A funny thing happened to me on the way to the office...

I'm going to admit something up front: I'm not a fashion plate. Never was, never will be, don't even attempt to be. I tend to purchase and wear clothes that help to flatter whatever figure I have and are comfortable. I have no patience for clothes that don't fit right or are just plain annoying to wear. Or, don't last more than a week because it's just a trend that goes out of fashion as quickly as the merchandise flies off the store shelves. More often than not, jeans and a comfy shirt with a fleece or sweatshirt are my clothing of choice during the fall and winter months.

But of course, every season brings an even broader array of fashion dos and don'ts, and in styles and out. Some of them I like. Some of them are actually comfortable and somewhat normal-looking. Those are the ones I buy in an effort to keep my wardrobe from looking like I purchased everything in the 1980s and 1990s.

I have to say though, that this new look that I've been seeing has me struggling not to laugh at the women walking past me. You've probably seen it. It's the newest "woman's wear". The pants to the knee (or just below the knee) with the bottoms that flare out, with a nice tight, heeled leather boot to complete the below-the-waist ensemble. I've seen a variety of shirts that women have worn with it, and I don't have any issues with them. It's the Gaucho pants that have got me giggling.

To me it looks like the costume designer for the original series of Star Trek had a bad day. In my mind I hear Scotty complaining to Captain Kirk that "she canna take much more, Captain!" and Kirk yelling back: "But…the…alien…ship…Scottyyou'vegottogivememorepower!" I have visions of Sulu and Chekov at the main navigation console arguing about "wessels" and fencing match results. I picture Spock standing on the upper level, raising his eyebrow at something Doctor McCoy said that was a little too "human" for the dear Vulcan to handle.

Don't take my word for it. Do a quick google search for "Gaucho pants" and take a look at some of the pictures that you can find on Nordstrom, Urban Outfitters, and Amazon. You might find yourself laughing too.

What is it about fashion that has so many people running for the stores? And how do some styles (such as the aforementioned gaucho pants) become popular when the first thing I think of when I see it is a bad 1960s Star Trek costume? And where exactly does fashion come from? Who decides that weird Star Trek pants are "in" this fall and something else is "out"? Is there an official fashion god who bestows upon the retailers a revelation of fantastic proportions about what their buyers need to purchase in bulk this year because it will just fly off the shelves once the consumers get one glimpse of it?

I get Bazaar magazine (and yes, is it very bizarre), mainly because I had way too many frequent flyer miles and it was free. ::shrug:: Trust me. I know to get a different magazine next time, but who wears the clothes in that magazine? And why would anyone want to? Some of those things are way past Star Trek and are in the outer reaches somewhere. And yet, sooner or later, those odds styles somehow make it to the stores and they are purchased by the fashion-conscious ones who then wear it—causing fits of giggles in offices across America.

Okay. That might be stretching things…but who designs these things? Are they even human?

But, no matter what we all wear it was best summed up by Mr. Spock: "'Fascinating' is a word I use for the unexpected. 'Interesting' shall suffice here."

Onward and upward and ever forward and...

Well, it's official. Stargate SG-1 is now the longest running science fiction show in US history, surpassing nine seasons of the X-Files since Sci-Fi has just picked up SG-1 for its tenth season and SGA for its third. You can take a look at the release here on Zap2it or on Gateworld. As of this blog entry nothing has appeared on SciFi.com's News Wire. I guess they're the last to know. Why doesn't that surprise me?

I'm really not surprised about the news and, unfortuantely, I don't think I'm all that happy about it either. I"m not upset, either. Kind of just...it's just there. I know I mentioned something about this early on, but my general feelings on the matter hasn't changed. Season nine of SG-1 hasn't been the same without Jack O'Neill. Am I biased? Probably. Was I willing to give it a shot? Yes and honestly, the show just doesn't have the same interest for me that it used to. The chemistry that was there is not the same. With the new characters entering, I knew it would be different, but I had hoped that the spark, the thrill of watching the show would remain. But it seems as if that something extra the show used to have is just gone. Poof.

Now, if we're talking about seasons one through eight, that's a different story. Some of the best episodes were in those early to mid seasons. It was in those episodes where you really "saw" the expanding possibilities of the whole Stargate universe and it was amazing. The things that they could see, visit, experience...the plot lines and arcs presented early on were so interesting you had to tune in to see how they picked up those various threads and weaved it into an engaging and interesting television program. It's those kind of qualites that I'm talking about, the kind that make you tune in, that make you want to see it, to not miss a single episode. It's those qualities that seem to be missing now. That and one silver-haired General who has an obsession with The Simpsons.

I should be excited. I should be happy that my favorite shows were picked up for another season. I just wish I was.

