i'm a pixel here, myself

between_names, I got your card today. Thank you!

---

I am seriously counting the days until I fly back east. Every year, I'm all "oh, this year will be different; I won't end up super-over-committed" and then... I end up super-over-committed. SURPRISE.

W10: work, help A+J move
Th11: work, dress rehearsal
F12: work, concert
Sa13: help other!J move, 2 concerts
Su14: climbing, concert, caroling
M15: work, cookie-baking party
T16: work, maybe climbing
W17: work, gym
Th18: work, holiday party for work
F19: work from home, holiday party for friends
Sa20: last-minute shopping, breathe?
Su21: fly back east

I'm also wishing I could rant about some work stuff, but, you know, nondisclosure and whatnot. Sigh. Suffice it to say, my boss and her boss are being incredibly stupid about some things lately and it comes from not knowing our systems or the data nearly well enough, in addition to not understanding where my time goes. I feel like I keep, for lack of a better term, whining about work *at* work, and that's not the best recipe for success :-|

---

The weird thing, for me, about Folie À Deux is that it is immediately recognizable as a Fall Out Boy record. And part of that has to do with it being a lot like Infinity On High, but IOH wasn't all that much like From Under the Cork Tree, so, you know. I have only listened to the first half of FÀD, but I already knew Patrick's vocal tics and where he would take the melodies even before he got there. This is kind of weird, but also kind of comforting, like a really old comfortable t-shirt. Maybe some of the orchestration is new and different, but this is not a New And Different Fall Out Boy Record the way IOH was. Am I wrong?

---

Now is the time on Sprockets when we write yuletide.

Fangathering at lovelypoet's tonight: I MET MY ADORABLE thelionforreal FINALLY AFTER SEVEN YEARS.

That + everything about Ray Toro and Bob Bryar in "Life on the Murder Scene" = my life is complete.

<3333333333333

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAX!!!1!1! <3333333333

and...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, starstillwonder!!! ♥♥♥

I may not be able to pull off any media this year, but know I'm thinking about you, babies. ♥

First and foremost: winchestercon is already asking people to commit for a general headcount, and holy crap, are they really going to make people do this seven months before the con? I don't know if I'll be able to commit to something this soon, especially without a job lined up yet, but I don't want to screw myself out of a chance to go (they're capping registration) or get in with some folks for roommate purposes. What should I do? I mean, yes, they haven't said "send us your funds!" yet, but. ::handwringing:: I think I want to go, but I can't make that call right now, you know? Talk at me, people; let me know where you stand on this decision. All decisions in my life should be made my committee :D

Second, I have my Big Interview today (Tuesday). I really, really, really want this job, as you may have gathered. Think thoughts of intelligence and articulateness at me!

Third, gigantic said, in response to my slip into FOB fic: Tell me more, Drew. Tell me more! and I wrote back I have to save Mia's driving lessons for another time., but apparently that time is... right now.

( 'til her daddy takes the t-bird away )

People. The only thing I'm going to say about this... *thing* is that the only effect I see it having is making people upset and making them go away for the day. And if people on my friendslist go away for the day, I will be bored! So knock it off.

Unrelatedly, my email has been a bit weird. If I haven't replied to a comment or email, it's because I haven't gotten it. Not cool, Gmail. Not cool. Oh, and the HR Woman isn't here today and she misread my email. ::facepalm:: So I have to convince her that no, I'm not resigning, I'm just taking vacation.

PS - Dear LJ: kindly cool it with the fucking error messages about calling quote strings or some shit. I is not amused.

PPS - What we *should* be talking about, obviously, is the [Swiss accidentally invading Liechtenstein].

Wow. That was an AMAZING rehearsal, and we haven't even added music yet. We assigned vocal solos for "Façade", and I'm singing... three-quarters of them. 0.o I suspect this is because they're all REALLY HIGH. Also, Hot Danceboy likes wearing tight t-shirts. I heartily approve. And I got him talking, which is an improvement over the sulk-y expression he tends to wear (which is hot, don't get me wrong, but not in a personable way).

