and I want you to know

Those were the days...

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:21:20 GMT

You know, I look around me and I remember a comment Hedda made a little while back saying something like she misses not having fear, like she did as a child. And it got me thinking that I miss that, too. Don't we all? I read all my friends posts and look around me and within myself and see the gloom and uncertainty that seems to have permeated all of our existences (sp?), either a little or a lot. Sometimes it's just a little puddle that might wet our toes, other times, you're ready to call George Clooney and get ready for the tidal wave.

I wish I could fix people. I wish I could fix me. I think we have to just accept that we and the world we live in are broken, and while we can't go for a complete overhaul and get all shiny and new, I think we need to enjoy the good bits, celebrate each other and the relationships we have, and occasionally grab for some super glue when the sitch calls for it.

I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!! *hugs*

Ummm....

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:46:48 GMT

~~For some reason, my banner and emoticons are not coming in. Not sure if this is an LJ thing, or what. Is anyone else noticing this? Can you see my page? ACK!!!~~

Edit: it's fixed. Don't know how. Thank you, universe! *whew!*

Paging Dr. McCoy

Sun, 31 May 2009 10:01:56 GMT

It's now 5.58 in the morning, and I sit here catching up on posts with a heating pad on my shoulder and painkillers twirling through my veins. Now, if only they'd work.
Wisteria, I hear you asking, why on Earth are you up and with these accoutrement?
Neck spasms, I reply, sighing and wincing.
Lack of sleep, stress at work, and well, my neck being my neck, have all culminated in lovely hot-ice lances of pain through my shoulder, back and neck.
I think I'll be calling in to work later...

The Beginning of the Happy

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 14:10:20 GMT

I'm starting my Happy Meme, so...
Happies from yesterday:

* Had a fabulous dinner with my mom and her friends
* Am plotting a get-together with my friend Christina
* Had a really excellent hair and makeup day
* Making headway on the NUMB3RS fic I'm working on (Thanks, Ms. Novel)
* Got a note from a friend I haven't heard from in a while
* Picked up a few extra hours this week

Well, that was random! How's everybody else?

Continuing on a Fangirl theme...

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 03:25:01 GMT

Yes, I have even sunk to looking at YouTube vids for Luke and Mara. OMG, help...

heehee!

But, I had to recommend, this one, it literally made me cry.
She's spliced Film!Luke with shots of Nicole Kidman from "Moulin Rouge" as Mara, and it. is. flawless.

Watch please, if you like, but I have to recommend it so very highly!

Everybody Do the "Fangirl squee"!

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 03:29:32 GMT

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far...farfarfarfarfar away....
This little Jedi had a crush.
Why oh why do I manage to let George Lucas' creations suck me back in? WHY?!

Okay, let's jump back a decade or so to when I was reading Timothy Zahn's "Heir to the Empire" wherein he introduced a new character, Mara Jade. I didn't like Mara. She's mean. She's brusque.

She tried to kill Luke Skywalker.

Bitch.

Well, now my opinion has changed a bit on her. Just a little. See, I knew they were gonna pair her with my fave Jedi Knight, I just knew it! I wasn't sure when, cuz Lord knows Luke has the crappiest romantic track record this side of Bespin, but there was just enough angst for the fangirl in me to start posting red flags. (I admit here, I was pissed that a FICTIONAL CHARACTER had found romance. sad, but true.) See, many moons ago, I had written a blurble of Star Wars fic myself. Looking back, it was as drippingly MarySue as you can get just about without becoming Stephenie "spaaaarrrrkleeeeeeee" Myers, but the character I had written was the girl I'd always had in mind for Luke. Not some brash, blaster-touting, foul-mouthed cow from the Empire, oh no!

But then I'm noticing, she makes him happy. He's rather smitten, and amazingly (well, not really. It's Luke, c'mon!) so is she!

And I just have to go with it. Now, mind you, I've been out of the Star Wars fan game for well, about a decade, since somebody let Kevin J. Anderson in to warp the universe. (I love Kevin, don't get me wrong, but dude, take your hands off of my fandom!) It just got way too confusing and I had to step back lest my mind become permanently damaged and tangled in his never-ending bevvy of characters.

So, the other day, I decided to look up Mr. Skywalker and see what's going on in his galaxy, and (SPOILER ALERT FOR ANYONE WHO HAS NO CLUE ABOUT THE S.W. BOOKS)

They killed Mara off!
Yes! Yes, they did! I can't believe it! That's so wrong! She made Luke finally happy, and they even had a kid! DAMMIT!!! It's so not fair! What the hell is it that he can't be happy? I mean, for crying out loud, Leia gets to swan around and rule the New Republic with her brood, who okay, is down a couple of members, but at least she's got Han! Jeez!!!!

I totally disagree with this, and I know it's been a while since it happened, but some of us are just coming back in to find this hot mess spread all over!

Ergh! This so chafes my eyebrows!

So, I feel bad for Luke, and I've joined the ranks of the Luke/Mara shippers, just because he got the short straw, I think, and because I'm such a ridiculous romantic. *sigh*

Okay, there's my fangirl rant. Thanks for listening and May the Force Be With You!

Life, the Universe, and...

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 01:36:59 GMT

I can't believe it's been a month since I've posted! I've been such a hermit lately, but I'm endeavoring to fix that this week. With work being so weird, I've become a complete miser with my time.
I'm trying to get the schedules balanced at work, what with our main manager on maternity leave, so I'm now manager. (yaaaay...) And then all the lovely drama we've had with our District Manager, and trying to appease him, I really haven't wanted to see anyone. Bleah. I do not like this about myself. Do not want!
On a brighter note, my writing has picked up again, and I'm vastly enjoying dealing with my new muse--The Mad Hatter! Oh, now, it's not the creepy little old man from the Disney movie, it's a rather tasty treat that's been re-vamped into a new "chapter" in Wonderland. Alice is grown up, the Hatter has "grown down" and it's really a lovely little romance! So, yeah, that's going well and it's keeping my brain in a more positive area to alleviate the stress. Is it bad that a madman is keeping me sane?
So GameBoy took me out to the movies yesterday with some friends of ours to see "Watchmen." I have to say I enjoyed it. Okay, yeah, it's squishy, crunchy, squinky and every other Dwarf-name you can think of, but it's got some badass fight scenes and it's just really freaking cool looking.
Plus it has Nite Owl.
Who's hot.
Hawwwwwwwt...
(Well, mainly in the suit. Out-of...well, I just really want to fix his hair...) But yeah! Ass-kickery! Pretty boys! Big naked blue-guy and his swinging--er...um...*blush*
On a side note, to all of you out there with children, pleasepleasepleaseplease don't take them to movies like this, or "Black Hawk Down", or anything else that will scare the shit out of kids! (Not including show them body parts they aren't even aware of yet!) Some dimwitted couple from, let's say, the suburbian parts of Appalachia (cue banjo), decided to bring their two kids to the movie. A) They were under 5 years old B) one of them was sick; which I discovered this as I watched Becky-Sue-Mary-Misty-Nell administer an oral syringe of Dimetapp to little Earl-Pickle-Button. Now look, I am all for teaching your child the finer points of superheroes, comics, sci-fi and the like. (I had met the majority of "Star Trek" actors before I was 10 thanks to my mom.) However, if *you* feel the need to drag your kid to a movie about noir superheroes, do you research and learn what good judgement is!
*Whew!* Okay, sorry. It just irks me to see stupid parents. Bleh...
So! Go, see "Watchmen" if you're okay with flying blood, big naked blue guys with etc., etc., etc. and really wicked fight scenes.
And go drink some tea!

Chapter 2

Sat, 07 Feb 2009 17:22:15 GMT

I realise I'm probably posting this wrong, even though Novel has been ridiculously kind and patient to coach me through the steps. Meh... After this week, I really don't give a flying squirrel what I'm doing wrong on Teh Webs, Real Life is crazy enough. Sooooo.... here's chapter two of my Valentine Fic...Enjoy!
Title: Eighth World Wonder
Rating: PG (for this chapter)
Characters/Pairings: Leo/OFC
Spoilers: None, really, if you've watched the show.
Disclaimer: Grace, Danny, Phoebe and Ari Valentine, Leo Joveson, Ray Howard, and the Oracle of Delphi belong to the "Valentine" gods. Pretty much everything else is mine.
Summary: Dinner with the gods...
Notes: fluffy and romantic with a bit of spice thrown in later. Love love? Read and enjoy!

