A further brief note - Lutra's hard drive has died, and she doesn't know when she'll be able to get back online. Hopefully soon, but it's probably wisest not to hold your breath. And she can't access blogger from public terminals...

[sends A'lestrel off to comfort forlorn Lutra...]

A brief note - Lutra has computer problems at the moment and can't get online except at a public terminal, but normal service will be resumed as soon as we can ascertain what constitutes 'normal'...

<sigh> Next time I want to defrag the drive, please remind me to disable the screen saver first...
I can't remember the last time this 'puter was defragged - could be years, literally - so I thought, OK, I'll do that! <rolls eyes> Set it up before I went to bed and it was still going several hours later when I woke. Now, I'm not sure if that's standard for a 1 gig hard-drive or if my 'puter was just being extra methodical, but the screen-saver had of course activated in the meantime and I'd forgotten that touching anything on the keyboard during a defrag will bump it back to the beginning...
So, the drive's at least mostly defragged - I'll set it up again tonight without the screensaver.

Awwww! Yesterday my cubs set about alphabetising the DVDs, of their own volition. As a Library Technician in training I thought that was just adorable...  : ) They got them all in the right places as well within the broad 'letter' categories, and with a little help ("'Sea Symphony' would come before 'Seven Samurai' because...?") they managed to get everything in correct alphabetical order. I love that sudden light they get in their eyes when they've figured something out. <g>

Tch, another 6 weeks and we should start seeing xmas decorations for sale...

Niki and Soulsis came 'round yesterday to help me with the garden again! Soulsis had fun with secateurs and the front hedges while Niki got stuck into the overgrown garden beds. We've put newspapers down over the bare spots to hopefully deter the bloody couch grass. Soon as I can there'll be mulch and actual non-weed plants added to the beds as well. Penny came 'round as well for a little while and contributed a couple of plastic bags worth of excess plants from her garden including native irises and african daisies. <g> 's good, the garden's actually beginning to look like someone gives a damn.

I got some presents as well (I have the best friends! : ). Niki gave me a pretty glass plate embossed with a grape pattern, and in the box Soulsis turned up with were some yummy sherbert cones, a packet of ginger chews (drool), an old microscope and slides for the cubs and... <pause for effect> a fabulous snowdome – it's got a fish in it! <happy squeak> That was actually from my niece. <g> Soulsis is training her chicks as to my tastes in tat. Oh, can't forget to mention the pretty little bamboo box decorated with fishies (also from 'Becca) and the drawing she did of Rufus, the naked molerat from Kim Possible. : )

Finished the latest Dystopia chapter, 'Backtrack, that'll be posted soon, (thanks, Joules : ) . Now I've forgotten what I was going to do next. I'd started on something to be included in the sequel to Joules' 808 bandfic but there's no hurry for that I guess. Hm, getting Ellis out of the way wouldn't be a bad thing either...

Humph. Well the stove's fixed. Would've been fixed weeks ago if the owner had sent someone qualified to see to it in the beginning.
Turns out the reason the rest of the stove wasn't working was cos it'd blown it's fuse in the fusebox. <blink> Never occured to me to check that. What do I know? It doesn't work - fix it! : )
So anyway, once again I can make a cup of tea at the same time I'm cooking dinner. This is a good thing. Thank you so much, Niki, for the loan of your little electric oven!  <hugs>

Oooh! I like your new spotty blog, Soulsis. <g> And thank you for the card, the woman on the front is beautiful! I'm sure I can find a place for her somewhere in one of my fics...

(nicked from Talon:)
 
Umm... <scratches head> Well, yeah I guess so, when I'm not wearing the bunny ears...
 

100% Seme

How seme are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
 
What?! Gabriel is June Acland's son?! <hands on hips> Oh this is just getting silly!

Hee, 8 quilt strips joined! Or rather, 2 lots of 4 joined. :) Then another set of 4, then a set of 3, then I can join them all together. Weee!

