picked a handful of violets in my name

I am now the proud owner of these boots. I got them for about 94% off. (When we play D&D at Loraine's apartment, I stop at Buffalo Exchange on my way, to see whether they've got anything I simply must have.)

The two biggest assignments of the semester are both due early next week, so there goes my weekend. (Except for a brief respite on Sunday, when I'm doing a Special Thing for work.)

(I maybe should have stayed home from Shadowrun last night, since without our GM we weren't going to be advancing any plot or earning any karma and nuyen. But I like my friends, so I went. We watched Buffy and played Cards Against Humanity.)

I had a wonderful time in New Orleans. The post-Katrina buses are quite nice (although they're apparently the "push rear doors to open" type and not the "driver opens rear doors" type I'm used to) and I got to see the really really old work car near Lee Circle on the St. Charles line. The conference was excellent. And I am now the proud owner of this tank top and some water meter coasters.

Since my return, I've been busy with work, my internship, and my D&D and Shadowrun groups. (No class until Monday because spring break.)

I also got a new phone. It has internet! Mostly this is so I can check whether it's faster to walk from Simmons to Ruggles or if there'll be a bus along soonish, and so I stop having to call my parents and say, "I'm lost, please read me turn-by-turn directions over the phone." It's already demonstrating how very convenient it shall be.

ILU-486

HELLO THERE. WE HEARD U NEED THIS.
DON’T WORRY, WE LOVE YOU.
EVERY PART OF YOU BELONGS TO YOU.

***

I'm going to give you some breathing room after that short story.

epershand: Feminism, sex-positivity, and sexual prescriptivism

Normative people are not the problem. The systems that describe the norm, coerce people into it, and punish those who don't comply, are the problem. People (and companies, cough legos reference cough) are a problem to the extent that they engage in enforcement and punishment. But compliance with a rule doesn't necessarily imply being duped by it. And enforcement and punishment can come just as often and just as vindictively in defense of counter-cultural norms.

What is cultural appropriation

What’s being appropriated in *cultural appropriation* isn’t the things themselves — the images, stories, artefacts, themes, etc. — it’s the capacity of people of oppressed groups to determine the meaning, scope, usage, and future of those things. Cultural appropriation involves taking over peoples’ control over representations of themselves. Cultural appropriation is an attack on cultural autonomy and self-determination, backed up by historically constructed domination.

Have talked to professor and workplace, and filled out Louisiana Historical Association annual meeting reg form - will mail tomorrow. Wheeeee! Now to stalk JetBlue's site for the best possible deal.

(And then this weekend is the Flea - totally different kind of gathering, lol. *has awesome roomies, needs to figure out when to get to the train station*)

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. )

rydra_wong is hosting another Giant Community Rec-O-Matic!

Dreamwidth account creation is open through the end of 2011 - no code or payment required.

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.