Hit the wall the last couple of hours--just could not do any major work (and the minor tasks I tried like doing database searches on computers and writing, computers and creativity, etc. were hampered by glitch in system.

SO I babbled on LJ and also changed my theme (nicely seasonal: PURPLE GHOULS!).

And new icon!

And how home.

Dang, I must make that into an icon!

OK, I want to know if I'm the only one who looked at the New Animated Bear Hug Virtual Gift and thought OMG they are SO having sex! [scroll down to the bottom of the post]

Or is it because the Incredible And Fantastic Techno-Goddess who rules my world, caras_galadhon tied me up and made me read Care Bear BDSM fic?

No, I didn't save the link (it was a yuletide fic).

And p.s. I was rather impressed with Barak's latest post in news!

The world is picking on me!

So much stuff in fandom!

So much stuff in academia!!

And a new book (well ok i ordered it so I guess it's my own fault): Rhiannon's Bury's Cyberspaces of Their Own: Female Fandoms Online.

Anybody know it? I haven't seen anything about it that I recall (should go google it), somehow it came up, I think maybe in amazon.com interests link or something???

Not enough time.

ETA: Aha, I kept thinking her name was familiar--I saw it in Refractory--here's a link to a 2004 issue where she's talking about American fans of the Canadian series Due South!

Approaching lj with caution, poking. Last oh week or two, have been having terrible problems (at work and at home access), always getting about 3 'page not found' before it would work, losing SEVERAL comments to people because of that (I did learn to copy before clicking submit, but it took a while, sigh). Seems to be working better today.

Stopping in at local Wal-Mart on way to work to buy RETURN OF THE KING

And then have to teach class. Bummer.

Wednesday last day of class, they are pushing to all watch THE film, the little darlings. We shall see. AFTER their presentations.

Would be a lot of ecstatic if not so tired, heh.

Off to the big city to see first Van Helsing, and then buy kitty litter and some face cream, and then, we'll see Troy. NO great expectations that they'll be LotR of course, but still: pretty pretty pretty pretty! (Will have to grit teeth and ignore Brad the Twit).

And hey: May 25! We saw ad on tv last night for DVD of Return!!!! TEN DAYS! Life is good!

Talk to y'all later!

Home! Tired but happy to be home, happy to have had fun conference, happy to see cats. Have great new section of vampire novel am dying to write, and lj is VERY glitchy at the moment, so will just *wave* at all friends and try to catchya tomorrow! *smooches you all*

Refrigerator not running, bad. Still on warantee, good. Wiring in kitchen responsible, eh, whatever. Refrigerator running on extension cord so not all food lost, good. Had to call electrician and stay home from work, bad (had fun class to go to). But electrician actually showed up and did *not* charge arm and leg, good. Had to miss fun class, bad. Had to miss boring meeting, good. Had to clean house, bad. Had time to lie around and read new Mercedes Lackey novel, good. Had time to finish up tough section of AU, very very very good. All in all feeling good. Have to get up *expletively deleted* early to do workshop in Mesquite tomorrow, very very bad. Must quit saying yes when ambushed by administrators. Entwife told me to practice saying: "I will check my schedule and get back to you on that." 100 times.

Must practice..."I will check my schedule and get back to you on that" x 100.

Good chance to see movie: we're torn. 13 going on 30 or Hellboy. Andy Serkis in movie that sounds rilly stupid. Or good movie that we're intrigued by because of comic book fan friends. Hmmm. Well, we shall see.

Spamming along in lj because what the heck, why not. Rain outside, RotK ST inside, ginger ale by my side, fat tuxedo cat in my lap licking my chin (note to self: get Opert's teeth cleaned), writing.......smut. Who could ask for anything more.

Had thought to attend an all night event last night at museum featuring Hobbit and Jackson films, and decided too tired to go. So then thought we'd watch EE DVD, one each night, and see ROTK Sunday. Fell asleep on couch during Part I of FotR. Had thought we'd work today, decided to go in tomorrow. Had thought to see RotK tonight, work tomorrow, and then looked at icky rain coming down and decided to spend all night in.

Conclusion: lazy, lazy, lazy, lazy. And loving it.

Have missed being more involved the last few days in all my communities and lj--but work just got out of hand. I'll be away, at a meeting, the next few days (leave Wednesday, back Sunday), not sure we'll have internet access (or if we do at the hotel, what it will cost). But will be back in touch when I can. In the meantime, hope all is well--especially for those of you in California where the fires seem to be getting worse and worse. Take care!

