Birthdays

So we went out for Jon's 28th birthday. Just me and him, of course. We don't really have any friends here and I'm not very social any more. But I don't mind it just being the two of us.

We went out walking around in downtown Montreal. We didn't actually get out the door till almost 6 pm (laziness, mostly, slept in a lot 'cause Jon is ill), but still had fun. I got to buy Jon a new outfit and he looks good in it! And I bought him a necklace he thought was cool, too.

Then we had dinner at Reuben's, it's a steakhouse close to the mall we went to. Great food and service. I had a ribeye steak and Jon ordered a steak and cheese sandwich. We shared a 'chop-chop' poutine which was whoa! awesomely good! ('chop-chop' is apparently chopped smoked meat, I've never heard it called that before though.) Had to bring most back home 'cause we got so full from the poutine and salad.

I have all four volumes of Thrice's Alchemy Index now! I went and bought them yesterday with Jon, when we went out to the mall. I didn't end up finding anything for Kraken's birthday, though... the only things I could think of weren't in stores. So I'll probably end up ordering through Amazon, like he did for me. ^^ (I bought a card to mail him on Monday though! Yay!)

I'd hoped to buy some clothes, but I don't have much money to spare just yet. ;.; I did end up buying another album though -- the new Goldfrapp, Seventh Tree. I'm happy, because for this album Goldfrapp isn't focusing on the usual synth-pop / dance music that they've been doing with Black Cherry and Supernature. I actually got into Goldfrapp in the first place with Felt Mountain, which has less of the highly inorganic, manufactured sound (and is also darker in tone, I'd say, though Goldfrapp is always rather dark and abstract in lyrical theme).

But here's my impressions so far of the new Thrice!

Talking to sis this afternoon, I'm thinking that I'm way more intolerant than her. Hmm. I don't mean on a large scale (i.e. prejudice against certain types or groups of people, 'cause I tend to take a "do/be whatever you want, long as it doesn't hurt anyone" stance with that) but more on an individual scale.

Basically, she's more willing to put up with people than I am. Actually, I think plenty of people out there are more tolerant than me. I get easily annoyed by certain traits, and as soon as it registers to me that it bothers me, I just try to minimize or even cease communication.

I wonder if that makes me seem like I'm not giving people enough of a chance. Personally, though, I think there is a danger in being too permissive, as much as there is a consequence to shutting too many people out of your acquaintance.

...though, I'm not lonely any more, I've realized that much. Looking back on my old entries, I can't even fathom why I could have felt that way.

So, Kalli wrote me a late birthday present. :O

It's a ficlet! It also so happens to have some yuri in it. ^^ (Winry/Sheska, from Fullmetal Alchemist. Thooough, it also implies some Ed/Al -- yaoi AND incest, whoo -- as it follows the events of her other FMA fic, Agapē.) The dedication she wrote in the beginning is *really* touching, too... I truly appreciated it. Never thought I'd say "YAY my friend gave me yuri as a present." XD

Anyway, all that babble aside, here is the fic: Treading on Dreams. OH and both fics I just linked are FMA-spoily so beware!

Following on the odd and unexpected incest theme is this lil IRC log from a few hours ago that amused me. XD (I'm Mieu, and Minna is my RL sister, just so you understand).

Wow I've slept like 3 hours... this is bad. Geez...

I ended up working on this: the Soul Collectors Forum. Hrm. O.O It's really a forum for only like... 5 people... well maybe 6 or 7 if Wally and/or sis ever join later on. But forums still take some time to tweak.

I used MyBB. I had to do some manual updating of the BlackGold layout I used, through the Template -> Find Updated function in the Admin CP. There's actually three skins installed, one of which is a dark one, but the BlackGold one is the main one.

and it really. really. sucks.

I'm tired and I want to go to bed but I've been trying to transfer all my files and get used to Windows Vista and it's been really. REALLY. slow.

I've had to transfer files from hard drive to hard drive for the whole day.

Then there's the learning curve as I have to wade through undoing as much as I can of the increased dumbing-down that Vista tries to do (god, why do they try to make PCs more like Macs, NO NO NO!) that seems *less* intuitive rather than more. I don't even *get* why Application Data is split into Local, LocalLow and Roaming. WTF?

