Ree’s musings

Normally I don't write down my dreams. I won't chronicle this one entirely either, but it hurts and I wish to speak of it. There was so much else going on, but the part that sticks in my craw involves my computer.

In waking life, mine is broken. Its software functions as well as Win XP & co. ever do, but its CD-ROM drive is jammed. Stuck inside is a CD I only recently rediscovered, containing pictures from four years ago. I had thought them lost forever, then rejoiced to find them again. Now they are in my drive, but unusable -- the drive claims it is empty. My best guess is that the CD slipped loose of the tray while the drawer was closed. I'd been able to access a few pictures before it acted strangely, so it wasn't an instant problem.

I dreamed many things. Among it all, a kind blonde saw my sorrow and asked me about it. I told her in sadness that my beloved computer was stuck shut with my treasured archive inside it. She asked to see, so I pressed the button to open the drive. For some reason my computer was upside-down. When I demonstrated the drive, it promptly opened all the way, releasing my disc into a fall. I caught it effortlessly, adding to my surprise.

She smiled. I think she intimated that she knew that would happen. I was ecstatic.

Then I woke up in the darkness of early morning, facing a greyed wall. The waking world reasserted itself around me. I knew without having to turn that my computer was still jammed.

In my pointless hope, I tried anyway.

Still broken.

God, I hate these dreams, the ones are are so wonderful until the bubble pops. They leave you worse than before because they show you how keenly you want whatever it is you don't have.

Exhibit A
Exhibit B

I copy/pasted and typed the entirety of A, alphabetising it by hand. I really, really wish somebody would have SAID they were working on B before I busted my ass. Dammit all it to hell. I try to figure out the best way to get my version to show on several message boards, pondering inline frames versus Javascript includes, and they settle for a link to this system. Wires have gotten crossed and I've expended time I could have used to kick back with a nice movie -- or five. It did take that long. Crap.

I'm not mad they found a searchable way, because hey, good for them. I'm irritated that nobody said anything after the head admin posted a message asking specifically if somebody knew how to do a pulldown. I'm cross because I spent my time on this, and it became outmoded within two weeks, easy. Why didn't anyone tell me?

It makes me feel like I'm not in the loop. I'm scrambling to keep my head above water while making an effort to keep up at a board that moves a lot faster than I've been used to, and I feel like my effort is being repaid with "Gee, thanks for offering us your car, but we rented a limo."

I have further misgivings about the searchable system, for reasons I know better than to disclose in a publicly-readable area. It's just bad juju to do so. I'll ask around. First I have to figure out who to ask. There's over 150 characters listed already -- for eight people. Nine, including my lone entry. Ack.

Anyway. Bad day.

First: I apologise for my previous post. I had a long, amiable talk with one of the people involved and commented back to another. As I no doubt showed, I was frustrated with the way things turned out. Mostly I was pissed off at myself for not saying what I was doing, which might've spared me effort. On the plus side, I learned things about HTML forms I hadn't had to know before. I'm not going to claim I'm doing backflips, but yeah, I'm content. We got it worked out.

Second: Anybody ever check out Customers Suck on LJ? I used to have it on my reading list, but after about a week, it just weighed me down to much. I still check in every now then. The community posters are almost invariably pissed off, but if you can wade through the second-hand trauma, there's some stuff in there about how a customer can treat a clerk right. I like that. I try to be nice to the help -- Golden Rule and all that.

Hot off the presses comes a post wherein a poster gets hot under the collar because of a customer who shopped using a hand basket and did not remove their items from the basket, instead opting to place the basket entire on the belt.

I had no idea that people could get worked up over this. I didn't even know that I, in my attempts to be a considerate shopper, should remove each item individually, that the clerk might handle pick each item in turn and ring it up. That doesn't exactly make sense to me.

Anybody want to voice their opinion, for my future reference? Please? This has me flummoxed now, and I'd like to resolve even such a piddly issue. Hey, I take closure where I can get it.

I'm seriously swamped and sore lately. I haven't checked any boards for a day and half, and I'm not probably not going to get to them tomorrow, either. My mom might be coming to visit, I need to run get my computer in for repairs (and mooch off my mom's comp until mine gets back), I have an invite from an old college friend to come over (and I intend to), I've been shovelling snow until my legs hurt, and I helped carry Sin's new PS2 and get it figured out. We went shopping; I got batteries. Yes, I am a wild woman. *groan*

Anyway, yeah, so I'm still wading through my email, which remains the best way to reach me -- haven't had the balls to get on AIM lately, so forget that. Comments left on my blog get emailed to me, so I will see those, but I might not have time to respond. I plan to at least poke in on boards where I have admin or mod duties, but I really don't have the energy to move my characters around and stuff. It's a good kind of tired, where I spend time running around with friends and generally feeling accomplished, but it fills time I'm used to spending online. It's kinda hard for me to get used to.