Fire drill

Do you remember the fire drills we always had when we were kids in school? (Yes, I think I was once in school. I can't remember that far back sometimes, however. Hey I'm happy if I can remember what I had for dinner last night let alone stuff that happened when I was five. And what DID I have for dinner last night? Food of some type or sort…not pizza. No, not that. Something else. Chicken maybe. Hmm. Maybe. But I digress…)

The fire drills in school were always fun. We got to leave class and so stand outside for a while and waste some time. But the thing with fire drills is that you always think it's just a drill so you never hurry. What would happen if there was a real problem and here we were thinking that the teachers and the principal had nothing better to do than make us go stand outside for a while. ::shrug:: Never thought much about it until today.

I pull into the office at 9:01 sharp and as I'm getting out of my car to walk into the office building I see people leaving the building in droves.

This, I think, is peculiar.

So, walking toward the building as people are streaming out into the parking lot I try to find someone from my company. It took a while, but they eventually appear and I slide on over to find out what's going on.

According to one report, someone heard a big bang and then the fire alarm went off. We've had fire drills before, but apparently this wasn't one of them. So, we got to stand outside loitering in the parking lot talking about the possibility of visiting the local Ihop if this ended up taking much longer than a few minutes.

And then the fire truck rounded the corner.

Guess it was serious. So we backed away from the building to make room for the fire truck and had the opportunity to ogle the fully-kitted firefighters. Never a bad way to start the morning.

Eventually the all clear is given and we return (or, in my case, finally walk in) to the building. What was the issue? We don't know and I'm not sure I care, but it got me thinking about fire drills because the first question I heard someone had asked was: "Do we have to go outside?" See, we're all thinking that the building people would like to see us stand outside in the drizzle just because we sometimes insist on hitting all the buttons in the elevator bank.

Anyway…we had a real building evacuation today. Wait, I think "we had a fire drill" sounds like more fun. ::shrug:: Either way, I got to stare at firefighters with axes and I think that's about all that matters to me today.

:: sigh ::

Jack looked so much better though.

Why are we anywhere anyway?

I should be working, but I'm just not in the mood. And, honestly, I haven't been for quite some time. I work for a large, private corporation, a media company, and this year they've decided to make us take all our vacation time. A nice "use it or lose it" policy. Now, had I known this at the beginning of the year this would not have been a problem.But, it's now nearly the end of October and I have eighty-four hours of vacation time to take before the end of the year. Okay, at this point it's really thirty-six hours since I've already put in for six days worth already.

But this is the issue really.

I have seven issues that need to get out before the end of the year.

I'm already out of the office on "work time" for a two-day conference in November and another three days in December. And then I have the company-provided two paid vacation days in November and the five paid vacation days in December.

If I take any more time I might not be able to get my work done and issues mailed and all that other fun work stuff. (And no comments from the peanut gallery about how I should be working now instead of posting to a blog.)

I guess I'm just frustrated. Why am I so efficient with my vacation time usage? Oh, yeah. I want to make sure it lasts the whole year. Apparently I'm too efficient for my own good.

::sigh::

And on a side thought, Hasbro is coming out with two Stargate figures as part of their Star Wars 2006 product line. Yeah, not sure how that works exactly. Will I be picking up my own three-and-a-half-inch Stargate and a nice little death glider when they hit the shelves? Of course. I need something to play with on my desk when I decide not to work.

So, why am I here today? Oh yeah, I remember. I didn't take the day off.

And.....action!

I'm a sucker for headlines, so I have a few sites bookmarked that offer RSS feeds and live bookmarks of various news stories. Gateworld is one of those sites that I troll on a semi-regular basis (as you may have already noticed from an earlier post). So, this afternoon (instead of working) I decided to take a look to see what was happening in the SG universe.

First: Stargate (both SG-1 and SG-A combined) have received six Gemni Award nominations. Woohoo! I hope they get to win in those categories, but in any case it's wonderful that they've received the nod and the nomination in the first place. You can check out the specific nominations as reported at Gateworld or you can take a look at the full list of nominees on the official Gemni Awards site.

And the highlight of my news search was the news about Diamond Select Toys and Collectibles and MGM. As reported at Gateworld (I couldn't find another reference to this anywhere else) that they have signed an agreement for Diamond to produce action figures for Stargate. According to the report, the first ones are supposed to be of Jack O'Neill, Daniel Jackson, Sam Carter, and Teal'c. Not much more is available at this time about release dates or prices or anything.

So, how many of us are going to make sure we pre-order these nice little bits of memorabilia? (You can put your hands down now.) Yeah, I know, I'm a sucker for memorabilia too. Can we say "bobble head dolls"? How about Stargate books? Or trading cards? Or board games? Comics? Patches? Pictures? Autographed pictures? Convention attendance… Okay, I'm scaring myself now.

