A Shot in the Dark

I decided a while back that it was high time for me to make a seperate journal (art_of_caladwen</lj> ) for all my artistic endevors where I'll be posting updates for on-going costume projects (such as cosplay for Sakuracon & Kumoricon), sketches, icons and anything else I happen to make.

Check it out, and friend away if you want to keep updated!

So this morning I had my first Aikido lesson! I was the only person there for beginners class, and Lin was really nice, so that helped. I was actually kind of nervous - I am when trying new things, especially physical things. I just don't do them very often. I mean, I started do Ballroom Dance in January, but that was ok because there was a whole room full of people who didn't know what the fuck they were doing. Also, I had on nice clothes. Today I was in Sakuracon PJ pants and a baggy T-shirt. Not the best look for me. And then a whole bunch of people started showing up for the basics class. Oh well.  I have a Gi now! It's kind of huge. I hear they shrink though, so that's good. I also have two pairs of Gi pants and a Hakama from Lin Sempi to mend. (yay money!) Turns out my mending jobs will cover at least the cost of my Gi, so not a bad trade off at all. Then there are a few other people's Gis that I've fixed, and they already have worn holes in them - re-patching time!
Am also going swing dancing tonight with Ellen, which I'm looking forward to because we haven't gone in a few weeks. Then on Sunday we're going to Melena's Dance and doing a demo with our Salsa class. It'll be... interesting. But that's ok, I've done a demo before, and it was the first half of the routine we all know now, so it shouldn't be that bad. I hope. But! It will mean that I'll have been dancing three day in a row, which is a Good Thing. I keep telling myself that I need to be more active, and look, I am!
So new week I'll have Aikido on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, Salsa class on Friday before Melena hosts a dance, and probably going to the College Ballroom Night on Saturday. Maybe. I'll have to see what my family is planning on doing that night, and who else would be interested in going dancing on the 4th. 

Oh! I also figured out who I'm cosplaying for Kumoricon! Re-l (Lil? Real? Gah, I've seen it spelt all three ways!) Mayer from Ergo Proxy:

(Look! It's a *girl*!)

I'm excited about this. There is a waistcoat involved in this costume. ^__^
Ooh, speaking of Kumoricon, guess what I got in the mail today?? Yes, that's right - I got my Badge!!! ::Happy Dance:: It's an actual plastic card with shinyness on it, not a slip of paper & a sticker. 
I'm going to go crank up the music and do some gi mending now.

Today was a Good Day.
I got a full 8+ hours of sleep last night and woke up at about 9ish and actually got a whole bunch of stuff done before noon. Imagine that.  So Chris moved out on Sunday and that very night Josh got a bunch of his stuff moved from the middle room, largeish room shaped area upstairs to the basement area where Chris was. Emmaly and I now have an art studio, for lack of a better term, set up between our rooms now. Josh hadn't gotten all of his things out of the room so we just stuck everything into some boxes and put them downstairs, cleaned like crazy (vacuumed, swept, cleaned windows -inside and out- and scrubbed walls). After that we got the swing machine (and associated bits and bobs), along with my dress form moved into it. We also put up a whole shit load of (mostly my) artwork up on the walls along with some mini corkboard squares above the sewing machine for costume project references and notes.
Also cleaned up downstairs, drove up to Safeway for noodles, whipped up some chocolate cookie dough, baked a casserole for my dinner guests, and put the cookies in the oven after dinner.  
After my friends went home Emm and I sat down and I finished watching the second season of Code Geass (OMG SO AMAZING), and read the last installment of Two Men & A Motorbike, which was FANTASTIC. ::<3's inell ::

So I've spent a good half of the day helping my older brother and his friend move out and into their new place. It's been interesting. It feels more like a Saturday than a Sunday. Yesterday I spent pretty much just reading New!Trek fic. A lot of it. Also, eating chocolate (Y HALLO THAR PERIOD) curled up on the couch with my laptop and enjoying having the house to myself for a little while longer before mum got back with the little devils.
My older brother is leaving me alone with the crazies. ::headdesk:: My little pets siblings are so excited to have him going, and yeah, some aspects of it are going to be nice, but I'll still miss him. Like just being able to go downstairs and just chill with him for a bit and get away from the hyper puppieness that my siblings can be. Anyway, I'll still see him, just not as much, and now the parental units will be wondering when I'm going to be finding a place of my own, on top of the 'get your own car already!' prodding they've been doing. Well, I've got to have some money to get a car with before I can even start looking for one. And to be able to save money I've got to have more than 12.5 hours of work a week.( I love my job. I love my job. Wait, I love having a job. I love having a job....) I will start actively searching for a job. I will stop at places and ask if they are hiring, if yes, I will get an application, fill it out and turn it in soon. /self affirmation

