Dear Yuletide 2012 Writer
Oct. 29th, 2012 02:36 pmFirst of all, good luck! I'm all over the place once again and I will be truly amazed and grateful that I've got a match. (Or a pinch hitter! I've gotten pinch hitters before and I love you, too! You chose me! You brave, weird souls, you.)
So, first the big picture then a little more specificity on what I like about each request.
( My Yuletide Philosophy )
( Salt (2012) )
( The Clairvoyant Countess – Dorothy Gilman )
( Vampire Party (Audi 2012 Game Day Commercial) )
So, first the big picture then a little more specificity on what I like about each request.
( My Yuletide Philosophy )
( Salt (2012) )
( The Clairvoyant Countess – Dorothy Gilman )
( Vampire Party (Audi 2012 Game Day Commercial) )
Yuletide nom nom noms
Oct. 1st, 2012 06:08 pmWell, my Yuletide noms (and thus my requests) are all over the place this year -- an action-espionage-thriller, a fairly obscure novel, and a car commercial.
And I have absolutely no idea what my 4th request will be yet.
Salt (2010) (IMDb listing)
Evelyn Salt
Mike Krause
Ted Winter
Vassily Orlov
The Clairvoyant Countess – Dorothy Gilman (Amazon listing)
Marina Karitska
Jan Heyer
Mr. Farber-Jones
Gavin O’Connell
Vampire Party (Audi 2012 Game Day Commercial) (on YouTube)
Audi-driving vampire
Vampire behind the log
Cape-petting vampire
Vampire-killing Audi
Is it Yuletide yet?
And I have absolutely no idea what my 4th request will be yet.
Salt (2010) (IMDb listing)
Evelyn Salt
Mike Krause
Ted Winter
Vassily Orlov
The Clairvoyant Countess – Dorothy Gilman (Amazon listing)
Marina Karitska
Jan Heyer
Mr. Farber-Jones
Gavin O’Connell
Vampire Party (Audi 2012 Game Day Commercial) (on YouTube)
Audi-driving vampire
Vampire behind the log
Cape-petting vampire
Vampire-killing Audi
Is it Yuletide yet?

So....
Yeah, discovered a gaping wound on the bottom of my toe on Wednesday -- toe all red, foot and ankle all swollen. Went to the ER, got formally diagnosed as a diabetic, and was admitted with a diabetic foot ulcer in need of surgery.
Got a PICC line (a surgically implanted line for blood draw and IV drugs) and my foot surgery both on Friday the 13th (so I'll always remember!) and was discharged on Sunday afternoon.
Now I get to see the surgeon once a week to change the dressing and assess my recovery and I go in EVERY DAY, seven days a week, for six weeks to get an IV antibiotic treatment. Where did I spend my summer vacation? The Prince William Infusion Treatment Center, looks like.
Now, I've been unemployed and uninsured for something like three years. I have no income or primary care physician, have taken care of my elderly parents for the last couple of years, losing Dad last March and Mom this April, plus having to move, and being basically totally dependent upon
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
All I can think about is what in the world could ever convince me to vote for Romney?
This utterly incoherent ramble has been sponsored by Vicodin. Vicodin, the Breakfast of Champions!
Dear cable guide,
"Mulder and Scully discover a government conspiracy while on the trail of a killer with superhuman powers" is not a helpful episode description.
In other news, I aten't dead yet.
We hosted two couples (one with six-year-old son) over the weekend as they live in the PEPCO-infested county of Montgomery and so lost power in the storms. Couple-with-son regained power on Sunday but the other had an estimate of a week before restoration. Fortunately, they had a trip to NYC planned mid-week so at least most of their hotel-stay was already accounted for. But JFC, this happens with PEPCO every year, sometimes several times. Cut down the damn trees, bury the damn wires, and stop inconveniencing and even endangering your customers.
It was actually quite lovely from my side, though, everyone bringing their chargers and power strips and getting all their devices up to speed again and contributing stuff from their fridges and freezers for delightfully feast-like dinner and brunch. Yay for the house
av_lad bought us in April -- wonderful entertaining flow and lots of places for people to bunk down.
Speaking of which, the 4th worked out well. My brother and
borgmama and their brood of 4,
ishyko and her husband and their 3 sons,
psu_jedi and her husband and son,
i_am_racerx, and my cousin all joined us -- the invitation was "bring your own meat and beverage", we provided the grill and a ton of sides and chips -- and we all watched 1776, one of my favorite movies and a new one to several in the crowd, and some of Yankee Doodle Dandy before going outside and running from deck to front yard and back, trying to decide which local fireworks show to focus on. Front yard (Old Town Manassas) won out and it was spectacular. We'll definitely be hosting next year.
"Mulder and Scully discover a government conspiracy while on the trail of a killer with superhuman powers" is not a helpful episode description.
In other news, I aten't dead yet.
