I am home! Drive was long, traffic out of Philadelphia and then on the one-lane portion of I-76 was godawful, but aside from that it was a fairly easy ride.

The conference was useful, too, particularly because there was a symposia (or two) full of talks from people in my little corner of the discipline. That was absolutely LOVELY. The poster presentation went well, too, and I got in some helpful discussion from some of those same people involved in my field. YAY!

I also got the names of a couple companies that do work I think I'd be interested in, so that's good, too. Even if some of the companies are in Missouri, which is not in my top three list of places I want to move to. Still.

Victory is mine! I missed you guys. Let me know if there's stuff I should have seen? Be it your posts, fic, vids, or RP threads. Thank you!

( So I got tagged for that meme )

Also, if you want. Tag in here and I will tell you something nice about you. If I don't know you very well, wholesale invention is the order of the day.

Never despair; but if you do, work on in despair.
--Edmund Burke (1729 - 1797)

Anger is the feeling that makes your mouth work faster than your mind.
--Evan Esar (1899 - 1995)

Never trust the advice of a man in difficulties.
--Aesop (620 BC - 560 BC)

Surely there comes a time when counting the cost and paying the price aren't things to think about any more. All that matters is value - the ultimate value of what one does.
--James Hilton (1900 - 1954)

You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do.
-- Henry Ford (1863 - 1947)

I am a memesheep!

ALSO I am ridiculously relieved that the problem of the DMF GPC clogged tubing was solved! GO ME and my mad miniaturized plumbing skills.

WHOO.

the what i like about you meme | my thread

And in other other news. I do not want to pack tonight. At all. *hates packing* *HATES* And the really awesome little suitcase got stolen when my parents went to pick up my little brother. *makes face*

And now I am stuck using the LESS conveniently portable one, though I think it's still small enough to stow as carryon. I hate checking baggage when I have connecting flights. HATE. Mostly because friends of mine (HI FEATHER AND ASPEN) have had horrific experiences with that while I have BEEN THERE. *remembers* *vividly*

Also my Dad. At a business meeting. In Germany. That was . . . special.

My external HD is--refusing to be recognized by my computer. It has a mix of work and personal files on it.

I am very cranky as a result. *sigh* *hopes computing services will be helpful* *does not want to lose giant pile of papers*

Meanwhile, as a distraction (for me, and maybe you too!) have a meme, stolen from hordes of people in the past day or so.

Name a character that you know I write or have written, and I'll tell you:

a. What initially prompted me to like the character enough to write about him/her.
b. One of his/her best traits.
c. One of his/her worst traits.
d. How easy/difficult I find it to write the character.
e. The story/thread/chapter/post/paragraph/tag/phrase where I feel that I truly captured the character.
f. My plans (if any) to write the character in the near future

Milliways and Wasteland are the primary sources of material, here.

Because Fry is a genius, and Trufax are always entertaining--

That and it's Saturday, and I am about to start running around like a crazy person getting shit done--

The Trufax meme.

Join me in being potentially ridiculous.

We have meetings today that we usually have on Fridays, and my internal clock is HORRIBLY SKEWED.

It sucks.

In light of that, have a meme!

Quote a bit of my fic, threads, or OOMs at me? Find a sentence or a paragraph that presses your prose-buttons in the right way, and comment here with it? Don't care how long or short.

My fic, small snippets that they are, is on my journal here. My threads are mostly at milliways_bar, but I've got some in other places, and people who have played there know where they are. So.

And in OTHER other news--I slept two hours last night, woke up for two, and then fell back asleep for ALMOST two more. I think my brain is broken.

It may be all Esther's fault.

And Gen's. And Toaster's. Whee?

Everyone has things they blog about. Everyone has things they don't blog about. Challenge me out of my comfort zone by telling me something I don't blog about, but you'd like to hear about, and I'll write a post about it. Ask for anything: latest movie watched, last book read, political leanings, thoughts on yaoi, favourite type of underwear, graphic techniques, etc. Repost in your own journal so that we can all learn more about each other.

