blamebrampton: 15th century woodcut of a hound (Default)
blamebrampton ([personal profile] blamebrampton) wrote2008-03-12 11:02 pm
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Quick update

The Min cat is still with us!

In fact, aside from one alarming night and an ongoing wheeze, she has been in robust good health. She has even reclaimed her kitty tower as 'the' place to be after disdaining it for most of the last year.

In some ways it is simply tragic to see how healthy she is, aside from the cancer. On the other hand, it is wonderful to see that she is in good spirits and clearly no or very minimal pain. The many good wishes she has been sent have definitely been helping! Well -- they've definitely helped us at any rate!

The salmon diet, apparently, is the kitty version of medical marijuana. I have had to go out and buy another stash of tins, hurrah! We're onto the good red salmon, sod the wussy pink.

The weather has been exceptionally cooperative, and after the first wet summer in a decade has continued fine and dry since she has been home, so she has sat in her pot of miscanthus each day, then trotted out to follow the late afternoon sun. Her old people have visited her daily and she is pleased to see that she is finally being worshipped appropriately. In further good news, the local vets will be able to come here to euthanise her when the time comes, and there is a pet crematorium who do local pick-ups. We plan to scatter her ashes in her garden beds (several) and favourite rat hunting ground.

For my part I have been a bit lj invisible for the last few days as I desperately struggle to get through my worldcup fic. No extensions under any circumstances is a bit ghastly, since no one can plan for RL disasters and there are a number of people in even worse situations than me who are left hanging between flogging themselves and letting down their teams. We are all choosing to flog ourselves, but I do feel that in a perfect world we'd have a little leeway to work some more sleep into the schedule.

Oh well, when you read the fic with more typos than any other (and you do not want to KNOW how bad my brain is at homonyms when I am this thinly spread), be kind, it will be mine, and it will not in any way be the fault of my lovely betas.

Back to the writing and the listening to breathing, out and in, with only a little whistle, she still has time ...

[identity profile] norton-gale.livejournal.com 2008-03-12 12:25 pm (UTC)(link)
Hurray for Min rallying! Cats are always surprising.

I'm prepared to love your Worldcup fic regardless of typos.

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2008-03-12 12:30 pm (UTC)(link)
It's lovely to see her so clearly enjoying herself after the other week, even if we know she'll start to decline again soon. All of the vets have spoken glowingly of her personal qualities and toughness, so she continues her lifetime of impressing through grumpy fortitude, bless.

I think that there will be a lot of shared love from all who have made it through worldcup; it's a bonding experience!

[identity profile] calanthe-fics.livejournal.com 2008-03-12 12:31 pm (UTC)(link)
Great news on the cat, and I'm glad to hear that you're sounding chipper, even if it is probably put on to make the rest of us feel better.

Um, in relation to world cup, surely that's what the back-up writers were for? Why not use them when people have unavoidable situations like yours?

[identity profile] norton-gale.livejournal.com 2008-03-12 12:32 pm (UTC)(link)
I think that there will be a lot of shared love from all who have made it through worldcup; it's a bonding experience!

Like walking through fire and coming out the other side...

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2008-03-12 12:36 pm (UTC)(link)
The guilt! The not finishing, the failing, the landing my problems on someone else's shoulders with only a fortnight and a half, the conviction that I can do it, really, and who needs sleep ... the fact that I appear to be somehow sharing my brain with a Jewish grandmother, when it all boils down to it.

A genuinely chipper day with the cat. It's still heartbreaking, but compared to he last two people I saw off through cancer, she is having a ball of a time and not being a daily source of heartbreak. We are both prepared to fall completely apart when we have to put her down, though. Happily, the place where I am freelancing has told me that I am to stay home and cry whenever I feel I need to, because they are all crazy cat ladies, too. It's quite lovely.

[identity profile] absynthedrinker.livejournal.com 2008-03-12 12:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Glad to hear about the cat! Worldcup is busting several people's balls at this moment. Frayach says she is definitely sweating. Aren't these challenges supposed to be fun? Well are you having fun yet? Nice to see you. Bubba

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2008-03-12 12:37 pm (UTC)(link)
As you Americans so beautifully put it; word, sister.

[identity profile] norton-gale.livejournal.com 2008-03-12 12:38 pm (UTC)(link)
We may need to start our own AA chapter afterwards. Or a support group at the very least.

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2008-03-12 12:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes. Fun. That is the word that springs to mind.

(I have gone through sweating and am up to nausea. Which is why I decided that half a tub of chocolate rock ice cream would be a good dinner. This may have contributed to the nausea. XXX BB)

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2008-03-12 12:40 pm (UTC)(link)
Make T-shirts ...

[identity profile] norton-gale.livejournal.com 2008-03-12 12:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Something like this:

I competed in [livejournal.com profile] hd_worldcup, and all I got was this stupid t-shirt> :D

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2008-03-12 01:04 pm (UTC)(link)
I have bags under my eyes and an incipient ulcer, too, though the latter has multiple causes. Anyway, enough badinage, back to the writing!

