So, you may have heard that one of my all-time favorite TV shows is supposed to make a comeback. A publisher I've never heard of called Zeros 2 Heroes is apparently taking over the franchise. (Edit: Actually, Zeros 2 Heroes is a "social media company" that is handling the community part and possibly the webcomic part of the new effort; the actual production company is Rainmaker Animation, which apparently bought out Mainframe Entertainment.) Five different groups have presented concepts on their website, and fans are rating and commenting on them.
I looked them over and wasn't very happy, but I didn't expect to be. Maybe a cool show will come out of all of this, but it's not going to be the ReBoot I fell in love with. Hell, season 4 wasn't, either. In seasons 1 and 2, Bob was Han Solo, perfectly willing to delete Megabyte if he got the chance, but in season 4, suddenly Greedo shot first. (And Dot had apparently lost her mind.)
Some of the new incarnations don't bother to give us our old characters, or when they do, it's in a vague, "in the past" kind of way. The ones that do "continue" the story completely destroy the characters...Bob becomes a big bruiser in one of them, and Mad Max in another. Isn't this what games are for? And also, it's been done. Even if we ignore season 4 hippie Bob, I can't see Guardian 452 turning into a musclehead. It's just not...him.
In one incarnation, Dot is actually described as "just a girl". What? In another, somehow she is married to Megabyte and the mother of a child with two fathers. What?
After season 4, I've had about enough of Dot getting the shaft, thanks. I'd like to see her kick some ass, like she did in the first three seasons.
There is no way Dot would ever think of herself as "just a girl", and there is no way she would knowingly and willingly marry Megabyte, regardless of whether or not she had "code growing inside her". (Bleh.)
Matrix and AndrAIa, who probably fit these new "hardcore" (snerk) concepts better than our original cast, are curiously absent, though one of the concept creators promised they'd show up later.
In most of these stories, Mainframe has been destroyed. In some of them, the city doesn't even appear at all. Mainframe is kind of like one of the main characters of the original show, and the search for it was the entire point of season 3. Plus, Mainframe is awesome. Why would you ever get rid of it?
And then, oh and then, there's the art. All but one of the designs goes completely off from the look of the original show. Honestly? I don't think the show needed an updated look. Smoother animation, better textures, maybe. But it doesn't have to look world-realistic...it's happening inside a computer. I think season 3 was as far as they should have gone with tweaking the look. Season 4 crossed the line--somehow, the characters looked like action figures who didn't quite seem to be placed properly in the scene, like they were filmed on a green screen. Now these new concepts are telling me that my beloved characters won't even look like themselves.
What reason do I have to watch this new incarnation, really? I can't seem to find one.
I think I will just have to write this off. And while I'm at it, I'll write off season 4, too. Season 3 had a perfectly good ending. Sure, they didn't beat Daemon, nor did they meet "the User", but they saved Mainframe and they were all reunited. It ended with a sense of hope. I'd rather leave ReBoot there than with all these new, "darc" incarnations--season 4 included.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Sunday, July 29, 2007
An interesting snippet from the first maru-ma light novel
Yuuri is having dinner with the previous Maou and her family, as shown in the anime. They get to talking about what Yuuri's world is like, and he mentions science and technology. At first everyone's response is that the humans have things like that to try and kill people from a long distance away, but Yuuri quickly says that he's not talking about war technology, but technology for improving people's lives.
I love the idea of people being free to do whatever pleases them, but I wonder if that's even possible. Not everyone is as self-motivated as the author of that story (though we certainly wish we were sometimes!). So if people really were free to do whatever they wanted, would things really be different from now? Wouldn't quite a few people sit around wallowing in boredom, watching TV, supported by the infrastructure and entertained by the people who did have motivation? And what about people who just want to have fun, and don't care about producing anything or offering a service? I, for example, want to travel and eat. How would those things better society?
(And who maintains the robots?)
Anyway, I just thought it was interesting to see that sort of philosophical question appear in maru-ma.
(By the way, "maru-ma" is the term used to encompass all facets of the story which was made into an anime called Kyou Kara Maou. The light novels have names with variations on "Ma no Tsuku", for example. The common thread among all these is the "Ma", roughly meaning "demon", which is always enclosed in a circle, called "Maru", hence "maru-ma".)
"Wait wait wait, I didn't mean that kind of science! In short, well, umm, machines that will do troublesome chores like cleaning and laundry, and machines that will plow fields all at once. In short, stuff to make daily living more comfortable."I read a utopian story once--can't remember the name, thought it was by Doctorow but am having trouble locating it--in which robots did all the menial tasks, freeing up people to pursue whatever activities they desired. People's pursuits were profitable because there was typically a market for them. The pursuits were also typically creative. Unfortunately, to reach this point of bliss, the world had to go through a period of war, during which the US created the robots now being used to better people's lives. In the story, the US was pretty totalitarian, and the utopia was in Australia.
Cheri seems sweetly surprised.
"I don't think cleaning and laundry are troublesome. That's the job of the cleaning men and laundry women."
I didn't even think about how the queen lives up to now.
"So, so, instead of people in charge of cleaning or laundry, you'd have a machine."
"If that's so, the servants lose their jobs?"
"If that happens, those people work at factories to build vacuum cleaners and washing machines..."
I don't really know if people can live easily.
Translation from Onadoru Euphoria.
I love the idea of people being free to do whatever pleases them, but I wonder if that's even possible. Not everyone is as self-motivated as the author of that story (though we certainly wish we were sometimes!). So if people really were free to do whatever they wanted, would things really be different from now? Wouldn't quite a few people sit around wallowing in boredom, watching TV, supported by the infrastructure and entertained by the people who did have motivation? And what about people who just want to have fun, and don't care about producing anything or offering a service? I, for example, want to travel and eat. How would those things better society?
