Zone Doubt, a.k.a. 'Surreal Я Us'...

Joules, trusted by... dozens... to make a drama out of your crisis...

Other sites:

:: JAT :: WaveWrights :: Publications ::

I live to write. It's not wise to get in my way.

... I'd write my autobiography, but no-one would believe it....


If you come across any words you don't recognise in this blog, take a look at the Taylorspeke Glossary in the left-hand infopane, you'll usually find a definition there.


The Poppy Tales

(Transformers fanfiction!)

Transformers mini-comics here.




Adventures in Orchids

Apparently I am now collecting them...

There's room for one - or maybe two, at a pinch - more on that bedroom windowsill (the only one in the house that's ideal for them). Let's see what I find. Well, that didn't last long...


EO - Everlasting orchid. Phalaenopsis. I've had this orchid since 2007 and it just keeps flowering...







AO - Alien face orchid. Phalaenopsis . Bought 2018 - lovely little flowers, all different patterns!





RO - Rescued orchid photo to come when it flowers. Phalaenopsis. Rescued from a bin up the road in 2019. Classic!






TO - Tiny orchid. Phalaenopsis. Bought at Tesco 21.8.20. It just begged to come home with me. How could I say no?





CO - Crimson orchid. Cambria. Another Tesco find. This one may be going to live in Ken's room once we've redecorated and put up the new shelving; it prefers a cooler, less sunny windowsill. If so, I'll need to find another cambrian to keep it company.






GO - Golden orchid. Phalaenopsis. Saw this one when I bought CO and left it behind - then immediately regretted it as soon as I got home. Never seen one like it before. Ken, bless him, went back over to Tesco in the rain and bought it for me...





DO - Dendrobium Orchid. Smells of wisteria, so beautiful...











RO2 - Rescued orchid no 2. Phalaenopsis. This is the one I rescued from the wall along the road middle of 2021.








PO. Pink orchid. Phalaenopsis. This is the one I bought at Cabury Garden Centre on special, late 2021. It's much happier here!










TWO. Teeny weeny orchid, Phalaenopsis. Rescued from Tesco end 2021 (I think).




















My IMDb ep summaries

(completed)
Arthur of the Britons
Sky
Star Maidens
The Starlost
Space Rangers
The Sentinel (part: seasons 2 and 3)
Swamp Thing (part: season 3)
Gravedale High
Transformers: Armada
Transformers: Energon
Transformers: Cybertron (part)
Misfits of Science (four eps)
Zoo Gang
Zodiac
Jupiter Moon
Transformers: Beast Wars (part: seasons 2 and 3)
Transformers: Beast Machines (part)
Vampire Princess Miyu
Starhyke
Nathan Barley
No Heroics
Undermind (3 eps)
Will Shakespeare (Tim Curry version)
Nightwalker
12 Kingdoms
Trigun (ep 8)
Rayearth
Hyperdrive (season 2 ep 3)
The Café

For later:

Missing Earthian ep
Missing Haibane Renme eps


Silver birch at Eastwood 

Farm

"Autumnal - nothing to do with leaves. It is to do with a certain brownness at the edges of the day... Brown is creeping up on us, take my word for it... Russets and tangerine shades of old gold flushing the very outside edge of the senses... deep shining ochres, burnt umber and parchments of baked earth - reflecting on itself and through itself, filtering the light. At such times, perhaps, coincidentally, the leaves might fall, somewhere..."

(Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead Act 2: Tom Stoppard)

Autumn...

I love this time of year. I love the colours, the sharp slant of sunlight on the trees, mosaics of acid-yellow and harts- blood, velvet and darkness and a haze of mist-grey over the hills. I love its immanence, its mellowness, the tang of frost just around the corner of the year...

Watching the little birds in the goat-willow in my garden, I realised something more.

I love this land with a fierce, possessive love, deep-rooted in two thousand years of history. From the frosted beaches and cloud-brushing peaks of the north to the wind-haunted meanderings of the rivers of the east, from the sensuous rolling patchworked hills of the south to the demanding dark moors of the west, this land seeps into bone and blood and synapse, mother of motley nobility, culture, individual freedoms. It can be known. It can be understood. It can be felt deep inside.

I love its effortless eccentricities, its vigour and vibrancy, its flawed perfections, its silent strength and tenacious resilience, its hard-won tolerances and intense and variable beauty, the profound energy in its sacred mythical landscape.

Home and more-than-home, the forces that shape and protect and bind, in me, as I am in the land. Love returning love in the stillness for those who'll only take the time to listen...

(Joules, Autumn 2004)


All photographs taken by Joules unless otherwise specified. All photographs © Joules A Taylor or other specified individual.


In Memoriam

17.03.09 - Argent

25.07.08 - Raptor

18.12.07 - Quyn

02.12.06 - Ryme


Currently enjoying:
Muse
Transformers - IDW, Prime, Animated, Rescue Bots.

Currently reading:
Various Transformers books and graphic novels.



Currently working on:
Haadri

Currently chuffed with:
My garden

Currently miffed at:
Nestlé, Nonpres Tinyhands Fart, Toadface Farage

Currently maintaining:
BCHS
BCW


Blog Pics
I've gathered some of my pages of photos together: the page of links is here. I'll be adding more as time goes by!




Evil Squid
A Little Glossary of Taylorspeke
(in no particular order)

plit popints - n. Typo for 'plot points' typed on a keyboard with more than half the characters worn off...

[PING] (alt [ping]) - n. A brainwave. The text equivalent of a lightbulb going on blindingly over someone's head. Usually mine. And usually at the most inconvenient of times. [sigh]

TPTB - The Powers That Be.

wulmet - n. A person of little or no talent who somehow inveigles himself into a position where he is in power over other, far more talented people and uses his position to downplay them in order to try to make himself feel superior.

biteable - referring to an anatomical part vb, tasty.

Flatterfed - vb. 27.02.08: my typo for flattered, but since it's so cutely apt I thought it would fit nicely here. Lutra defined it as "the lovely warm feeling of satisfaction resulting from enthusiastic reviews..." (which I've been getting for my MB fics).

