Suki Blue

Does anyone know or can anyone take an educated guess when the BBC will start filming season 4 of Torchwood?

My box from Forbidden Planet containing my wave 2 TW figures remains unopened. It's become a sort of a symbol now and I shall only open it once I have gained complete acceptance of you-know-what.

I will keep you updated on Ianto's Box as my mental state becomes less and less questionable. Yep, I am definitely still in the realms of Insane, but I'm starting to slide back into the less volatile region of Crackers. I finally got around to reading Battle for the Cowl and I've decided that Damien is fantastic. I've always liked him even though he is a dangerous little shit, but I think he's going to make a fascinating and fun Robin. See? Crackers.

Also, I got bored with watching Smallville season 6, so I decided to re-watch season 1 of NCIS. I really need to picspam Tony's hair. And the Iguana scene.

( Emo Time )

(I'm aware that I owe one billion and eight emails to various people and I shall answer them all tomorrow, I pwomise!)

I have period pain and no hot water or heating. The Housing trust were informed that my grandfather is slowly developing hypothermia six hours ago when I contacted their emergency out-of-hours service. I phoned them again an hour ago and they had no record of my original call.

No wonder so many elderly people literally freeze to death. No one gives a fuck, do they?

I like things in threes so I feel I must find something else to moan about aside from the heating and the period pain. Let me think. Okay, I am hungry and I can't start the Sunday Roast without any hot water to wash it up after and knowing my luck, the engineer will turn up right in the middle of things and I'll burn my roasties.

The bulb in my desk lamp just blew. I'm going to have to buy a new one. A new lamp, I mean. As much as love my little purple friend, it time to let it rest; I'm sure the wires sticking out from the base can't be good.

My god, I lead an exciting life!

In other Suki-related news, I've just completed a Carers' survey for Mole Valley District Council and the University of Surrey, which was a bunch of bollards. Some of the questions were leading, some were ambiguous and unclear, some didn't have appropriate check boxes, and the others were just the same question over and over. I swear, I never want to write the words 'peace of mind' again. Grrrr. Anyway, I've declined to be interviewed on the basis that the questionnaire was stupid and it would be a waste of my very precious time.

On the bright side, my aunt is coming to visit on the same weekend that I'm at Writercon. Yay! That takes an enormous amount of pressure off me. Grandad will be looked after on the Saturday and the Sunday. I would be in shock that a member of my family is helping us out, but I fear tis only due to coincidence. Still, I'll take what I can get.

I've just signed up for another creative writing course with the Open University. It's a level up from the one I did and passed earlier in the year. That course was a short 10 pointer, which I managed easily enough (although I did get struck down with writer's block just before the last assignment). This course is a little different, though. It's 60 points and that's a fuck of a lot of hard work.

For those of you that don't know, the Open University offers degrees on a points-based system. The amount of points needed varies from degree to degree, but you're generally looking at about 300 points upwards to obtain one. Courses are 10, 30 or 60 points each. I originally started towards a Natural Sciences Degree, and had my points linked to that, but I'm definitely drifting more towards Humanities now. Consequently, I've changed the qualification that my points are linked to and I'm now going for a BA/Bsc Open Degree, which basically means I can take whatever course I want, at the appropriate, stated levels, and I'll get either a BA or a Bsc depending on whether my degree is weighted more by the Sciences or the Humanities.

So far I've got 70 points from the sciences and just 10 from Humanities. I'm thinking I'll sway towards the Humanities, generally, as the 60 point science course I did nearly caused me to have a nervous breakdown. Chemistry and physics at degree level is no fucking joke. ~curses the Maths~

I was going to wait until next year to start this new course, firstly because it's such a lot of work and secondly because the course fee is huge, but then I discovered it only runs once a year and not twice as I'd expected. That would have meant waiting until next September. So I thought fuck it, why not? I'm not rolling in money now, but I might be even worse off in a year.

All I know is that I want to write, I want to learn and I want to make something of myself. I know I've got a long way to go. I still make stupid mistakes and newbie errors in my writing, but I am able to acknowledge that and take steps to improve. I have no idea even what I want to ultimately write! Romance? Horror? Comedy? Gay fiction? Fiction for children or teens? Ack, no clue! I just know that when I finally to put pen to paper and fingers to keyboard, I'll be ready to give it my best shot. My real name will be in print one day, I've promised myself that.

Firstly, I just want to say that I really hope the fire at the Cutty Sark wasn't deliberate. And if it was, may the culprits suffer a devastating house fire that destroys everything they own.

And on that topic, here's a small fire-related family titbit for you. I'll put it under a cut because it involves the death of an animal. Be warned; it isn't nice.

( My Twisted Family, Folks )

In other news, Ive made my very first Drarry banner and changed my layout colours to match. I'm quite pleased.

So, how is everyone?

