New Year, New... something.

One of my new years' resolutions was to be more consistent with maintaining my blogs and keeping things up to date.

In light of that, my plan for today was to write about feminism and victim blaming, something that was sparked in my mind by someone I know and a friend of hers, whose outrageous views on women and children's responsibilities for their own assaults shocked the crap out of me.

It started with my this person I know, "A" posting on Facebok about reading that a woman or child is missing, then seeing their picture and seeing that they were dressed, as she put it, "like little whores".  The rest of her post made it pretty clear that her main objection was in fact to parents who allow their pre-teen children to where sexual clothing and their refusal to actually parent their children.  I agree with her about the fact that kids shouldn't be dressed in sexual clothing, that there's no reason for a little girl to own a thong or walk around with her ass hanging out of her skirt, so I didn't comment, because I assumed that she had just articulated her thoughts in a way that made her come across as a victim blaming nutcase.

How wrong I was.  Some of her friends did call her out, and her responses pointed to a complete lack of understanding of what leads to rape and child abduction.  So I pointed out to her that a woman's attire has nothing to do with her likelihood of being raped and that scumbag rapists use this kind of reasoning as an excuse after the fact.

One of her friends, B, chimed in with some completely ridiculous (and borderline incomprehensible) garbage about rape being natural (because, dolphins!!!), "This feminist bullshit doesn't work in the real world" and the Bible says that thinking is as bad as doing ("BAMM BITCH!").  She also made it clear that she disagreed with me, because children shouldn't be dressed like that, blah, blah, blah and "parenting needs to be necessary".*

I reminded B that I had already stated (by this point repeatedly) that I do not think that little girls should be allowed to dress in overly sexual clothing.  I also pointed out that thinking can't possibly be as bad as doing, that thinking a thing hurts no one (this earned me a "good to see you're not a christian of any kind"), but that people who have sexual feelings toward children should seek professional help.  And of course, yes, rape happens in the animal kingdom, where animals have no concept of nudity, so clothing (or a lack thereof) could not possibly make any difference as to the choices they make.

And I suggested that I would have thought the "feminist bullshit" would be appealing to two girls who dress less-than-conservatively and buck the status quo.  This earned me reprieves from both the B and A, along the lines, of I've met A and she's always covered up, cosplay and modelling don't count and I'm always covered up except when I'm on a photo shoot, Thank You very much, Sister.

I would like to think that my and some of A's other friends' comments made her realize how completely backwards her views were and were what shamed her into taking the whole thing down, but sadly, I think it had to do with how much of a giant hypocrite she looked like, when I said that, though I have no problem with her clothing choices or the way she presents herself, always being covered up (which she usually is), except when posting pictures of herself half-naked online or going to anime conventions in costumes, isn't the same as always being covered up.

I wish I could have posted the entire thing on here and dissected, piece by piece.  Not to point out how ridiculous A was being or how unable B is to form a coherent sentence, but to try to figure out how two women, in their mid-to-late 20s, in 2014, have such ridiculous and puritanical views of female virtue (and how, at the same time, are loud, in-your-face, swear like sailors and dress in clothes that - in their own words - are skanky, slutty or those of little whores.)

I was thinking of closing this with a picture of A in a spiked bra, a spiked collar (which I believe she stole from me), a pair of boxer briefs and what appear to be crotchless leatherette pants, but despite the fact that this picture is available online, as are many, many more like it, I think it`s up to her to be indiscriminate regarding who sees it, not me.

*I should point out, that the reason for the play-by-play is the fact that I was going to post screen caps of the whole damn mess, but A deleted the whole post (I'm guessing because she couldn't delete only my comments?) at some point either yesterday or this morning.

Poppies

A white poppy means peace.
So white is like our hands:
Unsoiled by the war we never had to fight.
And a flower's always peaceful.
Peaceful like the dead.
The friend I didn't bury,
The Foe I didn't kill,
And all those people I didn't watch Die.
 But peace is not for the dead alone;
We live in peace, we breathe it.
I like my poppies red,
Like the blood I've never had to spill

Things That Bother Me

I know, I know.  You'd think after such a long break from posting, I would come back with something positive or inspiring.  Sorry to disappoint, but this is just a list of things I don't like.

