1870ICQ w/A

[evile]

Jan. 20, 2004

SkyeDS: mornin. how was your weekend?
evile: Howdy :) Pretty quiet weekend, actually. Not bad. Saturday
was a nice surprise--pretty weather.
SkyeDS: how did J & K take to gwnn?
SkyeDS: had a good day saturday myself, of course, until I was on the
way home and had the tire blowout incident (early Sunday morning,
took six hours to get it fixed)
evile: I think they had a nice time. K was having cedar
allergies so she left early, but J stayed until the end. I think
J's a sub. That's a little bit surprising.
evile: yeah, sineater called me Sunday and told me about that :( SUCK!!!
SkyeDS: yeah. problem being that we didn't have a trailer spare nor
the special jack a trailer requires. I have since acquired the jack,
and we will acquire the spare as soon as we can locate one (easier
said than done)
evile: Yeah. :(
SkyeDS: and changing the tire on the trailer means taking the horses
out. Not a problem in a big stripmall parking lot at 2 am, but a
problem should it happen on the side of a highway.
evile: yeah. I'm glad they weren't hurt.
SkyeDS: they were very good about it. I have good girls.
evile: That's very cool.
SkyeDS: Arthur was also on his best behavior, particularly
considering that he was up 12 hours past his bedtime
evile: poor guy.
SkyeDS: K seems like she could be a Dom, but, seeming like
that out of the bedroom does not mean she would be in the bedroom
necessarily.
evile: It was kind of funny, she said she wanted *me* to beat J,
because she wouldn't trust herself not to beat the shit out of him :P
SkyeDS: I don't know for sure, because in that circle the rules are
what the participants involved agree they are. but I would think
that like a parent shouldn't beat a child in anger (different than
spanking)
SkyeDS: that a Dom shouldn't beat a sub in anger either
SkyeDS: that, though, is based on the training premise that one
doesn't discipline bird or horses in anger.
evile: right.
SkyeDS: I read Dom1 and dynamoon's site from time to time. He
rescued her from a Gorean situation. Very bad.
evile: yuck.
SkyeDS: do not understand the appeal of Gor or why it is a standard
in the culture. much prefer the Beauty books and others
evile: me neither. But any sicko can take any reference material and
do bad things with it.
SkyeDS: lol which is why I have this job at the moment. Stupid
people taking material and doing wrongly with it.
evile: hee.
SkyeDS: we have a hearing on Friday. I keep wondering if the judge
won't tell SCO look, if you don't have a case without a big fat
discovery fishing trip (which is not allowed), then I'm dismissing
your case, granting IBM Sum Judg. on their counter, and giving them
the moon if they ask for it.
SkyeDS: so far we have been dealing with a Magistrate Judge rather
than the actual District (fed) judge. I looked into her background
out of curiosity and she's never done anything but criminal. and the
rest of her docket involves urinating in public, vehicles being
offroads and fishing where they aren't supposed to be. I'm wondering
wtf all that's doing in US Fed Dist Court.
evile: It's always possible.Heck, they could even try for a
settlement. But you've gotta prepare for an actual hearing,
anyway. ...that does seem rather 'piddly' for federal. Our tax $ at
work.
SkyeDS: what did you do yesterday?
evile: absolutely nothing. I was supposed to go to Huston-Tillotson
college & see a friend's band, but I just felt like crap and took a
nap & slept right thru the performance.
SkyeDS: nods. sleep good. I don't get enough and suspect that
sometimes you don't either.
evile: My theory is that it was allergies. But...it still sucked to
miss his show. :(
SkyeDS: maybe he will have another one in future
evile: He & his band are in Dallas. Most of their shows are on
weeknights. So...not likely that I'll be seeing them anytime soon.
SkyeDS: :(
evile: This is horrible, but ever since my Tulane year in which a
friend was beat to shit for being white on MLK day, I really don't
care to get out much on MLK day. So, perhaps not going to a
historically black college on MLK day was another leftover from that
experience
SkyeDS: it is a button with me, the subject of racism.
evile: I hate to act from fear..but I catch myself doing that a lot
these days.
SkyeDS: particularly that after more than half a decade of working to
combat "separate but equal" segregation, now they seem to be doing
their damndest to segregate themselves (some of them not all of
them). And that I hear some of them say only whites can be racist.
That what they do is reverse discrimination and it's different.
Hello, no it isn't.
evile: Seems ironic that the followers of great teachers end up being
hateful and destructive, contrary to the message of their teacher.
Jesus and MLK are probably having shit fits in heaven :P
SkyeDS: no doubt.
evile: 'reverse discrimination' is a semantic nightmare BTW.
discrimination is discrimination, regardless of the persecutor &
victims identity.
SkyeDS: exactly. words mean things.
SkyeDS: to coin the term "reverse" anything means that if a woman
does it to a man it isn't sexist and if a black/or whatever else does
it to a white it isn't racist.
SkyeDS: and damn well is.
evile: yup.
evile: You would think that anyone who has experienced exclusion or
prejudice would learn compassion & understanding and NOT do that kind
of shit to other people once they get in a position of power.
But...most people seem to forget how it feels as soon as it isn't
being done to them anymore.
SkyeDS: two wrongs don't make a right, as it is said
evile: But it seems like the dream of every oppressed minority to get
to the top of the food chain and abuse everyone under them.
evile: Sort of like abused children growing up to abuse their own
spouses & children.
SkyeDS: begs the question, why do some abused women and children
evolve to be better people, and why do some evolve into abusers
themselves.
SkyeDS: nods
evile: I'd say a majority of abused people grow up to become
abusers. It's a very rare minority who gain some insight & do what
they can to break the cycle. And I think that's society-wide problem,
too. We need to completly break the hierarchichal/abusive society
structure.
evile: Fraternities do this. Doctors/hospitals do this. With some
idea of 'paying ones dues' or putting up with the shit so that you
can eventually get to a position to dish it out to the next round of
underlings.
evile: There is no reason on earth to make interns work 36 hours
straight and such. It's dangerous and stupid and puts patients at
risk. But since the doctors did it when they were interns, they do it
to their interns. ...stupid. crazy.
SkyeDS: it's that way all over
evile: yup. Human beings are pretty awful.
SkyeDS: people train/use their horses that way because that's the way
their Daddy did it and so on so many generations back
SkyeDS: that's the reason I give my 5 lessons regardless of whether
someone knows how to ride or not
SkyeDS: I don't care what they think they know, that's the way I want
my horses ridden, period, and I don't give a damn what their daddies
and so on did if it was wrong in my opinion.
evile: exactly.
evile: Total subject change: my friend A got some fire training.
Hopefully once he gets comfortable with it, I can learn from him :)
SkyeDS: I want to watch t he fire thing when I have some time. It
interests me (damn the double gem curiosity you know, will get the
cat killed eventually)
evile: I've been practicing on myself, but it's not the same thing at
all :P
SkyeDS: lol usually isn't...where just about anything is concerned,
by oneself vs with a partner.
evile: I also have in mind to make a pair of 'vampire
gloves'...wonder if Sharjinka would freak if I brought them to work on
at one of her craft nights :)
SkyeDS: I would think not
SkyeDS: I know she enjoyed playing a monster and having Johnathan
make her up.
SkyeDS: and regrets not having pictures
evile: I tried to get pictures, but she kept running away & flinching
and whatnot. Stupid girl.
SkyeDS: lol
evile: I dont' think it can be taught, but she needs to learn that
90% of one's attractiveness is attitude and only 10% is actual
appearance.
SkyeDS: I think it can be learned through experience if it isn't
innate
evile: true :)
SkyeDS: ie, someone needs to be attracted to her regardless, and
therefore will be able to get through to her and convince her of that.
evile: Should take her to a GWNN party in her kitty getup :)
SkyeDS: I mean, good f'ing lord
SkyeDS: I have three exceedingly attractive (IMHO anyway) men, and
look what I look like. it has nothing to do with my appearance and
that's a fact.
evile: It's personality & confidence & how you carry yourself. But
you are by no means unattractive, dear. Only when you talk bad about
yourself are you unattractive :)
SkyeDS: well but in the traditional and classic sense, I am perhaps
arguably a pretty "fat chick"
SkyeDS: whereas Michelle is attractively svelte. and athletically
inclined.
evile: yeah, but talking to her for 5 minutes shows how insecure she
is and most people just don't want to deal with anyone that needy of
constant reassurance.
