elanya

Hi all! Rising from the dead to direct you to my Yuletide Reveals post if you are interested in things I have written!

It's been a big busy year for me - I officially started my Collections Manager position at work, we moved into a house, Jola died.... Ups and downs, I guess. 2020 is looking to be busy and hectic as well, as things never seem to really slow down at work. We are working towards a big revamp of our public spaces (at least) in the next few years and are jumping into planning mode for that, and I have a lot of stuff to do with that. Especially after our exhibit person leaves in April (at the latest). She's delightful and has done so much good for our office culture that I will be very sad to see her go, though her husband is not working in Ottawa, so even if her contract wasn't ending I can't imagine she'd stay here.

I am hoping to keep up better with writing in the new year - I have so many ideas and so little time, as always. I'm hoping to get signed up for Chocolate Box this week though, so I guess stay tuned for that if you're interested? And meanwhile I will see about finishing off a few lingering things from 2019.

I finished a wingspan shawl before the new year, though! other than end weaving and blocking. So... yeah.... now my 'to-be-blocked pile of shawls is about 4 deep :x But we have more space in the new house, so I am hoping I can get that worked out if I get some good mats.

I also joined... one and a half more games? Maybe? One of them (monster of the week) may not be continuing, and the other (Changeling) I can't actually attend the scheduled sessions for so am mostly doing stuff around the edges, but of course I adore both my new characters and my head of full of ideas for them! but also my old characters.... so many stories, so little time :3

Hey all!

I've been terrible at doing much of anything lately. I haven't written a word since jukebox was due (I did a reveals post over here, and I think the story I wrote for my main assignment is definitely some of my best work. I'm stuck in my big complicated shawl and also the shawl that was supposed to be easy and mindless that i started because I don't have time to concentrate on the other one. My socks are going okay but I'm getting a little bored, tbh >.>

Work is just utter barely managed chaos and I feel like I'm dropping a million balls all the time. I am currently managing 7 people, between volunteers, students, and staff folks. They're all great, luckily! They're not all around every day and most of them are pretty self-sufficient. On Monday I'm lucky enough that I'll be able to start two of my volunteers in actual paying jobs (only min wage, which sucks, but better than nothing) on short-term contracts. But that is starting up a whole other major project _@

I seems to be falling into older fandoms more than anything else recently. I'm watching the original Japanese Macross series (I grew up on Robotech. Lisa Hayes was a personal role model). And of course I have fallen into a deep deep Good Omens hole after the new mini series. Unfortunately all the copies of the book in the house appear to be packed, or I'd be re-reading that too. David Tennant and Michael Sheen just really killed it, of course, but I keep wondering if I am the only one who thinks that Anathema gives off some strong Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez vibes?

Anyway, I don't have a lot to say about life.... It's otherwise about the same as ever?

I keep meaning to get back into a more regular journalling habit, and I keep... not doing that. Patlry because I need mental time to decompress from work and what time is left I usually use for other things like games, or writing, or other social things.

But I'm still here! I read more than I comment on most stuff. I'm probably most active on tumblr, if by active you count just reblogging all the things with no commentary and half the time no tags. It's just so easy to be mindless :p I watched all of The Dragon Prince and I think probably that's been dominating my fandom content lately. Aaravos is just so damned pretty.

I have been doing other things. I still have three games - Ye Olde Adventure Worlde, Ashnabis, and Fuck Squad. And Larp. So four but I always categorize LARP differently. I'm like....close to being finished another shawl already. This one has gone super fast. I recognize that being 25 rows from the end of a half circle shawl is sill pretty far off but it has been going really fast! It is not my usual colours, but I'm hoping I will still wear it. I'm also most of the way through another pair of socks, which is good because I'm starting to loose some to wear. Oh well, I know what my next sock pattern will be already! I've been on a kick for fairly simple patterns lately, so they've been going fast. I've also been writing more regularly without as much of a post-yuletide slump. I'm hoping I can get finished another short fic for this fan-flashworks - I'm close to being finished the row on my card, and I've been enjoying contributing there again. ON the other hand, I'd started this year with plans to maybe start writing an actual novel and that has completely not happened even a little. Or, well, I made half a page of notes and a playlist. I haven't forgotten, I just haven't done anything with it yet.

