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

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

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

100% Seme

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(nicked from Onna's blog:)

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Freddy No Goth - by Ghastly.

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

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

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

Cubs are back to school tomorrow! <happy dance>

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

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

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

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

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

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

(nicked from Thorne's blog:)


You are Xuan Wu!

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


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


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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Not the best photo, the colours are actually much brighter, but here's about half the quilt strips laid out. There's a seperate strip on the left to show how the strips were pieced together.
Clever, eh? :)
(Thanks for hosting the pic, Joules!)

Heh, feet hurt, not surprising given the amount of walking the cubs and I did today. Went to the Museum via the supermarket (much cheaper to buy snacks there), then as we'd just missed the bus I suggested we walk the rest of the way to the train station. It's really not that far, and all downhill, so we did.
Went in specifically to see the 'Treasures' exhibition but I was a little disappointed truth be told. I was expecting to see lots and lots of old/rare stuff, but there was only 25 displays spread throughout the building. Some of it was brill – it was good to see the giant turtle shell again, and the 1940's caravan was so cute - but I was expecting more. I was also expecting to see all the pieces in the one area, I think it would've had more impact that way. Eh, I left feedback. :)
(Oh, GoodTwin, in the 'Australia Gallery' they've got the kitchen from 26 Ramsay St, the one that was destroyed by fire. Just thought you'd like to know. <g>)

Right, I've washed and dried all the cubs' school uniforms, this way there won't be a paniced scramble the night before they go back to school – again.

Mmmm... the house is smelling very Lush again. The Rock Star soap finally ran out so I trotted down to the shop to get something else nummy before I had to resort to ordinary soap. Was convinced to try a sliver of 'Miranda', so called cos it's fruity. (Get it? Carmen Miranda...) It's delicious, sweet and soft. Lovely. :)

Woohoo! The cubs' room is clean, the carpet's been vaccumed and everything.

Musical Kung-fu.
The cubs were asked what sort of games they'd like to play at their birthday party and that's one of the ones they came up with. It's like musical chairs, sort of, except that while the music's going you 'do Kung-fu moves' and the last person still moving when the music stops is out. <bg> Yes, they devised that one themselves...

Fondly remembering my own 'science experiments' at the same age I cheerfully let the cubs play about last night, mixing together various ingredients from the pantry – soy sauce, soy milk, water, vinegar, food colouring etc. I'd forgotten though, how much mess I used to make... Luckily there was a bath full of luke warm, soapy water with which to clean up. <rolls eyes>

I have a taste-memory of the porridge I used to eat when I was living in England, before we emigrated. It's taken me a long time but I've finally found a brand which is almost the same, especially when it's made with milk.

Awww, how cute! <squinch> I had a mini Hiei and Kurama battling it out around the house last night. : )

Mmmm... fluffy slippers, real sheepskin... lovely. They're blue - I had the choice of that or grey - would've really liked purple or bright pink but all the affordable slippers in cool colours had synthetic linings and that just won't do. I'm very particular about what goes on my feet.

Egad, the cubs and I made a clean spot in their room yesterday. We should be able to get the rest of it sorted today, especially as I've threatened we're not going to go anywhere fun until it's done and that includes the Golden Arches of Doom on their birthday. Mean mummy. <smirk> (Anyway, it's better if their bedroom floor is cleared before their birthday cos that means there'll be room for all the balloons...)
... and in breaking news – it's been a week already and still the lounge-room is clean...

I'm getting on with 'Cathouse Ellis' before I tackle anything else. It's already half-done, has been for months, won't take much to wrap it up and I'm in the mood for some fluff.

Got the latest lot of photos back, including a reasonable shot of some of the quilt strips. I'll get that scanned as soon as I can pin the cubs' father down to do it for me.
Heh, on my list of things-to-get is a scanner, I'll probly be more inclined to scan/post if I don't have to share them with him first. Daft, I know, this hesitancy. There's nothing really explicit or embarrasing about what I want scanned but still, it's bits of my life that he has no need to know about any more.
Speaking of the quilt, I've just started to attach the fourth strip – it's looking good. :)

I'm having one of those snivelling 'why am I bothering?' days where I'm feeling flat and unenthusiastic about everything including my abilities. Sorry to say but the thought of having the cubs at home with me for the next 2 weeks isn't filling my heart with joy either. Eh, I'll get over it.

Introduced the cubs to Yu Yu Hakusho and they're loving it. :) Only the first 12 eps are available here at the moment but hopefully the next lot won't be far behind. I think I prefer the dubbed version though, it's funnier. For example, when Kurama ('are you sure he's a boy, Mum?) takes the sword-thrust meant for Yusuke, in the original Japanese he answers the spirit detective's query as to his health with 'I'm a yokai, we don't die so easily.' and in the dub with 'It's just a minor hole in my stomach...'. <g> Guess which one had me rolling around laughing? (Plus, in the Japanese version Kurama is voiced by a woman and that's just aggravating.).
However, also watched some more Excel Saga recently (damn, that girl's perky!) and Ilpallazzo is soooo much sexier with his Japanese voice. :)

Saw something interesting on Catalyst (a newtech science program) last week. A scientist here is working on a way of utilising plastic in steel-making. Currently, coal is used in the process, for its carbon, but plastic also has a high carbon content. If a way can be found to use the plastic safely it could go a long way to reducing the mountains of waste, non-recyclable plastic pouring into the dumps as land-fill.

Joules has asked me if I want to write a particular bit in her next AC cos she doesn't like causing permanent damage to characters. Heh, I'd call her a wuss but she'd probly hit me...

On Saturday night we finally saw the episode of The Bill that was aired live in the UK months ago.
... Bit over the top, wasn't it? By the end of the episode we had 2 confirmed deaths, (and has anyone else noticed that every gay character has been victimised in some way?) 2 potential deaths, a glimpse of someone thought to be dead... Was there anything else? Oh yes, angst and drama aplenty, and Cathy Bradford digging herself deeper in.
Have to admit the acting in this one was better than the previous 2 eps – gods, those actors playing the lawyers in Polly's murder case were making a meal of it! I just wanted to slap them, tell them to get proper jobs. :)
Last night's – Tuesday's – ep was ok, though I don't trust Gabriel at all, never have, and Yay! Go Inspector Okaro! Put that Bradford woman in her place! (No I don't get too involved with my programs, why do you ask? <g>)

The cub's father gave me some earplugs the other day, they're marvellous. I only need one, in my good ear, and that cuts down the general level of noise and dampens the awful, high-pitched overtone that the telly, CD player, and the cubs generate. This is great for my concentration, it means even with the lounge-room full of people and the telly blaring I can still hear enough to know what's going on around me but not have it shatter my ability to focus on what I'm writing.

