escritoireazul | Entries tagged with me: friends

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I got the sweetest handmade card from

st_aurafina (for Valentine's Day, actually, though it came very late and then it took me awhile to post this, so ... yes, between international shipping and my being so busy, this is super timely, as you can see!), and it is gorgeous. It is also addressed to the doggy as well as me, and I found that unbelievably charming. Thank you so much, darling! It made my day when it arrived, and every time I look at it, it makes me smile.

Taking it down from display so I could get a picture (see below) made me think about how much I appreciate little gestures like this (well, sending a card, particularly handmade card, and even moreso internationally, is not a "little" thing at all, obviously). When I finally checked my phone this morning, I had a bunch of texts from Sister K about the work she's doing on her new house (with commentary from our friends, because we have a group text thread), adorable pictures of another friend who did a bubble run this weekend and celebrated with her young son in the bubbles at the end, fun teasing snark from BFF and her husband, and, of course, an ongoing conversation with my writing group that ebbs and flows every day, but never ends.

Technology can be frustrating and intrusive and abused, but it has given me access to amazing people and allowed me to communicate more in ways that I never could have done otherwise. (The writing group chat has only been in place since after Wiscon last year, and already I feel a billion times closer to them, just because of the little things.) Grad school BFF and I have shared weekly to do lists and goal documents, and that has made us feel closer than ever, too, and we were already damn close. For a lot of people, it can be difficult to feel close to someone when you're not in the same place (I do not feel this way; I am good at long distance relationships of all kinds), and just knowing the little things about what people are up to can make life so much more rewarding. (For me, because distance doesn't really harm my feelings of closeness, it is about how interesting it is to see into someone else's life. This is in part why I never managed to keep any sort of journal until LJ, because I don't really care about writing it down for myself, but seeing other people's posts and sharing my own was wonderful.)

I am rambling, and need to get back to today's to do list, but friendship + technology makes my life infinitely better.

( CARD! )

( All 10 Days )

Day 7 - Four memories you won't forget

Oh, this is a tough one. I have terrible memory, especially if I don't write something done (to do lists, yeah, but also memories of things that have happened, conversations, important details about friendships, etc.). There are whole chunks of 2007 - 2014 I feel like I've lost because I wasn't blogging as much during grad school. (And also, crazy brain, particularly while I was in Michigan, and unmedicated, and pretty sure the sun was never going to return.) Plus memories come and go.

So, four memories I haven't forgotten at this moment, in no particular, but all of which are particularly vivid.

1. Standing in Mom's ICU room with my dad, J, and a couple of my siblings, watching the machines keep Mom alive. Watching the machines turn off, one by one, wires and buttons, plastic and electricity, metal bits, all these unimportant things, and each one, a piece of her gone. She breathed on her own, one last time, and the sound she made. It was like we could see her leave, and then there was just a body, and all those tears, and nothing. I'd been called home so many times over the years, said good-bye only to have her live. This was not that. This was the end.

2. I'm fourteen, and just stupid in love with J. His sister's friends are adults, like her, and they're in a band, and we're watching practice. We go for a walk at dusk, and after the sun has gone behind the trees, we stop. There's a rowboat for awhile, under the stars, water splashing, soaking the bottom of my jeans. The sky is deep, dark blue, all stars, no moon. We kiss, sitting on the hood of an old car, and the band covers Live's "Lightning Crashes".

3. It was late when I landed in Seattle, dark, and I was exhausted. Spring break, but I'd been interviewing with firms, had little rest. I wasn't stressed about the interview in Redmond, I already had an offer from my first choice firm, but I walked outside the airport, and the air was so crisp and cool. It felt different. My driver was quiet, left me in peace, and I couldn't stop staring at the trees, the mountains, the moon. I fell in love with the Seattle area that trip, and the summer I worked out there.

4. It's my first Wiscon, and I'm hanging out with friends I've either never met in person before or only get to rarely see. We're laughing, it's wonderful, we're having so much fun. The auction is ridiculous, hilarious, and I'm grinning at something one of my friends has said when I look up, across the room, and there's a woman. She's gorgeous, all dark shiny hair and such a nice grin and her outfit is casual sexy as hell, and she has a Faith tattoo. I recognize it even at a distance.

And then, after the auction, I'm walking with a friend, and the woman is right there, friendly and smiling and wonderful, and I can tell her how awesome her tattoo is, and how her outfit is very Faith, and -- wait. I know her. We spend the rest of the night talking and drinking. She ends up being one of my best friends, and such an important part of my life for many years.

That is the story of how I spotted

nikitangel across a crowded room at a feminist convention without knowing it was her, even though we'd already become friends online. It makes me smile to this day.

Well, not all that ridiculous, really, but here's what ended up being wrong with my car: it forgot how to recognize the key. Apparently, the shop has had a number of similar models in with that same issue. On the one hand, an easy, cheap fix that I greatly appreciate. On the other hand, MY CAR FORGOT THAT MY KEY BELONGED TO IT. WTF?!

