A Fandom of Me

Required Reading

devilpiglet — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 16:41:54 GMT

I'm not on LJ as much as I'd like, but this needs to be posted, and re-posted, and re-re-posted. It's from Margaret Cho's site and it's a response to some trolling she received on recent pics.

My mouth and mind and typing fingers are weapons of mass destruction and I pity those ignorant idiots who would leave insults about mine or any women’s bodies in comment boxes because there’s ways of hunting people down. Lots and lots of ways. It’s not as anonymous as they think, as stupid as they are.

I’d like to say things that would haunt them for the rest of their days, because their hideous words stay with me eternally. Their insipid spouts of “no fat chicks” are branded onto my soul, so they must reap what they sow. If I am in my worst way and I talk to you, you will know you have been talked to. I want to punish you with the unforgettable shit you will take to your grave and hurt you long after you are dead in the ground. may my poison bore holes in your dry, decaying bones. I am not proud of this, but it’s just the way this life has made me.

I want to defend the children that we still are inside, the fragile sensitive souls who no matter how much we tried were still told we were not good enough. I want to make the world safe and better and happy for us. We deserve beauty, love, respect, admiration, kindness and compassion. If we don’t get it, there will be hell to pay. I am no saint, but I am here for you and me. I am here for us, and I am doing the best I can.

You can - and you should - read all of it here.

So Winter Has Arrived In Chicago...

devilpiglet — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 23:07:48 GMT

Which means I'm halfway housebound, but that's okay because it's allowed me to discover the unmitigated awesomeness of Misfits. Oh, and to develop several important layers of subcutaneous insulating fat.

How are YOU guys?

HI HI HI. I'm Still Alive.

devilpiglet — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 03:46:58 GMT

Just wanted to touch base with my favorite peeps. Chicago remains humid and cultural, I've lost ten pounds (medication) while eating those cheap egg salad sandwiches you get at the convenience store (medication) and...I think I 'ship Draco/Hermione? Or maybe Draco/Luna. It's very hard to tell with all the recessive genes. Fic recs are welcome, though.

How are you?!?!?!

Yeah, I Know It's Been Eleventy Months...

devilpiglet — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 23:55:54 GMT

But I wanted to hop back on LJ and brag that I'm meeting the fabulous gwyn_r in a scant three days! UR JELUS. Gwyn was one of my very first fandom friends: welcoming, encouraging and utterly special. This rendezvous has been long overdue.

Also: although I was never affected by the stories as others were, I have to say I'm delighted at all the 'Harry Potter' love that's out there in the wake of the final film. I am so, so glad that these books exist, that they accompanied many people through their childhood, that I look forward to introducing kids to them for years to come.

Love,
Your Favorite Out-of-Touch Slytherin

The Latest Meme

devilpiglet — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 05:21:05 GMT

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?

Not as far as I know. Mom and Dad just wanted a name that would satisfy the Irish and Italian contingents of the family. Saints are a sure thing (yeah, I went there!).

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

Last night, maybe? It doesn't take much.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?

I do. As a lefty, it's taken me a while to get to this point.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?

OMG, Note, how did you know I loved sandwiches! ...Thinly sliced medium rare roast beef, TYVM.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?

Nope!

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?

I think it would be hard to be friends with me; I withdraw for long periods and don't notice new haircuts.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM?

Like other people use toothpaste.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?

Yes, much to my bi-annual dismay.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?

Definitely.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?

Raisin Bran.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?

I try to avoid shoes with laces. Mom can tell you why.

12. TV OR MUSIC?

Music. Easier to control; fewer Kardashians.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?

Moose Tracks. Hey, I'm a redneck at heart.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?

The smile. You can tell a lot from a smile.

15. RED OR PINK?

Red.

16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?

Wow, how long is this Note supposed to be? My untidiness, lack of ambition and tendency toward crippling depression. Oops!

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?

