Heeeeeeeere we go!!!!

Bloggers Union Local 50 is ready to go. tikva is at her laptop, I am at mine, and the pup is.... well....
she's on the floor making faces and refusing to eat her breakfast. I've got my coffee, breakfast will be cooked for us later and I'll be online alllllll day and night on AIM/MSN/Yahoo.

THis year will be much like last year. I will be posting some flash fiction, some general rants, lots of silliness especially late at night.

Some of the fiction pieces will be from the same fantasy story I worked on last year. Kaden, the main character, is american born of an irish immigrant father and spent much of her youth in Ireland. As a child she encountered faeries and made a rash decision to let them "steal" her, turning her into a half human half fae hybrid who then returned to the human world. To humans, she registers as a human woman with unusually strong facial features. To fae she looks like what she is. Needless to say, this affects her life. Much of her story is about learning to live with her fae and human selves. Pieces that I have planned for this year focus on her relationships with family and friends and how her transformation affects her loved ones, as well as the history of her family's relationships with faeries.

Yes its fantasy set in Ireland. I am a cliche and I do not care.

I am also working on creating a post-not-quit-apocolyptic universe. I'll just be writing descriptions unless inspiration strikes. I'm still fleshing out the setting.

So there's your guide to my blogathon. Also a hearty thank you to jadasc for making this coffee I am drinking!

Heeeeeeeere we go!!!!

Bloggers Union Local 50 is ready to go. tikva is at her laptop, I am at mine, and the pup is.... well....
she's on the floor making faces and refusing to eat her breakfast. I've got my coffee, breakfast will be cooked for us later and I'll be online alllllll day and night on AIM/MSN/Yahoo.

THis year will be much like last year. I will be posting some flash fiction, some general rants, lots of silliness especially late at night.

Some of the fiction pieces will be from the same fantasy story I worked on last year. Kaden, the main character, is american born of an irish immigrant father and spent much of her youth in Ireland. As a child she encountered faeries and made a rash decision to let them "steal" her, turning her into a half human half fae hybrid who then returned to the human world. To humans, she registers as a human woman with unusually strong facial features. To fae she looks like what she is. Needless to say, this affects her life. Much of her story is about learning to live with her fae and human selves. Pieces that I have planned for this year focus on her relationships with family and friends and how her transformation affects her loved ones, as well as the history of her family's relationships with faeries.

Yes its fantasy set in Ireland. I am a cliche and I do not care.

I am also working on creating a post-not-quit-apocolyptic universe. I'll just be writing descriptions unless inspiration strikes. I'm still fleshing out the setting.

So there's your guide to my blogathon. Also a hearty thank you to jadasc for making this coffee I am drinking!

Post-not-quite-apocolypse part 1

It's too early for me to write real stories but descriptions I can handle.

*big booming intro voice*
THE YEAR IS 2500

Okay no we're not doing that. However it is roughly 500 years in the future. In the first three centuries of the new millennium, pollution and loss of green space proceeded at an alarming rate. You would expect this to kill people and shorten lifespans and whatnot but technological advances allowed people to continue to live out longer and longer lifespans even as the environment became more and more poisoned. Result: massive population growth, taller and taller buildings, denser packed cities. Food production became largely the province of laboratories as there was no room to farm. Standards of living were fine except for the constant crowding and complete absence of green space. Nature is self-correcting though and birth rates slowed dramatically. THe old generation would die off replaced by a generation half its size or less. Now the population has receeded to the point where the enormous buildings created to house earths residents are no longer needed and most of them have crumbled leaving empty land behind. The majority of humans retreated to scattered domed cities with artificially controlled climates. No rain, no snow. Water Is synthesized and fed into people's homes. Food is synthesized in much the same way as it was during the overpopulation era. Inside the domes people live as they did in the earth of 200 years ago.

However, some people got tired of life inside the domes, or refused to enter them. These folks saw the decrease in population density as an opportunity to return to an earlier way of life, to rebuild. They created settlements, began small farming, and made use of the technological knowledge humanity still possessed to create a lifestyle of relative comfort that works WITH the earth. Green power, organic food production and the like. Communication systems function much as they did in the late 20th and early 21st century.

Sounds Idyllic right?

THere's a catch though. There are certain things that people need, medicines mostly, that are only produced in the factories of the domed cities. Trade relations between outsiders and insiders are strained. Insiders will not leave the domes to deliver supplied to settlements so the outsiders must travel in. Settlements operate primarily by barter among themselves and the goods they can trade to the insiders are severely undervalued by the governments of the cities which means settlements often can't get the supplies they need unless they steal. The governments on the outside arrange groups to travel to the domes periodically and buy what they can, steal what they can't buy. Needless to say, its a dangerous proposition.

Also since the lifestyle inside the dome still produces the same kind of pollution of life during the overpopulation era, the insiders have devised a system which pumps toxins out of the dome. Within 2 miles of a domed city the air is think with poison. Outsiders travelling through, even with the best protective masks and clothing they can find, risk death, paralysis, severe illness of all sorts because most of them have never come in contact with pollution and have no tolerance.

****

It came to me in a dream. I worry about my subconscious.

Post-not-quite-apocolypse part 1

It's too early for me to write real stories but descriptions I can handle.

*big booming intro voice*
THE YEAR IS 2500

Okay no we're not doing that. However it is roughly 500 years in the future. In the first three centuries of the new millennium, pollution and loss of green space proceeded at an alarming rate. You would expect this to kill people and shorten lifespans and whatnot but technological advances allowed people to continue to live out longer and longer lifespans even as the environment became more and more poisoned. Result: massive population growth, taller and taller buildings, denser packed cities. Food production became largely the province of laboratories as there was no room to farm. Standards of living were fine except for the constant crowding and complete absence of green space. Nature is self-correcting though and birth rates slowed dramatically. THe old generation would die off replaced by a generation half its size or less. Now the population has receeded to the point where the enormous buildings created to house earths residents are no longer needed and most of them have crumbled leaving empty land behind. The majority of humans retreated to scattered domed cities with artificially controlled climates. No rain, no snow. Water Is synthesized and fed into people's homes. Food is synthesized in much the same way as it was during the overpopulation era. Inside the domes people live as they did in the earth of 200 years ago.

However, some people got tired of life inside the domes, or refused to enter them. These folks saw the decrease in population density as an opportunity to return to an earlier way of life, to rebuild. They created settlements, began small farming, and made use of the technological knowledge humanity still possessed to create a lifestyle of relative comfort that works WITH the earth. Green power, organic food production and the like. Communication systems function much as they did in the late 20th and early 21st century.

Sounds Idyllic right?

THere's a catch though. There are certain things that people need, medicines mostly, that are only produced in the factories of the domed cities. Trade relations between outsiders and insiders are strained. Insiders will not leave the domes to deliver supplied to settlements so the outsiders must travel in. Settlements operate primarily by barter among themselves and the goods they can trade to the insiders are severely undervalued by the governments of the cities which means settlements often can't get the supplies they need unless they steal. The governments on the outside arrange groups to travel to the domes periodically and buy what they can, steal what they can't buy. Needless to say, its a dangerous proposition.

Also since the lifestyle inside the dome still produces the same kind of pollution of life during the overpopulation era, the insiders have devised a system which pumps toxins out of the dome. Within 2 miles of a domed city the air is think with poison. Outsiders travelling through, even with the best protective masks and clothing they can find, risk death, paralysis, severe illness of all sorts because most of them have never come in contact with pollution and have no tolerance.

****

It came to me in a dream. I worry about my subconscious.

A bit about the charity I chose

Until Dr. TIller was murdered I never thought much about how doctors become abortion providers. I always thought that you learned how to perform abortions in medical school during rotations, or during internship. When I went to the MS4C website I learned a few frightening facts.

1) 2% of practiing ob/gyns in this country provide half the abortions
2) 57% of abortion providers are over 50, in other words they are heading toward retirement rather rapidly
3) Most medical students do not learn much, if anything, about abortion during their ob/gyn training which means they don't even have the option to become abortion providers

If the law is pro-choice but doctors don't know how to perform the procedures or counsel women on their options, there's not much actual choice. MS4C works to reform medical school curriculum, provide support advocacy and training to doctors who are committed to reproductive freedom.

A doctor who chooses to provide abortions faces protests outside the office, hate mail, threats and in the case of some like Dr. Tiller, being shot by extremists. Any doctor who chooses to provide abortions, knowing all these risks, is committing an act of great courage.

On a personal note, I've had a couple of pregnancy scares myself, both in situations where bearing the child would not have been a reasonable option. I lucked out and wasn't pregnant but if I had been, I'm glad I would have had the choice. I want the next generation to have it as well.

A bit about the charity I chose

Until Dr. TIller was murdered I never thought much about how doctors become abortion providers. I always thought that you learned how to perform abortions in medical school during rotations, or during internship. When I went to the MS4C website I learned a few frightening facts.

1) 2% of practiing ob/gyns in this country provide half the abortions
2) 57% of abortion providers are over 50, in other words they are heading toward retirement rather rapidly
3) Most medical students do not learn much, if anything, about abortion during their ob/gyn training which means they don't even have the option to become abortion providers

If the law is pro-choice but doctors don't know how to perform the procedures or counsel women on their options, there's not much actual choice. MS4C works to reform medical school curriculum, provide support advocacy and training to doctors who are committed to reproductive freedom.

