Oh, Winterhaven was just SO much fun as you can probably tell by all the pictures of Linden I've posted. There was a CONCERT and a PARTY and an EPIC CAVE BATTLE and DEMONS and UNDEAD and I got to DIE A HORRIBLE SQUISHY DEATH. (...I got better. Sort of.) I didn't get everything done that I wanted for my costume, but I did finish my sword, sew a vest, re-do the feathers on my hat (the red ones got eaten by a puppy) and shorten my orange skirt. (Didn't trip over it this event! ) I'm not totally happy with the orange skirt, I'll probably mess with it some more, and I still need to make a few other things. Since my character's gone a bit crazy-paranoid, I've decided to start wearing as much armor as my skill-restrictions permit... which means I'll have to make a few things, and then acquire them in-game somehow. I do have an item-tag for a shield now... courtesy of the guy who stole all my character's money while she was dead. (THAT DOES NOT MAKE UP FOR IT. GIMME BACK.) Of course, I can't do anything while I'm holding the shield - raises my armor category too high - but I can hide behind it, and perhaps die less. (I did get killed rather thoroughly last weekend.) I'm looking forward to playing Linden as someone who will occasionally snap and go into a psychotic berserker rage.

Overall, definitely a better choice than going to the school formal dance that was also last weekend. Apologies, classmates-who-planned-it. I'm sure your dance was fun, but EPIC CAVE BATTLE.

Also discovered that I still remember a few things from kendo lessons four years ago. Woot! ...Speaking of which, I finally finished my sword. It's got a tassel and everything. Will post eventually.

You know how I mentioned that show, "The Prisoner," and said it's good but kind of strange? I watched the end. I stand corrected. It is truly and deeply weird. In fact "weird" doesn't come close to describing it. I watched the whole thing and I still don't really know what happened. Every time I try to think about it my brain just shuts down and all can think is "What the hell was that?!" I am seriously considering getting really drunk and seeing if it makes any more sense.

So naturally, I'm going to see how many other people I can get to watch it and have fun watching their heads explode.

List of Things To Work On:
-November-A MAX submission (coloring, mostly)
-Character-design-profile pictures for ALL of my characters. (This should keep me busy until, uh, forever.)
-Assorted LARP stuff (armor, dagger, shield, spell packets, clothes...)
-I suppose I should fit "study for exams like ALL THE TIME" in there somewhere

Well, Halloween's past and I finished all my costumes (more or less.) I will take some good pictures to post, eventually! Or see if anyone else did. So it is time for a new journal entry! I was all happy that I'd get a chance to put away the sewing machine and take a break... then I remembered that Winterhaven's this weekend and I still haven't fixed my skirt, or made that vest I wanted, or fixed my hat, or figured out what shirt to wear... >.< (But hey, Winterhaven! Yay! ) I'll make sure I remember to bring my camera this time, since I remember someone wanting to see what the outfit actually looked like.

Random thoughts:

You know, maybe if I wasn't still running Word 97, it wouldn't crash my computer so often. ...Now my arrow-keys aren't working. What the hell?

I broke the Howard-Dolman Apparatus in lab today. >.< (It's fixable and it's not a terribly, ah, advanced piece of equipment... it's basically a couple sticks in a box attached to strings at the other end of the room. Old-school stereopsis threshold measurement. So I'm not in trouble, really... just terribly embarrassed about it!)

It seems that I cannot maintain a state of being really pissed off for much longer than two hours. After that I just get sort of silly.

I've been rewatching "The Prisoner," [link] since I only saw half of it before the library didn't have the next DVD, and anyway it was three years ago and I have amnesia. And it's on the internet now, so... internet, right? Anyway I'd forgotten how -evil- some of the bad guys were! I do so love the sort of bad guys who try to mess with one's mind. Especially when the good guy is even better at it. I'd say you should all go watch the show, but I suspect it's one of those things that I think is brilliant and everyone else thinks is just sort of weird. (The premise is that this guy is a secret agent, and then he tries to quit, and ends up kidnapped in this weird place called "The Village" where the people in charge try all these bizarre methods to get him to tell them why he resigned... and presumably anything else he knows, but that's the main question.) I mean, there are some episodes that even I think are just weird. ("Living in Harmony" comes to mind... as near as I can tell, the premise of the episode is "hey guys wouldn't it be cool if this show was a western? and then at the end we can say it's all a hallucination. that makes sense right?" ...Although the bit where he realized it was all a hallucination was good. Also what exactly did they -expect- to happen at the end of "It's Your Funeral"? Did they really think he'd fail to stop the assassination plot? Did I miss something somewhere? Because right up to the end I really thought they were all in on it and it was some sort of attempt to create cognitive dissonance... Also I just like the phrase "cognitive dissonance." I mean, how can you not? "Cognitive dissonance.")

