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More serpentine meanderings
Izzie has been basically brain dead since work on Wednesday. But we had a five minute speech to prepare for Friday. Already knew about this last week but was utterly uninspired.
Just been so edgy and irritable and totally incapable of rational thinking. The inner introvert is just screaming to just curl up in nice dark room and be bothered by nobody. It does not help when it is raining either. Not just because everywhere is wet and miserable but noise seems so much louder when it has been raining.
After a glass or two of red last night and vegging out for an hour or two online while listening to lots of nice music, finally seemed to calm down but was still uninspired concerning that speech. Never ever got around to mentioning it in Secret Diary Land last week looking for suggestions.
Also did not mention that last week's Word of the Day – not presented by Izzie but another club member was “Micro$haft Internet Exploiter” Got a lot of giggles and groans and moans of sympathy, that one. Poor Tony – our resident Bean Counter (a real one - not just a wannabee) was basically locked out of Cyberia because his browser crashed. He could get no mails or nothing and suspected he would end up spending a good few hours cleaning it up or reinstalling it or whatever things that geeks do when their computer crashes.
Izzie was quite astonished that so many people have only one browser – especially a wanky one such as IE. At the Ministry, before we got our Preciousss, you could have any browser you liked as long as it was Evilnet Exploiter and it pissed Izzie off no end to have no choice and to be continually getting “#$%^& has performed an illegal operation and will now shut down” or whatever damn thing it used to say.
So being very greedy and with pointers from the Computer Cat, we went and snatched Firefox and Opera, in addition to Safari and Camino which we already have. Safari does not like Simpy so now we just use it for visiting our usual lurks and save the pottering for Firefox
Well. Back to this morning. Slept right through two alarm clocks and did not wake until just after 6.15. No way was the Izzie ever going to make it in time for the 6.35 bus and trying would be a most unadvisable idea in our present precarious mental state.
It was most most tempting indeed to just go back to snoozing but anytime we have ever done that in the past, always felt more miserable. But most especially, our newest member had her first turn today to chair the meeting and it would be a most horrid thing to do to simply not turn up without notice and have her wondering what the hell was going on and what to fill those five minutes up with.
Did end up getting the bus at 6.50 and arrived just five minutes before start. Close shave that was.
But thinking about the topic “All the world's a stage” before going to bed last night and on the bus this morning still produced no inspiration.
In the end, while another member was doing a fifteen minute demonstration (she chose to show us how to make Origami cranes) the Iz finally got an idea – just as well because we were next in line.
Instead of the approach that most people would take of talking about acting or about life not being a dress rehearsal, the Iz decided to folow the line of behind the scenes and about who is pulling the strings off stage. Started with the usual Masonic lodge and “Elders of Zion” conspiracy theories (Bugger – with a bit of preparation, could have got the so called Da Vinci code in there. Explained that all these conspiracy theories were a load of junk because the real truth is that behind the scenes, right down to those squiggly spirally bits of DNA insidiously lurking in our cells, that it is the evil reptilian controllers out there who are pulling the strings and manipulating our minds.
Yesss. There is folks out there who really believe this stuff. So we had great fun rehashing their case and then announcing the most devious trick of all in their grand plan to enslave innocent young minds.
Was amazed that it all sounded so coherent and planned – like lots of work went into this speech when in reality, was making it all up on the spot.
Even managed to get the Stirrers' spoon award for our little effort.
For the fourth Friday in a row after this meeting, it was wet and miserable and still raining so Izzie had to abandon our usual plans of pottering around in the gorgeous park up the road reading or listening to the radio until about 10.30. Went to the library instead and then to a cafe where it was not too noisy and we could listen to the radio in peace and then catch up on the papers. The park is much much nicer but that will have to wait for another day. Finally managed to get our paws on a book by Neil Gaiman. Heard so so much good stuff about this guy. Seems from what we have heard that he is some sort of cross between Stephen King, JK Rowling and Douglas Adams.
Usually, if there is anything in the catalogue, it is invariably out on loan. So it was nice to get a collection of short stories “Smoke and Mirrors” instead of a full length novel. Don't want to get too addicted as there is other stuff we need to read with deadlines.
Also got a user's guide with a DVD included on how to use lLife. Izzie has tried farting around with Garageband but has never been able to do anything useful with it so maybe this book will help. Will also learn we hope how to nicely organize our itsy bitsy collection of photos which is mostly images snatched off the net – and a certain gorgeous green serpent with a ring.
Just been farting around with the Izzie music collection. Decided it's time to put some gold stars on stuff so that we get the Preciousss to play lots of nice songs but with a bit of variety.
So, after reading the papers and indulging in the latest Izzie puzzle addiction, decided it was time for munchies at our usual haunt. Then we popped into a very nice Italian delicatessen with just the sorts of nibblies that Izzie loves – extra virgin olive oil, chocolate and lots of cheese. This is the first shop in Oz where Izzie has ever seen Irish cheese. Must be a new thing. Izzie is eternally in search of an affordable substitute for Appenzeller and Gruyere. There are so very nice Italian mountain cheeses that are similar but not many places have them. New Zealand has some pretty good versions too. This particular one looked almost possible.
