Has he lost his mind?
Howdy, folks.
My big accomplishments of the weekend were in the area of physical fitness-not really a sentence I ever thought I’d find myself typing, but there you have it. I drove out to Target to get myself some little 8-lb dumbells and a medicine ball and a pair of exercise shorts, only the last of which I have actually used. I’m sure I’ll get around to the others, though. That was accomplishment #1. Accomplishment #2 will require a sentence or two of explanation. For the last, oh, almost a week, I’ve been using an app I downloaded off iTunes to guide me through beginning yoga routines everyday. It’s nothing terribly impressive yet, but I haven’t gotten bored and given up yet, either, which is a step in the right direction. Anyway, during the week I’d been doing the 13-minute routine that seems mostly to focus on stretching, and this weekend I tried out the 34-minute routine that involves using actual muscles, muscles I haven’t used in years if, in fact, I’ve ever used them. It’s left me tired and sore both times I’ve tried it, but I flatter myself that it was just a bit easier today than it was yesterday.
Anyway, those were the big milestones of my weekend-the only academic thing I got done was finishing La Chanson de Roland which, in all fairness, was 1500 lines of French poetry, so, you know, wasn’t all that bad an accomplishment. Also, I did a bunch of French grading and got my laundry done. But I’m a little concerned at how short my attention span is when it comes to schoolwork-it’s too early in the semester for me to be getting bored and wasting all my time doing housework or yoga or surfing the internet.
I had a dream the other night, of which I only remember parts. This being my journal and me being a dream-obsessed sort of person, here are the bits I remember: I was a new kid in high school, and my life suddenly seemed to embody multiple high-school movie cliches-I was living both the “new kid is ignored and mocked and excluded for being the new kid” storyline and the “new kid is viewed as mysterious and awesome and privy to arcane knowledge and everyone wants to hang out with her” storyline. How, you might ask, did these two combine? Well, what happened was, I had something of a revolving door of significant others and friends-I’d be dating someone for, like, a day, and then they would dump me because I was the weird new kid, and then someone else would want to date me because of my mysterious new kid vibes, and so on and so forth. Same went for friends.
Now, one of the people who dated and dumped me was a young man with some sort of medical problems (did he have them? Or did someone in his family have them? It’s not clear to me now). Because of these medical problems, his family (a mother and sister) were in enormous financial difficulties, and had taken their life savings and invested it in a giant pepper farm. Now, when I say a giant pepper farm, I don’t mean that the farm itself was particularly large, because it wasn’t; I mean that their crop was gigantic bell and chili peppers, something like four or five feet long. This pepper farm, though, was owned by…evil people? The point was, though the farm was making a profit, my ex’s family wasn’t seeing any of the dividends.
I had remained friends with this particular ex, so, having more confidence in the dream than I ever have in real life, I marched into the office at the pepper farm and demanded that they give my friend’s family his money. They refused and…I think I accidentally killed the boss of the evil pepper-farm-running family, an old woman. I mean, I know I killed her in the dream, but I think it was an accident. Lucky for me, nobody really gave me a hard time about it in the dream-I guess murder was no biggie in this universe-and I successfully got my friend his dividends.
Other things that happened in dreams, though they might not have been this one:
--I was going to a party. The guests there were all musical artists who were putting together a themed compilation album. The theme was “torture.” It was a really disturbing party. I think it’s probably for the best that I remember very little of this dream.
--I was a young man. Or I was two young men. Or I was watching the two young men on a television show. One of the was a kind of laid-back surfer type with money problems, one of them was a stock market genius who had already made tons of money. They were both trying to visit a museum with their families one warm summery day, but the museum was closed. Thrilling, no?
Anyhoo! You knew you were waiting for it: Music meme update!