Composted - vb, 'compos mentis', mentally capable of working. Contrast with uncomposted or non- composted, not 'compos mentis', not capable of working, hungover...

Cumbles - n, cucumbers.

Kewp - how Ken says 'thank you'. We rather like Lutra's 'nanx', too...

Musekick - noun, music, without which I cannot work.

'feinne - noun, caffeine, essential for correct mental functioning, especially first thing in the morning. I prefer mine in the form of SodaStream Diet Coke. And on that subject...

Skoosh - verb, noun. To skoosh - to add CO2 to a sodastream bottle filled with water to make it fizzy, prior to adding Diet Coke syrup (or just drinking as sparkling water). A skoosh - a bottle of water that has been skooshed. Skooshy - something that has been skooshed, water, or that whipped cream that comes in tins you have to shake then upend and press the nozzle...

Shoogle - verb. To shake gently, for example, of roast potatoes in a roasting tin to ensure they're covered with oil. I have vague memories of this being a real Scottish colloquialism...

Stegasaurus - n, spider of the genus tegenaria. Why? No idea. I just find it easier, that's all...
Edit 08.09.07: Lutra thinks that Brian is a good name for a mini-stegasaurus. From now on, any 'Brian's in the posts may be assumed to be a tegenaria. Except where otherwise specified.

Viterals - noun, vitamins + minerals. Also a pun on victuals.

Splish - verb. A combination of slosh and splash.

Parrots - noun, paracetemol (from the old joke "Why are there no aspirin tablets in the jungle? Because the parrots eat 'em all...")

Maggles - noun, magpies. As opposed to non-magical people.

Flamewings - noun. Swifts. So called because the first time we became aware of them was an early summer evening when they were flying high, the light from the setting sun seemingly turning their wings to flames. Lovely little birds. We always know summer's arrived when we hear their high-pitched squeeing.

Murfs - noun, moths.

Peasant cut - noun, roughly cut up into big chunks, e.g. vegetables chopped in a hurry for a hearty stew or soup. By extension, anything prepared in a hurry - haircut, material, even a first draft of a story...

Giraffe - noun, a carafe (of wine, coffee or water, for example).

Shrumps - noun, mushrooms.

Splings - noun, Kai's spelling homework: by extension, any spelling.

Tyops - noun, typos. var toyps, typso, psyto, psoyt, etc. Usual result of a dose of the fingerials (see next entry).

Fingerials - (pr. fin GEEE ree yalls) noun, fingers that will not type what you want them to.

Haddock - noun, time, of which I never have enough. (Origin of this term here.)

Sleep - noun? vb? a.k.a. sheeeeeeeeep.... I used to know what this word meant...


The Updates Blog

The place to stay notified of WaveWrights' Fiction updates: Zone, Darkside, DarkRealm, Matrix, Vault, Safehouse 13...




my computer gremlin Butch. click the pic to see the larger image

Butch, my computer gremlin. Click the pic for larger version, and read his adventures here...

Butch by the talented 

Sylverthorne

A gift for me! Butch by the very talented Sylverthorne. Click pic for larger image.

Joules' 

Haddock

This is MY haddock. It was caught exclusively for me by Talon. No, you can't have any. I need all the haddock I can get!!



A'lestrel by Valkyrie.

A'lestrel - a gift for me from Valkyrie...



Albino Alsatian Benten (c) MEBird 

2004

Another gorgeous Valkyrie gift for me - Benten the Albino Alsatian! Click thumbnail for larger image.

Radittsu, an oekaki for my birthday 04 

by 

Onna

Oekai by Bakayaro Onna - Radittsu at his sexiest...



The Zone Plant from
The Zone 

blog 

plant

OrganicHTML (which alas no longer seems to exist...)
[::..My Regular Reads..::]
:: Astronomical Pic of the Day [>]
:: What is Space... [>]
:: Dark Roasted Blend [>]
:: BLDG [>]
:: Watchismo Times [>]
[::..Fun Places..::]
::HubbleSite
Stunning...
::PALEOMAP Project
Absolutely fascinating.
:: Skymap
Check out the night sky where you are!
[::..Useful Sites..::]
:: GreenNet
First stop for environmental matters
:: The Forest of Avon
Our local community forest and places to visit
:: The Guardian
Online Guardian Newspaper.
:: Symbols
Exactly what it says
:: World Timeserver
For checking the current time around this world
:: Universal Currency Converter
Actually it's just a terran-global currency converter, not universal, but it's still useful...

So what is it with the haddock? Am I some kind of fish freak?

I'll leave that to others to decide.

The tale (or tail if you prefer) harks back to October 2000, when my GoodTwin and I, ably assisted by Sue, ran the first UK Professionals convention...
It's common knowledge that I never have enough time, and I was determined not to bewail the fact that weekend: hence I promised not to use the 'T' word...
Of course, that didn't really work (if nothing else I had to let the trainees know what times things were supposed to be happening!) so we decided a substitute word would be employed instead. There were several suggestions. Banana came very close to being chosen. However, I eventually decided that 'haddock' fitted the bill nicely. Ever since, haddock=time. Hence the title of my forthcoming autobiography,
My Half-Life in the Haddock Space Continuum....


Normally I wouldn't, but these were just irresistible...

How could I resist?

Just too adorable...

and to complete the rainbow...

These Too-Kawaii Kitties
were adopted from
Ghost's Anime Page (which appears to have disappeared, alas...)

[::..Anime/Manga..::]
Useful sites:

BBTS -
Fabulous anime figures

Anime Lyrics
A huge selection... evil popups

Anime still needed to complete series' I'm collecting... Many thanks to everyone who has helped me acquire the collection!
Ai no Kusabi

Owned:
   DVD
   Dj: June Special
   CD: Ambivalence

Cyber City Oedo 808

Owned:
   DVD
   All 3 eps on Video, dubbed
   Dj: Cyberage 1-3
   Illustrated Book 2 (Benten's) in Japanese

From Eroica with Love

Owned:
   Manga Vols 1, 9, 11

Mirage of Blaze

Owned:
   DVD Vol 1 (eps 1-4)

R.G. Veda

Owned:
   English Manga: Vol 1
   Japanese Manga: Vol 1-7 complete
   Tarot Pack
   R.G.Veda video

Twelve Kingdoms

Owned:
   Anime Vol 1-12: complete

Under the Glass Moon

Owned:
   Manga Vol 1, 2
Vol 3 needed

Vampire Hunter D - Bloodlust

Owned:
   DVD

   Vampire Hunter D Book 1



New Vampire Miyu

Owned:
   (Studio Ironcat) Manga Vols 1 -5 (complete)


Yami no Matsuei

Owned:
   Viz Manga: English translation, Vols 1 - 11 (complete: I believe vol 12 is only available online)
   Japanese 3-DVD set
   Central Park Media: Descendants of Darkness Vol. 1, English/Japanese subbed.
   Sketchbook


[::..Joules SP fied..::]


... this is Terra? How the hell'd I end up here...?