1. People who use or misuse '90s power phrases.  Terms like, bringing that on board or putting it into perspective, meetings, briefs, catch-ups, synergy.  Seriously, corporate yuppidom is not the holy grail of life's ambition.  Just stop.
2. When people are so busy falling over themselves to make sure one group is treated fairly that they end up stomping all over the rights and freedoms of another group.
3. People complaining how much my wedding is going to cost them.  There have been people who have told me they don't know if they'll be able to attend my wedding because of money.  This sucks, because if they know where my wedding is and can make that judgement, it's because I'd really like them to be there.  But I understand completely, so I'm not bitter... but I am getting sick to death of people, who plan to come, harping on about how much money it's going to cost them.  As if I should change my wedding plans, and basically make it impossible for my fiance's family to attend, just so they don't have to put money aside.  Weddings, even attending weddings, can be expensive.  I'm not asking for costly gifts or having a buck and doe, or throwing myself a bridal shower.  I'm not asking for anything other than their presence, if they can provide it.  The only people who have a right to bitch about how expensive my wedding will be are my fiance and my parents.  That's it.
4. People who don't flush public toilets after use, who pee on the seat and/or floor, who take ten minutes to dry their hands or give dirty looks to people who take more than ten seconds.
5. People who use terms like Swag and Meme, or who say No bueno but aren't Spanish.
6. People who think that people who attend(ed) university are objectively better or smarter than other people - and people who think that people who attend(ed) university are spoiled and don't know how the world really works.
7. When two fat people walk side by side down a narrow path, swinging their arms, at one tenth the speed of a normal person, then give you dirty looks when you politely say excuse me and try to get around.
8. Landlords who are too cheap to provide heat, working appliances or water that isn't either scalding or a single degree away from ice.
9. People who think that just because you say happy holidays, you are some weird, left-wing nutcase who hates Christmas and is caving to pressure to be politically correct, when maybe all you were trying to do is include New Year's in a single phrase.
10. When you feel compelled to make all your lists in multiples of 5.

The Gay Debate

I am getting so sick of gay rights being debated.  In 1999, I was asking why homosexuality was still an issue and 13 years later, the same, ridiculous, bigoted arguments are still making the rounds.  The anti-gay complaints that were tired then are being hauled out and pushed back into the world now, and frankly, it makes me sick.  I've answered some of them here, in an attempt (sadly, likely vain) to put them to rest.


Homosexuality isn't natural
This is one of the most common arguments I've seen online lately.  It is most often used in conjunction with trite religious comments like God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.  Ok, so let's explore this.  I'll agree, as a genetic trait, homosexuality isn't particularly useful to the species.  It's not something that's going to be reinforced through selective breeding, and the sub argument if we were all gay the human race would cease to exist is true, I suppose, if we rule out IVF.  But the thing is, if you don't believe in evolution, you can't argue that homosexuality is unnatural. There are gay penguins, dogs, wolves and squids - documented cases of animals with no desire to mate with members of the opposite sex and preferring their own.  If it exists in nature, it must be natural - and if you want to argue that for some reason it shouldn't exist in nature, the only leg you could possibly attempt to stand on is an evolutionary one.  Unless God made a mistake.

The Bible says in Leviticus That Homosexuality is an Abomination
Yes, yes it does.  It also details the correct way to perform ritual animal sacrifice, and explains the correct procedures for beating your slaves.  I'm not saying Christians should throw out everything in the Bible because some of it is a little crazy - but if you're going to abandon the teachings which are obsolete and/or ridiculous, that should include all of the obsolete ridiculousness, including the random hatred of gay people.


Why Don't Straight People Get a Straight Pride Parade?
Because every day in the western world (and I suspect in the rest of the world, but I comment here only from experience) is a giant straight pride parade!  Look around you.  At movies.  At advertisements.  At everything.  We live in a society that is extremely heterosexualcentric.  I'm not saying this is necessarily a bad or evil thing.  In general, society is going to cater to the majority (this is especially true in a consumer culture like ours) - but that doesn't mean we should ignore minorities or deny them the same rights that everyone else enjoys.  The question you should be asking is Why do we need a gay pride parade? And if you complain about/marginalize or try to deny the rights of gay people, the answer has a lot more to do with you than it does with them... And, really, if it bugs you that much, go have a straight pride parade.  Who's stopping you?

