Helenka, Queen of Outer Space

I existed. All day yesterday. But teh internets did not. For the second day in a row, my connection cut out around midnight. Normally, it would reestablish itself after a restart. But not yesterday. When SuM came over to borrow my drill (and just WHERE did my wrench disappear to?), I casually mentioned it to her (as she rarely uses her laptop); she checked it and said, "Huh. The red light is on." So off she went to do battle with the help desk where she anticipated she'd be on the line for a while as the person at the other end would lead her in a script until something was determined. She told me the conclusion was that the problem was at this end. So I managed to amuse myself by watching TV. Lots of cartoons and reno shows. Along with Diva whom I could pet to my heart's content. But-but-but.

Amazingly enough, I heard a couple of pings from the computer (actually, it was from my wee wi-fi connector as my speakers were off). I didn't want to interrupt my TV viewing, so didn't check it out until the show was over. Imagine my delight to see the network password prompt. YES, I can do that. And, lo and behold, I was ON again. This was around 10-ish. I played on my computer until I lost connectivity again, this time around 2:30. Wah. It was gone and refused to come back. [Yeah, I know. Anthropomorphic much?] Back to TV. Anyway, SuM told me she'd switched her modem off and back on. So a decent temporary fix, but it's good to know that a technician is coming over today (Saturday).

I'd even hoped to be able to do a wee post by phone. Ha! As if my phone would let me get that far. Also, it was simply too difficult to try to type anything on the screen as my fingers were extra fumbly.

So what did I do in the evening (besides more TV)? I watched ONE S3 epi of Glee (chosen at random). Then I decided to try to sort my pictures stored on Liblikas. It's no wonder she's got a tummy ache. I named new folders and moved many pictures in, but I have loads and loads of pictures that are in date-named folders (going all the way back to when I got my digital camera as a retirement gift in 2006). That's going to be a lot of viewing - and deleting. Sigh. But at least I've started. At least I've renamed my usual desktop piccies (of MY lake, indicating what kind of swans and/or sailboats are shown).

Had only the briefest exchange of texts with Brian. Didn't feel like sharing the latest agggggrrrrrravating news. So, while I know that Brian's due to show up around 1 in the afternoon, I have NO idea when the tech will show up. Just my luck if it's in the middle of my parteeeee!

Anyway, I should think about brekkie. And curling my hair. And-and-and ... making the place more presentable. Because ... imminent yays will soon be had. And that's a wonderful thing to antici--------PATE!

And feeling useless. And alone.

And watching more Stargate SG-1 in the middle of the night, then sending Brian an e-mail about the TV set I want. Supposedly, it's $100 off - but ONLY at one particular store. Doesn't that seem strange for a chain outfit? But, alas, no reply from him.

Even though I had blissful heat, I only managed a couple of hours of sleep. Grrrrrrr.

I didn't even feel like watching the live church webcast. Church-John texted me, astonished that I wasn't there. But, with the unusual service details and transportation difficulties, I wasn't going to put myself through that aggravation. Hey, I'm aggravated enough already!

Though I'd intended to do the laundry in the morning, I kept procrastinating ... and didn't even start until after 4 p.m. Uh ... considering I only had two large loads, how come I wasn't done until after 8??? It's a mystery.

The only good thing was having some of yesterday's dinner throughout the day. And - yay - I discovered the REHEAT button on the microwave. Why, yes, I'm blind. Duh.

I'm ending the day the way I began it, with an epi of Stargate SG-1. Oh, poor Daniel and his sarcophagus addiction. But I've always loved how tenderly Jack gathers him into his arms when he's at his most broken. RDA has this way of hugging and holding that is very endearing. I whole-heartedly approve. Not that he needs my approval. Anyway, I'm not staying up tonight, I'm crawling off to my neatly-made and cozy bed. Nighty-night.

... movies and TV shows on DVD and VHS.

The following are what I watched and am donating to the church thrift shop. There are a few more I've watched but I'm still keeping them.

VHS
# The Red Shoes: OMG such melodwama and the supposedly eternal tussle between a ballerina being a human being with real (sexual and romantic) wants vs what her ballet (puppet) master wants her to do.
# Love!Valour!Compassion!: A treat to see John Glover playing twins, one haughty and disdainful, the other warm and charming. I only remember seeing him in "Back To The Future". I was astounded to see how tender Jason Alexander could be (having only experienced him as George in Seinfeld), Trivia note: Fire Island was actually shot at a location in Quebec. Hee! It was a brilliant decision to end with the men skinny dipping on a gorgeous night ... after their deaths had already been revealed.
# Batman & Robin: No comment
# Batman Forever: Ugh, just shoot me now. George Clooney as Batman?????
# Cool Runnings: Always sweet because of the incongruence of Jamaica presenting a bobsled team, also seeing the Olympics in Canada, but of limited use for repeated viewings as it's on VHS.
# Fly Away Home: I loved this quirky film, especially because of its Canadianness. Just amazing seeing the geese treat the girl like their mom.
# Batman Returns: I wondered why I'd even bought it. It lacked the poignancy of the original not to mention the sweetness of the love between Batman and Vicki.
# Batman: Speaking of the original, it was very disappointing to watch it via VHS on my TV, when I have very fond memories of catching it several times at the Uptown (long ago demolished) in 70mm.
# Funny Face: As much as I adored Audrey Hepburn (and Fred Astaire) in this, I found I was bored by the simple story. And the fashions (on her) that I'd loved for decades no longer meant anything to me.

