aut disce aut discede

So the other day, Mom was on the phone with my grandmother, and my grandmother moved to put her arm on an armrest she thought was close to where she was sitting. There was nothing there, and my grandmother fell out of her chair and hit the floor pretty hard. Luckily, her maid/caretaker just happened to come home at that moment and found her.

Still, just to be safe one of my aunts raced over there and took my grandmother to the hospital. Good thing, too. She ended up having four hairline fractures in her hip and had surgery yesterday. From what I've heard, all is well and she's recovering nicely, but it still freaked the family out.

I sent off a get well card earlier, and I'll call her later. I'm just glad she's okay.

On the school front, things have slowed down, since classes are essentially over except for finals. I'm just finishing up my last homework assignments for my classes, and once I send them off, I'll take a few days just for myself for the Thanksgiving holidays, then study for my exams.

Thank God this semester is almost over. It will be nice to have a few weeks off from school.

Just some metaphorical musings on NaNoWriMo cuz I think those particular muses are feeling a bit left out. I did write a poem a couple of days ago about my mama-in-law. Don't feel I can share it though, and it worries me that the muses gifted me with her poem, actually.

Anyway, for what it's worth, it isn't a poem, but it's my metaphor muses' interpretation of November now:

The words explode in ancient Chinese lotus flower firework display

Flinky bits and sparkles linger to illuminate the sky and mind

Carry them on the wind to fantastical lands designed to lose a reader in the parallel of time

The sky’s eye spies a wisdom never spoken of before

And begins to collect the words in random patterns

Making phrases, sentences, paragraphs, chapters

Plot bunnies encourage the growth, while the hijacker bunnies do their best to distract

And multiply as only bunnies do

Discourage the November wild fires from destroying their new homes

And send those inner demon bunnies to the South Pole for winter

 

Warriors emerge victorious after 50 long thousand lengths to battle the inferno

And bring the gentle winds to settle on stories so aptly spoken in heart and mind

Tissues will be handed out at the end of each lecture series

 

 

Fortunes will be told and sold, love enfolds, lovers hold, beauty beholds, warnings retold, lost gold retrieved, survivors of the cold, clay to mold, sushi rolled, pathways strolled, but mostly whispered is the story of heroes bold

Gracing pages of literary feats unknown to this point in history.

I've posted another installment of my fantasy series Tales of the Tempest. This one's about 12,750 words, posted in four parts due to LJ length limits. Warnings for mild naughtiness near the beginning and a moderate amount of violence.

All links are fake cuts to my LJ.

Part 1 -- Part 2 -- Part 3 -- Part 4

hi flist! how the hell are ya? me, personally? i'm done with the week of omglookatalltheshitwehavetodo, i've been to the printer's and back twice today, i got a free iced tea and a pack of shortbread cookies at starbucks for reasons that escape me but i think have something to do with the fact i had to wait all of five minutes while they made more tea, i had a thot about last night's spn, i'm on schedule word-count-wise for my nanonovel, i have a sweet potato and a zucchini for dinner tonight, i get sushi tomorrow, my parents bought me a mixmaster for my birthday, i love that there's a story in this song, and i can sleep late for the next couple days.

so, you know, i'm good. :D

oh, and also? see this guy in my icon? he is ridiculously good-looking. his housemate/coworker/bff ain't bad either.

what's new with you?

linketty: office nerf war! (link from goshawk)

magritte's birthday googledoodle! (only for today.)

...as it relates to previous episodes.

( spoiler cut! )

• 13:51 Jeez will people stop writing about sweet potatoe pie now I want some #

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Title: A Canvas of Blood
Chapter One
Rating: NC-17 for homosexual sex
Warnings: rough sex, oral/69, biting, bloodplay, wallsex, anal
A/N: My original erotic vampire novel, part two of chapter one. I meant to post this the same day as part one, but I'm in the process of doing the third draft of my to-be-published erotic novel Sable and the sex scenes are kicking my ass. I didn't edit them at all the first time. I don't know if they're hot enough or unusual enough. Hopefully some of you can give me an idea if my style of erotica works for you, as those who enjoy reading gay erotica ARE my target audience, even if this is a very different story with very different characters.

"Unless you have lubricant in that bag you carry your sticks in," said the vampire, lazily rolling his long pink tongue across his fangs, "we had best vacate to the bedroom."

( all back here. )

( spoilers past the cut, natch )

I have drunk entirely too much amaretto tonight. People complain its too sweet, but it’s never bothered me. I love the stuff. I most often tend to drink it neat. Occasionally I make a sour, or dump it in my coffee.

I’ve had a fair bit tonight. Given I have to be at work an hour early tomorrow, this was likely unwise.

