Updates From the Hamster Wheel

Something special for theoriginalspy

2006-09-24T16:18:35Z

Go here, http://raincoaster.wordpress.com/2006/06/20/wwfsmwear/

Unfortunately I've never been able to master the art of crochet. *g*

slb44 @ 2006-09-15T21:14:00

2006-09-15T21:21:19Z

If I appear to be missing, I am. I'm having major connectivity problems and they're not ISP related. I can access the net and email via the iMac but since I can't upgrade most of the software any further then I already have even that is severely limited. You should see what the screen looks like right now as I type. So typos, are virtually a given, if this thing will even post.

Apparently I haven't been getting my memos from LJ either, for quite some time. So I apologize to all of you who have commented on a post or comment of mine. I only discovered this today as I tried to solve my problem and frankly don't have the time right now to respond to those I found. I need to get the laptop back on line and it's proving to be a major task.

I'm assuming I can access email here, haven't tried yet, so if you need me, that's your best option.

Meanwhile I'll be over here trying to figure out WTF is up with the connectivity on the iBook.

*waves*

SGC Fun

2006-09-14T17:56:46Z

Gakked from the beauteous lanning and posted for the amusement of all but specially for ozreison so that it might give her a bit of a laugh in an other wise grey and dismal week. Go here, http://miriel.livejournal.com/289178.html but do not have anything liquid or solid in your mouth at the time you do so. I will not be held libel for any keyboard, monitor, or other damage. ;-)

Thank You!

2006-09-08T00:32:20Z

To the anonymous person who placed the yellow rose on my user info page, I very sincerely thank you. It really is the thought that counts and right now this is the nicest thing that's happened to me in weeks.

Great big honkin' {{{{hugs}}}} go out to you, who ever you are. ;-)

Birthday Wishes

2006-08-10T03:16:41Z

To the wonderful, talented and oh so friendly sherrold I wanted to take this opportunity to wish you a very happy birthday. May the coming year bring you nothing but good news, warm hugs, and much happiness. You were one of the first people to embrace me when I first got active in on line fandom and I'll never forget that. Your kindness and generosity were overwhelming and then I got to meet you in person and realized that you were a truly wonderful human being. You're a bright light in so many peoples lives and I wish you only the very best of everything on your special day and in the days, weeks, months and many years to come.

Explanation and Apology

2006-07-13T12:45:06Z

I had a massive allergic reaction to something in the garden. It's totally isolated to my left eye, but as those of you who know me know, that's my good eye, hence my silence over recently. It's just too hard to read let alone sit at the computer like this. So apologies to all of you to whom I owe email or lj comments. I'll get back to you as soon as this clears up completely.

Super Sekrit Message to Anyone at Toronto Trek

2006-07-09T14:35:01Z

I need to get ahold of travellingone or ozreison immediately. It's very important. If anyone can get them a message and have them get back to me as soon as possible I'd appreciate it very much.

Super Sekrit Post for sgtsiler

2006-07-07T02:06:04Z

Thanks to cdeacon for the heads up on this and to Google for the link, something special for sgtsiler on the eve of her first North American con. The stuffed squirrel and chipmunk museum.

http://www.cnb-scene.com/chpmus.html

Just a little something you might want to add to your agenda next time you visit us hon. *beg*

Why the internet is good for business.

2006-07-06T21:34:48Z

Go read Cory Doctorow's latest commentary over on the Locus website, http://www.locusmag.com/2006/Issues/07DoctorowCommentary.html

It's the best argument I've read to date for why the networks shouldn't be afraid of fans downloading episodes even though that's not the specific issue he's talking about. And if you need a bit more incentive here's a quote, "Conversation, not content, is king. If you were stranded on a desert island and you opted to bring your records instead of your friends, we'd call you a sociopath. "

If you think about it, this applies to fanfic as well.

Help!

2006-07-06T02:57:09Z

nebt_het has a new job and is looking for a place to live with a roomy in the Pasadena area. If any one here can help her out it'd be most appreciated by both of us. *g*

Thanks!

