We had a TV set up in the breakroom at work today, to watch Obama's inauguration. It was too early for my lunch break, so I only came in for a few minutes and got the middle part of his speech - which turned out to be my favorite part (thanks for posting the entire text, taelyn_sass). In fact, I left the room so quickly because I was afraid for a moment I might actually start crying in public.:)

Here's the excerpt in question:

We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West -- know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

Yes. Yes and yes. And... yes. There's nothing left to be said after this, really. *crosses fingers for the future*

-10F/-20C today. Had to take public transportation to work, because my car is stuck in the frozen snow yet again. I knew it was stuck as soon as I parked it last night - there was this sudden shift as the tires slid into the groove. And I thought I had picked a relatively safe, even parking spot.:/ Anyway... standing around waiting for a bus/train in such hellish temperatures is NOT FUN. After about five minutes, everything starts to hurt. Your fingers hurt. Your toes hurt. Your face hurts. Your fucking LUNGS hurt as you breathe. After 15 minutes you're almost ready to fall over, and then want to hug the bus driver and thank him for rescuing you from certain death as he arrives.;)

I got home nearly three hours ago, and my toes are still tingling. Started the car (it actually starts!... groaning and wheezing a lot, of course, but man, a 12-year-old car starting in this weather is nothing short of a miracle... lol), poured some salt around the tires and moved back and forth a bit, but I don't hold high hopes for being able to get out of my parking spot tomorrow morning. So... public transportation again. It's supposed to be a bit warmer, though - as in somewhere around 5F/-15C. A hell of an improvement, really. And then almost up to the freezing point over the weekend (we were laughing at work today, saying it's gonna be a heatwave... lol). I wonder if that means I'll be able to get my car out. I'm stocked up on groceries for the time being, but will have to shop at some point next week - and I can't really do any substantial grocery shopping without my car.:(

Anyway... the tingling toes seem to suggest I'm still alive, but my brain feels numb. The two mugs of piping hot tea I had after dinner are making me pleasantly woozy. All I can think of right now is my WARM, comfy bed. I need SLEEEEEP. *yawns*

Wake me up sometime in April, k?... *passes out*

Snagged from taelyn_sass:

Your result for The Pop Culture Archetype Personality Test...

The Monk

Ninja, Monkey, Zombie, Cowboy

Take The Pop Culture Archetype Personality Test at HelloQuizzy

The damn thing nailed me, I swear. Well, maybe not so the 'prophet' or 'champion' part... but avoidant behavior? Intense social discomfort? Becoming so absorbed in thought that they ignore physical reality altogether? Oh yeah. Welcome to my world... LOL. *headshake*

Guess what? I'm sick again. I've been coming down with a cold since Monday. Tried to ignore it at first, because well, I'd just taken a sickie the previous week for God's sake, and besides, it's never a good idea to start using your sick days right at the beginning of January... but this morning I just couldn't get up. I mean, I dragged myself out of bed at about 7:15, plopped down on the toilet seat and promptly dozed off again. After about twenty minutes of just sitting there with the room spinning lazily around me, I realized there was no chance I'd ever make it to work on time, so I dragged myself back to bed. And slept through most of the day. ( Read more... )

Hello and Happy New Year, everyone. I sure had fun last night. Want to know what I was doing? What had me so preoccupied that I barely noticed the stroke of midnight?... Well... I was playing with dolls. No, not my own lost and broken childhood relics, or the stunningly gorgeous and horrifically expensive Japanese ball-joint hotties that I wish I could afford. And not the sex-shop kind either.:P I spent hours entertaining myself, quietly and at no cost whatsoever, with the Candybar Doll Maker. And I didn't even need alcohol to make this fun (though I did have some, just because it seemed stupid NOT to have any on New Year's Eve... lol). ( Read more... )

So, without further ado, here's a multiracial party parade.:) (I couldn't find a way of changing a doll's skin color, so I didn't make a black or a very dark-skinned doll; but I tried for some variety with facial features and other details instead)

( virtual cuties under the cut ;) )

Here's the promised treat - my latest A/L + E/E ficlet. Just as silly and naughty as the rest of them.;) Enjoy!

Title: Winter Solstice
Author: Floating Leaf
Pairings: A/L, Elladan/Elrohir
Rating: R (no actual sex, but plenty of dirty talk instead ;)
Summary: Our lovely foursome plans on celebrating Winter Solstice together.:P
Warnings: Twincest, hints of possible group sex (not that I'm saying it will actually happen :D).
Disclaimer: Forgive me, Professor.
Author's Notes: Written as a Christmas gift for Nancy.

