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It's a crab!

Why a crab emoticon, you ask? Well...
Earlier today Joules showed me this lovely pic of a nebula from the Astronomy Picture of the Day site. I remarked that I could see a crab in the image, while Joules said she saw an Anglerfish.
All very interesting. Anyway, 'Crab Nebula' was ringing dim bells so I googled it, as you do, and found this on Wiki. We both thought - Joules and I - that that looked less like a crab than mine!
So yes, a crab emoticon was forthcoming from me.
What? You want logic? Pffft... :)

(Completely unrelated: [snerk] Cubs are off to camp in a couple of weeks. They're planning on recreating "The Parrot Sketch" for the 'talent' night...)

My suitcase compliments my flamingo!

Pretty!



Sur ma vacance! The story so far...

Not a lot to tell, actually. Cubs and I have just come back from spending the Easter weekend with my Mum - hence the pic of the suitcase. Mum picked us up from the train station on Saturday then we trundled off for a ride on the Healesville Trolley. Always fun.
On Sunday, Soulsis and her chicks came 'round for the day. Much chocolate was exchanged and consumed, as well as some of S's excellent biscuits!
After packing our suitcases on Monday we nipped out to the Patchwork Teahouse in Warburton for morning tea, and a browse of the fabrics. I saw some beautiful green batik - decorated with ivy, dragonflies and butterflies - but even on special it was too expensive so with many a regretful sigh I put it back. Next thing I know Mum's marching off to the counter, bolt of material in hand, and buying us some! We now have a metre each! Squee! (She justified it as being part of my birthday present, even though we're closer to her birthday now than mine. :)
On the way back from that we stopped in at a mega garage sale where I spent $5 and came away with armfuls of stuff that had to be squeezed into my luggage somehow. Mwahahaha Despite the fabulous array of stuff at brilliant prices I was restrained. Just think how much stuff I would've been able to bring home if I had a car...!

Last day of term I had an excursion to the State Library. Extremely cool place - I was all tingly!
It's big, too. A couple of years ago it took over the space the Museum used to occupy, plus it has an enormous off-site storage facility a couple of hours out of Melbourne. Wow.
My favourite bit was the Images department where they're digitising the squillions of images to put online. Photos and cataloguing? That's my idea of heaven! Where do I sign?

(Speaking of photos, and blatant self-promotion, here's my Flickr account...)

And finally...

Little did they realise that conventional weapons would be useless against the giant chocolate bilby...

There was a music DVD playing while the cubs, their father and I were dining at the Hog's Breath Cafe this evening. The not particularly interesting selection (Toni Basil, Cyndi Lauper, Culture Club, Bananarama, Rick Astley, for god's sake...!) prompted me to snark mildly about it being a collection of 'the least threatening songs of the 80's', with the companion volume of 'slightly edgy songs of the 80's'. :) However, I did almost snigger my coffee up through my nose when 'Angel in the Centrefold' came on...

Last night's episode of Life on Mars (which I've really taken a shine to this second season) had a Camberwick Greenesque beginning that made me giggle.
And lo and behold, the clip's up on YouTube.

Study results!
I got 100% for the other test I had last week, but only 94% for the Cataloguing assignment. Admittedly, I lost 1 point cos I didn't fully understand the question - the rest were lost to silly, careless mistakes. Still, not a bad result. :) (What would Little Miss Overconfident look like, I wonder?)

Egad, it's almost the end of first term!

I haz a flamingo!




Hee, this is Raoul, and yep, as I suspected, Mum is physically incapable of keeping a secret. I hedged a bit though, when she asked if I had any idea about what she was getting me. :)



I've just spent the long weekend at Mum's, without the cubs. Was verra niace. I napped a lot.

LOLOL I recently logged in to flickr and got this:
"OH HAI Lutra! Now you know how to greet people in Lolcat!"

And I got 40/40 for one of the tests last week. Yay!

[head->desk] When engaged in cataloguing tasks it is very important to a: know what you're doing, and b: know what you're doing.
I've just spent 5 minutes trying to find the authorised subject heading for 'man-eating animals' on the Library of Congress' site. Couldn't find a thing, no matter which angle I came at it from. ('man eating animals'? 'killer animals'? 'dangerous animals'? etc.) Not a sausage. [oo! I wonder what the authorised heading for 'sausage' is? Tch, later, you mental butterfly...] Anyway, so yes, couldn't puzzle it out. Then, giving up in disgust and moving on to the next word on the list to search, I o'erglanced 'man-eating' and discovered it was in fact 'meat-eating animals'. [rolls eyes] Oy bloody vey... (The subject heading for 'meat-eating animals', by the way, is carnivora.)

[grump] One of the cubs has had a hair cut and now I'm getting them confused.
Not that they're identical, or anything.

Cool! Harper Collins has got Neil Gaiman's American Gods up to read online! Only for the next couple of weeks, though. Even so... Flipping through the first few pages reminded me how good it is and that I must read it again.

[And the LOC authorised subject heading for 'sausage' is 'sausages', with a 'see also' note to look under 'animal products'. Well, there you go...]

Ooh!
I've just had a thought!
Computer projectors = slide shows!
I can subject an entire room of people to my photos without having to muck about with slide film!
Mwahahahaha!

... mind you, slide film does give beautiful results. Rich and deep...
... but then I'd need another SLR...
... but then again I've seen some lovely stuff done with digital SLRs.

Hm...
Need a digital SLR, obviously. I wonder if there's any place that will let me put one on layby for about a year? :)

So yes, the major assessment assignment for one of my subjects was to investigate my local library and then give a verbal report to the class. I put in a lot of work for the assignment, trawling the website for information and prowling around the place taking photos. I was organised, I really was, in my head and on paper but I was disappointed with the result.

Part of the problem was that I wasn't organised enough, or perhaps more correctly, I wasn't organised in the right way. Yes, I'd taken the time to get the photos ready, and collate the info and set it out logically but I hadn't actually given much thought to the talking. I'm not an effective public speaker - I know this, I get tangled, and I talk too fast, I don't breathe between sentences - and yet being aware of this I still more or less decided to wing it. [rolls eyes] My own fault, entirely.
On the very plus side, however, I worked out how to use a computer projector! I mean, they're dead simple, really - you just plug it in to the monitor slot - but having never touched one before I was justifiably pleased with myself. (The trick was you had to press the power button twice. Once to switch it on, and then again to activate the lamp.) Hee.
My tutor said I did very well, though, so the presentation can't have been too bad, and I've probably passed. :)

Heh, four weeks in to the 2 years (possibly 2.5 for an Advanced Diploma) and I'm already pretty sure where I'd like to go with this. I don't have much enthusiasm for customer service, no, what I like is searching, cataloguing, archiving. Thinking of this Course purely in library terms is limiting - what we're learning is information management. The principles can be applied all over the place! How cool would it be to work in a photo/film archive? Or somewhere like our State Library that has a huge collection of ephemera? I could (read: am already thinking about) branching out, later, into conservation and preservation - which could lead in to allll sorts of cool things! Weeee!
This would be in conjunction with the writing and publishing of my novels. Naturally. ^_^ ([grinning] I was bored in my 20's, I'm enthusiastic now - I'm going to be unstoppable in my 90's!)

Time for a couple of book reviews, methinks.

I'd like to say I'm making an effort to expand my literary horizons by actively seeking out and reading the sort of classic stuff that keeps appearing on 'My favourite/Most influential etc' booklists, but no, the 'right' books falling in to my hands is more serendipity than anything else. For example, I spotted Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray in an op shop, and as it was one of those things I've been meaning to read like, forever [valley girl head toss] I picked it up.

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[spoiler warnings, perhaps?]
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What an interesting little story. It was terribly coy about Dorian's 'evil' indulgences - except for the mentions of opium - and as for how he ruined all those women, and men...? Hmmm. My slash-heavy imagination was happy to fill in the blanks. I felt like smacking Henry, though. Self-indulgent git.
The abrupt ending threw me, I have to admit. Having vague memories of a couple of dodgy film versions I knew how it was going to end but still, I was expecting more of a debriefing. Though the abruptness did - and is still - keeping me happily occupied contemplating what might have happened next so perhaps that's not such a bad thing.

