LariLee's Hutch

NEWS!!!

larilee — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 03:39:32 GMT

I honestly don't know if anyone would be that interested, but I just sent the following message to all the Yahoo fan groups:

After a long hiatus, I wish to return to writing and finish three Works in Progress. I know it's been a long time, but these three stories have haunted me through the years. Because I use Dragon NaturallySpeaking, a voice recognition software program, I would ideally have two beta readers and a Brit picker. It would be absolutely lovely to have the same three people work on all three stories with me; however, as two stories are Snape/OFC and one is Snape/Granger that might be asking too much.

If anyone is interested, the three stories are as follows:

A Right Bastard – Snape/American OFC. The action is divided between Britain and America. It's pretty much a straight out love story that started as an answer to the Button Challenge by TPMM. It is canon compliant through Book Five and can be found here:

http://occlumency.sycophanthex.com/viewstory.php?sid=1798

No Good Deed – Snape/American Muggle OFC. This story is canon compliant to Book Six. Snape has finally found a safe hiding place, but one good deed to a waitress and her child might be his downfall. It can be found here:

http://occlumency.sycophanthex.com/viewstory.php?sid=3369

For Your Pleasure – Snape/Granger. It's an answer to the Gigolo Challenge by Betz. What more can I say? It is a rather complicated story and probably only has a few more chapters. I believe it is canon compliant through Book Five and can be found here:

http://ashwinder.sycophanthex.com/viewstory.php?sid=9114

If you think you might be interested, please send me an email off list. Just in case Yahoo no longer shows email addresses, it is LariLeeHAH on gmail.

Thank you for your time!

~Lisa/LariLee

I finally have a computer that can handle Dragon NaturallySpeaking. I finally have time again. The plot bunnies have come out of hiding, a trifle dusty but tails twitching. And tonight, my Muse showed up, smelling of sex, then slammed a bottle of rum on my nightstand and said, "Let's do this, bitch!"

I really owe it to a negative review I got. I've reread the story in question and the strangest thing happened – it was better than I remembered. For once, I didn't let one bad review makes me question my ability to tell stories.Am I the greatest writer ever? Oh, hell no! Am I the greatest fanfiction writer ever? Again, hell no! But it is a solid story and one worth finishing.

And I'm going finish them. All of them. Though God help us all if I have to beta read them myself.

Bimonthly check in

larilee — Sat, 01 Mar 2014 05:38:09 GMT

Hello, good people!

Still futzing around with my laptop. I think it's demon possessed.

Earlier this month, I lost my cousin. At least the family let me know about it… I got to be the one to go to the nursing home and tell mom. Then we got 5 inches of snow/ice/crud and I missed the memorial service.

I feel very sorry for my aunt, because she's lost both her children now. And, I believe there may be some resentment too. After all, I'm the one who has so many health problems I could be a Lifetime movie of the week. My kidneys are going, I've already had one stroke, I've lost a leg and I'm in a wheelchair, and the list goes on. Packman, Who rode his bike all over this country and parts of Europe, has been hit by car three times, and even though he's a quadriplegic – he is still breathing.

On March 24, Mom turns 90. But I do have a good idea for her present this year. She misses Gracie, my Chihuahua – poodle mix who is also known as Heathen Butt. Because Gracie is so high strung, another term for barks incessantly, taking her to the nursing home is really an option. But I found out that you could have a photograph transferred onto a woven tapestry. So I'm hoping to get a good picture of her to put on a tapestry with "Gracie Love Grandma!" Mom can at least cuddle with her.

Nearly 4 weeks ago, people thought I was overdramatic when I said we should shoot the groundhog. Anybody think I'm being overly dramatic now? I've been housebound quite a bit this month. And we're going to get hit by freezing rain/sleet/snow yet again Monday. I guess I would be housebound anyway, my fibromyalgia is very much out of remission, and I'm feeling every ounce of pain my body can produce.

As practice for writing, I'm actually doing a Hunger Games FanFiction. It surprises me that I could write any body but Snape. For some reason a sarcastic, bitter, possibly evil character is very easy for me to Channel. I really wish I could write Tyrion Lannister. He has actually usurped Snape's place is my favorite character. But Game of Thrones is something I like to read and to watch. Harry Potter claimed my imagination and brought me into the world as a participant, whereas with GoT makes me an observer.

So, just to let people know, I'm still in the land of the living. I'm still trying to write. Once I get a chapter or two written, then I'm going to have to try and find beta readers. One who can put up with Dragon Naturally speaking. Or, considering, maybe two or three. :-)

Trying to hold back my excitement…

larilee — Sat, 15 Feb 2014 03:39:48 GMT

I'm trying hard not to be excited. After 16 months of being practically computerless, I might have my computer back and my Dragon Speech.

