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  • Silvertree

    Mod post: No wishlist posts in blogs

    By Silvertree

    Please be aware that we do not permit swap-related content on profiles or in blogs. Please post this content only in the For Sale, Swaps, and Wanted forums, or in the Wishlists topic. ~from Swapping 101  Thanks!
    • 5 comments
    • 6,605 views
Is Anybody Out There?
 

Icy Roads

My college has classes that begin as early as 6:50 am. The highway to get there is the main highway between the nearby cities. Wouldn't you think that it would be top priority to get cleared off? That and, you know, the streets that run by the college?   Excuse my mouth, but holy fuck.   Three lanes, and I'm in the middle one. There's a semi and an SUV up ahead and to my right, a car a ways ahead of me, and a truck to my left- and a car behind me. All the sudden, the SUV hits an icy patch and starts veering for the side of the road... but she doesn't. She panicks and starts trying to straighten out the car- in the process, crossing all three lanes and circling more than 350 degrees... and lands smack in the middle of my lane, so that I'm heading for the side of her car, and I'm slowing down and praying that she will figure something out and get moved, and it hits me that she's so freaked out that she's not going to be able to do anything, so I have to do something or hit her car, so at about 30 mph (which I've managed to slow down to, on our 70mph highway), I slip into the right lane at literally the last second, and was shaking and trying not to sob the rest of the way to school... but I didn't wreck my car, and I didn't kill her, or anyone else, but it was SO scary. I don't want to go in tomorrow unless it's all melted away. ALL of it. Dude, that is so scary. I almost threw up. I was so freaked out the entire time I was driving home, too.
smallvoice

smallvoice

5
Gaidig's Blog
 

Hamadryad

Imp #6: Hamadryad   "Seven dry woods with mossy lichen and a gentle breeze of forest flowers."   Note: Mid cycle. Imp fresh from the Lab.   In the bottle: Faint and hard to capture. Sweet, mossy...   On me: Licorice! OMG LICORICE!   1 hour+ later: The licorice has gone away, and it is now a mild, vaguely spicy, unitentifiable second skin scent. I like it, but I'm afraid to put much on and have to wait out the initial stage.
Gaidig

Gaidig

0
Review Round-up!
 

Holiday Moon

In the imp: An almost watery, sweet-tart freshness.   On wet: Clean and vaguely lemongrass-y.   Drydown: Fresh, clean, and faintly citrus. There's a green edge happening, too - something almost minty or grassy. Very pretty.   Overall: Not a fan of the bamboo element (I did detect a VERY brief, polluting whiff of it during the wet stage), but this is such a fresh, clean fragrance otherwise, that I can hardly complain. I almost wish I'd sprung for a full bottle rather than a decant - this would be lovely addition to unscented bath products! 3.5/5
furygrrl

