a story from work:

i am the errand-runner in my office. i generally don’t mind, i like my car and it gets me out of the office for an hour or so, but what i don’t like is when my boss pretends that i know where i’m going. now, yes, admitedly, i’m the sort who gets lost on the way home from the grocery store, but still. when you say, “it’s a few blocks past the wendy’s and then you turn right,” that’s not enough to get me there. here’s how it happened:

three packages, each alike in dignity. … well, one of them goes to a place i had directions for, so except for the part where i made a wrong turn on the way home and had to turn around, that went fine. then came arden rd, or, as i call it, Impossible To Find St. i drove past it three or four times before even finding the thing. then i had to locate house number 270. which, it turns out, is on the corner of arden and whatever ungodly cross-street that was, and the house numbers? facing the ungodly cross-street! i drove past that another three or four times before i found it. and of course they weren’t home. and of course i was running out of gas by that point. so i decide the third package can wait ten minutes while i avert disaster. the first gas station has $2.29/gal on their sign. with a nod to our european friends, i thought “bork that” and drove on in search of cheaper pastures. the next station has $2.25, but i think i can do better, so i drive on, wondering how likely i am to make it down the street to the next gas station. it was also $2.25, but as my engine began to sputter i pulled in and gave my wallet up for adoption. then it was on to my third and final stop. i figured, drive down indianola to north bradway, turn left and boom! i’ll be there. what i forgot? you can’t turn left at that intersection! so i pulled into the little parking lot there at the corner, turned around, went further north, finally made it to the intersection right in front of my destination: a store front across the street. as i’m waiting for the light to change, a lady comes out of the door, locks it, and leaves. they closed early. congrats, satan. that had to take some skill to pull off. (X_X)

in other news, head on over to negoto-sama’s LJ to witness an attractive slice of man speak what i am told is some rather good chinese. and then scroll down a little further to witness an extremely nice picture of said attractive slice of man.

speaking of negoto-sama, she (he? you know, come to think of it, i have no idea. i think she) left me a nice comment about not worrying about the eight bazillion posts i’ve yet to translate on YOU-kun’s journal. i was like, aww, that’s so sweet! she has no idea how lazy i am! (^^;) actually, i’ve been working on warawanai ningyou, which is a collection of awesome stories i believe i’ve mentioned before. the second story is mafia-laden. and just a bit of angst. i think ima-san and i are going to get along juuust fine. (^_^) the other thing i suppose i’d better do is learn swedish! i might be going to sweden with my grandmother this summer! (^___^)-b

Labels: facts

in this case standing for Nintendo, Why the Fuck can’t i Connect? I started off w/ a belkin router, which i’ve had for a year or so now, and which nintendo (the kanji for whose name means “obligatory heaven shrine” or some such thing) decided was not compatible with their service. My brother, who had massive problems with his ISP up in chicago, had a spare netgear router, which, after careful consideration, we have decided to stab in the brain and leave to die. we then purchased a special nintendo wifi dongle, installed it w/out incident, and then proceeded to have the exact same problems we’d been having with the belkin router. so this evening, we took that dongle crap back and bought a nintendo 5-star rated router, and finally, at last, at long last, INTARWEBS! ON THE DS! ZOMG! with one caveat. only one DS at a time. the thing is, you have to forward some ports and assign each DS a unique IP address, and the router only wants to forward the ports for one IP address at a time. i can’t forward the same port for multiple IP addresses. port triggering was suggested to me, but that just put us back in the land of random freeze-ups. i’ve emailed nintendo, so we’ll see what they have to say, but i feel fairly confident that it will be something along the lines of, call linksys. we’ll see.

Labels: facts

is there anything more obnoxious than resumes? i’m a young, attractive woman, and i come w/ my own computer, can’t they just take me at my word and hire me? … … … yeah, basically. the problem here is that i need an apartment, but i need a better job to get one. my current job isn’t hideous, in fact if not for personal issues w/ my boss, something there’s bound to be in every job on the planet, it’s not a bad job at all. it’s just boring. i’d like something where i’m not stuck doing the same things w/ the same people all the time. looking back at my job history, as one is wont to do when one fabricates a resume, i’ve never stayed at a job longer than two years. in fact, it’s just over two years at my current place now, and i’m looking to move up. as a teenager, two years in one job was a mark of stability, but as i get older, two years seems less and less like an accomplishment, and more like a black mark on my record. the real problem, i suppose, is that i’m not yet certain of which path i’d like to take with my life, and the ones that look best to me now i’m not yet qualified for. now, i realise i’m only 25, and in the grand scheme of things, i’ve still got plenty of time, but i’ve never been a particularly patient person, and i’m downright rude to myself. i’ve never been able to do things fast enough or good enough for me, and while it has created some wonderful successes, it’s usually only succeeded in frusterating me w/out any real throughput to show for all the effort.

