PoMoMythos

Crossroads & The Pact We Make with Our Pets

xtineebee — Wed, 05 Nov 2014 05:40:36 GMT

So this past weekend I went to Seattle to visit with The Twins. More than just a normal romp, it was also about just spending time with them as they go through a very difficult time. Their Dad, a most awesome fellow, was diagnosed with cancer about a year ago - and now the word is he may not see 2015. I only spoke in depth to one sister about this - the other knows I am there if she wants to talk. Mostly we just focused on having fun and being as normal as possible in light of all the drama in all of our lives. Went to see Benedict Cumberbatch in 'Frankenstein' for Halloween, eating a LOT of waffles. And a really special treat: Fran and I went to the zoo on Saturday specifically to see the red pandas. As we stood there reading the map, a very nice zookeeper asked if he could help us. When we enthusiastically asked the way to the red pandas, he said "Well they aren't actually out today, but follow me". John, the most awesome keeper, took us behind the scenes to meet the pandas up close. It was really amazing - got to feed them, pet them (insanely soft!!) and it was just a terrific gift he gave us. He said he was glad to because he likes giving visitors really special moments with the animals if he can, and it reminds him to be thankful everyday that this IS HIS JOB!

So, high on the glow of a very good visit with two of my best friends, I head home. When I landed, there was a message from my kennel that there was an incident earlier that day, and could I call. Turns out that Sebi had a seizure - but he seemed in reasonably good kip when I picked him up. And I love my kennel - they are staffed by vet techs & vet students so of course he was well looked after. I called my vet on the way home and set up an appointment for the next day (and by the time I made it to the kennel, like 15 minutes after this all started, they had already spoken with the vet's office - good folks all around).

Sebi had another seizure as soon as I got home. It is terrifying to watch something so overwhelming knowing you are helpless. Cut to the chase - he had 4 seizures in as many hours and in the emergency room, proceeded to have another. The only benefit of that was it got him to the head of the line immediately.

He's home now, and very woozy from the drugs managing his seizures on top of the other things he had to imbibe to be tested/x-rayed/ all of it. He is comfortable enough, although his back legs are determined to go their own way about 50% of the time. His tumor seems to have come back - we're testing to see if it is the type that may have gone to his brain, hence the fits.

It's been a very stressful 48 hours, and one where I have had to seriously think about Sebi's fate. It's part of the deal we all have with our pets - that we will take care of them and love them and when it's time send them off with peace if we can - but it's mostly way back in our minds. Until now. Sebi is 13, which is on the aged side for a dog of his size. He may have a few more months and even years in him, but I have to make sure they are *good* years. I had the initial results of his biopsy, but the vet needs to talk with the oncologist in detail to get a better sense of what is going on. He's probably going to need an MRI (which means more anesthesia, which makes me anxious because the barbiturates for the seizures already have him stoned and impaired) before we have the picture at 100%.

I'm not going to do anything wild for my lovable and rather daft old dog. I am going to make him comfortable, and I am going to make sure we get as many *good* days together as we can. He's been a huge part of my life for 9 years, I love him to pieces, and I only sobbed once so far (in public of course).

It looks like the next couple of months are going to be tough on many fronts, but I know we will all get through even if we get a little beat up and bloodied as we do it.

Ugh, mah Boob!

xtineebee — Tue, 01 Apr 2014 06:21:01 GMT

Okay, so almost a week ago I finished Rad Onc (YAY!) so that makes most of the journey over. But allow me this small space to actually moan a bit: UGH!! So right about the last week the boob started to, well, GLOW for lack of a better term. And the second degree burns intensified a bit so now I have blistering, weeping and VERY tender skin. I had had some skin markers put on for the very last round, and my awesome rad onc tech asked, at the end of the last session, if I wanted him to take them off. Politely said OH HELL NO because bandaid & tissupaper skin = Bad Time.

But now they have fallen off, taking small chunks of the skin so I have this fresh round of weepy wounds and my Goodness I could sleep all day, every day given the chance. Seriously, almost no stamina and I creak around the house. Damn site better than I was the first few days after treatment ended. My entire body ached and pain just shot through me if I moved. God forbid I sneeze, because then my head and neck went mad. Not a cold, not a flu - just crippling weakness/all over pain. Going to call that as the low point of all of this (after the multiple attempts to get the surgery fixed - that was focused uncomfortableness: this was pain so bad I could not lie down, sit or even stand in a comfortable position. And frankly a bit scary since I really have had an ok time with everything: NOW? YOU BREAK DOWN NOW AFTER ALL OF THAT?

