Rantings of a Wanna-be Nerd

Happiness...

2009-01-07T03:47:13Z

Besides having the day off work, which is eternal happiness at the moment, I finished La Femme Nikita. Though it did have it's moments in the last couple of seasons that were a bit inconsistent, the series ended very well, in perhaps the only way it could have without complete destruction of everything. I still feel genuine empathy for the characters involved, and just wanted there to spontaneously be a 10-years-on movie, in which the characters are reunited and run section together, and everything is all happy-happy.

Maybe I'll write a potential storyline for it. We're at about 10 years on now, and looking at the actor profiles...some of them have and haven't had work for several years...

Hey, I can dream, lol.

AJ and I (mostly through AJ's skill) got to the end of Guitar Hero III at Iplay yesterday. He didn't defeat the last boss though. Damn the Devil's a bitch! I think you have to practically memorize the first part of the actual battle.

I need a new tv series to watch...I have River Cottage Spring a bit still I think, but that's sort of hidden away on david's hard drive til we actually have an evening that we can watch it together...sometimes I just can't be bothered.

I am going off hunting for bookshops in an effort to do something constructive today!

krastakin @ 2009-01-06T03:51:00

2009-01-05T15:11:13Z

Hm, so I got a few old/new games from the el-cheapo playstation 2 bin at EB a while ago:

Kya: Dark Lineage
Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly (Don't ask me about the colons in my choice of games!)
Eyetoy Antigrav

Eyetoy Antigrav is the most awesome thing I've seen for eyetoy yet (though I haven't seen many other games designed for it that aren't of the "touch this" variety...). It is designed to be a hoveroard emulator, and once you get used to the quirks, feels REALLY natural. Go Harmonix!

I just started playing Kya a few days ago. And you noticed, this post is at obscene o'clock in the morning. It's a very playable game. The world is different (you travel by wind-tunnel and cannon most of the time, and you are able to move around on it like you would if you were skydiving). Not sure about the physics...but the idea's there. The concept is that you have to go around using sneak attacks and your awesome kung-fu awesomeness to beat up wolves so you can extract the inner-nativ (the peaceful counterparty things that the wolf things originally were) so that they can wander back to the nativ village (somehow...I guess in the wind tunnels), build shops for you to buy stuff to continue your quest with, and otherwise live "I am available when you need me" npc lives.

Now, this would all be well and good, if not for the ANNOYING bugs and inconsistancies.

The wolf-things are given guns fairly early in your quest. Therefore, you have to sneak around them, and do something clever in order to knock them out. I assumed you were going to be given a sniper rifle or something near the end of the game so you could take out the ones that traveled in groups with guns...but I don't think that's going to be the case now. You're told that if there is a group of them, you can use your boomerang weapon to instigate a fight amungst themselves. Ok...so you do that. One take a club to the other, and smashes him off the edge of the cliff. Irretrievable and such. That's no good cuz you need the inner nativ to build the shop to buy your stuff. So, you suicide and try it again. Similar things happen. -_-. The wolves also get bigger and bulkier if they don't have guns, so you have to use actual button combinations in your kung-fu stances to effectively mess them up. But they're all still scared of your mount, regardless of how big and bad they are, and they run right to the edge of the cliffs, so if your mount hits them, they fall off. Which requires a retry because I'm a perfectionist (and I don't want to have to come back and do it again later).

There's also a lot of walls that aren't walls, and walls that decide that oh...they're not part of the floating island at all, and how dare you try and touch them. The penalty, a fall to the death. -_-.

Oh, and lets not forget to underestimate the usefulness of a flight of stairs every so often. The wolf-things hate them so much, that they would rather build intricate jump-challenges with planks that fall and roll and everything else rather than build a stairs, or a wind-tunnel to get from place to place. I'm all for a good jump challenge...but seriously. There must be huge amounts of wind power going all the way through this world...so electricity wouldn't be a problem...I guess...

At least the wind-tunnel maneuvering works well I guess ^^;

Pretty sure the spyro is the same one Bex has...so I won't comment.