DVD
# Pinky and The Brain, S1-3: Wow, I can't believe how few epis I caught during its TV run. In any case, I don't feel the need to keep these.
# Hogan's Heroes S1-6: Oh, how I lived on these more than a decade ago, when I was in agony getting over major food poisoning. The laughter they provoked was good for making me feel much better. Still, sad to think of the sleazy aspects to Bob Crane's life (and death), though I'd been unaware he'd married the actress who played Hilde (Klink's secretary). In any case, even if his life hadn't been worth much, at least he played an honourable character.
# The Lost Boys: Still can't get what all the fuss was about this one? Family, what family? I was not impressed and thought the vampires were vapid and stupid, though Jason Patric reminded me of a young David Hewlett. At least the extra features were worthwhile, showing the different vampiric myths throughout the globe.
# About A Boy: Hugh Grant being Hugh Grant.
# Chicago: Meh, even with the hot actresses.
# Batman Begins: So dark and even more unsettling than the original Batman movies.
# A.I.: Hmmm, I wasn't aware that this was a Spielberg film. What a dystopia amid all the technological marvels. And I'm supposed to believe that the “boy” died after his last day with his “mother”? From the special features, I found out that this had begun as a Stanley Kubrick film. Trivia note: Haley Joel Osmont did not blink ONCE when in front of the camera until near the end of the movie, when he was closer to becoming a “real” boy. Ouch! My eyes feel extra sandpapery just thinking about it.
# Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: Oddly enough, I didn't find the Aussie accents offputting this time.
# War of the Worlds: Was also unaware that this was a Spielberg film, just that Tom Cruise was in it. Creeped out by it and rather irked by all of Dakota Fanning's screaming. Though the ending was cool, that's enough apocalyptic stuff for me.
# Manchild, S1: Silly men and their mid-life crises.
# Bridget Jones's Diary 1 & 2: These certainly didn't fare the test of time well. I found them tawdry and shallow and a complete waste of all three leads' talents.
# Last Holiday: I'm finally parting with this one after a last viewing ... along with some sighs of longing. What an inspiration for dreams, even though I'm having only nightmares these days.
# Pan's Labyrinth: I wasn't aware it was in Spanish but the speaking was slow and the subtitles sparse. I expected the supernatural, but not the casual violence nor the setting of Franco's Spain.
# ALF S1-4: Ha, I guess I killed me enough. I was shocked to see how little I'd actually seen of S3/4. Pregnancy? Baby? But there was a weird continuity error where Kate gave birth during S3, but had a baby shower while pregnant in S4.
# The Perfect Man: I'd forgotten that it had been filmed in Toronto (Brooklyn, Shmooklyn!) and that my cutie Carson Kressley was also in it. What was new this time was knowing the Glee connection with Mike O'Malley and Vanessa Lengies (with dark hair and a Brooklyn accent) in it.

Still keeping:
# The DaVinci Code (deluxe edition, including a History Channel featurette, Beyond The DaVinci Code: lots of fun, with MANY conditional sentences)
# Angels and Demons (I love Tom Hanks – his acting impresses me greatly). Watched all the extras which was a good thing, as the movie had confused me and it had been too long since I read the book.
# Commander-in-Chief: I simply adore Geena Davis but couldn't stand the political machinations in the U.S. government. The other awkward thing is that the epis were all talk-talk-talk, so I'd nod off constantly, then need to go back to catch what I'd missed. Sigh.
# Beauty & The Beast, S1: Have nearly finished watching S1. And still entranced by the love story. I remember meeting Roy Dotrice when he came to TO to do an ice-skating film. ETA: just finished watching the last three epis of S1 this afternoon. The last one just brought back such wonderful memories of the music: the score was filled with pain, passion, longing and urgency.

And that's how I sorta, kinda managed to survive being without a computer for four weeks. Right, wrecking my only working eyeball!

See (or hear) the blonde growling. What now? Well, my monitor decided it didn't feel like working one week ago - or it's not plugged in properly (but the blonde is too blind to tell). So I've been watching scads of movies using the TV and keeping track in a notebook. Luckily my Sillyphone is behaving today so I can post this wee snippet. ::sighs::

This is a rare posting from your old mate, Pirate Bob.

Pirate Bob went to the hospital and got some bad news today.
( Cut for bad news and slightly gross TMI )

So, I have to go back on Friday. If I still have not regained my (extremely limited) vision by then, he'll have to make a decision by Monday to operate again. SCREAMING FITS, PEOPLE! Oops, sorry for shattering some eardrums, but I'm fed up. And I don't need the terror, apprehension, pain and all those other wonderful feelings pre and post-op.