Ah, well. I call myself after the stuff for a reason ^__^ If someone ever gives me amaretto-hazelnut-chocolate coffee, I likely will propose marriage. If drinking such an overkill combination does not kill me first.

Now to go read more about Jamie Fraser. He’s way more a hardass in the Lord John books. He’s totally a woobie in Outlander, right now. I cannot reconcile the two impressions.

To bed, now. Good night, and have a happy Friday, all.

I so wish I could buy a house. I would love, finally, to really and truly have a place that is MINE. It’s not that I’m ungrateful about what I have now, because I’m not. I’m fully aware how goddamn lucky I am.

But, I am hoping for rykaine to come join me in the next few months. We have big plans. We are hoping to see another friend as well, around the same time. I wish I had a place to call my own, cause I’m so tired of being under the thumb of others, of having no say in what goes down, and always living under restrictions.

If I honestly knew what to do, how to do it, I think I would give it a try. But I think the idea of me with a house is probably laughable.

Still, it’s nice a thought.

Almost finally lost it with chica at work. I am sick of her attitude problems. But, I refused to let it bring me down. My day started out shaky, but by the time I got to work I was in a rockin’ mood. Was not going to let her ruin it. I had a pumpernickel bagel ^__^ No, not my cat*

Tomorrow I have to be in early, but am not working. Hopefully, this go round, am taking my written exam for driving. Goddammit, I just want it over with. Hopefully, this time roomie will take me.

Now to decide which box o’ pasta to have tonight. I have become pathetically fond of my pasta roni thingies. I’d worrry about it killing me, but the coffee has that covered.

I feel there was something else I wanted to say, but it escapes me. Ah, well.


*Though I think everyone knows, for those that do not--and who may have not figured it out--I have a cat and his name is pumpernickel. He is very cute.

( You are about to view content that may not be appropriate for minors. )

I really love these. <3

Step One:
Make an LJ post. It can be public or friends only, whatever you’re most comfortable with. The post should contain your list of ten holiday wishes, and these wishes can be anything - from simple and fandom-related (a fan fiction written about your favorite pairing), to medium (a DVD you want), to really extravagant (a brand new laptop or car). Just make sure these are wishes for things you really, truly want.

If you’re wishing for things that must be mailed to you, like a DVD, make sure you include some sort of contact information in your post. This can be your mailing address or your email address, it doesn’t matter which. Just make sure Santa (or one of his elves) can somehow get in touch with you. :)

Also make sure you post some version of these guidelines in your LJ. The main reason for the holiday wish lists is to spread the joy of giving.

Step Two:
Skim through your friends list and see who has posted their own wish lists. Then - and this is the most important part - if you find a wish you can grant, and it’s in your heart to do so, make sure that person’s wish come true. Sometimes a person’s trash is another person’s treasure. If you have a leather jacket you don’t want or a gift certificate you’re never going to use, give it to someone who wants it.

Step Three:
Post this wish list any time after November 1st. Then repost it two weeks before Christmas.

Remember: You don’t need to spend money on these wishes to make them come true. Only spend money if you want to. The point isn’t to put people out, or to throw yourself into further in financial debt. The point of this is to provide everyone a chance to be someone’s secret Santa, to show someone what the holiday season is all about. Gifts can be made anonymously or not. It’s all up to you.

My address is always in the friendslocked post tagged 'address post'. Please check that before you mail anything as we are moving December 1. I promise that address will be up to date. AS A GENERAL RULE: anything sent the week of Thanksgiving unless it's being sent priority mail might be better to hang on to it for a few days because we are, again, moving December 1.

( list here. )<3

Title: Of flirtation and first dates
Author: Calex
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: The characters, situations etc. are mine, the universe is shared by the writers of the Oblique Reference Project. This is an original story.
Notes: Fifth of the Gabe and Holly series! Or rather, the pre-Cambion arc ficlets.. Hope you enjoy this. This is the second last of the ficlets from this series. There will be more Gabe and Holly ficlets, but of the official “pre-Cambion arc”, this and part six are the last.


Title: Almost Lover
Author: Calex
Fandom: Original
Rating: PG-13
Warning: Sliiiiiiiiight insinuation of incest, angst. The most vague sex scene I've ever written in a long, long while. O.o
Notes: Sixth and final official ficlet of the Holly and Gabe ‘verse. There will be more ficlets/drabbles but this is the last official one. Who knew when I first started this series that this would be the ending? Sort of for petalsofash? Is this a good enough bribe for you?
Previous parts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5.

