Network

I broke the bank today.

I AM 35 WEEKS PREGNANT. That's a lot of weeks. I'm gonna pop any day now, and I'm just ... kind of hoping that the firefairy comes early so we can get this baby thing goin' so I can heal up so we can do it all over again. PETE DID YOU READ THAT? READY YOURSELF IN A MONTH IT IS ON

School is about to start up soon and I know I'm going to need something to do to take my mind off of it every once and a while. So, I had a great idea. There seems to be a lot of new mothers and mothers-to-be on the network. Would anyone be interested in creating a Mommy Group? Doesn't have to be a very strict group, just whenever we can all get together (with or without the children) and just talk about life. I don't feel like some of the other moms in the area would fully understand the weirdness that goes on here.

Let me know!

I had one of those dreams -
Guess you all aren't as crazy as I first thought -
Who am I kidding, no one really wants to hear about this -

FILTERED TO VERITY:
I had one of those dreams everyone keeps talking about.

FILTERED TO CHARLIE
Hi. I had - have you ever -
How are you?

Well. I've been here a month now, and I gotta say, it's definitely not what I expected. Not necessarily a bad thing, mind. I think they should put something in the brochures about coming over here.

But all you people are incredibly welcoming and kind, so thank you. Looking forward to a lot more months here.

I have discovered a hot spring spa in my travels. Which reminds me very much of the baths on Tatooine. I'm doubt I'll be letting them wrap me in mud and cellophane any time soon, but the mineral water is very relaxing.

Don't really see what the big deal is with all this body swap business. It's really just kind of fun.

For us, anyway.

So much shopping. I love having some space to start preparing for the baby's arrival. Even though it's a bit early, I can't help myself. There's just such cute stuff out there. I didn't buy much, this was more reconnaissance. I've got so many great ideas... let's just hope I can do them all.

[Private to Claire Littleton]
I bought a brand new tub of shea butter lotion... for the stretch marks? Not sure it's doing much good, but I realized when I got home that I've already got a tub my sister-in-law gave me. Pregnancy brain, y'know? Anyway, you want this one? I figure I can bring it by along with some maple bacon donuts and we can have a little stretch mark party.

Well, it seems I've planned my vacation, no, retreat for the perfect week. I do hope things are peaceful again, soon. On all fronts.

[Locked to Faiza]
I'll be in touch. I'm heading north, hoping for some wide-open spaces, to give my mind the room it needs to de-clutter. My heart stays wherever you are.

So THAT'S what a gif is!

ohmanohmanohman what the ever loving fuck

Consider this a warning to my clientele: if you make any sort of disparaging comment about a lady due to her choice of vocation or her sexuality, I will not serve you. And I will advise my professional acquaintances not to serve you either.

Women are allowed to be sexual beings at appropriate times, just like men. None of my shopgirls work in the sex trade, but for the record, if they did or if they ever have, it would be no business of mine. I will not tolerate unreconstructed attitudes toward my staff or myself. Or the adopted mother of my child.

Do I make myself clear?

This dream thing is pretty give-and-take, isn't it? One minute it's great and the next it's - I don't want anymore of them.

Not so great.

I really feel like -
Anyone wanna go grab a drink or something -

I'll be at the gym late today if anyone needs me.

Who has two thumbs and just made a gigantic sale? 250 custom t-shirts for some guy's family reunion. I'm awesome.

Wow. That was some dream last night. And it felt so ... Well. Real. Still weird to be dreaming about my friend's dad, but I think a guy could get used to being Captain America.

I guess the one good thing about getting in to LAX at seven in the morning is breakfast at Canele. I should be dead tired and on my way to bed but my body's still on Australia time and thinks it's two in the afternoon. Anyone got any good cat gifs?

The baby's the size of a honeydew melon now, apparently! I'm 35 weeks along, and only five more to go. THAT'S SO CRAZY. It seems like just yesterday Pete and I were practicing to make one, period! The nursery's all set up and the bathroom's all set with all the stuff I'll need for when the little one starts to arrive.