Grad school BFF came into town for Thanksgiving. She and favorite nephew have baked up a storm and are planning to watch football all day. J even gave them permission to use his projector and screen, which is rare, because J is not a football fan. We tried to watch the Macy's parade this morning, but failed at that. We're also having lots of fantasy football talk, because grad school BFF, favorite nephew, and I are in the same league. (I'm winning, so far. Who's number one? I'm number one!)

We're having a small group this year, and aren't eating until later. Right now I'm cooking potatoes while everyone else watches ridiculous YouTube videos (currently Fantasy Football Stereotypes). The rest of the family (who will be here) will drift in over the next hour or so. I probably need to find some sort of food. I've been up for awhile, and so far am living on water and Dr. Pepper.

I hope today is good for you, whatever day it is in your life.

While I haven't yet watched Mockingjay part one (I tend to watch the Hunger Games movies when they're available on Blu-Ray, though I may make an exception for this one if I can work it in tomorrow between car repair and leaving town -- so probably not), this version of the hanging tree gave me chills.

I'm giving The Flash a try. Missed episode one being available on Hulu+, but so far, it's kind of adorable. In particular, I love ( slight spoilers )

Watched the latest WWE pay-per-view, Survivor Series, and overall came away pleased though ( spoilers )

The Jurassic World teaser trailer does nothing but annoy me. I WANT THE ACTUAL TRAILER NOW. I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOREVER. MORE DINOSAURS DUDES DINOSAURS FOREVER.

Still source reviewing for my actual Yuletide assignment, but one of the treats has now reached 8500 words oh my god it just won't stop. It's paused for the moment, and I need to do a little more source review for it, too, but oh, man, this treat is ridiculous and out of control. I'm so excited about it and my assignment. (I'll be excited about the other treats I started, too, once I get to work on them again.)

Unrelated to media, except in that it falls into my garage and mechanic love, I tried some minor repairs on my car, which failed, alas. I think the battery is just dead, due to not being able to start it for a week in the cold weather while I was waiting on a part, and J and I have now joined AAA, so I'm calling them in the morning. Here's hoping the jump will be it, because I really need to be on the road fairly early tomorrow. I have a four hour drive down to J's, and I don't really want to do it in the dark with the weather we're having. Plus I'm off to pick up a friend at the train station on Tuesday, and that will be an easier drive if I've made it to J's on Monday. So looking forward to friend's visit.

nikitangel is having a really rough time right now. I won't go into detail, because that's her choice, but if you know her and would like to leave an encouraging, supportive message, I would like to compile them and send them to her in an email full of, well, encouragement and support.

Messages will be screened here. Feel free to send other people you know who know her if you'd like; our flists don't entirely overlap.

I'd like to send her at least one email tonight, so the sooner the better.

Current Mood: worried

Wow it's been a long time since I drank anything more than a glass of wine or a couple beers. You would have semi-drunk posting, except I spent too long talking to J. and R. at their work (hanging out at the security monitoring place in the wee hours of the morning, do I know how to party or what?) and now I am completely sober as opposed to mostly sober.

Also, twenty-one-year-old boys apparently find me intimidating. Damn straight.

Today was fun (mostly shopping and lunch and Supernatural with my sister, K., the party was just so-so), but I am really looking forward to WisCon, and getting to be with the people with whom I'm comfortable (at least most of the time).

Okay, bedtime now.

Current Mood: thirsty

Today just got a thousand times better, or at least it will when I get to leave here.

Already I expected a phone call at 8 p.m., which I'm looking forward to even though it's not under the best circumstances (and even though I hate the phone and talking on it), because I like the woman calling, and I want to be a good friend, and I hope talking will help a little. Plus, since she moved even farther away than she already was, I don't get to talk to her online even the little bit I did before, our schedules are just too different.

Then I decided instead of going to the gym I was going to go for a long motorcycle ride, because I'm sore from lifting yesterday and the weather is gorgeous so I don't want to do cardio inside. Since WW online counts it as workout points, I am, too.

Finally I realized Bones is new tonight, which is just excellent! My fall season is starting (all two shows I know for certain I'll watch, though I may catch others as I have time) and I'm thrilled. I need new canon in my life.

Current Mood: pleased

Two of my favorite things will come together.

Michelle Rodriguez will be on Lost in May? Excellent. I have no idea what character she will play or anything to do with the plot, and as I'm many episodes behind right now, I don't want to know, but I'm still thrilled. Locke. Hurley. And the goddess of hot action adventure movies.

I spent this morning researching various strains of the ebola virus at work. I thought about hiding the fact that I'm strange, but it looks like I've already slipped. Heh.

Today I received my copy of Astonishing X-Men: Gifted. I've already read it, of course, and I'm sure I'm going to want to write Astonishing!Piotr angst, too. I'm beginning to think I just like metalangst that deals with him period, no matter who or what else it's about. J. just rolled his eyes when he saw my amazon order, but really, I was restrained and only bought one new graphic novel. I could have picked up a ton.

I'm talking to

cabellicious which is always wonderful, but I'm exhausted. It's nearly bedtime, I think, as soon as I email off the story I worked on today at work and tonight.