Diary of a Wolf Spirit

Odds, Ends, and Sundries...

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 23:33:12 GMT

Ugh! I hate being sick!

Today, after picking up the gunk _again_ (I'm pretty sure this is round two of the same thing I had a couple of weeks ago), I finally took a day off of work. Much like the last time, I'm starting to get better again. This translates roughly to the fact that my face is getting a chance to recover from being raw (yesterday I was that lovely combination of pale _and_ tissue rashed across the nose) and they can call off the tree smashing in the Northwest to supply Raen's nose with kleenex.

So... yay. Go me.

Go me also because, when I take a day like I did this one, it also gives me a few moments to submerge myself into my basic Virgo nature.

When I'm sick, I don't like to clean. At all. That means that on the far end of being sick, the apartment starts to look like a wreck. While far from being recovered, it at least looks a little better.

On the Pooh front, I got some good news today. For those that have been keeping track, the little monster is in complete remission, but... his blood counts have been coming back badly. The short explanation is that his bone marrow hasn't been recovering from the chemo treatments like it should have been, and until his blood counts were stable they didn't want to run him into more chemo. We really want them to finish his treatments, as painful as this whole process has been. We like our furkid, and we'd like to make sure he's around as long as we can have him. So, on the front end of my sick day, I got to lug the cat up over the first iced roads of the season to the vet. Around noon, I got a phone call.

My throat's a little raw still, and I'm conjested, so I'm pretty sure my whoop of satisfaction sounded strangely like an expiring animal. I really don't mind this, though. After more than a month of off blood tests, I'm happy to have one finally come back in the clear. One more, and they'll be able to treat him again.

So... those of you that have been keeping some small portion of him on your mind... thank you, and I appreciate the continued efforts.

Past that...

... and if you're still reading down to here, I'm impressed. *smiles*

... I had a random, strange thought today. Its tied to the various new local music I get to hear on the radio station I listen to here.

With the Christmas season upcoming, and knowing that a great many of us (particularly those in the States) are ducking our heads with finanaces not being so easy, I have a Christmas request for anyone who's thinking about sending me anything more than a card. *smiles* Instead of spending serious money on me, look through your music collection and send me a copy of someone or something you've been listening to that you think I might like... but you think I _may_ not have heard.

I've always seen music as the heartbeat of the world... thus, its always fun to hear which part of it other people are nodding their heads to.

And with that... I leave you with the Teddy Bears... because they were cool enough to ask Iggy Pop to make a song with them.

See me drivin down the street,
I'm bored with looking good.
I got both hands off the wheel,
The cops are coming.
I'm listening to the music with no fear,
You can hear it too if your sincere...

Coz I'm a punk rocker yes I am.
Well I'm a punk rocker yes I am.
Coz I'm a punk rocker yes I am.
Well I'm a punk rocker yes I am.

I see you stagger in the street,
And you can't stay on your feet.
And your faking in your sleep,
You wish that you were deep.
You can't hear me laughing to myself,
If you could you would be someone else.

Coz I'm a punk rocker yes I am.
Well I'm a punk rocker yes I am.
Coz I'm a punk rocker yes I am.
Well I'm a punk rocker yes I am.

See me die on bleaker street,
I'm bored with being god,
See me sneering in my car,
I'm driving to my star.

I'm listening to the music with no fear,
You can hear it too if your sincere...

Coz I'm a punk rocker yes I am.
Well I'm a punk rocker yes I am.
Coz I'm a punk rocker yes I am.
Well I'm a punk rocker yes I am.

Coz I'm a punk rocker yes I am.
Well I'm a punk rocker yes I am.

Raen.

Song of the Day

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:33:44 GMT

This one is cracking me up every time I hear it.

My radio station is so cool they're actually playing it...

