/ pretty hate machine /

Festive season

2013-01-01T08:54:12Z

Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! :) I hope you all were able to spend time with your family, get very merry, watch the Doctor Who Christmas special (if you're so inclined), and go see fireworks.

I bring you one of my favourite youtube videos right now: Castle and Beckett - Funny moments Season 5 Part 1. I love the use of text! I have loved the developments for them in 2012.

Here's to 2013!

Remember me? (maybe?)

2012-12-11T11:50:05Z

Oh gosh, I miss you guys and the heyday of fandom. I can't believe I'm one of those people who just up and abandoned their journal for months. I vowed not to do that.

I think a lot of people must have defriended me since my last post in April.

I'm currently in the space where I'm working on my mini-thesis for my law degree. While I finish my degree mid next year, I'll still be studying for my Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice until late next year. Sigh.

Um, what else... I got a new car! Yes, I did! My old car finally gave up the ghost and since I had most of the money for a new car, I took the plunge. I still have not taken a picture yet...

Anyway, hi guys! - Love, Amsie

EDIT: ew, lack of paid account - 6 userpics and the generic reply page.

Pics! Guinea pigs and Sooty!

2012-04-26T17:39:44Z

i_like_doctors reminded me that I should post pics of the guinea pigs and Sooty (but then I just went and discovered my digital camera is broken! My poor old Kodak has now passed the way of its mother company. Guess I'll have to buy a new camera, but I have NO idea about the best brand anymore).

Anyway, pics I had stored on the SD card:

Please ignore the mess in their cage. It was time for cleaning. From left to right: Elli, Coco (crazy chieftan hair!), Tulip (she was so, so tiny when we got her - the runt of the litter, most likely), and Eva. We collectively call them "the babies". They love, love, love cucumber and lettuce.

This has been taken on a different day. What guinea pigs won't beg for their grass and veggies?

EDIT: And as you can see, cage is getting too small now that they've all grown. I've ordered them this double storey cage from ebay.

This is Sooty. The pics turned out blurry unfortunately - I didn't realise that when I took them, but that's to be expected since he was moving around and playing.

This turned into a mad animals update!

2012-04-26T16:48:00Z

My goodness, how absolutely crap have I been with updating?

Quick summary of things that have happened in my life since February:
. My 14-year-old cat, Whiskey, passed away from feline infectious peritonitis. His chest filled up with fluid and he had difficulty breathing. We asked the vet to help him pass otherwise it would have been too cruel to let it drain on until finally one day he could no longer draw breath. We took comfort in the fact that he was loved and well cared for throughout his life. Never had to go hungry or shiver in the cold etc. 14 is a very good age.
. So after Whiskey passed, I said no to any further cats. I'm more of a dog person and while I loved Whiskey and he was the first cat in my life, I thought we had more than enough animals. But three weeks later I get a call late at night from Mum saying that there's a tiny grey kitten at the back of her unit, scared, shivering and hungry. I couldn't let that call for aid pass me by. I went over and managed to trap the little kitten and wrap him up. He's now called Sooty (after the character on my favourite children's program, The Sooty Show) and he's grey with a 'bib' of white on his chest and beautiful green eyes.
. We also got two more guinea pigs! I'm the crazy piggy lady now! I named them Tulip and Coco. Tulip is a right rebel and when we had a porcelain bowl in their crazy containing their grain she used to lift it up and let it thump back down, either to get our attention or simply because she enjoyed the noise. Coco is skittish and has a TON of hair. My grandmother thinks she looks like an Indian chieftain. I've recently bought them a new cage with two levels (I can just imagine myself teaching them how to use the ramp) since they're growing out of their current cage. My grandmother has also suggested two other names for little piggys, Peanut and Peaches. Damn it, I will be crazy to have six veggie munchkins.
. Uni is in full swing. My work as a paralegal is still great - although now I have to supervise the student clinics, which means ensuring the student has a good experience while also doing my job.

And that really about wraps it up. (Btw, is everyone watching the Geek and Sundry youtube channel? I love Wil Wheaton's Tabletop!)

EDIT: Media stuffs I'm enjoying:
. I saw the Hunger Games when it came out! I like that it's the 'new thing' capturing teen audiences because I think it has an important message about the nature of the media. The whole concept of the books makes me deeply uncomfortable and I think that's how I'm supposed to feel. Movie wouldn't have been nearly as good without Jennifer Lawrence.
. BONES! Love Bones. Their little family moments capture my heart.
. I now regularly read Jezebel. Keeps me updated on female issues.

Question for the law students and lawyers on my flist

2012-02-16T18:27:45Z

I was just thinking about my experiences with university and the gender divide. When I was studying my Bachelor of Multimedia, the males in the class clearly outnumbered the women. I expected that because I think IT is still a male dominated industry. But having been studying my Bachelor of Law going on three years now (only 18 months remaining in my degree - YES!), I can informatively say that, at least at my university, law students are more likely to be women by a significant margin. I'm not sure if that's because it's a regional university, but I thought this would be an interesting question to raise. I know I have a few law students and lawyers on my flist in different countries, so here's my question: when you were studying law, what was the gender divide? Do you think the gender divide in the legal industry is swinging to become level?