The reason I'm holding back my excitement and trying not to get my hopes up is because of the constant roller coaster this has been. Seriously, every time I thought I was taking that final step to get my computer fixed, something else happened. I don't know how many of my files Packman actually copied over, but even if I lost everything, I think I can retrieve most of it.

The greatest thing though, is that I get my Dragon Naturally Speaking back. I CAN WRITE AGAIN!! Now I'm struck with the fear that whatever spark of storytelling I had is gone.

I loaned out my Microsoft Word disks, But I should have that back Monday.

I'm just praying nothing else goes wrong with it. Hugs to you all! I'm still in a very happy mood. Packman actually seems willing to buy me a computer next quarter if all else fails. Now, I have to admit, he is slow in doing things. So there is hope I will be writing sooner or later! I had to give it up because mom needed so much care. I also gave up Beta reading because I just couldn't keep my mind focused.

In Louisville, we're still snowed in. I had about a week where I could not physically get out of the house because the front door was Snowed in and iced over and could not be opened. Thank God Mary has come to our rescue in so many ways. There are so many people I am so grateful to and for. I think I'm going to hug my dogs and give them kisses. I'm just so happy and I'm trying hard not to be. :-)

Wish me luck!

Productivity at Last!

larilee — Thu, 23 Jan 2014 11:19:21 GMT

I think everyone knows I've been sick for the last few years. And I hate to admit it, but my house does look like something that could be featured on one of those Hoarders programs.

It's for a number of reasons…

In the 1920s. They were raised with the mantra of: "don't throw anything away, you might need it someday." I've contacted the Smithsonian and I'm still waiting on a reply, but there is the history of VCRs in my basement. My parents started with the earliest available model and put it in the living room. When the price came down, we added one upstairs. Remember, these things for about $1000 when they first came out. So when one would break down, it would be replaced. Then it would go spend the rest of the days in the basement. My cellar is where old electronics go to die.

Added to the fact that my mother was elderly and trying to take care of the bedridden son. When I moved in back in 2000, I tried to help, But my mother… I don't know… Maybe she felt a little threatened? Giving stuff away, it just scared her. By the time she loosened up, my health was failing, and so was hers. And for the last three or four years, I was taking care of them both.

I tried wiggling my nose. I did the Genie hair toss. I painted the doorways with lambs blood. But things continued to pile up.

A few years back, my aunt and uncle helped with the Great Purge. I think I've described exactly what a FUBAR that was. Basically, they made a path through.

About two years ago, I hired a woman to come in and she managed to clean out two rooms. And she ripped me off. I don't think I'll be as trusting in the future when someone confides that they need to leave at a certain time to go to an AA or NA meeting. At least I won't pay them in advance.

Then an angel appeared last summer. Her name is Mary, and her brother is my brother's best friend. We filled almost a garage bay full of stuff. Thank God the original garage was an 8 car garage, and my father put on a six car addition to the back. That was his business, and the empty bays are certainly coming handy now.

I promised my mother I would not throw out or give away her things. I know she's in a nursing home and all the family tells me I am a fool to stick with that. She'd never know if I threw out everything. But I did promise her and we have room.

Mary, the answer to a prayer, has helped tame the house. That was supposed to be all she did. A few hours a day, a few days a week.

She's doing so much more than that. She manages to get David in and out of the car and takes him to his appointments. She takes me shopping, and not only does she bring in all the groceries, and because she's helped me organize the kitchen, and she puts them all away. She takes the animals to the vet, with or without me. And in 1000 different ways has made my life a lot easier.

God bless Mary!

The only drawback is that I've become incredibly lazy. :-) which brings me to the point of my long-winded post. ("FINALLY!" Cries Fearless Reader). Early this morning, I completely organized the bathroom so it is finished.

So that makes the bathroom and the kitchen completely done. My room has a little organizing left, as does David's. The living room has stuff that needs to be moved out, which leaves the dining room the only room on this floor to be done.

With the drawback of snow, which is keeping me from getting the car fixed and most importantly my computer fixed, I expect the house to be complete… Or at least this floor by the end of March. It is going to be so good to have an organized home again.

I'll admit that I'm rather OCD about my house. I'm the one who has movies in alphabetical order. My books were arranged by authors last name. I'm talking about 6000 books. That is when I was able to have them out. My shelves were organized by type, and then alphabetical order. Maybe it's the best that I'm single?

So I feel like my house is coming back to life, as am I.

Actually did something on my own! It sounds rather odd, but that's the first energy I've had to splurge on in a long time. Next on my list is the entry hall closet. We've cleared it out, but now I want to decide where to put things.

Usually, one has to move to get this degree of organization in the home.

