I wasn't going to do this. I was going to write a real post, but the incompetence of the people at Providian has me seething, and surveys relax me….

MU* Roleplay Survey
1. What was the first MU* you ever joined? I visited PernMUSH in 11/93, but didn't stay. All 'first' questions will be based on the first character I kept. First character I kept was on ShardsMUSH, April, 1994.
2. How long ago was that? Almost exactly eight years.
3. What was the name of your first MU* character? Zenobia
4. Their sex? Female
5. Their species? Human
6. Their personality? Mildly impish healer turned quintessential greenrider
7. Do you still have that character? No
8. If not, which of your current MU* characters have you had the longest? Chaia
9. Which of your characters – past or present – is your favourite? Zeni
10. Why? Isn't the first always the most special? I was so innocent, so not involved in politics…
11. Which of your current characters do you RP the most? A tossup between Chaia and Zaidra
12. Which MU* do you have the most characters on? PernMUSH
13. Do you prefer MUDs, MUCKs, MUSHes, MOOs or something else? MUSHes
14. Do you draw any of your characters yourself? I tend to avoid pictures of my alts, whether by myself or anyone else. Anyway, I can't draw.
15. If so, which character do you draw most often? N/A
16. Which of your characters is most like you in real life? The original Zeni was.
17. How many MU*s do you currently have characters on? 3 public, one private
18. Which MU* is your favourite? PernMUSH is home.
19. Why? It just is. This answer is, however, subject to change.
20. Do you RP sex? Sometimes.
21. Do you RP extreme violence? No.
22. Do you prefer long or short poses? Medium. With some shorter and longer as needed.
23. Do you prefer long or short descs? Medium. If it scrolls off the screen it's too long.
24. Do you have more male or female characters? Female.
25. Do you find it harder to play characters of the opposite sex? I find it incredibly difficult to play a male /dragon/, and the times I've had male alts have been comically bad.
26. Do you prefer to plan your characters in full detail before you start RPing them or let them develope naturally? They evolve, usually. The ones that don't generally get idled out.
27. Do you ever get characters on a whim and then never RP with them? Never on a whim. Sometimes on request.
28. Do you log RP? Compulsively, now. But I have /nothing/ of my Shards days, and I wish I did.
29. If so, do you sometimes go back a read them later? As needed for references, or to get back to basics.
30. Finally, how many MU* characters do you currently have in total? 8

Duplicated from my lasik journal.
So, at my two week follow-up visit with Dr. McBride last night, we discussed two things:

1) I still have 0.75 – 1.00 astigmatism in my left eye, which is affecting my best visual acuity. This is far less than I had, but when we do refractions, it really comes out. She wants to wait another six or eight weeks, and see how I am, and then suggest having an 'enhancement' on my left eye. This would mean another surgery, just to correct the astigmatism. The initial fee covered up to two enhancements within the first year, and it's better to do them around the 90-day mark because then it's easy to lift the original flap.

2) My eyes were still really dry, so I now have Punctum Plugs. These are sesame-seed-sized slivers of silicone(dare you to say /that/ three times quickly) that plug the lower tear ducts. The concept here is to retain my own tears, rather than flooding my eyes with drops.

I mentioned, when she was sticking them in, that I'd had chronic ear/nose/throat problems all my life, and she told me about Herrick's theories, that dry eye due to over active drainage can actually /contribute/ to these things.

As always, here are some websites for further info:

1) http://www.dryeye.org/
2) http://www.drwalji.com/dry.html

Also, Fuzzy agreed with my analysis that just after they do stuff to my eyes, I get moody for several days. Hmmm. Something to work on, I guess.

So, it's April. Yay.

I've archived everything from March and earlier.

If you want to know the details of the plugs in my tear ducts, go read the lastest post from .

So, a process server served my boss with papers about a lawsuit. Apparently, one of the advertisers at Monster is suing a bunch of others for 'false advertising'.

I find this hilarious.
Perhaps I shouldn't, but I do.

