My very own meme, spotted nowhere but my brain. Indulge me in this...


A part of my body I particularly like: My nose. It's very cute.

A part of my body I don't particularly like: My earlobes. I've never liked them, they're big and fleshy. This is why I wear jewelry in my nose and not my ears.

Stupidest thing I've done: Sniffed hydrochloric acid.

Smartest thing I've done: Used the argument on myself that 'if you haven't attempted something how do you know you can't do it' to start writing.

Weirdest thing that's happened to me: Doped up on morphine after the caesarian to deliver the cubs (couldn't use pethadine, I'm allergic to it) and alone in my room trying to sleep. I was woken up twice, first by an invisible screwed up ball of paper hitting my forehead - from the angle it hit I worked out it had been thrown by an equally invisible dwarf standing in the corner - and the second time by an invisible rat jumping up on to my shoulder from behind me, which then bounced onto my chest and ran away down the bed. I growled at them to 'sodding leave me alone so I can rest!' and I wasn't bothered again.

Something that always makes me smile: Lawn daisies.

A childhood memory: Being scared of the Sooty puppet at pre-school.

Oddest thing I've collected: Broken pencil leads, coloured and greyleads. I think I had the idea to crush them up and do something useful with them. They got tossed out in the purge of stuff when I moved away from my parents' home. Perhaps I shouldn't have, I still think about them...

Strangest thing I've attempted to cook: Polenta. I just cannot get that to taste right.

Quick! Think of a song!: Um, er, Knights in White Satin - Moody Blues.


<snigger> I went back and mucked around with the How Jedi are you? quiz. This result made me laugh...


how jedi are you? :: by lawrie malen

Mandy?!

<listening> Good, I think the cubs are asleep now. Going to sneak off and assemble their birthday packages so they're ready for them when they bounce out of bed tomorrow morning. : )

<snerk> Heard this joke on the telly tonight. <cheeky smirk> Val should get it...

Q: What's a hindu?
A: It lays eggs, eh.

<rolling around laughing> Ah dear me, any chance at all to pick on the kiwis...

It's one of the reasons I liked watching Xena so much. They used locals as extras and every now and again there'd be a broad kiwi accent amongst the broad American accents. ("You goin' to the fistival?") And listening to Lucy Lawless speaking as herself was a real brain tweaker! You just don't expect those inflections when you've only seen her in character but it was so cute. <g> My favourite ever NZ line, however, came from Cheeky Hobson in the Footrot Flats movie: "I niver want to see you agin, Wal Footrot, niver iver!"
Still cracks me up...

Hee, finished half of the holding threads on my quilt this evening. Problem is the only flat, clear space I've got to work on is the coffee table which means hunching forward, perched on the edge of an armchair. I think this must press on a nerve in my thigh or something cos I've got an achey leg now. Eh well, just have to make sure I get up and move around every now and again.

Cubs and I went to see Revenge of the Sith today. I had threatened that we wouldn't go and see the movie if they hadn't cleaned their room, but I compromised - the room's not completely tidy but I can see they've made an effort. Besides, I think we all needed to get out of the house.
What did I think about SW3 this time? It was long. It's not often I can say about a movie that the action sequences were more interesting than the character development and plot bits. The betrayal of the Jedi still got to me and I still went 'ooh!' at the planetscapes but ultimately I wasn't entertained.
Cubs loved it, though, they thought it was awesome (I really must work on expanding their spoken vocab) and I had the pleasure of trotting around the shopping centre accompanied by Darth Vader and General Grievous. <rolls eyes>
(Have to say however that the M cub does a very accurate Vader-respirator noise - he can also do a very convincing squeaky-toy - while the S cub has Grievous' hunched lope down pat. : )
Tomorrow the cubs have to get back to cleaning their room...

Joules has been tossing around the idea of reworking the Alliance Chronicles sometime in the future for book publication. It's a great idea, her story is involving and complex and the characters are compelling. My parts will certainly need some serious rewrites and it'll be interesting sorting through the canon/fanon/original concepts but I reckon it'll be even better for the effort.
But not yet, we're both hip-deep (heh, eyeball-deep!) in other projects just at the moment. : )

(Heh, the cubs are sitting up late watching Supersize Me. It's interesting to see what they're picking up on.

(Spotted on Erestor's lj, Val's and now The Zone...)

I thought I might have some trouble coming up with 10 of 'em but it wasn't that difficult.
These are in no particular order but range from the <squinch> awww cute to the OMFG-fall-to-my-knees-jaw-dropping-PHWOOAR cute. : )

Directions: List 10 celebrities that you find attractive, then don't tag any of your friends. ('Tagging'- ie: dobbing in people on your 'friends' list to continue a meme is a lj thing. Don't think I've ever seen it on a blog.)

Orlando Bloom - *le sigh*
Uma Thurman - never see enough of her.
Lucy Liu - freckles!
Johhny Depp - gives excellent face.
Cheri Lunghi - I thought she was pretty in Excalibur all those years ago but now she's stunning.
Keira Knightley - lovely face, and her accent...
Liam Neeson - like Sean Connery he just gets better with age.
Japanese guy on a Nokia poster - no idea who he is and I can't find a reference online but there's something about him...
Brendan Fraser - "What is it about chicks and horses...?"
Ewan McGregor - I don't call him 'Eyecandy McDrooly' for nothing.