I'm posting on my brothers iPhone. The voice recognition software is pretty decent, but I know there are some mistakes in this post. Please disregard them.

It's hard for me to reply to comments. But I do love getting them! I sometimes feel like I faded away and nobody remembers me. But I'm coming back!

Return to the Living?

larilee — Fri, 10 Jan 2014 09:48:13 GMT

Sorry to have disappeared yet again.

I've been in a… Blah state? So, I did my usual thing, pulled in and analyzed my feelings. Blech.

Part of it, I think, is feeling a lot of guilt still for mom being in the nursing home. It's not just that I feel I failed her, but it's also guilt over the pleasure I feel when I start doing an activity I gave up to care for her.

Besides writing, which I miss terribly, I used to do things. I did a lot of flower gardening. I love to cook and make candy to give to people. I used to make jewelry. I used to crochet. And I read nearly constantly.

In all fairness, I gave up a lot of activities because I just didn't have the physical stamina to do it and care for both mom and David. And because of the neuropathy. I just didn't have the energy to make the necessary adjustments to keep on doing things I love.

I quit going out. I was a zoo member and went at least once a week. I had to stop that because I had to be home to care for mom. David is really cool about me going out. As long as he has his necessities, he'll call me or text me if there's a problem. But mom… If she wasn't in her right mind, she could injure herself quickly. And when she was in her right mind, she was afraid for me to leave. So no church, no bingo, no movies, no hitting the bars, no lectures, I think you get the picture.

In truth, it bothered me a little bit, still glad to do it to help mom. Now I feel guilty to be doing this stuff. Okay, I know it's stupid… Intellectually, I know it's stupid. I still feel that way.

I'm definitely coming to terms with it… FINALLY!

I have actually been getting some good sleep lately. Yes, another thing to feel guilty over. But after the last couple years of sleep deprivation, you have no idea how much I needed it.

So I had a dream last night about a voodoo queen and her modern day descendent. The deals with the moral question of when is the right time to do something bad. Can you do something morally reprehensible for the greater good? And what is the greater good? Is it, could it be, just something that you really want?

Being of sound mind, I immediately told it to David. He actually seemed impressed by it. Told me to write it down and then outline it right into a story. And I explained that with my hands is screwed up as they are, I can't right. Long story short, ("Too late!" cries the Fearless Reader) He said to get my computer fixed so I can use my Dragon Naturally Speaking again.

I can return to writing! And there was great rejoicing… Which I started to feel guilty about. :-)

Look out fandom Look out world!

larilee — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 21:09:01 GMT

Well, i'm alive. I still don't have a computer that can handle Dragon naturally speaking, But David's cell phone has a voice to text application. It's kind of a pain in the butt to correct, So please pardon any mistakes.

I'm trying to learn how to walk on the prosthetic leg. It's also a pain in the ass. I just wish someone could tell me that one day I be able to walk on it without every step being excruciatingly painful. All the physical therapist say, "It Will get a little better."

I was hoping for something a little more… Positive?

My aunt and I had a major falling out. Mom has been in a nursing home since practically last Thanksgiving. I took her some family pictures, including pictures of her parents. I told my aunt I made copies for her, her daughter, and her grandchildren. Now being in a wheelchair, I don't get out much. My aunt, instead of coming over here and picking up the copies, Took my mother's pictures. Mom was very upset and almost immediately got sick and went into the hospital. There, she begged me, tearfully begged me, to take all the rest of the family photos home. She said that people get jealous if you have something they want, and they'll steal it.

I could've taken one of the copies up to mom, but I had no frame and a couple weeks went by before I could see her again. During that time the car broke down. I couldn't get out to get any picture frames. And I felt my aunt should be honorable and return the pictures without getting nagged into it. So I didn't call my aunt, because I didn't want to bitch at her. During that time, she was pulling out of the parking space and thought her car was in reverse and, oopsie, it was in drive. The car was totaled, but she walked away relatively unscathed. She called and told David, Primarily because I was avoiding her, but she didn't say to have me call her back. So I didn't.

Move ahead a couple weeks, and my mother called from the nursing home. She wanted me to come get her because my cousin was in ICU on life support. For someone my aunt continually says has Alzheimer's, She got the details remarkably fine. My uncle had visited her the day before with two of his grandchildren and told her that then. My aunt didn't call because she's mad at me for getting upset over the pictures.

Isn't there a family rule somewhere that states when someone is nearly dead, you put old arguments aside. Suppose my mother had died and I didn't bother to tell her about it? So, even though we are all making nice now, I'm still a little pissed.

Maybe more than a little.