Ironically, the day before was my last 'full time' appointment with my oncologist. She specifically said "you must promise me not to become a hypochondriac: this can be the point some people get a bit overwhelmed, and you have been so good and so focused for the past seven months - don't stop now." So of course less than 24 hours later I am standing in as hot a shower as my boob can bear trying desperately to stop the horrific muscle pains in my body, crying and convinced that I have come down with some horrific internal infection that will have me dead within the week. And that is so fucking unfair I just CAN NOT. Luckily, despite a really horrible few days, I did get my senses back and as I improved slowly and surely each day managed to talk myself off the cliff.

I am told by all the various providers that the rad onc burns will subside within 2 to 3 weeks. What may actually last *longer* is the fatigue. Great. It's not a wild inconvenience but it is hard to manage around - I can't really control when it will hit me by moderating diet or activity: if I am a lump and eat nothing but evil starches, I get hit. If I am a saint and go for a 45 minute (carefully paced) walk with Sebi and live of veggies and fish so fresh I bought it at the dock when the damn boats came in, I get hit. I guess deep down I am A) itching to just *really* be through the tough stuff and I won;t be until I get my energy back and B) secretly terrified that I may never get 'fully' back to speed. I know that B is an incredibly remote possibility, but hey.

On the happy front, my hair is coming back strong! All over! I shaved my legs on Saturday for the first time in months; my head has a respectible fuzz on it and I never bother with the wig *which I never cared for* unless I go to see the Big Boys at Company Headquarters. Although I have to break out the purple bob at least once more as the Docs asked where it was, LOL.

And, despite feeling gross, I put on my big girl panties and went into San Francisco Little Black Dress hunting on Sunday. The hospital my father has worked with on the Board for the past 20 years is honoring him at a black tie dinner this week. I wanted to properly scrub up. I haven't had the desire or confidence to go "proper" shopping in a very long time, but one benefit from this adventure? Been very easy to get the right perspective on a LOT of things. So I went into Nordstrom, had the personal shopper pre-prep a nice selection of dresses, and ended up with something that is really pretty and makes *me* feel pretty. And not DAMN it was at my low-end of size estimations which really added a layer of happy. One does not lose weight with chemo anymore it seems - but one does crave vaguely inappropriate food. Weigh ins were an adventure because depending on the office and the time of day, my weight could swing almost 12 pounds: I am pulling out the home scale as of tommorrow to get back on track. But my awesome dress - and it was totally in my price range, etc. etc. I seriously cannot remember the last time I did something like that - too long ago. Felt awesome :) And the best part is my wicked fab red peeptoe heels that I got for $25 bucks to go with the dress. Pro Tip - personal shoppers are an awesome treat. They cost *nothing* extra: I am saving up to get some new work clothes, because I really need them: when I have my dollars set I am going right back to Nordstrom. Like double-fudge brownie sundaes: not something one does very often, but certainly something one earns maybe once a year just as a self pick up. I almost feel silly for being terrified to go: what if nothing fits? what if the guy smirks at me with that 'why are you every bothering, fat chick?' face? What if....? - I had to talk myself into the car. But everything fit, Anthony was *awesome* and it was fun.

WELL that was a spit up! Good lord I feel I should offer a medal to anyone who read all that. The venting was delightful :)

There we are - ah, how nice to ramble for a bit

Buh Bye Chemo!

xtineebee — Thu, 23 Jan 2014 05:44:55 GMT

Today was the last day of chemo! YAY! So pleased to have this little phase of the adventure over :)

All in all, chemo was not that bad. Steroids made me nuts (doc was awesome and fixed that issue) and the drug cocktail delivers *wicked* heartburn for about a week, but all in all considering some of the really frightening things one hears about bad reactions to chemo, not bad at all.

The two 'hard parts' of this are done. Lumpectomy took out the bad tumor (100% margins, nothing in my lymph nodes) and the surgery recovery was complicated because of the size of the wound, but managed. Chemo is four months of jumping up and tensing everyone someone coughs or sneezes. Am looking forward to having my immune system, my nose hair, and my head hair back, in that order.