( “Our first Winter Solstice together”, the elven prince mused, delighting in the serene expression on his lover's face. )

I feel sooo tired. Saw my chiropractor this morning (she said I was just as tense and knotted up as I had been at the time of my first appointment back in October :/). Then went to the post office to pick up the last item for my Santa sack (I ordered most of the gifts online this year, to save time and avoid holiday madness at the stores - only to end up having to stand in long lines at the hellishly crowded local post office, because they always deliver when I'm at work, and for some unfathomable reason online bookstores refuse to send the entire order in one package, so that I would need to collect it only once and be done with it, instead of having to pick up each book separately; how is that 'better service' for me, I'll never understand). Then spent $90 on groceries - even though I went to one of the supposedly 'cheaper' stores and only got essentials (milk, cereal, eggs, yogurts, canned soups, chicken tenders, beans, onions, apples, bananas etc.). Maybe I need to change my definition of 'essentials'.:/ I also drove downtown to see if I could find my way around the area, because I am invited to have dinner with akashaelfwitch, jades_tempest and namarie120 (who's in Chicago for the holidays) at a downtown restaurant on Monday night. Unsurprisingly, I gave up on that pretty quickly. Not on the dinner, that is, but on trying to find my way around downtown while driving. It just doesn't seem to be on the list of things I am capable of.:( Screw it. I'm taking the train. Never mind that it's supposed to be around 5F/-15C outside. Which it probably already is at this point. Btw, there's a nice little Arctic blizzard picking up right now. If I don't use my car tomorrow (and I don't suppose anything will make me go outside in this weather) or on Monday (since I'm planning to take the train to work and then straight downtown from there), I might have trouble finding it under the snow on Tuesday morning - let alone digging it out.:[

Yeah. So much for holiday spirit. I thought I had it for a moment there, but it's gone. Can I just go to sleep and wake up sometime in the spring, perhaps?... With sunshine and flowers and enough money in the bank so I don't have to compare the prizes of canned foods?... Not really?... Oh well. Figured as much.:|

ETA: The nice little Arctic blizzard has been raging all night, and is still very much in force as of next morning. My windows are rattling, and I feel chilly despite the fact that the radiators are too hot to touch. And it's only the FIRST official day of winter in sweet home Chicago. *swallows a nasty curse*

So last Friday was the company-wide annual holiday lunch at a luxurious restaurant, with a gift lottery, after which we were dismissed for the rest of the afternoon. And today was another holiday lunch at the office, just for the operations department (about 20 people in all), with food ordered in and more games and prizes afterwards. And we were also (more unexpectedly this time) dismissed for the rest of the day. Even though everyone will still put down "8 hours worked" on their timesheet.

( See, this is why I don't want to change my job. )

We had our annual holiday lunch at work today, after which they let us go home early - so I used that opportunity to get my new driver's license (otherwise I would need to take time off work to do this). I had my car title with me, but no one even asked me about it - they just wanted proof of name change. So I guess it's not necessary to get the title changed as well, after all (and if it's not necessary, I'm certainly not doing it, because it would involve an extra fee). Anyway... I have this brand new shiny license with a new name and a new photo now.:) The photo looks better than the previous one, which showed a fat face with a double chin (it was taken before Weight Watchers, lol) - but guess what? It shows a big, red, nasty cold sore on my lip instead.:( And I don't even get cold sores anymore. Not since I started actually drinking plain water on a daily basis, as opposed to only sweetened and/or caffeinated beverages (which does improve the skin considerably, among other things). Seriously, I haven't had a cold sore in months - so it figures I would get one now, just when I need to have a photo taken.:/ But what can you do - it's been very cold, dry and crispy this week, and my lips keep cracking even though I apply chapstick every five minutes or so. *sigh*

In other news, last night I went to another cheap grocery store that a coworker told me about, and got a solid supply of food for less than fifty bucks. Not sure how long exactly it will last me, but I bought ingredients for three different recipes - and usually every time I cook I make at least 3/4 servings (= meals), sometimes more. So it is technically possible to feed a single stomach on $200 a month.:) ( That makes me feel hopeful. )

Snagged from willys_digs:

What Your Cute Monster Says About You

You are a deep, thoughtful, down to earth person. You don't put much stock in appearances. You are never superficial or flippant. You take time in life to study, learn, and get to know people well. You inner demon is laziness. You can get so caught up in your own world that you neglect everything around you. People think you're cute because you're intelligent. Your wit and wisdom are charming.

OH YEAH (on the laziness part, lol). The rest of it is more or less true as well.;)