You, my fine friend, are a guppy fish!

Sun, 26 Aug 2007 18:06:21 GMT

We've moved, and we're all still alive. Which is good. Still no internet access (we've set it up here at my old house so that when we're here tidying the place up we can check e-mails), and still no telephone, and still loads and loads of boxes to play around with. *Sigh*

Two days after moving we went to our usual holiday destination in Scotland where I had great fun doing very little and watching everyone else (nearly) jumping in the sea fully clothed on the last day, then shivering all the way home, only to have a hot shower and re-appear for more card games. We're a weird lot. (The "we" in that sentence includes me, 3 sisters, Cartoir and 5 other teenagers. It's not just me!) Joys. I want to go back now... It's not fair!

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 12:44:41 GMT

The moving men are here, and everything is being boxed up to be taken to a land which has no telephone, hence no internet, hence very little to do... I am going to box myself up, label it "Chiru's Bedroom" and hope they a) keep me the right way round and b) deliver me to the right house. This seems to be the best way to avoid all the horrific mess & stress of the thing. (Not my idea -- my dad's. It's OK for him. He hasn't had to move for 16 years and probably never will again.)

Excuse me then...

Sun, 12 Aug 2007 10:22:22 GMT

That vanishing shirt is still scaring me...

In other news IT HAS RAINED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN WEEKS HERE!!! I like rain. It stops me having to go outside and chop wood...

Sat, 11 Aug 2007 17:18:04 GMT

I have the new Linkin Park album. And 2 new manga books (cos they were buy 1 get 1 1/2 price at 4.99 each so some stepmother-persuasion worked wonders). And a suit for sixth form (help...). And no t-shirt, which vanished from the changing cubicle and never re-appeared, which was very odd.

I have way too much music on my laptop now, which is not a bad thing but slightly scary that I a) know of and b) have copies of that much modern music... A year ago I would have been hard-pressed to tell you where to get anything vaguely musical, let alone anything specific and good. And now I have too much to fit on my diddy (1 gig) mp3 player -- this is a big transition. And definitely one for the best, I think. A life without Placebo would be very depressing -- though not quite as depressing as the lyrics. Oddly enough, listening to Placebo actually makes me feel quite upbeat -- not quite sure how, all things considered, but there you go.

The plot proceedeth. Chapter six is begun... I'm thinking of posting it somewhere on the internet, so it can be read (duh). possibly Tokyopop, only that could be complicated. And getting my own website would either cost money, or cause the story to be obscured by annoying adverts... I will have to think about it. Watch this space!

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 11:51:56 GMT

My Dracula plan is coming to fruition (at 21 pages long and counting) thanks to Cartoir's very helpful plot assistance. For some reason I always manage to write things during the summer holidays -- and then my new-found literary "talent" plummets as soon as school begins. Final proof that education is bad for the brain. Says I.

We have almost moved! No more nights in this house as a proper lived-in entity, and very few more meals -- no full ones without intruders (i.e. grandparents). And on Tuesday we'll have a new address. This is all rather scary... At least the house has grown on me. It's nicer now we've painted my room blue, and I've even grown fond of the carpet. Which is hideous, but apparently very well made. Says the carpet-cleaning man. (He had both me and my Reverend Mother (snigger) spell-bound with tales of Cruise missiles.)

And if the worst should come to the worst -- our new house is insured should non-domestic animals collide with it. It says so in the insurance brochure.

Holidays

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 19:54:45 GMT

...mean complete disorgainsation and hence no posting in my journal. Then again, seeing that I don't post that much anyway, how organised am I in termtime? Uh...

However, now I have my VERY OWN LAPTOP, I am spending waaaay too much time on the internet, which has eventually returned me to this place. Not that I have anything interesting to say... Except that I climbed two hills last week. So, yeah, nothing interesting. I'll stop wasting your time.

Umbrellas & rain, a connection?

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 20:17:12 GMT

I have a cunning plan involving Dracula...

Other than that I have been boring all day, i.e. I have played NWN non-stop except when I went to work. It poured with rain at about 2 so I was worried I would get absolutely soaked, but fortunately it stopped by half-past and didn't start again. So the umbrella I took to work in case turned out to be a dead weight. As usual... Sod's law, if I take an umbrella it won't rain. Works for me.

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 20:03:15 GMT

Serious lack of ideas... Or at least good ones. And so sleepy... We happen to live next to the mayor, who threw a big party to raise money for charity... So, naturally, I took advantage of the occasion to play Neverwinter Nights for 8 hours running, pausing only to drink beer and buy sugar. I am not charitable when discos are involved. I cringe.

