Heh, well, the first part of the epilogue is now chapter 36 and I'll continue on with the actual epilogue next. Tch, shouldn't be surprised though, should I? Not given how this thing has mushroomed as I've been writing. <g>
Fifteen chapters and 50k words. Hah!

Cubs and I dragged ourselves into school this morning so I could sort out their booklist. We've left the bulk of the stuff at school but brought home the pens and pencils etc; so I could label them. Wot fun. But, it's done now, plus I've got some ham for sandwiches tomorrow. All I have to do now is dig out their lunchboxes and sort out their uniforms. Cor, I'm approaching organised (from a distance, cautiously...)
What was disturbing though was going into the school grounds and immediately being beset by a dragging sense of ennui. Cripes, the school year hasn't even properly started yet and I'm bored with it.

The cubs asked if they could have fish'n'chips for dinner tonight, and I said certainly, but we wouldn't be able to go and see a movie after school tomorrow. They deliberated for a while and decided they'd like to see the movie instead. So, all being well we'll be trotting off to see Nanny McPHee. (Narnia was the preference but the only session we could get to was at 6 p.m. Far too late for a weeknight.)

Fanfic snickers from two different sources:

"Bullocks!" Ron swore..."

Moo! and...

"[She had]... eyes like honey..."

Is that crystalised honey, or the runny stuff? Either way it's going to drip down her face and make a horrible mess. <snerk>

Very odd dream while I was napping this afternoon. There were spiders, huntsmen, gathering on a window at night. About 11 of the things, all different sizes. I watched them cautiously and realised there was sort of a spidery-standoff happening. Then one of the biggest ones, a female, snatched up a piece of black fabric - the cloak from a Star Wars action figure - and dashed off. Carnage ensued, though I didn't see much of it, just got the impression of all the critters converging and racing. <shudder> Got distracted by something else in the dream and when I got back to the spider there were 3 left, 2 injured ones doggedly trailing the original female, determined to get the scrap. I could only assume it was wanted it for nesting.
... unless it was a symbol of spider royalty and would allow the wearer to claim dominion over the world of Arachnia!
No, that's just silly.

Chapter 36 is moving along; going to be longer than I'd first thought but, meh, that seems to be standard for SFSG.
And yesterday I had a solid [ping] about another idea that's been simmering in the background. Looks like that might be ready to start soon. Convenient, eh?

[pissing self laughing] And I don't even like pirates! Well, OK, pirate chic is good. Especially on Johnny Depp. Or Adam Ant. But not pirates per se.

Pirate ninjas now - that's different. Arrrh Soh...

My pirate name is:

Mad Morty Read

Every pirate is a little bit crazy. You, though, are more than just a little bit. Even through many pirates have a reputation for not being the brightest souls on earth, you defy the sterotypes. You've got taste and education. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from fidius.org.

Chapter 35 is finished - on to the epilogue, now. Hee. Current wordage is 175k, that's 10k more than Half-blood Prince. (I checked, just so I could get some idea of the size...)

Regarding air-conditioning, Onna, I've only lived in one rental house that had any, and it was expensive to run. My Mum has a/c in her unit now, but there's no shade there and she can't cope with the heat anymore. a/c is becoming the standard here down South but it wasn't for many, many years and I'm still leary about saying it's an essential. (Vicious cycle: a/c uses a lot of electricity, the production of which contributes to global warming and higher temperatures, necessitating more a/c). With better designed houses - with proper insulation and building to suit the climate - it shouldn't be needed.

Nicked from Rakina:

My pirate name is:

Black Jack Bonney

Like anyone confronted with the harshness of robbery on the high seas, you can be pessimistic at times. You can be a little bit unpredictable, but a pirate's life is far from full of certainties, so that fits in pretty well. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from fidius.org.

I liked the Hamlet question - this answer particularly:

"Yes, but it was only a small flaw in an otherwise brilliant work of... err.. that is... ARR!

