It's a Musical Journey

[crazydiamondsue]

If Ever by kita0610 - Buffy/Angel.

Absolutely gorgeous and mesmerizing - like running your finger through a flame. Oh, did I mention that it hurts, too? But in that good way. And you'll feel smarter. Can't promise anything about its tartar reducing abilities, but my soul feels cleaner...and, as for me:


I took the longest road trip (solo) I've ever driven in my life this weekend. Yes! I drove to Dallas! I have driving issues.

But I got to hang out with stoney321 and the Stoney Family Singers (The Family Von Stoney!) and I got to meet anelith! She is very much the same soothing, non-spazzing, balm-to-my-LJ-soul in person. And wee! (Why is everyone so tiny? Does fandom stunt our growth? I thought we were just supposed to grow hair on our palms?)

Unfortunately, I was only able to hang out Saturday and part of Sunday. But I still had the best cheeseburger I can remember (at the lovely outdoor, patio and arugula bistro/cafes that populate Texas, while Oklahoma seems to be content with al fresco meaning Sonic.) And candles that have permeated my entire home! Votives! Stoney knows the best shopping (in the non-annoying way, because I freakin' hate to shop.) I did find a life-siz Don Quixote and Sancho Panza which seemed to be carved from birch which I thought for seconds about buying for Caza, but c'mon...$2000? I mean, Sancho's nose was nicked...

Mexican brunch buffet (I don't know what that black bean corn fritter thing was about, but I'm in love) Stoney cooking...breast cancer chocolates...it was a pretty sweet weekend.

Oh! And Anne gave me books! Well, she gave one to me and one was for Caza, but they'll both be mine. Oh, yes. Mine was the historical basis for nursery rhymes (I now understand the "and called it macaroni!" thing - that was a head scratcher) while Caza received "You Watch Too Much TV." Heh. It's a TV quiz book, and quite Buffy bashing. I'm just sayin'. Buffy was labled as a "guilty pleasure" alongside reality TV and Springer. *And* the author had the temerity to lump OMWF in with TV mishaps ("Manimal" and "Cop Rock.") We are not pleased.

However, the book itself is fun and proof that Caza and I have a love that was destined and spanned the ages - when we were quizzing each other with the "Very Special Episode" chapter and reached the question, "Which Cosby kid had too much to drink and had to call a sibling for a ride home?" we both exclaimed, "Vanessa! Oh, I love that one." Yeah. Dork heaven, it is.

Speaking of dork heaven - Caza and I have started experimenting. *waggles brow* With vidding. *sighs* It's freakin' hard. I keep thinking of that line from League of Their Own - "Of course it's hard - that's what makes it great. If it was easy, everyone would do it." We started this experiment because I told Caza I wanted a good Anya character vid. He started downloading things and ripping clips and out popped a...

...Spuffy vid. Hee! I have no idea. It's set to "Something There" from Beauty and the Beast and it pleases me greatly. Especially the "Well, bless my soul" line. As soon as he tweaks and finds hosting space, I'm sure he'll be slapping it up on his LJ.

I have decided to wrap up my S/X contribution to fandom (yes, yes, no need to thank me) with a vid for fall_for_sx. If the fucking movie maker program will stop crashing. *deep breath* I can't "fix it in editing" if the thing I need to fix is the...editing. Stupid program. Stupid low memory. Stupid Techno-Amish me.

But yeah. Right now, I talk. I shop, I vid. I'm gonna be an auteur when the floods roll back.

I do the random quotes because they make ladycat777 laugh. Oh! Ladycat! I get a Kitten for Thanksgiving. It's o-fish-hole. I'm making her do allll the cooking. I'm gonna get to be the person who brings the drinks and the napkins. What? She wants to.

Heh. I feel like I'm posting alot lately. Ooo...three posts in three months! Stop the whirly-gig of fun now!

Ending with the obligatory "I miss you guys," but it's true. I do. However, vidding has eased the burn somewhat. It's addictive. Now, if only I was good at it...

Save a roast - carve a pumpkin!

Comments

[kita0610.livejournal.com]

Hahahaha.

Thank you, hon.

It also slices, dices and makes julienne french fries!

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

I originally had this really fun paper cut analogy for it, but the words got stuck in the salad shooter. Julienne fries! Sweeeet!

[moosesal.livejournal.com]

Ooh, good luck with the vidding. It's something I've been wanting to do but haven't made time for yet.