I should probably tell Pete sooner or later that I'm going to deliver at home, huh.

My son has started to swat at things. Anything you hold close enough for him to hit, he will attempt to hit it. Flowers... toys... my hand.

Maybe I have a boxer in the works.

Oh, dear.

Grace and I were watching television today, and we came across a mixed martial arts fight. It was two men, rolling around and punching each other in the head, mostly on the ground. They wound up with one on top of one another.

My eleven-year old daughter looked at me and said "Papa, isn't this kind of homoerotic?"

My eleven year old daughter knows the word homoerotic. I'm inexplicably impressed and worried at the same time.

Filming on my latest movie is rapidly moving forward. We've shot in Prague, London, and in Death Valley. One more trip afar looms next month, to Tokyo, then it's back here to Orange County to shoot the rest of the scenes. It's weird filming a fictionalized version of part of my own life. And weirder yet knowing that the science fiction put in it is not even close to how crazy the real events were.

Only two more classes and my summer class is over. I can't wait for a two and a half week vacation. I took one week off work too.

( Trigger warning for violence, death of NPC in dreams. )

I'm going to be up for a few hours. Unfortunately. I fell asleep when I got home from work (Bro and SIL didn't need me for babysitting tonight) and dreamed about four years worth of dreams. Mostly Hogwarts stuff. I've finished with school, unless I'm gonna go back and re-live it, and now I'm ready to really get some practice in with my wand.

Gosh, I must sound absolutely insane.

Magic won't hurt the baby, will it?

You know what?

Squirt gun fight.

Tonight.

Huntington Beach.

BYOSG

(Which, incidentally, you could purchase at For the Lulz [address in Huntington Beach].)

I.. flickered today.

Dreaming that I didn't move on as a ghost and go to.. heaven or wherever it was had my head spinning. I mean a lot of my dream the other night was really horrific.

But then today, I went to the store and no one could see me. I got food from the grocery store and when I got in line the person couldn't see me. I mean I guess it was a giant hoax, but he looked really freaked out when a cart wheeled itself up to his line and had no one to go with it.

I don't know what to do. I don't want to be a ghost. I don't want to be dead.

Ugh. Why is it every time I get my life together and get settled and happy some ex-fling emails me wanting to get back together? The Geordie wants to move to the States and try to get me back. Where was this fighting spirit when I left him because he was cheating on me? Oh, right, he must've left it in the other woman.

I swear, it's like some cosmic bell goes off - Alice Ayres is happy! Exes, start annoying her by post or email!

If I must turn thirty-two today, at least I did it in style - The Mirror is officially open for business! I saw a few of you come in and out of the store, and I hope very much that all of you find my stock to your liking.

In fact, I'm feeling generous; if you come into the shop and mention you're on the network (and I can prove it), I'll take 15% off anything you order.

Trying to sleep but every time I doze off I get new dreams.

I'll never understand science. I don't even know if it's possible to ... You know. Do that to a person so quickly? Too bad the awe had to be spoiled. Like a dream turned nightmare turned really weird.

I'm never gonna get this song out of my head. Every bond you buy is a bullet in the barrel of your best guy's gun. Really?

Assuming that the blue monsters are indeed gone, The Mirror will hold its grand opening in a few days. Commissions were obviously not the first thing on my mind lately. It appears to be at least safe to go outside again, which my daughter will be very grateful for.

I'm glad that's over moved away from here. Never thought I'd be so glad to not see alien zombies wandering the streets. I wish I could help, but... I'm afraid I'm pretty useless right now.

It seems I arrived just in time to miss all the fun...

Anywhere else I would be considered odd for knowing magic but here it seems to be less of a bad thing and more of a good thing. You never know what you will find outside. I am starting to think that is a good reason not to move back home to Paris... Paris would feel rather boring after this.