Sherlock fangirling and a new icon battle

2012-02-05T15:04:53Z

Still not posting much, it seems. But I am around - reading my flist, Charles/Erik fic, and making icons.

Last week I finished watching season 2 of Sherlock. Now, I thought the first season was okay. I didn't love it, but I remember really liking how it was updated to modern day and the actors were well-cast. Still, I wasn't all "this is bloody fantastic!" But I am now. Is it just me or did season 2 skyrocket the quality? I loved it. I want to forget I watched the episodes and just watch them all again in a mad fannish frenzy of ecstasy. And count me in on loving the first episode with The Woman, Irene Adler. Even though I'm not in the Sherlock fandom, I did hear there was some backlash against her. I'm still... WHAT? Really? I thought her dynamic with Sherlock made the bloody episode.

And I shall now echo every Sherlock fan of all time: only three episodes? BLAH!

As I mentioned, I also made icons! I had an icon battle with dear obaona - which involved us making both X-Men: First Class and Star Wars icons. Here's a preview with some of my favourites.

You can see my icon battle post here (I also have other icons and larger graphics in that post - here's the full lowdown: icon Battle with obaona - 11 XMFC, 11 Star Wars (with alternates); 7 other XMFC; 3 Charles/Erik graphics (various sizing); 33 other Star Wars; 20 Star Trek; 3 Sanctuary). And here's obaona's icon battle post so you can leave a comment on her icons.

We're all in the wars

2012-01-12T13:30:20Z

Nannie caught the cold from me just after I'd begun to recover, so I took care of her a little bit. We now both have a dry cough, but that's really only a pain at night. The worst has been the weather lately - it's been above usual summer temperatures.

I just took Mum to the emergency room about thirty minutes ago. She has been vomiting and has an infection in her ear.

We must be so in the wars.

In between all that, I surrendered some of our savings and bought us a new vacuum cleaner that we desperately needed (it has twin bagless cyclinders - maybe I just thought it looked cool ;)) and a cheap electric lawn mower (it sure saves us working out oil and fuel usage). I've also finally, finally found the new office desk I want. My current desk is too small and I never have anywhere to lay my law textbooks flat and read them. Here is the 5 package deal I'm ordering tomorrow. A big factor is that I can push in the return desk under the main desk so I can fit it in my room. We don't really need the bookcase, but it's apparently more expensive not having it so we'll use it to store books and my academic awards somewhere in the main room.

Have I gone crazy ordering 5 pieces of flatpack furniture that I'll have to put together myself in the summer? Oh dear God.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T00:08:56Z

I have ushered the New Year in with a horrible cold and a fever. It sucks :(. I'm not a happy chappy and have spend most of the past two days either in bed or on the sofa staring at the TV.

Nevertheless, HAPPY NEW YEAR, everyone!

Btw, I'm useless writing comments for my flist at the moment. So will be silent for a few more days.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T10:06:23Z

Merry Christmas, all! :) I hope you've had a wonderful Christmas and for that matter, a wonderful year. If your year hasn't been that bright, here's to 2012!

We had Christmas over at Mum's tiny unit in her over 50s complex. It was a nightmare dragging a ton of stuff over and then dragging it back, as well as Mum wanting to bring down the decorations today. Not the usual relaxing Christmas where we unwrap in the morning and then head to bed again (we stayed overnight at Mum's and I swear her bed should be classed as a torture device). There are so many rules at that complex - God forbid I even talk loudly otherwise everyone will hear and be 'disturbed'. I doubt we'll ever be doing Christmas at Mum's again. It's just much easier to have it at our house.

Anyway, we went to Toowoomba's Christmas Wonderland in Queens Park on Wednesday night. Lovely display. I took some photos, which I've put under cut.

We've had a lucky year this year as I've had a part-time job for the last few months, so we were able to be more generous with our Christmas spending. See under the next cut for photos of the tree with all the presents under it, as well as each individual 'haul'.

Mum is notorious for packing small items in big boxes (see that really big box on the front left? That actually contained two night dresses all buried in tissue paper). Since she was with us this Christmas, I took a leaf out of her book and did the same, reusing some old cardboard boxes.

Mum's presents - Mum has wanted a lava lamp for so long, so a lava lamp she got, as well as a 2012 calendar, a red glass light, a stainless steel bin, a hamper, and homemade ginger and macadamia shortbread (made it with my own two hands ;)).

There's a close-up of the hamper. I've packed in some Swiss chocolates, German gingerbread, coffee, Boost bars (Mum's favourite chocolate bar). I think it's important to have something homemade there as it says I did more than find something in a shop.