I'm good and enjoying a week off work. Yay! I went to the British Museum yesterday to see the Elgin Marbles. They are truly magnificent, unbelievable, and my friend and I only had minor hysterics when in one of the side galleries I read one of the plaques twice without taking it in and promptly said out loud the only word I had caught. "Ear-flaps?" My voice carried all the way down the gallery and it was rather embarrassing. Funny, though. You had to be there, I guess.

We also dropped into the Natural History museum to see the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition which was absolutely breathtaking. There were only a couple of pieces that I didn't like because they were either too abstract or because I was freaked out by the icky insect. Everything else was beautiful. Do click the link above and have a gander at the online gallery. You'll be very impressed even though you don't get the same effect as the big displayed prints. My fav was Still Life and Bear. I also chuckled for quite some time at Rival Kings (Penguin Slap Fight)and Rockhopper Rush-hour (Penguin Aerobics) Hee!

We also visited Forbidden Planet and I practically had to drag myself out again. Boy, they were well stocked out! I wanted the six inch Dick Nightwing, Wonderwoman!Barbie, Batman money box, replica Green Lantern Battery, 12 inch Flash, singing Gizmo, Flash t-shirt, replica Draco Malfoy wand, replica all the other wands, too, 12 inch Lorne, Meep. I resisted.

But if they'd had a 12 inch Dick, I would have been on it in a second.

I did buy something though... (whoops)

Everyone, say hello to the newest member of my Btvs/Ats collection:

Feigenbaum!

Fred's bunny!!! AUW!!






I had to have him even though he cost an arm and a leg and he doesn't really look like the actual prop at all. Still...Feigenbaum...Fred...~sniffle~ I needed it.

BUNNY!

Firstly, and shit I should have done this a couple of days ago, thank you so very much to my darling amejisuto for my Buffy books, the second of which arrived a couple of days ago. They're so helpful and very interesting, plus I didn't actually have any guides for the latter seasons. Already the second book has helped and I shall be including a particular scene in the next chapter of Teenage Dirtbage which was originally intended to be included in the episode Prophecy Girl. Watch out for it and points to those that spot it!

Secondly, thank you, thank you, thank you to trekgirl55 for the tea and the Fortune Snookies. I haven't tried the tea yet (saving it for Saturday), but Indy has already gone flip-me-upside-down-crazy for the Snookies. I came home from my late shift this evening to find him sitting in front of a large brown box; apparantly Grandad had read the custom label and announced to him that there were, indeed, Fortune Snookies "all the way from America!" inside. I do believe Indy spent approx seven hours staring at the box before I came home. LOL!

Both of you, thank you so much. I'm all sniffly that you guys care enough to think of me and supply me with presents. Hee!

And now for the picspam:

( Indy, the Fortune Snookies and Grandad )

So, how is everybody? Ya'll have a good Christmas?

Mine was quiet but nice. I saw some friends, including Baby D, Bigballs's nephew, who is so damn cute. Got lots of prezzies: A stack of books, S2 of SG-1, a dressing gown, slippers, My Chemical Romance's album, choccies. Also got a teddy from Kitty and something to take to work to annoy the hell out of everyone else but to amuse me greatly. :oD

I also bought Indy a new fleecy dog bed which he adores and never wants to get out of. The cats didn't get their prezzies until after Christmas because I couldn't get to Pets at Home in time. They got a snuggle tube and a radiator bed. They hate them. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that they are terrified. ~le sigh~ Silly cats. Ame has suggested I try catnip to lure them. Excellent plan.

Work has been quiet and now I have three days off. YAY!! I need it! I have my course do and I'm way behind, plus I have several catagories to judge at the Fang Fetish Awards. That's gonna take me a while, folks. Once I'm done, I'm gonna make big efforts to get my writing back on track.

The hives have got much worse. They are painfully itchy. I've been to the doc and he's taken me off my happy pills. I've got to go back Wednesday to see if that stops the hives and then he'll put me on different pills.

And lastly, I've become re-addicted to Empires: Dawn of the Modern World. There's just something about flinging diseased cows at my enemy that makes me smile so.

Staring today, I have the rest of the week off work. I'm determined to enjoy myself and get loads done. You know how chores and jobs just build up?

I started my day by taking Indy for a mega walk and a spot of ball throwing. That dog, after nearly five years of life, still has no clue about actually bringing the ball back. I think I walked further than he did.

Then I decided to tidy up my study. Wow, it really needed it. I threw out two whole bin bags of rubbish! But the room looks much better now. Spacious and all my Btvs toys are displayed in a much less cramped way.

Then I worked on my layout. Thanks so much to authoressnebula for providing the link to s2howto. It really did the job and I got my banner up really quickly. I also tweaked my userinfo and put up my latest awards and changed the bio a smidge.

Now i gotta go update my website, cos boy, it really does need it. ~takes deep breath~ Here I go...