Bits and Bobs

[przed]

In the wake of the Pros Big Bang, I think I have post-project ennui.

I've been casting about for the next project to work on (not usually a problem) and seem to be unable to focus on anything properly. This was expected, and yet annoying. (To be fair, I've been poking at an U.N.C.L.E. story, but it's proceeding at an absolutely glacial pace.)

The above is probably not helped by the fact that Ros has been down with a fever since Saturday. It hasn't been awful, but she's developed these wickedly flushed cheeks such as we've never seen on her before. So I start thinking Scarlet Fever, take her to her pediatrician, voice my suspicion of Scarlet Fever, and instead of being told "Don't be silly," I am told "You are getting so smart."

Yep, she has Scarlet Fever.

A classic case, apparently. Fever, flushed cheeks, a nicely developing rash, and a throat that looks like raw hamburger. The throat makes me wonder just how high Ros' pain theshhold is. We've been asking her for days if she has a sore throat, and she keeps telling us, "no, not really."

Fortunately, these days Scarlet Fever means a course of antibiotics and you're fine in a week. And she won't be contagious by tomorrow afternoon, so she can go back to daycare and school. Since both the Sweetie and I are running out of personal days/vacation/sick days to take to look after her, this is a good thing.

And that's the state of Zed.

Except that I'm signing up for Yuletide again this year. I was terrified of it last year, but looking forward to it this time. After all, if I can knock out 30,000 words of zombie fic, I can totally manage 1,000 words in a wee fandom. And maybe it'll reset my ambition and get me working on other things.

Comments

[draycevixen.livejournal.com]

Scarlet Fever???????? You're raising a plucky Victorian heroine who will struggle against adversity and eventually triumph with the help of god and big strong rich gentleman?

No? Good!

Seriously though, well spotted and it's lovely to read that it's now easy to fix. I wasn't aware that people even got it any more.

I feel your project pain. I just feel sort of... floppy since finishing and I have another deadline for Monday. *headdesk*

Still, signing up for Yuletide sounds lovely particularly as I've heard so many good things about it from mates who participate.

I hope Ros makes a swift recovery. ♥

[przed.livejournal.com]

Fortunately we've got the antibiotics those plucky Victorian heroines didn't. Ros is much better, though still not perfect.

I'm with you on the floppy. I feel like I should be all organized and efficient, but mostly I just want to take a break. Which is fine. The Sweetie and I have been mainlining Mad Men eps before we're spoiled for the ending.

Yuletide was kind of awesome last year. I wrote a couple of fun pieces. And I got a fab Top Gear RPS story as a gift. (Yes, I'm going to hell. *g*)

[draycevixen.livejournal.com]

If TG RPS means you're going to hell it would appear that you'll have a whole lot of very fun company. :D

I think I'm going to avoid signing up for anything else at least until the New Year and see how I feel about it then. I'd really like to take some time and get some of my WIPs finished. Yeah, I'll see how that goes. *g*

[przed.livejournal.com]

Let's hear it for TG RPS fun!

I'm trying to limit my sign ups this year. I didn't sign up for the UNCLE Christmas exchange, and I've done that almost every year for ages. But I'm strategic with Yuletide. I stick to short source (movies or wee mini-series) and only stuff I know really well going in. And it's only a thousand words. And it's fun to stretch yourself by writing in something that isn't your main fandom. (I got to do Tombstone slash last year, and it was a hoot. I ended up doing actual research on Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday.)

[draycevixen.livejournal.com]

I almost got roped in to the TGS fun by Halo and EWT when TGS-crack was active. I got as far as writing a bit of a round robin where the blokes were suddenly Amish and in the company of the SPN boys and Captain Jack but that's as far as it went... I miss writing crack which just goes to show that my mother probably *did* drop me on my head as a baby and just hasn't admitted to it.

and only stuff I know really well going in... I ended up doing actually research on Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. Did you hear me giggle from where you are? *g*

1,000 words is even sounding intimidating right now. The LoM Ficathon story due on Monday is only 1,000+ words and I'm already up over 2,500 words with no end in sight. *headdesk repeatedly*

I will happily shake glittery Christmas pompoms for you though. ♥

[przed.livejournal.com]

Did you hear me giggle from where you are? *g*

Were you giggling at the (now corrected) typo, or the fact that I can turn even an 1,600 word story into an opportunity for research. *g*

I'm already up over 2,500 words with no end in sight. *headdesk repeatedly*

Just don't emulate our An and edge ever closer to 100K, yeah? Here's some Ford Cortina pom poms to speed you on your way.

