MILES to GO || before I sleep

Ah, I miss Usenet.
What a crazy thing to say, huh? But in the search for some Sailor Moon images, for some reason, the first thing that popped in my head was NOT to do a Google Image search or go to The Oracle or whatnot, but to see if alt.binaries.sailor-moon was still around (assuming I got that name right).

Alas, the vast majority of ISPs these days have discontinued their NNTP/Usenet access service (probably because they never made much of an effort to advertise that it even existed, meaning new users didn't even KNOW about it), and that includes the ones in use (or formerly used) by my grandparents and Mom/Gary. For many alt.fan or rec. groups, access is still available for free from places like Google Groups, but it's not quite the same... plus, there's still the overwhelming problem of SPAM, and in Google Groups' web-based interface, there's diddly-squat you can do about it.

The only other alternative --for general Usenet access to binary groups AND for NNTP access in news programs (Apple Mail doesn't even support NNTP, which had me temporarily thinking I might switch back to Thunderbird... then I wised up and realized that an extra piece of software isn't ALWAYS a pain in the ass, especially with my lack of an NNTP server in the first place)-- is to buy it. Giganews seems to be the one of choice, but I don't have the dough to shell out for Usenet access when it's something that's more of a whim to me.

But I do miss those good ol' days when I could hop on Usenet and find image floods of fanart, or character-specific art, or art themed around a certain event/holiday. It'd be pretty helpful for me now, in my search for Sailor Moon Christmas images. (I know, I know, The Oracle has a whole gallery devoted to it, but it's only 58 images! I *know* there's more than that out there!)

Speaking of SM, I did sign up to be a Sekkret Stalker on Aria's Ink this year. Participation seems fairly low so far for this point in December, but there are still FOUR MORE DAYS TO SIGN UP! Why not?

Plus, guardian_kysra and I want to do a holiday challenge or something this year, so why not throw your hat in and volunteer too? We'll probably do something that covers different fandoms-- maybe a Secret Santa or Fic Exchange where all you do is specify a list of fandoms you'll write for, genres/ratings/pairings/warnings you prefer, and up to 3 "plot prompts." How does that sound?

Also, I got an invite from someone named Loki to join the_circlet and its sub-communities, silver_circle and gold_circle, along with a few related comms. It all sounds/looks fairly interesting, but I think I still need a bit more clarification on exactly what is DONE there. baine, care to comment? I'm confused!

Also, I haven't written SM fic in AGES and going back to Aria's Ink (Loki also reviewed "24" there, which is probably one of my better SM fics to date) and checking out these comms... it's all made me very nostalgic! Hey, maybe we can revive the smrff in time for the holidays!? That'd be so awesome.

I'm only up now because (as usual) my sleeping schedule's off. I went downtown tod-- er, yesterday to get a December Fast Pass and eat some delicious Tex-Mex. I got "approached" by a very enthusiastic girl from Greenpeace who kept me from getting to Chevy's that much sooner. I'm all for saving the planet, so:

DO NOT BUY KIMBERLY-CLARK PRODUCTS. These are the makers of Kleenex, Cottonelle, Scott tissue, and many other products. Why? Because they're clear-cutting (meaning cutting without care to the re-growth of future trees) thousands of ancient Canadian trees. The CEO has reportedly even said that his consumers "don't care about environmental issues." Show that pig he's wrong! Also, find out if your job/school has a contract with KC. Then get them to CANCEL it. There are more environmentally-friendly companies out there.

( Accion Y Reaccion )

I would make like Happosai and go "what a haul! what a haul!" but my haul this year was meager but meaningful-- just the way I like it. From Gary, I got some gelt (and if you don't know what that means, go look it up in a Yiddish dictionary); from Mom I got a new black iHome iPod dock/radio with alarm, along with a $25 Macy*s gift card. Rochelle also gave me a $25 gift card; Eva got me "Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End" on the 2-disc DVD edition (YAYZ!). Though I don't think it counted as a Hanukkah present, Dad also gave me V for Vendetta, and I bought myself the Anastasia (remember that lovely animated film by Fox? Wow, John Cusak ~_~) Family Fun Edition.

