Talking Soup

Holy shit, I'm finally home.

Let's see, a little over a week ago I was in Ithaca.

Then I was in Chicago.

Then I slept one night at home and went directly to Mono Lake.

Then I was home for a few days, not long enough to bark about.

Then I was in Fabius, New York for Lisa's wedding.

Then I went to Hollister here in Cali to go off-roading with Liz and her boyfriend Steve.

And now I'm finally home for the long run. No trips, no sudden traveling anytime soon. Thank god. It's good to finally be home.

Anyway, it turns out I didn't just crash my dad's car, I totaled it. Ugh. Dad called me a few days ago and he seems pretty cool about it all. I still feel incredibly stupid and bad, and I'm holding to my resolution not to use the credit card for anything I don't absolutely without a doubt need. And to actually find a good job this summer. I've applied at about a zillion places already, but no one's gotten back to me yet. And I still have a few online apps to do.

Left for New York right after Lost, which was ( awesome. )

Got a red-eye flight to Syracuse and Tammy was amazingly nice and came to pick up both me and Kate. She droves us to Kate's aunt's tiny and awesome house in Tully, right next door to Fabius, where we met Clara the insane two-year-old black lab. Kate's aunt Kitty is as awesome as her tiny and awesome house (I want a house like that, even with the landslide in the backyard). The day after that was the wedding. We did some yardwork and such before that, then got into our pretty dresses and went over to Fabius for the wedding.

It was so pretty and adorable! It took place at this sort of lodge place, and was outside on a hill that overlooked very green and pretty countryside. Kate and I explored the place while we waited for everyone to arrive. Steve (Lisa's hubby) showed up first, dressed in his Marine uniform (weird, how I know two Steves who are boyfriends/husbands of people named Elizabeth/Lisa who are in the Marines...). Lisa was wearing this beautiful sparkly sleeveless dress. The wedding happened soon after she arrived, and since she's Wiccan, the ceremony was Wiccan as well. She and Steve lit candles and did handfasting, which is when the partners have their hands tied together briefly to symbolize their connection. Then to finish it off they jumped over a broomstick. So cute and so pretty!

Then we went inside to eat yummy food (there was a chocolate fountain!), talk with Lisa, dance and have fun.

The day after that was more exploration of Kitty's house and yard, then I got on a plane back for Cali. Somewhere in that all, Mom called to tell me that the car was totaled.

On the plane ride back I finished Trickster's Queen which is definitely my favorite Tammy book so far. It's full of spywork, politics, court stuff, and all kinds of fun stuff all toward the eventual revolution. God it's so much fun to watch a revolution unfold! Tammy got all the little details right. And the characters, oh man, Aly was still a snarky little awesome thing, Nawat was still adorable, Dove was still intellectual and amazing, and there were some new people, particularly Taybur Sibigat, and Julie, I can understand why he's your favorite Tammy character ever, oh my holy God he's amazing.

Next up is the Alanna series, methinks. But before that I'm going to read a few more of the Dresden books. I'm onto Summer Knight, which is very promising so far. Harry just has no fucking luck. With anything. Though god, I hope things work out with this whole Faerie Godmother thing (for those who haven't read the books, you don't want a faerie godmother. There are no pumpkins involved and no fucking bippity-boppity-boo. Faeries are evil little shits in the real mythology. If there are any pumpkins, they're moldy and evil and smelly pumpkins).

Glad to see Billy the Werewolf back, though, even if it was just for a second.

As soon as I got back, Liz called and invited me up to camp with her and some of her friends in Hollister. That was a lot of fun, even though I didn't know anyone and felt awkward and antisocial as usual. Liz spent most of the time with Steve, which is more than understandable, considering he's leaving very very soon. Hollister is pretty much this place to go off-roading, or wheeling as the boys called it. And we're not talking a little oh-we're-so-bad trek off the main road, we're talking driving through freaking trenches and up rock walls and stuff like that. The car I was in actually tipped over, which was as scary as it was exciting. The window had already been smashed before I got there, so I could literally put my hand out the window and feel the dirt. For anyone thinking of going to Hollister, the Tank Traps trail is very awesome, but you'd better have some badass wheels or you're dead. Oh, and there's poison oak everywhere.

