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catching up
It has been a while since my last post; frankly, it's all been pretty shitty 'round here, and I don't want to be one of those lj'ers -- you know the ones I mean.
But still, news is news, and ought to be recorded, and perhaps even shared. (I think?) So, for those of you following along at home, we now know my dad has lung cancer. Stage IV. Spread to brain, lymph and, as we discovered yesterday, spine. (Kind of like we're playing some sort of terrible game of reverse bingo; we keep getting squares that, well, do not want.) He starts chemo on Thursday.
He had one open brain surgery; and then a closed brain.... with a gamma knife. Does that not sound like some awesome light saber-y weapon? He's got a titanium plate in his head, and soon will be injected full of platinum. It's rather like living on the edge of sci fi, but not in a fun, happy way. Then I guess those novels never really are.
What else? I'm trying to write my dissertation, while spending as much time at my folks' as I can. This is... less successful than it could be, but I hope once we get into more of a routine, it will be better. It's interesting because while my concentration has (for some reason!) suffered, the urgency for finishing has... well, let's just say it's increased. A lot.
However, one can always distract oneself with tv. Supernatural, man. Metatastic episode for the win! (Better than metastastic, anyway. *g*) Seriously, I think having slash mentioned was awesome, I think the boys would react that way to Wincest, and I note they weren't freaked out by the gay, just by the brother-thing. Also, Cas for the win with his wink-wink-nudge-nudge. Yay. Also, CHUCK. I love it. LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT. Unfortunately, I am really dreading the next ep., but shall hope for the best.
I keep trying to like Dollhouse, and thus far am mostly failing. They had one good episode that I can recall, but even that was only good in comparison to the rest. It's glossy and badly paced and takes itself so seriously. It's so freaking earnest, which from the Joss, I kind of resent. No, actually there's no 'kind of'. I just resent it a whole lot.
Kings is pleasing. I'm not caught up -- have only seen the first two or three eps? But I'm enjoying it. Wrong!New York is gorgeous; I love the mythic adapation, and I'm waiting anxiously for my canon slash. Also, Ian McShane is amazing.
AND I am finally watching S3 of Friday Night Lights. Its 2nd season was SO dreadful; this season rocks SO HARD. It's made me and D. rise out of our chairs and pump the air on several occasions, and has on occasions too numerous to catalogue, turned us into spastic, twitching joygasms. I can't wait to go home tonight and watch more.
Then there's fic. I am still working on chap. 2 of Enough to Go By; it's my turn to send the next bit to Rach. Butit is I am slow like molasses.
Anything more? We have cousins of all stripes descending on us this weekend, from London, from Rochester, NY, from New Delhi.
The world, it continues to suck. I continue to... not pay attention. I watched the coverage of the Binghamton shooting while waiting for my dad to get his bones scanned. I also saw a little kid wandering around with his chemo attached to him. He had a purple triceratops that he held by the tail. His dad followed him, board game under one arm; I can't describe to you the look on the dad's face.
Fun times. (Like Alison Bechdel says, we put the fun in funeral, no?)
But still, news is news, and ought to be recorded, and perhaps even shared. (I think?) So, for those of you following along at home, we now know my dad has lung cancer. Stage IV. Spread to brain, lymph and, as we discovered yesterday, spine. (Kind of like we're playing some sort of terrible game of reverse bingo; we keep getting squares that, well, do not want.) He starts chemo on Thursday.
He had one open brain surgery; and then a closed brain.... with a gamma knife. Does that not sound like some awesome light saber-y weapon? He's got a titanium plate in his head, and soon will be injected full of platinum. It's rather like living on the edge of sci fi, but not in a fun, happy way. Then I guess those novels never really are.
What else? I'm trying to write my dissertation, while spending as much time at my folks' as I can. This is... less successful than it could be, but I hope once we get into more of a routine, it will be better. It's interesting because while my concentration has (for some reason!) suffered, the urgency for finishing has... well, let's just say it's increased. A lot.
However, one can always distract oneself with tv. Supernatural, man. Metatastic episode for the win! (Better than metastastic, anyway. *g*) Seriously, I think having slash mentioned was awesome, I think the boys would react that way to Wincest, and I note they weren't freaked out by the gay, just by the brother-thing. Also, Cas for the win with his wink-wink-nudge-nudge. Yay. Also, CHUCK. I love it. LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT. Unfortunately, I am really dreading the next ep., but shall hope for the best.
