Wow. No posts since August … Apparently I’m officially back in hedgeturtle mode* (which demands a mascot, yes…must work on that).
Things that have happened since my last post, in no particular order:
We drove 2,300 gloriously winding miles to New England and back, and saw mountains and fall foliage and stayed with Will’s grandmother in a lovely Maine fishing village. Sadly, the moose avoided us. This time.
The new school year started, and we have a temporary but thoroughly awesome marketing and communications specialist on board for the new year. If they don’t let me keep him, I will cry great tears of fury and then the revenge plotting will begin. Just you wait.
My personal laptop had decided its screen looks FABULOUS in rainbow-colored vertical stripes, and so it keeps acquiring more. And more. And we’re quickly reaching the point at which the pretty stripes are making it sort of impossible to read/watch anything.
A new season of MLP:FIM has begun, and I’ve not seen any of them. (See FABULOUS rainbow-colored stripes.) Yes, I could watch them on Will’s computer, but I have to wait for him to go to bed and then sit in an uncomfortable chair instead of my comfy couch-nest, and I’m sure I could probably come up with something else to whine about if you give me a minute…
A squirrel got stuck in our family room chimney a few weeks ago. It’s still there, as the critter catchers couldn’t get to it without either removing the back furnace or the fireplace itself. So huzzah for space heaters! Boo on contractors and critter catchers not returning calls! [Filed under: The House Is Trying to Kill Us.]
Samhain quietly came and went. Peace to all who observed third harvest, and spent time remembering their Honored Dead. Blessings also to the Honored Dead among us. May we make you proud, and be always mindful of those who have gone before.
We spent fourth harvest (Thanksgiving) with Will’s family. It was both delicious and entertaining, as expected. I was most impressed by the small child who clearly preferred cheese over cookies. Cheeeese. Smart kid.
I voted in our local elections and was cheered by the staffers and saluted by a veteran for taking the time to do so. (Next time I’ll ask where the cookies/massage line starts. I bet you’d get a lot more voters…) This particular vote was important to me, because I very badly wanted to see some city council members replaced — specifically those who kept blocking gender-based anti-discrimination policies in housing, employment, public facilities, etc.
Collaborative yoga is on hiatus because we lost our teacher and couch-nesting season makes me not want to go Out There unless I absolutely have to. Also, hedgeturtle. I rest my case.
We discovered a sushi/boba tea shop at the southern end of downtown St. Joseph. As much as I like Sweet Moon Tea, this other place is kind of awesome — they don’t use powders, but fresh ingredients. The taro was kind of amazing. If only I could remember the name.
Skyrim and Saints Row: The Third came out. I have mixed feelings on both games, though SR3 might warrant its own post. I’m replaying SMT: Strange Journeys on the DS. Maybe I’ll finish it this time! A girl can dream.
We are now in the “consume ALL the things” phase of the “holiday” season. November is almost over. Seriously. When did that happen?
That is all.
This site desperately needs an overhaul. Put that on the things to do list, Ghost Assistant.
*Hedgeturtle: My antisocial side when I’m in hiding mode — a cross between a hedgehog and turtle, all prickly and withdrawn. Coined during a conversation with the lovely Erin Palette.
I’m annually amused by Warren Ellis‘s Valentine’s Day advice:
Happy Valentine’s Day to all. And to those who hate the day, I say this: Valentine’s Day is a Christian corruption of a pagan festival involving werewolves, blood and fucking. So wish people a happy Horny Werewolf Day and see what happens.
The Beyond Words blog at Altalang.com provides some insight into Lupercalia:
But what’s in a name? Lupercalia is loosely connected with the ancient Greek festival of the Arcadia Lykaia (????? — lykos, “wolf”), which was held on the slopes of Mount Kykaiaon (“Wolf Mountain”), the tallest mountain in Arcadia, in the beginning of May. Lykaia was a primitive rite of passage that may have possibly entailed cannibalism and the possibility of werewolf transformation for the adolescent male participants.
In Roman mythology, however, Lupercus can be associated with the Roman god Faunus (the equivalent of Pan, the god of shepherds). Lupercus’ festival, celebrated on February 15, was also called Lupercalia, and his priests wore goatskins during all rites and celebrations. The Lupercal is also the cave where Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were suckled by a she-wolf, also named Lupa — which closely ties the god and the holiday to the origins of the Roman Empire.
