Floating Leaf

A weekend without a proper post is a wasted weekend, non?... So now that I've had some decent sleep, and taken care of some basic household tasks, let's attempt another installment of the 30 day meme.

( Day 23 – Something that makes you feel better, in great detail )

Since I seem to be on a roll, posting-wise, let's do another installment of the never-ending 30 day meme...

( Day 22 – Something that upsets you, in great detail )

Snagged from versailles_rose:

Your Brain is a Pisces

Your style of thinking is very intuitive and subconscious. In fact, you tend to be unaware of your own processes. You see the interconnectedness of the world more than most people. Your conclusions come from a lot of depth and synthesis. You don't think you have all the answers or that you can control what happens. You are the furthest thing possible from a know-it-all. You simply do your best to try to understand the world and people around you, without fear or judgment.

Big surprise, that. ;)

Also, it took me two hours today to get to work. That's right. I kid you not. TWO HOURS. Because, for the first time this winter, we actually got some snow (not THAT much, mind you), and it seemed to paralyze Chicago's entire public transportation system. Now, if this happened in Texas or Florida, I wouldn't be surprised; but here? Seriously? The weather's been SOOO much worse in recent years, and yet, my commute has never lasted this long before. What gives? By the time I arrived at the office, I was chilled to the bone, numb all over and ready to just curl up in a blanket and take a long nap. And I pretty much stayed in this frame of mind for the rest of the day...

And I thought I had other things to say, but my brain isn't cooperating. Ah well... bedtime, then. *sighs in defeat*

There's a massive winter storm warning in effect for Northern Illinois this weekend. The temperatures are expected to drop well below the freezing point as an Arctic front moves over the area. And let me tell you, I can hear said front moving in right now, rattling my rickety old windows in mighty gusts of frigid air. No snow so far, but that's supposed to start tomorrow. Good thing I got my groceries before the whole mess started - now I can just stay in and wait for it to blow over. AND we have Monday off, since it's Martin Luther King's day; again, good thing, because it's supposed to be ridiculously cold. I don't think I'll be going anywhere...

Besides, Teh Internetz have eaten my brains. I have been lured into joining Tumblr. I blame gairid, who casually mentioned her VC-related Tumblr account... which I am, of course, following now.:D (Apparently, traipsing in search of Vampire Chronicles stuff all over LJ AND Dreamwidth wasn't enough anymore.:P) So, if you happen to be on Tumblr and actually post to it (I haven't really started yet - mostly lurking for the moment), let me know.:) Btw, my username is Somnambulistic Decay. Don't laugh; it's a quote from one of my favorite songs by Marc Almond. I must have tried about fifty different usernames before I finally managed to stumble upon one that wasn't taken already (yes, before you ask, pretty much everything with "night", "dark", "goth" or "solitude" in it ;P).

In other exciting news, I've been doing a little bit of yoga/Pilates almost every day this week. I dragged my balance ball out of the closet, where it had languished, forgotten, for the past few months (or was it years?...), and reacquainted myself with the simple and relaxing routines taught by Suzanne Deason (a woman in her fifties with the sleek and toned body of a teenager; it must be truly beneficial to do yoga for a living... *sigh*). There's a "daily stretch" routine on the DVD which lasts about 15 minutes; there's also a full body workout divided into three segments: lower body, upper body and abs (each about 10 minutes or so). So I've been alternating between those, instead of doing the whole thing at once. I still feel a bit achy all over, especially around the midsection; but it's not bad enough to make me want to skip more than a day at a time. I don't suppose I will actually lose any weight from it - but it's beneficial regardless, so I'm hoping to stick to it. *crosses fingers*

Darn... the wind is REALLY picking up. It's actually getting chilly in here. Which isn't something I say very often. Normally, I have to keep a window open an inch or so when the radiators are going full blast, or I would suffocate. Now, everything's closed and I can feel the freezing air blowing right at me through the cracks. I think it's time to burrow under my warm duvet... *yawn*

Hmmm... looks like I'm getting used to my Dreamwidth account. I've been fiddling with it for the past few days, since I can't seem to decide upon a layout. All the available styles are so plain... I mean, I do like simple, but simple can be elegant, non?...;) For example, this layout I have right now here on LJ is very simple, but so aesthetically pleasing. Of course, I'm sure DW has more exciting options for paid accounts as well - but I am not ready to dish out on one yet, so I can't see them. I did, however, upload a few icons. You can have up to 15 on a free account - but choosing 15 out of 200 is too much of a dilemma for me at the moment, so I just picked some obvious Louis/Lestat ones that I can use for comments on vc_media (btw, the community isn't even crossposting to LJ anymore - they are exclusively on DW now, which is the main reason why I keep checking the site almost every day... LOL).