Next: Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls. (This one I spotted on a library shelf...)
It's trash, but it's historical trash. Not a favourite read - it bounced me between boredom and frustration. Boredom cos the 'plot' was very predictable and, omigod, het is sooo dull. As a seasoned purveyor of smut it really was quite tame though I could see why it was controversial in the '60's.
And frustration because narcissism and the consequent blaming of everybody else for your problems but yourself gets right up my nose. All right, yes, it was made abundantly clear in the text why this was happening (stress + drugs + being forced by the 'industry' to maintain an impossible ideal of youth and beauty ÷ fragile personalities) but even so... [grumble]
It was disappointing, too, cos the story started out with a promising feminist slant, but alas, all too soon it degenerated into, well, just another trash novel. I can see where Jackie Collins got her inspiration... :)

Coming up soon: My Class Presentation and How it Could've Been Better...

[grizzle] Three days in a row of above 30c temperatures and I'm in a bit of a mood. I know perfectly well that Summer won't be done with us 'til end of March at least but I allowed myself to be lulled by the several days of quite reasonable weather. [grump] Eh well, cool change tonight, apparently...

Eheheheheh. I think my mum's bought me a life-size plastic flamingo for my birthday! It seems the stroke she had a couple of years ago has left her physically incapable of keeping a secret. :)

I was at the Salvos the other day, just browsing, as you do, when something on a distant shelf caught my eye. It was green - a good start - and appeared to be an acrylic paperweight, one of the things I tend to collect. I almost dismissed it, however, cos it just contained a weird looking dog...




But then...
"I know that shape!" quoth I to myself. "Isn't that Jeff Koons' 'Puppy'?"

I scampered over and was delighted to find it was indeed representative of that piece of seminal... art, but even better - the paperweight was a souvenir from the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain!
So exciting! I so rarely see tatt of that quality!





I'm easily pleased. :)
Just wait 'til I work out if I can post somewhere a video of the glorious plastic chicken Soulsis gave me!

So, I've managed two whole weeks as a student. Still fun though I can already feel the slide in to 'routine'. :)

I'm enjoying myself and cos I have a little bit of background knowledge/previous study I'm feeling really smart. [smirk] My 'Literacy Skills' tutor complimented me on my searching skills. Dead chuffed, but I didn't want to tell how just how long I spend online chasing stuff up for fun, let alone what I do in the name of research or idle curiosity.
But, even though what I'm studying right now is familiar territory I'm still learning new things, which stops it getting boring, and stops me getting cocky. Little Miss Overconfident? Ooh, yes...

OhOhOh! Speaking of which found out some jolly useful things about the college's Library website! Alongside the catalogue record of an item is a 'Keep' tab. Click that and the computer stores the record for you (you have to be logged in for it to work). In the menu bar above the record is a 'Kept' tab. Click that and the record is emailed to you! Why is this a nifty thing? For building a bibliography! I won't have to keep written notes and I can c/p neatly from the screen - eee!

Had another early class on Wednesday (8am, gah) and the time until the break and my first cup of tea for the day was kind of weird. I'm easily distracted by shiny at the best of times but when I'm tired... The tutor's jacket was made of a subtly spangly gold-threaded pink/mauve check (actually much nicer than it sounds) and I repeatedly caught myself staring, entranced. [sheepish]

There hasn't been much homework so far but I've got [counting on fingers] 3 assignments to be getting on with. Not difficult tasks, just time intensive.
And there's an excursion next week! Down in to the city to have a look at a special sort of library! Cool!
Gods, I love this course... :)



Happy Chinese New Year, by the way. It's the year of the Rat, but for some inexplicable reason pineapples seemed to be part of the theme as well...

I've just been to see Sweeney Todd.
In a word: blood-soaked - and all right Mr Depp can only do one accent - but I certainly appreciated the movie. Enjoyed? Mm, no, but Mr Burton's awfully good at creating believable fantasy worlds, and the cast was fabulous! And I like musicals [shrug]. Someone mentioned somewhere Judge Turpin's trousers and now I quite understand the unholy fascination. Yerrss, indeed...
(The cubs' father has just asked me how closely it followed the original story. I had to say I didn't know. I first heard about Sweeney Todd when I was, oh, twelve, or something and like most horror stories it squicked me completely and I've mostly avoided it since then, but honestly, Mr Depp and Mr Rickman in one movie? Couldn't resist. Besides, in the journey from original to musical, things do tend to get buggered about. Even more so if The Holy Rodent Empire has a hand in it somehow. [glower] )

I seem to have survived my first week as a full-time student, though my brain's a little porridgey. (I was sposed to go and see ST last night but as I was falling asleep on the bus coming home I thought I probly needed the sleep more.) Friday was difficult - 5 hours of 'Use Cataloguing Tools' - but Wednesday was particularly tiresome. Classes started at 8am! Erk! I got there in time, and managed to stay awake but... Fortunately early start days also finish early. Just as well or I'd be useless.

And my weekend away was lovely - I even drank alcohol.
A leisurely seven hour road-trip with good long breaks in Camperdown (great op shop there!) and Port Fairy (soooo pretty! And another op shop, and a sweet shop. Mmm...)
True, the accommodation at Cape Bridgewater isn't the best but it is cheap and having the hall/kitchen for our use is wonderful for the social aspect. We cooked all our own lovely food, or rather, Pete cooked all the lovely food and everyone else helped with preparation and clean up.
On Saturday morning 4 of us went on an expedition into Portland to acquire the supplies we'd forgot to pick up the previous day (garlic and napkins, basically) and we found two more op shops! In the afternoon there was another expedition, in the opposite direction, to the petrified forest on the cliffs. Very cool. I'll get off my arse and get some pics up soonish. Probably. Homework, you know...
Niki and I came home on Sunday, very tired, to the sauna that is Melbourne in the Summer. It'd been lovely and fresh down on the coast. Eh well, that small inconvenience certainly didn't ruin the rest of a great weekend. :) Very glad I went. Thanks, Alarice for organising it!

... I really should take the xmas tree down. Leaving it up 'til the Australia Day weekend is just slack. :) Trouble is, this year it's tucked away in an inconspicuous corner, not out where everyone can trip over the damn thing. :)
Tch, and I'm fed up with my domestic arrangements, as is usual after the cubs and I have house-sat for Niki. Was even better this time cos Mum had lent me her car for the week, so I had the illusion of having my own house and my own car. [grits teeth] Eh well, not a lot I can do about it at the moment, my finances and the outrageously expensive rental market being what they are.

Cubs are back at school next week. Once again the holidays have zipped past. Of the suggested list of 'fun things' we've done about a third, not bad going. As for the 'holiday jobs'? Heh, that one thing I did right at the beginning remains the only thing ticked. Oops. Really should make myself some new trews though...

And now, a meme. Forget who I nicked it from. Oh yes, undunoops

1. You have 10 dollars and need to buy snacks at a gas petrol station:

Coffee flavoured milk. I'd probly have to use the rest for petrol.

2. If you were reincarnated as a sea creature, what would you want to be?

Mermaid!

3. Last book you read?

'Hornet's Nest' - Patricia Cornell (Cornwell?). Currently reading 'Two for the Lions' - Lindsey Davis, a Marcus Didius Falco thriller.

4. Describe the last time you were injured?

... can't remember. Um, slicing my thumb open 2 decades ago while preparing dinner? No, there must be something more recent. Ah, pulling a muscle in bed - I was just stretching, honest. Oh, I know, doing my ankle at the snow. My own fault, wearing the wrong shoes...

5. Of all your LJ friends, who would you want to be stuck in a well with?

[blink] I wouldn't want to be stuck in a well.

6. What is the wallpaper on your cell phone? If you don't have a phone what would it be if you did have one?

Varies, but it's always a pic taken with my camera phone. Currently it's this:


Previously, it was this:



7. If you could only use one form of transportation what would it be?

Magic carpet!

8. Most recent movie you have watched in the theatre?

'The Waterhorse'. Wasn't bad, but David Morrissey as an upper-class Brit threw me for a moment.

9. Name an actor/actress/singer you have the hots for:

Jared Leto. Oh, Hephaistion... Boys in eyeliner. Mmm...

10. What's your favorite kind of cake?

Proper, heavy fruitcake. With marzipan and icing!

