Yesteryear

April Fools! April is just

April Fools!
April is just around the corner and with it comes a delightful day of pranks and jokes! So, having a rather impish manner and considering that we take delight in teasing, occasionally tormenting and playing jokes on each other and the ones we care about, we have decided to partake in Robyn April Fool's Blogger switch. To aid in this deception we have enlisted the help of a wonderful Blogger who shall go unnamed. Can you guess who will be writing as the Guest Writer? Let the games begin! Happy April fools to all.

Happy Easter and a Belated

Happy Easter and a Belated Passover.

[yawn] Why do cats need

[yawn] Why do cats need to wake you up at the crack of dawn?

Friday Five.
a little late, but here it is.
1. If you could eat dinner with and "get to know" one famous person (living or dead), who would you choose?
Oh lordly, there are so many for so many different reasons. Just one, are you sure I can only choose just one and not per say one dinner with a few people like Jane Goodall, Tolkien, Einstein, Asimov and Neil Gaiman.

2. Has the death of a famous person ever had an effect on you? Who was it and how did you feel?
Princess Diana's death had an impact on me, Juts very sad to know that someone who was still young and who gave so much to the world had passed away.

3. If you could BE a famous person for 24 hours, who would you choose?
The artist side of me wants to say Karen Kain. The extrovert would love to be Julia Roberts and the scientist just wants to be like Albert Einstein. [shrug] Not sure why though.

4. Do people ever tell you that you look like someone famous? Who?
Yes, for a while when I was growing up, people likened me to who played Laura Ingles on little house in the prairie, it must have been the 2 braids my mom constantly wove on the sides of my head. Later on, a friend likened me to Wionna Ryder, I am not quiet sure how they saw that but [shrug] it is what they saw.

5. Have you ever met anyone famous?
Not that I know of.

Danke Shen! Just wanted to

Danke Shen!

Just wanted to say thanks to an amazing, talented, person. Thanks Candi! Thanks for helping us out, sorting out all of the errors and making all the frustrations go away. You are absolutely wonderful! In the immortal words sung by Ferris Bueller; "Danke Shen, Darling, Danke Shen..."

Error Rant! Argg! I hate

Error Rant!
Argg! I hate Internal errors!! Why is that when you get one help becomes so vague. "You have an error, please email us about it and anything you may have done that caused it." How am I supposed to know how I caused it? We followed everything correctly. [grumble] Excuse me while I desperately bounce about the web in search of something that may provide a glimmer of hope and direction.

Perry Como does it every

Perry Como does it every time, I am bopping away to "It's a good day"
Oh it's a good day for singing a song,... it's a good day for losing the blues. Oh yeah! Excuse me while I bop away and go bake some scones.

Bottomed Out. You know you

Bottomed Out.
You know you are a pitiful caffeine addict when you finish the mug you have had and go looking for more coffee only to find an empty pot and instead of making some more, because you feel that it would not be a good idea and just might put you over the edge especially when you know that you'll be heading out for coffee with a friend in an hour, you desperately attempt to get the last dregs of coffee out of the pot by adding milk into the pot and then pouring the concoction into your dirty mug for the extra caffeine kick.

Dudley Moore passed away yesterday.

Dudley Moore passed away yesterday. That is quiet sad, I was wondering what happened to him.

Gear Slut I am an

Gear Slut
I am an outdoor gear freak, I love perusing through camping catalogues and looking at all the new gear that is out there. I am currently looking for a tent. The one we [Ozzie lad and meself] had is in Australia, hopefully having a grand old time in the desert and on the beach. Have you taken her camping yet Oz Boy? I am hoping to be able to afford a north face one day, preferably the Roadrunner 2, though in the meantime I thought I'd give our "local" Outdoor Co-Operative store a looksies. So while perusing online at the MEC [Mountain Equipment Co-Op] I found this. It would be such an ideal way to camp, now if only they had one for two people and it could be hung without doing damage to the trees.

Do I really need to bring one of these or this along when we go camping? Wouldn't a pot do the job? But it just looks so neat, sleek and would just make yummy cup O' Coffee! Oh heck, if we are gong to bring along a coffee maker we might as well lug this with us too. Coffee and freshly baked buns in the morning, what could be better?

Note to self: Do NOT,

Note to self: Do NOT, by any means, take a sip of the apple juice and ginger ale mix that you so very much enjoy, if it has been sitting out all night on your computer desk. [lemon face - Ick!]

I am on vacation,

I am on vacation, neener, neener, neeeee-nerrrr!!! :-P

Well now that the childish bratty side has gotten that out of the way. I think it might be time for me to get some of the stuff that I have been putting of since the beginning of the semester done. This would include a handful of assignments that have been due for at least a month. The only redeeming point to me not having done those assignments is that the teacher knows he'll be getting them in one large pile at the end of the semester. I also need to go on a massive CV sending blitz. Got to find me a job n my filed soon, school ends on the 10 of May, I am hoping to be working by then, or not long after. [fingers crossed, face scrunched up in hope] Then there is the housework that has been neglected for the past few months. Does one still need to empty out boxes and place things in their appropriate spots if they know they might be moving in July?

*Gaffaw* This brings back memories

*Gaffaw*
This brings back memories of being young and the silly games we use to play. [wry amused smile]

You will marry LEGOLAS from Lord of the Rings, live in an ancient elven palace in the middle of the forest, and spend your days walking on top of snow and rowing ivory boats and just being beautiful.

What's YOUR M * A * S * H future?

link snagged from Dreamchaser

Ashley's This or That! 1.

Ashley's This or That!

1. Batman and Superman? Superman.
2. Aquaman and Robin? RobYn :). Never really got into Aquaman
3. The Wonder Twins and The Ambiguously Gay Duo? Why darling, The Ambiguously Gay Duo of course.
4. Spiderman and Spawn. Spiderman, any man who can spin a web and swing from buildings has got my vote.
5. Do you Spring Clean or not? Not per say. Though every now and then I will go on a cleaning frenzy, and clean the house from top to bottom. [It is generally suggested to stay out of my way at these times]
6. Do you check your email once every hour, more often, or less often? Depends on my mood, or if I am expecting an email from someone. There are days when I will check it once or twice and others when I am constantly clicking the "check mail" button.
7. Do you have one or more email accounts? Umm, 5 or 6 I think. A couple of them where created a junk mail accounts.
8. Stiff as a board or light as a feather? I would so love to be light as a feather, supple and graceful, my body however is currently stiff as a board.
9. Float like a butterfly or sting like a bee? Float like a butterfly and the warm winds of summer. [though if given a choice I would rather be a dragonfly.]
10. Both feet on the floor or head up in the clouds? My heads up in the clouds as I desperately try to keep my two feet firmly planted on the ground.

Monday Mission in the grand

Monday Mission
in the grand old style of showing up and trying to catch everyones eye at the ball, we are late again [sigh]
1. What helps you get started every morning?
Waking up to Hugin, followed by a shower and a huge honking mug of coffee. Without those I am not able to function properly and am a grumbley growly bear, at which point the best advice is stay away unless you are proffering a mug of coffee.
2. What is the most memorable thing anyone has ever made for you?
Oddly enough, it's hard to say what would be the most memorable thing someone has made/done for me. There are a few things that were given to be that are very dear to my heart, a dance under the stars, a portrait that a dear friend painted, a picture that was drawn by a seven year old that I use to baby sit.
3. What music are you currently listening to in your car? Car, what is a car?
Unfortunately we do not own one of those, however when I do get the chance to drive I bring along a mixed CD, [songs from various soundtracks -my best friends wedding, hackers, the crow, stealing beauty, the sweet hereafter, matrix. All in all a rather eclectic mix.] and will occasionally see what is on the radio.
4.One thing I like to do is buy USA Today on Wed, Thur and Fri. Even if I don't have the money, I will find a way to buy them, because I just love reading them. What is one "splurge" you allow yourself, even when you shouldn't?
Books of any kind. Even when money is tight and I know I should be saving it my one weakness has always been a book. That and ice cream when I am feeling blue.
5. Have you ever been given a "second chance?" What happened and did you make the most of it?
Have been given a few, at life, at doing well in school, and at keeping a friendship with a dear friend. I hope that I am making the most of it, I hope that I am in fact living my life to its fullest. Granted there are ups and downs, some really great times and some not so wonderful ones.
6. Do you have a lot of friends outside of your own ethnic background?
I have more friends outside of my ethnic background. I grew up with a mother who loved to travel and who loved meeting new people from all walks of life, from different regions, cultures and religions. So I grew up with a mixed group of friends, who are mixes themselves.
7. What was the last situation that really, really pissed you off?
Too long a story to go into in this entry. One day perhaps I may post about it. To sum it up, people who have hurt others to make themselves feel better.
BONUS: Who's your friend when things get rough?
Hugin and Awe-C Lad! As for the real answer to this I haven't a clue. Ghostbusters?

