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Master Fic List
Doctor Who
Single Chapter Stories
Third Doctor
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Fourth Doctor
Cooking with Gallifreyans (LJ)
Ninth Doctor
( Read more... )
Tenth Doctor
( Read more... )
Eleventh Doctor
( Read more... )
Twelfth Doctor
( Read more... )
Thirteenth Doctor
( Read more... )
Sarah Jane Adventures
A Light in the Dark (LJ)
Carbon, Earth and Stardust (LJ)
Torchwood
Triptych (LJ)
Going Out With the Tide (LJ)
Multi-Chapter Stories
Walk Out With Me to the Unknown Region
Sapphire and Steel
( Read more... )
Arcane: League of Legends
( Read more... )
Marvel Cinematic Universe
( Read more... )
The Goblin Emperor
( Read more... )
Vorkosiverse
( Read more... )
Miscellaneous
( Read more... )
Meta
( Read more... )
External Links: Ao3; Teaspoon
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Sticky: Dept. of Organization
Saturday, 29 August 2015 04:57 pmMulti- Chapter Stories
Most links to my multi-chapter stories will be to their Dreamwidth posts; links to stories prior to 2012 may go both to LJ and DW. Each multi-chapter Whoniverse story is also available at my Teaspoon and AO3 accounts.
Doctor Who
Walk Out With Me to the Unknown Region
Hearts and Moons Recall the Truth
( Read more... )
Sea Bound Hearts
( Read more... )
Redeeming the Tree
( Read more... )
Paying A Debt
( Read more... )
Bubble Tea
( Read more... )
Most links to my multi-chapter stories will be to their Dreamwidth posts; links to stories prior to 2012 may go both to LJ and DW. Each multi-chapter Whoniverse story is also available at my Teaspoon and AO3 accounts.
Doctor Who
Walk Out With Me to the Unknown Region
Hearts and Moons Recall the Truth
( Read more... )
Sea Bound Hearts
( Read more... )
Redeeming the Tree
( Read more... )
Paying A Debt
( Read more... )
Bubble Tea
( Read more... )
Sticky: Dept. of Fandom Snowflake
Thursday, 2 January 2020 06:34 pm
Welcome - Let Me Talk About Myself!
This year I decided I'd take part in
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
snowflake_challenge , in part because I want to keep active in fandom, tell people how much I value them and, (probably more than) occasionally, talk about who I am and why I do what I do. The first challenge asked me to introduce myself to people. So here goes, but I've put it under a cut because it goes on and on and on.
( Read more... )
Dept. of Monday
Monday, 28 July 2025 05:06 pmMondays - Survivable
That's probably not fair to Mondays, especially since I haven't gotten anything done thus far. This Monday might turn out to be spectacularly good. I'm betting mine might land smack in the middle, between spectacular and survivable; more than occasionally enjoyable, as long as I get to complete some of the tasks I've assigned myself.
The past couple of weeks found me fighting depression, to which I'm sure I must have at least obliquely referred. Some of that has to do with immigration stress. Bob and I have very different visions of what our future should hold, and we had a productive talk about that. While the talk was productive, the stress is there. Our conversation is a good place from which to continue work on the immigration effort.
I am still trying hard to return to "The Vegetarian" and I'm wondering if it will be one of those books that I think I should read, but I can't catch hold of it, or it doesn't hook me. That doesn't happen often, and I do want to give the book one more try.
BB and I and one of our friends saw the movie "Tampopo" on Saturday night. Bob and I watched it years ago, and really loved it, and it was a treat to see it on the big screen at the small venue where it screened. (Facets Multimedia, for those in the Chicago cultural know.) If you ever have the chance, find somewhere to rent or stream it because it's wonderful, even on a small screen.
It's an amazing 1985 Japanese comedy about love, lust (be forewarned), hard work, the love of food, and the herculean task of creating the best ramen shop ever, by training the widow who runs it. It's also a Western, sort of. It's hard to describe beyond that. It also seems to me to be a loving but critical snapshot of Japan before that country's economic downturn in the late 1980s and 1990s.
Today I have to do some actual for-money writing. I've actually transcribed my notes from the interview I did almost a month ago, and I figure it's time to go over them, highlight what I think should be in the feature, and then at least start the feature.
Later on ... well, I'll probably stay indoors until my physical therapy appointment this afternoon, since the heat index is going to be in the mid to high 90s. Humidity, what even is it? I'd give a lot to have Arizona heat; nice and dry.
I've had this song, by the Irish duo Saint Sister, in my head on and off for perhaps two weeks. It's beautiful, haunting, and it also cuts like a razor. I love this live version, which they performed several years ago. The music video is also spot on, if you want to watch that. I checked and was happy to know that they still exist, although they're not performing for a while, as the two of them work on solo projects. I hope you like it, and I hope your Monday is going well.
That's probably not fair to Mondays, especially since I haven't gotten anything done thus far. This Monday might turn out to be spectacularly good. I'm betting mine might land smack in the middle, between spectacular and survivable; more than occasionally enjoyable, as long as I get to complete some of the tasks I've assigned myself.
The past couple of weeks found me fighting depression, to which I'm sure I must have at least obliquely referred. Some of that has to do with immigration stress. Bob and I have very different visions of what our future should hold, and we had a productive talk about that. While the talk was productive, the stress is there. Our conversation is a good place from which to continue work on the immigration effort.
I am still trying hard to return to "The Vegetarian" and I'm wondering if it will be one of those books that I think I should read, but I can't catch hold of it, or it doesn't hook me. That doesn't happen often, and I do want to give the book one more try.
BB and I and one of our friends saw the movie "Tampopo" on Saturday night. Bob and I watched it years ago, and really loved it, and it was a treat to see it on the big screen at the small venue where it screened. (Facets Multimedia, for those in the Chicago cultural know.) If you ever have the chance, find somewhere to rent or stream it because it's wonderful, even on a small screen.
