Flying visit!

We've landed, got our bearing and started work. Unfortunately, I'm still homeless (though looking) but internet connection is both difficult to get to and expensive. So sorry for not being about and neglecting my friends list. It'll be another week, if not longer, before I'm set up with accommodation and can even think about getting some kind of broadband or whatever.

I hope you're all well. I missing chilling out and bumming around lj. Thankfully I got to read the most recent chapter of FMA, but I won't spoil those who have yet to see it. Eek! Though... Eek!

Talk to you guys soon,

Lee

Well, not really, but just about!

Sorry about being so absent lately, between banks, college, visits and goodbyes I've barely had time to breathe! I'm getting a quick nap as I have to be up and about for four tonight.

Talk to you all soon,

Lee

Co-worker: Hey Lee, you coming to the after-Christmas party?
Me: No, I'm going to be in Oz.
Co-worker: Oh no! That sucks. We should move it!
Me: NO! You can't move it just for me. I'm going to the pub with my parents, relations and friends, so you guys just come to that. There'll be food and drinks. (my parents are insisting on this. I hate big celebrations like this. I hate people coming to 'celebrate' me. I don't even go out for my birthday. Yes, I'm sad.)
Co-worker: Maybe we can do both! How about we do the Christmas party on the 5th Jan?
Me: Oh no, see, I can't do it on that Saturday. My brother and his partner both work Friday and Sunday. I have to have my going away on a Saturday so they can go. My parents have told all my relations it's the 5th.
Co-worker: Oh no! Well, we'll work something out.
Me: Honestly, it's no big deal. We'll all get to hang out on the 5th anyway.
Co-worker: Leave it to me.

A few hours later....
Co-worker: Hey Lee, I sorted everything out! Wahoo! Christmas party. *does a little dance*
Me: *joins in dancing* Really?! Class! When is it?
Co-worker: Next Saturday!
Me: o_0 Wait. Saturday the 5th?
Co-worker: *still dancing* Yep! Wahoo!!!
Me: (inside) AGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!

Yep, work moved the Christmas party so I could go. I didn't ask or expect them to do it but I did really appreciate it... except it's the same day as the going away party my parents organised for me. What really sucks is that my boyfriend works with me.

Dilemma, dilemma.

ETA: Guys who wrote fic and drew art, sorry I haven't commented so far! I've got it all bookedmarked and I'll definitely get to it. I'm going visiting so I'm RUSHING!!!

So, I hope everyone is having a great Christmas. I've been having a really sweet/sad Christmas. My parents organised for all of the family to have Christmas dinner in our house, which was lovely. But yes, it also made me sad because I realise how much I'm going to miss everyone. It's really hitting home that I'll be in Australia in two weeks! I'm still really looking forward to going but I'm starting to realise I'll have loads of people to say goodbye to. I'm going out for dinner with all my friends from school tonight and tomorrow is dinner with the college crowd. Of course, everyone has booked time on my couch when they come to visit so I'll have to invest in a comfortable one!

I got loads of lovely presents and everyone seemed to love the gifts I got them, which made me so happy. I also passed my driving test on Friday, which made me SUPER happy. There's so many places I want to visit in Oz, so having a licence is so handy. Yes, I know it's sad that at 25 I didn't already have a driving licence... and to that I will say, don't ever do your test in Ireland. XD 55% failure rate! It is evil. EVIL!!!

And, some how, I've got loads of new plot bunnies for slightly-less-angst-than-usual-but-still-pretty-angsty-FMA-fics which I may managed to scribble at some point. I'm hosting the chapter discussion on fma_reread today. So, if you're around, COMMENT! It's fun, honest.

So I got an e-mail yesterday from my new employer. They're hoping to get the project up and running a 'little' earlier than originally plan. The original schedule involved me flying out in March but they asked if I'd be willing to go earlier. So now I'm leaving in a month. They've gone away to book flights but they want me out the week of the 7th of January! I start training on the 14th and and being work on the 21st!