Super Sekrit Message to travellingone

2006-06-24T14:47:26Z

I know you were planning to spend the day with your dad to make up for missing fathers day but if you have a chance touch base with me. I've been doing some snooping around and have some info that applies to what we discussed while away. *g*

Special Sneak Preview

2006-06-21T23:13:04Z

This is a heads up for anyone who gets WNED on their tv. Tonight at 8PM EDT WNED will be running a special sneak preview of the new documentary Niagara Falls. This new program will be available on the PBS network through out the US on July 15th of this year, but since WNED produced the show they're letting the locals get to be early birds. Lord knows they'll probably be begging for money or something since that's the nature of the public television beast both in the US and Ontario. I also have heard nothing about exactly what it is that makes this documentary any different or better then those that have told the story of Niagara Falls previously. So you'll just have to tune in and watch along with me and find out that way.

I'll report back later, for the rest of you. There's no point in us all wasting an hour of valuable time. ;-)

Happy Summer Solstice!

2006-06-21T21:10:21Z

I'm home. Tired and sore, more due to the fact that I don't sleep well in hotels, no matter how comfortable the beds are, and the one I had was mighty comfy. Add to that the fact that I've been through more weather changes in the last week then I care to elaborate which is so not good for any of what ails me.

I've also got to admit that I find spending any thing over a couple of days in the US these days exhausting. Since 9/11 I feel compelled to censor myself and do it constantly. Even a snarky joking remark to friends can set something explosive off and I really don't want to do that and dealing with strangers is just way too iffy, so I have to damp down my usual political self and to do that for more then a few days is very tiring. I understand why politics is such a touchy subject south of the border and I respect peoples feelings on the matter, hence my conscious decision to be very, very careful of what I say or do. Still, it's very nice to be home where I can say anything I like about anything without any sort of serious ramifications.

I'm doing laundry and catching up on snail mail and newspapers (Dad is so cool and kept them all for me while I was away cause he knows I'm just anal retentive that way), brushed Dude, chatted with the neighbours, and am making a list of all the stuff I need to do now that I'm home. It's a very long list and I've got company coming in, check's Ozy's lj, in nine days.

The garden has grown by massive leaps and bounds in the week I was gone and needs to be trimmed and trained and weeded. Dad tried to deadhead the roses but it took him hours in the hot sun just to do one bush so while his efforts are greatly appreciated I've got a lot of work ahead of me.

Con*TXT was very cool, especially for a first time con. Good panels, lots of intelligent people to discuss things with, excellent location, relatively nice hotel with noted exceptions, and a lot of fun. The Disco Duck was very enjoyable and provided those of us who chose not to make use of the exercise room an opportunity to burn off some major calories which travellingone and I took ample advantage of.

On our last day in Silver Springs we shared the hotel shuttle with a mother and her two teen aged daughters. They were extremely frustrated with the hotel staff and wondered aloud why they were so unfriendly and more importantly unhelpful. We had no explanation for that but helped them out on several simple and easy matters which should have been done by the hotel staff. As someone who grew up in and worked for many years in a tourist town, I'll never comprehend why anyone who wasn't forced to do so working in the industry and not appreciating it. Meeting new people all the time, getting to discuss where they come from and what they do and just being helpful and promoting your local community has always been a great pleasure for me, even when I'm not getting paid for it.

Speaking of which my sincere thanks to travellingone for accompanying me on the trip. She was a pleasure to have as a traveling companion, hence her lj name. *bg* I look forward to doing it again soon hon.

It was cool to catch up with old friends, waves at and to make some new ones thought my flist is getting unmanageable I've felt compelled to add a few more folks who captured my imagination with their intelligence, wit and spirit during the con. I look forward to getting to know all of you better via lj and in rl.

*contemplates grey skies and high winds* I don't think I'll be heading outside any time soon. So I guess it's time for another load of laundry and to come up with something for dinner. To bad some of those cool Silver Spring restaurants don't do virtual take-out. ;-)

*Waves* See ya around.

Silver Springs MD

2006-06-15T02:29:33Z

Safely ensconced in our hotel room. Wine, cheese, fruit, crackers and little miniature apple raisin danishes from Whole Foods, the Stanley Cup final on tv, and the companionship of travellingone what more could a fangrrrl ask for? ;-)

Dinner was had an the Adis Abbaba restuarant which is Ethiopian and a favourite of our gracious hostess meri_oddities. This of course only after we couldn't get into our hotel room when we got here, and Meri was still driving the rental car and was supposed to stop and pick up her's from the repair shop which turned into a complete comedy of errors.