Day 01- A song that makes me happy
Day 02- A song that helps me clear my head
Day 03- A song that makes you laugh
Day 04- A song that reminds me of something
Day 05- A song that has a new meaning to me every time I hear it
Day 06- A song I can always relate to
Day 07- A song that is my guilty pleasure
Day 08- A song I liked when I was younger
Day 09- A song that makes me want to dance
Day 10- A song that makes me cry
Day 11- A song that reminds me of summer
Day 12- A song that reminds me of my best friend
Day 13- A song I sing to in the shower
Day 14- A song I like hearing live
Day 15- A song people wouldn’t expect me to like
Day 16- A song that holds a lot of meaning to me
Day 17- A song that annoys me
Day 18- A song I have as my ringtone
Day 19- A song I'm currently obsessed with
Day 20- A song from a new album I'm waiting for
Day 21- A song I want to dance to at my wedding
Day 22- A song that would be the theme song to a TV show about my life
Day 23- A song that makes me angry
Honestly, I can’t think of a song that makes me say, “Ooh! I hate this song! It makes me so angry!” Which is not to say that such songs don’t exist, I just can’t think of any. Most of the songs I dislike inspire irritation or boredom, not rage, and I don’t listen to them.
So instead, to go with the theme, I will choose a song that I like that makes me angry, that I listen to when I’m angry to stoke up the mood even more. I could go obvious with this and pick out something from my little metal or punk collections, but instead I’ll go with:
“Bloodless” by Tom McRae
I really have no idea as to the specifics of what this song is about, but does it matter? The chorus alone is an inspired little bit of sardonic anger, and for those days when I find a little anger soothes the soul, this is up there on my list of songs to turn to.
Day 24- A cover song
Day 25- An acoustic song I love
Day 26- A song by my favorite band
Day 27- A song I make fun of
Day 28- A song that reminds me of my significant other
Day 29- A song currently stuck in my head
Day 30- A song I haven’t listened to in awhile
And now for something completely different: BBC Sherlock recs for hurkon, as promised on Twitter.
Gen
Pedestrian by vegarin
The author says: ‘"Either he will waver at the sight of you, or he won't. Which do you think it will be, John?" John. Moriarty. A missing scene for The Great Game.’
I say: This is a really well-characterized look at both John and Moriarty. The author’s John voice is particularly good, and honestly, I can’t get enough of “The Great Game”-related stuff, so this really hit the spot.
You Know You’re Completely Mad, Don’t You? by anonymous
The author says: Well, nothing, but the prompt zie was answering was “When John says to Mike "who would want me for a flatmate?" Mike doesn't ask "what do you mean by that?" He also doesn't say "oh, what'd be wrong with you as a flatmate?" He just accepts that John would be a difficult person to find a flat for and moves on to Sherlock. Given that Mike knows at least a little of how odd Sherlock is and yet suggests Watson as a good match, does this imply that John has some weird habits of his own, without regard to his experiences in Afghanistan?”
I say: This is a cool look at an almost throwaway character and an interesting take on what John might have been like in his pre-Afghanistan days. I’m not totally sure I buy it, but I certainly enjoy it.
John/Sherlock
The Curious Case of the Heart by chibirhm
The author says: “Sherlock sets out to solve the case of his own emotions. It may be his greatest mystery to date.”
I say: I am, frankly, always up for a fic in which Sherlock realizes he’s in love with John, especially when the Sherlock characterization is good, which it is here. Just the exploration of what it is Sherlock finds intriguing about John is a plot sequence I never get sick of reading.
The Death and Resurrection of the English Language by wordstrings
The author says: “Wherein the English language dies, Sherlock mourns it, and John revives a dead tongue.”
I say: This is actually one of a whole series, which you will find if you go to the author’s LJ-this is just my favorite one in the series. The characterization of Sherlock and John in this series is very strong but rather singular and quite intense. If you’re in the mood for that, the later stories in the series will serve nicely-I think this one’s a bit milder, which suits me fine. The whole series is quite good though.
Fearful Symmetry by irisbleufic
The author says: “This story is primarily about John and Harry; it's the result of my longing for a story where she's more than just a walk-on. It's also set post-The Great Game (flashback to the pool included), so here be spoilers. And yes, it's inevitably about John and Sherlock, too.”
I say: I really like that we see Harry in this, and a bit of her relationship with John and its problems. What’s really interesting about this story, too, is the extent to which Sherlock is the least messed-up person in the room at times.