Also, I have a ton of projects and goals I want to accomplish this summer, but I haven't really been doing any of those. I have a really bad habit of only doing what needs to be done, and getting that done later rather than sooner. I procrastinate very badly, and I'm lazy. But I'm also very creative, and I'll go and start a project, but unless it has a deadline, it won't really get done - if I'm doing it just 'because' or one of those 'just for me' kind of projects, I'll sit down and plan, get the fabric or whatever supplies I need, maybe start with it, or get it almost all put together, but it's the finishing it, and not just throwing it together and calling it good that I tend to do. I'm a lazy artist. I need to improve my work ethic and get things done when I say they need to get done. :: le sigh::

I got to hang out with an awesome group of my friends on Thursday night. I met up with Will at 5pm at Lloyd and we chatted until Simon showed up, then we caught the MAX out to Beaverton TC and walked over to Uwajimaya. After Hannah and Ellen got there we went out for dinner, and good times were had by all. Some things however, should only be said at home, late at night and when everyone is too out of it to care. We should not be allowed in public.::facepalm::
On the drive back to Portland we decided that we were going to make cookies, cake or some such. Went to Simon's house, walked to the park, bought some cookie-making supplies at Safeway and got  back to Simon's where he made us all amazing vegan chocolate chip cookies <3!
I think anyone who saw us at all that night thought we were all high on something, but astonishingly, none of us were. Well, Simon had some caffeine earlier in the day and I think all of us had some Mochi ice cream, but sugar alone shouldn’t have done that to us. I guess we're just a bunch of crazy people when you get us all together. ^__^

If there is one person or more on your friends list who makes your world a better place just because they exist and who you would not have met (in real life or not) without the internet, then post this same sentence in your journal.

So my next-door neighbors hosted a neighborhood yard sale today - which was really more of a neighborhood swap. And I got a sewing machine!!! My very own Singer, and for only five dollars too! It needs a tune up, which can get a little spendy, but that's still way cheaper than get a new, or even used one from a store. I was pretty happy with it. Hopefully it will end up working well for me for several years to come. Oh! So when everyone was pretty much done for the day when of our neighbors shows up with several paper grocery bags full of socks. From Sock Dreams. Practically new - his girlfriend works there and I guess is the model for like 90% of their stuff. He just said whoever wanted could have them. So Emm and I grabbed a bunch of them, including some Gryffindor-colored knee-highs I had to fight Emm over - I won. To be fair she got all of the Harry Potter books except the 6th for like $2.
I've also been reading Bloodhound - I'l probably finish that tonight. Oh, and I've been working on making artisan bread.
Good day. Even though I meant to go out job searching. ::shrug:: Oh well, I can do that tomorrow, and next week. I'll have a lot of time then. The bastards that call themselves management are only giving me 12 1/2 hours.

 

 

Give it about another hour and I'll be done with my first year of college.
Wow.
This year seems to have gone by supper fast. It feels like I just graduated high school, but just a couple of days ago some of my younger friends graduated.  I would say I feel old now, but I know that's just stupid, I'm not even 21 yet.
Anyway, just my dance final to go now, everything else went ok. I think.

In retrospect it may have not been the best idea academically to take all of saturday and sunday right before finals off to drive out of country for a concert. BUT IT WAS SO WORTH IT.

Still all supper happy about that. I suspect I will be for some time. XD

I'm also thinking that I may upgrade to a paid account. I think I really want the icons. Sadly I have no room for Nu!Trek icons, nor for any Patrick Wolf. Ok, that's not true, I could delete some, but I just did an icon revamp. I don't feel like doing it again.

 Also, I think I'm going to change my journal layout.
 

fljksdhgdljkghorwnfv...WAS SO AMAZING!!!!!!!



Guh...




Y HALLO THAR BUM SHOT!

OMG GLITTER!


D'aawwwww,  look at that face.  He is so adorable . . .




 

It was *so* worth driving all the way up to Vancouver BC (even though I had to drive all the way up and all the way back since Ellen doesn't drive). There are no words to properly express how awesome the whole concert was, how cute, sexy and adorable Patrick (and all the other bands & band members - but mostly Patrick) was. THE WHOLE NIGHT WAS MADE OF SO MUCH WIN.

. . .

I am still "high on Patrick" as my mum put it when I got home and was squeeing all over the place like the mad woman I am and OMG HE HELD MY HAND FOR LIKE FIVE SECONDS AND PULLED ME TOWARDS HIM WHILE BEING INCREDIBLY SEXY.(I think that was while he was singing Tristan?)

Anyway, if you want to see all of the pics go check out my facebook...

I, uh, think I've just developed one.

Was just now driving home from work and pulled up to the light at Foster and Powell and found myself behind this motorcyclist. So there he was, this slim guy on a green motorcycle wearing a nicely fitted black leather jacket, black jeans and boots. I’m not gonna lie; it was hot. Especially when he'd tap the gas and serge forwards. There was just something about him, partially the way he sat on the bike -weight disbursement, all those angels, just the position - but, you know, the rest of his body language too.

I . . . may not have been the most observant driver just now. Well, not observant to the road anyway.

