Weblog Entry - 04/10/2003: ""

[Previous entry: ""] [Main Index] [Next entry: ""]

04/10/2003 Entry: ""

A mild, benign, sunny afternoon, after a chilly morning, the kind of afternoon that lets me believe that winter is finally, at last, for the time being, over. (Unless it, y'know, snows again.) This morning I was as depressed as I've been in a long time, but once at work I somehow snapped into gear, got my desk *cleaned off* for the first time in ... well, a *long* time, and then had student appointments all day, bing-bing-bing, and did good work with each of them.

I think I may have finally pulled myself out of the winter's crazed impetus to flight, and then the rancorous period of adjustment to that impetus being thwarted, and am now coming to terms with the reality that I'll probably not be going anywhere, for the time being. It's the eternal struggle of middle age: which battles are still worth fighting, which things do I simply accept with some effort at grace?

One battle I'm still definitely fighting is to get the whole computer system successfully hooked up. Grr and also arrrgh. I've got a good array of helpful documents--the quality of Apple's on-line support makes up for the extreme inadequacy of the print manuals that come with hardware--but I think I just need a big block of time to fiddle with things. Like, maybe, this weekend.

I realize part of the problem is just the difficulty of manouevering around with cables and connections, and *that* is basically a problem with my desk. I have a big long rant in the Box of Unvented Rants about the unsatisfactory design of most computer desks; the immobility, the lack of appropriate storage for peripherals and accessories, the inability to accommodate a 19" monitor, the difficulty of accessing the back of the CPU. This and this are not too far off what I want, though I dislike the sunken-and-angled monitor space (yes, I know, it's supposed to be ergonomic). Casters are essential; I'm so bloody sick of crawling around on the floor, groping blindly, trying to plug and unplug stuff.

Oh, and I was going to post some disjointed Connexions comments, wasn't I?

My uncannily long spell of air-travel good luck ended when my original flight to Baltimore got cancelled (the plane had defective rear thrusters, a phrase I went around muttering at intervals throughout the weekend, with silly giggles), so my arising at 4:30 a.m. turned out to be for naught, but in any event I arrived safely. Rode the shuttle to the hotel with someone whose fellow-fan status I twigged by virtue of her "Still Not King" t-shirt, and we had a nice conversation.

Day 1, truncated as it was, was all about the meeting and greeting, hugging, high-speed babble, and the first of many trips to the Greyhound Station food court. (You leave the hotel lobby through an obscure unmarked door, go down a grimy corridor, past a huge array of pinball and video machines, and voila, you're in the bus station, surrounded by herds of the tired, disgruntled and emphatically non-fannish populace, and faced with the KFC/Sbarro/A&W burgers that were the weekend's nutritional mainstays.)

Quick recollections: Reuniting with my beloved Connexions posse -- Aral, Beth H., Becky, Carla, Deb, Kestrelsan, Kit, LaT, Miriam -- and with the immensely wonderful Aerye, who became an instant posse member. Sorely missing Shrift and Rowan, Getting to meet Shell and Ramius, total sweeties both, who tried to lure me into going with them to Fells Point for crabs and atmosphere (I was tempted, but decided I was just too tired and inert). Completely and emphatically falling off the non-smoking wagon. Ingesting a good deal of scotch on an empty stomach, and crashing into bed even before the vid show started.

Day 2 began with massive headache (which was understandable; but then day 3 did as well, when I'd had nothing but one small chaste glass of red wine the previous night, and others reported similar experiences--headache, nausea, bad sleep; I think there might be something wonky in the hotel's ventilation system.) Went to the LJ panel, probably talked too much. At some point I managed to meet up with Valeria and Viedma, to my great pleasure, although I quickly degenerated into my usual nervous socially-maladroit babble, hands flapping; it's just really difficult to have any kind of coherent conversations at cons, at least with people I've just met, so I can only hope we get to meet again in some less turbulent venue. I *did* get to spend some coherent time with Taz, and to read the first part of her wonderful and hilarious forthcoming Dread Pirate Methos story; I'm looking forward to its completion and posting.

