floatingleaf | Recent Entries

Picked up my cool new specs yesterday.:) Not sure they actually look as good on me as they do by themselves, though. When I first tried them on, I thought the rectangular shape flattered my big round face by making it look more narrow somehow... but now they seem almost intimidating with their sharp angles, and I don't feel like the kind of person who should be wearing glasses like that. Or maybe it's just my deeply ingrained resistance to change speaking up.:P

( Anyway... here's a pic. )

Current Mood: sick

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. )

Current Mood: satisfied

The weather is getting crazier by the minute. Last weekend we had snowstorms and Arctic winds, then freezing rain that covered everything in a thin sheet of ice, and now it's (almost) warm rain and distant thunder. Which is, of course, the preferable variety so far - not that it will last. Anyway, the trip downtown last Monday for a holiday dinner with friends was successful - by which I mean to say that no one froze to death, though I'm sure we all felt pretty close to it after just a few minutes spent outside.;) I don't think warm food & hot tea ever felt so blissfully satisfying to me before... lol. Taking a taxi back home instead of the train was really the only option I could handle under the circumstances, extravagant or not. Btw, I did check on my car after I got back, to see if I can open the door (it could have frozen) and if it will start (since I hadn't used it for about three days). It did. The one thing it didn't occur to me to check was whether I can actually get out of my parking spot (some of the tires were deeply imbedded in frozen snow). ( And so I found the next morning that I couldn't. )

Current Mood: relaxed
Current Music: Enya

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*

Current Mood: cranky

Went to an optometrist today. Only because I have this Flexible Spending Account with $250 in it that has to be used by the end of the year (otherwise I lose it, and it's tax-free money taken from my paycheck, so letting it go would be stupid). And it only covers dental and vision expenses. When I set it up at the end of last year, I thought it would cover any kind of medical expenses - but that's because I was pretty confused about all the different insurance plans, and somehow didn't catch on to the fact that if you pick the high deductible plan with a Health Savings Account, then your Flexible Spending will only be good for dental or vision. So I was rather unpleasantly surprised when it didn't cover my chiropractic visits. See, the US healthcare system is like black magic to me at times... lol. Anyway... since my teeth seem perfectly fine for now (*knocks on wood*), and I've been wearing the same old pair of glasses for about 7 years, I decided that new frames were the sensible choice. I'm getting new lenses too, but the frames are really the hit - they look very modern and stylish.:) Plus, the doctor's assistant (a very attractive young woman) told me I had beautiful, perfectly shaped eyes, which made me feel unreasonably good.;P

In other news, there is supposed to be a severe snowstorm tonight/tomorrow morning over the entire northern Illinois area, including the northwest Chicago suburbs. No sight of it as yet, but we were actually told that if the snowfall is indeed as heavy as the weather forecasts suggest, our office might be closed tomorrow. And if it isn't closed (we're supposed to call our main line first thing in the morning to confirm), then everyone is encouraged to take public transportation to work instead of driving, if possible. I can do it, but it's going to suck, because I have to take a bus, a train and then another bus. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the closing.:P

ETA: Of course we weren't closed. We're never closed.:( But the snowfall wasn't too heavy, mostly just wet slush that melted away pretty quickly. And our office services manager had a few giant pizzas ordered for all the heroic employees who braved the nasty weather on a Friday morning to get to work.:) I don't think I've ever eaten that much pizza in one day. Serious cheese overload. *headshake* There's nothing like some unhealthy food to put you in the holiday spirit, is there?...;)

Current Mood: accomplished

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. )

Current Mood: contemplative

This morning the scale showed 132 lbs. Which means I've lost over two pounds since last weekend. I wonder if it's because I've been angsting so much... lol.