(Thanks, Lutra, for the quote!)

[::..archive..::]
07/01/2002 - 07/31/2002
08/01/2002 - 08/31/2002
09/01/2002 - 09/30/2002
10/01/2002 - 10/31/2002
11/01/2002 - 11/30/2002
12/01/2002 - 12/31/2002
01/01/2003 - 01/31/2003
02/01/2003 - 02/28/2003
03/01/2003 - 03/31/2003
04/01/2003 - 04/30/2003
05/01/2003 - 05/31/2003
06/01/2003 - 06/30/2003
07/01/2003 - 07/31/2003
08/01/2003 - 08/31/2003
09/01/2003 - 09/30/2003
10/01/2003 - 10/31/2003
11/01/2003 - 11/30/2003
12/01/2003 - 12/31/2003
01/01/2004 - 01/31/2004
02/01/2004 - 02/29/2004
03/01/2004 - 03/31/2004
04/01/2004 - 04/30/2004
05/01/2004 - 05/31/2004
06/01/2004 - 06/30/2004
07/01/2004 - 07/31/2004
08/01/2004 - 08/31/2004
09/01/2004 - 09/30/2004
10/01/2004 - 10/31/2004
11/01/2004 - 11/30/2004
12/01/2004 - 12/31/2004
01/01/2005 - 01/31/2005
02/01/2005 - 02/28/2005
03/01/2005 - 03/31/2005
04/01/2005 - 04/30/2005
05/01/2005 - 05/31/2005
06/01/2005 - 06/30/2005
07/01/2005 - 07/31/2005
08/01/2005 - 08/31/2005
09/01/2005 - 09/30/2005
10/01/2005 - 10/31/2005
11/01/2005 - 11/30/2005
12/01/2005 - 12/31/2005
01/01/2006 - 01/31/2006
02/01/2006 - 02/28/2006
03/01/2006 - 03/31/2006
04/01/2006 - 04/30/2006
05/01/2006 - 05/31/2006
06/01/2006 - 06/30/2006
07/01/2006 - 07/31/2006
08/01/2006 - 08/31/2006
09/01/2006 - 09/30/2006
10/01/2006 - 10/31/2006
11/01/2006 - 11/30/2006
12/01/2006 - 12/31/2006
01/01/2007 - 01/31/2007
02/01/2007 - 02/28/2007
03/01/2007 - 03/31/2007
04/01/2007 - 04/30/2007
05/01/2007 - 05/31/2007
06/01/2007 - 06/30/2007
07/01/2007 - 07/31/2007
08/01/2007 - 08/31/2007
09/01/2007 - 09/30/2007
10/01/2007 - 10/31/2007
11/01/2007 - 11/30/2007
12/01/2007 - 12/31/2007
01/01/2008 - 31/01/2008
01/02/2008 - 29/02/2008
03/01/2008 - 31/03/2008
01/04/2008 - 04/30/2008
01/05/2008 - 31/05/2008
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01/11/2014 - 30/11/2014
01/12/2014 - 31/12/2014
01/01/2015 - 31/01/2015
01/02/2015 - 28/02/2015
01/03/2015 - 31/03/2015
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01/05/2015 - 31/05/2015
01/06/2015 - 30/06/2015
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01/12/2015 - 31/12/2015
01/01/2016 - 31/01/2016
01/022016 - 28/02/2016
01/03/2016 - 31/03/2016
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01/05/2016 - 31/05/2016
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01/11/2016 - 31/11/2016
01/12/2016 - 31/12/2016
01/01/2017 - 31/01/2017
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01/03/2017 - 31/03/2017
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01/07/2017 - 31/07/2017
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01/09/2017 - 30/09/2017
01/10/2017 - 31/10/2017
01/11/2017 - 30/11/2017
01/12/2017 - 31/12/2017
01/01/2018 - 31/01/2018
01/02/2018 - 28/02/2018
01/03/2018 - 31/03/2018
01/04/2018 - 30/04/2018
01/05/2018 - 31/05/2018
01/06/2018 - 30/06/2018
01/07/2018 - 31/07/2018
01/08/2018 - 31/08/2018
01/09/2018 - 30/09/2018
01/10/2018 - 31/10/2018
01/11/2018 - 30/11/2018
01/12/2018 - 31/12/2018
01/01/2019 - 31/01/2019
01/02/2019 - 28/02/2019
01/03/2019 - 31/03/2019
01/04/2019 - 30/04/2019
01/05/2019 - 31/05/2019
01/06/2019 - 30/06/2019
01/07/2019 - 31/07/2019
01/08/2019 - 31/08/2019
01/09/2019 - 30/09/2019
01/10/2019 - 31/10/2019
01/11/2019 - 30/11/2019
01/12/2019 - 31/12/2019
01/01/2020 - 31/01/2020
01/02/2020 - 29/02/2020
01/03/2020 - 31/03/2020
01/04/2020 - 31/04/2020
01/05/2020 - 31/05/2020
01/06/2020 - 31/06/2020
01/07/2020 - 31/07/2020
01/08/2020 - 31/08/2020
01/09/2020 - 30/09/2020
01/10/2020 - 31/10/2020
01/11/2020 - 30/11/2020
01/12/2020 - 31/12/2020
01/01/2021 - 31/01/2021
01/02/2021 - 28/02/2021
01/03/2021 - 31/03/2021
01/04/2021 - 30/04/2021
01/05/2021 - 31/05/2021
01/06/2021 - 30/06/2021
01/07/2021 - 31/07/2021
01/08/2021 - 31/08/2021
01/09/2021 - 30/09/2021
01/10/2021 - 31/10/2021
01/11/2021 - 30/11/2021
01/12/2021 - 31/12/2021
01/01/2022 - 31/01/2022
01/02/2022 - 28/02/2022
01/03/2022 - 31/03/2022
01/04/2022 - 30/04/2022
01/05/2022 - 30/05/2022
01/06/2022 - 31/06/2022
01/07/2022 - 31/07/2022
01/08/2022 - 31/08/2022
01/09/2022 - 30/09/2022
01/10/2022 - 31/10/2022
01/11/2021 - 31/11/2021
01/12/2022 - 31/12/2022
01/01/2023 - 31/01/2023
01/02/2023 - 28/02/2023
01/03/2023 - 31/03/2023
01/04/2023 - 30/04/2023
01/08/2023 - 31/08/2023
01/11/2023 - 31/11/2023

