Christmas list (some new, some perennials. Some obtainable, some not.)

[melannen]

1. This scarf.
2. Luxury gay space communism.
3. Some more mylar book jacket protectors in small-hardcover-novel size.
4. A job where I like the work as much as my current one but where I won't ever have to deal with bullshit office politics or incompetent higher-ups.
5. Indictments. So many indictments.
6. A new backup hard drive so that I can finally get all my files in one place and figure out what's where. Failing that, somebody to tell me which one I should buy.
7. A working septic tank. (THis is in process, it's just all the permitting and whatever is taking forever.)
8. A lot more long, tropey English-language Guardian fanfic; failing that, time and brain to finally make progress on learning written Chinese.
9. Space to shelve all my books, and time and brain to read them all.
10. An achingly sincere MCU Steve/Bucky vid to "Fairytale of New York" (no preference on who sings which part).

Comments

[highlander_ii]

If you find that magical unicorn #4... holla... I, too, am looking to escape incompetence and bullshit.

[melannen]

I mean, I think that's one of the unobtainables - even if I am temporarily in a situation without that, someone higher-up can always leave! And then the new person will bring their own drama and incompetence!

It would be nice to know if there's a shortcut to judge that before taking the job, though. Because I sure as hell don't want to end up someplace with *more* than I've got, and I suspect mine isn't even all that bad, relatively speaking.

[highlander_ii]

I think this is how a lot of people end up working for themselves. Now, if I could find a way to focus enough on one thing to be my own boss...

[melannen]

Yeah, unfortunately becoming my own boss would not solve the "incompetent leadership" problem!

[jadelennox]

I'm overtired and fuzzyheaded and misread this, so I was trying to figure out what fanfic for The Guardian would look like. The Guardian's secret hatesex with The Daily Mail? The Guardian's shame at its upbringing in Manchaester, and self-loathing about being ashamed of Manchester, which leads it to basically become the distracted boyfriend meme between London and Manchester? The Guardian's platonic coffee shop coworker BFF, The Observer? The fact that Guardian has enough imposter syndrome that it pretends it's way too cool to hang out with The Daily Mirror but every time the Times slips up and looks stupid, the Guardian and the Mirror share a fag behind the bikeshed and snigger, making up filthy jokes about the things the Times does with Sky when it thinks nobody is looking?

[nyctanthes]

I'm glad it wasn't just me.

[melannen]

I mean, let's be real, I would also read that one.

(,,,actually come to think of it I did write fanfic based on a Guardian column once, so you aren't all that far off-base.)

[china_shop]

Hee, this is gold!

[zlabya]

<3 for your awesome misinterpretation-fanfic!!!

[oracne]

That scarf looks like it could easily be made of polyester fleece and cheaply marketed....

[melannen]

It does! I would totally be up for the cheap poly fleece version too. :D (I always wondered why there weren't cheap licensed Tom Baker scarves everywhere; it seemed like an obvious thing...)

In close-ups it's definitely knitted with vertical stripes (and looks a little bit felted, too) but I think probably machine knitted? I would also take the cheap poly machine knitted version of it.

(Although honestly Thirteen is so totally my aesthetic that I would in fact wear any of her clothes.)

[china_shop]

Just out of curiosity, regarding #8, what qualifies as "long"? *eyes current WIP* ;-)

This is such a good list!

[melannen]

In Guardian fandom, probably over 5000 words at this point! :D Not that I would object to 50000.

[china_shop]

Hee! Good to know. In that case, this one is definitely going to qualify, if I can get it finished. (It's currently 10k, probably 40% done.)

[zlabya]

I fell in love with that scarf right away, for multiple reasons.

OMG you're a Guardian fan too?! I've only seen the first 3 episodes but I love it and need someone to squee with!

Argh, re the slowness of #6 and the idiocies of #4.