Another interesting dream recently. I was contacted telepathically by a spaceship, the last of it's kind. It/we had to go somewhere but first I had to get it spaceworthy, an interesting task considering the thing was being used as decoration in the middle of a busy shopping mall. But anyway we got it launched one night, my self, my cubs and my undefined partner (male, brunette, obviously very important). As we were slowly (very slowly, this was a piece of old-tech) pulling away from the earth the ship told me to look out of the porthole at a spot where the atmosphere bulged, somehow, to act as a magnifying glass. A group of stars came into focus and the ship indicated one of them, telling me that this was were we were heading. : ) Can't remember if we got there or not.

I can't take credit for this line, unfortunately.

"Mecha anime is pro-wrestling for geeks...

<rolling around laughing> It's so true! Most of my early exposure to anime was mecha based, courtesy of the geeks I role-played with. Didn't think a lot of the shoot-em-ups back then, or now for that matter, but I've seen a little bit of Escaflowne and that looks kind of interesting. Except for the lead female... Will someone just shut her up! I'm thinking ball-gag, restraints and a blacked-out room would serve...

It was taking me ages to untie the cubs' shoelaces this morning and I couldn't work out what why. And then I remembered that their father is a south-paw, he tied their shoes yesterday so the knots were all backwards for me. Tch.
(D'oh! Forgot that teaching the cubs to tie their own shoes was something we were sposed to be doing over the holidays. Oh well.)

Enroled for one more subject this year – today was the first class. Bibliographic Control, by definition a pedantic, exacting subject concerning the intricacies, rules and regulations of cataloging. <groan> I fully expect my brain will be hurting again before long, though the lecturer is very good, clear and concise in her explanations. I'll need to keep on the ball with this subject, it's one where it'll be too easy to lose points on the exam from careless mistakes.

Heh, begun the next Dystopia chapter – a continuation of Angel's arc, and have mapped out a couple of others as well. Also my next AC is finally coming together in my head. Joules has said she's going to start nagging me about Dancing again once GoodTwin has left her place. Okay so that's what, 14 days to faff about before I have to get back to work? <g>
Oh, and GoodTwin, in case I don't get round to actually emailing you specifically (lazy/distracted cow that I can be) - I really enjoyed 'Family Business', thank you! It got very exciting towards the end there. : )

Ah, the continuing saga of the stove...
The owner's wife appeared on our doorstop a few weeks ago with a new element to replace the one that futzed. It didn't fit. She went away and we heard no more until last night when, with no warning, the owner came 'round with another element. This one also didn't fit and he discovered the connection was full of molten something. He also hadn't understood that previously when we'd said 'nothing on the stove works', that nothing on the stove works. He'd got the impression it was just the element. <sigh> So anyway, he's gone off to see if he can find a replacement part for the connection and if that doesn't work then we might get a new stove...

Dragged myself after the cubs this afternoon to our local shopping suburb, cos I'd promised they could go and have a look at the Transformer toys.
Squeee! In the same aisle – new Dragon Ball goodies! Squee! Poseable figures of Shenron! The green one from DBZ and the red one from the original DB! Plus some reeeaaaally cute chibi figurines of some of the characters! <fuge grin> I've got a green Shenron and a SS4 Vegeta chibi on lay-by...

And an addendum to the stove saga...
The owner showed up tonight, to hand over all the bits he'd garnered and – wonder of wonders – tell me he'll be calling in a technician to see to the problem. <sigh> Hopefully things will move a little more quickly now.

Heh, finished my first CCO 808 fanfic, 'Conference'. Or is it fanfic? It's centered around one of the characters so technically it is, I guess, though it's a backstory formed from wild postulations. <g>
It's also a lemon and very self-indulgent.
I have real problems writing lemons though I think I've sussed why. It seems that every lemony line I write is one I've read somewhere else before but if I make a concerted effort to do something 'original' it all slides down into truly awful purpleness. Fussy? Hell yes, this is my reputation I'm toying with... : ) Eh, I probly just need more practise, I used to feel this way about everything I wrote.
But anyway, Conference is posted in the 808 section of the Zone, (thank you , Joules!). I'll have a think about whether I'm game enough to drop it in amongst the fen in the 808 community...

Now, what shall I tackle next?
Can't decide – I'll just throw a dart at the list and see where it lands...

And getting back to lemony goodness... Joules has started the next Jade/Damune fic. <happy squeak> Looking forward to that one!

<relieved> My Tom of Finland postcard book wasn't one of the things in the garage I had to trash...