It also means I have almost reached my 'ideal' weight, which is 131. Funny that, since I could swear there is still plenty of absolutely superfluous flab around my belly & thighs. But maybe the flab is so soft it's actually weightless, lol. No firm & toned flesh to be found anywhere on my person, I'm afraid.:P And at 37, healthy weight is no longer enough for the body to keep a proper shape. Unless you work out a lot (which I have neither the time nor the energy for), gravity wins.:/

I do work out, for the record - about 2-3 times a week, on average. 20-30 minutes at a time. Mostly to relax and stretch out the stiff and tired muscles of my back & shoulders, which would be giving me hell otherwise. My neck gives me hell anyway, and it's gotten worse again since I last saw my chiropractor. I know it's mainly the cold weather that's making me tense up and lift my shoulders unconsciously most of the time. I could use more frequent chiropractic appointments, but since I have a high deductible medical plan (which, ironically, I picked because it took the least out of my paycheck), I'm just going to grit my teeth and suffer in silence.:/ Btw, I signed up for an HMO for next year - we'll see how that turns out. And yes, I realize it will lower the paycheck a bit - unless I cut down my 401K contributions (which are only 3% at the moment, so there isn't much cutting I can do). It sucks, but the high deductible plan was seriously kicking me in the pocket and I don't think I can handle that anymore. *sigh*

Why does real life have to be such a pain in the ass? I feel like I am becoming this boring, whinging, grumpy old hag who only talks about disgustingly mundane, petty things. I can barely put up with myself sometimes - why would anyone else?... *headshake*

Current Mood: cranky

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. )

Current Mood: thoughtful

I have a pathetically shameful and a little scary confession to make today. Supposedly I am this mature, clever, organized, responsible and down-to-earth person, right? And yet somehow I managed, for the past two years, to simply ignore the fact that my living expenses are actually HIGHER than my salary. The reason I was physically able to ignore it is because I had savings. Notice the past tense here?... Yep. I somehow managed to bring the contents of my checking account quite a few thousand bucks down while working a full-time job, and never really stop to think about what that means until now. But as of this week, it's finally dawning on me that if my account balance keeps dropping at the current rate, very soon there will be nothing left to fall back on when the paycheck isn't enough.

How did this all happen? ( Well, it's a long story, I suppose. )

Current Mood: distressed

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.

The Cute Monster Test

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

Current Mood: amused

I watched Bent last night. For the first time. I don't honestly know how this movie managed to escape my attention until now, since it was made in 1997, and it's exactly the kind of movie I normally fall over myself to see as soon as I know about it. ( Anyway, Netflix recommended it to me because of some other stuff I had watched, so I was rather curious. )

I also meant to talk about some yaoi comics I've been reading... but it just doesn't feel right after this. Not that there's anything wrong with appreciating both ambitious cinematic art AND porny comics... but you know. Maybe in another post.;) It's just that sometimes I wonder at how my fascination with dark, angsty drama in movies relates to the addiction for fluffy romance and obligatory happy endings in yaoi or fanfic. Seriously, I pretty much hate 'romantic comedies' on screen - unless they're very unique or clever (or gay, lol). And yet, I'm all about fluffy Viggorli and completely unrealistic 'eternal love' between waif-like characters in X-rated manga.:P WTF?... Is it only the het version of this kitsch scenario that irritates me?... Why do I need this predictability of happiness in slash, when about 90% of my favorite on-screen love stories, het or gay, end in tears?... Why do I snort with derision at soap operas, while at the same time getting helplessly hooked on weird gay AU's where all problems disappear as soon as character A & character B end up in bed together?...;) (or better yet, confess their mutual profound affections to each other?) Is it just me, or does that strange discrepancy happen to anyone else?... I'm really curious, you know.

Current Mood: contemplative

Yes, here I go again. It's only the second time I am doing this quiz. What? ;P

Your result for What Spice Are You Test...

You are Sage!

10% Habanero, 20% Sage, 20% Thyme, 10% Ginger, 10% Garlic, 10% Curry, 10% Cinnamon and 10% Oregano!

Sage is a very classic herb. You tend to use intelligence in making decisions instead of brute force.

You are the type of person that people want to get to know and be friends with. You don't feel as if you have to impress people because you tend to be very self assured.

At a party you would be happy to just sit in the corner and watch people, or perhaps find someone to have an intelligent conversation with.

You prefer to think before you act, as you are rather analytical. You can be both dazzling and graceful. People tend to notice you without you trying to make it happen.

