corilannam | Entries tagged with life

So I've been a mess lately. An absolutely freaking mess. It's been so bad the last couple months that I'm seriously considering trying to find a therapist in the new year, as much as that ratchets my anxiety to eleven just thinking about it. My apologies from being so absent from everyone's lives - I've been reading almost nothing lately other than the odd tweet or two, and am just now pulling myself back into the world.

I was so proud that I managed to buy holiday cards this year! I got a set of cute Christmas cards, a set of cute less Christmassy holiday cards, and a set of completely non-Christmas season's greeting cards. Then I lost my address book. *headdesk*

But! I just found it! So if I have your address, you'll be getting a card from me. If you don't get a card from me, it means a) I don't have your address; b) I have an old address for you because you moved; c) I know you don't celebrate Christmas and am not sure whether you would appreciate a non-religious winter greeting card; or d) you live outside the United States and I've misjudged the amount of postage needed.

In the meantime, my mom is here, as many of you have already heard, in the final week of her 3-week visit. She brought her puppy, which she is trying to train as a service dog for herself (!!!). That is going about as well as you would expect if you know anything about my mother. The doggy is terribly cute, despite the awful behavioral issues. I will post pictures if she ever lets me get a non-blurry shot.

We do not traditionally celebrate Christmas in my family, so tomorrow we'll indulge the tradition we do celebrate -- going to the movies and then out for Chinese food. Les Miserables for some cheery good times!

Speaking of cheery good holiday viewing, I am tense with anxiety over the finale of Merlin tonight. Confession: I haven't watched an episode since the start of the Gwen Enchanted arc. At first it was because I was late on my merlin_holidays story and I just didn't have time to do my usual watch-and-review evening, and then it was because after reading everyone else's reviews, I just couldn't cope with my escalating disappointment about this show on top of the rest of my depression.

But for tonight, my expectations are very, very, very low. There's one thing left that I want from this show. There's no possible way it can be what I want at this point, but I have lowered the bar accordingly so really, they just have to put in really minimal effort to meet my heavily revised standards tonight.

I hope everyone is closing out this long year in a peaceful and happy way! *hugs*

I am home at last from the International Wedding Roadtrip o' Doom! It was fantastic and exactly the right length so that I was still having fun right to the end, but am also happy to be home.

Chicago - The wedding (of two very long and dear friends) was fantastic. Wept copious tears of sentimental joy. Got to see a bunch of fan friends and even meet one for the first time who I've known for almost as long as I've been online in fandom. Sadly, I did not get to get together with other friends in the area as I'd hoped, but next time!

Wisconsin - Made a very brief jaunt up to Wisconsin solely for the purpose of visiting the Mars Cheese Castle, which I never, ever wanted to leave, ever.

Michigan - Then we headed to Michigan to visit

sithdragn who is near the top of the list of the awesomest people I know, anywhere. I finally got to meet the infamous Sith Kitties (and tried to pack one to take home with me, but she escaped, darn it!) We toured The Henry Ford, which was crazy fun for a history geek -- and unexpectedly, for a slasher as well. Yes, fandom, prepare yourself for the new OTP of Henry Ford/Thomas Edison (Fordison? T-Fed?) There will be a pimping post, oh yes.

Then we hopped over to visit

tracy7307, who showed us the Motown Museum and then introduced us into Detroit fannish society. I was lucky enough to meet the lovely

planejane just in the nick of time before she heads back to Blimey, as well as the awesome

themostepotente, and my darling

venivincere who gives the greatest hugs ever.

Toronto - We headed over the border into CANADA! I had never been to Canada and was entertained by a number of realizations: 1) Canada has just as many asshole drivers in gigantic pickup trucks as we do; 2) You can buy Bounty bars and Malteasers ANYWHERE there; and 3) Tim Horton must be one hell of a rich bastard.

chelseafrew was ecstatic to be in Toronto, a city of long fannish association for her. We ate in Chinatown (mmm, lychee bubble tea), went up the CN Tower, toured Casa Loma (spot the X-Men scenes!), and had a lot of fun in the Royal Ontario Museum.

Niagra Falls - From Toronto, we scooted around the lake to the Niagra area to visit the lovely and generous

slb44, who knows absolutely everything about Niagra Falls and the surrounding area and let us drag her all around in the midst of a truly unpleasant heat wave. We did the Maid of the Mist, of course (which sadly sounds like it won't be around for much longer, so I'm really happy to have had the experience), the Whirlpool aero car, the gorgeous butterfly conservatory, and the funky-kitschy-cool Flying Saucer Restaurant.

And then we drove 12 hours to get home so I could go back to work. Bleh. I would much rather be seeing the sights with awesome fangirls.

On the bright side, I can have the Olympics live feed on all day now! Who knew that sailing could be so relaxing to watch with the sound muted?

