giddyant

I never read any Ursula K. Le Guin when I was younger. I don't think there was the same awareness of her in my part of Ireland in the 80s and 90s. I always had it in the back of my head to try her writing and when I saw some of her books in a sale locally, I decided to give the collections of her short stories a go. I didn't find them quick reading, but I did find them interesting reading. There were stories I liked better than others (Sur, The Author of the Acacia Seeds) and ones that I know are well written, but I didn't like reading them. Her writing really doesn't remind me of anyone else's. She has a really striking and strong voice of her own. In fact, when I was listening to an episode of Inconceivable on the Incomparable Game Show podcast feed last week and one of the questions was 'name the book from the starting sentence', I could tell it was hers even though I hadn't read the book in question. Her voice had gotten that much into my head.

I also bought A Wizard of Earthsea but I think I need to give myself a breather for a while and read something extremely light. Think it may end up being Auntie Mame.

Right. Yes. Hello. I've been back from home for a few days, but I've been a bit unable to look at DW for various reasons, but mainly due to feeling really tired. But I wanted to do this before the year ended (which is arbitrary, but humour me), so here we are.

Christmas has been tough at home for the last few years due to my parents' health issues. They're both in their seventies and mobility is not what it was and my father has (mid-stage? late-stage?) Alzheimer's. This year was one of the better ones, but I still felt like I spent most of my time out there cleaning/cooking/various household choresing. Still, no disasters, and after the year where we managed to break the phone and the central heating on Christmas Day, I will take no disasters.

Anyway! I mentioned in my last post that I had written something for the FFA 1000th post fest and here it is!

Giddy & Gay (2774 words) by giddyant
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Philadelphia Story (1940)
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: C.K. Dexter Haven/Tracy Lord/Macaulay Connor
Characters: C.K. Dexter Haven, Tracy Lord, Macaulay Connor
Additional Tags: Threesome - F/M/M
Summary:

Dexter and Tracy host a party. Mike enjoys the after-party.

It was a great deal of fun to write, even if it is for a fandom of me and maybe four other people. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
It gave me an excuse to rewatch The Philadelphia Story, in any case. I may write up the other films that I watched over the holidays, but not today.

I have an unexpected free weekend as I'm not travelling to my parents' house and it's really a treat. I have the Christmas lights on, I made a hot whiskey for myself and I watched a bit of television. The Election 1918 special on RTE was actually really good. For those unfamiliar, it's the hundredth anniversary of the 1918 general election which was marked by two gamechangers - votes for women over thirty in possession of property and a tidal wave of support for Sinn Fein in Ireland. The coverage approached it like an election happening today, with experts (historians and sociologists) in studio discussing the results 'as they came in' and moderated by one of the regular presenters of election coverage. I quite appreciated the observation that De Valera made sure that he was seen to go to mass. A burn of the 1918 vintage, people.

Then I watched The Thin Man! It's such a delight! Free to watch on archive.org for anyone who wants. I read the book a few years ago, but the film is really its own animal. Its own extremely drunk animal. And the sequel has Jimmy Stewart! Well, I have to watch that.

The presents are bought and wrapped (bar the ones that are yet to be delivered). And I am fit for nothing but bed. God, I remember when I used to have energy. Glad to be able to continue my run of ludicrous wrapping, though. This year has Christmas flamingoes in cadillacs. I saw the roll of it and immediately fell in love.

Hoping to start my catch up on Who this week. I stopped watching before Arachnids In The UK. I may be a fan of Doctor Who for over a decade, but I am an arachnophobe for far, far longer. Unfortunately, my brain also won't let me just skip it and insists I watch all the episodes in order. Maybe if I just find other things to do while it's on in the same room? Or make a deal with myself that if I watch it, I can watch a ludicrous Netflix Christmas film after? There's one with Kurt Russell as Santa, self! Isn't he worth giant spiders?

I fear negotiations won't be easy.

The hairdressers has Boy With The Arab Strap playing and I'm posting on a site that's an LJ clone.

If this early 2000s comeback goes any farther, I'll be drinking Snakebites and black again.

I am delighted and horrified.

Jk, I am pretty much just delighted.

There are Sweet Valley High dolls. There is a dedicated shop on eBay here. Look! Look at Elizabeth's judgey face! The massively flammable prom dresses! Jessica's eye-searingly bright outfits!

If only they didn't cost an arm and a leg.

Well, I may not have posted on Tumblr in actual years, but I've still decided to decamp to DW because of the new guidelines. Because get fucked, Tumblr.