Yesterday, azhp and I made my traditional Spritz cookies, so those of you in the Yay Area who want some, better call your dibs now! (This is being awfully egotistical, isn't it? But I'd like to think everyone's liked them over the years; I know I do.) Speaking of cookies, the Jays (the family that owns the flat Mom & Gary live in) gave us some delicious... well, they TASTE like cookies, but they look like brownies. And they're delicious! :D I'm eating a chocolate chip one, now.

I've still got gifts of my own to give out, but so far, it's been a nice holiday-- fun, productive, and not overly emotional. Heck, I even managed to get the Christmas tree up and decorated last night-- what a relief, considering this year, it seemed like it wouldn't happen (again), but this time due to laziness/too much furniture blocking the way/whatever, instead of Mom-is-a-Grinch. This year it only took her a day or so to get into the mood, and she hasn't been a Grinch since. Yay for that.

Also:
-Seems a lot of my cousins are going to be in Northridge when I go back on Thursday. And Scott's coming in the evening and staying the night so we can hang out Friday... o_o I'm hoping it doesn't somehow end up awkward in any way. (Knowing me, I've probably already jinxed it.)

-Dad made it to Northridge okay. Another day, another adventure. I wonder what we'll be doing for the time he stays?

-Managed to edit up an image for a Dragonfayth Xmas skin. Now I need to make something for New Year's. But the skins only display on the holidays, so anyone looking at Dragonfayth today, 12/25, tell me what you think! Sure, I can't claim credit for the Seto x Anzu art (that goes to lin_ko), nor the skin base design itself (that goes to Kali), but I mashed it altogether and made it work! Eh-eh-heh...

-In my old room here in S.F. (which is now called the Tovstin, a mix of Tovsen -Gary's name- and Westin, where Mom works), Gary has some tiny fish... one of them died last night. :( I didn't want to let it sit there (which is what I did several years ago in high school, resulting in a mass fish death that day), so I disposed of it... so sad that it had to die on Christmas. What made it especially suck was that he had another fish that I thought had died when I first arrived... but apparently it was pregnant and just floating around, trying to avoid swimming too much. Gary poked it and it turned out to be alive, so I was relieved. I was hoping the same thing had happened with this other one, but... no such luck. I poked and it just floated back up again. ;_;

-I didn't get the chance to work on (let alone finish) my Aria's Ink 2003 Xmas competition entry "Information, Please!" (title subject to change now), but I've got it pretty fleshed out in my head... I think it was 4-5 chapters, and I think I've decided not to make it an AU... the drama's always more fun that way. If I did get it done by New Year's, it be a nice "opening fic" for Epiphany when it goes live.

-Gotta work on the 30kisses purge!

-Wonder if I can get that purple double-breasted pea coat from H&M tomorrow...? I'll call the main store in the morning and see if they got a new shipment.

-Many, many books to read. Did I mention I'd gone on a bit of a spree at Borders the other night? Plus, I'm about halfway through the whole "His Dark Materials" trilogy; I'm several chapters into "The Subtle Knife."It's pretty comfy just lying in bed, watching movies and/or reading. I think I'll go back and do just that right now...

You Know a Lot About Christmas

You got 9/10 correct You know tons about the history and traditions surrounding Christmas. When you celebrate the holidays, you never forget their true meaning - or all the little fun details. Random Christmas fact: 7% of mall Santas were found to have a criminal background.

What The Holidays Mean to You

For you, the holidays are about emotional connections and bonds. You are happiest being around those you love. You celebrate the holidays in an over the top style. If something is cute, you'll buy it. People end up with a lot of gifts from you - and your house is like a holiday wonderland, full of decorations. During the holidays, you feel magical. You love all of the decorations and how happy people are. You like to sit back and take it all in. You think the holidays should be comforting and relaxing. You don't like the holiday rush... you just like the simple pleasure of the holidays. Your favorite holiday memories strongly evoke your senses. You are vividly aware of all the tastes, smells, and sounds of the holidays.

