FabulousLorraine.com

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Ireland. Well, Cabal and Ireland. Ok, Ireland, Cabal and Roller Girl Road Tripping.

This, for a change, is not a blog about Cabal. It's about Ireland. Or will be. I'll get there. Both around to talking about Ireland, and TO Ireland, which is happening soon. But for the moment, I found these Cabal pictures on my computer, all taken by Boss. Except for the one OF him and Cabal, and gremlins could have taken that for all I know otherwise.

I like them because Cabal seems happy. And healthy. And may he be so again. He's doing well, he needs to rest tho. He thinks he is better than he is.

The car is a fine place for him to rest, and to that end, he and I are going (no, not to Ireland, we'll get to Ireland, promise) to Chicago and back. And why not? I forget exactly how this happened, I think Naptown Roller Derby Girl Joan of Dark needed a ride from Chicago to Indianapolis, and in a weird way it sort of made sense, if I went down there and GOT her and brought her back here and she flew from Minneapolis to home. I can't explain the thought process that led to this idea but aren't the best ideas like that? A little sleep deprivation, a little coffee and I'm brilliant. What could POSSIBLY go wrong, I ask you??

Cabal will get to sleep and rest and heal, and me and my new BFF will have a fine time. (yes, I can say "BFF" it's sort of the girl equivalent of "Bromance")

Now Ireland. Ah, Ireland, I am coming! I've been waiting for so many years, and finally on October 11th, I will be there!! Are you ready for me? Am I ready for you? Will you like me as much as I love you? Do you, with all your magic and mysteries want me?

More specifically, is there any person, or people there who want me? I land on the 11th, and Octocon, where I am a Guest, is October 16th and 17th. But what exactly shall I do the rest of the time? I think I leave on the 19th.

What I want to see in Dublin: Everything! All of it! And the sea.

What do I want to do: Anything cool with fun people. Or anything fun with cool people.

Where do I want to stay: Indoors. I could get a hotel, I expect, but if there are any better ideas, I would be very up for them! I am a very nice guest, darned entertaining, and this could be a plus or minus depending on your viewpoint, I will not be traveling with Dogs, Bengals or Horses.

I may be traveling with Honey. And a Violin. Sweet Music. (I slay myself)

So, help me out, my Fiends! Anyone there who wants to take me under their wing (THAT is an old saying, not a euphemism) or has any ideas? I am very good at sending Boss around the world, but not so good myself, and with everything that's happened these last few weeks, I feel slightly at a loss.

But I want to go to Ireland. I've seen it in my dreams all my life. I know that's you're there. In Ireland.

Speaking of Boss being all over the world, he's out there somewhere too. (If you see him, say hello from me) But here he is at home.

With Cabal.

Love and Ireland,

Lorraine

225 Comments:

At 19:48 DataGoddess said...: Ah, if you were taking Joan *to* Indy I could offer a rest stop, since I'm between Chicago and Indy, but since you're taking her the other direction I guess not :-P

I hope you have a blast in Ireland!!!

Today I scheduled my knee replacement surgery. It's in a week. OMGWTFAAAAAAA!!!!! I will need to be entertained while in the hospital (probably 2-3 days) and I'll have the netbook with me to keep up with y'all.

How is Cabal doing as far as healing? Doing well, but bored out of his doggy mind?
At 19:52 Jess said...: So you found the picture in the end. There it is! I see it. And a very nice one it is. Aww.

Well, I expect Louisa will help you out in the Ireland, there. And Marjorie will turn up, and Nathalie too, I hear. Which will be fun!

I will be here. Sigh. I have not yet been to any country in Europe except the UK, and (briefly) France. We just never get round to anywhere else. Love the UK, mind you. Very itchy to go back. Wish Christmas was sooner.
At 19:53 ChiaLynn said...: I shall email you, regarding Ireland friends, as soon as NovySan gets home and I can ask him if certain of said friends are IN Ireland at the moment or not.

Meanwhile, here are my photos of Ireland (which I've visited only once, and miss terribly).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/artoftheodd/sets/72157604247407147/
At 19:58 Anonymous said...: All of these travels sound like the best time!
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
At 20:08 FabulousLorraine said...: Billy: And may the wind at your back, always be your own....

Chia: Thanks1

Lola just ate my Blackberry cover AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Teach me to give her steak for dinner.
At 20:19 Dragonsally said...: Your Blackberry c0ver was made of steak?

Wish I could travel to Ireland, and HOTR, and, well, everywhere really.
I imagine Louisa and her network will take good care of all your needs Lorraine (Or most of them anyway. All might be asking a bit much)

Toni - great news about the operation being scheduled. That happened so fast.
At 21:00 Chantrelle said...: Dublin is so amazing! I saw it w/ a 3 yr old in tow so had to miss quite a bit but still loved it....albeit expensive (cheaper now i hear).

Ralph can't stop talking about Newgrange. He went last year when we weren't with him...he has to go to dublin a couple of times a year for work...anyway, the passage tomb experience blew him away.

Book of Kells, Trinity College, churches galore, a castle smack in the middle of the city.

You are going to have so much fun!
At 21:05 Lioness said...: I have a friend in Dublin who always seems to be going to some festival or special show or another. Check to see what is happening before you go over. Good luck finding somewhere to stay.
At 21:07 LihuaEmilyP said...: I do hope Cabal gets better very soon. I want healthy and strong Cabal back again.

And Ireland should be the BEST break you could possibly have, yes?
At 21:36 Jane said...: Sounds like a fun trip to pick up BFF AND a fun trip to Ireland. I haven't been and would love to go...