 Wah, Wah, Wah, Sanctity of Marriage, Wah, Wah
 Is your marriage really so fragile and meaningless that its significance is somehow going to be damaged by someone else's?  If it is, I pity you, but it's not really the other person/people's fault that your marriage sucks.  If your marriage is strong enough to withstand the horror of others getting married without your approval, that's excellent... but then what are you complaining about, again?

They Want Special Rights
Name one.  Name one special right that the LGTB community has ever asked for.  The right to marry?  The right to have children?  The right to exist?  Those aren't special rights, they're just rights.  Normal, everyday rights.





  
The Gays are Always Pushing Their Agenda on Me and My Kids
Ok, seriously?  What is The Gay Agenda?  I mean, do you really think LGTB individuals are gathering in secret meetings, discussing ways they can convert you and your children?  Really?  Do you really believe that?  I've seen tonnes of pamphlets and fliers detailing why homosexuality is a sin (one actually referred to the gay people in my home town as an infestation), or suggesting that family values are in danger from gay marriage, but I've never been handed a glossy stock photo with bullet points explaining the dangers of being straight, or the benefits of a gay lifestyle.  The Gay Agenda does not exist.  No one is trying to make you gay.  Get over yourself. 
 

A Year Yesterday

Actually, a year four days ago.  But still.

A little over a year ago, I got on a plane and flew nearly 6,000 kilometers to be with the man I love.  It was the single most intelligent and most meaningful thing I've done, the best decision I've ever made.  I still wake up smiling and often catch myself staring at him, trying to figure out how I got so lucky.

There were people who thought what I was doing was insane, that I wasn't prepared for the change or the financial challenge - and people who, though they tried very hard not to say as much, clearly thought there was a good chance the relationship would fail and I would be stuck in England, penniless and alone.  And a year (which simultaneously feels like a century and an eye blink) ago, I decided that on V Day 2012 I would write a big screw you to everyone who thought we wouldn't make it.

But, to be honest, I'm not bitter.  I knew those people where wrong then, I know that they were wrong now, and I'm still happy, so why bother?  The majority of them were just concerned for me, even if their concern showed itself in a way I didn't like.

I met him in August, in October I was in love and by November, so was he.  In February, we officially started our life together... and a year later, we're still going strong.

Happy 2012 - The World Will End in 348 Days

So, we're over a week into 2012 - and probably the world won't really end on the 21st of December, but who knows?    Anyway, this isn't a the world is going to end post so much as it's a generic New Year's resolutions and stuff post.

New Year's resolutions - don't have many.  The typical one, starting tomorrow (I was on vacation on the first and wholly refuse to start dieting while on vacation - and while I can follow a diet on the weekend, starting one just seems wrong somehow.), start eating better, start exercising regularly, be bikini ready by the summer (this is going to be extremely difficult, because I need to loose almost 15 pounds and turn my remaining belly flub into toned muscle in a few months) and look amazing for my sister's wedding; Learn enough Slovak that I can talk to mi novio's parents without a translator; get another novel published; write every day.

It doesn't really seem like that much to do, typed out neatly in a list like that, but I don't have any illusions that any of this is going to be easy.  A lot of people manage.  People who, even if they're really amazing, cool people, you just want to hate because they're so together and seem to manage to work full time, follow a tone of other hobbies/dreams/ ambitions and look amazing while doing so, but people none the less.  I'd like to be one of those people, I think.  It would probably suck to have everyone be jealous of you and secretly hating you, but I think it would be worth it, really.

I think mainly, I just need lists.  Or something to help me concentrate.  Ritalin?  I don't know. 

I don't much feel like ending this with some inspirational crap about how this year will be different, how I'll force myself to focus on what matters, etc, because, frankly, I don't know that I will.  But I will say that 2011 has been absolutely amazing, without a doubt, the most interesting year of my life so far and certainly the one in which I was most proactive.  If I could boil this all down to one resolution, it would be to make 2012 even better.

