ReadingLirael, As You Like It, The English Patient, Heart of Darkness, Suikoden III, Candidate for Goddess
Watching House, Rick Mercer's Monday Report, Gilmore Girls, Scrubs, Corner Gas, Aishiteruze Baby, Prince of Tennis, Hikaru no Go
Playing The Bard's Tale, Katamari Damacy, Curse of Monkey Island, Final Fantasy VI, Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, Pretty Barbie Dressup Party Final Fantasy X-2(group gaming)
Back-burner Star Ocean: Till the End of Time, Star Ocean: The Second Story, Final Fantasy Tactics: Advance, Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast, Planescape: Torment, Final Fantasy VII
Obsessing Firefly, Erik and Ray, Impulse/Bart Allen, Ford Prefect, Monkey Island, Nostalgia.
Upcoming Things of Importance January 5 First day of classes January 14 Birthday party January 16 Jaryn and Matt Are Old Day
layout
Is by Meimi, that wonderful Goddess who brings joy and happiness to the hearts of Ingrids.
This time, Meimi brought joy by doing a layout of Isumi Shinichirou and Waya Yoshitaka, of Hikaru no Go. It is full of wub.
.
Wayawayawayawayawayawayawayawayawaya . . .
5/28/2004 07:03:04 AM
"You must be this tall to ride the apocalypse." - Matt
Work in a couple hours. Strangely enough, no one seems to be awake at six/seven in the morning.
I'm going to make eggs, I think. Real food, man, real food.
But before that, I'm going to squee like a total dork over Sam Shindou, Private Five!.
Yesterday Whit randomly messaged me, as she sometimes does, and in the middle of randomosity (so, really, more randomly) she asked me why I hadn't worshipped her for the Hikaru no Go Pirate AU she wrote.
My response was natural - "You wrote a Pirate AU?" and "Is Waya in it?" (the answers are "Yes" and "No").
She also commanded me to go and read the Sam Shindou stories that Mooncalf wrote so I could read the drabbles she wrote for them, and, you guessed it, worship her. ("Is there Waya?" "Yes.").
So, Hikaru no Go fans should head over to Mooncalf and poke around the fanfic in the library and read the Sam Shindou stories ("A Family Affair", "One Piece, Two Players", "Mild Smile", "A Hell of a Bumpus", "What Else is Fighting For?", and "The Ten-Man") because they're seriously awesome and fun and cool and AU never tasted so good. They've also given me the unfortunate tendency to think of Waya and James Cagney in the same mental breath.
It's weird.
It also causes me to remember that my mother would have named me Cody if I'd been born a boy, after a James Cagney character who was apparently a completely insane criminal (I think he died in a fire on an oil rig at the end, but that may have been a different movie) -but- who was very good to his mother.
And that's your random story for the day.
Random like a gun to the head, Almighty Ingrid, Signing Off
And have a -nice- night
5/25/2004 10:45:26 PM
"I can't help but notice you didn't mention public phones. Can I lick any public phones we find?" - Kailen Maharassa, Friendly Hostility.
So today was my first day of work that actually involved doing work and interacting with customers (although our trainers were there to throw things at us when we did things wrong).
It went better than I expected. I was a bit slow, and made a couple mistakes - fingers stumbled and I put in way too much money once, was teased by the customers for that. But it was okay. Matt came by to say 'Hey Ingrid' and see if I was doing okay. And one of my customers was really nice, very sweet, sincerely wished me to have good luck and a better night (he was after the one where I mistyped the amount of cash I was given). It's kind of nice when people are nice.
There were three of us training, me, a girl, and a guy, and the girl gave me a ride home when our shift was over. I think I may declare her a saint, although my feet don't hurt nearly as much as they did last night. Wonderful, wonderful girl, I would kiss her feet.
Tomorrow afternoon I go solo. I'm not as scared as I was before.
The future only looks mildly traumatizing, Almighty Ingrid, Signing Off
Fighting the good fight
5/24/2004 10:34:17 PM
"I want you, Lindsey. . . . I think I'd be more comfortable if I rephrased that." "Yeah. Me too." - Angel and Lindsey McDonald, "Not Fade Away", Angel
Today was Victoria Day in Canada which means Stat Holiday. For some reason, on holidays like this, Space likes to fuck their schedules up the ass and do 'special' things. Last time, it was a marathon of some series I don't watch and it KEPT ME FROM MY FIREFLY.
Not that I'm bitter.
This time, it was Fucktard, starting at 9 am with the pilot, then the top ten 'viewer's choice' (my ass) episodes, then the finale at 8 pm. Actually, it's 9 am, and the regular Fucktard repeat's on, and I'm -very- annoyed because it's ONE THE ASSHATS SHOWED DURING THE VIEWER'S CHOICE AND IT'S ONLY REDEEMING QUALITY IS THE MENTION OF FETAL PIGS!