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Sooooo...

It's been a busy couple of days. Hospital appt yesterday: we were asked to go in again today for a blood cross-match so we can have a (relatively) fast appt on Thursday. Then I shopped (and carried too much again. Determined to stop doing that next year).

Up early this morning, put a wash through, sorted out the top of the airing cupboard, and was going to do the last Sainsbug shop of the year, except it pissed down with rain so I decided to do it later. Just as well, as the steamer and toasted sammij maker arrived while I was tidying!

Shopped after the rain, made toasted ham sammijs for lunch when I got back (worked perfectly and Kai really liked them, so that's a few lunches each week sorted), then it was the hospital (which was quick), then back and I went over to do the last Tesco shop of the year. Then came back and made dinner, pork chops with veg steamed in the new steamer - which also works perfectly, is very fast and efficient, and tick-tocks as the timer winds down. The alarm is good and loud too. So the latest purchases are a success.

After dinner it was the penultimate Arthur of the Britons of season 1, and then Silent Running, which is a pretty depressing film and I wanted to watch the DVD before the new year. So today was actually pretty successful...

Now fifteen minutes to go: I can't wait to see the back of this horrible, horrible year. Please let 2014 be better.

Labels:





1 Comments:

Blogger GoodTwin said...

2013 has indeed been dreadful, for so many in so many ways. Wishing you all the best for 2014.

11:17 am  



Sunday, December 29, 2013

Normal Sunday shop. There are a few useful specials at Sains, so I took advantage.

The steamer has been playing up over the last few months. The digital display isn't working (it's never been very easy to see, you have to bend down to eye level to read it, and there's no backlight), the alarm is so quiet you have to be right next to the thing to hear it, and recently the veg has been cooking very unevenly. So I thought it's time for a new one, and I was planning to get into town to check out the sales. I had a look on amazon first, though, to get some idea of prices - and that's when it occurred to me that of course amazon has reviews...

Heh. Turns out the problems I was having with the steamer (it's a Breville) are a feature of the actual model, not just of mine. I've ordered one of these instead. It's a bit more than I'd planned to spend, but since it gets used at least three times a week to cook all our veg and most of our fish, it makes sense to go for something reasonable. It's also not digital, so there's less to go wrong.

While I was it I ordered this as well. Finding ideas for lunches that Kai can safely eat is becoming a challenge: at least with this I can make a variety of toasted sandwiches, which will be hot and nourishing for him. (And I like 'em too!)

The IMDB doesn't have plot outlines/guides for (most of) the episodes for Arthur of the Britons, I noted - so I'm writing them. (And I've just checked and the first three have been OKed and posted!)

Later edit: They don't seem to like my summary for The Penitent Invader. Perhaps they have a fundie on the staff? I should mention that the summaries for Rolf the Preacher, Enemies and Lovers, and The Slaves were written by someone else.

Labels: , ,





0 Comments:



I have to be strong. I use the fact that I have to keep everything running smoothly to distract from the fact that both my husband and our only child are fighting life-threatening diseases. There are no guarantees that they will survive. I have never felt so alone.





1 Comments:

Blogger Writer Chick said...

Oh, Joules. Soldier on. There's nothing else to do.

You may not be as alone as you believe ...

12:25 am  



Saturday, December 28, 2013

Checking email first thing I found a message from Go Outdoors announcing their latest massivemammothmegasale, and since our branch is just over the Bath Rd, and since my current trainers have splits in the soles and let in all the wet, I thought I'd tank over and see if they had the ones they were advertsiing (£14.47 instead of around forty quid). They didn't have them (hadn't for about two years, so why they were still on the site they had no idea, the assistant told me). However, they had these, which are comfy: also bought a new tougher rucksack for Kai (on the same deal, actually). So that was good.

Dropped off the purchases and went down to Sainsbugs. All their catfood is on special at the moment, so Ken came with me to help carry.

This evening it was the next two eps of Arthur, the last ep of Atlantis, then Matt Berry narating Channel 4's 50 funniest moments of 2013... Mm. Some of them were not what I'd call funny...

Between us Kai and I managed to do most of the transformations for the new figures (the TF: Animated ones don't have instructions, so that was fun).

Optimus Prime (somewhat battle-scarred).

Ratchet

Lockdown

Bayverse Shockwave alt form (Cybertronian tank, I think)

Bayverse Shockwave root form.


I also found out yesterday, re: Kai's treatment, that they usually don't expect to see anything much happen before three months after the chemo, and if nothing has happened by six months they conclude it hasn't worked and move to plan B. Now we know, we can keep a closer eye on things.

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Friday, December 27, 2013

Kai needed platelets, so has been very sleepy all day. Watched two Arthur eps tonight - wonderful stuff!

Also the deliciously vicious Vicious xmas special.

Seem to be trying to fight off the lurgy Ken thinks he's brought home from work. Certainly don't feel too good. Typical. For once I wasn't ill for xmas itself, now I may be for New Year...

