It's been a day of wildly contrasting emotions

[cornerofmadness]

Much of which was pure boredom as I sat on my butt from 9:30-5:30 watching students take my muscle exam (and me getting short tempered in a way I don't like. I don't like getting nasty with students. On the other hand, you're not five. I've said this 10 times already in the last 10 minutes, why are you asking me again?).

But the one student I did a big favor for (allowed her to take it alone, but did explain why she needs to go thru official channels to make this happen next time and how it's to her benefit to do so) was so happy and felt so good about this that her last words to me as she left the exam were 'I could hug you but your hands are full of dead cat.' (well they were). And on the bottom of my best student's exam (seriously she's been at the college since she was 13, she's brilliant and ambitious and sweet) she wrote a thank you to me for answering all of her many questions and that I made her want to go to medical school more than ever. I'm very happy and proud and thankful for those little gifts to me because I don't think they know how much it means to us to know we really DO matter in their lives.

And then there was the pure humorous joy of listening to the OChem teacher talking about his two cats and the mouse. They were just watching it and not doing what cats are meant to do. Not even when he tried to give them the mouse (which he eventually just carted off to the woods himself).


And then a deep sadness. Grandma's house is officially in the hands of the new owners. I'm very sad about this because it's been a part of our family for more than 100 years. I'm trying to concentrate on the fact the new owners have 4 boys and the house will be filled with life again.

And then frustration. New story, old dilemma: What shall I name the airship this time? Also do I set it in 1900 Athens or Wellston (which had a casino and amusement park at Lake Alma)? And more importantly where to find historical data on this because the internet is thin? Looks like a trip to the library is in order but which one.... and it's a story I doubt will be published as I'm aiming for the 2017 Christmas anthology (might as well write it now DURING the holiday) because it's going to be steampunk and not contemporary. You know what, if no one wants it, I'll sell it myself.

I also got an email from UPS about my Think Geek order saying I put the wrong address on it and it had to be rerouted (it was my parents address) I was like fuck I can't call. I'm in my exam. Then a half hour later I get 'it was rerouted and is on the front porch.' Of WHERE? I called my mom and she's like yeah there's a package but there's no name on it and it has 3 shipping addresses... (She calls me at 10 to say she finally put on her glasses and yes it does say Think Geek. It's HER Christmas present of 50th anniversary Star Trek crap.).

And I FINALLY used the gift card silvrethorn gave me to Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab and got myself this (which was the theme of my story The First Light of Winter MARI LWYD
An echo of the rites of Rhiannon, the Great Queen and Mother of Horses, the Mari Lwyd is a Midwinter tradition in Wales. The beribboned Grey Mare travels door to door with her entourage, seeking permission to wassail and initiate a contest of wit: the pwnco, a battle of improvised verses filled with good-natured ridicule set to song. If the Mari party were victorious, they were invited into the home to partake of ale and cakes and provide entertainment for the family. - Welsh cakes and ale with a smattering of dried lavender.

and I bought myself this from them: SWIFT AS LIGHT, BEAUTEOUS IN COLOR, CHARMING IN SONG
The bird flutters round us, swift as light, beauteous in color, charming in song. -Wild musk with flickers of neroli, mallow, and graceful magnolia, alight with orange blossom and sweet with honey. I smell good in orange.


And I borrowed an idea from beer_good_foamy, a musical advent calendar (but how the HELL is it Dec 1st already??) I'm not promising the songs I'll share are all great songs. Some might be downright weird but I do promise they have meaning to ME and I'll share that with you.

This one was the first song on the radio after I left work after eight hours sitting in preservative fluid fumes and I was feeling old and tired. Nothing makes me happier and feeling younger than 80s music, especially the hair bands. This song was my high school graduating class theme song until administration forced us to change it to some sappy song that I can't even remember. It brings back memories of my freshman year in college and dancing on the bar in the TKE house (well I don't so much remember it but there are photos. Mostly I remember being given pizza and someone saying Hey Dana want to join in our chug-a-lug contest...)

