Properly Awry

Sometimes,
some days,
some (melancholy) days,
I like to believe that this life is one of many parallel lives, and in my other parallel lives I am things I am not:

I am a published writer with 3-4 books under my belt,or
I am born with red hair to match my freckles,  or
I am 5'9", or
I won the lottery, or
I have travelled to more than 1 other continent, or
I am a closet drunk, or
I am still 110 lbs, or
I am a mad scientist, or
I am a drummer in a band, or
I am a librarian, or
I am a shapeshifter, or
I am a person who misplaces things, or
I am kickass with a gun, or
I am a successful local actress (appearing on Fringe and Supernatural), or
I am a superhero avenging animal cruelty, or
I am mother to J.D., Vedder and Delia, or
I have 2 parents, or
I am a survivor of the apocalypse, or
I am not self-conscious, or
I have horseshoes up my ass, or
I am not lacking in friends, or
I am a furniture designer, or
I own a bookstore, or
I am a revolutionary, or
I am rewarded for the work I do, or
I am unforgettable, or
I have a PhD, or
I have some terrible disease, or
I am carefree, or
I am tattooed on all 4 limbs, or
I am all that others think I should be, or
I am a charming surprise, or
or
or
or
or any combination of the above.

These are of course, not all things I have wished or do wish to achieve, or aim to become, they are simply daydreams of a parallel life that isn't, but somewhere could be.

...or use someone else's imagination.
Last week I stumbled upon SpoonFlower.com, a website where users can get fabric created using their own original designs, or search through the talent of other users and order their designs.  
Since I cannot draw and have never mastered Photoshop, I ordered some samples so I can choose what fabric I want to place an order for:






I love fabric and I love the idea of getting near one of a kind fabric and then creating drapes, pillows, etc. from it to personalize my home.  Some of the fabric designers also have links to sites like Etsy where they sell items they've made with their fabric.

• INTJs apply (often ruthlessly) the criterion "Does it work?" to everything from their own research efforts to the prevailing social norms. This in turn produces an unusual independence of mind, freeing the INTJ from the constraints of authority, convention, or sentiment for its own sak
• When it comes to their own areas of expertise -- and INTJs can have several -- they will be able to tell you almost immediately whether or not they can help you, and if so, how. INTJs know what they know, and perhaps still more importantly, they know what they don't know. 
• INTJs live in the world of ideas and strategic planning. They value intelligence, knowledge, and competence, and typically have high standards in these regards, which they continuously strive to fulfill. To a somewhat lesser extent, they have similar expectations of others. 
• many INTJs do not readily grasp the social rituals; for instance, they tend to have little patience and less understanding of such things as small talk and flirtation (which most types consider half the fun of a relationship). To complicate matters, INTJs are usually extremely private people, and can often be naturally impassive as well, which makes them easy to misread and misunderstand. Perhaps the most fundamental problem, however, is that INTJs really want people to make sense.
•  INTJs spend a lot of time inside their own minds, and may have little interest in the other people's thoughts or feelings. 
• Other people may have a difficult time understanding an INTJ. They may see them as aloof and reserved. Indeed, the INTJ is not overly demonstrative of their affections, and is likely to not give as much praise or positive support as others may need or desire. That doesn't mean that he or she doesn't truly have affection or regard for others, they simply do not typically feel the need to express it.  
• Masterminds are rare, comprising no more than, say, one percent of the population, and they are rarely encountered outside their office, factory, school, or laboratory. Although they are highly capable leaders, Masterminds are not at all eager to take command, preferring to stay in the background until others demonstrate their inability to lead. 
• Masterminds do not feel bound by established rules and procedures, and traditional authority does not impress them, nor do slogans or catchwords. Only ideas that make sense to them are adopted; those that don't, aren't, no matter who thought of them.   

If you know me, all of the above applies, whether good or bad.

Interestingly enough, on the list of fictional INTJ's:  Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs) and Professor Moriarty (Sherlock Holmes' nemesis), though so are Mr. Darcy (Pride and Prejudice), Gandalf the Grey (J. R. R. Tolkein's Middle Earth books), and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (Hamlet).

Just because Apple tells you to read books on the iPad, does not mean it has to be so. 
iPad reading = eye strain.  I would never sit down and read a book on a computer screen, I stare at a computer screen 10 hours a day at work already.  eBook readers with eInk technology are a far different experience, an experience that is far closer to that of reading an actual book than that of reading on a computer screen.
I love my Sony eBook reader, and though there are now a few prettier ones out there with eInk technology (Nook, Kindle, Kobo) I will stick with Sony for now. It uses the ePub file format so is now compatible with many ebook stores and if I ever do switch to a competitor's reader, my books will transfer over.  My Sony Reader Pocket Edition fits in my jacket pocket, my purse etc., takes up less room than a paperback and is easier on the wrists to read in bed or on transit (no more carrying around 1000 page hardcover for weeks!).
People have complained that you can't read eInk in the dark - didn't their mothers tell them reading in the dark is bad for their eyes?  Turn on a lamp!  You wouldn't sit in a dim room, crack open a paperback and then say "aww man, it's too dark in here, guess I can't read".
Don't get me wrong, I love books, I collect books, but the convenience of being able to carry my eReader at all times with multiple books at my fingertips has won me over.  Yes, I will still buy the 1000 page Stephen King book for my bookshelf, but chances are that I also have the ebook.

Ahh, the long weekend...and, it's pouring rain outside.  Not that that's much of a surprise, I would guess if I bothered to look up statistics on Good Friday weather in the Lower Mainland it would probably say that it rains 95% of the time.  Some would say the rain is tears for Jesus.  I would not be one of those some.

Working in a non-government related job means that what was once a 4 day long weekend is now just 3 days, but I've taken the Monday off anyhow to make it 4 again, it just seems right.  4 day weekend, and no there are no travel plans, we learned our lesson on that one years ago.  Family dinner tonight at mom's, since we did Christmas dinner at our place.  Nope, no major plans, I took the extra day off so that I could (go to the spa? get my hair done? go shopping?)...paint the guestroom.
In my house, I am the one that does the painting, tiling, laying of floors, picture hanging, etc.  My husband is the one that does the cooking, and most of the cleaning.  Garden and plants - I kill them generally because I forget they even exist and leave them to fend for themselves, he does not.  I am the one that works 10 hour days, meaning away from home for 12 hours a day.  I am the one that does our finances, pays the bills, does our taxes.  My husband generally has no idea how much money we have in the bank, and if you asked him how much money we made last year it is highly unlikely that he would know. 
Is this weird?  I don't think so. I don't think it makes me less feminine or him less masculine.
I think it is just balance, and our balance just happens to be opposite of what most would perceive to be the standard.