With friends like these...

Yes, it's me, I'm still alive!

How long has it been since I last posted properly.... erm. Wow. Nearly a month.

Jeez...

Guess I should let y'all know what I've been up to! To be honest... roleplaying, mostly. I've joined a couple of games on DW and they've been keeping me pretty busy, but I've settled now and should definitely get back into writing. I noticed it's been a month since my last fic update I am so sorry about that I haven't even noticed the time passing so quickly. It's even half done and everything. I'll have that up soon as I can remember where I was actually going with it.

I still don't have a job and I'm still not much closer to getting one, but I'm still trying. I suppose it won't be much longer before the Jobcentre starts pushing even harder at me but I can't do more than I'm already doing and I'm not going to spend a load of my own money to go trolling around Wigan/Manchester/Warrington looking for jobs. I'm unemployed. I can't afford £4.50 on public transport however many times a week. It's the undeniable flaw in their logic, I think.

Though speaking of work I'm still volunteering at the British Heart Foundation. I've managed to garner myself a couple of admirers and while the attention is flattering it isn't exactly wanted. One of them has backed off, but the other is being a little more persistent. Not pushily or creepily so, but I think he's got it into his head that if he can just persuade me that I'd like to try to have something with him then it would all work out fine. I don't get into relationships anymore for a variety of reasons, and the fact that he's on the rebound after coming after an eight year long relationship with someone who just left him about three weeks ago would mean that even if I did like him that way I wouldn't be getting into anything with him now.

He's a nice enough guy and I think he's trying to be understanding about why I don't want to be with anyone, but I don't think he can quite get his head around the idea of someone who has no sexual desire.

Still, until he starts getting annoying, I'll allow it. He's not doing any harm and it's not like he's cornering me and demanding anything. I'd just be reluctant about doing anything with him 'as friends' in case he takes it as a sign that I'm starting to come around to the idea.

Hmm.

Last Saturday, I met up with the amazingly awesome nasty_show again and we went to see The Avengers. I hadn't been terribly bothered about seeing it since superhero films aren't one of the things I lose my shit over, but I was curious, and Holly once again swept me up in her enthusiasm as she has a tendency to do.

Luckily, that morning, the birthday present that I had bought for her had also arrived! It was late, but it was the first I'd seen her after her birthday so what can you do.

This is what I got her.



It's a pendant, and I bought it from a seller on Etsy. It's about a centimetre high and hand made, and the cutest thing. We had some lunch at my house and then went off to the cinema.

I HAVE NEVER HAD LESS REGRETS ABOUT SEEING A FILM I DIDN'T INITIALLY CARE ABOUT.

Seriously. If you have not seen The Avengers yet then you need to. Even if you don't care about superhero films.

I would see it again. Easily.

Nothing much happened through the week. The manager was off work so we actually got stuff done. Honestly, the manager is lovely but she tends to flit about and get under your feet, while the assistant manager actually organises herself and everyone else. The only major problem we've had is one of the new staff seems to be dating all the new stock incorrectly. We've found stock dated 9/12 (9th of December), and if anyone from head office came in and saw that we would be in so much trouble.

I did, however, have the shock of my life on Friday afternoon. The phone rang, and Sue had her hands full downstairs so she called up to me to answer it. Kurtis, one of the other volunteers, is a nice guy but a bit socially backwards. He was closer to the phone, so he said he would answer it. I said okay.

However, had I known he would give off the 'hello British Heart Foundation' etc spiel in the most bored tone imaginable and then top it off by saying 'what do you want', I wouldn't have let him within ten feet of the phone. It is a place of work. You do not answer the phone like that.

I ended up having to take the phone off him anyway and apologise to the woman he was speaking to before I took down her address and number because he was just mumbling into the phone and couldn't seem to fathom how to hold the phone between his ear and shoulder while he wrote her address down. He's lucky it was just someone ringing for a pickup, not the manager, or the area manager, or someone from head office, or anyone. I smacked him over the head with a clipboard when I put the phone down and told him to never answer the phone again.

For the love of GOD.

Anyone who has made it this far, I congratulate you. There's still more.

Last night, my dad took my sister and I to see Avenue Q. We've seen it before, but dad hasn't. Our dad is one of those cool dads who is an utter nerd and lets you cuss (within reason) and goes to see things like Avenue Q with you. He loved it, and I had actually forgotten how rude it is.