ETA: Lab Book by sam-storyteller
The author says: '""The likelihood of finding a cab on Christmas Eve is fast approaching nil." "So was the likelihood of you kissing me in the middle of the pavement, and yet."'
I say: This is a fun one, in which Sherlock and John seem to have rubbed off on each other a bit--both figuratively and literally--and Sherlock is doing a detailed study of John's sexuality.
Monster by moony
The author says: ‘“And just what is the plan, Sherlock?” John shouted. “Go to prison? You assaulted a police officer - no court won’t convict you.” He ran a hand over his face. “What could possibly be worth risking your freedom?”’
I say: Interesting, plotty sort of fic in which Sherlock has a plan to take down Moriarty that involves a lot of stress on all involved parties. I won’t spoil the plot for you, but it’s suspenseful and a bit creepy at parts, so, you know, who doesn’t like that?
The Perils of Urban Warfare by phantomjam
The author says: “The problems of acclimatising to civilian life a.k.a the travails of John, his therapist and Sherlock.”
I say: Heh. The travails of John and his therapist are rather amusing ones indeed.
The Trick is to Make It Look Easy by paperclipbitch
The author says: ““Your blog only has one sentence on it,” Sherlock tells him.”
I say: This is a fun, rather light read about John’s inability to describe Sherlock in his blog and the extent to which Sherlock really is married to his work.
A Very Delicate Mission by saraht
The author says: ‘"As I'm sure you, of all people, must know, I haven't spoken to Sherlock in eight months."’
I say: This is kind of an interesting set-up, wherein Sherlock’s off on some mission for Mycroft and he and John haven’t talked in eight months, until Mycroft interferes. It’s satisfying in that it simultaneously fulfills my loves of angst and humor.
Winter’s Delights by kate-lear
The author says: “Sherlock take John home to meet the extended Holmes family.”
I say: There are actually multiple Sherlock fics with that plot, but this is my favorite. I like an extended Holmes family that’s weird and overachieving without being completely outside the realm of probability.
AUs, misc. pairings
A Priori by rubberbutton
The author says: “In which vampires have enslaved humans and control, well, everything. Vampire!Mycroft insists his little brother get a slave -- even though it didn't work out with the dog -- and Sherlock chooses the one guaranteed to irritate his brother the most: an unassuming little doctor with an ugly past and absolutely no style to speak of.”
I say: I make no apologies for my fondness for vampire AUs, yo. I find the world-building here really interesting-I have a lot of questions about it, and I’m having fun imagining answers to them while I wash the dishes. Sherlock actually works quite well as a vampire.
Ain’t Seen the Sunshine (Since I Don’t Know When) by Eleanor K.
The author says: “Title stolen from Folsom Prison Blues. Written for a prompt on the Sherlock fic meme where John is Sherlock and Mycroft’s nanny. It’s also somehow warped into a massive retelling of Hound of the Baskervilles.”
I say: So, I don’t know your feelings on kid AUs, but I really enjoyed this one, despite being a bit baffled as to why Ms. Holmes would think John Watson was the guy she wanted to watch her kids. It’s a fun re-working of the Hound of the Baskervilles, and I’m really pretty amused by Mycroft and Sherlock as kids. Also, the pairing’s Lestrade/John, which is interesting, and not a pairing I see that often.
ETA: The dangerous book for boys by orange-crushed
The author says: "There is already someone sitting at the opposite end of the table, but there are books and slides and petri dishes spread out across the length of it, in all directions. There is an unlaced man's shoe sitting on the edge. There does not appear to be a foot attached to it."
I say: So, okay, it's another kid AU, this one John/Sherlock. I like that, even as a child, Sherlock's solving crimes--nice repackaging of the Carl Powers storyline from "The Great Game."
I Used to Live Alone Before I Knew You by etothepii
The author says: “Where Mycroft is an angel, Sherlock is a demon, and John is still John.”
I say: Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. I don’t see a lot of fics that do much with religious ideas, so I thought this was kind of interesting, and I thought Sherlock’s characterization was quite good-if Sherlock were a demon, this is just how he’d be! Also, Mycroft as an angel cracks me up a little bit.
