Aaarrrgh!! I grew to loathe that song when it was popular, though now it has a sort of feel-good, quirky nostalgia about it. But it's a pity that particular song did so well, in a way, cos it overshadowed some of the other excellent work the band did.
('Do, do, do the funky gibbon!'... I don't know - are they pretty? <smirk>)

There are aspects of Ancient Roman society that completely suck but I'm still intrigued by the period, still feel very comfortable and at home with it. <dreamy sigh> I'd still love a house with an atrium...

Hey, we've got a long weekend! It's Cup day on Tuesday (yes, one of Melbourne's public holidays is because of a horse race) so the school's having a curriculum day on Monday. Neat! It's great when a mini-holiday sneaks up on you this.

Good to hear that all went well with Ripley, Talon. : )

(nicked from the Meece's hole:)

Hang on! You mean things aren't upsidedown in Aus...??? <BEG>

Well you could always come down for a visit and see if you get dizzy from all the blood rushing to your head... <g>

(nicked from The Zone and the meeces' hole respectively [if not respectfully : ) ...] )

Joules:...my soft toy snowy owl has an elastic wriststrap so it will just about perch on his arm (and what fun that was! Could I get the bloody thing to sit properly? As Kai pointed out, it's bats that hang upside down, not owls!)...

Goodtwin: ...(and you missed the obvious answer - it's an Australian owl...) <eg>...

Hoi!! Those 'land down-under' upside-down jokes are wearing a bit thin, y'know! <ponders> Though, does that mean Australian owls in UK zoos would hang upside-down while the Aus bats in the same zoos would perch on top of the branches?
... my brain hurts...

I don't like Hello Kitty so why have I gone soppy over a kitty plushie? Is it because of her pink dress and fairy-wings? Tch...

Love the neko ears, Talon! >^_^<

Re gibbons: ... er, no I've never eaten one but I'll try anything once. : )

The teacher of one of the cubs is getting married weekend after next and (brave soul) she's invited her class to the ceremony. My cub doesn't want to go cos there's going to be kissing and other yucky stuff... <rolls eyes>

Woohoo! This next Dystopia chapter is nearly finished! All being well it should be posted over the weekend sometime. Then I'll have to make sure I spend some time on 'Dancing' next week or I'll be nagged. : )

(and no, I don't think gibbons are good to eat... : )

(refer previous post:)
Ah, but 2 with short hair compared to what - 13? - with long hair? That argues good odds for a common factor. : )

<rolling around laughing>
Just got this in an email - had to post it... (Thanks, Penny!)

Shamus and Murphy fancied a pint or two but didn't have a lot of money. Between them, they could only raise the staggering sum of 50 pence.
Murphy said "Hang on, I have an idea." He went next door to the butcher's shop and came out with one large sausage.
Shamus said "Are you crazy? Now we don't have any money left at all".
Murphy replied "Don't worry - just follow me." He went into the pub where he immediately ordered two pints of Guinness and two glasses of Jamieson Whisky.
Shamus said "Now you've lost it. Do you know how much trouble we will be in? We haven't got any money".
Murphy replied, with a smile "Don't worry, I have a plan. Cheers!"
They downed their drinks. Murphy said "OK, I'll stick the sausage through my zipper and you go on your knees and put it in your mouth".
Said and done, the barman noticed them, went berserk and threw them out. They continued this, pub after pub, getting more and more drunk all for free.
At the tenth pub Shamus said "Murphy - I don't think I can do any more o'this. I'm pissed and me knees are killin' me!"
Murphy said "How do you think I feel? I lost the sausage in the third pub."

Hm, the second part of Cathouse Ellis is on hold for the moment while the next bit of one of the Dystopia arcs gets written...

Did you know that gibbons have ball and socket joints in their wrists rather than hinge joints like every other primate (including us)? This means they can pivot from the hands rather than their shoulders and makes them incredibly agile and acrobatic moving around in the tree tops.
Gods I love David Attenborough's programs...

