With a Silver Bow

As you might gather from the months of non-updates, this account is semi-retired. I don't plan on deleting anything from it, and I might make the occasional update where there's something I can't say in another way, but for the most part, what's here is it.

Our ATS bellydance teacher is on indefinite hiatus, so we've been practising at one of our dancer's houses. We have three performances in April. The first is a pop-themed event, so we're dancing to "Gangnam Style," which is a lot more fun than it has any right to be. The last is in a theatre an hour away; the first half of our performance will have zills (finger cymbals) and the second half will have baskets. Balancing the basket on my head during a live performance is the part that I'm most nervous about; I recently performed with a sword for the first time and when I went to balance it my entire body felt like it was shaking. (Sometimes I also tense up when playing zills from trying too hard, which makes it harder to stay on beat.)

After April, all we have planned right now is a summer library program and a possible farmer's market.

In June, there's a three-day ATS workshop with zills and sword that I'm really looking forward to. The only downside is it starts the same day my supervisor at work is retiring.

There's another performance at the end of July. I might try to put together a second solo for it.

At the end of September, there's a three-day ATS camp about two hours south; maybe we can go with our troupe? (Even if we don't, we hope to go to NYC at least one Saturday to take classes at Manhattan Tribal.)

As my early birthday present to myself, I bought a doumbek, a common drum in Middle Eastern music. I've been slowly teaching myself the various rhythms. As you might surmise, most of my free time and money goes to bellydance in one form or another, whether it's practising, attending classes or workshops, costuming, finding new music, reviewing moves in my head, etc. This is actually one of the reasons I want to retire my LJ -- all the other bellydancers are on Facebook and I doubt many of the people I met here are that interested (understandably; I was into many other different things years ago when I first made this account).

Work is good, though there are a few changes coming up in staffing. I'm so grateful to have a job with a steady schedule and weekends off; it makes it much easier to plan performances and has improved my sleep.

Fandom is still just Dragon Age 2. I'm looking forward to Captain America: Civil War, but have a hard time getting into the fandom.

If this is my last update, take care and follow your bliss.

( Two more photos from recent performances. )

Christmas didn't feel as much like Christmas this year. We didn't put our tree, lights, or any ornaments up. My grandparents sent us a lovely wreath and centrepiece from L. L. Bean, so we moved the outdoor wreath indoors and put all the presents under that. We had no snow Christmas Day, and the weather was warm but windy -- nice enough to sit outside without a coat. I also worked both the day before and the day after Christmas.

Wednesday night we each opened one present, as per our Christmas Eve tradition. We also watched the first hour of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. (More on the movie later.)

We had a late lunch Christmas Day, picked up from a restaurant the day before: prime rib, asparagus, rolls, mashed potatoes and gravy, Caesar salad, and Italian cookies (including my favourite, cannoli). Opening presents took up the next hour or two; it was fun and quiet, with most gifts from each other or relatives, plus Kun and Sarah. (I had gotten together with my three local friends earlier in the month.) We saw the rest of The Hobbit (Part 2), and ended the evening playing Apples to Apples (which I bought on Black Friday) and Star Fluxx (one of my gift requests). It's been quite a while since we had new games to play, or played board/card games together in general.

My mom, the only one of us who has read The Hobbit, did not like The Desolation of Smaug at all. She felt it altered too much from the book and the only thing she did like was Smaug himself, both aurally and visually. I felt that, in the efforts to tie The Hobbit back into The Lord of the Rings and make it more action-oriented, Bilbo was left with hardly anything to do. Even though I thought the first Hobbit film was too long and repetitious, the scene with Gollum was excellent at showing Bilbo's skill with words and wits (which seems to be his main talent in the book) rather than fighting. The Necromancer/Sauron storyline overshadows that of the dwarves' (one city or a whole world?) and pushes the film into a darker tone. The Orcs are simply fodder for the heroes, Legolas is pure fanservice, and most of the fighting technique is totally ridiculous.

I hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas and a happy 2015.


This year flew by, especially the last two months. One of my biggest struggles continues to be how to balance things in my life: work, family, my somewhat new and still surprising social life with friends, belly dancing, chores around the house, alone/relaxation time, and other desires (like looking for a new job, answering emails, and dealing with paperwork with deadlines). For most of December I worked overtime with only one day off a week. There's just so many things I want to get done and I don't have the time or energy to do them, which often leads to me stressing myself out, feeling guilty, and/or criticizing myself.

On the other hand, I think I like myself more as a person now than I have for several (many?) years. I'm more active and have been developing and enjoying many diverse interests that I don't think are that common, especially combined: belly dancing, corseting, reading (especially non-fiction), reptiles (especially lizards). I'm still interested in comics, Thief, science fiction, and other, older mainstays, but not to the extent I used to be. In short, I've noticed these changes more acutely this year and think I look forward to seeing the person I become, hopefully possessed of both more knowledge and more kindness. (I don't believe in fate, destiny, karma, or the like, but I do believe in being influenced by your experiences, environment, acquaintances, and memories.)

