mishalak: A fantasy version of myself drawn by Sue Mason (Default)
I am v. pleased. I gave, along with my grandmother and my mom’s sister, six Waterford glasses to my parents and a nut mix I made to my grandmother (with all the good ones and none of the cheap nutmeats). In return I have received Sleepyhollow and Enemy at the Gates from Aunt Linda, Uncle Mitch, and cousins Eric & Emily. I got season 2 and season four of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer from my parents, so now I am halfway to having a complete set. But best of all I received this fantastic Norwegian sweater in a pattern called setesdal. It is black with bits and lines of white all over and a red, green, and blue trim and silver hook buttons. Wow! Also I got money from grandmamma and Uncle Mark & my other Aunt Linda. I’m going to put it towards buying the Author’s Preferred Edition of American Gods.
mishalak: A fantasy version of myself drawn by Sue Mason (Default)
I didn't care for The Return of the King. Not that it is bad; it just isn't my cup of tea. It is a very action hero sort of a movie broken up with some dreadful speeches. I'm going to have to go back and read the book again to see how much of that is from book. I do remember quite a few bits of purple speechifying in the book, but it didn't seem that bad. Maybe it is easier to put a good cast on it when it is my head. But it does seem that The Fellowship of the Ring was the most faithful to the book and had the least number of action hero type stunts and that's why I liked it better.

I might have been more satisfied with a tour of the sets set to traditional music. I thought this because of the scene where Denathor asks Pippin to sing for him. Billy Boyd has a nice voice for a folk tune, if he's on the soundtrack I want it, if not I'll skip. Interspersed with scenes of the hopeless charge on the Pellanor Fields it was beautiful. Next favorite: Shelob. I'm surprised that I didn't have nightmares from that.

Before and after the movie we talked about things related to the movie business. Rose mentioned the funny screen stuff they did in Master and Commander to somehow prevent piracy (heh, funny) by people bringing in camcorders to a screening. She's of the opinion that the movie houses are conducting an experiment to see how much the public will take. Raise the prices, add commercials before them, do funny things to the print, next will be putting ads in the film and strip-searching people.

For myself I don't know how many more opening nights I'll be going to. There are some movies on the horizon I would like to see, but given the price and the trouble going to a theater I suspect I'll wait for most of them to come out on Disc. There are already dozens for movies I sort of wanted to see that I skipped in the theater, so it isn't like I won't have anything to see over the next year.
mishalak: A fantasy version of myself drawn by Sue Mason (Default)
A Pointless Story
When I was about 12 or 13 I saw something wonderful on PBS. It came out of no where, a short put on between two other shows to fill up the time. Seven minutes that were among the best on television. It was Next: The Infinite Variety Show, a short of seven minutes of a stop action puppet Shakespeare performing bits from every one of his plays.

It was one of the things that I really liked about Channel 12. That on occasion something brilliant would just happen. They would regularly put on short programs to fill up time.

Now thanks to power of the web I finally know that it was created by Barry Purves of from Aardman Animations. They even have it available on their website, though only in a region 2 DVD. Someday I will own this, because when I saw it back in about 1990 I was totally stunned. I wanted desperately to collect this, and I suppose it is why I sometimes go around the web saving quick time trailers and shorts. I don't want to let something wonderful like this get away.

I would collect certain advertisements too if I could. I just need to figure out a way, since it isn't exactly something one can just go down to the corner Best Buy to get. But I like the quality of sudden wonder that a really beautiful sequences of images appearing suddenly has.
mishalak: A fantasy version of myself drawn by Sue Mason (Default)
I have a mild problem with cold. My fingers and toes get easily chilled probably due to how little body fat I have and the thinness of my extremities. So while I'm as butch as any Coloradan, I can't help but be a bit sensitive to the cold.

When my family took up downhill skiing I was always the one to head inside first. My dad would always be encouraging me to stay out a bit longer, but after two or three ski runs I would head in to warm up for half an hour. I can understand where he was coming from, try to get good value for the increasingly expensive ski lift tickets, but it sometimes made me reluctant to go.

I keep on intending to get some Bob Cratchet gloves. Something to wear around work with just my fingertips exposed so that my hands keep a bit warmer. It would be really excellent if I could find something stylish as well as a bit warm. I don't need heavy gloves or anything; after all I'm in of doors. I think that even some leather would be enough to slow the heat loss from my hands.

So if anyone sees some cool gloves without fingertips, or even some gloves that would still look cool with the fingertips cut off, do let me know! I'll pay for purchase and shipping.

Maybe I should stop by to see my friend Carlos. He owns a store called CJ's Leathers and he made that wonderfully cool Farscape vest for me. He or maybe that goth store I've heard about might have something good.

DASFA House

Nov. 7th, 2003 10:04 pm
mishalak: A fantasy version of myself drawn by Sue Mason (The Prince)
I've actually had dreams where DASFA had a huge clubhouse next door to a SCA Hall. But I'm not hear to talk about that, I'm here to talk about my daydream of my vision of the perfect fannish base of operations.

