asimplechord

2013 in review:
( books, movies, shows, etc. )

Fewer plays: because we moved from Houston and had to basically use the 2013-14 Alley Theatre subscription as a tax write off.

Fewer books: because I default to re-reading books and comfort-read fics when I am stressed.

No idea why I saw fewer movies this year, but the shows were because a) we skipped Lolla, ACL, AND Voodoo, and my budget is tight while we're a one-income family.

This year, I wrote the fewest words since beginning to participate in fandom. I don't know why: stories exist in my head. Motivation to spew them out: nearly on-existent.

Other things accomplished in 2013:

1. Published four papers, three of them first-author.
2. Ran a personal best for 7 miles.
3. Consistently ran 5 miles in 41:30.
4. Packed and moved >1000 miles.
5. Watched all the hockey. ALL OF IT.

\o/ Proofs for the migration/invasion paper came back. I'm not really happy with the figures - we had them the size we wanted, and the publisher shrank them about 25%. I'd've used more of the white space if I'd known they'd do that. But still. Paper #2 for 2013. One more (a mini-review) is under editorial review, there's another for which I'm doing experiments to respond to reviewers' comments, and there should be at least one more submitted from this lab in the year with my name in the byline, because I started the project even if I'm not going to be the first author.

~ A real estate agent from Aaron's future employer came and assessed the house. Their estimate is about $30K higher than the last tax assessment, but we'll list it there and see what happens. She had three things she wants us to do (all stuff we've talked about but procrastinated on actually doing), but there's nothing major. Paint a couple of things, powerwash, re-tile the master bath's floor. Aaron's going to take care of most of that, because he is FINISHED work. He's being paid for the vacation time he had accrued, but Wednesday was his last day of work for Dow.

? There's a fic meme somewhere for hockey fandom that's all about the stupidly hilarious things that hockey commentators say, right? If not THERE SHOULD BE. Like, no, really, how many times can someone talk about Malkin's penetration or someone getting wood on it without earning a smirk and a laugh?

? I want to see Star Trek: Into Darkness some time this week. WHO WANTS TO GO SEE IT WITH ME?

OK. Rafa's playing in Rome on TTC, I've got to finish reading The Good Earth before the Blackhawks/Wings game, and there's choc chip banana bread to be baked for Carmen's crawfish boil, so I should get moving.

~ Student's MS defense was Thursday at 10am, and he told precisely NO ONE other than his committee about it. (He passed.) If I didn't ask the boss, I wouldn't've known. It's like he's already completely dissociated. Which would be great if only he had finished his fucking project, instead of leaving a bunch of stuff for me and the boss to complete. I should just tell myself that at least it's one more paper on my CV, right? RIGHT?

+ Picked up Hero again. Interesting read so far (I'm about halfway through it). All I can say is that TE Lawrence had some serious mommy issues.

~ I am so behind on Supernatural, Castle, and pretty much everything media-related right now, it's not even funny. Last night A suggested that we watch Iron Man and Iron Man 2 so I'd be prepared for The Avengers (b/c shutyourface is awesome, and I get to be her +1 for a fangirl meet-up at an early showing) but Netflix Instant Queue only had the second movie. Need to see them in order for my brain to appreciate.

+ Having said that, I am noting for immediate viewing: Patrick Stump will be on House MD on the 16th. And NYC-22 premieres on the 15th.

- Pretty much everyone at work EXCEPT researchers have this afternoon (Good Friday) off. Even A has holiday today. IDGAF about today as a religious holiday, but WTF, UT?

~ In last few days, three separate people have called me "young lady". Two of them were at least a decade younger than me, while the other was probably about my age. I'm sort of confused as to why I would merit this address.

