![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
The Friday Five: Midpoint
Jun. 28th, 2024 10:58 pm1. Have you gotten everything done that you had hoped to do during the first half of 2024?
Given that my goals were basically “survive,” “keep the nonhumans alive and happy,” and “don’t drop any absolutely crucial balls”, I guess I’ll say yes…?
My dad passed in early January and given that it was not remotely unexpected (he’d been ill a long time) and that our relationship was complicated at best, I was really unprepared for the extent to which it threw me for a loop. Work was also utterly wretched in all sorts of interesting (but thankfully expected and totally temporary) ways for about five months, so that was also cool [/sarcasm]. But I’m on the other side of it now, everyone is still alive including me, and I learned a lot in the meantime about how asking for help is Really Okay and also how great my colleagues at Institute of Higher Learning really are.
2. Did anything exciting or unexpected happen to you during the first half of 2024?
Himself and I were on a team that took top-three placings in the first flight division at two huge hunter paces a week apart, so that was fun. He and I both live for a good gallop in the great wide open, and doing it with friends is even better! For the uninitiated, a hunter pace is more or less a horse race that you do in teams of 2-4 on a course over some pretty significant terrain, sometimes with obstacles to jump. It’s supposed to mimic the track of a fox hunt, and the goal is to be the team to that finishes closest to the optimum time (which is not disclosed for the riders; part of the test is how well you’re able to read the terrain).
I take no credit for our placings other than being brave and having a super game horse who’s more than able to keep up with the big guys; we had a FABULOUS team captain who called the shots.
3. What big plans do you have for the second half of 2024?
I’m kind of just angling for a quiet, non-sucky rest of the year with a schedule (and a spoon allotment) that’s more conducive to me being able to ride both ponies most days (Princess P got rather back-burnered during the suckfest that was the last six months on account of she’s the one who doesn’t forget how to be a riding horse with significant time off).
I’d like to finish reading the Grishaverse series, and I have a long fic I’d like to get done and posted.
4. Have you taken, or are you planning, a vacation this year?
Fuzzbucket and I went and spent a little over a week with my Mamacita earlier this month. It was the most Autistic of vacations and incredibly relaxing: she and I hung out and did our own thing in different parts of the house most of the day and chatted at dinner. She entertained her parrots (did I mention she has two parrots?) and did whatever it is she does all day on her computer, and I read and colored and started a Babylon 5 rewatch.
Mamacita says she likes it when I come to stay because I’m nice company but don’t insist on talking to her all the time. So I know where I get it from…
Fuzzbucket loves Mamacita (she feeds him whatever he wants, whenever he wants it) and also loves her backyard, so he also had a fabulous vacation.
5. Have you ever wanted to be one of the people writing and posting these questions?
Honestly that seems like an awful lot of pressure lol
Given that my goals were basically “survive,” “keep the nonhumans alive and happy,” and “don’t drop any absolutely crucial balls”, I guess I’ll say yes…?
My dad passed in early January and given that it was not remotely unexpected (he’d been ill a long time) and that our relationship was complicated at best, I was really unprepared for the extent to which it threw me for a loop. Work was also utterly wretched in all sorts of interesting (but thankfully expected and totally temporary) ways for about five months, so that was also cool [/sarcasm]. But I’m on the other side of it now, everyone is still alive including me, and I learned a lot in the meantime about how asking for help is Really Okay and also how great my colleagues at Institute of Higher Learning really are.
2. Did anything exciting or unexpected happen to you during the first half of 2024?
Himself and I were on a team that took top-three placings in the first flight division at two huge hunter paces a week apart, so that was fun. He and I both live for a good gallop in the great wide open, and doing it with friends is even better! For the uninitiated, a hunter pace is more or less a horse race that you do in teams of 2-4 on a course over some pretty significant terrain, sometimes with obstacles to jump. It’s supposed to mimic the track of a fox hunt, and the goal is to be the team to that finishes closest to the optimum time (which is not disclosed for the riders; part of the test is how well you’re able to read the terrain).
I take no credit for our placings other than being brave and having a super game horse who’s more than able to keep up with the big guys; we had a FABULOUS team captain who called the shots.
3. What big plans do you have for the second half of 2024?
I’m kind of just angling for a quiet, non-sucky rest of the year with a schedule (and a spoon allotment) that’s more conducive to me being able to ride both ponies most days (Princess P got rather back-burnered during the suckfest that was the last six months on account of she’s the one who doesn’t forget how to be a riding horse with significant time off).
I’d like to finish reading the Grishaverse series, and I have a long fic I’d like to get done and posted.
4. Have you taken, or are you planning, a vacation this year?
Fuzzbucket and I went and spent a little over a week with my Mamacita earlier this month. It was the most Autistic of vacations and incredibly relaxing: she and I hung out and did our own thing in different parts of the house most of the day and chatted at dinner. She entertained her parrots (did I mention she has two parrots?) and did whatever it is she does all day on her computer, and I read and colored and started a Babylon 5 rewatch.
Mamacita says she likes it when I come to stay because I’m nice company but don’t insist on talking to her all the time. So I know where I get it from…
Fuzzbucket loves Mamacita (she feeds him whatever he wants, whenever he wants it) and also loves her backyard, so he also had a fabulous vacation.
5. Have you ever wanted to be one of the people writing and posting these questions?
Honestly that seems like an awful lot of pressure lol