You Are Easter

You are an optimistic, hopeful, and genuinely sweet person. Sensitive and affectionate, you are easily touched. You love nature, animals, and anything cute or cuddly. For you, every day is a new chance - no matter what happened yesterday. What makes you celebrate: Almost anything. You love most holidays and celebrations. At holiday get togethers, you do best as: The peacemaker. You can prevent any squabbles that might break out. On a holiday, you're the one most likely to: Remember to include everyone

HELLO BAY AREA PPLS! So, I'm back in the Bay (Area) until the 27th, and of course, I want to get together with as many of my friends as humanly possible-- that means YOU, psyjoe_dilandau, katiat325, schmollieollie, cutieme4u (!!!!!), zigx, azhp, staplerx, hikaru_jan, richlikesmaids, orastella, ohsupervinchan, tidus, and everyone else in-between who doesn't have an LJ!

I have no definitive plans other than Friday (sorry guys, the nighttime is reserved for a family dinner that I can't get out of). I would like to do something different from the usual mall-trolling and/or skating, so mini-golf sounds fun, though far. cutieme4u, if you can drive, we should arrange for a get-together! I hope you read this... of course, I'll also try to call and/or text everyone, but I'm sure most everyone knows I'm on the computer most of the time, so that's better...

Anywhoozles, LET ME KNOW!

You Should Have a Blue Christmas Tree

For you, the holidays represent a time of calm, understanding, and peace. You avoid family fights, and you don't get too stressed out - even when things are crazy! You like to make Christmas about making everyone's life a little bit better. You don't get caught up in greed or commercialism. You're too sincere for that. Your blue tree would look great with: Lots of silver tinsel You should spend Christmas Eve watching: It's a Wonderful Life What you should bake for Santa: Chocolate chip cookies

All I want for Christmas
* A new hard drive (at least 100 GB, so I can backup my own regularly using Time Machine)

* Some new headphones, preferably the ear-bud kind that have "hooks" ... even better if they're somehow noise-cancelling.

* All the stuff on my Amazon.com wishlist (mostly books)

* Art stuff (new Prismacolor markers, because it turns out the ones I have are pretty dried out; rubber stamps + nice ink, embossing powder & gun, cardstock/scrapbook paper, punches (those metal things that make shapes from paper, kind of like a hole-punch, but huge), etc.

* A NEW TABLET MOUSE WITH PEN because my old one is dying ;_;!!!!! (unless someone knows how you can replace the mouse, which is the worst off...)

* Money. I got denied a WII scholarship, but I just don't want to give up on it. The ISLP deadline is coming up, too... that, at least, I can console myself I might be able to do next year, even if I don't end up going to graduate school (because recent undergrads are okay, too) I'm not a big spender, but for some reason I've been struggling the past two months-- not just my credit card bill and my phone bill (which I hope will go down soon, now that I have a T-Mobile phone, more limited minutes, and a cap on my messaging), but in general. Baba and Grandpa were nice enough to lend me $100, but it was too late to stop 2 overdraft fees. It happens too often (I feel... it's probably happened 4-6 times this year already), so there's no way it can be refunded or "forgiven." I barely have ANY money in my bank account, and I already know my next paycheck is going to suck... ;_; AUGH!

I applied for a Chase Private Student Loan-- enough to cover both the WII and the ISLP... but I don't know how long the approval process will take; I need to find this month's pay stub to photocopy along with my passport before the application is completely finished. I know a loan is a bad idea... the repayment plan would have me paying it back for 20 years, and that's not even including my current Stafford loan. ;_;

I've been loving college so far, but right now it's really starting to suck.

THANK YOU SO MUCH KYSRA!
^_^ I got the present from you today, and it kicks butt! I've named it "The Kysra" in your honor. Now I just need a strap or something so I can hang it on my neck or something.

And since I'm going to Comiket (YAAAAY) I will make it my personal mission to find you some smexy smut doujinshi for some fandom or another to send as a "You are teh r0xx0rz!" present, too. Hopefully I'll find some Seto x Anzu~~~

This makes me feel a lot better, even if I have to still go shopping for tomorrow (which will be crazy) and still have homework to do. YAY PRESENTS I LOVE PRESENTS~~

Ah, the luxuriousness of the relaxed weekend is almost over! ;_; Whine. And I won't even have much of a winter break, because I've got all of 2 weeks to travel around before heading BACK to school (and therefore finals), and then back to the States, and then starting school one week after that (and work one week after THAT). I look forward to the weekends SO much here in Japan. And it's funny, because that would imply that I'm really busy, but it doesn't FEEL like it. Maybe I am really busy, but things I'm doing have become so routine or mundane that I can't recall them when someone asks "So what are you up to?" or something like that.

