According to Tea

Summer reading

teaoli — Tue, 24 Jun 2014 19:20:11 GMT

I'm reading lots of free books on Kindle. Most recently, I'm reading a romance/new adult series called The Space Between.

There are (lots of) kinks to be worked out, but this is one of the better self-pub efforts I've come across.

I'm doing a happy dance...

teaoli — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 16:40:54 GMT

because things are nearly normal again! Except for the slow connection and the red nose, that is.

I still have no internet at home, and

teaoli — Fri, 28 Feb 2014 16:51:11 GMT

I'm still going to work despite this lingering cold. ~~Some colleagues are not exactly pleased to see me since I stopped the cold remedies!~~

Grrr.

~sniffle~ Achoo! ~blow~ Achoo! ~blow~blow~blow~ Achoo! ~sniffled~sniffle~sniffle~ ~blow~ Achoo!

teaoli — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 16:25:55 GMT

Holding on to Humour

teaoli — Mon, 24 Feb 2014 17:15:57 GMT

Last Wednesday night, a colleague's brother passed away suddenly.

When I saw the colleague this morning, after some banter (started by him), I asked, "How's your family?"

He didn't miss a beat when I he answered, "Smaller."

I couldn't help it: I grinned. I wanted my jaw to drop in shock. I wanted to sputter or blush or something. But I did none of those things. I grinned. And when he started to tease me about how I should be reacting to his wicked behaviour, I laughed and laughed and laughed.

Newlyweds Wallace Lee and Sadie Hargrove Sims will steal your heart this Valentine's Day!

teaoli — Fri, 14 Feb 2014 17:03:17 GMT

At 87 and 104, respectively, Wallace Lee and Sadie Hargrove Sims “are a love story to behold”.

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

R.I.P.

teaoli — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 19:34:57 GMT

Philip Seymour Hoffman dead at 46

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

teaoli — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 15:12:48 GMT

JK admits Harry should have wed Hermione

"I wrote the Hermione/Ron relationship as a form of wish fulfillment. That's how it was conceived, really," Rowling says in the interview. "For reasons that have very little to do with literature and far more to do with me clinging to the plot as I first imagined it, Hermione ended up with Ron."

Why?!?!?!?

teaoli — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 20:20:51 GMT

Lunches seized from kids in debt at Salt Lake City elementary
Education » School officials cite unpaid balances on students’ meal accounts.
By Lisa Schencker | The Salt Lake Tribune
First Published Jan 29 2014 05:29 pm • Last Updated Jan 29 2014 11:06 pm

Up to 40 kids at Uintah Elementary in Salt Lake City picked up their lunches Tuesday, then watched as the meals were taken and thrown away because of outstanding balances on their accounts — a move that shocked and angered parents.

Read the rest here...

I’m sorry. You’re calling them “kids in debt”? These children are primary-school aged. They aren’t old enough to (legally) hold jobs. They aren’t supposed to be held responsible financially, and the way this school handled their outstanding accounts was not only wasteful, it was also disgusting in the way it humiliated these children. Children damn it!

What the fuck kind of adults do that to children?!?!?!?

Must remember to go to...

teaoli — Wed, 15 Jan 2014 19:11:40 GMT

http://www.themorgan.org/exhibitions/exhibition.asp?id=82 because time is running out.

Happy Birthday, petulant_sb!!

teaoli — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 17:19:39 GMT

Hope you're not TOO miserable today, Brat.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Tea

The SS/HG promptfest started last Wednesday! (I've got to catch up.)

teaoli — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 13:44:43 GMT

Why? Dear God, why?

teaoli — Fri, 13 Dec 2013 16:51:18 GMT

"Vacation" 2, Day 5

teaoli — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 19:24:42 GMT

Today I decided that I was going to go ahead and anchor the bookcases to the walls. I had grown tired of using chairs to prop them up, and I told myself I didn't care about possibly putting extra holes in the walls if I still wanted to move them to the TV wall some time in the future.