I Know...

So, I've been away for a while.  Not really away, just away from blogging.  Busy and stuff.

I got a job.  It's a good job and I like it, even if it's not the kind of job I ever imagined myself doing.  The perks are excellent and the people are wonderful.  Our department's Christmas party was Friday.  I had my first (and second (and come to that, possibly 3rd, though I can't remember for sure)) Jagerbomb, 2 G&Ts and a glass of champagne.  With the exception of the second G&T, which a coworker bought for me, these drinks were all free, paid for by the company.  It was great to see everyone let loose, even if some of them let a little looser than they should.

I sadly did not finish my NaNoWriMo story, Quicksand in November.  I made it to about 21,000 words and couldn't manage any more.  This whole working full time thing has gotten harder since I was doing it last.  I honestly think that's just the weather, though, because I work until 6:00 and right now that means I'm there until after dark.

I sold enough shirts to get the Reactionary Motors one for my Dad for Christmas.  My dreams of having the Bitch, Please one for myself have been put on hold, but such is life.

I was just about to write about our plans to visit Slovakia over Christmas, and I realize now that I've totally neglected to say anything at all about Prague, which was wonderful and will get a whole blog post shortly.

Also, somewhere in the confusion of November and December, our flatmate, whose Internet we used and paid toward, left and the Internet was disconnected (we'd recently given him £30 to it - not impressed)

My Slovak is not improving as quickly as I'd hoped.  Need to get working on that.

I think that's all for now.  I'll post about Prague soon, and try to keep a little bit more updatey in the meantime.

Canadian Thanksgiving in the UK

Thanksgiving has never been a huge deal for me.  I really like it, but it's never quite held the same emotional ties as, say, Christmas or Halloween.  At least it hadn't, until this year.

This is the first year I've been outside of Canada for Thanksgiving, and I'm finding it (in part because the shops have already started putting out Xmas merchandise) pretty tough.  I've recently re-broken the record for the most time spent away from my family (It has now been 8 months since I last saw any of my friends or relatives) and rather than me getting used to my homesickness, my homesickness is getting worse.  It's little things, like the fact that the stores here don't sell egg nog, or that despite going to two different grocery stores, the closest thing we'll have to cranberry sauce tonight is "Cranberry juice drink"  No one sells Brownburry Farce, or even tubs of breadcrumbs.  I did find a whole turkey, but it was one of the pre-spiced kind, so we're having chicken instead.

And yes, I know there's more to Thanksgiving than the food, but that's just it.  The food is wrong and the family and friends we're supposed to be sharing this wrong food with are thousands of miles away.

I guess I'm just feeling sorry for myself... I know I'm one of the luckiest people alive and I know I should feel nothing but grateful for all the wonder I have in my life.  I'm just... I don't even know.  Homesick.

Sorry to be such a downer on the one day we're all supposed to pull our heads out of our asses and appreciate what we have. I'll try to post a little later, when I'm in a better mood.

NaNoWriMo makes me cry.

From NanNoWriMo's NaNo in a Nutshell:

Who: You! We can't do this unless we have some other people trying it as well. Let's write laughably awful yet lengthy prose together.
Why: The reasons are endless! To actively participate in one of our era's most enchanting art forms! To write without having to obsess over quality. To be able to make obscure references to passages from our novels at parties. To be able to mock real novelists who dawdle on and on, taking far longer than 30 days to produce their work.

Ugh.

Finest Pain. Ow.

I'm coming up with post titles by reading random things again. It actually says FINEST PAIN AU CHOCOLAT... and has, as these things often do(n't?) nothing to do with anything.

So...

The London Riots
were stupid. They seem to be over now and there is, of course, a lot of talk about what caused them. They started after Mark Duggan, a 29-year-old father of three, was shot dead by police in Tottenham. I'm not sure if this was a botched arrest or what, but what followed was a candle-light vigil two days later. The participants of that vigil marched toward the Tottenham police station. And after that, the explanation is that it "turned violent" or that "violence erupted".

The vigil makes sense. Yes, by all means, if you think a powerful group of people, especially your own government, has done something wrong, protest. By all means, be imposing, get in their way, show them how many people think what they've done is wrong, are willing to fight for justice - but how the hell does setting people's homes/cars/businesses on fire achieve anything?