SkyeDS: that is common among many water signs though.
evile: I guess I just dont' have much patience for it. If I walk up
to you and say "you're pretty" and you say "No, I'm not" ...that
tells me that the person is 1) too needy and 2) they must think I'm a
fuckin' idiot for thinking they were pretty in the first place. So
why hang out with them?
SkyeDS: I can't say anything about that because I never really
learned to accept compliments gracefully either.
evile: Two words: Thank you. ANd maybe a smile.
SkyeDS: other than to smile awkwardly, turn red and say thank you,
also awkwardly
evile: That works.
SkyeDS: even when it has to do with my favorite things (NOT what I
look like) - my writing, my music, my children.
evile: Eventually the blushing and awkwardness will go away. But why
argue with someone trying to be nice to you? Why make them second
guess themselves, do you really want them to go "Oh, no, you're
right, you're hideous and not worth my time. goodbye!"

evile: Unless someone is being creepy about it, of course. Then you
can say whatever you want :)
SkyeDS: I don't understand the thought process there.
SkyeDS: speaking of which, I finally met Amberlyn last night (who is
my official Teacher)
evile: cool.
SkyeDS: I don't think I'm going to be her favorite student. And may
not be her student indefinitely either, if I get on her nerves too
much I suspect.
SkyeDS: but that's ok, because I have other friends who would happily
teach me, formally or informally.
evile: personalities aside, I'm sure she's got plenty to offer.
evile: One of my best teachers at Depauw was a jerk that I heartily
despised. But he turned me into a better writer.
SkyeDS: that's the reason when she asked me if I wanted her to
release me to one of my friends, I told her no.
SkyeDS: and I know I do need to work harder.
evile: Good for you. The rewards tend to be more meaningful when the
work is harder, too.
SkyeDS: she is the hardest teacher in the Clan, it is widely
acknowledged.
SkyeDS: I wish that she were on more friendly terms with my other
Clan Elder friends, but as long as they leave me out of the politics,
I will try not to think about that.
evile: politics=ecch.
SkyeDS: ya know, the harder I try to stay out of them the more I find
myself in themiddle of them
evile: it happens.
SkyeDS: I make friends, only to find out that I have befriended two
opposing factions
evile: yeah.
SkyeDS: and to a consensus builder, that is torture.
evile: Well, it's probably hard but you just have to realize that not
all of your freinds need to be friends with one another.
SkyeDS: no. and other thing I have to keep in mind is that just
because I like both sides shouldn't reflect badly on me.
SkyeDS: to one side or the other, I mean
evile: exactly.
SkyeDS: I don't expect my enemies to be mhy friends' enemies and am
VERY uncomfortable when I think it is expected of me
evile: The important thing is to a) separate your perceptions from
the actuality and b) make sure that people know you are not
interested in their politics but in them, personally.
evile: I didn't realize it, but apparently there are groups within
the poly group. Which now that I realize it, I cheerfully ignore and
spend time with the people I like, same as always :)
SkyeDS: there are factions in any group I think
SkyeDS: I don't know if three people can be a group and not have
factions
evile: yup.
SkyeDS: two factions and one person right in the middle
evile: It takes effort and/or a really good 'dumb' act, but you can
stay out of group politics if you try.
SkyeDS: nods. Bro Fred is good at it, I listen to him when he talks
about how to do it.
evile: I dont' think I've ever talked with him.
SkyeDS: lol you defended me the last time he started on my gypsy
fortune telling being religious in nature.
SkyeDS: a stance I don't think he'd take, if he didn't know that I
wasn't just playing at it but doing "real" readings
SkyeDS: if I didn't really know how to read, and was just faking with
a crystal ball, palms or whatever, he wouldn't have an argument.
evile: No telling. I can't really see his point at all, but...he's
entitled to his opnion and he can run his own events however he sees
fit.
SkyeDS: his hot spot is the religion thing, I know it, he knows it,
we've talked about it privately, I don't know why he wants to discuss
it on the boards, I don't.
evile: yup.
SkyeDS: I may get permission to sell rides at Eeyore's, now that Kim
is leaving and Kathleen is taking over.
SkyeDS: could run for a greater office if I wanted to (but I don't)
evile: nah. That would take it from 'game' and 'fun' to 'work'...and
I dont' work a) on weekends or b) for no $!!!
SkyeDS: amen
SkyeDS: she offered me the IC position of Royal Soothsayer and that's
fine with me
evile: that's cool.
SkyeDS: actually what would be completely appropriate is "Royal Black
Sheep and PITA". But I don't think such position has ever existed
formally anyway lol
evile: I imagine if Kathleen thought you were really a PITA, she
would not offer you any position at all.
SkyeDS: her interest in me is that I am supportive and helpful in her
quest for Jurgen (a scorpio like sineater )
evile: aha.
SkyeDS: but whatever I can do to make her reign fun for all involved,
I will do of course
SkyeDS: while I am pondering going back to Drandmir.
evile: *shrugs* I just go wherever I feel like on a particular
weekend. I don't pay dues or vote or fight, so it doesn't really
matter to anyone, I dont' think.
SkyeDS: neither do I, and it doesn't, with the exception of Chaos.
evile: Yeah, it's irksome that you have to have a kingdom affiliation
in order to be found on the 'member search/character search' function.
evile: brb=potty

evile: back.
SkyeDS: wb
evile: I'm not sure but there may be something to that whole concept
of perception/thought creating reality. :P
evile: if you expect something, it's more likely to happen? I dunno.
I'm saying it badly.
SkyeDS: some realities I think would exist regardless of perception
evile: if you expect something it's more acceptable when it does
happen? ...I don't know. I'll have to work on it.
SkyeDS: gravity
SkyeDS: but I suspect that Armageddon will happen because so many
believe that it will
SkyeDS: self fulfilling prophecy
evile: Saturday evening, I went to the NO Kidding dinner first then
the GWNN party. So, I was at dinner, fully dressed, and
this new NK member was really being very complimentary & attentive &
giving me a totally CREEPY vibe.

Then I go to the GWNN party, end up in bra, panties, thigh-highs &
shoes, and everyone was being complimentary, and I got NO creepy
vibes from anyone.

So was it the other person being creepy/not creepy? Or my
expectations that gave one situation a 'creepy' feeling and the other
NOT creepy?

SkyeDS: I think, the first
SkyeDS: Kathleen said she was fine with me selling rides at Eeyore's
if I can get permission (non sequitur)
evile: cool :)
evile: You said the tip bucket at Ingleside did really well, too, so
that'd be awesome.
SkyeDS: the funny thing aobut that
SkyeDS: is that I didn't give a ride all damn day
SkyeDS: I was allowed to accept tips but i had to walk them over to
the SCA to let them ride (and tell the SCA that they'd already tipped_
evile: On Sunday? Hm.
SkyeDS: well I'm corresponding with the SCA woman now.
evile: good.
SkyeDS: and next year, I'm going as part of the SCA, so I don't have
to worry about paying, booth stuff, performing, helmets or anything
else
SkyeDS: her horses get tired and need to be spelled
SkyeDS: and I can keep the profits for whatever I do, she said
SkyeDS: so that works
evile: sounds good.
SkyeDS: we were too much competition for her, even when we did start
accepting donations.
SkyeDS: we;ve been invited to audition for Excalibur
evile: yeah, but that wasn't your fault, It was probably a location
issue more than anything else.
SkyeDS: I need to start preparing for that
evile: Good luck. I may try and take cousin B out to Excalibur one weekend.
SkyeDS: I didn't realize this at the time, but she was set up in the
first booth at the patrons' entrance
SkyeDS: so she was better off than I position wise
evile: the horse lady at Ingleside???
SkyeDS: yes
evile: I guess I went in the wrong gate, then, because she was
completely to the back of where I paid and came in.
SkyeDS: they may have had gates at both ends, I guess
SkyeDS: but I know that people were parking and paying down at that
end too
evile: I guess.
SkyeDS: the other end was primarily a vendor/entertainer access to my
understanding
evile: They didn't have much signage.
SkyeDS: well, according to the vendors we ate dinner with on the way
home, the girl running it was "greener than grass".
SkyeDS: they didn't make nearly as much as they had in past
evile: that happens.
evile: The folks running Excalibur are a 'mom and pop' type thing.
Seems like everyone in charge of something is a
father/son/wife/daughter of someone else. I learned from working at
IEC that mom & pops aren't great to work for unless you're part of
the family.
SkyeDS: I learned from Ingleside
SkyeDS: I'm going to get it straight with them what we can do, what
we're good at, and what they want from us
SkyeDS: I am NOT going to just stand still on a 12x12 slab of
concrete for an hour
evile: hopefully more than 3 wks in advance, too :P
SkyeDS: even if I did dressage, that's not much room
evile: And an hour is *way* too long.