Have discovered an addiction to guitar-hero...it's a reason to save for a new system, if there are no others. I wonder which one I should go for. Ah well, overdraft first :)

Rant over.

Happiness....again

2008-12-26T13:09:00Z

I'm going to try to be a bit more consistant about this...if I can't even be disciplined about a journal...that's pretty sad.

Happiness for today: A new duvet! It's soooo pretty :) New shoes!

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I'm going to try to be a bit more consistant about this...if I can't even be disciplined about a journal...that's pretty sad.

Happiness for today: A new duvet! It's soooo pretty :) New shoes! <they hurt my feet...but they won't for long, I'll beat them!> A new pot! <A new pot resolution: no more burnt rice!>

Happiness for yesterday: Simi did not blow up at me, I did not blow up at customers, and I got a ride from one of the regulars to mom's house. I got there before she went to sleep. Sleeping in the overly confortable bed was the first time I've slept in a bed in my mother's house for quite some time...at least 4 years I think. Usually I just camp on the couch. I would have happily done so this time...but I wanted to just...relax. It took me hours to get to sleep, but when I did, it was the best sleep I've had in a while...no electrical buzzing under the floor, or upstairs neighbours walking, or even a movie playing. It was just supremely...quiet. An odd sensation, but a good one.

Friday and Saturday Happiness

2008-12-20T03:33:34Z

Phil makes awesome pancakes.

Harmonix does it again...Eyetoy Antigrav has even Phil waving his arms around like an idiot.
I love you Harmonix...don't stop making games...ever

Happiness for today...

2008-12-19T12:33:56Z

At least I'm glad that I can RUN A SHIFT WITHOUT THE SHIFTY!

I spent the entire evening ordering British "I have worked at starbucks before" and asian/european newbie around the shop. British-newbie has not the concept of mopping under fridges, and asian newbie has so many gaps in her knowledge that no one has ironed out that I am running in circles trying to make sure she doesn't develop bad habits.

Messy business this.

Thursday happiness

2008-12-19T02:27:19Z

I went out with mom yesterday and had a lovely afternoon going out for lunch, looking at oriental rugs (they really are beautiful things) and going back home to bask in the sun for a bit. I have a red nose now.

I am busy getting together all kinds of documentation for studylink, the completion of bar school, and uni...therefore feeling like a very busy person ^^. It makes me happy that I'm actually doing something constructive with my afternoons, rather than just cooking and eating.

I need to do one more course to qualify for student allowance, any suggestions? I'm thinking a classical studies paper so I'll have something to read. I think I'm up to 200 level there...or maybe it's a bad idea and I should just do more maths...maybe not. I've done a schedule of the classes I've signed up to so far...so should be fairly open to most arts classes that tend to prefer mid-day.

I feel really alert and active, it's so refreshing!!

copycat happyness memo

2008-12-17T23:27:42Z

Since SSar is doing it...it seems like a good idea so I think I'll do the same to avoid taking anger issues out on customers that genuinely deserve it but haven't really warranted action that particular day, and selected workmates who shall remain nameless.

Monday, 15th December

I received a facebook email from and estranged cousin who I have some very happy memories with in Montreal. I haven't seen him or his brother since we were both REALLY young. When he sent me an email talking about shutting each other up in my grandmother's murphy bed, and sumo wrestling with his older brother as judge (cus he would have just murdered us both...), I was really happy :P Facebook is a wonderful invention!

Tuesday, 16th December

I spent a day doing absolutely nothing! What else is one to do with two days off? Also spent a lovely evening visiting friends.

Wednesday, 17th December

I made the best curry I've ever made from non-packaged base! Only herbs, spices, and lamb went into this one, and it didn't even need coconut cream!

Thursday, 18th December - tbd

krastakin @ 2008-12-16T03:35:00

2008-12-16T03:35:55Z

Due to a certain friend, I revisit livejournal and find it as...active as ever...

