Imaginary Gardens

In celebration of the death of summer, my room has been taken over by laundry (pending- and damp) as well as a suitcase in the midst of one of its great yearly transitions (the summer-winter exchange, less feared than the storage-travel one).

The weekend with Willy was brilliant. We talked mainly about our projects and respective boys. Coo-ee did we talk a lot about the boys and she's agreed that I'm being neither crazy, demanding nor am I exaggerating. So, um, yay? Anyway, it was good to hash it out with someone who knows exactly who and what I'm talking about. (Once this is all settled in Real Life I'm run y'all through it - mainly because I need to hash it out myself.) Then on Saturday night we went to a shared bday party of some of her friends (and omg, sitting on the back of a bike for a long time hurts one's bum a lot). Sunday we took it easy in the morning, then she went to work and I wandered around Amsterdam.

I've been trying to plan out my birthday this coming Saturday. Mom suggests I hang out with the people I'm trying to make friends out of, and I needn't say it's my birthday. I see the logic in that sociality is good and that if you hang out with acquaintances on your bday (and them knowing it is), they may stare at you as if you were a shaven monkey lathering on sunscreen whilst sitting on a parka**, thinking "You seriously don't have anyone better - closer - to hang out with on your bday?"

On the other hand, if I'm to spend my bday with people, I'd rather it be people who care I'm alive. If that's not an option (and when was the last time that was), then I'd rather spend it alone. Alone, yes, but doing things I like. As in, I will give myself an awesome day.

So the plan so far is a late wake-up, a full English breakfast at a local pub***, a stock-up on all sorts of candy and then a stint in the Hague, where dim sum and a movie will be enjoyed. (I'm still a bit hazy on this last bit.) I don't think I'll manage Dutch pancakes or a cake of some sort, but there's always Sunday. Somewhere during all that I hope to receive a call or two from family, but that's about it. This will be awesome and wonderful and not at all sad and the first person to suggest so will be tied to a chair and forced to watch the abysmal film Happy Birthday To Me with the McGill Architectural Porn deleted! Oh yeah, I will stoop so low.


Links of the Day:

marika_kailaya's ( too awesome for this page )
( Random Fandom )
( The Internets )

I had the dreaded meeting with my supervisor yesterday morning. Prior to it, I was feeling rather good at my progress (Introduction and Materials and Methods achieved) and wasn't at all worried about the meeting. This status, as they say, did not remain quo.

We exchanged pleasantries and he recounted his latest adventures in the field. He told me about our nomadic lion and how he seems to have taken over a pride**. (My boy's all grown up!) He extended greetings and well-wishes from people I worked with. So far, so good.

But then, of course, the usual happened. ( Read more... )

Once home, I had a pathetic excuse for lunch, version 2 (the non-titchy snack kind) and watched True Blood. For all the action, I didn't feel all that much happened, although somewhere along the way Jason went to the Wizard of Oz and got himself a damn fine brain. D'aww. Also, emo looks good on Eric whilst vomit doesn't look so good on Bill.

I called mom for a bit and we talked about the meeting and about "improving my standard of living" by adding activities to it (e.g. joining another dance class, this time Axé) and by reaching out to friends and acquaintances so they don't forget I exist and hopefully hang out with me. I admit I cried quite a bit (which was a long-time coming, after the meeting, and continued to threaten with a repeat performance throughout the evening) but mom's been quite nice recently. She actually said she would always support me, which still brings me to near-tears. (Why, hello there.)

Then, sniffling, I went with a Google map in my hand to the swimming pool I'd walked to the previous Saturday. ( Read more... )

I got home at nine-thirty, having made only one wrong turn, showered and crawled into bed with a vitamin water at 10 pm, feeling like my lung capacity had just grown by a couple litres. A little dose of Jon Stewart (March 11, I think) and then blissful sleep. The next morning involved half a dozen snooze-button slaps, but it's been going well so far. (Except, of course, for the long stretch were I wrote this.)

I called Willemijn today, and we exchanged undying love and affection, after which she promised to squeeze me in her busy schedule over the weekend and we talked about our respective boys. Turns out her mom donated her copious air miles so that Willy's beau could fly over in December, which is all rather sweet. (Six-hour-later update: Turns out she's too busy to see me this weekend. Just have to wait it out until she can, which sucks, because I really wanted to talk with her.]