The biggest news is that I am officially getting promoted to Collections Manager at work. This is basically reflecting what I have been doing since September anyway, but it comes with a significant raise over the contract position I was hired into to years ago, which was explicitly not a management job (even though I have been managing people and resources there from the get go). The authority and responsibility are still a mental shift, but the pay is like...even more of a livable adult range than what I had been making. And I'm not really planning to change my living arrangement so hopefully I can start ding other adult things like actually saving for the future, or getting a car. This is still a contract position, but considering where things have been going and how much responsibility I'me being given, I am confident that even if this contract doesn't get renewed as is, there will be something for me, and if there isn't, I should have enough experience to move on easily. So apparently I have a career and I feel pretty good about that except for the impostor syndrome and general traumas of academia, wooh! I do find it difficult to reconcile different aspects of my life, but I do plan to continue enjoying it as much as I can. Work can be stressful and frustrating but I feel like what I am doing is important and meaningful and it can be pretty rewarding. I'm hoping I can keep making things better.

What else... Jola is still doing about the same. Her lump has grown more, but she's been more active since the weather has started getting warmer and has really been pressing me to go for longer walks. I need to find a way to protect her foot though, because she drags it a bit and it is wearing down her nails so much they'd been bleeding. I have paw protectors I use for her in the winter, but the friction is not really what they're built for and they've been wearing out too fast. I'll have to see if I can get her a more durable bootie and hope she'll wear it. Because the top of her foot is what drags, I'm afraid anything else is gong to have the same issue. But I guess I'll get 4 in a set and only need 1 at a time, and I don't really know how long they need to last still >.>

I think that's it! I have 10 days of vacation this year and am trying to decide how to use it. I think I might go see my dad on my own for a bit, as I know he'd like that. Maybe we'll do Webercon again this year too. And then - I don't know. I have so many friends scattered all over the place that I'd like to visit, and I might try and set aside some time for a trip out west to see people there if I can. 10 days in a year is really not so much, unfortunately, but I'm lucky as I do also get some days around Christmas and New Years that aren't counted towards that.

My plans this weekend though are to see if I can finish this story, work on my Jukebox signup, and have game tomorrow.... not so ambitious.

I wrote a reveals post for Chocolate box. I was INCREDIBLY spoiled!

In other news, I am "finished" the shawl I was working on in the sense that it needs blocking and washing and end weaving and I have no idea when I'll have a chance to do any of that. I've started a new shawl that I got the yarn and pattern for like a yer and a half or more ago, and I'm loving it! I also cast on some socks for bus knitting.

I've come to the conclusion and also come to terms with the fact that as much as I love my Karbonz needles, they are really hard on my hand. The rigidity and texture of the carbon fiber is nice in some ways, but I wind up holding all the tension in my fingers and after a while they ache. Wood or bamboo too better at absorbing the energy, so I don't have the same trouble. I'm slowly replacing all my dpns and circs, but I'm sad about it. OTOH painless knitting is definitely worth it.

Jola is doing okay - thanks to everyone who left comments on my post a while back, I appreciated your kind words <3. She doesn't like the cold overly much, so that's not helping. Today was a little warmer and she practically ran out of the house and wanted a much longer walk than she has been having lately. I think he mass had another small growth spurt a while ago, and she is on NSAIDs now instead of what she was on before, but otherwise shes been stable. I go back and forth on how long I think she's got.

Work is still busy but while there isn't really less to do, and my new contract is actually going to have a lot more responsibility on paper, but I am not feeling constantly overwhelmed. I'm getting into the swing of things and the new normal. Having things be less up in the air has been really helpful. I'm feeling much less pulled in different directions and I'm happy to see things moving forward.

