contractually speaking

The boys and i like to game, quite a bit. In respect for that, and out of respect for wanting to be able to keep gaming at home, without destroying the house through the common-enough game-driven entropy that is so often the side effect of gaming, i have created the contract below. The way i figure it, if we can't manage our electives, they will manage us, and that's not a very fun place to be when we come back to the real world. [Wouldn't it be nice to be able to point and click at the laundry and dishes? I mean, I just know i'm high enough level!]

Before gaming, I will:

• Do my homework
• Put away my toys
• Put away my books, clothes, notebooks, etc.
• Check the trash and take it out if need be
• Complete my chore of the day
• Check the dishes
• Set out anything I need fo rthe next day

Gaming, like living in a house, is not free. Because I have the luxury of doing both, I will contribute $X to the household account (not to be used for gaming, as that comes out of one's allowance). I also understand that living in a house means interacting with the people in it. I will not game more than two hours a day, with the understanding that two hours of gaming is unlikely to happen on any weekday, given the above list of responsibilities.

This Contract is a representation of my willingness to remain a responsible person in our household. I do not expect anyone else to enforce it, and i promise to keep my word. I do expect that if i do not prove myself responible in these matters, I will no longer enjoy the privilege of gaming.

Yes, i do plan on printing it, letting them fill in the amount elected to the household maintenance fund, and having them sign it. Mine will be posted just above my laptop, since I sometimes need the not-so-gentle reminder.

restorative night

kn0w1 came over and brought the files i was downloading, saving me several hours and no small amount of yawning -- his company is far more intereting than watching the little download manager. Then, instead of playing games, we invited tree over for an impromtu dinner of salad, corn and stir fry. gracious it was good to hang out and talk. instead of doing dishes after, tree and i sat on the swing and chatted. honestly, she has come to be family. then we pulled kn0w1 back off the computer and i introduced them to Chez Geek, and a raucous good time was had by all.

let's do it again, and soon.

silly quiz while downloading

You scored as Lt. Kara Thrace (Starbuck).
You are the best damn Viper pilot in the fleet, so everyone else can just frack off. They need you, not the other way around. Maybe if you keep pushing people away they won't get close, because that is scary and it hurts. Oh yes, and anyone who has a problem with you being a woman needs to just get over it.

YAY for family

kn0w1 r0x0rz.

you have my word on it.

rainy days and mondays

i begged for rain. i prayed, made sacrifices to the gods, even thought about waxing the car. apparently it worked, but perhaps a bit too well. even calvin is a bit irked. bit no matter. despite the fact that Mags was flooded in, and most of the nation's capitol was closed from flooding, i'm happy, and darn it, that's what matters.

what to do with myself other than listen to the rain and drink tea?

Deadwood and primal scream therapy

You scored as Seth Bullock. You didn't want to be sheriff, but someone had to do it. You wish you didn't have such a high moral compass, because you just want to sit in the background. However, in this town someone needs to step up, and if no one else will, that only leaves you. If evil only needs the good to do nothing, you won't watch from the sidelines. (Seth Bullock is played by Timothy Olyphant)

Seth Bullock

100%
Doc Cochran		94%
Trixie		88%
Alma Garret		63%
Calamity Jane		56%
Mr Wu		50%
Joanie Stubbs		50%
Cy Tolliver		44%
Al Swearengen		25%
E. B. Farnum		13%

What kind of (Deadwood) Cocksucker are you?
created with QuizFarm.com
i don't know about you, but i'm getting right tired of the heat.

Mags took me to lunch today, which was a brilliant affair, once it was cool enough to eat the whole thing. honestly, if the storm promised doesn't arrive soon, i think i'm going to scream. i did scream, earlier, after having dropped the boys at a most-unwilling Phillip's apartment -- he was playing WOW and couldn't be bothered. Since i'm doing all the work of the man as well as the woman in this little arrangement, i told him that the boys needed to be dropped at camp at 9 and picked up at 16:00, with lunches and snacks (both afternoon and morning), and that the arrangement would change when i didn't have a job or he did have one. he can keep his paltry-assed excuse of child support in return.we all know he's planning on heading home to hide behind his mama's skirts any old way.

When i got home, i noticed how powerful our ceiling fans are. They've each of them been on the highest setting since yesterday, and frankly i'm surprised that the house hasn't lifted off.

While the boys are at phillip's (who at least has air conditioning), i'm watching The Sopranos. I'm starting at season one, so please don't give anything away.

kinda like a nude beach, only without the sand

at almost 20:00, it's still 95°. the only sensible thing to do when we came home was to

• be very very quiet
• run a tepid bath with salts
• soak
• drip dry, spread out under one of the ceiling fans while the other household members took their turns to do the same
• repeat

We've been at it since five-thirty or so.

After summer camp, we attended the science museum's annual member's meeting. We were treated to meeting the new director, an active and inspired (and no small amount inspiring) woman named Nancy. After hearing all the cool things on the agenda for the coming year, we were no small amount excited and it was a bit hard to sit still until they outened the lights in the planetarium and gave us a sneak preview of the laser light show, which was pretty cool. Tomorrow in camp they are going on a field trip to launch rockets, and that will end the Look to the Sky week.

happy solstice

it's hot. they boys and i watched the MegaDome production of Volcanoes of the Deep Sea after i picked them up from science camp. they love camp and i'm liking my new temp job, and so for this week, all seems to be well.

i just finished the last episode of Deadwood, season two. even though this series strikes me as having turrett's, it has grown on me with each episode, and i'm glad it started a third season.

Cooking and dining in the summer has always been a challenge for me, as i seem to wilt like unwatered leaves when the humidity spikes. One of the best things about having the boys' camp downtown is that we get to pick through the farmer's market on the way home. We have gotten quite used to it, and while dinners are a bit odd (tonight was focaccia, bruschetta, cheese and fresh sweet corn on the cob), they are tasty and restorative.

long time no see

yeah, ok, so it's been two months since i've posted. a girl gets busy, you know. but between the house cleaning and the bill paying and the sorting out of my life and the abysmal attempts at making my thesis work, i got shaken out my apathy. perhaps it was that trip to the beach i just got back from (delightful -- totally perfect; i'm counting the days until i go back). so here's the link of the day that had me chuckling to myself while doing the Huge Stack O Dishes tonight. i just couldn't shake it.

happy monday.