it's like the eye of a duck

Yes, I know it won't TECHNICALLY be 2 weeks until Tuesday, but I feel chatty today.

Still getting up, still running mornings (barring hard rain). Still fencing 3 days a week, though my patience is not improving.

Still writing, using fanfiction as amusement/deadline practice and character building as exercises. I think I've built good personality frameworks for my 3 main characters, the class on creating backstories is next week.

Still managing to do a lot of research, in a wide variety of areas: housewifery, architecture, manners, sexual acts/mores, metallurgy/alchemy. Early modern English is rather dense (holy run on sentences, Batman!) but if I read slowly it doesn't seem as strange once I'm immersed for a few hours. And I'm exhausted just reading about all the responsibilities of 16th century housewives.

So all goes well, right? Not exactly:

No work this week, so I don't get paid.

I'm starting to suffer a bit from cabin fever/lack of social stimulus. It was great to see skill_grl on my library run Tuesday and I'm still seeing fencing buds during evenings, but it's not nearly enough. D. is still working during the day so I go long stretches without talking to anyone. My inner introvert doesn't mind but strange though it sounds I worry about getting rusty.

I have not dressed for anyone other than the cats all week: no wild shoes, barely any makeup, I have not worn anything dressier than shorts in over 10 days, even when leaving the house. This may be why I'm not more jazzed about my sewing: in the short term it seems like there's no bloody point in having something shiny and new. I'm tempted to pull out my silk pajamas but I don't think they'd go well with my fuzzy socks. That, and the cats would slide off my lap (and I'm unwilling to give up quality lap time).

I'd go to the Mall museums, or finally visit the LOC except whoops, I can't because the yo yos in congress can't get their shit together. The stupidity grates.

I'd thought of taking a horseback riding class this weekend except I shouldn't be spending money I don't have and have no guarantee of regaining once work is back on.

I'm angry. Sort of.

Intellectually, it's infuriating in it's sheer grandstanding. Someone needs to tell the freshman Tea Partiers that stunts like this didn't help the GOP back in 1996 and sure as hell won't now.

Practically, as a government contractor I won't get paid until my office opens back up. And I'm one of the lucky ones who has a savings cushion; certain of my friends and acquaintances are already looking at a financial pinch, and I feel for them.

But in other ways...I'm kinda relieved.

I do not do "staycations" if I can help it. Whenever I take time off it's to do something, preferably to go somewhere. Which is GREAT, as I sit on my ass 40 hours a week and I don't want to do more of the same when I have time off, but it also means all that hypothetical stuff I'd do if I had "more time" doesn't happen, because I'm not physically here to do it.

So here I am presented with a chunk of enforced staycation, so I'm going to use it to its full, as there are a bunch of things I can do for free:

• Research/read. Maybe the never-ending book pile will see a dent in the next few days, the timeline will get further filled out.


• Write. All it costs is pixels and memory, and I've got a character development writing class starting today that is already paid for.


• Sew. See: fabric/pattern hoarding; might as well make stuff.


• Fence/work out. 'Cos I already have the gear/equipment and it would help work off some of my ever-present nervous energy.

Because to sum up, that's what I want right now: to make stuff all day, eat something tasty and have good conversation for dinner, and then burn off the rest of the day with a good workout. Wake up, do the same thing again. Repeat until someone smiles - usually me, and if I can bring others with me then that's icing :)