And, I've succumbed to another quiz. I won't ask anyone to bow down, because that would be gauche, but offerings of chocolate would be acceptable :)

81%

I am 81% worshipable! And you? Find out!

So, we attacked the back yard today, me with the new lawn mower, and Fuzzy with the edger. I really need to get over my fear of the edger, but after watching him use it, and seeing how much stuff flew toward his face, I'm really glad it wasn't me using it.

Anyway, the dogs are happy because the grass is no longer taller than they are, and I'm delighted because I planted two dwarf citrus plants last spring, then went on vacation, and came back to find that it had never occurred to Fuzzy that in 100+ degree heat, one should water trees.

I thought they'd be dead. But they're not. They're in blossom. And the calla lilies are in full force. The japanese maple is a lost cause, but I never wanted it, anyway, so I'm replacing it with a rose-bush I was given for my last birthday, and which I moved to a larger pot, and am now moving to the ground, at last.

And tomorrow I have another eye appointment, so those following my LASIK story will want to read 's stuff late tomorrow evening.

Happy Easter! Happy Spring!

I'm in a rambling mood tonight. Hence the cut-tag.

I slept til 10 this morning, because I could, and because I seem to need more sleep since LASIK. It's weird, because you wouldn't think a simple thing like your eyes would cause you to need rest but I find that reading computer screens and such tires me. A lot.

Had a hair appointment. My hair has never been horribly long – down to the bottom of my bra-strap at the longest, and it's bone-straight, and while I used to have it spiral permed, it's really too fine for that, and I got tired of picking rat-nests out of my hair. Two years ago, I cut it excruciatingly short, and I'd left it mostly short until last year, when I realized I missed ponytails. I am, after all, a true geek girl, and ponytails are a vital part of my existance. Also, I cannot stand having my hair in my face. In fact, it bug me when other people have their hair in their faces.

Anyway, today Azam and her new assistant (whose name I didn't get, but seemed like a nice guy) spoiled me – I've been cut, colored, and deep conditioned, and on April 13th I'm returning to my pre-LASIK routine of a manicure every week, and a pedicure every other week, and having my eyebrows waxed.

After my three-hour beauty marathon, I finally have a hair cut that requires no fuss, and is shaped enough that I don't feel compelled to break out the ponytail holders. However, I had to wash it, because the overwhelming amount of STUFF that had been used was making me dizzy and nauseous.

After a break, and a caramel macchiato, we went to the mall, so I could buy a new Franklin Planner. Yes, I have a Visor Prism. Yes, I love my Visor Prism. But sometimes I need INK, and sometimes the planner is better. I'd been using a compact one the last time, but now I have the larger classic size, with a spiffy new leather binder (on sale, of course). They even swapped the free cell-phone holder for a visor-holder, which I needed more.

And of course, since I dragged Fuzzy out of bed before three on a weekend, we had to visit Electronics Boutique, where we bought extension cords for the game pads for our Playstation 2, and a couple games. said the game I should have gotten was Shadows of Destiny, so I bought it. See, I do pay attention to game-talk, sometimes.

We went to Friday's, which is totally not in our neighborhood, but is a holdover favorite from our weekend rituals in SoDak, when we'd go to Zandbroz, then the mall, then Friday's, then B&N. We almost went to see The Time Machine but the hair stuff was making my eyes all wiggy.

We followed that up with a trip to OSH, where we bought a new electric lawnmower. The one the previous owner of our condo left us shorted out recently. Fuzzy claims the edger will do the whole lawn, but the edger scares me, and I /like/ to mow.

I also bought two six-paks of pansies for the colorbowl at the front of our house. I bought a six-pak a couple weeks ago, intending to plant them, and then got distracted. Fuzzy reminded me that OSH would have refunded me for the plants I killed, but my time is worth more than $1.89 in store credit. The new pansies, however, are planted.

