The Ramblings of Elyse

I just ended that last post with two swear words and not a proper ending.

This might explain why some people think of me when they hear the phrase "Fuck you whore".

But I know plenty of people that say that kind of stuff.
Clearly, my circle of friends are horrible, horrible people...

I think that's what I love most about those crazy whores.

I realised I missed my chance for "It's fucking November: The Reprise"

However, it is still November and here we are still with the Christmas stuff everywhere.

I started this rant the other day and they were like "Yeah, well it's the Lord's Birthday".

Problems with this argument.
I accept Christmas stuff once we hit Advent, which is Sunday, which is actually the 29th of November, but Advent none the less.
Take THAT, Advent calenders, you miss two days of some kind of commercialization.

The other point is the way that the shops see Christmas has nothing to do with the whole Jesus' Birthday thing.

What I found hilarious when I was in the US is that to make up for the blatant commerialisation of Christmas, they would throw in the token Menorah to be all like "We don't hate you Jews! Look as we acknowledge Hanukkah as well".
The most amusing thing about this, Hanukkah is not that major a Jewish holiday at all... or not that significant but alas, the token gesture.

Stupid commerialisation and it goes on and on and on...

However, that being said, this year I'm getting a Santa photo. Dammit.

In Decemember, where Christmas belongs!

The Christmas tree at my office went up at the beginning of October, it makes me rant every time. Apparently this makes me a grinch.

I think they mean the Dr Seuss way and not the HIMYM way... because otherwise... Bitches.

Bastards.

Some days I find myself thinking "How awesome is the internet" and then I think about it and then I find stuff like this...

Awesome...



And then I find stuff like this and makes me think...

Should I get something awesome and nerdy for



Or how much do I need to make Mar(t)y McFly's dreams come true...

or how we just need to flight suit up...


Oh, the internet, it's a marvelous place...

I was going to write this yesterday, but you know... work.

Yesterday was the second of November. It is a day that I'll forever be etched into my memory.

Mainly for one reason, 2004.
2004.

Yes, it was the day I finished my HSC. 13 years of school done and dusted and then to play the waiting game.

In '05, I went to court that day... or around abouts then. I won. I'm not allowed to talk about it.

It seems that November is the time for all the decision making.
The 2nd of November this year, I applied for a home loan, or atleast pre-approval.

I don't know how that will go. Nothing is really in my price range, so I'm not sure how that is going to work out at all.

The 2nd of November I also fixed up my enrollment forms.

It's just weird to think about it.

These are the days that mark significant events in the ticking of the boxes of growing up.

It's also interesting to note that I'm now worth more dead than alive.
That being said, I don't have a will, so at this point in time it goes to my parents... who don't read this, so ha, murdering me will not benefit any one financially!

Good to know.

Talking about good to know, I finally worked out how to spell financially and finance without spell check.
And that is awesome.

I've really got to learn to let go.

This is the greatest website ever.

Click the link.
For more of the awesomeness!

So there I was sitting at my desk looking at the internet on my phone. It was twitter... That's not actually blocked on my computer, so I just can't explain it.

But alas there it was, a post from the delightful Lexi, I'd link but you know, she constantly has stalker issues. Man, it was hard work getting on to that roster for my stalking Lex needs... oh... I just typed that.
umm.. hi!

So yeah, I was reading stuff from Lexi about her resisting the urge to pat the drug sniffing dog at the station.

Now, I've been wanting to write this post for awhile and that triggered my memory.

What's the etiquette for dogs?
My boss frequently brings in his dogs to the office. He has two chocolate brown poodles, one is like a tea cup so is tiny. They are both very, very cute.
I have no problem playing with said dogs because they are super cute and I know my boss.
Though, the other day while in fucking Maroubra, I saw someone walking their dog and it was a massive husky... A MASSIVE HUSKY! SO CUTE!
I just want to go and pat it and maybe steal it, but you know... I can generally resist that urge.

Then it comes to working dogs.
I don't think it's become apparent yet, but little dogs creep me out. Something about a dog fitting into a handbag is wrong. I totally just typed hangbad, which is hilarious and very wrong, but not the point.
Little dogs in handbags, what the hell world? What the hell!
So yeah, big dogs... Awesome!
Thus, seeing the workin' dogs?
Fricken awesome since guide dogs are generally Labradors and police dogs German Shepherds.... they have another name which takes out the word German, but I don't remember what.

There is a blind guy at the station in the morning sometimes and i see him with his guide dog. His dog never seems all happy and joyful, so I just want to pat it and play with it, but he is a working dog!

The worst case I ever had of wanting to play with a guide dog was when I was at mass one day helping out with music in Newcastle and there was a blind guy with a Black Lab sitting like directly in front of me. He'd like sit and laydown as well. Very cute.

Though, the drug sniffing dogs are the station are my favourite because German Shepherds! I think they are one of my favourite breeds of dogs.
So, obviously, my bag and I get sniffed and I pass, it's the whole drug free thing. This I almost feel should give me a pass to let me pat the dog, however, they are working and that would be weird.
I don't like it when people come into my place of work and just like stare at me. Sometimes I do get patted by my boss, but I imagine the same thing happens with the police dogs.
Man, that last part. Not a lie.

My rule when it comes to dogs is to resist the urge and unless they are in my general vicinity to leave them be. However, if some dog comes up to me all pat me! Give me attention, then all bets are off.

I think I might visit my brother's puppy...

In conclusion, I am going to have to spend more time at this website. LOLDogs... way better than lolcats.

That last post had no spellcheck through it...

How'd I go?

Yes, I don't believe in editting after posting. That's just how I roll.

The day of all Antioch days has come and gone. Yes, State Mass.

Long ago, we decided and I don't even know who is part of that we is, I think it is Adam, Lexi, Davey and myself, and long ago it was declared it wasn't a real Antioch event until I hurt myself.
Which is strange, coz Lexi hurts herself just as much and generally worse.

Though, different issue.
So yesterday was state mass and I ended up with some quality, quality injuries.

1. The infamous foot injury. This one I know how I got! So at Renew, I hurt my foot playing soccer barefoot. It hurt for a while. It eventually went away and I adjusted with a slight hobble and played fake drums left footed. So all throughout yesterday, there was lots of jumping around. A lot of it mainly being over things such as walls and what not. All of that combined to leave me with one seriously sore foot.

