First, I know is one of the people who posted about the RPC Auto-shutdown loop that's driving people batty today. I wanted to add that there are a couple other solutions, at least in XP:

To kill the loop: Make sure system restore is turned OFF, and then run regedit. In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE | Software | Microsoft | Windows | Current Version | RUN there may be a line for “automatic updates” with a key of msblast.exe. Delete that key. Save. Reboot. (Note: if system restore is not turned OFF first, the line will be rewritten.)

And a quick link for the patch we used: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=823980

I know the current update of Norton finds the worm, but the patch /prevents/ it. And yeah, I spent half the day yelling at the guys in my office for ignoring the Windows Update alerts.

* * *
Techiness aside, I'm in a blah mood. My shoulders and wrists hurt so much I haven't been sleeping, and I'm trying to avoid too much ibuprofen, and I'm cross and whiney, sometimes both at once, so if I seem scarce, I am, because nothing's inspiring me, and I'm trying to make sure the house is clean before my parents come, and I turn into a twelve-year-old again. We fired someone at work last week, and while intellectually I know it was the right business decision, I feel bad. It was made worse when I opened his drawer to look for a pen this evening, and found brand new Franklin Quest calendars and posters with “Opportunity” on them.

*Hugs* to those who want 'em. Sorry I'm in an antisocial mood. It won't last much longer. I hope.

A chicken and an egg are lying in bed. The chicken is leaning against

the headboard smoking a cigarette with a satisfied smile on its face.

The egg, looking a bit ticked off, grabs the sheet, rolls over and says;

“Well, I guess we finally answered THAT question.”

Mostly cuz of work. Today because of emergency root canal in…40 minutes.

Ibuprofen and vodka, please?

Xenobia is one of the wisest, smartest, best looking people on the planet. Or so at least she would like to think. It's not that Xenobia is vain – more that she is terribly susceptible to flattery. All Leos suffer from this little weakness. That's because, despite what astrologers are always saying about Leos and their confidence, secretly, deep down, they are a little unsure of themselves. This explains Xenobia's tendency to be strongly outspoken and extrovert one moment and quietly anxious the next.

Her close friends know all about her tendency towards self doubt. They know what a warm, genuine and generous character she can be, but they also know about her natural sensitivity. Xenobia's acquaintances, however, have no such insight. They feel sure that in Xenobia, they are dealing with a dynamic, energetic and decisive person who is it would be most unwise to cross.

Xenobia is fiery and feisty – she gives the impression of being someone who knows it all. As a matter of fact, whilst she does not know it 'all', she does know quite a lot of it. Xenobia is well read, well researched and always well presented. she cuts a dash, she has 'presence.' Heads turn when she enters the room. Xenobia is aware of the impression she makes but not entirely comfortable with it. She knows that people are responding to her big pretence, not her true personality. That's why she so deeply treasures the company of loved ones who are strong enough to see through her façade and respect her for the mere mortal that she actually is.

Go here to do your own

Unlike the latest Harry Potter installment, my latest read arrived in my mail slot with little fanfare, in a plain white envelope. At first, I thought it was junk mail – one of those packets of coupons for things I never want or need, until it's too late and then I wish I'd saved the coupon.

Eventually, of course, I realized what it really was: Dancing Barefoot by Wil Wheaton. I read it – all of it, as it's just a hair over 100 pages – while sitting at the dining room table eating leftover macaroni and cheese from last night, and enjoying the evening breeze. Of course, I was supposed to be on my way to the pool, but reading was just as relaxing, and didn't attract attention from my dogs, who follow me back and forth when I swim laps.

The content isn't anything you can't find on his website, which he pretty much states in the beginning, but it was a nice read, and I look forward to more of his writings.

If you have the opportunity, I recommend the book.

melissa Magic Number 12 Job Actor Personality Rainy Day Temperament Unflappable Sexual Just Say No Likely To Win Nothing Me – In A Word Evil Colour Brought to you by MemeJack

Yeah, so, I finally did it too. It's only the PINK I object to, really.

xenobia Magic Number 13 Job Computer Nerd Personality Focussed And Driven Temperament An Oft-Exploding Volcano Sexual Gay Likely To Win Nothing Me – In A Word Belligerent Colour Brought to you by MemeJack

I have about 20 files left to process at work before I can consider myself “caught up.” If I get through at least twelve tomorrow, I can probably manage to be finished with work by two or three on Friday.

