Beware, may prickle

And now I feel utterly awful. What have I done wrong universe? What could be so dreadful as to justify getting hit by a car and getting the flu in the same week. I was going to go meet people today. Get back on the road to recovery!. Damn it!

I'm sure everyone will be pleased to know that I'm doing well.

I've been spending most of my time sleeping and watching TV.

Mostly Greek which I have been meaning to catch up on for ages. So far I'm really enjoying it. Great characters and the only love triangle I have ever seen where you like all three people in the triangle. I mean one of them you think you are going to hate but now half the time I find myself liking him and even when he is being a douche you can understand why he is. The only annoying thing is that I downloaded it before the great computer crash of 2009 and thus I can only watch bits of my download, the rest I have to stream on mega video so lots of stopping and starting and going away for an hour. Grrr.

Still tired and achy.

Right bed now. Having spent a week hiding in my dorm (apart from TB's birthday dinner. It is amazing what a nice dress and some strategic hair placement can do to make you look good a day after getting run over) it is time to face the world again and actually socialise.

Yay!

So yesterday I got hit by a car.

I always thought that this sort of thing happened to other people but no, yesterday I got hit by an actual, honest to god car. It was red. After our rather intimate encounter it also had no number plate and a rather dented bumper. I only heard this second hand however as I was too busy sitting on the (wet) curb sobbing and generally being in shock. Oh and pain, there was that too. Due to being hit by a car I imagine. Only I didn't have to imagine because it had actually happened.

That last paragraph didn't make much sense did it?

Right start again.

First I'm not seriously hurt. My right foot is quite sore but they think it is just bruising. Both my knees have swelled up and the left one has five stitches in it. I've got scraps on my shoulder and a gigantic swollen black eye. Some of the bone round the eye might be cracked but they aren't sure. But you know it could have been a hell of a lot worse as the dent in the back of my helmet demonstrates. Seriously, wear your helmet kids! It will stop you dying!

So I was biking to uni to hand in my English essay. It is a straight road to uni and I was going down the hill, free wheeling, in the bike lane. I was going past a road on my left and a car turned into said road. I crashed straight into it. Didn't even have time to put my breaks on. Sort of remember going over the bonnet of the car very fast. Apparently I flew. Landed sort of sitting up on the curb on the other side of the road.

I decided that then would be a good point to burst into tears.

There were two little old ladies in the car and I can remember one of them opening the car door to ask if I was all right to which I replied "No, you just hit me with your car!" Then there were lots of people standing about and police turned up and I kept telling people that my laptop was in my backpack and that I needed to hand in my essay. Then some one found my phone and I called my boyfriend. Which you know was not the best call he has ever received. Especially since I was sobbing and in shock and not making a lot of sense.

He was at the uni so he ran to the bus stop, got the next bus and said to the driver "Sorry, I don;t have any money but my girlfriend has just been hit by a car." So apparently you get to ride for free if that ever happens to you.

He was an absolute star for the whole day.

And it was a whole day. It took a bout an hour for the ambulance to turn up but in the mean time I had a nice paramedic man looking after me. And TB checked my laptop which was still working and in much better shape than me. He also checked up on things like insurance stuff, got the police to phone my mum and asked the church near by to keep my bike safe. (Its a complete write off, cracked frame and bent front wheel, but better it than me.) When it did arrive the ambulance people were lovely. Put some rudimentary bandages on my knees. Which meant that I was now wearing leggings with very big holes in the knees. Don't think it started any fashion trend though.

Hospital was boring. Very very boring. I love the NHS but boy do you wait a lot. We got in to the hospital at about half one and didn't leave until at least half eight that night. All the people were brilliant but it was a case of being wheeled to wait in one room and then them changing their mind and taking you somewhere else to wait. We did get three sandwiches though.

Was back in for an eye clinic this morning and shall be taking at least a few days off uni.

Because you know, I got hit by a car and if that doesn't entitle me to a few days of R&R I don't know what does.

So a couple of days ago I decided to make sauce out of what ever food I had left. I was possibly the tastiest tomato sauce I have every had. So I'm recording it here for posterity and in case anyone else wants to try it. I honestly never thought I'd use this journal for recipes.
 