So, here I sit. Showered (I smell like banana bread, thanks to my vanilla and banana bath gel, from Whole Foods), and freshly coiffed, and satisfied that I've done enough productive things for the weekend to justify hanging around and reading all day tomorrow.

Well, after I mow the lawn.

I've been doing more reading, because it doesn't dry my eyes out as much as computing does. On Xeni's 'finished' stack so far:

Neverwhere (Neil Gaiman): Dark fantasy, alt. London. Quick read. Recommended by and loaned to me by . They tell me there's a BBC miniseries of it that I must see.

Hard Laughter (Anne Lamott): She used to be 'novelist in residence' of KQED Radio's “West Coast Weekend” show, when it was still broadcast from Fort Mason. This was one of her early books, and I really enjoyed it. Except that I kept wanting to clean the main character's house.

A Caress of Twilight (Laurell K. Hamilton): The newest book in her Merry Gentry series, I jokingly described this book to as “Faerie Porn.” It's not, really, but it was a great read.

Next up, The Red Tent, recommended by OD's Princess Ella.

Questions swiped from , who credits . Answers purely mine.

1. WHAT'S THE STORY BEHIND YOUR LJ USERNAME?
It's a variation on the spelling of 'zenobia' which has been my email ID and online nic since about 1993. It was taken when I started my LJ.

2. NAME FIVE [5] OF YOUR FAVORITE PIG-OUT FOODS.

-Braeburn apples and extra sharp cheddar cheese (together)
-Rice pudding
-Thin/crispy crust cheese pizza
-Bagels and cream cheese (no fruit flavors, that's just wrong)
-Sushi

3. HAVE YOU EVER HAD A MAKEOVER?
Yes.

4. HAVE YOU EVER WITNESSED DEATH?
No. And I won't attend open-casket funerals, either. But that's because I don't like seeing people I love looking like wax fruit.

5. WHAT'S THE LONGEST TIME YOU'VE STAYED OUT OF THE COUNTRY/WHERE?
A week in Baja Sur over Christmas.

6. ONE THING YOU'RE GRATEFUL FOR, TODAY.
That the sun has come up. Every new day is a gift.

7. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORY?
Freshman Shakespeare Trip.

8. WHAT IS THE MOST INSANE THING YOU'VE DONE FOR/TO YOUR LOVE?
I moved to South Dakota, and stayed for three years.

9. DESCRIBE YOUR DREAM WEDDING.
I had it. A humanist ceremony, my grandmother as ring-bearer, no fuss, no angst, just love. And chocolate.

10. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE DOING WHEN YOU ARE 60?
Living at the beach, writing a lot, and gardening.

11. WHAT IS YOUR FIRST MEMORY?
The sound of foghorns at night.

12. DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE QUOTE? WHAT IS IT?
Sappho: “If you are squeamish, do not disturb the beach rubble.”

13. MY FIRST HEARTBREAK HAPPENED WHEN I WAS …
… 4, and I was dragged away from being able to see my grandparents every day, when we moved from NJ to CO.

14. THE SCHOOL PICTURE YOU BURIED IN YOUR BOTTOM DRAWER?
Is somewhere in my mother's storage unit, I think. I liked it. I wore a pink tie-dyed blouse and a very cool straw hat.

15. DO YOU HAVE ANY WEIRD PREFERENCES? WHAT ARE THEY?
Um…I like peanut butter and banana sandwiches? Sexual preferences, I'm not at liberty to reveal without first asking . Oh…I prefer that bras don't have little bows (as in ribbons) in the center.

16. WHAT IS ONE THING YOU WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX?
They seem to have a tendency to start a compelling project about five minutes before a meal, or an appointment. This boggles me.

17. WHAT DO YOU BUY WHEN YOU BUY YOURSELF A 'GUILTY PLEASURE' THAT ISN'T FOOD? WHY?
Books, stationery supplies, hats, and greetng cards.