We hosted two couples (one with six-year-old son) over the weekend as they live in the PEPCO-infested county of Montgomery and so lost power in the storms. Couple-with-son regained power on Sunday but the other had an estimate of a week before restoration. Fortunately, they had a trip to NYC planned mid-week so at least most of their hotel-stay was already accounted for. But JFC, this happens with PEPCO every year, sometimes several times. Cut down the damn trees, bury the damn wires, and stop inconveniencing and even endangering your customers.
It was actually quite lovely from my side, though, everyone bringing their chargers and power strips and getting all their devices up to speed again and contributing stuff from their fridges and freezers for delightfully feast-like dinner and brunch. Yay for the house
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
Speaking of which, the 4th worked out well. My brother and
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
Called 911 yesterday evening for Mom and now she's in ICU at Prince William Hospital.
She's currently sedated and intubated to keep her oxygen levels up, her bp is distressingly low, she's got impaired kidney function, she's going septic, she might have had an embollism....
Fuck. It. All.
Literally, the only thing distracting me is the Anderson brothers angst-singing on Glee. It fills my brain and makes the grinding gears stop for a while.
She's currently sedated and intubated to keep her oxygen levels up, her bp is distressingly low, she's got impaired kidney function, she's going septic, she might have had an embollism....
Fuck. It. All.
Literally, the only thing distracting me is the Anderson brothers angst-singing on Glee. It fills my brain and makes the grinding gears stop for a while.
From Chapter Twenty-One - The Masculine Graces
"It is a very nice thing, however, to send flowers for decoration to a girl who is giving a party. I once knew a charming gentleman with imagination enough to do that. He filled my apartment with flowers the afternoon I was giving a large cocktail party -- and sent along his Filipino butler, too, to help out."
p. 184, Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Guide to Etiquette: A Guide to Gracious Living, copyright 1952, 1954
I think she fills a whole bingo card with just one sentence. Now that's impressive.
"It is a very nice thing, however, to send flowers for decoration to a girl who is giving a party. I once knew a charming gentleman with imagination enough to do that. He filled my apartment with flowers the afternoon I was giving a large cocktail party -- and sent along his Filipino butler, too, to help out."
p. 184, Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Guide to Etiquette: A Guide to Gracious Living, copyright 1952, 1954
I think she fills a whole bingo card with just one sentence. Now that's impressive.
One must know one's limits
Jan. 12th, 2012 08:45 pmFrom Chapter Forty-Two - Gracious Living Without Servants
"It is obviously impossible for a woman doing all her own work and tending several nursery-age children to conduct her home on the same lines as her neighbor does who employs both cook and butler and whose half-grown children are away at boarding school."
p. 380, Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Guide to Etiquette: A Guide to Gracious Living, copyright 1952, 1954
"It is obviously impossible for a woman doing all her own work and tending several nursery-age children to conduct her home on the same lines as her neighbor does who employs both cook and butler and whose half-grown children are away at boarding school."
p. 380, Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Guide to Etiquette: A Guide to Gracious Living, copyright 1952, 1954
Pick up the nearest book to you.
Turn to page 45.
The first sentence describes your sex life in 2012.
Dr. and Mrs. Grant Kingsley
announce that the marriage of their daughter
Penelope
to
Mr. George Frank Carpenter
has been postponed from
Friday, the ninth of June
until
Friday, the eighth of September
at noon
St. Mary's Church
San Francisco
Well. That certainly portends drama this year.
Serves me right for re-reading one of my favorite works of fantasy, Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Guide to Etiquette: A Guide to Gracious Living, copyright 1954.
Nestled amidst the rustling taffeta, crisp linen, and engraved calling cards is such entrenched racism, classism, and sexism that it makes you long for the enlightened era depicted in Mad Men. One of my favorites is in Part Four: Home Entertaining, under a section captioned "Dinner with One Maid":
Pretention is so very uncomfortable.
Sing it, Amy Vanderbilt, sing it.
Turn to page 45.
The first sentence describes your sex life in 2012.
announce that the marriage of their daughter
Penelope
to
Mr. George Frank Carpenter
has been postponed from
Friday, the ninth of June
until
Friday, the eighth of September
at noon
St. Mary's Church
San Francisco
Well. That certainly portends drama this year.
Serves me right for re-reading one of my favorite works of fantasy, Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Guide to Etiquette: A Guide to Gracious Living, copyright 1954.
Nestled amidst the rustling taffeta, crisp linen, and engraved calling cards is such entrenched racism, classism, and sexism that it makes you long for the enlightened era depicted in Mad Men. One of my favorites is in Part Four: Home Entertaining, under a section captioned "Dinner with One Maid":
Pretention is so very uncomfortable.
Sing it, Amy Vanderbilt, sing it.
Yuletide reveal
Jan. 3rd, 2012 07:53 pmSo this year I wrote for My Drunk Kitchen, the hilarious and adorable web series by Hannah Hart, all about cooking. While drunk.
My story is about all that. And fire.
And it has pictures.
En Flambé (2108 words)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Hannah Hart, Alcohol (Ingredient), Cheese (Ingredient)
Summary: Alcohol. Cheese. Fire. What could this possibly be a recipe for?
