The Shelter

Coolness! abraxas_life has created her own Chocolate Lime Muffin recipe! Bakery!John is impressed. (Bakery!Rodney, not so much.)

So that post I did, soliciting requests for snippets... is working, but in a backwards kind of way. So far I only wrote the SGA/Venture Brothers fusion snippet. BUT! I've written a lot more on the next Bakery story! ^_^;; Perverse, I know, but hey, writing is happening! Woooo.

Bonus: I have extra crossposting options with my paid Dreamwidth account, so I'm crossposting to Insanejournal now. Of course, I doubt anyone still reads me here. Comment and let me know?

http://cesare.dreamwidth.org/44391.html | comments | Comment at Dreamwidth

I never thought I would be able to say it but I think my wee hunter is actually going to be able get a dungeon achievement. Shitty DPS (516) and all. I actually had the highest DPS (73%) for the final boss in the Occulus Heroic.

I love 3.3's Dungeon Finder. Not only have I done all of the Northrend dungeons but three (Culling of Strathholme, Halls of Stone, Utgarde Pinnacle), I've even done 3 or 4 heroic level as well. All since DF came in.

And I actually prefer the cross realm groups as well. Whereas home realm groups with their stick up their arses elitists expect you to know exactly what you're doing, keep up and not fuck up, the cross realm PUG's I've found tend to be people like me (unable to previously buy their way into a instance group), and when there is a stuff up, they stop and explain what went wrong and how to change it when you try again.

Dungeon Finder? I likes it.

Ringers, I know you're out there.

Go visit this post and give some love to vinyamar.

Go on you know you want to.

I'm ambivalent to both the man and the sport, but enough already media outlets around the world.

I don't know why it's all so shocking. He's a man with money, power and ostensibly more talent than was entirely necessary for one person. But you overlooked one small thing while you had your hands on his arse pushing him onto that huge pedestal. He has a penis.

Enough said.

It seems this one (Josie Brooklyn for those of you taking notes) was early and weeny, courtesy of a nasty dose of preeclampsia and gallstone pain.

BTW, don't read their website for birthing tips or you'll learn way more about vaginal births than you ever wanted to know.

Does this mean that the waterslide is closed?

xposted to IJ and LJ

I love bread. I have always loved bread. Bread for breakfast, for dinner, for dessert, any and all kinds of bread. For several years, we went without because Webster had been diagnosed as having celiac's disease. Celiac's is "a digestive disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. People who have celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten, a protein in wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten is found mainly in foods but may also be found in everyday products such as medicines, vitamins, and lip balms" (from here).

It was a pain, especially living here in the Wine Country where our artisan breads are known and loved. Within three miles of where I live is a world-renown bakery, and fewer than thirty miles away are a number of others equally well known. For my birthday, we go to a restaurant in San Francisco with its own bakery that puts the most delicious bread imaginable on the table, with fresh local olive oil.

We had to give all that up for years. I know that others suffer much more, and that we are lucky. And we were luckier than we knew because eventually Webster got a new gastroenterologist who ran the tests and discovered that, whatever is wrong with him, celiac's isn't it. We could eat bread again.

Almost at the same time, I discovered the New York Times's recipe for no-knead bread. When I was a kid I'd made bread a lot; I loved the kneading, and watching the dough rise, and oh, the flavor. But when I grew up I somehow lost the knack. The bread wouldn't rise. The crust was too hard. The bread lacked flavor. I decided that the yeast no longer loved me, and gave it up.

But now, armed with the NYT recipe and medical permission to eat gluten again, I tried my hand. We loved the results. Unlike me, Webster hadn't grown up in a house with fresh bread, so this was new to him. At first, he would eat about half a loaf at one sitting! Oops. Not good for his tummy, even if he could eat gluten. But it was soooo good.

Not long ago, I started hearing about another no-knead recipe, Artisan Bread, one that lets you make one big batch of dough and then bake whenever you want (recipe here). I think MRKinch mentioned it? Whoever did, I bless her. Now we have fresh bread literally every day, and if Webster wants something dessert-ish and quick, I turn some of the dough into little cinnamon buns or plain rolls that he slathers in strawberry jam.

I'm so enthusiastic about my breadmaking that I've documented it! So if you dare, here is ME making BREAD!

( Seriously, links to BIG pictures of me making bread )

So this is more for me than for y'all. But here are my girls on The Underbog.

Level 80 Dwarf Hunter

Level 66 Night Elf Druid

Level 60 Human Death Knight (She definately doesn't get enough love)

I've got a few more spread around over different realms, but these are my highest levels. My DK definately is the neglected soul.

Wow, look at this a post that doesn't involve fic mentions!

Random musings since my last post. Hold on my peoples, this could get confusing....

