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Utterly failed to see Gangs of New York again today. I am still totally put off by the prospect of a 3-hour Leonardo DiCaprio movie, even though it is also a 3-hour Daniel Day-Lewis movie and he was, like, the beautiful thespian god of my existence when I was a teenager.

Anyway.
Went book-shopping instead.
Found the new Clive Barker book, Abarat, on sale for 50% off plus an extra discount because we have one of those discount-club memberships (which is so worthwhile if you shop at Barnes and Noble and buy books frequently). Yay! It was something I was kind of disappointed that I didn't get for xmas... so I was happy to basically get a copy for $11, a heavily-illustrated hardcover. I also got guidebooks for some of the new Playstation games - Final Fantasy 9 and Legend of Dragoon. There is a guidebook for Pikmin, which I would love to play if I had access to a GameCube, that has an adorable poster in back - heads up. But I didn't buy that. I did get one other book, an art book talking about medieval art symbolism in the theme of The Lady and the Unicorn (also the book's title). It was a bargain book; $15 marked down from $55. There were other things I really wanted to pick up, but I am going to hold off for now.

Have been home for a while and playing with The Wenzel. She is becoming much more socialized and able to have some free run of the house without going nuts and acting like a little bullet. On the other hand, she is developing a real barking problem. Pulled out the "silent whistle" we bought a few weeks ago; it definitely gets her attention. But it isn't silent! It's relatively soft for how piercing the tone is, but you can absolutely hear it. Also found in the same bag a cheap keychain laser pointer that I got as a cat toy. It comes with a lens cover that projects a mouse shape, but they don't like that as much as the concentrated point of light. To them it's a little glowing bug and they chase it madly. The Wenzel lost her last baby tooth tonight! We got three of them. That's pretty rare. When she lost it, she tried to eat it... like, "hey, that BELONGS in MY MOUTH!"

I did some other stuff today, but it's like, "I read The Silmarillion for ten minutes and then I got bored!" (which should surprise no-one; it's a book I read to go to sleep; I can't keep track of the characters; already there are too many Valar for me to remember who's who) or "I organized the jewelry I wear most frequently onto the new little jewelry-stand that I got for xmas!" - very much not interesting.

decisions.

I'm sort of determined to sit around the house tonight. I have things I want to do. For example, I have piles of books beside my bed that I want to take care of, and, um, since I'm single and sleep on a queen-size futon like a foot off the floor (I like really low beds and really high beds! what can I say?), there are always books stacked up on the side I don't use for sleeping. Arwen Isobel has been trying to chew on the knitting books I had there while working on a design for a sweater... so I need to put them away, before I no longer have a Noro: Kids & Family booklet or a copy of The Urban Knitter.

On the other hand, I really want to see katesterbp when she's in town, and maybe Val and Siobhan and co., and I know that people will probably hang out this weekend, but I'm just all kinds of blah. & I need to Get Stuff Done. otoh I have a little present for Kat that I want to give her and I really haven't talked to her yet this vacation.

Also I think I may have a STYE on my lower eyelid. If so, I haven't had one in years, since I was 12 or younger. They are no fun. & I won't even be accomplishing much if I'm dealing with a swollen eyelid!

(no subject)

I utterly failed to stay home and hang out tonight. I even went out IN MY SLACKING-AROUND-THE-HOUSE clothes - purple long-sleeved shirt and lime green flared yoga pants with a purple design on the back of one leg (the ones from swirlspace that I posted about this past spring). It's a good thing that it's cold outside, because I was able to wear my loose leather coat over it all, which is shapely and goes almost to my knees. Otherwise it would have been FIGURE FLAW CITY. ;)

Anyway, went and got food. The momster is feeling ill today and wanted soup. Also ended up at Stein-Mart, where I picked up something for banshee which is very tiny and which I hope she will like. Made a joke in poor taste about Keats this evening (someone read me a quote from Keats on a bookmark, and I replied, "you know what else Keats said?... *cough*cough* i can't BREATHE!" - uh, if you didn't know, Keats died of tuberculosis). Got the new Juxtapoz special issue about rock album art & a book on soapmaking to look over which I'll take back or resell if I don't like it... didn't have time to look it over. Stopped at 7-11 on the way home, and Arwen Isobel started barking madly and hysterically at everyone who walked by... which was very strange, because she's usually so subdued in the car and in-public-in-general.

Now I am home, and my mom is sitting in the living room trying to play her piano. She only knows 3 songs but she practices them faithfully: "Largo" by Handel (also called "Ombra mai fu"), "Fur Elise" by Beethoven (which she is playing now), and the Boccherini minuet. She bought a Tori Amos For Easy Piano book a while ago and I sincerely hope that she will put it or her Easy to Intermediate Piano Classics book to use. Cos you know, the same three songs get old quickly. I think she also knows a Liszt piece, but doesn't like it.

oh, it sounds like she's trying to play "Bliss" now. hm.

I'm off to do some laundry. I want to be able to play Pac-Man in my room later this week. :)