Think I'll go find some motorcycle fic. Mmmm young!Sirius with his brand new flying motorcycle...Or, oh god, Ianto Jones totaly being the bad boy and seducing Jack when he rides his old baby into work one day wearing those ratty ass-hugging jeans, and...I'm gonna stop right there.

 

 

Uhm, define live . . .

I've only had one permanent residence in my entire life. However, if by live you mean have received mail there (excluding camp), then I could claim that I've lived in Germany. I stayed in one place there for three weeks with my host sister and her family, and spent another week in München.

So, yeah. Only one house really, but I have a several 'second homes'  along with a few open invitations to places all over the world. ^_^

 

 

Yes, sort of. On the rare occasion that I do dream I get these really cracked out deja vous ones. Most of the time I have no idea where the fuck they came from. Like last night. I don't remember most of it, but it involved me having a bunch of snakes. Like, I had started up some kind of shelter/collection, and the newest addition was this one that was only about two feet long and green with some kind of odd pattern on it, and it looked like it had a cobra head, except that that was its tail, and its real head was just this really small thing. Apparently it was some kind of deafened and distract mechanism - it worked and continued to scare the crap out of me. It gets even weirder. So instead of laying eggs like a normal snake this one decides that that it’s going to push out larva goa’uld baby snakes that were like three inches long. And because that is so very strange I decide to go downstairs to see what everyone else is doing. I find mom in the kitchen washing some dishes with this big snake draped across the sink that looks a lot like Sasha’s Taiwanese Beauty Snake, except that its gone all python because there is this huge lump in its middle, and its moving. Like, a lot. And all of a sudden this black beak breaks through the top and the rest of this raven bursts out, and the snake just explodes.

I totally just pwnd my history midterm. XD

Studying your ass off for the past week really pays off when you complete the test in 50 min flat , only really have to stop and think a couple of times and are the first done in a predominately male class. As in you are one of three girls. And then the instructor’s face when you ask him if that is all you are doing today. LOL

I now have three hours instead of my normal two  to do my Mythology homework, review for Costume midterm, eat lunch and oh, watch anime or something. Laptop and headphones and internet FTW.

 

 

Well, for starters its gone:

Yup, hacked most of it off. I'd been suppressing the urge to do so since January, but since I had decided to use my own hair for my SakuraCon costume, I couldn't really. So I did it on Friday morning. Had them take off 10 inches in a ponytail and donated that to Locks of Love, like I did last time I chopped the hair two years ago.
Note: this is (most likely) not how my hair will normally look - I took a shower and decided to play around with it. There is gell in it and it is rather curly. Also, these photos are not the best, oh well.

In other news, Midterms are next week. I have my History test on Tuesday morning, and I really should be studying for that. I also have quite a bit of catch-up reading to do for Costuming. Le sigh.
Oh well, 'tis life, right? Staying up until 2am marathon watching Stargate probably doesn't help academic maters either. . . I don't care, it's fun, awesome and addictive. ^__^

You know, this is a really open-ended question...

It would all depend on what I started out with, the climate I was in, and what kind of resourced were available. I'd like to think that given a few supplies, and if the climate wasn't too harsh, I could probably survive for at least a week or two. I'd lose a ton of weight (which wouldn't be a bad thing, mind), and I'd no doubt have some nasty viruses or something. . .

Also, this is me procrastinating. I should be finishing up a reflection for Ballroom that’s due tonight.

Oh, God, I really hope I'm a better person than the little shit I was when I was 9.......

What. The. Fuck.

In Portland. In MARCH.

Hannah, I think I win. 
(plus I have photographic evidence HA HA HA!!! )
Snow in Phily, in march =Okay...a little strange.
Snow in Portland, LATER in MARCH = WTF!?!?!
 

Happy Singles Awareness Day everyone!

...............

::Glomps you all::

^__^  Have a wonderful day!

::skips off to read potentially fluffy fic::

Invasion of the Über Conservative Grandparents is imminent.
Good thing I’m going to be gone and/or supper busy the whole time. Yay for valid excuses to be in other rooms.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love my grandparents.  It’s just… They live in another world in another time, and don’t understand the one I live in.

Or the way the real world works. I’m speaking about culturally, and how the majority of the US does not have the mindset of the 50’s or 60’s. Granted, they live on a farm and rural life is pretty much all either of them have known – other than their visits to Portland and such.

Now, it has gotten better over the past few years, but I still have to brace myself for their visits and bite my tongue a lot when they are here.

But they still pretty much think the city/our culture is evil, and people with unnaturally colored hair, piercings other than the ears and tattoos are going to hell.

............

LOL, if they ever found out about half the stuff I watch/read/people I hang out with, or god forbid Fandom......... ::snerks and pints to icon:: I don't think I could ever look them in the face again. I think their ignorance in this area of my life, and the extremely amusing (in hindsight) scenarios that could play out - this is what is going to keep me going over the next few days. 
 

Bring it on.

Sloth. Hands down. I was going to get up at 8 or 8:30 this morning. I didn' get up until 9:40. ::hangs head:: Oh well, I try.