FabulousLorraine.com

Thursday, April 23, 2009

My Very Own Office Picture Feature...

I have been getting a Rash of requests (yes, that was the adjective of choice) lately for pictures of Boss's workspace, or writing space, or Office. Quite a lot. Oddly enough. He has several, and we have taken shots and sent them off into the world, but no one has asked ME for any pictures of my office, nor has decided that Assistants work space be featured anywhere.I'd like to change that, and feature MY office tonight here.

It would be lovely, and indeed I start every day with such a plan, if it were a thing of beauty and neatness, but it simply isn't possible. Or at any rate, I have not achieved it YET. It is, however, efficient, and it works. The file cabinet there is where the current files go. The archives take up half the attic, and are in tubs. I mention this as Kitty and I have a Plan for that attic this summer, and you will no doubt be visiting.

Here's another shot I like, as you can see I waste no space, and use under the desk as well as on top. Sometimes I work down there. It's very peaceful under my desk. I like it there. Often no one can find me.

We get a lot of books. Kind of like it rains in the Amazon. Or the Birdchick likes birds. Or Bengals are fairly active cats, if you see my point. They come in, and go to this spare desk, and every so often we have a grand sorting and they go off to the To Be Read Shelf, or one of the libraries.

And there you have it. MY office, featured in a full colour spread, here first. Where it all happens. How things happen. And what let's me make things happen. The Chair of the Princess of NO. No doubt, it will be in magazines all over the world shortly, but, you saw it here first. I will be taking questions, having a Q&A so, please, feel free. All media requests will be considered, but interviews will, of nessesity, be short.

I have a lot of work to do.

Love and MY Office,
Lorraine

232 Comments:

At 21:23 Rubius said...: Ah, I see your piles have grown since last year. I like your description of working UNDER the desk. Sounds like a great place to 'get away from it all'.
At 21:26 Siri said...: It looks like you have the one thing (besides the comfy office chair) that I want more than anything in the world for my office.

A door.

I envy you your door.

Cool space - and as neatly cluttered as I would expect from you!
At 21:28 Adri said...: Lovely piles of stuff! The best part of a workspace, in my opinion. (That's what I tell myself, due to the state of /my/ desk)
At 21:34 AletaMay said...: Kyle Cassidy's NEXT next book... Where Assistants Assist!

I had a good meeting with my advisor today. (For those on twitter my paper was found!) I have a lot of work to do over the next couple of days but it is an exciting time as I seem to actually be MOVING after being STUCK.

It feels like I am cantering!
At 22:09 ariandalen said...: Gee, Ms. Fabulous, your office looks like my house. Well. . .maybe neater.

Really.

I have my mother's desk in the living room. I can remember crawling underneath it and playing when we lived in Centerville. That was only forty years ago. It's amazing to me that I could fit in the space, even that long ago. In high school, I would crawl underneath my day bed and read. All to say that it's often nice to be in a protected space. :)
At 22:13 Stacy Hurt said...: Love the office shots! So much stuff! Do you ever get a hair & just wipe it all out & start over? Ya; didn't think so. Love the book stacks though.

Aleta, congrats my dear; I was worried.
At 22:23 Dragonsally said...: Just the way an office should look.

I agree about working under the desk - nice little space where people don't disturb you.

Just love that Maddy Rules can be found in your office as well.

Do you ever get to read the books that come in?
At 22:23 Beez said...: ood news Aleta.

So Quichie, do you have a nice pillow stashed under your desk for some of those "not found" times?

Your office just suits you, except for the lack of the throne that the Princess should have.

No doubt it's just to not appear ostentatious.
At 22:24 Mary said...: Uhoh. Now that people know you work under the desk, they'll be able to find you. You'll need to build a cave under the house.
At 22:27 FabulousLorraine said...: CAVE! That's it. And a secret passage...Hans?

I think I just fell asleep on my floor. Clearly a Sign...

I do read the books. Steal 'em in fact.

I can't think. Am I sleep blogging?

Nathilie helped me write a Vampire poem in French today. It's not ART but it is in French. I'll post it soon.
At 22:42 ariandalen said...: Oh, yeah. I knew there was something I was forgetting.

Congratulations, Phiala, on sending on the Paper From Hell! Here's to not needing to revise it any more! (_)]

And Congratulations to Aleta, for moving forward!

Ooooo. Vampire poetry in French.
Cool.
At 22:43 Na said...: Er. *rubs eyes* I missed a day and a post.

Looks like a thoroughly lived-in office, in the best way. IMO, secret passage to cave should include a chute. Wheee!

Yay for finding of paper, Aleta!

And thinking, if we do all that decorating of t-shirts, I'm never gonna wear the thing, just frame it. :D

Skulls skulls skulls. Last night I had to run to the grocery store for more cleaning supplies. As I crossed the parking lot, saw a fellow in black leathers and helmet preparing to get on his motorcycle. Weather has dipped well below freezing again up here--he had on a black face mask as well, on which was printed a skull face!! So wished I had a camera handy.
At 22:44 Na said...: Doh, I forgot, too -- congrats, Phiala!
At 22:48 Uisge said...: Wow. Puts my space to shame. There are so many strange and mysterious objects in there. Plus, it appears that "Maddy Rocks".
At 22:53 Chantrelle said...: ooh ooh, i spy with my little eye, Crazy Hair! :)

I function well with piles and piles. Drives hubby bonkers but he does the same thing, just inside mulitple bankers boxes. I'm sooo cluttered! But i know where stuff is.

Off to watch last night's Lost which we missed since we were at the spinal tap gig.

later dudes.
At 23:10 Na said...: Did I mention it's cold here? Now with snow.

I do pretty well with piles too, as long as no one messes with 'em, and only in work space. Or to-read piles by the bed.
At 23:57 Bridget said...: I had an office once. And then it became buried under piles. So I moved my work space to the kitchen, which promptly became buried under piles. So we bought a house and moved. The room that will some day be my office is still buried under boxes over a year later, and my piles alternate between the kitchen and coffee tables. Sometimes the bedroom, when I really don't want to get any work done at all, but like to pretend I'm working while I hug a kitty and nap.

I want my office back. Neat and tidy. With all the printers hooked up, unburied, and working when I need them. All the cables labled. And a chair. I miss having a comfy office chair.
At 00:14 Kitty Cat said...: i remember us putting that office furniture together, well, we supervised and we bossed while Mr. Merry did it!!!
that was a fun one.

i like to see the magnets on the file cabinet...

and clutter is just fine with me, until it gets too bonkers.

Kylie just scanned herself, she is lying on the all-in-one printer. every morning i wake up with her paws on me, and i say thank you to Q for finding us such a great friend, Drew is completely devoted to her, turns that 6'6" man into a gushy boy.

Siri, check out ergonomic chairs (am i spelling that right?) i had one and didn't take it on my move. I miss it...so good for the back.
At 00:16 spacedlaw said...: I saw you dive under that desk last night so I know you squirrel things down there...
At 00:26 Ticia said...: Love your space Quiche. It feels very fluid to me. Things always moving....

Great day for Aleta and Phiala!

