( the life and times of the job-hunting fangirl )

UPDATE: All is done and dusted. I have gainful, if temporary, daytime employment which begins at 9am tomorrow morning. WHEW. *collapses in heap of overwrought nerves*

And for something completely different: I've been playing with a community orchestra again! It's been really lovely. They meet seven minutes' walk from my aunt's flat, in a Hawksmoor church (not the one by the pub where Jack the Ripper's victims plied their trade, but v. close!), and they play the sort of contemporary orchestral literature that my mother always calls 'beep-splat music'. I wouldn't listen to a lot of this stuff, to be perfectly frank, but it's challenging and lots of fun to play. I went for my first rehearsal a few weeks ago as a total newb, and by the second rehearsal they had made me the featured soloist for a whole piece in the upcoming concert! Everyone I've told about this has been totally unsurprised to learn that other people like my playing; still, I'm pleasantly shocked every time someone takes notice of me, musically. :)

So if anyone London-based wants an earful of truly bizarre contemporary orchestral music in a big old church, featuring me on solo bassoon for one whole piece, the concert's next Tuesday at 8pm in Shoreditch Church, and it's £8.

Also, I saw Patrick Wolf at the London Palladium last night. It was WONDERFUL. He is very tall, and very fey, and very very very VERY pretty. There was a lot of glitter, he sang The Bachelor as a duet with Florence of Florence + The Machine and it was in-fucking-credible, and he was so happy by the end of the gig that he cried onstage as he was earnestly telling everyone what a memorable night it was for him, one of the best nights of his life. ♥_______________♥

Home sick on a rainy day, ho hum.

I'm watching 'Bargain Hunters' with my Gran right now, both of us sniffling and coughing away, and let me tell you, the music editors of this show are NOT watching the same show as we are. Their music choice for the scene where the two teams of middle aged white ladies scoot off into a tent full of lovingly preserved antiques? 'Killing in the Name,' by Rage Against The Machine. SERIOUSLY.

o____O

:\

( containing one (1) Pete Wentz-O-Lantern and two (2) Star Trek-themed girlfriends )

And now, I'm going to force Nancy to watch Hocus Pocus. :D

I still owe the internets a real, honest-to-god update about everything. I'll get around to it. Goodness knows, besides trying to find a job (that won't make me stab my eyes out in boredom) I don't have much to do with myself at the moment.

But here's the thing. I've got this list, right? This list of Big Things I Need To Accomplish, In Some Semblance Of Order. Right now, it goes something like ( this: )

And now, with that brain-dump out of the way, I'm going to go for a walk with my grandma, and possibly buy some potting soil.

Is anyone else really uncomfortable that Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg [ETA: and Nick Frost, for that matter] have been tweeting back and forth all day about HOT FUZZ SLASH FANFICTION? AND THEN CHATFICCING SLASH AMONG THEMSELVES???

*motts motts motts motts*

Sometime, I'll tell you all about my night tonight (first time experiencing the ridic that is AK! \o?). I may even tell you a few stories about the rest of my New York adventure, and about how I finally met eleanor_lavish and schuyler and they were WONDERFUL, and about how good it was to hang out with tricksterquinn and elegantcrimes.

Now isn't that time. ( Now, it's time to talk a little bit about Fall Out Boy. )

Thank you all so much for your kind thoughts and words in regards to my wedding-related trauma. It all went fine in the end (for variable definitions of the word fine, of course). Seeing the ex-bf for the first time felt like a punch in the gut (and it looked like it felt the same for him, or worse), but we both smiled and said hello, then for the prep, the ceremony, the picture-taking, and the majority of the reception, we proceeded to studiously avoid talking to one another. And it worked; the ceremony was beautiful, the reception was relaxed and fun (despite a lamentable lack of booze), and both bride and groom were thrilled and relieved to have everything over with.

Toward the end of the reception, I put on my proverbial big girl pants and went over to talk to the ex. He's doing okay, from the sounds of things, and I rattled on for a bit about how things are with me at the moment, and it was fine and civil and even borderline friendly, but he still seemed... I don't know. Much more sad than I'd been hoping to see. I really wanted him to be as happy and healthy and moved-on as I am now, and while he may be several or all of those things, it certainly didn't seem that way to me. I felt like the more I talked about my happy life, the more melancholy he got.

Neither of us cried. It was a near thing for me, though.

No-one ever told me that even after all this time, breaking someone's heart really sucks.

And in more ex-whatevers news, today I went to a water park for ex-bandmate Jesse's birthday. It's weird to visit a place as an adult which you last visited as a middle-school-aged kid. I can report back to the peanut gallery in confidence that water slides are still fun, though, even aged 24. Then I went for a pint at the best fake Irish pub in San Diego with the birthday boy, his new (to me, anyway) girlfriend, our ex-guitarist Dan, and a millionty other friends and people who wanted to see me and ask how London is. Which is a weird question to answer, really, but I tried to come up with something different to say every time I was asked it.

