let's stumble towards success and pack some snacks for little breaks

I'm pretty happy right now. Today was a good day. I didn't actually do any writing, but I did a lot of pre-writing thinking, and that always makes me feel like I've accomplished something. I like accomplishing things in my own head. It's like when I used to cozy up with a friend for a sleepover and share secrets late at night, except without the complications of social interaction.

I talked to Gerry on the phone for a while. Life has been hurling giant balls of manure at his head, as usual--seriously, the guy has just about the worst luck of anyone I've ever known--but he was just as cheerful and wisecracking as always. I don't tend to spend much time missing people because my friends are so widespread that it would result in a lot of misery if I did, but I actually miss the hell out of Gerry, so it was great to connect with him.

I got stopped by two different groups of religious folks on the way to the grocery store, which was weird since I've only ever seen that happen downtown since I moved here. The first group was the standard "hey, how you doing, ever heard of Jesus?" type, but the other guys were awesome. They weren't spreading the word, they were accosting people on the street for a trivia quiz about Aurora Avenue, which they asked permission to film and put on their website as part of an effort to clean up the neighborhood. I only missed one question (I guessed that "aurora" meant "light," not "dawn") and won four dollars and fifty cents in quarters. Yay, bus money.

I spent the afternoon curled up under a blanket making icons, which I haven't spent much time doing lately. Seashore is not as awesome as Photoshop (sadly, Dr. K resisted my attempts to persuade her to put the copy she bought for the lab on my laptop instead of her desktop) but it's good enough for most of the basics. lisaecksteincom linked to this three-part series on characterization, and that led to more pre-writing thoughts. I have this crazy notion in my head to write a screenplay for a musical based on Jonathan Coulton songs. It's been a while since any original characters have grabbed my attention like this. I'm not at all sure it will go anywhere, not least because I have zero experience with playwriting, but I'm having fun with it.

I've been working on making my sleep schedule more sane, and I have commitments outside the house every day this week. I think both of those things are contributing to my good mood. I always forget how much of a difference the sun makes, even though I hate it while I'm out in it.

Mike and I were cuddling before going to sleep, and I asked him to sing me a lullaby. This is what he came up with on the spot:

Hush, little Julia, don't say a word
Mike is gonna buy you a mockingbird
And if that mockingbird don't sing
Mike is gonna buy you some other thing
And if that other thing falls down
Mike is gonna buy you the color brown
And if the color brown turns black
Mike is prob'ly gonna have to take it back
And if they don't accept exchanges
Mike is gonna go to the mountain ranges
And if he has a skiing accident and breaks his arm
Mike is gonna buy you a walnut farm
And if the walnut farm grows pecans
Mike is gonna buy you the Tour de France
And if the Tour de France has charges of doping
Mike is just gonna sit around moping
And if he happens to cheer back up
Mike is gonna... something something... Debra Rupp.

My stepdad just got a job offer from DePaul University in Chicago. He, Mom, Clayton, and Link will be moving there in August, and he'll start teaching in September.

Congratulations, Bill!

When you spread out a quilt on the quad and juggle for an hour, smiling and offering watermelon to anyone who makes eye contact, you get several dozen people thinking you're a weirdo and a couple people thinking you're the greatest person on the planet.

I'll take it. :)

I just got Brokeback Mountain, Deathtrap, and The Laramie Project for thirteen bucks total. Legit ones with actual covers, not crappy pirated DVDs. Also eighteen single-serving Newman's Own lemonades for $3.50. It was a good grocery store trip. I think maybe I've got some of Grandpa's obsession-with-sales genes.

Have you seen Deathtrap? It is all mystery and murder and surprises and hilarious hijinks and playwriting, plus there is Christopher Reeve and Michael Caine smooching, back when Michael Caine was young enough for that to not be gross. You should watch it. :D

1. I turned in my final portfolio and gave my final presentation, and Qualitative Methods is OVER. FOREVER.

2. I got all 195 countries. I am ridiculously proud of myself.

I'm on Long Island, visiting my aunt for Thanksgiving. The big dinner is happening on Saturday. Today we helped out at a community luncheon, where Aunt Amanda dressed up in an Elmo suit. (Yes, I got pictures, and a video of her boogying around in the suit.) We went over to Amanda's friend's house, and her husband took me out for a ride on his Sportster--I'm not a Harley girl, and sitting on the back isn't the same as really riding, but it kicked ass anyway. I am probably going to spend the next few weeks torturing myself with sportbike ads. Then Amanda and I went to the grocery store (where I procured Burt's Bees, improving my life immeasurably*), came back here, made guacamole, and watched Christmas movies with Ken. Oh, and there was a crossword-patterned horse statue. I got a picture of that too, with me on it in my crossword-patterned Converse.

And I've got Silk Nog. And I am wearing my awesome comfy fuzzy purple socks. Life just does not get any better than this. Happy Thanksgiving, you guys.

*I think I'm actually addicted to it. I use it multiple times a day, and when I don't have it, I think about it constantly.

Scene: a busy intersection. I am on my bike in the left-turn lane on the way to work, waiting for the light to turn green. A guy on a beautiful Suzuki sportbike pulls up next to me.

Me: *hollers above idling engine* Nice bike!
Dude: *flips up visor of helmet* Thank you!
Me: I'm gonna get one someday.
Dude: They're getting cheaper.
Me: I almost bought one a couple months ago, a CBR 600, but the chick backed out on me.
Dude: That's a good bike!
Me: And it only had three thousand miles on it! A '94!
Dude: Three thousand? That's IT?
Me: I know!
*light turns green*
Me: Have a nice day!
Dude: You too!

It wasn't much of a conversation, but it put a smile on my face for a while. I love it when two people's paths intersect and instead of looking away and Minding Their Own Business because they don't know each other, they acknowledge one another and interact a bit. That happens so much more often here than it does in the Midwest, and I think my willingness to let it happen is a large part of my ability to make friends easily.

Best Christmas present ever: backstory fic during Metanoia's annual winter break from updates! Familiarity with the webcomic is slightly helpful in appreciating this, but it's really not necessary.

*squee!* And also *sniffle*, because it's sweet and sad, like nearly everything Jesse Hajicek writes. (See Fourteen, another Metanoia backstory fic, and Zachary, one of my favorite short stories.)