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Thursday, December 26, 2013

Another wonderfully relaxed day. Watched and thoroughly enjoyed the second ep of Arthur of the Britons, then put on Deathly Hallows part 1 after the buffet lunch (Ken went over to return some archaeological finds to a friend) and Kai flopped on sofa while I made a rather nice rich duck stock, then after dinner we all watched Deadly Hallows pt 2. My comments the same as before - too choppy, too hurried.

And I began reading MTMTE vol 1. It starts off rather grimly, but by the time I got to Rodimus assembling the crew of the Lost Light I was laughing out loud - and that's never happened with a Tf continuity before! The characters are completely nuts, the dialogue gloriously funny, and the basic premise - a bunch of misfit Cybertronians, some familiar, others new, head off into space in search of the mythical Knights of Cybertron - daft enough to be highly amusing. If the rest of vol 1 and vol 2 live up to this promise I can see I shall want to read the lot (and it may well be a lot as the comic is still ongoing)...

Also, if anyone every produces a comic-accurate Metalhawk, I want one!

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Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Fairly long post with lots of photos...

Xmas Eve

Shopped at Sains. It was actually quite pleasant. I didn't have much to pick up, unlike most of the other shoppers. After dinner (Kai requested lasagne) we watched Les Miserables (picked it up cheap at Head and as we'd so far managed to miss seeing it...) Can't say I enjoyed it. Well done and some good songs, but unrelievedly miserable, really.

Today was loads of fun - and the present haul was fantastic! And for the 24th year in a row we had a sunny 25th.

To explicate the Glastonbury trip and the dismaying lack of foxes... Kai loves them, and I wanted to buy him a stylised fox head pendant (sort of totem or spirit animal representation). St Nick's Market used to sell a very nice line in such things, but sadly haven't done in years. I did find what I was looking for though, on etsy (it's a little small but a lovely design and not ornate). I think he likes it - he's worn it all today, at any rate. (I got him an unbreakable faux suede thong to hang it from if he decides he doesn't like the chain, too). And he was very impressed with the earphones from GoodTwin.

Mine was mostly Transformers related of course -

Tf: Animated alt modes

Tf: Prime Beast Hunters, and Bayverse Shockwave -


along with this adorable little robot keyring from Sue (that's now in my lovely new bag.)


AND More Than Meets The Eye Volumes 1 & 2 (so now I can find out what all the fuss is about!)

Also from GoodTwin the complete Arthur of the Britons (ye gods, 1972. I feel old...) which was a complete and wonderful surprise! We watched the first episode right after finishing opening the presents and all loved it. Going to watch it all over the next couple of weeks!

After dinner we watched Iron Man 3 and thoroughly enjoyed it. Gloriously silly and great fun.

It's snowing in the Forest, and there are candles everywhere, and now instead of belling, when you hit the call button you blow enormous bubbles instead! Such fun.

All in all it's been a lovely day. We've all enjoyed it, and Kai in particular has had a good time, I think. Very happy about that!

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Monday, December 23, 2013

Well, to our surprise and considerable pleasure, yesterday's cross-match worked and Kai's bloods were ready on time. There weren't enough porters on to get it to us in a hurry, mind you, but it was ready. We got home at 4.30 instead of after 8!! This is very good and well worth the extra trip.

So I did the last of the bulk shopping at Sainsbury's after we got back. Just little incidentals to pick up now, will do a quick shop tomorrow. Assuming Sains doesn't blow away in the night, the weather is atrocious.

We took a few mins in the Forest to celebrate, and I got adopted by fauns again. I think it's that mask - it's friendly, and newbies seem to like it. It's kind of flattering that they congregate, except it makes me a mum in both worlds...


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3 Comments:

Blogger GoodTwin said...

We had appalling winds here as well, with worries about the rabbit shelter and the neighbour's tree waving about over our cars... 8-!

8:52 am  
Blogger Sue said...

Likewise and a distinct lack of sleep. Fortunately everything seems to be still standing although I believe we have a go round on Friday!
Have a great Christmas!!

3:44 pm  
Blogger Joules *Dances with Haddock* Taylor said...

The bird bath and the bench blew over, and the lid of the incinerator came off, but other than that we escaped. Hope Friday isn't as bad as forecast...

1:51 am  



Sunday, December 22, 2013

Into hospital for blood cross-match, so tomorrow should be shorter. Kai had a platelets transfusion though, as the count was a bit low, so he won't need those tomorrow, which - again - should hopefully speed things up a little. Fingers crossed anyway...

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Saturday, December 21, 2013

Joyous Yule
And Happy 24th Anniversary to Us

And once again Ken and I independently bought matching cards...

We manage to do this nearly every year. It's kind of cute.

So I was woken up with caramel coffee and a bar of Turkish Delight (nom!)

And the day just went downhill from there...

Came downstairs to find a patch of wetness on the edge of the carpet between the kitchen and this room: on investigation I found that the kitchen vinyl was raised in patches and squelched when pressed. Lifted the vinyl to find the floor underneath - thermal tiles, not wood, thankfully - wet. Immediately thought there was a problem with the washing machine, so between us Ken and I eased it out from its (very tight fitting) corner and checked behind. Machine is fine, but the corner was wet and when I opened the sink unit cupboard door the chipboard the unit is made from was sodden and I could hear a drip every 8 - 9 seconds. Dragged everything out of the cupboard and eventually established that the old waterfilter fitment screw had rusted, split the fixture and holed the water pipe (we have Heath Robinson plumbing here...) It had dripped down behind the grouting and flooded the back and base of the unit.

You can imagine the state everything was in.

So I spent the next three hours cleaning/disinfecting/drying/spraying everything with antibacterial stuff to make it as hygeinic as possible (and taking the opportunity to clear out the accumulated unused or nearly empty cleaning stuff that lives there). We can't fix the leak, that's going to need a real plumber, but we've diverted it so it now goes into the sink. Not ideal but it'll keep us going for a while.

Not exactly what I planned to do on our anniversary.

After that it hardly seemed worth resting, so we went to Sainsbury's and got most of the rest of the Yule shopping. It was packed of course. Got back to find Kai feeling poorly, so settled him on the sofa with The Box of Delights DVD I found in St Pete's Hospice last week: I loved it when I saw it in '84 but it was new to Kai. He's enjoying it too - watched three eps then stopped for dinner (steak) and will watch the rest tomorrow.

