Seven things every child needs to hear_ I love you, I’m proud of you, I’m sorry, I forgive you, I’m listening. This is your responsibility. You have what it takes to succeed. Sherrie Campbell, PhD(2) – Keep Toddlers Busy
Seven things every child needs to hear_ I love you, I’m proud of you, I’m sorry, I forgive you, I’m listening. This is your responsibility. You have what it takes to succeed. Sherrie Campbell, PhD(2)
16. You can have three wishes (for yourself, so forget all the 'world peace, etc.' malarkey) - what are they?:
4. Favorite Movie: Today it's Grosse Pointe Blank, because I just got it on DVD and can't wait to see it again.
15. Tell me one odd/interesting fact about you: I had a job once where I had to underline prohibited language in local union newsletters during the Teamster's presidential election. Big Brother was Me.
16. You can have three wishes (for yourself, so forget all the 'world peace, etc.' malarkey) - what are they?: 1. be able to teleport wherever I want to go (without adverse consequences) 2. Finish reading "Dahlgren" without going mad or giving up in frustration/boredom 3. Have Firefly back on the air.
18. Which country is your spiritual home?: More and more it seems like Canada. Though I've never been there.
22. Describe your accent: Great Lakes, though I've picked up the mid-atlantic "soda" to the horror of the "pop" drinkers back home.
24. What do you wear to sleep?: Last night it was a teeshirt emblazoned with the words "litho dog" and the head of a Weimaraner. Long story.
27. If I only had one day to live, what would we do together?: Whatever you'd want, babe. I like your cabin idea. Peaceful.
29. One other thing I must know in order to understand you: I can be immensely reticent in person, especially in crowds, and it can come across as aloof if you don't know me.
Gross Pointe Blank! Great film! You are Big Brother? Veeeery interesting. The teleport idea is a nifty one.
Firefly, oh Firefly. 13 episodes that created a canon to live by. I need to show you my AU Serenity vid someday, wherein River and the Operative are bright and dark Angels of Death battling to determine the final destination of the crew of the Serenity. I've never published it, because it's incomprehensible to anyone who isn't, you know, ME. But I like it! In fact ... Here it is.
Firefly, oh Firefly. 13 episodes that created a canon to live by. I need to show you my AU Serenity vid someday, wherein River and the Operative are bright and dark Angels of Death battling to determine the final destination of the crew of the Serenity. I've never published it, because it's incomprehensible to anyone who isn't, you know, ME. But I like it! In fact ... <a href="http://keerawa.slashcity.org/vids/AfterlifeBeta.zip">Here</a> it is.
<i?more HL fic? Is that fair?</i> Fair? Yes. Probable? Who knows. For me, writing is like fishing. I just hang out and wait for the Muses to nibble.
re: HL fic... it's a case of the pot calling the kettle black, as I've been grabbed by the throat by Miami Vice for the past year.
4. Favorite Movie: Hmmm, it's been either "The Shawshank Redemption" or "Forrest Gump" since 1994, and I need to find a new favorite since my tastes must have changed since I was fourteen. They must have.
6. Favorite Band/Artist: *quiet voice* Bruce Springsteen. I suspect I may actually be a fourteen year-old boy from Jersey.
7. Dirty or Clean: I'm not sure what the question refers to. My housekeeping habits? My sexual predilections? I'll play safe and say "clean" for both.
8. Tattoos and/or Piercings: I did have a tongue piercing but got rid of it after I finished my undergrad degree. And that turned out to be a mistake, because piercings win you extra credit in grad school.
9. Do we know each other outside of LJ?: Nope, sadly :-( I really hope you're coming to con_txt or the possible Seattle con, or at least MJ in 2009. Because I need to fangirl you shamelessly!
10. What's your philosophy on life?: Don't add to the pain or burdens of others, and when the opportunity presents itself help them lighten the load.
12. Would you keep a secret from me if you thought it was in my best interest?: Definitely. I firmly believe that truth is a practical monster, one you should keep caged when it threatens to go on a rampage of destruction. There's no sin in protecting the people you love, even from the truth, or from themselves.
13. What is your favorite memory of us?: Um, I liked your recent story about the grungy hotel room. That was pretty disgusting in a really fabulous way.
14. What is your favorite guilty pleasure?: Home reno/design shows. I have literally lost whole weekends of my life to TLC and the Home & Garden channel.
15. Tell me one odd/interesting fact about you: I drag this tired one out for every meme, but I have no sense of smell. I lost it in a childhood accident, and it greatly affects my ability to taste and enjoy food.