Joules has finished her CCO 808 AU, Band. It's so funny! Had me giggling all over the place. <giggling> (See? :) It'll be posted on the 808 community soon, and not as a 'friends only' so anyone can rock over there (get it? <nudgenudge> rock?) and have a look. Heh, it's got one of the best descriptions of a stage-act I've ever read. Gods I wanna go to one of these concerts! <g>

Waaah! <sniffle> A poignant end to Jubei-chan, but not wholly unexpected. Okay, it wasn't the ending I postulated back in episode 2 but I wasn't thrown a loop, either, and there were a couple of nice twists to keep me entertained. <happy sigh> I really love magical girl stories... :)

Can women have mid-life crisis? Or are we too sensible for that sort of nonsense?

Tch, idiot cat spent the night in the garage again. She followed me in there yesterday then refused to come out when I left. I was going to let her out later but forgot about it until this morning when I was in the supermarket. I wondered why she wasn't curled up on my bed when I woke. Ooops...

<sigh> The cubs' father took them to have their hair cut after school. I really liked their anime do's, they were so cute with their hair flopping into their eyes. But then they have been complaining about not being able to see...
Only now, <sheepish> I can't tell them apart that easily. But they're not identical!

D'oh, that was stupid.
In my new-found enthusiasm for Jubei-chan I ambled over to eBay to see what was available. Not a lot, mostly DVDs and soundtracks but there was a pair of cels featuring the samurai Koinusuke [sic?]. They're not that expensive, really, though I still can't afford them, and he's so sweet! Not that bright, not that brave, but loyal to the point of stubborness. :)
Ah well.

'k, finished another Dystopia chapter and started the next one, expanding an arc I thought I'd finished with. <rolls eyes> Bloody characters – minds of their own...
Hey, there's 60 chapters in Dystopia now. How cool is that? :)

(What the...? Blogger's been fiddling with the edit screen again. Grrr...)

Dammit...
I've been making forays into the garage, sorting stuff into plastic boxes and I've discovered the hard way the garage floor is not waterproof. All of the cardboard boxes in direct contact with the concrete are damp and mouldy, and there's a lot of stuff that's now damaged beyond repair. Mea culpa, I knew I should've put pallets down before I started stacking boxes in there but there was so much to bring over from the old house before we had to hand in the keys I just didn't have time.
Of all the bits in the four boxes I went through today there was only a couple of precious books that had to be thrown out – the rest I can live without – but there's at least another dozen boxes at the bottom of a pile that's taller than me. It's fortunate, I spose that those bottom boxes are buffering the material stored above them but I've got a nasty, nasty feeling a lot of my precious books are in that bottom layer. Ah, well, it's going to take some time but I can gradually work my way through, remove the damaged boxes and shift over some of the umpteen dozen plastic storage boxes to pile the undamaged cardboard boxes back on. <sigh>
I'm happy so say, though, one of the items I was able to salvage is a booklet I bought from the nuns when I was in primary school, titled 'Be a Real Girl.' (printed 1965). <shakes head> It's... appalling; full of advice to young girls about how they should behave with boys and their special place in god's plan. (This little tome of patriachal wisdom has almost been burnt a dozen times, by outraged feminist friends who've glanced at it. :)
Here's an example, from the chapter headed 'Playing with Fire':

"... a wise girl will avoid going with companions or to places where she knows there is danger. You can't play with fire. When a girl is responsible for a boy's sin by allowing her body to be passionately petted, kissed and touched, she is throwing away, for a moment's pleasure, the real loveliness of her youthful body..."

Thought-provoking stuff, eh?
<shudder> If you'll excuse me I have to go wash now...

<penny drops> Tch, no wonder I'm enjoying Jubei Chan so much, it's a magical girl story, complete with mystical artifact and dodgy, implied-nudity transformation. :)
I do so like a mystery solved...

(nicked from Onna's blog:)

<dreamy sigh> Such pretty, pretty eyes - all he needs is fluffy bunny ears...


