Hope you're all having a lovely Friday! I'm in a bit of a pickle, and I'd love some advice, insight or ideas from anyone!

So I live in PA and the BF lives in Chicago. We met in college and we've been dating seriously for 3.5 years. We're young (both just turned 23--only 1 year out of college!) and have no plans to get married soon. I worked in Chicago for the summer, and I loved being near him after a year of long distance. While I was there, I applied for a ton of permanent positions, but so far nothing's really come of them. At the end of the summer, I headed back to my apartment in PA. I love the city of Chicago, but he's really the only person I know there. I'd just head out, but in this economy, I find it hard to justify moving without a job. The problem: I just got a job with a wonderful charter school near my apartment. While it's a great job, I'm not even sure I want to be a teacher anymore and I'm planning on going to grad school (in Chicago!) in a year.

Should I move?

Should I stay and take the job?

Have you ever moved for love (and was it worth it)?

HELP!

I had my baby last week :)

Jackson was born at home on August 11th at 5:15 p.m.
(I swear I didn't name him after Jackson Rathbone, I didn't even put two and two together until someone pointed it out, and at that point it was too late and I refused to change his name...haha)

I now have three little boys that capture my heart :)  I'll post a couple more pics inside.

I've always had trouble naming children in my stories, even non-FF stories. It's hard- the choice of name that a parent uses for their child says so much about who they are as a mother or father. Are they young and hip, using alternative spellings and unique names, or solid and sensible with traditional baby names?

When I wrote This Mortal Life, I had no idea what sort of faux-pas I was making by renaming Renesmee! But I've always hated that name, beyond the obvious hideousness, of course. In a family where very traditional names rule, her name will always stand out. So I renamed her Grace, which is a name I've seen before in FF (not instead of Renesmee, necessarily, just in general).

So, my question is, do any other authors have the same difficulty? Do you spend hours on the Baby Name Wizard website trying to find good sibling names? (No?! Just me then!)

And, who do you think are the best named kids in Twilight FF?

Since it's free for all and I feel the need to gush over some YA books that I have recently read, mose specifacly, these books:

The talented author will be making three more books in this series as well as a three series prequel with the first book comming out soon. I am just so excited about it and I hope someone will talk with me about it.

Talk to me about these books or any YA books that you have recently blown your mind.

happy friday campers

i'm procrastinating and i'm in a bit of a bad mood. 

whatcha doin'?

like my new desktop?

it was made for me by evilangel813

i'm reading this -

i'm to the part where *spoilers* Simon has become a vampire and Maia was just attacked. and am i wrong to sense some sexual tension between those two?

Jace and Clary FTW. i don't care. I've read Flowers in the Attic. i can deal. ***btw, i accidently spoiled myself on Wiki. i know they aren't brother and sister.****

so..show me your desktop..tell me what you're reading.... tell me something really random. spam me with pics or good music. ask me random questions.

just entertain me please. lol

don't forget to wish beckaboo & dragonsexist a happy happy birthday

Ok i want to see geeky stuff... the geeky shows or films you like, the geeky guys you like, geeky fan fics you like (cause I totally want more Geekward to read) Have you ever been to a convention? Got pics? 

I want to see yummy geeky men!! 

Hi!

I know that a lot of us are Hunger Games fans, and today, word is out there that the first chapter of Mockingjay can be listened to here http://www.facebook.com/audible.com

Lovely, but... PLEASE DON'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT!!! Some people is waiting for the magic that happens when you open a real book and read the first sentence...

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

<3

ETA: It's gone!

"Sorry guys, the 'Mockingjay' first chapter stream went up a little too early. Don't forget that the book will be available next Tuesday, August 24th -- make sure to mark your calendars."

(Thank you goldenhair)

Since it's FFAF, I need people's opinions on whether I'm being unreasonable.

I've been scouting around for volunteer work for months. It's almost as hit-or-miss as getting a paid job sometimes; some of them are getting really picky about X years of experience and so on just to hand out fliers and stuff. Most act like they're doing you a huge favor by letting you work there. But this particular application for a children's shelter was just...odd.

The application was pretty standard; background check consent, ditto, since it's working directly with kids; statement of faith...well, I've seen those before for church-affiliated organizations. Whatever. It gave me a twinge, but I signed it. Then came the statement of morality.

I'm not going to post it here verbatim lest it be Googled and identify the organization, but it was basically a promise not to engage in sex outside of marriage AT ALL (and if you do and they find out, it's grounds for termination and presumably Hell, but I've already arranged for a condo and mail forwarding so that's no nevermind)...and a separate promise not to do said fornicating with the residents.

The residents, of course, being the tweenage foster kids.

I see so many things wrong here, but I just want to help the kids. I shouldn't be balking at signing this, right? And yet...I feel like by signing it, I'm basically saying that a) it's okay for them to dictate my love life that doesn't actually exist, and b) that I'm making a concession not to molest the kids even though I really want to. Why else would they even put that in there? If you have to make volunteers sign a pledge not to sleep with the kids, I think the problem is bigger than both of us. It's not the kids' fault. I just feel weird about letting it slide like there's nothing untoward about the whole thing. Would you sign it or just look for another place to volunteer?

And I also want to know for my own sick curiosity: What's the weirdest thing you were ever asked on a job/school application or during an interview?

Okay peeps I have a mission for you.

