Just got done another marathon viewing of Angel Season 4. Minus Home. I’ll get to Home again when I have my friends holding my hand. But the research, the research was important. Needed the Big Picture. So many thoughts. Reviews to do, fics to write.
Speaking of fics, finally has a table of contents. I always forget how hard LJ is to navigate, even if you’re familiar with it. So here ’tis:
The Destroyer
Published by Nancy E. Shaffer
NANCY E. SHAFFER has been an experimental psychologist (M.A., Cognitive Psychology, Rice University), a philosopher (Ph.D., History and Philosophy of Science, University of California, Davis), and software developer. She taught history and philosophy of science at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec and the University of Nebraska Omaha.
Her philosophical work has appeared in the journal Philosophy of Science and her pop-culture philosophy website, All Things Philosophical on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel: the Series.
Dis/inhbition is her first novel.
She currently resides in Tempe, Arizona.
View all posts by Nancy E. Shaffer
Author Nancy E. Shaffer 
You’ve watched it ALL already (excepting Home)? Now you’ve got me wondering if I should do the same. But then I’m too busy researching stuff for the next two ep.s at the moment. I like research though, you find the most surprising stuff out. Perhaps if you look at the big picture, I’ll look at the little picture and between the four of us we will come up with the unifying theory of everything. *grin* Dude, that would be cool!
I did the marathon in order to write TD 18, not because of the Season 4 discussion we’re having. I’m benefitting a lot from our discussion, but I realized we wouldn’t get to the later episodes before I needed to write TD 18.
Phew! Being a swot I didn’t like to think I was falling behind with work. 🙂
Oh, talk about being behind. A friend of mine is moving to New York and wants to “pop by” to drop of the L Word tapes I let her borrow.
My apartment is not fit for visitors. Not at all. I started trying to clean it and realized it wouldn’t be in the next few hours before she gets here. I hope she doesn’t think I’m insane if we say our farewells out in the lobby of the building.
I have an essay to write!
Oh dear, busy day then. I suppose you could meet her in the lobby and suggest a quick coffee somewhere, make it seem like a treat instead of a wierd “I’m hiding something spooky” vibe.:-) Er…you’re not really hiding something spooky in your apartment are you? *shudder*
Some mold, cat hair, shoe prints all over the floor, maybe a hair ball my cat is going to let loose just at the very last minute, some icky grundge at the base of the toilet that needs *elbow grease* to clean up, cat litter tracked into the corners and impervious to my broom, and of course, the dirty dishes.
*runs to check the front door* you sure you didn’t just pop round when I wasn’t looking? You know I actually pay someone to clean the outside of my windows, just so I can look out of them in the knowledge that all the muck is on the inside.
I am sooooooooo bored right now I might offer to come round and clean for you. OK I could clean my own house, but, well, nah, I’ll think I’ll stick a pizza in the oven instead. I hate being on-call.
Why, is your place a mess, too? You know, my place is 450 square feet total, if it’s even that, and I live with two cats. There’s no way I could keep it clean enough for company, at least not spontaneously visiting company, and also live in it at the same time. So I don’t entertain here very often. The last time I had folks over I cleaned from dawn until hours and hours after dusk on a precious Saturday just so I could make it liveable for a few hours on Sunday.
I have stuff, lots and lots of stuff. I’m not sure where it all came from but it’s everywhere! It is just there, collecting dust, but I can’t just dust one bit of stuff, or the rest of the stuff looks even more dusty (if you know what I mean). I have a fairly big house I suppose, a victorian terrace, two recption rooms, two double bedrooms, hallway, landing, big cellar, and it’s all so cluttered it’s got too much to even think about a clearout. My friends think it’s cosy, truth is I really need to clear stuff out, or buy the house next door.:-) This is the problem with living alone, no one to help with the chores. *sigh*
Every time I say to people, “I’d rather not have you in, my place is a mess”, they always assume I mean it’s cluttered, clothes on the floor and such and they insist they won’t mind.
I wouldn’t mind someone else’s clutter, either.
When I say “My place is a mess”, I mean the entire thing needs to be wiped down with heavy-duty 409 cleaner. Sweeped, vacuumed, dusted, and then mopped.