What Be Your Nerd Type? Your Result: Literature Nerd Does sitting by a nice cozy fire, with a cup of hot tea/chocolate, and a book you can read for hours even when your eyes grow red and dry and you look sort of scary sitting there with your insomniac appearance? Then you fit this category perfectly! You love the power of the written word and it's eloquence; and you may like to read/write poetry or novels. You contribute to the smart people of today's society, however you can probably be overly-critical of works. It's okay. I understand.
Social Nerd
Anime Nerd
Musician
Gamer/Computer Nerd
Science/Math Nerd
Drama Nerd
Artistic Nerd
What Be Your Nerd Type? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Laziness...

2008-04-09T22:29:38Z

This is the first post I've posted in...how long?

It's not true, did private ones for my own benefit.

I found a flat yesterday! Hopefully we'll sign the lease today! Flatwarming at ours sometime in the next month, because it's nice and new! (And because we'll all be too broke to have it sooner!)

There's something wrong when (for once) you have a morning where nothing needs to be done, no pressing issues, no schoolwork (well, except that hospitality essay which there's no point in really doing today...), and not much else...and you can't think of a productive thing to do except clean.

What on earth has happened to me...must be getting old, or something.

Going to stop by Harvey Norman today and see if they have gotten in the plug for my computer. It's only taken them a week and a half...It's just an Aspire people, it ain't that difficult!

More battlestar galactica...can't wait! Need to wait...

Because I was bored today...

2006-12-19T00:39:16Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC_-Nx2CWR4

hehehehe muahhhhahahaha

how uninteresting is that??

2006-11-23T02:41:07Z

You are The Wheel of Fortune

Good fortune and happiness but sometimes a species of
intoxication with success

The Wheel of Fortune is all about big things, luck, change, fortune. Almost always good fortune. You are lucky in all things that you do and happy with the things that come to you. Be careful that success does not go to your head however. Sometimes luck can change.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Ok, so I bought the fuckin' game

2006-11-10T09:49:45Z

And it took me much too long, and I'm keeping it for ages, just so you guys don't have it.

So there.

It's been a really long day.

I want to play electronic collectable card games :(

Hehe Francis ;)

2006-11-09T23:23:11Z

HowManyOfMe.com

There are:
4
people with my name
in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

I'm original, just like 4 other people in the US. :P

Days 4 + 5 in Japan

2006-11-07T12:37:14Z

What happened to days 2 + 3? We don't know...Nah. Mostly it was a lot of shopping :)

Oh, and on Day 3, I found Tara's CD...thanks for the 5$ bday present Tara (-2 hours of searching...sheesh)

Day 4

We were determined today not to get distracted by the markets of Asakusa or Akihabara, and go to a few shrines and temples, however, there was the small problem of mom breaking her glasses at dinner yesterday, so we decided to go through Asakusa (slowly) in hopes of finding a glasses shop. We found one quickly, and for a charge of about NZ$40, we managed to get a replacement bridge for her glasses. To kill the hour needed to fix them, we wandered up and down two streets of Asakusa, one of which we'd been down the second day, and the other which we hadn't been down before. Mom was entranced by the styly cowboy boots that seemed to be in all of the stores, but sadly, the highest size we found was 41.

After we retrieved her glasses, we walked all the way through Asakusa with minimal stops (and minimal misdirections) to Yushima Tenmangu Shrine, still advertising the SanGoNana Festival. It was decorated with what appeared to be sakurai donated or cared for by the children, and a nice old bonsai seller took a photo of us in his stall.

We got a little lost after that, and ended up in Ochanomizu, and then Akihabara, but not before ending up in the Confucian Temple - Yoshima Sei Do. There were many tourists wandering through the pathways (and everpresent drink machines near the temple proper). But, this temple was something right out of the movies. You could sense the ages, and almost picture ninjas being trained in the forum. It was very nice to see something like this (finally) in Japan.