Susan, the newly spayed cat, also seemed to think she was perfectly well and nothing unusual was going on. Notwithstanding the collar... However, we could see a change in her eyes, when she actually turned the corner. They always try to fool you, but those of us who watch their pets (and that appears to be all of us!) know what to look for.

Toni - good news on the surgery.
At 21:59 Holly said...: Just watched Ondine. Neil Jordan did an amazing movie once again. Ireland is my dream place to go.
Have a great trip.

Bain sult as!
(enjoy it)
At 22:31 Beez said...: Mmmmm....delicious Blackberry covers.

Booya! Bionic knee finally Toni!

Road trip sounds like a fine plan for all the reasons put forth. My you and Joan o' Dark Knits have a fine trip, with many zzzzz's from Cabal.
At 00:00 vampi said...: fun. i can't wait to see pictures:)

safe travels for all.

and healing to cabal.

and bionic data goddess!!!
At 01:42 Marjorie said...: WoooHooo! Quiche is coming to Ireland, hurrah, hurrah!
At 02:51 Marjorie said...: ........And Tick!
At 04:40 louisa said...: Hello! Ireland, yes. I wish you could bring Dogs, Bengals and Horses, and Joan of Dark. Honey + Violin is good too though. I will have More Coffee and think on things like Indoor accommodation (oh the demands of celebrities!)
At 06:02 Phiala said...: Fun! Nick and I were in Dublin a couple years ago. Or more like 5, I suppose. We stayed someplace cheap, probably not exactly what you want.

Book of Kells, lots of neat places to walk, great museums, fabulous salmon and mussels. It will be a blast!

Toni, glad to hear about the knee. I know it's sudden, but you will feel better afterwards, so might as well get to the good part.

A week from tomorrow I will be heading off to hang out with a bunch of famous SF authors and work very, very hard. So looking forward to it, but maybe a wee bit nervous. :)
At 06:20 LihuaEmilyP said...: What exactly was this event, Phiala?
At 06:24 Phiala said...: LiEm, it's the Viable Paradise writing workshop. Instructors this year are:

Elizabeth Bear
Debra Doyle
Steven Gould
James D. Macdonald
Laura J. Mixon
Patrick Nielsen Hayden
Teresa Nielsen Hayden
John Scalzi

Um, yeah. :)
At 07:08 dabbler said...: Phiala, You will ROCK. Nervousness aside, what a great opportunity to polish your skills!

Haven't been to Dublin yet. There was a fantasy floating about here of going for Octocon, but eternally-in-school-son, and car repairs brought it down to earth. Hence HOTR. (Mind you, both those impediments are not necessarily BAD. Educated sons and working cars are on my list of GOOD THINGS.)

It will all come together, Quiche.
At 09:06 Wendy Withers said...: Phiala: I am officially jealous. You get to play with writers and play with numbers on a daily basis. You have inspired me to step up my game.

Fiends: I love you!!!!!! For the first time in weeks, I got a full night's sleep. Now, I have one class, then I'm off to a giant New Orleans nerd con!
At 09:36 ChiaLynn said...: Phiala! I was at VP last year. You will LOVE IT. It will rock your world and hurt your brain and change your life. It's an amazing experience.
At 09:44 Phiala said...: Wendy, words and numbers is an excellent combination - so few people are talented (or even competent) in both. There are lots of paths available for someone with both skillsets.

ChiaLynn, I'm wildly excited. A week away is both very long and terribly short.

Mostly terribly short - I work for the government, and next week is the last week of the year, and OMG the things that have to be done before Oct 1!
At 10:04 Marjorie said...: I have this mental image of Q arriving in Dublin with violin in one hand a suitcase full of nothing but jars of honey in the other. (which would be good, lots of honey is good, but might be a tad impractical.)
BTW, I have e-mailed you, Q :)

Phiala, sounds as though it should eb an incredible experience - I hope that you don't get too frazzled trying to get everything sorted out before you go.
At 10:07 Phiala said...: Worse, I don't think you can fly with honey. Unless you pack it really well and put it in a checked bag.

Marjorie, I think "frazzled" will be my permanent state until maybe December. But something else will come up by then.
At 10:54 Marjorie said...: Yes, I think they'd class it as a liquid.

And I think there are technical rules about bringingit into the country, but I suspect if well wrapped & in checked baggage you'll be fine, as long as you're not **actually** bringing an entire suitcase full.
At 11:24 Jess said...: They do class stuff like honey, and jelly and jam, as liquids. I tried to bring some cactus jelly home from Flagstaff, and they took it off me. Had to buy some more at the airport. Because, you know, cactus jelly from the airport is different from cactus jelly bought elsewhere, even if it's the same brand and the same size, and we all know it's just cactus jelly.

Four dollars that was! Gee, I've got four dollars. I think I'll throw it out in the street. &lc;/Steve Martin&gc;

Phiala, I've been meaning to ask when the workshop starts! Yay that. You'll love it. You'll do well.

So the worst part of having dad come over to Do Things to the house is that mom occasionally sends cookies. They're sitting there on the kitchen island, calling to me. I'm on a fruit-n-wholegrains-based kick right now. I don't need this. Not now, when my jeans have started riding down.

