Friends

Dearly beloved,

Do you like these events?
Would you like to see them succeed?
Would you just plain enjoy telling people about them?

Then please, please visit these two spots, and - in a courteous and appropriate manner, in appropriate places - steal those promo materials like mad, and put them in every appropriate place you can find!

www.wickedfaire.com/2010/about-jeff-mach (the promo materials are at the bottom, a bit under the picture of my clipboard) -

&


www.steampunkworldsfair.com/tell-the-world !

( ...and some samples. )

To those who celebrate, Merry Christmas!

To those who celebrate something else, may your holiday be, or have been, a most wonderful one.

To those who don't, happy day off. ;)

---

davidmadly and his former SO bought the son they adopted together a laptop and several months worth of City of Heroes game time for Christmas. We will play until it is time for them to go do family things, and I am quite squeeful, as is David's son. Yay for family-game time (I consider him my 'nephew,' so...)! :D

J is coming over for dinner later, too, so we'll have good food tonight. May all your holidays be as wonderful!

If you were at Halloween in December, you saw our wares to date... the soaps, the sugar scrubs, the candles. We had a blast there and were happy to have you come by and give us feedback. We were also really happy at the great reception we got. As it turns out, YES, we will have our stuff at Wicked! We are able to fit it in the same space with my face & body painting gear, so... you get to get painted and then buy the means to wash it off! Ha!

Plus, we've got a new addition!  We have come up with our first soap specifically for men - a shaving soap!

( Read further for more info... )

... and come see it at Wicked!

The stockings are full
and our home's fireplace blazing
we all wait calmly.

---

I've been remiss in doing my 'holiday card' round-up, so I'll get to that shortly, but first I have to squee about a fantastic package I got from delenn99! She totally got me. She texted me saying "hey, sending cards out, are you still at [my addy]?" And of course, I said "Yep!" and was all squishy just that she was thinking of me. We texted a little, back and forth, because she's a sweetie, and then I went on about my business thinking that was the end of it.

So today, when C pulled a package out of the mailbox, I didn't even think anything of it. Then he says "these are all for you," and sets the package and a bundle of cards on my table, and I'm all O.O at them. So I opened the cards and then looked at the box, and went OMG! NO WAI!

She got me a journal with OWLS on the cover! EEE! I told her I need to get a bigger purse now, so I can carry it with me. *G* (Well, I need a new purse anyway, but this is a fantastic excuse. *giggle*) It was so unexpected and sweet. So, thank you again, delenn99! It made my day!

And the card roundup, which includes cards received yesterday, too, features lovely cards from ranchonmars, colorsmith, mrs_colorsmith & family, dr_nebula & pixelmonster (and Shadowkitty, of course!), jacylrin & family, beldar & the_dark_snack, msanborn, that_sakka_girl and hubby, and a lovely card with poetry in it from someone who didn't include their LJ-name, and who I am certain I'll slap my forehead when they pipe up-- but at the moment I couldn't put a finger on. (At any rate, I *love* the poetry SO MUCH.) ♥ to all. :)

---

On a more serious note, I have been meaning to make a comment about this, but I haven't been able to figure out how to say it. I finally decided that perhaps directly is best.

Every now and again I'll see a comment from someone about how they "don't need any help," (implication: like [insert person who is asking for aid]) or how "insulting" donation buttons are. And it makes me angry. Because I think that we all need each other. From the smallest reality: simply posting in a journal where you are hoping or expecting to get comments and feedback proves that you are a social being reaching out to others, whether you want physical contact or not, to the greater reality of needing financial help in a trying financial time.

I do not think that the donation buttons are inherently good or bad. I think that they say more about the person reacting to them, and the biases that we carry within ourselves, than they do about the person posting them.

Food for thought, anyway.

ETA: I'm referring to when people are asking directly for help/aid, and not when they're offering things in return, like I do. That, I consider, as wyld_dandelion calls it "busking", or as haikujaguar and ysabetwordsmith and I have all labeled it, "crowdfunding."

We have a gorgeous White Christmas going on out there.

Right now, the highly weather-dependent holiday plans are to have our first Christmas as a family mostly at home. We'll keep Christmas on Christmas Eve, then visit relatives in Wisconsin Christmas day. If the sky holds back. I enjoy going out in winter weather, but not while it's coming down on me. Could be we'll be camped here until Sunday. Fortunately we have enough butter-baked calories to supply a Vasco de Gama cruise.

So, a little more cooking and baking today, and lots of Patrick Swayze movies. Nothing like a viewing of Roadhouse to keep you company as you wrap presents. I had some "New Christmas Classics" going this week, like A Very Brady Christmas and A Carol Christmas with Tori Spelling and William Shatner. Not to mention Patrick Stewart chewing the bed-curtains that have been miraculously returned from the rag-and-bone man in A Christmas Carol (for the record, my favorite version is Alistar Sim's). I'm more than ready to see a few JD bottles broken over people's heads to some blues rock.