So many people, it's hard to break down. In all seriousness, I've been blessed with friends that I don't really deserve, but value mightily.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST?

That's between them and their God.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?

I'm wearing a long teal t-shirt and boy-shorts. No shoes. I can't wear shoes in the house; it's a THING.

20. WHAT DO YOU WEAR IN BED?

See above.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?

My boyfriend playing 'Call of Duty' in the next room.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?

Haha, for a second I thought this read "If you were a CYLON" and I was like "Boy, if only!" Anyway, gunmetal gray.

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?

Aftershave on a guy; whiskey (thanks, Dad!); most types of food.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?

A client.

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?

I dunno; I was linked via <a href="ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com">ONTD</a> and everyone there seems so...Britney-ish.

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?

Competitive crossword-puzzling.

27. WHAT IS YOUR HAIR COLOR?

Brown.

28. EYE COLOR?

Brown.

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?

Yes.

30. FAVORITE FOOD?

SAMMICHES.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?

Happy. I need closure, you know?

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?

'Tron: Legacy' in 3D.

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?

Teal.

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?

Summer.

35. HUGS OR KISSES?

Hugs!

36. CHOCOLATE OR CANDY?

Chocolate. Because of the serotonin, naturally.

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?

What?

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?

I don't understand the question, and I won't respond to it.

- Lucille Bluth.

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?

Just finished 'Major Pettigrew's Last Stand'.

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?

Do not have.

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?

Nothing. Not a big TV fan.

42. FAVORITE SOUND(S)?

Rain (when I'm inside); bacon frying; the laughter of friends and family.

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?

Stones.

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?

A couple thousand miles in either direction.

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?

Double-jointed, psychic, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound...oh, wait. Never mind.

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?

Harrisburg, PA.

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?

Anyone's! I'm very interested in my friends.

48. HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER?
He was my boss. Yeah, I was that girl.

Hellooooooo Internet!

devilpiglet — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 05:29:50 GMT

Sorry for the absence, and thanks for the various pokes and prods. Life is hectic, work is chaos, the sky is blue etc. etc. Here's what I've been up to:

Testing out the various products and services we're thinking of offering at work. So far there have been facials, chemical peels and - most recently - airbrush tanning. This last experience was particularly unnerving; I started the day looking like Wednesday Addams (complete with braids) and ended it looking like Snooki. I exfoliated like hell afterwards and am at least back to a shade found in nature. I kinda don't get tanning, as a concept, so I'm not sure if it really achieved the desired effect. Ah, well. As Tobias Fünke might say, "Onward and upward! Onward...and...upward...::sob::"
Eating my way through Chicago! My recommendations, in no particular order: Simply It for Vietnamese; Lao Szechuan for Chinese; Bistrot Margot for French, and of course Olive Garden for Italian. Ha! Just kidding. Go to Zia's; it's in my old neighborhood and Barack Obama ate there for a local food review program when he was just a wee state senator.
Returning to one of my very first loves, the First Person Shooter. Call of Duty: Black Ops has taken over our household and my life. When everything else fails, massacring Nazi zombies is sure to put a smile on my dial.
Volunteering (but not enough). I'm going out to the West Side next week to do soup kitchen-y stuff, and then helping out at a blood drive the following weekend. It's still better than Christmas shopping.
Looking for a reasonably!smartphone with a low monthly bill; I always end up getting something I think is mid-priced and then between me and The Boy we end up paying $150 a month for a service we can barely use because we're living in a high-rise concrete prison. I'd love any suggestions.
Well, I think that covers it. I've read a lot but am unhappy with my choices; I disliked The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and its sequels, and I thought Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was oddly smug and gossipy. Back to the Regency romances!

Now, how are you?!?!

OMG IT'S MY FIRST VID.

devilpiglet — Thu, 27 May 2010 07:08:20 GMT

Why did I wait so long?