(nicked from earlier:)

I can't see that these have anything in common...

Umm... They've all got long hair? (I think - I'm not familiar with all of them.) And aren't quite a few of them tragic figures in some respect? Either in canon or implied?
Just a thought. : )

<grin bounce> After reading some AU X-files fanfic - where Krycek was a merman - Joules has been toying with the idea of a Zaabon/Radittsu pic along similar lines.
She teased me today by showing me the first half of the illo, the Zb part. It's going to be gorgeous!

Was watching Trigun last weekend and found myself going all gooey at a point where Vash's eyes were shown in close-up. Thought it'd be really cool to have a pic of that on my wall. I told Joules, who promptly unearthed half a dozen vidcaps for me. : ) Heh, now all I need is a printer. I also thought it'd make a brilliant display having a series of similar pics grouped together - can you imagine it? All those anime eyes? Mmm.... Anyway, I thought that maybe I could try doing some myself, eyes are the one thing I have no trouble drawing, manga style, but also that'd it'd be nice to find pics of my favourite characters. Two that sprang to mind immediately were Iason Mink from AnK, and K from Gravitation. It was then I realised that, apparently, I've got a thing for blonde semes... <g> Well, in anime at any rate.

The cubs and I are staying home today - a mental-health day. We woke up late (an hour late) and were all very cranky and miserable so I decided to sod school, sod everything we obviously need a rest. Yes, my conscience is pricking at me cos I was supposed to be a classroom helper this morning but I just couldn't face it...

<blinks> One of my cubs informed me I had to go to 'Mummy School' so I could learn how to tickle him properly.
...huh??

D'oh!
Happy birthday, Alarice! : )

Hah, finally...
The next part of Serving Ms Brown is posted. I've been thinking about posting/advertising the link on some other sites but if I do that then I'll have to make an effort to update regularly. It's one thing being casual about updates when it's basically your friends reading, quite another to be that unprofessional with strangers.

<g> Joules has more or less convinced me to finish off Cat House Ellis next. Makes sense, it's only a two-parter, and I did say I was going to clear some of the backlog before the end of the year...

<shiver> Gods I love spring in Melbourne - it's turned cold again.

Oh great, Joules <faintly> bratling's got the tank all ready for the new member of the family. How nice... <shudder> I will want to see photos though, even though I know it'll make my skin crawl. Heh, nothing like morbid curiosity! : )

Hee, and I'm basting the paper pieces into the last lot of diamonds, then I'll be able to start making up the remaining stars. <g>

(commenting on previous post:) Yep, I think you're right. It's wonderfully bolstering being able to show snippets to someone and find out there and then if you're on the right track. : )

The cubs and I went to Scienceworks on sunday. There was hardly anyone there - it was great! No jostling to see the exhibits and cos it wasn't crowded the clingy cub didn't freak out - it was loads more fun. And there was some great new exhibits too, specifically one called 'Earth's Fury' which was all about earthquakes, and tsunamis and meteors. Very cool. : )

Heh, Joules and I have pretty much finished the next 'l/L chapter... it's a good'un, I think. Didn't take very long either.

(nicked from Joules blog:)

[horribly tempted to do the Dance of Joy...]

... please don't...
I mean, I'm very pleased for you that you now know what Radittsu sounds like but...
<thinks> On the other hand, it could be amusing to watch! <smirk>

<happy squeak> Thank you for the little rattie miniatures, soulsis! They look terribly cute perched there on my monitor. : )
(Oh, and mum did have them with her, she found them in her suitcase while she was in Queensland. Tch... )
Yes, my mum's home and I had to give the car back.
Gonna miss the little purple beastie...