Almost home... Back to BART station (where I meet my commute coworker) in 7 1/2 hours. Yikes!
At 00:50 Anonymous said...: Wow.

We have the same printer. :P

Where did you find such an epic desk?
At 02:11 Lysandwr said...: Did someone say something about t shirts? :)

"We should do up shirts with spaces for decorating, and writing in and such, thru the shop, some sort of saying for the weekend, and in white, well, or anything that one can write on, and order them before, so we all have them for the weekend..."I will be back home by the weekend, and will begin looking into this. They (the Spreadshirt guys)have some possibilities which are specific to the idea of "continued modification."

Okay, back to enjoying Cali while I can.....
At 02:12 Lexocat said...: Hmmm, may have to see if I get more done by working under *my* desk.

Congrats to Phiala and Aleta!

And tomorrow the nice man from JPL will let a Mars rover roll over the students in G's class. This should be interesting.
At 02:39 Marjorie said...: Ican se it now, a new series each week in the Sunday Supplement - 'Assistnat's Workspaces' - the Guardian has a 'Where I write' bit with pictures of authour's workspaces but they haven't done Boss (yet) - Also they always look unnaturally tidy, in an 'eep.I'm going to be photographed' way..

I haven't tried working under my desk, but I can see the appeal...

My desk at work is pretty tidy has to be, becasue I see clients there. But I have lots of piles at home.

I wish it rained books at my house. That must be nice. (unless amybe you are the one who has to put them all away...)

For some reason, your mention of a Plan for the attic made me think of Boss's Twitter about flashmobs of librarians cataloguing his libraries...

And finally - Siri is going to collect me from the airport so I don't have tp try to drive on the wrong side of the road in my sleep Yay! ;-) (which reminds me - I will be hiring a car, and as I am staying on after fiendom-come weekend I will be able to help with transport for fiends needing lifts to airports and such)
At 02:42 Marjorie said...: Oh, and meant to say - so glad your advisor found your paper, Aleta, and that you are making progress!
At 02:49 kali_licious said...: Looks like a well-used workspace to me..neatness is nice but it's hard to get things DONE and be neat, at least for me.

Just got home from a great show from the lovely and very funny Voltaire. Tired from too much dancing..
At 04:18 louisa said...: Morning

fumbles around brain for more

......

failsTea
At 04:45 Dragonsally said...: Morning Louisa - how's Ireland this fine day?
At 05:03 louisa said...: In a word: grey. Got that waiting for rain feel. But just did an Indian Fiction section so there is a splash of colour and spice. How's things in your neck o' the woods Miss Sally?
At 05:15 Dragonsally said...: Exactly the same - its been a grey and wet day. Sudden cold snap, to remind us that summer finished a while ago.
At 05:30 Dan Guy said...: Hans totally needs to build you a secret trap door from under your desk into the basement, so that you can make your sneaky escape.

"What's that in the sky? It's the QuicheSignal!"
"Hey, where'd Lorraine go?"
At 07:22 Siri said...: Morning Fiends. I'm not at work today (Don't tell Ticia!) I'm going to the 100th Running of the Drake Relays this afternoon, with Pa. We'll go tomorrow afternoon, too, and that will be our last time. Well, his, anyway. He's gone every year since 1950; I've only attended regularly since 1974. Anyway, lots of young men in tight shorts, sunshine and fresh air. It's a nice way to spend 2 days.

So, I'm around for the morning. We'll see if anyone else is. I wonder if Q made it up at 6 today?
At 07:25 spacedlaw said...: She was expecting to go home late yesterday, so I would guess not.
But I could be wrong, of course.

Young men in shorts... It could be nice. Only young men, though?
At 07:31 FabulousLorraine said...: I made it up by 7, it was kind of late last night, and I have a gig tonight, so didn't want to try and get up too early. Won't get home till nearly one, poor Bengals! Only dry food fro, now till then!!!!!

Drinking tea and getting ready to ride. Ana today and western, more cantering both ways!
At 07:38 spacedlaw said...: Only dry food and what's more, no cuddles or feather stick!
Bonjour!
At 07:38 FabulousLorraine said...: I love Voltaire! Man can rock. Never seen him live tho.

We should get Tee's done now, so you have them for the weekend, perhaps a couple different ones...

The white board for Maddy was added so the little artist had something to draw on other than MY things. She has her own post it's too.

Hi Jamm, welcome! Good printer that. Desk from Office Depot, needed a big one.

Good going Aleta, and Mistress!
At 07:44 Siri said...: Lots and lots of girls too, Nat - that's certainly something that has changed over the years. Used to be exclusively boys - from high school through the Master's race. You have to be 40 to be a master. They used to be old men. Not so much, anymore - another difference!
At 08:13 Phiala said...: Thanks! Hopefully my coauthor will not have much to say about the PfH and I can send it to the journal and not have to worry about it for a while.

Aleta, that's wonderful. It's so nice to be cantering rather than sitting still.

Piles. Yes. Current projects each get their own pile so I can find the appropriate pieces when it's time to work on it. The problem comes when there are too many piles of old or defunct projects taking up space.
At 08:19 FabulousLorraine said...: Lovely day here, and I am off to see what t brings. Riding, work and gig. ACK! LONG day. Chances of new post tonight are slim to none....

But chatter me nicely so I have things to read, yes?
At 08:19 Kate said...: I once read this essay in the Atlantic Monthly about the theory behind piling as a workspace organization theory. After reading it I no longer worried about the piles that, I know, will eventually injure someone as they come crashing down.

Love the Chair of the Princess of No. Shouldn't that be Throne?

In American Lit yesterday one of my students wanted to look at this Emily Dickinson poem "because I have NO IDEA what it is about." I'm betting that you will hazard a guess:
(500)
Bees are Black, with Gilt Surcingles --
Buccaneers of Buzz.
Ride abroad in ostentation
And subsist on Fuzz.

Fuzz ordained -- not Fuzz contingent --
Marrows of the Hill.
Jugs -- a Universe's fracture
Could not jar or spill.

Happy Friday to all your fiends
At 08:19 One Sock Short said...: Mornin' all. A bit more sleep last night than the one before, but not by much. I know you're right about the exercise, Lorraine. Will start that as soon as the coughing fits end. Maybe I can start walking home next week. Being less than 3 miles away from work was one of the attractions of the new apt.

Definitely a comfortably lived-in space you've got there. I'm surrounded by piles of books myself. I hope to get some of them cataloged today. But that plan went all to hell yesterday, so we will see. I do miss cataloging actual books. It's been all pushing pixels lately.

I feel a strong need for some pampering just now. I think I'll start the alpaca shawl this weekend. Mmmmmmm, alpaca...
At 08:20 One Sock Short said...: Shoot, forgot to ticky box.
At 08:31 spacedlaw said...: Surcingle is such a wonderful sounding word!
At 08:34 Cecily said...: Love it! Under the desk seems like the perfect place to work from.
At 08:36 Kate said...: I like the concept of a "Buccaneer of Buzz" myself. Oh to be a buccaneer of anything...
At 08:52 Unknown said...: That is a beautiful thing, your office. My OCD wants to organize it (and offers assistance if you would ever want to), but my little internal artist Loves it just the way it is.