&lc;nothing anyone wanted to know&gc;
At 11:25 Jess said...: Look at that. My fake brackets didn't work. My bad code is showing! :O
At 11:33 dabbler said...: Jess, never go out of the house with your bad code ...what if you have an accident?
At 11:36 LihuaEmilyP said...: More cons need to take place in RI, man!
At 11:42 Jess said...: <that's more like it>
At 11:45 FabulousLorraine said...: Uh oh!!!!

http://twitpic.com/2riexm
At 12:58 Marjorie said...: Oh, I just realised our LiHua-Em has a birthday! Happy Firbday, m'dear!
At 13:15 LihuaEmilyP said...: Thanks, Marjorie.
At 13:20 Martha W. said...: Ireland must be wonderful. I would want to be outside in some very rural place, hike around in rainy weather, and take pictures of sheep. Can't wait to hear about your trip there! I hope you can play and listen to lots of wonderful music.
At 13:58 dabbler said...: Hippo birdies to Ewe, Lihua Emily Olive.
Glad you were born so you can grace us with your presence!
At 13:59 dabbler said...: KITTEN!!!! The Universe has moved to fill the Zoe-sized hole in the household.
At 14:15 LihuaEmilyP said...: Wow, thanks, Dabbler. Glad to hear it.
At 15:17 Jill said...: Dabbler, that was pretty much MY response [regarding the kitten]. Boss has lost too many kitties lately NOT to start balancing out the scales again. :>) And who knows? Maybe the little one would be exactly what Cabal needs as he heals...provided neither he nor Lola would EAT the kitten. Big dogs are sometimes predatory toward tiny animals.

As for Ireland, I'm quite jealous! I'd love to go hang out in western Ireland where it's more rural and quiet. Ahhhh, bliss...
At 15:19 Jill said...: Phiala, what a cool opportunity, getting to see all those writers! I actually haven't READ any of their works, but I follow John Scalzi's blog/Twitter and he's hysterical.
At 15:28 Phiala said...: Jill, they are all very good, though I have a special fondness for Elizabeth Bear.

I have 3 things that must be accomplished before I can go home. I did two of them, plus another important thing, and part of the third. Then it was tea and ice cream break time: half an ice cream sandwich made with chocolate chip cookies and mint chocolate chip ice cream.

I would really really like to just go home now, but that last thing needs to be tended to.

My new netbook is home waiting for me though...
At 15:52 Fluffy said...: The kitty is duct-tape colored! I tried it out, tho - Duct Tape isn't a very euphonic cat name.

Oooh, Phiala!! So very cool!
At 17:22 louisa said...: That kitten is way too cute, his whiskers alone would break your heart.

From my experience of Customs Officials at Dublin airport, it would take an entire hive of angry bees to get their attention, don't think they'll be overly concerned by a jar or two of honey.

A few have mentioned the West of Ireland and as it happens I took a flying visit out that way last weekend with a friend from Scotland. Random photos can I think be viewed here [WARNING: may contain sheep]. It is lovely out that way but might be too much to consider allowing for jetlag etc. Newgrange is close and manageable though.
At 18:06 Dragonsally said...: Almost too much to squee about catching up on overnight (for me) comments.

First though...OMG. Adorable kitten!

Phiala, the workshop sounds awesome.

Andnow I've forgotten what else I was going to say *sigh*
At 19:36 vampi said...: cuteness overload.

there is something just irresistible about kittens.
At 20:06 Kate said...: Adding another possible stop should you need in the Chicago area (just N of the city proper - still feels like the city). Dog Friendly.
At 20:06 Kate said...: Adding another possible stop should you need in the Chicago area (just N of the city proper - still feels like the city). Dog Friendly.
At 20:20 FabulousLorraine said...: Dexter the kitten found on a walk this morning has a home! My friend Daisy took one look and took him on home!

Jammed today getting things done...Gots lots of them. Very tired. Sleep now. Workout, gig then drive to Chicago and find Joan of Dark tomorrow.
At 08:10 FabulousLorraine said...: Good Morning Friends!

Perfect day for it. What ever it might be, I am sure of it.

I am so ready!

Ok, well I am not, not nearly. Not even dressed, really. Or at all.

Going to see the poor Bengals shortly tho.
At 11:52 spacedlaw said...: I'll be in Dublin from the 15th to the 19th. I've been to Dublin once before but that was for work so I didn't see much of it. Better trust our Dublin friends for this.

I like the idea that you're having a road trip bromance (with coming Cabal along).
At 11:55 spacedlaw said...: Kitten!
So glad he has a home already.
Oh and happy belated firbday, Emily.
At 12:31 Pi R Squared said...: Yay! Little puffs of fur!
Yay! Little puffs of fur got a home!

Good luck w/ the knee Data Goddess!

Have a groovy weekend Lorraine...

(Hi all!)
At 13:40 LihuaEmilyP said...: Thank you, Nat!
At 17:44 Dennis Deery said...: Lorraine, if you're after live music, be sure to hit the Cobblestone and Hughes Pub in Dublin. Both have trad sessions pretty much every night. For a good seaview from the Dublin area, go out to Howth on the DART train. And if you can get out of town, Newgrange is great, as is Glendalough, which is up in the mountains. Enjoy!
At 20:46 ariandalen said...: Hope the wedding gig went well, and that you're having fun on your road trip!

Happy Belated Firbday, Lihua! Hope you had a wonderful one. :)
At 20:56 LihuaEmilyP said...: I did, I really did, thank you.
At 04:39 Pristimantis said...: Note to self: must not ever! go for walks with Fablor. (bc i am not allowed any more pets by the people i rent from ;)).

So i need to quickly delurk once more because i think, while in Dublin you :have: to go see St. Michans:
http://irelandforvisitors.com/articles/mummies_of_st_michans.htm

Also what the others said, Book of Kells!

As to staying indoors but not in Hotels, Ireland has networks of private Hostels, a bit like a cross between Bed and Breakfast and Youth Hostel. You are allowed to cook for yourself and in Dublin Hostels you can mostly choose between rooms for 2, more or many (read room full of bunk beds) people. I liked most of them very much and you always get to know new people. Now it's been quite a while since i've been to Dublin but i stayed at Isaacs and liked it there: http://www.flickr.com/photos/isaacsjacobs/3511489934/in/set-72157617750847871
Plus, i just saw they now have Isaacs Hotels as well: http://www.isaacs.ie

Newgrange and Glendalough are really cool, too. Depends on how much time you have to travel away from Dublin. Otherwise take one of the Pub-Tours and listen to as much music as you can take and most importantly: have lots of fun :-).

