Who has two thumbs and got into MA English Studies at Durham?

THIS GIRL. *points*

Glee!

I'm on tenterhooks waiting for Durham Uni to process my application for MA English Lit. They now have all the papers they need, so it's just a case of them up-thumbing or down-thumbing. I'm praying for an up-thumb!

Depending on whether I get into this MA, I think I'll still apply to UC Berkeley (Rhetoric Department, Film Studies specialisation). I'm also going to apply to Cambridge (because if you're going to shoot high, you might as well shoot REALLY high) and - possibly, if I like the course and the lecturers and whatnot - Durham. And also Hull, as my reserve choice.

Work (Estate Agents) is boring. REALLY boring. I'm scratching for things to do by the afternoon, but it's an open office so it's not like you can sit on Word typing fic up without attracting attention. This is of Teh Suck. If I can stand to, I'll stick it out until uni starts in September. If I can't ... well, the recession is receding slowly, right?

Work (Pub) is still a laugh and a half. The hours were a bit weird over Christmas, with a couple of early closes because of the snow (which is yay-making!). I'm working nearly 20 hours at the Pub this week though, on top of 40 at Estate Agents. Eep!

Next week I'm off to Cardiff for my gran's funeral. She passed away on Christmas Day, apparently with no pain. She was my favourite grandparent when I was growing up ... and I'm going to stop thinking about her at work before I start crying. I'm sure it'll be beautiful. That is, if I don't die trying to get there via Milton Keynes to collect my sister on horrific icy roads in a blizzard at night after a 60-hour work week.

Is it geeky that I'm plotting potential chapters for my PhD thesis?

Regarding Avatar: I understand that this film kinda sucked a little. The CGI was, of course, first rate cutting edge modern awesomeness. Everything else, from the plotline to the characterisation to even the score in some parts, was cliched and well-worn to the point where I half-expected the General to say "No, Luke. I am your father!"

But.

Am I really the only person on the whole of Livejournal who kind of wants to read fic about this strange new planet and all these kooky people? I know that every single character is one-dimensional (pun entirely intended), but I think that makes it more exciting because there are more gaps to fill, more things to explore! It's like Harry Potter, where every adult character is exactly who JKR needs them to be until they're needed to be someone else (see: Sirius Black).

I would like to read about ( Avatar spoilers. ). Or how about ( moar Avatar spoilers. ) And that's just the two I thought of when I watched it again this afternoon.

In regards to Star Trek XI, I still have this one fic that I'm trying to write, but I'm having issues with style and voice. It's from Gaila's POV (another blank-canvas-character. Sensing a theme?) but I can't decide how to tell the story. Most Gaila-fics (the good ones, with depth) have a kind of over-arching style where the reader is half-linked into Gaila's thoughts and time passes in blobs that serve to pick out the prudent parts of her history that make the point. The best writer by far is igrockspock and she employs this style a lot, which I think my Muse is trying to emulate. I think it would suit the flow of the story, too, and I have a succinct writing pattern anyway. But I'm reluctant to throw my eggs into that basket purely because it's quite a common narrative style in fanfic now (see: every 5Times fic ever written). So do I go with the style that is trying to come out or do I try to write something more structured?

Gah! Fic = hard.

Customer: *wearing an angel outfit and looks about 17* Pint of Fosters and a red wine please.

Me: Sure thing. Can I see some ID?

Customer: *incredulous look* Of course you can! *produces ID* It says 2nd of the 1st, 1991. Okay?

Me: Yeah, thanks. Small, medium or large wine?

Customer: Just a small. *to her friend* Can you believe she just ID'd me? I can't believe she just ID'd me.

Co-worker: We have to ID you, darlin'. It's the law.

Customer: *haughty* Yeah, I know! I'm doing Law at Durham.

Me: *faux chirpy* That'll be £XX.XX.

Customer: *with attitude* Thanks! *to friends* Can't believe they just ID'd me! *mimics* It's the law!

Me: Honey, we have to ID you.

Customer: *too busy muttering to friends to listen, but tosses a few glares back*

Co-worker: She spent the entire 5 minutes at the bar bitching about you.

Me: Really? Cut her off then. No more booze for the 18 year-old lawyer.