I don't actually blog about much, I can see, looking back. You could probably blindly throw a dart at a topic and hit something I don't blog about. It's probably good that I'm not being paid for this. *g*

So I have to revise a couple preprints over the weekend (bleh). And I have to grade some 80 lab reports (bleh).

But! I also have books to read and other fun stuff to do, so as long as I do not become QUEEN OF THE PROCRASTINATORS, I should be okay.

Also:

I have myself up in the testimonials meme here! Come on, you know you want to make me sound insane and cracky.

Or, you know. Evil.

Or something.

Mom was in a car accident tonight, on the way home from her friend's house.

She's okay, just really freaked out. Some lady, who was lost, ran a stop sign and smashed into the rear of my mom's car, spinning her around in a 180.

Mom thought she was going to die. She was a mess when she called us, but she's better now. I have made her sit down with tea and a heating patch on her neck (she has had serious neck problems in the past and I bet she got some kind of neck muscle stress during the whole thing), but.

I still worry.

But it could have been really bad. So.

*breathes*

I just wanted to share.

So, once again I am making an attempt to send out holiday cards. More specifically, christmas cards, though I can use a non-christmassy message from me if you want!

Just smack down your address here, and I'll send 'em out as soon as I can.

I really want to actually do it this year, too, which means I have the cards bought and ready. I am So Prepared.

Don't laugh.

Comments are screened, per the usual

A list of things (because I can):

Love meme

Bossman has returned, though I have yet to see him. This is never a bad thing. The list of crap I have to do this week is already long enough, thank you.

My brother is having financial issues in that somehow, as a freshman in Boston, he cannot manage to spend less than $50 a week. Bostonpeople? Is that reasonable? Unreasonable? HELP. It's going to be a big Thing when he comes home, and if I can manage to keep it from exploding I will be happy. Alternatively, I will get out of the house. YAY. *cough*

I have been reading the Charlie Parker books by John Connolly. I love them so, even as they get increasingly supernatural. At least he seems to be working from a somewhat self-consistent mythology? And stuff comes back from earlier books, which is ALWAYS awesome.

I think Louis and X-23 would have a lot to not-talk about. *amused*

And tonight I am not responsible for making dinner. This, too, is a win.

My life is so exciting. Really it is! You can make it more so by asking me questions.

Poll #1097133 Question meme!
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: None

Ask me anything! I will post answers anonymously in a separate post. It's like a party.

From half the known world, because today is a very Monday sort of Monday:

1. Tell me one thing you love about me.
2. Tell me two things you love about yourself. No self-deprecation allowed!
3. Look through the comments — when you see someone you know, tell them three things you love about them.
4. Do this in your journal.

At least my boss is not back until roughly Thursday.

*puts nose back to grindstone*

What would you say are the trademarks of my writing? What themes or quirks or turns of phrase have you noticed? What is it that makes a story/tag by me -- well, a story/tag by me?

And if you want to request a drabble when answering this, go ahead. I will be slow, as I have about ten drabbles already promised, but!

I like writing challenges.

Today at work is a slow day. I am still teaching the new grad student, and I have my lesson plans to prepare, and I have my own experiment to get going. And my shoulder hurts.

I think I am most annoyed by the sore shoulder. I have changed my pillow, I have changed the way I sleep, I have done relaxation exercises, and my neck is STILL TIGHTER THAN A THING THAT IS TIGHT.

*sigh*

Bleh. Ah well. I shall persevere. And maybe rip out the muscles in my neck, or something.

Fits of rage are so cathartic. The aftermath'd just be a pain. Woe.

People who comment on this post get to request a drabble from me. In return, you can post this meme in your journal and keep yourself busy for DAYS.

I can write for Supernatural, Millennium, maaaaybe Friday Night Lights, any of my Milliways fandoms AS Milliways stuff, Wheel of Time, Neverwhere, Sandman, the Fionavar Tapestry, The Vintner's Luck, Narnia, X-men esp New X-men the reboot, Tortall stuff but not Kel's story, QaF, maybe some SGA, and a bunch of other stuff I'll try if people ask it of me.

Yay?