It's an amazing 1985 Japanese comedy about love, lust (be forewarned), hard work, the love of food, and the herculean task of creating the best ramen shop ever, by training the widow who runs it. It's also a Western, sort of. It's hard to describe beyond that. It also seems to me to be a loving but critical snapshot of Japan before that country's economic downturn in the late 1980s and 1990s.
Today I have to do some actual for-money writing. I've actually transcribed my notes from the interview I did almost a month ago, and I figure it's time to go over them, highlight what I think should be in the feature, and then at least start the feature.
Later on ... well, I'll probably stay indoors until my physical therapy appointment this afternoon, since the heat index is going to be in the mid to high 90s. Humidity, what even is it? I'd give a lot to have Arizona heat; nice and dry.
I've had this song, by the Irish duo Saint Sister, in my head on and off for perhaps two weeks. It's beautiful, haunting, and it also cuts like a razor. I love this live version, which they performed several years ago. The music video is also spot on, if you want to watch that. I checked and was happy to know that they still exist, although they're not performing for a while, as the two of them work on solo projects. I hope you like it, and I hope your Monday is going well.
Dept. of No, I'm Not Dead
Thursday, 24 July 2025 08:17 pmWhere's My Name Tag?
I feel as if I should have one of those "My Name Is" stick-on tags, I've been around here so rarely. Blame the fact that I'm hanging around in my KPop-related Discord community, but I don't ever want to abandon this community.
What can I tell you about the last couple of weeks? A back spasm episode that seems to have finally settled, a lot of time spent in the kitchen, baking and cooking; my stress relievers of choice.
I've been working on the continuation of my most recent fic, because it will. not. leave. me. alone. I've also started adding chapters of my completed NaNo novel over atoriginalkaffy_r , which I hope will kick my original writing back into gear.
Tomorrow I take my friend RS to Skokie Courthouse, where she has to appear on her own (only for one appointment; hereafter, I gather her attorney will be on hand) with regard to a fight with her condo association. Her attorney clocked the association's attorney as being from a firm that specializes in bullying people involved this type of fight. It's possible that if she gets on her hind legs, legally speaking, the association and their attorney will back off.
I agreed to take her because a) it's possible to get there by public trans, but it's a pain and b) I can tell she's unnerved by the whole thing. I'm not looking forward to it myself. It's been six or seven years since I last had to cover any court case up there, and it certainly isn't the zoo at 26th and Cal, but even a nice suburban branch of Cook County Circuit Court has the feeling of depression, worry, and despair that just soak into you. So many people caught in the pipeline to jail and then prison ... and even the civil cases have an air of tragedy ....
But I can choose not to think about that, and instead focus on giving her as much support as I can.
As for the move? I don't know. I'm sinking into a bit of despair for a couple of reasons. Further, deponent saith naught, at least for now.
Oh, and we're getting to watch fireflies out our courtyard window, which is a wonderful thing to end on.
I feel as if I should have one of those "My Name Is" stick-on tags, I've been around here so rarely. Blame the fact that I'm hanging around in my KPop-related Discord community, but I don't ever want to abandon this community.
What can I tell you about the last couple of weeks? A back spasm episode that seems to have finally settled, a lot of time spent in the kitchen, baking and cooking; my stress relievers of choice.
I've been working on the continuation of my most recent fic, because it will. not. leave. me. alone. I've also started adding chapters of my completed NaNo novel over at
originalkaffy_r , which I hope will kick my original writing back into gear. Tomorrow I take my friend RS to Skokie Courthouse, where she has to appear on her own (only for one appointment; hereafter, I gather her attorney will be on hand) with regard to a fight with her condo association. Her attorney clocked the association's attorney as being from a firm that specializes in bullying people involved this type of fight. It's possible that if she gets on her hind legs, legally speaking, the association and their attorney will back off.
I agreed to take her because a) it's possible to get there by public trans, but it's a pain and b) I can tell she's unnerved by the whole thing. I'm not looking forward to it myself. It's been six or seven years since I last had to cover any court case up there, and it certainly isn't the zoo at 26th and Cal, but even a nice suburban branch of Cook County Circuit Court has the feeling of depression, worry, and despair that just soak into you. So many people caught in the pipeline to jail and then prison ... and even the civil cases have an air of tragedy ....
But I can choose not to think about that, and instead focus on giving her as much support as I can.
As for the move? I don't know. I'm sinking into a bit of despair for a couple of reasons. Further, deponent saith naught, at least for now.
Oh, and we're getting to watch fireflies out our courtyard window, which is a wonderful thing to end on.
Dept. of Birthdays
Wednesday, 9 July 2025 08:06 pmHey, ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
masakochan !
I hope you've had a Happy Birthday, and may the coming year be good for you. I'm glad I know you!
masakochan !I hope you've had a Happy Birthday, and may the coming year be good for you. I'm glad I know you!
Dept. of Stupid
Wednesday, 9 July 2025 07:10 pmJust When You Think It Couldn't be More Stupid
Now come six proofs that you can have the IQ of a broken toaster and still make it to Washington D.C.
From the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation; four U.S. House Representatives from Minnesota, and two from Wisconsin, sent a letter to the Canadian Ambassador to the U.S.
Their subject? The smoke from Canadian wildfires that were coming south and preventing people in their states from enjoying outdoor summer activities.
Seriously.
Since I would not be surprised in the least if you've already started snickering, sure that I'm having you on, here's the story. It's not behind a paywall, I swear. And it notes with a perfectly straight face, the smoke from U.S. wildfires heading northward. The "Are you actually humans, or malfunctioning Chat GPT programs?" is unspoken.
