elanya

At least I still had my computer open, I guess.

Not too much of interest - it was a Museum day, and I talked to HK there about the plan for tomorrow, where we are giving a tour and demoing some stuff to one of the director's classes. So I'm going in in the afternoon instead of the morning, and will head straight downtown to find myself dinner somewhere and go to kitting.

Oh, also, my ex-coworker (he still works there, for now) made a VR bowling game :V It was pretty fun, though not what I'd meant to try out!

I did some writing tonight, but I'm getting close to the 'end' of the story, which is all fine, but I'm not sure if It is going to manage to seem like a story and not just a series of events. So we'll see. I need to tie things together more tightly, I guess. Maybe this last pivotal conversation I'm working towards will give me more room for that. And maybe if I aim for that I'll have more inspiration.

So, keeping a journal up to date that is basically a record of the monotony of my life - is that interesting? Is it useful? Is it just my mood tonight? I feel like it is the easiest way to have something to say every day, and that if I don't make an attempt at a habit I'll fall back to hardly posting ever. But it is also making me wonder if I couldn't have something more interesting to talk about. But since I'm not really sure what that would be, I guess I'll stick with this. It just feels like the easy way out - like maybe if I did have something more to say, I would make an effort? I dunno! Since it is still before midnight, I think I'll do a chocolate box reveals post. So - watch this space?

...It's here! Chocolate Box Reveals!

I meant to go to bed around one yesterday. I wond up going to bed around two, and I didn't get to sleep for at least another hour after that.

I sort of woke up around 7, because children, but fell back asleep for a bit. I then woke up more around 9, still really tired, but managed to pull myself out of bed half an hour-ish later to go take the dogs out.... only to find they'd already been out. So I started to go back to bed, only to remember that I *did* still need to feed the kitty. By the time I actually got back to bed, it was a little after 10:30.

And then I slept until 1:30.

So that was most of my day! Maze was out and about, so I had some snuggle time with him, did some kitchen tidying, and then worked on some story edits. Then I baked some lime squares, then it was dinner. Wooh!

I realized I never said, but this is the anthology I'm working on a submission for: Ride the Star Wind: Cthulhu, Space Opera, and the Cosmic Weird. I need to do some kind of cover letter as well, and I'm not totally sure how to handle that. "This is a story about Lesbian space cultists. It is inspired by Clark Ashton Smith's "The Door to Saturn". I hope you like it enough to buy it, cheers!" I think my story meets the criteria but I'm a terrible judge. Maybe it isn't weird enough. Maybe it isn't cosmic enough. Maybe being in space isn't space opera enough (I mean it is still in our galaxy, is that spacey enough?). Maybe the world lacks scope or interest. I dooooon't know! And these things never give you much feedback, so hey. But I've written a good story, I think, and the worst they can say is 'no thanks'.

I would say it is original work but.... Mythos stuff is also kind of fanfic. There is more of a market for it these days, true. But it's still basically fanfic. I'm a fan. I'm playing in this world and with these concepts that other authors originated. In this case, others have always been welcome to add their own (and especially so since it all became public domain). I am really enjoying the diversification that's been happening in Mythos work lately though, with the explicit inclusion of more women, queer people, and PoC because lbr the original is *terrible* for that stuff. This story has some of that diversity (space lesbians!), but my writing could certainly use more. I just have to find ways to do so that I am comfortable with. It is easier when dealing with fantasy/speculative contexts. In horror I feel like I need to tread a lot more carefully, because the genre has a lot of baggage. Anyway, I started this paragraph talking about fanfoc, how did that get away from me? It's basically fanfic. I could have written this for my YT assignment last year. Ahh well.

Anyway. Now it is midnight and I'm not particularly tired, which could be a Problem as I need to get up early on Thursday. I guess I'll aim to get out of bed by 10 tomorrow and see how that goes. More of problem is that I'm hungry, but I'm already kind of heart-burny, and if I want to go to bed in the next hour or so, food is not the best plan. maybe I'll have a banana. Excite!