Oh, i forgot, there is a guided tour of Dublin ghosts, too. See http://www.hiddendublinwalks.com/dublin-walking-tour-walks.html for details.
I never got to take one of their tours though, but maybe someone else here took such a walk already?

*quickly hops back behind her rock* ;)
At 09:04 Jess said...: Oh, we see you, Pristimantis. You're our wife now, Dave. Muhahahaha.
At 12:04 Jess said...: Whoa. No posts for 24 hours? I killed the thread with that clip? Seriously?

*stab*
At 12:18 Phiala said...: You are very talented, Jess.

Those of you not on twitter didn't see my comment on this beautiful horse video.

Meanwhile, it is extremely Monday around here. I have not started the review due Wednesday, I'm trying to fix a potential problem with my finished manuscript (or so I thought), I didn't sleep well and feel lousy.

And I left all the chocolate cake at home!
At 12:30 spacedlaw said...: It's been completely Monday here too.
(which is the problem when you are having two 3 working days weeks in a row and expected to produce the work of four weeks in that time frame).
At 12:47 Marjorie said...: Monday ought to be abolished.
At 12:48 LihuaEmilyP said...: Monday is a fresh start! Actually I like Tuesday better. I have school on Tuesday. And much prefer that. I love going to Providence in the morning.
At 12:52 vampi said...: i second the abolishment of mondays. especially mondays where the "new" boss who got promoted over you is in town and whnts to discuss how we can change the department completly because he has "ideas"

at what point am i not being a bitch by pointing out that we don't do it that way for specific reasons? it would be great if we didnt get audited and have to account for things, yes it would.

*sigh*

i don't mind change or trying to think new ways to do things, but you also can't come in here and redo everythign just because you never liked dealing with us and our procedures.

my interview went well on friday. i hope they can decide soon and that i get it. if not i'm am totally looking to get out of dodge.
At 13:55 Hellie said...: I vote for No More Mondays too. Rubbishest day at work and the piece of embroidery I spent hours working on for my friend's art project has gone a-wander in the post :o(

Buy yay for Ireland! I'll be there too, from the 16th to 19th, can't wait! Ooh I'd love to do a ghost walk there! I've been to Dublin a few times but always come across new things to do. I agree with what's already been mentioned - I absolutely loved Newgrange, it's an awe inspiring place and the surrounding Boyne Valley area is beautiful. Loved visiting the mummies in the crypts at St Michan's too!
At 13:56 Hellie said...: ps fingers crossed Vampi; hope you get good news soon
At 14:11 Marjorie said...: Yay! I'm there 14-18th. Are you staying in the con hotel, Hellie?

Also, fingers crossed re job, Vampi.Uninformed boss not a good idea.
At 15:18 Hellie said...: Yes I'm staying at the con hotel; are you too Marjorie? I'm excited that it has a swimming pool :o) It's right around the corner from Whelans too, which is a great place for live music.
At 15:40 Na said...: thankfully it's only Mondayish for me, workwise. that is, i've a lull! whoo-hoo. doing lots of cleaning and such around the house. repairing various of the monsters' comics and toys. listening to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Hoven Droven (a Danish band), and the Decemberists. got all windows open, as it's wonderfully warm out for September. trees are aflame and alight with autumn everywhere you look. a pretty good day.

although i should be working on a paper i'm supposed to lead.

best wishes to you vampi. don't forget to sign your TPS report. ;)
At 21:46 vampi said...: does anyone else needlefelt?
i just got a kit and i'm having fun STABBING the wool. i feel maybe i am enjoying this a bit too much.
At 22:10 Jane said...: I've needle-felted - made a small cat - it is really fun!
At 23:20 Dragonsally said...: ohhh, if that's what you do to needle felt, it sounds like fun.

Hi Fiends!

I'm a little under the weather - good old hay fever I think. Damn weather, bugrit.

Phiala - the video just shows everything I love about Dressage. Awesome horses and riders.

Right, back to watching Ultraviolet.
At 23:49 ariandalen said...: Yes, vampi! Needlefelting is a wonderful way to relieve stress. I learned when I was pregnant. I think I was the only one at the time who didn't stab herself. :)
At 00:44 Dragonsally said...: Okay, this felting sounds like something that could be really good fun. Any recommended sites on it?
At 01:08 ariandalen said...: Sally, I don't have any specific sites to recommend. I'd just google "needle felting" or "needlefelting."
At 01:30 vampi said...: sally, i ordered my kit from here hifiber kit i saw it on the o'rielly craft blog
At 02:33 louisa said...: Well personally I like the image I now have in my head of Bill O'Reilly with a long post on needle felting on his craft blog, thank you Vampi. Monday=OVER!
At 03:00 vampi said...: hahaha. wrong o'rilley. craft blog

they make a bunch of computer books with animals ont he cover, but also a magazines "make" and "craft" both with focus on repurposing and thinking outside the box. really fun to read.
At 09:32 Jess said...: If you locked Bill O'Reilly in a room with a load of felt and needles, he'd just make voodoo dolls.

Good morning peeps.
At 09:39 FabulousLorraine said...: Joan of Dark says Needle Felting rocks. Lots of stabbing, which is fun.

We're having a fine time! Did a great workout last night, cooking nice food, watching cool movies. Working. This women really is my Doppelganger, thinking maybe she should not LEAVE tomorrow...

