Rather than wait for a well constructed post to ever materialize, I'll just ramble off some thoughts.

1. I'm both shy and anti-social. You can apply the word "sometimes" to both of these because neither is always true, but just in general that's how I tend to be. I don't know if one causes the other or not.

2. The last few days I've read three or four old Harry/Draco fics. I haven't read any in years, but just on a whim (and for nostalgic purposes) I found a few on a bookmarked site of H/D recs. Reading them brought back many fond memories of the H/D community. While I never actually contributed anything myself, I'm still grateful to all the authors that made me feel so much at a really difficult and lonely time in my life (that is thankfully only a memory now). I found myself not laughing and rolling my eyes at the "Harry and Draco in Leather Pants" trope (and others), but rather smiling to myself and just wanting to hug all the authors and readers, reviewers and meta-philosophers because we were all just having so much fun. I find that I never really cared whether the H/D relationship was likely or believable. The authors - the best ones - made me believe it and feel it and root for it, and I never got involved in any of the shipping arguments because, really, did it matter? I just enjoyed myself and was grateful.

3. I've been taking long walks around my neighborhood, and sometimes I think about The Establishment RPG (and to a lesser extent, The Citadel, where I spent much less time but still had fun) and the friends I made there. I think about Liz, Sally, Beth and Jo (the friends I feel I got to know the best) and several others who were amazing, kind, funny women who I never speak with anymore except for Liz, occasionally, and who I still miss.

I remember my first group chat (with a meta chat going on simultaneously) and I think the first person that hit on Daniel was Michael Shanks, and how I panicked but did my best anyway. And we were all laughing and playing around in meta chat, people were telling me to relax, I was doing fine and it was all such a blast. Sorcha was writing Tom Felton and we set up Dan and Tom as best friends, and she was so patient and helpful. And Oh God, the time I had Daniel give Tom and his fiance (I can't even remember his name right now but he was very cute) a Pier One Gift Certificate for a wedding gift (Oh, the shame) because I was so clueless and I couldn't think of anything else. And I remember how lonely Daniel was for a time, searching for true love and then he met Ben Mckenzie and suddenly everything was beautiful. *sigh* I'm almost afraid to go back and read some of the stuff I wrote because I'm sure it was horrid, but it didn't matter because the people I was writing with were so good and so nice.

I sometimes think about writing my Daniel (Radcliffe) character again and then I remember how hard it became for me to do. I enjoyed myself immensely. I laughed a lot and sometimes even cried, but even though I could feel what Daniel wanted to say and do very clearly inside my head (and heart), writing it down in some sort of coherent fashion to be read by people with actual writing talent became a constant struggle for me and I eventually gave it up. Maybe I'll try it again someday, I don't know.

4. I guess that's all for now. Things are going well so far. Samantha is eleven years old (!!) and is on the phone every single moment she's not eating everything in the refrigerator or trying not to go to bed. We love the new house, the kids have one more day of school before summer break and I should probably bake cookies for the bus driver or something...

And how are all of you? Please say hello if you have a moment.

/cross-posted to LJ

ETA: 5. I watched Sense and Sensibility (again) the other night whilst knitting a sock and the moment Col. Brandon appeared I literally (hand to chest and everything, I swear) had to catch my breath (again!). Oh, Alan Rickman, will I ever get over you?

I just installed Songbird (Mozilla media player) and was testing it out with some of my music files, and I came across this...

http://www.youtube.com/v/6NEKTUovKCw&hl=en&fs=1&;

And then promptly started dancing in my chair. :D

I remember when I used to download episodes of Queer As Folk and watch them on my computer, it feels like forever ago, and during one of the earlier episodes the boys were all in the dance club dancing to this song. I loved the scene - and the song - so much I went on a search for it immediately.

*dances* That show made me so happy.

So I thought I'd say hi!

Sometimes I'm checking my flist and I start thinking about how much I miss my JF friends, and how I miss RPing, but I usually just read along with your posts and laugh when they're funny and frown when they're sad, and then I move along because I'm not really a part of this place anymore since I gave up my pups, y'know? (And by that I just mean that I would feel sorta weird jumping in and commenting or whatever after being away so long, although sometimes I still do.) But tonight I felt like I wanted to drop in to say hello and let you all know I still read you, and think about you, and miss you.

Also, I've moved. Dan and I bought a house last month. I'd forgotten how nice it was to have an actual yard of our own and to be able to paint the walls something other than white! So we've had most of the house painted (my cousin did it for us) and there's not a white wall to be seen. It's in a nice, neighborhood-y area with very little traffic so the kids can play and ride their scooters and such. For the first few weeks it felt weird, like we were staying in someone else's house or something, but now it feels like home.

Sam starts middle school in a few days, which is weird cause I could have sworn she was a toddler just last week. ;) She's awesome, by the way. Yesterday was my birthday and she brought me breakfast in bed. Seriously, raisin bran with some blueberries on the side. What a sweet kid.

So anyway, I just wanted to say Hey. :) I hope you're all doing well.

I envy people who are compulsive cleaners. Their houses always look perfect. I, on the other hand, am known for being a slob. All my stuff is in piles, and I pretty much know what's in each pile, but there's always way too much clutter. And the bad part is I'm the neatest person currently living in this apartment. And the most organized, which, if you know me, is absolutely hilarious.

(Side note: My daughter just offered to vacuum. I love her soooo much.)

