Sonia's Journal

Just found this screenshot on my computer, I should have posted this up on the 5th November for Bonfire Night XD



Anyway, I had a great time hanging out on Midsummer Common with Nana and Chloe - the fairground rides and snacks were quite extortionate, so we decided to go on one ride, the biggest one XD It was the whirly super-tall blue neon one. And just as we paid for our tickets, the booth lady told her heavy to raise the price from £5 to £6 O_O;;

We grabbed some toffee apples, then Matthew found us and we made our way to the food stands to watch the fireworks. They were great, my neck was hurting by the end of it XD I love sparkly things.

Then as I bought myself some fried noodles, Laura bumped into us, so we all made our way to the Zebra, which was packed full. I swapped my half of IPA with Laura's pint of Wychfinder (yum) then after chatting very briefly with Andy, Carol and Bethany, we walked back to our respective houses.

Matthew: "So, do you remember how the rhyme goes?"
Me: "Remember, remember, the 5th of november.... BLOW UP PARLIAMENT!!!"
Matthew: "... *headdesk*"
Me: "But that's what's important, right? Ne? Ne?!"

Some quick sketchwork I did to use as our avatars on FFXI forums and sites etc.

Matt and I had a blast attending the wedding of his brother Daniel Bentham to Nicky Moss in Gemozac, near Cognac in Charente-Maritime. It was stunningly beautiful, in a huge farmhouse and gardens. Photos and a full report to come in time, but for now, just wanted to raise a virtual glass of Pineau to the happy couple.

Congratulations - it was absolutely AMAZING and I hope you have many many happy years together.

Thank you so much to everyone who was concerned - Matt is recovering well, although he can't really sit upright for too long! No bending over at all either. Standing or lying down for him only for the next week or so XD

He's really hurt his back this morning, his giant Honda Deaville 650 motorbike fell over this morning due to the heavy rains making the ground soft, and he sprained his lower back  badly whilst trying to right it again 'cos it caught on something on the way up!!

So I'm going to be looking after him today and over the weekend. Looks like no party tonight T_T

So I've been re-organising my wardrobe (Looong overdue as I've just been too ridiculously busy over the past few months, but I really need to switch over properly to my summer clothes) since 6pm yesterday, and it still looks like another 2-3 hours to go. But I'm getting there...



What is hilarious though is trying on an outfit and saying to Matthew as he plays FFXI on his laptop on our bed:

"This outfit totally does not work, right?"
"...Right...?"
"You know why, don't you?"
"... Because.... it.... looks ... cheap?"
"Exactly!! The skirt is 2 inches too short to be acceptable and worst of all, the WHITES DON'T MATCH!!!"
"... Of course."
"The BTSSB gothic cutsew on top has a primarily OFF-WHITE panel and white lace, whereas the off-brand skirt below has pure white lace trim!! Urgh, the frustration!!!"
"..."

LOL, Tiggy got chased up a tree by a terrier. She ran up too high, it took us about 30mins to coax her down. Even Matthew clambering into the tree didn't help. It was only the last resort method (i.e. "Oh fine, I'll get the ladder then") that worked - when Matt came back with the ladder Tiggy began to make her way down the branches gingerly. She finally jumped down, we shooed her into the house and she just flopped over for a while. She's so unfit XD we gave her some treats and brought water out for her. She finally seemed to perk up after a few minutes.

I wish I took a photo XD When Matt was halfway up the tree, imploring Tiggy to come down into his arms, and Tiggy one level of branches higher, mewing "No!"

MINAMICON 15, Southampton UK, 27-29 March 2009

Here is my mini report on the events of two weeks ago :3

FRIDAY:
( JOURNEY! MEETING FRIENDS AGAIN! WORK! )

SATURDAY:
( SO MANY FRIENDS! MASQUERADE! )

SUNDAY:
( GROUP COSPLAY SHOOT! FUNS! )

So! Was it TL:DR? All in all, a very fun, sociable convention with great cosplay experiences! AWESOMENESS.

Now, I didn't scatter photos all around like in my usual event write-ups as I was too busy being in cosplay to take many photos myself. So instead, I have one folder of photos on my FlickR account which are the photos taken during the two cosplay photoshoots. So - if you're into cosplay, Trinity Blood, curious to see how I've upgraded my outfit from the Oct Expo version to the ridiculously leet artbook version, want to see Matt being AMAZINGLY in character, or just like seeing me crossdressing, click the photo below to be taken to my flickr set!:

Not only was cottage pie a success, but this morning at 4am, he got together with our linkshell group on Final Fantasy XI online (as our group ranges from Hawaii thru to Korea) and PWNED the Chains of Promathia boss, the Delver of the Crag of Mea. He's died twice before (along with everyone else, cos when the white mage dies, everybody dies), but this time the strategy was to take 3 summoners for massive spammage of Astral Flow (their 2 hr ability which makes their summons do ridiculous damage).

