses to my iPod Lyric Meme. Tomorrow I'm going to give additional lyrics to the unguessed songs, see if that makes it a little easier. Because y'all care, I know. But really, these are good songs and should be shared with the world, yessir.

Also #2, does anyone have an mp3 of k.d. lang and the Reclines' "Big Boned Gal"? I'd be v. appreciative, say thankya. And I'm still wondering where the next eps of Slings & Arrows have gotten to. I take emails. :)

Okay, fifteen minutes before I have to leave for work. Am walking, so I have to leave early. Which means I won't finish this movie before work. Wah. But ZOMGkdLANGANDTHERECLINES. *g*