A doctor who chooses to provide abortions faces protests outside the office, hate mail, threats and in the case of some like Dr. Tiller, being shot by extremists. Any doctor who chooses to provide abortions, knowing all these risks, is committing an act of great courage.

On a personal note, I've had a couple of pregnancy scares myself, both in situations where bearing the child would not have been a reasonable option. I lucked out and wasn't pregnant but if I had been, I'm glad I would have had the choice. I want the next generation to have it as well.

Winding down (part 1)

Lyrics in quotes taken from Patrick Wolf's "Thickets"

“JUST A LITTLE FURTHER UP THE HILL BOY
YOU’LL BE HOME SOON ENOUGH”

She can still remember him as a hardy grey haired moustached man who walked her through town calling to his friends "Look, my granddaughter's come for the summer!" He would decry with pride her superior intelligence and beauty. In the pub he let her sip his beer and chuckled as her cheeks puckered from the taste. When she knew enough to play in public, they would duet at sessions, her on fiddle and him on bodhran. Sometimes her grandmother would join them, sometimes it was just papa and his little girl. She knew he was "old" whatever that meant.

"All along the river
Pedaling fast as I could
Watch
As the wasteland flowers
Old cars and rubbish flourish
With blackberries and red berries"

When his nana died, Kaden was 14. Papa was 75. Nana had been sick for years but made it through their 50th wedding anniversary before succumbing to the cancer. At the funeral, Papa held Kaden's hand in his left and his son Patrick (Kaden's father) in his right. His body shook wracked with sobs. Kaden resisted the urge to recoil in fear from Papa's grief.

****

To be continued a lot. This one is presenting a challenge to write. Not the most cheerful bit of story. Also it is early and writer brain isn't totally online yet. I promise it'll get better.

If you feel so moved to donate: http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69
e-mail me or comment here if you want me to do a proxy pledge for you.

Winding down (part 1)

Lyrics in quotes taken from Patrick Wolf's "Thickets"

“JUST A LITTLE FURTHER UP THE HILL BOY
YOU’LL BE HOME SOON ENOUGH”

She can still remember him as a hardy grey haired moustached man who walked her through town calling to his friends "Look, my granddaughter's come for the summer!" He would decry with pride her superior intelligence and beauty. In the pub he let her sip his beer and chuckled as her cheeks puckered from the taste. When she knew enough to play in public, they would duet at sessions, her on fiddle and him on bodhran. Sometimes her grandmother would join them, sometimes it was just papa and his little girl. She knew he was "old" whatever that meant.

"All along the river
Pedaling fast as I could
Watch
As the wasteland flowers
Old cars and rubbish flourish
With blackberries and red berries"

When his nana died, Kaden was 14. Papa was 75. Nana had been sick for years but made it through their 50th wedding anniversary before succumbing to the cancer. At the funeral, Papa held Kaden's hand in his left and his son Patrick (Kaden's father) in his right. His body shook wracked with sobs. Kaden resisted the urge to recoil in fear from Papa's grief.

****

To be continued a lot. This one is presenting a challenge to write. Not the most cheerful bit of story. Also it is early and writer brain isn't totally online yet. I promise it'll get better.

If you feel so moved to donate: http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69
e-mail me or comment here if you want me to do a proxy pledge for you.

Winding Down (part 2)

"Sweet blackberries
Take your red berries
Berries"

The bushes by the road side flower and give fruit every summer, beginning around the time that Kaden arrives. (She harvests some for Papa before her return to the states.) Each afternoon on her way home from work at her aunt's shop she picks a handful. Early in the summer it is flowers to decorate Papa's home. Later on it's an afternoon snack. The sun is still high when she arrives at Papa's door. Each day she finds him resting on his recliner, watching panel shows or playing his drum or chatting with one of his friends. Sometimes her uncle or cousins stop by. Each time they invite Papa out to play with them in the pub. Each time he dismisses them citing age, loss of energy, and tells them to go on without him and do him proud. Kaden hides her sadness. She recalls the pub trips of her childhood. Its hard to believe that the strong arms which carried her so many times are the same arms waving out the window as the family goes to the pub without him. He insists that Kaden go "enjoy your youth, I did!" but sometimes she just can't bear to leave him to a dinner of pot noodle alone and so she stays home and cooks.

"Went looking for my tower
Off all the rails and the roads
In need of resurrection
As my desires and powers
Grow in thickets
Tall all round me

Tall all around me
All around me…"

The act of caring for Papa is a task usually assigned to Uncle Michael and his family, but during the summer, Kaden doesn't let them lift a finger. This summer she is especially insistent. Come August Kaden will return to Boston and start at Tufts as a freshman. Its possible that she won't be able to return in the future. Some tiny part of her acknowledges that its possible she won't make it to papa's again before he dies.

It's not that he needs SO much care. He still walks fine, his mind is all there, he can cook if he wishes and keep his home clean. He takes a few medicines faithfully with no prompting. Its more that since his wife died, he's accepted too quiet of a life. Kaden fears he is just waiting to die and she fights desperately to pull a little more life out of him. She fights with the 50 year legacy of her Nana; Papa visits her grave every Sunday as he has for 5 years.

Winding Down (part 2)

"Sweet blackberries
Take your red berries
Berries"

The bushes by the road side flower and give fruit every summer, beginning around the time that Kaden arrives. (She harvests some for Papa before her return to the states.) Each afternoon on her way home from work at her aunt's shop she picks a handful. Early in the summer it is flowers to decorate Papa's home. Later on it's an afternoon snack. The sun is still high when she arrives at Papa's door. Each day she finds him resting on his recliner, watching panel shows or playing his drum or chatting with one of his friends. Sometimes her uncle or cousins stop by. Each time they invite Papa out to play with them in the pub. Each time he dismisses them citing age, loss of energy, and tells them to go on without him and do him proud. Kaden hides her sadness. She recalls the pub trips of her childhood. Its hard to believe that the strong arms which carried her so many times are the same arms waving out the window as the family goes to the pub without him. He insists that Kaden go "enjoy your youth, I did!" but sometimes she just can't bear to leave him to a dinner of pot noodle alone and so she stays home and cooks.

"Went looking for my tower
Off all the rails and the roads
In need of resurrection
As my desires and powers
Grow in thickets
Tall all round me

Tall all around me
All around me…"

The act of caring for Papa is a task usually assigned to Uncle Michael and his family, but during the summer, Kaden doesn't let them lift a finger. This summer she is especially insistent. Come August Kaden will return to Boston and start at Tufts as a freshman. Its possible that she won't be able to return in the future. Some tiny part of her acknowledges that its possible she won't make it to papa's again before he dies.

It's not that he needs SO much care. He still walks fine, his mind is all there, he can cook if he wishes and keep his home clean. He takes a few medicines faithfully with no prompting. Its more that since his wife died, he's accepted too quiet of a life. Kaden fears he is just waiting to die and she fights desperately to pull a little more life out of him. She fights with the 50 year legacy of her Nana; Papa visits her grave every Sunday as he has for 5 years.

taking a break from the fiction to talk about the scene over here

So, Bloggers Union Local 50 is a madhouse today. Myself and tikva are settled onto adjoining couches with our laptops, tap tap typing away. Her housemate bester has made breakfast for a small army. jadasc (another housemate) is cheering us on, making coffee and providing comic relief. collegecate (the final housemate) has awakened due to the persistent smell of bacon floating up the stairs to her bedroom. We've had two other people visit us this morning. Brodie the dog weaves in between the hoardes of bacon eating geeks hoping someone will drop a bite.

A special shout out to elionwyr who is promoting me all over the place and mytheria who made us a quiche! High protein snacks are key to a successful blogathon experience or so I am told. I don't remember what I ate last year. I don't remember much really as the sleep dep wiped my brain. Chances are it will this year so I'm getting down all the thanks now while I still have a cerebrum.

taking a break from the fiction to talk about the scene over here

So, Bloggers Union Local 50 is a madhouse today. Myself and tikva are settled onto adjoining couches with our laptops, tap tap typing away. Her housemate bester has made breakfast for a small army. jadasc (another housemate) is cheering us on, making coffee and providing comic relief. collegecate (the final housemate) has awakened due to the persistent smell of bacon floating up the stairs to her bedroom. We've had two other people visit us this morning. Brodie the dog weaves in between the hoardes of bacon eating geeks hoping someone will drop a bite.

A special shout out to elionwyr who is promoting me all over the place and mytheria who made us a quiche! High protein snacks are key to a successful blogathon experience or so I am told. I don't remember what I ate last year. I don't remember much really as the sleep dep wiped my brain. Chances are it will this year so I'm getting down all the thanks now while I still have a cerebrum.

Lush experiment: an update

3 weeks back I decided to start an experiment involving the bath, skin and hair products made by Lush. For years my friends have sung their praises but I was a) skeptical and b) broke so apart from the odd freebie here and there, I didn't really get into it. Over the winter I did start using one of their moisturizers and was generally pleased. I've used a variety of their soaps and shower gels as well.

This month I bought lemslip ("buttercream" which is a moisturizing soap) jungle (conditioner) Big (shampoo) and Fresh Farmacy (facial cleanser). I have not used my old shampoo or cleanser or soap since then.

