Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    
Johanna~I had a Harlan-hitting-on-me dream a few weeks before MadCon,
and he declared me dead to him almost immediately upon meeting him.
Never did see him on my doorstep...
; >

Oh, the shocking car...
My GEO did that to me.
But I have a weird effect on electrical objects, anyway...
  

    
Have at last converted Kevin (my husband) to Neildom by the simple
tactic of reading GOOD OMENS in front of him and laughing so hard that
I couldn't breathe, except in tiny gasps between laughing wheezes.  I
like to think that kicking my feet on the couch and shaking my hands
frantically in the air helped, too, but he's not so easily impressed.

ObTree: And he didn't even wait until I was finished with the book
before he started reading it.

Ninave:
>Personally, my theory is that when Neil wants to go
>incognito he wears a white tee short, blue colored blue jeans and a
>tweed blazer.  

That's hysterical.  That's exactly what I've thought.

JaNell:  CONGRATS! on your new washer!  I completely understand your
stunned rapture.  Our current incarnation of chaos and anarchy
disguised as an appliance is the rebuilt washer we bought a few years
ago, which we have to sit on occasionally during the spin cycle to keep
it from breaking itself.

Just another thought on the tee shirts: Jouni might be willing to do
the artwork, and I'm sure it'd be fabulous.

Re: "WellPern"--what Mousey said.
  

    
Pamela, Ninave~ No, that's that nice Mr. Gaimna y'all are thinking
of...
  

    
Michelle,  I'm glad it made it to you, although I'm sorry it's bent. I
should've sent it in a box instead.

JaNell,  try to wear that sucker out my next year, so you can get a
newer model!


I'm watching my brother's football game, having opted to stay home
instead of going to Michigan to see it. Now I'm kicking myself, because
he scored his first college career touchdown!! I'm sooooo proud of
him. He's had a lot of really bad things happen to him this year, and
he didn't deserve any of it. But instead of letting it break him, he's
fighting like crazy to do what he loves to do. It's really wonderful to
be able to see his strength and his will and everything pay off.
Growing up, I always felt like the odd girl out because my family is
very sports-oriented, and I never liked sports. At all. But I'm glad I
paid attention to things, because now I can appreciate what my brother
has had to do to get where he is.

Er . . . this is totally irrelevant to anything anyone's posted, but I
am so happy for him, I just can't stop going on about it. 
  

    
Maure~go on at will. Your brother is happy and doing great and I'm
glad you got to see it.
As for wearing it out, that's where I'm headed; through the rain and
Vols traffic to the coffee shop to write. I figure, if Cam thinks
enough of my writing to get me a G3 iBook, and my Gregory Bateson
reading writer friend Kevin tells me to skip the magazines, and go for
a small book with my allegories, then I bow to their wisdom.
The rain is welcomed, though; it should put an end to our annual
post-Halloween arson-induced forest fires that have been making
Knoxville smell and leaving occasional smoke thick as fog all around
town for weeks. As if the acid rain hasn't destroyed enough of the
Smokies.
  

    
Johanna,  re: Harlan dreams, it must work opposite as well. I never
once had a Harlan dream, but last time I saw him, he found a way to
embarrass me completely by complimenting parts of my anatomy. At least
he wasn't chiding me on my massive hips. ;)
  

    

The first time I met Harlan he was complimenting anatomical parts of the
woman sitting at the next table, but I can't tell you that story because
the last time I did I got a letter from his lawyer.  But you can always
use your imagination.

Mike's Taurus, Fernando, always shocks me when I ride in it, so I always
drive my car, Otto, instead.

Barking Mad Poker was way fun and I especially enjoyed giving the Endless
poker chips to play with.  My thanks to Dan for hosting.  Dan, you have
many wonderful toys.  Michelle, we don't hate Kurt, not at all.  Please
tell him I hope I didn't leave a bruise when I punched him.
  

    
squeaks - WELLpern making you scan the skies for thread: yes, that was my
reaction initially too.

