|
|
|
November 11th, 2011
11:11 am - Make a Wish
If you hang around me much you'll notice that I compulsively exhort people to make wishes at 11:11. If 11:11 is a good time for wishing, it seems that 11/11/11 11:11 would be even better. So this is up here to remind me to do something - a party, perhaps - to celebrate that day and wish hard.
This was posted on May 30th, 2007. Only 4 years and change to go.
|
April 16th, 2010
10:32 pm - 'Cause I'm thoughtful like that/Yes, of course you can trust me with that information
That screened comments post I mentioned earlier. For all that information you want to give me so you and/or others can come to a rocking party, but don't want to leave lying around on a public post.
Edit: This is starting to really come in handy. Therefore, let it be known throughout teh intarwebs that this post has been promoted to the new and exalted status of The Post of Secrets.
If you have something you need to tell me but don't want anyone else to know, here's the place to put it.
|
June 18th, 2009
05:23 am - The sun also rises
I was up all night finishing my ASL midterm. The story I picked was one of my Switzerland stories, this one about the time an English-speaking toddler was found and was immediately assumed to be mine. Hilarity ensued, especially when, in the middle of my protests ("No, really, I've never seen this child before") the toddler hugged me and said "Mama!" That was hard to explain.
Being up all night isn't great for me, of course, at least in epilepsy terms. As for as the rest of the me, this is awesome! I feel so energetic, and I love hearing the birds chirping in the morning. Even better, I am looking at the sunrise over the water right now. Color is rising from the horizon, like a celestial high tide. Outside the window, there's a pine tree as tall as my house, which stands in relief to the brightest pink and purple sky I've ever seen. The best part, though, is that it's actually not the brightest I've ever seen. It's as bright this morning as it is every morning. Every single day, one of the most beautiful sights I could hope to see passes right by my window. I am lucky. Bedazzled and trite, but also very lucky.
|
June 16th, 2009
03:16 pm - Midterm in the middle of more important things
I feel frivolous posting the following request, because it is trivial compared to the events in Iran.
That being said, I have a midterm in my ASL class. I need to sign a story. I considered signing a story about Iran, but I don't know nearly enough vocabulary to be to talk about the violence and suppression going on there. To be honest, even the grammar for that would be difficult for me, because ASL grammar can be somewhat situation-dependent.
Which brings me to the request: do any of you recall a story that I've told which was interesting or memorable to you? I'm having trouble choosing from the ones I remember, and even more trouble distinguishing between the good ones and the bad ones.
|
June 10th, 2009
01:11 pm - Diversion or catalyst, however you choose to see it
The 15 books meme sounds appealing, but I don't want to read anyone else's lists until I've written my own. Hence, I am writing my own.
Directions: "List 15 books you've read that will always stick with you: Don't take too long to think about it."
I took too long to think about it. Luckily, I have an excuse. The brain damage/memory loss/language problems still haven't totally resolved themselves. Thankfully, they're mostly gone, but memory remains the biggest problem of them.* I'm hoping it gets back to normal, and soon.
Of course, I actually don't think anyone needs an excuse.
1. The Green Book, Jill Paton Walsh
2. The Summer Tree, Guy Gavriel Kay
3. And the Band Played On, Randy Shilts
4. The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood.
5. A Long Way Down, Nick Hornby
6. A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters, Julian Barnes
7. Time Enough for Love, Robert Heinlein
8. Nine Parts of Desire, Geraldine Brooks
9. Republican Party Reptile, P.J. O'Rourke
10. The Last Days of Summer, Steve Kluger
11. The Translator, John Crowley
12. The Evolution Explosion, Stephen R. Palumbi
13. Which Brings Me to You, Steve Almond and Julianna Baggott
14. The Noonday Demon, Andrew Solomon
15. Another Bullshit Night in Suck City, Nick Flynn
...and I'm going to need to cheat
16. Talking it Over, Julian Barnes
17. The Giver, Lois Lowry
*Those of you who know me well probably realize what a blow that is. I was always very proud of my memory. It made me happy.
|
May 14th, 2009
06:22 pm - Double Trouble
I don't remember much of this week. In fact, if I made plans with you recently, please remind me of them. Memories keep slipping in and out of my consciousness, but I can't hold on to any of them, nor can I search any of them out.( If you're curious, here's why )
That's the story. I remember snatches of recent days, but nothing really helpful. Yesterday especially is a blank. Words are very difficult for me to handle. Moreover, I'm much more easily confused now, and there's sometimes a delay between when I see something and when I recognize it. I'm pretty scared by all of that, but hopefully those effects will fade soon.
|
April 30th, 2009
11:11 pm - I'll see it again.
Wow, it's been a long time since I typed in this little box. I don't have much to say at the moment, either.
...except that I saw the pre-screening of Star Trek! It was as much fun as I hoped it would be. I bounced the whole way through the movie - except for the parts where I cried. (For those of you who might not have guessed, I'm a bit of a sap.) The best part of the whole evening though, was that the company was even better than the movie. I was lucky enough to see it with ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) chaiya, Chiquita, omly, crazybone, salvbard, L, noeltheone, and B.
