Well, ladies and gents, it looks like we're back at that time again-- the hands winding up 'til midnight, and the end of another year. I'd say there's a temporal anomaly causing them to progress more quickly, but I think it just means I'm getting old(er). ^_~

Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu, Minna-san! (Happy New Year, everyone!) Thank you for all the beautiful Hanukkah wishes, and for all the amazing things you've done for me this year.

*raises a glass in toast* To the amazingly strong, vibrantly beautiful Amber; to the insightful, unbelievably witty Leigh; the clever and pithy Bea; the astonishingly kind badly_knitted; the adroit Captanne; and my compassionate cyber-wifey Nebula. To the very sweet dannisupernova; the resourceful and warm Abyssinia; the articulate dark_branwen; the wise and compassionate dougs; and the expressive Raven. To the brave and giving Ra; the gentle ivylore; the endlessly encouraging and inspiring Leia_N; and the empathetic Lady Aeryn. To my long-time WAFFer friends; the talented Antigone, the dedicated Ropa, the creative dqbunny, the charming Lazz, and utterly lovely Suzume. To newer friends, like the hilarious and smart hjbender, warm-hearted hab318princess, delightful Lischel and awesome Yorda. To my Swamp-Rats of old, the unbelievably versatile Jimaine, clever Flick, and always eloquent Kellyn.

To everyone who has been kind enough to take the time to send me feedback, or a supportive word. To absent friends. To family: those we love because they were chosen for us, and those we love because we chose them. To anyone who, in my thoughtlessness, I forgot to thank individually.

2012 will be the Year of the Dragon, a water year. The Rabbit was a bit of a bitch, all told, though she did bring some good fortune. We'll thank her for that, and send her on her way. Here's hoping we can grab the Dragon by the horns, and sail on smooth waters. I think we all need a break from the white water rafting. ^_~

Love you guys,
Meredith

ETA: And to the darling kittenmommy, whom I for some reason had not friended until just now. ^_^;;;

This evening, the local Chabad House held a public menorah lighting at nearby Marcus Point. It was the first time for such an event, and I made sure to be there. Hanukkah is always bittersweet for me; I have very fond memories from childhood, but no one in my family celebrates save me. It's rough, because it *is* a family holiday. Normally, you won't find a public service, because-- while Hanukkah is the only mitzvah that should be observed by the outside world (hence the menorah in the window)-- it's ceremony that is more about the home, and the people who compose that home.

It was extremely cold, especially as the sun went down. In true Ohio fashion, the rain couldn't quite commit, and was just shedding a fine mist. When the Rabbi lit the shamash candle (the middle, or 'helper') on the giant menorah, the two little boys standing in front of me began a fierce debate as to whether or not it would stay lit. The flame shrank and guttered. 'It's already out!' one of the boys cried. The adults standing around where all watching a repeating the blessings, but there was a certain amount of tension. Being the first such public event, everyone wanted it to go well.
'No,' said the smaller boy, 'it's just blue and hard to see.' Sure enough, a few minutes later, the flame grew enough to light the candle for the first night. A little sigh rippled through the crowd.

I guess I just wanted to wish you guys a Happy Hanukkah, whether you celebrate it or not. It's about bringing light into the world, like the light of a street lamp on a cold night. It makes that circle against the darkness-- if you're lonely, you may feel like you only get to stand on the very edge of the illumination. But even standing with just your toes in that lucent pool is better than being swallowed up by the dark. My friends are part of what makes my life bright. Thank you, all of you, for being amazing people. ^_^ I don't know what I'd do without you.

I know a lot of people who are going through a tough time right now-- myself included. The holidays are wonderful, but they're also very stressful. Machiavellian family politics, enormous demands at work, the pressure to find the right gift... Whether you believe in G-d, any god, or no god, I think the desire to come in out of the darkness is something primal for human beings. It doesn't matter if the flame represents nothing more to you than an instance of combustion in which fuel is burned; you are all welcome by my fire.