I keep trying to like Dollhouse, and thus far am mostly failing. They had one good episode that I can recall, but even that was only good in comparison to the rest. It's glossy and badly paced and takes itself so seriously. It's so freaking earnest, which from the Joss, I kind of resent. No, actually there's no 'kind of'. I just resent it a whole lot.
Kings is pleasing. I'm not caught up -- have only seen the first two or three eps? But I'm enjoying it. Wrong!New York is gorgeous; I love the mythic adapation, and I'm waiting anxiously for my canon slash. Also, Ian McShane is amazing.
AND I am finally watching S3 of Friday Night Lights. Its 2nd season was SO dreadful; this season rocks SO HARD. It's made me and D. rise out of our chairs and pump the air on several occasions, and has on occasions too numerous to catalogue, turned us into spastic, twitching joygasms. I can't wait to go home tonight and watch more.
Then there's fic. I am still working on chap. 2 of Enough to Go By; it's my turn to send the next bit to Rach. But
Anything more? We have cousins of all stripes descending on us this weekend, from London, from Rochester, NY, from New Delhi.
The world, it continues to suck. I continue to... not pay attention. I watched the coverage of the Binghamton shooting while waiting for my dad to get his bones scanned. I also saw a little kid wandering around with his chemo attached to him. He had a purple triceratops that he held by the tail. His dad followed him, board game under one arm; I can't describe to you the look on the dad's face.
Fun times. (Like Alison Bechdel says, we put the fun in funeral, no?)
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I just caught up on Kings last night. Episode 4 is a bit weak, it's clearly one of those "and all this stuff needs to happen to make the next chunk of stuff brilliant" episodes. Less verse, but good politics and some great setups.
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My mom died of lung cancer in '08, and my dad of kindey cancer in '98...both were not found until Stage IV and it blows. It is like sci fi. Words like gamma knife and interferon and interleukin become part of your daily vocabulary.
My mom lived 2+ years after her stage IV diagnosis, and would have lived longer had she been more adherent to her care and stoppped smoking 2 packs a day even while in chemo. Most of those 2 years she was weaker but still able to get around and cook and play with her granddaughter. It wasn't until the last 2 weeks that she got very bad, and then it was mercifully quick.
Which is not to be depressing but to say that adhering to care can mean there is a lot of life left to be lived. Also, give this a read: http://www.phoenix5.org/articles/GouldMessage.html
One of my favorite essays ever, but then I have had way too much cancer in my life and way too much statistics. :)
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My dad quit smoking the day we took him to the ER. (not on purpose, they just wouldn't let him go out for a cigarette, and then, it was one surgery after the other, and then... he just quit. Weirdly, it seems to be the kind of lung cancer not related to smoking? Peculiar. But it's great that's he's been able to just stop.)
And yeah, the vocab change is... staggering.
Oh, the Gould essay! I actually found it the day we got the news from the oncologist, who of COURSE gave us the median number. My dad, also a trained computer scientist and physicist, was like, "is this, or is this not the most useless stat, ever?" Why do they give you that number??? It's inexplicable to me. It doesn't tell you anything. Even the mean would be more useful in this instance, no? Anyway, we talked about the stats on the way home, and I googled when I got back to keys, and found the Gould essay. We loved it so much.
Thank you again, for your words of support. They are much appreciated. Truly. *hugs*
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We've not chatted much but I've read ALL of your Torchwood fic. I've become a kalichan fangirl if that's possible. :) My thoughts are with you and your family. It sounds like your dad is a fighter. Mine was, but he got cancer back in the early 1980's when there weren't awesome sounding things like gamma knives. *winks* It also sounds like you're approaching his illness with a sense of humor which I TOTALLY believe can do wonders for a patient. Still, I understand how hard it can be. So again, I'll be thinking of you.
As for sci-fi being a good break again I completely agree. When my dad was sick my sis and I got dropped off at the movies so my mother could visit him in ICU. I saw Back to the Future SEVENTEEN TIMES that summer/fall.
BTW: loved your comment about sam and dean being squicked by the wincest but not necessariy the gay. Kripke is full of WIN.
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My dad is totally a fighter, and the cool thing about the sci fi stuff, is that technology is awesome, and we are lucky to be living now, as opposed to then. Believe me, I am totally grateful.
I think me and my dad watched Back to the Future at least seventeen times, and we didn't even have a good excuse. ;-)
I love Kripke. And I don't ship Wincest, but I'm not squicked by it either; they just don't read that way to me. But I think it's pretty funny, and it's clear to me that the show does too!
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Be thankful that you don't live in a third world country, they only found my grandad's lung cancer after he'd died.
He spent months getting sicker, getting misdiagnosed and such.
