teddy_radiator | Entries tagged with friendships

A huge thank you to

akatnamedeaster for her very thoughtful and timely care package. It was waiting for me when I got home from work, and it's chock full of goodies:

The HP-POA review has a large copy of the Snape art I loved so much, and all these buttons have inspired me to create a 'badge box' for all the cool buttons I possess - they are just NOT getting the love they need. Thank you, Kat, for reminding me that I have the best friends in the world.

The book is extremely timely - I've just been talking to

annietalbot about self-publishing, and she's been giving me some really good advice. It is costly, as self-publishing is, but I don't have the courage to do another year of rejection. It nearly destroyed any love I had for writing at all, and it's taken me a long time to get the courage to come this far again.

On the writing front, I've been doing a lot of work on a 'Steampulp Murder Mystery' that I started about a year ago. I've got the outline kind of mapped out, but mystery is a tough genre for me, and pulling all the strings together is tough. I've been taking notes, and feel more confident that I can actually do this. It was inspired by a render that

lemonade8 created for me called Oubliette, and I'm having a ball researching all things steampunk, victorian, gothic, and forensic.

To get me in a proper frame of mind, I started watching Murdoch mysteries. It's a Canadian show, much loved there, and it's been going about 10 years. It started off a little dry, and I wasn't sure I could deal with it, but the characters are very well defined and likeable. It's droll, tongue-in-cheek, and the more I watched the more I liked it. It doesn't hurt that the actor playing Detective William Murdoch (Yannik Besson) is very handsome with the more gorgeous brown eyes I've ever seen. I also love his almost innocent yet passionate demeanour. I've become a bit of a fan, so my 'researach' is quite plesant, and I'm shamelessly hooked. It is a rather gentle series, for all the murder and mayhem, and usually the tone is light and sunny. However, they left the final episode of this last series on an horrific cliffhanger, the bastards. October is a long way away.

I'm also working on a sooper seekrit fanfic, a collab job I'm also very enthused about. I've done a full synopsis on it already, and now I'm in the process of filling in the blanks, as it were. It's proving to be a lot of fun as well.

Well, I'm off to do a little paperwork, guzzle down a glass of ice tea, and immerse myself in late 19th Century London. Thank you, Kat. You've given me a real booster shot.

Current Mood: happy
Current Location: Steampunk Library
Current Music: Phone Booth - RDJ

( Lots of words and pictures )

Current Mood: optimistic
Current Location: Steampunk Library

Good days, good days. A couple of parties, met scores of new friends, and I feel really peaceful. Work has been good, and I'm gradually getting things ready for next week. We have a pretty full plate of get-togethers, and I'm glad. It's nice to be a part of a social whirl. I know TheHubs™ is loving it. He doesn't say it, but I think he has felt left out of things here.

Tuesday we went to a local production company's Christmas open house - we've known them since our early days at the Vic. It's been several years since we've seen them, and they've moved premises into a refurbished 1920's house. It's a really nice place, and the food was top notch, but it started early and by six o'clock we were full and restless. Then we had the idea to drop by our local Aldi and grab a couple of bottles of their Gluwein, and returned to the house and fired up the firepit. Soon we had a roaring fire and steaming mugs of mulled Gluwein (steeped with oranges, cranberries and a smidge of brown sugar). It was absolutely lovely.

Last night we visited with C & N, two fellow Spamalot alumni. C is a very well-respected hairstylist, and his lovely partner N has a company selling custom-made bowties called Dapper Sandlapper (which I think is a marvelous name). Their house was absolutely beautiful, and not only did they stuff us full of delicious food, but gave us some homemade cinnamon and mint simple syrups. The kicker was that C had been networking with friends who are dentists, and he wheedled them into taking a look at TheHubs™ chipped tooth for, if not gratis, at least a substantial discount. He also offered to give me a cut and colour for substantially less than his regular fees (the man charges huge amounts of money, but then again, he is damn good at what he does). Sweet guys, the pair of them.

