Serendipity

Right, so, I obviously haven't been keeping up with things. Bad Mem, bad Mem, I know. And so much has happened. balmyone went to Comic-Con and I about DIED OF JEALOUSY. I should have been there! I was living within driving distance last year and I missed it, and this year I could have gone with balmyone to see David Tennant and be surrounded by thousands of screaming fangirls and I CAN'T BE THERE!! One day I will go, I will I will. Ugh. The DT/JB kiss was hilarious. I would have given anything to be there. The scream of the crowd when DT comes on...GAH!! I must go! It's really fun seeing DT work a crowd, though. He obviously loves it, and I can relate. Having thousands of people scream and laugh and clap for you is a high. It's a thrilling high. I never, ever, ever wanted to be an actress, never even considered it, but have realized that is part of what I do up there on stage. And while I have no talent or interest in going fully in-character, I have rather enjoyed taking on a bit of a role, playing around with it, and seeing how people respond. It's addictive.

Okay, back on-topic. I have no idea what else I've missed (what have I missed? What's been going on in your life? In fandom? I feel so disconnected from you all), but I did see that penumbra23 released her new fic. ZOMFG. I'm actually scared to start it. I feel I should wait until I can read it all in one go or something because I will not be able to turn away. I don't know what to expect. Eeeeeeeeeee.

But that's going to have to wait because tomorrow (well, technically Friday at 12:30 AM) I leave for Minnesota and from there, Wisconsin. One of my old college roommates is getting married very close to our old college, so I'm going to go to the wedding, visit my alumna, then spend the rest of the week back home in Minnesota with my mom, where I can also visit my old high school. It's going to be a week of nostalgia. I just read an article saying my generation is getting nostalgic uncharacteristically early, and saying it may be because September 11th so drastically changed our path. That we look back fondly on the '90s when the economy was booming, we weren't at war, and life was pretty darn good. And you know, I think that's a fairly accurate assessment. I don't know how much of that was actually ignorance, but that is how it feels.

Oh, I saw ( The Half-Blood Prince. )

Anyways, that's life with me. I've kinda been burying myself in Bones fic to avoid...I dunno, doing anything at all (I still have to pack!!!), but I miss you all and I'll try to get better about keeping up with the flist. As soon as, you know, I return next week.

Peace!

Let me describe the awesomeness.

First off, there was the ( Bones season finale. )

And then there was ( MASSIVE Who spoilers! )

And of course shows start on SATURDAY at the zoo, which means many run-throughs on stage in front of the crowds. Such a thrill! I'm so nervously excited. Plus I'm completely turned over on the green-wing (I love my parrots!) and handling the golden eagle bit by bit. Life is grand!

I got to handle Makani today (the green-wing macaw), just holding and randomly reinforcing for about half an hour. I'm really proud of being able to progress so fast on her, and can't wait to do more (and then hopefully start on Pele!). I also manned Najla, the eagle owl, for a half hour out on grounds, and I was surprised at how long I was able to hold out until my arm started hurting. Finally those muscles are buidling up a bit! Anyways, she's stunningly gorgeous, and I love when she leans into me, as if for comfort. I like to think I'm a comforting presence on the scary, scary lawn, though she still bates a lot. She's the only staff-only bird I can really handle at the moment, so she's kind of my pet-project, and I want her to make progress.

Also, this video is adorable and makes me smile.

It's lazy Friday. AKA my first day off work since finishing taxes. I resolve to do nothing I don't want to today.

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Hahahahahaha! Oh, sorry, this made me go look back at my first entry, dated October 9, 2003. I bagged an invite code off jesouhaite47 (you needed an invite back then!) after most of Creative had migrated here. I was 20. I was still in college, consumed by classes and papers and schoolwork. It's strange to think how different my life is now. How different I am now. Sometimes I miss the person I was then. I was certainly a lot more optimistic and secure. Haha, look at me wax nostalgic. Anyways, thanks for making the journey with me, guys.

SO, I haven't updated in a bit. Actually I've been avoiding LJ because I haven't watched Planet of the Dead yet. I want to. It's sitting on my hard drive, begging to be watched, and I probably will in the next few days, but it's been so nice having new Who to look forward to. Having that thrill of anticipation coming home from work knowing I have a new episode waiting to be watched. If the next episode isn't until Christmas, I want to enjoy the anticipation of this one while I still can.

