Current Mood: guilty

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Feels weird poking LJ again after several months away.  Also depressing, looking over my friends list, and thinking just how many of them are completely out of my life now.  Hell, I can't even remember the real names of some of them, shameful as that is to admit.

But another birthday is here, and I may as well commemorate that.  God knows it's been hard to appreciate getting older, especially with Dad dying in 2012, and Mom last year.  Plus there was the tumor in my brain that made itself known this past March, so coming out of that alive was maybe a mercy to my family. (Yeah, it was a thing that happened.)

I'll leave off wishing all of you are well, on the off chance you check here.  My mind is a pathetic thing, and memories fade, but I'll care until I die.

Current Mood: gloomy

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The Day of the Doctor (ha, there's a pun there!)

It's a little odd, anticipating the Doctor Who 50th anniversary special.

I mean, 25 years ago, I can dimly recall watching the special made for the 25th, The Five Doctors, in the basement of our old home.  Turned out we got to see it before they showed it on the BBC.  Weird, right?

And here I am now, a quarter of a century later, in a place to call my own, and I imagine I'm feeling the same sort of giddiness that I did back when I was 13 years old.

I love the show.  I love concepts, the messages.  I love the original incarnation, and the current, far more sophisticated and polished revival.  I hold the opinion that's pretty frowned on, apparently... That I love Moffat as show runner.  I think the 7th Series was the weakest of Moffat's run... but it's still a long way away from the eye-rolling and outright anger that Davies invoked in the "Specials" season.

It's just... been a fun run.  I'll be sad to see Matt go, but looking forward to Peter Capaldi's take.  I've no idea how much longer the series will go, or even if I'll live to see it retired from television for good...

But I can't picture that eager anticipation not being there.

Thanks to Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber, Donald Wilson, David Whitaker, Verity Lambert, Terry Nation, Ron Grainer, William Hartnell and everyone else who got the ball rolling.  Here's to 50 more years.

Current Mood: dorky

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Anyone else stupidly pleased at the thought of the (American-style) date being 11-12-13?

Current Mood: pleased

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So, yeah, this is what I thought I was getting today.  Turns out, though, that due to my inattentiveness in not pre-ordering it sooner, and being mislead or lied to by a GameStop employee who assured me I’d made the cutoff date (or by the guy who handed me my copy when I went there today), I am going to be making do with the regular copy.  Supposedly some not-online store still have it in stock, but, fuck it.  I’ll enjoy it for what it is, and keep myself from looking for it on eBay.  Pity that 358/2 Days didn’t get the full remake that Chains of Memories did, but whatevs.

Current Mood: grumpy

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kinda pointless
Cat lays down on favorite perch near computer.  Cat spots a shiny thing on desk.  Cat gets up.  Cat knocks thing onto floor in five seconds.  Cat goes back to perch.

@_@

Current Mood: amused

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Borfday
So my 43rd birthday has finally rolled around.  Naturally I'm a little sad that I'm no longer the living punchline for a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy gag/plotline. =/

My birthday present to myself arrived yesterday: the DVD box set of China Beach.  I imagine most of you youngins aren't familiar with it, as it started airing in the fall of 1988, but I still remember hanging out in the TV lounges of my dorm and neighboring dorms my freshman year of university, glued to the screen.  It told the story of the women and men based in an evacuation hospital and recreation center during the Vietnam War.  The series ran for four years, the critics loved it, but its ratings were always low enough that nowadays, it probably would have been cancelled in its first year.

I watched the pilot this morning.  Holds up really well IMO XD  And seeing Dana Delany and Marg Helgenberger as they were 25 years ago is a little strange.  Very glad that it was finally made available, I'm gonna enjoy rediscovering it.

Current Mood: nostalgic

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Naturally I rarely use this to talk anymore that'd be too WEIRD...  But, I thought I should make some sort of announcement of my whereabouts for the next while.  I'm off to Ireland for the next few days at least, the plan is for me to be away until the second week of June.  Haven't been there in five years, lots of relatives I've been missing.  Plus, likely the last time my mom goes over, and my uncle just retired.  There MAY be an early return due to Mom's health, but as of now, I'll be back on June 10th or so.  Hope you're all great in the meantime.  ;)

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Yeah, needed a bit of mean amusement, sorry

Sooo many lawsuits might result from this if it had been staged in the States...

Current Mood: amused

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My dad was buried today.  86 years old, married 50 years, father of two daughters who're more accomplished than I'll ever be... and loved by so many people I don't think I could make a decent guess at how many of them paid their respects today and at his wake.  He lived a long, full life... and selfishly, I wish we could have lived together a little longer.

Rest in peace, Dad.

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Nothing like starting the day on a high - albeit rather sleep-deprived - thanks to Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood marathoning... and then ending it with the knowledge your dad has been admitted to the hospital for the third time this year.  Don't quite know what's up yet; early indications are liver or gall bladder.  *sigh*  Time for some other sort of escapist distraction until I can sleep...

Current Mood: deadened

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Wish I'd posted this sooner >

Congratulations to you, Mom and Dad, on the anniversary of this, your wedding day, 50 years ago.  I offer you all my love, and wish you both the best life can offer in your remaining time together.

This has been a weird series of weekends. XD;  Last Saturday was my mom's 86th birthday, today's their 50th, and a week from tomorrow is my dad's 86th!  Talk about an august convergence of events...  lol

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birthday entry 2012
42.  Thanks, Douglas Adams, for changing the way some people look at that number for what will probably be at least another century.

I'll spare everyone the post I'd planned to make, which was mostly depressing and probably self-pitying.  It's been a good, lazy day overall, much of it spent so far on watching the original Star Trek films. XD;  I've managed to get by with grocery shopping and getting a new driver's license as the only truly productive actions of the day.  Will do my best to curl back up on the couch and occasionally torment Bubbles for being such a tease with her affections.

