Thursday, May 2nd, 2013
|
07:22 Eye sea ewe (hopefully not ICU)
|
Am waiting at hospital to go in for my second cataract surgery. Just had a jillion eyedrops. Yuck. Send me good thoughts, please. I'm a little nervous. Not just about surgery, but about not being able to read close up. All I can do is wait and(maybe) see.
current mood:  nervous
|
|
6 comments | comment
|
|
Monday, April 8th, 2013
|
19:58 Not Dead (but not exactly living, either). Also, a favor?
|
I didn't realize it had been quite so long since I last posted, so sorry if anyone's missed me. That doesn't seem all that likely, but I always do intend to post more. Not to mentiom write more, something I've been horribly lax on. Part of the problem is technological, I only got my pc replaced about a week ago, and still need to find somebody local to set it up, and to take out my old hard drives, and dump the old towers. I never was able to access or delete my stuff, but I'm sure someone could. Ideally, I'd like to be able to save my files, but can't afford the probable costs right now. Because of this, I've been online on my Kindle, which makes for slow typing. It also meant that I missed the deadline for when my LJ to lose paid status. I'm too broke to renew, unfortunately, and don't know how long one can keep 'inactive' icons without losing them, and can't save them to reupload until I'm on an actual computer again.
Needless to say (though I am) I would be very grateful if anyone felt like fairy-ing me.( Or ferrying me, I suppose, though I'm not near any waterways) And since I am so far behind, please do link me to recentish stuff I may have missed.
ETA: Thank you kindly, lovely Nonny-mouse. : )
current mood:  depressed
|
|
comment
|
|
Thursday, February 21st, 2013
|
14:30 Computer Advice wanted
|
Hey FListies (and everyone else). My PC has become Pretty Crappy, so I am now in the market for a new one. I've got a decent 22 inch monitor that I'll most likely keep. I just need suggestions on the rest. The dying one is an Emachine 1831 with Windows 7. It was fine, but nothing special. Is it worth getting Windows 8? I want to do the usual fannish stuff on it: write, read, watch video, etc. I'm not a heavy gamer, and don't know how to vid, so it doesn't have to be a powerhouse, but it should still be good enough. What should I look for? Brand/ model/ feature suggestions? I know there's a way to connect some to a TV, but don't know how that works. I'd also be interested in knowing if there's such a thing as a silent mouse, or another input device possibly, that doesn't actually "click" when you click it? A quiet keyboard would be good, too. Wireless for both. Also, any thoughts on stores/sites to skip? I am going to need it delivered and set up, so Geek Squad type advice is welcome, too.
Thanks.
current mood:  curious
|
|
6 comments | comment
|
|
Sunday, February 3rd, 2013
|
21:34 Sunday? Not so Super
|
Life is kicking me in the ass wallet, and I'm wondering, is anybody willing to trade $60 in Amazon for Paypal? I have a $50 gift code, and a $10 one, so could divide it between 2 people, if need be.It sucks that I have to do this, because believe me, I could find stuff to buy there, but necessity calls.
In other news, I feel slightly accomplished this weekend, because I uploaded about 80 fics to AO3. The great majority are still in draft, but hopefully I can fix them up in the next few days. I did manage to fully post all 23 parts of Kodachrome -- so far,( in as much as "so far" can mean "not updated since 2008".) Send me some positive vibes that maybe I can revisit it? Or hell, send me writer-vibes in general, if you happen to have some lying around, collecting dust.
current mood: depressed
|
|
6 comments | comment
|
|
Sunday, January 27th, 2013
|
12:17 Eh, oh! Three questions
|
So, I'm trying to stop being so lazy, and work on uploading my stuff to AO3. I've got some there, but am woefully behind. I do have an issue, though. What is the etiquette regarding old, closed challenges that aren't yet listed in the "collections" section. Can/should one suggest it be added? Right now, I'm thinking of the Bradbury title challenge, but there are surely others. Considering it was a decade+ ago, maybe no one cares. Still, it was my first slash fandom, first challenge writing one, so I'm extra nostalgic.Or perhaps I mean "old", which is exactly how I feel how I feel about Doctor Who being 50.)