Cos the cubs did a good job at clearing their crap out of the lounge-room on the weekend, their dad gave them some spending money. They'd originally planned to get a Lego surprise thing (chupa chup lolly pop and lego figurine) but then they saw some little remote-controlled robots that were about the same price. They're very simple toys, only go backwards and forwards but the cubs are having great fun with them. You should hear the shrieks of laughter when they get their robots to 'wrestle'. :)

Ok, someone gives you something valuable, no strings attached apparently, but you know they've been wanting you to do something for them for ages. Does this sound like a bribe?
Yes, I thought so to.
We've got an election coming up and our government, as part of it's 'help for families' strategy, has given single parents, and carers of disabled people, a substantial one-off payment. Thank you very much but is it going to influence me to change my vote? Nup.
What I'm wondering though is just where this money's coming from. The government's been crying poor for the whole of it's time in office, saying they need to make cuts to health, education, infrastructure etc. This families payment must run into millions, so where is this money coming from? I don't doubt it'll be taken out of our hides at some point but in the meantime I can catch up on some bills, buy the cubs clothes, shoes and uniforms, you know, the sorts of things I can't usually manage to do on what I normally receive...

My latest Dystopia chapter, 'Hunted' is now posted in Darkside - thanks, Joules!
I was planning on having Cathouse Ellis (remember that?) finally finished before the holidays start but I've gotten distracted by something on Val's new Cyber City lj community. <bg>
Be good if I can get 'Ellis' done and out of the way though, it's been hanging around for a year. Eh, I'll see how I go and heh, at the rate Joules is writing the latest (nail-biting!) AC's it won't be long before I'll need to contribute a chapter there as well. Novel? What novel...? :)

Cleaned the lounge-room today... found a lot of socks...

Rang the estate agent about the stove, anticipating that she'd tell the owner and he'd want to come around and check it out for himself. Surprise surprise I get a call back from the agent to tell me the owner's organising an electrician to come over... <blink> Okay, good, I'm feeling more relaxed already.

My housemate's an ubergeek and he shared with me some of the things available from one of his catalogues. There was a remote-controlled clown fish, which admittedly is really cute, that'd be fun to put in an aquarium and chase the genuine fish with. :) There was also a whole range of stuff you can plug into your unused USB ports (because, gods know, it's against the law or something to have spare ports and not use them <rolls eyes>). There's things like lights, and bloody coffee-makers, but I admit I'd like the mini-aquarium complete with itty-bitty plastic fish. <g>

There's a feng shui stall in my local shopping centre. It's very interesting, full of the usual accoutrements; resin buddhas, plastic 3-legged frogs, mirrors, coins etc but I fail to see how knock-off DBZ and Power Rangers figurines could help the flow of chi through your home...

Hn. Yahoo Mail's changed its look again. They've also given me a 100meg of space now, for free, which is amusing considering I've been looking at adds for the past 2 years asking me if I wanted to buy 100megs of space. Tch.

I had a dream the other night I was drawing a raffle. I thought I'd won a prize but it turned out I'd read the number upside-down. Heh. :)

Had a fluffy bunny moment last night and watched Camelot. (I know every word to every song – are you surprised?) It occured to me half-way through that the story isn't about love and betrayal it's about possession. The only reason things blew up so badly was cos Guinevere was Arthur's property. Now, if the 3 main characters had lived in a differently structured society – like one of the ones in my head, for instance <sunny smile> – there wouldn't have been a problem. They could've all quite happily shacked up together and the outcome would've been very different. If Arthur had the love and support of the two most important people in his life, instead of fighting them, Mordred wouldn't have got his hooks in. <tra la la> (Okay, that's assuming we're still following the stories based on Mallory's 'Morte d'Arthur' which, because they were written in a particular style had to have a villain. Actually I think Mordred is horribly mis-represented in most of the stories, as is his mother... where was I? Oh yes...) I still love the musical version, Richard Harris is so gloriously sappy and if I was a princess I'd want to be just like Vanessa Redgrave. :)

Oooh! There's an exhibition of impressionist paintings starting at the Gallery! Love to go and see that, and during the school holidays the Museum will be exhibiting some of its treasures. That'll be good, too, I have fond memories of the old museum and its seemingly hundreds of rooms packed with old-fashioned glass and wood display cases. The new museum, while nifty, doesn't have the same sort of soul. The old museum had fantastic (cheesy!) diaoramas of 'man through the ages', and dinosaurs, and examples of different habitats. I remember wandering through the 'technology' galleries and being fascinated by all the weapons and armour, and clocks, and sewing machines and geiger counters... <g>

My cubs aren't camera shy. While I was fiddling with the quilt strips they noticed I had the camera out and insisted on having their photos taken with their newest toys. <rolls eyes> 3 shots of the project, 6 shots of them...
They borrowed an environmental awareness video from the library today and were quite chuffed at just how many of the 'how to be green' suggestions are already part of how we live. :)

The cubs' father was going to take them to school this morning but the car wouldn't start – again. Fortunately I was dressed and ready to go so I took them there by bus instead. Wasn't too bad, only got to school 20 minutes late.
I think – until the car is definitely sorted – it'll be less stressful for me to keep using the bus. I loathe the feeling of helplessness when I'm stranded somewhere with a dead car.
Heh, only got a week and half before it's school holidays anyway!

'k, Zoo Pt 2 is posted in Dystopia, between Joules' triffic (exciting!) Loan pts 4 & 5. I've started pt 3 of Zoo, which should nicely tie up at least one of my arcs... 'Strawberry Blue', a non-aligned, one-off, sci-fi ficlet is posted in The Vault on the Wordwrights site. Here's the link to that and be sure to go ooooh at the background tile. In fact, once you've read the story, scroll right down to the end until all the text is off the screen and just gaze at the background for a few minutes. Very soothing... (Thanks, Joules! :)

Glimpsed something really cool in a movie last night - a curtain of leaves. It looked like fake/silk ivy leaves attached to a fine net curtain but I thought wow! I could do that! <g>

I spent a little time yesterday fiddling about with the quilt strips, laying them out and getting them in order ready to sew together. Didn't need too, really, it's sposed to be put together randomly but I'm glad I did. The quilt's made up of 2 different types of strips and I discovered I'd miscalculated a little. Instead of there being 7 of one and 8 of the other, the ratio was 9/6. Oops. Not a problem, just involves a little bit of unpicking and resewing, easily fixed.
Tell you what, it's going to look very... bright when it's all finished. :)
(Oh, I took some photos of the strips. Once they're developed - and if I can get them scanned - I'll put some up here so every one can see exactly what sort of fiddly nonsense I bog myself down with.)