11. Look to your left, what do you see?

Are we talking the 90 degree arc between head-on and over-the-shoulder? Purple sparkly lamp; red flocked Buddha money box; 'puter stack, stacked with books; cat tree; cat igloo; window.

12. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?

Laces?

13. Favorite toy as a child?

My plastic horses. I made them stables out of cardboard, and tack out of brown vinyl. I drew plans for landscaped dioramas they could roam.

14. Do you think people talk about you behind your back?

Yes. But only when I'm paranoid. The rest of the time I don't give a shit.

15. Do you like running long distances?

What is this 'running' of which you speak?

15. Have you ever eaten snow?

Probably, when I were a wee lass in England. Heck, I remember eating dirt so snow wouldn't have been a stretch.

16. What color are the sheets on your bed?

Blue. But only cos I can't find violent pink, purple or orange in 100% cotton.

17. What is the first television theme song that pops in your head?

Dr Who.

18. Do people consider you smart?

Only if they know me.

19. How many piercings do you have?

One.

20. What is your favorite salad dressing?

Either good quality olive oil and/or vinegar, or something indulgent like a blue-cheese dressing.

Golly. Wasn't that interesting? :)

I really should listen to my intuition. The other day I found myself thinking that perhaps I should make sure there's candles and matches handy. Two days later there was a blackout - while I was online - that killed my modem. [grump] ...Not that having the candles accessible would've stopped my modem from frying, however.
(I'm online and posting due to Niki's good graces. The cubs and I are house-sitting for a few days, and yay, she's got internet!)




... but in a nice way... :)

[giggling] Skittycat has done a Mills&Boon style illustration for one of my Snupins. Should I warn for cross-dressing...?

I was busy in one room when my phone rang in another.
I found myself saying, out loud - 'accio phone'. [rolls eyes] The thing was, when it didn't fling itself in to my hand I wondered why...

Some shameless self-promotion. (I think I can do this now that All's Been Revealed...)
My SnuSa gift was for Rudika who requested 'Snupin as Mafia Bosses'.
'Like Minds' (link goes to the 'age consent' page rather than straight to the story, just in case...)
Be warned, it's male/male; Harry Potter Alternate Universe; Adult rated and contains torture. One of my nice, light pieces. [smirk]

*****

Scab Red
Bad Moon Yellow
Graveyard Earth
Tentacle Pink
Rotting Flesh
Chaos Black
Vermin Brown
Snot Green

Natural Moss
Marron Glace
Tangerine
Love Bird
Silverfox
Moorland
Stained Glass Black
Aurora

One of these is a list of wools, the other, WarHammer 40K model paints. Can you tell which is which? :)

... I have no idea what day it is.
Saturday? [checks] Yes, Saturday. The lack of daily structure during holidays is nice, very relaxing, but it does tend me make forget where in the week I am. :) Not helped when my regularly watched TV programs are missing or moved from their usual time slot. I don't like to think of myself as a creature of habit, but there's the evidence to the contrary.

I finally got 'round to watching the movie version of Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I didn't hate it, though I'd expected to, but then I remember the moaning about the TV series not being as good as the book, and - going back even further - the moaning that the book was a pale imitation of the radio play.
Yeah, it was irritating that so much of the original dialogue and plot had been excised or fiddled with in this version, but I thought the casting was true to the characters. Sam Rockwell made a particularly obnoxious Zaphod, but then Zaphod's a particularly obnoxious character. Mos Def was a convincing Ford and Martin Freeman was as good as any other Arthur I've encountered. The least convincing character for me was Marvin. I really don't know why. Maybe because Mr Rickman's voice is so distinctive? I just couldn't make the voice and the robot suit match up.
As for the new bits...? Hm. Not sure why the decision was made to change the plot so substantially but it hung together well enough. I admit I wasn't impressed with the resolution of the Arthur/Trillian thing - it felt a little too much like pandering to an LCD audience that expects Romance between the leads. [sigh]
I did however like the dolphins, and the little references back towards the TV series, and Stephen Fry as The Book. And the Vogons. The realisation of that 'callous and beaurocratic' species was superbly done. (Yay for Jim Henson's Creature Workshop!)
So, all in all the movie was - dare I say? - mostly harmless. (Yes, yes, no one's ever heard that before. Sorry :) The cubs loved it, but I want them to read the book so they can fully appreciate Douglas Adam's peculiar comic genius.

A noble sentiment for the new year. I heartily concur. We shud lissens to kittehs - dey iz wize.





(Strangely, Badger and Rocket's father can't cope with lolcatz speek. [smirk] )

Right, so, here we are almost at the end of the first day of 2008. It was quiet, too quiet. The sort of quiet that bespeaks a day of staying as still as possible cos of the stupid hot temperature, again. Gah. Eh well, no matter, cool change's come through early enough that I should be able to sleep tonight. I can cope with hot hot days as long as the nights are cool enough to kip properly. If they're not...? Well, cranky just about covers it.

Twas a very quiet NYE, as well. Essentially just me and the cubs at home, catching sight of the occasional - probly illegal - firework being let off nearby. I really didn't mind, it's been years since I thought it was tragic to not have something to do on NYE.
Resolutions? No, don't bother much with them anymore, either. Other than sensible ones like 'bloody look after yerself, idjit, you're not getting any younger and half your family's dead of strokes and heart disease!' Yes, helpfully motivational things like that. :)
2007. Hm, not the best year I've had - not the worst, either - but there's definitely room for improvement. But let's get through the holidays first, eh? I've got a list of things I'd like to have achieved by the time the cubs go back to school. I've even managed one of them so far. That's better than this time last year!

After a 40 degree day, a 30 degree day feels almost pleasant in comparison...
(That's in celsius, by the way, and zipping over to a temperature conversion page I see that 40C is 104F. Well, there you go. Hot, damn hot.)


Xmas was good, a relatively quiet and relatively stress-free bbq at Mum's with Soulsis and her chicks. I think everyone liked their gifts. I know I liked mine. My niece, Miss Raven, painted me a gorgeous picture of an otter! It's going to be framed. :) The cubs gave me the OotP dvd, and from their dad I received a pair of lovely blue/white fish-themed Japanese bowls. Mum gave me a gift voucher (cos that's what I said I wanted) plus a pair of bendy flamingo plant-ties. [grin] They might even be inspiration enough to plant some tomatoes or something. Eventually.

Not sure if it's the same in other countries, but here in Aus the tending of the bbq - the last of fire rituals - is generally a man thing. Well, for various reasons there were no men as such at our family xmas so Soulsis drafted one of her boys in to service. He did an excellent job, no charred meat and only 2 sausages lost to the ground! He was justifiably pleased with himself but I'm not sure if he realises that now he's going to be the man-elect for future bbqs.

After the bbq the cubs and I stayed overnight at Mum's, but only overnight as they were most anxious to get home and play with the new xbox their dad had given them. [rolls eyes] I've given them fair warning that they have to brace themselves for separation from the machine cos we'll be going up to visit Mum for a few days later in the holidays...


Now for a small socio-political rant. Feel free to skip.
At the cubs' school graduation thingy the chairperson of the Parents' Association got up to say a few words. Those words however, got right up my little proletarian nose. In effect he was congratulating us - the parents, students and teachers - because some of the kids were going on to private secondary schools.
Grrrr...
It was an implication that first, it was somehow an unusual effort for a government-funded school to produce such quality and second, that it was some sort of achievement on the part of the students.
Bollocks!
Those kids are going to private schools because their parents can afford it. There were no scholarships won: believe me, we would've heard about it if there was! True, the private schools have 'standards', whereas State schools can't refuse anyone, regardless of their academic results, but bloody hell, just cos a child's been accepted to one of these elite institutions does not automatically speak of an innate superiority! [ruffles feathers] Hmph.
Is it just sour grapes? If I had the means would I send the cubs to a private school? I don't know. Their dad would, but then he's a grammar school boy himself and the effects of the differences in our socio-economic backgrounds has been a subject we've mutually skirted-around for years. :) If anyone tells you Australia is a classless society they're talking out of their arse.


Okay, </rant>, now that I've revealed my leftist pinko tendencies.

HappyLucky New Year's Eve!

