Because I was trying to organise some of my 'My Documents' folder, and I came across the mysteriously titled 'CSGAJF' - which turned out to be a quickie writing excercise I flung out to try and get back into a 'Janet Fraiser frame of mind' before attempting 'Half a Fairytale'. Which ended up almost entirely from Daniel's POV, but hey, that's life. ;)

Untitled, Unbeta'd, Fraiser-centric, PG-13, 750 words. Set in the coyote_sga 'verse created by irony_rocks, but you don't really need to be familiar with the AU, just the premise:

In the aftermath of a massive toxic spill in the summer of '96 at the Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant, California's atmosphere was polluted with a radioactive substance that altered the genetics of many ordinary citizens. The end result: millions of people developed abnormal abilities due to these mutations.


( She’d been at the frontline, so to speak, when disaster struck )


Posting because...well. It's there?

Well, I had an awesome time in Bristol with mishloran and chickaboo, and am now home for the first time since Thursday.

Much has been seen and done: we went out for cocktails on Friday night (and also tea, later on, in Mish's friends' flat); pootled around Bristol on Saturday, saw a cool bridge, climbed down some scary, scary steps inside a cliff and then spend a long time in Forbidden Planet; went up to Bath on Sunday and saw....well, the Roman baths, naturally, where I met mi nu boifrend, and the bits where the BBC does all the filming because it's very pretty, and lay about in the park; and yesterday we went to the Zoo! There were penguins and monkeys. We also watched lots of Coupling and Black Books. It was great, and I was very upset to have to return to work today, which was not so great.

Now I am knackered, so I'm going to watch House and go to my bed. First though:

( I can has Roman! )

Title: Half a Fairytale
Author: nikej
Rating: G
Category: Daniel/Janet friendship. And fluff. No, really. FLUFF.
Spoilers: Emancipation, Singularity, I suppose. Set S1.
Disclaimer: The show belongs to a whole lot of people who aren’t me and who, hopefully, will not sue.

Summary: 'In Daniel's regrettably vast expereience, the phrase "It seemed like a good idea at the time" was one of the most unfortunate in the English language.'

This is for majorsamfan, who asked for piano, pinot, pickles, pantomime, but not PWP, death of major/regular character. Although, to be honest, with prompt words like those, getting character death in might have been a real challenge. ;) Apologies for the lateness!




  

Wedding fair today was a win: I got two bookings out of it, one for Xmas and one for early next year, so that'll be a bit of extra money, which is always nice. Funnily enough, the stall I got allocated was right next to the one my Auntie was on answering Registrar-type questions. I was also pulled in at the last minute to provide background music for the bridal-gowns show, which (although panic-inducing) didn't hurt in generating some interest. All in all, good day. Plus, I always have a good laugh with the Piper who lets me tag along and hijack his stall at these things.


You know, if someone had told me prior to yesterday that you could compose a five minute song comprised of Star Trek: Next Gen episode titles, set to the TNG theme tune? I'd have called them a cad and a liar, sir, until pantaloonpirate discovered it on Stumble. *shakes head* I am both impressed and disturbed.

Popped into Fopp film store on the way home from work this afternoon, because I've been tutoring Pride and Prejudice this week and it has left me with an overwhelming urge to barricade myself in this weekend and watch the '95 BBC adaptation. Having lost my VHS video set, I thought I'd pick up the DVD version, since Fopp's been doing the special edition for a tenner. I did not leave with shiny new DVDs, however, but I did come out of the store feeling...well, pretty annoyed actually. This may come across as sounding daft, or petty, or as me overthinking things, but I need to get it out my system anyway...

It took me a while to find the DVD on the shelves, as I was casting an eye about for the version I'm most familiar with, which looks like this . It seems, though, that the Beeb at some point released new versions of P&P and Becoming Jane, the film based on Austen's life, with new covers, here and here, which I've only just come across.

( The bit where I explode about the astonshing disappearance of women on these covers )

In much, much better news, my DVD from Broken Artists arrived today! Woot!

*SQUEEEEEEEEEES*

Sab and Jess's short, Save My Soul, starring Torri Higginson and Tristin Leffler is up here!

And. It's. Awesome.

Work today was a marked improvement on last week, when I seemed to have what an ex-colleague termed my 'Freak Beacon' (or just freacon for short) switched on to full.

We managed to attract a whole range of strange and not-so-wonderful visitors along with the usual perfectly nice and normal crowd, starting with the woman who called and was on the phone for forty-five minutes trying to donate her house to the museum (it's in Lancaster, but this is, apparently, no impediment) through the man with the suspicious carrier bags demanding to see "Professor K! The man in charge!" despite the fact that Professor K a) has never been the man in charge and b) retired some years ago, and, topping it all off in spectacular fashion, the old man with the wide-angle lens camera who followed me around my patrol on the balcony on Saturday and every time I stopped, took up position opposite me and tried to take my photograph.