Thanks for the little snapshot into your world!
At 09:34 dabbler said...: Yay Phiala! Yay Adri! Yay for anyone else who is making progress and achieving things... Love your desk, Q as most of my house looks very much in the same style.

Off to be outside in the sun and try to get somethings done while it is seasonal...Forecast is fro 87F tomorrow. Nice of the the weather to continue to provide me with complaint fodder!
At 10:05 AletaMay said...: Love the idea of a Cave hidden beneath the desk!
At 10:15 AletaMay said...: Opps. Meant to say more!

Thanks for all the good vibes everyone.

Phiala -- hurray! Hope the all goes well with the coauthor.

Tonight is a birthday party for my youngest brother who is 10 years older than I am. Age is such a strange thing the older I get. I am having fun making up some "two lies and a truth" sort of things for the party.

AND. I live in piles in my home but have not made piece with them. I love your office Q, it seems perfect and matches the way I imagine your work life to be!
At 10:23 AletaMay said...: LOL... Also have not made peace.
At 10:28 One Sock Short said...: So Phiala, now I'm curious. What's your area of research?

Thinking a lot about crawling under my desk. But in a nap sort of way.
At 11:03 Phiala said...: OSS, I'm a botanist/plant ecologist/landscape ecologist for the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (link if anyone is really that interested). I spend most of my summers tromping around in cow pastures around the northeastern United States, and my winters writing papers.

This year we don't have much funding (and in fact nearly got shut down), so there won't be much tromping, but I have lots of papers to work on. I just hope none of them are as horrible to work on as the PfH.
At 11:06 Rubius said...: Phiala, I'm interested... but the link doesn't work. Can you repost it please?

In this case it wouldn't be a 'bat cave' ... it would be a 'cat-cave' I am sure.
At 11:08 Rubius said...: oh.. and so no one else is up for an afternoon of horse-back riding in June at the fiend-meet?
At 11:14 Phiala said...: Hm, ill-behaved government link, sorry (or more likely, operator error!)

Try this: linkylinky.
At 11:19 Siri said...: Rubius - I remember now you asked that before. I'd go riding, as long as there is no grading of posture!
At 11:22 Siri said...: Phi - is your SuperUberBoss Tom Vilsack? He used to be my SuperUberBoss.

Have you ever heard of Kevin Concannon? I've heard he's joining Ag, but I'm not sure where. He was my UberBoss for several years, and quite a nice man, who thought I was funny.

(Sorry to the rest of you for the speaking of people you don't know.)
At 11:30 Rubius said...: Phiala, that is fascinating!! I love the idea of sustainability via plant diversity... at least that is what I got out of the description. What a neat field of study. My mom worked in a greenhouse for 13 years or so and she has five green thumbs on each hand... so I am very interested in plants, etc. She also takes counts of all the bald eagles in our area so wildlife and plantlife appreciation is very much a part of my makeup.
At 11:32 Rubius said...: Cool Siri!! If we get a few people we could make a party of it. Perhaps Lorraine knows of a stable in the area that could accommodate a group of trail-riders.
At 11:32 Phiala said...: Rubius, yes, that pretty much exactly. :) Plants, and lots of different kinds of them, combined with, how do we help small farmers survive and make money and be more environmentally friendly.

Siri, yes, Vilsack is my second-level UberBoss (Obama technically being the first). There are photos of both men in the front entryway. (Or will be; we may not have received them both yet.)

Concannon has been nominated as Undersecretary of Food and Nutrition - not my undersecretary, as I fall under Research and Science (Gale Buchannan).

The only way any of this is remotely interesting, even to me, is that technically I'm only 6 steps away from the White House (along with many thousands of other people):

Me: My boss: Regional ARS Director: ARS Administrator: Undersecretary for Research and Science: Secretary of Agriculture: President.
At 11:50 Siri said...: Always liked Tom - as a person, and most times as a politician. Not so much Mrs. Tom, but there you go. Hope he does well in Washington.

And wow - 6 steps away from the White House...I'm sure that and $1.59 will get you a nice cup of tea.
At 11:57 Phiala said...: Siri - exactly, a cup of tea. It is a completely useless factoid. A bunch of us were bored during training so we worked it out.

How do you know my PentUberBoss? :)
At 12:12 One Sock Short said...: Phiala -- Very interesting. I do like popular science books in that area. And I used to live in Binghamton, NY, so I can picture the pastures you've wandered through pretty well.

Ah, trail riding. Haven't done that for, oh, about 25+ years. Yikes.
At 12:39 Rubius said...: It has been 16 years since I last went on a guided trail ride (but I have ridden a bit since then). Yikes. that seems like a lot of time. I went on a trail ride in Latvia and in southern France. I remember that I LOVED being at the back of hte pack since I knew enough about horses to actually GUIDE my horse and could then slow down and canter and trot a bit.
At 12:45 Ani said...: Congrats, Aleta--that's got to feel good!
At 12:51 Marjorie said...: I must have missed the first mention of riding. It would be fun, if there is anyone prepared to take a (potentially very) mixed ability group.

Did Birdchick offer to do some birding, or did I imagine that?
At 12:53 Ani said...: Rubius & Siri--I'd join a trail ride, as long as its well understood that my experience is "once every 10 years" or so. :)

And tees! Yes! Must!
At 13:11 FabulousLorraine said...: Oddly enough, I have no idea where to rent horses and go trail riding in Minnesota. Anyone else? You would think there would be somewhere near Stillwater...
At 13:45 Chantrelle said...: Just put up a quick writeup of my dinner w/ Lys and Ticia on foodporn :)

I'm trying to get my backlog of reviews posted!

Oh, and YES TO TSHIRTS!
At 13:46 Adri said...: I'd love to go riding, if it's feasible!

In case it's somehow possible that the lot of you can't hear my bengals screaming from where you live, they'd like to make it known that I am starving them to death.

(I'll feed them as soon as I go to the store to get more food)
At 14:21 ariandalen said...: I spy with my fiendish eye...New Fiends!

Hi, Jamm and Blythe Spirit! Welcome to the asylum!

::sniff::
::sniff sniff sniff::

heh heh heh
Spicy!

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
At 14:29 Marjorie said...: Adri, do you think that all fiend's cats have achieved a mind-meld with all other fiends cats? Tyablt has been standing next to his (full) bowl making 'I'm starving to death' sounds. (In between scratching plaintively at doors and then giving me dirty looks when I open them for him - wha is with that?)
At 14:29 ariandalen said...: I'll be playing catch-up tomorrow or Sunday as we are off to see a close friend's son achieve Eagle Scout. This might not seem so grand except for the fact that he has cerebral palsy. When he was first diagnosed as an infant, the doctors told his mother that he would be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. She worked with him, and after several operations over the years and a broken kneecap due to a crutch collapsing on him, he walks. Last I heard he was working on walking without the crutch, but I don't know how he's doing with that. On top of all this, his father (and Scoutmaster) died suddenly at camp three years ago. So, this isn't just any Eagle Scout. I'm proud to know him.
At 14:59 Ani said...: I finally got around to getting my nick into my Blogger account. Fear not, fiends, it's not a Tricky Fiendish Plot, it's Andrea behind the "Ani" mask!

