As Always, Dancing In My Chair

...and relax enough to read stories, view artworks, and comment. *whew*

I just looked at my Unsorted folders in both SGA and SV and winced at the number I still haven't managed to read and comment on - some from back in May when this whole 'temporarily moving to another state' thing started - but I'm also looking forward to devouring the feast of goodies.

I have been able to sample a few short stories from the mcshep_match and they've been wonderful! I strongly encourage everyone to stop by the match to read stories and view art and vote, even if you're not one to comment. *ahem* I also happen to be on Team Time this year, and I'd love to know if anyone can guess my entry when the posting is finished. :-D

As an aside, we've been exploring Lansing/East Lansing and it's a nice place outside of the sadness seeing so many properties closed and for sale due to the depressed economy. Fortunately, the area has the university and government offices to help offset the loss of the auto industries. The dogs are certainly enjoying the walks around the neighborhood.

I'm currently muttering 'ow' from a short walk (mile or so) through Highland Park with Gary and the dogs. It was something different to celebrate our anniversary 38 years together, 36 of those married.

It was a pleasant walk, a chance to introduce Molly and Tessa to other dogs and children. Tessa, in particular, is still too aggressive toward other dogs, although both of them love meeting kids. Not too many flowers this early in the season, but there were enough in bloom to catch a lovely whiff of lilac now and then. Sorry, no pictures. I figured handling the dogs and a cane and hills was enough of a challenge.

What's been happening:

1. My chronic fatigue has been killer lately. I fall asleep around 9 PM and get up about 10 AM most days. That tends to limit what I can accomplish the remaining 11-12 hours of my day, especially if I also nap for 2 hours in the afternoon. *sigh*

2. I owe many things on the fandom side:
a. CLex drabbles
b. 8 SGA recs (McShep and John Sheppard)
c. Last 350 stories in the SSA import to AO3
d. Final FAQ on SSA import for SV comms
e. Werewolfbigbang art

3. After I've finished the above, hopefully I'll be inspired to clean up my puppy photos and videos for posting, then actually writing something. I miss writing. I miss having a brain that's able to write.

4. On the fun side, Gary has been home and playing DC Universe Online while sitting next to me on the loveseat, puppies snuggled between us. I watch and poke away at the SSA collection. We're also enjoying 'White Collar' on Netflix after finishing 'Heroes' - next up is 'Eureka' with the new season recently added.

Yesterday's trip to the zoo aka 'get me the fuck out of this house and my head' was mostly a success. I was indeed exhausted when we got home, but it was more physical than frustrated mental/chronic fatigue for a change.

Our new car is great, very comfortable with all sorts of gadgets to keep Gary happy since it wasn't the Porsche he kept hinting about and isn't getting as long as the Corvette is sitting in the driveway. *rolls eyes at boys and their very expensive toys*

The two options I asked for were a powered seat for the passenger (not wrestling with adjustments) and the backup camera that displays in the corner of the rearview mirror for those days I can't twist around to look very easily. Oh, and Gary went with the color I preferred.

But, it's brown.
No, it's Caramel Bronze and they don't have the green, so suck it up or we'll get beige.

Our local zoo is small, but always working on improvements and is very involved with species survival breeding programs. The number of animals it supports has been reduced over the years as it expands their quarters, but I've always preferred seeing a small number of happy animals over a crowd of sad, overcrowded beasts.

Sorry, kantayra, but there are no anteaters.

I made it all the way to the elephant enclosure and back, although I was barely moving above a shuffle, and the weather cooperated and stayed cloudy most of the time. We literally had the place to ourselves, which was very nice.