Anyone want a large stash of pantene and Ivory?

Advantage 1) Lush products smell way better. I hate artificial smells. There are none in this stuff.
Advantage 2) Lush products don't dry out my face. This is the only cleanser I have ever used that doesn't make my face feel tight and dry after using it.
Advantage 3) Lush products don't weigh my hair down. The shampoo rinses clean. I can skip a day or two of washing and use just conditioner (recommended for long dry hair like mine) and I don't feel any slick residue on day 2.

Also, I expected this to be way more costly but these products last a whole lot longer than I expects. $22 for about 6 months worth of moisturizer. $9 for a chunk of fresh pharmacy that seems to regenerate itself even though i use it every day, sometimes twice. $7 of conditioner looks like it will last 2-3 months. THe shampoo IS awfully pricey but will last at least that long as well. The lemslip goes fast but I don't care cause I like lemon a LOT.

Sponsor meeeee! http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69

Lush experiment: an update

3 weeks back I decided to start an experiment involving the bath, skin and hair products made by Lush. For years my friends have sung their praises but I was a) skeptical and b) broke so apart from the odd freebie here and there, I didn't really get into it. Over the winter I did start using one of their moisturizers and was generally pleased. I've used a variety of their soaps and shower gels as well.

This month I bought lemslip ("buttercream" which is a moisturizing soap) jungle (conditioner) Big (shampoo) and Fresh Farmacy (facial cleanser). I have not used my old shampoo or cleanser or soap since then.

Anyone want a large stash of pantene and Ivory?

Advantage 1) Lush products smell way better. I hate artificial smells. There are none in this stuff.
Advantage 2) Lush products don't dry out my face. This is the only cleanser I have ever used that doesn't make my face feel tight and dry after using it.
Advantage 3) Lush products don't weigh my hair down. The shampoo rinses clean. I can skip a day or two of washing and use just conditioner (recommended for long dry hair like mine) and I don't feel any slick residue on day 2.

Also, I expected this to be way more costly but these products last a whole lot longer than I expects. $22 for about 6 months worth of moisturizer. $9 for a chunk of fresh pharmacy that seems to regenerate itself even though i use it every day, sometimes twice. $7 of conditioner looks like it will last 2-3 months. THe shampoo IS awfully pricey but will last at least that long as well. The lemslip goes fast but I don't care cause I like lemon a LOT.

Sponsor meeeee! http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69

Winding Down (part 3)

"Have I been traveling so long
That I’ve forgotten how to stop?
Why are my brakes all broken?
Wheels spinning out of control"

Her bags line the front hallway of his home. For the past few days she has sorted through the contents of the house for her scattered possessions. As she walks past her grandfather, once again watching tv from his recliner, she struggles with her tears She will wake up at 7 am and uncle Michael will come to take her to Shannon for her flight home. Orientation is in less than a week. Kaden's mother wanted her to shorten her trip but Kaden was adament that she squeeze in as much time in Connemara as possible before her return.

On her final night at Papa's, Kaden INSISTS that he come with her to the pub. He agrees, just this once, since she will be leaving. For what may be the last time, Grandfather and granddaughter play together, share a pint. Kaden returns to the house, makes a show of retiring to her bedroom, but when she is sure Papa is asleep she wanders out the backdoor, through the empty garden, back to the cluster of trees by the stream.

Orlaithe is waiting, the moonlight reflecting off the tips of her wings. Kaden collapses at her feet and lets out the sob she has held in for 6 weeks and Orlaithe wraps her arms around her.

We have never been able to remove the pain of loss. Before your time, when we would take many children, we did not understand why they missed their mothers. Because we do not feel loss, we do not understand loss, we cannot help you.

"And in the mirror
Pale and deathly have become

Look… what have I become?
Become? Become? Become now?"

The sun pokes its first ray over the horizon and Kaden awakens among the weeds. Around her wrist is a silk like cord imbued with the words "I am sorry." She is alone. Brushing the dirt off her clothes, she creeps back into the house.

Winding Down (part 3)

"Have I been traveling so long
That I’ve forgotten how to stop?
Why are my brakes all broken?
Wheels spinning out of control"

Her bags line the front hallway of his home. For the past few days she has sorted through the contents of the house for her scattered possessions. As she walks past her grandfather, once again watching tv from his recliner, she struggles with her tears She will wake up at 7 am and uncle Michael will come to take her to Shannon for her flight home. Orientation is in less than a week. Kaden's mother wanted her to shorten her trip but Kaden was adament that she squeeze in as much time in Connemara as possible before her return.

On her final night at Papa's, Kaden INSISTS that he come with her to the pub. He agrees, just this once, since she will be leaving. For what may be the last time, Grandfather and granddaughter play together, share a pint. Kaden returns to the house, makes a show of retiring to her bedroom, but when she is sure Papa is asleep she wanders out the backdoor, through the empty garden, back to the cluster of trees by the stream.

Orlaithe is waiting, the moonlight reflecting off the tips of her wings. Kaden collapses at her feet and lets out the sob she has held in for 6 weeks and Orlaithe wraps her arms around her.

We have never been able to remove the pain of loss. Before your time, when we would take many children, we did not understand why they missed their mothers. Because we do not feel loss, we do not understand loss, we cannot help you.

"And in the mirror
Pale and deathly have become

Look… what have I become?
Become? Become? Become now?"

The sun pokes its first ray over the horizon and Kaden awakens among the weeds. Around her wrist is a silk like cord imbued with the words "I am sorry." She is alone. Brushing the dirt off her clothes, she creeps back into the house.

That song I am quoting from

Writing parts of Winding Down has to happen slowly with lots of breaks. "They" say if you want a good story you have to be willing to torture your characters. I torture Kaden a LOT. First her parents divorce, then she gets tormented by bullies in school, then she goes to a psych ward at 12 because she talks about Faeries and loses it and punches her teacher (I wrote that part last year's blogathon). Then her grandmother dies. Then she comes out and there's more bullying. Then her grandfather dies. Then her father stops speaking to her for 3 years ect ect ect. There's joy in between of course but the whole time she is also trying to figure out how to be both fae and human and the compromise doesn't come easily. "Winding Down" is not her grandfather's death, it is the moment when she realizes he is mortal and elderly and fully comprehends that he WILL die soon. Ouch

However the song that inspired me to write this piece is really very pretty. In this clip Patrick Wolf starts out playing another one of his older songs, drops a few choice swears and then switches to playing "Thickets" on what I believe is a harpsichord.

That song I am quoting from

Writing parts of Winding Down has to happen slowly with lots of breaks. "They" say if you want a good story you have to be willing to torture your characters. I torture Kaden a LOT. First her parents divorce, then she gets tormented by bullies in school, then she goes to a psych ward at 12 because she talks about Faeries and loses it and punches her teacher (I wrote that part last year's blogathon). Then her grandmother dies. Then she comes out and there's more bullying. Then her grandfather dies. Then her father stops speaking to her for 3 years ect ect ect. There's joy in between of course but the whole time she is also trying to figure out how to be both fae and human and the compromise doesn't come easily. "Winding Down" is not her grandfather's death, it is the moment when she realizes he is mortal and elderly and fully comprehends that he WILL die soon. Ouch

However the song that inspired me to write this piece is really very pretty. In this clip Patrick Wolf starts out playing another one of his older songs, drops a few choice swears and then switches to playing "Thickets" on what I believe is a harpsichord.

A little background

I've decided that Winding Down is going to stop with those three parts. That's as resolved as it gets until he actually dies and there's a lot of story between those two points. For now I'm going to give some background on Kaden both for new readers and to help me keep my focus when writing her. Kaden is a character who sprung into my mind as a fully formed highly eccentric 27 year old. She appeared to me about 2 years ago. My process developing her character is best describes as me "remembering" parts of her life. Its not like I decide "she must have done this and that's why this happened" It's more like I recall her doing things and they get added to the story. Here's what I've got now.

Kaden Laura Shea born in February of 1980 outside Boston to an Irish born father and American born mother with british isles ancestry (irish scottish and english all muddled together). Her father is about 10-12 years older than her mother and they divorced when Kaden was 3. It was amicable and the two are still friends, close with each others families, but keep a certain amount of distance on personal matters. Kaden's father took her to Ireland for the first time when she was 4 and by the time she was 8 she was spending entire summer's there with her grandparents. She encountered a mother/son pair of faeries that summer. Their names are Orlaithe and Fiachra. Fiachra was the faerie equivalent of a human 18 year old when they met and still very much in an adolescent rebellion. On Kaden's misguided request (8 year olds, not so logical) Fiachra gave her a draught which imbued her with faerie vision and many of their powers. She still possesses human physical constitution and human emotions and intellect, but she sees all sorts of stuff around her that other people don't see. Her immediate family and friends know and it seems that some members of her family have drank the same draught and suffered some of the same struggles. However they all grew up in tiny villages in the Irish countryside and it was much easier for them to manage both human and faerie connections. Kaden doesn't have it so easy.

More later. Go to http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69 to sponsor me and contribute to Medical Students for choice.