Nannie's presents - a new kitchen cutting board, shoes, blue summer pjs, flowery comforter, watering can, a red toaster, New Encyclopaedia of Orchids, Edmonds Cookery Book (it's a New Zealand tradition - the other edition my grandmother has is almost a decade old now), chocolates, strawberry martini mix, Gardenia by Elizabeth Taylor, a bird bath, seeds and bulb starter mix, throw rug, tea tray, and decorative thermometer. Nannie says she doesn't know why everyone gave her so much - 'cause we love her ;).

My presents - Bonsai book I wanted (I'm going to read it and learn how to keep a Bonsai alive before I buy one), Danish butter cookies (Nannie always gets me some butter cookies every year :D), lemony martini mix, microfibre robe, chocolate mints, two new summer night dresses, my Christmas stocking which contained chocolates, Darling by Kylie perfume (that's my favourite, favourite perfume and I was running out of it), JB-hifi voucher (electronics retailer), roses chocolates (we all didn't communicate, obviously, and ended up overbuying roses chocolates), marshmellow santas (hee, Mum wrote that these were from the guinea pigs!), and a really lovely letter opener (Nannie couldn't afford to have it engraved, but I think we will have that done).

Not included in that photo: the PS3 I'm going to buy myself in the New Year.

Dakota, btw, if you're wondering, got herself a new collar (that unfortunately is too big, so I'll have to take it back for the smaller size), a reindeer plush toy, and a bouncy ball. I love how under our tree we always sign that gifts are for the animals. There were numerous gifts under there 'from' Dakota, Minnie (Mum's fox terrier), and Ellie and Eva (the guinea pigs).

LJ issues and Omega squeeing

2011-12-22T14:36:04Z

This new LJ 'update' is messing with my flist! I think some posts aren't appearing.

Opera doesn't seem to like the new comment pages. It's fine when there are only a few dozen comments, but once you get on the old XMFC kink meme with hundreds of comments, it keeps freezing. GRR.

ANYWAY, if you're reading my favourite XMFC fic at the moment, Omega, head to the new chapter. If you're not reading it, why not? (admittedly you could be waiting until the final chapter so you can read it all in one go.) It has Genosha, telepaths being awesome, and Charles and Erik making me feel so much for them.

Postage worries

2011-12-22T07:17:01Z

Very concerned about whether I'm going to receive one of my grandmother's presents in the post before Christmas. I ordered Encyclopaedia of Orchids for her on the 29th of November and it had to be shipped over here to Fishpond, an Aussie online book shop, from the American publisher. It says it was sent to me last Wednesday from the Aussie warehouse (either Sydney or Melbourne), but we've only got tomorrow to go. I'll be so disappointed if it doesn't arrive in time - grr!

Ah, dating

2011-12-19T10:49:51Z

I went on a dinner date tonight with a guy I met through one of the Australian dating sites. He can actually construct a proper sentence with good spelling and grammar, which meant that he wrote a good email, so I thought "why not go to dinner with him?"

I didn't see a picture beforehand, but I thought to myself about how that isn't important. I've met people before whom I don't find instantly attractive and when I get to know them, I start to realise some of the things they do are attractive. But that's not to say I'm not kind of picky about certain things - I hate, hate facial hair (I don't particularly want to kiss a man with a beard. If the guy hasn't shaved for a few days, sure, but not real "I'm growing [insert beard, goatee etc]" facial hair) and I don't like long hair on men, long enough for them to have ponytails. I think long hair suits women. And naturally, as chance would have it, he had a short beard and a ponytail.

Okay, okay, that's fine. We'd been conversing well on the dating site, so go in and have dinner. It was okay. Better than the other date I had from that website, but nothing to write home about. Maybe I just don't get impressed over dates. It was a very short date, too, because he had been up since 3AM working and was falling asleep on me.

Maybe I'm going to turn into the old dog woman and will never feel a spark of romantic connection (I do get frightened when I think of what will happen once my grandmother and mother, my only family, pass away). Or even better, I'll turn into Jane Austen! (although even she had a romance - hello, James McAvoy in period dress ;).)

I think I'll go out with him a second time - probably to a movie. Sherlock Holmes 2 is coming out over here in the New Year.

Charles/Erik recs

2011-12-18T09:28:44Z

This is the kind of Big Bang edition of my recs as, while it does mostly contain Big Bang fics, a few others sneaked in there.

Anyway, in summary, READ THEM :).

. How to Be Co-Ruler of Your Own Country Without Really Trying series by luchia: while the first story does contain my serious BAMF!Charles, it's the sequel that really invested me in this series. So technically I came for the original and stayed for the sequel, I guess you could say. Basically, in the sequel, there is a ton of BAMF!mutant!husbands! with fantastic use of supporting characters. As you can probably tell by my recs now, I love stories involving Genosha and this one takes an interesting twist on how Charles and Erik become co-rulers.

