Over at The League of Reluctant Adults, a blog manned by many writers of superior skill, every now and again book prizes get offered up for a lucky commentor. You don't always have to jump through hoops, just add your opinion or story to everyone else's and you go in the draw.
I will occasionally add a comment, but only if I can think of something moderately entertaining to say. I so very rarely win anything anywhere that I never expect loot to come my way from these competitions so I throw in a comment just to show I'm still reading and enjoying.
I had completely forgotten I'd commented for the competition. I had to go back and read my comment (it was all about Fairy Tales, Shera, Barbie's and hard hats and my recent penchant for gore in my selection of movies). And I won a thing. This thing:
It's an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of a new series. I've not read anything of this lasses before, so I'll be going in with fresh eyes, I guess.
Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), for this competition there was a catch - I have to review the book on the League's blog. Can I do it? Can I write a review that won't show me to be a complete twit with no book taste or story sense? I bloody hope so!
For a long time now, I've referred to my cat as my 'furkid'. The reasons for that, said in a tongue-in-cheek manner, are I'm in my mid-thirties (as hard as that is to admit), single and under no illusions as to the role a pet plays in my life.
Well, it would appear I was actually being more truthful than I had originally thought.
The little beast got out on Monday night and after an initial fruitless search (with much appreciated help from Baggy T and Fz), I proceeded to have a bit of a breakdown. In the shower so no one could see my pathetic-ness, but it was still a breakdown. There were wracking sobs, so hard I was unable to stand. And I was this close to being physically ill.
There was no way I would have been able to rest knowing he was out in the streets with likely next to no street smarts, so went back out to look and walked both sides of the street before I found him. Six doors down from home. And he didn't want to go back. There was squirming and hissing.
How did he get out? He must have sneeked passed me when I left to help Quatrefoil move her 'fridge. That means he was out for about two and a half hours before I noticed he was gone for a total adventure time of about four and a half hours. Yes, I counted and I also counted the miraid ways in which he would be removed from my life forever. It wasn't pleasant.
So while I felt like someone had removed my heart a-la 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom', the little shit was having an adventure. Now he's home, I can be angry that I inadvertantly let him out, cranky at him because he knows he's not allowed out and disconcerted with myself for being so damn attached to a cat. A cat. Feelings are what they are, I suppose.
On a completely different note, I saw this just now and had to share.
This is a rather long post so go ahead and make yourself a cup of tea, sit back and relax while I regale you with my weekend adventures. Go on. I can wait...
The 'weekend' really started on Thursday night, when I caught up with my friend Jodi, and it was fantastic to see her again. I forgot how much I love her company. I just wished she didn't live so far away.
After a small amount of retail therapy (if by 'retail therapy' you mean a trip to Target and a sporting goods store and a necessary pitstop at the chemist), we had sushi for dinner because sushi isn't a thing you can get in Tamworth apparently. The luddites. We then went to see 'The Hangover'. I had no expectations about it, but I found it to be inordinately entertaining. Full of boy-humour (as in, there was alcohol and roofies, vomit, dancing girls, and fatboy jokes), it was a little distasteful and really funny!
Jodi drove me home in her work car and popped in to borrow some books. My Urban Fantasy shelf doesn't look as impressive as it used to. It's amazing the difference half a dozen books can make but it will be worth it if I can create a convert to the genre. Mwahahahaha.
Friday night was a quick trip to Galaxy before the farewell for KatieMay. I have come to the swift conclusion it is impossible for me to enter a bookstore and come away empty handed. My pocketbook and sanity is much better served, therefore, by me not stepping into a bookstore for a while. Well, until the next release of an author I like anyway!
At KatieMay's Bon Voyage at the Arthouse, there was loads of good times. A lass there fitted in with the crowd seemlessly, even though she had never met any of us before - she was there with Nicole, a friend of KatieMay's. She was a cool chick. I reckon I could easily hang out with Jessica again. And chatting with Micah was cool too. It was nice to connect with new people. I also tried some Verve Cliquot and Bollinger. I now understand the fuss. I think I preferred the Verve of the two, though. Not that I'm going to go out and buy a bottle anytime soon you understand.
Saturday there was some sleeping but nowhere near as much as some! There was also washing, but I won't bore you with details.
Saturday night was dins with Honeydeath and Autumnheart and then Honeydeath and I went to see TBE at the Enmore. They went off. My throat is still raw from singing (read: screaming) along and my neck is still a bit tender from bopping my head in time with the music. (It wasn't head-banging, really. No, really. Head-banging has such nasty connotations. Head bopping is so much more dainty and genteel-like. Snort!) I am feeling fresh love for them right now. Below is a clip of 'Beautiful Mine' that someone took at the gig. I think it was the Cute Guy that was standing in front of Honeydeath and myself. It's not great quality, but it's a reminder of a truly beautiful version of that song.
The crowd were more subdued than I'm used to. Maybe there was more moshing closer to the front, but I couldn't see it. There was a Cute Couple we were chatting to while we were there. Cute as in young and wee and smiley and excited. Cute Guy, as mentioned above and one half of the Cute Couple, promised me he'd post his capture of 'Beautiful Mine', after I informed him he had to send it to me, so I'm guessing it's his clip. I sincerly hope that at no stage can you hear my excremental 'singing' in the background.