And, of course, now there are people blaming the government cuts and unemployment and the rising cost-of-living and poor parenting and anything they can think of other than the little bastards that seized the opportunity to get free shit and light stuff on fire. Yeah. The government is oppressing me and treating me unfairly. Society has turned its back on me. I'm going to go steal some trainers and mug an old lady.

Waitressing
sucks, but it's getting better. I feel like I never know where I'm supposed to be. I keep getting told different things by different people and if I ask a question, a lot of the time, whoever I asked gives me a dirty look then just does what I'm supposed to be doing. Actually, a lot of the time, I literally don't know where I'm supposed to be because I now have three restaurants to work in and all my rota says is when I'm working, not where.

I really like the chefs and the kitchen porter guys. I remember a kind of rivalry between the wait staff and the kitchen staff at the last kitchen I worked in, and I'm pretty sure it had something to do with the wait staff treating us like trash. I try not to do that, to make sure I say please and thank you, regardless of how busy I am, and not to make a huge mess with the dirty dishes.

All whining aside, I'm starting to get the hang of it, I think. Today was pretty ok.

Bad Parenting
annoys me. I have a table of regulars with this kid. The youngest he could possibly be is 8 and that's an over-sized, over-developed (physically) 8. My guess would be that he's 10-11, although, physically, he could be 12-13. But let's, just to give him the benefit of the doubt, say he's 8. I've served his family three times now. He has eaten only pork (I mean only) on all three occasions. One time, he got paid to finish his "meal". He's rude and needs to be the centre of attention - but he's 8, so I guess we can make allowances - except, I've seen him punch his grandmother in the back twice (as in on two occasions, two punches per time), once because he ignored being asked for his order and she pointed out that this was rude and once, I think, just for fun - although he asked for money after this, so maybe for money? And his mother sat there and said nothing, pretended not to see. His grandfather sat there and said nothing. His older brother shot me an apologetic look, as if to say, Yeah, I know, but what can you do. I can't even imagine what would have happened if I had behaved this way - and I won't say at his age. I mean, at all. Ever. Well, yes I can. If I had been two and hit my grandmother, I would be sent to my room. If no room was available, to the car (for years, I didn't realize that my parents actually were stood near by, watching said car) and I would have stayed there until I was ready to apologise. Violence begets violence, I guess, because now I really want to punch this kid in his face.

Someone
is having a BBQ. I so want it.

NaNoWriMo 2011

So I've started working on the outline and character sketches for NaNoWriMo 2011. It is going to be one incredibly effed up story, but hopefully a little amazing as well.

I've also been trying to update devereaux court a lot this month because I think it needs to be updated at least three times a week if we ever want it to get serious readership.

I think that's about it. There's work stuff in there, somewhere, but it's a nice day and I want to go to the beach and not think about jobs and boring crap like that.

The end, for now.

♥

So I had an interview this morning and I have work tonight. I was hoping my interview would end before mi novio had to be at work, but it didn't; we missed each other by minutes. When I got home, there was a note on my computer, asking me to run an errand. At first, I was all whiney (internally whiney), thinking It's hot, I don't wanna go back out. Why do I have to-- and then I noticed the little smiley face on the bottom of the note and a much more sensible internal voice pointed out that I'm pretty much the luckiest person alive and I should go out in the sunshine and enjoy my damn errand - which is exactly what I did.

Athena the Waitress

The list just keeps getting longer. I've been a: commissioned painter, flier deliverer, administrative assistant, gas station attendant, Athena (this was my official job title and the people who came after me were called Athenas as well), security guard, security dispatcher, portrait photographer(x2), customer service agent at a gym, graphic designer, room attendant, telemarketer(x2), front desk agent at a hotel, charity fundraiser, order taker at a pizza place and now, a waitress. These are pretty much in the order that I did them, starting from about age 5 or 6 and carrying on through the past 20+/- years - and there's a very high chance that I've left some out.

Waitressing isn't bad. It was much better today (day 2) than yesterday. I had my own tables today (only 2) with really nice guests. Everything went swimmingly. Plus, I now know what a fish fork looks like, which is something I never thought I would have any reason to know. I guess you learn something new every day.