(though really, Ariandalen does such a nice job on the welcome/ paddy-wagon I really should have slipped in and got a big spicy welcome, first. ;-)
At 14:59 Adri said...: Marjorie -- it is possible. My apologies for the inconvenience! we're out of cat food (as if they didn't, I might point out, eat half of a chicken yesterday) and I haven't gone to the grocery yet.

I'm also picking up the last ingredients to make Lebanese spinach pies as a thank you to my business partner's dad, who's helping us through some client late payment troubles.
At 16:14 Beez said...: Heck yeah Rubius, I am always up for riding. Only ever ridden Western though.

Most of the stables I know that do trail rides are south of the cities, but not too far off- maybe a half-hour drive.

I will check around for the Stillwater area, and the near western Wisconsin area too- something is niggling at my brain that there is indeed a stable there.

Home from work and it feels like summer. There shall be planting in the garden tonight and let the rains come the rest of the weekend.

I think we may back off of the house hunt. In the last couple of weeks (since the weather got nice) it has gone crazy- like sharks and blood-on-the-water crazy. Eep!
At 16:23 Beez said...: Ah-HA!

http://wildriverstable.com/

Just north of Stillwater, and the rides are through Wild River State Park
At 16:47 guntharr said...: Love the office shots, and the accumulation of book-rain in the last shot :)
At 17:33 DataGoddess said...: Y'all have been chatty today! :-)

I think your office looks comfortable and organized, Q, honestly. Piles don't mean unorganized, just a lot of stuff!

I am being nauseatingly bouncy, because Sunday afternoon I get on a plane and get to see my sweetie. Only for a few days, but it's going to be a nice break.
At 18:20 Rubius said...: Blogger seems to be having issues today. When I look at the comment count on the blog it says '76' but when I look at hte comment count at the top of the page of comments it says '79'

Does blogger need a math lesson?
At 18:22 Rubius said...: Well, of course now it works. Mockery... works everytime. (that or my browser simply decided it wouldn't update itself)
At 18:58 Siri said...: Sorry, Phiala for not answering. I was off to the 100th Running of the Drake Relays. Hot, Sunny, and now I smell of sunscreen and sweat. I feel blech. That didn't stop Pa and me from going out to dinner, though.

The girls from Minnesota schools did very well in several of the races. It was a lovely afternoon sitting in the sun, desultory chatting, mind wandering, young men in tight shorts...all in all a fine day.

Anyway, I know your PentUberBoss because he was my UberBoss for 8 years as governor of Iowa. I had a conversation with him once - he was in a parade, throwing candy, and I shouted "Throw some here, I'm a state employee." He threw some and shouted back "So am I!" He's a nice guy.

OK, off to showe off this slimey stink. Then, more water - I'm parched.
At 19:03 Siri said...: OK, for clarification, I am not going to show off my stench in an old english way (showe?), I'm going to shower it off.

Sheesh.
At 19:24 One Sock Short said...: Wanted to send the group a couple of photos, but couldn't think how. I am maybe a bit burnt out from my first full week back to work after the cold-from-hell. Anyway, found a kludge...I tweeted them to Lorraine via Twitpic.
At 19:26 EmilyLady said...: Okay. Honestly? I'm much more interested in your office. I know enough about Boss.
At 19:27 EmilyLady said...: Er, that's not to say I'm SICK of him or anything.
At 19:28 EmilyLady said...: Oh Fod, that was like, TOTALLY rude, wasn't it? Sigh. Sorry.
At 19:29 Siri said...: I'm not sure you could be rude, Emily Lady....I think rude is when you mean to be, and THAT'S not you.
At 19:29 Fluffy said...: Blogger and Facebook have the same drawback, as far as I'm concerned - you can't go back to a post and correct an error. I guess it adds interesting words to the Fiendish Lexicon, tho.

I had a largeish Grey Goose with dinner and am feeling pretty fine. Made a casserole out of leftover spaghetti and meatballs and lots of cheese on top. Garlic bread and broccoli to round it out.

The Offspring was swimming with her little friends and ended up at that friend's house to watch movies, so I cut up a small watermelon and took the rest of our dinner and some snack food to the poor mom who suddenly had a house full of starving 14 year olds. I told her that in my idealism I included broccoli, and she assured me that the most unfillable of the bottomless pits actually likes it. Well, his mom is a nutritionist.

So now I'm having a small (Fun Size!) chocolate martini for dessert. I will check around the Interwebs to see what's up, and if I don't pass out I'll be back.
At 19:32 Siri said...: It's quiet here tonight, Fluffy. EmilyLady and I are here - I think Q is gigging, or should be soon, so we'll have to chatter without her.
At 19:32 Siri said...: Suddenly, I feel as though we should do a Mickey Mouse Club Roll Call. I'm so old.
At 19:39 DataGoddess said...: I'm still here, hanging out. IMing with my sweetie and annoying Husbeast with my bouncyness.
At 19:40 Dragonsally said...: Morning All

I wish I could be there in June...missing out on meet-up, gig, birding AND riding. I will be a pouty little Pouty McPout pants here *sigh*

Where IS that transporter?

I have just looked around myself and realized that there aren't many surfaces in this house not covered in piles of things. Must be a Fiend thing, yes?
At 19:43 Siri said...: Sorry, Sal - can't read your post from behind this pile of stuff....;)
At 19:51 Lyndyn said...: Hey, all! I loved seeing the office pix. I love seeing other peoples' workspaces. Though, mine right now is in a conditiont hat made my cleaner actually call me to make sure that I was alright. (I will admit that it DID look like there might have been a struggle - one of my piles o' stuff and toppled.) It was sweet of her to check on me! :)
At 19:59 EmilyLady said...: You will be on my mind, Sally, in June - with us in spirit.
At 19:59 Dragonsally said...: Thanks Emily *sniff*
At 19:59 Adri said...: I'm here, contemplating a bath so I can warm up.

Also considering which fandom activities to participate in tonight. I've stories due for a fic exchange in 8 days, I should really finish the second one.

I used to be, not really ashamed, but not as open about my fandoming. But it's silly to hide my participation in vibrant communities of creative people just because the creativity and analysis is centered around pop culture. Plus, where else would I get to discuss the feminist implications of supernatural detective stories?

It's been a Day, Fiends. I need non-reality, interaction, and distraction.
At 23:27 Fluffy said...: You go, Adri! Reality is vastly overrated as a coping mechanism, methinks.

An Sally, we need a live stream for the Offfsite Fiends during our get-together, me also thinks.

And re: piles; it is The Miracle of Hanukkah that my marriage has survived 28 years. The spouse hates the piles. I find them strangely comforting. I may take a photo of my sewing room to illustrate. Then again, I may spare you all to live another day. Heh.

Lyndyn - it must be comforting to know that someone cares enough to make sure the ferrets don't eat you as you lie pinned under the piles of work!

ANZAC Day. It's not too late to send thanks! Thanks!

T Shirts - I vote "Yes!"