[identity profile] calanthe-fics.livejournal.com 2008-03-12 01:06 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm worried about you. I'm worried about you all, in fact. I've seen some bizarre and frankly, close to breakdown behaviour from world cup people. I just want everyone to remember that fandom is meant to be fun!

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2008-03-12 01:12 pm (UTC)(link)
It is *definitely* second or third place on my list of worries. I have reconciled myself to the fact that my work will be underdone and that there will be people who simply don't like it. I'm a big girl and will cope.

I have a long list of bookmarks for next week when fandom can be fun again!

But yes, you are very right in that it is bonkers to be working this hard for an arbitrary deadline for a fandom fest. I won't be signing up for anything that has no flexibility on deadlines ever again, it's just not how life, or indeed publishing, works, even though I can see why a mod might be attracted to the concept.

[identity profile] calanthe-fics.livejournal.com 2008-03-12 01:17 pm (UTC)(link)
You may not know but I'm not enamoured of the idea of the world cup - never was since it was first advertised. There's enough divisiveness (is that a word, even?) in fandom without pitching for winners and losers. Every fic should be a winner IMO. I know you're very level-headed in such matters, but I think you're in the minority. I expect to see some locked posts about people being crushed over 'losing' their round. I detest the concept I'm afraid. And the more I hear about it the less I like it. Of course there will be some great fic and art, but I'd like to see a return to free-form fandom, where authors write what they want to their own deadlines. Fandom, IMO, needs another fest like it needs a fucking hole in the head.

I'm SO unfashionable darling. Long may I remain that way.

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2008-03-12 01:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Actually, my initial excitement at the prospect of lots of new great stuff has dimmed under the prospect of exactly what you outline.

Prepare to see me praise people insanely, though, because everything I have seen or seen snippets of has had so much thought and love go into it. After this, I think I will exchange occasionally and otherwise keep myself to my own timetables. I shall join you on the unfashionable benches, proudly, in my favourite Australianism, daggy.

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2008-03-12 01:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Daggy is a great word, along with "Ya dag!" and "Oh god, I am such a dag ..." the latter to be used when spotted at the shops wearing Ugg boots in winter (yes, people do leave the house in them -- not me, I hasten to add).

If you would like a primer for your Shazza Sue, I speak the local argot fluently, albeit with the wrong accent. But years of careful study have seen me learn the difference between dry as a dead dingo's donger, and so dry the goanna's gone. I may write a book ...

Wow. Really? I have to say that my team has been FANTASTIC in terms of sanity and keenness to support other teams and good writing and art. We all plan to be big praisers of good work, and sympathetic pointers out of the good where people have had problems pulling off their prompts. But we have some v nice people on the team, which I think is a good influence. Hopefully that attitude will prevail as the cup begins.

[identity profile] calanthe-fics.livejournal.com 2008-03-12 02:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes, I think I've seen a few things from your team. Everyone seems so well balanced and happy!

[identity profile] catsintheattic.livejournal.com 2008-03-12 02:19 pm (UTC)(link)
Yay for your cat!

*dances*

Who cares about deadlines as long as she's keeping hers out of her way!

*cheers to Min and her excellent care-takers*

And deadlines are exactly why I don't dare to participate in fic exchange fests. Life, as it is, has enough of them already.

[identity profile] pushdragon.livejournal.com 2008-03-12 02:21 pm (UTC)(link)
You recall I owe you a turn as beta, right? You probably have heaps already but if you need another, well remind me what the deadline is and I'll be sure to keep it free for a quick turnaround!

And I'm so glad your cat is contented. All any of us wants in life is a constant diet of luxury and worship. She's lucky to have you.

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2008-03-12 02:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Who cares about deadlines as long as she's keeping hers out of her way!

Oh you DARLING! That is now my slogan for the week. Maybe even month, if we are terribly lucky!

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2008-03-12 02:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Hmmm, do you have a big Saturday night planned? Because this will be coming down to the wire. (At least the time zones work in my favour)

Min has been a most excellent cat and has on several occasions delivered us truly succulent rats, it is the least we can do.

And if you're available Sat night for proofing, I can certainly extend the diet of luxury when I make it down there in the next few months!

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2008-03-12 02:30 pm (UTC)(link)
(It's Sansa and co, they are good influences. Keep it quiet so they don't become vain ...)

[identity profile] catsintheattic.livejournal.com 2008-03-12 02:32 pm (UTC)(link)
I wish you all that luck and more!

*hugs*

[identity profile] calanthe-fics.livejournal.com 2008-03-12 02:33 pm (UTC)(link)
I think Sansa is genetically incapable of vanity. It's why she's such a good candidate for captain. If only every BNF was as sane.

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