Well, here it is. The last day of 2008. There's been ups and downs and all arounds this year, but I think it was a good twist of memorable and forgettable. It was a great year for entertainment, with The Dark Knight and Wall-E and all the actiony fun timey movies inbetween. It wasn't 2007, which was a fuck-awesome plethora of movies where I was pretty much going every week but just the pure anticipation for TDK up until the midnight release party was well worth it.
Plus, this year I really got back into musicals. I saw Wicked twice and nearly died laughing at Spamalot and downloaded a bunch of other soundtracks. Then there's my horrible guilty pleasure of the Legally Blonde musical, which I downloaded and watch FAR too frequently.

Tonight's going to be another quiet New Years - last year everyone was still out of the town, so I spent it watching American Psycho. This year most everyone is out of town/sick/busy so I'm spending it with a Twilight Zone marathon. Then it's 2009 and that's when the REAL fun begins.
The 500 movie challenge is still in plans and underway. Tonight, once the clock strikes midnight and everyone cheers and coaches turn back into pumpkins, I'm starting with a sci-fi marathon. My work schedule must've borked up my sleep patterns more than I thought, because I've had insomnia the past two nights where all I've been doing is watch Buffy and wish I could sleep. So tonight I'm just going to embrace it and get started on my 500 movies by hitting the ground running. I'm starting with Forbidden Planet and then movie onto an 'Aliens in America'-athon, with Earth Girls are Easy, The Man who fell to Earth and the shitty new Day the Earth Stood Still. Then I'll probably, finally, conk out.

I'm writing up the whole details at my Blogspot, which is finally a good use for it, where I'll keep the list, schedule and 'reviews'* as this carries on so I have a set spot for it. This is going to destroy me. I can't wait.

*By 'review' I mostly mean 'what I thought of the movie after seeing it' instead of an actual review. Most of the posts will probably be like: 'Angels in the Outfield: Not even God can make baseball and shitty foster care entertaining.'

Goddamn this trippy winter weather. My back's been killing me all day - I've spent most of the time just lying on the couch watching Buffy instead of actually doing anything. It's annoying. And to add the fact that I have a slight insomnia, I didn't get to sleep until about 3 this morning, and my day feels weird. I've been trying to plan around looking for work and applying for my unemployment but I've just been feeling... lost. And looking for a job is made harder by the fact that I can't actually go anywhere during this bus strike. What's the point in applying to work somewhere I can't get to? I think I'm just going through a blues period right now. Hopefully I'll get back on track soon.

Otherwise, I've come up with a little project to keep me busy in this unemployment and beyond. Rather than the usual New Years resolutions that we all know last for about a month, I'm going to work on something that'll be fun and will drive me utterly crazy at the same time: watch 500 movies next year.Yep. That's a little under 2 movies to watch a day. Of course, right now I'm having trouble naming 500 movies but I've still a few more days to come up with all the titles I need. The only criteria is that I can't have seen them before. Of course, the fact that I won't watch horror or particularly gory/violent movies is a factor too, or else I'd probably be halfway there. Otherwise, I have just a little under 100 movies listed. So the collecting continues!

Linkspam
Trailers!
'9' teaser 9 was a short animated film I got to see at the OIAF a few years back. I LOVED IT. The fact that they're making a full length feature fills me with squee. *
The Velveteen Rabbit What the shit. Christ guys, if you're going to make a traditional animated movie at least make it look nice. Those designs are goddamn awful. This movie looks like it was made in the nineties
Astro Boy Alright, this looks kinda awesome.
New Monsters vs Aliens trailer includes Ginomica's secret I'm not to keen on the human designs for this, TBH, and Dreamwork's animation has always been too... squishy for me. That was my main issue with Kung fu Panda too, was while the whole thing looks really nice, the facial features seemed animated like plastercine figures melting. It was distracting and will probably be my issue with this movie too.
Other than that, President Colbert is, like, the number one reason to see this. Fuck yeah.

Judge rules Watchmen rights in Fox's favour Dammit, I hope this means that the movie will just be a little late. Or maybe Fox will be all kind and stuff and just keep the original release date. One can hope.

Disney pulls out of third Narnia movie NO DAMMIT THAT'S THE ONLY ONE I REALLY WANTED TO SEE. Motherfuck.

