Happy 2019!
Jan. 1st, 2019 06:37 pmYo!
I hope 2019 is a great year for you--and I'd like to help. :)
Could you please let me know if you submit a post (or request for membership) to the darkficcollections community, and it isn't handled within a week? I don't always receive the notifications, and I feel bad that you are sometimes left waiting when both RK and I have our hands full. Please don't feel bad about speaking up if a weekend has passed and we've fallen behind. Stuff happens. :)
Also, yes, my tumblr (beyondthemoor) got KO'd in the Dec 2018 purge. My new tumblr (kendochick) isn't too fic-related atm. It's more passive, and mostly used so I can keep in touch w/ friends and the community, rather than sharing fun info or fics. I'm on Twitter, though, and you're welcome to PM me there or on here, if you'd like.
I hope you have a fantastic start to 2019! Take care of yourself. :)
Very much. While home, I did get to edit/post a few old stories to ff.net; yay!
However, my kids (mostly my youngest) were fussy. Despite getting them out to activities and exhibits and for bike rides daily, they were unhappy. #1 son in particular spent most of his March Break disappointed for one reason or another. (I think he missed his friends from school. I tried to call a few up to invite them over to play, but unfortunately didn't get calls back. I felt so bad for him.)
So, after a long week with the kids, I have posted the next chapter of FF II to ff.net & AO3 early in honour of Sakura's birthday this week.
Because right now, I need some love. XD
Now heading to the medicine cabinet to see if we have any acetaminophen to deal with this headache. Too many tantrums, too much ingratitude, too much whining this week. *sigh*
*years since I had a vacation: 15+*
I do go out & enjoy myself sometimes.
Mar. 16th, 2015 12:24 amThis past week I:
- attended an Executive Night dinner & speaker (400+ people, decent food, awesome new people to meet, and a fantastic, inspiring speaker. And I got to chat Scottish history with someone totally out of the blue, which sealed the deal for an awesome night)
- attended my first Passion Party! A friend of mine is a Passion Party consultant, and at the suggestion of a friend (nikolita), I asked if I could join a party sometime soon to get an idea of how they ran. So, you can all thank nikolita (and my friend Candace) for introducing me to the fun that is Passion Parties, and for the resulting forthcoming scenes in "Forest Fire II". You're welcome.
- volunteered with my son's kindergarten class. I volunteered usually 2 mornings/month (as much as I could spare, given my work schedule), and love going in to help out with different activities, hanging out with the kids, seeing how they interact. I've decided not to continue this after March Break (after this week), for a few reasons, but really enjoyed being with the kids. I had a good time. My husband even came to join me there to help out, 2 weeks ago, which was really special. I guess not many dads get to come in to volunteer. It was a fun time. The kids rushed him. XD You could see it in their eyes, how bright they got, with the, 'There's a DAD here!!!!!"-look. Kindie-swarming, gotta love it. XD
- working out. I wake up around 5-5:15am at least 3 times a week to hit the gym, and the remaining days of the week I sleep in until around 6am before going for a run. I like working out. It feels good. It also helps me manage stress, anxiety, depression (mostly on top of this one, since I work hard to avoid triggers), and my PTSD. <3 exercise. This week I started overhauling my bike so I can ride it again this summer, hopefully more actively, so I rely less on my car. I'm kind of leaning towards getting a little trailer for it so I can bring picnic gear with us for longer rides. That would cost $, though, and we don't have a whole lot of that to go around.
- I love driving and race my car at the track. Due to finances/timing (ugh, I actually paid for a track day and ended up having to cancel b/c it was right after my hubby's surgery), I wasn't able to make it out to the track last summer. We'll see if it happens this summer. I really enjoy it, and fine driving is an acquired taste and a challenging skill. I take pride in mine and in my car.
- practiced guitar. I have recently started teaching my kids a bit of guitar. They enjoy it. I enjoy it. I'm not very good at it, but I enjoy it. I'm okay with the fact I'm not good at it; music is something I play with.
