Found this on Okapiprincess' blog.
I don't know whether to be amused or disturbed...

LJ Barcode LJ username:

Right, about Mahrayne...
She's cocked up before in her life but never quite this spectacularly. Yes, she can be selfish and thoughtless, she's the first to admit that, but on Hassina the consequences of her actions didn't have the same repercussions. There it didn't matter too much because the ripples she caused were apparently only small, surface disturbances – she honestly had no idea how different things could be on Vejiitasei.
Because of her upbringing, Mahrayne has little or no understanding of her importance, no matter how many times Leteetza tried to explain. For close to 100 Saiya-jin years Mahrayne was a disregarded non-breeding female, she was – in the scheme of things – insignificant. It's only through recent events she's beginning to understand her radically altered position and that the rules are fundamentally different. (Frankly, despite her intelligence and curiosity, Mahrayne isn't that bright. She's dissimilar from the majority of Hassinan in that she can think 'outside the square', but she is still largely hampered by her people's ingrained inflexibility. It's not much of a defense, I know, and she is slowly learning. As Joules said change is an ongoing process.)
Mahrayne deeply regrets what she's done to Zorun, she still loves him, but she doesn't regret at all Kelapa claiming her. And secretly, she still doesn't know why she couldn't have them both – she may never fully understand the Saiya-jin possessiveness, it is after all, an alien concept...

Heh - the ningen tried the Planet Slayer quiz thing, honestly too... Her result? 'You can live forever!'... Her response? "Oh good. Now maybe I'll be able to finish writing all the stories in my head..." [shakes own head in despair...]

*blinkwince* The cubs have been playing with the settings - the drop-down menus are now bright yellow...

According to the greenhouse calculator on the Planet Slayer site I'd used up my allocated resources by the time I was 12 years old... *g*
This is a fun page, check it out...

Now about the M/K/Zo situation. Naturally I have fairly strong opinions about it but I'm not going to attempt to explain them until I've got the brainspace to do more than babble incoherently. That won't help my argument at all : )

I'm running away to mother's on the weekend as part of the 'get-the-cubs'-father-used-to-having-to-look-after-his-children-on-the-occasional-weekend-so-it-won't-be-such-a-shock-when-he-eventually-has-them-every-second-weekend' plan.
It's a little annoying I have to leave my house to do this, I can't just hang around and ignore them all (the cubs (and their father) will default to me being primary carer) but it's a start.
Oh, and it's not a 'rest' going up to mum's, if she has company she expects them to be company - so no uninterrupted time to write. Heh, she's worse than the cubs actually, I can growl at them to leave me alone... : )

[quote] *head in hands* When, exactly, do boys grow common sense?

[sigh] Generally speaking they don't zk'vissin. [gestures vaguely around at the world in general, poisoned earth, polluted atmosphere, sick oceans] And they really think they'll be allowed to leave their solar system? [shakes head] such extraordinary, arrogant naïvety...

I find the 'serving suggestions' on packets of food very amusing. For instance, on the chocolate swiss roll in front of me, it's got 'serves 8' written on the box...
... or serves me over the course of a day. *g oinkoink*

I had to have words with one of my cubs. I pointed out to him that it didn't matter if he'd devised this particular form of martial arts all on his own, he wasn't a qualified martial arts instructor therefore it was dangerous for him to try and teach his brother the defensive moves by going at him with a stick...
*head in hands* When, exactly, do boys grow common sense?

One of the school mum's had her bunions fixed a couple of weeks ago and we've been giving her daughter a lift to and from school daily since then cos she can't drive. No problem, we go past their house on the way to school, but – Sarah is a bit thingy about my cubs. When we're in the car she's very chatty and friendly, but as soon as we get to school she doesn't come within 20 feet of us lest someone think she's with us. Oh dear. The 'boys' germs' stage is such a difficult time... *g*

Sort of drifted away from DBZ for the past couple of months cos Cartoon Network had gone back to the beginning of the Buu saga - again. Tuned in again last week in time to see G&V traipsing around in Bu's intestines. *g* 's very funny, never would have thought the Prince of all Saiyans to be squeamish.
*dopey grin* But catching up has meant I've gone all funny about Vegeta again, and that bit when our heroes are back to back getting ready to fight the fake demi-saiyans and Piccolo? *shiver* oh yum, and they're going to rescue Gohan! MmmMMmmm -
I like Gohan.

Speaking of Vegeta, found this quote in a woman's magazine:
'Add Vegeta to your culinary portfolio for a great way to stock up on savoury taste and fabulous flavour.'
...................
Bwhahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!
Well yes, he is a bit tasty. *smirk*

This comic (from 'Sunday morning Coffee' – by Tang and Hard [Sexy Losers]) almost had me splurting out my coffee over the keyboard with laughter. SMC didn't go for very long, unfortunately, but there was some very funny stuff in it.

And finally Cartoon Network has removed that stupid Ed, Edd & Eddy from the 8a.m. time slot and replaced it with something decent - Power Puff Girls. : ) Episodes I haven't seen yet either, yay!
The ham-hams are on again in the mornings at 8.30 a.m. which is no good to me cos I try to be out of the house to go to school around 8.40 and the cubs and I really don't need any added distractions at that point.

I had a dream yesterday while I was napping. Someone visiting me had brought their 3 cats along, one of which was a tiny, gorgeous little grey tabby. I had to catch it and put it in it's carrier, but the carrier was too small. No problem, I said, I've got another carrier in the garage, you can borrow that. It's night-time when I head outside and in the sky is a string of what looks like stars, but they're not cos they're moving in formation across the sky, fast, coiling and looping like a ribbon.. I'm caught between needing to get this carrier for the cat, and not moving in case I draw the attention of these star-like things and they take me away...

Today's dream involved an acquaintance of mine and his girlfriend coming round to show me the (admittedly good) matching, giant Twisties packets they'd had made as costumes...
Ooookaaaay... : )

I had a bad-mummy day today. Instead of taking my cubs swimming, as I'd promised, I went back to bed. Spent most of the day there in fact. Not that there was anything wrong as such, wasn't ill, just bored, I tend to go to sleep when I'm bored. Made up for the lack of meaningful contact with my children this evening when we sat down together and watched a programme about the 15 best diving spots in the world. Ended up missing most of the commentary though because my fish-mad cubs squealed – loudly, in my good ear - every time they saw a fish species they knew. They know a lot...

I wonder what I'd do with myself if I stopped writing. Go mad, probably, drowning in the details of others peoples' lives filling my head.
Eh.
I've been imagining 'what if?' all my life, mentally putting myself into situations varying from tragic to merely annoying, to see how I'd react. Which is fine - a psychologist sometime in the 80's said this sort of fantasy role-playing was good because it gave people a chance to develop 'strategies' for coping - but being of a mildly obsessive temperament I naturally took it to extremes. How could I possibly care about exam results when in my mind I was dealing with the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust? Sometimes I think (see, here we go again) what might have happened if I hadn't been quite so much at the mercy of my imagination. Would I have studied more? Gone on to higher education? Had a clue what I wanted to do with my life? *g*

I've just eaten some jelly that was optimistically called 'pink lemonade flavour'. It was a pretty colour at least, even if it only tasted like sweetened gelatine.

I really like the idea of doing a fictional blog - ie: writing a blog from the pov of a character. Hn, nothing definite as yet though, I just like the idea.

This is a 'button-down shirt'.
Heh, thanks, Okapiprincess!

Woohoo! 'Progression pt 2' is finished (it's not a patch on Joules' 'Rejoice' - but she won't listen to me. : )
What shall I do next?
Bed! Ahhhhhh......

What exactly is a 'button-down shirt'?

The Golden Arches of Doom are flogging Muppets beanie toys at the moment, which is cool, I like the muppets, but Miss Piggy is wearing something that wouldn't look out of place on Tulip. *g* A very short, sleeveless pink tube dress and looong pink gloves... :-Þ

I had lunch with Aaron yesterday. Was fun catching up. I told him about the novel I was writing, without giving any details but he guessed what it was about anyway.
Damn, am I that obvious?
After we'd eaten I went with him and watched while he bought clothes.
Isn't that sposed to be the other way 'round? *g*
Anyway, one of the shops we visited used to be the Holy Rodent Empire shop. When did that close down? I thought I was more observant than that...
The mosaic of the mouse's face had been removed from the entrance, which was a shame cos I always enjoyed scuffing my feet over it...

My next AC chapter edges towards completion.
Joules has finished hers and it's sodding brilliant. I can but learn...

(nicked from Joules' blog:)
//[grumble] When the temperature gets above 13 degrees, my WeatherPixie wears a skirt! I am most affronted. I don't do skirts. Shorts and culottes, yes, skirts, no. Nor horizontally-striped leggings...//

Yeah, but look at her kick-arse boots! Phwooaar!!