Also - ugh, I remember why I wasn't using Semagic - I managed to do something that hides the tag input and I can't figure out for the life of me how to get it back :p I guess I'll try reinstalling -_- ETA: reinstall fixed, let's not do that again!

Right now I have two journals - this one, and one for writing (measured_words). I mean I guess technically I have an imzy too but I always for get about that, and I don' think anyone really moved to there that I engage with much? I totally engage with people on LJ and DW, Right? ....Right? >.>).

I used to post fic directly to my writing journal, in the pre-AO3 days, and there is a lot of old stuff, and original stuff, there. Then I used to post links to my AO3 in my writing journal, and then I posted fic roundup, but lately all I *really* use it for is exchanges. So I am wondering if it is worth keeping, or if I should just transition to doing all my exchange stuff over here? I think I already confuse people to some extent because my AO3 name is my writing journal name and not this one (or one of the derivatives.... I'm Lan in yulechat, which is short for Lannie which is short for Elanya. That journal has my writing *history*, though. If I start posting exchange letters here.... I guess probably it won't matter; I can just say that if people want to look at older letters and such, they can look there?

I guess I'm not totally sure what function it serves any more, really. People who want to read my fic can do it on AO3 and subscribe there if they're interested, and I can just as easily post roundups here as there if I get back in the habit. While I have been writing some original fic, the last time I posted anything to my writing journal was.... *checks* okay I guess it was March. I thought it was longer ago than that. I also did the AO3 stats meme in that journal early last yeas, so maybe it isn't as neglected as I thought :p Still, most of the people who read this are fannish folks, and I presume that even if they weren't interested in the stories, writing memes, drabble challenges (I need to finish that last one still -_-), etc, they wouldn't be offended to see them here. I usually link them here anyway, and that's how I get half my traffic.

Also, I have been reading stuff about the LJ servers moving, and I'm not totally sure I want original fic living there anymore, and have been considering deleting that journal and just keeping the mirror on DW. I guess maybe it's too late at this point, if it is already there. I would want to make sure I didn't lose a any comments before deleting, and I'm not sure how I'd go about that.

Really, though, any change smacks of effort. I can't even get with it enough to change my icons - I'm not convinced I'm really up to a restructuring of my journals...

(I do know what I want my new icons to *be* at least, but I need someone to take the photos for me :p)

Another not-super productive day, though I did manage to wake up early. Tomorrow at the museum should be good - I at least have things to do, which is always better than me trying to find things to work on. I did some more writing and got my sister to look it over and assure me that it is comprehensible and interesting. Woohoo! I've got a better handle on the plot now too, and things are Moving Forward.

Tonight was knit night, which is always nice. It can be a bit like introvert club, depending who is around, where we mostly just sit quietly together and work on our own things we meet at the boardgame café in town, and it can be fun to listen to other people. There were some folks playing a game called... um... battlesomething? Superfight? I forget, shoot, because it looks like a ton of fun. The basic gist from what i could tell is that everyone drawn an adjective and a non card, and then you argue for who would win in a fight, with the person whose 'turn' it is arbitrating. There is some way of modifying things as well. It seemed like it would be awesome with a group who was sufficiently creative and ready to go to bat for their weird ideas (50 moose vs internet trolls, google vs the grim reaper, etc).

In terms of actual knitting, I got most of the heelflap re-done on my sock. I can finish that and probably get the heel turn started on the bus tomorrow if I opt to knit (I probably will). I'm sort of sick of knitting them at this point, though.

Maze was about catting around a lot today. I coaxed him out when the kids were playing video games in the morning, and after he sat with me, he decided to follow me around the house, Sierra was closed in Longpig's room, and kittyface was being sufficiently cute that she left Sierra there after she got up, and he hug out causing minor kitty mischief all morning and part of the afternoon. Apparently he can't tell the difference between mint and catnip. I also managed not to have a major allergy attack while petting/playing with him, though my hand is still red and itchy where he scratched me (my fault, I couldn't resist the belly...)

I'm still working away on this Mythos story. I feel like it is too expositiony, but I also like parts that I have written. Maybe I can rearrange stuff a bit once I have more written to give it more punch. I don't have a whole ton of time, but as it is for submission I really need it to be *good*. I'm trying to keep faith that there is even a chance the effort could pay off (literally, as in pay decent cash monies). We shall see!