Lessee...stuff happened, and more stuff, and then there was the banquet (always stressful, due to crowds/noise/etc.) and then the vid show, where I should have been taking notes, but oh well. I recall with pleasure a very tasty Wes/Gunn vid, by ... Central Consortium? Can't recall the vidder, though; and there were a surprising number of QAF/US vids (surprising, I guess, because I've never considered it a big fandom). The vid that stands out in my memory was Sockii's Babylon 5 vid, which I found grave, lovely, moving, and this despite the fact I've never seen a minute of the actual show and have no idea of the plotline or characters. It wowed me, despite some unfortunate tracking interference at the bottom of the screen.

I crashed into bed immediately after the vid show, woke with the aforementioned unearned headache, and then Sunday was a low-key day of conversation, roaming the dealer's room (being gobsmacked at some very strange Tab-Hunteresque hair in a photo of Paul Gross), and then more conversation. Everyone seemed to be talking a great deal about Harry Potter, which I guess I'll have to break down and nose into at some point. Oh, and the Slashy Old Men panel was in here somewhere, which I enjoyed, and which Kerguelen and Beth H. have discussed, so I'll refrain from comment, because this entry is already insanely long.

Got to ride to the airport with Shell and Aral, got to have some good long talk with Aral while waiting for flights, got a peaceful ride home, and it all now seems far away and long ago, damn it.

And there's more I want to say about the differences between Connexions and Escapade, how they mirror for me some different strands in slash fandom, but I am abruptly out of energy. Must find dinner.

Replies: 10 comments

Recommendation for computer desk. I just redid the top part of my computer desk. I ripped off the pressboard sectional deal that originally came with the desk and replaced it with Wiretech from Elements (like our entertainment centers). If you've got the right kind of desk, it might work for you. Now I have a neat little spot for all of my peripherals, the wires are tucked neatly out of the way, and I can still SEE the wires if I want to rearrange them. It's way cool. I even have a section for a plant.

Posted by Jackie @ 04/10/2003 11:18 PM CST

o_O You are not socially maladroit! the thing i wish i could've changed was to spend more time with you and shell and Dara and JJ and...oh hell, everybody, i guess. it was really great seeing you at Connexions. you're just a neat lady period.

Posted by viedma @ 04/12/2003 12:33 AM CST

when it comes to online progressive slot machine online ones are known to be the best there are .

Posted by online progressive slot machine @ 08/16/2004 05:12 PM CST

Best bingo sites are just everywhere, If you're looking then here's a tip for you, just look for a gathering of really old people around a computer and you'll surely find online bingo. Bingo is a game that makes you use a marker and a card , and these two items are what makes it so great

Posted by Best bingo @ 08/17/2004 05:25 PM CST

This site reviews the best online casino craps on the internet. As reviewed by the nationalist Gambler portal . We review almost every single online casino featuring craps plays. the most gigantic casino direcory of online craps. bring out the dice

Posted by online casino craps @ 08/18/2004 04:39 PM CST

The advantre of implementing the same all internet bingo that granpa used to play in the community centre on the online internet industry has led to a great tuld-murou on the bingo industry itself. Therefor it be wise of you to play the casino rather than other games

Posted by internet bingo @ 09/01/2004 05:39 AM CST

Our Site feaures free poker among other fun games for online playing

Posted by free poker @ 11/09/2004 11:21 AM CST

On free video blackjack you'll be able to find your multiple player soulmates to play with for free or for real money

Posted by free video blackjack @ 11/11/2004 11:54 AM CST

Pay Day Loans Cash Advance Payday Loans Payday Loans Cash Advance Pay Day Loans retin a allegra yasmin alesse renova temovate buy soma soma buy viagra viagra buy cialis cialis buy celebrex celebrex buy tramadol tramadol buy advair advair buy viagra cheap viagra levitra propecia buy ultram ultram cialis buy cialis buy valtrex valtrex buy zyban zyban xenical propecia buy propecia tramadol buy tramadol levitra viagra buy xenical buy levitra buy viagra soma viagra buy viagra cheap viagra renova Zanaflex Vioxx Buy Vioxx

Posted by payday loans @ 04/25/2005 04:42 PM CST

Posted by payday loans @ 04/26/2005 05:13 PM CST

Add A New Comment