elanya

I had a dream last night/this morning. I tried narrating it to a text to speech thing on my hone but all I got out of that was a Mess, so I'll try it here again. For context, I used to play percussion in a concert band and marching bands for yeaaaaaars, basically all the way up until I left Fredericton for good.

In my dream I was in a marching band with a bunch of people that I knew. Somehow it came out that they were also in a concert band as well, and invited me to play even though I hadn't done anything like that in a while. There were a bunch of people I actually knew in my dream bu the only ones I can remember are my friend Gale and Kennesaw, ho both played percussion with me. Also there was at least one Matt, who was a tall skinny guy with curly brown hair down to his shoulders who might have been compiled from a few different people I actually know, or just a random dream figment. I knew him in my dream, though.

ANYWAY, as with most of these things, I remember a lot of little details that I don't really know how to fit into a narrative, like how at first I thought they didn't have a base drum but then I saw it just wasn't set up, and stuff like that. We were supposed to be playing this piece and I said I could do the tympani. Only I'd gotten these bi-pride covers for them that were like flags that were supposed to go over the heads, as a surprise for Kennesaw, and I wanted to install it. It shouldn't have been difficult, but as is the way of dreams there were a bunch of stupid obstacles. At first no one could find the key, but it turned out these ones just had a slot in the top of the rod and could basic ally be turned with anything. They were like real tympani, in that the rods were weird - more like just regular bolts in some ways, and despite seeming to be in tune before I started, it turned out one of them was missing. I was messing around with all this stuff and not actually playing in the song and people who didn't know me thought I was just fucking around and didn't know what I was doing, including the conductor. At the end of the run through it turned out that there was someone outside the room (Matt! or *a* Matt anyway - it might have been a different Matt, possibly Kennesaw's brother) who was playing the part on the other set of tympani no one had told me about. So I wasn't contributing anyway and my efforts to put together the surprise were also thwarted and had to be abandoned. Also, my hands were hurting from playing the marching stuff we'd 'done earlier' (part of the dream backstory).

Someone, maybe Gale, suggested we move on to a different piece so I could try something else. But they were playing base and Tall Matt was on snare and Kennesaw was doing something else? So all that was left was cymbals, which was a part they hadn't bothered with before. I was keen to do because I think there is a lot of cool nuance to playing the cymbals well that's not just loud clashing (although there is that when appropriate), but my hands were so sore I wasn't sure how long I could hold them effectively. I woke up before I got to pay anything though, because my hand was actually *really* sore from yard work yesterday and then I was sleeping on it badly.

So I know where some of this comes from - I'd been talking to another friend online about my percussion background not too long ago and that's clearly still in my mind. Another friend was showing off a bi-pride horse blanket she got for riding and I'm assuming that's where that came from. The rest is more speculative, but maybe just a general sense of being underestimated and a general sense of frustration with circumstances that I think probably everyone is feeling at not being able to accomplish what we want.

In other news.... yesterday was a really beautiful day and I spent a lot of it outside trying to work more on the yard. I picked up more trash out of the "compost pile". Which is the trash heap that the previous house owners weaseled out of having to clean up by bald face lying about what it was. Hot tip: neither plastic, glass, nor electronics are compostable. I also worked on cutting down scrub trees along the fence line - mostly hackberries. Some are growing into the freaking fence. Some could be just cut with pruning shears, but some need more serious treatment and I sawed off - thus my sore hands. If I'm being generous I got about a third of them done. The trees still need further thinning but if we do that it would need professionals again. We cut down all the manitoba maples last year and it made a big difference, but I'm realizing how much more work still needs to be done. Of course the same is true of the house itself.... we've done almost none of the stuff we talked about, lol. Which is exactly why I insisted on doing my room *before* I moved in... Anyway, other than yard work, I spent a lot of time playing with the new puppy, which he deeply appreciated :) He's 7 months old today!

I have three USB ports on my laptop, which is really not enough to start with. Especially considering that I am using a wireless headset to which one of those ports is dedicated. This foolishness is the main reason I haven't bothered to buy another usb-powered cooling pad once the fans in mine died. It still provides a lot of good airflow and I've not(yet) had any trouble with overheating.

I currently have one functioning USB port. This is a problem!

Does anyone out there have any ideas/suggestions on what I can do about this? I think I have a hub somewhere, but I'm not sure if the wireless toggle will work great with it, and it is dangly to begin with which is not a great feature for a laptop that spends so much of its time on a lap :|

Is there some technical thing I can try? The device manager seems to think they are all working fine, but this is patently untrue. The two on the right are not reading anything, and the sole port on the left is fine.

Anyone anyone? I bought the computer in December 2011, and it is a Toshiba Satelite of some variety.

Unrelated to computer woes, I had a really great day yesterday! Awesome sessions of both the Sunday games I'm in, plus I managed to fully process three loads of laundry, tidy my room and vacuum and duct in there as well. the only flaw is that I managed these two in the less optimum order, especially considering I decided on a whim to dust my ceiling fan blades and then basically couldn't breathe all night. I really should have worn a mask for that one. I also made turkey enchiladas and vaguely experimental coconut craisin cookies.

