The moment you've all been waiting for: Wisteria weighs in on the Emmy nominations!!!!!!!! Er, sorry. Sarcasm there. I'm a little bit obsessive about awards shows, even when I know my favorites (BSG, FNL) don't stand a snowball's chance of getting nominated. As I've skimmed comments threads on various blogs today, I see a lot of "I don't watch much TV, but ...." Whatever. Their choice. I'll proudly shout that I WATCH A LOT OF TV, dialed up to 11.

Ahem. On to the business of the day. ( In which I summon a herd of teal deer while giving my oh-so-sagacious insights on 382 categories. )

1. Yes, I'm reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Got it on a lark at Costco, even though I'm not really an Austen fan. Thirty pages in, I have to admit that it's kind of awesome in a total-crackfic way. The Bennet sisters are kickboxing zombie killers, while also being proper Regency ladies. I have no idea how much of Austen's plot remains because I haven't read P&P since college (and had no desire to see the movies, despite Colin Firth.) Basically, it seems to be P&P itself with random zombies popping up, though I do admire Grahame-Smith's ability to mimic Austen's voice. "Jane had not beeng one long before it rained hard, and the soft ground gave way to scores of the disagreeable creatures, still clad in their tattered finery, but possessing none of the good breeding that had served them so well in life."

2. I have cooking mojo! My problem has always been that I know the basics of cooking and enjoy the process, but I never like the taste of the results. Yesterday I got it in my head that I wanted to try some simple recipes in a chef's memoir that I've been reading, so I headed to Publix and spent way too much on ingredients. Hours later, I had two huge pots of minestrone and chicken noodle soup that tasted GREAT. Love 'em! Today I made a loaf of bread that turned out perfectly. I have no illusions that my cooking abilities will last beyond this week, but right now it's fun.

3. queenofthorns linked to a neat story about a pregnant fighter pilot. The first photo made me want to write babyfic. ;)

4. Mental Floss has another hilarious quiz: Harry Potter Character or Hideous Skin Disease? I only got a 67%.

5. And I got a kick out of 101 Muppets of Sesame Street.

Just got up out of bed. Oh, I haven't been there all day, or anything! I got chicken for dinner, and although I thought I ate a decent-sized portion, but it all sat in my stomach until I had to lie down for a bit. I still feel rather blech, but functional. Still, it's nice to be able to lie in bed and do some reading. Only three more weeks of summer vacation, and I'm hitting that point where I wish time would pass very, very slowly -- a weird shift after spending the school year wishing it would speed by.

Speaking of school ... today I bought the first set of supplies at Target. They had packs of markers and colored pencils for 50 cents. It seems so early, but then the schools here in GA start earlier than the rest of the nation. (And yeah, we have same 180-day calendar as everyone else. Personally, I prefer it this way.) The next month will be tough on my finances. In the past, the state gave teachers $100 giftcards to spend on retail school supplies, and I also got around $75 from my school to order things through them. But the massive budget shortfalls means no state prepaid Visa this year, and my school might scale back our individual allotments. Add in the fact that my salary is going down by around 2.5% next year thanks to the shortfall, and ... ugh. I can probably make do without a cabinet full of new things, but it's always tricky in low-income schools like mine, where many kids come in without even the basics like paper and pencils.

Well, that was depressing! On to happier topics, like yarn. ( More knitting chatter. )

A question for Americans who write in British (or Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, etc...) fandoms, and vice-versa: using proper colloquialisms is always important, but do you extend that verisimilitude to spelling? I'm writing a story set in present-day London. A friend has offered to "Brit-pick" for me (hi, elzed!), and I'm not too concerned with that aspect of the writing. I'm just wondering whether I should carry that over to the actual spelling, or if it even matters.