Packing foam... This green packing

Packing foam...

This green packing foam has a strange scent to it as I am putting some in a box... my brain being somewhat unwell at the moment (perhaps more than just the moment, but I digress) is thinking about this and the thought pops into my mind:

Soylent green packing foam is people!!!!

He tells me I give

He tells me I give him headache and then he calls me wonderful. Men! Go figure... [teasing smile]

We got us some more

We got us some more
On Saturday we went out for breakfast and a walk, which inadvertently led to a bookstore, a walk underground because it was too damn cold to walk above ground and a pet store since we left the house with the intention of picking up three more fish for our aquarium. I love wandering about pet stores, I love seeing the animals, petting them and looking at the various types of fish, reptiles and rodents. The only problem is that as much as it cheers me to see them, I always land up leaving with the desire to bring as many of the animals that I possibly can home. This time was no exception, instead of leaving with 3 new fishes we walked away with 6, two platys and four neon tetras. The platys are quite pretty, their tails and fins are black, their bodies are yellow and a deep sunset orange and their mouths have also been kissed with black. The neon tetras are stunning, I just adore the way they glow. They all took to their new aquarium fine, but we noticed that the tetras were a little shy and figured that they might feel more comfortable if they where a larger school of fish. [Yup, any excuse to get new animals can and will be used] So today after school I headed back to the same pet store with the intention of picking up 2 more tetras to even things out a little bit and make them feel less "small". I came home with 3 cardinal tetras, which look like the neon tetras with the exception that the red strip runs all the way along their bodies. [wry shaking of head] I cannot be trusted to go to a pet store and come back empty handed. This is why I have no doubts as to a farmhouse being built/bought in our somewhat nearish/distant future. On that note, I think we need a bigger tank.

According to this site I

According to this site I have lived 10,825 days and have 22,974 days left to live. If I do thinks right I should last till the ripe old age of 93 and will pass over on Tuesday February 10, 2065 at 5:39:00 PM. However, if I am super good I can make it to 100. I am opting for the one hundred since there are many things left in life that I would like to accomplish, there are many more places I would love to see, people I know I would like to meet and adventures yet to find. This death watch thing though, the counting of days, seems somewhat grim and rather disconcerting to know I only have 23,000 odd days left to live. [If everything works out well] It just doesn't seem like enough days... [Thanks to Neurotic fishbowl for the link]

I am going to leave

I am going to leave the posting of the Oscars to my better half, who is by far more vocal in this area then I can be since it has been years since I have watched the Oscars. Though I shall be popping into his on going post as the Oscars continues to give my own 2 cents worth.

[side post - Love, it is wonderful to be able to watch them with you this year]

"OSCARS" {--- Look what Munin

"OSCARS" {--- Look what Munin is doing!

I like watching the Oscars. Sort of like I used to watch the Miss Universe competition when I was younger; watching the people on the show was enjoyable but watching the interviews and presenters is torture. The poorly written stuff they have to say is barely redeemed by some of the well-spoken individuals cast to speak the lines, other times... ouch.

As another thought, it was good to see Jodie Foster on stage; and glad to see that she is back on film.

"Ruh-Neb" Cool. Roberto Benigni. Yup, I like him. I love watching the first part of La Vita e Bella. He is simply amazing. Also really enjoy watching The Monster.

[[Munin - I am glad that they did a clip honoring New York city, I thought it was well done, well put together and well presented. Was expecting to see some shots of the World Trade Center. Don't know why, I thought it would of been good of them to honor that site as well in remembrance]].

Uh-oh. I was just reminded of that other thing I really find irritating in the Oscars... the shows. I know they are supposed to pay tribute to the movies to which they emulate but last year, for example, I thought that the little bit they did for Crouching Tiger was just awful. Maybe it was just me, maybe it wasn't that badly done or anything, and yes, there were some aspects to it which were technically nice (unless memory no longer serves), but I still find them to be a less than most sincere form of flattery.
Although in all fairness, it was Cirque de Soleil - they damn good.

[[Munin - I love what they did with the animation films. The planting of the main characters in the audience, it was absolutely brilliant. Especially having a take ready for the ones who didn't win the Oscar]] Ah, but I remember them doing that with Toy Story... so not too new.

So, Sidney Poitier... now I have the desire to watch The Defiant Ones again, To Sir with Love, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and Stir Crazy. They are some of my favourite films and I have always found Sidney Poitier to be an amazing presence.

And as another aside, Julia Roberts. A most real person, who shines through in her every smile and laugh as more real than real, very human and endearing in her simple presence. [[Munin - Agreed! She has to be one of my favorites actresses, along with Kate Winslet and Renee Zellweger (and a handful of others). Who are down to earth people, sincere and real.]]

Congrats to Randy Newman. The man deserves it, although undoubtedly in my opinion he deserved it before this. But then aside from May it Be and Faith Hill's singing there wasn't much competition; couldn't stand the jarring nature of the songs by Sting and Paul McCartney.

[[Munin - My congratz to Denzel Washington, it's about time he got an award. It was really good to see Julia Roberts give it to him, and so very endearing to watch her reaction when he won.]

[[Munin - and now for the catiness.. the clothes... Oh just go see it for yerselves, each of us has our own sense of style, some of us know how to dress and others, well others need a better sense of fashion. What was Gweneth wearing?!? Yoiks!]

Itchy Feet Have that itchy

Itchy Feet
Have that itchy feet syndrome going again. Need to travel, or go on an adventure or something. Every spring without fail, I get the urge to pack my bags and disappear, to travel for a while and discover something new. So, this spring with out fail that urge is back. Have been looking about the net searching for something to do, some new place to visit. Have needed to get out and enjoy the outdoors. Unfortunately it's gotten cold here again so those desires have to sit and wait till the weather warms up and I am free to wonder about our city in search of new adventures.

Mellow Me. [[As close to

Mellow Me. [[As close to a title as I do]]

You are Hobbes! You're a bit too mellow to be an incarnation of Calvin, but you're still his best pal. You don't mind having fun, though, and enjoy playing tricks on your friends when they least expect it.

Calvin at his best! You

Calvin at his best!

You are Spaceman Spiff! Zounds! You are the intrepid Spaceman Spiff, the engaging explorer ensconsed in an unending universe of exotic and evil extraterrestrials! You're brave, but you should give that dictionary a rest. Take the What Calvin are You? Quiz by contessina_2000@yahoo.com!

Link graciously stolen from Sekimori

The Friday Five 1. What

The Friday Five

1. What is your favorite time of year?
Spring when the flowers begin to bloom, and everything is fresh, followed by summer, the beginning of autumn when the leaves begin to change and then winter, but only for the first two weeks.
2. What is it about your favorite season that, well, makes it your favorite season?
The newness of spring, when the snow has finally melted and the lawns are a vibrant green, the trees are budding with new color and the flowers are in full bloom. I love being able to walk at night or during the day without many layers and just inhale the scents, feel the warmth on my skin. There is something about spring and summer that makes me feel alive. I also love autumn when the leaves begin to turn and the trees look all aflame. I can do without the cooling off the weather, but there is something magical about it all.
3. What is your least favorite time of year? Why?
Winter. As much as I love the snow I hate the cold. I dilike that feeling when the cold goes right to your bones and chills you from within. I much prefer it when it is warm and sunny and I don't have to worry about extra layers.
4. Do you do anything to celebrate or recognize the changing of seasons?
No, not as of yet. Wondering if I ever will. [though I think i would like to]
5. What's your favorite thing to do outside?
I pretty much grew up outdoors, my mom started me camping when I was really young, I believe I was 9 months old, something like that. So I pretty much enjoy all the activities you can do outside, my favorites though are; Camping, hiking, climbing, and playing in the water. I love being outdoors; I love waking up in the woods by a lake, just as the sun is rising or watching it set. I love lying under the stars and I miss sitting in trees and reading books. On those really hot summer days, I miss playing in the ocean.