<snigger> On the History Channel at the moment they're showing a little snippety fill-in program about items in the collection of the Australian National War Museum. So far, every thing that's been shown has been either 'souvenired' by Aussie troops or outright stolen! <smirk> Ah, you've gotta admire the Aussie spirit of considering anything not nailed down as fair game...

Hn. Soulsis sent me a link to a writing competition I'm eligible for. Not many details on the site and I can't download/print the entry form. I'll give them a ring. I wonder if there's a particular story rating which is preferable. I assume not multiple X. :)
I think this was a competition I entered after my dad died <counting fingers> six years ago. I almost changed my mind but he'd paid the entry fee for me and I thought it'd be a waste not to accept that last gift.
(I didn't win, by the way, don't think I even placed. But interestingly I've recently been thinking about one of the stories I entered - before Soulsis sent me the link - and wondering if I could rewrite it. Coincidence? No such thing...)

(nicked from The Zone...)

How to make a Lutra

Ingredients: 5 parts success 1 part crazyiness 5 parts empathy

Method: Add to a cocktail shaker and mix vigorously. Add a little fitness if desired!

Username:

Personality cocktail
From Go-Quiz.com


Heh, a very little fitness...

L	Loud
U	Unreal
T	Trustworthy
R	Revolutionary
A	Ambivalent

Name / Username:

Name Acronym Generator
From Go-Quiz.com



Loud? Only if you count overt displays of squealy fan-girl behaviour loud. <smirk>

Monday - Queen's Birthday Holiday. Transformers marathon, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Cartoon Network.
Feel the joy.

The stove died on Saturday night while I was on the phone to OkapiPrincess (I don't think there was a connection :). One of the elements blew and I was a bit annoyed cos it was the one I use the most but I thought, no problem, I'll just transfer the pot of water to another element and keep cooking. Nope, the whole thing had stopped working. <sigh>
Niki's lending me her really neat little electric oven (it's got a hotplate on top) so I can at least <hand to forehead> feed my children.
I'll give the Estate agent a call tomorrow. Hopefully it won't be too long before the stove's replaced.

Just about finished the short (potentially) Dystopia fic, then there's another Dys fic planned, one that'll slot neatly in between the last 2 Joules wrote this week. (<impressed> How come I can't write 20 or so pages a week?)
Then what?
I'll think of something to amuse myself with, I'm sure...

Hm, the cubs are running out of socks - time to clean under the couch...

Well that was amusing. Just watched 'Gen X Cops' (1999), the Nic Tse, Stephen Fung movie I got cos I couldn't find a copy of '2002'.
Not a shockingly original story, 3 maverick rookie cops recruited for a nigh-impossible mission deep undercover in the treacherous Hong Kong underworld... Yeah, yeah but 2 of them at least were so pretty! Nickypoohs being all brooding and angular; and cute, round little Stephen with longish, blonde-tipped hair. <silly grin> The Yakuza villain was very charismatic as well, I liked him. There were a lot of familiar faces in this including Sam Lee, the ghost-partner in 2002, as the third rookie and again he's playing 'the comic one'. He does it well, though, and the three of them played off each other nicely.
Watched it with English subtitles (hardly suprising, I don't speak cantonese) and the coy difference between the fruity parts of bits of the English soundtrack and how they were translated made me giggle. And let's not go into the typos in the subtitles!
"He was a well-known Yakuza box!" <smirk> Riiiight...
Was interested to hear an Aussie accent on one of the female leads and the executive producer - Jackie Chan - makes an amusing cameo appearance.
Gen X Cops is ultimately a teen-cop flick but engaging nonetheless and the double-double crosses kept me on my toes.(Honestly, sometimes it was like a pea and cup game - who's/where's the villain again? :)
Apparently there's a sequel, Gen Y Cops, I think, and I glimpsed something about a prequel in one of the few bits of the special features I could access. Might be something I'll hunt up at a later date, we'll see how far I'm willing to let this interest in the Hong Kong movie industry go...

And this is the reason why I don't ever want to live somewhere there isn't any public transport...
Tuesday night, after picking the cubs up from school, had to get help jump-starting the car so we could get home. (That's what I was thanking Penny for – she happened along as the cubs and I were treking to the nearest petrol station.) The cubs' father and I thought it was the car battery that was faulty, and after recharging it the car started without a problem. Cubs' father got to and from work a couple of times without incident and then yesterday morning I took the cubs to school in the car then went shopping. When I got back to the car, however, I found it wouldn't start.
I'll skip the bit where I swore and cried, and cutting a long story short I left the car in the carpark and got the bus home. Got the cubs home on public transport as well, after stopping off to optimistically have another go at starting the car. (Well, sometimes it works. You leave something for a while, switch it off, and when you come back the problem's miraculously fixed. :)
So, we got the bus to school today. Not really a problem, just time consuming.

One of my cubs told me this morning he liked it when I bossed him about...
<guilty twitch> Am I setting my child up to be an uke?

Hey. Val, remember that supercool spider/twister painting you did? Remember how I said it'd sparked something? It's only a little something, just an adding flavour scene-within-a-scene sort of thing in the next novel I'm planning. Would it be okay if I used it, properly credited of course? Naturally I'll show that bit to you first, once it's actually written. <g>

I've finally begun a fic I had an idea for waaay back last summer holidays. It was originally intended for Dystopia but ultimately it's got no connection with the main narrative of that at all. It could go in with the other sci-fi/fantasy one-off's... What do you think, Joules?

Gah! I am well and truly stalled on chaper 12 of Dancing. It's really sketchy, patchy, needs a lot of work, and yes, I do believe I'm procrastinating.

Aya! Found a copy of the movie Dogma on special and I treated myself. Can cross that off my wish-list now... :)

(Nicked from various blogs.)

Well, gosh, this is a surprise...


How evil are you?


Yeah, I'd agree with these...

INFJ - "Author". Strong drive and enjoyment to help others. Complex personality. 1.5% of total population.

Free Myers-Briggs Word Choice Test
personality tests by similarminds.com

Global Personality Test Results

Sensate (50%) medium which suggests you are moderately empathetic, sensitive, and considerate of others. Intellectual (56%) moderately high which suggests you tend to be internally motivated, self seeking, and independent. Assertive (43%) moderately low which suggests you are timid, indirect, and unable to start and/or follow through on things.

