tricksters and villains apply within

Typically I read a lot of fantasy, modern (read: urban) and low-magic, but I also love a good historical fiction or horror novel. As not picky as I am about music, I tend to be pretty particular about the stuff I read. But lately, I've been a little tired of fiction, finding it difficult to get through the ends of books if it slows down even a little. I talked a little bit about it when I talked about reading Mamrie's book. But since then I've picked up a few other memoir/non-fiction/celebrity kind of books to read. They tend to be a little short reads, but since they're typically set up in short chapters/stories as well it feels like they're faster too. I finished Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick today. Memoir isn't really the right word but it's sort of a collection of her stories of getting into show business and the business of being a sort of an anxiety-ridden misanthrope. I'm a fan of her work both musicals and movies, I even saw Camp, whic...

I really dislike having a boring desk at work. I have to actually WORK there for 8+ hours a day, every now and again I like looking around at my work area and finding something that'll make me smile. And let's be honest, Funko Pop figures have sort of changed the whole game when it comes to desk or cube decoration. Here's my basic set up: From L to R: Loki (from the first Thor movie, Superman, Maleficent, La Muerta & Harley Quinn. In front is a smaller lip balm Maleficent. If you think it's odd that picture has more than one Maleficent in it, you don't know me very well. There's always at least one near me at all times (except the bathrooms -- someday that might change). I'll have to go into my love for Maleficent another day. Anyway, yes. I purposefully arranged them in a villain, hero, villain, hero format. To look around my cube there's a few other smaller figures: a wendigo (the Hannibal Wendigo specifically from the ended-too-soon tv show...

This is one of those sort of doomsday/apocalypse kind of thoughts. But due to some of the story in Jessica Jones, I've been thinking about how and where I would run if the worst happened. Like if you ABSOLUTELY have to go somewhere because your personal FBI guy decides to turn you in or you commit a crime you want to get away from or there's a super-villain after you (or a superhero, who am I to dictate what kind of super you want to be).... whatever, we all have our reasons. Specifically, I'm talking about the sort of running where technology works against you and where continuing to use your own identity is not an option. Where do you go and how do you get there? I'm pretty much of the thought that in this day and age, the average joe has no real choice but the streets in a major metropolitan city. I mean, it's sort of the sad conclusion of modern society that it's easiest to hide in a crowd of people that people actively look away from.  Th...

What is it about setting or deciding on a specific time to do something that seems to guarantee there's always ONE MORE THING that needs doing? I've tried to go to bed a little early every night this week and each time I feel like there's something I've forgotten to do. Last night I even tried to do it with plenty of time to finish what I was working on, let the dog out and take my meds -- all the normal stuff I do. And then of course I knocked over my drink as I was getting up from my desk. Usually it's the cats knocking my shit over. This time, my blanket knocked right into my open drink and spilled it all over my mouse and the books I keep by my computer at all times. But having to clean that up got me thinking how often I'm picking up stuff or doing one last thing before I go to bed. It's a little like playing The Sims or Civilization or whatever your RTS game of choice is, where you always want to take one more turn before saving and closing down your...

Tonight we said goodbye to the toughest old lady I've ever met. When we adopted Piper no one was sure quite what her age was; we were told she was between five and seven years old. They knew she'd had puppies at some point not long before she'd been found and that her life up until she was rescued had been really tough. Her hair was thin, patchy and sun-bleached and it was clear she was scared around people and loud noises. We got Piper about a year and a half after our other lab, Jazz, and even though she was an older dog, the two of them were good friends. I remember taking Jazz to meet her for the first time and watching how they almost immediately fell into sync as they walked, as they sat, as they watched the world go by. They were a good fit for each other and for us. Two years ago we lost Jazz. And in recent weeks as Piper's health rapidly declined, I've felt like he's been here, with us. I've had these moments with her sitting next to me and as s...

This video is about a year old now but boy is it pretty much a great description for having a chronic illness. I've been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia for about fifteen years now and while I have daily meds that (thankfully) haven't changed much since I first started with my rheumatologist like a decade ago. The only think that really  ebbs and flows regardless of pain is my energy levels. People tend to take a lot out of me, because I tend towards extrovert when I'm around people. Recovering can take a day or two and that depends on how many spoons I have on any given day. When you couple that with your just garden variety insomnia (which I've battled since I was a kid -- I get it from my father and his father, we're just night owls, period), getting restful, recuperative rest is pretty much not a thing that happens. I feel like this song is pretty much my go to anthem for those days. Like, long Mondays with a lot of work on the table and not enough hours of sleep a...