furygrrl

0
Fishnets and Frankincense
 

To be nobody but yourself

I need to get my booty in gear and do something that has a time deadline on it, but I wanted to say thank you again for all the words of encouragement about my presenation. And I'd like to report that my presentation went just fine yesterday. No non sequiturs, just lots of good questions and good discussion. I was happy. It took a long time because there were several people learning how the process works, but that was fine. I don't mind that.   What I did mind was how management of my office tried to deliberately frighten staff into believing that this was going to be the second ring of hell, and unlike anything we've previously experienced. They are so out of touch with what their staff are able to do, and they always assume we're the most incompetent boobs on the planet. I believe what's going on here is what the psychologists call "projection."   My boss, in fact, informed me yesterday morning that he was tired and frazzled and wouldn't be able to help me much at all during the presentation. The reason? A pipe had frozen at his house the day before. It was unfrozen and all was well, but his wife was upset that they'd had to drill a hole in the new basement drywall and her anxiety had ruined his life. Now really, WTF? And just because his wife is high maintenance does not mean that he should return the favor with his staff! If I had walked in and swooned over my basement drywall, and said I couldn't possibly do my presentation, he would have told me to put on my big girl panties and get busy. So when my presentation was going well, he kept jumping in trying to participate and get attention. I do forget, it is All About Him.   And the cold hard fact that I forget over every interim, is one that I have to relearn every year: If you're a female in the environment where I work, and you're not a needy wreck who requires propping up, and you're reasonably decent to look at, you will be run down at every possible opportunity. Insecure men love strong men, insecure men hate competent women. This fact is true all over the place, and it's just a matter of degree. I know there are many places that are much worse, if only because my bosses are too lazy to really make trouble for me -- they just try to run me down in subtle ways. They manage by fear, and that's a game that cowards play.   I listened to T-Rex on the way to work. I'm wearing Snake Oil and my burgundy patent leather boots. The assholes don't get me down, because underneath it all, I'm entirely too weird for this place and they'll never figure me out.   For everyone who has at some time felt what I'm describing today, and that would be most of you, here's one of my favorite quotes, from E.E. Cummings:   To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best day and night to make you like everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight and never stop fighting.
valentina

valentina

6
Review Round-up!
 

Dragon Moon

In the imp: A clean citrus-tea scent. Slightly sweet, slightly floral, slighty aquatic.   On wet: Bathroom air freshener.   Drydown: Sweet, sweet floral. Faint citrus. A sharpness reminiscent of ozone - perhaps the bamboo? (I'm discovering that I'm not a fan of bamboo in certain blends.) The sandalwood's underneath everything, lending an almost incensey quality to the overall experience. Still reminds me of something you'd use to clean a public restroom, though.   Overall: I heartily agree with some of the previous reviewers who mention similarities between this scent and Neo-Tokyo. Unsurprisingly, since I absolutely LOATHED Neo-Tokyo (it was the very first scent I needed to wash off immediately), I'm not exactly loving this one, either. A shame, really - I haven't been able to pull off any blends with dragon's blood so far, and this one - with all its exotic ingredients - had me hopeful.
furygrrl

furygrrl

0
Gaidig's Blog
 

At my house, needing to be tried

Bewitching Brews Aeval Anne Bonny Blood Kiss Eclipse Hamadrayd Ouija Penny Dreadful Scherezade Séance Swank   Diabolus Black Phoenix Djinn Phantom   Excolo Pannychis Queen Mab   Funereal Oils Dance of Death   Limited Editions Beltane   Love Potions Libertine O Salomé Seraglio Whip   The Muses Melpomene   Sin & Salvation: The Bow & Crown of Conquest Lust Sea of Glass Sin Tzadikim Nistarim   Somnium Temple of Dreams   Wanderlust Athens Delphi Florence Neo-Tokyo Prague Tintagel
Gaidig

Gaidig

0
Gaidig's Blog
 

Sea of Glass

Imp #5: Sea of Glass   "Upon the Sea of Glass, glowing with the perfection of spiritual union and the radiance of true wisdom, rests the throne of God. A scent of inimitable purity, crystalline grace, and limitless light."   Note: Mid cycle. Imp fresh from the Lab.   In the bottle: Pleasantly citrus and... lily? Gardenia? Very fresh. Somewhat as I would imagine the edge of the sea in Narnia with Reepicheep sailing away. "Where the waves grow sweet...There is utter east."   On me: Wet, I get a lemony fresh almost cleaning product smell, but that goes away fairly quickly. On drydown, I have a fresh, gentle floral aquatic.   1 hour+ later: Stays fairly true to original drydown. It is rather lovely, not an annoying floral, but it is floral none the less. I don't know how much I will wear it.
Gaidig