After the temple, me and mom parted ways (she took the camera) and I went to check out a couple of the arcades in Akihabara. Wow. They have a game that takes collectable card-play to the next level, where the cards are representative of armies, and you move the cards around on a table to show the army's movements. They also had a game that looked a bit like new Gauntlet, with a touchscreen, as well as Counter-Strike and Half-Life in big machines with surround sound, on the internet! So, that's what you're playing against, you people in I-Play! There was also a 7-key Beatmania IIDX Final in a big surround sound machine, and I spent JPYen 400 trying to get a Deathnote Clock out of a claw machine, but no juice, sorry Gina and Tara. :( I also didn't have the camera, much to my disappointment. All in all, very impressive (and both arcades were 9 stories tall, by the way...).

At 6, I met mom in Shinjuku station, where she'd managed to wrangle a restaurant out of the "helpful" Tourist Information attendant. We managed to find the place (which wasn't very far from the station, but 4 storeys up), and had an absolutely delicious (but expensive) crab dinner in a traditionaly Japanese restaurant, to the sound of a live Japanese harp...a Koho? The staff were very friendly and helpful, and we staggered home (or rather, rode a crammed train) at 8:00 to jump into bed.

***

Day 5

Mom and I parted ways after breakfast, mom to the University to do some actual work, and I to explore. I decided that I would head to Kanto (known to have a crazy amount of second hand book shops) to see if I could find some cheap(er) manga or a book to assist me with kanji practice. Well, I bought some manga at a more expensive price than was on the back of the book, and had a bit of a conversation with the seller about Read or Die.

Then, I went walking, and found myself 2 stops back, at a convenient place to head to Ueno, but, more interestingly, I had run into the Tokyo Dome Amusement centre. There were many kiddie rides, and a place for very young children called "toy world", a massive ferris wheel, a water ride, and a hardcore-looking roller coaster which didn't happen to be open. There was also a haunted house, but, it didn't look like something I would actually take the initiative and do by myself, so I didn't bother.

I had lunch at a deli there, and hopped the train to Ueno, and after being entranced by the virtual card game again (and making the nice little Japanese boy very nervous about the Gaijin watching him) for about half an hour, I headed to Ueno park, which was on the other side of the railway station from the market we keep on getting caught in. There was an exhibit on Dali (a Spanish Surrealist Painter) on at the Royal Museum there, so I went and had about an hour's worth of look around the two floors of very crouded museum (entry fee 1100 JPY for a student). There was some English explaination on the walls, but the majority was in Japanese, so I was shit out of luck when I didn't understand something. However, the pictures were exceedingly interesting, if slightly out of my depth, and much to my taste.

There was a shrine just beyond the museum, and I snapped a few photos of it for good measure. It had a gong out the front, and the shrine itself was nicely decorated, but otherwise, just another shrine.

There happened to be a little ceramics fair further into the heart of Ueno park, and I went and had a look through some VERY pretty work which ranged from cheap (100 JPY for a little Sake bowl) to very expensive (I saw a knee-height Japanese shade for 80,000 JPY...and there were some little wood-carved zodiac animals for 2500 JPY).

There was supposed to be a "Great Fountain" in the midst of Ueno park, but unfortunately, it had been drained, and was in the process of being cleaned.

There were also plenty of homeless around, but in an oddly non-invasive way.

I reached home at about 5:45, and mom was there waiting for me. We asked the front desk about a good restaurant to go to for dinner, and we ended up going to one 5 minutes away (and up an escalator). It was one that we had skimmed over and decided not to go to, but it seemed ok anyway. Fortunately, most of the menu was in English, except for an additional paper one with things called "Obonsai"s on it. We figure it must have been small additional plates, like appetisers (5 for JPY 1500), but oh well. Our loss I suppose.

When we got back, I listened to mom's talk, and found a mistake, we went to the grocery store to get some coffee (in a carton, this time, as opposed to a can, and by the way, no Philippa, I haven't found any used-underwear vending machines as of yet, though there have been 3 sex shops, and sex videos and adult comics are virtually out in the open for all to see). A shower, and to bed.

Day 1 In Japan

2006-11-03T11:17:45Z

So, I woke up to the sound of "I think I have the train map sorted!"