SkyeDS: we are a strolling group, not a stationary group
evile: Even the most popular performers at TRF don't have hour long
shows.
SkyeDS: see, I didn't know that. that's helpful, thank you.
evile: I think 1/2 hour is more normal.
SkyeDS: half an hour to an hour is fine, as long as we aren't
supposed to be doing something in a 12x12 foot space
SkyeDS: not even much dressage you can fit into that
evile: yup
SkyeDS: auditions are the 31st
SkyeDS: less than two weeks away
SkyeDS: sineater is going to kill me
SkyeDS: and I thought he had the easy part at Ingleside
evile: I hope sineater doesn't kill you.
SkyeDS: because you've seen him and Arthur be entertaining
effortlessly for half an hour to an hour at a time
SkyeDS: but I will get a barrage of "what do you want me to do? we
need to rehearse! hysteria hysteria hysteria"
evile: yeah, but it's different when it's a performance.
SkyeDS: to someone who isn't born and bred performing, yes I can see
it would be
SkyeDS: but I think INgleside went well enough considering that it
won't be as bad this time
SkyeDS: I know more what I need to do now
SkyeDS: and I'm still not stupid enough to commit us to Scarb or TRF
evile: I am not big on improv. I can be funny when I'm not trying,
but never when I am. So...I can see his point. And, yes, when you are
having *months* rather than *weeks* to prepare, it's a lot different.
Better, IMHO.
SkyeDS: I tell him, just play with Arthur the way you do in the
living room at home. But, it isn't the living room at home.
evile: Scarborough is too HOT to work or even go every weekend.
TRF...the weather is too variable. The year I worked Excalibur, it
was cold most weekends. With rain and/or wind. And Dusty when it
wasn't rainy. Not ideal conditions for glass.
evile: Their 'no pop ups' requirement was just basically the last
nail in the coffin, by no means the deciding factor. I won't ever
vend Excalibur again.
SkyeDS: Scarb and TRF are too much of a time commitment
SkyeDS: I don't want to drive that far that many weekends
evile: yup.
SkyeDS: since Ex is on a temporary site, unlike S and TRF, how can
they say no popups.
evile: I'm not a big fan of long drives anymore. I barely got my $
worth out of my Scarby season pass last year. Plus I seem to have
more going on closer to home these days.
SkyeDS: Ingleside is the farthest I've taken the horses not counting
trips to visit fam in txka
SkyeDS: took them to Plano once
evile: They want you to buy authentic tents, not EZ Up types.
Authentic run at least $600 for basic basic model.
SkyeDS: unless you make your own like Johnathan did (it's gorgeous
but he can do that)
evile: http://www.pantherprimitives.com/
Making your own still a good hefty material cost, plus you have to
take into consideration what your time is worth.
SkyeDS: and whether you have the skill and talent to do it, right.
And I suspect i don't
evile: I could probably make one. But...why bother? I like my EZ up
and it works in every other crafting event I could possibly take part
in. That is $600 I dont' need to spend and in my experience can not
make back during the run of Excalibur.
SkyeDS: thank you so much for sharing both your tent and your
expertise at Ingleside. It wouldn't have been the same without you.
And thanks for the pictures too! if we ever start making serious
amounts of money I should pay you to take pictures.
evile: nah, they're sucky digital pictures. Not worth anything, other
than snapshots to spark ones memory.
evile: I am working on a picture site that is share-able with family
& friends. Since Sweetie wouldn't make me one after years of nagging, I
am just getting one from somewhere else.
SkyeDS: the bards will be at Ex this year
evile: I have a *ton* of photos in my computer at home that are
not 'up' anywhere.
SkyeDS: you know you have a standing invitation to come with us
SkyeDS: at least you'd get in free
evile: The bards are at Excalibur every year :) Thanks for the
invite!
SkyeDS: the good thing bout that is, you can come with us however
many weekends you want and do whatever you want, which you couldn't
do if you were vending.
evile: I need to firm up plans with Cousin B. I know his spring break is
in there somewhere, so maybe we can do the faire in that time frame.
SkyeDS: and their vending charges are exorbitant, geez
evile: Not at all, actually. You should see what TRF charges. I don't
know how anybody makes money there.
evile: The San Antonio faire charged about teh same as Excalibur. For
one weekend as opposed to 4(5? whatever)
SkyeDS: yes, but TRF and S are investments
SkyeDS: you build a permanent booth there don't you?
evile: yes.
SkyeDS: I can see paying more for that
SkyeDS: and what's up with the SA faire?
SkyeDS: they not in business anymore?
evile: The SA faire as far as I know, died.
SkyeDS: seems like to me too
evile: Which is a bummer, because I made more in 1 weekend there than
I did in the entire run of Excalibur. And had more fun, too.
SkyeDS: I make trips to SA already, was looking forward to trying out
for cast there
evile: Yeah. I think it was just poor management and/or the
organizers didn't m ake any money off it.
SkyeDS: too bad, I really enjoyed the once I went w/ you
evile: Yup. It was cool.
evile: Sweetie has an interview for a permanent gig at Dell on WEd. if he
was employed FT again, I'd feel better about starting to spend more
on Magpies stuff again.
SkyeDS: oh man
SkyeDS: he'll have to tell sineater how he managed that
evile: I think he saw the posting on monster.com and then asked a
permanent Dellion to put in a word with the HR person
SkyeDS: it would be a sweet gig if he lands it
evile: It's more what he wants to do & enjoys: network admin. Rather
than playing test-monkey.
evile: step 2 after permanent employment will be to get him to take
back some of the bills since I am basically paying everything but
mortgage now.
SkyeDS: I'm trying to make enough for sine to do what he wants for a
little while since he's been bearing all the burden since Oct.
evile: It's not that I can't afford it, but it's *all* I can afford.
evile: Yeah. I know sine wants to work on the zombie thing for a
while.
SkyeDS: which he can do and job search at the same time, which is cool
evile: win-win.
evile: The economy does seem to be getting better. Brother A started his
new job yesterday. Sweetie has a 2nd interview Wednesday. A lot of Sweetie's
former coworkers are getting permanent gigs now. So...*fingers
crossed*
SkyeDS: it seems to be looking up for us too.
SkyeDS: *fingers crossed right next to yours*
evile: That's good :)
I'd be out looking myself, but I have to finish up this medical stuff
first. bleh.
SkyeDS: you're relatively safe where you are right now, I sitll
wouldn't risk that. Although I'm well aware that you aren't as safe
as you used to be and the benefits are starting to suck worse and
worse
evile: *nods*
evile: I'm probably looking for another state gig. Take a lateral to
another position with more pay, or another agency altogether.
SkyeDS: transfer much easier than private sector new job, no doubt
evile: Yeah. The retirement fund would stay too. If I went to a
private sector, I'd have to re-invest it or do something really quick
so as not to get screwed on taxes.
SkyeDS: got to be better places than others to work for the state
evile: Exactly. And places where the waters have not already been
poisoned, so I'd actually have a chance in hell of promotions.
SkyeDS: I think you may be too good at what you do
SkyeDS: that confounds the Peter principle
evile: I dont' suck up enough.
SkyeDS: Tom once observed to me that most employers are like to the
movie "Office Space"
evile: Unfo, yes.
SkyeDS: a principle that will not allow such as you and me to thrive
without serious modifications to our innate selves.
evile: The whole concept of 'meritocracy' is a complete fiction. The
basic law of employment here is: You want to do the least amount of
work for the most money. Your employer wants you to do the largest
amount of work for the least amount of money.
SkyeDS: that's the way it was at State Farms Austin CLC
SkyeDS: a good day was defined by how little you got done
SkyeDS: 8:30 - 10:30 was coffee break, and tour the hallways saying
good morning and gossiping.
evile: I don't mind hard work, but I want to be compensated for it
accordingly. If you aren't willing to pay, then why should I work my
hardest/best?
SkyeDS: 11:30 - 1:30 was lunch
SkyeDS: and 3:30 - 5:30 was a repeat of 8:30 - 10:30
SkyeDS: and that is NOT exaggeration or gemini hyperbole
evile: sick.
SkyeDS: and gossip usually consisted of how the sr ptr's secretary
got her job by having an affair with him (NOT even)
evile: Fridays are do-nothing days here. As are the days after a
holiday. Today is a very special do-nothing day because a coworker
popped her uterine zit over the weekend.