These six examples of Darwin's Law are either fully aware of the fatuous asininity exhibited in this letter and are doing it to ingratiate themselves with Dear Leader or to their own MAGA constituents ...
... or they're really that stupid.
JFC. Once I would have laughed merrily at this. Today I'm perilously close to weeping.
Now come six proofs that you can have the IQ of a broken toaster and still make it to Washington D.C.
From the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation; four U.S. House Representatives from Minnesota, and two from Wisconsin, sent a letter to the Canadian Ambassador to the U.S.
Their subject? The smoke from Canadian wildfires that were coming south and preventing people in their states from enjoying outdoor summer activities.
Seriously.
Since I would not be surprised in the least if you've already started snickering, sure that I'm having you on, here's the story. It's not behind a paywall, I swear. And it notes with a perfectly straight face, the smoke from U.S. wildfires heading northward. The "Are you actually humans, or malfunctioning Chat GPT programs?" is unspoken.
These six examples of Darwin's Law are either fully aware of the fatuous asininity exhibited in this letter and are doing it to ingratiate themselves with Dear Leader or to their own MAGA constituents ...
... or they're really that stupid.
JFC. Once I would have laughed merrily at this. Today I'm perilously close to weeping.
Dept. of Grammar Strangeness
Sunday, 6 July 2025 05:40 pmI use semi-colons; you?
Anyone who reads anything I write, whether fictional or non-fictional, knows of my love for semi-colons. When I think about why that's so, the one thing that leaps to what I laughingly call my mind is that I use them to reflect the same patterns I use when speaking. I find them extremely useful to demarcate thoughts, observations, realizations that could reasonably be considered "in process," rather completed. (Protip; don't use quotation marks quite as liberally as I undoubtedly have. That leads to bad grocery window displays; almost as much as apostrophe misuse.)
WRT that last sentence; see wut I did thar? But I digress.
I read this WaPo article* this morning and have grumbled about it all day. In part that's because it's not that well-written a story - it's apparently predicated on the assumption that cleverness is preferable to writing a story with a point, or at least preferable to having to prove you can write such a story.
In larger part it's because I'm part of an apparently shrinking number of English speakers and writers who have sworn off this kind of proscriptive grammar pedantry, in favor of punctuation that has a perfectly understandable and effective use, if used properly.
So I must ask my friends, for whom the acronym AKICOTI (all knowledge is contained on the internet, for those who don't trust the internet) was undoubtedly coined:
* I cancelled my subscription months ago, but was told I was still a member until sometime in November. Most likely they hope I'll resubscribe.
Edit as of 7th July: With many thanks toconuly , here is a link to what I think can get you to see the WaPo article without running into paywalls. Let me know if it works.
Anyone who reads anything I write, whether fictional or non-fictional, knows of my love for semi-colons. When I think about why that's so, the one thing that leaps to what I laughingly call my mind is that I use them to reflect the same patterns I use when speaking. I find them extremely useful to demarcate thoughts, observations, realizations that could reasonably be considered "in process," rather completed. (Protip; don't use quotation marks quite as liberally as I undoubtedly have. That leads to bad grocery window displays; almost as much as apostrophe misuse.)
WRT that last sentence; see wut I did thar? But I digress.
I read this WaPo article* this morning and have grumbled about it all day. In part that's because it's not that well-written a story - it's apparently predicated on the assumption that cleverness is preferable to writing a story with a point, or at least preferable to having to prove you can write such a story.
In larger part it's because I'm part of an apparently shrinking number of English speakers and writers who have sworn off this kind of proscriptive grammar pedantry, in favor of punctuation that has a perfectly understandable and effective use, if used properly.
So I must ask my friends, for whom the acronym AKICOTI (all knowledge is contained on the internet, for those who don't trust the internet) was undoubtedly coined:
Poll #33330 Semi -colons: Threat or Menact
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 21
I use semi-colons
View Answers
All the time; if it's good enough for Jane Austen and Lincoln, it's fine by me.
10 (47.6%)
When I deem the time is right. Which isn't all the time, damnit!
10 (47.6%)
Occasionally; that's because it's only occasionally useful.
0 (0.0%)
Rarely; I mean, I think that's what the WaPo writer meant ....
0 (0.0%)
Never! *makes warding anti-semi-colon sign*
0 (0.0%)
Other, which I'll explain in comments
1 (4.8%)
* I cancelled my subscription months ago, but was told I was still a member until sometime in November. Most likely they hope I'll resubscribe.
Edit as of 7th July: With many thanks to
conuly , here is a link to what I think can get you to see the WaPo article without running into paywalls. Let me know if it works.
Dept. of Fare thee well, Democracy
Thursday, 3 July 2025 01:33 pmThey Did It
I mean, there was no way it wasn't going to pass, but it's still like a knife twist, like salt in the wound that knife left, like the laughter of the people who brought knives and salt to the scene.
Motherfuckers. Murderers.
I mean, there was no way it wasn't going to pass, but it's still like a knife twist, like salt in the wound that knife left, like the laughter of the people who brought knives and salt to the scene.
Motherfuckers. Murderers.
Dept. of Dreams
Sunday, 29 June 2025 03:44 pmI Try to Save the World in My Sleep
I don't dream nearly as much as I used to, or at least I don't remember the dreams I probably have. I think most people have that experience, especially as they grow older. But there are dreams I remember, and they are almost always of a type.
In all of them, I'm trying to save someone, or many someones. I'm always so very slow, my limbs sticky with dream physics, but I keep trying, even though sometimes I know that what I can do isn't nearly enough.
( Dreams underneath )
I don't dream nearly as much as I used to, or at least I don't remember the dreams I probably have. I think most people have that experience, especially as they grow older. But there are dreams I remember, and they are almost always of a type.
