All the Whos down in Whoville loved Christmas a lot.
But the Grinch, who lived on top of Mount Crumpet, did not.

This quote is germaine because my grandmother-- matriach of our entire extended family, approaching her eighties and hale in body if not in spirit-- just called to inform me we are not having Christmas.

... Her words were, "Don't spend any money on us [meaning her and my grandfather], because we are not exchanging gifts this year."
I imediately became concerned, because I know from my mother that she's been loaning a lot of money to cover my cousin John and his wife Marla's credit card debts. John and Marla were in financial trouble before the economic snaffu, then they took in Marla's nephew in addition to their four boys, and they continued to spend like everything was fine. I thought it was a money issue-- they've never paid back anything they've borrowed, and my grandparents are living on a fixed income.
My grandmother assured me this was not the case. They have a large retirement fund from my grandfather's time with the autoworkers union, that they apparently haven't even touched.

So what was the problem? Was she sick, and hadn't told me? Was my grandfather?

No.

"I don't like Christmas. I never have," she said. "So we won't do it."

Oooookay.

You know what? Fine. I certainly wouldn't want to do this again. (ie, Christmas Disaster of 2004) Every year, I swear I'm not going to waste plane tickets to Rhode Island just to be tortured by my family and enjoy the heaping helping of guilt and shame that goes with every holiday meal. Almost every year my mom talks me back into it at the last minute and I go, compelled by filial piety and some sick inner masochistic tendancy. I don't know why my family hates me, and I'll probably never figure it out. But no more. I'm finished. Done. Kaput.

I'm going to celebrate Chanukah at the new progressive temple I've found, and then celebrate Christmas with Sam and his girls. Everyone else can go to hell.

This is Meredith, reporting to you live from Whoville, where a revolt is in progress. ^_~

Is October already gone? *shivers in the Ohio chill* It must be. Geeze. I hope everyone had a nice Samhain/Halloween!

We actually closed early on Halloween by about an hour, which was nice. Actually, it's about the last thing I remember clearly, because I developed an excruciating migraine right before lunch on Sunday. It grew to be so painful that I ended up at Urgent Care on Monday morning with the *same* migraine. After absolutely abysmal amounts of paperwork, they gave me a shot that knocked me out until Tuesday morning, when it was time for dental surgery! Whee! X_x;; Please keep your fingers crossed that my ridiculously expensive temporary crown doesn't act up, because I do not want to have an even more laughably overpriced root canal. *bangs head* And, by the time all the meds and various pain induced hallucinations wore off, it was time to get up for work this morning!

I wonder if I can get a refund for this when I get to heaven. Do you think the Prophet Elijah works a Customer Service style desk up there, while Michael and Gabriel try and get people to form orderly lines?

Nothing much else to add. I'm still wrestling with my COE fix-it for Torchwood (yes, I know it's been months. I'm not over this. I am not going to get over this. IANTO!!! ^^;) and I'm toying with an old Doctor/Rose fic that keeps rearing its ugly head from time to time. Also watching lots of classic Star Trek on CBS.com (you can watch uncut eps for free) and giggling over the long, lingering looks Kirk and Spock give each other on the bridge. Those boys.

Also, it's a whole new century and *still*-- no one quite wears a Starfleet mini-skirt like TOS Uhura.

Inspired by the green Orion women of TOS, and cheesy sci-fi classics in general, I present the first two from a little project I've been working on. I've always had a weakness for old fashioned cheesecake models. So! Here are some Martian Beauty Queens (see where the green comes in?) competing for the planet crown:

• Miss Arisa Mons- Imanisi Doven is a child of the volcanic mountains in the western equatorial region. Her home town is Usher, the largest city in the area, and she is following her passion in the field of archaeology. (I definitely got caught up in Bradbury's 'Egyptian' feel for Mars when I was a girl. I do love how her hair turned out. Also, points for guessing where 'Usher' got its name from. ^_~)
  
• Miss Valles Marineris- Thetis Ryn, hails from a system of canyons in the North Eastern hemisphere of Mars. She was born in Lemuria, the province's capital city, and is currently studying medicine. (It's been pointed out that she's perhaps *too* green-- she was my attempt at a 'blond' Martian.)
  

I spend way, way too much time adding mental details to these sorts of things. Oh, well, I suppose it keeps me out of trouble. ^_~ I have at least three more in my sketchbook.

