Glad Kai enjoyed his birthday!

(... and speaking of birthdays...) Thank you, goodtwin, for the card. <bg> I laughed - it's so true on so many levels... (and I know the cubs and their father got me a present tonight but I'm not allowed to see it until friday. Heh, won't be much of a surprise though, got a phone call while they were in the shop to double-check what it was I wanted! : )

Soulsis has this amazing ability to unearth the coolest things. When I saw her at Mum's on the weekend she handed me a 'free anime' DVD. No idea where it came from (though considering there was an advert for a kids magazine on it, I'm guessing that was the source) but it was essentially an hour-long Madman commercial. Not that I'm complaining, it had trailers for half-a-dozen different shows, including Witch Hunter Robin, and the first episodes of Final Fantasy Unlimited, Initial D, and Last Exile. Not overly impressed with FF, and even though Initial D is about street car racing (and we've already established I've got a soft spot for powerful cars...) it's not something I'd consider spending money on. I get the impression it's aimed at teenage boys; the characters' artwork is very basic, not all that attractive but the cars are all CGI and more detailed than anything else. Also there's an overt sexual interest fixed on the only female character to be seen.

[school girl gets into car – panning shot up her thighs to her very short uniform, to linger on her crotch.
Unseen (adult) male's voice: I've always liked you in that outfit.
Natalie, smiling: It's just my uniform.

.... riiiiight....
If this show turned up on cable I'd watch it, I guess, but Last Exile...? Now that's something I could get interested in. Fascinating worldframe – think of a cross between extrapolated Victorian era flying machines and Napoleonic-style conflicts complete with the totally pointless, brutal tactics and the rigid reverence for 'traditional warfare'. I've seen this as a box set in my favourite AV store – I'd be very tempted if they'd let me lay-by it. <g> Probly just as well they won't!

First days back at school for the cubs since the fire. They seem to be coping fine, it's me who keeps getting weepy at odd moments. Heh. The grades have been set up in temporary classrooms in the community centre – which has a large sign taped to the outside wall with the school's name inked in big, defiant red letters - and while it looks pretty chaotic there at the moment I can see there's already been a massive amount of organisation undertaken. A lot of stuff has been donated from local businesses and other schools – books, furniture, computers – and the portable classrooms were all sitting on the oval by the end of the afternoon. Couldn't hazard a guess as to when they'll be ready to use though – no doubt we'll be told in good time. Life goes on, eh? : )