In all of them, I'm trying to save someone, or many someones. I'm always so very slow, my limbs sticky with dream physics, but I keep trying, even though sometimes I know that what I can do isn't nearly enough.
( Dreams underneath )
Dept. of Success
Friday, 27 June 2025 05:30 pmGot Through to the IRS
Huzzah!
I don't have to say much about it, but yes, I managed to complete my IRS account, and got approved for a timed repayment plan. Huzzah indeed!
Huzzah!
I don't have to say much about it, but yes, I managed to complete my IRS account, and got approved for a timed repayment plan. Huzzah indeed!
Dept. of Surfacing
Monday, 23 June 2025 03:35 pmIt's Not the Heat, It's the Humidity ...
... which is, of course, a rank lie, at least here in Chicago and a fair amount of the American Midwest. *checks weather site* It is currently 98F, with a heat index of 108F, thanks to the aforementioned humidity. This is the third day, and I imagine I should be grateful that the heat index wasn't up at 117F, as it was yesterday and the day before.
( Griping, etc. under here )
... which is, of course, a rank lie, at least here in Chicago and a fair amount of the American Midwest. *checks weather site* It is currently 98F, with a heat index of 108F, thanks to the aforementioned humidity. This is the third day, and I imagine I should be grateful that the heat index wasn't up at 117F, as it was yesterday and the day before.
( Griping, etc. under here )
Dept. of No Kings
Saturday, 14 June 2025 05:14 pmHope. Blood. No Kings.
Our day started far too early, at least as far our aging bodies were concerned, but we had a mission. We headed from our home, our sign in the trunk, picked up our friend Rose, and headed to Evanston's downtown Fountain Square for that No Kings rally. It was lively, peaceful, filled with chants and a happy amount of music. It felt good to be there, and I held our sign up as high as I could (and hoped that I didn't block the view of too many people behind me.) I felt so energized by everyone around me, and by everyone across the country who turned out like we did.
Estimates of attendance at Evanston's rally was around 1,000 and Chicago's was estimated at about 75,000. Add the various other suburbs' rallies to Chicago, and that number jumps to close to 100,000. At the end of the day, it appears that the vast majority of national rallies were peaceful; LA's various police organizations appear to have become violent, as did police in Seattle and Portland, although protestors in the latter appear to have been more violent than they should have been.
And then we got home, and the first thing I saw when I turned on my laptop was the news out of Minnesota. Two Democratic state legislators shot; one killed along with her husband, the other injured along with his wife. And the apparent murderer is, based on what news reports have compiled, a Trump supporter - with a list of other potential targets, including pro-reproductive healthcare activists and Democrats - and probably a Christofascist because of course he would be.
As of 7:36 p.m. Chicago time, the POS hasn't been captured. I hope he chooses neither self-inflicted suicide, nor suicide by cop. I hope he's caught, given the full benefit of American law, and, if a jury of his peers finds him guilty of two murders and two attempted murders, that he spends the rest of his miserable life forgotten behind bars.
But let's not speak of him; let's remember those he killed and injured. And let's look at the number of people across the country who attended "No Kings" rallies - my rough and very incomplete estimates stand at well over half a million; others are estimating several million. The Washington "I Wish I was Kim Jong Un" parade? According to the AP, it appeared to fall very short of the 200,000 predicted earlier. Good.
Now I'm going to finish eating a piece of chocolate, and go hang with the Couch Crew over on Discord.
Our day started far too early, at least as far our aging bodies were concerned, but we had a mission. We headed from our home, our sign in the trunk, picked up our friend Rose, and headed to Evanston's downtown Fountain Square for that No Kings rally. It was lively, peaceful, filled with chants and a happy amount of music. It felt good to be there, and I held our sign up as high as I could (and hoped that I didn't block the view of too many people behind me.) I felt so energized by everyone around me, and by everyone across the country who turned out like we did.
Estimates of attendance at Evanston's rally was around 1,000 and Chicago's was estimated at about 75,000. Add the various other suburbs' rallies to Chicago, and that number jumps to close to 100,000. At the end of the day, it appears that the vast majority of national rallies were peaceful; LA's various police organizations appear to have become violent, as did police in Seattle and Portland, although protestors in the latter appear to have been more violent than they should have been.
And then we got home, and the first thing I saw when I turned on my laptop was the news out of Minnesota. Two Democratic state legislators shot; one killed along with her husband, the other injured along with his wife. And the apparent murderer is, based on what news reports have compiled, a Trump supporter - with a list of other potential targets, including pro-reproductive healthcare activists and Democrats - and probably a Christofascist because of course he would be.
As of 7:36 p.m. Chicago time, the POS hasn't been captured. I hope he chooses neither self-inflicted suicide, nor suicide by cop. I hope he's caught, given the full benefit of American law, and, if a jury of his peers finds him guilty of two murders and two attempted murders, that he spends the rest of his miserable life forgotten behind bars.
But let's not speak of him; let's remember those he killed and injured. And let's look at the number of people across the country who attended "No Kings" rallies - my rough and very incomplete estimates stand at well over half a million; others are estimating several million. The Washington "I Wish I was Kim Jong Un" parade? According to the AP, it appeared to fall very short of the 200,000 predicted earlier. Good.
Now I'm going to finish eating a piece of chocolate, and go hang with the Couch Crew over on Discord.
Dept. of Small Victories
Thursday, 12 June 2025 09:57 pmYesss ... Suck It, Cheeto!
I needed this. A judge told That Man that he was being an illegal POS in two separate ways. Even though I'm perfectly aware that this administration's playbook is "Ignore the courts," I know this one is probably like a cockleburr under his saddle.
As I said, suck it.