My feet hurt and I'm going to sleep. I don't have to wake up at 6:30 tomorrow morning, which makes me a happy camper, believe you me.

My Adventure with Cancer

As I write this, I have sitting in my draft posts an open letter to some puritanical nutcase regarding his take on the sexual revolution. The reason it is in draft stage is that, almost 500 words in (not counting footnotes) I still have a lot to say on the subject.

So why is it when today, upon learning that my uncle's cancer has returned, I was rendered completely speechless?

I found out via facebook, of all things. He created a page called My Adventure with Cancer to update his friends and family on his journey while he fights this disease for the second time. Even after the initial shock, when I'd managed to stop crying and calm myself down a bit, I couldn't bring myself to like the page. Of course I want to be kept up to date. Of course I want to be able to send messages of support. But - and this is going to sound stupid - I kept thinking my FB profile page is going to read Athena McCormick likes My Adventure with Cancer.

I told myself this was stupid. Everyone will understand that Facebook uses very limited language to talk about everything, no one is actually going to think that I like the fact that my uncle has cancer. So I decided to click the dreaded like button, to ensure that I'll get emails or updates will end up in my newsfeed or however the Hell Facebook does things these days. But when I went to do it, I still couldn't. I saw all the messages of support coming in from my uncle's friends, offering prayers and well-wishes and I couldn't think of anything to say. At least, nothing that seemed right. I'm not religious. I pray. I prayed every single day from the time I found out he had cancer the first time, until after the surgery he had to remove it. I had a little chant, so as not to leave anything out. That his surgery would work, that they would get all the cancer, that he would be ok. But offering my prayers to the universe-in-general to a Christian man who knows I don't share his faith seems wrong somehow, like taking a coal-powered train to an environmental protest. I thought, I should tell him I love him - and then I thought, how incredibly awkward would that be? My family love each other, of course we do, but we don't go around saying it all the time, and I kept thinking that if I tell him I love him suddenly, after hearing this news, it's going to look like I think he's going to die.

I've lost three family members to cancer, a much-loved aunt and both of my grandfathers. I imagine a world where every disease is cured, every war ended, any injury can be mended and we all die of cancer. What a horrible imagination I have.

Eventually, I came up with what I wanted to say and I said it - part of it. I put it out into the world and now I just have to hope that it was enough, that it was the right thing to say, that the occasion didn't require something more or less or different.

You would think, in a world like ours, so besieged by terrible diseases, there would be a protocol for this, an etiquette. That somewhere, a prim British lady with white gloves and an ugly hat should be telling young girls what to say when a family member is diagnosed - while the girls balance books on their heads and walk in circles around a reception room. You would think.

There's some comfort, perhaps, in the idea that we're all muddling through this, that no one knows how they're supposed to behave in these situations. And it's nice to know that I come from a family of fighters, of people who don't give up, of people who are determined to beat the odds.

It makes me proud. It really does.

IRN BRU - Feel Phenomenal

Mmmm Irn Bru.
Ok, Irn Bru has absolutely nothing to do with this post, except that mi novio found my bottle from a couple of days ago in his bag this morning, so I have something tasty to drink while I blog.

Yesterday was pretty much a nothing day; I spent the entire day indoors, applying for jobs and not watching a movie. The day before, however...

I woke up at 8:00am, all set to get dressed and get a bus to my new job for 11:30. Except, as I mentioned in the previous post, my new job made me want to kill myself. So I really didn't want to go. Really, as in, the idea of going made me want to burst into tears and/or hyperventilate. I thought because I'd done telesales before, it would be somehow easier this time. Not so. Actually, it's a lot worse when you know that there is no possible chance of your job improving, ever. So after much deliberation and declarations that I would spend every possible moment looking for a new job, if only I could quit this one, I called the recruitment agent who found it for me and told him thanks, but no thanks. I know there will be a lot of people thinking I'm insane because unemployment is so high and yes, there is a chance that things will get so desperate that I have to go crawling back to the recruitment agency and beg for call centre work, but for right now, relieved doesn't even begin to cover how I feel.