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I realised something the other day, or rather, I finally found myself able to articulate it.
Men intrigue me - women don't, well, not in quite the same way. I like women, I understand them and I'm comfortable with that understanding, but men? They're like exotic, unfamiliar labratory animals, I have an almost clinical interest in poking them, wanting to see what they do. Their reactions to stimuli are fascinating.
Heh, but then fascinating or not they're like some types of fine art, really interesting to look at but not necessarily something I'd want in my house .. :)

I've decided that if/when I publish any of my work I won't be using my 'real' surname, my family name. Neither will I use my married name. This aversion to utilising these perfectly adequate names was something else that took me ages to pin down. Put simply (or about as simply as I can manage) what is write is very personal, it's mine and I want to publish it under a name that I've chosen, not a name that's been passed on to me from a male.
I've chosen the surname I want to use, it's still a family name but has come down through the maternal line. I like it, it resonates nicely...

Wouldn't a barcode make a triffic tattoo? But a barcode for what product? Favourite book/DVD? Something tacky, iconoclastic? <evil smirk> Japanese 'love-doll', perhaps, or a Hello Kitty vibrator?

(Rereading what I've written: okay, this is getting a little odd. I'm obviously tired, the barrier between what I think and what I'm actually saying is more porous than usual...)

Thank you, Penny, for rescuing the cubs and I this evening! (Dead car battery, don't panic. :)

[stares at bill, then glares at Zasshu] I hope you're sharing that with Lutra, piglet!

[growls and reaches for wallet…]

Aaaaargh! <grumble> Saturday's episode of The Bill ended on a major cliff-hanger but cos of the stupid Angel's thing taking up 3 nights I have to wait 'til next saturday to find out what happens.

Took the cubs to Smorgy's tonight for dinner, and guess what? There was a new dessert. <rolls eyes> Lemon meringue pie made as only a bulk-food family restaurant can. The crust, though sweet, still managed to be tasteless, the filling was so insipid it wouldn't have offended the anti-lemon nazis on ff.net and I swear a bit of the meringue topping that fell off my piece bounced off the table...
But the cubs enjoyed themselves and that's all that matters, right? :)

Since being pregnant I've learnt to listen to what my body tells me and right now it's telling me to avoid wheat products. Actually, given the general antipathy I have towards bread and pasta it's probably been telling me this for a while. (Though there are times when hot buttered toast is just perfect, or fresh, crusty bread with soup. Mmmmm... Anyway...) I eat a lot of rice, and quite enjoy rice noodles, so that's not a problem, and I suspect if I bought a corn-based cereal I'd be more inclined to eat breakfast. Heh, and there's always porridge – yummy – though that's more of a weekend thing. :)
Fortunately this doesn't feel like a full-blown intolerance (do you have any idea how many products have wheat in them? It's boggling!), more like a precautionary measure. Eh, will see how we go.

<happy squeak> Joules is writing a KMask/Eskara ficlet! KM is big, <quiver> so big...

Heard a quote last night (from the Brit comedy 'Gimme Gimme Gimme') that had me rolling around laughing. One of the characters accused someone of 'being so far in the closet they were back in ****ing Narnia! <wiping eyes> So funny...!

I like aspirin, aspirin is my friend. If I take some 20 minutes before I have to do any amount of walking the fused lumps of flesh and bone at the ends of my legs don't hurt so much. :)

Have you noticed that when politicians go visiting (Please, Mrs Bush, can George come out to play?) they always stage 'photo opportunities' where the Press (and the polie's official photographers, no doubt) can record the auspicious occasion. Have you also noticed that no matter how firm and friendly the handshake the politicians never look at each other, only at the cameras? I find this disturbingly insincere, and annoying.

I cooked myself a curry. Okay, it was a watered down version of an already mild dish (and the curry powder was quite old) but still adventurous of me, nonetheless. :) The cubs wouldn't touch it, naturally, but I enjoyed it.
I can just see the evil look my mum would give me if I told her I cooked it: when I was little I'd have to go hungry sometimes because I'd never eat one of her curries. <g>

I've been having a slack couple of days, not doing much else but rereading old stuff of mine. It's good to look back and see you've improved. <g> I was delving into some of my initial Professionals fanfiction, specifically a 3 part story I wrote 4 years ago with Sammi. In between wincing at the sheer clumsiness of the prose (the plot was mostly Sammi's, the words were mostly mine) I could still spot the occasional good bit and be pleased. I'd forgotten how much I liked one of the original characters, someone I devised out of Sammi's basic ideas. It'd be so very easy to lift this character and put her somewhere else amongst my original fiction – she'd fit right in to Dystopia, or the Supers' universe. Hm...
Should probly check with Sammi first – I don't think she'd mind but it'd be... polite. :)

(Why do I feel defensive about the state of the house when the cubs' father's special friend is over?)

I had a good look at the Kylie Minogue replica doll today... Is she supposed to look like a transvestite? I have yet to see a 'scanned face' doll that actually looks like the person they represent.
In a pet shop they were selling painted shells so your hermit crabs can have that funky look. Gotta admit the ladybird patterned one was cute. : )

<happy squeak> Picked my fugu sake set up from lay-by! Hee, now I can have a sake party to christen it...

The grade 3 mums had our once-a-term lunch today. You'd think by now I'd have learnt never to assume anything. Previously we've always had these lunches at a particular pub – this time the venue was changed but I only glanced at the note we were given and ended up in the wrong place. Tch. Was only a few minutes late though.
Food wasn't bad at the new place, decent sizes, reasonable prices. There's a biggish indoor playground there as well, might think about taking the cubs there sometime. (Incidentally, we lived across the road from this pub for several months but never managed to get there. Funny, eh? : )

(nicked from OkapiPrincess' journal:)

<blinks> Pardon?


Blue! Your eyes are the Blue of insanity! You make
a lot of friends easily, and you're very
carefree and easy going. Watch yourself,
though, because responsibility is still a big
deal. That doesn't mean you have to stop your
flower obsession, however.


What Color Are Your Anime Eyes?
brought to you by Quizilla


Hm. Dogs - friendly, affectionate, pretty dogs - have figured largely in my dreams the past couple of days. Generally I don't like dogs - this is interesting.

Hey! I've made it through another month without succumbing to ebay! <pleased>

One of my cubs made up this joke...

Q: What do you call something that charges at people and is really dumb?
A: An oxymoron.

