Well. This sucks.

[lls_mutant]

Incidentally, best line in Madagascar. I need to make an icon with those penguins or something.

Well, the lab called yesterday, and guess what? My 1 hour glucose tolerance test came back high. Goodie. The nurse immediately jumped into trying to reassure me that I might not have gestational diabetes, but let's look at the facts:

1.) I started this pregnancy 20-25 pounds higher than I would have liked, and 35 pounds over my all-time low, which was STILL high for my height, but y'know what? I was a freaking size six. Those weight ranges can be a joke.

2.) My mother had gestational diabetes when she had me- and I was her first as well.

3.) Diabetes runs very heavily on both sides of my family- my mom's side and my dad's side.

4.) I'm 30 years old, almost 31.

So who are we kidding? I'll go for the three hour tolerance test on Friday, but I'm gonna assume I've probably got it.

It's not the end of the world- far from it. From what I can tell, it's certainly a cause for concern, but most cases can be treated with diet modification and exercise. Most times mom and baby are both fine, which is what's really important. And while I might miss dessert, I'd rather be healthy and have a healthy baby, y'know? And besides, there is a silver lining in that I'll get myself right back into certain Weight Watcher habits (like journaling my food), and then when I DO have the baby I'll already have cut out a lot of the stuff I shouldn't be eating, making post-birth weight loss that much easier. Hopefully I won't have to take insulin, but we shall see. If I have to, I have to. If you're going to have a pregnancy complication, this is the one to have, from what I've been told.

But it still sucks.

Anyway, anyone out there have to deal with gestational diabetes?

In other news, MRFH is looking for a new writer. Which makes me think that my writing today should be a review ;) Not that I think that they're trying to replace me (not at all), but I need to get a new review in anyway, and have been meaning to write up Keeping the Faith for ages. I did get a scene I'd been having a lot of trouble with for Accidentally In Love done, which will hopefully get me moving again there. And those two overdue fics... ::sigh::

And FAP is amusing me-slash-making me bang my head on the desk again. Did you know that people who like a ship aren't allowed to post to Can't Stand threads, even if they're saying they can't stand something about their own ship? Apparently it's true, at least according to one rather scary poster. It takes away the last refuge of those of us that can't stand R/T. Because, y'know, the world is so cruel to us that we need a refuge. Whatever. And in her honor...



1.) The canine connection. Sirius turns into a dog. Remus turns into a wolf. It means nothing like what some people think it means. It means that JKR needed Sirius to be something 1.) that could wander around England without attracting attention, 2.) big enough to hold back a werewolf, and 3.) appropriate. And when Remus transforms, he wants to kill and eat people, not mate. They aren't both canines so they can have sex in animal form. That's just icky.

2.) Nauseating nicknames. You know em. Siri and Remmy. Because that's something guys would call each other. I don't mind Pads and Re, as long as it's used out of anyone else's hearing. But that's it. Unless you want to use dickweed and fuckwad or something, because that's another sort of name that boys call each other. (Although it's probably not appropriate for 1970's Britain.)

3.) Padfoot the dog and Moony the wolf. No. Padfoot is the nickname for Sirius. Moony is the nickname for Remus. It's not the name of their animagus forms... after all, the dog and the wolf (and the deer and the rat) didn't write the Marauder's Map. Opposable thumbs, people.

4.) Bad characterization. Like any ship is immune to this anyway. Remus doesn't need to be protected, and even if Sirius IS protective of him (he's not, overall), Remus doesn't exactly cling to him crying out how brave and strong and wonderful Sirius is. Remus as a blushing virgin gets old (although I admit I kind of like it sometimes). Remus as a stodgy, humorless person is really bad characterization. Sirius showing up with roses makes my head hurt. (Remus does seem to be the victim of character assassination more than Sirius does.)

5.) Wolves mate for life, so if Remus and Sirius have sex they are magically bound together for life. (One of these days I'm going to write this, have it blow up on them and them wanting to move on, and they can't without making a total mess of it. That's the only reason someone should write this stupid cliche.) Remus doing nothing but eating chocolate and reading a book. Sirius bouncing in and saying he's bored because he's got the mentality of a 12 year old girl. Perfect, magical, trascendent sex, every single time. (Although again, what ship doesn't get this?) Any other plot cliches I'm missing.

6.) The insistence that R/S is canon. It's not. Although that's pretty much stopped since HBP came out. It was strongly supported by canon, but it's never been canon. (But that doesn't mean we can't like it.)