Thank you, thank you, Joules for finding this page regarding Nestlé. I haven't knowingly bought any Nestlé products for years, but it's getting harder to be sure because the company is bloody everywhere.
In Australia, at least, the company puts its name and/or symbol on all of its food products, specifically Peter's Icecream and Maggi, but I check every new product before I buy it.

[Sometimes it's better to start from scratch with these things, aijin...]

I had roast pumpkin and rosemary lasagne tonight. It was very nice, though I could've cooked the pasta a wee bit longer before it went into the lasagne pan, and I thought I was a little heavy handed with the rosemary but it blended in quite deliciously.

Aaargh! School photos this week... *grumble* This means I have to make sure the cubs have got clean uniforms that don't have chewed cuffs. At least their haircuts this year are reasonable. : )

I realised a while ago that I'd neatly been avoiding writing yaoi, primarily because I just don't understand males and I was worried I'd turn all my male charas into females. So, in the interests of growing as a writer (*g* gods what a wank!) I decided to at least give it a try. Problem was I had no idea where to start. Decided pretty quickly I wasn't going to write a fanfic, especially not with such - *ahem* - well used characters as the DBZ boyz, so that left me with - *gasp* - the need to develop original characters. As for plot, I decided to resurrect an old AU idea I'd originally intended to do as a slashfic over a year ago.
And so - ta dah! The first bit of my first original yaoi is finished.
Joules is hosting it at Darkside *glomps Joules for doing the coding, b/g tiles etc* but if you'd like to read it and don't have a password for there or The Zone, email me and I'll send you a copy. Or alternately get a password and spend many happy hours browsing. : )
Go on, you know you want to...

[growl grumble glower] You're cutting your mane?! Don't I get a say? [irritable sigh] Must be the season - the ningen's cut off all her claws, too, right back to the skin, says they keep splitting from when she was ill six months or so ago...

Oh well, I suppose everything will grow back sooner or later...

My hair is like straw. Silky fine, brittle straw. Time to cut it off and start again.

..............

Hn, I thought I had more to say.
Apparently not. : )

*wriggle happy squeak*
Joules has just shown me the rough drafts for 3 of the pics she's done over the weekend.
Kinu! My baby! *bouncebounce*
Oh and the other 2 pics are going to be smashing when they're finished as well, but I suspect Kinu might end up as a wallpaper on my monitor...
Hope you and Goodtwin are having a bonza weekend, Joules!

As I was swimming today with the cubs the thought snuck into my brain that, you know, maybe it wouldn't be so bad to have another child...
*smacks self firmly over the head*
I don't think so, not least because the process would involve interaction with a male at some point...

Been thinking about body modifications. I'd like to get another piercing but not where it can be seen by the general public - I love the idea of that little secret...
Getting a nipple pierced is a possibility and much as I'm intrigued by genital piercings, at this stage it's not a very practical thing to contemplate. Tattoos are another possiblity, I've wanted some since I was 12, and I think I've finally decided on the sort of things I'd like to have permanently etched into my skin. But more recently I've been looking at branding. A lot of what I want done is too intricate to work well as a brand but some of the more simple designs, like a spiral or the pisces symbol, I think could look lovely. Hmm, I'll give that more thought.

Remember the online comic GlamourLust? Well, unfortunately it's finished but I've been keeping up with the fairy wranglers' (KamiKaze & Thistle) journals. Thistle has put up a smut page where she's putting links to her original erotica. Not a lot there so far but what there is is very good. Well, I thought so. : )
She writes primarily het (yes, I know, but it can make a nice change) but it's interesting het, with fae and aliens with tentacles... *g*

Damn I'm enjoying Cowboy BeBop. It could be considered aberrant behaviour in some circles but I quite like Jet. Yes, Spike is cute but he's a bit on the thin side. Jet is big - I kind of like that...

Heh, this original yaoi is kicking along nicely. Good to see it finally coming together after being shelved for almost a year.
And when it's done I can have that last packet of Angel Delight...
It occured to me today that I'm not likely to write any more fanfic. Not strictly speaking, anyway, unless I count writing things based around Joule's multifarious characters as fanfic. There's still a couple of ideas for Yu Yu Hakusho and Gravitation kicking about but they're very low priority compared to the original stuff fountaining out of my brain. There's a few Professionals fics I wouldn't mind finishing up, but I think I'm more or less done in that fandom unless inspiration strikes. Sorry Goodtwin and Sue.
This doesn't mean I'll stop reading fanfic, just not writing it anymore. Heh, and it was only 2 years ago I couldn't envision a time I'd be writing anything but fanfic...

2 of the 4 ivy seedlings I liberated from the retreat a few weekends ago have put out new leaves. The other 2 still aren't dead and the 3 holly seedlings haven't died yet either. : )

Soulsis and her chicks dropped round this afternoon. It's a good thing Soulsis likes bringing me presents cos I'd feel terribly guilty otherwise. She gave me a lovely framed pic of some koi carp, some tablecloth weights shaped like dolphins and whales, and a beautiful purple crystal window dangly! *g* I have the best friends...

Well, we've now got our box of chocolate bars to sell for the school fundraiser.
We're already down 4 bars...

No way, soulsis, I'm not going to be held responsible for anything that comes out of your subconcious! *g*

You know, it occured to me that we don't have many chairs in this house. Don't get me wrong, there's loads of furniture that's designed, in theory, for sitting on but not a lot of it that's comfortable or in an easily accesible place. Next house (tentatively called 'chez otter' remember : ) I'll be able to remedy that cos I'll be choosing my own furniture rather than having to put up with what other people bring into the house - heh heh heh.

The cubs and I went to the aquarium again yesterday. I do like it there, and now that we've joined the membership program thingy I - I mean 'we' - can go even when the money's tight. *happy sigh* And let's not forget the discount at the Aquarium shop! (So much fishy stuff! *swoon*)
And - OH!! The Aquarium will be getting some water rats soon! *happy squeal* So cute... ^~^

The school is having it's yearly chocolate drive fund-raising thing. The cubs had monday and tuesday off this week cos we were all feeling a bit poorly so we missed out on the actual doling out of the boxes of chocolately goodness. When I spoke to one of their teachers tonight, to see about picking up our alloted box, she apologised and said she did have one set aside for us but it had gone missing. She thought it might be a case of 'sticky fingers' to which I replied that it could have been someone taking it because they'd already sold their lot and needed some more.
She looked at me and said: 'You're a 'half-full' kind of girl, aren't you?"
Tee hee hee, you noticed?

Next 'lestrel/Lutra chapter is on it's way...

Awww.... (thanks, Soulsis : )


You are a true nature girl!


Which Ultimate Beautiful Woman are You?
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... and this came in an email from Soulsis...

Coffee Guide by the Signs

A shot of Astrological insight ...(coffee, anyone?)

Aries: First in line, first out the door -- a triple shot of espresso, and the Ram is off and running.

Taurus: Cappuccino -- earthy simplicity wrapped in luxury for the ruler of the material world.

Gemini: Always of two opinions (and more than ready to share them), Gemini settles on a double latte -- half decaf, half regular.

Cancer: Cozy Cancer is right at home with a __mocha -- all the comfort of cocoa.

Leo: Perfect presentation with enough kick to get the whole group going: macchiato.

Virgo: Precision is the only way: Virgo prefers Caffe Americano (regular house coffee is not an acceptable substitute).

Libra: No need to tip the scales -- Libra strikes a balance with Café au Lait.

Scorpio: Never prone to self-denial, Scorpio opts for all the sensuality of a breve latte -- one can barely taste the coffee, but isn't subtlety the name of the game?

Sagittarius: An iced caramel latte in the dead of winter seems correct to the Zodiac's thrill seeker.

Capricorn: Always efficient, Capricorn has found that a shot of espresso in one's coffee gets the job done ... and then some.

Aquarius: Organic raspberry tea is a refreshing alternative to coffee -- it transcends the boundaries of modern society, deeming caffeine unnecessary.

Pisces: Someday, Chai will replace coffee entirely, and Pisces will be ahead of us all -- meanwhile, they can sit back calmly, ready to ride the wave of the future.

Mmmmm, I lovechai...

... and speaking of coffee. My coffee plunger broke cos someone stacked the dishes poorly and it got knocked off the edge of the sink. This is the same someone, I suspect, who's been pathologically unable to stack dishes in a logical manner in all the 14 years I've known them...

Go here! Go here! *holding ribs that hurt from laughing* Thank you, Okapiprincess.. I needed that...