I needed this. A judge told That Man that he was being an illegal POS in two separate ways. Even though I'm perfectly aware that this administration's playbook is "Ignore the courts," I know this one is probably like a cockleburr under his saddle.
As I said, suck it.
Dept. of Music Says Goodbye
Wednesday, 11 June 2025 10:48 pmSly and Brian
It's tempting to say they received the gift of creating music from the angels. That's not the case. They made that music all themselves. They worked at it, struggled to get it right; just right, as they interpreted "just right." They worked with others. They worked alone. They got it wrong. They swore. They fell down. They got up. They won and they failed. And they won again.
They both were visited by demons. They fought them. Sometimes they lost. Sometimes they won. They did a lot of falling down and getting back up again. And when they could, they went back to making that music.
And the angels were just a little shocked; just a little jealous. A little glad the music had come into being.
I hope they're somewhere, exchanging notes about how they made some celestial bangers even before they got there.
(Don't mind the spotty visual - it's live and it's dynamic, and it's him and his family, so it's just right.)
It's tempting to say they received the gift of creating music from the angels. That's not the case. They made that music all themselves. They worked at it, struggled to get it right; just right, as they interpreted "just right." They worked with others. They worked alone. They got it wrong. They swore. They fell down. They got up. They won and they failed. And they won again.
They both were visited by demons. They fought them. Sometimes they lost. Sometimes they won. They did a lot of falling down and getting back up again. And when they could, they went back to making that music.
And the angels were just a little shocked; just a little jealous. A little glad the music had come into being.
I hope they're somewhere, exchanging notes about how they made some celestial bangers even before they got there.
(Don't mind the spotty visual - it's live and it's dynamic, and it's him and his family, so it's just right.)
Dept. of The Fall of Empires
Monday, 9 June 2025 06:36 pmJesus Fucking Christ
It's already been bad for days out in LA, and now the motherfuckers are deploying marines there? Marines? The actual military?
It's only a matter of time - days? - before they send them into my city. Fuck. My neighborhood might not be as heavily Hispanic as Pilsen or Humboldt Park, but Rogers Park has a big enough undocumented community that ICE thugs have already been reported hanging around; at least that's the report. Last week I hoped it was just a fear-fueled rumor. Now?
Sorry for the swearing; but not too sorry. The moment calls for it.
It's already been bad for days out in LA, and now the motherfuckers are deploying marines there? Marines? The actual military?
It's only a matter of time - days? - before they send them into my city. Fuck. My neighborhood might not be as heavily Hispanic as Pilsen or Humboldt Park, but Rogers Park has a big enough undocumented community that ICE thugs have already been reported hanging around; at least that's the report. Last week I hoped it was just a fear-fueled rumor. Now?
Sorry for the swearing; but not too sorry. The moment calls for it.
Dept. of Putting It Out There
Sunday, 8 June 2025 04:23 pmFor the Millions Thousands Hundreds Dozens Handful of My Fans
I finally decided I might as well put this piece of RPF-adjacent fic up here. Alert the press.
Also, I'm putting the MV here (under a cut, I'm not subjecting folks to it if they don't want to see it), so that if you do want to read it, you have the MV there as proof of what sparked this ridiculousness creativity.
I finally decided I might as well put this piece of RPF-adjacent fic up here. Alert the press.
Also, I'm putting the MV here (under a cut, I'm not subjecting folks to it if they don't want to see it), so that if you do want to read it, you have the MV there as proof of what sparked this
( Watch )
With that handled, here's the story, under its very own cut.
Fandom: Stray Kids, Stray Kids "Escape" MV
With that handled, here's the story, under its very own cut.
Fandom: Stray Kids, Stray Kids "Escape" MV
Words: 1,826 per AO3
*** *** *** *** ***
( Read more... )*** *** *** *** ***
Dept. of Brief
Friday, 6 June 2025 09:27 amProof of Life
It's been a minute, so I decided to touch down for at least half of another minute.
In brief: before I even got past the third Dr. Who, and despite doing my damnedest to avoid any spoilers, I read the wrong headline *shakes fist at The Guardian*, so I'm avoiding actually watching the remaining episodes until I can bear to watch them. That's not logical in the least, but there you go.
Acting on advice fromlilacsigil , I adjusted my AO3 Stray Kids fanfic's fandom tag, taking it out of SKZ fandom and tagging it as part of music video fandom. I also cut my note so that it didn't sound so awfully condescending. That made me feel better. It also gave me the chance to do a bit of editing, and that was even better. I'm not sure I'll post it here. I have to see if my conflicting impulses eventually pan out that way.
We have one of our old bachelor friends coming over this afternoon; he wants help navigating his computer, which Bob will handle. He also wants help understanding his smartphone, and that's going to be my responsibility. This gentleman has previously had a flip phone, or some kind of dumb mobile; he really doesn't like mobiles, but I think he finally admitted that they're necessary in modern life, and so he got the smartphone, and now he needs help navigating it. We'll see if I can help him out.
I think that's all, but I hope to post again later today.
It's been a minute, so I decided to touch down for at least half of another minute.
In brief: before I even got past the third Dr. Who, and despite doing my damnedest to avoid any spoilers, I read the wrong headline *shakes fist at The Guardian*, so I'm avoiding actually watching the remaining episodes until I can bear to watch them. That's not logical in the least, but there you go.
Acting on advice from
lilacsigil , I adjusted my AO3 Stray Kids fanfic's fandom tag, taking it out of SKZ fandom and tagging it as part of music video fandom. I also cut my note so that it didn't sound so awfully condescending. That made me feel better. It also gave me the chance to do a bit of editing, and that was even better. I'm not sure I'll post it here. I have to see if my conflicting impulses eventually pan out that way.We have one of our old bachelor friends coming over this afternoon; he wants help navigating his computer, which Bob will handle. He also wants help understanding his smartphone, and that's going to be my responsibility. This gentleman has previously had a flip phone, or some kind of dumb mobile; he really doesn't like mobiles, but I think he finally admitted that they're necessary in modern life, and so he got the smartphone, and now he needs help navigating it. We'll see if I can help him out.
