newnumber6

Yes, it's not technically your birthday, but its the day we celebrate it. And frankly, I think you should be happy we celebrate it at all, considering you've been dead for quite a while.

Anyway, Victoria Day holiday today, but I didn't get it off, instead I got more money for work, and get home a little earlier because work was light and nowhere to stop for groceries on the way home.

So, I might as well talk about the Wedding on Saturday. I felt ripped off. The Simpsons totally misprepared me. I though we were going to remove weeds from a garden!

No, seriously, it was okay, aside from having to get all dressed up in a monkeysuit (not literally, although that would have been cool).

Nice to see my cousin getting married (which I didn't actually _see_, due to some last minute snafus with transportation we missed the actual wedding and only attended the reception), and seems like she got a good guy, at least from the impressions one can form from a few seconds of interaction congratulating them. And of course it was fully a greek/macedonian wedding, so there were the old traditions at the reception, like the Pig Dance, the "Bride and Groom fight over a loaf of bread" (they tear it in two, whichever gets the biggest piece 'wears the pants' in the relationship. My cousin totally got a _way_ bigger piece), the Bread Dance, and the big group circle dances to greek music that everybody not sane does. (I'm sane, so naturally abstained).

And the more common traditions like the long speeches by the bridal party. Though I thought some of the people there were rude. Not the bridal party, the crowd. I mean, yeah, they're boring speeches and not delivered well, but there was a lot of crowd-talking-amongst-themselves during them. You pay your respects and let them speak. Meh, oh well.

Food was pretty good. Appetizers: Beef skewers, cheese balls, shrimp (grilled and breaded) and a couple things I didn't get to try. Then a plate of Brushcetta, Proscuitto, grilled eggplant, some sort of mix of Kalimari (that's squid) and shrimp served in a leaf, and probably something else I'm forgetting. Then some little pasta thing, cheese and spinach crepes. Then baked salmon (which I only took one bite of, not a big fish eater), and grilled Kalimari (which I did enjoy), with spinach and arugola risotto (which was rather nice, not sure if I've had risotto before). Then some sort of lemon 'palate-cleanser', then the main course, 8oz Angus Steak with shrimp, and vegetables and potatoes and such on the side. Now, at this point the rest of the people at the table were nearly full, due to the rest of the stuff before, and so I got the shrimp of like 3 people and one and a half extra steaks (I've got a reputation of having something like a hollow leg, but it's in part because I don't eat much before big eating occasions... all I had that day was one pizza pop). And I did get a couple extras of some of the earlier things, too. Finally there was dessert which was a vanilla/chocolate tartufo (sp), which wasn't bad. All in all the food was quite good.

Had to leave a little earlier than most, on account of my Dad (and our ride) having to work early the next morning, and also my roommate (and sister-in-commonlaw) was not feeling well, but it's probably just as well, it was at the point where the music was loud and greek and annoying.

There was of course the usual awkwardness of people I barely remember but am somehow related to coming up to me and asking how I am, and a few people I do genuinely know and just hadn''t seen in a while, ramped up because I feel silly and more uncomfortable than usual while wearing a suit. And then, of course, the usual slight depression at weddings due to one not being in any of my probable futures. But it was relatively slight this time.

Was pretty tired by the time we got home, went to sleep about a half hour later.

This week I got two books:

Uncanny X-Men #501 (okay, my Pick of the Week, I guess, though the plot doesn't entirely 'work' for me yet).
Young X-Men #5 (probably my last issue of the book)

Full reviews as usual at my comic reviews site for anyone interested.

I also picked up at the bookstore:
Revelation Space, by Alastair Reynolds
Needle, by Hal Clement
and
Abnormal Psychology Perspectives (a university textbook). Why? Because it was only $1.99. Sure, it's almost 10 years old, but maybe it'll help me diagnose you freaks on my flist! j/k, just figured it might be useful now and then in looking up stuff for writing. And at that price, why not?

Also had some unexpected minor social interaction. Was browsing the SF section of the bookstore, and a woman was there and muttered something about not being able to remember the name of the author. Somehow I was able to ask if she remembered the name of the book (since I'm usually pretty good with that, at least if it's well-known). Of course she just remembered the name of the author (Ursula K. Le Guin) and then the book (Left Hand of Darkness), and then mentioned she'd just finished reading The Lathe of Heaven and thought it was awesome, and since I also thought that was a pretty good book, I agreed. Alas, that was about where it ended, I don't think she found the book (the L section of the store was pretty small).

