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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01/11/2008 - 31/11/2008
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01/01/2014 - 31/01/2014
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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
01/04/2015 - 30/04/2015
01/05/2015 - 31/05/2015
01/06/2015 - 30/06/2015
01/07/2015 - 31/07/2015
01/08/2015 - 31/08/2015
01/09/2015 - 30/09/2015
01/10/2015 - 31/10/2015
01/11/2015 - 31/11/2015
01/12/2015 - 31/12/2015
01/01/2016 - 31/01/2016
01/022016 - 28/02/2016
01/03/2016 - 31/03/2016
01/04/2016 - 31/04/2016
01/05/2016 - 31/05/2016
01/06/2016 - 30/06/2016
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01/10/2016 - 31/10/2016
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
01/08/2017 - 31/08/2017
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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

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Day +120 

Last BMT clinic of the year - and Prof Marks is very happy. Kai's blood counts are up again, he is now off the itraconasole, and we have to halve the MMF every two weeks over the next six, then stop. He only needs to go for blood reviews every two weeks from now on (unless anything happens, of course, there's a very nasty respiratory virus doing the rounds that has landed two BHOC patients in intensive care... and the MMF has been keeping GvHD at bay, so any rashes and we're to contact them right away) and his next BMT clinic is in six weeks (Day +172)!

All in all - bearing in mind things could still go wrong - a very happy end to what, with the notable exception of the transplant working, has been an absolute bugger of a year. Please let 2015 be better.

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Monday, December 29, 2014

It's a bit chilly here at the moment...

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Sunday, December 28, 2014

Oddka Salty Caramel Popcorn flavour - whoa Nelly!! *g* It's good!

I now have a recipe for Turkish Delight flavoured vodka, which I shall be trying as soon as I can pick up some good Turkish Delight!

Found at Sains today for £2.10 in their post-xmas sale...

It's a strange design, and will never replace my true mug, but at that price I couldn't leave it behind...

We have foxes still, and Kai has done two nights of filming them, but the software he used to use for creating compilations doesn't work on his new machine, so he can't post them yet. The foxes are beautiful though. And extremely noisy!

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1 Comments:

Blogger GoodTwin said...

That's a very odd-shaped mug - I have no idea how you would drink from it!

I'm a big fan of many salted-caramel things... :)

11:08 pm  



Saturday, December 27, 2014

Mmmmmm(melting)... Made myself an Options orange hot chocolate drink - then added a measure of Cointreau and a big dollop of Sains Taste the Difference thick cream with Mandarin and Valencia orange and Grand Marnier liqueur. I can tell one is never going to be enough...

Yesterday was also very pleasant - calm and relaxing. I did have to nip to Sains for bread and milk, but apart from that we had the usual buffet, then extremely tasty roast beef for dinner. And watched Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, which was quite good.

Today I transformed (and built) my new Starscreams - Ghostscream and Constructoscream...

Constructoscream I actually managed to build myself without Kai's help!

With trademark smirk! (And he does transform to jet mode but it's fiddly. Will try some other time.)

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Thursday, December 25, 2014

Duck is roasting quietly to itself in the oven, sitting in a bath of Hock: the orange and brandy sauce is made and just waiting to have the pan juices added: the veg is prepared. We'll eat, then watch Dr Who, then have dessert, then watch Frozen (finally!)

It's been lovely and relaxed: the presents are fantastic - four Transformers graphic novels to read (Windblade, Drift, Dark Cybertron vol 2, and Autocracy) - Only Lovers Left Alive and Sky to watch, and some Oddka samplers to drink.

[GLOMPS] to GoodTwin and Sue for indulging my Transformers obsession!

Better go start the veg cooking...

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Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Well, my venison casserole was a fail. Ken ate it, Kai and I gave up. The sauce provided smelt very nice, but tasted distinctly of liquorice, which I can't stand, and the meat was dry. I ended up making Kai and I pizza instead! (Think I'll give up on venison, I've never yet managed to cook it successfully...)

Then we watched Snowpiercer... wow. Goes straight up there with Cloud Atlas, The Fountain and Sunshine. Took a few minutes to get going but afterwards... what a film.

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Day +113 

Kai's cell counts were up yesterday, which is great! All is continuing well (still fatigued and feeling rough, but we know that's the meds and until they're reduced all we can do is put up with it and cope as best we can). Though he really doesn't like the pentamidine...