Title: Post Blue
Song Artist: Placebo
Fandom: Southland
Characters: Ben Sherman and John Cooper
Summary: I don't know if I 'ship them, or want their babies, or what. Does it matter?
Spoilers: Season 1, episode 1.

Post Blue: Ben Sherman and John Cooper

Fic: Dynamics In Architecture (The OC; Seth/Ryan)

devilpiglet — Sat, 22 May 2010 04:08:40 GMT

Title: Dynamics In Architecture
Author: Devil Piglet
Disclaimer: All characters of The OC are used without permission.
Pairing: Seth/Ryan
Rating: PG
Word count: ~1300
Author’s note: This story has no timeline, purpose or redeeming social value. It was written solely as a "Thank You" for responses to my recent post on The OC_Slash.

"...Says she thinks I'm kinda gay." Seth's tone demonstrates how utterly preposterous he finds such a statement. "I've crushed on this girl since I was wearing Underoos, I experienced all my requisite sexual milestones with her, I had lunch with her dad and she thinks I'm into dudes?" He prods Ryan with one foot. "Dude? Dude. Are you listening to me?"

"Even when I don't want to be."

"So, then, what? What, Ryan? What do I say to that?" The living room is fraught with Seth's inner turmoil; Ryan loosens his collar.

"What did you say to that?"

"Um. I think I made a sound like a badger choking, and then I left."

"Smooth."

"Yeah, she didn't seem to be having second thoughts." Seth flops down on the bed beside Ryan, who continues to read Dynamics In Architecture (fourth edition). "Man, I think I really screwed things up."

"No, you didn't. You can't screw up just by being yourself." It comes out more sharply than Ryan intends. He frowns at a diagram of load-bearing columns.

"Are you kidding? Of course I can. In fact, that's...pretty much all I do."

Ryan slams the book shut with an emphasis that makes Seth jump. "I can't listen to this."

"But you just said -"

"Seth. You are not a screw-up. You're a great guy and great friend and even Summer knows that, she knows you deserve to find the right person even if it's not her or a - a - her at all. Okay?"

Seth gapes at him; Ryan looks away. He usually doesn't say so much in one conversation. Or in one day. He stands. "I have to go. Help. Your mom." And he leaves Seth there, staring, impossibly speechless.

***

For the next two weeks Ryan throws himself into his job. Kirsten's gotten him an apprenticeship on the site crew of the new community center, and it's a relief to exhaust himself so thoroughly that all he does is collapse into unconsciousness when he does make it home.

It's not like he's avoiding Seth. They see each other each morning; grunt at each other over bowls of cereal to the soundtrack of the Cohens' easy chatter. Breakfast is one of Ryan's favorite times in this house, up there with late-night Playstation and sunny afternoons drifting on the pool while Seth outlines plans for world domination and backstage access to the next Decemberists show.

"Atwood! These joists have your name on 'em. Get moving!"

Ryan blinks, yanks down his hard hat and goes to work.

***

He wakes up swinging.

There's movement just beyond the shadows, and he transitions from asleep to awake to at bat within seconds. His fists hit flesh, a little off-center, and he hears "Ouch!" and then a stumble and then a crash. He really liked that lamp, damn it.

On the floor, Seth gropes beneath the mangled lampshade for the cord until the poolhouse is unevenly illuminated. Ryan scrubs a hand through his hair, grimaces. "Were you watching me sleep?"

"Why?" Seth counters immediately. "Would that be gay?"

"Mostly, it would be weird. Seth, why -"

"So, I've been thinking."

"Please don't do that." Ryan sits up, tries to calm his racing heart.

"About what Summer said. And what you said."

"Look, Summer was sad about the breakup, and you know how she deals with sadness."

"Intimately," Seth nods. "With anger."

"Right. And I..."

"You?"

Ryan sighs. "I just want you to be happy, man. That's all."