Animals are... rather fascinating, really. To wake up to a world where animals can't talk, where it seems almost like whatever plan Dillamond was talking about might've already long come into place... I can understand why some people are so passionate about Animal rights now.

I don't trust the headmistress of Shiz at all either. Madame Morrible. Something about her just... doesn't sit right with me.

They're gone? The creepy blue zombies are out of town and I'm...worried about Ollie and Tate and Roy.... going for a ride to celebrate the fact they're gone. This is one of those awesome days to be alive and once all the therapists and teachers had worked out that they were gone, we actually got to go outside for the first time since before I came back here for the seminar thing I was doing.

I'm pretty glad we're all okay here. I mean the last thing anybody wants to happen at the ranch is somebody getting hurt, and if the zombies didn't do it, I'm pretty sure Casey and TJ were gonna hurt each other pretty soon. There's only too many ways that a fight over crafting yarn cause you can't get outside can go.
( Trigger warning: drugs )

And then I taught a couple of the friends I made how to crochet, since we sort of used up all the embroidery floss a couple days ago and everything. It sounds like we're all sixty five but we're working on a blanket and it's gonna be awesome when we're done and everything. Sometimes it's actually kind of nice to get a chance to just hang out and not have to worry about...everything.

Something bad and something amazing happened to me not too long ago, and while I need somebody grown up to run the whole thing by, maybe I'm ready to start trying to let my life actually change. I'm sort of looking forward to that, anyway.

A blog is supposed to be where you write down the crap that happens right?

• Apparently the zombie apocalypse happened and hard as I tried not to, I missed it. I'm still not sure if this is some kind of elaborate prank or actually real and there's a government cover up going on.
  
• Drank too much just thinking about it.
  
• Wisely did not grab weaponry I may or may not own, and join in the fight.
  
• Lunch with my brother Thursday. First time in...hell, ten years or so that we've actually seen each other. Probably longer. Really friggen nervous about it. Not gonna lie.
  
• Date on Wednesday. Less nervous about that than I am about my brother, but at this point I'd be less nervous about getting deployed again than whatever Thursday is gonna bring.
  
• Bought more alcohol.
  
• Considered buying a TV. Decided against it.
  

That sufficient or you kids want more out of me? Also, how the hell do you go about dating anymore? Picking up people at the bar, sure, I get it. Easy. An actual date? Yeah, no idea. Can't remember.

Hi everyone.

My name's John, and I just moved out here from Texas to join [law firm]. I came across this network thing a bit by chance, but it seems sort of like the way to know what's going on around here and meet new people.

I've never been out to California so it's all pretty new to me still, but, uh, is it always so ... Eventful?

So, I might have gone out last night and fought a couple of those things. I know I probably shouldn't have, but oh my god, the adrenaline rush was like nothing I've ever felt before. It was just like in my dreams, nothing could touch me. I was one step ahead. It was pretty amazing. Of course now I'm even more achey than when I'd spend twelve hours in the gym.

Hello Valarnet.

Last night I learned something about a friend that I didn't know before. Namely that his home situation is...a lot worse than he let on. When you make a noise to shock your friend out of a fugue state, he shouldn't snap back to reality, glance at you with his eyes darting everywhere and apologizing for "whatever I did this time, Dad, I won't do it again, I'm sorry, seriously" while he cowers in front of you, when he's already in the damn hospital for stitches.

I...don't know what to do about that. We've all been keeping an eye on him today, alternating with his boyfriend but...I'm scared for him, pissed at his parents, AND scared for Gavroche, who's in in a coma. There are some days that life just doesn't pay, I fucking swear.

It's so weird thinking I'll never go back to high school, that it's all over. I've got my college orientation next month, but other than that, summer's so empty. I need more hobbies than just sitting around the house, reading and practicing my French.

God it's hot. Is it really hot to anyone else? Must be hormonal, but it's crazy hot. Can't seem to cool down. I really need to live in a place that has a pool.