. Surrender doesn't have to mean defeat by deacertes: good authors can make me believe in Dom!Charles/Sub!Erik or Sub!Charles/Dom!Erik. It's all in the content of the story. This story has the former premise and I must say I enjoyed this dominant Charles with the way he doesn't try to push Erik given his past with Shaw (Shaw was Erik's first dominant). That said, one of my favourite scenes is where Erik pushes Charles too far and he's like "fuck you - fine, have the punishment you want!" Also, there is some great use of Ancient Egyptian architecture - how often do you get to see that in XMFC fic? ;) Even though it's almost 30K, I wish there was more - which is always a sign of a good story. Oh, and the art is absolutely gorgeous.

. The Attempt by Yahtzee: this is fascinating story that involves Charles as a straight man initiating a romantic relationship with Erik because he finds himself falling in love, not lust. I love the descriptions of Erik's feelings for Charles. There is also another dimension added in that Erik doesn't completely allow Charles inside his mind - which is unusual for a Charles/Erik story. The ending is a little bittersweet, but it's certainly worth a read.

. The ice is getting thin by kontrapunkto: this is an mpreg!Erik story where he finds himself pregnant post-Beach and needs the medical assistance at the mansion. I particularly loved the division between 'Erik' and 'Magneto' - the scenes where Erik finally appears and comforts Charles were very lovely. I don't want to reveal too much, but I think it was brave for the author to end the story the way she did. It did make me uncomfortable with Erik's character and his human prejudice, while at the same time acknowledging that Charles is the king of forgiveness.

. The Prodigal Son by Madd4the24: this is another mpreg!Erik which, after I'd read it, had managed to rip my heart out and jump up and down on it. I love that this story explores the inherent medical risks of a male being pregnant. Pregnancy doesn't automatically fix the problems between Charles and Erik - and I just feel it's so tragic for them in the end, despite the fact they come to some medium where they divide their lives into two separate categories - 'the war' and 'family'.

. The Tower and the Hurricane by dreamlittleyo: this is a really fabulous what-if story where Charles' worst nightmare happens: the war between humans and mutants. I loved how Charles was so lost when he realised everything he'd been teaching the students about peace and cooperation was useless in this new world. The imagery in this story, particularly that of the city, is wonderful and I got lost several times in the narrative. I love this story so much that I wish I could just delete it from my mind and read it afresh. The art is amazing (check it out) - it's difficult to pick favourites when they are all so good.

. These Bridges We've Built by alishatorn: this story honestly contains some of the best action sequences I've read in this fandom. It keeps a fantastic pace. The concept is wonderful, too, involving a little Nightcrawler being given into Charles' care. The use of supporting characters and their abilities is masterful. And it has a happy ending!

Random Saturday thoughts

2011-12-10T05:22:56Z

I finally cleaned my car yesterday. It hadn't been cleaned all this year and the dirt in it... my goodness. I even shampooed all the car seats, as well as getting off this odd mark on the back seat. When it was coming off I swear the colour looked like Coca-Cola - it had that same yucky brown appearance - but we don't drink that. Odd.

I'm also loving how Civilization V has improved upon its predecessor. I mean, you do expect a game later in the series to be better and play upon its strengths, but that's not always the case. The Pacific Island scenario is a little hard given how the island are often only three or so pentagons.

I'm sad that we have to wait until January to see the next episode of Bones and then it goes on a longer hiatus. I've really been enjoying Bones lately given its new direction.

Speaking of things I love, X-Men Big Bang is glorious. GLORIOUS. I've so far read, um, three fics from it, I think. I just finished the very long The Prodigal Son, a very well developed mpreg fic with a bittersweet ending. It has kind of made me feel a little down, but it certainly makes for a satisfying read. I'll be putting it in my next recs post - maybe this will warrant an Amsie Recs X-Men Big Bang edition.

Long awaited Charles/Erik recs

2011-12-09T12:15:10Z

It has been SO long since I did one of my Charles/Erik recs post, despite the fact I have had a list of recs sitting in my favourites for a while now. I think exams totally drained my XMFC squee, which is so sad. But with the X-Men Big Bang out and another story I discovered (Omega, see my rec below) and listening to Love Love, I have rekindled my love.

SO, RECS. BRING THEM ON. (Btw, since I have been out of fandom for the past month or two months, please feel free to rec me stories I missed! on_the_ground, I know you're a great reccer!)

. Omega by apokteino: given the summary, I'd been wanting to read this story since it started in mid November. I did last night and as I said, it reminded me of why I love Charles and Erik (and Emma! this story has a fantastic Emma Frost!). Basically, as the summary says, Charles' parents bribe the officials so he is not sent to Genosha, where mutants have been placed in utter segegration. It has two more parts to go - and trust me, I know this will be finished. This story has special significance for me.

