ink_splotch

1. I'm possibly going to see Bruce Springsteen in Barcelona. I'm trying not to get my hopes up, because nothing is certain, but. Want so damn badly, particularly because this might be his last ever tour with the E-Street Band and I still haven't seen Patti Scialfa live.

2. You know what? I'm still a little worked up about Doctor Who. ( Spoilers! )

3. Mock the Week is back on TV! Last night's episode was a little off, but Lucy Porter is adorable, Frankie Boyle is still completely inappropriate and slightly less adorable with his hair cut off, and I'm still oddly fond of the friendship between Frankie and Hugh.

3a. Frankie Boyle's coming to Leicester! This is in fact even more ideal than going to see him in London, because this way I can totally stalk him! I don't have to invest in train tickets. Whoop!

YOU GUYS! OH GOD, YOU GUYS! ( Turn Left: Spoilers )

♥

So, Doctor Who, ( The Unicorn and the Wasp )

Now, to Stratford, and Merchant of Venice!

Considering my somewhat well-known love for World War II related fiction, and particularly considering my very well-known love for stories about sexuality, not to mention my affection for stories about stories, you would have thought that someone would have pointed me in the direction of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, wouldn't you?

Can you say post-exam indulgence?

***

My entire house currently smells of cabbage because I am attempting cabbage casserole for dinner. I didn't realize how much it smells, though. Still, Chris just came in to compliment me on it, so it can't be that bad, right?

Also, it still manages to make me happy that I have people who compliment me on my cooking and who I can talk to about nothing for ages. I love this house, I really do, and everyone in it. It's been so good to be back and just hang-out with them, having random conversations about just about anything at anytime; when I'm in Denmark, I miss wandering into the kitchen for a drink and getting caught up in a conversation.

***

How awesome is Donna so far? I mean, 4x01 sucked, but the banter between Donna and Ten was spot-on from the start, and when she basically insisted he let her help him fix the problem, I knew I liked her. 4x02 (which I thought was excellent, and really furthered my understanding of the Doctor) just cemented my adoration. She's so fiesty, and I really like the way she and the Doctor deal with each other - the characterization of the Doctor so far really also shows how much having Martha as a companion really did change him, which, VINDICATED! It's all very, very awesome, and now I'm all giddy about Who again.

I may have to re-watch 3x05/3x06.

***

So far my critical theory essay is a sentence long, and that sentence is a quote. Yet, I feel the important thing is that I've begun.

(Also, it's a Neil Gaiman quote. You can't go wrong, really)

It's been raining and raining and raining; despite a thunderstorm earlier today, the rain has not abated. It's making me feel funny; on one hand, it makes me feel cosy and cuddly, on the other, it makes me miss Gemma. I'm currently cuddled up in Gemma's romm watching television, wearing Gemma's teeshirt and my brand new Converse - shoes I've been wanting for about a month or so now, brown patent leather with green stitching, just purchased yesterday - all of which is embuing me with a peaceful feeling. Of course, that may be the chocolate talking, and possibly the fact that I've just re-watched Kiki's Delivery Service. It's a very sweet film about a 13 year-old witch during her apprentice year away from her family, and it's just so very *sweet* and childlike and makes me feel all warm inside. Even as it makes me miss Gemma. Then again everything does.

I think it's at least partially because I am arriving at yet another big End; the end of my first year, the end of life in university accomodation, the end of Gemma and I's little cocoon, the end of seeing Ros and Mike every night, the end of living near everyone I want to see. It's weird and not at all pleasant really - I have a horrid feeling that it's going to be my highschool graduation all over again, except without my dad to take care of me. I don't know. I just can't stop thinking about it, and it's colouring everything, and it makes me want to grab on to every little moment. I've loved this year, loved everything, the ups and downs and even my stupid mini-depression in later Novemember/early Decemember. This has been basically what I wanted from this year, and I'm all kinds of sad about giving it up.

But enough emo - tomorrow, Jack returns on Who! I really liked Blink though it terrified me stupid; it was a beautiful episode, and Steven Moffat can have my soul, if I ever get it back from Human Nature/The Family of Blood. Oh, Who, how I love you! I am currently discovering the joy of the Eighth Doctor (his companion is a man! they're clearly in love! yay!), so Doctor Who and I? Still going strong. And Jack's tomorrow, which'll be awesome. Hopefully. It is Russel T Davies, and I'm not sure how much faith I have in him. Still.

