| !?!? |
[Nov. 20th, 2009|05:42 am] |
| [ | mood |
| |  WTF?! | ] |
The ad on my friends list is for a site dedicated to, and it really says this:
"Dating with Shemales"
SERIOUSLY, LJ. WTF. The gay cruises I can handle. But this trumps even the ads for Scientology in rampant fucked-uppedness. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY LIVEJOURNAL TO NOT OFFEND ME, KTHX. |
|
|
| One of those "I am alive" posts |
[Nov. 6th, 2009|01:37 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  busy | ] |
Lots of stuff going on - I'm entering one of my "updating livejournal feels awkward and weird" phases, which I think happen once a week? Anyway, things here are pretty good, if hectic. Am enjoying being busy and social. This is the best year, by far, for attendance and general enthusiasm locally for NaNoWriMo, and I feel pretty good about getting people excited (the library is falling over themselves to provide us with space and tea and coffee and general yay-ness).
I think my ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) wordwhacker journal is likely to be more active than this one this month, though I won't be posting the NaNovel as I write it (I'm basically feeling out ideas with it - the draft as a whole is going to get scrapped.)
Though I haven't been posty I am still reading, and I know a lot of you are stressed and going through weird times, so please know that I am thinking about you and sending you the good Cass thoughts. |
|
|
| Insomnia! Hoo! Huh! Good god, y'all! What is it good for? |
[Oct. 22nd, 2009|07:46 am] |
| [ | mood |
| |  crazy | ] |
Absolutely nothin'!
Every now and then I have one of those days where a combination of Stuff I Really Oughta Do and Really Nice Weather make it pretty much impossible to get to sleep first thing in the morning when I get home from work. So I decide to stay up and sleep through the evening instead. And then I can't get to sleep and wind up pacing around my house or reading for hours before I can settle down. These days always happen in the middle of my work week when I've already been sleep deprived and should have gotten MORE sleep, not less. Yesterday / today was one of those days.
Given the circumstances I feel pretty good, but I have the feeling that I my relative youth is a big factor in my getting away with this and not getting sick every time. I can make this schedule work most of the time for now, but I'm glad it's only going to be for one year before I disappear for parts unknown. (As long as I actually apply for grad schools. Really, really need to get on this.)
But hey, at least I got Episode 2 of the NaNo Canada Podcast finished! This one isn't particularly Canadian themed, so any of you out in LJ land who are doing NaNo this year should check it out. Go listen to me ramble nerdily about my first NaNo experience and (most excitingly) have a conversation with the awesome about hers! |
|
|
| I am up, and it's still dark out. |
[Oct. 12th, 2009|07:13 am] |
| [ | mood |
| |  awake | ] |
I normally try to switch my schedule around from overnights to late-days on my weekend, but I completely failed this time. In a spectacular way. In an "I have been up at 6:30AM for the past two days" kind of way. This is sort of useful because I have been really productive with my housework and writing and that sort of thing. The down side is that my brain has absolutely tanked at about 7:30 - 8pm the past couple of nights, which cut significantly into my "hanging out with friends and DMing nasty adventures" ability.
And because I've been moving into a new schedule, I have to go into work tonight at 11pm. Which is when I'm going to want to be in bed. I hope I get a nap or something in the evening.
My goal today is to finish a bunch of lingering projects, so for my own benefit I am ( enumerating them here: )
[EDIT: OMG I actually finished everything! Four days later. But still!]
And otherwise kind of chill and hopefully nap, and see off my aunt who's going back to Saudi Arabia today.
In other news, I injured myself on a mustard bottle today. I'm as amazed as you are. |
|
|
| Busy busy busy... |
[Sep. 26th, 2009|09:15 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  thankful | ] |
Thanks for your book recommendations, everybody! If you have any more (or you missed the post) I would be eternally grateful for your advice. I've already purchased the first book in the Crack Dragon Temeraire series (they don't have them at the library! WTF?) and I'm going to dive into it this weekend.