Next is radiation - 10 minutes a day five days a week for five weeks. They run it almost like a drive thru: go to the office, special valet just for radiology, run in, get zapped, get on with your day! My lunch plans for March, basically.

Woot!!!

Hi LJ!

xtineebee — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 19:12:22 GMT

Well -

There are good things and bad things about spending 5 weeks living back home with your parents.

On one hand I cannot articulate properly how happy I was to be recovering from surgery and processing all the next steps in a nice happy place with a big garden full of quail and all my meals catered to. It was wonderful just having people *around* when things were going sideways with my one wound.

On the other hand, living without the dog was terrible and sometimes you just need your own damn space!

But my house was being literally gutted and rebuilt under the guiding hand of my sister. It was not an option to be here (yes here for I AM HOME AT LAST) and it wasn't an option not to get the work done. The house was old and unfit for recovering in primarily due to issues I mismanaged. Never, ever, underestimate how depression can trick your brain into saying some things are Ok when they ARE NOT. The good news is my depression is now well managed, but needless to say I still needed major help healing the house.

So I now sit here with new floors (entire house), new windows, new paint all downstairs, new carpet up the back steps, a new bathroom and a new kitchen. Plus all of the old insulation is out. New furniture, new this, new that....new extra $50K on my mortgage (which was going to be paid off this year, oh the irony!) but all of it worth it because now I have a really beautiful warm clean safe place to get through chemotherapy in. And this wasn't an indulgence because I wanted debt - this is what had to happen and I am just lucky it happened well.

My sister has been astonishing in all of this: she has taken care of *everything* because my health is her primary issue. My biggest issues have been to choose new paint colors and slight anxiety over the granite chose for my new countertops. She found the team to get all this work done quickly because it had to be done before chemo started. That starts this week - the team is finishing up things today and will be 100% done by Tuesday.

I have been very frustrated with the wound issue: I need to be cleared for chemo so I can get back to work (only allowed back after first round of chemo is done) and cant get cleared for chemo until docs sign off on wound! The lump was pretty large: in taking it out and making sure it had 100% margins it basically created a larger hole in me than my body could deal with. The plastic surgeon had originally tried to 'preserve the look' of the breast, but that didn't fly and the wound just kept filling with blood and breaking. Ugh. Finally she took me back to the OR, took out more skin and closed up the hole - which will now leave a noticeable dent on the side of the boob. I pointed out I DO NOT CARE and do not want/need reconstructive surgery. After all these issues the idea of more surgery makes me want to puke, frankly. As it is I am wearing a special wound vac now to try and get this last stubborn bit closed off at last. Heal, damn it!!

I am chomping at the bit to get back to work. This was supposed to be my year of PROMOTION not huge absences for illness. Talk had started, damn it! I am particularly mad at this because I *know* I should be further up the damn food chain. Ugh, breathe.... Plus of course I like work, which helps!

Best Xmas gift ever!

xtineebee — Mon, 05 Aug 2013 21:32:19 GMT

So I get to be cancer free AND have Peter Capaldi as my Doctor?!? Best news in weeks.

This also reminds me I need to finish up the last season - got distracted, heh. Think I will load up the ipad and binge watch while recovering from surgery at my parents' house. I intend to stream Doctor Who, Top Gear and Mythbusters, with a dash of ADventure Time and a smattering of Avengers. Ahhh....

YAY CAPALDI!!

I love you, Books, despite yourselves!

xtineebee — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 02:43:41 GMT

I am forcing myself to read a minimum of one book a month, because I let work consume FAR TOO MUCH of my time last year. I mainly download audiobooks and ebooks, but I try to buy at least one hardback a month, at my local booksellers, because I want to support the store, and I love the feel of an actual book. Yes, I'm one of those. Plus, my local store allows dogs, so Sebi comes in with me and is given food and attention - everyone is happy.

I went to by my new book (Vampires in the Lemon Grove, by the wonderful Karen Russel). Sebi struck gold, as there seemed to be about 40 old ladies there setting up for something and everyone had to admire him. Then I paid for my book: $27.95!! And it is *not* that big a book! Gave me a bit of a moment, but it's worth it.

I did also just discover Boris Akunin's Erast Fandorin series of historical detective novels. Now these I am downloading one by one off of Audible to listen to. It is a series of detective novels, each one dealing with a different style of mystery trope. The Winter Queen is the first, and it got me hooked.

