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Nov. 16th, 2023 06:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatI'm in a bad mood. Blame Crazy Workplace, honestly what's new? I had the same circle arguments today that I've been having for the last two to three months, and didn't get anywhere. I'm tired of arguing with people at work. I can't seem to go a day without it.
Work is exhausting. I should have gone to my Church's evening vespers today but alas, passed.
Meme that I swiped from slaymesoftly.
1. Do you have a button stash. My answer is, well, kind of? I put them somewhere, forget about them...and never sew them on. I can't sew. I occasionally manage to sew a button on, but it's not pretty.
The rest of the questions -
2. – Take a Hike Day: When was the last time you took a hike?
Does commuting to work count? Probably not. Sometime in the summer or spring, around Greenwood Cemetery and to the park. I think I took one around Labor Day - to the park. I also take them all the time to the grocery store - that's about a 20-30 minute hike.
3 – Princess Day: What is your opinion of Disney princesses? How do you feel about real life princesses?
Ambivalent. The appeal of princesses is somewhat lost on me. I never aspired to be one. I was more interested in being the adventurer in charge of rescuing them. But I always considered princesses to be kind of useless?
Feel the same way about the real life ones. The appeal of Princess Diana was lost on me. I found her annoying.
4 – Play Monopoly Day: Have you ever played Monopoly? Did you enjoy it?
Multiple times. Not really. I had some bad experiences playing that game growing up. Suffice it to say - there are some people on the planet who should not be permitted to play games - and let's leave it at that?
5 – Name Your PC Day: Does your PC (or laptop) have a name?
No. I'm not into naming things. I'm not good at remembering names half the time. I did however name the robot vacuums - Spike and Buffy.
6 – World Television Day: Did you watch TV as a child? Do you still watch TV? How much TV do you watch per week on average?
Yes, yes, and more than I should.
Okay, I watch the news in the morning, soap on DVR at night, and about three-five things on weekends depending. I don't know how much that is?
7 – Go For a Ride Day: Do you ride anything? e.g. horse, motorcycle, sled, etc. When was the last time you rode?
Not into riding things - due to the whole spatial depth perception thing. The last time? I rode a horse in Park Slope sometime around 2012, I think.
8 – Espresso Day: Do you drink coffee? How do you drink your coffee?
No.
9 – Flossing Day: Do you floss regularly?
Yes.
10 – Shopping Reminder Day: Shopping Reminder Day falls roughly a month before Christmas, and as such it’s the perfect reminder to go ahead and get started on all of your holiday shopping. How do you feel about holiday shopping? Do you need a reminder to go shopping for holiday gifts?
Sigh. It's more a difficulty of getting folks to tell me what I want in time to buy them things. Also, since everything needs to be sent - it's better to buy them closer to the holidays.
11 – Cake Day: Cake or pie? Or something else?
Pie. Can't eat cake - makes me ill. Preferably Chocolate Mousse or just chocolate.
12 – Pins and Needles Day: Can you sew, either by hand or by machine? What was the last thing you sewed?
See #1. Can't sew. (Outside of a button.)
13 – French Toast Day: Do you like French toast?
Yes. Can't eat it any longer though.
14 – Throw Out Your Leftovers Day: How do you feel about leftovers? Are you happy to eat the same food more than once in a row, or do you crave variety in your diet? Do you take leftovers home from a restaurant when/if you eat out?
Don't tend to like them? Usually use what I made for dinner for lunch the next day. Don't make more than that. Don't have the space for a large amount of left-overs.
15 – Stay Home Because Your Well Day: Have you ever taken a mental health day from your job, or just decided not to go to work even though you weren't sick, because you felt like staying home or for some other reason?
Yes. We call them personal days.
**
Frustration is possibly the worst emotion next to anger and envy/jealousy, and often all three are interrelated.
My music choices today fit my mood, and were oddly reassuring:
*Don't You Need - Melissa Etheridge
*Tokyo A Go-Go - The Magnetic Fields
* Insecure - Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
* Giants - Dermot Kennedy
* Woman of Heart and Mind - Joni Mitchell
* Breaking Glass - David Bowie
* Corner of the Sky - the Jackson 5
* Stranded - Heart
* She Never Could Resist a Winding Road - Richard Thompson
I particularly appreciated Insecure. It helps to know everyone else is in the same boat.
***
Reading...
* Finished reading the Jean Grey comic arc written by Louise Simonson. It's four issues. And available via comixcology and Marvel.
It was oddly reassuring. The whole theme of it was - that we have limited control, and we do the best we can, and the direction our lives take us isn't necessarily all our fault. Jean is blaming herself for all these deaths and thinking she went wrong somewhere or made the wrong choices, and tries to undo it by making different choices in her head - but is gradually shown that wouldn't matter, the choices she made were the best ones that she could possibly have made at the time. She went with her gut, and that's all she could do, and really it's all any of us can do. We don't know everything, we don't have all the information, and there are other variables at play that we don't have any control over.