Also, for anyone who’s into music mash-ups, there’s an awesome post of recs here
My big accomplishments of the weekend were in the area of physical fitness-not really a sentence I ever thought I’d find myself typing, but there you have it. I drove out to Target to get myself some little 8-lb dumbells and a medicine ball and a pair of exercise shorts, only the last of which I have actually used. I’m sure I’ll get around to the others, though. That was accomplishment #1. Accomplishment #2 will require a sentence or two of explanation. For the last, oh, almost a week, I’ve been using an app I downloaded off iTunes to guide me through beginning yoga routines everyday. It’s nothing terribly impressive yet, but I haven’t gotten bored and given up yet, either, which is a step in the right direction. Anyway, during the week I’d been doing the 13-minute routine that seems mostly to focus on stretching, and this weekend I tried out the 34-minute routine that involves using actual muscles, muscles I haven’t used in years if, in fact, I’ve ever used them. It’s left me tired and sore both times I’ve tried it, but I flatter myself that it was just a bit easier today than it was yesterday.
Anyway, those were the big milestones of my weekend-the only academic thing I got done was finishing La Chanson de Roland which, in all fairness, was 1500 lines of French poetry, so, you know, wasn’t all that bad an accomplishment. Also, I did a bunch of French grading and got my laundry done. But I’m a little concerned at how short my attention span is when it comes to schoolwork-it’s too early in the semester for me to be getting bored and wasting all my time doing housework or yoga or surfing the internet.
I had a dream the other night, of which I only remember parts. This being my journal and me being a dream-obsessed sort of person, here are the bits I remember: I was a new kid in high school, and my life suddenly seemed to embody multiple high-school movie cliches-I was living both the “new kid is ignored and mocked and excluded for being the new kid” storyline and the “new kid is viewed as mysterious and awesome and privy to arcane knowledge and everyone wants to hang out with her” storyline. How, you might ask, did these two combine? Well, what happened was, I had something of a revolving door of significant others and friends-I’d be dating someone for, like, a day, and then they would dump me because I was the weird new kid, and then someone else would want to date me because of my mysterious new kid vibes, and so on and so forth. Same went for friends.
Now, one of the people who dated and dumped me was a young man with some sort of medical problems (did he have them? Or did someone in his family have them? It’s not clear to me now). Because of these medical problems, his family (a mother and sister) were in enormous financial difficulties, and had taken their life savings and invested it in a giant pepper farm. Now, when I say a giant pepper farm, I don’t mean that the farm itself was particularly large, because it wasn’t; I mean that their crop was gigantic bell and chili peppers, something like four or five feet long. This pepper farm, though, was owned by…evil people? The point was, though the farm was making a profit, my ex’s family wasn’t seeing any of the dividends.
I had remained friends with this particular ex, so, having more confidence in the dream than I ever have in real life, I marched into the office at the pepper farm and demanded that they give my friend’s family his money. They refused and…I think I accidentally killed the boss of the evil pepper-farm-running family, an old woman. I mean, I know I killed her in the dream, but I think it was an accident. Lucky for me, nobody really gave me a hard time about it in the dream-I guess murder was no biggie in this universe-and I successfully got my friend his dividends.
Other things that happened in dreams, though they might not have been this one:
--I was going to a party. The guests there were all musical artists who were putting together a themed compilation album. The theme was “torture.” It was a really disturbing party. I think it’s probably for the best that I remember very little of this dream.
--I was a young man. Or I was two young men. Or I was watching the two young men on a television show. One of the was a kind of laid-back surfer type with money problems, one of them was a stock market genius who had already made tons of money. They were both trying to visit a museum with their families one warm summery day, but the museum was closed. Thrilling, no?
Anyhoo! You knew you were waiting for it: Music meme update!
