Fact and Habits

Tagged by lis

The rules: Each player lists 8 facts or habits about themselves; the rules of the game are to be posted first; at the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people.

1) I like making overly elaborate costumes of characters from shows and movies and video games – but I think that Cosplay is kinda weird.

2) I have used the public transportation system almost exclusively since I was 14 years old and have never owned a car exclusively in my name.

3) I garden because I like dirt.

4) I often seem to watch TV more so that I can talk about it online than because I’m truly addicted to the show.

5) I organize my closet by length of skirt or sleeve, type of fabric, and color.

6) I check TWoP and my email obsessively both from home and work.

7) I walk from one end of the corporate campus to the other and back again, twice, at about 2:30pm every day, because it’s usually the only exercise I can manage to fit into my day.

8) I set my alarm early enough to be able to hit the snooze button at least three times before actually getting up in the morning.

Tagged (I'm listing folks because the "rules" say I have to. Obviously, no obligation is implied):
Anabanana
Diablo
Jon - though I just found out he had to shut down his sites so that’s probably out
Christie
LA
Hmmm, I don’t think I know anyone else that both reads this and has their own blog. So…add your own lists to the comments here my dear 2 or 3 readers! You know you want to!

The Mommy Blues

I am just on a roller coaster of emotions dealing with Kirk of late. He’s so manic! Last weekend, for no reason, he turned to me and said, "Mama? Love." Oh! Joy! I’ve prompted him before but this was out of nothing. And yet last night he was so mean and nasty to me, taking out his anger at his dad and uncle for deserting him to go have a drinking and gambling trip with their cousins. He fought over every little thing, from dinner to diaper to bath. He didn’t even want to sit on my lap for bedtime stories! But when I dropped him off at K’s this morning he wanted up and then proceeded to give me the sweetest prolonged hug. I got a little choked up.

It is neat how he’s holding on now when he gives hugs. He used to just lean in and touch you with the top of his head. He still does that when he’s apologizing for being naughty. "Sorry. Hug." He’s starting to do that without any prompting, too. Manners with a nearly two-year-old are an ongoing process to say the least.

Another new development? His hands down his pants. All. The. Time. Seriously. And he fights so much harder getting his diaper changed because while it’s off he has unrestricted access to his wiener and balls. He finds it "funny".

I'm so Proud!

Check out these awesome articles written about Mercurial Rage!

MN Daily

City Pages (Awww, my poor honey had the flu for that photo shoot.)

Toxic Fans

When I was in high school I let my annoyance of certain fans influence my own appreciation of what they were fanatical about. It happened because of the extremely overzealous followers of Twin Peaks. (I still haven’t watched that show – though I like Lynch’s films). It happened because of the constantly moping Goth kids playing the most depressing Cure songs off "Pornography" nearly constantly. (I now have an appreciation of their poppier oeuvre, such as "Head on the Door".) And it happened because of the hateful drama kids that held Bash Sunny parties and their incessant singing of Steve Miller Band songs. (Love them! Love!)

Being older and attempting to be wiser, I’m trying to not let it happen again for Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But the fans at TWoP’s Buffy forum are not making it any easier for me.

I spend a lot of quality internet time at Television Without Pity and I’ve met all sorts of wonderful, weird, and wacky folks there. I’ve discussed everything from American Idol conspiracies to the differences in Captain Jack Harkness on Doctor Who vs. Torchwood. Everyone is welcoming and smart and respects unpopular opinions.

So when I’m watching an old show for the first time, I like to post my thoughts on each episode in the relevant thread. It’s fun for most fandoms to relive a series through the eyes of newbies, especially if it’s arc-heavy. I’ve certainly enjoyed it for shows that are old hat to me. And I made no exception to that habit for BtVS. Mr. b bought me the first season for Christmas two years ago because I’m such a Browncoat. I really enjoyed what I saw but for some reason stopped watching for a year and a half and only got back to it this week.

The welcome I received from the Buffy fans this time around was far from warm. They seem to have forgotten the "without pity" aspect. My one criticism of the episode was the only thing discussed, despite my many good things listed. My frustration with this was treated with disdain; it’s merely "debate" and "opinions". How can I possibly participate in a debate when I’m told that I’m wrong and the evidence used to support that argument is from future seasons?

I’m trying to remind myself that maybe I’m overreacting. I certainly know folks that are lovely in real life and complete assholes via email. And perhaps the Buffy forum has been taken over by similar jerks. I know I spend less and less time in the Trek forum because of the constant presence of one particularly argumentative, unpleasant poster. Maybe something similar has happened there and caused a mass exodus of the kind and friendly fans that greeted me a year and a half ago.

I’m certainly not going to run off and start my own anti-TWoP movement such as the one mentioned in the article Cecile discusses. But it is definitely affecting my desire to continue watching this series.

Litany Against Fear

On Wednesday I had a circuit training class at the gym. I spent all the next day being sore. Today the aches subsided everywhere but for one new location - my extreme lower abs. I haven't been so aware of that region since I was pregnant.

It's really odd because I can feel the muscles slightly contracting and flexing and it feels just like fetal movements felt. It's the same kind of fluttering. I stood in the breakroom today, nuking my lunch, and contemplated just where my uterus lies within me. It's hard to believe how much abdominal space was taken up by carrying a baby. I tried to mentally picture how big my belly had gotten by the end. And then it hit me: that anonymous fetus I was envisioning is Kirk.

It's strange how easy it is to separate pregnancy from the actual child. But I wonder if it's another maternal coping mechanism to get us to do it again? As we get closer and closer to September and the much joked about going-off-the-Pill-while-in-France trip, doing it again becomes a much bigger possibility. Am I ready for that? Even having been through it, pregnancy still freaks me out. Just because I can remember what it was like doesn't make it any less odd. Sure, there's no fear of the unknown like when facing down childbirth for the first time. But now there's something worse: fear of the known. I'm going to have to focus on my Bene Gesserit training to get through it.

Before and After

Kirk's hair was out of control. It is still very fine and thin but it frizzes and tangles and was just a mess when he'd get up in the morning or after a nap. Mr. b said that it was long enough that he was asked several times if Kirk was a boy or a girl - when he was wearing jammies or some other gender neutral outfit. So on Friday we bought a set of clippers. Mr. b put it on the second highest setting, Kirk sat on my lap, and a haircut occured. He was such a good boy during the whole thing! And I think he looks really cute now, though I can't decide if it makes him look older or not.

Bite Me

Kirk’s been a bit bitey of late. He thinks it’s hilarious. We’ll tell him that it’s actually naughty but he’ll exclaim, "Funny!", laugh and run away. So we’ve been trying to point out that he doesn’t like it when the kitty bites him and we don’t like it when he bites us. All bites are naughty. Apparently at least some of it is sinking in. This afternoon I received the following email from K, subject line "Did Kirk get into a tussle with the cat?"

Kirk just woke up from nap a little while ago, and when he had finished his juice and found the popper and generally woken up all the way, he started on his story. It seems to go "morning, kitty, bite... naughty." : ) So I don't know who the kitty bit (or if it was even today!), but apparently he's feeling pretty strongly about the kitty getting in trouble right now.

BWAH!