Better

[minxy]

Aha. It would seem that my rather contrary habit of hiding from people when I'm upset backfires spectacularly if applied to sports teams, and I end up feeling worse. Huh.

After a lousy week with the committee and health issues with my family (highlights: prima donnas! Non-con crit! Ignoring! Dangerous possible cancer symptoms (Mom, prelim tests look clear)! Painful leg surgery (puppy, she's forgotten all about it and it's now our job to remind her)! Software bugs! Prima donna committee member tactlessly removing herself from committee (blessing in disguise)!) I had resisted driving the 45 minutes it takes to get into the city for boating practice, partly because the season hadn't properly begun and we'd cancelled practice after gathering too few people on the docks to take the boat out. Discouraging. Then I have a moment, looking in the mirror when I think, these pants didn't used to fit this tight, did they? and after a few horrified minutes poking my general stomach area I came to the conclusion that if you don't exercise, your body doesn't stay in the same kick-ass shape you were in when working out 4-5 times a week.

I know. These kinds of deep insights are why I became a scientist. And also, people: who knew they could be so entertaining to just be around?

Anyway, back to the bare minimum 3 times a week boating to get into shape enough to start running again (the Stoopid Owner of the Mean Dog That Bit Me moved, probably without paying the fines levied or licensing his dogs, and I have runners mace, so I am no longer afeared of running in my parent's neighborhood.)

Gods, I love endorphins. Although working out Wednesday night made me a bit meloncholy for some reason, Thursday night was better, and plus I snapped out of the mood on Wednesday by cracking open naominovik's book His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire to those of you across the pond. No, I don't know why we persist in renaming things over here. The HP books were ridiculous too. Like we couldn't figure out that 'Mum' = 'Mother-type figure'?) This is a surprising and well crafted novel. I'd really suggest you read it regardless of whether you think it's your thing (I didn't think it was mine, but I was completely invested within 10 pages, and I love what a ride it is). It's nice to find a book compulsively readable like that.

So I'm reading and exercising, my tried and true method of Enduring, and I have plans to take a half a year vacation and do Not Science and things noble and things foreign and things social and things artistic, and I feel pretty good today. As a generally happy person, this is of critical importance to me, you understand; I find myself really irritating when I'm in a bad mood, and I assume everyone else will be just as annoyed in my company.

So, here's my question: what do you or have you done to stave off or recover from burnout? We all know that certain things work better than others, and that while T.V. can let you escape, it doesn't always help you feel any better, so what does? Describe, please. I'm hoping that if I fall asleep on the laptop from exercise induced sleepiness + late night reading of lj friend's novel I can absorb the recuperative powers of these techniques by osmosis.

Very scientific.

In light of above explained contrariness, I've read less fanfic lately (and much less darker, complex stuff) than I otherwise might have done, but I did read these (and I point you to paian and ship_recs for further recs, particularly of the SGA variety.

kellifer_fic wrote a followup to Little Bear called Sun Bear, which is cute and cracked, and which features the words 'tumbly run' which pleased me.

More SGA crack (and I mean that in the best possible way): _mousi's The Greatest Rescue Mission in the Pegasus Galaxy. There are no words.

Sorrel (goddessleila) posted a lovely Teal'c fic called Still Water. I must love this really for the description of a theme I've seen referenced before in fic (Komos/paian's most recent Lost City fic comes to mind) in which there is a understanding between Teal'c and some other member of the team that if they need it, they are welcome to the other's bed. This is the first time I've see the discussion written, and it surprised me a bit. Quite marvelous. You can find it at tealc_fic too. Teal'c and Daniel, rated PG maybe, season 4?

Shaye (=fourteenlines) posted two poems about April, one from Edna St. Vincent Millay, and one of her own (which I loved madly).