Uh huh...

So we went for our complimentary breakfast in the hotel, which was an interesting twist on an omelette, with bacon or sausage, as well as cornflakes and a salad smorgisboard (sp?). Did you know that they put jam in their cornflakes in Japan? Interesting...

So, we boarded the train at about 8:30am for the approximately 45 minute ride to the nearest station which could access many subways, Shinjuku. It's pretty much the place to be if you want to transfer anywhere. We then boarded a subway which went southbound away from Tokyo. Our plan was to do the old Edo tour, but, we got sidetracked by all of the small streets, many sushi shops, and interesting looking things, and ended up not going to do much in the way of tourism, but we still had a wonderful time. We visited a market that is supposedly the fourth biggest in the world, and though we got there a bit late to catch all of the activity, we still got a fair idea. We saw a few shrines and temples, and went into one of the big ones. Wow... Then, we went to Ueno with the intention of seeing some of the castles and things that are supposedly around the area, but when we surfaced, we found ourselves surrounded by about 8 blocks squared of solid market! Well...we were too distracted, and needless to say, saw nothing of note except for millions of people and lots of imported goods :S

So...we headed home via train, and reached it at about 5:00 to find a message that the head of the university that mom is here doing business for wanted to have dinner with us at 5:00. The phone call came a few minutes later that he had arrived, and we ate at the hotel restaurant, a FANTASTICALLY COOL old style Japanese one...which had been given a compromise between Japanese and European style chairs for the sake of foreign guests. There was sooooo much food, almost all of it comprised of tofu. I had no objection to that at all, and was coerced into Japanese conversation by my mother's workmate and "sensei". I must have done passably well, because he seemed to understand most of what I said. Yatta!

Anyway...It is now about 8:00...exhaustion has set in.

Jya ne!

**EDIT**

I forgot! We actually ended up in Japan on a festival day! So, when we were going through a few temples and shrines, we could see 3 and 7 year old girls, and 5 year old boys, dressed up in full Kimonos with traditional hair and makeup! We took pictures, but sadly, the camera has eaten them :( It was soooooo cute!!!

I'm in Japan!!!`

2006-11-02T23:18:33Z

Well, after 4 hours to Brisbane, 2.5 hours there, and about 9 hours to Tokyo, we arrived! Since its autumn here, the sky was already shadowed, and it was hard to see what was happening around us on the 3 hour bus ride to our hotel, but we made it, and fortunately, the hotel was right at the bus stop! We had a bit of difficulty finding the entrance to the hotel, looking like total gaijin with our big bags rolling through a shopping complex, but in the end managed to get a 6th floor shop attendant to show us where the hotel was. We missed the elevator going straight up, of course!

So, we're parked in a little shopping complex in Kawasaki, in Tokyo. We decided to take the plunge immediately, and throw ourselves at the mercy of an interesting looking restaurant down the way. They charged us a painful amount, and we're not quite sure what we ate, but it was nice!

Today, we're going on an adventure following one of the guides that mom downloaded off the internet, to see old Edo. It involves a few museums and many trains....but we now have maps in color! Hopefully, we can manage to get the tickets without losing arms and legs.

Til next time!

Party-thing Info

2006-10-29T21:47:33Z

Hey all,

For those of you who still actually have me on their friends' list, congrats! It finally pays off! For those that came to Friday night dinner, you know what's coming!

I went around asking people what they were doing Wednesday eveneing/afternoon, and, for the most part, I got "not much" responses. That's great! So, I thought for my birthday, instead of the big, elaborate, halloween based thing, I would do a Guyfawkes thing instead...get into the Kiwi spirit.

Now, this isn't going to be very elaborate, because as most of you know, I'm going to Japan very early the day after (therefore, this is also a sleep-depravation tactic to ensure that I sleep on the 10 hour flight).