If you are unfamiliar with My Drunk Kitchen, take a look at Episode 1, Butter Yo Shit on YouTube. It's only about 5 minutes long. (You watched the damn octopus video, didn't you? Hannah is cuter. Trust me.)
My story is about all that. And fire.
And it has pictures.
En Flambé (2108 words)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Hannah Hart, Alcohol (Ingredient), Cheese (Ingredient)
Summary: Alcohol. Cheese. Fire. What could this possibly be a recipe for?
If you are unfamiliar with My Drunk Kitchen, take a look at Episode 1, Butter Yo Shit on YouTube. It's only about 5 minutes long. (You watched the damn octopus video, didn't you? Hannah is cuter. Trust me.)
People, people, people!
I need to tell you about the story I received for Yuletide -- it's amazing and hilarious and absolutely incredible and it's a tragedy that it's in a fandom so small that it doesn't even exist under a microscope.
If you appreciate sly, dry wit, if you like drawing room comedies of manners, if you know anything about the British abdication crisis, if you like small town social circle hijinx, if you saw The King's Speech, if you love absolute mastery of the English language and its nuances, if you need to see the best AU version of Winston Churchill ever (and yes, you do!), read this story and give the author the love they deserve.
Hanover's Seed (2606 words) by
Fabrisse
Fandom: Edward and Mrs. Simpson (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Wallis Simpson/David Windsor
Characters: Original Characters
Summary:
Do it. You won't regret it. I, and the Jackson County (Kansas) Garden Club, guarantee it.
ETA: I also recommend Knowing My Place (1120 words) by the same author. It's a short exploration of Eliza's thoughts a few months after the end of My Fair Lady and is wonderful worldbuilding.
I need to tell you about the story I received for Yuletide -- it's amazing and hilarious and absolutely incredible and it's a tragedy that it's in a fandom so small that it doesn't even exist under a microscope.
If you appreciate sly, dry wit, if you like drawing room comedies of manners, if you know anything about the British abdication crisis, if you like small town social circle hijinx, if you saw The King's Speech, if you love absolute mastery of the English language and its nuances, if you need to see the best AU version of Winston Churchill ever (and yes, you do!), read this story and give the author the love they deserve.
Hanover's Seed (2606 words) by
Fandom: Edward and Mrs. Simpson (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Wallis Simpson/David Windsor
Characters: Original Characters
Summary:
This is an AU based on the mini-series "Edward and Mrs. Simpson" which aired on PBS in the late 1970s.
Do it. You won't regret it. I, and the Jackson County (Kansas) Garden Club, guarantee it.
ETA: I also recommend Knowing My Place (1120 words) by the same author. It's a short exploration of Eliza's thoughts a few months after the end of My Fair Lady and is wonderful worldbuilding.
Dear Yuletide writer
Nov. 20th, 2011 03:54 pmFirst of all, good luck! I'm all over the place this year and I am truly amazed and grateful that I've got a match. (ETA: Or a pinch hitter! I've gotten pinch hitters before and I love you, too! You chose me! You brave, weird soul, you.)
So, first the big picture then a little more specificity on what I like about each request.
( My Yuletide Philosophy )
( Edward & Mrs. Simpson )
( Prey series - John Sandford )
( Star Wars: Revelations )
Once again, good luck and I salute you!
So, first the big picture then a little more specificity on what I like about each request.
( My Yuletide Philosophy )
( Edward & Mrs. Simpson )
( Prey series - John Sandford )
( Star Wars: Revelations )
Once again, good luck and I salute you!
Anyone else having DW issues?
Oct. 3rd, 2011 11:31 pmWeird Dreamwidth issues.
This morning I noticed that clicking "expand" in comments took me to a page with only that thread. I've got a support request in.
After being away from the computer for most of the day, I've only just noticed that my reading page is not updating. I can click on a journal and see people's latest posts and I can see on their reading page entries that should be showing up on my reading page but are not.
Wonder if I'll see this on my reading page?
Off to send in another request....
ETA: Oh, so now the entries appear? Was there a LOLcat stuck in the tubes? Time to check the "expand" issue. Again.
E(again)TA: Nope, "expand" still not working. It's likeSoviet Russia JournalFen around here. Oh, my first world problems!
E(whatthehell?)TA: So, these ETAs show up if I look at this entry on my journal (and on LJ) and on other people's reading pages. But if I look at my reading page, I only see the original post, no ETAs.
This morning I noticed that clicking "expand" in comments took me to a page with only that thread. I've got a support request in.
After being away from the computer for most of the day, I've only just noticed that my reading page is not updating. I can click on a journal and see people's latest posts and I can see on their reading page entries that should be showing up on my reading page but are not.
Wonder if I'll see this on my reading page?
Off to send in another request....
ETA: Oh, so now the entries appear? Was there a LOLcat stuck in the tubes? Time to check the "expand" issue. Again.
E(again)TA: Nope, "expand" still not working. It's like
E(whatthehell?)TA: So, these ETAs show up if I look at this entry on my journal (and on LJ) and on other people's reading pages. But if I look at my reading page, I only see the original post, no ETAs.