floatingleaf | Recent Entries

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

Fate has a twisted sense of humor, and sometimes bad things can lead to good things. Or the other way round, of course - but what I'm pondering right now is that old saying about finding true friends only through misfortune. Sometimes it takes a very unpleasant circumstance for people to show their true colors, or for me to distinguish whom I really can and should trust with my unguarded thoughts and feelings. Because, obviously everyone is very kind and polite when they agree on things. It's how they behave when they don't that really tells you what you need to know about them. And the key word in this is RESPECT. So, here's a little bow of respect to my friends - regardless of their opinions. Thank you, once again, for your kindness and grace in difficult times, and for being open with me. And for not expecting me to prove my loyalty by digging trenches or building barricades. Those alien structures have no place here, and I'm keeping my journal public so anyone can see that.

And that's all I have to say from my private little soapbox. Good night.

Current Mood: thankful

Apparently today is International Day for Tolerance. And

taelyn_sass posted this cool banner on her LJ, which I have promptly snagged, because it's just the coolest thing ever. Seriously. I saw it once on a bumper sticker, and have been looking for that image ever since. I love the symbolism. It applies to so much that's been going on around me lately, on all levels - from the global to the personal. It pretty much sums up my entire approach to life, spirituality, ideologies, human interactions, what have you. And it has a nice, aesthetically pleasing look to it as well.;)

In other irrelevant news, I have already started Christmas shopping this weekend, because I am becoming increasingly agoraphobic as I get older, and am slightly paranoid about the ordeal of having to visit crowded malls in December (as well as listen to the same disgustingly stupid Christmas songs over and over). *shudder* I am such a fan of commercialized holiday spirit... lol. If not for my parents, I would probably boycott and/or ignore the whole thing altogether...

And that's all I have to say tonight, I'm afraid. Just feeling talkative for some reason (or should I say 'typeative'? because I haven't actually talked to anyone since yesterday morning, and even though my parents called today, I purposely neglected to call them back). Or possibly procrastinating until it's too late to exercise.:P

Current Mood: lazy

So, I've been going through the list of

mome_awards nominations, not really expecting much, because, you know, it's a multi-pairing event, and I honestly only care for one pairing (or two, if you separate FPS from RPS) - so whatever was nominated in that category is usually known to me already. Well... not so this time. I actually might have discovered the most unbelievably glorious A/L fic of all time. Leaves of Gold by

lady_elina. Now please don't laugh at me, because it's a classic, written in 2004, and I am probably the last one in fandom to unexpectedly stumble upon it - but I'm sure I haven't read it before, because such heart-stopping beauty could never be forgotten. It is crafted with such loving attention to detail - every sentence is perfection. And the depth of characterization is amazing too. It is also absolutely heartbreaking, because it stays true to canon - and we A/L lovers know only too well what that means (in my case, a HUGE box of Kleenex... LOL). Which is why some readers/writers with fragile emotional constitution tend to escape into the realm of happy fluff to balance it out and keep their sanity. Not that I'm pointing my fingers here or anything.:P But, you know, some say that happy!fic simply doesn't work for this pairing, that it's not believable. And maybe they're right. But the reason I crave that happy fic is not because I don't appreciate meaningful, well-written angst. It's because there's only so much my heart can take before I feel like throwing the windows open and howling at the moon. Which probably wouldn't be a good idea right now.;)

But I digress again. The point is, if by any chance you haven't read Leaves of Gold, you're missing out on some seriously outstanding writing. If there's ever an obligatory reading list for people who want to do academic research on our fandom, that story should be on it. Just make sure to keep plenty of tissues handy before you dive in.:P

Oh, and btw - this is a great opportunity to use my brand new official fic rec icon, made by

stormatdusk.:)

Current Mood: enthralled

Guess what? They dropped another bombshell on us at work today. We are being sold again. As of January 2009, we will no longer be part of The Nielsen Company. We are in the process of being acquired by another giant international media research corporation, called Kantar. What does that mean? Well, for one, all the people that Nielsen had laid off aren't going anywhere, because every single employee we have now will be hired by Kantar. So, technically, there will be no layoffs - at least for now. Secondly, we no longer have to deal with that obnoxious outsourcing company in India, because, as of today, we are not outsourcing our work anymore. They have a contract with Nielsen, not with us directly, and we aren't going to have anything to do with Nielsen in a few weeks, so we can safely forget about them... lol. No more faxing stuff back and forth fifteen times a week and wasting precious time correcting their mistakes. We will still be cross-training within our department, because the boss thinks cross-training is a good thing (which it probably is) - but there will be no more pressure to multitask like crazy, because no-one's leaving and we will have enough staff on site to manage the workload just fine. So, primarily, I will still be doing what I was originally hired to do. Which sounds perfect.

Of course, there are other consequences of this news which we haven't figured out yet. Like, for example, changes to our employee benefit plans, holiday schedule, payroll etc. Some of it will stay the same, but certainly not all, and even our HR manager didn't have the answers today (btw, most of the managers only found out about the whole thing this morning). But the bottom line is that we all have jobs, and the new parent company isn't going to interfere as much with the way we do them. Which is enough of a shock in itself, after what's been going on for the last few months... *blinks in disbelief*

Current Mood: surprised

So, just like

surreysmum had predicted, the cause for my sencond visit to the INS headquarters was 'minor and absurdly bureaucratic'. Namely, in one place on the document confirming my newly acquired citizen status and name change, I had printed out my old name instead of the new one, and the officer didn't notice until after I had left. And that is why she had to call me in for another appointment, I had to take four hours off work, take a ride downtown etc.etc.etc. Because I needed to fix my signature. Bureaucracy RULES, I tell you. *headshake* ( Read more... )

