Small Talk: The Library

[Chyna]

I'm working on a book revision for a client, and the whole project has been a lot of "hurry up and wait." Now they've suddenly realized that they've got a looming deadline and want to know if the content expert and I can get the rest of the chapters to them by next Wednesday. There are 16 chapters left. I'm thinking that's not going to happen.

[AnnieF]

You mean you're not going to spend every waking moment over the next week trying with all your might to complete this project? Because these dillweeds can't calendar, that's your job now? No, you say? Huh. Can't imagine why.

We're going to SF this weekend. First baseball weekend of the summer. :)

[Loandbehold]

Yeah, Chyna, I know that all my sympathy goes to the people who didn't know they had a freaking deadline coming up. 'Cause, that's not something one needs to take note of or anything.

 

Have fun in S.F. and watching the games, AnnieF!

[harrie]

I did not know that my boss was writing a book.

[romantic idiot]

Apropos of nothing, I would like to state that I love Glark. That is all. Well, okay, not nothing. The note at the bottom of the editor is just so nice of him. I want to put that out there for all the world to see. 

Edited April 24, 2014 by romantic idiot

[Chyna]

You mean you're not going to spend every waking moment over the next week trying with all your might to complete this project?

 

 

Unfortunately, as a freelancer, that is sometimes what I have to do. :P But in this case, fortunately, there is a content expert involved who ranks higher in the client company than anyone else on this project. And unless she somehow manages to review 2-3 chapters a day and send them to me, there's no way we'll be done by next week. She also travels for business, so... no. After we got the original email with the date, I emailed the content expert and asked if she thought it was feasible and she said, "Probably not." So when this doesn't happen by the deadline, it won't be on me!

[AnnieF]

Have just come from the Planetarium -- field trip for the F-ster. It was awesome; the universe is really, really big. Like, SO BIG. I know y'all know that, I was just reminded of it in dramatic fashion. ;)

I can also report that all of the 14-year-old boys* were awkward, gangly, and spotty. And every last one of them is unable to see that that kid is just like me!. Ah, adolescence.

*there were no girls present. The students at the online school, from what little I've seen, seem more often to be boys.

[KittenPokerCheater]

It must be so fun to go to a planetarium with your son.  

 

I LOVE that I can't conceive how big the universe is.  I mean, Jupiter is about 1300 times the size of earth- it boggles my mind in all the good kinds of way.  And it makes me want a tardis so I can zip around space.

 

Time, I'm not sure about because I hear it can be wibbly wobbly and stuff.

Edited April 24, 2014 by KittenPokerCheater

[Endeavour]

Ugh. I would say I've just had the worst day at work ever, but I'm sure it will be topped in no time.

 

I'm glad you won't have to work crazy hours to meet the deadline, Chyna. That sort of thing happens frequently with my work as well. Not so much with the crazy hours, but people waiting until the last minute and then pressuring us to get something done immediately. Highly annoying.

 

Sounds like you had a great day AnnieF - and have a great weekend to look forward to. Enjoy the game.

 

I'm hoping for a quiet and relaxing weekend.

[Chyna]

The content expert is apparently trying to make this happen. In the last two days, she's sent me EIGHT of the chapters. But her comments on them are minimal, so I don't know if she's blowing things off or if they legitimately don't need much work. Boy, I really hope it's the latter...

[dusky]

Still no computer. Still here reading and vibing. Prepare for me to over share once I have a keyboard. Be afraid be very afraid ;)

[AnnieF]

Ugh, Chyna, I hope it works out.

The forecast over Donner Summit is for snow showers, possible accumulation of a couple of inches. Whee! This is why it's never, ever guaranteed to be an easy trip from here to the Bay Area. Stupid mountains. ;) Let's all cross our fingers and hope that the forecast is correct -- a couple of inches isn't a huge deal, but if it starts accumulating more than that, we'll have to put chains on. Blergh.