Xmas. Yes. More amusing details later, I suppose, when I could be arsed but right now here's a photo of the knee rug I knitted for my Mum. I started it while she was in hospital over a year ago and she finally received it this xmas. :) It's about 1 metre square.



([blink] Is that a really big image? Might have to go and dabble with Photobucket and see if I can resize it. Tch, Flickr's much easier to use but Photobucket doesn't have the same sorts of limits.)

So, xmas eve, eh? You know, I think I've just about had enough of chocolate...

Awww... My little geek cubs' fingers are streaked with paint from where they've been preparing their new Warhammer 40k figures for play. They've got one of the starter set kits, that they paid for themselves. Sort of - a combination of a small amount of accumulated pocket money and trading their big plastic D&D Blue and Black dragon figures to their dad.
Their dad meanwhile - who's been assiduously avoiding the WH40K money trap for years - has thrown himself in with equal enthusiasm. The three of them have been happily researching and planning their armies. :) I can see I won't be getting much table space for the time being.

Couple of interesting dreams recently. In the first I was helping someone dismantle the top storey (or just their bedroom?) of their house. This was interesting because the person was the teacher I liked who has just retired.
In the second dream I was revisiting houses/places that I know from previous dreams. There were 3 this particular time, two of which were the most fascinating, but impractical dwellings...
Though thinking about it now, the 3 places are linked, not logically, but in that way only in dreams things can be related.
Heh, and in another part of that dream I was following a pilgrimage of sorts, performing almost-forgotten fannish rituals, the details of which came back to me as I worked my way along the route. (Rolling in a mud puddle? Ookay...) Though there's nothing particularly deep about that section, I know exactly what triggered it. I'd just finished reading Dianne Wynne Jones' Deep Secret. A good chunk of the story happened at a Sci-fi and Fantasy Convention and though it's been years since I went to one the book jogged my memory about the sorts of ritual peculiarities one can encounter. [grin]

... why did Firefox start up in Spanish today?

The cubs' father spotted this on a t-shirt:

Dear Santa,
I can explain...

And so Badger and Rocket's primary school days come to an end. I did get a little emotional at the final assembly but not in connection with the Grade 6s. One of my nephews, Tinny [snerk], is a sympathetic vomiter - seeing someone vomit sets him off. I, on the other hand, am a sympathetic cryer. Two of the teachers leaving got emotional, and well... yes. It didn't help that one of them I really liked and had worked closely with this year.
I was very glad when the assembly finished. I hung around long enough to exchange very brief goodbyes then I fled. Yep, I'm such a wuss. Besides, it's not like I'm going away forever - I'll be there helping out in the library at least one afternoon a week next year.

I picked up our 'xmas lay-by' the other day, the one that's been lurking since June. It came in a huge box which, naturally, the cubs couldn't fail to spot on the front passenger seat of the car. Perhaps I should've prevaricated when they asked what it was, but they were enthusiastic when I asked if they wanted to open it now as an early xmas present. Which was all to the good cos it meant I didn't have to a: remember who had what, and b: try and find somewhere to hide it all. :)

"I'm here. Let joy be unconfined."
[snerk] That's a quote from Dougal, of the Magic Roundabout.
I've always had a soft spot for the show - even as a five year old I knew it was ludicrous, but I loved the simple flowers, and Ermintrude. :) I remember in one of my children's book Annuals there was a 'make your own Dougal' craft project. It involved the inside tube of a toilet roll; a ping pong ball; quantities of yellow wool; a felt-tip pen, and glue. Ah, good times, good times...
Imagine my horror, then, when I discovered there'd been a CGI movie remake! [Shudder] I saw a picture... And then... and then I read the 'plot' and ran away screaming. It seemed to be the same sort of buggering attempt at an 'update' that'd made the Thomas The Tank Engine movie such an eye-watering abomination.

[...and now, an awkward segue...]
But speaking of movies, I saw a good one last night. My niece, Miss Raven, won tickets to a preview of The Golden Compass and invited me along.
I read the books last year for the first time and was bowled over. The movie...? It was a good, if scant, overview of the world but felt rushed and consequently the subtle, slow build to horror was lost along with the layers of almost incidental information that made this such a rich read. Great cast, though, and fantastic spfx (love the bears! and the dirigibles!) The cubs want to see it now, and I have no objection to watching it again.

180SXY
That was a numberplate I saw today, on a flashy sort of sporty car. The ambiguity made me laugh. Was it sposed to be an '18 oh, sexy!' sort of statement? Because it looked to me like '180[degrees]sexy', which would the complete opposite of sexy, wouldn't it?

All right, I have to admit that the xmas music being piped through every bloody shop is starting to even get to me. It must be hell for grumpy people.
"... don't you know that it's christmas...!"
No, it had escaped my attention completely, thank you so much.
Twat.
It helps somewhat that a lot of what I'm hearing has been covered in various South Park episodes. Having images of Santa and Jesus doing a duet alleviates the grrrness. :)

Badger and Rocket now have their own email addies. I thought it was time I organised that, before the school year ended, so they can keep in touch with the friends that are going to different schools.

I enrolled today, to study Library and Info Tech full-time next year. Go me :)
A couple of the lecturers recognised me from my previous attempt a couple of years ago, and seemed pleased to have me back. Always an encouraging sign.
What did amuse me, though, was how much one of the admin staff reminded me of a Blythe doll. Seriously - skinny little body with matchstick limbs; a 'bobbed' hairstyle that made her head look huge on that skinny body; and large, slightly protuberant eyes that seemed waaay to big for her face. O_o I tried not to stare, and honestly I think I did very well resisting the urge to whip out my 'phone and take a photo...

[giggling] Penny sent me these:

Christmas Carols for the Disturbed.

1. Schizophrenia --- Do You Hear What I Hear?

2. Multiple Personality Disorder --- We Three Kings Disoriented Are

3. Dementia --- I Think I'll be Home for Christmas

4. Narcissistic --- Hark the Herald Angels Sing About Me

5. Manic --- Deck the Halls and Walls and House and Lawn and Streets and Stores and Office and Town and Cars and Buses and Trucks and Trees and.....

6. Paranoid --- Santa Claus is Coming to Town to Get Me

7. Borderline Personality Disorder --- Thoughts of Roasting on an Open Fire

8. Personality Disorder --- You Better Watch Out, I'm Gonna Cry, I'm Gonna Pout, Maybe I'll Tell You Why

9. Attention Deficit Disorder --- Silent night, Holy oooh look at the Froggy - can I have a chocolate, why is France so far away?

10. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder -- - Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle,Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,

9. I can identify with 9.
And 5. :)

Trooped off to Badger and Rocket's school xmas concert last night.
This was the cubs' last primary school concert and I think their father and I deserve kudos for not having missed any of these... events over seven years. Well, kudos to me for not having missed any of them - or the bloody 'Twilight Sports'. No, no shirking of parently duty on my part, no crying off attendance or leaving early cos of 'work'. Hmph.
Anyway, back to last night's entertainment.
....
Okay, I've seen worse, but I can't honestly say our school is bursting with musical talent. Penny commented how it always seems to be the tone-deaf kids who end up closest to the microphones.
The program was late getting started and it did drag a bit - by 8.30 we were only half-way through. It probably didn't help that, for some reason, all the school awards and things were dealt with last night instead of at the year's final assembly. I was very restless by the time grade 5/6 finally got 'round to performing their versions of 'Have yourself a merry little xmas and 'Feed the world'. But, I did video all of it on my woodgie wee camera phone so the cubs' father can see what he missed. [smirk] Or hear, rather. The vision's not very good but the tone-deaf melody is excruciatingly clear...

A mystery. I has one.
I picked up a set of 4 glasses in an op shop the other day. The glass is vaguely green - always a winner with me - and they're a nice shape. I think they're also quite old, 70's at least perhaps, but I didn't notice 'til I got home that they had a logo or something printed on them. The print is completely missing on 2 of the glasses and partially obscured on the others. What I could make out though, was it appeared to be a crest of some kind with the words "The -arwhal Rifles".
Neat!, I thought, The Narwhal Rifles. Could be a Norwegian regiment? Which is silly, cos surely then the text would be in Norwegian?
Google failed me - admittedly I couldn't be arsed doing an indepth search so that was probly my own fault - but I'm still curious. Are the glasses military memorabilia? Souvenirs? Hell, I don't know, The ?? Rifles could be/have been a gun club; a theatre company; a joke! (No comments, please, about the last two being so very similar.)
I might ask the resident military expert for his opinion. Or I could keep searching, checking every letter of the alphabet against that missing one. That should waste me some serious time...

