Under Sea Garden

I have a cold again. Which seems like the only time I post here, but I feel there are a few folks I have been lax in talking to recently and they should know why.


Also, Facebook totally owns me. Wow so fun and weird and fun and random all the people from high school and college that I've found. Though mostly college. Awww, I miss Kenyon.


Let's see, other news since I'm here and coherent for a few minutes in a row...

- Dad got a MacBook today for when school starts at the end of the month (he's going to be 57 on the first of October and this will be his first quarter at UCSD where he'll be getting a BA in English Literatures. I'm kind of stupid proud of him).

- Dad's MacBook came with a free iPod Nano. Which he gave to me. It's blue and named Ben and I <3 both it and my papa for being so sweet to me.

- Karot has been working lots this summer and between us we've managed to have some fun, visit some people close by, and spend some really quality time with both our families.

- Karot's Grandmother died the day after labour day, but everyone is holding up well. We spent time with her parents and it was just nice. Also, I think they don't hate me, so that leaves me thrilled in an entirely selfish way.

- My own Gma turns 93 this upcoming Tuesday, and I'm pretty stoked on that. She's had shingles for the past couple of months, which has been rough, but she's pulling along okay and just as wacky as ever. My parents are spending pretty much all their free time up at her place now, and it's interesting to watch my mother go from indulgent to frustrated to just resigned all in the space of five minutes. She has the patients of a saint, that woman.

- Bear is in Colorado right now and the family all miss her and I've finally, finally come to terms with the fact that my kid sister is the Gold Child. 'Cause she is. But somehow I'm really proud of her for that. I have this life that I'm insanely happy with, and if she can go out into the world and make her music and find that same thing for herself, then I know she'll be okay no matter what.

- We now own seven fish. Seven. This is officially the end of the line because there's just no where else to put another fish. Except for that one spot with the empty bowl on the bookcase. But we're saving that for when we find a little girl fish we just have to take home. For the time being it's staying empty.

- Today I finished reading Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird, which was exactly what I needed. Despite the fact that she says over and over all these things I already know about writing and the writing process she does it with such good humour and irreverance that it just hit home. I think I may actually have to go and get some work done sometime soon. Woe is me.

- Karot (who is sitting on the sofa with me and being sympathetic despite my constant whining about how my head is full of snot) would like it noted that just the other day we watched My Neighbors the Yamadas, and loved every minute of it. It's not often that you find movies like this, stories that told for the sheer joy of the moment, with genuine whimsy. That's right, it's whimsical, and perfectly lovely. There's laughter that stems from the truth of family, and other moments that nothing more that happily absurd. There is even one perfect scene of quiet personal tragedy that made me smile because of the truth of it all.

- Karot starts school at the end of the month with my dad, and she's getting geared up for it slowly but surely. It means fewer work hours but more time doing work at home. It also means more time figuring out work schedules and bus routes and all kinds of things. It also means I get to wander around campus and pretend I'm a student. ...I wonder if I'll run into Papa. Heh.

- "High School Musical 2 was a disappointment and Corbin Bleu is still gay." Both of Karot's statements are true, though I would have to add that I did love the bit in the movie where Chad and Ryan traded shirts between scenes. I want to know what went down in the locker room to make that happen.

- Vanessa Hudgens, star of the previously mentioned HSM world, recently made the news because someone leaked naked pictures she took of herself when she was like 15. What makes this amazing was that my dad knew about it.

Scene: *follows a conversation between Karot and myself about Ashley Tisdale and how we <3 her while in the car with dad after work today*
Dad: *driving* Yeah, some Disney girl had naked pictures on the internet--
Me and Karot: Vanessa!
Dad: --They said it was going to ruin her career but I don't buy it. I'd never even her of her before now.
Me and Karot: *give him gossipy details on the story*
Dad: Well, times sure have changed. I mean, it's not like that's not how she is all the time under her clothes anyway.
Karot: Magic nakedness!
Dad: Heh.

- The KFC across the street from us is now surrounded by a chain-link fence with a large white banner reading, "Closed for remodeling" and then address of the next closest KFC. This would be less wildly entertaining if the building were, in fact, still standing. You rather reassess your definition of "remodeling" when faced with a lot composed of nothing more than one unlit KFC bucket and a whole lot of dirt.

- My only real concern with the new Pod is that I'll get too caught up in listening to Prairie Home Companion podcasts or something and forget to look before crossing the street and die.


That about sums it up for meaningful content over here. It's time for dinner and then bed (boo work at 7am I'm still not sure I'll be well enough to go to), besides which all those fish need feeding too. Maybe that's why it looks like they're all giving me the stink-eye from the tops of their bowls.

So that I don't have to write it:

In which Jae totally kicks Bobby Flay's ASS and Iron Chef is never the same.



Unf, subconscious, unf.

ranalore and I ran errands today and then went by my parent's place to say hi and bug them for a little while. Randomly, however, there are two skateboards in the living room.