I onion 
tbs garlic paste
can of kidney beans
bits of old cooked pork and beef
whole mushrooms
can of chopped tomatoes 
half a tube of tomato puree
vegetable stock powder 
Italian Herbs
spinach 

Chop onion. Fry till tender. Add garlic paste. Add kidney beans. Stir with a plastic spoon for five minutes. Add meat and mushrooms. Add quite  a bit of the stock powder. Cook, until tender. Add chopped tomatoes. Cook, stirring for a while. Add tomato puree and herbs. Stir in spinach. Simmer. Serve with what ever takes your fancy. 

 So about a week or so ago I got half way through writing a review for a play I went to see down in London. Then I stopped. Two episodes of Merlin have gone by. My Cissy and Scops story is sort of sitting in beta because I haven't quite managed to send off the final draft yet. So yeah... university is slowly eating my fannish life. University and (say it quietly) a boyfriend. 

Sorry.

As for Merlin, it is enjoyable, I love Arthur to bits and the ladies need more screen time. Arthur/Gwen is my new favourite pairing and the fanfic continues to be better than the show in terms of quality and thought put in. 

I spent all of yesterday writing and essay for English then woke up this morning at 11.15 with the essay still only in electronic form and due in at twelve. So yeah that was very stressful.

Am currently in trampoline trying to sort out my routine for the friendly on Saturday.

There, a post, I feel very proud. 

Well mainly Merlin. First of all I just want to have a small breakdown about the hopefully temporary demise of my laptop. It was being slow and unresponsive and generally pissing about so I gave it a metaphorical boot up the arse by turning it off and turning it back on again. That is how you fix computers after all. Unfortunatly my laptop took issue with this and has decided that it likes the process of waking up so much that it is going to do that again and again and again in a continuous loop without ever actually, to extend the metaphor a tad further, getting the hell out of bed! Seriously I turn it on, it does its loading screen, picture of an apple, circle thing going round, loading, loading, funny "I is dead" noise, blank screen then we are back to the loading screen and the whole thing starts again.

Grrrr!

As you can imagine this has made me very unhappy. Am going to take it to the repair shop down the road that does Mac on Monday but still... why at the weekend laptop? Why?

So I watched Merlin on a friend's laptop and was cheered up at least a little.

( Merlin.... )

( Mildly spoilery Merlin babble )

Also they reason why I was several sheets to the wind last night was because I am at uni! Yayness! I have an international flat. There is a girl from Poland, a girl from Italy and a girl from Quebec. This is kind of cool and they all seem nice. Am currently unpacking the many, many boxes I brought with me so that the room is tidy before Freshers week really kicks in.

 And that feeling is not happy. 

( Lost Rant )

 I do not like my new haircut. Its too... blah. Quite like the fringe but the rest of it not so much... it is somewhere between boy cut and bob and when you've just got used to having it just to your shoulders that kind of cut just doesn't look right. It is just really annoying. I keep wanting to put it in a pony tail or something.

In other news I started watching Lost again. Have just watched the Juliet episode "The Other Women" and am slightly annoyed at the whole "Mine" thing. Also where is the Juliet/Sawyer that I keep seeing hints of around the internet. Do not want Jack/Juliet want Sawyer/Juliet or just Juliet. Why is Juliet not as awesome this season?  

 So I joined draco_asteria because if I am going to be writing about them I might as well make my scribblings available to those who would like to read them. Who knows I might actually get reviews! :-) Anyway I entered the drabble challenge this week. I can't tell you which one it is but I encourage you to head over there to show support. You can't tell who voted for which one so if you don't think that mine is the most fantabulous then I can't hunt you down with a pick axe. Which is good to know I think. 

Also any recs of LJ coms to do with Draco or post DH fic would be good. It is very frustrating to be back in a Harry Potter mood when everyone else on your flist is going: "God that is so, like, two years ago. Come on TV is the place to be now."

Also give me a character that I write and I will give you ten facts about them from my personal canon. It might be fun.

 I'v been off the grid for a while due to being away peer mentoring on a residential drama project for kids at risk of exclusion. It was, in case you wanted to know, amazing but absolutely exhausting. The kids ranged from sensible and mature to down right aggravating. However the other leaders were fantastic, we all bonded really well and had a blast whether we were moaning about the kids or having huge water fights. So glad I did it and will totally do it again next year.

In other news I have finished the spin off fic about Susan Bones giving Draco a job. It is unbetaed and it is actually the first time I've written Draco. Critique is much appreciated and I will eat up any comments you have with a spoon.

As always, characters aren't mine, they belong to JKR, I'm only trying to stick them back together after she broke them.

