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avondster's LiveJournal:
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| Sunday, July 30th, 2006 | | 12:11 am |
It's a triple post, just to make sure I don't miss anyone...
Dear friends, I need your help. I am currently in the process of putting together a book of my experiences as a Ringer, but it seems many of my photo's of moots and events were lost in my two housemoves this past year. I have never been much of a picture person to begin with, so I was hoping some of the more photographic people might be able to help me out. If you have been at a moot or event that I have also been to, could you please send me some of your photos? They don't have to include me (though that would be grand); pictures that convey the general "feel" of the event/moot are great too! People I have met at moots will hopefully remember the encounter; but to avoid confusion (these things do tend to mix up, after), here's a list of the official events I've been to: The Gathering of the Fellowship, Toronto, December 2003 The Elf Fantasy Fair, Lisse, June 2004 The Fellowship Festival, London, August 2004 The Master of the Rings, Manchester, October 2004 Ring*Con 3, Bonn, October 2004 One Ring Celebration, Pasadena, January 2005 The Elf Fantasy Fair, Haarzuilens, April 2005 The Fellowship Festival, London, August 2005 Ring*Con 4, Fulda, October 2005 Midwinterfair, Archeon, December 2005 The Elf Fantasy Fair, Haarzuilens, April 2006 London Film & Comic Con, London, July 2006 If you have any photo material that I can include, I'd be very happy if you could send it to me at: manestraaltje(at)yahoo(dot)co(dot)uk Thanks a million! Crossposted at the Pony and Bag End, just so that all my friends will read this! Current Mood:  hopeful | | Tuesday, July 4th, 2006 | | 10:28 pm |
Funeral news
It is the hottest day of the year (33 degrees celsius!) and I have just come back from my Gran's funeral. It was a hoot. I can't say I have laughed so hard in a long time. It started with my great-aunt doing a speech, which was of course very moving, until they put on the most abysmal song in the history of mankind, which my grandmother had picked herself together with said sister, because it was nostalgia for them but it was absolute horror for the rest of us. It was basically some dismal dead female singer warbling about 'The Little Cabin Byyyyyy Theeeee Seeeeaaa'. From the first few chords I was trying very hard not to laugh, but then I looked at my mother and my brother and my aunts and my cousins and they were all shaking with laughter as well, and finally we just broke down and laughed so hard we cried while the singer obliviously wailed on. My younger cousin also did a speech, which was also very moving, and then there were two classical pieces played, which was much, much better. Then we all went and had an early dinner with the whole family, as per my Gran's wishes. So we looked at old pictures of Gran and Granddad, and everyone commented on how much they look like me and one of my cousins. And of course I had to endure a dozen elderly relatives coming up to me and saying "myyyy, have you grooown! You know, you look exactly like your mother!" I just tried to act like it was the first rather than the five thousandth time I'd heard that. I am back home now and it is really too hot to do anything whatsoever. I'm glad Gran didn't have to go through this day. She disliked this kind of heat extremely. I'm sure the cloud she's sitting on now is nice and cool, though. Current Mood:  hot | | 12:28 am |
| | Friday, June 30th, 2006 | | 10:51 pm |
Up, up and away!
So, I decided to take one sweet hobbitlady's advice and go and enjoy myself in Londen on my own. I booked my plane ticket and (probably supremely crappy) low-budget hotel room. I will be buying my con tickets at the entrance. Of course seconds after I had booked, Christopher Lee is taken off the website and it is announced that he won't be able to attend after all. *deep sigh* That's what you get from being impulsive. I'm still going though. I have a twin room, which was all that was available at the hotel. So, if anyone wants to change their mind? *looks around hopefully* *crickets chirp* Okay then. ;) Current Mood:  excited | | Thursday, June 29th, 2006 | | 8:07 pm |
Me again...