My other question is, can one use different tags, and/or different ratings on different chapters of a multi-chaptered fic? (I'm working on posting Kodachrome, which has ratings from teen to explicit.)
Wish me luck. Maybe being in the general vicinity of stuff I wrote will nudge me into writing again. Though really, it's not a nudge I need, but a kick.
current mood:  confused
|
|
comment
|
|
Thursday, January 17th, 2013
|
17:33 More like XFunity, Because I'm not Having Any
|
Everyone knows Comcast sucks, right? But it's being especially sucktastic for me, under the guise of "rewarding" me for my account. My issue involved not being able to sign in to Xfinity insider loyalty program, despite having been invited, and qualifying.The chat employee was pleasant, but ineffectual.He did not understand my simple problem, though I explained it in detail. He referred me to the 800-934-6489 number, but did so in a way that implied this was a special number just for Xfinity Insider loyalty program.
"Comcast values you and appreciates your business! Have a good one!" was how my useless chat ended. (If he means have a "good two hours of annoyance and hold-time not getting this resolved", then we're golden.)
I did as suggested, and called the number given to me.. The number turned out to be the usual 1-800-xfinity. I spent an hour on hold, spoke with two reps. I go through menus until I get to one that sounds like it might be helpful. I'm on hold for 30ish minutes. The first phone rep doesn't know how to help, so she sends it up to her supervisor. Another 10 minutes pass on hold until he comes on the line. He is thankfully marginally more competent. He signs on to my account and sees the issue. Unfortunately he doesn't know how to fix it, and in fact claims never to have come across it before, but says he is escalating it to their IT dept, and I should give them 24 hours to fix it.
By this time, I've wasted about 3 hours on what was supposed to be a reward for being a valued customer, but has turned into an epic fuck-up. So I ask the rep what he can do for me for my troubles. He says, "well, I could give you a premium channel, but you probably have them all." I don't, actually, so he gives me 3 months of Showtime. I'm happy to get that, but it sure isn't the perk I thought I'd be getting.
Cut to today, and the same problem still happens. I spend more time on Google, and find postings from people with the exact same issue going back to 2011. I'm still digging to find an actual solution, but I'm even more irked that it's not even a new problem. The most recent twist? I just got an email saying I was in the program. I think "Great, the problem must be fixed." I wish. At least I'll get to catch up on Dexter, and check out My So Called Homeland.
current mood:  irritated
|
|
2 comments | comment
|
|
Friday, January 11th, 2013
|
17:46 The Reader's Version of PC vs Mac? AKA "Trade Me?"
|
I'm pretty sure a few of you are Nook/Barnes & Noble readers. I'm a Kindle kinda girl (I'd say a Kindle kinda Karen, but it's not exactly Kosher to put all those K's in a row.). Anyway... I have $20 in B&N Gift card credit, and would love to trade it for Pay Pal, or Amazon. If it matters, there are two $5 codes, and one $10 code, of course they can all be combined/applied to an account.
I'm actually a little irked at my Kindle at the moment. There's a vertical white line going down the middle of it, as if it had been scratched, but it wasn't. (It's the kind with a keyboard and directional arrows, not a touchscreen.) This was a replacement for my first Kindle, that had other problems, so I'm not sure if it's covered under the warranty or not. If not, I'll just have to live with it. As of now, it's only a minor annoyance.
If anyone is willing to trade, please let me know.
current mood:  hopeful
|
|
comment
|
|
Tuesday, January 1st, 2013
|
00:09 2012...3
|
I figured I should do a last post of the year --which admittedly had a lot fewer posts than I'd have liked. Heh, "a lot fewer" sounds so wrong, doesn't it? So, some wrap-up type stuff. Yuletide: I got a Live Free or Die Hard story, Someone to help me sleep, that is all kinds of awesome. The summary reads "Scenes from a recovery or three, depending on whom you ask and how you count." It's got that "Hey, turns out we are in a relationship after all. Who knew? (Answer:everyone)" thing down pat. One thing I love about Yuletide, it gives the requester a chance to read something in a fandom they may not write in. Lately, I've got a handful of fandoms like that (probably because I got a few premium cable channels this year). I wrote a little something, too, though not nearly as much as I would have liked.