Then I spectacularly failed to make it back up to northern San Diego county in time to see lunar47 before she had to go to bed. Waaaaaaah. :(

... and wow, now that you've all read that positively scintillating account of my last two days, I'm going to go call my girlfriend (and fill her in on the fun questions I fielded about her and I, as well; a pint into his cups, one of my friends blurted out, "So are you, like, a total lesbian now, or what?" *facepalm*) for a minute and then go to SLEEP. Because oh my heck, I am exhausted.

1. It's really unbelievably hot in San Diego right now. Like, it was 100 degrees on my parents' back patio at 10 am for the past three days running (for my Celsius-loving friends, Google informs me that's a whopping 37.78 degrees). Hate hate haaaaaaate. *swelters*


2. I've mentioned that I'm being a bridesmaid in a wedding tomorrow morning, right? And that it's the wedding of two of my high school beffies to one another? Well, just in case I haven't mentioned it: I'm in this wedding tomorrow.

Also in this wedding, as a groomsman? My ex-boyfriend. My high school sweetheart, who I dated for 5 years, who I dumped over two years ago, and to whom I haven't spoken since. Who also wasn't at the wedding rehearsal today, so the first time I'll be seeing him again is actually at the ceremony itself. The ceremony which will wed our mutual friends, who started dating a mere two days before this ex-BF and I started dating in high school.

...Yeah. This isn't going to be awkward at all. At ALL. My stomach TOTALLY hasn't been in knots about it for days now, why do you ask? :\ :\ :\

And on top of it all, I can't even drink to dull the awkwardness; it's a dry wedding. We're toasting the happy couple with sparkling apple juice. Because the universe has no pity.

(Seriously, I've been having anxiety nightmares about this wedding for months now. Last night's installment, which featured the ex-BF shooting and killing my father, just so he could watch me cry, clocks in as the worst yet. FML.)


3. As a totally legitimate tactic for distracting myself from both 1. and 2. above, I'm now going to go see a movie. I'm thinking either 9 or Inglourious Basterds, and I'm thinking that I'm totally going to go for frozen yogurt afterward. Because I'm worth it.


4. There is no fourth thing. I just like even numbers.

Getting on a plane in a scant few hours to fly back to San Diego. Am in a whirlwind of emotions, of which excitement, terror, apprehension, elation, tragedy, and confusion are just a few. I'm leaving home... to go home. It's a weird feeling.

(And I try not to be sappy all over LJ, I really do, but goddamn I am going to miss her so fucking much and I don't care who knows it. *cling cling cliiiiing*)

Sleep will probably help. Don't you think? Yes, I think so too.

See you Stateside, bbs. Up, up, and away!

Am back in London. France was French (and bereft of non-cheese-based vegetarian food), family were wonderful and exasperating by turns (but mostly wonderful), last night's ferry ride across the channel was punctuated by almost-seasickness, shitty night's sleep was shitty, bad dreams were bad, etc. etc. I've just skipped back through 340 flist entries, but it was pretty cursory and post-bad-dream-y, so I may have missed something. If you, my darlings, would be so kind as to comment with things of which you think I ought to be informed, I would deeply appreciate it.

... Seriously, my dietary staples of the past two weeks? Breaded, fried goat's cheese and red wine. Tasty, incredibly fattening noms. \o/ /o\

The fact that Obama's online team has to use part of their site to reassure the public that no, really, there isn't going to be a 'DEATH PANNEL' presiding like a Board of Shadowy Figures over who lives and who dies in America under his proposed health care reforms is utterly fucking ridiculous. Just how stupid ARE people, really?

... well, actually, since the rumor supposedly originated from comments made on Sarah Palin's Facebook, I think I have my answer to that question.

Over the last action-packed month of phone work, people have mistaken my name, with astounding frequency, to be one of the following:

- Moira
- Maura
- Liza
- Morag

... Really, guys? And here I thought my name was an easy one. Laura sounds like Morag?? Really?

Two more days after today! Almost freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Also, Star Trek TOS Nite tonight! \o/!

Oh dear god in wherever.

Co-workers are discussing feminine body hair behind me, in tones as loud and obnoxious as any I have ever heard. And five feet away, I have to call delegates who are attending a big fancy conference and ask them if they want to bring friends. Praying to whoever will listen that I'll be quick-draw enough to cover the receiver when one of them shouts something about hairy assholes.

Have I mentioned how effusively glad I am that this is my last week here? Because seriously.

I still owe you pictures of camping in Cornwall, Livejournal. I'm sorry for being a slacker. If it makes you feel any better, though, I still haven't even given the pictures to my girlfriend yet, either. *fails*

It's officially lunar47's birthday where I am in the world!