7.) I don't mind the shippers that hate R/T. Heck, I'm one of them. I don't mind fanfic like krislaughs A Lesson in Holding Hands, that proposes a well-thought-out alternative to Tonks and Remus holding hands at the end of HBP. I don't mind people thinking that JKR did a lousy job with Tonks's character or the romance- I'll fight you for the first spot in line to say that. I DO mind people calling Tonks (or worse, JKR) really nasty names for the R/T ship. Also add in that I've never liked the idea of Tonks changing into Sirius for Remus (I think that's terrible to both of them), or that JKR caved to public pressure and homophobia. (I don't hate the last as much as you'd think I might, especially when it's suggested rather than accused.) I think it's more she just wrote a crappy few pages of plot. (I mean, come on. The H/D shippers must have been going insane with all the subtext for H/D in HBP. Even I was starting to wonder about Harry.)

8.) The word "puppyshipping". Referring to the boys as "the pups." Just... ick.

See? Any shipper can find things they hate about their ship. So :P~~~~~~~~, because I'm really cranky right now.



Suppose I should get something done. I really, really don't want it to involve my 95 degree lab.

Comments

[magic-at-mungos.livejournal.com]

* wibbles * Hope your heath turns out to be A-OK. But doesn’t everyone have pet peeves about their own ships? Or having a OTP negate that?

My top 5 pet peeves on R/S at the moment:

1) Remus not actually having a sense of humour and being a stick in the mud all the time. He proves he has a sense of humour in PoA – it’s just a more quiet sort of humour and my!Remus invariably comes out as quite snarky.
2) James and Sirius were best friends. That doesn’t rule out Remus and Sirius also being really close friends. People are allowed to have relationships and still have a best friend.
3) Peter was part of the group. Suck it up. They trusted him enough to be the Secret Keeper. That means they can’t have had their suspicions in Hogwarts.
4) Yes their relationship is seriously fucked up. That is what makes it interesting. If I wanted sweetness and light, I would not be shipping R/S.
5) Neither is going to cry themselves to sleep because the other ‘rejected’ him. They’re both survivors.

[lls-mutant.livejournal.com]

Thanks :)

I think everyone's got their own pet peeves, or hates SOMETHING about their ship. And I agree with every last thing you said. Call me crazy or whatever, but I love lists like this :)

[ignipes.livejournal.com]

It does suck, even though it sounds like you can deal with it. Definitely don't have any advice for you, but I hope both you and the baby are just fine. *hugs*

The second part of this post amused me greatly, because I have been contemplating making a very similar list for a few days now. In fact, this was going to be the first item on the list, in almost these exact words: Remus doing nothing but eating chocolate and reading a book. Sirius bouncing in and saying he's bored because he's got the mentality of a 12 year old girl. It's gotten to the point where there is no better way to make me click "back" on a story than to have it start with that premise, no matter who wrote it. (That seems to be a favourite cliche of the really popular R/S writers, for some reason.)

[lls-mutant.livejournal.com]

Thanks :) heidi8 had some good stuff for me, so I'm a little more optimistic now.

And if you make a list like that, I will be so over reading it. It's not just that I agree, but you tend to phrase things in an amusing way. :) And yeah, why that is a favorite cliche of people is beyond me. ::sigh::

[kyasuriin.livejournal.com]

Lissa! I miss you & your criticism of R/S :D I especially agree with #'s 3&4. If anything even mentions briefly #5 (except disproving it) then I won't even read the fic so it doesn't really bother me, heh.
speaking of characterisation, I wrote Fall, Winter, blah from Sirius' POV.. would you mind taking a look over? I'm afraid that it's not as Sirius-y as I want and I know you'll be honest with me.

I know absolutely nothing about pregnancy or diabetes for that matter, but I hope that everything works out. I'm sure it will :)

[lls-mutant.livejournal.com]

Yeah- send it on over. I liked Fall, Winter, etc. I might be slow, but I enjoy reading your stuff.

And yeah, five is just... ::Shudder:: It'll make me hit the back button pretty quickly too!

[pinkfinity.livejournal.com]

Do not make that assumption. I had to do the 3 hour test in January - go read my posts here and on the following day for my take on the experience - and no, I did not have it; I think only 20% of the people who go through the three hour test end up diagnosed with it anyway. What was your number for the 1 hour test?

