Eseme's Den

Being in Southern Maine this past week has had its ups and downs.

I love the area. I know the roads, the shops, and I can get to a beach easily. It's home in a lot of ways. Comfortable.

The job that I interviewed for last week is literally just down the road. Great location, someplace I'd want to live. Plus the library was welcoming and fun. it would be close to not just my parents but a good friend who lives in the area.

I got the rejection letter by email. That's new. I mean, I've gotten written letters, and phone calls... but not email. I moped on the couch for a while last night.

I've got a phone interview tomorrow, and have yet to hear from Institution of Higher Learning Number Two who has asked to contact my references and told me when their interviews would be. But they haven't called since. I sent an email (gah!) in the hopes of finding out if it is just trouble contacting my references. I'd like that position, they have some interesting digital projects going on.

Both academic jobs would be inland, one two hours inland. I'd miss the beach, but Maine is littered with lakes and rivers, and mountains.

I've had some great food on my trip up here. M took me to her favorite Mediterranean Grill, and the meal was divine. I've also had Indian and Mom made guacamole yesterday.

More job hunting in my future.

Done packing. Done driving.

I drove to Maine yesterday. I ended sleeping on a friend's floor Sunday night, when I could not drive to Maine (as I didn't want to arrive at 4:00 AM) but could not stay in my previous apartment (due to having handed over the keys).

Interview was this morning. I think it went well. I'm one of two candidates. Wish me well.

I blame Jill and Steve. I'm waiting for dishes to dry, and instead of packing soemthing else I am forced to get this idea out of my head and into words.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hi there, I'm Wendy." Cheerful, but not too cheerful. Let's see who this is.

"Yes, I've heard every Neverland joke there is. And I know you meant it as a joke, don't look so offended." That was the worst one yet. I'll have to remember to tell Rinaldo, he'll get a kick out of it.

"But that's not how you remember that I'm Wendy. I'm also the Welcome Wagon for these little meetings. Wendy, Welcome Wagon... Anyway, I'm here to get you up to speed on the organization." Oh, a spark of interest there. Hmmmm, let's see...

"We fight the fae, but you knew that. We all have our reasons. Me, I never even knew my parents. It took me a while to get strong enough to fight my way out, but once I did you can bet I wasn't going back to working in the fields again. How about you?"

Ahhhh, laying it on a little thick there... Now, what really happened? ... Well, that's predicatble.

"I can certainly see why you're here. Who recommended you? I can make sure you sit near them if you like. It helps to have a friendly face." Interesting. So that's who sent you.

"Oh, the meeting's about to start. The early stuff isn't going to make a lot of sense at first, so why don't we go over here and I'll fill you in." That's right, this way. You know you want to.

"Now then, as I was saying... Oh, don't look so scared. That's just Rinaldo. He's sort of security here. And yes, that is a gun at your back. I've got one too. And Jaques over there" Come on Jaques, a little faster... there, he's got the sword out, "with the sword. And there are plenty of other folks here who don't need weapons to make your life interesting. Like me, for instance. Now, we're going to go have a little chat. ... And I heard that! You won't be burning this place down, let me tell you. No Fire. There, that's better. Come along now..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wendy, no last name yet, was taken somewhat later in life. She was thirteen, trying to earn a bit of extra spending money babysitting. The next morning, the Pearson's found their two year old girl safe in her crib, but no sign of her sitter. Wendy's face was on milk cartons a decade before computer aging programs, and by now she's a statistic.

What does she do? She reads minds, surface thoughts mostly. But those thoughts tell enough about someone's motivations. That and some degree of empathy.

And what do you do in the fae realms to get such skills? Why, what Wendy was doing the night she was taken: Babysitting. Fae take babies and children, for their beauty or for amusement... but those children still have diapers to be changed, make messes when they eat, and need to be watched over. Few fae have the temperament, or the desire to put up with human bodily fluids. The obvious solution is to take humans to watch over the children when they aren't in court. Wendy slaved over a steady stream of infants and toddlers. Once they got old enough to have control of their bodily functions the fae whisked them off for whatever strange destinies awaited them, while Wendy watched in dismay and then went to clean up this morning's vomit or was handed a new little bundle of joy.