A little background

I've decided that Winding Down is going to stop with those three parts. That's as resolved as it gets until he actually dies and there's a lot of story between those two points. For now I'm going to give some background on Kaden both for new readers and to help me keep my focus when writing her. Kaden is a character who sprung into my mind as a fully formed highly eccentric 27 year old. She appeared to me about 2 years ago. My process developing her character is best describes as me "remembering" parts of her life. Its not like I decide "she must have done this and that's why this happened" It's more like I recall her doing things and they get added to the story. Here's what I've got now.

Kaden Laura Shea born in February of 1980 outside Boston to an Irish born father and American born mother with british isles ancestry (irish scottish and english all muddled together). Her father is about 10-12 years older than her mother and they divorced when Kaden was 3. It was amicable and the two are still friends, close with each others families, but keep a certain amount of distance on personal matters. Kaden's father took her to Ireland for the first time when she was 4 and by the time she was 8 she was spending entire summer's there with her grandparents. She encountered a mother/son pair of faeries that summer. Their names are Orlaithe and Fiachra. Fiachra was the faerie equivalent of a human 18 year old when they met and still very much in an adolescent rebellion. On Kaden's misguided request (8 year olds, not so logical) Fiachra gave her a draught which imbued her with faerie vision and many of their powers. She still possesses human physical constitution and human emotions and intellect, but she sees all sorts of stuff around her that other people don't see. Her immediate family and friends know and it seems that some members of her family have drank the same draught and suffered some of the same struggles. However they all grew up in tiny villages in the Irish countryside and it was much easier for them to manage both human and faerie connections. Kaden doesn't have it so easy.

More later. Go to http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69 to sponsor me and contribute to Medical Students for choice.

Our most important team member

I have mentioned the presence of a dog. The dog in question is tikva's guide dog. Needless to say she's having a bit of a duller day than usual. Normally she'd be out finding her way around obstacles and such but today she's just hangin. This is what a bored labradoodle looks like.





This dog is the smartest dog I have ever met. She knows me by name and responds to commands to find me in a crowd by walked straight to me. She has rode in my car so many times that now when I am walking with her and turn toward a parking lot, she leads tikva toward it. She knows enough words that I'm going to have to start spelling everything I say in front of her. Until she learns to spell.

The money her handler raises is going to the school that trained her and you can sponsor that effort here http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=218

And once again, my sponsorship link is here http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69

Our most important team member

I have mentioned the presence of a dog. The dog in question is tikva's guide dog. Needless to say she's having a bit of a duller day than usual. Normally she'd be out finding her way around obstacles and such but today she's just hangin. This is what a bored labradoodle looks like.





This dog is the smartest dog I have ever met. She knows me by name and responds to commands to find me in a crowd by walked straight to me. She has rode in my car so many times that now when I am walking with her and turn toward a parking lot, she leads tikva toward it. She knows enough words that I'm going to have to start spelling everything I say in front of her. Until she learns to spell.

The money her handler raises is going to the school that trained her and you can sponsor that effort here http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=218

And once again, my sponsorship link is here http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69

Background continues

Kaden was also a good bit younger than her relatives (specifically her grandfather) were when they drank the draught. Result: it has a MUCH stronger effect on her than it does on the others. She is a true stolen child in that sense; she grows up just as much fae as human. Faeries in this world have abilities that humans don't have. Telekinesis, pyrokinesis, levitation and the ability to transfigure objects are typical. Fae are physically tougher than humans and also less prone to extreme emotion. Its not a vulcan kind of thing, they feel, its just that they live a fairly free life and do not put much importance on, well, anything but themselves. When they do get angry and use their abilities on each other, its like a human being poked or flicked with a finger. However when these abilities are given to a human they become destructive. Kaden is exceptionally emotionally volatile during her teenage years and does not have control over the use of her abilities. Not only are they damaging to those around her, they are exhausting for her. What's written below is a scene I wrote a few months ago. I'll be continuing it in a future post:

Perhaps it was seeing his roommates girlfriend storming out of the building with tears running down her face. Perhaps it was the faint humming sound he heard drifting down the hall, or the smell of chemical smoke. Perhaps it was the closed and locked door with lights coming through the cracks that made Justin fearful as he turned the key to let himself into the apartment. No martter, the fear was clearly justified. Kaden was sitting in a ball on the floor in the center of the living room, rocking back and forth. What little color she had to her face was gone, replaced by a telltale blue glow. Her eyes had gone dark. As Justin moved closer to Kaden the humming sound grew louder. He could feel the energy around her body rising and taking shape. When Kaden lifted her head he felt the sensation of a heavy slap across the face. None of this was good but what sent Justin into a panic was the lamp just inside the door. The bulb had shorted out and turned black; the lampshade was on fire. If Kaden noticed, she wasn't reacting.

"Oh fuck, not again."

He would figure out what happened later but for now, someone had to get the fire extinguisher. It was lucky that the path to the closet where he kept it didn't require him to walk past Kaden. Within seconds he had quenched the flame. The next step was to unplug all the appliances in the apartment. TV, microwave, stereo, computers, alarm clocks. All the lights off. Cut the power to anything she could manipulate. When he was sure nothing had been left vulnerable to the whims of his roommate's desperation, he returned to the living room. Except for being slightly darker, the scene was exactly the same.

"Are you going to tell me what set this off, or shall we just sit here and wait for it to stop?"

"Rini says she wants out. She's afraid if she sticks around, she'll end up like me. I threw that vase at her head. Didn't mean to, it just flew off the shelf when she told me." Even her voice sounded strange, high pitched, whispery and windy.

Justin let out a deep sigh. This would not be an easy fix. For the past few weeks he had overheard the women fighting and tried to stay as far away as he could; not very far given the size of the apartment he and Kaden shared
***

Totals are still climbing! I'm at $416 and the blogathon effort is at over 30k. Holy crap!

http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69 to sponsor me. If my cause is not your thing, look around the blogathon blogger list. There are LOTS of choices!

Background continues

Kaden was also a good bit younger than her relatives (specifically her grandfather) were when they drank the draught. Result: it has a MUCH stronger effect on her than it does on the others. She is a true stolen child in that sense; she grows up just as much fae as human. Faeries in this world have abilities that humans don't have. Telekinesis, pyrokinesis, levitation and the ability to transfigure objects are typical. Fae are physically tougher than humans and also less prone to extreme emotion. Its not a vulcan kind of thing, they feel, its just that they live a fairly free life and do not put much importance on, well, anything but themselves. When they do get angry and use their abilities on each other, its like a human being poked or flicked with a finger. However when these abilities are given to a human they become destructive. Kaden is exceptionally emotionally volatile during her teenage years and does not have control over the use of her abilities. Not only are they damaging to those around her, they are exhausting for her. What's written below is a scene I wrote a few months ago. I'll be continuing it in a future post:

Perhaps it was seeing his roommates girlfriend storming out of the building with tears running down her face. Perhaps it was the faint humming sound he heard drifting down the hall, or the smell of chemical smoke. Perhaps it was the closed and locked door with lights coming through the cracks that made Justin fearful as he turned the key to let himself into the apartment. No martter, the fear was clearly justified. Kaden was sitting in a ball on the floor in the center of the living room, rocking back and forth. What little color she had to her face was gone, replaced by a telltale blue glow. Her eyes had gone dark. As Justin moved closer to Kaden the humming sound grew louder. He could feel the energy around her body rising and taking shape. When Kaden lifted her head he felt the sensation of a heavy slap across the face. None of this was good but what sent Justin into a panic was the lamp just inside the door. The bulb had shorted out and turned black; the lampshade was on fire. If Kaden noticed, she wasn't reacting.

"Oh fuck, not again."

He would figure out what happened later but for now, someone had to get the fire extinguisher. It was lucky that the path to the closet where he kept it didn't require him to walk past Kaden. Within seconds he had quenched the flame. The next step was to unplug all the appliances in the apartment. TV, microwave, stereo, computers, alarm clocks. All the lights off. Cut the power to anything she could manipulate. When he was sure nothing had been left vulnerable to the whims of his roommate's desperation, he returned to the living room. Except for being slightly darker, the scene was exactly the same.

"Are you going to tell me what set this off, or shall we just sit here and wait for it to stop?"

"Rini says she wants out. She's afraid if she sticks around, she'll end up like me. I threw that vase at her head. Didn't mean to, it just flew off the shelf when she told me." Even her voice sounded strange, high pitched, whispery and windy.

Justin let out a deep sigh. This would not be an easy fix. For the past few weeks he had overheard the women fighting and tried to stay as far away as he could; not very far given the size of the apartment he and Kaden shared
***

Totals are still climbing! I'm at $416 and the blogathon effort is at over 30k. Holy crap!

http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69 to sponsor me. If my cause is not your thing, look around the blogathon blogger list. There are LOTS of choices!

Kaden sets a lamp on fire part deux

Continuing where we left off....

Justin settled down on the floor just outside the ripples of energy around his housemate, palms facing out as she had instructed him to do if she ever "went off." Those incidents had become more frequent since her grandfather's death.

"We can't keep going like this."

Kaden's voice returned to something resembling its normal human sound

"I don't do it on purpose. I'm trying to control it. I would like my security deposit back when we move out."

"She'll come back."

"I know she will. Until I lose it again. I can't call my dad cause he won't talk to me and I can't call my grandfather cause he's DEAD. And Orlaithe doesn't exactly have a phone number ya know?"