Because after dinner we watched Star Trek: Into Darkness...

Predictable, essentially the same plot as the first film, hugely heavy borrowings from old Trek (homages I can cope with, usually like, but this was rehashing entire plots!) and very disappointing. All the way through I kept seeing similarities to the Transformers films, and after it ended I found out why - Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman were the writers. (Transformers, Transformers: Prime.) I am very glad I didn't pay to see it at the cinema, and also that we didn't wait til the 25th to watch it.

I shall be very glad to see the back of 2013...

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2 Comments:

Blogger GoodTwin said...

Really not what you need, at any time let alone just before Christmas. Hope it can be fixed without too much hassle (and cost!)
I'll be delighted to see the end of this year as well.

11:18 am  
Blogger Joules *Dances with Haddock* Taylor said...

Thanks. Us too.

10:22 pm  



Friday, December 20, 2013

Sainsbury's shop - haircut (he took a good 3 - 4 inches off at my request, will be a while before it needs doing again and my hair is now out of my eyes...) - second Sainsbury shop. There's still a few things we need to get but that's most of the shopping done now.

Tonight we watched Tekken, which I picked up cheap at a charity shop. Hm. Mostly harmless (if very violent).

24th anniversary tomorrow.

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1 Comments:

Blogger GoodTwin said...

Happy Anniversary! :)

9:25 pm  



Thursday, December 19, 2013

Forgot to say, yesterday we had to get back to the BRI for Kai's pentamidine nebuliser treatment: I was told they'd added it it to his usual Thursday appointment every fourth week but this week they'd got it wrong. Would have been OK but it was rush hour going back and the traffic was dreadful, in part because of this...

Today's appointment was nice and short - blood tests and talk with the doctor. He'll need blood and platelets on Monday, and to avoid such a horrendously long day (it usually ends up being 8 or 9 hours) we're back in on Sunday for a blood cross-match so they can have the blood ready when we get there on Monday (they have to take his blood, anlayse it, send the details off to be matched with blood from the store, then that has to go through a machine to be irradiated so there are no nasty antibodies in it, then it has to be brought to the day unit. All takes at least two hours and adds to the three hours minimum it takes for the actual transfusions. Add on another hour minimum for the platelets and you can see why it takes so long...) Fingers crossed it all goes smoothly. It would be nice to get home in daylight on Monday.

In other news, we watched Wolverine and really enjoyed it. And the fox was here last night - I watched him on the wall at the top of the garden (the PDSA has a PIR security light) before he jumped down into Dave next door's (from there he comes under the fence to ours). Quite a large and very beautiful animal he is too.

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Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Later edit:

... Lin gave me a haddock...


*************

[sigh] So I decided to take the evening off, no rp-ing, no client stuff, just a rest: I'm tired and achey and grouchy and the next few days are going to be busy and I really don't want to go down with anything this Yule. I didn't even fancy visiting the Forest tonight: with this new machine I can't use my tablet, I have to shunt things around on my desk and use my mouse (which I don't like, that's why I got a tablet in the first place) so I thought to myself, aHAH, I'll watch a few of my playlist Tf music fanvids on Youtube, always a fun way to relax...

And over on the suggestion infopane to the right of my playlist was a full length fanvid of the Transformers: Fall of Cybertron game... 'Hm' I thought. 'Interesting. Let's take a quick shufti...'

I watched eight minutes. [headdesk] Ye gods, it's almost enough to persuade me to play the damned thing! Gorgeous designs, the most amazing soundtrack, fabulous cgi... The person who uploaded it was playing Bumblebee (Bayverse (and Prime) Bee, no voice - and some of the music was Bayverse too...), not my favourite chara but in context a good choice...

Dammit! I want to watch the whole thing but I don't have two and a quarter fragging hours to spare!!

... maybe xmas eve...? Can anyone give me haddock for Yule?

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3 Comments:

Blogger Sue said...

Hmm, does Amazon stock haddock? There might just be time to get a quick delivery order in *g*

9:55 pm  
Blogger Joules *Dances with Haddock* Taylor said...

*raised eyebrow* arf arf arf... *g*

1:02 am  
Blogger Lutra said...

That is an excellent haddock!

9:59 am  



Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Kai had platelets yesterday, which gave me an hour to dash around and get the last of the presents bought. The queue was out of the door at the Galleries main PO, so after we got home (around 2 pm) I went to our own up Sandy Park Rd. Still had to wait 20 mins but I did get everything posted.

Sains shop afterwards, then client stuff.

Today I headed up to Iceland at Broadwalk to hunt down Yule desserts and nibbles for the usual buffet... Very disappointing, nothing new or fanciable, and I'd better check what Kai can and can't have before I buy. I know anything resembling chicken goujons is forbidden, and I'd rather err on the side of safety. Tesco didn't have anything exciting either - it'll have to be Sainsbury's.

The weather was gorgeous today, so Kai came out into the garden to sort out bird feeders with me (thanks Sue!) I'd have liked to have done some gardening too but the legs objected.

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Sunday, December 15, 2013

BOOOOOOOKBAAAAAARN!!!

Sue and GoodTwin arrived just after twelve in GoodTwin's snazzy new car (loads of headroom. Very comfortable. Does everything but make the tea) and we headed off on the Wells Road. Thought we'd stop off at Whitehalls garden centre on the way, to see if I can find some replacement sedum, as I think our lovely autumn one (which came with the house) managed to catch weedkiller drift - it's not at all happy - and I need to replace it...

Heh. It's not a large place, and there were dozens of cars trying to find spaces, gridlocking the small car park for minutes at a time. The overspill parking (a field with a little tarmaced area) had a sign saying 'Do not park on the grass, you will get stuck', and indeed there were two people up to their ankles in mud trying to push cars onto firmer ground. We had to go in a little way in order to turn round, and the lovely shiny new red paint got splattered with oddly golden mud (looked quite seasonal!), and nearly got stuck ourselves, but the car has this thing called 'traction control' (I think it was) so we were OK. And managed to find a proper space too right afterwards!