Well I'll be darned Seems

Well I'll be darned
Seems like I passed my midterm. Yahoo!! [bounces up and down] Just skimmed by with a 60, which is not the greatest of marks. However, considering only 2 other people passed, well, I am darn well pleased with myself and very shocked. I had quiet honestly expected to flunk and get somewhere in the region of a 40 -50 percent. I guess I must have understood a little more then I gave myself credited for. [wry smile] Our teacher was kind enough to go over the exam with us, and explained the dreaded Four Bar Linkage System a little more clearly. Maybe next time I'll see them I won't be so dumbfounded. Well, a girl can dream, can't she!?!

...a little to the right...

...a little to the right...
Body all tight and unhappy. Had another few semi sleepless nights. [blech] Woke up two nights ago at four in the morning to a screaming back that you could bounce quarters off, a tightly clenching jaw, and a mind the wouldn't stop running around in circles as I tried to figure out how to make ends meet. Tossed and turned for a while trying to shut brain off until I woke up Hugin, who sent me off to go get some muscle relaxants after trying to message the knots out of my back for 20 minutes. That worked, and the Robaxacet has the side effect of making me sleepy, I conked out at about 5:30. Wahoo! Woke up in the morning feeling minutely refreshed and the jarring pain that was my back had subsided to a dull ache. The rest of the morning went all right but my back gradually got worst in the afternoon. The drugs must have been wearing off. I generally don't like using medication, I am always worried that it will become a habit, or a crutch and I will find myself becoming more dependant upon the little pills to make me all the aches and pains disappear.
I think my back, neck and shoulders have now hit the chronic stage, as nothing we have tried seems to be making them better. Hugin has given me countless messages over the past few days, only to have my body relax while he is kneading the muscles and tighten up as soon as he departs. We tried Tiger Balm last night, which worked well until I had a shower. So tonight I am going to try something a little different. Aromatherapy Baby! Picked up a scented oil this afternoon [lavender - supposed to be good for stress], some bath oil and a few candles. Hopefully the bath combined with the scent will be able to get me to relax a little, so my body can start the process of untangling itself. Hoping that this will work, as my body is beginning to feel battered and thin. If anyone has any other ideas I am definitely open to suggestions.

"It's time to put on

"It's time to put on make up, it's time to start the show..."
Hugin reminded me of one more show that I used to watch when I was younger. He did so by downloading an episode and forcing me to watch it. Yes, I am somewhat ashamed to say that as a kid you could find me glued to the TV as I watched The Thundercats. Looking back I am not quiet sure what I found so thrilling about this show. I guess it was the adventure aspect of it. That's it, wasn't it? Or was it the dramatic music?

Jabbering on about childhood shows, I think the ones I miss the most would have to be Fraggle Rock and The Muppet Show. I miss Henson's ability to perform magic through the use of puppets. For those brief minutes I was transported away into a world of fantasy and sarcasm. [The sarcasm always came in the form of the two grumpy old men - yes even at a tender age I learnt to appreciate the value of sarcasm] Aside from the sarcasm, I was just awed by the show and would await breathlessly for my favorites to appear. I didn't particularly care for Miss Piggy or Kermit the Frog. Granted they were supposed to be the stars of the show, with whoever was the guest of the day. [However I must add, the only time I found them to be funny was in the "Pigs in Space" episodes] But to me, Animal, The Swedish chef, Beaker, The Grumpy Gusses [or "Mr Waldorf and Statler" if you prefer], Gonzo, and Fozzy Bear, were what made the show come alive.

Fraggle Rock was a joy on it's own. I can't remember who my favorites where or what their names were. All I know is that I could sit and watch that show for hours. I must find myself copies of the episodes soon.

Evidently, THIS is supposed to

Evidently, THIS is supposed to reflect, in someway, the way Munin and I play Diablo 2. I don't see it... excuse me while I go polish my shinies!

[[Munin- Darn tootin' you rune nabbing gem stealing thief. [warm smile]]]

Go ahead, spill coffee on

Go ahead, spill coffee on it... although that would be a waste of coffee...

Is it not the first

Is it not the first day of spring? Then why does it feel like we are smack in the middle of December? It snowed on Monday, big fluffy flakes that stuck to your eyelashes and gently glided down to settle on your nose. It snowed until there was at least 6 inches [15 cm] of snow on the ground. We all thought that's it. That must be the end of it all, the March snow hath fallen, spring is just around the corner. Boy, were we wrong. Skies were clear when I headed into school today. When I stepped out of the subway, I was surrounded by a veritable snowstorm of white flakes. No these weren't the fluffy flakes of yesterday, gentling flitting about these were the determined I am going to slam right into our face and spit in your eye type of flakes. The weatherman says we should expect another 4 inches [10 cm] of this stuff. Has Mother Nature gone insane?
I guess it's time to hunker down in our homes for another few weeks, curl up near fireplaces or under big fluffy covers, and pray that spring gets here soon. I was so looking forward to storing my big winter coat and skipping about the streets under the sunny skies without a care in the world. [skips away]

Excuse me while I rant

Excuse me while I rant and whine about nonsensical unimportant things. Oh fuey, Blogger is being a pain in my ass, it seems to be down again and now it is slow as a snail.[GRUMP!] I swear as soon as I can I am switching to MT, hopefully their new version should be out soon. It should be a breeze, right? All I need is a little time, some will power and a large cup of coffee.

Ahley's This or That! 1.

Ahley's This or That!

1. Run or walk? Skip. I love walking and strolling about the park or through the streets of our neighborhood. Occasionally I will have an urge to skip and flit about.
2. Thistle or dandelions? Thistle. I think.
3. Birds singing or crickets chirping? Crickets chirping. They remind me of snuggling up in an oversized sleeping bag under the stars.
4. Allergies or none? Dust mites, cat hair [sniff] and strangely enough hair spray.
5. A, B, C or 1, 2, 3? Both. [Now I've got the Jackson 5 song playing in my head. "A, B, C as easy as 1, 2, 3"] Both because I like numbers and letters equally.
6. "Easy as pie" or "simple as cake"? "Easy as Pie" [just sounds right] Oh pie, I love pies.
7. Trampoline or swimming pool? If I could get my way I would say both. A heated pool so you could swim in all seasons. A trampoline to bounce on. [Funny that this came up, we were watching "Big" last night, our flatmate remarked how he had always wanted that trampoline, especially how it was set up in the loft. I couldn't help but agree.]
8. Nickel or penny? Pennies! Have started this massive collection of pennies.
9. Basketball or baseball? Baseball. My step dad and I used to go watch the Expos when I was young.
10. Sliding doors or French doors? French doors and sliding doors. French doors because I find them to be very elegant, especially when they are used indoors. Sliding doors are more serviceable and would be great for a patio door.

Monday Mission Sunny days, everything

Monday Mission
Sunny days, everything a-ok, will you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?

1. As a child, did you ever wish you had a different name, maybe a name you wish your parents had chosen? To what would change it if you could?
No, which I find odd because I would imagine myself to be someone else. Someone who was more elegant, smarter or prettier then I. Someone who was more popular, more agile and capable of speaking eloquently. Who didn't stumble over words. Through out all my imaginings, no matter whom I made believe I was the name my mother gave me has always stuck. Granted it has been shortened by myself, easier to pronounce that way. There are several names I do love, Mirie and Anushka are a two. [Maybe one day I'll have daughters and can use those names then.]
2. What skill have you been wanting to learn but have just kept putting off?
So many. I would love to learn some woodworking and there are some more computer programs I would love to pick up as well as some languages. [Spanish is one of them]
3. Are there any regional foods you love but just can't get where you are living now? (burger chain, ice cream shop, etc. that was in your hometown but has no locations where you are today)
Nope. Lucky enough to live in a city that has pretty much all the food that I love. Ok, with the exception of Peri-peri, a hot sauce which I haven't been able to find here, yet.
4. What recreational activity would you take up if you had the time and/or money?
There are three. The first is flying. I would love to get my pilot's license, both my private and commercial license and then go onto hydroplanes. The second is sailing. I have always loved the ocean and would love to relearn how to sail. The last time I sailed I was twelve. It's been over a decade since I have had a chance to glide on water. The third is being able to do more camping/hiking and climbing. I miss being outdoors. I miss waking up near a lake as the sun rises and the campfire is lightly smoking. Don't have enough time or money to do that right now.
5. What's the biggest lie you've ever told? Has anybody ever found out?
That would be telling now wouldn't it? Though in all honesty, I haven't really told any huge honking lies in my life.
6. What was your favorite Saturday morning cartoon when you were growing up?
There was the Bugs Bunny show [I miss that show], The Fantastic Four, The Jetsons, The Thunderbirds, The Hannah-Barbara Show [Yogi Bear] Fat Albert, X-Men, Spiderman and and His Amazing Friends, [that was a great show] The Gummy bears. I wasn't a fan of the Smurfs. Then there was the Transformers and GI Joe on weekday afternoons. Later on there was Reboot.
7. Let's say one of your relatives slipped you a $100 bill, to help you out for the month. Your significant other didn't see it, would you tell them or keep it to yourself?
Tell them. I enjoy sharing things with the person I love.