I have never experienced a deep, true feeling of political fear until now. I thought I had-- Homeland Security is a shudder-worthy concept even on the most brightly lit of days, and I certainly wasn't pleased with the last election-- but no. What I felt today pales comparison, a moment when every fictional sci-fi dictatorship I've ever read about suddenly loomed large in the threshold.

This is what scares me: The Global Climate Treaty.

Now, if you go down towards the end of the article, you can read an excerpt from the actual text of the treaty which, measure for measure, feeds and illuminates the animated sense of urgency Lord Mockton so obviously feels*. I am an ardent constitutionalist. Our Constitution is one of the most beautiful, important documents in the history of the world, possibly the rosetta stone of all modern political writing. We have a President who has expressed numerous times his frustrations with the "constraints" the Constitution places on him. (Not that he's the first. *cough*dubyah*coughcough*) Now he has the opportunity to take place in the construction of a framework that will override the document that has granted us this nation, with all it's plenty and it's problems.

I took a class in college on the Book of Job. The question at the center of an entire semester's debate was: 'Why, if we have a compassionate God, do people suffer?' The answer was: "Because we have free will." The world was perfect until Eve took the apple in hand and chose (was in part cooerced) to disobey-- from her hand come all our choices, good and bad.

Wouldn't you rather face the possibility of suffering as a free being, than experience total protection from harm in the bonds of servitude?
-Meredith

_{*(That is not to say that Mockton himself does not have a hidden agenda. It's politics-- everyone has an agenda. Ususally sinister. Good times.)}

You know, I thought I couldn't possibly dislike a Law & Order ADA as much as I disliked the utterly forgettable model-wannabe from SVU's last season. But, of course, because I said that out loud, the universe took it upon itself to step up the game. I loath, despise and revile Sonia Baxter (?*)-- she was obnoxious, unprofessional, constantly confrontational, full of talk but with no real skills to back up or mitigate the way she talked down to everyone around her. In other words, she was the fictional embodiment of the nightmare woman in the workplace... a hell cat on wheels. I can't express how glad I am to see the back of her. SVU has always been a show that provides skilled, poised women (Benson, Novak, Werner, Emmes) acting naturally in their chosen field, so I don't know how we ended up with that caricature but, as long as she stays gone, I don't care.

_{(*I think it's Baxter. Something that starts with a 'b', anyway-- like that other word that rhymes with 'witch'. ^_~)}

Can Alex come back now? Or, better yet, Casey? If Casey came back I'd... I'd... I'd write Casey-centric f/f to celebrate! That's what I would do. *nods to self*

In happier news, there's already been a lot more Munch this season, which makes me a happy girl. My mom and I always watch SVU on the phone together, so she gets hardily sick of my squealing when he comes on screen, but I can't help it. He's like the cranky, paranoid uncle I never had!

And, finally, does anyone else think that new White Collar show looks like its bending over begging for a slash following? Seriously, just the commercials set my slash-meter on red alert, and they barely tell you anything. Tell me I'm not the only one seeing this, please?

-Meredith
who is utterly relieved to be speaking 'fandom' again, and not worrying about her workplace.

Ps. Amber! Amber! Did you see Zombieland? Absolutely. Totally. Utterly. Fabulous. Twinkies!

NOTES: Wow-- this is the second chapter of 'We Were The More Deceived'. When I started it, it was July 2007. The current (and-- though we didn't know it then-- final season of The 4400) hadn't finished airing, and I'd chosen to set the story over five years in the future because things were changing so rapidly from episode to episode. I wrote about two pages and lost steam. Now it's August of 2009, and I've finally gotten the chapter finished. (Yes, I'm slow. Glaciers move faster than I do. Vulcan courting rituals move more quickly than I do. I know. ^_^;;; It's not my fault! ^_~) Thanks so much to r-chan and minttown1 for being kind enough to encourage me to at least finish what I had on my hard drive. And (surprise! surprise!) I might actually know where this is going now. There may be hope for me actually finishing something yet.

I will warn you that this is post apocalyptic and dark. *waves a basket* I brought flashlights! It is, however, not as dark as... oh... say... TORCHWOOD: Children of Earth. *mutters violently* There's a happy ending, I promise. Assuming, of course, I get to the end before the turn of the next millennium. ^^

All standard disclaimers apply. Not mine in any way, shape or form. Please dry clean only; do not remove tag under penalty of law; offer void in Utah.