Trust me, in comparison to the previous jokes he's come up with, this one is actually funny. : )

There are advantages to reading novels out of sequence. I'm halfway through Tepper's 'Raising the Stones', which was written before 'Sideshow' (the last one I read) and is set in the same continuum. Knowing what's to come takes the 'ooh' factor out of the plot twist but I'm also picking up loads of background information which is making the events of the 2nd book so much clearer. <g>

Heh, well, I probably shouldn't be thinking of starting anything new, not when there's how much stuff waiting to be finished, but I've been fiddling about with plans for my next novel. It's got a name now, or at least a working title, and I've been writing character/racial summaries.
Hee, this is fun! Going to be waaaay more involved than 'Dancing' - there may even be enough material for more than one book. Eh, we'll see. : )

Threaten to eat it? Heh, if it hasn't hatched after all this time maybe you wouldn't want to eat it? Eeeuuuww...
Has anyone's eggs hatched?

<sigh of relief> And that, I think (unless I fail) is that for the last subject I'm enrolled for. There's a couple of others I can see about signing up for but they don't start for several weeks. Eh, we'll see. :)

We've got school photos this coming friday, which means I have to find and keep clean the least stained/chewed articles of the cubs' uniforms. They really do need new stuff but it's so expensive to kit them out. I baulk at the price of the official uniform pieces and the el-cheapo brandless stuff I use as a substitute has been annoyingly scarce this year.

The piggles' cage has been slowly falling to pieces over the past few months. I obviously tugged too hard when I shifted it to a fresh spot of grass on the weekend cos the back wall of their hutch came away completely! (Damn chipboard.) So there I was with an unsecured hutch and 2 piggles who'd suddenly taken an interest in the gaping hole and potential freedom. Fortunately it wasn't too hard to come up with a solution. The cat's carry-box was in the garage, I took the front grill off of that, pushed it up against the entrance of the hutch (there was a little lip of wood it fitted quite snuggly underneath) and then jammed a brick at the back of it so it couldn't be accidentally pushed out of place. So far so good, the box is plastic and enclosed so the piggles won't suffer from drafts, and it's holding up well enough. I'll need to get a new cage for them soon though, either buy one or ask one of my clever, handy friends if they can make one for me. :)

Hn, I feel a bout of ethical vegetarianism coming on. I cooked roast chicken last night and found myself staring at the little carcass thinking: 'omigod, that's a dead animal'.
Heh, maybe if I just stick to meat in chunks, or minced, and don't think about its origins I'll be fine...

I know sour milk is what cheese is made from but it still shouldn't taste like it.

The cubs and I went swimming this afternoon. It was good, I felt much better for the exercise. I really should do this more often.

'k, my next AC is teetering on the edge of being finished. It's short and I'm not overly impressed with it but it sets up a few things.

Interesting lot of dreams last night. The first was about a selkie in a rainforest by the sea (still trying to pin the details down on that one), in the second, an unattractive man asked me if he could defecate on me – for the purposes of research. I said no but that I could watch him shit if he liked. He agreed, but then didn't show up for the appointment. The third dream was a news report/eyewitness account of the recent 'Lancaster Uprising', (or something), where 600 Protestants from the North of England travelled down to London to slaughter as many non-Protestants as possible. They'd killed 1000 people before they were caught. Weird. Perhaps I'm watching too many historical docudramas...

<miffed> Michael bloody Parkinson on his show last night called the Pet Shop Boys 'golden oldies...! Ok, fair enough they've been around for ages but dammit, I associate them with my youth.
Humph, golden oldies indeed. <settling ruffled feathers>

<sigh> My fav DVD shop has the first 3 volumes of Yu Yu Hakusho, up to episode 12. My initial reaction on seeing them, naturally, was to cackle maniacally and snatch them off the shelves...
Heh, well, I think I'll finish collecting X first; I've seen those YYH eps whereas I'm viewing X for the first time.

Finished replacing the offending stars in the quilt-strips, now all I need to do is clear a space (2 metres x 2 metres) so I can work out the order to sew them together. Hah!
This next step may take some time.
(Oh, and this could just possibly be taken as being a teeny bit obsessive, but I've worked out, roughly, that once the strips are joined up I'll have hand-sewn over 153 metres. :)

Hn, our national broadcaster is heavily promoting an upcoming program 'Angels in America. I always get suspicious when that happens, it means they've spent an obscene amount of money on something and are really hoping it'll rate well enough to justify the cost.

Ack. Seriously squicked myself last night. Forced myself to sit through all of the Herbie Hancock 'Rockit' video clip. <shudder> It's only hydraulics, think of something else...

"Thomas was a little engine with a long tongue..."
James' driver and fireman were feeling him all over..."

Hee.
Taking things out of context is such fun.

Half-way through my next AC - it'll only be a short one, I think - and an idea for a short, 'future' side-story tentatively raised its hand yesterday. I told it to line up with the rest of them. :)
Now, ideally, spending a week on my own (with computer and net access of course) would be a triffic way of catching up on work. That's unlikely to happen any time soon so I guess I'd better just get on with it.

Excavated a goat-trail from my bedroom door to my bed last night. It took me half an hour. I have got to rethink how I handle the limited space available. The easiest solution is to move to a new house with 3 bedrooms, a workroom/study, lots of inbuilt cupboards, room for bookshelves, a lock-up garage for storage etc. That'd be great but what if I can't achieve that (for whatever reason) within the time-frame I've allocated? Am I willing to continue living the way I do, picking my way through mountains of stuff, never being able to find anything without searching for an hour first? No... ergo I have to think of another way to with cope with the lack of space. <frowning> After the last couple of moves there's not that much I can/want to get rid of... Eh, I'll have a look in the garage later and see if I can shove in a few more boxes.

A conversation with one of my cubs after I'd told him he couldn't do something:

Cub: <pouting> You're Mrs No-Fun.
Me: <eyebrow> Mrs No-Fun?
Cub: Yes, you never let me do anything.
Me: Yes. You're right. I never let you use the computer, or watch television, I never take you to the Aquarium, Museum, movies...
Cub: <pause – you can hear the gears whirring> Okay, you're Mrs Almost-No-Fun then.

<rolls eyes>
And in the supermarket this evening I was stopped by an elderly lady who wanted to tell me what beautiful hair my children have (this isn't an unusual occurence). We chatted for a while and then she smiled at my cubs antics – they were wrestling with each other - and made the comment that they 'were showing off because I'm talking to you.' I smiled sweetly and said that, no, they were like this all the time...