<blinks> Aside from one and half chapters, the first draft of 'Dancing' is pretty much sorted.
How did that happen? Last time I looked there was loads left to do... I mean, there is loads left to do but it's mostly the expanding and tweaking and such. <g> Not that it's going to be a massive tome by any means. Put it this way, if Joules' 'First Light' and my 'Dancing' were both lobbed at your head, the first would probly knock you out, the second might get your attention... <smirk>

You know you're a grown-up when you pass on the opportunity to get a piercing cos you'll probably need the money for petrol. Tch.

I don't want a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles backpack, do I?

... er...

Delicious, apparently, if a little fishy... <bg> Polar bears love them. : )

Did you know the differences between sealions and seals is that the sealions have vestigial external ears (seals don't) and that their hind limbs are still able to point forward to they can sort of walk? (Seals' hind limbs point backwards.)
Isn't that interesting?
The cubs and I found that out from an episode of David Attenborough's Life of Mammals...

<giggling>: Onna, I think you've outdone yourself! I'm caught between being warm fuzzy about it and squicked! : ) Hee, yeah, see if you can facet the eyes, Onna, that'll make it even creepier! (Thank you for the code, Joules.)

Woohoo! Finally got one of the missing 'Dancing' chapters done and I've now got a clear idea of how to put it together. Progress at last!

Is it just me or does Bryant - one of Mattel's My Scene dolls - look like a very young Doyle?

Tch, it's not just my cubs that won't eat their greens, KittenKong won't eat the green coloured biscuits in the 'turkey, cheese and vegetables' cat food mix.

Really felt like I earned my money today in the library (yes I know it's voluntary), very busy and <pleased with self> I found out how to input sets of books into the database - so where you've got multiple copies of the same book, you don't have to individually type each one up. It's always good when you can make sense of what the manual says.

<sigh>The cubs got a new Thomas the Tank Engine DVD today but they had to give up a trip to the movies for it. Kind of pleased about that actually, not really interested in seeing Finding Nemo again.

Had a look at some Lego today... Princess Leia in her slave-girl costume, done as a Lego figure is very disturbing. (click on the maginifying glass logo thing next to the main pic for a closer look at the horror : )

Aaarrgh! Joules has come up with a plot twist for the upcoming Zhaneer segment in the AC and she won't tell me! Wants to 'see my reaction fresh'. Tch, rotten thing...

<peeking under the desk> Aww! ^~^ She's so cute when she does that!

Hey, well done, Onna! <bg> See, life doesn't always suck... (could you pass me that half-full glass, please?)

(nicked from Joules' blog:)

This is so true...

My inner child is ten years old!

The adult world is pretty irrelevant to me. Whether
I'm off on my bicycle (or pony) exploring, lost
in a good book, or giggling with my best
friend, I live in a world apart, one full of
adventure and wonder and other stuff adults
don't understand.


How Old is Your Inner Child?
brought to you by Quizilla

Right, that's the two applications for the library course sent off - next step is going to the open nights on campus and checking out what subjects I can actually do next year.

The cubs really really really want to go to a drive-in theatre, but of the 4 in Melbourne that are still open, 2 are too far away, 1 is in a suburb I wouldn't go to without an escort and the other isn't showing any children's movies. Oh well, I'll keep an eye on it - they're more likely to have kids movies during the holidays.

_tra ^{la la la} _laaa!

That's me singing Joules' praises. Why? Cos I've been stalled on 'Dancing' for ages and a suggestion from her has got it all going again. That and her specialist knowledge has stopped me being wildly fanciful about something I know nothing about. <g>

(nicked from Onna's blog:)

*prods Lutra* Still want to see scans or pics of some of your quilt stars. *nudge nudge*

Just the stars? Without being joined together by the hexagons?
<g> Okay, I'll make a selection and talk to the cubs' father about scanning a pic.

Ack! I thought I'd managed to get out of doing classroom work this term - no one asked me if I wanted to do it - but I've found out that they've just transcribed last term's list, so, yes, I am 'volunteering' for it this term.
<sigh> Oh well, it's only 4 mornings out of lots and I'll know better next year than to volunteer for anything other than library work...