I am somewhat bemused to find that there is no astrology conf on the WELL.
(I was looking for information on what a stellium was, and whether if a
person has eight things within 30 degrees, that's as intense as it sounds.
The whole thing has me blinking rapidly at the moment.)
  

    

There's an astrology topic in the spirituality conf. FYI.
  

    
Squeaks--Exactly.  Waaay too much Anne McAcffrey in my formative years
(as if there could be such a thing).

Maure--yay for your brother!  I'm not much of a sports fan either, but
I was in band in high school & college & I'm from the South, so I know
what you mean about having seen enough of it to understand how much
hard work goes into playing on that level.

Neil--How is Maurice?  Last Hero was delightful--it's so nice to have
so much Terry all at once (hint, hint).  You've just reminded me that I
must go pick up a copy (see?  Some of us *will* buy two books by the
same author within weeks of each other...;-) )

You have my permission to share this post with your publisher, if you
wish  ;-)

V., v., jealous of Barking Mad poker.  Glad y'all had fun!

Stagewalker--I don't get the desire to assume someone else's identity
in real life, either.  I have my own.  When I work (act) it's a form of
creation.  It takes all my time and energy and concentration.  And I
want the audience to appreciate what they're seeing, dammit!  "Fooling"
them isn't all there is to it.  There are a lot of messed up people in
this world, though.  And a lot of them end up actors for exactly these
reasons--wanting to be someone else 24-7.  Sad.

OK, don't know why I went on that diatribe, exactly, except Dan hit a
nerve.  As an actor, you'd think I'd be more sympathetic, but liars
*really* piss me off.  That poor kid.  And poor Neil, stuck having to
tell her.  Because some sick jerk thought it would be *fun*.  May the
fleas of a thousand camels infest his/her tent.  Perpetually.

Am a little over halfway through From the End of the Twentieth
Century, and think more Alternities stories are a peachy keen idea! 
Hint, hint!

G'night, all!
  

    
Ooo, forgot--Kelly--great dress!  
  

    
Lioness, I'm still trying to figure out all that astrology stuff,...
sort of. Not really, anymore, except I suddenly find myself around
people who know things like what sign is rising, and where the sun and
moon and planets are in their sign, and how much of a sign they are,...
and then they ask me, and I just look baffled. At least I look baffled
well.

-Kelly
  

    
Dan - No, it means we have to discuss *your* real sex life. :)

Madman - see above. :P (it's fun to make jesus squirm!)

Maure - Sweetie, no worries. I just wanted the stories in their
original form, and my eyes seem to have no problem seeing around the
bends (got those funny 'hand' things - you know, with the fingers on
'em? - help keep the pages flat, or turn them while I read). And hooray
for your brother - how exciting!

Linda - I don't know where to even begin responding to that post... My
head goes too many wrong places with the Harlan story. Having an ex-
named Fernando really confused me with the car thing. And I'll forward
the message to Kurt. Tho' I'm pretty sure you didn't leave any lasting
marks, you certainly did your part to stun him with your age.

Attention everyone who's reading this - Linda is a wonderful person,
but I fear she is a horrid liar. No one looks *that* young for their
age (except maybe Rocky, but I have my doubts about her too).

Kelly/lioness - signs... hee hee. Someone started asking me about
specifics starsign stuff recently and I responded with 'um, I'm...
Scorpio... I think'. Pretty much stunted the conversation, I think. 

squeaks, who really didn't mean to ramble, but I'm still
re-establishing trust between me and the laptop (who is of the opinion
that I've abandoned her).
  

    
Ninave - you know, I was afraid that my post would come across wrong,
but every attempt to re-word it failed.  No need to apologize - having
the sort of brain that retains pretty much everything trivial (and most
things not), I'm sure I've done a similar thing innumerable times in
just the last week :)

Kelly - Lovely dress!  Glad things with you and Mars are going so
swimmingly.

Johanna - Well, I currently live about an hour outside Boston, but
will probably be moving west (Chicopee) in the next couple weeks, as
the whole "sharing space with the soon-to-be (but not soon enough!) ex"
is wearing very thin.  Threadbare, even.  Big holes in the knees.  And
stuff.

