When real things happen to imaginary people

Since LJ is still trying to decide if it's really alive or not, I should probably get in the habit of posting here a bit more often, shouldn't I?

There's also the Google+ whatsit, but I haven't done ANYTHING with it, other than look at the mounting "So-and-so has added you to their Google+!" messages.

So. The super-secret gothy project that I was in PDX for over the weekend went well. I'm still fighting with the annoying Lyme Disease + what feels like a squillion other health issues. I still get randomly weepy about Mom. Oh, and my dayjob ends ... tomorrow, which means back to job hunting, which I loathe. Yes, I am a bundle of joy today. I devoutly hope that all of you peeps are feeling better than I am right now.

(This will all pass, I know it, and I'll probably be in a better mood, oh, tomorrow. But right now? Not so much. Feh.)

Since tonight is the Stroppy One's game night, I think I will spend it on the couch, watching comfort movies and working on a couple of my craft projects that have been waiting for my free time. Do I have free time right now? Oh goodness, no. But I am by G-d declaring tonight Free Time anyway.

- The Stroppy One reports that Tzepesh seems to be doing better. He's still not completely better, but we're not AS worried about our big boykitty.

- I am finally getting back to the headspace where I can write Gothic Charm School columns again. I feel a bit guilty for taking as long of a break from the site as I did, but ... well, my life kind of exploded. I think I want to do a write-up of the Vampire Ball, then an advice column. That feels like less of an abrubt transition in my head, some how.

- cass404 is a wonderful person to stay with.

- She also manages to find tumblr feeds that look like what would happen if the ids of the teenaged incarnations of the Infamous BlueJay and me discovered the internet. It is simultaneously fantastic and a little cringe-worthy.

- Friday night is the MCR concert! Eeeeee!

- Last but not least: sparkly pink bathtub. I wants it.

We were in Portland over the weekend, for an event the Stroppy One was attending. We had a wonderful time. I got to spend time with cass404 AND go to Genie's for brunch, yay! I got to catch up on gossip with a delightful person I haven't seen in YEARS, yay! I got a quick sketch of The Sandman from Mike Dringenberg, omg!

Now we're home, I'm logged onto work (because I'm a contract employee and need to make up the time), and I am tiiiiiiiiired. Really, really tired. I think an early bedtime is in my future tonight.

Over the course of this week, I need to write a new GCS column, update the Events page on the site, and do another round of closet culling for the two upcoming sales. Whee!

I really hope all of you people who were complaining about the lack of "real" summer weather in Seattle are happy. I mean that with all sincerity and no bitchiness. However, I am going to be VERY GLAD when the temperature drops next week.

We went and ran errands, and now I am finishing up stuff for work and trying to decide what I can wear out dancing tonight that will both meet my fashion standards AND not make me pass out from overheating. (I have "instant" cold packs to put down the front of my corset, and I'm not afraid to use them!) Yes, the StuntHusband and I are FINALLY going dancing again, after over a month off due to illness and travel plans.

Work-at-home Friday! Sleeping in! Coffee and quiche from Besalu! I am probably going to be vaguely practical when the Stroppy One goes to Besalu and NOT ask for a pan au chocolat, even tho' I want one. (Really, REALLY want one.) Because I'm going dancing tonight with the StuntHusband (yay!), which means we will almost certainly be stopping by The Night Kitchen, and if I'm having late-night treats, I probably shouldn't have a pan au chocolat. (But Oh! How I want one. Hmmm, I may have to dither about this some more.)

This weekend is the long-threatened, marked-on-the-calendar clearing out of the Storage Heap Room o' Doom. Yes, I've attempted this before. But this time, I have NOTHING else planned for the next two days. Still, pray for me, and if you haven't heard from me by the end of Monday, I've probably been eaten by feral petticoats.

You know what one of the fantastic things about my current team is? Work at home Fridays. Yes, I got to sleep in a little bit today, and get to do my editing work in the company of the Stroppy One and the cats. Yay!

Tonight is a going-out-dancing night, with the StuntHusband, kiltlad, and a special guest appearance from caliban1227 and his lovely girl (who's LJ name escapes me at the moment). I ... have no idea what I'm going to wear tonight. Oh, the dithering! (The Stroppy One helpfully suggested "Clothes. Black ones. With some red.")

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Promoting a talented friend! G.D. Falksen has a story that is eligible for a Hugo nomination!
It is The Strange Case of Mr. Salad Monday, (clicky-link!) which I thought was all sorts of clever fun. You can vote for it to get a Hugo nomination by going here.

(He is also up for getting a Campbell Award: http://www.writertopia.com/profiles/GDFalksen)

Now that I've made him very bashful by talking about his story, please go vote for him!