Also, discussions in agentotter's, cofax7's and leadensky's journals about slash vs. friendship fic as intimacy and watershed books for women leads me to ponder something leadensky asked: when was the last time you saw a buddy fic with two women? Hell, in Stargate there really aren't many women around, so we could extend the question to: have you read fic in which Sam or Janet or Teyla or Elizabeth or Kate had a moment with a girlfriend? That was relevant in the story? That was not sexual at all, but the close intimacy of friends? It's not meant to be a critique, but curiosity: after all, it's difficult to ignore that canon Sam as a character is often defined by her relationships with men, often simplified down to a character dulling UST, and that she is alternately loved and hated for it. Show me times in fanfiction when she is more.

They say to write what you know, but I don't think I've seen much of this, but there are certainly numerous fixit fics out there for every other subject under the sun; is it me, or has it not been written?

I also understand that Rebecca (=blueraccoon) has written NCIS Tony/Gibbs mild D/s, first time fic for dustandroses titled Please (Don't) Pet the Tony. I shall read at some point, and I shall love it mightily.

And that Nanda wrote a wonderful team, gen, mourning Jacob (whom I loved and miss) thing that I haven't read yet but will: Anything.

Plus, ltlj is nearly finished with the last bit of Recovery (sequel to the very awesome Retrograde) and then I can read it! Yay! Yayayayay!

Comments

[troyswann.livejournal.com]

Burn out: swimming. swimming. swimming. repeat. or painting. nothing salves my brain like watercolour and having to wait wait wait while a wash dries (sometimes I cheat and use a hairdrier. shhhh don't tell. but it keeps the paper a lot flatter, though, right?) and having to look at a design and think of how to make it pop or float or glow from the inside out. An entirely different part of my brain gets used. Also, windchimes. I so need to get some great giant ones that will go bong bonggggggggggg underneath the ting ting ting of the little ones. Or daaaaancing. Techno, heels-to-the-floor takes-over-for-your-heartbeat pounding base-beat reptile-brain-only dancing.

Most of my activities are dedicated to making my brain shut down. Often alcohol does it, but I suffer with insomnia after, so that's only a temporary fix. There are no words when I paint. Burn out for me is always from a surfeit of words. Voices from fiction, my voice from lectures, student voices from papers, critics' voices from research. Lo and I decided yesterday that mollusks must be happy, and there must be a reason clams are smiling. :)

I hope you find your thing, because just thinking about what you do makes me exhausted, man!

PS. Thanks for the medical help on the whole alcohol poisoning, thing. :) (not my alcohol poisoning, just for the record)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

I love your brain. Just following your thought processes is calming to me sometimes. You've also just reminded me that I have this chronic wip watercolor for a friend that she's probably totally forgotten about. It's all masking and washes, mostly in light lime greens because that's her favorites, and of birch trees with new leaves. Light waves of wash behind it, with negative space for the brightly sunlit leaves, other leaves in twisty, new hatches stretches highlighted with lighter yellows and shadowed in deeper greens. Not that I've gotten to that part yet. Also, it's a huge canvas (for me: it's something like a meter on it's longest side) and my first watercolor gessoed canvas, too.

I forgot that it's about shutting down the brain. Maybe why the reading isn't as refreshing as sports. Maybe I'll go dancing tonight in my pretty shoes. Only, the end of my book is calling me. *can't decide*

You're welcome for the alcohol poisoning stuffs, I'm happy to help in whatever alcohol related capacity I'm able to. And my work, it used to be such a source of excitement and challenge and love; now it feels so much like if I'm happy, it's in spite of work, and that is just. not. right. A break is required. A 'you are no longer a student for the first time in nearly 25 years' break. A sabbatical. With alcohol. Yum. But no poisoning.

[annalazarus.livejournal.com]

Hi, I just friended you recently (thank you so much for all the wonderful reccing you do), but thought I'd jump in and offer a burn out suggestion. I just took up jewelry making, and it's very relaxing, with the added bonus that you end up with pretty gifts for yourself and others. As hobbies go, it's a little expensive, but it's cheaper than buying jewelry (which I also find relaxing, but definitely don't have the funds for).

