Work, Fandom - Just the Usual!
Jan. 24th, 2013 12:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
teylaminhYesterday was mildly ridiculous.
As a reminder, on Wednesdays I wear my Legal Assistant hat. Thankfully the network was up and running again (after being dead as a dodo on Tuesday), but we are still missing a laptop and Sukhwinder was due in, so I couldn't use her desktop. Naz said I could use Natasha's, as she wasn't coming in, and I'd no sooner got set up when Natasha arrived (heavily pregnant, in the snow), so I had to log out and give it back.
We then searched fruitlessly for the keys to someone else's pedestal so I could use theirs, to no avail. David happened to be sitting at that particular desk yesterday and suggested we should set up a base unit on one of the agile desks for me and Gaynor to use, and just label the desk accordingly as a non-agile agile desk. So I went to find Marvin to ask him - he agreed to find a base unit, but then there was no spare desk to use. He found me an old HP laptop (all of ours are Lenovo) and set me up on Lotus Notes, which subsequently took ages to load. Then the IKEN upgrade kicked in, threw a wobbly because Notes was still trying to load, so I restarted.
And then had to sit there for another half-hour whilst Windows updated. I finally got logged in around 11.15am, two hours after I got to work.
Aside from that it was a good day - Naz gave me plenty to do (though Jas was quite put out that she didn't get to "have a go" - her words!), including a police disclosure request, statement requests, creating a case plan and updating a bundle. Quite varied yesterday. Still don't think I could do it all the time, though. Notwithstanding the stressful morning (not being able to do anything is one thing, but when it's completely beyond your control it's horribly frustrating), I now finish work on Wednesdays absolutely shattered, presumably because my brain is working harder than usual.
I suspect this will be the case for a couple of months when I've started the new job, too, having said that. CRB stuff is sorted, now just waiting on both that and the medical checks to clear, then I can hand in my notice. THEN, I can let people know and start organising a leaving lunch / drinks.
Oh yeah, and for some reason my fingers have started peeling, so now I'm trying to work out when I was stressed enough to have caused it. There was that photocopying-related stress last week, but I can't imagine that being why. Most odd.
Last night I got another 1000 words done on the "Crooked Lane" tag. It's coming together slowly, in little spurts of productivity, and so far it's sticking to the plan I had for it. I nearly finished it last night, but then hit another stumbling block, subsequently looked at the time and realised it was midnight, so gave up. :P Hopefully I can finish it tonight.
I think I keep hitting a wall with it because the episode is so difficult to work with. I mean, I'm doing my utmost to fix it, but there are parts of that episode which are completely, utterly impossible. I shall plough ahead nonetheless, if only for the sense of achievement when I finish it and have a complete series of tags. To be honest, that's the only thing stopping me from giving up. :P
(At some point I also need to find time to get some series 2 and 3 screencaps. After Saturday's episode I might also get some more from "The Reconstituted Corpse" as there aren't that many yet and I might spot a few more potentially interesting shots on the re-watch.)
In the meantime, today I want to get some words down on a potential chapter for the Doomfic. Yeah, and that actually needs a title soon, as at this rate I'll have to start it properly - so far I only have the prologue and a chapter entitled "Summer 2009" which is set between "The Grinning Man" and "The Judas Tree". The story won't have an especially linear plot, as it will flit back and forth between 'present day' (that is, the intervening period between TGM and TJT) and several points after "Satan's Chimney". I need to ensure I actually do in-depth reviews/thoughts on series 4, much as it pains me to do so, as I'll need those episodes to form the basis of the story. Alas, Carla is an important factor, and I can't ignore her. (Damn.)