Sprog update: he's crawling around army-style and briefly getting up on hands-and knees. I predict he'll be hands-and-knees crawling by the New Year.



Merry Christmas, all.

Some people don't get
Thursdays; I have problems with
Wednesdays always

---

Still sick STOP Send John Cusack and Craig Ferguson STOP Need distraction from the pain of being alive STOP

---

OK, so, it's not quite that bad, but if you wanted to spam my inbox with pictures of either of the aforementioned gentlemen I would not complain. (layla_aaron, you're free to keep spamming my inbox with pictures of the lovely people you post of all the time. *G*)

Today is even worse than yesterday, with the brain fog and the sinus pressure and GAH. Even on medication I still have this whole 'agh' thing going on, and my concentration is shot. I'm not going to try to write today (I tried yesterday with decidedly mixed results), I'm just going to finish up this application and chill. All my chores are done, everything is in order, and C can go to the store later and get what we need for dinner and 'around the house' stuff.

I don't even want to move. I'm hoping today's "worse" feeling is a sign that I'm actually getting better. That whole 'worse before better' thing.

I don't think I could handle feeling worse than this. Ugh.

How to tell miintikwa is sick, version 463.2:

I updated my resume, per C's wonderful advice, and was babbling at him about how I was going to finish vacuuming and then play my game. He nods sagely, and then I get up...

...and realize I'd already vacuumed.

*faceplant*

Yeaaaah. My brain goes "FOOF" when I'm sick. Not that I'm a genius or anything when I'm *not* sick, but man. Is my face red or what?

*blushes and slinks off*

Naturally, I come and tell the whole WORLD about my idiocy, too. Because, as jaylake said, I am a writer and have no shame! :D

Sudden good news can
turn your entire life head
over toes and up!

---

A job appeared in my area that would be perfect for me, so I called the Ticket to Work people to find out what I could do about it. To discover that they had all kinds of wrong info about me, and so I fixed that. (I'm still bemused about how it happened, since they had the right info about me as recently as September... but whatever.) I *can* apply for the job on my own, through a 'self directive' program, and if I get it I'll still have their support and all.

However, I still have all their stuff at my back, and can still use their resources as needed. They're going to get back to me with a list of what they've got, and I really can't wait to get that.

I'm polishing my resume in the meantime, and we'll see what happens. This is the job I wanted, and it'd save us money on insurance, and ZOMG the income would be FABULOUS, and the Courts system is great to work for. There would be minor changes and tweaks to our home life, but other than that, I think it'd be a good fit. I'm nervous, and I need to get better from this flu bug, and I need to try and get into a better sleep rhythm, but overall, this makes me hopeful... and that's awesome.

---

I'm still sick, and I'm all kinds of congested because of it. My sinuses were a nasty block of concrete this morning, and that sucked. Thanks to the congestion (despite cold meds taken last night), I snored, and that made my sore throat sore-er. Gah. I have lozenges, thank goodness, but my taste buds are all messed up and make everything taste fuzzy.

Despite all the physical meh, I'm still in a good mood... again. I have wonderful friends, and a great support network, and I figured out why I was having so much trouble with the end of my novel! I probably won't finish it before the end of the year, but at least I know what's going on.

I had two problems: I hadn't figured out one character's motivation clearly enough, and that had led to me completely missing why something at the end had to happen. Which had led to a wussy start to the ending, rather than the kick in the butt I needed.

So, now I have motivation, I know what's really going on, and I know exactly what needs to happen... which is going to RIP the heart out of three characters, end up with a third (possibly) dying, and generally create a huge, nasty, explody mess. AKA the climax of the novel.

Just how I like it. *eg*

---

If you haven't been there yet, you should totally go visit Shadowwolf13's Love-fest! It's really a lovely idea, and there is a lot of great stuff going on there!

It made me feel good to say nice things about people, that's for sure. :D I am sure I would have thought of more people to say nice things about if I hadn't been so dopey on cold meds.

...and I want you to know that in a few minutes, I will be using Paypal to send Isaac $676 ! You are all wonderful!!

This year can go out
with a whimper instead of
a rather big bang

---

Ten days until NYE, 11 until the first.

I woke up yesterday with a sore throat, which progressed to intestinal issues and sneezing, coughing, and finally a fever right before bed. I woke up feeling like someone had flattened me, with all the aforementioned issues still present. So, I'm spending today curled up, catching up on DVR-TV, and once I've finished watching it, then I'll descend back into Dragon Age. The only stuff I have to do is clean, and it can wait until I'm feeling better.