Happy weekend, everyone.:)

ETA: aaaand, we've decided not to drive today (a 6-inch accumulation in 50-mph gusts is not so fun). Early am departure tomorrow instead. Hee hee, the weather sure is fun, ain't it?

Edited April 25, 2014 by AnnieF

[harrie]

I thought New England weather was interesting.   Travel safely.

[AnnieF]

Thanks, harrie. I just looked at the webcams over the pass, and it is indeed a winter wonderland up there. No thanks. :)

[Earl Is Dead]

Is that Donner Summit as in Donner Party?  I'd say you made the right call.

 

Chyna I feel your pain.  As Quality reviewer on documents I always have to be last, which also means I get the least amount of time for anything that is HOT HOT HOT.  It's no fun.  Good luck to you.

 

I, too, love the little bells and whistles that keep popping up as this site grows and evolves.  I never noticed the Quick Show Search box up there before. 

[AnnieF]

Is that Donner Summit as in Donner Party? I'd say you made the right call.

Yes indeedy! The Sierra Nevadas are not to be trifled with. I grew up here in Reno, and we all read Ordeal by Hunger in 7th grade, and that book really piles on the dread. But cannibalism may not have happened. It's taken on this legend of its own -- the Donner Party! They all ate each other! But it looks like that's probably not the case. Nevertheless, I sure as hell don't want to get stuck up there. I've done that already. It was not fun. :/

Edited April 25, 2014 by AnnieF

[Chyna]

You're STILL getting snow? Jeebus.

[AnnieF]

The snow level is at 6000 ft right now. That's about 500 ft higher than my house. I can look straight to the west, toward the Sierra, from the back of my house, and it's just a wall of white. That's not uncommon though, and we're not supposed to get any snow here, so I'm going to be an optimist.

[Earl Is Dead]

Mountains are crazy stuff weather wise.  I once went on a horseback riding trip in Park City Utah.  In one single day, we started out the ride in sweatshirts, hit a snow squall on the way up and had to break out the jackets and gloves and plastic ponchos, and ended the day in beautiful sunlight stripped back down to t-shirts.  Come to think of it, that was in April too, so maybe it's April + mountains that cause the crazy.

[Wilowy]

I think it's just April. Here in TX there's no mountains to speak of, and just a couple weeks ago I left the house in sunshine, came out of the store in a hailstorm and rushing flooded gutters, with wind so powerful the hail was falling sideways. Next hour, the streets are already dry. 

 

Weird-ass Austin weather!

[Erratic]

Hi! Busy week, but I am reading and vibing and enjoying your posts as always.

This weekend I am proofing my friend's Masters thesis on palliative nursing. Should be a fascinating read. Do I have enough wine?

[Bleu]

My first class today had a pizza party. It was announced two weeks ago. My second class also had a pizza party, announced at the beginning of the period.

 

There was over an hour between them and about an hour and a half until the second pizza actually arrived, but I consumed nothing afterwards except a small shake and water. Soon I will have a glass of milk with some cookies and watch the latest Continuum.  

[buffyjunkie]

 

And it makes me want a tardis so I can zip around space.

<marvel agents of shield Fitz voice>  You and Jemma both KPC.

 

Sounds like the planetarium was a great experience AnnieF.  I'm trying to really savor those moments as time rolls on ever faster.

[Loandbehold]

[PSA] Two hours and 8 minutes to the next episode of OB. [/PSA]

[Bleu]

[PSA] Two hours and 8 minutes to the next episode of OB. [/PSA]

 

And I made it on time!

[Valny]

I can look straight to the west, toward the Sierra, from the back of my house, and it's just a wall of white.

 

 

AnnieF-  the wall of white actually sounds pretty, but that's about it. We've had our fill of snow here in the East. No more!