. An Earlier Heaven by regann: since my last recs post and now, this WIP has been completed. I love every word. The author manages to create truly wonderful dialogue between the characters. There are, in particular, scenes between Charles and Hank and then Erik and Raven that are really memorable. As I've said previously, this is my favourite mpreg story. It's less about the mpreg and more about the consequences and how Charles and Erik can come together again.

. A Logical Progression by cloudyjenn: this is a lovely, sweet story. I love how the author manages to put barriers in front of Charles to keep them from getting together despite the mpreg, wherein the characters often just jump into a relationship together because of the baby. There is some great scenes concerning Charles' telepathy and how he connects to the baby and Erik's mind wrapping about Charles'.

. Enigma by Yahtzee: though I read this story quite a few months ago, my memory still says to me "you are really fond of this story." It is fantastic. It's time travel and Erik righting the mistakes he'd made in his life - and while that does sound cliche, this story makes everything seem new. I was particularly pleased with the ending, how Erik realises that for the second chance he received did extract a price from him - and he's at peace with the choices he made.

. Replay by Unforgotten: this is another story that involves time travel - this time it's Charles that sends his mind back to 1962. I remember commenting on this story while it was being written and speculating how older Professor Xavier would be able to easily handle the teenagers with his wiser life experience. There is a twist in this story that I won't reveal, but see if you catch the hints!

. When We Two Parted by nekosmuse: this is yet another time travel story that I'm really, really fond of. I love how it goes a completely different route to the other two - this time the trip back in time is brief enough just to influence their younger selves. It has a wonderful ending and I really can't say anymore without spoiling you all.

. Taken By His Majesty by Pookaseraph: this is kind of a guilty pleasure fic for me. I don't mean that in a disparaging way at all. It's just... who knew a fic about Charles being the son of Boudica and Erik being a Roman Centurion could be so damn addictive. I read this throughout the lead up to the exams and it helped me de-stress. It's a good read - Charles is so BAMF in this story as the ace up the Celtic sleeve, the strategist that beat the Romans.

. Tessellation by nekosmuse: you can quite literally spend all day reading this story not only because it's long, but because of the excellent quality. Magneto, leader of the Brotherhood and Genosha, seeks out Professor Charles Xavier, a man who rarely appears in public. I love how Charles and Erik both have serious issues - to be honest, I remember being really surprised when Charles' issue was first raised (I won't mention it so I don't spoil you). I looked back at other scenes and I thought "well, of course. How did I not see that?" I also love how the author writes Charles as a disabled man - it feels as though it is with utter respect. There's never a moment where Charles is lesser because of his disability. Set aside an afternoon for this story.

*hopes people are still around and interested in the recs*

Writer's Block: Chestnuts roasting on an open fire

2011-12-09T06:59:40Z

I have two ultimate favourites - Do They Know It's Christmas (I just belt out the chorus) and War is Over (John Lennon was brilliant, brilliant individual). They aren't really 'traditional'.

Being thankful

2011-11-29T11:39:16Z

I wanted to post this last night, but lj wasn't working. Here goes.

Not so good with the regular updating, it seems. I've been doing more with Mum lately (namely, putting up her Christmas decorations), so I've just come home and not participated much on lj. I am now able to check lj all the time with my new (and first!) smartphone - Song Ericsson Xperia Arc. It is such an awesome phone and totally my new favourite toy.

Thank you all for the congratulations about my uni results! I still can't believe it! Really, law-wise, it has been a fantastic year for me. I know we all often complain about things in life and don't take a moment to chill and think about how things have gone well, so I really need to take my moment and just count my blessings for having a lucky year. Things that have gone right this year:
. Dean's List for both semesters!
. Family law work experience with a local community legal centre.
. Criminal, family, and civil law work experience with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander legal centre.
. My paid paralegal job with the homeless clinic, which just suits me down to the ground. I love my independence there and the fact they encourage my initiative. I also don't mind being the only staff member in Toowoomba and communicating with everyone else via email. Basically: I love my job.
. Been on student/staff committees - and did I mention I'm the 2012 Treasurer for the Law Society?

I don't mean to boast, but I want to write it down and remember how much I have to be thankful for (given the way I'm going with this post, maybe I should have celebrated Thanksgiving!).

Thank you everyone for all the support throughout the year - especially with my uni and my mum issue.

Anyway, MOVING ON.

Steam, the online gaming site, has a ton of deals at the moment (maybe due to US Black Friday?). I picked up Civilization 5 for $30, Children of the Nile (Egyptian citybuilding game) for $3.12 (crazy!), and Patrician IV (Hansa trading game) for $15. That warranted a clean out of my machine to make room for them. I played Civilization 5 last night and my computer overheated. This happened in late 2009, so it was obviously time for an interior clean out. I shudder to think how much dust and dirt was inside my machine. I can clean desktops myself, but I feel more comfortable taking my laptop to a professional because it's all so fiddly. I'd hate myself if I messed it up. I took it to the same company that cleaned my laptop last time (oh hey, I just noticed they cleaned my keyboard this time! Yes, I was grumbly it wasn't done last time!) and they called me back within four hours. I was stunned because how does that sort of service *exist* anymore? Gosh, have they improved in the two years since I've used them. And they now text you when it's done with the bill.