Today I was woken from the most awesome amazing dream ever, in which I was Gaila and there was a Deltan girl and we were sharing a bed in Kirk's New York penthouse apartment with a guy we didn't like (now that I think about it, the whole set-up was a bit The Day After Tomorrow) and we decided that we should crawl into bed with Jim Kirk, who was snoring in that cute way guys do, and I sat on the bed and held his hand (which was warm and dry and a little callused) and he woke up enough to mumble something at me that, when I woke up 3 seconds later, I think translated to "Shouldn't you be in Engineering?"

GAH! That would have been an EPIC DREAM BEYOND MEASURE if Kirk hadn't been a responsible Captain and woken me up in time for work. GRAGH.

In the spirit of Non-Denominational Time of Gift-Giving and Festivities, please feel free to request a ficlet from myself for yours truly in any of the following fandoms:

Death Note
Ouran High School Host Club
Star Trek
Star Wars
Merlin
Harry Potter
Lord of the Rings
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Supernatural
Trigun
Air
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy X

Any pairing, any genre, any setting. I guarantee no quality or quantity.

Love,
Your Friendly Neighbourhood Ally

You ever feel like your ideas are bigger than your ability to write? I've got a big fic in FFVII that I'd like to crack on with, but it's sort of stagnated in my head. Then I've got this lovely new fandom - STXI! - and I have lots of thoughts about the characters, but no framework in which to demonstrate said thinky-thoughts.

Here's a question though: Did the Vulcans have their own fleet of ships? Would they have been battle-capable, or more defensive?

In RL news, I am TEH BUSY with the working and the watching of TOS and the laundry and the working. I am trying to volunteer as a dog-walker for disabled owners, and am also suffering the return of my travel bug, Herbert. Herbert is telling me that running away to New Zealand or Indonesia or Ghana is an excellent idea. Herbert is persuasive.

Well, that's a question and a half. I have 2 jobs. I'm not 100% ecstatic in either. At Estate Agents, I'm probably going to be pushed into doing sales in the near future which I am categorically NOT happy about. At Pub, which I quite enjoy as a part time occupation, I think I would rather die if I had to do more than 20 hours a week, or any kitchen shifts, or work the floor on too many quiet nights.

Yes, I am really fussy. I know.

I think there is such a thing as a dream job, in that you dream of that perfect occupation and aim towards it. I highly doubt that, even if you then manage to achieve that job, it is ever anything remotely as perfect as you imagined. The point of life is compromise.

In 5 years' time I would like to be in a different country entirely, doing something completely unrelated to what I'm doing now. In 10 years I would like to have earned my PhD and possibly be working at a university, but maybe not. I am notoriously bad at sticking to a plan.

I would still like to do the working holiday down under (Australia or New Zealand? How to choose?). I also want to work the Disney Cruise Line for a year. And maybe teach English in the Far East or Africa. And I'd love to do volunteer work with animals and/or children.

How could anyone restrict themselves to one job when there are so many opportunities out there?

Here I am again, posting on a Saturday from a place of work. I've had 5 hours sleep and cold pizza for breakfast. The world is shiiiiiiiiiiny.

Having issues with locating 1200 word literary essay for Durham app. Don't know whether to edit an old one, try to write a new one, or sit and cry in a corner.

I HAVE TOMORROW OFF WORK AND IT'S GOING TO BE GLORIOUS.

Durham wrote back and said, "Reapply". Which isn't overwhelmingly positive, but I'm pretty hopeful. Apparently the Head of the Taught MA looked at my MA TESOL application and didn't immediately run screaming for the hills. This is a good sign!

So now I need to go through the whole debacle of acquiring references, transcripts, etc, as well as writing an essay on why I should be allowed in, and submitting a 1200 essay on a literary topic. GAH!

Yesterday I picked up an extra shift at Pub. BAD IDEA. Started at 7pm and didn't finish until 2.20am. Got home for just before 3am. Woke up for Estate Agent job at 7am. Won't have seen housemate for 48 hours by the time I get home, which is sort of silly. Also, laundry machines hate me. Tumble dryer won't dry. Washing machine won't spin. Life is a black abyss.

Not working this Sunday. WOOT.

I have no brain.

Have applied to Durham to switch from MA TESOL to MA English Literary Studies. Really really want an answer, like, NOW. *drums fingers*

Also, could sleep for a year. Am really starting to not-like the Estate Agent job, but! I only have to last until next September. W00T!

Dropped out of startrekbigbang because I am made of fail. However, Housemate should make the deadline. I killed her with homemade hot chocolate yesterday, but she has until 8am tomorrow morning. *cracks whip*

New house is awesome! And new! And awesome! It has food in it. I disagreed with the tumble dryer last night, but will attempt to reconcile this evening. Clean clothes vital; dry clean clothes also vital.