2. Overzealous clapping. I'm not a seasoned Antioch clapper. I can't handle the clapping needed and so never developed a resistence so that clapping causes damage.
This was also state mass; in many situations I am the inappropriate clapper. It's not always inappropriate, but at State Mass particular, I'm for the CELEBRATION aspect! So I start the clapping a lot. I can clap really loudly.
It's a skill and I've started claps at very strange situations. Reminds me of my school days starting clapping at assemblies for very strange reasons.
Half of Toonie, Dapto and Engadine were the backseat bandits. We were at back, creating the noise.
This lead to Elyse's watch and clapping leaving a small cut on my wrist. I don't know if it's a cut. I'd say cut, it's deeper then a graze. Let's stick with cut.
Though, cut on my wrist isn't a good thing to say. It's like a centimetre and not very deep. Photos available on request.

3. Graze on my leg. I came prepared this year and wore shorts purely for the fake fountain (more on that later!) and so as a result, I had no buffer zone for my stacking it. So, I stacked it a few times. I can't even remember, once was at Putney and I hurt my knee, but I think the actual graze came from Maroubra Beach after seeing the giant Rubick's Cube. The steps didn't go down to the beach, so there was climbing to get back up.

4. Out of all my injuries I've had, this is the most consistant... My infamous mysterious shoulder injury.
I hurt my shoulder in year 12... MYSTERIOUSLY! I just woke up with a sore shoulder one day and it got worse and worse as the days progressed. That should injury has never really gone away. It comes and goes and it normally goes quick enough for me not to have done anything in the 5 years since I've left school.
What happened yesterday?
So after the interviews in the Fake Hyde Park Fountain concluded, I put my shoes back on and while doing so, over balanced and fell backwards on to the grass landing on my shoulder. It hurt for a little bit and then I got over it. Or you know, then it didn't so I carried on with my life and then came this morning and now.
My shoulder really hurts and I can't really move it properly. 'tis no good. It's rare for my stacking it pain to last the day after.


So that is Elyse's injury wrap up.
Thus proving State Mass- real Antioch event.

It brings me to another point, if Elyse hurting herself makes it a real Antioch event, does that then mean the more seriously she hurts herself the better that Antioch event is?
If that is the case then Renews- The Live Cross to Christ/Best Renews Ever really was the best renew ever and to that I say boo-yeah James, Boo-yeah! *fist bump*

And if James isn't reading this. A little dead in side that my fist goes un-bumped.

This brings me to the most epic of stories.
I have two consistents in my Antioch career. One- State Mass. My first State Mass I was an Antiocher of 2 weeks and was mocked on the train by the Glenmore Park kids for being part of Rooty Hill but been going every year since and then two- attempting to throw someone in the fountain at Hyde Park since. The first victim was on my first State Mass and was Dana. Very appropriate, don't ya think?
I've since attempted to throw many, many people in since. A few people have tried throwing me. Good times.
Only one person has ever gone in and that bitch deserved it. Hi Davey!
Last year, it was only Cardboard Adam, but you know, that totally counts, since Psuedo Davey also almost got thrown in.

So, this year's state mass, no where near Hyde Park, so I did the next best thing. I brought my own.
My trip started with a journey to Franklins to try and find a bucket. Oh and I found a bucket... and also got glue, electrical tape and a permanent marker. I was going to get some kind of horse to stick in the middle but I couldn't find one. I was then going to get a platypus from the City but it was a stuffed toy, which everyone knows isn't appropriate for a fountain.

So I did it. I brought my own.
Now lots have people have been in the fountain. Including me. I conducted interviews from it. This interviews are on camera... Just not my camera. Most of the fountain pictures Adam has, so I should get those at some stage.

I was asked how many inanimate objects I have that represent other things. The answer is only one and it's technically none, but that explaination will come later. Cardboard Adam was created and owned by actual Adam and while, I bought and created Pseudo Davey, is was always going to actual Davey since I owed her a frypan.

Now, I was wondering what I was going to do with Fake Hyde Park Fountain and when I walked in my Mum asked me not only did I find a horse for it, but also made claims of the bucket.
This marks the only time my mother has ever supported me in my crazy endevours. I think I should be scared.
My Dad was true to form, especially when I asked him to stop at Franklins to buy said bucket.

The Fake Hyde Park Fountain was a hit and the photos are awesome.

Now comes the aftermath. Lots of photos on Facebook.
Good times.

'til '10 (prounced " Oh ten") State Mass...
Yay!

The day has come where I need to look at my life and go, "what the fuck Elyse?"

Then again, if I really asked myself, that isn't a sudden realisation. There is no great Epiphany.
There is no great moment where the secrets of the world will be revealed to me.

I've never really used this as the place to think about the world. In all honesty, that is not something I ever want to commit to text. These words will out last the moment, the feeling and more than likely me.
They will be forever locked into something that I may not know.

Today is petty cash day. I sit on my desk surrounded my receipts and the tin. Behind me there is cake, but petty cash day.
One of the highlights of my job here is that I was the one that brought balance to the petty cash. When I first started doing it, it would never add up and so things need to be taken away from it and now as a result I have about $35 of spare petty cash that I generally use to buy birthday cakes because our cake days never fall on days when I have petty cash.
Bringing balance to the petty cash tin. This is a highlight. I did what I had to. The entire thing is meant to balance.
The money taken out and the money received.

So much of stuff is meant to balance.
But it doesn't.
It's not uncommon to hear someone referred to as "unbalanced". Not completely together and all that.

Then the question remains, what is the ultimate aim?
Balance?
Balance on what scale?

What if there is no answer. Looking for the great answer. I don't think it exists.

Angel's epiphany was "If in the end nothing we do matters, then all we matters is what we do"
Sweeney Todd's is that "they all deserve to die".

Oh, epiphanys. They are a little crazy.
Is that even spelled correctly?

I don't know man. We'll see how it goes.

Once again, I should stop writing these at work when I keep getting distracted by work!
Oh, the pain of it all.

'til next time.
I may make more sense.

There is an epic debate that rages on the internet, Ninja vs Pirate?

To anyone that knows me, I'm pro-pirate. I'm very pro-pirate.

So, when it comes to the 19th of September, it is a glorious day. GLORIOUS!
This Saturday, I did intend spend the day dressed as a pirate... Apparently, I also looked like Peter Pan and Captain Feathersword.
I get that last comment a lot, I think it might be the fact I have a Captain Feathersword hat. Though, it is the only tri-point hat I've found. I'm talking real hat, some kind of material.
If I found a proper pirate hat it would be awesome!

Well, funnily enough, I have one. I have a Captain Sparrow pirate hat, complete with attached dreadlocks, which is cool. But it's weird. I have long hair that is apparently blonde (sigh...) which means it doesn't blend in easy and looks weird, the obvious solution is to cut off the hair, but then what would my parents say since it was a gift from them?
Funny story, my parents went to America last year and went to Disneyland in that trip. My three siblings got leather jackets and I got a pirate hat. Yeah, yeah.
That's not favouritism at all!
Well, the leather jackets were apparently on sale for ridiculously cheaply and didn't have my size, so thus, I got pirate hat, which is indeed awesome.
However, it's the hair attached. I don't know how I feel about it.

Once again, I was distracted in the middle of writing.
I need to stop doing that... which means I should write at home or the train or something.
My bad.

But in the spirit of all great events, there should be cake or pictures of cake... stolen from websites.
This is a link to Cake Wrecks, awesome site and this is the Pirate themed cakes and damn they are awesome.
I want one!

It has certainly been awhile since I have done a quality post... Ok, I've never done one of those, but a post about books!

My latest book?
The Picture of Dorian Gray. Another Penguin classic. How awesome are Penguin classics? $10!

Love it!

So, I started reading this. The Preface is awesome, brilliant, it is one of the greatest things I've ever read.
I had high expectations of this book, plus, you know, it's a classic, I was afraid that I knew the "twist" that it would ruin the book.

Yeah, not really an issue, that whole reveal is on the back cover.
Good work Elyse!

I was mainly left cold by the book, and then one day I had lunch with a friend of mine. A friend who in her spare time doubles as an English Teacher, who told me it was brilliant and suck it up and keep reading it. There was more discussion about Oscar Wilde and all that.

But man, the ending?
Brilliant!

I was reading on the bus yesterday and when it was my stop, I had the last two pages to go and it was just damn, so one I got my lift, I stopped to read those last two pages and man, excellent.

Probably, why it's the classic.

Plus, the thing that I didn't get is that because Dorian was a pretty, pretty man (ok, they use the word beautiful, but I prefer the word pretty. It's a West Side Story thing) it meant that he had a pretty, pretty soul.
The entire concept is that sin becomes written on the outside, so thus external beauty is indicative of the purity and what not of the soul.
Thus, all the sin ends up on the face of the portrait. But he does end up unscathed.

All the rumours and what not still existed around him, so even though he's looks went unscathed, nothing else did.

In the end, no matter how much Oscar Wilde makes the claim in the preface that there is art for only art's sake, but in the end, Dorian is a pretty evil dude. The basis of his thinking seems to be upon finding out about the portrait bearing the wear of his actions is to go and be all evil.
And in the end, he meets his end. He breaks, breaks down and then more or less kills himself.

So dude does no good and dies in the end with no one caring about his demise.
That is a moral tale. That is not art for art's sake.

Good book.

Next on the list:
Catcher in the Rye.

I've been told I may be past the prime to get the most out of it, but we'll see.

Also on my book pile:
Catch 22
Lolita
Junky


Anyone with some recommendations for me?

Wow, I kind of stuffed up that linkage action...

And yet, I'm not going to fix it, because that's not how I roll.

I hate titles... and character names...
Seriously, hate them.

It's the real reason why I could never be a writer... yeah, that's it.

Though, let me get real with you for a little bit.

Ok, I won't, because I'm not that much of a tool.

I think I've mentioned this before, but for some reason I have this dream to be big on the internet. That's right, I want to be a meme dammit!
I'm not sure I even know why, because these rants aren't really interesting, enlightening or that amusing to anyone that isn't me.
So that is my big internet dream.

It's dream, I'm way too lazy to actually do anything other than you know make my friends read this. You guys do read when I link you, right? RIGHT? RIGHT?!?!?!

Anyway, that isn't really why I was writing, it was just a tangent.

It is currently 12.51am, what have I done since I got home yesterday from work, not including sleep was watching this youtube channel. It is fricken hilarious.
Tomorrow all my "your mum" jokes are going to be because of that, as well be all the incidents of finger guns and winking. Seriously, this is my warning. You guys should check out my blog and you'd know all about it.

Yes, I watched all 178 videos and just hilarious.
It all started when I clicked onto YouTube, it might have been because I'm looking for a new Reel Big Fish friend now that Chris is leaving me to go to Texas. (What the hell Chris? Pfft...)
Just to encourage people to become my new Reel Big Fish friend I shall include some clips of theirs from YouTube, admire their awesomeness.
A Live Clip... SR Though, that isn't their normal Trumpeter which makes me a little sad.
A Cover... Take on Me
What I always thought was their big hit... The Set Up
Their ACTUAL big hit... Sell Out
And one of my favourites... Where Have You Been This one is a live version, because I prefer the live version, coz it has the horn section and that is just fricken ace, bro.

Man, I'm totally getting good with the pimpin' stuff on my blog. Shit yeah man, I'm on fire!

Oh, right... Anyway, so I was looking at something on YouTube, I don't know, I'm sure it was super important at the time.
And then I found this video...
And man, it was gold. Pure gold and then I'm like, MUST. WATCH. MORE.
Umm.. so I did.
One of my other favourites is this one

So that was my weekend.
Hangin' out on YouTube.

Though, from watching that, I realise I want more nerdy shirts.
I guess not all of them have to be nerdy, like this one . IF that's not Elyse in a shirt, I don't know what is.

Well, I guess, this is Elyse in a shirt.

That actually took an embarrassingly long time to find.
Then again, most of the photos on here have been taken in winter, so I haven't been just in a shirt.
So man, I just used my photo bucket account.
The entire I reason have a photobucket account is so I can upload and link photos like this for my Buffy Forum. Which features some quality motivators that I made, I have lots. This one was for the challenge about using Buffy titles. Enjoy!
As I expose my tender geeky underbelly to my non-Buffy peeps.

I was going to do a post full of some other links that I enjoy, but I think I got a little carried away, so I guess that is for another day.

'til next time...

For some reason I have a whole lot of posts that I've just stopped writing in the middle of, so they have been sitting there as drafts.

Now, they have been published!
With even more nonsensical writings.

