summer_jackel

Kestrel and Lucy went to Yosemite and all I got were these...

...actually, these are some pretty darn sweet coyote pics! So yes, 2 of my sweeties went to Yosemite for a short pack trip. While there, they spotted a couple of God's Dogs sniffing around in the parking lot, chillin', doin' that Coyote Thang. Of course, being a great lover of all things coy, I was thrilled to get these, and equally of course all of you <3 coyotes too, because how couldn't you, really, so I am sharing. I saw one in the Ansel Adams high country last summer, but he never got close enough to get good photos of...not being habituated to humans, he saw us and split.

( These cuties stuck around, though )
I have this feeling that I ought to say a few words about polyamory here; there's got to be a long, thoughtful exploration of jealousy and compersion and the way personal growth is often what happens when you're looking in the other direction. But let's keep it short. Am I a little sad that the spice went on a trip without me? A bit, of course. Am I sad that the triad dynamic between us three just doesn't go as deep as between all 3 pairs, one result of which is that things like major journeyings are best done in pairs? Well, it is certainly getting a lot easier. Did I enjoy going to the city and listening to awesome punk/Celtic fusion with the new lady I am unexpectedly courting? Hell yes. Am I looking forward to the pack trip Kestrel and I are planning? ...are you kidding?! Does Tiger like to claw things?! More seriously, did my flexibility in this benefit my relationships with both of them and the cohesion of our triad? Yes. Very much so.

What I think I'm trying to say is this: in my experience, we usually enter into relationships with some kind of preconceived ideal of what we want, what we're looking for, and what will make us happy. People grow and change, and relationships can be like chemical reactions with unknown compounds: what you get may really surprise you. Often as not, it may, uh, diverge a bit from your ideal. At that point, we have some choices: we can get out of the situation and try again, or we can explore what is and see what we can do with it. In a changing environment, the adaptable creature flourishes best: ask any coyote.

And sometimes, exploring unexpected terrain, we find kinds of blooming gardens we never dreamed of.

Dude. There is a BBC film crew in my HOUSE filming in my LIVING ROOM. DUDE.

...they're here doing a documentary kinda thing on poly. (It's apparently a "we showcase a different alternative lifestyle every week" sort of show. What I've seen of it is very well done). My people and I are getting our 15 minutes of fame, apparently...

...and yes, Kestrel and Lucy arranged this. It didn't quite seem real until the film crew showed up. But so far, so fun! Anyone out there in the UK, I will let you know when the thing airs. Anyone near by, we'll have a party when they send it to us, and hopefully it won't suck. ;D

...Did I mention that there is a film crew in my living room?!?!?!?!?!?!!!!!

Not in the most pleasant headspace (ssnnaarrrrrrrrllllllllllll, hackle, bitey Jackel), although for the positive, I've moved a PILE of things around in my bedroom. The emac is now installed in here, and mine. (yay!) A few more bookshelves and shelves for the plushies (heh, I think my 3 Anubis plushies get their own shelf/the cuddliest altar in the house) and I'll be all ready to nest. In the interim, the place still looks like a war zone (and the parrots are all wtf???) but hey, it will be better. One can hope.

here's an interesting little meme kinda thing.



...I think I may have screwed up on the economic questions, though I am kinda poor right now. I mislike the term 'religious' applied to me at all (spiritual yes please, religious Hell No) though that's too fine a distinction to ask from a silly LJ meme. But, Old Geezer???? gee, Thaaaaaanks. (I'm only 31! And always grrring at Chris when he bemoans his age at 41).
Least I'm a hot old geezer.

And the ranty bit: this thing asks you whether you're in relationship with a guy or with a girl, exclusively. There are other options, but "I'm poly" or "one of each, thanks" isn't one of them. Normally I wouldn't care...I suppose it is a minority relationship style, if not in my circle of friends, and easy to forget about including if you're not used to it. But the test then goes on to ask you questions about things like three-way encounters and how many people have you been in bed with at once, etc. Things that come up when you're poly, right? So what, the assumption is that a person might sleep around in interesting configurations, but not have a committed relationship with more than one person at any given time? I don't like where that assumption takes us, see.

OK, but so I'm really snarly in general right now, and snarking at the internets is unlikely to help. While I am, though (humor me, I let myself be snarky so rarely) may I mention that poly (while very much my preferred love style at this point) can be a ^%$#@!!! pain in the ass???

So's monogamy, though.

heh. snarlyface. I'm gonna go walk my dogs now.