This is going to be the busiest Christmas ever. I've so much to organise and NO time to get it all done. Rob's going to see if he can get out earlier, otherwise I won't get to see him for five/six months, which would suck so much.

The fact that I'm leaving so soon hasn't really hit me yet. I'm excited right now and I've little time to think because I'm trying to get everything ready in time but as I get closer to the departure time I'm probably going to get more upset. I've lived in this city all my life. All my family is here.

I'm really excited about this new chapter in my life but it's going to be a major shock to be all alone on the other side of the world. I guess it's a good thing I like adventure!

So, I'm trying to be good and begin work on the Ed/Winry ship manifesto. It's not due until the 10th of January but with Christmas and work and everything else, I really want to get it finished ASAP.

( So, without further delay... )

-

So, my brother and his partner FINALLY got their business back up and running. and there was much rejoicing A 'friend' of theirs totally screwed them over and started spreading delightful rumors about them... Nice, eh? Anyway, they've got the ball rolling again which is great, though they guilted me into working my ass of to help them. Unpaid, of course... Stupid family and love and depending on each other... XD

But my super duper news (for me) is I GOT A JOB IN OZ!!! Eek. I had a phone interview last week, which I felt went really well. The interviewer guy said that he really thought I'd fit in but I didn't have enough experience so he didn't know if I'd be right for that job so... THEY MADE UP A JOB FOR ME!!! Eh hehe! No-one has ever made up a job for me. So, I'm going to be an Explorational Geologist in Western Australia. I'm still really weirded out. I'd been hoping to get such a job since September but was having a hard time because I don't have an experience... but YEAY!!! let's hope they didn't hire me for my literary skills!. I don't start until March which gives me loads of time to get all my affairs in order. They'll be sending me VISA stuff soon, forms, forms, forms... and they're paying for my flights.

It's going to be so exciting. I'm really looking forward to a change of scenery and actually start working with rocks!

*is such a nerd*

In the middle of all that I actually found time to get working on some of my fics. Thank God, I was going through such a bought of writers block. :(

I also found myself signed up to write the Ed/Winry ship_manifesto. I saw that the ship was open ages ago and asked if it was free. I didn't hear anything back so I assumed someone had signed up for it. This made me happy. After I asked to do it I quickly realised I didn't have time to do it. Fast forward a few weeks and I'm freaking a little. I still plan on doing it because Ed/Winry has stolen my heart and I want to see it done but I'm insanely nervous about doing it! Eep.

Oh and I'm hosting Chapter 71 discussion on fma_reread, because obviously I didn't learn from college that doing loads of stuff when you have no time is stressful! :(

I think I'm living in a t.v. show. My life is too full of random crap to actually be real...

My mom had to have emergency eye surgery on Thursday. :( Her retina was detaching, which sucks on it's own, but she's functionally blind in the other eye, so it's was VERY serious. She has laser surgery (complete with three injections in here eye!) so hopefully that will solve the problem. She has a check up next Thursday, so fingers crossed friends list!

My two best friends broke up! :( They were my best friends before they started going out (I introduced them) and have been in a relationship for over a year now. They broke up last weekend. It's so frustrating because they have both admitted that they still love each other but aren't in the right places in their lives right now. I feel for both of them and wish there was something I could do. They're both in bits over it.

I have a skype interview with an Australia mining company next week. Eep! I hope it goes well... though I work with an Ozzie girl who told me that a bird eating spider attacked her cat one day. A bird eating spider that was under her bed. There's something really wrong when it's the spiders eating the birds. o_0

I haven't had any time to read fics or write. It's driving me demented. I'm writing about 100 words of A Life Without Regret whenever I get time to sit down. That's no where near good enough. I have had a few plot bunnies though... I think I might write a one shot or two to get me back in the groove. Hmm... plot bunnies, plot bunnies...