My cousin has a cancerous tumor at her throat. With chemo and radiation, and possibly surgery, she should make a full recovery. So that's good news. She is currently recuperating at my aunt and uncles house and even though she has a trach and a G-tube, she's up and about and basically self-care. When I talk to my aunt last, she told me she was exhausted and said, "You do not know how hard it is to take care of someone."

Nope. I wouldn't have a freaking clue.

Try taking care of two people who are bedbound. And one of those has no control over bowel or bladder - and guess which one has diarrhea? Now, do that on crutches with a badly infected foot, Kidney stones and the fatigue of fibromyalgia. Add into that a few other conditions and symptoms. Then talk to me about how hard it is to take care of someone.

On the bright note, I have a guardian angel after all. She sent me Mary. Mary's been helping get the house in order and take me to PT and David to his various doctors visits. In the meantime, she works on the house. The kitchen is about 97% done. I don't mean cleaned, though it is clean, but organized to my specifications. Most of the major repairs have been completed. And I have hopes for the living room and the dining room.

The Social Security determination and eligibility board once again deemed me eligible for "significant" work. However, they did make the mistake of stating that they upheld the 2002 decision that my previous job was beyond my ability and that I'm no longer capable of doing it. My previous job was working in group health, and working on the phone and the computer. What work could be less strenuous? Speedbump? Pot hole filler? Doormat? So I have an attorney who finds the whole process amusing. He is supposed to be the best in this area. here's to hoping.

There's so much more I want to say, but I'm afraid my battery is going. I've missed LiveJournal and my friends here and wonder if one day I'll ever be allowed to finish any of my writings? I've got two original stories brewing and I've been tempted to write a short piece on the zombie apocalypse. Giving it my usual spin.

I've got to let my neighbors three Legged cat out so he can greet his girl. That is a story in itself. All I have to do now is to master the application for LiveJournal. And I'm on Facebook.

Sometimes, it was the thought of getting back in touch with all my friends, that made these past few months worth living. Consider yourselves touched.

Uh, But not in an inappropriate way. :-)

Congratulations!

larilee — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 09:24:09 GMT

Congratulations, everyone for surviving the apocalypse!

Finally...

larilee — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 09:26:59 GMT

After fighting foot infections and losing my big toe, I finally lost the left leg. I am trying to adjust to life as an amputee, but it has only been two weeks. I was do.ing well until I got overconfident and fell Friday. Worst part of all is that I can't take care of Mom, so she is in a nursing home. I am trying to look to the positive which means. I'll have time to do things I like... like writing.

Maybe I've acted too well in front of the extended family... no flowers or cards or kudos... in fact, they are upset I cannot wash my mother's clothes (much less my own) but as I explained, the washer and dryer are in the basement

Finally...

larilee — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 23:29:34 GMT

As some of you know, I've had persistent problems with my left foot for over two years. After a bad accident last September, a bad infection set in almost two weeks ago. A week ago Monday, it went into my bone.

They amputated my leg that evening. Mom was admitted that day too (copycat :-D). She was placed in a nursing home as I could no longer care for her at home. I came home last Friday and am in a wheelchair. In a few months, I'll get a prosthetic leg.

My computer is down and should be fixed ion a a couple of weeks... I hope. I am writing on a Kindle Fire (long story there) and typing one letter at a time and am tired after my PT. But the good new is that I should be having some time to write! I want to finish up my stories and try some original stuff that refuses to leave my head.

I would love some happy thoughts, well wishes and prayers. Depression keeps hunting me.

larilee — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 19:30:40 GMT

Well, I'll be having a stay at Club Norton Audubon. I'll be heading there in a few minutes and it's serious. I've been writing out instructions for Mom's and David's care, explaining what the dogs (Gracie and Bette, I love having dogs-as-in-plural) need and explaining that Woe-Be Cat won't be that happy any way. Hey, she's a cat.\

I've been begging favors from my aunt (my uncle had a cornea transplant Wednesday, so I have a lot of balls asking them for assistance), my friend, and my good neighbors (not to be confused with the other neighbors whom I don't know that well.

Anyways, please keep sending the happy feelings. I appreciate them all.

larilee — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 00:54:19 GMT

I'm sick.

I'm scared.

A few weeks back, I developed a callus on my left foot. Then, underneath it was a boil or a blister. I kept putting antibiotic cream on it, but it was healing slowly, so I made a doc's appointment. I actually made the appointment because suddenly my Ultram became an issue at every refill. I figured I'd go in, get my prescriptions updated and show off my foot.

When I woke up this morning, my foot was blood-red, swollen, with a large abscess on the top of my foot. I mean it seriously happened overnight. Last night, fine; this morning, red alert.