The cubs and I went to Scienceworks today. The place was a little flat, they're in the middle of changing over a few of the long-term exhibitions so there wasn't as much to see as usual. But we went to the Planetarium to see the Tycho movie… again. This makes 5 times I think. All in all it wasn't a bad day the only real aggravation being the cub who's gotten very clingy recently going off his nut with anxiety if his brother wasn't in line of sight. This happened a few times until I growled at him to bloody look around first before throwing a wobbly. Eh, it kind of worked and the rest of the visit was fairly trouble free. Because we didn't have to pay to get into the Planetarium (see a couple of blog entries ago) I could spend some money in the gift-shop. The cubs got a packet of glow-in-the-dark sharks and a squidgy brain that you wind up and it pulses at you. Morbid brats. I didn't get anything for myself but I did get a trilobite fridge magnet which I'll give to their father as a house/fridge warming present when he eventually gets either one of those. I live in hope the thing won't be cluttering up my drawer for long.
While we were having lunch I spotted a pair of twins, about 8 months old, cutie little things just at that smiling, happy stage. Their mother noticed my cubs and after confirming they were twins as well, she said to me:
'Well you look like you've survived.'
I grinned and assured her it would get better - my good deed for the day.

Well, the paté firmed up a little though it's still sloppier than the shop-bought stuff. Tastes pretty good too, but it needs more salt and the texture is a touch lumpy cos I don't have a good pureéing thing. On the whole it was a successful experiment and I'll make it again sometime.

Happy Lutra - the earl grey flavoured organic green tea is back in stock. I find standard green tea, no matter how diluted or how little time it's left to stand still tastes bitter, but this stuff is lovely, smooth and a little sweet, I can - and do - drink it by the teapot full.

Uh-oh, I'm getting the urge to draw again…

I made chicken liver paté today.(Cool! Joules showed me how to do accented 'e's! Hee, café - latté - blasé...) It's the first time I've tried my hand at paté making; does it take a while to set or is mine just intrinsically runny? *g* Tastes pretty good though the cubs held their shirts over their noses when I showed it to them…

The cubs father picked them up from school this afternoon and took them to the Golden Arches of Doom for dinner. I had a little nap while they were gone - and an odd little dream, too. Joules and I were on a train going somewhere in the UK (somewhere in Bristol I think, the scenery was reminiscent of the Briz tourist cards I got to see on the site Joules had designed). We got seperated and I couldn't ring her cos I hadn't glued down the little blocks that had the numbers on them and they were all jumbled up. But it wasn't a problem cos I knew she could fly up and spot the railway tracks from the air…
We met up again at this big old house where we were staying (there's that big, old house again - only this time it was dark throughout. Not spooky or unsettling or anything, just dark) and there was a muscle-bound sort of sporty bloke there who'd put a fish hook through his penis as a dare, giving himself a 'prince albert' and he was begging me to watch the video of it. O_o
Ok, I don't think I want to know what that was about!

Feeling kind of chuffed - finished the first draft of the second chapter of my novel today. At this point I would like to formally thank my beta-reader for help and encouragement *casts soppy smile UKward*
Hee. On to chapter 3 I guess…

Coffee flavoured yogurt is an odd sort of thing. The last lot I tried, several months ago, smelt like a latte that someone had thrown up and I couldn't bring myself to eat more than a few mouthfuls but this week the supermarket had a different brand on special (I only buy yogurt when it's half-price or less, too expensive otherwise). So with some hesitation I tried it. Not too bad, was more like a vanilla yogurt with a splash of coffee. I'd buy it again next time it's cheap. : )

It is very difficult to warm to a child that doesn't like yours, especially when they're openly rude and belittling. Hmph.

It was with great delight I deleted a whole box of Enid Blyton books from the school library's database today. Loathe her stuff, even when I was the right age group to be reading it I thought it was complete rubbish.
Oh and speaking on behalf of librarians the world over - when you take a book off the shelf and decide you don't want it, DON'T put it back on the shelf unless you are completely sure of where it goes... If in doubt leave it out for someone who has a clue how to re-shelve it. Please. : )

The museum here has drastically reduced it's entrance fees, children are free and adults pay less than half the previous price. Which is great, should get more people in there, but what about the members?
Aha... we are getting an extra six months free membership on our cards and free entry to the special exhibitions and the Planetarium! Which is very cool, means a day out at Scienceworks is free for us except for the petrol to get there. : )

[frowns, silently cursing cultural misunderstandings.... thinks - duck, feathered domesticated fowl, like chicken, or cock... alternatively a linguistic device, dack, deck, dick, dock, duck... alternatively a different linguistic device, duck, muck, fu.... Decides this is fairly pointless, be best just to accept what tenshi says, and determines to make a little more noise in future] I suppose that's OK, then.... [nuzzles]

[*head in hands, groaning* It was a joke, hab'lan! And you don't scare me - startle me sometimes cos you move so quietly, but you never scare me, 'k?]

[blink, wounded pout] But I don't look anything like a duck. Not ANY part of me... [sudden panic] And I scare you?...

Ok, right, I feel a little more secure now. The past couple of months have been tight, financially, and we've been living off the extra food I usually have in the cupboards, to the point where it had almost all gone. Eeep! So for the past couple of paydays I've been buying a little extra and now the emergency supplies are re-stocked. *phew*

I was still craving marshmallows when I went shopping today, but I got something even worse. Fluff - marshmallow spread, strawberry flavoured. Made in the USA, of course, no one does bizarre sugary treats quite like the Americans *g*, and I can guarantee that not a skerrick of this will find it's way onto a piece of bread - I shall just eat it out of the jar as is my custom. : )

[Oh, so it's your duck that scares me half to death in the middle of the night? I see, everything's so much clearer now... *smirk*]

[rolling on floor in hysterics] And so did GoodTwin!

[smirk] And the ningen got Wraithmallow... heh, she and her duck are scary...

Goodtwin found this one cos she actually trawls through the link pages of sites.. : )
(heh, and Joules got 'giant mutant kitten' as her quiz result - I was sure she'd get 'rude kitten with cute pink butt' *smirk*
Hn... the graphic's a bit small, the text is hard to read... though that could just be me...

Which Lord of the Peeps Character are you?
Quiz by Lauruu.

Check out the Lord of the Peeps site today!

I had to... (thanks, Okapiprincess! Go for it, soulsis, bet you get the giant mutant kitten *g*)


I am an overly happy A.D.D kitten


Which cute or possibly strange kitten are you?
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Cleaning the fridge is a zen sort of thing. It's either time to clean the fridge, or it's not time to clean the fridge...
I cleaned the fridge this evening, and the grill - I'm feeling awfully virtuous.

You might remember a while ago I bought a pretty little journal to write lists in? Well, I'm almost through the red section, it's the first of eight. Most of the lists I'm writing down are wish lists, things I'd like to do, things I need/want. I've dated them all, of course, so when I go back I can be reminded of what I used to think was important. Neat, eh?

I had a very nice dinner tonight, sauted carrots and apple with rosemary over rice. : ) Very nice, but I really fancy some meat now...

I had to share this with you.
It distracted Joules enough that she had to deliberately shut it down so she could concentrate on her next AC chaopter.
Thank you, Okapiprincess : ) You find the coolest sites!

... I'm craving marshmallow now...

The cubs have had their hair cut - their father picked them up from school and spirited them down to the barber. It's not too bad this time, last time the barber did a crap job and they looked well, less than cute. Miss their anime bangs though...

[*landing quietly, soft smile, watching Zasshu sleep... brushes wing-tip over shoulder...*]

I realised something tonight - I don't like coming home, it's never a joy stepping back into this house...
Feh, enough whinging.
The cubs and I had a really good weekend at my mum's. She doesn't live far away really, just over an hour by car, a couple of hours by public transport, but she's out in a rural area and so it feels like somewhere else. Didn't do a whole lot on saturday, just kicked back a bit (though I cut out enough bitty bits of material to make 91 stars for my quilt - which will bring the number up to 151 of 203), but sunday, today, was pretty full.
Woke up early to find my mother's day gifts from the cubs (they'd 'secretly' brought them with them : ) balanced on my stomach. As soon as I opened my eyes the cubs pounced on me and demanded I open the presents. One cub gave me a small planter that has feet and a funny face (it's currently in the bathroom with the fern that was sitting in my duck planter), and the other cub gave me a statue of two frogs, to sit in the garden - and a lint remover, how thoughtful, which they proceeded to run over everything, including my mum's siamese cat. : ) (Their father included an Adam Ant compilation CD in the haul, which is cool but a bit of an odd mix, only a couple of 'hits' and the rest are lesser known - well, lesser known if you weren't a fan *points at self* - tracks from a few of the albums.) I gave mum her present, a cute pic of the cubs in a nice frame. She seemed pleased.
After breakfast we went for a ride on the Yarra Junction Tourist Railway. Not so much an old train, but an old, open trolley that deafens you as it rattles and vibrates along. Loads of fun, but very very cold. Heh, and mum and I got to ride free for mother's day! Then we drove up to Toolangi, to a place called 'The Singing Gardens' which was a property owned by a very well known Aus poet, CJ Dennis ('Sentimental Bloke') Beautiful spot, with a creek and a big stand of bamboo around a pond. Had a good meal, a walk around the gardens and didn't have to yell at the cubs... *g*

[pout sigh mope] and you're going away AGAIN...