She learned quickly not to get too attached, and that the security was absurd and punishments were worse. She was given a little talent- extra empathy so she could sense the moods of her charges. Reading emotions allowed her to determine the difference between hunger, other discomfort, and tiredness. Gradually, this evolved, and Wendy realized after what felt like years that she could read the thoughts of the babies under her care. Sometimes, she could even change those thoughts, make a crying baby all smiles and laughs. She became known for her "magic" touch with children.

This eventually lead to her fight through the thorns. She was able to overhear the thoughts of the fae, and hiding near a door got her the password. She has vague memories of clutching an infant to her chest and running for days... a tall figure before her... her voice shouting "We were never here!"... more running... And Wendy eventually found herself in a world that was very definitely not 1982 (more like 2003).

The baby made it to a hospital (left on the steps like orphans of old), as a now seemingly twenty year old Wendy had no idea how to care for herself in this strange world, let alone another.

She found others, and the terrorist organization Never Again. So many children. So very, very many children are taken, and Wendy has a better idea than most of the sheer numbers.

She works (after receiving the training needed in this world) at a daycare, and is very watchful for changes in any of her charges.

She also works for Never Again, as the first defense against spies, betrayers to the fae, and investigative reporters. She reads minds, influences thoughts, and can gauge emotions. She had had some combat training, as all cell members have, but is most often used in interference raids as a soothing presence for the children who are rescued, and a numbing balm on their troubled thoughts.

Current move schedule:

Last week:

Pack up books (I got most of them, but not a few hardcovers, my craft books, mystical stuff, and school related books)
Pack up clothes (got about half done)

Monday (today):
Pack remaining books (failed, there is or was stuff in front of the shelves)
Pack remaining clothing (all done)
Start packing crafts (I have started, probably two thirds done)
Start moving furniture (I took over a chair and some small folding things)

Tuesday
2-5 work for Library Student Journal
Finish packing crafts
Pack remaining books
Move more furniture (possibly bookshelves)
Pack up linens

Wednesday:
Pack up most of the kitchen
Pack up candles and knick-knacks
Take over camping gear
Move some small tables
Move papasan chair (lash it to roof of car with 50 feet of rope)

Thursday:
2-5 work on Library Student Journal
Pack up the bathroom
Clean and pack up Hamster stuff
Pack up shoes
Pack up box with summer reading books, writing stuff
Pack up important documents

Friday:
Everything must go!
Take apart and move bed
Pack up computer and move desk
Take over remaining furniture - card tables, chairs, foot locker
Pack up any remaining stuff- boxes of con things, Legos, assorted stuff

Saturday:
Load up Ruby with stuff in the AM
Vacuum in the AM
Clean kitchen and bath
Pack up cleaning supplies and things for hanging pictures, also tools
Landlord arrives for walkthrough around 4:00 PM
Gas meter is read sometime before 5:00 PM
Electric should go off around 8:00 PM
After Landlord is does walkthrough, leave for Rochester

Sunday:
Drive from Rochester to Amherst
Pick up box from btoblake if there is room

Monday:
Drive to Maine

Tuesday:
8:00 AM interview

Stuff to fit in Ruby:
My computer (and printer if possible)
Summer clothes and work clothes
Kitchen perishables (take to Panther if possible)
Box of books for summer reading
Library science books
Boxes of childhood
Bears
Some office decoration stuff
Writing folders and notebooks
Important documents in hanging files (esp Soc. Sec. Card)
Sleeping bag and mat (maybe)
Toiletries bag
Raincoat
Summer shoes
Gaming bag

There is no Changeling this week. Which is sad, as it is possibly my last opportunity to play. Darn.

