For Christmas, I bought myself a coloring book. It’s supposed to be therapeutic or something. Anyway, this was my attempt today.
Yeah, I suck…
- I’d never read Tolkien in school though many of my peers had. My first experience with it was when I saw Lord of the Rings. I fell in love with Hobbits, Elves, Humans, and Dwarves and ended up going to see the trilogy more than once. I own all three films. I actually read the books after I saw the movies and slogged through them. It was difficult but I found it a rewarding experience. I never did read The Hobbit nor have I seen the Hobbit films. I tried to watch part of the first one on Television and grew quickly disinterested.
- I had never read the Harry Potter books prior to seeing the first movie. I loved the movies though. I preferred Richard Harris as Dumbledore, but alas he had to go and die. I thought he was a fabulous actor in everything he did and to me he was a more sympathetic and whimsical Dumbledore. I own all of the movies from this series too. I bought the books but in all honesty I found them nearly impossible to read.
- I’ve always loved Star Trek. I can’t say I initially shipped Kirk and Spock but I certainly did later and well before the reboot movies. I’ve loved and watched all versions of Star Trek except I still haven’t seen Voyager or Enterprise. My plan is to someday. Like most, I hated the movie Generations for what it did to Kirk (And Spock, really, because of the whole Antonia nonsense).
- I was ecstatic when the first Star Trek reboot movie came out and I loved it. Seeing it multiple times. When I first saw it, though I agreed Jim was cute, I didn’t go crazy for him. It wasn’t until I owned the movie on DVD that my obsession with Chris began. I also began taking note of Zach. Once I did that, my fanfiction “career” began. I never ever liked the Spock/Uhura pairing because I already shipped Kirk and Spock from TOS.
- I’ve probably seen every episode of Ironside, Colombo, McMillan & Wife, and Murder She Wrote
- I had a gigantic crush on Rutger Hauer in Ladyhawke. He was so badass with his armor and giant sword and turning into a wolf. Such a romantic, tragic tale. But it annoyed the crap out of me that she only ever called his hero, Etienne Navarre by his last name.
- I liked the first three Star Wars movies well enough but I still wonder what the fuss is about
- I own Halloween and Halloween 2
- I didn’t learn to drive until I was in my 30s
- I loved the show The Wonder Years
- I loved the mystery and weirdness of Twin Peaks until they made it about demon possession
- I drink cream with a little coffee (this is referred to by me as the Coffee of Love)
- I like beer and wine but I am not much of a mixed drink drinker
- I love every kind of seafood but tilapia. I even eat it hardcore raw like sashimi
- I’ve tried frogs legs (sorry Kermit), snails, and rabbit (didn’t like any of them)
- I do not like ham but I love bacon and pork chops
- I’ve needed glasses since the 9th grade
- I’ve considered the FBI, acting, journalism, and historian as careers in the past
- I prefer Stephen King over Dean Koontz but have widely read both
- My favorite move used to be The Godfather. I still like it a lot but it’s been taken over a long time ago.
- I took German in high school
- Eeyore once pinched my butt
- I used to voraciously read books on the mob (Lucky Luciano, Myer Lansky, Bugsy Segal)
- I freaking love the first 6 seasons of Midsomer Murders
- I loved the first two seasons of American Horror Story (Zach was in both, coincidence? I think not), but haven’t been able to stomach the gore and horror of any other seasons
- I actually liked the movie Agent 47: Hitman with Zach and own it. He looked hot in it
- I think the first two Spiderman’s with Toby Maguire were the best superhero movies ever made. Next comes the first Avengers.
- I love the main theme from Cider House Rules (it’s also the theme for the commercials for Michigan’s “Pure Michigan” tourist commercials narrated by Tim Allen)
- I sometimes just sit and play Spirk videos for hours
- I love role playing video games and was a huge fan of Final Fantasy
As part of my weekly ramblings, you get a picture. Isn’t he pretty?
Well here we are in 2017.
The year didn’t start out well for me. I got a nasty comment on my fanfiction, When It Began, which basically questioned my whole scene with the teens, implying I was going “too fast” with the story, that the teens shouldn’t be kissing (who knows why), and worst of all, that Spock was completely out of character in the story. In fact they said he was so out of character “it hurt”. I am admittedly “Jimcentric” but I still try hard to get everything right with Spock. That was the New Year’s Day comment I woke up to.
To say I almost threw in the towel on that story as well as my entire account on AO3 would be an understatement. I put so much effort into those stories, not just for me, but for everyone else, and I was discouraged and disappointed.
I know I have a pretty vigorous readership on there. Many of whom never comment. And others who only comment sporadically. But all I could see was the negative.