O, sinner do not stray from the straight and narrow way
For the Lord is surely watching what you do
If you approach the Devil's Den, turn 'round-don't enter in!
Lest the hand of the Almighty fall on you

He'll fuck you up, yes, God will fuck you up
If you dare to disobey his stern command
He'll fuck you up, don't you know he'll fuck you up
So you better do some prayin' while you can

Long ago a man named Lot had a wife he thought was hot
But she could not stop her black and sinful ways
You know it was her own damn fault when God turned that bitch to salt
That's the way he used to work back in those days

He fucked'em up, he really fucked'em up
When the people went and turned their backs on him
He can fuck you up, no shit-he'll fuck you up
Just like he fucked the people up back then

I used to have a friend named Ray who walked that evil way
He cursed and drank and broke his neighbors fence
You know Ray was full aware that some sheep were over there
And he knew them in the biblical sense

God fucked him up, he went and fucked Ray up
Went and payed him back for all his wicked sins
He fucked him up, fucked that boy completely up
Now he's married to a Presbyterian

Raen.

Vampire Teen Books

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:03:03 GMT

So for the past two weeks, daily, I've been hearing _something_ regarding the Twilight phenominon from _somewhere_ in the office.

I mean... damn. Its a teen book.

My question, then, from my various friends who may have read it...

... is it worth the hype?

Raen.

The State of Raen (or, the Never Ending Sickness...)

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 05:41:53 GMT

Ugh!

What is it about Colorado and my biology that doesn't jive?

I swear, this is the third time I've been sick in about a month.

Maybe its just a lingering crud... I'm hoping that's all it is. And when last_bastion and I get done being ill, I'll just go through the house inch by inch with a disinfectant and see if I can kill whatever bug is hanging out.

In other news, I logged onto CoH today. *smiles* Its been a while, and I played one of the characters that I made _way_ back in the day... when I _started_ playing on Virtue. *smiles* She's even one that I was writing stories for. I think I'll be logging in there and hanging out more often.

There's a lot more PvE in there to be had... and as I'm not really fond of the PvP, its reigniting my 'let me run around and beat up the video game bad guys' love of gaming.

*smiles* Though the commentary is a few days late, last_bastion and I made it up to see Henry Rollins as planned at the beginning of the month. And... as I expected... he was definitely fired up with the post election fun. Dare I say it... he sounded... optomistic?

I mean, this is Henry, right? The angry man? *grins*

Picked up a tour poster, also... signed by him. I'm pretty happy with that.

Its a _great_ poster. :)

And, as is usual, Henry had a recommendation for another group for us to pick up. I'd run into commentary about the Bad Brains before, but just hadn't gotten around to nabbing any of their music. Its becoming a tradition, though. If Henry talks about it for more than two minutes in the course of his show (as he did with the Rutts the last time we saw him), then we have to track down the group. Once more, and it will be a tradition. :)

So... I'm now going to go find some place to curl up and try to convince my head to thaw out. Work's looking iffy for tomorrow, given the way I'm feeling.

I'd better be better by the weekend, dammit. D&D! I have a druid concept! I need to write out her history, but I'm actually looking forward to it!

(Looking forward to getting to play the new D&D system also, but no one's running it up here).

Be good to yourselves, everyone...

Raen.

Tea?

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 07:16:19 GMT

Now... I know I have a number of friends who adore tea... *smiles* So I was wondering... do any of them have a book they'd recommend to someone who's looking to learn how to make tea herself?

A curious Raen would like to know...

Raen.

A Special Birthday

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:29:00 GMT

Its someone's birthday.

Unfortunately, he's at home feeling sick. Which is less than shiny.

But... its someone's birthday. Someone who I love very much, and with all of my heart. He doesn't always think the best of himself. He often doesn't give himself enough credit. He's occasionally grumpy, but that's just because he sees a world of iron where there should be a world of gold.

But... he's got a laugh that can shake the world out of winter. He's got a smile, when he shows it, that's warm in that secret sense... that I'm always trying to catch on film and he's always running away from exposing. He's sharp in his head, and the strongest man I personally know. But most of all, he's got one of the most generous hearts I have ever known.

There is no one like my last_bastion... and I'm glad to be at the center of his heart as much as I'm glad to hold him in mine.

Happy birthday, love.

Raen.

Arrested Meme

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 01:15:23 GMT

Okay... this one was cute. Nabbed from oracle_tx.

