Here I Am

Life has been super busy recently and work's been charging along as well. Which is good, I guess, because I do enjoy job stability, but a few minutes of rest is always something I enjoy. I've just had a lot of HR-related seminars and workshops recently, so then I'm out of the office and when I'm back in, I've got to play catch up.

I had a few things I wanted to post about, but now that I'm writing the entry, I've got nothing much to report.

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A Story Rec:

For Fandom Trumps Hate, I did some bidding with the plan to make donations no matter what, but I won a few things.

And I got this amazing story set in the Cal Leandros world - Brothers Before Souls  by yopumpkinhead  - It's set during Blackout, but it's from Niko's perspective on dealing with Cal going missing, to finding him, and to making the choices that he does for his brother.  I loved everything about this story and I highly recommend it.  One can never go wrong with Niko POV.  If you know the books, I definitely recommend you check it out.

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So author reveals occurred for chocolateboxcomm and I meant to share the story I wrote, but again...time gets away from me. 

I wrote The In Between Moments - Walking Dead, Rick/Daryl - it's set over the course of seasons four to winter finale of current season (7) - Somehow Daryl and Rick have managed to carve something out for themselves despite the constant loss and destruction around them. At least they always find their ways back to each other. A series of moments (missing scenes) between Daryl and Rick set from the end of season four through to the winter finale of season seven.

After the initial panic I always experience before starting a project for a challenge, I had a lot of fun with this one.  It took me some time to figure out what I wanted to write and how I wanted to bring canon into it.  And I had one scene written, but I was feeling like I wanted to do more...so it slowly expanded and I'm happy with the final product.  Gotta thank my betas for keeping me on target and pointing out when things that are in my head didn't translate onto the page.  And, it was nice to sort of give Daryl and Rick a few happy moments.

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I made up my deficit from January on my word count and pulled ahead during February.  A lot of it was nonfannish writing and a few WIPs I've been tossing around in my brain (I long ago stopped posting WIPs because when/if I lose interest, I didn't want people wondering how something ends)

Currently on my fannish writing to-do list:

-my piece for picfor1000 - I've got this cool picture.  Now the challenge is to keep my wordy butt limited to exactly 1000 words.
-Ante-Up Losers story - I love any excuse to rewatch/read Losers.
-Just got my fandom5K assignment the other day and I'm super excited.  And this one I need to come up with something good and something that will lead to at least 5000 words of a story. 

I've also got to continue with my regular writing. 

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Not much else to report.  I joined Planet Fitness by my house because it was 10.00 a month and I figured it would help me break up my routine.  Though I do most of my working out at home or my Saturday bootcamp class...I do a lot of Jillian Michaels with her dvds or app.  But thought, this might be good for me.  Change it up.  I met with the trainer to set up a personal fitness plan...

This woman was crazy.  Like I just wasted an hour of my time.  First, she told me that I should have a heart rate of 114 when I'm working out to be in the "fat burn zone" like it's still the 80's/early 90's.  And then she just proceeds to give me a sheetful of machines to use and never showed me how to actually use the machines.  And learning the machines is the whole reason I signed up for the personal fitness plan.  It was just insane and has me rethinking this gym.  It's super cheap, but I don't know.  As part of my gastric sleeve surgery I got to use the gym's fitness center for a three month program and work with a trainer.  And maybe I got spoiled because she showed me how to do a move and then made me do it a few times to perfect my form and we moved on.   That's what I need and like.    For  now though, I think I'll just google some of the machines and go from there...or just use the gym for cardio and stick with home for strength training with free weights/body weight.

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Alright, I'm off.  I'm going to head to bed and do some reading.  I'm trying to finish up the first book in the Mistborn trilogy.  I'm really enjoying it.  It started a bit slow and it took me a little bit to catch on about the journal entries at the start of each chapter, but I find this world fascinating.  Even if the book is 600 pages long.

SaveSave

Half hour left to my work day. And then I'll get to sit in traffic, but I've got my podcasts ready to go and that tends to make the commute much easier. I'm a pretty easy-going person most of the time, but I get into a car and my anger goes on high. I've been trying to work on it. Even when people are idiots, especially when people are idiots, because they remain oblivious and I'm the one that gets tense.

So let's continue Fandom Snowflake catch-up

Day 11 - In your own space, talk about a creator. Show us why you think they are amazing. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

This is really hard because there are so many great creators in fandom.  I've been around for a long while and there are some that aren't as prolific anymore, but who really affected me with their works.  There are others that have been around and still post a lot.  And there are always new people that I discover as I go.

I'll say someone I admire and always read is musesfool/musesfool - she writes amazing stories in a number of fandoms and they're always so good.  

I'm currently obsessed with Life of Bucky Barnes by Petite-Madame.  The art is amazing and I'm constantly in awe of it.  And the accompanying story by stephrc79  is my go-to read of the moment.  I love their takes on Bucky and Steve. 