So, the thing I want to write is basically this: it occurred to me a couple of weeks ago that the initial timescale I placed on Maddy's junket was 4-5 months, leaving mid-September (initially late August until I realised the date on the cheque in "Omega Man"!), which means her potential return date - at that point - would be February/March 2000. In a sudden moment of anguish, I realised they wouldn't even get to spend Millennium Eve together. :( Given I spent Millennium Eve on my lonesome - my mum was working her second job at the Golf Club and Crystal was supposed to come over then stood me up at the last minute - I know full well how bloody awful it can be. In my case I spent the evening chatting to Rocky Horror / Zen Room acquaintances on AIM, all of whom were based in America, thus 5-6 hours behind. ;)
The scene I have in mind, then, is that Maddy rings Jonathan up at 5.45pm her time - 11.45pm his time - in order to wish him a happy new year. He's actually at Adam's for some kind of New Year's Eve shindig but wanders off from the party as soon as she calls - maybe even outside in the cold because being on the phone to Maddy, even in frozen temperatures, is infinitely better than watching Adam being Adam. I want to include some kind of line about "So, how's the future?", as that's what someone said to me when the UK hit midnight. :) Despite having a late night at the party, he then wakes up bright and early on New Year's Day 2000 to ring her up at 5.45am his time in order to return the favour.
The point being, of course, that at this point they're both still under the assumption that she'll be coming back in a couple of months - though I may also drop into the conversation that the trip is getting extended by another two or three - and they're long-distance relationshipping on the proviso that it won't be forever. So even though I suspect it will be fairly fluffy, I also want the scene to have a sense of impending angst - that Jonathan's grasping hope of seeing her again will be ultimately dashed to the rocks, at some point in the not-too-distant future, and even with the best intentions in the world, it won't last.
All of this goes towards explaining the bitterness in TGM. The "Summer 2009" chapter of the Doomfic sets the ball rolling, as does the ending of the Angstfic, but more is needed. Making these notes has already left me with a feeling of OH MY HEEEAAART and that, essentially, is how I want the Doomfic to come across. At least until the ending, anyway. :)
Also this morning I had lots of Thoughts regarding Maddy's past - mostly in relation to Paul's observation last week - but I shall sit on them firmly until we get to "The Scented Room". ;)
It has also just occurred to me that all the Important People in Jonathan's life apparently keep disappearing to America. Oh, Jonathan. :(
Of course, work is conspiring against me by being uncharacteristically busy. :P The day definitely passes quicker doing Legal Assistant work, that's for sure...
As a reminder, on Wednesdays I wear my Legal Assistant hat. Thankfully the network was up and running again (after being dead as a dodo on Tuesday), but we are still missing a laptop and Sukhwinder was due in, so I couldn't use her desktop. Naz said I could use Natasha's, as she wasn't coming in, and I'd no sooner got set up when Natasha arrived (heavily pregnant, in the snow), so I had to log out and give it back.
We then searched fruitlessly for the keys to someone else's pedestal so I could use theirs, to no avail. David happened to be sitting at that particular desk yesterday and suggested we should set up a base unit on one of the agile desks for me and Gaynor to use, and just label the desk accordingly as a non-agile agile desk. So I went to find Marvin to ask him - he agreed to find a base unit, but then there was no spare desk to use. He found me an old HP laptop (all of ours are Lenovo) and set me up on Lotus Notes, which subsequently took ages to load. Then the IKEN upgrade kicked in, threw a wobbly because Notes was still trying to load, so I restarted.
And then had to sit there for another half-hour whilst Windows updated. I finally got logged in around 11.15am, two hours after I got to work.
Aside from that it was a good day - Naz gave me plenty to do (though Jas was quite put out that she didn't get to "have a go" - her words!), including a police disclosure request, statement requests, creating a case plan and updating a bundle. Quite varied yesterday. Still don't think I could do it all the time, though. Notwithstanding the stressful morning (not being able to do anything is one thing, but when it's completely beyond your control it's horribly frustrating), I now finish work on Wednesdays absolutely shattered, presumably because my brain is working harder than usual.
I suspect this will be the case for a couple of months when I've started the new job, too, having said that. CRB stuff is sorted, now just waiting on both that and the medical checks to clear, then I can hand in my notice. THEN, I can let people know and start organising a leaving lunch / drinks.
Oh yeah, and for some reason my fingers have started peeling, so now I'm trying to work out when I was stressed enough to have caused it. There was that photocopying-related stress last week, but I can't imagine that being why. Most odd.