If you saw ME in a police car, what would you think I got arrested for? Answer me, then if you want, post to your own journal and see how many crimes you get accused of.

Raen.

groans

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:00:49 GMT

My tone deaf coworkers are trying to kill me again.

Classic rock should never be sung _or whistled_ by those who cannot sustain a note for at least one second... or who sing notes that aren't supposed to be flat flat... or who warble parts of a power ballad off key like it wants to be a blues song...

*resolutely wishing she had her iPod...*

Raen.

Movie Lemming...

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 00:49:40 GMT

SUPPOSEDLY if you've seen over 85 [of these] films, you have no life. Mark the ones you've seen. There are 239 films on this list. Copy this list, go to your own facebook [or LJ] account, paste this as a note [or update]. Then, put xes next to the films you've seen, add them up, change the header adding your number, and click post at the bottom. Have fun."

(x) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(x) Grease
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest
(x) Boondock Saints
(x) Fight Club
() Starsky and Hutch
(x) Neverending Story
(x) Blazing Saddles
(x) Airplane!

(x) The Princess Bride
(x) AnchorMan
(x) Napoleon Dynamite
(x) Labyrinth
(x) Saw
() Saw II
() White Noise
() White Oleander
(x) Anger Management
(x) 50 First Dates
() The Princess Diaries
() The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement

(x) Scream
(x) Scream 2
() Scream 3
(x) Scary Movie
() Scary Movie 2
() Scary Movie 3
() Scary Movie 4
(x) American Pie
(x) American Pie 2
() American Wedding
() American Pie Band Camp

(x) Harry Potter 1
(x) Harry Potter 2
(x) Harry Potter 3
(x) Harry Potter 4
(x) Resident Evil 1
(x) Resident Evil 2
(x) The Wedding Singer
() Little Black Book
(x) The Village
() Lilo & Stitch

(x) Finding Nemo
(x) Finding Neverland
(x) Signs
(x) The Grinch
(x) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
() Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
() White Chicks
(x) Butterfly Effect
() 13 Going on 30
(x) I, Robot
() Robots

(x) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
(x) Universal Soldier
(x) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
() Along Came Polly
(x) Deep Impact
() KingPin
() Never Been Kissed
() Meet The Parents
() Meet the Fockers
() Eight Crazy Nights
() Joe Dirt
(x) KING KONG

() A Cinderella Story
(x) The Terminal
() The Lizzie McGuire Movie
() Passport to Paris
() Dumb & Dumber
() Dumber & Dumberer
(x) Final Destination
() Final Destination 2
() Final Destination 3
() Halloween
(x) The Ring
() The Ring 2
() Surviving X-MAS
() Flubber

() Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
(x) Practical Magic
(x) Chicago
(x) Ghost Ship
(x) From Hell
(x) Hellboy
() Secret Window
() I Am Sam
() The Whole Nine Yards
(x) The Whole Ten Yards

() The Day After Tomorrow
() Child's Play
() Seed of Chucky
() Bride of Chucky
(x) Ten Things I Hate About You
() Just Married
() Gothika
() Nightmare on Elm Street
() Sixteen Candles
() Remember the Titans
() Coach Carter
(x) The Grudge
() The Grudge 2
(x) The Mask
() Son Of The Mask

(x) Bad Boys
() Bad Boys 2
() Joy Ride
() Lucky Number Slevin
() Ocean's Eleven (The Frank Sinatra one)
() Ocean's Twelve
(x) Bourne Identity
(x) Bourne Supremecy
() Lone Star
(x) Bedazzled
(x) Predator I
() Predator II
(x) The Fog
(x) Ice Age
() Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
() Curious George

(x) Independence Day
() Cujo
() A Bronx Tale
(x) Darkness Falls
(x) Christine
(x) ET
() Children of the Corn
() My Bosses Daughter
() Maid in Manhattan
(x) War of the Worlds
(x) Rush Hour
(x) Rush Hour 2