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 12:28:55 GMT

Thank goodness I've got over that. As soon as I realised there was very little creative potential I moved back to that old stalwart - boredom. If ym mother were at home I could ask her where all the bits and pieces I need to make pretty models are, but she is in Skipton and will be every day of the week bar Tuesday until we move (August), at which point she will remain in Skipton but be slightly closer. This will also mean I can play the organ more often.
Understanding that was not compulsory.

Anything can happen in the next half-hour...

Fri, 06 Jul 2007 17:10:11 GMT

...And now my submarine affection has led me to Stingray (1964 "Supermarionation" Gerry Anderson show - the one before Thunderbirds). I am obviously regressing to childhood. Meh. (I have never seen a single episode of the program, but I read most of a bok once. It struck me as very mystical, almost.)

Tue, 03 Jul 2007 20:21:07 GMT

I haven't been here for a while, have I? I put it down to my technophonic annoyanve with computers that don't start and my penchant for reading at all hours regardless of circumstance. Don't expect me to post again soon.

Quick prece of last week: my mother is now an ordained deacon in the C of E. I totted up 4 and a half hours of church on Sunday. Went to Whitby yesterday, hoping that no-one would be there for once because of the torrential rain and (as the Bishop of Carlisle would have it) apocalyptic floods. We're so naive... And am now attached to U-boats having found a game in which you command one. (And I have now sunk 6 and a half tons of shipping! Huzzah!)

Hmmm... I should probably get out more.

That's all the hard ones done now...

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 16:08:02 GMT

And I have now finished all the exams where, even if I learned that damn stuff, I'd still have a 50-50 chance of failure. i.e. English and Biology. Thankyou God...

On anothoer note, my brain will need a lot of recharging this summer. I will now try the Doctor Who comic-making doodad on the BBC website because I am a loser who can't draw. Bye!

p.s. Having seen it, it's not as good as it sounds. It doesn't feature the Ninth Doctor.

Surprises all round.

Sun, 03 Jun 2007 18:57:42 GMT

How can this be? Chiru, updating his lj the day after he updated before? The world must be upside down.

I have now attempted to sell all the books I parted with. To no avail -- as far as I'm aware, none of the few people who turned up to buy our junk (or, in one case, mistakenly, our garage) bought anything I had thrown away. I can't remember who said "If at first you don't succeed you'd better get used to failure" but I reckon he had it about right. We're trying again in a while -- anyone feel like a trip to Chiruland to buy Dragonlance novels? Anyone? Please?

Whovian...

Sat, 02 Jun 2007 19:25:03 GMT

Human Nature + whatever came next is THE GREATEST DOCTOR WHO EVER. No contest. (Did you know it was based on a novel? You can download it for free off the BBC who website.)

That includes the Hartnell era's "The Dalek Invasion of Earth", which is incredible. And much more believable for being in black and white, and with pie-crusts as spaceships, strangely. I bought it on DVD yesterday, along with "The Gunfighters" on CD, and have now decided that Willian Hartnell is THE best Doctor. Thought HN+wcn is the best episode.

And you have to listen to Shada from the BBC website. It's got Paul McGann and a very funny timelord. Hilarrius.

Now to worry about Biology exams...

I LIKE TO WI~N THINGS!

Mon, 28 May 2007 17:44:46 GMT

Receiving large pieces of silverwear which should by rights belong to others is so life-affirming... (The Davis-Moxon cup is truly massive AND WILL HAVE MY NAME ON IT BEFORE TOO LONG!!!)

Ho hum... Very heartbreaking today - I sorted out my books and threw loads into a to-sell box in preparation for our Big Move. (I have never moved once since I was 2 months old. This is a completely new experience and I don't think I'm going to enjoy it, judging by the stres levels & time consuming nature). The problem comes when you hug D&D books to your chest, knowing full well you will never play the game again but can't bear to let the lovely hardbacks go... (It went.)

And now ve are haffing PITSA!!! Eta maya lyubeemaya peeshcha. I daren't try typing cyrillic here or the poor computer will implode.

Tue, 22 May 2007 17:00:54 GMT

Don't even get me thinking about exams.

Instead, urge me to comment about the beauty of summer, or the artistic nature of H P Lovecraft, or the joys of Doctor Who. (No Harkness this Saturday! How could they???)