<giggling>

Oh good, a cool change...
It reached 43 today - second hottest January day on record, or something. It was 36 inside and the ambient heat meant that everything was hot to the touch - it made trying to find somewhere cool to lounge a bit difficult. And of course the heat brings the huntsman inside. I spotted a moderately sized one lurking around the piggle's cage last night. These things always appear in pairs, so I was on guard for the other one. Sure enough, in the toilet this morning, I tugged on the paper and an effing huntsman shot out from inside the roll! Ack! This one was too big even for my newfound bravery with spiders to cope with, so I called in reinforcements. Housemate was quite happy to catch the thing and spirit it away for me. (And later in the afternoon the original, smaller one appeared when I moved the piggle cage - but I caught that one on my own.) But now I'm twitchy, expecting more spiders to appear, jumping at sudden movements in my peripheral vision...
But, the change has come through and its only 24 inside now. Hoorah. Should be able to sleep well enough anyway.

A few months ago Alarice introduced me to A2 milk which she said contained a particular type of protein and was more beneficial. I was skeptical, but, I've been trying it for the past few weeks and I see what she means. I can even drink the full-cream version without getting a runny nose and a gluey chest, and when I've had to use 'normal' milk the change is noticeable. It does taste different to regular milk, but not in a bad way. The only quibble I have is that it's not certified organic, but I can live with that.

This 'HP obsessed' quiz was nicked from Rakina. (Sorry about the extraneous information that came with it - too brain-fried to trim.)

Harry & Ron You scored 70% knowledge and 55% obsession!

"Now, if you two don't mind, I'm going to bed, before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed. Or worse, expelled!" "She needs to sort out her priorities." You are neither obsessed nor oblivious about the magical world, but your knowledge is obviously higher than average. You have a healthy interest in all things Potter, but it's nothing to worry about. Your keen intellect and natural curiosity make you a force to be reckoned with. You can't be expected to pay attention in Binns' class every lesson when you have Quidditch matches and girls on your mind! Just be forewarned - Hermione won't always be able to finish your essays for you. She has enough going through that frizzy head of hers!

My test tracked 2 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 33% on knowledge You scored higher than 0% on obsession

Link: The Harry Potter Obsessed Test written by ack_attack on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

A fair summation, I think...

One of my new year determinations was to not whinge about stuff I couldn't change, like the weather. Even so...
Blinkin' heck it's hot!
Mid-thirties today, mid-thirties yesterday, and low-forties forecast for tomorrow - all this in a house with a metal roof, no insulation and no air-conditioning. <whimper> I'm watching news reports of blizzards in Moscow and feeling quite envious.
Sun's gone down now and the temperature's dropped a little, but the cicadas have started up and they're matching the decibel level of my housemate; ie: loud enough to drown out the telly.
Last night wasn't too bad, there was a moderate cool change with showers and thunderstorms, and a good stiff breeze to blow through the house. Air's barely moving tonight though - not looking forward to trying to sleep.
The piggle, bless her, has finally got the hang of the bottle of frozen water. I caught her this afternoon, reclining over the thing, using it like a pillow. <g> Very cute.

Sat down with the cubs this afternoon and watched Big Trouble in Little China, one of my favourite movies. Cubs got right into it, gasping and laughing in the right places, and not needing to ask many questions about what was going on. <g> I thank anime for their knowledge of demons/spirits and supernatural doings.

(Just checked my weather pixie at The Zone... 29.C. I don't think it's going to get much cooler tonight.
Hm, 'puter's running a bit hot too - better keep an eye on that...)

Picking away at the theoretically penultimate chapter of SFSG. It ain't 'alf dragging its heels. I've roughed it out in long-hand but as I'm tweaking as I transcribe its taking about as much time as it would for me to write from scratch. Heh, no matter, I've got my 'holy heck I've finished!' bottle of alcohol tucked away ready for when I do actually finish the thing.