Gaidig

1
Birdsongs
 

Card of the Day

Tried to take a better picture, but it didn't quite work out ... Sorry for the fuzziness.     Seven of Wands. Not sure what to make of it, so I did a little comparative setup with the Celtic Dragon, Llewellyn, Robin Wood, & Halloween decks.   Am currently a bit preoccupied by something I learned at a party the other night. I drank too much for how little food I had consumed that day, so lost a lot of party time to sitting veryverystill & then curling up next to the toilet.   During the latter stage, a former coworker I've been friendly with but never really close to came in to sit with me, & while we were in there, she was telling me that my friends are concerned that my boyfriend is too controlling, & trying to find out how I felt about it. I wasn't quite sure what to say. I've thought that myself sometimes, but we've discussed it & it's one of the things we've been negotiating. I'm sad that part is what they see, and that they don't see the things that I'm so in love with (his humor, kindness, smarts, sense of wonder ...). I know we don't have a perfect relationship, but I don't believe in perfect, not being perfect myself, and I think we have a lot going for us. I just wish my friends & family liked him more. It's very isolating to know they're all looking sideways at him ...   Just feeling a bit melancholy today, I guess. Fits with the ice & coldness outside. Time for a mug of chestnut tea ...
spanishviolet

spanishviolet

0
Do you have a flag?
 

January is a jerk.

Bleah. I feel crappy. Several people I know feel crappy. Why does January always suck?   People have taken down their Christmas lights, and there's only a dusting of snow on the ground right now, so when I'm driving around everything just looks stark and icky. I wish that "Christmas lights" were actually "winter lights" and people would leave them up for the entire winter. I can't stand the interval between having no Christmas lights and spring. It's so bleak and dreary. Another two months of this. Gah.   The sky is white instead of blue. No birds are singing. The only thing I smell outside is automobile exhaust.   Probably what I need to do is start a fire in the fireplace, hang some colorful Christmas tree lights all throughout my family room, burn a yummy-scented tart, bake some bread, and load up some energetic happy music on the stereo.   But I don't have the energy for that, so I'll settle for happy music and a yummy tart.
filigree_shadow

filigree_shadow

6
You will hardly know who I am
 

One Down

Books finished (1)   Finished The Call of the Wild. I guess it's one of those books I should have read years ago, but somehow never did. For whatever reason, I find that I get more emotionally involved with animal characters in books that I ever do with human characters. So when, after being used and abused and beaten and bruised, Buck finds true love in John Thornton...I wanted to get out of chair and cheer. (Never mind John Thornton's eventual fate, I hadn't gotten that far yet.)   "But love that was feverish and burning, that was adoration, that was madness, it had taken John Thornton to arouse. This man had saved his life, which was something; but, further, he was the ideal master....He had a way of taking Buck's head roughly between his hands, and resting his own head upon Buck's, of shaking him back and forth, the while calling him ill names that to Buck were love names. Buck knew no greater joy than that rough embrace and the sound of murmured oaths, and at each jerk back and forth it seemed that his heart would be shaken out of his body so great was his ecstasy."   I circled that passage while I was reading the book...and now it doesn't seem as powerful as it did when I read it. But when I was in the midst of the story, it almost made me cry. It just reminded me of that unconditional love that pets have for their owners, and why animals are so freaking awesome.   I'm still thinking of reading White Fang next, but first I have to do a quick re-read/scan of In Cold Blood. I read it years ago (Truman Capote is one of my all-time favorite writers, although In Cold Blood is not my favorite of his writings)...but it's the book my book club chose this month. Nothing says Happy New Year like a book about a multiple murder.
clover

clover

0
this and that from Antaria
 

just a moment

In this moment I'm so overwhelmed with my feelings. I'm at work but - as always - listening to music. Instead of listening to the web-radio I listen to a CD I found in my drawer ... Yö - "rakkaus on lumivalkoinen" and I'm so homesick. The music (especially the voice of Olli Lindhom) reminds me of something. Of course of Finland. But there is something else and I can's figure out what it is. It is bitter sweet. It makes me want to weep without feeling bad - just ... is it melancholy? I don't know. It's just a beautiful moment and my heart is full of feelings, pictures and memories of my family there in the land of 1000 lakes and the wish to be there too.
Antaria

