Tomorrow is gonna suck.

I'm sick. My throat is raw. My nose is dripping. I'm coughing. I'm sneezing. I'm SICK.

When I agreed to do this event tomorrow, I was feeling okay and it was in the upper 40s and 50s. Tomorrow it's going to be in the 20s and feel like it's in the teens with the wind chill.

What am I doing tomorrow? I'm standing in Time Square in a newsboy costume (socks, knickers, shirt, hat) and doing promotional stuff for Macy's. They keep saying "layer under your costume!" but honestly, how much can we layer when we're given SOCKS to cover half our leg? I can fit tights under socks, but not sweatpants or fleece. I'm going to freeze and my throat is going to hurt even more because we're supposed to be yelling "extra! Extra!" and all that fun cheesiness.

I'm a moron.

Oh yeah and there's a very strict cancellation policy. Basically if you cancel they take you out in a field and beat you to death with small pebbles so it takes longer. We're told under no uncertain terms do NOT cancel. *facepalm*

• 09:12 @w07v3r At least you've got seat warmer in your car! :-D #

Blessed Be. Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

This is the first in a series of drabbles very loosely based on The Twelve Days of Christmas. Most (but not all) of them are Kara/Lee. With luck, I hope to post one per day until the 21st. And while several are dedicated to specific people, they're really for all my BSG fandom friends -- it's been wonderful knowing all of you. I hope you enjoy the ficlets, and a very happy holidays to those of you who celebrate!

1. A Partridge in a Pear Tree
For nicole_anell and asta77, who believe that Lee got a happy ending.

( Everything is perfect. )

My husband and I have been creating an etsy store to sell our Ren costumes and Chainmail jewelry. Here are some of his newest creations. You can view them all at thewovenchain.etsy.com or www.facebook.com/pages/The-Woven-Chain/218163745812
( Read more... )( Read more... ) ( Read more... )
( Read more... )

First of all, thank you so much to everyone who gave me snowflakes earlier in the week! That is a shit ton of snowflakes, holy crap. I feel very loved. ♥ Meant to make a thank-you post earlier, but I was like, boycotting LJ in protest of the lack of comment notifications or something. (It was not a very successful effort since I kept checking my flist.)

Anyway, in lieu of commenting much, I ended up redoing my layout for the first time in about five years, look: tracy_loo_who :D The header and background are from a couple of layouts amechiro made for a fic of mine, which I am all *_* over because it's common for folks to get fanart and fanmixes for their fic, right, but LAYOUTS? Omg.

In RL news, I am moving back to my parents' place this weekend. Hopefully I'll land some sort of internship and be heading over to Europe in the next couple of months, but for now, moving back in with my parents makes me feel slightly useless. Jim Beaver made me feel better about this via a quote in Life's That Way, which I have been slowly making my way through for the past few days: No one is completely useless. You can always serve as a bad example. This is probably going to be my new life motto until I stumble across a better one and/or become less useless. \o/

I've also gotten a chance to put a dent in my massive to-read list of fic that's been growing steadily for months. Mostly AUs, because for some reason, after six years of not caring for them at all (they're just OCs with familiar names, blah blah excuse blah), I suddenly cannot get enough of them. So have some recs from the AU/Fusion challenge deancastiel ran a while back: ( 9 total. )

about my lack of sleep woes and the eleven phone calls between 6:45 and 10:30 but you've heard it all before.

( So, pond pics instead. )

... but one of my favorite jewelry designers ever has created a variety of steamy earrings, rings, etc.


http://www.tarinatarantino.com/productcart/pc/viewCat_h.asp?ProdSort=19&idCategory=3&page=2

They're gorgeous pieces. I was really excited when I come across this whilst browsing for Christmas gifts. I want the multi-chain pendant necklace!

One of my favorite ways to use engagement portraits is guest signature books. I love to design custom guest books for couples that showcase their portraits. The final result is a photo album with personal notes from friends and family. Love it!

What are some of the coolest ways you've seen people use engagement portraits?