No sedums, but I did find a pair of filled-in, fleecy lined crocs (£7.99, rrp £19.99) so very chuffed about that. The ones I have at the moment have those cut out holes and gardening in the winter means squelching around as the mud oozes in.

Getting out again was easier, and it was only about a quarter of an hour to the Bookbarn.

It's a great place! We spent hours browsing (literally, didn't leave til just before their 5 pm closing time) and left with a few finds. Sue unearthed a wonderful film quiz book (I didn't get the name of it - perhaps you can let me know, Sue?) and we spent fifteen minutes with our second tea/coke/hot chocolate from the friendly little cafe trying to answer some of the questions before she bought it and we headed back to Briz.

We ended up at the Black Castle for a meal (they do a really nice Chicken Tikka very cheap: Ken said he'd deal with dinner for him and Kai) and while waiting for our meals carried on with the quiz... It's a very strange little quiz, with some gloriously convoluted questions. And some insanely easy ones - the first section had all the answers as part of the question (e.g. What was the name of the film in which Tom Hanks' wish to grow Big was granted?) But the most hilarity was garnered from the section called Penile Delusions (please correct me if I've got that wrong!) I did know one of the answers (the naked wrestling scene with Oliver Reed and Alan Bates in Women in Love) but the others were... mm [evil grin] All this in the eating section of a fairly busy pub. Kudos to Sue for keeping her voice pretty low (although we did get some strange looks from passing customers, but what the hell: I've always said I want to grow old disgracefully!)

It was a fantastic day, wonderfully enjoyable, and the break and a bit of bawdy humour were just what I needed. [GLOMPS] to you both, and many thanks!

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4 Comments:

Blogger GoodTwin said...

(Google just ate my comment... :( let's try again)

The car is a Mokka, if it were going to make anything it would probably be coffee. Which was the colour of the mud. The weather was suitably appalling on the way back that it's probably washed it all off anyway.

Fabulous day and wonderful meal!

11:42 pm  
Blogger Joules *Dances with Haddock* Taylor said...

Erk. Sorry about the weather - but if it saves an arduous carwashing session...
That is a VERY new car! I enjoyed riding in it - felt very comfortable and very safe (the extra height did that I think).
Glad you enjoyed. I feel rejuvenated!

12:01 am  
Blogger Sue said...

Sorry for delay in replying. This is the book http://tinyurl.com/na78e8e No reviews sadly, perhaps I should write one :)

Fabulous day, really enjoyed it and glad you did too.
Sue

9:25 pm  
Blogger Joules *Dances with Haddock* Taylor said...

Thanks for that, and yes you should!

2:44 pm  



Saturday, December 14, 2013

So, yesterday... what happened yesterday?

... can't remember. Oh, yes, I had a lie in! Did some client stuff. Met Ken for shopping. Watched DS9 and Agents of SHIELD, visited the Forest for a little while.

Today was more shopping - the Sunday shop, actually, as GoodTwin and Sue are visiting tomorrow. Did a little in the garden, some major sorting out in fridge and freezer, K&K put up the lounge decorations, and we wrote/enveloped/stamped all the Yule cards in the usual production line! That's the bulk of the Yule basics done now, though I still have one present to choose/find/post before the 18th...

I've finished the Panto review, but can't get my scanner to work for the programme. May have to take a photo and work it that way for now.

Fox was here last night, warbling again, just before three am. I suppose I ought to put out some dog food for him: he's started digging up my garden, and I have bulbs planted now...

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Thursday, December 12, 2013

Dammit, I missed 9.10, 11/12/13...

Hospital appointment was only 30 minutes this morning - blood tests, line care and check in with the doctor (Kai's ciclosporin levels are a bit too high so he's skipping tonight and tomorrow am's tablets and then going back to 100 mgs twice a day until they check again on Monday. Ciclosporin is essential with this regime but can bugger your kidneys, hence they're being very very careful with the dose). So we got back around 12, had lunch, I did a tiny bit in the garden, a whole load of client stuff, then this evening we watched Cloud Atlas...

What a beautiful film. I thought at the beginning I wasn't going to like it, but as it went on and the various elements began to make sense I came to love it. And the end - oh, the end... Fantastic piece of work. I can see a lot of people hating it though. It's not an easy film at all.

Hoping tomorrow is going to be a relatively normal day. I've hardly spoken to Lutra for weeks and it's getting annoying. Planning to get some Leander done!

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1 Comments:

Blogger Sue said...

Cloud Atlas - I found it hard to get into the book at first but then was gripped.
Sue

9:38 pm  



Tuesday, December 10, 2013

So, yesterday was loooong again. Kai had platelets and two units of blood, as expected, and after getting there just after 10.30 am, we didn't get home until gone 8 pm. But he's looking better today, has more colour and a bit more energy. And his appetite is a little better again, which is always a relief.

Got some work work done today - finished the review but am waiting on photos to go with it. This evening we watched Percy Jackson; Sea of Monsters, which was... OK. Mostly harmless. A bit silly in places (but then so was the first film) and in one place too derivative of a scene from Harry Potter (third book? I forget) to be really satisfying. A pleasant enough way to spend an hour and a half with feet up after dinner!

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Sunday, December 08, 2013

Pretty much the usual Sunday. Sains and Tesco shop, then cooking. This evening watched The Hunger Games - enjoyed it more the second time around.

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Saturday, December 07, 2013

So off I went to Glastonbury in search of foxes...

Now, you'd think, wouldn't you, that Glastonbury, that bastion of pagan lore and presumed-lover of the native Old Ways, would have loads of foxes. I mean, vulpes vulpes, hero of tale and lay, lore and film; cunning, quick, cheeky, adaptable, cute, brimming over with character, quintessentially British, hated by a few, adored by far more - there should be foxes every-bloody-where.

    

But no. I went to just about every shop in the town, and found just two, neither of which was suitable. Hares, yes, owls, a few - but mostly wolves. WOLVES!! They aren't even native here any more! And the shopkeeper I spoke to about it told me they get their supply of lupine goods from the States!! Why wolves, I asked? "Because everyone's claimed them as their spirit animal." I was answered. Pretentious wankers. Lone wolves too, no doubt...

Shame on you, Glastonbury. Shame on you.