Other gleeful things: since the end of exams, I've read four books: A Room of One's Own (Virginia, oh Virginia!); The Boleyn Inheritance (Very good; I get really annoyed when people call the series romance novels, when they are in fact political-historical dramas from a female perspective. I spy a paper in this rant.); The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (Still not sure I like this. It's a very simple book and it felt too simple for me - too simple to deal with the complexity of the Holocaust); The Dream Life of Sukanov (an absolutely amazing book about art and creating art; but also about the choices we make and what makes life worth living; about compromise; about what we give up and what we keep; about what is important. Which incidentally ties it into my current book The Time Traveller's Wife, which is beautiful and sad and makes you want to believe.) All but The Boy... come heartily recommended and, interestingly, all but one of them are recognizably post-modern, something which leads me to think this may be the area of my focus when the master's degree rolls around.

Final thing of glee (best for last): went to London yesterday. It was awesome! Gem and I watched The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged) which was hilarious; we saw people perform opera live in Convent Garden; a finger puppet frog prince fell tragically in love with Gemma after she transformed him from frog to prince (okay, maybe I was the one controlling the puppets - still!); we had coffee and we got 20% off books at Waterstones. Oh, London!

Tomorrow: Star Trek marathon with Cathrine and Dr. Who! Yay!

Really, all you need to know about Family of Blood is that it made me cry. And that Martha, for once was the least of it; I actually, really felt for the Doctor - or at least for John Smith - in this episode.

Oh, season three, how are you so awesome?

I spent a goodly portion of today curled up in a hammock listening to Disney and reading Multiculturalism And the Mouse. I'm so cool, I should wear sunglasses when I sleep. (Incidentally, I also read the Tempest out there and fell asleep. Which really should just *add* to my cool cred.)

In other, equally cool, news, spent yesterday with Sofie, mostly, well. Perving on Take That really. Oh, Sofie subtly tried to avoid being forced to watch the DVD, but in the end she fell, and hard. We were maybe half-way into Once You've Tasted Love before she capitulated, due to my most excellent convincing, and also, possibly, Mark Owen's dimples. All in all, very successful. By the end, Sofie was commenting that Back for Good was totally about Robbie Williams, so I claim this one in the name of boybandness! (Also in the name of OT4-ness. Hee! Though I also have a newfound craving for Jason/Mark which I have NO IDEA where came from. Jesus. Shut UP, brain.)

We obviously also did other things, like talk (or rather, I giddied about Gemma and Sofie giggled at me) and watch Foyle's War (which is completely made from win and other good things, and also had Brutus from Rome in a small role.) and watch Linie Tre, during which Sofie made quite a few rather tragically bad comments, and I had to stare at her in horror a lot, which was fun. *grins*

Finally, how awesome is Mika? Very awesome. And also, Mark Owen's Pieces of Heaven is an incredibly gorgeous song. Buying the CDs was still stupid, but damn, they're good. Particularly Life in Cartoon Motion. Oh, man.

Oh, final thing: Man, season three of Who just continues to rock, doesn't it? *loves Martha so damn much* And Talullah is incredibly cute - even if I don't care about the Daleks as most Who fans seem to. But really, I'm still stuck fangirling Martha at the end of Gridlocked. I. Just. Yes! It's *exactly* what Ten needs in a companion. Someone will sit down and say, "I'm not buying it - tell me the truth." Oh, Martha, how are you so awesome?

The essays have ben conquered. Oh yes. As of 11.45 am, too. TRIUMPH!

In completely unrelated news, I hope all the Torchwood fans on my friends-list are already reading this, but I'm going to rec it anyway:

inthesestones. It's a collection of IMs, emails, reports from the Torchwood team, interspersed with prose interludes and it's just gorgeous. Although rather Ianto and Jack centric (not that I'm complaining), it's really good for all characters - I'm particularly fond of the IM conversations, which tell us more about the characters than the ones on the Torchwood website - and it manages to show how the team changes over the course of series 1. Very, very highly reccomended. Also! It's worth seeing the journal *itself*. The graphics are quite neat.

Speaking of Torchwood, I am now only missing the middle five episodes of series 1 of New Who. Huzzah! And I just watched 1x04 - Tosh's met the Doctor! And am I the only one who'd thinks it would be cool to have her try to ask Jack out about the Doctor? Just, you know, mention this humanoid alien she met once, very nice, calls himself the Doctor, and have Jack spazz out completely? That would be amazing.

Then again, I just really want Tosh fic. You know what would be amazing? Tosh/Mickey. *nods* Or, you know, Tosh/Hot Police Woman from 1x08. Tosh needs more love, really she does. Everyone forgets how awesome she is - and snarky!

In other news, I wish I could take my friends with me back to England. I was over at Tess' last night, and I'm going to miss her. Again. Not to mention Rasmus, who I also saw today - we went up to the baker's and had tea and cookies and generally acted about 50 - and Oskar. And Sofie. And I'm terrible at phoning people just to talk, which is silly, because I enjoy just talking, I just...I'm afraid of phones. They're freaky.

ETA: John Barrowman is made from pretty - not that that's news!