Random post is random.

I've been taking cough medicine that's done a good job of suppressing the cough, but has also made me queasy near to the point of puking. Which, ew. Turns out one of its key ingredients - CHLOROFORM - has been banned as a consumer product since 1979 in the USA. It's fine in the UK though, right? Blaaagh.

I considered calling in sick this morning, but I wasn't ill enough to justify it. I've dragged myself into this office with a temperature of 101F before now. Though I couldv'e done with the time to clean my room for the girl viewing it tonight, and of course to write copious amounts of fic and play Sims3.

Speaking of fic, I am DETERMINED to finish it by the deadline for startrekbigbang. Determined. *nod*

Using rudimentary maths, I have calculated I worked 72 hours last week.

Today, being a bank holiday, I slept in until 1.50pm. Now I am meant to be working on startrekbigbang but ... it's slow going on account of I am easily distracted, and find editing to be really really hard.

I think it's time for a nap.

Friends came up from The South to view properties with moi this weekend. Yesterday we put in a bid for the perfect one: This One, in fact. It was amazing, and really quite stunningly cheap. Move-in day is September 10th! SQUEE! I'm so excited!

Finished my first ever shift at Pub about 40 mins ago. It was good. Unexpectedly mellow for a Friday - I was expecting pandemonium but it was actually okay. I even enjoyed myself, despite working 8.30-6pm at Estate Agents. Tomorrow will no doubt be much busier at Pub, but I'll try my best to keep up without hitting the wrong buttons or anything.

Am now enjoying tea and toast (with real butter! sin never tasted so good!), and pondering when I should decide to get a new[er] car. Gertrude, sadly, is making ominous clunking noises. And a couple times today the steering ripped right out of my hands, which - not good. She's insured for another 2 months, and the MOT runs out in December. If I can last til October, then I will begin the epic hunt for her successor.

bustahead is due in town tomorrow. It is highly unlikely I will get any fic writing done whilst she is here. LOL. Such is life.

My two week soiree has finally ended. Woe is me. More woe is me, for I'm not entirely sure 'soiree' is the word I need, but I am too lazy to look it up. Woe.

Family holiday to Somerset was good. Wet, and cramped, and also wet, and did I mention wet? But I enjoyed it. Second week off was awesome wrapped up in rain.

On Friday I confirmed that I will be starting my second job at Pub on Wednesday. Yay money! I did maths, and it turns out I'll be working a total of 60 hours a week from both jobs, which is fine because Estate Agent requires I sit, and Pub is 16 hours a week. Awesome.

This weekend I have caught up on Star Trek fic. I shit you not, that is all I have done. I still haven't finished, because this fandom is crazy prolific like woah even when I'm being really selective. Like, I will only read genfic and Kirk/McCoy unless it comes with three recommendations from people on my drastically reduced flist. I started off with 200 fics. I'm down to 20. My butt hurts from sitting so long.

On startrekbigbang I have written a grand total of 3000 words. I had intended to be at 7500 by the end of today, but such is life. Woe.

Apart from that, the only other news of note is that I will be moving house in mid-September. And there's a blissed-out moth chilling on my ceiling. C'est la vie.

I am going on holiday from 4pm tomorrow until 8am, Monday 10th August. In that time there will be 2 auctions. Other Administrator works two days a week; the office will have to function without me. I am compiling a list of all my tasks so that people are clear about what will or won't be done automatically while I'm gone.

( The List )

That's 65 items, y'all. I'm expecting roses upon my return.

Icon: Because I feel a little bit like that at the end of the day. Only less hot.

I need a beta. Someone who's familiar with STXI and can help me out with characterisation. I'm having a lot of trouble with my McCoy-voice. So far there's only been him and Jim, so this doesn't bode well for the rest of my startrekbigbang entry.

Any takers? I can return the favour if you're looking for a beta.

Wordcount: 831/15000.

I am so incredibly psyched for startrekbigbang it's ridiculous. I have a plot! It seems to want to fit the right wordcount! I am looking forward to writing it! Unbelievable.

My wrist ached so bad today I wore the bandage. Now the bandage is icky and needs washing, but will buy another tomorrow to tide me over. Damn cold wet summer! *shakes fist*

Vapid icon is vapid and appropriate.