Despite the timing conflict, I did sign up for Chocolate Box. I guess we'll see how that goes? I dunno though, I feel very out of touch with fandom (this is not new).

Tomorrow I go back to the museum for volunteering. We'll see how that goes. Probably I should check that email.... Whoops, it looks like they were hoping I would be in today, d'oh. Well at least I have stuff to do (maybe) tomorrow. Depending on who is around :p Or maybe Friday? *more emailing ensues* We are opening the VR exhibit next week, and I've been pretty involved with that, so it's pretty cool to see it come together!

Other things.... today was not a super productive day. I made banana bread with the kids, though, and played with them, and was accidentally viciously headbutted (the underside of my nose still hurts, despite icing!). I did manage to get up before 10, with the help of my alarm. Tomorrow I have to get up at 7, though, pleh. Well, assuming I go in then and not Friday. However there is knitting tomorrow night regardless, and it will be nice to go be social in person, and maybe make some progress on that sock I ripped back.

I didn't go see Rogue One again last night. I had my weeks mixed up. Next week!

I think that's all I've got for you today. Peace, journal peeps!

It's the new year, and I'm trying (again) to journal more regularly. This happens less because of the New Year thing, I think, and more because Yuletide gets me back in a more regular habit of engaging with the journaling world. There's also been buzz from a few corners about people leaving LJ because of the Russian Relocation, so I think more people are paying a bit more attention, which helps. I'll continue to crosspost, I expect, as I have been doing for the past few years.

I'm also stuck in the Holiday Time Limbo, which is worse because I don't have a real job at the moment. But that is bound to change....soon? I have references being checked. I have been told I am the desired candidate for another job if I apply for it. Basically I continue to be in Limbo, but glad to do so in a place physically and socially as well as financially where I can afford it. It is still not my favourite thing. Thursday I will go back to my regular volunteering gig. I could have gone today (I think), but lacked motivation. Anyway. I've been staying up too late and feeling like I'm accomplishing very little.

I'm working on an original story (original Mythos, anyway) for submission to an open call. I'm thinking about signing up for Chocolate Box (or Chocobo, as my sister insists on calling it). I've been doing lazy mindless and practical knitting rather than fixing the slightly more complicated project I messed up (and actually can't find when I did a half-assed search yesterday).

What else.... I got some really awesome mugs for Christmas. Two cheap-but-rad clear skull mugs from my aunt, and a lovingly hand-crafted vagina dentata mug from a friend who had them hand made for a few of us (me, my sister, and Nary, as far as I know). They're things of beauty, I tell you. Mine is red. I will drink from nothing but skulls and vaginas for the rest of my days (well I can dream, right?).

I've been writing things in my notebooks because I have some really pretty journals and I have fountain pens and it seems like a waste not to. Also I have about three on the go and I can probably finish at least one of the off just taking noted for the AU Colonial Call of Cthulhu skype game I'm in. We're trying to stop a serial killer from summoning an ancient god called the Devourer of Millions. I think we at least have figured out who it is now, and just have to do the actual thwarting, hopefully without going any more crazy (hah!) But it is complicated enough that it requires notes, and since it is skype, there are not logs to refer to, so actual note taking is handy. It helps me remember things better, even if I don't look them over. And I've gone all stream of consciousness here. Probably if I journaled more regularly I would be more organized about it (no.)

--

Anyway! I did want to do Pay it Forward again this year. I'm lifting it from karanguni who lifted it from someone else. So!

Let's start 2017 off in a positive way with a Pay It Forward meme. The first 6 people to comment (and more if I can manage it) will receive a surprise from me at some point in 2017 - anything from a book, a ticket, something home-grown or made, a postcard, absolutely any surprise! It will happen when the mood comes over me and I find something that I believe would suit you and make you happy.

(If you don't like surprises and would rather have something off a wishlist and/or some warning, let me know in your comment. The goal is to make you happy.)