Honeydeath and I amused the Cute Couple greatly by singing along to TBE's cover of 'Reckless', originally recorded by Australian Crawl because TBE are, and I quote, 'patriotic bastards'. The Cute couple had never heard the song before. It was a sobering thought to know that they probably weren't born when that song was first released. *sigh*
The four of us laughed derisively at the couple who were right in front. Honestly, who goes to a rock concert and eats sushi? We were waiting for them to try to order a skim soy echi-chino. (Honeydeath, did I get that right?) They were the type of concert goer that really annoys me - take up positions right at the front and then proceed to be too cool for school by not appearing to enjoy the music. We were amazed that the guy actually tapped his foot to the music and nodded his head a couple of times. Shock! Horror! She lost her spot by going to the loo and then was miffed when the crowd wouldn't let her back in. Tough shit, sweetheart.
There were hugs at the end of the concert with the Cute Couple. They really were too cute.
Yesterday saw a really good, long catch up with Autumnheart and some other friends over Vietnamese. We were originally supposed to have had Yum Cha, but after waiting for over half an hour to be seated at a table we booked, we gave up and gave our money to another restaurant. And it was worth it. There was stacks of food - the serving portions were a lot bigger than they looked in the menu! I'll have to remember to go there again when I want Asian, but not necessarily Chinese.
Then there was coffee while discussing mortgages and then wondering when we got old and started to have hour long discussions about debt and housing markets rather than whatever it was we all talked about in our 20's. I can't believe I don't even remember what I used to talk about in my 20's...
Afterward, Autumnheart came back to mine to kill time before her flight back to BrisVegas. It was cool to sit and just chat HP, fandoms and the like with her again. She and BecBec are the only two people I know who understand and really know about that part of my life and, although I'm no longer a part of that culture, it's nice to chat about it with someone who gets it.
Then the next round of visitors came along. Quatrefoil popped in for tea sporting a lovely new jumper which suited her very well and then Baggy T had a couple of work chums over for dins. It was really fun.
And now I'm back at work, trying to think of work things when all I can do is think about my weekend and how wonderful it was. I was originally lamenting that all I wanted was a weekend in Hermitville, where I just sat on the couch, watched DVDs and ate (more) bad food after sleeping lots, but I'm glad I didn't. Reconnecting with friends, live gigs and happy chats with strangers made this weekend For The Win.
Friday, 10 July 2009
I have started another blog strictly for my costuming efforts. Don't laugh. I have every intention of making sure it stays a costuming blog. Quite unlike this one, which started out that way and then degenerated to what you are currently reading. It's over on the left under 'My Wardrobe Unlock'd'.
There are some photos of a bunch of my chums all swanky-fied here, courtesy of Miss Honeydeath. Below is a sample to whet your tastebuds.
The following is a bonus question given on a chemistry mid-term, supposedly at the University of Washington. Since I am a big science nerdy nerdmonster, I thought it rather hilarious, regardless of how real an answer it was. In case you were wondering how I came upon this little gem, it comes via my mum.
Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)?
(Note: Boyle's Law = gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed.)
First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today.
Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle 's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added.
This gives two possibilities:
1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.
2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.
So which is it?
If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year that, 'It will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you,' and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number two must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over! The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct......leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting 'Oh my God.'
Stormhold’s Baronial Changeover and Midwinter Coronation is finally over. The changeover was relatively painless – there was a lot less court than I was anticipating. There was a surprise Pelicaning (for both the crowd and the recipient) which was well deserved and I’m proud to say he was my friend before it all! The Coronation was... long. That’s not to say that there weren’t enjoyable parts and it would seem that their new Majesties are all for a quick Court is a good Court, however I was at the site for over 12 hours and I was kinda done before dinner was even finished.
There was much hilarity over some photos and I got to hang with my chums in and out of frocks so it was significantly more bearable. Much to my utter delight, I got a lot of compliments on Bess’ dress, regardless that I wasn’t the only one wearing a version of the frock featured in the picture to the right. It was delightful because, my own vanity notwithstanding, I got to tell Bess all the wonderful things other people said about her dress. I think she was proud of her creation. And she should be. It’s a wonderful frock.
Photos will happen when I can get copies of them.
I leave you with a Psalm I read earlier this morning, apparently written by Pepperbeast. I’m sure you’ve all read it before, but since I’m all inspired to make me some more Elizabethan goodness (because I look so good in it apparently), I figure it’s appropriate here.
A Psalm of Historic Clothing
Historicity is my guide; I shall not guess. It maketh me to measure accurately: It leadeth me beside the primary sources. It restoreth my wool: It leadeth me in the paths of authenticity for its name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of synthetics, I will take no messy shortcut: for thou art with me; thy books and thy artworks, they comfort me. Thou preparest a cutting table before me in the presence of my snarkers: Thou clothest my head with linen; my fabric box runneth over. Surely style and fit shall follow me all the days of my life: And I will dwell by the historically informed wardrobe forever.