We now have two tv's in our room, which features a plethora pillows, and pretty good tv reception as hotels go. (Go Hurricanes)!

We have also discovered a new to us Sephora clone where many unavailable in Canada Neutrogena products were procured. Barnes and Noble and Starbucks has been located as well.

The flight here was uneventful despite travellingone's massive attempts to throw a spanner in the works. (If you don't believe me just go check out her latest lj entry).

Oh, and calemiri we are still being stalked by Australian things. *bg* When we finally got to check in the fellow waiting on us was wearing a little golden kangaroo on his lapel. While in the wine/beer/cafe and looking for a bottle of chardonnay one of the three available had blue kangaroo's on the label. Nice to know the tradition continues.

Tomorrow we've got a con sweet run to Whole Foods with Meri, then dinner with widget285 and trelkez and who ever else we can con into joining us.

Sending Birthday Wishes to

2006-06-14T01:45:36Z

movies_michelle and my oh so wonderful destina. Lots of virtual {{{hugs}}} and smooches for you both.

I'm leaving in the morning for Con*Txt so I'll be mostly out of touch for the next week. I'm looking forward to seeing those of you who are attending and I'll be thinking fondly of all of you who are unable to join the slashy goodness.

Be good and take care of each other while I'm gone. ;-)

House

2006-06-07T00:41:03Z

I'd forgotten how much I truly dislike Cameron in this episode. To the point where it's actually painful for me to watch.

Gardening

2006-06-04T18:50:49Z

We've gone from a humidex of 107F (42C) mid week to cold, damp, grey and rainy. If nothing else this year has taught me, once again, the ephemeral nature of gardening and it's beauty. Here today, gone tomorrow.

copperlee took me out yesterday, in the pouring rain, so I could buy plants for my hanging baskets. I do three huge wire ones across the front of the carport and four across the back of the deck. Naturally we got soaked right through and rather muddy but it was worth it. I purchased huge plants of white and purple geraniums, purple and peach mini petunias, purple and peach verbena and white and purple angelonia. I still need to pick up a flat of lobelia to fill in between.

I've also got some lovely heliotrope and a variety of herbs to pot up as well.

The tomatoes, peppers and eggplant I planted just before the heatwave struck seem to be growing in leaps and bounds. They appear to have doubled in size already and are flowering.

The roses along the drive way were looking absolutely magnificent on Friday afternoon before the wind and rain showed up. Now their petals are strewn across the driveway.

Everything seems huge this year. Bigger, blowzier, as if all the flowering plants are giving the finger to global warming and our ever increasing water rates. Yes, they just went up again on June 1st.

It's starting to clear so I'm going to take advantage of the break in the weather and try to get some of these plants potted up. ;-)

Super Sekrit Message to spring_1970

2006-05-24T15:33:03Z

The package, she has arrived!

You are truly ebil, you know that, don't you?

I shall hide it away until ozreison's next visit, though dad is pouting about that. ;-)

Oh and Ginger has done a thorough inspection of the box, I suspect she may have smelt Coco on it. *g*

Season Finale of House

2006-05-24T13:17:33Z

Am I the only one who realized from the previews last week that this was all going to be a hallucination?

Oh and how pathetic does House think Cameron is that he could reduce her to a puddle of goo in a room full of people by using a surgical robot to undress her. ;-)

Quickly, while I'm in from the garden to make lunch!

2006-05-23T17:27:26Z

Memage gakked from ozreison.

If I am on your friends list, why?

Answer in comments and then post on your lj so I can respond. *bg*

The Very Happiest of Birthday Wishes...

2006-05-19T13:14:01Z

go out to the talented and fun catspaw_sgjd. Sending you virtual {{{hugs}}} and smooches hon. May your fondest dreams come true today and throughout the coming year.

Getting to know you has been a pleasure and I look forward to many more years of learning and many more years of shared fannish glee! ;-)

Take Your Ball and Go Home!