[frowns] Brown is for trees. Well, tree trunks, anyway. And soil. And some manes. And a few animal pelts...

The ningen remembers brown, doesn't like it to wear. Very dull unless teamed with other, brighter colours. Of course, red-brown is different - terracotta, russet, red-gold.... Not that she wears those either, but there you go.

[shakes head] I have a strange ningen...

This 70's revival thing has gone too far, I tell you, too far!
In Melbourne this season, the fashionable young things will be wearing brown. You remember brown, it was very big in the 70's. Only it's not called brown it's called chocolate, fawn, mushroom - whatever, it's still frigging brown. Interestingly though, the older fashionable things, going by the shops I've walked past, do have the option of colours other than brown but this is probly because the older things actually lived through the 70's and have no desire to repeat the mistake. : )

There's a mother's day stall happening at school today. The cubs' father has given them some money and the cubs have told me they're going to get me something purple, or pink, or red - as long as it's not brown. *g*

Hee, Family the next 'l/L chapter is ready for coding, which means *fanfare* I can have another packet of pink stuff!! ... if I can afford to buy milk that is... :-/ (Dammit, housemate, get off your arse and give me your rent!)

(knicked from Joules blog:)
//Turns out today she said he should take off the armbands as she was sure he didn't need them any more, and try really swimming. So he did - and not the normal starting length of 5 metres, oh no, not my bratling... No, he swam 10 metres (that's one length of the pool), had a minute's breather, then the teacher suggested he do it again to prove to himself he could - and he did. 20 metres in total. Proud? Damn right!!//

Aya! Well done, bratling! *g*


I really do need to get my hearing checked. I first noticed there was a problem when the cubs were babies and I was sleeping through their crying when I slept on my left side - my left ear having the better hearing I found. (I experimented - when I covered up my left ear there was a noticeable reduction in sound, with my right, there was hardly any difference.) No problem, you compensate for little annoyances, don''t you? If I had to sleep when the cubs were awake I did so on my right side so I could hear them. Eh.
7 years on and I still haven't done anything about it. I don't think there's been any further drop in how much I can hear, but other things have started sliding. Making sense of conversations when there's more than one person speaking, or there's a lot of background noise, is hard sometimes, and frequently I've been caught out with an inappropriate response because someone didn't say what I thought they did. A lot of the time I find myself simply sitting back and not participating cos I'm missing every 4th word and it's too much effort to keep up. (Why do I spend so much time online communicating via a keyboard? Well, der.. : ) And I think I'm getting a reputation for rudeness, or at least standoffishness, because people sometimes speak to me (usually softly, or mumbling - for fuck's sake people open your mouth to talk and shut it to eat!) on my right side and I just don't hear them. I've also started having trouble locating where sounds are coming from. For instance, as I'm sitting here typing, I can hear a noise which sounds like the fan from the heater, which is on my left. It's not, I've checked, it's noise from the computer, which is on my right. A benefit of all this, though, is that my cubs generally have good diction - it's been commented on : ) - well, they need to or I'd not be able to understand them...
Now, how hard is it for me to get to the doctors or the hearing test centre? Not hard at all, all I have to do is ring and make an appointment. So why don't I do it? I have no idea...

The next 'l/L chapter is almost done (yay! that means I can have another packet of Angel Delight! *g*) I'm going away for the weekend - with the cubs, up to my mums - be nice if Joules and I can get it finished before then. Then what? Don't know - might try finishing one of the stand alone fics, ie: the ones that aren't part of a continuing plot. Hmmm.

I'm resisting the urge to have another serving of Angel Delight for breakfast.
No, I have 2 packets left, I'll save them as rewards. : ) Like, for when I've finished this next 'lestrel/Lutra chapter, and, let's see maybe the original yaoi I started months ago. Yeah! That's a good incentive...

Speaking of original works, I've begun writing a novel, (sorry, no hints, I'm cripplingly secretive about such things : ), and I'm finding it somewhat tricky. I don't doubt that I can write it and make a good job of it too but I need to be in a completely different head-space for it than anything else I'm doing which, at the moment, takes time and preparation. Eh, it'll get easier as I become more familiar with this continuum, I mean I can slip in and out of the AC universe now without a problem. : )

*toes curling with delight*

I'm savouring my first taste of Angel Delight ('stonking strawberry' flavour) in what must be 10 years. Gods it's good... We can get it over here, but I've only found the sugar-free variety, which isn't as nice. A sachet of this thick, pinky goodness is enough for a single - admittedly piggy - serve for me.
I am very happy... ^_^
Thank you Joules!

You know how amusing it is in the movies when a child finds the sex toys?

*sigh* Could've been worse, there could have been visitors for him to display his find to...

*changing the subject*
Did you know European wasps don't like Frankincense? They love lime oil though, and sandalwood. How do I know? Empirical testing at the bbq at Hanging rock... A drop of Frankincense oil on my clothes and the barstids didn't come near me. : )
Thank you, Alarice, for the material components of the experiment... the oils, I mean, not the wasps...

Finally took this one... thank you OkapiPrincess...

Cerberus is on the third level.
Have I mentioned I don't like dogs?

The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to the Third Level of Hell!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:

Level	Score
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)	Very Low
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)	High
Level 2 (Lustful)	High
Level 3 (Gluttonous)	High
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)	Moderate
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)	Low
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)	Moderate
Level 7 (Violent)	Moderate
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)	Moderate
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)	Low

Take the Dante's Inferno Hell Test

Hee! *g*


You're Hobbes. First of all, the makers of this
quiz would like to congratulate you. You have
our seal of approval. You are kind,
intelligent, loving, and good-humoredly
practical. You're proud of who you are. At the
same time, you're tolerant of those who lack
your clearsightedness. You're always playful,
but never annoying. For these traits, you are
well-loved, and with good cause.


Which famous feline are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

(Oh, that Round Tuit from goodtwin? It's pink! *idiot grin* As is the seahorse mobile. Tch, so excited I'm forgetting details. ^~^)

Have I mentioned that I have the best friends...? *soppy grin*

*happy SQUEAL*

I got a care package from the UK today! (complete with the red cross on the front no less : )
Blimey, where do I start?
Food first.
Twiglets! Jaffa Cakes! Rice crackers! A large selection of sachets of different flavoured hot chocolates! (Including my fav, Turkish Delight, which I ran out of months ago...) Little strawberry kit-kats and... Angel Delight!! *swoons* My favouritest ever pink stuff! 3 packets! Mine! Grrrrrr....
Non perishables (heh, like the 'perishables' are going to be left lying around long enough to get past their use-by dates!)
A beautiful pearl choker that the tenshi has gone all big-eyed over; a little seahorse windchime; a Gravitation CD (*glomps Talon*); a really funny birthday card – chicken?egg? ROFL!; a video of '2002', the Nicholas Tse film Joules was slavering over a while ago – ooh, and a copy of the Dexter's Lab ep with the blue-skinned baddie! AYA!; postcards of Winchester (now, definitely on my list of places to visit : ); a cute little perfume bottle with shrimps on it (mmm... shrimps); 3 little plastic lion-head goldfish (which the cubs are covetting madly – I mean, there's 3 of them, there's 3 of us, what's the problem, mum? Grrrrr... Mine!); and *big eyes* a printed copy of Joules' 'Timeslipping'...
I doubt I'll be getting much work done today. : )
Thanks Joules, & Carol (for the Round Tuit - I can feel the determination kicking in already!) *tackleHUGS*

The cubs and I went swimming this morning.
In the water I feel I have some sort of grace, unlike on land where I am clumsy and lumbering ... much like a walrus, though without the whiskers...
The cubs voluntarily went into the big pool today ('voluntarily'? Hah! They badgered me into it). Been a while since we went in there, last time, in the shallow end, the water came up to their chin, this time it only came up to their armpits! One cub was even brave enough to go down to the deep end - holding tightly onto me and squeaking all the way - but the other one wouldn't have a bar of it, preferring instead to trot anxiously along the edge of the pool, keeping pace with us. Since they've got their goggles though, they've gotten very good about putting their faces in the water and will happily 'dive' now for several seconds. It's lovely watching them grow more confident.