16. You can have three wishes (for yourself, so forget all the 'world peace, etc.' malarkey) - what are they?: Oooh, tough one. I guess they'd be:
b) To locate some initiative and find a doctor here in Ontario. Doctors terrify me and I really do need some new prescriptions, so I have to get over my irrational phobia and make the necessary calls.
17. Can we get together and make a cake?: Absolutely! It is my fondest desire to bake a keerawa-shaped cake. I'm terrible at anything involving ovens or mixing (ironic, because I used to be a baker) so you'll have to lead the way and I'll handle the icing or something.
18. Which country is your spiritual home?: I've only lived in Canada so I'll answer this by identifying the part of the country that has really captured me. I'm from northern BC originally but I really love Vancouver Island and the ocean, and so if I return to the west coast (which I hope to do someday soon) I want to live on the island about a thousand miles south of where I grew up.
20. Do you think I'm a good person?: I think you're an excellent person! You're always very sweet and kind and you have terrific and insightful things to say. For reals!
21. What was your best/favorite subject at school?: I always liked History and English the best, and I excelled in those subjects. Math was a nightmare.
22. Describe your accent: I didn't really think I had an accent until I met with all the fangirls in Boston for MJ. I realize now that I have quite a pronounced Canadian accent, and that I sound quite a bit different from my boyfriend (who grew up on Vancouver Island). It comes out mainly in a few key words: "buried" and "process," "sorry," "about" and "odds" (which sounds like "oz" to the point where I thoroughly confused poor ignazwisdom). I also slur my words fairly often and run them together because I speak very quickly, as anyone who has listened to my podfic can attest.
23. If you could change anything about me, would you?: I wish you'd write and post more often. I love your stories and I do a very off-putting squee/dance of joy whenever I see you've got something new up. So...I'd boost your creative output. There.
25. Trousers or skirts?: Skirts! I love my skirts. They're usually some awful bright colour paired with an equally bright blouse or t-shirt (in jewel tones, no less!) and I've been asked before if I'm colourblind.
26. Cigarettes or alcohol?: I don't smoke unless I'm drinking. When scarfe loses track of me in a bar he usually checks the smoking room, and I'm usually there bumming cigarettes. It's a terrible and very strange habit, but luckily I don't drink that often.
27. If I only had one day to live, what would we do together?: We would watch some wonderful life-affirming episodes of due South (boykissing!) and then I'd take you on a hike of the provincial park where I worked a few summers ago, and we would admire the trees and mountains and waterfalls and deer and moose and bears (from a distance) and eat delicious mini-sandwiches and take pictures so that the day would always be with us. And you wouldn't die at the end, because that's silly and rather sad.
28. Will you re-post this so I can fill it out for you?: Sure thing! Unless you've already done it, and then you could just direct me to that post and save yourself a lot of cutting and pasting. /practical
29. One other thing I must know in order to understand you: I'm feeling a little druggy due to some PMS-related medicine, so my answers may seem a bit more random than usual. I apologize. (I also apologize a lot for things that may or may not be my fault. I'm one of those Canadians who say, "I'm sorry!" when someone steps on my foot).
RCMP or law school, huh? Now I just wouldn't have guessed that. Would incessant badgering help with the Rentboy AU? Because I really REALLY want to read it.
I wish you'd write and post more often. But it's August! August is a difficult month for writing, but it's pretty good for vidding. Now I'm on tenderhooks waiting for my beta to get back to me about my BSG vid.
How's about we just go BUY a cake, and spend the time we save hanging out together? You apologize when stepped on? How charming! *resists the urge to test it out*
Yeah, everyone seems pretty shocked when I announce my intentions to be part of a para-military organization. I think I put off a vibe.
I know August is difficult, and that's why you get a pass. But come winter? I expect mucho fic! /thus endth my attempt to intimidate you into writing more. And good call with the buying-the-cake thing. You'll clearly be the brains of the operation.
\o/ Seriously, this makes me so happy! The attendees list for this con is literally making me salivatate. (Or salivate? I fail at English).
And man, you are the person I need to talk to when I need a very vivid illustration of a particular smell. First you give me the bleached sheets from that disgusting motel room (which I cribbed for part of the rentboy story) and NOW you give me dogs rolling in rotton salmon. That's wonderfully off-putting, and it's so terrible I can actually visualize the smell! So...thanks!