Apparently, according to NY Times article online my housemate read, the Australian Parliament, or some of its members, the Green Party ones, HECKLED Bush when he was addressing them! And there was a picture that showed the PM holding back some of those members and keeping them from talking to Bush, who was ducking out. According to this article, he is FOR THE FIRST TIME on this trip overseas starting to understand that the rest of the world does not share his view of America as the GOOD big strong protector of the weak and innocent against the EEEVIL (and that parts of world may even see "America" as the EEEVIL one). Two responses: Go, Australia! And, what kind of Rich White Boy protective cocoon has he been living his life in? That insulation must have been six feet thick. The Rich live on another planet, I think.

And in today's celebrity gossip column, an item sure to thrill cathexys and hederahelix and other boyband fans: Justin Timberlake is ready to write his memoirs! At the ripe OLD age of 22, he's trying to sell his book proposal--bidding has apparently reached 7 figures. According to "insider": "He'd put out feelers about doing a book a few years ago, but that that point he hadn't had his heart broken by Britney. He hadn't lived as much as he has now. And of course, there wans't Cameron Diaz." A new "canon" source in the making. He's only 22? (Or is that celebrity age?) Will refrain from ageist comment about how much one can have lived by the time one is in the early twenties, even if one is a celebrity type person...

Also in little gossip column, rumors that the Disney executives nearly put the lid on Pirates after seeing early rushes because they thought Johnny Depp's performance was so weird. That's where he apparently explained to them about Keith Richards as influence, and pirates being rock stars of their day. One wonders if he had to explain who Keith Richards was (snicker).

OK, here I am at home, after having spent some goodly amount of time doing weird stuff that I do not fully understand (nor do I fully understand how my car works, yet I drive it all the time), accessing lj for the first time from home! I want to experiment a while with my aol account (the free offer won us over--more money to spend on Tolkien and Jackson hah), then will hopefully come back into lj and do some more stuff.

When I've tried to respond to posts, all I get is "refresh here," "not available," and "invalid cookies" grumble, so I'll try a quick update here and hope to get on more tomorrow. Not even sure this will work so will be sure to save before trying to post.

Savageseraph and caras_galadhon go ( Here )

Aprilkat, Welcome Back! Go ( Here )

Update on last few days: the GOOD news is that I do not have ulcerative colitis (a diagnosis I received in 1984)--and that the procedure I underwent was not all that bad, due to really really good......( Drugs )

So, school is starting up and vacation time is definitely over, sigh. I'm at the office working on Official Stuff--will try to get a bit of writing snuck in around the edges (and finalizing home office set up still on the list). Meant to write more this weekend, but was distracted by five hour nap on Friday (aftermath of wonderful DRUGS), and then belated spasm of guilt-induced housecleaning on Saturday (had been writing stories and NOT housecleaning for a while), and trip to Big City on Sunday (SIXTH viewing of Pirates, oh, joy, and lovely meal out, and purchase of a few necessary items--which amazingly enough included two pounds of fudge--but we won't do it again. Do NOT shop weekend before school starts. Shudder. The horror, the horror....). So it'll be a while before I can get into the swing of things. Should have home office finally set up and (CROSSED FINGERS) internet capable next weekend....unless something ELSE happens to upset schedule/plan.

Am not liking this end of the week, although PIRATES last night was very nice!

Will be going home soon because Entwife v. tired (too much barking last night, dogs on tear), and the novacaine is starting to wear off and jaw is starting to hurt (and cannot take aspirin or ibuprofen because of medical procedure Friday--whose #%&(*#&%*(#%(#^%(#& idea was it to shove all these medical procedures into one week. I think I'll have to smack her. Oh, wait, it was me). Am having crown done--so today was grinding away and temporary installed. No candy for two or more weeks, sniff. But much easier to survive dental procedure if listening to FELLOWSHIP soundtrack. Think I will take cd player in Friday just in case they let me listen during that procedure.

Will probably be in tomorrow because it dawns on me fasting (starting about 9:00 am tomorrow) will be easier AWAY from house with refrigerator, cupboards, and pantry full of FOOD. I get to consume clear juices and chicken broth. But sitting around for hours staring fascinatedly into computer far away from food will be easier here than there. Heck, I often do it (skip lunch, right), so won't be that much of a problem. But will probably just be writing--don't see any fic postings until Sunday.