(Cubs have just told me they thought they saw some lightning earlier. Figures. Oh well, as long as the temperature drops I don't really care...)

<blink> No idea why but my bookmarks have disappeared. Very annoying.

Chinese New Year is approaching so Box Hill is awash in red and gold plastic. Hee! I was very restrained - I only bought two things. I love Asian tat.

The cubs' father is studying Japanese calligraphy. He wants to do a banner that reads 'Sex; Death; other people's money' (long story) but is having trouble with the kanji. Any suggestions?

Rakina tagged me for a meme. Evil cow. : )

List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they're any good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying now. Post these instructions in yourLiveJournal along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they're listening to.

... I don't think I know seven people...
So anyway, no specific tags, but feel free to play if you wish.

1: Wonderwall - Oasis. (I regularly sing myself hoarse with this one. I do so like a band who plays in my key...)
2: Go with the Flow - Queens of the Stone Age.
3: Gimme danger - Iggy Pop. (I listen to this version cos the one I really, really want - Kurt Wild from Velvet Goldmine - isn't available. It's still a great, emotive track, though.)
4: We're much preferred customers - Disassociatives. (Dreamy, trippy, just bloody wonderful.)
5: God put a smile on your face - Coldplay.
6: Ibelin - Kingdom of Heaven soundtrack.
7: Cloud Age Symphony - Last Exile; opening track.

Hn. Interesting. I would've thought my playlist was generally harder. Eh, catch me on another day and it'll be different.

I was pondering slash fic and wondering how long it's been a convention to mush a pairing's name together? (ie: Harry/Snape = Snarry, Spike/Buffy = Spuffy etc. [<snerk> Thanks, Mags...] ) I assume it's more prevalent in fandoms where the names are a bit more ordinary, I mean, Qui Gon/Obiwan = Goniwan? : ) I think it's fairly recent, too; I can't see it having being applied to one of the original (television) pairings. Spirk? Kock? <titter>

Back from a few days at Mum's. Heh, I actually feel like I've had a break this time. We were busy, but no one got too gribbly (and I don't mean just the cubs) and we had fun. Mum drove down and picked us up then I drove us out to the Healesville trolley ride. <g> Not overly crowded today, nor wet or too hot. A lovely, pleasant trip, and cos I wasn't sitting jammed up next to someone I wasn't forced to interact and so was able to spend twenty or so blissful minutes alone in my mind, contemplating Snupin smut.
While we were there the cubs spent most of their tooth money on quite nice pull-back models of (guess what?) steam trains. Happy cubs, followed by a quiet afternoon watching Fruits Basket - which Mum didn't get at all. <g>

Monday morning, while Mum was in her exercise class, I took the cubs swimming; or rather, I watched them splash about in the water while I roughed out a short fic. Then we trekked out to the Trestle bridge - a longer journey than I remembered - and after the cubs had frolicked about up there for a little while we were all ready for lunch. Stopped in at the only shop in Powell Town, a milk-bar/general store/pub, where I had a really nummy burger sandwich. (It was sposed to be a steak sandwich but they'd run out of steak. Eh, didn't matter, I just wanted red meat.) After we got home I napped while the cubs watched I, Robot, and then it was time for dinner...