<grumble> I'm feeling thwarted, I've not been able to find a DVD copy of 2002, not in my usual haunts anyway. Looks like I might have to gird my loins and venture into one of the Asian video shops in Box Hill.
And because I couldn't watch 2002 again I watched Velvet Goldmine instead. : )
Heh, and guess what? Iggy Pop has recently released a 'greatest hits' CD which includes 'Gimme Danger', my favourite song from Velvet Goldmine that's not included on the soundtrack. Hee, if the 30 second grab of the track I managed to squeeze out of Border's crappy 'preview' system is anything to go by, Eyecandy McDrooly's version is very close to the original. : ) Eh, even if it's not it won't hurt having some Iggy Pop in the music collection.

My latest Dystopia chapter, 'Seduction', is now posted (thank you, Joules!) and I've reviewed what there was of Dancing's chapter 11. It needs expanding, certainly, but I have to have a think about it first. The next AC is planned, and the next Elga is beginning to bubble. <happy sigh>

Tidied up all the loose ends of my scarf tonight – that's finished now - and I completed the final strip of my quilt! <happy dance> Now I just need to replace a few of the stars then I can get on with piecing it together. Chuffed? Oh yes...

The cubs favourite program on Cartoon Network at the moment (apart from Transformers) is The Cramp Twins. It's gross, though not as gross as Ed, Edd & Eddy and I swear the opening theme utilizes the first two stanzas of Slade's 'We're all crazy now...' Not entirely inappropriate given the show's content.

<growlypurr>
I watched 2002 and was hooked within the first 5 minutes. Bishies and leather and wire-work, oh my! What more could I ask of in a film? Supernatural elements? Check. Humour? Check. Sniffly bits to keep the fluffy bunny happy? Check... : )
I'd give it a high phwoooar rating too. Nicholas Tse is exquisite (and such a flexible little cuss <smirk>) but Stephen Fung (is that the actor or the chara's name? Can't remember, anyway...) isn't quite as sculptured but he's soft and round and he's got the most beautiful smile.
There was a bit near the beginning that had me giggling. Tse's character (I have enough trouble remembering Western names, let alone Asian ones. It took me weeks to sort out Kurama-Kuwabara. Where was I? Oh yes... ) told his partner he was trying to look cool in front of the 'spunk' (was there an Australian subbing this, perhaps? <g>) and in my innocence I immediately thought he was talking about the traffic cop (Fung) who as far as I was concerned was the only 'spunk' that'd had screen time so far. Silly me, Nickiepoohs was talking about a female cop we hadn't seen yet but who was then shown in a flashback.
Too much yaoi in my life? <squinch> I don't think so....
I want to watch 2002 again - now, please - which means either: a/ getting a new VCR so I can play the tape I've already got, or: b/ seeing if it's been released on DVD.
IMO this would make a fabulous series – I'd watch it! Especially if they kept the original cast... : )
There was a lovely line of script too, which is quietly nudging something in my brain – '...tears from a spirit mean love and rebirth...' Not sure where that's going yet but no doubt it'll deign to let me know in the fullness of time.

Not sure if this was deliberate on the part of the broadcaster but immediately before and after the movie they ran an add for a funeral plan. <snigger>

Right, my next Dystopia chapter is almost ready to be posted which'll mean there's 53 chapters now. Not bad, eh? : )

Blimey, only 2 more sessions of this latest class I'm taking then that one's finished with. Really should see about getting my name down for some other subjects. Eh, tomorrow...

Hee, I love inspiration :)
Got 4 pages of a Dystopia chapter done today without even realising it! This, combined with the 3ish pages I did end of last week, and the oneish page I started with months ago it's adding up nicely.

Does anybody remember from yesteryear the 12" remixes (on vinyl) of the 7" releases? (Do they even do anything remotely familiar on the CD's now? Oh yes, there's dance mixes I spose.) Remember how it used to be a case of taking your chances buying them? Sometimes they were good, just like the single you adored but 2 or 3 times longer. But sometimes they weren't good and you ended up thinking 'What the hell have they done to this?!'.

I was watching one of the LotR movies on a nice, big plasma screen the other day. Couldn't help thinking how cool would it be to watch anime on one. <dreamy sigh> Vash's nose up close. One day... when I'm unecessarily wealthy...

There's a movie showing on telly early tomorrow afternoon which - when I mentioned it to Joules - provoked a bout of spontaneous drooling. <eg> A Hong Kong flick, 2002, with Nicholas Tse. Joules sent me a copy of this movie at least a year ago and I've not been able to watch it cos the stupid VCR doesn't have a stupid long-play function (That's also the reason why, GoodTwin, you've not heard anything from me about the JJD videos, cos I haven't been able to watch them. Just thought I'd mention that. :)
Where was I? Oh yes... Anyway I've only got one class in the morning tomorrow so I should be home in plenty of time to catch it.
Course, I can't record it cos the stupid VCR won't do that either, but hey, at least I'll finally get to see it.

And speaking of movies (but not in this case recommending one) if you ever get the chance to watch Galactic Force, I beg you, in the name of sanity, no matter how much of a geek sci-fi fan you think you don't do it!
The only name I recognised in the cast list was Brigette Nielson and we're all well aware of her association with quality products, aren't we? (Though having said that, I have to say I really like Red Sonja, but that's got nothing to do with her acting ability...)
Trite, clichéd, appalling... These are some of the words I mentioned in the first 5 minutes to Soulsis - and then came the plot twist (TM). In a nut shell, the bad guys are after a power source, a crystal which is being kept/guarded/whatever by the good guys who've been hounded to the brink of destruction because of it. The leader of the good guys dies in the heroine's arms - after the bad guys have made off with the prize - but with his dying breath he tells her there was another crystal created, in case something like this happened... it had been kept safe on another planet...
Oh gods, please - I whimpered, horror struck at the looming unoriginality - please don't let that other planet be Earth...
Next shot we see the New York skyline...
That was it, I went to bed in disgust.
Awful.

The cubs have recently gotten into the Transformers and today there was much rejoicing - we picked their new toys up from lay-by. They got stumped, though, when it came to actually transforming the things from one mode to another. The cubs asked me - their technology-challenged mother - to help.
I tried, I did, but had to give up after 10 mins - I just couldn't make sense of the diagrams. I've never been good at following written/drawn instructions (I'm rubbish at origami) no matter how precise they are. However, show me how to do something and I'll pick it up very quickly (or alternately leave me alone to fiddle and prod and I'll eventually nut it out).
<g> See, not a complete idiot then...

Hn. I think the mutant eyebrow gene I inherited from my father has activated. Eyebrows that swept up to a demonic point gave his face character – doesn't quite work the same for me...

This is one of those answer-the-questions-and-reveal-all thingies. It came to me through one of the email lists I lurk on...

What time do you get up?