And on a completely unrelated note, I have just noticed that my LJ header is now some random cat theme I have never seen before.... Or maybe that is the site Header?

Yeah, not spending a lot of time over here lately, LOL. Curse you, people who dragged me to FB!

Powered up Again

xtineebee — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 21:28:35 GMT

I always forget about this account - but now that LJ seems to be having a nervous breakdown, signing in juuuuuust in case, LOL

Yes, yes - crossposting. No worries.

Now THIS is how you start a year!!

xtineebee — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 05:07:03 GMT

Just got off the phone with my Sis. Nico is going to be going to a major Karate tournament this summer - originally they thought it was going to be in Mexico. Turns out the team was invited to a BIGGER event in ORLANDO! Now of course I am very proud of my Nephew, but .....

AT LAST! DISNEY WORLD AND HARRY POTTER!!!

I will face a week in Orlando in July for this one :)

We're looking into condos now. I am so excited: I have never been to Disney World!! And it's a given that I want to go to Universal ;)

WHEEEEEEEEEEE!

xtineebee — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 01:18:53 GMT

Oh Halloween - my sister texted me today because she was *awesome* and picked up a key piece I need for my Halloween costume while in one of those seasonal superstores. THEN she found the zombie garden gnomes and lo, as a thank you I said I will spot her two as a thank you.

About an hour later I get a video of the 2 year old merrily playing with the gnomes in her playhouse. Because hugging and singing zombie garden gnomes are where it is at!

Made my whole day!

And reminded me I haven't put up my fruit bats.... Damn you busy life!

RANDOM

xtineebee — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 00:23:51 GMT

So last night I clicked on a random Netflix recommendation: It had Maggie Smith THEREFORE it had to be good.

It was good, but it also was very distracting because it is a lovely kids movie based on the Green Knowe books. I was all pumped for Maggie, then found myself jumping up and yelling BRANSON YAY followed soon after by LORD GRANTHAM YAY. Well, more yay for Branson, but you get my gist. Then at the end, I see it is directed by Julian Fellowes. LOL. Well, he certainly has favorites.

It's called 'From Time to Time' and actually was a great little family movie. If you have read the Green Knowe books I will say it is LOOSELY based on them. Nothing like the original mini series I think was done in the 70s.

Feeling my age

xtineebee — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 23:40:32 GMT

It was shocking to read that Rodney King was dead, and slightly more shocking to realize that all of that was 20 years ago. I had literally just accepted a place at USC's graduate school of business, and then that part of the world just dissolved into chaos. I remember watching the events unfolding on tv, getting updates while I was at work, and wondering what was going to happen to my town, as I lived in Oakland at the time. Two things happened here: there was a huge nonviolent protest that saw thousands of people swarming onto the busiest freeway into San Francisco marching to block the Bay Bridge: that unfolded outside of my office window and watching it was terrifying. And the mayor of Oakland Shut The Town Down: we had police and national guard TANKS on almost every major corner and intersection by nightfall of the second day. It was one of those times I have to admit my main thought was 'This is America and we don't do this sort of thing here".

But I also understood the outrage that set it off. Because we DO do this sort of thing. Are we better now? I don't know if I am the one to answer that, but I like to think we are. I lived in LA when all of the MASSIVE reforms to the police were enacted, and there was a very obvious change in the town, and in the relationship with the police. LA, one of the most diverse places on the planet, went from having a basically all white male force that had terrible relations with everyone to a very diverse and culturally sensitive organization. Still have problems, but seriously before the 1992 riots it was like something out of a bad TV movie, and almost not to be believed. I was raised to respect police officers, but LA is the only place I have ever been where that was an actual challenge for some time.

The neighborhoods have been rebuilt, and the community has grown back. I sat and rewatched the news coverage this morning. I saw a lot of people expressing shock and anger that they were destroying their own community and those were the people I remembered the most from that time, because I was with them on that. But it hasn't happened again and watching the recent responses communities have had to the Anarchists who have been disrupting the 99 percenters, I like to think we have come froward from that terrifying time wiser. Wiser in how we express outrage and wiser in how we protect our own communities as a whole.

Memorial Day

xtineebee — Mon, 28 May 2012 17:50:39 GMT

Oh LJ, how I have neglected you.