*hugs*
-Meredith

No, I have not fallen off the face of the internets, though I was seriously concerned myself, there for a while. ^^; Hi! *waves brightly* I used to exist here, before I switched jobs, my home life went to heck, my computer died, and my mother decided we were going to play an even more insane game of family feud than usual. Seriously, I love the woman, but there are days I think she ought to work as an interrogator for the CIA. X_x;; Add to that the fact that LC manages to involve us in Army Life even though he's not technically in the same state, the resignation of half my goddamn department, and a previously undiscovered love-life... Yeah, it's been a crazy three months. Some of it's good crazy (my heart goes pitter-patter, Sumomo! ^_~), some of it's bad crazy (hello, Aunt Lynette), and some is just indifferent (I mean it, half my department. On the same day.) but it definitely hasn't been dull.

I'm currently set up on my brother's computer. My own refuses to boot up past the kernel but-- thank G-d for small mercies-- will tolerate being used as an external hard drive. So, I have all my stuff, it's just... a lot like having a time share. *frowns* I've been hanging around a little bit at camp_toccoa, because there's nothing like a war fandom to put things in perspective. That, and my WinNix addiction has been augmented by a strong predilection for Speirs/Lipton. (I'm a sick girl, I know.) At any rate, I've missed you all, and I have been lurking on your personal journals*, occasionally posting. It's definitely past time to come out of hiding, though. ^___^

And what better day to do so than the anniversary of that glorious day when our Amber-chan decided to join us on this admittedly shady level of existence? That's right-- October 21st** is minttown1's birthday, a day for celebration, indeed! Otanjoubi Omedettou Gozaimasu, my dear! (Happy Birthday!) Many, many happy returns. I have a present for you, right around.... here. My apologies in advance for the poor color-- I'm not using my regular scanner, and this new one hates my guts. Granted, it's been a while since I've seen a picture of you, but I hope this works. Here's Amber and her furry posse, ready to slay zombies, aliens, cylons-- whatever the hell gets in their way. **hugs tight** I tried to fit as many fandoms in as possible: House of Anubis, M*A*S*H, Harry Potter, Red Vs BlueStar Trek, Stargate: Atlantis, Band of Brothers, Resident Evil.... plus, you have a squiddy. Always important to have a squiddy.

*hugs Amber again, and then everyone else*

I am very, very glad I still exist***. ^_~
Love,
Meredith

_{*Oh, that didn't sound creepy at all.
**Okay, so technically I'm an hour and forty five minutes late. I tried! ^_^;;;;
***And thank you, Leigh, for being an angel and checking up on me. *squish*}

Here's wishing a Happy Independence Day to all my friends, state-side or otherwise. I hope everyone had a wonderful day!

So many brave men and women have fought, suffered and died for our country-- I'll never be able to fathom the depth of their sacrifice, or the true measure of strength within their beings. All I can do is be intensely grateful they were willing to answer the call. We may have our problems, but I still believe the Constitution is one of the most beautiful documents in the history of Western civilization.

*toasts her friends*

Love,
Meredith

I'm kicking myself now because I got up early on one of my off days, got dressed, went into work to attend an awards ceremony I'd been invited to... only to discover it was half an hour earlier. Actually, it was over by the time I got there, which tells me it couldn't have been that all-fired important. I didn't really want to go in the first place. I was just going to show up because my Director keeps telling me I'm "completely unsuited for promotion", yet I keep winning these awards. (One for my Customer Service, and two-- counting today's-- for corporate projects.)

That'll teach me to ignore hubris and stop trying to make a point. *sigh*

If I'd just double checked the time... *shakes head* I cannot get stressed. I have an interview on Friday for another department, with a manager I *know* is going to be hostile.

I'm such a schmuck sometimes.
-Meredith

Because Meredith sucks so much she's become her own blackhole is a flake who lets projects get away from her, her birthday present for the absolutely fabulous, marvelous and just plain awesome gamesiplay is late this year. ^^; Sumimasen! (It's so rude!) Forgive me, darling. ^_^

Not much, but I was finally able to finish a drawing for you: The Most Important Rule. You'll have to scroll down to get the full effect-- I was going for a bookmark-style image, but got a little carried away and ended up scanning it in too large. Of all the versions of Leigh I've drawn, this is probably the best. Your hair was actually fun to draw, though don't ask me why I drew you in Starbuck's flight-suit while referencing BoB. My brain is a crazy fandom blender? Maybe.