Getting to the end of another work week, which went by (thankfully) fast. Next week will be a bit odd, since I'll be switching schedules and I'm still not 100% sure how that's going to work. I SHOULD have weekends off for a while, though, which will rock. Time to host some parties for the first time in my adult life! ... Wow, I'm lame.
I have a bunch of projects on the go - a SF horror audio play that I'm writing, and a NaNoWriMo podcast aimed at Canadians (but I'm sure it'll be fun listening for you otherwise affiliated folks). I'm also looking for grad schools - got to start applying soon. Yikes!
I'm also knitting my Christmas gifts this year since I'm trying to save on cash (note to self: this probably means that you could SERIOUSLY quit eating out all the time. You love to cook! What's your stinkin' problem?!) AND I'm still writing a short story every week (my goal is 30 weeks in a row - I'm on... 14 now?) I think once January rolls around it will be time to shift gears into a more "consume and refine" mode - read a lot of books, edit and rework my existing bank of stories, etc. Sounds kind of nice, actually. |
|
|
| THIS JUST IN: Microsoft Ad Makes "Slap Chop" TV ad Seem Genuine and Personable By Comparison |
[Sep. 26th, 2009|01:35 am] |
I can't believe this. Do they really think that these people are relatable in ANY HUMAN WAY? What person sees this ad and goes "My god! A Windows 7 party sounds like a GREAT idea for me and my generic family!" I sat through this whole ad cringing in a way that even late-night paid advertisements for the "Magic Bullet" and crap don't make me wanna do. |
|
|
| Reading Mojo |
[Sep. 21st, 2009|01:44 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| | chipper | ] |
When I was a kid, I was addicted to reading. I read a pretty ridiculous amount. I've always been a slow-ish reader, but I could still put a 500 page novel back in a week without breaking a sweat. (Okay, maybe that's a lousy metaphor.)
I still love reading, but ever since I've been in my late teens I'm lucky if I finish a book or two in a year (apart from stuff I've had to read for school). I lost my reading mojo hardcore. I blame my ADD-ishness in combination with TEH INTARWEBS - it's like I used to eat Brain Whole-Wheat Bread and now all I'm used to is Brain Twinkies. I already spend 40 hours a week on a computer at work, so (among other things) I really need to start reading actual books again.
So PLEASE give me your book recommendations! I'm up for pretty much anything. I just want get drawn into a fun story that will have me chomping at the bit for more. |
|
|
| Huh |
[Sep. 11th, 2009|09:06 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  okay | ] |
I am having a slightly odd day today. Not bad, per se, just... weird. I felt this way before bed yesterday - quite processey, and a bit exposed, probably because I'm working on - and getting / expecting feedback on - a bunch of writing. It's sort of making me want to curl up somewhere hidden with a cup of tea and a good book. I thought sleep would help me reset and get ready to hop back in the "ludicrously productive and risk-takey" saddle, and I think it's on the horizon, but apparently the cycle is a bit slower than I expected.
Going to give myself a bit of time to be insular. Maybe by later today I'll be able to get my write on. The deadline for this week isn't until late tomorrow, though, so even if I just pick at it and keep thinking through it today, I'll have lots of time then to get a draft out. |
|
|
| Now I remember. |
[Sep. 11th, 2009|03:35 am] |
| [ | mood |
| |  tired | ] |
Sometimes I ask myself how I could possibly be tired at 3:30 AM. I switch my schedule around so that I'm sleeping through the day, so it should translate to something like 5 or 6pm for the average person, right? I should be able to get lots of stuff done. So I plan to do stuff. And then pretty often the clock rolls around to that time and I'm overcome with sleepiness and general bleh, and it's so overwhelming that I don't even want to read because it takes too much energy.
There may be some moral here about sleep cycles or melatonin levels or something, but I don't feel like sussing it out at the moment.