Och, I'm so full of broccoli goodness I can barely move.
I got a big bag of discounted broccoli the other day and made some soup out of it, with lots of fried garlic. I've been eating it for days. It's not that appetising to look at - yellowish green with little floaty dark bits, and there's a definite texture to it - but it's yummy all the same. It was especially nice with boiled potatoes and cheese. Couldn't tempt the cubs to try any though - what a surprise! *g*
Next week I'm going to try my hand at making some pate (chicken liver with port and sage would be nice), then I can freeze some of it for when I feel like being indulgent but don't actually have the cash to back it up. :)

Well, the seedlings I 'liberated' from the Retreat last weekend - 4 ivy, 3 holly - aren't dead yet so that's a good thing.

The next 'lestrel & Lutra chapter is on the way to completion; been thinking about the next AC chapter; Shinju and Okami are giving me pointed looks having been left hanging at an interesting juncture in their fic and I don't like the way Tulip's eyes are narrowing... Maybe I should get on with something?

Aaargh!
WHY when you accidentally delete a folder does it not show up in the recycle bin so you can undelete it? *mutter grumble*
[..later..]
... because the undelete in Winblah is hopeless - fortunately I've got Nortons to play around with. *phew*

One of our tv stations has been endlessly plugging a new series Man & Boy (starring Ioan Griffiths - he of the stockings and curly black hair in the Hornblower telly-movies. Oh no! Archie! *sniffle* *blinks* where was I? It's all very well going off on a tangent but it helps if you can find your way back to your original point…) Anyway, this new series title song is 'What now my love' sung by Frank Sinatra, and it's been bugging me cos I know I've heard it somewhere else.
I remembered today. Miss Piggy did a 'Ravel's Bolero' version of it on the Muppets.
Consequently, I can't give Mr Griffiths new series the seriousness it maybe deserves cos all I can think of during the adds is Miss Piggy…

[... later again...]
However, I'm watching 'Man & Boy' now and it's really good - not thinking about Miss Piggy at all...

[chokes, laughing] And guess what the ningen got....



The Goddess Chaos: Wild, uncontrolled,
unpredictable, crazed, represented by the color
red and the element fire. Her only constant is
that she's never constant. Prone to losing her
considerable temper, but her attention span is
so short that she rarely actually remembers to
punish anyone. A complete hedonist.


Is anyone surprised....?

Heh heh heh...

It's all Joules' fault...


Total Hentai


What Kind of a Hentai Yaoi Freak are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

I am continually impressed with Cowboy BeBop, not just for the storylines but the animation; it's so... detailed, and rich without being cluttered. Absolutely craps on most western animation styles...

*rolling around laughing my effing tits off!*


While sitting in your cage you are a mild mannered
lab monkey, companion of Dexter - Boy Genius.
However, you live a double life - you are in
fact a superhero! Ready to do battle against
the forces of evil and injustice the world
over!


What Primate Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

This is particularly funny cos I watched an episode of Dexter's Lab yesterday in which the Justice Guild figured largely. The earth was attacked by the Silver Spooner - a complete queen - and his master.. who I can't remember his name but he was the 'barbecuer and eater of worlds'. If you're not familiar with the Marvel universe, this was a glorious spoof of Silver Surfer and Colossus. It was a very clever parody and I wet myself laughing, much to my cubs' amusement, they thought that was funnier than the episode...

Right, got this one from Soulsis's blog...

Operas? No, too drama-queeny.
Curly hair? Does Doyle count? *g*
Corsets? Only on others...


The Goddess Life: Represented by the color white
and the element air, Life is all that is good
and true. She loves order, stability, and all
things beautiful and serene. Shows an
inexplicable affinity for operas, curly hair,
and corsets.


Which Goddess Owns You?
brought to you by Quizilla

We were late getting to school this morning but it was worth it, I had this amazing dream...

I moved into a big old house with a bunch of friends. The place was nothing to look at on the outside, not very attractive at all, but inside... High ceilings, long, wide corridors, enormous rooms. (The house we stayed at on the weekend obviously had an impact!) My room was huge, big enough that I was dancing around in it and I was thrilled to finally have the space to really use my body. The freedom was exhilarating. : ) I decided though, that I needed to decorate the door of my room with something purple or pink, first so I would be able to pick it out easily from the other, similar looking doors, and second, so that no one would have any problem guessing which was mine. (The house was full of interesting old tatt too, everywhere I looked there was something gorgeous to see, the toaster was amazing! 50's era, I was guessing, pink and silver metal mosaic).
The second, intertwined part of the dream was quite interesting as well. An old - tch, 'lover' isn't the right word - sex partner of mine was getting cosy again. Or trying to. I kept dodging him, but too subtly obviously, I eventually had to tell him outright I wasn't interested. He wanted to know why, I said I was a lesbian and he took it as a personal attack. How could I do that to him?!
I almost relented at that point, but then I got cross. Why should I let his reaction sway me to doing something I really didn't want to? So anyway, he slunk away, affronted and I turned my attention to the pleasures of dancing and settling in. (It's interesting, that's the second time I've come out to someone in a dream...)
Oh, the cubs were there as well, as were soulsis's chicks, but the focus was the house. Just beautiful.

Finally got to see 'Jupiter Jazz pt 2'.
Waaah! *sniffle* Poor Gren...

I will finish my AC chapter today. I will!

So there I was all bright-eyed and eager, waiting for Cowboy BeBop tonight, cos I missed it on the weekend, and then housemate comes in and asks me what I'm waiting for. I tell him, he frowns and says: 'today's tuesday..."
D'oh! In my eagerness to ogle Gren again I was a day early.

Almost finished my next AC chapter...

My weekend away was triffic fun, caught up with lots of friends. The Retreat is a beautiful old sprawling house, and the grounds are lovely. There's a large lake with a couple of islands in the middle of it and *counting* 6, I think bridges too and fro. There was about another 6 bridges crossing the little creek that ran through the property and I crossed every one at least 3 times. : ) I like bridges, almost as much as I like trains...
The grounds were also littered with ponds (mostly empty unfortunately, due to water restrictions) and a goodly number of peaceful places to sit in quiet contemplation. Wonderful.
My favourite place though was a 'cathedral' formed from 5 oak trees over one of the bridges. The branches inside the circle had been pruned leaving a light, open space covered by a leafy canopy about 40 feet above. Just beautiful... *sigh*
On saturday we went to have a Picnic at Hanging Rock. Well, a barbeque actually, then some of us stayed behind to play badmington while the rest climbed the rock.
I got half-way up; it's very steep.
The rock itself is the remains of a lava 'plug' in a long gone volcano. There's a cool, peacefulness about it, very comforting and blanketing without being smothering. I'll get to the top next time, I'm sure.
Over the weekend I also learnt to play mah jong, sort of, and participated in a 2 player game of monopoly, which was odd but fun. Except... the basic principle of the game offends my little socialist heart; the woman I was playing with wasn't doing as well as I was and I could've easily forced her into bankruptcy by buying houses for my properties (I owned the 3 most expensive blocks) but I just couldn't do it... My monopoly partner and I decided that next time there's one of these weekends, we'll bring along some games that don't rely on trampling over the other players to win, like Pass the Pigs, that's a good one...
We had to leave on sunday after lunch, unfortunately, everyone had just got into their holiday groove and another day would have been perfect.
My only criticism of the weekend would've been that with the place only being just over an hour away from home, it wasn't like a real road trip to get there... : )
Thank you, Alarice, for organising it all! *bigHUG*

Oh, and today is Soulsis's birthday... hippo birdie two ewes, sweetie!

This is a picture one of my cubs drew for Joules...



What's this all about?
Well, the cubs were hanging around, reading my ICQ messages over my shoulder one day. I explained that it was night-time over in the UK where Joules was and they wanted to know if she was nocturnal. A fair question, their father is nocturnal after all. Joules responded by saying she was a vampire. The cubs weren't happy with that so they asked if she could be a shark or a manta-ray (their current obsession) instead. Joules said she preferred lizards but tigersharks were her favourite type of sharks...
Somehow they agreed between them that Joules was a vampiric (note the blood on the teeth) shark/ray/lizard thing and one of the cubs drew the picture (look, I don't know, I was just relaying messages, ok! *g*)
Oh, and the stick figure in the picture isn't the critters victim, as you might reasonably assume, it's there to indicate the height of the creature relative to the height of a 7 (almost 8!) year old boy...

[contented sigh, brushes petals from tenshi's hair and wings] .... welcome back...

[*grinsnuggle* You can stop moping now, hab'lan, I'm home...]

I'm back, had fun, did lots of walking and didn't go over on my ankle. : ) I'll do a proper update soonish, probably tomorrow after the cubs have gone back to school! Woohoo!

[more mope]

[mope]

This was Lutra's AC quiz result...