So, here's the plan:

The weather forecast says that it will be fair and 14 degrees on Wednesday, and that the sun will set at 8:00. I propose that we meet in town at 6:30 (this is not a food-party, so you may want to eat before you come). Everyone is to bring a minimum of 2 choice fireworks (sparklers don't count...I mean the real ones that you shoot off!) as well as any alcohol that you will want to drink yourself. Then, we will take a number 3 bus to Lyall Bay, and walk around the bay until we find a choice spot along the rocky/grassy beach, or the sun sets too much to go farther. Then, we will ignite the fireworks, drink, and chat, until everybody feels like it's time to go home. We will probably then head back to the Hataitai flat to send people off.

If you're interested, please text me an RSVP. And please spread the word on to anyone who might be interested, and have them RSVP as well :) No one is not invited.

The alternate, nasty weather plan is to do the same thing with movies. Everybody bring one interesting movie, and we'll have a pot-luck for which movie to watch!

Oh, and if you were going to bring a present, please don't.

Instead, bring 10$ to contribute to either the Japanese or Xena Season 3 fund, as well as your requests/money for things that you want me to purchase in Japan.

Hope to hear from you all soon!!!

All Hail Layne!!

2006-06-22T05:21:44Z

Yes, he's done it! Layne has fixed my computer! In a land of Tyrants and minions...hehe, I think it's in my best interest not to complete that sentence...

Along with a new power supply, Layne also brought new addictive playstation games!!! Along with the playstation games, he brought RP books!!

ALL HAIL LAYNE (insert tyrant-like title here)!!!

Oh...we like him for his company too, of course ;)

On another note, we've found the N64 in an exceedingly obvious place, and I have become intrigued with WIH's Highscore of ~1400 kills...hmmm...in lieu of Jak II, we find other entertainments.

This week off has been very refreshing...I've spent some time with the family, some time with the flatmates, and flatmate's interesting visitors, a lot of time with the console...Now all that's missing is a couple of movies to increase my repertoire of movie knowledge. I may head down to Amalgamated a bit later in the week.

The savings for the massive acrued Telecom bill are going well! I have about half of the money, and soon will be on my way to saving for the trip in August, and also for a monitor for the computer, and a downpayment for a new one. I'm determined to have the Telecom bill taken care of by the end of the month, and to start saving for the computer directly after my holiday. Hopefully I will be able to buy the monitor within the month as well, especially if I can find one at Cashies. My computer will work again, horrah!

When watching seconds keeps you occupied...

2006-06-08T10:11:34Z

Then you know you just have to be at work.

What to say here...I've been in such a foul mood lately, and only when I'm at home. When I get away from home, I get better. I want to have some time to myself (and more than 1 full day a week) that I can get everything in my room to a state where I can live in it. I need to think about writing for a while.

I need to stop writing melodramatic posts...

On the plus side, I received a letter from my tutor saying that I was free to take the exam. On the minus side, The MR2 hasn't sold, and I've sent an offer of 600 to all the people that viewed it because the buyer hasn't f'ing contacted me. I didn't get my double pay like I was expecting to, and have sent my boss an email regarding that. I'm very worried that I will not be able to afford to sit the exams, so I may have to organize to borrow money from mom again...this will make 500$ again I owe her...but with some work, I can give it all back within the next few weeks. I want to pass this exam now. I'm vaguely determined at the moment.

I'm doing a double shift tomorrow...so in total should have about 10 extra hours paid...I might have to see if I can get Saturday too...as much as I hate that. I should have worked Monday, goddamnit. I've had two drunken evenings this week, one of which resulted in a good sleep, the other which resulted in me being uber cranky the next day.

I guess the only aspect of my life that I'm vaguely satisfied with is my schoolwork. Isn't that a swift change of pace? If I was what I had been (haha, a John Clare quote creeping into my writing...that's a good sign) I would have sunk into that, gripped hold of it. But this new me is destructive...I need to break the cycle somehow.

What is it that I want...I'm not sure anymore. I suppose I want to be truer to myself...but I find obstacles blocking my way. Some of the walls are my own devices, other ones are ones erected by other people...