+ As a longtime fan of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Henry Jenkins' post about it interests me.

a. The Toxic Avenger. As you might imagine from the name - it's based on the Troma film - it skirts on edge of offensive - hot blind girl = marketable handicap - but with hilarious results. Nancy Opel was amaaaaazing as Ma Ferd/the Mayor, especially her rendition of Bitch/Slut/Liar/Whore. This song made me uncomfortable on one level - I hate the way "slut" and "whore" are used so casually, and in ways that are misogynistic - but the performance, with her doing two different characters' voices going back and forth, was just fabulous. Houston peeps, the Alley's running a special: some show/seats are $25.

b. Work D: Manuscript reviews are back. Sooooo much work suggested. Easily six months of work if we want to send it back to MCB. This is the same manuscript that we submitted in March, then reworked and resubmitted at the end of November. I am sorely tempted to recommend simply repackaging it and sending it to a lower impact journal, because I want to be shut of it. The Chief is busy with grant stuff, so he's left it to me for the moment. I'm not sure how he'll feel about that option.

c. Still work :( Grant application deadline is 1Feb. So of course on Friday afternoon, the Chief came to me and asked me to do one more experiment to generate a figure (that would address a point I've been arguing with him about forever; he ignored my argument until a professor made it also, and THEN he wanted me to do an experiment that I suggested weeks ago but that he said wasn't necessary) in time for him to rewrite a section and still submit it before the deadline. The experiment will take a minimum of five days. Fuck you very much, I'm glad my input is so valued.

d. One of my friends from grad school is in town tonight, and we're going to meet him for sushi. Haven't seen him since his wedding, almost 8 years ago. He & his wife have a little boy now. I'm curious to get some news, since he returned to Madison and has stayed close to our PI. I did not, because I was so very angry with her - the last chapter of my thesis was ready for publication, and she just... never submitted it. Ever. And she sort of... published other things really slowly, if all, after she got tenure. I'm not sure how she's still funded, to be honest.

e. Yesterday Aaron made blueberry sorbet with the ice-cream maker we received for Christmas. It was delicious. Thank you, jmc_bks.

f. Something needs to kick my butt into writing some angsty TWW AU Andrew/Jesse/Emma porn. Or some T-Hard/Capt Fine/JGL goodness.

+ The grant is submitted, so at this point there is absolutely nothing that can be added to my work to-do list. This is a good thing.

+ We brewed (I say that, but really A brewed today, a wheat IPA, while I cleaned), and smoked a brisket (beef: not my thing, but it's his, so whatever), and instead of being social, we're going to hang out at our house tonight. Friends are having a party, but one of the people involved pissed me off: last week he told me that my ink "looks nice in comparison to most prison tatts". Uh. Yeah. My response: you are drunk, so I'm going to point you toward your wife (who was also annoyed, b/c he was the designated driver for the evening) instead of shoving my beer and my fist in your face. I just. Yeah. Lots of people comment on my ink, people I know and strangers alike, and mostly it doesn't bother me; I'm patient about explaining what it means if they ask. But for an acquaintance to deliver what he probably meant as a joke in his drunk mind but came off as insult? When he's been semi-insulting to me about them in the past? No. I'm done. He can fuck right off.

+ Mmm, banana bread with pecans.

+ Tropic of Chaos by Christian Parenti. Interesting topic, but a book published by someone who writes for The Nation? I expect to be copy-edited well enough that the South American nation's name is appropriately spelled. Colombia, not Columbia.

+ NCAA lacrosse finals on my TV. MD/VA. Totally making me want to write more about Brad/Nate in the college AU. Y/Y/MFY?

+ Rafa/Nole tomorrow. Breakfast at Wimbledon? We might even have some strawberries to mix with cream.

+ Fireworks Monday at Tinsley Park. We'll probably hang out at the Flying Saucer beforehand, if anyone wants to meet for beers and then walk over by the Allen Parkway.

I have opinions about the news that's in the headlines, but all I'm going to say is that I hope that everyone who lost a loved one on 9/11/01 or when the USS Cole or the US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya were bombed feels some closure. I'd like to believe that this means we'll extract ourselves from the untenable, unsustainable military conflicts in which we embroiled ourselves in the name of capturing OBL, but I have sincere doubts on that subject.

IN HAPPIER NEWS. pjvilar posted a picture that makes me FINALLY feel the urge to write, for the first time in months. If I can squeeze it in around my work hours, which have once again grown to encompass far more than the 40 for which I am paid.

