jadesfire

1. With the Snowflake Challenge having ended yesterday (although there's a friending meme to round it off), I was going to try and write something deep and meaningful here, but my day got busy at 7.50am and hasn't stopped since, so instead, I'm just going for "post something" and leave as many comments as I can. It'll have to do. I'm also working on how I crosspost to Tumblr, because I can't just C&P every time. IFTTT is all very well, but not all formatting comes across, and I definitely want to live in both places.

2. I had the gentlest Health and Safety assessment ever today. The firm we use is incredibly supportive, and (for me) it's not at all like the terror I thought it would be. Mostly, we walk around prodding things and he says it's all fine. Although he did remind me not to lose the step stool checking form again.

3. I am not expecting the budget forecast to be as plain sailing, as I am BAD at numbers, and although I have a very simple budget, I always manage to get confused. This afternoon has been set aside for working on it, so that I get a good run at it without major interruption.

4. Tonight is Pilates again, which I'm looking forward to. After last week, nothing really ached apart from my shoulders, so I'm reasonably sure I was doing something wrong. This week, I'm going to push myself a bit harder.

5. The big news of the day is that (drumroll please) I'm giving myself permission to start a new notebook. That might not sound like much to you, but it's a big deal to me. Last May, I started using a Rhodia Goalbook, which is basically a notebook with a perpetual calendar in the front. I found the whole "write out the month" part of Bullet Journalling far too much like hard work, and it didn't give me the flexibility to plan things months in advance - as someone who can only take Annual Leave during University holidays, that's quite important to me.

I also found that I didn't know how much space to leave for each month, and trying to do it was stressful rather than useful. I'd get a good diary, then want a notebook for just scribbling things down. Or I'd use a small notebook, and want something I could really write in. The Goalbook does both, and I surprised myself by using it consistently and with pleasure for the last eight months, which is a personal record. But it's almost used up, and more than that, I feel I want to make a sort of 'clean start' for the new year. I want my goals and resolutions in the front, and I want to re-layout the way I used the monthly records part of the calendar (use PENCIL, Laura, things change!). As this week (I do weekly plans) is already set up, I'm going to be restarting next Monday, and as a last hoorah, I might use up the last few pages of this one with fic. It won't be totally finished, but that's okay. I feel ready to move on, and have another go at this to see what happens.

If anyone's interested, I'll put up some pictures of the book and my new layout next week. It turns out, I have a lot of Feels about this notebook, so you might get something whether you're interested or not!

5a. In lieu of clever post titles, I'm going to go with a weather report when I can't think of anything else to label my posts with.

In the meantime, I'm off to fortify myself with an early lunch before attempting the budget. I need all the help I can get!

Despite not posting here very often, I still like to have this place as a repository for all my work, as it's nice to have a full record somewhere that's not just AO3. I'm working on getting back to posting regularly - the summer weather here has put me in full SAD mode, which has meant lots of hunkering down and not talking to people. Which, of course, totally helps /sarcasm.

Anyhoo, I seem to have stumbled into Marvel Netflix fandom pretty much by accident, partly because Jessica Jones was so damn good and partly because Daredevil is fangirl catnip. I swear, not since John Sheppard has there been a character so perfectly written to appeal to the fangirls, and I am no exception. There's even an episode where he spends half of it chained to a chimney stack. Seriously, creators, it's like you know us.

ANYWAY. The Defenders comes out tomorrow, and I may have used my last day of holiday to stay home and watch it as soon as it's released. Possibly. But I wanted to get this fic out first, because the last section will almost certainly be jossed after tomorrow.

Title: Ballistics
Author: Jadesfire

Rating/Warnings: G/None

Fandom: Daredevil (TV)
Pairings: None
Words: ~6,300

Summary:
Five times Matt thought it was a good idea to catch something someone threw at him (and one he’s still wondering about).

I'm having one of those months where I never seem to have time to do anything because I'm too busy doing things that I can't remember doing. Er. That made more sense in my head, but you know what I mean? I always seem to be too busy to do stuff, but if you asked me what I'd been doing, I honestly couldn't tell you. Mostly what I seem to have been doing is sleeping, moping and trying not to pass out from pain.

~ I was supposed to go out to a church thing on Saturday, but decided my sanity was more important, so stayed home instead. I cleaned, tidied, crocheted and broke my sewing machine. *sigh* My machine is old, and has a little thing on the top to adjust the pressure of the presser foot. Something inside it has snapped, so it'll only stay all the way up instead of moving between its three settings. J is going to see if he can get it repaired, if not, I'll have to buy a replacement. There went my lovely sewing day.

~ To be fair, I did a lot of crocheting instead, although you'll have to wait until objects have reached their recipients to see pictures. Still, I'm quite pleased with how all that's going.

~ We went out for what should have been a lovely, quiet dinner on Saturday night, which turned into unfortunate food (turns out I don't like dark crab meat after all :S) with people we didn't know. I like meeting new people, but I need a bit of warning if we're having a "meet our friends" dinner instead of "have dinner with us" dinner. It was nice enough, just... I need warning.