SkyeDS: and how could I possibly get along with Tom so well....and if
I couldn't be used against him like the other scrub chimp sheeple
predecessors, then I was the enemy too.
evile: People are nuts.
SkyeDS: I think we're crazy
SkyeDS: don't know about you
SkyeDS: but I just want to do my job, do it well, enjoy it, get my
paycheck and go home.
SkyeDS: I don't want to goof off at work, where I am captive and
can't goof off the way I really want to, I prefer to do that at home.
SkyeDS: or wherever
evile: hell, I have given up on wanting to have an enjoyable job.
Just pay me for what I do, and I'll be happy.
SkyeDS: I must have done something right somewhere, because I can't
imagine where i earned the karma to get the SCO assignment with IBM,
even though it won't be permanent, even though I know Sharon would
like to keep me
evile: Well, it won't hurt to do a great job for them & keep in
touch, just in case.
SkyeDS: my thoughts exactly
SkyeDS: they're moving programming overseas because they can pay $12
hourly rather than $56
SkyeDS: I think it would behoove the programmers in this country to
be a little more competitive in their salary demands
evile: IBM is going to be hiring in the US...I think it was 6,000
jobs. But I don't remember if that # is state, nation, or what.
SkyeDS: although there are more hidden costs in taking work overseas
than just salary
evile: A lot of overseas jobs are coming back.
SkyeDS: and Dell learned the hard way that it isn't a bed of roses
like they thought it would be. They're coming back from Bangalore
just as everyone else is going over there.
SkyeDS: nods.
evile: Probably a combination of customer complaints & the
programmers back home finally realizing they aren't going to be
making 100K to scratch their asses and look good anymore.
SkyeDS: with Dell it was tech support. with IBM it's the programmers.
SkyeDS: Travis got laid off from IBM programming many many moons ago.
evile: yow.
SkyeDS: sine started out in Support, got promoted to L2, but I don't
know if he would be happy going back to it, even if they offered,
which they might not
SkyeDS: I will ask him if he keeps an eye on Dell reqs, internally
and externally (monster, etc). I'm sure he does.
evile: I'm sure that position played to some of his strengths, but
not enough of them to make it something he'd really want to do for a
long time.
SkyeDS: I hope that Sweetie gets in perm w/ Dell and that then Dell
straightens up and flies right
SkyeDS: and maybe wireless will take off big here, and there will be
a new market for displaced techies
evile: It may, it may not. Their focus seems to be the stockholders
rather than customers or product. Certainly not employees. So...I
guess it's just a matter of selling your soul to the highest bidder
rather than really finding a corporate culture that you can 'believe'
in.
SkyeDS: I know intellectually that I should be able to turn in the
same superlative performance, as paralegal and/or legal secretary,
regardless of whom I'm working for and/or with
SkyeDS: but it just ain't as easy done as said. I don't necessarily
need a sense of family but some level of synergy and teamwork would
be good
evile: Sure.
SkyeDS: I think I'd be happy doing just about any ol thing for a
legal team, if it were a synergistic team.
evile: yeah, but...what are the odds? it'd probably just get mucked
up with political bs

SkyeDS: hopefully Hugh will be in a position to ramp up his practice
in a couple of months, I can go full time with him which he would
need to be able to ramp up in the first place, because I get along
well with him (and I LOVE the office itself)
evile: That would be way cool.
SkyeDS: I know that Geoff likes his male law clerks, but maybe he
might come to witness how valuable a female paralegal can be and have
stuff for me to do too (he's high powered real estate, my first love)
evile: Doing what you love. And getting paid! What a novel concept!
SkyeDS: I'd rather be a paralegal than a secretary. Hugh needs a
secretary and Geoff needs a paralegal. But I'm also pretty happy
doing an equal mix of both.
evile: sure. You were born to multitask :)
SkyeDS: I also have an application in for something in Rockdale
SkyeDS: working with an educational coop
SkyeDS: so we'll see
SkyeDS: if they aren't scared off by how much I'm making now.
evile: Might be nice to have a shorter commute
SkyeDS: I hope to get the chance to point out to them that it is
worth it to me to a) be in rockdale and b) be permanent
evile: yeah. When you consider gas getting pricier, and wear & tear
on your vehicle, it is worth it to take a little less $.
SkyeDS: and I know Hugh would understand too
evile: That's good.
SkyeDS: although, if he gets enthusiastic, chances are he could get
me enthusiastic enough to make the drive worth it.
SkyeDS: and if he makes me permanent and full time then I can afford
to get a hybrid for the commute, which will help all but the time
evile: heh. There's always that chance.
SkyeDS: and nothing will help that but a tardis
SkyeDS: wish there were a bus.
evile: you could always start doing 'books on tape' or something
SkyeDS: true that, change up from newsradio and CDs
evile: I mean, if you wanted to feel you were doing
something 'productive' during your drive or whatever.
SkyeDS: I know buses potentially take longer but there's something to
be said for not having to drive myself etc
evile: yeah. On the bus you can catch up on your reading, give
yourself manicures, do your makeup, whatever.
evile: some people nap. I'd be too paranoid about missing my stop.
SkyeDS: I'd love to be able to read.
SkyeDS: and napping migh twork if you had a watch with an alarm on it
evile: I haven't been to the library in ages. I am jonesing for new
stuff to read.
SkyeDS: I've got more stuff on my to read/buy list than I have time
in life.
evile: My bus home is pretty erratic. Some days it might take 15
minutes to get home, some days it's an hour.
SkyeDS: and keep discovering more all the time. Newest flavor du
jour - laurell k hamilton
evile: ew. I dislike her work rather a lot.
SkyeDS: the vampire hunter or the faerie or both?
SkyeDS: I've only read one hunter book
SkyeDS: and there are two ann rice vampire books I haven't read yet,
one of which has a strega in it
evile: I have read more of the faerie books. The one vamp. hunter
turned out to be #?? in a series, so it made little sense. It seemed
very...RP transcrip to me.
SkyeDS: I read book 10 and it seemed very white wolf to me
evile: I can't read any more Anne Rice. "Pandora " just about killed
me.
SkyeDS: little sister loves the fairie books
SkyeDS: I haven't read pandora. And I want to read Armand and
Vittorio. At least I don't remember Pandora
SkyeDS: I almost didn't read Memnoch after the Body Thief tripe.
evile: The story line wasn't too bad, but all of this "My beautiful
breasts were encased in a solid web of lace accented by my fabulous
red hair bla bla me me, bla bla"...ick.
SkyeDS: which would have been sad, because Memnoch was quite good
evile: I lent pandora to you and let you keep it, if I recall.
SkyeDS: rofl
SkyeDS: did I keep it? will have to look for where it might be then
evile: *shrug* I don't know. If you gave it back to me, I sold it to
1/2 price.
SkyeDS: I vaguely remember you lending it, but not what happened to
it afterwards
SkyeDS: obviously the book didn't make an impression
evile: *shrugs* no. And it's too damn bad, because Pandora had the
potential to have a REALLY awesome story.
SkyeDS: funny that i want to read the onje she put a strega in, but
not the witch series at all, just no curiosity.
evile: But Anne really _doesn't_ like women, and it shows in all her
writing taht she isn't really interested in her female characters.
SkyeDS: pandora in the first books was very interesting character
evile: exactly. Very cool, mysterious, and had lived a really long
time and stayed SANE, unlike most of the older vamps in her stories.
SkyeDS: I was disappointed in QOTD, she just gave up right in the
middle of the book. So like, why not just end the book there instead
of filling it up with BS
SkyeDS: would like her to write interestingly about pandora, maharet
& twin, and Jesse (the grand daughter)
evile: Publisher had a page quota, obviously.
SkyeDS: I don't know if I'd enjoy writing for a living or not
evile: I would hate to become one of those lazy writers who can
basically take a crap on a piece of paper and have the fans buy it.
SkyeDS: I don't like to see any of my work degenerate into crap.
SkyeDS: no point in doing it at that point.
evile: And with a lot of the very prolific writers, a great deal of
their later stuff is crap. AND it reads like Sharjinka's RP
transcripts to the HFS groups. Which is fine for what it is, but NOT
publish-able by any means, or necessarily enjoyable reading for folks
outside the RP.
SkyeDS: if it isn't worth doing right it ain't worth doin
SkyeDS: I love writing for my characters but for some reason my
writing for Roar only comes in bits and spurts, and while it is
polished, it isn't entire SL, it's just sketches
evile: I think so. But I am lazy and I like money. So I can see
myself becoming a crappy writer for big bux pretty easily.
evile: SL? What does that stand for?