My note to for today is to simply state that one does not need to agree with the actions of any nation to take a moment to remember those who have been lost in a conflict. It's easy to get caught up on our own stands, and dehumanize the actual event: take this day to remember the actual men and women and just quietly thank them, mourn them, or whatever you will. They deserve that.

Help Us Support Planned Parenthood

xtineebee — Wed, 02 May 2012 17:08:30 GMT

Originally posted by theljstaff at Help Us Support Planned Parenthood

Join us in standing up for reproductive health and education. Planned Parenthood, the organization that delivers reproductive health care, sex education and information to millions of people worldwide, has come under fire in the U.S. lately, with many politicians on both state and federal level seeking to end funding (and in a few cases succeeding).

During the month of May, you can send a specially designed Planned Parenthood vgift to your friends to help support this cause. (And if you need someone to send it to, frank is always happy to receive gifts!) There are three variations ($1, $5 and $10) for you to choose from, but they'd all look good on your profile when your friends know that you stand by something so important.

Thank you all for your help in our support for Planned Parenthood. This promotion ends June 1, 2012; LiveJournal is not affiliated with Parent Parenthood. For more information about Planned Parenthood, please visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/

-The LiveJournal Team

(If you'd like to help spread the word that we're raising funds for Planned Parenthood, you can crosspost this entry in your own journal or community by using the repost button below!)

If not here, where else?

xtineebee — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 21:06:49 GMT

Happy birthday, Remus Lupin. Always real to me ;)

Monkey see, Monkey do

xtineebee — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 04:46:39 GMT

Hey! I can open a bottle of wine too!

This week has been *horrendous*, and it isn't even Friday 13th. And all the crap arrived JUST BEFORE THE ANNUAL REVIEW! I did make one major error in judgement, and I own that. But everything else is just piling on that. My first New Year's Resolution in years: I am no longer, under any circumstances, assume that other people are doing some tasks, even when overwhelmed with my own work. The extra hour at work chasing down people will be worth it in the long run :(

Modern Film Criticism

xtineebee — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 18:50:35 GMT

DISCLAIMER: I have no illusions that I am a great intellectual, or that I am above anything. I love Anime, *really* bad horror movies, Doctor Who, Spongebob and scotch eggs. We all have things we love to death that others stare at and say "Really?". That said, I am not a fan of Twilight - BUT - that doesn't mean I am one of the petty vitriolic who invest far too much energy into telling anyone who will listen why. If the little gem I had to share was about 'Harry Potter', I would be posting it too - because it's just that funny.

So long ago before blogs movie critiques came from three places: Siskel & Ebert, The New Yorker (where Pauline Kael dutifully hated everything fun with highly stilted prose) and your friends. Two of these sources were trusted. In the current age, anyone with a computer and a yen whips up a blog and BAM (or they go and deliberately screw with Rotten Tomatoes/IBDM). As a result, there basically been... well no change. The trusted sources remain Ebert's blog and your friends (in blog or IRL form). We do, however, now have an endless source of the opinions of Other People's Friends via the internet, and some of them are quite amusing even if you think they are *wrong* - as indeed people on the Internet frequently are.

Below is a snippet from a blog written by a man taken to the new Twilight film. Not man enough to post his own name: the article is by "L. Ron Mexico" (which, actually, is at least a funny moniker) on a place called 'Ruthless Reviews'. That blog name alone tells you one thing: their job is to hate on everything in the name of page hits. The 'review' is filled with the usual complaints, summaries of terrifying crowds of screaming women, etc. etc., but the author takes an interesting twist. He says he gets it: Twilight is just another self-insertion vehicle (for girls) just as porn is for men. But where he gets funny is when he tries to explain what makes it awesome for the fans by translating it into the 'male equivalent' of a dream film (NOT PORN version):

Make no mistakes though; this is a good movie, a great one in fact. It accomplishes everything it sets out to. As a man, I don’t get it, and as a film critic, I find it offensive, but I’ve seen its impact on society to fully appreciate how effective it is. The only way I can explain it is to draw a male parallel of Twilight: Here goes, a sect of lethal ninja warriors are fighting a T-Rex on top the Louisiana Superdome, underneath the Saints are playing the Patriots in the Superbowl. The Government sends a battleship up the Mississippi River to break up the fight between the dinosaur and ninjas. Tomahawk missiles are launched. Explosions are everywhere. The T-Rex and ninjas decide to join forces to destroy the battleship that just fucked them up. They jump off the Greater New Orleans Bridge, and in mid-air the ninjas are flinging throwing stars, the T-Rex is breathing fire, and down below the navy is unloading machine guns upon them. Carnage. Fire. Mayhem. Everyone and everything dies. Meanwhile, the President, played by a hot chic is debating weather to send in more battleships. She calls a meeting with her top advisors (played by other hot chics) to discuss a plan of action. They have a giant orgy instead. Credits. If we had a Twilight for men, that would be it.

