Back from a trip that followed the same layout and pacing of a trip that we said we'd "better not do anymore - there's nothing for us here" - evidently the Dad forgot, but if the Dad sez we is going on famlee vaycay then we is going on 'famlee' vaycay. I think the most exciting bit was going on Tiger airways, my very first time on a budget airline, whereupon as we walked out to the stairs [never done that before, other than in China I think - most are covered walkways] and I had my camera out the lady said "NO PHOTOS" so I was a dick and took about 7, I think, as I progressed upwards. They're very effective - spent the hour of flight filling in immigration cards and there we were.

The rest of it was a blur of taxi up to Genting [according to the Dad the driver was doing 140 and was alternating between three phones the illegal way], cig smoke, walking, waiting, watching the last F1 race again and spoilering people waiting around us [not that they cared or anything], walking 15 minutes to another hotel's Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf to get some constructive work done for two days, watching really horrific made for telly movies like Jekyll, whose idea of a modern-day Hyde has a pompadour and ends up shedding his massive sideburns and dubious goatee when he turns back into Jekyll. We also watched Speed Racer, which was not made for telly, but awful all the same. Grand Pree?!? Can't even say Grahnd Pree like the in-show commentators do, and you'd think they'd get a hint and really 3 mil is like nothing in the world of grand prix racing and what is Rain doing attempting to pronounce 'commodity' I couldn't stop laughing/crying. What do I expect from the Wachowskis? Fuck nothing. Anyway, the best one was this show that even featured main character narration that managed to beat out both Speed Racer and Jekyll in betterness, so I Do (But I Don't) is alright but its name tragically really does not reflect the plot. Anyway the rest of it involved getting pretty sick on the way down, discovering that the so-called hotel reservation hadn't been made at the decent hotel we wanted to be at [for a nice spa and pool and bar] and the Dad did not want to make a fuss about the idiocy of the entire thing until he came back from another hotel that was half the price and then made a fuss about it for feedback because he didn't want to pay for the decent hotel in the end. So we spent a night in a hotel that has existed since the early 1960s and the stains on the sheets looked about as old as well. I watched an indie Polish documentary halfway which does not have a synopsis on the web, unfortunately, and silencestation had a panic attack in the night and that did not turn out so well.

We viciously spent the Dad's money [not quite successfully, we're not very good at this, we didn't spend in Genting at all, the spa in the second hotel was terrifying and when I wandered into the 'bar' a couple of cleaners looked at me with great bewilderment] on maybe about three to four cups of tea, a punky/rock double-buckle wrist-cuff, card collecting albums, hundreds of card sheaths, a chair for Tea, craptons of Decepticon insignias [could not bring myself to even touch the Autobot ones at all], three fancy hats [one is a Decepticon cap, a grey houndstooth newsboy cap and a classy Buttonman stripe trilby] and matching pinstripe pants [black and grey, both 50% off while the Dad was looking for bags for his girlfriend and I lost interest]. Oh yes, and a sweet pink wallet for silencestation to match her handphone. Ask to see it when you see us.

In the meantime, the bad air quality due to excessive cig smoke both indoors and outdoors in KL sliced my throat up, and the excessive cold in the crappy hotel gave me a cold, and I'm just relieved that during my obsessive temperature-taking I'm 36 degrees [haha Placebo reference]. I am somewhat concerned and would go to the doctor just in case I am what H1N1esque or something but I am also almost sure it will lead to complete overreaction like it did for poor Aki here [though m'dear I can barely think that dengue is much better - take care you], but it wouldn't be. So I will be careful around Jun and pray Panadol saves my soul, or something.

In other news, I got my first Rock Band vocal gold stars the night before we left, as I desperately clung to my fake instruments and my Wii dlc. But there are embarrassing things so here's some visual evidence with the embarrassing stuff censored.



We also had brief famlee bonding time while I employed both Jun and the Dad in my attempts to take dewy plant macros, to no avail. I will post pictures of Unhappy Spider sometime. Right now I am home but still in despair because I still have to fight with the college bidding system for my fifth and last module, of which I may not be able to get, and subsequently fuck up my year timing. I am trying not to think about it.