Work was okay, came a little later but managed to get through it pretty quickly.

In other news, it's been an annoying last few days. For a number of reasons.
1) My keyboard dropped (as it often does), and this time the spacebar broke. But I was moderately clever and had an old broken keyboard of the same type and popped it and replaced it, and all was well (except the Universe conspiring to make me a packrat). Only problem is, something like 2 or 3 days later, the keyboard fell again... and the exact same piece broke in the exact same way. It's still slightly useable, but I have to be careful where I press it or it doesn't register. Which means I feel like I'm typing with a limp. Not so good with a writing cycle coming up.
2) My other computer refused to bootup again. After far too long I managed to get it to run a CHKDSk which slightly fixed the HD enough that (after a few more tries), it was able to boot and now I'm afraid to reboot it again.
3) Still in a bit of a writing funk. Just not 'feeling it'. So I'll probably try forcing it, see if that works (thought the spacebar issue is annoying me).
4) There are other things that I will not post.

New comic day! This time I got:
newuniversal #3 (My pick of the week, entertaining and cinematic, but a little slow for my tastes)
X-Men: Phoenix Warsong #5 (You know, I thought it was going to be bad but unexpectedly they turned it around a little)

Full reviews should be up as usual at my comic reviews site for anyone interested.

Picked up 'Chili garlic' potato chips on the way home because I'm a sucker for a new flavour and just noticed this one.

Work was okay. Skipped lunch, didn't have time. Time was also a reason I didn't do the full walk - I took the bus to the comic store (but walked to work from there and walked home, despite the cold). Why was I out of time? Had to go drop off a completed application for an apartment. *cross fingers*. Hope it works out... it's about the same size but looks nicer and it's cheaper. Same general area, too - farther from work but closer to the grocery store. We should hear back by Friday noon they said. Think happy thoughts.

The other reason I hope we get it is of course because looking for an apartment is stressful. I hate it. I'm not good at being social as it is.

Anyway, semi-interesting aside to that... I had to go to the bank to get some info and a money order for the deposit for last month's rent as part of the application (as an aside to my aside, I think it should be illegal to demand a money order before your application is approved - if I don't get this place, I'll have to put the money order back and get another one for the next place I apply, and incur another 'service charge' for the money order. Just tell me I'm accepted and I'll get you a money order for first and last month's rent that same day)... while I was there I ran into someone I used to work with, years ago. Like, more than 3 years ago. Maybe more than 4 or 5. For about 3 months. She works as a teller there now. Anyway, she remembered me and my name, which was more than a little surprising because a) I'm not that memorable, and b) I had a grizzly (manly) beard and long hair when I went to the bank, while when I worked with her I had short hair and was clean-shaven. I'm a bit ashamed to admit I don't remember her name, but I'm horrible at names.

On a related note, someone at work just started talking to me for no reason on her way out today. I mean, she's talked to me before, but it was mostly just a 'hello, how's it going' type thing, whereas this it was a 'random strange info about my life'. *shrug*.

On a completely unrelated note, apparently my cable company dropped CNN Headline News. Which, I generally watched more often than CNN because I could get just the headlines and quick. Now, I'm not all that broken up about losing it, it's not that big a deal.. but why, oh why, couldn't they have cut off access _before_ I accidentally watched Glenn Beck a week or so ago and got annoyed by his stupidity? Sheesh. Oh, and presumably the same moment we lost Headline News (and got BBC World apparently), my static channel went silent. I have a channel I turn on at night to the noise of static. One night it just went silent like some of the others. So I had to find a new static channel, 10 channels up. Yes, I realize this is the most boring information ever. But I dread the day all the static channels will be gone.

New LOST tonight.

First up, Dream Foo! ( Read more... )

Spoiler-light TV bits: Veronica Mars, Grey's Anatomy, Heroes, Battlestar Galactica, Lost, Torchwood
( Read more... )

I created my very first Wikipedia page this weekend. I've done some minor edits before, but this is the first time I've created a whole page. It will no doubt interest nobody on my friends list, of course. Anyway, what happened was, while I was rereading the Grainger/Hooded Swan books, I did a wiki search for it, like I tend to do for most series I read. Only to come up empty. Not only has barely anybody I talk to heard of it, nobody'd created a page for it. So, I did. I'll probably be adding a little more to it as time goes on. It's an interesting feeling, adding to the sum total of human knowledge on the internet. And the editing was remarkably easy, I've never actually looked into how to edit a wiki before a couple weeks ago. I'll probably be doing more of it when I see something that needs doing. I'm a wikiconvert!