So I protest. Big time.

In other news, M found out that my doctor is one of the most acknowledged and caring specialists in the country. Um, okay ... but that still doesn't make me a happy camper, er, hospital patient.

When I came home, there was an encouraging e-mail from G (whose spidey senses must have been working overtime); also e-mails from an old friend who sent me piccies of his house (in the fall) and of me and Brian from my old club's Christmas party. So those were very nice to see. I returned the favour by sending piccies of my Christmas decorated fireplace and my favourite tree next to the lake.

And I finally watched The Last Man and cried and cried and cried. [Actually that was very good for my eye, because it washed it out!] Thanks, Rodney!

Anyway, I have to go now and force myself to eat something. I think it will be beef barley soup. Comfort food. I really wish I had nicer stuff to talk about, but ... but ... le sigh.

Disheartened hugs,
H.

It's one week later.

I am so fucked.

The left half of my face is still swollen yet curiously slack.
My left eye is still swollen shut and feels like sandpaper.
The operation was grotesque. I should know. I had a wide-awake ringside seat for it. Definitely WTF.
I just began to recover my appetite today.

So, no, I'm not fine. I'm pissed off and feeling sorry for myself (if you didn't gather that minor point because of my obvious subtlety). And, to add insult to injury, there's a lot of grey hair showing that wasn't there one week ago. Le sigh eternel.

Anyway, I'm just posting so you know I'm alive (if you can call it that).
And, now, if you'll excuse me, there's a bag of frozen okra waiting to be slapped against my face.

Thoroughly disgusted don't even dare to come close to me hugs,
H.

I think I was on an ell-jay diet last week, why I don't know. But this is the first time I've posted since Sunday, though I've been trying to catch up on the flist.

Amidst the tedium, I enjoyed Swiss Chalet delivery & wine for dinner with M on Tuesday and we went to Sherway on Wednesday because M badly (really) needed a haircut. However, Brian didn't stop in on Thursday because he wasn't feeling well. But he's been sending me links to lighting and furniture for the condo. I'm going to use my Homeworks decorating software for the first time ever to find the right paint colours for his bedrooms. Yes, I am so ... SO helpful. Yay, me!

Anyway, even though I wasn't reading the flist, I found the most enticing and relaxing thing was reading Skinner/Mulder!!!!! Yes, you heard me correctly. It's not a pairing I could ever fathom, but it did relax me. M said my face looked most serene. ::giggles:: And, tonight, while M was riding the horse, I continued with my delayed McShep chapter, writing in longhand on a steno pad (yes, that's so last century) while sitting in the lobby of the arena, feeling quite naughty as there were people milling about only a few feet away. If only they knew what I'd been writing ....

Anyway, I'm home, safe and presumably sound. I think I'll finish my power drink and have a bit of chinese leftovers as I return to the entire concept of catching up.

Oh, and it feels like January outside (as it snowed all day Thursday), so I'm sending everyone warm and cozy hugs (courtesy of my new horse blankie).
H.

The Good ... the Bad ... the Ugly.

Yes, I know, I know I've been away. Yet, it's the weirdest thing for me to have become so ... reticent about talking about myself. Although I know that tiredness and pain have a lot to do with that. I know, NO kidding!

Well, let's do the Good.
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I also got my hair chopped off for the birthday party. It's now a layered cap and, because my hair is so bouncy, it's naturally curly. No more hairs down the drain or all over the bathroom floor. It's cute, it's easy and I love it.

Anyway, I need a nap as John woke me up after I'd had only 5 hours sleep. When I wake up, we're removing his things from my storage locker and, then, I'll talk myself into writing up the less happy part of my life, for my flist's eyes only.

Mostly contented hugs,
The me of me.

Happy Twelfth Day of Christmas.

Escept, maybe, not so much.

I'm not sure what happened, but I seem to have strayed. Without any definite goals (Christmas was a big one - and the daily writing a gigantic one), I've been left to my own devices. Which, of course, is so of the not good. Even M. thinks I need to set writing goals, again!
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Anyway, I've also slipped away from reading others' LJ entries. So I've got to get back into my nosey mode. Except, maybe not right now. I think I'm just going to take the stud supplies and put them on the dining table. And, then, a nap sounds just fine.

So, I should get back in the swing of things some time this coming week.

Hugs to all,
Lost in Me.

You don't have to remind me. I know I've fallen away from the path ... but I have GOOD excuses. Namely, Thanksgiving dinner which I just put in a resurrected post. And unpacking even more boxes that John SO helpfully stacked under the dining room table two weeks ago when he and I moved the dining furniture and the couch.
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Talk to you soon.
Promise.
Now that things are almost normal.
And calm.
And perhaps I can start writing again.
Well ... it's so cold, that may be my main entertainment.

Hugs from the formerly lost and found Helenka