Heaven in Hard Times

I'm home, and fully rested (at least, I feel rested right now - I bet I'll be napping on and off all day). It turns out Tiffany's doctor had two emergencies right on top of each other in the OR, which is why he was so late, so I guess I can't be too angry, and when he came in he pretty much said "ok get the fuck out of my hospital".

Her sister had flown in and picked up a car from her grandmother's house, so she and I started out before Tiffany & her mom finished going over all the discharge paperwork and had a nice easy ride home (I feel slightly bad for being happy I didn't have to be in the car that was gonna have to make a couple stops so Tiff could get out and walk around, go slow for her nausea, etc. etc., but I WAS TIRED, OKAY? I am human :[ ) and I was back by...10:30, ish.

In non-hopsicle news, I guess I'm teaching Sunday School this year? LOL the lady in charge had mentioned it to me way back when the last Sunday School year ended, as just a "maybe, possibly" thing, and then didn't say anything about it all summer so I assumed she found someone else, but then two days ago I got a text from her giving me the website to pick out my curriculum from. Ummmmm Sunday School starts on September 13th (I think? I don't think it's the 6th LOL I SHOULD KNOW THIS) THANKS FOR THE ADVANCED NOTICE. Anyway the site has a bunch of "The Gospel According to" [insert pop culture phenomenon here] so I'm picking up a bunch of those and doing a big ol' pop culture hodgepodge class. Harry Potter, Dr. Seuss, Disney, and The Simpsons, are the books I've got coming in right now, but there are a couple others I might nab. SADLY the Disney book was published in 2004 so there will be no High School Musical or Wizards or Jonai in there.

I have a job for next week, back to the place I was at last week. Training at the big plant on Monday, and then probably back to the warehouse. I almost turned her down, I could use a week off, but apparently I am slightly more responsible than that. This was my week off, un-relaxing as it was.

And now I'm going to have a coffee and watch last Sunday's Mad Men, finally.

I keep intending to post something frivolous and amusing, but there's nothing in my head that isn't hospital, so I'll leave that up to the rest of you. Tonight I have some time to myself in the family room (last night Tiff had another friend staying, showed up too late to drive back, or I would've then) so I've got some Youtubery to catch up on. AWSUM.

( Corbin flowers, worst hair ever, my pretty face, etc. )

Original release estimate was tomorrow, but she's still not on solid foods and no way could she go without her IV right now, so that's probably not happening. I'm gonna guess Thursday, but wtf do I know.

I am staying with Tiffany - as soon as she saw my overnight bag and I started my "I don't have to work this week, so if you want me here, I can stay" spiel, she got all excited and started asking her nurse about getting an extra sleeping chair in here for me (ie, recliner as opposed to much-less-comfy visitor chairs) (they probably won't have an extra, but I can sleep in the family room on a couch, so hey) so I didn't even make sure we could get a concrete plan in place, just texted Mom to let her know "yep, staying" - but the hospital has wifi so I won't be totally disappeared.

She doesn't look bad at all - the cut on her lip is teeny, if angry, and everything else is almost always covered by johnny & blankets - so that's nice, but she's SO in pain, and SO out of it from the meds, she's breaking my little heart. I might have had to go take a walk earlier and cry a little to get it out of my system so I don't freak her out.

But mostly she's okay. She just had a little of her dinner, and walked about three, four feet, and managed to swing her own legs into bed, which is awesome. So...I am less freaked out, at least. Because this is all about me.

One of my favorite people in the whole entire world was in a car accident yesterday; I got home from a really nice day of shopping with my Mom to my Dad telling me she had an accident and all he knew was she was in New Hampshire having surgery (she was in Maine this week, visiting family).

So I called the neighbor who'd given Dad the message (she's pretty close to both Tiffany's family [girl who had the accident] and ours), to get Tiffany's mom's number for updates, and she came over for a while so we could stress together. Found out the lack of knowledge wasn't, for once, the result of my Dad's bad message-taking, accident/hospital/surgery really was all anyone knew.

