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| Friday, May 24th, 2013 |
ysabetwordsmith
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3:33a |
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csecooney
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12:15a |
French Kiss Weather
Okay, so a story.
Say there's a guy at your work, and you barely know him to say hello to, but you have a fellow feeling for him.
It's like, when you do happen to say hello, the hello becomes a kind of joke, and his eyes know the punchline, and he's looking to you to deliver it, and you're both about to crack up, just because of the word hello? That kind of guy. Anyway, it's not your work. It's my work.
It's a rare writer can sustain a second person narrative, and I'm not she. So I asked this guy his name a while ago, because I like to know the names of people who seem to recognize me without ever having met me before. Not like a, "You're famous!" recognition, but more like, "If only we had two weeks on a desert island, and enough food and booze and sunblock, we'd be GREAT FRIENDS IN NO TIME, but life doesn't work like that, but good morning anyway."
I greeted him by name when I got into work early.
"And how are you this morning?"
"I'm beautiful!" he said. Then added, "Well... At least, I feel like I'm beautiful."
I about near melted all over the place, and said, perhaps a little fervently, "You ARE beautiful!" and then said, "You know, I think everyone's just a little more beautiful in May?"
He thought about it, started smiling even more smilingly, then said, "You know, I think you're right?"
"Because," I told him, clapping my hands together, "it's French-Kiss Weather!"
"It's French-Kiss Weather," he repeated, laughing.
Then he went back to reading Vonnegut. And I went back to memorizing lines.
***
So, in my opinion, this term "French-Kiss Weather" should not be wasted on a chance encounter, no matter how delicious. In fact the chance encounter shouldn't be wasted as a mere chance encounter, hence this blog.
But wait. It gets better.
***
There I am, in a certain position at work that has a lot of downtime in between a lot of RUSH AROUND AND TRY TO MAKE EVERYTHING WORK AT THE SAME TIME kind of time. And in my downtime, I write this little poem called "French-Kiss Weather."
And all the while I'm thinking, "Do I give this to him? I mean, is there a non-creepy, non-stalkerish way to give this to him, that will indicate it's just a gift of May, that it means nothing except that he was there for when I thought of it, and anyway, the worst that can happen is a sexual harassment suit, but the second worse that can happen is that we'd lose this unspoken joke between us, which would be a real shame, but the third worse that can happen is not giving it and thinking myself a coward, when I'm not really, and haven't been since I was 23 and decided that the only thing to do with poems I write about people is to, you know, give them to them, because it's only FAIR."
And I came to the conclusion (it was more of a hope, really) that there was that in his eyes which would not freak out too badly.
I think it's called a sense of humor.
I trust people with a sense of humor. They allow for astonishment, but take it in stride.
I still had to think of a way to give it to him.
I couldn't just bring it to his workplace. There were too many of his co-workers there. Ew. NOT MY DEPARTMENT.
Okay, so I took my afternoon break in the staff lounge, checked my email, and LO! In he walks. Right into the staff lounge. Alone.
(Because the gods have a sense of humor too.)
And I called him over and brought my left hand up to shield my face from the rest of the room in case there were spies and lip-readers among those gathered at the far end (and also, because I saw one of my supervisors approaching in periphery), and I leaned in and whispered, "Would you be weirded out or offended if I wrote you a poem?"
And he said, "No! I love poetry!"
And I said, "EXCELLENT!" and dug in my back pocket and handed his to him.
And he said, "RIGHTEOUS!" and went on his way. (People who use the word "righteous" unselfconsciously but also deliberately are A-Okay with me. It's totally boss.)
I take a moment to exhale. I'm a little over-warm, right? WOULDN'T YOU BE?
Because, you know, sometimes it's just a little harder to breathe.
Even when you've done these things before.
***
BUT THEN!
***
My supervisor, who'd been headed in the OPPOSITE DIRECTION, turns around and comes back to me.
"Claire, are you that red because you've been outside all day?"
And poor sweet soul, he's REALLY concerned, I can tell. And it's SO RIDICULOUS that I almost laugh, but I don't because I don't want to get hysterical, so I just tell him, very seriously:
"Nah, boss. I made sure to wear sunblock today, knowing I was going to be working outside."