Current Mood: accomplished

I wasn't planning on posting today, but my muses were gracious last night and allowed me to finish a ficlet I had started many weeks ago. It's another glimpse into my 'Twins universe'. Just a bit of warm, fluffy sweetness with a touch of harmless kink - exactly what you need to warm you up on a gray, frigid November night. Like a glass of hot spiced cider or something.;P

Title: Afterglow
Author: Floating Leaf
Pairings: Estel/Legolas, Elladan/Elrohir
Rating: R
Summary: Legolas furthers Estel's sexual education.:P
Warnings: The usual – twincest, silliness, very little plot and way too much fluff.;)
Disclaimer: They still aren't mine, dammit!
Author's Notes: This ficlet immediately follows Voyeurs, posted in August. If you click on the 'my fiction' tag below, you will see all previous little snippets leading up to this one (the 'Twins' series starts with Naughty Thoughts, a few entries down). As well as all my other A/L stuff, of course.:)

( Hand in hand, Legolas and Estel walked through the woods, quiet in the aftermath of their passionate lovemaking. )

Current Mood: satisfied

Snagged from

taelyn_sass.

( Another one of those 'random question' memes. )

In other news, I had a call this morning form the nice immigration officer who conducted my citizenship interview. She said she had overlooked something and needs me to come again. Probably no reason to get nervous, but... wtf??? I should have known it seemed too smooth & easy to be true.:| Besides, I was already saving my LAST AVAILABLE vacation day for the oath of allegiance appointment. And now I had to take another half day off. At that rate, pretty soon I might have to start coming in to work on Saturdays just to make up my regular 40 hours, not to be paid for overtime. *sigh*

( Speaking of work... it's a fun little circus of insanity of late. )

Current Mood: sleepy

YES!!! Thank you to all my dear friends and kind strangers who voted for Barack Obama yesterday. I feel indebted to you for giving this country a chance of becoming one I can proudly call myself a citizen of (within the next few weeks, hopefully). I do admit I had my doubts over recent years - at times it felt like immigrating here from Poland might be eerily akin to jumping from the frying pan into the fire - but now I know for a fact that the majority of people in this country share my views on many important issues. Otherwise the results of this election would have been different. So maybe I can stop feeling so disconnected now. Maybe I can start caring about what's going on around me and ask myself what I can do to improve it. Maybe I can start believing that what I care about actually matters on a social and/or political level. Despite the fact that I happen to identify with quite a few traditionally underpriviledged minority groups, lol. Because all of those groups, and a few others, made their voices heard loud and clear last night. And even though part of my own family voted against them, and I couldn't vote at all, they won. We won. Because most of us believe that the dark ages of intolerance and hatred for those who have the courage to be different should stay where they belong - in the past. And that "live and let live" makes more sense than "live and tell others how they should live too". Knowing this is not some magic problem fix just by itself, of course... but it gives me so much hope. As well as a definition of being American I can gladly subscribe to (as opposed to the arrogant and/or ignorant redneck model which seems to have been the predominant export image in recent years). In light of this, perhaps taking 'the oath of allegiance to the United States' will not make me feel as uneasy and kind of doubtful as I feared it might...

In addition to thanking those who voted, I also want to thank those who inspired me to occasionally peek out of my protective fantasy bubble and look around the real world I live in. Those who with their thoughtful posts, generous sharing of links/information and honestly expressed opinions on social/political topics provoked me to do some occasional serious reading (as opposed to fanfic reading, lol) and increase my knowledge. Viggo is certainly number one on this list (no, I haven't read everything he ever posted - or recommended - on Perceval Press... far from it; but one day I might, who knows?...;). I find him just as stimulating for the brain as he is for the senses... lol. Which probably goes a long way in explaining the depths of my obsession... but I digress again.:P What I wanted to say now is that I am also grateful to some people right here on my flist, or fandom in general, who occasionally (or, in some cases, quite often) take the time to talk about serious issues. Being the habitual escapist from reality that I am, I probably wouldn't even be aware of many things going on in this country/world if not for my virtual acquaintance with richly educated and mentally evolved ladies like

gairid,

rainweaver13 or

mellacita - to name but a few. So, paradoxically, diving head first into fandom (a sublime form of escapism in itself) has helped me develop some kind of social consciousness I'm not sure I actually had before. And for this I am thankful - as much as for the gorgeous fiction and other illicit thrills fandom has to offer.;) It is amazing to know that we - a group of virtual strangers - can connect on so many levels. And becoming a fellow citizen to all of you - as well as to Viggo - makes me extremely proud indeed. *nods*

Current Mood: grateful

So... about yesterday. My second 'real life' encounter with The Man.:P Still no progress in the eye contact department (= he's still blissfully unaware of my existence, LOL), and I think that's rather symbolic in the general context of my interactions (or lack thereof) with people I admire... but let's not expand on that for the moment. I had a very good view of him 'in the flesh' for quite some time, though - more than I hoped for, actually. So I guess it all evens out in the end. *sigh*

( Here's the whole story - or most of it, anyway. )

Current Mood: impressed

Just checking in for the benefit of the few kind souls who were keeping their fingers crossed for me today (you know who you are :). I passed. Everything went so smoothly I am almost shocked by it... lol. ( Here are the details. )

Current Mood: relieved

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Floating Leaf

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Floating Leaf

Recent Entries

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

(no subject)

I'm still antisocial, but tolerant :P

where was this fic hiding from me all these years???...

nobody saw that one coming, I bet

random RL post

the Twins came back to cheer me up - how nice of them, isn't it?...:P

blah blah blah

post-election ramble

"Good" premiere at Chicago Film Festival (mild spoilers included)

on citizenship, ethnicity, name spelling issues and other related subjects

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July 2023

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