Snagged from stormatdusk:



You are late-sleepy relaxation, the half-awake moment when you realize it's morning, but you don't have to get up, because there's no place you have to be. You are that cozy spot under the covers where everything feels temporarily perfect, even if you know you'll eventually have to wiggle out and start the day. Maybe you're the artistic type, who doesn't function well on a normal schedule. Sleep's important to you, and you like the freedom of sleeping as late as you want (especially since that is closely related to the freedom to stay up as late as you want). You like to roll out of bed, put on some comfy clothes, and get a laid back start to the day. If not everything on your list gets accomplished, no worries. Your only priority is having no priorities – you just want to take things at a slow, mellow pace.

Yeah... that pretty much sums me up. Btw, I took a sickie today, because I have my period and I woke up feeling like a whole load of crap.:/ So I've had an extremely laid back (or rather, laid flat on my back) day so far - even for me.;)

And here's another meme, this time stolen from akashaelfwitch. If anyone on my flist feels like answering the questions below in regard to themselves for me, I'll be thrilled - but no pressure.:) ( Here are my answers - for Akasha and anyone else who might care to know. )

A quick update, because I haven't posted in a week.:)

1) ( The weather's still crazy. )

2) ( I have a brand-new MasterCard with a credit line of $5,000. )

3) They just mailed me the paperwork for my lease extension - and they are raising the rent by $30. ( I know it's not much, and it could have been worse - but still, I'm not too thrilled about it. )

Uhhh... well. Enough. I think I bored even myself with that post.;)

Heath Ledger is dead OMG. I can't believe it. He was so young. It's just... wrong.

I think I need to rent Brokeback Mountain again and have a good cry while watching it. I was totally swept away by his acting in that one. I remember thinking that it doesn't get much better, and that if he's already that good at his age, then... yeah. Don't finish that sentence now. *sniff*

In better news, Viggo got nominated for an Oscar. FINALLY. I know it's rather unlikely that he'll actually win - if the ceremony even takes place at all - but at least he gets that little "Academy Award Nominee" label put before his name from now on.:) Not that he cares an awful lot about it, or that we need it there to fully appreciate his talent - but still... it's a good thing. *nods*

And that is all that's worth mentioning tonight. Plus, I should be in bed already, anyway. *sigh*

Did I just complain about warm winds and thunderstorms last week?... Well, it seems I shouldn't have, because as of today the winter is back with a vengeance. It is -10C/16F outside right now, and with the wind chill it feels like -20C. I couldn't open my car door when I left work tonight - it was frozen rigid. And OF COURSE I didn't have a car lock de-icer - not with me, anyway. My coworker Mike, who - praise God and all the saints - was still in the office at the time, didn't have one either; but he drove me to the nearest gas station, so I could get one, and then back to our office parking lot. I owe him a drink. I don't even want to think what I would have done if there wasn't anyone around to help me out (we have flexible hours, and there are days when everyone else leaves before me). *shudders*

Anyway... I still had to stop for gas and do some grocery shopping on the way home, so by the time I lugged all my shopping bags to the door against the freezing wind trying to rip the skin off my face, it was past 8 p.m. Now, after a late dinner and two cups of hot raspberry tea, I feel like I have barely defrosted enough to be able to use my brain again - and it's time to go to bed.:|

Oh, and btw, it's supposed to get colder over the weekend. *seriously contemplates moving to California, or possibly Egypt*

Happy Birthday, Orlando. Stay gorgeous, and don't lose your delightful gender ambiguity, please.;)



( two more under the cut )

Childhood Privilege Meme (snagged from rainweaver13 and mellacita) - the bolded sentences below are the ones that were true about me (also, I removed a few that didn't apply simply because I didn't grow up in the United States).

Father went to college.

Father finished college.

Mother went to college.

Mother finished college.

Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor. (No; of all our relatives, my parents were probably the most educated.)

Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers. (Not sure I understand this one. Was I higher class than my high school teachers? In what way?)

Had more than 50 books in your childhood home.

Had more than 500 books in your childhood home. (Maybe... I'm not sure. If not, that's only because there wasn't enough room.:D)

Were read children's books by a parent.

Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18. I took private English lessons while in high school, which made it possible for me to pass the entrance exams for the English studies at university - because my high school English teacher clearly knew less than I did at that point.;P

Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18.

The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively. I think so... lol.

Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18. (I don't think I'd heard of credit cards before I turned 18.;)

Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs (costs after scholarships). (Nope. Education was free in my country. If it wasn't, probably neither my parents nor me would have gotten any.:P)

Went to a private high school.

Had a private tutor before you turned 18.

Family vacations involved staying at hotels. Very cheap ones, more like hostels, I guess... but yeah, sort of.

Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18. (Nooope. I lived in a world of used clothes, hand-me-downs and my mother's own inventive creations.;)

Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them. (Well... certainly not when I was a kid. They bought me one here, four years ago... and it wasn't a hand-me-down from them, but it was used anyway.)

There was original art in your house when you were a child. Yes. My father's paintings.:)

You and your family lived in a single-family house. (Nooo... we lived in a one-bedroom or studio of sorts until I was seven - the four of us, including my grandmother - and then we moved to a two-bedroom, with each of the bedrooms about the size of two large office cubicles.:|)

Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home. Yeah. It was a rathole, but they owned it.:)

You had your own room as a child. Well... for about two years, I guess. After we moved to the bigger apartment and before my sister came along.:) But even during the time when I sort of had my own room, my grandma slept in it. She spent most of the day in the kitchen, though, or in front of the TV, so I guess I could be alone in that room... SOMETIMES.:|

You had a phone in your room before you turned 18.

Had your own TV in your room in High School. (No. And I still don't. Because I don't want it.:P)

Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16.

Went on a cruise with your family. (Buahahaaa, no. Not until now, btw.)

Went on more than one cruise with your family. (See above.)

Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up.

You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family. As a kid, I lived pretty much in my own world and wasn't much aware of the financial aspects of life - but I knew it was a BAD THING when I spent too much time running hot water in the bath (especially since we had one bathroom for the five of us, from the time I was nine - which is when my sister was born - until my grandma died when I was 18).

Btw, we weren't considered poor back in the old country. We were middle class, I guess. Which might give the Americans on my flist some idea of what 'lower class' Eastern European living was like.:D To paraphrase a quote from one of my favorite movies: "That's why we left. To find a better life.":P


But speaking of movies... I watched Perfume last night. ( You know, the one based on the famous novel by Patrick Suskind. )

Okay. The garbage misplacement mystery has been solved.:) ( It wasn't me, and it wasn't some supernatural telekinetic force either.;) )

Anyway... time for a change of topic. I made Spicy Aromatic Chicken today - with artichoke hearts, tomatoes and black olives, among other things - and it turned out delicious. I bought ground cloves specifically for this recipe, and I can't get over how absolutely orgasmic they smell... lol. Almost better than cinnamon!... (and that's saying a lot, because I could totally get high on cinnamon...;). I have a nice little collection of fragrant spices in my kitchen cabinet now, and sometimes I just open the containers at random and take a sniff... just for the hell of it.;D I still can't believe I am making all this wonderful food all by myself, eating better than I ever have, AND losing weight. It is a wonder. I am loving it. And yes, cooking takes time. A good few hours per week I would otherwise spend glued to my computer screen, munching on some 'quick'n'easy' high-calorie snacks and growing another set of spare tires around my middle. When you look at it that way, I am doing myself a favor in more ways than one. *nods*

So here I am. All by myself on New Year's Eve. Looking forward to having a Viggo-watching marathon later tonight... but now I just felt compelled to make a little post, since it seems to be a general tendency among my flist to do some kind of summary of the year 2007 and whatever good or bad things it brought with it. And well... normally I don't like to do this, because my life in recent years seems pretty monotonous, and there's really not much to write home about (not much by way of good things, anyway)... but 2007 was a bit different, actually, so maybe this is the time to take note of that. Or maybe I just needed an excuse to make another post, because I'm an obsessive-compulsive Babbler For No Reason (how's that for a lofty and meaningless honorary title, hmmm?...;).

( So here are the positive changes/events that have occurred in my life since January 2007: )

Hello, everyone. I survived Christmas.;) Actually, if I had a T-shirt saying exactly that, I would be wearing it now.:P ( I can't tell you how glad I am that this massive celebration of gluttony - which is the most apt description of Christmas at my parents' house - happens only once a year. )

Okay. Change of topic. I bought the Eastern Promises DVD yesterday, and I am disappointed to note that it contains very little by way of additional material. Only two short documentary features: one a typical 'making of' story, the other specifically about the tattoos. Very interesting, that's for sure... but how about a longer Viggo/David interview, deleted scenes, premiere footage etc.etc.etc. There was so much extra stuff on A History of Violence. I guess I expected just as much here... *regretful sigh*

Well... I guess that's it for tonight. I am tempted to whinge and complain some more, but enough is enough.;) There's a lot of lovely Christmas V/O fic posted all over my flist; I'd better save time & energy for catching up.:) Best mood-lifter there ever was.:D

I think I love my workplace. We had another holiday lunch today, and then they let us go home, while still putting a full eight-hour day on our timesheets. The same thing (four hours work with pay for eight) will happen on Christmas Eve, and then on New Year's Eve. Not many companies do that - not here in the States, anyway. It is also the most relaxed, comfortable office I have ever worked in. ( Most of the people - including top managers - are totally laid back and non-threatening, with no power issues whatsoever. )