Days of Shades

- because it is feeling full to bloatedness. So far I've

*Caught up with bluwyngz and zair99 before Kat had to return to England.
*Finished the AZP website (minor edits still to be made before it goes live)
*Put in a solid few hours on a newish consulting project
*Balanced all my accounts through January, including the odd one I haven't kept track of since May
*Had my toofs cleaned
*Archived and cleaned off some 6 gigs of information from LuTze (more impressive sans DVD burner)
*Defraggled LuTze and crap-cleaned his registry. He was slow as mud, but is much more spritely now, as befits a Time Monk.
*Nipped an odd cooking insecurity in the bud (and managed to focus enough to be helpful...almost)
*Danced
*Ate my leafy greens (I never do this)

I have a Quebecois concert to go to in about half an hour, and after that my tired, burning contacts can finally fall out of my head and I can get ready for the (comparatively dull) work week.

I resolve to be just as productive about the SkArt stuff next week, which should be easier since all of the computer maintenance and financial management crap is done, and I won't have the delightful distraction of bluwyngz and zair99 (much as I'll miss them). I also resolve to have more energy to take advantage of other delightful distractions. I had a lovely evening saturday, but was up to late and had a wonky mood today. Luckily things like checkbooks don't care how you feel.

Ye little fishies, I'm tired.

I've recognised the importance of companionship and general social contact for a long time. The importance of normal daily interaction and conversation to my moods (most people's moods) really became apparent when I was about sixteen. before that I had my loner streak - now I still sometimes have the impulse, but I know that no matter what my first impulse, I will probably feel better if I choose the more social route, even if it is initially more uncomfortable. People in isolation spiral into themselves, and it's a twisted path.

It is only in the last year or two that I've come to realise the value in actual physical human contact. Oh, I always intellectually realised it as it applied to, say, small children and infants. I hate it when parents carry little bubba junior in the plastic baby-bucket. Hug your widget, dammit! But it was only more recently that I recognised the importance of physical contact as it applies to people in general and me in particular. "Have you had a hug today?" just sounds sooo doofy - but it really does make a great deal of mood difference. I suppose I've noticed it more recently - I've been comparatively clingy (for me, and physically rather than psychologically) - I think Kat and ribbitkisser can attest to that. We are social creatures and being touched (not THAT way, stop snickering) improves our mood.

So imagine contra dancing, with our wonderfully eclectic mix (any age or body type accepted here). We're lining up for the next dance, way at the end of the room by the big fan. It's right after the break, and I sat the last one out, so instead of breaking a sweat I'm standing in front of the fan and freezing. Virginia (WWU slide librarian, contra organiser, all-round sweetheart) comes by, noticing my shivering and zombie fingers, and exclaims "This girl needs a hug!" and proceeds to put that into effect. In a second Paul (partner for that dance, also a fiddler) is on the other side, so we're a Paul-Sarah-Virginia sandwhich...until Virginia yells 'Sarah Sandwich!' at which point Tom (I think it's Tom...the guy with the santa hat and the black skirt) and the cute little old British-Canadian lady pile in too.

Okay, so I was quickly in dire need of oxygen, but talk about feelin' loved. :) And then there was dancing, so there was also feeling dizzy - I danced some in my stocking-feet, which meant having to deal with the whole oddly-sized-legs thing more, but gave me excellent spin on the floor (which is the very reason I don't usually do it...if you want to know, ask me for the story about stocking feet and fiddle tunes contra). Also, we all know my favorite move is a 'gypsy', and tonight I heard it described as the "Grand Leer." Figures.

Once again, I found myself sitting at home alone on friday night. Quelle suprise. Obviously, in dire straits like these, the first thing any 20-something chic does is get on the internet and blow some $100 or more with her credit card, right?

Right!*

Unfortunatley, after that I was still sitting at home on a friday night - but I have more than $100 to pay off of my credit card. So I turned to more safe pursuits. Safe for me at least - I played with halloween photos I just got back. Two disclaimers - 1, I am not a photographer. 2. Er... 2.

*'more than $100' being a very rough approximation of the combined application fees of the University of Washington and Harvard. Yeah, you read that right. No, I'm not finished with my apps - just the bit where I send them money.

( photos )

I'm sure every grad school applicant who has ever had to suffer through them has ranted on the giant rip-off and inconvienience that is the GRE, so go find what they said, and I won't bother writing anything. Suffice it to say that I've now scheduled mine, and the train ticket down to Seattle, and my cousin and her husband have graciously agreed to put me up - on a real bed, even! Hot diggity damn. Upshot, I'll be gone friday morning to Saturday evening, spend money I don't have at Uwagimaya (Spelling, I know), see one of the more fun parts of my family, and get down to some standardized testing fun.

In other news, I contra-danced enough last night that my ankles were killing me - but it's a happy, 'Hey, I'm more fit than i was 24 hours ago!' kind of death (I think Melizard enjoyed it too - of course, she was willingly taken to my fete of hokiness, unlike Derryck). Between that, finishing a strip, and having it decided by independent 3rd parties that I'm not hit on often enough, my ego's doing a happy little dance of exaustion. Dance, dance!

Also, I think my french is better this week than it was last week. This isn't a learning curve, it's purely random (I have gone backwards more than once), and I'm excited when I'm on the upswing. Now, to actually use it on a french person...hmmm. Speaking of French people, I finally put in the CD of Therese Brenet compositions. Why didn't I do this before? Quel violon. I'm inclined to agree with my Da that some of it's too 'modern' for me, but...wow.

Think I'll stick to my fiddlin'. I can DO that!