Mishalak

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!