Marley bites in Christmas
Meanwhile: My box office screams: Spirit does delightfully poorly

Since I'm going to go see Benjamin Button sometime this week, might's well have a linespam about it:
Review: Beautiful button * Tim reveres and stands still in Benjamin Button * "Button" all about appearances * Fincher filmed the wrong backwards aging story * Man shot for talking during movie

Wallace and Gromit beat out The Doctor on Christmas day
Eartha Kitt dies at 81
Sex and the City with Werewolves: Fox's new drama Bitches
Video game physiques give guys body image issues too
16 insane discoveries that science can't explain
Oprah tricked again
Tourists rescued from Swiss mountains thanks to magic iPod
Top ten ways to repurpose your old iPod
Tiny company sues Apple, Microsoft and Google
Pirate Party gets massive support in Sweden

I'm trusting that everyone's Christmas went nicely. Mine went pretty well - a simple affair at the family's that went without a hitch. Or, at least, only a small one. Despite the pile of food and buckets of water I carefully left for her, Kenobi decided she didn't like being along no sir and peed on some of my stuff. Luckily, it was all washable stuff, but still. Cat pee. Yuck.
( The Tally )

Otherwise I came home and set about my 'Really-Hope-It-Won't-Become-A-Tradition Unemployed/Home for Christmas' cleaning. I emptied my drawers and cleaned out my kitchen and went about the usual business of organizing and throwing out of my papers. I also took a few minutes every so often to job hunt, since this time I know I'm not going back, instead of being stung along on a thread of hope.



Besides that, I've decided the only real way to keep myself occupied is with entertainment. Oh, I have other less wasteful plans like comics and working on the pilot of a cartoon I want to pitch, but besides that I really want something to do at night and I've watched all of my current stuff right now anyway. So my plan goes as such: to watch at least one new movie every day for the next year and keep the tally. And now that I have someplace to keep them, the plan seems more feasible. I've got Forbidden Planet, Twilight and Heathers on the queue right now - Heathers should be done something tonight so it'll be my pick for tomorrow. Twilight should be done too, so I'll double-feature it. Cult teen movie vs cult classic teen movie. Should be fun.

But first I need to catch up on nearly a week's worth of Flist and RSS feeds.

Well, I'm jobless.
Not right now, not until the end of contract, but after that c'est tout and I'm done. I've been told that the whole place is getting trimmed down a ton, which seems odd given that we'd just moved into the big new studio, but I was at least given assurance that should more work pop up, I'm definitely on the callback list, so that's my small comfort. Also got told of a new studio that's looking for animators and to check in there, so that's definitely what I'll do, once I can scrounge up a demoreel. And most of my friends are in the same boat as me, so we've the hope of all of us starting at the fledgling studio and being awesome and not job/homeless.
Otherwise I've got to poke around for more work. I'm not spending the entire winter on the internet again, let me tell you that. Hell, I've even got Starbucks on my list of consideration, since I heartell they got good benefits and I've enough Threadless shirts to be a totally queer hipster if need be. I'm in the know, I'm down with what the kids say. And it's a good place to meet people. Plus, coffee.

On a bonus point, being as I have a wee bit of a crush on a coworker, I can ask her out without having to worry about awkward workshifts after she says 'no' because I misinterpreted our constant teasing banter as flirting because girls are impossible, raarrg.

Day The Earth Stood Still post! I have an unpublished yet firey burning dislike for the remake - I'd only recently seen the original and immediately feel in love with it. After learning about the remake shortly after I was confused because there's no point and every bit of news I received afterwards only made me hate it more. In fact, the only thing I like about this movie is the casting choice of Keanu Reeves because that guy should have it easy playing an alien playing a human.
Naturally, of course, since I hate this movie and everything it's doing to the original story, I've been obsessively following everything.
Keanu Reeves excellent adventure
Making the Earth stand still
Earth stood still science advisor reveals all
They're sending TDTESS into space.
Don Draper explains how to solve the alien problem with scotch and cigarettes
The science behind giant robot Gort
I truly and seriously see no point to remaking the movie and then they bork up the plot/story/message by taking out the main point and making it environmental. If that's what they wanted, why didn't they main their own movie, instead of taking a few names and the title from a classic? Goddamn Hollywood. My rage must sustain you in some way .