Eighth World Wonder Chapter 2

Eighth World Wonder: 2

Leo paid the cab driver and thanked him as he got out of the car and turned to admire the sunset gilding the white stucco wall and arch in front of him.

He took a deep breath, turning to look out at the view of houses and buildings sprawling down the sides of the valley below Professor Camias’ estate. He closed his eyes, the scent of the orange trees drifting on the wind, and let himself enjoy the relaxing breeze fluttering against the white linen pants and matching button-up shirt he’d chosen to wear.

“Oh!”

He turned at the exclamation, eyes snapping open, and there she was, framed in the bougainvillea-draped arch, one tanned hand resting on the stucco as she stared at him, surprise and barely-concealed admiration crossing her face.

Leo smiled in spite of himself as he admired the woman in a cobalt silk sundress, the thin material molding itself to her in the breeze and setting the tiny hammered silver clusters of discs at her ears chiming.

“They said for me to go and greet…it’s Leo, right?” she frowned, and wrapped her arms around her middle as his grin got wider.

“Yeah, that’s me. But I’m afraid I don’t know your name—it’s not like we really had time,” he laughed, please when she did, too.

“I’m Emily. Emily Hawkins.” She held out a hand and then sighed very quietly when he brushed his lips over her knuckles, ignoring the Band-Aid on one of her fingers.

“Nice to meet you, Emily,” Leo said, his eyes even darker in the waning light as he pulled her to him gently and tucked her hand in the crook of his arm. “Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m starving,” he admitted, escorting her through the arch and into the front gardens.

“Famished,” she managed, self-consciously tucking her hair behind her ears and staring at the house ahead like a lifeline.

They climbed the steps to the brightly-lit mansion, passing a fountain with a statue of Athena in the foyer, the cheerful sound of the water echoing on the tile floor as they walked down a wide flight of steps to a torch-lit courtyard.

“Darling!” Grace called, walking over to the descending pair with their hosts, her strapless, butter yellow cocktail dress’ bell-shaped skirt swinging with each step.

A long table stretched the length of the courtyard, its crisp sage green cloth fluttering and setting off the arrangement of various herbal topiaries presiding over the two rows of gleaming plates and glassware.

“Wow, Leo looks awesome,” Kate remarked from where she stood talking with Danny, the god of Erotic Love nodding as he sipped his wine.

“He looks even better with the babe on his arm,” Danny said, grinning and snatching a couple of Tiropetakia, or crescent-shaped cheese pies, from a passing server’s tray.

“Yeah, well, he doesn’t need to get too comfortable,” Phoebe put in, flipping her long auburn-brown curls over her shoulder, the sequined butterflies pinned in her locks shivering. “We need to consult the Oracle and figure out exactly who her soul-mate is, don’t forget…”

“Oh, come on,” Danny cajoled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and kissing the top of her head, his rosary necklaces swinging in the opening of his purple striped shirt. “He’s on vacation, he’s met a hot chick…It’s cool if he wants to show her the sights…” He wiggled his eyebrows and drained his wineglass, Phoebe laughing as he playfully twirled her around and walked towards the group with the girls.

“Why do I get the feeling you’re not referring to the architecture…” Kate mused, smirking, and he grinned back at the woman in an ankle-length salmon coloured silk sheath dress, a belt of raw carnelian chips circling low on her waist.

“Oh, I can almost guarantee there’s some amazing Greek structures he’d like for her to appreciate…” he teased. “You might even say they’re ‘divine’…”

Kate groaned and rolled her eyes, then pasted a smile on as they drew close and were welcomed.

“Emily, this is Grace’s son Danny Valentine,” Mrs. Camias, a tall, robust, Italian woman with thick silver curls, introduced them, “and Phoebe Valentine, a cousin of theirs.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” the archaeologist said, extending a hand to each of them in turn. “Mr. Valentine, I do apologise for yelling at you and—oh my God, you’re Kate Providence!” Her mouth fell open and Kate giggled.

“Yes, I am. Hi.” The author smiled and shook her hand, pleased to find another woman as short as she, and one who was a fan as well.

“I actually have one of your books stashed in my purse right now,” Emily laughed self-deprecatingly, shaking her head. “Celtic Gardens? I read it on the plane over and I had to read it again.”

“That’s one of the best compliments I’ve ever gotten, thank you!” She elbowed Danny in the ribs. “See? People like my books.”

He rolled his eyes, smiling, as he snacked on his pilfered appetizers. “Thanks, Em, now her head’s gonna get even bigger. And call me Danny.” He wrapped an arm around her waist, grinning wickedly at the dark look Leo speared in his direction. “Let’s go get you some wine, h’mm? And you can tell me all about playing in the dirt…”

“Danny…” Leo growled, his fists clenching as his nephew steered the blonde towards the bar set up in a corner of the courtyard.

“Leonardo…” Grace warned quietly, his features softening as he caught the subtle shaking of her head. The sadness in her eyes made him turn away, Kate immediately going to him and taking his hand.

“Come on, Leo, you’ve got to see the view from the backyard,” she coaxed, pulling him away gently, Phoebe dancing beside them as they walked.

“Did I miss something?” Gerald asked, looking askance, and Grace laughed, patting his arm.

“Nothing, really…Now, you said we were expecting a few more guests?” she asked, thanking a server as he offered her a goat-cheese stuffed fig wrapped in crisp prosciutto.

“Oh yes,” Magdalena, Gerald’s wife confirmed. “A young man from Oxford will be joining the team. He actually just flew in today and will be dining with us. We thought Emily would like to meet him.” She exchanged a knowing smile with her husband, the Professor smiling back.

“How lovely!” Grace clapped her hands. “It’s always nice to have a little romance in Athens…”

“I agree.” Magdalena sipped at her wine and moved away to welcome other guests a maid had just signaled her that had arrived.

By the time Phoebe, Kate and Leo returned from their walk, the party was in full swing and everyone was just about to sit down.

“Excellent timing, old boy!” Gerald called, rising from the head of the table, and Leo thought he was talking to him. However, when the older man walked forward to greet a latecomer just walking down the stairs, he realized his mistake, especially when he watched Magdalena catch Emily’s hand and bring her over to the late guest. He was almost as tall as Leo himself, his hair a light brown with small silver glasses framing blue eyes. He’d dressed casually in khaki pants and an untucked blue polo shirt, his tanned feet comfortable in worn Birkenstocks.

“Doctor Alan MacIntosh, meet Doctor Emily Hawkins.” The woman practically glowed as she watched the two younger people shake hands, both smiling.

Doctor.

Of course.

And of course, so was Emily, he reasoned. Why not? And okay, so the King of the gods was his father…but this guy…this guy was settling his hand on the small of Emily’s back and escorting her to the table, Leo frozen to the spot as he could only watch Doctor Alan MacIntosh hold out a chair for her and then settle himself beside her, completely ignoring the fact that there were perfectly good chairs down at the other end. Way down at the other end… Practically in the potted lemon tree standing decoratively by a wall-inset fountain…

“Leo,” Phoebe murmured. “Come on,” she said, wrapping her hands around his forearm and walking to the table, which was really no small feat since he had about a foot on her in height and more than a hundred pounds beyond her in muscle.

She sat them down next to Danny and Kate, Grace sitting beside Magdalena across the way, with Emily between the goddess and the doctor.

Gerald rose and silence fell over the table, his guests smiling up at him as dusk turned the sky to deep blue dome.

“Welcome to our home,” he greeted, setting one hand lovingly on his wife’s. “Please, enjoy yourselves here as much as we do. Kali oreksi!”

“Kali oreksi,” the party replied, everyone laughing, with conversation resuming as a lemon-chicken and orzo soup course was served.

“So, how did the rest of the dig go, Emily?” Kate asked, plucking a warm slice of pita bread from the basket being passed around.

She shrugged, shaking her head. “We’re calling it for the weekend, although I may go back and work on my project a little tomorrow.” She grinned, dipping a piece of the bread in her soup. “I’m too excited to leave him lying in the ground like that!”

“’Him’?” Alan asked, his British accent cultured and smooth.

“Emily has found an impressive statue,” Leo spoke up, and the woman blushed, shaking her head.

“Well, I hope he’s a statue…I can’t really tell yet, but it’s a beautiful piece and the subject was probably very nice to study when it was made…” She laughed, explaining when Grace looked questioningly at her, “So far, from what I can see, it’s of a very handsome nobleman with curly hair and a nose unlike those I’ve seen on most Grecian statuary…”

“Careful there—you may be dealing with your own personal Galatea,” Alan teased, noticing the enamored softening of her features.