"Are you sure?"
"Sure, I'm sure. I'm red because I'm blushing. It will fade in a few minutes."
"Oh," he said, looking confused. "Yeah, it's already fading."
And that was that.
***
Life is so interesting.
Men are interesting. And there are more of them ABOUT than usual in my life, which is a pleasant change. I'm a little bit in love with all the world in May. I'm trying to enjoy myself, to control myself, and to not (split infinitive split further) control myself too much. Keep the avenues open, because the avenues are so beautiful right now, full of blossoms and bees.
And it's French-Kiss Weather.
And Stephen Sondheim DID say that a girl has to celebrate what passes by.
***
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| Thursday, May 23rd, 2013 |
ravenelectrick
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1:25p |
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cafenowhere
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9:23a |
A Brief Motherly Rant
I know it's grouchy of me and I'm not saying I'd do any better, but I swear these last two weeks of school are nothing but my kid being used for community focus groups. Yesterday, someone from ACT came by to beta test a writing exam on Tweetie's class. Earlier, there was an assembly so a spokesperson from the public library could tell them all about the summer reading programs. They are the captive audience for older students' end-of-year recitals, and their unit review of Levers and Pulleys was a video about the rides at Disneyworld. This is why I don't feel guilty at all about Tweetie missing the last (snow make-up) day of school so we can get to the Grand Canyon; she'll be a much more active participant in learning with us on the road than being used as a test subject. Current Mood:  annoyed |
ysabetwordsmith
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3:04a |
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ysabetwordsmith
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2:54a |
Being Poor
... is like this. And no human being deserves to live like this, and many are far worse off than this. Current Mood:  busy |
| Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013 |
ysabetwordsmith
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10:10p |
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csecooney
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10:53p |
Becoming Rosalind VIII: The Lovers
It is to be all made of groans and moans and grass-stained jeans Of sighs and yo-yos, mean girl looks, bad jokes and bruises, stolen cues It is to be all fast-paced, racy - but remember, family friendly! - and yet again think sexy. It is to be all crumpled rhymes, half-memorized lines, that ever bloody napkin (more bad jokes) Moony eyes, repeated swoons, false swains, false vows, false strains And all the pangs of puppy love rekindled for display. It is to be all play, all ditzy spinning, puerile whining, running, hiding Reeling in and casting out, all sweat and gore and lion's roar All hyperbolic gesture and the just-missed-kiss. It is to be all traitor dimples, simple shepherds, tyrant sweethearts Trash talk, making mock, inventing some new way to walk And don't forget - endowing tender meaning, subtle shading, sympathy, on each and every lover's litany... The rest is what we're given, should we take it, if we like it. And so are we for Rosalind And so are we for Ganymede For Celia, for Sylvius For Oliver, Orlando For Audrey and for Touchstone And for Phoebe-Phoebe-Phoebe! And so am I for all of them. And so are they for me. *** Flock Theatre's As You Like It will run... 14 June: Opening Night (Connecticut College Arboretum) 15-16 June: Arbo 20-23 June: Arbo 27-28 June: Arbo 29 June: Hampton, CT All shows are at 7:00 PM. All the "Becoming Rosalind" poem-blogging ("plogging?") may be found under the "Worshipping Shakespeare" tag. *** |
ysabetwordsmith
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9:31p |
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time_shark
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2:38p |
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ysabetwordsmith
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9:00a |
Story: "Squiggles" 1507.03.27