I think that's all, but I hope to post again later today.
Dept. of Remembrance
Friday, 30 May 2025 06:57 pmHappy Birthday, Mum
This is Mary Glen Keirstead Routliffe Stirling. She was born on May 30, 1927, in Greenwich, Nova Scotia, Canada. For most of her life, she lived within 10.5 miles of the house where a midwife delivered her.* Nova Scotia was where she died, on Oct. 27, 2013. Nova Scotia was her home.
In the 13 years since she died, I've generally remembered her on the anniversary of her death, and I'll undoubtedly do that again. But today, when she would have turned 98 if she hadn't moved on, I wanted to turn my face to the sky and sing Happy Birthday to her. I hope she and my stepdad, Rob Stirling, young and beautiful again as they were when they fell in love, are together.
And I like to think that after a modest dinner at a modest heavenly restaurant, with a birthday cake that has all the taste and none of the calories, that they will leave the restaurant, and dance together, twirling and laughing, in the stars.
I love you, Mum.
*She spent a short time in Montreal as a newly minted nurse, and later, in the years she was married to my father, she lived in or around Mont Joli, Quebec. Together, those probably consisted of no more than five years.
This is Mary Glen Keirstead Routliffe Stirling. She was born on May 30, 1927, in Greenwich, Nova Scotia, Canada. For most of her life, she lived within 10.5 miles of the house where a midwife delivered her.* Nova Scotia was where she died, on Oct. 27, 2013. Nova Scotia was her home.
In the 13 years since she died, I've generally remembered her on the anniversary of her death, and I'll undoubtedly do that again. But today, when she would have turned 98 if she hadn't moved on, I wanted to turn my face to the sky and sing Happy Birthday to her. I hope she and my stepdad, Rob Stirling, young and beautiful again as they were when they fell in love, are together.
And I like to think that after a modest dinner at a modest heavenly restaurant, with a birthday cake that has all the taste and none of the calories, that they will leave the restaurant, and dance together, twirling and laughing, in the stars.
I love you, Mum.
*She spent a short time in Montreal as a newly minted nurse, and later, in the years she was married to my father, she lived in or around Mont Joli, Quebec. Together, those probably consisted of no more than five years.
Dept. of Kitchen Work
Wednesday, 28 May 2025 08:24 pmOrange Cake and Daily Tasks
Very quickly, because I'm busy rewatching a Korean music group challenge show (because of course I am), I wanted to announce to a waiting world that the second time I baked this particular orange cake, it was just as good as the first time. I am satisfied.
Today was supposed to be the first day that I gathered up all the paperwork we need to prepare Bob's Canadian permanent residence application. I ended up dealing with other things, but I hope it wasn't just a case of me trying to avoid a tough job. It's undoubtedly not nearly as tough as my fears make it seem. I'm going to do my best tomorrow to get the job done. Then Bob and I will figure out the following day's tasks wrt the application. We figured that we'd try to tackle one job each every day, and we're going to try to stick to that.
Well, except for me, obviously. Sigh.
Wish us both luck tomorrow.
Very quickly, because I'm busy rewatching a Korean music group challenge show (because of course I am), I wanted to announce to a waiting world that the second time I baked this particular orange cake, it was just as good as the first time. I am satisfied.
Today was supposed to be the first day that I gathered up all the paperwork we need to prepare Bob's Canadian permanent residence application. I ended up dealing with other things, but I hope it wasn't just a case of me trying to avoid a tough job. It's undoubtedly not nearly as tough as my fears make it seem. I'm going to do my best tomorrow to get the job done. Then Bob and I will figure out the following day's tasks wrt the application. We figured that we'd try to tackle one job each every day, and we're going to try to stick to that.
Well, except for me, obviously. Sigh.
Wish us both luck tomorrow.
Dept. of Holy Days
Monday, 26 May 2025 02:41 pmOnce Again, I Remember.
There are thousands upon thousands of men and women across the country's military branches who have given their lives in defense of the nation, or as victims of the country's necessary and unnecessary wars. This day is complicated, especially for someone who grew up in Canada, where solemn remembrance of such losses are marked on Nov. 11.
Over the years, I've come to mark Memorial Day in two ways. I honor those people, so many of them young, who gave the last full measure of devotion in wars. And I also remember people who I lost. So here are two essays I wrote in previous years.
*** *** ***
Memorial Day: It's Complicated
( It's complicated. )
*** *** ***
I Remember: A Personal Memorial Day
( I Miss Them )
There are thousands upon thousands of men and women across the country's military branches who have given their lives in defense of the nation, or as victims of the country's necessary and unnecessary wars. This day is complicated, especially for someone who grew up in Canada, where solemn remembrance of such losses are marked on Nov. 11.
Over the years, I've come to mark Memorial Day in two ways. I honor those people, so many of them young, who gave the last full measure of devotion in wars. And I also remember people who I lost. So here are two essays I wrote in previous years.
*** *** ***
Memorial Day: It's Complicated
( It's complicated. )
*** *** ***
I Remember: A Personal Memorial Day
( I Miss Them )
Dept. of Sunday Success
Sunday, 25 May 2025 07:48 pmBread Worked Out. Plus 2024 Ateez Coachella Performances Located
Yes, I am but a tiny speck on this globe, and my successes and failures are as unimportant as can possibly be imagined. Still, one takes one's victories where one can find them, she said pretentiously.