And yesterday, work was wonderful. I did a different program for kindergartners (about insects), and again was a smashing success. Well, that may be overstating it a bit, but I was ridiculously proud of myself, and afterward a little girl came up and HUGGED me. That is, like, the best reinforcement ever. Seriously. If the animal thing doesn't work out, maybe I should look at becoming a kindergarten teacher. The kids are annoying as heck but also cute as all heck in equal measure. And they have toy dinosaurs (we amused ourselves for far too long with them before the first class arrived)! I had a bad hour upon returning to the zoo and finding I had left the cover to the cockroach tank off (stupid stupid stupid), but the day ended well as we flew birds on the lawn (there is very little cooler than having an eagle fly at you) and I finally, finally got to handle one of the macaws. I miss my parrots. So yes, GOOD DAY. *nods*

Also, Bones was ridiculously cute. Wednesday and Thursday, but especially last night. Gah, just KISS already! The angst, oh, the angst. It's even drawing me into reading fic, only to discover that some great XF writers have written in that fandom, including Tesla and Fialka.

Finally, Idol has been kinda blah. I'm rooting for Danny and Adam now, and in my opinion Matt was not worth saving. But Danny needs to step it up a bit because he hasn't been really wowing me in a while like I know he can. Okay, that's all for now. I'll be back with my thoughts on PotD soon.

Power adapter was shipped TODAY. Ugh. That means I'll be lucky to get it before Monday. And I'm going slowly insane. I'm almost finished with The Writer's Tale. I spent hours at the library yesterday reading PostSecret books. And I watched The Idiot's Lantern and The Satan Pit (since I watched The Impossible Planet on TV last week). And eeeeee, so good. Especially TIP/TSP, which I fell in love with all over again. Seriously, the awesomeness of those two episodes knows no bounds. It's SO creepy, and the devil beast is SO cool, and the ship is just DRIPPING off the screen. They're worried about each other the whole time, and Rose's voice wavers and breaks when she says she's not leaving, and...guh. It's so much better than I remembered. But I'm really missing my fic. Bad. So much so that today I made up my own fic in the shower. I never do that. I'm a fanartist, not a fic writer. But I may write this one down, because I rather liked it. *L* Anyways, I miss my comp.

bayareajenn, I'm really looking at driving that first leg the 7th. So I'll call you about that. And balmyone, we'll have to meet up before I leave. You've got my West Wing DVDs and Dragonrider book, and I've got your Writer's Tale! *L* I work Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and a party late Saturday (The Kandy Masquerade, which should be really interesting), but I should be available the rest of the time. I can't believe this is coming up so soon! I'm both eager to get up there and dreading leaving.

Also, Idol was rather crap last night. I'm beyond thrilled Danny got through the first round, but Ricky Braddy should have been the second guy. What's his-name that also got through just did not do good enough. And I hope Nick/Norman gets through tonight. He doesn't have the best voice, but he was the most entertaining part of the night, and for that alone I vote for him.

Okay, back to internetlessness (my word, hee). I miss my fiiiiiiiic!

I have SO MUCH I wanted to write about, including seeing Bridget from The Girls Next Door AND an NCIS van yesterday (on the same day!), plus that X-Files meme, and...oh, the phone interview I had on Tuesday (went well enough, will probably hear by next week), but now it turns out I will be working ALL DAY tomorrow (from 6:30 AM pretty much straight through to 11 PM), so I need to post a V-Day post now. Plus some things I'd already written out for that update. SO,

Thing the First: I LOVE you all. You all live in a little portion of my brain entitled "flist" that I love dearly and could not live without, so thank you, thank you, thank you for providing me entertainment, listening to all my stupid ramblings, and being there for all the ups and downs and RL and fandom and general craziness of my life. I wanted to make a big silly red heart graphic for you all, but again with the time thing! Just know I love you and I hope you all have a wonderful V-Day and feel the love I'm sending your way. *BIG GIANT SNOOGLY HUGS*

Thing the Second: ( thoughts on this week's Lost and American Idol. )

Thing the Third: ( Fic exerpt! )

Today. Was. EPIC. lunayoshi and balmyone came over for a marathon, and we fangirled out. It was mainly XF-centered so we watched Firewalker, Field Trip, Pusher, and Our Town, as well as pretty much all the IWTB special features. balmyone and I insisted that lunayoshi had to get into Doctor Who with us, so we forced her to watch Rose and probably chatted her ear off about Eleven, and David's lovelife, and who knows what else. Oh! And look what balmyone lent me!



Russell T Davies' book! It's as thick as a textbook and just as packed, but I'm so excited to start it. I was skimming and already love it. Heeeeee!

Speaking of, I have some DW fic recs:

Donna Noble: Beta Reader. The funniest fic since XF's "Case of the Cotton Candy Clones". You may just pee your pants laughing.