Teehee, I'm like a seeing-eye (smelling-nose) dog for the olfactorially impaired! I'm so glad someone in the world is getting something useful out of that motel room, because, really, UGH.
"The Shawshank Redemption" was a masterpiece. I suspect I may actually be a fourteen year-old boy from Jersey. *snickers*
I would have a terrible time cooking without a sense of smell. Although it would make my dog's prediliction for rolling in rotting salmon during spawning season much less painful.
12. Would you keep a secret from me if you thought it was in my best interest?: I don't work like that
15. Tell me one odd/interesting fact about you: I'm really fascinating. I cleverly disguise it with being boring most of the time.
16. You can have three wishes (for yourself, so forget all the 'world peace, etc.' malarkey) - what are they?: Health, money, unlimited power over everything?
27. If I only had one day to live, what would we do together?: Whatever you want that I can handle, probably.
28. Will you re-post this so I can fill it out for you?: No, but fill it here in the comments? :) I try not to post in LJ if I can help it.
I haven't got ten hours for your personal philosophy right now, but the brain's pretty stretchy. Give it to me piece meal, if you ever feel in the mood.
If you could change anything about me, would you?: I really don't do that. I find that a tremendous relief, given your desire for unlimited power over everything.
I enjoy getting to know you better bit by bit, Adam! And I've stuck MY answers in the comments if you'd like to peer at them.
My personal philosophy, with or without the bit about unlimited power, is something I don't tend to put into words... more into long-winded debates. Heh. No, I really can't... just write it down like a clean-cut, decided approach.
I did learn things about you from your replies. That's a nice, fun feeling. Not in a creepy way, *grin*.
4. Favorite Movie: Can't choose! I have four: 84 Charing Cross Road, Last of the Dogmen, Hard Core Logo, and Wilby Wonderful.
6. Favorite Band/Artist: Also can't choose: Headstones, Tragically Hip, and Great Big Sea all rock my world and save my sanity.
8. Tattoos and/or Piercings: Just pierced ears, though I haven't worn earrings in so long, they may have closed up by now. Dunno.
12. Would you keep a secret from me if you thought it was in my best interest?: Only with extreme reluctance.
15. Tell me one odd/interesting fact about you: My hair started going gray at 25; I had it colored from ages 30-45, but now it's all grown out gray. I like it. :-)
16. You can have three wishes (for yourself, so forget all the 'world peace, etc.' malarkey) - what are they?: Perfect health for the rest of my natural life; metric buttloads of money so I can live comfortably without ever worrying about finances and still have a bunch to give away; aaaaaand the chance to sing with any one of a handful of my favorite musicians (nothing public; just informal jamming).
17. Can we get together and make a cake?: Sure, if you know how. I'm okay if it's a mix in a box, but other than that, you're in charge. *g*
28. Will you re-post this so I can fill it out for you?: Not this time, because I've done it before a couple of times and I don't want to spam my flist. But if you want to do it in a reply to this comment, that'd be cool. :-)
I think you and I need to combine our mad baking skillz and come up with a truly horrific cake. It would be all lumpy and misshapen and probably taste like cardboard. BUT it would be ours, and we would love it. And then we would celebrate our failure with pizza.
Clearly I'm starving, since the only response to your answers I can come up with revolves around mutant cake fantasies. Yikes!
And pizza is celebration or consolation for pretty much anything. Even, on occasion, both at the same time. *nods*
Hiya Mal/Linda! I'd love an upload of your personal anthem. Oddly enough, I find grey hair kinda hot, so there you go!
the chance to sing with any one of a handful of my favorite musicians (nothing public; just informal jamming). What a grand wish! I never made a living singing, but it's always been something I enjoyed.
I was very fond of pizza until I realized the health problems I was having could mainly be traced back to consuming dairy products. Soy milk is fine, but I MISS my cheese.
Dude, no cheese? *quails at the thought* Save me from such a fate! I'm lactose intolerant, but cheese doesn't bother me, nor do yogurt and butter, and I can take Lactaid (digestive enzymes) which allows me to have milk, too.
There are maybe half a dozen guys I'd dearly love to sing with. It's pretty much my number one celebrity fantasy. And yes, Paul Gross is one of them. *g*
Another is Alan Doyle of Great Big Sea, who's the lead singer on Ordinary Day (YSI link). A reviewer once called their music "relentlessly optimistic" which I think is an outstanding description. Enjoy! :-)
By popular demand, I'm responding to my own meme. Which makes me feel a bit like .. what's that snake who eats his own tail? Ouborous? Yeah, him.