Obviously, something about the museums and galleries environment (or possibly just the fact that it's free entry) attracts all the nutters in the second week of February. Worth noting. (Although, to be honest, we're going to have to go a long way to top the phone call my colleague took some months back which ran along the lines of "Hi! I have a dead otter in my fridge. Do you want it?")

Fortunately, today progressed normally. I sat at the reception desk making origami frogs for an hour (I'm raising an army!) and the puttered about the 'House. Now, my biggest concern is whether to go and watch Reaper or Ashes to Ashes.

*whistles*

For anyone who hasn't seen it mentioned around: the quite ludicrously talented miera_c is overseeing a Virtual Season 4 project for Stargate: Atlantis, at ancient_db. It's in the planning stages right now, but all input is welcome. I'd recommend a look to anyone who might be interested, or knows of anyone who would.

Honestly, I've never been into Virtual Seasons before, but this one's got me quite revved up. Obviously, beware of spoilers through s4, and speculation on s5.

( Further musings, in which I recover some of my lost 'Lantis love. Spoilers for S4/5. )

In other news, I'm trying to pester my way into a volunteer position helping out the Education Assisstant at work, because I'm hoping to widen my experience in the hope of getting a (gulp) real job sometime soon. She's been very supportive, and is going to talk to her boss about seeing what I can do around the place in the mornings, before my Attendant's shift starts. I am taking this as a Good Sign. ;)

( Spoilers for SGA Season 5, with some musings. )

Right! What to watch now...

If Kavan Smith commanded a military team, he'd have "babes in bikinis. Why can't they kill people too?" And David Hewlett up front, with some sort of poker. *g* Incidentally, this answer was preceeded with the question "This is going out in England right? My wife won't hear this?"

I missed the first part of his interview, so I'm going to download it when it comes up. I had no idea how funny he was! And boy, that man swears like a trooper. ;)

In other fandom news, I finally decided that sitting around grumbling to myself about Atlantis was getting me nowhere, and fired off a few letters in aid of save_weir, an LJ comm I only just found out existed. I may not have agreed with the way they wrote the character at times, but I loved her anyway, and I think TH got a pretty raw deal from them. I've never even written a fan letter before, but I figured I might as well get it off my chest. After all, as they say in political circles, if you don't vote, you can't complain, right?

SciFiGuy at work has lent me the first half of Heroes s2, while I've been enabling another colleague with everything Battlestar.

In other, RL news, my new work uniform makes me look uncannily like either an air hostess or a school prefect. I haven't decided which yet.

wraithfodder has put up a transcript of Torri Higginson's radio interview from yesterday over at the lair. If you haven't seen it, it's definitely worth a look.

Well. Not quite. ;) But I did get a bit of a giggle today when I found an e-mail I'd missed from before Christmas.

Now, last year the new director and I got into what is locally known as "a bit of a rammy" over my drastically reduced role in the production: after being the female lead for the past four years I got bumped (is this starting to sound familiar to anyone?), in this case to one line and a verse in a song. He felt it was time for a change and to let the younger cast have a go - being the ripe old age of 22, he deduced, I was obviously well past it.

I wasn't too fussed about losing the lead, but was slightly miffed at not getting a part at all, never mind the slur on my advancing years. ;) The director, however, was unmoved, and said it was just the way it had to be. He had his Vision. After tears, tantrums, threats, interjections from the rest of the cast and contract negotiations in the pub, I decided to stay on in a recurring capacity (I helped wi' the weans and bulked up the chorus from the sidelines.) With the possibility of continuing my story arc next year.

After deliberations, I returned this season for The Emperor's New Clothes in the small but significant role of Tailor #1, and acted my wee heart out in the preparation and presentation of that invisible suit, so I did. The director and I were even on pretty genial terms, by the end. I even made a vaguely positive non-commital sound when he asked if I'd be back next year.

So, what made me laugh? The e-mail I found today, which read:

Nike,
I thought I would send you this E-Mail I got from a friend who was at the Panto this year.
I have to say I agree, I thought you played your part very well indeed.
Have a fantastic Christmas and New Year.
The Director

FWD: RE: The Emperor's New Clothes

Hi, The Director.

[This year's panto] was really good, you must have put a lot of work into writing it, but it's time to change the main characters. One young lady was very good and only played a small part making the emperor's clothes; other than that it was great.

Yours,
The Director's Friend.

I almost, almost felt bad about it. *g* Oh, Director. You're a nice bloke, really.

In an effort to do something productive and distracting that is not involved with either a) work or b) my exam, I'm going to start my Christmas cards early this year (read: not on December 23rd.)