At work I tend to listen to a lot of podcasts, it's a good way to get through the day and really helpful for a few good laughs. Lately though, I've had a lot of trouble focusing both at work and at home with all the writing projects I want to be working on. I've switched back over to favoring music both in the car (instead of audiobooks like normal). Even then choosing something I want to listen to has been difficult also, mostly because I want stuff that's going to pump me up or at least make me feel good. Putting together the two schwarmerei playlists [ one , two ] earlier this month was actually really helpful, I had to think about the sort of music that was honestly going to be a good way to alter my mood for something good. Currently I've got all these projects I want to work on but can't seem to get myself to pick them up.  M ost  of the things in my life are pretty good at the moment. I finally got the promotion I've been waiting for and a nic...

I've Got This Round by Mamrie Hart Recently I finished reading I've Got This Round  by Mamrie Hart, a popular YouTuber. This is her second book and in both her first one, You Deserve a Drink  and this one, she shares humorous personal stories about her life. In her first book many of her wacky adventures can be written off by her youth, or her drinking, or both. In the second, the stories all take place within the two years since her previous book. So she's older and more successful than before but her stories don't feel that different. She's still telling stories about wacky adventures that don't sound much like she's changed. But really this isn't a review for her book. (Or it kind of is, and it's kind of more.) I mean, if you like her or her humor, read it. She's an engaging writer and you'll find her new round of stories fun and on-brand. I just don't think it's for everyone, which I'm sure even she understands. Howe...

So, I drove myself about three hours north early Friday afternoon for a concert. I got into Omaha right about dinner time, leaving me enough time to eat something before going to the show. Now, I'm familiar with the city a little bit, but not the part the show was in. So I drove there first, making sure I knew the area a little. Then I found a place nearby that looked worth trying out for dinner. Now I'll be really honest and say it took me longer than I'm proud of to find a place to eat dinner. Mostly because I couldn't settle on something but also because the conditions around the place for the show weren't ideal. It's really fucking cold outside and I didn't wear shoes for walking a long way, because I'd planned to just park and eat somewhere near the concert venue. So I drove around a little bit while making my decision. I had to have a good talk to myself during this little drive. A good, stern talking to. Because it's so, so, so easy to fal...

cw: illness One of the things we never really think about when we're sick is how nice it is to be at home, surrounded by our own stuff and the comforting environment we're used to. Early last year, I had a really stark reminder of that when I had a really bad case of Pancreatitis that led to a several day stint in the hospital and having my gallbladder removed. There was nothing quite like being at home once I was well enough. I was surrounded by all my own stuff and the peace and quiet of familiar comforts for the days I needed to fully recover.  Of course being ill in the hospital is a little different. There, you have doctors and nurses looking after you and the minor annoyances of their frequent interruptions are for your own benefit. They give you medicine and see to your dietary needs or restrictions. You're looked after in a way that you can't get at home, despite the lack of familiar. This weekend, my grandsons were over so their mother could get in...

Last night's show at the Lied Center was a pretty amazing hour of poems. I'm so happy I went. The stories that Andrea puts between the poems are maybe the best reason to go. I've heard or read most of these poems before, but the lead-up or the explanations that go after... they give them further context in a way that makes them maybe not more meaningful (although sometimes that too) but more powerful. When you're used to seeing artists on YouTube: dancers, musicians, poets -- sometimes it's difficult to understand exactly how they'll be in person. For example, there's a bellydance I LOVE to watch perform, but when I show people her videos online it's almost impossible for anyone to get a sense of exactly why I like her so much. Sure, she has the technical stuff down, but it conveys nothing of the tension she puts into her dance. I feel like as touching as Andrea's poems can be when read, or heard on YouTube, being present for a reading of them, t...

In the last several months, I've started to notice more and more how often people (the same people, not all people) will pass me in the hallway and ask how I'm doing as they pass me by . There's no intention to the question beyond a greeting, they definitely don't plan on or have interest in hearing the answer. Now, I feel like here in the States and especially in the Midwest where we're not necessarily kind but we're kindly responsive or perhaps performatively responsive by default, this is pretty common. It's not that we don't know these people, or really if there was an issue we wouldn't want to know about it. But we're conditioned to respond to this "hey how you doing?" or "hey how's things?" or just a simple "hey whats up?" as if it's a hello. We say, "good", "fine", "oh you know" in response as easily as we might just say a hello. This isn't uncommon, but I feel lik...