Mmmwwwhahahaha....

We have ways of dealing with these things....
At 12:26 Jess said...: That's what basements and handcuffs are for!
At 12:31 vampi said...: this thread took a turn for the kinky :D
At 12:31 spacedlaw said...: Mmm? What? are we going over bondage again?
At 12:36 spacedlaw said...: I had another tough day (Honoris Causa Monday, really) so kinky is welcome. As long as it remains in the area of words.
Or I could go back to "The Curse of the Werewolf Girl".
At 12:38 Jess said...: Hey, when you're talking needles, roller girls, and soft fabrics, it's a slippery slope. I'm just going with the general feeling of the room.
At 12:52 Marjorie said...: Hmmm. Just read Jess's last comment in my email without having seen the ones leading up to it.
Shall I read the rest, or is it more fun to stick with my imagination?

I need cheering up as I've had a crappy day, and my car is poorly.
At 13:04 Jane said...: No sloping about it, I think we're already at the bottom and happy to be there!
At 13:07 Jess said...: That's because our slippery slopes have extra lube. Oh, stop!!!!
At 13:10 DataGoddess said...: And there is no such thing as too much lube...
At 13:19 Jess said...: Ah. There's the bottom. :D
At 13:22 Hellie said...: Are we really at the bottom, or could we slide down further and reach a Lube Haiku? ;o)
At 13:23 Phiala said...: It would go so well with the Ass Tanka.

Right?
At 13:25 Jane said...: Nice. Warm and luby at the *very* bottom.
At 13:28 LihuaEmilyP said...: I don't think I've met my Doppleganger yet.
At 13:30 Hellie said...: I don't think I've met mine either, but I think they can't be far away as quite a few of my friends have said they've met someone that reminds them of me!
At 13:37 Jess said...: It's warm and lubey
here at the very bottom,
right at the arse-end
of all taste and decency,
the drainpipe of the Ass Tank.
At 13:42 Hellie said...: Hee hee and we've slipped down the slope into the lube puddle again ;o)
At 13:42 Jess said...: Well Phiala did ask.
At 13:45 DataGoddess said...: I'm not sleeping in the lube spot!!!
At 13:50 Jane said...: Oh honey it's all one big lube spot!
At 13:54 Jess said...: Oh! Is that why I'm chafing?
At 14:21 Jess said...: And here is my penance for that completely uncalled for comment: an all-new interview with Cynthia Toy on the Night Garden site, written by our own Jane! And good stuff it is, too. You will like it.
At 14:23 FabulousLorraine said...: WTF??????
At 14:27 Jess said...: Well you had to go and leave us unsupervised, didn't you, Medeadly?
At 14:52 louisa said...: Anyone else getting an error off the final link you-can-see-her-work-here in the Cynthia interview? My cookies sometimes go weird so it could just be me....
At 14:56 Jess said...: Argh. It's a clickthrough problem. Something funny happening between our domain and the actual server. Phiala probably understands better than I why it happens. This is the link, anyway.
At 15:03 louisa said...: Thanks Jess, got it!
At 16:45 Chantrelle said...: WTF indeed!!

Lordy you ladies can't be left alone for 2 seconds ;-)

Spent the morning searching out halloween costume bits and bobs. Got a couple of things. And some new mini-tombstones for the garden from teh dollar store. Last years have disintegrated and need to be replaced.
At 17:50 vampi said...: *whistles innocently*

What?!?
At 18:37 LihuaEmilyP said...: Jess is bruising my vulnerable young soul.
At 19:00 vampi said...: oh noes! we shall wrap you in bubble wrap.
At 21:17 Dragonsally said...: Just make sure we lube her before we bubble wrap her...

Um Jess, shouldn't a bit of lube prevent chaffing? Just saying.

Ahhh, I love coming here for my spluttering laughter. Fiends rock, no doubt about it.
At 21:22 Dragonsally said...: Wonderful interview - well done Sharon and Cynthia.
At 21:47 Jess said...: Isn't it great? I was so excited when Sharon sent me that. Top notch stuff. :)

Now I just need someone to write the next one...
At 22:06 Jane said...: Hope for your sake the next person doesn't require as much nagging to get it finished :-)

Thanks Sally!
At 23:28 Wendy Withers said...: Hey fiends!

I just survived a giant White Wolf gaming convention. Oh wow. Maybe FabLo would like the Werewolf RPG and LARP?

Anywho, it was a bunch of nerds taking over a fancy schmancy New Orleans hotel and scaring the normals.

It was amazing.

A few minutes ago, I received an email from the head of the English department at the local community college giving me some times I might be able to teach classes over there. Basically every day from 8- 9 in the morning! She asked me to come in for an interview!
At 02:02 DataGoddess said...: Wendy - YAY!!

Not able to sleep, I tried. Surgery is in 6 hours, I'm going to be drugged to the gills for a day or two, at least. But I'll have my laptop so expect some loopy stuff from me :-D
At 02:04 Dragonsally said...: I've been thinking of you Toni - thought you were already in hospital. Sometimes being in tomorrow land gets confusing.
At 02:06 Marjorie said...: Wendy, that's great:-)

DG - good luck for today! Your docs know that swarms of enraged fiends will be unleashed on them if they're mean to you, yes?
At 05:27 LihuaEmilyP said...: That would be the next and not-as-pretty Fiendfest.
At 06:08 spacedlaw said...: Wishing you success on the surgery!
At 08:00 FabulousLorraine said...: Joan of Dark is gone away. We will miss here here. And not just because she knows how to make coffee...

I am sick as a DOG. Came on so fast yesterday, like in hours, how the heck?????