On Thursday I donated blood for the second time: the first time was over a decade ago.
Aside from experiencing a fleeting moment of 'wrongness' when my vital essence began to flow, it was fine. No faintness, no nausea. Mild boredom for having to sit there for 10 minutes with nothing to watch but Oprah, but on the whole it was a doddle. Didn't enjoy the experience, especially when instructed to squeeze a rubber ball. That action made the muscles in my arm move and I could feel the needle under my skin (are you still with me, soulsis? :) but even so it was nowhere near as bad as having an IV put in to the back of my hand. [shudder]
Afterwards I was rewarded with an orange juice and a couple of cheese portions. I reckon I could do this regularly, if only for the cheese.

Yay! My Snupin Santa gift has gone up on the site! 'Gold Moon'. 's very cool. Thank you, mystery writer. :)

And lastly, Soulsis found this site - Free Rice. For every word you get right, you donate 20 grains of rice. The vocab levels go up to 50 and I've cracked 48 [is smug]. Mind you, that would be noticeably lower if I wasn't as widely, and eclectically, read as I am!
Be warned, though, it's addictive. Just one more word then I'll do something else... oh goodness, I've been here an hour...

Blimey. It has been a while...

Yesterday I watched a DVD of the BBC's 1978 teleproduction of Romeo and Juliet.
I wonder, is Mercutio always played as a bit of a poof? The best Mercutio I've seen was Harold Perrineau in Baz Luhrman's version of the play. So playful and cute. :) Not a whiney brat who - after receiving a mortal wound in a duel they goaded someone in to - goes all wangsty and casts curses with his dying breath... For god's sake, you started it!
Oh, should I put a spoiler warning here?
Too late.
And speaking of Tybalt (which we were, honestly, 'e's the one wot dun for Mercutio) he was played by Alan Rickman. A very young Alan Rickman who was nowhere near as attractive then as he is now, with a haircut that was pure Romulan.
Nice long legs, however, even if his arse wasn't the best I've seen. Ah, costume dramas - men in tights. [snerk] Sometimes it works, sometimes... it doesn't. Like the 'fight' scenes! They're enough to make you weep!
Realistic? No.
Choreographed? Laughably. [shakes head] Seriously, I giggled during those bits...

Heh, the end of the school year looms. Next year, when Badger and Rocket start High school, I'll be going back to full time study as well.
Gosh, I finally have an excuse for the kilos of stationery I always buy in the 'back to school' sales.

(Nicked from Joules:)

[snerk]

This rating was determined based on the presence of the following words:

* sex (5x)
* hurt (2x)
* dead (1x)


I wonder how far back the thing checks?

[sigh] No more Dr Who, or Torchwood for the moment. [sigh] (Impatiently waiting for the box set of Torchwood to be released...)

So, here we are almost at the middle of the school hols. Rocket's been sick so we haven't done much at all (a blessing in disguise cos there's a definite shortfall in cash this time) but we did get to see Surf's Up. I liked it, even aside from the inherent cuteness of penguins. There was nothing innovative in the story or characters but it was well cast, and funny, and did a good job capturing the spirituality of surfing. (Never surfed, never had much interest, but I can see how poking about with something that primal could engender the reverence I've seen in surfers.)

DVDs, from my library.

Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! [snerk] I do have a soft spot for the old sexploitation films.
I'd heard a lot about this movie over the years so when I saw it on the shelves I grabbed it. Definite B grade schlock (sex! death! sex!). The acting is - to put it mildly - flat, and the dialogue...? [shakes head] Oooh, deary me.
But, I can see why it gained cult status. Not one I'll be adding to my collection any time soon though.

Finally got 'round to seeing Sin City. Wow. I'm impressed, thoroughly squicked but impressed. Haven't read the graphic novels - though I'm familiar with the style - and this is a fantastic adaptation of the medium. There was nothing extraneous and nothing I didn't find convincing - which is disturbing given the violence. Oh yes, the violence. Some of those images are seared in to my eyeballs. Even though the worst of it was rendered 'unrealistically', that didn't stop it being horrific. But, my gods, the overall style is amazing, this lives for me. Would I have been as awed without a love/knowledge of comic books? I don't know, but I am always pleased to see movie makers go beyond the ordinary.

Finally, 24 Hour Party People. Hm, not sure what to say about this one. It charts the musical history of 'Factory Records' (Joy Division, Happy Monday's etc) in Manchester during the early '80's, as told by its founder Tony Wilson (Steve Coogan). It's entertaining but... odd, based on real events but with an egotistical spin, even though Wilson says he's 'a bit player in his own story'. Probly helped that I knew something of the bands/music to start with or I could've got bogged down in the details. It was very sad, though, I came out of it with a sense of loss. Still trying to work out why. Heh, but as with most music films I've seen it's given me a new appreciation for the artists and their work. :)

Yay, school holidays! Two weeks of not having to get up at sparrow's fart every day to chivvy the cubs out the door in time to catch the bloody bus...
[brooding] Tired. This term's been hard - too much stuffage going on.
But, on a more positive note, I've been rereading my manuscript in preparation for (eek) getting off my sizeable arse and starting the round of publishers and agents.
On a really positive note, however, I'm enjoying reading it. That's a good sign, right?

Oh, something else I loved about Hot Fuzz is the way the locals say 'London' like it's a foreign word...
Want to see it again. Have to get a copy of my own. :)

I don't belong to a video library, I get DVDs through my local (book) library. Sure, I might have to wait a while to get a reserved copy of something brand new, especially if lots of other people have got their name down for it before me, but then I've got the thing for 2 weeks, not just overnight, at minimal cost. Plus, when I pick a DVD off the shelf, it's free! Works for me. I've seen a lot of movies this way, old and new, without the hassle of having to watch the thing in a week or less, and feeling cheated if I don't manage it.
Libraries are our friends!

Took Badger and Rocket out of school on Wednesday so we could trek up to the hills with Mum to see their cousins' school concert. [grin] Was fun, actually. Not that the performances were any better than ours were, I think, but the play was more imaginatively realised. And of course, my nephews did splendidly.

Another lj meme:

INSTRUCTION: Bold the statements that are true to you.
Leave the fibs alone.
Then, tag 5 people to do the same test. We'll ignore this bit, but feel free to indulge yourself if you wish...