First the bread. I went back to a Kitchen Aid recipe for two loaves of white bread. I'd previously had minimal success with it, but I wasn't going to fool around with a completely new recipe, and potentially lose more ingredients, a la yesterday's whole wheat bread failure (I'm not going to call it a debacle, because I've learned from it.)
I was pleasantly surprised, to put it mildly. I paid a great deal of attention to the heat of the liquid into which I was supposed to put the dry yeast, and I'm embarrassed to say that was something I previously failed to do well. And surprise! The bread came together and rose beautifully, not just during the first rise, but during the final rise. They're now out of the oven and they look spectacularly ordinary, which was what I was aiming for. Huzzah!
The second bit of success was within the field of my latest obsession, the KPop group called Ateez. Like SKZ, they have eight members, and they debuted just a bit later (Oct. 24, 2018) than Stray Kids (March 25, 2018). The two groups are very friendly, despite working under different entertainment agencies.
Ateez songs, choreography, and lore differ noticeably from SKZ; to my ears, they're just a hair rougher than their hyungs. Both groups have labored under peoples' view of them as noisy, and I think that's one of the reasons they appreciate each other. But I digress. I was trying to find videos of one or both weekends they performed at Coachella 2024. It was difficult, but the KPop subreddit came to my rescue. And since Bob agreed to watch one of the performances with me, I now have something to show him. Again - huzzah!
Yes, I am but a tiny speck on this globe, and my successes and failures are as unimportant as can possibly be imagined. Still, one takes one's victories where one can find them, she said pretentiously.
First the bread. I went back to a Kitchen Aid recipe for two loaves of white bread. I'd previously had minimal success with it, but I wasn't going to fool around with a completely new recipe, and potentially lose more ingredients, a la yesterday's whole wheat bread failure (I'm not going to call it a debacle, because I've learned from it.)
I was pleasantly surprised, to put it mildly. I paid a great deal of attention to the heat of the liquid into which I was supposed to put the dry yeast, and I'm embarrassed to say that was something I previously failed to do well. And surprise! The bread came together and rose beautifully, not just during the first rise, but during the final rise. They're now out of the oven and they look spectacularly ordinary, which was what I was aiming for. Huzzah!
The second bit of success was within the field of my latest obsession, the KPop group called Ateez. Like SKZ, they have eight members, and they debuted just a bit later (Oct. 24, 2018) than Stray Kids (March 25, 2018). The two groups are very friendly, despite working under different entertainment agencies.
Ateez songs, choreography, and lore differ noticeably from SKZ; to my ears, they're just a hair rougher than their hyungs. Both groups have labored under peoples' view of them as noisy, and I think that's one of the reasons they appreciate each other. But I digress. I was trying to find videos of one or both weekends they performed at Coachella 2024. It was difficult, but the KPop subreddit came to my rescue. And since Bob agreed to watch one of the performances with me, I now have something to show him. Again - huzzah!
Dept. of Remembrance
Sunday, 25 May 2025 07:40 pmGeorge Floyd
It's been five years since George Floyd was murdered by Derek Chauvin. Little has changed, except to get worse.
The racist rot runs deep in this country - arguably it's one of the rotten support beams holding the United States up. Perhaps we can change that, and create support beams that partake of justice, but these days I'm not overly optimistic.
I remember George Floyd. I mourn him, at least in that way that a strange white woman can mourn him. I hope other strange white women, and white men, and others who aren't Black Americans can also mourn. And perhaps starting working for something better.
It's been five years since George Floyd was murdered by Derek Chauvin. Little has changed, except to get worse.
The racist rot runs deep in this country - arguably it's one of the rotten support beams holding the United States up. Perhaps we can change that, and create support beams that partake of justice, but these days I'm not overly optimistic.
I remember George Floyd. I mourn him, at least in that way that a strange white woman can mourn him. I hope other strange white women, and white men, and others who aren't Black Americans can also mourn. And perhaps starting working for something better.
Dept. of Social Interaction
Saturday, 24 May 2025 10:27 pmEntertaining: the Art of Maintaining Spoons
We had a young friend over for supper tonight. He's a reporter I've known for a few years. He's very good at what he does, although I sometimes wonder if he fully realizes it. He is an immigrant, whose family came to the U.S. when he was fairly young, and he's worked through some challenges, and done so very well, in my opinion. He recently became an American citizen.
I put together some slow-cooker beef bourguignon (well, it started that way, but I added a lot more than just red wine, plus vegetables that don't normally go into that dish), and an orange cake, put the place generally to rights, with Bob's help. I'd hoped to dust the living room, but Bob got the carpet vacuumed, and that made the place presentable.
For a wonder, everything was ready when our friend got here. It's been some time (as in, a few years) since we've had him over. We truly are hermits; we have friends who we haven't interacted with for horribly long periods of time ... anyhow, last week I ran into him at a social event for people who work for one of the local online news outlets I do stringer work for. He was feeling fairly down for various reasons, and asked if I could give him a hug. Well, that did it for me; I had to have him over for supper.
We had a really enjoyable time with him, for a couple of hours, and then I had to bring the evening to a close. The physical reason was because my back was starting to suggest that I should find some heat or ice as soon as possible. The mental and emotional reason was that I abruptly lost every one of my remaining spoons and I needed to be alone with Bob, STAT.
It happens to me, and to Bob. We still enjoy entertaining people, albeit not nearly as much as we used to, when we had a larger place, but it's always been tiring, and these days it's even more so. Entertaining people means you have to put your own best foot forward; you have to be on, in order to make sure your guests have a good time, to make sure you're listening to them, to make sure you're not talking too much at their expense, and so much more. And yes, you work hard to present yourself as an excellent host.
It is fucking exhausting. It's fun, but only for a given amount of time. Once that last spoon is gone? It's time to beat a determined retreat.