18. NAME ONE CHARACTER IN A BOOK YOU'D MOST WANT TO BE.
Mmm. When I was little I wanted to be Jo March or Harriet Walsch. Now…mmm…Anne Hastings (from the old Allen Drury novel) or Cleo Spearefield (from Spearefield's Daughter). Or any of the women in an Anne Rivers Siddons novel, but only for a few days.

19. IF YOU WERE FAMOUS, AND WERE TO BE A GUEST ON A TALK SHOW, WHOSE SHOW WOULD YOU CHOOSE? WHY?
I don't even /watch/ talk-shows. But I fantasize about telling Martha Stewart to pull her hair out of her face

20. OMITTED

21. DO YOU HAVE ANY WEIRD SLEEPING HABITS?
Cool air temp, heavy covers (not necessarily warm, but heavy), and white noise are all things I require. And I don't like sleeping at other people's houses.

22. WHAT'S YOUR WORST FLAW?
A combination of naivete, shyness, and being judgemental.

23. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SONG RIGHT NOW?
This changes too often.
But “Stars and the Moon” and “Vienna” are perennial favorites, as is “Someone Like You” from J&H

24. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE MOVIES IN THESE CATEGORIES: HUMOR, ROMANCE, DRAMA, ACTION, HORROR?
Humor: A Fish Called Wanda
Romance: Chocolat
Drama: The Lover (European Version)
Action: The Fugitive
Horror: Shadow of the Vampire

25. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DISNEY SONG?
Colors of the Wind.

26. DESCRIBE YOUR DREAM HOUSE.
Weatherd wooden house, driftwood gray, though it would probably have been slate blue, originally. Lots of windows. A turret of some kind, and a widow's walk. On the coast. A fireplace and a gourmet kitchen are essential, as is a truly indulgent bathroom.

27. YOUR TYPICAL SLEEPWEAR:
I have an amazing array of sleepshirts and pajamas, but they're really lounge-wear. Let's leave it at that.

28. WHAT'S IN YOUR CLOSET?
Clothes, hats, shoes, lots of shoes, a bunch of boxes that is supposed to move out of the closet, and a couple stray swords.

29. WHAT IS THE MOST INTERESTING THING YOU'VE EVER WORN IN PUBLIC?
An antique Kimono

30. HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR WALLET RIGHT NOW?
$76.91 USD and $150 MXP

31. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PAIR OF SHOES?
Black suede flats, slightly raised heels, slightly pointed toes. Bought them when I was 18, and have had them re-soled three times, and thinking of doing so again. No other shoe has made my feet feel so happy, since my fire-engine red Reeboks fell apart.

32. WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF IN YOUR LIFE?
Lots of little things that are meaningful only to me.

33. HOW WAS YOUR SENIOR PROM?
Boycotted it, and went to Cayucas with friends instead. Great weekend, except for the fishhook in my toe.

34. TELL US ABOUT ANY OF YOUR BIRTHDAYS.
When I turned nine, my mother did a theme with the number nine, including a nine-fairie. When I turned 30, she had just moved to Baja, and sent presents to arrive every day for the week surrounding it, but most of my birthdays were horrid as a kid, because it's in mid-August, and no one was ever around.

35. WHAT DO YOU MOST ENJOY ABOUT LOOKING AT OTHER PEOPLE?
I get the biggest kick out of people who have no sense of place. Like couples who think it's completely appropriate to have loud arguments in restaurants. But I still think like a drama student, so I watch to pick up how they walk/move/stand/gesture etc.

36. WHAT ARE THE FIRST FIVE THINGS YOU WOULD SPLURGE ON IF YOU WERE A BILLIONAIRE?
-Pay off all debt for self and immediate family.
-Hire a really good CPA to keep me sheltered from scary taxes
-Start a couple of businesses I've always dreamed about
-WRITE

37. WHAT IS YOUR DAILY BEFORE-GOING-TO-BED RITUAL?
Fill water glass, fill humidifier, plump pillows, general personal hygiene-related things, calling in the dogs, and putting goop in my eyes (now), before LASIK, about a half hour of reading once my conctacts were out.