case in point, my resume. there has only ever been one job that i applied for and didn’t get, and that was because i turned it down. i’ve only been laid off once, right after 9/11, and the company folded soon thereafter. i’ve only ever quit once, and that was because there were multiple animals and their urine running around my place of employment. in short, if i go for a job, it is more likely than not that i will get it. despite the fact that i know this, i’ve spent the evening ruminating over my (admitedly less than stellar) resume, being nervous about calling my prospective employer (this one is especially stupid considering that she’s a friend of the family), and finally putting said call off due to being too afraid to actually try to change my situation. instead, i think i’ll just whine about it a little more. because that always seems to help. (9_9)

Labels: facts

… i said i was going to put up some preview chapters of my nano novel. indeed i was going to. but then i got involved in YET ANOTHER translation project, and got distracted. i’m here to tell you i’ve put it on my To Do list and so one day it will get done. … … yeah, don’t hold your breath. i choose not to be responsible for any deaths that may occur. (^^;)

i did put some things up on etsy. three somethings to be exact. the problem is that my current notuboc site is basically a place holder. it’s pretty, and it’s got lots of nice pictures, but if you want to buy something, it takes you over to etsy. now, i lurv etsy, and they’re hawt, but i’d prefer it if my site had a shopping cart, for purposes of looking professional if nothing else. plus, i think some people are put off by the idea of having to go to a whole other site to buy someone’s product. i know i would be. i’ve started setting up a paypal shopping cart once or twice, but i’ve got 50 products, so it’s not going to be a terribly speedy process. i did get that next keith smith book (i hope) i mentioned. turns out it wasn’t the one i wanted. i bought vol 2, what i wanted was volume 1. still, vol 2 is awesome. look for bindings from that book in upcoming weeks.

in other news, for those of you that care, details (what little there is to be had at this point) of my new translation project can be found here. i’m translating a manga called warawanai ningyo for/with them. it’s an anthology of mildly yaoi manga by a woman (pseudo?)named Ichiko Ima. the first story, the title story, starts out something like this: “My uncle bought a house with a specially attached pool in a seaside town, and kept a mermaid there.” (zomg it just took me life five minutes to write that one sentence because i couldn’t decide exactly how to phrase it. am i a hideous perfectionist or what?) the story then continues with our main character (youzuke, who’s name has some awesome kanji) arriving in his father’s stead at the reading of the will for his uncle, who has been missing and has recently been declared dead. he meets the mermaid, although perhaps i should say merMAN instead, and, because it’s yaoi, sex ensues. it’s actually got some plot, and it’s pretty well written, so i’m enjoying it quite a bit. in truth, and maybe i shouldn’t say this publicly, but… i’m almost done w/ this first story already. i’ve had the thing for less than a week, and i’m on page 35 of 42. of course, i’m a huge yaoi fan, especially well-written yaoi w/ actual plot and adorable angsty interludes, but the sheer speed at which i have blown through this thing is starting to surprise me. i hope storm in heaven doesn’t start thinking this is a normal pace for me… (^^;)

also in other news, i was mentioned in someone’s blog today. the dear negoto, whose username means “talking in ones sleep” by the by, has a link to my translation of YOU-kun (of GacktJOB) ‘s diary. here’s what he said about me:

Which reminds me on how I have other links on the side-bar. One of which is the translated site of 優’s diary [http://meredeth.blogspot.com/]. Hello, dear Meredeth, if you are even/still reading this after mentioning me on your site. Thank you for translating 優’s diary dilligently and it’s especially useful for somebody like me who has a language handicap. I am sorry, I never managed to leave messages on your site because I dont have a corresponding blogger account and you dont accept anonymous commentary. Thanks for the extra information on the daikon bit by the way – it was interesting to know. :)

if you can’t read the kanji, it’s YOU-kun’s name. i swear i read that and giggled. i had just posted, like, six or so translations of the diary (Zomg i am so behind it’s really painful to think about), and i was like, hm, i wonder who’s visited my site today, and went to my visitor stats and saw that someone had been referred to my page from his again. i said, i wonder how my friend negoto is doing, and pow! he’s doing fine! hello negoto-san!