(And who maintains the robots?)
Anyway, I just thought it was interesting to see that sort of philosophical question appear in maru-ma.
(By the way, "maru-ma" is the term used to encompass all facets of the story which was made into an anime called Kyou Kara Maou. The light novels have names with variations on "Ma no Tsuku", for example. The common thread among all these is the "Ma", roughly meaning "demon", which is always enclosed in a circle, called "Maru", hence "maru-ma".)
8 Random Things
Brooke tagged me 57 years ago to list 8 random things about myself, then tag 8 other bloggers to do the same. I'm getting around to it today, for some reason.
1. I hate our apartment. I really do. I've done what I can do so far to make it nice--more could obviously be done--but it finally hit me yesterday that I just hate it, and I don't care about doing anything else to it. I loved our old apartment, and I want to live somewhere nice like that again, with a non-shotgun floor plan and vaulted ceilings and fewer bugs.
2. When I first moved here, I thought "Wife Saver" was a highly offensive name for a restaurant, and I still do. But I also thought it was hilarious, and I still do. And as you probably know, it's one of my favorite places to eat.
3. I'm going to buy a dining room table soon. It has to be done.
4. I want to find some friends, because whenever I get the urge to go out and do something, I have no one to do it with. But when I make friends at work, they all end up leaving for other jobs. I'm lonely.
5. I just saw a picture of Allen Schezar from Escaflowne out of the corner of my eye and wondered why Kyou Kara Maou's Gunter had blond hair.
6. I hate being a woman. We're more in touch with how we feel about things, which means we make decisions based more on feelings than logic, which can be good...but at the same time it makes us look emotional and flighty and illogical, which makes it hard to be taken seriously. I hate that. I don't want men to roll over and do whatever women want in order to avoid a temper tantrum, but I don't want men to ignore women's feelings, either. I don't know what a good solution is.
7. I am putting off starting my Cowboy Bebop game because I lack confidence in myself. I know this, and I know I just need to get over it and do it, but it's hard.
8. My brother Ben keeps sending me cell phone pictures from the farm where he's living. I want a camera phone!
1. I hate our apartment. I really do. I've done what I can do so far to make it nice--more could obviously be done--but it finally hit me yesterday that I just hate it, and I don't care about doing anything else to it. I loved our old apartment, and I want to live somewhere nice like that again, with a non-shotgun floor plan and vaulted ceilings and fewer bugs.
2. When I first moved here, I thought "Wife Saver" was a highly offensive name for a restaurant, and I still do. But I also thought it was hilarious, and I still do. And as you probably know, it's one of my favorite places to eat.
3. I'm going to buy a dining room table soon. It has to be done.
4. I want to find some friends, because whenever I get the urge to go out and do something, I have no one to do it with. But when I make friends at work, they all end up leaving for other jobs. I'm lonely.
5. I just saw a picture of Allen Schezar from Escaflowne out of the corner of my eye and wondered why Kyou Kara Maou's Gunter had blond hair.
6. I hate being a woman. We're more in touch with how we feel about things, which means we make decisions based more on feelings than logic, which can be good...but at the same time it makes us look emotional and flighty and illogical, which makes it hard to be taken seriously. I hate that. I don't want men to roll over and do whatever women want in order to avoid a temper tantrum, but I don't want men to ignore women's feelings, either. I don't know what a good solution is.
7. I am putting off starting my Cowboy Bebop game because I lack confidence in myself. I know this, and I know I just need to get over it and do it, but it's hard.
8. My brother Ben keeps sending me cell phone pictures from the farm where he's living. I want a camera phone!
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Stress
For about two years now, I haven't really been myself. I think part of it is simply getting back on my feet, both financially and emotionally, from the fire. Whatever it is, it's meant that I haven't been comfortable, I haven't gotten into a routine...I simply live day to day with no long-term plans, ignoring everything other than what I need to deal with whatever's in front of me at the moment.
I'm tired of that. I'm tired of not having any plans on the weekend. I'm tired of not knowing that an adventure awaits me in the near future. I'm tired of chugging through life blind and deaf to the wonders around me.
So today, I took my first steps towards getting back to what I had before the fire.
No, I didn't start a new diet or workout routine or buy a bike rack (though I think I will look into that later). Instead, I removed two stressors that have weighed on me for most of the last two years.
They've always been in the background, and I've always known that I was supposed to do something about them, but I never did. And time passed, and they just seemed to get bigger and bigger, and I just kept avoiding them and feeling bad about avoiding them.
This morning I woke up thinking that I would need to deal with those two things before I could move on to other things I need to do. I tried to figure out how I would do them, now that so much time has passed.
And then it hit me. I am never going to move forward in my life if I don't forgive myself for the mistakes of the past.
These two things...I am never going to do them. I had to come to terms with that. Not only that, but I had to make things right with the people involved. I had to definitively shut the door on these two stressors, locking them out of my life once and for all.
So I did that as soon as I got out of bed.
I don't feel infinitely relieved at this point, because there are still some things I do have to do, but without those two ghosts hanging over my shoulder, I feel better-equipped to do those other things.
There is also, I think, one more thing I need to forgive myself for. But that one's even harder. Somehow, I have to forgive myself for something that wasn't even my fault.
I'm not even sure how to do that. But now I at least feel like I can do it.
I'm tired of that. I'm tired of not having any plans on the weekend. I'm tired of not knowing that an adventure awaits me in the near future. I'm tired of chugging through life blind and deaf to the wonders around me.
So today, I took my first steps towards getting back to what I had before the fire.