It was the dilemma she'd faced every time she needed advice, support, any time she came up against things she couldn't handle alone. Being hybrid played a role in every challenge she encountered, but maybe 5 people still alive knew what she was.

"Why did you lose it anyway?"

"She wanted to go out with Jaime tomorrow. I don't even CARE if she goes out with him tomorrow. Its fine. But she asked me after I got off the phone with Dad and he was screaming at me. I snapped at her... you know how it goes."

"Normal lovers quarrel stuff, but when you have one of those, my appliances break. I think for now we should leave things unplugged when we're not using them, just in case. Until you figure out how to get control of this. Let me talk to Rini."

***

I'm not at all happy with this but I'll work on it some other time.

They will insulate the wires. And yes, eventually she gets control.

Kaden sets a lamp on fire part deux

Continuing where we left off....

Justin settled down on the floor just outside the ripples of energy around his housemate, palms facing out as she had instructed him to do if she ever "went off." Those incidents had become more frequent since her grandfather's death.

"We can't keep going like this."

Kaden's voice returned to something resembling its normal human sound

"I don't do it on purpose. I'm trying to control it. I would like my security deposit back when we move out."

"She'll come back."

"I know she will. Until I lose it again. I can't call my dad cause he won't talk to me and I can't call my grandfather cause he's DEAD. And Orlaithe doesn't exactly have a phone number ya know?"

It was the dilemma she'd faced every time she needed advice, support, any time she came up against things she couldn't handle alone. Being hybrid played a role in every challenge she encountered, but maybe 5 people still alive knew what she was.

"Why did you lose it anyway?"

"She wanted to go out with Jaime tomorrow. I don't even CARE if she goes out with him tomorrow. Its fine. But she asked me after I got off the phone with Dad and he was screaming at me. I snapped at her... you know how it goes."

"Normal lovers quarrel stuff, but when you have one of those, my appliances break. I think for now we should leave things unplugged when we're not using them, just in case. Until you figure out how to get control of this. Let me talk to Rini."

***

I'm not at all happy with this but I'll work on it some other time.

They will insulate the wires. And yes, eventually she gets control.

Blog entry, now with 50% more peanuts

I lied about the peanuts.

I have just eaten lunch which was something called "Bankruptcy Stew" prepared by the ever helpful jadasc. The recipe is roughly:

a pound of stew meat
a can or jar of tomato sauce
some vegetables

brown meat in pan. Chop veggies and add to pan. Add tomato sauce to pan. Simmer for an hour.

The result is remarkably similar to chicken caccitore but in this case with lamb. Delish. Nom nom nom. Also saves us from having to order food just yet. Until you've done this blogathon craziness once (which I did last year) you don't realize how hungry you get being awake for 24 hours. If you figure you eat about once every 4 hours while awake, that means you'll eat two extra times while failing to sleep.

Also I had insomnia last night and that SUCKED. Bad timing brain.

http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69

Blog entry, now with 50% more peanuts

I lied about the peanuts.

I have just eaten lunch which was something called "Bankruptcy Stew" prepared by the ever helpful jadasc. The recipe is roughly:

a pound of stew meat
a can or jar of tomato sauce
some vegetables

brown meat in pan. Chop veggies and add to pan. Add tomato sauce to pan. Simmer for an hour.

The result is remarkably similar to chicken caccitore but in this case with lamb. Delish. Nom nom nom. Also saves us from having to order food just yet. Until you've done this blogathon craziness once (which I did last year) you don't realize how hungry you get being awake for 24 hours. If you figure you eat about once every 4 hours while awake, that means you'll eat two extra times while failing to sleep.

Also I had insomnia last night and that SUCKED. Bad timing brain.

http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69

Reconciliation, drabble

Inspired in part by Patrick Wolf's "Blackdown." Yup, him again. I'm gonna do an album review later.

"My story has just begun
And I will be returning
To myself soon

I’ve been alone for so many
The great moments in my life
Alone like too many
But at this moment in my life
I ask you

Father, father, anyway
I can help ye?"

***

I could hear the footsteps come up behind me, soft against the grass on the cemetery ground. My fingers brushed the top of Papa's gravestone just as my father's hand rested on my shoulder. I turned slowly toward him, my face flushing. When I set my eyes upon him, tears began to trickle down my cheeks. Our mouths opened at the same time.

"I'm sorry"

Papa would have rolled in his grave if he heard the way we fought after his funeral. Were he still alive he would have shaken his head, begged us to put it all aside. He would have insisted that no amount of sorrow over his passing was an acceptable excuse for father and daughter to mistreat each other.

Today, for the first time in a year, I wrapped my arms around my father. Papa rests in peace.

****

Man, I am totally fixated on the death part of this story. I need some levity, stat.

http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69

Reconciliation, drabble

Inspired in part by Patrick Wolf's "Blackdown." Yup, him again. I'm gonna do an album review later.

"My story has just begun
And I will be returning
To myself soon

I’ve been alone for so many
The great moments in my life
Alone like too many
But at this moment in my life
I ask you

Father, father, anyway
I can help ye?"

***

I could hear the footsteps come up behind me, soft against the grass on the cemetery ground. My fingers brushed the top of Papa's gravestone just as my father's hand rested on my shoulder. I turned slowly toward him, my face flushing. When I set my eyes upon him, tears began to trickle down my cheeks. Our mouths opened at the same time.

"I'm sorry"

Papa would have rolled in his grave if he heard the way we fought after his funeral. Were he still alive he would have shaken his head, begged us to put it all aside. He would have insisted that no amount of sorrow over his passing was an acceptable excuse for father and daughter to mistreat each other.

Today, for the first time in a year, I wrapped my arms around my father. Papa rests in peace.

****

Man, I am totally fixated on the death part of this story. I need some levity, stat.

http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69

ARGH!!!

I had an entry all typed out and the computer ate it. Like I have NO CLUE where it went and I can't restore it froma draft. I assure you it was totally brilliant though.

Must. Kill. technology.

ARGH!!!

I had an entry all typed out and the computer ate it. Like I have NO CLUE where it went and I can't restore it froma draft. I assure you it was totally brilliant though.

Must. Kill. technology.

Grrrrrrr

My computer and I appear to be in some sort of disagreement about what to do with my posts. _I_ think it should save them in the window for when it is time for me to post them. The COMPUTER thinks it should lose them in the ether.

So I guess I will take this moment to say thank you to all the people who are pledging blogathon, not just the people pledging for my cause but everyone. Blogathon is set to raise over $32,000 for various causes. Who knows how much it will be by the end. All that from a couple hundred people sitting at the computer and giving themselves carpal tunnel. To me this is an example of how most people are actually okay deep down. It is difficult given the news reports of rape, homicide, theft, neglect of children, war, famine ect to keep a positive attitude about humanity. Events like blogathon are a good reminder not to give up on people.

This just in, Brodie the dog has stuck her head around my monitor. Petting break!

Grrrrrrr

My computer and I appear to be in some sort of disagreement about what to do with my posts. _I_ think it should save them in the window for when it is time for me to post them. The COMPUTER thinks it should lose them in the ether.

So I guess I will take this moment to say thank you to all the people who are pledging blogathon, not just the people pledging for my cause but everyone. Blogathon is set to raise over $32,000 for various causes. Who knows how much it will be by the end. All that from a couple hundred people sitting at the computer and giving themselves carpal tunnel. To me this is an example of how most people are actually okay deep down. It is difficult given the news reports of rape, homicide, theft, neglect of children, war, famine ect to keep a positive attitude about humanity. Events like blogathon are a good reminder not to give up on people.

This just in, Brodie the dog has stuck her head around my monitor. Petting break!

Ode to The Sandbox, mornings on WFNX

The post I lost was about my favorite radio show but that's okay, now I can write something even more ridiculous:

Oh Sandbox
You make my morning commute
Less unpleasant than a root canal
Even though I drive in massachusetts

Oh Sandbox
Were it not for you
I would have many more points on my license
Or be in jail for vehicular homicide

Oh Sandbox
How did i live without
My song is better than your song
"Who Said It"
"Fletcher Missed that Movie Too"

Oh Sandbox
To you nothing is sacred
I just hope you don't piss off any celebrities
The way Kathy Griffin did with her stage act

Oh Sandbox
I thank you for introducing me
To the joy of Five Guys Burgers
And reminding me about Fuddruckers cheese sauce

Oh Sandbox
I thank you for throwing a party
On my birthday
Even though the bar wouldn't let me drink Strongbow
Because Bud was the sponsor

Ode to The Sandbox, mornings on WFNX

The post I lost was about my favorite radio show but that's okay, now I can write something even more ridiculous:

Oh Sandbox
You make my morning commute
Less unpleasant than a root canal
Even though I drive in massachusetts

Oh Sandbox
Were it not for you
I would have many more points on my license
Or be in jail for vehicular homicide

Oh Sandbox
How did i live without
My song is better than your song
"Who Said It"
"Fletcher Missed that Movie Too"

Oh Sandbox
To you nothing is sacred
I just hope you don't piss off any celebrities
The way Kathy Griffin did with her stage act

Oh Sandbox
I thank you for introducing me
To the joy of Five Guys Burgers
And reminding me about Fuddruckers cheese sauce

Oh Sandbox
I thank you for throwing a party
On my birthday
Even though the bar wouldn't let me drink Strongbow
Because Bud was the sponsor

This musician I have been talking about

Two of this years fic bits were inspired by Patrick Wolf songs, specifically songs off his most recent album, The Bachelor. I gush about him all the time. I'm going to attempt to write something analytical here.

