This Weekend I:

[bloodyrosemccoy]

Got to meet a high school friend's 18-month-old baby and catch up with the friend herself. Also got the third-person third-degree which my friend translated for her no-English mother, who wanted to know:

1. If I was married,
2. Why the hell I am not married, and
3. When I plan to get married.

It is impossible to explain to some people that my plan at this point involves:

1. Not getting married.
2. Ever.

Around here, it's a problem I run into a lot. People do not comprehend the concept. I get a lot of reassurance that it's okay, one of these days I'll meet the right guy and settle down and get married and THEN my life will be fulfilled. I just smile and say "Maybe" and change the subject. It's better than when they start telling me how I should go about finding that man, anyway.

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Went to Museum Crash Course. Don't climb on the exhibits, don't smear peanut butter on ancient artifacts, and please accept that the museum looks at evolution as, you know, A Thing, because--wait, do people seriously get offended at the thought that a museum agrees that evolution happened? Do planetaria have to clarify that they subscribe to the notion that the Earth goes around the sun and not vice versa? God DAMMIT.

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Bought some Fisher Price Starter Plants. I can grow a lot of things from seed, but tomatoes are not any of them.* I've still got to work on getting a bunch of better dirt mixed into the ground before I actually put the plants in, but it's a start.

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Finally got the next installment of Scatterstone properly storyboarded/outlined/thinged. I'm at the point in the middle that's always been a little amorphous in my head. I know kind of what's going to happen, but unlike the previous bits or the stuff near the end, this has been a bit of a jumble of Things That Have To Happen all piled up in a heap waiting to be sorted. I think I got it.

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Watched WAY too much Mythbusters. It's hypnotic, man. Video On Demand has changed how I watch things FOREVER.

As an aside, I think it's funny that over the last few years my TV and music preferences have seesawed. Back in the olden days with CDs and no mp3 players, I was used to listening to an entire album by one artist. Meanwhile, with TV lineups, I could only watch several episodes of a single show if I bought the DVDs or caught a marathon on TV. Now, though, I am used to the shuffle on my iPod, so that two songs in a row by, say, the Doobie Brothers seems counterintuitive--I'm much more used to disparate things like Doobie Brothers - Mannheim Steamroller - Disney. And yet with the availability of streaming, I am dissatisfied if I only get to see one episode of whatever show I'm binging on. It's an interesting shift.

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Anyway. MY POINT IS, that's what I did this weekend. Howbout you?


*Though that's not stopping me from at least trying again. This time I'm using the best window in the house, which counterintuitively is in the basement near my own Bat Cave. I'm not sure if that's what's doing it or if it's one of the other changes I made, but goddamn if the various seeds I'm sprouting aren't the happiest seedlings EVER.

Comments

[dark-phoenix54.livejournal.com]

Do planetaria have to clarify that they subscribe to the notion that the Earth goes around the sun and not vice versa? God DAMMIT.

Actually, there is some place in Amurika where, I think just last week, someone got their undies in a bunch because it was stated that the moon reflects light, not generates it. (Probably either Idaho or Texas, but there are other dumb ass areas, too)

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

Pff. Everyone who has done the styrofoam ball model knows that the moon phases are caused by ink!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_wastrel/]

Anyway. MY POINT IS, that's what I did this weekend. Howbout you?

I went to this! http://www.whatthefur.ca/information/information.html

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

Sounds like fun!

(I can't resist saying ... that is the most adorable banner graphic. Just ... D'AWWW.)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_wastrel/]

It was fun, actually, and I'm not saying that from a standpoint from which I'm considering it easy to have fun right now.

No reason to resist, there are actually circles where that's considered a compliment. I happen to know the artists who worked on most of the art for the con, and bought prints from them at their table in the dealers' room, at that.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_wastrel/]

http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.ca/2009/11/i-made-friends-and-arch-nemesis.html

Normally, I'm pretty shy around new people - but not when I'm wearing Bruce. When I'm wearing Bruce, all of my self-doubt and social paranoia just melt away leaving behind pure, unadulterated confidence.

As soon as I put on Bruce, I have abilities. I can suddenly do things I never dreamed of. I can walk into a party full of strange people and not end up hiding in the bathroom with a bottle of Vodka until I'm drunk enough to not care about how awkward I am.

Allie may never have heard of furry, but she definitely gets it, because that's it, all of it, right there.

[acrossthelake.livejournal.com]

Gaming. Lots and lots of gaming. On Friday we had the latest installment of our swashbuckling adventure RPG which involved a jailbreak in which we rescued Jean Valjean, Autolycus the King of Thieves and Iko Uwai's character from The Raid from a maximum security prison in Not!France. Saturday I ended up getting together with all the gaming buddies who weren't busy to test out some of the new combat rules for World of Darkness (and drink a lot of cider, and fail hilariously at Rocksmith.) Sunday I went to a movie night at gaming buddy Matt's house which also ended up with us watching this season's Doctor Who finale--it made me feel that the generally lackluster previous season was completely worth the wait. The prehistoric lizard woman, her wife and their Sontarin butler were back, which helped.

In other news, Chris's little niece and nephews are down from Newcastle for the wedding. I find there are few better ways to remind myself how much I don't want kids than to spend any large amount of time around them even at their cutest and most fun, so that helps.

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

Hah! I know the feeling. "You kids are awesome and I love you to death! Now go away."

That sounds like a pretty fun-filled weekend. Darnit now I want some cider.

[madripoor-rose.livejournal.com]

Sadly, it would not surprise me if there were complaints.