Like I said, I know it's not much, but I hope it makes you smile. *hugs tightly* Late or no, I wish you many many happy returns.

Love,
-Meredith

Ps. Guess who's watching The Pacific? Go on, guess! ^_~

It's such a small thing, but I just want to say how much my hopes and prayers are with the Japanese and their loved ones this evening. I've never been further north than Narita, but Japan is a beautiful country, and I've never felt anything but perfectly welcome there. It's horrible to look at the pictures of Sendai and Fukushima, just from a human standpoint. I can't imagine what it's like when you have to consider family, the people and places you've known...

One of my friends is married to an American international pilot-- her husband is currently stranded in Narita. He reports that they're letting planes land, but have still delayed all outgoing flights for safety. There are apparently thousands of homes in Tokyo without power, and then there's the Fukushima nuclear plant... It's times like these that the world seems full of vast gulfs, no matter how small technology makes it seem.

I remember the summer I spent in Saitama, near Kawagoe. We got the rain backlash from the taifu that hit Tokyo-- a bad one, but nothing as off the hook as this. After school let out, I carried Wakami-chan down the hill on my hip, because the streets were flooded up to my calves. It's scary to think how far reaching nature can be, even to places that escape the epicenter of the event. I hope you'll think about/ pray for Japan if you can-- my nebulous prayers are out there, especially for my host-mother Yoko-san, and for little Wakami and her brother and sister. My faith isn't very well defined, but it's there.

To quote father Mulcahy, I'm kind of a crazy agnostic. ^^;;
-Meredith

<sub>WARNING: The following is a rant. It is full of vitriol, dramatics, honest emotion and unapologetic criticism of political manipulation. It is not party-specific, though it does contain some religious and political references. If you're easily offended, or just not in the mood to read the frustrated ravings of an Ohio voter, you're welcome to skip it. I can't apologize for any of this-- these are my honest feelings as I watch Senate Bill 5 make its way to the House of Representatives. Maybe it sounds over blown and theatrical, but this has far-reaching consequences for my family and I. I imagine there are many families in Ohio who feel a sense of bleak despair as they look to the next few years.

I'm not trying to offend individuals-- my fury is aimed at the system, at the pseudo-artistocracy that has gotten so completely out of touch with those they represent. I know this is a touchy subject but I can't keep this to myself.

ETA: I realize excessive use of insults may detract from some of the points I'm making. This isn't a factual piece, or even an arguement. Unfortunately, its too late for discussion, for consideration of rational options. I'm not out to change anyone's mind-- I just want you to feel what I'm feeling. Just for a moment.

I'll leave the rational arguements to the far more elegant Mr. Charles Reese: 545 People Directly Responsible for US Woes.</sub>



Dear Ohio Senate,

Thank you, for doing such a marvelous job standing up for your constituents. I utter this phrase, of course, with only the most violent sarcasm-- you have betrayed your voting base in the most horrendous way possible. As the citizens of your districts struggle against the difficulties of the national economy, we can feel even better knowing that you're perfectly willing to pull away what remains of our emergency services, fire rescue, police protection, and educational standards. As you sleep on your cots in the Senate building-- those little roll-aways you keep so you don't have shell out money for a goddamn hotel room-- I hope your dreams are peaceful and undisturbed by the notion that you've just pounded a nail into the heart of the middle class. Thank you for keeping us safe from those omnipresent dangers-- unions, collective bargaining, the protection of workers. Lord knows such notions truly go against the idea of Democracy!

The bile I'm spitting is hurting my throat, but you black-hearted Fascists need to hear it. Career politicians with nothing to concern yourself with but finding funds for your next reelection campaign, or what brand of high-end office furniture to spend our taxpayer dollars on. While you congratulate yourself on another step forward for this disgusting bill, I'll be sitting here with my brother, trying to figure out how we're going to keep the house we now live in. My brother is a high school music teacher-- your bill will cut his salary from 46k (already lower than previous, since the administration cut teacher pay 3% but gave themselves a holiday bonus) to 24K a year. That's barely 5 thousand more than I make as a credit analyst. I'm vastly over qualified for my own job, but pathetically grateful to have it since it includes medical coverage that is now-- guess what!-- actually cheaper than my brother's. With this bill, you revoke the sick days he had banked. Sick days he never took, because he's dedicated to his job, and he was promised that his attendance would be rewarded with a percentage cash-out when he retired. All of that is gone now.