Right now I'm watching The Closer, and it reminds me of a game I play with shows that I generally like except for one thing. ( I'd love ___, if not for ___. )

Well, I'm home. The trip went well, but since yesterday I've been lethargic to the point that I can barely move. Hopefully I can shake it off soon, because it's quite annoying. I did have a good flight, though. Last night I went over to American's website and filled out a compliments form for the flight crew. I figure that those in the service industry -- especially the airlines -- always seem to hear complaints when they don't do well, and will occasionally receive compliments when they go above-and-beyond ... but they don't get enough praise when they simply do their job well without any special fuss on either end. I've been trying to do that more often, like telling the Publix shift manager when the clerk and bagger make grocery checkout more pleasant. Maybe it's self-congratulatory to even mention it, but hey. Society's so damn negative these days; how many people even bother with "please" and "thank you" anymore? Doesn't hurt to try and be pleasant when I can.

I've been thinking of getting another cat, as a friend has kittens that need a home. My main concern is that Queso has been an only child since I got him from the humane society as a baby ten years ago, and he's had almost no contact with other animals. I'm not sure how he'd do with a sibling. Plus, new pets are expensive, and my monthly salary is about to go down! (Thank you, School Board budget cuts. Ugh.) On the other hand, having a new kitten could be fun, and Queso might like someone to play with. Ah, decisions.

Anyway! I'll wrap up with some links:

-- Salon has a list of the top 10 moments in male full-frontal.
-- Page 2 offers the ultimate '80s quiz.
-- Via YouTube: a tutorial on food expiration dates.
-- Mental Floss has a really cool picspam of a visit to an abandoned mental hospital.
-- And Slate attempts to explain porn screenwriting.

I'm very much in vacation mode, just floating along the proverbial stream. I've been playing with the most adorable 2-year-old nephew in the world, and today I spent two hours in the backyard pool. My fingers are still a bit pruney, and I've decided that even grown-ups are allowed to do cannonballs off the diving board, so there. Too bad I'd already showered and dried the chlorine out of my hair, or I'd be out there with the Neph right now. Ah, well. On the downside, my chest has been itchy since I got here (before I went in the pool, so that's not the cause.) And I had a bad plantar fasciitis flare-up this morning, though it has gone away by now, knock on wood.

One interesting side effect of visiting the Neph is that it pretty much reinforces how I don't really want kids. I love him to pieces and have fun playing with him, but one of my own 24/7? Nope. Not enough patience or a big enough "soft side". Guess I don't have that maternal instinct and craving, I guess. Which is probably a good thing -- better to know that now than to realize it after having kids. ;) Though I do sometimes fear that I'll change my mind in twenty years, when it's too late for kids. Ah, well. For now, I'm fine with the status quo.

Otherwise, not much going on, but I figured I was overdue for an update! Will hopefully have more to report next time.

Haven't updated in a few days, so here are the wild adventures in my life. (Note the sarcasm.)

-- Celebrated the Fourth with a bad sunburn.
-- Heading to Dallas tomorrow to see the family and play with my adorable two-year-old nephew.
-- Finished knitting the February Lady Sweater. Second sweater in two months, which is a huge accomplishment for me.
-- Watched last season of 24 over two days. It's still as fast and dumb and fun as the previous seasons.
-- Otherwise hibernating and being somewhat antisocial. It comes in phases. Hopefully this one's on the way out.

And here's a linkspam before I go finish packing.

-- From the NYT: Sarah Vowell on the renaming of Rhode Island, and collecting fancy stationery.
-- Mental Floss lists ten ways to learn stuff while procrastinating online.
-- The Times has tips on how to write erotica. Most are familiar but worth a look.
-- Making the rounds: Air New Zealand's nude in-flight safety video. Well, with body paint. I quite like the gender parity.
-- For fans of run-ons: One-Sentence Stories.
-- Here's a new blog devoted to awful library books.
-- I adore Amy Poehler's web series Smart Girls at the Party.
-- On the local front... NPR profiles Georgia peaches: a ripe legacy.
-- On the fandom front... bamber_news has some great Jamie pics, including a reappearance of the flip-flops! And daybreak777 wrote a hilarious ficlet about the medical consequences of Kara's "free love" lifestyle. ;)

Was catching up on some NPR podcasts today, and they had a piece with two guys from Maroon 5 talking about how much they love Prince's Purple Rain. Damn, that was a great album. I think it came out when I was in 4th grade, and it still sends me on a massive nostalgia trip. (Please don't tell me you weren't born when it came out; I'm having a hard enough time these days with feeling oooooold!) Something about the plinking melody line from "When Doves Cry" just gets to me. I also love the acapella version on the Romeo + Juliet soundtrack, but I can't find it on YouTube. And yup, I can still recite the whole opening to "Let's Go Crazy"; too bad most of it is cut from the video.