Husband says it's time for bed. But.... it's Friday! Sigh. 28 years...mutter.
At 23:35 Dragonsally said...: It is indeed Anzac Day. My football team, and my best friend's football game play against each other in the 'traditional' Anzac Day clash. I Always cry when they play the last post before the game, and think of Pete's mother's fiancee who died during WW2.
At 23:36 AletaMay said...: Looks like it has been a quiet night here!

I was at my brother's 60th birthday party. It was fun. I twittered some random photos. Now I am very tired and ready for sleep. I see on Twitter that there are some less than wonderful folk at Charlie's tonight. Sorry to here that. I plan to be there tomorrow. Hope to bring some good energy!

Okay then. Night all.
At 01:09 Dragonsally said...: calling Ariandalen
At 01:14 FabulousLorraine said...: Home! Ah Home! Bengals, floor home!!!!!!

First and second sets rocked, third not so much. Besides being so tired I could hardly see, a group of drunk idiots came in. It goes like that soemtimes, but it isn't much fun at the time.

I do not play Freebird.

At least for them.

Note to the clueless: If you are drunk, and have had say, more than TEN drinks, assume that no matter what you are feeling that NOONE in the band wants to go home with you.

But I am home and that is fading. Tomorrow is going to be the best, Melissa and all the horse people are coming down, and we will have serious fun!

Loved your chatter tonight, got me thru this in fact, I do thank you.
At 01:18 vampi said...: i m home form santa barbara. seeing the dalai lama was pretty cool. the gym the lecture was held in was called...the thunderdome! it had these awful wooden benches. His holiness was very entertaining and enlightening. i walked away with this concept of shared ethics, and that we should all have some shared secular ethics for treating everyone as if equals.

on the way back we stopped at a ralphs and saw angelyne billboard barbie in the flesh.

long pre-weekend, glad i have a few days to relax.

Lexo, JPL openhouse may 2-3. have you been? it was so cool last year. i'm jealous the kids get to have the rover visit their class.
At 01:21 FabulousLorraine said...: You know, just a thought, it is after 1 and I have been up and have not stopped since 7 this morning. It is my thought that this was a REALLY long day.

I worried a bit on the way home, driving. Thought I was seeing lots of flashes. Bad sign when one is sober. Figured out it was storms, and was pretty glad.
At 01:22 Adri said...: Glad you made it home safe, Q! Sorry about drunken idiots. Tomorrow will be so much better in comparison!
At 01:57 vampi said...: poor Q, i hate driving and seeing the flashes inthe distance. used to experience that a lot driving between orlndo and miami on the turnpike, a whole bunch of blackness with scary flashes inthe distance.

glad you made it home safe, sleep well.

Retweeting @fabulouslorrain: They will pay for this third set. I will play puff the magic dragon until they die horrible deaths!

death by puff the magic dragon actually sounds pretty fun.

you slay me?
that song DRAGs ON?

i'm too tired to think of more <3
At 02:20 louisa said...: Did I ever mention I love this place? Where else would one wake to the image of the Dalai Lama surrounded by hordes of post-apocalypse waifs and mad-max-haired Tina Turner? Thanks Vampi!

Morning all, hope everyone has a good Saturday.
At 03:00 Marjorie said...: Sorry you were subjected to drunkards, Quiche, and glad that the flashes you were seing were due to storms and not brain shut-down!

Dalai Lama sounds great.

My brain is mush this morning. No insightful comments to make. I shall have coffee, and go the Post Office instead.
At 03:13 vampi said...: oh i rediscovered this website of bands playing impromptu concets, similar to the blackcab website.

afp & j wembleyi am so not sleeping, why is that?
At 05:48 Phiala said...: Today: Medieval housewife, with the hope of possible educating someone about something. Seems doubtful, but one must make the attempt.
At 08:00 DataGoddess said...: Vampi, sounds like a wonderful experience, even if it does conjure up images of Mad Max! Speaking of JPL and the mars rover, did I mention that my sweetie is works on stuff we're sending to Mars and the moon?

Yeah, I have a real soft spot for geeks, no matter the flavor. It's one thing I like about the fiends, we're all unabashed geeks in different ways.
At 08:19 One Sock Short said...: DG, yes indeed. And speaking of being a geek, this weekend I plan on swatching in preparation for making this sweater:
http://www.yarmando.com/washsweater.html

And starting the alpaca shawl, and working on the Monkey socks, and... it's possible there might not be enough weekend.

Lorraine, sorry about the drunken jerks. Playing PTMG sounds like a good defense. I need to listen to something else now to drive out that earworm myself.
At 11:03 spacedlaw said...: There seems to be a serious deserting case around this place. It must be Saturday.
At 11:05 FabulousLorraine said...: Thanks Guys, yah, it happens that way sometimes, not often, which is why I play there, rather than bars, where you play later, and people are way drunker.

I am ok with drinking people, just not drunk people. When you are sober you see them REALLY clearly, and it is not pretty.

This morning is fine, forget them. Slept really late and played with Bengals, going to shower and go to work shortly, then to a really good gig tonight.
At 11:06 FabulousLorraine said...: I noticed that too. Like a tomb it is.
At 11:28 Marjorie said...: Is it sunny? Maybe everyone is outside.
At 11:32 AletaMay said...: This feind slept late and then had a long skype with woodcarving brother who showed new woodcarving stuff.

Maybe everyone else needed extra sleep too!
At 11:40 One Sock Short said...: Mostly sunny and warm in Chicago. Haven't decided what to do with it though. Have too much to do at home, so probably won't go out till later this afternoon.

Forgot to say earlier that I went to see the archived vids from your St. Patrick's day show. Really enjoyed them. Seeing you live must be so much fun.
At 11:41 Siri said...: No sun here. Rain. I'm gearing up for an afternoon outside in perhaps the rain, perhaps not. Ah well. Just wish it would get a little warmer...
At 11:48 spacedlaw said...: It's sunny here too, and a holiday to boot. I was supposed to go diving and woke up with a cold instead...
Meh.
Condemned to sleep, read, write and drink tea. Hell.

If they're all dead, maybe we get zombies? (did you get those poems, Lorraine ?)
At 11:48 FabulousLorraine said...: AH! SHower. And I got the BEST Bee letter EVER. I am so going to post it today. Not sure anyone has EVER given me better advice for life, let alone bees.

I didn't know that show ws archived. FODS! Not sure anyone needs to see that last hour, ever again, hee-hee...

The show tonight is going to be really really good. Melissa and the Horse Friends are coming, and Saturday is always better. COme , please if you live close enough, help me forget last night..
At 11:49 DataGoddess said...: It's gorgeous here in Northern Indiana today, a bit windy but not bad. We have a picnic at Husbeast's adviser's place this afternoon.

OSS, I'm currently working on plain vanilla socks that are putting me to sleep. Been trying to decide if I want to start a more complicated project to take with me or not. Thinking I might try some lace knitting, a shawl or something, but debating if I want to do something *that* fiddly on the plane.
At 12:12 Na said...: hey fiends. just got my internet connected in the new place, and this is my first stop. :) please say hi to my wireless access! w00t!

i see there are loads of comments, and something about drunken idiots, that can't be good...

but must keep unloading stuff. almost out of hELL.
At 13:35 vampi said...: morning fiends :) today is a great lazy day. i'm excited to learn from the wisdom of bees :)
At 13:46 Adri said...: Hullo, Fiends! Having my espresso (double, with whipped cream and a sprinkling of bittersweet 70% cocoa powder on top) and reading the news before heading outside to lie in the sun and write for an hour.