<speechless>...

<shudders - peeping at The Zone through my fingers> Ack! Not in a squillion years could I contemplate having something like that in my house!
... though the blue is quite pretty...

Another weekend gone, another weekend closer to the orgy of consumerism that is Xmas.
Cynical? Moi?

The cubs and I went to Soulsis' this weekend. It was fun - all the brats more or less played nicely and I keep forgetting how refreshing it can be having another female around. We stayed overnight too cos I didn't have to have the car back at a particular time. Gonna miss this car when I have to give it back to mum.

Soulsis sent me a url for one of those 'find your schoolfriends' sites. I registered and went browsing - found only one other girl from my last year, and another one who left in form 3. I can't contact them cos I'm not a paid-up member, which isn't that much of a problem, I've passively managed to avoid keeping in contact with people I knew when I was younger, (I don't know why).

Plans for this week: send off the application for the course, get at least one chapter of 'Dancing' finished and maybe tackle the front garden - or one bed of it at least <sigh> Optional extras (if I'm industrious and disciplined and actually get something done) make a start on the Dystopia songfic and do some more for Ms Brown.
Heh, sounds like a plan...

You know, I thought we'd gotten past the cubs' years long obsession with Thomas the Tank Engine, but they've been studying transport at school this term which of course means talking about trains...

(nicked from Talon's blog:)

Awww!


You are Form 3, Unicorn: The Innocent.

"And The Unicorn knew she wasn't meant to
go into the Dark Wood. Disregarding the advice
given to her by the spirits, Unicorn went
inside and bled silver blood.. For her
misdeed, the world knew evil."

Some examples of the Unicorn Form are Eve
(Christian) and Pandora (Greek).
The Unicorn is associated with the concept of
innocence, the number 3, and the element of
water.
Her sign is the twilight sun.

As a member of Form 3, you are a curious
individual. You are drawn to new things and
become fascinated with ideas you've never come
in contact with before. Some people may say
you are too nosey, but it's only because you
like getting to the bottom of things and
solving them. Unicorns are the best friends to
have because they are inquisitive.


Which Mythological Form Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Damn! I was aiming for Sloth...


Which deadly sin do you represent? (Angel Sanctuary Pics)
brought to you by Quizilla

I trotted off to the city today to go to a 'Meet the Experts' talk at the museum - 3 research scientists talking about a voyage they've just completed where they studied the fauna in a small area of deep-sea. Very interesting, informative and fascinating. There's some weird stuff lives down there. One of the questions asked was if they'd found anything that had the potential to be a commercial catch. The answer - thank all the gods - was no. Deep sea critters can live for a long, long time and it can take decades for them to reach sexual maturity, removing the breeding pool (usually the only ones big enough to eat) does horrible things to the species. Take orange roughies for instance. 20 years ago the biggest catch was 50,000 tonnes a year... now it's only 3,000 tonnes and the fish aren't showing any sign of recovering their numbers any time soon. Not only that but deep-sea trawling is indiscriminate and destructive. The equipment breaks up habitats and unlike fishing in shallower waters, nearly everything that comes up to the surface is already dead due to the changes in water pressure. There's no throwing the little ones back so they can grow up and breed...
Sure deep-sea fish is good for you but the way it's harvested is unconscionable.

Walking through the park after the talk I spotted a possum. OK, it wasn't at it's most interesting, basically a furry lump asleep in the fork of a tree, but it's always a thrill seeing wildlife.
And speaking of wildlife, we had a frog in the kitchen this afternoon; one of these I think. No idea how it got inside, or where it came from, but it was very cool seeing it. Frogs are scarce nowadays. Housemate and I managed to save it from KittenKong and I put it outside in one of the damper areas of the garden but I'm beginning to think I should have kept it and taken it down to specialist pet-shop down the road, or given the Friends of the Frogs organisation a call. At least this frog was native to Victoria - a lot of green tree-frogs end up transported down here from Queensland, and they get released into the wild. Not good for them or our own frog population...

