+ I have decided that there are three elements you can add to any story to automatically improve it: spies, spaceships, and/or apocalypses (bonus points if you add all three!). This insight brought to you by me currently casting my ridiculous kpop band in a spy au.

+ Flipping channels on the radio on the way to work this morning, I stumbled across a station that was playing a game called (yes, really!) SHADES OF BIEBER. Where they made a very reluctant co-host read aloud passages and then had people call in and guess whether they were quotes from 50 Shades of Grey or Justin Bieber songs. I CAN'T. I guess that book really has gone mainstream, which is a terrifying prospect.

+ I am waaaaay behind on Game of Thrones, but I'm enjoying all the badass Sansa graphics that keep popping up on my tumblr dash. For some reason, I can't work up the desire to actually watch the show at the moment? I'll catch up eventually.

+ I am frankly shocked that Cardiff has not burned to the ground after they let Matt Smith carry the Olympic torch. Shocked.

+ I have fallen down the hole into kpop fandom. I apologize, y'all. I'll try to refrain from spamming the heck out of you. But, y'all, I'm pretty sure the second season of Sesame Player is the greatest thing to ever happen to me. Just sayin'.

+ The internet has such a way of making me feel old. Someone posted a mix of songs from 2004 and labeled it as songs from middle school. I can't wrap my mind around the fact that people who were in middle school in 2004 were on the internet. 2004 was the beginning of my senior year of high school. I feel old on tumblr. And then I come over here to lj and I have much older, insanely wonderful friends and perspective is restored.

+ My daddy and I showed my mama and lil sis Inglourious Basterds on Friday night. I was so pleased that they loved it. Favoritest of movies!

+ One of my baby cousins is getting married this weekend, so FAMILY TIME looms. Good thing I like my family. It's gonna be crazy.

+ It is so hot outside, y'all. I refuse to complain because I complain whenever it gets cold and I do definitely prefer hot to cold. But it's really hot. And May.

+ I have been searching for a dress to wear and have come up with nothing. It's amazing to me: I got to the mall and there are thousands and thousands of dresses (malls make me a little ill, between all the people and the consumerism) and there is nothing that I want to buy. The stuff I like looks bad on me. Everything else is ugh. I hate shopping. Hate it.

+ Sunday was Pentecost, and our sermon was amazing and all about the work of the Holy Spirit in restoring the world, and it inspired me to reread some Madeleine L'Engle and dive into her exploration of the idea of the whole world being a sacrament and expect some quotes to pop up here and there. I love it when church moves me so deeply that I cry.

+ What's going on with y'all?

+ Does anybody else think that the reason they kept Benedict Cumberbatch's role in the new Trek movie a secret is because they knew people would be incredibly pissed at this white guy taking Ricardo Montalban's place and they didn't want to deal with the fallout until they were able to say "Oh, it's too late, we already filmed it"? Because I hate to be that cynical about things, but I'm kind of that cynical about things. Needless to say, I'm pissed. I've been looking forward to this movie, itching for this movie since the last one came out, and now this. Also: if any character didn't need to be rebooted, it was definitely Khan. Ugh. I am distressed.

+ Well, Mark at Mark Watches pretty much had all the right reactions to Fool for Love, my favorite episode of TV ever. And I thought he was surprisingly subdued and thoughtful about it. I was pleased.

+ I have watched four episodes of Queen In-Hyun's Man AND IT IS THE MOST WONDERFUL THING. Kim Boong-Do is a wonderful little scholar-turned-resistance fighter (of sorts, it's complicated) in 1694 Joseon Korea, and through some plot machinations he ends up traveling to the future on several occasions and meeting up with this actress who is playing the queen he serves in a new drama. And what is delightful about this show, besides how brilliantly it's shot and styled (which is brilliant), is the character of Kim Boong-Do. I like Choi Hee-Jin, the heroine, quite a lot, too, but Kim Boong-Do is flawless.


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He's adorable and precious for one thing. But he's also loyal, smart, and incredibly competent. I feel like most time-travel stories really go overboard with CULTURE SHOCK, but Boong-Do's reactions are very calm. He doesn't know things, but he learns very, very quickly, and he has a good enough mind that he can put two and two together and figure things out instead of acting like an idiot. He acts exactly like a smart guy would if he was suddenly time-travelling. He even figures out that he's time travelling all by himself. I can't get over how well the show is handling him and his jumping around through the centuries. It's brilliant.

There is nothing I love more than a show that lets its characters be smart instead of forcing them to be idiots for the sake of the plot. If your plot requires your characters to be idiots IT IS NOT A GOOD PLOT.

[Also, the kid playing Han Dong-Min is insanely cute. THOSE CHEEKBONES.]