Anyway, today I actually decided to get out of the dorms-- yesterday I felt pretty ill, and I slept most of the day, hardly ate, and kept waking up in the middle of the night. Today didn't start much better, as I woke up first with a horrible stomachache, and then a rotten headache. I slept until after 12pm, and when I finally got up, I took some Ibuprofen for my headache, had some pancakes, and decided to go to Daiso to get some CDs, DVDs, and other random necessities. My HD has been filling up pretty fast here-- mostly with pictures and music-- so I've been burning all the NANA anime and Death Note onto DVDs, along with any other movies or things I happen to score. But I need to clear out more space, as I only have a little over 2 GB free now... and this is on an 80 GB capacity drive. WTF?

I also headed to the Mito Eki area, and decided to go to Marui to see if Todd's recommendation about the menswear (as presents) was any good. They did have some cool stuff, but nothing really screamed "Scott would love this!" to me. I did swing into the Virgin Megastore (yes, I was surprised, too) and saw Mika Nakashima (aka NANA from the live-action movie)'s new single for "Hitoiro," but I didn't buy it. Her new album is coming out on the 12th, too (that would be "The End"), and it's really expensive! CDs here are such a rip-off, unless you get old, used ones from Hard Off or something... Still, I do like all the NANA music (live action and anime), so maybe I'll hunt it down eventually... it might be cheaper on cdjapan.co.jp!

Well so anyway, what kind of presents do you get for the man in your life? (Dad, brother, boyfriend, whoever) I've gone through countless gift guides, said no to all the usuals at the Gift Stations (ties, cufflinks, pens, etc), and am STUMPED for ideas. I just think I'm an idiot when it comes to men. (Male friends on my FL, please, feel free to disagree with me. It'll make me feel better. Of course if you don't, it won't make me feel WORSE, but obviously I would appreciate your input A LOT.)

In Virgin, I found a cool magazine oriented toward gaijin folk like myself living in Japan, and it turned out to have some pretty helpful listings of things to do and places to go. For the few days baine and I will be in Tokyo, I know we want to spend 2 days checking out both Disney resorts, and at least some portion of a day hanging out with two other smrffers, Kris and Fin. I don't really think we've decided on specific whens or wheres just yet, though. I do know that I'd like to go to the Ueno Royal Museum for the Dali exhibit, and probably "somewhere cool" for New Year's. Alas, all the clubs having New Year's countdowns are SO EXPENSIVE! And there are some pretty big names coming to Japan, soon (or are already here), like Muse, Eric Clapton, Foo Fighters, etc. ;_; I wish I could afford to go!

I'm thinking next weekend I have to go to Kairakuen for sure (1) just to see it, and (2) because I need to visit a local Mito temple with a "Japanese friend" and report on it for my religious studies class quiz. The following weekend, there will be not one, but TWO antique fairs in Tokyo, so I thought I might go to those, to check out and see if I could find some cool presents for my Dad and Scott. I also have a lot of space in the boxes to fill up for Joyce and for Baba and Grandpa... gah, shopping is hard!

Tomorrow after class, I can't just sleep in, either-- I have to repeat the whole post office --> bank thing, by going to the post office to make a withdrawal, and then going to the Tokyo-Mitsubishi bank to pay the balance on my IACE trip. YAY for that being almost taken care of! Then all I'll have to do is save up for the Tokyo hostel, shopping, food, and transportation in Hong Kong (I bought the JR Seishun 18 Kippu today, so travel in Tokyo is taken care of). I do have to go to Kasumi tomorrow to buy some groceries, and the other night, we went to Coco's for a vaguely expensive (but totally filling) dinner for Holly and Sokei's birthdays... so it's back to yen-pinching, if I want to have a good time. I'm dead-set on having a good time, so it's all about save save save! I would go to Kasumi tonight when I know things will be on sale, but my head is back to pounding and pounding...

( I can't really remember my health ed class that well, so prepare for The Stupidest Sex Question Mer Has Ever Asked! )

I've only eaten a bowl of cereal (Frosties with bananas) and had some toast with scrambled eggs today, but I'm feeling strangely sick. Or I have been for the past hour or so, and I have no idea why. It sucks.