I also heard wild boars when I went to sleep that night. And here I thought wild boards were imaginary. Lol, just kidding. We had a fire and the boys stayed up talking trucks ("rigs") with some other guys. Liz and Steve turned in early since neither of them were feeling good. The girl I was supposed to share a tent with got drunk and spent the night with the boys in the larger tent (in a strictly friendly way--she wanted the one guy to look after her while she was plastered) so I got the tent to myself, though having a mat would have been nice. That ground is fucking hard.

God back around noon today, and have decided to take the next two days to do abso-fucking-lutely nothing but sit on my ass and do my own damn thing. Finish up the other applications, get some writing done, do some shit, so on.

Still have to write the next chapter of the fic. I'm horrible--I said it would be up last week, but then there was the car accident and suddenly I was on a plane. Otherwise I would have finished it.

Oh, and I'm going to see Pirates tonight if it kills me.

Quite the double-post, innit? I hadn't realized I hadn't updated at all in two weeks.

Anyway, continuing in the amazing story of my life...

So yeah, the last half of break we spent doing the book thing and hanging with my people. I think it was Friday night we went to Caleb and Asher's (the cousins) school to hear a jazz and poetry thing--Caleb plays guitar, Asher plays drums. The only way I can really describe it is that it was very, very New York. It was interesting the way the poems and the music melted together, though I don't know if I actually liked it or not. Though some of the poems were pretty awesome. One was a poem about being in the primordial soup and amoeba love, haha. Brilliant.

Speaking of primordial soup, holy FUCK, Spore is coming out this fall apparently. What is Spore? Spore is only the most awesome computer game probably to ever grace geekdom. Pretty much, in the game you start out as a one-celled organism, and then you evolve. You choose what lines you want to evolve along, giving yourself X number appendages and so on. And according to their new video
you can do a lot more than that. *squee!* I've been anticipating this game ever since I heard about it about two years ago.

The only problem being that I'll need a new laptop to handle this game. Septimus is getting up there, but he still works and he's still mostly reliable, like an old dog. I don't want to get rid of him yet. I'm one of those people who keeps using my things until they fall apart ^.^

Had a bit of a surreal moment when we drove by the World Trade Center. I'm still sort of torn about visiting places like that. It was the same when we went to Dachau in Germany--just the idea of a place of such suffering becoming a tourist attraction. But I did tell myself this time that I wanted to go there, because 9/11 I think played a major role in my anxiety disorder, and I need to start facing that. We never actually made it to the WTC, but we did drive past it, and it was just like, "wow...there used to be towers there. There used to be people there." Ah, man. I dunno.

But, enough with the depressing. I can't be entirely depressed right now because there's an icicle hanging outside my window that looks like an alien's hand, no joke.

Last day spent in NYC we went to the Brooklyn Museum of Art, kind of like a smaller version of the Met, though it was still all kinds of brilliant. We only had time for two floors (there were five), so we checked out the floor with American art (woot) and the floor with the Egyptian stuff (holy crap, Batman!). No mummies, but it was all very awesome.

And now we're back in good old Ithaca and it's cold and wet and there are classes to attend and Julie and I are still sick. *sigh*

And now the requisite reports on the various and sundry things that came out in the past week. Though first, another book I read.

Have I mentioned the Retriever's Series here? The series is about Wren, a Retriever living in NYC. A Retriever is like a Get Backer (lol) in that she "retrieves" things for people, which usually means steals them. Except that in this world there is magic, and it takes a very interesting form. In any case, Wren has gotten up to some shit in the last two books, but the most recent one out, the third, is definitely my favorite. At this point, it looks like war's about to break out between the Mage Council (the organized group of magic users), the lonejacks (the live-free-or-die types of magic users) and the fatae (the non-human people living in the city). It's gotten very awesome, and it's an excellent example of modern urban fantasy. If you like Dresden, you'll probably like Wren, though this series falls a bit more on the female side of things, though not to a chick-lit degree. Wren is an awesome character, and the book has its own voice that is a blatantly New York voice. Love it.