Those of you who have noticed my rather conspicuous lack of presence anywhere, please understand: by the time I get home, when I'm this busy, the last things I want to have to deal with are people (no matter how much I love them) or computers (no matter how cool they are).

No offense intended.
And, hey, ? You're still the best assistant in the world!

asked.

1. Do you have a favorite vacation spot? If so, where is it, and why?

2. If you had to recommend three authors to someone who professed that they didn't like to read, which three would you recommend?

3. Some people say that the first character one creates on a MUSH (or for any roleplaying game) is an extension of self, that someone is playing themselves, though perhaps in a more idealistic fashion (better looking, smarter, etc). Would you agree or disagree with that statement?

4. You've mentioned a lot of fun places to shop in the past, do you have an absolute favorite among all of them? Where?

5. You asked this of me, so it doesn't seem fair to turn the question around, but I am genuinely curious. :) Why do you journal/LJ/blog?

1. Do you have a favorite vacation spot? If so, where is it, and why?
I'm such a city person, that my favorite vacation activity is to visit new cities, and explore. I loved the time we spent in France last Christmas for just this reason (we're hoping to make a trip to England within the next year, as well), but Portland is the city I loved – from the vintage hotel with live jazz and a tunnel to the symphony hall (formerly used for smuggling liquor during Prohibition), to Powell's and the Saturday Market, I completely fell in love with Portland, OR. Away from cities, I'm a beach person – so anyplace sunny and sandy is lovely. Pt. Reyes has some amazing b&b's, and I love the forests so close to the coastline. And where my parents live, near La Paz, BCS, Mexico, is amazing as well – and the water's WARM.

2. If you had to recommend three authors to someone who professed that they didn't like to read, which three would you recommend?
1) Stephen King, because his work has been translated into so many movies and miniseries that he'd be somewhat familiar. Also, I love the way he uses this homespun style to suck you into his stories, and then, once you've bought into the wonderful images of childhood or Americana or whatever, you open a door and face Death. Also, even though his books tend to be long, they're fast-paced.
2) Tom Clancy, for many similar reasons, and in addition, because he's a great storyteller – I mean, if someone like me can enjoy his books, anyone can.
3) Willa Cather (kidding, although I'm probably the only person around who read My Antonia because I wanted to, not because I had to.) Seriously, my third choice is Madeleine L'Engle – and not just because I remember reading A Wrinkle in Time when I was eight. Her straight fiction is every bit as compelling as her science fiction /fantasy, and her style is clean and neat. One of my favorite novels of hers is Certain Women, which is about fathers and daughters and theatre and the life of King David, as well. Great book. Her Crosswicks Journals are also interesting.

3. Some people say that the first character one creates on a MUSH (or for any roleplaying game) is an extension of self, that someone is playing themselves, though perhaps in a more idealistic fashion (better looking, smarter, etc). Would you agree or disagree with that statement?

I'd argue that, to some degree, all of our characters are extensions of ourselves, but some are closer than others. As to the first? My experience has been that this is fairly accurate, and it makes sense. Just as in writing classes they admonish you to “write what you know,” it's easiest to “play what you know,” and basically Pernize yourself, or at least your favorite aspects of yourself. Is this a bad thing? Not necessarily. Am I guilty of it? Probably, but neither Chaia nor Zai are my first characters. Chaia has my eyes, because I get so tired of all these blue-eyed blondes, but she's so patient, and basically nice, and I'm really NOT. Zai has my height, but she's bouncier than I'll ever be, and has no fear (and anything that seems like fear is strictly her player's). I find that I do find myself playing petite characters, because I'm so used to looking UP to meet people's eyes that playing TALL is hard for me. And then, for me, MUSH is acting not writing, so I guess I approach it differently than the people who see it as storytelling.