You are most like Zha'haabron



Serene and self-possessed, you are held in awe by others, and you take your responsibilities - and your pleasures - very seriously. At ease with your own power, you are happy to let others take control in private. You are the soul of the family.

[*nuzzles* It's not for too long this time, hab'lan, and you can spend the time thinking up fun things we can do when I get back. *smirk*]

[growling disconsolately] You're going away again... Going to miss you...

Just a quick post before I head off for the weekend (Yay!!)
The cubs have been bringing their toys up to me this morning: 'sharky/ray/dolphy etc is going to miss you!' Awww... ^~^

Looking forward to the weekend, except for missing Cowboy BeBop and Bubblegum Crisis 2040 on saturday night. Especially Bebop - it's Jupiter Jazz pt 2 and I'm wholly fascinated with Gren...
Oh well, it'll be repeated on wednesday night, I can catch it then.

Right, everything's packed, just need to change a cub's bed sheet, hang some washing out, feed the piggles and put my shoes on and I'm ready to leap out the door as soon as Niki arrives. *g*
Catch you all later!

[Be good, aijin, don't scare the chibis... *g*]

Interesting couple of days. I cleaned the house yesterday, more or less, and the cubs actually helped. Sort of. I told them if anything of theirs was left lying around in the loungeroom or kitchen in X amount of time it was being thrown out. They cleared everything, eventually - the last 15 minutes was pretty frantic but it was all done within the stipulated time. *g* Going to have to try that again...
And then their father took them out for a few hours and I got out into the garage to do some clearing. Sorted through 4 cardboard boxes and half a basket of stuff. Got rid of some of it, and put the rest in plastic storage crates. Was going to try shifting the books into the plastic crates at some stage, but there's almost 40 boxes worth! Besides, the next house I'm in will have plenty of room for bookshelves so I won't have to store the books anymore. : )

The cubs and I (plus school friend and her mother) went to the Aquarium again today.
*dreamy sigh* When I'm needlessly wealthy I'm going to have a BIG marine tank - and someone to maintain it. Yeah...

Niki told me a little while ago that she exercises by walking around her backyard. It's a good backyard to do it in; it's pretty big and quite steep. Out of idle curiosity, I paced out my backyard today. The circuit is roughly 50 metres, with a slight slope. Hmmm...

Heh, next 2, possibly 3 AC chapters are drafted out, the next Silk & Leather is started, as is a couple of other things and I'm going away from my computer for a few days. Dang, I need a laptop! (Donations to the usual place, please *g*)

In my dream last night, I was attacked repeatedly by an aggresive pig. It was really scary and I spent a lot of the dream keeping out of the pig's way. And even after the pig had been slaughtered and was being cooked, I knew it wasn't dead, not really, so I wasn't surprised when I heard the pig had escaped...

...above and beyond the call of duty...
I got up at 5.30 am this morning to stumble around in the garden putting the easter eggs out for the cubs egg hunt. Ably helped by KittenKong, of course, who thought that batting those shiny little spheres away from where I'd carefully placed them was great fun! Bloody cat.
When I finished I crawled back to bed then slept in so it was the cubs father that guided them in the hunt. I lay in bed, grinning, listening to the whoops and hollers.
'OOOH! Here's some! Here's some more! And over there!' *g*

Fortunately the cubs didn't get all that much chocolate. I say fortunately cos they scoffed the lot and I'm just not in the mood for cleaning up regurgitated brown muck.
(We don't have the easter bunny in this house, by the way, we have the easter bilby, an endangered australian mammal. The cubs' father thinks it's ironic having an endangered species as a fertility symbol. I told him to think of it as sympathetic magic : )

Hey! Guess what? I've got next weekend off! Woohoo! I'm going away for a couple of days with some friends to the Marist Retreat in Mt Macedon. While we're there we'll be visiting a winery and going for a picnic at Hanging Rock (I am not wearing a white dress and if I hear panpipes I'm leaving!) The cubs aren't thrilled I'm going, but they should have fun with their father. Hn, better make sure there's plenty of food in before I go...

Right, I've got all the notes I need for my next AC chapter. No excuse for not starting it now...

The cubs and I, along with a school friend and her mum, went to see Thunderpants today.
What can I say? A British fart joke made into a movie, but still better than Kangaroo Jack. Heh, I think the adults in the audience today got more out of the movie than the kids. There was lots of little, quite subtle, aside things that were chuckle-worthy.
Not sure I'd want to see it again though.

I've noticed that I've been putting bits of my life on hold 'until we move' or 'until the new house'. Not big things, just lots and lots of little things, mainly to do with nesting, I guess you could call it. Silly thing is, there's no need to wait, the majority of plans I have (except for garden related stuff - and even then a lot of what I want to do can be done with pots) will all be easily transferable to the new place. I'm just reluctant to put the energy in here when I know I won't be staying, even though I don't know exactly how long it'll be before I move and the things I want to do will help me feel more positive about life in general anyway.
Eh. Too hard. I'll think about it later.

*evil smirk* My next Silk & Leather chapter is almost ready to be written. Good, just in the mood for somebody else's pain...

Oh bugger! I haven't gotten any easter eggs yet. Can't have an easter egg hunt without easter eggs. Tch. Wonder if the shops are open tomorrow?
Didn't realise it was good friday today until I was driving to the cinema and wondering a: where all the traffic was; and b: why are all the shops shut?
Except for the Asian shops, for some reason they were all still open...

Hee, there are 4 other people in the world (or on the net at least) with my name I am '...rarer than a wombats wing nut', apparently.
And no-one else has the same name as either of the cubs. *g*

Speaking of the cubs...
A couple of weeks ago I was lured into having their photos taken at Pixie Foto - a place that specialises in uber-saccharine children's pics. The session itself was a barrel of laughs, for the cubs. The photographer had a hard time pinning them down, I didn't envy her...
Anyway, picked up the photos today. They're not too bad, I'll scan and post some eventually, and the cubs are thrilled with them. Not shy, my babies. Expensive though, but the company has an installment plan thingy which I happily took advantage of.

Soulsis and her chicks came round today and we herded all the children up to Smorgy's.
You remember Smorgy's, it's the 'family restaurant' done out in an island theme. The food's still crap but the kids enjoyed themselves. We managed to stay there for over 2 hours, grazing. At one point we had 14 empty jelly bowls and 6 empty ice-cream bowls on the table - this was after some had been cleared away. I hate to think how much dessert was actually consumed by the children this afternoon. On the plus side, Soulsis and chicks stayed til about 8.30 pm (we got back about 3pm) and none of the children asked for food until shortly before they left. *g*

Joules says she can't draw arses. After seeing her latest pics of Alestrel, I beg to differ....
[MINE!! Grrrrr...]

This is a very funny site... It's the answer to the 'supermum' myth.
Go read the horoscopes - it'll do you a power of good! : )

I took the cubs to see Kangaroo Jack today...
I don't like using the phrase 'well that's X amount of of my life I'm not going to get back...' - it's unacceptably negative, but I'll make an exception in this case.
Puerile. Sterotyped. Badly acted.
... and no offence to you guys, but Americans just can't do good toilet humour.

One of my cubs has gotten very clingy in the past few weeks. If he can't find me in the house he gets panicky and upset, if he can't find KittenKong in the house he gets panicky and upset. I'm wondering if he's picking up on my tension towards his father.

Ack, that was a very down sort of posting. Let's fix that...
The cubs and I have been visiting petshops, checking out the sort of fish we can get for our aquarium when we get our new place. : ) I saw some ratties in one pet shop. So cute!
Um... I treated myself to sushi for lunch. Very nummy.
I'm in the process of finishing the Shinju/Okami pwp...
Tulip is tapping her pink-leather booted foot impatiently at me... *smirk*
And I haven't had to get up early for school for the past 3 days. Yeah. : )

Hee...
Joules has been feeding me snippets of Diplomat, the next 'lestrel/Lutra chapter. *idiot grin* Damn you gotta love those brats..

The cubs' father took them out to the park yesterday afternoon, and I went for a walk (blissfully alone) to the supermarket. It just started to rain as we all left. I like walking in the rain - even with the resulting sodden feet and treachorous footing - it's kind of peaceful.

The Festival of Chocolate is next weekend.
It is completely the wrong time of year down here to be bandying about Spring symbols. I'm going to try and put some of the chocolate eggs and crap aside for when Spring actually occurs.
Do you remember when Easter chocolate was the best chocolate ever?
Was it only because it happend for a limited time? Or has the formula for it changed?
I miss the Red Tulip peacock though... Cardboard peacock with a bigish egg in the body and several small caramel filled eggs in the fan of the tail...

(Questionaire nicked from Talon's blog.. my own answers supplied, of course)

A - Act your age? Why? And how, precisely, is someone of my age supposed to act? It's all subjective.