Before that, though, we went to my nanna's with my aunt and two cousins. My cousin Sam is eight (I think?) and one of those kids who tends to just ignore you. I brought a Simon's Cat book along with me, which I'd picked up at the shop for £2.50 (£12.99 new, bloody bargain), to show to my nanna because I know she likes Simon's cat, and my cousin took a liking to it and spent an hour going through it with us. He then went through it again when we were done because he liked it so much.

Sometimes, he can be cute.

Now to the latest thing - my sister has expressed an interest to go to MCM London next year - a pan-fandom convention. She's not into anime, and has never really shown any interest in this kind of thing before, but now she wants to go.

And she wants to cosplay.

She gained so many cool points from me for that. More than she got from being able to quote the Magic Cupcakes video despite never having read Homestuck. Which my dad can now also do since I showed it to him. Amy wants to cosplay Rapunzel, á la Tangled, and I'm going to be her Mother Gothel. I have a friend who makes the most beautiful cosplays and she's going to see how much it would cost to make them for us, rather than having to settle for whatever we can find on ebay (because Gothel costumes are non-existent and Amy doesn't really like the look of the Rapunzel ones).

She's going to have a Pascal and take a frying pan with her. xD

*DEEP BREATH*

So. How are all of you?

At least for now, anyway. I've spent more than my usual on clothes this past week. I just hope that the bank doesn't lock my account again when all the purchases go through like they did when I bought a bunch of MS points off Xbox LIVE.

First, I bought this:



The Hero of Blood hoodie from Homestuck. I mostly bought this because I don't own a nice hoodie and I needed one, and I might as well buy one that's so awesome I want to wear it all the time.

After that, I bought this:



From amazon.com, and yes I did buy it in royal blue. My sister found it and showed it to me and at £10 I couldn't NOT get it.

Lastly, just now, I gave in to temptation and to my nerdy side and bought this:



A t-shirt designed by the artist of Questionable Content. People who haven't played Mass Effect will not get this.

I am a nerd. I will wear it proudly.

The Good News:

I got a promotion (of sorts) at work on Monday, which means that I can now use all of the functions on the till and no longer need to call upstairs if I cock up or if someone needs to return something. I am very pleased with this. Kurtis was less than pleased as he's been working in the store since before Christmas and is still on the lower level, but Kurtis is nice enough, but he's a ditzy sod and Michelle doesn't trust him with the higher till functions when he's still messing up the lower ones.

I'm also being trusted to put the Gift Aid takings in pretty much every day I work unless Sue is counting up the till because for some reason she always nicks off with the form and takes it upstairs. I'm not sure why she does that because I'm perfectly capable of adding it up myself xD

My shark swim is in three weeks! Doesn't feel that long ago that I booked it, so yaaay.

Also I found a voucher that my sister and bought last September for a photography session. It's up on the 22nd of this month, but I emailed the place anyway, and they told me that fortunately they can extend it and they're going to call me to arrange a session, so that should be fun! They ask for £50 deposit to make sure you turn up, but you can get that back at the end, or use it to buy some of the photos they take.

Ben has finally stopped trying to chew his feet off. We had to get a cone for him eventually, which he didn't approve of, but it stopped the licking/biting habit for long enough that his paws could properly heal and now he isn't doing it anymore. He's currently asleep on my bed, the little sweetie.

The Not So Good News:

I got news back from my job interview, and unfortunately I didn't get the job. The same usual stuff about the quality of applicants being very high and unfortunately I was one of the ones they dropped. Mum thinks I should ring up and ask where I went wrong but I don't really want to, I'm just going to chalk it up to experience and move on. I think she was more miffed about it than I was to be honest! Oh well. Keep calm, carry on and all that.

Starting to lose a lot of enthusiasm with this whole job search thing.

Other Stuff:

A few days ago, I put down Game of Thrones in order to read Good Omens, as a number of my friends have been raving about it lately. I might give a full review when I'm done, but at the moment (and at the risk of being lynched), I have to say it's nothing special. Yes, it's funny, I'll give it that, but the narrative trips over itself at times and sometimes drags, and I don't really think it utilises the best of both of the authors. I do adore Aziraphale and Crowley, though, and their interactions definitely make it worth reading.

In other news, I bought a TARDIS for my goldfish. I kid you not. Here, look.



