Cor, it's been a while...I think I'll just say you should consider this journal on hiatus. I don't ever seem to have the time or compunction to write in it anymore.

Lalalalalaaaaaaaaa, it's sunny, I'm having a BBQ with the family, and so far, we haven't had a fight with each other - things are looking up :D

Sometimes I really dislike being the acting chief 'mother' of my group of friends - firstly, I'm the youngest, so wtf? Why am I the mum? And secondly, OH GOD is it stressful trying to control the sodding lot. I gave up in the end last night, and now I think some people will have done things that they wil later regret, and I feel terrible for giving up on mothering.

Cannot win.
Off to Mordor.

OK everyone, just so you know, this hobbit is off to Mordor Cardiff, in order to destroy the one ring visit her Munchkin sister and be generally tiny together girly for a while. So, from tomorrow evening (being Wednesday) until Sunday evening, I shall be largely absent (well, even moreso than normal anyway!) from the glorious internet, and if anyone needs me, they're going to have to either text or email, and hope for the best I'm afraid!

OMG, just back from a concert with FYC and Gondwana (Australian choir) - AMAZING! I now have all of no voice and I don't care cos I got to sing sing sing, yay!

(Slightly less hyper entry sometime later on...maybe...)

YAY! I am a geek for teh singing!

I've just realized that I haven't actively participated in fandom for getting on for six or seven months now (sporadic updates on THTBTS notwithstanding). I've also noticed that I keep gravitating towards HP as the release of the book gets closer and closer, and that I'm drifting away from my beloved Zelda. I need to find a way to remedy this, and soon, or else that's going to be yet another fic that I'll never finish, and I can't do that again! I mean, for one thing, I love my Shadow and my Rufus, and, Dragmire, Marie, Quill...all of the randomers that I've thrown into the Zelda-verse! I can't leave them stranded now, can I?

Having said that, I still love Alexis, Loki and male!Sheik, but I abandoned them years ago to the unfinished fic graveyard...

I'm going to go on a hunt for the N64, and pump myself full of the Zelda goodness before I fall out of fandom for good! Don't worry, my lovely, complicated, convuluted (and sodding longwinded) fics, I shall return with fangirl fervour, I swear!!

Cor, it's been a while since I last had a good old entry on this here journal, hasn't it? It's weird, but now that it's summer, and I have all of nothing to do (barring, of course, work, socialising, and prancing around whenever the sun shows it's face), I find that I don't really go online at all... And yet, during the year, when I should be studying/doing important things/forcing myself NOT to buy things from Amazon (and then buying them anyway because OMG debit cards are indescribably evil and DVDS unbelievably tempting...), I will go online, and throw myself into the worlds of ffnet, facebook and lj, simply to prolong the time in which I won't be doing work. Now that I no longer need to prolong that time, I find that the effort of turning on the laptop on the first place is just too much!

It's weird how the summer apathy seems to strike me like that every year. For a good couple of months, I tend to fall under the radar, and as soon as September arrives, I pop back up! I suppose I should really be trying to do something incredible, like, I always say that I'm going to finish one of my novellas one of these days (or, God forbid, I *could* complete THTBTS...or even...Thievery [gasp]), or I'll finish teaching myself guitar (as much as I like to kid myself, fifteen chords doesn't mean I've conquered the ruddy thing), or I'll make more use of the gym membership I always seem to buy (aka: I won't trail off going after four weeks...)

But, because I'm not procrastinating in order to put something off...well...I end up procrastinating from procrastination. How lazy is that?!

Add to this the fact that I really do not seem to fit in with the people I left behind - they're still my friends, I still adore them, but... I'm different I suppose: so are they... And that seems strange to me, because I would neevr have noticed it before I went away, because I would have been there and seen the changes happen, so they wouldn't be so weird... (Please ignore this angsty-teen-brain-splurge-thing I have going on here. I've been alone at home for so long I think I may be going a liiiiiiiittle crazy here!)

Blah, blah.