SkyeDS: story line
SkyeDS: woohoo time to shut door and munch
SkyeDS: brb potty break
evile: ok
SkyeDS: bk
evile: I wish I had a door to close at lunch time :)
SkyeDS: I love having a door, doors are great
SkyeDS: to paralegals, doors are necessary, we have to hole up away
from people a lot...to secretaries, they are luxuries
evile: I can see that.
evile: If we would finish going paperless (never gonna happen), I
could do all my work from home online.
SkyeDS: paperless medical offices have more paper than nonpaperless
ones, how's that for an oxymoron
evile: it's the same here.
evile: It was interesting to watch 'interim measures' become hardened
into 'fossilized procedure'...it doesn't take too long at all for
people to get to that 'this is the way it is done this is the way it
has always been done this is the way it will always be done' mindset.
sad!!!
SkyeDS: "nothing more permanent than a temporary tax" Mark Twain
SkyeDS: also Orwell's 1984
evile: I am pretty set in my ways, very fond of my rut, but when I
*do* make changes, I have firmly in mind WHY we are changing and
what the OUTCOME is likely to be as a result. Rather than this sort
of willy-nilly, 'we'll cross that bridge when we get there' nonsense
my superiors tend to indulge in to the detriment of our workers &
taxpayer $$
SkyeDS: nods
evile: it must have known I was talking bad about it...my program
just errored itself to death & closed. Feh.
SkyeDS: lol
evile: it's like driving a truck with square wheels, I swear
evile: Agh. What is it with women wanting me to beat their husbands?
Tandeer wants me to come to a Voyagers party & beat hers now! Ack.
SkyeDS: ROFL
evile: I am *so* not even a beater, anyway.whips, paddles, floggers
and such are not my interest.
SkyeDS: fingernails are good tho
evile: all mine broke and then I bit them, so I have no nails right
now. Which is why the vampire glove was so cool :)
evile: I actually wore opera-length satin gloves to the party
Saturday, because my hands looked bad. :)
evile: win-win.
evile: Then I got to play in a scene where a sub wanted many hands
all over her body.
SkyeDS: that sounds like fun
evile: It was.
evile: But I found myself wanting *something* to scratch people with,
got into a convo. with Tandeer, got introduced to a guy who had
modified picks into scratchers, and then he introduced me to the
vampire glove guy.
SkyeDS: guitar picks might work as nail mods too
evile: That's what the one guy's 'nails' looked like to me. I should
go browsing thru a music store sometime ;)
SkyeDS: would be happy to go with
evile: cool. :)
evile: Somebody was telling me about a book called 'kinky crafts'. I
should get a copy :)
SkyeDS: indeed!
SkyeDS: an erotic cookbook would be fun too
evile: The project for the next 2 months at the GWNN crafters group
is a piece of furniture. So the next possible time I could get
something done with them would be april. feh.
evile: I had one of those once. It was...silly.
SkyeDS: sineater used to make canopy drapes by attaching fabric to the
ceilin garoun dthe bed
evile: cool.
SkyeDS: didn't know gwnn had a crafter group, neat
evile: Yeah, there's a crafting group, a drawing group, and some more
I can't think of right now. All groups seem to meet 1ce a month, on
different days so that you could go to as many as you want. I want to
model for the drawing group, but the models always seem to be subs
with their dom/mes positioning them. FTS.
SkyeDS: sineater might enjoy the drawing group
SkyeDS: wonder why that would be
evile: *shrugs* I think I did send sineater the info on the drawing
group. No telling if he read it or whatever.
SkyeDS: I will ask him
SkyeDS: Janet drew a picture of me once at the piano, it was very
pretty (also several years and pounds ago)
evile: Janet was pretty multitalented :)
SkyeDS: damned if she wasn't
SkyeDS: sewing, cooking, drawing and anything she didn't know she
could learn in a heart beat
evile: Must be nice.
SkyeDS: you would know :P
evile: I can't draw.
SkyeDS: you are an artiste, I am a poseur
evile: There is plenty I can't do, I just don't make the mistake of
displaying my lacks in public :)
SkyeDS: I do want to get a pattern and make epaulettes and sleeve
attachments to put with my corset to "retrofit" it
evile: That would be cool.
SkyeDS: eventually replacing the boning with good stuff would be a
good idea too
evile: I have a corset I want to put real boning in. That's been in
my 'ufo' list for a long time!
SkyeDS: I should have gotten what I originally wanted, which was one
like yours and Kathleens
evile: Oh well. Live & learn :)
evile: On the plus side, having a costume piece that you aren't
absolutely in love with makes it easier to take apart and play with.
SkyeDS: true
evile: And you wouldn't be heartbroken if you took it apart & used it
for other stuff and never got it back to its original condition.
SkyeDS: nope
evile: Which is why you're supposed to make a first try with a new
pattern out of some cheap, nasty fabric so that you don't die if it
comes out badly.
SkyeDS: but if you can get cheap and kind of not nasty wouldn't that
be better in case it turned out well?
evile: I think so.
evile: Then again, I get Halloween fabric, make a costume, and fall
in love with it and wear it even though it's hideous.
SkyeDS: I have never seen anything you did that was hideous
SkyeDS: I do remember something colorful and flamboyant and feathered
evile: Oh, I guess you were in a coma for the Drandmir thing I went
to in my 'eek' costume.



;p
evile: In any case, it proved to me that I can make an irish dress,
but still can't make a chemise worth a flip.
SkyeDS: but good chemises can be found cheap elsewhere too
evile: I won't make the mistake of ordering without trying on or at
least seeing the workmanship in person on someone else first.
SkyeDS: nods
evile: oh well. Live & learn.
SkyeDS: I learned that the hard way buying boots off Ebay without
asking for exact measurements rather than relying on size
evile: I need to organize my work room. I always get geared up to do
that while I'm out & about, then get home and go 'bla'.
SkyeDS: I'm happy that sineater  and I both have offices now
evile: Yeah, I am finding more and more that I have to try on shoes,
because depending on the brand and style, my size varies.
SkyeDS: have you gone to DSW over here w/ World Market?'
evile: No. I have a coworker who swears by that place, though.
SkyeDS: so does Sharon
evile: I'll have to check it out sometime
SkyeDS: me too. could do it together and do WM too.
evile: yup.
evile: World market had some great stuff at Xmastime. Including
some 'rare' Moscato that Wes Marshall just *swore by*. I found it
quite mediocre, myself.
evile: I bought 2 bottles on his recommendation, and I didn't like it
at all. :( Oh well.
SkyeDS: I liked that moscato you served that Xmas
evile: Was it the Sister Creek or the Llano? Both are good. Sister
Creek has a 'sparkle' to it, almost fizzy but not quite.
SkyeDS: are they both Tx?
evile: Yup.
SkyeDS: I don't remember it being fizzy
SkyeDS: but I don't mind fizzy
evile: It was probably the Llano, then. I like them both. They are
not 'gag a maggot' like Aunt L's fave, but not dry either.
SkyeDS: I love my sweets but good lord
evile: The Sister Creek has kind of a floral/jasmine taste to it. The
Llano is more honeyed
SkyeDS: I need to be educated bout wine & cheese
evile: ACC and Central Market both do wine & cheese tasting lessons
from time to time.
SkyeDS: CM sounds like a plan
SkyeDS: books work too
evile: Books are an OK jumping off point, but you need 'hands on' for
wine and food, I think.
SkyeDS: yeah, figured that
evile: example: Wes Marshall, whom I mentioned a bit ago. He
wrote "Wine Roads of Tx" and it's a great intro to the wineries &
varieties available around Texas, BUT the things he usually loves are
not usually the ones I like best when I taste.
SkyeDS: tasting is the fun of it, no?
SkyeDS: had someone start to teach me about cheese, I didn't take
notes and forgot it all
evile: Absolutely. And 90% of the time somebody tells you X goes with
Y, it's going to be right. BUT you may find that you like Z and X
better in combination.
SkyeDS: we all know I have no taste
evile: It's not necessarily that one expert is right and one is
wrong, but its like finding a movie reviewer
SkyeDS: I don't agree with most movie reviewers, nods
evile: Some reviewers you can read and say "if they like it, I'm
going to hate it " or whatever :) Same with food people.
evile: At the last poly dinner, I picked up the CM class schedule.
Big mistake. I mentally spent at least a grand....