Antaria

0
Is Anybody Out There?
 

Meltdown

It's late, and I'm tired, so I know that's mostly why my emotions are all over the place.   I suck at this dieting thing, even though I love salad and fresh fruit and wheat bread... I'm just not doing well with it. I need to add exercise, but I'd have to clear out the front room to really do that, plus I don't have the energy to divert in that direction at this point.   I found some old floppy disks that had files and photographs on it from years ago, and there were several of the man I don't think I've ever fully recovered from. I love my husband, and I am completely his, but because there was something so raw about the relationship I had with this other guy, my heart still aches a little at the thought of everything that happened.   I wouldn't be with my husband if it hadn't happened like that, though.   Anyway, I've been feeling nostalgic for all these old things/experiences lately, and I realized that nothing ever stays the same. The saying "You can never go home again"? Really applies to me right now. Not physical homes, but online communities.   I miss Charlie.   Anyway. I'm going to go play mind-numbing games until I can sleep.   Stupid Verizon. I'll update about them later.
smallvoice

smallvoice

2
this and that from Antaria
 

Not my day

Today really doesn't seem to be my day ...   It started with my alarm-clock. I did not hear it because I had an earplug in my ear because my loved one was snoring again. I woke up 11 minutes too late. The radio on the alarm-clock is pretty loud, but not loud enough to wake up my partner.   While eating my toast I realized that tomorrow is my grandpas birthday. Of course I forgot to send a card - so I tinkered one (good that I have all the stuff for it at home). But the card will be late - my grandpa lives in another country - as almost all my realtives.   At work I realized that I have brought new cheese and chocolate - but the bread is still at home.   Then I wanted to get something to drink - went to the fridge and how nice! All iced. Thanks ...   Well on the other hand: It can only get better ... I hope!
Antaria

Antaria

0
Fishnets and Frankincense
 

Working on a Sunday?

Being as busy as I am at work is a good thing, to a certain extent, but here I am, in at work on Sunday. And what am I doing? Writing in my BPAL blog? ARGH BLARG! Actually, I'm basically finished with what I arrived to do, but I'm considering cleaning off my desk just a bit and then leaving.   And what am I doing here on Sunday? I am the lead-off batter in the entire staff presentation process on Tuesday. This happens every year that there's a new and/or difficult committee to work with -- I get to go in first and be raked over the coals. I get to have everyone who doesn't really understand how the process works ask me 50 trillion questions and generally bitch about how they can't find out what's going on. Never mind that they want me to know more than most of the people who run the agencies I'll be talking about. It's the general naive nature of newly-elected legislative officials who think they're going to change the world. There's term limits in my state and almost half the legislature turned over last year, so experienced folks are few and far between. And my boss picks me to twist slowly in the wind, every year.   I know it's because I'm somewhat less (externally) sensitive than other people in the office, I don't pout, whine and mince around about thing, I tend to not be as pedantic in my presentations as some of the other staff, and I'm no Angelina Jolie, but I'm probably more into presentation of my entire self than some of the other staff. I also think my boss really gets off on putting me through the mill, so he can tell everyone else how horribly my presentation went. So I'm in trying to prepare as best as possible, but I know I'll get asked a lot of non sequitur questions that I can't answer. I detest this part of my job.   Last week one of the fatcat lobbyists came in and asked me to go to lunch with him, I still can't figure out what he wanted, he claimed it was just social in nature. He is fun to talk to and I get a giggle out of his observations. I was getting somewhat disconcerted that he'd take pains to walk behind me and then he confessed that he liked to smell my perfume. And what was I wearing? Snake Oil, of course! You don't go to lunch with a lobbyist and not wear Snake Oil. It may become my signature scent for the session, although the one day that I wore Mme. Moriarty, she got an extreme reaction from someone. Since they're in the same "family," I'm not sure most people can tell them apart. I love them equally.   I went a little batshit on the update and ordered way more than I intended. What did I get? Bakeneko, Svadhinaopatika, Vasakasajja, Chintamani-Dhupa and Smut. I know Smut will work, but I already have a bottle-and-a-half of Smut 2006, but how could I not order another bottle? And the others... well, we'll see. They sound lovely. I love Lupercalia, but then my forum name is valentina, after all.   I'm going to shovel off my desk. I hope all of you are well, and staying warm if you're somewhere where it's cold.
valentina