“Yes, but as I recall, that story had a happy ending,” Kate countered in Emily’s defense. “Aphrodite brought the statue to life because King Pygmalion was so distraught that Galatea could never be his, since she was marble, obviously. They ended up marrying and having a daughter, and I’m guessing lived ‘happily ever after’.” She shrugged, smiling over at Grace who nodded very slightly.

“Well, if Aphrodite wanted to grace me with a live version of this statue, I don’t think I’d mind,” Emily grinned, looking down and sampling her soup, not seeing Danny wink over at Leo, who looked thunderstruck, while Phoebe scowled down into her salad.

“Maybe he’d give me some info on where else to dig!” Professor Camias laughed, completely unaware of the gods’ humor. “Alan, why don’t you go with her tomorrow? It’d be good for you to see the site firsthand, and besides, I’d feel better knowing she had someone with her.”

“There was an incident at the dig today,” Magdalena added, worry creasing her brow. “Emily could have been killed!”

The woman in question waved off the exclamation of concern from Alan, smiling across the table at Leo instead. “’Could have,’ maybe, but Leo was very brave and managed to keep me safe.” She looked beside her at the British doctor, her hazel eyes wide in the flickering candlelight. “A pillar almost fell on me, and somehow he ran over and grabbed me, jumping us both into a pit before the thing could even touch us! He was very brave,” she repeated, smiling at her rescuer once again and reaching over to pat his hand. “Thank you.”

“It was nothing; I’d do it again if I had to,” he inclined his head modestly, turning his hand over to squeeze her fingers briefly.

Alan cleared his throat, frowning until they pulled their hands apart. “Yes, well, thank you for saving her Mister—“

“Joveson,” Leo answered, something in his posture suddenly almost imposing as he continued, “Hercules Leonardo Francisi Joveson,” was the reply, Alan nearly recoiling from the deep timbre of the other man’s voice for reasons he couldn’t name.

“’Hercules.’ Interesting,” Alan managing to comment after taking a fortifying drink of his wine. “Your parents must be Greek or have a very intriguing sense of humor.”

“Both, actually,” Grace broke in with a laugh, the tension between the two men nearly setting the tablecloth on fire. “So, Alan, how was your trip?”

“No problems,” he replied, grateful for her interruption. “I took the Chunnel over and stayed over in Paris a few days before coming here.”

“I love Paris,” Phoebe sighed. “There’s an ice cream shop on L’Ile St.-Louis that has the most wonderful Grand Marnier ice cream.”

“Berthillon!” Alan laughed. “Oui, est super bon, no?”

“Very!” Phoebe grinned. “And there’s a bookshop there that actually has a sister store in the mountains of North Carolina over in the US. Emily, have you been to Paris?” she asked, trying to steer the conversation back so her “clients” would talk to each other. He had to be the one for the archaeologist, she was certain. The cards the Oracle sent out were never wrong!

“Once when I was a teenager,” she admitted. “I would just wander the streets, drinking it all in, a basket of whatever I bought in the markets that day brimming with stuff.” She reached over and brushed her fingers over the silvery leaves of the lavender plant set near her in a mossy pot. “My parents got mad when I kept buying bunches of lavender, our hotel room full of the scent after one day…”

“It’s a nice scent—we grow it at the house back in LA,” Leo put in as the wait staff began to bring out the main courses and vegetable dishes.

“Really? L.A. What part?” Emily asked, spooning out a piece of Melitzanes Me Kreas, the eggplant and meat pie steaming invitingly.

“Have you ever driven past a gate with white columns with ‘Mount Olympus’ carved at the top? He replied, helping himself to Pastitsio and Tourlou Tourlou.

She nodded, smirking. “I’ve always wondered what lurked behind that gate.”

‘That’s us. You should come and visit next time you’re in the States,” he said. “Do you live in L.A.?”

“No, San Francisco, but my parents live there. I’ll call you next time I’m over—you can come over to our house as well.”

“Leo,” Phoebe broke in. “Are we going out on the boat tomorrow?”

Danny snorted into his waterglass at the blatant change of subject and Kate elbowed him, though grinning herself.

“Um, you guys can,” Leo shrugged. “I was just going to hang out at our place probably; maybe go out and grab some lunch later. Emily, feel like hanging out with me up at our place?”

“That would be fun,” Kate piped up before Grace could protest. “Danny brought over a ton of DVD’s from home, and we were going to catch up on them. We’d be happy to share the couch. Right, Danny?” She smiled sweetly at him, sending him into a gale of laughter that he turned quickly into a coughing fit.

“I really wanted to sit down with you and go over plans for next week,” Alan said to Emily, frowning in disappointment.

“We can do that on Sunday, if that’s all right with you, Gerald,” she said evasively, looking over to their department head.

“Certainly! Take a day off for once, girl.” He shook his head like an indulgent parent. “She works like a fiend,” he confided to Leo, who grinned widely.

“Well then, you need a day off to relax tomorrow,” he said, nodding decisively at her.

She sighed. “I’ll try,” she teased, laughing as dinner resumed, Phoebe and Grace sharing a fuming glance with Magdalena.

Eighth World Wonder: A Valentine Fanfic (ch. 1)

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 20:55:03 GMT

Eighth World Wonder: Chapter One
Author: me, M. Greystone
Rating: pg-13, for now
Notes: The Oracle hands down a ruling, and Leo has a problem with it....

Title: Eighth World Wonder
Rating: PG (for this chapter)
Characters/Pairings: Leo/OFC
Spoilers: None, really, if you've watched the show.
Disclaimer: Grace, Danny, Phoebe and Ari Valentine, Leo Joveson, Ray Howard, Kate Providence, and the Oracle of Delphi belong to the "Valentine" gods. Pretty much everything else is mine.
Summary: An archaeologist and a demigod deal with the rulings of the Oracle...
Notes: fluffy and romantic with a bit of spice thrown in later. Love love? Read and enjoy!

The Greek sun was ridiculously hot and skittered prickly fingers over her skin as she crouched in the dirt, the soft bristles of her brush delicately sifting through the eons caked onto the piece of buried marble. Around her she could hear her crew at the excavation site, the sounds of Athens traffic and daily life soft in the background, leaving the young archaeologist to her task.

Emily Hawkins paused to wipe at a trickle of sweat threatening to slide into her eye with the back of her wrist, leaving a faint trail of grime down her cheekbone. Whether she cared about the smudge or even noticed it, even she couldn’t say, her focus set on unearthing the pale white point that she realized was a statue’s nose.

She wanted to toss the brush away and grab for a shovel, her excitement over the find scrambling through her veins, but she forced herself to be patient, the dirt fleeing under the sweeps of her brush.

The nose was finally free and she was surprised to note that it seemed more, well, cute than the usual proud, sharply-angled examples on other Grecian stonework. Cheeks and eyes were revealed next, the heavy browline over the kindly-shaped eyes more thoughtful than severe, and she smoothed away the dust from the forehead with her fingertips, finding artfully sculpted curls framing the face.

“Nobility,” she murmured, her hazel eyes narrowing behind her Ray Bans as she took out a stiffer brush to reveal more of the hair, finding ornate, thin bands circling over the top of the head as if trying to tame the unruly curls.

“Good luck,” she smirked, her own curly hair, its pale gold hidden under a kerchief and fisherman’s hat, still managing to send a few ringlets peeking from under the aged cloth.

She worked around the head, moving lower to try to uncover the rest of the face when a shadow fell over her workspace.

“Hi,” a deep voice greeted and Emily frowned, looking up as she realized that she didn’t recognize the voice as one of her crew.

She squinted, her gaze traveling up from well-worn Converse sneakers, tanned, well-muscled…very well-muscled, she had to admit…calves that were shadowed by wrinkled cargo shorts, a “Kiss Me, I’m a God” shirt over that. She almost laughed at the shirt, since it was declaring its request in Greek, but she stopped herself by the mutual waves of annoyance and surprise that hit her when she pulled off her sunglasses and finally looked up into the speaker’s face. He smiled down at her, his dark chocolate brown eyes twinkling as he looked down at the half-hidden face in the ground then up to the blonde kneeling beside it, a chuckle rumbling in his chest as if he knew a joke and wasn’t about to share.

Tourist.

Dammit.

Okay, cute tourist, but tourist on her site. However, she reasoned, if he’d made it down here and no one had run him off, he either knew someone in charge of the dig, or someone knew him…

“Can I help you?” she managed, pushing up from her crouch and waving away the hand he offered to assist her.