I also spoke with Elisa over the weekend, and we've promised to go for Dim Sum and Thai sometime, although no concrete plans were made. *shrug* Have to try harder with this one. *promises to (force self) to call*

I've also neglected to report back on what I thought about Desperation. Frankly? Awesome. It was brilliant (with the exception of utterly fake battles with stuffed "I swear I'm a real live vicious vulture!" feather bags). Ron Perlman was perfect as the sheriff, and I absolutely adored Shane Haboucha as David Carver (which is such a biblically-appropriate name for a prayer-boy such as he). Every scene was taken straight from the book down to the last detail and it was wonderful recogniting and remembering it all. It wasn't all gore-gore-gore at all, just suspense for the most part. In all, very pleased. For other comments, I'll let this well-written review speak for me: For anyone who read the book before seeing the movie.


Right now, which is about six hours after I wrote all of the above, I've just finished copy-pasting some email correspondence to a document, so's I could have it all in one place and try to wrap my head around it. Things are a touch complicated at the moment.


Links of the Day:
blizzardcake's must watch for it's cuteness overload factor - 2PM has this show where they invite guests over and play a sort of match-making game
qthewetsprocket's i believe this is what you call a 'tag-team ukulele relay quadrille'
redscharlach's Fannish Top Fives meme
jemmalynette's Pretty Eyes Picspam
binsybaby's Mermaid Comic
kjcharmed's SPN Fanvid Crazy (Bloopers)
millylicious's SPN Fanvid No Heaven
ohnotheydidt's Harry Potter Fanfic Writer Gets Movie for City Of Bones/Ashes/Glass Series
extd_grb_injoke, of get_medieval fame
dollhousestills
New Scientist: Kenya's Lions Could Vanish Within 10 Years
Build Your Own 5 m Dome!


* Diane Schoemperlen, Our Lady of the Lost and Found
** Out of all the hundreds of things I could be missing from Amboseli, not being there to see this is the one thing that punches me in the gut.

I've started packing (and by packing I mean throwing stuff into a suitcase I'll later throw back out and rearrange). I have no idea what to take, or how much. I've sent an email to mom because I'd rather she tell me what to pack thank to be berated over it when I get there. Also, I can't think at all. I'm physically exhausted (from nothing) and have a thick an' heavy headache. I cannot sit up, I am so tired.

Quotes of the Day: Anon. or Uncredited

An Apple a Day keeps the Doctor away
But if the Doctor is cute, to hell with the fruit

Links of the Day:
ack_attack's Trip to Lost aka Hawai'i
Ragdoll Cat Breed - Goes limp when you pick it up!
After Watchmen, What’s ‘Unfilmable’? These Legendary Texts
TV Guide Magazine: Supernatural Season 5 Scoop! ; A Guided Tour of Dollhouse Season 2


* Common expression

I've still got an hour and a half of time to put in today, but I really, really need a break. My hand's cramping up and my eyes, oh gods my eyes, they're freakishly dry.

It's also hot in here, but the window here was installed by a genius. It closes by itself. Bloody thing won't stay open unless you prop something against it, but I don't have anything I wouldn't mind dropping down to the sidewalk and going splat.

I've been doing identification sheets again, tried to organize photos (but freaked out) and then did a little list of all the shit I've got to do. Didn't freak. \o/ So this afternoon I've been working on small things that a) don't freak me out and b) result in nice "Look! I did work!" amounts of paper.

I've realized that a lot of my hobbies require a computer. Well, not hobbies - my projects. (Which I hardly work on, yes, I know.) Not bad, unless you spend the day at the computer. Fanmixes and fanvids are computer-based. Fanfic and original fic could work without a computer, but then I'd need to know what the hell I've written first.

I might need to seriously think about knitting. And exercise, yes. (Hey! I've got my gym stuff with me! It's a step.)

Arg! The squishy cover on my iPod, while adorable, is now a bit floppy and so doesn't actually let me use the scroll button. Ah, genius.

Ok, seriously, my brain is sooo powered down right now. Also, I really want to watch True Blood for some reason.

Gnaaaaa...