Tuesday was a full day. Up early, ready and out the door before 9.30 a.m. - something of a miracle. We drove out to Coal Creek Heritage Village, somewhere the cubs wanted to go cos there was an old steam engine they could explore. I've never been to the place and it's been years since Mum was last there - and her navigational skills are on a par with my own. I found myself driving along a very long, very straight dirt road. "I don't remember this..." said Mum, helpfully. Fortunately that detour only took us a little bit out of our way and we still got to the Village in under an hour and a half.
Coal Creek is a construct. As the mining towns in the district closed down and died, notable buildings were rescued and brought to the present site: a courthouse, railway station, Masonic hall, Mechanic's Institute hall, doctor's residence/surgery, smithy, bank, school house, shops, studios, miners' and farm dwellings. Restoration is ongoing and while it's nowhere near as flash or big as something like Sovereign Hill, or as pricey, but it still makes for a fascinating visit. Mum refused to come with us into the short - and very damp - exhibition mine tunnel, but alas that was my only brush with the comfortable underground. The mine tour's been closed for a while.
The cubs loved the engine, a 'K' class 2-8-0 (hah! I know what that means, now!) and had a great time clambering all over the cab. I had fun poking around the carriages and Mum quite happily spent half an hour talking to the volunteer guide.
There was a dearth of tourist tatt which was probly just as well cos I was running out of money by then, but I did splash out and buy a bottle of peppermint cordial. Very interesting. All you can really taste is the sugar syrup base but it leaves your tongue tingly and cool, and there's a lovely, lingering minty aroma. Mmmm...
Finally, after 4 hours, we prised the cubs out of there with promises of food. We ended up taking another completely different route home - that still had little to do with the actual route planned on the map - but at least there was no dirt road this time and we still made it home in less than an hour and a half.

So that was yesterday.
Oh, and I forgot to mention the cubs managed to lock themselves in Nana's bathroom. <rolls eyes> She has a sliding door; it was slammed shut too vigorously and came off its runners. Cue cubs wailing about being left in there to die!! Oh, teh drama. I didn't bother telling them that, as I was bursting to go to the loo I certainly wasn't going to let a jammed door get in my way for very long. However, the cubs were very prettily grateful when we all worked together and they were liberated. <sigh> Dramaqueens - no idea where they get that from...

Snaffled from Rakina:

Hee, and I wasn't even trying to skew the results...

Only have a little patience and all that you desire will find its way to eBay...
Late in 2004 I saw a calendar of patchwork craft which had a gorgeous Autumn leaf quilt inside. I wasn't going to pay full price ($15) for one pattern however, so I waited for it to be marked down, like most calendars are in the new year. Two months in and it still hadn't been discounted, and then it - and all the other remaining calendars - disappeared. I was miffed, but philosophical.
I was recently browsing eBay and found a back-issue of a patchwork magazine which had that exact same quilt featured on the cover. <g> So I finally have the pattern - and some other neat stuff besides - at about a quarter of the original price. Happy? Oh yes...
(I've also got a user-friendly book of doll-making which has a nice, simple calico doll with a moderately shaped face. <beg> Balian and Snape plushies are one step closer.)
(I also had an idea today that a jellyfish mobile would be neat. If I make them out of light and floaty material they'll drift in the air quite nicely.)

Chapter 34 is finished and I've got notes ready for 35. <bounce>
I'm a little bit over my ideal schedule but not by much.

The cubs were out with their father this afternoon so I decided to listen to some of my music, for a change. I dragged out the Oasis: Morning Glory CD, which, for various reasons I haven't listened to for ages. MG was something I played a lot while I was writing Pros fiction and it was giving me the strangest emotional flashbacks. <g> It's not made me any more likely to dip into the fandom again, but it was an interesting experience.

And when I'd finished with that I put on my Jimmy Sommerville's Greatest Hits and started rockin' 'round the lounge room to some gay pride/angst. The cubs came home soon after and asked, incredulous, what was I listening too? One cub declared he didn't like wee Jimmy's voice at all, which I took to be an unsubtle hint for me to stop playing the CD. I smiled sweetly and replied that it was a perfect opportunity, then, for him to go and play in his room, wasn't it? He went. <eg> The other cub hung around, but he had his nose buried in the latest Horrible Science and didn't make a sound.
To their credit, the cubs don't get pouty anymore when I occasionally insist on watching/listening to something they're not particularly interested in. Heh, they're growing up, I guess.
Speaking of growing up... I've decided that as we're going to Nana's for a few days, it'd be nice for the cubs to have their own money instead of begging from me. They haven't managed to earn any pocket money yet but I've inadvertently stockpiled all their baby teeth for the past year or so cos I'm never organised enough to put just one or two teeth out for the tooth fairy. Anyway, there's a glass of water on the bench tonight, holding seventeen teeth. <g> That's a big load for a little fairy. Might need a squadron to deal with 'em - or just one tooth ogre.