And then there’s the Wikipedia entry, which recounts the less sensational bits of historical detail:
The festival began with the sacrifice by the Luperci (or the flamen dialis) of two male goats and a dog.[7] Next two young patrician Luperci were led to the altar, to be anointed on their foreheads with the sacrificial blood, which was wiped off the bloody knife with wool soaked in milk, after which they were expected to smile and laugh.
So the next time you find yourself irritated by the superficial displays of affection-on-demand encouraged by this Hallmark holiday, well … just be glad you’re not standing around in your air-conditioned goatskin skivvies with milk, blood, and bits of wool dripping into your eyes as a bunch of old clergy dudes in their goatskin skivvies wait expectantly for you to smile and laugh on cue.
Because that’s not creepy and awkward at all. (Probably. I mean, I don’t know what you people do for fun.)
The movie that he most longs to make is an adaptation of a grandly ridiculous H. P. Lovecraft novella, “At the Mountains of Madness,” in which explorers, venturing into Antarctica, discover malevolent aliens in a frozen, ruined city. Some of the aliens mutate wildly, which would allow del Toro to create dozens of extreme incarnations. He said, “If I get to do it, those monsters will be so terrifying.”
Am I the only one who thinks the (!) ought to be mandatory after his last name?
If anyone could do justice to HPL, it would be GdT. He has just enough wild imagination and dark flair to pull it off. I’ll be honest, I usually don’t pay much attention to directors. I never have. But at this point, I will sit through anything GdT directs, just to see what dreams he’s ripped out of the ether this time.
In other news, the bathroom is almost done. I’m mostly recovered from the week of madness and stupid injuries and the subsequent snow bomb that resulted in only the second (I believe) official snow closing for campus since I started there nine years ago. I am so very not amused by this weather anymore. I’m just tired and want it to go away so I can stop dreading every trip outside the house. All I want to do is hide.
Oh how long the winter has felt this year. It’s been a long, long time since we last had one so consistently bitter and ferociously snowy. Fortunately, Imbolc was this week … we’re officially more than halfway to the equinox, kids. And that is why I pay attention to the Wheel of the Year — not because I’m a ritualist, but because even simple things, like making a point to acknowledge the passage of time, can trigger a perspective shift. As the poet said, nothing gold can stay. Pay attention to the little things while you can, even if you really have to work at finding something to appreciate, because the world may shift around you by this time tomorrow.
Appreciate what, you say? Well, let’s say … cheese. Imbolc is (by loose association) Cheese Appreciation Day. I mean, if you want to be technical, it’s also Brigid’s day, and ewe’s milk day and “huzzah! the lengthening of the days” day, and all that, sure, but cheese.
Today is the Winter Solstice. It is a sadness that the clouds and snow hid last night’s full moon lunar eclipse, but what else can we expect from Indiana in the winter? In any case, break out the pomegranates and wine, the red ribbons, Lucia candles, Krampus switches and wassail! The days get longer from here on out. Someday, rumor has it, we’ll even get to see that big ol’ fireball in the sky again.
To celebrate, here is a pretty, pretty thing: Yoshitaka Amano‘s upcoming anime, Deva Zan (courtesy of W.). I am full of want.
Still can’t shake the sinus headache, so mostly I just have a video to share today, found via GaS. 8BITS is a strangely nostalgic short, at least for me: part Nightmare before Christmas, part platformer mash-up, part Little Big Planet, part Matrix. No, really. Have a look.
Additional videos that have amused me in the last week or so:
OkGo: White Knuckles. Still not a big fan of their music, but I’ll admit to being a fan of their videos nonetheless. They continue to amaze with their one-take process, particularly since this vid involves dog wrangling.
In other news, Mabon is this Wednesday, the 22nd. In all honesty, I’m not particularly demonstrative when it comes to my practice, and prefer to mark the days of the Wheel simply — by making a point to enjoy whatever food I associate most with the season. For me, Mabon means apples and spiced cider and apple butter and … you get the idea.
Soon the air will turn chilly, and the sun will retreat behind the perma-shroud that is the winter sky in Indiana. Mabon is my reminder to pause and appreciate this season before it flashes past, to admire its beauty and enjoy the last few days of summer as they trail into autumn.