Title: TBC

( Read more... )

 

 

 So what have I been doing instead of writing all the things I need to write?

I have been surfing DeviantArt for pictures of people who could be Asteria.

( Cut for more stuff than you ever wanted to know about my thought process )

 I am now going to whine about how I miss forums.

( Bah humbug! )

Right a proper review now!

 

Things I loved:

( hings I loved: )

 Watched a Harry Potter movie without snarking about plot inconsistencies, bad acting or werewolves with bad hair. I actually had to shush the rest of my family for pointing out things that didn't happen in the book. Seriously guys this has never happened before, even in the first film which followed the books like a rather dumb puppy I got annoyed about various things, but this film? This film I loved to bits. I thought the acting was outstanding, the script didn't make me roll my eyes and some of the direction was breath taking. I sat there completely enthralled for pretty much all of the film and yes I do have some quibbles but they are fairly minor and didn't detract from my over all love of it.

I don;t have time to write up a detailed review at present but rest assured it will come. I actually can't wait to write it.

Stolen from cheesegirl33 
Pick your five favorite TV shows (in no particular order) and answer the following questions. Don't cheat!
1) Doctor Who

2) Firefly

3) Merlin

4) Blackadder

5) Green Wing

 

01. Who's your favourite character in 2? (Firefly)
What?! Its Firefly, gorram it how in the Verse do you expect me to answer that. I love all of them equally. OK fine, fine, if you are going to force me at gun point… Wash because, oh come on I can practically recite his dinosaur speech in the pilot episode. All together now DAMN YOU FOX!!!

02. Who's your least favourite character in 1? (Doctor Who),
I suppose this means least favourite reoccurring character because and I can’t say the entire crew of the ship is “42” for sheer boringness? Alright, Rose. *Ducks* Let me explain first before you lynch me! I did love her when she was a companion, I really really did, but partly due to fandom being really insane when it comes to her and partly to do with the fact that they Keep Bringing Her Back, I’ve just gone off her a bit. Sorry.

03.What's your favourite episode of 4? (Blackadder) The last episode of the forth season because well anyone who has watched it knows why.

04. What's your favourite season of 5? (Green Wing) The second season mainly because I’m a Mac fangirl and just...love...watching him...

05. Who is your favourite ship in 3? (Merlin)
Well unusually for a Merlin fangirl I’m not convinced that Arthur and Merlin are at it like bunnies and actually find myself wishing for a nice gen fic. I actually quite like fics that explore Arthur/Gwen because the way he says Gwenivere is the hawtest thing ever but really I don’t have any ships in Merlin. What can I say: I’m a special snowflake. 

06. Who is your antiship in 2? (Firefly)
River and Mal, which was why I was very disturbed when the movie came out and every one in the Pit started writing it. Its just they have developed such a father daughter relationship and that on top of River being all broken… ergh.

07. How long have you watched 1? (Doctor Who)
I’m a New!Who girl having been far to young to have watched the original series, so I started with season one of the new series, although I missed a couple of the first series out, still haven’t seen ghosts and Charles Dickens.

08. How did you become interested in 3? (Merlin)
I saw that it was the new BBC Saturday night family show and said to myself, well I suppose I have to give it a chance. I have to say that I did spend the first episode going “Specs? Tomatoes? What?” but then I turned that part of my brian off and just enjoyed the cute.

09. Who's your favourite actor/actress in 4? (Blackadder)
Again why does this have to be so hard? I think I have to say Rowan Attkinson because of his amazing facial expressions and wonderful line delivery but actually the entire cast is in third with Hugh Laurie a very close second. I just adore how wonderfully gormless he looks as George.

10. Which do you prefer: Show 1 or 2 or 5? (Doctor Who, Firefly or Green Wing)
I think it has to be Doctor Who. Firefly is amazing but doesn’t last for long enough and Green Wing is wonderful but I’m not fannish about it which adds so much to my enjoyment of a show. Although naked Mac on a motorcycle would almost make me reconsider. 

 
11. Which show have you seen more episodes of, 1 or 3? (Doctor Who or Merlin)
Doctor Who but just because it has more episodes.

12. If you could be anyone from 4, who would you be? (Blackadder)
I would be Queenie because of the pretty dress and the ability to chop off the head of anyone I didn’t like.