The gits managed to stand [and stay still, though that's not too hard for them] for an estimated two hours, which is pretty impressive - particularly since the superghetto set-up was threatening to fall onto them and I think I ran them through 5 points of exposure, 6 white balance settings and three cont/sharp/sat settings [I guess that's why it took two hours, ahahaha].

Anyway, Yanagi's head is appley and edible-like.



Obviously I can never leave a good thing alone [wait for full effect].

By tom_kiper request the photoshoot on el-jaaaaay nao. 8D ♥



The only way I can explain this is: this was my favourite take, and I like to make fun of Vogue scans. 8D Actual photoshoot this way -

( Babe in the Wood )

Thanks for looking! - and whoahomg we really need to get Tangled up again.

The thing about college for me is that it dehumanises me and every other remotely creative process I do, like art and taking photos and postcard-making and sewing and whatnot [crafts and graphics done for bizarre modules nonwithstanding]. You mightn't know it but I still adore our gits [every piece of their very expensive resin bodies] and a couple of days ago I said, "I'd like to take photos of our gits again." Today as I struggled with a cat, a giraffe and Tea before giving up to change and go out, silencestation said, "Hey, why don't we bring Tea along?" So I de-furred my camera bag, stared in confusion at my macro lens and then we brought Tea out for photos.



Now you see the thing is, I've got this photoshoot of Tea on my hands now in this little bumblebee dress I made for her to go to Australia in and I have no idea what to do with it. Should I post it on my LJ? Should I post it on a forum? What? Help! [This is an outtake by the way. Haha no spoiler.]

Anyway, I have a lot of crap to get down on LJ that I haven't yet, because I'm actually busy attempting to make money [debit assets: cash, credit liabilities: unearned revenue]. It will be forthcoming and I do have to apologise; I (hope/am glad to see) you lovely April babes [dechanique, raydance, pho3nix, kaisuki, eluneth, gothiquelolita and sfsakana] have a great birthday! 8D

Many of the conversations that my braindead self and several others had often culminated in this question. This particular conversation sums it up quite completely: a concerned "So what time did you sleep last night?", an extremely sheepish bleary-eyed smile, and "Oh, I see; not at all. Gotcha."
Again, I'm really terribly sorry if I said anything bizarre or confusing to you. My sleep hiatus can basically be summarised in a resort holiday description: 3D2N.

I guess it really could have been worse. It went much better than it could've, considering that we managed out four technically five-piece OOAK outfits in completion for the event – so it makes sense that we would be totally late and uh only finish totally setting up at around 3 or so, about 1½ hours after event starting time. There's nothing much I can really say about this other than: oops, classic Tangled…


So this year, as displayed on the TDA site, was going to be revolving around the Crane Wife legend as butchered by Colin Meloy [I love the man I'm serious]. This only came about on the second-last day before registration as our collab partner unsuccessfully tried to wager herself out of her good friend's wedding [by the way don't identify yourself here, talk to me laytah and I hope that wedding went well]. silencestation and I were standing in the MRT and debating. Bathoom, Crane Wife was born.



Our set-up, the graphic poorly pieced together because I was evidently too stupid to actually just step a few steps away and you know, zoom out. But anyway, you get the gist. Crane Wife display mournfully labouring away. Outside, kids play – with the exception of Sana shoveling snow. You're a good man, Charlie Brown.

( Crane Wiiiife. )

And the OOAK outfits for sale. All of the faux-kimono sets had:
1. Inner Gown/Dress
2. Kimono Coat
3. Obi [/+ obijime and obiage for girls]
4. Neck-tie
5. Headpiece

( Faux-Kimono Sets )


And where's Sei again? Oh right:

( Sei can be quite funny. )

My only complaint was the terrifyingly late booth map and information for the vendors. I was seriously worried there that I didn't get it or something, and with the light-intensive setup it was a big worry. Thank you for accommodating our request! Hopefully next year the information will come out earlier and that'll be fine. :D

We've got people to thank of course:

( Because I'm longwinded. )
and personally, to silencestation, thanks for everything of course. I'm glad I could do the headbands to your satisfaction.

All in all, zomg one week to school. Damn.

Before I start, just a note : Djinn does all the jewelry on Tangled/Endless. There, so I don't get miscredited! The only one I ever did was Joey's 13 | Cross to Bear. The lovely ribbony stuff are all by Djinn.

Other than that, I've got some really backdated news. Firstly, aimeekitty, look!