Reg Linkspam:
So soon after I learn of the 101 Dalmations musical, I then learn of the Spiderman musical. My lasting wish of seeing a Batman musical may actually see the light.
Wall-E named best picture by L.A. film critics
Detailed Wall-E bento art too good to eat
Alien invaders who conquer the earth to protect the universe
Hottest sci-fi kisses you never saw
Hairspray 2 plot outline revealed
Dead Like Me: Life After Death gets a release date
Revolving door uses you to make energy
Beedle the Bard... the movie?
How come boys get all the cool toys
The many faces of Santa
<a

WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH. WHAT

The snow is positively AWESOME outside. It'd been snowing for about a day and a half and then spattered some freezing rain on there like a natural sealant. The trees are covered, the houses are frosted, it looks like a fucking postcard. It would be spectacular if not for the buses going on strike. Now transportation is a barter system of calling up friends and batting eyes and pretty pleases. Stupid buses - strike in a time that wouldn't make it so hard to get to work, why doncha.

Otherwise, this makes it difficult to get my Christmas shopping done. I've only picked up about half my gifts - I've no idea what to get my sister or Tom - and the days, they are a getting shorter. And work's starting to crunch down with only two weeks of work left. I feel like I should be taking a break, I can feel some bits of sickness overtaking me, but I want to tough it out first. Besides, gotta make that Christmas money!

On the happiest note of the week, I've bought some PJs that have recipes on them. You heard me. The pants have a slew of recipes for shortbread, hot chocolate, cookies, ect. It's pretty awesome and they're super comfy. Go team PJ.

ABC to bring DC's Fables to life

aASDFGAKDADKGADKGJADLJGAIDFJAWIMNFEASFFFFFFFFFFFF
It had better be good, dammit.

I purchased Fallout 3 this weekend in order to have something to do. It seem excessive, to buy a $60 game because I'm bored, but my line of reasoning goes thus: I went sledding on Saturday, wiped out far too often, hurt my back as result, couldn't go through with cleaning/relaxing on Sunday as planned, decided to rent a game to stay busy, all games were rented, hey look Fallout.
This has so far been the worst decision for my life.
Not in my life, no I've made much bigger blunders, but most definitely for. I keep playing this game and can't stop. To the ab0ve average gamer, maybe even the average one, I've barely done anything in the time I played, but since I'm below average everything I've been donig has been an addictive acheivement. I spent three hours this morning stuck in a desolate supermarket, crouched behind carts and shelves, taking out raiders one by one by carefully shooting them in the back, desperate to preserve my ammo because otherwise I was so dead, and was goddamn fucking proud of myself when I was done.
And when I say 'in the morning', I'm not talking 'once I woke up, took a shower, had some coffee and enjoyed the sunshine as I started my day.' No, I mean 'oh look, the sun's rising, I should really get some sleep in at some point because I've been playing this since I came home from work.'
I'm so tired, you guys.

And then we add onto the studio moving and how boss it is and how I keep forgetting my camera so I don't want to make a 'the studio's totally rad, but just take my word for it for now' post without pictures. I've stuck my camera in the bag now so I definitely can't forget, but trust me on this. New studio = rad.
Okay. Bedtime.

TV Tropes is devouring me. While maybe not literally, this catch I've discovered that lets me read it is going to suck out my soul along with all of my work time. I'm excusing it by saying that I have little work to do anyway, being over quota and with the upcoming move eating at everyone's work motive, but let's be honest. I'm just addicted. And can you fully blame me? It' like Wikipedia, rolled with IMDB trivia and dusted with cocaine.

Surprisingly, while I seem to have misstepped myself at work I'm on a better track at home. My apartment has been clean, my kitchen near to spotless, for the last three days. I don't know what homecare gods I've pleased or unconscious habits I've fallen into, but I'm not questioning it now. So now that I'm not spending most of my pre-work day cleaning, I can spend it on important experiments. You know. For SCIENCE

Also, with the impending forced 3-day weekend, I'm looking forward to a little bit of fun and a little bit of relaxation. It's the Girl's birthday on Friday and I'm being called out to join at a concert and stuff, Saturday I'm to go sledding on that big ol' hill outside my window and Sunday I'm... quality time with my pillow, I guess. I'm also planning on renting Fallout 3 because people won't shut up about it and I'm damned curious now. (Besides, I'll need to score up my FPS/RPG skills for when Arkham Asylum comes out) Looks like a fun time.

Oh good god, I've just clicked on the mainpage for Doctor Who on Tropes. I'll miss you all.