See? That was easy. And all actors, hm...
Here's a list of others that I considered until I worked out it wasn't them so much as the character they played.

Oded Fehr - the Arabic good-guy in The Mummy films.
Sean Bean - cos he looks damn fine in a Rifleman's jacket.
Lucy Lawless - well, Xena, really...
Jason Issacs - Lucius Malfoy and the most recent Captain Hook! Heh, no wonder I liked that movie...
Alan Rickman - always a joy to watch.
Tommy Lee Jones - not for any of his characters but his voice. I swear I sat through his bits in The Fugitive with my eyes closed so I could concentrate on the voice. Missed half the plot but who cares!
Oh and I had the biggest crush on Eric Idle when I was about 15. Looking back at the pics now I can't understand it. <g>

Heh, my list of anime charas isn't nearly as extensive as Joules and they seem to be mostly semes (blond or otherwise). Except for Botan (Yu Yu Hakusho) that is, but then pink is one of my favourite colours.
Shall I try to list them? Oh why not. Let's see... (Please excuse any misspellings but I couldn't be arsed checking.)

Eiri - Gravitation.
K - ditto.
Iason Mink - Ai no Kusabi.
Alex Rowe - Last Exile. Now there's a man who fills out a uniform nicely.
Sophia - ditto. And ditto the uniform - except the bit about a 'man'.
Fuma - X.
Botan - YYH. You've gotta love a girl who can knock out zombies with a baseball bat. <g>
Hiei - ditto. Good things come in small packages...
Tsuzuki - Yami no Matsuei. Pretty, pretty eyes, and oh, the angst!
Muraki - ditto. The silver-haired Villain.
Oriya - ditto. The Villain's special friend.
Darcia - Wolf's Rain.
Excel Excel - Excel Saga. Hyper-manic genki girl.
Il Pallazzo - ditto. Her boss and awfully reminiscent of Studio CLAMP.
Juzo Hasegawa - Cyber City Oedo. Dang that man moves like a cat! Not a pretty cat, either.
[And quickly and quietly so Joules doesn't notice - Benten (CCO) and Radittsu (DBZ) ]

Right, that's quite enough time spent on that! Off to do something useful. : )

(Nicked from Onna's blog.)

Gosh, this is a surprise. <g> Obviously all those years of watching The Bill haven't been a complete waste of time...

(Edited to just display the results - the coding was doing weird things. Quiz came from here.)

Your Slanguage Profile

Aussie Slang: 100%
British Slang: 75%
Canadian Slang: 50%
Prison Slang: 50%
Victorian Slang: 50%
Southern Slang: 25%
New England Slang: 0%

Remember that first quilt I started, the stars and hexagon one? It's been languishing for weeks in my bedroom as I got distracted by other things but today I finished pinning the layers together and started putting in the 'holding' stitches. Once they're all in place the pins can come out and I can start quilting!
I'd forgotten how bright and beautiful this quilt is - I fell in love with it all over again when I spread it out to work on it. : )
KittenKong showed her appreciation for it as well, in the usual cat-fashion, by alternately trying to sit precisely where I was working or lurking under the over-hang to chase monsters in the folds of the fabric... <sigh>

The cubs have seen some of the (awful) Little Britain and - I think this is telling - they really like it. <eyebrow> Does this mean the writers have the sensibilities of 10 year olds, or are they simply writing to that level?

Saw the first of the Dalek episodes of the new Dr Who on Saturday. What sort of cop-out PC crap was that? Was it Roddenberry who first serialised the concept that contact with humans - the good and noble ones, of course - can prompt a fundamental change in nasty beings? Grrrr.
And look, we've picked up another Adric...

I had a lovely dream the other night but I didn't realise just how lovely it was until I described it to someone. There was a valley, a place of peace and tranquility whose inhabitants lived in a slower, more ancient lifestyle. I was looking down into this valley and I knew that I could get there, using the hidden path that kept it separate from the rest of the world. (I'll probly never live this down but the only place I could think of to compare the valley to was Rivendell... : )

Half-watching "Andromeda Strain". I keep expecting Charlton Heston to appear, I always associate him with this movie. No idea why cos he's not in it; "The Omega Man" is his contribution to the post-holocaust genre. That, and "Planet of the Apes".
Would "Soylent Green" fall into that category? Or is that more your 'the world is too crowded/polluted to sustain life' genre? Like "Zero Population Growth" or "Silent Running"? (Lutra blatantly displays her knowledge of late 60's - early 70's US sci-fi movies. : ) But we won't mention "West World" cos it still creeps her out...)
For extra points - what was the name of novel Soylent Green came from, and who wrote it? (I can answer the first easily, have to look up the second) And what language was the Planet of the Apes book originally written in? (I can answer that, too... unless my memory is faulty, that is. Been a long time since I read it...)

KoH is showing at the Astor Theatre mid-July, I'm planning on seeing it then. However:

"Ridley Scott, the master of modern epics, floods the screen once again with action, romance and handsome heroes. This time, he offers the tale of a young blacksmith from Jerusalem who fights to protect his people from foreign invasion during the Twelfth Century Crusades..."

