lettered | (no subject)

Entry tags:

thank you

(no subject)

Y. Effusive, embarrassing, and possibly kinda scary amounts of gratitude to

romanyg for paid time. You're awesome with the love and make lj a cooler place to be, and not just for the random fairy gifts on the doorstep!

A. And: I'm back! For good this time I think. I helped my brother move to Gainsville, Florida--I'd never been to FL. Or Mississppi or Alabama. It's humid in Houston, but Florida is SWIMMING in it. Seriously, if you can't hold your breath for long times underwater, don't go to Florida. I nearly Wicked Witched of the West'ed.

Y. Ask a question, any question about me, about fandom, about fic, about lj, about you, about oompas or hatracks or zits or finely carved small foxes, and I'll answer to the best of my ability. Unless I don't feel like it; then you're screwed. But no, really, I want to play! *blows breath on window and draws heart with fingers*

! ZOMG thank you again

romanyg!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

1. It went well. My brother lived in Austin. He's an electronic musician; he's tall, kinda stoic-y, sandwich-voiced, and has dredlocks. His wife is getting a phD but she'd kill you if you called her a gator because school spirit makes her puke. My brother's not going to school yet because he's an undergrad (took some years off) and they won't give him money, and it's too expensive unless he's a FL resident. So I think he's getting a job.

2. I learned to drive at 16 like many Americans, but at home had to practice on a stick shift. I sucked with the automatic at school and still can't drive a manual. Because I sucked so much, my teacher was shocked I passed the driver's ed test she gave--the very first day, she had to tell me which was the gas and which was the brake. And after I started going, she had to tell me to "take the damn car out of reverse!"

After I got my license, I still tried to practice the stick shift a lot with my dad. My dad isn't scared of much--when hurricane Rita was coming straight for Houston, he shrugged his shoulders and played video games. But my dad? Was terrified of being in the car with me.

The first time I took the manual out alone, I got in a wreck. It was very minor and barely damaged either car, but I didn't drive again for 4 years.

At 20 I got an automatic because I had to drive to school. I've been driving it ever since, never gotten in an accident, and never had my dad tell me we were all going to die.

As for Buffy. I took her as a canonical bad driver, and never thought much about it beyond that. But in the last fic I wrote, I used the obvious metaphor for driving (and who gets to drive), which is of course sex. And in that scenario, she was a very competent driver, if a little fast and forceful (she's still much better at sex than driving though).

But I thought about it and realized someone with her coordination and reflexes just couldn't be that bad a driver, I guess because I think the reason I suck so much is I have incredibly slow reflexes, no coordination, and very little common sense when it comes to mechanical (gross mechanical, not machine mechanical things).

I'd add that because she is canonically such a bad driver, I tend not to read that metaphor into bad driver!Buffy in fic. It is, however, and interesting query.

A. I don't drive manuals either. I suspect I could, but I actually don't like to be over-involved with stuff I don't have to be... It's like anything else where there are purists... I often bend to convenience over the finer control you get with the stick shift.

B. There's something about too much Bad Driver Buffy that stops being a cute quirk and starts getting kind of dismissive/demeaning. Buffy, the easily distracted teen driver is one thing. Writing her as a bad driver at age 25 though... something about that always bugs me. Which is kind of a weird quirk, because I know most people don't really think very hard about it.

Sorry to butt in, but for me the stick shift is integral to me not forgetting to pay attention while driving. The stick isn't a distraction; it's a reminder that I'm "working." So I appreciate having to be taken off autopilot once in awhile!

I can totally understand and respect that;-)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only