Juggling two different stories is well INTERESTING (what idiot thought of doing both at the same time, I'll so smack her around, no, wait, it was me). (Darn.) Wish there was someone around to smack. Maybe will see high administrator on campus later when going to fill up feral cat stations. Can only hope.

Got my soundtrack from amazon.com so am happily listening to pirates. And apparently the taped broadcast I heard last Saturday with NO pirates was an error--it IS playing at the local theatre. Grump. So will probably head out there tonight (unless am tied to couch to watch QUEER EYE FOR THE STRAIGHT GUY)...or tomorrow night (after dentist, hmm)....for fifth viewing.

Wonder what LOTR slash written to pirates soundtrack will come out as....

Slashy Fellowship Moment ( Here )

RL will intrude next week--personal babble behind cut tag as well as noted on when new fics will likely go up heh heh heh ( RL here )

special note to caras_galadahon and savagesraph: for goodness sakes (though goodness has NOTHING to do with it), get some REST! Sleep, dream restocking, imagination re-energizing will simply IMPROVE your writing anyway. Trust me--been there, done that, and have a couple of chronic conditions that taught me this the hard way. And I don't want to lose you. Take care! (And what about Boston next year?)

Update:

This morning we got up at 6 am, had a trip to the airport and back, and am now in office where it's 86 degrees and rising (university saves money by turning off cooling to academic buildings during three day weekends in summer), and lj is flashing on and off like a broken bar sign, so probably will not be here v. long.

But could not resist:

( POTC meme )

The erm sort of embarassing thing is I DO love apples, have for years, ahem.

Cannot get internet access settled until 1) home office furniture is developed (sheesh, buy one little notebook and it opens the floodgates--found great armoire for computers to live in that has DOORS--i.e. cats cannot get in to do Bad Things) 2) home office furniture is assembled, and 3) I choose between aol and earthlink (aol free for year with computer, earthlink has good reputation with people I talk to). Any opinions. It's gonna be dialup where we live, but I was find at my mom's with it (not that much slower at times than the university, hah). I have to come in Monday-Thursday to fill feral cat feeding stations, so may be checking in that way.

Will probably go home and play with new notebook (am in love, love, love, love), write some smut, and watch FELLOWSHIP (research for smut). And deal with pouty cats and dogs who do not like their Sacred Routine disrupted (and mommies to be taken off in car for long stays at vet's, which is how we figure they explain our vacation absences).

Had to go back and check to see when I last posted--only Saturday, thought it was longer. I tend to be pretty hyper when I arrive at the beach, exhausted but hyper, and it takes a few days for vacation reality to set in, but it's been here the last few days. Only writing a couple of pages a days (each) in various fics (sorry, guys), not responding as much on lj, not posting much on lj, sleeping lots more (NAP NAP NAP!), eating LOTS more, MOVING much less. Too bad I have to go back on Wednesday, in a way, although good in another way. Will have to fly all day Wednesday, work on house stuff all day Tuesday (multiple trips to dump and donation, haircut, probably chiropractic appointment if Entwife can get one for me), and on Friday (MIGHT get into work that day). Saturday will be for Johnny English (we are BIG Rowan Atkinson fans), and somewhere in there I must see POTC again. A time or two. Then to the airport with Entwife on Sunday for her annual visit to Mum. Then it'll be me, 10 cats, and 3 dogs. Pippin the new puppy has been integrating nicely, bonding like crazy with big boys especially Russell (who when he hears her puppy cry dashes off to rescue her, a parfait gentile knight). She's apparently grown a lot and has developed Big Dog Bark though she keeps trying to do puppy bit. And she can be in pen with Blackie for big chunks of time (Russell very paranoid about pen, or any move to entrap him like two mommies approaching, one from each side, so he stays out except for thunderstorms). So less crating, which is a good thing. So no teaching, just have to do pet work morning and evening, and lots of free time to spend as I will. Which I hope will be learning new computer (after I pry it out of Entwife's hands, I think they've bonded) and new online stuff, if we get it set up. In theory I should start back to work on book....in practice.....well we'll see.

Zipped into Seattle today for second time (NOT making any plans in advance worked out so much better, got to have dinner with v. busy friend from college, and lunch with baranduin, on spur of moment), walked on ferry, got to see both Mt. Rainier and Baker (I used to live in Bellingham, close to Baker, had it in my bedroom window for two wonderful years. I love mountains.), zipped down to great restaurant and had wonderful food AND great slashy conversation.

