| Daily Happiness |
[7th.Nov.2009|07:33 am] |
I forgot to mention the happiest thing yesterday! After waking up Thursday to find that I'd been slapped with a $49 fee on an old credit card because they've decided to charge a yearly membership fee if you don't use the card, I called to see if I could get it reversed. The guy gave me no trouble about reversing it, but said he would have to cancel the card to do so. Fine with me, since I'd been planning to cancel it anyway, since I have no plans to use it and there's no reason to keep it if they're going to charge me a fee to do so.
Anyway, this is the second time in the past year or two that this has happened, so it finally got me off my ass to go through our cards and cancel the old unused ones. You see, although this year we finally got ourselves out of debt, for many, many years we had $20,000+ in credit card debt and were constantly juggling it between cards to try and get lower interest rates. Which meant we signed up for a lot of new cards if they offered a cheaper rate for balance transfers. So the cards just sort of accumulated over the years.
Between the two of us, we called and cancelled about ten cards, leaving us with three cards each. Which I still think is overkill, but just in case we ever need them, they're there. We have two that we usually use and pay off immediately if we need to use a card for something, but I'll try to rotate them so that they all get used a bit and thus not hit with any fees if these guys decide to institute them as well.
It felt really good to get those cards sorted. I'd been meaning to do so for ages, because we really just do not need all of those cards sitting around. It also made me think about how happy I am to be debt free, really for the first time in my adult life. It's such a weight off my shoulders, especially considering less than two years ago I couldn't see a way out of it and thought I'd be crippled by that debt for the rest of my life. |
|
|
| Vampiric Questions |
[7th.Nov.2009|02:32 pm] |
Two questions for the readers of Vampire fic amongst you (Guess who's nano fic involves Vampires?).
Firstly in vampiric folklore is the transformation from human to vampire more consistent with the Buffy/Angel portrayal or the Twihard trainwreck?
Secondly after a vampire has sired another vamp, what is the relationship generally considered to be more parent/child or consistent with lovers, or does it depend on the sire and the situation?
You would have to wonder why someone who's only experience with Vamps is Buffy would choose such a topic for Nano wouldn't you? |
|
|
| debating |
[6th.Nov.2009|07:34 pm] |
|
my evening plans... |
|
|
| consternation |
[6th.Nov.2009|06:47 pm] |
::stares at fic::
Why the effing hell does Rodney turn mean as a rabid rattlesnake every time I try to write this sex scene?
What is wrong with him?
What is wrong with me?
::headdesk::
This entry was originally posted at http://auburn.dreamwidth.org/226758.html. where there are  comments. Comments are enabled on all cross posted journals. |
|
|
| Daily Happiness |
[6th.Nov.2009|06:15 am] |
1. I loved today's Wondermark. Don't miss the mouseover!
2. I also loved this super cute picture of a puppy!
3. And this capcha fail.
4. The past few days I've been really good about working on transferring lyrics from my old site to my new site (if you're new to my journal, I've been moving stuff from this old site to this new wiki-based site) and today I decided to compare and see how much I still have left to go...only 350 romaji and 250 translations! And that's all from eight artists + the Digimon lyrics (which were separate, but are now just going to be mixed in because if people want to search just for Digimon, there are category tags). I really feel like I might get this done someday! After over two years of this, it was just feeling like no matter how much I worked on it, it was never going to get done. I think (hope) seeing the light at the end of the tunnel will help keep me on track with working on it every day.
5. I also did other productive stuff yesterday! Always something to be happy about. |
|
|
| the internets |
[5th.Nov.2009|09:25 pm] |
|
are making me cranky tonight. |
|
|
| Daily Happiness |
[5th.Nov.2009|07:09 am] |
1. The Weekly Jump stuff seems to be coming earlier and earlier. I already did One Piece last night as usual, and did Bleach and Naruto early this morning. I have started Bakuman as well, but they said it wasn't as much of a hurry, so I could go to sleep and do it when I wake up, which is good, because I'm kind of falling asleep here. XD But it's still nice to have almost all of that out of the way.
2. I was productive in other areas last night, too! I finished reading my 60th book of the year! (Wow, compared to twenty books last year, and eleven the year before!) I translated two very short doujinshi, half of a one-shot, and a couple pages of Saint Young Men. I wish I'd gotten more done, but I was also traslating the Jump stuff as well, so.