I spent forty-five minutes explaining to the doctor that I couldn't be admitted to the hospital. He spent the time arguing with me about how boring it would be to only have to buy one shoe. I'm not in the hospital, but I've got two days to improve. If it gets worse, I'm to go to the nearest emergency room; Dr. C. said no insurance is not a problem with a foot like mine. I'm to return to him Friday to see if I've made sufficient progress.

I just don't understand how this could happen so quickly.

There is no one who could stay with Mom and David. My Aunt is tied up with her husband who had a cornea transplant today. My cousin wouldn't help. My best friend Sandra is fighting me to see who is the sickest... I think her heart attack cinched it last year.

Gracie and Bette keep leaning against me and giving me these long, soulful looks while sighing deeply. I'm going to soak my foot again. Could y'all maybe send good wishes, prayers or designer chocolates?

larilee — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 04:23:33 GMT

A quick update as proof of life.

Okay, if you haven't read The Passage by Justin Cronin, read it. If you like post-Apocalypse, dis-Utopian books like Ira Levin's This Perfect Day, Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, or Stephen King's The Stand or Under the Dome, then you'll want to buy a copy, rather than reading a borrowed copy. I haven't been sucked into a book so completely since I read the first four Harry Potter books during a several day binge of pure reading bliss.

I'm also a new mommy again. Through Freecycle, I'm now the proud mommy to a seven year old black poodle named Harper. Well, she was named Harper, but Mom can't remember it and David proclaimed it a "stupid name," so she's become Betty Harper until she realizes that's her name now. Then we'll drop the Harper. She is so sweet and cuddly, like a little ewok. She's getting groomed Friday, so I'll try to post some pics of the dogs and the cat, let you see my kids.

Is there an award for great shopping? I've been in desperate need of summer clothes. I'm not quite naked, but getting close (and all my neighbors are buying drapes). I received $100 ~~to shut up my incessant whining~~ to buy clothes for the summer with the firm admonition that that's all the money I could have until fourth quarter or until we win the lottery. (*note to self: Buy Lottery ticket*)

So what does $100 buy?

3 Tank Tops
2 fancy women's T-shirts
8 men's T-shirts (just great to lounge in)
4 short-sleeved, button up shirts
4 plain T-shirts
4 pairs of satin panties
2 pairs of sunglasses
6 pairs of shorts

Damn, I'm good. ~~I felt the need to smoke a cigarette after that shopping spree.~~

I am still alive, still going out of my head when Mom goes out of her head, and still hoping to turn No Good Deed into an original novel. I'd love to get feedback on it, but I'm not sure how I would do it. Should I use LJ and filter those people who are interested in being basically beta readers (though I need more feedback on plot and characters at this point rather than grammar Nazis) or should I start a Yahoo group or try to do it through e-mail? Any ideas?

What's going on in your life?

Shiny, New Precioussssss

larilee — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 09:12:17 GMT

The new laptop and the desktop arrived yesterday. I'm so busy moving in to the new laptop, but I can't wait to set everything up and organized and to start writing again. Now I'm missing all my bookmarks. I never figured out where they were on the other laptop to move them. I'm going to be writing soon! It's so great to be able to communicate again!

larilee — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 04:07:49 GMT

A long time ago, apisa_b told me that

No Good Deed

was good enough to be an original story, one she would gladly buy in a bookstore. I could never figure out how to keep the story with magic and make it original. I thought about making Sebastian Logan a black ops agent, but he had to have magic. After long years of little or no writing, I'm still dreaming of the scenes for it. While sleep deprived, I was doing some reading, science fiction for a change, and dreamed the climatic scene. He still has... powers... but it's not magic. It's better.

I had been worried because religion was such a huge part of Maggie's life. I don't mean to use fanfiction to proselytize, yet Maggie's religious beliefs are as much a part of her as Sebastian's powers and his being on the run. And it all fits in together. Of course, there's sex and it's a romance and it still has the... coloring of Les Miserables.

To make it all better, I figured out how I could get some time to write. I need to get the kitchen cleaned up and organized, then I could set up my computer in the kitchen (the wonders of a laptop and wireless Internet). I've been so excited, then a couple of weeks ago, my computer started overheating. I bought a new cooling pad; it's not helping. Every so often, the computer suddenly cuts off... and it takes a couple of hours for it too cool off. The Geeks told me I need to bring it for testing but it was probably a ~~$400++~~ motherboard problem and just not the fan.

larilee — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:29:19 GMT

Many cultures believe that the world is ending in 2012. I've decided, keeping an open mind, to gather signs of the apocalypse.

Sign 1: Harlequin, long-term publisher of romance stories, has a computer game.