As always, thank you so much for taking the time to read this.
Love,
Meredith

( We Were The More Deceived 2/? [The 4400; Shawn/Kyle, Maia. PG-13] )



*makes a truly pitiful face* I would be forever and ever and ever in your debt should you be so kind as to comment. ^_~

Finally, finally updated my layout. More pretty wrapping paper scans, this time left over from my birthday. Which, techinically, is not until tomorrow (I'm turning twenty-nine... again. Hush!), but still. My brother and I both had the day off today, so we decided to do my birthday dinner at Bravo's this evening. Probably the best thing about any birthday is the way it motivates everyone to make time to actually sit down together. I had a nice, rambunctious dinner with Sam and my nieces, featuring crab cakes, delicious bread, andJustine's unauthorized version of 'Happy Birthday' (something to do with exploding toilets-- I don't know, we only had "you smell like a monkey, and you look like one too when I was a kid ^_~). Sam got me a gift card for the massage therapist I use, the girls gave me a Starbucks gift card whose dollar amount matched my *actual* age (cute thought!), and my mom sent me some lovely crystal combs for my hair. I treated myself to some art markers, and then we all went to see Orphan at the theater. The movie was a little graphic, but very well done, with disturbing visuals and a nice twist ala Law and Order.

Much to my excitement, I also managed to finish up the second chapter of "We Were the More Deceived", which has been sitting on my harddrive since August 2007. (I had no idea it had been so long!) Thanks to rchan's encouragement, I finally sat down and really worked at getting back into it. I thought it wasn't going to work... then, suddenly, it was two hours later and I had a full five pages on my hands. I still have to clean it up a little, but I hope to post it soon!

My real goal has been to work on "Certain for the Dead" which is not cooperating. My COE fixit bunny, however, seems to have claws. And sharp teeth. And it's dark. (Well, that I think I can blame on RTD. ^^;;) Apparently, my mom asked my nieces if she should order Torchwood COE from amazon.com for my birthday. Samantha told me they informed her that, based on Auntie Meredith screaming about her "poor alien-chasing Welsh boy", it probably wasn't the best idea.

I do love my girls. ^_^
-Meredith

My poor dinosaur of a scanner hates me right now, but I managed to wrangle it into scanning two full color pictures I finished last week. And, of course, now I'm going to inflict them on you poor gentlefolk. ^_~

The first is Harry Potter fanart, inspired by the wacky places me 'shipper brain went during the midnight showing of HBP.
All the Ways You Devastate Me
_{(Yes, from "The Tension and the Terror" by Straylight Run. ^^)}

This picture lept to mind instantly when I watched Harry and Luna going to Slughorn's "Christmas Do" as friends. We know Lily was part of the 'Slug Club' and it made me wonder, how darling would it have been for her to go 'as friends' with Severus, each secretly nervous, embarrassed, and recklessly hopeful. So yeah, this would be AU, but it would be a fun one. There's a story behind this picture too, I'm sure, of Lily agonizing over formal witch's wear, and Severus sweating because his Hogwart's robes are the nicest things he owns. I imagine they'd both be ridicously wound up about the whole thing-- their relationship is already rocky because of House rivalry and That Word, but each wants to make the other proud when they're seen together. I'm not sure what it is about this pairing that entrances me so... it seems to really illustrate how the past can be warped and changed by bias. The remaining Marauders had this vision of Lily they gave to Harry, and there was Severus all along, keeping his own counsel. *shivers, grins*

The second bit is more from the slashy 4400 AU Amber and I enjoy indulging ourselves in. A little while back, we were talking about how our sympathies shifted towards the end of the series. It became more and more clear that, while Sean and the 4400 Center were willing to compromise, there were parts of the government that weren't willing to tolerate their mere presence on the planet. So, I started thinking about Jed (who can split into two [or more?]), Marco (who can teleport anywhere), and our Julian (who, we decided, can summon objects, in a spin-off of her brother's gift). And I came up with: Now Entering Promise City. Way, way too much fun drawing this, though I'm not as happy with Julian's outfit as I could be-- I wanted it to look like a sixties tunic-dress, but it doesn't look like it worked. But! Garrity is an AWOL government agent with forbidden powers and he's still wearing his tie. Marco and Julian are not letting this go. ^_~ Ever.

I'm still trying to wrestle Carol into cooperating. Silly, flighty muse. I have a 4400 fic, plus I want to write more "Certain for the Dead" (I think it will make me feel better about Torchwood... *sniffles into Ianto's suit coat*). And then, she comes to me with a Torchwood fix it for that hideous, sadistic trainwreck *cough* COE that won't sit still long enough for me to sort it out. *grabs for muse, who flitters off laughing to look for chocolate*

*rolls eyes*
-Meredith

It's 9:12 pm here in Ohio-land. I just finished having pizza with my nieces.