Suffice to say, I'm feeling quite apathetic, and if you don't hear from me for a while, just assume I'm alive and well - I'll just be being lazy, and that's normal.

Yarr! It be me, the wench in the Netherlands, reporting in from the continent!

...I have no idea where the pirate-speak has come from, but I don't think I could keep it up for a whole entry, so that'll have to do (yarr!) I've just snatched a few moments (and Gwenda's laptop) to touch base with you crazy online-type-people... Mainly because I know I don't update enough, and I'm worried that people may think I have died (especially THTBTS followers - I'm sorry, I WILL update when I get back to Blighty and can type up my scribbled down nonsense). But I'm also updating to make generally high-pitched and excited sounds (aka: the squee) about my stay here so far.

Simply amazing!! This holiday has been so good, that I don't really mind having to work for the rest of the summer :D Cos this holiday more than makes up for any I might have missed! YAY Netherlands!! (Though I am missing my Sheffield even more now, because it's so hilly and wonderfully contoured, and here...well...isn't. OH, I do miss my hills and pretty landscapes! I'm going to have to find a nice big hill when I get back, and run down it at full pelt I think ;) hehehe!)

Anywho, I'm going to get back to what I'm supposed to be doing (cooking a cake: I swear, wherever I go, I always seem to end up cooking! Soon, they're all going to start calling me 'Mum' here as well - oi vei!) so so long for the moment.

PS: OMG, just having had a peek at facebook, I'm astounded at all the gossip I've already missed. So many new couples! GLEE! I'm going to be such a gossip whore when I get back, so, please, make sure you're ready to spill all the juicy details to me when I start poking you all ;) YAY holidays!

PPS: I miss my Anna...and my Fi-fi...and even my Steve! In fact, I miss everyone! This calls for drastic action on my return. Consider my house open to visitors as soon as I get back! :D

Oh my goodness, I'm going to be on a plane in just under five hours. ARGH! Flying all by myself as well :S Here's hoping I don't end up sitting next to someone nasty on the plane!

Gwendagwendagweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeendaaaaaaaaaaa! You get to see me soon, and then you have to put up with me for eight whole days! :P YAY!

[Flails.] I really don't want to leave Sheffield! I've become ridiculously attached to this place, and especially the good old shoddy dwellings of Woodvale. :( There are so many people that I'm going to miss terribly, some of whom I'm not even sure I'll get to see except if we bump into each other walking on the street next year! [Sniffles pitifully.] Ah well, at least I've already extended invitations and had quite a few extended to me, so hopefully I'll get to see a few people over the holidays! 

I'm looking forward to going home, even though I don't want to leave - which makes all of NO sense, I know! But, it will be good to see the old house again, even if it's looking to be a lonely and pretty boring summer (trip to emirall's aside, that is :D soon now!) 

[Wibble.] Last night was good though! I think my parents may have cottoned on to the fact that I'd been drinking for most of the day, and I really hope they don't want me to be talkative in the car, because I've had very little sleep! Ended up helping a mate with his packing (oh, bless Will, he just needed someone to bully him into actually doing it!), and having a couple of miniature naps during the packing process. Am oh so tempted to just snooze all the way in the car!

Oh, I really can't believe I've been here a year! It seems like only yesterday when I arrived, terrified out of my wits that I wouldn't like it/wouldn't make any friends/would fail like WHOA! But now I don't want to leave, because I love it here, I've made a whole load of friends, ranging from library buddies to drinking buddies, picnic buddies, and general all-round buddies to hang out with. And, (as far as I know, anyway - don't get my results until July) I haven't failed anything. 

Bah, I'd better stop being a procrastinating wench and actually put this laptop away! And that'll be all of my room packed up! [Smug look.] I knew starting three days before I went home was a good idea!

OK, back off to Surrey I go... Goodbye lovely Sheffield, I shall not see you for four months...

A week and two days!! 