So well done, honey! I am so proud of you ♥

(CoP is a notoriously difficult mission, even for experienced players)

Wait until he slugs face down on the bed, in exhaustion after coming home from work. Sit on him and poke poke poke him* until he starts to wail. Then say you need a shower, that you have a ton of work to do and the beef and vegetables and potatoes need cooking, or they will go into the freezer. Then scratch his back until he cries and says, "I make the pie, I make the pie in my mind" then sit and shake him some more until he says, "Get off me, okay, I make the pie for real now, get off I make the pie".

♥

*cat complaining about not liking its food is optional, but can help the situation.

This came onto the TV:


And Matthew said, "Oh, is that Reese Witherspoon?"

XDDDDD

Those of you who have been to my house will know that I have a small cloakroom toilet upstairs. I opened the door to pass my husband a pack of toilet tissues, to see that he was sitting on the toilet with his laptop, reading an ebook.

XD

This is akin to the time when I went into the bathroom to grab a towel and saw him reading a book whilst taking a shower. In our small shower cubicle.

What next? Laptop ebook reading in the bath?

Finally getting round to posting my photos! Here are a selection of photos taken whilst I was in Heidelberg, Germany, from 6-13 April, as part of the Cambridge-Heidelberg exchange trip. I went along with the CSD Brass group. CLICK ON THUMBNAILS FOR BIGGER VIEWS.

6th April:
After I finished off a commission at 2.30am, I packed until 3.30am, then slept for about 45mins until Matt's friends picked us up to go to Stansted, to catch a flight to Stuttgart. At Stuttgart, we had curry hotdogs. We then went to Heidelberg by train, then to our host family's allotment and had lovely pastries! Dinner was at the Alt Hendresse, a traditional pub/restaurant. Mmm, Knödel and pork... and Weißenbier!!

7th April:
Then we explored Heidelberg proper, walking down the main street, found a statue of Bunsen, great flower stall, a cute scooter (with a dog horn?), pretty flowers near the university library, a plaque dedicated to Martin Luther, a car being used to advertise an antique shop... Then we had a saunter over the Heidelberg Bridge, where there were a couple of curios brass figures. A pair of lucky mice (rub it for many children, I didn't touch it!), and a monkey, which we all took a group photo with. Then we went to the Castle, or Schlöss. Took some great photos in there, there was the largest barrel of wine in the world, and a funny poster pimping making your own bottle with your own label, in Japanese. Later in the afternoon we tried Spaghetti Ice cream, really really delicious (using creamy Italian vanilla ice cream, and strawberry jam!), and that evening, had a party with ginormous square pizzas.

8th April: Weinheim, a very pretty town with hilly streets, houses built into thick city walls, poems inscribed as murals, beautiful gardens. Had a huge turkey salad for lunch. And to end the day, some local Schwarzbier, and some toilet humour. Yes, those were in the ladies room - a toilet roll with the logo "Big Willy" and a sanitary bag dispenser with "Lady Killer".

I will add some more details to the rest of the days, when I have more time. But for now, head to my Flickr set and enjoy all the photos ^^ Click on the picture below for the link!

I had a tiger in the bkg for me, and then I thought... naw, that really is too much! XD

If you want to waste some time, head over to http://elouai.com/doll-makers/candybar-doll-maker.php

Edit: Argh, couldn't resist doing Matt too!

Yesterday was my last full time day in the office. From now, I've only got two days a week for the next three weeks and then I am totally free... It was getting to the point where I had a serious lapse of bothering to be nice, yesterday morning - "yes.... yes, I'm working on that.... Yeah, I know!......Okay okay, I'll do it!" All came out very clipped with no smiles.... until about 10.30am I realised I was being a bit of a dragon and apologised to my manager. I think she knows by now that Sonia before 10.30am is VERY different to SOnia after 10.30am.

But yeah. I'm really trying to write some text for a big project I'm working on, whilst doing some artwork cleaning up and it's impossible with the heat! And when I leave the windows open, all sorts of bugs get in! And then I couldn't stand how the kitchen and lounge werer so messy so cue manic vacuuming. Grr! I am really hoping it's not gonne ba like this everyday I do artwork from home... why can't it be cooler... And Matt let the bottom of my bolognaise sauce burn, even he was downstairs and I was upstairs working.... I smelt the burning before he did cos of his friggin' bongo game. Mind you, he had to retreat from me and cower in the bedroom for a good 20 mins whilst I sorted out the mess... he is a little scared of me sometimes. BUT RIGHTLY SO!!

Why can't my husband make good tea? Why...... *sobs*

He hardly ever gets it right....
lets it get cold...
sometimes doesn't let it brew long enough.....
he lets it go scummy at the top....
he gives me a cup that hasn't been fully cleaned...
sometimes the milk has curdled slightly and is sitting in little clots at the top....