BTW - a while back you said if I wrote something else related to that fic (you know the one) that you'd love to look it over. Still willing? I have seven drabbles so far. A couple more to go and then I'd like someone to look at it and give me feedback before I post. If you have no idea what I'm talking about let me know and I'll clue you in. :)

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

Ripping the clips is fun - especially since I know most of BtVS (not so AtS) frame by frame. Picking the song and assigning theme going lyrically literal - fun. Editing it in a program that freezes or crashes every other clip...yeah. We're gonna remedy that.

And yes! As soon as you have something to be seen, I will be glad to be your seer.

[southernbangel.livejournal.com]

I heart you so much.

That is all.


(Whyyyyyyy does Oklahoooooooooma have to be soooooooo faaaaaar from Alllllllllabama? Uhm, not sure why I just typed like that.)

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

I kind of love you a lot. For real. I will be making you the schmoopiest B/A vid you've ever seen. Pick me a song. Any song. Shall we go classic with Air Supply? Totally up to you. Just give me a song. (And about 2 weeks, unless I get a better program. It doesn't really take that long, it's just that my program sucks.)

Whyyyyyyyy is typing like this soooooo fun? I want Alabama to be a border state! *cries*

[spuffyduds.livejournal.com]

Good to see you again!

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

I'm here. Ish. :) Hi!!!!

[tx-cronopio.livejournal.com]

I never get invited to these things. No, I'm not pouting! Not at all!

[brandil.livejournal.com]

::loves::

::Loves::

::LOVES::

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

**ADORES**

**ADORES**

**ADORES**

If I get this vidding thing down, I'll see about making you a Nip/Tuck vid...(Clex would be too hard for me.)

[anelith.livejournal.com]

Speaking of random quotes, I just used the "whirligig of fun" quote this afternoon at a school-wide DI kick-off meeting when it was finally established that yes, I *would* be a team leader this year, because Evan was reminded that DI was in fact very fun and he wants to do it again. Which means that I will be team leader again. And that caused me to clutch my failing heart with one hand and tear my hair with the other and announce that "Here we go on this whirligig of fun..." Oh god, what have I got myself into? Did I learn nothing from the Stress-O-Rama of last year?

Did you call me soothing? Non-spazzing? That must have been some other person. Some non-insane person.

I'll calm down, really I will. Later.

I am so looking forward to these vids! I know they are going to be fun and FUNNY.

[allegraconbrio.livejournal.com]

Hi! I am totally hijacking Sue's journal to say Hi and new DI! I think that is very cool.

You are very soothing and non-spazzing, but if you spazz? All good. Sometimes that does help.

I am so happy you had your visit with Sue, you are both awesome.

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

Oh, yay to DI!!! I was going to ask about that this weekend, but I knew you were disappointed and I didn't want to bum you out. But squee!!!

You *are* non-spazzing! Just so calm and roll with it. I tend to be like a toy poodle.

I'm very happy with the S/X one, given that it was my first, the program I used was antiquated and, you know, not like there are THAT many S/X clips to pick from. I'll email you a preview here in a bit. (Rated PG-13 for lyrics, homoerotic themes and naked Spike-ness.)

[zandra-x.livejournal.com]

I get ideas, bizarre ideas, for vids all the time, but I'm so intimidated by the process. I have so much admiration for you for jumping in. 8 ]

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

I've had ideas for years! I love fanvids. They inspire fic, they make me feel fandomy again, and I just love your icon. :) Once you get the scenes ripped and edited (a time consuming process, but not hard if you know what you want) it's just a process of timing. And figuring out effects (too much, too little) and having a program that doesn't get overloaded just because you changed to sepia tone for one frame...*sigh*

[lettered.livejournal.com]

My soul feels cleaner with that fic too!

I'm so glad you and Stoney and anelith had fun!

What you say about that book reminds me of all the things I thought about BtVS before I actually watched it.

I haven't watched your vids yet. But I dl'ed them. I'm still going to write mini-quickie-essays on themes. I need quiet time!

I'm so excited about the B/S vid! And are you guys still trying to do an Anya vid? And yay, an S/X vid from you! I think it's so cool you're getting into this!!!

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

Ah...I'm so very behind on my replies, my reading...help me, Joy!

I will love to read your mini-quickie-essays! I have plotted out my vids (to date) and so far I have a schmoopy B/A for Lee, a meta-y B/A for Robin, a Fred/Wes tear-jerker for Laura, a Jenny/Giles tear-jerker for me, a Spike/Dru character piece for me, and a Halloween ensemble thing for...Halloween. Oh, the fun! I started ripping clips for B/A last night and ended up watching most of "What's My Line 2." I'm such a whore.