But, I do have to say that it will be kind cool to own a Jack O'Neill action figure. I can have it face off with Daniel and pretend that they're arguing about rocks. I wonder if they'll make Teal'c's with hair or without. Maybe they'll make both: Teal'c and Chia Teal'c. And don't worry; I'll avoid all the Sam and Jack tussling. That's just wrong on so many levels. Although…I wonder if they're anatomically correct…hmmm...food for thought.

If I had a hammer...

If I had a hammer I'd use it along with copious wood products to make myself an ark. Sheesh. I don't remember the last time I've seen this much rain all at once. And tonight on the way home I almost thought I'd have to abandon the car since the "puddle" was a little deeper than I thought and the big SUVs insisted on driving fast through said "puddle" and making a HUGE wake. Those things are menaces on the road—in good or bad weather. Should I mention "tip-over ratios"?

Anyway...it's been raining since last Friday night, so we're working on nearly a week and the nice weather-people have said we won't see sun until this coming Sunday sometime. And the tides are extra high tonight. Oh, and we have a high wind advisory too. I think that's it. But, trust me, that's enough. Ducks don't even like this weather and I think there are fungi growing in weird unmentionable places.

So you know what really drives me crazy (on a totally different subject)? When my muse decides to come up with a plot when I can't use it. Last night, in the middle of me doing something else that had absolutely nothing to do with Stargate, my muse decided to pop a plot into my fron. And I had no paper. Thankfully, I remember the plot and the muse, of course, wants to write it NOW. Unfortuantely, it has three other fics it needs to write right now. Why is is always when I can't write that cool plots come to me?

So, anyone have an extra ark handy? I think I may need it.

A quick little fic

Well, I had the urge to write this and I'm not sure why, so I'm sharing it here. Please be kind.

Thoughts and Ruminations
AUTHOR: SGC Gategirl
RATING: Ages 10+
CATEGORY: Angst
SUMMARY: A quiet, snowy evening gets Jack thinking.
SPOILERS: None
WARNINGS: None
AUTHORS' NOTE: Not sure where this came from, but I do know I should have been writing something else—three other something elses, really. Thanks to Yllek for the quick read and beta.
ARCHIVE: Do not archive without the author's express permission.
DISCLAIMER: The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Sci Fi and Gekko Film Corp. The Stargate, SG-I, the Goa'uld and all other characters who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names, titles, and back story are the sole copyright property of MGM-UA Worldwide Television, Gekko Film Corp, Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions, and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd. Partnership. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and solely meant for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea, and the story itself are the sole property of the author.


***
Thoughts and Ruminations
By SGC Gategirl


Sitting in the darkness of his den, the crackling of the last logs dying in the fireplace his only company, Jack O'Neill sighed.

The moon, shining brightly when it first appeared several hours ago, its brilliance reflecting off the fresh layer of snow blanketing this bedroom community, was long gone, covered instead by thickening clouds. Another snowfall soon to come, quickly followed by the cheers and cries of children in the streets playing games and building snow fortresses to offer their meager protection from the incoming snowballs.

But some voices would never be heard, forever silent. No more games to be played, no more snowball fights to win or lose.

The snap of the wood in the fireplace made him jump, his eyes immediately glancing toward the source of the offending sound. Shifting on the couch, he pulled his arms closer to his body, hugging himself slightly before releasing his grip, his arms dropping down to rest at his sides, his hands falling beside his fleece-covered thighs.

There was a time once, when he was younger, that he thought the world was an adventure waiting to happen. He planned that once he was of age he'd spend his youth exploring and finding out what the world was all about.

How naive he had been.

He'd seen the world, but not the way he'd dreamed he would.

Finding bits and pieces of happiness when they presented themselves. He adjusted to this new life, to this new set of rules, growing and thriving amid loss and death. Love found him and gave him a son and, for a brief time, he'd been content, happy even.

But things were always changing and never for the better.

He lost friends and colleagues as well as sons and wives. He also discovered there was a world beyond the losses, beyond the grief. With another family, a new family, a different family by his side, he learned to live again—even if it were just the barest amounts.

But because of his at-arms-length approach to the world, his decision never to be hurt the way he'd been before, he found himself alone, isolated from the world he loved and protected with the very essence of his being.

But some nights he wondered if this was all there was to life, to living. Working the hours he did, facing death and injury on a weekly basis didn't leave much room for introspection and contemplation.

Was this the life he wanted?

He couldn't imagine doing anything else, living his life any other way, but there were times that he doubted and wondered if things could have been different. If maybe, in another life and another universe, he might be happy.