BONUS: Whatever happened to Saturday night? [blank look]
It became a night of drunken debauchery?

Silly pop-up windows are driving

Silly pop-up windows are driving me batty. [shakes fist at screen] That and I've lost a file that will allow me to FTP stuff up onto our site. [GRRRR] I am all grumbly and snappy. [snarls at computer]. Work damn you! Work! [whine] Make it all better, please!!! [bats eyelashes at Hugin]

This was going to be

This was going to be today's post, "Away for a little while. FECK FECK FECK!!! We will be offline for a while, our Internet provider is having some problems and we won't be able to log on from home for a bit [sad look]." However after finally looking at the problem correctly we found out that it was not a technical problem on their side but a... umm... mild hardware problem on our side. Circle not equal square Duh!!! I had inserted the phone jack upside down. [very sheepish look] Me smart honestly. [goofy look] Though at this point I am feeling rather dumb.

'appy belated st- patrick's day!

'appy belated st- patrick's day!
wishin' everyone a 'appy saint paddy's day. 'ope y'all 'av a brilliant time! poteen up an' be merry an' green. slauncha ter y'all.
Translation courtesy of the irish translator.

Yearnings. I am in need

Yearnings.
I am in need of a creative outlet. I feel as if my mind is pulling me in a thousands different directions as each desire makes itself known and the need to fulfill them bubbles up and burst within me. Part of me wants to sketch and doodle, maybe pull out the watercolors and paint. Another part of me wants to build stuff, out of Popsicles sticks, or Lego if I could find any. My fingers are itching for clay. They want to knead, pull and form something. They yen for the squishiness of the mud as it gets scrunched up in my hand. My mouth wants to sing, compose sonnets and poems, and spew sentences of intelligent eloquence. My feet are yearning the quick rhythm of a maddened dance, spinning about as the sensual savage beat of the music engulfs me. Another part of me wants to curl up in a huge comfy sofa, enjoy a mug of tea and lose itself in a book.

Sock Fairy [Put 5 set

Sock Fairy
[Put 5 set of socks in laundry, pull 4 sets of socks out and one sad lonesome little sock. Stare perplexedly at socks, open dryer, stick head in dryer, search high and low for missing sock]
How is it that you almost always land up with missing socks? You put a full set of socks into the laundry, wash 'em, toss 'em into the dryer, pull them out and you find that you are missing one sock. I can understand loosing socks on the way to the Laundromat. Things fall out of baskets on your way there, or go missing when you are not really paying attention to how you are slinging things into the washer/dryer but are instead flirting with the really cute guy [or girl, depending on well, you know] standing next to you. What I can't understand is how you can loose them in your own laundry room. Where do they go? Does the dryer eat them or is it the washer? Maybe there is a little impish sock fairy that zooms about and collects them for his nest. I can picture it now, a rather rotund scruffy knobby-kneed sock fairy. Zipping about in his boxer shorts, white stained undershirt, black garters holding up mismatched socks, puffs of cigar smoke billowing about his stubbly jaw. He's probably also the reason why I have holey socks, he must be using the threads he pulls to darn his own mismatched pair. Well at least the holes provide some form of air-conditioning on those really hot sweaty days. But how am I supposed to go out in the world with mismatched socks. Damned little sock fairy, wait till I get my hands on you!

Friday Five 1. What's your

Friday Five

1. What's your favorite animal?
I honestly can't choose "just one" favorite animal. Large cats [leopards, leopard, tigers, ocelots] house cats, huskies, wolves, dolphins, horses, monkeys, foxes... the list goes on and on.
2. What pets have you had in your lifetime?
Four budgies, two when I was very young named Angela and Lancie. Two when I was in university, sadly I cannot recall their names. One very large dog named Bear, he along with a cat named Griffon were one of my previous flatmates pets. A cat named Pho-phon and another named Swan when I was younger. Two caterpillars, various silkworms, ladybugs and a millipede. We currently live with 3 cats, two that belong to our flatmate, and a rather frisky one that belongs to us along with 6 fishes [soon to be 10] in an aquarium.
3. Is there any specific pet that you've wanted but never had? Why?
Oh. I would love to get a chameleon but we have no space for one right now. I would also love to have a python but do not think I could feed it live mouse, hence the reason aside from the cats that we haven't gotten one. One day I would also like to adopt a Husky or Samoyed. The only factor that has stopped me from adopting a dog is that we do not live in an area where they would have space to run and play. Have also considered getting a horse and ferrets. Would also love to be able to work with rescue workers and become a foster parent for injured animals. In short I foresee a farmhouse in the not so distant future, as it is the only place where I can see us being able to house all these animals.
4. Are you allergic to any animals?
I am mildly allergic to full grown cats and dogs. I can't play with them and then go rub my eyes. A scratchy sensation ensues and last for hours. I am allergic to kittens, something about them makes me sneezey and teary eyed.
5. Do you have any 'pet' pet peeves (your pets or others')?
Cat pee and other unmentionables in bed. [They were a little upset that our flatmate left them a lone for a week] Cold cat puke in front of door strategically placed so that you step in it when you wake up, cat puke on sofa, scratched dresser and shelving units, stinky cat bum placed in front of face as a means for getting attention. People, who lock their pets up in small cages, leave then alone in small apartment for hours/days. People who leave the pets in cars on hot summer days without a window cracked open. People who bring their pets over and don't do anything while they tear up your furniture.

Body: "Hello, anyone there? Hello?

Body: "Hello, anyone there? Hello? HELLOOO!!!"
Brain: snarffle, drool "mumble, mumble" snore
Body: "Hey, you! Ya You. The one with the drool running down her cheek, WAKE UP!"
Brain: "Huh?" groggily glances about "Someone call my name?"
Body: Hey birdbrain!
Brain: Stares down a nose
Body: "We got us here a petition." "We the aforementioned refuse to continue to function under these conditions. We are tired of being battered, trod upon, and bashed into counter tops and sinks. We will no longer subject ourselves to having our elbows knocked into bathroom handles, our forehead bonked into mirrors or our nose knocked upon our knee when you sneeze. Until you can start sending the proper signals to the right locations so that we may function in an orderly non-dangerous clumsy manner, we shall refuse to meet with your orders and have henceforth stage a strike. "
Brain: attempts to shake fist at body - nothing happens. "Humph!!! We'll see about this. I command you to get up!!!"
Body: folds arms over chest, refuses to budge, waits patiently until brain complies with demands

Techn-o-my-god! I'm a techie... no,

Techn-o-my-god!
I'm a techie... no, not someone who watches Star Trek... ok, I do that sometimes too.
So, I browse around tech websites, ars technica, slashdot, sharky extreme, places like that. While doing that I found a site that was talking about dream PCs... they weren't very dreamy to me, I mean topping out at 1Gb of ram... pfft!
However, the part that caught my eye was the CDRW they chose, a Plextor that burns at 40x... that's as fast as it reads! Burns a full cd in 3 minutes. Excuse the techno drool, but that's ... wow.