“Just wondering what you were working on,” he shrugged, his massive shoulders shifting under the soft cotton of his shirt. He squinted in the sun, but didn’t seem to be sweating, even without a hat, she noticed as she reached for her water bottle and took a sip.

“Well, I’m hoping it’s a whole statue, but knowing the ruins around here, it may just be a piece of a bust. A fragment, but still, it’s so beautifully intact so far…” she smiled softly, looking down at her work, the shadows from their legs casting darkness over the face. Emily frowned, looking up at her visitor. “Um, pardon me, but who are you?” she asked, trying to figure out why her brain was starting to turn mushy just talking to this guy.

“Oh! Heh.” He laughed and stuck out a beefy hand, the nails short but nicely manicured and indicative of a soft life. “I’m Leo. Leo Joveson. My family’s visiting and my sister knows the dude running your…um…”

“Dig,” Emily replied, arching an eyebrow over Professor Camias being referred to as “dude.”

“Right, dig.” He grinned again, the deep dimples in his cheeks framing his mouth. He chucked a thumb over his shoulder at a sinfully gorgeous woman talking with the Professor, a Battenburg lace parasol held casually over her shoulder as if she were at a picnic rather than standing among sectioned-off pits and ancient ruins. “My sister, Grace,” he explained, waving as the dark-haired woman turned to smile at him. “And over there—“

“Hey!” Emily stomped off as she noticed a tall man with wild brown hair leaning against a broken pillar, a petite woman in short khaki shorts and white linen blouse taking a picture of him. The pillar stuck out of the ground at a crazy angle and was too close to some of Emily’s coworkers for there to be tourists hanging around it.

“My nephew Danny Valentine and our friend Kate Providence,” Leo muttered, following the fuming historian as she picked her way over to the couple.

“Excuse me, but this isn’t a photo op,” Emily was saying, shooing Danny away from the column and standing defensively in front of it. “We’re still catalog—“

She adjusted her stance as the earth under her hiking boot felt a little thin, and she frowned at the faint give next to her foot just before she heard a yell come from behind her. She squeaked, her arms caught against his chest as Leo yanked her against him and tumbled into one of the empty trenches with her. His hand curved protectively around the back of her head as he landed on his side, taking the brunt of the fall on his arm before he rolled her beneath him, her yelp of indignation overshadowed by the thunder of the pillar slamming down across the opening above them.

Emily gasped, the bulk of the man on top of her stealing her breath as the dust settled around them, anxious voices from above trickling down along with a tiny white business card that fluttered to land beside her.

“You okay?” Leo asked, lifting off of her as best he could, a mere couple of inches separating his back from the fluted marble.

She nodded, coughing. “You?” she croaked. “Your arm…”

“Fine,” he grinned as she touched his bicep and shoulder worriedly. The smile died from his face, though, as he noticed the pristine card tangled in her now-uncovered hair. He picked it up, holding it between thumb and forefinger like it might bite him, the corners of his mouth turning down as he read the inscription.

“What is it?” Emily wondered, curious as to what could possibly be on a business card to cause the anger written on his features.

“It’s for you,” he muttered, handing her the vellum rectangle and rolling to move off of her, the column above beginning to be rolled slowly off of the trench, the other archaeologists and assistants straining against the massive stone.

“’Valentine Historical Society—We Bring History Home’,” she read out loud, looking at him questioningly, but didn’t get to ask before hands reached in and pulled her out of the ground, worried queries filling her ears as she was pulled in to her group of friends and away from Leo, who was left to hoist himself out of the pit, his sister and friends there to offer their own help.

“What’s wrong, bro?” Danny asked, “Besides the obvious potential squashing,” he snickered, kicking lightly at the fallen pillar. “She’s hot.”

“Yeah, I know.” Leo glared over at the woman, now laughing and giving reassuring hugs, oblivious of his consternation. “I’ll catch up with you guys later.”

He stormed off, little clouds of dust puffing up with each step, his shadow lengthening in the sunlight.

“Hey, what’s with Leo?” Phoebe Valentine asked, the petite Titaness skipping over to her family, a cup of shaved lemon ice in her hand. “I found this great galactoboureko stand I was going to tell—hey, she has a card!” Phoebe’s attention swerved suddenly to Emily as the woman headed to the cataloging tent.

“Ah….” Danny sighed, shaking his head as Kate, his “photographer,” shared a glance with Grace.

“She has a card,” Grace murmured, her full lips thinning to a ruby-coloured ribbon as she looked back to where her brother was walking up the steps to street level, quickly losing himself in the bustle of late-afternoon Athens.

Leo’s phone trilled in his pocket as he walked and he fished it out, sighing at the picture of Aphrodite that popped up. He flipped the phone open and held it to his ear. “Hello?” he mumbled, sidling out of the way of the crowd to stand in a quiet doorway.

“Sweetheart…” Grace’s voice flowed over the line, the mixture of pity and concern in her tone making him wince.

“Hi, Grace. What’s up?” he asked, walking in to the store he was stopped in front of.

“I just wanted to let you know that we’ve been invited to dinner at Gerald’s house,” she replied, referring to the Professor. “He’s living in that lovely house Nikolas and Iolanthe built on the hill—you remember, muffin, it has those divine orange trees by the front gates.”

“What time do you want me there?” Leo relented, his eyes roving over the racks of embroidered scarves and blouses—he’d wandered into a women’s clothing store apparently.

“We’re eating around seven, but I’d love to be there before the sun sets; the view is so pretty up there. Oh, and if you could, please, dress for dinner?” She laughed, not unkindly. “You know that shirt of yours always gives me a giggle, but…”

“I get it,” he nodded, running his fingers over green cabochons set in an intricate pair of earrings, the colour reminiscent of the gleam of Emily’s eyes as she stared up at him. He frowned and turned away. “Yeah, okay, I’ll meet you at the house about six?”

“Perfect. Be safe, sweetheart,” Grace advised. “Oh, and I’d love those earrings, by the way.”

She hung up and Leo had to laugh, a clerk walking up to him regardless of the dusty state of his clothes.

“May I help you, sir?” she asked, smiling adoringly up at the tall demigod.

“I think I’d like to get these earrings…”

New Year and I Don't Really Have a To-Do List

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 15:38:03 GMT

"To-Do List" sounds more reasonable to me than "Resolution." It sounds like there's a plan of action that could probably get done, whereas the other term sounds like you're sighing and going "Oh-kayyy, I do it. I resolve to do this better this year....*sighhhhh*" See the difference?
     So far, though, the two big things I want to get accomplished this year are finish the "Valentine" fic I'm writing (my Muse hit me hard and won't let me go!), and two (and doesn't everyone have this kind of thing on their list?) lose weight and join a gym. Seriously, though, it needs to be done. I miss wearing my cute panties (not that my current choices are ugly, or I'm not wearing any at all) and a lot of my clothes, especially the vintage stuff that you have to be smaller to wear. And I'm not. Plus, on the baby side, it's necessary that I lose weight before I get pregnant, since I found out that being an overweight mother can lead to complications in the pregnancy and be really bad for the baby. Besides, all I have to do is look at this other girl at work who just had her son, is very overweight, drank Mountain Dew every day of her pregnancy, had a lousy attitude every day, and just generally made herself miserable through all three trimesters. Now, she looks like crap, is even more cranky, and well....yeah...Plus, she brought him in to our work the day after she had him to show him off. Hello-o? Stupidity? It's flu season and he's a newborn; how idiotic are you?
   Gah! Sorry. Got trapped in a rant.
     Anyhoo, yeah. I might actually post the fic, but I've seen how LJ can be about that, since they were really difficult to a friend of mine, so I'm kinda wary. We'll see.
       Well, off to find breakfast and clean the house. Wheeee....
      ....and maybe make a To-Do List....

I Challenge You to a Challenge!!!!

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 02:49:55 GMT

As taken from discordia_intus

For the first three people that reply to this post, and who re-post this challenge: you win!!!

For your prize, I will send you a gift. I love gifties!!!

It might be something I've made, or something cool from my hidden stash of fabulousity. It might be a mix CD, or a rubber duck, or a book I think you might enjoy. A love letter, a useful object, or something else that is awesome or maybe just taking up room in my house.

Whatever it is, I promise I will get it to you in 365 days of your posted comment or less, and I will need your snail mail. (You can email it to me if you're the winner!)

The only thing you need to do to receive your gift is PARTICIPATE.

Be one of the first three journalers to reply to this, and post this very same thing in your journal, and YOU are the lucky giftee!