Except for one from last November about Acronyms. I think I had a point and I don't remember, so until I do have another thought about acronyms, I'll fix it.

I read it and it starts off talking about bf and then BFF and I don't know, but it was all kinds of odd.

Oh well, quite a number of new posts today. I don't think they are near the top, so it might take some hunting if you really want to read them.

Today I decided that I hate the new phones.

It's not technology that I hate, it's just new phones.

I remember the first phone I got it was my sister's old phone that used to be my mum's at one stage, it was a brick and that was awesome! This may surprise no one, but I tend to be very accident prone.

The first phone I bought myself was stolen within two weeks from my house, yeah, it was strange, but I received another hand me down phone and it lasted for a good 4 years and served me well.
By the end the case was stuffed and I was the only that could use it because the buttons were weird, it served me well, when I dropped it which was very, very often it would survive. Sure, some times the case came open and the buttons spilled out onto the street. One of those said times the street was Swanson St in Melbourne, is it Swanson St? It's the street that Flinders St Station is on, well that intersects with Fliders St. Oh, that's going to bug me.
Come on Melbourne readers... Reader? Kaylah!

Anyway, that phone served me well.

Then came the day where I thought I should be all old and responsible or something, or in response to having spent $30 worth of credit in about 3 days mainly from making "Marco" "Polo" phone calls.
Either way, the day came, I went on a plan and got me a bright shiny new phone and even included the request "I'm unco, I need a phone that will survive being dropped".

So, I took my phone home on the train and when I got home I played with it a little bit and then went upstairs, upon trying to go upstairs, my phone fell to the ground. It fell and the screen cracked. Yes, this phone I cracked the screen within 4 hours of owning it. My 4 Years of previous phone ownership did not lead to the death of a screen, but not these new phones!

I carried on, I decided that i will go as long as I could before I replaced it. I was told the crack would slowly get worse until I could no longer read the screen.

I did fine for quite a while, I got the gist of most messages and couldn't really tell the difference between Jacob and Rob sending me messages, but I coped. I did well and then I paid my money and got the screen fixed and all was right with the world.

Then came last week or was it the week before?
whatever.

Sometime in the recent past my phone started playing up and would not stay connected and SIM registration failed. My phone had died. It was tragic.
I took it to the Mobile Phone Hospital (That is the name of the shop, that's why I go there. I now hate it so, I won't be there again) and they couldn't fix it. It was tragic, but I soldiered on.
I went to another phone shop that doesn't have such a cool name and they said they could fix it.

It was a joyous moment.
It would take them 40 minutes. Excellent. 40 minutes I could handle. I did some shopping.
I finally found my helmet for my bike, that's exciting. It was hard to find, who knew? But anyway and then back to retrieve my phone.

BUT NO! ALAS! There was a problem with my phone. I have no idea what, the dude said words, I wasn't listening because I was suffering from hysterical deafness, but it would take another half an hour to fix, could I come back?
Sure, sure I could.

Conveniently it was lunch time, so I went to eat lunch.

Then I went back.
Was it ready?

No, another 20 minutes.

I then went looking for boots. I hate shoe shopping, but I really want boots, so I went to Myer. Did they have boots in size 11?
No.
That's why I hate shoe shopping. Finding Size 11 shoes is a bitch, but that's another rant.
I'm mainly looking for boots because no matter how awesome I think these are, it's a line I don't think my nerd factor can cross.

Anyway! Eventually after my unsuccessful boot quest, I still had time to kill so I sat and watched my newly purchased music video on my iPod (Do You Want to Date My Avatar- The Guild... Watch the Guild! It's awesome!) It makes me laugh.

Then I finally got my phone fixed and what not, so now it's all new and shiny and clean.
He said that it will be fine as long as I don't drop it.

So the lesson here is, when it comes to phones I am screwed.
I always drop my phone! Like all the time.
Old phones could hack it.

New phones... They can't!
It makes me sad.


Not as sturdy, but the camera on my phone is about 5 times better than my first digital camera, so there's that.
That means I can be taunted with defeat every time Mary rings me, or see Lexi death stare me every time she rings and then there is Jacob doing a guitar solo on a piano.
Quality pictures.

That I will be able to see, if I don't drop it.
*sigh*
Is this how I'm going to fail life?

In my time as, well, I'm not entirely sure what, but in my time I've collected a lot of music. It has been acquired.

One of the things that I have a acquired quite a lot of is live albums. Now, I have some love for live albums, especially when I have the studio recorded songs as well. Noting those differences, like how in the live version of "Where Have you Been" by the Reel Big Fish they incorporate the horn section and have a prolonged bass solo in the middle and some talking in there. I'm not that fond of the end, but it's kind of funny.
The studio recording is all guitar and there for the brass section has nothing to do and that would look weird on stage, so they get something to do!

With live albums what happens is at the beginning someone presses record and at the end someone presses stop. No one ever just sits there and plays music the entire concert, no! There is interaction between the members of the band and the members of the audience and all that and there are introductions and explanations.

It's all part of the awesomeness that is live music.

Then it comes to the album, and it's all there.

One thing I don't get is why is the banter at the end of songs? Why is the introduction to the next song at the end of the last song?

It makes sense if you are listening to the album in order, but who does that?
I'm a big fan of shuffle!

Live albums on Shuffle are not as awesome. It goes song, intro to next song at the end of the song to a song by a completely different artist or however well it's shuffled.
Though, sometimes it does amuse me when the next shuffled song doesn't add up to the previous one at all.

I only know of one song on a live album that manages to not to do that and that is "Superstar" by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes on the album "Ruin Johnny's Bar Mitzvah" and it's just a line about saying how "it's the most awkward moment of my career" before starting the song.
Oh, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Ruin Johnny's Bar Mitzvah is an excellent live album due partly to the comedy gold and it does actually include Johnny reading a blessing and Hava Naglia, in both the traditional form and to the melody of "We Wanna Wish you a merry Christmas". Yes, the band did play at an ACTUAL Bar Mitzvah, recorded it and now sell it as a live album.

Live albums are awesome, the tracks are just cut up strangely.
Ok, it's not that strange since it means the next track is where the song starts, but that's annoying.

I guess that's not annoying because you just skip the talking and get the song goodness.

I'm not winning here.
This is what is like to taste defeat in my own writings.

Maybe I shouldn't put "vs" in my blog titles.

To Newspapers,

Facebook is not a legitimate news source.
I thought it was cute and funny at first, but come on, it's not a source. It's not a good source either.

Unless you are talking about the Team Elyse facebook group, then we'll talk.

Kind Regards,
Elyse

(Available on Facebook)

I don't remember 1989 and even I vaguely did I don't think a 2/3 year old would write it down much. But if I could, I'm sure I would.

Then game 1999, I reached my point of what happens next year?
This point more than likely actually happened in 2000 when I had to write the date down, and the all important question, how am I going to write it down?

And what am I going to call it?
2000 worked, we call it just that "Two thousand" and then '01,'02 etc etc and shortening the date of 2000 to to '00, I tend not to do that because it looks weird, but I don't often refer to things that happened in 2000 and if I do it is either 2000 or year 8, depending if it is all about me or if it's work/society related. Ok, more work related.

Which brings us to know, 2010. Yes, 2010, the logical progression is /10, obviously. Have ya written that yet?

I wrote it just today, Ep 1/2010... Or Ep 1/10.
Ep a tenth?
The First of October?

What the hell?

I'm sure I'll adjust to it, but nothing is going to stop me from referring to next year as "Oh Ten". Yes, so when I refer to '10 just imagine I'm say "Oh ten".
I can put that into a weird Dr Who thing, but let's not go there.

I'm hoping it sticks, I don't care if it doesn't, it's just what makes sense for me.

Now excuse me, I have a bus to catch...
*throws scarf around neck*

Factually I can't do that because it is my Dr Who Scarf and I'll attach a Tom Baker as the Doctor as well to see the scarf in action...

I haven't had time to actually look at that link, but it actually looks awesome.
MUST LOOK AT IT WHEN I GET HOME!

It has occurred to me many times in the past that I have a freakishly memory.

Like super freakish. Kind of bizarre, but it is very helpful to remember most stuff.

One of the things I tend to remember is people, you know the people that you come across only a handful of times?
I remember those people.

I also tend to see those people a lot and I don't approach them or acknowledge them in any obvious way, because that's not how I roll.
I let it go and be all, hey I know that person, and then I wonder, do they remember me or are we deliberately waiting for the other person to make the first move?

Other people I know they know who I am, and I know who they are, we just sit in stale mate, waiting for something. I'm not sure what.
I find it kind of amusing when I run into people I know at the Station and we are friends on facebook and what not and we don't acknowledge each other's presence. Oh, Facebook friends... Clearly, just like real friends!
It has now gotten to the point where it would just be weird to be all like "hey! How have you been?" because it is like "You have seen me for about a year on this platform and now you are talking to me, what do you want?".
It goes hand in hand with my assumption that except for a few people, anyone that starts a conversation with me on some form on electronic media wants something.
I can't talk, I do the same thing, which might be why I'm cynical about it.

Though, why I wrote this?
I was on a train with my brother in law, my ex-brother in law? I don't know... My sister's ex-husband... I think they are actually divorced now.
I saw a dude on the train that kind of looked familiar and then I realized wait, that is my sister's ex-husband! Who I haven't seen since before he left my sister to run off to Adelaide to be with his brother's wife in April, 2007.
Now, seeing someone who you kind of recognize on a train and then realising it is someone you want to have no contact with but then need to make sure it's them, it leads to the whole trying to look at them and look for the signs that it's that person but without looking like you are looking or without getting eye contact.
It's difficult. It's awkward.
Especially since this is the dude that led to a massive family breakdown? In many, many ways?
The dude that was responsible for having his brother try to commit suicide?
The dude that used his son as a pawn to manipulate my sister and the rest of my family?
So yeah... It was him.
Though, I figure he was doing the same thing.
Except he did the whole as they got off the train method.

It's just strange. I'm not sure I know how I'm meant to react, I'm not sure how I am reacting.
It's just weird.

Some days I find myself wishing I didn't have a good memory, that I could forget some many things.
Then I realise that before 1999 I can hardly remember a thing other than small snippets, and it isn't until 2001 that things are clear.
But after that, so many, many things I remember.
It's not always good.

Oh well...
What can ya do?

I really should look into doing something with this.

I'll work on a links thing.

I should also not do this at work.

Remember, many spoilers lay ahead, be warned. Though, I'll take some abuse.

Today, I finally finished my epic journey of having read all seven Harry Potter books.

Now going back to the Half Blood Prince and the movie adaption.

So, previously I went through the general reasons why I don't approve of the film adaptions.
I mention my loathing of Harry?
Surely I did, that is one of my main reasons that I loathe the movies and the cut out all of the delightful subplot which is why I read the books!

The sixth book and movie. In my re-read I discovered that sixth is my least favourite book, I always thought it was Chamber of Secrets, but no, definitely the Half Blood Prince.

I can list the reasons why, I find many aspects enjoyable, but it's all set up. ALL SET UP for the final book.
I love that Fred and George not only have their joke shop all set up, but they also use some of their mischief making for the benefit of others. I do love the Weasley Twins, so this makes me happy.

I do hate that Hermione is so whiny in it. I won't lie, out of the three main characters, Hermione is my favourite and when it comes down to the arguement of epic proportions I think she is the real hero and it shines the most in the Seventh book. Harry would have been dead long before if not for his friendship with Hermione and he would have been kicked out of Hogwarts somewhere along the line.
But what happens to Hermione in the HBP?
She pines after Ron, and cries like ALL THE TIME, it is even worse in the movie and I was really hoping they were just amping up the angst for the sake of marketing to the Tweens and the Twilight fans, but no. It is all there.
Oh Hermione, you can do better than Ron! Ok, so it doesn't bother me that much, it's the angst that bothers me.
Then again, it's constant, Hermione was always highly strung and did the bursting out in tears thing alot. It's constant and remains constantly annoying.
In conclusion, shut up, Hermione.

The most horrific thing that occurred in the process of transferring was the final battle.
They take out the fact that Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna were fighting in the corridors, as well as the Order of the Phoenix, which is important for the set up and sets the scene for my favourite thing ever in the seven book, the thing that makes the entire journey brilliant and that is how even with Harry gone off fighting, the students still take up arms in the war and that Ginny, Luna and especially Neville continue to fight and WILL continue to fight even if Harry is dead because that is what they have to do.
Neville's journey in all the seven books is fricken awesome. That he has scars at the end and he knows how and why he got them and they are trophies for a cause. Man, it's awesome.
How are the movies ever going to bring anything like that from the books when they neglected to show that Harry WASN'T alone in the quest. It wasn't just Dumbledore and himself in this great epic fight.