It is ridiculously nice out today, plus it is a long weekend, so apparently this gives me incentive to do some cleaning, wooh! Plus also my allergies have been going bananas cray and that is always an incentive to try and reduce indoor allergens. The latter combination is a poor one though because it means that I vacuum for 5-10 min, then sit for thirty because my lungs are going "whyyyyyyyyyy ;_;" at me. Or my upper respiratory area, anyway. I really ought to go and have a chat with my doctor about my acid reflux because I suspect it is also contributing more than it should.

Anyway! I got the downstairs and the stairs done, and I had started cleaning the bathroom (I had sprayed down the tub anyway, and was letting the cleaner do its thing) when my roommate came home, and offered to finish the job. I sometimes feel like I am the only person who will clean things without prompting in the entire world. Well other than the kitchen. Current roomie is better than me about that. And tbh he has cleaned the sink a few times and I think he is better about his room, but even so. I don't have super high standards but come on people! Anyway - speaking of my terrible standards and no one else ever cleaning, I dusted the living room for the first time in like.... a very long time. Not completely - I should break out my microfiber thingummy and to the blinds and the fan, but I got the shelves and such! Huzzah! I think it is telling how poor my cleaning standards are because I'm pretty sure I make a self-congratulatory post every time I do it :p

I also cleaned out my wrangling bins this morning, and they were the nicest they had been since before Yuletide. I know naryrising has been doing a good job at not letting it go too ridiculous, but there are always odd crossover things in Night Vale, or equally confusing tumblr OCs, and today I got them all sorted out \o/

I *also* got to work some on my story today, so extra yay! It is abou 6k words now abot will probably wind up in the 8-10 range? Well, naryrising is saying she might give me art for it now, of boys smoking (it's a theme?), so that's all worthwhile even if only 4 people rad it ^-^

Tonight (in like 5 min) I have game and because tomorrow is a holiday I miiiiight even get to go hang out with folks afterward. People have been going out for food after, but I always have work and can't. So we'll see what my luck is like - maybe this will be the one week they don't.

Regardless, tomorrow is Martin Luther King day, and I don't work! I think that makes it easier for me to make myself do chores, knowing I can have a break day, then a work day, an then another break before actually going back to work. I am looking forward to it in general, and also because I am going over to tethys123's with some people tomorrow to work on crafting stuff :) Maybe tonight I can get my Yshbel sorted out tonight during game and make more progress on it tomorrow!

Yesterday I was a mopey unproductive lump. I did do a bit of work on my LARP - I have a much better idea of what's going on with plot and characters now.

Today I got up, got breafast (mmm, breakfast tacos), made tea, started laundry, made cookies, did some Tag Staff stuff, did more laundry 9including a hand-wash, lay-flat-to-dry sweater) and put a bunch of stuff away in my room. Roomie called the handyman who is coming over tomorrow after 5 to look at the tub and figure out how extensive the repairs will be and if it is something he thinks he can do. in theory he can at least look into the pipes through the little crawlspace door in roomie's room. But we might have to open up the ceiling in the kitchen /o\

Now I have three hours until game.. I'll need to walk the dog, of course, and eat, but that's still about two hours to do something else. I think I'm gonna poke more at the LARP stuff - strike while the iron is hot, so to speak!

Mostly ups, I have to admit.

Like... My dad is visiting! I haven't seen him since like... Christmas 2011 or 2010? So that's pretty cool. We haven't been doing a whole lot - he came to see me, not to See All the Things, though we have seen some of the things (like Red II, and I took him to the galleries today, and found out the hard way that Cushing is closed on the weekends (no GRRM exhibit, alas!). And tonight we feasted on Sodalaks! Really, dad being here means that I have eaten lots of tasty things I haven't had the ways or means to get to in a while.

Also, I graduated! I am officially a doctor of Anthropology now, though I do not at all feel qualified at the moment. I haven't cracked a book of any kind in months and I doubt I could carry on an intelligent conversation on anything related to my field -_- I need to get on that.
The people I'm dogsitting for will be home tomorrow. That's not really a good or a bad thing, just a Thing. It will be nice not to have to split my time between houses anymore, but I will miss the animals, and they have some things here that I don't have at home.

And the big low - one of those things is a working fridge. Cleaning out the freezer today was really really gross, and sad making. And gross. it smelled foul, and there was a lot of...leaky...things...in bags. Also stuff that my old roommate kept for her animals. Ugh. But a new one will hopefully be sorted out pretty quick, at least. what will really suck is having to restock all my fridge and freezer things from scratch :/ At least I didn't *really* lose that much though.

Anyway! I'm a doctor! I have my diploma and it is framed and everything! I got hooded on stage and hugged by my department head!

...The Night Vale fangirl in me likes to point out that I am now *officially* a Hooded Figure. Whether or not I am mysterious... who can say >.>

( picture! )

So, since my last post, Dissertation panic has abated *somewhat*. I have things more or less sorted out - people were wrangled to sign everything that needed signing at that point (which involved some mailing of things to be sure about timing). Now I am only waiting on one form from my chair that I only found out about yesterday, and doesn't need to be in until July 31. I'm not too worried about it, as I can even get someone else to sign it if necessary.