We got your book in Singapore, Kinokuniya really really long ago! XD;;;; We actually went to try to get it as soon as it was in the Kinokuniya bookweb, but had to come back a week later because the stock was still in the storeroom then. On the other hand, a week later we went and found only one on the shelf - I hope lots more other people bought copies! We really enjoyed it, it's adorable and wonderfully drawn. :D
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The other piece of outdated news is that of Christmas, whereupon Djinn [silencestation] and my dad got me a Wii. But really, it's a family Wii. XD Here it is -


This is Prowl! Now all we need is a PS3 called Jazz. >D


And these are our Wii-motes!

( Wii Talk )
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Also, since the potential buyer for Der Fremde has been delaying the sale a bit, I took it out for a few unofficial promo photos on Si Ye and put it back right after. 'ave a lookie! If not, I have nowhere else to put the pics anyway. XD

( der fremde on Si Ye )
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And finally, something I've been raring to post - it may be helpful for those who're considering an order from BPAL before the Yule scents are taken off. Here we go, BPAL's Yuletide scents for 2007.

By the way, Djinn has helpfully reorganised our reviews and we just sorted our ton of BPAL out, so there're a few additions to the usual format I post in. After I finish up all the scents we got, we'll prolly post up a swap/sale list. ::nod::

Archangel Winter [2007]
Christmas Rose [2007]
Egg Nog 2007
El Dia De Reyes [2007]
The Fruit of Paradise [2007]
Lick It One More Time [2007]
Midwinter's Eve [2007]
November [2007]
Mirror Mirror: Rose Red 2007
Mirror Mirror: Snow White 2007

( Yule before it's too late! )
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I'm sure I'll think of something else soon enough.

My agony and misery finally culminated on the 29th, last Saturday, as we rushed to The Doll Affair and reached 15 minutes before the event opened due to a *$#@ing traffic jam. "Do you think we can set up in 15 minutes?" Djinn mused. "I think so." I said, with much misguided positivity. Well, we sort of did – if Petr would just touch Sei's hand instead of drawing it away in reluctance, if Si Ye would stop falling back and be a little less gay, if Ren would just settle into suwarikko. Amongst the terror of setting up in 15 minutes, my delightful cosplay buddies raydance and ivoryfox were deviously and annoyingly prodding me about the time, while night_child80 was gleefully announcing the number of seconds we had. Thanks a lot, guys.

( Aaaaargh and long elaboration. )

The stuff for sale in the event, therefore, was :
1. Actual Clothes [SD, SD13 Boy, YoSD] x3
2. Chokers [SD] x5
3. Postcards [Sei x15, Petr x15]

Here's how our booth – weenier than we imagined initially, which made Djinn panic the night before as she marked out the space on the floor – looked like, excluding the little corner selling postcards and jewelry :



On the left, [unfortunately you can't see more of the moon, the snowy night, Giselle's grave, mound, rose petals and that amazing Spanish moss] the display setup inspired by the second act of Giselle. Petr is our prima ballerina Giselle, the engaged-girl-turned-wili [lady spirits who were supposed to be wedded – oops.]. Seishurou, the guilty prince pretend-pauper Albrecht coming to visit Giselle's grave and condemned to dance to his death by the wilis, and Tsukisou, who is the angry Queen of wilis who really, really wants Albrecht to die. I know it looks more like Tsuki is rly jealous, but shhh and try to imagine, okay? XD;;;

For those who know the story of Giselle and their visuals, you'll realize that Tsuki's outfit, unlike Sei's nancy tights and Petr's expansive skirt, is not similar to the actual Queen outfit. This is because ours is ah, a reintepretation of the Wili scene. We felt that for our visuals, a parallel dynamic would work better for the Queen and Giselle. Our queen is thus based off a darker colour palette, but like Giselle has some flowing torn fabrics and a long veil of the same design. That's our excuse story and we're sticking to it.

On the right, is our happy little display of the outfits for sale! That'll be detailed under the cut because I'm sure the non-doll people on my flist are sick of my lengthy elucidation.

( the Giselle pre-launch outfits! )

( Multitudes of Thank Yous )

There we go! Like said, thank you all very much for making our TDA lots better, and we hope we'll see you again next year. :D

But before I go – we still have some chokers and postcards for sale!