What am I not doing? I'm not watching Torchwood, despite the fact there's two more episodes left in the Children of Earth series. I won't spoil it for anyone in the US, though any British fans probably know what I'm talking about. I remained unspoiled, and almost walked into a land-mine. I have a lovely, well spoken fellow fan to thank for the heads-up. Go here to read her beautifully-wrought argument: Tanarian's CoE Comments. Seriously, I'm glad I read that-- first, it voices my feelings more eloquently than I ever could and, secondly, I'm just not going to finish the series. If the whole thing weren't so damn predictable, I might actually have it in me to be disappointed.

I'm such a raving Jack/Ianto fan, but I can't help it. *cuddles Ianto* Poor woobie.

As it is... *shows off her pointer fingers, and promptly sticks them in her ears* Lalala, if I didn't see it, it didn't happen, lalalala...

And they took away my Toshiko! *waves wildly at icon*

*off to find some Janto fic*
-Meredith

Ohio is a very, very confused state. *shakes head* It feels like autumn here-- and has for the past week. Record lows, evening highs in the fifties. Normally our Julys are sweltering, but our state gets mixed up easily. I think the other states laugh at it 'cause it's challenged. ^_^;;;

You know, I was actually going to type this entry yesterday on my hour lunch at work, because I knew I'd be too exhausted when I got home. But, when got to the computer room, someone had turned the AC up to the point where I expected to see small penguins doing drill routines in between the desks. It's cold in my department, but that was positively *frigid*. I promptly fled, for fear of frostbite. And, sure enough, I was completely exhausted when I got home-- I fell asleep on the couch. ^^; Eh.

But! (She exclaims, needlessly) Here I am, with general Rl and fandom comments, not to mention actual fanart. I know-- I'm shocked too. ^_~

First, fandom: ( (cut for possible HBP, Torchwood, and Transformers II spoilers) )

I've actually decided to skip the RL news. It's not bad, just... eh, some other time.

Now the fanart! I have Transformers and The 4400. Thanks to Josh's stubborn demands to be included in my little work related comics, I've gotten more practice drawing men. (Some of this practice involves Leslie and I hitting him for being male, and thus difficult to draw. ^_^) I know the idea of holo!Bee isn't new, but I couldn't resist doing a little sketch of what I think Bee would look like disguised as a human, or as a hologram thereof. Here's A Boy Called Bee-- I did try my hand at his robot form, but I'm afraid it sucks mightily. *sigh* I erased my handwritten comments and typed them in, since my handwriting is attrocious.

Second, Amber recently rewatched The 4400 (thus subliminally prompting me to do the same ^_~), and reminded me of our Julian-verse. It's been a while since I've drawn them, but I did little concept sketches of Marco, Garrity, and Julian in hopes of maybe doing a short comic. I had a great time doing it! I hope you like, Amber-dear!

*bounces* Torchwood tomorrow!
-Meredith

Wow... I think I just lost a month to a strange (re: evil) cocktail of too much work and useless migraine medications. Is there some place I can demand a refund? *blinks*

It was so nice and cool when I was in Narita-- almost like an eternal early spring-- and, though there were thunderstorms almost every afternoon, I think I only had one migraine my entire stay. Ohio welcomed me back with sweltering heat, high smog alerts and several thunderstorms that also featured hail. I found myself almost totally out of comission from the pain... these were migraines the likes of which I hadn't had since I was a teenager. I had to go to the hospital in mid-June: one went on for a record of two days, culminating in a pain so intense I was screaming in my sleep. My brother drove me to the hospital, where they shot me with demerol. (Now, that stuff kills the pain, but it also takes your mental well-being and puts it in a blender. I can't even stand when I'm on that stuff-- though I can report that the weather on Neptune is nice this time of year. ^_~;;;)

Long story short, my doctor has since tried three different meds out on me, all of which have had wacky and unpleasant side effects. They have not, however, had any effect on the migraines themselves-- and some of these pills cost $80 with insurance. Finally, I think we've hit on something that works, but I don't like to take it unless it's dire, because it makes me so lethargic. I like to be up and active, and it drives me nuts that we can't find something that kills the migraines *and* lets me function. Some of our other alternatives have been eliminated due to the history of heart disease in my family... *shakes head*

My doctor-- a tiny, patient Phillipino woman who could stare down Wolverine-- says my body is going through a "major hormonal shift" which, just like in adolesence, triggers my migraines. Because I needed to be reminded that I'm getting old. *pout* ^_~

So that's why it seemed like I fell off the face of the earth. I vaguely remember something from January about hoping 2009 wasn't going to sit on us like a Sumo wrestler trying to make a point-- ah, that was a nice delusion. ... Eh.