- talking with friends. Especially enemyoftheheir, who keeps me sane and is my brother-from-another-mother, but with boobs. :P Nothing is sacred in our convos, nothing.
- also relating to enemyoftheheir, GWNI. GWNI=Girls' Writing Night In. This started as a writing exercise for the two of us to hang out & write together, online. (Since we live in different countries and all). Basically, we both come up with a bunch of prompts, then at a designated time, we share them with each other and get to choose a prompt each, the timer goes off, and we write for 15-30 minutes. Then share with each other. Squee! Then choose another prompt, set the timer again, and write! Then 15-30 minutes later (depending on how we're doing--sometimes we'll extend the timer if we both find we're on a roll), share again. Depending on how much time we have, we'll do a few rounds of this. It's spontaneous, it's intense, it's fun, and it really gets the muse going. It's also ridiculously competitive. XD And since we know we're writing for each other, we'll hit each other's kinks hard. It's wonderful. It also gets quite silly. We may set up a tumblr for some of these stories, at some point. They're awesome fun.
- having fun with my kids. I love my kids. They're the best part of my day. It can be really trying, being a mom, but I've tried to raise my kids with my sense of humour. Sometimes I force us all outside, on our bikes; or out for a hike; or my kids will request we all sit down to play boardgames together (often during bad weather). I try to get us outside as much as possible. I love this. I love them. They are my life.
I do try to write as often as I can; I need it. I also need to live. :) Other people rely on me, too.
Lazy Sunday
Mar. 15th, 2015 11:31 pm- wake up at 7, 8, 9, 9:30, 10:17am give up b/c I can't ignore the kids' arguing any longer
- bake cookies
- make lunch
- pack snacks for road trip
- pack bags for trip
- send everyone (hubby + kids) the heck out to Toronto for the day b/c I have s* to do!
- do laundry
- shower (brush teeth in shower b/c it saves time)
- eat ??
- run errands at 4 different places across 3 cities (go-go-Gadget-Civic!)
- pout b/c I can't get the supper I wanted (*shakes fist at resto being closed on Sunday*)
- go home
- eat / do online chores
- fix bike
- do more laundry
- test bike (death-free, good enough)
- tidy toys
- look for missing toys
- pack away winter blankets
- tidy basement storage for toy storage
- laundry
- fix more things
- kids + hubby arrive safely home, get the kids to bed (10:45pm at this point)
- put away groceries hubby brought home
- catch up w/ hubby on his day-trip w/ the kids (apparently #1 son got lost at the ROM today & security had to be called in to search & help retrieve him)
- laundry
- sit down, drink a glass of water
Currently: 11:46pm. *Now* is officially when *my free time* starts, AKA: When I get to write. This is what being a mom + being a writer is like. During the week I have a job to go to, too.
This is why I update monthly. ;)
But I do update.
How the days go, sometimes.
Dec. 4th, 2014 08:40 pm*deep breath*
A day at a time, a day at a time...
History/Explanation: Late summer/early fall this year, my FIL & husband decided to open up a wall in the basement to check for possible leakage & water damage since we'd had mild flooding in our area.
But see, they didn't think to move my $4,500+ elliptical out of the way first. In spite of me clearing the way in front of it (it has wheels so it can moved), or even putting a tarp or blanket over it. And me asking them, repeatedly, to be careful with it, and me reminding them that I didn't want a mess to clean up again like I'd had to the last few times they'd 'helped' or 'fixed' things.
Fast Forward: The elliptical is covered in dust, inside and out, there are globs of 'compound' (used to patch up walls) all over it, the handlebars have chunks & gobs of *something* on them I can't identify, and I am losing my f*ing s* because they've effectively ruined MY $4,500 piece of equipment. And the floor? Can't find it. It's covered in construction stuff.
This is after my FIL ruined the paintjob on my brand-new car several years ago, btw.
So, yeah, deep breaths. I started cleaning it off tonight. It has taken me this long to calm down enough to go clean it. Because they didn't.
