Saturday Graphs

Yay.

No, seriously - yay.

...yay.

(am I convincing anyone?)

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The Mini One submitted her MSc thesis!

You just...hand it over?!

Yesterday was a good day.  She printed b&w and colour and then I helped shuffle them all together.  The soft binding was actually really cool, when The Married One got it done it was all out the back and we saw nothing, but this time we could see the machine and its basically a heater - there are fabric strips with glue on them (in colours - you don't have to have black!), and the machine clamps them on and heats them up.  I assume the glue seeps in a bit to grab all the pages.

You know there is no way I'm running with black bound on black backing card now, right?!

God but thesis look pretty when they finally get soft bound.  And I don't think I have ever seen happier faces than those on people submitting.  Perhaps I need to attend more weddings/births (oh ew!), but then again - you cook a thesis for longer than a baby... (I'm kidding Mum, sheesh).

Huh.

Saw this on blogs last week but never got around to watching it, The Hairy One talked about it so I thought I'd come back to it (whilst procrastinating on a Saturday...no - surely not).  Crazy the shit you don't know, right?

Blood Orange

Bam.

One new pair to go, tomorrow.  In case you were wondering - I am soaked from mid-thigh down; Dunedin tried its best to turn me back today, but I battled through...loser.  Should have stayed in bed.

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Also, this, which delighted me:

Via.
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And these art prints by Andy Fairhurst, which are just so cute!

Have at look at the others.

Today: Radioactivity

I think yesterdays turquoise might be my fav, but these are sufficiently...hideous unique that I love them too.

You could also probably ramp up the colour 4 toxicity points too, the photo doesn't do them justice.  They are radioactive green.

At least if the power goes out due to this snow I will always know...where my legs are?!

Its strange how weirder=more lovin' in my tights affections.  Bam.

On Repeat

Really, brain?  You are funny.

Rah! Legs!

Look at my hideous new tights!

I love them.

Be Brave

You know those days when the powers combine to make you feel like you have to either punch a wall or make tea?

Yeah, I just made tea.

Life is hard and I never get what I want and shit is so unfair and I'll get over my silly first world problems slash princess whinging tomorrow.

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Dropped TCO off at the airport with her male half for their departure to Europe yesterday, the office is a measure quieter as a direct result. I'm looking forward to being wildly jealous over the postcards which she had better send. In case you missed it love: Hint. Hint.

The Gore One impromptually whipped up some sweet creme brulee last night. It was amazing, and I was beyond impressed. I've never tried to make it myself. Mad props. Totally made my Sunday.

The Mother is staying with the grandmother while her new hip heals a bit - and awoke to find the carpet soaked from a broken hot water cylinder. Blame was, at first, placed on the two dogs, but that's a lot of water for two medium dogs to produce, and the day before at that (Logan is monarch of the Nans's house - the dogs get the parents' house, up the road, but come to visit to be reminded of their place by the cat).

Caught Brave on Sat morning with TOO & Co; it was brilliant. I loved the accents and her hair. Oh my god - want.  It was beautiful. The detail in these things these days, blows my mind (yes, I am that old...). Mad props to the message and the strong female lead role and so on and so forth. My amazonian-feminist side was appeased, and it had both humour and scary bits that made me jump and only just avoid elbowing TOO's cousin in the ribs (yes, yes - I'm old and a fucking Mallowpuff, I know). I'd definitely recommend seeing it, though it would be just as good on DVD, so no biggie to see it at the cinema. Fuck being assigned a prince to make your story end "happily ever after". Make your own fate - BAM.

A group of peeps at work bought the roulette pizza from Hells on Friday (Waaaaaay too chicken to get in on that), I went to watch the consumption, and of course; TCO got the spiked piece. It was pretty funny. Slow to hit, which made it anticlimactic at first, but the buildup to insane-plus-tears made it better. The Baby One picked up a wee tub of their second-hottest sauce at the same time and cooked me pasta for dinner that night - it was awesome. Initial freakout and shock, but then the flavours are delightfully changed and after the first hit the rest is quite delightful. And of course - you only ever need the tiniest bit, so there is plenty left to trick visitors into trying straight. Strangely enough, all the boys in the flat tried it straight - and all got hiccups. Weird.