It was strange going out without the cubs today. My boys are very bright (literally, their hair colour is amazing and they're so lively) they make a great shield. People's attention is automatically drawn to them and I can amble along in relative anonymity. Felt kind of vulnerable without them. Heh, guess I should get out on my own more often.

The final count for the stars was 163 - and I've cut out enough material for the remaining 40 needed. Heh. : ) Probably won't have the stars finished by November, the deadline I set myself, but at least now I have everything I need to finish the project. (Except for the borders sashes, wadding and backing... but that can wait.)

Finally finished my latest AC chapter... I think. Damn it was a hard one to get out. I have to thank Joules for all her invaluable help though, this chapter wouldn't have gotten finished at all without it. <glomps Joules>
Now I really need to get back into 'Dancing' if I'm going to have the first draft completed by the end of the year...

(nicked from Okapi's lj:)

ISFJ - "Conservator". Desires to be of service and to minister to individual needs - very loyal. 13.8% of total population.

Take Free Myers-Briggs Personality Test

Your type is: ISFJ
Introverted (I) 67.74% Extroverted (E) 32.26%
Sensing (S) 53.33% Intuitive (N) 46.67%
Feeling (F) 58.82% Thinking (T) 41.18%
Judging (J) 51.52% Perceiving (P) 48.48%

Oh, forgot to mention... took the cubs swimming last saturday morning and to my surprise one of them is actually swimming! It's not graceful or even coordinated but it's still hands and feet off the floor moving through the water. : ) They had their first official swimming lesson of the term last week - something must've clicked. <g>

Mum's in Queensland for a couple of weeks and I've got the use of her car while she's away. It's so, so good not having to organise my life around the cubs' father and whether he needs the car for work (or his social life). It's a sort of freedom, I guess.
And I've got the application and course information for one of the colleges, waiting on the second one now.

(nicked from Talon's blog:)

Heh...


Morpheus


?? Which Of The Greek Gods Are You ??
brought to you by Quizilla

(nicked from the meeces' hole:)

hmm. This wasn't much of a surprise to me - am I being obvious, or did you get the colour you said you liked best in question 1, Lutra?

No, Goodtwin, I chose my current favourite colour - as opposed to pink. <g>
(Well, pink's one of my favs just not top of the list right now - that's purple...)

Busy busy weekend. The cubs and I went swimming yesterday morning, then they helped me clean up before my mum came 'round. After she got here we four trooped down to the local cinema for fast-food and to see 'Finding Nemo' (again). Mum stayed overnight - which was fun in itself - and this morning I drove her out to the airport while the cubs' father took them to a birthday party at the St Kilda Adventure Playground. On the way back from the airport I spent a little time playing (and paying, heheheheh) in a material shop before I had to pick the cubs up.
Hoiked my babies out of there so we could dive across to housemate's annual Meccano Club exhibition, which - going by the the excited (and loud) exclamations - the cubs' enjoyed. : ) So much so they happily kept themselves elbow-deep in their meccano for the rest of the day...
So... I haven't finished my next AC, or Ms Brown - though 'An Honourable Request' is being posted tonight (?, Joules?), so that's something I guess.

Heh, and it's take 2 with the background colour for the quilt. : ) I got some more material today, a nice plain sort of grape colour, which should be right this time. The material I originally got was too bright a shade, and mixed with all the other busy brights of the stars it was a bit much. This grape colour is nice and understated, it should work well. I'll have to go through the stars again and sort out what's going to stay. The good thing is that some of the colours I couldn't use with the bright purple will go nicely with the grape, but I'm almost certain to loose some others in exchange. Eh, I've got enough bits of material now to make up enough stars, I think - and then I just have to decide how it's all going together. <g>
Have I mentioned I've probably got enough material to think about making a start on the next project?