I'd be getting more angry except I'm so tired I'm beyond anger.

(Oh, but one bit of good/fun news: my machine is named "Saboteur", a homage to Seventeen, of course. *hearts*)

Well, I'm gonna be away for the night, staying at a hotel room with Jon. Which is rather romantic except that 1) my period started and I BET you guys wanted to know! and 2) the hotel room idea is at least partially because the hot water problem NEVER got fixed today. Yeah, great. n.n The first thing I'm doing when I actually get the room is *showering*.

It put me in a little of a bad mood today... well, okay, a lot. I was pretty miserable and I still feel pretty bad, but I'm going to try to enjoy the rest of the night at least.

Just finished talking to people before I go, sending off messages, etc. Thanks to everyone who gave me birthday wishes. Also, Kraken wins, he sent me a book on Ruby programming just like I'd hoped~ I'm pleased with it, it's an O'Reilly book and I can't wait to have time to sit down, crack it open and make use of it.

P.S. I'm playing DR again. Halcier, awesome guy that he is, gave me a link to a reviving Order that I may actually involve Talliska in. Sent my application, anyway, though I could end up being refused, or the interview could discourage me, etc. *shrug* But I made Talliska an IC journal with the new Wordpress 2.5 -- who knows, may actually use it regularly. n.n

Re: posting about Soul Collectors, I ended up attracting a little interest, though early enthusiasm doesn't mean longterm gaming. Kinda apprehensive 'cause I always feel scared when new people are involved. (I also feel like I jumped the gun a bit 'cause I REALLY wasn't expecting a response.. like. At all. n.n)

Well, I seem to have committed myself to a mid-late May start date, though. I guess I might as well jump in the deep end of the pool with this Ex2 thing!

All that aside, looks like I'm getting my new computer tomorrow! On my birthday! Lucky timing. Unless it's delayed, that is. That means even more chance for scarcity on my part, between setting up the new comp, wanting alone time and spending a day out with hubby for my 29th. (Augh. I'm old. Though, I've noticed that as I get closer to 30 I care a little bit less each time. I think it's because I'm realizing I might deserve some of the maturity that age suggests? As in, 20 year olds actually seem *young* to me. That revelation made me boggle, at first, then go "wow! that's pretty cool!" o.O)

Anyway, I'll try to pop on at least a lil' bit tomorrow though, on IMs/IRC. Like, before I leave to go out / before I switch compys.

*kicks inspiration* I'm going to beat this thing! gotta... write... ED descriptions... o.o I actually ended up reading every. single. entry. on that Passive-Aggressive site in the meantime. Shows you how I am procrastinaty today! ;.; But, I've got two days to work. I'm poking at Daran's desc now. Stone-man! :D

I am going to be glad for next week (is my birthday next Weds :O) cause I'll have cleared out most of what needs doing by then. Well, I'll have my unnamed Inish-chick for Fiat's 7th Sea game and my profile for Steamworks to do, but the former is progressing at a rather slow pace (Fiat being busybusy and WoW obsessed) and the latter should really only take me a couple hours to sit down and write. I mean, I could write a profile like what Kalli put out for Asten in that much time. ^^; Just gotta work out some nitpicky details for my guy first.

Also, Fiats is not one for longwinded sheets, either, so that is good.

Ohgoshand! Jon surprised me with a copy of Mana Khemia. EEEE IT'S OUT. AND MINE. I have to doubly resist playing it or I'll never write. :O

Games:
- Mana Khemia (PS2)
- Baroque (PS2)
- The World Ends With You (DS)

Music:
- Diamanda Galas, Guilty Guilty Guilty
- Portishead, Third (Ltd. Edition Boxed Set)
- Thrice, The Alchemy Index Vols I & II

Any cash I get will contribute to my computer upgrade, which *hopefully* I will be able to pay. Apparently my inlaws want to help with it, too, since they didn't know what else to give me for my birthday. Well, that works. I need all the money I can get! n.n

Also, I MAY get a Hosting Matters account as a treat to myself. Most likely the B500 package, which is $8 a month or $24 quarterly.

Details on the games/music/other stuff: