In which I Spaz while wearing a Harry Potter themed sweatshirt...

So, I was perusing the interwebs the other day and found this interesting article comparing women in main stream television shows vs women in science fiction. Sure there are flaws with it but, over all, I find it fascinating. Before you think I am going off on a feminist rant I'll have you know that I am not a feminist. I just feel that strong female role models are few and far between now-a-days, especially when I hear young girls talking about 'Snooki' and the like as role models.

I also find it amazing that young girls are now becoming obsessed with their weight and their image. (And before you yell at me and tell me that it's boys as well I have no doubt about that but I can only tackle one thing at a time.) Now that I'm teaching I see it on a daily basis.

But this has become far too serious for me on a Friday night. I'm sitting in front of the heater, wearing my brand new sweatshirt that looks like this. (It's awesomesauce). I'm contemplating doing some 'exercise' on the Wii which pretty much means that I want to spaz out and pretend I have skills to dance. Actually, I can dance relatively well. At least I don't look like someone suffering a series of electric shocks though I have been known to pull out the Carlton dance every so often.

Come on, admit it. If you are a child of the 80s or 90s you know this dance. And, because this post couldn't possibly get any more strange I shall add this just for memories sake.

I shall leave you now since it is Friday and, if this post hasn't already convinced you, I have gone a little kooky.

Have a super duper awesome weekend every single one of you!

Casper...the car who craps out a lot.

I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. I laughed, I cried and I vaguely enjoyed.

There will be no spoilers from me since I prefer the books over the movies one hundred billion million times. It was the end of an era in a way but that is that. I enjoyed it enough to want to own it on DVD and, probably because it has an ending, it was one of my favourites out of all of them.*

Onto other more random news. I drive. I drive a rather crappy and somewhat unreliable Nissan Pulsar. Casper, as he is named, serves me well at getting from point A to point B on most days. However, on chilly mornings like today he occasionally has ice issues.

What happens is that I'll be cruising along and suddenly a small internal part will freeze and my car will suddenly lose all power. I will have my foot ramming the accelerator but nothing will happen. Actually, something will happen...Casper will get progressively more slow until I have to pull over and turn him off and on.** Normally, that only happens once and he's fine but this morning was a different matter.

So, here I am, driving to a different school since it is a teacher's only day and all the English Departments from the local schools are having a meeting together, when my car does its little dying thing. This is fine until it decides to do it a second time, which results in me calling it varying names which I will not repeat here.

Casper decides to work after this. I'm not under the belief that my threats and growls made him ashamed of his behaviour but he did work. Unfortunately, this is not the first time that Casper has decided to mess with my mind. There was the time that he broke down on my birthday last year and I had to drive my mum's car (whom I call Hank) to Hamilton with no music. No fun.

Then there was the time that I broke down on forty minutes from home but in an area with no mobile reception. Luckily I managed to fix it myself, all MacGyver like in my skills. There are many other tales I can add and I can hear you asking, why don't I buy a new car? Well, the simple answer is that Casper works well enough for me at the moment. The other answer is I'm rather broke and a new car just isn't in the budget at the moment...plus Casper is, nearly, my first car.

Anyway, it's Friday afternoon and I think I'm going to play with my Wii...*** Until Monday, my dear readers, take care and have a great weekend.

*My real favourite, both in novel and movie form, is always going to be Prisoner of Azkaban. But that is neither her nor there.
** Read into that however you want.
*** Seriously, that never gets old.

Of unexpected hats and the ending of things...

One of my good friends made a hat for me. Seriously. She knitted this amazing slouch hat for me and attached some seriously awesome badges.

And, because I'm feeling a little daring today I will add another photo...of me...eek.

It's me...please don't be scared. (I straightened my hair because it turned into a poodle shaped mess due to the rain...)

Anyway, I like my hat. You hear that, friend, I love my hat! Oh, please ignore the Australian shaped clock in the background. I am definitely a kiwi, I promise. Also, you can just see a small selection of my DVDs hiding in the background there. As previously mentioned, they are all alphabetised because I am actually that insane.

In other news, the final Harry Potter film starts in NZ tomorrow and I'm going to see it with my mum. She was the one who got me into HP to begin with so it seems fitting that we see the final film together. I mean, I even called her from London the minute I had my copy of Deathly Hallows and we compared notes and our views on the ending of that book. I'm still of two minds of it but that's neither here nor there.

I'm a bit worried about how I will feel once the final film has been watched and then purchased on DVD. I can't truly say that I've grown up with Harry Potter since I started it mid way through high school but I can say that it has truly changed me - hopefully for the better. It's made me more proud to be who I am.

Anyway, I'm sure many of you are sick of hearing about it so I won't go on. I will let you know my thoughts on Friday after I've seen the last film - I promise there will be no spoilers.

Until Friday, folks. I'm going to chill for the afternoon admiring my hat and the fact that my head is now cosy and warm.

Peace and pancakes.

Five Things That Have Made my Day...

Seriously busy today so this is going to be super rushed.*So, here goes the five things that have made my day today...

One - Downloading some Harry Potter music or Wizard Rock. (Wrock) And some Hunger Games tunes. I knew about ALL CAPS, The Moaning Myrtles etc but only just found Alex Carpenter, Ministry of Magic and Muggle Relations. So I have been bopping around to some sweet new tunes and indulging in geekery.

Two - Seeing people at the craft market who have known me since I was a baby. They always go out of their way to say hi and ask how my life is going. They're like substitute aunts and uncles.

Three - Wearing my favourite pair of shoes that remind me of my family over in the States. They're my first ever pair of Converse. (I normally never buy labels cause I dont' see the point or don't have the money but these were the best buy, ever. They're my dancing shoes.)

Four - Knowing that I have Star Trek (JJ Abrams movie) waiting for me in the DVD player. I was watching it yesterday but got super busy with the fish and chips and then the writing.

Five - Jeph Jacques' amazing webcomic series Questionable Content It is pure brilliance. It's a great way to procrastinate and the evolution of the drawing is so neat to see. Plus, Faye, Hannalore, Marten and co seem like they'd be really fun in real life, if somewhat crazy.

So, leave me a comment and let me know what has made your day today cause I'd like to know. It may have been trivial but sometimes these little things make or break your day.

*Had the Ohope Craft market this morning so I was there flipping burgers and selling drinks. (Oh the life I lead.) And now I'm back at the shop sitting behind the till pretending to be hard at work.

EDIT: One thing that didn't make my day...moronic customers...sigh. Example:
Phone rings
Me: Good Afternoon, Oasis Takeaways
Phone Person: Is this Oasis Takeaways
Me: Yes. Can I help?
PP: Are you open?
Me: Uh...yeah 
PP: So you're cooking?
Me: Yes, until 7 when we close. 
PP: When do you close?
Me: Seven. 
By this point I want to yell down the phone but I just smile and nod. Now, this happened to me eight times yesterday with only slight variations on the conversation.

In which I attempt to do something...

In my neverending attempt to become a writer - as in an 'official-yes-my-book/s-are-in-bookstores' writer I have also had to work part time. Now, this wouldn't bother me so much if it weren't for one small fact: in my home town there are very few jobs going. By few I really mean none - unless you count working at Pak 'n' Save or Maccas...both of which are perfectly respectable but I already work part time in my family's takeaway business where we also sell groceries on the side...thus I am already doing both of the above...

Anyway, I sometimes like to pretend that I am a budding business woman with a multitude of ideas buzzing around in my brain but it isn't long before the rational side of my mind realises that as a business woman I'd make a better hat...I try to have a a business mind but it never seems to eventuate. Or maybe it does but the other side of my mind overrides it with silly songs* or other such frivolities such as looking at amusing badges over at Etsy.

But, lately, in my quest to do something more than hiding away in a back room furiously typing, I have been thinking of starting a serious blog wherein I review stuff on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday basis. I was thinking maybe reviewing books, movies and music or something like that...or even involving a friend or two in an attempt to conquer the interwebs with my amazing reviews and witty banter...**

I know that there are a multitude of sites out there already who do something like this and not all sites manage to do well but I guess there is no harm in trying...right? (Yep, I am asking you, faithful reader, lurker or whatever you may be to give me your input or ideas...) I guess, in a way, this will give me an excuse to write something different and you know what they say about distractions.***

Anyway, I am just tentatively voicing my ideas here in a way to motivate myself more and to get over the bitter disappointment of today. **** Also, it gives me a chance to test out my new computer...my poor Dell that I had for over three years was abruptly put out of her misery on Monday morning and I now have a new Compaq who I have dubbed Nicodemus...I always said that if I had to buy a new computer it would be a MacBook Pro but they are expensive and I have a B.A. in English...

Well I will finish here and possibly go and flip some burgers if I am needed...the perks of living behind a takeaway shop.

Good day to you all
Peace and pancakes...


*Snape, Snape, Severus Snape...Dumbledore (The Potter Puppet Pal's in What's That Mysterious Ticking Noise) Or "The Hero of Canton, the man they call Jayne...
** Apparently I like to think of myself as having the social skills to be able to get away with witty banter - when in actuallity I often sound like someone attempting to not have milk splurt out of her nose...
*** I'm guessing someone says something about distractions...I mean someone says something about everything, right?
**** I'm not really bitter or disappointed...just not having much luck in the search for work. Although I think I'm doing a good impression of a semi starving artist...;o)

Oh glorious quotations...one to five

I've been reading quite a bit over the last few days, when I haven't been looking after my niece or dealing with flooding or other crazy things that seem to fall into my lap. I have also been emailing some friends and family when I get the chance. *

While in the process of this emailing thing I have been looking at a lot of quotes that make me think, laugh or feel good...I'm sure you all have a saying or quote that makes you smile slightly.

Well, today I thought I would share some of my favourite quotes - well, five to be exact.