1) I miss somebody right now.
2) I do not watch tv these days.
3) I wear glasses or contact lenses.
4) I love to play video games.
5) I have tried marijuana.
6) I have been in a threesome.
7) I believe honesty is usually the best policy.
8) I have changed mentally over the last year.
9) I curse.
10) I am totally smart.
11) I've broken someone's bones. [I knocked someone's tooth out. Does that count?]
12) I am paranoid sometimes.
13) I would get plastic surgery if it were 100% safe, free of cost, and scar-free.
14) I need money right now.
15) I love sushi.
16) I talk really, really fast.
17) I have long hair. [but it's thin and brittle. Should probly cut it...]
18) I have lost money in Las Vegas Clacton-on-Sea.
19) I have at least one sibling.
20) I have worn fake hair/fingernails/eyelashes in the past.
21) I couldn't survive without Caller ID.
22) I like the way I look.
23) I am usually pessimistic.
24) I have a lot of mood swings.
25) I have a hidden talent.
26) I am always hyper.
27) I have a lot of friends.
28) I have pecked someone of the same sex.
29) I enjoy talking on the phone.
30) I practically live in sweatpants or PJ pants.
31) I love to [opp]shop.
32) Enjoy window shopping.
33) I would rather shop than eat.
34) I don't hate anyone.
35) I am a pretty good dancer.
36) I am completely embarrassed to be seen with my mother.
37) I have a cell phone. [It's hot pink! And it takes photos!]
38) I believe in God. [Yes, but not yours...]
39) I am an adrenaline junkie.
40) I watch MTV on a daily basis.
41) I have passed out drunk in the past 6 months.
42) I have rejected someone before.
43) I want to have children in the future. [*laughing hysterically*]
44) I have changed a diaper nappies before.
45) I have called the cops on a friend before.
46) I am not allergic to anything.
47) I have a lot to learn.
48) I am shy around members of the opposite sex.
49) I have made a move on a friend, significant other or crush in the past. [That's a stupid statement. Of course you'd make a move on a SO, that's what they're there for!]
50) I have tried alcohol before.
51) I own the South Park movie.
52) I would die for my best friend.
53) I think that Pizza Hut has the best pizza.
54) I have used my sexuality to advance my career.
55) I love Michael Jackson, scandals and all.
56) Halloween is awesome because you get free candy.
57) I watch Spongebob Squarepants and I like it.
58) I am happy at this moment!
59) I am obsessed with girls/guys.
60) I tie my shoelaces differently from anyone I've ever met.
61) I study for tests most of the time.
62) I am comfortable with who I am right now.
63) I have more than just my ears pierced. [Well, nose, but not ears.]
64) I walk barefoot wherever I can.
65) I have jumped off a bridge.
66) I love sea turtles.
67) I spend ridiculous money on makeup.
68) Plan on achieving a major goal dream.
69) I am proficient in a musical instrument.
70) I hate office jobs.
71) I love sci-fi movies.
72) I think water rules.
73) I went college out of state.
74) I like sausages.
75) I love kisses.
76) I fall for the worst people.
77) I adore bright colours.
78) I can't live without black eyeliner. [Oh, piss off, emo-kid]
80) I usually like covers better than originals.
81) I can pick up things with my toes.
82) I can whistle. [But not well]
83) I can move my tongue in waves, much like a snakes slither.
84) I have ridden/owned a horse.
85) I still have every journal I've written in.
86) I can stick to a diet. [What is this 'diet' word? I confess it sounds familiar, like something I used to know...]
87) I talk in my sleep.
88) I try to forget things by drowning them out with loads of distractions.
89) I have jazz in my blood. [Sounds nasty. You should probly see a doctor.]
90) Climbing trees is a brilliant past-time way to break a leg.
91) I wear a toe ring.
92) I can't stand at LEAST one person that I work with.
93) I am a caffeine junkie.
94) I cosplay or know what cosplaying is.
95) I have been to over 15 conventions.
96) I will collect anything, and the more nonsensical the better. [No. I have standards]
97) I am an artist writer.
98) I only clean my room when necessary.
99) I like a person of the same sex.
100) I love being happy.

Nicked this BBC's personality quiz from Joules
This was my result:

Your answers suggest you are a Nurturer

Summary of Nurturers
· Care for the important people in their lives
· Strive for harmony and avoid confrontation
· Think of themselves as gentle, conscientious, and mature
· May have trouble making decisions that could hurt others

More about Nurturers
Nurturers are quiet people who believe in order and diligently look after the people they care about. They focus on the needs of others and establish routines to help them meet their commitments.

Nurturers are the most likely group to say they prefer a job where the same thing happens every day, according to a UK survey.

Nurturers remember details that are important to them, such as their friends' birthdays and anniversaries. People with this personality type value others' feelings and may challenge behaviour they think is insensitive.
In situations where they can't use their talents or are unappreciated, Nurturers may feel bitter and seek support by complaining to their colleagues. Under extreme stress, Nurturers may become preoccupied with the worst possible outcome and believe that they are heading for disaster.
Because they are so caring and loyal, Nurturers run the risk of being taken advantage of.

Weeellll, aside from the remembering birthdays and such... :)

Movies!
Cubs and I went to see Ratatouille. It was very sweet ([squinch] I love rats!) and the technical aspects were as good as I've come to expect from Pixar but it wasn't as captivating as some of their previous films. I enjoyed it, and I'll get the DVD when it's released but it failed to fire my imagination.
Tell you what, though, if you don't like rats you won't like this movie. The artists have captured ratty movements very believably. :)

Another movie I've seen recently - though only on DVD - was Hot Fuzz. Joules heartily recommended it, and rightly so, cos as a British spoof of US action/buddy films it's one of the funniest things I've seen in ages. Well cast, well played, with loads of in jokes - just my sort of thing really. Bit gory, but I can live with that, I know when to close my eyes now. [grin]

Got tagged on LJ...

Seven things you don't want to know about me.

... seven things I'm willing to share? I've already got an extensive list of things I don't want anyone to know. Let's see...

1 - I really, really want a tyre swan. (Scroll down a bit to see examples, and instructions on how to make this icon of Suburbanus Australis.)

2 - My love of homoerotica started in my teens. My first slash pairing was Batman/Robin. Le sigh. A quick glance through my DVDs will show a distinct slashy interest, to anyone who knows what they're looking for.

3 - I can live without chocolate but have been known to eat sugar straight out of the packet - likewise, honey/jam from the jar - if there's no actual lollies handy.

4 - Gods above I hate angsty fanfic! Especially when the lads are forced to become OOC women. [gnashing teeth]

5 - There's nothing sexy about the undead, but werewolves? Shapechangers? Phwooaar!

6 - I'm sure the film clip for Laura Branigan's 'Self Control' had a profound effect on my developing sexuality. [shifty] I say no more...

7 - I actually don't like the Harry Potter books all that much - it was the Snupin that sucked me in.

Heh, okay, that's all pretty tame, really. [poke] Nothing toooooo revealing...

Eeee! There was (were?) a pair of ducks in my garden when I got home this evening! Pacific Black ducks. So cute.
So I nipped inside, shut a rather confused cat in the kitchen, then went back outside to feed the ducks. :) Just some moistened bread, and when that was gone they went back to browsing my lawn for snails, bless 'em.

Cubs have been away on camp. Only for a couple of days, they'll be back tomorrow afternoon. It's been... odd, without them here. Not so much during the day but night times are quiet. Too quiet...
I have enjoyed the free time, though. One of the other mums asked me what I was going to do while the cubs were away. "Anything I want!" I cackled. Which isn't entirely accurate cos if I'd done what I really wanted to do I would've spent the past couple of days sleeping!

I took myself off to see Order of the Phoenix again. (That's what I was on my way home from when I saw the ducks.) It's better with a second viewing, I was prepared for the 'kin' what!? moments this time and able to pay more attention to the details, like just how shaggy 70's!Remus was in the old photo of the Order, and how the only other person taller than him was Hagrid. :) Or the light sabre sound effects there in the battle, or Ginny's glare of messy death whenever Harry and Cho were onscreen at the same time. Hee. [sigh] But there's still so much missing...

We've been having some lovely weather lately. Too lovely. The sort of 'lovely' that makes me think that Summer's going to come galloping across nice and early. Hmph.

Aaaand, the cubs and I went to see the Transformer's movie again tonight. For the last time at the cinemas, I suspect, as it's coming to the end of its run. Unless the cubs ferret out a special showing at an independent theatre. They're just slightly obsessive enough to go looking, too. Eh well.
Seen the movie five times now. Unfortunately I did doze off for a short while - not for nearly as long as I did during the last Star Wars - but woke up refreshed in plenty of time for my favourite bits. :) Still dead impressed with the CGI.

The cubs' school concert was last week. I've seen worse.
No, it was fine, and the kids all looked like they were having great fun. One of the spotlights fell off the wall at one point, though, that was exciting - nobody hurt - and the Preps got to do their little dance twice cos the first time they forgot to pick up their cowboy hats...
It was a very late night, though. I'd picked Mum up earlier in the day, and then I had to drive her home. After an hour's driving we got there around 11.30. Cubs and I stayed overnight cos there was no way I was going to be able to drive back again!

Wellp, looks like I'm handing Mum's car back in a couple of days. Not feeling particularly gracious about the whole thing, but I knew it was only temporary right from the start. Been spoiled, being able to drive around for almost a year. [sigh] Could be worse, though, we could live in an area that had sucky public transport. See, there's an upside to everything.

Oh, almost forgot to mention the lunar eclipse this evening! Cloud obscured the view a lot of the time, but it cleared often enough for us to get a good look at the changing moon. Intriguing - it really was red for a short time there. :)

Thank you, Joules! I have my archives back. Though cos of Blogger's 'improvements' to a perfectly good system, they're not tucked neatly away behind a link.

