did you know that dolphins are just gay sharks?

* helped my sister move out (it's not the first time we've not lived together, but I'm gonna miss her - even though she's only about ten minutes away)

* made a new icon (couldn't resist)

* The most recent ep of TAI TV is hilarious. "New Years Eve" message from the guys, reminiscing about the year. ( Remember when )

* Ummm, is the "cast" of the upcoming Survivor season a spoiler? Just in case ( I'll cut, but am amused )

Have just made a batch of sour cream cookies (which are definitely one of those things that taste better raw than cooked, even though they're damn yummy cooked, so its hard to resist eating too much mixture). I'm waiting for them to cool, and feeling that slightly queasy feeling of eating slightly too much mixture ;) The parents were watching the recent-ish Matt Lucas, Mark Gatiss version of The Wind in the Willows while I was cooking, and it looked pretty good, though I was disturbed because it made me want Mole/Rat slash.

Yesterday - yum cha and marathon of entire first season of ANTM. I'd not seen quite all of it, especially in order.

Today - we got stuck into moving stuff to my sister's new unit (she's aiming to be living there by the end of the first week of January, so hopefully we'll be able to pick up lots of the stuff she still needs in post-Christmas sales). Also, did hopefully-last-before-Christmas grocery shop, and delivered presents to family we're not seeing on the day.

Tomorrow - make two of the three salads (potato and wombok) for Christmas day, tidy and set dining room table. Mum'll make dessert (chocolate mousse), so our major things to make on the day will be the seafood, green salad, and bbq lamb. Not too bad, given how over the top things normally are around here.

*sigh* I'm going to miss my sister. I was flicking through the tv program, and started to critique the Christmas Day choices.

Me: Ben-Hur twice in one day? That's too much Charlton Heston, plus, if anything, it should be shown at Easter.
[us trying to remember details, like who had leprosy and how Christ's blood heals them or something)
Her: Oh, I vaguely remember that. Plus, there's that bit where Tony Curtis stands up and says "I'm Ben-Hur! I'm Ben-Hur!"
Me:...that's...Spartacus.
Her: Shut up! Shut up! [as mum, dad and I just lost it]

Whenever I ponder vegetarianism (I acknowledge the excellent arguments in favour), I eat something like the tender, juicy steak we had for dinner last night, and just...no. I can't. Meeeeeaaaat, mmmmm.

And the mushrooms were divine! My mother's comment as I was drooling over them - "well these have both vermouth and sherry". Two kinds of alcohol (+ lemon juice, spring onion, garlic, oregano and some other things) is clearly why my mushrooms (often featuring alchohol but only ONE kind) are always inferior.

The steak was accompanied by a young yet good West Australian sauvignon blanc semillon blend, and followed by some delicious crumbly vintage cheese with cabernet paste, and a small glass of Rutherglen tokay.

::reads post:: um, not an alcoholic!

My sister just asked if I wanted to watch this week's Criminal Minds, so I settled down on the couch with my cereal and, just as she hit play, remembered "didn't we watch this yesterday?" (and the answer was yes - we so smrt).

The other night, either as I was drifting off to sleep or when I woke up during the night, I had a blinding flash about what I've never read in bandom but would dearly love to: Gabe mpreg. I then forgot about this random moment of insane clarity until I was at work on Friday, and started randomly giggling at my desk.

We're having a really small Christmas this year, which should be good (lower preparation stress than usual). Except I only have a present for my sister so far, nothing for my parents or my brother and sister-in-law. And no ideas either (though probably go with the usual option of a gift voucher to day spa for my s-i-l).

My sister is hoping to settle on her unit next week, but because of problems caused by the vendor's lawyer, it might not happen til mid-January (which the vendor is pissed about - he'll be up for a year's worth of land tax if that happens). The downside is I won't be living with my sister anymore - I know she'll only be a couple of suburbs away, but I'm gonna miss her. And we're having to divide up the dvd collection - which is a particular bummer as a shitload of the tv shows are hers.

(If any local MCR fans who don't own Life on the Murder Scene are interested - my JB HiFi has it for only $17.)

Only worked half a day, I totally over-estimated my own stamina post-exams. I did the important stuff, everything else is so boring and ongoing that I just couldn't cope. I need the money, but wasn't accomplishing anything.