2006-05-18T13:44:04Z

So the true identity of Bush in a Parka has been revealed. Yesterday Canada's parliament debated extending our armed forces tour of duty in Afghanistan for two years. Since the deadline for withdrawal of our forces was February 2007 there was no urgency to this matter. Nevertheless our Prime Minister decided he needed to get this through parliament now, as the nations support for the operation in Afghanistan is dropping with each passing day. When he announced the debate he told the Members of Parliament that if they didn't vote in favour of a two year extension, then he'd arbitrarily extend the mission by one year and then take the matter to the public in a general election. (This has become the big bugaboo of Canadian politics. No party wants to be seen forcing another election so soon after the last two, so the threat does hold some merit in the politicians minds). In case you're interested, the legislation passed, just barely, but that's not what I'm here to talk about today. *g*

Next we have the incident with the list. Bush in a Parka wants reporters to sign a list, or he won't talk to them. So far he's abandoned a planned press conference yesterday, cut short a press conference last month and his press secretary announced yesterday that the PM would not take questions from reporters after his weekly caucus meetings if they didn't sign the list. Fortunately, no one will sign the list. *beg* What exactly the list is, or it's purpose has yet to be explained.

Finally, we have the PM's much publicized and major plank of his campaign platform, the public appointments commission. This commission was supposed to take the secret back room process of appointing people to government positions and expose it to the harsh light of day. Bush in a Parka chose one of his good buddies from Alberta, former oil man, and major Conservative party supporter to chair this new commission. When the all party committee set up to vet the appointment refused to approve his buddy, because he had way too many ties to the PM and the party high muckity mucks, the PM decided he won't set up his commission. He'll wait until he gets a majority government and then he'll damn well do what he pleases, without any interference from the opposition parties who are supposed to act as a check and balance against such heavy handedness.

Based on all this evidence, it has become readily apparent to me that we have finally unmasked Bush in a Parka. He's actually a two year old who when he doesn't get his way, kicks sand in his so-called friends faces and takes his ball and goes home to sulk. To bad we can't actually get him to do that. I hear there's an opening in Alberta, that they're looking for a new Premier who will keep oil prices as high as possible so they can screw the rest of us as often and as royally as possible. That seems like the perfect job for the man who said when why he left Toronto to move to Alberta "that Alberta is the only province I feel comfortable in."

H/W Fic Rec

2006-05-17T00:20:17Z

The oh so talented kassrachel has posted the most delectable House threesome fic. Knots, can be found here, http://www.trickster.org/kass/knot.html and is full of spot on character voices, and extremely hot threesome sex. Yes! This wonderful story picks up after last weeks episode Forever and seemed like the perfect solution to Cuddy's little problem. *eg*

This line, "House liked the Nightery on Third, first because it was navigable (too many bars had steps up and down, trying to create an air of sophistication by adding changes in elevation for no reason) and second because the piano guy was as good as he was" had me hooked, because is so sounded like our dear doctor. Especially the bit about the piano player.

Go. Read. Enjoy. Then tell Kass how wonderful she is for sharing this delightful concoction with us all. ;-)

Bits and Pieces

2006-05-13T23:45:04Z

I've finally got a copy of Maybe Baby starring the inimitable Hugh Laurie and Joely Richardson (Nip/Tuck). The fact that Rowan Atkinson aka Mr. Bean plays the latter's gynecologist has me in stitches without even cracking the DVD case. *beg*

I've also finally got copies of astolat's first two professionally published novels in my greedy hands.

Oh and thanks to a link in a story ozreison pointed me at during her last visit, I've also got John Barrowman singing Cole Porter on my CD player. It doesn't get much better then that. *shrugs* I'm a gal of simple tastes, what can I say?

Now I've got a X-Men X Doctor Who (or maybe I should make that Torchwood?) crossover musical playing around in my murky imagination. John Barrowman and Hugh Jackman singing Broadway show tunes while saving the planet from... the Goa'uld? Bwahahahahaha! Hey, my mind is a strange and dangerous place. Oooops! There was just a flash of adamantium claws and Ba'al just got circumcized. *eg* At which point Wolverine breaks into "Just One of Those Things"?

Something to Brighten calemiri's Day

2006-05-04T16:47:38Z

http://sensoryimpact.com/2004/12/fine-contemporary-craft-meets-medieval-technology

Of course the rest of the smut chatters and our flist might find this of interest as well. *vbeg* Lord knows there are several bosses out there who might well be persuaded to stop abusing their employees if we had some of these lovely items in our homes and offices. ;-)