 

My cable provider,Cablevision  has stores around here where you can go if you want to exchange equipment or even pay your cable bill, so instead of mailing my cable bill,I took the 10 minute drive to one of the stores to pay it in person yesterday.  So I wait my turn and when I gave my payment and bill to the lady, I made small talk saying I can't believe they're raising the prices again( grrr... about $2 more but they keep increasing every few years and it's getting ridiculous) So the lady said she would take a look at what my cable package was and she starts typing away like crazy. I didn't think anything of it,but just wondered why it was taking a bit to get my bill paid. Anyway, she gives me my receipt and says I'll be paying $25 dollars less next month. I was like huh? and asked why would it be less, and she goes, because I took $25 off your bill.  Wow! I was not expecting that. Oh course I thanked her. She didn't have to do that for me at all.  Maybe I just got the right employee in a good mood or something. See, if I hadn't said anything about the escalating prices, I would have never have gotten that reduction.

I think I may have to pay in person next time and see if it works again if I mention the high prices!

 

This weekend I am proofing my friend's Masters thesis on palliative nursing. Should be a fascinating read. Do I have enough wine? 

 

Sorry Erratic, I fell asleep at "Masters." That sounds like a rough read!   So how many pages was it...and did you have enough wine?

 

 

 

[PSA] Two hours and 8 minutes to the next episode of OB. [/PSA]

  Loandbehold, you are my fellow obsessed OB fan.  :)

Edited April 28, 2014 by Valny

[Chyna]

because I took $25 off your bill.

 

 

Wow, that's awesome!

 

So working my butt off all day yesterday on this book project gave me a guilt-free day at C2E2, which was pretty great. Lots of awesome costumes, my girls got to meet the actress who voices Ahsoka Tano (their favorite Star Wars-verse character), and I got a TARDIS skirt and a Wonder Woman hoodie (which was $20 cheaper than the one I almost bought online a few months ago).

 

Plus, the fact that people always give Tiny C free stuff has held up once again. It seems like every time we go to some big event like this, she ends up receiving free stuff that's above and beyond the usual freebies. Today, as we were leaving the exhibitor floor and people were packing up, a guy at a book booth said, "Hey, how old are you?" She said, "Eight." And he scooped up three hardcover books that had been on display and handed them to her.

 

Mr. C and I can't decide if this sort of thing keeps happening because she's a naturally cheerful kid, or if she's cheerful because from her perspective, the world is a kind and giving place where people give you cool stuff just because.

[Jediknight]

my girls got to meet the actress who voices Ahsoka Tano (their favorite Star Wars-verse character),

We all know Obi-Wan is the greatest Star Wars character.

[trudi-tru]

Mr. C and I can't decide if this sort of thing keeps happening because she's a naturally cheerful kid, or if she's cheerful because from her perspective, the world is a kind and giving place where people give you cool stuff just because.

I think at this point it's probably both. Good for her.

 

David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are flirting like crazy on twitter. Ten years ago, that kind of thing would have killed.me.dead.

Now, I only have some trouble breathing for a moment.

[Endeavour]

they keep increasing every few years and it's getting ridiculous

 

Mine seems to go up several times a year. A very tiny amount each time but it's always changing. That's great you got a discount.

Edited April 28, 2014 by Endeavour

[Chyna]

We all know Obi-Wan is the greatest Star Wars character.

 

 

My personal favorite will always be Princess Leia, but since Ahsoka is the only little-girl main character in the kid-friendly Star Wars stories, they really latched on to her. I like her too--she's a tough little girl. Or whatever the Togruta call young females.

[Erratic]

David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are flirting like crazy on twitter. Ten years ago, that kind of thing would have killed.me.dead.

Now, I only have some trouble breathing for a moment.

Bwah! You poor shipper ;)

My husband said that as a kid Luke was his favourite Star Wars character. I think he still is, but at least he knows it is something to be embarrassed and silent about. I'm obviously a Vadar girl, right up until Like removes his mask, at which point I remember recoiling in horror at such a poor choice by George Lucas!

[buffyjunkie]

[PSA] Two hours and 8 minutes to the next episode of OB. [/PSA]

Loandbehold, you are my fellow obsessed OB fan. :)

 

As am I !  That show is killing me.