The first two weeks of June brought more graduation ceremonies than I can count. Each of my three nieces moved up from their respective buildings-- Elementary School to Middle School (Genevive), Middle School to Junior High (Justine), Junior High to High School (Samantha). I am getting old! ;_; ( In addition, Yana graduated from Elementary School and into the fifth grade... )

-Meredith

I'm home!

....
What day is it again?
Wednesday! Right, good. Wednesday. *nods to self*

Dochira kuni ni imasu ka? (Which country am I in?)

Hahaha. I'm actually only half kidding on that score. ^_~ Serious jetlag and confusion here on my part, but I have only myself to blame. I ended up staying in Japan about three days longer than I planned-- I found out the day before I left that, because I work 10 hour shifts, I had amassed about twice as much vacation time as I'd been told by my manager. There's a limit to how much they'll let you take off at a time, so I actually still have two days left even with my altered plans, but I can use those as sick days when/if I want to. My hotel reservations were only for my original intentions of seven days, but a friend from Nagoya U invited me to stay with her and her sister... I had such a good time. The whole trip was just wonderful-- I stayed for about four days in Narita, rode the train into Tokyo to see Shinjuku, Ikebukuro and Asakusa, then got on *another* train down to visit friends near Mt. Fuji, and finally over into Nagoya. I'm never able to express how it feels to be in Japan without sounding cliché, and I'm certainly not going to try now, but I returned very happy and refreshed. It was just so satisfying to eat the food and speak the language (and go on crazy marathon shopping sessions with Mitsuko-chan... ^^;) , and yet when I get home it all gains this unreal quality that makes me yearn to turn right back around.

So not an option. I came back in time for Memorial Day weekend-- I slept roughly 14 hrs right off the plane and then had to be in to work. I pulled four days of ten hour shifts and, by yesterday, I was so tired I tried to put my phone password into the microwave at lunch. X-x;;; Yeah. That double-time-and-a-half they were offering for Memorial Day made it worth it, but only just. At one point Josh found me sitting at my desk, staring into space.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"... gonna clock back in. In a second."
"Are you okay?"
I waved my frappicino-- fresh from the vending machine-- at him. "Desperate times call for desperate measures. Honestly, I'm asleep right now and sitting here looking at you."
He did his little dorky Josh-blink at me and wandered off. (Honestly, I found a chibi arcade prize of Doumeki from XXXholic giving the same look Joshua gives me when he thinks I'm talking nonsense. Obviously, I brought it back with me, Leslie agree it was perfect, and we have installed it on Joshua's desk despite his protests. ^___^)

I got home on Monday just after ten, and only barely remembered to undo my hair before I got into bed. When I woke up, it was 9 pm on Tuesday and I was starving. Obviously, I still have a lot of unpacking and such left over from my trip. I really need to take care of that.

... I'm gonna take another nap first. ^^
-Meredith

I can't believe I went four weeks without posting. I'm a wretched, wretched person... (and yes, I know I'm always saying that! ^^;) At least I have a reason for the last two weeks.

... I'm going to Japan. As in, on Monday. At 9:55 am.

And I'm only half packed, and I work from 9:30am-8:30pm tomorrow. Ahahahaha. Ha. No. ^_^;;;;

I've been rushing around like a chicken with its head loosened substantially because, as soon as I got my (very nice) tax return and paid all the grubby hands that suddenly popped up, a thought came to me. This thought was, "I probably won't have this much money all at once again for a long, long time". Only much less coherent, you understand.

Turns out, there was a deal with Delta in which I could trade all my skymiles for a $200 round-trip ticket to Narita, Japan. No, I didn't miss a zero, I said two hundred dollars!!! *suppressing the desire to add more exclamation points* Ever since, I've been trying to wrangle enough vacation time to take advantage of this offer, in time to take this offer. And, two days before the deadline, I made it! I can not express to you how incredibly excited I am-- I'm staying 55 minutes outside of Tokyo, for six days, visiting friends and just making plans to generally have fun and practice the language. I'd almost resigned myself to not being able to afford going back without a job or college related tuition exchange... I can scarcely believe my luck.

The long and short of it is, I have been reading your journals and I should have been better about replying. *bangs head* I need to stop sleeping through my three days off, is what it is.