"Squiggles: Excerpts from Nleimen's Journal"1507.03.27 I'm sure of it now. One of the fawn pups is a squiggle mouse! I'm going to call it Omalv, out of Eshers (a white squiggle mouse) by Dalelth (a flat fawn mouse with some squiggle ancestors). Now I have another color of squiggle mouse for my breeding program. This should help make our case that the Squiggle is a real breed and not just a quirk. It helps if you can show a main characteristic and then variations of it in your breeding stock. You have to demonstrate that your animals will breed true for at least three generations. We'll probably start with one official color (White) and hopefully add others later. I'm sure glad that I raise mice and not horses! That would take years and years to establish. Pet mice can breed safely at about three months old, though wild ones often breed a lot sooner. See the landing page for "Squiggles: Excerpts from Nleimen's Journal." Current Mood: busy |
ysabetwordsmith
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3:16a |
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rosefox
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2:03a |
"all medical problems can be traced back to a spooky-lookin skeleton living inside your body"
( Health TMICollapse )In equally annoying health news, I went to an allergist today and described my reactions to perfumes and flavorings. Her conclusion is that I'm essentially getting contact dermatitis on my tongue and throat when I inhale/ingest things I'm sensitive to. I noted that the problem had gotten a lot worse since I started taking the Zoloft; at first I thought it was related to the Zoloft-induced dry mouth, but that side effect has mostly gone away. However, upon Googling "contact dermatitis artificial flavor", I find this note in a case study of a woman who developed an allergic reaction to artificial cinnamon: Contact allergies are common in the skin but rare in the mouth due to the protective role of saliva against the accumulation of allergensWelp. It's true that my mouth is still dry; it's just not dry enough to really bother me most of the time. In addition, the Zoloft continues to cause a bit of acid reflux, which is probably making my throat more sensitive to other irritants. Hooray! Bodies are fun. Conclusion: once Readercon is over, plus a week to make sure there's no post-Readercon fuckery this year, I'm going to get my doctor and therapist's approval to go off the Zoloft. It's definitely been helpful, but I'm feeling a lot more settled, and most of my anxiety these days is related to--surprise!--being scared of food because I don't know when it's going to make my throat feel like it's swelling up. I keep being glad to have the Zoloft to help me deal with that, but it would be even better to not need to deal with it. In the meantime, lots and lots of peppermint candy (and a search for lemon or other citrus candies that have no artificial flavors or sweeteners, since citrus is naturally mouthwatering), and probably going back to taking Pepcid with the Zoloft. Also conclusion: the allergist was not entirely useless, but pretty nearly. I mentioned the Zoloft dry mouth and she didn't say "It might be worth taking a closer look at that". She expressed surprise that Claritin appeared to help with the reaction but offered no suggestions for alternatives. Bah. You're welcome to comment on LJ, but I'd rather you leave a comment on the Dreamwidth version of this entry. The current comment count is  . Current Mood: annoyed |
| Tuesday, May 21st, 2013 |
csecooney
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9:26p |
Becoming Rosalind VII: Arden
Sometimes I find myself in Arden even when I'm not expected Even when the pages and the pageantry and the scenes and scenery are duke-bent And the applause is elsewhere, And nobody is looking at me, I sit In the itchy-sweet grass and I lick the air like fire and cream I lick the air, and then the May day-dusking, it licks me back, and a thousand frogs sing a serenade for Arden. For a while I walk with my sometimes-lover down on the knoll, and my sometimes-lover is a gallant fellow An actor from Oklahoma, and we are imaginary and barefoot And he says lover-like things all in pretend, and I circle him like a shark in Arden And I whisper words of love right back at him, but really all I want to do is bite Because that is what a shark would do in Arden. Elsewhere there are thunderclouds Elsewhere this moon is hidden Elsewhere it is autumn, and it is not Arden But I am not there I am always in this garden, even when I'm not expected Even when I'm not invited, even when I should be home and sleeping Home and cleaning my room, home and making my bed Somehow, by accident, by happy chance, by mistake I make it back to Arden. And though I do not stay, though I take the river way back home And stop in at the sea to say my lines to the moon Though I howl at the moon and the cormorants and the fisher cats And come home and type it all down On this superawesome machine, because let's face it, today of all todays, I am the Qwerty Queen The truth is (which will be true, oh, but For a very little while) That everywhere I am Is Arden. *** And speaking of shark girls...*** Flock Theatre's As You Like It will run... 14 June: Opening Night (Connecticut College Arboretum) 15-16 June: Arbo 20-23 June: Arbo 27-28 June: Arbo 29 June: Hampton, CT All shows are at 7:00 PM. All the "Becoming Rosalind" poem-blogging ("plogging?") may be found under the "Worshipping Shakespeare" tag. *** |