SkyeDS: lol
evile: Most of the classes I'd want to take happen at the same time
as poly dinner or NK stuff, though. so, oh well.
evile: OH! I meant to tell you, No Kidding is doing their Restaurant
Explorers next month at Pyramids. If you wanted to join us, that'd be
awesome.
SkyeDS: I haven't been there yet, I want to go
evile: It's Feb 21 and we meet at the restaurant at 5:45
SkyeDS: and it's ok if I enjoy being an Aunt?
evile: Sure. A lot of NK people do. It's a social group for anyone
who does not currently have children, not for people who NEVER want
them or who HATE them. A lot of misconceptions there.
evile: Personally, as long as they don't actually *bring* a kid or
spend the evening talking about first steps and diaper contents, I
don't even care if people who have children attend.
SkyeDS: for her bday Kelly always wants me ot take the kids and leave
her at home rather than other way around
SkyeDS: and kelly loves her kids
evile: When I 'outed' a breeder on the NK yahoo group, he made the
point that parents could probably learn a lot and gain a large
benefit from hanging with NK! I agree to some extent, but I totally
*disagreed* with his lying and deception.
evile: I absolutely agree that parents need to keep up adult
contacts, and have time with adult friends *without* the sprogs in
tow.
SkyeDS: ayep
evile: But too many parents dont' know how to relate to other adults
after they spawn. Instead of 'what I am doing and how life is" they
deliver a progress report on the offspring.
SkyeDS: losing that sense of "I" is bad because then they expect the
offspring to be a minime, which is bad for the offspring when they
grow up NOT being minimes
evile: Exactly. Parents need to keep a sense of individual
accomplishments aside from the 'I spawned'
evile: Even if it's just "I read this book" or "I saw this
movie"...I'd rather hear that than "oh, Bratlina pooped a big one
yesterday" when I ask "how have you been?"
SkyeDS: LOL
evile: And it's not just the breeders who do this. There are crazy
cat people who issue litter box progress reports, too. ecch.
evile: I hope someone whacks me if I ever talk about cat poop in lieu
of answering 'how are you?' in some sane way.
SkyeDS: rofl
evile: > === < I'm only about that far from being a crazy cat lady.
Hopefully the gap will never close.
SkyeDS: can't say anything, a great deal of my life evolves around my
nontraditional childrens
evile: Yes, but I have never heard you discuss their excrement in any
detail. :)
SkyeDS: no thank you
evile: heh.
evile: Anyhoo, I'll send you a reminder closer to the date of the NK!
dinner at the Pyramids if you like.
SkyeDS: saw a pair of golden retrievers at the park saturday that
were very much like Niki and a gorgeous white shepherd named athena
evile: aww. :)
SkyeDS: got a phone call to make and I have no phone in here so brb
evile: OK
SkyeDS: I have to take defensive driving before Feb 2.
SkyeDS: So I signed up to take it at Johnny Carino's. It costs more
but there's a meal involved so <shrug>
evile: wow. That's not much time. But I do think you can take it
online now.
SkyeDS: [Auto Response] I am currently away from the computer.
evile: Even better. I've heard good things about Johnny Carino's
SkyeDS: have to take it this Saturday, but it lets out at 3:30 so I
think I may make the park too if I can figure out the logistics (like
dropping the boys and the kids off there and meeting them back there
or something).
SkyeDS: JC's is ok for a chain. much better than Olive Garden imho.
SkyeDS: I would have liked Bahama breeze but they pissed me off, so
so much for them
evile: really? What happened at Bahama Breeze?
SkyeDS: we were there for an hour or two, with aRthur on porch, done
eating and about to pay and leave when the GM came out looking like a
prune faced goat and demanded we leave, so we did, without paying
SkyeDS: then I filed a complaint
SkyeDS: got 50$ in coupons which I then gave away
evile: bizarre.
SkyeDS: my point being, if Arthur is not acceptable on your porch,
please tell me so before I sit down, order, and eat
SkyeDS: plus it took them an hour to serve us
SkyeDS: and the day we were there some little girl had her chihuahua
in her lap.
evile: The last time I went there, I was with Cousin B, and our waiter
tried to get him to order an alcoholic drink. Which was amusing more
than offensive, really.
SkyeDS: knowing he was underage?
evile: But I'd hate to think of B there with his highschool
friends, all getting drunk without an adult present.
SkyeDS: (that would be illegal, what the waiter did)
evile: The waiter didn't ask for ID, just tried to direct B to the
alcoholic beverage part of the drinks menu.
SkyeDS: but then we did that in college, went to Jazz on the Lake for
dinner, in part because restaurants don't usually card (plus it was
an awesome place in general)
evile: yeah. I can't really say too much about the underage drinking.
I did plenty.
SkyeDS: technically it is against the law to aid and abet though.
something about contrib to minors.
evile: right.
SkyeDS: the food was good, when they finally took our order and got
it out to us. I had just been appeased by how long it took, by the
quality of the food, when the GM came running out
SkyeDS: <shrug>
evile: I wonder if they had a complaint from another customer or
something.
SkyeDS: nearly got the police called out in Waco at a McD's on the
trip to Plano.
SkyeDS: oh no.
SkyeDS: I talked to Corporate, and it's just her.
SkyeDS: they hadn't been open long before her employees were all
complaining
evile: wow. suck!
SkyeDS: but being GM, it's her store, so until they remove her <shrug>
SkyeDS: I may check back eventually and see if they've changed
management
SkyeDS: there was this one McD's where we couldn't go in Austin, and
one where we went for over six years
SkyeDS: they both changed management at the same time, and positions
ended up reversing <shrug>
evile: bizarre.
SkyeDS: tells you it isn't anything but personal preference of the
peeps in charge
SkyeDS: I know it isn't the law, since I know what the law is.
SkyeDS: and there are too many places that are too tickled to have us.
evile: yeah. Why go where you're not wanted, if you can take your
business to someplace that will be pleasant for all concerned?
SkyeDS: my point exactly
SkyeDS: had they told us upfront it would have been no big and we
would have toodled over to Taco Cabana nearby
evile: right.
SkyeDS: the issue in WAco was, they let us order, let us sit down,
then decided that they didn't like the combination of bird and garb,
so then told us to leave
SkyeDS: and I said, well, you give us the food or the money. they
wanted to keep both.
evile: yuck.
SkyeDS: and then decided to give themoney back but made us fill out
forms
evile: ?? WTF
SkyeDS: thats when they threatened to call cops because I refused to
fill out forms
SkyeDS: so I figured Kelly didn't want that in front of the kids, so
I filled them out with fake info
evile: bizarre.
SkyeDS: then we get back on the road and she says, so why didn't you
fight that?
SkyeDS: ROFL
SkyeDS: she and the kids both wanted to see Aunt Skye go a few
rounds w/ the local yokels
SkyeDS: again, they should have said something rather than serving us
and waiting till we sat down to eat.
evile: It's interesting what parents vs. nonparents feel is
appropriate to do/say in front of chldren.
SkyeDS: Kelly was fighting mad.
evile: Well, if she wanted a fight, she should have gone ahead and
had herself one.
SkyeDS: she didn't because she thought if I was restraining myself I
would want her to
SkyeDS: LOL
SkyeDS: I didn't provoke it further because I thought she didn't want
to, and she didn't because she thought I didn't want to
SkyeDS: probably better that we didn't truthfully
evile: yup.
SkyeDS: I was faintly amused at giving them false info.
SkyeDS: and we took our money elsewhere. but I didn't file a
complaint with corporate, which I usually would have done.
evile: in situations like that, I wish I could remember info about ex
bosses or crappy customers or something.
SkyeDS: the employees were all very sympathetic, it was the Manager
that was the issue. I feel sorry for them. And he'll get what's
coming to him, sooner or later
SkyeDS: I am thankful not to work for McD's.
evile: *knocks wood* me too. yet.
SkyeDS: and the exercise in graceful retreat, even when I have the
winning position, was good for me....I guess....
evile: probably :)
SkyeDS: see, I could tell Kelly was upset
SkyeDS: but I misread, and thought it was because I had carried it so
far already, not because she wanted to carry it further
evile: It would not have made you any more 'right' to get them to
admit they were wrong. But it might have mad e them a tad
less 'wrong' if they'd gone ahead and admitted it.
SkyeDS: I really didn't feel like fighting with the cops either
SkyeDS: more often than not they know squat about the laws they're
supposed to uphold
evile: yup.
SkyeDS: and they have too much in their petty little arsenals that I
couldn't have fought immediately, like public nuisance, disturbance,
etc
evile: right.