So, the funeral's on Tuesday. *sigh* I don't like funerals. I was hoping to go to the London Film and Comic Con this weekend with Varda. Sadly she can't come because of housemove problems... I'd really love to go, especially now. You might find it odd in me, but I need to distract myself, have a bit of fun, instead of sitting around all weekend being glum. And I do assure you, seeing Elijah and Christopher will definitely cheer me up. :) Anyone on my f-list going there? If so, mind if I tag along? I really want to go but not alone. Current Mood:  gloomy | | 6:07 pm |
Goodbye Gran
This morning my grandmother passed away. She was on holiday, her first in ages, with the Sunflower Elderlies. Last night she went to have a lie-down because she felt faint. She hasn't woken up this morning. She was 82 years old. My mother called me at work to tell me. I burst into tears on the phone and freaked out my collegues and the PR-person. My mother was actually calmer about it than I was. The only thing that really upset her was that my grandmother had in fact been placed in a home for the elderly only weeks before her death, and had now not died in her own house like she wished. This afternoon when I came home from work I played a CD my Gran gave me for my tenth birthday: 'Pictures at an Exhibition' by Mussorgsky. I had told her about how all the other children made fun of me because I cried when we had to listen to this piece in class. It made me laugh today to look out the window and see the lovely weather. Whenever my Gran would come visit us for birthdays and suchlike, it would invariably be rainy. We often joked that she took the bad weather with her wherever she went. Today is the first warm sunny day this summer. God bless you, Gran. Wherever you are, I hope you're happier there than you were here. Current Mood:  pensiveCurrent Music: La Grande Porte de Kiev - Modest Mussorgsky | | Monday, June 26th, 2006 | | 11:26 pm |
A day of national mourning... well, to the men, anyway
It is a black day for our nation. Yesterday the Netherlands were defeated in the World Cup final 16, by Portugal 1-0. All the men in my town walk around looking like their pets have died. Today as I was babysitting I saw two neighbours taking down the orange (our national colour) garlands and flags, all the while looking as though conducting a royal funeral. I stood before the window and laughed at them. I hope England wins. It'd make Dom happy. :-) As I came home just now I found my cat had brought me the most charming present one can expect when coming home after a long day: a dead, half-eaten frog. She looked at it proudly, and then at me as if she expected me to eat it in front of her. Praised her for being such a fine hunter until she was satisfied, distracted her with food, quickly disposed of the corpse, erased the evidence of the frog's valiant death-struggle (on my living room floor!), then washed hands about seven times. Ewww! Bought five books this week alone. But one was the Bible, so that justifies it a bit. Current Mood: cheerful | | Sunday, June 18th, 2006 | | 5:33 pm |
| | Wednesday, December 28th, 2005 | | 8:50 pm |
Honey, I'm hoooome!
Yay, I've got my internet back! After three months! *twitches* Hate provider. Haaaate. Anyway, in the meantime I moved house, applied for several jobs, got turned down by all, and became the proud mummy of two fluffy little furballs. And I'm going to the US next week. Again. While I'd said I wouldn't go anymore because too expensive. Oh well. ( A few glimpses of what I've been up to... warning: big pictures! ) Current Mood: happy | | Sunday, November 13th, 2005 | | 11:33 pm |
Finally: my Ring*Con report!
Hello there! Once again a quick word from me from my parents'. Still no word on my internet, so finally I just put my Ring*Con report on a floppy disk to prevent having to make you wait until the next one comes along. So here it is! Enjoy! ( Ring*Con 2005! ) Current Mood:  cynical | | Friday, November 4th, 2005 | | 10:41 pm |
A sign of life!
Hello, dear friends, Just a quick update from my parents' house before I head back home. It's been so long, and I'm missing you all so much! Here's what I did in the meantime. The flat is now finished, save for a few little things, among which, sadly, is my internet connection. That may well take another two weeks, I don't know. So I'll be away a little longer still... :-( Yesterday I made the biggest purchase of all: two kittens. They are six and a half weeks old now, and I'll be taking them home in another two weeks. Their mother has abandoned them, so they are still being hand-fed and are still very small. But OMG, so adorable! Ginny is the biggest of her brothers and sisters, and the most independent of them. She already eats mostly solid food. She's got beautiful red fur (hence the name) and she's a bit shy, but very smart. Kiara is the smallest of the lot, but what she lacks in size she makes up in spirit. If she wants something, she wants only that, and right now, thankyouverymuch! She's all sorts of colours, with a red stripe on her forehead. She can fit on the palm of my hand right now. Pictures soon, I hope! My RingCon report is finished, but as it's on my own computer I can't post it yet. *pouts* Babysitting is going splendidly. I adore the three little lads and they adore me too. It's so wonderful to see them grow up, and develop their own unique personalities! Because I am insane, I've dubbed them Baby Dom, Baby Elijah and Baby Billy. Baby Dom is the largest one, and the one who requires the most attention. He always wants to be held by me, preferably all the time, and makes a huge dramatic act of it whenever I put him down to pay some attention to his brother's needs. It makes me laugh because he's just so silly when he goes all drama queen like that. Baby Elijah is the handsomest, with a very fine face and such incredibly wise eyes (though they're green, not blue). He hardly ever fusses, except when he is really upset by something. He loves alone time with me, and loves it when I make him laugh. Baby Billy is the smallest and most cheerful. He is very easy to forget sometimes because he always seems to be having a good time, even when no one looks at him. He's always smiling or laughing, to himself or others. He's also the most vocal one and can babble for hours on end. Anyway, have to head home now. I do hope I will be back soon! Current Mood:  sleepy | | Monday, September 26th, 2005 | | 8:14 pm |
More moving...