Came home to the news that my cousin D is gonna be a dad! I'm so happy for him and his wife!

But then I went out to the shops - got something to make for dinner, failed to find a birthday present for my sister, bought Viva La Cobra! (I gave the copy I bought from the US away as a present), failed to find some casual pants for myself, and ran into my cousin D and his wife, so I got to congratulate them (ie squee in public) in person *g*.

I can't remember with whom I discussed this, but I remember wishing for a big plotty case-file-esque Supernatural/Criminal Minds crossover a little while back.

>>> Defect, by kikkimax is just that, and more. So good.

Speaking of Criminal Minds - need. new. episode. NOW!!!

Caught her interview on Rove just then, she was quite cute. What was really important though - the concert dates were announced! hnix, it's ok, Sydney Entertainment Centre, December 8th! Tickets go on sale on August 1st!

No Christina icon to celebrate with, but JC is nearly as pretty, and wears women's clothes sometimes, so he'll do.

In other news, the computer is mostly working, apart from sound. Still might have to take it back to supplier for looking at.

Helped my sister take the cat to the vet for her treatment. The cat retaliated by attempting to gas us to death by disgracing herself in her carry cage. Me attempting to drive through busy traffic while trying not to dry retch out the window does not equal fun trip. Poor puss though, she was so unhappy at being at the vets that her legs were trembling a little bit. She doesn't bite or scratch though, little softie. Different place too, which wouldn't help, though the guy was very nice, and very clear when he explained everything. Hopefully by next Monday we'll have our little radioactive and pissed off kitty back home again.

Christina! Hope I can get tickets...

I'm craving yum cha.

Also, if there isn't any leftover pavlova for me, serious unhappiness.

Early to bed tonight for me. Spent the last two nights putting in some long hours for mum. She got landed the job of doing a presentation to the year 10 students on biology and why they should do it for the HSC. Happy to say that in the end, the powerpoint presentation turned out quite nicely, and her presentation got a good reaction. Physics teachers were muttering afterwards that they need to figure out how to incorporate pictures of cute fluffy animals into their talks too. But we also had a cute animated gif of a Pacman type cartoon, to illustrate immune system stuff, and nice layout, tasteful use of animated text, and two pieces of music. Circle of Life for ecosystem topic, and Stayin' Alive for Maintaining Body Balances. Nsync version, natch *g*. Well, partially because I thought the lyrics were actually clearer. Not just cause I can hear Chris so clearly ;)

I was originally only going to be working Tuesday and Thursday this week, but that turned into 4 days (yay!). Someone is finishing up tomorrow, and they're still trying to make up their minds if this person is even going to be replaced, let alone if they want me in over the next few weeks to do some of her work. Stupid management.

Here's a question for y'all - if applicable, when did you first read the Harry Potter books, and why?

I was re-reading Philosopher's Stone the other day, and the receipt is still tucked in the back. January 2000 - I'd heard a bit about these books, just vague stuff, it was before the hype got quite so...[insert superlatives of choice here], and one of the girls I babysat was reading them. She said they were really good, and dad and I won't not read fun fantasy books just because they're being marketed at kids *g*, so dad bought the first one and read it. Passed it on to me, and immediately bought the next two (PoA was still only in HB at this stage). We both thought they were good stories, and enormous fun. Plus, Sirius and Lupin were the first slashy couple I ever saw that I hadn't been primed to see :)

My grandmother just died.

They gutted the bathroom.

Well, they kind of have to, to be able to re-do it completely, but still...this was my childhood bathroom. We haven't done any major renovation in my memory, so I've never seen part of my home looking like this.

Everything is gone, vanity, toilet, shower, bath, tiles, walls...everything!

And oddly, it looks smaller.

But within a few weeks - a new bathroom. With a shower we can use, non-water damaged vanity unit, and a bath large enough for an adult to actually immerse more than 10% of their body at any one time.

Had dinner and much fun conversation with eponymous and ukcalico last night. I now remember why I don't go out in North Sydney much - the drunk assholes that appear after 10:30pm. Though we got to watch the cops manhandle one away, which was entertaining.

I'm blaming these plotbunnies that attacked me on the way home on them, by the way :)