Ohio is in the red. Well, guess what-- that didn't happen over night! It happened over years, over decades, while you were writing things off on expense accounts and giving yourselves raises. Senate Bill 5 cuts the pay, union rights, and benefits provided for teachers, police, fire fighters, and other civil servants. Someone is except from this all encompassing betrayal, though. Someone isn't being robbed of all the things they were promised over the years, all the things they worked hard for. Senate Bill 5 does not touch the pay of Senators and State Representatives.

Filthy, worthless shollygosters; you're not even clever enough to disguise your true intentions. You're nothing but a pack of vampires, worthless subhuman leeches who pull and pull from people who work hard every day, people who wonder how (and even if!) they should send their children to college. Have you ever even looked at a gas-electric statement and wondered how you're going to afford it? Have you ever made the mortgage payment only to open your mailbox three days later and discover they've ever-so-thoughtfully already sent you the next one? Ever had a sudden, unexpected expense that makes your heart drop down into your bowels, or prayed the AC will hold out for just one more summer? What about the humiliating experience of calling over a medical bill, having to beg some faceless drone to let you pay $600 in installments? And that's what your insurance doesn't cover! I sincerely doubt you understand any of these tiny degredations, the ones that come again and again. If you've known their bite, you've forgotten about it, because no feeling human being would willingly be a part of such a travesty. No matter how we struggle, my family and I have been incredibly lucky. I know that-- I pray every day our luck holds out, because it can always get a hell of a lot worse. Every day, there are people in far more dire straights than I, right here. In my own state, in my own town. I'm not a public employee, but I'm going to suffer. Not just because my brother is a teacher, oh no-- all of Ohio will suffer from your shortsighted greed. Our schools will suffer, our neighborhoods will be less safe. Tell me that civil servant pay was the only thing there for you to cut. Tell me there weren't at least a dozen other 'public works projects' you gave higher priority, thanks to whoever is lining your pockets.

I won't say I hope your sleep is disturbed. People like you sleep deep and well, with no dreams to flit across that empty place where any well developed personality would have a conscience. I won't even say that people won't vote for you again; you've been suckering everyone too long. You're ancient, dottering whores but you know all the tricks. I don't believe in the common notion of God, so I won't cast aspirations about the heavenly consequences of your behavior.

I do believe in Justice, and in the spirit of the Constitution this nation was first founded on. The most beautiful document in the history of modern Western thought and philosophy, signed by men who were flawed (slave-holders, philanderers, men who drank or where careless with their coin) but possessed of vision. Fifty-six men, many of whom suffered and died, to sign a document you clearly not only have no respect for, but are also incapable of even comprehending. Justice stands wearing her blindfold, though sometimes it seems these days that she would be more accurately depicted raped, trussed up and left to die in a gutter with her tongue cut out. I believe in Justice, though this world gives little evidence of it-- I have to, because what else is left? What else is there, if there's no one to punish the greedy, the corrupt, the wicked? I force myself to believe that someday, She'll find you.

Sightless, tongueless, yes; but there's no hiding from Her at the end.

I hope your money and power are of great comfort to you, then.

Sincerely,
Meredith



.

I blame my niece for getting me to watch Glee; BtVS aside, I've never been one for shows set during high school and, while the musical numbers are nice, I can't quite get into most of the characters.

However, I blame Chris Colfer for making Kurt Hummel the most adorable thing in the universe since... since.. puppies dressed up in cat suits! (*Wash voice* "And a unicorn with a harp!")

It's probably my own sick, dark-hearted mind that enjoys Kurt/Karofsky. Can't really assign blame there. ^^;; (Ah, hello there, Fandom Hell. I hadn't had a whiff of your brimstone for quite sometime.)