Frankly, that's been the theme for me writing wise this year as well. I managed to produce something I was fairly proud of for McShepMatch this year, The Devil Will Drag You Under, but all in all my output was lacking.
Speaking of McShep, my other holiday fic-gift was a long and nicely smutty story for SGA_Santa, full of excellent world-building and interesting characters. It's called Into Thin Air, and is aptly named. Strange stuff happens on a friendly off-world mission, and it's up to our gang to figure it all out. It's here.
I'm hoping 2013 will be more productive, or at very least, suck less than 2012. At least we missed the Apocalypse.
current mood:  stressed
|
|
comment
|
|
Wednesday, December 5th, 2012
|
23:19 What a Difference a Day Makes
|
Actually, my day to day existence hasn't changed all that much, except for the dad-sized hole in it. Today marks a year since his death. Sunday was the Unveiling service for his headstone (or more specifically his half of the one he shares with my mother). My brother and sister, and her partner, came in for the weekend. We had a nice dinner on Saturday, along with my dad's former fiance, at the restaurant he always took people (he waited outside like fans outside a theater on half-price gift card day.)
The service on Sunday was low-key, but lovely. I heard drom a lot of people how his presence/abscence was still felt at Friday Night services. He was the one who arranged Bema guests each week, a role they still haven't quite filled. Every time there's an empty seat next to the Rabbi(s) everyone thinks of my dad.
This is probably walways going to be a tough week. My dad's Yartzheit is on December 5th, my mom's on December 9th. I just hope that none of my other loved ones keel over on the 6th 7th, or 8th.
(This was going to be somewhat longer, but my crap-ass computer ated it. Be glad for a little less navel-gazing.) That's okay, I should be getting back to Yuletiding and SGA_Santaing.
ETA because it was somehow listed as comment disabled.
current mood:  lonely
|
|
6 comments | comment
|
|
Friday, November 16th, 2012
|
14:23 AnotherAlbum Review: Kylie Minogue's Abbey Road Sessions
|
So, this is the second album review I have to do to qualify to win something. (Well, technically I guess you could say I've already won a free album, but you know what I mean.
This time, the album is Kylie Minogue's Abbey Road Sessions, which sadly has nothing to do with The Beatles, but is lovely in its own right.
I mean that literally. It's all sweeping, orchestral reworkings of songs throughout her 25 year career. Honestly, I never really thought of her as having that long of a career, more the occasional hit, but I know she's bigger overseas.
Because of my limited Kylie knowledge I'm not sure I recognized all the songs, but I generally enjoyed them on their own merit. "The Locomotion" wasn't my favorite version--it needs to be peppier, or possibly poppier, but it was still warm and colorful. The track I liked best was a duet with Nick Cave, of his "Where the Wild Roses Grow," which frankly made me wish One2One would have a Nick Cave campaign.
For those who are interested, the track listing is:
The Abbey Road Sessions Track Listing:
1. All The Lovers
2. On A Night Like This
3. Better The Devil You Know
4. Hand On Your Heart
5. I Believe In You
6. Come Into My World
7. Finer Feelings
8. Confide In Me
9. Slow
10. The Locomotion
11. Can’t Get You Out Of My Head
12. Where The Wild Roses Grow
13. Flower
14. I Should Be So Lucky
15. Love At First Sight
16. Never Too Late
You can buy the album on iTunes, Deluxe version at Amazon, and the Standard version at Amazon.
current mood:  mellow
|
|
1 comment | comment
|
|
Wednesday, November 14th, 2012
|
22:22 Need Nook Nickels? New Nice Nostalgia
|
Hey, I have 2 $5 codes for Barnes & Noble. Unfortunately, I am a Kindle owner, and have less use for B&N credit. Does anyone want to trade my B&N for Amazon, or possibly PayPal? It would be a big help.