valentina

5
cranberry's Blog
 

Lunacy

Lunacies - from my collection     Hunter Moon - released ____________ Flower Moon - released April 23, 2005 - reviewed Milk Moon - released April 23, 2005 - reviewed Strawberry Moon - released May 23, 2005 - reviewed Honey Moon - released May 23, 2005 - reviewed Buck Moon - released June 22, 2005 - reviewed Fruit Moon - released July 21, 2005 Harvest Moon (05) - released August 19, 2005 Blood Moon - released September 18, 2005 Beaver Moon - released October 17, 2005 - reviewed Snow Moon - released November 15, 2005 Holiday Moon - released December 15, 2005 - reviewed Budding Moon - released January 14, 2006 - Notations Sleepy Moon - released February 13, 2006 Peony Moon - released March 14, 2005 - reviewed Lotus Moon - released May 13, 2006 Hungry Ghost Moon - released June 11, 2006 Black Moon: Beth's Creation - released August 22, 2006 Schwarzer Mond: Brian's Creation - released August 22, 2006 Wolf Moon (06) - released December 2, 2006 - reviewed Lycaon - released December 2, 2006 Bakeneko - released January 1, 2007 - reviewed Hunger Moon - released Jan 1, 2007 ---------------- Kindly Moon - released September ____, 2006 - reviewed Dragon Moon - released ______________, 2006 Harvest Moon (06) - released ____________, 2006 Chrysanthemum Moon: A sojourn - released __________, 2006 Bitter Moon - released ____________, 2006 White Moon - released __________, 2006
cranberry

cranberry

13
Filling the Periodic Table
 

Rambling on housekeeping

For three days before my period every month, I go into this wild phase where I will scrub/swiffer/sweep/etc anything in the house that will sit still long enough to be cleaned. This is the time of the month when floors get mopped, closets get organized, etc. I have to say, if I had to pick and chose my PMS symptoms, this is definately the most useful.   I am fairly tidy the rest of the month, but not stepford-clean-freak. Unfortunately, my fairly tidiness would be enough if I lived alone, but I don't. I live with the king of the slobs. The guy who tells me, "oh, no, honey, you don't have to clean up after dinner, I'll do it." But two weeks later, the pans would still be on the stove if I left it to him. He left a 2 square foot pile of Magic cards right in front off his side of the couch for over 2 weeks, so he had to sit down at the middle of the couch and scooch over. Every time I suggested he move them, he informed me he wasn't done sorting them yet. (the baffling part is that he bought two huge boxes of Magic cards on Ebay to replace the collection he had as a teenager - but doesn't know anyone here who plays, so plays the computer game version instead!)   Anyway, he's been all like "I don't have time to do anything other than cook because I work 50 hours a week" - Except I work 40 hours, then study for another 12+ every week, and I still find time to keep up with the dishwasher, take out the trash, change the cat's litter, and do all of both of our laundry.   Of course, he also sleeps 12-13 hours every friday and saturday night, routinely waking up well into the afternoon. But he refuses to acknowledge the fact that if he took better care of his body, by quitting smoking, eating better and working out, he would need less sleep to recover. He's 30 freaking years old, It's time he started to realize his body's not going to hold out forever.   And the part that makes it the most frustrating is that he's a computer security engineer. He's smart and capable of rational analysis. He'll sulk and be moody for a week if he put on enough weight to have to go out and buy 3 new bigger pairs of pants. But he isn't willing to give up his 48-64 oz per day of Minute Maid Lemonade (why not just eat the corn syrup with a spoon?) and wonders why he puts on weight. He thinks he'll get thinner doing situps, but thinks cardio is useless and horrifying.   Why is he willing to put in so much energy into a job he despises, but is completely unwilling to put any effort at all into us having a nice, relaxing, and non-chaotic home... whoich I would have thought would be more motivating than the world's most soul-sucking job?
antimony