[lls-mutant.livejournal.com]

It was 155- they said 135 was what they like to see. It doesn't seem like it was off the charts or anything, but I wouldn't be surprised, y'know? And either way, curtailing sugar in the form of desserts probably isn't a bad idea for me ;) I didn't realize the number of people was so low though. Hmmm. However, I did fast before I took the first test, so... (and I'd NEVER try to self-treat something like this!)

For some reason I can't get to your posts though- although I'll probably try to get there through your journal later today.

[topaz7.livejournal.com]

Aww, don't worry until they tell you it's for sure. I know this is trite, but it is also true. I had a similar worry while I was pregnant, it all turned out good, and I had wasted a good four weeks worrying for no reason. They're just so super-cautious about everything, you're probably fine. I've got my fingers crossed for you. Best of luck!

[lls-mutant.livejournal.com]

Thanks :) I'm minorly worried, but not majorly, y'know? If I do have it (and since my mom did, it wouldn't shock me), it's not necessarily a huge deal. Diet and exercise. I can deal with that. But you're right about them being super cautious. My mom laughed at some of the things they've told me not to do! (like eat Brie cheese, or ice cream, or stuff like that.)

[marauderthesn.livejournal.com]

See, I've never thought that "puppyshipping" is that bad, as long as someone is using it as a tongue-in-cheek sort of thing. Besides, it's quick to write and easily recognizable.

Remus doesn't need to be protected, and even if Sirius IS protective of him (he's not, overall), Remus doesn't exactly cling to him crying out how brave and strong and wonderful Sirius is.

*vomits*

When it comes to the wolf/dog thing, I don't think that it was written that way so they could have sex as animals, but I do think that it indicates an affinity (though that wasn't JKR's first or even second reason for making Sirius a dog). I don't mind canine!sex too much if Remus is on Wolfsbane.

As for gestational diabetes, Mr. Marauder's mom had it when she was pregnant with him and again when she was pregnant with his sister. She didn't know about it when she was pregnant with him; he has slight hearing loss, but it's nothing noticeable. She was treated for it when she was pregnant with his sister.

[lls-mutant.livejournal.com]

"Puppyshipping" is just one of those personal things, y'know? I definitely don't think everyone using it should be shot. :) And canine!sex is a definite squick for me, but to each her own. Ah well. It doesn't really bother me when people aren't squicked by the stuff I am, cause frankly, that would get very, very boring.

The hearing loss could even be from other things. Amusingly, I have one too (and it is noticable, at least to me), but back when we were all born the conventional wisdom was formula over breastmilk, and some people now say that's what makes kids prone to ear infections. Whatever. It might just be some kids get bad ears! I'll take my bad ears over some of the other problems any day of the week :)

[krisomniac.livejournal.com]

First off, good luck with everything. You know, much as it is the cornerstone of my personal poor eating habits, less sugar (especially the white, processed kind) is better for all of us. Just because our systems can handle and provide natural insulin spikes doesn't mean they should have to. Besides, having all that around dampens your immune system. (It's just too bad that sugar tastes so bloody good).

Secondly, I'm confused. They won't let you post on CSRS? even if you're going with the theme of the board? That sounds rather suspicious.

Thirdly, RE: your list. Well, yeah. Although those are more fandom cliches and interpretations that you hate rather than intrinsic things about the nature of the ship. You know what I mean? Cause LOrD, some of those drive me up a bloody wall. And I think it's rather unfortunate we saw so little of Remus in HBP, because what we did see tended to be the sort of actions (cough*songfic*cough) that fuel those very cliches. Ah well. I figue I'll just keep on writing the Remus and Sirius that I enjoy, staying as true to canon as I possibly can (given that Remus is apparently straight, WFT?!?) and since I'm no kind of big, medium, or known-at-all name fan, I hope it doesn't tread on too many tooties. :D

And as for the 'pups'? When it comes to that particular endearment (because lets face it, these characters *are* dear to me) I am guilty as charged. I apologise if it offends you. *g*

[lls-mutant.livejournal.com]

(It's just too bad that sugar tastes so bloody good).

Especially when it's in the form of hot fudge or chocolate chip cookies.

They won't let you post on CSRS? even if you're going with the theme of the board? That sounds rather suspicious.

