'Cause I'm a little unsteady
Dec. 1st, 2017 12:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gwynSo, this is an interesting thing I did not know about till I had cancer: Did you know that Washington state has a thing where once someone is diagnosed with cancer, they get put in a database and contacted to participate in a study about that cancer? I didn't either. Apparently it's only western Washington, too? Whatever, it surprised me all to hell when I got this letter from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centers (they're a big deal here and people come from all over to get treatment) saying they would contact me about possibly participating in the study. You can say no, of course.
There was a lot of nonsense with the person I spoke to, but I did end up doing the interview, and then they asked if I would be willing to do some tests, including the notorious spit in a vial and have DNA testing! I said, "I had a lot of trouble producing that much spit" and she laughed and said well, it's not as bad as that one. So it is sitting here awaiting my spit. At first the whole thing felt like a really strange invasion of privacy--getting this letter at all, and then finding out they have all your information. It's sort of amazing, too, that it's a law, like, how did they put that one through state legislature? I don't know how much my history will help them learn more about colon cancer, but if it does, then I guess that's okay.
**
Thanks so much for all the birthday wishes! I had a nice day, even though it was pouring rain and miserable outside. I went tokillabeez's house, since she broke her leg(!), and we hung out and watched The Adjustment Bureau and went out for a lovely dinner. It's so funny--I was telling her and minim_calibre about the movie after I came home from the hospital, and they both were intrigued enough to go out and buy the movie (and here is my pitch again--if you're interested in seeing it, I have a copy up on my dropbox, scroll back a ways and you'll see my post from a few weeks ago with the link) sight unseen. Such is the power of Anthony Mackie. Ugh, his eyelashes and his sweater vests and cardigans and his cute hats. I love him so much in this thing.
Even after all she did for me during and after the hospital, killa still bought me a lovely gift--Shifty Powers's book. If you've seen Band of Brothers, you'd remember Shifty as their sharpshooter. I'm really looking forward to reading this, lots of World War 2 stuff, and I always like that.
**
I sort of thought finishing the WIP on my birthday would mean people would want to read it now. Ha. Or maybe they just don't like it. Still, I'm glad now I can move on to writing Bucky and Peggy and Sam reacting to Steve's movie stardom, though that'll have to wait until I finish Yuletide. Ugh, having a birthday at the end of November sucks in so many ways, not the least of which is that if I want to post fic on that day, I can never get my Yuletide stories started until late, and then I'm running around screaming about bears.
Min and I did a canon review the other day, and talked about ideas. I'm having a tough time with this one. The past few years I've had people who don't have much in the way of letters, or any letter at all, and not a lot of detail to work with, but with a little stalking we found some stuff so I can at least try to start.
**
I am trying not to think about politics, but I'm tied up in knots and sick and there's not really a lot I can do. We call our senators, but they're largely useless, being from a blue state and neither of them having any sort of sway. Because I've been busy with work, I haven't done enrollment in the health exchange, and now that my insurer is pulling out, that means I'll have to pay about $150 more per month, though my income doesn't go up that amount, and the deductible will go back to over $4,000 dollars. Since I have to go back next year for cancer screenings and another colonoscopy, I'm not sure what I'll do. I hate the idea of having to do some kind of campaign, but I probably will. As it is, I'm having trouble meeting these bills--I had to turn work away of course, around the operation, so I have a lot of things to figure out in 2018. I don't want to, but it'll have to be done.
Anyways, to not end on a complete downer, I was pretty meh about the Infinity War trailer, because it just looks like a lot of running about advancing behavior and no character work except I guess Wanda and Vision macking, which I care less than nothing about, but I was happy to see T'Challa as what looks like the leader, as he should be, and Steve is wearing something that looks like vambraces on his arms, and I AM HERE FOR THAT. Could they be for the energy shield?? Since it looks like Suri drives some sort of techie laser holographic car in the Black Panther trailer, maybe she made Steve an energy shield, and that would be super fun, though of course I will always want him to carry his original one, because it's the one Howard made him and Peggy shot.