Now, I admit, this is a small sign, but definitely one that shows the world is changing in strange ways. Should Rush Limbaugh, conservative radio host, or Sarah Palin, conservative media whore, say anything intelligent, insightful and/or compassionate between now and January 1st, 2013, the Doomsday Clock will automatically move to 11:59 and the world's end will, of course, be moved up from 2012 to that point and we should all begin looking to the sky for Day-glo angels.

larilee — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:22:50 GMT

Here's a real cat house! Warning: Kitty Porn ahead.

larilee — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 09:55:09 GMT

It's not often that I really go off on politics, but... this story just pissed me off: Giuliani: No terror attacks in U.S. under Bush

Either he is in advanced Alzheimer's Disease or the revisionist history that Bush lived off of is going to be the Republican Party's only legacy. Has he really forgotten 9/11? The anthrax letters? The shoe bombs? Is he mentally challenged or just thinking that the American people are so stupid that they'll believe any 10-second soundbite Faux News runs? Instead of touting Bush policies, he'd do damn well to remember that 9/11 was the worst terrorist attack on American soil and was even more damaging than the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor or the Brits burning down Washington DC in 1812.

Mr. Giuliani, please either remove your head from your ass or sign in to a facility that is used to dealing with the long-term care of those with brain injuries, Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia. And stay away from live mikes and/or reporters, lest you begin again the delusions you can still talk with a trace of intelligence.

Hey, jackiejlh, please don't freeze tonight! I was checking the weather service as it's 14 degrees here (and no, my hairless dog is not going out in our snow for love or money) and saw it's heading your way. Stay warm, everyone!

larilee — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 04:55:23 GMT

Happy, happy new year! Here's hoping 2010 will be so much better than 2009! And with more writing!

Merry, merry Christmas!

larilee — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 02:36:32 GMT

Merry Christmas, everyone! Late as usual!

Thank you, blackeyelily and bambu345 for the lovely snowflake cookies and to "anonymous" for the festive lights! Also, aramintasnape and rosedemon for the lovely ecards and to foudebassan for the marvelous card!

I started writing these thank yous on Christmas Eve... it's been a bit busy here. :-) Mom and David (aka Packman) are all fine and join me in wishing everyone a happy, fulfilling and prosperous New Year!

larilee — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 01:14:19 GMT

Quick

Twilight

question...

It's the vampire's bite that changes a person to a vampire, right? So anyone who gets bit by a vampire will become a vampire themselves if they survive the initial blood drawing. However, in the climax of Twilight, Bella is bit in her hand, which causes burning and pain. Edward saves her mortal life by sucking the vampire poison out of her. Now, here's my problem: if you can suck the poison out, making The Change not happen, how can anyone become a vampire? When a vampire bites, it's to get to the blood, so the vampire sucks the blood out... why doesn't that also suck the poison out? I hope this is making sense.

larilee — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:49:27 GMT

Proudly stolen from jackiejlh, The Book Meme!

1. Pick 10 of your favorite books or series.
2. Post the first sentence of each book. (If one sentence seems too short, post two or three!)
3. Let everyone try to guess the titles and authors of your books.

I was terrible and knew most of hers, so I have to play. God, I love books!

1. progris riport l—martch 51965

DR. STRAUSS SAYS I shud rite down what I think and evrey thing that bappins to me from now on.

2. On his thirty-sixth birthday, May 18, Travis Cornell rose at five o'clock in the morning. He dressed in sturdy hiking boots, jeans, and a long-sleeved, blue-plaid cotton shirt. He drove his pickup south from his home in Santa Barbara all the way to rural Santiago Canyon on the eastern edge of Orange County, south of Los Angeles. He took only a package of Oreo cookies, a large canteen full of orange-flavored Kool-Aid, and a fully loaded Smith & Wesson .38 Chiefs Special.

3. "Sally."
A mutter.
"Wake up now, Sally."
A louder mutter: leeme lone.
He shook her harder.
"Wake up. You got to wake up!"
Charlie.
Charlie's voice. Calling her. For how long?
Sally swam up out of sleep.

4. Nicholas was trying to concentrate on the letter to his mother, a letter that was probably the most important document he would ever write. Everything depended upon this letter: his honor, his estates, his family’s future—and his life.

5. The train pulled into Whitney, Georgia, on a leaden afternoon in November. Clouds churned and the first droplets of rain pelted like thick batter onto the black leather roof of a waiting carriage. Both of its windows were covered with black. As the train clanged to a stop, one shade was stealthily lifted aside and a single eyeball peered through the slit.

6. Larry Angeluzzi spurred his jet-black horse proudly through a canyon formed by two great walls of tenements, and at the foot of each wall, marooned on their separate blue-slate sidewalks, little children stopped their games to watch him with silent admiration.