( More photos of engagement guest books in use at weddings )

So I went on the NBC tour this morning. I'm still not sure how I feel about it. Sure we saw a few studios and behind the scenes things but I felt like it was rather short for $25 (10 minute movie thingy at the beginning about the history of NBC - mostly a yawn-fest but hilariously out of date because they still had clips of Scrubs on it and at the end, they showed Tiger Woods winning some tournament...lots of laughs at that - and then 50 minute tour but I think it was even shorter than that because apparently my group were filled with people who don't know how to go through a metal detector... :|).

Speaking of my group, no Eurotrashs or Twi-moms! \o/ But a lot of old fogies for some reason - one woman had her oxygen tank with her and another woman couldn't go through the metal detectors because of her pacemaker. Ooohhhh-kkkkaaaayyyy...

We couldn't take pictures during the tour because of copyright issues and whatnot so you're just gonna have to take my word for it about what we saw. Heh.

Anyhoo, we saw where Brian Williams does his thang during the Nightly News (I'm sorry but that man is hot), the MSNBC studio, and Bon Jovi's band doing sound check at the Saturday Night Live studio (sadly, there was no Sharkboy sighting...and our tour guides kept calling him 'Taylor Lawt-neer from the Twilight Saga movies' - was it really necessary to include the word 'saga' there? did Summit make them do that? :P).

And...that's about it. I bought a Ralph Wiggum magnet and got the fuck outta there.

( a few pics of Rockefeller Center )

Gloria Wood with Pete Candoli and His Orchestra- Hey, Bellboy!

One of the weirdest jazz vocals I own, I still get a kick outta this record.

Things have been so busy with Velvet Mechanism this year! Here's a sample of some of the items I have on Etsy at the moment. And I'll be vending at the Mourning Market in Seattle this Sunday Dec 13 - I hope to see some of you there!

Etsy Buy Handmade velvetmechanism

( Mourning Market info... )

And in honor of that, I thought you good folk might enjoy this:

The Difference Engine, for real, on NPR

NPR ran a segment this morning on the Difference Engine (not the novel; the machine), which was never built in Babbage or Ada's time. Two have been built now, and there's one temporarily at the computer museum in CA (so go see it if you're near there; I wish I was), and one in London. The NPR site has a video of it *working* that gives me shivers. This is real-life, functioning steampunk!

I only wish she could have seen her programs running on the thing.

This shop by this guy I know has some really great keychains made of silver spoon handles, They could make a very nifty accesory on something.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ogdenarthaus

• 12:06 Sony repairman said the cost to repair my LCD TV is $1500 more than what I paid for the TV. Screw technology. Switching to writing & scotch. #

Posted via my Twitter account.

A bright, sunny, cold day here in Providence. The snow that came yesterday morning has mostly melted away.

Sonya (sovay) and Geoffrey (readingthedark) both arrived on Tuesday evening. Geoffrey quite a bit later than Sonya. And we were up until almost dawn talking, and mostly we talked about The Wolf Who Cried Girl. That is, they helped me find my way into the novel, which I "should" have begun writing six months ago, but am only just now beginning to understand. Truly, what happened Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning had never before happened. That is, talking my way through the story of a novel (when we began, I had little but theme, mood, character, and subtext), and allowing the thoughts of others to help me uncover a plot (as well as deeper levels of theme, mood, character, and subtext). I now have pages and pages of notes, recording what was said, and as soon as I write an sf story I need to write for a Subterranean Press anthology, I will sit down and begin the novel's prologue. Unless it has no prologue, and begins with Chapter One, which is certainly possible. One of the many delights of the evening was discovering a way to work into the novel a couple of substantial elements of "Werewolf Smile." Anyway, my great thanks to both Geoffrey and Sonya. It was a grand evening of conversation.

Early Tuesday evening, after Spooky and I picked Sonya up at the train depot, the three of us stopped off at Myopic Books in Wayland Square. Just to window shop, as I already have too many unread books waiting to be read. Though Sonya found a biography of Charles Addams that sorely tempted me. After Myopic, we went to the coffee house around the corner, The Edge. Back home, Geoffrey arrived about 8 p.m. (CaST), and the four of us went downtown for dinner at the Trinity Brew House. I guess I'm putting in all these links because I didn't take the camera along. Anyway, it was a peculiar night for me, so much socializing, so much being Outside, and allowing two other people to help me work my way over a writing barricade. Geoffrey headed back to Framingham yesterday afternoon, and, later, Spooky took Sonya back to to depot. I think it was almost twilight by then.