4. You've mentioned a lot of fun places to shop in the past, do you have an absolute favorite among all of them? Where?
Yes. My all-time favorite store in LIFE is in South Dakota: Zandbroz. It's an old-fashioned variety store, but upscale, with cedar floors, and a soda fountain/espresso bar, and a performance space in the back, and it saved SoDak for me. They sell everything from really nice pens to funky retro tin toys, and carry an eclectic selection of books, focussing on small press, bestsellers, and local authors. I've often fantasized about translating such a store to California (in fact, I'd love to buy the old Burbank theatre and turn that into a bistro/variety store/performing space) but I /so/ don't have that kind of cash, just the dreams of someone who comes from a long line of entrepreneurs.

My other favorite place to shop is Cost Plus, as you know if you've ever been in my house: My glasses (the tumblers, not the stemware), a lot of my placemats and napkins, candles, knickknacks, tea, chocolate, /stuff/ is from there.

And then, I haunt bookstores and stationery stores, as well. I'm anti-Wal-Mart, and K-Marts make me cringe, but I like Marshall's for Shoes, and Target because it's a good place to get that one small household thing you always need – lawn furniture, microwaves, a bagel-toaster, etc. Besides, Marshall's is related to Marshall Fields, and I believe Target is part of Dayton/Hudson, so it's not like they're not selling good stuff.

5. You asked this of me, so it doesn't seem fair to turn the question around, but I am genuinely curious. :) Why do you journal/LJ/blog?
I've started and given up on more paper journals than anyone can count, really, and while I love writing letters longhand, the act of keeping a paper diary doesn't really appeal to me. I think better at the keyboard (which is why I have wireless net access for my laptop, so I can drag it into bed, and sit and type), and it's easier to edit, though I don't. I got into online journalling because a friend of mine introduced me to Open Diary about a week before I created Zai, when I was taking time off work, and I was hooked instantly. I can babble to my heart's content, and people REACT. YAY. Maybe it's the surpressed performer in me, but I love that there's feedback, and I like commenting, but I've stopped doing that with LJ folk, because I'm never sure if comments are truly welcome.

My other reason, one I've ignored recently, is writing practice. I love words. I love stringing them together to form essays and observations. As with any other skill, if you don't keep doing it, you become rusty, so this gives me the impetus to not get rusty.

And then, there's the whole community thing. I'm basically very shy until I warm up to people – it takes me a while to do that, and while I know that a lot of it has to do with having attended something like ten different schools between kindergarten and the end of high school, and ALWAYS being the new kid. I learned how to be on the fringes of groups, without really being in the clique, but I lost the skill for making fast friends really quickly. The RL friends I've kept through various moves, are mostly male, also, and it's only since I began the OD/LJ/blog thing that I've really experienced being part of a community of other women my own age.

And finally, I began the personal blog site because it's ALWAYS up, and I control it, and when I want family or friends to read something, it's easier to do that, than to deal with them wading through LJ or OD where we have friend-locks and such.

And hey, sorry if these answers are totally nonsensical, but it's almost 4:30 in the morning. And on that note, I'm going back to bed :)

Questions are from , and again, are double posted to the blog.

1. What is your favourite food (and drink) to have at lunch?
The drink part is easy: my favorite cold beverage in life is unsweetened iced tea. I like the sweetened kind, as well, but only when made in a very specific fashion, and since there are only two people EVER who could make it that way, and one of them is now dead, it's easier to go with unsweetened. It has to be regular tea, too, and not raspberry or anything. Plain. Lipton. Brisk.

Food's harder. If I'm working, I'm happy with anything that isn't drippy or messy or can't be eaten with one hand. I love the Satay Chicken appetizer from Krung Thai – it comes with it's own salad, even, and toast – and I love the chicken ultimo burritos from Baja Fresh. And sushi's never a bad idea.

When I'm home for lunch, I resort to comfort food as taught to me by my mother: tuna salad with still-warm hard-boiled egg mixed in. In a bowl, with a fork. No onion or funky vegetables, just the tuna and mayo and egg, and some pepper and garlic powder. It sounds gross, but it's actually quite tasty.

2. Have you ever broken anything (ex: arm, leg, nose, toe)? If so, how did it happen? If not, what are your top three favourite shampoos? I've sprained my ankles numerous times, and sliced a nerve in my hand, and torn cartilage in my knee, but never broken anything, so I'm answering the shampoo question:

1) Aveda: Clove Shampoo. It's a warm honey brown color, and smells vaguely sweet. It's not thick or sticky, and it supposedly helps encourage highlights in brown hair.