In other news, I'm having a serious case of Yuletide Flail, but hopefully I'll get more confident as ideas come in. (Please come in, ideas.)I know it is really late in the game, and probably pointless, but I still haven't done a Dear Yuletide Writer letter. If I'm lucky, my writer will check out my letter later. Or, they'll feel that my prompts were thorough enough to give a direction in which write.
I've been feeling extra nostalgic for my earlt slash days now that TNT has started showing Smallville reruns from the beginning. It's made me miss the good old days of TWoP, and Omar, and even 13 Year Old Girl Lex. And I'm wondering now, where or whether I can find reminders of which were the Clexiest episodes. What do you mean it isn't 3002 anymore?
current mood:  nostalgic
|
|
1 comment | comment
|
|
Friday, November 2nd, 2012
|
19:12 "Mann"ing Up, aka "Karen Listens and Reviews"
|
So, people who have known me awhile know that I like getting interesting stuff in the mail, especially when it's a gift that potentially keeps on giving, in this case entering me in a contest to win a prize. Not a huge prize, mind you. I mean, it won't buy me a car, or pay my rent, but it might give me a little iTunes or Amazon credit.
To qualify, I have to post a review of a CD by Chris Mann I was sent by the One2Onenetwork.com, along with info on where to get it, if anyone is so inclined. Free music+giving my opinion+possible reward=Very Happy Hyperfocused. Case in point, back in the dot.com boom days, I took part in a music rating program, and earned about $800 in Amazon.com gift credit in about a month. This deal is a little lower key than that, but I still enjoyed what I heard, and imagine some of you would, too.
The album (yeah, I still say "album" even if it's digital. Sue me. My dad called the fridge an icebox more often than not.) is Chris Mann's Road. Chris came in 4th, first for Christina, on The Voice last season. He was on Christina Aguilera's team, and definitely came across as talented. If I had to categorize his sound, I'd put it somewhere in the midst of Michael Buble, Josh Groban, and Michael Feinstein. A little easy on the listening -- if you get my drift-- and truly lovely on the ear.
His press kit says that he's "Influenced by Pavarotti, Robbie Williams and vintage Sinatra, Chris’ blend of classically-trained tenor and contemporary pop vocals is a sound that’s rare in music today. Said Cee Lo, “He is by far one of the most incomparable vocalists I have ever heard.”
"Roads" is a mix of mostly mellow light pop covers, and classical/operatic standards, with a touch of original work thrown in for good measure. Covers include Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now," nice, rich sound, but I still think it's the original's harmonies that make it so good. Damien Rice's "Blower's Daughter" ( a duet with Christina Aguilera), which is pretty stellar. Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" works well, too. Really, though, the standout for me was "Unless You Mean it." I'm afraid I don't know who originated it --my Google-Fu was no help -- but it's kind of kick ass.
All in all, "Roads" has something for just about everyone. You can play it for your Neil Sedaka loving grandmother, or your Jennifer Hudson loving friend. Really, the album is eclectic enough to be really useful one can buy individual songs. t's not so much that there's filler, it's just that not every song will suit every taste. I was interested to read that he graduated from Vanderbillt's Blair School of Music (just a few miles away from me), and that among other musical accomplishments, he played a Warbler.
Roads Album Cover - 
If you're interested in trying and/or buying:
hrisMannMusic.com -
Roads on iTunes -
Roads on Amazon.com -
current mood:  impressed
|
|
comment
|
|
Wednesday, September 26th, 2012
|
15:31 Triple the Holiday!
|
Feeling kind of down today. Not just because it's Yom Kippur and atoning isn't the happiest thing to be doing, but because it's my first birthday without any parents. Can one still be an orphan at 45? On the plus side, I know I have people who care about me, and wish me well today. Some of them, some of you, I've known exactly a decade, as it was 10 years ago today that I started my LJ.
