Under Sea Garden

I have an interview this morning, we talked about it yesterday at work.

Co-worker #1: So what kind of job do you want?
Rune: I don't know. Something a little more creative would be nice.
Co-worker #2: Where's your job interview?
Rune: Some place...I don't know. But it's for a receptionist thing.
Co-worker #1: That's hardly creative.
Rune: Yeah, well, sometimes paying my rent is practically performance art.

Yup. That's what I am.

Spent the last several weekends trying to convince my dad that our usual 6-8 mile hikes were fine by me. Today? I was duped!


Rune: *driving the car*
Papa: *pointing the hiking map in his lap* See, right there. That's the campsite I was talking about. It's not much further than the trail we did a couple weeks ago.
Rune: I don't know...
Papa: *looks cute and pathetic*
Rune: Okay. Fine. But only 'cause it's not much farther.
Papa: It'll be great!

Wild Turkeys: *are right there on the trail*
Papa & Rune: *do the appropriate nature-squee*

Baby Horned Lizards: *are the size of a quarter and just chillin' in the trail*
Papa: *shoos* No wonder you're almost extinct -- Go on, get off the trail.

Campsite: *is four miles from the trail-head*
Rune: *sitting beneath one of the few unburned giant Oak* Wow. This is actually really cool.
Papa: *reclining in the shade* Yup.
Rune: I'm really glad we came.
Papa: Yup.
Rune: So do we just go back the way we came?
Papa: ...actually, this is halfway along the other--
Rune: So it's like five miles no matter what we do, huh?
Papa: *knows his daughter* The map said this way's downhill the whole way.
Rune: Fine. Let's roll.
Papa: *GRINS*

1st Half of the Trail Back: *is pretty and Entirely Uphill.
Papa: Huh. Maybe I read it backward.

2nd Half of the Trail Back: *is closed and fairly overgrown*
Papa: 'S not so bad. It'll be longer if we try and backtrack.
Rune: I love you, but I know you do this on purpose.
Papa: *pushing grass and weeds out of the trail* I don't know. It's neat to pretend that no human's ever been here before. *passing an old t-shirt left beside the trail* Except for that guy.

Rune: *climbs into the car* You know, the walking wasn't so bad, 'cause now it hurts to sit. I think I could do layin' down alright, but my legs don't remember how to bend.
Papa: Heh.

Papa & Rune: *drive home*
Rune: So how far did we go?
Papa: *consults both map and trail guide* ...Ten and half miles.
Rune: So it's okay that my feet hurt?
Papa: Yeah, it's fine. Just think of how great you'll feel next time when we do it twice.


And now I'm going to go home, shower and either write fic or fall asleep in front of the tv. Whichever comes first.

My grandma is legally blind. This means that there are all kinds of nifty gadgets at her house, including a voice activated dialing device. My father finds it particularly fascinating. I was reminded of this last night at dinner.

Papa: *bent over, speaking in a wavering falsetto* Mike.
Machine: *tinny “female” voice* Mike.
Papa: *in the same Grandma Voice* Stupid.
Grandma: *vaguely horrified* What you doing?
Machine: Virginia.
Papa: *snickers* Nothing.
Mama: *calling from the kitchen* Michael, you leave that thing alone!
Papa: *grinning madly* Stupid.
Machine: Spoke too soon.
Grandma: *flustered and amused as only a mother can be* Oh, just call your sister.
Papa: *deaf as a post when he wants to be* Stupid.
Machine: Griffin.
Papa: Heh.
Grandma: *amusedly exasperated* Would you just call your sister?
Papa: *considers for a moment before bending over again* Mar—Stupid Ann.
Machine: Spoke too soon.
Papa: *snickering* Stupid Ann.
Grandma: *throwing her hands up and walking away* Oh, for the love of—hmph.
Mama: *comes to stand beside Papa* Why do you do this?
Papa: *as though this explains everything* When you do “Saddam Hussein” you get “Sarah and Ben.”
Bear and Me: *snicker*
Mama: *to us* You’re not helping.
Papa: *ignoring us all again* Osama bin Laden.
Machine: Name not found.
Papa: Osama bin Laden
Mama: *opens mouth to speak, gives up, and instead joins Grandma in the living room*
Papa: Saddam Hussein.
Bear: *because it does explain everything* I love Papa.


Speaking of the Bear, she actually went through a major life change today. She had her wisdom teeth pulled. I called to see how she was doing and spoke to my mom.

Mama: *very serious* She can’t be left alone at all today.
Me: *snerking* Because she might die?
Mama: *full of sympathy* It’s so sad.
Me: Heh. Is she all puffy?
Mama: Yes. Swollen and -- *speaking sternly to someone on her end* Wipe yourself up!
Mama: *vaguely huffy* She just keep drooling.