() Best Bet
() How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
() She's All That
() Calendar Girls
() Sideways
(x) Mars Attacks (Ack! Ack! Ack!)
(x) Event Horizon
(x) Ever After
(x) Wizard of Oz
(x) Forrest Gump
(x) Big Trouble in Little China
(x) The Terminator
(x) The Terminator 2
(x) The Terminator 3

(x) X-Men
(x) X-2
(x) X-3
(x) Spider-Man
(x) Spider-Man 2
(x) Sky High
(x) Jeepers Creepers
() Jeepers Creepers 2
(x) Catch Me If You Can
(x) The Little Mermaid
() Freaky Friday
(x) Reign of Fire
() The Skulls
(x) Cruel Intentions
() Cruel Intentions 2
() The Hot Chick
(x) Shrek
(x) Shrek 2

() Swimfan
(x) Miracle on 34th street
() Old School
() The Notebook
() K-Pax
() Krippendorf's Tribe
() A Walk to Remember
() Ice Castles
() Boogeyman
(x) The 40-year-old Virgin

(x) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
(x) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
(x) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
(x) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(x) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(x) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

(x) Baseketball
() Hostel
() Waiting for Guffman
(x) House of 1000 Corpses
(x) Devils Rejects
(x) Elf
(x) Highlander
(x) Mothman Prophecies
(x) American History X
() Three

(x) The Jacket
() Kung Fu Hustle
(x) Shaolin Soccer
(x) Night Watch
(x) Monsters Inc.
(x) Titanic
(x) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
(x) Shaun Of the Dead
(x) Willard

() High Tension
() Club Dread
() Hulk
(x) Dawn Of the Dead
(x) Hook
(x) Chronicles Of Narnia The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
(x) 28 days later
(x) Orgazmo
(x) Phantasm
(x) Waterworld

(x) Kill Bill vol 1
(x) Kill Bill vol 2
(x) Mortal Kombat
() Wolf Creek
(x) Kingdom of Heaven
() the Hills Have Eyes
() I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman
() The Last House on the Left
() Re-Animator
(x) Army of Darkness

(x) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
(x) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
(x) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(x) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(x) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(x) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
(x) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
(x) Ewoks The Battle For Endor

(x) The Matrix
(x) The Matrix Reloaded
(x) The Matrix Revolutions
(x) Animatrix
(x) Evil Dead
(x) Evil Dead 2
(x) Team America: World Police
(x) Red Dragon
(x) Silence of the Lambs
(x) Hannibal

Yes, is official... according to this lemming, I have no life.

And _many_ of you are worse than me. :)

There were several movies in there that I'd seen part of but not all of, such as Halloween or Nightmare on Elm Street. Also, there are a couple in there that have old versions and modern versions... of which I've only seen one.

Raen.

Election '08 (or, Yes We Can)

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 05:43:21 GMT

In terms of moments, what will you remember years from now? What will America remember.

We've talked on this before...

My mother and father rememember the day that Kennedy died. Its the gimme of their generation. I'm pretty sure they remember when Reagan was elected.

I vaguely remember, when I was little, asking if my mother voted for Jesse Jackson.

I remember... Exactly where I was and what I was doing when the Trade Towers got hit, and the various emotion reactions of the people who surrounded me. Exactly where I was when the Shock and Awe struck Iraq, and how the people around me were experiencing their own version of shock and awe. I remember _exactly_ what it felt like to stand in a voting line for the first time.

And I'm pretty sure I'm going to remember this.

*smiles* I truly hope he lives up to the expectations in front of him. No candidate is ever a saint, by any stretch, but America deserves a better class of President. And I _truly_ hope it is him.

McCain's concession speech was one of the most amazing I've heard out of him, if for nothing else than the fact that he silenced his booing audience. The level of sincerety he expressed was touching, his class inspiring. Go him.

Charles Gibson brought up a concession speech by a Republican on the east coast... wherein he charged that the Republican party was struck by a tsunami. I want to track down that speech... and if anyone can provide me with the name of the individual in question, I'll be very thankful.

Last of all... thank gods. Amendment 48 did not pass. Not only did it not pass, it _did not pass_ by epic proportions.