( Chokers and Postcards [Sei, Petr] for sale! )

Phew! I'm done! XD;

You know, the only real issue I have wit' all dese American kiddies on my flist is that all your exams are done/gonna be done, and here I am at 8 in the morning retching out a likely to be 1.5 word essay on poetry comparison [main theme : insanity. One of the poet's : Sylvia Plath. hooooo boy.] while still not recovering from sounding completely unsexy. [Unless you find really strangely undulating vocal pitch/volume sexy...and it's not like I have this huge want to sound sexy or anything, I sound like an airstewardess most of the time.]

Today is not about you kiddies though, today is about all the lovely mothers [whether American or not, of course XD] on Djinn's and my flist, of course including the ones we got to know when you were already mommies and the others we got to know before. ♥



Here's Tangled Web's own little girl wishing you a very Happy Mothers' Day. We hope you wonderful ladies have an awesome time today with your family with lots of love from your kids.
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What we're doing today? The schedule is to hop to the temple close to afternoon, and have a gander at my mom [hopefully with binoculars this time, the spiritual tablets are filling up fast and reflecting very blindingly off the glass], hang amongst the incense and smoke and feel our throats degenerate while thinking back on all the good times [likely thematically, what happened on other Mothers' Days] and wait 'till all the incense finishes burning themselves up. I aim for this to be bittersweet and happy. We've been good at that lately.

After that, will be off to lunch, and out to retrieve my grandma and treat her out to a good meal, complete with a gift from her favourite grand-daughters [her favourite is Djinn, I think I'm second...] and then the day will be finished and I'll spend the rest of the night leaving footy on the telly and doing the rest of my homework/studying.

Saying life is good would be a lie, but I can't say life is bad, either. I'm rather content, really.

The very first update in the monster in which you know as Tangled Web was this :

"23rd December 2003 5.33am
The site is finally finished. X_x Not as contentfull as we would like, but it'll have to do for now..."

This means that Tangled Web is now approximately 3 years old. Approximating everything because I'm far too lazy :

1. Kinjyou Seishurou and Suiya Tsukisou are 3 years old. [Old men!] These two arrived during our Europe vacation, and the first pictures we saw of them were in a Virgin Record Store's web access area. Sei's first pictures made me cry. [Not of joy.] But when we opened their boxes, I couldn't recognise him.

2. Ruka is also 3 years old, chronologically arrived before the two old men. He was the first Sweet Dreams Lucas we saw when the limiteds arrived in Domuya and we helped to unpack, and he ended up ours despite the fact that we asked to see both of them to pick.

3. Sanada Mikado and Yanagi Mikoto are 2 years old. [Oh my god!!] Also ordered together at the same time, Sato babies, the F08 had just been released without any official pictures except for small, blurry web-camisque ones. We were also told, a little earlier that there would "Never be MSD FCS!" HAHAHAHAHAHA.

4. Lin Si Ye is 2 years old. We got him despite being late from a typhoon from Dolpa 13 by a Volks miracle.

5. Small Yanagi Ren is nearly 2 years old, the first UFK of AngelRegion. We were worried they'd never have it again. HAHAHAHAHAHA.

6. Chaitanya is 1 year old, Djinn's 21st birthday present greatly assisted by Cassiel [thank you!] and loads of lovely people who donated to the cause - our first sunlight and our first SD boy.

7. Teaberry/Wintergreen is 8 months old and was the first doll off YJA [thanks to Evildolly] we have. Djinn was pining and pining and moaning and pining and I told her, if there is a Kasumi with the 02 Wings that you want, we'll get her and lose all our money. GUESS WHAT?

8. Big Rennes Yanagi['s head - the girl you guys asked about here] is 2 months old, off a Tsukasa Konoe with a Link SD13 body and a SDKen box. A BIN matter off YJA with help from Evildolly once again. Finally, our little Ren grows up. I've been waiting for this.

The total count right now is 10 dolls, of soon which to be 9 dolls, and of soon which to be 10 dolls again. Perhaps in an interval it will be 11 dolls. And the most creepy thing, is that about half of our doll list is fulfilled. But I'm sure we can drag it out till we're 50, since the rest are a lot harder and BOY do we have a lot of stories to catch up on. Also, most of the rest are FCS, so NO MORE UNPLEASANT SURPRISES. [Like the next one.]