Below is a short look back at 2014, or at least the multimedia side, with a bias toward the latter part of the year.

Favourite book: Mistakes Were Made (but not by me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson

Best show of 2014: Would I Lie To You?, a BBC panel-based game show [My dad and I watched this all in a few months.]

Favourite new podcast: Infants on Thrones

Best new YouTube channel: Lindybeige

Best fanfiction: Wild Ambition Fortune's Ice Prefers by amberfox17

Number of dance classes taken: 20, with three different teachers/locations

Songs/Lyrics of the year: "Sin Skinner" by Diary of Dreams
("Keep my integrity intact,
I want to base my life on facts.
Whatever comes, I never know,
but life will ultimately show.")

and "Former Me" by Neuroticfish
("You are possessed,
By what the people say or do,
With every step,
You know it never suits you.
You think you're dirt,
And everybody hates it,
Rewind, don't tell me that you're wasted.")

After watching series three of BBC's Sherlock, my dad and I rewatched the two earlier series. Below is my list of favourite to least favourite episodes from series one and two with no spoilers.

1. "A Study in Pink" (series one, episode one; written by Steven Moffat) -- A very strong introductory episode that has a compelling plot, great characterisation, and several nice mysteries. It would be hard to ask for a better opening.

2. "The Reichenbach Fall" (series two, episode three; written by Stephen Thompson) -- I've seen this episode more than any other. This is my favourite appearance by Moriarty; his plan to discredit Sherlock is clever and we really see Sherlock under pressure.

3. "The Hounds of Baskerville" (series two, episode two; written by Mark Gatiss) -- An interesting update to one of my favourite Holmes stories, though I liked this episode less the second time around. One of my biggest problems is the completely unrealistic computer security.

4. "Scandal in Belgravia" (series two, episode one; written by Steven Moffat) -- I was surprised how much I enjoyed my second viewing of this episode as I hadn't liked it much the first time -- Irene Adler's portrayal was completely different from what I'd expected, and I was disappointed by the resolution to series one's cliffhanger. (In general, I think the Sherlock series fit together better when you watch them in a row; the year or more break between seasons builds up too high expectations.)

5. "The Great Game" (series one, episode one; written by Mark Gatiss) -- The first Moriarty episode; I liked this episode more the first time around, and feel it's now completely overshadowed by "The Reichenbach Fall."

6. "The Blind Banker" (series one, episode two; written by Stephen Thompson) -- I thought this was a weird and boring episode the first time around, and had the same reaction the second time.

I've only see the series three episodes once, but if I were to add them to the above, the list would look like this:

1. "A Study in Pink"
2. "The Reichenbach Fall"
3. "The Hounds of Baskerville"
4. "Scandal in Belgravia"
5. "The Empty Hearse" (series three, episode one; written by Mark Gatiss)
6. "The Great Game"
7. "The Blind Banker"
8. "The Sign of Three" (series three, episode two; written by Stephen Thompson, Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss)
9. "His Last Vow" (series three, episode three; written by Steven Moffat)

As you can tell, I didn't much like series three. "The Empty Hearse" is my favourite of the three, especially for the Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes interactions. Mycroft is one of the things I like most about the BBC Sherlock; his relationship with Sherlock is complicated and compelling, as is his relationship with John, neither of which are usually explored in other Sherlock Holmes media.

In general, I didn't think the stories in series three were tight enough; there was too much unnecessary drama and too much meandering with not enough focus on strong mysteries. I also didn't like Magnussen, the antagonist of the series, at all, not even in the 'I like to hate him' sense.

( Some spoilers for Sherlock series three under the cut. )

Besides BBC's Sherlock, I've also been rewatching my VHS tapes of the 1954-1955 Sherlock Holmes series starring Ronald Howard as Sherlock and Howard Marion Crawford as John Watson. They're good fun, and I quite like Howard's more personable characterisation, as well as his chemistry with Crawford's Watson. You really feel like they're good, long-time friends.

Because so many of the Sherlock Holmes series I first watched were in black and white, I had difficulty trying to switch to Sherlock Holmes series in colour. It doesn't bother me when they're set in the present or future, like BBC's Sherlock or Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century, but it does when they're set in the late 1800s, which is why I don't think I've seen a single Jeremy Brett episode all the way through.

My dad and I have also watched a few episodes of Elementary, the modern US version of Sherlock Holmes. It's so disconcerting seeing modern Sherlock, John (Joan), Lestrade, and Mycroft, but looking and acting so differently from the BBC's version. We've been watching the episodes out of order and have only seen three, but Elementary just doesn't feel like a Sherlock show to me. It could easily be one of a hundred other crime shows with a quirky detective, and if I'm going to watch one of those, it would probably be Columbo.

My last bit of Sherlock news is that my dad and I are going to see the play Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure performed this Sunday at a local theatre. We used to go to plays, musicals, or concerts somewhat regularly, but haven't been in a long time, so I'm especially looking forward to it.

