picked a handful of violets in my name

Lots of snow, but we didn't lose power. Ellie and I have spent most of the weekend cleaning the house. This included trying out our new Laundry Pod (which we got at a pretty steep discount from Fab.com for Christmas), for washing nice wool sweaters and delicates. It is pretty much a giant salad spinner with a drain hose, but it seems remarkably effective as long as you don't over-fill it with clothes. My bras and tights rejoice at the gentler handling.

I bought a lot of groceries a week ago and have been succeeding reasonably well at feeding myself. The only failures have been one under-flavored curry and a poor understanding of how fast the baby bok choy would go bad, meaning I didn't get to use it (and want to replace it before making my first attempt at at-home shabu shabu).

I have taken over the email newsletter for the local historical society.

Planning to do Mardi Gras nails for Tuesday. I have a decent collection of nail polish but I don't wear it very much. I am unskilled at painting my nails and, because I work with my hands a lot of the time, it chips quickly.

Signed up for SuperBetter. I think gamification will help me form better habits.

Hater-Free Wednesdays is a new tumblr aggregating reviews and stories about comic shops to help people find local shops that will not shit all over their gender/race/etc.

I bought a ticket for Fall Out Boy's Boston show in May! Very pleased to have them back. I'm not exactly in bandom any more - I am hardwired mono-fannish, and got into the Avengers thanks to the movie (and then I slid sideways into ALL THE MARVEL COMICS EVER, sort of, so that's a huge canon and fandom) - but I miss going to concerts.

stultiloquentia: Fictions and Elsewheres

Yesterday on the train I read Scientific American's special report on parallel universes. Briefly: they ain't science fiction. They're theoretical, of course, but at least some of the theories are at this point pretty darned solid and make sense of increasingly huge heaps of data.

...

Why should fandom care? Well, mostly because science is cool. But also? It means our stories are real. Quite literally. Every course of events and configuration of particles, every decision and every outcome you can possibly imagine is, in an infinite universe, occurring right now. Kurt and Blaine? Somewhere, incomprehensibly far off, they're as solid as you and I, and muddling through snowstorms and love. Somewhere slightly off to the left, they've already been married for eighty years. We'll never meet them, and nor will our descendants, because, among other problems, the multiverse is expanding faster than it's possible to travel though it. But they're out there.

They're making up stories about you.

I knew there was a reason I made an entire religion in Auriel whose cosmology says that everything is stories and god is a writer. (Well, a reason besides ego. Heh.)

It's been a very uneven start of the semester for me - everything usually just feels kind of off (although I do have stretches of time where everything is going well and making sense, too).

So I've been doing so much ordinary stuff and feeling so weird so much of the time that I haven't been posting.

I'm going to try and attend the Louisiana Historical Association annual meeting, because there's a lot of things that mesh really well with my interests. I'll have to miss at least one class session (conference begins on Thursday, I have class on Thursday, sigh) - I'll talk to my professor tomorrow and see how to work it out.

( my semester )

I have decided that from now on I should only take 9-12 classes. Any other time of day interferes with my work schedule and/or my ability to have a few empty blocks of time in my week.

Good news: the massive loss of appetite that resulted from my late February illness, secondary bacterial lung ick, and antibiotics? Gone.

This message brought to you by lunch last week (I have gone up a size in french fries, from small to medium) and dinner Thursday night (ate an entire entree, poori, and a pakora - no leftovers).

On Saturday, I went to a combined mac & cheese party and clothing swap/Big Moves costume spring cleaning. Several of the things I took home with me were Big Moves San Francisco or Big Burlesque costumes that came into Cameryn's possession when Heather MacAllister passed away. Now that Big Moves Boston is on probably-permanent hiatus (Cameryn's one-woman shows having taken over her life, and no one else having stepped up to run things), Cameryn wanted to get things out of her house while keeping them connected to their history.

And speaking of Cameryn, she is looking to sublet her apartment while she's on tour this year. Apartment near Stony Brook, with one roommate. There is a cat (supremely fluffy) who will, I believe, be staying with other people.

I am finally completely confirmed for my capstone, with mini-deadlines set up and everything. First a proposal, then a really detailed bibliography, then my research trip. (Amount of research that needs to happen still uncertain, but I will still have time to hang out with Cameryn, who's going to New Orleans for other reasons at the same time. Unfortunately, Cory probably won't be able to meet me there, because he's too broke for plane tickets.)

I continue to have a job! Unfortunately this iteration of my archives employment requires that I answer the phone.