Okay, so there was a little bit of porn at the end, sorry. Truth be told, I would pay to see the T-rex film, in IMAX and 3D. The whole thing is here. Now I need to go see who much they hated Harry Potter :)

Not Sure What is Being Accomplished Here

xtineebee — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 22:38:03 GMT

Apparently the mob of Occupy Oakland folks have spontaneously started chanting to burn down the Burger King. Not really sure how on Earth that helps the 99%.

So frustrating: the ideas behind people's anger are *so* important & damn it we need a wakeup call, but it's all being hijacked and lost in the total lack of message again.

I can literally see the very obvious clusters of trouble- makers in among the earnest folks in the TV shots: biding their time, testing the anger, waiting for dark.

And now they are stoning the Whole Foods: that almost makes sense.

Frustrating: I want a real outcome, an actual message and an achievable goal but it looks like this will go badly. Know why those Tea Party fools have been successful? Because they got organized, set a message, laid out goals, and *voted*. They succeeded on our apathy - which makes me cry even harder than what they stand for.

Sent from my iPhone

Nosy Neighbors: Good or Bad?

xtineebee — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 22:51:49 GMT

So, I just had a chat with a very nice police officer. Who had been sent to check on me because I and my dog had not been seen for some time, and there were newspapers on my front steps. The newspapers are there because the frickin' island papers NEVER stop delivery even if you ask & I forgot to collect them after I got back from vacation (like all good wizards I always enter the house from the back/garage - LOL).

Now, I am grateful for the neighborhood watch and for a great local police department who do courtesy calls. What purterbs me is that the neighbor is most likely the guy next door who likes to know everybody's business. Although I have been home A WEEK and surely they would have seen?

Kinda weird. Ah well: I am still not going to overshare with him and let him know when I am not at home as I have a Dad, thanks.

Sent from my iPhone

Heart attacks, part Deux

xtineebee — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 05:15:55 GMT

So the Bengals traded Carson Palmer to the Raiders. I am trying to decide if I can take this: at USC this man gave me heart attacks on a regular basis. I'm not going to hold his terrible debut against him: the Raiders threw him in cold - which is a - well - cold thing to do.

Oh football - I am not as young as I used to be!

I was ENTIRELY too excited about....

xtineebee — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 07:46:22 GMT

Pottermore putting me in RAVENCLAW!

There may have been an auidble YES and a fist pump involved....

I have a spruce wand with unicorn core, very swishy, 10 inches. Yes, I DID "tell Olivander" that I am SHORT. SO THERE.

I am not putting any spoilers or heavy details in here, but if you are interested about anything in particular let me know. It will be open in a week anyway :)

The site is beautiful - seriously, the art work is amazing and looks very like how I always pictured the place. They never actually show you anyones *face* which is a great touch, since Jo wants you to see them as you see them. But I was delighted to see one shot of the trio sitting in the libraby - facing away from us - but Ron is tall and lanky and frighteningly like I imagined.

Oh and the Womping Willow is fantastic. Although I noticed that it has a few stumps where limbs have clearly been removed and actually sat there thinking "Who gets that dreadful job? I suppose you have to hit that knot to freeze it and...." Yes, I actually found something in HP to overthink that I have not previously overthunk.

I stank at my first attempt at Potions Brewing - it's a bit wonky, but if the site is designed for younger peeps (ahem) I will no doubt give it a go later & figure it out. Doesn't help that you can feel your inner Snape sneering at you.

Oh and I got a lovely brown owl. You can actually choose a toad...then get told how terminally uncool toads are anout 5 screens later. There's a great little tidbit about Trevor I'm sure you'll get a smile out of.