Today I . . .:

-Had breakfast with a friend and co-worker.

-Stopped at work to visit with another friend and co-worker during her lunch.

-Did some shopping, both Christmas and non.

-Cleaned the bathrooms and repainted my finger and toenails while listening to podcasts (Mormon Expression Voices and the newest Mormon Expositor).

-Washed the towels.

-Cooked some pink lemonade cookies, chicken stuffing, and asparagus.

-Ate and read some fanfic.

-Folded the towels and did the dishes.

-I might bellydance or watch something with my dad before bed.

Somewhat more eventful than my usual days off.

( Some photos from the past month. )

My car finally died. It made it 21 years and about 171,000 miles.



I drove it to and from work today, nothing unusual. My dad took it out to run a quick errand in the afternoon and when he came back he said there was something wrong with the brakes and to take everything out of the car. Even though neither of us feel it's worth it to invest much more money in the car - the air conditioner and radio haven't worked in over a year and the frame is rusted, especially near the rear tires - he's going to bring it to our mechanic tomorrow, if only for curiosity.

We do have a replacement we bought at the end of July specifically to replace my car - a 1997 Accord, almost identical to my mom's - but there are some things that need to be done to it first, including registration, plates, and an oil change.

Even though I stalled the car many, many times while learning to drive, and I had to have it towed at least three times over the past year, I will still miss it. Our of all the cars I've been in, I think the '92 Accord is still one of the most comfortable and aesthetically pleasing. It's been a good companion. I'm surprised it wasn't the clutch or the winter that killed it -- I expected it to last until mid-December, as it was after that when I had problems last year.

I wasn't going to take my car to New Hampshire this coming weekend, but thought my mom would have mine around to drive! My last vacation, with my mom to Maine in June, we took a rental car as hers was flooded shortly before our departure date. My mom's car was in the shop last week for a fan problem. As soon as hers was done, my dad brought his truck in for a state inspection, and it's still currently at the shop.

In the end, though, I should be - and am - grateful to have a car to drive at all.

My mom and I are leaving for Maine tomorrow. We're taking a rental car as my mom's is still at the repair shop after being caught in a parking lot flood and mine isn't sturdy enough for long-distance road trips. There's a large ball of anxiety and excitement in the pit of my stomach. This is my second time off this year, the first being for my paternal grandmother's funeral. (It's so hard to think that was almost six months ago, and yet I still feel like I haven't processed it.)

I have missed people dearly, and sometimes feel guilty for getting caught up in my own things and not spending enough time as I would like, or reaching out as much as I think I should, with family and friends. Also hard to believe that it's been a year since I temporarily lived with my maternal grandmother.

My schedule is a bit full. My aunt's only free Wednesday and Friday, I'll be seeing Shampoo [for the first time in two years!] Tuesday or Thursday (likely Thursday), and Kun - also for the first time in a year - on Saturday on our way back to New York. I go back to work Sunday.

My library books are eclectic, and I don't anticipate having much time to read besides when I'm not driving or before bed, which is when I normally read. I've three books I'm two-thirds through and hope to finish soon: No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith by Fawn Brodie (which is fantastic and hard to put down while being straightforward on not believing the divine origins of Joseph's mission), The Tarot : History, Symbolism, and Divination by Robert Place (which started off interesting but I'm rather bored with it now due to lots of repetition), and S.E.X.: the all-you-need-to-know progressive sexuality guide to get you through high school and college by Heather Corinna (useful knowledge and a good refresher, especially as my sexual education was largely abstinence or scare tactic, or - okay - terribly inaccurate fanfic, oriented).

My three new books are After School Nightmare volume 2 by Mizushiro Setona (a manga that talks about gender identity and psychological trauma), Agnosticism: a very short introduction by Robin Le Poidevin, and The computer: a very short introduction by Darrel Ince. The Very Short Introduction series is published by Oxford University Press and is a series of short (usually 100-150 page) books written by scholars or other experts for a general audience. There are a number of topics covered in the series, from specific religions and philosophers, to modern science and health, to literature and cultural movements. Just looking at the list of titles, the series seems very Western-centric, which I suppose isn't unexpected but still a bit of a shame.

One book I don't have yet, but look forward to reading soon, is A Prince of Our Disorder: the Life of T. E. Lawrence by John Mack.

My Tumblr user name is nuktotheras [νυκτοθήρας], which is Ancient Greek for 'hunting by night.'

I'm still finding my way around the user interface and am not sure how often I'll be updating it. As of now, my plan is just to reblog and fan over Wildstorm and Thor-related images, plus whatever else I may find. There's really no need to check it out unless you're also interested in those things. Everything substantial (thought I haven't updated with much recently) should remain here, though I may move a few of my more fandom-related activities (such as fanfic recs) over to Tumblr.

Like last year, I'm making Christmas dinner. My theme, inspired by Thief, is medieval European food.

( Some images, detailed menu, and musings. )