Hey, at least the Star Signs seem to think positively of my lot.

krastakin @ 2006-06-04T00:26:00

2006-06-03T12:27:11Z

You scored as Moya (Farscape). You are surrounded by muppets. But that is okay because they are your friends and have shown many times that they can be trusted. Now if only you could stop being bothered about wormholes.

</td>

Moya (Farscape)

81%

Galactica (Battlestar: Galactica)

75%

Nebuchadnezzar (The Matrix)

75%

Babylon 5 (Babylon 5)

69%

Millennium Falcon (Star Wars)

69%

SG-1 (Stargate)

69%

Serenity (Firefly)

69%

Bebop (Cowboy Bebop)

56%

Deep Space Nine (Star Trek)

56%

FBI's X-Files Division (The X-Files)

56%

Enterprise D (Star Trek)

44%

Andromeda Ascendant (Andromeda)

38%

Your Ultimate Sci-Fi Profile II: which sci-fi crew would you best fit in? (pics)
created with QuizFarm.com

I guess I should watch this now...

I'm almost there...

2006-06-03T12:22:32Z

Ok...so, I work my ass off for 8.5 hours on Thursday, with a finishing time of 11:00pm, and then I go on the laptop, beside the heater, for 3.5 hours working on the damn essay. I get up, 9:15am...and work on the essay...work on it ALLLLLLL day, and then basically get them done. I even missed my classes, which I didn't particularly want to resort to doing.

My flatmates urge me out the door, and I go just in time to see the bus rush by (with a scathing remark/sound from Morbane...). I am consequently 10 minutes late for work. So, I get a huge hissy fit from my boss, who explains to me in almost the exact same words the two OTHER times I was late (one of which I called in for...the other of which was approximately the same time which I didn't give a good enough excuse for). He consequently makes me about 7 more minutes late with various talking-to's an shifting of computers...making me closer to 20 minutes late.

And on top of that, I was meant to email the essays from my work computer...they were submitted about half an hour after 5. I hope that my tutor accepts my apology. I asked him whether I should take the exam...I wouldn't blame if he didn't reply. If he doesn't, I think I will take it anyway, as a proof to myself more than anything else. I do wish I had my own copy of the anthology...

Anyway...the essays are done, and I don't need to focus on Japanese yet :) I can at least have a little bit of a break :)

The cat is running circles around me...

2006-05-26T12:25:42Z

It's so delightful to have a warm fuzzy thing that absolutely loves to crawl into bed with you at night...ok...she'd rather destroy me and then eat my corpse, but she's cute whil she's plotting.

What is there to say...I've gone a bit too often onto NZD, and made some contacts that keep me entertained through the loooong work hours. I'll probably get caught out going onto NZD while at work, but that's ok. I don't think they'll check it because my time between calls is apparantly exemplary. My swipe card for work has gone missing...that sux.

Hopefully, the MR2 will result in over $630 in my pocket by monday, with which I can pay my fees, and pay off my cellphone debt. Then, I can feel like a partial human being again. Maybe that's what's made these zits pop up lately. Gross.

Don't kill yourself on pencil lead, Brii...

Yesterday, I re-read Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, and felt better for the reading of it. It's not the most intellectual of books, despite it's famous title. I don't know, I guess it makes me remember a time when I worshipped the past because of the multitudes of different directions there were to go, or, the limited directions there were to go. I really wasn't built for this century, I really wasn't.

I always say, "I will", or "I once". I never say, "I have", or "I do". I need some kind of strengthening mantra, but I have no idea where to start. "I'm me" doesn't do it anymore. I'm very much looking forward to these holidays. It would be great to have some stress lifted.