There are a lot of other creators I continue to admire and adore, too many to name or rec here.  Though I feel I'd be a terrible partner in crime if I wasn't thankful for steph /iamtheenemy - we go back to Nsync fandom days, a mutual love of Lance Bass and continue over the years to get the other obsessed with all sorts of fandom things.  Neither of us are as involved as we once were, but we had a fun reccing journal and she still writes some stuff that I always love.



Day 12 - In your own space, post a rec for fannish spaces and resources - comms, challenges, twitters, tumblrs, etc. Tell us about where you hang out. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

I haven't been as up on fandom in recent years as I was before.  I always take part in Yuletide no matter what, so that's something I always stay aware of.

I highly recommend checking out:

ante_up_losers  - if you love the Losers and like creating fic/art because it's currently open for sign-ups.

And picfor1000  is open for sign-ups until the end of the month.  It's always a fun challenge to undertake. 

Since Day 4 didn't require a post, I did that and Day 5 to catch up a bit more.

Day 4 was to comment on someone's post that I didn't know. - COMPLETE.

Day 5 - In your own space, post recs for at least three fanworks that you did not create. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

Okay, so I've had a bunch set aside to rec for a very long time, so three...two of these are from Yuletide.

1. If We're Strong Enough by thisissirius - The Martian, Chris Beck/Mark Watney - it's possible I'm bias because it was a gift for me, but I really enjoyed this. I loved the mix of happiness that Mark was rescued and alive, but the guilt and issues that come with what had happened to both of them.

2. You Might Think I'm Crazy by minim_calibre - What's Your Number, Ally Darling/Colin Shea - Set after the movie ends, it explores the relationship between Ally and Colin and I love the different sides to both of them as they move forward.

3. And So the Wheel Turns by cleo4u2 - Captain America/MCU, Steve Rogers/Bucky Barnes - an AU where Bucky doesn't fall from the train, but Steve still goes into the ice. A lot of focus on Bucky finding out how to live his life without Steve and then the two of them finding a way to come back together when Steve returns. I really enjoyed this.

Happy Birthday to benitle and penknife!

You're both amazing and I wish you each the very the best! I'm so glad to have you on my friends list.

**

Is President Bush done visiting the Olympics yet? I get into my happy place of Michael Phelps or other hot boy swimmers and then BAM, zoom in on President Bush. Yeah, way to take me out of my moment and happy place. On the otherhand, with him busy rooting on Team America, he can't do too much damage to the country, so I guess that's a blessing.

But NBC really needs to stop panning from Michael Phelps to President Bush. That's just not cool.

**

After the poll and thinking it through, the week of drabble-a-thons will run from Monday, August 18th until Friday, August 22nd. I know I'll have the time to actually moderate and participate in it if I do it that way. So take the opportunity of my insane schedule and forgetfulness to leave prompts for the five days of drabble-a-thons.

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Speaking of drabbles, dotfic wrote me a SPN drabble of Dean going undercover in a boyband - Hangin' Tough.

Thanks for the good work thoughts. Things are just...not good...right now and I'm not sure what to do. I am a firm believer that things happen for a reason and that karma comes around. I am clinging to these things.

But now I shall focus on happy, good things. Because I miss happy, good things.

1.


These boys always make me happy and they love each other so much and just...oh, there is never enough Jared/Jensen or Sam/Dean schmoop in the world but y'all provide me with great amounts of it!

2. All of you because you rock and you offer encouragement and you're just awesome. I love you all. I really do.

3. Army Wives is coming out on dvd in June. It's the lifetime series that has Drew Fuller as the perfect husband and has Gordon from SPN as the one guy "army wife" in the group and features some interesting characters. Plus, did I mention Drew Fuller?

4. I'm a tad bit behind on my Supernatural reading, but I highly recommend pheebs1's Supernatural version of PS I Love You. It's Sam/Dean and it's sad and wonderful and just the end is so perfect.

5. I'm mailing my check for winchestercon tomorrow! And I'm totally going to get ladybug218 (And Mylia!!!) to come hang out with me there. And I can't wait to see some of you again and to meet even more of you...because it was so much fun.

So the multiverse2004 stories have gone live and the story written for me is so AWESOME. It's a Roswell/Firefly story called In the End We Are One Tree. It features all the Big Damn Heroes after the movie and has Maria and Michael and the other pod peeps (but mostly Maria and some Michael). The voices are perfect and the relationships are wonderful and I loved the whole thing.

I've heard from the person I wrote for and s/he enjoyed the story. Thank goodness. I was a tad bit worried about that one and how to get the two characters into a room together without throwing all probability out the window and/or making it like any stories that might have come before in the archive.

But be sure to check out all the stories over at multiverse2004 because there is bound to be some serious great fic.

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jenab is hosting a Comment Kissing Challenge so check it out if you get a few minutes.

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Oh and shay_renoylds: I can't wait to read the SPN/Ocean's 11 fic you wrote me. I'm trying to be good and finish my piece up first and use that as an incentive...so hopefully tomorrow I will read it! Woo-hoo.