You may not be religious, but you are very spiritual. You desire relationships that last rather then passing ones.

Take What Spice Are You Test at HelloQuizzy

Self-assured? Like, really?... I don't see it. I wonder if others do. Could it be that I look in the mirror and still see the terribly self-conscious, neurotic person from years back who isn't there anymore?...

People tend to notice you without you trying to make it happen.

Hmmm... I often go out of my way so that people would NOT notice me, LOL. If I ever 'dazzled' anyone, I was completely unaware of it, and possibly very drunk.;)

Current Mood: relaxed

Snagged from

taelyn_sass:

Your result for What Spice Are You Test...

You are Thyme!

10% Habanero, 20% Sage, 40% Thyme, 0% Ginger, 20% Garlic, 0% Curry, 0% Cinnamon and 10% Oregano!

You are very tolerant and strong!

You can be a very mild person, but you are still very strong and determined. There are times when you are quite colorful and other times when you prefer to stay out of the limelight.

You love to smell good and to stay clean. You probably live by the motto "cleanliness is next to godliness."

You can be very sweet, but you would hate for anyone to describe you that way. You more than likely are one of those people that cry at sad parts in movies but pretend that you aren't crying at all.

You definitely have your own unique way about you - in your speech, dress, and appearance. You don't have to go by the status quo because you feel it's more important to be true to who you are.

Take What Spice Are You Test at HelloQuizzy

Strong and determined?... That's interesting. I keep getting that kind of result from various personality tests lately, and I'm still not convinced of its accuracy - but perhaps there's something there. I can be determined if I want something badly enough - not that it happens very often, lol. Mostly I tend to have a hard time deciding whether something is worth being determined about.:P

Oh, and I usually have no problem admitting that I do cry at sad parts in movies.;)

In other news, Viggo just totally cracked me up. I've been checking out some of his recent interviews from Poland posted on

viggo_vid (the few rare ones that are NOT in 'flv' format, since for some strange reason my computer does not recognize this file format and will not play it, no matter what...:/), and in one of them he was asked how he felt about being considered one of the sexiest men on the planet. So first he just laughed, a bit self-consciously, and said that those times are probably over now (earlier there was a question about his age and what's his secret to looking so young, and he just shrugged and said it must be the genes). Then he proceeded to assure the interviewer that there are probably two or three plumbers right there in the city of Lodz that someone might find sexier than him. LOL. Now, I will mercifully spare everyone my own personal opinion on the attractiveness of an average Polish plumber, but still... poor dear Viggo. He just can't handle being a sex symbol. *chortle*

Current Mood: amused

Dear Santa...

Dear Santa,

This year I've been busy!

In September I farted in an elevator (-6 points). In March I gave

taelyn_sass a life-saving blood transfusion (50 points). In January I ate my brussel sprouts (1 points). Last month I bought porn for

jenlynns_fics (-10 points). Last Wednesday I put money in

willowwing's expired parking meter (14 points).

Overall, I've been nice (49 points). For Christmas I deserve a Lego set!

Sincerely,
floatingleaf

BUAHAHAHAAA!... My sins are pathetic.:P And only one point for eating my Brussels sprouts?... No fair.;D As for that Lego set... can I have an AraLego set instead?...;]

( some self-indulgent seasonal whinging under the cut )

Current Mood: blah

Okay... I tried it again and got a slightly different result:

Your rainbow is intensely shaded white, blue, and violet.

What is says about you: You are a tranquil person. You appreciate quiet moments. People depend on you to make them feel secure. You are patient and will keep trying to understand something until you've mastered it.

Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com.

Though it should probably say: "You are an anal-retentive person and spend far too much time pondering silly stuff like this.";P

Current Mood: silly

Snagged from

gairid and

taelyn_sass:

Your rainbow is shaded violet.

What is says about you: You are a creative person. You appreciate beauty and craftsmanship. You are patient and will keep trying to understand something until you've mastered it.

Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com.

