An Unexpected Day Off

Here I sit, in my backyard using a neighbor's wireless and not at work, but as of 6:30 this morning, I figured that at this time, I'd probably be scanning notes and disposition records into the computer.

My car has been rattling terribly for some time now. One day, a guy came up to me in the parking lot at Panera Bread and asked if I was aware that my car was rattling terribly. I was; I felt like saying that despite the skirt and the two X chromosomes--and therefore, my mechanical ignorance--that my ears were just fine and could hear the intrusive noise. Recently, though, the rattle has become more ominous, and since I now drive fifty miles one way to work, neither Bobby nor I were comfortable with the idea of me breaking down in the fast lane of Interstate 70.

My mom is getting a pickup truck, so we're going to do a typical family car swap: I'm going to take her SUV (which has four-wheel drive, which we need up here anyway), and she's going to use my rattletrap for trade-in. However, this is still about a week away, so in the meantime, Bobby worked out with his carpool to where he can take my rattling car to the park-and-ride (about a mile away) each morning, and I can take his car fifty miles to Jessup.

Which is what I intended to do this morning. I turned onto Route 27 and immediately began arguing with myself about whether I should stop for gas or try to make it to Jessup. Finally, I decided to play it safe ... and it's good that I did! Bobby has a locking gas cap, and the only key is on his keyring. Which is currently in his bag, in Washington, DC. So I got to the gas station in Westminster and discovered this ... but better than a gas station an hour's drive away in Jessup, with the gas gauge on E.

So I have this unexpected day off. What to do? Well, I still have work to do in the study, and ideally, I could get this finished today. I unpacked all of our Games Workshop miniatures last night and start organizing my art supplies. I also have two fanfic betas in progress and an original story of my own that I'm sending off somewhere and should finish today. I should also do a Critters story, since I haven't for about three weeks now, though my record is still better than 100%. There's also (always) things to do for SWG.

Well, off to work, then!

Silmfic Story: "The Coveted"

A while ago--too long ago--Kasiopea asked me to write a story about how Caranthir became engaged to his wife. At the same time as she made her request, I was engaging in a discussion on an email list about the Silmarils and why entities of good caused such evil.

The two ideas entwined, and this story emerged. It also uses the ideas I have developed in Another Man's Cage and other stories that Caranthir was so dark, strange, and solitary because he was extremely sensitive to mindspeak and constantly perceived the thoughts and emotions of others.

This story has been posted on SWG for about two months now. I am posting it here as well at the request of f-listers who aren't on SWG ... and also because all of my other stories are here; it seems a shame to leave this one out, considering.

( The Coveted )