After the next couple weeks, though, I'd be open to a Boston evening,
just to keep the coasts balanced.  I'm not much of a card-player,
though.  Can't even remember the rules to Fish, it seems.

Rant on:  As many of you know, my current living situation is, uhm,
unconventional.  It had been going fine, but on Tuesday I was let to
know that I shouldn't expect that to continue.  So, I started apartment
hunting, with an eye toward being out of the current place in a couple
weeks.  However, I've now been told that I *WILL* be held responsible
for my half of the rent and utilities on the current place
(unfortunately, it's my name on the lease), which is where we enter
economic Fantasy Land.  Yeah, I've got that extra X hundred dollars
just sitting around every month............Did I mention she wants it
up front?

So, while it's been agreed that SOMEBODY has to move, and that she
can't afford to, if I move out, a pound (or 10) of flesh will be
extracted.  We had negotiated a monthly sum last night that would at
least leave us both financially solvent, but after speaking to her
sister-the-lawyer-who-can't-keep-a-job, she's decided to go for the
Moon and a lovely piece of land on Venus.  With a lot of juggling, I
think I can still swing it (more debt - hooray!), but I am one Unhappy
Camper.

Sorry to unload, but my head feels like it's going to explode (though
it's much better than two hours ago).  Please, somebody shoot me if I
ever mention the thought of getting married again, okay?

Rant off..............
  

    
Rick-It's your apartment; she moves. Period. Or, see if the landlord
will let you sublet the whole apartment to her, legally, in writing and
all. If you're not living there, turn off whatever is in your name.
That's not cruel, that's fair. Y'all are no longer a team, and it
sounds like she's not playing nice, so whether or not she can afford
whatever is no longer your concern.

All of this is assuming that there are no kids involved.
That's when it really gets tricky...
  

    
Mary - No.. I don't think it is possible to have too much Anne
McAfferty in one's formative years.
... well... not unless you start naming your children with
apostrophe's in their names, that is.
"Hi, I'd like to register my child for kindergarten. His name is
M'rtin Jones. You might remember his big syster, Cr'stal?"

On being somebody else 24/7... it's a slight sideways way to approach
it, but the friend who took me to the Tori concert had an intersting
statement when I mentioned that she had had a child, which he didn't
know about. "I'm not really interested in artist's personal lives." he
said. "I'm interested in their art. My life is easily as interesting as
any famous artist's... so is yours for that matter."

I mention that quote because it seems to be at the root of the
problem. Why would someone co-opt someone else's identity if they found
their own life to be an interesting and fascinating thing? The obvious
answer is a very sad one.

Rick - (cover your ears kiddies) That's just fucked up, dude. I
understand being the overly nice and fair guy.. I've been there myself
more times than I like to admit.. but to have someone to tell you to
leave while still paying rent on the place.. that's just wrong. She
wants you out, then she has to either get her own damn roommate or move
out herself. 

Squeaks - From your imaginary sex life to my real one? Oh... but your
imaginary sex life is *so* much more interesting. Maybe we should
discuss Martha's imaginary sex life, as a way to encourage her to come
so she can put a stop to it?
  

    
Kelly--(about the doorknob)  My god...does stuff like this happen to
normal people, or just us barking mad folks?  

(about the dress)  You look absolutely lovely in that dress!  And at
such a deal too.  Horray!

Hmmm...well, I've got more to say (and to more people, too!) but I
have to go to work.

Angelina.
  

    
JaNell and Dan - Thanks!  You just made me feel a whole lot better -
I'm not one to want to be mean (and no, there are no kids), so I don't
play this game well.  You've given me a bit of resolve to find a better
solution.
  

    

Rick, it sounds like it's time to find yourself your own lawyer and get
the divorce ball rolling and negotiate the terms of a legal separation -
in writing - in the meantime.  Don't forget to take care of yourself and
don't let your soon-to-be ex and her sister push you around.

Disclaimer:  I'm not a lawyer and I don't play one on the WELL.
  

    
Maure: I have never had the fortune or misfortune (depending on the
experience) of meeting Harlan, so I have no idea what he would say to
me.  Just as long as he doesn't grope me (ick.  bad dream.  no
biscuit.)