What's interesting about Patrick's career so far is that because he began as a songwriter at such a young age, its possible to listen to his albums in chronological order and "watch" him grow up. His first album, Lycathropy, is full of rapid change and rebellion. It was written for the most part between the ages of 14 and 18. A few songs on this album are about rapid transformation, a few about running away or separating. There is a sense throughout the lyrics of someone young trying to make sense of the world without the filter of mom and dad to simplify the process. His second album which was written during the 2-3 years following Lycanthropy is more subtle musically. In "Wind In The Wires" Patrick touches on bits of mythology, making more of a connection to the world that existed before him. This CAN be seen as mirroring the process by which a young adult begins to understand themselves in a greater context, moving out of being self-focused. Or I could be full of shit. I'm a therapist though so we'll go with the psychological interpretation. Anyway there's lyrics to back me up so NYAH. On his third album "The Magic Position" Patrick made a conscious effort to distance himself from the use of minor keys which are associated with a more "angsty" sound and make something that was, as he said "full of color." I am reminded of the stage just after adolescence where a young person becomes ableto view the world as a potential ally rather than something which is out to destroy them. This album also focuses heavily on first love, self-love, and surviving loss. Finally on this fourth album "The Bachelor", Patrick covers a huge range of subjects from the political to the personal; his father's illness, his relationship with his childhood home, how he got sucked in and spat out by fame and its trappings. It ends with him establishing that he has grown into a happier more fulfilled person in spite, or perhaps because of, his difficult circumstances. I like all his albums but the 4th is the best hands down and I think his increasing maturity has everything to do with that.

The fifth album is due out any time now! I can't wait.

http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69 pleeeeease sponsor me. Been stuck at $416 for a while

This musician I have been talking about

Two of this years fic bits were inspired by Patrick Wolf songs, specifically songs off his most recent album, The Bachelor. I gush about him all the time. I'm going to attempt to write something analytical here.

What's interesting about Patrick's career so far is that because he began as a songwriter at such a young age, its possible to listen to his albums in chronological order and "watch" him grow up. His first album, Lycathropy, is full of rapid change and rebellion. It was written for the most part between the ages of 14 and 18. A few songs on this album are about rapid transformation, a few about running away or separating. There is a sense throughout the lyrics of someone young trying to make sense of the world without the filter of mom and dad to simplify the process. His second album which was written during the 2-3 years following Lycanthropy is more subtle musically. In "Wind In The Wires" Patrick touches on bits of mythology, making more of a connection to the world that existed before him. This CAN be seen as mirroring the process by which a young adult begins to understand themselves in a greater context, moving out of being self-focused. Or I could be full of shit. I'm a therapist though so we'll go with the psychological interpretation. Anyway there's lyrics to back me up so NYAH. On his third album "The Magic Position" Patrick made a conscious effort to distance himself from the use of minor keys which are associated with a more "angsty" sound and make something that was, as he said "full of color." I am reminded of the stage just after adolescence where a young person becomes ableto view the world as a potential ally rather than something which is out to destroy them. This album also focuses heavily on first love, self-love, and surviving loss. Finally on this fourth album "The Bachelor", Patrick covers a huge range of subjects from the political to the personal; his father's illness, his relationship with his childhood home, how he got sucked in and spat out by fame and its trappings. It ends with him establishing that he has grown into a happier more fulfilled person in spite, or perhaps because of, his difficult circumstances. I like all his albums but the 4th is the best hands down and I think his increasing maturity has everything to do with that.

The fifth album is due out any time now! I can't wait.

http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69 pleeeeease sponsor me. Been stuck at $416 for a while

Post not quite apocolyptic world part 2

Life in the settlements is a work in progress. A lot of them are built in the shells of surviving older structures. In more barren areas, a few intrepid souls have begun building their own living spaces. For a while building materials were difficult to find but now the trees are growing back and the outsiders have perfected a building technique that creates walls akin to concrete sheets without requiring anything to be purchased from inside the domes (the primary component is, well, dirt.) Large central settlements ("centrals") manage distribution of anything that comes from inside. The culture in the centrals is substantially more structured than in the outlying areas with a hierarchy similar to the 20th century US military. In the smaller settlements its all farming and production. So far the exchange between the two is peaceful but some folk fear that the centrals will become just as dictatorial as the government inside the dome.

Education is an issue. The current system allows children to learn until around age 13 or 14 while still living with their families but if a child wants an education beyond basic reading and math and they live in a smaller settlement, they will have to go to the nearest central to receive further instruction. Currently the head honchos in the centrals are trying to train at least one student from each outlying area sufficiently to provide advanced education to the nearby population. The smaller settlements do have electricity and communications akin to the early 21st century internet so hopes are high that this will be achieved in the next 15 years.

http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69 to make my carpal tunnel more worthwhile!

Post not quite apocolyptic world part 2

Life in the settlements is a work in progress. A lot of them are built in the shells of surviving older structures. In more barren areas, a few intrepid souls have begun building their own living spaces. For a while building materials were difficult to find but now the trees are growing back and the outsiders have perfected a building technique that creates walls akin to concrete sheets without requiring anything to be purchased from inside the domes (the primary component is, well, dirt.) Large central settlements ("centrals") manage distribution of anything that comes from inside. The culture in the centrals is substantially more structured than in the outlying areas with a hierarchy similar to the 20th century US military. In the smaller settlements its all farming and production. So far the exchange between the two is peaceful but some folk fear that the centrals will become just as dictatorial as the government inside the dome.

Education is an issue. The current system allows children to learn until around age 13 or 14 while still living with their families but if a child wants an education beyond basic reading and math and they live in a smaller settlement, they will have to go to the nearest central to receive further instruction. Currently the head honchos in the centrals are trying to train at least one student from each outlying area sufficiently to provide advanced education to the nearby population. The smaller settlements do have electricity and communications akin to the early 21st century internet so hopes are high that this will be achieved in the next 15 years.

http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69 to make my carpal tunnel more worthwhile!

What have I gotten myself into now?

I asked a friend what I should write about next and he said "Pants." Moral of the story is don't ask your friends for ideas because they want to make your life difficult. Fortunately I have things to say about pants.

For a long time I was a skirt person. I preferred the way skirts looked and found them more comfortable. However I have in the past couple of years discovered the joy of wearing a well fitting pair of pants. I have a few of those and I have to say that if I could afford to have a lot more pants that fit me well, I'd probably never wear a skirt again. Skirts LOOK cool, but they get caught in things. I step on them going up stairs. And let's not get into the wind problem. No one needs to see my undies thanks. Pants avoid all those problems. Plus pants go better with my stompy BFBs (that's big fucking boots.)

And yet I am still a sucker for pretty dresses. I buy them all the time, leaving little room in my budget for more pants. Most of the pants that i have were paid for by my mother and sent to me as gifts. Every time I think "I have some money, I'll get a good pair of pants" I end up buying something else.

Somewhere deep down some part of me just doesn't want to be a pants person.

http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69 to support reproductive freedom!

What have I gotten myself into now?

I asked a friend what I should write about next and he said "Pants." Moral of the story is don't ask your friends for ideas because they want to make your life difficult. Fortunately I have things to say about pants.

For a long time I was a skirt person. I preferred the way skirts looked and found them more comfortable. However I have in the past couple of years discovered the joy of wearing a well fitting pair of pants. I have a few of those and I have to say that if I could afford to have a lot more pants that fit me well, I'd probably never wear a skirt again. Skirts LOOK cool, but they get caught in things. I step on them going up stairs. And let's not get into the wind problem. No one needs to see my undies thanks. Pants avoid all those problems. Plus pants go better with my stompy BFBs (that's big fucking boots.)

And yet I am still a sucker for pretty dresses. I buy them all the time, leaving little room in my budget for more pants. Most of the pants that i have were paid for by my mother and sent to me as gifts. Every time I think "I have some money, I'll get a good pair of pants" I end up buying something else.

Somewhere deep down some part of me just doesn't want to be a pants person.

http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69 to support reproductive freedom!

Updatey wupdatey

Status report on Bloggers Union Local 50:

One of our support crew is on their way with ice cream sundae makings. Two more friends with guide dogs will be coming over bringing this from a one dog thon to a three dog thon. One of my friends has finally recovered from an injury enough to go out and is heading over. There is a spinich lasagna on the table which will be heated soon for nomificating (also known as eating). The baseball game is about to come on. This blog will likely become much more red soxy than it has been thus far as the sox invade my brain. I had hoped to get a picture of the pup wearing her red sox bandanna but apparently its lost somewhere in the (fairly large) house and we just don't have time to go looking for it.

Every time I look at the blogathon main page the total raised has gone up and it warms my heart.

The dog is refusing to pee. ALL DAY. I wish my bladder had that kind of capacity. You all needed to know that I'm sure.