So thanks for being there, FListies, lurkers, occasional readers, and (screw it) bots.To misquote one of my favorite fandoms and shows, "You're reading Hyperfocused on LiveJournal, so stick around."
current mood:  melancholy
|
|
10 comments | comment
|
|
Sunday, September 2nd, 2012
|
15:20 SGA Fic: The Devil Will Drag You Under McKay/Sheppard PG13
|
Title: The Devil Will Drag You Under
Author:hyperfocused
Fandoms: Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG1
Pairing(s)/Characters: (past) Daniel Jackson/Rodney McKay, Daniel Jackson/Jack O'Neill, John Sheppard/ Rodney McKay, Radek Zelenka, Teyla Emmagan, Ronon Dex, Jennifer Keller, Evan Lorne
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 5,615
Warnings: Beware of Earworms, mention of past partner betrayal.
Summary: When the boat starts a‘rocking, don‘t come a knocking; or John Sheppard and that guy from Gen!Us. No, not
that guy. The other one.
Author’s Notes:Written for McShep_Match 2012, I was on the winning Team Space. Very loosely based on the 2007 film Music&Lyrics, but you don‘t need to have seen it to get this. To put it in terms most can easily understand: Gen!Us =Wham!
Daniel Jackson=George Michael (with a heaping helping of George Clooney).
(Meredith) Rodney McKay =Andrew Ridgely, aka “That other guy, you know, the one who left to race cars, or something“.
John Sheppard=Rodney‘s new muse.
Title from the musical Guys and Dolls, the song ”Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat."
Disclaimer: This record is intended for promotional use onl--oh, wait. I meant “Not my characters, no profit made.”
Thanks to  busaikko and trobadora for brainstorming and beta-ish help.
Read it on AO3
( The Devil Will Drag You UnderCollapse )
current mood:  accomplished
|
|
comment
|
|
Saturday, August 25th, 2012
|
21:14 Quick Question
|
Can anyone tell me how to put amazon.com mp3 downloads into iTunes? I know I've done it before, and thought it had been intuitive, but I haven't figured out how to do it this time.
current mood:  aggravated
|
|
4 comments | comment
|
|
Wednesday, August 22nd, 2012
|
14:47 Look! I Wrote (and/or Drew) Something. (And So Did a Bunch of Other Cool People).
|
It's been a mixed bag of an August so far, but this is a happy things post. My next may not be quite as cheerful, but right now there are good things to share. Good things include the posting of McShep-Match entries for this year. Extra good, because one of them is mine (not that mine is necessarily extra good. I'll leave that up to you to decide).
I haven't been up to much writing since my health problems in 2010, so this is the first 1000 word plus fic I've posted in about two years. I'm on team space, so please, please come read, comment (if you like, it's always appreciated) and vote in the simple polls at the end of each post. I really do mean simple; the questions are "How well do you think this story fits its prompt?" and "How much did you enjoy reading this story?". You can certainly read and enjoy Team Time's stories, too, but Space-y votes will be extra loved here.
Team Space's stories and art, Including mine.
Team Time's stories and art.
The Guess the Author Contest!
Win prizes!! Show us how well you know your SGA fic writers and artists!!! See how many unnecessary repeated exclamation points I can add to a post for no good reason.(Thankfully, only three.) I'll be extra excited if you can guess mine, even if others stump you.
current mood:  creative
|
|
5 comments | comment
|
|
Friday, July 20th, 2012
|
17:40 Stress, I Confess
|
Various stressors happening in my life, not necessarily all bad ones, but I'm anxious all the same. The biggest thing going on is my first cataract surgery on Monday. I know it isn't normally a big deal, but since my size necessitates it be performed in the hospital (vs an outpatient eye center), I'm a little more worried.
Wednesday I have to turn in my fic for McShepMatch. I'm definitely nervous about it, because I've barely written anything since 2009, and I'm scared my mojo is still gone.
I'm stressing majorly about money, because my (mostly medical) expenses are higher, and there's a lot less coming in than there used to be. I don't know when (or if) that will change. Of course it's all a vicious circle: stress makes you feel worse, making you have to pay more for medicine, etc.