I’m not a cluttery person. I just have cats with hair, claws, and butts who never clean up after themselves. And it’s not like I can keep them off in “one part of the house” while another part stays clean.
Ah yes, add a cat or two into the equation and life can rise to a whole new level of dust, fluff, litter, bits, furballs, the ends of their claws (yuk) and general muck. And who has time to keep on top of it all? You have stuff to write!
Exactly!
Plus, when I’m in writing mode, it’s my God-given right to look like like sh@t, and not take a shower.
Why do people insist on coming over and messing up my food-stained sweatshirt, cat-disaster apartment creative GROOVE?
Precisely!
There are lot’s of public spaces for people to meet if they so wish at a mutually conveniant time, popping round is really not necessary at all!
Even meeting her out in the lobby to get the tape and say my goodbyes will involve using a comb. And the comb won’t help.
*sob*!!
There there, it will all be OK, shhhhh, there there.
Can you tell this simple, normal, every day thing–“Hey, I’ll pop by and drop off the tape before taking off where we might not see each other again for a long time visit” is really throwing my for a loop!?
I have my structure, and I get all mixed up when someone throws a wrench in it!
My place is 900 sq.ft. – with two teenagers (and all their “kit”).
My last house was 1500 sq. ft. (with a full basement and a 2 car garage – those don’t count). The house I built was 2400 Sq.ft. with a 1/2 acre of land… (which with two kids in diapers was simply TOO BIG to maintain alone)! Still – I REALLY miss the basements, attics, and the garage. Oh yea – the laundry rooms were handy too!
I never entertain anyone over the age of 19, unless one of my other “single mom” friends has to run away from home (for reasons simliar to the reasons I do). And then they give me NO warning – so they have no expectations (very groovy)!
However if either of you were visiting….
* I would take my sewing machine OFF the dining room table
* Move the laundry basket full of soccer balls, basket balls, ball bats, tennis balls & rackets, and frisby’s OUT of the entry way (and into the kids room, and then close their door)!
* I would wash my bathroom mirror (I’m good about the sink/counter.. but the mirror – not so much!)
* I would take tha stacks of bills/papers/fanfic/LJ posts OFF the floor, table, and top of my computer that are within 10 feet of my computer (since it’s in the middle of the living room).
* I would try to hide my bike (which is in the living room)
* I might re-arrange the cushions on the couch so it looked like a couch, rather than a bed.
* I would ask Jon to clear all his computer stuff from the 10 feet surrounding his computer (which is in the other corner of the living room),
* I would put away the canned TV trays
* I would unload the 2 bags I just brought in and left at the table in my rush to check my LJ (one bag of videos – INCLUDING S4 Disc1 of Angel, and also Season 1 of Smallville and BattleStat G Miniseries (it was $2.50 each, or 5/$5.00 – what would YOU have done?)
* I would put the pop and apple juice I bought on sale last weekend inside the hall closet, instead of lined up (like soldiers) on the wall across from it.
* I would close my bedroom door
* I would make 2 batches of banana bread (because – the bananas are ALL ready right now!
* I would straighten the van gogh posters in the bathroom. Yep – they are framed and everything. How embarrassing is it when we see one in public and my kids shout – Oh look mom – just like our bathroom!
Stop by anytime!!
It really is isn’t it? On the other hand if she knows you maybe she gets it too and won’t be too worried about the lobby meet and greet. It’ll all be over before you know it and you’ll have the rest of the day and the weekend to get back into your routine.
Dusting? Is that like ironing?
See I wouldn’t do any of that stuff, not because I don’t have things all over the table and the couch and everywhere else, but only because that’s the *least* of the mess. People are forgiving of that stuff.
They’re less forgiving of the couch being covered with cat hair.
Our entire friendship has consisted of me going over to her house. Which is always clean. Not “straightened up” mind you–there is clutter all over place–but CLEAN. There isn’t hair on the bathroom sink. No wet, sticky dirt on the bathroom tiles you can’t get up with a rag. No grease around the stove that requires a nuclear bomb to remove.
I don’t know how other people keep their places from not being at least slightly “gross”. Maybe I’m just gross.
What’s ironing?
My place is 900 sq.ft. – with two teenagers (and all their “kit”).