I can't complain too much - I woke up (early) thinking about a particularly challenging story I'm writing, and I spent an hour right off the bat getting it outlined pretty well. On top of that I received a really thorough crit on a short play I wrote, which is thrilling (and REALLY appreciated) but somewhat draining in the way that criticism always is. And on top of that I had about two hours of voice acting to do, which involved lots of yelling and grunting and probably being a nuisance to my poor parents downstairs*. Again: thrilling and draining.
And I had a breakfast and packed lunch to make, and dishes to do and/or put away. Come to think of it, I had a pretty busy five hours before work. I guess I'm allowed to be a bit tuckered out.
* but not as much as if I was still living with them! |
|
|
| A good sign... |
[Sep. 6th, 2009|10:03 am] |
| [ | mood |
| |  curious | ] |
... is my writing journal being busier than this one. I'm living a double life: writing by night, editing my older stuff by day. Now I just need to figure out how to effectively work "reading" and "playwriting" into the mix and I'll have a well-balanced cycle (and less idle time.)
Last week I went on a wild goose chase to try and get my six-year-old camera to communicate with my brand new(ish) laptop. Firewire + USB = a surprisingly big pain in the ass. I've got a cable in the mail that might solve the problem, so please cross your fingers. I have done NOTHING with this camera since I bought it (a spur-of-the-moment decision turned out to be a bad investment? Who would have thought?!) and I'd like to get something out of it while my creativity is peaking (and before it bites the dust.)
Fun fact: if you'd been spying on me last Tuesday while I recorded some lines for the Age of the Zombies radio play, you would have found me hunkered underneath a Ninja Turtles comforter with my (unplugged) laptop and microphone*. The things I do for sound quality, ladies and gentlemen.
* For some reason, having the laptop plugged in creates a buzz on recordings. And my plaster walls make for a mean echo. I'm kind of surprised that the comforter makes so much difference, but there you have it. |
|
|
| Sooo close |
[Aug. 29th, 2009|11:15 am] |
| [ | mood |
| | awake | ] |
I have groceries (after investing a whopping 250$ - yikes! At least that takes care of a lot of long-term stuff as well, including lots of meat.) I have put away my clothes. I have sorted through MOST of the random junk that has floated upstairs. All that's left is to bring up my video game stuff / stereo, which will be an interesting endeavour. And then I'm in good shape.
It's been chilly the past couple of days - I'd describe it as nippy. It feels like September weather. I'm of two minds about it. I'd like for nice hot August weather to continue for a while, thank you very much, but damn - that little nip in the air just makes me feel ALIVE. I almost wish I was going back to school in a few weeks like everyone else, but then again... nah, I don't really. It is, however, probably a good time to start seriously looking at grad schools for next year.
The colder weather is also getting me excited about NaNoWriMo again, even though I characteristically have nothing planned to write. To be honest, I'm not exactly much of a novelist - I have that one children's novel in the works, but as a general rule I don't have the attention span to sustain a plot / characters / etc. for the length of a novel. NaShoStoWriMo (Short Story Writing Month) would be better for me, and that's probably what I'm going to wind up writing (hopefully more successfully than three years ago, when I wrote five-ish shorter stories and only finished one of them, a late entry because I was bored with the other four.)
Maybe I'll challenge myself to write to a prompt every day. Thirty short stories, each one at least 1667 words long. (Oh man, I'm going to regret this, aren't I?) |
|
|
| Moved?! Let him that moved you hither remove you hence! |
[Aug. 23rd, 2009|08:51 am] |
| [ | mood |
| | creative | ] |
Oh god, I am going to be driving people (including myself) CRAZY for the next while with Taming of the Shrew quotes.
I am moved! Sort of. My bed is in the apartment, so I'm calling it "moved". Most of my clothes are still downstairs, along with a billion little odds and ends and books. And my bedside table. And my desk. Okay, so "moved" is pretty generous, but still! Bed! Sleeping / showering there!