By the way, this may be the last journal entry for a while. Not because I am a boring swatty nerd who is banning himself the internet while he revises for 16 hours a day. By no means. Rather, this poor computer has succumbed to Chiruitis and is now dying of slowness. Seriously. It took me five minutes to load hotmail...

What I should be doing...

Tue, 15 May 2007 07:57:32 GMT

Which is revising Latin, but that's so boring...

I might be re-starting the Occasional Conspiracy next year (with added truth!). Which will be fun if I can keep it up and people will buy.

Still being boring...

Sun, 13 May 2007 15:12:45 GMT

I found the original Dr Who episode with the Macra (giant crab things as in "Gridlock") -- it's serial 34, "The Macra Terror", with Patrick Troughton as Dr Who. Interesting, no?

I WON THE DEBATING COMPETITION AT SCHOOL!!! Which includes beating the secretaries... And we get a cup. Woohoo!

Sun, 06 May 2007 17:21:52 GMT

Sorry for being boring and not here for so many yonks... I have no idea why I haven't had time to get anywhere near a computer, but I blame the government. Don't get me started.
Anyhow, I played BF Gothic today with Cartoir, using all the pretty ships O had painted, and I blew most of them up most impressively. Including my own. Whoops. (Interestingly enough, Kassie, the Morningstar was the only ship to survive on Cartoir's side, and that only be disengaging and running away. Yo ho!)
I bought Meds yesterday, and have now listened to it so many times that I am going to go mad. Again.

An IDEA

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 19:48:31 GMT

Just in case anyone than Kassie actually reads this. I have started a new project, the aim of which is to create a galaxy populated with crezi stuff, as a setting for books, RPs, and anything else I can think of. Including utilising my poor, forgotten Battlefleet Gothic ships at long last for the purpose they were intended. (I love painting models! Especially with gorgeous enamel paints...)
If you're interested, comment and I'll send you more information. I'm toot tired to post it here, I've just spent an hour and a bit repairing my Stats coursework... (ah, diddums.)

Go House Corvus!!! Angel's Breath, away!

(Sorry...)

I won a deb~ate~...

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 19:22:53 GMT

According to the good doctor (deflating coach). The "offcial" judges weren't so sure, but it doesn't matter for snotch -- just training. I just thought I'd flaunt it in case Cartoir comes this way anytime soon.
In other news: only 17 days til my Russian oral. Oh, sugar...

And what happened today.

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 21:09:29 GMT

Not as much badness as I thought would. I love Rurouni Kenshin. And I have found the lame thing Kassie was accusing me of liking yesterday -- Warhammer 40K fluff. I have a series of 4 books on the Horus Heresy to read...

Kassie commands and I obey...

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 21:04:48 GMT

A meme. Looks like fun... These are characters from my latest plot, which has as yet recieved no official title beyond the vague idea of including the word "Apocalypse" in it somewhere.

List twelve of your original characters.

1) Mary Holmes.
2) Jimmy Holmes.
3) Alice Holmes.
4) Lewis Holmes.
5) Steven Holmes.
6) Quentin Howl.
7) Chiang Yee.
8) The Power.
9) Colonel Dodd.
10) Representative Rusk.
11) Representative Wang.
12) Representative Ivanov.

01) Who would make a better college professor, 6(Quentin Howl) or 11(Rep. Wang)?
Howl, definitely, as he does have a PHD in complicated physics. Wang is a diplomat, and we all know what that means (heh heh).

02) Do you think 2(Jimmy Holmes) is hot? How hot?
Not personally, no, not being that way inclined. I suspect he may appeal to the opposite sex, being a soldier with all that applies.

03) 2(Jimmy) sends 8(The Power) on a misson. What is it, and does it succeed?
Highly unlikely, but... Probably to fetch his teddy or something. I don't think grown-up Jimmy would have anything to do with him.

04) What is or would be 9(Dodd's) favourite book?
Hmmm... I doubt he's that much of a reader, so probably one of the books he reads to his kids. Winnie the Pooh or The Hobbit or something similar.

05) Would it make more sense for 2(Jimmy) to swear fealty to 6(Quentin) or the other way round?
Quentin to Jimmy, definitely. Jimmy's one of those people who doesn't think much of people who sit behind desks, and Quentin's way too weak to argue.

06) For some reason, 5 (Stephen) is looking for a roommate. Should s/he share a studio apartment with 9(Dodd) or with 10(Rusk)?
Dodd. He'd end up killing Rusk (with his farmer's shotgun!). Stephen's a down-to-earth kind of guy, and Rusk is a fat liar. Dodd's just nice.

