List 15 books you've read that will always stick with you -- list the first 15 you can recall in 15 minutes. Don't take too long to think about it. (In no particular order)

(via ego_likeness)

Dune, Frank Herbert
Siddhartha, Hermann Hesse
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
Foundation, Isaac Asimov
The Stranger, Albert Camus
Tao Te Ching, LaoTze
Charlotte's Web, EB White
The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson
Cat's Cradle, Kurt Vonnegut
The Whisperer in Darkness, HP Lovecraft
The Master and Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov
The Lesbian Body, Monique Wittig
Why I Am Not a Christian, Bertrand Russell
Dracula, Bram Stoker
Little House in the Big Woods, Laura Ingalls Wilder

OK, the fact that I included that last one should be proof that I am not editing this list for coolness! I could also throw in The Little Prince. I wonder why so many kids books come to mind?

Ooh, ooh. And Watership Down. Which is sort of a children's book, but woah.

E and I are finishing up with some sort of nasty bug. Unless I am being overly optimistic, I appear to have kicked it pretty fast. If so, I chalk it up to the vastly greater exercise I've been getting lately. I also had my BP checked at the doctor's yesterday, and it's down significantly. With all the meds I'm on (many of them activating), it looked like it was floating up toward the high end of normal, but now it's much better. Hurray for dog walking!

I only have four little beasties to walk today, so I can slide back into my routine after a day off sick kind of slowly. Tomorrow I get to contend with highs in the 90s. Good thing I am part iguana.

On yesterday's train accident, I am very saddened by the loss of life, of course. Naturally, I am relieved that none of my dear ones were involved. Humans just seem to have a hierarchy in our minds, with our loved ones at the top. Even if it was statistically unlikely that any of you were there, I will not apologize for being concerned, nor for being glad you're OK.

Found written on a chalkboard, in a gilt frame in the home of a client:

-Dog food
-Gin
-Absinthe

In related news, I am really starting to like this dog walking gig. The pups are so very sweet, each in his or her special way. And since I'm doing about 6 walks at 20 minutes each, I am on the move for 2 hours daily. Out in the beautiful late spring weather! That's got to be good for my overall health.

I need a dog icon.

Via oletheros

If videos were literal; a lol riot courtesy of peregrin8.

In other news, I just managed to get my two raised garden beds entirely weeded, and plan to plant some vegetables this week. There are even a couple of volunteer tomato plants in there, already a foot high! I didn't think I was going to get around to any new planting this year, due to the low mood, but I've been feeling so good for the last few weeks that I've changed my mind. Also, I got to see what cjpetherick is doing with his garden over the weekend, and I was so impressed, I just had to do some planting. He's really transitioned from gardener to farmer this year. It's amazing.

Hope everyone had a great weekend, and that Monday is treating you gently.

It makes me awfully sad that LJ has lost so many souls to Facebook. It's kind of lonely here these days. When I go over there to try to catch up with people, I am reminded of how weak and commercial and free of good content it is.

LJ has thriving communities. It has creative writing and art and actual discourse on topics. Facebook has brief quips and lots of advertising. LJ is helping to keep the art of conversation alive, and Facebook is basically on online forum for text messages.

And when you complain about it, everyone says "yeah, but this is easier." *grinds teeth*

ETA: I do get that Facebook has some uses, such as locating lost friends. What galls me is that so many people who used to use LJ seem to have "left for FB." It is not a reasonable substitute.

Playa del Fuego was fabulous! I think most of you would absolutely love it, although a few of you might be put off by all the naked hippies. But really, every variety of freak and eccentric was in evidence, and it just felt so great! I told E that it was pleasantly disorienting to see those little indicators (freak-shade hair color, tattoos, piercings, etc.) that mean "I must know that person" at every turn. It was like being with a thousand of my closest friends.

Among the highlights was the naked slip-and-slide. I've never seen so many happy, naked people before, and the dramatic variety of shapes and colors of humanity was incredibly beautiful. During the actual burn itself, I got to be a part of the drumming orchestra that accompanied the dancing. Overall, it was a really wonderful experience.

I must thank cyntergomes for all her infrastructure work. The twelve foot pretzel tent that functioned as chill space, and the frikkin' shower she built for the camp were amazing. Also, she was kind enough to let us roll out early to avoid the rush, which meant she got left with the final clean up, for which I am grateful and somewhat remorseful. I owe you, hon!

We are headed out to Playa del Fuego tomorrow! If you're not familiar with it, imagine a much smaller, Mid-Atlantic Burning Man. So we get to see lots of art installations, and hang around with hippies. I actually bought a small, hand-held bubble machine. I am so stoked!

Also, check out my new icon! I just about hurt myself laughing when I saw it.

Fair warning to those of you I've asked to beta for me in the past; I will probably be bugging you for help again. I'm trying to warm up with some drabbles. The following was inspired by the X-Men Origins movie. It's beta'ed only by my darling ericrowe. SFW status is questionable. It is based on a dirty French euphemism :)

Nice

Next up I hope will be some Trek, if I can exercise some self discipline. I have ideas, but in some ways I feel almost too close to Trek to write it, if that makes any sense. Here's hoping my mood stays perky.

First and foremost, Trek! Good gods. This movie is a lovingly crafted gift to everyone who’s ever found him/herself thinking “I really love TOS, but how dearly I wish someone could do a little retcon to mitigate the cheesiness and tone down the sexism.” It’s glorious.

( Spoilers )


I could go on all day. I haven’t been so eager to turn right around and walk back into the theater since The Empire Strikes Back. I think I’ll see it another 3 or 4 times while it’s still in the theater. Nuff said.