So what have we? No House on Tuesday due to March Madness, but Crossing Jordan and Lost were both on Wednesday, of course, and they were both ALL KINDS of awesome. I'm really impressed with this season of Jordan so far, since it's really branching out and doing some interesting things. And Lost is no longer sucking! It's getting back into the mysterious and strange that made the first season and the first part of the second season so brilliant.

However, there are things I must report and speculate on. For instance, in ( Crossing Jordan...*spoilers alert* )

As if that wasn't intense enough, we follow it up immediately with...

( Lost )

And of course, of course, there were the Narutos that came out, being the latest manga chapter and the latest Shippuden episode.

( Chapter spoilers )

As for the episode, well, it's following the manga, and it continues to be brilliant, although it was lacking on the crazy music front.

Back in my world, in terms of writing, I didn't get half as much done of the rewrite over break as I wanted. Between being sick and hitting a snag that Pat pointed out, it just kind of came to a standstill. But I'm going to get back in it now, and keep thinking about that snag. Mostly the thing is, do I want to overhaul the beginning in order to get things moving faster, or draw it out so things are more dramatic? I'm long-winded, in case you couldn't tell, but that's something I'm trying to fix. So I dunno. There are a few things I'm going to extend because they kind of have to be.

Also, a lot's been coming together for some of my other projects. Mot has been niggling me again. The thing with Ramsey--my white haired, cloak-wielding heroine--is taking shape in my head. Have I mentioned Skye? Skye is the main character of Ramsey's story--I don't know her last name, but she's a snarky tattoo artist in Berkely who was diagnosed with schizophrenia some years ago. This was because she could see the things that Ramsey fights--critters I have dubbed darksouls for now, who are kind of shadow creatures that haunt people at their best and kill them at their worst. Anyway, Skye could see those things, and ghosts and stuff, but it made her a strange kid and she was diagnosed with schizophrenia. She believes now that all the things she saw when she was younger were hallucinations, but when she meets Ramsey she realizes she's been sane all along. Should be fun.

Things are also really coming together for North, though I'm still not sure how far I am from actually starting it. I've got a better sense of what's going on in the Whodden--where the Folk, the spirits and non-humans live--and what's going on in North's own life. I just need to figure out certain things about the beginning of the story.


And now I have to get some things done before Women and Writing. Another long post! Lol, and these two were supposed to be all one. Nya-ha.

( Lost )

Well, seems the insurance companies would rather fuck me over than see me actually, yanno, get better. Who'da thunk it?! Anyway, they're sticking me with a generic brand of Aciphex to see if that works for me. Who knows, maybe it will. It should be in Kinney's by now, so I'll be able to pick it up tomorrow thereabouts.

I found Touching Evil online! Dude! I love that show--it only ran for one season, but it's a brilliant storyline, very creepy, with awesome characters and awesome chemistry. Plus it's fun! I love it. Yay for the Internet.

Didn't dress up for Halloween. Ah well. Unless you count walking around wearing a Santa hat. I was "Confused." Or something.

Still reading Melusine by Sarah Monette, and it's very awesome, and you should all read it because it's lovely and brilliant.

Still haven't gotten tix for Lewis Black. Should do that.

Haven't started NaNo either...haven't even registered. Fuck.

It usually happens like this; there'll be a grand sweeping plague across the school that'll hit everyone I know except me, and as soon as everyone seems to have gotten better--whammo! I'm out on the floor leaking fluids from my face and feeling like death.