Speaking of writing (but from another angle), I don't think I'm going to do NaNoWriMo. Can't come up with a plot I want to use on it, and I don't want to 'waste' any of the plots I've got stored up on it (I put waste in quotes because I don't technically think it's a waste, but I fear that if I do the style of writing NaNo requires and it sucks I won't be able to write the story again. If I'm to do it, I need a plot that I can feel good using only for it). Also the time issue is a worry. I don't really feel up to writing on days that I work, so that means I'd have to extra load it on the other days, and all that in addition to doing things like my alternaljournal which is certainly a type of writing, but wouldn't count towards words.

Ehh. Anyway, to do my best to keep the spirit of NaNoWriMo, I'm going to resolve to do the following (whether I actually do it is another matter, but I'll resolve it here and either do it or fess up to not doing it): ( Read more... )

Apparently we're getting pretty close to being able to play our first Cybergeneration (tabletop) game, so that should be cool.

Now, let's see, is there anything actually new in my life, as opposed to the various ways I escape reality?... Hmmm, nope, not really that I can think of. But then, why would it? About the only chance I have to meet anyone new would be either at work or in chance encounters. And, well, why not, some social interaction to report: ( Read more... )

This week I just got one book:

Ultimate X-Men #74 (not bad, with a nice ending that makes it more interesting)

Full reviews as usual at my comic reviews site for anyone interested.

For lunch I had a spicy mortadella sandwich.

I thought since it was raining I probably wouldn't walk today and just take the bus.

Except, it wasn't raining when I left, ( Read more... )

Oh, and oddly, on my way to the comic shop, I passed one of my high school teachers on the way. He taught drama and a couple of my english classes. He's also pretty much the only teacher I've seen since leaving high school - a few years back I met him in a bakery, after I'd graduated. Kinda weird to see the same person twice. I mean, it's a big city. Outside of planned meetings and places of likely intersection (university, or in the old neighborhood), I've only met like maybe 5 people from my high school randomly, at most, and now one of them I met again. Though I suppose the odds aren't any worse that I'd see him again than that I'd see any other particular randomly selected person.

Anyway, we didn't talk, but there was a mutual nod of recognition, which is odd cause when we met the first time I was sure he didn't even remember me.

At work there was some minimal social interaction spurred on by my hiding up on a high shelf to read - some of the newer people to the store saw me up there and got a little scared, and had a short pleasant conversation with one of them (albeit, it was mostly on the topic of how I got up there and why I was there, but it was longer than such conversations usually are).

Okay, so here's my whole tale of the Toronto Fan Expo. No scoops, mostly just my personal impressions. Oh, and it does devolve a bit into some self-pity there now and again, so if you have a low tolerance for that sort of thing, be warned in advance.

( Read more... )

Anyway, I might post some pictures in another post if I get them out of the camera and they turned out at all decent (two very big ifs, so don't hold your collective breath).

This week I got 6 books and a promo item:

Cable & Deadpool #30 (good, fun issue)
Civil War #3 (not as much interest as previous issues and the
flaws of CW as an event show more as a consequence)
Daily Bugle Civil War Newspaper Special (fun but really just a promo
piece)
New X-Men #28 (better than recent issues of the title, but I think
I'm going to drop the title anyway)
Runaways #18 (NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! But it's my Pick of the Week)
Ultimate X-Men #72 (Solid issue, doing X-Men superheroics well)
X-Factor #9 (sets up some really cool stuff for the future of the
series, art's a little inconsistent though)

Full reviews at my comic reviews site.

For lunch had a pizza pop again mainly because I discovered too late that we were out of sandwich meat.

Work was bleh, but there was some Social Interaction which was pleasant. Even accomplished some light good natured teasing with Pink Girl.

Oh, and for the first time I walked from home to the comic shop, then from comic shop to work. ( Read more... )

Anyway, just about time to watch Veronica Mars reruns.

Edit: Okay, today I bought some chips to enjoy during VM and to help comfort me for the Runaways death. I decided to try a new flavour, Miss Vickie's "Roasted Red Pepper Grill" chips.