So 2019 is upon us.

I'm not super looking forward to going back to work next week, but it does feel like I've had a real break, and I'm glad it's only a three day week ahead of me.

Jola is getting a CT scan next Sunday. She seems fine but the swelling is not getting any better, and is, if anything getting worse. She's on some pain meds that seem to help - I haven't seen her limping much except right in the morning or in the evening before they get refreshed, or if I cave and take her on the too-long walk she demands. She's been a bit more sookie lately, but only for her. However we confirmed over the break that she has been peeing in the basement, generally when she can't get someone to take her out, and are looking for a solution o she can let us know when she needs to go. Probably we'll try the old 'bells on a rope by the door' trick, which she used to know and should be easy enough to go back to.

Maze is okay. I need to take a urine sample to *his* vet at some point soon, but its so friggin *far*. I think my best bet would actually be to walk it down after work some day and then bus home from there. I'll let him out of kitty jail after the tree is down and general Christmas Debris put away. Every time I think I'm doing better with his boxes I find out that I am not, so, uh, I really need to do better. At least (other than the ego table), the other things we thought were him are *not* him. However this means that the toilet in the downstairs bathroom is leaking :p

In non-pet news, I did basically no knitting over the break, even though I'm really pretty close to finishing my shawl and super close to finishing my headband. I *did* do a ton of writing, which was nice. After not really feeling it, I got very into the yuletide spirit when it came time to help the tag-mod team with story checking. I finished my assignment and wrote two treats, and everything seemed pretty well received, with a bunch of comments on everything. I'll do a separate reveals post. I also did noms for chocolate box... I talked to Nary and Longpig and we decided to nom and request a bunch of Diablotin stuff, even though really we'd just be writing for each other if we get matched to it. I'm excited! I should do my signups...

What else, hmm. I'm not really much one for resolutions or anything like that, but I have some general goals. I'd like to write more, and journal more. I want to focus on some more original fiction, but I also just want to make time more consistently for writing. Writing everyday would be great but I'm not sure its reasonable or not. Maybe? Maybe I can start carrying a writing journal and just writing... whatever in it. Release myself form the idea that it needs to be coherent or complete or relevant. Just anything. Maybe I'll use the journal Nary got me for my birthday for that. I started poking at a bigger project yesterday but I have no faith in my own staying power there, so we'll see. It's all good practice, right? I also finished an AW fic I started before yuletide and posted it, which also feels like good momentum.

How are you all, internets world? Any fun projects planned for the new year?

Also, does anyone know any good ways to crosspost form DW to pillowfort yet?

Hello internets! I live!

I was going to just pop in to do an update about how Jukebox went (wonderfully), but I realized I probably have other things to day as well.

But I'll start with jukebox. I got THREE GIFTS :D And all were really excellent and well tailored to my likes and interests :3 Two written pieces and one art (by someone who I think must have done art for literally everyone who asked for it, not near enough o_O).

In no particular order (they really are all excellent):
Two Point Five Megabytes Across A Quarter Million Miles (617 words) by AlexSeanchai
Chapters: 2/2
Fandom: 250000 Miles - Patty Griffin (Song)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Additional Tags: Near Future, Science Fiction, Implied/Referenced Homophobia
Summary:

SEEKING ADVENTURE? ROMANCE? THE GREAT UNKNOWN?

The American Tau Ceti Company seeks venturers to Lán Hǎi!

The Kǎilíng sets sail from East Tsukishi Port on 30 June 2047—be aboard!

