nishatalitha

The cats got to the vet today for their annual check ups. They were both well-behaved - Tobias, in particular garnered a number of compliments - and while we had trouble getting Jemima into the box at home, at the vet's she was absolutely fine. They're both in excellent condition, but we need to get a fleabomb and some Advantage, mostly for preventitive purposes, and they need minor dental work, followed by dental cat biscuits. They got some fresh oxheart as a treat when they got home.

Mine appears to have forgiven me (we forgot to unlock the catdoor when we got home, so they were both stuck outside) and is now curled up on my bed having a wash, which will probably be followed by a nap as she looks rather settled. And now they can got to the cattery over Christmas without any medical hassles. Vaccination books updated and everything.

I managed to get something done today that I've been saying I would do all week if it was fine enough and meant to do last weekend but forgot/ran out of time: I got the shovel and a bucket and dug up a lot of the dirt that got stuck in the dip in our access path, blocking the drain. It's still rather slippery, but hopefully it won't flood the next time it rains. Considering I was woken up with hail this morning and more rain is predicted Sunday/Monday and beyond, it will get tested soon. I just wish I'd taken before and after pictures!

sartorias has interesting things to say or interesting links to things about fiction, fanfiction and writing. I'm reading it and it's forcing me to think about why I like some books and not others and is world-building more important than good writing (no - I'll happily read a good story with bad world-building but I'd rather not read a bad story or uninteresting story set in a good workd) and what makes a good villan.

Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear's A Companion to Wolves reminds me heavily of Pern in some respects and is making me think about consent. Fullmetal Alchemist is also making me think a bit, although that's a lot more nebulous.

I am starting to get used to getting up around six in order to catch the 6.36am Wilton to go to the gym before work. Mum reckons that it takes about three weeks for a habit to form, so I'm a third of the way there. After another two, it might become easier. Either that, or I will have also formed a habit of going to bed an hour or more earlier than I used to, which will also make a difference. That one will be a lot harder, though.

However, I find it means that I get tired much more quickly in the evenings and also that it feels like I have less time. Tonight, while not being a particularly good example: I got home after seven (had a meeting until about 6.30pm), came online, checked emails and livejournal, put in the fix that Alessan showed me for the win32 error, which actually worked, did dishes, spent some time mucking around with Ceaser3 and Castle of the Winds (did one and a half mine levels) before deciding that it was about time to go to bed. ie, now.

The fix working means that I didn't get a couple of things done that I quite wanted to: continue checking quoth_the_ravyn's latest chapter, which I meant to and didn't, and finish updating the catalogue for the three piles of books on my desk. People who are British citizens and interested in the library might be interested in following this link: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/library/.

First thing in the morning, something that would otherwise take about ten minutes frequently takes about twenty. My thought processes work rather slowly and fixedly. The other morning on the bus a girl got on, wearing a jacket the exact same shade of maroon as my high school blazers were. I wondered vaguely as she stepped up to the bus driver and had her ticket clicked why a Hamilton Girl's High School hostel girl was getting on the bus at this time of the morning. Then she turned to face me as she went to find a seat and I realised that the jacket, while the right colour, was not actually a HGHS blazer, furthermore, I was in Wellington and a HGHS hostel girl would not be here and would not be wearing, what is, after all, a rather ugly blazer. The entire thinking process after she sat down took about ten minutes, until we overlooked the bay and I was distracted onto another topic.

Am going to curtail plans for Saturday, I think. I had been thinking of going to Te Papa in between practice and the party I'm not invited to, but instead will stay home, do stuff and relax. Might go to Te Papa on Sunday, after the Around the Bays.

And happy birthday to atomic_susan!