This is the original MTV video with about 2:40 minutes of story before the song even begins:

Watch on YouTube

Comments

[kerkevik-2014.livejournal.com]

I should do that too; though I've missed a day. Maybe it'll bring me some piece of mind just now.

Family crap and such.

Sorry; been watching Deadwood (all because of one Calamity Jane/Joanie Stubbs vid - and they haven't even met yet) and Firefly to death. Snapping back my temper; feeling so raw and emotional and too damned old.

I want to cry all the time, though the thought the future star of Sex and the City with purple hair from a Twisted Sister concert does bring a nostalgic smile. Got three kittehs keeping me far too warm, because they're sleeping on me and so peaceful I don't want to get undressed and disturb them.

I'll think on some music :-)

kerk

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

I'll be looking forward to the music. And yeah family crap, trust me I get that one. I hope things start looking up.

My solitary cat (fat enough to be two) was doing the same.

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

And the father is played by Mark Metcalf, AKA The Master from Buffy. :)

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Omg, are you serious? That's why he looks so familiar! I had no idea. Thanks

[tinhutlady.livejournal.com]

Metcalf also played the ROTC commander in Animal House, which is what that lovely rant about the Twisted Sister pin on the shirt parodied. :-)

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Cool, thanks. I didn't recognize him from that either

[a2zmom.livejournal.com]

It's always great to know you're making a huge difference for some of your students.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

It is, especially when the struggling student shared some of the home life stuff with me when I suggested there is nothing wrong with getting help (and that I as a dsylexic had to do it too. I share that hoping they'll see that it's not embarrassing and it doesn't make them dumb). She's been struggling with post partum depression as her mother had done with her but mom refuses to allow her to get help (see what I mean about the parents working against their kids around here?)

[a2zmom.livejournal.com]

I can't begin to comprehend that mindset. It's horrible.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

It is and I walked into a math prof ranting to our chair about one parent who was screaming at her for her son doing poorly (he's still a h.s. student under 18 or else we can't even talk to them) and was mad when the prof pointed out that the parent in question keeps sending her son out on errands for her during class time so he's never there so what does she expect?

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Geeze, to the parent not wanting her kid to get help. GEEZE. I can guess that there's the stigmata of "no money" "don't want friends/family to find out my kid's not perfect" but still.

Anyway, those two students are great. I'm glad they spoke up to you and told you how they felt. Definitely better than the last students you spoke of.

Yay for the Think Geek present arriving!

And yay for pretties from Black Phoenix. I should look them up again one of these days but with Flippy sending me new perfume samples all the time...

I cannot help you with that ship idea but I did have the thought we ought to switch to Gmail so we can talk again, since Yahoo is just a pain. Lemmee know watcha think.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

There is that stigma yes. I swear professors should get some psych and social work classes to handle all this.

It is good. Actually this semester my classes are all mostly very good. I don't dread going in to work.

She hasn't sent me any recently. I think I told her only florals for me.

I have a gmail that I can't ever get into because it's such a pain in the ass. I tried again last night with the messenger but you didn't seem to see it.

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Gmail doesn't seem to be that hard to me. There is a double sign on or something unusual but it's not that hard.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Mine inevitably refuses to let me log in and I have to get a new password. EVERY time. Then it datamines insanely and bombards me which I can live with. In theory I have two of the damn gmails and it's the same with both

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Weird.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

everything about gmail is weird or annoying

[tinhutlady.livejournal.com]

Happy for the good things - sorry for the bad. (hugs you)
Am grateful for the music as I haven't heard a hair band in a while. This brought back memories. Heh. Dee Snider testifying at the senate hearings on labeling rock albums. Priceless.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

I do love my hair bands (yay for spotify for having a hair band category for when I need it). My local (i.e. Charleston WV so not so local) Rock station has Dee on nights on the weekend with Hair music.

[geri.livejournal.com]

WOW BRINGS BACK MEMORIES FOR ME IN THE 1980'S I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL CHILLIN' WITH MY CLIQUE LISTENING TO TWISTED SISTER IN THE BLEACHERS THANKS I NEED THIS TO CHEER ME UP.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Glad you liked it