ysabetwordsmith
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4:49p |
The Llama Problem
Here is a brilliant essay about sexism in culture and literature, using the extended metaphor of llamas. From time to time, I mention that I am different from most people, that my mind doesn't work the same way. And one of the more dramatic examples goes like this. *movie with cannibalistic scaly llamas* Me: "This is stupid. Llamas are fluffy." Normal person: "No they aren't." Me: "There is a fluffy llama. Look, llamas are fluffy." Normal person: "WTF? Everyone knows llamas aren't fluffy!" Me: "Also they hum." Normal person: "How would you EVEN KNOW THAT?" Me: "By knowing some damn llamas!" Normal person: "ZOMGWTFBBQ! Shut up now!" Me: *write fluffy llamas* I'm social teflon. Everyone saying something that is observably false does not convince me that they are right. It convinces me that everyone else is crazy. And of course, they think I'm the crazy one, because when there's a disagreement of claims, I go looking for evidence and I favor factual examples over people's beliefs. This is really, really unpopular. It drives many people bugfuck. On the other hoof, it's great for crowdfunding. You want some fluffy llamas? Bring 'em. I'll write something. I'm really good at filling cultural gaps that way. I enjoy it. I actively look for this stuff, because it leads to stories that haven't been told a million times. Fresh stories are often better stories; they hook readers more and harder. I like that a lot. I like it as a reader, a writer, a reviewer, an editor, a prompter, a donor ... everything. I just like it. And yes, real llamas do hum. I learned this at the county fair one year when somebody brought llamas. Because I am a writer and everything is research it never really shuts off. I am a fountain of random weird trivia like that, and that's where I get the cool concrete details that I drop into my writing. Current Mood: busy |
ysabetwordsmith
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4:26p |
New Crowdfunding Project: "Rite of Passage"
My friend Marina Bonomi tipped me to this steamfunk movie project, " Rite of Passage." They had my attention at Harriet Tubman + John Henry + steam fiction. Steampunk: it's not just for white blokes anymore. I am so thrilled to see someone else working that angle. Current Mood: busy |
ysabetwordsmith
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4:12p |
Read "The Museum of Mortality"
My story "The Museum of Mortality" ( Part 1 and Part 2) has been sponsored by Amelia Margetts. It is now visible to the public. Brelig works in a museum while recovering from a sea monster fight.
Brelig works hard to regain his stamina for warsailor work. This is a sequel to " Without Fail" so if you haven't already read that, I recommend starting there. Warsailor Brelig meets License Master Alaaffi on a cruise ship. Current Mood: busy |
amygrech
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5:04p |
Freelancing: How Long Will Your Clients Last?
I worked with a Photographer for six years. Then his website was hacked and he decided to move to a platform exclusively for Photographers and vanished into the ether. Worked with another client for a few months last year who simply vanished; at least she paid me in full. I've been working with a company that found me via Google for the keyword NYC SEO Specialist, a few years ago; I only expected it to be a short-term gig, but three years later, we're still working together! I've gotten a few client referrals I hoped would be long-term, but they ended up being quick-and-dirty gigs. I've been working with a client for the past year that's paid late several times. Think I'll be cutting that one loose in July. Living on one income, I can't afford to get paid a month late... Fellow freelancers, I ask you: How do you know how long you'll be working with any one client? Pray, do tell! Current Mood:  confused |
csecooney
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1:53p |
Guess Who Finished Her Book Today?