Still here...

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 22:38:29 GMT

But, as you might have noticed, no Lex... sad, I know. However, when I get some fundage, he shall return! In the meantime (in between time) I hope everyone is great and having lots of fun. Sad to hear about Girl's friend (who I think I know) who's decided to do the GBS thing. Yuck. Hopefully it will work out okay for them. Love to all!!!!!

Wisteria

Meme Challenge from GirlNotGone....

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 01:31:39 GMT

Just comment on this post saying you'd like to play. Then I will choose seven interests from your profile, and you will explain what they mean and why you are interested in them. Post these instructions along with your answers in your own LiveJournal so that others can play along, too.

Those were my instructions, which I followed, and here are the ones chosen for me:

art
cooking
books
ireland
making jewelry
travelling
writing

Art:
   Art is both my curse and my gift. Not only do people in my family share physical and emotional traits, on my father's side, we share artistic abilities. The only time I've ever drawn a stick figure, really, was when my nursery school teacher did and I thought, "Wow, that's funny looking, I wanna draw that." My drawings actually had bodies, not just lines and a blank face. When the kids in my class were drawing pointy-eyelashed girls with gi-normous lips, I was drawing bangs and braided pigtails on my girls, never mind the elaborate cloud vehicles and flowing dresses they were using and wearing. How many 8 year-old girls know there's an artist named Titian and because of the red-gold tones of his paintings, that's why Nancy Drew (girl detective)'s hair is described as "Titian-coloured"? Art has always been a part of my life, either in drawing, making clothes, creating crafts, or just watching my Dad styling hair. In high school, I was sure I would become a forensic pathologist for the FBI, but after watching a couture fashion show on TV, I realized that no matter how much I was trying to get away from it, I'd have to formally study art and make it my college major. My muse comes and goes, like she always does, sometimes at the moments I have the least time to answer her call, but I love it that art is, and always will be, a constant in my life and in my family.

Cooking:
   Again, a family tradition. I love to cook, I just hardly ever have the time to, it seems. My favourite thing to cook is dessert. I have a raging sweet tooth, and I love making something gooey and sinful that causes people to close their eyes, hum appreciatively, and then ask for my recipe. Cooking is fun, it's challenging, it's intimate and it's one of the best therapies, ever. Even if you're just making something for yourself, at the end of it, your tummy is full, you've just eaten something wonderful (hopefully), and there's so much more out there for you to make. I remember people, sometimes, by food I've made for them, or with them. GirlNotGone comes to mind whenever I make a grilled cheese sandwich, see pate, or taste chocolate mousse. Heck, it's her fault I'm addicted to Duke's mayonnaise! When I make a bread pudding, it makes me think of my husband, b/c it's one of his all-time fave desserts. And as for the therapy part: you try not working out aggression when you're crushing Butterfingers for a chocolate cake filling.

Books:
    Oh, books. Best things ever. Really. I think I love books more than napping, more than new shoes, more than....well, more than quite a lot. Books are pretty, they're fascinating because anything can be in them, they smell good when they're old, they are more entertaining than some people or events, and they've been a part of my life, all my life. If you look in my purse, you will probably find a book lurking there. (Which is why I carry such large purses!) I adore reading. I love spending HOURS in a bookstore, whether it's some shiny new coffee-scented shop, or just an unorganised, eclectic jumble hidden between shops in a new city. I love savoring an old favourite volume or plowing through a new one that won't let me put it down until it's told me all of its secrets. I love talking about books, discussing what I'm currently engrossed in, or just hearing a recommendation from a stranger. Seriously. Best things ever.

Ireland:
   Just the word itself breathes out of your mouth like mist with it's back-of-the throat "R" and the almost airy click of the "D" at the end. You can't help but think of green, wet grasses rolling over a hill, turning a thousand shades of emerald, jade, and peridot when the sun slides over it. My hands feel rough granite stone under them when I think of Ireland, and I can taste warm cake with currants and sultanas and feel the cool edge of breeze as if I were there. It calls to me, warming my blood and making me ache for a land I've never seen. Can one be homesick for a home never known, miss a land never walked upon?

Making Jewelry:
I blame this on my friend Lavendar, who is an amazing jewelry maker. My fascination with wire-work for jewelry actually started in college when a friend in one of my art lectures fashioned a tulip for me out of silver and copper wire. I was blown away. I had no idea that you could make something with simple wires and beads, and it wasn't hard at all! Oh, sure, I'd seen the handmade jewelry at dozens of craft shows, even owning a few pieces myself, but I didn't fully start my addiction until I met Lavendar, several years later. We met at a temp job and she had on this stunning copper and amethyst necklace, tiny spirals dancing against her neck and gems twinkling. "Oh my God, did you make that?" I gasped, staring at the artwork she wore so casually with a long denim dress. "Yes, do you like it?" "That's amazing!"   Six years later, the woman made my wedding jewelry as a gift after teaching me quite a few techniques, and fuelling my love for handmade adornments. I've tried selling my work, but that didn't go so well, so now I make it for fun and for gifts, loving the instant gratification of making a new pair of earrings before I head out for work, sometimes. And yeah, I love it when I get the reaction I gave Lavendar all those years ago, "Oh my God, did you make that?" tee hee!

Travelling:
   I miss travelling. Even if it's just two hours down the highway to a nearby city, I love it. Learning a new place, finding some great restaurant that only the locals know, or just seeing the landscape flying by your car are some of my favourite things. Damn, I need a road trip. Or a plane ride.

Writing:
Writing started from several sources for me: reading everything I could get my hands on and wanting to make my own stories, mandatory language arts competitions in school, and the stories my mom and grandfather would create for me while I was growing up. I still have the stories of a group of creatures named "Yippies" that my papa created, written in his own hand, at least twenty years ago. I think, though, the first real story I put my heart and soul into was the one I wrote with my friend (at the time) TalonWitch in high school. We were obsessed with "The X-Files" and felt the need to re-write some of the episodes and create our own. This then progressed into a trilogy of our own creation about an FBI agent being best friends with a Mafia wife and how do they handle keeping up a friendship that has been around since the two women were in high school. (Yeah, it's a Mary Sue. Bite me.) I write fanfic and almost always have some plot bunny hopping about in my head, annoying me until I can put it on paper and lead me on a merry chase. I've collaborated with only four people in all my years of writing, each of these authors bringing amazing influences and ideas to the game. It's been a lot of fun, and I can't wait to see what my pen feels like creating next.

Well, there they are, my seven randomly-selected interests. Hope you enjoyed!!!

Stalker-razzi

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 01:56:06 GMT

I've always been proud to admit that I have an Irish heritage...until recently, that is.
   There's this guy that works in a department near mine at work, who is also friends with one of the guys in my department (which should have been a huuuuge clue as to this guy's mental state), and he's decided to become my stalker. He and his girlfriend broke up quite a few months ago (she's Irish; whether or not she's from the island or is just of the descent, I don't know), and since she has green blood, he's become obsessed about all things Irish, which includes me. It started out pretty innocently, he proudly showed off the leprechaun tatt he's got, and then told me about another Irish-themed tattoo he's thinking of getting. (Really quick, let me add: the word "celtic" does not exist to this guy. He only knows things as "Irish". I'll elaborate more later...) Well, he kept coming by over the next few days, weeks, etc. to my department, every conversation about something Irish; like, how he "talks Irish (uses Irish words)" when he's angry, allegedly slipping into an accent when angry, too, telling me about even more tattoos he's now considering, that are, yup, you guessed it, Irish! He's brought a catalog over to my store of nothing but Irish stuff for me to look at, even pointing out a few trinkets in it that he was going to buy for his ex, if they hadn't broken up.   He came over once to ask me if "the Scottish language is the same as the Irish language." "You mean 'Gaelic'?" I asked, sharing a glance with Shiny, one of my co-workers, who's noticed our little leper-con, too. "No, I mean the Irish language," FruitcakeGuy replies. "Um, that would be Gaelic. It's the same language, just different accents, I believe," I answer, though I'm not actually sure. "Well, I speak Irish when I'm mad, you know." And so on, and so forth.....
    When I'm working, or when Shiny is working, he'll stare over at us from his area, watching everything we do, or just wander over to see if we can ring something up for him, or just to stand outside our counter and stare. I shit you not, people.
   Yesterday, while I'm on my lunch break (re: don't bug me, I'm trying to re-group in just a half--hour's time) he shows up ON HIS DAY OFF just to show me the print-out of the $70 shillelagh ("shi-lay-lee") he's buying online, just to hang on his wall, because his ex had one, too! If you don't know what one is, and I didn't until I just looked it up a few minutes ago, it's a billy club, basically, with a weighted end. Now, I collect swords, so I understand wanting to collect a pretty weapon, but this is a CLUB, something you BLUDGEON someone with. I know, I'm dramatic, but frankly this freaks me out, okay? Anyhoo, so whilst I'm trying to nonchalantly eat my sandwich and read my book, he starts READING FROM THE PRINTOUT the description of this damn thing! I actually got up and went to speak with my two other co-workers just to get away from him, abandoning my lunch behind me, with the lame excuse that I wasn't sure if we'd recorded our sampling spree earlier in the notebook. Pathetic.
    So, now tired with the little Peeping O'Tom, I've told the store's managers, and they've had a chat with him, I believe. Creepily though, after they'd spoken with him, he walks back by my store, I notice out of the corner of my eye since I'm training our new hire, and he seems to be glaring at me.
     That's my tale up to now, minus a few other random episodes of him ordering a drink in a fake Irish accent and other blank stares, so stay tuned! I wish I could change the channel....*sigh*
    Maybe I should just tell him I'm Japanese? Shiny says I'm Cuban, anyway, just b/c of my hometown...