B - Born on what day of the week? Thursday's child has far to go...

C - Chore you hate? Getting up early every morning to take the cubs to school.

D - Dad's name? Brian.

E - Essential makeup item? Chocolate and cuddles. Oh, you mean the stuff you put on your face? Erm, sunglasses.

F - Favorite actor? For actual acting or just eye-candy? Hn. Ewen McGregor would fit both of those categories.

G - Gold or silver? Rose gold.

H - Hometown? Melbourne.

I - Instruments you play? Narry a one.

J - Job title? Chibi herder (this was Talon's but still appropriate) Writer! Yes! I can say that with pride now!

K - Kids? Twins. No more, not ever.

L - Living arrangements? Shared house for the moment.

M - Mum's name? Lillian Mary Josephine. (catholic - can you guess? :)

N - Number of people you've slept with? Both more and less than I'm happy about.

O - Overnight hospital stays? Tonsils, wisdom teeth, child-birth (though that was more like 16 weeks of consecutive overnight stays).

P - Phobia? Dealt with.

Q - Quote you like? "No matter where you go, there you are" Buckaroo Banzai, and "Yippe kai-ay, motherfucker." Diehard.

R - Religious affiliation? Pagan, sort of celtic-ish.

S - Siblings? Blood? One younger brother. Kin? All my sisters - you know who you are - plus Aaron, who's an honorary girl :)

U - Unique habit? Be hard pressed to find a 'unique' habit... Maybe my tendency to yell 'knickers!' when I'm annoyed?

V - Vegetable you refuse to eat? Choko. Bleuch.

W- Worst habit? Self-pity.

X - X-rays you've had? Ankles, feet, knee (ballet injuries) Left forearm when 6 years old for greenstick fracture.

Y - Yummy food you make? I do a good roast chicken.

Z - Zodiac Sign? Pisces. All encompassing, the end and the beginning. (cor, did that sound mystical, or what!)

Aaron came over and I helped him wax his (virgin) legs.
: )
That boy is going to make someone a wonderful sub - he whimpers and mewls so beautifully...

1st day of holidays. I went to bed early and slept in 'til 8.45am...




Who is Your Cowboy Bebop Soul Mate?




Which Cowboy Bebop Character are you?

This isn't so much a whinge as an observation - either way it'll be short. : )
Apart from my slippers (hot pink fuzzy and lavender with grapes - thank you Soulsis) I have 2 pairs of shoes - some slip on sandals and a pair of black lace-ups which are a very worn now but still fine in situations where it's dry and I don't need grip on my soles. I'm going to have to get another pair of shoes for winter or I'll have permanent cramps in my calves from clenching my toes in my shoes as I try not to slip...

Due to budget restrictions, I rarely buy luxury items outright, they're usually put onto lay-by. My rule for that is 'one lay-by at a time'...
Yeah right. What happens is I get momentarily flush with cash and spring about putting things away only to find I've over-extended myself, again, and either have to let some of them drop or take ages and ages to pay for things. Fortunately, I tend to put lay-bys on in the same shops and they know me so don't mind extending the time for payment...
Which reminds me.. I've finally found a 'bathroom set' (toilet brush, soap holder, toothbrush holder, lotion bottle) made of clear acrylic with shells in it! Weeeee! The shop doesn't do lay-bys, but they're holding it for me 'til next week.

I've hurt my wrist again (not a real problem) but one of the cubs saw me with the bandage on and said - "I'll look after you, mummy.'
*mush* My baby. ^~^

This beautiful heian era poem I nicked from OkapiPrincess's blog...

Though I go to him constantly
on the paths of dream,
never resting my feet,
in the real world
it doesn't equal a single glance.

Waaaah! *sniffle*
That's just crying out for a fic... or maybe the sooky romantic has escaped from her cage. Hn.

[The 3 'R's - reading, riting, 'rithmatic - are still considered important, but not spelling...]

Woohoo! *little dance*
One day to go! One day to go!
I am so looking forward to these holidays, I have never felt so consistently tired as I have over this school term. 'Stress' has probably got something to do with it (when I get stressed I go to sleep) but, gods I need a break...
And unlike previous hols I've actually got a bunch of stuff lined up to do with the cubs, rather than vague ideas of what could be 'fun'. Ack, maybe I'm getting more organised with my advancing age?
Nah...

'rein'? 'rein'?? You want a bit between your teeth and someone on your back? [lopes off snarling about the appalling standard of spelling these days...]

... and wednesday night is Quiz night...

The wings are quite pretty...


Goddess of green. You probably prefer to be outside
where you can get some fresh air!


What element would you rein over? (For Girls)
brought to you by Quizilla

*Lutra mush*
Was watching a David Attenborough doco - Life of Mammals - and saw these little guys.
They make a sound like squeaky toys! 'eee!' 'eeeee!' ^~^

I really don't make things easy for myself, do I?
I bought the cubs a book - 101 Cool Magic Tricks...

'Mum! I need a coin/glass/water/paper/blunt pencil/hat...'
'Mum! Come and see this COOL trick!'

*sigh*

Oookay...


THE TRANSVESTITE JOKE!
Youre comfortable with yourself and self-observant.
You also boast a tendency to flaunt your sexual
preference, but what the heck.


Which Eddie Izzard Joke Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

This was kind of cute...

Shirley Temple-- you're cute around people but
naughty when you get away from the crowd


What's your stripper name? (female)
brought to you by Quizilla

I wasn't very impressed with this quiz. The writer is one of those people who can't/won't spell properly, uses those annoying abreviations and too much/none at all punctuation... effing infuriating and stupid...

ur an ordinary unpure person


sexual purity test
brought to you by Quizilla

(Oh, those last two quizzes came from Soulsis, the first one from Talon)

This might seem like a pretty inane thing to get het up over but it really, really bugs me when people don't hang out their washing properly (ie: like I do) and we end up with all the pegs on one side of the Hills Hoist. Grrrr...

The cubs' father came home this morning with the news that the Golden Arches of Doom 'family restaurant' has pulled one of the current range of toys out of circulation. This latest lot are based on the Transformers and one of them transforms into a tank. Apparently some child psychologists suggested it might not be the best thing for little persons to play with at the moment.
However... Can you imagine how rare those toys are going to be? How much they'll cost - cos of course, without them, you can't make the 'mega-transformer' thing...

I had a very strange dream last night.
Future earth - kinda sorta - something to do with taking a duck back to it's right place in time before it infected everyone with salmonella... But anyway... There's sporadic, uncontrolled flooding world wide. The waters can come up only a few inches, to being deep enough to cover buildings. The floods can come and go for a week at a time, or a month, it's completely unpredictable.
Flooding happened while I was there and I kept an eye on the water creeping upwards as the people I was with set about sealing their building with little bits of thin plastic and rubber I thought would never keep the water out, but did.
It flooded 3 times, each time the water covered the buildings but life went on as normal inside, and by the end of it I could tell when the waters were receeding because the sun came out...

[Awww... those little rooms look so cute, onna! Do you hire them out?]

The ningen thought people might be getting confused by all this talk of stairs and doors and rooms at the Lemon Tree (which is, after all, a tree). So she did this (self-confessedly crappy) little sketch to show what she thinks it looks like. [smirk] Rather like the look of it, myself. Cuddly little 'lemon rooms'. Bet it smells wonderful...

Woohoo! My next Dystopia chapter, 'Leech' is finished, ready for coding. This story I've had mulling around in my head for ages, can't remember if I've mentioned that already, but this was the story Dystopia was created around. It's quite different from how I originally planned it, but I think it works...

Ack. Parent/teacher interviews.
The good news is the cubs have made improvements in their behaviour and attitudes since last year, but there's still a long way to go. They're both very bright but socially inept and easily frustrated which leads to tantrums - something that can be very isolating.
However, the teacher of one of them showed us the way he avoids working. This particular cub hates writing, it's 'boring' (ie: too much work). They have a page to fill twice a week or something... he's been filling the space with drawings, and comic style illustrations so he can show what's happening with the minimum of words. This is sort of an improvement, I guess, not that long ago he wouldn't draw anything at all... And - this cracked me up - his teacher came the heavy one day and told him in no uncertain terms she wanted him to write 8 sentences.
He did - the same sentence 8 times. : )
Don't you think that shows an certain amount of cunning? *g*

Heh, had a busy sort of weekend, but enjoyable.
Went to Niki's on saturday with the cubs. Soulsis was there with her chicks, and we herded them all - including Niki's two - off to the park for a couple of hours. It was very unstressed; the children are all old enough now that they don't need constant supervision so we (the mums) were able to sit down and chat while keeping half an eye on them all. The cubs and I stayed for dinner and we got home waaay past their bedtime so it was two very sleepy little boys I poured into bed. : ) (Hee, and I was showered with gifts again - books, purple curtains, chocolates - I really do have the best friends.)
On sunday the cubs and I went swimming then I came home and napped for a couple of hours. Another unstressed day. : )

Niki's mum was getting rid of some books, so naturally I pawed through them.
One of the gems I snaffled was 'The Science and Art of Married Love.' It was written in 1974 by a naturopathic doctor, Paul G. Bragg - Life Extension Specialist.
I don't know where to begin really... I can only read little bits of this book at a sitting cos a lot of the time I end up wanting to through it at the wall. : / The bits he want us to pay attention to are WRITTEN IN CAPITOL LETTERS, just so we understand their importance. One of the basic premises of this... epitome of wisdom.. is that women are more likely to achieve 'satisfaction' by playing their natural role of surrender and submission. I'm not making this up.
There are 41 titles, chapter things in the first 15 pages - some of them are only a paragraph long, and the rest of the 53 pages is made up of hightly pertinent questions that Dr. Paul answers.
Questions such as:
I have been married for 17 years, have 3 children and a fine husband. Sex means nothing to me. If I never had it again I could live contented. How important is sex to me?