* Finished listening to Turn of the Screw as read by Emma Thompson, with some material read by Richard Armitage via audible. It's okay. I had difficulty following it. Thompson was excellent - no complaints there. I'm just not a fan of James. He takes a long time to get to the point. I feel like I'm listening to legalese. And he's very flowery, which is a writing style that irritates me - mainly because I was taught not to be flowery.
My father was a minimalist who preferred Hemingway.
The story is about the ghosts of a manservant and governess - go after two children, who are under the care of the current governess. The title refers to the horrific use of children by ghosts. "The turn of the screw is when a child is possessed or taken over by a ghost, it's worse when it is two turns of the screw." James was obsessed with sexuality or repressed sexual desire - I personally think it was the time period? (And it is why I hate that particular time period in literature - it irritates me). And wrote a great deal about sexual repression as did many of his contemporaries - Hawthorn, Wharton, etc. So in Turn of the Screw, he spends a lot of time circling around or hinting at the fact that the Manservant and Governess's ghosts are either inhabiting or attempting to inhabit their former young charges in order to well...have sexual relations or continue their love affair. Which is horrific considering the two kids are siblings, so hello incest. The current Governess discovers it - and goes out of her way to end it, but with the tragic death of the boy. (He dies in her arms at the end.)
At least that's what I was able to ascertain from it.
Now, I'm listening to Barbara Streisand's Memoir - "My Name is Barbara" - which she wrote in order to tell her story, her way, and stomp on the lies told about her by various journalists and critics over time. She makes a point of stating that she likes facts and can't stand lies. (Unfortunately we all lie, whether we want to admit, acknowledge or realize it. People tend to twist things to make themselves look good, embellish a story, or fit whatever belief or worldview they have. And they lie to themselves. We see the past as we wish to - and tend to remember it the same. But alas, I'm not sure everyone has figured this out yet? Or is that self-aware?)
Streisand is apparently the same age as mother - 81. I wonder if her son is the same age that I am?
She's reading the book herself - which is excellent. If you plan on listening to a memoir - pick one read by the author, and preferably by an actor - since most people can't read their own work without going into a monotone.
Almost done with Starling House which has been categorized as dark fantasy by Good Reads. I guess that works.
Work is exhausting. I should have gone to my Church's evening vespers today but alas, passed.
Meme that I swiped from slaymesoftly.
1. Do you have a button stash. My answer is, well, kind of? I put them somewhere, forget about them...and never sew them on. I can't sew. I occasionally manage to sew a button on, but it's not pretty.
The rest of the questions -
2. – Take a Hike Day: When was the last time you took a hike?
Does commuting to work count? Probably not. Sometime in the summer or spring, around Greenwood Cemetery and to the park. I think I took one around Labor Day - to the park. I also take them all the time to the grocery store - that's about a 20-30 minute hike.
3 – Princess Day: What is your opinion of Disney princesses? How do you feel about real life princesses?
Ambivalent. The appeal of princesses is somewhat lost on me. I never aspired to be one. I was more interested in being the adventurer in charge of rescuing them. But I always considered princesses to be kind of useless?
Feel the same way about the real life ones. The appeal of Princess Diana was lost on me. I found her annoying.
4 – Play Monopoly Day: Have you ever played Monopoly? Did you enjoy it?
Multiple times. Not really. I had some bad experiences playing that game growing up. Suffice it to say - there are some people on the planet who should not be permitted to play games - and let's leave it at that?
5 – Name Your PC Day: Does your PC (or laptop) have a name?
No. I'm not into naming things. I'm not good at remembering names half the time. I did however name the robot vacuums - Spike and Buffy.
6 – World Television Day: Did you watch TV as a child? Do you still watch TV? How much TV do you watch per week on average?
Yes, yes, and more than I should.
Okay, I watch the news in the morning, soap on DVR at night, and about three-five things on weekends depending. I don't know how much that is?
7 – Go For a Ride Day: Do you ride anything? e.g. horse, motorcycle, sled, etc. When was the last time you rode?
Not into riding things - due to the whole spatial depth perception thing. The last time? I rode a horse in Park Slope sometime around 2012, I think.
8 – Espresso Day: Do you drink coffee? How do you drink your coffee?
No.
9 – Flossing Day: Do you floss regularly?
Yes.
10 – Shopping Reminder Day: Shopping Reminder Day falls roughly a month before Christmas, and as such it’s the perfect reminder to go ahead and get started on all of your holiday shopping. How do you feel about holiday shopping? Do you need a reminder to go shopping for holiday gifts?
Sigh. It's more a difficulty of getting folks to tell me what I want in time to buy them things. Also, since everything needs to be sent - it's better to buy them closer to the holidays.
11 – Cake Day: Cake or pie? Or something else?
Pie. Can't eat cake - makes me ill. Preferably Chocolate Mousse or just chocolate.
12 – Pins and Needles Day: Can you sew, either by hand or by machine? What was the last thing you sewed?
See #1. Can't sew. (Outside of a button.)
13 – French Toast Day: Do you like French toast?
Yes. Can't eat it any longer though.