TOO and her lovely Mum are making me dinner tonight, (because I'm spoilt and lucky) and I am very much looking forward to a not-working dinner. Yay.

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...Back to wall punching? Urgh.

Bat-Wombat

This makes me so happy inside!

Via.

Blah blah meh sleep?

I love it how you unexpectedly hear an old fav song and your eyes want to roll up in your head because, god, its good.

I hate it how you can't indicate more than 5 stars on iTunes, to express such gut-pulling delight.

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And that's all the deep meaningful bollocks you will get out of me today, because, well...

Sums it up nicely.

Mix Tape

So I don't often share such things, with the exception of whatever annoying song is stuck in my head at the present (On Repeat), because - lets be honest; no one gives a shit.

However, I'm running stats for the current chapter, and its required its own playlist. I burnt a CD for my car of some of my old favs out of it, and found myself singing along at the top of my voice (I use the term 'singing' loosly, of course) on the way to and from work these last couple days. So perhaps I needed it more than I thought.

But then, maybe I'm just procrastinating again.

Good times.

(If one more person calls me a bogan this week I am going to open a can of spanking).

Truth = Fiction

I've always lamented that the circumstances so common in book and movie fiction so very rarely happen in real life that it makes them almost entirely fake. 

Things like chance meeting, corner-eye glimpses, caught-eyes-across-rooms, or perfect comebacks/insults that you thought of on the spot and delivered in a timely matter - not 3 hours later in the shower. (my shower-arguments are the most creative, inspired things you would ever dream of; should they occur in time there would be no recourse). 

So, when such chance occurances happen in real life - they delight me for days. They never have the same meaning, of course - that person you eye-locked with in the supermarket just thought you a weirdo, really; but the occurance itself -

merriment for days.

God but I love coincidences. And I love that a couple of you know exactly what I am speaking of.

Hilarious.

EDIT:  So there's been some confusion - the 'eyes caught across rooms' thing is in bold italics to draw attention to the Lizzie/Darcy example, not mine.  Let that pickle your noggin.

On Repeat

Strange, because its more of a song which would normally appeal to me in summer (and not just because of the word 'summer' appearing throughout...).

Love it.

*sob*

So The Married One has officially left.  People are moving in on the empty desk, with the Baby One claiming it in the name of his country:

Of course, that's not happening.

Update!

Hahahahahahaha

Also -

Ewww!

Here.  Disgustingly hilarious.

My sweet hat

Talked about this before.  Bought the pattern, and had my Nana whip it up for me (seriously, it took her a microsecond).

Mum sent it back amongst various goodies, I whipped up a pompom and here we go:

Gasp!  Is that your...grumpy face?!

No, just slightly sad - The Married One leaving me today and all.  In fact, they're on the road north, right now.

Yeah, still slightly scary.

Back view:

Gorgeous pompom.  And no - they are not heart shapes in white.  They are speckles.  Speckles I tell you.  None of this nasty heart-bollocks.

No less scary.  Oh well.

I love my new hat!  I love my Nana more.

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This made me bark with laughter today:

Via. 

My cells win

From this, to this:

Yay.  Its gonna pop and spew out green pus.  It'll be exciting.  Grossed out yet?  How about this:

Yeah, that's my Nans' hip joint.  She got a replacement last week, and is back at home now under the watchful eye of my Logan-kitten.  I never knew they let you keep them, but very cool.  Apparently you can see the wear right down through the bone to the marrow on the leg side.  Or something.  No wonder it was so painful.

They're keeping it in the freezer till everyone who wants to, has seen it.  You gotta wonder about your family sometimes, right?!

Science win!