No, I didn't start a new diet or workout routine or buy a bike rack (though I think I will look into that later). Instead, I removed two stressors that have weighed on me for most of the last two years.
They've always been in the background, and I've always known that I was supposed to do something about them, but I never did. And time passed, and they just seemed to get bigger and bigger, and I just kept avoiding them and feeling bad about avoiding them.
This morning I woke up thinking that I would need to deal with those two things before I could move on to other things I need to do. I tried to figure out how I would do them, now that so much time has passed.
And then it hit me. I am never going to move forward in my life if I don't forgive myself for the mistakes of the past.
These two things...I am never going to do them. I had to come to terms with that. Not only that, but I had to make things right with the people involved. I had to definitively shut the door on these two stressors, locking them out of my life once and for all.
So I did that as soon as I got out of bed.
I don't feel infinitely relieved at this point, because there are still some things I do have to do, but without those two ghosts hanging over my shoulder, I feel better-equipped to do those other things.
There is also, I think, one more thing I need to forgive myself for. But that one's even harder. Somehow, I have to forgive myself for something that wasn't even my fault.
I'm not even sure how to do that. But now I at least feel like I can do it.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Damn straight, part deux
V weighs in on Michael Vick.
I love her animal shelter idea. It reminds me of my old dream of owning a big old bed and breakfast-style house and having a billion adopted and foster kids live there.
I love her animal shelter idea. It reminds me of my old dream of owning a big old bed and breakfast-style house and having a billion adopted and foster kids live there.
Damn straight
This just reminds me, yet again, how much I want to take a year off, and road trip around the US.
And I have always hated the term "flyover country" :P
And I have always hated the term "flyover country" :P
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Dreams
I've had a few dreams lately that I haven't written about for whatever reason. One of them involved my cousin dying, so maybe I didn't want to dwell on it. I remember that in the dream I blogged about it, which annoyed me when I woke up.
Last night I dreamed I was at Cumberland Falls. Connor and Logan were standing at the edge of the falls playing in the water, and I was taking pictures. I had just discovered that my cell phone did have a camera after all, so I didn't have to buy a new phone! (Ah, the power of wishful thinking.)
Jeff Laitila from Sushicam was there, too, and he was taking pictures of the falls. I remember seeing him setting up a tripod, and as I looked out on the beautiful vista I asked, "Are you going to take a panorama?" He said yes, and I asked if I should move, but he said I wasn't in the way. That made no sense so I moved anyway.
I remember setting up a really cool shot with Connor and Logan in one corner and some awesome clouds in the other, and imagining how I would crop it to make it a wide shot, and wishing I had a camera that would shoot in RAW format so I could blow it up to a huge poster.
It was really beautiful, and I was getting angles and scenes in the dream that don't actually exist at the real Cumberland Falls. (Also, there's no way Connor and Logan could play at the top of the falls, obviously.)
Last night I dreamed I was at Cumberland Falls. Connor and Logan were standing at the edge of the falls playing in the water, and I was taking pictures. I had just discovered that my cell phone did have a camera after all, so I didn't have to buy a new phone! (Ah, the power of wishful thinking.)
Jeff Laitila from Sushicam was there, too, and he was taking pictures of the falls. I remember seeing him setting up a tripod, and as I looked out on the beautiful vista I asked, "Are you going to take a panorama?" He said yes, and I asked if I should move, but he said I wasn't in the way. That made no sense so I moved anyway.
I remember setting up a really cool shot with Connor and Logan in one corner and some awesome clouds in the other, and imagining how I would crop it to make it a wide shot, and wishing I had a camera that would shoot in RAW format so I could blow it up to a huge poster.
It was really beautiful, and I was getting angles and scenes in the dream that don't actually exist at the real Cumberland Falls. (Also, there's no way Connor and Logan could play at the top of the falls, obviously.)
Sunday, July 22, 2007
I don't know what I was worried about [HP7 spoilers in comments]
That was one of the best books I've ever read.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Self-confident men
Somehow, once I was into my 20s, I was extraordinarily able to get along with young guys. I don't know if I can really make a blanket statement here, but I've had several striking experiences that have made me wonder what exactly the deal was.
I think the first time it happened was during one of my Japanese classes. There was this freshman in class who regularly sat near me--tall, lean, with curly auburn hair. He would sit slouched in his seat and grin and joke around, and, as I learned later from the guys on my Japan trip, was apparently something of a slacker. I liked him rather a lot, so much that one day I told him I wanted to adopt him.
The next time I can remember is the kid who sold me the children's magazine. I still reread those posts and laugh. Boy, did he ever enjoy the brownie!
I had another encounter with a teenage guy in line for Order of the Phoenix. I was sitting on the ground reading the novel when a large group of teenagers formed up in line behind me. Eventually one of them, of average height with dark curly hair, sat down next to me, and occasionally he'd make comments or ask questions. I Twittered about him here. (When he pointed out the girl in question, I was like, "Whoa, she's hot. Good luck, dude!" I'm such a good role model...)
At one point, the apparent organizer of the teens, who was very obviously a Harry Potter freak, started singing very loudly. This girl was also the guy's best friend, as I had previously learned. She looked over and noticed that he looked extremely embarrassed, so she yelled, "I'm his best friend! The guy with the iPhone!"
He immediately dumped his iPhone into my lap.
"Hmm," I said, picking it up. "Maybe I'll just keep this!"
They were just fun, all three experiences.
Also, I've been watching Prince of Tennis lately, and I absolutely adore all the boys in that show. They're all so unique, but yet they're all badass, and they know it.