All of this is a long-winded way of wondering if anyone else on my f-list is as wonky as I am. After all, if I happened to have broken my three-month long writer's block by starting a Karofsky piece I absolutely have not started writing a fic, and am therefore in no need of a beta. ^____^;
-Meredith

Last post of 2010. Goodbye, Year of the Tiger. You weren't very nice to my friends and I, so I'm hoping you don't get to eat that lady from Niger (bad joke) come knocking about this neighborhood any time soon.

For all its curve balls, 2010 did seem to go fast. It seems like it was March just a few weeks ago.

Here's wishing a wonderful 2011 to my friends, all of whom deserve an amazing year and so much more. *hugs*

*toasts with her half-a-split-of-champagne*

Come on in, Year of the Rabbit, and set a spell. We'll see how your temper fares.
^_~
-Meredith

_{*Yes, I'm a lightweight. It's my medication-- that's my story and I'm sticking to it! X_x;;}

I almost never get up early enough to watch the Today Show and, even if I did, it's really not my cup of tea. However, I was up early today to let the plumber in. He's here to fix the upstairs toilet (yes, the one that's been in the hallway since August ^^;).

I come into the kitchen to find my brother and LC having coffee while the TV yammers in the background. More specifically, Ann Curry extolling the virtues of 2011 beauty products. Products like this apparently stimulate your DNA to keep your skin looking younger. My link isn't the exact brand that they were talking about, but it gives you the general idea.

Sam, LC and I looked at each other.

I say, "T-Virus!"
"Goddamn zombies," Sam mutters.

Suddenly LC's enormous stash of ammo in the basement seems a lot more reasonable. ^_~

AMBER!!!!! *wibbles*



.

The girls are setting up The Santa Clause on the DVD player in the other room, my brother is rooting in the 'fridge for the fixings of a Naked Girl Scout (a mixed drink) and, if LC keeps demonstrating eight count push-ups he may just break the house.... all in all, a pretty good Christmas Eve.

I want to wish all of you a wonderful, brilliant Christmas. Even if you don't celebrate, I hope December 25th is just an awesome day for you. I love you guys, really I do. You make me laugh, keep me from taking myself to seriously, and you give me a place where I feel welcome.

*toasts* To the unparalleled Leigh-darling, to my fellow zombie-fighter Amber, and my darling wife Neb. To the amazingly clever Captanne, not to mention the supportive and generous badly_knitted. To my long-time fic comrades, the gals of our virtual Four-Oh-Double-Natural: witty Bea, blazingly brilliant Ra, the incomparable Raven, dangerously awesome Zixi, linguistically blessed Jimaine and the eternally compassionate Dougs. To the always inspiring Leia_N, and kindhearted Aeryn. To DQBunny, Antigone, Ropa, and Suzume-- friends who go so far back they know where all the bodies are buried. ^_~

To everyone, basically. Because you rock so hard trained scientists still can't measure it.
^_^
Love,
Meredith

I know LC is home from boot camp because I can no longer find the surface of my kitchen table.

... somehow, that's okay. ^_^

-Meredith
who did not cry when he walked in the door wearing his fatigues and beret. Nope. Not her. Not at all. Totally and completely, yes.

[Reposted because Meredith apparently doesn't know the difference between the 'edit' and 'delete' buttons. ^^;]

A series of open letters, because it might actually make things more simple than a plain narrative. Shamelessly gacked from my Leigh-darling, who does this much better than I do. ^_^;;

What is sarcastic humor for, if not defusing holiday stress?

( A Series of Open Letters )

*smiles widely* We can do this, right? RIGHT?