The Yaoi Selector: Which Uke are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Oh, Talon, did I ever thank you for the Gravitation dj's? I found the disc last night and had a wonderful time looking at the pretty pictures. <sigh> Not enough of K, or Hiro though, and Eiri's brother is a bit of all right. :)

I confess I'm a sucker for anything with 'ninja' in the title. Lashed out and bought myself something called Jubei-chan: the ninja girl - all 13 eps in one box. <bg> It's not as frenetic as Excel Saga but just as silly. I think it's one of those anime which is chock-full of in-jokes and I'm probably missing loads of stuff but what I am getting is hysterical. I'll have to listen to it in Japanese at some point (the cubs watched it with me, so the English dub is easier) cos I'm curious about how the characters sounded originally. There's a 300 year old Samurai bishie (who occasionally becomes desiccated and has to be revived by immersion in water) whose name I can't remember (it's longer than 2 syllables so it'll be a while before I do) who is just the sweetest thing... <blinks>Ahah! He reminds me of Botan, that's what it is, hair-style, face, attitude. That's why I like him - heh. Anyway, he's lovely and you could do worse than have him as your servant.
We watched the first three eps tonight and I suspect I know how it's going to end, but I'll wait and see.

Egad, I've made a clean spot in the garage!
Those plastic storage boxes I hold so dear are on special at the supermarket again. I picked up four of them and sorted out a few more of the tatty old cardboard boxes.
If, as I hope, I can afford to start looking for a new place in October, that only gives me about 14 weeks to get things ready. Eeep! As it stands I might not be able to move until next year anyway but the sooner I'm ready, ie: packed and organised, the less traumatic the whole thing will be. I really do need to put some serious effort into the garden, though. I want that to be up to scratch when I move then I can leave here with a clear conscience. Perhaps it's time to dangle the bait of food and drink and arrange a couple of working-bees in the meantime? <g>

I've decided I'm not going to renew our Museum membership this year. The price has been reduced but under the normal pricing policy the cubs and I can get into the main venues for free anyway. Also the powers that be have altered the membership benefits and now you can only get into the Planetarium for free once a year. <rude noise> Eh, we can get a discount for that and it's not like we're there every week.

Oooh! The Open Range Zoo we visited a week ago has 'slumber parties' in the summer! With a barbecue and 'activities' and sleeping in a tent to the roar of the lions. Wouldn't that be cool? It'd be expensive, I'm certain, but I could save up and treat myself.

Heh, my cubs aren't identical – one of them mumbles, the other declaims...

Had to share this. It was written by Ghastly from Ghastly's Ghastly Comic.
He says on his page: "This is my "Freddy No Goth" poem, which was my take on what otaku-goth poetry written by Freddy would be." (Freddy is a genki s/he-male who looks like James from Pokemon and speaks an incomprehensible form of Otaku Japanglish. Ghastly says it hurts his brain devising Freddy's dialogue... :)

Freddy No Goth - by Ghastly.

Baka baka bleak dispair
Neko neko everywhere.
Darkness fills the world with wai
Heart of pain is so kawaii.
Soul of anguish on chibi wings
Genki genki evil things.
Tormented heart oh so sugoi
Crushed beneath the dark yaoi.
Neko neko everywhere
Baka baka bleak dispair.

Oh gods... <rolling around laughing> The 'genki genki evil things' line gets me everytime. It conjures images of hyper balls of pink fluff with wings and fangs and chibi eyes. I have to work them into 'Elga' somewhere...

Heh, finished my next AC today. It came together relatively easily, unlike the past several which were like pulling teeth. I think back to the 15 page chapters I used to do and wonder what I wrote to fill the space? I don't remember waffling... :)
What's next? A Dystopia, I think and <sigh> 'Cathouse Ellis' is still this close >< to being finished.

Cubs are back to school tomorrow! <happy dance>

You know what I'm going to enjoy most when the cubs are back at school? Being able to walk in a straight line and not have to check my stride every few paces. The cubs will cut in front of me when we're walking, it's very annoying. And while I love the fact they like to be close to me, being pushed off course - so to speak - by a little body bumping into you can be aggravating. :)

Took the cubs to ScienceWorks yesterday for the last day of holidays (weekends don't count). You know it's a bad sign when you arrive somewhere a few minutes after it's opened and already the carpark is full and the entry line stretches out to the street...
Wasn't too bad though, the place is so big that even when it's teeming with people you don't feel crowded. Heh, except for the gift-shop – the smallest space on the property. Tch.
There was a new, fun exhibition there – about toys, how they work, the science behind them. <g> The best bit for me was seeing loads of old stuff I remembered, the best bit for the cubs was seeing some Thomas the Tank Engine pieces in a display about magnets. <shakes head> I don't think they're ever really going to get over Thomas...