I believe this is an excellent start to the day.

Looking forward to wise bees
At 15:04 Rubius said...: Hello All, slept in LATE today. How nice.

Na, nice to see you are connected!!

Don't worry Lorraine, the whole show wasn't archived. Only 3 songs from it. They are on Dr. Wicked's ustream page.
At 16:05 One Sock Short said...: Yes, right, just the 3 songs that had been mentioned here the other day. Sorry to cause unnecessary panic. Though now you have me curious about the last hour ;-)

Na, I just moved last month myself. It took much of that time to get back online at home, just when I was also stuck at home sick. Only the Blackberry saved me. Good luck with the unpacking. Hope you can be leisurely about that. The packing and actual moving parts are hell, indeed. But I kind of enjoy the re-nesting part.

DG, I've been enjoying the Monkey Socks from Knitty. They fit that niche between boring and too fiddly very nicely.

Me, I've just lost most of the day to an unplanned nap. Guess the week caught up with me.
At 16:12 Kitty Cat said...: Adri!
oh man.
that is one tempting cuppa you got going on.
my coffee give-up was shortlived. will retry soon.

and sadly I just heard Bea ARthur is gone. Maude, we will miss your mannish ladyness. I loved her so!
At 16:23 Marjorie said...: Na, glad to hear that you are connected and starting to move in. Did it snow on you, in the end?
At 17:14 Dragonsally said...: Morning Fiendom. I'm up early on a cold and dreary Sunday -but the rain is good. The cat is hogging one heater duct, the dogs are keeping Pete warm in bed and its deliciously quiet outside.
This is how an autumn Sunday should look, if it can't be warm and sunny.

Na - great news on wireless. Woot.
At 17:31 Rubius said...: That is one of the things that is most wonderful about this community, we are from all backgrounds, of all ages, and live in all temperatures and even SEASONS.

With spring finally here the bluebells are coming out in the grass, the rose has vivid freshly new red leaves opening, the trees in the backyard have blossomed into a frothy white splendor. They have also revealed to us, to our surprise, which of the two largest of the trees in the back yard are living and which are dead... we thought the one on our side was dead. Turns out we had it wrong. Reminds me of the story of Baucis and Philemon.

My lilies have put on over two inches since I planted them in the ground last week.
At 17:51 Siri said...: Forecast of 68 and cloudy turned into 48 and rain. I am damp, cold, tired and my blood sugar is low. So, Pistachios (non-infected) while the ribs bake in a warm oven. May turn on the heat. Really should take off the damp pants and put on warm jammies.

I'm not pleased with meteorologists. I know Dan will be better.
At 17:58 Erin Underwood said...: I love it! Looks cozy. I can see the evidence of massive productivity!

Hey, what does the white board say? :-)
At 18:00 Ticia said...: Hello my little chickadees!

I survived the week from hell, now I'm reconnecting with my family.

Had breakfast as a family. Walked dog with hubby. Now preparing to go out to a romantic restaurant where I will drink absinthe before continuing to SF to see John Prine.

I was so destroyed by my week that I was incapable of watching The Reader last night. My brain was actually unable to follow the storyline! That never happens to me (well, rarely *grin*).

I'm sorry last night's crowd was loud and unappreciative. I bet that's not the case tonight. Enjoy yourself.

Na, yay for wreless Internet and your escape from
Hell.

Phiala, how was your scheduled drugery? ;-)

I would love to go horseback riding, but I'm a total novice. I've been on a horse about 10 times in my life and never had a lick of training. Would I just be in the way?

I'm also not a birder, but I love trying new things.

Really, just about anything anyone plans I'm up for. Too eager?
At 18:21 Rubius said...: I am pretty confident that I can speak for all of us when I say loudly No one is in the way!! Don't be silly.
At 18:24 One Sock Short said...: You all are tempting me to do something crazy.
At 18:35 Jess said...: *gets in the way*

*does that shuffle-dance thing with Rubius (as inevitably happens when you're in someone's way)*

Hello. I'm up for birding. Are we birding?

Fine office, Q. :) Very sorry to hear last night's (last night's?) crowd was lousy. But I sees there has been Cantering of horses, and Jumping, and Petting Magic's head. And French. Yay for good things!

What are all yous Fiends up to? I'm totally lost, threadwise. But Alive. It's good to be Alive.
At 18:37 Rubius said...: Crazy... crazy like, feel welcome and come and join us crazy? Maybe you should. :-)
At 18:39 Siri said...: JESS!!!!!!

We are much the same - many new spicy brains and a few who only passed through based on that twitter stuff.

No one gave birth, and no one died, at least as far as I know.

Oh, DG's Dan defended his thesis successfully.

How's by you?
At 18:41 Jess said...: (box of ticks, ticks in a box
ticky box is well obnoxious)
At 18:45 Rubius said...: "Hi Jess!!!" says Kristina enthusiastically. "What am I up to you ask, well I am 'supposed' to be doing my taxes (very late as usual)" she mumbles that last bit. "Anyone up for distractions today?... Oooohh pretty rainbows!!" Kristina is very happy about the solar powered turning crystal rainbow-maker she received as a gift. The sun is making a spinning kaleidoscope of colours in her room. The cat walks past the twisting rainbows with disdain, plops down on the windowsill and watches for birds at the feeder just outside. Kristina then wonders why she is thinking about herself in the third person. "Must be a self-distraction technique" she thinks.
At 18:47 Dragonsally said...: Oh Kristina, I want a solar powered crystal rainbow maker - what a wonderful thing to have.
At 18:50 Chantrelle said...: Well, we spent the day at the Festival for the Environment at bens' future school. It was really fun. Great band. He fell asleep in the car. Stumbled into the house and is now asleep on the dining room floor!

Jess!!!! HIIIIIIIII!!!!!!

Hubby is sailing today w/ some friends. If ben ever wakes up, we'll go out to dinner somewhere.

My acupuncturist took me off of wheat for 2 weeks to test allergies. I hate it. I hope it doesn't help anything because I like wheat.
At 19:04 Rubius said...: You know what the VERY best thing about the rainbow maker is? It was purchased from the website therainforestsite.comThat means the there a portion of the proceeds went towards purchasing areas of the rainforest to save it from destruction. You can also click on it once a day to save a portion of the rainforest. You just have to click and the sponsors of the ads on the page donate money per click.

Sorry to hear that Chantrelle. I know what it is like to not want to get better because you don't want to have to give up the thing you are testing for. Gee, that was a terrible sentence, oh well.
At 19:16 One Sock Short said...: Chantrelle, here's hoping you're really just allergic to headcheese. Even if you've never had headcheese, I'm sure it could happen. And think how easy it would be to give up.

Seriously, though, I hope all turns out well. Preferably without giving up wheat.
At 19:18 Jess said...: "Well hello, Kristina!" said Jess, with similar enthusiasm. "You can't go wrong with cats and rainbows! And," she noted, in a spectacular non sequitur, "the third person has many advantages, given that it allows the writer to shift from one perspective to another with relative ease!"

