elanya

I feel like I have had a pretty anti-social weekend, but on reflection this isn't actually true. I talked to my sister and bro-in-law and various nephews (well, okay, talked *at* in their cases) over skype, and I still spent most of my time chatting in various media, and I even had one of my Sunday online games, so really I shouldn't complain even though I haven't talked to a real live person since I left the gym with tethys123 on Friday.

Mondays are kind of extra bleh, because half the people I have to chat with online (yes yes, I IM at work, very naughty) have Mondays off and sleep in because they are jerks. This week, my boss is in and I'm still the only one in the office. She's out all week so this is likely to be the case until she gets back next Tuesday. Of course as I was writing that someone else came in, but he is in an office way far away from mine, so that hardly counts ;p I think one of our student workers is back today too! (eta: actually apparently he has called in jet-lagged) Anyway, it's quiet and I don't really have anything better to do (well, anything pressing) so I thought I may as well slap up a general life update. Since I hardly ever seem to post at all anymore, hrm...

I am still working at the art gallery, actually the Stark Gallery, and should be able to stay here until I graduate, so huzzah for that. It means not living in a tent outside in the Texas heat (and rain!) this summer, which is nice. Fieldwork pays more, but having a steady job is a better deal, and I really like my job. Right now my supervisor is out on maternity leave, so there are even more varied and interesting things for me to take care of than usual, like accessioning the pile of western art pieces that just got gifted to us from the Board of Regents folks, and tracking down things that belong to a gentleman who basically dumped a bunch of loan items on us something like 10+ years ago and disappeared, and has just reappeared to reclaim them. Other than that, I manage the art loan program on campus (we have a small lending collection, and I do the loan agreements and get to wander all around campus delivering and picking stuff up). And today we are getting in a shipment of surrealist art for a new exhibit going up next month! Also I have just been informed that the tea kettle is broken, and I am extra glad I remembered my travel mug.

In other news, I am house/pet sitting this summer for my diss chair and his wife. It took me a little while to feel comfortable in their house, but the presence of the Song of Ice and Fire and Harry Potter books on the bedroom shelves helped, and their pets (1 rescue dog, 1 old cat, 1 younger but pushy cat) are all pretty sweet for the most part. And Jola (my dog) loves them and loves it there, so that works out. I couldn't bring Maze (my kitty) because he is too neurotic about other cats, and he is an indoor cat exclusively, and theirs are indoor/outdoor. They have a pet door as well. Anyway, it means that I have been spending some afternoons at my place visiting the Loneliest Kitty In The World, which mostly is me making sure he has food and water and then a few ten min+ snuggle sessions where he climbs on my chest and won't let me do anything else that often devolve into naps. This is mostly good, save that he sheds his superfine hair like a mofo and because I'm not living with him he is bothering my allergies, and even with antihistamines I often leave wheezing and marginally hivey -_- I really need to vacuum the carpets there, and the couch as well. I am seriously considering starting to collect kitty fur for one of my more enterprising crafty friends to spin (I know several spinners). It would probably need to be extensively washed to remove allergens, and mixed with something else to spin up well, but he's such a pretty grey and stupidly soft >.> And then I could have a kitty hat! Made of kitties! With kitty ears! I am a perfectly normal person, really! No? Okay then.

Everyone always wants to know how the dissertation is coming. I have 4 chapters down of 10. Really maybe closer to 3.75. I'm doing a bit more research to beef up that missing .25%, and also working on polishing up my data entry for the next bit. That shoooould go fast as it will be mostly tables and descriptive bits. It's the chapter *after* that that concerns me, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. I do think that graduating next spring is a reasonable goal at this point. I just hope it will be at all good and interesting, but...we'll see. I may be content with 'finished'. The writing group I've joined has been really helpful at keeping me moving along on things, though I haven't gotten as much done this week as I'd have liked, I can tell myself I've been bogged down with background work. This is mostly true. This afternoon I hope to get some more of said data-entry polished off.

However I am also always great at distracting myself, with various games of the roleplaying variety, and bits of writing here and there. I've managed a fairly consistent run of challenges over at fan_flashworks (also on dreamwidth, but my posts have been on lj, so...). Mostly drabbles, but it keeps me happy! I have some other stories on the go as well, including a long one (almost 8000 words, and only ~2/3 done) that is basically backstory for one of the above-mentioned games. I tell myself it will be a good story on its own, and I should take satisfaction from that even if it will not get too much attention for Fandom At Large. I tell myself this a lot. I play in strange corners >.>

This weekend, I managed to make kolaches for the first time. Well, at least if you're from Texas, they're kolaches, and if you're a purist they're probably klobasnek, because they're sausage and cheese... They turned out pretty well for a first attempt, though I need to work on my rolling technique. I used jalapeno sausages form a local sausage company, and sharp cheddar cheese. The only flaw in this plan is that... I don't actually like sausages most of the time, so I had two and that was about all I needed. Ahh well, they're good to take in lunches, and they are tasty. And I only made a small batch, for that very reason. Next time maybe I will make a fruit version, or fill them with jam and cream cheese, or something equally sinful. This reminds me that I have filo dough in the fridge that needs using up as well, hmmm... Maybe I should get some spinach and ricotta or feta and make spanikopita :3

Today, I am going to see The Dark Knight Rises in the late afternoon, and helping a friend with some heavy lifting before he takes off for a temporary job in California on Wednesday. This will leave me with about 3 people I hang out with much left in town for the summer. That's okay though, some folks will be back in the fall, and others aren't tooo terribly far, and there is always the internet...

I think that's about the sum of it, for the few curious out there, anyway. And it is still an otherwise super quiet Monday...