True Blood S05E01

Ohmygodohmygod - so I got through the recap before the intro and had to pause and take a deep breath - I had forgotten, and, well:

Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

So - SPOILERS, and brief impressions from this first ep.  Return of the vampires already?  Where did the year go?!
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Jason - naked at the door delivering wisdon on vampires' intentions - "fangs are basically like twin hard-ons:  hard-ons for trouble or feedin on somebody, and never just for talkin"

OMG - Tara?!  God I hope turning vamp makes you harden the fuck up.  Or at least hardens up your quivery bottom lip.  Pam, as usual - is fabulous.  "I'm weaing a wallmart sweatsuit for ya'all"  Indeed.

"I'm a gay vampire american" - oh this is going to be good.

Oh yes - "LOVE ME!!"  It is good.

WHAT?!

WHAT?!!!

"Its my sister, actually".  Oh good, keeping it classy, eh Eric?

Alcide - hey baby.

Oh damn - I hate it when you miss a completely obvious tooth in the middle of the floor after cleaning up a dead body.  With bleach and ammonia and lemons; and yet she didn't bother to mop or hoover?!  And despite being able to smell the layered cleaning products, Alcide cannot smell that string of human flesh?

I love it how these boys think any reason is a good reason to have Sook 'come stay at my house'.

And whats with Sook telling everyone?!  Its supposed to be her and Eric's secret!  I don't like what they are doing to the wolves - torturing Sam?  who the fuck are these thugs?  You have ruined the whole pack ethos, ABall.  For shame.

Oh poor Bill!

Eric is just so pleased with himself.  (also - yum).

Ike Applebaum?!  Brill.

Oh dear.  I didn't think Eric and Bill would be able to leave quite so easily.

I can't decide how I want vampire Tara to be - though Pam with progeny is going to be fun.  Plus Tara had the bi thing going on all ready...

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Ok, so my first impressions are good - but then it has been a long time since the last, and abstinence absence makes the heart grow fonder, yes?  However - more changes from cannon than ever before; I can't even imagine where this season is going.  First of all - what's up with the Authority bollocks?  And Tara as a vamp?  And Eric having a sister?  (though I did like Godric, it has kind of ruined a whole subplot in the books).

The second ep aired in the states last night, so we'll see where this is going soon enough.  In the mean time - yay!  Its like some old friends have come back for a visit.

Escapism!  Win!

Head bobbing grin

Love this.  It made me desk-dance whilst grinning.  Sweet moves.

Lets pretend

That I am not speaking of this.

Mmmmm.....arms

Heh.

Strange Sensations

You know those horrific slivers of nail which detach from the side and rip all the way back to your nail bed? Yeah, well, pulled one out - and now its infected.

Figure 1.  See the red?

Yay.  But - fascinating.  I was staring blankly at my screen contemplating a different version of a graph (don't ask), chin in hand and noted that bird-finger was warm, and the rest cold (as per usual, here).  All my little phagocytes & Co. are rushing to my finger to have a party right now.  (I did note the pain first of course, it was the heat that was surprising).

Figure 2.  Hell party?  Best kind.

A party which is stretching all the way back to the second knuckle-thing. (or proximal interphalangeal joint, if you will).  Hot enough to warm my lips, and exciting enough to detract interest from the current chapter (cough - shuddup you.  It is not that easy...).

Bet my immune-bitches will have it fixed by morning.  Bam.

One of those

Mornings.

Very infrequently, early mornings will suck so hard core that I switch out the tea bags for a milo-coffee mix as a coping mech.

The Married One is leaving me.  Gah!

Had her final lab-leaving dinner last night, which was lovely, but - Gah!

We've discussed this before - my people aren't allowed to leave me.

The only reasonable recourse is to leave myself.  Chop chop!

A collection of "wit"

The Married One has been cleaning out her desk:

Just a bit of paper

The Mini One designed me a new thesis title:

Oh very funny

The Crazy One wanted a go, too:

Lovely

And I saw this today, which is an idea that delights me:

The Mini One draws tallies on her hand to keep track of the number of in situ washes she has done.  I always get a wee thrill from it.

Via.

And finally, because you love it:

You know

You know you've spent too long in the Dept when you don't even need to turn on the lights in the kitchen to make tea any more.