Last night I got another 1000 words done on the "Crooked Lane" tag. It's coming together slowly, in little spurts of productivity, and so far it's sticking to the plan I had for it. I nearly finished it last night, but then hit another stumbling block, subsequently looked at the time and realised it was midnight, so gave up. :P Hopefully I can finish it tonight.
I think I keep hitting a wall with it because the episode is so difficult to work with. I mean, I'm doing my utmost to fix it, but there are parts of that episode which are completely, utterly impossible. I shall plough ahead nonetheless, if only for the sense of achievement when I finish it and have a complete series of tags. To be honest, that's the only thing stopping me from giving up. :P
(At some point I also need to find time to get some series 2 and 3 screencaps. After Saturday's episode I might also get some more from "The Reconstituted Corpse" as there aren't that many yet and I might spot a few more potentially interesting shots on the re-watch.)
In the meantime, today I want to get some words down on a potential chapter for the Doomfic. Yeah, and that actually needs a title soon, as at this rate I'll have to start it properly - so far I only have the prologue and a chapter entitled "Summer 2009" which is set between "The Grinning Man" and "The Judas Tree". The story won't have an especially linear plot, as it will flit back and forth between 'present day' (that is, the intervening period between TGM and TJT) and several points after "Satan's Chimney". I need to ensure I actually do in-depth reviews/thoughts on series 4, much as it pains me to do so, as I'll need those episodes to form the basis of the story. Alas, Carla is an important factor, and I can't ignore her. (Damn.)
So, the thing I want to write is basically this: it occurred to me a couple of weeks ago that the initial timescale I placed on Maddy's junket was 4-5 months, leaving mid-September (initially late August until I realised the date on the cheque in "Omega Man"!), which means her potential return date - at that point - would be February/March 2000. In a sudden moment of anguish, I realised they wouldn't even get to spend Millennium Eve together. :( Given I spent Millennium Eve on my lonesome - my mum was working her second job at the Golf Club and Crystal was supposed to come over then stood me up at the last minute - I know full well how bloody awful it can be. In my case I spent the evening chatting to Rocky Horror / Zen Room acquaintances on AIM, all of whom were based in America, thus 5-6 hours behind. ;)
The scene I have in mind, then, is that Maddy rings Jonathan up at 5.45pm her time - 11.45pm his time - in order to wish him a happy new year. He's actually at Adam's for some kind of New Year's Eve shindig but wanders off from the party as soon as she calls - maybe even outside in the cold because being on the phone to Maddy, even in frozen temperatures, is infinitely better than watching Adam being Adam. I want to include some kind of line about "So, how's the future?", as that's what someone said to me when the UK hit midnight. :) Despite having a late night at the party, he then wakes up bright and early on New Year's Day 2000 to ring her up at 5.45am his time in order to return the favour.
The point being, of course, that at this point they're both still under the assumption that she'll be coming back in a couple of months - though I may also drop into the conversation that the trip is getting extended by another two or three - and they're long-distance relationshipping on the proviso that it won't be forever. So even though I suspect it will be fairly fluffy, I also want the scene to have a sense of impending angst - that Jonathan's grasping hope of seeing her again will be ultimately dashed to the rocks, at some point in the not-too-distant future, and even with the best intentions in the world, it won't last.
All of this goes towards explaining the bitterness in TGM. The "Summer 2009" chapter of the Doomfic sets the ball rolling, as does the ending of the Angstfic, but more is needed. Making these notes has already left me with a feeling of OH MY HEEEAAART and that, essentially, is how I want the Doomfic to come across. At least until the ending, anyway. :)
Also this morning I had lots of Thoughts regarding Maddy's past - mostly in relation to Paul's observation last week - but I shall sit on them firmly until we get to "The Scented Room". ;)
It has also just occurred to me that all the Important People in Jonathan's life apparently keep disappearing to America. Oh, Jonathan. :(
Of course, work is conspiring against me by being uncharacteristically busy. :P The day definitely passes quicker doing Legal Assistant work, that's for sure...