Speaking of VC's... there is this little "library" at my workplace. Basically, employees are encouraged to bring in used books or magazines that they don't want anymore, so that others could borrow or "steal" them if they like. And this week, someone brought Interview with the Vampire. A very old, worn copy, dog-eared and obviously well-read. Someone must have LOVED that book.:D Of course, I will never find out who, since there are well over a hundred people working at our office, and I am not about to start going around asking whose book it used to be.;P At any rate, they got rid of it, so probably not a crazy Anne Rice fan anymore.;) Btw, my own copy is much newer and in better shape, but has an ugly "modern" cover - while this old one is very stylish and lovely (just plain black with some guttering red candles). So... should I steal it?... Or exchange for my own?...:)

In other exciting news, my period is due this weekend - which of course doesn't mean that it will actually arrive. ( Read more... )

Looks like taking tomorrow off was a very smart move. That winter storm I mentioned... it's probably going to roll through the area sometime tonight/tomorrow morning. Today was just wet and dreary, for the most part, but now the wind is really picking up. No snow so far, but I can feel through the cracks in my ancient windowframes that the temperature is dropping. Freezing rain is definitely one of my LEAST favorite things to be outside in, so I'll be more than happy to stay home until it blows over. Grocery shopping can wait until Saturday, which is supposed to be sunny and dry. Tomorrow I'll probably clean the place, decorate my tree (my evergreen potted plant, that is, which does a pretty good job of pretending to be a Christmas tree - I wouldn't bother getting a "real" one, I have no room for it anyway), dye my hair (which is long overdue), watch a movie... Then, either on Sunday night or Monday morning, I'll be heading over to my parents' house for two days of appalling gluttony.;D I'll let you know how well my stomach handled it this time.:P

Also, did I mention I can hardly wait for my new Lacrimosa CD?... I have managed to resist downloading the album so far, but of course I've been listening to samples on their website, and checking out videos on YouTube. For some reason, they are immensely popular in Mexico (though not in the US, as far as I can tell) - so there's a ton of fanvids of their songs with Spanish subtitles. Here's one of them:



I know the English lyrics sound a little awkward at times - that's pretty much the only thing about Lacrimosa that's not utterly perfect to me, btw. They're probably trying to be more accessible to an international audience - but I think including English translations of the lyrics in their CD booklets (which they've always done) is more than good enough for that purpose. Besides, you don't really need to understand every word in order to appreciate the music. Personally, I'd rather understand less than listen to lyrics that obviously need some corrections. But I'm famous for being a grammar nazi.;P Btw, I feel the same way when Polish rock/metal bands try to sing in English, with mixed results. Sometimes their original lyrics are quite good and ambitious, while the English versions sound awkward and simplistic. How is that supposed to be helping the band's image? I have a feeling it's the same way with Lacrimosa - when I read the translations of the songs originally written in German, I can tell they have a lot of depth despite the linguistic imperfections; but the ones written and sung in English are not nearly as interesting. That's just the lyrics, though; the music is unfailingly gorgeus throughout, and in the end, that's what really matters...

Well... I did get my period after all. I really wasn't sure it was actually coming this time - everything felt so weird I didn't know what to think. But here it is. ( Read more... )

Yes, I am aware that The Hobbit movie is out already. No, I haven't seen it. I probably will, at some point, but I don't have any immediate plans in that regard. It seems I am unable to be really "into" something which is quite popular at the moment. ( Read more... )

While I'm waiting for the new CD that's supposed to end up under the tree in less than 3 weeks (to quote my sister, "the elves are on it" ;P), here's a little something to celebrate my favorite band. Twenty years of incredible music, and they're maturing beautifully - like good wine...

( Lacrimosa )

Wow. My Christmas shopping is done already. Well... most of it, anyway. The Polish bookstore where I always get gifts for my mom (she always wants books, and she doesn't read in English) had a major sale today, and I bought her three novels at a very nice discount. And that was really the only place I needed to visit in person. I ordered all my other gifts online. Moreover - smart girl that I am - I had them shipped directly to my parents' house. So that all I will need to do on Christmas Eve is change the packaging.;) Actually, my sister's gift, which is an art book from her Amazon wishlist, will come nicely wrapped already. So I really made it easy for myself this year.:P Incidentally, I also made it easy for everyone else, since I told them exactly what I want.:D My dad is getting me a new printer/scanner/copier, since my old one isn't working anymore (I've had it since 2003). Mom is getting me a new electric kettle (again, the old one is starting to act wonky, and I am ALWAYS making tea, so an operational kettle is a must). And my sister has a choice between two things: the new Lacrimosa album, which just came out in October (perfect timing, non?...), or Claudia's Story - a graphic novel based on Interview with the Vampire, which came out a little earlier this year. I am secretly hoping she will get me both.;) Actually, my fingers were really itching to order that Lacrimosa CD as soon as I found out about it - I've seen some gushing reviews on Amazon - but since last year I bought my sister the new album of a Polish rock band we both love, I thought it fitting that this time she should return the gift of music, so to speak. Now I just need to curb my excitement for a few more weeks...

( Read more... )

See what the amazing meathiel made for me! *points at icon* :D

And yes, that would be more or less how I feel today. I did go to bed at eleven sharp last night, and fell asleep pretty quickly... but then I woke up at five, again, and somehow my body decided that we were done sleeping.:/ So I'm still utterly exhausted. Even coffee didn't do much for me this morning. I suppose I need much more than 6 hours of sleep to recover from yesterday's tension... or perhaps I am coming down with something, who knows. I just feel... drained. And not in a good way, in case you're wondering (*points at icon again*).:P

Two more days until the weekend... *weary sigh*