Linkspam:
Robin Scherbatsky is having a baby
Universal picture lineup
RDJ talks Avengers
The Cloverfield monster: In Space!
New movie lets fans choose their own adventure
Who is voicing Miyazaki's Ponyo?
I Am Legend crazy sequel on the way
What is the Aquaman problem?
Why you can't travel back in time and kill Hitler
Think God
Build your own Hellboy Gun
Iron Man child costume modded to be deadly cute
IKEA employee steals 400,000 in less than a year
TICKLE HIM
Where to stash cash at home
Making time for the Most Important Things

The second large snowfall of the year is upon us. This time it's not the big flakies but the tiny, dusty kind of snow that's fun to run through in that awkward penguin gait that kicks up as much of it as possible. It's perfect frolicky snow, fo sho.
And with four days until the move from this studio to the next (as in a physical change of office, rather than employment) it's a perfect little perk. There's nothing more to make me unproductive that to be anticipating a big change, and when one adds to the equation that I recently discovered I can read TV Tropes at work with a little net magic, my procrastination increases tenfold. That site is like drugs. I keep telling myself, last link, one more, after this, and yet I just keep going. I yearn for pointless trivia, and this site is the enabler of the worst kind. I'm still managing to get all my work done in time though, so luckily it hasn't been a complaint. But even now it calls me to stop sleeping and just read it for hours. Damn you internet. Damn you.

So that pesky Twilight movie's released and I'm still trying to figure out where this book came from. Sure I'm not one of the kids-these-days anymore and I no longer have to pay attention to this stuff to sell it to them, but I usually keep my fingers dipped to know the ripples and yet the movie news was when I got anything close to a first inkling. It's... unsettling somehow. But knowing what I know about it, and even after trying to listen to that damn audio book which very nearly put me in actual physical pain, I still want to go see the film just for the sparkly scene. I'll download it though - it's made it's buttload of cash and I'm not throwing my dollars in there. Especially when I can spend it on worthier entertainment, like The Wizard of OZ play coming up here in March. Musical theatre, my one weakness.
... You know, I'd pay to see a Twilight musical.

Linkspam:
I was trapped in a theater with Twilight fans
Benjamin Button will melt your heart
New Benjamin Button stills and could this movie look any prettier my god
Final poster for The Spirit
TV Guide's countdown of C.O.C.K.
Lost (as in missing, instead of the show) cult film found
Deadpool movie news
Tweleve comic book tv shows never made
Can our hearts withstand another strike?
The wife Han Solo never had
Bond Girl denounced by communists
James Marsters saddles up for alien Western
Happy people watch less TV
Vatican forgives John Lennon
Panda bites student looking for a cuddle
Panda hugging idiot should've gone for this instead
In-game browser offers 25% more avoidance of real world
7 kickass sci-fi cancer cures

Pushing Daisies cancelled
:( Thanks ABC. Worst birthday present ever. Though I'm hardly surprised, the ratings were really poor this year. And it's not like some sort of cheap sitcom where they can keep it going and hope for higher ratings; PD had to be expensive with all the colours and cameras and sets and everything. ABC was probably losing money on it. Still, I wish they'd given it a full season.

Other than that bad news, my birthday went pretty swell. I first spent the entire morning planning on doing a little cleaning, but instead getting caught by TV Tropes and reading that all morning. Then I went out to watch Quantum of Solace with Chris. ( With whom I have FABulous adventures )Where we learned that apparently Thursday is Baby Day, when all the parents of infants who want to see a movie, but can't because babies tend to cry, can go and see the movie with their baby with no trouble. Other than two guys we saw as we were leaving, we were the only ones without a baby. It was super weird.
The movie was good, fun and exciting. And there was a car chase, a boat chase and a plane chase. I'm almost disappointed there was no showdown on a train, but it was still awesome and adrenaline Bond.

Then I went to work where for dinner I was whisked off to a party at Montana's, where we all had a fabulous time and drew tons of pictures on the paper tablecloth and I really wish I'd remember more to bring my camera along.
Then I had to wear a giant viking helmet while everyone sang happy birthday to me. Dammit.

Overall it was a pretty fun, quiet B-day. I don't quite feel 22, but like I've been saying since everyone else is older than me, I really just feel like I'm playing catchup. I'm going to try for another party-thing next weekend, since the studio's moving and I have no choice. I have to take that weekend off.
Busy busy busy. I can't believe it's the end of November.