Last time I was in the hospice shop I found a crab for 70p!

A friend for Lutra's cuttlefish. Isn't he cute?

(I'm still on the lookout for a velociraptor plushie, in case anyone finds one. But best to let me see a pic of it first, I'm very fussy about plushies...)

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1 Comments:

Blogger Sue said...

Excellent news!

4:52 pm  



Sunday, December 21, 2014

Joyous Solstice! 

And Happy 25th Wedding Anniversary to us!

Ken and went to the Black Castle for lunch - I had two starters (Filo Prawns and Breaded Mushrooms with garlic mayo) and a side of onion rings rather than a main, and very tasty it was too. (Had the Epic Choc-tastic Sundae for dessert. Was very nearly too much!)

My present from Ken:


So cute! I'm not sure I can wear the bracelet any more, there are 40 charms on it now and 10 more waiting: it's less an item of jewellery and more a dangerous personal weapon...

I'm roasting a pork joint on a bed of apples and oranges and cider for dinner. Smelling nice... Afterwards we have Hercules to watch (I was going to wait until the price dropped but soddit...). I'm very tired though, didn't sleep well last night and woke at 5.30 am and couldn't get back to sleep...

Kai is doing very well.

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Friday, December 19, 2014

My chibi Starscream arrived from Hong Kong. Beautiful, sturdy figure with eyes that light up.

Now, 'chibi', by definition, implies 'cute, sweet, awwww-worthy' - but the creator of this has managed to make him look like a malevolent imp.

Cracks me up...


Heh. He's top heavy and refusing to stand up, keeps falling over. Absolutely typical (of the character, I mean, awkward bugger). He's now supported by the long-suffering (blue) Armada Starscream.

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1 Comments:

Blogger Sue said...

Oh, interesting. We obviously played the direct version but I know of an author who plays the indirect version online with fans. She calls it Botticelli and I always wondered why.
Thanks for enlightening me

8:28 pm  



Thursday, December 18, 2014

Remember that 20 questions game we played at the Black Castle? I remembered what I know it as - Botticelli!

Kai's lung function test yesterday was absolutely fine - I think Dr Lowry described it 100% more than they were expecting. Very good results, anyway. She's also very pleased with the way things are going, which is great!

The itty bitty diddy teeny Tf: Animated Prowl I found on ebay. Isn't he just so cute?



And we're just about ready for Yuletide now...

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Monday, December 15, 2014

That was an astonishingly busy but enjoyable weekend. GoodTwin and Sue came over on Saturday: we went out to Almondsbury Garden Centre for Aspen and spider substrate so we can repot both Rosa and Feather, and I picked up a couple of Yule presents as well. So many tempting goodies! Came back with Lindt Cointreau bars for both Ken and I (one of my absolute favourites) as a treat. We ate at the Black Castle (peri peri chicken for me, wonderfully hot and spicy) and played one of Sue's fantastic finds, a people-based kind of 20 questions (I know it has a proper name but I just can't remember it...) It was wonderful to see you both again, and I feel thoroughly rejuvenated (and I haven't laughed so much in ages...) Many thanks!

Sunday was its usual manic busyness.

And today... Well, it didn't start off very well, as Ken forgot we had the appt and didn't wake me up until the taxi had arrived. However, the actual appt was quick: we saw the registrar immediately after the bloods were taken, so were home by 9.30. All is good, and we may be able to start reducing the meds very soon. Won't know til the next BMT appt, but we're hopeful.

Best thing is we have our Kai back. Not sure if that 100 days is a psychological thing, but since it's been up he's been getting brighter and more alert, discussing (and arguing) over the sorts of things we used to (science and cosmology, mostly, though anything is fair game!) - back to normal, almost - every day. It's wonderful. It's such a relief. We're still not taking anything for granted, but if things carry on like this he'll be absolutely fine for uni - and a mostly normal life - before next September.

Thank you, everyone, for your 'fluences and good wishes. They've helped.

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Friday, December 12, 2014

There is no such thing as too many Starscreams...

(The space by Darkscream, right of the top shelf there, is ready for the three new ones coming for Yule - Ghost, Chibi and Constructobot!)

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Thursday, December 11, 2014

Day +100 

Well, we're at Day +100, and it feels like a milestone, even if it's been a very low-key day. Kai and I watched Transformers: Age of Extinction again this afternoon, and we had steak and chips for dinner with nuked chocolate puds and ice-cream for dessert. All very tasty!