I think I am just attracted by guys who are self-confident, and I like interacting with them. It's one of the things that originally drew me, and still draws me, to Sean. I don't think the guy necessarily has to be young--I also get crushes on older men, such as John Glover (damn he's hot). I just like men who are slick, and who know they're slick, and who therefore don't waste time on trivial stuff...but who do take the time for a nice verbal joust purely for the mutual enjoyment.
Oddly, I can't think of very many middle-aged men I'm attracted to. It could be that I still think of my dad as middle-aged, so I avoid thinking of that age group entirely. Or maybe middle-aged men just don't exude that same confidence. Maybe they're just plowing along trying to get through the day, whereas the carefree young man has his whole life ahead of him, and the old man has seen it all and doesn't give a flip anymore. It's a gross generalization, but it might fit.
Or maybe middle-aged men don't flirt because they're married! I don't know.
Those of you out there who are attracted to men, or who are unafraid to analyze your relationships with them, do you have any specific age groups that do it for you? If so, which ones, and why? What kinds of men do you enjoy being around...and are those types the same types that you choose as friends?
I think the first time it happened was during one of my Japanese classes. There was this freshman in class who regularly sat near me--tall, lean, with curly auburn hair. He would sit slouched in his seat and grin and joke around, and, as I learned later from the guys on my Japan trip, was apparently something of a slacker. I liked him rather a lot, so much that one day I told him I wanted to adopt him.
The next time I can remember is the kid who sold me the children's magazine. I still reread those posts and laugh. Boy, did he ever enjoy the brownie!
I had another encounter with a teenage guy in line for Order of the Phoenix. I was sitting on the ground reading the novel when a large group of teenagers formed up in line behind me. Eventually one of them, of average height with dark curly hair, sat down next to me, and occasionally he'd make comments or ask questions. I Twittered about him here. (When he pointed out the girl in question, I was like, "Whoa, she's hot. Good luck, dude!" I'm such a good role model...)
At one point, the apparent organizer of the teens, who was very obviously a Harry Potter freak, started singing very loudly. This girl was also the guy's best friend, as I had previously learned. She looked over and noticed that he looked extremely embarrassed, so she yelled, "I'm his best friend! The guy with the iPhone!"
He immediately dumped his iPhone into my lap.
"Hmm," I said, picking it up. "Maybe I'll just keep this!"
They were just fun, all three experiences.
Also, I've been watching Prince of Tennis lately, and I absolutely adore all the boys in that show. They're all so unique, but yet they're all badass, and they know it.
I think I am just attracted by guys who are self-confident, and I like interacting with them. It's one of the things that originally drew me, and still draws me, to Sean. I don't think the guy necessarily has to be young--I also get crushes on older men, such as John Glover (damn he's hot). I just like men who are slick, and who know they're slick, and who therefore don't waste time on trivial stuff...but who do take the time for a nice verbal joust purely for the mutual enjoyment.
Oddly, I can't think of very many middle-aged men I'm attracted to. It could be that I still think of my dad as middle-aged, so I avoid thinking of that age group entirely. Or maybe middle-aged men just don't exude that same confidence. Maybe they're just plowing along trying to get through the day, whereas the carefree young man has his whole life ahead of him, and the old man has seen it all and doesn't give a flip anymore. It's a gross generalization, but it might fit.
Or maybe middle-aged men don't flirt because they're married! I don't know.
Those of you out there who are attracted to men, or who are unafraid to analyze your relationships with them, do you have any specific age groups that do it for you? If so, which ones, and why? What kinds of men do you enjoy being around...and are those types the same types that you choose as friends?
Girl Genius yay!
When Studio Foglio put their comic Girl Genius online, there was already quite a backlog from the print version. So they released the new and old concurrently; those like me who hadn't read the comics could follow the originals day by day from the very beginning.
Though I knew about the comic for some time, it was awhile before I actually got into reading it. I think I had to wait until there was a decent archive before I could really get a feel for what it was about.
Now, of course, I'm completely hooked. It's one of my favorite webcomics. It's grandstanding yet epic, overblown but real. The characters are varied and rich in depth. And the main character learns to use powers she doesn't know she has, which I think is my favorite plotline.
Today, the originals have at last caught up with the new, online-only stuff. Which means I have a lot more reading than Harry Potter this weekend :D
I've already dug in, and I'm really enjoying being able to read the story so quickly, rather than having to wait for each new page. It's going to be tough when I'm through the archives...but I'll survive ;>
In the meantime, I'm really enjoying myself. This one made me laugh out loud.
If you haven't read Girl Genius yet, click here to start from the beginning!
Edit: This gem from the archives has always delighted me.
Edit: Fixed those links, since they changed their archiving system. Also, the "laugh out loud" link was wrong.
Though I knew about the comic for some time, it was awhile before I actually got into reading it. I think I had to wait until there was a decent archive before I could really get a feel for what it was about.
Now, of course, I'm completely hooked. It's one of my favorite webcomics. It's grandstanding yet epic, overblown but real. The characters are varied and rich in depth. And the main character learns to use powers she doesn't know she has, which I think is my favorite plotline.
Today, the originals have at last caught up with the new, online-only stuff. Which means I have a lot more reading than Harry Potter this weekend :D
I've already dug in, and I'm really enjoying being able to read the story so quickly, rather than having to wait for each new page. It's going to be tough when I'm through the archives...but I'll survive ;>
In the meantime, I'm really enjoying myself. This one made me laugh out loud.
If you haven't read Girl Genius yet, click here to start from the beginning!
Edit: This gem from the archives has always delighted me.
Edit: Fixed those links, since they changed their archiving system. Also, the "laugh out loud" link was wrong.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Gastroenteritis
So, I'm like really sick and stuff.