Labels: facts

given my history of taking on more projects than i can handle, it should come as no surprise that, no sooner than i finish uploading my NaNo novel, do i sign up for a new and ongoing project. i’m not going to spill the beans quite yet, as that would ruin the surprise, but it involves translating. so… if you’re here for my fiction, you might not be so interested after all.

if you’re here for my bookbinding, though, then you should probably know i put something new up last night on etsy. just a little checkbook sized thing, but trust me, those things are uber useful. if you like making lists, you need one. sorry the pictures aren’t so great, i took them a while ago, i just haven’t gotten around to listing it until now. also in bookbinding news, i have a fancy new keith smith book coming my way, so new binding styles shall soon abound.

in writing news, as i said earlier, i finally finished my NaNo proofread, and ordered my free copy. later on this evening, i’ll be putting up a preview for the stories contained therein. in about three weeks, i’ll be getting my copy, and then i’ll do another proof (because joachim’s story could still use a good smacking around) and then, finally, at last, at long last, it will be on sale. the cover is awesome, by the by. here is where you can find that lovely piece of work. i’ll take some pictures when i get it. if it’s anything like unfamiliar ceilings, it’ll be a stunning printing job. let’s hope the insides live up to the same standard. (^^;)

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well, my template was a little borked, so i’ve taken it back to the shop for some body work. i’ve at least figured out that what i want to do is possible, now it’s just a matter of discovering which piece of code i wrote is causing the borking and getting rid of said code snippet. in other news, i put something new up on etsy. sorry for the screaming large picture. this is what broke the drill bit. it’s a collection of 16 small (3 1/4 inch square) books, all done in coordinating covers and the same binding. the insides are scattered though, some are heavy sketch paper, some are newsprint, some are lined paper, so it’s perfect for someone who never knows what kind of paper they’re going to need, i guess. really, it’s more of an art/concept piece than an i-think-someone-will-actually-write-in-this piece, but… meh. it’s cool, it’s US$15, and you can find it … here.

in other news, i’m feeling chatty tonight… can you tell? (¬.¬) i’ve been working on YOU-kun’s journal all night, and he always does this to me. turns out he was gone the past two days because he went snowboarding. “with satan” he says. i think he’s talking about the big G. he is kind of satan-like. … … …

anyhow. i really am translating stuff, i’m just so behind that it doesn’t seem like any work’s actually being done. (T_T) also, it turns out people have me linked as THE english translation of YOU’s diary. … … … guess i better hurry up and learn what i’m doing, huh? (^_-) actually, i’m stuck on a little phrase in entry #182, which is all about buying DVDs versus renting them. i’m certain (read: praying) that google will help me.

other things on my docket include, but are not limited to:

pimping my etsy shop
pimping my website
figuring out w.t.F. 身として means
giving my NaNo novel a good going over w/ an Anti-Stoopid stick so i can upload it to lulu.com (deadline = wednesday!)
finding a job and/or getting back into college so’s i can get my own apartment before one of the five other people and/or three other cats in this house gets stabbed.

stabbage. like cabbage, only sharper.

Labels: facts

i have only 8 days to finish editing my NaNo novel if i want to upload it to LuLu.com for a free copy. —

… uh, not to sound alarmist, but should the furnace really be ticking like that? …

— which i do. it was going well until i realized that i completely neglected to write day one of the three-day final battle. i got up to that chapter and saw [insert day one battle here.] and then i cursed humanity. it wouldn’t be so bad, i suppose, if i actually had some idea of what the bejeezus happened during that first day. but instead, this is what i know:

King Edgar’s forces (that’s the good guys) were overwhelmed by Emperor Burghart’s forces (the bad guys) and pushed back.

yeah, basically.

in other, more important news, this. that’s right, Death-as-Santa, ponder stibbons, archchancellor ridcully, susan, hex, AN ASSASSIN NAMED TEATIME! they’re all there. of course, already shown in britain (damn brits!) but comes out on DVD at easter. between this and doctor who, i’m going to have to get a region free DVD player. bye-bye money, bye-bye!

Labels: facts

how do you like ’em? it took me bloody long enough to code the place, but it looks alright now. at least well enough that i don’t feel embarrassed to link this place up to my main site.

in today’s other news, i broke the drill bit. i wish i’d’ve gotten a picture of it, because that thing was snapped. in. half. it really sucked, too. i was four books away from drilling out all the holes in a series of books i will be making. they all have corresponding covers, mostly in a black, red, and tan vein, and they will be very cool. but then the damn drill bit broke and ruined four of them. i only hope i’m not out of paper on any of those four. i’ve got an uber limited supply of the cover pages for these things. i suppose i should look, but i’m too afraid. (@_@)

… man, i was just looking at some of my old translations from YOU-kun’s diary … i need to get back to that thing. also, i was peeking at yoshiki’s livejournal … which i can’t find the link for any more. what i’m actually wondering is this: how is it that they can all be CUTE! could they stop that please? i have things to do besides sit around reading the blogs of adorable little japanese guys WHOM I WILL NEVER MEET! …

Labels: facts

this is what i did last night. i’m making a deck of cards, and these will be my ace, king, queen, and jack letters. i bought a set of number stamps yesterday. there’s a couple of alphabet sizes to go w/ them, but i only need these four letters. plus, i find it difficult to buy rubber stamps when i can just make them. now if i can just get my lazy butt up and finish the other half of the deck, i can use all the stamps i made for the project. (¬.¬)

Labels: facts