That was always the big difference between Harry and Voldemont, Harry had his loyalities and allies, true allies not minions.

However, not the point. You have all this set up and neglected that it's a battle, that it's a war between two armies, each with their leaders, but beyond that.

Then there is the biggest crime of them all. Dumbledore put Harry in a body bind curse or something making it PHYSICALLY impossible for Harry to be able to interferr in Draco and Snape eventually killing him.
He was there and bore witness to it all, but couldn't do anything until Dumbledore was dead because that is how the spell was broken, and then Snape ran. He ran and took the rest of the Death Eaters with him.
In the movie, he was just there and saw it all and could move and could stop it, but didn't and he calls Snape the coward?
They are cowardly moves, especially when Harry's anger is one of the biggest plot points. He is an angry, angry guy. It's annoying at some points, but it is a constant plot point and it is one of the main reasons I don't like him. Well, that and he misdirects his anger and completely undervalues everyone around him which I just can't stand for.
It goes back to my points about Hermione.

So there we have it, they turned a book that was all set up in to a movie that was all about set up except they missed a large portions of the things that were meant to be set up.

There is a literacy device called Chekhov's Gun (""If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off. If it's not going to be fired, it shouldn't be hanging there." )
The beauty of books is that everything is there for a reason because everything that is written is in the control of the author. If something on the wall is mentioned, it is mentioned for a specific reason to be recalled at any point or to add a layer of depth to a character. It doesn't exist for any other reason.
In a series of Seven books?
Everything is going to come to a climax of the previous 6 books, the movies can't cover everything and things need to suffer.

And thus, the travesties of the Harry Potter movies exist.
It's a shame too.

I can't seperate the two in my mind either. Often I can do that, but nope, not in this case.

Why, why?

Oh well...

Tomorrow is a new day, and a new book...
Or a new rant...

Maybe combine the two.

SPOILER ALERT! The Toaster Falls in Love!
So if you haven't read the Harry Potter books (or seen the movie) approach with caution because the spoilers are EVERYWHERE!

Be warned.



So, I'll admit it, I'm a bit of a Harry Potter Tragic.

I have read the entire series through when one of the new books was released (well for 4,5,6, and 7) and the procceded to read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows in one day, the day it was released.
Needless to say, I am very familiar with Mr Potter and the rest of that crew.

Knowing all of this, I have also seen the films. I've seen all of them exactly once and generally at the movies. Which in itself is a fairly big deal since I think the last 10 movies I've seen at the Movies 6 of them have been the Harry Potter movies.

Why is that I have read the books countless times but yet, only seen the movies once?

I realised it one my last read through, I hate Harry Potter. The Character. I really, really hate him.
I pinpointed the moment where I really started to loathe him, in the begining of HP and the Order of the Phoenix when he has this massive go at Ron and Hermione about keeping him out of the loop in regards to stuff and the proccedds to yell at them how he is this big massive hero who has done all this great stuff.
Well, just shut up Harry!
You'd be fucking nowhere without those two! In fact you would have been dead in the first book, as well as kicked out of hogwarts for failing so just shut the fuck up boy!

This is very important to why I dislike the movies.
The books have created this rich multidimensional world full of such a range of characters, from black hats to white hats to those who play in both worlds. Generally the line between good and evil is pretty clear, except for Snape who is the most interesting character, which isn't generally my forte.
But all those characters are there! They have stuff to do! Other plotlines and little things happening, it's not all about Harry and whatever happens to be the title, which another issue when it comes to the 6th book/movie.
The Weasleys are such a massive part of the books and pretty much are Harry's Family and they are just byproducts of the movies.

So that is my major problem with the books, I hate Harry and the movies take all away that delightful subplot and just leave me with harry.
Why would they do that?

Then of course, we have my other problem, why are they wearing pants?
Seriously, all the wizards are wearing pants! What the hell?
It's meant to be robes! Robes aren't meant to be at all pant like. They are meant to be well, Robes! That is just some poor design.
And don't get me started on the whole people not wearing robes outside of Hogwarts, in the books they always make a big deal about the lack of ability of wizards to dress like Muggles.. Largely probably due to the pants!
One of the first comments I made to myself upon seeing the opening scenes was "My God, Snape is wearing Pants" and then "My God, they are all wearing Pants!".
Pfft...

Ok, now on to the casting, which isn't entirely their fault since they are limited by people and with talent. It would be hard to do.
In particular, Dumbledore is totally not quirky enough. Seriously, Dumbledore in the books is an absolute nutjob, a genius but a nutjob. The Movie Dumbledore doesn't come across with the nuttyness. It's disappointing.
Alan Rickman is pitch perfect, love him! Though, it is Slughorn and Umbridge.
Mainly because I swear Slughorn is described as being like a Walrus, so I've always pictured him kind of like the Walrus in Alice in Wonderland, the Disney Movie, as in the Walrus and the Carpenter who eats all the oysters.
And Umbridge is described as being Toad like, so I always pictured a human Toad like thing from Mario, you know the evil ones... Toadstalls? What the hell are they called.

Elyse says as she rapidly loses her nerd cred.

But yeah, I guess that is bound to happen, it is just they were so vividly described.

I guess I'm going to have to save my specific rant about Harry and the Half blood prince for another day, as it is late and I am old and it's a school night... or work night, whatever.

'til next time,
Elyse

Back in 2006, it was an Antioch Weekend. It was a pirate theme, but that is not the point of this story, in my sleep group there was this recruit who was a theology student or something, but at some point on the Saturday night we were discussing interventions.
And it was at that point I was taught that the intervention is all about "I" statements.

I should have learnt that previously due to the episode of Buffy entitled "Revelations", the episode called Intervention isn't until later in the series.

So that is when I learnt about interventions. It wasn't straight away when I started giving them. I believe I started just saying I knew how to give one. I think it's best not to try and interpret the timeline of my obsessions, it will never end well.