I think the waiter thought we were both tourists because of the way he talked to us (as if we were five year old children, heh), and tried to shove us toward a table that had (GASP) A VIEW OF THE WATERFRONT. And was in direct sun (I'm on some medication that says "do not spend unprotected time in sun). We had to armwrestle him (skinny young guy, he never had a chance), whereupon we got a table in full shade without VIEW OF WATERFRONT which didn't really matter because I don't think we looked away through the whole lunch conversation. Which consisted of the wonderfulness of slash, especially Frodo/Faramir, interspecies, fandom, academic theories about fandom (blush, I admit it, I have 'em), Faramir was so wonderful, Frodo as incredible, the great things about slash, and oh yeah, maybe 10 minutes on oh like mundane stuff (work and all), before zipping back to slash. And Frodo and Faramir. Too much fun! Is probably illegal in seventeen states. In fact, got inspired and took notes on ferry ride home for "Last Night in Rivendell" (Frodo and Faramir have good food and great sex, and Aragorn and Boromir manage to have their first conversation that is not an argument!). Off to write more SLASH.

I'm at my mother's (western Washington coast, a house on a small bay off the north end of Hood Canal, a place that always has reminded me a good deal of Tolkien's description of Ithilien--and the place I first read Tolkien lo these many years ago--i.e. 1965).

Had a good trip yesterday--zipped through checkin and airport security in about 10 minutes ("My bags are not locked; I do not have film; I do not have guns in them" for the checked baggage), then through a short line for the carry ons. Had about 90 minutes before boarding, so I started Harry Potter and the Order of The Phoenix which I had ordered and received when it first came out but had heroically resisted reading UNTIL my airplane flight (must have good FAT book to read on airplane otherwise I go insane--not afraid of flying--more afraid of driving in Texas--but am BORED and HATE being so closely surrounded by so many people). HP kept me entertained through HOT period on tarmac before taking off, through long (though thank the goddess nonstop) flight to SeaTac, through long wait for baggage, through start of shuttle ride--for those of you who know the area, I finished it about the time we were passing the Tacoma Dome. Also provided nice opportunity to chat with people in the shuttle, about how many people were reading HP, about how good a book it is, about how interesting the whole thing is--considering that I was on page 782 at that point, the fact that I did not leap from the seat and beat them about the head (with big fat book) for interrupting me as major scene started up is, I think, a testament to my essential goodness and sweetness of nature (HAH! OK the truth is I'm a wimp). Will do some first thoughts on HP later--but I did enjoy it, thought it better than the last one, and am liking the shift in tone and the less "sweet" nature of character and events....won't try to write about it at length until a day or two has passed and I'm more well awake.

And I have now learned I can access lj through her dialup system with little time lag or problems (I've had a worse time at work when the server was having problems) and started catching up on stuff I missed during the TWO DAYS (EEK) I was away.

Found myself on plane (when I thought it might be possible to take a short nap because I was short on sleep--since we saw the 10:00 Pirates the night before, and had to be up at 6:30 a.m. to get to airport) starting to write new David/Viggo/Sean "Idaho" sequence. They took advantage of me because I was tired. So I wrote start of scene in (paper) (even handier to access than computer) notebook, then went back to reading HP.

And saw preview for Mask of Zorro tonight (my mom will probably be out dancing, her major form of recreation and exercise beyond gardening)--more swashbuckling. Antonio Banderas! (And Catherine Z-Jones character was pretty darn good too as I recall!)

So now I'll have to decide between writing smut or watching ZORRO tonight. Grrr. And am still totally jet lagged, not only tired due to time difference, but also shift in climate (from 100 plus heat index to only 70-80 though it's much hotter here than it usually is when I come visit), and space lag--somehow crossing so much space in so little time just weirds me out. Seems....unnatural somehow.

And now to see if I can print out my story on her computer--and oh yes spend some time with my mother! And, yes, I've been here less than 24 hours and had to do lj. Total addiction.

Am staying home tomorrow (Monday July 7) for UPS to deliver new notebook computer (YAY), although will have to come in to get class projects and grade tomorrow night...then will probably be home most of Tuesday as well. Then Wednesday: PIRATES!!!!!!! Am already planning excursion with friends, including Nice Dinner Out. Total decadent hedonism. Then I get to leave town and let Entwife figure out how to run new computer, heh heh heh....it's all in the timing. So lots of time to write fics, maybe less time to post/comment on posts...but will try!