Moving on, I wonder if anyone would be nice enough to get me things I like/need from Amazon.com? It's one of the few places where shopping online is safe/secure, relatively cheap, easy, and THEY SHIP ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. There's also Amazon.co.jp. :) Long story short, I need a few books from there (on my wishlist), and since I'm saving up for Hong Kong AND have to pay that new phone bill (le sigh, it's legit. Basically a bunch of 2 and 3 minute calls REALLY ADDED UP... to 26 minutes, at $2/minute = $56 tacked onto my $60 regular bill and all the other surcharges), I'm kind of broke at the moment.

However, as promised, I will (and have been already, actually) shopping for gifts for people, and I do believe in "fair trade." So, you scratch my back, I scratch yours. I can try and buy you a gift online and have it shipped to you, I can buy a gift here in Japan and ship it to you, or I can buy something for you and I can give it to you in person, depending on when [next] we meet. :) I actually need these books for my scholarship... a lot more than I need a pretty blue 1GB+ USB stick with some cool engraving on it. (I want that, but I don't NEED it, unfortunately). And as I mentioned before, I don't want to ask my mom for money.

...My dad, on the other hand, is way overdue for a "hit me up for some cash" call. :P

So in summary, please buy me some of the anime and/or manga-related books (that is, reference books. Not stuff like an actual VOLUME of manga or a DVD of anime, shocked as I am to hear myself say it) from my Amazon Wishlist and have it shipped to me here in Japan (need my address? email me or comment... though it IS on my Amazon account, I don't know if you can "see" it if you buy something from my list), and I will
a) love you forever
and
b) get you a cool present in return

Yes, I'm aware that I'm groveling, but it turns out that legit sources of a wealth of info that I need for my scholarship ARE NOT online, and books in English are extremely hard to find here in Japan (which makes perfect sense, really, and I'm quite the dunderhead for not considering it sooner).

...And since I feel sickly right now, I think I'll lie down, and maybe play some Star Ocean 2. If I feel up to it later, I'll have dinner.

*sniff* I miss everybody.

Every time I've tried to arrange some online gifting for Christmas, it hasn't always panned out well. This year I've got a new Winter challenge over at Dragonfayth, and maybe some people will be nice and we can do a fic or fanart gift exchange.

But for those of you who
a) want some souvenir from Japan as a present (I obviously can't guarantee shipment by Christmas, unless you tell me NOW and I can find it SOON)
b) like giving material, tangible gifts as opposed to online gift credit, or files of some sort
or c) are just really, really nice people...
WOULD YOU GET ME ONE OF THESE!?
( The bestest present in the whole wide world! )

"These" are these adorable colored thumb drives, and you can even get them CUSTOM LASER-ENGRAVED! (If you can't tell, I think that's one of the coolest features. Am I superficial or what?) They have them in pink, black, blue, gray (think charcoal colored), and silver. Being 'Azurite' I could totally go for a blue one. :D

And they're cheap! ($20.99 for 1 GB!) And I'm actually in need of a larger thumb/flash/portable/whatever you call it drive, anyway, because I was one of those poor suckers who bought a flash drive when they first came out, and I paid over $40 for a 128 MB one. It was just fine when it came to school work and things like that, because documents and other such files never get that big. But when I had to do computer-to-computer transfers, or if I wanted to work on a massive project like a Photoshop document or an entire website when I wasn't at home, it became a pain in the neck NOT to have a larger thumb drive. Plus, when I exchange files with my friends, a larger thumb drive makes it easier to store more, and stay more organized.

If anyone gets me one of these (engraved with whatever you please ^_~ the custom engraving IS free, after all), I will either get you one of your color/engraving choice, or b) get you a present from Japan. :)

And matter of fact, I think these make great gifts in general, too. I mean, first you have colors to choose from, which is always nice considering how many boring black or gray thumb drives are out there (though black and gray are two of the color choices, the casing seems to be "shiny," so it's not the same sort of "flat" color as I see on many thumb drives).

Second, FREE custom engraving. Nothing says "I honestly thought of YOU when I got this" than an engraving tailored to the recipient.