I'm going to be a theatre widow for the foreseeable future, as he finishes a show on Sunday, starts rehearsal for one the first week in January for a late Feb-early March production of The Foreigner, which he has the lead role, then immediately after that he starts rehearsals for a hysterical play called The Explorer's Club in June. Thank goodness we work together or we'd never see one another next year, and I'd miss him terribly. I'm proud of him, but to be honest, even with all the writing and other stuff I have planned next year, six months virtually alone in the evenings doesn't sound all that fun, but I'd die rather than tell him that.

It's crazy warm right now - I've given up on the idea of a White Christmas. I'd be content for one with the temperatures below 60. It feels like late summer around here. My A/C is kicking on even as we speak.

Thank you all for the gorgeous Christmas cards I've received - they are proudly displayed in the kitchen, and if I ever get the place tidied up for Christmas Eve, I'll show you how nice everything looks.

I'm currently watching Victoria Wood's Dinnerladies series. It gives me this warm feeling, for some reason.

Tomorrow is going to be a lovely day. I've decreed it.

Current Mood: content
Current Location: Steampunk Library
Current Music: Dinnerladies

( Birthday Goodies!! )

Current Mood: content
Current Location: Steampunk Library

( Stuff and pics and more stuff... )

Current Mood: wistful

( SED - October 7, 2013 )

Sorry I've been such a lurker and have contributed nothing whatsoever lately. I'm having what's known as a good, old-fashioned, pre-travel panic attack. Picking up my ball gown today, and that's the last piece of the costume. Found the mask I bought, jeez, must've been nine months ago - it will look pretty dark good with my gown, I think.

I haven't flown in over five years, and that was an international flight. Now, I have to fret over the size of my luggage, which sits right at the limit Delta is willing to call normal. I don't even know what it's going to weigh; I've taken Droxy's advice and put my gorgeous cloak as carry-on; it's really heavy. The rest is, well, heavy enough. It galls me that you have to pay to check your bags; I think that's obscene.

Talk is still not quite there. The script is in decent shape; PP Presentation is all over the place. I need to get this packing thing sorted out this week; I can't seem to concentrate on my talk otherwise. For someone who started getting her act together almost a year ago, I'm woefully unprepared.

The MISTI schedule is amazing - so many different talks and events I want to attend, not to mention the crafts and goodies. And the sheer amount of people I'll finally get to meet - I have literally dreamed of those moments for months. That is going to be the true magic; seeing all these people in person. Hugging sempraseverus, who started me on the fanfiction road; shaking kellychambliss' hand, a writer I so admire. And, of course, squeeing with my awesome roomies, droxy, who brought me to LJ, and irishredlass, the best friend I've never met, sabrebabe, the Talented, and silverdoe, the Gorgeous. logospilgrim, who has shown me so many ways to believe in magic, and alabastard and Draco, who are the living embodiments of the point of my talk - Muses and soulmates. Not to mention countless others who have welcomed, inspired and befriended me. If I've left anyone out, please know it's because of lack of caffeine, not lack of regard. Just knowing I'll be meeting you is so thrilling to me.

And there is that part of me that's still in second grade, hoping that all the cool kids will like me.

I'm sorry that several folks' plans, and a couple in particular, got scuppered and they won't be attending. You will be missed, and I'm sad you won't get to come.

Work certainly hasn't helped. Every damn day we're dragging ourselves in after 6pm, so tired all I want to do is do my paperwork, eat and crawl into bed. Not exactly conducive to Con prep. I feel cheated. Sure, the money's needed, and I am grateful to have a job, but jeez, this is supposed to be a part time job - I'm logging in almost 45 hours this week.

I'll stop bitching - many would love to have my job, and I wouldn't want to go back to a regimented schedule ever again. I'm just feeling sorry for myself that my play time is being usurped. All in all, compared to many, it's not exactly something worthy of even mentioning.

So, this weekend: find a suitcase that isn't going to get me in trouble with Delta, get this talk done and dusted, and hang in there one more work week. After that, someone is taking over two stores, which will mean a considerable lightening of the load. Just in time to head out for con.

Hugs and kisses to all who need 'em. I've been creeping around the shadows, watching what you're all up to, and it looks fun. I hope to be back into the swing of things after Con - I will return exhausted, happy and broke - but recharged, and ready to get things done.

Current Mood: awake
Current Location: Writing Nook

Hello everyone,

Please give a warm welcome to

worrywart66, a new friend and fellow author and SSHG Shipper. She's in the process of getting set up at Ashwinder, WIKtT and AO3 (If anyone has an invitation, please send it her way).

She's new to LJ, to let's give her a big LiveJournal welcome and friend blitz. We want to make you feel at home, WW66!

Current Mood: cheerful
Current Location: Writing Nook
Current Music: Wouldn't It Be Good - Nick Kershaw

I hope you have a wonderful day - this has been a very unusual year for you, and I hope that everything settles back to good old normal very soon, and that you have a fantastic birthday

Current Mood: blah
Current Location: Writing Nook
Current Music: The Birthday Song

I'm so grateful in general. I am sitting in a room in a house I own, surrounded by art sent from friends all over the world. I'm grateful to my talented friends here. You thrill, excite and inspire me daily.
( Click Here For The Gratitude Lovefest )

Current Mood: grateful
Current Location: Writing Nook

Another week of job hunting and writing, really. Nothing out of the ordinary, nothing profound, nothing interesting. I am not exactly restless, but definitely suffering a bit of ennui.

The recording is coming along, slowly. I haven't used Adobe Audition in over a year, and it shows. It takes me forever to remember how to do the simplest of tasks in it.

I've turned in two exchange fics, and I really want to start reading - I'm soooo looking forward to seeing everyone's fics. I'm sorry the exchange mods have had a rough time of it, what with drop-outs and extension requests, especially since this is my first year, but what fun I had writing. God, I love to write. If I don't write something every day, I feel wrong. It must be how artists like

sempraseverus ,

mimimanderly and

howlingmojo feel when they don't draw every day. I envy you ladies (and so many other of you who are phenomenal artists), but I understand the need and addictive pleasure of simply creating something from within.

I think that's the sad thing about the whole Amy Winehouse thing. Such a creative talent, but opiates destroy creativity, IMHO, or rather, the addiction to them. I think she just got worn down, and it was pitiful to see her struggling so much. Well, I think she may be somewhere now where she can enjoy herself. Poor little lost one.

We all have our weaknesses; sometimes I think that's all I'm made of. I'm staring down the loaded end of my 49th birthday this week, and I feel slightly sick that I'm not quite where I wanted to be. Yet. But at the end of that tunnel, I can see light, and that comforts me. I don't know when I'll reach it, but I know it's there. IN the meantime, there is such joy in writing, in reading beautifully crafted fics (The next chapter of

subvers 's Owned is up and instantly comes to mind), looking at beautiful drawings, like Sempra AccioHope, and Mimi's Tarot, which pleases me more than I can say. I am surrounded by creativity here, and it just fuels me like high-octane love.

Sorry to get so mawkish, but there you have it. You all are my addiction. Someone, I think it was

dhark_charlotte , had a userpic that said: "LiveJournal: The real reason your house is a f*(%ing disaster". Yes, my friends, that would be me.

I know that when I get a job (cross fingers, light candles, sacrifice blonds) I won't have this much freedom, so now I'm enjoying it to the hilt.

Current Mood: calm
Current Location: Writing Nook
Current Music: Rehab - Amy Winehouse

What a blessing it is to be your friend! Here's some lovely art to wish you a happy birthday:

( Piccies For You )

Current Mood: calm
Current Location: Writing Nook

Because I've finished my first ever Exchange fic. I'm drunk on several lite beers, I'm giddy with joy, I just read a Snape/OC that made my heart pulse in my seat and I'm THRILLED TO BE DONE WITH MY EXCHANGE FIC!!!!

Seriously, this has been so exciting for me! I wasn't even going to do it, until

droxy ~~bullied~~ ~~bribed~~ encouraged me to do it, and boy am I glad she did. This has been a learning experience. Firstly, I learned that I can write another person's prompt if necessary; secondly, I learned that a good beta (

stgulik , of course) can literally bring a sick fic roaring back to life with a few well-placed edits, and thirdly, I can write smut with substance. I like what I've written. Really, really like it.

This has been a revelation to me. I'm capable of taking all the elements (my Muse, my beta, my friends) and use them to make something good. I'm sorry, folks, the beers are talking. A little.

And

sempraseverus and I are going to be working on an original fic soon with her illustrating! And

mimimanderly and I are in the middle of The Sempra Deck, which I am proud of.

If I can get a job in the next month, I'll be dangerous!

There is a second prompt from my recipient that has me intrigued...let's see...three full weeks until the deadline...

Current Mood: hungry
Current Location: Writing Nook

Hello everyone! Please welcome to LJ

violetviridian , a super SS/HG shipper and deviantArt pal from way back - send a friend request her way - she is another fantastic contributor to our little world, and a great friend. She's brand new to LJ, but I'm sure many of you dA folks will recognise her name. It's great to have you here, sweetie - this is the best bunch of friends ever - you will get some luscious SS/HG lurve here.

Right. Off to breakfast and Cinnamon muffins!

Current Mood: hungry
Current Location: Writing Nook
Current Music: Just A Gigolo - Louis Prima

Hey friends, please give a big, huge welcome to

stgulik , a fantastic friend of mine and my beta extraordinaire. If I make sense at all in this world, it's because this beautiful lady is running behind, making sure my sentences are properly structured, my tenses are consistent and my characters aren't doing stupid stuff because I forgot to get them to put their clothes back on.

Please give her a warm hello - she is everything that is good and right in fanfiction.

Current Mood: happy
Current Location: Writing Nook

A huge shout-out to

darklotus1211 for actually being able to recover my lost exchange chapter almost completely. Folks, it was so screwed up it wouldn't even allow me to send her the emailed file - I had to send it as an online file and she was STILL able to get about 90% of it.

Thanks to all who sent me hugs and support and encouragement. And a huge hug to dark for getting it to me. I have learned my lesson, and I'm now saving in about 20 places, just to be on the safe side, but I gotta tell you, darklotus is in my personal hall of fame. Bless you so much, sweetie. You have no idea how much it mean to get this back, especially after the trials I've had with missing/corrupt/dead files. This was a happy ending!

Current Mood: thankful
Current Location: Writing Nook

Awhile ago, I was reading Droxy's meme, and she and others commented about RL friends vs. LJ friends, and how really, there is no difference. While it is true I have friends and acquaintances here in Teddyworld, the real life friends I have are here, my precious LJ family. I simply cannot go a day without knowing you are all well and doing okay, or not so well and want to rant. Either way, I'm always glad to see you.

The comments regarding RL friends have never hit home so hard as they did today. My best friends, K and hubby Dominant Bri (he of the retrieved chapter 20 of LML fame) have just told us they are having to move 2 1/2 hours away into Georgia, in order for K to start a program so that she can get her MD residency next year. They have worked so hard this last year, and went through their life savings to try to hold on here, but they will have to move. They know that this next year is going to be so difficult they may have to be homeless at times. It is a terrible situation for them, but one they have to experience. I won't go into all the gory details, but suffice to say this is going to be the most life-defining year of a marriage of several life-defining years. They are tough, resilient, and uncomplaining. They are masters of turning lemons into lemonade, and even they are frightened of what this next year will bring. If they can survive, everything will be great, but this will be a dreadful year for them, and aside from helping them move and sending them occasional care packages, there's sweet FA we can do for them.