SkyeDS: I have a long enough memory, we will just never eat at the
Waco McD's again, even if we don't have Arthur in tow
evile: *nods*
evile: I try not to stop in Waco anymore if I can help it. I used to
love the Waco Elite cafe, but they re-did it and it sucks now.
SkyeDS: I do love the El Chico's there across the Circle
SkyeDS: they haven't done us wrong since 1988
evile: Naturally, of course, I'd bragged to Sweetie about the Cool Waco
Elite Cafe, so when we went, they'd completely redone the interior
and kitched the menu and it sucked :(
SkyeDS: I hate it when that happens
evile: I like *real kitch* not the fake stuff.
SkyeDS: like I was bragging to you bout the 290 and the night we went
is the one night I've ever been where they were less than satisfactory
evile: yeah, that seems to happen a lot :) But unless something is
just godawful, I'm always willing to give a 2nd chance.
SkyeDS: brb potty
evile: ok
SkyeDS: bk
evile: cool :)
evile: ugh. Pace is having a party the 24th. Same night as Z Helene's
performance, of course.
SkyeDS: Pace's parties are infamous.
SkyeDS: as are yours :P
evile: The last Pace party I went to ended badly.
SkyeDS: oh no :( what happened?
evile: The last party I had was....uneventful. Pleasant. But not
legendary.
evile: Sweetie, Max, and X's husband ended up in a conversation re:
religion with a really fucked up woman who thought she was god.
Naturally, these three are being irreverent and obnoxious, so she
FREAKED out badly, screamed for at least 3 minutes solid...it was
quite terrifying.
evile: Max's infamous quote: "Bye pace, sorry we broke your friend!"
SkyeDS: ruh roh. thus the prohibition against sex religion and
politics (all 3 of which I love)
SkyeDS: (as topics of discussion I mean)
evile: Just make sure you're talking to a person with all their
screws firmly in place.
SkyeDS: ROFL Max
evile: Most people don't mind a spirited debate on any topic, esp.
the smart crowd Pace hangs with. BUt...this woman was a mess before
anybody did or said anything. Apparently her brain was being further
twisted by hanging with a really nasty OTO guy.
evile: of course, the relationship with the OTO guy was all
speculation, and most people aren't very objective re: Crowley,
anyway, so who knows, maybe the OTO guy was actually helping this
woman resolve her issues.
SkyeDS: one wonders how she came to be close to Pace
SkyeDS: I have known some OTO, but not closely
SkyeDS: and Lila/Lilith is or was OTO, and she and I have a history
of mild conflict
evile: ? Pace has a very diverse crowd of friends & associates. She
may have been a freind, or a friend-of-a-friend, or just a crasher.
Who knows.
SkyeDS: I doubt that being a religious nut that she would be close,
at any rate.
evile: No telling. Pace went to Witch Camp this past Samhain &
apparently really enjoyed it.
SkyeDS: exactly
SkyeDS: wonder what the status of cma is now
evile: supposedly they're having a beltain.
SkyeDS: oh really.
SkyeDS: so how did their legal issues resolve?
evile: One of my Nude Yoga/Poly/GWNN friends said something about
going to CMA beltain this year, anyway.
evile: I never heard anything. Last I heard they were not able to
come up with the 6K balloon payment and were going to lose the land.
And that's about when I quit paying attention/caring.
evile: Being that I'm a solitary, anyway, I don't need to pay $55 to
go to a big crowded mess and be ignored. I can pay $12 and go camping
someplace nice and do my own thing.
SkyeDS: I would have quit going long before I did quit, had I
bothered to notice all my friends leaving
evile: or my backyard, Or bull creek, for free.
evile: *nods*
SkyeDS: there was a lawsuit and it was settled
evile: That's handy to know, I guess.
SkyeDS: morons for getting themselves into it in the first place
<shrug>
SkyeDS: very costly for both sides, and the CMA, and they were
already in the hole
evile: I enjoy many of the pagans I meet 1-on-1, but in groups I find
them pretty intolerable.
SkyeDS: I have a hard time, being very conservative on many issues.
evile: A lot of those expenses may just be 'on paper', from what I
understand there were lawyerpagans on both sides.
SkyeDS: the lawyers on both sides charged fees in excess of 2K
evile: Do you know if they collected, or if it was just on paper?
SkyeDS: didn't say
evile: 2 grand is less than 20 hours work for an attorney.
SkyeDS: or I didn't see it anyway
evile: I'd think sueing the CMA for $ would be sort of like
the 'blood from a turnip' thing. I was pretty peeved when PACT
dissolved and signed its treasury over to CMA.
SkyeDS: nod
evile: I wonder how Lothlorien has managed to keep from being
a 'typical' pagan organization. If I were starting a land fund/group
I'd try to emulate their model. I wonder if CMA did any research
before acquiring the property.
SkyeDS: never heard of them
evile: They're in Indiana.
SkyeDS: 100+ acres and no drinking water? smart.
evile: CMA? or Lothlorien?
SkyeDS: cma
evile: Burning Man happens every year with no drinking water. You
have to bring your own. It seems to be a successful festival.
SkyeDS: don't see where teh Rules are either
SkyeDS: don't tell me you have to register to the site to get the
rules for gatherings
evile: I think they send the rules to you after you buy your ticket.
Or at least I think that is the way it was done when I attended that
one beltain.
SkyeDS: um, no
SkyeDS: I'm not buying squat until I find out what's what
evile: bizarre.
evile: They have a thing about what to expect at your first
gathering. And they have all their bylaws re: leadership & membership
posted.
SkyeDS: I saw that
SkyeDS: but no mention about pets
evile: It's probably still no pets.
SkyeDS: I was wondering if they were still off limits given the new
land
SkyeDS: yes but they should say that somewhere
evile: It was no pets when I went.
evile: But that was long enough ago that I don't remember where it
was written/posted.
SkyeDS: they should post it somewhere
SkyeDS: oh well, not like I don't have enough demands on my time
evile: And, of course, some people brought theirs anyway. Plus there
were stray dogs on the property. One of whom apparently got rabies
and died in one of the bathrooms. yecch.
SkyeDS: you mean they didn't throw people out?
evile: Not that I saw
SkyeDS: (which they tried to do to us but we got around them)
evile: I was only on gate patrol for part of one day, so I wouldn't
have seen every coming & going
SkyeDS: things that make you go hm.
SkyeDS: sneaking Arthur through the gate is one thing but...
evile: I'd rather leave mine at home than risk them being eaten by
rabid wild dogs.
evile: Even if the rules allowed them, I wouldn't bring them.
SkyeDS: rabid wild dogs not good for anybody, specially not children
evile: Oh, there were plenty of those around.
evile: Apparently childfree pagans are pretty rare.
SkyeDS: lol
evile: I haven't experienced it myself, but other CF pagans have
mentioned having debates in which they were denounced for not wanting
to experience their 'mother' aspect and suchlike blabla.
SkyeDS: I've got one for you, if/when I decide to be a mother
goddess, I want drugs.
SkyeDS: witches used to be medicine women, and medicine women were
drug dispensories, hello
evile: me too. Drugs until they are 18 and out of the house, even.
evile: You'd think that 'bearing children in pain & suffering'
nonsense would be left behind along with the rest of the Xtian
nonsense pagans have rejected.
SkyeDS: the little sca group wants us to go to spring war with them.
it's a week long in Mississippi
evile: wow.
evile: Miss. is humid. But they've got some pretty forests & such.
SkyeDS: they want us to take all the children and I have no idea how
long it would take us to get there
SkyeDS: I remember Natchez being a 7 hour drive from txka
SkyeDS: but they're all driving too, so I dunno
evile: Depends on where in Miss.
evile: When I was at Tulane, we went to 'Camp Fuji' in Miss, and it
was like a 4 hour drive. maybe 3. Not long at all.
evile: from New Orleans, that is.
SkyeDS: but that was from NOLA nods
evile: So figure 8-10 hrs to NO, then add 3-4 for Southern Miss. If
you're going to north or central, I have no idea.
evile: And the roads from Houston on east are *shitty*
evile: potholes, washboards, dead semi tires, and regular roadkill
every step of the way.
evile: and bugs. lots and lots of bugs. Pack extra wiper fluid.
SkyeDS: I emailed the CMA and said look, I'm thinkig about
membership, but don't intend to join until I know what the rules for
the festivals are, so please forward them to me thank you.
SkyeDS: now I'm going to investigate where in MS the spring war is
evile: Cool. Hopefully they'll get back to you soon. I'd be curious.
