Tea on the balcony

Good morning, my darlings!

Rules for all of life, not just science

I spent my teens in a lab, and I sorta tend to think of myself as a scientist (but also a linguist and artist), but this resonates with more of life than science, doesn't it? General wisdom. Take it and apply it. You're welcome.

Sandstorm

Fuck yes!

This idea is one I got to myself at some point, but it is fairly widespread among people who think about these things. Most of all I have applied it on all social relationships - spending time with friends and family - are they lukewarm to me? Never taking initiative to meet me? It's not a fuck yes so then it is a no and I will not spend as much energy on them. But it applies on everything. Read and think!

This year's balcony

I am lugging a lot of water out there - growing from scratch tends to do that :) I also moved out a few of my kitchen plants, like last year.

Emerging dialects

Are you annoyed or intrigued by the emergence of the variations of language that are used online?

Things appear - usually initially in English - and then get translated in some form, or fitted for use to another language. I love it, though I also love the ability to write and speak in a precise and more conservative fashion - I love language in several variations. I have always been fascinated with dialects and how language is used differently in different settings. Perhaps this fascination is rooted in or amplified by my own multi-dialect childhood where I would speak different dialects with my parents - and I default to a third when speaking with people that do not sound like either of them. I still love trying to grasp regional and social nuances in differences in language use, and I love how we - usually without thinking about it - change the use to be suited for the setting we are in. I would be unlikely to say "I can't even." to my boss, for instance.

This little piece is most readworthy on the emergence of an online dialect of English.

Special edition tune

DAF.
Yesterday. Fun to see them live; they have been around for so long and influenced the music so much. Legends. Not the greatest concert I have been to but definitely worth my time!
A friend came up from Gothenburg to hang out and go to the concert with me. Do you know her?

Butterflies and flowers

Both of these are, well, the same, but one is a pale purple opi I have a nameless mini of, the other is Orly Coachella Dweller, a polish that I find ugly in the bottle but love on my hands. And I am holding my cane. Yep, I use a cane to walk at times. A fancy one. :)

Killin' me

The day after

I was thinking.

I have earlier raged and raved against the constraints of some definitions of relationships. (Fwb is a particular sore spot with me, because it signifies, apparently, a disposable relationship. There is an excellent text over at solopoly.net about that word, by the way - )

Do we have to define them? I would say that at least I want to. I like words and I like talking about stuff and where we are and where we are heading.

But. Why do I like that? To know where I am. Navigational aid in this fast-moving river. Can that be achieved without the standard definitions?`

Maybe?

Talking about current feelings, and intentions, and hopes?
That will take a special kind of person to handle, maybe. But maybe it is what I need in my life anyway and if unable to put words to these things, not good for me?

Thoughts. So many thoughts.

But I refuse to be treated as disposable, or something convenient, ever again, if I can do anything to avoid it. Strange how sadness can be coupled with a feeling of empowerment, hmm?

Dead stars

Time passes.. it doesn't feel like that long ago since I first heard this song and I just realised the record was released in '00?! The same year I moved to Sweden the first time, incidentally.

After the Rain

Hours

A parcel in the mail today -
Many hours of enjoyment inside. :)

Mithril Cowl

So I have this yarn, right. 100% Silk. So delicious. I've always known I want it around my neck, against my face.

So, a cowl, obviously. I started and it is fair knitting itself, I just hold the needles. So lovely.

Yarn from Sheepy Time Knits.

New pair of socks

Started these in March - they are a silk blend. DONE. Finally.

Sand polishes

Stamping on sand polishes is very very easy, but I find that I need to topcoat them because the texture annoys me. The top one is Isadora Chameleon crush, a dupe to Opi Alcatraz.. rocks, the bottom two are jinx and solitaire, stamped with konad black and nails inc regent street respectively.

The equation of the fermentation and the cool persuasion

This somehow seems appropriate at the time I am posting this. Since I schedule for everything from a few days to a month or two ahead, the cause might not be so obvious though ;)

Also, I just LOVE her voice!

Sea stamps

The sea is getting closer

This song is a strong memory of what I can only call my childhood, though I guess I was moving into adulthood.

Kitchen utensils

My friend A recently bought her first flat, and when asked wanted kitchen utensils for a housewarming present and I thought that was a bit boring, so I decorated them (since there were tea cups on her list she got a set of two with saucers + a matching tea pot as well).

