cosmic_llin

So, here are two vids! One I just finished today and one I made weeks ago and forgot to post here...

Song: King and Lionheart, Of Monsters and Men
Fandom: Star Trek: Voyager
Length: 4.21
Size: 94mb
Download: HERE and subtitles HERE
Notes: Huge thanks to carawj and usuallyhats for betaing, and touchdownpossum for clip suggestions and cheerleading!

"" (Watch on YouTube)

Song: Puppy Love, Dolly Parton
Length: 1:42
Download: HERE and subtitles HERE
Featuring: 101 Dalmatians, Bolt, Beethoven, Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, Oliver and Company, Wishbone, The Littlest Hobo, Star Trek: Voyager, The Sarah Jane Adventures, Space Buddies, Snow Buddies, The Aristocats, All Dogs Go to Heaven, The Little Mermaid, Warehouse 13, The Legend of Korra
Notes: This was a birthday present for carawj ! I’ve been meaning to make it for a while so I’m really pleased I finally got around to it! Apologies for the terrible size/aspect ratio issues, for some reason this one gave me a lot of trouble! (I’m not kidding when I say I really don’t understand the technical side of vidding!)
 

raven said: If you don't mind talking about it, how's married life?

I don't mind talking about it! (And actually, yesterday was our three-month-iversary, so it seems like a nice time to talk about it.) So far it's, in some ways, exactly what I expected - that is, just the same as it was before. We were already living together and we already knew we wanted to spend our lives together, so getting married was more an affirmation of where we already were than a step into something new.

And yet, it is a tiny bit different. Just in small ways. Like, I like the word 'wife' better than any of the other words we've used to describe our relationship. I do like 'partner' for its simplicity but it's just ambiguous enough to lead to awkward misinterpretations, and you'd think 'girlfriend' would be fairly obvious but the amount of times I've talked about 'my girlfriend' and had people go 'oh, so what does your... friend do?' etc. And 'fiancée' always led to: 'what's his name?' 'her name is Cara...' and then the OTT gushing about how wonderful that is and isn't it nice that you can do that now, which I don't mind because it's well-intentioned but it does get a bit embarrassing. As a word, 'wife' is unambiguous and implies permanence, both of which, for our relationship, I like. And it's just kind of fun to say.

Changing my name has been an interesting experience too. I took Cara's surname for a variety of reasons, and although it's weird to get used to, I'm quite enjoying it. I'm less enjoying the hassle changing it caused with my work email address/log-ins being messed up, and I'm quite put out by the people noticing the change and asking "oh, did you marry someone Welsh?" when I was Welsh all along and Cara, in spite of having a very Welsh-sounding surname, is barely even a tiny bit Welsh. But I like the balance it gives my name - my first name is Welsh to the point of being unpronounceable for some people, and I mostly use my middle name for simplicity, but having a more Welsh last name makes me feel better about that in a weird way. (I'm keeping my original full name for writing, though.)

In terms of how day-to-day married life has been, like I said, pretty much the same as it was before. Although with added work stress for both of us for various reasons, but minus wedding planning and nerves. I miss the wedding planning a little bit, but mostly I'm relieved that it's done. I miss the actual wedding more - it was such a wonderful day full of people we love and who love us, and it felt really special. Some people who follow me on here know that I haven't had the best track record with family members accepting my relationship/identity, and although I don't need anyone's approval to be with Cara, it felt wonderful to know how much support and love surrounds us. The thing that's made married life noticeably different so far is I'm still feeling the ripples from that day, remembering how happy it was and how kind everyone was to us.

And of course Cara herself is as perfect as ever, and a constant delight, and I'm so excited to see where we go next.

 Aaargh, so, our wedding reception venue is double-booked, and the alternative they offered us is... not that nice.

We are staying calm and exploring avenues but aargh. I was so pleased to have that part done and dusted.

On the plus side I've been getting a fair bit of writing done this last week or so, which is nice. And it's only a few weeks until the long Easter weekend. And then it's only a couple of weeks until we go to Rome! I would ask for suggestions of what to see, but carawj and the Classicists seem to have it pretty much sewn up. (Eeee old stuff!)

So, I seem to have quite a lot to say at the moment on a variety of topics...

( Theatre! )

( DS9 Relaunch Novels - Worlds of DS9/Warpath/Fearful Symmetry (a few spoilers and mention of rape) )

( Huge - the most adorable and perfect TV show I never knew about )

( Life and Feelings and Stuff )

OK, that might be it for now... various fandomy posts to follow...

August has contained many things. Among them a trip to Cornwall (sunny! Scone-ful!), picnics (delicious! Croquet-tastic!), a weekend in Edinburgh (fringe-alicious!) and various other delights. Plus carawj are moving house on Sunday! We're not going far, just up the road, but we'll have lots more storage space, and a little garden!