This has Complicated Family stuff that is both painful and liberating. I really enjoyed the perspectives offered in the two chapters, though my sympathy lies with the second.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (6 words) by AlTheAlchemist
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Culling of the Fold - The Decemberists (Song)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Additional Tags: Blood, Art
I just love this. Best title. Whelp, someone's got to do it :x

His White Hause-Bane (2369 words) by Edonohana
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Twa Corbies (Traditional Song)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Summary:

I rode to the castle, thinking to ask for directions to put me on my way and hoping for an invitation to dine with the lord and spend the night, for the day was very cold. Perhaps it was my hopeful thoughts of mead and hot meat that distracted me, or perhaps it was something else. But I had dismounted before I realized that there was something strange about the place, and was almost at the doors before I knew what it was.

There was nothing else in sight. No other homes, no fields, no orchards. Nothing but the castle, rising from the mud like a great white tooth.

This is just a really wonderful take on the song, and a nice creepy faery tale to boot.

As for things I wrote, one full length fic for my assignment, and then three drabbles as treats, both of which seem better received. Such is a writer's life!

Traps for Troubadours (3459 words) by Measured_Words
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Sympathy for the Devil - The Rolling Stones (Song)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Original Characters
Additional Tags: Music, Musicians, Band Break Up, Partying, Crossroads Deals & Demons
Summary:

We have a chance to make it big.

"What will you do to make it happen?" Kana asks me.

I don't think she's going to like the answer.

Crusade (100 words) by Precisely_Measured_Words
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Blood Under the Bridge - Frightened Rabbit (Song)
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Original Characters
Additional Tags: Trauma, Crusades, Drabble, Good versus Evil
Summary:

Empathy can be a fleeting thing, and comfort hard to find.

Undermine (100 words) by Precisely_Measured_Words
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Build That Wall (Zia's Theme) - Darren Korb (Song)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Original Characters
Additional Tags: Insurrection, Conspiracy, Construction, Drabble
Summary:

There's more than one way around a barrier.

Vows (100 words) by Precisely_Measured_Words
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Rusalka Rusalka / Wild Rushes - The Decemberists (Song)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Relationships: Original Male Character/Rusalka
Characters: Original Male Character(s), Rusalka (Rusalka Rusalka)
Additional Tags: Marriage, Sea Monsters, Regret, Curses, Horror, Drabble, Canonical Character Death
Summary:

To have and to hold...

As for other things to natter about... I finished a couple of pairs of socks a few weeks ago, and now have only one real project on the go. I started some handwarmers at larp but I was doing them on the fly and don't really know if I want to finish them or not. I've been reading on the bus, too, so I haven't really started anything new, just working on the one shawl. I did start a new long-term weaving project, which someday will be a scrap blanket. I wove one strip basically in an afternoon after I got the loom warped, but what will take longer is amassing the scraps! Gotta knit more socks I guess, oh well :V

Speaking of things ending, Diablotin 3, which we started playing in October 2014, ended last Sunday. I'm gonna miss it for sure, though there has been some talk of another game to replace it, and the eventuality of Diablotin 4 in another year or so, or in a few years... we;ll see :3 Meanwhile I still have Fuck Squad and YOAW and Larp! SO basically I ca't really complain even though I haven't really quite accepted that its done ;_; My Character had a pretty good ending - she got married, she works for the emperor, and she got to take down the final boss with a ridiculous amount of damage. She's got a better relationship with her family, who are all themselves doing better, with the exception of her sister who got stuck as the guardian to a semi-sentient extra-dimensional gate. But it's only for a few years, and we can visit :3 It was at least a good and satisfying ending, if it had to end ;_;

I feel like I had other nattering to do but I can't remember what, and I wanted to start working on my fic for the Throk Zine (Scorpius!), so I think I might go grab a snack and do that.

Remember when I used to scramble last minute before midnight to try and make a daily post? Let's try something like that because I feel out of touch.