She got them yesterday so now I can show you!

The back is also etched with the name of her flat and the year, + my signature.

Skull decal

I made a decal. That is, I stamped the outline, and handpainted in the details, and moved the dried image to my nail. Too much work for all the nails, but I put them as accents on two fingers. Sexy, eh? 

Work as a dance, dance as you work

I spent a few hours last weekend helping a friend wet-sanding the hull of his sailboat.

Apart from getting uncomfortably cold when it started raining, I enjoyed the work very much in its own right - using my body, finding the movements that worked, bending to dip my sandpaper block in the bucket, up again, swish, swish, swish, down again, a dance, using my entire body.

Going there I expected to be tired and achy afterwards, but I wasn't. My knees were achy but they always are nowadays.

I am itching to do more.

I did however spill red paint on one of my favourite hats. Bah.

Drive

If you like any of the music I post, I hope you check out the bands further :)

Neon

Friends

I know many people that are truly just good folks, and Eva is definitely one of them. She brightens the life of everybody that meets her. And now you who haven't met her can listen to her sing, right now! Enjoy :)

Scale of judgement

"We don't have a relationship!"

The hell we do. Whether you are reading this but never talked to me, talk to me online, work with me, is a blood relation of me, usually sit at the till at the local supermarket, are my friend, could-be would-be friend, romantic interest (mutual or not), or whether you are my pet even, we have a relationship.

And all of these relationships are part of our lives, we handle most of them more or less graciously (hopefully), sometimes we spend some time and effort on actually giving time to some of them depending on what they are to us.

All of these relationships are unique - down to the tiller at the supermarket, if the person changes that changes subtly too. It's a dance of life. We are social creatures, creating webs of connections with other creatures.

A big part of my philosophy is that all these relationships are to be judged on their own merit, rather than weighed against eachother. Usually most people agree on this when it comes to family, friends, and so forth - but when things transition from friend to something more - lover, a flirt, a deeper feeling, sexual or not - most people I know also seem to want to prioritize them. "The relationship with this person is worth more than this person and so I will end contact with the other person", to put it in the extreme. I don't think they should be treated this way. Each connection is unique, and to be left to flower on its own. Not saying that there will not be feedback from other strings, but we don't put our friends on scales to be weighed against eachother, do we? We value them in different ways. Charlene is fun to hang out with and comes with really creative solutions to some of my practical problems, whereas John is a great listener. Different qualities in the relationships make us value both, but in different ways. Not to be weighed against eachother.

Doodle-doodle-dooo?

I have things to do and very soon places to be, but instead I am sitting here scribbling. I played the game "Tell me what to draw, internet" a few days ago, and that was fun, I sorta want to do that again.. but it's not really compatible with my day right now. Maybe I should do it more longterm?

Tell me what to draw, internet!
If I get a wish on IRC, Rav, fb, g+ or similar I will do it if I have the time and inclination then and there, if there are comments on this post I will try to do them eventually (since I can keep track of them). I'll decide what medium; digital or something else. But if you have a wish, do tell, and if I am not opposed to it I'll give it a shot. It's good practice.

Also, I simply presume that I won't get any wishes that are totally inappropriate, but if I do I'll disregard them.

Grateful

There's people in my life that make me feel like I am about to burst open with joy. Wonderful people, that just by existing make me feel happy, but the fact that they are willing to spend time with me and letting me enjoy their company makes me so grateful. I am lucky to have so many wonderful people currently in my life. I just needed to say that.

Loose glitter

I attempted putting loose glitter on my wet polish. The result was too bright for my camera.

Fox

Run, fox, run.
The hounds
are after you,
can you hear
them baying?
Stay in your lair,
fox, hidden,
where they
cannot catch you.
Venture out
at your own risk,
fox.

Bill

Happy Beltane, Labour day, and whatever else happens today. It's a day off work here - and completely according to tradition it is snowing.

Last night I wound up with last-minute tickets to the Royal Opera with my favourite date, Alexandra - this is what we saw:

Here is another video showing more of the other stuff (for some reason it wouldn't embed). The middle piece (The Other You) - the guys in suits above - were my favourite of the three, the exactness of the choreography was just stunning!

I am the Wolfman!

I was torn whether to post the live version or the album version/official video. This is one of those bands that are at their best when seen live.

In the end: Here's both, enjoy!