Going back to bed soon...
At 08:03 spacedlaw said...: Take care, sweetie! (it's just all this stress and activities taking their toll).
Hugs and virtual chocolate.
At 08:43 LihuaEmilyP said...: Blech. Sorry to hear it. I am off to math now. But thinking of you while I graph functions.
At 09:25 Na said...: *wipes tears from eyes*

great to start the day laughing, but can't possibly begin to answer the fiendlings' question; "what's so funny, mama?"

yays for Wendy!
luck again to DG.
(healing vibes) to Ms Medeadly.

cheers, all! today feels like monday to me. got my days all switched around this week, i have.
At 10:17 vampi said...: nooooo we can't have a repeat of monday.

twirling heaing happy thoughts for gd

wooo wendy!

and ick sickness! i'm also starting to feel ugh, but i think some of that is psycho somatic because it's exhausting dealing with my new boss.
At 10:30 Fluffy said...: Na, I had that same problem a couple of years ago when I read a link from Boss's blog to reader reviews of a book on Amazon UK. The title was "Penetrating Wagner's Ring," and some of the reviews were the funniest things I'd read in a long time. AND inexplicable to a middle-schooler.

I wish I'd saved some of those comments - Amazon took it down the next day.
At 12:04 spacedlaw said...: Had another bout of Monday wannabe here as well. But now I am having a LONG weekend. Well deserved. And a haircut. Well needed.
At 13:01 Marjorie said...: For those not on Twitter, Dan posted to say Datagoddess is out of surgery, knee op went well, waiting for her to come round now.
At 13:20 spacedlaw said...: Oh good. Thanks for the notification.
At 13:32 dabbler said...: Good news! Wishing her a comfortable return from anesthesia, and lots of relief from pain.

Fiends, we have finally made out flight reservations for HOTR and I would love input for what we can do in the twin cities before and after. We arrive the afternoon Wed the 27th, and leave at 7pm on Monday the first. First vacation we've taken in far too long, and thus we decided to stretch it as far as we could. Would love to see some Fiends, if anyone has time, and also would love hotel/B&B and sight seeing recommendations. We're music fans,especially folk/acoustic, and some rock...bookstores figure largely in my travel wishes, and Mark is a big local brew fan.

Feel free to suggest here, or email me....we'll have a rental car.
At 13:46 FabulousLorraine said...: Home home home with the Bengals!

And in bed.

And I am staying here. As long as I can.

Have lots of fun pics for a new post, but for now, I drink tea, and rest..
At 14:01 Chantrelle said...: Feel better Q! *huge healing hugs*

dabbler - we'll be in Minneapolis too and our friends work during the day so maybe we can hook up while they're at work? Town Hall brewery is awesome. I never made it to Dreamhaven last year either...maybe that can be a stop?

Spent the morning in ben's class helping out. I love doing that for, oh, about 2 hrs and then I'm done ;-) There are always those few challenging kids. No one mean or anything, just those that think they are princesses and can do whatever they wish. Drives me BAZONKERS! Especially since I see how their parents act and know where that attitude comes from. Anyway, mostly they're wonderful. I'll be there every Wednesday morning this year :)
At 14:22 dabbler said...: Chantrelle,

That sounds like the beginning of a plan. Would love to meet you Ralph, and the Marvelous Ben(tm). And I can so remember feeling exactly that way about time spent with my children's classes. Whew. Kudos to all the great teachers who manage to do that day after day, with the Princesses, Tough Guys and all the parents.
At 17:48 Jane said...: Our trip to HOTR is going to be a quick one, in on Fri and I think out late on Sunday. We're staying in the resort, how about everyone else? Can we arrange a fiend meet? That would be fabulous!
At 18:55 Chantrelle said...: We're staying at the resort as well. I think ben will be way more participating (but who knows, he may hide behind me all weekend). But he loves Boss and has a ticket to the reading, etc (we got the whole package for all 3 of us). I will still have the trusty iPod as backup for if he gets bored ;-)
At 19:19 Jane said...: I *think* I got the whole package for us, too. Can't wait to meet Ben :-)
At 22:32 Fluffy said...: I'll be there at the resort as well. My friend Cara will, too. She would make a great Fiend. The family bailed on me. Oh, deary, deary me, whatever shall I do, alone(ish) and unsupervised with credit cards?
At 23:24 Dragonsally said...: Oh my Fods I am envious.
Of HOTR, not of virus of doom that MeDeadly has picked up.

Hi everyone.
At 01:09 Wendy Withers said...: I am also envious, Sally. We should have a Losers on the Internet when All the Fiends are at HOTR party while they're gone. It will be smashing.

I got another tattoo. It is of Cthulhu.

That is all.
At 01:37 Dragonsally said...: ohhhh, where is a pretty pic of Cthulu tatt Wendy?

And yes, we should have our very own interwebs HOTR meeting.
At 05:08 LihuaEmilyP said...: I shall be a Loser on the Internet. But you know I'm there in spirit.
At 09:52 Jess said...: Hah. I've been a Loser on the Internet for as long as you've been alive, Madam.

That's kind of scary, actually. Boy, do I feel old now.
At 09:54 Phiala said...: yeah? well I've been a loser on the internet for 22 years.
At 10:06 Jess said...: That's be cause you're a scienceist. It used to be all scienceists and Gopher.
At 10:11 Fluffy said...: Yeah, Dennis showed me the internet in the late 80s and I told him it was BORING. Well, it took 20 minutes for Prodigy to load a page with simple graphics. But that was probably due to our PC XT having the amount of memory or processing thingies that are in my Kiddie Timex watch.

And we'll be the Losers On The Rock, so we can Skype or something with everyone else.
At 10:14 Phiala said...: In the late 80s all the cool stuff was text-only.