"Um. Yeah. Which is why I'm here, not watching you sleep, because I think we need to talk. Because I think I am happy, but only when I'm with you. When we hang out. When we're apart I'm just...waiting. For us not to be apart anymore. And I'm pretty sure of this - I've given it a lot of thought - what with you being MIA lately. Lots of time. To think. Thoughts."

"That doesn't always end well."

"No! No, it does not. And hence my point -"

"Which is?"

"That you're the person who drags me, kicking and screaming, back to reality. That you cut me off before I can go too far down the rabbit hole. And, okay, yes, I like to believe that in my own small Seth Cohen-way I help you out, too. Like, it's hard to brood when we're out on the boat together, right? Or when we're marathoning very poorly dubbed Kaju. Or even when we're arguing over who's hotter, Mila Kunis or Naomi Watts, and buddy, I get that you have a type and everything but that's a little obvious, and also, she sort of looks like my mom. And now you're glaring so I'll redirect. My point is, we make each other happy." Seth pauses, maybe to breathe. "At least, I think we do. I hope."

"We do, Seth."

"Yeah." It's quiet for a few moments, and Ryan wonders idly how many midnight conversations this room has witnessed. Seth clears his throat. "So. Um. What does that mean, exactly?"

Before Ryan can answer, Seth barrels on. "And you should already know this by now, but sometimes you don't, or you forget, or whatever. But nothing you say...there's no wrong answer, man. You're not going to lose me, or the 'rents, no matter what. It won't happen."

Ryan's almost convinced of that. Almost. It's still nice to hear.

"I want..." he begins. Words feel strange on his tongue, strange but not unwelcome and strange in a better way than when he'd use them to reassure Marissa or Theresa or any other girl who'd needed so much more than he could give.

"I want...us. To be happy. Together."

Seth scratches behind his ear. "Not that I don't love obscurity as much as the next recently bi-curious guy, but that's not clearing things up for me. Can you give me a little more to go on?"

And Ryan looks down, to where Seth sprawls at his feet, honest and apprehensive and so out in the open that Ryan wonders how the kid's survived this long. Except he's not a kid anymore, not really; they both grew up while Ryan wasn't looking.

He doesn't know how to explain it - the tenderness he feels toward Seth, the devotion that he's certain goes beyond the norm. And, at the same time, the terrible desire to bruise him, mark him up, leave a trail of Ryan was here across his skin. He's studiously ignored both for years, and now Seth is calling them out.

He shakes his head. It's too much. He can't. "I can't."

"Oh. That's...that's cool. I get it. I totally get it. And, seriously, no hard feelings." Seth stands up jerkily, a puppet on broken strings. "If you don't mind, I gotta go...be mortified. Somewhere else. I just..." He's backing away now, sneakers bumping the edge of the door and hands scrabbling for the knob. "See you tomorrow. Or, today. But later. So. Yeah. Bye."

He's almost gone, almost (out in the open) left for good when Ryan finds himself at the doorway, hauling Seth back in and pinning him there with a forearm against Seth's shoulderblades. Ryan's panting, like he's just run miles along the beach, like he's waking up from a nightmare. But Seth has to know - the violence that always hovers around the edges of Ryan, the love that suffocated those who came before.

Beads of sweat pool at the nape of Seth's neck. Ryan presses his lips there, hears Seth's sharp intake of breath.

"I'm not like you," Seth whispers. "I don't know what to do. But if you show me I'll -"

Slowly, Ryan shifts so that they're face-to-face, counterparts in confusion. And Seth has bent his forehead to rest against Ryan's, and the warmth from that single point of contact spreads. He feels some sort of internal frigidity dissolve.

"Just be you, Seth."

And Seth is smiling, Seth is laughing even through the kiss. "That. That I can do."

Are You Kidding Me?

devilpiglet — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 09:24:58 GMT

I love that the photo on the ramen noodle package shows delicate slices of beef tenderloin beside the noodles. Bitches, if I had beef in the house I wouldn't be eating Top Ramen.