2) Essential Elements: Rosemary & Mint Shampoo. I survived many many hot days in South Dakots because this stuff is so cool and tingly it's like a breath mint for your hair. I love mint scented things in general, but…oooh, this is just too good to describe. Sadly, it's difficult to find in my neigborhood.

3) Aussie Mega Shampoo. It's not horribly expensive, it smells nice, and it works on my insufferably thick hair. What's not to love?

3. You have one day to live. What do you do?First, I'd reformat my hard drive, so that if Fuzzy wanted to sell my computer, he could. Second, I'd make sure all the accounts were moved to his name only, because if you have a joint account and one half of the partnership dies, and they freeze the account, it's not good. I'd call all the people I love, and tell them so. And I'd spend the day surrounded by as many of them as possible, at the beach, with the dogs.

4. It is time for you to tell me the history of your hair. What major cuts happened to it? What colour is it, did you dye it, how has your daily 'hair routine' changed over the years, is there another colour you would dye it and why (or why not)? (For example, I would start off saying that when I was really really little, I had golden blonde hair that darkened to brown. I had a mushroom cut when I was maybe seven or eight, blah blah blah, shaved head, blah blah.)
For the first year of my life I was bald. Bald, bald, bald. They had to tape bows to the top of my head, and people kept asking if I was a boy. The nerve!
But my Sinead O'Conner days ended, and by the time I was two I had thick, but still babyish, strawberry blonde hair that gradually darkened to a decidedly wheaten color by the time I was six. It was long, until then, and I wore it staight, because my hair has NO curl. During the year I was in kindergarden, my friend Terrie and I used to try coordinate our hairstyles (via mental telepathy, so it wasn't always terribly effective) so we'd both have braids one day or pony tails the other. Stuff like that.

When I was seven, I got my first short haircut, a wedge a la Dorothy Hamil, who'd won the gold medal in '76. A pixie cut and no front teeth. Damn, I was adorable :)

By the time I was nine, my hair had grown out again and Mork and Mindy was a popular show. I had those rubberbands with the smilie faces on them, and would pull just the front sections on either side into “Mindy” style ponytails.

I cut my hair to a long bob when I was eleven, for the move from Colorado to California, then let it grow longer until I was 15. I got my first perm at 12- do you know how long it takes to perm hair this thick? It's scary.

I dyed my hair for the first time at fifteen – from medium light brown to ash blonde, but when it grew out, I didn't keep dying it, because by the end it was turning a bit too orange. When I turned eighteen, dyed it red for the first time, and it's been some color other than it's own ever since. (I turn 33 in a few months. You do the math).

The last week of my Freshman year of college, I dyed my hair BLACK. This is not a color that suited me. In order to get it UN BLACK I had to bleach it all the way out to almost clear. I kind of liked being a platinum blonde for 48 hours, really. Once I'd had the melted ends cut off, I stuck with nice coppery reds, and merely maintained the color, though every so often I'd go brighter, or darker, just for a slight change.

I had a twist-perm in SoDak, which was like long long spirally curls. Ouch. I had another spiral perm in CA in 98, and then again in 1999. I haven't permed it since, and won't.

In 2000 I cut it really really short, but I didn't keep it that way. Though I loved it – so /easy/ it required trips to the salon too often.

But I still kept it red until last July when I was in Minneapolis for a wedding, and went to Joot, and said, “Just, make it all one color.” They dyed it darker than my real color (which has darkened to a warm dark brown by now) to hide all the red, and it's taken most of the last year to get the red completely out. As to cuts, right now it's in a basic blunt-cut bob, just brushing my shoulders, with bangs just above my eyebrows, and the color's Aveda brown #3, which has some red and gold highlighting, but just enough for depth. I might perm it again, some day, because I miss curls, and I might not.

5. Do you have a favourite Muppet? If so, why? If not… why the heck not? While it's no secret that I'm anti-animation, and I generally avoid kids shows, I have a special place in my heart for Sesame Street, which was made moreso when I met Sonia (who plays Maria) a couple of years ago, while I was staying with her RL mother and sister. As a fan of the show, I'm therefore torn between all of the classic muppets, but I'd probably have to pick Kermit, because he's such a Zen little bit of felt, wrapped around Jim Henson's soul.