Day 01- A song that makes me happy
Day 02- A song that helps me clear my head
Day 03- A song that makes you laugh
Day 04- A song that reminds me of something
Day 05- A song that has a new meaning to me every time I hear it
Day 06- A song I can always relate to
Day 07- A song that is my guilty pleasure
Day 08- A song I liked when I was younger
Day 09- A song that makes me want to dance
Day 10- A song that makes me cry
Day 11- A song that reminds me of summer
Day 12- A song that reminds me of my best friend
Day 13- A song I sing to in the shower
Day 14- A song I like hearing live
Day 15- A song people wouldn’t expect me to like
Day 16- A song that holds a lot of meaning to me
Day 17- A song that annoys me
Day 18- A song I have as my ringtone
Day 19- A song I'm currently obsessed with
Day 20- A song from a new album I'm waiting for
Day 21- A song I want to dance to at my wedding
Day 22- A song that would be the theme song to a TV show about my life
Day 23- A song that makes me angry
Honestly, I can’t think of a song that makes me say, “Ooh! I hate this song! It makes me so angry!” Which is not to say that such songs don’t exist, I just can’t think of any. Most of the songs I dislike inspire irritation or boredom, not rage, and I don’t listen to them.
So instead, to go with the theme, I will choose a song that I like that makes me angry, that I listen to when I’m angry to stoke up the mood even more. I could go obvious with this and pick out something from my little metal or punk collections, but instead I’ll go with:
“Bloodless” by Tom McRae
Click to viewI really have no idea as to the specifics of what this song is about, but does it matter? The chorus alone is an inspired little bit of sardonic anger, and for those days when I find a little anger soothes the soul, this is up there on my list of songs to turn to.
Day 24- A cover song
Day 25- An acoustic song I love
Day 26- A song by my favorite band
Day 27- A song I make fun of
Day 28- A song that reminds me of my significant other
Day 29- A song currently stuck in my head
Day 30- A song I haven’t listened to in awhile
And now for something completely different: BBC Sherlock recs for hurkon, as promised on Twitter.
Gen
Pedestrian by vegarin
The author says: ‘"Either he will waver at the sight of you, or he won't. Which do you think it will be, John?" John. Moriarty. A missing scene for The Great Game.’
I say: This is a really well-characterized look at both John and Moriarty. The author’s John voice is particularly good, and honestly, I can’t get enough of “The Great Game”-related stuff, so this really hit the spot.
You Know You’re Completely Mad, Don’t You? by anonymous
The author says: Well, nothing, but the prompt zie was answering was “When John says to Mike "who would want me for a flatmate?" Mike doesn't ask "what do you mean by that?" He also doesn't say "oh, what'd be wrong with you as a flatmate?" He just accepts that John would be a difficult person to find a flat for and moves on to Sherlock. Given that Mike knows at least a little of how odd Sherlock is and yet suggests Watson as a good match, does this imply that John has some weird habits of his own, without regard to his experiences in Afghanistan?”
I say: This is a cool look at an almost throwaway character and an interesting take on what John might have been like in his pre-Afghanistan days. I’m not totally sure I buy it, but I certainly enjoy it.
John/Sherlock
The Curious Case of the Heart by chibirhm
The author says: “Sherlock sets out to solve the case of his own emotions. It may be his greatest mystery to date.”
I say: I am, frankly, always up for a fic in which Sherlock realizes he’s in love with John, especially when the Sherlock characterization is good, which it is here. Just the exploration of what it is Sherlock finds intriguing about John is a plot sequence I never get sick of reading.
The Death and Resurrection of the English Language by wordstrings
The author says: “Wherein the English language dies, Sherlock mourns it, and John revives a dead tongue.”
I say: This is actually one of a whole series, which you will find if you go to the author’s LJ-this is just my favorite one in the series. The characterization of Sherlock and John in this series is very strong but rather singular and quite intense. If you’re in the mood for that, the later stories in the series will serve nicely-I think this one’s a bit milder, which suits me fine. The whole series is quite good though.
Fearful Symmetry by irisbleufic
The author says: “This story is primarily about John and Harry; it's the result of my longing for a story where she's more than just a walk-on. It's also set post-The Great Game (flashback to the pool included), so here be spoilers. And yes, it's inevitably about John and Sherlock, too.”
I say: I really like that we see Harry in this, and a bit of her relationship with John and its problems. What’s really interesting about this story, too, is the extent to which Sherlock is the least messed-up person in the room at times.