We are heartbroken. Aside from everyone here on LJ, they are the only couple we socialise with who 'get' us at all. We can talk to them about anything, and they are completely open, nonjudgemental and the most generous-hearted people on the planet. In other words, the type of friends who are as rare as rocking horse shit.

K was the person who encouraged me to read fanfiction; she literally is the reason I'm typing this now, and her encouragement has been immediate and loving. She and Bri were faithful customers at the Tea Room, and the type of people you could call in the middle of the night and they'd be there before you hung up the phone.

Now, hopefully, K will be more of an LJ friend (she has an account but isn't too active), and I will be able to keep up with me here, because she will hardly ever get to come back and visit. I'm so upset, but it just reminds me that here is my real home, in so many ways.

Many of you are closer to me than my own family.

droxy ,

irishredlass69 ,

bulletimescully ,

andyissadangel , and so many others I'm too discombobulated to mention (and I apologise for leaving you out), you have been encouragement personified.

sempraseverus ,

mimimanderly ,

justpinkpastel , you are the sisters I never had.

I'm losing a sister soon, and I mean losing her. She is going to be working so hard keeping her head above water she will not have time for trivialities, and I totally understand it, but she is too precious, and I will miss her beautiful soul and lovely self giving me hugs and kisses.

Thank you for being there when I come home from helping her move on with her life.

Current Mood: sad
Current Location: Writing Nook

I'm starting to feel a little overwhelmed. I don't know why. Probably the hormone fairy again. I've had a major panic attack this week - over my own age. Jeez, you'd think I'd noticed it; after all, it hasn't snuck up on me while I was on holiday, or speeded up while I was sleeping. But suddenly, sitting on the sofa last Saturday, I realised just how old I am and I had a full blown, can't-breathe, oh-my-god-I'm-going-to-die-one-day panic attack.

Fortunately he was on hand to comfort me, and to remind me that yes, I have gotten older and yes, I am going to die one day but welcome to the human race. Eventually he calmed me down, but I felt like a right twit for panicking in the first place.

I have tried to console myself with writing, which is what I always do, but I'm over saturating myself, and consequently, nothing seems very good to me. And my judgment is slipping; what I thought was good, now doesn't seem so hot. With exchange coming up, I know I have to bring my A game, and I'm over-practicing. It is tough, being an overachiever with a self-esteem issue.

On the other hand, I've gotten a spic and span house now, the Hubs installed two of our shop lights in the house, so now I can actually see in the writing room (the little light fixture installed by the builders was the equivalent of Abe Lincoln's reading by candlelight) and am enthusing all over again how cool my wall art looks now that I can actually see it! I've gotten more pics up; I still need a frame for one or two more and I've got to go to Office Depot to get my

perselus commission printed on 16X 20, but I'm dead pleased with this little nook we've created.

Looking back, I realise I've been an awful whiner here, and I'm sorry. I have so many things to be thankful for and so many people to be thankful for, just this week alone:

droxy and

mimimanderly for their awesome phone conversations this week,

justpinkpastel for her caring, giving encouragement,

sempraseverus for being on the mend, and

pern_dragon and

condwiramurs for the great online conversations. Thank you all for including me and making me a part of your lives.

Current Mood: blank
Current Location: Writing Nook

Wow. I'm officially SQUEEEEEEE-ing so high that only dogs can hear me now. In the last 24-hours, I have had four (count 'em, 4!!!) of LJ's finest artists create art for me - ME!!!

Check them out:

justpinkpastel

perselus This one wants to play silly whotsits, so just click on her latest journal entry

mimimanderly

sempraseverus

Now I know Severus feels in Sempra's picture entitled HeDreamsAnAbstractHeart - if I were any happier, I'd burst.

Thank you, dear friends for your art - that is the true MAGIK. I shed tears of joy, to water the rainbow in my soul.

Current Mood: bouncy
Current Location: Writing Nook
Current Music: Beat Box - Art Of Noise

I thank you heartily for indulging me through reams of memes and nests of tests, a rabble of drabbles and whims and other things I can't rhyme without getting raunchy. It's been a tough two weeks and I'm only at the point I can write about it. Filling in memes and taking tests and writing fun stuff are part of what got me through it with most of my sanity intact. My friends here and at home were the other thing that kept me from losing my hair and my mind.