On the subject of Wolverine… I haven’t as much to say, mostly because I was a bit disappointed. It’s not what they did that bugged me (although, couldn’t they have stuck to just one overhead shot of Logan screaming “noooooo”?) so much as what was left out. More than 100 years of character development is glossed over in the time it takes to roll the opening credits. And I admit I went in hoping for a lot of Gambit, as Logan/Remy is my favorite slash pairing in the fandom, but all we got was about 10 minutes. Also, no proper Cajun accent, but a feeble and spotty attempt at something vaguely southern. Foo.

(And, incidentally, if you don’t buy the pairing, here is some spectacular fan art that might help make the case. Safe for work, unless your boss has a problem with fully clothed man-touching. The artist does some incredible, messed up Batman, too. And some Watchmen. Some of that is NSFW if you click through to the images.)

Still, I’ll pay $9 to watch Hugh Jackman stand at a bus stop, so there’s that.

In conclusion, Star Trek ’09 is a shining tour de force, don’t you think?

I got confirmation yesterday that I got a job walking dogs and doing pet sitting! I'm really happy to have a shot at a less sedentary, less stressful way to make money than office work (which it seems was literally killing me.)

It will certainly not be much money, but it may be enough to keep us afloat. And it might not be very intellectually stimulating, but I intend to seek some kind of school (vocational or accredited college, or both) fairly soon, so I figure I can deal with a day job that isn't too mentally taxing.

I know a few of you have experience with this kind of work, so if you happen to have any pointers, I'd be a most grateful and attentive student!

Dear Universe: please let this work out for me.

I've been pretty silent, according to the "if you can't say something nice" rule. But things seem to be improving for me now. For the first time in years, there are multiple movies I want to drag my boy to. Star trek! Star trek was my original fannish love, and I hear really good things about this JJ Abrams effort. And there's Wolverine. And soon, GI Joe, featuring Chris Eccleston as the archvillain. Wheee!

And I may have happy news soon, but since it's not final, I will not jinx it.

Oh, and I am trying to add a lot of raw food principles to my diet. I will never eat an entirely raw diet, but I can use a lot more fresh veg and fruit, to be sure. Of course this means moving more toward veganism, which I see as a positive thing. I still haven't ruled out the possibility of going that way in the long run.

So that's my news. Hope you're well, too!

Today I will walk into my favorite plant nursery with a filled out application and a smile. I want to work with plants. I hope they will let me, and that they will pay me enough to contribute a reasonable share to our bills. Jebus, I'm nervous. Please wish me luck, or at least a favorable audience with the indifferent guardians of chance.

Hi all. Still alive, etc. I'm just a tad hibernatey this time of year. But I am trying to get a lot of cleaning done around the house, and that means purging junk.

The first thing I've got to get rid of is a bunch of magazines, mostly Pagan oriented, and some rather old. I've got a few issues of Sage Woman that go back to 1990, up through some fairly recent New Witch issues. There's some PanGaias in there, some Woman of Powers (possibly as old as the 80s) and a few Renaissance issues too. I hope someone wants these! I refuse to throw them out, so I'll freecycle 'em next, but if you want any (or preferably all) of these, please comment.

Earlier today Babette, my beloved cat of almost 16 years, was quite clearly done with this life. My wonderful mother in law went with us, and Eric and I were with her at the end. She passed over perfectly peacefully. She was a very good cat, and I miss her beyond the telling.

Goodbye, my Malkin.

It's strange. Tuesday night when the election was called, I naturally felt relieved and happy. For some reason, though, I couldn't really feel it. I remember the night Clinton won in '92. I was over-the-moon ecstatic, and I expected this time I'd be doubly elated. Well, it was strange. I just wasn't as jubilant as I expected to be. E was misting up with joy. I felt sort of... wooden.

Just now, though, I watched last night's Rachel Maddow show (my new TV girlfriend), and the reality of this finally hit me. Holy cats. Did we do this? It looks like we actually did this! Woooooooooooooo!!!!

I think I was waiting for them to take it away, like they have before. I must have been expecting the secret fascist lifestyle police to declare Barack not Christian enough or something. But I was just watching footage from the acceptance speech, and I saw how he and Michelle were hugging, and looking... strangely serene and almost somber. The Bidens were doing the usual victory dance up there, but the Obamas looked almost a little bit grave. That's when the waterworks hit me. I believe this man may mean everything he's said about wanting to do things differently. I believe in this man, and more importantly, I believe in my country again.

I need to go cry some more now. Love to all of you.

And Good Samhain to all.

Oh, today sucks. For about a dozen reasons. But hey: WIN!!! I guess that's kinda NSFW if bad language is an issue. But SRSLY. Win.

I just couldn't resist. It's all so pretty! Sadly, I did not grow most of it. Hit the farmers market for a lot of this stuff. But, omg produce!

Not pictured are olives, cheese, and the bread I have yet to bake. Suggestions for desserts that'd go with a Spanish/Middle Eastern, tapas/mezze type dinner?

That's Klingon for "I have a headache." I am mildly allergic to the onset of autumn. I think it's leaf mold or something. Anyway.

I can already tell this is gonna be one of those restlessomgIcannotstandtosithereamomentlonger kind of days. I don't think I've asked you guys to entertain me in a long time, have I? Give me some interesting links, or cute pictures, or engaging stories, and I will cook you a fabulous dinner on Sunday.

OK, yeah, I'll do that anyway. But it would be very generous of you. See, I've already offered you a useful Klingon phrase. It's sort of pronounced "juh-WOOK."

Off to find some Advil.