( all back here. )

I'd like to get something out in the open.
A very sweet lady came by to talk to me after my Japan Ai panel at PMX. She was curious though about some rumors she'd heard about Japan Ai on the internet, specifically that the book had plagiarized and/or not credited people properly. She'd read Japan Ai didn't understand how that could be true, since the book was mostly my personal experiences. I have also had people email me saying similar things, to which I asked, "have you read the book, or can you tell me what specific things I plagiarized." The response is always "no, I haven't read the book, and no I don't know what specifically plagiarized... but I heard 10 people say it..."

JAPAN AI did not plagiarize anyone.

I tried very hard to be thorough and credit and link to any sources I might have used for the book and then some. There has been no "second corrected printing/edition" of the book. There has always been one version of the book and the credits in the book now, were always in the book.

In fact, due to the format of the book, it's almost ridiculous to think that I plagiarized someone's information. The book is a diary of my personal experience in Japan (with more information for people who would like to delve further into various aspects of what we did.) I can't plagiarize my memories. It is not a "all about Japan" book, nor is it "this is what lolita is" nor is it "all about Super Dollfie", etc...
The book is, in the end, an outpouring of my fascination with Japan and my happy memories from a very special time.

So please, don't just believe crap rumors you hear on the internet, and even better... don't go spreading around crap rumors. If you're still curious or want to discuss it with me further, I'm totally open to email.
And for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, have some Doctor with cake and tea. :)
Thanks for your support, guys! I'm going to keep working hard!

Was going to read, when it occured to me to pimp some random books.

A friend gave me Crooked Little Vein by Warren Ellis a few weeks ago and the book is totally jacked up but so goddamn funny. I totally and completely loved it. Clever, funny, and so many different kinds of wrongness.

The Dracula Dossier by James Reese was a solid read. It wasn't quite what I expected it to be, but that is not a bad thing. I liked it. The style was of a journal being kept, to record the crazy ass shit poor Bram Stoker was enduring. I liked the voice. Some of it was silly, but I think that too fit. Plus, it wove together Jack the Ripper and Bram Stoker's Dracula. Not an easy read, per se, but that's hardly a bad thing. I enjoyed it. But, to be fair, there is bias. I love historical fiction, and the Ripper->Dracula thing was made of win.

I may have already pimped this, but in the ebook circle I do love Brindisi Bedfellows by Jamie Craig. I cannot find anything to complain about here. It's very quickly becomoing what I read when I just want something pretty and sweet and solid. I swear there was another ebook I wanted to pimp, but at present it's totally escaping me. Jamie Craig is a hit or miss. Some of her (technically, their) writing I love, other stuff I'm massively disappointed. If she (they) wrote more stuff like Brindisi, I would be mad with the pimping.

Just After Sunset is Stephen King's new short story book. While Nightshift remains my favorite King SS book, Sunset was pretty rockin'. The Cat From Hell had me looking at my cats with deep mistrust until...actually, I still kinda am. I love Stephen King. Mine Lord Gaiman is muchly adored, and I may be a romance writer at heart, but King was the first author with whom I really fell in love.

Speaking of Mine Lord Gaiman, if you read no other book by him, you should read The Graveyard Book. In the course of showing it to others, I've listend to it about five times since it came out. Never gets old. And, it is so worth the audio. I’ve read it as well, but Gaiman is so freakin’ amazing reading.

Currently, I am reading Outlander by Diane Gabaldon. I muchly love the woman’s style, and her skill with history is one reason I shall never attempt true historical fiction. I would never be satisfied with my own efforts, next to this. I think I still love Lord John more, but so far I like Claire & company just fine. Though, it’s sort of exhausting to think there are at least six more books of this length to go. I reall am sick of long series. Still, I am willing to attempt it. That alone says something.

S’all I got, I think.

Despite being informed it is SO GOOD and YOU SHOULD READ IT by all and sundry, I have not yet read Twilight. If this trend every changes, it is solely because someone is putting a literal gun to my head and I refuse to die over a matter of sparkly, emo vampires and their osc girlfriends.

feeling a good bit better today although generally tired and frustrated about the whole situation. I would kick something but that would probably cause me to bruise a toe. sigh.

thank you, all of you. <3 i sometimes don't think I deserve this level of niceness. but jane was right when she said you can't stop people from thinking you're awesome.

anyway. six more days of fucking early dismissal. have i mentioned how much i hate this? i'm mentioning again. and it's not just any early dismissal, it's one that requires a meeting, which is the worst kind. I hate meetings.

first two clickies today courtesy of brightflashes, who is really quite awesome.

previously thought to be extinct pygmy tarsier rediscovered in the wild.

how the brain handles colour perception is different in infants/toddlers and adults. This is fascinating.

This one is courtesy onceupon, who is also awesome, and who has a book coming out in May! a gay man experiments with language, love and law.

selling my elf FCS