(no subject)

[stgulik]

Good evening. I hope you're enjoying your respective selves! Me, it's payday, so everybody got treated to retail-priced dinner to go from Panda Express. Their orange chicken is like crack. But they need more vegetarian entrees. Not everybody likes eggplant ...

Last Sunday, I talked on Skype for the first time. I know, right? I must be the last one in the western world. All in all, it rocks, though it occasionally froze for no discernible reason. Still, I talked for an hour to a guy from the BBC in London, and then to my dear teddyradiator on the East Coast, all on the internet's dime, and you can't beat that.

Let me tell you about the guy from the BBC.He originally made contact with someone, who referred him to someone else, who thought I might like to talk to him, which is why I wound up on Skype. Maybe I'm the bouncer who checks out strangers before they can get in the club. I was like that in school, come to think of it. Hmm.

Anyway, his name is Francis, and he is a young guy thinking about doing a short documentary on fan fiction. He's just getting started, so who knows where his interest will take him. I could only provide background on the things I know a lot about, such as how a moderated fanfic site works, why "drabble" is a real word, what "OTP" stands for, what women see in Draco and Snape, and so forth.

If you ever want to talk to him too, PM me and I'll give you his contact info. He seems all right.

Did I mention it was my birthday this month? And that my family threw me a party? Well, if not, it was and they did.

We set up our peculiar mishmash of deck furniture out back. I lamented for a while because nothing goes with each other - it's all so tacky. And Groom replied, of course it's tacky - that's us! I assure you, it sounded much more charming when he said it. He meant, people are coming to see us, not our lawn chairs. Or at least, that's how I took it.

Dinner was lovely, as was my four-layer lemon birthday cake! By the time we got to presents, it was too dark to see, even by candlelight, but somehow that made it more fun ... blame the champagne, LOL. The next day, my yard looked like the Mad Tea Party. We spent most of the next day making a stab at cleaning up. Totally worth it.

Comments

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

Aaaand you broke my video cherry. I don't usually go 'live' on Skype - just my avatar. But I figure if anyone could put up with me it would be your gorgeous self.

I would love to talk to this guy if he's just Skyp-ing at this point. Crazy world; at first he only wanted to talk to people live - hmm, maybe that was his graceful way of avoiding me.

[stgulik.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I got the feeling he finally got hold of a map of the United States and realized how tough it would be to visit any of us in person. LOL Skype works well for reconaissance, I'm sure.

[stgulik.livejournal.com]

It was lovely, completely lovely to see you at last. I'm afraid I got tongue-tied.

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

I did too! I kept thinking, 'this is my Jules!!! I hope she doesn't find me too repulsive...'

[stgulik.livejournal.com]

You've always said you're repulsive! In the back of my mind, I pictured you with snakes for hair. But you're lovely and normal-looking, with hair instead of snakes, and your smile makes a shy girl feel right at home. I like the way you look, so there.

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

You should see my smile now. :):):):)

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

And I thought you were wonderful. And still think so, more than ever.

[jenidralph.livejournal.com]

You're not the last. I've only ever typed using Skype. :)

[stgulik.livejournal.com]

It's cool. I'm about to go Skype-happy on my long-distance family members!

[delphipsmith]

Wow, the BBC is investigating fanfic -- most cool. Almost as good as the thought of a four-layer lemon birthday cake, NOMZ!!!

[stgulik.livejournal.com]

Well, just this guy at the BBC, but it's a start!

[droxy.livejournal.com]

I need to re-iniatiate skype. I also need to set up the mike/headset. Isnt going to happen for a while tho.

[mimimanderly.livejournal.com]

I've never used Skype, so there you go. I didn't realize you could use an avatar instead of appearing "live". I had visions of having to put on makeup and style my hair before having conversations with people. Good to know you don't HAVE to actually appear....

As to the mismatched furnishings, our entire house consists of pieces that have been inherited, bought at garage sales, or even pulled out of dumpsters, so nothing really "matches". Some of it looks rather down at the heels. I've decided just to run with it, call it Shabby Chic, and am currently ragging the walls so that they look like old plaster in order to make it all look more thematic.

[stgulik.livejournal.com]

I like your philosophy toward mismatched furniture. You make me want to own it - we're not tacky; we're eccentric and unique.

[arcanetrivia]

I talked on Skype for the first time. I know, right? I must be the last one in the western world.

I have never had a Skype account and only use the Skype program itself perforce since Microsoft shut down MSN/Live Messenger. (And in fact I am trying out some alternatives to that, since I hate various things about Skype as a text chat client.)

I don't have a Twitter account either. Nor do I particularly bother with the Facebook account I would likely not even have had it not been for a work project six years ago. (Well, I might have that now, since last year it became the only place to get realtime news about a convention I go to, and realtime was important for managing to get a room at the con hotel.)

[slr2moons.livejournal.com]

Late happy birthday! And congrats on the interview. It will be most interesting to see the final version! :D