Humph. Whoever wrote that review obviously hasn't seen the movie, or even read the press release properly.

... There was a purpose to this post. What was it? Ah...!
Last day of term and we had a special final assembly. Both of the cubs were in plays performed by their grades and displayed a well-developed sense of hamminess. <g> Their father said that had to come from my side of the family. He's probly right.
The school's brass band performed a couple of (mercifully) short pieces, a funereal Jingle Bells and something I didn't recognise at all. But, considering the kids only started learning the instruments at the beginning of this year it wasn't too bad. : )
And the cubs got their half-year reports.
Hm. Definitely room for improvement for both of them. Once again the comments been made that they're both more than capable of the work they just don't put in the effort. The S cub's teacher noted that he only really tries when he knows he's being assessed. <sigh> That's probly my cue to be more encouraging and attentive...

I think that when I've finished this first part of my speshul sikrit project <g> I'm going to treat myself to something alcoholic, and see about making some comprehensive story notes.
Not at the same time, obviously, otherwise they'd make no sense at all...

Oh lovely. The browns of last year's women's fashions seem to be 'in' this year for men. The colours for women this Winter all look like bruises. Sure they're labeled things like plum and dark cherry but they look bruisey to me.

Hee hee hee. Shhh... don't tell the cubs but it's not only pumpkin they're getting mashed up with their potatoes. They've also had sweet potato and cauliflower. <evil grin> I should've followed advice and done this years ago.

This is apparently a quote from one of Oscar Wilde's plays - "A Good Woman", I think (and I've probably misquoted it cos I didn't write the whole thing down when I heard it. Tch.):

"I like America. Name me another society that's gone from barbarism to decadence without bothering to create a civilisation inbetween."

I snerked. : )

Last day of term tomorrow. Theoretically the last morning for two weeks where I have to force myself to be genki-girl at sparrow's fart to get the cubs out of bed on time. Hoorah.

Oops. Finally got round to getting some overdue (waaaaaay overdue) items back to the library. Fortunately they were on the cubs' cards so the cost of the fines didn't make me blink - it's only 5 cents a day per item for them as opposed to 20 cents per item for me. It'll still be a couple of weeks before I can pay them off though. The cubs have already got a list of stuff they want to borrow as soon as their accounts are clear. <g> So do I. And I'll have to use their cards cos I still haven't paid off my fines yet...

It's hot-air balloon season in Melbourne. (You need a big gun with long-range projectiles. They don't need to be armour-piercing but incendiaries are effective...) The cubs and I saw one pass overhead while we were waiting at the bus stop. Very exciting - even more so when a camera flash went off a couple times while the cubs were waving. <g> Those two have absolutely no issues with having their photos taken. And not only did the balloon pass directly overhead, as it was heading to land in a nearby oval it was descending as well. Great fun to watch. I'd love to do a balloon flight one day. When I was in hospital with the cubs at 7 months and trying very hard not to think too much about the future I used to watch the early morning balloon flights passing over the city. I'd think how marvellous it would be to be floating above it all...
<g> One day.

Batman Begins is the best Batman movie ever! Okay, that's not hard given the previous efforts but still...
While I liked Tim Burton's vision of Gotham City, it didn't quite gel with me. It was too over-the-top to fit the Dark Night mythos, but not campy enough to go completely the other way, either. It was a visual treat but it straddled the line a little uncomfortably. (I did like Michael Keaton's Batman, however, he was the most human of the lot. I had more empathy for him than Kilmer's or Clooney's versions.)
The Gotham City of BB is close enough to 'real' to be affecting and its decay is believable. I was never quite sure if one of its denizens was to be trusted at any given time and the villains weren't necessarily clear-cut, I liked that.
The plot was well-handled, staying within the bounds of comic-book reality but not taking a huge amount of suspension of disbelief to make it palatable. While I've been a fan of Batman for years it was mainly for the 60's TV show, I've not delved much into the comics. I don't know if this 'origins' story is consistent with anything that came up there but in this instance it all hangs together nicely as far as I'm concerned.
The casting was, for the most part, excellent and it was great to see so many British actors in a major US production. : ) Christian Bale did a good job, the conflict, the tension, was never far below the surface. This is the third movie in recent years where Liam Neeson has been a mentor with a sword but he does it so well! <g> Gary Oldman, as always, looked like he was born to the role. His Gordon seemed to be an amalgamation of all the other screen incarnations, tying them together, whereas other versions of other characters seemed to be swimming in other directions.
Now, let me rave a bit about the settings...
Oh oh the scenery! And oh oh the iconic images! I was grinning fit to burst in a couple of places cos visually the thing just sang. Not all the time, but when I was stirred by the visuals it was deeply felt.
There was a section that made me giggle, though - I don't think I've giving away anything here. Our hero is released from prison in a desolate, empty area with only his clothes and a small satchel. As he makes his way up the mountain he manages to accumulate scarves and hats and balaclavas and overcoats and cloaks... <g> By the time he got to the top he looked like a very grubby Staypuft Marshmallow Man! Okay, perhaps that was an exaggeration but I did wonder where he got all the extra clothes from - we only saw one village and he'd acquired most of the gear before then...
A quick word about the soundtrack. It was a wee bit loud in places but never for long and not overpowering. The music really did underscore and enhance the action. I'd be interested to hear the CD now, see if it has the same impact without the visuals to back it up.
I enjoyed this movie, it was a great ride! However it didn't tug on quite the same chords as Kingdom of Heaven did so I'll be happy to let this one go and pick up a copy of the DVD when it's on special. It's not going to lose all that much impact on a small screen.

