My life today, High School Musical, In the Realm of a Dying Emperor

I have been very productive today, getting lots of little things done that needed doing. I started the day late as usual (why wake up early when all you're doing is sending off resumes and writing and reading?) but was outside by 3pm doing sword practice in the backyard. I want snapping that sword down and back to be completely natural. I trained for about ten minutes (which is all my arms, still sore from training the day before, could take) then went for a walk around the neighbourhood with my camera in tow. Got some gorgeous pictures of the spring flora. I also spent an hour or so finishing my preliminary Romania research (I'm the missing the book I need to finish it), which let me work out a framework background for Louis in the Uric book that I'm content with using. Dad and I then went to pick up new brake pads for the car which Dad will install tomorrow, and patches and fabric glue. We then headed to the library for their booksale, which was, unfortunately, largely disappointing. I've never seen so few used scifi/fantasy books in one place *pout* Still, I got a paperback copy of War and Peace for 50 cents and a history of the Native Americans of the Northwest, plus a James Bond novel. And Dad got an audio book, so not a total loss. I'm really missing the used books stores I used to frequent when I was younger. They've all closed down now and while people tell me you can still find them here in NJ, I've yet to see them.

Anyway, we then went home where I finally made okonomiyaki for dinner (had been planning to do so since last week). It was my first time doing so without using an okonomiyaki kit. Then after watching the first eps of Krod Mandoon (very silly) and Chuck, I did something I do about once every five years - I ironed something *L* My beautiful black leather trench coat had developed a triangular rip on the back, so I reversed it, put fabric glue on the rip, then ironed on a patch. It worked out very well and unless you know it's there, you don't even notice it. Then, feeling ambitious, I put on High School Musical and spent the movie sewing my tabi (for training) back together since the black outer fabric invariably falls apart and must be reattached to the rest (until such time as I can afford new ones... so, you know, never). This is the appropriate way to watch dull Disney movies, it seems, since I have little to say about it other than, 'wow, everything is really happy in Disney world. How nice for them. o_O', and now I can discuss it with my niece without feeling like she's talking in code!

Oh, yeah, and at some point I read several chapters of In the Realm of a Dying Emperor, which was very weird since I was on the lady from Yamaguchi chapters and since I lived in Yamaguchi, I knew exactly what the author was talking about. It's funny how they leave out all the torturing of Christians from the tourist spiel when you visit Tsuwano... I also almost completely packed my bag for the trip. The hardest thing has been deciding which books are going and staying. My whims on vacation are so fickle, I might not even read them but if they're not there, I'll want to (I tend to revert to comics, or rereading old favourites which I keep stored on my computer. go figure.)

My life today, High School Musical, In the Realm of a Dying Emperor

I have been very productive today, getting lots of little things done that needed doing. I started the day late as usual (why wake up early when all you're doing is sending off resumes and writing and reading?) but was outside by 3pm doing sword practice in the backyard. I want snapping that sword down and back to be completely natural. I trained for about ten minutes (which is all my arms, still sore from training the day before, could take) then went for a walk around the neighbourhood with my camera in tow. Got some gorgeous pictures of the spring flora. I also spent an hour or so finishing my preliminary Romania research (I'm the missing the book I need to finish it), which let me work out a framework background for Louis in the Uric book that I'm content with using. Dad and I then went to pick up new brake pads for the car which Dad will install tomorrow, and patches and fabric glue. We then headed to the library for their booksale, which was, unfortunately, largely disappointing. I've never seen so few used scifi/fantasy books in one place *pout* Still, I got a paperback copy of War and Peace for 50 cents and a history of the Native Americans of the Northwest, plus a James Bond novel. And Dad got an audio book, so not a total loss. I'm really missing the used books stores I used to frequent when I was younger. They've all closed down now and while people tell me you can still find them here in NJ, I've yet to see them.

Anyway, we then went home where I finally made okonomiyaki for dinner (had been planning to do so since last week). It was my first time doing so without using an okonomiyaki kit. Then after watching the first eps of Krod Mandoon (very silly) and Chuck, I did something I do about once every five years - I ironed something *L* My beautiful black leather trench coat had developed a triangular rip on the back, so I reversed it, put fabric glue on the rip, then ironed on a patch. It worked out very well and unless you know it's there, you don't even notice it. Then, feeling ambitious, I put on High School Musical and spent the movie sewing my tabi (for training) back together since the black outer fabric invariably falls apart and must be reattached to the rest (until such time as I can afford new ones... so, you know, never). This is the appropriate way to watch dull Disney movies, it seems, since I have little to say about it other than, 'wow, everything is really happy in Disney world. How nice for them. o_O', and now I can discuss it with my niece without feeling like she's talking in code!

Oh, yeah, and at some point I read several chapters of In the Realm of a Dying Emperor, which was very weird since I was on the lady from Yamaguchi chapters and since I lived in Yamaguchi, I knew exactly what the author was talking about. It's funny how they leave out all the torturing of Christians from the tourist spiel when you visit Tsuwano... I also almost completely packed my bag for the trip. The hardest thing has been deciding which books are going and staying. My whims on vacation are so fickle, I might not even read them but if they're not there, I'll want to (I tend to revert to comics, or rereading old favourites which I keep stored on my computer. go figure.)