I'm taking a leaf out of suzvoy's book, and using this post as a call out for anyone who wants a card this year, be it a Christmas card, general holiday card or anything. I know I had a lot of your addresses, but there's not a chance I'll be able to find my long-lost address book before next Christmas, never mind next month. ;)

So, if you'd like a Christmas card from me this year, please leave your snail mail address in the comments, which I'll be screening. If anyone feels like sending one out in my direction (and don't feel you have to because I'm sending you one; I just like mail!) let me know in your comment and I'll give you the details.

Whee! Christmas!

Today, all my student dreams came true and they filmed Flog It! at my work. PAUL MARTIN, PPL! And yes, his hair is that bouncy and voluminous in real life. They did also manage to cause some havoc with the Gallery sound system, much to Dr. R's dismay - so instead of a nice and sensible lecture on Renaissance Italy the firsties got twenty minutes of daytime TV interviewing, but nevermind. Flog It! (Also, now two of my workplaces have played host to naff antiques shows. Coincidence?)

In more important news, my cousin had a brand new bouncy baby last week, and he is officially the cutest thing, ever. He turned up six weeks early, but has rallied magnificently and surprised the midwife today because he's put on nearly a whole pound since he got home. Awww. I have amused myself by buying baby clothes will silly hoods and hats for him. She has also got him very cute little pumpkin booties for Hallowe'en. I have never before been of an age to appreciate how much fun dressing up babies is...but now I know! Heh.

( Do 'New Star Trek Film Possible Casting Plans' count as spoilerifics these days? I do not know. I shall therefore be careful. )

There's an article about it on Trekmovie.com, for the interested.

...did not bring ten thousand men on his visit around the Hunterian this afternoon, but he did bring a large entourage, some very shiny shoes, a bloke in a kilt and a couple of Special Branch officers. Yes, today was our Royal Visit, conducted amid much fuss, stress and sawdust as Prince Andrew descended on the joint two days before the official opening and while half the exhibits are still on the floor and the cabinets are still being screwed into place.

Despite that, it all went rather well. ;) We had a quick briefing on the protocol (he was "Your Grace" this week, instead of "Your Highness" or "Sir"), a check round from Special Branch (who were really nice and cheerful, thereby completely imploding the whole aloof Men-in-Black image I was nursing!) and then he arrived at 2 o'clock with a load of people and hangers on for a tootle about with Donal, the senior curator, and Euan, the Museum Director with the awesome eyebrows.

Fortunately, during all of this, I was babysitting the lift in and out of the building to make sure no-one slipped in and prevent Immanent Danger to Royal Personages (I'd like to say I was instructed by Special Branch to do this, but alas, only by the Visitor Services Manager. *g*) so I didn't have to speak to him, although at one point he came up and stood about a foot away to scan the surrounding area ("And sew...what hippens through thair?" type of thing). Me and one of the other girls just sidled back a bit, while she whispered frantically "OhgodIcan'tshakehishandI'vebeencleaningandI'mfilthy!"

Then he signed the rarely-produced Important Persons' Guest book, which is pretty fab and has dignitaries' signatures dating from 1908 to the present, including Karl Barth, David Attenborough and José Manuel Barroso, and left without incident. At which point I switched the lift back on and my work was done. Hooray!

Coolest thing about the whole day though? The Curator of Geology showed us where the Visitor Book was signed by Albert Einstein. Hee! Einstein!

Bryn, this'll make your head explode.

( Spoilers for SGA Season Four: 'The Seer' )

Started new job today - so far, it's all about familiarising ourselves with the Museum/Gallery as the Museum doesn't open again for another month, but much fun was had! We got to tour the Hunterian Museum, the Hunterian Art Gallery, the Anatomy Musum and the Zoology Museum, and got a basic run down on our job description and rotas. In good news, I am actually working more hours than I thought I'd be: 28.85 instead of 25.85 a week. All of which means that I'll be there 13.00-17.25 Mon-Fri and do alternate Saturdays, so sometimes I'm working a six day week, but...every Saturday I work I get time and a half. Yeah, baby! ;)

Met three of the other afternoon part-timers; I think they hired around twelve of us in all for mornings and afternoons, and from what one of the supervisors said there were 300+ applicants for those positions, including PhDs, so I'm counting myself extremely lucky atm. 0_o They were all v. nice, as were the supervisors and managers, the media guys, the education officers, all the curators and the Museum director...all of whom we got introduced to today. :) Training schedules were handed out along with the induction pack, and it looks like it'll be good fun; along with the usual Staff Development, First Aid and Fire Safety courses we also get a campus tour (I know my way around, but still, it'll be cool!); a city tour (on wan o' they rid buses wi' the picshurs); a tour of the Burrell; a tour of the Art School; a tour of...er, Kelvingrove, but let's move swiftly past that; and a series of lectures by the curators of paleontology, geology, zoology, numismatics(ology ;)), etc. etc.

All in all, I'd call today a win. *g* Tomorrow, we've to report to the Gallery and see what happens. :)