YOURS TRULY C.S.E. COONEY FINISHED HER BOOK TODAY! MISCELLANEOUS STONES:TAVERN WENCH
MUFFIN MAID
ANIMAL RESCUERASSASSINis DONE!!! Aiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-yeah! Yeah, baby, oh, yeah, oh yeah! AND THEN I ATE CURRIED CAULIFLOWER FOR LUNCH! I AM TAKING A WEEK OFF WRITING! I AM TAKING A SHOWER! I AM TAKING A WALK! I AM VERY HAPPY! |
ysabetwordsmith
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3:02a |
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| Monday, May 20th, 2013 |
ysabetwordsmith
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11:12p |
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ysabetwordsmith
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9:51p |
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ysabetwordsmith
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5:28p |
Monday Update 5-20-13
These are some posts from the later part of last week in case you missed them:Legend Come to LifeMuse Fusion Open!Read "The Museum of Mortality" Part 1Call for PromptsPoetry Fishbowl Report for May 7, 2013Read "A Purple Monster"There is a half-price poetry sale running this week for unsold items from the Rainbowfic Vellum list. Poetry in Microfunding:" Why Old Women Fall in Love with Linguists" is now complete. " Landfather" belongs to the series Path of the Paladins. There are some new verses since last week; Johan, Althey, and company arrive in Ari's village. Torn World writing update:Currently posting: " Squiggles: Excerpts from Nleimen's Journal" (fiction). Approved as canon: "The Wander Tent" (fiction), "Unicorns on Parade" "Spruce Deer" "Travel, Transition, Transcription" "Avorel's Adventure" "Swift Travelers" "Flowers for His Crown" (poetry). Back to me for edits: "Winterheart (Parts 1-3)". Currently in front of the canon board: "Ghost Bat" (nonfiction), "Cutting Cords and Clasping Hands (Parts 1-4)," (fiction), "Thus It Was Written" "Stinging Like Nettles" "Wandering the Heights" (poetry). Drafted: "Like Ash Before the Wind," "From Dark to Bright," "The Inappropriate But Useful Disposal of Lettuce" "A Thin Red Trail" (fiction), "Changes in the Wind" (poetry). In revision at home: "Water Dance," "When the Wind's Teeth Sing," "Raining Kittens," "Finding the Holes" (fiction), "The Smallest Invaders" (poetry). Currently writing: "Catch of the Day," "A Cold Clear Night" (fiction). Weather is gradually improving here. There have been several nice days when we could get out and do yardwork. It's raining again today though. Current Mood: busy |
ysabetwordsmith
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3:24p |
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ysabetwordsmith
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2:57p |
Half-Price Sale: Vellum
This week the unsold contents of the Rainbowfic Vellum list are on sale for half price. This includes items from Aether Dancer, An Army of One, The Steamsmith, Torn World, and Tripping into the Future. If you can't afford to sponsor a whole poem, remember that epic poems (anything over 60 lines) can be funded at $.25/line. The linkback poem " The Voyage to Vaucouleurs" (The Arc of Joan) still has several verses left. You can reveal new ones by linking to this sale. Currently available are these poems: #3 Edition "A Recollection of Smells" (Tripping into the Future) The smell of alien flowers brings up memories of home. 68 lines, was $34, sale price $17 #10 Fragment "Stock in Trade" ( An Army of One) Router strives to procure supplies so that Sam the Gardener will feel welcome when he arrives on Supply Base Bounty 3D3N. 100 lines, was $50, sale price $25 #11 Extant "Extant Examples" ( Torn World) Livana studies crystals and artifacts along the edge of the Crystal Desert, frustrated by apparent inconsistencies in evidence. 64 lines, was $16, sale price $8 #12 Disputed "Leaves in Passage" ( Torn World) In the jungle, Purists live without licenses. 34 lines, was $7.50, sale price $3.75 #14 Gloss "Gloss and Aether" ( The Steamsmith) Maryam pores over her alchemical reference books. 52 lines, was $40, sale price $20 #15 Decipher "Words, Words, Words" ( An Army of One) Shakespeare struggles to make himself understood in an urgent situation. 92 lines, was $46, sale price $23 #16 Recension "Recension" ( An Army of One) Babs and Miles deal with a disturbing violation in the memory banks of the OCS-397 during maintenance. 213 lines, was $106.50, sale price $53.25 #18 Hand "Dirt and Nails" ( An Army of One) Sam the Gardener remembers working with plants on a planetary surface and thinks ahead to Supply Base Bounty 3D3N. 55 lines, was $20, sale price $10 #19 Sigla "Mysterious Sigla" ( Torn World) Livana starts a club to explore inconsistent data across different fields. 103 lines, was $51.50, sale price $25.75 #20 Authority "Becoming the Library" ( Aether Dancer) Sesha Fulbright dithers over which books to pack for her first expedition. 37 lines, was $15, sale price $7.50 Current Mood: busy |
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speceditor666
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