Thank you so much for bring me along, chaiya. You're the best.
|
March 14th, 2009
02:09 pm - Ha!
Andrea said I could post as her.
So I am!
I do not think she thought I would.
Anyone taking bets on how long it takes her to notice? I bet she has comments emailed or something, though. :P
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/classic/smile.gif) amused
|
January 29th, 2009
03:07 pm - Good Timing
I stumbled across the following poem this morning:
Covering Two Years
This nothingness that feeds upon itself:
Pencils that turn to water in the hand,
Parts of a sentence, hanging in the air,
Thoughts breaking in the mind like glass,
Blank sheets of paper that reflect the world
Whitened the world that I was silenced by.
There were two years of that. Slowly,
Whatever splits, dissevers, cuts, cracks, ravels, or divides
To bring me to that diet of corrossion, burned
And flickered to its terminal. - Now in an older hand
I write my name. Now with a voice grown unfamiliar,
I speak to silences of altered rooms,
Shaken by knowledge of recurrence and return.
-- Weldon Kees
I am going back to school. As ever, more later.
|
December 10th, 2008
10:10 am - 526,320 minutes
Dear Paul,
A year ago we postulated that there are lightsabers in heaven. If there are, I know you've found them (and are probably wreaking havoc with them), so how's about giving those of us in the land of the living a sign, okay? C'mon, you know you want to tell us all about your exploits.
I miss you. We all miss you, Liz most of all.
-Your geekiest niece
P.S. Save me a purple lightsaber and a spot in the fencing league which I know you've formed.
|
December 1st, 2008
11:29 am - AIDS day
When I was fifteen years old I caught the movie Longtime Companion on TV. It was one of the first movies that involved AIDS (in fact, I'm pretty certain that it was the second, preceded by An Early Frost, which was heavily censored) and, while slow at times, is really well done, especially for its time. This dialogue from the end scene stuck with me, and I think the point Willy makes is really important.
Willy: Seems inconceivable, doesn't it? That there was ever a time before all this? When you didn't wake up every day wondering, "Who's sick now?" "Who else is gone?"
Fuzzy: You ever wonder if they ever do find a cure people will go back to, you know, sleeping around?
Willy: Oh, who cares.
Fuzzy: Just a question.
Willy: I know. I know, but... I'm sorry, I just think that whether people do or don't sleep around, or what they do, it's just not the point. I'm sick of hearing people pontificate about it.
Lisa: Except us.
Willy: Except us, exactly.
I just want to be there, if they ever do find a cure. I just want to be there.
Of course, AIDS as an issue has changed now. In first world countries it's more of a chronic disease than a death sentence. In third world countries there's all the stigma that existed when AIDS was first discovered here, and plenty more on top of that. Plus, of course, there's the lack of health care and the constant need to battle pharmaceutical companies to get drugs to the people who need them. Then there's the orphaned generation, the children of AIDS victimes in Africa, who have no one to take them in, because there are already so many other orphans. There's so much that still needs to be done, and that can't be forgotten or diminished.
Despite changing dynamics and new discoveries, though, Willy's point remains. It doesn't matter how people become infected with HIV. Whether it was the baths, blood transfusions, a cheating spouse, a broken condom, a stupid one night stand, because your mother had it while she carried you; hell, it doesn't matter if it was a monkey-hunting accident. Everyone deserves care and treatment, and no one deserves to be abandoned. I think that of the issues surrounding HIV/AIDS, that perspective is among the most important.
Current Music: Zane Campbell - Post-Mortem Bar
|
October 28th, 2008
01:16 am - Dear Universe,
Nicely played. I highly appreciate your efforts.
-me
Current Music: The Wallflowers - One Headlight
|
July 6th, 2008
12:10 pm - Back *and* alive. Bonus!
I'm back, I'm tired, and I had a wonderful time. I have lots of writing to do (emails, posts, comments) which I was about to start when I got an email containing the following:
"Party today at noon!"
Delicious food which I do not have to make, plus interesting conversation and an excuse to be alert? Yes, that sounds like the best way to relax right now.
More to follow later, but just so's you know - I'm okay.
|
June 25th, 2008
04:45 am - Teaser update, before I disappear again
The seizures are not going away. I had another grand mal last week, at work, and ended up in the ER. I'm fine now, and I was technically fine then, but grand mals are scary and my work decided to err on the side of caution, for which I am grateful. As per usual, details are available for the nosy, but not the creepy. I'm now on medication, although I don't yet have a diagnosis. Unfortunately, I've been having mondo side effects. This particular drug has been known to induce depression, and unsurprisingly it induced it in me. To be fair, I was teetering on the edge of that anyway, so it's no great shock. Regardless, I'm going to see about getting on a new med ASAP. (shadesong, this is why I haven't contacted you yet. I've been busy lying in bed contemplating the ceiling.)
