captanonymus

I'm still alive

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:43:53 GMT

I know, I know, it's been rather a long while...

I honestly haven't a clue how that happened. One minute I was online pretty much 24/7 (thank you, insomnia) and the next...well...I wasn't.

I think the fact that I am no longer writing has been an influence, although a fic I co-wrote should be coming out at some point. It is currently being beta-d but at least it's finished! Quite an achievement for me, really.

So, what's happened since my last post....Well, my personal life has been rocky but it seems to have stabilised again (Thank you, Mr Therapist), Toronto is still fantastic (no more snow, just glorious sunshine!!), I saw Brad and Colin live (they were great), met up with some LJ friends in real life (loved it!) and have started to seriously hunt for a job.

I know I neglected you all but..(and in no particular order...).

astarael02 I take it you are back in the UK and loving it? :-) I have thought of you often, even if I haven't commented on any LJ entries of yours (you're in good company though, because I neglected the world and his mother!)

annabel1984 Hope you're feeling better and that work isn't too much of a pain.

iamcrazyodo you too are on my list of neglectees....and I am sooooo sorry! Especially because you are the one through whom I discovered my love for a new fandom (J/J all the way!!) It doesn't mean that I'm no longer interested in WL, of course, I just have more loving to indulge in :-) Thank you *so* much!

pdglyph I have been missing you muchly :-) It sounds like you're in a terrific place judging by the last entry on your LJ :-) Not to influence you unduly but...I always liked the name capt'n :D

and for those of you I haven't mentioned, I do think of you, obviously :-)

Santa Claus Parade!!

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 01:31:17 GMT

No, I'm not kidding :D Today was the annual Santa Claus Parade here in Toronto. And I went to see it :D It was fantaaaaaaastic ! There were brilliant floats, amazing bands and....it *snowed*! I am not joking....It was a blizzard. I was utterly frozen but had *such* a great time! And the best part, I got to see Santa at the end...<sigh> I am *such* a child! :-) We went to Bloor Street West to watch the parade because it's only a few subway stops from where we live *and* one of our favourite breakfast places is there :-) We actually started our day at our favourite cafe with free re-fills of excellent coffee, a scrumptious stuffed omelette, complimented with a toasted bagel and fruit. Afterwards we went to the candy store, bought our favourite badness and then we found a spot from which to watch the parade pass by :-)

The Star (big newspaper here in TO) had posted some tips for a successful parade. They included:

1. get there early, 2 to 3 hours in advance (30 minutes in our case)
2. bring blankets, sleeping bags and chairs ( one hat...between the two of us...)

etc etc.... we were woefully underprepared when the snow hit but who cares about the odd bit of frostbite! :D We went for more coffee afterwards which soon sorted us out. I love Toronto...I *really* do :D

aaaaand I'm back!

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:59:02 GMT

OK....so...I've had my extended break away from LJ, the net, yahoo messenger and such and I feel I am ready to come back. I am still an insecure, wretched human being but you know what, fuck it, that's just me. I can't help it. I know I need to stop worrying so much about what others think and just get on with my life and I will try. If, however, I have the occasional relapse, I trust someone (you know who you are!) will beat me over the head and make me say the mantra :D I owe you. You are the reason I am back. So, thank you :D I just needed some time to mull things over :-)

Over the next few days, I plan to 'unlock' my LJ again, maybe post some old fics and generally get involved again. Thank you so much to all of you who left me messages in the time I was on hiatus. It was much appreciated.

Hugs to you all!

Thanksgiving

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 17:09:59 GMT

Not much to report but I thought I'd share my ideas for a thanksgiving meal.... This will be my first foray into cooking a thanksgiving dinner and I have to say, I'm excited about it! We don't celebrate it in the UK and as such, I am more accustomed to making either a Sunday Lunch (Roast beef, Roast potatoes, honey glazed carrots and parsnips etc..) or a full on Christmas dinner (Nutroast, Turkey, brussels sprouts with an orange and hazelnut butter, red cabbage with apple and port...you get my drift...).
I want to stick to a fairly traditional Thanksgiving meal, and i wouldn't mind if all you thanksgiving veterans could steer me in the right direction....Okay, here goes....