Books. [There, take that for

Books. [There, take that for a title if you really want to, but it wasn't my idea.]
So I'm doing that rereading thing again. I do it relatively often, find some new books by new or old authors and after I finish them I am left with the old favourites. So, I grabbed my copy of Dragon by Steven Brust, nice easy enjoyable read. I want to read the Chronicles of Amber again, but they are in hardcover and so hard to carry around in my jacket pocket. It's the same list over and over again:
Roger Zelazny - Chronicles of Amber [[Munin - Back off they are mine, all mine!!!]]
Steven Brust - Vlad Taltos series and the Phoenix Guards (a favourite) series
Neil Gaiman - Sandman (never leave the house with those!), Neverwhere and American Gods
Tom Clancy - only the older ones and Without Remorse
Iain Banks - Sci-Fi only, preferring Player of Games, Excession and other Culture novels
Steven Erickson - now in the list with Gardens of the Moon and Deadhouse Gates
Terry Goodkind - Sword of Truth series
Terry Pratchett - Discworld and most of Good Omens with Neil Gaiman (or should that be listed in Neil Gaiman's and the with applied to Terry Pratchett...)
Guy Gavriel Kay - Lions of Al-Rassan (my favourite), Sarantine Mosaic, Fionavar Tapestry
Neal Stephenson - Snow Crash (also my favourite)
Gordon Dickson - Dorsai series (some more than others)
Tolkien - I only read parts of LOTR now... read it too many times. And let me say again I hate what they did to Lorien in the movie. The most beautiful place turned into some eerie place...
Salvatore - Drizzt series... my total vice would have to be the Dark Elf series and the Icewind Dale trilogy... shhhh
George RR Martin - Game of Thrones... don't know if I will read this again... interesting but...

I refuse to put Robert Jordan on this list as of book 6/7... I really enjoyed the series up until then, but until he decides to make it more readable... and a bit less muddled... It just isn't enjoyable anymore. The story lost its pacing, and flow. Not a good thing to do to the reader in my opinion; maybe when it is all finished it won't be so bad, because it will be in context, but until then...

I can't really think of any others right now.
But I'm always looking for more.
Any suggestions welcome!

[[Munin- sneaks in and bolds the title.]]
[[you're lucky I almost renamed it "Grumpy's favorite reads" ;) [teasing smile]]]

GAH! One of me flatmates

GAH!
One of me flatmates just gave me the fright of me life. He's supposed to be at work not lurking about the house in his boxer shorts!!! Honestly, some people! Almost made me drop my coffee mug. [glares teasingly at flatmate] "Go put some clothes on, yer scaring the neighbors"

"Yub Yub" I wanted to

"Yub Yub"
I wanted to post something funny and amusing. Something that would make you double over, fall on the floor and laugh your ass off. But all I could come up with was "knock, knock" that made me giggle, and then the word "melon" popped into my head and I laughed some more. Next thing I know someone will walk into the room, say something silly and I'll be sprawled out on the floor. Methinks I might be a little tired. Time to go and curl up under huge fluffy blanket. Until I can come up with something funny, maybe one of these will keep y'all laughing.

Brief flashes of comprehension I

Brief flashes of comprehension
I lied I can't design a cam; I thought I could but I can't, well not a simple one. Give me one that has to follow harmonic or cycloidal motion and I am fine. I can sketch you down a profile [this just sounds wrong, sketch you down, shouldn't it be, sketch a profile down for you, oh well never mind on with the babbling] in no time leave you begging for more voluptuous curves. Give me something straight forward and simple and I'll sitting there gaping at the problem like some deranged ape who has no idea what you want from him. This is pretty much what happened on the exam. He gave us something simple and I froze! [grump] I do however have to thank a friend who helped me out ten minutes before the exam. He took some time out of his pseudo psychotic schedule to explain Four Bar Linkages to me and allowing a brief momentary reprise from the insaneness that is them. I think I may have managed to get part of that question right, which is a good feeling. Though one day soon I would really like it if someone could explain their mysterious ways to me, in full. The last question was on bouncy springs and I am pretty sure that I nailed that one on the head. Baring any grave errors in calculations, I am hoping to scrape by and pass this exam, failing that I am prepared to beg, whine and even pout at the teacher for leniency. Ha! Like that is going to help. The only consolidation is that we all seem to be in the same boat of misunderstanding.

In the illustrious words of

In the illustrious words of the Oz boy there is no "four bar linkage" I will be the spoon. I am off to go face that long walk down Four Bar Linkage hell, wish me luck. ;)

Four cam spring Got most

Four cam spring
Got most of the studying down, have those springy springs down pat and I am pretty sure I could design a cam. However, the Four-bar Linkage systems are a completely different story. I just can't seem to wrap my mind around the mechanics or the kinematics of this system. I'll go through a problem, think I am on the right track and then get completely lost. If only there was a way to sneak this into the exam. Oh well, I will give it another try tomorrow before the midterm. Hopefully something will click and the physics of this system will no longer elude me.

taking a little study break...

taking a little study break... so here's
Ashley's This or That.

1."Blah, blah, blah..." or "yadda, yadda, yadda..."? Blah yadda blah blah. Depends on conversation, though I tend to say "yadda yadda yadda" more and will write "blah blah blah."
2. English or math? Oh that's tough, I can't choose so I'll say both. Math, because I actually like solving mathematical equations [yes I am a big GEEK] and English because I love the intricacies of languages.
3. VHS or DVD? DVD all the way. Just so much more to be found on a DVD and you can stop it, get up, turn of the player leave and start of exactly where you started. They also hold up better to everyday wear and tear. Some of our VHS are in bad shape from being watched too many times.
4. Jeans or pants? Generally jeans, I feel more comfortable in them. You can kick about the house in them, go out get em dirty and not have to worry so much about tearing them.
5. Art or Music? Music. It soothes the soul, and tames the savage beast.
6. Near or far? Near.
7. Nestle's or Hershey's? I am so tempted to say Godiva! Given the choices I'll have to go with Hershey's.
8. Who was/is the best James Bond: Sean Connery or Piers Brosnan? Piers Brosnan [swoon] He makes a wonderfully cocky James Bond. [Though I must admit that Sean Connery has gotten sexier with age.]
9. Triangle or rectangle? Triangle.
10. Chat or not? Yes, occasionally.

Monday Mission all done... 1.

Monday Mission
all done...

1. I love to order a Wendy's "Frosty" and then dip my French Fries into it before I eat them. Do you have any eating habits others might think are odd?
I used to do that. I would get the French fries and a chocolate milkshake [had to be chocolate] from either McD's or Wendy's and would dunk my fries before I ate them. I haven't done that in a while though. I am pretty sure I have some other really odd eating quirks, but the only one that I can think of at the moment is that no matter how big the plate is I will always tend to eat approximately half of what is served to me. Unless I am famished or am eating a kids meal. I know it is odd, and no I can't explain why I do that.
2. What was the worst date you ever went on?
I haven't been on many dates, which sounds odd because I've been in a few relationships. [shrug] I can't really recall a bad date.
3. Who (or what site) inspired you to begin Blogging?
Hugin and I initially thought of putting together a site we could share, with links to all the silly/not so silly things we liked. We then discussed the possibility of sharing an online journal, a place where we could be publicly silly and share thoughts with friends. Then one day I popped onto Chirographum and somehow also landed up on Blahblahblah. I loved they way their sites where set up. So a couple of days later I signed up on Blogger and voila! Here you have it.
4. Have you inspired, encouraged, or begged anyone else to start a Blog?
Begging someone, and I am still working on it so hopefully one day they will. [Though it would help if I actually finished the design for them]
5. Any foods you just will not eat?
Except for insects, worms, brains, live animals, house pets and anything that should really not be eaten. I will try just about anything at least once.
6. Describe the worst Birthday party (adult or child's) that you ever attended?
Drawing a complete blank here.
7. What was the first music album you ever bought (tape, CD, LP, whichever or all of the above)?
[abashed look] I wish I could hide this one away forever, it was "Thriller" by Michael Jackson [groan]
BONUS: Do you think you're what they say you are?
No, I can't figure out where this on is from. But, since you asked, "Nope, I don't"

Jittery bug My body is

Jittery bug
My body is still doing that vibrating thing and I am not sure what is causing it to feel all a buzz at this point. We went to bed relatively early last night [around 11:30ish] in hopes that maybe it was the sleep deprivation that was causing me to feel worn and jittery. Eight hours of sleep later, still no change in body usefulness so I decided to skip my French class and get a little more shuteye just in case it would help. Eight-fifteen I rolled over woke Hugin up and kinda shoved him out of bed. [His sides a more comfy and it was all warm and snuggly from him sleeping there] Curled up in his spot until he dragged my sorry ass out of bed at nine, feeling non the better. Class was a hoot as I couldn't control my body enough to hold anything steady and was dropping things left, right and center. After two hours of this the teacher thought I would do better sitting down, something about him losing an eye or what not, so I was allowed to go back into the classroom and study. Back home, my body is still all jittery, the keyboard feels as if it is dancing under my fingertips and I have got at least another 5 hours of studying left to do for tomorrow exam. Well I won't be getting much sleep tonight, tomorrow's going to be a rather interesting day. Now if I could only hold my pen steady and find a way for my brain to focus I might just get somewhere with this study thing.