And speaking of KoH, I found some lovely dark-red velvet which will just perfect for my Balian plushie...

A little while ago Moosifer Jones mentioned that The Ferret had compiled a list of '10 worst lj habits'. I eventually decided (today) to post it here, with my responses, but first I had to find the blinking thing. I was positive MJ had the comprehensive list on her blog, but there were only some lj links to follow in the post. So anyway, I found it, sort of. What I can't find on the list is the worst habit that I was most guilty of. I know I read it somewhere! Anyway, here's the list - compiled from various sources...

Auditions ("I'm going to drop you as a friend unless you comment right now.")

Blackmail, pure and simple. 'Show me that you love me!' Bah! Not guilty.

[Joules sticks a fin in] I loathe that one. Delete the offending blog/Lj/whatever from my bookmarks immediately.


Bad grammar/spelling (either accidentally or via l33tsp3@k)

Sort of guilty. As part of my 'style' of writing (on my blog) as I speak I use phonetic spellings of some words - ie: cos, probly - or rarer, misspellings that are private jokes - ie:crinimals. But other than that I make an effort to write properly. Everyone should. So there.

I can cope with it if it's someone for whom English is not the native language (in fact, I'm more likely to give 'em mental Brownie points for trying, bearing in mind how bloody incoherent my blog would be if I tried to write it in French...) And, as you say, personal stylistic idiosyncrasies are fine. The rest - no excuse. That's what spellchecker - and basic education - is for. [grins happily. There, wasn't I restrained?]


Constant Paypal/eBay whoring ("If only someone were to make a donation!")

Not guilty. Though would I if I had the facility? I dunno. I don't object to the webartists that have donation accounts, for some it's a viable source of income and if I could I probly would donate to the ones I read regularly.

Ken suggested on more than one occasion that I should start charging people to read the AC. I pointed out that 1) it was fanfic and therefore not my copyright, 2) you, Lutra, were writing half of it, and 3) as far as I was concerned it was me experimenting with plot/subplot/story arcs/dialogue/character interaction and therefore I'd feel as though I was ripping readers off if I even suggested it.

This is why I'm unlikely to ever be rich.


Cryptic posts ("Oh, my, who knew that would happen?")

One line posts that make no sense. These are very annoying and I won't do it.

[blink] I seem to have managed to avoid these. But the concept sounds intriguing... [big evil grin]


Teaser post ("I've got a speshul sikrit that I can't talk about.")

As above, only more annoying. Either bloody tell me or not! <grumble>

Oh, and people who vaguely mention something in public that refers to something in their special secret friends only journal that you'd know about, obviously, if you were a real friend. Ye gods, even Kai's schoolfriends don't resort to that!


Eeyoring ("Today I will post the seventieth entry in Why My Life Sucks...")

Attention whoring. Psycho-drama. Moaning Minnies/Maxes - never have anything good to say. Tedious. I run out of sympathy very quickly. It's ok to whinge, it is, really, but doing nothing else gets boring.

I have no patience. I was once told I don't suffer fools gladly - my reaction was to glower and state I don't suffer them at all. I really really loathe this. We all have problems - for f$%*s sake stop bloody whinging and DO something about it!!


Long, uncut posts/images.

This doesn't happen so much on blogger I've noticed, but if I'm going to have a good, long rant I try to make it interesting. Besides, if someone doesn't like what they're reading they can skip it, ne? I do.

Hm. I also try to make rants interesting - or short! Sometimes I fail. Well, you can always skip them. I find uncut posts more of a problem in Yahoo daily digests...


Repeated deletions/goodbyes ("Once again, I have deleted my journal because WOE IZ ME.")

<sigh> More emotional blackmail. I feel these posters are generally looking for feedback, encouragement to stay online. Don't have the time for this sort of shilly-shallying. If you're pissed off enough to go, then go.

[bemused] People actually do that? How very silly. Such a waste of time and effort.


Quiz overload

Not looking at anybody. <g>.
I'm a grown-up, I can pick and choose the quizzes I want to do, likewise I don't have to post every result to my blog, just the entertaining/most relevant ones.

Hear here!


Significant other lust all the time ("Guess what my schmoopie did today!")

Okay, just possibly guilty of this sometimes when I gush about my cubs, but dammit, they say the darndest things! : ) Gods help me if I ever get another partner...

Sprogs are different. They're the future, they grow so bloody fast, and the occasional words of wisdom still leave me stunned.

SO, on the other hand... well, I suppose it's OK at the start of the relationship, within reason - after all, these things are very important to us all. But when it goes on and on and on with no other topic of conversation... [shudder]


Song lyric posts (especially those not LJ-cut)

Rarely do this. More likely to post just the significant bits, with an explanation of why.