+ I feel like King 2 Hearts is becoming kind of sloppy? But I'm still invested, mostly because of Eun Shi-Kyung and his earnestness and his face. Love of mine. Between Ji-Hyuk and Shi-Kyung and now Boong-Do, I am falling in love with kdrama guys right and left.

+ NEW EPISODE OF LOVE RAIN WAITING FOR ME TONIGHT. I DIE OF LOVE.

+ I've watched the first five or so episodes of Young Justice. I like it, but I don't have loads of feels yet. Hopefully those will come.

+ It seems like Vampire Diaries' goal in life right now is to remind me of why I hate love triangles. IT IS WORKING.

+ I am having Bonnie/Jeremy feels again. I know it's insanely underdeveloped, but THEY ARE SO BEAUTIFUL TOGETHER. I'm rarely struck by how a couple looks aesthetically because I'm so busy being obsessed with their characters, but these two are so beautiful individually and when they're together they become even more beautiful and speaking of beautiful if you aren't on tumblr you missed this, which just reminded me of how aesthetically pleasing Buffy and Spike are. Seriously one of my favorite tumblr posts ever. I look at it, and I think, "This is why tumblr exists."

+ I went to see Avengers on Sunday by myself, because that's what I do when I want to see a movie and no one else will go see it with me. I think it's strange that this is considered strange, considering that you're SITTING IN THE DARK and that common courtesy demands you not talk during the show. And yet you're supposed to feel like a loser if you go by yourself? I do not. My mama said that the reason you go with people is so that you have someone to talk to about it afterwards. I said, "That's what I have the internet for." She said, "Oh, yeah. I forgot." TROLOLOLOL.

( Avengers feelings be here )

All in all, it was just a popcorn movie, but it was a good popcorn movie because it cared about its characters. And I love a good popcorn movie.

+ I am now dreading Anne Hathaway as Catwoman even more than before. DO NOT WANT.

+ Lil Sis graduated on Saturday. Which makes me feel old. Lots of family times, and though it was great seeing everybody, it was overwhelming to have everyone together in my parents' house like that--so many people in such a small space! I loved them but was glad when they were gone and I could breathe again.

+ I have discovered the best barbeque place in town. If you're ever in the area ASK ME WHAT IT IS so that I can tell you and you can get some of the best barbeque I've ever had. Everyone in the family agrees that it's so good that you don't even need sauce.

+ I just finished The Man without a Face about Vladimir Putin, and now I am depressed about the world. It was an excellently written book, fascinating and insightful, but being reminded that there are people with so little regard for human life, who will sacrifice anyone and everyone to get what they want...it just reminds me of how broken the world is.

+ I have hit the climax for my novel. And...I have no idea of how to make my hero end up in the vicinity of my villain for a show-down. It would frankly be stupid for her to go into it on purpose, because she is so outmatched, and yet I can't have the villain go to her because of reasons. I think I have written myself into a corner and am not sure what to do. This is the first time since I started the book 65K words ago that I don't have any idea of what to write next. UGH. I really don't know what to do. I didn't write yesterday and I probably won't today, and I do not like what this is doing to my momentum.

Oh, haaaaaaiiiiii. It’s one of those posts where I talk about how much I fail at eljay. Which is a lot. So let’s skip that part and get right to me asking how y’all are. Everything okay? Anything awesome/important that I’ve missed? What is going on with you?

Here’s what is going on with me.

Top TenFifteen Things That Are Awesome at the Moment
1. Ramin Karimloo’s existence. Yes, this really does need to be number one.
2. My family continues to be amazing. I feel like I should not be this big of a fan of my own family, but I am. Whatever. We’re awesome.
3. Working on my book! Going to the library, not hooking up to the internet, actually working. And I have decided that I will KEEP ON WRITING even when (inevitably) I hit the point when I realize that the book is stupid and worthless and no one would ever, ever want to read it. I mean, this is just the beginning, and who knows how long I can keep this up, but hopefully I’ll develop some will power? Hopefully?
4. SPRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING. THERE ARE FLOWERS. IT IS WARM. I AM SO HAPPY. It’s kind of sad how much influence the weather has on my mood. I was sitting in the library on the second floor looking out the big windows and the grass was so green I thought I was going to cry.
5. Grace/Rich OTP and their flawless, flawless scenes
6. Rereading A Song of Ice and Fire. I had forgotten how easy it is to fly through these books. SUPER READABLE.
7. DOCTOR WHO SOON SOON SOON
8. Parks and Rec continues to be flawless and the happiest show on television with beautiful OTP times and Ron Swanson being excellent and Amy Poehler being my hero and lots more people starting to watch it. If you aren’t watching this show, I have nothing to say to you. I feel towards you the way the entirety of Pawnee feels about people who don’t appreciate Lil Sebastian (speaking of which, I want a t-shirt. I don’t even wear t-shirts, but I would wear that one).
9. Freya Mavor’s face. How is she possible? I don’t understand. I still think that if they insist on casting a blonde girl for the new Buffy reboot (instead of going with my race!swap idea), they should cast her, regardless of the fact that she is British. I think she’s the only person at this point that I would forgive for not being SMG.
10. Persephone Magazine changing their layout so that I can ACTUALLY READ IT. This website is what Jezebel wishes it were. Except better.
11. Watching The X-Files for the first time and the mytharc actually showing up. I love worldbuilding!
12. I’m going to In the Heights this weekend! Yay! I don’t know any of the music, but I’m super excited, because I hear excellent things.
13. Riding in my truck with the windows down and singing Marina and the Diamonds songs on the top of my lungs
14. My family made beignets on Sunday. NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM.
15. The Being Human finale. This would be higher up the list except that it was a couple of weeks ago now. But still. Well played, Toby Whithouse. Well played.