Unrelatedly: Happiest of birthdays to cathybites, monkiedude, and one Jensen Ross Ackles.

So! Work is kicking my ass at the moment, and today is going to be busybusybusy, but I would be remiss if I didn't manage to do this:

Happy Birthday, winterlive! Danny, you're the best. <333

( here, have this )

...or something. ANYway, today was totally low-key except that I got a call to have an interview tomorrow. It's for a job which amounts to customer service for which I am overqualified, for a salary less than I'm making right now. Why am I even considering it? Because it's a kick-ass company and this would probably be a stepping stone to something even more awesome that might use my analysis background. The question remains: do I want to do customer service for the year or so it might take me to get into a more analyst-y role? And do I really want to make significantly less than I'm making now? THINGS TO PONDER.

A big old "THANK YOU!" to tenaciousmetoo, who sent me some LJ conversation hearts, and to whomever wrote the awesome, awesome grin-and-bashfulness-inducing blurb for me [here]. Y'all help make a really scowl-y day so much better.

And I finally found the conversation hearts Roommate E hid from me. \o/!

The keywords on this icon are: "faster than your T1 line". I amuse myself TO NO END!

Phone interview this morning was v.v. quick. The woman said "blah blah blah I'll send this on to the hiring manager" and seriously, that's all I heard. Is it possible that I'm jaded about interviewing, these days? Nahhhh... Oh, and watch me call in sick today because after everything that happened yesterday, it's Drew's Mental Health Day. ::nods::

OKAY. So, Susan did this thing, where she wrote ten things about ten people and they were all wonderful and SHE DIDN'T SAY WHO WAS WHO. It's anonymeme, now available in New Love Flavor, and I am determined to play along, since my life recently has made me feel like one gigantic ball of hate and stress.

( is it about you? WHO KNOWS?! )

Linked by without_me, it seems svmadelyn has a [Valentine's Day Game] which has been going on for three years, and she's doing it again. It looks like an awesome way to gush about people without having to attach your name, if you're worried about that sort of thing. Also, from the perspective of everyone who loathes Valentine's Day (around my apartment, it's know as Mid-February Day, which should give you some idea of my opinion), this is something that takes the Hallmark out of the holiday.

Participate if you'd like, and pass it on!

I didn't watch the State of the Union address because I have a tendency to [shout at the screen] and generally get upset. Two years until he's gone. Two years. ::mantra::

Tomorrow and Thursday feel like filler days until my phone interview. Nevermind that a phone interview is not a job offer; I'm just ready to be done with my current job. Why do I have to work, again? If only I were less of an economist, I might play the lottery.

I think I'm going to go to bed early with my as-yet-unfinished copy of American Gods.

Debits:

First day back at work in three weeks, and it decides to rain. Oh, the suckitude. Then there's the work side: phone calls, rearranged priorities, the whole bit. And one of my bosses wants something by tomorrow. RIGHT. Thank god this is a two-day workweek.

I just sent a note to my dentist, authorizing him to charge my credit card $650. All because I'm an idiot who can't read the fine print on how much his dental policy will pay for in a calendar year. These fillings had better damn well be awesome.

It's not even noon. ::pokes at things with sticks::


Credits:

Awesome friend A, who got me the contact that led to this job interview, just got hired by Google! And is moving back here from LA! This makes me so, so very happy.

between_names, I got your Christmas card last night. It was in a whole mess of mail that I'd had held by the post office while I was away. Thank you!

Rehearsal tonight! I haven't seen these guys in a month.

Audition dates for Jekyll and Hyde have been posted. Now I need a 1-minute monologue. And a copy of the soundtrack. Suggestions?