ETA: Lab Book by sam-storyteller
The author says: '""The likelihood of finding a cab on Christmas Eve is fast approaching nil." "So was the likelihood of you kissing me in the middle of the pavement, and yet."'
I say: This is a fun one, in which Sherlock and John seem to have rubbed off on each other a bit--both figuratively and literally--and Sherlock is doing a detailed study of John's sexuality.
Monster by moony
The author says: ‘“And just what is the plan, Sherlock?” John shouted. “Go to prison? You assaulted a police officer - no court won’t convict you.” He ran a hand over his face. “What could possibly be worth risking your freedom?”’
I say: Interesting, plotty sort of fic in which Sherlock has a plan to take down Moriarty that involves a lot of stress on all involved parties. I won’t spoil the plot for you, but it’s suspenseful and a bit creepy at parts, so, you know, who doesn’t like that?
The Perils of Urban Warfare by phantomjam
The author says: “The problems of acclimatising to civilian life a.k.a the travails of John, his therapist and Sherlock.”
I say: Heh. The travails of John and his therapist are rather amusing ones indeed.
The Trick is to Make It Look Easy by paperclipbitch
The author says: ““Your blog only has one sentence on it,” Sherlock tells him.”
I say: This is a fun, rather light read about John’s inability to describe Sherlock in his blog and the extent to which Sherlock really is married to his work.
A Very Delicate Mission by saraht
The author says: ‘"As I'm sure you, of all people, must know, I haven't spoken to Sherlock in eight months."’
I say: This is kind of an interesting set-up, wherein Sherlock’s off on some mission for Mycroft and he and John haven’t talked in eight months, until Mycroft interferes. It’s satisfying in that it simultaneously fulfills my loves of angst and humor.
Winter’s Delights by kate-lear
The author says: “Sherlock take John home to meet the extended Holmes family.”
I say: There are actually multiple Sherlock fics with that plot, but this is my favorite. I like an extended Holmes family that’s weird and overachieving without being completely outside the realm of probability.
AUs, misc. pairings
A Priori by rubberbutton
The author says: “In which vampires have enslaved humans and control, well, everything. Vampire!Mycroft insists his little brother get a slave -- even though it didn't work out with the dog -- and Sherlock chooses the one guaranteed to irritate his brother the most: an unassuming little doctor with an ugly past and absolutely no style to speak of.”
I say: I make no apologies for my fondness for vampire AUs, yo. I find the world-building here really interesting-I have a lot of questions about it, and I’m having fun imagining answers to them while I wash the dishes. Sherlock actually works quite well as a vampire.
Ain’t Seen the Sunshine (Since I Don’t Know When) by Eleanor K.
The author says: “Title stolen from Folsom Prison Blues. Written for a prompt on the Sherlock fic meme where John is Sherlock and Mycroft’s nanny. It’s also somehow warped into a massive retelling of Hound of the Baskervilles.”
I say: So, I don’t know your feelings on kid AUs, but I really enjoyed this one, despite being a bit baffled as to why Ms. Holmes would think John Watson was the guy she wanted to watch her kids. It’s a fun re-working of the Hound of the Baskervilles, and I’m really pretty amused by Mycroft and Sherlock as kids. Also, the pairing’s Lestrade/John, which is interesting, and not a pairing I see that often.
ETA: The dangerous book for boys by orange-crushed
The author says: "There is already someone sitting at the opposite end of the table, but there are books and slides and petri dishes spread out across the length of it, in all directions. There is an unlaced man's shoe sitting on the edge. There does not appear to be a foot attached to it."
I say: So, okay, it's another kid AU, this one John/Sherlock. I like that, even as a child, Sherlock's solving crimes--nice repackaging of the Carl Powers storyline from "The Great Game."
I Used to Live Alone Before I Knew You by etothepii
The author says: “Where Mycroft is an angel, Sherlock is a demon, and John is still John.”
I say: Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. I don’t see a lot of fics that do much with religious ideas, so I thought this was kind of interesting, and I thought Sherlock’s characterization was quite good-if Sherlock were a demon, this is just how he’d be! Also, Mycroft as an angel cracks me up a little bit.
Also, for anyone who’s into music mash-ups, there’s an awesome post of recs here