Deep breaths, jaw clenched, and me being relieved of charitable thoughts towards them for a good, long time. Because this isn't in the nature of forgivable. Unless they show up with $5,000.00 CDN in hand and an apology letter. My savings went into that machine, to help me with my heart. Now I'm having to put out more out of pocket, for a f*ing gym membership--to go use ellipticals.
Deep breaths. Lots of deep breaths.
Happy 2014 :)
Jan. 6th, 2014 11:20 amEr, long time, eh?
A quick update:
- after much harassment from my supervisor (and her supervisor) after I reported them for inappropriate conduct (including illegal activity) at work, I left my job at the end of August 2013.
- I have been blacklisted by most local financial institutions, and have spent the last 4 months unemployed.
- luckily, my application to the government for financial support was approved (after 3.5 months), so we do have a small amount of money coming in to help us get through the worst of the winter.
- no, things don't look good, employment-wise
- I spend all my time searching for a new job that isn't financial- or customer service-related
- I was writing up until about November 2013, when things became too busy for me to continue
- I am hoping to write more again soon
- I am trying to fit more physical activity into my life again, since I could really do with an energy boost. ;)
- I am very grateful I got to spend the holidays with my kids for the first time (even if we were stuck inside due to the ice storm, then the crazy freezing temperatures)
- I am considering taking up knitting again, and am hoping to get my kids into it with me. :) (I'll be re-starting from beginner level, and have set up a profile on ravelry.com to look for simple, neat, useful things to make)
- I am still reading a fair bit, when I can
- I am lucky to have been able to volunteer a bit in various places during autumn, and am hoping to be able to continue :) It makes me feel happy/good
That's about it for me! Perhaps more later. :)
Happy 2014
Ignore this, bad language : )
Mar. 18th, 2013 10:07 amWhy I've been invisible lately XD
Sep. 24th, 2012 09:30 amWednesday: I admit, I haven't had the guts to look that far yet. XD
Ramble, ramble, ignore. : )
Aug. 5th, 2012 05:51 pmWhen clean hurts
Feb. 20th, 2012 03:54 pmIn other news, we had a fantastic time at the CIAS (Canadian International Auto Show) in Toronto, ON, on Saturday. Photos on my FB & on Twitter ( https://twitter.com/#!/beyondthemoor ). ;)
Also, yes, I am still doing some writing -- part of the reason I'm not posting it is b/c I'm actually editing it, the other part being that I'm trying to *finish* writing them before I post them, going forward. It's... taking a bit longer than I'd anticipated. Luckily, I'm feeling much better these days. ^_^
Happy weekend, all! (Long weekend here in Ontario, what with it being Family Day.)
A bunch of little things!
Dec. 28th, 2011 11:04 pm- am finally getting a bit of a handle on my smart phone. Mostly free games for my kids to play. XD
- Contrary to popular belief, I am actively writing -- actually moreso than I was before, now that I have the studio to escape to several nights a week. Hubby is being very supportive, and things are moving along a fair bit smoother.
- I actually have several hundred pages written (between November 1, starting NaNo, to now) of about 4-6 different stories. One or two may end up melting together later, but we'll see.
- I'm actually reading a fair amount of HP-fandom fic, surprisingly enough. It only took me a decade to get into it. XD But I've got some great stories to read there, and I'm loving the way certain authors have built and even expanded on the HP-verse within their fics. It works well the way they've done it, and it's kept my somewhat flighty attention.Others have done really, really neat adaptations.
- My three most 'active' WIPs at the moment are a Naruto fic (70+ pages), an HP-fic (strangely probably 60+ pages, too), and then the next one would probably be SaiMono-fic, "Competition", which accidentally fell off the radar with the trip to Vegas and then the move and then my daughter starting school this fall and me going through some training at work and then NANO, and me forgetting to breathe and eat and sleep...
- I'mbreathing and eating and sleeping, and apart from the freaking amount of iron I need to ingest daily with my little green ferrous pills, am now doing very well! :D It's awesome!