3. We had super delicious grilled chicken and rice last night. OMG it is the best evar. |
|
|
| Book 60: Naruto: Takigakure no Shitou Ore ga Eiyuu Datteba yo! by Kusakabe Masatoshi |
[5th.Nov.2009|02:53 am] |
Title: Naruto: Takigakure no Shitou Ore ga Eiyuu Datteba yo!
Author: Kusakabe Masatoshi
Number of Pages: 222 pages
Book Number/Goal: 60/75 for 2009
My Rating: 1.5/5
Naruto and the gang are on a mission to escort the head of Takigakure Village back home, but not long after they arrive, the village falls under attack. Kakashi has been called back to Konoha, so it's up to Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura to save the day.
I'm a big fan of Naruto, but this was really boring. Part of my problem was that this was set really early on and so it felt weird going back to when they were younger. I forgot how clueless Naruto was about everything and how annoying Sakura was with her Sasuke obsession (though unsurprisingly, she hardly had any role in the story, especially once the fighting got going). But mostly it was just a boring story that didn't need to be 200 pages long. :p
I read it in Japanese, but it's also been released in English under the title Mission: Protect the Waterfall Village! (The link above goes to the English version on Amazon.)
Mooch from BookMooch. |
|
|
| waiting |
[5th.Nov.2009|12:02 am] |
|
for pain pill to start workingggg. |
|
|
| Yuletide |
[4th.Nov.2009|09:14 pm] |
Yuletide Signups are Now Open!
I haven't signed up yet as I'm still trying to decide what to request and what to offer. I have thirty possible fandoms to offer, but I know I don't want to offer that many. I'm going to whittle down the list and keep the others in mind for Treats.
In going through the list again, I saw so many books and manga that I have on my to-read lists and was like "damn it, I wish I had gotten around to reading that this year!" There were also a couple things (Skim and Flygirl) that I really wish I had held on to after reading them, because I would have offered to write them, but I don't feel comfortable doing so without access to the source material. (I used to feel that way about a lot of manga, too, but now that I have discovered where to download stuff, it's not so much an issue.)
I think my request list right now is Aoi Hana, Glee, Koukou Debut, Modern Family, Paradise Kiss, and Psyren. Obviously two of those have to go.
Probably the one I'm least sure about is Koukou Debut, because what I really want is an AU in which Haruna and Mami realise they're in love and Yoh realises he's gay. Like, seriously, I love the story the series actually did give me, but when it started out with Haruna and Mami being tomboy softball players and Yoh offering to be Haruna's fashion coach, I just really wanted it to go in a different direction. XD But I doubt that's the sort of thing people will be signing up to write, so maybe I'd just be wasting my time with that one.
I'm wibbling on Modern Family, too. I'd like to see fic about Manny, but I don't really have any ideas.
Also check out ![[info - community]](http://s.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png) dark_agenda, a comm whose purpose is to encourage more people to write non-white, non-English-language sources. |
|
|
| Fourth day of writing |
[4th.Nov.2009|09:37 pm] |
xposted to IJ and LJ
- Wrote 229 words on what I hope will grow up into an SGA story.
- Claude Lévi-Strauss passed away. Just hearing his name brings back so many memories from college, like sitting in an enormous lecture hall listening to my favorite prof.
- Does the San Francisco Panorama not look brilliant? Look at that list of contributors -- I can't wait!
- Here is another blog I really love: High Country New.
- Sorry to repeat myself, but higher education is my life, and I spend a lot of time worrying about it. The LA Times has an excellent article on the demise of higher education in California. Economists found that for every dollar the state invests in a CSU student, it receives $4.41 in return.
- Tomorrow night I'll be at my Mother's. I already miss my dear husband and my own comfortable bed.
|
|
|
| I don't care why... |
[4th.Nov.2009|09:19 pm] |
But if you think I shouldn't the same rights as a straight person, you're a bigot. Pure and simple.
She said it better. |
|
|
| You're Standing On My Neck |
[4th.Nov.2009|08:24 pm] |
Last Sunday, ![[info - personal]](http://s.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png) telesilla and I went to our favorite "special occasion" restaurant for a belated (because someone might have been at DragonCon) anniversary dinner. It's ironic in the "like people trying to keep you from having your wedding day" sense, because one year ago today, a majority of California voters decided that my marriage shouldn't be valid. This year, it happened in Maine (and you can't exactly blame the black folks for this one).
I've seen a lot of blog comments today about how it's counter-productive to say that people who vote against marriage equality are bigots. And it probably is.
But here’s the thing:
It doesn't matter.