New Year's Resolutions

devilpiglet — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 02:49:33 GMT

Stay awesome, self.
Stay awesome.

(Also: walk, read, write, code, volunteer, reconnect, exfoliate, moisturize.) And you?

I ♥ You All.

devilpiglet — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 04:20:52 GMT

Thank you so much for the gifts! It was just what I needed to get back on the LiveJournal stick. (Insert filthy joke of your choosing here.)

Where to start? Winter in Chicago can be rough, and last year it seemed to consist mainly of late-night bacon cheeseburgers and Three Buck Chuck. So this time around I'm stepping up the volunteer activity and cultural outings and basically anything else that will keep me occupied from now until April; suggestions welcome.

Celebrated the BFF's birthday this weekend; we survived the festivities long enough to end up at IHOP the next afternoon. Then the Boy and I ate yummy French, then I wanted ice cream, then I didn't have any and cried myself to sleep (not really), then I woke up and there was more food and Amazing Race-watching and WOW, Ericka really needs to step back because (for reasons mostly unknown to me) I feel she's basically a decent person but the shrieking doesn't help her case.

Poke me if I don't keep posting, okay? Because I think it's healthy, and how else will I catalogue my meals?

1987 TV, How I Love Thee

devilpiglet — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 18:00:43 GMT

I'm celebrating Labor Day by watching old episodes of 21 Jump Street. Can't decide which is more execrable - the acting or the outfits. Oh, and casting Blair Underwood as the leader of a vicious (yet refreshingly multicultural!) gang is seriously like Robert Pattinson playing a Hell's Angel, or something. But Holly Robinson is still as ridiculously gorgeous and thin as I remembered, and the show is shamefully enjoyable. Oh, and in case you're interested, apparently Johnny Depp dresses to the right.

My Life According To 'Supernatural'

devilpiglet — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 01:08:17 GMT

Are you a male or a female:
Something Wicked

Describe yourself:
Born Under a Bad Sign

How do you feel:
Crossroad Blues

Describe where you currently live:
Mystery Spot

If you could go anywhere, you would go:
Home

Your favorite form of transportation:
Route 666

Your best friend is:
Lucifer Rising (Hi, C.! ::waves::)

What’s the weather like:
Metamorphosis (I live in Chicago)

Favorite time of day:
Red Sky At Morning

If your life was a TV show, it would be called:
What Is and What Should Never Be

What is life to you:
Devil's Trap

Your fear:
When the Levee Breaks

What is the best advice you have to give:
Criss Angel Is a Douchebag

Thought for the day:
Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things

How you would like to die:
Jus In Bello

Your soul’s present condition:
Wishful Thinking

Your motto:
Sex and Violence

Overheard in Chicago

devilpiglet — Fri, 29 May 2009 03:18:46 GMT

FEMALE GYM RAT #1: What's your obsession with rabbits?
FEMALE GYM RAT #2: I don't know. It's gone on for sixteen or seventeen years now. I just think their lives are so pathetic and interesting.

...Upon hearing this "tail":
THE BFF: Strangely, that's exactly how I feel about gym rats.

International No Diet Day

devilpiglet — Thu, 07 May 2009 00:39:10 GMT

...Just wanted to remind you all of today's Very Special Occasion. Love your body, embrace your curves and set fire to all those back issues of Vogue because really, Anna Wintour is crying on the inside. I'm celebrating with whole wheat pasta, vodka sauce and a Crunch bar chaser.

On a totally unrelated note, I saw an icon just now that said "Dreams instead of plans" but which I read as "Dreams instead of pants." Which made more sense to me, frankly.

Eamus Catuli!

devilpiglet — Fri, 01 May 2009 04:07:21 GMT

(That's Latin for 'Go Cubs'. You're welcome.)