I’m still struggling to “get over it”.
Like my friend, Kris, I don’t make resolutions. Not anymore. But I do have a few things I’d like to do this year and that includes the dreaded losing weight. I am too old at this point to worry about being hot or anything, but I do want to be healthier and that is probably more my goal than necessarily a number on a scale. I’d also like to be better with money. Later this year I will be going to Yellowstone (June) and how I will afford it is still a mystery. I spent way too much at Christmas, though it made ME happy to do so, so that’s important too. Still I need to better control my spending. I need to be better to myself too.
That’s about the extent of my ramblings this week. I am still going to the hospital on a daily basis. I’ll be there again tonight. The latest is that they’ve determined she has A-Fib as well as all kinds of infections. She’s having swallowing and speech therapy though and is doing quite well with those. She has no paralysis and her movement is fine. It also seems like most of the sundowner’s syndrome has faded. But yeah, still in the hospital and likely for a few more days.
Another week down and I had a pretty good Christmas. Got an Echo Dot and I am having fun with it. Lots of other stuff too. I’m a little spoiled. Yet I didn’t get Chris Pine for Christmas.
We actually had a pretty decent rain storm on Friday when I was at a friend’s house for our Christmas get together.
Ended up having a quiet Christmas Eve at home after all and we had lobster for dinner. Was lovely.
Anyway, we have a week left of this horrible year and I hope everyone does okay. I have a few chapters left Home for the Holidays and then I’ll get back to my regularly scheduled stories. I am looking forward to shutting some of them down so I can get to new stories I want to work on.
Today I am eating and watching TV and doing laundry. So exciting.
‘Tis the season for weird offenses.
People who get offended by “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” are annoying. There are all kinds of holidays. What in the hell is wrong with wishing someone well, which is what “Happy Holidays” is. People seem to think “Happy Holidays” is something new that came about because of the “War on Christmas” (laughable) but Andy Williams sang a song called “Happy Holidays” in the early 60s. Truly people, get over it.It’s not offensive to be told Happy Holidays even if you are Christian.
Someone posted on AO3 complaining that all the Spirk Christmas fics ignore that Spock is Jewish. Well, I don’t. But here’s the thing. Roddenberry was an Atheist. As far as I know what “religion” anyone was on Star Trek was not discussed. I don’t recall it. I know Leonard Nimoy was Jewish and was allowed to incorporate much of the Jewish religion into things we now know as Vulcan today. No one is disputing that. I admit I haven’t read any Spirk fics that show Spock being Christian, but I guess it’s possible there are. Usually in my own fics I leave Jesus out of the whole thing because I treat Christmas as a secular thing as I am at best agnostic. Anyway this person complained that a lot of it came from the people writing about the 2009 movie and onward. First of all, if you ARE new to the fandom, welcome. I would never ever think you should be made to feel unwelcome. And second, I know for a fact Spock’s religion is never brought up then. Winona Ryder who plays Spock’s mother, too briefly in my opinion, is Jewish. Zachary Quinto is not. So if you came to the fandom for the more recent movies, of course you aren’t going to know. I don’t know, it just seems something entirely too silly to get bothered over.
Right after that, I saw someone’s comment on a fic where the author did mention Spock being Jewish, and she made a comment that no other fics do that. Since I have and have seen others, I couldn’t help shaking my head and wondering when I became invisible.
Anyway, I have always been taught when you are different religions (or not at all religious as applies to me) you compromise on celebrations and the like. But what do I know?)
I guess I should keep my mouth shut as usual.
Happy Holidays!
So we went Christmas shopping. I’d already done a bunch but this was to finish it all off, including for a few friends I have at work. And the Significant had stuff to do too.
First we hit Walmart and it was sort of earlyish so it wasn’t so bad. There were lots of people there and I admit some of them made me want me to go…
Next we went to Bevmo, which was nearby and a bit better of an experience. I had Jack Daniels to buy for my friend at work and some little miniature bottles for a friend’s basket I am making. I don’t know if you’ve heard of Moscow Mules but SO is giving this friend a set of copper Moscow Mules cups so that’s why I was getting little vodkas. We coordinate nicely, after all.
Then we moved on to the mall.
Now in spite of Jim’s face here, it’s not that bad. It’s an outdoor mall. I am sure they don’t have those where most of you live. Whenever the SO parks, he chooses the farthest away spot you can imagine.
Which admittedly makes me go a little Sylar.
Anyway, we found a spot and headed into a place called Marshall’s. I don’t know that they have these everywhere, but they are sort of a little of everything. I didn’t get anything here but the SO did.