Then I came home to watch the rest of the Popular season 2 DVDs, and Mary Cherry performing "Rock Me Amadeus" sent me straight to YouTube. It's funny how early-to-mid '80s pop -- not new wave -- kinda sucked, but right now I'm tripping on it. Maybe it's the nostalgia factor? And now I'm hunting down other relics on YouTube.

I hate eye exams, especially when they force you to choose which is better: the first or the second. At least my prescription hasn't changed, and the clinician gave me a free trial pair of contacts because I'm on my last couple and am going out of town next week. In honor of today's annual checkup, I bring you gratuitous Arrested Development. (Psst... Steve Holt! at 4:05.)

A while back, taragel suggested that I do a fic commentary. I've always enjoyed the ones she's done for her own stories, so I figured I'd give it a shot. ( Fic Commentary: 'Felt Like Flying' )

1. Yup, I'm still sewing bags. Mostly going with this pattern, using different fabrics, including one that has a vaguely "Emily the Strange" red/black vibe. The only real problem so far is that my needles keep breaking; I hope I don't need to get the machine serviced, because it's a cheap Singer that isn't worth the repair fees. Until then, I'll just keep making tote bags. They're so much fun! I've made more than I could ever possibly use, and I have no idea what I'll do with them.

2. Last night I watched The Shawshank Redemption for the first time. Hmm. It was quite good, but not the transcendent experience I'd expected from all the rapturous word-of-mouth. Maybe because inspirational movies about unheroic (on the surface) characters have become so commonplace in the years since this one came out, so I'm not as struck by it? Not to knock the movie, which I quite liked. I guess I just expected to be blown away!

3. Last night I also watched Nova ScienceNOW on PBS, and I think I'm getting a little crush on Neil deGrasse Tyson. ;) He's just so darn *excited* about science!

4. A writer on TV Squad is quite perturbed by the Visa "Tuesday Afternoon" commercial -- y'know, the one at the aquarium. It annoys me too, though I have no problem with the kid skipping school (and I'm a teacher). It's a beautiful, touching commercial, but perhaps a bit ill-timed? I'm sure thousands of moms and dads would love to take their children to the aquarium, but they're too worried about keeping their jobs to take a day off, assuming they even still have a job in this economy. Sigh. Plus, the Aquarium here in Atlanta costs so much that they'd need to take a second mortgage. ;)

4. Love this column asking why are we still bananas for Arrested Development, especially all the quotes in the comments. I can watch AD reruns in an infinite loop... which I did this afternoon.

5. In honor of their fifth anniversary, Go Fug Yourself posted five videos of "defining moments in our collective consciousness", featuring Melrose Place, Dynasty, and Dawson crying. And I also laughed at this semi-mashup with a "conversation" between Akon and T-Pain. Just trust me on this one, okay?

And now I'm off to take a walk -- I've been trying to walk more often so I won't get a plantar fasciitis flareup when I return to school. Halfway through the summer now. Sigh.

Just a ficlet for bsg_pornbattle. They're not the bestest ever, but I've had fun with them (and maybe they'll help with some writer's block.)

Title: "Of Fancy"
Rating: M
Pairing: Kara/Lee
Timeline: Season 1
Prompts: The brig, band-aid, clean up this mess, tattoo, missing button, and territorial.

( Of Fancy )

Billy Mays died! (He's the guy who did all those shouty commercials for cleaning products like Oxy Clean.)