We always made a big joke about the whole self obsessed nature of interventions, because it always seemed so hilarious.
I think that attitude all changed in February, when I gave what I guess was an impromptu intervention, which was really more of a "what the fuck are you doing?" and the whole you are fucking up your life had no impact because it is a "What of it", the belief that it is my life and I'll do what I like with it is the response.
Then as soon as a pointed out the negative effects on other people, not just in terms of the emotional "it upsets me" thing, but the hard cold, indisputable facts that is what made them shut up and listen.
I think it has completely messed up my relationship with them, but those are the consequences that happen.

It has got me thinking two, one of why interventions are so self centred, because that is what make people stand up and notice that actions affect everyone and the infamous butterfly effect. Nothing exists in a vacuum and it is the thing I forget most when engaged in my theatre of pain.
The second is, what is my role in all of this?

I'm self centred, yes, I'm only human, faults and all that is one of them.
It keeps coming back to the fact that I seem to be an impact player. I'm not in this for the long haul. I can't be in it for the long haul because it's not how I operate.
I'll come off the bench, shake up the nature of the game and then go back to the bench.
I have plenty of other metaphors to use, but I probably should stop it there.

Some times I have too many thoughts.

So once again, I have a non sequitur title.

I miss my laptop's spell check.

I've been thinking a lot about life in the past week. It's been a little disturbing.
I also got into somewhat of a fight with someone and that wasn't pleasant. People are bastards, why is that I expect more from some people?
But yeah, I think that's been sorted.

Anyway, thinking about life.

There I was updating my blog and noticed I had like 4 blogs in draft status and that's how I'm going to rectify that situation.
I just have no idea what this one means...

I do like the title.

Apparently I got into a fight with someone. I don't remember this.
If you are reading this and I got into a fight with you, please re-tell the story dramatically. If I didn't, please make up a story that is overly dramatic.

I was also thinking about life.
Good to know, good to know.

The irony is that one of my other in draft blogs is about my freakishly good memory.
Yet, I have no memory of this what so ever. So I'll do the only thing that makes sense.
Post it anyway.

I really hope it at least ends with something dramatic.
Please, someone, be dramatic!

Some days you don't want to admit that you are addicted to the internet.

I'm addicted, well and truly. I find it very off putting.

Other days I appear to have no idea what I'm talking about.

I call them "most days".

Today is Canada Day!

Yes, it is super exciting. In honour of Canada Day I'm wearing my Toronto Maples Leaves Jersey, which reminds me, I need to do some washing.

Ok, I guess no one needed to know that, but oh well.

Canada Day! I was looking at the Wikipedia Page and apparently the Canadian Ex-pats have a Sydney thing. I kind of want to go, but then I realised, I just want to be Canadian, and am not actually Canadian. But I can dream.

One day, one day.
Curse my steady employment and ok, my lack of confidence that I could do the traveling overseas for a long period of time. But if I'm in the one place for a while and have stuff happening, it would be easier than just doing the tourist thing all the time.
But til then I'll leave in my fake dreams of being a wanna-be Canadian.

And on that note, I'm going to leave you on this note.

I've still got to work out how to link in the comments.
I'll work on it.


The on going commentary about my spellcheck, this is at work, so none as I go, but no mistakes! Maybe my spelling is getting better, or maybe I've adjusted to using smaller words.Either way, yay!

That title is a Simpsons reference. In case no one noticed.

So yesterday, Sam rang me to ask about a guitar she was selling on eBay and while conversing she mentioned she was also selling a sax. An Alto Sax?
Sounds pretty damn awesome.

Though, I have no idea how they ended up with so many musical instruments, but you know whatever.

So I've acquired an Alto Sax, unnamed thus far. I'm thinking it might become "Wilhelm Von Schnitzel". Saxes seem very German to me, ok, maybe not like a Violin, so maybe not. Nah, I do think of jazz, so maybe something cool and jazz like.
Hmmm... to ponder. I'll think about it.

I'm sure I'll think of something. Ok, I probably won't. I'm terrible with names.

My big problem when I played sax as a youngin', yes, I do know how to play. Can I play well? Not so much?
Do I remember all the notes? No.
Do I have any music? Possibly.

Now I have an excuse to start reading sheet music properly.
I'm just slow, I had a look at some theory lessons online. I know all that stuff, so it is way to frustrating to just re-learn it. I just need to practise.

And you know, learn more notes that "B,A,G, C and quite possibly F#.
I should look that up.

At least my mad recorder skillz should improve.

I'm a rambler, not really a ranter even though that's the word I prefer.
It's a dictionary thing, rant normally has some kind of anger behind it. I have been known to rant but more often I ramble.

Some people have a one track mind, my mind has many, many, many tracks that can randomly change all the time, it's like the conductor dude is really the caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland. I'm talking the Disney cartoon version, so that name is correct.

Thus, comes to my point. Damn, I hate titles.

Titles are something I am just terrible at writing, I mean the name of my non-existent musical (sorry Davey) is "Dock Side Story" (sorry Davey). It's not even cleverly stolen. I am objecting to my own terrible plagiarism.

Then we have, the names. I'm also terrible at naming things. I will give you some examples. Dock Side Story, all names basically stolen from Anne Rice's Vampire books, I don't know what the series is called, the LeStat guy and Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Often with a combination except for Jean-Pierre and Jacques which is stolen from a recruit of a weekend I was Godsquading and we just liked to repeat his name over and over again, as well as Jacques, the Beaver from Bear in the Big Blue House... and other things. Jacques was also the doctor on BitBBH. That doesn't work. Noted.
So yeah, stolen! Badly!

MY names of my musical instruments... Patrick Joe (not stolen, but made it up on the spot. It didn't well), Jose El Basso basically "Joseph the Bass", heehee! Felix Gaston, stolen from the musical. Noting that I have a country of origin theme happening... Anglo, Spanish and French, next will be German or it will be "Wilhelm von Schnitzel". It's just fun to say.

It's all I can really think of, normally I don't have to name things and if I do, there are many tenuous links on something rather obvious. It's a skill, a tedious skill.

So it all comes back to, what's the deal with these titles?
Clearly, I am too much of a rambler (it's the name of the blog dammit!) to actually be able to stay on one kind of topic. Especially since I am at work and technically should be you know, working!

And yet, forced to title things.

On another note.
I plan to go home and format and stuff.
Yeah, overhaul!

I call it "Extreme Makeover- Internet Style". It's not, not much will actually change since I have no designing skillz, but we'll see what I can do.

No commentary on the adventures of my spellcheck, because spellcheck fails me at this point in time.
It makes me sad too.