7. We slept in what had once been the gymnasium. The floor was of varnished wood, with stripes and circles painted on it, for the games that were formerly played there; the hoops for the basketball nets were still in place, though the nets were gone.

8. It was a dark and stormy night.

In her attic bedroom Margaret Murry, wrapped in an old patchwork quilt, sat on the foot of her bed and watched the trees tossing in the frenzied lashing of the wind

9. October 28, 1066
The clash of battle rang no more. The screams and the moans of the wounded were silenced one by one. The night lay quiet and time seemed suspended.

10. Serene was a word you could put to Brooklyn, New York. Especially in the summer of 1912.

Thanks jackiejlk for letting me play! And I do recommend all of these books, in the most eclectic mixture possible (horror, romance, young adult, dis-Utopian, what-have-you).

Finally! A Whineless Post!

larilee — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:09:07 GMT

When I was driving to the nursing home, I saw an old fashioned broom lying in the middle of the street. My first thought was a caption: "Harry Potter and the Big-Ass Truck," then I thought "George vowed to stop playing Wizard Chicken after the death of Fred."

And it keeps coming back to me. "The latest Wizarding game, Dodge-truck, is gaining in popularity." "Fly high is more than a slogan." "The Dark Lord thought he'd reign over the Muggle world. He never understood the concept of Rush Hour."

Anyone else want to play? I'm still smiling over it and wish I'd thought to take a picture on my phone.

Edited to add: "Friends don't let friends fly drunk."

Edited to add: "They might have magic, but we got really big, fast trucks."

larilee — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:35:55 GMT

Well, the good news is that Mom is coming home from rehab Tuesday (as it's after midnight, I guess that means today).

I'm glad she's coming home, but... I'm still sicker than a dog with this whatever. She's in her manic mode from the imposed inactivity/activity and spent my brief visit (I wore a filter mask as I'm still not sure if I'm contagious) telling me what she plans on doing. Translation: a huge list of things she wants me to do from washing and waxing the car to meals I can cook to cleaning out her closet. Mom fully expects meals like she has received in the hospital and nursing home... two veggies, bread, meat, fruit, dessert and choice of beverages. I got quite the list of what type of meals she expects.

Now, I've been pretty stressed. My blood pressure is out of control. My doctor keeps stressing that I need rest and no stress. To get a list of activities that Mom expects to start right away doesn't lend itself to a peaceful time for me. Yet, when I tried to bring her back to reality, she chided me. "I don't mean to do them all at once. You just need to help me with it." I hope I don't sound too resentful when I point out that my "just helping" consists of me doing all the work while Mom watches and tells me how I'm doing it wrong. But she has told them all at rehab that she has to get home to take care of my brother as she is his sole caregiver. The administrator patted me on the back and said that Mom just doesn't appreciate all that I do or else doesn't realize where she'd be without me. And the activities director told me that most residents would give years off their life to have a child as caring as I am.

There is also the big concern that when she gets home, it will turn out that I'm contagious and she'll catch it. She fluctuates between telling me that the only problem is my allergies and telling me she's coming home to take care of me. Mom keeps telling me I have a light dose of bronchitis and it's nothing to worry about. Then she goes off on how I should get a second opinion. I keep reminding her that I have no insurance. However, she seems to think an office visit is only $25. :-) I've stopped trying to tell her a new patient exam for a second opinion would be about $200 because she tells me I don't know that. I only worked 20 years in health insurance. The elderly never keep up with the cost of things after the age of 65. Then they seem to go backwards in pricing things.

Just pat me on the head and tell me it's going to be okay. I'm going to paint a fresh coat of lamb's blood on our doorjambs as the house is still a disaster. Prayers, happy thoughts, good vibes and anything related is clearly needed and welcomed.

I am happy Mom's doing so well and coming home. I just needed to vent. Now, back to work.

larilee — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:58:46 GMT

Hugs to everyone! Sometimes I feel like I've been forgotten, though I've never forgotten fandom. Fandom remains my happiest time.

Mom's doing so much better! She had a blood infection, and after antibiotics, she began remembering more and became cognizant again. The hospital moved her into a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) for rehab. She lost 23 pounds while she was ill, and most of her strength is at half-speed. She'll be in there for another week or two, even though she swears she's coming home Tuesday if she has to call a cab. :-) Yeah, Mom's back to being herself.

I, however, seem to have the flu on top of this sinus infection from hell. I've spent the last two days curled up on my side and watching TV. Thank God for the USA channel. Yesterday was a NCIS marathon and tonight it's House. Gracie, my little Chiwoodle (Chihauhau-poodle mix) won't leave me alone for five minutes and, in fact, is sleeping behind my back as I transcribe. She misses Mom so much. Gracie won't let Woe-Be cat sleep in Mom's recliner. Now she won't let Woe-Be sleep on me if I don't want her to.