On a school day, usually around 7.30, any other day it depends on how long I'm allowed to sleep.

Bed time?

Between midnight and 1 a.m. generally, though that can creep up to 2-3 a.m. if I don't have to get up early the next day.

Gold or Silver?

Silver, though I don't often wear jewelery. The stud in my nose is silver and if I decide to put any more holes in my body they'll probably be plugged up with silver as well. :)

What was the last film you saw?

At the cinema? 'Love Actually'. Or was it 'Return of the King'? Tch, can't remember...
On DVD? Um... 'Love Actually'... <happy sigh>

What is/are your favourite TV shows?

Currently: Teen Titans, Mondo Thingo, The Bill, Strictly Dancing... I'm usually tuned to our ABC : )

What did you have for breakfast?

Today was a school-day so nothing until lunchtime. This isn't unusual, most school-days all my energies are directed in getting the cubs ready.

Beach, country, Mountains?

Oh yes, mountains...

Favourite ice cream?

Don't eat it very often but I'm very fond of Cafe Grande - it's got grand marnier and chocolate almonds.

Butter, plain or salted popcorn?

Ooooh! Coloured!

Favourite sandwhich?

Falafel, lettuce and tomato.
Or chicken, alfa alfa and avocado.

What characteristic do you despise?

The refusal/inability to accept that we're all part of the web of life on this planet.

Favourite flower?

Carnations, strongly scented roses, grape hyacinths

If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go?

UK! For months and months and months...

What colour is your bathroom?

Dirty egg-shell and brown. It's a rented house.

Favourite brand of clothing?

Ones that fit - Maison de Target, mostly.

Do you pray?

Daily, though I should probly point out I'm not xtian.

What is your favourite board game?

Killer Bunnies!
Oh hang on, that's a card game... um... combat scrabble.

Money or Love?

Love, naturally : ) Though money would be nice too...

What quality do you admire most in a person?

The ability to know themselves and not feel as if they have to hide/change to be accepted.

Where would you retire?

Mountains, with an ocean view. Ferny Creek in Tasmania is nice...

Favourite day of the week?

Mondays, back to school days. Closely followed by Wednesdays, and then Saturdays cos that's the first day of the weekend and I can sleep in.

Where were you born?

Hertfordshire, England, in my family's house on the banks of the river Lee.
Romantic, eh?
Perhaps - but that river stole my favourite red plastic bucket.

Favourite sport to watch on TV?

Usually nothing except when the Olympics are on and then – I don't know why – I can sit for hour and hours completely enthralled.

Coke or Pepsi?

Dr Pepper, or plain soda water with ginger cordial. Yum!

Are you a morning person?

No, but I've been forced by circumstances to become one.

Do you have any pets?

A cat, Tilda; 2 guinea pigs, Boxer and Joxer (they're both female, don't blame me, I didn't name them!)
Do children count?

... and it concluded with 2 pointless questions about who you most/least expected to send it back...

Hee, the second joint Haadri fanfic is almost completed.
And I think I've finished reviewing chapter 10 of 'Dancing' but chapter 11 needs lots of work.
And the dream-based short story I've started is leaving me with that uncomfortable, something's not quite right feeling I get from a Sherri Tepper book. Interesting...

The school had it's 'Open Night' on Tuesday night. Didn't really consider going until the cubs reminded me that the choir was supposed to be performing.
Have I mentioned my cubs are in the choir?
The performance was cute – not particularly tuneful – but cute. : ) And short - only 2 songs, which was helpful seeing as we couldn't stay for very long.

Niki and Soulsis popped in for a visit yesterday afternoon. They brought me sushi! <happy squeak> I have the best friends! (And Soulsis had found me a lovely little cheese knife topped by a ceramic mouse. That makes 4 cheese knives I have now, all of them from Soulsis... I suspect I may be adding 'cheese knives' to the list of things I collect : )

Finally finished my scarf. Can't remember when I started it - November last? - after I'd finished Soulsis' scarf, anyway, and that was ready before Xmas. Like Soulsis' scarf, mine is made from a fluffy type of wool that's awfully popular at the moment. Hers is a shining black, mine is mottled purple-green-cobalt blue. <bg>

Took the cubs to the 'Japan Festival' in Box Hill today...
<whimper> Hundreds of people there but that's not why I'm whimpering. So much tempting stuff to buy! Could've spent about 5 times the amount I'd brought if I'd been allowed to stop and browse properly. Heh, kids sometimes do have their uses.
Did get myself something really cute though, from a second hand stall: a 2" plastic figurine of a gorgeously buxom goth chick with black hair and red eyes, holding a bottle of Coke. If, as I suspect, she's from a vending machine (a 'capsule toy') she's part of a series. On the bottom of her stand is '12 Lulu'... I'd say that's a big hint. Wonder what else is in the series?
While waiting to see the cubs' father take part in a naginata demonstration, we watched some traditional Japanese dances, the ones performed with fans... <shining eyes> I want to do that! So beautiful, and there was so much joy in the last, combined, dance it brought tears to my eyes. (Hee, though one of the dance props made me giggle - 2 fans joined together, bedecked with bells and frondy things... it looked like a muppet scallop... and the first dance we saw was performed to a Japanese version of Tom Jones 'Green green grass of Home'... that was odd.. :)
Not surprisingly the cubs were far more interested in the martial arts demos (blimey, full-on kendo is fast!) and they were dead chuffed to see their father up on stage.
Fortunately I was able to dump them - er, leave them to the care of their father and his girlfriend so I could snatch a few minutes to myself before the taiko drumming.
<happy sigh> Now that was fun! Really enjoyed it, even though the enjoyment was marred a little by tired, fractious cubs who said it was too loud. <rolls eyes> But I guess it was the end of the day and we'd been there for hours...
All in all a fun time - I'll keep an eye out for next year's festival.

My journey to the darkside is almost complete...
There's an anime convention in Melbourne in August [see here - link provided by the ningen. She wants to go too...] and I'm seriously considering going, for one day at least. Of course, this is an anime con, not a yaoi con so I suspect there'll be wall-to-wall geeks in places :)
And - Oooh! - cosplay! I could make a Penelope Ham-ham costume! Yellow sheet and ham-ham ears. <evil smirk> Dead simple...

Most times I trundle along with my life - not content, perhaps, but not discontent - until something, some event, (some particular alignment of the planets? whatever...) makes me realise I'm not doing as well as I thought.
Eh well, those moments pass, life goes on...

