Abandon ship!
Moving to Dreamwidth. Find me at dragonpaws. :)
Meme?
Sorry for radio silence. Life continues to be up in the air, juggling job, job hunting, baby, husband, extended family, personal health and sanity, and the cats. I assume I am growing as a person, because I am kind of uncomfortable all the time in my head but sometimes happy. Also Pokemon Go is fun.
So meme!
High School Meme 1984
1. Did you know your spouse? Yep! We had Latin and Physics and Government together and were on the same science competition teams.
2. Did you car pool to school? A friend who lived in the neighborhood picked me up. And then a bunch of us nerds piled into two cars and drag-raced to our Latin class at the other high school, because "intelligent" doesn't always mean "smart." Sometimes we would swagger in late with donuts for everyone.
3. What kind of car did you have? Didn't have a car.
4. What kind of car do you have now? We don't have a car.
5. It's Friday night...where were you? Hanging out at a friend's house watching movies, hanging out with friends at my house watching movies, or reading books and surfing the internet on my own.
6. What kind of job did you have in high school? None.
7. What kind of job do you have now? Scientist.
8. Were you a party animal? Really no. Though my friends and I would throw parties every few months that involved multiple 24 packs of Coke, loud music, cooking huge meals, and watching movies until we all passed out. Then sugar hangovers the next day.
9. Were you a cheerleader? Really no.
10. Were you considered a jock? REALLY no. I was a nerd and did nerd things like Science Bowl, Science Olympiad, and Knowledge Masters.
11. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? Choir! Though I quit by senior year because the choir teacher was not very good and hated us.
13. Did you get suspended or expelled? Nope. Though I did once get yelled at by a teacher for leading my Science Bowl teammates in a very loud dirty joke session during a competition trip to DC.
14. Can you sing the fight song? Not for my high school. I can for my elementary school, though! "Centennial, Centennial, just like our state! Centennial, Centennial, a school that is great! We have a lot of students in this building grand, some teachers classes teams and yes a concert band. Great kids attend here because that's the rule. Centennial, Centennial, Bismarck's newest school. Yahoo!" -Pretty sure it was written by the 6th graders. Why it is still taking up valuable brain cells, I will never know.
15. Who was/were your favorite high school teacher? The AP History teacher, who treated us all like intelligent adults and made us work like dogs; The AP English teacher, same; and the wrestling coach/Chemistry teacher/Science Bowl advisor, who had the unenviable task of supervising a team of five nerds, including myself and husband-to-be, in Washington DC two years running. When husband and I started dating we made sure to tell him so that he could fear for the fate of the world- we're Facebook friends too.
16. Where did you sit for lunch? With a bunch of kids who were kinda quirky and mostly turned out later to be gay.
17. What was your school mascot? I think it was a Revolutionary War American soldier? Or something?
18. If you could go back and do it again, would you? HELL no. It was mostly so boring and we had to wake up so early.
19. Did you have fun at Prom? Didn't go.
20. Do you still talk to the person you went to Prom with? See above.
21. Are you planning on going to your next reunion? I heard they are combining it with the reunion for the other high school in town, and going to a bar. So... no.
22. Are you still in contact with people from school? Yep.
23. What are/were your school's colors? Red white and blue, I think.
So meme!
High School Meme 1984
1. Did you know your spouse? Yep! We had Latin and Physics and Government together and were on the same science competition teams.
2. Did you car pool to school? A friend who lived in the neighborhood picked me up. And then a bunch of us nerds piled into two cars and drag-raced to our Latin class at the other high school, because "intelligent" doesn't always mean "smart." Sometimes we would swagger in late with donuts for everyone.
3. What kind of car did you have? Didn't have a car.
4. What kind of car do you have now? We don't have a car.
5. It's Friday night...where were you? Hanging out at a friend's house watching movies, hanging out with friends at my house watching movies, or reading books and surfing the internet on my own.
6. What kind of job did you have in high school? None.
7. What kind of job do you have now? Scientist.
8. Were you a party animal? Really no. Though my friends and I would throw parties every few months that involved multiple 24 packs of Coke, loud music, cooking huge meals, and watching movies until we all passed out. Then sugar hangovers the next day.
9. Were you a cheerleader? Really no.
10. Were you considered a jock? REALLY no. I was a nerd and did nerd things like Science Bowl, Science Olympiad, and Knowledge Masters.
11. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? Choir! Though I quit by senior year because the choir teacher was not very good and hated us.
13. Did you get suspended or expelled? Nope. Though I did once get yelled at by a teacher for leading my Science Bowl teammates in a very loud dirty joke session during a competition trip to DC.
14. Can you sing the fight song? Not for my high school. I can for my elementary school, though! "Centennial, Centennial, just like our state! Centennial, Centennial, a school that is great! We have a lot of students in this building grand, some teachers classes teams and yes a concert band. Great kids attend here because that's the rule. Centennial, Centennial, Bismarck's newest school. Yahoo!" -Pretty sure it was written by the 6th graders. Why it is still taking up valuable brain cells, I will never know.
15. Who was/were your favorite high school teacher? The AP History teacher, who treated us all like intelligent adults and made us work like dogs; The AP English teacher, same; and the wrestling coach/Chemistry teacher/Science Bowl advisor, who had the unenviable task of supervising a team of five nerds, including myself and husband-to-be, in Washington DC two years running. When husband and I started dating we made sure to tell him so that he could fear for the fate of the world- we're Facebook friends too.
16. Where did you sit for lunch? With a bunch of kids who were kinda quirky and mostly turned out later to be gay.
17. What was your school mascot? I think it was a Revolutionary War American soldier? Or something?
18. If you could go back and do it again, would you? HELL no. It was mostly so boring and we had to wake up so early.
19. Did you have fun at Prom? Didn't go.
20. Do you still talk to the person you went to Prom with? See above.
21. Are you planning on going to your next reunion? I heard they are combining it with the reunion for the other high school in town, and going to a bar. So... no.
22. Are you still in contact with people from school? Yep.
23. What are/were your school's colors? Red white and blue, I think.
Body roulette
Is it:
Food poisoning?
Pregnancy?
Cramps?
Only time will tell! Meanwhile, please kill me because I'm hoping for food poisoning.
Food poisoning?
Pregnancy?
Cramps?
Only time will tell! Meanwhile, please kill me because I'm hoping for food poisoning.
Last knitted object of 2015: Sweater for A
I took a bit of a break from knitting during my pregnancy, but once Alice was born I started again with a vengeance! Babies are so fun to knit for- projects are fast and adorable and the fit requirements are not terribly stringent. My last knitted object of the year was technically finished at 4 am on January 1st, but since I hadn't gone to bed yet I think it still counts.
Meet Minni, a pattern by Lene Alve- this is my first knit from a purchased pattern in over five years, and it was totally worth it. The construction of this sweater coat is really different, and the result is so cute! This will hopefully fit her next winter, though my rough upsizing (knitted the 3 month size on thicker yarn) means it is a bit wide proportionate to its length. Still adorable. A well-written and well-thought-out pattern with lots of thoughtful details. Would (and probably will) knit again.( Collapse )
Meet Minni, a pattern by Lene Alve- this is my first knit from a purchased pattern in over five years, and it was totally worth it. The construction of this sweater coat is really different, and the result is so cute! This will hopefully fit her next winter, though my rough upsizing (knitted the 3 month size on thicker yarn) means it is a bit wide proportionate to its length. Still adorable. A well-written and well-thought-out pattern with lots of thoughtful details. Would (and probably will) knit again.( Collapse )
Week 32
I just finished watching The Babadook, and I think I have a new description of what pregnancy is like.
Pregnancy is like waking up in somebody else's body, with somebody else's settings. (And needless to say, no manual. Hello, trial and error!) Somebody else's food sensitivities and preferences, somebody else's skin with its own care needs, somebody else's sleep schedule, somebody else's exercise needs and energy levels, and somebody else's endocrine system.
The last one is the weirdest, because it links into my thoughts and emotions. My attention gets grabbed by all sorts of things that I never noticed before- babies (obviously), and I have new responses to news stories about kids in trouble, abusive parents, etc. I see a headline and have a physiological stress reaction even while my brain goes along its merry way acting as usual, and then I have to catch up with myself and figure out what the heck is going on that has me so tense.
I seem to have an automatic "cuddle to my chest" reaction to stuffed animals. I am more suspicious of strangers and am more likely to feel uneasy in crowds. Mike touching my belly evokes what feels like a strong oxytocin response- warmth, security, rightness. And I really, really shouldn't watch movies with animal harm or threats to children.
