floatingleaf: (simply viggo)
[personal profile] floatingleaf
So, where to begin?... First of all, I had a great time last Saturday with [livejournal.com profile] akashaelfwitch, [livejournal.com profile] namarie120, [livejournal.com profile] helynhighwater and [livejournal.com profile] elvishlady09. We had a delicious dinner at Macaroni Grill (accompanied, in my case, by a full glass of Chardonnay...:), then I went back to the hotel with them and we chilled out some more, including a hilarious photography session of three little fluffy bunnies engaged in various adventurous sexual positions (don't ask... LOL; but I'm sure the pictures will emerge online as soon as they're developed...;), as well as watching American Yakuza on [livejournal.com profile] namarie120's laptop. I think I got my first feel of what a "slashy retreat" must be like - and I really hope I can make it to one some day.:D There's nothing like speaking the same language (very figuratively in this case) with a group of people you can actually see, being with them in the same room at the same time, LOL. It made me nostalgic for the good old times when I used to socialize on a regular basis and had an established group of friends whom I saw about once a week... *wistful sigh* They are very far away now, though, and I'm not very likely to see them again anytime soon, so...



Anyway... I think I'm seriously in love with [livejournal.com profile] helynhighwater's sense of humor.;) I wish I had made notes of some of her best lines... LOL. For example, she claimed that our little hapless bunnies (forced to star in an outrageous porn flick...:P) didn't need to be fluffed, because they were fluffy already.:D And during the film, when the Japanese girl told Viggo she was an interior decorator, Helyn added huskily: "I hoped you would decorate MY interior" (which, needless to say, sent us rolling around helplessly on the hotel room carpet).

On Sunday I hung out with Akasha and Helyn again, including a visit to a "haunted house", which unfortunately had nothing in common with REAL haunted houses, like the ones I had been shown during my trip to New Orleans last year. Instead, it was a typically American Halloween experience. In other words, nothing I would have enjoyed on my own; but I don't consider the time wasted, because the company was fun enough in itself.:D

Yesterday my mother called, and I did pick up the phone, because it had been three weeks since my family last heard anything from me, and I figured that was enough, LOL. I let her chatter cheerfully in her usual way, hoping to somehow divert the conversation from the inevitable... but it did happen. She did ask, "So how's work?" And since I was almost ready by then to finish the lengthy chat, and definitely not ready to have it last another hour, I said, "Fine". It wasn't even a conscious decision; it just came out, if you know what I mean. My first instinct was "oh no, we are not discussing this NOW". She wasn't suspicious or anything, she just said she wished I would sometimes share some work-related stories. That almost made me snort in disbelief. Oh, the stories I could tell you, mother... *sigh* But I just bit my lip and said there was nothing interesting to tell (probably the most blatant lie that ever left my mouth... LOL). So she chalked it up to my usual reticence and moved on to another topic. Leaving me kinda stunned at how disturbingly easy it is to keep her in the dark after all. What am I afraid of? She can't read my mind. Never could. I thought I had a serious problem with lying, but I apparently don't. Not with lying to her, anyway. My father may be a different story, but she hardly ever leaves any questions for him to ask, so... Still, I promised to visit them next Sunday, and I don't know how easy it will be then. I seem unable to actually reach a decision on whether to tell them or not, so I end up "going with the flow". It's an interesting experiment, in a way. How long can I go without actually blurting it out?...

Another thing I have to mention is the brilliant movie I saw last night. Everything Is Illuminated with Elijah Wood. Simply stunning. It is the directorial debut of Liev Schreiber (the guy who played Diane Lane's betrayed husband in A Walk on the Moon), and tells the story of a young American Jew of Ukrainian descent, obsessed with his family history and going back to Ukraine to search for the woman who had saved his grandfather from the Nazis. It seems like a silly comedy at the beginning, with the inevitable, utterly hilarious culture clash and all... but gradually develops into the most poignantly tragic tale that had me gasping at its profound symbolism (the most eloquent moments are completely without dialogue). It is beautifully shot as well, and every little word or detail has layers of meaning. This is what I call true film-making. Elijah is definitely making wise career choices, lol. But I think that the "star" of this particular movie is Eugene Hutz, who plays his Ukrainian interpreter/guide. His individual brand of English and his entire manner are simply priceless. I wholeheartedly recommend this film to anyone who appreciates cinematic art (as opposed to mindless entertainment).