(Amber-- I want to see a picture of your new dress, and now that you have a passport you can TOTALLY COME WITH ME, and I thought I was the only one who saw Forsaken slash! *deep breath*)
(Leigh- I sent you a pm. I have mixed feelings about the new Star Trek movie, but for you I would go see it in a heart beat!)
(Neb- You are a really angelic, supportive sweetheart, you know that, right?)
(wickedwonder1, ivylore, and madisonpassion- thank you so much for responding to my description of That Sort of Person. I'm sorry I didn't respond personally, but please know that-- when things got ragged-- I would go back to your replies and feel comforted. ^__^)

Incidentally, this trip is timed so that I will be back in time offer moral support when Leslie has her baby (and possibly, you know, offer her a meat-cleaver to use on Josh). However, it will also give me a break from the intense, syrupy bonding they're going through as excited expectant parents. I don't begrudge them a moment of it, but... yeah. *smiles* And I've left Joshua with a long list of instructions and Things Not To Do While I'm Gone. ^_~

I hope to post once more before I leave. *hugs to pieces*
-Meredith

I hate posting this sort of thing, since it always feels pretentious, no matter how honest I'm trying to be. At the same time, I need to communicate this feeling and see if some of you recognize it. After my recent terrifying situation, it feels strange it be aware of this emotion again, even if it stems from long before my unfortunate trip into the Twilight Zone. *shrugs*

I beg your patience. Tell me your story, too.

( I want to know if you've ever met this sort of person-- I want to know if this wrenching behind your ribs is at all familiar. )

* * *

I love words, but some times I hate them-- I can't make this feel real, not overly dramatic.
-Meredith

My brother and I went to see the midnight premire of Watchmen last night, downtown. Sam dressed up as Rosarch (mask made by yours truly) and I... just wore my vintage ruby red pencil skirt and jacket, with my hair in pin-curls. Well, I wasn't dressing in anything skin tight, that's for damn sure. ^_~ I've been looking forward to the movie since I first saw the preview at the screening of The Dark Knight. I'd read the comic before, in college, and went out and bought my own copy some time in October. Knowing I still had to go to work the next day, I was willing to go on five hours sleep to see the premire.

I... really have mixed feelings about the whole thing, now. ^_^;;;;

( The Good Was Really Good; The Bad Was... (***SPOILERS***) )

At any rate, my feelings towards the movie are complicated, but intense. Which is what movies should do. ^_^;;

In other news, a friend of mine bought me a copy of Good Omens as a random please-cheer-up-present. It was just what I needed. I can't tell you how many times I almost dropped the book, I was laughing so hard! It's brilliant. Every single bit of it is brilliant! I am now deeply in love with Crowley. He could take me for a ride in his Bentley, anywhere. And I mean that.
-Meredith

_{*I deeply loathe, despise, and revile Frank Miller as a director, writer and artist. Please see his hand in All-Stars Batman and Robin and then come talk to me. After, you know, you've finished vomiting.
[mind you, it's my opinion, and if you love Frank Miller... free country, right? *checks*]}

Here's hoping the new layout colors and background aren't too hard on your eyes, but I just couldn't resist. I love black and pink together-- very elegant and understated. Can you believe this was actually wrapping paper someone used at Christmas? I was very careful opening it, so I'd have a big enough piece to scan.
Why, yes, I am a massive dork. What makes you ask? ^_~

And, filed in the section, 'Better Late Than Never', I present my truly pitiful log of Fics Written in 2008.

( The Year of '08 in Fics )

Can you believe we're standing here in 'aught nine? Strange as that sounds, the thought of saying 'two thousand ten' is even more bizarre-- saying 'oh-eight took the edge off things, you know? Maybe I'm just weird. ^_^

Sitting here with the Christmas tree on, with a glass of sparkling champagne and some Cheerios, while Sam snoozes on the couch and the girls play Super Smash Brothers downstairs. I'll make them go to bed in a little bit-- they're a little hyper now. We set off party poppers on the back porch, after all. Such a mad, gay night life we live. ^_~ I went to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button yesterday and, while it wasn't as good as the short story, I did enjoy it. I'm thinking of that backwards clock right now, swooping past nine, down to eight, down to seven, ever backwards. I'm thinking, too, of Ray Bradbury's The Pillar of Fire, which I first read at age thirteen, in an old moldering anthology I found in the back of the school library. That corpse, standing on a cold hill riddled with disturbed graves, hating the bright city and the future he can't understand.