Glooo-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-ria! In excelsis Deo, damnit.^_~;;;
-Meredith

Dang, talk about being totally incommunicado. ^_^;;; I think I may actually have ceased to exist for a few days in early November. (I wish I was joking. *winces*)

I apologize for not being around much this month. A truly harrowing combination of events has kept me in the belly of the RL monster. First, getting used to having LC out of the house-- which may be less stress in terms of not having someone setting off boat flares on my lawn, but compensates with the stress of hearing from him only through mail, and the family unit readjusting itself. Then, conferences and holiday choir activities for the girls, a week long headache for me, and extended band practice for my brother. To top it all off, I was offered a spot in an craft show held at boutique in a high-end area of nearby Cincinatti. The catch was that a certain number of completed pieces and prints were required, all subjects to be approved by a pannel of judges, so cut to yours truly running around like a paint-brush welding chicken with its head cut off. X_x;; The show covers two weekends-- I made it through last Saturday with some revenue, which leaves me with another 45 minute drive for the show this Saturday. I considering the whole thing a marginal success... at least I'm getting my work out there, and four people have thought its worth spending money on. That's-- rewarding, to understate the point.

All of this means I haven't been around on LJ much and, while I've been watching a lot of Torchwood and DW while I work, I haven't gotten anything very constructive added to "In Amnion" for a few weeks. I have six pages, but they need polishing and additions. I promise, promise the story isn't dead (if anyone actually remembers the damn thing)... it's my next goal after Saturday. If I'm still, you know, copos mentis.

At any rate, the above is just an update-- not really the point of the post. So here is the conveniently labled

IMPORTANT PART:*

Happy Thanksgiving, to all my friends. If you celebrate, I wish you a wonderful day filled with delicious food, good times, and as many/few relatives as your temprament desires.** If you don't, I still wish you a happy, stress-free day.

My heart also goes out to the victims and evacuees from Incheon. Thoughts and prayers may not have physical weight, but I think South Korea could use all the positive karma it can get. Every Thanksgiving, I think of Madeleine L'Engel's Swiftly Tilting Planet. It's probably a strange association, but that book had a profound affect on me when I first picked it up in fifth grade. It's a scary planet we live on, but I'm glad its still here.

So here's a toast. *raises glass* To the wacky, off-kilter third rock from the sun.

Love,
Meredith

Ps. I can't thank you guys enough for all the kind wishes regarding my job interview earlier this month. I didn't get the job, but your support and encouragement helped me give my all during the interview. *hugs tightly* You guys are the best.

_{*Yes, I will stop playing with the text. Maybe.
**My brother and I plan on calling my mother around 11 am, and then we are taking the phone off the hook. Black Friday is breathing down my neck, so no calls for Meredith, thank you very much. ^_~}

I have an interview tomorrow at two in the afternoon, for a position I really, really want. I tried to refrain from desire, honestly I did-- because I'm afraid of disappointment. It's there, though, acknowledged or no. I'm actually nervous about going into detail, I'm so superstitious about this. Ridiculous.

Needless to say, if anyone has any extra karma lying around-- thoughts, prayers, good wishes, golden eggs, magic beans, whatever-- I would sincerely appreciate it.

*hopeful smile* I need to be positive. I am already overqualified for the job I have-- I am worthy and a great fit for this and only I can sell my skills and advocate for myself.

Gulp.
-Meredith

Ps. The class full of seasonal people I'm training right now? Has enough attitude to take down several reality television stars. X_x;;

We just got back from Columbus. LC staying at a hotel under the supervision of the MEPS military liason. We dropped LC off for the morning so he could get all the red-tape settled, while my brother and I took the girls to COSI. LC finished up about 5:30 pm, and the liason released him to us for dinner, which went pretty well.

When we got back to the hotel, it was time to say goodbye. We had to leave him in the lobby, as we couldn't pass through into the section of the building cordoned off by the military. I cried, the girls cried, Sam misted up a bit... we all hugged, and then he turned and walked away. He did not look back.

He'll be able to keep his phone for the next few days, until he gets through MEPS processing and arrives in South Carolina. I sent him a text to let him know we were home safe, and this is what he sent back:

I love you and miss you too. I think this is what I need to do to be happy. I'm sorry I don't show a lot of emotion, but I want to know that I really did feel like a part of your family. You did not have to do that. [Let him stay with us.] It is a very loving environment, you never made me feel like an outsider. I will be in contact when I can. Please tell the girls I love them.

I have such a migraine from all this crying. *rolls eyes at herself* I look at his side of the kitchen table, clean for the first time in months, and I'm ready to start all over again.