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

Hello! Welcome to my ocean. *expansive gesture*

That is a great burnout thing, but I, unfortunately, did not get the girly jewelry gene. I'm serious, I think there may be something wrong with me genetically.

What materials do you use? Do you go for the semi-precious *hand flaps to fill in words where knowledge gaps* really glittery stuff, or is it more a bohemian wire and stone and ceramics thing? Or something else altogether? Glass, or... (I'm out of ideas).

Also, I really love that icon. *appreciates the addition of beauty to the LJ*

[annalazarus.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the icon love; I really like it too. I figure if I use it enough, people will associate the model's lovely face with me. Heh.

I do mostly wood, shells, and stone at this point. I'm not huge on shiny, girly things either (well, I own them, but I don't make them). I'm taking a class on knotting right now, and then I'm going to take one on wireworking.

[becky-monster.livejournal.com]

Nanda's fic is a thing of understated beauty. And this is from someone who is a confirmed and total DeNileist where Jacob anodsnd Selmak are concerned.
Because, of course, they are alive and currently aiding Hammond in his role as the overseer of hte SGC.
*nods* Works for me!;)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

I'm glad to hear it, and don't doubt it at all. You read her remix piece, right? It was also so sadly elegant. Link is in one of the posts from earlier this week.

[jenlev.livejournal.com]

sending you a gentle hug and the hopes that next week cooperates very well with you and treats you right. *hugs* i'm so glad you can run in the neighborhood again.

so....reading favorite books, or good new ones helps me recover from burn out. as does listening to music and puttering around the condo checking out my ancient beads. any day i have time to just stare at the birds on the balcony also helps. i used to ride horses, which always worked the best. er, other than reading. really, reading is my friend.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

I'm doing very well right now. I think I just demonstrated something that will increase the importance of my latest paper really a lot. I'm trying not to think of ways other people could deflate my enthusiasm about stuff, and instead marched my laptop in to the room where my Dad was working and like a 5 year old said 'Dad! Look what I did!' and being an incredibly fine paternal figure (some might say Superman) he made all the right noises, asked why and if that was good and pointed at shaded things and noted that they were shaded and then put up with my explanation of why they were shaded and I'm quite happy.

So much so that I pretty much just stopped working to enjoy it. Heh.

Do you find, when reading to recover (which I do all the time) that you can't really tackle too much complexity? I can read my version of trash novels, which are actually wonderful and valid all about the yarn of the story and the world building and suspending disbelief, but I can't read stories that require too much cerebral insight, because that's the muscle that's tired. As a result, I end up reading or rereading Harry Potter or Jane Austen or Robin McKinley or Jasper Fforde. What do you read?

[jenlev.livejournal.com]

that's a great story, i love that he did exactly as he should have as a father. and yay that you've been able to add to the paper.

i re-read "engine summer" a lot. i can pick certain sections or even just a paragraph and immerse myself in the language and imagery. and i know it so well that the rest of the story unfurls for me even if i've just taken a quick glimpse.

um....i re-read the lloyd alexander books, or e. nesbit, the sword in the stone by t.h. white, the half magic books by edward eager, books i grew up with that have come to mean safety and joy to me.

there's a great book by randall jarrell called the "animal family" that i adore. and another one by c. northcote parkinson called pony's plot. gods, i haven't read that in years i should read it tomorrow.

i love phil stongs "honk the moose" (that was my first mooshee), and allison utley's "a traveler in time", anything at all by rosemary sutcliffe, but especially the armorour's house. and paul brown's "piper's pony, as well as crazy quilt.

the illustrations in the children's books are as vital as the writing. just looking at some of the pictures grounds me.

adult scifi/fantasy authors that i adore (besides john crowley) are: ursula leguin, c.j. cherryh, david herter, gegory maguire, emma bull, elizabeth willey, cherry wilder, a book by walter teve "mockingbird" that always makes me cry but in a good way. the becoming alien books by rebecca ore, the short stories by samuel delaney in his driftglass collection, the riddle master of hed series by mckillip, robin mckinley's blue sword and the hero and the crown. oh, and her book 'beauty' is wonderful.

