Green Room - Week 27 - Day 4

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

I have something in my eye.

I'm not just saying that because of the horrible news from this weekend: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/801355.html

Or that there was an arrest in what has been confirmed to be a murder of the granddaughter of Shay (not tagging her, but long-time Idol contestants know who I'm talking about)

Or the death of Sammy Jo's brother.

Or the wife of Cynthia's co-worker suffering from depression who jumped off the roof of a hospital.

Or a couple other recent deaths of acquaintances (friends of friends) - all of which occurred with a week or so of the first anniversary of the death of my former mother-in-law (who, for a time during my first marriage, was there for me more than my actual Mom)

No, it's not for those reasons.

I went out to get some aggression out yesterday afternoon and did some tree trimming - and ended up getting something in my eye. Literally.

I've been able to flush most of it out. But either there is still something in there, or something is scratched. Either way, it's really annoying and makes me really glad that I pushed back the poll, because it would be difficult for me to be able to ensure accuracy http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/800348.html

The new deadline is NEXT MONDAY, so I fully expect everyone will have enough time to get to the starting line. If you are having trouble, there is a Work Room to bounce ideas in: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/800648.html

and while you are waiting, I posted a special Home Game thread. EVERYONE can participate in it: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/801771.html After all, it's about Luna's favorite activity - killing me! How can you *not* want to do that??!

One thing that I have seen a lot of is "I didn't really know her", which makes me sad - not just because I think you've missed out on someone really special, but also because Idol has always been a family, and I think that the more people move away from interacting with each other, the weaker that bond has become between contestants. I think the Exhibits helped strengthen that sense of togetherness in some, but it feels like it's still not what it "should" be... then again, people are going to get the experience they want from this. I can't force you to become friends with everyone else! (well, I can... but that's using my brainwashing powers - and I'm already using them for other purposes in your lives. ;) )

I think this is good opportunity to not only tell people you love them - but to also reach out to folks, tell them how much their work has meant to you, and maybe get to know them a little better in the process.

Comments

[kandigurl.livejournal.com]

I don't know what's going on right now, there must be some planet that's in retrograde or some such nonsense. A kid I've known since he was three and is now in his twenties was recently in a wreck that killed his best friend, and a friend of my wife's slipped from us last month.

I don't think I've ever in my life been on the periphery of so much death. Every time I am with someone I love, talking to them, commenting on their Facebook posts, or standing near them, I'm thinking, "I can't love you enough. No matter how much time we have together, it is not enough. I can't hold you close enough. There's not enough time."

It's really crazy

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

What appears to be Luna's last tweet: (or at least the one that was reposted to her journal)

Mon, 22:14: Thanks for the memories - s04ep01 #Grimm #tvtag http://t.co/RR92v2gKPi

Just calculated...

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

She left us at 159 Weeks.

(not counting the exhibits)

150 is now "The Luna Club".

I really wish that I had recognized it at the time. But I figured that (if I added future mini-seasons into the count that she would be the first to crack 200)

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

Aww, that's sweet - we should all "shoot for the moon" as it were!

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

I think that the more people move away from interacting with each other, the weaker that bond has become between contestants.

I've been saying this all along the last couple of seasons and it's the primary reason why I'm not the only one who yearns for the Idol of yore: It WASN'T just about the writing.

I don't want to get into that or else I'll rant from now until who knows when.

Nathalie stopped posting to LJ for a time between Season Whatever and the Season/Exhibit where she returned. IIRC she was having some issues IRL. I remember some of them, but they'll never be my story to tell.

I was reading back in my Idol archives just thinking of how many people besides Nathalie fell into that "not posting" hole and still have yet to return to LJ. I miss them horribly in the LJ-isn't-the-same-without-them type of way.

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

All you can do is try to engage other people as best of you can.

Start the conversations you *want* to have.

If people don't reach back... then they don't. But there are definitely enough people who say they want that sort of thing, that I would think that you could get *something* started.

This is as good of an opportunity as any.

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

BTW Gary, have you had someone medically certified look at your eye? I had something fly into my eye back last winter and it turned out to be a corneal abrasion :erk:

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

Not yet.

It happened yesterday. I've been able to flush some of it out. Just not all.

I will say that it's been "good timing" that it's pretty easy to keep my eyes moistened lately. I've been on the edge of tears for a couple weeks now.