With the clean out, my computer is running at almost 20 degrees cooler. 20 degrees.

I always keep my laptop up off the desk so it gets some air but I've taken it another step and got myself a CoolerMaster Notepal U2 Cooling Pad. I understand CoolerMaster is well known and reputable in the US, but oddly it's not sold widely in Australia. I have another one of their products and it works well, so I've committed some brand loyalty. So now in the Queensland summer hopefully that'll keep the temp down - not that I'd play a game in the middle of the day due to the heat.

I'm just so happy my computer is back working awesome and letting me play Civilization 5. I realised the other day that my old girl is coming up four years old. Given her reliability, I'm definitely buying a Toshiba again. Toshiba has earned serious points with me.

Results for sem 2!

2011-11-25T10:23:11Z

Since my results for semester 2 were released at 4PM, I was pretty much on edge all morning. I was so nervous when I clicked on the link to view the results!

But I've done really well again! And once I saw how I'd surpassed my own expectations, I nearly felt like crying!

Constitutional Law B = High Distinction
Property Law = Distinction
Family Law = High Distinction
Contract B = High Distinction
(Note: High Distinction is the highest result you can receive. It means you got 85% or over. Distinction = between 75% and 85%.)

And to think I got a High Distinction in Contract B - which, if you were my flist this time last year, you will recall that I suffered a severe panic attack in that exam and could not continue, so I had to retake the course.

I love that feeling where all my hard work has payed off.

And? DEAN'S LIST AGAIN! Time to buy another frame for my wall.

[/end horrible gloating]

Ellie and Eva

2011-11-14T08:54:38Z

Okay, back to regular updating now! I've caught up on all my post-exam sleep. The last exam went quite well, so I was left feeling satisfied with myself at the end of the semester. I'll know my results on November 25th :).

I was an ever so naughty Amsie because I'd been thinking about having my first smaller pet - smaller than a dog, that is. After seeing Ratatouille, I wanted a mouse or a rat but my grandmother and mother couldn't stand the idea of having to take care or be around rodents so I put the idea on the backburner. On Sunday my grandmother and I went to the local PCYC markets in the city centre and sitting in a cage we saw guinea pigs. They'd been bred from the stallowner's family guinea pigs and were seven weeks old. Two females and a male. I know that mice and rats are social creatures and do not do well without their own kind, so we thought - having never had guinea pigs in the family - that they would be the same, so we opted for the two little girls.

We've named them Eleanor and Evylen, but since those don't sound like guinea pig names, they are Ellie and Eva for short (Eva is from Wall-E :D). I love how they eat all sorts of veggies - their favourites so far are celery, carrots, and corn. We're going to be growing herbs for them in the back garden.

I'm holding them. They are *tiny*. My hands aren't good for comparison since I have naturally small hands.

This is Ellie - she has the little brown face.

And this is Eva, with the mostly white/brown (with a little patch of black over one of her eyes!) face and brown on her bottom.

Since we've never had guinea pigs before, we're still working everything out and delighting in the little sounds they make. They both like to make little fighting squeaks at each other over getting the best position on our laps.

Dakota is dead scared of them, especially when they move. She's interested in looking in their cage and sniffing from far away, but that's about it, which is probably just as well. Whiskey, our cat, just figures it's more pets to tolerate.

Nearly there!

2011-11-07T11:52:57Z

One more exam to go tomorrow and then I'm back and writing my journal as unusual. Wish me luck!

Btw, check out these awesome XM:FC icons darling obaona has posted. I'm using one right now :D.

I'm going to go have a shower, watch the latest Sanctuary, and then continue with studying.

Nightmares, uni, and getting a new phone

2011-11-05T16:27:00Z

I just woke up after having the most horrible dream. I was at some event and someone stole all the cards in my wallet. I just woke up really distressed and just... why would my mind give me a dream like that?!

Anyway, I'm done with two exams. Contract was quite fair, but Property had terrible questions and I didn't do as well as I hoped. I wanted to get another A (Distinction) for the course, but I think I'll be done to a B (Credit) after that performance. I am however very proud of myself for not letting my anxiety get the better of me when the questions really challenged me.

I have my Constitutional exam to go on Tuesday. I have to get into studying today. After that I am FREE for four months (well, other than my job and volunteering). I took Mum out today and she bought $70 worth in Christmas decorations. Since it's our first Christmas together in quite a few years (and one wihout Mum's husband since he left), she wants to make it really special. I love Christmas, even more now than I did as a child. I love everything about it - okay, not true, I hate Christmas food with its overuse of dried fruit.