And third, they're cheap! Unlike all the other technology products coming out this holiday season, this one is actually affordable enough to get for MANY people, so it won't put a serious dent in your pocket.

Fourth is that it can be a gift for just about anyone-- friends, family, students, workers, whoever. USB drives are just one of those multi-purpose, multi-person kind of gifts.

Here's the tech specs, for those who are wary or simply wanna know:
-Available in 512 MB, 1GB, 2GB or *4* GB
-Prices range from $14.99 to $89.99
-Custom colors of pink, silver, black, gray, or blue for all size drives
-Compatible with PCs and Macs
-Hi-Speed (2.0) USB and Standard USB (1.1) compatible
-Plug-and-Play with PCs using Windows Me, 2000, or XP (no drivers!)
-Transfers files up to 480 Mb/second
-Security software included for you Windows users
-No additional power needed (gets its power from the USB port)
-Small enough to be convenient, but not forgettable (1.7cm L x 6.7 cm W x .6 cm H)
-Made of durable aluminum, so your data won't get damaged easily
-FREE LASER ENGRAVING!!!!

I know I want one, don't you?

For those of you that ever thought that Valley Girls talked like my subject line, you'd be wrong. They did in Clueless, but not down here where I live, and I am in The Valley. Not that I can speak for the air headed teenage population, but, just so you know, I am a Valley Girl now, and I still have relatively good diction, thankyouverymuch!

Anyway, I am back in the Valley; Dad and I split from Alameda around 11am this morning and got here around 7ish. The drive was amusing, if just because of the following:

• A recollection of last night, in which I attempted to get friendly with my Dad's cat, Roy
• I also signed my dad up for eHarmony.com, and we laughed loads over my dad's answers (he was honest, don't worry!)
• We dined-and-dashed at the Apricot Tree, this horrible road-side restaurant. Service was extremely slow for both waiting, ordering, and serving, plus the usual "can I get you your water/check/ketchup/clean flatware" stuff. If we'd bothered to ask for the check and then get change, we would have been there for another hour. Do I feel bad? No. :P
• I got to explain all about the tracks I put on last year's Turkey CD compilation. Basically, it's a CD of your favorite songs that you've found in the past year, and Dad had never heard of many of my choices, which went on the 6 "Ultimate" volumes (there were 2 "original" volumes, based off the original Turkey Tapes from the 80s). Dad especially liked the addition of Elvis' "A Little Less Conversation" and John Sykes/Blue Murder's "Cautionary Warning".

Of course, my Dad picked me up pretty early yesterday night (7:30ish), so I had to rush home from Classic Bowl in Pacifica, where I'd gone with Crystal, Maggie, Richard, Evie, Eva, and Harry. Stephanie and Katia had been with us earlier in the day, but they both had other obligations that took them away early. Crystal gave me a nifty new journal, and Katia gave me a new addition for my bookmark collection-- an Aslan (Chronicles of Narnia) bookmark! YAY!

I didn't get to see "Memoirs of a Geisha" like I originally planned; the 5:50 show at the Century 21 was sold out, so that's how we ended up going bowling. I hope I'll be able to see it (and go ice skating, another canceled plan that we'd made for SF) with Scott in San Diego when I go on the 29th; I'm staying through the 2nd! Mom even gave me a nice new outfit and 2 new sweaters to wear down there, plus some hair glitter, a necklace and earrings, and a jeweled barrette. I do think I'll look smashing... ^_~

I ended up forgetting my flash drive there... keeerap! But at least Mom bought my laptop (she already gave me $80; she owes me $920. I shaved about $500 off for her payment toward my Driver's Ed lessons and the bits of money she gave me over the course of two weeks. She'll probably pay in installments, so it'll keep me afloat until I get paid for working at the bookstore (gotta call tomorrow and go in on Thursday, before I leave for SD) and the ITR job (training starts on the 9th). Worse, Jimbo and Richie put Stepmaniamax on my laptop, and I tried to burn it onto a CD and DVD, but the software or somesuch shit wouldn't let me.

So... staplerx or richlikesmaids, where did you get Stepmaniamax from? And if I can't download it or get a CD/DVD of it from either of you two, could someone please help my mom burn the CD? ^^; That would be nice...