Hee, the cubs are really enjoying Fruits Basket. We've got official wallpapers in circulation on the 'puter now. Today, it's Haru, yesterday was Ayame, day before was Kyou. <g>

Yes!
Got the afternoon to myself so I trotted off to see Goblet of Fire (again). Organised myself so I'd get there in plenty of time, even so I missed an earlier bus but that wasn't a problem cos I still had loads of time, right? Hmph. The session times had been changed so instead of being 30 minutes early - with consequently enough time to get something to eat - I bought my ticket just as the session started. Fortunately I was in my seat a few minutes before the feature began, but I don't like being rushed - or hungry.
Anyway, it was marvelous (again), what with CAPSLOCK!Harry and Narky!Ron. <g> But I think I've worked this particular obsession out of my system now - won't need to see it in the cinemas again. Perhaps. Unless I get a hankering for pavillions...

Links! Lots of links...

First: My brother has some of his original music available online. You can listen for free or download for a small cost. (Though Joules tried the music links and they weren't working, so I don't know <shrug>. And yes, that's his picture - the wild and crazy guy. : ) (Stop sniggering, you in the back! You know who you are... <g>)

Next: A really, really, reeeaaaally cute site!
Cute Overload. Guaranteed to make Joules shudder. Have a browse through the categories - lots of pics to make you go awwww... (Or retch, depending on how you feel about cute widdle animals.)

Finally: Discovered this site while I was housesitting for Niki, in one of her excellent crafty magazines. Promptly forgot about it but remembered it today, then of course couldn't remember the name so had to Google 'plush toast'. You'll see what I mean...
My Paper Crane. See if you can find the Tampon Dolls ™.

I'm nesting again - my brain is exploding with crafty/homemakery ideas. Which is fun, but I'm not organised enough to do much more than make notes at the moment. I seem to be focusing on wallhangings and cushions. I'm feeling the need to decorate my space, and fabric is something I can work with. : )

A long, long time ago (nigh on 20 years. Eep.) Alarice introduced me to Guy Gavriel Kay's Fionavar Tapestry trilogy. Had a hankering recently to reread it but that meant I had to buy new copies (or rather, second-hand from eBay) cos my originals are buried in the garage, probly never to be seen again.
I've read this series a lot, it's one of those that I return to on semi-regular basis. I love it - Kay is one of the best world-builders ever in fantasy fiction. And he can tell a dang good story. The FT was his first publication, I think, and it pulls in all sorts of mythos into the story - but it's convincingly woven. His later works are better though, in that respect, because they're all original, even more convincing worlds.
He's an emotive writer, too, without being manipulative. The first time I had this series I made the mistake of reading them on public transport to and from work. Heh, you do get some funny looks when you're sniffling loudly - or downright howling - in the peak-hour crush. <g> Overt displays of emotion can be disturbing for your fellow travelers.
But anyway... It's been long enough since my last reread that even though I was able to sink comfortably back into the world from the first page I'd forgot some of the finer plot details. I'm having a wonderful time rediscovering them...

The cubs' father, recognising the incipient signs of 'forced proximity' psychosis, has agreed to look after the cubs tomorrow afternoon so I can run away for a few hours. : ) I'll probly go and see 'Goblet of Fire' again, oh, and pay the bills and do sensible shopping. But I'll be doing it on my own.