ETA: My friend got me a beautiful charm bracelet for my birthday. I've been on the net since oogling the charms. Today, I was disturbed to find vasectomy charms on Amazon. That's going a bit far, right? o_0

So I've been thinking about that Halloween potato from my last post and have come to a conclusion...

I'm going to give out weird crap for Halloween from now on. Now, before people start egging me, I have my reasons. Well, my reason... I still remember that potato. I got a lot of stuff through my childhood trick or treating career, but that potato is the one clear memory I have. For that reason, I now love that potato.

I can still remember the old man dropping it into my bag and smiling at us.

I can still remember thinking 'Wait, was that a potato?!'

And I can still remember my best friend's o_0 face when we took it out to examine it and realised that, yes, it was a potato.

That's one of my favourite childhood memories. It's so wacky and bizarre. I want to mess with kids heads and have them look back and moan about me on their LJs (or what ever mad stuff they'll have in the future...)

So next year, I'm getting a big bag of spuds for Halloween. It's going to be awesome.

Also, meme... Don't know what to make of it. (Swiped from _cherrywolf_)





What's Your Personality Quirk?


Hosted by theOtaku.com: Anime. Done right.


o_0

Also, welcome artemisrae! *waves*

Go! Read her fics! Ed/Winry, Tokka and MORE!!!!

I'll be honest, not my favourite time of the year. It always seemed to rain when I was a kid and I guess I'm a little bitter that it seems to have been dry EVERY YEAR since I last dressed up.

When we were kids we used to spend weeks composing little songs and dances so that people would think we were cute and give us more sweets. Now... kids just thrust a bag in your face and glare at you. Seriously, I've had two groups sing song! Two! The youth of today. And the non-singers seemed really put out by what they got. They're getting free shit and they're getting narky about it? I guess they haven't hear the old 'beggars can't be choosers' phrase, eh? And I got them nice sweets too! Nothing I'd eat personally (I do value my organs) but stuff I would have been delighted with as a child... all filled with artificial colours and flavours, E numbers banned in some European countries and sugar in massive, hyper-active inducing amounts. And yet, it's not enough. Little Fanta filled fuckers.

Which, reminded me of the worst thing I got when trick or treating. Now, I did live in a wee tiny village at the time, the thrill was more with the staying up later, rather than the sweet eating... but still... what did I get? What you ask? I got a potato. Oh, hoho, and not just any potato, I had to share that potato with my two friends because they only gave us the one. One potato.

Now, I'm Irish, I do like my spuds, but that was really pushing it...

So I ask you, dear friends list, what's the worst thing you've ever got a-trick-or-treating?

Me: Hello, can I help you?
Customer: Yes, I'm looking for a wetsuit.
Me: Great, our wetsuits are here. Are you looking for a suit to wear now?
Customer: o_0
Me: As in, now... In Ireland?
Customer: Yes.
Me: Ok, so you want a winter suit?
Customer: When would I wear that then?
Me: In Ireland? You'd wear it in the winter in Ireland. From about October to March/April. The water temperature gets quite low here... bla... 5/3 neoprene... bla bla bla... sealed seams... bla bla bla... hypothermia.
Customer: Ok, so I don't ever need a summer suit then?
Me: Eh... well, not in the winter, no. But the water temperature begins to heat up around March/April so-
Customer: So I don't need a suit at all then?
Me: Well, it's still pretty cold if you're going to be surfing for a few hours. You'd probably need a 2/3 or a 3/4 summer suit. Bla bla bla... summer suit explanation.
Customer: So right now, in the winter, I need a summer suit?
Me: (is this guy fucking with me?) No, it's the winter now, so you need a winter suit to be comfortable.
Customer: So when the hell do I wear a SUMMER SUIT?!?!!
Me: In the summer, sir.
Customer: So you're telling me, I have to have TWO wetsuits?
Me: Well, if you want to be comfortable year round, yes.
Customer: My friend in the Majorca only needs one suit. How does that make sense?
Me: Well, the temperature in the Med doesn't change much from one season to the next. It's almost a lake and it's quite shallow. When I was surfing there I didn't even wear a wetsuit because the temperature was so high compared to what I'm used to in Ireland.
Customer: So you're telling me that the temperature FOR THE ENTIRE ATLANTIC changes from winter to summer.
Me: o_0 Well, yes... the ambient air temperature changes dramatically too... wind chill factors when-
Customer: That's fucking stupid, it seems more like something you need to sell wetsuits year round.
Me: o_0 Eh... it's not though.
Customer: Yeah, we'll see. (storms off)