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I have FNL season 2 on netflix, is s3 there too? I can't bring myself to watch s2's trainwreck, but if there was awesome s3 on the horizon, I could probably do it :)
lovelovelove you!
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Long time no talk. Hope you're doing okay.
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Very glad someone else likes SPN!
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*grins* Oh yeah. Love the SPN.
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You're right about the gamma knife, though.
Also, you make me think I need to watch more television.
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You're right about the gamma knife, though
Rach says that gamma knife makes her think my dad is going to be the leader of a tribe of radioactive spiders. I've always known he'd make an excellent supervillain. *g*
Also, you make me think I need to watch more television.
*tempt* It makes everything better. On the other hand, your schedule is so packed! I feel almost guilty. And I never feel guilty for instigating vice.
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i LOVED last night's episode of Chuck
i haven't caught up on Kings, should do so soon
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*chuckles* Sorry, sorry! couldn't resist.
Also, thank you for good thoughts. Much appreciated.
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What was this meta in Supernatural? I got confused with metastatic cancer/and metatastic episodes reading your post, which was amusing in a dark sort of way.
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I got confused with metastatic cancer/and metatastic episodes reading your post, which was amusing in a dark sort of way.
*dusts off hands* my work here is done!
So, last ep. of Supernatural, they introduced a writer who has been writing a novel series called.... Supernatural. Each book in the series is an episode. Complete with titles. The boys discover that the books have a following on the internet! They also discover slash. It is amusing, though also sort of deep and lovely in a meta way, about writing and characters and fiction. It makes fun of fandom (which has half of fandom with their knickers in a twist; the other half is desperately amused); it also makes fun of the show's occasional bad writing. I loved it. And having the boys discover slash about themselves on screen was AWESOME.
Dean: What does this Sam/Dean mean?
Sam: It means they think Sam and Dean are together.
Dean: What do you mean together?
Sam: Together together.
Dean: Don't they know we're brothers?
Sam: That doesn't seem to bother them.
Dean: Ewww!
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I can't offer anything to the purpose by way of advice or solutions, but I do know that even at stage IV, people can survive. My Tauji did - four bouts of lymphoma (diagnosed the first time at the beginning of stage four).
At the risk of sounding deplorably superstitious, have you considered a Mahamrityunjay yagya? I'm asking this because I am convinced this is what saved my uncle, because the doctors had said there's no cure, nothing but the short wait to death. It's been 15 years now since a Mahamrityunjay was performed for him, and my uncle is as healthy as age and the tolls the cancers took permit him to be.
Also, what's your dissertation aboot? ^.o
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My dissertation? It's asking the question: what is it about certain texts, narratives and fictional worlds that demand continuation? (in the form of quotations, adaptations, fanfiction, series, sequels, etc.)
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I'm sorry that you're going through such a rough time. I wish I had something more eloquent to say than that. If you need anything, let me know.
Also, it sounds like I may need to give Kings another chance.
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I don't think Kings is to everyone's taste, but it's doing something, in a morass of mainstream tv that just rehashes old things. I appreciate that.
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Supernatural rocks! If the show was a person I'd marry it and have it's babies!!! Seriously loved the last episode. :P "I am the prophet Chuck!" and, of course, the mention of slash. Uber yay!
Kings just doesn't do it for me. Heh. I think everything you liked about it, I didn't. Oh well. We can't all have the same tastes. (I've been thinking of doing my own "Why Kings Doesn't Work For Me" post. Just ignore it if I do!) ::grin::
Take care of yourself. Don't forget to do that.
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The prophet Chuck. *loves so much* Seriously, I think I adored every min. of that episode.
I look forward to your Kings post. Seriously, the best part is getting to talk about all this stuff, right???
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Re fan things and SPN:
Seriously, I think having slash mentioned was awesome, I think the boys would react that way to Wincest, and I note they weren't freaked out by the gay, just by the brother-thing.
I thought that was brilliant, really. Just a great shout-out.
ETA: I want to love Dollhouse, but... cant. :(
And we're pleased to hear you're working on Chapter Two of the epic fic because I love that... well, not pairing. OT3? (But I have more than one OT3. But you know.)
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I want to love Dollhouse, but... cant. :(
This is the boat I'm in too. (the boy as well.) We're gonna keep watching, but... gah. It just makes me sad.
RE: fic -- yay! I'm a big fan of most OT3s to be frank, and it's great to get to do this one. Must. write. faster.
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You and your family are definitely in my thoughts. ♥
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I'm sorry to hear the news, but I'm glad that you posted. I'll keep sending good healing vibes your way.
