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*

Allright. So I defeated the dustbunnies today (there were ridiculous amounts of them all over the place, but now they're GONE). And then I made food. And then I did the final segment of Anat Baniel's "Healthy Necks & Shoulders" exercise program (which I've been going through, for the second or third time, for the past two weeks). (By the way, those exercises are awesome, and if you haven't heard of Anat Baniel, do yourself a favor and check her out; her DVD's are pricey, but worth every penny and then some, especially if you have any back or neck pain, or feel older then you think you should. She is a powerful healer, in the widest sense of the word.) Oh, and I also ordered some Christmas gifts online. In short, I can't remember the last time I felt so productive.;D

AND I uploaded some icons I had found last night. See, I realized I didn't have any icons from Interview with the Vampire, and suddenly it seemed imperative that I find some. ( Read more... )

I just watched In the Land of Blood and Honey. You know, the movie about the war in Bosnia, directed by Angelina Jolie. I really want to say something coherent and intelligent about it, but I don't have the words. The fact is that it blew me away with its raw brutality. It flattened me into the chair. I guess I expected something tamer, some sanitized version of events for the American audience. But this film is devastatingly honest about the realities of war, as seen through the eyes of women. I have a whole new level of appreciation for Angelina now. I really didn't think anyone with ties to Hollywood capable of such uncompromising realism. Yes, there is a love story in there, but there's nothing - absolutely nothing - "Hollywood" about it. It is as uncomfortable, and ultimately terrifying, as the circumstances in which it happens. ( Read more... )

So... I've been thinking of a way to deal with the pesky weight gain problem. I know I'm most likely never going to be slim again, and that's OK; but I refuse to sit back and wait until all my favorite clothes no longer fit. It's happened before, and I hate the way it makes me feel when it happens. So I've got to do something. I still have my info kit from WeightWatchers - I could look it up and start counting points again. But somehow that feels like too much effort. And don't even get me started on some intensive exercise regime - I'm trying to get back to doing ANY exercise at all, just to avoid muscle atrophy, and I know myself well enough by now to abandon any delusions of ever achieving anything beyond a mild 30-minute workout 2-3 times a week. It never happened when I was younger, and it's not going to happen now. But I've thought of something else. ( Read more... )

Looks like I haven't posted here a bit longer than usual. I totally meant to do so last Saturday, but somehow ended up too braindead in the evening after a day of errands and stuff... And now I feel like there's too much I want to talk about and I can't decide where to start. So what's new?... LOL.

Well... all those long, rambling posts I've been making in my head while I go about my daily routine are irretrievable, I guess (unless I take a month off work and spend most of that time typing them up, which is not an option). Instead, I give you a brief, random bullet point update that may seem incredibly shallow and inconsequential. Oh well... c'est la vie, I suppose. *sigh*

1) Most people on my flist, American and otherwise, have made some sort of comment on yesterday's big event, and I don't want to leave the impression that I am ignoring it completely - so I should probably say something too. Problem is, I could either make a long, rambling post on my general, deeply ingrained cynicism in regards to politics (and I obviously have no time for that), or simply shrug and breathe a quiet sigh of relief that the pre-election media frenzy is over. And yes, I am profoundly glad that Obama won - but I also freely admit that said gladness has much less to do with my opinion of Obama than it does with my opinion of Romney. There. Enough said.:P

( female physiology related complaint and other random stuff behind the cut )

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, gairid!!! I hope it was a good one. It's a bit late, I know, but I've been thinking of you fondly.;)

I wish I could write more, but it's back to work tomorrow, and I should be in bed soon. The weather is very wet and depressing, and I have zero motivation to "go out into the world". I just want to stay home and read. I have books, I have comics, I have fanfic, I have LJ, I have an old journal that I found in my old bedroom at my parents' house... Why would I need anything else?... Why do people ever do anything OTHER than read or write?... I mean, really. Unless it's, perhaps, daydreaming about stuff they've read, or written, or want to read or write. LOL. Yes, that's the sort of mental space I'm in right now. Very surprising, I know.;P