I stepped out into the rain (it was still warm at the time) and headed for the nearest hardware shop to buy butterfly drywall anchors because the building I'm currently living is old-ish, and I don't know precisely what's inside interior walls, but I'm fairly certain that there are no wood studs. As I trudged through the rain, I silently cursed the electrician (who is also head maintenance for the two towers that comprise my apartment complex) for once again failing to show up to make a new electrical outlet as agreed.

I was on the path leading to the gate I needed to reach the hardware shop – nearly parallel to the eastern edge of the second building (several feet across from my building), in fact – when I heard someone calling to me. I glanced over, and I could see Head of Maintenance Guy standing at the central entrance to the second tower.

"Are you going to be home now?" he called.

Of course not, you idiot. I'm walking in the opposite direction to my apartment, I thought.

"I can be," I said aloud.

Long story short, after several hours during which his assistant cut a hole in my wall in the wrong place, forcing them to (rather than re-cut the hole in the right place) punch several more (but smaller) holes in my wall in order to guide the wiring to the place where we wanted it, and they both left for an hour and a half, leaving their tools here (and ensuring I couldn't in good conscience leave) and a big mess, I now I have an electrical outlet where I needed it.

I used the time when they were gone to swap spaces for my refrigerator and my "baker's rack" which holds a very large microwave oven and a very large toaster oven. I also moved my range because I learnt it was moveable whilst watching the men fiddle with my wall. Then I swept and mopped the floors. And then I swept and mopped them some more.

The guys came back, apparently shocked that I'd moved everything on my own and in so "little" time.

WTF?!?!?

You were gone for 90 minutes!!

But, they patched my wall, cleaned up and promised to come back Monday to paint.

"You'll still be on vacation, right?" asked Head of Maintenance Guy.

"No."

"Oh. Well, in that case, I'll come alone," he said. "I know you don't like my guys in your apartment when you're not home."

"Thank you," I told him, actually meaning it despite having cursed him earlier. Then I slipped him $50 and closed the door behind him.

Needless to say, I haven't made it to the hardware shop, and with the weather rapidly worsening, I rather think I might not at all today.

'Cause I'm waiting for a package. Again. And USPS tends to deliver anytime between six minutes from now and four hours, six minutes from now.

"Vacation" 2, Day 2, take 3

teaoli — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 03:50:45 GMT

Baking was interrupted several times by phone calls, but at last I finished.

And I think it came out pretty well.

I am so tired.

“Vacation” 2, Day 2, part 2

teaoli — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 01:52:13 GMT

Ran into Jorge, the electrician who was supposed to make another electrical outlet for me two weeks ago. He said, “Oh, hey. I forgot about you!” and suggested coming over tonight to do the installation. He asked only that I make a workspace for him.

I dropped my other projects – including visiting Steve in hospital (yes, he’s in hospital again) – and did as Jorge asked.

Jorge didn’t show up.

Jorge didn’t call.

I’m making banana bread. Again.

"Vacation" #2, Day 2

teaoli — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 16:40:02 GMT

It's 11:40 a.m. and I have

• washed four loads of laundry (I found several more rugs and two boxes of bedclothes and towels, etc. during my on-going unpacking)

• watched Eddie the maintenance man repair the broken electrical outlet

• listened to Eddie the maintenance man's advice about stabilising the bookcases

• forgotten to eat breakfast

• moved three chairs (which will not be living in the places where I've put them for now

• ~~listened to~~ heard Daddy's five lectures about asking for help moving heavier pieces of furniture

• ignored Daddy's advice, to my back's ire

• pulled out ingredients for more banana bread

• ignored ingredients for more banana bread

"Vacation" #2, Day 1

teaoli — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 00:26:55 GMT

I moved the bicycle and several of the remaining unpacked boxes, and I assembled the largest of the bookcases. I've got three more to put together, but upon moving a box full of books (and the largest of my vintage – actually, this one is a full-on antique – typewriters), I discovered a broken faceplate for an electrical outlet. Maintenance people should come tomorrow to replace it. After that's done, I'll assemble two more of the bookcases.

Unfortunately, I have not yet decided where the final bookcase should go. It was going to live in the kitchen/dining area, but I am having third thoughts. Since it's highly adjustable, I might use it to hold the TV and use the vintage cabinet currently holding the television for something else. Because right now, the beauty of the vintage cabinet is overwhelmed by the huge black rectangle sitting on it.