It's fun, it's cute, and it's nice getting the little add-ons from Jo. The welcome message from "my prefect" was hysterical - now I want to know what the other messages are: someone must have screen capped them. Although - in another 'overthinking moment' - the Ravenclaw doorknocker is explained. There are no passwords or hidden entrances, brags the prefect - this system of the riddles has kept non-Ravenclaws out for a thousand years. 'Surely', I thought, ' Sirius & James would have given it a go simply because they could and they were notably clever (and devious) fellows. Remus would try to talk them out of it, but they would go and just do it behind his back to spare them all the useless chiding. There's a fanfic lurking in there....

Now of course is the long wait...for POA. If she gives us *half* of what she shares about McGonagall on the topic of Remus I will be one happy little Ravenclaw!

Oh Dancing With the Stars, Why Can't I Quit You?

xtineebee — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 06:21:54 GMT

I have to confess, I've become a ...fan... of Dancing with the Stars. I only watched it the first time because I wanted to see how big a train wreck Kelly Osborne was going to be and *damn* she made me eat that nasty sentiment right from night one! Then I was hooked. Although I can't seem to remember who won last year - I think I gave up because nobody particularly interested me.

But this year? yeah, I'm going to be in here for a while I think, lol. Some good people who I'm interested in watching - some not so. George Clooney's ex has the presence of a wet bag, and I there's some MTV 'reality' chick who also is a big nothing, but the rest? As much as I loathe Nancy Grace, we need a another early cannon fodder...

My only *serious* complaint? NO LOUIE VAN AMSTEL! No, instead we get Maxim's brother: Maxim is rather insufferable, and we'll have to wait and see about his bro.

Dare I tell Tori this should be our weekly dinner date, rather than XFactor? LOL

Oh heck yeah I'm making these for Halloween!

xtineebee — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 06:48:02 GMT

http://bakingbites.com/2008/10/vampire-cookies/

(It's late - just click)

Well, At Least it's an Original Concept

xtineebee — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 18:15:15 GMT

"The House Elf Curse"

The light is losing and the only hope left is Hermione. The order have transformed her into a house elf to spy on Death Eaters. But what happens when her heart falls in love with one particular marauder?

Rated: T - English - Romance/Drama - Chapters: 2 - Words: 1,196 - Reviews: 3 - Updated: 9-14-11 - Published: 9-10-11 - Hermione G. & Remus L.

As Ten would say -

What?

WHAT?!?

Lord, the mental images....

Latest Beastie

xtineebee — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 17:30:07 GMT

So here's my latest crochet toy. I just had to share as I am v. Pleased with him. So far he's proven easy to identify, though technically he was done as a 'thing' not any particular individual. If you want to call him by a particular name, of course, he won't mind :)

I'm working on a Yale next, then a redo of the Phoenix I made for Bug. I have a full plan in place for a book now - a crochet bestiary. Any particular suggestions would be welcome: I have a list of what I think the projects will be but I am always up for suggestions!

Drive Faster - Must Drive Faster....

xtineebee — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 19:38:52 GMT

They are going to be re-running the original (and stll flawless!) Jurassic Park in theatres for a limited run at the end of September!!! It's to celebrate it coming out in Blu-Ray or whatever but who cares! Jurassic Park in the theater! Again! I can still remember going to see that one with my family :) This one, Star Wars, and Raiders of the Lost Ark with my family - all defining moments of my childhood (yes I am of a certain age). Right now I think my patronus must be a velociraptor, because I just remember that night as one of the best of my childhood. My eternal love affair with dinosaurs made manifest in the most awesome way! And *properly* - not with slow, dumb cold blooded animals, but with the dinos as alive and vibrant (and farking scary) as could be. It was modern, it was awesome, and I still quote from it constantly. Seriously, maybe it's because I'm old, but I can't think of a single movie from the past 10 years that grabbed me from the start and just held me enraptured for the rest of the time quite like The Big Three did. I mean there have been some great films, but nothing quite like these (points to Super 8 for being a very loving tribute, but it didn't pull it off).

Sent message to Sis: WE MUST HAVE A DINO PARTY & TAKE THE KIDS. Tragically I still do not have my Pottermore letter, so as a squib with a text, not with my awsome velociraptor patronus (rawr!)

Well not Miss Mina: I even caved and said *I* would pay for her sitter to come assuming Jason wants to play too.

Happy Dance time!