38. WHAT IS THE WEIRDEST/FUNNIEST NICKNAME ANYONE HAS EVER CALLED YOU?
I've never been one to acquire nicknames. In fact, I hate them. I think people should be called what they wish to be called.

39. NAME THREE [3] OF YOUR FAVORITE CARTOON CHARACTERS
I honestly don't watch cartoons. (No, not even anime)

40. WHAT ARE THE MAGAZINES YOU READ ON A REGULAR BASIS?
Ms., Writer's Digest, Coastal Living, and Sunset (I know, I'm so disgustingly domestic)

So, if you don't already know this, I'm not one for organized religion. That being said, if you are, and specifically if you're Catholic, you may want to not read the rest of this.

PETAs baby Jesus shocker (from The Scoop):
A new ad campaign that shows the Virgin Mary breastfeeding Jesus has shocked and infuriated some members of the Catholic Church.

A billboard recently went up in Jackson, Miss., showing the image and the words, If It Was Good Enough for Jesus . . . . The sign has already caused a stir in the town, where some area residents demanded it be removed.

The people behind the ad say that's not likely to happen. “What should seriously offend the people of Mississippi is that they have the highest rate of infant mortality and the lowest rate of breastfeeding” said Bruce Friedrich of PETA, the group behind the billboard, which can be seen here.

The dairy industry, a multibillion dollar industry, profits off of the suffering of! mothers who dont know that theyre harming their babies by feeding them dairy products.
But People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals not only refuses to take down the billboard, the activist group is going nationwide with the campaign. That has some
religious groups complaining that the image is blasphemous.

“They've gone too far this time,” Catholic League president William Donohue told
the Scoop. “The idea of showing the Blessed Mother breastfeeding baby Jesus to make a cheap point about vegetarian rights is outrageous.”

And for the curious, here's the billboard:

So, our title rep insisted that he be allowed to take us to lunch today. And since we're a casual office, we were suggesting boring usual lunch spots, like Hobees.

D. would have none of that. “No,” he insisted, “We're going someplace nice. After all Big Title Company is paying.”

Now, I have been known to frequent several of San Jose's trendiest restaurants, Stratta and The Agenda among them (the latter, by the way, is the best place to watch downtown action w/o being part of it), but of course, I didn't think of this, so D. called his friend CommercialBroker, and got a referral.

We ended up going to Le Papillon, a white-tablecloth French restaurant on Saratoga.

Now, D. and E., my lunchmates, are very sweet men. E. is 37, father of a ten-year-old, and he and his longterm SO just bought a very cool house in Felton. D. is trendy, and thinks 30 is 'old'. (He's the Title Rep). Neither of them frequent such restaurants, and while E. is old enough that he can blend, D. was not. Now, I may live in comfy sloppy clothes most of the time, but I'm not a stranger to this atmosphere, and yes, I can pull off the image of being a lady who lunches. When I want to.

There's an art to such places, even when you aren't having two-martini lunches. You have to be able to pull off casual superiority. You also need to know which fork to use, and that if you're unfamiliar with French food, steak is always a safe bet.

So, we all had their crab cocktail (Dungeness Crab Cocktail with Avocado, Grapefruit and Pepper-Vodka Tomato Water), which was light and yummy, and hey, free buzz! E. had steak. D. ordered wild mushroom raviolli, which was not a wise choice for someone who associates raviolli with Chef Boyardee. And I didn't think to caution him that he'd not like it.

I had salmon in ginger and kumquat sauce, on a corn-patty. It wasn't the best salmon I've ever had, but it wasn't the worst, and I loved the sauce.

We skipped dessert.

And when I got back to our admittedly-dingy office, I looked around and realized how much I hate my job, and being required to follow someone else's schedule (no matter how flexible), and how much I wish I could con someone into paying me to write for a living.

*sigh*

Is it Friday yet?