Fortunately, I discovered that I have far more space in the living room than I'd realised. That's got me excited ~~and tempted to buy yet another bookcase~~.

"Vacation" #1, Days 1 & 2 (plus Saturday and Sunday)

teaoli — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 22:00:54 GMT

My “vacation” so far....

Saturday:

1). Ordered FIOS.
2). Realized my living room wasn’t set up to include a television.
4). Begged all of you to tell me what television I should buy.
3). Decided where everything should go.
5). Moved a single chair.

Sunday:
1). Swept floor.
2). Moved the plants. All of them. :P
3). Swept the floor again.
4). Moved the vintage cabinet that will become the TV stand.
5). Moved the sofa.
6). Swept the floor again.
7). Stayed up till 4:45 a.m. making dozens of plans and executing one of them.

Monday:
1). Swept floor again.
2). Replaced the “homemade” console table with two low bookcases.
3). Swept the floor again.
4). Armed with everyone’s advice, went shopping for a TV.
5). Came home empty-handed and bought a TV on Amazon. (I didn’t get the Samsung, but if I get a second set, that’s the one.)

Today:
0.5). Awakened well before 5 a.m. by fire alarm that wouldn’t shut off. Convinced to drag myself out of bed by voices in the corridor and fists pounding on my door. Security guards assured me that the building wasn’t burning to the ground but wondered was I cooking something in your sleep. I wasn’t. “Go back to bed,” he said. “You look like you really need it.” As if I could sleep through the alarm that went on for another ten minutes after that, went off for three blissfully quiet minutes, then came back on for another thirty seconds.
1). Swept the floor again.
2). Dismantled the computer and its accessories.
3). Swept the floor again, shoved two of the rugs I didn’t wash yesterday under the (heavy as hell) antique desk.
4). Moved the (heavy as hell) antique desk.
5). Moved and set up the computer and its accessories.
6). Swept the floor that used to be under the (heavy as hell) antique desk. Repeat 5X.
7). Realized floor that used to be under the (heavy as hell) antique desk wasn’t going to get any cleaner without a mop and a scrub brush.
8). Waited for friend who was supposed to help move the (heavy as hell) antique desk (that he used to own) to arrive.
9). Watched friend sweep the floor that used to be under the (heavy as hell) antique desk (that he used to own).
10). Watched friend mop the floor that used to be under the (heavy as hell) antique desk (that he used to own).
11). Got on knees and helped friend scrub the floor that used to be under the (heavy as hell) antique desk (that he used to own).
12). With friend’s help, moved rectangular glass tabletop to the space that used to hold the (heavy as hell) antique desk. (Decided not to move the legs because I don’t want to keep such a huge table.)
13). With friend’s help, moved six more chairs. Decided I didn’t like where they were, but was too exhausted to move them again.
14). With friend’s help, set up square-ish (rounded edges) glass tabletop that’s considerably smaller than the rectangular one. Decided I don’t like it, either, but I’ve only got one more (yes, I have THREE glass tabletops of different sizes and shapes), and it’s nearly as big as the first one and octagonal. (Didn’t tell friend I hate the table.)
15). Thanked friend (who wanted to assemble my three remaining 6-foot bookcases) and told him I was done for the day.
16). Collapsed.

Stay tuned for tomorrow when my TV may or may not arrive and for Friday when Verizon may or may not install FIOS (a process they tell me can take up to six to eight hours, wtf?!?!?!?!).

Grrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!

teaoli — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 14:39:15 GMT

Family Stiffs Restaurant Server On $100 Bill Because They ‘Did Not Agree With Her Lifestyle’

Do people really think doing this again and again is right?

UPDATE: Signs are pointing to this having possibly been a hoax. Internal investigation on-going at the restaurant.

When no one at PromptFest indulged my stick-man obsession...

teaoli — Thu, 24 Oct 2013 18:37:21 GMT

I was..

But I just looked up from my work to one of the giant TVs hanging in the newsroom... and I saw this —

— so, I am now .