Hello my dear friends, how have you all been doing? I'm hardly seeing the computer these days, as it is still at my parents' house. My mam has a special modem on it for her online payments program, and it has to be taken out of my computer before I can take it to my place. I miss you all! The flat is coming along great! I tried to move in there last saturday, but after one night and a morning that move proved to be too premature; there was too much necessary stuff I just don't have yet, among which are light and hot water. The latter I have since today, but with no light connected yet my late nights on my own would be pretty boring, hehe. So I'm on the sofa at my parents' for now. I'm going shopping again tomorrow, because there are a thousand things I still need, from toothbrush-holders to a gas stove, from cutlery-drawers to a dinner table. I like this kind of shopping though, because it's me that gets to decide. The downside of it is that it's also me that has to pay. ;-) Goodbye for now... I'll see you all again soon, I hope! P.S. Yay, RingCon is only two weeks away! I can't wait to see my friends again, and to meet the infamous Daisy Wenham (tm Dom), and to get to share a room with ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) rosiegardener again! Current Mood:  busyCurrent Music: Celtic Devotion | | Wednesday, September 14th, 2005 | | 11:36 pm |
From top to toe in soot and soap
I had the scare of my life yesterday when I found the housing agent on my voicemail, stating in a grave voice that I needed to come back to their office because there was something wrong with the contract I had just signed. I freaked out, immediately suspecting the worst, but of course it was nothing, just a little mistake with the heating costs being incorrect, phew! Today me, my mother, and a neighbour who has known me since I was two and who had offered to help, started on cleaning the flat. The toilet, bathroom, and living room are now spotless (well, clean anyway), there's a new seat on the toilet, lightbulbs have been screwed in, and measurements taken for curtains, wallpaper, and paint. Tomorrow I'll go order a mattress for my new bed, then finish the rest of the cleaning, buy paint, and place an order for curtains. The weekend is reserved for painting. The actual move date has been set for the 24th. Gosh, I'm really doing it, aren't i? On slightly different news: congratulations to my youngest brother, MichaelAngel, on passing his driver's test! It's largely thanks to him that I am able to do everything so fast, since he is now able to drive me everywhere! :-) Current Mood: tired but happy | | Friday, September 9th, 2005 | | 11:54 pm |
My life in boxes...
