my heart is a glorious machine;

Life has been going in fits and starts, but today was a good day. Still working on Doing More Things, and college and jobs and things, which is just barely short of overwhelming and terrifying, of course, but today I started on Battlestar Galactica, and it is wonderful (also younger Paul Ballard with a slightly odd haircut and being all happy and... why did he have a lollipop during the card game? is that, like, reverse hardcore? "I AM A SOLDIER I AM SO HARDCORE I PREFER LOLLIPOPS TO VODKA TOP THAT") and I am really looking forward to watching more. Naturally I only watch shows after they are finished, but at least this one finished on its own terms, apparently, rather than being cancelled. I love that this future still looks like a real world; you have dirt and grime and everyone isn't wearing, like, sparkly jumpsuits or whatever, and the cities look like real lived-in cities (mannnn, I loved that one view of the marketplace, and Six had this made of win purple coat and then she CASUALLY KILLED A BABY AUGH NIGHTMARE FUEL) and I discovered anew what a hold science fiction has got on my psyche when I realised suddenly during a battle scene that I had forgotten our military does not have battles in space. With space ships. It looked so real and natural! The camera work is also really pleasing; Dad loathes and despises hand-held cameras with all of his being, but I really love them when their format has something to add in terms of viewpoint and atmosphere, which they did here; and the minimal use of music was also excellently done.

This evening there was a street fair down the block from our house -- one of the advantages of living downtown. Frequently local events are mostly dull, but not long after I arrived, a local swing quartet came up to play. (And by "quartet", I mean "trio" -- "the double bass is the fourth member!"; I suppose because quartet sounds much more awesome?) Two acoustic guitars and a double bass, which is one of my favourite instruments in the world, and I danced, and it was marvellous. I am always so very happy when I am dancing; and it was a lovely afternoon, warm and sunny and full of little breezes, and there were birds flying overhead and trees and pavement and oh yes swing music, which is incredibly fun to dance to, although I have absolutely no formal training and especially not in swing (though I would very much like to take lessons). I so need more swing music in my life. The bloke on lead guitar had on pinstriped trousers and a nice pinstriped shirt and a fedora; this pleased me immensely.

And now to wrench my sleeping schedule back towards something a little more comfortable; I have been sleeping very badly lately and it is making all sorts of things difficult. And there's work tomorrow, hurrah -- and, I think, a paycheck, which is Good In My Sight.

Oh! And before I forget, Cabinet of Wonders has been updated, with a review of Eva Ibbotson's novel A Countess Below Stairs, and the book art of Su Blackwell. Check it out! Because you love me! :/

Yesterday began with me sitting about and feeling sorry for myself, because my iPod was refusing to work properly, and -- I am sure there was something else; I just remember being quite cross and listless. And then Sarah and Hannah and Victoria showed up at my door to kidnap me for the purpose of bringing Jonathan a spot of birthday cheer. (Here I felt terrifically guilty because I had thought his birthday wasn't for two more days.) So I grabbed some of the fresh cookies other people had been baking and we set off. We also decided to wear moustaches. Sarah and Hannah had just bought a package of stick-on ones, and it seemed like a good idea. I must say we looked most magnificent. Quite a lot of people stopped to look at us, which was vastly amusing -- the way they would walk past us, and then stop, turn round, and gape, thinking, I am sure, why on earth are a lot of attractive young ladies growing moustaches? Did I have my coffee this morning? Did I have all of my coffee this morning?

Anyway Jonathan was very surprised (especially because there were moustaches), and we were all very happy and cheerful therefore. Then we made fudge and played poker and set things on fire. (Only a few things.) It was the best day ever. Also, doing nice things for other people is rather comfortable and cheering, oddly enough. And the poker game gave me a lot of inspiration for the not-NaNo-anymore. Yes, I am one of those terrible people who views the entire world through what I happen to be writing at the time. But I had many interesting ideas about poker games played by a lot of disreputable Oxford boys and what sort of things might be put into the pot when there is magic involved. (Also someone -- Hannah? -- suggested that someone in dire straits bet their moustache. "Aha, you're out of money, Jenkins! Reckon you'll have to bet your shirt now!" "NO& I WON'T. I'VE STILL GOT SOMETHING LEFT." And he swiftly shaves off his moustache with his switchblade and throws it onto the table.) 

And I came home and cookies were being baked -- although I was beginning to have a bad sugar headache from too many cookies and fudge and Hockmans truffles and sampling dough -- and the house was very warm and lovely smelling, and the fairy lights on the mantle and the Christmas tree seemed brighter and warmer and there-er than before, and I curled up with the iPod and fell wildly in love with Merlin (thanks to the splendid such_heights), which is also cosy and fun even if Giles does wear leather gloves while eating his dinner (this is very impractical). (GIIIIILES! I LOVE YOU WHY ARE YOU WEARING A& SILLY CAPE. Everyone else I love you too! because you are all ridiculously adorable and British and have nice hair. Seriously, everybody has really great hair, from Gwen's cheery disarryed curls to Arthur's cultivately casual floppiness to Morganna's sleek black hair with the lovely wavy bits in front and Merlin's darling little fringe. Oh what, these things are important.) And I had cookies.

This all sounds very cheery because I was very cheery yesterday but I did not like today at all, for varying reasons, some of which do not belong in a breezy post such as this one is. Also I had to go to work and I was very cross -- except so busy that I forgot to be cross -- people kept asking me, "how are you today?", and I would answer truthfully, "I have no idea." But it was the Busiest Shopping Day Of The Year and I could tell. My leg got very sore and I forgot to eat lunch before I left and hadn't had any breakfast either, but when Hannah and Mrs Meholick dropped by, they had mercy on me and got me a soft pretzel. It was the most delicious of all pretzels that have been baked since the dawn of time. The good thing about being horridly busy was that my shift went by very very quickly. And then there was a mess with my drawer because there was hardly time to count it out, and it was horrible, and I got out very late (but bought Ghirardelli peppermint bark to cheer me, and it was fifty percent off, too).

Tomorrow will be cold and wet and I will have to go to work again. Bah.

So, I just (read: about half an hour ago) finished watching Doctor Who: The Girl in the Fireplace. (With much perseverance. Ruddy sound kept going off. As in, off. Like, off-off. You know, no sound at all.)

OMGSQUEE. CINEMATOGRAPHY. MUSIC. TEN. !!!!

(There really isn't enough squee for this, to be honest.)

*fangirls everything wildly*