Elusive by englshangel. Easily one of my favorite fics in the fandom after just one read. TenII/Rose, set in the alt!verse, and by far my favorite version of what would have happened immediately post-JE.

Dirt by jezebel. Hot and funny all rolled into one for a tremendously entertaining read. Jezebel's writing reminds me of Penumbra's, which is the highest compliment I can give a fic.

Go! Read! Be happy! I have a date with my bed....nighty night.

“Right!” the Doctor rubbed his hands together. “As it happens I do have a bit of a favour to ask you, Mickey. There is the teensiest, tiniest, miniscule possibility that you may have possibly noticed some kind of mini situation between me and Rose.”

Mickey eyed him. “You mean the honking great tension? The enormous silences and thick atmosphere. The shifty looks and avoiding each other and not talking or holding hands and generally not acting smug and couple-y.” A beat. “You mean that?”

“Yeah, that’d be it.”

Mickey shook his head. “Didn’t notice.” He shovelled a fork of mushrooms into his mouth.

-Go On by Fayth

Hahahaha. Mickey is so awesome sometimes.

Just about the funniest thing ever. (<-- Doctor Who related)

SO, I keep opening Photoshop to make a Ten icon, and always end up making a Rose icon. Too much Rose on the brain, yes? Anyways, I shall endeavour to make that Ten icon. Someday. Somehow. Because Tennant is looking hotter and hotter every time I see him and for the longest time I tried to convince myself he was out of my age range but I just discovered his current girlfriend is younger than I am and guuuuuuuh. I want. *whimpers*

Work has been surprisingly enjoyable. Especially since I got bit TWICE this week. A friggin' evil hornbill bit my index finger when I went to grab his bowl (I was warned about this bird, but he came out of nowhere!), and then yesterday the evil cockatoo FLEW AT MY FACE and bit my lip before I even knew what had happened. It sounds like we have all evil birds. BUT WE DON'T. Most of them are really quite sweet. The plus side of all of this is that I got to know the security guards when I filled out the paperwork on the first bite, so now they all know me, and it's the coolest thing ever to walk up to the front gate of the playboy mansion and have the gates open without a word. ;) So yes, I feel like a part of the team now and everyone there is really super nice, so yay! 2009 is starting out so much better than the crap-fest that was 2008.

AND! I scored a phone interview with the Oregon Zoo for their bird show. I still refuse to get my hopes up, but it's wonderful just to get as far as an interview. Yay for things looking up!

...and I keep forgetting whatever else I wanted to say. Oh! Idol! American Idol returned and it was like a present just for me. I adore every stupid little gimic they do. The good singers and the bad singers and the freaks and SIMON. Is it just me or has Simon grown a heart this season? Just a small one. You could see him holding himself back just a little when previously he would have ripped them a new one. He was totally on the happy pills, ha. And next week is BONES and HOUSE and LOST and too many good things at once! PLZ BE KEEPING THIS UP, NEW YEAR.

WTF, dude? I just saw a commercial for "London-style Fish & Fries". Excuse me, what? What is the point of having fish and chips if you're not going to CALL it fish and chips? And now I miss Rose (*LOL*, sorry, one-track brain).

Obviously, I am alive! Sorry for not updating sooner. Had a good new year, flew back to CA on the first, found a new place to live in Thousand Oaks, moved in, and started work again. My new place is nice. It's a large room for a good price, complete with private bathroom, wireless internet, and DirectTV (DirectTV! Which means BBC AMERICA!! Yes, yes, one track mind. But that also means I can watch The Catherine Tate Show which is awesome because I've been wanting to check that out). The people are nice too. A quiet engaged couple about my age. Oh, and the house is very close to the freeway but up on a hill overlooking the city. There's a nice backyard and a library just down the street. Very nice. So at least one thing has gone right. I still miss home, though. Things aren't too bad, but I think I may be falling into those post-Christmas blues.

Oh, and I promised a picture of the fuzzy slippers, so ( here they are. )

Before I left Minnesota, my mom and I got up to The Girl in the Fireplace in Doctor Who. I REALLY enjoyed watching the whole first season again. Fell in love with Nine all over again. Father's Day made me cry. The Empty Child/Doctor Dances was just as creepy and funny the second time. The gas masks! Are you my mummy! Haaaa. And then the splendor of The Christmas Invasion. I just love that episode. So much. The Lion King speech is the best thing ever. I really wanted to get up to Doomsday, but I guess that'll have to wait until next time. I may have to continue watching on my own, though. Hee!

I feel I had a lot more I was going to write about, but now it's all slipped my mind. So we'll see if it slips back in again soon. How have you all been?