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

If there still is something in your eye tears usually aren't enough to flush it out, unfortunately. You don't want corneal damage. It messes up your depth perception among other things :eek:

I'm on a nonnarcotic painkiller for my wrist right now that makes my eyes incredibly dry. The times I've cried this past weekend made them sting like a sonofayou-know-what. I'm like, great, just what I need on top of everything else :p

I didn't know about Shay's situation. Is it on her FB?

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

Only vaguely.

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

I went out and bought an eye wash. It seemed to help a little. But if this persists I will have no choice but to go to the doctor.

Trying to avoid it (being broke right now) but I won't have much of a choice if this doesn't work.

[halfshellvenus.livejournal.com]

The one and only time I went to the ER for "something in my eye," it was a piece of metal that had embedded in the cornea.

Yours is probably a little bit of bark or twig, but those CAN get stuck and need to be removed by a doctor. So if it doesn't come out soon... :(

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

If it is still bothering you, definitely go see an eye doctor - you really don't want to mess with a corneal abrasion or worse - and when you do tree trimming, wear protective goggles!

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

I just did.

They wouldn't see me without a $40 co-pay. They told me to go to the walk-in clinic, who asked for a $75 co-pay! :)

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

Ouch! So...????

Of course the clinic is going to charge you more for the convenience. But still...

[adoptedwriter.livejournal.com]

Don't wanna put an eye out, kid! LOL
It's sure been a weekend of highs and lows, hasn't it? And it ain't just our weather! AW

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

I haven't had many "highs".

What's the good news that is out there?

[adoptedwriter.livejournal.com]

My weekend was 80% crap, but I did buy my daughter a wedding plan book and there are 4 cute kitties in my house to play with!
AW

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

We have six kitties! Well, two kitties (8 months and 14 months) and four cats (ages 5-9 years), but oy are they a handful!

[lawchicky.livejournal.com]

Just posting because I want to send a message of love to Gary and to my LJI family. You all have meant so much to me over the last several years, and I love you all for it. Even when we don't agree, I still respect everyone here.

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

It's nice to see you around, even if it's under horrible circumstances.

Idol is a family. Hopefully, that is something that will remind people of that. (trying to take *anything* from this situation that I can... maybe something positive can come from it. But damn it if I can figure out what)

[adoptedwriter.livejournal.com]

Yes, What Lawchicky says. You guys rock! I may not know all of you super-well, but you're part of LJI, so I know enough! Those of you I have met in person or at least chatted with on FB, what a privilege it is to be with you! Remember when I wrote that entry back in like April about having a virtual house party and you're all invited? Yeah. HOUSE PARTY!!!!! Come on in! ( passes drink cups, veggies, chips n dip plus left over Halloween candy...You lucky people get Reese's Peanut Butter Cups! Got Starbursts ( all red ones) for the peanut-free folk!)
My cats are all friendly. They'll shed some love on you too.
AW

[ryl.livejournal.com]

*steals all the Reese's cups*
*runs away*
*runs back in and steals all the orange Starbursts as well*
*runs away again*

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

YOU CANNOT STEAL MY REESE CUP! Ha!

[ryl.livejournal.com]

*yoink*

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

*yoinks back*

[ryl.livejournal.com]

Hey look! A huge distracting thing!
*reyoinks*

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

Too late! *chews*

[ryl.livejournal.com]

Curses!

[halfshellvenus.livejournal.com]

Part of the sense of not knowing her well is because we've had a lot more new people join Idol. She was a fixture in earlier seasons, but I didn't join until S8 and didn't meet her until Exhibit B. I see that her personality was all over the earlier seasons! But that period is "off the map" for me.

Her productivity was incredible-- because thinking on it, I'll bet she would have done Idol AND NaNo (successfully!) , and also continued with writerverse. I was in writerverse in the off-Idol periods, but as soon as Idol started up, it fell off the plate. Not for Luna-- she completed all the writerverse phases to the end while also doing Idol. She had a ton of ideas, and she was able to shape them to completion in all their different directions at once. It was impressive!

Shay losing her granddaughter was awful enough, but that she was murdered is so much worse. Who would do that to a little child?

I have nothing fun to offer in all of this tragedy, but I will mention "Goggles" and also admit that I always forget to use them myself. In fact, I foresee stringing Xmas lights up in the crepe myrtle tree in about three weeks, and having bark bits rain down into my eyes while doing it. Because it happens every single year. Will I learn? Maybe?

... oy.