* o2muse gave birth to her third wee precious one, welcome to Arthur, hon and I'm so glad he finally decided to come out and meet you. You should go visit and take a look at him, he's gorgeous.

* My last post pondering that ludicrous new law they've passed in Uganda? Upon further reading; Do you know that it is legal in some countries for men to have sex with farm animals, but only if the animal is female. It's okay for bestiality, just not homosexual bestiality? Can anyone else see a problem with that? Or is it just me?

* It's been hot here, damned hot {cue reference to Good Morning, Vietnam memories - damn are any of you old enough to remember that?}. It was 38 deg C in my living room the other day, I have not been game to look at the thermometer since. It's been so hot I've had occaision to think I had peed my pants and not known, but no it was just torrents of sweat, either that or my knees are urinating. Wow, that was TMI.

* Much love is being had at the moment for Beecake's debut album. Thanks again be to divinemadam for the delivery of said album. I must say the new arrangments of some of the songs has completely redeemed them (that would be the song not the band - the boys need no redemption) for me. Rip It Up was not one I liked and now it's close to my favourite.

* On the topic of Beecake, I must say, I will always adore Billy, but I have a guilty confession to make. Drummers are totes swoonworthy. Since I was old enough to realise that Rock Gods are delicious, and worked out for myself that lead singers are more often than not precious little flowers (yes Simon Le Bon I am looking at you), I made another startling discovery, Drummers are scrumptious (Roger Taylor (both of them), Jon Keeble, Jon Moss, Merrick, Terry Lee Miall(actually 5 points and eternal love to those of you who know who the last two are without Googling) need I continue?). John Crawford, you just know I'm talking about you now don't you?

* On the subject of Music and all things Scottish, take a look here, promise you won't be disappointed.

* WoW. Where do I start? I usually don't like the patches but I am filled with Love, Love, Love for patch 3.3. My 80 hunter couldn't buy her way into dungeons, because stick-up-their-arse, filled with self importance 80's (Can you sense my displeasure and lack of love?) didn't like her non epic gear, her not so hot DPS (I ask you how can you improve without the dungeons?) but with the new Dungeon Finder she is gathering a nice selection of epic gear and has multiplied her hit rating by 5. And my adorable little Nelf Druid has levelled twice and is learning much about healing.

* My slashababy fic has developed a mind of it's own and is coming along quite nicely, celtprincess13, you should be very, very scared but you will have it soon to worketh your magic.

* Got organised early this year so I apologise to anyone who got their christmas card really early, but tis better than really late. No?

* Have been baking lots, made christmas cakes, plum puddings, rum balls, apricot balls, white christmas, truffles, Xmas ice cream cakes and even orange & clove pomanders. Christmas? Bring it on, dudes!

* For those of us who have disdain for the Twihard Twainweck, I bring something that will amuse you, have this and enjoy.

I think that could be all, for those of you who have perservered and even kept up, please feel free to return to your regular programming. At times, my thought processes can be....intricate.

xposted to IJ and LJ

Why am I not getting my IJ and LJ notices? Do both services have it out for me? Dang. Still not going to DW, though. There has to be a third way.

Casa McShep is open! Yay!

( Some big photos back here )

xposted to IJ and LJ

Oh my fucking god, but it's cold:



Just look at that. Already almost freezing and it isn't even 9:30.

My holiday shopping is nearly done except for my sister. What to get her? I renewed her wine club subscription -- she says she likes the wine, so I keep extending the subscription, but what if she's just saying that? How does one know? I'd like to give her something else, but what? ACK.

Please see my new icon made by Monanotlisa. I call it "Teyla is beautiful." It has inspired me to get back to work on my Teyla story.

I bet I'm not the only person who comes to associate a specific song with a story I'm writing. Am I? REM's "Nightswimming" is a perennial favorite of mine; it informs both Endings Unexpectedly Happy (I forgot my shirt at the water's edge / The moon is low tonight) and I Am Your Image Dressed as the World (The photograph on the dashboard, taken years ago / Turned around backwards so the windshield shows / Every streetlight reveals the picture in reverse). And now with Teyla's story, too:

You, I thought I knew you.
You I cannot judge.
You, I thought you knew me,
this one laughing quietly underneath my breath.
Nightswimming.

Here's an mp3 of Nightswimming. Isn't it lovely?

Oh my god, did I mention it's cold?

xposted to IJ and LJ

Brrr! I woke up to find this:

I love the rain but I'm not so crazy about the cold.

Why do weekends fly by so quickly, yet workweeks drag on forever? One of life's mysteries.

Nice people have tried to send me one of those snowflake cookies but I have LJ gifts blocked. I did so because their gifts usually cost money and it seems the most generous fans are those who can least afford it. But the cookies are free, so I'm missing out! But thank those of you who have tried; it makes me very happy that you did.

( Here are things I want to share: )