Yesterday's bone marrow aspirate went very well - very quick and even I could tell the difference between the healthy material extracted yesterday and the awful lack of anything useful from the first biopsy he had. We should get the results at next week's BMT clinic, but he's so much better I'm fairly sure they'll tell us it's now normal. Or perhaps I shouldn't say that, I'm terribly afraid of jinxing things... He's still desperately tired, but with everything he's still going through (those meds are brutal) he's entitled!

Annoyingly though, the BMT clinic we should have had yesterday was cancelled - only nobody thought to tell us. Meant we hung around for longer than we needed to. [sigh and eye roll]

My next two new Starscreams have arrived... Teeny tiny Bayverse one...

... and I finally have a transformable G1 version.

And we now have a Venetian blind at the kitchen window. Finally. It's aluminium and reflects both light and heat back into the room - dead snazzy! Kai had to put it onto the brackets for us as the instructions made no sense whatsoever and he is extraordinarily good at solving such problems.

All in all a good day.

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2 Comments:

Blogger Writer Chick said...

Day 100! Yaaaaahooooo!

Pardon me. I was born in Texas, and don't know any better.

8:24 am  
Blogger Joules *Dances with Haddock* Taylor said...

LOL! Don't worry, we did the same, albeit possibly a little more quietly...

12:41 pm  



Monday, December 08, 2014

Day +97 

Kai's headaches, dizziness and tinnitus have all eased to nothing, and today his weight was up a little bit and so are his counts [phew...], so they're postponing his ENT hearing exam, as at the moment there's no reason for concern (though that might change depending on the MRI results). All told, everyone is very happy with the way things are progressing, Kai is feeling a little better (though still desperately tired, so sleeping a lot), and we're hoping we might be able start reducing meds after Wednesday's clinic. Fingers crossed.

I've been finding new Starscreams...

This Armada one is rather cute! Originally a McDonald's Happy Meal toy, he's on wheels: pull him back and he rushes forwards, and transforms from jet to robot when he hits something (a bit like a botshot).

   

It would have been really nice if the advent calender had chocolate Autobot and Decepticon brands, but instead it's fairly standard stuff, angels, trees, sledges, and this.

I do rather wonder what elephants have to do with Yule...

Managed a little garden work (deadheading) out the front this morning after we got back. Looks a little tidier now.

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Friday, December 05, 2014

Day +94 

Busy as usual. Wednesday's BMT Clinic went OK: Kai's fatigue and loss of appetite isn't unusual, it seems. Advice is to nap when he needs to throughout the day, and to graze - eat little and often. His weight is fairly stable right now, but he can't afford to lose any. His MRI was yesterday late afternoon: result will take a week to ten days.

On the plus side, he's (suddenly) developed an interest in clothes, and I'm now on the lookout for retro styled garments. We've already bought him a very nice trenchcoat (£5 on ebay!), a handful of scarves, and two dark green pure cotton shirts (small, button-down collar) from Sainsbury's new winter range. I'm looking for a couple of v-neck sweaters next (I don't have a specific style in mind but will know it when I see it) and a loose cowl neck one (not so easy). It's back to scouring the charity shops!

(And yes, I know that's inviting 'your mother dresses you funny' jokes, but so far he's loved what I've found.)

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2 Comments:

Blogger Writer Chick said...

Also invites "Wow, your mom has good taste!" comments, which seem more likely ...

9:42 pm  
Blogger Joules *Dances with Haddock* Taylor said...

*grins* That's what I'm hoping for, I must confess. I'll see if he'll let me photograph him dressed up... but don't hold your breath...

9:47 pm  



Monday, December 01, 2014

Day +90 

... but... what??

(The Astronaut's Cookbook: Tales, Recipes, and More looks useful, but not at £92.29 plus another £10.24 p&p!)

Kai still feeling rough. We're to reduce his tacrolimus and he's been changed to an anti-histamine anti-emetic in the hopes that might help.

Put up Yule decorations yesterday...

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2 Comments:

Blogger GoodTwin said...

hee, some of those books are genuine but others clearly written to be weird. I like the sound of "Squids will be squids" though...

5:22 pm  
Blogger Joules *Dances with Haddock* Taylor said...

*g* LOL! Indeed...

8:06 pm  





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