( Mundane RL stuff under the cut. )

Current Mood: accomplished

It's so eerily quiet on LJ today. I hope all my American friends had a great Thanksgiving - my family didn't really celebrate today, because my sister is celebrating with her husband's family, and our parents didn't want to have any kind of special dinner without her (we were all invited to her husband's parents' house, by the way, but we wouldn't really feel comfortable there; my parents, because they don't speak English very well, and me... I'm just kinda paranoid about attending big family parties where I hardly know anyone, especially if I might turn out to be the only unmarried, childless woman in her late thirties; or the only person who neither identifies as a Christian nor worships the ground Bush walks on :|). So we are meeting on Sunday. Anyway, for my mother Thanksgiving is just another excuse to make a lavish dinner for us, because in her mind family life revolves around food. No occasion is properly honored if the table doesn't groan under the weight.;) My dad couldn't care less (especially since his sensitive stomach can't handle much anymore without unpleasant consequences), but he goes along with it, because he's not the one in charge.:P I couldn't care less either, but since I visit them for a Sunday dinner every few weeks anyway, there is no reason for me not to go. Besides, it will make mother happy, and I don't do much else to make her happy these days... lol. If I ever did - but that's a whole another, and maybe we shouldn't talk about it.;)

But speaking of food... ( Read more... )

Current Mood: sarcastic ;)

1) The cold.

2) Having to get up when it's still dark.

3) Leaving work when it's already dark.

4) Having to sit in my old rickety car shivering and waiting for the engine to warm up before I can start driving.

5) Being unable to stop my entire upper body from tensing up when I'm outside, because I fucking HATE the cold and have this unsurmountable urge to lift my shoulders and press my chin to my chest (and before you ask - yes, I always wear a scarf). As a result of this, the back of my neck hurts like hell, even though I laid down for an hour with a heating pad and THEN exercised. I feel like those muscles are never going to relax again.:/

And the above list doesn't even include removing snow from the car or driving on ice/sleet/snow-covered pavements, because those particular pleasures haven't really started yet. It's going to get much, much worse, and I already feel like I've had enough. My family obviously picked the wrong spot on the map when they decided to emigrate. *sigh*

Current Mood: cranky

I feel spoiled - look what

stormatdusk made for me. *points at icon*

In other news, I think I wanted to say something, but it seems my brain has shut down for tonight. I've been frequently staying up too late in recent weeks, mulling over all that's been going on, and my body is telling me in no uncertain terms that it's had enough. "Go to sleep NOW, or I'll give you a migraine tomorrow", it says. *sigh*

So I'm turning in - with the image of that laughing face right under my eyelids...

Current Mood: sleepy

Just checking in to announce that as of today, I am officially an American citizen. I don't feel any more American now than I did this morning before the oath ceremony, but having taken this final step on the long bureaucratic route that started approximately 15 years ago has pushed a huge weight off my shoulders. Granted, there is still the name change thing and all the hassle that will come with it... but seeing as this was my only opportunity to legally change my name at no extra cost (besides the $675 I had to pay for the citizenship application... lol), I would have been stupid not to use it. I don't even have to make court appointments for it, since the oath ceremony took place before a judge and I received a legal document, proving my name has been changed, along with my citizenship certificate (which, of course, bears the new name). What I need to do now is notify all relevant institutions - starting with Social Security, where I need to update my status from permanent resident to citizen. But it's not terribly urgent and I don't have to do it all at once. I don't suppose any of my documents bearing the 'old' name (driver's license, credit cards etc.) have suddenly become invalid - that would be absurd, wouldn't it?

( Read more... )

Current Mood: accomplished

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Floating Leaf

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Floating Leaf

Recent Entries

eh

The Twins strike back :)

Christmas and all that

humbug, basically

(no subject)

musing on priorities

blah blah etc.

another mundane ramble

reality check :|

because wasting time is my hobby ;)

another movie that everyone else has seen already, and a seemingly unrelated fannish ramble

I can't help it, really

You are Sage!

(no subject)

You are Thyme!

nothing, really

can you tell I love personality quizzes to distraction?... LOL

(no subject)

(no subject)

five random things I hate about winter

(no subject)

it's official OMG

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