So now, it's back to work. A furious storm of writing that has to get done before the end of the month.

A reminder that subpress is now taking pre-orders for The Ammonite Violin and Others, and that the numbered edition comes with a chapbook, "Sanderlings."

Last night, Kathryn and I watched Nora Ephron's Julie and Julia. It's an odd sort of film for me to comment on. It was an odd sort of film for me to even watch. But I did enjoy it, though I found Meryl Streeps performance as Julia Childs' far and away more entertaining than the other half of the film, the Amy Adams half about the bored wife/beleaguered office worker from Queens and her foodie blog that wants to be a novel. Indeed, I think I would have much preferred a film devoted entirely to the life of Julia Childs, especially given Streep's amazing performance, which I think is worthy of an Oscar nomination.

Anyway...must get to work or the platypus will have hisherit's way with me, and it's really too early in the day for those sorts of shenanigans.

[20] Number Six Icons, for bsg_20in20


HERE at cigarsgalore

HAPPY BIRTHDAY snarkypants!!

Happy Birthday to an awesome LJer! I really love your entries. You have such a vivid style and you're so hilarious! I enjoy reading them so much and I wish you were around more often. You're so much fun! I'm so happy to have met you. *hugs* I hope your day is great!

Mesa Arch at morning light with Photographer on Top

Mesa

With the holidays now upon us the season begins to focus more on friends, family, & loved ones. It's a time to offer a glance at days gone by while we look to what the future may hold, & in that it's been a very good year. We've consistently seen new life breathing into every corner of the overall scene, & this has continued as an ongoing trend.

As to The Metro, we've successfully gained a strong degree of positive exposure & are now moving into a new phase of more progressive efforts. It's our intention to put DC firmly on the map so it can finally gain the recognition it deserves (offering a vibrant & diverse culture that reaches far past the image of a city filled with pinstripe suits).

Indeed, this past weekend Marquis America & Erik Von Gutenberg commemorated the inaugural publication of Von Gutenberg Magazine. With an international reach, top notch material, & a successful premier, this offers a great new addition to the select pantheon of alternative media.

But even more, it also features a new look at DC & the surrounding area. Presented under Lifestyle News is a short but significant article featuring The DC Scene & Metro Underground (by Richard A.D). This is the first step in an ongoing effort to achieve national & international exposure for all that we have to offer. But locally, we still need your help…

Viral marketing has taken hold like nothing else & we can only do so much. So if you belong to Facebook, Twitter, any post-boards or online journals (perhaps have a website of your own), then if you can offer us a post & help spread the word - anything you could do would be DEEPLY APPRECIATED. The more we can get the word out then the more it will help spread the word for what's happening in the scene, & the more it will help the various venues to grow & prosper. In the end, such efforts help everyone & we all benefit as a result.

To which, the full calendar for the rest of December is up. We've also posted all major events for both the regional & national stage for all of 2010. News & Notes have also been updated for the year ending 2009. Please check it out: http://www.TheMetroUnderground.com

On a more personal note, Ariel of DC TNG was kind enough to host a special happy hour to celebrate the combined birthdays of Mistress Tyler & myself (Richard A.D of the Metro Underground). I'd like to offer a personal invitation for you to join us & meet some of the scene's most dedicated players! We'll be in the executive lounge in the back of Lounge 201 (201 Mass Ave. NE DC). The event is scheduled for Tuesday, December 29th & is planned to run from approximately 7pm-11ish.

May your holiday season be filled with love, health, & prosperity for all you hold dear.

Rick (RichardAD)...
The Metro Underground & DC Fetish Ball.

Online: www.TheMetroUnderground.com

You can also join us on Fet-Life: http://Fetlife.com/Groups/4756
And LiveJournal: http://MetroUndergrnd.LiveJournal.com/

Coming to Twitter in 2010!

For full information on what's going on in the scene (as well as the expanded calendar for all of 2010), please see http://www.TheMetroUnderground.com. Our Calendar lists full details on all events, News & Notes keep you in the loop for what's going on, Club & Group sections carry a rundown of each host organization, while further pages include Regional & National Resources, Fashion, Music, & Model Mayhem, plus Mainstream Organizations & more!