[ellakite.livejournal.com]

There is way too much crap going down these days. Last night I found out several folks I know are going through various degrees of serious shit -- a lot of it is of a "personal" nature, but as I mentioned in my blog, one of my buddies from college lost both his parents last month: first his Dad died after a long ugly battle with cancer, then his mom had a stroke at the funeral. (She lingered in a coma a while but eventually succumbed.)

We all need better news. That's all there is to it...

My Entry in Memorium of Luna

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

Can be found HERE (http://roina-arwen.livejournal.com/1669298.html)

I worked in a metric ton of past Idol topics, because really, what better way to kill Gary than that? :)

[oxymoron67.livejournal.com]

So much death. Awful.

When I first started Idol in Season 8, I thought it was just a writing competition, but I have come to care for the other Idol-ers.

[bleodswean.livejournal.com]

Despite the fact that I didn't know her at all, I feel that Idol has proven a great place to meet folks and my flist has really benefited with new friends. I feel I am getting to know some of those new friends well.

The newcomer's experience is going to be different from those who've been here for season after season. Those sorts of things do bind folks together. There is no question that you get out of a thing pretty much what you put into it. There are a lot of people here in this comm and with such an assortment it does ask for some diplomacy and caution.

LiveJournal has changed over the past decade. That's indisputable. And I whined about it for a year or so several years back and then I just got over myself. For me, this platform simply works. It's superior to all other social media for those who enjoy words. But it does require that we give and take as both journalers and flisters.

I'm always open for friending!

[theun4givables.livejournal.com]

I'm one of those who're always open to friending, as well. :) I don't say it often and I haven't been around the GR as much as I was in S8 and during the Exhibits, but that's partially because I work now, and partially because I am somehow still that awkward turtle-duck that wants to be part of the group but still skirts the edge of it. ;)

I might not have known Nath well, but just by the few interactions with her I had and watching her posts on LJ and comments in LJI, I was still impacted by her death in a way that surprised me, almost. I would have loved to have friended her, but was too shy to do so.

Putting into LJI what you want to get out of it is exactly what everyone should be doing, and for me, I AM looking for new friends, but I'm always real slow to reach out first. This might've given me a bit of a kick in the rear, hah.

[ellison.livejournal.com]

I'm open to new LJ friends too, and like you said, can be shy. So I added you just now! :)

[theun4givables.livejournal.com]

Aw, yay. :) You have been friended back. <3

[ellison.livejournal.com]

:D

[reckless-blues.livejournal.com]

I am an extremely friendly person! Do not be afraid to bond with me.

I mean, I'm not friendly, exactly, I'm kind of cold and creepy, but that's just my terrible personality. Most of the time I'm thinking about kittens or the time I saw a whale once.

[ellison.livejournal.com]

Ooh, what kind of whale?

I had a beluga spit water at me at Sea World when I was a kid (it was part of a voluntary act and the trainer asked the whale to do so, we definitely weren't harassing it or anything!). I <3 belugas. And, pretty much every animal...

[reckless-blues.livejournal.com]

Humpbacks and Minke whales. I've seen orcas and belugas, too, but not in the wild.

[ellison.livejournal.com]

So cool! Whales are so beautiful and amazing

[anyonesghost.livejournal.com]

I lit a votive for her at Notre Dame, as long as I was there. Not that she was into that particular flavor of faith, but I think she'd have appreciated memorial via fire.

This rather knocked the wind out of my sails, though. I have 1 word for NaNo so far. ("The"). I'll probably delete it and start over. Even as she and I took alternating hiatuses (haitii?) from LJ, we kept in touch.

I think that sort of bond is "missing" from LJ and Idol today if you stop looking.

....don't stop looking.

[ellison.livejournal.com]

I like the way you said this. :)

I also like the one word for NaNo. That's awesome! Did you choose a different starting word yet?

[ellison.livejournal.com]

Damn Gary, that is a lot of crazy stuff going on!! I am really floored and sad to hear that Shay's granddaughter's death was a murder. That's unthinkable.

I know what people are saying about bonding through LJ or communities in general. LJ definitely used to be a lot more active, and many of my friends just stopped writing. I haven't been in a community I really enjoyed in many years. Then I happened to hear about Last Chance Idol and I jumped in. So I've only even been here a few weeks, which is somewhat intimidating, knowing many of you've known each other for years. It's weird being a n00b. I can feel all shy, even online. But everyone's been super nice and fun and approachable. I'm really, really glad to be here getting to know more of you. If anyone wants to friend me, please feel free! :)

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

hello all from Nairobi. there were zebras grazing just outside the airport when I arrived last night