07) 2 (Jimmy), 7(Yee) and 12(Ivanov) have dinner together. Where do they go, and what do they discuss?
I suspect, following Ivanov's orders, they would visit a Russian restaurant, where they would discuss the benefits of the Atlantis Foundation to society and whether or not Jimmy should have knocked Ivanov unconscious just then.

08) 3 (Alice) challenges 10(Rusk) to a duel. What happens?
Rusk loses. Big time.

09) If 1 (Mary) stole 8 (Power's)'s most precious possession, how would s/he get it back?
Umm... Invading the entire world Mary lived on and smushing it into little tiny bits beneath his demonic behemoth of an army's foot.

10) Suggest a title for a story in which 7 (Yee) and 12 (Ivanov) both attain what they most desire.
A Tale of Two Planes (Which are Entirely and Utterly Not Connected With Each Other in Any Way).

11) What kind of plot device would you use if you wanted 4 (Lewis) and 1 (Mary) to work together?
I would make them family. OMG, that's what I've done! In that case, I would not kill Lewis in the prologue.

12) If 7 (Yee) visited you for the weekend, how would you get along?
Wonderfully. He would confuse me a great deal but I would learn a heck of a lot about the secrets of the Universe -- good exchange!

13) If you could command 3 (Alice) to perform any one task or service for you, what would it be?
Scare my sisters into being slightly less annoying. She'd just fall in with them, though.

14) Does anyone on your friends list write or draw 11 (Wang)?
Hopefully Kassie will eventually...

15) If 2(Jimmy) had to choose sides between 4 (Lewis) and 5 (Stephen), which would it be?
Oooh... It's a toss-up between going for the guy who gives better presents (Lewis) or the guy who doesn't smack him when he gets angry (Stephen). Probably Lewis, in 2007, and Stephen in 2022.

16) What might 10 (Rusk) shout while charging into battle?
HEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!

17) If you chose a song to represent 8 (Power), which song would you choose?
"We're No Here", by Mogwai.

18) 1(Mary), 6(Quentin), and 12(Ivanov) are having dim sum at a Chinese restaurant. There is only one scallion pancake left, and they all reach for it at once. Who gets to eat it?
Ivanov. Diplomats have this annyoing habit of getting what they want whether they deserve it or not.

19) What might be a good pick-up line for 2(Jimmy) to use on 1(Mary)?
Siblings. Don't go there.

20) What would 5(Stephen) most likely be arrested for?
Owning a shotgun without a license.

21) What is 6(Quentin)'s secret?
I expect he has a soft spot for Mary.

22) If 11(Wang) and 9(Dodd) were racing to a destination, who would get there first?
Dodd, as he did train in the British army.

23) If you had to walk home through a bad neighbourhood late at night, would you feel safer in the company of 7(Yee) or 8(Power)?
Oh! Oh ho! This is diffcult... The Power, because no-one would go near him in the first place.

There are some discrepancies due to the time gap between the prologue (written) to the main bit (planned). Bear with me, you should understand it all later.

Sat, 14 Apr 2007 18:12:18 GMT

I like jazz, it is decided. My dad took me to a concert the night before last, and it was most entertaining.

No! They are cutting my favourite article out of Country Living!!! Not that I read any of the rest of it, just the funny article about life in a country village when I had nothing better to do and it was just lying around...

My current plot has run away on me. And I adore the main character (Mary Holmes). And the evil villain (no spoilers).

I have bought every single Neil Gaiman book in existence now -- the proper novels, that is. (They do an illustrated version of Stardust! I was sorely tempted, but The Dark Tower called... Kassie may have inadvertently spent all my pocket money for me. Effectively. i.e. if I like the Dark Tower it's her fault. End parentheses).

Back Now.

Thu, 12 Apr 2007 10:09:01 GMT

Indeedy. I have returned from Greece and other places of no internetty-connectionness. Only to find that everyone's sites seem to have broken. Oh well.

Greece was fantastic, the best bit (or at least the funniest) being when my friend's april fools joke went slightly wrong... He planted an alarm clock in someone else's room set to go off at 2am, which it did. So Graham spent 15 minutes trying to find it, and then he threw it out of the window... Where it promptly started ringing again! And what's worse, it woke all the teachers up as well.

I wrote a short story the other day. Which I will now type up and post somewhere, where I can admire with awe something which I started AND FINISHED, and then cringe from the awful style.