As afraid as I sometimes am when the future looms at the foot of my bed... I don't want go back. I think, sometimes, our generation tends to become over-absorbed in our own problems, forgetting the trials of the past. I love history, love the words and rhythms that bring it back to life, but I wouldn't want to live there. *shrugs* Contemplating the future is overwhelming; longing for the past is deceiving. I think we've got to make the most of here and now.

Do any of you know this poem? My mom used to read it to me when I was a girl.
From Kalamazoo to Timbuktu,
From Timbuktu and back;
it's a long, long way,
a long, long way,
a long way down the track.

From Timbuktu to Kalamazoo;
It's just as far to go back.

Happy New Year, everyone. Let's make the best of this we can. I know we can, and I intend to.
Here's to the Year of the Ox!
*hugs*
-Meredith

So, I have The Dark Knight in my hot little hands. So, after I slept the entire day away (these ten hours shifts will be the death of me *whimpers*), I simply had to sit down with my hot chocolate and pop it in. It was just as good as in the theater. While I still have fond childhood memories of the original, goofy Adam West Batman, I enjoy and appreciate a darker, more adult version as well. Mind you, I think DC comics have allowed things to get too dark in current story lines, and Frank Miller should never have been allowed within a thirty-five mile radius of our Dynamic Duo, but those are rants for another time. Over all, I enjoyed Nolan's ride. I liked the story line; Bale's wry Bruce is endearing in his dual roll, especially how he uses other people's expectations and prejudices to hide his identity. I loved this version of Harvey Dent-- not normally a villain I express much interest. Michael Caine is the perfect Alfred, and the wry dynamic he has with Bruce hides the deep affection they have for each other. If you'd asked me if Gary Oldman was a good choice for Gordon, I'd have said no-- but boy, is it nice to be wrong. ^_^ And, of course, Ledger's Joker makes my skin crawl. That's a compliment.

Rachel Dawes annoys the hell out of me, but that's hardly surprising. She lands in the already well-populated category of 'female character adored for no apparent reason', joining Lana Lang and Mary Jane Watson. It's a personal thing.

I do, however, have a legitimate narrative bone to pick, both as a fan of the comics and as a feminist. And that bone is Barbara Gordon. More specifically, how mercilessly she was cut from the story line. Here was the perfect opportunity for the writers to set up a strong foundation for her adult passion for justice. Here was where we could begin to understand why the daughter of the commissioner could turn to being a vigilante, and continue to hide it from her father. Batman's crusade against the Joker's "human experiments" and Gordon's comments about hunting Batman because 'he can take it, he is Gotham's guardian' are the early experiences that could easily sketch the relentless, courageous Batgirl (and later Oracle) we see in the comics.
What did we get instead?
Some boy-child, the holy patriarchal son, conjured up from nowhere to be Jim's 'most beloved-family member'. Why, Nolan, why? I can understand the bad writing behind Rachel; some of it is plot-driven (in order for Bruce to fully dedicate himself to Gotham, she must always be out of reach), some of it is just the fact that a lot of male writers seem to have trouble writing fully-fleshed female characters.

_{(Not to get sidetracked here, but I do apologize for the generalization. There are men out there who write amazing female characters. Joss Whedon, is an awesome example. Stephen King is another. Theodore Sturgeon wrote amazing, subtly strong females in a time where "handing the action to the girl" was no accepted. But sometimes, I think guys-- particularly in the sci-fi/fantasy genre, just don't get it. Do I have to bring up 'Samantha Carter' from Stargate? I didn't think so.)}

Anyway. I can handle Rachel-- she's very useful dead, I will say that. But I just don't understand why there was any need to create a whole new random character to be threatened, when it would have been so much more in keeping with DC canon for Gordon to have a close relationship with little Barbara. It would have been great, to see a young Babs staring after Batman as he flees from the very people he's worked so hard to help. What an easter-egg for comic fans!

God, it just makes me crazy. Maybe you'll think I'm paranoid, placing the gender-swap at the feet of the patriarchy, but it seems justified. That's always been the assumption: that sons are more valued by their fathers than daughters. (Hell, it was certainly true with mine. ^^;;;) But I'd just loved to have seen a close bond between Barbara and her dad. I love her comic character so much.
Just... disappointing.