Munin has a fixation with

Munin has a fixation with the use of TITLES in her Blogs... and she silently subverts my lack of them... Go ahead, put a title on this one, I'll notice!

- Defender of the Untitled -
Hugin

[[Munin - [ponders] I shall call this one GRUMPBALL!
[sticks out tongue, smiles impishly]
- Upholder of all that is titled and right -]]

Oh come on now, this is a Blog for thoughts, when was the last time you titled your thoughts!? ...do I want to know...? Hmm... ;)
Hugin

[[Munin -[thinks] I hate to admit it, but he does have a point. I however am not going to admit to that. Humph! [crosses arms, pouts]
Wait a moment, this is a blog and people stop by and read it, so to keep things in context and allow them the chance to know what they might be getting themselves into, the titles act as sign posts. Kind of like "Wet Paint" or "Dog Poo" or "Watch Your Step". There, take that! ;P]]

The casual relaxation of playing

The casual relaxation of playing a game of total violence... doesn't make me a violent person or more likely to be violent. Is it wrong that I am using it to sort of unwind? Using a game based on killing of other people playing elsewhere to just let my brain disconnect? Seems odd, but that's what I just did for 40 minutes, playing TFC; a game I have played for years really. But to be fair, it isn't just rampaging violence, a lot of what goes on in my unwinding brain while I play are a combination of psychology, tactics and teamwork. It's a teambased game of capture the flag that I prefer, and a lot of the time it comes down to what individual players on the other team will try as they continue to respawn and attack the friendly base as some of them defend and some of us attack and defend. How many times will a person somewhere in front of a computer that may be next door or may be in Sweden try a certain tactic before switching, thinking that maybe they will fool the defense? How many little tricks can a couple of attackers use to disorient the defense, and how can the defense best counter? Sure their are standard things that work better than others, but they aren't foolproof. There is an ebb and flow to the game as one side goes on the offensive, which can be turned sometimes by a single opponent slips past their offense and steals their flag. Some of it is based on the individuals, but if a team plays together and is coordinated, no individual effort is enough. Sometimes the best defense is in depth of defenders, sometimes it is being a sneaky bugger and hiding in an unexpected shadow, and then there is the ever popular best defense - offense. Where the whole tactics thing goes on its ear, and you decide how the defense will react. Can you fool them into thinking you are coming from another direction, can you time your attack so that it lucks out and you move behind the defense as they are shifting to attack. Yes, by far the most important thing is luck; either you have it or you don't. And when you don't, it can be a very unhappy making game. I had a good game, I had fun, I hope others did too wherever they are. But for me, here, it's time to go to sleep.

Drawn out and thin The

Drawn out and thin
The lack of a good nights sleeps seems to be taking its toll, I am feeling a little drawn out and thin. My body is all shaky and groggy, almost like I am suffering from withdrawal [not that I have ever experience the darker side of an addiction - just the occasional coffee headache]. It's a rather odd feel, almost like a sugar rush but the jittery feeling goes deep down into the bones. My mind seems to be incapable of controlling motor functions or stringing together any form of coherent thought. It's at times like these that I will start babbling about non existent oranges in the fridge that make me lie about the colors of the sky. I think I am going to curl on the couch now with my textbook and maybe get a little more reading in before I conk out.

Oh Feck!!! I managed

Oh Feck!!! I managed to leave the house without my keys. Arrgggg!!![grumble grumble, please insert several expletives here] Well that leaves two options, beg Hugin or flatmates to come home earlier so I can get into warm comfy house and not freeze my little ass off. Or, find nearby café, drink copious amounts of coffee and study for test. Luckily I brought my books with me.

[bumped into our landlord on the way home, he was kind enough to let me in]

Zoom zoom zoom! Ya zoom

Zoom zoom zoom!
Ya zoom zoom zoom! Zipping off to school to get some more studying in! One exam tomorrow, umm lets rephrase that. Test tomorrow, [Honestly love, it's a test! Just one page long, hence a test] and a midterm on Wednesday. [ponders] I wonder if I have everything? Books - Check. Pencil case - yes got that too. Bus pass - Hey where is that, oh gave it to Hugin, need to get some tickets! Socks - nope, no wonder the toes where cold [sheepish grin] Glasses/Contact lenses - [gropes nose in search of glasses] Yup. Sanity - [looks under desk, in bag, peers into coffee mug, digs into pockets] Nope, can't seem to find that. Oh well, everything else seems to be in order. zoom zoom zoom... ya zoom zoom zip

Platy Fish Our sunset platy

Platy Fish
Our sunset platy no longer looks pregnant. Which can mean two things, the first that she had been overfed and therefore morphed into a little rotund football, the second that she was indeed pregnant, but delivered when we were not home and the other fish have left no evidence of the young fry. I am hoping very much that it was the former. I do not think that I could stomach the notion that the fish managed to gobble up at least 40 little fry. Our speckled fish seems to be progressively getting better. She doesn't hide as much and has taken to swimming and playing with the other fish. Though last week one of the cats gave her the fright of her life by pouncing onto the aquarium and curling up onto of the cover. I walked into the room to find our friskier cat perched on the cover and the speckled fish hiding under a leaf. The other platys did not seem as concerned.

I'm Remy LeBeauWhat X-Men Character

I'm Remy LeBeau
What X-Men Character are You?

[[Munin - Oooohh, he's one of my favorite characters [swoon - faint]]]

Bumble Bee hits Book. Much

Bumble Bee hits Book.
Much studying to do today, got to catch up on the first half of this semester in one course. So am pulling out me notes, making sense of them and cracking the spine on several textbooks. Hopefully will I be able to stick to that plan and not get distracted by everything else that may seem more interesting... "Ooh look at that a pile of dishes, I could wash those"

Update:
Ooh an online test!!! [as you can see studying is going well ;) ]

I'm Jean Grey
What X-Men Character are You?

Subway Schooling So on the

Subway Schooling
So on the way home back from a rather delish walk, which I will write about a little later. [Am pooped and am in need of a hot warming beverage.] Hugin and I where discussing the somewhat jerky driving of the subway operator. We then began to wonder how they train the new drivers. Is there an actual school that they have to attend? Maybe they use simulators, you know like the ones they use for pilots. Or are they trained on the job and if so when are they trained? Is it late at night when there are no people on the trains or are they kind of thrown in there with another driver who teaches em the ropes as they zoom along the tracks. Maybe that's why our ride was so jerky. "Son, yer going a little fast there, ease up on the pedal" [I think it's a pedal] "NO!" " No I didn't say slam yer foot on the brake" Elderly driver makes a mad dash for the controls as the younger one tries to fend him off. The cars shudder and jump as the trains speeds up and brakes abruptly, people are strewn about the cars and some are hanging at the windows... Hmm?!? That might explain it...

Saturday mornings are wonderful! [Stretches

Saturday mornings are wonderful!
[Stretches -Yawns - Glances about room - Checks on fishies - Gets out of bed and stumbles into kitchen to make coffee - Remembers it's Saturday - Heads back to room - Climbs back into bed - Snuggles next to Hugin - Falls back to sleep.]

Reality... So I was thinking

Reality...

So I was thinking yesterday... no, that's not the news. And considering the whole reality t.v. thing and suddenly the next big thing popped into my head: Reality C.V. With all the lies and backstabbing that it entails... Not having watched any reality t.v. I can't go any further in terms of what the show would contain... maybe it would be a website instead... hmm, if I had the space I'd set that one up, a place for people to post the most insanely unlikely c.v.'s they have seen, made, etc...