And it's nice to see others were warped by Anne Mccaffery at an early
age.

Rick:  Sorry to her about the living arrangement mess.  Hope it gets
resolved happily.  I know Abbe is lurking around here somewhere, and
she's also in the Boston area, so that's three.  Though it doesn't
sound like any of us are much for poker.  We'll just have to find
something else to play.

johanna, enjoying the unseasonably lovely weather
  

    
Rick said, "I'm not one to want to be mean (and no, there are no
kids), so I don't
play this game well."

There's a vast difference between mean, and fair.
Fair is you each take what you brought into the marriage, you each get
whatever you're legally responsible for, and evenly divide the stuff
already paid for that you've accumulated after the marriage.

Mean, and selfish, is what it sounds like your ex is trying to pull on
you.

Get a good lawyer that isn't mean and believes in fair. It'll be much
cheaper in the long run.
  

    
Maure, yay for your brother's college sports career!

Madman, thanks for the pointer; I will g spirit and look for the topic.

Rick, I think JaNell and Linda spoke sooth, there. Especially the part about
getting legal advice.
  

    
Heya Rick - sorry things have devolved so rapidly. Apply Lindas
disclaimer here - I'm not a lawyer. However, I've played in this
divorce thing recently, and this is what I know:

- If she's not on the lease, and never signed anything, she has no
right to the place (as far as the management company is concerned).
She's living in a serious pipe dream if she thinks her demands are
reasonable. Tell her she can leave, if she's so desparate for the
situation to change.

- Alimony is given when the wife has a significantly lower income,
that would prevent her from keeping her same standard of living. Since
women are starting to make more than men, it can be flipped around
nowdays - really common in urban centers. 

- Find a lawyer. While you're looking for this, go to your bookstore
and pick up a copy of  "YourState Divorce Laws and Forms" by Nolo Press
- invaluable resource for explaining things in clear, non-legalise
terms.

Good luck.  :-)
-Kelly
  

    

lioness- it's actually been pretty hopping lately, even.

stagewalker- I laughed out loud at your suggestion. I'll bring the peeps
next time, how's that?
  

    
heya all!

Spent Turkey Day with the Backflip Boy's family, which consisted of
reading a book (I'd love to say it was something deep and cool and
literature-like, but it was actually Elliot S. Maggin's _Kingdom Come_
novelisation, because I'm reliving my childhood and re-reading all the
Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman I can get my mitts on these days)
through the Lions/Packers game, playing tackle (I'd call it Football,
except it really, really wasn't) with three of the small nephews, and
amusing them to no end when I picked up Uncle Jared in a fireman's
carry and walked around the yard with him until we got tackled and went
"spu!"

Friday morning, got up at 4am, got to the (new and improved) Midway
airport in time for my 7:30 flight (I'm paranoid about missing fligths.
I think it has something to do with that whole not having enough money
to buy anoterh ticket thing), met a Southwest FA who was dead-heading
and a HUGE Superman fan, so we chatted the whole flight, and I showed
him how to burn cds with his laptop. 

Saw the Harry Potter movie with the family down in Florida, and for
the first time in living memory, we got to the theatre with time to
spare (my father has a funny sense of timliness) and my mother and I
were on the edge of our seats, on account of having read the books.
Poppy and Deirdre were less enraptured (having not read the books), tho
father dear did regail us of tales of his boarding school experiences
in the 1940s all week-end.

Saturday I made lamb stew and salad for lunch and then Deirds drove me
to the airprot to fly home that evening. Only, they had overbooked my
flight, so I had a bit of an adventure. Volunteered to fly home this
morning and so I now have a $300 travel voucher anywhere SWA flies, got
a free night in a hotel, plus dinner and breakfast. And I got home to
Chicago at a decent hour so I saved cabfare by taking the train from
the airport to home.

Of course, I broke a plate (haven't broken any of the new plates since
moving) and burned my thumb making dinner (long story involving a
pizza, a pot holder, and me being stupid). But all in all, it was a
nice week-end. :)