Actually, it didn't happen on the CSRS thread at all. It happened on the CS R/T. I made the comment that I found the idea of multicolored werewolf cubs really offensive- especially the fact that so many people think it's a cute idea. And that I didn't think the ship was cute at all. I finished the post saying that, to be fair, a lot of the R/T shippers I know out there don't think it's cute either. And then one of the R/T shippers I had in mind, theregoesyamum chimed in to say that, although she does ship R/T, the idea of anything cutesy about it makes her want to hurl. (Actually, I think it was phrased far more vehemently than that.) Harmless post, really. But apparently not, as the CS R/T thread is the last refuge of those that hate Lupin/Tonks or something. The mods did chime in finally to say that anyone is allowed to post on CS threads as long as no defense happens, but really, it's all very silly and stupid.

And you're right about my list- it is much more fandom cliches and interpretations. Actually, the only thing intrinsic I hate about the ship is that it's not canon :) (And amen on the songfic. What was JKR thinking?) But I guess it comes down to the question of do you define the "ship" as the relationship? Or as the fandom that goes with it? And it's really more the things about the fandom that goes with it I don't like. If I didn't like the idea of Remus/Sirius, then I wouldn't ship them :)

And don't apologize about "pups". Like I said to marauderthesn, it's totally a personal preference. I just don't like it myself- I certainly don't find it offensive! :)

[instantramen]

My godmother developed gestational diabetes when she was pregnant at 36 or so (her own first/only child) and she's still diabetic now, but otherwise they're both fine. Of course it was several years ago now, so I don't remember any specifics about dealing with it, so I'm really no help at all. ^_^;

[lls-mutant.livejournal.com]

But thanks anyways! :) It's always good to hear that people who have had to go through it are fine. And I still haven't had the 3 hour test- we'll see how that goes! :)

[gunderpants.livejournal.com]

Je crie - I cry. That is a beautiful list, and one day I will write one about R/T in your honour. I don't know how fandomish they are in the R/T case, if only because they're interpretation of real canon as opposed to speculation, and some of HBP definitely is to blame for a fair amount of it.

[lls-mutant.livejournal.com]

Heh. Glad you enjoyed it :) I look forward to seeing the R/T list! I'm not as familiar with a lot of the R/T cliches, but I can guess at them. You're right about the canon vs. speculation, too- (a point that krislaughs pointed out further upstream, how a lot of what I dislike is fandom convention and not spawned by JKR herself, which is 100% true)- so I'll be interested to see how the lists differ with that in mind.

[midnitemaraud-r.livejournal.com]

You have such a positive outlook on the GD issue. Really. I don't have any experience with it so I'll just say {{{HUGS}}} and good luck with that!

As for the R/S stuff, I pretty much agree with you on most things. But I also think that Sirius coming upon Remus and saying "Moony, I'm bored" does not automatically mean that Sirius has to have the attention span of a zucchini, or the maturity level of a two year old. Sometimes, it's possible to be restless and bored. There are times where I feel exactly that way, don't feel like reading anything (even my favorite books), don't feel like watching TV or videos/DVD's, don't feel like going out anywhere, or doing anything productive (like cleaning or cooking or laundry). It's the context in which it's written in the story, you know?

I loathe Remi/Remmy and Siri/Sear. I've had Remus call Sirius "Pads" which I prefer over "Paddy", but it wasn't in "public". I had Sirius call Remus "Re" once or twice in the course of casual conversation between the two of them in a fic that takes place when they are 12. But it wasn't so much a nickname as a... shortcut, in the general course of conversation and dialogue. Some of my friends call me "Lee/Li" sometimes in conversation, but they refer to me as Lisa, and it's not exactly a nickname - not like my real nickname, Lambchop. It's like calling someone named Christopher "Chris" sometimes. And hearing dialogue is very different from reading it, you know? When I speak, I don't always use complete sentences, I'm not always grammatically correct. That's the thing about writing dialogue - there's a fine line between having it look good on the page and having your character sound like a post-PhD in literature. What would a 12-year-old say as opposed to a 16-year-old as opposed to a 30-year-old, you know? When I was 16, I used the word "mint!" all the time, and I'd cringe if I used it now! *g*

But Siri and Remy, besides being cringeworthy, are just far too feminine, period.

It's really a matter of how far you take the cliche. I like the idea of Remus enjoying reading and being "bookish", but I've always loved to read and been bookish, yet I was an athlete and fairly popular in high school. It's a matter of when it becomes mutually exclusive. Being "bookish" does not preclude a person from also being a mischievous troublemaker. And Remus is allowed to like/love chocolate - hell, I love chocolate, too - but there's a point where it's "Yeah, alright, we GET it already!" There's a difference between an affectation and being beaten over the head with it.