antimony

1
Maps and Legends
 

2007 Book List

So, evidently I am going to primarily be using my blog for lists.   This is a list of books I've read/started/finished/etc. in 2007. 'Cause, you know, it's the in thing.   Read Entirely in 2007 1. The Trolley to Yesterday - John Bellairs 2. The Lamp from the Worlock's Tomb - John Bellairs 3. Vengence of the Witchfinder - John Bellairs 4. Doom of the Haunted Opera - John Bellairs 5. The Secret of the Underground Room - John Bellairs 6. The Great Snape Debate - Amy Berner, Orson Scott Card, Joyce Millman 7. Kushiel's Dart - Jacqueline Carey 8. Kushiel's Chosen - Jacqueline Carey 9. Kushiel's Avatar - Jacqueline Carey 10. Neverwhere - Mike Carey, Garth Ellis (graphic novel) 11. Alice in Wonderland - Louis Carroll (reread for forum Book Club) 12. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl (reread with son) 13. The Witches - Roald Dahl (reading with son) 14. A Christmas Carol and Other Stories - Charles Dickens (annual reread of ACC, first go round with "The Chimes" and "Cricket in the Hearth") 15. Geek Love - Katherine Dunn 16. Interworld - Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves 17. Vanished - Tess Garretson 18. Hell to Pay - Simon Green 19. Guilty Pleasures - Laurel K. Hamilton 20. The Laughing Corpse - LKH 21. Circus of the Damned - LKH 22. Bloody Bones - LKH 23. The Killing Dance - LKH 24. A Kiss of Shadows - LKH 25. A Caress of Twilight - LKH 26. Seduced by Moonlight - LKH 27. A Stroke of Midnight - LKH 28. Dead Until Dark - Charlene Harris 29. Living Dead in Dallas - Charlene Harris 30. Club Dead - Charlene Harris 31. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison 32. The Good, the Bad, the Undead - Kim Harrison 33. Every Which Way but Dead - Kim Harrison 34. Fistfull of Charms - Kim Harrison 35. Native Tongue - Carl Hasissian 36. Injustice for All - J.A. Jance 37. Trial by Fury - J.A. Jance 38. Taking the Fifth - J.A. Jance 39. Improbable Cause - J.A. Jance 40. A More Perfect Union - J.A. Jance 41. Dismissed With Prejudice - J.A. Jance 42. Payment in Kind - J.A. Jance 43. Without Due Process - J.A. Jance 44. Failure to Appear - J.A. Jance 45. Lying in Wait - J.A. Jance 46. Breach of Duty - J.A. Jance 47. Long Time Gone - J.A. Jance 48. Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs - Chuck Klosterman 49. Swordpoint - Ellen Kushner 50. A Feast for Crows - George R.R. Martin 51. The Hedge Knight (graphic novel) - George RR Martin 52. Deerskin - Robyn McKinley 53. The Hero and the Crown - Robyn McKinley 54. Spindle's End - Robyn McKinley 55. Sunshine - Robyn McKinley 56. Moby Dick - Herman Melville (via LJ) 57. V for Vendetta (graphic novel) - Alan Moore 58. Sir Thursday (The Keys to the Kingdom) - Garth Nix 59. Island of the Blue Dolphins - Scott O'Dell (reread from childhood) 60. 3rd Degree - James Patterson 61. 4th of July - James Patterson 62. 5th Horseman - James Patterson 63. Angels and Other Strangers - Katherine Patterson (reread from childhood) 64. Clockwork - Phillip Pullman 65. The Firework Maker's Daughter - Phillip Pullman 66. The Antipope - Robert Rankin 67. Brightonomicon - Robert Rankin 68. Piece of My Heart - Peter Robinson 69. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling (reread) 70. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling (reread) 71. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban - J.K. Rowling (reread) 72. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling (reread) 73. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling (reread) 74. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling (reread) 75. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - JK Rowling (x2) 76. Broken Prey - John Sandford 77. Subterranean (Hellblazer novel) - John Shirley 78. Perfume: Story of a Murderer - Patrick Suskind 79. The Secret History - Donna Tartt 80. Take the Cannoli - Sarah Vowell 81. Dark Lover - J.R. Ward 82. Lover Eternal - J.R. Ward 83. Lover Awakened - J.R. Ward 84. Lover Revealed - J.R. Ward 85. Lover Unbound - J.R. Ward 86. Fables: Arabian Nights (and Days) Graphic Novel v. 7 - Bill Willingham 87. Fables: Wolves Graphic Novel v. 8 - Bill Willingham 88. Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall Graphic Novel (prequel) - Bill Willingham 89. Lord of Light - Roger Zalany   Started in 2006 or before, finished in 2007 Fragile Things - Neil Gaiman The Neverending Story - Michael Ende Cages - Dave McKeon (2005) Life of Pi (originally started in 2005, completely restarted because I lost the book and refound it!)   In progress (if not started in 2007, starting year in parens) Divine Horsemen, The Living Gods of Haiti - Myra Deren(2006) Ulysses - James Joyce (2005) Les Mis - Victor Hugo (via LJ) Jambalaya - L. Tisch Black House - Steven King/Peter Straub Dead to the World - Charlene Harris   The island of the just couldn't finish Haunted - Chuck Palonick
Em-