SkyeDS: I want to know why they didn't throw people out for breaking
the pet rules in the first damn place.
SkyeDS: if they'd enforced the original pet rules and thrown people
out, then pets wouldn't have been ruled against entirely
SkyeDS: but no.
evile: I'm sure the people with pets never got 'caught'.
SkyeDS: you saw them, how is it they didn't get caught
evile: I was not a 'guardian' or any other official member of any
official 'throwing out' committee. So...me seeing it didnt' mean it
happened officially.
SkyeDS: how blatant were they?
evile: TRF has 'no ground fires' and 'no pets' quite obviously stated
on all tickets, and yet last year there were ground fires and animals
EVERYWHERE.
SkyeDS: I mean, are we talking the snakes I"ve seen people sneak into
Scarb, or dogs running around
evile: I saw a dog. It was a rather large animal in a rather large
wire cage. perhaps there was fine print somewhere that caged animals
were permitted. But I didn't see the fine print. I just saw a really
miserable fuckin' dog. Why do that to a pet? No fun for anybody, ESP.
the poor damned hot animal.
SkyeDS: nods
evile: but people are stupid about stuff. They'll drag pets and
children all over creation without any thought of whether 1)it's
appropriate to have them wherever they are or 2) whether the
pet/child is going to have any fun wherever it is.
SkyeDS: Hattisburg MS
evile: no clue where that is.
SkyeDS: no point in going where the girls and Arthur will be
uncomfortable and not have fun, no fun for us then
SkyeDS: seems like right across the river from NO
evile: Mapquest says 10 hours 15 minutes.
SkyeDS: good lord, that's the equivalent of Ingleside round trip
evile: yup.
SkyeDS: of course first time we went to txka it took 10 hours
SkyeDS: because we kept stopping for long periods of time
evile: It usually takes me about 10 hours to get to NO. Sometimes as
few as 9, but usually 10. Traffic & such.
SkyeDS: would definitely need to research the route
SkyeDS: be<br/><br/>(Message over 64 KB, truncated)

Comments

1871Re: ICQ w/A

[evile]

> SkyeDS: would definitely need to research the route
> SkyeDS: bet could find better one than mapquest
> evile: Not sure. There aren't too many big roads thru the swamps.
> SkyeDS: the one thing I t'aint doin is the ponchartrain causeway
> evile: then you probably ain't gettin to MS.
> evile: Unless you gots a pirogue
> SkyeDS: got to be other ways around ponchartrain
> evile: I would not bet on it.
> evile: unless you wanted to go several hours out of your way into
N.
> LA.
> SkyeDS: sigh :-/
> evile: I guess you could turn it into a Texarkana family visit and
> then come down south on a route that took you past NO completely.
> SkyeDS: the route from txka would still go thru NO if I remember
> correctly
> evile: hm. Oh well.
> evile: If your issue is bridges in general, I dont' see how they
can
> be avoided going through a series of swamps.
> SkyeDS: not in general, but that one in particular would be
worrisome
> evile: but if it's just the big ponchartrain one, you might be able
> to avoid most of it coming from the N.
> SkyeDS: guess I might as well get used to the thought
> SkyeDS: because got to go over the big muddy too
> evile: What are the odds of it collapsing while you're on it?
sure,
> it's gonna go someday...but probably not while you're there.
> SkyeDS: jus tleary after that bridge over thte AR went down with
that
> woman and her 4 horses
> SkyeDS: and met someone who knew her
> evile: wow. suck!
> SkyeDS: and a family that went over it just the day before
> evile: You could fall down in your bathtub and drown tonight. When
> it's your time, that's pretty much it. Or so I tend to think.
> SkyeDS: actually seems like you'd take I 10 to I 59 and I don't see
> Ponchartrain in that line anywhere
> evile: That nice fatalistic German blood, I guess.
> evile: I thought it was part of 10 at some point. It's been over a
> year since I drove there, though.
> SkyeDS: actually would be going around NO and not through...but too
> much temptation to stop and spend time were to go thru
> evile: it isn't that interesting to look at from the freeway, as
long
> as you don't read the exit signs :)
> SkyeDS: if I were driving into NO I wouldn't stay on the freeway :P
> evile: But if you were headed to MS you would :)
> SkyeDS: better not even to be tempted
> evile: If I can get my finances straight, I might try to do a long
> weekend to NO in March or April. Mardi gras is late-ish this year.
> Feb. 24
> SkyeDS: I am supposed to go to NO to meet with the closest member
of
> our boschetto a couple of times a year
> evile: There are stables in Audubon park. I wonder if they do short
> term boarding.
> SkyeDS: lots of horse hotels around Nola.
> evile: cool.
> evile: ecch. and now I'm getting 'creep vibes' from one of the
people
> I'm going out with on Wednesday to see Terri's show. I hope more
> people show up besides him. ecch. ecch ecch.
> SkyeDS: :(
> evile: *sigh* oh well, I got myself into it. I can get myself out.
> evile: It was basically me trying to set up a group thing that is
> turning out to be a date thing. And my 'date' is giving me creep
> vibes.
> SkyeDS: I don't try to set up group things
> SkyeDS: I say sometihng about going somewhere and people all follow
> me inexplicably
> SkyeDS: when I invite people to join me no one ever does
> evile: It should be Ok as long as I meet him at the dinner thing,
and
> then take my own car to the play. // You are so very lucky. Nobody
> ever goes with me anywhere. ever.
> SkyeDS: I go with you when I can :-/
> evile: I am getting to the point where I recognize enough people
that
> when I get to wehrever it is, I find people I know. But still can't
> get a normal group outing together.
> SkyeDS: I know I am not easy to take in any but small doses tho
> evile: Well, you're working 2 jobs right now, so I would not impose.
> evile: Plus you have 3 guys. I really dont' feel like you've got
much
> spare time to play with just now :)
> SkyeDS: I truly don't understand how I got to some junctures in my
> life
> SkyeDS: I love my children
> SkyeDS: but I don't understand quite how the men occurred.
> SkyeDS: I mean, I can delineate the historical facts
> SkyeDS: but not the why of it all
> evile: right place/right time, I guess.
> SkyeDS: particularly not when one or more of my friends are
> suicidally lonely (menwise)
> evile: Yeah, men love suicidally lonely chicks. That's a good way
to
> find yourself one.
> SkyeDS: nope, no trip over pontchartrain
> evile: cool
> SkyeDS: I think the big muddy bridge was intimidating to me the few
> times I've been over it driving myself
> SkyeDS: no problem when I'm not driving, I just shut my eyes
> SkyeDS: of course having my crown vic nearly die right in the
middle
> of the bridge was not comforting
> evile: Okay, this guy and I have been emailing back and forth re:
> frontera fest, and should we get dinner before hand, bla bla, turns
> out we were both going to be at the GWNN party. I saw him, but he
was
> in scene every time, so I did not approach him. Now he is asking me
> if I was at the GWNN thing because he didn't see me there. I
said "Do
> you really know who I am?" and he is now asking "what were you
> wearing?"...do you find that offensive or creepy,cuz I do...
> SkyeDS: lol at gwnn it would be what you weren't wearing surely
> evile: Sorry to go totally off topic....I am not a fan of bridges,
> mostly because you can't pass anyone acting stupid. But I deal.
> SkyeDS: it may just be a man way of identifying someone. I don't
> pretend to understand them.
> evile: \Here is the exact convo:
>
> him:Did you make it to the party last Saturday ? I was there for
> most of the night,
>
> me: I saw you. Are you sure you know who I am?
>
> him: really, what were you wearing ? Maybe I saw you but
> didn't my brain didn't make the correct neuron connections ?
>
>
>
>
> SkyeDS: on the face of it, it doesn't feel off to me, but then I
> don't know him, so I have no context
> evile: I've met him once. I dont' think it matters what I was
> wearing. He didn't see me, or doesn't know who I am, one or the
> other. Which makes our odds of meeting successfully tomorrow before
> the show rather unencouraging.
> evile: Oh well.
> SkyeDS: :-/
> evile: I do not want the expectations that accompany the concept of
> two people meeting for dinner and a play. I am not going to touch
him
> or put out or anything date like. And I don't want the expectation
to
> be there, which is why I tried to make it a group outing.
> evile: Which is also why I don't want to go into the what I
> was/wasn't wearing at GWNN.
> SkyeDS: nods
> evile: Oh well. *sigh* I am outta here in 10 min. I should probably
> wrap up.
> SkyeDS: nods. travel safely homewards :)
> evile: *hugs* Take care!