Another point of hilarity: my groceries. At the moment, this is what I have in the house:
- Half a bottle of faux vanilla extract.
- A bag of sugar.
- Almonds.
(I just totally over-used colons there. OH WELL.)
So clearly a grocery run is in the works for today. And then I can start COOKING. I frigging love my kitchen. Maybe I will take pictures and show them to you, because really, for an apartment as small as mine, my kitchen is GOD ALMIGHTY.
In other news: still writing. Need to actually do editing. Have vague plans to do some this weekend, but nothing concrete. Depends on how much I get moved, I guess.
I knew you at the first, you were a moveable. |
|
|
| FINALLY |
[Aug. 16th, 2009|12:09 am] |
| [ | mood |
| | exhausted | ] |
Shakespeare wrapped up last night, and then I jumped straight into "Wingin' It", a 24 hour theatre... thing. It was a lot of fun, and also frustrating at times, but totally worth it. Our group went first, and screwed up a record number of lines, but we got some good laughs and then could just relax and watch the rest of the groups.
(I don't feel like summarizing, so I will leave you with some cryptic words and phrases: Gangs. Mimes. Punching kittens. Beauty and the Beast. Jizz Jazz Hands.)
And now I'm actually DONE. Well, mostly - I still have to find new / existing homes for the props and such, and make sure there are no other loose ends. But I can do this at my leisure (within reason).
So it's time to start socializing again, and working on writing projects, and doing all of that stuff that I've been putting off vallaintly for the whole summer. |
|
|
| Cats are brats. Who knew?! |
[Aug. 7th, 2009|02:49 am] |
| [ | mood |
| | creative | ] |
I got home from work at a little after 9AM today. I fed the cats, brushed my teeth, and was in bed by around 9:30. I was hoping to sleep until about 5:30, but the cats are usually fed around 4pm and BY GOD they were GOING TO BE FED AT FOUR, come hell or incessant yowling/door-scratching.
I stumbled out of bed and fed them, fully intent on going to sleep again for a bit but... it was so beautiful out! Such a rarity around here. And I was awake already, and had a bunch of stuff that I could be doing. So I threw in the towel and stayed up. I don't regret it yet (but I might at 9AM when I get off work and then have to go paint signs at the theatre company. I might just wind up putting it off until the evening after all.)
I've been doing some amateur voice acting lately, which is a weird thing for me because it boils my gender expression down until there is basically nothing left for people to perceive me as but "SEX-AY DEEP LADY VOICE". (I've talked before about how my voice is, like, the #1 thing that gives me the gender-wiggins, right?) Whereas here and even on facebook I can live in something like Gender Limbo, I don't have that option so much in the voice acting world. So I am rolling with it, but not without a heaping dose of irony (I'm back to using Nuriko in my icons like I did yeeears ago on LJ, because he's a dude who played the part of a lady but who ultimately becomes somewhat comfortable with his dude-ness again. OMG LAYERS OF IRONY LOL. Anyway, the icon is useful because it gives folks the 'right' idea about the kind of voices I can currently provide, while a closer look will reveal the gender-bending hilarity.)
Having said that, it's pretty fun - I do like playing roles. I've also decided that somebody (maybe me) needs to write something that gives lady voice actors more options, because I see the same... maybe three character types ad nauseum (whereas the guys get at LEAST five different character types. ;-) |
|
|
| I can has apartment! |
[Aug. 1st, 2009|11:41 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| | creative | ] |
I decided to go for it. Thanks to everybody who weighed in either here or on Facebook. After mulling it over and seriously weighing my various needs and opportunities, it seemed pretty obvious. I can still make serious headway on my student debt AND focus on projects that I've been neglecting because I need space in order to do them.
I am really looking forward to being able to just pick up the guitar and play it whenever I want, or practice singing, or voice act. I'm also looking forward to having sweet, sweet silence and a lack of physical distractions for when I write. (No TV will help, too.)
