girlofprey

lkjkhjkjhk. I have things to say, but no real drive to make a proper post about them.

I went to the Jobcentre today, to try to get on Jobseeker's Allowance. Time is moving on, and if I ever want to be able to afford another video game again I'm going to need to get a job, or at least be on benefits. I walked into town today to go into the Jobcentre, and they told me I needed to call the Jobcentre phone line and apply on there. I came home, called the phone line, and they said I needed to apply online, unless I don't have internet access. So. As soon as I'm done doing a virus scan, so I can feel secure about typing out my personal details, I'll get right on that. Unless they tell there's somewhere else I need to apply.

My cat is poorly. A little bit poorly. Last night she came in and was just sort of laid in the corner of the room, and when my parents tried to move her into the garage so they could go to bed, she was walking funny. She was a lot brighter this morning, meowing at me to stroke her, but she was obviously still walking oddly, and not even attempting to jump up onto anything. She's probably just had a bit of a knock and is fine, or will be with a bit of rest, but I'm worrying about her, especially when she wanders off on her own. Mum also pointed out we're going on holiday next week, and she'll be on her own mostly that week as well. Which mostly just reminded me that holiday is coming up. And just - eh. When I think about going on holiday, to Flamborough, and having a week by the seaside and a bit of a break from computer games, I'm really looking forward to it. When I think about going for a week to the seaside with my three nephews, I just feel exhausted. A part of me would be thrilled if my parents just suddenly announced they were taking my sister instead of me, and I could stay home and have my own little holiday in the house, by myself. I'm sure it'll be fine. The fact is, if they took my sister, it'd mean more work for them - or at least more arguments, and probably less help. And if I just didn't go, it would definitely mean more work for them, and they'd be outnumbered. It's just - hard to think of it as a holiday, when I know it'll just be childcare and refereeing my nephew's fights for a week. Also, we'll be going in my mum's big car, because you can rearrange it so it has seven seats. Said big car has been all over the news, because apparently a bunch of them are defective and burst into flames for no reason, and they have to take ours in to have it checked in August, after the holiday. And the last time we went on holiday, they realised there was no room in that car for all the luggage AND the seven seats, so I had to go on the train. So. There's those cheery facts.

I went to see Ghostbusters again at the weekend. A part of me wants to go see every week until I am sick of it, or until it's out of cinemas - but another part of me doesn't really want to be sick of it. I still love it. I love almost everything about it. I love that it is a genuinely good film, with a plot that moves along, and characters that are coherent from beginning to end. I love the way they made it attractive to kids without making it awful for adults, and how colourful it is. I love Erin. I love that she had a proper hero moment, of running into city streets where a disaster was happening, while everyone else was running away. Chris Hemsworth - is not the best thing in the film - but I love how he just resisted the urge to go full Thor. He must have had so much fun. I love that they made the bad guy a proper bad guy, and they it clear he hated people, and wasn't just lonely. I love "don't compare me to the mayor in Jaws". A lot. It's a shame that they often went the Sassy Black Woman route with Patty. And that whole scene where she held Holtzmann up one-handed, when she was only one storey up and could have happily jumped to the floor, and run back up the stairs to help with the fight. But I still loved her. And they actually gave her a character and background and stuff. Hopefully they'll do even better with her, or more character stuff, in the sequel, which I am hoping there will be. I WANT TO BUY EVERYTHING TO DO WITH GHOSTBUSTERS. All the lego toys.

( Coronation Street )

Wow. The UN is apparently holding an inquiry into abuses against disabled people's human rights by the Tory government.

Faith...in humanity...restoring?

Christ, I just read some of the article and it says the government have known about this since 2013. It puts their desire to rewrite our human rights laws into an even more disgusting light.

( MY Jobcentre appointment today, some ESA blather and confusion )

Anyway. Other than that I was freaking out slightly that we were halfway through December and I had no idea what I wanted for Christmas, or what to get anyone else. But then I realised I had an idea for my ON's present (which I've now ordered), my MN and YN can just have something from Argos or the Early Learning Centre really, and I only give my sister £10 in a card, which just leaves mum and dad. Who never tell me what they want or seem to want anything, so in some ways I'm not sure it matters what I get them, as long as I get it with love and good intentions. I'll have to schedule love and good intentions, and a shopping trip, into next week somewhere. It is the 11th today and next week it will be the 18th and that is basically Christmas. ARGH.