A picture of me making tea.  In the dark. Like a boss.

Lets not question just how much tea I'm drinking lately.

Also, this:

I'm entirely convinced I get funnier later at night.  Feel free not to correct me if you think I'm wrong.

Oh crap

bum and bollocks.

Reading poetry and listening to classical music has made my writing rather more poetic of late.

My supe is going to rip this chapter, and my writing, apart.

And don't I sound like a pretentious prat in need of a good kick-in-the-bum?!

This always happens when my mental-writing-voice takes on a Victorian-era British accent.

I am ridiculous.

More of this:


Less of this:


And go.

Mirror of the soul

I read a piece somewhere this past week which referenced a poem in text 'bloody but unbowed'.  I did a bit of sleuthing and found it to be Invictus, by William Ernest Henley in 1875.  (by 'sleuthing' I mean one hit of the google-drug.  Good shit that - fast acting).

Strong woman

Its beautiful and strong.  I feel like I need strength this week.  And serenity and tolerance.  Deep breaths; it will all be worth it.  It is all worth it.


Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.


In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.


Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.


It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.


---
Tomorrow I start finishing a new chapter.

City circuit

So I got to thinking/reminiscing and turns out - I have 9 place pins for 9 years in Dunedin, though the time distribution is not nearly so neat.  And, of course, I still own one very special pin (which I bought when I was 22: ohmygod). (Old old old).

Its a reasonable spread, I think.  I doubt such a thing should ever again occur within a city- the flat changing sitch common during Dunedin undergrad years is not likely to happen twice (oh god - I hope).

I have now lived longer in Dunedin than any other location in the country - there's a scary thought.

~1 year Havelock North
~1 year Wellington
8 years Taupo
7 years Havelock North
9 years Dunedin

Holy crap.  Ok, I feel old.  Lets not think on this further.

Progress...ion

Sunday.  Urgh.

Its actually been a pretty great weekend.  Subdued a little, what with upheaval and change and so on, but great for thesis.  I moved house, and am now inflicting my presence on the ever-tolerable Old One.  I'm like a travelling parasitic house-leech this year.  Its quite novel, and surprisingly has lead to my getting to know more of the city than I ever had before.  I also think the constant humbling reminder of how great/welcoming/wonderful people can be, is good for the soul.

You know that festering black pile of sludge residing beside the frozen, brittle, black & oily thing I call a heart?  Yeah.  That.

Watched some chilled out, sweet rugby with sweet peeps on Saturday, whilst getting the odd text from bigsib in London, whose fiancé was apparently glued to the lappy watching the same.  She dared raise the opinion, when faced with a non-response from the parentals (whom were, it turns out, out for dinner at friends) that ickle-brother is now the favourite, since he is most likely to reproduce in the near future.  Good god.  But then, Mum was baking all day yesterday in prep for a trip down to HB to visit the little bugger...

Catching a new French film this evening with The Authoress, to whom I can finally give the bday pressie I've been hanging on to for ages.  Can't wait for my movie fix.

We are going to visit the Placental One on Wednesday to meet her brand new babe, and hopefully fill a good  hour or so with cuddles and general squee'ing.  We're all going to bake various goods to fill her freezer, and I just cannot freaking wait.  Yay!  Baby!

Speaking of babies, mine is growing day by day.  Progress!  Yuss!  (an aside: how do you tell if a thesis-baby is male or female?!)

Progress.ion

The uni webpage redesign has popped up into permanent existence this weekend; the sci banner version is pretty.  Stupid, but pretty.  Who would ever fill a flask up that high?!  And why is my research never visible in such vivid colours?

I feel so under represented

And now I'm going to make tea and walk down to the Leith for a modicum of sun before its back to chapter 6.

Its a quote-y day

Calvin: Everybody seeks happiness! Not me, though! That’s the difference between me and the rest of the world. Happiness isn’t good enough for me! I demand euphoria!
 
Hobbes: So the secret to good self-esteem is to lower your expectations to the point where they’re already met? 

Via.

I demand euphoria!