Guilty. But I don't do it very often, nor do I usually post the whole lyrics, and it's usually to illustrate something I have to say. So I don't feel too guilty about it!


Totalitarianism. ("If you disagree with me in any way, you are a troll.")

Eeuuww, no. Far too confrontational.

[blink] Um... I don't see the point. Simply disallow comments and stew in your own little egocentric continuum. Just don't expect anyone to want to have anything to do with you outside it.


Updating once a month or less.

I don't think I've left it that long but there's been times when I've not had anything to say.

Doesn't bother me. I'd much rather wait until the individual feels like talking than pressure them to do so when they're too busy/can't get online/have nothing much to say. Just because I can't stop talking doesn't mean I expect everyone else to be the same!


The Secret Project. ("I'm working on something, but I don't want to give anything away...")

Oh yes. Guilty. But it's not teasing, it's pure Piscean paranoia that someone will nick my idea. : )

That's just sensible. I'm the same. As long as you don't gloat/brag about it, I don't see the problem: there are serious copyright issues with a lot of what we do.

As long as you find out eventually what it's all about!


Interesting, eh?

Woke up from an interesting dream this morning. I was half-way through a mystery/occult novel written by Joules and was just about ready to piece the plot together. What I remember of the story could fit quite nicely into the Leander Pryne continuum, though what puzzled me the most was how Joules had managed to write (and publish) a book and I'd known nothing about it. <g>

Chapter 11 is finished! (And there was much rejoicing.) Chapter 12 should see the end of part 1. That's not bad going really - I originally envisioned there'd be 3 parts of 5ish chapters each. Hee. What's exciting is that I've only got the vaguest idea of what's going to happen, the details are being filled in for me by the main character as I get there. She's had a very... interesting life...

(nicked from The Zone: )

The picture is cute but I'm not at all sure about the results. But, there were only 3 possible results for the quiz anyway so the chances of accuracy were slim, I guess. (For a list of potential other My Naughty Little Pony results, check out the comments on the relevant Zone post. Feel free to add your own. : )

You Are Opium!
You like to have fun and enjoy life. Reeeeeally enjoy life. If it isn't fast, loud, or extreme forget it. You value friendship and are loyal and will not hesitate to go off if someone crosses you.

What Naughty My Little Pony Are You?

Gah. Only 4 days 'til the end of term and the cubs' birthday falls right in the middle of it all!
Ah well, at least I'll be able to sleep in...

It was getting dangerous in my bedroom again, the possibility of slipping over something and breaking either my ankle or neck was getting more likely every day...
Phase 1 is completed - I've hacked out a path from the door to my bed and I can now get into my wardrobe - but phase 2, clearing/reorganising space in the garage so I've got somewhere to put the boxes will have to be a holiday job. But, if I can get the boxes out of my room I should be able to squeeze in another set of shelves. As luck would have it I think I've got a spare set in the garage, one of those metal, lock-together ones. That'll do nicely, at least then I'll have somewhere to store the current projects except on the floor under my feet.<melodramatic sigh> I yearn for clear carpet...

Of course now I'm feeling hard done-by about my lack of space and not being able to organize the house the way I'd like because because because...
However I've seen the sort of bed I'd like (carved four-poster, except the 'headboard' runs along one of the sides. Bit like an alcove bed. : ) and that's something to have happy thoughts about. I know exactly the sorts of drapes I'd like.

The cubs had 3 hashbrowns and 2 sausages each for dinner. The M cub made a picture of R2D2 out of his - the S cub made the Death Star shooting something... : )

The cubs and I went to see Madagascar after school. It was fun, not the most brilliant movie ever made, but fun. The characters weren't particularly engaging - aside from King Julian and the lemurs, and the penguins, they had their moments too. The animation was ... good, but not outstanding, it certainly had none of the imagination of The Incredibles or Robots but then this was sposed to be more of a 'real-world' setting. Actually, no, I'll amend that - the scenery was nothing much interesting but the character animation was fluid and expressive.
There were some genuinely funny parts where I giggled or laughed out loud and on the whole Madagascar was inoffensive and amusing but it didn't grab me. I've no desire to see it again.

ICQ isn't a perfect messaging software but I like it, more so than anything else I've tried. The latest version has a cool feature where you can design your own avatars to sit in your message box and be seen by those you're chatting to. Joules has had hers for a while now but I haven't been able to see it until today; no idea why.
I squeaked - the thing is so cute! It blinks and follows the movement of the cursor - so naturally I scampered off to get my own. Didn't take long to design and she's a vaguely realistic, if still idealist version of me: dirty-blonde hair, blue eyes and a smile.
Anyway, I was playing with the avatars just a little while ago, running the cursors back and forth over them, as you do, when I noticed their different reactions. Mine looks at it with an expression of 'Oooh! What's that?!', while Joules' (as she put it) is '... more wary - kind of "Should I blast it or not?"...'
<smirk> Highly appropriate!

Forgot where I got this from...



how jedi are you? :: by lawrie malen

<giggling>
Don't piss me off! Don't piss me off!


I just had to try that one...



[grin] Fairly apt. Though for a moment there I was tempted by the dark side - decided the black mask would give me claustrophobia, though...

Joules


I could never turn to the dark side - black just isn't my colour, dahling. : )


[smirk] I don't think it's possible to be evil in pink...


Heavens, no! Pink is a sacred colour! <delicate shudder> The very thought...
Besides, how could something the colour of bunnys' noses be evil?
Though on the other hand - Infinite Diversity Infinite Combination - I suppose it could be possible.


Curses! Resorting to series-hopping... a cunning and devious defence...


<smirk> Live long and prosper!

Dammit, I broke a tooth. >: (
The front of one of my top molars came off while I was eating dinner, probly cos of a bit of well-cooked and crispy lasagne sheet. <grumble> I must've swallowed the piece of tooth as well. Oh well, at least it doesn't hurt. Might be able to put off going to the dentist for a bit. I hope so, can't afford to go right away.

Heh, the cubs have recreated Hoth on one of their beds using a doona. They've delved into their lego box and created all sorts of appropriate vehicles to go with it as well. They've been keeping themselves amused in this manner for days. <g> When they get into something they get in up to their eyeballs.
But, with the SW DVD's we've got they've not watched Cartoon Network at all for over a week, can't complain about that.

It annoys me when op-shops put high prices on their goods. Sure the stuff is below sale price, but not that much below. Tch. Sometimes, however, you can get a bargain, like I did yesterday! On the '$1 each clearance' rack of my local (usually pricey) op-shop I found a black skirt made of cotton velvet, and two linen shirts, one a nice, bright red, and the other a gorgeous rich, deep purple. None of these will fit me, I should point out, they're all destined for the fabric stash. <g> That velvet will make a lovely doublet, I'm sure...

The cubs' school had a Medieval day today, to round off their term of 'From Caves to Castles' integrated study. Most of the students - and teachers - came in costume. <g> The cubs went as a peasant and a squire, wearing a couple of their father's tunics. The peasant-cub also had his dad's grubby quiver as a bag and the squire-cub wore his metal gorget. They were gorgeous! 11th century garb really suits them...
In the morning parade there were lots of princesses with poorly secured conical headdresses, knights and jesters, a couple of queens, a sprinkling of peasants and one bard. It was fun to watch and it sounded like it was an enjoyable day.
Hm, next week is the last week of term, we should get the half-yearly reports then. I'm not expecting any nasty surprises, they've both enjoyed this year so far, and they both like their teachers. I am definitely looking forward to the break, though, it's getting harder and harder to crawl out of bed when the alarm goes off in the morning!

Chapter 11's started, and I'm still having fun. : )

Mmmm... steak with mushrooms cooked in cream...

I don't miss driving. I don't miss the stress of trying to second guess the idiots I share the road with. I don't miss prowling for parking and I especially don't miss having to squash down the idea that every time I get behind the wheel it could be a disaster.
Taking the bus is so much better for my peace of mind - and I get an extra hour or so a day to daydream. : )

Joules and I were talking about totem animals - prompted by a very interesting program I saw last night on Pagans - and I reckon I've got more than one. The otter is the primary, of course, but there's also a small raptor (probly a kestrel), and a dragon for when I'm Queen of the World. <g> There's another one, though, small and furry and nesting, that I've never been able to pin down.
'A dormouse.' - says Joules.
'<blink> I think you're right.' - says I.
Small, round, furry tail, likes fruit and sleeping... <g>
Gorgeous wee creatures, dormouses, and in a class of their own - literally!
The Encyclopedia Britannica site had this info:

Dormice are not "true" mice (family Muridae); they are the only members of family Myoxidae, but their relationship to other rodents is not clear. Dormice have been allied with two different major groups: the squirrel-like rodents (suborder Sciuromorpha) and the mouselike rodents (suborder Myomorpha). In reality, the closest living relatives of dormice are unknown...

Cute and unique...

I'm feeling very virtuous at the moment, I've been making small bags out of an old net curtain. I use those instead of the flimsy plastic bags the supermarkets and grocers supply. Yes, they do weigh more than the plastic bags but at 20 grams, or less, which is around 10 cents extra on something that costs $5 a kilo, it's a cost I'll happily wear. I will eliminate unnecessary packaging from my life...

Very pleased with the way my cubs can turn off the telly and walk away when there's nothing they want to watch. I could never do that. Even when I hated the show - Josie and the Pussycats, Scooby Doo, <spitspit> - I never thought to turn the telly off.
Heh, and I've trained my cubs out of the habit of leaving the telly on standby, something I've not managed to do with other members of the household. Grrr... What? Is it too sodding hard to switch the telly on as you walk past it to sit down that you have to use the remote?
Given my druthers, aside from the fridge/freezer and possibly clocks, everything would be switched off at the powerpoint when it's not being used. Naturally, this would mean being able to access the powerpoints...
<g> When I'm eventually in my new house it should be interesting to compare the differences in the electricity usage between there and here. : )

And finally, Joules has finished reviewing FL which means she can start sending it out to publishers. <g> Crossing various appendages...

Woohoo, chapter 10's more or less finished. One more chapter I reckon, perhaps two, and that'll be the first part completed. : )

Soulsis and I visited Niki on Friday and had a very civilised lunch. Niki's remodeling her laundry so there were strange plumber-type men of varying sizes prowling around outside. <g> She's also done some work with the bedroom her two kidlings share - taken out the built-in wardrobe and made that space her daughter's. The wall there is a lovely shade of lavender now, really pretty. <sigh> All this business with houses, makes me wish I owned my own so I could play, too.

Borrowed some movies from Niki as well, episodes 4 & 5 of Star Wars (for the cubs), Grease and The Incredibles. The cubs watched the SWs first, asking me questions all the way through - '<growl> keep watching and you'll find out' - then we rummaged through the extras on the TI dvd. There's some fun stuff there, not the least of which is the short 'Boundin''.
Mr Incredible and his Pals is hysterical, a send-up of the awful, stilted superhero cartoons of the early 70's. Well worth a watch, and then again with the commentary playing. <g>

Given the cubs current interest in SW, their father bought home copies of episodes 1 & 2 today. We watched 1 this evening... It's not as bad as I remember, and it makes so much more sense now having seen 3.
See? Lucas had a plan all along...

I went to see KoH again today. <happy sigh> Was going to leave it for a couple of weeks but from tomorrow it's only showing once a day, in the evenings, which makes it awkward for me. Dang I love this movie... can you tell?

The cubs' father grinned when I told him how I'd spent my morning.
"What new details did you pick up this time?" he asked.
"Balian's red and white gambeson is spot (ie: tie) quilted, unlike the ones the men-at-arms wear, which are quilted in straight rows."
"Yes. Makes him look like a sofa."
<smirk> "There's worse things to sit on..."

This isn't the first movie I've obsessively seen more than once during its first cinema release. : ) The trend started with the original Star Wars trilogy, not surprisingly, but then it's not hard to see a movie a dozen times when it's in the cinemas for over a year. Then what was there? Let's see...
The cubs' father and I saw Branagh's Henry the fifth several times. That was fun actually, after the second viewing we realised we were seeing the same people again and again in the audience. We saw the first The Crow movie about 4 times, Jurassic Park and Baz Luhrman's Romeo and Juliet at least three. I've seen The Incredibles 3 times, and Robots and Finding Nemo the same, though The Incredibles was the only one of these that I wanted to watch over and over - the others we saw more than once cos the cubs wanted to see them again.
It's hard to explain why but all of these multi-watch movies have an emotional pull for me. There's been something about them that makes me itch to see them again. I've loved the worldframes and happily immersed myself in the lives of the characters and - I've just realised - it's these movies I continue to think about once they're over. The majority of the other films I've seen I don't think about again - kleenex movies, use once and discard - there's nothing more in them for me than a momentary diversion. But these others... I suspect they strike a chord with the romantic in me, not the fluffy-bunny romantic but the lover of epic tales who identifies and empathises with the characters.

But anyway, I probly will have to leave it for a couple of weeks before I see KoH again (and I will), because now I have to organise babysitters.

Still on the subject of movies...
I usually sit all the way through the closing credits of every movie I see in the cinema. There's a few reasons for this. First, there's an awful lot of people involved in making a film and I think it's an acknowledgement of their work to watch their names scroll past. Second, sometimes there's fun stuff or extra bits included in the credits or at the very end - all of Pixar's features are worth sitting right the way through. And third, especially with emotionally involving movies, I need the time to pull myself out of it and readjust to reality.
I don't need to do this with movies on DVD cos reality is right there in the room with me, usually saying "Mum, can I have...?". : )

<blinkblink> And suddenly I can get into blogger again.
Ack, quickly! Did I have something I wanted to say? Let's see...

Chapter 10's started.

I had a dream a couple of nights ago where Joules wore not one, but two different dresses. Not at the same time obviously.
The indignant squeak growl when I passed this information on was completely expected. : )

[loftily ignores the 'dresses' comment. And I don't squeak. Ever.]

In Toys'r'Us this afternoon I saw a couple of the supposedly rare LotR action-figure playsets - the battlefield one from RotK and the Lothlorien. I giggled over the elves - the Haldir, Celeborn and Galadriel figures all look the same as Legolas, in his various incarnations. I thought for a moment I might be tempted to get them but while the bodies and clothes are meticulously detailed I still don't think that much of the faces.
There was a new (for Aus) SS4 Vegeta figure though. Hee. Pretty monkey.

The sick cub - who spent a lot of today playing quite happily - is going to school tomorrow. He's not fussed, I think he was getting bored at home without his brother.

Joules found a Snape/Lucius Malfoy fic on AFF. Not that keen on the fandom but this story's pretty good.
And that has to be the most plausible explanation of mpreg I've ever read!

Yay! Chapter 9 is finished. : ) Good, feels like I'm back on track now.
A couple of very interesting ideas for other things have recently surfaced, too. I've made notes and added them to the list...

Soulsis sent me this - I laughed!

One day God was looking down at Earth and saw all of the rascally behaviour that was going on. So he called one of His angels and sent the angel to Earth for a time.

When he returned, he told God, "Yes, it is bad on Earth; 95% are misbehaving and only 5% are not."

God thought for a moment and said, "Maybe I had better send down a
second angel to get another opinion." So God called another angel and
sent him to Earth for a time too.