Thoroughly disgruntled, I am. (Also very behind with the Panto review, but I am waiting for photos, that's my excuse.)

In case anyone is interested, mine is the native sparrowhawk, which is why I'm so pleased we have a pair in the area that visit the garden. It has been mine since I first learned of their existence when I was... ohhh... nine? Ten? Possibly even earlier, I can't remember when I wrote Sparrowhawk in Eden (a very early poem). I had one tattooed on my right shoulderblade when I was twenty-six (I think it was). It's a little faded now, but still a part of me forever...

(Images stolen from various places via google, with my apologies.)

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1 Comments:

Blogger GoodTwin said...

So what sort of fox are you looking for, precisely? :)

9:44 pm  



Friday, December 06, 2013

Off with Kim today, to Almondsbury (via the tip), to pick up Rosa's crickets and Feather's rat weaners. [Thanks Kim!] Hopefully that will last them until after Yule...

... I'm sure there was something I wanted to say but I can't remember what it was. If I do I'll post it later/tomorrow.

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Thursday, December 05, 2013

And today has been stupidly busy. In reverse order, tonight was St Luke's Yule AmDram, Pride and Prejudice - the Panto!, which Ken and I got free tickets for in return for my usual review, and it was great fun! Most enjoyable, and for once not too long. More tomorrow when I write it up.

Prior to that, I did a Tesco shop.

And prior to that it was Thursday hospital appointment. Heh. First thing that happened was the fire alarm went off. Since they usually test the alarms on Thursday to start with no-one took any notice - until they refused to turn off. So I got hustled out of the building down a not-yet-fully-finished internal fire-escape while Kai had to stay with the day unit staff, as he was booked in and any patients booked in HAVE to stay with their nurses to prevent firefighters having to go into a potentially burning building to look for 'missing' patients...

So I'm standing at the front outside the Children's Hospital (where the alarm went off) watching firefighters pile out of their fire engine and go check for fires, while Kai was led part of the way down the stairs - and then back up to the day unit (I assume they'd decreed it was all safe) where he got whisked into a chair, bloods taken, and by the time I got back there and we'd bought sandwiches (Kai normally gets a free one but the choice is very limited so I said I'd treat him, since we were expecting to be there for hours for blood and platelets. He got chicken mayo with salad and I had a roast beef with horseradish sauce and rocket. A bit pricey but the trolley sammijs taste wonderful) the doctor was ready to speak to us both...

[g] No-one is to get excited, as it's still early days and there's a long way to go, but he didn't need blood today. His blood cell count was less low than expected - which may mean his own bone marrow is starting to make them again. He'll definitely need some on Monday, and platelets too, but for now, that's two whole weeks without a blood transfusion. The most he's gone to date is 10 days, and it's usually every week.

We are very happy, but not taking anything for granted. But it's very encouraging...

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3 Comments:

Blogger Lutra said...

[making encouraging, not excited noises]

11:11 am  
Blogger Sue said...

Fingers are tightly crossed and it's only just over a week until we see you so I shall be excited about that *G*

7:06 pm  
Blogger Joules *Dances with Haddock* Taylor said...

Thank you.

10:21 pm  



Wednesday, December 04, 2013

Tired. Very tired. Have pretty much caught up with everything I had to do though, and we've put up the downstairs Yule trees. Not the new hanging decorations yet - hopefully at the weekend.

There was a woodpecker in the bird feeder (at the suet cake holder) yesterday am.

Don't know if anyone remembers (probably not) but a while back I bought a box of eight Tf: Animated figures on ebay, which came without the weapons (although I found that Prowl did have both his shuriken). Well, I left a search on my ebay account for Jazz's nunchaku, just in case anyone had one to spare, and a week or so ago one appeared for sale! Picked it up for £1.04 (+ £1.40 p&p) - so he's now complete.

Wonder if I should do the same for Ratchet's tools and OP's axe... Perhaps better wait til Yule and see if they come with the figures, since Prowl's did. Not long now. Which is scary - I am nowhere near ready.

And it looks as though I may have a tacca chantrieri flower coming at last (how many years have I had the plant now?) The plant is not very happy - I haven't been able to give it very good growing conditions - but it is hanging on. I'll start photo-charting the progress tomorrow.

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1 Comments:

Blogger GoodTwin said...

I swear Christmas is getting sneakier - I'm further behind every year...

10:53 pm  



Monday, December 02, 2013

Last night was interesting - the first winter visit of our fox. Kai heard him first, barking all the way down the road. That turned into that wierd warbling that we think may be a mating call, grunting and snuffling. Then there was a lot of noise from the back garden so I opened the landing window and shone a torch down, to see the fox tearing around the garden like a mad thing. We guess he may have been hunting something out there - mice? Hopefully not rats...

Kai had platelets today - which means blood on Thursday. They've taken a cross match today and say they'll have everything ready when we get to the unit so we won't have the usual multi-hour wait. Fingers crossed...

Last bit of vanity from the Forest.

       

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1 Comments:

Blogger Lutra said...

It's a well deserved bit of vanity. That's a pretty impressive rack you've got there...

[not snickering. really]

9:57 am  



Sunday, December 01, 2013

Quick trip to the Forest before dragging my weary bones bedwards...

These antlers are really quite magnificent.

I ended up dancing with these good folk. The posture here is the 'listening' pose: it allows you to see where everything and everyone's glyphs are, very useful for finding the people you're looking for or orientating yourself.

There are a lot of new fauns in the Forest at the moment and it's so cute to watch them try out all the body language buttons and dance with the stags (including me, of course, I love dancing).

This tumble of rocks is the 'playground' - but I use it as second favourite place to sleep. It's dry and comfortable under that sloping rock. And what really shook me, when I first realised it, was that in real life that is the (second to) last place I would want to sleep, as my claustrophobia would kick in right away. (The last place would be inside the singing tree, my favourite place to sleep, which is even more enclosed.) I find this absolutely fascinating and I have no idea why it works that way...

Bed very soon I think, after Kai has his last aciclovir of the night...

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Last night I finally got the antlers I was waiting for!

I got enchanted with these too - they match my pelt - but decided to opt for the big dramatic ones...

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