Top TenNine Things That Suck at the Moment
1. The world is actually a mess. I can’t even address it—I get too overwhelmed. But I keep hearing Yeats in my head: “For the world’s more full of weeping than you can understand.”
2. Steve Moffat’s ridiculous sexism coming through in an actual episode. HAHAHA ELEVEN TELLING AMY TO PUT ON TROUSERS. Except that’s not funny at all, Moff. Don’t do this to me. Seriously—don’t.
3. My boss is ridiculous *eyeroll*
4. Allergies impending. I feel them coming on. The one downside of spring arriving.
5. I actually do fail at lj. I just get overwhelmed by thinking about catching up with my flist, and it’s easier to avoid. I apologize for being a very bad friend.
6. No idea what I’ll be writing for seasonal_spuffy. Haven’t been in a BtVS frame of mind for a while.
7. Community continues to fail at race so hard that it ruins episodes that HAVE MY FUTURE HUSBAND AS A GUEST STAR. Seriously, Dan Harmon. We need to have a word.
8. Gas is ridiculously expensive. *sigh*
9. I am not married to Ramin Karimloo.

Also, I need to tell you a story about how awesome my mama is. ( cut for length )

Me: Vampire Diaries was on tonight.
Her: I MISSED IT!
Me: It was just okay--you didn't miss anything you ~HAD~ to see.
Her: I just want her to get with him already!
Me: Who?
Her: You know!
Me: I do?
Her: The brother!
Me: [thinking she means Damon/Elena because she shipped that during S1] I don't like Damon anymore.
Her: No! The other brother!
Me: OH! JEREMY! AND BONNIE!
Her: YES! THEY HAVE TO GET TOGETHER! I LOVE HER AND HE'S SO HOT! He's my favorite.
Me: *dies laughing*

Because not only does Lil Sis fangirl Bonnie and ship Bonnie/Jeremy, JEREMY IS HER FAVORITE. This makes me laugh forever: it is such a little sister kind of reaction to love the annoying little brother because he's hot.

Then we had a discussion about hotness running in the family: Steve McQueen ---> Steven R. McQueen; Gregory Peck ---> Ethan Peck. Sister times. Best times.

I am back from vacation, freckled and internet-having! Despite the fact that I managed to get a sunburn rash the likes of which I have never seen (despite wearing SPF 50 at the time. Woe is me and my lily-white skin!) and stung by a jellyfish, I had quite a good time at the beach with my family. The sand was powder-soft, the water was the perfect temperature, and I got to eat lots of fried shrimp! Also, there was reading and sleeping in late and watching of old movies and the writing of a beginning for my novel. And a newfound addiction to the most fun game on the planet, bananagrams (it's like Scrabble, only way faster and more fun! Yay!). I may also have rewatched "The Pandorica Opens" and "The Big Bang" during the eleven-hour ride back home. How will we survive till the Christmas special?

But alas, now I am back to real life, and that's never a good thing. The BFF is back in town, though, and that is good. And now I get to catch up with all of y'all lovely people. It'll take me a few days to catch up on my flist, so if something dreadfully ~important happened while I was out of touch, feel free to link me here. Surprisingly, I didn't really miss the internet while I was gone, though I did miss y'all. So catch me up on your lives!

So...this might be the excuse I've been waiting for to write that babyfic I've been meaning to get around to....

Day of Indulgence, right here. Write whatever the heck you want, without judgment. Check it out.

Also, I know I've got six zillion comments to reply to (and how much do I love how my super-angry post last night took off that way?), but it might be a bit before I do because MY SISTER'S GETTING BACK FROM EUROPE TONIGHT!!!! These have been a very long three months without her, and I expect over the next couple of days to be spending most of my time with her, so don't think I'm neglecting you: I just love her more. ;) But who knows; I may post seven drabbles tomorrow. We'll see. Fab prompts, people!

Also, this tag should have existed long, long ago.