On the subject of British nationals who complain that immigrants are stealing all their jobs: I don't blame you at all for not wanting to work in a call centre, but if you really are willing to do anything, there are a lot jobs available. Also, please stop bitching about immigrants getting paid British pensions as if all the money comes from your taxes. If we immigrants are expected to pay into the pension fund, we have every right to take out of it when we retire. Alternatively, if you don't want us collecting pensions, start petitioning your government to have us pay fewer deductions on our wages.

So, after quitting my job (and setting a new record for least time in employment - not counting the 'voluntary assessment' period at a company that was very vague about themselves right up until they tricked me onto a bus and tried to get me to do door-to-door canvasing), I went with my guy to a shop that was having a kick ass sale on outdoor clothing, so he could buy a really good rain jacket for much less than it was worth. He insisted on getting me a jacket too, despite my protests. It's a really nice jacket ♥

After that, we walked around (in our spiffy new jackets) and handed out CVs to a million different hotels and three or four recruitment agencies.

At one of the hotels, we walked in and I saw a bird stuck in the window and trying desperately to escape. So instead of asking if they had work available right away, I ended up catching this tiny bird and setting him free outside. He was so sweet and soft and scared and I really don't care if I killed any chances of them hiring me by rescuing him (personally, if it were my hotel, I'd hire someone because they'd saved a bird from my lobby).

After CVing, the weather had gotten quite warm, probably because we'd just bought rain jackets. I was extremely excited about this because I'd been dying to go swimming since January, when Spoy and I did the polar bear dip in Jasper. So we went home and I changed into my bathing suit, then we went to the beach. The water was ass cold, but swimming was super fun (although short-lived).

After I got changed back into clothes (+jacket), we walked along the beach, then through the park, went to the grocery store and bought salmon and wine and potatoes, came home and had an amazing dinner.

Now it's bucketing down rain, so I think the job search will be conducted mostly indoors today. In either case, it's definitely shower time soon.

And I'm Back

We finally got our Internet sorted a couple of days ago. Prior to that, we'd been using the computers at the library since moving into the new place, which is why this blog hasn't been updated in a million. So a couple of things...

Number one, the above picture is of a design which I created for a T shirt, mostly for my sisters, but really, for anyone who knows and loves Supernatural (and irony). I'm thinking I'd really like to do an A Team one with the original A Team. I'm a little strapped for time* at the moment, so we'll see how it goes.

*Number two, I got a job, which is why I'm strapped for time. I'm working for a recruitment company and at the moment, they've got me working at a call centre. Today was my first day and I just about left to go buy a melon baller, so that I could remove my eyes and subsequently scoop out my brain. I don't understand how something so mind numbingly dull can be so stressful at the same time. I really don't want to go back tomorrow. Really a lot.

Number three, AthenaMcCormick.com is up and running again. So hooray there.

Now it's time for the new Torchwood, so no plug at the end of this post.

Fish in the Water

We left Brighton on Saturday night and today we move into our new place. We've been staying with friends in the meanwhile, having a gay old time.

On Sunday, we went to Salisbury Cathedral, Stonehenge and Bath. It was wonderful. I was most excited to see Stonehenge, but at the end of the day, I think the cathedral was the most amazing. We couldn't take pictures of the inside, but as we walked in and I heard the choir singing, I found myself fighting back tears. For people who haven't left North America, it's hard to comprehend the majesty of somewhere like this; we don't have any buildings as old or as grand to compare it to. If you're ever in England, go to Salisbury and see the Cathedral. I can't wait to go back on a day when it isn't in use and see the tower.

Today, being the day we move into the new place, I need to find a new job. Sometimes it seems like all I do is look for new jobs and new places to live... and then I remember all of the new experiences I've had since coming to the U.K. in February, and it seems like I complain a lot more than I ought. Anyway, I did relatively little with the place hunting this time around, so the energy I saved there can go into finding a job.

On that note, I should cut this short and get to it. I'll just mention that a) my end-of-post plug took up way too much space last time and needs to be shorter and b) AthenaMcCormick.com is currently down, but I'm working to get it fixed ASAP.

Aigaion Girl ... a story of the end of days is available on Amazon.com. Get your copy now!