<happy grin> The cubs and I went to see Narnia yesterday.
Eeeee! Now that's what I call an encampment! Oh yes and the rest of the movie was marvelous, too, but eeee! Pavilions! : ) I need more tents in my life, obviously...
I thoroughly enjoyed Narnia, it was a beautiful realisation, so close to what I see in my mind when I read the book. (And dammit, I have to get to New Zealand one day. Centaurs come from there. They do. I heard the kiwi accents...) The children were all well cast - didn't you just want to pick Lucy up and cuddle her 'till she squeaked? - and the merging of CGI and live-action was believable.
And the tents, ah yes, the tents...
I got very teary throughout, starting right from the beginning when I was empathising all too strongly with the evacuation situation, all the way through to the little bit in the end credits. Soppy? Perhaps, but there was so much there to pull at me. Wonderful.

Hm, okay, so 34 might not be the final chapter. I'll almost certainly need at least one more before the epilogue, but that's fine, it's necessary detail.

Made the Yule cake today. Should've made two! It smells divine and judging by the little bits I've picked off the top, it's yummy, as well. : ) Going to be difficult putting it away for 6 months. (Sorry, Soulsis, I used wheat flour but I'm sure there's plenty of recipes for gluten-free lurking about.)

<evil smirk> I've been getting sneak previews of Joules' Band 3. (Yes, yes, BentenYOURS - I'm only looking...)

Finished Fruits Basket, thanks, Onna! Boy, that family's got issues, and some of the previous generation could've done with a few 'positive parenting' tips administered with a brick. Hmph.
It was a wonderful series - even though I was threatening to smack Tohru if she said 'sorry!' one more time. The story's continued in the manga, you say? Tempting, very tempting...

The cubs finally talked me in to watching The Polar Express. Was that ghost hobo supposed to look like Sean Bean?
While I can appreciate the technical wizardry that went into creating the movie, the people (including the elves) were ever so creepy. (And those elves were all Red Caps, don't think I didn't notice.) The animated body movements were nice and smooth - even the over-the-top comic-booky characters of the train's crew - but the faces just didn't work like faces are supposed to. It was offputting - I kept expecting them to morph into something horrible. Well, more horrible than they already were.
Fortunately, unlike the previous train movie they got their paws on <shudder>, the cubs don't seem intent on watching this one over and over and over.

Happy Birthday, Onna! (Have to confess that I didn't remember all on my own; I've just read Joules' blog... <g>)

It's blissfully quiet. Cubs are in bed (asleep); housemates are noticeable by their absence; telly's off... Niiiice
Under normal circumstances the lack of noise at night would make me twitchy but this is the holidays and I haven't had any time alone for sodding days. So right now... this is nice.

And pink stuff! <bounce> Got a parcel from Joules this morning; it had 2 packets of pink stuff (piiiink stuuuuf) and a CD of some music. I believe I have Adrian to thank for that? : ) Thanks, Adrian!

Chapter 33 is finished. One more chapter, then the epilogue and I'm done! Definitely going to have alcohol on hand for that.

The lounge room looks a bit tidier, but only because the xmas decorations came down today. I'll make an effort to remember to put them back up for MidWinter this year. I'm sure the cubs won't object; that coincides with their birthday.
Speaking of (the Southern Hemisphere) Yule, I've got all the ingredients I need to make the Yule cake. Probly do that in the next couple of days then it can sit quietly in the dark somewhere and mature for the next few months.
And dammit, I'm going to have marzipan and fondant icing when I decorate. Don't care if I'm the only one who eats the stuff - that only means I can scoff all the unwanted bits. See? <taps temple> Method in my madness...
(I'm not going to froth at the mouth, either, about the hot cross buns already appearing in the shops. <grump> It's only bloody January...)

I can't say I truly have many weaknesses, things that I simply cannot resist, but one of them is smallgoods - preserved meat products. There's a European delicatessen opened up in my local shops. I went in there today and was treated to tastes of half a dozen different types of hams. So yummy! Freshly made, no preservatives - so much nicer than the plastic crap the supermarkets sell. Worth the expense, definitely. And then there's the range of bizarre East European lollies that I have to try sometime.
I picked up a small slab of smoked and cooked bacon, and a jar of pickled mushrooms. Haven't tried the mushrooms yet but admittedly I mainly bought them cos the jar is really pretty. If the contents are nice, too, then it's a bonus.