- Am currently looking into taking a stunt-driving course. (Yeah, motorcycle driver training and racing my Civic around the track just weren't 'dangerous' enough for me. I need new inspirations for the levels of stupidity I can attain. So... New goal acquired!)
- just successfully survived my six-month review (a bit late) at my job. Not sucking. Good enough!
I'm currently working on finishing up those latest fics-in-progress, and once I've *FINISHED* writing them, I intend to EDIT them, and then POST them... and then, hopefully get back to finishing "Merits"... someday. Once I've had a chance to break & put myself back together. There's actually a fair bit of that story written but not posted... it's just...argh. Ignore me. ^^;; I need a week to isolate myself in solitary before that can be tackled.
Anyway! Hoping all's well with everyone else & that you're all enjoying your holidays! :D My hubby's home w/ the kids while I'm trudging to work every morning, but I gotta admit, it's nice to come home to warm cuddles & supper at the end of the day. If only I earned more -- I'd totally indulge in a
NaNo! I DID IT!
Nov. 26th, 2011 10:48 pmI've wanted to try NaNo for years, but was never in a position to. Now that my youngest is 2 (and a half), and my oldest is more independent (she's 6), and I have a job where I'm not having a nervous breakdown, I finally gave it a shot.
... AND I DID IT!!!! :DDDDDDD
I hit 51,956 words tonight. *^_^* I'm so proud of myself!!
I admit, I was working on multiple stories (since I can't seem to concentrate on just one -- and instead of trying to ram too many different things into one story, I figured I'd branch out and see which ideas seem to fit best under each umbrella), but it has been a fantastic exercise. And I have loved this. *^_^* Studio2 has been a god-send. Every night I could, I'd run out here to the studio and work away in my quiet corner without the distractions of the tv, hubby's computer, etc, etc, etc. ... I feel so much better, having done this. *^_^*
So, in spite of all the stress of the last few years (accidents, tumours, surgeries for myself & my son, the jobsfromtheseventhringofhell, etc.),, I have now completed another of my 'bucket list' goals.
- climbing a mountain to see the sun rise (November 2009, 2 weeks after learning about my tumour)
- motorcycle license (March 2010 - day prior to tumour-removal-surgery)
- taking a motorcycle course (less than 30 days post-tumour-removal-surgery--er, I'll be repeating this one, once I'm in better shape again!)
- finding a less stressful job (even though it meant a pay-cut) (Feb 2011)
- getting a space for myself to write/be creative in (Studio2) (Aug 2011)
- going to the track to race my car (Sept 2011)
- doing NaNo (not with the aim to publish, but with the goal of doing this to prove to myself YES I CAN!) <-- today, Nov 26, 2011. Hell, I'm even ahead of schedule!
Next goal?
- Monday afternoon: Take afternoon off work to go to Jeff Martin autograph session, Q&A, & guitar-tuning session @ Long & McQuade. (Followed by Tea Party concert that night--I'll be cutting out of the School Council meeting early to go... bad moor, I know...) But I'm so ridiculously excited it isn't funny. *^_^* This is my reward to myself for sticking with my goals and successfully completing NaNo on my first try. I just have to make sure I don't burst into psycho-fangirl-tears the minute I enter the store. ^^;;; They hate it when fans do that...
I seem to be doing quite well with these goals. ^_^; (Surprisingly!) I'm going to have to think up a few more things or I'll have gotten through my 'lifetime' goals w/i the next 5 years or so at this rate. XD (Then again, 'get snow tires' is on that list, too, and I know I'll be working more diligently on that one in the coming days...)
Hoping everyone else has had a wonderful weekend -- good luck to all who are still working on NaNo! :D
PS: Yes, for the stories I wrote, most are fanfic -- and will likely show up as completed fics once I've finished writing & editing the ends of them. There are currently 5-6 stories.
- Got back from Vegas.
- House was *FINALLY* finalized/closed yesterday.