Check that bad boy out, how cool is that? I found it for £1.50 in the charity shop where I work, and I wasn't sure what it was for at first, but as soon as I realised I just had to buy it. His usual castle can get a bit of a break.

Lastly, we have a mouse living in our kitchen. It's decided to live in the back of the cooker and I'm not sure where exactly it's living in there, or how it's not boiling alive when the oven is on. We've caught three and think this is the last one, but it is so devilishly smart that it keeps avoiding the traps and getting the better of us at every turn. It comes out in the evening, when we're all still up, and I've seen it several times now (and almost caught it once!), as it's run across the windowsill or counter when the light's been turned on.

Today, I was in the kitchen when I heard an odd noise, like gnawing. I eventually located it. The mouse was inside the toaster. I got my stepdad to listen, and he tried to arrange the various traps we have to catch it, then moved the toaster. It shot out, and avoided all of the traps, and went back down behind the cooker again. People keep telling me we should get a specialist to sort it, but I don't know what a specialist could do that we haven't done, at this point.

I don't want to end up killing it, it's not as if it's there to be malicious, but it's a mouse, and they carry diseases, so it can't stay in the house =|

I've been slacking off a bit with entries lately but here I am again.

Last Thursday, I spent some very fun times with nasty_show. I was waiting until she got her entry up so I could snag her photos and if I could I would be lazy and link to it but it is unfortunately friends locked so here we go :V

We met up at about quarter to one because I was derpy and late, and I must have had one of the slowest and rudest bus drivers working for First. Pleh. Anyway I got there eventually and was very happy to see the squishy derp that is Holly because I love her face.

( LOOK AT ALL OF THIS RIGHT HERE. Long entry is long. )

I am unreasonably giddy about this.

It's my birthday on the 14th... so I'm just gonna leave this here... http://www.amazon.co.uk/registry/wishlist/2MFT70I7CD6MO

And it's not like I want you to get me something or anything! But if you want to, you know... that would be cool...

Last night I spent a very amusing hour or so attempting to come up with a name for one of the main antagonists for my dear friend and waifu lemiru's upcoming new webcomic which is yet to be titled. He has been nicknamed 'murderprince' up until this point and after much throwing names at Miru and much giggling on her part at the random names I was managing to come up with I threw the name Matthias Ulfred Rodolph Dmitri Eduard Rafe Philip Robert Ingram Niklaus Cedric Eisenberg at her. So you don't have to spend any time staring at it wondering why on earth I picked those names, I will tell you right now that the initials spell out 'M.U.R.D.E.R.P.R.I.N.C.E.'. I thought it was quite clever.

Eventually, Miru decided she liked the name Albrecht, which I think fits quite well with the name of his errand-boy Marechal, Tibeault. Seriously. 'Albrecht and Tibeault'. How well do those names go together? I think 'very'. 8)

Though the wisdom that is Miru also decided to tack the MURDERPRINCE string on after Albrecht, likely with a few changes in the names, because royals always have ridiculously long names and because his initials all together would then spell out 'A MURDERPRINCE' which is just too awesome.

Mother is coming home today, and I'm kind of torn over whether or not I want to go to the airport when John goes to pick them up. On the one hand, it would be nice to see them off the plane, but on the other hand, mum wants to go out for dinner and I have this sinking feeling that something will happen to cause an argument, which will just leave me wishing that I never went. I don't think that I want to risk it, so I'll just wait until she comes home. I also have no wish to be trying to get to the airport (and away from it) in rush hour traffic... e.e

I think I'll just stay here. =| I have plenty of writing to keep me occupied.

I FEEL FUNNY.

Maybe taking my step-dad's sleeping tablets wasn't that great of an idea.

Worked though, I just feel like I'm drunk.

Whee!

First of all. I love this stuff. I don't care if it's weird that I'm keeping it in my bedroom, it's mine and no one else is allowed to use it.



Secondly, I am now an intern, with Bridge House Publishing. This is very new and exciting but somewhat daunting, but I'm going into it with high hopes and the possibility of a job for anyone who is seen as 'promising' by the end of it, which I can hopefully prove myself to be! :D Should be awesome and hopefully good fun.

Getting so into PrUK lately I don't even.

When I get home I will likely tell EVERYONE what I got for Christmas. I don't remember it all right now. I might take pictures.

In the meantime, did y'all get anything awesome? Tell me tell me tell me!