not to forget *all* the mary renault books....and fred astaire's autobiography....gods, sorry to natter on....just pondering this has made me babble on (vs. babylon, heh). and when i have a good chunk of time anything on ancient history and archaeology, as well as the arts & crafts movement.

so many books, so little time. *g*

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

I love the Blue Sword and Hero and the Crown books, as well as Beauty, very very much. I know I've forgotten some too, in my list. I have so many wonderful books to read, too, but not knowing if they'll be too much for my little brain brings me back to fanfic a lot.

But, if you get a chance, do look into Jasper Fforde's Tuesday Next series. It's marvelous and wonderful and joyous.

[jenlev.livejournal.com]

the good fanfic is as good as the books i think. hereabouts in lj-land i'm continually impressed by the quality of writing.

thank you for the rec, and oh, how could i not mention george r.r. martin? i read all his books of the series (thus far) this past early fall and was astounded.

ps. and that's a great reading icon by the way. *g*

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

Yup, I agree, what makes fanfic a known quantity is that the world building is done, the premise I understand, and the characters I already like. Plus those headers are really a very good way of finding exactly the kind of thing you're in the mood for.

This icon? *g* props to lotrjunkie009.

[jenlev.livejournal.com]

a big yes for the characters i like. i've been disappointed with some of what i see in the scifi section at the bookstore. not just because of the quality of writing, but the characters end up being people i really don't want to spend time with. *bg*

[delphia2000.livejournal.com]

Okay, I skimmed the answers posted here and didn't see anyone mention music. Music affects me as much and sometimes more than the written word. I don't jog, but I do walk for exercise besides the gym (brisk walking not a saunter!) and I wear my headset and walk to jaunty music to lift my mood. Of course it helps that I live in the most beautiful scenery in the USA. :o)

I love to burn mixes of songs intended to go with a particular fic (usually mine) or that just inspire me. And if I'm planning to walk for a particular amount of time, I burn a cd to last that long so when it's over I know I can stop walking.

BTW, I also carry a can of Counter Assault which is a pepper spray. Works good on most varmits, 2 or 4-legged except the moose who seem to think it's an appetizer.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

My brother and my dad both got me runner's mace, which is a smallish can with a velcro strap so it stays at hand when you're running without you having to grasp it unless needed. I traded one to my mom for one of her duplicate pedometers, which was interesting for a while (until I realized that most of my exercise is paddling and farm work, and therefore not well recorded.)

It's surprising how many steps you cover in a day, though. And Alaska is gorgeous (though I haven't visited yet) but I prefer Oregon now for the longer daylight hours. *wonders why she's considering moving to Vancouver*

[orca-girl.livejournal.com]

...leads me to ponder something leadensky asked: when was the last time you saw a buddy fic with two women?

It's funny how sometimes the same slightly unusual topics appear in proximity to each other in different LJs. Like, accidental memes, or something. Anyway -- you don't have miera_c friended, although you do have a bunch of mutual friends with her. She asked a question very similar to this in her LJ about a month ago (March 9, actually), and some of the discussion in the comments considered the question of genre novels featuring women, esp. multiple women, esp. in buddy relationships. The upshot of course was: there's not a lot out there. Although, it actually inspired a dear friend of mine and Raqs's to start writing down his ideas for a series of non-romantic female buddy adventures. Anyway, thought you might be interested in that discussion.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

Excellent. That sounds marvelous and I will go check it out. I've been aware of miera for ages, but never specifically popped 'round her LJ and maybe I ought to do now. Thanks for the heads up.

I don't know whether friends of friends are influencing each other accidentally or if it's pure coincidence or what, but it's certainly serendipitous. Good on your (plural) friend for going to town on a more unusual idea. Let me know if and when I can go lend support at my favorite bookshop (can I hope for a VIP pass to the book signings? heh.)