Eeeep! <biting nails> I know what's coming in the AC but 'One', Joules' latest chapter, still had me wetting myself!
(And there's a lovely, lemony follow-up to 'Muse' posted at the 808 community. A Joules/Lutra joint story, though I can't claim credit for any of the lemon. <g> You have to be a member to see it.)

<sigh> I know I find fuss-arsing about with fiddly little bits of stuff inexplicably satisfying but I wonder sometimes.
I've loved the tumbling blocks pattern for years and I've decided, finally, I'd like to make a quilt or wall-hanging based on it. Do you have any idea how many individual diamond pieces it's going to take? On the plus side, though, it's another paper-piecing type so I don't have to fret about being obsessively accurate with measuring. <g> Now that's my type of sewing!

... and speaking of Benten, my cubs looked at him and asked if he was a man. I said yes, they then asked why he was wearing lipstick. They seemed satisfied with my comment that some men like to wear makeup. <g>

I'm having problems with blogger at the moment: even though my 'post' pages on both The Zone and Shadows in Jade is confirming the updates have posted, the new entries aren't showing. I've emailed blogger to ask what the problem is - and just had confirmation back that they've received my email - so hopefully I can get whatever it is sorted out soon... (Thanks for letting me post here, Lutra!)

(nicked from Thorne's blog:)


You are Xuan Wu!

Mythological background: Because the turtle has a
thick, solid shell that serves as protection -
this animal is associated with stability. You
enjoy intellectual pursuits.
Also, in Feng Shui (the Chinese myths behind
choosing a house), the black turtle's solidity
is used to protect from cold northern winds.


Which Chinese Mythological Being Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla


Woohoo! Turtles are cool! Look at the Tidja Midja Nidja! :)

Niki got herself a new gardening toy and asked if she could come 'round and prune my roses. <g> I've had to admit defeat where the garden's concerned. First, I've lost interest in this one and second, I'm an indifferent gardener at best. So I happily agreed and she and Soulsis came around today to play in my garden for a little while. Niki likes pruning, it shows, the roses are very neat now...
Soulsis found me some brilliant tat, a purple plastic multi-compartment dips and nibbles party platter, and a decorated piece of glass tube we think is meant to go around a tealight candle. And it's got fishes on it! :) I'm going to have to have lots of parties or something when I get my new place so I can use all this stuff Soulsis finds. <g>

Had an odd dream while I was up at Mum's. In it I saw somebody I haven't spoken to for months. He was dressed, and was carrying himself, to mimic a particular section of society. I mentioned this and he immediately changed his posture and accent and said rather smugly that I was completely wrong. I thought to myself, you swine, you just can't bear to think someone's got your measure. Tch, I'm still annoyed about it.

Hee, finally got to see the first couple of episodes of CCO 808. Half-way through the first one I found myself grumbling that there was only 3 eps. 'k, it's not very pretty and there's something about cyberpunk scenarios that makes my soul curl up and whimper but this worldframe has so much potential! Heh, I'm even warming to Sengoku whereas before I just thought he was a prat. And, nice use of mono-filament, Benten, very impressive. :)
I'm not sure I should've let the cubs watch it, though. They pulled faces at the swearing – which was kind of funny – and squeaked at the gore, and then one of them went off and made cyber-insects out of play-dough and bionicle bits. Hn...

Got back from my holiday <snort> this afternoon – 4 days with the cubs up at my mother's... It rained off and on the whole time but we still managed to get out and do things and have fun. I've got some more prettypretty material to add to my stash, too. :) Ah, I'm easy to please.
On Sunday we drove out to the Open Range Zoo at Werribee. Only got a little bit lost going there and back (Point Cook is a very pretty little coastal town, by the way). We took the safari bus trip around the site which was kind of neat, but it took an hour and the cubs were getting fractious by the end of it. There isn't as much to see here as at the Melbourne Zoo or Healesville Sanctuary, but it's great if you like rhinos, giraffes, hippos...
It's traditional now for us to take a trip on the Healesville Trolly when we visit mum, but today we almost didn't. Almost. I've now ridden the trolly in blistering heat, howling winds, and proto-hail. <bg> Cold and wet but fun.