Today, I cracked out for the first time my "I'm Blogging this" shirt.

The excellent photos will come soon, ok, maybe not on here but definitely on the internet. I call it facebook. Then again, I suppose I could use my flickr account for non-Buffy related motivators. Though, my BtVS motivators are hilarious.

I'm part of a Buffy forum, this is what we do. We call it Graphics!Crack. Like Magic!Crack but without the crappy plot lines.

Oh, right. Point.

So, tonight, we were hanging out with heroin, yeah we were, when James came across the most inspiring text I have ever read.

The inspirational story of Aaron Hoffman. It is beyond words.
In fact the only words I have for it is to tell you what the new Antioch theme will be.

The Story of Aaron Hoffman, our weekend will be dedicated to him with talks featuring how we should answer Aaron Hoffman's call, Med on life as Aaron Hoffman, Being Aaron Hoffman, God's Image aka Aaron Hoffman, Mission (to be Hoffman), Works of Aaron Hoffman.

Big dreams, we can only hope that we can fill the legendary shoes of Mr Aaron Hoffman, the Restaurant manager trainer of the year of 2008 at Hungry Jacks... I think, I don't know, I was also messing around on my laptop.

For the bio-pic, I'm thinking Tom Hanks as Aaron Hoffman, Dustin Huffman with Will Smith playing the arch-nemesis (spellcheck suggestions: archness, archbishop, archaeologists, archeologist)

And that dear faithful readers.. reader? Internet? Whatever....
Is the story of why I should be careful of the shirts I'm wearing combined with injokes as well as an outlet for rambling.

'til next time...

I don't think it is hear that I have the title as the battle wages on between Elyse and other things or maybe I've been watching too many episodes of Chuck.

I was just internet stalking Lexi and was reading something in her blog about comments and the dos and don'ts, and one of them was about swearing.

I personally think swearing looks funny in text, seriously, it looks really weird. So much so that I try not to swear on the internet and as a result I have had a few people convinced that either I don't swear or am offended by swearing.
My personal favourite example of this is when Davey informed me that Adam made a comment about having never me swear, of which Davey scoffed at.
Not that long after we had a picnic day thing with the ultimate Westies and cards were played.
Nothing makes me swear quite like cards and the comment when walking back to the station "I can't believe I thought you didn't swear".
Hilarious.

Old story though, shame.

But Elyse vs Tone.
Tone is everything, communication isn't really about the words, that's only 10%. It's the tone and body language that communicate so much more.
Sarcasm is dead in text and then the difference between hot anger and cold fury?
Can't really tell the difference.
And it's an important difference.

I had a fairly Antioch central weekend with renew and on Friday night I got to play bad cop to keep people in the non-sleeping room quite so people could sleep.
I was in the corridor, neither asleep or being that loud. Ok, I was being a little loud.
I am pretty much always loud and am often told to use my inside voice, they say it a lot. I don't think they've caught on that I don't really have an inside voice, but yeah, so carrying on and I got to do the yelling at them to shut up.
On about the third attempt of telling them to be quite, my calm rationality had all but departed so it was time to crack out my angry yelling.
My angry yelling is very easy to realise because of the massive tonal shift from my loudness to my angry voice.
I yelled, and then before I had left the room I then yelled again that "I hadn't even left the fucking room yet".
This yelling freaked out Mary, and may have keep her a little paranoid that I was going to come back and yell at them again.
It's the fine line, but yeah, the tone.

On the internet, it just isn't all that possible. It is the major side of text, at least in books there is the narrative of "I haven't left the room yet" Elyse roared as the noise in the room increased rapidly. Even plays have stage directions, but any of this stuff?
Forums, MSN, blogs.
Nope, it's just impossible to tell.

It makes me sad.
Words seem really empty without the passion and emotion behind them.
Tones. They are important.

I really should work.

So, I've tried using twitter. I just don't like it, plus as a rant who enjoys typing full words it doesn't work for me at all. I mean, my title is almost longer then what I'm allowed on Twitter. Yeah, I don't get the fuss and it's kind of hard to stalk other people and what use is a social network if not for stalking people?

I mean come on!

The internet is all about stalking, well, call it what you want.'
Facebook for starters, if you really wanted to stay in contact with people, you would have.

Well maybe not the internet, but social networks. In my facebook I have about 50 or so people I went to school with, most I haven't seen since school finished and if I have seen them it's been a chance meeting and sometimes we don't even acknowledge each other, though I always found that strange and it's not my fault if people run into me in Penrith on the way to uni and am not feeling socialable. It's a bus to Richmond where I have to wait around for an hour and a half. Wow, that was a while ago.

Other forms of internet things I'm all for, forums are awesome. The Forum obviously be the most awesome. May it rest in peace. I have nothing punny for that.

This is another blog coming at ya from work.
It is 4.38 and I'm the only person in the office.
Strange, but it makes me less paranoid.
We've lost the key to the office. I have spent the last hour looking for it.
Whoever lost it did a damn good job of it. We are also trying to work out WHO lost it, but have nothing.

On the reverse of all of that, I have a new computer to play with... at home. It's a MacBook and I need to adjust to all it's mac-ness.
I am calling it Mac, because most things need names and it is a Veronica Mars reference and named after Mac, because it's short for McKenzie. Word.
I'm not going to get a good chance to play with it before renew though because I have things to do on a computer I know and love for renew.
Making awesome nametags for one and then tomorrow night is finalising nametags and having a last meeting with James and then a music practise. Oh, I need to ring Jacob to get him to bring Felix so I have a guitar for said music practise. I'm really not up for taking Patrick Joe on the train really early.

Hmmm... writing crap. I've missed you.
'til next time non-existent readers (and procrastinating Davey!)

Elyse

It has been a while.
Quite a while?

So, for anyone who reads here and only here, I did finish the infamous photo challenge, the photos are on my Facebook, they are awesome.

I tend to rant a lot about books here.
I've read lots of books recently, it's hard to keep them all track. I should because I'm slightly interested to see who books I'll get through by the end of the year and I kind of want to get into triple digits.

That fricken Secret History is ruining my odds!

Then again, do the Chronicles of Narnia count as one book or seven? They were in the one volume.
I'd like to count them as seven, but they aren't very long.

It's very perplexing.

I have nothing interesting to say.
Good times. Great classic hits.