Did some planting in my own Darwinian Garden (plant it and see what survives), mostly containers. Trying a leaf lettuce salad mix and bell peppers.

[brightlotusmoon.livejournal.com]

*nods*

Since I've been married for several years, I get this:

1. If I was going to get pregnant,
2. Why the hell I am not getting pregnant, and
3. When I plan to get pregnant.

It is impossible to explain to some people that my plan at this point involves:

1. Not getting pregnant.
2. Ever.

"You'll change your mind!"
"Babies are the most wonderful thing ever! They will change your life!"
"Oh, you have too many medical issues? Well, you can always adopt. So many children need loving homes. I'm sure you can find a way to afford it."
"You would make such a great mother."
NO NO NO and especially NO.

Carry on.

[cougarfang.livejournal.com]

When people learn that my boyfriend and I have been together for 6-going-on-7 years now, the next question is almost invariably, "so when are you guys going to get married?"

"NEVARRRRRRRR."

(Quick poll of the boyfriend says that nobody ever asks *him* whether we're going to get married or not. Just me. Because ovaries.)

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

I know, right? Look, it's nice that some people have kids, but it's also cool if I don't want them!

[black-rider.livejournal.com]

I went to a super-posh resort on a business retreat with my husband, then got into a massively awful fight with said husband, and we came home early. We patched things up, but I am still sorta sulking. Being married, even with the whole not-at-all-typical arrangement I have, is not all it's cracked up to be.

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

Aww, bummer.

[gwalla.livejournal.com]

Not much. Did my Aikido class (barely, I spent about a half hour trying to find a $%&%$# parking space), chilled out on the Intarwebs, jogged and picked up heavy things and put them down again.

And yeah, ever since getting an iPod my listening habits have become dominated by random play. Although before that I would frequently put a few CDs in the changer and put it on spiral play (which I preferred to random because it kept an even distribution). Now I've got an elaborate system of smart playlists to make sure that my favorites come up more often, no tracks get left unplayed indefinitely, and seasonal tracks stay in their proper time of year.

[cougarfang.livejournal.com]

I think Mythbusters is RIDICULOUSLY AWESOME because it's competency porn + entertaining not-dickish personalities. Which is, like, the polar opposite of nearly all fictional Western TV shows (which is why I generally can't stand watching them).

Coincidentally, I just read this article about how viewing habits and TV show narratives have coevolved...

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

Fascinating! I think it's great that the new medium is allowing for more in-depth stories. Of course, it can go too far--I have also discovered that sometimes I'll quit watching a series before it's over because I've hit a point that feels good as the end. (Case in point: Dexter. The first season was a magnificent 13-hour movie, and then--I was totally done.)

I notice that the earlier Mythbusters seasons played up the arguments a bit more. As they realized they could carry it without all the bickering, that seemed to drop off. Turns out people screaming at each other is not always better for TV!

[baroncognito.livejournal.com]

Mythbusters is awesome, but I really wish they would re-edit it for DVD and streaming video release, because without commercials, the narrator gets really annoying. (which is not to say that he wasn't annoying to begin with)

I mean, I understand needing to fill 42 minutes of air time, but you don't need to do that on a DVD.

[gwalla.livejournal.com]

"Competency porn". LOL, love it.

[dinogrrl.livejournal.com]

A) If you're not married, you're asked when you're getting married. If you're married, you get asked when you're having kids. If you have kids...um...yeah I'm not sure what the next question would be.

B) I got that sort of nonsense at the museum in South Dakota. "Why do your professors teach evolution here?" "...because they don't think anything else is credible enough?" "Y UR PROFESSORS STUPID?" "...I'm sorry, what?"

C) That's how my playlist goes. Techno - Christmas - early music - rap - etc. I get made fun of for that for some reason.

D) My weekend was full of work, listening to a concert, and sleep.

[ellixis.livejournal.com]

If you have offspring, the nosy people ask when you're planning on having your next one. When I say I'm done now, I get a variety of shocked and disbelieving comments. The one that annoys me the most is "But don't you want her to have a little brother or sister to keep her company?"

[dinogrrl.livejournal.com]

Ah yes. I should have remembered that.
I think I'd have to say "My sister/brother and I beat each other into bloody pulps every time we're in the same room together. Sounds like good company to me :D"

[ellixis.livejournal.com]

Mostly I just say "No," and smile at them. They often don't really know how to respond to that, which is satisfying.

[dinogrrl.livejournal.com]

lol that works too.
When people ask me if I'm having kids, I say "I can't even take care of myself." Which is true enough :p. But it seems to work, as they just laugh a little and then leave me alone.

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

Usually I respond with "Oh, that's cool." Of course, I do it right after they say "I'm not interested in having more" because that seems like the least obnoxious reply, and also because it is, in fact, totally cool.

[ellixis.livejournal.com]

I appreciate your approval and non-obnoxiousness! (For clarification: that's a sincere statement, no sarcasm in it. People being disapproving at my life choices is tiring, but people being approving, especially people I like, makes me a bit happy.)

[issen4.livejournal.com]

I don't have to explain. I tell people that it's because I'm taller than most men around here and they agree that men shouldn't date taller women... and then they are lost for words. I kinda love that.

[marsdejahthoris.livejournal.com]

Heh. I continue to be your evil twin, apparently...

I live in a slightly- SLIGHTLY- less conservative area, and I have absolutely no shame or self-consciousness whatsoever, so when I get that question anymore, the answer is always "Asexual."

That generally shuts them up, not so much because they believe me or think it's valid, but because further discussion of my actual sex life would be gross. :)