When I got back today there was a parcel waiting for me! From Joules! <happysqueak> Some more sachets of turkish-delight flavoured hot chocolate and more pink stuff! Plus a cutie little purple-prismatic pen and a booklet of English recipes. Mmmm... suet... <watch Lutra drool>. Heh, speaking of drooling, Joules also sent me a copy of the Cyber City Oedo 808 video! <bouncebouncebounce> I put it on as soon as I'd ripped the parcel open, just to see if the tape would play, you understand... What's that crime where you kill your children? Infanticide? Well anyway, stopped playing the tape before I committed infanticide. What was I expecting, really, trying to watch something enthralling in the middle of the afternoon when the cubs were in the same room? Tch. I'll never learn.
Hee, didn't get more than a minute or so in but - <checking the vicinity for ubersemes> - that first glimpse of Benten stretching, in silhouette, is intriguing...


[<a flurry of soft, white feathers, accompanied by a happy squeak, and the Zasshu disappears beneath the mound of furs...]

Good grief it's the end of the first week of school holidays! Where'd they go?

Cubs' birthday on Thursday. They had a good day, I think, waking up to a room full of balloons and pillow-cases full of presents – transformers, books, lollies... The party at the Golden Arches of Doom with their cousins and a school friend went well also, though I shouldn't have eaten anything, it just sat simmering in my stomach until the fine fare <cough> from Smorgy's later in the evening pushed it through.
<sniffle> My cubs are 9. They were funny the day before their birthday, coming out with things like 'this is the last time we'll eat lunch/dinner/have a bath while we're 8.' <g>
Their father and I took them to the Aquarium yesteday. School hols is really not the best time to go but it wasn't too crowded and we didn't stay long enough for anyone to get cranky. :) As part of their birthday presents I let the cubs choose whatever they wanted from the gift-shop. One picked up a plush eagle-ray and the other a plush shark. Yes, another one. That makes 7 different soft-toy sharks he's got – we counted. <bg>

So what else has been happening?
I've stitched together 4 of the quilt strips, and finished Muse, a Joules Taylor fanfic (based on her Cyber City Oedo fanfic, hee, and posted in the 808 lj community.). Almost finished Cathouse Ellis. Umm...?
I've already mentioned I took the cubs to the Museum, but forgot to say we saw an exhibitionn on collections, part of which was a display of Coca Cola merchandise. The cubs went nuts over the Coca Cola tranformer robot, (remember those?) so I have a quest now to try and track a couple down. Probly won't be that hard, I see them occasionally in second/hand antique places that specialise in Coke merchandise.

LOL! The cubs made chibi Bionicles! They did a good job too, taking all the elements of the particular characters and scrunching them down. :) And I overheard them playing with their tranformers, pairing them up for 'dates'. <snigger> Needless to say the 'bots are all male. Yaoi! They've also been sounding things out in hirigana, which is fascinating. They can't write many of the characters as yet but it's great to see the Japanese they're learning at school seems to be sticking. Fingers crossed they've inherited their father's facility with languages and not mine!

I had a dream last night that friends of mine pinched a large, terracotta dragon that was sitting in the garden of their rented house because their landlady wanted to destroy it and they couldn't bear to let that happen. Wasn't it lucky though, that in the previous night's dream I'd cleared out my huge, barn-like garage so there was plenty of space to hide the pilfered beastie...? :)

Soulsis has been very good to me recently. <g> I'm wallowing in fishy things again including what would have to be the ugliest ceramic fish I've ever seen! Ugly, but bursting with character, it's fabulous! He's sitting on a shelf next to a pair of green, chicken salt/pepper shakers. What can I say? It works...
Soulsis has also made a rag-doll for someone and she's brilliant! Almost 2' high, with fluffy purple hair and biker boots. Lovely shape too, the full-length, laced bodice dress fits very snuggly. Cor, very impressed, Soulsis is very clever. :)

Bother! All of my socks have experienced critical failure at the same time. I've been meaning to stock up again for months, just left it a bit too long. Ah well...