There are some stories built entirely around cliches that I've loved in spite of it. It depends on the particular story and the writer's ability to tell that story. It's the context that matters to me, more than the actual cliche. But I still loathe Remy/Siri and can't read that! *g*

[midnitemaraud-r.livejournal.com]

I should also add, with regard to dialogue, the tendency to use "uh", "err", and "it's like, you know". People say those things all the time, and there are pauses and other affectations in our speech, but we certainly don't write them into our dialogue in our stories, and if and when we do, certainly not with the same frequency because it would look positively atrocious on the page! :)

[gunderpants.livejournal.com]

Now there is one thing that, as an R/T shipper, I can gloat about: none of our fan fiction can ever conceivably feature things like 'Remi' or 'Siri' or (to my horror) 'Remi-chan' and 'Siri-kun'.

Oh god, Japanese suffixes on parochial British schoolboys.

The horror.

(And if it's happened in R/T fandom, I will disown it immediately.)

[wickedevra.livejournal.com]

(((((Lissa))))) hope everything goes okay. I have absolutely no knowledge on the GD thing, but it sounds like you're taking a sensible and healthy approach *crosses appendages*

I loved your comments on characterisation and nauseating nicknames! I can't see how anyone who really loves a particular ship wouldn't hate some of the ways it gets interpreted.

[lls-mutant.livejournal.com]

Thanks :)

Yeah, I can't see that either. I mean, heck, I wasn't even delighted with some of the ways the canon ships played out. (I would have actually liked to have seen one of Harry and Ginny's dates. ::sigh:: I mean, there's a difference between fading to black and showing NOTHING.) But ah well. Venting is fun! :)

[topaz-eyes.livejournal.com]

The one-hour glucose test is just a screen, it'll be the three-hour test that will tell for sure. May I suggest though, if you're concerned, even if you don't have gestational diabetes, to discuss a diabetic diet with your OB? With my son I wasn't diabetic but my OB still put me on a diabetic diet because he was concerned about my son's size. (Little guy was 9 lb, 10 oz at birth and has been growing gangbusters since.) Just a thought.

And word, word, word to your list. I really have nothing else to add.

[lls-mutant.livejournal.com]

Good suggestion- thank you. I'll definitely do that. It's just one of those things... y'know?

And we shall see on Friday!

[aome.livejournal.com]

Did you know that people who like a ship aren't allowed to post to Can't Stand threads, even if they're saying they can't stand something about their own ship?

I just asked a VENOM mod about this, and it's not true. Pro-shippers are discouraged from reading a CS thread about their ship just so they don't go off the deep end and get all pissy, but, obviously, they're not prevented from reading. And if you have a rant (as above) - with absolutely no defense of R/S in that rant - then you are as welcome to post on CS R/S as any anti-R/S person.

And - ergh for the possible gestational diabetes. Most people I've heard of with that could control it with diet, but it still sucks. Like you're not already watching what you eat because of the pregnancy! Well ... only two more months, right? *offers virtual chocolate*

Btw, I'm sorry I never got a chance to post on your job-baby-wibble post, but I read it.

[aome.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I also hate "Remy" and "Siri" although "Pads" is okay as a casual shortening from a close friend, the way I'll allow my best friend to call me "Deb" even though I normally hate that.

But I like 'puppyshippers'.

[jlarinda.livejournal.com]

Umh, I'm guilty of....
1)I like that they both turn into canines. Not cause I think JK actually planned it that way on purpose (well, maybe I believe it a LITTLE bit) but because I'm a pervert and I like bestiality fics.
2)I call them that way. But it's true, guys wouldn't call each other that.
3) It's easier and shorter to just say "Moony" that "Remus in his werewolf form". So it's lazyness. I do know it's wrong.
I'm not guilty of number 4 simply cause I don't write fics. :P And I don't mind number 5, but I think your opinion seems logical and I like it best.
6) Of course, anyone who's seen me talk ('seen' cause it's written) about the couple knows I think it's canon.
8) I do call them pups. Refer to 1).

BTW, good luck with the diabetes thing...:S

[lls-mutant.livejournal.com]

Thanks :)

Yeah, these are things I hate, but I don't expect everyone to always hate them. So... heh. Ah well. Different opinions make it interesting! :)