Ramblings from the 'goblinn

tagged by qui_quae_quod

I think I may have done something like this before, but I'll play.

A. List seven habits/quirks/facts about yourself.
B. Tag seven people to do the same.
C. Do not tag the person who tagged you or say that you tag "whoever wants to do it."

( Seven Facts )

If you want to do this, consider yourself tagged.

I think this is a slightly different list than the one currently making the rounds, but I cannot make myself do the formatting required manually just now. But if anyone wants to see it, there it is. Maybe next year.

( Wasn't a terrible day at work.... )
( tnl_awards pimpage )
( 'This could be mathier.' Wee Hob and the Mathematics Experiments. )

So, if I ever reach the other side of menopause, will the monthly mood swings taper off at all? Just wondering. I don't think I've actually even got to this side, proper, but having something to hope for would be nice.

Just a very tense couple of days, and some errors at work, some of which are properly my fault, many more of which aren't, and a QC manager who is grasping so hard at trying to keep his job by actually overdoing it for the new overlords (which would beat the previous not doing anything at all, if I weren't the target of choice) and who thinks his job involves creating mountains of reports blaming people for things that go wrong. People who have never been trained on most of these things and who have no procedure for catching them if they had been. People who were already on tight timing thanks to getting incomplete and wrong information when they first asked for it, and got said information far too late in the game as it was.

So, is there any cheer to be had? Let's see. I do feel good that I completed my next chapter of "In Loco" before Monday's deadline, even if I can't post it until it's been beta'ed and rewritten at least. And that I have a groovy box for snarkysneak finally in my car with her address (though I haven't got to the mailing part just yet. Still. Box. In car. That's huge.) And I have been having great fun judging my categories of tnl_awards. I've read most of the fics in my assigned categories, but there were a few I hadn't and-- wow. When all is over I'll have to rec some here.

But for the most part, a meh and stressful day by turns, and I am Sure my trying a doppio con panna this morning in no way contributed to my hair trigger temper/giggles/twitchiness. At All.

First: ( cool map. )

( And the mathadventures of wee hob )

That's really all for now. I have ch9 of In Loco nearly ready for beta and a start on 10. But I really need to get cracking on Summer of Giles here. Soon.

I'm cutting and pasting in a bunch of quotes from the loose_canon board of responses I got to my ideas about Snape and Dark Magic. It's for my own use, and I'll put it behind a cut, but if anyone wants to see it, have at. First and foremost, though, a link to a most excellent essay by bohemianspirit. If you missed that one, it's worth a look.

( And now the excerpts from loose_canon posts: )

A long while back, I found it helpful to set down in writing the way I viewed the character of Rupert Giles to see how I was or was not capturing his essence as I wrote:
Original "My Giles" Post (have to scroll down a bit) -- And a later addendum.

It strikes me now that, in addition to rereading this and doing a couple more for the Willow and Ethan of my Summer of Giles Story, I really need to do one for Snape. The Snape of "In Loco Parentis" is not the same Snape as the ghost in "Lost Boys." Neither are quite the Snape from canon, either.

That's perfectly okay. While fanfiction creates the expectation that your work is going to be highly derivative and based on a common framework, each writer brings his or her own "take" on the characters, puts them in situations quite unlike those we see in canon, and often has to choose among inconsistent clues from different places in that canon. And sometimes, while choosing, has to decide what kind of character he wants to spend time with.

So, that will be my project for the day, after helping out with the church Rummage Sale, getting Wee Hob a shiny new planner to write down his plans for completing merit badges this summer (and inexplicably, he wants me to teach him Latin, which, yeah, I'll do as long as he promises not to be a Dunderhead and actually does some homework) and cleaning up a bit.

But in the meantime, if anyone wants to weigh in on any of these characters, particularly how you see Snape (and Hermione) in "In Loco Parentis", I would love to see what has been coming across for you. I can already tell from a couple of reviews on this last part that I need to be doing a better job of making clear how this Snape is unlike the one in canon, and making the how and why of that plausible for the purposes of this story.

Happy Saturday, all.

Last night Wee Hob and I got dressed up to attend the annual banquet for the Bishop's Choir. I haven't been as regular and faithful to the group as I'd like to be, and I was honored to be invited anyway. But the real honoree that night was an amazing fellow who has devoted the last 74 years of his life to this chorus. Here's the article that ran in the local paper.

( Tornadoes and grace )

Saw this on the Sunnydale Herald today and signed up. The finish-a-chapter ficathon sounds like a fantastic way to build/ keep momentum going, but even if it's not, I'm in. Ch 8 of In Loco has been through first beta, I know what I need to fix, and I hope to get in a shape to post this week. I've got a direction on 9, as well. And I've got some editing on Summer of Giles to start soon.

But writing this entry is not getting any of that stuff written, so-- back to it.

But there are a couple of folks on this f-list I would be Delighted to see jump in here. In particular, (cough Water Hold Me Down cough and De Profundis .)

Here am I, skating in just at the wire to wish a very happy birthday to coyote_william. I have been meaning to read her Gifts for a long while now. Or rather, read to the end of what was there. I started it again last night, and -- wow. Her Dawn coming across a now human Spike 5 years post Chosen (in an AU where S5 of Angel never happened) is wonderfully rendered, and the interesting ways the two have grown, and how they are alike in some ways, is well worth reading. It eventually reunites William (as he now prefers to be called) and Buffy. But so far, I really like William's backstory and the different explorations of family relationships. At any rate, the best birthday gift you could give her would be to go read and leave some feedback.

Better get back to helping Wee Hob pack for the Whitewater Rafting trip this weekend. He seems to have learned a little from the last one. Though somehow he has the idea that if one sleeping bag is good, three would be ideal....

Good night, all.

I've just now got to looking at the new installment on this, but I notice she has the following request on her home page:

Also, if anyone out there is really good at doing graphics, I have a request for a cover for Unchosen. I tried contacting Dusty, who did the beautiful cover for Death Brings Clarity, and had started on one for Unchosen (before I lost it in my computer theft), but I don't know if my contact info for her is still valid and I haven't heard back. So I'm looking for anyone else who would be willing to give it a try?

I'm almost sure Dusty is related to some of you on my flist, but if not, I also know there are a lot of talented graphics artists on it as well. If you have anything to offer either of her requests, go here and follow her links on the May 21 entry to get in touch with her. (I emailed her a bit of feedback and she was most gracious in her reply.)

I'll have to let you know what I thought of the story later. Thanks again to sniggs for the original heads up that let me know this long languishing WIP was back in business. If you're at all a fan of the Buffyverse, you should check this author out. (Fair warning-- Buffy/Giles implied; sometimes more than that. But worth reading even if you dislike that sort of thing, for the kids, Giles as a dad and widower, and Ethan being Ethan.)