My last house was 1500 sq. ft. (with a full basement and a 2 car garage – those don’t count). The house I built was 2400 Sq.ft. with a 1/2 acre of land… (which with two kids in diapers was simply TOO BIG to maintain alone)! Still – I REALLY miss the basements, attics, and the garage. Oh yea – the laundry rooms were handy too!
Life’s too damned ironic sometimes, ain’t it?
Reminds me of the saying, “too small to swing a cat”, which reminds me of Monty Python and the Holy Grail and the background cat swinging by the peasants. No surprise though, since everything sooner or later reminds me of The Holy Grail.
They’re less forgiving of the couch being covered with cat hair.
Some of us – me, for example – are extremely allergic to cats. So, it’s not so much a question of not forgiving as not wanting my face to look like a basketball.
But you can see why I wouldn’t just open the door and invite someone in who “dropped by”. They *always* say “they won’t mind” if it’s messy. But they just don’t have the same definition of “messy” as I do. I don’t want people seeing that the cat hurled up a hair ball in the middle of the living room rug a day ago and I haven’t had time to clean it up yet.
Maybe she has people stopping over all the time and has a quick clean in preparation everytime, hence never leaving it too long between cleans. This could be a plan you know, or maybe not. I only really care if my house is untidy or messy if someone’s coming round, otherwise I don’t really care too much. Maybe some people do care, hence the cleanliness. For my Mum (self-confessed clean freak) it’s become routine, the daily routine of cleaning. Yep, I’m told that there are people out there who find time to clean every day. Crazy!
*Knock knock*
Can I have a cup of tea with my banana bread?
I do clean if I have plans for someone to come over. I spend a whole day cleaning in that case to get the place to a state I feel comfortable entertaining friends in.
But it makes me *really* unflexible about spontaneous pop-overs or people who want to get together in the evening and call me that morning. Like today with my friend. Cleaning takes hours, and I already had plans to spend those hours writing.
I *could* keep the place in visitor’s shape, I suppose, but then all I would ever spend any of my time doing is following the cats around and cleaning up after them.
What if Nan brings her banana bread over to my place and we can watch StB on my 42″ wide screen TV in surround sound. Is that a plan. I’m having spaghetti with garlic / parmesan / pesto sauce.
Any takers?
I’ll bring the wine!!
I want the big leather chair!
Here, have a glass of Sangiovese.
Deal….in fairness I’ll warn you that I have Puccini’s opera, Tosca, on the stereo….but I’m polite and will remove it if requested.
Ooops, there’s the “girls” too, but two pooches, but they’ll make a fuss for the first 5 minutes and then leave you alone.
Perfect!
No problem.
Oh…wait…anyone ever tell you that grilling garlic toast and reading LJ posts don’t mix unless you like black toast.
It’s okay, second batch taken out nicely browned.
Oooops….Tosca just died. So the opera’s over.
But Charlize and Cleopatra (the dogs) stay.
Opera, Sangiovese, spaghetti…and good company!
And the spaghetti is al dente
Well, if your dentist doesn’t mind a nice red, my dentist doesn’t.
Right, that’s me then, I’m on my way. Should make it there by sunday lunchtime. Better get some sleep though first. ‘night.
Sleep tight, hon! Talk Angel at you tomorrow!
Absolutely! Gets not better than this.
Dinner is served on the patio.
[And I promise pictures of the new patio tomorrow.]
Is it warm there? I’d get frost bite on my cheeks out back at my place.
True – and that’s why I don’t have cats!!
Right now (Ladyhelix turns around to peek), my couch is covered with men’s size 14DDD dirty socks, and a flannel sheet that should be in the boys room (sigh – I wonder who slept on the couch last night?).
26 degrees, partly cloudy with 55% humidity. Perfect actually.
I’m not sure – but Nin said she hates doing it. Which means she actually DOES it.
Sometimes you’re scary Nin!!
I’m stuck with my cats. They’re too old to give away and too young to go to that place in the kitty sky. I don’t really want them, but there’s nothing I can do.
Except bitch, a lot.
I hate San Francisco.
Yes – please come in, all of you!! The banana bread is almost done (which is why it’s 88 degrees in here).
But give me a minute, I’ll have to clear off a place for you to sit. And if you don’t mind I’ll serve tea in soup bowls, since the boys used all the mugs and coffee cups for ice cream and cereal yesterday.