31 weeks along. Baby's the size of a squash. I have no feet.

Two months left.

The Twins and I are having a huge party tomorrow... Consider this all your formal invites. Nothing fancy. All you have to do is just show up. All the Weasleys, honorary Weasleys and such are expected to be there. Everyone else is welcome to come too.

Be great if you could bring some things for the party too but you don't have to.

Crazy alien zobmie thingamajobs have nothing on us! We're here to make life REALLY interesting!
You know what that means, right?

PARTY.

Fourth of July. [address]
There will be food, drinks, music and fireworks.

It will be fun.
And we expect to see you there.

RSVP not required (show up! Bring a friend!), but an estimate of a head count would be sorta nice. Just so we know how much meat we really need to buy.


Ginny, you're a slacker. This was meant to be your job.

I am officially no longer working at Target. I mean it's a nice store and all, but retail is still retail.

I'm going to get my start in the fashion world. I'm so excited. I have so many ideas, it's ridiculous.

I know everyone's probably got plans for the fourth, but some people at work are having a barbecue for my birthday. They said to invite people along, so there's room for anyone who's looking to do something.

Okay so the animals stopped talking but that sound like when the tv is on a channel you don't subscribe to is happening all around us? What the HELL? I mean ,sure, white noise, but you can barely concentrate, especially the parts where the weird sound bits that are like some language start being something you identify.

It's not making the headache, which is going into day five now, any better, that's for sure.

((ooc: This is related to the current Mass Effect Prompt, anyone who wondered and a special direction I'm taking with Roy))

Tate:

Also, you don't deserve me being an ass to you because Ollie chose you as my replacement. My problems are with him, not you, and you have every right to be there and I acknowledge that. I just wish I knew why he was throwing me away again None of this is your fault, man, and I wish you a whole lot of luck. Ollie's weak spot is his left, so you probably want to focus on guarding the shit out of that if he doesn't give you something specific to do. I also don't know if you know much about archery or using it, but I've got a special trick arrow that connects with one that Ollie has. Since you're gonna be working with him. I'd like to give it to you.

I'm declaring a hiatus from this network for the next...however long. Definitely until after the fourth, which is going to be Hell at any rate. Anybody on here who needs me can text, email, skype me at Courfeyracoon, or call me and I'll be around but everything's too much right now and I need to be alone with me, and possibly Jehan, Marius, Bahorel, and Enj right now.

I'll catch up with you guys once things have settled down for me, but I have a LOT of stuff I need to be alone with for a while.

In my dreams I make a demon human for a moment - just a moment - long enough to escape Hell. And apparently he never forgets it. Twenty years have passed in my dreams, because when I first started having them, dream Me looked like how I did when I was a teenager but now she looks like me and a demon told me that he's still looking for me.

Elliot Spencer still wants me in my dreams and there's nothing I can do but try to fight back until he gets me. It's bad enough I'm fighting shit when I'm awake, but now when I sleep I have to fight too. Has anyone thought of making a Nightmare Before Elm Street type pill that prevents us from dreaming?

( trigger warning: dreams of death of a loved one )

Okay, so for the past few months my cows have been giving this.... special milk. There's nothing wrong with it. It's just that it sparkles. And I can't sell it as it is. Would anyone out there be interested in purchasing it to make baked goods? It's the only thing I can think to do with it, otherwise it is just going to be wasted. It's perfectly fine, other than the fact that it sparkles. It won't cast a magic spell on you or anything.

I've been saddled with intro level stats courses for the spring and summer semesters. I'm so pleased.

Here's a word of advice to all of you still in college or university: don't save your requirements until the very end. Get them out of the way. Your professors do not enjoy staring into your blank faces anymore than you enjoy listening to them. We would all rather be doing something else.

Fortunately, my TAs have far more patience than I do. It's still going to be a long couple of months.