More Dinosaurs

So, to add to the life finds a way design I posted a couple of days ago, I thought I would share this video of a T rex in the mall (sadly, I won't likely be back to this mall for a long time). Wish my BF could have come with me and we could have taken cheesy pictures in front of it, but, alas, he had to work :( Anyway, this is as close to Canada Day fireworks as I'll get on this blog, so please enjoy.

I have so much packing to do today. I should get a jump on it, but I think I need to go back to sleep for an hour or two if I'm going to be anything other than completely useless by this evening.

And, in addition to packing, it's time to start the great job/accommodation hunt yet again. One day, we might live in the same place for several months on end. One day.

I think that's it for me, other than to add that I plan to start shamelessly plugging my stuff (my book, T shirt designs, etc.) at the bottom of every post. You've been warned.


All Apple has ever wanted is to be left alone - but having twelve inch horns sticking out of her head hasn't exactly made that easy. And to make matters worse, she's started to notice the signs; the world is going to end... Now she and her best frienemy, the angel Camael, are torn between doing the right thing and hiding under a rock until it's all over. Meanwhile, Apple is being bedeviled on all sides, by her angel friend, her human mother, her demon father and Moloch, a general of Hell's army, who wants to recruit her for his own unknown reasons.

Aigaion Girl ... a story of the end of days is on sale now. You can get your copy from amazon.com, or click the flag of your country on my writing page.

Lomography

This post has nothing whatsoever to do with lomography. Thought I'd clear that up now.

I should be sending out CVs or looking for a place but today I'm choosing activities that won't get bollocks'd up if I have to stop suddenly to vomit, as that seems to be the one thing my body is interested in today.

So I figure blogging is safest; I can always come back and fix spelling errors, or pick up where I left off if I need to reach for yet another Sainsbury's bag. I'm sure you wanted to know all of this. On to other things.

I watched Enemy at the Gates yesterday. It's not really good, but I realized something which had hitherto escaped my notice: my guy looks a lot like Jude Law. Very similar eyes, nose, lips and jaw-line. If Jude Law were a touch more masculine (not that I have anything against the pretty boy thing, but I do enjoy my manly man), they could be brothers. Or cousins. Anyway, it was kind a surprising observation to make and I kept looking back and forth to see if the similarities were really there or if I was just imagining them.

I have so much house work to do today and I haven't done any of it. The guys we live with haven't done their washing up in ages, so the sink is disgusting, but I really did plan to tackle it and then take care of the dishes of ours that have been accumulating beside it. Also, I planned to do some packing, some laundry, some anything. I hate being sick and I hate not knowing what's causing it. Mlah, I may actually have to go see a doctor - and also, as much as I hate being sick at work, I almost think it's worse to be sick on your day off - like the sickness steals the day from you or something.

This is quickly becoming a long, rambling, woe-is-me blog post of nothingness, so I think I'll cut it short there. Hopefully I'll have something a little more cheerful to share next time :)

New in the World of Me

Actually, not too much is new in the world of me, at the moment. Still working at the pizza place, still in the tiny room in the house in the middle of nowhere, still happy and content to a fault.

It's really sunny and beautiful out and really, I should be outside enjoying it - or at the very least, I should be putting the laundry in the washing machine now so that it can be be dry by tomorrow.

We went to Bournemouth the day before yesterday and had a grand time there. Other than being slightly less touristy, it doesn't really seem to be different from Brighton in any significant way. But it was a good day, spent with friends, and full of moments of quiet squee.

In other news, I designed another new T shirt (see the Jeff Goldblum dinosaur to the right). Have to say, I'm pretty pleased with it (Hehe, pretty pleased).

There was one other thing I was going to mention, but now I can't remember what it was. I hate when that happens, but it happens so frequently now that I'm pretty much used to it. Need more B12, I guess.

Additional: I remembered what it was. I was going to say that I'm quite pleased that Blogger finally introduced separate pages - but thinking about it, finally might be stretching it a bit; a few years ago, I looked into it and there was no way to have more than one page, and it never occured to me to check to see if that had changed until I visited this blog either last week or the week before and found that the author had set up multiple pages.