(nicked from Onna's blog:)

... is anyone really surprised? Pity about the spelling though...


You are Pink!


What colour are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

And gods, Onna, your's and rat's story has made the fluffy bunny go all starry-eyed... <g>

(yelled in an unconvincing german accent:)

Uzi 9mm!!

While the cubs and I were cleaning up today they found an old CD of mine, vintage 1991. They wanted to listen to it but didn't get past the first song, a track called 'I'll be back' by Arnie and the Terminators... (the above is the opening line). Anybody else remember this?
My cubs listened to this one piece of music for 30 minutes straight while they acted out a Laser Tag scenario to it. 30 minutes. I think they've got a damn cheek whinging about me playing 'Go with the flow' 3 times in a row!

This kitten is very cute! I had the first version book-marked for ages, but this is better. She purrs when you tickle her tummy with the mouse, and meows when you touch her forehead! ^~^

<pleased> I chased up some information today about the Library course I want to do. Haven't heard back from my first choice but found out that my second choice is being held at a campus that's only 10 minutes away not at the campus I had to get to last time which is 30 minutes drive or over an hour by public transport. My second choice is now my first choice and there should be an application/enrolment form in the mail to me shortly. : )

<blinks> There's a bloody mouse living inside our lounge-room heater! I've just seen it behind the glass. Tch, no wonder KittenKong spends so much time staring intently at the fire. Oh well, I guess as long as there's no smell of singed mouse hair...

I'm so sorry to hear that Ken's course of treatment hasn't worked, Joules.
: ( Sending happy thoughts for the success of the next lot.

Heh, Alarice has joined The Zone. <g> Just remember, sweetie, you don't have to read it all at once!

I've finished the AC side-story, 'An Honourable Request', that'll be posted soonish, and I'm determined to have finished my next chapter by the end of the weekend. I'll have to be really determined though cos Mum's coming over on Saturday afternoon. then staying the night so I can drive her to the airport on Sunday. The cubs are going to a birthday party on Sunday as well... Busy busy busy. : )

Heh, all being well I'll be enrolling to start a Library Technician's course next year - just part-time, one maybe two subjects a semester, that'll be enough to keep me amused. It's something I've been considering for a while, more so since doing the volunteer work at the school library.
I actually started the course <mumbling> fifteen years ago, but had to stop when I got pregnant. I did mean to get back to it but time, and brain-space, evaporates when you're looking after young children and almost a decade has gone past since. It'll be easier (and more fun) to start from scratch I think, do the whole course again rather than try and get credits for what I've already done. I'm looking forward to it. : )
Back when I first started the course, 'Computers' was one of the subjects, with setting-up and using a database being a major part of the study. Be very cool if they still do that, I've had a great idea about what to catalogue this time round. Not books or videos - which is what I did last time - but characters. If I remember rightly we needed at least 20 items to put into the database - can easily come up with 20 of my own characters, over a variety of universes, without any trouble!
<g> I have to thank Joules for the idea though, she's mentioned once or twice (usually in exasperation) that she needs to catalogue her phone-book's worth of characters so she can find their details quickly, rather than trawling through old stories and getting distracted re-reading!

It's not often a piece of music, or a song, gets to me enough that it inspires a story. The last one was Depeche Mode's 'I Feel You, 2 or 3 years ago, that lead to a Professional's fan-fic, 'Good Intentions', but there's a song on the Queens of the stoneage CD that's been haunting me. Today I finally let 'Go with the flow' have it's way with me and now there's another Dystopia fic pending. : ) Not only that but I've got an extraordinarily clear image of the central character and where they're heading. Tch, I think I've impressed myself...

And the side story's almost finished! <g>

Woohoo! Way to go, Joules! 41,000+ wordcount so far for First light! Dang, this book will make a formidable weapon when it's published - I wouldn't want to be smacked in the face with something that size! <smirk>

Tch, and it's At Home with the Braithwaites...