Long story short (as I'm never good with recalling many events after not updating for a while), I've finished and sent off my fic for the dmhgficexchange, and I've got my last entry for the yuugiouxmasfic ready as well (though both are late). I had a good time with my friends, and while I ended up mostly broke (of my own funds) I did leave NOT broke, which is a good thing. I plan on buying Katamari Damacy and We Love Katamari, because I got addicted to it at the party at Bob's house (while I played Jimbo and Marc). I ended up falling asleep at the aforementioned party, during Life of Brian. ;_; I couldn't help it! Mom waking up for work at 5:30am had ME waking up around then too, so I was exhausted by 8:30pm...

WDKY22 is also done, but I'm still waiting for someone to get back to me. LuvinAoshi has updated several chapters of an FMA fic in the meantime; I wonder if I've been forgotten about? ;_; Why can't there be a mass list of people willing to beta for certain pairings in certain fandoms? a_white_rain, doesn't that sound like a good idea for a community or something? (I ask you because you're in charge of weekly_ygo)

I would like to thank pockyken, schmollieollie, winterwing3000, and rhapsody_dragon for cheering me up when I was a bit low at first! Also, MANY, MANY, MANY huge thanks to guardian_kysra for the faboo present (I will be scanning the pic part of it soon-- can I color it in Photoshop CS, too?) and the New Years Wishes. For any last minute well-wishers, please donate to Kysra's Scanner Fund! Contact me for more info or sort back through my journal a few entries to find the donation post. If we don't get enough by New Year's, I'll donate the rest myself. :)

Mom and Dad really frustrate me at times... for various reasons which I suppose I can get into later. But how many people think that sometimes their parents are much more immature than they are?

To Do:

• clean room, now that I've brought a ton of stuff with me from SF
• scan pics, including the unfinished/uncolored WDKY 1000 review/2nd Anniversary pic (inc. icon for winterwing3000) and Kysra's Christmas pic for me ^^
• free up disk space for the new Stepmania, Hana Yori Dango j-drama episodes, and Sims 2 again
• Go to the mall to get Proactiv (anyone use it before? How were your results? Is it worth the $60 for the full package?) and Katamari Damacy set
• Call the bookstore to let Mike know I'll come in for paperwork on Thursday
• Free up enough disk space to torrent/seed the Full Moon Sagashite Episodes (probably in sets of 3 episodes a piece, for ricoddr)

And finally, some fantastic news... I'm published! I think I may have announced this before, but in the time I was away, I actually got the book "Authors of Tomorrow" in which my "Success Comes Second" essay was published. Now I'm competing against 250+ other people for a $1000 scholarship from Elder & Leemaur Publishers! ^^ Wish me luck! (It'd be nice to write a funny short story/1st person POV about my recent adventures, esp. those with dad. "The Journey South" or somesuch would make a good title.)

...I feel like I'm forgetting something... but whatever. Tomorrow: Palomar with Dad and Steve. TEH YAY!

An update on the Kysra Christmas Fund -- we're ALMOST THERE! *squeals* Anyone that wants to make a donation and has not yet, please do! (Note: if, by the lucky chance, we go over, I'll use the rest of the money to pay for shipping and gift wrapping. ^^) Check out my previous entries and the post at setoanzulove for the donation button.

YAY!
YAY!
YAY!

zOMG short entry. Heheh.

Well, it was a generally good Thanksgiving. Good food (yum, cranberries! And latkes!), the usual emotional drama... and I've discovered that my cousins actually are human, and do experience hardship at times. I've always sort of idolized them due to how RICH they are (or seemed), and I thought they were blissfully ignorant immune to the kinds of things I've been through. Admittedly, everyone still has their share of problems, so I'd say I'm pretty grateful for how my life is right now: not all that exciting. It can be a good thing at times, as I'm sure many people will attest.

I did have the requisite emotional breakdown, but that's only because my period happened to fall on the same day as Thanksgiving, so I have Basketcase Excuse Alpha-01. :P Nyah! The cousins are still calling Scott "Scott Peterson" though, which bugs the hell out of me. It'd be one thing if the name were that of a celebrity or whatever, but a murderer? Ugh... not very nice.

