![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Back from HBP Exile
Jul. 24th, 2005 08:20 pmSo I have been avoiding the web and LJ in particular in the run-up to last week's publication of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince", because I was determined not to be spoiled and really the web was simply crawling with people dying to spoil others. I *enjoy* these books because they are fun and generally entertaining, and having the plot spilled rather ruins that effect. Anyway, I will not post any spoilers myself as I *know* there are people on the friends list still reading. My only comments is that I enjoyed the book tremendously, thought it far superior to 'Order of the Phoenix", was delighted at the snarky wit that was in full force, and I actually *loved* Harry for once. And of course, as a sideline observer to the online HP fandom, I was intensely amused by the sporadic outbursts of OUTRAGE from people with large senses of entitlement and no sense of scale. Somethings I have never understood, and wishing hatred on people because they don't follow the same creedo you do tops that list. It's bad enough when you see that behvior over political ideals; seeing it over a *fantasy fiction novel* simply boggles my mind.
Catching up on the important things, I can finally report out on my trip to the UK in June. I will say that it has been astonishing to watch what is going on there at the moment, having just been in two of the four places directly attacked. All family and friends are accounted for, and all are defiant as one would expect them to be.
I had great fun meeting Jill, also known as Red Scharlach, when I was in London. As expected, Jill is very bright, very funny, and great fun to talk with. I did have a wee wicked moment of teasing her, but she was delightfully British about it. When I had been in Scotland, I found a tea towel with highland cattle on it. Unless you are familiar with some of the great cartoons the WWR has inspired from Red, that means...well, nothing. Myself, I couldn't resist buying the thing & then asking Red with a very straight face if she would autograph it for me just as we met. Jill managed to look horrified and remain polite while asking me if I was serious. No, I did not manage to continue the ruse and gorce her to actually get a pen out - I did want to talk with her, not send her running. And for the curious, here are Jill & myself chortling away.
( Thing & Red )
Much as I would love to share all 310 images of my trip, I doubt anyone else would find that amusing. The two weeks were absolutely wonderful, the weather outstanding (save one very soggy day at Stirling Castle, but that seemed appropriate). In fact, the only blight on my trip was the CONSTANT advertising on the TV for That Damn Frog singing 'Axel F'. If you don't know what I mean, you are blessed. The only thing I found amusing about that wretchedly innane froggy is how pissed off it made Chris Martin because it kept *in the #1 spot for two weeks* and Coldplay couldn't beat it. Since "X & Y" is exactly the same as their last album, I'm not really going to feel any pain for those chaps as they got my money and I am cross I gave it to them.
I will, however, share my two favorite shots of North Wales. These are the town of Bedgelert and the view from the mountain just behind that same town. This is the foothills of Snowdon, and simply gorgeous
( Bedgelert )
( Lake view )
Work is insanely busy. Busy is good, of course - nothing like job security. However, my plate is dangerously full, and I am soon losing my wonderful fellow Capital Planner to maternity leave (just when things get *really* ugly, too). We shall see how my mood remains through the end of this year. Upside is success at insane levels of work = new hospital being built. So basically I guilt myself into not imploding, as we really need it where we want to put it.
There. Not a great update, but I am no longer feeling guilty about the cash forked out to this little endeavor. And why did I not get the free account? Becuase I like shiny things, and as I said in the beginning, I am only in it for the icons. Keeping in touch with everyone is just a bonus.
Catching up on the important things, I can finally report out on my trip to the UK in June. I will say that it has been astonishing to watch what is going on there at the moment, having just been in two of the four places directly attacked. All family and friends are accounted for, and all are defiant as one would expect them to be.
I had great fun meeting Jill, also known as Red Scharlach, when I was in London. As expected, Jill is very bright, very funny, and great fun to talk with. I did have a wee wicked moment of teasing her, but she was delightfully British about it. When I had been in Scotland, I found a tea towel with highland cattle on it. Unless you are familiar with some of the great cartoons the WWR has inspired from Red, that means...well, nothing. Myself, I couldn't resist buying the thing & then asking Red with a very straight face if she would autograph it for me just as we met. Jill managed to look horrified and remain polite while asking me if I was serious. No, I did not manage to continue the ruse and gorce her to actually get a pen out - I did want to talk with her, not send her running. And for the curious, here are Jill & myself chortling away.
( Thing & Red )
Much as I would love to share all 310 images of my trip, I doubt anyone else would find that amusing. The two weeks were absolutely wonderful, the weather outstanding (save one very soggy day at Stirling Castle, but that seemed appropriate). In fact, the only blight on my trip was the CONSTANT advertising on the TV for That Damn Frog singing 'Axel F'. If you don't know what I mean, you are blessed. The only thing I found amusing about that wretchedly innane froggy is how pissed off it made Chris Martin because it kept *in the #1 spot for two weeks* and Coldplay couldn't beat it. Since "X & Y" is exactly the same as their last album, I'm not really going to feel any pain for those chaps as they got my money and I am cross I gave it to them.
I will, however, share my two favorite shots of North Wales. These are the town of Bedgelert and the view from the mountain just behind that same town. This is the foothills of Snowdon, and simply gorgeous
( Bedgelert )
( Lake view )
Work is insanely busy. Busy is good, of course - nothing like job security. However, my plate is dangerously full, and I am soon losing my wonderful fellow Capital Planner to maternity leave (just when things get *really* ugly, too). We shall see how my mood remains through the end of this year. Upside is success at insane levels of work = new hospital being built. So basically I guilt myself into not imploding, as we really need it where we want to put it.
There. Not a great update, but I am no longer feeling guilty about the cash forked out to this little endeavor. And why did I not get the free account? Becuase I like shiny things, and as I said in the beginning, I am only in it for the icons. Keeping in touch with everyone is just a bonus.