Heh, the AC sidestory is well underway. Still haven't thought much about the things I should be doing at this point in time. : )

If ballet is the 'Universal language of Dance' then I must be dyslexic. I was watching the ballet boys Swan Lake and loving it but also finding in places I had no clue what was going on. <g> Not having a clear understanding of the original story might not have helped either (hee, that'd have to be some sort of record wouldn't it? Studied/loved ballet for 13 years without ever having watched a full performance of Swan Lake?)
Anyway there were some wonderful moments in this ballet. The choreographer has fun sending up 'traditional' ballets (though the costumes in that section were gorgeous!) and watching a m/m pas de deux was fascinating. Not to mention the feathery trousers of the swans and the lead swan's beautiful back! <dreamy sigh> I'll be watching this again. : )

I should go to bed now...

We've got the program Living with the Braithwaites showing here at the moment and next week the lesbian couple are having a Bollywood wedding!
<excited squeak> If I ever get married again I want one of those! Ooh, the colour! Oooh the tinsel!

Well, yes, okay I've finished my next 'l/L chapter, it's just a shame it's not actually in sequence. Heh. <hand to forehead> But one must go with the inspiration, mustn't one?
Right, what shall I do now? (she says carefully not looking at the pending chapters of 'Dancing') <wrinkles nose> I really should get on with my next AC but I'm procrastinating - (what a surprise) - it's a tricky one.
Okay, if I do that then I can write the side-story while it's still fresh and bubbling.
Tch, I am not going to mention haddock, or sausages, at this point...

Good luck with the test, Onna!

(nicked from The Zone:)

Lutra, go check your mail. And remember you should never, ever issue anything remotely challenge-like... [evil grin]

... I shouldn't should I? <shaking head> Just cos I said I wasn't going to go looking for Barbie-slash didn't mean I necessarily wanted anyone else to go looking for me!
Uh, thanks anyway, sinam. <not sure whether to laugh or shudder>

The next part of Serving Ms Brown has finally been posted. Now the fun starts...

Cubs are back to school tomorrow - I really should ring the agent and arrange a time for the rental inspection, get that over with. <pout> Don't wanna! Sometimes it's a pain being a grown-up...

A lot of the time in my dreams I find there's something that prevents me from opening my eyes properly - the light's too bright, I'm so tired I can't keep my eyes open etc. I realised today why this happens. My bed is under a north-facing window, the thin, white venetian blinds block the view but not the light - I must be squinting in my sleep and it's transferring to my dreams! <g>
In my dream last night I was given 3 bolts of material, 1 grass green and 2 egg-yolk yellow, really lovely! I was just on the point of ringing Soulsis to see if she could get the bolts home for me when I woke up.

(re: Trigun) I'm starting to love this series (the introduction of Wolfwood doesn't hurt : ) but I have to say I think that Merrel's weaponry is just silly...
Vash has such a cute nose! ^~^

<smirk> Cartoon Network is advertising a Barbie movie - Barbie of Swan Lake (or something). It's making me giggle cos I've recently watched the ballet boys Swan Lake and I can't help imagining a kind of yuri flavoured ballet... <eg>
(I have no doubt there's Barbie slash out there but damned if I'm going to go looking for it! : )

Oooh! Trigun's starting...

Oooh! <big eyes> Lookit the wonderful banner Onna did for me! And the pretty scroll bar colours! <happy glomps all 'round>

The cubs' invisible friends, Jim and Tom, have outstayed their welcome. Fetching invisible drinks and food is one one thing, giving them invisible baths is another...

Heh, I'm sposed to be concentrating on current projects, so what do I do today? Make a start on a future 'l/L chapter and plot out an AC side-story, that's what. <g> Ah, I love it when inspiration strikes. : )

The cubs' father and I took them to one of those 'Family Entertainment Centres' today, the ones where your money magically disappears from your pocket...
It was fun though, both of the cubs had a round of mini-golf, one had a session of laser-tag with his father and we all went on the dodgems. I really enjoyed that, I think there's far more skill involved in driving so you don't get bumped!