Linkspam:
Scientists discover long-lost Furby lookalike
Physicists discover dark matter, or something stranger
US Airways loses your 83-year-old mother
Dutch use 43-million dominoes to shatter all records
Headphones playing white noise and a ping pong ball let you trip sans drugs
Wound healing lasers
The Lion, the Witch and Captain America
Complete Serenity verse map
Telepathic coming of age novel wins major prize
Passive-aggressively help your friends
Geeky timepieces making a comeback
Spongebob iPod dock grossest thing ever
Mario mushroom is yet another lame attempt to disguise a vibrator
The 7 most terrifying Disney deaths
Watchmen.... sequel rights?
3D update: Alice in Wonderland, Beauty and the Beast and Priates of the Caribbean

I'm sure y'all have all seen the new Watchmen trailer by now, yes? I'm still... iffy. Especially after hearing that they've taken out the squid which is not only, y'know, vital but would've been kick ass to see imagined realistically, and Rorschach's voice kinda bugs me, but only because he doesn't sound gargly enough to me, which is really a matter of opinion thing.
And holy crap, Dan. I want to hug him and his belly.

I'm still on my crazy musical-listening kick, trolling through Youtube to find various shows, songs and versions while I work. (Yes, I know, listening to music on Youtube, yadda yadda) I think it actually is starting to mess with my head a bit. Not only am I singing outloud about my mundane activities more often, but my dreams are getting musically messed. Why, just the other night I had the bizarre dream of fighting evil with Harry Potter, singing all the way, and the 'final boss' we had to face was the Wicked Witch of the West, as played by Zach Effron.
I'll let that sink for a minute.
In anycase, I'm still very musical on the brain and now I've got Spamalot to add to my listening list. I've also remembered The Producers and am re-listening to it, although that one messes with me a bit because when I just listen to it, it sounds like Timon bullying around Simba.

Youtube trawling has also led me to Candide I'll admit, I don't really like Kristin Chenoweth's Glinda all that much, even if she did originate the role, but Pushing Daisies has given me the biggest crush on that woman. Find a bunch of her stuff on Youtube didn't help, and then I find this little operetta. Suffice to say I end up loving it and it's one of my staple listens at work, along with Little Shop of Horrors.
Muuuusicals!

So, the life update since I last posted has been little. It's still mostly that of work and work and work, but enough play to keep Ama from being a dull girl. I went out on Friday, the third Friday in a row I've not been at work, for a friend's birthday and we all went and enjoyed ourselves at the bar. Or somewhat, at least. I was pretty tired and didn't feel like getting up a lot, and despite the protests this white girl can't and thus won't dance, so I mostly stayed with the coats and sipped my drinks and kept the others company when they came back from the dance floor. One of our fellows managed to pick up, but the girls only ended up getting routinely bugged by assholes, and thus kept coming back to complain to me before returning to the floor, while I hide my smile behind my rum and coke.
I wish I could've been a bit more awake, or at least more talkative, but c'est la vie. Some of the guys insist that I must get out and be bold and out there for my birthday, but I honestly don't feel like it. Now that I'm past all the milestone ages, for a while now at least, birthdays just seem a bit boring. Not to mention the stress of the studio moving next weekend, I'd really rather just have a quiet birthday of working, lunch with my parents, and simple wishes from my friends. I'll be seeing the new Bond flick this week and that's as exciting as I'd really like it to be.
God lord, what have I become.

Linkspam:
Six ways Pushing Daisies made our inner nerd cry tears of geeky joy
PETA releases: Cooking Mama: Mama kills animals game
Alan Moore's worst nightmare
First Bengamin Button review claims it recalls Hollywood's Golden Era
Gender Bending body-swap experiment leaves subjects wanting more
The Dark Knight = most pirated movie of 2008
Gay Superhero heading to Showtime
New trailer for the Spirit
Race to Witch Mountain trailer
'Meh' added to dictionary
Scientific proof you make your own breaks
6 sex myths explained by science
Why are people finding Dayquil in Smarties?
Bike Gadget turns red lights green

Spamalot was HILARIOUS. I was chuckling all the way through, but there were some definite parts of doubling over. The French Taunting scene had me nearly in tears, I was laughing so hard. The actor who played Arthur, especially, was just really excellent at hamming it up. All in all, it was an over the top, loud, bright extravaganza.
Really, I think the only downside was that I laughed so hard my back kinda hurts now. That, and before the show I'd managed to rip my bottom lip. I'm still unsure how exactly it happened. Just that, as is my habit, while I was turning off my phone I held my program in my mouth because I had needed my two hands to actually find the phone. I don't remember my lips being that dry or the program that sticky or what have you, but once I was done and pulled the program out, along went my lip skin.

I managed to suck in my lip and eventually stop the bleeding, but damn it still stings.

And again my updating seems to suffer.