Man, I saw it coming, too. I was knocking back vitamin C like it was candy! *shakes head*

So let's see. Quiz today in German that--XOMG--actually went well. Rough draft in Persuasive Argument on the gay marriage paper due today, and the final due sometime next week. We're talking about sleep and conditioning in Psych. Fiction and Poetry continue on their uncharted course into parts unknown. And Queer Studies is still just fricking awesome. It's giving me a lot of ideas on how to better understand E and Kail's relationship, woot.

In the writing vein, it's tough because I haven't had much time at all, and also I don't know what I want to focus on. Mot has kind of gone *splut* so I think I need to work on one of the others for the time being. And at this point it's a toss up between Spirits and Desert. Leaning more toward Desert, but at the same time I've wanted to work on Spirits since last yearish.

Holy noodles, television. I am liking the new chick on SVU, liek woah. And the CI episode was incredible. I worry about poor Bobby!

And, and, and, dude, oh man, dude--

LOST. IS. BACK.

( Cut for Spoilers )

It's gotten cold here. Not like winter cold, but like fall cold. Fifties and stuff. The poor Californian in me isn't used to it.

Once again there are socks stuck to Julie's wall. ^.^

Oh, and Julie's friend Eileen is coming today and staying for the weekend! Should be fun, though I'll probably spend most of the weekend asleep. Damn cold.

I'm a bad kid. Haven't called my parents in so long. I've been so busy.

Oh, and speaking of Julie, I think I've really gotten her into Naruto! We've just hit the second part of the Chuunin exam, in the Forest of Death. And Orochimaru has just shown up.

It's weird to be watching these parts over again, especially now that I know...

( More spoilers )

Well, so it goes.

Oh and, DUDE, ASIC was awesome last night. Holy shit. Gankutsuo. Really, don't let the crazy animation throw you, because the story is amazing. I gotta download it. Wow. Last night was...whoa. Intense. And Yakitate continues to be the most amazingly hilariously amazing show EVER.

Haven't mentioned this before, but we're in the middle of a heat wave. It's been in the triple digits for about a week now--maybe more. Highest was 115, I think? It's insane. I only hope the weather in Pittsburg is better. Of course I'll probably have to contend with humiditiy...maybe.

Leaving tomorrow, bright and early! Confluence starts Friday. I get in about 4 PM tomorrow, and Julie doesn't get in till almost midnight I think, so...oh well. I'll hang out in the lobby, wander around until then I suppose. I'm used to waiting.

It's gonna be fun! Still looking over all the program stuff, and there's so much we want to go to. And all these writerly-types! XOMG!

And Julie tells me there will be...pointies.

I want a pointy.

Bright and early tomorrow, though, my flight's at 6:20 in the mornin'. I'll be awake then anyway, so it doesn't really matter--problem is, I won't be with it enough to drive, plus I don't know how to get to SFO, so one of the 'rents is gonna have to drive me.

Still, it should all work out.

Still haven't heard from Liz...at all. I don't even know where in the country she is. Man. I wanted to at least see her before I went away. Not that I'm gonna be gone long, but still...

Oh well.

Sporadically packing now. All my clothes are in the wash, unfortunately. And of course most of the shizz can't get packed until later (toothbrush, PJs, laptop, certain books, notebooks, etc). I'm gonna try not to extend my tradition of over-packing. If I really wanted to I suppose I could fit everything in my backpack, even. I still need to check the Pittsburg weather, though...

Oh man! This is gonna be fun!

-----

Oh, on a total sidenote: I was watching a few eps of Lost the other day, and I was thinking to myself--you know, no answer to the Big Question is going to be entirely satisfying. The Big Question being, "Why are they on the Island, what exactly is going on?" Aside from the whole Desmond-crashing-the-plane thing. And I was thinking, "They can't ever really answer that question to the viewer's satisfaction." I mean, part of the greatness of that show is that it keeps you wondering, keeps you asking questions. So give any kind of complete answer to the Big Question would kind of...detract from the show some. Of course, the same is going to happen if viewers end up getting angry at all the questions and mysteries. So I dunno.