I can only assume he stormed off to create a weather machine, with the sole intention of putting us out of business. Just you guys see, it's not global warming... it's angry wetsuit man!!!!

Strange man: (wanders around looking like he's been transported to the magical land of Narnia... and is not happy about it. Imaging Eustance in the beginnging of The Voyage of the Dawn Threader... got it? Good.)
Me: Can I help you with anything?
Strange man: I'm looking for a hat.
Me: Our hats are over here. (Proceeds to the hat stand. Gestures at the hats.)
Stranger man: No I'm looking for a hat with a hingu.
Me: (sporting a bewildered look) Sorry?(awkward pause) Are you looking for a peaked hat? A baseball hat?
Strange man: No a hat with a hingu.
Me: (brain melts out ears)
Strange man: You don't know what I'm talking about?! A hat with a hingu. (Makes a gesture as if referring to a peaked hat)
LMe: (fed up, pretty sure he's looking for hat with a peak but doesn't want to point out he's a few sandwiches short of a picnic) No, I'm sorry.
Strange man: Well, I don't know what it's called actually, but I call it a hingu. (walks off looking very put out)
Me: (falls over)

This post will be short because I have a dislocated finger and typing is both difficult and sore.

Rob got me a cheer-up longboard. It's a thing of beauty... observe:



He got it for me on Friday and we spent Friday evening and Saturday skating around. Sunday... well, it rained a little but I was addicted so I decided to go out before breakfast. I was doing anything ambitious (because I suck) but my foot got caught between the board and the trucks and I got catapulted off the board and onto the road, where I dislocated my middle (second) finger. I felt this all mighty pain in my knuckle and looked down to see my finger pushed up and over my knuckle. IT WAS GROSS! I just grabbed my finger and clutched it against my chest where it popped back into joint. Rob came over to find me sitting on the curb trying to figure out what to do. He dragged me to the hospital, where they checked it out for me. I didn't break anything, but I pulled and tore ligaments all the way to my elbow. My two middle fingers are splinted together and I've got a big support bandage going to my elbow. Apparently, this gives me 'street cred' with the other londboarders at work.

Still love longboarding though. You guys should try it.

By the way, sorry I didn't respond to comments on my previous entry... I guess I've nothing to say about it. What happened happened, and it sucks ass but... I don't know. Cathy and Gary have taken a week off to just spend time together and deal with what happened. I hate how repressed we Irish are with shit like this. We just drink when we feel emotion. Drink solves everything apparently.

Anyway, please excuse any and all typos. It's insanely difficult with my fingers strapped like this.

Stolen from the clutches of musachan.

( A-Z Meme )

Now, to the shops to buy ingredients! I'm baking cookies for my lectures as a thank you for being totally awesome over the course of my degree. I'm totally going to bawl my eyes out at graduation. ;_;

So my boss FINALLY hired some new people. As of next week I'll be back working five days a week and I'll have a lunch hour again! Yahoo!

So hopefully I'll finally get some writing done. I've been really highly strung for the past few weeks and I couldn't write a thing. I would just stare at the computer screen and that would stress me out more. Phew.

Finally saw the new episode of Avatar. I'm not really sure what I think of it. I think I'll have to watch it again before I really digest it properly.