Raen.

Lemming! (Stolen from lupabitch)

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 01:42:39 GMT

1. Stop talking about politics for a moment or two.
2. Post a reasonably-sized picture in your LJ, NOT under a cut tag, of something pleasant, such as an adorable kitten, or a fluffy white cloud, or a bottle of booze. Something that has NOTHING TO DO WITH POLITICS.
3. Include these instructions, and share the love.

So, yeah, after the numerous phone calls I've received, and the aged hippy that looked like he might have had ganja in his jacket pocket at our doorstep, this lemming tickled me to no end...

And I really do love this picture. :)

Author Humor

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 05:10:17 GMT

For the amusing commentary that goes with it, follow the below link to the author's feed. *smiles*

http://syndicated.livejournal.com/officialgaiman/490607.html

I love Neil Gaiman. He rocketh mightily.

Raen.

Samhain Greetings

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:41:07 GMT

Houston... we have achieved makeup.

*smiles* I feel good...

For those of you who celebrate the holiday in a more spiritual sense, the best of the day (and night) upon you.

For everyone else...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

(Where is _your_ costume? ;)

Raen.

The Marriage Thing...

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 12:04:10 GMT

Copy this sentence into your LiveJournal if you're in a heterosexual marriage/relationship (or if you think you might be someday), and you don't want it "protected" by the bigots who think that gay marriage hurts it somehow.

You know... we could just do away with the whole 'marriage' thing for straight couples, call it a 'civil union' all around, and let the various religions decide if they're going to 'bless' a union as a 'marriage'. I'd be perfectly happy with that. But I suppose that would aggrivate someone.

Tradition?

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 02:45:46 GMT

Does three years in a row make it a tradition?

This is the third year in a row that I've made jello brains for Halloween...

Raen.

Halloween: The Cultural Tradition

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 04:50:07 GMT

In the last I can't remember how many years, I have only been able to participate in the candy handing out marathon known as Halloween... the one time of the year when it is _cool_ for me to whip out my mad skills at doing makeup, tell little kids they look cute, and give them mass amounts of sugar with which to later drive their parents insane... maybe once. There are, of course, a variety of reasons for this...

... Halloween not being held _on_ Halloween...
... living in the middle of nowhere...
... living in an apartment...

The living in the apartment part is the bit I've never gotten! You'd think, for munchkins of all ages, the apartment is the place you wnat to go to get candy! So many domiciles, so few footsteps between them! You'd think this would work even better for parents, who don't want to have to walk four miles to get their kids their fill of Trick or Treating! But, alas, the last two apartments I'd lived in... this was the case.

In part, I blame this problem on paranoia. In the world that we occupy, there's so much concern regarding bad people who do bad things, and parents want to curb this as much as possible. I'm all good with this... but come on, people! This is Halloween! Just be astute! Be watchful! Dress up and _go out_ with your kids! Then be mindful enough to look through what they brought home!

And I'll also grant this...

All Hallow's Eve is probably the most spiritually charged day of the year for me. I _never_ feel quite so alive as on Halloween. The drought of candy handing out may in part be responsible for my discovery of paganism as a spiritual outlet... after all, I stumbled into serious contemplation of the path while essentially pacing restlessly in an empty apartment... on Halloween... with no kids coming to the door.

But...

(Yes, this post was going somewhere...)

This year...

This year gets to be different.

*grins* Because our apartment actually has a system to handle the _mass of kids_ that evidently come through this complex.

Woot!

We get to hand out candy this year!

(If I'd known earlier, I would have planned out something more elaborate to wear...)

Raen.

Neil Gaiman on Novel Writing

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 03:28:02 GMT

Just because it was very humorous when Neil referenced this... and because I loved it once I read it...