Have a donation link: http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69

Updatey wupdatey

Status report on Bloggers Union Local 50:

One of our support crew is on their way with ice cream sundae makings. Two more friends with guide dogs will be coming over bringing this from a one dog thon to a three dog thon. One of my friends has finally recovered from an injury enough to go out and is heading over. There is a spinich lasagna on the table which will be heated soon for nomificating (also known as eating). The baseball game is about to come on. This blog will likely become much more red soxy than it has been thus far as the sox invade my brain. I had hoped to get a picture of the pup wearing her red sox bandanna but apparently its lost somewhere in the (fairly large) house and we just don't have time to go looking for it.

Every time I look at the blogathon main page the total raised has gone up and it warms my heart.

The dog is refusing to pee. ALL DAY. I wish my bladder had that kind of capacity. You all needed to know that I'm sure.

Have a donation link: http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69

Okay maybe not watching the game just yet...

The DVR is recording a couple of shows until 8 so we can't put on the game yet. Instead we're watching NCIS. Every time I see this show I am shocked by the sheer level of innuendo. If I had to guess I would say that every man on this show is sleeping with every woman on this show, every woman on this show is sleeping with every woman on this show, every man on this show is sleeping with every man on the show AND once a month they have orgies in the office for everyone. I only hope they do not involve any of the bodies the medical examiner has been working on.

I do wonder, i hear all these rumours about intra-office relationships but as I work in a largely single gender field (primarily populated by heterosexual women) I've never been around such things. To me it seems like it would be seriously awkward. Anyone wanna weigh in on the topic?

Appropos of nothing I just ate a sundae out of one of those plastic baseball cap dishes they sell ice cream in at the ball park. Ahhhhh nostalgia! Next post I'll talk a bit about me and baseball.

Okay maybe not watching the game just yet...

The DVR is recording a couple of shows until 8 so we can't put on the game yet. Instead we're watching NCIS. Every time I see this show I am shocked by the sheer level of innuendo. If I had to guess I would say that every man on this show is sleeping with every woman on this show, every woman on this show is sleeping with every woman on this show, every man on this show is sleeping with every man on the show AND once a month they have orgies in the office for everyone. I only hope they do not involve any of the bodies the medical examiner has been working on.

I do wonder, i hear all these rumours about intra-office relationships but as I work in a largely single gender field (primarily populated by heterosexual women) I've never been around such things. To me it seems like it would be seriously awkward. Anyone wanna weigh in on the topic?

Appropos of nothing I just ate a sundae out of one of those plastic baseball cap dishes they sell ice cream in at the ball park. Ahhhhh nostalgia! Next post I'll talk a bit about me and baseball.

Me and baseball part 1

When I was 6 years old my parents took me to my first baseball game at Yankee Stadium (yes I know all you Bostonian types! I grew up in New York and I was a yankee fan for many years. I'll get to the hell that is playoff season later). I don't remember much about the experience but what I have is fond memory. Popcorn, plastic cups with "milkshakes" in them, lots of jumping up and down like idiots. They lost the game and I recall being personally offended that they had lost at MY FIRST GAME. I got over it. The next game we went to was hat day or bat day or something like that. They played against the Mariners who were apparently stinking it up that year. My dad said he'd be shocked if they lost. THey won that time. I remember a spring training game down in Florida at my grandparents place where I got... I think it was Don Mattingly's autograph. One year we went to see the Yankees vs Montreal. I took one of my Garfield books with me. I know this because inside one of my Garfield books (I still have them all) are written, in my 10 year old scrawl "Go Yankees! Beat Montrel!" I never was much of a speller.

In 1986 the Mets had a shockingly good season. I watched every game up to and including the World Series. I'm sure I had to go to bed to early to see the results for a lot of those game. My parents kept complaining because "baseball on tv is so boring!" but I insisted on watching.

I'm not sure when it was really that I drifted away from baseball but I know that by the time I got to high school i almost never watched a game. My family and I no longer got along well enough for me to want to go see a game with them either. Then came college and graduate school. All in all I probably took about 11-12 years off from watching the game. In the midst of that I moved from New York to Pittsburgh to New York and then finally to Boston. Now remember, historically, I was a Yankees fan. I moved straight into the midst of enemy territory. Then I got involved romantically with a rabid Red Sox fan.

I'll leave you off there for now. Part 2 still to come.

Sponsor me! http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69

Me and baseball part 1

When I was 6 years old my parents took me to my first baseball game at Yankee Stadium (yes I know all you Bostonian types! I grew up in New York and I was a yankee fan for many years. I'll get to the hell that is playoff season later). I don't remember much about the experience but what I have is fond memory. Popcorn, plastic cups with "milkshakes" in them, lots of jumping up and down like idiots. They lost the game and I recall being personally offended that they had lost at MY FIRST GAME. I got over it. The next game we went to was hat day or bat day or something like that. They played against the Mariners who were apparently stinking it up that year. My dad said he'd be shocked if they lost. THey won that time. I remember a spring training game down in Florida at my grandparents place where I got... I think it was Don Mattingly's autograph. One year we went to see the Yankees vs Montreal. I took one of my Garfield books with me. I know this because inside one of my Garfield books (I still have them all) are written, in my 10 year old scrawl "Go Yankees! Beat Montrel!" I never was much of a speller.

In 1986 the Mets had a shockingly good season. I watched every game up to and including the World Series. I'm sure I had to go to bed to early to see the results for a lot of those game. My parents kept complaining because "baseball on tv is so boring!" but I insisted on watching.

I'm not sure when it was really that I drifted away from baseball but I know that by the time I got to high school i almost never watched a game. My family and I no longer got along well enough for me to want to go see a game with them either. Then came college and graduate school. All in all I probably took about 11-12 years off from watching the game. In the midst of that I moved from New York to Pittsburgh to New York and then finally to Boston. Now remember, historically, I was a Yankees fan. I moved straight into the midst of enemy territory. Then I got involved romantically with a rabid Red Sox fan.

I'll leave you off there for now. Part 2 still to come.

Sponsor me! http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69

Me and baseball part 2

So in early 2002 I started dating the person who is now my ex-husband. We were together for about 6 years all told, living together for a good chunk of that time. He is a rabid dyed in wool born in MA Red Sox fan. In 2003 we attempted to watch the playoffs together. I kept quiet about which team I was rooting for, in part because I could not decide. While Red Sox fans are trained from birth to hate the Yankees, the reverse is not true. I understand the whole sentimental favorite thing quite well. On the other hand, the Yankees were my childhood team. THe Yankees won that year and my ex refused to talk to me or anyone else. I was pretty irritated with him. I didn't watch the World Series that year because he would have probably KILLED me if I put it on in our house. What 2003 did was hook me back into baseball.

The 2004 season rolled around and once again it looked like the sox were going to contend for the championship. My partner and I watched all the playoffs including the now famous comeback from a 3 games to none deficit. Then it was time for the world series. I confess, I fell asleep during the final minutes of the final game. It was late, I was tired. MY partner woke me to tell me the sox had won. For the next few years I followed the baseball season including the 2007 World Series victory. I started an infamous poll at my office: choose one red sox player to marry, one for a one night stand.

Then a terrible tragic thing happened. Red sox games moved off FOX onto NESN. I only have very basic cable which does not include NESN. 2008 was a sad sad summer.

THis year I've been coming to Local 50 to watch games about once a week which keeps me in the loop enough for my purposes. This coming September I have tickets to my first live baseball game in close to 20 years.

Me and baseball part 2

So in early 2002 I started dating the person who is now my ex-husband. We were together for about 6 years all told, living together for a good chunk of that time. He is a rabid dyed in wool born in MA Red Sox fan. In 2003 we attempted to watch the playoffs together. I kept quiet about which team I was rooting for, in part because I could not decide. While Red Sox fans are trained from birth to hate the Yankees, the reverse is not true. I understand the whole sentimental favorite thing quite well. On the other hand, the Yankees were my childhood team. THe Yankees won that year and my ex refused to talk to me or anyone else. I was pretty irritated with him. I didn't watch the World Series that year because he would have probably KILLED me if I put it on in our house. What 2003 did was hook me back into baseball.

The 2004 season rolled around and once again it looked like the sox were going to contend for the championship. My partner and I watched all the playoffs including the now famous comeback from a 3 games to none deficit. Then it was time for the world series. I confess, I fell asleep during the final minutes of the final game. It was late, I was tired. MY partner woke me to tell me the sox had won. For the next few years I followed the baseball season including the 2007 World Series victory. I started an infamous poll at my office: choose one red sox player to marry, one for a one night stand.

Then a terrible tragic thing happened. Red sox games moved off FOX onto NESN. I only have very basic cable which does not include NESN. 2008 was a sad sad summer.

THis year I've been coming to Local 50 to watch games about once a week which keeps me in the loop enough for my purposes. This coming September I have tickets to my first live baseball game in close to 20 years.

Finally!

We have finally figured out how to shut down the DVR and are watching the baseball game. Boston leading 5 to 2, we're in the 7th inning. And look big papi is up and Jason Bay is on base and so is JD Drew woo!

Crap I looked away for a minute and now there's a commercial. That probably means Papi struck out. Sad.

In the midst of this we are desperately trying to get DOg number 1 on tie down so she will stop harassing dogs number 2 and 3. We appear to be playing a game of guide dog, collect the whole set.