AND. Seriously, did we magick Panic! At The Disco into being with our will, bandom? Because this video. SERIOUSLY. It's a half-dozen different musicals and Disney movies for a single 3-minute song, and I LOVE IT. I cannot wait for June. Or for the autumn tour with Black Cards and Neon Trees.

I feel like all I ever do here now is whine about work. :( BUT FOR THIS POST, NO WHINING!

1. SXSW in less than one week. Stamps! Gold Motel! Empires! Hopefully Electric Touch and Taddy Porter and Discos! I don't think I'll get there in time for the Black Cards show, but that's alright. At least four days of music music music.

2. harriet_vane has tempted me into comment fic about Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield accidentally cuddling and going on shellfish dates. IDEK.

3. Paper should go out to MCB Oncogene tomorrow. FUCK, YES. I want it off my desk.

4. Indian Wells. :D :D :D J is there (or going to be this afternoon, rather) so I expect full reports on Ana and Nole and SStosur and Rafa and Nando's fauxhawk.

5. I didn't really have a fifth point, but for symmetry reasons I like it as the number of items on a list. Um... prompt me? I feel like I really am coming out from my fandom hibernation.

I think I have been stockholmed into TSN fandom without EVER SEEING the movie, in the shortest amount of time it has ever taken a fandom to interest me. Especially since I am still not planning on ever seeing TSN.

I blame, in no particular order, harriet_vane, Justin Timberlake, Andrew Garfield, and the ridiculously earnest and dorkily charming Jesse Eisenberg.


OK. NyQuil. Tea. An entire box of tissues. A copy of Mysterious Skin. I think I'm set for the evening.

I just uploaded BRMC's iTunes Session for my dad.

My dad. Because we discovered a mutual love of BRMC when we were chatting at ACLfest a couple of weeks ago, and I transferred our tickets to see them and STP @ the Backyard to him, since Aaron and I are going to Dallas to see Bush. (And probably also BRMC at a smaller-venue headlining show.)

But he only has the album with Fault Lines, so I offered him a little of their newer stuff.

ANYWHO.

Want, take. Lemme know if you have any problems.

Um. M4A format, FYI.




Also? It is possible that I have written/drabbled/texted myself into creating an entire college AU starring Brad and Nate, with guest appearances from Ray. GK fandom, what have you done to me? (I'd blame you, why_me_why_not, but I totally did this to myself this time.)



Finally? I'm glad tons of other people saw people at work/school/whatever wearing purple today, because I saw a grand total of two other people wearing purple. (They were med students.)

This entry was originally posted at http://favoritemistake.dreamwidth.org/7117.html.

+ I claimed a prompt for bandomvalentine! At first I was thinking that I'd write a ficlet in a 'verse I've already written in, but I sorta want to write something different. We'll see. I'll probably bug some of you via gmail about it.

+ I signed up for bandombigbang again this year. Hopefully this time I'll actually finish the fic, since the people involved cannot disillusion me via Twitter. Plus, already outlined. Hopefully I'll keep motivated to get it all finished this time instead of letting it peter out into 5000 words of unfinished fic + an outline, like last year's.

+ vic_ramsey and wordsalone are responsible for my new fascination: Generation Kill. It is the most sexist, racist, politically incorrect thing I've ever seen, and it hurts to watch the stupidity sometimes, but I can't look away. I've got three episodes left to watch. Then I maybe might look for some fanfic of the Brad/Nate or Brad/Ray (they are so so married) persuasion.

+ Ugh. Do not corner me in my office and bombard me with demands before I even have my coat off on Monday morning. I usually need the first hour of the day on Monday morning to plan the week's experiments, and if you bug me, I'm pretty much guaranteed to be as unhelpful as possible. Wait an hour and you're infinitely more likely to find me amenable to your demands.

+ OMG, I *hurt* from laughing at this: Nissan Pavilion has been renamed Jiffy Lube Live. If there is a god, Gabe Saporta (and other bandom folks) will perform there this year and make ridiculous fandom-related jokes about the venue's name.