Work is entering a phase of being bananas that is likely to last quite a long time. We just got in a collection of about 2000 boxes (may not refer to actual boxes), many of which need to be repackaged/rehoused pronto, including/especially some of the boxes that didn't quite make it through the move. Amazingly, the move was finished before about 3:00 today, having started at 8:30. I actually had the easy part, overseeing things leaving the other facility, as opposed to the stuff coming in on our side. But everything about the collections is My Job, or my job to organize (I don't have to physically do it, thank goodness), and that's on top of my regular work. Fortunately I seem to have a decent amount of help at the moment! but there a bunch of other stuff going down along side it too that makes it all extra cray cray.

I went to a Pi Day Pie Party tonight! I made my poison pie (chocolate almond cayenne), which I managed to make totally gluten free! I made an almond flour crust which turned out really nicely, and I subbed 2 tbsp of cornstarch for the flour in the filling, and used a non-glutenous chocolate. A piece was saved for someone who wasn't able to make it and I hope it doesn't kill her! It needed more cayenne, though :(

What else what else... Games continue to all be awesome! I have been reposting my GM's game writeups on my tumblr for pathfinder under "the fuck squad" as a tag. My other games are all online text ones and the logs are on the rocksfall wiki. The sessions are all broken up into scenes and there are summaries for each, if ever anyone was curious.

I've been having issues with my hands lately so I haven't been doing too much crafting. I did a little weaving to use up some stash yarn and made a dish towel and cloth, but they wound up narrow. I've been working on the same pair of basic socks for ages because I keep having to take breaks. And I'm still working on Skara Brae... But it is coming along pretty well now that I am giving it attention again! And I'm just about to start the gusset on my second sock, so really they are almost done. I already have a next sock pattern lined up too...

I think that's basically my life? It is march break and Wererogue's mum is up visiting for a few weeks so I am having to adjust to having an extra person around, though she is't staying with us. I mostly see her in the evenings. I think Longpig is pretty thoroughly DONE though. Two more days - you can make it!

I made my reveals post over on my writing journal.

Nary is here again this weekend for more of her bookbinding course, and we have another out-of-town friend visiting as well, so it has been busy here! I did manage to get signed up for Space Swap at the last minute, and then it will be Jukebox, probably, so I guess we'll see if I get anything else written.

I did a little drabble for the tumblr Sexus Mini Event thing too, so hurrah! I have a lot of vague ideas for things to write but little enough actual motivation, for whatever reason. I finished off a couple of knitting projects though, including the Valentines Rattes for Nary, and most of two weaving Things. And then I have socks on the go and my Skara Brae shawlette, still. And the LARP socks which may not get finished before it is really unfeasible to wear them, but we'll see. I do have an event next Saturday, and its an indoor thing, so maybe lots of knitting? I plan to finish the rest of the weaving thing soon, but I'm into a knitted part of it and the needles are so big they're hurting my hands. Also the weather is not helping, and also I fell on my hands when taking the dog out at 5:30 this am, so there's a lot of things working against me :p One of the doggos is having some intestinal distress because she makes poor choices. She's been to the vet now, though, so hopefully she'll start to get better.

I went to work, at least, though I had terrible insomnia last night. I blame the cold meds. I was out for two hours and then basically didn't get any real sleep after that, just dozing.

Am 7eps in to Stranger Things 2! I'm enjoying it a lot!

Trying to start socks with mixed results.

Tomorrow someone is coming to look at the 3d printer.

Also there has been a slow but steady leak since the new dishwasher was installed.

I continue to believe that they will get fixed at the same time, or not at all.

But still sick. Coughing, head full of grossness. Bleh.

BUT! I FINISHED Pulled by the Sunset!

( WITNESS MEEEEEE! )

I started that in.... late January. Maybe mid February by the time I actually had the beads? It needs washing and blocking which will be....an adventure because I have no idea where to do it or how I will find the materials for it! But it is pretty anyway.

I had Diablotin, and also got my yarn wound for some socks, for the next of my larp socks, and for dad's Christmas gift. And some stash pics. And I made banana bread with my also plague-ridden nephews.

And I drank a lot of tea, and hot lemon with ginger and honey. Which I am, in fact doing right now.

Stupid cold :/