*\0/**\0/**\0/**\0/**\0/**\0/**\0/*

[draycevixen.livejournal.com]

Definitely the research after saying that you'd set out to pick canon you were very familiar with. *g*

I don't think there's any danger of heading in to the 100K range, I was just looking for a quick easy write and I'm already up over the word count I was looking for. Fortunately for my com mates, no Cortina was taken advantage of in this story... well, not so far. My prompt doesn't work for that and anyway while the Cortina stories will probably haunt me until I draw my last breath I do write other things in that fandom... Erm... well, some. *g*

[przed.livejournal.com]

Yeah, well I pretty much have all of Tombstone memorized, but I started doing a how Doc and Wyatt met story. And then I realized they were real guys and there must be some historical record of how they did meet and I got stuck in my head that I needed to conform to that. (I know, silly fanfic writer, sticking to reality. What was I thinking? *g*)

As for your story, you still have plenty of time to abuse a Cortina. *g*

[draycevixen.livejournal.com]

I REALLY wanted to have Doyle go for his walk in the Rococco Gardens, also in Painswick and brilliant they are too... but I had certain suspicions and then confirmed them in research that while he could have tromped through there just like we did at kids it would be a couple of more years before he would have been able to see what we can see now. Could I have fudged it? Sure, no one would have known the different but I would have... so I certainly understand your need to conform to the facts. *g*

I've never abused a Cortina. She's too busy being a complete strumpet with everyone else. *g*

[krisserci5.livejournal.com]

Good for you. . .catching that so early. . .smart mom. I hope she recovers quickly.

[przed.livejournal.com]

She's on the way to feeling better. Now we're just hoping we don't get it. :-/

[solosundance.livejournal.com]

Good catch! Poor little Ros, hope she gets better soon.

[przed.livejournal.com]

She's on the way to feeling better. Here's hoping that continues.

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

I'm glad Ros is on the mend! Children make our lives so interesting. :)

[przed.livejournal.com]

Interesting...that's one way of putting it. ;-)

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

Scarlet fever?! Wow, I didn't think that was around much anymore. I hope she feels better really soon.

And while I'd love for you to work on your UNCLE story, another Pros one would be just as wonderful. :-)

[przed.livejournal.com]

Apparently Scarlet Fever is making a comeback. At least Ros is on the mend now.

UNCLE is definitely leading the pack for story ideas at the moment, but it's going to take forever to finish at this time.

[msmoat.livejournal.com]

Wow. I'll join the others in not having heard of Scarlet Fever as something that is still around. Although it must be, really. Well done for having thought of it and taking her in to the pediatrician! I'm so glad antibiotics will do the trick and she'll be back to her normal self soon.

It's no wonder you're a little burnt out. Yuletide is a great way to push yourself. I'm always tempted to join in, but then scare myself out of it every year. *g*

[przed.livejournal.com]

Apparently Scarlet Fever is floating about these days. At least there's an easy cure these days.

I'd highly recommend Yuletide. It scared me last year, but I was very strategic about the fandoms I offered. I stuck to movies and short mini-series, source that I knew well and wouldn't take me ages to catch up on the canon of. It was kind of liberating.

[saintvic.livejournal.com]

Hope that Ros gets better really soon.

And yay for signing up for Yuletide, I hope it will be great fun for you.

[przed.livejournal.com]

Ros is definitely better.

I'm looking forward to Yuletide. Can't wait to see what fandoms I draw.

[callistosh65.livejournal.com]

Scarlet Fever??? Ouch - that's a plucky little gal you have there. None of the usual run-of-the-mill germs for her, eh?? Glad to hear the treatment is nice and simple now.

[przed.livejournal.com]

She couldn't get just a regular cold, could she? But at least she's on her way to being better.

[halotolerant.livejournal.com]

Scarlet Fever, now that's a good anecdote for her when she's a teenager and reading the Victorian greats *g* Poor thing, I hope she's feeling better.

Yuletide \o/ I've been Yuletiding three years now. My MO is apparently to just about manage my assigned fic the night of deadline (with help from my amazing and long-suffering beta elfwhistletree who has other things to think about in the run up to Christmas but comes through every time) and then write about five stocking stuffers on Christmas Eve *g* It's become a feature of the holiday for me now!

[przed.livejournal.com]

I'll definitely be saving this story for when she's a teenager.

That is a crazy Yuletide MO. I only managed my story and one stocking stuffer last year. Maybe I'll try a few more stocking stuffers this year. I'm looking forward to seeing what fandoms I draw.

[norfolkdumpling.livejournal.com]

Aw - poor Ros! I hope she feels better soon.

Scarlet Fever was all over my goddaughter's school a few months ago and at first I was all 'OMG NAIL THE DOORS SHUT AND DON THE BIOSUIT!!!!', until I realised that we weren't actually living in a Louisa May Alcott novel and these days the magic antibiotics will clear it up in no time. *g* Unpleasant while it lasts though, poor little girl!

Good luck with Yuletide - I'm buffing the pom poms as I type...

[przed.livejournal.com]

It's alarming, but at least the antibiotics seem to be doing the trick. Mind you, one of my friends got it a few years ago, and it took multiple rounds of antibiotics for her to shake it. Here's hoping neither the Sweetie nor I get the darn bug.

I shall be looking forward to the Yuletide pom poms. *g*

[seleneheart]

Scarlet fever, how horrible!! Sorry your baby had to go through that.

[przed.livejournal.com]

Fortunately she wasn't that sick with it. It was just a really persistent, if low grade, fever. But she's on the mend...