Speaking of voice acting, I spent the rest of my birthday money (the first half of which was spent on a new computer chair) on a new microphone and 'podcasting' kit. Yay, new toy! I have wanted to do some amateur voice work for a while, but the quality of my PC microphones just doesn't cut it. I've heard some comparison recordings and the difference in quality is amazing.
Okay, less updating and more short-story writing. |
|
|
| Pondering! |
[Jul. 30th, 2009|11:31 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  excited | ] |
I literally awoke today to the news that my parents' apartment is being vacated in the next couple of weeks. I've lived in this apartment before and I LOVE it - it's such a cute place.
Currently I'm living WITH my parents (in the same unit) and paying a pitiably small amount for rent. I would move back into the apartment in a heartbeat, but the pragmatist in me notes that I can save a lot more money / pay off my debts MUCH more quickly if I suck it up and stay here for another year.
Here are the basic pros / cons that I've been pondering:
CONS
- It would cost me between 600$ - 700$ more than I'm currently paying to move upstairs. That's a BIG chunk of potential debt repayment gone just for the pros listed below.
- I would have to factor a LOT more cleaning / cooking into my weekly schedule.
- I actually like living with my parents, they are cool people.
PROS
- I am 26. Living in the same space as the folks is starting to get a bit embarassing.
- I love cooking / having total control over the food in my house.
- PERSONAL SPACE IS MY FRIEND. This is a big one.
- A place to entertain at my leisure!
- I would still be living NEAR my parents, and so have the benefits of hanging out with them, borrowing the car occasionally, etc.
I've been wondering lately whether staying here for a whole year before I venture out into the world was really the best idea. Maybe the hands of fate are graciously extending a third option toward me. Either way, I'll know by tomorrow what I'm doing so that my parents can get another tenant lined up if necessary. |
|
|
| I am a tired Cass. |
[Jul. 18th, 2009|03:13 am] |
| [ | mood |
| |  cranky | ] |
I switched a shift with one of my coworkers this week which shortened my weekend by a day. I still managed to switch my sleep schedule around in order to make the most of my time, but that combined with a busy week of rehearsals and meetings has really worn me out this week. I haven't gotten more than 7 hours of sleep on a given night, and last night it was more like an interrupted 6 hours. Which is enough to get by, but not enough to feel particularly rested, if you know what I mean.
Now it's T minus five and a half hours to a four day weekend (that shift switch will finally pay off!), and I am TIRED. I wish I could just go to bed now and get up at noon. I'll probably nap for a couple of hours once I get home, but I need to keep myself awake if at all possible. I can't handle being on an overnight schedule when I'm not at work, I get depressed.
Another vague downside to not getting enough sleep: motivating myself to do things while I'm at work is nigh impossible. I have writing projects that I could be working on, stories I could be critiquing, plays I could be editing. But I'm not, because I've got the 3:30 AM grumps. "I don't waaaaanna use my brain. I don't feeeeeel like doing anything. Hrumph." It's funny that, even though 3:30AM translates to roughly 5:30PM on a normal-ish eight-AM-to-midnight schedule, it still carries the psychological baggage of it being "the middle of the night" and thus is an excuse not to really invest myself in anything. (And then, you know. Tiredness.)
Okay - going to eat some fruit to try and spike my blood sugar a bit, and make a cup of tea. |
|
|
| Weekend! |
[Jul. 6th, 2009|11:44 am] |
| [ | mood |
| |  calm | ] |
I feel a bit backward for having a weekend that starts on Sunday / Monday, but whatever.
Somehow this time I managed to switch my sleep schedule around so that I enjoyed a full Sunday hanging out with friends and then got up in the Actual Morning Time today. (A drastic improvement over last week, when my sleep schedule never changed and thus I spent my nights off the way I do every night at work: wasting time with stuff online.) This evening I have a rehearsal and I think I have tentative drinking plans for after that, but the whole afternoon is mine! MINE I SAY!