"Don't want to get thrown out of a moving shuttlecraft in mid-atmosphere over Malodaar" is not actually a rational reason to try to lose weight. It's an amusing one, though. I already -had- plenty of -rational- reasons.

I love my roommates, yes I do. After having watched hours of old Doctor Who DVDs, we are planning to film our own. So far we haven't really got a plot or anything... actually, mostly we've just come up with things to tell downstairs-roommate-boy to make. (So far he's supposed to make us a Tardis, a sonic screwdriver, K9, and, um, a robot cat. We have specified that the Tardis does not actually have to travel in time, but if anyone could do that it'd probably be him.) Also I think we need to paint the empty upstairs room like the inside of the Tardis. And I need to finish knitting The Scarf. Eeeehehehehe. (This is my high-pitched crazy-laugh.) I do hope we actually manage to do some of this; it's a terribly busy semester for all of us.

Sadly, on the subject of old-British-science-fiction, it seems that there's about four hours a week that everyone is here at the same time. This makes it kinda difficult to watch Blake's 7 together. And I am simply not going to miss how everyone reacts to certain things going horribly wrong. (the end of season 2... the end of season 3... the end of season 4... actually pretty much all of season 4... "Rumours of Death"...) Also we're keeping count of Things That Blake Does Right. So far we've got one: he shot the ship's defense system in "Spacefall" so it didn't kill them all. (We're not counting anything that he only did to fix something he did wrong earlier, or events where he decides to break things/people if they won't do what he says. If you have to resort to threats, your original plan wasn't going right in the first place, was it?)

So I guess there's this movie called "The Box," and the premise is that if you push this button, they give you a million dollars but someone dies? (Which appears to lead to Terrible Personal Consequences that No One Could Have Predicted unless they had Half A Brain Cell.) Assuming I've correctly understood the plot... am I the only person who'd just tell them to go to hell? I mean, there's not even a decision involved there. I wouldn't have to think, well, killing random people is probably wrong even if I could use the money. I'd say, what the **** is wrong with you? (Ah. The internet says this is the plot of an old Twilight Zone episode. Which sounds about right. I mean, this is clearly right up there in the moral dilemma department with "let everyone die because they won't let me alone to read this book.")

I found this survey-thing where you put your music player on shuffle and answer questions with whatever title comes up. Most of them made no sense. ("How would you describe your best friend? 'Utopian Past Tense Incarnation'.") However, I was greatly amused by the question "WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?" to which Windows Media Player responded, "Hot Girls in Good Moods" - (Butch Walker and the Let's-Go-Out-Tonites!).

Also, have learned valuable lesson re: when leftovers should be thrown out. aaaaaaauuuuuughhhhh. *shudder* Must remember to start keeping a hazmat suit on hand.

Good news: Thought I had an Optics exam this morning. It's not until next week! Reprieve!

Oh hey ~yugure, can I name a character Julian, or does that still belong to you?

Anyway, I've got notes to take and quizzes to answer and fabric to cut and laundry to wash! Hinode, out.

Art-related ramblings:
It's October already and I've hardly started either of my Halloween costumes. It's the last week of October! Augh!

(I'm going to two different parties. I need two costumes. ...No, I can't just wear the same one. That would be too sensible.) I shall make a list of what I have left to do. Lists are good.