With a Little Help From My Friends....

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 03:32:47 GMT

So I had a panic attack yesterday. It lasted from about 6.45 am to technically noonish, but I can still feel it bubbling below my thoughts like a cauldron of something oily and toxic. I haven't had one, truly, in at least a year. Oh, I've had a few prickles now and again, but I've been doing well mooshing them down and getting on with my life.
   But this one wouldn't be mooshed, it had to run its course. It amazes me, whenever I go through one, how fast it can happen, and how long I can still feel it sitting in me, waiting, dying to take me over again. It's like this demonic little monster that takes immense joy in my fear and it looks for any way to walk through the heavily-bolted door that encloses my irrational, fearful and illogical side.
   For those that have seen me have one, it truly does look like I'm going insane, when they're as bad as this one was. My breathing accelerates, my heart-rate escalates, I sweat, I get ghost white, my hands are clammy and they shake, and I start moving and talking very fast. If you've never had one and you want to know what it physically can feel like (for some), get on a roller coaster, the scariest one you know of, strap in and...tell the attendant not to let you off. Ever. Oh, sure, they'll close the ride for maintenace occasionally, so you'll get to stop once in a while, but they'll never tell you when they're done working on it, they'll just flip the switch again and off you go! Whee!
   This one was triggered by my usual: I felt sick and didn't know why. With the joyous combo my body has of endometriosis and IBS, my gastrointestinal system is beaucoup fun sometimes. So, yeah, I felt lousy, I'm coming close to Girl Week, and the three people who actually know how to handle a panic attack (and me when I'm having one) were out of town that day. So, my poor husband (one of the three) got to talk me down over the phone, and when he was out of range, I called my mom. Yeah, wussy, I know, but when they get this bad, I will do almost anything to get it to stop.
   Oh, and yeah, I've talked to my doctor about how to deal with them, but I have no desire to have to rely on a medication just to control myself, so for now, it's back to relaxation techniques, physical activity, and repression, repression, repression.
    So, hopefully, this will be the only one for this year, and I can go back to a normal life.
   Well, as normal as I can get. :)

Dark Side

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 01:47:34 GMT

So, has anyone else noticed this influx of negativity in our world? Oh sure, the news will *always* be depressing, it's the news! But it seems that the level of intolerance for our fellow humans, even when we're sure they're from another planet, seems to be dropping at a rapid rate. People snap easier, yell faster, and just generally are in an obnoxious state constantly. Manners seem to be on the downswing, too.
   For instance, how hard is it to get off your blinking cell phone when you're talking to someone in the retail industry? Maybe this is my bit of intolerance, but it really frosts my cookies when someone can't even disengage the little monster in their ear to say, "Hi." If I'm in a place or in a drive-through and find myself on my phone whilst about to place an order or whatever, I say to the person on the line "Hang on a sec" and proceed to acknowledge the existence of the person about to take care of me. Think about this, people, be nice to the people who are waiting on you: we're getting your food/drink, i.e. something you're about to ingest. I'm not saying I've ever sneezed/whatever-gross-thing-you-can- imagine into someone's beverage, but there are ways to exact revenge that harm none but aren't what they thought they were getting. In the grand scheme of karma, it's small, but it makes me feel better.
    And then there's using your signal to turn/change lanes, etc. It's a little switch right by your hand, not across the car, so you actually can get to it fairly easily, and it saves you nearly crashing your vehicle into mine, therefore saving you insurance money! (wow, it's an amazing concept, and I promise you won't get a horrible disease making that little switch go "click")
    All I'm asking is, THINK before you do anything that involves someone else! Whether it's just being polite, watching what you say to somebody, or just checking your actions, in the long run it'll make you feel better and you'll help the world spin a little more happily.

Can you tell I've had to deal with rude people this week? Even people who thought they weren't rude, too. siiiiighhhhhh......

I've Been Tagged!! And Released into...the Wild?

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 01:20:50 GMT

AUGUST:
Loves to joke. Attractive. ~~Suave~~ and caring. ~~Brave and fearless~~. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. ~~Too~~ ~~generous~~ and egoistic. Takes ~~high~~ pride in oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and ~~defense~~. Sensitive ~~but not~~ petty. ~~Poor resistance against illnesses~~. Learns to relax. ~~Hasty~~ and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.

I tag everybody who reads this!!!!!!

JANUARY:
Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people's flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very stubborn and money cautious.

FEBRUARY:
Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislikes unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizes dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.

MARCH:
Attractive personality. Sexy. Affectionate. Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners. Loves home decors. Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody.

APRIL:
Active and dynamic. Decisive and hasty but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people's problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Emotional. Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving. Motivates oneself and others. Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a way that only their lover can see.

MAY:
Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no motivation. Easily consoled. Systematic (left brain). Loves to dream. Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves literature and the arts. Loves traveling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking. High spirited. Spendthrift.

JUNE:
Thinks far with vision. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Able to show character. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn.

JULY:
Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people's feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.

AUGUST:
Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride in oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.

SEPTEMBER:
Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to point out people's mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn. Quiet but able to talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding. Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves leisure and traveling. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in relationships. Systematic.

OCTOBER:
Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn't pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy and easily jealous. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.

NOVEMBER:
Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Not able to control emotions. Unpredictable.

DECEMBER:
Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egotistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.

Makin' Love Out of Nothing At All....

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 03:00:30 GMT

1) List 5 celebrities you would have sex with without even asking questions.
2) Put all of them IN ORDER of your lust for them. (5 - 1, 1 is the hottest.)
3) Say which movie/show/thing it was that hooked you.
4) Supply photos for said people.
5) Tag 5 people to tell their faves.

So, Girl has decided to throw down a gauntlet to me regarding Tasty Treats. Here's my list.......

5. Vincent Walsh
       Vincent became known to me in the children's show (back in the 90's)
"The Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog". Since then, he's appeared in "Mutant X" and
several other movies and tv shows, but he'll always be the loveable bad-boy and
thief, Angus, on that cheesy little show from Ireland....

4. Ioan Gruffudd
   Ah, Ioan....This bit of Welsh loveliness first appeared in
the A&E series "Horatio Hornblower", playing none other than the title
character. This man does beautiful things for white breeches and navy
wool coats..... Nowadays, Ioan is a bit more...flexible....("Fantastic 4", anyone?)

3. Jason Paul Brown

    J Brown, former rapper in the lad band 5ive from the UK,
has been a fave of mine from waaaaay back in '98, when Girl "introduced"
me to him, and my CD collection (and heart rate) haven't been the same since....

2. Michael Rosenbaum
     So, once upon a time, I was bashing a little show called "Smallville"
with a friend of mine, over the phone, on its premiere night, when suddenly,
there emerged THIS GUY from an antique Porsche onscreen. I was instantly
smitten. However, this was not the first time I had seen him, oh no. Mike actually
has been in some of my fave movies before he ever landed the diabolical role of
Alexander Joseph "Lex" Luthor: "Sweet November" and "Urban Legend", not to
mention "Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil". And, while I do so love him
in sleek Hugo Boss and Armani, I must say I get a giggle seeing him in drag....

and lastly, but so very not leastly, my #1

1. Sean Bean

   Forgive me, I need a moment......sigh.....
Okay, I first saw Sean in "Patriot Games" as the fiery, good-with-a-gun,
but alas, doomed Irish rebel that Harrison Ford murders on a speedboat.
Nextly came an even yummier, albiet no less doomed, character in "GoldenEye",
Alec Trevelyan, or 006. Seriously, I just want him to survive a movie, okay?
However, my favourite of his films has to be the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, wherein
he played Boromir, Prince of Gondor. So, black turtleneck, fatigues or velvet and chainmail,
this man looks good in anything, and I do so enjoy seeing him in (and out of) all
of his costumes......