Friday Five 1. What makes

Friday Five

1. What makes you homesick?
The smell of the baking, the salty smell of the beach, the smell of the air after is has rained, the crisp scent of fresh snow and surprisingly the smells of a certain fruit remind me of my living with my mom. Remembering moments spent with Hugin and dear friends makes me homesick when I am away.
2. Where is "home" for you? Is it where you are living now, or somewhere else (ie: Mom & Dad's house, particular state/city)?
Home is a place that feels comfortable; where I can just be with the people I love. Home is also Canada and parts of Africa.
3. What makes it home for you? People? Things?
The people, Hugin in particular, the animals and a sense of security will make a place feel like home. Oddly enough I also need to have my books in that place.
4. Where is the furthest you've been from home, miles-wise ?
8014 miles [12897 km]! Before we moved from Africa to Canada my mom and I took a trip over to see what this city was like. Though if I get my way I am hoping to be 11355 miles [18723km] from home one day soon. Australia here we come!
5. What are your plans for this weekend?
Lots and Lots of studying, I hope. Found out that I have two midterms next week, plus the two projects. As much as my intentions have been good, I haven't really cracked the spine of a textbook yet. Hoping to sneak in some snuggling and gaming time with Hugin, and a good long walk if the weather warms up.

...snore... Sitting here in class,

...snore...
Sitting here in class, twiddling thumbs waiting for the teacher to show and wondering how long it will take for me to bang my head on the keyboard after he does. [gaping yawn] Coffee hasn't kicked in yet, not that I think it will. Need more sleep, for some godforsaken reason I woke up at five this morning. Five! What exactly was my body thinking? That's three full hours before I needed to get up. Tried snuggling deeper under blankets, hiding head under pillow and stealing Hugin's extra blanket. No such luck, Hugin caught me in the act and clenched the extra blanket in a death grip and all the 'snuggling deeper under blankets' did was to make the tossing and turning more cumbersome. Finally managed to fall asleep 30 minutes before the alarm went off. Woke up un-refreshed to it's jarring blare. That's three nights in a row that I have woken up at five only to toss and turn till either Hugin or I had to get up. When I do sleep, I have the oddest of dreams. What I would do for a nice long uneventful nap and perhaps a comfy pillow at this moment

Hum Dee Diddly What I

Hum Dee Diddly

What I managed to accomplish today.
Three loads of laundry [2 darks and 1 white] One load of dishes. Washed by hand, the dishwasher has still not been connected [mild glare in direction of 'handyman flatmate' who was going to install it 3 months ago :D ] Picked up odds and ends from various parts of the house, placed odd and ends in appropriate places. Took out garbage. Sorted out recycling, we seem to accumulate a lot of papers. Consumed massive amounts of coffee. Ate one tuna fish sandwich. Re-installed NC software [numerical control program] on computer. Fed fish and cats. Read online comics. Played online game. [Thanks for the link Sarah, I am a total addict] Played a bit of Diablo. Burned episodes of Farscape onto CD. [Note to self: Do not lean in too close when writing on CD with permanent maker, as they are rather potent] Read daily Blogs. Perused through stack of book titles in search of something to read.

Reason for the listing mundane chores, to make me feel better and trick myself into believing that I've actually done something today, since it turned out to be a total blow off studies wise. [sigh] I honestly tried, truly I did. I even managed to pull the paper out, look at the assignment, and programmed in 20 drill holes and one side slot. [pats self on back] Alright, it's not so good but the good news is that the midterm project and above assignment are not due till next week. So, I can go into to school early tomorrow and work on assignments there. [bobs head up and down trying to convince everyone that she will honestly do this]

Well beam me up Scotty,

Well beam me up Scotty, Captain Kirk got himself a web page?!?[incredulous look]

First there was Survivor.[Scratch that]

First there was Survivor.[Scratch that] First there was the Eco Challenge, then Mark Burnett decided to have a bit more fun and created Survivor [I believe he did so after having seen the European version] Then there was the Amazing Race and now thanks to Little Yellow Different there is SurvivorBlog and SurvivorBlog2. [Unfortunately they are now over, the winner has been declared, but I must say the idea is ingenious]

link gratefully swiped from Coffee Ring

Playing Hooky Hugin doesn't know

Playing Hooky
Hugin doesn't know it yet, but I have decided to play hooky today. The reasons being that I have not finished my project that is due this afternoon [I think it's due. Not sure exactly]. I just couldn't deal with the prospect of the program not working last night. So I am thinking of finishing it this morning, debugging it and sliding it under his door tomorrow. That way I don't have to listen to him and his patronizing tone. The other reason is I just can't seem to get my lazy arse in gear and be excited at the prospect of going to class to listen to a teacher babble on about nothing. He still manages to frustrate me with his ineptness and his unwillingness to do anything other then stand in front of the class and lecture for countless hours on how to use the software. Sir, I can honestly say that none of us have learnt much by watching you do it, though if you let us play with the software we would learn a lot more.
Occasionally I am a bad, bad student, one that a teacher just does not want to have in their classroom. I think this may just be one of those occasions. Well I've got my excuses hopefully Hugin will buy them.[innocent smile - So love, are these good reasons?] Time to go make some coffee and finish those programs.

[The silly thing is, though I've made my decision, I am still feeling somewhat guilty about not going to class today]

For the Ozzie Lad. As

For the Ozzie Lad.
As per your request, a little something to keep you focused on your studies. ['lil impish smile] Oh and here's a little something extra. [Ya, I'm still a little bitter that you're enjoying sunny weather and sandy beaches ;) ] Miss you dear friend.

Journey into literary madness. I

Journey into literary madness.
I am about to embark on a rather anal retentive task. I am thinking of creating an inventory for all the books we own. I know... I know, why the hell would I go through all the trouble of jotting down titles/author names off all the books we have and then be willing to spend a few grueling hours typing all of that information into Excel. Well the answers to that are rather simple.

a. I am a glutton for punishment.
b. I have no idea as to which books we own anymore and have recently begun purchasing copies of books that are currently in our possession

As much as I am a fan of having copies of books I love, I tend to mangle books pretty badly, I would much rather spend the money on virgin copies of books unread. The only trouble is that I am not sure as to which books I have not read. I have a nasty habit of forgetting the titles of those books I have spent hours perusing through, needless to say that I will not recall the name of the author who wrote em. So god help me, I might be spending the next few weeks madly dashing about the house, pulling books of shelves, scribbling titles/authors names in illegible writing and the plunking down in front of the computer to madly type away. I am seriously going to need copious amount of coffee for this endeavor. Or maybe I'll just procrastinate and keep adding new additions of books we currently own to our shelves.

Foamy knobs. I would like

Foamy knobs.
I would like to petition the doorknob makers and ask they if they could create a soft foamy doorknob. One that won't jump out and bite you or use it's edges to aim for that most delicate of spots, the side of your knuckles. So far I have managed to knock my hand three times. Owe-eey! While we are on the topic of soft foamy things, maybe we could convince them to manufacture soft foamy edges for counter tops and door jams, I seem to have problems with those too and am notorious for walking into them. Do you think they would agree to do this for me, or is it possible they will just hook me up with a nice comfortable rubber room?

String sentence words. My mind

String sentence words.
My mind seems to be drawing a rather large blank this morning. I can't seem to form any sort of articulate thought. The rules of English grammar have flown right out the window. It feels as if the thoughts in my head are swimming in molasses and my brain can't seem to find the appropriate words to convey what I mean. To add insult to injury, my mind seems to be scuttling about in the darkness trying to find the little switch that turns on the idea lightbulb, and some mean imp just keeps moving it about. Maybe I just need a little more caffeine. Perhaps a good dosing of sugar might help too.

Fishy Update Our red speckled

Fishy Update
Our red speckled platy seems to be doing a lot better! She is no longer hiding about in the corners and has taken to zipping about with the other the fish. [happy smile] We are still not a hundred percent sure as to why she got sick after the fungal infection; just hoping that whatever it is has been cured. Our sunset platy is still rather rotund and we are hoping that this is just a sign that she is well fed. Ha! The other fish aren't as round. So maybe it would be best if we got an extra aquarium this week.

Ashley's This or That! 1.