Em-

3
Gaidig's Blog
 

Anne Bonny

Imp #4: Anne Bonny   "A blend of Indonesian red patchouli, red sandalwood, and frankincense."   Note: Mid cycle. Imp fresh from the Lab.   In the bottle: It smells like salt-water soaked teak, the smell of a sailing ship!   On me: Knocked back a little -- mellowed. More feminine. Less patchouli. I like this red patchouli much better than the patchouli in Lust. I still get a whiff of the salt spray. It doesn't seem to have changed much at all, in general.   1 hour+ later: Same as when I first put it on. I like this very much, especially since I enjoy sailing.   [Edit] Anne Bonny has proven to me that it is entirely possible to have too much of a good thing. After liking it so much I applied more so that it wouldn't be just on my wrists, and OMG strong & headachey! It took a while to calm down, but by the end of the night it was back to happy pirateishness.
Gaidig

Gaidig

1
Birdsongs
 

My tarot cards are yelling at me.

I haven't done much with my tarot decks the last few months - I've been kind of vegging online in my spare time, I guess. Bad me. But the last week or so, I've been carrying my newest deck (the Llywellyn Tarot - gorgeous watercolor style, based on Welsh mythology) around in my bag & doing a one-card reading each morning.   It's been very interesting, & usually amazingly on-target - when an argument came up on a previously happy day, my first thought was, "So that's what that 3 of Swords was about!" But I'm detecting a theme - 8 of Swords one day (feeling powerless, needing to open eyes & take action?), Hanged Man another (sometimes a regenerative time of no action, sometimes a "stop waiting for other people to force you to a decision"), and today, the Death card (minor changes no longer enough. Change is necessary, and it'll hurt, but lead somewhere. Stop clinging to the old).   Can't say it's surprising, but I still don't know what to do. My living situation the past year has led to intense conflict & estrangement from my little brother and my best friend of the past ten years, and periodic strains in my relationship with my boyfriend. I end up trying to mediate between the man I love & my closest friend ever, who now hate each other, & that's not even bringing up how much my brother has put me in a bad situation & doesn't seem to care. Argh.   So I'm just trying to focus on the little things that get me by, & make of each day what I can, & put off Big Unpleasantnesses ... but these readings are reminding me you can't put off Reckonings forever. I still don't know what to do about anything though ... Guess I'll stick with day by day mode a little longer?
spanishviolet