<g> Heh, yeah, coding from scratch is fun!
If - when - I get around to putting my own website together it'll have this little note somewhere on the homepage:

This page lovingly hand-crafted by Lutra. (No, I'm serious! I typed everything up on notepad. : )

The macros are a triffic idea though, especially for those spacer thingies...

I am very ready for the cubs to go back to school. How do I know this? I've spent the past couple of afternoons squirreled away in my bedroom basically ignoring my children. Tch, such a bad mother. : )
We only managed to get a third of the things on our 'holiday activities' list done, but it's not been too bad. We went to the Aquarium yesterday - so crowded! - but it was still fun and I had enough cash to get the cubs a couple of soft toys they've been after all year, (a[nother] plush shark which is half the size of a cub, and a plush stingray - which is a third the size <g>) and for myself I got the last 'coral scene' bouncy ball in the set.

I don't think I'm ready for next term though, not the least because we've got another rental inspection looming. I don't want to cope right now, I'll just bury myself in one of my universes/play rooms...
(Tch, I know this craving for chocolate is just a reaction to stress and if I did go and get some I know I wouldn't enjoy it. Might be time for an apple.. no, wait! I've got some fresh strawberries - they'll do! : )

Flux, the next joint Dystopia is stampeding along nicely - good to see - then I have to think about the next AC, it's kind of an important one.
And in the meantime, Joules is making great strides with First Light (even though she may not feel like it at times <g>) I'm watching, open-mouthed in amazement as it unfolds. Damn impressive! When I grow up I want to be a writer just like her! : )

'Cell Mates' my latest Dystopia chapter has been posted in the Darkside. <GLOMPs Joules for the html> Blimey she's so fast with the coding! : ) Must be all the practise she gets - there's an awful lot of stuff on the Wordwrights site...

<happy squeak> I picked up volume four of BeBop today - and it was still on special even though they had the old, full price on the cover. Hee!
And speaking of happy squeaks, the cubs and I spent ages today squeaking over the Ham-ham merchandise we stumbled across in Toys'r'Us. My xmas wish-list is filling up rapidly...
Browsing the anime section today I noticed DVD's of this. It's appealing for some reason - I don't know why, and I'm awfully tempted to pick up some Card Captor Sakura DVD's as well...
Also today I got another ID tag for kittenkong. Fish shaped, gold coloured aluminum engraved with her name and my phone number. She doesn't like it, it jingles against what's left of her previous tag. Heh heh heh. Cope, cat!

Been pondering about what I'm going to do over the next term. I think I might try and clear up all the stand-alone and one-off fics I've got lurking about. There's a few; the 2nd part of 'Cathouse Ellis', 2nd part of 'Leaving Home', Mahrayne's backstory, my first ever slave-fic <smirk> (though that needs a lot of work to get it anywhere near the standard I write at now : ) There's a couple more I can't quite remember. Heh, should be fun.

The cubs and I might be going to the Aquarium tomorrow. The water rats' enclosure is open to view now! Yay! And I might be able to pick up the last of the bouncy ball coral 'scenes' so I'll have all of them. : )

Hee, that's that Dystopia chapter done. What shall I do next? Sooo much to choose from. Oh dear, I'm not good with decisions.
Right, Ms Brown next... then I'll think about what to do after that.

Was chatting to Soulsis today about the past weekend, specifically about Alarice's scarf and how that sort of became a communal project, and Soulsis had an idea. At our next weekend we can organise a communal crafty thing - she suggested a mosaic. Everyone (who wants to be involved) can bring a plate to smash... (<chortling> Actually, that sounds really funny given the Australian tradition of 'bringing a plate' to an event. Usually that involves bringing food to share, not a plate to smash...)