 

So if a person were hanging around I90 and 31N for work, where should they go out to dinner?

[KittenPokerCheater]

Orphan Black isn't roping me in (yet).  I don't like Ms. S, good or bad.

 

Star Wars, I loved Han Luke and Leia.  My I kinda shipped Luke/Leia, so when I found out they were brother/sister I was all eeww.

 

I have caulking materials and I'm not afraid to use it.*

 

 

*Actually I'm very afraid I'm going to fuck it up.

[harrie]

David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are flirting like crazy on twitter. Ten years ago, that kind of thing would have killed.me.dead.

Now, I only have some trouble breathing for a moment.

 

There are terrible, unreliable, sleazy gossip websites that I visit just about daily; and sometime last year one of them posted that Duchovny and Anderson had quietly married.  It was one of those "a little too much to drink and OMG" things, and I'm not making it up just to see if I can hear the "squeeeeee" all the way over here. But I have to believe it was wishful thinking on someone's part, because I can't imagine something like that going under the radar -- I mean, someone in the know would have to blab.

 

And if  you Google "Help! I screwed up a caulk job" you'll get some (hopefully) helpful results. 

 

I have a book I don't need:  Down and Dirty Pictures: Sundance, Miramax and the Rise of Independent Film, by Peter Biskind.  Does anyone want it?  If so, I'll be happy to mail or ship it, and I promise not to turn into a stalker.  I already have it; and while the book is not a new release, the extra copy is brand new as in unread. 

Edited April 28, 2014 by harrie

[AnnieF]

I love Scully+Mulder. I'm not quite as enthusiastic about Anderson+Duchovny (for her sake, mostly. He seems kinda yucky, tbh).

I got about 2 hours of sleep last night. Blergh. But SF was awesome.

[romantic idiot]

 Wow! I was not expecting that. Oh course I thanked her. She didn't have to do that for me at all.  Maybe I just got the right employee in a good mood or something. 

She probably has daily waiver limits or something, and was being kind. 

[Endeavour]

Do you have a project you're working on, KPC?

 

I didn't know David Duchovny and his wife separated. Just did some quick reading and learned more than I wanted to know about him.

[LittleVoice]

I have a book I don't need:  Down and Dirty Pictures: Sundance, Miramax and the Rise of Independent Film, by Peter Biskind.  Does anyone want it?  If so, I'll be happy to mail or ship it, and I promise not to turn into a stalker.  I already have it; and while the book is not a new release, the extra copy is brand new as in unread.

  

If nobody else wants it, I'll take it harrie. I'm mostly a humble lurker around these parts, so if one of the regulars wants it, they should get it, though. [/self-deprecation]

My personal favorite will always be Princess Leia, but since Ahsoka is the only little-girl main character in the kid-friendly Star Wars stories, they really latched on to her. I like her too--she's a tough little girl. Or whatever the Togruta call young females.

Leia fan here too. But I've only seen the movies so I don't know this Ahsoka of whom you speak.

And count me among those obsessing over Orphan Black. Might be my current second favorite show after Game of Thrones. Or possibly third after Mad Men, depends on the week.

[harrie]

Little Voice, as far as I'm concerned first come, first served.  PM me your address, and I'll get it to you.

[LittleVoice]

Thanks, harrie!

[Valny]

Orphan Black isn't roping me in (yet). 

 

Gasp,shudder!  *cries*...say it isn't so!  We still have eight more eps to go, hopefully you'll have a complete turnaround KPC.

How'd the caulking go,btw? Smoothly I hope.

And yay for the other obsessive OB fans here too.

 

Mr. C and I can't decide if this sort of thing keeps happening because she's a naturally cheerful kid, or if she's cheerful because from her perspective, the world is a kind and giving place where people give you cool stuff just because.

 

And she's cute too. Can't forget the cute factor!

 

I got about 2 hours of sleep last night. Blergh. But SF was awesome.

Did you go to a Giants game AnnieF?