Max! I just got your Christmas card in the mail today. Thank you so much! ♥

I saw a post last night that I thought was directed at me because of a snarky comment I left. Then it turns out it wasn't. But it still might have been. WTF, self? ANYway, this is the post I wanted to make at 2am, only cleaned up a bit for, you know, being the morning and all.

I have now seen two posts saying "don't keep me friended if you don't like what you read" or something to that effect, and while I agree that's good policy in theory, it doesn't hold up super-well in practice. In the last three months, I was defriended by people I thought I was fairly close to, and you know what? It stung. Yes, I'll get over it. But it's still hard to deal with, sometimes. Maybe those of you who post "defriend at whim!" can pretend to be all ironic and detatched and that it doesn't mean anything when someone you think you're friends with hits the "remove friend" button, but I'm not good at that game -- I can't pretend I don't have emotional energy invested in the LJ community I hang with. For me to put on a brave face and say "hey, it doesn't matter!" is not only a lie, but it's damn hard to do. I'm not that good at concealing my emotions, and I try to be really honest with people -- if you meet me, I'm pretty much exactly like my LJ. I've tried to do the "oh, this is just my internet life" thing, where you try not to care about people you meet on LJ, but in reality, that shit doesn't work -- personal details get exchanged in comment threads and posts, and the people I follow along (and I do read my whole friendslist 99% of the time), I become closer with. When they decide for whatever reason that they'd rather not read me anymore, that stings, because I've come to think of them as people and as friends. If you don't care about that, if you're only on LJ for the fiction and the people don't matter to you, why bother friending people at all? Get an LJ for comment purposes, friend the newsletter, and be done with it. Comment on stories you like, maybe.

All of which is to say: yes, it's your LJ, your rules. Friend who you want, drop who you want. Just consider that maybe, if you've had any significant interaction with the people you drop, they might be a little hurt and confused. A little explanation goes a long way. Sure, life's too short to bother with drama, but by "avoiding" drama, you may create more than you "avoid".

Ever have one of those days where you wake up and go "huh, it's December first, which means I leave for my parents' house in just over two weeks" and you freak out because you realize you have more things to do than paper to list it all on? Yeah.

To that end, some bullet points:

* phaballa, I will finish your beta sometime in the next few days, I promise.

* After that, I am not doing ANYTHING fandom-related until my yuletide story is done, because [HOMG eighteen days to deadline] (nevermind that elyn says seventeen; since the deadline is the end of Tuesday the 19th and it is midday Friday the 1st, you do the math). Expect a locked post in the next few days asking for a beta.

* The roommate's birthday is today. I do not have a gift because I am a sucky roommate. I suspect I will tell her that I'm combining it with her Christmas gift, but I have NO IDEA what I'm getting her for Christmas. Ha HA! I just thought of the perfect gift. Now to get it before tonight...

* I need to come up with a Christmas list for my parents, grandparents, uncle, and brothers, and I need to solicit suggestions from them. I am a sucky son/brother/grandson/nephew. But honestly, the things I want now are more on the big-ticket side, or on the "family can't get them for me" side: a macbook, a new job, etc. I tend to just go buy myself anything small that I want/need at the time. My baby brother told my parents he wants cash. Mom's response: "But I want to have something under the tree for you to unwrap!" His comeback: "I could unwrap a box of twenties..." Oh, my family.

* Big Boss is conferencing with Little Boss (formerly Invisible Boss and Visible Boss, respectively) about getting me more things to do. This is simultaneously good (because I am SO BORED OMG) and bad (because the documentation really DOES need to get done).

* Oh shit, I fly home in SEVENTEEN DAYS WTF.

* The recipe thing isn't happening this year because I am disorganized and frantic, and have had zero time to make any of the recipe suggestions submitted by y'all. I will try them, but probably not until well after the first of the year, when I've had time to properly collapse.

* dine and althea5000, I just found your requests for my a cappella album in my inbox dated forever ago. I'm sending you links to the online order form. Apologies for the delay!