So, there you are, my Top 5.
Sadly, I don't have 5 people to tap on LJ, so I have to pass the torch on to Ms. Ataxia. Have fun!

Fight Club....with Crappuccinos!

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 00:35:04 GMT

So, didja ever think a 60-something year old would try to throw it down with you? Yeah, me neither, until I helped a "customer" on Sunday afternoon....

This woman walks over to my store, and I say "Hi, how can I help you today?" and her response is something like "Well, I hope you can get this right..." My thought is that her bevvie of choice is something complicated, so I grab my trusty Sharpie and ask what would she like? Her response is for one of our caramel frozen delicacies, and that's when my warning flags start sprouting all over the landscape, especially when I start realising I've seen this woman before.

Anyhoo, so she goes on to say that she works for the company I used to work for, amusingly the one right down the road from my store that *I* used to work at, and she asks if we take Partner Numbers at our location. "No, I'm sorry, we can't do that," I reply, which is a bummer, really, b/c when I had PC's I hated it that alliance stores can't access that system. Her response is a bit loftier. "Oh," she sniffs, "that's right, you're not a corporate store..."

And, oh, my hackles start to rise.....

Playing dumb, b/c I've just now realised where I've previously met this little bundle of joy, I say, "Oh, do you work for the Coffee Empire (names have been changed to protect the innocent)?" "Yes, I work at the one right down the road, actually." "Wow! How do you like it?" "It's okay, except that we keep getting your irate customers complaining how you can't get their drinks right."

Oh, no she didn't! Okay, to stop here for a second, does anyone else feel this was a really unnecessary stab at my store? At my staff? Yeah, me, too. Now, be proud of me, because I repressed myself so hard I think I'm constipated from not immediately replying with, "Huh, that's funny, because we get the same thing from your customers about you!" Which, actually, is quite true. I've gotten so many comments, unhappy ones, mind you, from ex-customers of my old stomping ground about my old store.

So, anyway, my mind is absolutely whirling now, and I want to just start this thing up, but I don't. I just smile and tilt my head ("Okay, thanks!") and say, "Well, that's their opinion." And she's like "Yeah, they're picky." (Uh, duh, honey, what job do you do? Of course they're picky, they're paying the same price as a gourmet sandwich!) I respond with, "Well, yes, they can be, but whatever makes them happy." Welcome to customer service, you goober!

So, I make her drink, perfectly I might add, and send her on her creaky little way.

As you can tell, I am still in something of a rage over the whole mess, but what makes it better is:

WE GOT A 100%, 5-STAR SNAPSHOT!!!!!!! (this means, we *do* get it right, and perfectly at that!)

Bite me, wrinkly one, cuz it's on now!

I realize that my old manager hates me like a paper cut hates lemon juice, but jeez, what the hell is this rivalry apparently going on from my old store? I don't recall ever training our new people to hate the other stores and be rude, which I'm not saying she's (ex-manager) doing, but there have been other incidents of animosity towards us, and it needs to stop. It's unnecessary and pointless and it just promotes bad karma. So, yeah, I'm in a dither about the whole thing, but on the plus, we got a perfect Snapshot and I'm not a grumpy old lady, just a jaded little redhead.

Thanks for listening, I hope you're all doing groovy. Love ya!

FLASH! AAH-huh?

Sat, 11 Aug 2007 02:46:20 GMT

OMG, please tell me someone out there watched the new SciFi series "Flash Gordon" starring Eric Johnson ("Whitney Fordman" from "Smallville"). Sweet baby Jesus, I laughed my ass off! It's actually very entertaining (though why they could spring for decent hair extensions for the extras is beyond me), but it's very Canadian and very SciFi Channel, if you get my meaning. Ah well, I thought "Smallville" was going to be a bust before it started, and now I'm quite sadly addicted.
Well, hopefully he'll save ev'ry one of us...aah-aaah!

No-lying Meme

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 17:58:58 GMT

The No-Lying Meme - gacked from everywhere (and now gacked from GirlNotGone!)

EIGHT LASTS:
8. last show you watched: Martha Stewart
7. last beverage: water
6. last phone call: to: my husband to discuss mattress shopping and his Dad's b-day prezzie. from: hubby's mama with instructions for their house whilst their away.
5. last text message: probably my friend Sarah
4. last cd played: Black and White, a mix CD that Hedda helped me compile
3. last BUBBLE bath: I was about three, I think.
2. last time you cried: In the car with GameBoy and he was playing the Last Unicorn soundtrack. (makes me weepy)
1. last meal: Kashi Pumpkin Flaxseed Crunch cereal (really good!)

SEVEN have you's:
7. have you ever dated someone twice: Yes!
6. have you ever been cheated on?: Yes
5. have you ever kissed someone & regreted it?: No
4. have you ever fallen in love?: Yes
3. have you ever lost someone?: Well, my grandpa.
2. have you ever been depressed: more than I like to remember
1. have you ever been drunk and threw up?: No
SIX things you did in the past three days:
1. Went to school: No
2. Went to work: Nope, am broken-ish.
3. Colored: Doodled, does that work?
5. Got drunk: No
6. Slept: Yes

List FOUR people you can tell pretty much anything to --
1. My husband
2. M. Knightwood
3. Sarah in JC
4. GirlNotGone
list THREE favorite colors.
1. Pink
2. Cobalt Blue
3. Kelly Green

list TWO things you want to do before you die –
1. Have kids
2. Open a bookstore

This month have you..
Made a new friend - Yes
Fallen out of love - sort of, but not how you would think
Laughed until you cried – No
Went behind your parents back- Kinda
Met someone who changed your life - No
Gotten close to someone - Yes.
Found out who your true friends were – I already knew. <-- I have to stay with this one.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF:
1. Bush? Leaves and Gavin Rossdale. And an idiot.
2. Gay Marriage?: I'll bake the cake!
3. Lowering the drinking age?: 'round here, we don't pay 'tention to silly rules like that...ask my sister...
4. Straight, Gay, Bi?:
Whatever makes you happy and doesn't hurt others.

5. Who is the best hugger that you know?
My man and my grandma. (and Joey Fatone, shush...)

6. Do you believe in love at first sight:
Yes, actually.

7. Is there something you want to tell someone:
Yes, but not in this public a forum.

8. What brand of shirt are you wearing?:
Jockey

9. Would you kiss anyone on your friend lists?:
Sure, why not?

10. How many people on your friends do you know in real life?:
All two of 'em!

11. How many kids do you want to have?:
Two, maybe three.

12. Do you have a good relationship with your parents?
Depends on the insanity level of our lives.

13. Do you wanna change your name?:
I'd like to, but it's kinda individual, so maybe not. Except for that dumb-ass song everyone sings when they hear my name. grrrrr....

14. What did you do for your last birthday?:
Was taken out to dinner repeatedly!

15. What time did you wake up today?
About eleven. (I went to bed late.)

16. What were you doing at midnight last night?
Reading.

17. Name something you CANNOT wait to do?
Walk normally again and get a certain scene finished for Miss Hedda...(it's driving me mad, and I want to whap the characters over their heads.)

19. What is one thing you wish you could change about your life?
Less stress, especially when it comes to my job.

20. Which hand do you like better?
Probably my right. It has an interesting scar and I can draw/write with it.

21. What are you listening to right now?
Dixie Chicks "Wide Open Spaces"

22. Have you ever talked to Tom?
I deleted him right off.

23. Have you ever donated money to a good cause?
Yup.

24. Have you ever talked about someone behind their back:
Repeatedly. *sigh*

25. What's the last piece of clothing you borrowed from anyone?
I borrow my hubby's hats sometimes<--I want that "porkpie" hat, Hedda, from the pool game with your friend who has the cool name.
Um, I borrowed one of GameBoy's rugby shirts recently.