I don't know what other SF clubs are like, but DAFA isn't huge. Our max attendance is about 30 people, so my idea about having a clubhouse takes that into account. It also means that we could only do this if I win the lottery. There's no way that a "congregation" of 30 people could buy a meeting hall. Even a small one.

So my idea is to buy a largish house. Something that has about 3,000 square feet on one level or could be expanded into that. In one version of the daydream I buy two or three houses and renovate them into one house or complex.

Downstairs would be a TV/small theater room with seating for ~40. That will take up a large amount of space; I'd estimate 900 square feet if we are going to be generous about the space. There would be another room with about the same to a little more square footage as a general meeting space and additional room to party in. Then there would be a smaller room with comfy chairs, and a bar that could be used by itself for smaller parties. Finally there would be a half kitchen with large refrigerator, sink, microwave, and some storage space for party equipment, and a dishwasher. Oh and two half baths, just sink and toilet.

The Basement would be additional space for storage, a possible location for a second meeting room for clubs that want to meet at the same time as DASFA, and the library. I'd make sure the drainage was excellent so there would be no flooding of the library. Another bathroom with a shower in case someone needs it after bicycling in hot weather or something.

Upstairs I'd have my own flat with a lockable door at the top of the stairs. Full kitchen that could be used if for some reason we were cooking a meal on site rather than doing a potluck. I'm thinking a very large stove and two ovens. Maybe a bit less space than my mom's kitchen since it is a little oversized. My own library room with television for when I don't want to watch what's on the big one downstairs. A computer room (hurm we'll need a terminal downstairs as well for the people who need to check email now), full bath, and moderate sized dinning room should round it out nicely.

My bedroom and my storage room would be on the top level of the house, so we're talking a serious three level (above ground) sort of place.

For guests I'd want a semi-detached space. I'm thinking a bedroom and bath above the garage and attached to the house by a bridge. This would also provide a nice second means of egress besides going down through the meeting space.

Entrance to the house would be controlled by access cards since then we could hand out access to trustworthy fans without having to worry about people sneaking in the dead of night or what we would do if a physical key got lost. Though I think I would have a physical key system for my flat above the meeting rooms.

If the money from the lottery were really good I'd buy another house next door to the clubhouse to convert into sort of an apartment/slan shack sort of place. If I had truly unreasonable amounts of money I'd try to buy the house near one of those one block commercial strips that are found in some Denver neighborhoods. Then I'd buy some of those commercial spaces and encourage the creation of a bookstore/fannish stores row.

So that's my lottery daydream.
mishalak: A fantasy version of myself drawn by Sue Mason (Default)
If I ended up with more income.

I've made my choice about what I want to spend my money on and I'm not unhappy. I think I've made good choices with my limited resources. However there are always more things that a person wants. This is sort of a clarification of an earlier post that probably gave people the wrong impression. So this is a work in progress. I'll probably update it as I think of more of my unlimited wants.

Tea! I'd get a big tin of Darjeeling, a smaller one of Ceylon, and maybe another thing of green tea and a mess of herbal stuff too.

Two (2) Mercury Dimes, one with a hole to put it on my necklaces when I feel like having a bangly thing.

More boxer briefs. I really prefer boxer briefs, but I usually buy just ordinary briefs because how can I afford $10 for one pair of underware?

10-Inch hard anodized cooking skillet.

A number of movies like The Adventures of Baron Munchausen for example. But I still would not buy everything I've ever liked, even with unlimited money. Only those things I'd want to watch over and over again.

Better food over the course of a year. More fish, less ramen noodles. Maybe even enough that I would

A better printer would also be very useful. Produce those fanzines!

Hair removal. I don't like shaving my armpits, and thought the price is within the realm of possibility even for my finances, I just can't afford that and also go to all the conventions I want to do. With unlimited money I'd also be tempted to make my legs match my torso. But that's really expensive, almost enough for a down payment on my biggest item.

A smallish house. Say 1,000 square feet. I don't need anything excessive.

Now had I won the lottery I'd buy a big house. Or buy a good sized one and expand it. And the first floor would become the new DASFA clubhouse.
mishalak: A fantasy version of myself drawn by Sue Mason (Default)
I had a couple cups of tea while I was working today because I was very tired out after three stressful days of work. Which is unusual because I cannot afford several cups of tea a day, it is not in the budget. I have to scrimp and save in crazy ways to be able to afford my fannish lifestyle. (Which would make a good filk song. "How do you afford your fannish lifestyle. How do you pay for the conventions that you go to.")

So I started to think about what I want out of life. From simple things to large ones.

I want to be able to have tea or not, without having to think about it. A cup of fine Darjeeling, followed by something fruity from Celestial Seasonings, or not as I please. Simple food things like that. I have enough right now to live on and I also have enough to eat out on occasion since that is on my socializing budget. I would not like

After that it gets more complex. Food is simple; work isn’t because I have little idea of something I emphatically want to do for a living. I’m going to try for a civil service job. I would like something that pays moderately well but without extra hours when I need to be at conventions or fan meetings. Or else it’ll have to have something else going for it that is really good so I don’t mind that I miss lots of my social events. Like a flight attendant job which pays well and has the travel benefits, so I think that would make up for the often strange work hours.