But the catch of the day was the choccies. Izzie giggled herself silly seeing some dodgy Russian stuff amongst the Lindts and Hachez. The worst excuse for choccies Izzie ever tasted were made in Russia and East Germany. This one was called “Vernisaj” but what interested Izzie was not the posh snot name but the claim to being dark chocolate – 70% at that. Curiosity got the better of us. Will do the taste test tomorrow. Wonder if we will live to tell the tale.
So after that, dropped by the Lair to check our non existent mail and to pick up yet another Preciouss. Nearly finished reading “Chamber of Secrets” Saving the best bits for one of our sacred sites. Izzie never needs an excuse to read a Potter and next Tuesday being 21st June is a perfectly good one. After all, with 20/20 hindsight some time after 16th July, it will not be quite the same next time round.
And anyway, Izzie wants to put on her Sibyl hat and indulge in some Potter predictions.
Purely out of sheer badness, we have Dumbledore dying in a blaze of glory (or shall we make that duelling wands with Tom – why should Anakin have all the fun?) and poor little Ratty Peter Pettigrew mending his ways and abandoning the Dark Side. Oh and Kreachers' Ring. Will some nasty stinking thieveseses steal it from him?
It seems sort of fitting that the Keeper of the Phoenix should die in a fire of sorts.Or do fires only tickle magical folks like in the beginning of book 3?
Oh and Justin Finch whatever his name - Izzie does not think he is the Prince but we suspect not to have seen the last of either him or creepy Creavey
Izzie also thinks that Harry's ability to speak to serpents will once again come in useful and hopes that the Great White Witch finally feeds Ginny Weasley to some creature - maybe Aragog - oops. That will be Ron Weasley's fate
Anyone remember the chapter title "Spinners' End"? No. We ain't seen the last of hairy scary spiderses. Wonders if Kreacher is friendses with it. Everyone seems to have forgotten about Winky and Kreacher!
The stone that the builders rejected shall become the cornerstone ;)
Just been so edgy and irritable and totally incapable of rational thinking. The inner introvert is just screaming to just curl up in nice dark room and be bothered by nobody. It does not help when it is raining either. Not just because everywhere is wet and miserable but noise seems so much louder when it has been raining.
After a glass or two of red last night and vegging out for an hour or two online while listening to lots of nice music, finally seemed to calm down but was still uninspired concerning that speech. Never ever got around to mentioning it in Secret Diary Land last week looking for suggestions.
Also did not mention that last week's Word of the Day – not presented by Izzie but another club member was “Micro$haft Internet Exploiter” Got a lot of giggles and groans and moans of sympathy, that one. Poor Tony – our resident Bean Counter (a real one - not just a wannabee) was basically locked out of Cyberia because his browser crashed. He could get no mails or nothing and suspected he would end up spending a good few hours cleaning it up or reinstalling it or whatever things that geeks do when their computer crashes.
Izzie was quite astonished that so many people have only one browser – especially a wanky one such as IE. At the Ministry, before we got our Preciousss, you could have any browser you liked as long as it was Evilnet Exploiter and it pissed Izzie off no end to have no choice and to be continually getting “#$%^& has performed an illegal operation and will now shut down” or whatever damn thing it used to say.
So being very greedy and with pointers from the Computer Cat, we went and snatched Firefox and Opera, in addition to Safari and Camino which we already have. Safari does not like Simpy so now we just use it for visiting our usual lurks and save the pottering for Firefox
Well. Back to this morning. Slept right through two alarm clocks and did not wake until just after 6.15. No way was the Izzie ever going to make it in time for the 6.35 bus and trying would be a most unadvisable idea in our present precarious mental state.
It was most most tempting indeed to just go back to snoozing but anytime we have ever done that in the past, always felt more miserable. But most especially, our newest member had her first turn today to chair the meeting and it would be a most horrid thing to do to simply not turn up without notice and have her wondering what the hell was going on and what to fill those five minutes up with.
Did end up getting the bus at 6.50 and arrived just five minutes before start. Close shave that was.
But thinking about the topic “All the world's a stage” before going to bed last night and on the bus this morning still produced no inspiration.
In the end, while another member was doing a fifteen minute demonstration (she chose to show us how to make Origami cranes) the Iz finally got an idea – just as well because we were next in line.
Instead of the approach that most people would take of talking about acting or about life not being a dress rehearsal, the Iz decided to folow the line of behind the scenes and about who is pulling the strings off stage. Started with the usual Masonic lodge and “Elders of Zion” conspiracy theories (Bugger – with a bit of preparation, could have got the so called Da Vinci code in there. Explained that all these conspiracy theories were a load of junk because the real truth is that behind the scenes, right down to those squiggly spirally bits of DNA insidiously lurking in our cells, that it is the evil reptilian controllers out there who are pulling the strings and manipulating our minds.