26. Who's getting on your nerves right now?
Myself.

27. Most visited webpage?
bloggorah
LJ
my emails

29.Coke or Pepsi?
Pepsi, or RC

30. Do you have a crush?
Yes

31. Have you kissed or been kissed by anyone in the past week?
Many, many times

32. Do you disagree with a lot of things going on in the world?
Yes.

33. Do you think there's some models/people out there that should gain a couple pounds?
Gosh, yes.

34. Do you enjoy your friendship with your friends?
Most of them

If you answered honestly to all these, repost as: No Lying Meme

You've Got the Crutch!

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 14:34:16 GMT

Crutch-es, rather.
   What do you get when you mix a klutz like me and a staircase? A trip to the ER, that's what! Friday night, GameBoy and I had decided to meet over at a friends' house, where we would return later to take care of their kitties whilst the owners are away, and go out to dinner. So, I grab my purse and keys and head out; next thing I know, I've tumbled down the entire staircase of our apartment and my left ankle feels like it wants to explode!
   Now, I didn't lose conscious and everytingeswerking...(jk) . No, I didn't have a head injury, though I did tap my cheek on the floor and the back of my head slightly when I landed, but except for a brilliantly sprained ankle complete with charming scrape, I'm pretty okay. My arms are starting to hate me from the mix of a) desperate grab for the handrail and b) using crutches, but GameBoy is taking wonderful care of me and making sure I'm taking my meds and icing my ankle and, well, you get the idea.
   So, sprained ankle, torn ligaments, various bumps and bruises, oh, and I poked myself in the left buttock with my heel on the way down, so there's an exquisite bruise on my arse.
   I know how to have a good time, don't I?
   In other, perkier news, my in-laws are buying us a bed, a king-sized one, to be exact! See, it's always been a dream of mine to have a bed large enough to fit me, my man and Manchester United in, and no-one runs in to anyone else, unless they want to. SPRAWWWWLLLLLLL!
   So, Entheos, I'll send your package later in the week, if that's okay, since I wasn't planning to blow $500 on an ER visit when I promised to help you out. I am so sorry! :( If I can get it out earlier, I most definitely will.
   Thanks also to Ataxia for checking in on me, and I apologise profusely that y'all are having to pick up my slack. grrrrrrrr.

The Girl's Not Gone....and she has questions

Sat, 21 Jul 2007 22:58:22 GMT

YOU
1. Name: Wisteria_Blu (remaining anonymous for personal reasons...)
2. Date of birth: August 25, 1978.
3. Where you live: In an apartment in a little town that thinks it's a city in Tennessee
4. What makes you happy: a new notebook and pens (the husband is a given!)
5. Currently listening/the last thing you listened to: "Try" by Nelly Furtado
6. Do you read my journal?: Quite a lot, actually.
7. If yes, what makes it especially good or bad?: It keeps me updated on what's going on with my friend who is too far away, and who I don't get to talk to often enough.
8. An interesting fact about you: My nails grow pretty quickly
9. Are you in love/do you have a crush at the moment?: I'm in love, most definitely, but my side-crushes are currently Mike Rosenbaum and Sean Bean
10. Favorite place to spend time: Depends how I want to spend my time....Bookstore, my kitchen, my bed
11. Favorite lyric: "I've seen angels fall from blinding heights, but you, yourself, are nothing so Divine; just next in line...."
12. The best time of the year: Autumn, when the leaves are on fire and the air brushes against your face with cold fingers

RECOMMEND
1. A film: "Love, Actually"
2. A book: "The Reluctant God" by Pamela F. Service
3. A band, a song, or album: The Rasmus; "You Had Me From Hello" Bon Jovi; "TimeSpace" Stevie Nicks
4. A new friend for me to offend: my circle is limited at the minute

PLUS
1. One thing you like about me: You got me to love Christmas again.
2. Two things you like about yourself: My eyes, my ability to be creative.
3. Look at my friends-list and tell what you like about one of our mutual friends: I don't think I know anyone on your friends' list, NotGone.
4. Put this in your journal so that I can tell you what I like about you. Done!

Working Title

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 15:59:52 GMT

Ahhhh, a day off....And, bonus, it's a good hair day!

So, I've noticed that everyone seems to be stuck in a funk lately. Either it's crap at work, problems with their families or relationships, or just in general have fallen into the Bog of Eternal Ickiness. (I believe in Dementors, yes, I do!)

For example (in my world and those related to me):
a) my sister's pregnancy issues and her car wreck (she's fine, car's not)
b) stupidity at my job, though Tink is leaving (Dance of Joy!)
c) hubby's job stupidity
d) Entheos' family crisis and just her not being happy-happy
e) my mechanic's mom is in ICU on a respirator
f) general life-complaints from my customers
g) Ataxia dealing with the goobers at our apartments (though everything is worked out, now)

I mean, seriously, I'd swear it's a full moon, or something, with all the negativity flying about lately! Bleah!!!!

      I was talking with one of the other guys in the store last night (Mr. Bling, we shall call him. Ataxia, you should know who this is, he's got two ginormous diamond earrings, one in each ear), and he was telling me about something that Tinkerbell had said to him, which I knew already and was apologising to him about, and I replied that Tinkerbell had said something inappropriate to me also, and in front of a customer. I said that all I could really do in response was to shrug and smile. And Bling is like, "Yeah, exactly! That's all you can do in these kind of situations! You just have to smile!" I mean, if you don't, you're just going to dissolve in tears, so you just have to try to giggle, I think. Cheesy, I know, but I've gotta keep my head above the boiling water somehow, or I will end up on tranqs and strapped down.

      Speaking of, my friend, M. Knightwood, and I have decided that when we do have our forthcoming mental breakdowns, we are going to plan them to occur at the same time. We plan to get beds side-by-side and we'd hold hands for support, but we predict that we'll be in restraints, but it's the thought that counts, no?

     On a more positive note, (which, exactly would be what, I wonder? B-sharp? C-flat? What?) my car is running beautifully, I have a bra that fits perfectly, I get to go out with the other Wild Hares ( two other friends, and we've adopted this name b/c of a painting and a drunken evening that I missed out on, alas...) this afternoon, and I'm working on a Winchester to try to perk up Entheos. (I'd send her the real deal, if I could, but I can't... *sigh*) Also, we are finally getting an updated computer system at work, so our happy litle kingdom can finally start functioning properly! Or, as well as we can get it. *shrug*

     So, try to giggle, go on, I dare you! Entheos, go find Birky! He's in the book! ("Up yours, Birkoff!" "Anytime, babe, my number's in the book!")

"Twitchy Wanker" is a Great Band Name...

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 15:05:05 GMT

however, having a twitchy wanker sitting next to you at the midnight showing of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is not fun. There was a whole group of boys (who you would swear were Slytherin) sitting next to me and my peeps at the movie the other night, and the kid beside me decided to spend the whole two hours and 18 minutes rapidly pushing back against his seat over and over, thusly making my seat vibrate(and not in a fun battery-operated way). I just wanted to turn to him and say "Look, either get back on your meds or sit still!" But, I figured that after his response to a lady's cell phone going off ("Shut the fuck up") he would probably be really obnoxious if I told him off, so I just sucked it up and admired teh hawtness that was on the screen.

Seriously, I feel somewhat icky being an "old married woman" and drooling like a sixteen year old over the Boys of Hogwarts. But, damn, y'all, they didn't build them that cute when I was a teenager! And that was only ten years ago! Maybe it's the British water....h'mmmmmmmm......

Nonetheless, the movie was fun and I enjoyed it, though I wish they would edit it so heavily. There is so much that was in the book that they left out of the film, (like, the Order of the Phoenix, perhaps?) that I really wanted to see! S.P.E.W. would be nice, too, but they've completely obliterated that bit of the books. Boogerheads.....

In other news, work is seriously going downhill. We're losing Tinkerbell at the end of the month (Dance of Joy), but Floozee is leaving today, and Lady Tequila left on Wednesday. Floozee gave us two days notice, and L.T. simply called me at ten in the morning (after I got home at 3 a.m. from "HP&tOoP") to say "I have to leave now." (She's gone to New York with her sister, who was having housing problems). FUN!!!!! One of the cashier kids will be coming over, thankfully, but we're also getting a new person I've worked with before, and I am sooooooooooooo not looking forward to this. Oh well, never look a gift hamster in the mouth....

Also, at this time, my car is in the shop, and they've mentioned the word "transmission". Oh Lord in Heaven above......S-C-R-E-W-E-D!

bleah....

So, I'm off to play with tasty treats for Entheos, and to work on some Holiday shopping, if she knows what I mean. :)

also, muchas gracias to Ataxia for my pretty new early b-day prezzie. It's on now!