As far what I want - it's weird because at the moment I have quite a bit of money, from a couple of ESA arrears payments over the years, so I can pretty much afford to get myself anything I actually want, if I wanted to. Even the pretty expensive stuff. So it doesn't feel like there's much urgency. The main thing I was thinking of in the run-up to this Christmas was a PS4, because they were released in November but...they're so expensive, they're more expensive than what my parents usually spend on me at Christmas, so I'd either just be getting some money towards it or giving them half the money so they and I could buy it for me together, anyway. And they've all sold out till after Christmas now, I think. And I'm still at my parents' house stuck in the spare bedroom playing on Playstation games, and I don't really want to be filling it up with consoles. There's still games I love and am replaying or haven't started yet on the PS3, so I wouldn't be getting rid of that, so there'd also be a lot of messing around with wires, making sure the right one's plugged in and hooked up to the TV before I used either of them. And we already have a VHS player and the Playstation in there, so it really would just be consoles on top of consoles. And uhh.

So I might just leave the PS4 until the spring, when I can plan for it better. Also, like I say, I don't even think you could get one now if you wanted to. So I'm probably going to just give my parents a list of DVDs and CDs I'd quite like, as per usual. I could use a new watch. But I could buy myself one, and buy the one I actually wanted, if I wanted to. So uhh.

I am back from my holiday.

( My holiday )

And I did have a plan to not do anything much today. But I ended up going to the doctor's to get a sick note, getting some toothpaste and Welcome To The Punch on DVD, and finished the night by catching up completely on Coronation Street with my parents. So. I have things to say about Coronation Street, but some of it is long, some of it is just about how beautiful David is, and some of it is just keysmashing, so I'll maybe leave it for another night. Oh, and also I came home to a letter yesterday saying that they'd set a date for my ESA hearing. 27th September. So I can look forward to that. Yay.

I hope you have all been great, I've sort of caught up on my flist, but not on everything. If there is anything vital you think I should know you should probably tell me now. Otherwise, hello.

Oh my God, the new posting page really is hideous.

On the other hand...Christmas whale...

It's December. Which is nice, because it means I can sing Christmas carols without nagging superstitious feelings for a scant 31 days of the year. Well, 25 really I suppose. Unfortunately it means I also probably need to do some Christmas shopping soon. Hmm.

I still haven't heard from the DWP about my benefits. Again, hopefully that's because I told them about a change and they're processing it. But it's pretty annoying, especially if I'm going to need to do Christmas shopping soon. I might call them on Monday if I still haven't heard from them, just to check it didn't get lost in the post or anything. It would be nice if they'd just send me a letter to say they received my documents, but I guess that would be a waste of paper and a phenomenal cost to the whole service. Sigh.

Also, I went to see Skyfall yesterday, finally. I feel like I'm in a funny place to judge it, because I really preferred Quantum Of Solace to Casino Royale - I actually nearly typed Poker Face then, instead of Casino Royale. That would have been a different type of film, probably. But yeah, most people seem to have hated Quantum Of Solace, but I didn't. The new film...it hung together better than Quantum Of Solace, probably, and the main plot was a lot more memorable. And it wasn't as cheesy as Poker Face. But it sort of swung between genuinely gripping and a bit dull, and ( Big spoilers )

The baddie was pretty amazing though, as everyone has said. And Javier Bardem as the baddie. And Q was pretty cute. I'm sort of pleased to see the film developing a sudden, small fandom. Even if most of it is Bond/Q fluff.

I had some issues - quite a lot of issues - with the Bond girls and female characters in general in the film, but nothing that was enough to throw me out of the film and keep me from enjoying it. So overall I did like it, and it's probably worth seeing just to understand what everyone else is talking about to be honest. So yeah, it's basically a thumbs up from me.

Also I finished the main storyline of Borderlands. I love Borderlands. It's just a little sad that it still feels like it's MEANT to be played as a multiplayer, but that if I did find anyone else that wanted to play it with me, it would probably be boys, being male characters, and my character would sort of end up being the Smurfette instead of the Lone Hero. Or, in a team of girls all playing as 4 versions of the female character, just with different colour hair. That could be awesome. But might look a bit odd. Anyway, I am now onto the DLC of the first game, the first one, The Island Of Dr Ned. And it's pretty wicked. I've heard a lot about zombie levels on games, but this is the first time I've ever played one, and it really is pretty fun. Although not being able to fast travel on the island is pretty tedious. But anyway, I enjoy their dedication to making you fight ALL the horror movie monsters. So far the only one I haven't seen is Dracula. And mummies maybe. But I'm sure they're coming.

Also I downloaded Hearthfire for Skyrim, and have started building a house. I haven't really played Skyrim for a while, and I beat the game and don't have any DLC to play through yet, but I'm looking forward to building a house and adopting a child anyway. So far my greatest challenges/annoyances have been having to constantly go back to the lumber yard and mine for Quarried Rock. Still, largely it's quite entertaining.