TV SHow Meme via fallen_iceangel: ( Read more... )


Links of the Day:

jenni_the_cook's Bacon Chocolate-Chip Cookies, aka Bacon Blasphemy (Baconsphemy?), comic!
fallen_iceangel notices House has a framed photo of Colbert, Celebrity Meme, Twilight funneh
nationalparks

News: Unanimous ruling: Iowa marriage no longer limited to one man, one woman (Of course, my mind instantly went to polygamy, what with that kind of wording. I was a bit o.0 then \o/ Go Iowa!)
Fox steals more than 100 shoes
Collector stamps out in the UK, art by Dave McKean with stories by Neil Gaiman - If only I had money!
WEkilledamandapalmer: How to take photos: Depth of field

* Common expression
** Whoot!
*** Fox is stupid.
**** \o/
^ Only watched it 'cause my boy was. Thanks meme, now I'm blue.

...who begin to interest us at first sight, somehow suddenly, all at once, before a word has been spoken.*

The Questions-Via-Email Meme, c/o liene ( Read more... )


* Fydor Dostoevsky
** Oh gods, writing that hurt my brain.

I'm still studying - albeit with much more procrasty-pauses - and I'm bored out of my mind.

So, memes. ( Read more... )

ETA: And of course, I misspell "Nederlands" on the first try.
ETA2: If I have to make a list of plurals one more time I will hurt a book. Not just any book, either. *glares at workbook*
ETA3: Die, past tense, die!!! (Also, maybe that headache I've been having is hunger-related? I don't seem to be eating enough. I brought a scale from my folks. These two facts are not related***.)


* "Dutch is not hard." Answer to 6.5i. Also, a lie.
** Terry Pratchett, o'course
*** Two which are related is my gasp**** of horror after weighing myself for the first time in 4 months and my reluctance to being a glutonous fool. I currently weigh n.8 (though over the holidays I'd see n+3, so I dunno what's what), and probably ought to weigh n-4. *sigh*
**** Originally spelt as "gask", which, if not a word already (it isn't), totally should be. There's gasket, though.*****
****** Why yes, I'm still bored.

I'm in Toronto, back in my parents' home, after one whole year away. I can't remember where the dishes go, and the light switches are at funny heights, and I'm not exactly sleeping in my bed - Brother got there first, so I've got the guest drawer-bed thingy - but it's good to be home.

It's bloody fantastic to be with my family again, despite, yes, the novelty wearing off today and people being themselves and old patterns being worn even deeper.

But, happy and giving improptu hugs all the time. *happy sigh*

I'm also still jetlagged, so...

One more thing: tomorrow, I'm meeting lienne. *squees at ultrasonic frequencies*


* Margaret Elizabeth Sangster

Once upon a time, pythfic and aplysia_06 proposed a challenge. bending_sickle saw that it was good, but feared she would have to see the ship sail without her.

During the night, the Plot Bunny attacked. bending_sickle could not stand up to such an onslaught and awoke with an opening line. All through the day, that Plot Bunny nibbled and chewed on poor bending_sickle, until finally she threw up her hands and said, "Fine! Fine! I'll write the damn thing."

And lo, it was written.

ETA: Of course, I'm not completely happy with it. Do you have any idea how hard it is to do the "O-ho! It's ( a spoiler ). *pokes ineffective thesaurus*


And now, Heroes finale. *squee*


projectdownload - - What is this?

* Mark Twain

Planning on going to Montserrat with brother instead of the Pyrenees (oh gods, awkward spelling much?) depsite our both having been there already. We're not equipped for mountain hiking, and, well, since when did a plan with my brother ever fall through? (Remember our not iceskating?)

Yesterday brother got quite miffed because he wanted to go out for a stroll. ( Read more... )

Links of the Day:

ana_grrl, along with ozsaur, have set up a Six Words of Smut: Multifandom Challenge. I can summarize it with one word: hawt!

On metaquotes, cats_n_crying waxes loudly and hilariously in favour of the film 300, which I really, really want to watch.


*hopefulnebula for ana_grrl and ozsaur's challenge.

Check out the icon! Thanks fritters

I haven't had internet for a week. I am overjoyed at having my little fix back.

I'm all packed to go to Chicago tomorrow, have my stuff more or less organized for going to Spain, and have watched every Firefly ep. at least twice.

My brother bought me my computer. I bought him chocolate. (Of course I'm paying him back.)

I spoke with K yesterday. Although she's way over in NS and leaving to go to MTL, it still felt like good-bye.

I think that sums up my week pretty well.