Finished watching volume 4 of X, up to episode 15 - I'm really enjoying this series.
Someone asked me what it was about and I flippantly replied, "Oh, the usual - good, evil, the end of the world...".
It's not as simple as that <g>. It's about choices, one of which could be considered 'evil', in a very narrow Western point of view, cos it involves the destruction of the human race. (Some people think this is a bad thing but within the context of the series it actually makes sense to me. :)
I'm thoroughly enjoying the delving into the characters, their lives and motivations, and yes, X is a bit melodramatic in places but hey, it's by CLAMP, what do you expect? <smirk>
Hope I can pick up the next volume soon!

My cubs have joined the school choir... I've just had one of them sing 'You can't stop the music' (Village People - remember them?) at me. I couldn't help it, visions of bike leathers and hard hats were conjured up in my mind...

Okapiprincess found this delicious site. The cubs and I have been discussing how to do Garfield. Rice and grated carrot figures largely. :)

I'd be cringing at the marysueness of my Haadri fanfic if I wasn't having such a good time.
Joules, bless her, has assured me it's not reading like a marysue and I guess she's right. True, I've created a character purely so I can play in the Haadri universe but unlike other fanfic I've had the misfortune to read, her presence isn't affecting the main narrative, like say, Aragorn's half-sister would. <shudder>
But the point I'm trying to get to is that I've finished the second fanfic, and Joules and I have completed a combined third. Neat, huh? :)

Been a good week for dreams too. The one I woke up to this morning left me with a profound feeling of peace and loving acceptance (until I realised I'd slept in and if we wanted to get to school on time we'd have to leave in 20 minutes... aaargh!) and the dream from the night before is in the process of being turned into a one-off short story. Ah, I love my imagination - conscious and subconscious.

Not sure what's been happening with the school this term but so far every time we've been asked to outlay extra money we've only been given a couple of days notice. Fine, they've not been large amounts but I budget week-to-week, and having a sudden request for $20 can throw things out siginificantly. Anyway, I whinged quietly about this to one of the other mums and she told me yesterday that her husband – who's on the school committee – had raised my complaint at the latest finance meeting. Heh.

<grumble> Something's not working properly in my 'puter, it's got to the stage now I can't use ICQ and Word concurrently cos the system seizes and I have to reboot. This is really aggravating seeing as I do a good chunk of my writing while chatting to Joules (not to mention it's been impossible to chat to more than one person at a time for months anyway) and I can't retrieve any work I haven't saved if the computer freezes. Ah well, short of getting a completely new system there's not much I can do about it at the moment, and being a resourceful soul (once I've finished having a tantrum, that is) I can usually find a solution to most problems.
Notepad doesn't seem to cause any conflicts and I've discovered it's got a 'word rap' funtion. Excellent - this means everything is contained within the screen and I don't have to use the scroll bar to read along a sentence. :) I hate that.

Our local supermarket had my favourite plastic storage boxes on special again this week. I grabbed a couple and managed to decant the contents of another 4 ratty old cardboard boxes into them. Slowly, slowly working through...
One of the boxes I dealt with contained all my old metal miniatures that I've been meaning to paint for years. It was fun going through the assortment of Ral Partha, Grenadier and AD&D goodies (those names will probably mean more to gaming geeks :), and remembering what I'd intended to do with them. In my next house I'd like to be able to set up a work desk or table where I can, theoretically, work on these and my wooden boat model, and any other of the dozen or more crafty things I've planned in the last decade...

(nicked from onna's blog:)

What French word are you? by Jetster
Name/Handle
Word	déesse (goddss)
Created with the ORIGINAL MemeGen!

(Tch, and now the 'preview' function in Blogger's edit screen isn't working...)

I found a grub in my brussel sprouts tonight, cute little wiggly green thing. Fortunately I found it before I started cooking... : )

<sigh of relief> Had the final test today for the last of my term 1 subjects. I'd be surprised if I failed, it wasn't particularly involved. I'm down to one subject a week now and even then that's only an 8 week module. Half way through it already. Heh, better check the timetable and see what other subjects I can wriggle into.

Almost finished my second Haadri fanfic - Joules seems pleased with it.
Of course, it won't be for general viewing yet, not until First Light is released, it's only we few (we lucky few, we band of beta-readers...) who are able to read anything Haadri related for the moment. Which feels a little unfair but then again, it means there'll be some extra material ready for those who've devoured the first book and are tearing their hair out waiting for the second. : )

Heh, my Melbourne Aquarium membership is due for renewal this month - there's no hesitation, I'll happily renew it. The cubs and I have been to visit the fishies loads of times this past year, something we wouldn't have done if we'd had to pay full price each time.
Mmmm... fishies...

What the hell have Blogger done now
What was wrong with the old software? <grumble>

Mmmm... It's amazing what you can do with a tin of tomatoes. Stewed with fresh, grated ginger and white pepper that's been sautéd in butter, then served with rice. Yum!

Heh, well Mother's Day didn't go quite as planned but it was still enjoyable. It started with the cubs waking me nice and early – not to wish me happy mother's day but to ask if they could get online. <rolls eyes> I said they could, just until I got up, then promptly went back to sleep. When I did finally drag myself out of bed my loving children were thoroughly engrossed in an online game and I had to remind them about the presents they'd been asking me all weekend if I wanted early... (And these were a purple note book, tissues [in a purple pack – my cubs know me too well : ] and a rose-scented drawer sachet thingy. Oh, and volume 4 of 'X' from their father and Mum gave me a lovely, long scarf in blues and pinks, purples and peach. Hee.)
Soulsis (and her chicks) brought my Mum down a little later and we all headed off to Smorgy's for lunch...
Except that Smorgy's was full - no room in the carpark and the line of people waiting to get in stretched back to the road. We didn't fancy tackling that so we went to a local take-away instead. Ended up being waaaay cheaper and much, much less crowded. :)
Hee, then we came back to my place and watched 'Love Actually' again. <happy sniffle>

Joules recommended Gandhi's blog on her blog, and now it's my turn. It's well written, well researched and if you're at all interested in relevant commentary about what's going on across the other side of the globe, take a look.

I shouldn't be democratic when I'm having a clean-up, should I? I shouldn't ask the cubs if they want to keep that grotty bit of paper they've drawn on, or the now mangled school project, I should just nick it when they're not looking and throw it out...

Been a while since I've done a quilt update. : ) Just finished the 14th of the 15 strips, then I can replace the 10 or so stars I don't like so much, and then I can start putting it all together! Exciting, ne?

Well, it's taken 6 months of lay-bys but I've finally acquired all of the Tidja Midja Nidja Turtles action figures. Now all I need is somewhere to put them... : )