Yup, Baltimore is up. Top of the 8th. Lester is pitching. He kicks ass. Dammit some dude got onto second. Might be time to take Lester out as he is at pitch number 109.

I am totally cheating by live blogging the game.

Bottom of the 8th, the red sox retire the side yay!

And that was a hit!!! Go Mike Lowell!!!! Or as my companion says "yay eyebrow man"

7 to 2! 2 run homer!!

Holy shit, the opposition has a submarine pitcher. Those are rare!

I'm still at $416 and the total for the entire event is just shy of 35k. Pledge pledge pledge away and let's get those totals moving! http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69

Finally!

We have finally figured out how to shut down the DVR and are watching the baseball game. Boston leading 5 to 2, we're in the 7th inning. And look big papi is up and Jason Bay is on base and so is JD Drew woo!

Crap I looked away for a minute and now there's a commercial. That probably means Papi struck out. Sad.

In the midst of this we are desperately trying to get DOg number 1 on tie down so she will stop harassing dogs number 2 and 3. We appear to be playing a game of guide dog, collect the whole set.

Yup, Baltimore is up. Top of the 8th. Lester is pitching. He kicks ass. Dammit some dude got onto second. Might be time to take Lester out as he is at pitch number 109.

I am totally cheating by live blogging the game.

Bottom of the 8th, the red sox retire the side yay!

And that was a hit!!! Go Mike Lowell!!!! Or as my companion says "yay eyebrow man"

7 to 2! 2 run homer!!

Holy shit, the opposition has a submarine pitcher. Those are rare!

I'm still at $416 and the total for the entire event is just shy of 35k. Pledge pledge pledge away and let's get those totals moving! http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69

No more baseball, I promise

I'm not gonna blog about the game anymore. I am going to tell you that we have investigated 1 am dinner order options quite thoroughly. We've got someone here working on a paper as well who does not seem to happy about this. Something about how the research takes more time than actually reading and writing the paper. I remember those days in undergrad and grad school. The professor would say things like "must have at least 7 articles on your topic" and I'd pick a topic and then it would take me 3 days buried in the basement of the library just to FIND the damn articles. Reading them and writing about them was the easy part. The money I spent printing off microfilm microfiche psychinfo and god knows what all could buy me a house by now. But I got my BS and I got my MA and I even remember some stuff from all that school!

Also it is hot in the room. Damn AC isn't doing much with so many people in the room.

Oooh we won the game! Oh crap, I just blogged about baseball again.

If you pledge I PROMISE to stop. http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69

I am now at $466. THe site says its $516 but that's wrong cause I messed up a proxy pledge.

No more baseball, I promise

I'm not gonna blog about the game anymore. I am going to tell you that we have investigated 1 am dinner order options quite thoroughly. We've got someone here working on a paper as well who does not seem to happy about this. Something about how the research takes more time than actually reading and writing the paper. I remember those days in undergrad and grad school. The professor would say things like "must have at least 7 articles on your topic" and I'd pick a topic and then it would take me 3 days buried in the basement of the library just to FIND the damn articles. Reading them and writing about them was the easy part. The money I spent printing off microfilm microfiche psychinfo and god knows what all could buy me a house by now. But I got my BS and I got my MA and I even remember some stuff from all that school!

Also it is hot in the room. Damn AC isn't doing much with so many people in the room.

Oooh we won the game! Oh crap, I just blogged about baseball again.

If you pledge I PROMISE to stop. http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69

I am now at $466. THe site says its $516 but that's wrong cause I messed up a proxy pledge.

I know its lame but....

It is terrible that I keep just blogging about what's going on in this room but it really is rather entertaining. Phrases that have been uttered in the last half hour include:

-"how do you rape a car?" regarding Night Rider fanfic which apparently exists oh dear god.
_"she's totally kicking your ass tikva" regarding the fact that I got my post up 2 minutes before her

and the following conversation regarding the GDF guide puppy breeding program:

"I'm buying equipment for the production of pupsicles" (frozen dog sperm)
"You can produce that!"
"What?"
"You have several partners, I'm sure you can get sperm!"
"NOT DOG SPERM!"
"I don't think J can mate with a dog."
"I don't think he wants to!"

There is nothing I can come up with even in my fertile imagination which can compare with that for sheer absurdity.

We are up to $476! Can we make it to $500 by morning! http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69

I know its lame but....

It is terrible that I keep just blogging about what's going on in this room but it really is rather entertaining. Phrases that have been uttered in the last half hour include:

-"how do you rape a car?" regarding Night Rider fanfic which apparently exists oh dear god.
_"she's totally kicking your ass tikva" regarding the fact that I got my post up 2 minutes before her

and the following conversation regarding the GDF guide puppy breeding program:

"I'm buying equipment for the production of pupsicles" (frozen dog sperm)
"You can produce that!"
"What?"
"You have several partners, I'm sure you can get sperm!"
"NOT DOG SPERM!"
"I don't think J can mate with a dog."
"I don't think he wants to!"

There is nothing I can come up with even in my fertile imagination which can compare with that for sheer absurdity.

We are up to $476! Can we make it to $500 by morning! http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69

I wish I had a dog

tikva has all kinds of great horrible stories about things her dog did that humiliated her and in a perverse way, this makes me want a dog so I can share.

I do however have a cat and I have not talked about him yet this blogathon. I got Samuel T Fuzzbutt the 3rd Esq. in June of 2002. He was a gift from my then partner. I didn't choose him, he chose me. In the past 7 years I have reached the point where cleaning the litter box ALMOST doesn't bother me. However there have been a few... incidents.

A few months ago I got a terrible respiratory infection which went away came back went away and came back again. While I was at home missing work for several days, Sam glued himself to my side and kept me warm. He cuddled with me when I napped and looked all concerned when I had a hacking coughing fit. Eventually I went back to work, not because I was well but because I ran out of sick days. It was a LONG day. I got home looking forward to doing nothing except laying back down in my bed and sleeping till the next day of work....

... to find that my cat had pooped all over the carpet and puked all over the kitchen. This is, so far as I can tell, the way that cats express their displeasure with their people leaving the house. Exhausted, barely breathing, I had to stoop down and scrub the carpet with carpet cleaner foam and mop the kitchen floor.

Sam, its a good thing you're cute cause otherwise you would have been DEAD that day.

http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69 to pledge me and push me over the $500 mark!

I wish I had a dog

tikva has all kinds of great horrible stories about things her dog did that humiliated her and in a perverse way, this makes me want a dog so I can share.

I do however have a cat and I have not talked about him yet this blogathon. I got Samuel T Fuzzbutt the 3rd Esq. in June of 2002. He was a gift from my then partner. I didn't choose him, he chose me. In the past 7 years I have reached the point where cleaning the litter box ALMOST doesn't bother me. However there have been a few... incidents.

A few months ago I got a terrible respiratory infection which went away came back went away and came back again. While I was at home missing work for several days, Sam glued himself to my side and kept me warm. He cuddled with me when I napped and looked all concerned when I had a hacking coughing fit. Eventually I went back to work, not because I was well but because I ran out of sick days. It was a LONG day. I got home looking forward to doing nothing except laying back down in my bed and sleeping till the next day of work....

... to find that my cat had pooped all over the carpet and puked all over the kitchen. This is, so far as I can tell, the way that cats express their displeasure with their people leaving the house. Exhausted, barely breathing, I had to stoop down and scrub the carpet with carpet cleaner foam and mop the kitchen floor.

Sam, its a good thing you're cute cause otherwise you would have been DEAD that day.

http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69 to pledge me and push me over the $500 mark!

Reoccurring nightmares

Getting a bit personal here. This topic is complements of one of the many members of our support team currently squished into this itty bitty room.

I have a reoccurring nightmare, though I have not had it in quite some time. It showed up on a regular basis from 2001 until late 2008. The dream follows this format:

I am with someone I care about, usually someone with whom I am intimately involved. I am trying to get the person's attention or explain something to them. I speak and they do not hear me. Gradually my voice gets louder and louder. Either they do not hear me OR they do but don't care. Even though I am screaming, my voice barely makes a sound. Eventually I resort to fists. I am pounding on the person's back and they are laughing at me because while I swing my fists with my full strength either they barely tap the person's body OR the whiff through the air and never make contact.

I had variations of this dream about 5 or 6 different people and it sucks every time.

After that don't you think I deserve a pledge? http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69

Reoccurring nightmares

Getting a bit personal here. This topic is complements of one of the many members of our support team currently squished into this itty bitty room.

I have a reoccurring nightmare, though I have not had it in quite some time. It showed up on a regular basis from 2001 until late 2008. The dream follows this format:

I am with someone I care about, usually someone with whom I am intimately involved. I am trying to get the person's attention or explain something to them. I speak and they do not hear me. Gradually my voice gets louder and louder. Either they do not hear me OR they do but don't care. Even though I am screaming, my voice barely makes a sound. Eventually I resort to fists. I am pounding on the person's back and they are laughing at me because while I swing my fists with my full strength either they barely tap the person's body OR the whiff through the air and never make contact.

I had variations of this dream about 5 or 6 different people and it sucks every time.

After that don't you think I deserve a pledge? http://www.blogathon.org/pledge.php?blogid=69