8. Tattoos and/or Piercings: Not any more. The one piercing I had got horribly infected so I haven't tried again.
10. What's your philosophy on life?: You can either spread postitive or negative vibes in this life. It's better to stay positive.
14. What is your favorite guilty pleasure?: Zingers, and staying u WAAAAY too late doing fun things.
16. You can have three wishes (for yourself, so forget all the 'world peace, etc.' malarkey) - what are they?: I want to inspire my most difficult students, get better at vidding, and not die alone.
19. What is your big weakness?: I can be blind to other people's needs, so that I'm unintentionally hurtful.
22. Describe your accent: Fairly neutral "broadcaster" American, but I tend to pick up other people's accents and speech patterns quite quickly.
27. If I only had one day to live, what would we do together?: I vote for casual but tender intimacy in a cabin on the seashore. And, really, I think I'd be happy doing that with any of you folks. As much as I can tell, without having met you in person, of course.
A Zinger is a rasberry-flavored Twinkie covered in coconut. I get these terrible cravings for them at odd moments.
Wow, that means I have three very bright, talented women with Asperger's on my flist. Before fandom, I don't think I'd ever met anyone with Asperger's. Curious.
Boy, can I identify with that! I love people, but I'm a hardcore introvert. If I don't have large, frequent doses of solitude, I go a little bit nuts. That's why I don't have roommates at cons, in spite of the cost of rooming alone. I need to be able to escape to my own private space now and then.
Wow, that means I have three very bright, talented women with Asperger's on my flist. I'm not terribly surprised. Socializing and communicating electronically does make things MUCH easier.
What do you teach? At what age level? I teach math and science to 14 year-olds in an urban middle school. It's more than a job -- it's an adventure!
For the month of January 2010 only 2 homes sold in Corte Madera for an average final selling price of $707,750.
Of the 2 homes that sold (1 of which was a distress sale) both sold for less than their original asking price.
A couple of weeks ago, I featured a cover reveal for a new science fiction romance novella, Fire Up My Heart by Asta Idonea (aka Nicki J Markus). Today, to help celebrate the release, I have an excerpt and an audio sneak peek to share! Before I get to that, though, let me just say: I loved this story! Both Fane and Jo-E were engaging, but Jo-E especially stole my heart. The simplicity of his emotions and desires was so refreshing. Sometimes a love story doesn’t need to be more complicated than a need to be close. Of course, with Jo-E being a service Bot, this story is just a little more complicated.
It was raining cats and dogs when Fane Maddox left the club and made his way through Soho’s neon-lit streets. His shift at Spunk, London’s rundown retro gay bar, had finished at 2:00 a.m., and his weary feet ached as he commenced the long walk back to his flat in Finsbury Park.
On foot, it was a journey of a good hour and a half, but it wasn’t as if he had any other options. The first tube service on a Sunday morning didn’t begin until gone seven, and since a lack of customers, combined with a recent petrol shortage, had led to the cancellation of all London’s night buses, it was a case of walking or taking a taxi. Thanks to the fuel hike, the cost of a black cab was extortionate these days, and the trip home in one would use up all his tips for the night. Therefore, he had no choice but to rely on his own two feet. At least the long walks kept him fit.
He would have passed the alley without a second glance. However, at that moment, the neon sign that wrapped around the corner of the building flickered, drawing his gaze. He started to turn away, then looked back, convinced he must be seeing things. Either he was losing his mind, or there were a pair of legs dangling over the side of the huge garbage bin at the entrance to the alleyway.
Fane dithered. He was tired and sopping wet. The last thing he wanted was to be responsible for finding a dead body. He’d have to call the cops, and who knew how long it would take them to show. If they turned up at all. In the meantime he’d be left standing in this downpour and, knowing his luck, would probably catch pneumonia. Then again, maybe the guy was merely drunk or injured and in need of assistance. Could Fane live with himself if he walked on by?
Heaving a sigh, Fane shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans and crossed the street. Once he reached the alley, he glanced left and right. Then, seeing no one around, he boosted himself up and into the dumpster.
The bags of rubbish crunched and shifted beneath him. He lost his balance and shot out a hand, grabbing hold of the rim of the bin to steady himself. One of the bags must have split under his weight, because a foul smell wafted through the air. Fane screwed up his nose. Determined to make a speedy exit, he scrambled two steps forward to reach the body.
Even in the dim, stuttering neon glow, it only took him a second to realize his mistake. This wasn’t a body. At least not a human one.