~pant~
I was really unimpressed with the viewer's choice. I actually turned it off at a couple points, because they aired -four- episodes from season five. I'm not a big fan of season five. I can see showing "Smile Time" because you know the Fucktard viewers are going to be charmed by evil puppets ("Smile Time" actually ended up being in the number one spot - wtf?!), and maybe, maybe "You're Welcome", because Cordelia. But "Hole in the World" and "Damage"? Good lord, viewers, you have no -taste-.
I admit, I am glad they picked "Spin the Bottle", because I've never seen it before, and I enjoyed it (hehe "English") and okay, I guess all the romantic idiots in the audience or those who like to see Buffy jigglies would pick "I Will Remember You" because that's what they do (not my favourite episode, though, by a long shot). "Five by Five", however? The only good thing about it was there was Lindsey. I'm not a fan of Faith. "Waiting in the Wings" I'm 'eh' on. I love the ballet, was surprised to see that River from Firefly was the main ballerina (explains why she's so skinny), and I guess there were worse episodes to be chosen. But "Orpheus"?! Which is also the episode airing tonight in the 9pm repeat slot. Good lord, it's not even that interesting. It's not even that funny. It's not even that angsty. It's just kind of there. AGH! YOU PEOPLE!
About the only episode that was actually selected, though, that made me go 'Yeah, that's what made the series good' was "Heroes". Yes, I still cry at the ending, shut up. Apparently I put too much faith in the general viewing public, because I seriously thought "Dead End" would have made it's way in there. There's an evil hand, dammit! And I'm not just saying this because I'm a Lindsey fan, either. I really do think "Dead End" was a good episode.
Which brings us to the series finale, "Not Fade Away".
I liked it more than the Buffy series finale, for the record.
I wasn't expecting much from the episode, I really wasn't. I haven't been impressed with season five at all, a lot of things have happened that make my blood boil (from throwing Lindsey's characterization out the window to FRED IS OUR GODDESS), and since the series was cancelled without warning, I expected a rushed, botchy, ending.
And I think it would have been better if they'd had an entire season to build up to it.
But maybe not.
Because, really, it was good. It made me laugh, it had funny bits, really funny bits, not just Spike making stupid quips, which I've been missing, since this series used to be -funny-, it used to make me grin.
I really think it captured what was important about Angel, as a series, with it's message. It was hope, and fighting the good fight, and never giving up, even when it was hopeless, because if you give up, then they win.
I appreciate that every character got their little moment to do things. And it wasn't apocalypse sex, like on Buffy.
Gunn went to help out Anne. I loved that so much. I love whenever Anne popped up in an episode. Gunn was fighting for people like Anne, that's why he fought, that's why he did it, so they could be safe.
Angel going to see Connor? Yeah, I appreciate that too. I know not everyone did, but I like that that was what was most important to Angel, in his very possible last day on earth, was that he spend time with his son. And I think it was doubly important that Connor showed that . . . it was okay. What Angel did, he understood, and he was happy. Despite the strangely erotic nightmares, hah! Connor, for Angel, is very much a symbol of what he wanted to protect.
Lorne sang. And I don't think they've used Lorne well since he became a regular, but singing? Yeah. In another character, it wouldn't matter, it would almost be frivolous, but for Lorne, music is what LA -has- that makes it so important to him, makes it beautiful and special, because it's what his home didn't have, and so because it's Lorne, that worked.
Spike went out, got drunk, and RECITED POETRY. Oh, god, Spike, the writers don't even take you remotely seriously. "The follies of my wonton mum." Dude. But you know, the poetry was one of those things that connected Spike to his human self, made him seek redemption. Symbolic like. It's what made people see more into him, what made Spike fans love him (I'm not a Spike fan). I liked his bit too.
Wesley . . . I really wish he'd called his parents. Stupid, maybe, but I'm so goddamn tired of 'Fred is the centre of my universe and without Fred there is nothing'. If I was going off to probably-die, I'd call my parents, even though I don't get on with them that well. I'd call them -because- I don't get no with them that well.
And Lindsey and Eve? Damn, it was sappy (and maybe, just maybe, when Lindsey asked Eve what she was thinking about, and she answered "Angel", I was kind of expecting him to say "Me too"), but it made me like Eve. It made me feel -sorry- for Eve. In the end, I was actually kind of pissed off at Angel for giving her false hope about how things would turn out. I kind of wish she hadn't been around for . . . all of the season, but for whatever reason, she really loved Lindsey. She gave up a lot for him.
And, randomly? Harmony sleeping with Jayne Marcus Hamilton? Lucky bitch. ^_^
The fight scenes were mostly impressive, although my word, Angel gets thrown through a lot of windows in this series. Connor coming to help him? Yeah. I'm proud of you, little guy. I forgive you for being the root of many problems in season three and four, and technically the source of all badness in season five. You done good.
But then we come to the deaths, because you knew -someone- was going to die, and wouldn't you know it, they killed off the characters we wanted to star in our "Bear the Idiot Eater" spinoff.
Sigh.