I always feel like I'm cheating when I take time off work when I'm sick. I really shouldn't, especially this time, because I was told by the doctor to absolutely stay home the rest of the week. I have a highly contagious stomach virus, and I need to rest and rehydrate and take medicine that will probably make me drowsy.
But aside from the varying chills and sweats and constant diarrhea, I feel okay. That's why I went to work yesterday (and came home after three hours when I saw how high my fever was) and also, like a dolt, went out to lunch with Wes and also went to see Order of the Phoenix again at 8 o'clock.
Spreading those germs everywhere was apparently my mission yesterday ;P
So I'm going to take this seriously. I picked up my prescriptions and some sports drinks and water at Walgreens, and I'm going to stay home and relax and watch anime and piddle around online and sleep for as long as it takes for this thing to go away.
I hope nobody I've been around lately caught the bug from me :( I honestly thought it was food poisoning at first, since it started while I was eating lunch, so I didn't worry about possibly being contagious.
I always feel like I'm cheating when I take time off work when I'm sick. I really shouldn't, especially this time, because I was told by the doctor to absolutely stay home the rest of the week. I have a highly contagious stomach virus, and I need to rest and rehydrate and take medicine that will probably make me drowsy.
But aside from the varying chills and sweats and constant diarrhea, I feel okay. That's why I went to work yesterday (and came home after three hours when I saw how high my fever was) and also, like a dolt, went out to lunch with Wes and also went to see Order of the Phoenix again at 8 o'clock.
Spreading those germs everywhere was apparently my mission yesterday ;P
So I'm going to take this seriously. I picked up my prescriptions and some sports drinks and water at Walgreens, and I'm going to stay home and relax and watch anime and piddle around online and sleep for as long as it takes for this thing to go away.
I hope nobody I've been around lately caught the bug from me :( I honestly thought it was food poisoning at first, since it started while I was eating lunch, so I didn't worry about possibly being contagious.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Fever
It's been awhile since I've been seriously ill. I've had sluggish days which were probably the result of not enough sleep, and I've had some fearsome allergies, especially lately, but last night when I got home from work I discovered that for the first time in who knows how long I had a full-blown fever. I had that fever headache and that dizziness when I stood up, even.
This may be related to something I ate--I started feeling weird while I was eating lunch, which included a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, cheese, raw spinach, and a plum--or it could be a total coincidence. The odd feeling was accompanied by some digestive issues that point the suspicion on the food, though.
My temperature when I got home was 100.25, but I held off on taking medicine, thinking that if it was related to the digestive issues it would probably go down on its own. This was not the case; it went up to 101.67, and I became very cold. I popped three Advil, watched some Prince of Tennis, and went to bed.
Around 4 am I woke up and could not get back to sleep. My temperature was only 99.24, but I had the feeling it was going up again, so I went ahead and took more Advil. This turned out to be prudent, as I started freezing shortly thereafter, and my temp at around 5 was 100.79.
Sean was on the phone, and my discomfort paired with his talking from the other room made it impossible for me to sleep, so I pulled on some long pants and a sweater and came out into the living room to make some tea and settle in at the computer. I chatted with Brooke and took more Advil and sipped warm, throat-soothing tea.
Eventually Sean got off the phone. "I'm sick," I said, and he chuckled because he thought that was cute. I asked him to pick up some orange juice for me, which he did even though he was tired and needed to go to bed. He also got me some Tylenol in case the Advil wasn't effective.
My temperature just now was 99.79. I'm not freezing anymore; I had to change back into my shorts and get rid of my socks, and I feel like I would be far more comfortable naked. I'm completely drenched in sweat.
But the orange juice was fabulous. Plus, my head feels much clearer than it has all night, so I think it's passing.
Edit 07/07/19 6:51 am: Okay, so it's totally not passing. I'm going to Urgent MD as soon as they open ;P
This may be related to something I ate--I started feeling weird while I was eating lunch, which included a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, cheese, raw spinach, and a plum--or it could be a total coincidence. The odd feeling was accompanied by some digestive issues that point the suspicion on the food, though.
My temperature when I got home was 100.25, but I held off on taking medicine, thinking that if it was related to the digestive issues it would probably go down on its own. This was not the case; it went up to 101.67, and I became very cold. I popped three Advil, watched some Prince of Tennis, and went to bed.
Around 4 am I woke up and could not get back to sleep. My temperature was only 99.24, but I had the feeling it was going up again, so I went ahead and took more Advil. This turned out to be prudent, as I started freezing shortly thereafter, and my temp at around 5 was 100.79.
Sean was on the phone, and my discomfort paired with his talking from the other room made it impossible for me to sleep, so I pulled on some long pants and a sweater and came out into the living room to make some tea and settle in at the computer. I chatted with Brooke and took more Advil and sipped warm, throat-soothing tea.
Eventually Sean got off the phone. "I'm sick," I said, and he chuckled because he thought that was cute. I asked him to pick up some orange juice for me, which he did even though he was tired and needed to go to bed. He also got me some Tylenol in case the Advil wasn't effective.
My temperature just now was 99.79. I'm not freezing anymore; I had to change back into my shorts and get rid of my socks, and I feel like I would be far more comfortable naked. I'm completely drenched in sweat.
But the orange juice was fabulous. Plus, my head feels much clearer than it has all night, so I think it's passing.
Edit 07/07/19 6:51 am: Okay, so it's totally not passing. I'm going to Urgent MD as soon as they open ;P
Monday, July 16, 2007
Back on the horse
I've decided to try the early schedule again, so I got up at around 6:15 this morning. Sean went to bed not long after that, so it looks like if I want to spend any quality time I'll have to get up earlier. But for now, I feel at least like I've rested.