I'm going to get myself my first smartphone. Currently I have an old nokia - it doesn't even have a touch display, which boggled Mum when she picked it up again and tried to use it ;). I'm getting a Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc (check out the deal I'm getting through Virgin Mobile). Does anyone have an Arc? Do you like it as a phone? I want to be able to check my gmail and my banking on the go, as well as play games on it ;).

I'm totally going to put it in pretty, pretty gel covers :D (click on the ebay links).

Okay, study time! Not long now!

OH, before I forget: I LOVE the new season of "Bones" and think the writers have sufficient skill to avoid the Moonlighting curse! And I'm very happy to have confirmed that Helen Magnus is bisexual. I knew it! I think most of the other Five must be bisexual as well (especially given all the Druitt/Watson vibes). And most of all, I love how Amanda didn't just say that Helen was bisexual at conventions to appease her fans: it was shown in an episode.

Fandom LOLs and flyby real life

2011-10-31T12:40:05Z

I'm so behind on Sanctuary that I thought the "Magnus/Charlotte" fic on my flist was genderswapped Erik/Charles. No, stop laughing, I'm serious! I had to chuckle at myself afterwards. Damn exams preventing me from keeping up with Sanctuary (although I have been watching The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency, based on a novel of the same name. The actress playing the main character is beautiful and she just really makes the show. Shame they only filmed 8 episodes.)

Must pimp the latest round of starwars_lims, which promises to be as wonderful and organised as usual thanks to the darling obaona

Sign up here.

And last but not least, the Ballad of Russell and Julie sung by David Tennant, Catherine Tate and John Barrowman is my new FAVOURITE THING EVER. How wonderful was that cast?! :)

This makes my day better. It was a bloody rotten day when I received a crappy mark back for my Prop assignment, which I've asked the lecturer to review because I think it's really quite harsh. In my three years doing law, I've never asked a lecturer to review a mark. I've always thought the marks were very fair, but this time... I just don't get how they came up with that mark.

Real life update, Charles/Erik recs, and fandomy stuff

2011-10-16T07:43:47Z

Man, I have been so bad at updating.

This week was intense and part of me thought I wouldn't survive it. I had to go Mon and Tuesday to my placement, start my new job on Wednesday, and then I spent Thursday and Friday very quickly finishing off the research for my Property assignment and writing it. That Friday was literally spent with me just in front of the computer despairing about the assignment. I didn't want to leave it so close to the due date, so I'd just been so occupied the past two weeks. Now I've got another assignment next week then it's all about catching up on my courses in prep for exams (which start on 31st October).

ANYWAY, to stop whining, I shall talk about my job. I really quite like it. 80% of the stuff I do is administration and monitoring the volunteer lawyers, so I doubt they'll be any big legal research time. I like doing the admin stuff and writing emails. So that job is every Wednesday. One thing I did forget to ask about is whether pay day is every fortnight or month - I can't believe I didn't think to ask that!

Okay, time for my Charles/Erik recs!

. An Earlier Heaven by regann: my new favourite WIP. It is a really, really well written mpreg. regann has written most of the story already and she's posting updates steadily twice a week. I just love it so far. It's actually less about the blow-by-blow pregnancy and more about the consequences thereof. I mean, we're up to chapter 4 and Charles has already had the baby. It really gets into the divide between the X-Men and the Brotherhood and what life is like at the mansion after the movie. In chapter four, Erik, Raven and Angel have returned to the mansion for sanctuary... and well, I don't want to give anymore spoilers, but I doubt the author will disappoint with the angst.

. In Token Of by nowadventuring: this is a really beautiful story about how Erik spent some of his time during the movie manipulating metal into a ring and how when Charles touches it, he gets an imprint of the feelings Erik felt when he was crafting the ring. The ending does kill me. It is such a wonderful idea for a story and a subsequent equally wonderful execution. It is angsty however!

. Imprint by poor_medea: this is another story prompted by that unwanted!sub Charles prompt that birthed at least four excellent stories. In this Charles is human and he meets proud mutant Erik at a party. This story takes a look at the physical consequences of imprinting. It also manages to have a nice happy ending!

. I Am Origami by pentre_katblake: this story might be a little controversial because it involves Erik's mother having a very unique mutant ability and how that leads her to enter Charles' life after the events of the movie. I love the Gabrielle character in this story - how she thinks of herself as a blank piece of paper, folding and changing across time. I felt this story had a bit of a philosophical bent to it. Well worth a read.

. Windows in the Sky by kyla45: I love how this story took the idea that Moira lives some of Charles' life accidentally through his telepathy - in particular, I loved how she felt, not saw, Charles and Erik kiss. This had particular implications for her when Charles removes her memory at the end of the movie.