Anyone up for Vertex instead? I mean, we've all got this free time now, and I'm headed off for Maine (and if things go well with interviews I may not be back in Rochester for at least a month, and that would only be a stop on the way to grabbing my stuff from storage).

Vertex?

Oh, and the world's most amusing bumper sticker is red with white letters:

EAT MOOSE
12,000 wolves can't
be wrong

I graduate at 9:00 AM tomorrow.

I *thought* I had 2 1\2 weeks to pack up and move.

Then I got a phone call. The job I applied for last week wants to interview me. In Maine. Around the 28th of May. Well, that cuts out some time. And the person who is retiring will be around until the end of June to help train the new hire. Which means if I got the job it would likely start a week or two after the interview.

Which would mean it would make more sense to just move most of my stuff to Maine rather than Rochester.

And I could have another interview, for the island position, around that time as well.

Of course with my luck, both positions would say "We've decided to hire someone else" and then I would be stuck with most of my stuff in Maine but no Maine job.

Or, alternatively, I would get offered both jobs and have to choose between a very cool two year stint on an Island not getting paid much, versus a job that pays OK, is on the mainland, and given that the person who phoned me today said "I've been here ten years and it's like I'm the new kid on the block" is very likely to have longevity.

Either way, not sure what to do - drive a U-Haul up to Maine and then if I get neither job drive back to Rochester with a carload of clothes and other necessities?

Plus this means I could vanish out of Rochester much faster than I was planning to. ... Or not. It's very hard to tell as these are just possibilities, not definites.

I'm not thrilled with the uncertainty.

*looks at her poor life, all turned upside down and sideways, such a confused little life*

Gamers like zombies.

Gamers like Fluxx.

Will gamers like Zombie Fluxx when it coems out this fall?

It think so. For a preview, go to the Looney Labs main page http://www.looneylabs.com/ and be sure it is for the week including today (05/02/2007).

I am not one for voilence and battle scenes. Didn't really like them in Lord of the Rings, so going to see 300 isn't really something I should spend money on.

However, I have managed to see the 53 seconds of the movie that matter from the female perspective.

Thanks to ursulav for the link to "It's Raining 300 Men" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi2t58CRmbU

We're on the front page of White-Wolf's site again. Without asking, again. Too cool.

Link to the White Wolf press release: http://www.white-wolf.com/index.php?line=news&articleid=711

jesshartley posted what I think is the best advertisement for a gaming or fandom con that I've seen. The video is brilliant:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NswDG8q9ZdA

Now, having watched this twice myself and again when I showed it to one of the con directors I am working with... well it isn't surprising that Weird Al's song got stuck in my head. I mean, it's a brilliant song and the video is amazing (I remember laughing like mad when I first saw it months ago).

I'm sure everyone who reads this is sufficiently nerdy themselves to have seen it, but if not:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xEzGIuY7kw

When trying to find it again this morning (song stuck in head, must watch video!) I just Googled it rather than using the youTube search engine. And learned 1) that someone has Wikipedia'd the video, and 2) that that's Donny Osmond dancing spasticly:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_&_Nerdy

I then felt the need to hit Al's personal page, to see if there was any more video goodness. And that's when I nearly died.

No, I'm not kidding. This is the funniest thing I've seen in my life-

Al and Donny's first take of dancing.


So. Utterly. Hilarious.

Seriously, it is NOT work-safe. Your boss will wonder if you need to be sent to a rubber room with all that frantic laughter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWc6QQ9JlMc

The official site also has a link to the official documentary on the making of the video. Which is a bit funny but mostly blah- until it gets to the bit with Al and Donny dancing. There I learned that they shot it at about half speed, and then play it back at full speed. The looks on their faces as the two of them watch the playback and realize just what they look like is priceless.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TDAGJMj8zk

And that's all the Weird Al I or anyone else can stand for one day.

I'm now doing to attempt to do something serious (and no doubt fail miserably).