Last year, I said I needed to write more, and yet I haven't posted a story since last Yuletide.

Maybe what I need to do is just write tropes that make me happy in 2017.

Highly Questionable (1891 words) by shrift
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Almost Human
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Dorian/John Kennex
Characters: Dorian (Almost Human), John Kennex, Sandra Maldonado
Additional Tags: Humor, Undercover as a Couple
Series: Part 21 of Yuletide Fanworks
Summary:

"Did you get a full charge last night? Because your colloquialism program is being a dick."

You can also read this entry on Dreamwidth ( comments)

I have a draft for Yuletide! I don't think I usually cut it this close. I went to Australia and New Zealand a few days after assignments went out and was too busy to write on the trip, and I figured I'd get my shit together after the election.

HA. HA HA HA. My shit is not together, friends.

But my Christmas shopping is done and on Sunday I leave for Michigan, where it is frigid and they have piles of snow. I may be able to participate in Yuletide Madness for the first time now that my parents actually have high speed internet.

Now I am going to sit on the couch and try to finish reading Mara Wilson's book so I can return it to the library.

You can also read this entry on Dreamwidth ( comments)

So for no particular reason, it seemed like now might be a good time for gay porn, and also straight porn, and other stories that have no porn at all but are still really nice to read and help you escape from the real world for twenty or thirty blessed minutes. You know. No particular reason.

Here you go.

You can also read this entry on Dreamwidth ( comments)

Belatedly getting this up. I wasn't expecting assignments to go out so quickly.

Dear Yuletide Writer,

( Details inside: The Red Road (TV 2014), Sense8 (TV), Stranger Things (TV 2016), Political Animals, Ghostbusters (2016)Collapse )

Thanks!
shrift

You can also read this entry on Dreamwidth ( comments)

1. Note to self: remember to sign up for Yuletide this weekend.

2. I'm flying out for Australia and New Zealand on Friday evening!

3. I just started taking online courses at Stanford. I'm looking to get a Professional Certification, and man, it's a struggle doing homework for business classes. There's a critical lack of things that are relevant to my interests.

4. I haven't finished watching Luke Cage because of this business class that I'm trying to complete before I leave for Australia.

5. Oh, my god, why is it not time to vote yet?

You can also read this entry on Dreamwidth ( comments)

Hey, fandom! Lately I feel like I've been doing nothing but work and occasionally read library books, but that's not true. I went to VividCon. I visited my family in Michigan and got stuck at O'Hare overnight while they held my checked bag hostage. I went to Dragon*Con. Charlie Cox is a thoughtful and wonderful guest. Alexander Siddig is a lovely human being. Alex Kingston is a delight. I went to several Science Track panels that had all women panelists, which was great.

Tomorrow morning, I'm flying to Hyderabad, India for a work trip. I'm waiting on my laundry to finish so I can pack my suitcase, but according to my To Do list, I'm fairly well prepared. I don't trust this feeling, but I'm also so tired that I don't care very much. Whatever, I've got a valid business visa and I started taking my antimalarial pills.

I've got a 16+ hour flight to Abu Dhabi ahead of me, so no doubt I'll be catching up on a lot of books and movies.

You can also read this entry on Dreamwidth ( comments)

Eid Mubarak to those who celebrate it.

My mother is coming to visit in a week. She's never been to California, let alone San Francisco. I'm trying to figure out what we're going to do while she's here. The de Young Museum, Botanical Garden, and California Academy of Sciences are near my apartment. I want to take her to the Ferry Building. Maybe one of those city bus tours? Let me know if you have recommendations for sightseeing or restaurants.

I'm veering wildly between Must Clean All the Things and Eh, She Won't Care If Everything's Not Perfect, Right? I finally bought more dishes and silverware, but I still have some more art that needs to go up on the walls. I've been here almost a year, which feels weird because it doesn't seem like it's been that long. I'm sure everything will be fine. At the very least, I will pour her some Moscato and make her watch Galaxy Quest.

Because the San Francisco Public Library eBook lending app is tragic, I recently started checking out physical copies of books, which I haven't done in a very long time. The Dewey Decimal System came right back to me. I forgot how fucking heavy real books are, though.

You can also read this entry on Dreamwidth ( comments)

I'm going to Australia and New Zealand for vacation later this year! I have plane tickets, so I guess that's a real thing that's happening. And I'm probably gonna go back to India for work before November, so I'm going to rack up some miles. This time I'm at least going to try for business class.

Work has been interesting. I kind of quickly went from a place where I felt like I wasn't contributing anything and like I wasn't valued thanks to my annual review, to now having more responsibilities than I can handle. Right now I'm in a position to make some decisions that actually will make the internet safer, which is really cool. I'm also being pretty firm on not working 12 hours a day (which is a resolution I broke this week because I was pushing code, but whatevs), so I'm not sure how this is going to work out. I can't do all the things. I've even started feeling resentful about being an expert. I can't pass the buck!

I still haven't written anything fic-wise, but I have been cooking more, leaving work earlier, and watching TV. Doc Martin is expiring from Netflix Instant on July 1st, so I'm mainlining that right now. Katherine Parkinson! Surprise Chris O'Dowd!

You can also read this entry on Dreamwidth ( comments)

Now that the hockey season is over, I should have more free time that previously was dedicated to sportsball. Today I sat down and read a cooking magazine, which I haven't done in months. Now I want to eat everything, so I guess I'm going to the farmer's market tomorrow.

Part of the mindfulness meditation practice that I'm finding really valuable is mindful eating. And it's not so much about what you're eating as simply focusing on eating, and not being distracted by TV or the computer or work. Food tastes better when I'm not just cramming it in my face over my keyboard.

I don't think I've mentioned here that I joined Hogwarts Running Club. It's a charitable organization where you sign up to do virtual running, and you get medals for completing races while also donating to charity. I'm a member of Ravenclaw's Quidditch Team because I am a giant nerd. I'm also walking these races because I hate running, but it is getting me out of the apartment and stretching myself to do longer distances as we compete for the House Cup. I did a half marathon about a month ago. I'm going to complete a 10K today, and I need to do another half marathon after that.

And this evening, maybe I'll watch TV! Or finish reading The Raven Boys.

You can also read this entry on Dreamwidth ( comments)

I've been attending this mindfulness meditation retreat at work the past couple of days. It's been pretty great and really inspirational, even though I'm talking to strangers about feelings sometimes. (I have grown as a person! WITNESS ME.)

Aside from meditation, one of the practices that we're doing is journaling. Hey, you guys. Guess what I used to do ALL THE TIME? Fuckin' journaling, that's what. So I decided to post something without thinking too hard about it.

One of the things I decided I wanted to do was to be more creative and write fic again, and I need to make a habit of doing the thing. I'm behind on most TV and comics and books, so I'm going to make time for those things, too. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Plus, I can't even with American politics right now.

I'd heard great things about Silicon Valley, so I decided to watch a few episodes. My reaction so far has been, "Does this get funny? Because so far it just seems depressingly accurate."

What else? Oh, I've been mainlining Great British Bake Off because it's delightful and Sue Perkins is THE BEST.

You can also read this entry on Dreamwidth ( comments)