I am full of friendly Valentine's chocolates. n.n I'm a happy ReeToes. Also a tired ReeToes, but I can be both. I'm versatile.

Requirements: Flash, speakers, and either image-blocking or tolerance of small porn ads, some of which look painful. Oi.

Oh man. Remember "All Your Base"? It's been almost long enough that the stupid furor has been forgotten, thank the gods. Mix the Photoshopped images with a techno mix for a wiggy AYB music video. Huzzah.

Spent Saturday with mumsy, watching a movie and nibbling sweets, so that was good. Then we ate out Sunday and my daddy was there, so he and I talked. I went over to his house later and beat him at wickedly fun game of Uno. He gave me his old trucking jacket, with his name embroidered on the front and the company name in letters several inches tall on the back. Mom's a bit upset with me for wearing it about the house, I think. I got each parent to myself because my brothers had a Bible camp retreat over the weekend. Muwaha!

I finally got my computer in for repairs. Total cost of repairing the CD-ROM drive? Six bucks! I'm sure it sounds trite, but Somebody was looking out for me on that one, and that Someone gets thanked accordingly and with libations of Mt. Dew. *g*

Also caught up at Berelath, mostly -- oops, but neglected Cliché High and the squirrels! *runs to remedy*


I finally got my computer in for repairs. Total cost of repairing the CD-ROM drive? Six bucks! I'm sure it sounds trite, but Somebody was looking out for me on that one, and that Someone gets thanked accordingly and with libations of Mt. Dew. *g*

Also caught up at Berelath, mostly -- oops, but neglected Cliché High and the squirrels! *runs to remedy*

Re: a writing website:

Hey, if you'd like to submit, you'd be most welcome.

Ahhh, don't tell me that! The damage is done now. *sorts through newly-recovered poetry and brushes off a few likely contenders*

Darn people, encouraging me. *mutters* It's getting bloody hard to keep up solid angst for gloomy poetry. At this rate, I'll be all pink kittens and sunshine by 2006!

...cool.

I really need to post again at the Green Heart. My muse must have gone on strike without warning again, just when I need her -- I get as far as

"Yay alcohol!" Jaina said cheerily, and grabbed some

and that's it. Actually, until, I typed it into here, I'd only got as far as "Yay alcohol!" and wishing I had a nice Mike's to remind me of that simple joy.

On the up side, tonight I taught my mother to use IRFanView to resize the huge, uncropped images my aunt and other relatives e-mail to her. Now Mom can resize the images (using the handy half-size button) and print them out. Plus the icon for the program has been set as a big, yellow smiley face; that's always fun. (I not-so-seriously considered using the cleavage icon instead, but good sense prevailed for a change.)

Please, brain, just work. You've had chocolate, Weird Al, cartoons, and a filling supper. Either kick in or prepare to get shot with vodka!

-- it's still not working. Mleh!

I owe proper journal entries and roleplay posts and I'm woefully behind on my online news reading. I think I'm going to soak the computer in vodka instead of soaking my brain. Yeah!

I really didn't need to read "RPGs Sound Like Jazz?" while so mercilessly abandoned by my muse and contemplating housing arrangements that, if effected, would end all but my online roleplaying.

To the fantasy character in my head who wants be roleplayed in a modern realm: Shut up. You're not going where you think you want to go. If you did, my entire potential second novel would unravel! Now suck it up and be a man about it.

To my online news and blog subscriptions: Could you please shrink? You're becoming very burdensome at a time when I need time to think and to do not-reading-news things.

To my phone: Ring, damn you.

To my brother's new computers (two PCs my father no longer needed): Please work properly, especially if TJ decides he wants something newer. If that occurs, the older of the two computers will become my new Zork machine, so I'd like you in the best possible condition, despite your tiny memory and increasing age.

To the voice in my brain telling me to voice my awe of some roleplayers I've noticed, but not yet played with: I will. In one case, I already have; in another -- I'm trying to summon the guts to say something. I keep being afraid that abruptly IMing or emailing saying "Hi! Your writing is incredible!" will come off as quite stalker-ish. Murr.

To Jaina, my chief roleplay character: Either come up with something to say and/or do at each pub currently graced with your presence, or I'll order you double vodka shots in both places and have you strip until that little scar shows, bare minimum. Or did you want to expose that mark of your former order as well? *evil, oh-so-wicked grin*

To Dude: I don't know how you got mom interested in networking the house computers, but man, thank you for doing it. Wow.

To the addressee of the first note: I said no. I meant no. Shut up. You're ruining my novel-to-be! Dammit, behave or I shall spray you with unholy city water, straight from the tap, and pelt you with non-organic apples!

To my mom's computer: Quit killing my music. I hate you. Next time I visit, I'm packing my Walkman, you son of Hades proper. I dare you to crash my radio, too. Pfffft.