There was a lot of nonsense with the person I spoke to, but I did end up doing the interview, and then they asked if I would be willing to do some tests, including the notorious spit in a vial and have DNA testing! I said, "I had a lot of trouble producing that much spit" and she laughed and said well, it's not as bad as that one. So it is sitting here awaiting my spit. At first the whole thing felt like a really strange invasion of privacy--getting this letter at all, and then finding out they have all your information. It's sort of amazing, too, that it's a law, like, how did they put that one through state legislature? I don't know how much my history will help them learn more about colon cancer, but if it does, then I guess that's okay.
**
Thanks so much for all the birthday wishes! I had a nice day, even though it was pouring rain and miserable outside. I went to
killabeez's house, since she broke her leg(!), and we hung out and watched The Adjustment Bureau and went out for a lovely dinner. It's so funny--I was telling her and minim_calibre about the movie after I came home from the hospital, and they both were intrigued enough to go out and buy the movie (and here is my pitch again--if you're interested in seeing it, I have a copy up on my dropbox, scroll back a ways and you'll see my post from a few weeks ago with the link) sight unseen. Such is the power of Anthony Mackie. Ugh, his eyelashes and his sweater vests and cardigans and his cute hats. I love him so much in this thing.Even after all she did for me during and after the hospital, killa still bought me a lovely gift--Shifty Powers's book. If you've seen Band of Brothers, you'd remember Shifty as their sharpshooter. I'm really looking forward to reading this, lots of World War 2 stuff, and I always like that.
**
I sort of thought finishing the WIP on my birthday would mean people would want to read it now. Ha. Or maybe they just don't like it. Still, I'm glad now I can move on to writing Bucky and Peggy and Sam reacting to Steve's movie stardom, though that'll have to wait until I finish Yuletide. Ugh, having a birthday at the end of November sucks in so many ways, not the least of which is that if I want to post fic on that day, I can never get my Yuletide stories started until late, and then I'm running around screaming about bears.
Min and I did a canon review the other day, and talked about ideas. I'm having a tough time with this one. The past few years I've had people who don't have much in the way of letters, or any letter at all, and not a lot of detail to work with, but with a little stalking we found some stuff so I can at least try to start.
**
I am trying not to think about politics, but I'm tied up in knots and sick and there's not really a lot I can do. We call our senators, but they're largely useless, being from a blue state and neither of them having any sort of sway. Because I've been busy with work, I haven't done enrollment in the health exchange, and now that my insurer is pulling out, that means I'll have to pay about $150 more per month, though my income doesn't go up that amount, and the deductible will go back to over $4,000 dollars. Since I have to go back next year for cancer screenings and another colonoscopy, I'm not sure what I'll do. I hate the idea of having to do some kind of campaign, but I probably will. As it is, I'm having trouble meeting these bills--I had to turn work away of course, around the operation, so I have a lot of things to figure out in 2018. I don't want to, but it'll have to be done.
Anyways, to not end on a complete downer, I was pretty meh about the Infinity War trailer, because it just looks like a lot of running about advancing behavior and no character work except I guess Wanda and Vision macking, which I care less than nothing about, but I was happy to see T'Challa as what looks like the leader, as he should be, and Steve is wearing something that looks like vambraces on his arms, and I AM HERE FOR THAT. Could they be for the energy shield?? Since it looks like Suri drives some sort of techie laser holographic car in the Black Panther trailer, maybe she made Steve an energy shield, and that would be super fun, though of course I will always want him to carry his original one, because it's the one Howard made him and Peggy shot.
no subject
Date: 2017-12-02 04:50 am (UTC)About the only things that made me happy in the trailer were T'Challa and SAAAAAAAM. It looks so totally grim and overstuffed and Thanos-heavy, tho, sigh. But I am hoping BP gets a lift from it, rather than IW eclipsing all its PR.
no subject
Date: 2017-12-02 10:00 pm (UTC)The situation in current American politics is so completely messed up that I actually considered dropping Oliver's poop bag on the doorstep of McCain's local office...
I'm trying to keep in mind that IW is going to be 2 movies, and so this is a trailer for both crammed into one. I'm hoping that the next series of trailers will be able to focus on the first film instead of having to sell the IW concept in one shot. But also, I am totally ready to have T'Challa take the spotlight. Very interesting to see War Machine with Cap's crew in Wakanda, too.
no subject
Date: 2017-12-03 12:00 pm (UTC)