In a really ideal world I would have enough time to make a graceful home and enough money for that. A small house I could work on and make a reflection of my peculiar obsessions. Maybe a beehive or two if I have the space. A fruit tree, maybe even a espalier peach against a rock wall.

Love would be grand. Someone to be my partner in crime, so to speak. Not someone exactly like me, but with enough interests in common that we’d enjoy doing things together. Though I’m shy around large groups I quite enjoy talking with just one person for hours.

So there is a bit of a simple dream. My next steps are to return to my boyfriend search with new techniques and to take a civil service test for Colorado. And maybe make some inquiries with friends about jobs and new friends.
mishalak: A fantasy version of myself drawn by Sue Mason (The Prince)
I've got to make a list of Christmas gifts for the Freehold gift exchange (the bunch of people who come over for Freehold Christmas) and family who are without a clue as to what to get me. So this is me thinking out loud about what I might want to get as a gift.

Music:
The Mass in C Minor by W.A. Mozart

DVDs:
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen;
The Brotherhood (2000) I've heard this is a tasteless gay vampire movie. Oooo!;
Innocent Blood (very cheesy, wonderful!);
Interview with the Vampire (1994);
Near Dark (1987);
The Nightmare Before Christmas (special edition);
Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922);
Polish Vampire in Burbank (1985);
Razor Blade Smile (1998);
Traditional Family Vampires (2001) Right wing vampires! Hee!;
Vampire Princess Miyu;

Honeys: (I love my sweets, especially honey)
Acacia;
Bell Heather;
Eucalyptus;
Pine (a.k.a miel de puce or le miel de sapin);
Sage;
Buckwheat;

Household Items: (practical, yet very appreciated)
A nice non-stick 10-inch skillet, hopefully one that will stand up to my abuse.
A tin of really good Darjeeling Tea

So that's what I've thought of so far. Maybe I ought to ask for a Worldcon membership. Or Minicon. Or maybe just help in putting together my fanzine.

Silly Tees

Aug. 4th, 2003 11:51 pm
mishalak: A fantasy version of myself drawn by Sue Mason (Default)
I was thinking tonight that I would like a dark dark green tee shirt, almost black. With white writing with just a touch of green saying something silly in standard old computer text.

Queer
[Blame the Internet]

Corrupted by the 'net.

Online no one knows you're a cat with a keyboard.

Technology,
bringing you wonderous new ways to argue about religion, guns, and sex.

Sexuality
Straight/Bi/Gay? > G

Me and my terribe ideas before bed.
mishalak: A fantasy version of myself drawn by Sue Mason (Default)
I ate a peach last night before bed. It was a truly beautiful fruit and while I slept I dreamed that was making a shirt from cloth like peach skin. It was a little bit velvety and slithered about on the sewing machine. The color was the same as a peach as well, a pinkish orange with brushes here and there of a rich red. The dream fragmented and made less sense as it went along, but I remember that I was wearing jeans that I had made as well. Instead of being flat there was a pouch in the crotch, nothing extreme, just enough to make them more comfortable like well made underwear. I doubt that I could find this perfect peach cloth to make a shirt, especially one as cool as the one in my dreams, but I might consider making myself some PG-13 jeans like I wore last night while dancing away from demons.

I have had other dreams about fantastic clothing. And daydreams as well. One of my favorites is of a comfortable short sleeved shirt, like a Hawaiian, but with a narrow turned up collar to protect the neck a bit from the intense mountain sunlight. The print would be Coloradan things like scattered gold aspen leaves on the forest floor and pale yellow sunsets over dusky purple mountains. Maybe a prairie field with our light grasses and lots of bright orange Indian Paintbrush under a dark blue high plains sky.

More unlikely was the tie with the moving drips of black ink, but that's starting to cross over from fantasy clothing to just plain magic. Slightly more feasible (but not much) was the tee shirt made of some sort of fiber optic plastic such that the whole thing glowed from light poured into it from the edge by a LED.

I guess all this shows the kind of obsession I have with clothes, eh?
 

Cold Cream

Jun. 30th, 2003 09:33 pm
mishalak: A fantasy version of myself drawn by Sue Mason (Default)
Le Sigh

I have discovered a new dream. If I ever win the lottery I'll get myself a Lussino Ice Cream Maker by Musso. 1½ quart capacity, 100 watt machine that needs no ice and can turn out batch after batch without breaking down... It's apparently rated tops in reliability, though I was also temped by a ice cream maker by DeLonghi at only $400, $120 cheaper than the top of line model I'm lusting after. Maybe I could find a used one on E-bay before next year for a reasonable price...

Well until that glorious day (winning lottery or getting a super bargain) I'm going to have to bum or borrow enough machines for my party this Saturday. I've had problems in the past with machines using lesser motors. Last year I managed to destroy a Rival machine, which was old but hardly used. I suspect that trying to make two batches of ice cream in a row was just too much for the motor.

But by gosh I'll figure out a way to make at least two batches of ice cream and buy the rest for my party! Nothing shall stop me. Bwahahahaah!

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mishalak: A fantasy version of myself drawn by Sue Mason (Default)
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