Cally - for the OSG party (Which it turns out is Saturday after all, curses!):
-green dress: (good news: the pattern requires even less adapting than I thought) - Done and awesome
-white skirt - Done, could be better
-shoulder thingies - didn't quite get them how I wanted to
-green belt
-holster - probably shouldn't spray-paint things on the kitchen table, but it's been raining...
-"power source" (aka small cardboard box) pudding box + duct tape for the win. [link]
-new, improved teleport bracelet (I think perhaps I shall take pictures and post a tutorial of the construction. Yes.) - looks nice, writing up tutorial

Suigintoh - for the anime club party:
-floofy white skirt [link]
-black overskirt
-black feather wings
-black/white trim for boots - in progress
-headdress (and a wig - white or pale blond)
-lace-ruffle sleeve cuffs [link]
-collar-thing
-figure out how on earth I'm going to attach fake roses to the toes of my boots (not gluing them, may want to wear boots for something else someday) Have I mentioned lately how absolutely mind-numbingly brilliant I am? [link]

I shall win the costume contest one of these years! (Every time I think I've got a chance, someone shows up with a costume made out of decapitated stuffed animals or something. I am Not Making That Up. That happened once.)

Ah yes, and the ongoing improvement of the LARP costume:
-new shirt (the white one's not going to be warm enough, with those sleeves)
-vest with actual pockets
-alterations to orange skirt (I have this pattern for a skirt that has ties on the inside to shorten it; I -should- be able to adapt the concept. It's so going to rule.)
-finish sword/dagger/throwing knife (made of foam and duct tape)
-finish that black-and-purple cloak that I started, like, four years ago (The cloak itself is done, except for closing one final seam - it's just that I can't do that until I finish hand-sewing dozens of little silver star beads onto it. Why did I think that was a good idea?!)

Later: I've just gone through two entire boxes of fabric and fabric scraps and old projects and patterns and general weird crap, looking for a pair of pants that I am SURE I bought. Must be at home. :frown: But on the plus side, I found a lot of neat fabric that I'd forgotten about, plus what I -think- is a half-finished bodice-type shirt or something. I don't even recognize the fabric; I must have cut the pieces a few years ago. It's made of a rather pretty purple satin with black stars and moons on it, and I have absolutely no memory of making it or even buying that fabric. It looks like I may have intended it to match my black-and-purple cloak?

I'm not buying any more sewing supplies EVER. While looking for a pattern (which I did find, eventually) I found three identical unopened packages of black ribbon, a box (likewise unopened) of featherweight boning (I -just- bought four yards last week) and so many yards of black lace that it's just ridiculous. Some of it must have been for the blue gothic-lolita dress (which I am totally going to make one day. For reals) but really, how much could I have needed? :sigh: Maybe it was on sale. What I really have to do is get everything in some semblance of order so I know what I have, and how much of it!

Random Thoughts:
It's strange, the things that can make one feel like an adult. I've never had an apartment with a refrigerator all to myself before. This means that I and I alone am responsible for such things as ketchup, butter, salt, and any other items which were formerly the shared property of all the inhabitants - after all, it'd be a bit silly to have three bottles of ketchup.

Anyway, today I opened the canister of parmesan cheese which I purchased sometime last week. My own parmesan cheese. For some reason, that sticks in my mind as a peculiarly grown-up sort of thing to own. (Even if I am using it to turn a frozen cheese pizza into a frozen crazy-amounts-of-cheese pizza).

I've also had to wrap half a loaf of bread in plastic-wrap and stick it in the freezer, because a full loaf goes moldy before I've used it all. Do they sell half-loaves somewhere?

Originally, I wanted my roommates (housemates? apartment-mates? downstairs neighbors? bah.) to watch Blake's 7 because it was a good show, and I liked it, and some of them like old British science fiction, and I don't like being the only one who's seen something because then I when I find something amusing for related reasons, no one else gets it. (Like when I used to introduce ~BriiKittee as an out-of-work hairdresser. No one ever gets that.) Having seen through to the end of the series, I still want to watch it with them... but now, I must admit, it's partly out of evil. It's a good show, yes, it's just that about halfway through things start to go horribly horribly wrong for all the main characters, and then they get worse.

It can stop raining any time now. I'd be cool with that. Really.

Wal-Mart has seriously decreased the size of their fabric section. They do not have cheap costume satin anymore. I'm going to have to drive to, like, Grand Rapids now. >.< This is very sad. I shall miss the convenience of being able to go back to the store when I realize I've forgotten some small but vital piece. Like thread. Or enough fabric to do the lining.