So, I totally went to volunteer on Friday. Got up at 7am and everything. And it was quite lovely really - there's only one bus route from my town to Leeds, and the centre I went to was right off that. And they've got a lovely building and lovely grounds, and everyone there was really nice and obviously dedicated to the centre. I helped weed and dig out some little vegetable patches, and harvested a few vegetables, like a tiny leek. While other people re-roofed a shed and built a woodstore, like with saws and everything. And in the afternoon we did battle with some weeds to try to preserve a raspberry patch. I learned how to propagate raspberries. Although only time will tell if I did it well enough on my first go. So yeah, it was really lovely. I'd love to be able to go there regularly, although I can't see myself going back next week, like straight after my first go. Also the cheap trousers I bought from Peacocks to go out in didn't really do the trick, and I'd probably need some waterproofs in the current weather, really. Also it turned out I didn't really need wellies, because they have wellies and steel-toed boots there for you to borrow. But I have a pair now anyway. But yes, it was a lovely day, and a lovely place.

Also, I sent off my sick note, and my letter about how I'm not getting my grandma's money anymore with a bank statement. Hopefully the letter will have already got there, or will arrive tomorrow, and - assuming they don't have any problems with it - I should be getting a payment sometime this week. Or next week. I have actually forgotten, it's been so long since I had to sort it out. Probably it'll be either this Wednesday or next, but soon. Fingers crossed.

Also, I learned that every language but English can deal with pineapples. Or ananas, I guess. Probably it won't help if I go into a supermarket and ask for that though.

Also, I finished Silent Hill: Downpour. HURRAY! It wasn't so bad, I guess, but there were so many little things I forgot about it that were annoying. The button that let/made you throw your melee weapon. Avoiding that button during my first fight so I didn't throw away my gun, only to find out that it also the button to shoot. The stupid combat. The lag EVERY TIME YOU GO FROM ONE AREA TO THE NEXT. The tendency of the game to suddenly take all your weapons and health items away from you. askldjaslkdk. I found the ending quite unsatisfying as well. And, it turned out I didn't get the best one, because the game had some sort of KARMA SYSTEM going on that I wasn't aware of. That involved only stunning monsters instead of killing them, even if that means they sometimes get back up and attack you again. And, having looked at the other endings online, it's one of those karma systems that massively changes the character themselves - even before you started playing them - depending on what you do. Which, yes. I've made my feelings on those pretty clear. Anyway. Sewell was pretty great. And after I finished, I thought maybe there was no slash, and I was ANNOYED. But then I found some slash. And now I am less annoyed.

Also, it is practically the end of November. It is NEARLY DECEMBER. There was a Christmas movie on today. It was Fred Claus, which I love despite it's many faults, so I enjoyed watching the back end of it. But still. IT'S COMING. Before that my YN's birthday is coming, however. But he will only be 1 so he probably won't mind what I buy him.

Do you remember my plan? My wonderful plan yesterday, for how I was going to get my sick note and it was all going to be great? The plan in detail was to go into town today, get the sick note from my doctor, go to the library and photocopy it and my latest bank statement so I have copies of each, then send them both off today and tomorrow.

Well, when I went into town today, my doctor's surgery was closed all afternoon. And I can go pick it up tomorrow, but the library will be closed, so I can't get it photocopied there. And the last time I wanted to photocopy something when the library was closed, no-one seemed to know anywhere else in town where you could go get something photocopied. I can't go on Friday, because I'm volunteering all day, so I will be far from town and any photocopiers. And on Saturday, I will probably be too tired from being out all day on Friday. So it's now looking like the earliest I can definitely send it off is Monday.

I'm going to ask at my doctor's tomorrow if they can photocopy it for me. They have a whole office behind reception, so they must have a photocopier. I will even give them 20p for costs or whatever if they need it. And if they can't do that, I'll ask my dad if he can figure out how to make his scanner photocopy things again - I'm pretty sure I've done that in the past when I needed something copying at the last minute. But I also remember it taking forever for him to work out how to do it. And if all else fails, I'll just have to send it out on Monday. I just feel a bit bad, since this sick note's going back over a month now, taking a long time to send it out. But it can't be helped, due to a VARIETY OF UNHELPFUL CIRCUMSTANCES. It is annoying when life suddenly throws a spanner in the works.

• Did anyone watch X Factor at all tonight?? CHRISTOPHER MOLONEY'S EYES OF DEATH WILL KILL US ALL.



• In unrelated news, I recently spent weeks trying to work out who the posh woman in The Paradise is and meaning to look it up. Only to find out yesterday that she's Abby Mills from Harper's Island. HER ACTING STYLE IS VERY DIFFERENT IN THE PARADISE. No wonder I didn't connect the two roles.