In any case, re: the 'not as contentfull' - HAHAHAHAHAHA STFU DJINN AND I, STFU. The current count stands at :

1. 78 photostories [not including roleplay/gathering/cosplay/travelogue photostories] up, 11 mini events.
2. 35 travelogue photostories
3. 2 'movies'
4. 59 photoshoots, 14 songshoots
5. 5 cosplays - Guilty Gear X, Prince of Tennis, Loveless, Alichino, xxxholic

36580 hits as of today, a generous estimate taking off my own visits.

What's this all about? This is me having put off doing this stat count for a couple of years, and to say that officially, yes, we will be renewing Tangled Web. To be - WHITE. and CLEAN. And NOT JAVA-SCRIPT LOGGED. and SEMI-UPDATED. Also, to acknowledge all the dolls we have, how long they've been with us [we never do the birthday thing, we always forget XD;] and that we have too many dolls to do this individually anyway. WE'RE SCREWED because we have too much stuff to do and plus the internet on the computer with all the Tangled stuff is down, so we can't even do our last update on the old layout. Gah. [HOMEWORK WHAT HOMEWORK FUCKING HISTORY ESSAY THAT THE TEACHER SAYS YOU READ THE QUESTION WRONG SUCKERS NYAH WHAT FUCKING HISTORY ESSAY.]

Also, thanks for actually caring about our dolls, what we do with them for all these years, and if it hasn't been all these years, however long you've been with us. It is constantly and adoringly appreciated, and if you haven’t already, do make yourself known to us sometime so we can thank you properly. XD

In any case, happy 3rd belated birthday, Tangled Web. And Merry Christmas and all other holidays to everyone, I hope you have lots of fun despite the fact that a lot of you seem to be a bit down this holiday season. Despite what it could’ve been, it seems this Christmas may not be so bad for us this year.

Everything is calm today.
Djinn and I are evading work and Azri is back in the house, sleeping on the homework and smelling a bit like flea powder.

HALLELUJAH!

wait, you lie! I don't have an erect penis! D:
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On the other hand, a quiz! The one everyone has been posting! It's not just the indepth analysis and the pretty results it comes with, but really more of the fantastically cute and adorable layout that the quiz has! It's seriously nice. And so're the humour books they recc. It's the only quiz where its marketing has worked on me. [But obviously not enough, because I'm not buying them!]



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Gawd, I hate this, I woke up at what I call an unearthy time of the morning and I couldn't get back to sleep. Now it's 2pm. SAD! I'm SAD!

Things are getting hard to juggle. Working fulltime on the costumes, but I have a pesky little/BIG History group essay first draft to handle before the con and leaving on the day right after that. I'm interestingly making semi-decent progress - it would be a mind-blowing experience to have everything done the night before the con, and get some amount of sleep without stressing out till morning. Wow! That fucking blows my mind.

Since we're going to China, I have to get some clothes done too. The con is on the 16th, we leave for Teochew and Fu Jian on the 17th at 5 inna morning, and I'd like to be packed and have some sleep too. Si Ye needs some male ethnic clothing, a new shirt to match the Volks cardigan. Sana needs not-his-ethnic clothing, an emo hoodie. Tea needs ethnic clothing.

What's left for the xxxholic stuff?
1. Finishing touches to Spider Lady + Doumeki
2. Yuuko [getting Glory over for her Lishe bodeh]
3. Zashiki Warashi
4. Maru + Moro summer outfits

Hmm. That really could be far worse! It's not that bad. Godspeed!

Oh, also - the poll results are that I should cosplay Suzumiya Haruhi, 4 votes to 3 for Nagato Yuki. I shall take this into serious consideration! Djinn says if she went by my personality she'd pick Suzumiya Haruhi too.
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Agh. I'm being driven crazy by Volks' teasing little banners of their Dolpa 16 dolls. I'm unfortunately and terrifiedly especially interested in Amelia, and I'm hoping she's a rerelease of Olivia for Japan. Someone, anyone, please, please get the guidebook and post pictures of the new DP15 dolls. TAT
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(  - but I don't want to go to school! )
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Man U vs Chelsea game! As everyone and their grandmother predicted, 1-1. Chelsea needs to stop letting up after they score, they honestly could've won. But I'm glad they didn't, because I utterly hate it when someone - anyone - scores past Edwin van der Sar. Also, Gaz is so good with kiddies! ♥
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The thing is, I was supposed to post about something but I'm not sure if I have. I've honestly spent this whole LJ entry indulging myself and milling over what I was supposed to be posting. Forgive me if I double post today.