Ten months after her stroke my Mum has regained her driving license. Yay for her an' all that but it means I have to give her car back. [grump]
Eh, doesn't matter - I used PT for years it won't be that hard to get back in to the swing of it...

Badger and Rocket have received their acceptance letters from the high school of our choice. :)
(Honestly, I would've been stunned if they hadn't got in - we live just down the road from it - but still, 'tis a good thing to have confirmation.)
And, oops, cubs are going on camp in a couple of weeks - better makes sure they've got everything they need. Soulsis, can I borrow the sleeping bags again, please?

And an honourable mention to Soulsis! She's been helping me find stickers for my OotP sticker books! Between us now I've only got 69 left to go. :)

I'm glad I'm intelligent. [musing] I'd imagine life would be that much harder if you're stupid.

[frown] Where have my blog archives gone?
My anniversary here is coming up and I wanted to check the actual date.
Archives... 'not on this server'. [pout] Hm, I think I've got some of the earliest ones backed-up on my hard-drive. I think. Unless it was the previous hard-drive, in which case gods only know what's happened to them. Tch.

(Aaaand just checked and I do have a back-up of sorts. First post was August 26th, 2002. Five years, blimey. Maybe I should have a cake on that day? Heh, any excuse... :)

[grin] Cubs and I have seen the Transformers movie four times now and I'm still completely buying the illusion. If the cubs have their way we'll see it at least once more before it disappears from the cinemas.

I worked hard today, harder than I have for a long time, I think! Today was my first time volunteering in the kitchen at a local meals-on-wheels centre. Just for a couple of hours but my word there's a lot gets done. I'm sure once I get the hang of the routines I won't feel like I'm flailing quite so much.
Why am I there? Our caring, sharing government has decreed that, yea, should I still crave help from our most noble leaders, then unto them should I render a portion of my time, either to work or to look for work. At first the word came from on high, that, yea, volunteer work in an approved community activity could verily count towards my tithe but as the mystery was unfolded to me, lo, I discovered that this was not so. But, the downtrodden do still require volunteers and I did most solemnly declare my aid to be forthcoming...
Long story short: despite what I'd been told, volunteer activities don't count towards the 'work for the parenting payment support, you worthless parasite, look for a real job or you don't get any money!' 'initiative' but inbetween angsting and railing at the government I can spare a couple of hours a week to help out where I'm needed.
Not happy about it all, however.
Anyway, tra la la, could be worse...

Nicked from The Zone.
I like this, it looks like sand dunes...


Click here to create your own painting.

Order of the Phoenix spoilers, ahoy!


Still gathering my thoughts, I think. I enjoyed this movie, not with the same instant enthusiasm I had for Goblet of Fire, but even so...


It was surprisingly low-key with a noticeable downplay of the Capslocky parts. Didn't even make a meal of the Sirius thing.
The Ministry interior was beautifully realised and Grimmauld Place was convincingly grim and claustrophobic but there wasn't enough time spent on things, I found. The much anticipated 'Snape's Worst Memory' sequence flew by in about 30 seconds. [pout] And there was So. Much. Missing. - prefects? What? S.P.E.W? What? - or mucked about. Poor Neville was turned into a house elf again! In some respects though the cuts helped move things along - the book suffers from oedema, which led to perplexing plot bulges that looked significant but turned out not to be. The movie skipped a lot of that nonsense but at the same time it meant there was no real build-up of suspense. I came out of there thinking this could have worked better as a series.
Performances were generally good, though unfortunately we hardly got a chance to appreciate some of them. I was impressed with Evanna Lynch (Luna) and very pleased that Jason Issacs - Lucius Malfoy - had a chance to do more than just posture evilly as a panto villain. Imelda Staunton's Delores Umbridge wasn't as revolting as she could have been there were still some amusing interactions with the teachers. And, I have to admit, I was relieved not to be subjected to too much Bellatrix.

I'm going to see this again. The 'wait - what?' parts won't throw me quite as much a second time. :)

One of my favourite shows tonight had a Swiss 'oompah' band playing a version of Sweet's Ballroom Blitz. It actually worked quite well. :)
"Are you ready, Sven?"
"Uh huh!"
"Anton?"
"Oh, ja...!"
[giggling] Ah, I love that song. It always reminds me of dancing, and ouzo...

As part of Badger and Rocket's birthday extravaganza (egad, they're 12! My babies!) their father and I took them to see the new Transformers movie. I never much liked any of the cartoon series but this, this I could shamelessly fangirl. It was the best action movie I've seen in ages, with just the right blend of humour and pathos and 'OMG!No!!1!' moments. The cgi wasn't flawless but it was damn good and convincing for the most part, and - yay! - inertia works! Watching Prime tearing up the road cos he'd transformed from vehicle to 'bot while moving at speed. Yes!
I'm not going to start on about Bumblebee's various Camaro forms cos I'll just embarrass myself, but I have to say... rawwrr! Sweet, maaaaate.
The human characters were well-defined with some kickarse women - always good to see in what looks like it's going to be a testosterone flick. And teenage boys, when it comes to girls, can be endearingly stupid. :)
We'll be seeing this again at least once more at the cinemas, then we'll be hovering, waiting for the dvd and all the juicy special features. Mwahahah.

7 more sleeps 'til OotP!
... and the tantalising merchandise starts to appear in the shops...

21 days 'til Order of the Phoenix is released! [boing]

I bought my first bit of merchandise a few days ago. The mini-sticker book. It's wonderfully vague - contains no spoilers whatsoever. :)
There's a handful of Snape stickers, but only 1 Lupin. At least, I think it's Lupin [peers]...

Citro Clean. Marvellous stuff, so tangy and citrusey. I think they've changed the formula, however. Used to be you had to use the stuff in a ventilated area cos, all natural ingredients or not, it stung; eyes, nose, throat. Smelt wonderful, though, and worked a treat on clearing your sinuses.
It still smells wonderful, and it still works really well, but it no longer has the bite. This is probably a good thing.

Caught the first episode of Torchwood last night. 'Bout bloody time it was shown over here! Joules has been teasing me with random, intriguing, non-spoilery comments for months.
So anyway, first ep... Honestly, plotwise it wasn't anything exceptional but damn, the more 'adult' nature of the series is like a long, cool drink. Sexuality is not at all covert, and to say there's a certain amount of flexibility demonstrated is an understatement. The potential is delicious! And Captain Jack certainly does cut a fine figure in that great coat of his. :)

Now, Deadwood - I love this series. On a whim - and after hearing some good reviews - I bought the first season box set last year when I noticed it was on special. Almost didn't make it through the first episode but I persisted and was well and truly hooked by the end. I devoured the first season then went looking for the second - which again I found discounted. Devoured that as well then had to sit back and wait blinkin' ages for the third season. [grump]
Yesterday on a whim, and as a reward for myself after the successful conclusion of a rent inspection, I thought I'd just have a look and see if the third season box set was out yet... It was! And as luck would have it, it was on special! Mwahahah. Itching to watch it but I'm schooling myself to patience. I'd like to rewatch the second series beforehand, so I can catch all the nuances. I'd like to, but I don't know that I will - I just wanna get on with the story! Eh, we'll see how I hold out, and how much quiet TV/DVD time I can wrest for myself. Sometimes the idea of having my own telly etc in my room is wonderfully tempting.

(Egad, a post!)

Got a rental inspection coming up so I have, for once, pulled my finger out and got some housework done. Sooo much to do, though. But, it's coming together. The place is still cluttered, but it's neatly stacked clutter, with no obvious piles of mouldering refuse. No, that's all been cunningly hidden...
I even washed the floors today. The cat was following me around, wide-eyed and hesitant - 'What's this with the bucket...?' [rolls eyes] It's not like she hasn't seen me wash the floors before, I'm sure! Though, given the nature of a cat's memory and the infrequency of the floor washing... Ok, it's just possible she considered it enough of an out-of-the-ordinary activity to be alarming. :)
And off on a cat-related tangent:
I love the way KittenKong follows me around. She'll even abandon a lovely warm lounge room to come and snuggle on my bed. This morning, however, I think I pushed the friendship. We had our first frost of the season (such pretty feather shaped ice on the car windows!) so naturally I skipped outside to take some photos. KK followed but she was clearly unimpressed. [grin] I don't suppose anyone enjoys getting a cold bottom from sitting on frosty grass while waiting for someone to hurry up and get back inside.