And by "cool" I mean incredibly geeky, of course.
At 10:17 Jess said...: I miss Mosaic! it could barely load in the user interface. I remember sitting for ten minutes waiting to see a picture that some friends had put up of themselves. Wasn't worth the ten minutes in the end. I haven't heard from them in years.
At 10:21 Chantrelle said...: I got online in '94 when i met ralph. I remember downloading things as part 1 of 27 just to get a jpg! Got my first computer that year too, a laptop since i was a student, writing papers in coffee shops and such. It was $2300 and had 8MB of ram, 540MB hard drive and an 8" screen. Good times.

I slept like shit last night. Don't know why. I know I had some dream about HOTR and Boss but don't recall what happened. It was something about going through the labyrinth that HOTR is and it was stressful enough to keep waking me up. Blargh.

But it's thursday and I dont drive carpool, Ben just left so I'm going to treadmill and wii fit yoga...be back later!
At 10:21 dabbler said...: Yup. I remember the "look at this cool internet thing" conversation with Mark in the eighties, and the frustration of being able to get to the listing for an interesting article, but not the article itself. And the sci-fi forums on Compuserve. I once took a small watermelon carved as the Death Star to a party with some of those folks.
At 10:22 dabbler said...: And, of course, green letters on the old VT100 black screen.
At 10:22 dabbler said...: Old.
At 10:24 Chantrelle said...: I lied....not leaving yet. I remember going to a party here in college (pre-ralph) with a guy at this place called the Armory here. It was a pretty well known geek-house I guess (i know that now at least). There were computers on every flat surface and I was bored out of my skull. House full of folks lacking social skills trying to hit on the goth girl got old real fast. Little did I know, I'd become a geek too! :P

OK, now i go.
At 10:31 spacedlaw said...: Oooh... green letters on the old black screen... Yup. Remember that.
We were given Internet at work only in 1995 or so but before that you could access it but there wasn't any picture so it was mostly used for serious purposes. The first month we got it, most people spent hours surfing and marveling about it all.
At 10:33 ariandalen said...: Whiners. My junior high schedule was programmed on punch cards, only one person had a PC when I was in college, though my husband did have a TI computer that accepted programs written in Logos. The computer classes I took in college (2) were in Basic and COBOL.

Old? My oldest niece just turned 40 and her oldest is 19; my older brother turned 60 this summer. My younger brother's oldest is 23.5, and has a 2.5 year old. On the other hand, Ariane just turned 9 on Sunday. :)
At 10:36 spacedlaw said...: Studied Basic and punched cards for COBOL programming. It feels like Pleistocene.
At 10:36 Jess said...: Well, hey, you can win at Old if you want to. I won't stop you. ;D

Ariane wins at Youth.
At 10:49 Na said...: punch cards! we used to draw on them. if we went to work with my mom, who was a programmer, we often got to see the room with the machines where the programmers fed the stacks of cards in (i guess to the mainframe?), and there'd be piles of boxes of cards we could play with.

my first computer was a Commodore 64, also green type on a black screen, just used Basic. one had to learn a trick for keeping track of where paragraphs ended. and i think the screen was about 3 inches across. :) i did all my undergrad papers on that. and i remember when a friend got an Amiga, and you could see A WHOLE PAGE of a document on the screen at once! oooh! aaaah!
At 10:55 Na said...: but i didn't play on the internet until muuuuch later, when the university got internet, when i was in grad school. we were using DOS-based graphing programs, and while data compiled and graphed and printed i could surf the shiny, relatively new internet. so i went into the lab early sometimes, when i didn't need to...
At 11:03 Fluffy said...: When I was in college there weren't any PCs. You damn kids get off there! Be told! Anyway, where was I? Oh, well, that was the 70s. The boyfriend (aka spouse) was getting his PhD in computational chemistry and I'll tell you, good rubber bands were worth their weight in gold! If the ones holding your stack of punch cards broke you just got hours of sorting fun.

I started as a bank examiner in '89 and we had Compaq luggables - the 40 lb. portables with the 7" black/green screen. I would say 'good times' but they sucked! You had to boot those suckers up with a 5.25(?)" floppy disk.

I loves the new technolololologies.
At 11:15 Chantrelle said...: Treadmill done...will do yoga once vertigo from treadmill subsides (damn inner ear, i get dizzy just thinking about swings, boats or trampolines!)

Anyway, my 90 yr old grandmother has a Mac and is online. I can't even fathom what it's like to think over the changes in her life!!
At 11:47 Jess said...: My 60-year-old parents just bought a Prius, and they're afraid to drive it.** When they do, they drive it veeerry slooowwly. I don't think that's just because it's new.

*If Mr. Jess was here, he'd say something at this point about how I won't even drive in the first place. I say feets are the way forward.
At 12:01 Wendy Withers said...: My first computer was an APPLE IIE. Of course, that was in 1997. My family was poor.
At 12:29 dabbler said...: But I'm so old I had to pay a human being to type my Master's dissertation...because I couldn't type. $1 a page!

And that's enough of THAT! I will cede old to anyone who wants it. I'm only as old as I feel.

Hopefully our fearless leader is feeling better from THE WORST COLD IN THE WORLD.
At 12:33 ariandalen said...: There is a difference between being old and feeling old. I felt old, like I should have had gray hairs, when my oldest niece was born. I was 8.5, and in third grade.

I don't usually feel old now, and in December I start my 50th year. May celebrate all year. Would be nice if I'd be done with perimenopause, but that's just a matter of time. Giving birth at almost 40 and again two years later was incredibly empowering, especially since my doctor thought my two miscarriages were just due to my age. :)
At 12:38 dabbler said...: Had my daughter at 41. She's now 19, so you can figure the math. I do need to begin to pay more attention to building strength at this point, but otherwise, I don't feel especially old. Celebrate all year, for sure!
At 16:35 Jane said...: I lugged one of those portable Compaqs around, too. What a pain - literally! But we were glad to have them.