Urban Social Problems looks really cool, but I am going to drop it because it's too much. One of my seminars is on classical music, performers and performance thereof. Interesting but ultimately not really my thing, but I actually need this one for my honors requirements.

But the other seminar is going to kill me with awesome. It is all about social networks. Wheeee!

Notes

Yeah, I know. But getting used to the full-time job has been really rough this time around. IDK.

The BARCC Blogathon auctions are running through 2010-08-03, 17:00 Eastern.

Recently

Work was fun today. In that special way where my eyes aren't used to contacts yet and I spent the whole day using a computer, and also in the way where one of the door alarms was going off pretty much all day because it was broken.

I was supposed to go to a concert tonight, but I just could not manage it. :( I napped instead. After I write this post, I'm going to go back to bed.

Signs I am tired: I am trying to read my dreamroll using ?ship=300. /o\

Retail Therapy

I ordered some stuff from Fire Mountain Gems over the weekend, and it shipped today. \o/ So that'll be here next Monday, approximately. Unfortunately, I can't bring my travel jewelry kit to Grand Forks. I don't think the TSA would approve of my pliers. :( :( :( Plus I am only bringing a carry-on. DNW to pay stupid fee for checked bag.

Interactive!

Ask Me Anything: You get to ask me any one question. Any question, which I will answer to the best of my ability without violating anyone else's privacy. I am the only person who can see the poll responses.

( 4 links )

Productive morning of research, despite my bout of Academic Impostor Syndrome (resulting partly from the fact that I don't have the college credit aspect of this paper nailed down very well). Then Mom and I grabbed lunch and I went to the dermatologist. I have had this little red dot on the tip of my nose for years, and today I got it fixed with some kind of electronic zap via needle.

More research tomorrow.

Daily Song (right-click): The Long Blondes - You Could Have Both

( completely unrelated: what I am going home to do this summer, aka research )

Took my final for Soviet Secret Police today. I think I did well - there was one "identify this document excerpt" that I swear I had never seen before, but it was a small part of the test.

I foresee using this icon a lot while I'm in New Orleans this summer, and I need to upload one of the "emphasizin ur POC" icons as well.

I have missed my one-year anniversary on Dreamwidth. But it was because I had papers to write, so I will just commemorate it now.

( links galore )

I bought 30 blank CDs to give my mom some new music, and I have used. Them. All. And I still have stuff I need to burn. *facepalm*

I'm doing well with my writing, at least. And we've been having some good family times, even though Dad has had a fair bit of work. I have a new pair of glasses, and I got new lenses in my old frames.

I think we're going to Rock n Bowl tonight. :D

Links built up over the past few days...

From my friends, friends of friends, and acquaintances:

• fleurdeliser knows we need to keep fighting. The post is also available on LJ.
• thelemic has a few things to say about who he is.
• Is your child someone you raise, or something you own?
• Gender and graduation.

From the wider web:

• A living testament to Dr. Tiller's legacy and the people who continue to provide abortion services.
• Domestic terrorism - hate speech and hate crimes.
• Pink sheep of the family. I'd like to thank my parents for accepting me and my sister - especially Ellie.
• One of the many reasons I'm grateful for my excellent experiences in my major-specific writing courses - I had to do this type of research for one such course, and chose to for the other.
• On rape, fear, and "helpful advice."

Fic recs:

• shoemaster: Rising With the Heat, Frank/Gerard superhero porn. Also available on LJ.
• tuesdaysgone: Purgatorio, Frank/Gerard, written for Bandom Big Bang. "While on leave from the police force, Detective Frank Iero occupies himself with three things: drinking, brawling, and being alone. But when a series of brutal murders calls him back to active duty, he must find a killer while confronting people from his past, including estranged best friend turned businessman Mikey Way, and deal with his unwilling attraction to Mikey's enigmatic older brother Gerard."
• jjtaylor: Gerard Way's (Vampire) Detective Agency, written for Bandom Big Bang. "Pete, in Decaydance Mansion, with a yarrow stake. Frank and Gerard, in the greenhouse, with a plant of questionable origin. Bob, everywhere you look, with a gang of assassins for justice. Vampires, valets, pamphlets, haunted furniture, dub-thrall, disembodied voices, zombie couriers, and sinister rituals."

Also, bandombigbang_feed to keep up with BBB posting if you're reading primarily on Dreamwidth.

Also also, does anyone have a good Trans 101 to recommend? Like, really entry-level stuff, defining terms, etc.