Maybe I'm picky. *rolls shoulders* But I had to get that off my chest.
-Meredith

Here's wishing all my friends, in the states and abroad, a Happy Thankgiving. I hope everyone had a wonderful day with friends and family (or sans family, if you prefer ^_~), with good karma all around. It's rare for me to draw sentimental holiday pictures, but I really felt like it this year. I had a wonderful time with my own loved ones, and just... I think it's important to celebrate togetherness with the people you truly cherish, not the people you feel obligated to pretend with. If you really care about someone, you want to protect them and make them happy, right? That's what love means. So here's to happy families, traditional and otherwise. Kanpai!

I wanted to color in the background on this picture, but I didn't really have the chance. *sigh* I wanted to get it up in a somewhat timely fashion. So, from left to right: Mark, baby Sayuri (who does not want her bottle-- she wants Mark's soda), Miku with her finger in the pie (dessert first!) and Leonid laughing about it, Kanoe with the turkey, and Devin with her girlfriend Letticia (sharing a Grape Nehi).

I'm working Black Friday tomorrow (X_x;;;), so I should probably get to bed. (I'm doing 8:30am-7:30pm. Shoot me now.) I've never done this before, so I'm very nervous, especially after all the horror stories from the seasoned associates. If you have a sec tomorrow, wish me luck. I'll be in the trenches.

Though, if someone from ECom shits in my foxhole, all bets are off. ^_~
-Meredith

*points to icon* My brother brought me a copy of Hellboy II: The Golden Army this morning. He actually bought a copy for each of us, since he wanted the three-disc special edition and the BPRD belt-buckle they were selling. The buckle looks cool, but the way the symbol hangs makes it look like a warning sign meant to indicate, 'caution! there is a sword in my pants!'. *sweatdrop* I dunno.

Anyway, I just finished watching Hellboy-- I actually think I enjoy this one just as much, if not more, than the first. The scenery and characters are so astonishingly beautiful and grotesque, and Nuwala's dresses are to die for. Plus, Hellboy and Abe's drunken Barry Manillow kareoke? Priceless.

I also took my eldest niece to see The Haunting of Molly Hartley today. It was okay-- entertaining, but it tried a little to much to riff on Rosemary's Baby, without forming a solid center of its own. It was still a nice diversion, and it's always nice to treat Samantha to something separate from her sisters. Never having had a sister myself, I still imagine it might get a little annoying to have to share so much. Going to 'grown-up' movies with my mom was always a nice invidual treat, when I was a kid. Molly Hartley wasn't graphic at all, which was nice. It was more of a psychological-thriller-with-a-side-order-of-Satan.
_{Servo-voice: "Mommy, it's Satan and its fun!"}

In other news, I'm up for my six-month review at work tomorrow. *bites nails* I hope my manager built crying-time into my meeting. Haha. I wish that was a joke. If I get eight good calls and two bad ones, he always makes me listen to both the bad ones and none of the good ones. He also told me he was writing me up for being 'sloppy' last week, because I accidentally clocked one too many times. X_x;; I usually just try to avoid him as much as possible.
This is supposed to be my chance for a raise, but at this point I'm just hoping to get through the meeting. Cross your fingers for me, onegai shimasu. _{(Please? ^_^;;)}

Nothing much else to share, save that 70% of my DVR is taken up with episodes of House, MD. I have a House/Wilson monkey on my back. (The other 30% is comprosed of History channel documentaries on alien theories and human sacrifice. What does that say about me?)

Take it easy, guys!
-Meredith

My brother called me this morning at seven in the bleed'n am, to annouce loudly in my sleep-clouded ear, "I just voted mothafucka!"
I am taking away his South Park DVDs.

In all seriousness, he went to vote right after he got off work at six, and stood in line for about forty-five minutes. (Fifteen of which were spent waiting for the polls to open.) He was number nine to vote in our precinct.
_{(Ohioans are slow voters, I know. Hush. Our ballots have little bubbles that need to be colored in, which people seem to find inordinately challenging. Are they having SAT flash backs? Who knows.)}

I went around two in the afternoon, in between the lunch rush and the just-got-off-from-work crowd. It only took me about ten minutes, but the line was really starting to get long as I was walking out. With all the voter fraud in Ohio, I was relieved to see they were checking ID and addresses. And I was number 300-- I felt like there should have been some sort of prize. ^_~

The big issues in Ohio were #5 (payday loans) and #6 (adding a casino). There was also #1 (property rights and ground water) and one about the length of time before you can put a proposal on the ballot. We are just crazy in this state, I tell you. We live fast, hard and dangerous in these parts. *giggles, rolls eyes*

Now there's nothing to do but sit and wait. Though it's been pretty obvious what the outcome was going to be all along.
-Meredith

ETA: And now we know.