14 – Throw Out Your Leftovers Day: How do you feel about leftovers? Are you happy to eat the same food more than once in a row, or do you crave variety in your diet? Do you take leftovers home from a restaurant when/if you eat out?
Don't tend to like them? Usually use what I made for dinner for lunch the next day. Don't make more than that. Don't have the space for a large amount of left-overs.
15 – Stay Home Because Your Well Day: Have you ever taken a mental health day from your job, or just decided not to go to work even though you weren't sick, because you felt like staying home or for some other reason?
Yes. We call them personal days.
**
Frustration is possibly the worst emotion next to anger and envy/jealousy, and often all three are interrelated.
My music choices today fit my mood, and were oddly reassuring:
*Don't You Need - Melissa Etheridge
*Tokyo A Go-Go - The Magnetic Fields
* Insecure - Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
* Giants - Dermot Kennedy
* Woman of Heart and Mind - Joni Mitchell
* Breaking Glass - David Bowie
* Corner of the Sky - the Jackson 5
* Stranded - Heart
* She Never Could Resist a Winding Road - Richard Thompson
I particularly appreciated Insecure. It helps to know everyone else is in the same boat.
***
Reading...
* Finished reading the Jean Grey comic arc written by Louise Simonson. It's four issues. And available via comixcology and Marvel.
It was oddly reassuring. The whole theme of it was - that we have limited control, and we do the best we can, and the direction our lives take us isn't necessarily all our fault. Jean is blaming herself for all these deaths and thinking she went wrong somewhere or made the wrong choices, and tries to undo it by making different choices in her head - but is gradually shown that wouldn't matter, the choices she made were the best ones that she could possibly have made at the time. She went with her gut, and that's all she could do, and really it's all any of us can do. We don't know everything, we don't have all the information, and there are other variables at play that we don't have any control over.
* Finished listening to Turn of the Screw as read by Emma Thompson, with some material read by Richard Armitage via audible. It's okay. I had difficulty following it. Thompson was excellent - no complaints there. I'm just not a fan of James. He takes a long time to get to the point. I feel like I'm listening to legalese. And he's very flowery, which is a writing style that irritates me - mainly because I was taught not to be flowery.
My father was a minimalist who preferred Hemingway.
The story is about the ghosts of a manservant and governess - go after two children, who are under the care of the current governess. The title refers to the horrific use of children by ghosts. "The turn of the screw is when a child is possessed or taken over by a ghost, it's worse when it is two turns of the screw." James was obsessed with sexuality or repressed sexual desire - I personally think it was the time period? (And it is why I hate that particular time period in literature - it irritates me). And wrote a great deal about sexual repression as did many of his contemporaries - Hawthorn, Wharton, etc. So in Turn of the Screw, he spends a lot of time circling around or hinting at the fact that the Manservant and Governess's ghosts are either inhabiting or attempting to inhabit their former young charges in order to well...have sexual relations or continue their love affair. Which is horrific considering the two kids are siblings, so hello incest. The current Governess discovers it - and goes out of her way to end it, but with the tragic death of the boy. (He dies in her arms at the end.)
At least that's what I was able to ascertain from it.
Now, I'm listening to Barbara Streisand's Memoir - "My Name is Barbara" - which she wrote in order to tell her story, her way, and stomp on the lies told about her by various journalists and critics over time. She makes a point of stating that she likes facts and can't stand lies. (Unfortunately we all lie, whether we want to admit, acknowledge or realize it. People tend to twist things to make themselves look good, embellish a story, or fit whatever belief or worldview they have. And they lie to themselves. We see the past as we wish to - and tend to remember it the same. But alas, I'm not sure everyone has figured this out yet? Or is that self-aware?)
Streisand is apparently the same age as mother - 81. I wonder if her son is the same age that I am?
She's reading the book herself - which is excellent. If you plan on listening to a memoir - pick one read by the author, and preferably by an actor - since most people can't read their own work without going into a monotone.
Almost done with Starling House which has been categorized as dark fantasy by Good Reads. I guess that works.
no subject
Date: 2023-11-17 01:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-11-17 03:04 am (UTC)I've tried to read Turn of the Screw three times now - and have only managed to barely make it through the audio book, and the play. And it's short. I can't get through Washington Square either.
I have the same difficulties with Nathaniel Hawthorn. Wharton less so...she's more accessible for some reason. Depressing, but accessible.
I think I agree with Mark Twain - who despised James, one of the two boats that he sinks in Huckleberry Finn is the Henry James, the other is the Sir Walter Scott (who he also thought was too flowery).
no subject
Date: 2023-11-17 05:27 am (UTC)There’s an old film of the Turn of the Screw which is pretty good and creepy (in b & w)
no subject
Date: 2023-11-17 07:08 pm (UTC)I've seen that one - also read the play version of it - with Deborah Kerr in the lead. I think it was 1950s? May have been earlier. I saw it sometime in the 1970s or 80s, I think, on television. I may look it up again, MAX may have it on TCM.
no subject
Date: 2023-11-17 08:44 pm (UTC)The meme looks fun! I'm going to snag that later.