I may lie low for a few days. I love you guys, and hope all of you are well and with ones that you love.
-Meredith

It is time once again to celebrate the day our ever-brilliant and lovely Amber took on corporeal form and joined us in this dimension. (There are other Ambers in other dimensions, I'm sure-- but I am equally sure that our Amber is the most awesome of them all!) Happy Birthday, minttown1! Here's wishing you lots of zombies, vampires, cranky Star Fleet doctors, squids, and any other shiny things your heart may desire!

*hugs tight* I hope you have a great day. I was a bit torn on what to draw for you this year. I'm still threatening that bit of Mike/Seth slash I mentioned, but its a wretchedly uncooperative little bunny. I also considered some Alice/Claire, but in the end... I went with the tried and true. I wasn't thrilled with the last picture I drew for you of Jed and Marco, and I happened across some episodes of The 4400 the other day that I had on tape. All down hill from there. Someday, I swear I'll draw another pairing for you. ^^ Here's the boys, After a Hard Day At NTAC. I'm actually really pleased with how fluid the pose is, and I had a ball adding little details like Marco's glasses and the plushie squid. (Obviously, the squiddie is a present from Julian. I'm equally sure Marco has several little lego Stormtroopers, which Julian delights in posing in strange and sometimes vaguely obscene positions.) It's really sad that Jed's been waiting around from Marco to come home when they actually get off around the same time. All that extracuricular work for Tom and Diana, tsk, tsk.

And, of course, when Julian pops in before class in the morning and finds them sleeping like this, there will be cell phone pictures. ^___^

I hope you like it, darling!
-Meredith

_{Disclaimer: 'Dirty Harry' poster poorly redrawn from the 1971 promotional ad. No copyright infringement intended.}

In a few minutes, the girls will be home from school and I'll start herding everyone into getting dressed for our portrait appointment. (After three days, we've agreed on a color scheme-- my brother and LC in black, girls and I in variations of burgundy.) This was actually my brother's idea; he wanted a family portrait before LC leaves for Boot Camp. LC promptly coughed to hide any emotions, and the girls got sniffly.

LC's mother was down here for the party this weekend, but I was actually working during said party, so we didn't talk. LC did, however, spend the majority of Sunday's early morning darkness drunkenly confiding in me that he's always felt as though she tried to control him, and the he's always needed to buck against those attempts.

... this is really going to happen, isn't it? Sam and I will drive him up to Columbus on Monday, and then he'll be property of the U.S. Government. He'll be in the army. A soldier.

*deep breath* I am not having issues about this. I'm ignoring even the implication of the possibility that I might be having issues with this.

... And that's the bus backing up outside.

*hugs*
Thank you for listening.
-Meredith

*crawls out from under her rock*

I know I've been missing in action for quite some time now, and while I do have some legitimate excuses, I feel very badly about neglecting my friends. Sometimes RL gets its teeth into you and it's like trying to pry open a bear trap! I've been keeping up with everyone in silent running mode, for the most part. Things have been odd, here on the homefront.

( First, there's my health, and all the nasty associated expenses... )

Really and truly I've missed talking to everyone. *hugs* I feel dreadful about having been away so long, but every time I sat down to type I seemed to lock up, or there wasn't enough time, or something. RL's a bitch.

I did break down and buy Season Two of Torchwood-- I hate to give RTD money after COE, but it was on sale at Borders for 40% off, so I figure he's not getting much. ^_~ I've been pecking away at "In Amnion", and hope to have a new chapter up by Halloween. I was watching a documentary on vampire mythology the other day (made in the 90's and hosted by Will Riker, of Star Trek: TNG-- I kept giggling inappropriately)... I really enjoyed it, but it got me thinking about the pop-culture changes that sterilize the myth. *shudders* God, sometimes it's like Disney with Grimm's Fairytales. Pop "bubble-gum" is all well and good (and entertaining! ^_^), but sometimes I just want sharp canines, you know?
Give me some blood, some spraying arteries, some flesh and bone violence of human emotion-- affection, hatred, devotion.

... I think I'm a bit weird, really.
It's a wonder that CAT scan didn't show up as one great bit toddler's scribble. ^_~

*hugs again*
Meredith