DO NOT BE DECEIVED. THESE CHIPS ARE BBQ CHIPS.

Now, I like BBQ, and they're a good flavour of them, but they are not a new flavour and Miss Vickie needs to get kicked in the corporate nads (yes, Miss Vickie is theoretically female but I have doubts of her existence and the nads are metaphorical anyway) for suggesting otherwise.

This week I got 4 books:
Daredevil #86 (action book full of tension and with a great ending)
Runaways #17 (noooooooo! But a good issue nonetheless!)
X-Factor #8 (some surprising progress in this issue and funny moments)
Young Avengers #12 (all around a fun book)

Great week all around.

Full reviews are up at my comic reviews site for anyone interested.

For lunch had a pizza pocket (deluxe) before I headed out.

Work was okay, a little later than I'd hope but on the plus side
that meant another Social Interaction to report. ( Read more... )

Also, some news on a Dragonlance Animated Film. Yeah, I know Dragonlance was heavily derivative of Tolkien and targetted for undiscriminating RPG fans, but there's a squeeing 12-year-old boy inside of me that's really excited about this. The cynical 28-year-old boy that forms the outer shell is amused that one of the voice actors refers to Goldmoon as a 'Native American' character. Uh, no. You see, she'd only be Native American if Dragonlance took place in America. Just like Black Panther is not one of Marvel's foremost African-American characters - he's just African. Also, I'm not sure I see Michael Rosenbaum as Tanis.

Five books this week:

Astonishing X-Men #15 (my pick of the week, nothing novel but done well)
Birds of Prey #95 (enjoyable)
Robin #151 (my last issue of Robin)
New Excalibur #8 (stock Claremont plot, not bad but not terribly memorable either)
Ultimates 2 #11 (good book but the time between issues really hurts)

Full reviews as usual at my comic reviews site.

Made one Astonishing X-Men icon from the preview pages, behind the cut (may make others when scans get posted)
( Read more... )

Also at the used bookstore I found a copy of The Year's Best SF 10 (short story collection) for $1 so I picked it up.

For lunch I had a hot corned beef sandwich with mustard.

Work was okay, late again and looks like that's the way it's going to be from now on.

Social Interaction Report: ( Read more... )

So yeah, yet another Friday, and yet another day the $!#$@ truck was 2 hours late. They really need to get their $#!% in gear or I'm going to have to quietly be annoyed some more (see how actiony I am?)

Ah well, the one consolation prize of late truck is that the girl I used to chat with before work on sunday mornings now works friday afternoons and so I had a bit of chance to chat which was pleasant enough although it wasn't really my finest hour in social interaction.

Oh, and before work I stopped at the mall to look into getting new shoes. See, I've had my current pair of shoes for about 10 years and... well, they're pretty much just a formality at this point. There are parts where there's nothing between my foot and the pavement. So I figured, maybe it was time to get a new pair. Unfortunately after spending about an hour at the mall I was unable to find one that a) fit me, b) I liked, c) wasn't more expensive than I'm willing to pay for my decade pair of shoes and d) didn't involve me having to ask for help from a salesperson because I don't do so good at that.

Now, yeah, I'm a little picky about what I wear, because, as you may have pieced together from above, I intend to wear it until the edge of doomsday or until it no longer functions. So I want something I'll be happy with. But I don't think what I wanted was _that_ much to ask. I just want a pure black running shoe with laces rather than velcro. And there were some that looked fine in style, but none that fit (well, annoyingly, there was _one_ that fit, an orphan shoe of good style and price and fit, but the other half of it was nowhere to be found.

Anyway, new topic. Comic Con season is on, and some interesting bits have popped up. They've announced a sequel to Phoenix Endsong, called Phoenix Warsong, which follows what happened after the tiny remaining spark of the Phoenix Force visited the Stepford Cuckoos. Looks like they'll be heavily involved and almost (if that) no Jean so I'm really looking forward to it. Couple other projects and events that look cool announced in the various reports (some spoilers): Marvel, X-Men. Also in the 'I did not know' category. Allan Heinberg, who writes Young Avengers, is also currently a staff writer on Grey's Anatomy. Huh. They should do an episode where a group of YA lookalikes get taken to the hospital after getting wounded trying to stop a crime or something. ;)