[Faints.]

emirall knows what I'm on about ;)

Also, I'm hilariously unprepared for my exam tomorrow - I had intended on going over my notes and reading and being swotty today...but my will only extended to some half-hearted highlighting whilst sitting out in the sun. Oh well! At least I started long enough ago that I actually learnt something along the way. *Hopefully* enough to pass, at least!

It's weird, but one of the things I'm most looking forward to when I get home in just over a week is sitting on the sofa. Mainly because I don't have a sofa of my own, so it's been a while since I last sat on a properly comfy seat!

Also, I may have to be surgically removed from the piano, I've missed it so much!

EDIT: Also, I'd forgotten why I liked lj for a while there - it's good to have mods who are actually useful! (Will refrain from making the obligatory 'pit of voles' joke...) Thank you mods for both admitting that you were a bit hasty, and for fixing it :D

First off, I'm feeling in a very pleasant and magnanimous mood, because I've managed to uncover my favourite pair of comfy pjyamas, after having lost them in my university room for a couple of weeks. So, I've had the lovely experience of slouching around like a bum in my pjs, watching films and completely ignoring the revision that I was supposed to be doing. (Luckily, I've gotten in six hours already today, so I don't have to feel particularly guilty about that!) I've even consumed copious amounts of tea - with liberal amounts of milk, and a spoonful of honey per cup - tonight, so am feeling nice and relaxed. 

However, that doesn't mean I'm not going to release a little of my vitriol at the recent spate of community and journal deletions by the powers that be here on lj. Being someone who wafts around in various fandoms - most notably Labyrinth, Zelda, Firefly/Serenity and, of course, Harry Potter - I come across quite a lot of stories that border the line between legal/illegal. However, I also know that stories about chan/incest/rape/murder etc are just that - stories. Members of fandom have particular kinks and squicks, and the tags and interests of various communities and journals allow them to find something will cater to their individual needs! But, if people are in fear of being banned/deleted, then some of these many useful tags and interests may find themselves deleted in a desperate bid to stay on lj. And that means that people can't find the communities and journals anymore, so there's probably little point in them existing at all. 

The mods need to start thinking carefully about this seemingly blanket approach to targeting 'illegality' on their site. Otherwise there will whole clumps of fandom flouncing off in a huff, just like they did when fanfiction.net did much the same thing a few years back. There are some big movers and shakers who've never returned to the pit of voles (alas, I can't tear myself away from the place - it was my first real venture in fandom after all!), and I would hate to see the same thing happen here on lj. There are quite a few people whom I believe the fandoms will sorely miss...

^ As I said, I'm too relaxed to be particularly cutting/sarcastic/witty tonight - I don't think you'll need to look very far to find a very good rant about this though, so be gone into the wilds of lj and have fun my dears! 

I think this is a lot more accurate than when I last took the test...especially the bit about older men O.o I honestly wish I knew WHY they singled me out :S

The Dirty Little Secret Deliberate Gentle Sex Master (DGSM) Innocent but fundamentally sexual, like the word "finger". You are the Dirty Little Secret. Few women have the confidence for sex mastery, and among nice girls, like you, it's almost unheard of. So congratulations. You've had plenty of adventures, but you've remained a kind, thoughtful person. Your friends appreciate your exploits. They even live vicariously through you. Your exact female opposite: The Wild Rose Random Brutal Love Dreamer You seek pleasure, but you're not irresponsible. You are organized and cautious, and you choose your lovers wisely. One, you don't like dirtbags. And two, you like to maintain control. Or at least lose it selectively. You might notice that older men single you out. They have an eye for your sensual nature. Take it as a compliment. You enjoy making people happy, and it's inevitable that many guys will fall harder for you than you for them. You're not completely comfortable in a serious, long-term relationship right now. Our guess is that the key to extended happiness will be finding a responsible, but kinky, mate. ALWAYS AVOID: The Hornivore (RBSM), The Manchild (RBLD), The Last Man on Earth (RBSD) CONSIDER: The Bachelor (DGSM), The Backrubber (DGSD) Link: The Online Dating Persona Test @ OkCupid - free online dating.