Some days I'm definitely older than other days.

Getting ready for a 6 day vacation to Maine - I feel old when I start packing for a trip and realize how much *stuff* I think I have to take.
At 17:45 Dragonsally said...: Hmmm, my first computer was a Mac I bought from work when they upgraded in the early to mid 90's I guess.

First computers worked on were the old black screen green type though.

Now I wish I could remember more details!
At 19:47 vampi said...: *whispers* OMG OMGOMG i'm going to be called back for a second interview!!!! my hopefully future boss sent me a note that the recruiter will be calling SQUEE!!!!!!!!!!!

um, yeah. i know it's been all about the dog, but how are the bees? isn't it about time for some bee shenanigans to prepare for the upcoming frozen tundra season?

I ask because i bought some local honey from the farmers market and it is AMAZING. and now when i have honey i think of you.
At 20:01 Jane said...: Donielle! That's GREAT!
At 20:04 Na said...: high five, Donielle!! and luck to you.
At 20:06 Fluffy said...: Eeeee! Best wishes!
At 20:19 LihuaEmilyP said...: Excellent, Vampi! (Can I call you Vampi-D? I LIKE that!)

No, I'm not supposed to be doing homework. Stop looking at me.
At 21:39 Dragonsally said...: Another high five for Doni - YAH.
At 14:26 Phiala said...: That zombie book?

Is #2,840 on Amazon right now, and #96 in horror. That's, um, in the top hundred horror books today.

faints
At 14:28 Jess said...: :D
At 14:49 Jane said...: Wonderful news! Bet you didn't think that was going to happen. Probably doesn't even count the ones we're buying from you :-)
At 14:53 Phiala said...: No clue whatsover. Tiny small press book that began as a joke on twitter breaking into the top 100? Heh.

And no, that only counts books purchased thru Amazon. (Trade-off: I make a bit of money on the ones I sell, but the Amazon ranking makes us look really good even though I won't make any money from that [one-time payment for story, no royalties].)

I'm just thrilled. And amazed. Really really amazed.
At 17:17 Fluffy said...: SARAH!!! That is SO cool.
At 17:48 Pi R Squared said...: Wow! Miss a day or two and everything happens!

Wishing Data Goddess a speedy recovery!

Quiche, hope you're on the mend as well...

Wendy, is there a photo of the new C'thulu tat? Would love to see...

And oh dear, black screens with green print...the old computers? Dearie me...that does make me feel old! Well not really, you're only as old as you feel and despite coming on 50 fairly soon, I have no trouble at all channeling my inner 8 year old!
At 17:56 Fluffy said...: I keep my inner 8-year-old quiet with regular bribes of chocolate.
At 17:57 Dragonsally said...: *High Fives Sarah* wow, that is fantastic! Have I emailed you to order one? Because I meant to.

Hope all who were feeling under the weather are feeling better.

Right, back to Saturday morning stuff.
At 18:00 Jane said...: Good morning Sally!
At 18:53 Dragonsally said...: Hey there Sharon...delayed response because I've been getting clean!
At 19:00 Chantrelle said...: Congrats and quick recovery to all who need that!
:)

Ben's teacher was on crutches today...turns out it's not just her daughter that does roller derby! I must find out her derby name. I love this woman, every new thing I find out about her makes me love her more!
At 19:35 Wendy Withers said...: I do need to take a pic of the tat.

All the best, Vampi. I believe in you!

And, Yay, Phiala! That's amazing!
At 19:43 DataGoddess said...: *weakly waves*

Well, I'm out of ICU and in an orthopedic room. I've been cruising with my walker a bit and am finally disconnected from all the wires and tubes.

There's a scary story in all of this, including being intubated while in an asthma attack, but the bionics went in just fine, I ended up losing a day because I was sedated, though. I was originally supposed to go home today, but looks like I won't be home till Sunday or Monday.
At 21:03 Wendy Withers said...: Okay, I have a picture of my tat on Twitter. @wendylbolm
At 21:03 Wendy Withers said...: DataGoddess:

Feel better!
At 01:07 Marjorie said...: DG, Good to hear you are making progress & are properly bionic!
At 11:23 LihuaEmilyP said...: It must be nice to be able to really like Ben's first grade teacher!! DG, chin up!
At 12:35 spacedlaw said...: This has got to be the cutest Halloween cake ever.
At 13:32 Pi R Squared said...: Squee!!! I LOVE the cake!

More healing wishes to Data Goddess...
At 20:50 Na said...: marvelous cake! what tasty wee ghosties they must be.

played 5-pin bowling this evening. am told this is the norm in Canada and most countries, that 10-pin is a primarily American phenomenon.
At 22:55 Wendy Withers said...: My tattoo is itchy. I must not scratch it. Cthulhu wills it so.
At 00:12 Beez said...: Old enough to have worked in a bank processing center, using punch cards and storing data on reel-to-reel tapes.

BWAH!
At 10:30 LihuaEmilyP said...: OMG best Halloween cake EVER, Nat.
At 16:36 Chantrelle said...: Working on halloween costumes today :)
At 22:10 Na said...: correction: 5-pin bowling solely a Canadian thing.

long weekend here. strangely, i'm glad it's almost monday!

hope all are well.
At 07:05 Stacy said...: Any more news on Cabal lately?

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Ireland. Well, Cabal and Ireland. Ok, Ireland, Cabal and Roller Girl Road Tripping.

225 Comments:

Subscribe