So I've been cleaning all day and I'm not good at it. It's like I have this blind spot, so that every time I think I'm finished I have to sort of re-focus and try to look at things from an outsider's point of view. And that's when I usually discover that I've done a HORRIBLE job and I've missed all the little things, like the refrigerator door handles, and the coffee stain on the kitchen cabinet from when I tried to pour myself a cup before I'd had a cup. (If you saw "Wall-E," you know the part where he wakes up in the morning and fumbles around trying to charge his solar panels? That's me.)

Why am I bothering, you may ask? Because my dad is coming over for dinner tonight to celebrate (a few days late) his 86th birthday! He is so cute. Luckily he's known me for 40 years now and if the apartment was too clean he'd probably have a heart attack. So see? I'm looking out for his health! I am a good daughter. :)

Damn, I still have to bake a cake. *flails*

-We put a bid in on a house. It's pretty much just what we've been wanting (although I would have liked a "panic room" for when my unsociable self needs a break from all these people I live with ;)), and we can afford it. I'm trying (and failing) not to get too attached as there are so many things that could go wrong still. There's a problem with the roof right now, so this could go either way.

-The LOST season finale was awesomeness. I know so many people have given up on this show over the years, but I've never even considered it. This show owns me. Sam and I have watched every single episode together (Yeah, she was only six when it started. I'm a terrible parent.) and when a certain wonderful character died a few weeks back she was all outraged and she told me to go online and tell "them" that if they don't bring (certain character) back I will NEVER WATCH AGAIN!!one1!! *snort* I told her it doesn't work that way, but man, she was pissed.

So then last week, amidst all the awesomeness it was looking like my favorite character was gonna die (I didn't realize he/she was my favorite character until he/she was laying there, all DYING and everything, and I was like "Sam, if (character of amazingness in every possible way) dies I WILL go online" (and start freaking out like the crazy fan that I am.) Otherwise the finale was amazing and very, very cool.

-I accidentally discovered Merlin last week and I'm loving it. I've only see through the first five episodes, so please don't spoil me? It's SO good. So much fun and totally slashy. Like, seriously slashable. I hardly ever have time to read fic anymore, but I actually went looking for Arthur/Merlin slash the other night. And I adore all the characters, every one (except the king, who annoys me, but that may change). I hope there'll be more seasons because this show is love.

-This video is also love. NSFW due to language. I have this song stuck in my head now but I can't sing it out loud.

From youtube:

Go watch. It will make you smile.

We had sushi for dinner last night. I usually only order rolls, but I tried some hamachi nigiri and it was awesome. I will definitely order it again.

So after I finished eating I sat down at my computer and popped a piece of gum in my mouth and CRACK! My damned tooth broke! A small piece of my back tooth just... came off. Granted, it's a tooth I've had work on in the past but I'm religious about brushing, regular cleanings at the dentist, etc., and I'm pissed that it's probably gonna cost like a million dollars that I don't have to fix it. *mopes* So now it's all pointy and sharp back there and it cuts into my cheek so I called my dentist and he's going to open the office today for me to come in. He's a really good dentist.

I woke up at 3:00 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep so I caught up on House, Supernatural, Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives while I knit part of a sock I've been working on.

Supernatural, while I'm mostly still enjoying it, seems to keep making me cringe. I wish they'd stop having characters call females "bitch." It really bugs me. I mean, it's always bugged me, but without using spoilers, the character it was said to this past episode was seriously inappropriate. I mean, WTF?

I actually liked House this week, which is good, because lately I've been finding Dr. House to be obnoxious past the point of being entertaining and into the realm of just plain annoying. This episode reminded me of why I loved this show in the first place. I especially liked ( SPOILER )

**I bought an account at Dreamwidth. My journal is here. If you're over there too, come and find me. :D

Crossposted: LJ, DW

Gah! I haven't posted in soooo long and some of my peeps have de-friended me. Come baaaack! ;)

Okay, so I'm still here. I've been knitting a lot, and I'm on Ravelry as "denamary." I actually made socks! Seriously, with sticks and string I made socks! (I'm still way too amazed at this. I'd post a picture, but my camera isn't cooperating right now.) And watching some shows (Heroes, Lost, Supernatural, House, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Psych, and a couple more. It sounds like a lot, but I like to watch tv while I knit), movies (Mamma Mia is the cutest thing ever.), etc., reading some good books (The Descent of Woman, Pride and Prejudice) - you know, hanging out.

Since I gave up my pups I've sort of just... wandered off. I'm still reading my friends-lists, and I want to comment, and then I think I've been gone too long and y'all will be like "Where the hell've *you* been *grumble grumble* Disappears for months then shows up all *commenting* and stuff..." LOL. Which, totally doesn't sound like any of you, cause you're all so awesome. But my brain is like, really insecure and it tells me these things.

Anyway! I miss you guys. How's things?

I just finished (finally!) watching Life on Mars. Wow, that was a good show. I was completely confused throughout the entire finale, but I really liked how things ended up. Awesomeness.

Also: Send me presents!

*loves all*

ETA: I taught myself how to knit the other day. I've been crocheting for years, but somehow I never figured out how to knit. So far I've made 4 hats! I'm thinking it's homemade Christmas gifts this year.

( Click for pic )




Christmas Gift Toy & MySpace Layouts at pYzam.com

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy BIRTHDAY, dear Sa-lleeeeeeeeee,
Happy Birthday to yoooooooooooou!

I love you, Sweetie! Have a great day.

Spent the day in the hospital today. My dad, who's 84 years old, had a pacemaker and a defibrillator (sp?) put in this morning and he's doing well. His heart isn't so good - it's been getting progressively worse the last few years, and we're hoping this procedure will make his life a little easier (and hopefully longer). :)

Thanks to friends and co-writers for your patience. *hugs you all*