. The Weight of Water by pprfaith: this is another must-read long story - this time it's Charles/Erik/Raven and how they grow over the space of twenty years. I love how pprfaith describes Charles and Raven during their childhood at the mansion and the bond that grows between them and how they foolishly encourage it until they need each other forever. Then they meet Erik and he steps into a place they didn't even realise was there. It is really a stunning fic and a great read.

In other fandom news, I am SO unbelievably eager for the new season of Bones. I've been watching the promos (check out this channel to see the others). Please don't succumb to the Moonlighting curse!

I've also been steadily watching Terra Nova. It's not brilliant (this week's episode was totally something out of Stargate Atlantis) and the family can sometimes be boring, but I like the idea. It also fills in the space left on my Sunday mornings by Doctor Who.

And I watched the premiere of the new season of "Sanctuary" and loved it and I just wish we had more stories where Helen was back in time and it had the Five. Why is the show not about that?? I'll get to watching the latest episode soon.

Please let me survive and do everything well until the November 11th! That's the date of the Law Ball and it means everything is over for this semester.

Slogging through it all

2011-10-03T07:37:35Z

Hey, all! So sorry I've been absent! I was working on my Constitutional assignment most of last week and some of the week before that.

In great news, I was called about that support coordinator job at a legal clinic that I lost out on last month (see this post). The woman they had hired is leaving, so they were wondering if I'd like to take up the position. It's a great opportunity for experience and it'll look good on my resume as well as contribute to my Playstation 3 fund. I start work next Wednesday and will continue to go in every Wednesday from then on. Pretty good pay, too, for one day a week.

I also did end up taking the family out to Spring Bluff Railway Station and we all enjoyed the flowers blooming out there. This Saturday we're going to the Pittsworth Crafts and Fine Food Festival.

Um, gosh, what else is new?

Did I mention my work experience placement with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Centre (ATSILS)? So far I've just gone to court to watch them in mentions and summary hearings and sat in on interviews. I go there all day every Tuesday.

Only a month a bit left to go for semester 2 of uni, then I get a break for four months. YES. It shall be filled with my job/work experience obligations, yes (I'll probably increase my work experience days at ATSILS to two days), but moreover, LOTS of time to chill out.

I do have some more Charles/Erik recs that should be coming up soon :).

Congratulations to raiining on my flist for the birth of her first child, Kail! :)

Recs!

2011-09-19T14:18:16Z

Time for another recs post, as promised! Enjoy!

. Care and Feeding by spiritsflame: this is a really sweet short story about Erik getting sick and being terrified of showing weakness and Charles taking care of him. Erik finds it so unexpected that Charles would put so much effort into making him feel better rather than giving just giving sympathies and avoiding Erik so as not to get ill. It's the way that it's written and the little details (particularly the ending) that set this story out in my mind - which is why it's on the recs list!

. Skeletons in the Closet by quaint_camera: this is a really well-written story exploring the satellite scene where Charles helped Erik access his happiest memory. Charles feels as though he's taken something from Erik, so they later share another memory together - this time, Charles' happiest memory. There's some very finely written dealing of emotions. The author has said this is only chapter one - although I have to say that it kind of feels completed, so I wouldn't say you have to wait for the rest before reading this story.

. Wages by solvent: this is a Regency romance with powers. Charles and Erik make a wager... and naturally, Erik gets Charles in his bed, but there's a twist. Poor Charles in this story doesn't truly realise what Erik wants. A very enjoyable read.

. Your Baby is My Supermagnet (My Baby is Your Drug) by unforgotten: this is a WIP mpreg story where both Charles and Erik get pregnant. What I love most about this story is Emma, the angst, and the fact that Charles and Erik don't fit back together again automatically after their Beach separation. I love where the author is taking the connection between the babies - I don't want to spoil it, but I want to say how I love the mutatations of the babies making themselves known even in the womb. This is definitely going on my WIP reading list.

. Scars by anon: this is a three-part fill for the prompt for the following prompt: Charles was present when his stepfather died in a lab explosion (in the comics?). Charles doesn't like to show his burns. You know where this is going in the end, but getting there is a pleasure. I love the final sentence in the story in particular.

. Let Me Hear You Say by cityofmist: Charles calls Erik 'darling' in front of others. There is period-appropriate homophobia, so be warned. But that said, it contains a really lovely moment between Charles and Erik.

And as an extra, a McShep rec! (yes, still reading through the 2011 Big Bang fics!)

. Truth, Justice, and the Lantean Way by kisahawklin: this story is part of a series, but I have to admit that I didn't read anything else in the series as they didn't seem that closely linked. Anyway, this story explores sexuality on Atlantis. It focuses on John's POV and how it comes to realise aspects of himself he'd never known or addressed. I particularly loved how half of the story takes place on New Athos during a Harvest Festival - and that is really fleshed out well.

As always, tell me if you enjoy any of the stories! Rec me stuff! ~~Assist me in not doing my uni work.~~