...here's the answer...

Sex is an inescapable part of us. It is there from the moment of birth when we are given our sex identity - boy or girl - and it is with us until the day we die - when it goes on our death certificate. You're not going to be able to skip out on sex, so accept it and look toward the good. For good love-making enriches you emotionally and spiritually, and relaxes muscles, soothes our nervous system, makes you forget your pressures, strains and tensions for awhile, helps attain restful sleep and is one of the few satisfying experiences in this world. Please change your mental attitude towards sex. You want to be a full woman don't you?

*speechless*
.. but there's no pressure being brought to bear, of course, no prodding of guilt that to be unenthausiastic is anything other than unnatural. Humph. The key words there are 'good love-making'...
Not going to read any more, it's just making me cross.

The only other 'information' book that has made me as mad is one I got from the nuns at my catholic primary school, titled 'How to be a real girl.. That little tract of nonsense has almost been burnt a dozen times over the years. I'll have to dig it out and share with you all...

Earlier this week I bid on and won a book that OkapiPrincess had listed on ebay, (really, really gorgeous needlepoint). She came 'round for a visit tonight so I could pay her for it, in theory, and then she gave it to me as a belated birthday present! *happysqueak!* I have the best friends!
And then on top of that she gave me this gorgeous birthday card which is actually a mouse mask, a PPG poster (from Somerley) and two ribbony hair-tie thingies (pale purple with glittery purple stars, and purple with butterflies!). Okapi also gave me printouts of two fake book sleeves (to wrap around your porn and such so what you're reading will be outwardly acceptable to other commuters : ) They came from the Black Books site and if you haven't seen any of this Brit comedy you're missing a real (odd) treat.)
Here's the 'blurbs' from them:
Bastard Squad
Rob McCabe didn't know the meaning of fear. Sometimes he claimed to have sex with it, but he was dimly aware that this was a metaphor.
However, with his collection of guns and ability to climb over stuff, he was regarded as the best soldier and acrobat in the Midlands. But even grizzled, cynical Rob didn't reckon on the charms of Rita, an Indian ladyboy with a taste for the finer things in life...

and this from The Goblin Troll
After three weeks at Magic Academy, Papamama had just about managed her first spell - a fireball the size of a bee, that burned some string. It had taken her an hour, and she had bits of dried magic on her hands, which was beginning to smell. She thought about going to the toilet to wipe the magic off with a sponge, but she was so tired that she couldn't be bothered.
It was the beginning of a long year at the Magic Academy.

*rolling around laughing...*

I've started on the next chapter of Dystopia. I'm enjoying it immensly, it's evolving as I type and I'm glad to see those couple of years writing Professionals fan-fic had a definite advantage...

[SMIRK] Well that's the ningen all over - 'don't dream it - BE it'......

*snigger*
This is Joules' result for the movie quote quiz... Can't say I'm surprised...


You are... Rocky Horror Picture Show - "And
what charming underclothes you both have."
Can you say "sexfiend?" You've probably
been arrested (or almost arrested) for public
indecency, and you really don't care. You crave
kink, and everyone knows it. People in foreign
countries probably know of your wild
sexcapades! Sometimes love will come your way,
but it hasn't seemed to work out... yet.


What movie quote are YOU?
brought to you by Quizilla

My next Dystopia chapter, 'Angel pt2' is posted. Only a short one, but eh... Now on to the meaty stuff!

The cubs went to a birthday party last night for a friend they went to school with last year. 12 little boys hyped on sugar is not my idea of a blissful evening. Fortunately I didn't have to stay, so I went and browsed wishfully at a big furniture/computer/electrical place just over the way.

Thank you for this quiz, Okapiprincess...


You are the Battle of Pearl Harbor sketch. You're
all about little old ladies fighting each other
in a muddy field. Sick freak.


Which Monty Python's Flying Circus Sketch are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

... and this...


You are... What Dreams May Come - "I would go
to hell to find you."
Love, above all else, is important to you. When you
love someone, you really love them, and you'd
do anything for them. Sometimes that an get you
into trouble, but to you that isn't important;
what is important is is maintaining the levels
of caring and trust in a healthy relationship.
You little romantic, you.


What movie quote are YOU?
brought to you by Quizilla

*annoyed*
The Ham-hams have been removed from their 7.30 am slot and put on at 3.30 pm which is when I'm picking the cubs up from school. I suspect I'm more put out by this than the cubs are...

Eating a whole packet of dried pineapple is not a good idea.

Yay! All the new books have been entered into the library database!

Just on the subject of rats...
I kept pet rats years ago, before I got involved with the cubs' father. I started out with 2 and ended up with 17. That wasn't very good, cos while rats are intelligent and affectionate little friends, you need to spend time with them or they lose their affinity with you. (Oh, the first 2 I had were sisters, Sous-sus and Bess, albinos, then Kismet a ginger hood. I never actually bred any of my rats, I just kept acquiring them from friends who did.) It was interesting to note the differences between male and female rats when it came to cage-keeping. Give them fresh bedding and the girls would take their time, moving it about, fixing and rearranging until it was just so - the boys, on the other paw, would just kick the lot into a corner and call it sorted.
I think there's a lesson for us all in that. : )

The ningen has noticed - yeah, occasionally she does notice what's happening on the planet her body is living on! - that monotheistic paternalistic cults - Judaism, Islam, Christianity - have promoted more and bloodier wars than the rest of human history added together, and that they promote neglect and abuse of the planet, and everything on it, in favour of a supposed blissful afterlife.

The ningen believes - in this lifetime, anyway - that the whole point of living is to leave the planet a little happier/cleaner/safer/more joyful than it was when she was born - and the way she's going she'll kill herself trying to prove her point.

[*sigh*]

Me, I'm surprised she's survived this long….

[*watching tokage-chibi interaction indulgently. Murmurs to self:* It's just not worth the agro mentioning how cute that is...]

I had a very odd dream last night. (apologies beforehand to any Christians - the views expressed by my subconscious are not necessarily what I'd have come out of my mouth.)
I was basically in charge of a group of people, a mix of men, women and children, and I was planning to take them somewhere lovely (Borneo springs to mind - I have no idea why). But, down the hill from us was an enclave of Christians. Some of my group started heading down the hill and I thought, fair enough, they're Christions, but then some more of my group began to peel away and I started to get worried. And angry. I knew the Christians were using magic to try and influence my people, despite their stance that 'magic' was sinful and all I could do was watch as my charges trickled away from me.
However, it wasn't all bad, end of the dream had me watching the dozen or so people I had 'saved' (that was definitely the word I used to myself) with a feeling of joy and contentment.
Anxiety dream, perhaps? Not feeling like I have control of my life? Eh...

[Lies on stomach at edge of bower, chin resting on crossed forearms, tail waving gently, watching small Saiyan brat inch closer - eyes wide, basket held out in front, glancing over shoulder occasionally at were-Saiyan hovering some distance away...] Hello bratling - is that for us? It smells wonderful... [moving slowly, without rising, reaches out hand to take basket, and hands over small Koi fish ki-carved from golden tigereye stone] That's to say 'thank you'...

I'm yearning after having a pet rat again. But I couldn't have it until I get my own place (the cubs' father is phobic) and do I really want to have a rat when KittenKong's such a good hunter? *sigh*

I was doing some shelving in the school library today and I saw a book titled 'Torturers, Terrorists & Turtles'.
Eh?
I didn't have my glasses on - it was actually titled 'Tortoises, Terrapins & Turtles' *g*. I think the misread title has potential, though, don't you?

Okay, next Dystopia chapter is started, going to have to think about the next AC chapter soon too...