I don't know how I manage to do it, but at times I can be so naive it's ridiculous. 

I think I need to learn that not everybody I meet in this world is going to be trustworthy and true to their word. 

I feel like an idiot, and I feel used. God only knows what I was thinking.

My first exam is in 8 days, and I haven't started revising for that one yet - I stupidly started revising for GEO103 rather than GEO108. [Headdesk.] Ah well! I also have an essay, a project, and a story to finish this week. GAH! You'd think I would have learned by now that I shouldn't leave all my work to the last minute! I probably shouldn't be procrastinating on here either...

But I just had to give a little squee. Because I looked at the calender this morning and went "OMG, I'm going to be at emirall's this time next month!" So, even though I have yucky exams and work to do, I feel happy :D YAY! SO excited!

Now I just need to try and get some Dutch to stay in my head, so that I can be polite and be able to say things like 'please', 'thankyou', 'pleased to meet you', and especially 'thankyou for letting me stay (and your daughter is awesome!)'. I wish I was good at languages :S I'll have to write it all phonetically on my hands when I'm on the plane, and then cunningly read it out when I meet them at the airport ;) And I have to remember to speak properly, rather than reverting to this weird Sheffield-Surrey slangy nightmare of language that I speak at the moment!

I don't care even if I make a fool of myself though - because I get to see emirallTalk about an amazing start to the summer!

YAY!

Good God, I've actually updated. All right, it's been a while, and everyone who read it will have gone off somewhere, but I UPDATED!

The hero, the broken, the saviour
Chapter 25
Together: A cunning plan

Hurrah, it's finally getting into sunny weather! Have been poncing around in a skirt and vest-top all day, and I think I might need surgery to detach myself from my sunglasses, hehe. It's so fun wearing them, because you can spy on people and they'll never know (so cunning!)

The job interview turned out to be more of a chat, so all that research I did was completely useless: didn't get to show off at all! [Grumble!] Ah well, I've got work there anyway, so it's all turned out all right. And the lady I taked to seemed really nice - in fact, most of the people I saw hanging out in the council offices seemed smiley and nice (might have been because it was sunny and near the end of the day) - so at least I should be able to make some new friends. Plus, I'm working with other new people, so we get to learn everythng together as we go along. Looking forward to it!

I'm also looking forward to summer, but dreading it at the same time :S It'll be awesome, because I get to visit emirall, and hang out with my friends at home, as well as meet up with my university flatmates whenever we have free time... BUT it'l be horrible, because I'l be leaving Woodvale behind, and I have the horrible feeling I'll lose loads of the lovely friends I've made :( which makes me sad. So, this summer is going to be a mixed one I think (I'm dreading learning to drive as well, eep! I'm clumsy enough just walking around...think of the damage I could do with a car for goodness sake!)

There's not really anything else interesting, so I shall point all of you people outside to enjoy the sun!

Whoo, boy, I'm feeling pretty jittery and nervous right now (hence why I won't be going to sleep until an obscene hour yet again!) 

I've got an interview for a job at Hart district council over the summer tomorrow afternoon, and I've been sitting here, trying to swot up about the district for most of the evening! The problem is, I'm not actually a citizen within the Hart boundaries (I'm under a completely different council), so I really, really hope that they don't try to ask me specific questions about where things are or my opinions of their schemes when it comes to day-to-day life. If they ask me questions about environmental safety, planning, or public services, I'll be fine...just so long as I'm not quizzed on legislation and scary things like that, 

[Flails and panics.]

I think I need to do more swotting... Though, I will say, the 'Hart to Hart' comment scheme is actually pretty nifty... I probably only think that because my council is a bit stuffy and doesn't do much. 

Fingers crossed I don't make a complete idiot of myself tomorrow :S Cos, if all else fails, it looks like I'm going to have to waitress over the summer, and that's not going to add much to my CV...

Thank God the site is actually updated regularly, or else I'd be screwed - yay informationy goodness!