As for shopping, my sole Hanukkah present (from Baba and my Dad: $80 total) was mostly spent on books (FY: Genbu Kaiden #1, YGO Duelist 9, 10, 11, Socrates in Love) . The Fashion Valley mall is home to a Saks, a Neiman Marcus, Coach, Tiffany's, and all those other stores I feel uncomfortable just setting FOOT in. I hated shopping there because I didn't feel right in ANY of the stores. And to shop on Black Friday is a bad idea anyway, even if (because?)  everyone else is doing it. I did see Scott's brother Ryan at Coach, and his Mom at Ann Taylor, so that was nice... even if I felt out of place in those stores. The cheapest thing at Coach was a sparkly iPod mini case for $68! As for Ann Taylor... well, much as I love their clothes, I couldn't even bring myself to look.

Oh, did I mention I got my hair dyed (one color: chocolate brown) and cut (a layered cut down to my shoulders), and my eyebrows plucked? Yes, so I'm teh mature and girly looking, now. I don't act like it all the time though... I seriously need to stop thinking so much, be more social, and not act like a cat. ;_; ANYWAY!

Mostly, what I want for the holidays:
* To be with my friends
* To spend some time with mom
* To stuff my face with good food (spritz cookies! yams! hot cocoa with marshmallows!)
* BOOKS! Or Borders gift certificates...
* A cashmere sweater and scarf (Target has some for only $40/sweater, and... much cheaper for the scarf. Can't remember how much, but teh yum!)

I should be getting my first Xmas-present-to-self soon: my Shonen Jump/Jan 2006 with the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon! No, I don't have anyone to play, but maybe I should change that. Sure, socializing with 10 year old boys isn't my idea of  making friends, but there's bound to be the odd female duelist, duelist-who's-also-an-anime-fan, or an older duelist-with-a-brain that I can meet... somewhere, somehow. And learning to drive might help me go further to hobby stores or sneak previews.

Speaking of anime and manga, I finally got my first issue of Takuhai... er, "MANGA" magazine. Tokyopop has slowly been slipping off my radar, what with how they're releasing mostly obscure titles/artists at a slow pace. And this magazine causes me to think: just what is "manga", anyway? I really don't like the idea of non-Japanese people trying to mock their favorite manga-ka's style, inventing their own style, messing around in Photoshop, and calling the end result "manga." And God forbid the word "Ani-manga" spread beyond the borders of our not-so-fair nation. I highly respect people that can draw so well as to garner Tokyopop's attention, but it shouldn't be touted as manga when it's far from professional. There are spelling errors, shoddy sound effects, and much less detail than real manga-kas-- even if the artists use screen tones, Deleter pens, and the works. I feel like I'm being prejudiced, but... well, "manga" is a Japanese word, a Japanese creation! You can't fake it! That would be like doujinshi-ka calling themselves manga-ka, when they know they're not! Even if American (or other nations) create their own stories in the Japanese manga style, I don't think it's manga...

Other stuff:
I'm participating in both the dmhgficexchange and the yuugiouxmasfic this Christmas; I have my assignments for both, but afaik, I don't have any submitting to do until December. That might be different for the YGO exchange, if only because there are themed "weeks" in which each week, a gift fic (according to the requester's "rules") should be submitted in line with the theme... I'm kind of confused on that, and whether I've missed the first week.

I've been emailing this person (Phyllis) who is an Azureshipper fan; I tried explaining to her that the "comics" she saw of Seto and Anzu were not official, that they were "doujinshi" or fan comics, and that the Yu-Gi-Oh series (anime and manga) has ended without ANY canon pairings whatsoever. And Phyllis acted like I'd told her there was no Santa Claus or something: she whined, bitched, complained, and insulted me. And she managed to do so while misspelling three words in a single sentence. I don't know if she's going to email me again, and frankly, I'd rather she didn't. I hate lame people like that...

( Read our last exchange )

There's a code glitch in phpFanbase, which is what BEA is running on. I don't know if anyone else is using that script or its spinoff, phpClique, but if so, I'd recommend heading over to CodeGrrl.com to keep up-to-date with the codes and fixes that Sasha and Co. put out.

And finally, this whole thing with Scott. I might as well just say what's been stressing me on and off...
( I'm sure a guy loves knowing he's the cause of my zits. )