If you vote against marriage equality, then in practical terms, it doesn’t matter to me whether you’re Fred Phelps or whether your best friend/co-worker/son/daughter/second cousin twice removed is gay. I don’t care if you’re a Catholic, Baptist, Mormon, Orthodox Jew, or Muslim. Because from where I sit, the result is the same: you believe that my relationship with the person I’ve been with for five years, the person I moved 3,000 miles to be with, the one who goes out at 3 AM to get ginger ale and crackers for me because I have stomach flu, the one who’s held my hand and been there while I’ve dealt with my mother’s dementia and Parkinson’s disease—you’re telling me that because that person is the same gender as I am, our relationship is less valid and less worthy of respect than that of a man and woman who met in Las Vegas, got drunk and decided to get married in front of an Elvis impersonator.
To me, it's irrelevant whether you did so because you believe that God ordained marriage to be between one man and one woman, or because you think the state shouldn't be involved with marriage, or because you're worried about what to tell your children, or because you think two men having sex is icky and gross. What matters to me is that you've taken a conscious, deliberate action to say that I, personally, do not deserve the same shot at being happy with the person I love that any straight person does. Your reasons for choosing to make my life more difficult and more painful are much less important to me than the fact that you've made that choice.
If you're standing on my neck, I'll worry about why you'd do something like that later. My first priority will be getting you to stop standing on my neck. |
|
|
| Big Bang Preview! |
[4th.Nov.2009|07:41 pm] |
My preview, featuring an excerpt from Make the Devil Feel Surprise is here. *bounces* Just another ten/eleven/twelve days!
I toyed with the idea of putting up the playlist/soundtrack, but in the end, I just didn't have the energy to tidy it up and then upload it somewhere. Hopefully I will by the time Big Bang goes live. |
|
|
| Try2WriSoMo: Day 3 |
[4th.Nov.2009|06:50 pm] |
Still didn't make 500, but closer today than yesterday, so I feel good about that. I'm glad I decided not to try to make myself stick to one fic, because I've started working on a More Than One Answer futurefic focusing on Joe and Dylan and Christina's daughter. I swear, every time I try to get away from the Keptverse and write something a little more cheerful, I get another bunny.
I had another Keptverse dream last night that was more weird than anything else, in that "WTF subconcious?" way. The only part I remember were that like so many of my nightmares, my old high school was featured prominently, and that there was a real problem developing with excessive inbreeding among the slaveowning classes of the Empire. I suspect that last bit is poisontaster's fault.
856 / 15000 words. 6% done! |
|
|
| TeeeVeee |
[4th.Nov.2009|05:54 pm] |
V.- I found the pilot last night for the V reboot disappointing. It has potential and some characters I liked, but the script was very, very clunky. I'll give it a shot next week, see if it improves any.
Leverage.- I should learn to use DVR now that we got our new box, maybe see the show "live" for once. The first season was my happy place for a few days, as we zipped through the episodes. @nd season has been sometimes *meh*, but I so love Parker and Hardison. OK, and Eliot too.
I haven't seen a single episode of White Collar yet, which makes me a rare specimen in my flist. I will though! I just need to -um- figure out when it's on. This is why people use DVR, yes? I'm so used to downloading stuff, so now that I'm actually seeing my new(ish) shows with Mr. Logovo it means messing with an actual TV.
Last thing. Burn Notice? My husband likes it, I haven't been crazy about it, had seen some S2 episodes with him, but before my trip to Mexico I saw the pilot and a handful of S1 episodes. Wow, it feels like the same thing that happened to Burn Notice happened to Leverage in S2. Sort of losing some of it's kick, which means you (well, more like I) stay because a love of the characters, and sort of stick with it even if the writing is not as fresh. Lesson to self: Don't jump into a show in S2. Always go back. |
|
|
| yuletide! and meandering |
[4th.Nov.2009|11:48 am] |
Currently ahemming the pilot of White Collar. If this turns out to be my next fandom, I predict the local Starbucks will get used to me showing up to use their faster wifi.
Contemplating the Yuletide sign ups. I can do a thousand words in a day. Of course, not a thousand words that finish a story, but we'll ignore that niggling little inconvenience. ![[info - livejournal.com]](http://s.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif) few has written me a how to sign up post here; if you're a newbie like me, take a gander.
I think I'll have the first draft of the sga secret santa story done by the weekend. I broke 10,000 words last night and have thrown out all the parts that aren't from John's pov, so it's on the down hill slide. No more action to speak of, just two emotional denouements and the sex scene. Hope no one thinks I'm bashing Mitchell or Keller in this, because I most certainly don't mean to do that. I see it as a no fault situation, with no one meaning to hurt anyone ele.