Me: *as I walk past them* Hey, what's with the boards? Are they Jack's?
Dad: No, Christopher's. We've got them 'cause he's being punished.
Me: Heh.
Dad: We've also keeping his science experiment.
Me: You've got his what?
Dad: Naty found it in his room asked what it was. He said it was a "science experiment." She brought it over here to check.
Me: . . .
Me: Wait! You guys still have it?!
Dad: It's just little. *he holds his hand up, thumb and first finger three or four inches apart*
Me: *turn to mom for some kind of more reasonable answer* ...
Mama: *The world's most innocent expression ever*
Me: I can't believe you're keeping it!
Dad: What?
Me: Oh my god.
Mama: *laughs*
Rana: *has slowly been collapsing from giggles*
Dad: *wanders off to fix a light bulb somewhere*
Mama: *lets me change the subject slightly and completely blowing off what I've just learned*
Me: *omgwtf my parents are insane*

THAT'S RIGHT. MY PARENTS ARE GROWING MARIJUANA IN THE BACK YARD.

No, really, I've got a possum in a bucket in my backyard and I don't know what to do.

Suggestions?


The poodles (who are currently locked in the bathroom and not at all happy about it) cornered this possum and it climbed into one of those five gallon black plastic pots plants come in from the nursery (Dad's a landscaper and there's tons of that stuff laying around here), but now I don't know what to do with it.

Can I just take a the rake and knock the pot over and hope the possum runs out? I can't leave for work with the poodles in the bathroom because that would be just cruel. But I can't really leave the possum out there either.

I really, really don't want to pick up a little plastic bucket full of really freaked out possum.


...animal control? How does a person decide if it's worth calling animal control?


*flails and runs off to see if the five minutes this took to write was enough to make the possum leave on it's own*


ETA I: Possum still in bucket. I went next door and the very nice neighbors gave me the box their new coffee pot had come in and I'm going to see if I can tip the possum into the box. ...Yeah, that's kinda what I said, but hey, I've gotta start somewhere.

ETA II: Okay, no. That box is so not strong enough to hold what is, on closer inspection, a very, very large possum. Gah! What am I supposed to do?
...Okay, I'm going to google animal control. Just to see... *faceplams and relies on the internets like the good little nerd she is*

ETA III: Solution. Find a box trolley/dolly/lifter thing and wheel the possum (still in bucket) to the little gated area off to the side of the house. Let small dogs out of bathroom.
Problem. Discover that there's a hole in the fence between yard and gated off area and yard. Put dogs back inside. Bedroom this time.
Solution: Get out ...box lifter, and move possum (still in bucket) all the way to the front yard and store under some bushes. Prepare to release dogs a second time.

Have just finished mainlining the whole of Weiss Kreuz: Gluhen with ranalore.


Oh. My. God.


Starting at about episode eight -- all episodes before this point can be summed up in three letters. W, T and F -- it the plot started to maybe pretend to ride the logic trolley, at by ten I realized why it was that I cared about these boys and the last episode. Oh, the last episode left me in tears.

My BOYS. *flail!*

The chances of a coherent review or opinion are roughly zero, but I can say the following:

1) KEN!
2) Dude, Crashers? "They blow shit up, so you don't have to."
3) Youji, you had me worried for a while their buddy, but, I never should have doubted you.
4) Omi, Omi, Omi. I hate to break it to you kiddo, but Aya's just not interested. Also? Your Grandpa sucks eggs.
5) KEN! And Aya! And the airport and the "I'll hold him while you--" *puddle of wibble*
6) No one makes a better entrance than Schwarz. Nobody.
7) The Omi wannabe had to die. His rent-boy costume didn't match the rest of the team.
8) Youji, I hate your hat.
9) ...did anyone else notice that the Crashers had a Hakkai?
10) ...Okay, yeah. It's still Ken. Man does that boy ever need a hug. Preferably from Aya.

It is very hard to make out with someone when all you can hear in your head is Clint Eastwood making snide comments.

"Do you feel lucky, punk? Well, do ya?"


I think I might have actually gotten lucky too if it weren't for him.


XD

Because my dad's Spanish final was a little too much for some of you...


( I did a little translating. )

In the car on the way home from the airport tonight...


Bear: ...and then I remembered, tattoos aren't for seasons.






Oh yes, the Bear has returned from college for Christmas break.

These icons fall into existence in the following order:

1 and 2: For those out there wanting happy love icons. Ohyeah.

3 and 4: For karotsamused. Because. ...*coughsnerkcough*

5: For miss wordsofastory, because she asked me for an icon with this picture. Yeah, I know, I stole the lyrics from the Tatsumi song, but still.


1. 2.

3. 4.

5.



ETA: For Karot...

I call home. XD

Me and Mama: *have nice conversation about her new car*
Me: So can I talk to Papa?
Mama: *deadpan* Only if you beg.
Me: ...wha'?
Mama: Beg for it.
Me: ...Plleeeeaaase? Mama, come ooooon.
Mama: Nope, not enough.
Me: But Mama, I looooove you. Pleeeeeease, please can I talk to him?
Mama: ...I don't know.
Me: Awwww, you're mean!
Mama: No, I finally learned how to get stuff.
Me: *hmph*
Me: I looooooove you.
Mama: *smug* I know.
Me: NOW can I talk to him?
Mama: Wash your car.
Me: *facepalm*