Turkey (I'm a vegetarian but I live with a meat eater so no turkey is not an option :D I still need an idea for a veggie option though....I have some nutroast left from a batch I made previously and I'm thinking I'll have that)
Pumpkin and mushroom stuffing
Yam casserole (with a pecan crust, baked in the oven)
sauteed green beans with almond slivers (and bacon for the meat eater)
carrots
Creamy mashed potatoes (or homity pie which is mashed potato with sour cream, petit pois, onion, garlic baked in the oven with a cheesy crust)
Freshly made cranberry sauce
pumpkin cheesecake in a gingersnap crust

what do you think? any good? Any hints on a better menu? Please?

Friends list revamp....

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 20:13:12 GMT

ok.....here goes....I've been looking at my friends list and you know what, I think it needs a revamp :-) I have people on my flist who kicked me off theirs, people who don't seem too interested in what I'm doing (which is fine, honestly, we are all busy people and I can completely understand if you're not that fussed about my rambling :-) and just generally people who I haven't spoken to in, well, ages and ages....so...
I figured I need a clean up of my list.....If you find yourself inadvertently kicked off, but really want to be on, obviously, drop me a line and you will be added back but for the moment, I just don't see any point in cluttering up your LJs with my inane babbling :-)

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 19:37:55 GMT

I got tagged by the lovely sungreen70</lj> and my answers are under the cut....

In turn, it gives me great pleasure to tag pdglyph</lj>, annabel1984</lj>, athenamsp</lj>, astarael02</lj>, vanillasky2008</lj>, jo_vri</lj>, idmv84</lj>, and mizzmeow</lj>

1.How has LJ changed your life?

It hasn’t changed it as such, but it has certainly added to it. I have met some amazing people who I would never have met otherwise.

2. What do you do before bedtime?
I usually read a little.

3. Who do you admire?

I admire people with artistic talent. In fact, I envy them. A lot….

4. What is the city of your dreams and why?
I love Toronto. I know a lot of people don’t but I love the fact it is so vibrant. There is so much to do, so much to see, it’s great!

5. Are you an introvert or extrovert?
Depends…when I am at work, I need to be extrovert so I am. It’s part of the job. In private however, I am very shy and I’d really rather not be the centre of attention. It’s a juxtaposition, I know…..

6. Which is more blessed, loving someone or being loved by someone?
Hm….I don’t think I could say….both have their merits.

7. Do you trust easily?
No. I always try and see the good in people but to *really* trust somebody, that takes a while for me.

8. If the person you secretly like is already attached, what would you do?
Nothing. I would suffer in silence, write about it and try and get it out of my system.

9. Is there anything that has made you unhappy these days?
Yes but I am over it now.

10. What is your best quality?
I am honest and very loyal.

11. Is being tagged fun?
Hm….I think the jury is still out on that one….I am rather private and I do feel like I’m being dissected….

12. How do you see yourself?
I’m a perfectionist and I hate it. Nothing I do is ever good enough and everything always has to be better next time (Only for myself though, I don’t look at others that way)

13. Who are currently the most important people to you?
They know who they are. I love them dearly and I owe them a lot.

14. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?
A lovely person, she’s on my flist after all!! J

15. Would you rather be in a happy marriage and poor or a bad marriage and rich?
a happy one, every time.

16. How many children do you want to have, if any?
It depends on the first child I have…If it’s Satan’s spawn, I might not want another…..

17. What's better to give or to receive?
Give

18. I you had to choose between following your head or following your heart, which would you choose?

I make instant decisions with my heart, but then take the time to weigh it all up. Once I’ve looked at things logically, I follow my head.

19. Do you like to watch thunderstorms or are you more likely to hide under the table from them?
I love them!

20. What were your parents going to name you if you'd been born the opposite gender?

Not sure…..

Meme from Sess

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:49:43 GMT

My five questions, courtesy of Sess :-) You might be right my dear, it's like watching a tennis match! :

1. How long have you been vegetarian?
I've been a vegetarian since 1989, when I was 14. I wanted to be a vegetarian I was 8 but my parents wouldn't let me. At 14 when I was a wilful teenager, I put my foot down and I never looked back.

2. Is there anything you absolutely could not live without?
Hm.... it sounds bad, but probably Harold, my laptop. Does that make me very superficial?

3. What are your five favourite films?
Oh......only five....rats.... Let me think.....
1. Snowcake
2. Shadowlands
3. Love is the devil
4. Raiders of the lost ark
5. The Birdcage

4. Who is your favourite actor?
Again, only one?! Argh...Well, I find Alan Rickman *always* watchable, but then so is Kevin Spacey or Derek Jacobi...I just can't choose!! :-)

5. Dogs or cats? (Yes, all my #5s are going to be something completely random and irrelevent ^_^)
I have two cats at the moment whom I love dearly but I have always had dogs *and* cats together. So again, tough choice. I suppose I would say that if I had the time and didn't have to work, I would say dogs, but if my time was limited, I would say cats.

meme time

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 06:22:29 GMT

My first Meme as well! Can't help but feel a little overwhelmed with emotion ;-)

My questions came from Ktnflag who added me as a friend, so I friended her back. Then the Meme thing came up and I thought "What an excellent way to get to know each other!" So I left a comment to that effect...Here are her 5 questions. Leave a comment and I shall ask you 5!

1. How is your move to Toronto progressing?
Slowly but surely at times, other times like a runaway train. It is all rather petrifying.

2. Besides Colin/Ryan, are there other pairings you like to write or read about?
There are other pairings I like but I can't write them. I've tried my hand at Holmes/Watson but...just can't get it right. (Not to say, of course, that I get Colin/Ryan right! Just a bit more shameless in my posting....). Other pairings I'd like to read about: Colin/Greg, Jeeves/Wooster, Holmes/Watson, Starsky/Hutch, Fry/Laurie and I have even been known to read some Cadfael/Beringar! :-)

3. How tall are you?
5'9 ish

4. What's your weather like today?
It looks ok. Fairly blue sky and a bit of sun, but it is still early and this *is* England, so we might have snow and hail in a few hours....

5. Coke or Pepsi?
Pepsi Max for the tast....but the Coke bottle wins on design....

Those were mine, leave a comment and you shall be questioned too :-)

Hm....scarily accurate

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 23:41:51 GMT

The Quick & Painless ENNEAGRAM Test

Your Score: 8 - the Asserter

Thanks for taking the test !

you chose AY - your Enneagram type is EIGHT (aka "The Challenger").

"I must be strong"

Asserters are direct, self-reliant, self-confident, and protective.

How to Get Along with Me

Stand up for yourself... and me.
Be confident, strong, and direct.
Don't gossip about me or betray my trust.
Be vulnerable and share your feelings. See and acknowledge my tender, vulnerable side.
Give me space to be alone.
Acknowledge the contributions I make, but don't flatter me.
I often speak in an assertive way. Don't automatically assume it's a personal attack.
When I scream, curse, and stomp around, try to remember that's just the way I am.

What I Like About Being a EIGHT

being independent and self-reliant
being able to take charge and meet challenges head on
being courageous, straightforward, and honest
getting all the enjoyment I can out of life
supporting, empowering, and protecting those close to me
upholding just causes

What's Hard About Being a EIGHT

overwhelming people with my bluntness; scaring them away when I don't intend to
being restless and impatient with others' incompetence
sticking my neck out for people and receiving no appreciation for it
never forgetting injuries or injustices
putting too much pressure on myself
getting high blood pressure when people don't obey the rules or when things don't go right

EIGHTs as Children Often

are independent; have an inner strength and a fighting spirit
are sometimes loners
seize control so they won't be controlled
fugure out others' weaknesses
attack verbally or physically when provoked
take charge in the family because they perceive themselves asthe strongest, or grow up in difficult or abusive surroundings

EIGHTs as Parents

are often loyal, caring, involved, and devoted
are sometimes overprotective
can be demanding, controlling, and rigid