Wow, that's a shocker. I kept meaning to watch Pitch Men on Discovery after some friends recommended it. Word is that he was on a flight that made a rough landing yesterday, and he might've gotten a concussion from luggage falling from the overhead bins. Again, wow. Assuming that's what happened, then I hope that this and Natasha Richardson's death will raise awareness of getting immediate treatment for head injuries. :(

My home is absolutely filthy, with tiny scraps of fabric and thread covering the floors. Battle scars! I'm still having so much fun with sewing, though I think I've nearly run out of things to make. A girl can only have so many bags, and several of them will be given as gifts. ( And here are photos. )

And to round things off, here are some links:

-- Slate has a funny essay on why Jeff Goldblum is on L&O:CI.
-- $5 Dinners is a new blog with recipes for, well, cheap family dinners.
-- Uh-oh. Tasmania now has to deal with wallabies on opium.
-- Some of you might like Salon's guide to vampire fiction, plus fifteen funny vampire films.
-- Making the rounds: a funny '70s children's book on how babies are made, complete with naked cartoons. (NSFW)
-- A NYT article on applying science to ice skating.
-- And here is a really cool wedding invitation.

Tonight's dinner is a cheese dog and fries from Five Guys. Mmm. Several of the local food blogs slam them as barely a step above McDonald's, but I don't care. They make a damn good hot dog, and the fries are a huge serving of deliciousness. I also swung by Starbucks for a grande decaf sugar-free vanilla latte with 2%; I finally figured out how to order it without them screwing up and giving me a skinny. Not a fan of skim milk. And yes, I find myself craving hot beverages when the temp outside is 92 with 51% humidity. All part of life in Atlanta.

I'm sad and nostalgic about Michael Jackson's death. CNN kept running old videos that really struck a chord with me, especially the Thriller era. That album came out when I was eight years old, and I had that poster of him in the yellow suit. As I mentioned in a friend's LJ, I think that for many (though not all!) people under 30, he was almost a pop culture punchline: "Can you believe what Jacko's doing now?!?" But I really grew up with him and Madonna, and those albums made a huge impact on me as a kid. Aziz Ansari linked to this live performance of "Billie Jean", and I've been singing along. Apparently that concert was the debut of the Moonwalk (at around 3:40). Last year the school would play "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" during the morning math warm-ups, and I had it in my head all spring. It really is amazing how deeply those songs have gotten under my skin.

Also, Lorena Gale died of cancer this week. She was Elosha on BSG, and she's familiar from nearly every movie or TV show that filmed in Vancouver. Very sad.

On a lighter note, Jidabug linked to the new series of Barack the Barbarian comics. I think they might be a bit problematic if I analyzed them, but mostly I'm just grinning.

Asta gave a heads-up that Law & Order: UK has been renewed. Excellent. I'm jonesing for my weekly dose of Lee Matt. Which reminds me that maybe my unsettled feeling is because I need to be working on a big summer fic like I do every year. I have such a great plotline for the Matt/Kara crossover fic, but the writing itself just ain't happening. I might play with the bsg_pornbattle a bit next week. I just really want a huge story that I can outline in longhand on the Starbucks patio and stay up late cursing writer's block. Maybe something will come to me soon!

Good lord, I have become obsessed with sewing. I'm not very good at it -- my seams tend to be messy -- but it's so much fun. I've been using fabric remnants to make bags, and several of them look fabulous. (A couple don't look so fabulous. ;) Once I've finished a few more, I'll have to take photos. Plus, the advantage over sewing is that I can make a cute purse in an evening, whereas knitting one takes days, even weeks. I'm all about the instant gratification.

I recently discovered that I had a second renter's insurance policy that I must've forgotten to cancel when I moved in 2006. Travelers was drawing $15/month from my account. (Yes, this was totally my screw-up because I should've noticed earlier!) I finally called today to cancel it and learned that they might be able to refund the entire amount. Excellent. I'll definitely replenish my savings account, which took a huge hit with last month's car trouble. But I might also use part of it to either get my hair done or buy more yarn. After all my dismal financial news lately, this is a huge relief.

Nothing else going on around here. Just trying to post more often, since I've been remiss lately. :)