If you can, post this in your own journal and pay it forward. Let's do more kind and loving things for each other in 2017, without any reason other than to make each other smile and show that we think of each other.

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Also, this reminds me - I've seen people doing Fandom Snowflake, and I've seen people doing various journaling and year end memes. I'm not sure I am that committed, but I am open to suggestions. Is there anything you would like to see me talk about? Want to know more about me? My interests? Pet pictures? drop me a comment for that too, if you like!

...and with that posted, probably I should go to bed!

I've just been away for about 10 days on a road trip down to visit friends from Texas... We used to do our friend-con in March, but the reasons for that timing are no longer pertinent and it took a while to reorganize. But it was great, on the whole. There was some social weirdness going on from some corners, but whatever. I am really glad and grateful that I got to see those folks again! And the games and gaming were really fun!

I'll write up some drabbles for the ones I played in, as is tradition, but I'm only home in the sense of being back in my own country. I have a French test - step one in a potentially lengthy interview process - to go to on Thursday, so I'm staying in Windsor, since it is closer to the testing facility. I might work on some tomorrow between bouts of studying.

I have some scattered thoughts for stories of various lengths, the most recent inspired by the slew of paranormal story podcasts we were listening to for part of the drive. We'll see if anything comes of those.

I have such great intentions of regular posting but I can't seem to keep it up ;p I't a shame - I don't know if anyone reads this regularly, but personally I always feel more connected to people when I can read regularly about their lives. I'd like to.... I dunno if it is that i want to offer you that same opportunity, or the more egoistical version where I want people to feel more connected to me as a sense of validation. Anyway :p Hi?

Work goes on. It is a big mess and I have so many mixed feelings.

I managed to write two things for Jukebox, and am quite pleased with both of them! I also received both a gift and a treat, and they were both so so great! I'm super pleased! I wish I'd been able to write more, but I am having a hard time with time, and motivation, and organization, and life balance things.

I went to a LARP game a few weeks ago and it was super great fun! I know I don't have the time and energy or money to get really sucked back in, but man can I feel the pull of it!

I got more tattoo work done! I got a few more spirals on my underarm (ouch!), plus I got some way-overdue touchups and fixes done to the last bits I had done when I was in Texas. I really really like the artist I've found here, much more than I liked the person in Texas. She's looking in to branding for me, because it isn't really a common thing. But I might know some other people I can look through. I want to get at least one more brand as part of this over all piece. Possibly I'm crazy. But I really want it. pics here!

Uh... what else...I have been and am going to be doing a bunch of traveling! in two weeks I'm going with Nary to Massachusetts for her Grandmother's 100th birthday party, wooh! It will be a pretty hit-and-run affair. Then in August I'll be in New Brunswick to see my dad and folks for two weeks, and then at the end of the month I'm taking a road trip down to Texas for Webercon and to see some other Texas friends. I don't think we have officially told tethys123 that we are planning to descend upon her, but we are (hi! :V)

I am about 3/4 through knitting a cool bolero (ember bolero), and I've started some socks. But also I bough some gorgeous gradient yarn (midnight paintbox by Fiber Optic yarns) to knit another shawl. A bigger shawl! The pattern is Cynara, and I'm still debating how I want to do the gradients for it.

I'm sure I'm missing some stuff, but honestly nothing much has changed with me lately. I really should be job hunting but ugh. Just ugh. Also, ugh.
I'm going out bin a bit to Kareoke at the pub up the street, which is a newish thing in my life (see above re: life balance though, ugh). But I have a cold, so we'll see how things go...

Like I said this is a quicky so if you want links to anything poke me and I'll add them later :3

Uh... For two days ago now (I'm bad at this), naryrising asked me to answer what D&D dragon I would be.

Which is a cool question! But there are so many dragons @_@ I can say I've never felt particularly aligned with any of the usual suspects. There might be a perfect dragon for me out there, but I dunno?

That said, I did a bunch of research into emerald dragons when I was writing one of my yuletide stories this year (There's No Blood in Bone). They are neutral, they are history nerds among dragons, they live in the inner planes or on island chains (depending on which version you're reading...) They live at the edges of human societies. I could totally be down with all of that, really!