erilyn | random stuff

I just finished watching a David Attenborough special on mountain apes - following up on the gorilla segment from Life on Earth and other programs. Well, not just watching, there was a crying too, which I'd blame on hormones, but who needs to justify tears at a program that not only included the murder of Dian Fossey, the killings of gorillas, the kidnapping of baby gorillas, but also the Rwandan genocide too. From one extreme, mourning a single life, or the lives of single animals, but such remarkable beasts and so desperately rare, through to a million people dead in a 100 days (and more in total). Emotional whiplash.

Though in the last 25 years, the mountain gorilla population in the Virungas has increased by 120 to 380, so there was a little good news at least.

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I feel wrong following that up with this - I bought a swimsuit today. Not brilliant, but it was only $60, which considering some of the brands I've been looking at checking out are more than double that, was a good price. Deep aqua, one piece, reasonably supportive, though I wish the shoulder straps were wider. I've been swimming a few times in the last two weeks. Gone from 600m (24 laps of 25m pool) to 800m (32 laps), in a little under 25 minutes today. I'm still dreadfully out of shape, despite the gym (still loving boxing), but it's such relaxing exercise and I always forget how much I love swimming when I haven't done much lately.

Only 4 weeks til my holiday, and I can't wait! Just realised that bandom big bang only goes live a couple of days before I go away - I was hoping to be able to save up more stories to read while away. I'll come back to lots of good reading instead.

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I am feeling bad about being a Supernatural viewer after the season finale. I've not been blind to the program's fail regarding women, but I've never felt it so viscerally as in that episode. I'm a massive hypocrite who isn't necessarily saying I quit it, but maybe it should be regarded as my tv viewing of shame, below America's Next Top Model. They make Tyra look like an incredibly progressive (and fierce!) feminist in comparison.

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File under things you don't expect when browsing in a Oxford St bookshop - to end up discussing which m/m romance novel to buy, with a childhood friend you havent seen in years. Was there yesterday with

iibnf and

tapedeck (post-yum cha, pre-cocktails), and suddenly heard someone say my name. Her face was so familiar, but she had to say "It's S", for me to click that it was a girl I went through primary and high school with (there weren't many that I did both with). We weren't close in high school, but always friendly, so it was lovely to see her and catch up a bit. I ended up buying Transgressions by Erastes, I'd heard good things about it during Amazonfail.

For the record: yum cha at Marigold in the city vs Phoenix at Manly - both have good points, Marigold has bigger range but Phoenix's position overlooking the water is gorgeous.