Current Mood: peaceful

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Like I said last month concerning pottermore.com, I'm a geek, dork, nerd, any and all combinations and permutations of that. I was introduced to the Harry Potter novels by my friend Dave somewhere between the publication of books 3 and 4 (unless my memories are further off than I expect), and DEFINITELY before the first film came out in 2001, and I haven't hid my love of both versions. Probably as a result of that love, I'd almost always avoided fanfic of it, as far too often that medium just shows how hard it can be to write.

Well, due to boredom, inability to log into Pottermore, curiosity due to hearsay and the cursed timesuck known as TV Tropes, that's changed.

I've been reading Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality... and loving it. ;_;

I'm hesitant to talk too much about it, as I'm less than halfway through it and I've no idea if anyone else on my FL has read any of it...  But it's an AU telling that posits a "What if Petunia didn't marry Vernon Dudley, but a scientist?" and a few other divergence points that couldn't have had any relationship to that one.  And it's been quite fun seeing a very intelligent, scientifically-minded Harry go to Hogwarts and adapt to the craziness of magic.  Some characters have been marginalized, others given much greater prominence, and I'm wondering what the hell is going on fairly often, but it's an entertaining read made with clear appreciation for the source material, even as some lampooning goes on.

I mean, come on, there's no way I can't love a story where a shouted battle cry is "DO YOUR HOMEWORK!"  I'm interested to know if anyone else has been reading and whatchya all think.

Apart from that, I visited Rick and Megan's family out in Oklahoma again last week.  A lasting friendship from my years playing Final Fantasy XI that I didn't expect to happen, but glad it did.  Significant events included seeing The Avengers for the fourth time (XD;;;), and suffering from shock and horror as Rick nearly fell through the ceiling of their living room while he was doing something to prepare for their moving. @_@  No injuries, thankfully, and the hole was patched with a big chunk of drywall.

Current Mood: enthralled

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Clench up, Legolas.
...Uh.

Estimated revenue for The Avengers this weekend, $200 million. Add more than $440 million to that from estimated intake for international markets.

I was hoping that it would, you know, match Iron Man's grosses. Figured that'd be the best it could hope for. But projections are saying that it might make more than the combined total box office for the five "advertisement" movies that came before. Incredible Hulk's, Thor's and Captain America's, for sure.

Ummm. Somewhat slow-paced for a good deal of its running time... and Alan Silvestri's score didn't stick in my head at all. I felt all the set-up time was needed, though. The scale of the threat, and so many disparate characters (which had to be introduced to people who had only seen some or none of the other films) required it. Lots of funny, clever moments throughout. And the last act, just... nonstop tension, action and intentional laughs.

GO SEE IT.

Oh right, and stick around through the end credits. rofl

Current Mood: impressed

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(btw, I hate all you international peeps who were able to see it before I was)
Almost two years of waiting are about to end. Tonight, I'm gonna be seeing The Avengers, written and directed by the creative mind I've developed the biggest love/hate enthusiasm for, Joss Whedon.

I AM EXCITED.

Marvel's movie production has really impressed me since Iron Man came out. Some have been better than others, but I've liked them all, and early press has been positive. I've also managed to avoid spoiling myself, which feels like a minor triumph after accidentally discovering a key plot point of the third Hunger Games book while I was still reading the first. XD;;; Anyway, I'll try to write up a brief-yet-rambling review this weekend.

Naturally there's other stuff going on. Haven't really mentioned my parents' health issues here, as talking about them as well as enduring them is an extra bit of depression, but overall Mom's physical and mental health is much improved over what it was last summer and fall. Sadly Dad hasn't been so lucky, but he's hanging in there. Kinda got prompted to bring it up today as Mom fired her housekeeper of 10+ years today, as a result of frustration over being forced to endure in-home health care 24 hours a day - it's costly, as you might expect, but the alternative would probably be a nursing home, and she'd absolutely loathe that - and that loss of control/worries over the cost of it/being unable to grasp that she and Dad NEED this care just... spilled over. The sad, funny thing about it is, her memory is poor enough that in two week's time she'll probably have forgotten the incident completely and will want her back. XD;;;

Current Mood: AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!

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Bought myself a Garmin GPS last December. Owned it for 3 months. Cost me something in the neighborhood of $250.

As of today, it refuses to turn on.

Fucking. Swell.

Been more I've wanting to talk about lately, but I'll let it be for some other time.

Current Mood: pissed off

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We interrupt this LiveJournal to bring you some what the FUCK?

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/technology-blog/newt-gingrich-promises-build-moon-colony-2020-u-211103078.html

Aaahhh ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha whut.

XDDD  Any doubts I had that President Obama will be reelected are fading, fading...

Current Mood: amused

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Well, here it is, 11-11-11... a momentous date marked by Veteran's Day (Remembrance Day in Canada), some bad movie openings, and me realizing I've been working with my uncle helping to clean homes/apartments/offices for two years, in a job I only expected to be doing a few months. Go figure. @_@

Yesterday we had our first dusting of snow in the Chicago area; the flakes of which, of course, melted as soon as they touched anything. But for some reason, it prompted me to ask: ...Uh, anyone else have their radio stations playing Christmas music already? XD; Noticed a local station doing this right after Halloween last year, and forgot to say anything about it then. Doesn't surprise me, considering the world as it is, but it DOES make me wanna puke. >:(

Current Mood: cold

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The depressing stuff continues.

Here's something that made me laugh! http://www.theonion.com/articles/videogame-character-wondering-why-heartless-god-al,274/

Alsonewcomputeratmyparentshousewheeeeeeee.

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