We then headed for lunch at Red Robin. After that we hit a Hallmark store, where the SO bought stuff again, but not me, and then Bath and Body Works. I was buying stuff here for females in my family. Place was a nightmare.
I was tempted to do this.
But it gets worse! LOL.
we leave to finally go to somewhere other than the mall and we can’t find the car. I thought we were further down then we were, because as I said, he parks far. We wandered around this parking lot for like 20 minutes and I was starting to panic thinking someone had stolen it with all the crap we’d just bought in it. Fortunately, that was not the case.
Then we hit Bed, Bath and Beyond which wasn’t so bad at all.
But then…we went to Target
Seriously scary stuff.
Then finally the grocery store. Right. Ugh.
So when we finally got home and put everything away at last
Right so there was our day.
Don’t really know what that has to do with my post, I’m just a Star Trek nerd.
Sometimes I feel like this:
Or maybe this:
I love December and the holidays involved with it. But it is not without its stresses and also its sad moments. A couple of people I was very close to had birthdays in December and each year that passes with them no longer with us I cannot help but feel that heartbreak.
Neither died during December but their births remind me even though both have been gone several years now.
One was born on December 12, which has now already passed for the year, and though I won’t go into details of the significance or even the identity of this person, there is a particular Christmas song that reminds me, Augie Rios’ Donde Esta Santa Claus. For a long time I was unable to get this version, which is the one that I remember my loved one for. Then a few years back on December 12th, I was sitting in my car waiting at the train station when the radio station I was listening to played this song and that version. To this day I remember sitting there with tears streaming down my face.
I do not believe in God, have not for a very long time, but to say that was a freakish coincidence is putting it lightly.
Now, I own this song and play it at least once on the 12th, and other times too.
The other was born on the 18th, a week before Christmas. She has been gone fewer years than the other but her absence is also keenly felt.
And others, too. Each year sees changes in our holidays, absences that cannot be overlooked. And I feel that more as I get older. Your mortality hits you hard at some point.
Last night was not a good night for me. I spent the night in severe pain on my left side from a bad arthritic attack and no matter how I tried I could not get comfortable. Losing loved ones and living with pain is something you learn to get used to as you age, I guess. But all I know is that time is marching on and will eventually leave me behind.
Tomorrow, Saturday, I intend to do a lot of Christmas shopping. I want to finish everything. I have a good start but tomorrow it will be over, if I have anything to say about it. I admit I have gone way overboard this year. I just feel the need to. My credit cards will not thank me later.
And since more and more holiday stuff is coming up, I am beginning to think I have bitten off far more than I can chew with regard to my holiday stories. Should have learned to leave well enough alone.
I have no more time off from work coming up other than the regular holidays of December 26 (for Christmas) and January 02 (for New Year’s). I decided to let co-workers take the holiday time to be with their families. And I have a ton of work to do, as always.
Anyway, I am working on the next chapter of I Heard the Bells. Should be up tomorrow before I go marathon shopping.
I’m off a couple day this week, which is always nice. Don’t have to go back to work until Thursday.
I don’t really have much to say this week.
This is totally just for fun. Feel free to list your own choices in comments if you’d like!
Favorite One True Pair: Kirk/Spock, of course
Hated Pairing: Spock/Uhura, of course
Favorite Original Star Trek Movie: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Favorite Alternate Original Star Trek Movie: Star Trek (2009)
Top 5 Favorite Movies (non-Star Trek): Tombstone, Rio Bravo, Ladyhawke, Princess Bride, A River Runs Through It
Favorite Performance by an Actor: Val Kilmer as Doc Holiday in Tombstone
Real Life Couple You’d Like to See: Chris Pine/Zachary Quinto
If you could meet anyone it would be (Alive): Chris Pine
If you could meet anyone it would be (Dead): John Lennon
Celebrities You Have Met: William Shatner, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Nichelle Nichols, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes
Favorite Kind of Music: 80s Rock
Least Favorite Kind of Music: Country
Places You’ve Been to: Ireland, Germany, Austria, Hawaii, Florida, Tennessee, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, Washington, Mexico, Oregon, Idaho, Texas, New York, Washington DC, North Dakota, Minnesota, New Jersey, Colorado
Places You’d Like to go to: Scotland, France, Italy, England, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Iceland, Maine, Massachusetts, Wyoming, Montana, Vermont.
Dream Job: Rich and retired
Something You Think is Overrated: Star Wars. No really. I like it. It’s okay. But I don’t get how it makes billions and billions over any other movie franchise. It puzzles me.
Spirk (with a small dose of Pinto) 