With that she crossed her feet and propped them atop the subwoofer beneath her desk (something you might never have discovered had Jess not employed the third person point of view so skillfully).

"Very fine, thank you, Siri," she added, almost as an afterthought. And, feeling badly about the seeming afterthoughtness of the remark, blurted randomly, "Hello, Chantrelle! I also enjoy wheat and wheat gluten!"

Jess cringed; she bared her teeth. What had begun with the best and friendliest intent had evolved into a terrible, pracically unreadable comment, one which used far too many semicolons at that; she considered trashing the whole thing and going AWOL for another week. But no: she pressed on, with all the stubborn resolve of a narwhal ramming an inflatable life-raft, for the comment had got too long. However senseless, however clumsy, however pointlessly absurd, there could be no turning back. One must commit. She committed.

Jess typed one final line, just to make things sound as though they were coming to a close.

Then she hit "preview".

And afterward, "publish".
At 19:19 Siri said...: I know we can ask where you've been (see, I just did) but will you tell us?

(It's evident you were honing your writing skills....)
At 19:21 Dragonsally said...: Oh, how I have missed you Jess.
At 19:27 Jess said...: I just needed some quiet time. And just one workshop to go well, to be honest. (I might tell you, for example, about the one person who talked the whole time and took to answering questions which had been directed to me...but I won't.) I've had both now, so I'm good. :)
At 19:31 merryhousekeeper said...: Kitty, those were the worse directions in the world! Glad Mr. Merry came to my rescue, lol.
piles of lovely stuff, fun to dust, hehe.
At 19:54 Fluffy said...: Someone familiar appears, causing Fluff to jump up and down, squeaking, "Jess! Woohoo!"

Fluffy sometimes has a hard time NOT writing in the third-person due to her years on the Pratchett Board - the main chatty thread is the 3rdP.

She would like to add that she and Stacy invented the Combat Tiara Wednesday night. The concept is being fleshed out. Fluffy is thinking it should contain sparkly yet deadly ninja throwing stars.

She and the Spousal Unit gardened all day. Aaargh. Plants have been planted and Aleve has been taken. She may be stuck in the recliner for the foreseeable future, but that is okay with her, because within reach she has the new Charles De Lint book.
At 20:11 Phiala said...: Hi Jess, I hope your internet vacation was productive and restful.

It was sunny and unseasonably hot here. I spent the day in the Middle Ages, and the Internet hadn't been invented yet.

I did a Medieval Housewife demonstration for the a local arts festival: dressed in funny clothes, set up a big display, answered questions all day. Sometimes I give lectures too, but not for this one. The armor and especially weapons were more appealing, so really I spent most of the day weaving. It was fun, though. I have lots of neat medieval (replica) goodies, and things I've made. And I'm always happy to tell people about them, or demonstrate, or teach people how to do it themselves.

But now, very tired. Long day. Left the house at 7:30am to get set up before everything opened. There until 6ish packing up and all, and not home until nearly 7pm. It will be an early night for me.
At 21:12 AletaMay said...: Hey Fiends. Q and Paul are rocking!
At 21:19 One Sock Short said...: Phiala, do you also spin at these events? I'm learning.
At 22:56 dabbler said...: Katie notes she is pleased to 'hear' Jess again. And muses about the pleasure narwhals might feel when, post ramming, the inflatable raft becomes airborne and swoops in deliciously dizzying descending circles before disappearing in the deep.

And says Good Night to all...
At 22:58 dabbler said...: And further notes she has forgotten her own nom de Fiend, making a clear hash of posting in this voice. Bother.
At 23:30 Chantrelle said...: epsom salt bath - check
next...wine.

tomorrow - grandma's 89th bday party at mom's house....flourless chocolate cake and family--yay!
At 23:55 Lysandwr said...: Jess! I've missed you so: with all the stubborn resolve of a narwhal ramming an inflatable life-raft, just couldn't have come from the keyboard of anyone else :)

Fluffy: I certainly hope the Combat Tiara has a set of sharpened edges that only the wearer knows....it is then a wonderful weapon almost like a sharp edged boomerang. Great side benefit: unauthorized attempts to remove one's tiara result in appropriate punishment for the attempter! :)

Phi--I miss my drop spindle.....So yesterday was travel day back from California.... I still miss it terribly, but realize there are things I've learned to appreciate about being here. The evident shortage of drunken idiots at music gigs in the local pub/grill being one of them!! So sorry you had to deal with that, Q

Great sushi adventure with Chantrelle and Ticia, though. Thank you for daring to delay your week from hell long enough to join us, T. And I enjoyed the Foodporn post, Chantrelle....thanks for putting the pic you took of my egg up there!

off to sort out and deal w/*my* piles ....which have somehow grown in my absence. Huh. Plus still being punished by the fuzzball for having the gall to be gone a week.
At 00:33 Dragonsally said...: Pleased to hear you are home safely Lys.

How long do you think you will get the cold shoulder for? No-one does the cold shoulder as well as a cat.
At 01:01 AletaMay said...: Hurray for Jess! So lovely to read your voice again.

And all other fiends too. More good and interesting things said here than I can even absorb!

Paul and Lorraine rocked tonight. Best Running to Stand Still EVER! Just amazing.

Now I must sleep!
At 01:13 vampi said...: mmm 5 pints of cidre tonight, sadly no P&L but fun none the less

<3 to fiends tonight.
At 01:14 FabulousLorraine said...: Jess is back!! I was in stiches reading you and Rubious tonight, wonderful fun.

Rock did happen, thank Fods, more than made up for last night. I was so happt Aleta, El and friends made it does, made my night. Inspired I was. People were there to hear music, go figure.

Found out Paul spoke his thought to Drunk Dude after I left last night, which made me feel really good.

Never got to post my new post today, work is really hecitc just now. Tomorrow for certain, my patient Fiends...
At 01:30 FabulousLorraine said...: I am so the only person still up, aren't I?????
At 01:55 Marjorie said...: Marjorie is delighted to see that Jess is back, and that Ticia's week from hell is over.

She has got up much earlier than is usual on a Sunday morning, as she will be going out to see the 'Coraline' preview this morning, before the film has it's general UK release on 8th May.

She finds that her brain,and therfore her comment lacks sparkle whencompared with those of other contributors and choses to believe that this is due to the hour and lack of coffeee rather than to any more permanent reason.

She supposes that Q will now have gone to bed, and wishes her sweet dreams.
At 02:14 vampi said...: no i'm awake, but i was reading some of the ew books i aquired.
At 02:28 Marjorie said...: 'Morning Vampi (waves)

New books are always good
At 06:57 Phiala said...: Morning Fiends!

I'm lolling in bed, dog on my feet (cat gone off to have second breakfast - I hear crunching), sounds of robins, cardinals, a jay, my woodpecker, coming in thru the open windows.

Lovely.

OSS, I do spin at demos a lot, but for this one a couple of other women did that demo.
At 08:47 Jess said...: Jess notes that Katie made her do a lolrofl, what with the airborne life-raft gag.