So the stupid electricity went out again. It didn't come back on until 6:30 this evening. So guess what I did with most of my day? Napped. Though is it considered a nap when it lasts for five hours? I'm not sure.

I did get a handwritten page of the my story written. Stupid weather. I'm just...my days of handwriting stories seems to have passed - I'm much better writing on the computer, probably because I can type faster and keep up with my thoughts a bit better.

On the brightside, the overwhelming sinus pain abated a bit, so I can actually lift my head without wanting to stab out my eyes.

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Y'all need to go read Broke Your Throne by vinylroad. It's possessed Jo and lots of dirty talk to John. And it's just AWESOME and twisted and he calls her "darlin'" and really...go read it. Because she blames me for it and she's sensitive to the fact that I called her Sam/OFC "stupid" in order to get her to write this. Hee.

And quite frankly, I think this is fair as she is making me write her Dean/Jess sneaking around on Sam.

**

Shark week has started on the discovery channel. Is it normal to be excited about this sort of thing? I'm such a loser.

Where is the Dean wrangles shark fic?

I've been terrible with birthdays lately and I truly apologize. I'm trying to work on it, but I tend to fail at dates a whole lot (even when they're right in front of me)...so if I've missed your birthday recently, I apologize. I hope it was fabulous in every way!

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I know I've mentioned it before, but I simply LOVE when writers/friends I adore come to the Supernatural fandom. And we have a recent convert. She's been out of fandom for awhile, but Jess & Supernatural has lured her back in with a new journal and some fic. So go check out vinylroad. She has two SPN stories posted (Jess/Sam & Dean/Jess, Sam/Jess) and they're both great.

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The Supernatural Friday Five (spn_fridayfive)- Week 38

1.) Pretend for a moment this isn't completely unimaginable. Pretend Dean doesn't exist. If this were the case, which real or fictional person/character would be the perfect person to fill Dean's role in Sam's life? How about the other way around: Who would be the perfect person/character to fill Sam's role in Dean's life?

So in this world everything that happened, still occurs except that there is no Dean or no Sam? I honestly don't know that I would like that world because the thing I love most about Supernatural is Dean & Sam's relationship. That Dean was always there to protect Sam and to take on the brunt of the duty with his father. Sam would be a much different person without a Dean who took care of him and I'm not sure who he would've had to latch onto given their lives.

And without Sam there is no story really. He was the reason the demon came into their lives...so without that, they probably would've lived a somewhat normal life.

2.) Quote from "The Benders": "Sam? Two beers and he's doing karaoke." What song do you think Sam was singing?

Barry Manilow. Tons of Barry Manilow.

3.) Before the Yellow-Eyed Demon killed Jess, do you think there was any conversation exchanged? If so, what? Or do you think it was a slice-and-dice, stick-her-to-the-ceiling, apply-demonic-gasoline, timer-set ceiling fire quickie?

There was probably some conversation, some taunting, some "you really don't know your wonderful Sam" type things from YED. That was his style.

4.) Describe the day/night before Sam left for college. Include any details you'd like, including, but not limited to, convos between Sam and Dean, behavior between Sam and John, etc.

I'm guessing Sam was nervous and constantly waiting for the "right moment" to bring it up. I think he really wanted to tell Dean, but didn't want to hurt him whereas he wanted to put off explaining it to John for as long as possible.

5.) In one of the first shots in the pilot, we see Sam has a picture of John and Mary in his dorm room. Sam and Dean have a pretty interesting relationship. Assuming Sam took something with him to remember Dean, what was it and what is its significance?

I bet he had a picture of him and Dean in his wallet. And sometimes he would put on a Metallica cd and just listen to it. And there were the many times he just called Dean's cellphone to hear his brother's voice, but never left a message or said anything.

Happy Supernatural Day, my friends! This week has gone so slow. And God, I'm just...just...

POLL TIME!!!

[Poll #986519]

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I actually posted Supernatural recs over at polyfandomrecs last night. There are a mix of schmoop/angst, wincest/gen. Something for everyone. I even braved Fanfiction.net to find some good stories. (Though I must say that considering what that site is capable of producing in the bad fic arena, there is a lot of decent/good SPN fic over there.)

Next up are a bunch various fandom recs that don't quite make a whole bunch.

Happiest of birthdays to anasuede, pheebs1, and them0rgue! I hope each of you has a wonderful day!

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Life continues to happen all around me and I'm doing my best to stay afloat at the moment. I really just need a few days to completely veg out properly, but I doubt that will happen anytime soon.

In television, Black Donnellys continues to rock. Kevin and Tommy have the best relationship. Sean and Jimmy are still on the periphery it feels like, but Tommy & Kevin? Just so damn cute.

**

A few people have asked me those interview questions and I will get to those tomorrow. I also have chapter three of iamentheos's story to beta. and really, i don't normally rec WIPs, but you guys should check it out in her journal. It's called Hide and Seek and it's really intriguing thus far.

And it's quite possible this is the lamest entry I've ever made.

Ciao.