picked a handful of violets in my name

I had a great time in New Orleans. :)

Ellen and Greg arrived shortly after Christmas (they're moving in with my parents for part of the year). Cory was also around for a few days (he is actually planning to use the Hello Kitty dice bag). We went to the French Quarter twice (once with Ellen and Greg and Cory, once without), ate at our favorite restaurants, etc.

I did manage to get lunch with pinesandmaples, rooibos, and their roommate Sid right before leaving for the airport. Ellie and I had a very nice, very empty flight that got in early and good luck with everything once we landed except for the Orange Line, for which we had to wait because we'd just missed a train.

Since getting back last night, I haven't done much of anything, but Ellie has been on a "clean all the things!" binge today, mainly focusing on the kitchen and bathroom. We also got groceries and she's making chicken noodle soup for us and the one or more of her friends who are coming over for dinner.

( I seem to have gained some weight, for once. )

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I've been in New Orleans since Sunday. We arrived an hour late because our plane took its sweet time showing up at Logan. Not sure why. But we had a reasonably nice flight and arrived in time for dinner.

Apparently when I'm in New Orleans I wake up by 8:00. IDEK. Probably has to do with going to bed fairly early, since my parents (especially Mom) tend to go to bed (or doze off on the couch) by 22:00.

On Monday, Mom took Ellie and I to Magazine Street and bought me some new clothes, including a nice cardigan and some black jeans. Yesterday, we got groceries. Today is Mom's last day of work before Christmas (so it's my last day of having to kill time in the mornings by watching HGTV); I've re-purpled my hair yet again and am now waiting for her to get home so we can figure out our afternoon plans.

Note to annual sinus infection: you happen in January. You're a month early.

I punched two helicopters to death Monday night.

(In Shadowrun. Apparently no one else knew my character had melee combat abilities, and I didn't really know how to use them. Daly recently figured this out and I guess he thought a pair of medium-size helicopter drones were good first targets. Drones with machine guns.

I boosted my strength, declared my improved reflexes and my two unarmed combat powers, rolled nine dice, and dealt one-blow KOs to both helicopters inside a single combat turn. Although the second one had already been slammed by some lightning, courtesy of Dave's mage.)

I love playing an adept. :D

Had to go to school early today to wrap up an assignment, because there was a piece of it that could only be done using resources on campus. But at least I wasn't the only one; I ran into loads of classmates all doing the same thing.

I should probably start packing for New Orleans soon, just so I can be sure I have everything together. I won't actually need that much clothing because Mom does laundry pretty much constantly - just enough variety that I don't get bored by the third week of vacation. And probably a variety of clothing weights/warmnesses, since my parents say the weather's been weird and they can't predict how warm/cold I might feel.

Shadowrun later today. Kind of sad it's the second-to-last session until I'm back in Boston (maybe even the last, depending on what kind of end-of-term stuff everyone else is up to next week). On the other hand, I can use that time off to copy my character sheet onto some fresh paper not yet stained with tikka masala and pepper steak.

Made my first improvement to my Shadowrun character on Monday: acquired the Longarms skill at rating 2, so she can use a sniper rifle. Further away from the NPCs you're trying to kill means less chance they can lodge bullets in you. (This Monday, I need to actually buy the sniper rifle, and talk to Daly about initiation and Adept powers.)

Did my first survivor speech on Wednesday night. I drafted the full length of what I wanted to say in my paper journal a couple of times on Tuesday and Wednesday. When I went to actually give the speech, it just kind of happened (and I don't think I talked too fast or went over my allotted time). *sigh* Now that that's done, I am no longer wound up so tightly my spine's range of motion is obstructed, which I very much appreciate.

After work yesterday, I got lunch at Ghazal (where they now remember I like plain naan with my lunch buffet, I am there so frequently) and then went to the thrift stores on Centre Street. I got sweaters and glassware. Sweaters because I need warm things that are more professional than hoodies (which is a really low bar to set); one of them is argyle but none of them are cardigans because pullovers seem much more common and I an super-picky about my cardigans. Glassware is for terrariums and aquariums: Ellie's potted herb garden died a while back, so I am going to replace the rosemary, basil, and thyme with live moss terrariums (since they need less sun and there's no window in our apartment that gets much of that, particularly in winter). And I want some marimo balls to keep in my bedroom.

(Ellie mocks my desire for pet protists. I figure they're just the right amount of maintenance and attention for me to keep them alive.)

Any advice on super-low-maintenance, low-light houseplants welcome.

(especially considering how many of them I have)

Currently have an earring in backward through my left earlobe - I couldn't get it to go all the way through coming in from the front. (I'll turn it around tomorrow.) Honestly I'm a bit surprised I got it through at all, it's been so long and my earlobe has been so cranky.

Of course now I want more holes poked in me, but I have to wait until I have both cooperative earlobes and money that is not earmarked for Christmas presents for my loved ones.

... I have been kinda busy. I did manage to finish the paper I was freaking out about, although of course it's not graded yet. I've also been to a board game night, a munch, and a play party.

I've also been doing small housekeeping tasks (load of laundry! put away clothes! load dishwasher! etc!) somewhat at random, when the urge strikes. Unfortunately, all the semi-compulsive neatening in the world does not change the fact that I Own Too Much Stuff And Need To Get Rid Of Some Of It. (Possibly the biggest glut of things comes of being the exact same size for nearly a decade that had "fleeing home with an overnight bag because of Katrina" in the middle of it; I own waaaaay too much clothes and it all still fits me.) (I also have a lot of notebooks and loose papers. I think I need to steal some of Ellie's cardboard storage boxes and turn my archival skillz on my own crap.)

I have not mailed anyone's cards yet, but the comment notifications are still in the Starred section of my inbox, reminding me that I need to do that. Soon.

I will be visiting my parents from December 18th to January 6th. For the first time in a long time, I will get to spend my birthday having a good time, rather than "on a plane" or "stepped off a plane yesterday." I am looking forward to that.

Rather energy-consuming weekend for me. I went to a munch Saturday night (although I showed up a bit late because I'd been sitting in the dark waiting for some tylenol to kick in, and I left early to get groceries). And then on Sunday I met up with Lorraine in JP and we headed up to Cambridge for Safe/Ward. After getting some ice cream, smelling all the things at Lush, and scoping out used cookbooks, we arrived early at the Democracy Center because Lorraine had volunteered to help out. I also wound up volunteering, helping out, etc., just because I was there. The workshop was very productive, and afterward, I spent three hours in a food court with a small group of people just continuing our conversation.

And now some more tylenol and sleep. My knee is unhappy again; I guess it's not as healed as I thought it was. :(

thingswithwings: who would choose this?

The true political issue, the one that debates over gay origins are created to distract from, is whether queer individuals should be given rights. Should human beings be bullied into committing suicide? Should human beings be denied the ability to conceive or adopt children? Should human beings be paid less than other human beings who do the same job, or fired from their jobs despite doing them well? Should human beings be prevented from inheriting money or from visiting their loved ones in the hospital? Should human beings be tortured, raped, killed? Should human beings be left on the street to freeze because the homeless shelter won't take them? Should human beings be denied medical care? Should human beings be denied respect, dignity, basic human rights?

It honestly doesn't matter whether or not I chose it; I'm here now, and now I want equality. Now I want an end to heterosexism. Now I want rights.