13. How would you kill off your favourite character in 1?
Um, well on one hand that is easy, the Doctor dies saving the universe, preferably in the arms of the Master and his says something like “Now who’s won” and the Master is convinced that he has actually died and is devastated but then he regenerates in to Matt Smith and goes “I would never” and then the Master goes “What? What? Must you force my to add child molestation to my list of crimes?” and then they have sex and the Master blows up something and runs away again. Yes I have put far too much thought in to this. But on the other claw, the Doctor and Donna are equal in my estimate   so… Donna dies of old age but before she does the Doctor gives her back her memories and takes her on one last journey then they return and she dies surrounded by her family.  

14. Give a random quote from 1? (Doctor Who)
“I’m part of Hermits United. We meet up every ten years to swap stories about caves, it’s good fun. For a hermit.”

15. Would a 3/4 crossover work? (Merlin/Blackadder)
There is not enough yes in the world. After all the wonderful thing about Blackadder is that he slips into absolutely any part of history. Perhaps Blackadder is one of the Knights of Camelot but does everything he can to get out of fighting mythical beasts, Darling is the store master and is suspicious of how much Blackadder’s horse eats and of course Blackadder is selling stores to the next Kingdom. And Baldrick is dirtier than any of the other peasants. And George is the nitwit who volunteers them to go off and fight a Basilisk or something. Or, or Blackadder is a wizard and they all have to avoid Darling the witch hunter. Someone should totally write that. 

16. Pair two characters in 1 that would make an unlikely but strangely okay couple. (Doctor Who) Jenny and Ross they could run around saving the world and making quips and awful puns! It would be great.

17. Has 5 inspired you in any way? (Green Wing) It has inspired me to love Mac… and motorbikes… and Mac on a motorbike… preferably naked.

18. Overall, which show has a better cast, 2 or 4? (Firefly or Blackadder) Oh God. I hate this meme with the passion of a thousand fiery burning suns! Right, Blackadder because all cast members went on the become British institutions and are right up there with tea as reasons to live in Britain. 

19. Which has better theme music, 3 or 5? (Merlin or Green Wing) Um… can’t say I really noticed the music in either of them. Green Wing because it is quite cool when they do the fast motion stuff and that has music.

 

I have no internet at home and will not for "a working week" which is internet people speak for "not until next Tuesday. I am currently using the Wifi at our local second hand book shop but I doubt that I shall be able to persuade my mum to drive me into town everyday. 

I'm... I'm not sure how I will cope with this. On one hand it may force me to work on my various WIPs but on the other how will I look up all the random facts I need like what Draco's NEWTs were or who might have been in Astoria's year. No people to talk to about what kind of person Scorpius might be or talk to about my current mad idea for what Draco's job will be.

I... I think I might cry.

 Or Family Traditions make me happy.

At Christmas we open our stockings on our parents bed and my mum complains about being woken up too early. At Easter we use boiled eggs to make strange creations and then win all the prizes at the village show. And in the summer we pack up several tonnes worth of food, put on several layers of warm clothes and go to Wallington to watch an open air performance by the Illyria Theatre Company. You are Welcome to take a look at their website.

This became a tradition several years ago when we went on a whim and sat on a picnic blanket with one thermos of tea and felt really inadequate in comparison to the people next to us who seemed to have brought a four course meal which they ate while sitting on chairs at a table and drinking glasses of champagne. We have not quite gone that far yet but someday... someday.

Last night my mum and I had enough trouble trying to make coronation chicken. We did eventually get to Wallington after a couple of hours of running round the house searching for blankets, filling flasks and thrusting spoons of coronation sauce at people to taste.

The play itself was wonderful as always. Six people acted out both the Three Musketeers and the Four Musketeers in three hours. There were amazing sword fights, intrigue, drama and bags and bags of laughs. Maybe it is because of all the quick costume changes they have to do but this companies productions always have so much energy. Last year we went to see Pride and Prejudice, again with only six people, and it was ten times better than that Ikea Knightly film of which we do not speak. They even gave a little prologue which told us that despite being compressed so much only six lines in the play were not taken verbatim from the book and as one of those lines was a joke about how Darcy liked to go swimming in his shirt I think that we can forgive them that.   

Title: The Language of Flowers

Disclaimer: Characters owned by JKR. The meanings of the flowers found here: The Language of Flowers - What they mean

Spoilers: for all of Harry Potter

Characters: Andromeda et all

Summary: Andromeda gives flowers when she has no words.

Rating: PG 13

 

 

 

( When I have no words I give flowers. )