Good morning all! I am pleased to see you all as well. Ta. :)
At 08:49 Phiala said...: Today is a Bee Morning, it seems. I have put 5 outside (alive), and disposed of 3 (dead). Goal: tend to them before the dog does.
At 08:53 Marjorie said...: Does the dog try to eat them?
At 08:59 Phiala said...: Grendel strongly disapproves of buzzy things in his house (flies, bees, wasps) and will chase them around until he catches and eats them, they settle somewhere and quit buzzing, or someone with thumbs intervenes. The latter is the ideal, especially if the buzzers happen to be striped yellow & black.
At 09:26 Na said...: Na is greatly amused and heart-warmed to read fiends this morning.

She is also considerably less pained than she expected to be this fine sunny morning. For indeed it did snow yesterday morning, but today the sky laughs.

The weather fods were teasing her and her family, it turns out. They stopped the snow with perfect timing. Na does not believe it was a result of, but rather despite, her flipping the weather fods the bird earlier in the day.

At any rate, the weather fods were kind and smiling, and the guy and a coworker were themselves, with one mighty steed, able to move all the heavy stuff.

And Na now muses, why writing in the third person apparently causes her prose to become stilted?

She greets fiends far and wide with a hearty "good day to you!" And returns to dithering with Stuff.
At 09:39 Marjorie said...: Delighted to here the Weather Fods smiled upon you, Na (maybe multiple fiendish thoughts from around the globe helped)

Now the Unpacking, and the Discovery of Miscellanous Stuff you have no recollection of Packing, can begin!

I've just got back from seeing Coraline - free preview screening (opens here 10th May) Very happy to report it is very nearly as good as it was in Dublin.
At 09:40 Marjorie said...: It wasn't quite as good, because I had no Fiendish company this time, and Boss was not there to introduce it...

and I've just realised I said it opens on 10th May, and it doesn't - it's on 8th.

Need Coffee Now.
At 10:14 FabulousLorraine said...: Morning All!

Fods, Sundays after gigs are sleepy, trying to drink tea and wake enough to get to work, long day as it turns out, there WILL be a really cool Bee Post tonight tho, promise!!!!!

Marjorie, are you talking about Coraline? WHole lot going on that week in the UK, to be sure. I might have some wiggle room on a guest list if you are interested, no promises, but happy to if I have the option...E-mail me..
At 10:17 Jane said...: Good morning! (well, 11:45a here but we are still sitting at the breakfast table).

Fluffy, how are you liking The Mystery of Grace? It is the first book of his I've read.
At 11:01 Jane said...: Did I kill it?
At 11:03 Na said...: Marjorie, you may be right, in which case, thanks again for fiendish thoughts.

Yes, a handful of mysteries unpacked so far. Finger puppets in the guy's t-shirt drawer. A fork I do not recognize. Look forward to seeing the floor again sometime... :) Now, to reassemble the kitchen table.
At 11:08 spacedlaw said...: Naaah, it's still moving.
At 11:34 Jane said...: Barely...
At 11:38 spacedlaw said...: This comment has been removed by the author.
At 11:39 spacedlaw said...: Kick! Kick! Kick!
It's still moving, though (or at least rigor mortis hasn't completely set in yet).
At 11:40 spacedlaw said...: Of course this could be due to the ambient electricity going on over at Lorraine's place...
At 11:45 FabulousLorraine said...: ch it won't be getting until tonight, sadly...
At 11:47 Chantrelle said...: off to pick up cake and flowers for gma's bday. We'll be out all day, i'll try to check back in tonight but i'll be reading on my phone :)
At 11:50 Ticia said...: Big sigh of relief.

I'm feeling like a human being again. Although, when the family went out to breakfast yesterday, my 16 year old asked me what was wrong with my eyes. The were tiny and red. Wearing my glasses all week helped with the headaches, but not the eyestrain. Oh well, small price to pay...

Welcome back Jess! And welcome home Na and Lys.

I don't remember if I told you fiends what a wonderful start to my week seeing Chantrelle and Lys was. I didn't even worry about work once. Stupendous company. If you ever get a chance to hang out with either one of them, you are in for a treat.

Okay, now I have to find the floor and counters in my house. Cleanup doesn't happen in my house when I'm busy doing other things...
At 11:59 Marjorie said...: Nat-Law, when I saw your comment I thought at first you were responding to Na, and that it was her floor, or kitchen table which was still moving!

(Wouldn't that be useful, if you could just give the furniture the new address and trust it to walk there by itself?)

Q, I've mailed you...
At 12:07 spacedlaw said...: Oh, I don't know. There's enough stuff getting lost (or waylaid) in the mail around here.
Mind you it would make for an interesting highway robbery story...
At 12:30 louisa said...: hhhmmmmm immigration have detained my Bolivian and want to deny her entry to the country, could I request Fiends send good vibes to the immigration officers to help them let her in, please? Thank you!
At 12:33 Marjorie said...: Heh heh - but would the ambulant furniture be doing the robbery, or running from the robbers.

On second thoughts, self-moving furniture but be a little un-nerving... maybe like the Postcard story Boss wrote last year for Waterstones.

(looks round nervously to check that none of the furnture is sneaking up on her..)
At 12:40 Marjorie said...: I hadn't realised you were expecting a Bolivian, Louisa, but good vibes heading your way now. Have they told you why?
At 12:40 spacedlaw said...: Now, of course, I have Adam and The Ants singing in my head (shows my age, that does): "Stand and deliver, your drawers or your life..."
(but the double entendre on drawers is perfectly in style with their songs too).

Bolivian? Thoughts sent her way.
At 12:42 spacedlaw said...: And speaking of postcard stories...
At 12:49 Marjorie said...: That's great, Nathalie - I love the line "surveying the deep for treasures lost in battles and sunken dreams"...
At 13:01 El said...: Nathalie, that story was awesome!

I am just waking up, fiends. Or rather, I've been awake but still haven't found it in me to get out of bed. It's raining and gray and my bed is warm! No one can blame me for not leaving it.

Show last night was a good time on top of a good day! I agree with what Aleta said about Running to Stand Still.

Okay, yes, I should get out of bed. Thinking about (finally) getting my hair good and red. We'll see where the day takes me...
At 14:01 Siri said...: I've seen Adam and the Ants in concert, twice. In Des Moines Iowa. I adored him....

And don't forget PTerry's Luggage that moves itself. Or is that "..which moves itself"?

May immigration officials be human, not official.

Finger puppets in the t-shirt drawer? There's a writing prompt waiting for development.

And we are now in a flood warning in this county. Rain - go where you are needed, please and thank you.
At 14:16 spacedlaw said...: Thanks, fiends.
Siri, I am SO jealous. But not of your flood warnings.
At 14:37 Adri said...: Sending good thoughts your way, Louisa, as I have my coffee. At 2:30pm in the afternoon. I really need to get this sleep schedule thing back on track. Immigration is /such/ a pain.
At 14:54 Marjorie said...: Adam and the Ants - that takes me back.. I think he was at No 1 (or thereabouts) precisely when I started to take an interest in these thigs.

Ahhh. They don't make nostalgia like they used too...

Thursday, April 23, 2009

My Very Own Office Picture Feature...

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