I read your slash meta, btw, and you expressed perfectly everything I've ever intended to say about it. I was at a loss for better comment. *kicks constant interruptions*

[tinpanalley.livejournal.com]

HEY!

Sounds like you had a ROCKIN' time and of course, I love any post of yours with musical quotes!

I MISS YOU! I MISS YOUR POSTS! I MISS YOUR COMMENTS! I MISS YOU!

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

I miss you, too! But now I'm getting into vidding, so we'll see how that goes..:)

I *still* need to send you the cds from Les Sunnydales...

[allegraconbrio.livejournal.com]

YAY! Anne visit! You and Anne, in one place! She is all kinds of awesome and very tiny, I am glad you all finally had face to face time. :) Plus, go you with the driving. It is not so scary, really.

I want to see this Anya vid that became a Spuffy vid. So, when is the debut? You sound happy, I hope that continues on and on.

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

Anne an I were in one place! I forgot you'd gotten to meet! Hahahaha - I thought of you while driving, because I was running late and speeding a bit. I was NOT, however, doing 100 miles an hour. :)

You've seen the vid, but I have a Fred/Wes one coming as soon as I get better at this whole vidding thing...:)

[a2zmom.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a faboo time, but then how it could it not be.

I feel like sending that author of the TV book serious hate mail. Don't be dissing Buffy.

I'm impressed by your dive into vidding. I don't have that kind of patience.

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

The atttitude of the author was strange - so many other people in journalism seem to get the sly wink that is Buffy. This person, I believe, took a few eps literally and thought of it as "Saved By the Bell: The Hellmouth Years."

[ex-dovil323.livejournal.com]

I'm glad that you're doing well - miss you buddy!

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

I miss you too, mate!

You were sooooo loved on this weekend. (We tried to clean you up after, hope it was okay.) There was the reenactment of Laura's sidewalk upchuck, there my TERRIBLE impression of your accent saying, "Audrey Hepburn," there were pictures of Spike and Angel taped to straws and bopped about in a whole puppet show kind of way.

And then there was booze. You would have been pleased...

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

You rock.

I have nothing intelligent to say!

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

Rrrm, that made it sound like i think telling you you rock is unintelligent. Oops. I didn't mean that.

Make sure to email me your phone number so I can call you with the new happy phone!

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

Hi and thank you!

Okay: macaroni.

So, just prior to the Revolutionary War, the rich young men of England were taking their trip to the continent (much as they still do.) Like all young people, they came back home thinking they were the only people who had ever seen French fashion and enjoyed Italian food. They created a style that was a sort of foppish hybrid of Gallic/Roman dress and called themselves The Macaronis. I had *no* idea. I always thought that was almost anachronistic, but no! Macaroni - making kids happy since 1776. :)

[texanfan.livejournal.com]

Vidding is something I've never even attempted. I'm impressed.

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

It's hard. Well, it's time consuming (remembering, finding, and ripping the clips) painstaking (editing and timing) and then there's this whole thing that requires TALENT (narrative flow, subtle effects) which is, you know, the part that stymies me.

BTW, I read parts 1-4 of "Reassembling" but because I had to print it out to have time, I did not leave you feedback. I'm really, really enjoying it. Your Xander characterization is lovely, and I really like how well you've worked the ensemble factors. It's a great, great read, and I can't wait to get to more of it!

[aimeelicious]

WELCOME BACK! How could you not have fun with Stoney? I think that's actually an impossibility. *squish*

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

Fun with Stoney is ALWAYS easy. I have missed you! Did I tell you that OKC just got a Cheesecake Factory? I think of you. :)

[cordelianne.livejournal.com]

Sue!!!! I makes me so happy whenever you post!!! *hugs*

I'm so pleased that you had a good vacation - it sounds very fun!!
I did find a life-size Don Quixote and Sancho Panza which seemed to be carved from birch
OMG that sounds awesome, except for the price!

I recall looking at that book (because I so watch too much TV) and being horrified by its attitude towards Buffy.

I have decided to wrap up my S/X contribution to fandom
That makes me very sad. However, you making an S/X vid makes me really happy!!!! Yay to your adventures in vidding!!!!

And I loved your random quote! You're already an auteur!! *hugs*

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

I have missed you so much! I'm trying to be around more, can you tell? :)

I'm very much looking forward to your and C's fall for sx contributions, and feel free to link me to anything I've missed that you've written. (I have the VM/BtVS linked to my delicious account.)