This was all around 4:30...Tiffany's Mom didn't call with any updates until almost 9:00. My shoulders are actually sore this morning from how stiff and tense I was all evening. But Tiffany's okay - she had her spleen out, needed a pint of blood, and had a couple of teeth go through her lip so she had stitches, and of course she's in pain, but she's okay.

And by then I was so drained that after I passed word along to everyone Debra (Tiffany's mom) asked me to (because of course she didn't want to spend all her time updating, especially since she didn't get any cell service in the hospital so she had to leave to call), I was so fucking drained I made it maybe another hour before I crawled into bed. Which is nice because for once I actually didn't turn off my alarm for church and I think I need church today.

Neighbor and I are going to see Tiffany today, and I think that'll clear out the last bit of anxiety I've got lurking. This is just...man. IDK. My poor Tiffany :(

I've gone back and forth (and back, and forth, and back, and forth, and back...) regarding whether or not I wanted to post about the Laura wank. I commented in the initial, now-infamous fanthropology post but backed off once the inevitable wank started building up. Other than that I've kept my big nose out of this, save for comments in two posts: lennoxmacbeth's FANDOM CAN GO TO HELL and ciderpress's I've got the thingie. Half in English. Half in squibbly.

There are a number of reasons for this, the big one being that Laura is my friend, but I very much disagreed with her actions in this case, and as her friend I didn't want to add to the dogpile. Laura knew about both comments I made, I e-mailed her with a link to the initial lennoxmacbeth comment, and mentioned that I'd commented in ciderpress and what I'd said. She also knew, before the wankstorm started a'brewin', that I disagreed with her actions and expected there to be consequences in the form of major social backlash.

I'm posting now because I've been defriended by Laura. The fault is some hers, some mine, and the backstory is kind of involved and I'll get to that in a minute, but the long and short of it is the stuff she defriended me over is the kind of stuff I wouldn't want to be friends with anyone who couldn't tolerate anyway. It's a shame, and I'm sad - the one thing I haven't wanted since this started was to lose a friend - but at the moment, I'm pretty sure the Laura I thought I was friends with doesn't actually exist, in which case me speaking up wasn't the problem...just the catalyst.

( So. Backstory. )

But anyway. Where it stands today: For voicing my disapproval of her behavior and her lying by omission to me (a lie by omission I discovered very publicly, I was defriended. For attempting to un-out somebody who had already been un-outed once, I was de-adminned.

I did, for a time, believe with almost childlike faith in the FanHistory wiki. And when I started to learn about the wank surrounding it, about the bad rumors and the negatives, I thought it could be saved. I thought a little better PR, more admins like slwatson, less admins like me - only there by virtue of my friendship with Laura - find some people willing to go through and proofread and clean up, ignore the worst of the wankers, it could be good. I believed, honestly, it would have been the best thing for both OTW and FH for them to work together.

A few weeks ago, I started to realize FanHistory will never go anywhere with Laura at the helm. She's too wanky, and while I don't believe she deserves everything she gets, something like that needs credibility in fandom. Which is a shame, but that's the way the cookie crumbles.

So there's my dirty laundry. What a week for Sims to be broken.

ETA: If you're not averse to giving FanHistory hits, Laura has issued a public statement in the FanHistory blog. If you are averse, nestra has posted a trancript in her journal here (thanks, everysecondtues)

1. screwthedaisies is awesome.

2. 8 hours in a car is not awesome.

3. Whattaburger is reasonably good.

4. There was a guy there for the first opening act who looked EXACTLY like Taylor Hawkins. I was gonna take a picture but I wanted to wait until BRMC were on so it wouldn't be so obvious...and he vanished after the first opener. BUT OMG he looked like Taylor.