So... I got the flat, as most of you already know. It's huge and needs little work and is generally just awesome, but goodness I have clearly underestimated all the Things To Do and To Buy that come with moving out. I'm so occupied about it right now that I dream about it. Even my mother dreams about it. I dreamt the other night that instead of the flat they gave me the key to this incredibly cute blue bungalow thing that was built on the meadow where my old elementary school used to be. It had a garden and everything, and was really very nice, except I totally did not understand why I got that instead of the flat. And then I went out for a walk (in my wintercoat while it was summer) in the park behind my cute house and there was Dom walking with Vincent the dog from Lost, and I followed him to this little field where Evangeline Lilly was playing football with Naveen Andrews and Josh Holloway, and Dom threw a frisbee for Vincent to catch and it caught in a bush so I went over to retrieve it, but I bumped into Matthew Fox and got an eyeful of his scary grinning face. Ugh. And then I woke up. Weird weird weird. ( And now to bore you with some other moving-house stuff )And the stupid thing is: when I heard I got the flat, the first thing I thought of was having to buy Christmas decorations. Why? I don't know. My father and brothers say I'm mental but my mother actually told me that that was the first thing she thought when she got her first flat, too. Creepy! Current Mood:  hyper | | Monday, September 5th, 2005 | | 2:19 pm |
Help us help you
I have been sick for the past few days, missed the first company outing in, like, ever, and have not accomplished anything whatsoever. No word on the house as of yet. *fingers crossed* Today is the Day of the Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who is one of my idols. One of my favourite sayings of her: "Waste not your time on judging others; rather try to love them." - Mother Teresa So simple, so pure, so very true. Mother Teresa should have her own church, in which only love and tolerance are preached. I'd join immediately, even though I've vowed not to attach myself to any particular religion, since they all seem rather preoccupied with doing just that: judging others, sometimes even condemning them. Mother Teresa wouldn't do that. Seriously, if everyone in the world was like this woman, we would live in a much better place. Although I must confess it is much easier for me right now to judge George W. Bush than to try to love him, after all the horrible things I've heard. Being sick tends to numb you, so that you don't take anything in, and only today when I read the paper did I realise just what a disaster has happened in New Orleans. Seeing those poor people suffering, dying, getting shot by what used to be their fellow men (great thinking, US Government, selling weapons in any shop on the corner so that every idiot can get his hands on a gun), and hardly any help coming... it made me feel so angry and desperate. I read about babies dying of dehydration, rescueworkers committing suicide out of sheer despair at not being able to help, and when finally new rescueworkers come they are by word of their superiors "forbidden to interact with civilians so as to avoid emotional attachment". With the result that they're not allowed to do anything, because to help people would generally mean interacting with them, you morons! Also, I read an interview with an American oceanologist, who published a report three years ago about the danger of disaster happening to New Orleans if something was not done about the water-problem. The report rang true, and he was promised full cooperation and funding... until the war in Iraq started. Funding for the project was brought back to a minimum. Now I won't express my opinion on the Iraq war, as I know how it tends to divide people who are supposed to be friends (remember the Boards?). This oceanologist now, applied to the government again right after the disaster, asking again for funding so that he might be able to hire some Dutch Engineers, experts on deltaworks, which would solve many of the problems sufficiently. The government told him that there was no need for that, they did not have the funds for that (hellooo? $188 million spent each day on the Iraq war?), and he could use American engineers just as well. I beg to differ. Now I don't mean to brag or something, but if anyone knows anything about water problems, it's the Dutch. In case anyone didn't know, almost all of our country is below sea-level. We have learned to deal with the threat of the water for centuries. Our dikes are some of the oldest in the world. We live with water. We almost consist of water. Yet we have not had any serious floods since 1953. When the Deltaworks were built in Zealand in that same year, everyone was sceptical. But they worked! They still work, up to this day! I have been to the Deltaworks several times, have stood on them, been amazed by them, and I sleep safe in my bed knowing they are protecting us. Please, American Government, please let us help you. We may be a small, insignificant country to you, but we have the knowledge, we have the technology, and maybe in our own small way we can help you prevent something like this from happening ever again, and save so many innocent lives. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone who was in some way affected by this disaster, and even, albeit reluctantly, with President Bush, that he may find the wisdom to help his people in these terrible, terrible days. May God be with you. Current Mood: sad | | Thursday, September 1st, 2005 | | 1:10 am |
Fellowship Festival Report
I didn't have time to finish this yesterday, since I had an interview for a flat (nothing on the record yet, but I think I may have it), so here it is for you, albeit a bit belated: ( My Report of the Fellowship Festival 2005, London! )Oh, and I got the greatest present from (((Hobbitgirly))): the complete first series of LOST on DVD! I have already watched episodes 14 to 17, and I love them! How can Dom be so wonderful and gorgeous? Because he's Dom! Wheeee! Yay! Current Mood: cheerfulCurrent Music: Walking On Sunshine - The Waves | | Tuesday, August 23rd, 2005 | | 2:30 pm |
Do good things come in threes?
Yesterday I visited a potential babysitting address, to meet the parents and the children. I was rather nervous and apprehensive about it because these are 5-month old boy triplets. I'd heard all kinds of horror stories at work about a collegue who has gone barking mad because she has twin daughters who are both crybabies. After a few months she dumped them at her parents and fled the country. Huh. However, these three boys (as far as I've seen) are the most easy-going babies I have ever met. In the time I was there, only one of them cried once, because he was put to bed. They are all smiles, adore any attention that is given to them, and patiently wait for their turn to be fed/changed/hugged. And they are just so darn cute! I must get back into practice though, it's been a while since I babysat an actual baby, and today I feel it, because I sat wrong while feeding and my shoulder is sore. I am feeling rather good about this at the moment! When they get back from vacation I'll hopefully be able to spend a whole day with the family and get to know them better, then decide if I'm up for it. On other news: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DARLING lizmybit!!! Have a wonderful day and many happy returns, love! I wish I could be there! Current Mood: cheerful | | Thursday, August 18th, 2005 | | 5:15 pm |
Sad sad sad...