Just got back from the game; my guys gave up six runs in the tenth inning to the m*otherf*cking Florida Marlins. Well, it was a Cubs game. The Boy and I bought tickets as part of a fundraiser for one of our favorite GLBTg groups, so it was still a worthwhile evening. I got a dog at the game and a shake as we walked home, the weather was decent...and, hey. It's only April! This could be our year!

A Mayon-Update*

devilpiglet — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 06:19:25 GMT

*See also: Mayon-Egg.

I have decided that - for purposes of Lent - "mayonnaise" does not include 1) any mayo that is put on a sandwich or burger prior to it arriving in my hot little hands; 2) even if I ask for extra mayo; and 3) Miracle Whip. That being said, I'm doing awesome in my giving up mayonnaise for Lent.

I have a freaking awesome Supernatural fic I should post. I mean, I haven't seen almost any of Season 4, but hey, who's counting? In my story, Dean tells Sam that he was abandoned by gypsies. See? Awesome.

My parents are feeling pretty overwhelmed by the year-old German Shepherd mix they've adopted. If anybody's got "...And THEN my dog did THIS" stories, feel free to share them here.

I've Given Up Mayonnaise for Lent.

devilpiglet — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 06:20:26 GMT

...I know it's been a while since I posted, but I thought I'd lead in order of importance.

Work is crazy; my tax refund was laughably tiny (I don't understand why "Look, I've had a really bad year" can't be an itemized deduction); my parents adopted a dog; I'm still walking six miles a day as long as the weather is 10 degrees or above; self-injury is once again rearing its ugly head; I reallyreallyreally want to see The Watchmen. Hm. Anything else? Oh, I'm getting a haircut Saturday at the Aveda Institute; suggestions welcome.

HOW ARE YOU?

How I Would Live A Fictional Character's Life Better Than She Would, Part 6213573

devilpiglet — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:18:38 GMT

PIGLET: I have a headache. Maybe it's an aneurysm.
BFF: If it is, you should be seeing Ghost!Denny soon.
PIGLET: Damn, you're right. I gotta go wash my hair. That idiot Izzie obviously doesn't know how to handle a Secret Denny That Only She Can See, but I sure as hell do.
BFF: So does that mean I get Dean Winchester? Since you'll be busy?
PIGLET: Just look for the sign outside my door that says "BRB GOIN CRAZY"

Curses! Foiled Again!

devilpiglet — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 04:29:22 GMT

Due to miscommunication - most likely on my part - I missed out on seeing escap1974, truecrystal and aninnocent this weekend. I wish I could say I had been derailed by more demanding plans, but instead I was at my company "Holiday" party. Which...yeah. Next year? Your employees would far more appreciate gift cards to Pizza Hut and, you know...their legally-mandated vacation time. But the shindig in the gymnasium was certainly memorable, too. In the "I must never, ever bring guests to this again" way.

On a better note: My local "soup kitchen," Deborah's Place, is an awesome way to volunteer and help the local Chicago population. I go after work and it's wayyyyyyyyyyyy better than sitting in my darkened apartment eating Extra Value Meals and watching Intervention because I can't TiVo Ruby on the Style Channel.

That's HOT!

devilpiglet — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:58:06 GMT

I just went downstairs to do laundry, which means that I'm currently in five-year-old yoga pants and a shirt I last wore on my Caribbean trip so it's probably still got screwdriver stains. And there was a hot fireman in the lobby, and we flirted! Oh, yeah. Piglet's still got it.

...Should I be more concerned over the fact that there was a fireman in the lobby?

Today: Piglet Nearly Gets Her Dumb Ass Killed.

devilpiglet — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 03:29:22 GMT

Okay, so I had to go visit this boutique on a freelance writing assignment. Blah blah money, blah blah shit I can't afford. So I walk west, because this place is at 800-something North Larrabee, which comes in at 400 west just like my workplace. I find the place with only minor difficulty, walking along Kingsbury next to the ~*East Bank Club*~ and the river. It's rush hour, there are tons of people, the boutique is surrounded by condos I can't afford, the girl shopping there needed her dress special-ordered in a 0. You know the drill. I leave the store, turn right to continue walking north, and then take the first street east because I know that if I don't, I'll end up at Cabrini Green when I hit Division.

