a conspiracy of cartographers

So WisCon happened! As usual, it was absolutely lovely, although this year I went to fewer panels than I intended; on the other hand, much of the con involved me playing host to filia_belialis and such_heights, since it was their first time at WisCon. We had lots of meals together, and impromptu room parties, and it was delightful. (We may have officially called our room the Tom Hiddleston Recovery Unit, but there wasn't so much recovery as just lots of yelling about him/Tilda Swinton/the Avengers cast/the Doctor Who cast/&c. Also oliviacirce hid behind lots of imaginary pillars.)

( The con in more detail, cut for length! )

I think this about covers it! Although in more serious news, usually I do WisCon and come out of it feeling energized, and pleased with myself, and like I've recharged for another year of normal things before it comes around again. Not so much this year! I was low-energy enough that I felt a bit like I needed twice the usual time to even sink properly into the con spirit and relax enough to enjoy myself. It was also a reminder of all the things I like, and something like a punch to the face about how I'm not doing the things I like, at least in my dumb not particularly rewarding day job. Which is really great, actually, in the sense that instead of feeling like an affirmation this year con felt like a wake-up call, to go out and try to make the rest of my life more like the stories I want it to be again.

I feel sort of like I'm doing the mental equivalent of that Unfuck Your Habitat thing -- my physical habitat is super unfucked! I brush the cats, I sweep and dust! I'm really excited for warmer weather because soon I shall fling open all the windows and do a deep-clean of the apartment! -- but I keep feeling massively stressed. Some of it is stuff entirely outside my control, of course, but I'm getting better at identifying the stressors and taking care of those, one thing at a time.

For example, this morning I registered for WisCon and got a room! Right now the going plan is to room with my sweeties and such_heights, so exciiiiited. (I also bought a dessert ticket, because Jo Walton. ...I should perhaps read some of her stuff besides Among Others before the con.) I even called up the hotel and registered by phone, by speaking to another human being and everything, and it was okay. Somehow in the last five years I've become the sort of person who does not panic every time she needs to make a phone call, oh wow my endless relief.

Also, I have finally figured out the answer to my tumblr problem. (My tumblr problem, in this case, being that there is no way I can actually manage to keep up with it given the other more important commitments in my life and the fact that I don't have job that involves downtime in front of a computer.) The answer to my tumblr problem: don't even try to stay caught up! Just look at some stuff, reblog some stuff, wander off, and then go back to the new first page next time! It is less freeing than I want it to be, because I'm still a bit OCD about completing things, but this still seems like the wisest choice.

Meanwhile I have also been watching some TV? I'm very bad at keeping up with most of it! Plus Polaris and I are watching every Bond film ever (ALMOST DONE!) and I'm showing Housemate K all of Buffy (halfway through s2 now!) because she's never seen it. Even so, I have been watching:

Community! ( Spoilers do a quick overview of the season so far. )

Elementary! ( Spoilers mostly just gush about Lucy Liu. )

White Collar! ( Spoilers are mostly me nattering about whether Neal is sleeping with the Burkes yet. )

Also, the Buffy rewatch is DELIGHTFUL. Housemate K adores Spike and Dru intensely, as well she should; meanwhile I'm mostly just really excited to watch her reaction faces, as we're about ... three episodes from Innocence right now. GOOD TIMES.

i. skfdk everyone run do not walk to listen to the podfic of Shatter, read by cyranothe2nd who is basically my new hero -- she makes the fic sound so good, and also upped my fondness for Jane a lot. SO GOOD. I would listen to it like five times in a row except that it's three and a half hours long, and also, let's be honest, I basically have the fic memorized. I just love the podfic so much!

ii. WisCon! I'm going with Emma and am stupid excited to show off Madison to her; we'll be arriving early Friday afternoon (fingers crossed, our bus schedule keeps changing so it's entirely possible we won't turn up until about five in the evening) and staying through Monday, and I'm really excited to see everyone. WISCON BUDDIES I WILL SEE YOU SOON. \o/

There is no thing three! Maybe I will try to write some filthy Thor/Loki before I'm off on weekend adventures, idk, maybe I will just clean the house.