Ending on another happy note, my good friend Monica pointed out an awesome new review for her Queen of Crows eBook (which is on sale again for $2.99):
Excellent story, great art, and I absolutely loved the idea of the “DVD Extra’s” like bonus features. This just screams “fearless author” to me, someone who’s not afraid to say “here’s my story, here’s my inspiration, here’s some character notes, and here’s an early draft so you can see how far it’s come.”
Absolutely intrigues me with the authors Violet Wars world setting and her other works of fiction. Well worth the price; would highly recommend.
1. Bones. Mom’s hip surgery went well yesterday, although she reacted strongly to the anesthesia again; she was freezing the few times she did wake up, kept setting off the oxygen level and pulse alarms every half hour or so, and didn’t really regain coherency until late afternoon. It still amazes me that they can get someone up and walking the same day after a joint replacement surgery like that.
Sadly, she did not demand feature upgrades, as I suggested. Nary a hydraulic or storage compartment to be found. I mean, technically, yes, being able to walk is useful and all, but really – if you’re going to let someone cut your bones apart and cement metal bits to the ends, why not make the most of it?
It was a Very Long Day: bed at midnight, up at 3:45 AM, at the hospital by 5 AM, surgery at 7:30 AM, recovery at 9:30 AM, semi-coherency at 4 PM, ran home to let her dog out, napped from 5-6 PM, did laundry, etc., finished the book I’d started that morning (Deathwish by Rob Thurman), and apparently passed out on the couch sometime between 11 PM and midnight. Will noticed the lights on at 1AM or so and shooed me off to bed proper — and thank goodness, or I would’ve had a wicked crick in just about everything today.
Roughly three nights in a row with 3-4 hours of sleep. Nothing terribly new, but yesterday drained out the last of my reserves, I think. I’m bone tired today; tonight, I visit the hospital and then spend a few hours with Will before the weekend spins us off in different directions.
2. Books. It’s been ages and ages since I read a novel for fun, and the stack that awaits me is at least a year old, I think. Many are borrowed. I know there have been several books released over the last couple of years by my favorite authors, and these books remain sadly unpurchased, although I did finally get copies of Caitlin Kiernan’s The Red Tree and The Ammonite Violin & Others. I completely missed the release of Kelly Link’s Pretty Monsters when it came out in 2008, so I’ll be tracking down a copy of that in the near future. I admit, short stories are typically not my thing, but Kiernan and Link are definite exceptions. So many good things waiting … but at the moment, the Cal Leandros novels have just the right mix of mythic WTF, darkness, cool and snark that I sailed through 340+ pages yesterday and now feel obligated to pick up the next one before the coming weekend. (I’ll be staying with mom for a few days when she comes home from the hospital).
3. Yoga. Auzumel and I started yoga lessons on Tuesday. We’re starting with just the practical basics: breathing, posture, how get up and down from the mat with a modicum of grace. And by that, I mean: not killing ourselves or the surrounding furniture. We’re still working on the “grace” part, but so far there have been no casualties, furniture or otherwise.
Also there was tasty, tasty homemade hummus and veggies beforehand. Edige assures me that the hummus recipe is insanely easy … now, if only I had a food processor.
4. Texts. Cleared out my text messages at the hospital yesterday while I was taking a break from reading. Kept two from Will, which I couldn’t bring myself to delete. They do kind of sum up our relationship nicely:
I love you.
Yes. This is one of many reasons why I keep him.
Got the vampire bastards!
This refers to a co-op match on the Magic: The Gathering X-Box game that pitted Will and Matt vs. the vampire deck and the black deck. That duo had been their brick wall for quite a while, and I couldn’t help but laugh when I received the victory text.
Sharing your victories is important. Sharing them with someone who gets why they’re such a victory is even better.
5. Lammas. Although we’re sliding away from the brilliant full moon of earlier this week, August 1 is the usual calendar date for Lammas/Lughnasadh, the first of the autumn harvest feasts. This really is the best time of the year for night drives, around here; if the weather stays warm and humid into the night, the country explodes with delicious perfumes, especially if you drive past blueberry bushes, pine groves, or (fittingly, for the feast of grains) cornfields.
There’s always a part of me that sighs when I realize we’re this far into the year, though. A new academic year will be starting soon, the days are already shortening, and each summer day seems more desperately precious and inherently nostalgic — even though the brutal heat and humidity have kept us hiding indoors for most of the summer.