- Hubby's car exploded yesterday
- Garage confirmed would cost $6K+ to fix it (which means new car time for hubby)
THE GOOD:
- no one was seriously injured in Vegas, and by replying to my family's summons, it means I'm off the hook for another few years
- Hubby was able to escape car unscathed
- ... really, that's about it
- NO WAIT! Hubby cleared the bathroom drain the other day so it flows fast again. Yay!
THE BAD:
- expenses from Vegas come in on next VISA
- we're low on our regular funds already w/ purchasing new house
- seriously WTF is with the stupid car gassing itself?!
- Oh gods how are we going to afford new house, childcare for 2 kids, and car payments for 2 cars on our salaries? *panic is seeping in around the corners*
- I'm officially looking for a second job because of *see above*
- I need to do a course for work (on my own time) for some certification
- I admit, I'm beginning to believe those old rumours about carrying a curse on my name
What this means: My fun/writing schedule is likely going to become pretty erratic over the next little while. I may write a WHOLE LOT out of stress-purging, or I may need to stop completely. We'll see. Studio2 is always there if I need it. ^^;;
I may also indulge in alcohol or codeine to numb things a little. XD (Not at Studio2)
Anyway. That's been my last 3 days, how's your week going? XD
Sept 4 - Sunday - moving day!
Aug. 16th, 2011 10:45 pmWe have the truck rented for approx 9am Sunday morning; we estimate we'll be able to start loading by 9:20 - 9:30am.
We'll cover your lunch (and also, if you need a ride, we can collect you & drop you off again afterwards), possibly supper if it takes that long, snacks, drinks, and yes, we'll owe you big time for this. ;)
You don't need to help all day -- even an hour (or just to help us watch the kids!) would be fantastic.
Thank you!
--mm
(And please forgive the spam -- you're gonna see this on FB, too.) XD
Atelier - the workshop (aka: Studio 2)
Aug. 10th, 2011 11:38 pmProblem being, it wasn't the greatest building: there were thefts & vandalism, and overall, the place was getting too run-down to be safe (the property management company weren't doing anything to upkeep it -- it was getting outright dangerous.) It was to the point where my friends had to start going to the bathroom down the hall in groups, and they brought pipes with them. The freight elevator had been busted for months, and the broken glass wasn't even being picked up anymore. (Coincidentally, one of the windows in the outer doors to the building had been smashed out the day we moved them out of there, about 2 weekends ago.)
So my friends recently moved their studio and offered me a little spot in the corner of the new space for myself -- which, after I'd thought about it for a while, I took them up on. :D I paid the whole year in advance (I admit, I splurged & took some money out of my TFSA so I could help them secure the space--well worth it), and my little spot is ALL MINE, and I moved my desk, chair, a lamp, a microwave, etc., in all this past weekend. Some friends even helped me transport a mini-fridge there last week (which I bought from Kijiji!), and this past weekend I rented a little U-Haul and bought a $50 leather couch (also from Kijiji! It's an awesome couch!), and have made it as hospitable as I could for now. (Seriously, the couch is big, comfy, black leather, with reinforced footing & only one tear--along a seam--which can easily be sewn up. I couldn't believe it.)
I took all my notes over to Studio 2 tonight, along with boxes of reference material, and sat down to EDIT. It was wonderful. Two friends happened to be there working on their own projects (one girl was setting out a sewing project, the other is an artist currently working on her own writing project), so I had great company. It was nice and quiet and cozy and I finally felt like I could work & relax at the same time. I may bring in my looms, too, and another desk or table, if I can so I can do my own weaving & sewing again. ^_^ I may only be able to go late at night, but it was so nice to GET THINGS DONE without hearing the TV going, or another person's computer blaring, or the kids whining. I could *focus*. Do you know how rarely I get to focus and work uninterrupted? At home--never.
Again, I'm not sure how often I'll make it over, but I am so, so happy to finally have a little corner of my own. : )
We are currently looking for one more person to join us in the space, to make the rent a bit more affordable, but I don't think we're too stressed about that yet. (If you know anyone in KW looking for a creative space like this, send along their resume!) XD
I'm really looking forward to making use of my little space. (^_^)