I did get some good news, though. The test results from my last doctor's appointment have my A1C (diabetes numbers over the past 3 months) at 5.2. Anything below 7 is good for diabetics, and anything under 5.7 is supposed to be good in general. I don't know why my readings have been so good. I mean I am eating somewhat better, but certainly not as healthily as I should. Even so, I haven't had to take any insulin for at least a couple of months.
And there was good news and bad on the cable front. I qualified for a decent bundle deal that gives me HBO and Starz for a year, which means I can finally catch up on all the shows I've yet to see. The bad news is, I had trouble getting a decent picture on several channels. (They came out all pixellated). The technician who came out said it was my cable box that was damaged, and had to be replaced. This was just about the worst TV news for me, because my DVR was about 95% full. I lost like 25 episodes of Stargate Atlantis, and similarly large numbers of Supernatural and Hawaii 50. I'm sure I can get downloads, but it's still a pain. What I'm more upset about is the stuff I may not replace as easily. The Kris/Adam Idol finale; the 40th anniversary shows of One Life to Live, and the final episodes of that and All My Children. I suppose they're on Youtube or something, but I'd prefer to be able to watch with captions.
So how are all of you?
current mood:  anxious
|
|
comment
|
|
Sunday, June 24th, 2012
|
17:25 FML, but it Beats the Alternative
|
It's been a weekend of sadness and reflection, preceded by a week of stress and annoyance. Read on, and I'll tell you mt tales of woe. Of course you can always scroll by for a more squeeful or pr0ny post. Hmm, do people still say pr0ny?
Anyway, today would have been my mother's 81st birthday, if she had made it past 68. And yesterday was my sister-in-law, Wendy's 5th yahrzeit -- the anniversary of her death. Though different from each other in some ways they were both amazing women, full of warmth and charm. Along with my dad, now, I miss them.
Last night, though, I was thinking of my mom and dad both as I watched the Daytime Emmys, where they eulogized the two soaps we watched that went off the air last year. Even though my pretty much stopped watching after my mom died, he still occasionally chatted with me about who had come back to X show from the eras he knew, or which former star we saw on primetime, or an ad.
Perhaps fittingly, since things have changed for our family, the awards were kind of weird and different this year. With soaps becoming more and more like the dodo, they added new categories, including web videos and the like.
About my week: I wish my mother, father or SIL had been around to give me advice, or share my frustration. A little background information: as you possibly remember, in 2010, I had a diabetic ulcer on my heel, and had surgery to prevent amputation. Then I spent three months recovering in a nursing home in the middle of nowhere, Tennessee. During that time I also had a cancer scare that luckily turned out to be fibroids, and I spent another two weeks in the hospital before returning to rehab.
I'd been disabled before then, but 6 months or so off my feet for the most part took their toll. My ability to do any real walking, like say past my apartment door, hasn't come back, so I use a wheelchair when going out of it.
Through a program from my state's insurance/disability, I have a friend D, who works for me as a caretaker, helping out with various tasks. This is what I wrote my sister about the problem:
( putting the diss in disabilityCollapse )
All in all it is a Big Fucking Mess.
current mood: lonely
|
|
5 comments | comment
|
|
Tuesday, June 5th, 2012
|
20:21 Time, time, time see what's become of me
|
|
Time is weird, you know? Either it goes so slowly you can't believe only a few minutes have passed since you, say, peed on that pregnancy test. Other times speed along so fast that you're shocked to see that seasons have passed nearly without your notice.
I say this now because today marks six months since my dad died, and it feels like weeks. It's still weird not having him pop up on my IM buddy list, or calling to take me to our weekly lunch out. It wont seem right not comparing notes on the Tonys this weekend.
current mood:  sad
|
|
4 comments | comment
|
|
Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012
|
05:23 More hell
|
Well, things got worse fast. I'm posting from the hospital. They evacuated my entire building at 1:00 am. Took us on buses to a local college where there were hundreds of flimsy cots. I would have broken one had I tried to use it. So being in pain from all the goings on, I ended up here. No straight story about what happened. I hope your nights/dawns were better
current mood: aggravated
|
|
6 comments | comment
|
|
top of page
|
|
|