spanishviolet

0
Review Round-up!
 

Oberon

In the imp: Something sharp and fresh - I'm thinking it's the bergamot and juniper.   On wet: That same bergamot-juniper freshness, and a strangely overwhelming powderiness that I'm attributing to the orchid.   Drydown: Spicy, somewhat powdery, slightly sweet. It's driving me crazy at this point, actually, because it reminds me of something I've smelled before, but I can't remember what! (Don't you hate it when that happens?) There *is* a faint soapy element underneath the other notes, but it has an airy-clean quality to it, rather than an unpleasant cleanser/detergent vibe.   Overall: An interesting blend. I love white musk, so I was a little disappointed that it wasn't a stronger presence in this fragrance. This scent's not exactly 'me', but I think it may be gender neutral enough to pique the hubby's interest. Against my skin, however, it rates a 2.5/5.
furygrrl

furygrrl

0
This Old Snark
 

Fried Daze

Snarky's office smelled of gas earlier today, and since then she and her co-workers have been experiencing moments of giddiness and short attention spans.   Of course, the spicy hot cocoa mix Snarky has been downing (with hot, strong coffee as the re-hydrating agent) probably is adding to the giddiness.   She is finding herself in a very weird and easily distracted head space this week. The Mister continues to fight the last bits of this horrendous monster cold they've both been fighting (Snarky still gets occasionally froggy, but is otherwise Back to Normal) and has been coming down from Host Mode (the Darkity'Rents are safely back in their home five states away). He's been feeling very worthless and lost this week since he isn't currently working, but is too sick to really explore the possible employment avenues about which he was most curious.   Snarky is Queen of Sloth and hopes to be able to encourage a few good days of solid down time for The Mister through example. Monkey see, monkey (don't) do, as it were.   There is also a weird undercurrent of Impending Doom circulating around the office today (along with any brain cell killing gases that might be wafting). Next week is going to be insane with an annual sale that will require the man power and time of everyone on staff. This is a huge event every year that traditionally gives the company a start of the year boost upon which all sorts of annual projections and planning hinge. And some of the veterans of this melee are feeling that Something Will Go Horribly Wrong.   All in all, the year has started off strangely. There is a feeling of restlessness and unease but also a kind of exhilaration - very reminiscent of the pit-of-stomach feeling one gets while being inexorably dragged up up up toward the payoff of a large, menacing, candy-colored roller coaster ride.
darkitysnark

darkitysnark

0
Sourball Ho!
 

Should I be worried?

In our mail on Wednesday was a collection notice addressed to me, for what looked to be a landline phone number in Southern California as I recognized the area code. This collection agency wants almost $900!   I am not worried because: --although we lived in SoCal previously, we moved to Ohio in July 1995 (and paid all our utilities, AFAIK. We certainly didn't leave no $900 phone bill ) --Regardless, statute of limitations on an old utility bill is 7 years max --I don't recognize the phone number as one of our old ones --we were never contacted by the actual phone company, just this collection agency purporting to represent the phone company --I check our credit reports every few months and there have never been any weird charges or accounts popping up   However, I am worried because: --my name is fairly unique and have never heard of anyone else with the same name. Is someone using my name? --the collection agency might start reporting this on my credit (which has no other blemishes) and wreak havoc until I pay --there's little recourse for a lowly individual against an aggressive collection agency, or without hiring an aggressive attorney   I sent a certified letter denying responsibility for the bill and demanding proof that I owe the money. I found a good form letter online; the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act has all these requirements they have to follow, like they can't contact me by phone, only in writing when I request it.   Now it's time to wait and keep my fingers crossed
dawndie

dawndie

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