I went to the grocery store a few days ago; I didn't need food but I had to pick up a few things. I found everything on my list and started to head to the checkout. Then I realized that I had a shopping cart that contained nothing but clothesline (the rope-looking sort), duct tape and trash bags. ...Yeah, that's not creepy or suspicious at all. So I bought a few more things to make it look less like I was planning a kidnapping and murder.

Good grief. They exist. [link] It's probably a good thing I'm a broke college student. One of these days I'm going to have a job, and sometime after that I imagine I'll be at a store somewhere, and suddenly I'll realize... I can afford bizarre frivolous nonsense. (On occasion. Within reason. ...Oh who am I kidding, I'll buy something stupid, useless and expensive and regret it immediately. Then do it again.) Then the next day I will come to my senses and admit that I do not really need a full suit of plate armor. Mmm. Well okay, maybe just a few pieces.

And if I'm going to be honest with myself, I have to admit that if I hadn't already bought those white boots to go with my Halloween costume, I'd be seriously considering getting the afore-linked boots of doom. And some tinfoil. Eeeeeheheheheheheee... *cough* Er. Well then.

First round of exams this week. Neuroanatomy (didn't do as well as I'd like) and Pathology (think I did well so I probably screwed it up) done; Optics (evil! Evil!) in a few days and Vision Science (probably not too bad) next Monday. And the other two classes only have midterms, so I should be safe for awhile after that. :grin:

If someone asks if you've betrayed them, and you haven't, the correct answer to that question is "No."* Especially if said person is insane, paranoid (with good reason, to be fair... is it still paranoia if everyone really is out to get you?) and POINTING A GUN AT YOU. You do not try to dodge the question. That is stupid. "He doesn't understand" is NOT a good answer. Neither were any of the others. Are you REALLY that stupid? What did you THINK was going to happen? *headdesk* *headdesk* *headdesk* AAARGH!

All right. Done yelling at fictional characters now. ...Unless I change my mind and blame a different one later.

I finally decided to get my hair cut today, after it ocurred to me that if I was seriously considering the idea of flipping a coin to decide whether I should do it or not, a "no" response wouldn't actually solve anything since I'd still be thinking about it, and eventually a coin toss would come up "yes," so really by that logic it was only a matter of time. Also the list of arguments for and against was getting a little silly. And at least this way most of it is the same color.

You know what would be really useful? If I could have someone come in and label all my clothes and what situations it is appropriate to wear them in. I -think- I have "business casual" down, but I'm never really 100% sure. Is there some set of rules written down somewhere that no one's telling me about? And is "business casual for a dinner/reception/discussion" the same thing as "business casual for clinic"? Are there different levels? Is one of my bridesmaid dresses too much for the annual formal dance? [It is called the "Eye Ball." This is optometry humor. I am not making this up.] Does anyone ever wear bridesmaid-dresses more than once?

On a similar note, I should probably learn how to wear eyeshadow from a source other than the villainess of a campy 80's scifi show. (Amusing as it may be) I think I've adapted the style to an acceptable level of... shall we say, subtlety... but then, I own a fluorescent orange skirt and four pairs of knee-high striped socks in assorted colors. Clearly subtlety is not

Twice today, someone has told me that they saw me someplace I'm sure I haven't been. I'm beginning to suspect doppelgangers.

It has only just now occurred to me that if I can hear the next-door neighbors through my open window, it is likely that they can hear me as well. I do hope they're enjoying my rendition of the musical episode of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

I was in a melancholy sort of mood today, so when I left for class I looked through the CDs I had in the car to find something a little happier than the previously-mentioned soundtrack. (It's catchy, but damn is that a depressing episode.) I couldn't find a single unequivocally cheerful CD in the whole case. >.< No wonder I get depressed sometimes.

*The voices in my head and I would also accept "I would never betray you," or "Of course not; thank goodness you're here, this is what's really going on:", but of course no one in that universe could ever be so straightforward.

...*sigh* All right FINE. *glares at voices #3-5* And some of the voices would like to suggest "I've always loved you; let's run away together and to hell with the rebellion." Although technically that does not answer the question either. And it is very silly.