Oh! And in 2 months, I'm going to Queenstown for the first time! I'm excited, and looking forward to saving up $600 at least for the trip. I want a complete week of no worries. That'd be nice. I need a vacation. I'm worn out. I need some time to heal.

krastakin @ 2006-01-08T23:38:00

2006-01-08T10:39:51Z

It feels like it's been such a busy week! I've been actively planning and beginning to do things to accomplish my New Years' resolutions. I feel positive, which is only now starting to fade. 5 days is a good run for a good mood! I had a look at the Championship for about 15 minutes skimming random bits, and I think, now that I can see clearly the work that needs to be done, I can get started. I feel positively about my ability to do the work. A few more days of thinking and plotting the character developments, then I'll be able to start on the events. I've done so much thinking about the Championship without looking at it, that I feel the rejoining what I've been thinking about with the written stuff will be half the work. I will need to take it in 15-20 page lots, and REWRITE. And now, I feel I can do it.

It's a relief to me to be able to say that I see the faults in the writing, so much so, that I plan not to work from the writing at all, to take the basic dialogues and descriptions out, and work from that.

But, first thing's first.

I have been focussing on Erique, the "love interest", for lack of a better term. Eventually, he will be much more than that, but for now, the title is apt. He now has a fleshed history, and a fleshed direction. There weren't too many holes in him. Upon plotting events, I can fortify the development I've fleshed out for him.

Next will be my main character, the namesake of this journal. I think I may eliminate my use of her name from my online character. I never felt right masquerading as her in the first place. I haven't earned this name, as she must in the coming year. Next: the search for another net-nick ;)

These are easy steps for me. In the world of the Championship, the characters that build it are everything. The difficult characters are: Sintara, Chi Kahar. The nonexistant characters: Kaharoonie, and Chi Gras. These four will be the subject of my work for the next week after I finish a quick revision of my main character.

Now I just need a working computer for phase 2. Phase 1, thankfully, does not need much computer assistance.

I can do this.

****

Resolution number 2, the getting of a new job. It starts tomorrow; I will go out into the world, and I will FIND a job that isn't at a supermarket or retail industry that I am not interested in. By the end of February, I will have it sorted. Mark me.

****

Resolution number 3 involves the car, and I plan on trying for a lesson Thursday morning. I will call them tomorrow.

As long as I keep positive, I can accomplish what I want this year.

Rant end.

Christmas...

2005-12-25T06:00:11Z

What a wastefully unproductive day!

I've spent the entire day lounging in the upstairs of my mother's house. I watched the boys (very cutely but not very gratuitously) open their presents. I watched my mom and Rachel open their presents to each other (very cutely and gratuitously with lots of "You broke the 50$ limit!" "Sometimes I lie. :P" " It's all very cute, and very in the spirit of the holiday.

We spent a while playing with the toys, I walked my new nintendog, Solo, a few times, and then I retreated to the tv room after watching (and being very disappointed with) Madagascar. I've been nibbling Xmas cake and minced pies all day, and I feel damn fat, but not stuffed. We had our ham for lunch. God was that good and fattening! Xmas: The holiday that gives Christians and excuse to be gluttonous (that doesn't look right whichever way I spell it, oh well).

I've had some time on the computer, which has been refreshing. I've not been myself lately without my computer.

Mom decided she was going to see if she could trust me on Rachel's car. For those who haven't been to my mother's house, it is on a DREADFUL hill which is a deadly hill-start for someone who has had next to no experience with one. On top of that, she decided to park two inches behind a huge van. My car has no power steering, so I had no idea how much to turn the wheel. My car also has more of a kick in the starter than Rachel's. Needless to say, I failed. When I was slow on a shift on the next try (after the car had been moved quite far away from the van), mom decided that I'd been wasting the year in which I'd had the car (partially true) and that I should learn to drive before fixing my car, spending money on lessons etc instead of games and manga. It's probably good advice, but the delivery was more than I could handle. How can I be expected to do this stuff with no practice??? I thought I was ok for self-taught, especially with my car on the Kilbirnie flats, but the bottom line is, I just haven't had any experience.

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krastakin @ 2005-12-24T23:38:00

2005-12-24T10:41:13Z

oh, and by the way...take the purity test, one and all ;)

http://www.putirytest.org

My score was %70.8. I didn't reallize I'd actually been that bad (halo appears).

:)