Dear NaNoWriMo Author,

By now you're probably ready to give up. You're past that first fine furious rapture when every character and idea is new and entertaining. You're not yet at the momentous downhill slide to the end, when words and images tumble out of your head sometimes faster than you can get them down on paper. You're in the middle, a little past the half-way point. The glamour has faded, the magic has gone, your back hurts from all the typing, your family, friends and random email acquaintances have gone from being encouraging or at least accepting to now complaining that they never see you any more---and that even when they do you're preoccupied and no fun. You don't know why you started your novel, you no longer remember why you imagined that anyone would want to read it, and you're pretty sure that even if you finish it it won't have been worth the time or energy and every time you stop long enough to compare it to the thing that you had in your head when you began---a glittering, brilliant, wonderful novel, in which every word spits fire and burns, a book as good or better than the best book you ever read---it falls so painfully short that you're pretty sure that it would be a mercy simply to delete the whole thing.

Welcome to the club.

That's how novels get written.

You write. That's the hard bit that nobody sees. You write on the good days and you write on the lousy days. Like a shark, you have to keep moving forward or you die. Writing may or may not be your salvation; it might or might not be your destiny. But that does not matter. What matters right now are the words, one after another. Find the next word. Write it down. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

A dry-stone wall is a lovely thing when you see it bordering a field in the middle of nowhere but becomes more impressive when you realise that it was built without mortar, that the builder needed to choose each interlocking stone and fit it in. Writing is like building a wall. It's a continual search for the word that will fit in the text, in your mind, on the page. Plot and character and metaphor and style, all these become secondary to the words. The wall-builder erects her wall one rock at a time until she reaches the far end of the field. If she doesn't build it it won't be there. So she looks down at her pile of rocks, picks the one that looks like it will best suit her purpose, and puts it in.

The search for the word gets no easier but nobody else is going to write your novel for you.

The last novel I wrote (it was ANANSI BOYS, in case you were wondering) when I got three-quarters of the way through I called my agent. I told her how stupid I felt writing something no-one would ever want to read, how thin the characters were, how pointless the plot. I strongly suggested that I was ready to abandon this book and write something else instead, or perhaps I could abandon the book and take up a new life as a landscape gardener, bank-robber, short-order cook or marine biologist. And instead of sympathising or agreeing with me, or blasting me forward with a wave of enthusiasm---or even arguing with me---she simply said, suspiciously cheerfully, "Oh, you're at that part of the book, are you?"

I was shocked. "You mean I've done this before?"

"You don't remember?"

"Not really."

"Oh yes," she said. "You do this every time you write a novel. But so do all my other clients."

I didn't even get to feel unique in my despair.

So I put down the phone and drove down to the coffee house in which I was writing the book, filled my pen and carried on writing.

One word after another.

That's the only way that novels get written and, short of elves coming in the night and turning your jumbled notes into Chapter Nine, it's the only way to do it.

So keep on keeping on. Write another word and then another.

Pretty soon you'll be on the downward slide, and it's not impossible that soon you'll be at the end. Good luck...

Neil Gaiman

That... is a very good way of addressing it.

Raen.

Undead Live Journal

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:42:11 GMT

In honor of having an 'undeadjournal' for the next few days, I'm changing my icon...

Livejournal does, on occasion, rock. :)

Voting

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 18:55:34 GMT

Sweet Mother Mary...

Wow. I just got done voting. That took _forever_.

Raen.

Music

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 17:50:31 GMT

You know, I think that, for the first time, I've found a _really_ good radio station to listen to.

New music... old good music... independant. Yeah, there are some songs that it kills from time to time, and there is a DJ who is _just_ obnoxious... but in general its good.

And the obnoxious DJ spins some great tunes... which mitigates the fact that he's a jackass. ;)

On the sad note, no REPO for me and last_bastion until it comes out on DVD. The closest place its playing is _Las Vegas_.

This message is brought to you by a sick Raen at work who is nonetheless liking what she's listening to.

Raen.

Ick

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 18:43:16 GMT

A coworker has accused me of 'having no face blood'...

I find this a very humorous way of saying that I look pale.

(It may become a Maryism.)

I hate being sick...

*smiles*

Raen.

The State of Raen (In Brief...)

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 01:46:13 GMT

So I got to talk to formal_copy today, something that made me smile immensely. It was an unexpected call while we were on our way to pick up the chemo kitty, and I got the dual pleasure of watching last_bastion wake up to realize he was talking to her as well as the getting to talk to her on the way home.