Checking through my writing file, I found this snippet. I don't remember what I was writing it for, or what was going to happen next, but I liked it. Thought y'all might like it too.

"Tell me," he said softly, seductively, "why do you distrust Severus?" The mildness of his tone was deliberately misleading.

She was seated at his feet, like a good bitch hound, content to worship him from that lowly position. His hand, the fingers strangely elongated, rested on the top of her head.

Despite her madness and her years in Azkaban, Bellatrix Lestrange was still one of the most beautiful women he had ever met. Back in the old days, the days before, his soul's exile, he had had her. Had taken her while her husband watched. It was more than a test of their loyalty, it was one small way he had taken something from the purebloods who ruled the Wizarding world.

Or should have ruled it.

He still tested her on occasion, as he did all his Death Eaters. It showed their devotion and obedience to him, but it also secretly amused him to watch as they scurried to do his bidding.

Out of all his followers, Bella was the most devout, most reverent. Her idealization of him shown in her eyes, burning in her madness. He had no doubt that she would do whatever he asked of her; only death would stop her.

She turned troubled eyes up to him. "I'm not sure," Bella confessed, staring at him beseechingly and with more than a trace of anxiety. He could tell that was the truth. Bella would never lie to him; she wouldn't dare. "But I fear he has spent too much time with the old man…"

"The old man whom he killed?" he asked with gentle taunting.

"If he's really dead," she muttered.

"He is," the Dark Lord answered calmly.

Yep, I'm going through my writings. That might be good news. Let us hope!

Who Needs Guiding Light?

larilee — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 06:40:53 GMT

Since

Guiding Light

was canceled, I think my life could more than fill the void of that soap opera.

To start with, my cousin who I affectionately refer to as "Druggie!Cousin," died September 26th. She went out to smoke a cigarette and when her husband came out to check on her, she was dead. No known cause of death, but the autopsy results are pending. Damn, I've heard cigarettes can kill you, but... She lived 100 miles away, but her husband decided to have a "celebration of life" ceremony here and she was buried in his hometown October 3rd.

I missed her memorial here. And I'm possibly in some trouble because of it all. This is a rough and painful story.

That Friday, Mom became disoriented, complaining of pain, and nauseous. I tried to get her up to her potty chair (which I moved next to her chair,) but she kept falling back into her chair. Then the really icky, unhappiest thing happened. She threw up and soiled herself in every way possible. Nearly vomiting myself, I tried again to get her on her potty chair so I could wash her off. I managed to get her gown off, but she fell back into her chair (and the mess) and began calling me "Mama."

I called for an ambulance.

Once she was headed to the ER, I got David settled down, threw on clothes (I was wearing my customary shorts and t-shirt) and raced to the hospital. By that time, Mom is not only not making sense, she's making nonsense noises for words. I could only hold her hand, talk to her gently and brush her hair back from her forehead. Then the phone rang.

Adult Protective Services insisted on getting my permission to break down the door to our house to check on David who wasn't answering the door. Uh, that could be because he's a quadriplegic. So they were semi-placated by my promise to meet the police there in 30 minutes. Racing home, I let the police in who asked David if he was okay, he said he was and they left. So I raced back to the hospital, where the social worker there had questions for me about my mother's car.

I may be up on criminal neglect charges.

There have been five different social workers who have heard the circumstances, assured me that the EMS drivers over-reacted. Then another social worker calls.

Mom had an infection in her blood. She was hospitalized from Friday to yesterday, then transferred to a rehab facility, for more IV antibiotic therapy and physical therapy. It's short term, but it still hurt me to leave her yesterday in a nursing home. The doc thinks she needs some strength training to be able to get up and down easier. Today, I couldn't even go see her as I've had a combination headache all damn day.

I'm frantically cleaning as one cop did mention the house was full of a "lot of stuff here". But the stress and emotional strain of so much is making me physically ill. My aunt and uncle said they'd help, but they are both grieving so much, they really can't help me. Drunk!Cousin, who abhorred her sister, can't help as she's "too upset" over her "dear, sweet sister's" death and busy with work. But Drunk!Cuz has called me numerous times to give me... oh God, bad information, useless advice and pointless insights. She told me that our house could be condemned if the police thinks its bad. She's told me that Mom has "never been the same since her husband died, and I think she's given up on living and is just going to die." And she's told me that I should frantically clean. I told David that he's going to talk to her next time she calls.

At least Mom is back into her right mind. She knows the nursing home is temporary. I just wished I could have seen her today.

I'll try to update again soon. It's just been weird here lately. I've been fighting the blues for a bit, now all this stress. I've gotten several e-mails from people, which makes me feel better. I miss you all.