Stomach flus are the worst. Ugh. Just when you get comfy... oh, no, bathroom break again...

Ah well. I have a few eps of Sex Rehab to catch up on, and Dr Drew is like tea: comforting. *g*

Oddly, despite the physical ick, I'm in a good mood. I think it's all the texting. Being able to carry on conversations despite a sore throat is a good thing. :D Of course, it does make for odd looks, when you start giggling in a quiet room. But that keeps 'em guessing. *eg*

(x-posted from my personal journal)

The Wicked Faire and Steampunk World's Fair teams will gather tonight to present Halloween in December: a benefit for Isaac Bonewits...and snow be damned!

7 p.m., IHOP of Somerset, 900 Easton Avenue, Somerset, NJ, five dollars to get in, wear a costume if you'd like, bring candy for trick-or-treating if you want, but just come on out!! Pass it on!

There I was, preparing for the snow, and thinking about the Steampunk World's Fair, and the number of other Steampunk events which have sprung up since we announced it. And I got to thinking about what makes the World's Fair different - and I came to a clear realization about Wicked.

( Cut because it's a tad long, but it's worth reading, I think. )

Are you with me? Can you help?

Yours very truly,

Jeff Mach
Wicked Faire

...is going to mention the Steampunk World's Fair a lot. But I think it's something Wicked folks might find useful - even if they have no interest in the World's Fair. Because it's a specific realization I made about Wicked.

I have started a
countdown to the end of this
horrible, bad year

---

After all that crap yesterday, today is so quiet I don't know whether to be grateful or frightened. Thankfully, J called up and said "hey, wanna grab a bite and then help me with shipping?" I agreed immediately, since I had promised to help him with his shipping stuff, and am currently trying to talk C into going, too, to get him out of the house and hopefully get his mind off all the stuff from yesterday as well.

13 days to go.

---

I had horrible leg cramps last night, so I didn't sleep so well. I'm stretching the leg in question, and hopefully it won't recur. Ugh.

Anyway, despite the rain, it's a lovely day outside, so I'm going to clean a bit, open windows, and enjoy it before I head out.

*crosses fingers for continued quiet*

So do people follow, read, skim, or indeed even check out either the Wicked Faire blog in general, or the individual blog posts I make when I announce new performers and pleasures? Or am I wasting my time and yours?

Serious question. I still feel the blog's generally worthwhile, but I'm not sure how many people actually check it out.

Saturday's all booked up, Friday has fewer rooms available than I have toes. This year, even Friday went fast.

Want a Friday room? www.Doubletreesomerset.com, group code WRF.

Will be announcing overflow hotel after we sell a few more Friday nights. If you want to be in the hotel at all and don't have reservations yet...get a Friday night now, before they're gone.

More cards have come in, and so I offer thanks to all you kind-hearted souls who share the joy of the season with us: prdct, kithan, magickat, and trillsie & dr_p_venkman & family (lovely family portrait, P & J!).

I am very grateful!

...are you familiar with the Steampunk Holiday Ornaments that Brute Force Leather is making? If you buy one and give my name ("Jeff Mach", that is) - he'll donate a portion of the proceeds towards Isaac's cancer recovery!

I lost a day; if
you see it please tell it
to go back a day

---

I feel like I got all discombobulated yesterday. I was convinced it was Monday all day-- so now, naturally, today must be Tuesday. Ummno. *facepalm*

If anyone sees my brain-- or sense of time, or whatever the heck I've lost-- please return it to its regularly scheduled programming. For that matter, if you see the truck that hit me, hit it back. *grumbles*

---

I'm still not feeling perfectly up to par, and as such I'm still hoarding spoons. Thank you all for your kind words yesterday. It meant a lot. I just don't have the energy to thank you individually like I usually would, but I want you to know that I heard you and that I really appreciated it.

I may end up not being online at all these next few days, depending on how I'm feeling. Whatever this is, it's kicking my butt, and my usual 'kick-it-back' isn't working. Meh.

Anyway, if you don't see me, that's why.

(I wish I had the skill to draw; it'd be fun to draw a picture of me-as-winged catgirl atop a big pile of spoons. Because some days, that's what I feel like I'm doing. Trying to keep all my spoons in a big pile, so I'll have them to use on things I want to use them on, rather than on whatever I have to use them on. Or, watching them disappear into the aether when I don't want them going anywhere. *grumble*)

I'm rambling. I should go curl up on my spoons so they stop vanishing. *totters off*

My brain is mush today, so if there was anything I was supposed to do/say/etc, please give me a pass on it?

I just got yelled at for forgetting something yesterday while I was sick, and I'm just... *flail*

Yeah. Blanket amnesty, peeps. It'd be greatly appreciated.