5. Burning Brides kinda sucked but they had a noose made out of light robe (y'know, plasticy, tubular, blue lights...) and a chick bassist. Who was falling out of her shirt all night. BOOBIEZ OMGZ.

6. BRMC are OMGSOFUCKINGAWESOMEHOTYESOMGROCKOUTHARDCOREFUCKINGYES. *cough* I mean. THEY ARE SO AWESOME. Fuck yes. *insert ten more lines of profanity*

7. Nick wore GLASSESOMGGLASSES *DED*. And it turns out he is invisible to cameras. Vampire!

8. Dear Robert: plz to not be whacking me in the face with your mic stand k thx.

9. Drunk-desperate-braless chick was hilarious but ANNOYING omg.

10. BRMC are fucking awesome.

11. 8 hour car rides after four hours of sleep: not awesome

12. Exceedingly not awesome: throwing out baseless accusations and then filtering the post so the subject of those accusations can't respond. Very mature :)

Item the first: I <3 you guys.

Item the second: Meme

1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie!


Opening Credits: Save Us Now - Edguy (my movie has alien drum bunnies! Anyone surprised?)
Waking Up: Demolition Man - Def Leppard (this is shaping up to be an action movie. Bitchin')
First Day At School: Neurotica - Bon Jovi (this is the part where I shag all the hot schoolgirls, natch)
Falling In Love: Stranger in a Strange Land - Iron Maiden ("My hardened action-hero heart has never known love before - this is all so strange!")
Fight Song: The Worst Day Since Yesterday - Flogging Molly (OMG totally an action movie. One of the alien drum bunnies attacks and I'm all "Not again! This is the worst day since yesterday." and then I kick ASS)
Breaking Up: The Price of Love - Bon Jovi (YOU GUYS this movie is so awesome. "I hate to break your heart, hot lesbian schoolgirl, but it's a price we all have to pay sometime - the price of love." And then she cries in the rain)
Life: From the Inside - Def Leppard (okay, so I'm an action hero with a drug problem)
Mental Breakdown: Cyanide - Deathstars (I can't reconcile all the [alien drum bunny] lives I've taken without mah drugs, so I attempt suicide)
Driving: Lavatory Love Machine - Edguy (And I'm scared of flying)
Flashback: Trinidad - Edguy (That time I cheated on my lesbian schoolgirl with some sort of lesbian island princess, obv.)
Getting Back Together: Wasted Years - Iron Maiden (Oh lesbian schoolgirl! You believed in me all along. I wasted so much time without you *make out in the rain*)
Wedding: Four-Letter Word - Def Leppard (Um. I think I might actually use this song as my real-life wedding vows.)
Birth of Child: Far Away Boys - Flogging Molly (Why are lesbians having a baby in an action movie? BECAUSE IT'S AN ALIEN DRUM BUNNY SHIT BITCHES GET FAR AWAY, BOYS, SO I CAN WASTE THIS MUTHAFUCKA)
Final Battle: Postcards From the Wasteland - Bon Jovi (Right before the alien drum bunny breathes its last, I'm all "Send me a postcard from Hell, bitch")
Death Scene: All the Clowns - Edguy (I die at the circus, apparently)
Funeral Song: Play God - Deathstars (If I find out you guys didn't actually have this song played at my funeral? I'mma be haunting some bitches)

(To be fair, I didn't CHEAT, but I'm on campus and all I have are the songs from the Top Ten meme a bit ago)

Item the third: Price of Love to From the Inside to Cyanide = WORST TRANSITIONS EVER

ROCKOUTROCKOUTROCKOUTROCKOUT hey, drugs'll fuck you up *sad face* ENRAGED ROCKOUT

I'm on kelpierocks's computer. Wheeee.

I'm having SO MUCH FUN holy shit.