I still have stress, though. My house (well... okay... a it isn't a house, it is a condo, and B I'm renting >.>) seems to be conspiring against me.

Things I'm dealing with there include:
Fleas (ARGH FLEAS)
Borked AC
Borked Internet.

Fortunately, I'm not actually staying there this summer - I'm house/pet sitting (erm, for my Chair... but really that is because our dogs are doggie-bffs. They pet sit for me all the time, too). But since I have no license (ironically I do have access to a car I could use if I did, *sigh*), it is a lot of going back and forth to check in on things and make appointments and etc. And it is Texas summer, which means it is ass-tastically hot. So, that's a thing.

( Fleas, ugh )

( AC, ugh )


( Internets come baaack ;_; )

( Oh and also money /o\ ) So anyway.. Stress.

I promise that next time I update it will only be good things. Possibly cookies :) Right now I'm off to pick up some dog food so I can feed the fuzzy ones and prevent a revolt!

Merc is coming in to town and should be here today around 5... so in 3.5 hours, eeep! I need to do laundry, have something else to eat, tidy the kitchen, and do some diss writing. Let's see if some or all of that can happen, or if I am just going to sit on the couch reading porn battle and doing forum rp >.>

I did at least get the vacuuming finished, and some odds and ends put away. I think lunch then dishes then writing until it is time to go walk JJ.

She leaves sometime on Tuesday, but that is also the day that Shelby is moving in... which means I will have more animals in the house, and we need to figure out how to introduce the dogs, and figure out and settle into new housemate and new animal routines. Still need to email my committee too, but I will aim to do that sometime tomorrow.

*flail*

In other news, I am cutting myself off from starting any stories other than drabbles until I'm done the diss. That said, I actually have ideas for some drabble series, so we'll see how that works out for me ;p

In other other news, I am mini-obsessed with this song currently, and am hoping I can learn it by repeated listening. We'll see :V

I have today off! My whole work schedule is completely messed up because of Christmas (making up a 40-hour over 2 week pay period that started on the 27th when we only started back on ther 2nd), work training (I have 2 8-hour museums database training days next week), MLK day (I get paid hourly, so stat holidays just mean re-organizing my hours), and some other work-related irregularities (I have to help move some giant paintings tomorrow, but don't usually work Fridays *or afternoons, plus we have installations to get ready for opening on the 17th..). Anyway. I don't work today and not until 1 tomorrow.

This irregular schedule makes it hard fore me to get other things done, like dissertation work (though I have been plugging away at things) or house cleaning. My house is a tip and I haven't vaccuumed since before Christmas, and it is driving me (and my allergies!) nuts!. So I am hoping to get a lot of that stuff straightened out today. I've already run the dishwasher, so that's so hope for the kitche, but honestly that is the least scary room. My bedroom is particularly distressing, and I have a lot of picking up to do in the living room as well. It coudl eb a lot worse, but still - it needs doing. I also have a knitting project i really want to finish today. I can hopefully use that as a cleaning break :)

Once my room is more together, I can put away the pile of clean laundry that has accumulated in the reading room...

Better get on all this, I guess! I also need to thaw some meat for dinner... meant to do that yesterday :/

Off I go :)

Last night I bought a too-big bag of jelly beans and I can't stop eating them. I have, at least, managed to whittle down the overabundance of watermelon ones I would up with due to a broken dispenser. Now I'm just left wondering what possessed me to buy three different types of lemon ones.

Yesterday, I made arrangements to take some flyers and stuff (if I get said stuff it in time) to Aggiecon to represent the Organization for Transformative Works. I will probably just leave it out on the swag table, but if I wind up going at all maybe I will make a transfer t-shirt or something that says, like "Ask me about the OTW!" and/or "Ask me about AO3"! I doubt I am that organized, though.

Thinking about it, though, made me decide that I'd like to put some token entries, at least, up on the Fanlore wiki for some of the fannish stuff I was involved with back in the day - mostly FFRPG and NuRPG. The archives are still online last I checked, and chronicling this sort of this is pretty much exactly what Fanlore is about. They deseerve a footnote, at least, in the history of fandom.... even if while I was involved in them I had no idea what 'fandom' was conceptually. Maybe I will even drag out something on the Black Pheonix Alchemy Lab Explorer's Society... which was basically an RPS on the perfume forum where our forum avatars went on wacky adventures, in theory to collect rare ingredients for the Lab. We even had a t-shirt! It might still be in the store :3 But this is a long term 'when I have time' kind of thing so... who knows. I always seem to have better things to do with my time :p

This morning, I need to put away the laundry I did last week (I'm getting really really bad at this housekeeping thing again) and tidy the kitchen (I haven't unloaded the dishwasher since, like, Monday...)

At some point I need to go pick up my dog, and tonight I believe is the showing of the Götterdämmerung. Which is not The Goddamned Ring, even if it is.

I need to get off my ass while it is actually still morning -_-