Cubs and I managed to spend 6 hours at the shopping centre yesterday. It wasn't that hard to do, actually, not when we took the time to leisurely browse the toy shops, and have lunch, and go see a movie.
Valiant opened yesterday. The cubs wanted to see it cos there was a steam train in the preview. (They're not thorough, they're just obsessed. <g>) I liked this CGI animation for a lot of reasons. True, it wasn't as cutting edge as something like The Incredibles but it had a very British sort of charm. It was chock full of WWII movie stereotypes, including the comic evil Germans (falcons); the plucky little hero; the good-natured roughnuts; the fussy 'University' chap, and the dodgy character who joins up to avoid trouble elsewhere but turns out to be as noble and good-hearted as any of 'em. Not highly original - not after the amount of WWII movies I've seen - but it was clever. The parody of recruitment propaganda movies was particularly funny. And interestingly, there were no American characters.
I was very pleased with myself, though, I managed to pick most of the voice cast without too much effort. Very nice to hear Tim Curry working again - he makes such a wonderful villain - and cos this was British, Eyecandy McDrooley was allowed to speak in his normal accent. So cute!
I'll say one thing about the movie though; the pigeons' movements were played for laughs but whoever animated the falcons had obviously spent a lot of time watching real birds. They were convincing; I loved watching them.

Nicked this quiz from Rakina:

INTP - "Architect". Greatest precision in thought and language. Can readily discern contradictions and inconsistencies. The world exists primarily to be understood. 3.3% of total population.

Free Jung Word Choice Test (similar to MBTI)
personality tests by similarminds.com

Well, my worlds exist primarily to be understood, and what better way to gain understanding than to build them yourself? Tra la la...

Ah yes, one last thing. Odd dream the other night. Don't remember much of it except the ending in which there was a lot of running around and chasing throughout someone's home. I think someone was trying to stop someone else getting married (or equivalent) but I took matters into my own hands by plunging a spear into a bowl. Not that anyone noticed the highly symbolic action straight away, but I woke up as I was planning to explain to them the significance, and point out that the deed was now done and they had to live with it. : )
Oddly enough, I'm not sure that remembering the rest of the dream would have that bit making sense within context. Eh. It's my subconscious and it'll confuse me if it wants to.

Back home after a nice relaxing few days at Niki's. Back with my own computer, my own favourites list, my own cat (who apparently spent a lot of time sleeping underneath my computer chair...) and my earplugs. Oh gods, my earplugs - remind me never to leave home without them! The cubs just talk and talk and talk...
Not having my favourites list handy certainly made me realise what sites I'd actually make an effort to visit considering I had to either remember the URL or google them. There was an awful lot I was happy to leave until I got home. Mind you, I've caught up with them all now.
I got to watch my 'Kingdom of Heaven' DVD while I was away (le sigh...) and the first 12 episodes of Fruits Basket. Thank you, Onna! <tacklehug> I love it! That's the biggest percentage of bishies I've ever seen in any anime. I just get giggly over one then the next is introduced and I squee again. Current favourites are the Cat and the Cow. And the Rat. And the Dog. And the Dragon. <silly grin> I may have a problem...
Haven't met the Snake yet and I've already been warned off him. <smirk>
But anyway, I laughed a lot over the 12 eps and was mildly surprised at how easy they were to watch. (I mean, I sat through 12 in one sitting and would've watched more except that Niki came home.) Thanks again, Onna!
(One question though: if being hugged by a member of the opposite sex activates the Sohma curse, how do they procreate?)

Almost finished part 2 (of 3) of the snucious smut - and still trying to overcome the tentativeness with which I approach lemons.