Yesterday I went to Outspokin' to see about a bike rack, but as it was Sunday they were closed. My bike does fit into the back of my car, but only if I jam the handlebars in (I haven't figured out how to remove a wheel) and I don't like doing that, especially since it rubs some of the handlebar material off. Plus, it's just awkward; it's easier to lift a bike off and onto a rack than it is to turn it sideways and roll it into a car. And if I have a bike rack, it means I don't have to put the seats down in the back, which means more people can ride along with me even if I do have my bike.
In other words, I'm hoping that getting a bike rack will make it easier for me to ride my bike, which will mean I'll ride it more.
My mom and I were talking on the phone the other day about how exhausted I am all the time, and she said I needed to go biking and walking a lot like I used to, because there was one time that I visited when no one could keep up with me. I'm pretty sure that was this visit, when I brought my bike to Kentucky. And I remember...I felt good back then.
So this week I'm going to try getting up early, which means I'll have time to work out and run errands and also to pack a lunch and workout clothes for my lunch break, so conceivably I can save money while I'm getting back in shape.
I've tried this before, this getting-into-a-routine-so-I-can-lose-weight thing. But I'm feeling somewhat heartened by the fact that I was, at one time, in pretty good shape. I don't think there's any reason why I can't be that way again. My problem is just a combination of laziness and an awkward schedule, which I can work through.
I really do love being awake in the morning. I feel like I have all this extra time.
Of course, I don't anymore...I've spent it all writing this post, reading old posts, and chatting :D So I better get in the shower!
Yesterday I went to Outspokin' to see about a bike rack, but as it was Sunday they were closed. My bike does fit into the back of my car, but only if I jam the handlebars in (I haven't figured out how to remove a wheel) and I don't like doing that, especially since it rubs some of the handlebar material off. Plus, it's just awkward; it's easier to lift a bike off and onto a rack than it is to turn it sideways and roll it into a car. And if I have a bike rack, it means I don't have to put the seats down in the back, which means more people can ride along with me even if I do have my bike.
In other words, I'm hoping that getting a bike rack will make it easier for me to ride my bike, which will mean I'll ride it more.
My mom and I were talking on the phone the other day about how exhausted I am all the time, and she said I needed to go biking and walking a lot like I used to, because there was one time that I visited when no one could keep up with me. I'm pretty sure that was this visit, when I brought my bike to Kentucky. And I remember...I felt good back then.
So this week I'm going to try getting up early, which means I'll have time to work out and run errands and also to pack a lunch and workout clothes for my lunch break, so conceivably I can save money while I'm getting back in shape.
I've tried this before, this getting-into-a-routine-so-I-can-lose-weight thing. But I'm feeling somewhat heartened by the fact that I was, at one time, in pretty good shape. I don't think there's any reason why I can't be that way again. My problem is just a combination of laziness and an awkward schedule, which I can work through.
I really do love being awake in the morning. I feel like I have all this extra time.
Of course, I don't anymore...I've spent it all writing this post, reading old posts, and chatting :D So I better get in the shower!
Friday, July 13, 2007
Request to acquaintances of my best friend Brooke
Lay off, a'ight?
I don't know who it is who decided that pressuring newlyweds into having babies right now you're not getting any younger where are the babies oh they're so cute don't you want children I can't wait to babysit for you was a good idea, but it is not. Have you ever heard of letting people enjoy their marriage first? Especially Brooke and David, who didn't have the luxury of living anywhere near each other while they were dating?
I never thought anything good could come out of being most likely infertile, but I guess one good thing has been that no one really pesters me about when I'm going to get preggers. Every now and then someone will ask, but the most annoying thing I have to deal with is, "What about adoption? Adoption is so great." Most people understand that adoption is a choice, and don't really press.
But having kids the natural way is also a choice, and it seems like people don't get that!
So all of you who keep mentioning babies to Brooke: shut up. Just let her breathe. Let her adjust to living life 1) married; 2) in an entirely new country; 3) far away from her friends and everything she's ever known. Do you really think she needs to add kids to the pot? Can you demand with a clear conscience that children be brought into an already stressful situation before the parents are ready?
I know you love kids and all, but try thinking about other people's needs, mmkay?
I don't know who it is who decided that pressuring newlyweds into having babies right now you're not getting any younger where are the babies oh they're so cute don't you want children I can't wait to babysit for you was a good idea, but it is not. Have you ever heard of letting people enjoy their marriage first? Especially Brooke and David, who didn't have the luxury of living anywhere near each other while they were dating?
I never thought anything good could come out of being most likely infertile, but I guess one good thing has been that no one really pesters me about when I'm going to get preggers. Every now and then someone will ask, but the most annoying thing I have to deal with is, "What about adoption? Adoption is so great." Most people understand that adoption is a choice, and don't really press.
But having kids the natural way is also a choice, and it seems like people don't get that!
So all of you who keep mentioning babies to Brooke: shut up. Just let her breathe. Let her adjust to living life 1) married; 2) in an entirely new country; 3) far away from her friends and everything she's ever known. Do you really think she needs to add kids to the pot? Can you demand with a clear conscience that children be brought into an already stressful situation before the parents are ready?
I know you love kids and all, but try thinking about other people's needs, mmkay?
HPatOotP
Originally posted on the AMRN GenDis, here is my reaction to the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix movie, written right when I got home from the midnight premiere:
Live it.
Love it.
There are, of course, the usual deviations from the original that people across the internet are no doubt already complaining about. But the story was brilliantly told, the scenes that were removed or changed made sense, the casting was superb, and the new music guy is outstanding.