The summer has been so busy that I'm getting a bit worn out, and so I really want to try and have a quieter September. As part of this, I've decided to make September my month of reading. I haven't read much at all lately - admittedly partly to do with short attention span due to sadness - but I'm getting back into a reading sort of mood and I want to really try to read a lot in September. Anyone is welcome to join me!

Semi-relatedly, on the train back from Edinburgh on Monday (having been inspired by a Neil Gaiman talk at the book festival, and some good chats with Manda) I finished the first draft of my YA fantasy novel. I'm now starting the second draft, wheee. Fun times.

Off to Russia again early on Wednesday morning. I am now in the excited/panicky/ambivalent stage of preparation. Excited because I love it there, panicky because there's too much to do before I leave, ambivalent because I'll miss carawj.

( Rambling )

So, I have reached that great and magical milestone. Quarter of a century. One box up when I next fill in a survey. I am twenty-five years old.

( Ramblings about my life, ahoy! )

Also, just to say, there are several things I intend to reply to, but they're all in tabs on my laptop, and my power supply is broken. New one should be arriving soon, and in the meantime, I'll try to remember what I was going to comment on!

Fandom stocking got revealed last night, and I've been a very lucky girl this year. ;)

The marvellous carawj wrote a TNG/Downton Abbey crossover with Troi/Pulaski, and dressing up, and saving people, and cuteness and awesome!!! It's so brilliant I hyperventilated a bit.

I've also been very spoiled on the Kira/Dax front - sophia_gratia wrote me a gorgeous, super-hot ficlet, shinyjenni made the most ridiculously win picspam, and eponymous_rose wrote me an absolutely beautiful fic.

medie gave me fantastic icons of awesome Trek ladies and a wonderful Miranda Jones/Number One ficlet, which, best idea for a pairing ever!

paranoidangel42 wrote me Sarah Jane and Ace being completely awesome together, and it is adorable!

Also, lots of people left me lovely greetings, including a picture of Mel from morgeil!


As for what I did, the ficlets I wrote are HERE and I'm about to post the vid I made for carawj.

Still seems very peculiar to reach September and not be going back to school. A lot of people I know are either still in education or going back this year, and it’s a funny feeling to still be doing the same things I always do while they’re dealing with starting new courses and getting their reading lists and all that fun stuff.

Still appreciating the September-y feeling, though. If nothing else it means I can break out my winter wardrobe again. The sundresses and shorts and things have been fun, but I’m always a bit more comfortable in thick tights and wool skirts and sweaters.

It’s been a good summer, too. Probably one of the best of my life. I did all the proper summer things – I picnicked, went to music festivals (Cambridge Folk Fest – The Burns Unit are amazing!), went to the Edinburgh Fringe, and to Cornwall where I surfed (ish) and ate pasties. I played croquet and went to a sci-fi convention and the Pride parade and outdoor theatre and barbecues. It’s been wonderful, especially in contrast to last summer which I spent mostly miserable, broke, and travelling up to Edinburgh as often as possible to see carawj who was miserable and broke also.

So now it’s autumn again – 94 sleeps until Christmas! Before then I have plenty to look forward to – visiting and old friend in Nottingham this weekend, staying with my dad in Wales the weekend after, trip to Italy soon after that, Sarah Jane Adventures preview screening the day after I get back, Hallowe’en, Bonfire Night, and tickets to see Dar Williams in December… a couple of years ago I couldn’t have imagined having a schedule this busy – it’s almost too busy, I feel as though I hardly have time to breathe, but there’s nothing I want to let go.

In short, I’m a little bit exhausted and over-stretched, but generally life is good today.

1. FYI, Deanna does not actually crash the ship in Star Trek: Generations. She does a very good job of flying the ship in the middle of a battle, and by the time it starts crashing she’s lost helm control and Data is the one who eventually gets control of the thrusters. Also in this movie she wears sailor drag and is all perceptive and in charge of things. Why have I not seen this more times?
2. I am TIRED.
3. Remember Kerry Weaver on ER? Wasn’t she AWESOME?!
4. One of my Christmas presents was a cookie jar in the shape of a certain Doctor Who character. Now when people come over and want biscuits we ‘fetch the Davros’. This tickles me.
5. On a similar note, used our lovely new teapot from bunnyvon for the first time the other night, to much acclaim.
6. Strategies for passing time at work becoming sillier. This morning M and I chose new names for everyone in the office.
7. I have new glasses! They are red. I am told they make me look like a crime-fighting librarian.
8. These new headphones are not as good as my old ones. My old ones are, ALAS, broken.
9. I want January to end soon, please.
10. There is nobody in the world like carawj. She is incredible and I love her WAY MUCH. I know this is soppy but I don’t care, the world should know how amazing she is.