I don't have anything specific to say. Just that FUN and YAY and AWESOME.

classes started today and holyfuckinghell I'm dead. I'm sooo out of shape and it's sooo hot and enh.

nothing spectacular today. Big ol' lecture and a graphic design history class that's exactly the same as my other graphic design history class that either didn't transfer or transferred as another class.

tomorrow's the day I'm really looking forward to, except for the early morning. I looooove languge classes and I'm having a hard time seeing a way an animation class and a screenwriting class aren't gonna be at least a little fun

wednesday's leppard. I put up offers to pay gas for anyone who happens to be going to Charlotte that day at the right time on a couple bulletin boards, and on the rideboard online, but I'm not overly optimistic. Someone on eBay offered to buy it for $40, which is significantly less than half the face value, but I guess if I can't go it's better than nothing

i think the only reason it bothers me so much I can't make it, other than the awesome seats, is when I started getting left out of Bayfest plans I shrugged it off because I had this one to look forward to

blah. whatever.

the worst part about this whole thing is how painfully obvious it has been made to me that life is so much better without me in it and I must've been the one thing making everything suck and gee isn't everything grand now that I'm out of the picture?

*sigh*

i'll stop getting so emo soon. really.

I've hit the most fun part of packing: when I'm sick of it and have so little left that it doesn't really matter to me in the slightest what goes where

on top of that, all my possessions suddenly become way more disposable

I've thrown away shit for no better reason than said shit not fitting in any of the boxes/bags/whatevers I have left.

Which seems silly until you realize I have to pack an entire year of my freaking life in a tiny little two-seater sports car :/

My brother has a Blazer and I WANTED Dad to borrow that so we don't have to squeeze, but according to him the Blazer's gas mileage is so bad it would actually be cheaper to ship whatever we can't fit in the car. Eesh.

So we get squooshed in. Last year, we went half of the way without me realizing that my seat wasn't actually locked in place, I was just packed in with so much stuff it wouldn't move.

Actually I have a neighbor whose son goes to JWU and he's graduating, so said neighbor's gonna come down here this weekend for his graduation, and said if we can't fit everything in the car to just bring it to his apartment and she'll bring it home for us. Awwww, nice.

Except I didn't realize when the parents discussed this with her they didn't get his address, and I don't have his phone number, so this afternoon it'll be phone tag apartment hunting happy time yay.

Forgive the enthusiasm, I'm running on sheer exhaustion and hot cocoa right now. When this crash comes, it's gonna be EPIC.

I had a nice long chat with Dad earlier today. He's gonna order whatever he needs to get my computer online at the house, so I shouldn't have to go more than a week playing musical computers. I have a new phone waiting for me. And he might get me Adobe CS3 omgwtfbbq. Or rather, he'll convince his boss HE needs CS3 and his boss will pay for it and I will reap the benefits.

One of the many benefits to kinda sorta following in Daddy's footsteps.

I'm not sure if I mentioned it here, but I got e-mailed the other night about an apartment that's just...fuck. Two bedroom, fenced in backyard, private entrance, shared kitchen. All utilities included. Being rented by folks who own a canine rescue, so they'll discount it if I'm willing to foster a couple dogs.

The discounted price? $500

That's including utilities, and when I asked if it was furnished they said "it can be".

Hotdamnshit. Puppies! Puppies and cheap and eeenh.

But I can't do $500/month. I could do the $250/month it'd be if I had a roommate...but not the full $500.

Although. Maybe I can convince the parents it'd be worth paying the full $500 by myself for a few months and keep putting up "roommate wanted" ads. I dunno. I told Dad about it and he actually got excited. We shall see. I WANT THE PUPPY HOUSE.

Part of me says "get back to packing" and part of me wants to drag it out because I don't have 2 and a half hours of packing left, but I have 2 and a half hours before I leave to go downtown, and I don't wanna run out of work with half an hour to go and crash. As long as I keep it going, I can probably prevent a crash at least until a trip to Starbucks.

ALSO, let it be known that zek_chan is the awesomest awesome to ever awesome awesomely. Also, she is awesome. And she rules.