And that's what I'm about to do. Painkillers and heating pads, ho!
We had a young friend over for supper tonight. He's a reporter I've known for a few years. He's very good at what he does, although I sometimes wonder if he fully realizes it. He is an immigrant, whose family came to the U.S. when he was fairly young, and he's worked through some challenges, and done so very well, in my opinion. He recently became an American citizen.
I put together some slow-cooker beef bourguignon (well, it started that way, but I added a lot more than just red wine, plus vegetables that don't normally go into that dish), and an orange cake, put the place generally to rights, with Bob's help. I'd hoped to dust the living room, but Bob got the carpet vacuumed, and that made the place presentable.
For a wonder, everything was ready when our friend got here. It's been some time (as in, a few years) since we've had him over. We truly are hermits; we have friends who we haven't interacted with for horribly long periods of time ... anyhow, last week I ran into him at a social event for people who work for one of the local online news outlets I do stringer work for. He was feeling fairly down for various reasons, and asked if I could give him a hug. Well, that did it for me; I had to have him over for supper.
We had a really enjoyable time with him, for a couple of hours, and then I had to bring the evening to a close. The physical reason was because my back was starting to suggest that I should find some heat or ice as soon as possible. The mental and emotional reason was that I abruptly lost every one of my remaining spoons and I needed to be alone with Bob, STAT.
It happens to me, and to Bob. We still enjoy entertaining people, albeit not nearly as much as we used to, when we had a larger place, but it's always been tiring, and these days it's even more so. Entertaining people means you have to put your own best foot forward; you have to be on, in order to make sure your guests have a good time, to make sure you're listening to them, to make sure you're not talking too much at their expense, and so much more. And yes, you work hard to present yourself as an excellent host.
It is fucking exhausting. It's fun, but only for a given amount of time. Once that last spoon is gone? It's time to beat a determined retreat.
And that's what I'm about to do. Painkillers and heating pads, ho!
Dept, of Friday afternoon
Friday, 23 May 2025 01:03 pmBread Dread
I didn't get my first try at whole wheat bread done. I got the yeast mix too hot. It didn't rise at all. Ended up throwing out a lovely smelling brown brick. Still, it's a learning process. I may try again tomorrow.
I also have to make beef stew tomorrow; we're having a friend over. Wish me luck.
Oh, and I've watched episodes 2 and 3 of Dr. Who. I imagine I'll have some thoughts soon.
I didn't get my first try at whole wheat bread done. I got the yeast mix too hot. It didn't rise at all. Ended up throwing out a lovely smelling brown brick. Still, it's a learning process. I may try again tomorrow.
I also have to make beef stew tomorrow; we're having a friend over. Wish me luck.
Oh, and I've watched episodes 2 and 3 of Dr. Who. I imagine I'll have some thoughts soon.
Dept. of Not-White Noise
Wednesday, 21 May 2025 05:04 pmOverly Loud Music in Ear Buds: Threat or Menace?*
It's been a minute since I last posted. Not, like, a real long minute, but a metaphorical minute nonetheless. For the last few days, it's been dank and grey here in Chicago, and the stress levels at Casa kaffy_rbob continue to be somewhere between Defcon 3 and 2, for all the reasons previously recited at tedious length.
When that happens, or continues happening, my go-to stress reliever, the one that effectively cuts my ability to get things done, but possibly saves a sliver of my sanity, is to put my ear buds in, and blast SKZ or Ateez at skull-rattlingly unhealthy levels right into my brain. It's a good thing that's actually a very bad thing, but I don't really care. If my hearing wasn't damaged by standing on a stage between very loud amplifiers, then my rock and roll card needs to be revoked.
But my stress level is now closer to Defcon 3, which is a bit of a relief. We finally realized that the idea of trying to balance Bob's permanent residence application at the same time as getting the house ready to sell and finding someplace to live in N. S., and getting decent movers who understand getting things across the border was stupid.
We're going to tell the movers who keep bothering us (admittedly because we contacted them first) and our very patient real estate agent that everything will be put on hold until the application is completed, in, and Bob gets accepted for permanent residence. I'd originally fought the idea, thinking that we could actually handle everything at once. I'm very glad that Bob convinced me otherwise.
So perhaps I won't have to turn my ear buds up to 11 for the next couple of days.
* and if you get that reference, congratulations - you've joined the "older than dirt, and still hipper than the room" club.
It's been a minute since I last posted. Not, like, a real long minute, but a metaphorical minute nonetheless. For the last few days, it's been dank and grey here in Chicago, and the stress levels at Casa kaffy_rbob continue to be somewhere between Defcon 3 and 2, for all the reasons previously recited at tedious length.
When that happens, or continues happening, my go-to stress reliever, the one that effectively cuts my ability to get things done, but possibly saves a sliver of my sanity, is to put my ear buds in, and blast SKZ or Ateez at skull-rattlingly unhealthy levels right into my brain. It's a good thing that's actually a very bad thing, but I don't really care. If my hearing wasn't damaged by standing on a stage between very loud amplifiers, then my rock and roll card needs to be revoked.
But my stress level is now closer to Defcon 3, which is a bit of a relief. We finally realized that the idea of trying to balance Bob's permanent residence application at the same time as getting the house ready to sell and finding someplace to live in N. S., and getting decent movers who understand getting things across the border was stupid.
We're going to tell the movers who keep bothering us (admittedly because we contacted them first) and our very patient real estate agent that everything will be put on hold until the application is completed, in, and Bob gets accepted for permanent residence. I'd originally fought the idea, thinking that we could actually handle everything at once. I'm very glad that Bob convinced me otherwise.
So perhaps I won't have to turn my ear buds up to 11 for the next couple of days.
* and if you get that reference, congratulations - you've joined the "older than dirt, and still hipper than the room" club.