For those of you who don't know lunar47... you should. Ariel is one of my very oldest friends, and one of my very favorite people in the whole world. She and I have seen one another through Girl Scouts, the Gold Rush Game, summer school (because we WANTED TO; coolest kids EVER, amirite?), the untimely and tragic passing of Suspended Animation Dog, the invention of logic (oh yeah, did I mention that was us?), Science Olympiad, elementary, middle, and high schools, breakups, breakdowns, going to college at opposite ends of California, and finally learning to stop worrying and get in touch with our inner fangirls. She has seen me at my best and my worst, at my winningest and failiest, and all the shades of gray in between. She is fiercely intelligent, witty, hilariously funny, unfailingly kind, generous, caring, and brimming with fannish enthusiasm and love and life.

( Our awesomely blurry faces, let me show you them! )

Happy birthday, Ariel. Once today gets around the world from me to you, I hope it is glorious and splendiferous and wonderful and that you are as celebrated as you deserve to be. <333333

...also, your birthday present is going to be late. Like, maybe September-when-I'm-back-in-California late. BUT IT WILL BE MADE WITH LOVE. *grovels* /o\

In the meantime, look out for a certain llama-shaped friend arriving in the post. He's got his hat and boots and scarf for the journey, plus a little something extra. ;)

____________________

And now it's waaaay past my bedtime. Shit. Quickly, LJ, here's the deal with me in the next little while:

05-10 August: camping in Cornwall with &Nancy;
11-22 August: London
23-28 August: family arrive, spend week touristing it up in London
29 August-11 September: family holiday in Normandy (I speak NO FRENCH)
12-21 September: London
22 September: fly to/arrive in San Diego
22 September-08 October: San Diego
09-12 October: Los Angeles
12 October: fly to/arrive in New York City
13-16 October: New York City (WHO WANTS TO MEET UP???)
17 October: finally back in London

\o/

*passes out*

MCR'S WEBSITE CHANGED, AND IT SAYS THEY'RE PLAYING TWO NIGHTS AT THE ROXY IN LOS ANGELES AT THE END OF THIS WEEK.

THIS WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

I should feel jealous, by all rights. MCR playing in my old neck of the woods, mere hours from where I used to live, in a TINY venue in which I once got smacked in the head by Pete Wentz's smelly towel... but I'm honestly not jealous. Not even slightly. Literally all I can think is "THEY'RE PLAYING SHOWS AGAIN. THEY'RE GETTING READY TO COME BACK."

*epic flailing*


...Though if any of you flisters go to either of these shows, I expect NOVEL-LENGTH recaps afterward. Srsly.

Because embedding isn't working, you'll have to go here. Just you wait until 4:54, guys. Srsly. *_____________________*

Between this, the Mighty Boosh doing a DJ set at 4th and B, and everything to do with Gerard Way? BRB DYING OF ALL THE JEALOUSY IN THE WORLD.

My brother just sent me the following email:

because you are a fan of such things, i thought you might enjoy cracked's (awesome website for time-wasting, btw) discussion of bizarre fanfiction:

http://www.cracked.com/article_16554_5-most-baffling-sex-scenes-in-history-fanfiction.html

enjoy elrond's bulging leggings,
T


Just in case you guys haven't seen this before -- or were woefully unaware that someone wrote a Trek:TNG/LOTR crossover fic starring Picard and Elrond, as I was at the start of my morning -- I felt it was my duty to pass this along.

( Torchwood )


ETA: And then my aunt uttered the most amazing sentence ever:

"I won't leave you my Bakelite penguins when I die if you work for the man."

...and now, my heart is lighter.

So it's been approximately forever since I last properly posted. In that span of time, lots of things have happened that I thought I would write about here, and clearly that hasn't happened. Since summarizing absolutely everything that's happened seems a little silly now, I'm just going to... not do that. Things have been really good for me, suffice to say.

My family are in a bit of a crisis, though. My aunties - the ones who are a couple - are 'taking a break' and one of them has moved out of their flat. It is intensely upsetting, you guys! I am from a completely un-broken home, I have no tools for dealing with people's 'breaks' and 'break-UPs' and that. D:

But otherwise, all is well. I got to celebrate Canada Day on Wednesday, and tomorrow I get to go celebrate American Independance Day AND London Gay Pride on the very same day. How perfect is that? It'll be not only my first Pride celebration as a member of the lady-what-sleeps-with-ladies club, but also it will be the first Pride celebration I have ever attended! I don't know how I made it this far without ever going to a Pride before, but nevermind!

Also, I finally have both a British bank account and a paycheck to put into it. I had a moment on the way to work this morning on the top floor of the bus; I was thinking about the fact that I have this aforementioned bank-account-and-paycheck one-two punch, and I came over all giddy and excited because it means that I LIVE here, for REAL. *____*

And then the bus drove by a pair of horses and a random piano on a streetcorner in about a 30 second span of time.

Oh, London. Never change.


... Except the temperature. That, you can dial down in a hurry.


-----------


It's like I was walking along, minding my own business, then just like that (imagine I've just snapped my fingers, lol) I've suddenly slid sideways into a slightly different, and altogether more wonderful universe.

Like falling, and missing the ground at the last second.

And just in case that's not clear enough; I am still stupidly, ridiculously, effusively, unutterably happy.