Starting from the very beginning ** -

One:

"Do as little harm to others as you can; make any sacrifice for your true friends; be responsible for yourself and ask nothing of others; and grab all the fun you can. Don't give much thought to yesterday, don't worry about tomorrow, live in the moment, and trust that your existence has meaning even when the world seems to be all blind chance and chaos. When life lands a hammer blow in your face, do your best to respond to the hammer as if it had been a cream pie."
— Dean Koontz 

I love this quote - it is one that I truly try to live by but since the worry monster seems intent on controlling my life at times I sometimes forget this...come on, you all have your own worry monsters, I am not alone in this!

 

Two:

"Jesus!" Luke exclaimed.
"Actually, it's just me," said Simon. "Although I've been told the resemblance is startling."

Cassandra Clare

I am very much part of Team Simon. There is something about witty, somewhat geeky boys that brings a smile to my face. Also, Cassandra Clare has a very witty style of writing and I have often heard her books referred to as 'endlessly quotable' and I have to agree. 

 

Three:

"…because nerds like us are allowed to be unironically enthusiastic about stuff… Nerds are allowed to love stuff, like jump-up-and-down-in-the-chair-can’t-control-yourself love it. Hank, when people call people nerds, mostly what they’re saying is ‘you like stuff.’ Which is just not a good insult at all. Like, ‘you are too enthusiastic about the miracle of human consciousness’."
John Green

Those faithful readers will know about my love ::*::coughobsessioncough::*:: with John Green's books and this isn't a quote from one of his books but from the man himself and I love it. Honestly, how can you not!

Four:
Mrs Weasley: "I don't believe it! I don't believe it! Oh, Ron, how wonderful! A prefect! That's everyone in the family!"
George: "What are Fred and I, next-door neighbors?" 

J K Rowling

Aside from Luna Lovegood, Fred and George are my favourite characters from the world of Harry Potter. And, as with all the quotes so far, I couldn't really narrow down my favourite one. 

And, finally, Five:

"If you have never spent whole afternoons with burning ears and rumpled hair, forgetting the world around you over a book, forgetting cold and hunger--

If you have never read secretly under the bedclothes with a flashlight, because your father or mother or some other well-meaning person has switched off the lamp on the plausible ground that it was time to sleep because you had to get up so early--

If you have never wept bitter tears because a wonderful story has come to an end and you must take your leave of the characters with whom you have shared so many adventures, whom you have loved and admired, for whom you have hoped and feared, and without whose company life seems empty and meaningless--

If such things have not been part of your own experience, you probably won't understand what Bastian did next."

Michael Ende 

One of my best birthday presents ever was one of the cheapest. I don't know how my mum ever found it but she did: a copy of The Neverending Story that she got for me and it cost roughly $5 NZD.  And this quote is so very true!

   

Did you see what I did there - not only did I give you some great quotes I also gave you some great authors. Oh my skills and evilry (is there such a word?***) know no bounds...

Peace and pancakes y'all!

*When I remember... :o)
**A very good place to start!
***According to spellcheck - no...but it is now! It's a cross between evil and villainy... 

Oh Harry...what will we do without you...

One: It's Tuesday
Two: It's the Melbourne Cup
Three: Gym tonight
Four: NaNoWriMo (You knew that this was going to come up...)

Isn't that a pretty list. I've seen better though. Anyway, the writing is going surprisingly well and I still wish that I didn't have to travel to lectures daily at the moment. Though...Thursday is library day and I hope you know, by now, what I am going to be doing on Thursday.
Instead of prattling on about 'WriMo I thought I would randomly talk about something else. The only problem with this is that I don't have a pre-arranged topic to discuss in analytical length thus revealing some unknown wisdom to someone (normally me.) Oh my, doesn't that sound horribly pretentious of me.

The only thing I really feel like discussing is the upcoming Harry Potter film. We all know that HPatDH (Part one) is signaling the beginning of an end, so to say. I keep recalling the day that a friend of ours (who happens to be a primary school principal) told my mum about this brilliant book. I, somewhat ashamedly, dismissed it as a children's book and that it was too young for my 15 going on 16 year old self.

Mum, thankfully, bought a copy and on the drive home I began to idly flick through the pages and I can honestly say that the first page had me captured. From there on out it was a battle between my mum and me to see who could finish the books first and we devoured them.

I remember when the fourth book came out and I stayed up all night, stoking the fire and reading by candlelight. (This is probably why I needed glasses...bad reading habits) The pages couldn't turn fast enough and I couldn't get enough. Within several hours I had finished it and found myself left with an empty feeling, knowing that I had to wait until the next book. At least there was fanfiction. Some of it was absolutely brilliant, a lot of it was average and some of it was down right scary.

As I read back over this blog I get the distinct feeling that I sound like an addict who needs a hit...of great literature. I also realise that I've moved directly from the film to the novel. I feel that Rowling is one of those authors who just happened upon the magic formula and had the skills to back up her ideas.

We interrupt this babbling to let you know that my horse didn't win the Melbourne Cup...there is a reason that I don't gamble...;o)

Anyway, although there is a lot more that I could say I best be getting back to my writing.

Wordcount: 2511
Tune: Random announcer for the Melbourne Cup