There's new rebel cola posters appearing around town. At first glance it looked like someone was crowbarring the lid off a toilet, causing it to spray forth its nasty brown contents. On closer examination I discover that it's in fact David Hasslehoff opening an abnormally large bottle of the stuff. Riiight... And since when has The Hoff been cool? Or is this some retro, kitchy geek cool that I'm completely misunderstanding? <sigh> I'm just not hep to the jive anymore... : )

The good thing about stupidly hot days (40+ degrees) is that they make hot days (30+ degrees) seem not that bad. : )

... and some recent misreads:
An advert for the new CD, 'Walk on Waiter'. It was of course, 'Walk on Water'.
Here's a good one, glimpsed in a listing of local xmas events. 'Our Holy Reindeer'. Gosh, how... seasonal... Though it was actually a reference to a church, 'Our Holy Redeemer'. I prefer my version...

I've been scoffing so many of the lovely fresh beans from Niki's garden I've given myself stomach aches. <g> Completely worth it - they're delicious!

Bit of an interesting day today. Cubs and I went for a walk this morning up to the shops. I'd forgot how hilly this area is but it wasn't a long slog so I didn't feel like I was dying. <g> Had a wander around the small and mostly closed shopping area, grabbed a few things and wandered back with me pointing out old residences of mine and their dad's. When we got back, Sully, Niki's cat, was really agitating to go outside. He has a small run in the backyard and I was going to pop him in there but he wouldn't let me put his harness on, and he growled at me when I went to pick him up so I attached the lead to his collar, thinking it was only a short distance, what could go wrong? Heh. His collar broke, and he was off. Aaargh! I couldn't catch him so I decided to leave the door open and hoped he'd come back when he was hungry. I kept an eye on him over the next couple of hours, watching him have fun basking in the sun and rolling in the dirt. Grrr... Penny and Sarah dropped by for afternoon tea and I related my tale of woe - and then I got a message from Niki saying she was on her way home, a day early. B'ghack!! (That's a chicken squawk, by the way) Oh no! Sully was still outside! Niki would see what a lousy house-sitter I was!
<g> She just shook her head when I told her and said: 'He's still in the backyard? He usually just disappears...' Okay, didn't feel quite so bad now.
Anyway, long story short, Niki got her days mixed up but was happy for us to stay on another night, and she retrieved her rotten cat before she headed off again. So, the cubs and I are going home tomorrow, as planned. It's been fun, and Niki found me a very pinkly tacky flamingo garden ornament. <smirk> I love it - it's made of wood, with bamboo legs and its head is on the end of a looong bit of flexible metal so it bobs up and down in the breeze... Thanks, Niki!

Almost forgot. Stumbled over this - Bunny: the book of random. So funny! ... in a bizarre sort of way. (Make sure you read the title of each page as well as the comic itself; that's half the joke, I found.) Haven't had a chance to read all of it but what I did had me cackling out loud. GoodTwin, I think you'll enjoy this. Joules didn't. <g>

<smirk> Is it significant that as the new year ticked over I was writing smut? Setting the trend perhaps?
Nah... : )

Time was, not so long ago, when I would've thought it tragic not to be going somewhere or doing something on New Year's Eve. Now? Meh. I was online, I wasn't alone. <g> Would've been nice to have a little bit of alcohol though.
It was very quite here last night. The cubs' father took them down to the beach for the celebration so it was just me, the cat and the dog. Poor Jenna. There weren't very many fireworks to be heard, fortunately, but after the first one she was waiting with her nose pressed against the back door! She shot inside and then was quite content to stay in all night.
Cubs were soooo tired when they got home around 1 a.m. they went straight to bed and didn't even quibble when I said they couldn't read for a little while. We all woke up late this morning.
(It was interesting - when the cubs' father dropped them off he mentioned that this was like a dress rehearsal for when we're in separate houses. If so then I can't foresee a problem for me.)

New Year's Determinations? One or two vaguely sensible ones plus finishing SFSG within two weeks and seeing it in print by the end of the year. We'll see how we go. : )

Happy Arbitrary Calendar Change, everyone!