~ Sunday turned out to be the Aston Martin Owners Club meeting at Blenheim. *drools* So many pretty cars, all in one place. They had vintage models, as well as the latest one, and the whole thing was exceedingly cool, making me wish I had a camera phone! I really must sort out getting one.

~ Sunday afternoon turned out to be less cool thanks to a blistering headache that laid me out until Monday lunchtime. I was feeling a bit woozy and cold (our flat gets no direct sunlight after 8am, so stays cold and damp all day), so thought I'd crawl out from under my blanket to make myself a coffee. When I'd stopped screaming, I decided that a paracetamol and hot bath were a much better plan. So. Much. Pain. The bath helped, but I still woke up feeling like death on Monday, so took the day to let my brain catch up with itself. Probably not unconnectedly, when I went to the chiropractor yesterday, she asked me what on earth I'd been doing to get myself in such a state. Apparently even my jaw was out of alignment, which I didn't even know was possible O.O She did painful things to my back and neck, which were so completely worth it *stretches* I can actually move my head properly now \o/

~ I'm off to Brighton for a conference next month, and have a free afternoon on 9th June. Anyone in the area feel like a coffee? Failing that, does anyone have any recommendations? I've already cased the location of the yarn and sewing shops...

As you can probably tell, my life is one long round of excitement right now - work, crochet and washing up seem to be about the limits of it. I'm definitely starting to reach the "there must be more to life" point, and if I ever figure out what, I'll let you know!

How's everyone else? *peers into ether* It's been so quiet around here lately I feel like I've lost track of people. Eveyone okay? Or are you all living the high life too? ;)

So, yesterday was An Bad Day. Today is shaping up a little better, which is ironic considering I got 2 hours less sleep and can't sit comfortably on my work chair. Both my lower back and my hip are hurting, and every time I adjust for one, it sets off the other. Note to self: hot bath tonight, but be careful not to poach yourself again.

Otherwise, my life is exceedingly dull and I kind of like it that way. I'm up to date on my work, a supplier is taking me, my boss and a colleague out to lunch today, it's sunny and I have another free weekend. My three current projects are only a few hours away from completion each, which means they now look like I've actually *made* something, and I've got pretty things coming from eBay to make more.

( I have been doing some thinking about writing, though )

Hope everyone has a more comfortable day that mine is going to be! Everyone got exciting plans for the weekend?

Hello blogland *waves* We're back from the Peaks having had a lovely break and much better weather than expected. Everything in Oxfordshire (which normally seems pretty hilly to this Londoner) looks rather flat all of a sudden. I think I'm in love with the Peak District and am womanfully resisting looking at properties on Rightmove. At least until I've had my lunch.

Today is catch-up day - cleaning, washing, tidying and generally pretending I don't have to go back to work tomorrow (not just a river in Egypt...) by baking cakes and playing on the computer. I guess it's not all bad.

Won't be around much until I catch up with Doctor Who - I've been scrolling like crazy to miss spoilers so will have to watch it tonight, I think.

Oh. The hardship.

Hope everyone enjoyed their long weekend and that you have sunshine too :)

Happy Ada Lovelace Day! Head over to the website here and check out some of the awesome women in technology and science. I haven't had much of a chance to do proper reading around yet, but I heard Maggie Aderin-Pocock on Desert Island Discs a few weeks ago and was instantly smitten. She's an astronomer, an instrument maker and a communicator (brilliant article by her here) as well as sounding like an all-round lovely person. If I get a chance later on, I'll add her to the map on the Finding Ada website :)

Otherwise, it's another dull, grey morning here, which is making me long for spring to actually get going. On the other hand, one of the consequences of that will be the clocks going forward this weekend, and I'm not that keen to lose an hour's sleep :S

I've been trying to work out if I haven't been posting because I've got nothing to say, or if it's because I've got too much to say and can't work out how to cram it all into one post. You know what it's like when your head is all full, and everything gets mangled when you try to write it down?

So what *have* I been doing?( Going to talks )

( Going for walks )

Also, we discovered ( the amazing power of furniture )

One slightly disconcerting note is that I'm more or less up to date at work. I mean, I have odds and ends that I'm mopping up, but if I can concentrate today, by 7pm when I leave here, I'll have done...well. Everything. I'm starting to get nervous about what I've forgotten.

Fortunately I have lots of other things to keep me going, and most awesomely of all, I've been writing. My inspiration dried up completely about this time last year, and although I've put out dribs and drabs since then, the urge to write went away almost completely. Ironically, since starting to crochet last November, I've found the urge returning (oh, get your minds out of the gutter :P) and have three or four WIPs that I don't actively hate right now. \o/ The relief is incredible, and at this rate, I should have my help_haiti fic done soon.

Which reminds me, please could someone point me in the direction of good White Collar fic? I'll take OT3 but, as usual, would prefer Gen. I'm gradually reading my way through the AO3 collection, which is pretty good, but would love to find some proper 'caper' stories or episode-style fic. Yeah, yeah, I know, I've lit the landing lights for the flying pigs already...

What about the rest of you? Everyone okay out there?

Yesterday was a good day. I got lots done, felt productive and went to my last-ever London lecture. The writing went well on the bus home, helped by the traffic jam, and I generally felt that all was well with the world.

Even today was pretty good until I got back to my desk at about 3.15. Since then, I've been sleepy, headachy and my face has been twitching (the muscles round my eyes do that when I'm tired). Hopefully it'll go off soon, but I see lying down in a dark room in my future if it doesn't :S

Which is annoying, because I need to make appointments with (*deep breath*) the chiropractor, the hairdresser, the optician, the dentist, the hospital and the local mental health services. Yup, over Easter, I'm having myself MOT'd ;)

The sunshine is just wonderful, but what I mostly want to do is go lie on the grass outside and sleep *yawns*

Yeah, I got nothing right now. My brain has reduced itself to shredded cheese and I'm not really sleeping, so I can't even get the energy up to do anything.

In lieu of content, therefore, have some of my favourites from my current favourite happy!site, notalwaysright.com:

No Signal. Uh. I have this horrible feeling that I would do this...

Love isn't as priceless as it used to be

I swear I have met this reader

Kind of impressive in its own way...

There's one born every minute

I'm just about functioning at this end, but actual communication is just not happening. Hitting 'send' and 'leave a comment' feel completely impossible, so apologies if I owe you a reply. I'll be fine - I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow anyway - and this too shall pass, but right now it's still here and kicking.

Hope everyone else's weeks are going better xx

Good morning. I think. We've got the edge of the snow that's been blanketing the country again, which mostly means everything is wet, slushy and cold. The perfect Monday morning in other words.

Did everyone have a good weekend? Despite being a little spaced-out right now, I had a lovely time with aeron_lanart and laurab1 on Saturday, and am most sad that the Steampunk exhibition is now closed, for it was of teh awesom. Most of yesterday was spent typing (for money, but typing nonetheless) or moping. My brain is stuck in a permanent fug right now - no matter how much I sleep, I just seem to get more tired. I can't work out if I'm sleeping too much, not enough, at the wrong times (I've always been a 'before midnight' person, but those hours are getting fewer right now) or what. I just know that I'm sick of feeling as though someone stuffed my head with cotton wool when I wasn't looking.

I'd love to say "so I'm going to pull myself together and do something about it" but honestly, I don't have the energy right now. So instead, I'm going to slope off and attempt to achieve something so I feel like a little less of a slacker than I do right now.

It has to be said that crossing things off my Big Giant List does make me feel much better, especially on a Monday morning. What about you guys? Any guaranteed pick-me-ups to get a slow week rolling?

I feel like I should start this post with "forgive me Livejournal, I have sinned: it has been three days since my last posting" Which isn't that long really, but it feels like longer. I'm living in Interesting Times, folks, and I don't recommend it. We're trying to make some tough decisions at this end, which is never my strong point, but at high stakes, I mostly want to hide under the duvet rather than do anything.

Sadly, that's not an option, so I've decided to poke my nose out and see how everyone's doing. *waves limply* Since my brain is treacle right now, bullet points are my friend.

~ I'm having way too much fun playing the Twitter game Echo Bazaar. Those of you who follow me there will have seen my weird tweets lately, but I promise it's all in a good cause. Mostly. *looks shifty*. Look, I'm having fun, okay?

~ I have finished the Octopus Army and just need to photograph it before posting it off. Look out fish_echo, they're on their way!

~ The shawl I'm working on is also going well, and I'm on the last row of purple before moving to pink which is the last colour. It's so much bigger and more complicated than I thought, but I'm learning a huge amount from it.

~ FINALLY, I have an idea to start my help_haiti fic off. That's all I need and it'll be awesome to get going. It's a Torchwood/Criminal Minds crossover and is going to be awesome. I've decided.

~ I sent a piece to the staff newsletter and got back a thank you note saying it was "well written" which makes me giddy-happy \o/

~ My eating is incredibly problematic right now and I'm sick of pretending it isn't. I don't want to eat or I want to eat everything (colleagues, beware!), probably at the same time. It sucks, and I'm trying to live with it.

~ Work is going well. It's the first time in a while I've been able to say that, but it genuinely is. At least something is.

~ We're going to a wedding celebration on Saturday, and I have no idea of the time, the location of the reception and if we've bought them a present or not. I also don't know what I'm going to wear given I'm too big for all my pretty clothes. This should be fun. I don't think...

~ tardis_bigbang should get going again soon \o/ Watch the comm! (but don't try to join yet!)

~ I am using Time Team as my 'background music' for work right now. Don't ask. I have no idea.

ETA: AAAAAGH MY EYES!!!! Today is typo day, one in a Library Conference title and the other announcing a blogging event. "New Professionals Perspective" really needs an apostrophe, and on what planet does "youre hosts" even look correct. Possessive plural mistakes I understand (although librarians should know better. they know where the grammar books are kept), but there is NO EXCUSE for "YOURE", especially not on publicity material. *JADES SMASH*

How's everyone else? Surviving out there? Hope the snow melts soon for you guys who are getting covered!