I went to Thought Bubble in Leeds today. I do love Thought Bubble. I spent quite a lot, as usual, but it's only once a year. And some of the artists you never see there again. I still wish I'd picked up a poster from Sister Claire's artist the first year. But oh well. My dream is to one day have enough money left from buying books to be able to buy some of the art on sale there. Because it is quite beautiful. But a lot of the artists, at least, do seem to come back year after year, I guess because doing commissions at a con is often pretty good business for them. But before any of you think about judging me, I would just like to point out that the guy who does Romantically Apocalyptic was there, and he was selling his books for £40 each. And I was sort of tempted to get one, because they're always going to be £40, and this way at least I would save on shipping. But I didn't! I just spent at least £40 on OTHER books!

Also, I got a cuddly Mameshiba. Which I adore. I didn't even know you could buy them.

I also got a letter from the DWP today. Well, I got 3 letters. The first was to tell me that they were going to pay me through my appeal, £61 a week from 12th October. The second was to tell me that they were going to pay me through my appeal, £61 a week from 18th October. The third was to tell me that since they were going to pay me through my appeal, they were going to need doctor's certificates again, so I should get one into them by 12th October. So yes. They're planning to pay me, at least. I don't know exactly how it's going to work with the doctor's certificates, but before I stopped needing them (for a bit) they were happy to just give continuing ones that I could pick up from the reception, without needing to see a doctor. Obviously I haven't been getting them for a few months now, but given that my condition is ongoing, maybe they'll be willing to do another continuation again? And if they are going to - or even if they're not going to - I might be able to ask them to backdate it, since, as I say, my condition is ongoing. I don't know. I'll need to call them this week. But at least the DWP are happy to pay me. And I'd still like to check with an advice organisation that they won't have any leverage to ask me for it all back if I lose my appeal, so I can feel comfortable spending it, but I don't think they will. It would make the ESA and appeal process even more unfair if they could do things like that. So hopefully, I'll at least have some money coming in for the next few months (although not as much as I did before, unfortunately).

Kate Beaton was supposedly at Thought Bubble. But when I went by her stall in the afternoon she wasn't there (that I could see), and there was nothing on sale that I particularly wanted to buy. And when I went by again before I left, just for the novelty of seeing her in the flesh, there was a sign on her stall saying she wouldn't be back for another 45 minutes. A more suspicious person would suspect maybe she wasn't there at all. But she probably was. Just away from me.

ILLUSIONS, Michael.

I just wrote out my appeal form. They give you the tiniest space to write your reasons why you don't agree with their decision. Which is largely how I felt about the assessment form - although apparently I was some good at filling that in this time. Maybe I just feel like I have A LOT OF REASONS to give them. But I think I got at least some relevant points through, and it's completed now at least. Now I just need to send it out so it will get to Barnsley before Monday. Sigh.

I also caught up with Dallas yesterday, and then watched the final episode. ( Dallas )

The new series apparently begins in America in January. So obviously I either need to get downloading, or really enjoy these few months of being all caught up before I lose them again.

We also had the American election this week. I am happy and genuinely a little bit amazed that Obama won. As well as all the 'shenanigans' I'd been hearing about, things sort of came to a head on Tuesday night when I started seeing posts on Tumblr about how people were taking pictures of their pro-Obama ballots and posting them online because they were so excited, but that they shouldn't do that, because they could be arrested and have their votes annulled. I was ready to give up, get ready for Romney to win, and be all "2012, End Of Days". But then Obama won. And apparently it wasn't even close. So hurrah.

I also finished Portal, and bought Portal 2. I liked the song at the end. A LOT. And while I was looking for Portal 2 (in vain) in my home town, I found out that the little games shop I used to see when I was a teenager was still open, and both stocking and selling Bioshock action figures! It was a good day all around.

And we had my YN over at my house today. He is sweet, and can pull himself up on furniture, and make lots of noises now. And point. At one point he looked up at one of our houseplants, pointed at it and went "Aaah!", and then went back to playing with his cars. He plays with cars by pushing them along and going "aaaaaaah" or "grrrrrrrrr". He is lovely. I also learned that my mum thinks he's "weird". Which, in fairness, is something I would expect a sitcom granny to say about their baby grandchild, so at least we're living up to the stereotype, thanks mum.

And I saw a bit of Emmerdale today with Declan in it, and it gave me Declan/Nathan feelings. Sigh.

And I had a dentist appointment today, which went quite well, with quite a lovely new lady dentist. It was her first day apparently. She didn't make any mistakes which could only be covered up by saying "It's my first day!". Yay. And we had Bonfire Night, which means we're now in the period of time I officially recognise as Pre-Christmas. Argh. And...something. I'm on my period, and I'm really tired. Oh, and I attempted to buy trousers from H&M, and I found out that of all the weird sizing issues there are from shop to shop, H&M might just take the cake for 'obviously a lot smaller than the number would imply'. And yet I also tried a jumper from there, and the Large was too big for me so I had to get a Medium. Weird.