So my BFF

chelseafrew and I are heading to Chicago next weekend for a Very Important Wedding. We've been meaning to take a leisurely roadtrip for years, and we've decided this is our opportunity!

We're leaving on Wednesday or Thursday of next week to meander from DC to Chicago by Friday afternoon. We're in Chicago Friday and Saturday for wedding activities, and then at some point we'll be leaving to drive up to Canada through either Wisconsin or (more likely) Michigan. From there we plan to drive around the Great Lakes to Toronto, then down through Niagra Falls and eventually home. We're allowing about a week and a half to do the whole thing.

I know a great number of you know live in these regions or know them much better than I do, so my questions:

* Along that route (more or less), what are the Must See Sights?

* Any advice on the best places to stay (or stay away from)?

* While in Canada, what and where must we eat?

* Anyone want to have coffee/dinner/world domination planning meetings?

This is, of course, all assuming that I can find my passport, which I put in a very safe place....

Over the last couple of months, I've been learning French during my daily commute. I had gotten the CDs when I thought I'd be going to France and liked the learning method. France didn't work out, but sometime later I decided I felt like learning the language anyway.

So last week I was updating my Google Reader, and I found a few French language blogs and newspapers to add in the hopes of getting some extra practice. To my delight, I found I could read most of the newspaper articles! On the down side, it turns out that the news in France is just as depressing as it is here.

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I am still debating whether to sign up for Yuletide this year, but I was composing my Dear Writer letter in my head last night, which may be a bad sign. What's odd is that this is the first year where I have multiple things I want to request, but nothing I particularly want to write. Every other year I've struggled on the details of what I wanted to receive and wished I could just sign up to write.

But this year, I find myself really wanting several particular stories. I want a few things from the Hunger Games books. I really want a story about Anne of Cleves, and maybe something about Charles Brandon and how he managed to keep his head as Henry VIII's best friend for 40 years. And a few other things I'd have to narrow down from my list.

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As you might guess from my Yuletide pondering, I spent the weekend marathoning season 1 of The Tudors. I watched most of S1 when it was originally on, but then missed a week and never caught up again (as happens to me with most television shows). Since that was a few years ago, I figured I might as well just start from the beginning again to refresh my memory of what happened. Plus, I couldn't remember where I left off.

The interesting thing was that between the last time I watched the show and now, I went on a big Tudor history reading kick. So now all the historical discrepancies are driving me freaking crazy, whereas before they were only the gentlest niggle in the back of my mind. Henry had two different sisters, dammit! Though I'll forgive anything for Gabrielle Anwar.

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And before I sign up for any other writing challenges, I guess I really should finish the one that's due in, oh, a week? I've known the plot of what I was writing since the day I got my assignment, but the emotional connections have been eluding me ever since. Thankfully, it's finally all coming together. I just have to get it all on paper.

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I'll leave you with today's Daily Puppy, a baby girl bullie who turned my crappy Monday around with a single paw. http://www.dailypuppy.com/puppies/layla-the-english-bulldog_2010-11-15

Current Mood: happy

Today was a very nice day. This makes it a nice contrast to yesterday, which was a Giant Wallow of Overwhelming Life Dissatisfaction.

But today was peaceful and highly productive. I got up early and went over to Panera, where I sat with a big cup of coffee and my notebook. It took about 3/4 of the coffee before my brain gave in and focused, but I finally got Merlin and Arthur out the window and on their way.

Then I ran a gazillion errands, with musical interludes. At Whole Foods, they started playing The Reflex, compelling me to do a little SLB spin in the middle of the frozen veggie aisle. Then I went across the street to K-Mart, where they almost immediately started playing Is There Something I Should Know?

Duran Duran: crossing all demographics since 1978.

Then I drove home, singing along to Galileo on repeat with the windows down. You see, I just discovered that this is one of the rare songs that is actually in my extremely limited vocal range, so I couldn't help singing it over and over and over until it gave me a headache.

I guess when they come out with Rock Band: Indigo Girls, I'll be all set.

Then I came home and weeded my backyard. It's a small yard, but there are a hella lotta weeds in it. Some of them are like trees, or possibly semi-magical beanstalks. Every year I make a token effort at pulling them up, but they just grow back. I don't understand it. Everyone else in my apartment complex has little yards with plain, undisturbed gravel. I have the Enchanted Forest Annex.

I've finally gotten fed up enough to bring in chemical help, much though I wanted to avoid it. So once the yard was ~~all~~ ~~mostly~~ somewhat clear of weeds, I doused it with Weed B Gone. I got the giant container because I already know these weeds aren't going to go quietly.

And now I'm going to set a gazillion vids from VVC to download. And then I'm going to see if I can get Merlin and Arthur onto the Underground. That would make this day awesome.