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Okay, back to editing, and trying to determine if this headache is due to sinuses, not enough food, or not enough caffeine. Oh, and I should probably call my chiropractor, too.

Thank you to everyone who voted and gave suggestions about my skeleton handbag! I ended up flipping the bow 90 degrees and making it smaller. My fingers are very glad that I did not unpick all the stitches and re-sew it. (Helpful Hint: once you find your thimble, actually use it on this sort of project. You will save yourself from injury.)

Today is a day of taking photos for the upcoming clothing sale, and talking with my friend Eric about the celadon CD release party (clicky-link!) (Bitter Sweet has two different mixes of "Dark Decorum" - the Gothic Charm School theme! Wheee!) Tonight is going out dancing with the Stunt Husband and Toady, more wheee! Then the weekend has more socializing with friends, and working on shifting my body clock to a daywalker-type schedule in preparation for the new job on Monday. (!!!)

Today is ALSO a day of waiting for email. I sent the proposal for the second Gothic Charm School book off to my agent yesterday, and now I nervously await her feedback. ::twitch::

Today the Stroppy One and I are going to take advantage of the nice weather and ... garden. Keep in mind, neither of us LIKES gardening. But Audrey the Monster Rosebush needs pruning. Well, more than pruning, more like severe cutting back, so that is what we're going to do today. Wish us luck, and that Audrey doesn't demand too much of a blood sacrifice with thorns.

Do I want to do this? No. I want to finish up a skirt, cut out another skirt, take photos of the skirts and jackets I have to sell, and work on a Table of Contents outline. But the gardening cannot wait, alas.

I also want to go shopping. I want to go to T.J. Maxx, a thrift store (or two!), and Display and Costume Supply. I suspect none of those things will happen this week.

(I also want to win the lottery, a trip to England, and a trip to Disneyland. While I'm listing things I want, I might as well be thorough, right?)

Dear hiring manager for that full-time tech editor job at the Big Software Company that I applied for IN NOVEMBER;

I see that the job is still open. (Or at least still listed on the career site.) I am EXACTLY the person you are looking for. Really. LOOK AT MY RESUME AND CALL ME IN FOR AN INTERVIEW.

Sincerely,

Cupcake Goth

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Last night when going to bed, the PMS Goblins visited and I had an epic crying meltdown for no reason. I knew it was for no reason, and even said so (in between sobs). But apparently I needed to cry. So, no surprise, I am now suffering the post-crying hangover. I suspect that I am going to get no writing done today, grrr.

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Thank you to everyone who voted in the poll about the striped skirt! Re-make the skirt has the most votes, but then I keep looking at these:



and these:



and start geebling and flailing a lot.

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I hope all of you folks out there in LJ land are having a good day.

Today is a day of running some errands, and then doing the behind-the-scenes code-y bits to get a new section of the Gothic Charm School site up tomorrow. (I have the content all written and everything, now is the fiddly part.) Tonight, while the Stroppy One goes off to game night, I am going to lounge around, paint my nails, and read BONESHAKER. There are other things I could do, like write or work on one of a billion sewing projects, but no. I want a lazy evening.

Have all of you seen cleolinda's post about celebrity, fandom, and boundaries? (clicky-link!) If you haven't, you should. Because the incident that prompted her to make the post is the sort of behavior that makes the rest of us who are fans of any media-related person (musician, actor, writer, whomever) not only ::facepalm::, but makes us loath to TALK ABOUT BEING A FAN. Because we don't want to get labeled as one of the deeply crazy people.

An example: as many of you know, I am a big fan of My Chemical Romance. I have been known, on occasion, to refer to Gerard Way as my Rock Star Crush Object, and have jokingly mentioned that I would like to keep the band as pets, in highly decorative cages. JOKINGLY. They are real people, with real lives, and the times that I have been lucky enough to meet them, I have essentially told them that I admire them and their work, thank you for writing these great songs. I have not flung myself at them babbling incoherently. This past summer at San Diego Comic Com, when I had the good fortune to randomly meet and have a conversation with Gerard Way and give him a copy of my book? The Stroppy One had to almost push me over to talk to him, because I didn't want to be One Of Those Fans. The Stroppy One was also the one who said, "Don't you want a photo with him?". I didn't think of it myself, probably because I didn't want to infringe on Gerard's time or personal space any more than I already had.

(Thank you, oh Stroppy One, for pushing me into that and taking the photo. squeee!)

In short. Go read cleolinda's post. BOUNDARIES, PEOPLE. APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR. KEEP THESE THINGS IN MIND.

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Okay, now I go work on the site.