If I have any quibbles, they're with the very beginning, which didn't have enough Harry-in-a-bad-mood (I was honestly looking forward to watching him mope around in the flower garden); the Sirius scene (you know what I'm talking about) which was more...final than the book made it out to be; and the lack of a conversation about what Harry saw in Snape's past.
Loved Dumbledore. And Tonks. And Luna. And Snape, of course.
It's all over next week ;_;
Live it.
Love it.
There are, of course, the usual deviations from the original that people across the internet are no doubt already complaining about. But the story was brilliantly told, the scenes that were removed or changed made sense, the casting was superb, and the new music guy is outstanding.
If I have any quibbles, they're with the very beginning, which didn't have enough Harry-in-a-bad-mood (I was honestly looking forward to watching him mope around in the flower garden); the Sirius scene (you know what I'm talking about) which was more...final than the book made it out to be; and the lack of a conversation about what Harry saw in Snape's past.
Loved Dumbledore. And Tonks. And Luna. And Snape, of course.
It's all over next week ;_;
Wasting my 3000th post
Last night, I dreamed that spiders were mutating into much larger creatures and taking over human spaces. They could move freakishly fast, but they also died quickly and their corpses were everywhere. There were two characters in the dream, a detective-ish guy and a beautiful female journalist who both seemed to have stepped out of a black and white movie, and they were trying to figure out how to reclaim the world. The woman was apparently in trouble for doing a story about the spiders. The man started discussing the economic impact of spiders forcing people out of their homes and workplaces.
"Migration was pretty stable," he said, "until the teapot went into mass production in the 1930's." And then I visualized a line of giant, colorful teapots that stretched across the horizon, kicking up dust as they advanced.
"The Dust Bowl," I said knowingly.
As the two tried to figure out what to do about the spiders and their own issues, they of course fell in love. At some point Brooke was there, and we were both trying to take photos of a girl posing for some reason, and I was complaining that I needed a camera with a faster shutter.
Meanwhile, I was so distraught over what in the world to do about the spider problem that I started a blog post about it, with the title you see above.
Obviously I haven't been blogging in a few days, and now you know why--it's number 3000, and I wanted it to be awesome.
This has happened before, where I haven't posted because I wanted to write something "important", and each time I wound up unhappy because I wasn't posting. You know what? I like spouting my drivel. I wish I didn't care that I will never have a huge audience, but despite my desire for fame and glory I'm unwilling to stop doing what I'm doing...which is chronicling my life in a way that is fun for me.
So here, internet: here's a 3000th post typical of Heather Aubrey Meadows, with a dream and some indulgent self-analysis.
3000 posts is a big milestone. This blog has been around for awhile. It's obviously not the oldest blog in existence, but I am proud that I've kept it up. So many other blogs die out, with their authors either disappearing or starting a brand new blog, essentially denying everything they've previously written. I'm happy to have left my 3000 posts right where they are, on the same server, my faults and foibles and naive opinions of the past (and present!) archived forever for all to see, for so many years. And I intend to keep it up. I'm the main character of my life, after all. This is character development!
So, sorry to everyone who I told about this post and how I wanted it to be awesome. It is what it is: an affirmation of what has come before, and not a digression.
"Migration was pretty stable," he said, "until the teapot went into mass production in the 1930's." And then I visualized a line of giant, colorful teapots that stretched across the horizon, kicking up dust as they advanced.
"The Dust Bowl," I said knowingly.
As the two tried to figure out what to do about the spiders and their own issues, they of course fell in love. At some point Brooke was there, and we were both trying to take photos of a girl posing for some reason, and I was complaining that I needed a camera with a faster shutter.
Meanwhile, I was so distraught over what in the world to do about the spider problem that I started a blog post about it, with the title you see above.
Obviously I haven't been blogging in a few days, and now you know why--it's number 3000, and I wanted it to be awesome.
This has happened before, where I haven't posted because I wanted to write something "important", and each time I wound up unhappy because I wasn't posting. You know what? I like spouting my drivel. I wish I didn't care that I will never have a huge audience, but despite my desire for fame and glory I'm unwilling to stop doing what I'm doing...which is chronicling my life in a way that is fun for me.
So here, internet: here's a 3000th post typical of Heather Aubrey Meadows, with a dream and some indulgent self-analysis.
3000 posts is a big milestone. This blog has been around for awhile. It's obviously not the oldest blog in existence, but I am proud that I've kept it up. So many other blogs die out, with their authors either disappearing or starting a brand new blog, essentially denying everything they've previously written. I'm happy to have left my 3000 posts right where they are, on the same server, my faults and foibles and naive opinions of the past (and present!) archived forever for all to see, for so many years. And I intend to keep it up. I'm the main character of my life, after all. This is character development!
So, sorry to everyone who I told about this post and how I wanted it to be awesome. It is what it is: an affirmation of what has come before, and not a digression.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Visiting
I don't really want to leave. It seems like all the cool stuff is about to happen. The Jessamine County Fair starts on Monday, and tonight Mom, Faye, Manda, and Connor and Logan are going up to join Dad at the farm. They're going to spend the night there and hopefully get the kitchen painted and more things ready for Ben and Manda to move there. The next time I visit, I'll have to visit Ben and Manda separately...I'll probably go to Mt. Sterling first and spend a night and then head to Nicholasville.
Everything's changing. (Whine: Everything's changing without me!)
But we did have fun. Connor and Logan spent the night with me and Mom last night, and we played in the yard and watched a short movie and recorded movies of each other, and this morning I took them back home so they could go swimming in their little 12 foot pool and then we all played Mario Kart and Mario Party 2.
I spent a fun evening with the band downstairs, too...I hung out while they worked on recording new vocals, and then we listened to music, and the night ended with a burger cookout at 4:30 am.