When the angel returned he went to God and said, "Yes, it's true. The
Earth is in decline; 95% are misbehaving, but 5% are being good."

God was not pleased. So He decided to e-mail the 5% that were good,
because He wanted to encourage them. Give them a little something to
help them keep going.

Do you know what the e-mail said?







Okay, just wondering; I didn't get the email either...

<giggling> What was that about the 'moral majority'?

Oh dear, looks like the other cub has come down with the cold his brother had several days back, only a more virulent strain. The M cub wasn't ill enough to miss school but given the S cub's hacking cough and lack of appetite he might have to skip a couple of days.
Not that he's complaining, of course.

Vaguely disturbing dream last night. I was employed, somehow, in tracing and hunting down suitable girls for what felt like a slaver. The aim was to whisk the victims away with the least amount of fuss so nothing would appear amiss. I didn't like what I was doing but there was the threat of something hanging over me, ensuring my co-operation. There was a lot of adrenalin involved, in the hunting, naturally, but also in the trying to not do my job without looking like I wasn't doing my job.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil was an interesting book, though towards the end I found myself wondering what the point of it was. John Berendt did an excellent job in building an evocative picture of the people involved and the place they lived. I want to see the movie!
And... ahah! A half-read book that's been missing for two months turned up today in the place I'd left it. <frowning at house brownies> Oh well, at least I can finish it now - I wanted to know what was going to happen. : )

<happy fan-girl squee> I went to see KoH again today!
Joules rolled her eyes when I told her I planned to do this. 'Research purposes' - I said. No, she didn't believe me, either. All squeeing aside as I indulged myself again I did pick up some lovely details in the costumes. Godfrey's livery, for example is parti-coloured red and white (or jules and azure if I'm going to be picky, which I probly will) with 7 crosses patee counterchanged. Balian's quilted gambeson was also parti-coloured red/white. It sported a small collar and the red sleeves were laced on. The gambeson, like the surcoats and chainmail haulberks were split in the front and back for riding. The surcoats had a small, laced slit at the back of the neck, a detail you don't pick up unless the coif is being worn for battle instead of hanging down around the neck.
Balian's 'good' undertunic was ankle-length (clean!) with a small collar, and loop and button fastenings at the wrist. His 'everyday' tunics - all 2 of them, a dark red and a plain linen - were hip-length and loose, with no collars, and cuffs that flared out from the wrists every so slightly. Gorgeous!
I'm going to have to watch the movie on the big screen at least one more time so I can suss out the details of the sword-belt, scabbard, and the Eastern style silk overtunics Balian wears occasionally.
Oh what a chore - the things I put myself through for the sake of accuracy. : )

And there was a different movie previewed today...
I never watched Dukes of Hazard when it was on telly, still don't have that much interest but dang, the General Lee is delicious!
<g> Would I go and see a movie only because of a car?
... Wouldn't be the first time!

(Shall we just take it as read that Joules is posting for me until I say otherwise? : )

I'd suggest you wait until you've watched the first Saiyuki volume and see if it really grabs you. Yes, the characters are great and quite complex, the backstory fascinating (as far as I've seen it, anyway) and the overall story interesting - but oh, the slow, long-winded and repetitive journey to get there! Argue, travel, fight demons, argue. Repeat. Endlessly. 50 eps and 1 OAV in and they're still nowhere near India. Much as I like them all, I'm having second thoughts about taking it any further. Though I do really like the manga... Heh, will sleep on it. It's not as though I need to make a decision right away.

There seems to be a correlation between the length of an anime/manga and how repetitive (read: boring) it becomes. (DBZ is the prime offender, of course.) That worries me, because GetBackers is currently up to vol 29, and I'd really hate for that to go the same way. Eh well... have to get some of the manga and see, I suppose.

Anime. More expensive than drugs and twice as addictive.

Seconding Lutra's comment about action figures (see previous post), I'm strongly tempted to try making a Xandir (yes, of course I'd go for something tricky! Forget heavily swathed characters where the clothes hide all the seams, I want skimpy and sexy...) Though when I'll catch enough haddock to do it I have no idea...

(But if Xandir works, and doesn't take too much time, I could consider making a Zaabon next. And maybe a Radittsu. A'lestrel? Lutra? The Haadri characters? Ye gods, it opens up a whole new universe...)

<pout> My anime dealer has added Saiyuki to their catalogue. I'll put it on the list...
(Couple of hundred dollars and I'd be able to get everything - or nearly everything - that I want. Anime is an expensive hobby. : )

Had a poke around online: there is KoH merchandise available, mostly replicas of the weapons and armour. Tch, don't want those, I want action figures! Guess I'll just have to make my own, hee. (Thanks to Erestor for the link!)

Picked up the Sonic the Hedgehog DVDs that we've had on lay-by. The cubs squeezed in one episode this evening before I hijacked the telly to watch the news. They loved it, thought it was hysterically funny. The animation is surprisingly good, too, if simple.

The M cub told me today the reason he likes Darth Vader is because his mask is really cool.
Well, there are worse ways to choose your political affiliation I suppose.

(And again, thank you, Joules, for posting this. Still can't get the farging cookies sorted...)