Ashley's This or That!
1. Train or boat? I first road a train when I was nine and completely fell in love with them, the only problem is that if I had the choice I'd much prefer to be a sea, so boat it is and always will be.
2. Lake or ocean? Definitely the Ocean. I love the sound of the waves crashing onto the shore and the smell of salt in the air.
3.Thoughtful or perceptive? Both, I generally tend to be thoughtful and introspective. Though occasionally I'll get this flashes of perception that will slap me up the backside of me head and make me go ouch ;)
4. Observant or participative? I love to observe people; can spend a full day sitting in a café people watching. If I feel comfortable enough I will tend o participate.
5. Line or curve? Curve.
6. Capitalize or lowercase? Either or, depending on mood and laziness.
7. Giraffe or zebra? Giraffe.
8. Shiny or matte? Matte.
9.Oil or vinegar? Balsamic vinegar on bread, malt vinegar on fries. [what can I say, I grew up with an English family]
10. Sand or clay?Sand, definitely sand. Especially for squishing toes in.

Monday Mission [perhaps when this

Monday Mission
[perhaps when this semester ends it will truly be a Monday Mission]

1. What domain names (if any) did you think up, only to find they had already been registered? Or, if you don't have a domain, what's stopping you?
One of my old bosses and I, spent a day trying to come up with a .com domain name for him. The following are a few we came up with, all taken, unfortunately.
Yougoboy.com; Yougogirl.com; Estimatethis.com; Closetboy.com
2. Name one of your favorite memories of dancing with someone (the person, the song, the feelings...)
Dancing in the dark under the stars, on the top of a hill we call a mountain with Hugin. No music just the two of us.
3. Any elderly relatives you should be visiting, you know, before it is too late?
I would love to be able to go and visit my great aunt on my father's side. She's in her mid nineties and lives in Egypt. We haven't really met but my dad's told me many stories about her. I would like the chance to get to know her.
4. What is your Instant Messaging program of choice?
Yahoo messenger.
5. How many names are on your Buddy list? Care to share your username?
Not that many, a few friends. Use it to communicate with them when they are away. Nope.
6. What is the longest you've had to hold it before you could get to a bathroom? What's the story there?
An hour, was rushing for a plane that I was about to miss. Checked the luggage in, went through customs rushed through the gate just as they were closing the door. Only managed to relieve myself once we where in the air.
7. Describe the prefect date night.
Anytime spent with the person I love. [I know, I am a huge sap] Though if I'd have to choose a location, a beach or lakeside dock with a campfire would be ideal.
BONUS: Who's Bad?
You're bad you know it!
ME, I'm bad, I'm a bad little putty cat.[impish smile]

Oh bollocks! Here we go

Oh bollocks! Here we go again... "We are currently experiencing a Network issue which may be affecting your site, ftp connection and/or webmail." Hopefully this site won't be too badly affected. [sigh] If not we'll see you in a little while, I hope.

Update - Everything seems to be working now. YAY! I shouldn't really complain as much as I have it is a free service, [well for now, we should be upgrading to paid service someday soon] though not being able to check email is somewhat grumpy making.

Fishy news. One of our

Fishy news.
One of our fishes is sick and has been hiding out at the bottom of the tank for two days now; she is just lying there. She had a bit of a fungus infection earlier on last week, which we treated and seemed to be doing better until yesterday. [saddened look] I am hoping she will get better, I do not like the idea of losing one of our fishes.
In other tank news, it seems as if another of our fish may be a little pregnant, that or she is turning into a rather rotund football. She now waddles about the aquarium instead of swimming gracefully by. The only problem is that we do not have an extra aquarium set up as a hospital/nursery and I do not have any knowledge on how to breed fish never mind about raising fry, as this is our first aquarium! Time to do some quick online reading, some begging and perhaps a trip to the pet store. I am quiet tempted to take the fish back to them and say "Fix this! It's all your fault, you gave us male and female fish and now one of em's knocked up and we don't have the space!" Being a novice I hadn't thought to ask that the fish all be of the same sex. Oh well, next aquarium! Until them I am hoping that we are mistaken and that she is just fat. Though I should probably go and pick up an extra smaller aquarium just in case...

Tired and a little woozy,

Tired and a little woozy, must be the cold, feeling a bit like;

You are most like Winnie, embedded in ice! Created by Thren. Which Gashlycrumb Tiny are you?

Link nicked from Neurotic Fishbowl

A little drizzle. So the

A little drizzle.
So the skies are gray, the weather mild [i.e. it's above zero], there are no blustering winds. We grab our autumn coats, bag with camera to snap some pictures and head out without a care in the world leaving the brolly behind. The only possibility of wetness should be a mild sprinkling of snow as it is March. Everything seems copasetic. Right? Wrong!
The first few minutes of our walk are mild and delightful if somewhat gray, there are people milling about, talking, holding hands, and small animals are scattering about sniffing the air. Fifteen minutes into our walk it starts to drizzle, and we figure "hey what's the worst that could happen we'll get a little wet" so we push on over the hill we call a mountain. Five minutes after that the wind picks up and there are literary sheets of water coming down. We watch as a recycling box gets picked up by the wind and swept across the street. We decide to head down to the main street to see if there's some café we could huddle in and warm ourselves with a mug of coffee/hot chocolate. The first place we stumble upon is a Second Cup; it is brimming with people and there is no place to sit. We decide to head out and see if the next café has any available seating. We arrive at the next place a little worse for wear only to find that the overflow from the Second Cup has made it ahead of us. We decide to push on home, figuring that most people who were caught in the rain would be hiding out in any available restaurant or coffee shop. Forty minutes later we make it home after an uphill battle against the wind, drenched to the bone, teeth a chattering and grateful for the dry clothes found strewn on the bed. Next time I am taking a brolly with me regardless of what the weathers looks like when we step out the door.
I think I am going to go and make myself a cuppa now and figure how to defrost my fingertips and the left side of my brain.

Munin is all better now...

Munin is all better now... the Blog is back.

"Who's better now? Hmmm?" [soft petting] "Good Munin, happy Munin!"

[[Munin- HUMPH!!! You funny! sticks tongue out at Hugin, pouts]]

web server needed... I am

web server needed...
I am no longer amused, 24 hours, it's been 24 hours since our web server went down and they still haven't fixed the bloody problem. I have gone from mildly disgruntled to downright bitchy. [Grumble] What are they doing over there, drinking coffee as they watch the system crash into oblivion? Or maybe they are just taking bets as to how many people they will piss off as they wait somewhat impatiently for their web pages to come back online. The worst of it is I can't check our email nor can I log onto the member site to see when this will be fixed, as both of those are also currently inaccessible.
I think I may also be suffering from withdrawal, I need to post, must type, must come up with some witty repartee and stunning insights. Oh whom am I kidding, like those things ever happen on our site? Well ok maybe once in a blue moon. Perhaps I should go take a walk or something, maybe do something a little more constructive, nah. [resumes unblinking pose in front of screen hands twitching violently , muttering 'work damn you work' somewhat maniacally under her breath]

Zen and the Art of

Zen and the Art of Blogging. (aka. What is the sound of blogging without a site?)

Yes, I'm blogging... but you can't read it yet; in a way it is similar to my not blogging since you can't read that either. But different because I really am doing something. How does that fit in with the Zen koan? Not sure; except that the original question was ludicrous and so is this one.

I really shall have to find something to blog about one day. Soon, truly.

How to make a Grown

How to make a Grown Man Swoon

[impish smile]

The Friday Five 1. What's

The Friday Five

1. What's your favorite vacation spot? Vacation spot? I can't really say that I have been to an actual vacation spot. Any place near the ocean or the Kilamanjaro National Park.
2. Where do you consider to be the biggest hell-hole on earth? Tough one, as some hell holes can be nice for brief moments. For me it was Nigeria during a coup d'etat, public executions on the beach.
3. What would be your dream vacation? A year long trip through Europe, Australia, New Zealand, parts of Asia, Morocco and Egypt with Hugin, a backpack, a chance to stay in nice places along the way, a chance to meet people and learn about their cultures. Some sight seeing, museums, some hiking, some camping, and lots of playing in the ocean.
4. If you could go on a road-trip with anyone, who would it be and why? Two people actually, [though there are more who would just have to tag along] the first is Hugin because I would want to share the experience with him. The second is our dear Ozzie lad boy, because we have gone on a road trip together, and he has this habit of finding out everything about a place as well as some really cool points of interest and then proceeds to show you them all.
5. What are your plans for this weekend? Weekend, plans!?! Sleep would be nice, cleaning the fish tank, a wee little bit of homework, movies, books and games. Plenty of games!!! A late brunch on Saturday/Sunday.