( for my own reference )

Observed this morning, biking in to work: a large water-bottle-delivery truck left two of its doors open and made a fairly hard right turn. A lone five-gallon bottle flew from the shelves and smashed itself open on the pavement. This, I think, is a pretty good metaphor for my morning thus far. ::rubs face:: On the other hand, I have a shiny new thermos (or whatever the generic word is; Thermos is the brand name, right?) full of yummy soup waiting for me at lunch. Nevermind that I forgot a spoon (mmm, insult + injury...).

Thank you to everyone who commented on the previous post. I'm not ready to respond to the comments yet, but I appreciate them. I'm going to call the boy tonight and we're going to talk, if he's available.

My boss is still out on paternity leave or whatever. I haven't heard from him (except the birth announcement) in two weeks or so. ::twiddles thumbs:: If the other job I applied for wants to call me back, today would be a great time.

I'm thinking about fic, but it's for yuletide, so I can't show it to anybody. Woe!

I am thankful for a lot of things in my life, and it's not often I stop and reflect on them. Among the many things for which I am thankful is the group of friends I have made through LiveJournal and fandom. Thank you all, for just being you. ♥

The turkey was *amazing*; recipe is coming soon!

Oh, right. I was supposed to be doing work today. ::facepalm:: From reading my flist, though, it seems I'm not the only one with a case of the Mondays. Maybe I'll be able to get in an hour and a half's worth of work before I run off to the gym.

For now, though, some fandomesque discussion. cathybites was talking about [wanting more RPS AUs], which is never a bad thing, and some issues were raised about why maybe SPN RPS is not as AU-prone as, say, popslash (which, my god, some of those AUs are *still* going -- here I'm looking at [the hackery AU] in particular). The thing that always comes up in this situation is: cast of characters. ( But that may not be the most important reason )

Or people could just write porn. That seems to be completely unrelated to everything I just mentioned.

In other news, this is the Supernatural (not SPN RPS) AU I desperately want to read: the Winchester family is actually quite wealthy. After Mary's death, John hunts for a bit, but realizes he needs to be better-equipped. So he settles down long enough to compound his fortune and outfit himself and his sons (rapidly-growing teenagers, at this point) with Batman-esque equipment. Spectral analyzers in their masks, slimline-yet-powerful guns loaded with rock salt and silver bullets, the whole nine yards. And of course, during the day they're still John Winchester, billionaire industrialist, and his private-school-attending sons, capable of moving in social circles and making deals, and looking damn good in tuxes at gala events. I know somebody wrote a Winchesters-as-Batfamily snippet a while back, but I want this one in *detail*.

So this morning I was thinking about what day of the month it is (I'm not sure why, actually), and I was all "hmm, it's Thursday the 12th... that means tomorrow is Friday the 13th! Wow." And then I started thinking about Wincon and how perfect it is that it starts on Friday the 13th, and then I went "doofus, you're the last one to realize this. Nan probably planned it that way from the BEGINNING." Clearly, I've been paying attention. CLEARLY. Y'all, I am so so happy to see everyone's "EEE, WINCON!" posts. Even though I can't go, I want to hear ALL ABOUT IT and see lots of pictures and live vicariously. I expect full reports.

It's Thursday, but my a cappella group has auditions AGAIN, so I will miss yet another ep of Supernatural -- I'm not good at this watching-when-it-airs thing, am I? At least SPN fans are wonderfully rabid in their torrenting. I also need to download last night's Project Runway -- the Tim visits are the best part of the whole series, in my opinion, and this is a group I'm anxious to see him visit!

The knife in the title of this post is for me to throw at my boss, who seems to be asking for things I'm not sure I know how to do. AWESOME. Here's hoping your collective day goes as well as mine seems to be.

Here, have some ( pretty )

Happy birthday, dine! I know you haven't heard from me in re: the thing, but I did get your comment. I'm just waiting to find out how much shipping is, and for the post office to be open when I'm around. :D