Circling back to Yuletide, I mean to take my time making my decisions before I officially sign up. No use piling on in the first few hours and breaking it, after all.
...
Poking around the internets, I found the kind of diabetic socks my dad likes and ordered him some. Gah. 70+ bucks for socks! For that they ought to do their own laundry. But they'll make Dad and his feet happy and more comfortable.
***
Huh. Do not like the Starbucks on the other side of town, but this one is pretty handy and much quieter. And the brownies are tasty.
Hell and damnation, I've succumbed!
This entry was originally posted at http://auburn.dreamwidth.org/226308.html. where there are  comments. Comments are enabled on all cross posted journals. |
|
|
| Daily Happiness |
[4th.Nov.2009|06:38 am] |
1. I had one of the best doughnuts I've ever had last night. It was a glazed buttermilk bar. Still warm. Soft and moist on the inside. Crispy on the outside. OMG. Seriously. Best thing ever.
2. It was really foggy last night. I loved it. It's still kind of foggy and overcast now, too. :)
3. I got stuff done last night! |
|
|
| Songs I'm currently obsessed with |
[4th.Nov.2009|04:13 am] |
I have a an album post I should do, and I still need to do those last three letters of the alphabet meme, but instead here are some songs I can't stop listening to right now. Some I've probably recced before, but some are new.
Coldplay - Viva la Vida
Coldplay seems like they're one of those love them or hate them bands, but I'm not really either. I like a few songs and am bored with most of their stuff. But omg this song. I could seriously listen to this one song forever and never ever get tired of it. I can't explain what makes me love it so, but it's one of those songs that makes me want to bounce around whenever I hear it. (It's a good "waiting in line/at the bus stop" song because of that!)
Lady Gaga - Bad Romance
This is her new single and wow. I think I love it more than anything on The Fame, though it took a couple listens to really get hooked. Reading friendsfriends the other day I saw someone's post that said something like "Explain the difference between Lady Gaga and Madonna" and it was obviously meant to be derogatory in that "we already have Madonna, so why do we need Lady Gaga" sort of way (which I see a lot about Coldplay, actually; "Why do we need Coldplay when we already have Radiohead?"), and I just have to say, I don't understand that thinking at all. Yes, Lady Gaga is similar to Madonna in a lot of ways, but THAT'S GOOD. It means MORE MUSIC THAT I LOVE. XD There is no bad here.
Mika - Blame It On the Girls
This is off his new album and has quickly become my favorite song of his EVER. Even more favorite than Grace Kelly, which is saying a lot. But seriously, it's just so, so, so catchy.
The Killers - Four Winds
This is a Bright Eyes cover and I like it way better than the original. Which I had not actually heard before this, but I went and listened to it on youtube and while it was good, I just really like this better. This is a little more upbeat, and I like Brandon Flowers's voice better than Conor Oberst's.
The Killers - A Dustland Fairytale
This is from Day & Age and it's not one that immediately burrowed its way into my brain, but after seeing them live, I went back and listened to a few Day & Age songs I'd skimmed before and this was one of them. And since then it's totally taken hold of me and won't let go. I don't know how I missed it before, because it totally sounds like it should have been on Sam's Town.
My Chemical Romance - Famous Last Words & Welcome to the Black Parade
I put these two together because I don't really have anything to say about them individually, just that they are always my go-to songs when I'm not sure what I want to listen to at the moment or where I want to start my random playlist from. They're also really great for karaoke.
Billy Joel - My Life
I recently rediscovered this song, which I loved as a kid as the theme song to one of my favorite shows, Bosom Buddies (which is totally something I would have nominated for yuletide!). I love the tune, I love the lyrics, and I love how it always makes me think of that show.
Gelugugu - Anpanman no March
This is an awesome, awesome, awesome punk cover of a kiddie anime theme song. It is seriously one of the best things I've ever heard.
Brahman - You Don't Live Here Anymore
I have really been enjoying Brahman a lot lately, but this is one in particular that I just keep coming back to over and over again. It's apparently a cover of a song by a late '70s/early '80s English band called The Fans. But enough of them and more of Brahman! Who are a Japanese punk band with a vocalist whose style of singing makes him nearly incomprehensible in both Japanese and English (though slightly less so in Japanese). I love these guys so much. |
|
|
pissed off
not too bad