I'm thinking it's partially for two reasons - one being that there's little happening in my life I feel is worthy of note, and the other is that I keep neglecting the infernal linkspam and thus, feel guilty updating without it.
I'm going to try and remedy this by updating with linkspam only periodically, instead of feeling the need to include it in every post that's longer than a few lines. The lack of much of anything shouldn't be as much of a crutch as I try to excuse it as: after all, I'm of the firm opinion that anyone's life is thrilling, if written about properly. After all, I think it's only human to assume that everyone's life is far for exciting than your own.

On topic of this life, I'm going to see Spamalot tomorrow, and that's exciting enough! It's only in town for five days and tomorrow is the last day. Friend Steph managed to score some tickets for the group of us. I'm excited, since I've been obsessing over musicals pretty much since Wicked revived my love for them. I've been giving some serious thought to a New York trip, Broadway style, this summer and if I can put aside enough money monthly, I should be able to afford it easily by July-ish. Of course, this all hinges on work in the future: the current contract ends by the end of next month and the rumour mill says that we're to get a month off before heading back to work, but those are still rumours. We're up for working on another Disney project, at the very least, but the last year has made me a bit wary. With luck, I'll have more information before the inevitable break.

Also related to Spamalot and work, I'm stressing out over some scenes due Monday morning, aka Sunday. I'd taken the Friday off to go out with The Girl and am slightly regretting it. I'd half hoped that the studio would be open today until at least 8, but I got there at 4 (after a lunch/day with my mother, grandmother and sister) and it closed an hour later. I've full confidence that I can get it done tomorrow before the show, but whatever worrying gland I've managed to inherit from my father is working overtime and I can only pray that everything works according to plan.
I'd adopted over-working tendencies mostly to make money, but now I'm starting to think that it's starting to burrow deep. While I accept being at home for brief periods of time, I'm starting to feel anxious when I'm not working. Even now, at 9:30pm on a Saturday, I'm thinking that I should really be at work, even though the studio is locked and closed.
This type of thinking probably isn't very healthy, but it's starting to become my coping mechanism for the odd hours. I started it to make some extra money, but now I do it because it's the easiest, most comfortable place to put myself. I enjoy working, I enjoy what I do, and it's something I can focus all my attention on. To be perfectly honest, things with The Girl are not going well. Or in any case, they're gong well enough, they're just not going well.
I enjoy her company, she's fun to be with, but each of our dates are starting to follow the frustrating pattern of going out to eat, having a fun time talking, or walking, or pool or what have you, and then we end up at her place to do nothing but watch television until I feel I've overstayed my welcome and awkwardly leave.
I'm not, by any means, good at this relationship thing. In fact, I'm quite terrible. And while I don't want to assume anything, I think she's waiting for me to make the first move, which is a horrible idea because I have no sense of timing in the least. Obviously the clear answer would be to actually make the first move, but as I'm shy as all hell and as emotionally retarded as a stump, the likelihood of that happening is close to nil. So instead of I wave cheerfully when I leave, say 'see you next time' and stomp off to catch a cab.

And so, I decide to stay married to my work. There's no attempt to figure out human emotion or deciding when it's the proper time for anything. You just sit down, do the work for when it's due, and get more when you're done that. It's simple, demanding enough only to keep it interesting, and justly rewarding. It may be considered unhealthy, but I don't particularly care. Even now, I'm starting to think the only reason I even tried to start a relationship with The Girl was because being seen as single for the last 4 years without even an attempt could be seen negatively. If I even do start a relationship in the future, it will probably just be for practical reasons. Maybe I'm sounding like a bitter single, but the notion of romance is pretty much past me now. It certainly seems like far more trouble than it's worth.

OH RIGHT, IT'S DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIMES HELL YEAH EXTRA HOUR.
I just spent that extra hour drawing an awesome comic on how I could spend that extra hour. And then, while preparing the comic for friendly internet usage, I closed it and said 'no' to save, thinking it was a blank file.
NOOOOOOOOOO.
Now my fingers kinda hurt from holding the pen for so long. Damn. It was a sweet comic too. There was baking, painting, shark riding, stellar shit.

Well, I guess instead I'll post the Dinosaur lizard head thingy I did last night

I'm still clueless on this digital painting thing. Photoshop, how do I use thee right?


Though while doodling out the comic I had a rad idea for the new studio I'm too afraid to actually run by the heads. We're supposed to move to a new building (hopefully one with windows for optimal airflow) either late this month or early next, but in any case close to when our inevitable break of unemployment starts. Now, this unemployment shouldn't last too long, only a month is the rumour, but it'll still be boring to hell. And since we'd want the new studio to be all nice and awesome and Collideascope had murals painted by fellow animators, I was thinking of suggesting something along the lines of a giant mural. Like, everyone interested works together on putting their different ideas and styles on the table, and once everything's planned and placed, you have a giant smorgasbord of different doodles on one of the walls. And the thing would take a long time, be good for relations and keep folk busy.
I think it's a good idea, but heaven forbid I actually work up nerve to talk to anyone in charge of this stuff. Mercury doesn't feel as 'paint on the wall' laid back as Collideascope anyway. So I'll just hope for the windows.