And now it is time for me to feed my alien body some protein, because apparently nothing else will do (see side table with the rejects: pasta and veggies, chocolate ice cream, and grapes). Eight more weeks...
P.S. If you like Victorian historical m/m with magic, run don't walk to KJ Charles. I have read her Magpie Lord trilogy and The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal, and enjoyed them all very much. The Feximal book, in particular, reminded me of Holmes/Watson, my favorite pairing of all time- just with magic and explicit sex. Note that in everything I have read so far, the sex is D/s and there is minimal kink negotiation, but everything clicks perfectly anyway. Also note that The Magpie Lord opens with graphic self-harm, which nearly put me off right away... but if you skip the first paragraph (in italics) you can avoid that without missing anything.
Pregnancy is like waking up in somebody else's body, with somebody else's settings. (And needless to say, no manual. Hello, trial and error!) Somebody else's food sensitivities and preferences, somebody else's skin with its own care needs, somebody else's sleep schedule, somebody else's exercise needs and energy levels, and somebody else's endocrine system.
The last one is the weirdest, because it links into my thoughts and emotions. My attention gets grabbed by all sorts of things that I never noticed before- babies (obviously), and I have new responses to news stories about kids in trouble, abusive parents, etc. I see a headline and have a physiological stress reaction even while my brain goes along its merry way acting as usual, and then I have to catch up with myself and figure out what the heck is going on that has me so tense.
I seem to have an automatic "cuddle to my chest" reaction to stuffed animals. I am more suspicious of strangers and am more likely to feel uneasy in crowds. Mike touching my belly evokes what feels like a strong oxytocin response- warmth, security, rightness. And I really, really shouldn't watch movies with animal harm or threats to children.
And now it is time for me to feed my alien body some protein, because apparently nothing else will do (see side table with the rejects: pasta and veggies, chocolate ice cream, and grapes). Eight more weeks...
P.S. If you like Victorian historical m/m with magic, run don't walk to KJ Charles. I have read her Magpie Lord trilogy and The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal, and enjoyed them all very much. The Feximal book, in particular, reminded me of Holmes/Watson, my favorite pairing of all time- just with magic and explicit sex. Note that in everything I have read so far, the sex is D/s and there is minimal kink negotiation, but everything clicks perfectly anyway. Also note that The Magpie Lord opens with graphic self-harm, which nearly put me off right away... but if you skip the first paragraph (in italics) you can avoid that without missing anything.
Monstrocity by Jeffrey Thomas: An okay book that would have been better with lesbians
I like a dose of Lovecraftian horror from time to time, but cannot stand Lovecraft's writing style (which many other authors in that sub-genre seem to consider essential). Thus, I was excited to stumble across Monstrocity, nominated for the Bram Stoker Award, billed as combining "elements of science fiction with horror in the vein of H. P. Lovecraft" and written by an author with more of a scifi, noir-ish style.
Unfortunately, what I ended up with was a book that had all the trappings of Lovecraft- the Old Ones, the Elder Gods, creepy things with tentacles, weird rituals, a protagonist who starts seeing patterns in everything that may or may not be there- but lacked the spirit of Lovecraftian horror. ( Collapse )
I admit I am willing to give horror a little more leeway on misogyny than most genres, as long as it is, you know, meant to be horrifying. I was actually more bothered by the author's two-dimensional treatment of the hero's two identical girlfriends, either of whom had the potential to be more interesting to read about than he was. That's why I won't be back to read more of J.T.'s work- I can deal with somebody writing Lovecraftian horror in a way I don't care for, and sometimes I want to read over-the-top grimdark nonsense, but treating female characters as interchangeable, fuckable status-pieces is the kind of shit up with which I will not put.
Unfortunately, what I ended up with was a book that had all the trappings of Lovecraft- the Old Ones, the Elder Gods, creepy things with tentacles, weird rituals, a protagonist who starts seeing patterns in everything that may or may not be there- but lacked the spirit of Lovecraftian horror. ( Collapse )
I admit I am willing to give horror a little more leeway on misogyny than most genres, as long as it is, you know, meant to be horrifying. I was actually more bothered by the author's two-dimensional treatment of the hero's two identical girlfriends, either of whom had the potential to be more interesting to read about than he was. That's why I won't be back to read more of J.T.'s work- I can deal with somebody writing Lovecraftian horror in a way I don't care for, and sometimes I want to read over-the-top grimdark nonsense, but treating female characters as interchangeable, fuckable status-pieces is the kind of shit up with which I will not put.
(no subject)
Oh, hit by a truck fatigue, you're back. Joy! The Turnip may be having a growth spurt, which wouldexplain why I went from perky on Monday to absolutely exhausted by Tuesday night and continuing through today. Thank goodness it's a three day weekend.
Developments
Just had to buy bigger underwear. I've gained less than three pounds, so it's not fat, just my hips rearranging themselves. Pregnancy is WEIRD.
In which I am slow to catch on
Browsing Etsy because I'm feeling flush with my recent grant reviewer payment (review grants for private funding orgs, they gots $$$). One of their featured categories is "personalized jewelry" and I think hey, I could get a ring with The Avocado's* name on it (once we know The Avocado's sex, anyway... four more weeks). Wouldn't that be cute, I could wear it on my right hand with my wedding ring on my left.
So I click and start surfing around, and about five minutes in I notice the head banner is "mother's day gifts," so I go: "oh hey, what a coincidence. I can totally piggyback on this holiday to have lots of options! And also, shit, what to get mom for mother's day this year..."
Moments later: ... OH. Wait. Mother's day jewelry. Like the ring I might get with my baby's name on it. Cause I'm gonna be a mother. I fit the category. They're advertising at ME.
Mind blown.
*Baby is the size of an avocado this week. Thus.
So I click and start surfing around, and about five minutes in I notice the head banner is "mother's day gifts," so I go: "oh hey, what a coincidence. I can totally piggyback on this holiday to have lots of options! And also, shit, what to get mom for mother's day this year..."
Moments later: ... OH. Wait. Mother's day jewelry. Like the ring I might get with my baby's name on it. Cause I'm gonna be a mother. I fit the category. They're advertising at ME.
Mind blown.
*Baby is the size of an avocado this week. Thus.
SHOCK
Oh Em Gee, you guys, I feel almost normal!!! And I haven't even taken my nausea pill today!!
Admittedly, all I have eaten is cottage cheese, apple juice, and a banana... but it's been a lot of cottage cheese? Oh, and two slices of Hawaiian pizza.
And I got, like, 12 hours of sleep last night. But still!
No pain, minimal to no nausea, it has been AWESOME for all the ten hours I have been awake.
I have celebrated by reading 2.5 Robert J. Sawyer novels- Flashforward, Factoring Humanity, and Calculating God. Lot of middle-aged white male scientist protagonists. My favorite, Factoring Humanity, actually had two protagonists, one of which was a middle-aged white FEMALE RESEARCH PSYCHOLOGIST protagonist studying the inscrutable messages of aliens and ending with some fun Jungian stuff, so that was cool.
Basically a lot of "cool skiffy concepts" and "science porn," which I enjoyed. Negatives: Not much character development, a writing style best described as "functional," and an unfortunate tendency to end books by leveling up to some "transcendent" experience. Probably won't deliberately seek him out in the future, but given his extensive back catalogue he would make a good fallback in a reading drought or when stranded in an airport.
P.S. I am pregnant! 11w4d.
Admittedly, all I have eaten is cottage cheese, apple juice, and a banana... but it's been a lot of cottage cheese? Oh, and two slices of Hawaiian pizza.
And I got, like, 12 hours of sleep last night. But still!
No pain, minimal to no nausea, it has been AWESOME for all the ten hours I have been awake.
I have celebrated by reading 2.5 Robert J. Sawyer novels- Flashforward, Factoring Humanity, and Calculating God. Lot of middle-aged white male scientist protagonists. My favorite, Factoring Humanity, actually had two protagonists, one of which was a middle-aged white FEMALE RESEARCH PSYCHOLOGIST protagonist studying the inscrutable messages of aliens and ending with some fun Jungian stuff, so that was cool.
Basically a lot of "cool skiffy concepts" and "science porn," which I enjoyed. Negatives: Not much character development, a writing style best described as "functional," and an unfortunate tendency to end books by leveling up to some "transcendent" experience. Probably won't deliberately seek him out in the future, but given his extensive back catalogue he would make a good fallback in a reading drought or when stranded in an airport.
P.S. I am pregnant! 11w4d.