Although I just got back from a great weekend with rosiegardener and her lovely family, today life dealt me yet another stroke of bad luck that got me down again after having a wonderful time. It seems to have a way of doing that, lately. The flat I've been wanting, which I almost had and which I had already seen myself living in, seems to have been snatched away from me. Today I had an appointment with the agent, and she bluntly told me that they were not taking in any more people, and that I should just take my turn on the regular waiting list again. Which, I might add, in my area of residence has an average waiting period of 8 to 10 years. Ta very fucking much for ruining my dream, bureaucratic bastards. I'm beginning to wonder if I've done something wrong, not been a good enough person or something, because I get the distinct impression that God doesn't very much like me at the moment. This whole year has been a series of great chances that all slipped from my hands. I had a great job that earned a shedload of money; I had to leave because of my abusive boss. I wanted to go to University; I failed the test even when I'd studied so hard. I wanted to get my own place; I get offered this great flat only to watch my illusion shatter yet again. Due to my Dad's accident earlier this year and several other reasons, my parents are having money troubles. I'm trying to help them as much as I can, and it seems to help fuckall. What am I doing wrong? I just want to be happy, is that so much to ask? Current Mood: crappy | | Wednesday, August 3rd, 2005 | | 2:55 pm |
Hmmm...
Still no news about the flat. Now that I've had time to look forward to it, I really want something to happen, because I've basically already painted, carpeted and furnished it in my imagination. I am fooling around with the new Fanclub Boards and I must say I love them already! So much more user=friendly, the colours are so warm, no ads, much faster, yay! AND I get to use my beloved (txt) and (nt) again, because of the blessed option of threaded view. YAY! I love you, Prim. On other news: 
Harry Potter Personality Quiz by Pirate Monkeys Inc.gacked from cleolindaThis strikes me as rather ominous. Heh. Random news: - I am now halfway through 'HMS Surprise'. It is awesome. - When I have my flat I will have two cats. *nods* - Happy birthday to my cousins, who are 21 and 18 today! - Josh Groban is a music God. His voice is to die for. - My stupid Arwen action figure keeps falling over. I've her propped up against Aragorn, and now it looks like they're making out all the time. - Dominic Monaghan is still amazingly sexy. Surprising, I know. Current Mood:  sillyCurrent Music: Josh Groban - Mi Morena | | Friday, July 29th, 2005 | | 1:25 am |
Yo ho, yo ho...
Once again I have come out of the American Book Center in Amsterdam leaving some very happy booksellers behind... Less than two weeks after making their salespeople happy by buying Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Angela's Ashes, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and the newest EMPIRE magazine, all in one day, I have now spent what must be about the monthly rent of a small apartment on the purchase of the complete Aubrey/Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian. All in all I spent about 250 euros for the series of 20 books in total, having got a discount of 20% over them. The lady who sold them to me declared she had never seen anything like this in her whole career at the ABC, a native speaker buying a set of 20 novels in English. She said I had earned the special discount because I must be a special person, LOL! I started reading the series some years ago and was captured by it, though unfortunately I was forced to stop reading because the series had only been translated as far as the 8th part, the translater having died after that. No shop to my knowledge sold the books in English anywhere. But a few weeks ago, when reserving my copy of HBP, I found to my great surprise and delight that they had the complete series at the ABC! After my discovery I went to look at the books every time I'd drop by, and after a while I figured why not buy them all at once (since I was planning to get them all at some point anyway) and get some money off the price? And I did! They're all lined up prettily on their own bookshelf now! I have the film too, though I don't like it much. The one thing I do love about it is Billy Boyd as Barret Bonden (who has always been one of my favourite characters in the books), because he is just perfect! Whenever I read about Bonden now, I get this huge smile on my face, because I can see Billy in my mind's eye, wearing that silly wig! ;-) Current Mood: pleased |
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