A big mission in deed.  You see Luna suffers from ADD and I think this only happens when I'm not listening to music while I work.  If I have background noise I'm totally fine.  When I don't have music that is when the voices start and I'm looking around the room like a crazed, mad person.  

So can I get some suggestions for some music to check out before I go insane.  I've been sitting at my desk staring at the screen for probably an hour now (Not for lack of work...trust me its there.) I can't focus and my brain is frying away with each second.  

Could you be dolls and help me out; I promise I'll get back to work after.  (ADF is my downfall on Fridays)

May I present you with Roy and Moss for entertainment:

EDIT: I love everything...by everything I mean everything. I can go for the sappiest love shit all the way up to the screaming gurgling stuff. Hit me with what ya got. I can take it. X D

We've done crushes of your youth.  Last week we tackled movies of your childhood.  Today I want to look at TV shows of your younger years.

What show did you just have to be home to watch on a Friday night? Did you wake up extra early on a Sunday to watch a specific cartoon?  Lets see them.

Campers, join me in wishing a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our very own BECKABOO!!!

Spam her with pictures of this guy:

Or him:

Or her:

Or them:

Or do something else equally special for her!

So yeah I'm in a desperate need of some good lemonny recs                                           Is there anything that you guys think I should read??????????

Often times when I'm reading a fic, I'll be *really* into it, but then the writer does something that turns me off. Whatever offends me is like the point of no return and I'll completely drop the story. 

I think there have been similiar campfires answering this question, but can we get more specific? I think a lot of people are like me in the this way - the story goes a direction you don't like and you refuse to keep reading.  I've noticed in the stats for my own fan fic, I'll get a lot of hits, but then I notice a drop off and that people stopped reading.  I'm curious - what turned them off my story?

So, my dear campers, what turns you off a story? 

You're reading it and totally into it, but then _____________ happens and you move on.

I'm so pissed.

I woke up early this morning (shocking, I know) for a job interview and was looking forward to getting my day started with the Epi of For The Summer.

And of course the link is wrong or doesn't work and FF.net feels like being stupid. 

So now I'm upset and am starting my day wrong. 

So eff you, FF.net. Fix your shiz! Pronto....

PS...this is a Eff You campfire. Use this an an outlet to vent about things and say eff you to things/situations/people (not other campers obviously.)

It takes me a year to write a single story, basically.  I'm slow.  Or busy .  Or both.  I can do a chapter a month if I am lucky.

Writers that get a chapter out a week... where the heck do you find the time?   Does it flow out of your head already formed and bee-yoo-ti-ful or do you spend hours and hours editing and rewriting?

How many hours each week do you spend writing?

Do you feel the urge to write every day?

And do you get antsy and cranky if you can't write for some reason -- like staying with the in-laws on vacation.

Hey, I've had 4 glasses of Tuaca and I just want to talk to someone.

So, last night, between the hours of approx. 1 AM and 4 AM central time, I sang to my Twitter followers.

And since it's FFFA, I kind of thought it'd be fun for all of us to sing (or type out the lyrics, LOL) together!

It can be the song you're listening to at the moment, the lyrics that are stuck in your head, your favourite song of all time, whatever! JUST SING WITH ME!

Here's my first lyric:

"Just a small town girl, livin' in a lonely world, she took the midnight train goin' anywhere.
Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit, he took the midnight train goin' anywhere."

HOW ABOUT WE ALL GUESS THE NAME OF THE SONG WHILE WE'RE AT IT!

It's name that song time! 

For the love of God, somebody PLEASE help me pick a new cell phone! I'm about to drive myself crazy because I can not make a decision! 

OK, so my phone isn't THAT old. But still!  (This was the first cell phone my family had growing up though, so I had to put it on here! My dad still wishes they made "bag phones"!)

Anyway, currently the hubs and I have AT&T. We have family plan + unlimited txt and THAT'S it. Yet our bill is still ridiculous.  What we WANT is an additonal line for calls and texts for the kid, and internet on our two phones.  We aren't committed to staying with AT&T either.  If we do, I'm torn between the I4:

and the Blackberry Torch: 
 

My hang-up with the iphone4 - is that I hate iTunes. No real reason, I. Just. Do. I don't want to like it - KWIM?  But at the same time, I think if I put my big-girl panties on and just do it, I'd <3 it hard. Ugh.
 

I have been thinking of asking you guys for weeks, but then don't thinking I'll just decide, but then I don't do that either. (You see the pattern here?)

Here are some of my questions:

Do you like your provider?
Love/hate the phone you have?
Think one provider is significantly better than the others?
Help me campers. Pretty please?

FYT:
a little JR love
 

And of course

some RP love
 

Hello everyone. My coworker and I have decided to enter a contest with the Hunger Games series. We have to make a display and the best one wins a visit by the author.  So we need helpful ideas. As of now we are thinking and making a Cornucopia to place weapons and such in, having little silver parachutes falling down. But anything else you add would be great!

Mockingjay will be here in less than a week!! Isn't the waiting just torture!

Thank you again for your help

EDIT: I work in a bookstore, so the display needs to be able to show off the books and other product.

oh..is it true Summit has the movie rights to The Hunger Games?? This has me worried :-/

I'll admit it. I've gone off the deep end. All this media in the last week has pushed me off the edge.

I need more RobSten. preferably in fic or video with angsty love songs in the background format. For example: