Thank you for the birthday happies! I spent most of the day running overstage light hang for A Christmas Carol and then came home to nurse a lingering migraine. But, the folks in the production office got me a lovely assortment of goodies from Goddess and the Baker (I just finished a slice of rainbow cake) and I may try to get a nicer-than-my-norm meal this evening. My parents called, which is normal, and my brother called, which never happens. So that was nice.

I've never been a very active Tweeter but I do like following writers, historians, and various folks with particular insights into their specialties. I'm waiting to see how things shake out.

Windsparrow commented on FB this morning:

Daniel will need another surgery. This will happen Monday or Tuesday.

Timelies all!

Well, we’re here at OVFF. The trip yesterday was very rough. Mr. S had a major meltdown on the flight such that we had to have the flight attendant call paramedics to meet us at the gate. Ended up going to the ER. Today has been a little better, but there were some meltdowns. This will probably be the last con out of state for a while, Sigh…

Went to the NWSL championship and the fan fest beforehand. Lots of fun, got a few autos but not all I wanted, realized I don’t recognize as many players when they’re made up and in regular clothes, not with ponytail and game jersey. Sadly the team we were rooting for lost, and then when we left, someone had smashed in the window of my friend’s car!! Shitty.

Pity about the window, but I’m glad the rest was fun.

Spent yesterday with my 14-YO niece, who plays hockey and is really really into dragons and isn't turning her schoolwork in and my brother can't figure out how to get her to do it. I get the strong sense she's at least tangentially in fandom but I didn't push her on it. Suspect she may be posting fanart somewhere, maybe? Maybe she's on Tumblr?

Anyway I did the aunt thing and talked a lot about how Keladry of Mindelin (a Tamora Pierce heroine) is great because she's not magic, and she becomes a hero because she does the work. And talked about how my career was pretty scattershot and while I didn't end up doing what I thought I would do at 14, I have a pretty good life and I like my job.

The real issue is that I suspect she has some executive functioning issues and my SIL just nags at her (which doesn't help), and my brother is pretty resistant to getting her tested or engaging with official channels on that. I know plenty of highly-function folks with ADHD, but you kind of have to make the effort to develop the tools, and I don't think he is.

That said I have no real business telling him how to parent. So instead I come here to mope about it.

She's a very nice kid, easy to please, clearly pretty smart, interested in things, and I hope she is able to figure out how to develop enough skills so that she can have a decent life and support herself, even if it's not what her parents would have wanted.

Anyway now I have her cell # so I will probably be using that a bit to send her memes and support on the DL.

I did the aunt thing

You get to be the cool aunt. Make the most of it, for both of you.

Aww yay getting to be the cool aunt even if hard to watch a loved one struggle and not be able to actually do much.

Am staying with a friend for a few days here and she’s at the end of her rope—-her kid is having a LOT of big feels (divorce, other mom peaced out to another state, older cousin moved in to go to school (because she’s from a country where things are v precarious right now) and kiddo already had a lot of issues (likely adhd possibly others) and add a couple pandemic years of difficult parenting….it’s a mess. Kid screams and cries and hits and destroys stuff and friend is exhausted and at her wits end. It’s tough (and I can only help so much—can entertain kid some and talk to her but when she gets mad she’s also mad I’m here, so)

Good morning/timelies, all. Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Delightful time on our trip. I feel braggy on FB, but, fuck it; it's beautiful.

Everyone is off on a hike, but I was meditating-ish by a waterfall out back, and there's no signal there, so no hike for me. I'm not sad about it, but I'm sure it is providing yet more beauty.

We leave for the (Pacific) beach later today. Right now we're in the mountains at my friend's good friend's place (they are not here), and it is so beautifully designed, that everywhere you walk or sit is a new, lovely vista.

And a river runs so close to it, that there's an omnipresent susseration from the flow.

And there are ducks and chickens wandering around. I mean, they live here.

This is one of the loveliest places I've been in my life.