( Spoiler cut, though I seem to be the last person on my friends list to have caught it! )

- Pick your birth month.
- Strike out anything that doesn't apply to you.
- Bold the five-ten that best apply to you.
- Copy to your own journal, with all twelve months under a cut.

OCTOBER: Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn't pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy and easily jealous. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.

( Other months )

I went hiking yesterday! Yes, indeedy-o. I know it's sad but I'm super proud of myself. It kind of feels like I've closed a chapter of my life, hopefully for good.

I mentioned it a few times, but, this time last year I couldn't walk. I had Guillain-Barré syndrome which left me wheelchair bound and pretty much unable to do anything for myself. To add insult to injury, while having tests for the GBS a large, pre-cancerous tumor was discovered on my aorta. All of this required many months in the hospital and quite a bit of physiotherapy. There is also the associated PTSD this brought up but that's really abated with time and therapy.

So... I think it's ok for me to be happy that I climbed, a mountain yesterday. Admittedly, it only just classifies as a mountain but it made me happy.

Today, my thighs are killing me and I'm bloody knackered but that can do nothing to dent my sense of achievement.

( So, dear friends, I present to you... me! And the mountain! )

And now I'm being dragged away to watch the Rose of Tralee. It's fun in a sadistically cheesie way. :)

Title: "On Thin Ice"
Author: zuppi
Pairing: Ed/Winry
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: None
Thanks to kashtashkah my wonderful beta!

Summary: Written for the fireandice2007 fic challenge. As sappy as I get.

( On Thin Ice )

-

Hey guys,

Sorry I've been absent for so long... the world was really conspiring against me and gobbling up my free time! It was a whole bunch of little things but you know how they can build up.

So, in no particular order, here are the things that decided to irk me this past month.

( Bitch, bitch, bitch! )

So I'm finally getting back on top of things... I feel like I can breathe and relax again. A little.

I'm starting to pick up after my crazy weekend. The doctor gave me steroids because my lungs where shot to hell from the smoke and so I'm loads better now. Going to make a police statement tomorrow, for all the good that will do.

So... things that have been on my mind.

1. First of all littlechemist01 drew me some art of the most recent chapter of A Life Without Regret. Eep! I'm so happy. I've never had someone draw art for me before. So yes, that totally made me a big puddle of happy goo! I only wish I could draw to return the favour... alas Rachel, it would only be stick-automail boys and stick-automail mechanics.

Edit: Because I'm a tool and can't get the image right on my journal, you can see her post here How the bloody hell does scrap book work!!!

( Fics, challenges, FMA and Avatar (slight spoilers, I guess)... and me blabbing on. )

Oh my God, what has happened to my life?! I'm so insanely busy. I was out and about all weekend. We went surfing with the guys from works. The swell was a bit dumby so those of us not so good at surfing went hiking and I had to give a little lecture on metamorphic geology. XD For once people were actually asking me about rocks, rather then rolling their eyes and laughing as I went on about minerals and cleavage and dips and strikes.

I've been working every day this week and practicing driving for hours after. I have my test three weeks tomorrow. I can drive pretty well but the failure rate is 55% so I'm still freaking out about it. I've got exams in August too so I'm trying to study as well.

I'm going to the Oxegen music festival this weekend so I'm running all over the place to get ready. We're camping at the festival so I have to bring loads of stuff. Surprise, surprise, it's supposed to rain so I'm bringing loads of clothes.

I have the fireandice2007 challenge fic to do to. I'm probably going to be stuck to get it ready to go (and be happy with it!) but I signed up for it so I'm going to do it damn it!

And I got another plot bunny for an Ed/Winry one shot. It's really upping my levels of evil though. It's pretty evil. I'll probably get flamed for it...

So, I'm just running out the door. I'm going shopping for various camping things. And I've no money! Agh. I'm not cut out for this fast paced life.

P.S. Sorry for being desperate at commenting on posts this week! I barely get a chance to scan through my friends list these days! I'll make up for it, I promise!