[KittenPokerCheater]

How'd the caulking go,btw? Smoothly I hope.

 

Was that an intentional rimshot?  It may have been.

 

My caulking (I kind of like this word right now, it's like "smock") has gone...I'm going to have a lot of cleaning up to do- one part of my apartment is all mirrored (someone before me was all feng shui) and my neighbor likes to smoke or burn incense or both.  And the smell is killing me.  Thus far, caulking the edges of the mirrored wall is not helping.  I may have to move all my furniture and see about caulking the floor meets wall/mirror area.   I also have to get a soft scrub sponge to get rid of the caulk that's not in the cracks and is all over the wall.  I won't truly be happy until I can have an incense free home.

 

If anyone has any advice for me on the neighbor's incense invading my place and how to block it, I'd love to read it.

 

No true work for me right now- lots of auditions, a job that was cancelled and then filled up because a friend of mine who is a baker needs some baking help.  But tomorrow is a shakespeare audition, and if I could even get a callback, I'd be over the moon happy.  I also need new photos, since I dyed my hair dark.  I feel weird about auditioning looking so very different from my old shots.  Mostly, though, I feel weird about not working as an actress more.  

Orphan Black, I still like val it and it's better than 90% of tv out there, it's just not as enthralling for me as it was last season.  

Edited April 29, 2014 by KittenPokerCheater

[Harvester]

KPC, I am sending you awesome audition vibes!

For the smell, I doubt caulk will do much. You can try a spray bottle of water and white vinegar, but complaining to the super might help too. Maybe that person could advise on how to stop the smell?

I am planning my mini NYC trip. Damn, Hedwig tickets are pricey.

[Hostile16]

But worth it just to crow that you have one. There's a fun article in this week's Entertainment Weekly​ about how the show supposedly takes place on the stage of the flop musical The Hurt Locker, in which Adele Dazeem' s sister costarred. You even get a fake playbill for it (feel free to pick up an extra for me).

[Jediknight]

My husband said that as a kid Luke was his favourite Star Wars character. I think he still is, but at least he knows it is something to be embarrassed and silent about.

 

There's nothing wrong with being a Luke fan.  He was the one that blew up the Death Star, he gave in to the Dark Side and turned back when he realized what he had done.  He didn't continue down the path, he stopped himself.  Luke was a great character.

Star Wars, I loved Han Luke and Leia.  My I kinda shipped Luke/Leia, so when I found out they were brother/sister I was all eeww.

George Lucas also shipped Luke and Leia, and he knew they were brother and sister.  Even if he didn't know they were brother and sister in A New Hope (he claims he knew), he knew in Empire, yet he still had that kiss on Hoth.

[trudi-tru]

I dyed my hair dark

Oooh. I'd like to see that.

Best of luck with your Shakespeare audition!

 

Orphan Black, I still like val it and it's better than 90% of tv out there, it's just not as enthralling for me as it was last season.

Nice save there. Just remember that val is your pimplicist. Better not piss her off.

 

I love Scully+Mulder. I'm not quite as enthusiastic about Anderson+Duchovny

I've never been a Duchovny/Anderson shipper. Luckily, I can still separate fiction from reality. But I recall back in the day, there were a lot of crazy fans who shipped the actors. And when I say crazy, I mean truly cray cray. Not even both of them getting married to different people was enough to convince them that they were not in fact a couple in real life. Their respective marriages were a cover, you see? *shudder*

 

harrie, I can't believe people are still gossiping about David and Gillian!

[LittleVoice]

Knock 'em dead at your audition, KPC!

[Endeavour]

Good luck today on the audition, KPC.

 

For the incense, maybe an air purifier would work. Most advice is for smoke, but I imagine it would work for any smell. Insulating electrical outlets and light switches  along with weatherstripping around doors - basically trying to seal up any gaps like you're doing with the caulk. Also, like Harvester said, small bowls of vinegar are supposed to help too.

[harrie]

Best of luck, KPC, with the audition.  And with the stinky neighbor.