And now I'm going to shut up and go back to reading Tender Persuasion by Bailey.:) I stumbled upon a link to this story somewhere on LJ and got immediately hooked, even though it has 25 chapters and is currently keeping me from reading recent flist updates.;) What can I say? It is beyond my power to resist... LOL. And yes, it has mpreg - as well as some non-con at the beginning. Things I usually try to avoid. Still, it's Bailey. And Viking Viggo may be one of the famous cliches of the fandom... but it works every time.:P Mmmmm, does it ever. *melts*

OK. I really need to stop now. I have been pattering away at the keyboard for far too long... *rolls stiff shoulders*

Also, I am far too hungry to care that I should not be eating at this late hour. *admits defeat*

*runs off to satisfy sinful cravings for food and porn - in that order ;P*

(no subject)

Date: 2006-10-27 04:38 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] oceansecrets2.livejournal.com
The weekend is very much what a slashy retreat is like - we throw in a few writing games (and a lot more food and alcohol!) but you said it perfectly when you talked about people who speak the same language you do! People who share your tastes and get your jokes and understand your references and in some cases can finish your sentences for you. I hope you can come to one of them soon.

(no subject)

Date: 2006-10-27 08:53 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] floatingleaf.livejournal.com
I hope so too!... *wistful sigh*

Basically, the problem with me is that I have gotten so used to spending most of my time alone, I actually feel weird around people sometimes. And I feel weird spending the night in a strange bed - if you know what I mean. Even staying overnight at my parents' house - where I used to live only three years ago - makes me uneasy. And I haven't really travelled since I moved to live in the US (except for the trip to New Orleans last year - but that was all arranged by my friend who went with me, just like my immigration move was all arranged by my parents). And driving anywhere outside the Chicago area on my own, in my old, decrepit car is simply out of the question (I just KNOW the old piece of junk would fall apart on me... lol). Especially considering the fact that I'm scared of highways. *sigh* Hell, I don't even have a cell phone (yeah, Akasha keeps telling me I'm not living in the 21st century...:D). I don't think I would use it much if I got one (seeing as I hardly ever use the home phone either - I'm a reclusive hermaphrodite, lol) - so why pay for it?... Anyway, as you have surely figured out by now, I have become pretty antisocial, and something as simple as traveling to another state seems almost too much of an adventure for me right now...;) Not to even mention the fact that I would feel guilty spending money on travel now that I'm unemployed - and once I start a new job, it won't be easy to get any time off soon. Is it really that complicated, or am I just inventing problems?... Please be honest with me.:P

(no subject)

Date: 2006-10-28 12:49 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] oceansecrets2.livejournal.com
I can understand being uneasy meeting new people - believe me, I'm that way myself! But I've never had a problem meeting people I know online - as you saw with Helyn over the weekend, we have so much in common we just "click" and it's as if we've known each other forever. As far as travel and expense, I can understand that too. We're trying to plan several retreats in different parts of the country next year - I don't think we can find an affordable site in the Chicago area, but if there's something within driving distance perhaps you and Akasha can drive together?

(no subject)

Date: 2006-10-28 01:23 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] floatingleaf.livejournal.com
I can understand being uneasy meeting new people - believe me, I'm that way myself!

It's not so much meeting new people in itself, as letting them see me in my pajamas, right out of the shower, with messy hair etc. I'm terribly self-conscious... lol. I have no doubt we would "click" on mental level, though.

if there's something within driving distance perhaps you and Akasha can drive together?

I'd love that... but Akasha is moving to Ohio, remember?:( Anyway... I guess I just have to pull myself together and overcome my inhibitions, or I'm going to morph into a snail that never peeks out of its shell. *sigh*

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