What I did on my summer vacation, by Beatrice Otter, age 30

[beatrice_otter]

I've been quiet enough this year that I am not sure anyone will have noticed that I have been especially quiet this last month.  What have I been doing instead of reading and writing fanfic and being on DW/LJ/AO3?

I have:

• wrapped up my job (it was a year-long contract, I knew it was ending, but it is amazing the amount of stuff I put off saying, "I have all year to do it, It can wait while I do the stuff that has to be done right now."  And then I only had a month left to do it all in, and things got crazy.
• Sorted through all my stuff in PA to figure out what was going home with me and what was being abandoned.
• Shipped all my books media mail, and a couple boxes of other stuff UPS, and loaded the rest of my stuff into a 2002 Kia Rio and drove with my father from Pennsylvania to Oregon, back to my parents home while I look for a call (for pastors, this means a job as a pastor).
• Interviewed with two congregations and spoke with four bishops' assistants while on the road
• After arriving home, went off on a three day camping trip with Mom, kid brother, oldest brother and his wife.  (Lots of fun!)
• done yardwork in exchange for no rent.  More yardwork to come.  Also, possibly painting the deck.
• Gotten ready to go to the annual Labor Day family reunion
• Begun unpacking my stuff from PA and figuring out what of my stuff here in Oregon will not be going with me wherever I end up.

So, yeah, not much time for fannish stuff.  But!  I am so happy to be back home in the Pacific Northwest, you cannot imagine.  This is where I want to be for the rest of my life.  Alas, my first call as a pastor will probably be in the Midwest--Minnesota or North Dakota.  That means minimum 3 years there, and more likely 5-7, before I can be home for good.

What I have been missing fannishly: The 2012 Bujold Ficathon.  There are so many awesome prompts, but I just do not have the time or mental energy to tackle any, right now.
Also, the heroines_fest sounds awesome, but what I know about comic books I know exclusively from the movies and fanfic, so I could only do the movieverse prompts, and see above re: time and mental energy.

Cool stuff: on the way home, listening to my CD collection, I found a couple of perfect songs for vids, and since I don't vid I am releasing them for anyone who wants them.

Legend of a Mind by the Moody Blues as a Doctor Who vid, a kind of psychedelic look at the Doctor and regeneration and companions.

Lyrics:
Timothy Leary's dead.
No, no, no, no, He's outside looking in.
Timothy Leary's dead.
No, no, no, no, He's outside looking in.
He'll fly his astral plane,
Takes you trips around the bay,
Brings you back the same day,
Timothy Leary. Timothy Leary.

Along the coast you'll hear them boast
About a light they say that shines so clear.
So raise your glass, we'll drink a toast
To the little man who sells you thrills along the pier.

He'll take you up, he'll bring you down,
He'll plant your feet back firmly on the ground.
He flies so high, he swoops so low,
He knows exactly which way he's gonna go.
Timothy Leary. Timothy Leary.

He'll take you up, he'll bring you down,
He'll plant your feet back on the ground.
He'll fly so high, he'll swoop so low.
Timothy Leary.

He'll fly his astral plane.
He'll take you trips around the bay.
He'll bring you back the same day.
Timothy Leary. Timothy Leary.
Timothy Leary. Timothy Leary.
Timothy Leary.

And, for Once Upon A Time, two songs.
You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You (here in the Dean Martin version, but it was a very popular song, so you could also get several other versions)

You're nobody 'til somebody loves you
You're nobody 'til somebody cares
You may be king, you may possess the world and it's gold
But gold won't bring you happiness when you're growing old
The world still is the same, you never change it
As sure as the stars shine above
You're nobody 'til somebody loves you
So find yourself somebody to love

The world still is the same, you never change it
As sure as the stars shine above
Well, you're nobody 'til somebody loves you
So find yourself somebody to love

Then, my personal favorite, also available recorded by a wide variety of artists:
More I Cannot Wish You

Velvet I can wish you
For the collar of your coat
And fortune smiling all along your way
But More I Cannot Wish You
Than to wish you find your love
Your own true love this day

Mansions I can wish you
Seven footmen all in red
And calling cards upon a silver tray.
But More I Cannot Wish You
Than to wish you find your love
Your own true love this day

Standing there
Gazing at you
Full of the bloom of youth

Standing there
Gazing at you
With a sheeps' eye
And a lickerish tooth.

Music I can wish you
Merry music while you're young
And wisdom when your hair has turned to gray.
But More I Cannot Wish You
Than to wish you find your love
Your own true love this day
With a sheeps' eye
And a lickerish tooth
And a strong arms
To carry you away.

Comments

[thothmes]

I had noticed the radio silence, and was wondering how things were with you. I recalled that you would probably be looking for a call at this point, and was wondering how it was all going.

My maid of honor was from North Bend, Oregon, on the coast, and I know a number of people from the Northwest, and the region seems to garner enormous loyalty from those who have lived there. I'll be thinking of you, and hoping that you beat the odds and manage to receive a call that keeps you there, where you want to be. What I saw of Washington and Oregon when we went out to my maid of honor's wedding was just gorgeous (and we say more of it than we would have expected when we flew into Seattle, then Portland, and then our regional carrier from Portland to North Bend turned out to have taken the day off - without notifying us or the major airlines, although they'd sold us a ticket for the day - so we got to North Bend by bus).

Thanksgiving dinner in the Portland Bus station right next to homeless and bickering (occasionally threatening violence) Vietnam vets was... interesting at 23!