However, I will not be looking into meds & such before July 6th, because in a couple of hours I leave for Ecuador. I think it'll be good for me. Travel generally is. I'm pretty excited, though also nervous. I plan on counteracting the nervousness by learning Spanish on the plane. Bets on how much I can absorb over the course of the trip? The closest guess gets a souvenir.
Last but definitely not least, the nifty things going on my roller-coaster life. Last weekend rocked. Saturday I got to see Serenity with caulay, who very kindly drove me home at 2:30am after the show. I ran into a bunch of friends at the show. On Sunday I discovered that shprintzah, pinkalicat, and myself are unstoppable when we plan parties together. We might each (especially me) be a little flaky separately, but as a team we are kick-ass. We threw asdr83 a bridal tea and it was So Much Fun. Plus, hfcougar had to rip her pants off. (I blame myself. I do have that effect on people.)
Catch you guys later. I probably won't be checking LJ until I get home.
|
April 19th, 2008
03:51 am - F minus
I fail at life.
This past week has been an exercise in not taking advantage of opportunities, not contacting people, and otherwise doing stupid things - kind of like my usual issues, but worse. Perhaps not coincidentally, this past week has also been witness to impressive bouts of mania and insomnia. Right now my brain chemistry is distressingly out of whack.
Also, I put my new, beloved, too-expensive-to-replace phone through the washer tonight.*
In 2 hours I leave for a somewhat last minute cruise. I'll be gone for a week. No phone, no email, no contact with the outside world. With any luck, I'll come back from it somewhat renewed, maybe even with a plan to help me figure things out. Who knows, I might even have a divine revelation and learn how to resurrect my phone. However, for now I offer the following: To everyone I've let down recently, I'm sorry. I'll apologize better in person once I get back, but please know that you're on my mind. Especially you, wispfox.
*I cried when I found it.
|
April 10th, 2008
02:32 pm - Self-esteem Geometry
Given:
a) You are pretty, even when completely schlubbed out.
b) You are currently not even a little schlubbed out.
c) You have suffered no major deformities since the last time someone told you that you were pretty.
Then according to the theorem "use logic, idiot girl":
You must be pretty at the least today.
QED
Who says math isn't fun?
|
April 7th, 2008
02:31 am - Tonic-clonic should be a band name
Things I wanted to learn about today:
ASL grammar and vocab.
Things which I learned about instead:
Seizures.
So... this morning I had a seizure. It was a grand mal or tonic-clonic, i.e. the kind of seizure with convulsions and passing out. If you're sitting there thinking "wow, devoken, I didn't know you had seizures", join the club. This was my first one. I hope it will be my last, because it was a) bloody terrifying, b) bloody painful, and c) really screwed up the rest of my day.* Post-ictal states suck.**
I am fine now. I spoke with a neurologist, and he essentially said "nothing to be done right now, we'll have to get you in ASAP, though", which is kind of what I expected. Right now there's not a lot of solid information, and so (barring a repeat occurrence) waiting for my regular neurologist (the one I spoke to was on call in my doctor's office) seems like the best course. I don't even have sufficient information to reasonably hypothesize about what might have triggered it. (Unreasonable hypotheses I have in spades, though. So far the one that's winning is that it was all Smoove's fault. I was reading his column at the time, and we all know that he sends women into convulsions.) While I am impatient to get more information, I'm doing okay in this nebulous nothing-is-known stage. It's times like these that I am glad to be an optimist.
That's about it. You're welcome to details if you want them (assuming you're not being creepy about it - nosy is fine, creepy is not), and feel free to ask questions in the comments. I'll probably make another post when I know more, though.
*galaneia, chaiya, hakadamare, rk624, volantwish, this is why I missed class.
**I have a had killer headache ever since. Ibuprofen didn't even touch it.
|
March 26th, 2008
01:13 pm - Tickets nailed down
I'll be in Ecuador (near Guayaquil) from June 25th through July 5th, working at a mission. After that I'm going to try to squeeze in a few days in Panama City visiting friends, and then home.
Now all I have to do is learn Spanish. Luckily, I have new_man for a friend, and since he's such a lovely, obliging person, he's teaching me.
As a side note, it's amazingly relaxing to know that I have finalized my travel plans. This is not because I was stressed out about making them work; it's just that I'm more relaxed knowing that I will get my travel fix this year. I have weird addictions.
P.S. new_man, you rock.
|
March 18th, 2008
02:00 pm - That's no good
Apparently my computer no longer recognizes discs. Not CDs, not DVDs, not blank discs of any format.
Naturally, I discovered this after gleefully attempting to rip a CD that I'd waited weeks for. Weeks. Murphy, I don't love you.
|
March 15th, 2008
01:31 am - Lizard Storage, or The Sandals of Eternal Life
In response to a couple of questions on this post (and because I think it's a reasonably amusing story), here's the background/explanation of my userpic. ( Beware, it's long. I am entirely too verbose. )
Current Music: The Offspring - Gotta Keep 'Em Separated
|
|
|