Well, speaking of work, time to head out there and keep making my extra dough. If I'm going to have a whole month off soon, then that's my free time. Right now it's work work work.

Well Halloween's managed to tire me out. The makeup for my Witch costume took me nearly three hours, though that was mostly due to mistakes. Still, standing in front of the mirror painting my face for all that time was enough to drain me. Luckily once I got to the work party there was enough energy (and candy) to perk me up again.
The costume got a lot of compliments, surprisingly! Even more surprising was the number of people who asked if I was supposed to be Elphaba or just a Wicked Witch, which I always answered 'depends on who you talk to.' I guess Wicked's more well known than I thought - I mean, yeah, it is four years old already and pretty much the Dark Knight of Broadway moneywise, but until it came to Ottawa I'd heard next to nothing of it.

After the work party I'd headed to a house party and then downtown, which drained me completely. I got home at 12:30, my usual time from work, and just passed out on the bed. Well, I stood in the shower for a while trying to get all the green off (I'm still a little green around the edges) and then passed out.

And I have another costume party tonight! I can only hope I down enough coffee to stay awake.

Pictures by Monday, hopefully!

IT'S GODDAMN SNOWING OUTSIDE, THERE'S LIKE THREE INCHES ON THE GROUND.
FUCK YES, BEST CHRISTMAS EVER.

I hate rain.

I hate the wetness, the drop in temperature, the sound it makes, how everything turns gray on rainy days. I hate it.

But I really hate how much I hate rain.

It's stupid, I'm well aware. But today I had intended to go into work, stick in some extra hours, make some extra bucks. I've got some scenes due Monday night and I want to finish them nicely, not just finish them.
Except that it's utterly pouring outside. I'm not talking a bit of rain and puddles, I'm talking sheets of water falling from the sky so thick, I can't see the distance anymore.
So instead I'm pacing my apartment, occasionally putting on my shoes and jacket, before glancing outside and slumping back on my couch. I hate rain to the point where it's paralyzing. I want to go to work, all I've been thinking about for the past three hours is that I should really go to work, but I can't manage it. I'm spending my Saturday locked in my apartment, wishing I could be doing extra hours at my job. I'm trying to figure out how, exactly, I can manage tomorrow. Supposed to go shopping tomorrow, which is also supposed to be a rainy day, and I'm wondering how to schedule it that I can hop over to work afterwards with enough time to get done what I want. Or maybe before. A small part of me hopes that the shopping gets canceled altogether so I can just spend all day at work.

It's not just the rain, truthfully. I woke up at 11, instead of my usual 9am (though, this was partially fault of the rain, I generally wake up when the sunlight hits my bedroom) Those missing two hours threw off my schedule entirely. And then there's the fact I'm expecting company, a coworker's coming over to use my sewing machine for her Halloween costume. She's coming over in two hours, which would make leaving at this point fairly futile.
And I'd left yesterday a touch early because my back had been hurting me to the point of near tears, and I had already gone over the maximum of daily painkiller dosage. So I'm also feeling bad about taking that time off.
It's also goddamn freezing here, I still can't figure out my heat, but that's a different complaint altogether.
Augh, I just want to be at work. Hopefully I'll make it over there tomorrow, and be able to come in early on Monday.
Hopefully.

I've been using Google Reader to sort out my linkspam lately, and it's been helpful that I could access the Reader from work, making linkspam gathering quick and easy. But, hilariously, just as soon as I figure out that trick I change desks (my old/first desk was right by the washrooms in a stuffy little corner and not. fun.) and my new computer can't access Google Reader. I don't know what sort of weird mumbo jumbo lets some computers access what others can't (and it's weird by browser too, Firefox on my new comp can't access Google at all, while Internet Explorer gets Google and Gmail at least) so now I'm back to picking through it at home. And I can't do my late night stuff recently because I've been so sick. And of course, no time to get better, gotta save my pennies and work work work.

Brain no work today. Have the dumb.