Uh, yeah. Apparently, the remnants of the projects stretch far and wide. Within ONE BLOCK, the area becomes completely deserted, with the exception of random groups of guys thugging on the street. People? I was on Oak. You know, the same street that has crazy-expensive shops up by Michigan Ave? I'm walking east on Oak and I am not an alarmist when it comes to shitty nabes but I was in TROUBLE. There were no taxis (of course not! THEY weren't stupid enough to come here!) and I was getting really worried because unless I turned around and walked BACK (thus announcing - if there was any doubt - that I was a fucking idiot and Not From Here) I had several blocks EITHER north or east to go before I got out of Cabrini Green - all SEVENTY ACRES of it - again.

THANK GOD there was a cop car sitting on one of the streets, and they were about to leave when I flagged them down and was all "What's a good place to catch a cab?" meaning "Where the fuck am I, and how do I get out?" They were like, "Ummm...yeah. Get in." So the cops drove me to North Avenue, which was BEAUTIFUL and POPULATED, and I walked home from there. I didn't even get their names, so when I saw ANOTHER cop (in a donut shop, trufax) I described them and asked if he knew them, but he said that since they were doing overtime work they weren't from the regular precinct, or something. I don't know. He gave me the commander's name and department address so I could write a letter thanking them.

If I'd been in a car it would have just been a wrong turn, but being on foot completely compromised me. I'm still fucking freaked the fuck out. Yeah, I see vodka in my future.

An excerpt from the Wiki article: "Unlike many of the city's other public housing projects like Rockwell Gardens or Robert Taylor Homes, Cabrini Green was situated in an extremely affluent part of the city. The poverty-stricken projects were actually constructed at the meeting point of Chicago's two wealthiest neighborhoods, Lincoln Park and the Gold Coast." I live on the Gold Coast, and at one point during my Bataan/West Side death march, I looked up and had a clear view of the John Hancock Center. It was a jarring juxtaposition of wealth and desperate, hopeless poverty.

devilpiglet — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:37:51 GMT

Post a picture in my comments of what you think describes me when you think about what/who I am.

Give no written explanation though. Just an image.

Here, I'll start:

devilpiglet — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 05:00:39 GMT

So, the other day was less than impressive, and when I realized that the best part of it had been the bicycle messenger who said "Anything for a pretty face" as he opened the door to CVS
for me, I had to take drastic measures. The Art Institute has free admission Thursdays from 5-8 p.m., so I walked over there and saw American Gothic (no surprises there) and the Benin exhibit (can't recommend it highly enough; it's a retrospective of Nigeria's court arts). I listened to lots of Bird York and Aimee Mann throughout, and it was altogether a well-spent evening. Then I walked home (I do this every night if I can; it's a healthy 3 miles and a great way to decompress), ate some Chex Mix and fell into bed.

The final installment of my inexplicable Supernatural trilogy is nearly ready for prime-time; these boys are so much fun to write and it's also a great excuse to crank up the Skynyrd.

Fic Mix: Sam & Dean, Supernatural

devilpiglet — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:31:42 GMT

As promised, this is the "Sam and Dean Are Cautiously Optimistic" Mix. It's a companion piece to Double-Edged Sword, the sequel to ...Favors the Brave. The third and final installment of the series will be posted shortly (and will, presumably, have its own weepy emo sad-clown soundtrack). I need a spreadsheet to keep up with this, true story.

The "Sam and Dean Are Cautiously Optimistic" Mix Tape

Aimee Mann - The Scientist
Tell me you love me
Come back and haunt me
Oh, on I rush to the start

Runnin' in circles
Chasin' our tails
Comin' back as we are

Nobody said it was easy
Oh, it's such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be so hard
I'm goin' back to the start

The Bell-Rays - Have a Little Faith In Me
I fell upon a dream last night
We were together
Hey baby,
Have a little faith in me

I swore that we’d get out alive
We wouldn’t surrender
Hey baby,
Have a little faith in me

Jóse González - Heartbeats
And you, you knew the hand of the devil
And you, kept us awake with wolves' teeth
Sharing different heartbeats
In one night

To call for hands of above
To lean on
Wouldn't be good enough
For me, no

A Fine Frenzy - Hope For the Hopeless
Cold in a summer breeze
Yeah, you're shivering
On your bended knee
Still, when you're heart is sore
And the heavens pour
Like a willow bending with the storm, you'll make it

Running against the wind
Playing the cards you get
Something is bound to give

Placebo - Post Blue
It's in the water, baby
It's in your family tree
It's in the water baby
It's between you and me

Bite the hand that feeds
Tap the vein that bleeds
Down on my bended knees

I'd break the back of love for you
I'd break the back of love for you
I'd break the back of love for you
I'd break the back of love for you

Bird York - In the Deep
Thought you had all the answers
Rest your heart upon
But something happens
Don't see it coming, now
You can't stop yourself

Bruce Springsteen - Devils & Dust
I got my finger on the trigger
But I don't know who to trust
When I look into your eyes
There's just devils and dust
We're a long, long way from home
Home's a long, long way from us
I feel a dirty wind blowing
Devils and dust

Well I dreamed of you last night
In a field of blood and stone
The blood began to dry
The smell began to rise

Neko Case - Hold On, Hold On
The most tender place in my heart is for strangers
I know it's unkind but my own blood is much too dangerous
Hangin' round the ceiling half the time
Hangin' round the ceiling half the time

Now it's the devil I love
And that's as funny as real love

Coldplay - Everything's Not Lost
When you thought that it was over
You could feel it all around
And everybody's out to get you
Don't you let it drag you down

'Cos if you ever feel neglected
And if you think that all is lost
I'll be counting up my demons, yeah
Hoping everything's not lost

Jamie Barnes - (That's How You Sing) Amazing Grace
It sounds like razors in my ears
That bell's been ringing now for years
Someday I'll give it all away
That's how you sing Amazing Grace

Oh, can you hear that sweet sweet sound
Yeah, I was lost but now I'm found
Sometimes there's nothing left to save
That's how you sing Amazing Grace

Johnny Cash - Further On Up the Road
Where the road is dark and the seed is sowed,
Where the gun is cocked and the bullet's cold,
Where the miles are marked in the blood and the gold,
I'll meet you further on up the road.

Got on my dead man's suit and my smilin' skull ring,
My lucky graveyard boots and song to sing.
I got a song to sing, it keeps me out of the cold,
And I'll meet you further on up the road.

Further on up the road, further on up the road,
Where the way is dark and the night is cold.
One sunny mornin' we'll rise I know.
And I'll meet you further on up the road.

Now I been out in the desert just doin' my time,
Searchin' through the dust, lookin' for a sign.
If there's a light up ahead, well, brother I don't know.
But I got this fever burnin' in my soul.

Organ - Brother
Lie down in a field if you can
Look at the night sky
Oh, where does it end
Sometimes it hurts when you
Care about me
But it's going to hurt more when
They take you away from me
We have got to take cover, brother

The Weepies - Not Your Year
Breathe through it, write a list of desires
Make a toast, make a wish, slash some tires
Paint a heart repeating, beating
"Don't give up, don't give up, don't give up."

Scattered shadows on a wall, you watch the long light fall
Some impressions stay and some will fade
Tattered shoes outside your door, clothes all on the floor
Your life feels like the morning after all year long.

Every day it starts again
You cannot say if you're happy
You keep trying to be
Try harder, maybe this is not your year

And, as always:
=

TYVM.