Rune: *dials home*
Bear: *answering phone* Hello?
Rune: Hey, babe.
Bear: Who is this?
Rune: *long suffering* Can I talk to mom?
Bear: You're a stranger.
Bear: Moooooooom. Maaaaaaama.
Mama: *garbled and in the background*
Bear: There's a stranger on the phone, you talk to them.
Mama: *deeply suspicious* Hello?
Rune: Hi, Mom.
Mama: Bear!
Bear: *garbled yelling followed by insane laughter*
Rune: She's weird.
Mama: You asked for her.
Rune: She's your daughter.
Mama: But you're her big sister.
Rune: Can this just be Papa's fault?
Mama: *pauses to consider*
Bear: *more insane laughter*
Dogs: *start barking*
Mama: She's definitely her father's daughter.

Things I have learned today
Libraries inherently make me feel better.
Rana, that book you lent me ages ago and that I'm just now starting? Is really, really good.
I can read five chapters in an hour.
Work sucks less when I'm busy. And not in the file room.
By nodding at regular intervals no one will know I'm actually writing fic during staff meetings.
It may start out as a drabble, but if your meeting is an hour and a half long you'll end up with a fic instead.*
Pie, even if it is sent by IT, just can't be a bad thing.
Paying your student loans always hurts. Even over the phone.
Stupid people are everywhere. They also tend to multiply at deadline time.
My betas are right. Notes have already been done for the fixing of the one bit.**


Things I will tell myself I'm going to accomplish while I have no computer to distract me
Finish unpacking my room.
Finish all the manga I have that has not been read.
Watch the last of my One Piece dvds.
Draw that tree.
Go to bed early.
Finish the book Rana lent me.
Finish the book my sister lent me.


Things I will actually do while I have no computer to distract me
Finish the book Rana lent me.
Draw that tree.
Start the book my sister lent me.


*Happy Birthday karotsamused! I really did start to write you a birthday drabble that I was going to post before going home, but now it is too long and will require actual typing and writing and so will not be seen until Diego returns. Really all I have to say about it is that about five seconds into my meeting the one thing that occurred to me was, "This would be soooo much shorter if Ed were here." *cue evil laugh*

**Sometimes? Having good betas is a pain. Why can't you guys just let me suck instead of giving me good ideas to make the story better? I want to be laaaaaazy. *tackles* It's all right though. I love you anway.

Rune: *climbs in the shower*
Shower: *warm and happy*
Rune: *searches for shower puff*
Shower puff: *floats in the void*
Rune: *reaches for bodywash anyway*
Bodywash: *inexplicably several inches to the left of where it should be*
St. Ives Invigorating Apricot Face Scrub: *where bodywash should be*
Rune: *plots FMA epic* Mmmm....
SIIAFS: *grabbed*
Rune's armpits: *Invigorated!*
Rune's hair: Don't even think about it.

Title: Espresso
Author: Rune
Notes: Beta’d by ranalore. Written for all the people who said, "Do something happy some time!" (Also, please note that it's long! Or well, long-ish. Which, Woot!)
Summary:The most stimulating things come in small doses.


( Should I insist you taste it first? )

I just have to talk to Bear. She always sets me straight. At least when I don't want to kill her.

I was discussing the situation at work with her today. This is what she had to say about my going to the employee relations manager tomorrow to talk about my my own manager.

Bear: Awesome.
Bear: becuase you are in the right
Bear: and that lady is in the wrong
Bear: and she will pay the penultimate price
Bear: take it, meaning stand up for your self in a dignified manner and after
Bear: she loses all self-respect spit on her
Bear: I mean give her a hug


Yeah, evil runs in our family. Heh.

I said it was deepdish, yeah. But I'd forgotten how good it is reheated. Sick and twisted I know, but right out of the microwave with the cold patches in the center and too hot around the edges is just the way I like it.

Maybe I'll make you eat here too.

Ran errands on my lunch. I love the sun. Makes everything better, pretty much always. One of the errands, though, included a trip to Target where in I bought Sweethearts candy. They're gettin' kinda creative there aren't they?

My Love
Smile
Love Life
All Star
Call Me
Love Me
IM ME (Which is confusing as all get out because is it an affirmation of self or a nod to our new technology and the modern ways in which people meet?)
Only You
Awe Some (They're little candy, and I guess that hyphen just didn't fit.)
I <3 You
Whiz Kid
You & Me
Real Love
How Nice (What I love is that they still manage to include a rejection heart. Because when you're in fourth grade and some other kid comes up to you, heart on their sleeve and says, "I really like you," you can respond by just pushing this little heart back at them. Harsh man, harsh.)
For You
Love Her
My Man (Heh.)
Be Mine
Dream Team
#1 Fan
URA Star (No. Just, no. Net speak? On candy? Rawr!)
Cutie Pie
Magic
It's Love


I miss my the old standby "O U Kid." My dad always used to open all the packets of hearts my sister and I got, to dig through until he found one so he could give it to my mom.

[Edit: I have now eaten so many of these things that my teeth hurt from the sugar. I will however finish this box. Because the white ones are the best and I've saved those for last.]