Take THAT, anti-equality assholes!!! Go, Marriage Equality!!!!

teaoli — Fri, 18 Oct 2013 18:34:18 GMT

Same-sex weddings can begin pending appeal, N.J. Supreme Court rules

No stay of the initial ruling allowing same-sex marriages to start 21 October!! This means weddings can go ahead, as planned, beginning Monday.

(I think this probably means I'm going to be invited to a few more weddings this year.)

HP Fic “Lost”

teaoli — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 23:12:15 GMT

I came across a gift story I sort of remembered writing, but couldn’t remember posting anywhere or even why I wrote it. It would have fitted nicely as a dream Lessons in Metempsychosis and Saṅsāra

Turns out it was Time Keeps On Slipping, which was originally posted at hpcon_envy and a couple of people asked me to write more.

At the time, had too much on my plate. However, I think I might one day incorporate it into Metemps, somehow. But in the meantime, it seems I’ve never posted it here.

Until now.

Title: Time Keeps On Slipping
Author: teaoli
Recipient: aleysiasnape
Fandom: Harry Potter and Star Trek TOS crossover
Rating: K/G
Word Count: 550 ±5
Prompt: Hermione/Spock, time travel gone awry.

Fingers cold and shaking, sight impaired by the coming darkness and the tears in her eyes, she knew she probably wasn’t in any condition to be using such a delicate device. But how could she wait? Time was of the essence.

As if responding to her doubt, one of her fingers chose that moment to slip, sending the hourglass spinning furiously in the direction opposite to the one she’d meant it to go.

Her last thought before the world as she it knew was replaced by one far beyond her admittedly infertile imagination was apt, although perhaps a bit late in coming: Don’t be stupid. I have all the time in the world, don’t I?

~o~

“I am unable to save your universe.” Lights pulsed around the asymmetrical ring of indeterminate mineral as it said, “What needed to happen has happened. I would not undo it even if it were within my power, which it is not.”

“If you do not have the power, send me to when and where the change has occurred so that I can make my own attempt.”

“That is neither necessary nor advisable. What needed to happen has happened.”

“What was the need?”

“The girl needed to be gone from her place in time.”

“And for that my universe needs to be destroyed?”

“The girl needed to be gone; the destruction of your universe shall be one of many consequences.”

“If my universe is meant to be destroyed, then why did you call me here? Send me to the time and place where the girl arrived.”

“It shall be as you wish.” The Guardian of Forever went dark, and a smoke-like mist poured from its aperture.

He stepped through the portal and into another world.

~o~

She was sitting in the ruins of what had once been Hogsmeade, a broken Time-Turner clutched in her fist, when the figure stepped out of nowhere.

He was tall and lithe, his hair was a dark and shining cap… and the tips of his ears were as pointed. He was handsome and had a bearing as regal as any Hollywood elf’s.

“I am Spock,” he said.

Of the thousand thoughts suddenly swimming through her mind, the only one that reached her tongue was, “You don’t look anything like Leonard Nimoy.”

She thought her heart might beat right out of her chest as he stared at her and then slipped a strange instrument from the satchel strapped across his chest.

“I’m Hermione,” she offered as he adjusted dials and flipped switches. “Hermione Granger.”

Without glancing up he said, “You look nothing like Emma Watson.”

The nonsensical statement did little to instil any confidence that he wasn’t a madman, but he had stepped out of nowhere. His ears were pointed, his eyebrows oddly slanted. And he had a tri-corder.

Besides, he was the only person she’d seen since the accident.

Hermione almost wondered if he could sense her confusion and mixed emotions – What does a supposed half-Vulcan know of emotions, anyway? – because he chose that moment to look at her again.

“Come, Miss Granger,” he said. “We must leave this place. I will explain some. Perhaps the Guardian, if it chooses, will explain everything.”

“Come where?”

“First, to the Guardian of Forever,” he told her, “and from there, we go to the Starship Enterprise.”

I'm on the quiz!

teaoli — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 23:57:28 GMT

Play the quiz and find me!

Shots fired on Capitol Hill make a slow news day not slow

teaoli — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 18:44:34 GMT

I'm betting this is going to be another late night for some of us.