Betcha were thinking, "Where're those idiots who inject their highly biased opinion every weekend? Are they dead? Maybe they gave up on the World Cup!"

Apologetically - far from it, we were actually away on a sudden cruise which my dad decided to take up on an impulse, since this was my free-est weekend and Djinn mentioned casually that she kinda missed going on cruise. Wham-bam we were on Superstar Virgo, and agonising over the Germany - Portugal match for the entire Saturday.

I'll talk about the cruise soon enough of course, but I'm dedicating this entry to the German puppies first.

I'd been so impressed with them when they cried their eyes out, and said they were going to do their best to win the third placing match. This incredibly young squad, as I'd mentioned before several times prolly, with their eagerness and will, had completely endeared me to them, and I was really worrying about them. They're young puppies with terrible defense and it would hurt to watch them cry all over again. Eternal pessimism aside, Portugal was still a class team.

I was of course, overjoyed to see Miro[slav Klose] playing, since there was that threat of his calf and the possibility that he mightn't be able to make this match, but was rather sad that Michael [Ballack] couldn't make it, like Djinn said. I also knew Merte[sacker] wouldn't be able to make it, poor boy needing surgery - but I didn't know that Timlets [Borowski] was injured, so they had to have Kehl in for midfield instead. What we were all waiting for was also, of course, Kahn playing his last international, and I prayed for a clean sheet.

( Insane amount of match analysis and comments. )

( Talk about young players - Lukas (Podolski) and Cristiano Ronaldo )

In any case, I'm looking forward to seeing them in the Euros and hopefully it won't be as dismal as last Euros. Michael will be becoming a Blue [aka. Chelski] and it'll be odd, but I hope he'll be able to play it with Lamps. I really do want to see Miro in the English Premier League, but if it's Newcastle trying to claim him - forget it, Werder Bremen, please please keep him. XD;;; He'd be wasted there.

I'll post about the cruise another time. As it is, the weight has been lifted, I'm glad for the Germans and they deserve all the love they can get, and it's somehow even a relief that I don't have to worry about the finals. I might even just watch the replay since I have school tomorrow. And hopefully, so long as Thierry Henry doesn't score thrice, be tricky and pull out a surprise from his hat, Miro will get the Golden Boot. Come on Miro. ♥

EDIT OH YER, I FORGOT TO NOTE THAT YER, I WAS WILLINGLY BOYCOTTING COSFEST. I HOPE YOU ALL HAD FUN 'CAUSE I KNOW I DID. :DD

A bit late for some, but Happy Mothers' Day everyone!



For all the mothers on my flist [and some not, like Scrunge's mom if she sees this!], some whose kids aren't old enough to buy them stuff for Mothers' day, some who still have sweet scribbled handmade gifts and some whose kids have succumbed to the commercial entities who raise prices by 20% on Mothers' Day. Happy Mothers' Day!

My Mothers' Day comprised of temple-visiting and what do you know, in the last few years the place where they put those...death-plaque things...have gotten squeezier, and Djinn and I spent a good bit of our visit searching in dismay for the one with my mom and my dad [who has a red bhindi on his head to indicate that he's not dead yet] until we found they were 6 down from one with a huge neon-green crown. My dad says we need binoculars.

Later we promptly went to visit my grandfather, then my incredibly pro-active grandmother who grinned over 'Grandmother's Day' and Djinn and I got sick over a 8 course meal with my eldest uncle family.

Also, the day before some guy with a steel-heeled boot - I swear, backed into my foot and on one of the rare occasions I don't fling the f-word at him, it just so happens that striations appear in my nail and my smallest toe started to bleed unmercifully. But it's not injured enough to let me miss physical education! Oh woe!

And just because tom_kiper has posted way past the entry I wanted to comment on -



Why don't you want a kitty? T_T

And oh, shoutout to prophile and scrunge who were ever so kind to do the music meme, I will definitely do the same for you soon, okie? Much ♥!