I GOTTA ADMIT, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I EVER FELT BAD FOR DOWNLOADING ANYTHING. OH GOD, I HOPE THE RATINGS FOR PUSHING DAISIES HAVE IMPROVED FOR TONIGHT'S EPISODE. CAPSLOCK OF HOPE HERE. IT JUST CAN'T GET CANNED. I HAVEN'T ACTUALLY WATCHED IT YET, THE TORRENT'S STILL GOING, BUT OH GOD THE GUILT. WHY DO I LOVE THIS SHOW SO MUCH.
YES, I WILL PROBABLY POST A SIMILAR PANIC EVERY WED/THURS POST. DEAL.

I kinda, sorta, forgot to vote in yesterday's election. I felt guilty about it (hey, work had me stressed and that was pretty much all I focused on) but considering that it turned out just as I figured it would, I don't really feel all that guilty. Harper may be a robot, and a bit of a creep who hates fabulous women, but Dion was just way too unlikable to beat him out. It was pretty much a waste of an election, IMO.
The Girl(friend?) enjoys talking about what a douche Harper is though - she temped for the Conservatives a few years back and he told her she was going to hell and she was 'heavily pressured to quit' once they found out she was gay. Stuff like that just sorta makes me laugh. I never know how much is self-fueled worry/paranoia and how much is actual idiotic douchebaggery, but I'm still prejudice free. I sometimes forget that there's people out there who hate me who haven't met me yet.

The Girl and I are still doing well, from the one time we've seen each other since deciding to actually date. I'm still woefully ignorant on how this works and painfully shy, though now that the whole 'is she or isn't she' awkwardness is gone it's a little better. She came out with a bunch of us on Friday and it was a good time. And she took good care of me when I chugged some bizarre green drink.
I have no idea why I did that and it was the worst idea ever. In fact, ( this is all I really remember )
I dimly remember snatches of her giving me water and taking me to a cab at the end of the night. I think I just pretty much passed out on her after the drink. Everyone else thought it was hilarious.
I was going to have her over this weekend, but she's busy with other friends, so I'm having a party instead. WOO PARTY. Only now am I really bummed by the night shift, since I can't keep skipping work just for social calls. But every second Friday we plan on going out to the bar, so there's still always that.

And finally, I need to stop shopping. I think I'm addicted. I was excited about shoes today. I have freakish mutant feet, I hate shoe shopping, but I enjoyed it what the flying fuck.

Linkspam:
The Toxic Avenger Musical * Drive-in theaters still popular after 75 years * The evolution of TV love * The Muppet adult film * Video games turn 50 * What movie could be next year's Dark Knight? * Burton talks Depp, Wonderland and more * The 10 least competent time travelers

Macbook 2008 roundup

Walmart's Ultra Douche * Walmart sells you an empty box, but you bought it with stolen cards * Cigarette ads: recommended by doctors * Alone, female and eating: a real drag * UN could unleash human clones on the world next year * Spy trades sex for secrets * 'I am under 18' button clicked for first time ever * Amazing food art

BTW, for the linkspam: Did you guys who read it prefer this format or the single list format better?

( A fishy )
My Ritalin perscription ran out about a week ago, and I haven't made the appointment to refill it yet. At first I didn't really notice anything but now, obvious with hindsight, I realise there really is a difference. I'm going to try and remember to call the doc on next Tuesday for the refill and hopefully it'll push me back up. And it's not like my work's suffered, thankfully, but looking at my recent habits at work and I could be making more money and I should probably really want that. So hoping I remember!

And in other life news, it looks like I am finally moving forward in the date I mentioned earlier. I'd seen the girl for lunch and other a few times after that and we still got along swell, but nothing seemed to be happening. I wondered if there was miscommunication or she just wasn't interested, or whatever else and finally just upped and asked her and found out that she was wondering the same thing! So now that that's cleared up, we're both agreed now that it is dating we both want and will keep doing.
Exciiiiiting. Everything's lining up for ol' Liz Lemon.


Linkspam:
Interview with Lee Pace of Pushing Daisies*Del toro to fly solo on Hobbit*How bad with the American 'Absolutely Fabulous' be?*Hathaway and HBC head to Burton's Wonderland*5 badass reasons fans will love the Green Lantern movie*5 ways Doctor Who made a difference*Shamalamadingdong on Unbreakable 2*Watchmen sneak peek reveals Snyder's ambition

Glowing Jellyfish win Nobel Prize*Body in suitcase was full of heroin*Creativity and mood disorders linked?*10 ways to eat more bacon*6 menacing towers fit for a supervillain*My roommate, the drug dealer*The coolest apartment block on Earth