Let me know if there's anything I can help with dissertation-wise.
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You are awesome. Thank you. I'm still hoping for that Dark Tower dinner one of these days...
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I'm so sorry the news about your dad's cancer isn't better, but it sounds like he's getting good care. I hope the treatments will be successful and give him a longer, good life. I have a friend who's had stuff removed from her head via gamma knife, and yeah, it does sound spooky-cool. Hooray for living in the future!
I agree about Dollhouse. It's just not compelling to me at all, and I end up wanting to smack everyone involved upside the head. I'm watching Little Dorrit instead of most other things on teevee. Eve Myles, Freema Agyeman and Russell Tovey are all in it, plus Ruth Jones (who played Nikki Bevan in "Adrift") and Andy Serkis (Gollum! With a French accent! Eeee!!) and a smattering of other familiar faces. Dickens FTW! And dear Gods, the Miss Wade/Tattycorum slash just writes itself with this production! ♥
I hope the cousin invasion this weekend is fun, the writing goes well on all fronts, and that everyone keeps breathing for quite some time to come.
*sends good thoughts your family's way and yours as well*
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I've got Little Dorrit taping on my DVR, but haven't watched yet. Didn't realize it was such a Who reunion! I'll get to it sooner rather than later, I'm sure. Everyone seems super excited.
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Meta-SPN was hilariously awesome! And don't fear for the next ep, it's titled 'Jump The Shark', which makes me worry a lot less than I would otherwise.
(dude, I live in Rochester!)
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And don't fear for the next ep, it's titled 'Jump The Shark', which makes me worry a lot less than I would otherwise.
This is what the boy says too, but I am still nervous, somehow. Still, it does give me some hope!
re: Rochester - cool! I have two cousins living there, having got and are in the process of getting Ph.Ds at the U respectively. Maybe if I ever get up there on a visit, we can meet up!
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I'm adding mine as well and I'll be thinking of you and the family.
My Dad died quite suddenly, back in 1998. We knew he was ailing but had no idea how bad things were until, well, after. Please talk to us regularly and let us know how things are going.
On the fandom front, I beta for Wincest fic but as yet have not been dragged kicking and screaming away from Torchwood, although, just quietly, this Castiel character could just be my downfall, but don't tell anyone.
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And don't worry, I've no plans to disappear ;-)
re: wincest -- I've got no problems with it at all, and even read it on occasion. It's just not one of those ships where I'm like: this is really happening just off camera. I ship a lot of incest pairs, but with them, I don't really see them wanting to fuck each other. Care about each other way too much in fucked up, co-dependent, toxic ways, yes. But I do find its existence terribly amusing, and I'm glad it exists, if you know what I mean.
Dean/Cas on the other hand, and Castiel in general. YES YES YES.
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Words can't express how sad and sorry I am you have to deal with all this; but I have a little reassurance knowing you have some wonderful and loving friends around you. I hope you find a little solace in them.
On a lighter note; every time I see SPN flying around LJ I wonder what I'm missing. I watched it a few times years ago and never liked it. The boys are lush though. BUT not as lush as Chris Egan in Kings (boy the slashers are having a field day with Jack & David already). I've got to Ep.3. After the pilot I was thinking YAY this is great. Now, not so much. But Ian McShane (aka Lovejoy; I loved that show) is good as ever.
The main thing that keeps me going is that I'm still left not knowing where my loyalty lies. All the characters have flaws and secrets (oh no, that sounds like TW!) Does it bear any resemblance to the Bible story? I think, not much. So I'm still taking it on face value and hoping for some canon slash. I think that chances of that are pretty slim, though :(
btw, I'm sure you didn't mean it that way, but "slow like molasses" sounds uber sexy ... good title for a fic ....
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re: SPN. I really think this season is their best yet, and if you're into angels and devils and so on, a la paradise lost -- it's really fantastic. But there are lots of things running around fandom that I don't quite get -- Battlestar Galactica for one, never really did it for me, and I hate Lost -- so I totally feel you on the wondering what you're missing front.
I loved the pilot of Kings. The next episode, was eh, and I think that's all I've seen so far? Maybe one more. I keep getting confused with their episode numbers. But... it's doing something interesting, which I think ought to be encouraged - not a rehash of other shows, if you know what I mean. BUT I WANT MY "PASSING THE LOVE OF WOMAN". I WANT IT. *sigh*
And it's nice to know that I can bring the uber sexy even to dilatory fic writing ;-)
Thank you. *hugs*
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