Finally catching up with posting my Queensland photos. Just a couple more days worth to sort through then I can catch up with the stuff I've taken since then. :)

The new Transformers movie is coming out soon. Cubs are ecstatic. They keep asking me who's my favourite Transformer. Can't quite seem to understand I don't have one... :) Eh well, no doubt the movie will be entertaining. If not, then I'll have a lovely nap...

Yay, well, made it through the Pervy Werewolf Lusty Month of May challenge. [evil grin] And didn't go entirely insane doing it, either. Go me.
Now I'd better get on with some real work before the Eyebrow of DOOOOM is cast in my direction... :)

I went to see a movie last night. At the cinema. It's been 5 months since I last saw a movie at the cinema. (And that was Flushed Away... which I'm still waiting on the DVD release.)
Oh yes, the movie was Pirates 3 (why yes, I am too lazy to be bothered writing out the whole name), and it was COOL. Much cooler than 2, which I got cross with, and more satisfying than 1, which was just fluff. Pretty fluff in corsets and baggy shirts, but still just fluff, let's admit it.
Caught a couple of previews, too. Order of the Phoenix (squee!) and the new Fantastic Four. It made me giggle cos Johnny was off chasing the Silver Surfer, who - in the last frames of the preview - catches him by the throat. "And so a thousand slash fics were launched..." I smirked to the cubs' father, (who incidentally had shouted me to the movie).

Mum's had a cataract removed from her left eye, and a new, synthetic lens put in. It makes her eye look uncannily clear. Fascinating... She's having her other eye done this week, and when that's all settled down she'll be going for her driver's license again. I sort of hope she's successful - she really, really misses the independence of getting herself around - but on the other hand... I'm not that keen on having to go back to public transport again. Eh, no big deal if I do - at least it's not Summer.

Quizzes. Nicked from various places via Joules.

Your Score: Outcast Genius

60 % Nerd, 60% Geek, 52% Dork

For The Record:



A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.

A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.

A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.



You scored better than half in all three, earning you the title of: Outcast Genius.



Outcast geniuses usually are bright enough to understand what society wants of them, and they just don't care! They are highly intelligent and passionate about the things they know are *truly* important in the world. Typically, this does not include sports, cars or make-up, but it can on occassion (and if it does then they know more than all of their friends combined in that subject).



Outcast geniuses can be very lonely, due to their being outcast from most normal groups and too smart for the room among many other types of dorks and geeks, but they can also be the types to eventually rule the world, ala Bill Gates, the prototypical Outcast Genius.



Congratulations!
Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

You scored as Spiritual Atheist, Ah! Some of the coolest people in the world are Spiritual Atheists. Most of them weren't brought up in an organized religion and have very little baggage. They concentrate on making the world a better place and know that death is just another part of life. What comes after, comes after. Spiritual Atheist 67% Apathetic Atheist 58% Scientific Atheist 50% Agnostic 50% Angry Atheist 42% Theist 33% Militant Atheist 25% What kind of atheist are you? created with QuizFarm.com

It amuses me that 'apathetic atheist' is second on the list...

Heh, well so far I've managed to keep up with the daily posting on Pervy Werewolf, but I'm finding it tricky to write smut every day just because. Don't have a problem with PWPs but this is different, it's an ongoing story with plot an' everything, and there's a part of me insisting that the smex must be relevant! [hand to forehead] : ) Eh, there's a reason these things are called challenges.

The other morning, as I stuck my nose in the cubs' room to wake them, Rocket, without lifting his head from the pillow, waved his hand at me in a mystical arc and intoned: "You don't want to take us to school"
I laughed. "Much as I would love to say I 'don't want to take you to school,'" I replied. "Your Jedi mind tricks won't work on me..." [grin]
Ah, my kids, such wags.

Really interesting dream last night. Or the tale end of one, rather. It felt like I was back in Queensland - same sunshine, same colours of the sea. I was walking down some stairs into the lower level of a house that had been done up as a restaurant. I could see the ocean from where I was, and as I descended I spotted some whales rolling over in the surf! That was very cool. But wait, there's more...
I watched the ocean swell up and flood the lower level of the house. As is the nature of dreams, there was nothing unusual about this. It wasn't an anticipated event, and sure it messed things up a bit, but you managed. Someone I was with was already down there playing in the water. I saw she had something perched on her shoulder. She did tell me what it was - jellyfish or something, but nothing I recognise from r/l - and while in the dream I knew it was quite a venomous critter, she was treating it with gentleness and respect and it was safe. (I think she released it into the water and it was carried back out when the wave receeded.) Anyway, I went down and waited for the next wave and it was scary fun, knowing that the whole event was kind of dangerous - what with unknown things being tossed about in the water, or the risk of being swept out to sea - but looking forward to the rush of water.
Unfortunately the wave had only just started when I was woken up. [pout]


Hee. Nicked from Joules', who nicked it from somewhere else:

Which God or Goddess are you like? Your Result: Budha You are Budha. You are a very peaceful person, you love all who love you. You are a cheerful personality, and you have a great sense of humor. Congratulations!! You are Budha!!
Goddess Bast
The Christian God
Jesus
God Zeus
Goddess Sekhemet
You are your own God or Goddess
Satan
Which God or Goddess are you like? Make Your Own Quiz

(Are the red bars showing up? They weren't in preview. Eh, let's post and see what happens...)

[Edit: nope, not working. But trawling through the code the results were - in descending order:
Goddess Bast: 60%
Christian God: 60%
Jesus: 50%
God Zeus: 50%
Goddess Sekhmet: 42%
Your own God or Goddess: 38%
Satan: 20%]

I'm quite possibly certifiable but I've taken the plunge and joined the Pervy Werewolf Lusty Month of May challenge. To whit (to woo! [snerk]) you have to post at least 500 words of Remus-centric lemon every day of the month. Don't know if I'll last the distance - forget drawing out a plot, can I sustain smut that long? - but I'll give it a go. Up to part 3 now... (Be warned, if you want to have a look at anything over there it's all Not Work Safe.)

A few days ago one of the cubs spent the evening wearing a Pringles cardboard tube over the end of his arm because he wanted to see what it would be like to lose his hand.
We (including his brother) had a bit of a discussion and I explained prosthetics to them. Both the cubs have decided that if they were unfortunate enough to lose a hand they'd want the 'cool looking' claw-type prosthetics. [rolls eyes] Whatever helps you cope, sweetheart...

Speaking of cubs. [grin] I was listening to Tom Waits God's Away on Business and they remarked - while falling about laughing - that it sounded like constipate on biscuits! It'd be very amusing if they've inherited both their father's and mine ability to mishear things but perhaps I should get their ears checked anyway. :)

Still speaking of the cubs... Tomorrow their school is having a 'media day' where the kids get to make short movies, radio commercials, and stop-motion cartoons. On the way to school today the cubs' asked me if I had any ideas for plots.
Well...
I suggested a scenario where the teachers' coffee is stolen and the kids have to get it back cos the teachers are all cranky now. But, in a cunning twist, when the burglars are unmasked they reveal they stole the coffee cos they know too much of it's bad for you, and so they did it for the teachers' own good!
I quite liked it, so did Mr Brown, apparently, and when the cubs' father heard the summary, and that the idea was mine, he grinned and remarked that that was why it sounded new and fresh, and not at all like something you'd see on telly. Hee, I love my imagination.

Seen a couple of interesting DVDs recently. The first was King Arthur, which wasn't bad but I think I would've enjoyed it more if it'd just been a story about the period. Trying to fit it to such well-known figures felt like too much of a stretch to be believable.
The other was Two Hands, an Aus movie about the crinimal underworld. This wasn't as immediately gripping as I'd anticipated but on reflection it was very funny with some finely drawn characters. In the opening scenes the symbol of yin-yan is mentioned, and how it can represent the little bit of good in the bad, and the little bit of bad in the good. The movie was peppered with some subtle examples of this philosophy, making it, I think, a little bit deeper than it first appeared. There's also a bizarre element of the super-natural in it which I remember vaguely some reviewers scoffing over. It worked for me, though, pushing the movie just slightly out of your standard gangster flick. I liked it enough to consider picking up a copy eventually.