And I loved spending time with Mom. My first full day here, we went on errands to the bank and the accountant and then got matching cups at the Dish Barn and ate at Nicholasville's new Zaxby's. (I swear, Kentucky is importing all the cool stuff from Georgia, so I don't see why we can't move here. All we need is a Wife Saver, with a more politically correct name.)
And last night I watched some Smallville with Mom, which was cool too.
So I wish I wasn't going, but I did have a good time, and I think I'm hopefully mentally recharged enough to get back to my routine...tomorrow. (Ugh!)
Logan says:
hk[]]\\p]ajjjefjrrjjjfkjkkfjkjkjckjbvcvcvcvcggfyf'fwgwxxxxex3x3sxexexxxxevbyvb fffvffsrd
Everything's changing. (Whine: Everything's changing without me!)
But we did have fun. Connor and Logan spent the night with me and Mom last night, and we played in the yard and watched a short movie and recorded movies of each other, and this morning I took them back home so they could go swimming in their little 12 foot pool and then we all played Mario Kart and Mario Party 2.
I spent a fun evening with the band downstairs, too...I hung out while they worked on recording new vocals, and then we listened to music, and the night ended with a burger cookout at 4:30 am.
And I loved spending time with Mom. My first full day here, we went on errands to the bank and the accountant and then got matching cups at the Dish Barn and ate at Nicholasville's new Zaxby's. (I swear, Kentucky is importing all the cool stuff from Georgia, so I don't see why we can't move here. All we need is a Wife Saver, with a more politically correct name.)
And last night I watched some Smallville with Mom, which was cool too.
So I wish I wasn't going, but I did have a good time, and I think I'm hopefully mentally recharged enough to get back to my routine...tomorrow. (Ugh!)
Logan says:
hk[]]\\p]ajjjefjrrjjjfkjkkfjkjkjckjbvcvcvcvcggfyf'fwgwxxxxex3x3sxexexxxxevbyvb fffvffsrd
Friday, July 6, 2007
A ringing endorsement
Brooke (11:35:36 AM): NOTHING COMPARES
Brooke (11:35:38 AM): TO YOU
Brooke (11:35:40 AM): r curry
Me (11:35:41 AM): LOL
Brooke (11:35:38 AM): TO YOU
Brooke (11:35:40 AM): r curry
Me (11:35:41 AM): LOL
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
I love being awake in the morning
It's such a different feeling getting up at 6:30 rather than 8 or 9:30. Somehow the day seems so much longer, seems to have so much more potential. I think it puts me in better spirits.
I went to bed last night somewhere around 9:30. What woke me up this morning was not my alarm, which was set for 6:30, but a text message from my mom at 6:20 telling me her new phone number. I didn't know Mom was generally up at that time :>
Regardless, I got plenty of sleep, so I was able to get right up, get packed, get my shower, and spend some time with Sean, and I'm still ahead of my 8 o'clock target departure time. I should get to Kentucky in plenty of time for the cookout at my parents' house :)
I'm better prepared for the drive this time, too: I have a long-sleeve shirt to wear in the car and a tank top under it for when I'm out of the car, so I can foil the evil UV rays that have already left what can only be called a tan line on my left arm. (I guess I do tan, after all.) It's a trucker's tan, but it deepened when I went to the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame's Botanical Gardens the other day, to see everything in bloom for the first time, and to see the grounds where Sean and I got married one last time before they closed. (Pictures are here. The zen hoop sure looks different with plant life on it...)
I don't know if I feel so good today because I'm up in the morning, because I got a lot of sleep, because I'm off work for the rest of the week, or because I'm heading home to see my family. It's probably a combination of all of the above.
It really does seem to make a difference for me to go to bed and get up at geezer hours, though. There's something about the morning sun that isn't the same as noon approaches, and isn't the same as the setting sun, either. When I tried getting up early that one time to go to work, I felt really good all day, though tired towards the end of my workday. But right now, I feel optimistic about my ability to work that out.
Ah, mornings are awesome.
Okay, time to pack up the laptop and hit the road. I'll try to keep everyone Twittered...but at the least, expect some Fourth of July pics soon.
I went to bed last night somewhere around 9:30. What woke me up this morning was not my alarm, which was set for 6:30, but a text message from my mom at 6:20 telling me her new phone number. I didn't know Mom was generally up at that time :>
Regardless, I got plenty of sleep, so I was able to get right up, get packed, get my shower, and spend some time with Sean, and I'm still ahead of my 8 o'clock target departure time. I should get to Kentucky in plenty of time for the cookout at my parents' house :)
I'm better prepared for the drive this time, too: I have a long-sleeve shirt to wear in the car and a tank top under it for when I'm out of the car, so I can foil the evil UV rays that have already left what can only be called a tan line on my left arm. (I guess I do tan, after all.) It's a trucker's tan, but it deepened when I went to the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame's Botanical Gardens the other day, to see everything in bloom for the first time, and to see the grounds where Sean and I got married one last time before they closed. (Pictures are here. The zen hoop sure looks different with plant life on it...)
I don't know if I feel so good today because I'm up in the morning, because I got a lot of sleep, because I'm off work for the rest of the week, or because I'm heading home to see my family. It's probably a combination of all of the above.
It really does seem to make a difference for me to go to bed and get up at geezer hours, though. There's something about the morning sun that isn't the same as noon approaches, and isn't the same as the setting sun, either. When I tried getting up early that one time to go to work, I felt really good all day, though tired towards the end of my workday. But right now, I feel optimistic about my ability to work that out.
Ah, mornings are awesome.
Okay, time to pack up the laptop and hit the road. I'll try to keep everyone Twittered...but at the least, expect some Fourth of July pics soon.
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