And... it made me realize.

Raen has not been with the updating.

The good news is that the chemo kitty is in complete remission. While we're still strained financially trying to get him taken care of, costs have gone down, and the end is now in sight. December, and he should be through.

On the gaming front, aside from the usual, we have the possibility of a D&D game starting up. We'll be running in Planescape, which is a world I've never experienced at all as a gamer. Best of all, it means we'll be getting to make new friends.

The work front is... well... the work front. With the economy running the way it is, our industry is taking a bit of a hit. As a trickle down effect, last_bastion and I have taken pay cuts. The boss doesn't expect it to be greatly long term, but there it is.

Creatively... I have an idea for a fantasy story percolating on the edges of becoming actual writing. Cosmology is forming, antagonists, protagonists, world histories... *smiles* I've even taken notes.

And that... is life... in a nutshell.

There's something more wandering around in the back of my head, but its not being helpful in boiling to the surface at the moment. *smiles* Maybe later.

Oh, and blueberry tea rocks.

*smiles happily*

Getting sick, however, does not...

*pouts*

But the blueberry tea is helping with that...

*smiles again*

Raen.

Art Meme

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 23:36:18 GMT

Your result for What Your Taste in Art Says About You Test...

Balanced, Secure, and Realistic.

Impressionism is a movement in French painting, sometimes called optical realism because of its almost scientific interest in the actual visual experience and effect of light and movement on appearance of objects. Impressionist paintings are balanced, use colored shadows, use pure color, broken brushstrokes, thick paint, and scenes from everyday life or nature.

People that like Impressionist paintings may not alway be what is deemed socially acceptable. They tend to move on their own path without always worrying that it may be offensive to others. They value friendships but because they also value honesty tend to have a few really good friends. They do not, however, like people that are rude and do not appreciate the ideas of others. They are secure enough in themselves that they can listen to the ideas of other people without it affecting their own final decisions. The world for them is not black and white but more in shades of grey and muted colors. They like things to be aestically pleasing, not stark and sharp. There are many ways to view things, and the impresssionist personality views the world from many different aspects. They enjoy life and try to keep a realistic viewpoint of things, but are not very open to new experiences. If they are content in their live they will be more than likely pleased to keep things just the way they are.

Take What Your Taste in Art Says About You Test at HelloQuizzy

Birthday Loving

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:01:25 GMT

Happy birthday to one f the best friends anyone could ever have...

My favorite Moo.

*hugs much*

Raen.

Book Reading - Neil Gaiman

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 04:29:43 GMT

I just got back in from watching Neil Gaiman give a reading from his newest book, The Graveyard Book.

It was a great deal of fun.

Neil is a wonderful storyteller. He came out on stage wearing exactly what all of us are used to seeing him in: black on black with a black leather biker's jacket. His reading was very energetic, his discussion with the audience very engaging... and there was a lot of laughing going on.

last_bastion may have pictures...

Highlights include...

*Hearing that the book was inspired by taking his son across the street to the graveyard where he could ride his tricycle and pondering how perfectly natural he looked in the graveyard.

*How he had heard for the first time how he could make a whole room collectively gasp, "No!" when he discovered that he was only going to be able to read half of chapter seven... I haven't looked yet, but he did say that you can hear it at the end of the recording that they did in LA.

*Hearing him talk about his experience with 'creepy fans'... specifically, the one about the guy in the business suit who wanted him to sign his copy of Aleister Crowley's autobiography. To which Mr. Gaiman said, "Its not my book," and the guy in the suit replied, "But, as we both know, this is as close as I'll get to having it signed by the Master." Evidently, he signed it, "I didn't write this book - Neil Gaiman."

There was a lot more, but this is what really sticks out in my head.

Oh, and we got a sneak peak at the Coraline movie. *smiles* Which looks fantastic. I may have to pick up the book.

I am, however, very tired. And still a little hungry. So, while I ponder whether or not I'm going to feed myself before bed, I'm going to sign off.

Night, all!

Raen.