A stop to pick up a prescription and a few groceries and we were home, where I proceeded to mostly vegetate for the rest of the day by directing Gary through another game we played eons ago, Omikron. What's a little disconcerting is how many little clues I remember from playing it eight years ago vs. all the times lately when I can't remember what I was going for when I get to the top of the stairs. :-/

Bad - Another infection - on antibiotics AGAIN

Good - Not too painful and fairly lucid :-D

Bad - Still no voice

Good - All tests still coming back benign

Bad - May lose my job due to chronic illness

Good - Doctor willing to support claim for permanent disability if it happens

Bad - Gary's gone all weekend

Good - Daughter's home from Prague

Bad - Can't sleep when Gary's gone

Good - Mainlining SGA with daughter who's never seen it and she's a night owl

Bad - Haven't finished writing a WIP in a while

Good - Finished artword Challenge, a DVD commentary, beta work on 3 stories and posted to WIP

The ticket agent tries to arrange to have our luggage transferred between airlines in London for the leg to Prague. Fifteen minutes later, the difficulty Gary had booking becomes apparent. We fly into Gatwick and then out of HEATHROW.

Thank goodness for 6 hour layovers because we have to get our baggage, go through customs, take the train to Heathrow and go through check-in and security.

I don't think Gary should try travel agent for a second career after he retires. *sigh*

Positive note: Wireless and a plug at the airport so I can conserve the laptop battery. Yay!

I'm so tired that I'm going to drag myself off to bed before midnight. I made it halfway through Serenity to make notes for The Rarer Action and I have 9000 words in notes alone already. That's 7000 I typed today. No wonder I'm beat.

I'm feeling pretty positive about this crossover - I'm really seeing some interesting parallels in behaviors and some ways to equate Mal with Lex and Clark with River. It is a true crossover, the characters are being retained from both, so that's a little different for me than writing Clark and Lex into an established role.

Fingers crossed I'll actually finish this for the doujinshi challenge - it's down to the wire again for me. I just wish I'd had the necessary inclination to write it sooner, but other stories insisted on their turn first. :-D

I need to stop blathering and actually go upstairs, so Happy New Year, Everyone.

Hope 2008 treats you all well. *blows party horn*

I did it! I just finished beta'ing the last of over 60,000 words in the past week and I have no more left to do (until the next batch comes through).

I also did some preliminary research on Highlander - I think that crossover fic is going to be tricky, but fun to write.

I've been poking at The Rarer Action for the doujinshi challenge, making notes and observations - now I need to re-watch Serenity and make sure I have the voices I'm looking for settled in my head and then buckle down and get writing. (voices in my head - it's not really what you're thinking - they're benevolent, but bossy)

I also located my copy of Dark Forces with my Stephen King entry, The Mist. That comes after The Rarer Action, then after that comes The Only One.

And any little ficlets I pop out in-between. :-D

Of course, the amount I'll get written between now and the 26th is probably negligible since my sister and family arrive tomorrow afternoon, and I'll be limited to late-night flist cruising when everyone else has gone to bed.

I might be able to watch Hitch and Clueless and make notes for prompts I still owe. Oh, and The Bourne Identity, too, as long as my family doesn't get too nosy on why I'm typing away like a madwoman during a movie. Leaves me contemplating full disclosure on my fandom activities and getting the shock and horror over with, but that's nigh impossible without a voice. Oh well, at least Gary knows and supports me.

Just in case I go incommunicado - Happy Holidays, everyone!

I just tested recording Day 403 and I'm still a squeaky frog at best. At least I think I figured out how to use Audacity which is helpful because I'll be guaranteed to make mistakes while reading and have to 'rewind' and try again. And again.

And with my last post to ATAPB2, I went over half a million words since I started writing in September 2006. That works out to an average of 1100 words a day. *waltzes around room in a dizzy whirl*

Happiness is NOT waking up after going to bed relatively early (10ish) and waking up at 1 AM to come downstairs and type up the plot of a Bruce/Clark/Lex seriously angsty monster svbigbangbunny. 700 words of just synopsis already and I've put it away and am refusing to look at it again until after the challenges and at least one of the fics I owe.

So just go 'way you guys, you can't be fucking around with each other until way later, that's all there is to it! *shoos the three boys away and tries to go back to sleep*