He lived a lonely life; a solitary existence interspersed with periods of sheer terror as life and death hung on his next decision.

But knowing what he knew, could he turn and walk away?

He knew that answer without hesitation.

Rising to his feet, he approached the now-dead fire, taking the time to clear away the warm ashes. Padding silently through the house on his sock-clad feet, he shut the few lights that illuminated his way to his bedroom.

There was work to be done in the morning and he planned on being there every step of the way.

***fin***

Looking forward

I was reading something interesting on Gateworld this morning. I keep an eye on the site through the RSS feed...gives me an easy way to see what's happening in the Stargate world. (Yes, I need a real life.)

According to the report on Gateworld princple photography is wrapping this week on season nine and there's been no news about a season ten. I'm not surprised or worried. It's happened in previous years as well, but for the first time I discovered that I wasn't excited about it.

I've been watching SG since the beginning and there have been ups and downs in the episodes, but it's been fine. Actually, more than fine. But ever since season nine kicked off this summer, I've noticed that SG has changed. Now, I will admit freely that I'm a Jack O'Neill fan--always have been, always will be--and for me, without RDA and O'Neill Stargate is not the same. There is something missing and without Jack there always will be. (Hence the whole VS9 project I'm involved with this year.) I was willing, however, to give the new cast a go.

Yeah, I'm not so crazy about it now.

Atlantis has been a lot of fun and I find myself more interested in those characters and their adventures than I am with General Landry, Vala, and Mitchell in SG-1. Yes, Daniel, Sam, and Teal'c are there, but it's not the same. The chemistry is not right, the spark, to me, is gone.

That, I think more than anything, makes me sad.

Now, I know the reassons why things changed and I have to give RDA credit for leaving to take care of his daughter, which is far more important than a television show. But that still means that I'm going to miss the character and hope that one day, he'll come back in a meaningful version of the role he portrayed very well for the past eight years.

Will I continue to watch in the hopes that the writing and the plot and the characters improve and grow on me? Yes. As long as it doesn't grow on me like a deadly fungus I think we'll be okay...I think.

So, season ten. Do I think that they'll be one? Probably. I don't see SciFi walking away from the "longest running science fiction show in the US" title that easily. Right now SG-1 is tied with X-Files for longest running scifi shows in the US. So, do I think it'll get picked up? Probably. Ratings have been strong-ish, not as good as season eight, but respectable.

Do I want SG to continue? Oh yeah, but I also want good plots, good writing, strong acting, and good character development (and more Jack O'Neill). Is that too much to ask?

Interesting piece of mail

I was highly amused when I got home tonight and logged into my mail. I had a strange little email from NBC. My initial thought was "what kind of spam is this now?" But, being the curious type, I decided to open it before I just dumped it into my trash.

I'm glad I did, but the email sure amused me.

It was a request to complete a survey for SciFi Channel and NBC. Now, the last time I had done one of these kinds of surveys (for SciFi magazine, actually) I wasn't very nice. I was honest and told them very frankly about what I thought of the channel. In short: I only watched the channel for Stargate and it was about time that SciFi magazine actually wrote some articles about the show that helped to get it some fantastic ratings in the key demographics.

I didn't expect them to ever contact me again even though I checked the "sure I'll complete other surveys" button. I figured they got the results of my survey form and swore they would never let me anywhere near a survey again.

As a side point, I actually enjoy taking surveys for things. Always have. One of my weird quirks, I guess. I've taken surveys on various topics from handbags to television shows to various other products and services. Why not?

In any case, they sent me an invitation to fill out a survey. So, I decided to fill it out. Why not? They sent it to me, right?

It was interesting to say the least. They were conducting a "what do you think of SciFi Friday: specifically SG1, SGA, and BSG. Now, I'm not a BSG fan at all, but I've been watching SG1 and SGA and, until it gets horrible, I'll continue to do so. Am I crazy about SG1's season nine? No. Will I watch it. Yeah. I still like Daniel and Carter and Teal'c. I'm an original cast kinda girl. Anyway, the survey was interesting because it got down to the nitty-gritty of "which characters do you like and why". There were some good questions and a lot of them were trulythere just so they could try to figure out if people liked SG1. Once you got past a certain point, all the questions were about SG1 and the new characters and plotlines. It was very interesting and I wonder what they're going to do with the information they collect. Hopefully, they'll make the show better. Hopefully.

But I know one thing for sure: I'll continue to fill out these surveys as long as they continue to send them to me.

Well...

Well, it seems as if blogging might be an interesting way to check out the world--or at the very least share a bit of the randomness strolling through my mind at any possible moment in time.

That, unfortuantely, might be a very scary thing to read, however.

So, let's see how this whole thing works now, shall we?