Yesss. There is folks out there who really believe this stuff. So we had great fun rehashing their case and then announcing the most devious trick of all in their grand plan to enslave innocent young minds.
Was amazed that it all sounded so coherent and planned – like lots of work went into this speech when in reality, was making it all up on the spot.
Even managed to get the Stirrers' spoon award for our little effort.
For the fourth Friday in a row after this meeting, it was wet and miserable and still raining so Izzie had to abandon our usual plans of pottering around in the gorgeous park up the road reading or listening to the radio until about 10.30. Went to the library instead and then to a cafe where it was not too noisy and we could listen to the radio in peace and then catch up on the papers. The park is much much nicer but that will have to wait for another day. Finally managed to get our paws on a book by Neil Gaiman. Heard so so much good stuff about this guy. Seems from what we have heard that he is some sort of cross between Stephen King, JK Rowling and Douglas Adams.
Usually, if there is anything in the catalogue, it is invariably out on loan. So it was nice to get a collection of short stories “Smoke and Mirrors” instead of a full length novel. Don't want to get too addicted as there is other stuff we need to read with deadlines.
Also got a user's guide with a DVD included on how to use lLife. Izzie has tried farting around with Garageband but has never been able to do anything useful with it so maybe this book will help. Will also learn we hope how to nicely organize our itsy bitsy collection of photos which is mostly images snatched off the net – and a certain gorgeous green serpent with a ring.
Just been farting around with the Izzie music collection. Decided it's time to put some gold stars on stuff so that we get the Preciousss to play lots of nice songs but with a bit of variety.
So, after reading the papers and indulging in the latest Izzie puzzle addiction, decided it was time for munchies at our usual haunt. Then we popped into a very nice Italian delicatessen with just the sorts of nibblies that Izzie loves – extra virgin olive oil, chocolate and lots of cheese. This is the first shop in Oz where Izzie has ever seen Irish cheese. Must be a new thing. Izzie is eternally in search of an affordable substitute for Appenzeller and Gruyere. There are so very nice Italian mountain cheeses that are similar but not many places have them. New Zealand has some pretty good versions too. This particular one looked almost possible.
But the catch of the day was the choccies. Izzie giggled herself silly seeing some dodgy Russian stuff amongst the Lindts and Hachez. The worst excuse for choccies Izzie ever tasted were made in Russia and East Germany. This one was called “Vernisaj” but what interested Izzie was not the posh snot name but the claim to being dark chocolate – 70% at that. Curiosity got the better of us. Will do the taste test tomorrow. Wonder if we will live to tell the tale.
So after that, dropped by the Lair to check our non existent mail and to pick up yet another Preciouss. Nearly finished reading “Chamber of Secrets” Saving the best bits for one of our sacred sites. Izzie never needs an excuse to read a Potter and next Tuesday being 21st June is a perfectly good one. After all, with 20/20 hindsight some time after 16th July, it will not be quite the same next time round.
And anyway, Izzie wants to put on her Sibyl hat and indulge in some Potter predictions.
Purely out of sheer badness, we have Dumbledore dying in a blaze of glory (or shall we make that duelling wands with Tom – why should Anakin have all the fun?) and poor little Ratty Peter Pettigrew mending his ways and abandoning the Dark Side. Oh and Kreachers' Ring. Will some nasty stinking thieveseses steal it from him?
It seems sort of fitting that the Keeper of the Phoenix should die in a fire of sorts.Or do fires only tickle magical folks like in the beginning of book 3?
Oh and Justin Finch whatever his name - Izzie does not think he is the Prince but we suspect not to have seen the last of either him or creepy Creavey
Izzie also thinks that Harry's ability to speak to serpents will once again come in useful and hopes that the Great White Witch finally feeds Ginny Weasley to some creature - maybe Aragog - oops. That will be Ron Weasley's fate
Anyone remember the chapter title "Spinners' End"? No. We ain't seen the last of hairy scary spiderses. Wonders if Kreacher is friendses with it. Everyone seems to have forgotten about Winky and Kreacher!
The stone that the builders rejected shall become the cornerstone ;)
no subject
I don't think we've seen the end of Percy either, someone with his ambition can't stay on the straight and narrow. Percy is very ambitious, and Voldemort (maybe through someone else) will provide him with the easy path to success. The 16th July is not that far away.
The problem is that there are too many loose ends at the moment and there are two books to go before we get the final resolution.
The Side of the Serpent
Still wondering what wicked twists the Great White Witch has up her sleeve. Will it be possible to keep any surprises for the last book? Izzie still thinks that Harry will die near the end of the last book- either from his 'saving people' thing or he will get kissed by one of his dark scaly clammy handed hooded friends! Or maybe he finally gets pissed off with saving people and starts looking out for Numero Uno.