Wesley - Wesley was never my favourite character, but I always liked him, and always felt for him. I think a lot of what I loved about the show left when he kidnapped Connor and got basically got the boot, and I think his life's been full of a lot of misery. I'm irritated that they filled his death scene with Wes/Fred muck, because it just seems to try and simplify a very complicated character. But still, I'm kind of glad Wes died (he probably wouldn't have if the show hadn't been cancelled, I'm pretty sure) because honestly? The poor guy deserves the rest. I teared up during his death scene, I really did, even though I knew it was coming.
As For Lindsey . . . What is with my favourite characters in the Buffyverse getting killed? Jonathan in Buffy, and now Lindsey . . . I have a lot of issues with Lindsey's return, but if he was going to die, it should have been at the hands of Angel. It's just . . . how it should have been. If nothing else, do him the credit of the awesome dynamic they had together. I kind of wish Lindsey had been killed off in "You're Welcome" . . . but I'm also glad he was there for the finale. Because he was in the first episode, and he was in the last, and it's sort of, I dunno, connecting. But being killed by Lorne just seemed like the final blow to the poor guy's pride. Whether you thought he was sincere in fighting the good fight with Angel and co. or not, he deserved a death at the hands of Angel. Not to mention poor Lorne. Lorne who doesn't like killing and fighting, who likes music, who likes partying, who likes seeing people happy, shouldn't have killed Lindsey for Angel. He shouldn't have killed Lindsey, and it shouldn't have been in that way. That was just . . . dirty. I knew Lindsey was toast when I saw Lorne just standing there while Lindsey was washing his hands and just . . . Sigh.
Maybe, if they hadn't been cancelled, Lindsey would have been explained.
Probably not, though.
The ending itself, while ambiguous, and maybe frustrating for some, fit the series. symbolically and stuff. The fight's eternal, the fight doesn't end, and it doesn't matter if they won or lost. It matters that they fought.
Definitely went better than I thought it woudl. Some good lines, too.
"You are not unpleasant to look at."
Heh.
Now I'm going to miss the series, though. If it had just continued on it's mediocre tone of the season, I wouldn't have minded it's ending, but now . . . Yeah. I'm going to miss it.
Mourning the loss of a series and the potential for a cracked out spinoff, Almighty Ingrid, Signing Off
Can I get a sword stick like Koudelka?
5/23/2004 04:30:11 PM
"You can't do that to a squirrel! They have unions!" - Collin Sri'vastra, Friendly Hostility.
If anyone can suggest to me a good way to break in shoes quickly, or to soften the leather so it doesn't DIG INTO THE BACK OF YOUR FOOT UNTIL IT BLEEDS I'd appreciate it.
Now, the store where I work has a dress code. And normally I wouldn't mind, but it extends to footwear, which I find baffling. I don't normally notice what people where on their feet unless we're talking about clunker platform boots with ten inch soles or something ridiculous like that. on top of that, I'm a cashier. I stand behind a counter and you cannot see my feet. And yet, I have to wear polishable black dress shoes.
So, my parents visited on Friday, and we went to the mall, and bought me two pairs of shoes that I described as feeling 'weird', but it was generally put down that this was because a) they weren't broken in and b) for the past four years or so, I've only worn hiking boots, and before that, running shoes. It's been, I would hazard to guess, about ten years since I last wore footwear that didn't have laces.
Friday night, I put on the shoes, and walked to work. Within a block, my feet were hurting me, but my feet were already sensitive after three days of training and being on my feet all the time. I got to work and took off my shoes to check my feet.
I had bleeding, ugly sores on the back of both heels.
Now, we're not allowed to have money on us when we're working, and we aren't provided with lockers (there are lockers, but not enough for everyone who works there - fresh trainees haven't a chance of getting a locker) so I, obviously, had no money to go and buy, say, bandages, gauze, any kind of cleaning gel.
As for the store providing free first aid treatment? These people won't provide their employees with -pens- and won't give them even a tiny discount on buying things from the store.
So I rolled my socks up, grimaced, and limped my way through all four hours of training. And then I limped all the way home. When I got back, I took off my shoes, peeled of my socks, and found out that not only did I have two very ugly, very dirty, kind of oozing sores on the back of my feet, but I had also acquired a large blister at some point, which had popped itself.
I bathed, soaked, bandaged my wounds, and today I'm still walking funny.
I work Tuesday night. I really, really want to minimize the stressful agony that actual working will cause but I have no idea how long it'll be before I can walk comfortably in these damn things. I have learned over the years that I have unfortunately sensitive feet. I dont' seem to form much in the way of calluses, despite the fact that there aren't many people my age I know who walk nearly as much as I do. When I bought the current boots I have, they did indeed cause blisters, hot spots, and a lot of pain, and it was -months- before they were comfortably broken in. We took them to a gentleman of my father's acquaintance and he beat them with a hammer and it -still- took forever for the blasted things to be comfortable.
He told me that the next time I bought footwear, I should take the time and spend the extra money to buy something of high quality, preferably of Italian or Brazilian make, to minimize the pain that breaking the shoes in would cause.
Why didn't I listen to him?
Limp limp limpin' along, Almighty Ingrid, Signing Off