We made the decision to close our business on April 1, and our last day at the shop was April 9. That week was the most chaotic, busiest of our history, and one woman griped, "I don't understand why you're closing if you're this busy." I snapped back, "Ma'am, if we had been this busy, we wouldn't be closing." Sheesh. Some people. We didn't shut our dream and our business cause we just felt like it.

We went through all the stages of grief, and now are pretty much lulled neutral. This past week the Hubs and I spent clearing out the place of stuff we wanted to keep, and arranging the stuff we wanted to sale at our final 'Yard Sale' which took place today. The weather was crap, and kept a lot of people away, but we still did okay. We are going to open up a few hours each day for the next week and try to sell off the rest of the stuff.

Most people didn't haggle - only the restaurant people did - over the most minute shizzle. I finally lost patience with one of them and said, "You know how much this stuff costs, and you know how much we are humiliating ourselves to sell this at such a loss. Just pay the damn price because you know you are getting a good deal." They paid my price. They even managed to look a little sheepish. I mean, we've broken bread with these folks!

Yes, I am sad. But the great Garth Brooks said it best: Our lives are better left to chance, I could have missed the pain, but I'd have had to miss the dance. We had the chance to make our dream come true, and for two and a half years, we did. We started a small restaurant in the middle of the worst recession since the 30's and managed to thrive for a little while. And I made the most amazing friends, one of whom turned me on to fanfic, which got me writing again, which brought me here. So, yes, I'm sad, and I'll cry when I'm alone for awhile, but I wouldn't have missed this dance for the world.

Now we face the dreary machinations of closing the business. Ho hum. at least we have a little money in our pockets to keep the wolves from the door while we look for gainful employment. I believe we will be okay.

Strangely enough, the Muse is very strong and nurturing, as he's always been, and I'm writing alot. Two of my dearest friends in the world,

mimimanderly and

sempraseverus , illustrated a little vampire fic I wrote last week, and I just received

mimimanderly 's original in the post, which is stunning.

I am loved. Every person who's walked in the shop door this week was glad that the Hubs and I weren't moving away. Some cried. Some brought chocolates and flowers. Most of them hugged me and told me they were sad the Vic was closing. Almost every scrap of tea, teapot and Vic souvenir is gone, snatched up by people who will miss us. I was ambitious. I wanted to create a legacy with this little shop. I created a great memory for a lot of people. And people still are asking for our recipe for chicken salad.

I'm going to be even more of an infant that usual for a few weeks, and I apologise, but I'll be here, doing my best Hermione Granger 'Like-me-please-like-me' imitation, so forgive me in advance. Thank you for being here.

Current Mood: sad
Current Location: Writing Nook

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Teddy Radiator

Everything I Know, I Learned From Dahlra - Thingish Thoughts From A Bear of Very Little Brain

Entries tagged with friendships

Friends Just Know These Things

Happy New Year!!! (AKA, The Mother Of All Roundups)

December Delights - 16 and 17 December 2015

A Great Day

SED - Day 23 - A Lovely Saturday

SED - 07 October 2013

Pre-Con Panic? Check. Work Week From Hell Ending In Twelve Hours? Check. Act Together? Well...

Please Join Me In Welcoming worrywart66 To The Neighbourhood!!

Happy Birthday to dickgloucester !!!

Catching Up On Gratitude

Just In The Mood To Ramble...

Happy Birthday to justpinkpastel !!!

Iz.............................Celebrating!!!

Welcome Aboard, violetviridian !!!

Welcome Aboard, stgulik

Why I Love My LJ Family - Thank you, darklotus1211

Meme Has Actually Made Me Think

A Catch Up

Does Anyone Else Think I'm The Luckiest Person On LJ?

The First REAL Post In Weeks