Having said that, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with myself. Perhaps this will mean the resurrection of The To Do List, since there are a few little things that I've kept thinking about lately but never actually done. Arrange drum and voice lessons, for one. And write, for another.
I went to see Pixar's Up last week. It was... underwhelming, as far as Pixar films go. They typically FAR outstrip Dreamworks animated films in terms of their writing, but this one was just "eh." (Having said that, for a sub-par Pixar film it came closer to ACTUALLY MAKING ME CRY than any film since Dumbo. Fucking Dumbo.) |
|
|
| Cassbits |
[Jul. 4th, 2009|04:35 am] |
| [ | mood |
| | awake | ] |
I am stealing this format from , because I find bulleted lists less intimidating than trying to write about my life in full paragraphs.
- Still alive. Reading LJ as usual, but not feeling particularly posty. Good thoughts to anyone who needs them - I am thinking about all of you.
- Stage managing is fun. Am about to embark upon a hunt for props, which will be an interesting exercise in networking.
- I've actually been writing a bit lately. Gasp, shock! For the past month or so I've been slowly moving into a creative upswing again, and I'm looking for ways to keep up the momentum. This will mean more activity over at wordwhacker (so if you've been meaning to drop that journal off your friends' list forever and just haven't gotten around to it yet, now's the time!)
- I haven't been reading as much as I'd like, though. Need to change this. It's not like I'm wanting for reading materials, after all.
- Happy Canada Day, Independence Day, and Birthday (to me! This coming Wednesday!) It's going to be hard to top last year's spectacular celebrations of the same, but this year I get to spend 'em all with my family, which is differently awesome.
|
|
|
| So LJ-posting is a 'once a month' event for me, lately... |
[Jun. 10th, 2009|03:54 am] |
| [ | mood |
| | busy | ] |
I am still reading (somewhat obsessively, actually) but I have been very un-posty lately. Part of the problem is that I think I've lost my "livejournal voice" for writing. (Um. Did I ever have a livejournal voice? I've always felt kind of uncomfortable with the broadcast-personal-junk style of writing that blogs seem to require.) (Not that I have any trouble reading it, mind.)
And, as always, a bunch of stuff happened in the past few weeks, such as:
- I GRADUATED.
- Along with my degree, I got a prize worth 2,800$. Because I rock. My credit card is weeping with delight.
- I was a maid of honour at one of my best friend's wedding. In a dress. And I looked freakin' fabulous in drag (second only in resplendence to the bride herself, of course.) Yes, I have pictures. This event deserves its own post largely for this reason, but this is for another day.
- I ran a very short RPG campaign for some friends which was generally enjoyed, and which helped to oil up my creative gears.
- I got a premium membership at Critique Circle again and found my favourite queue for short stories. Finding them in a bit of a slump submission- and crit-wise, I nigh-single-handedly stirred up a bunch of interest and got people submitting and critting again. (Including myself. I've written! I will write again! It is a glorious thing!)
- I volunteered and started to stage manage for a local summer Shakespeare production.
- I was approached to direct (or assistant direct, in one case) two different theatre projects. I turned the assistantship down cold (y'know, friendly-like), but I am being wooed into possibly directing the other one: a fun short play with a cast of two. IE: something I might be able to accomodate into my already-intense Shakespeare schedule.
Lest y'all think I have been nothing but productive, I should remind you that I have also spent a totally ridiculous amount of time playing both Plants vs Zombies (a game with an ingenius YouTube marketing campaign) and Portal.
Don't expect me to be too posty over the next while, but I'll try to update more often than once a month. Might cut down on these "boring summary" posts. |
|
|
| navigation |
| [ |
viewing |
| |
most recent entries |
] |
| [ |
go |
| |
earlier |
] |
| |
|
|
