State of the Jadesfire

[jadesfire]

I haven't done a proper 'so, how are you all' post in a while, and since I had a good weekend, I felt the need to share.

In list form, of course. Lists are good.

1. Since this is an open post, I can't say too much about what we bought and where (those of you who know, please don't say!), but I am going to list the shops we visited because it was so much fun! We started in Heal's with coffee, then went down to Liberty, which is possibly the most beautiful department store in London. It hasn't really changed since it was built, and the wooden staircases are all still there. Wonderful. Then we went down to Tiffany's to stare at all the sparkly things, and on to Fortnum and Mason's to drool over the food. Since coffee was £4.50 a pot there, we decided to toddle over to the Royal Academy, who had a very nice and VERY reasonably priced restaurant. Then we walked up through Mayfair to Selfridges for more food hall staring. We finished at John Lewis, which is less glamourous than the others, but has just as many pretty things.

We only actually bought the present we went down for and some pieces of fruit to keep me going, but it was a lovely, lovely day. I'd made a point of dressing up a bit (pretty skirt and jacket rather than jeans), which made me feel more confident and meant when the sales girl in Liberty's asked me if she could help, instead of saying 'no, I'm just looking', I asked her about hair stuff. Last Christmas, I bought major_jim some super-strength hand-cream from Aesop, and it smells wonderful, so I thought I'd have another look at their products. We chatted for a while, she explained what everything did and then gave me a couple of handfuls of samples. Result!

It really felt like a proper 'day on the town', and was all kinds of fun. I think I get homesick for London if I don't visit for a while, so this definitely topped up my reserves for a few months.


2. Work continues to be good. I'm staying on top of things and I only get bored when I forget that I have things to do, if that makes sense. Today, I have to go to Blackwells and buy books. Yup, you read that right. It's part of my job to go shopping at Blackwells. Only for Tax Law books but still. Shopping. Book shopping. Part of the job.

I love my job.


3. I got the artword fic done in good time and was relatively pleased with it. The Teyla&Lorne one has stalled a little, so that's tonight's project. Then tomorrow it'll be the SGA genfic, which I have no ideas for. Anyone care to give me a plot prompt? The request is for SGA S5 Teamfic, something cosy and life-affirming. Just a word or a situation should set me off nicely, thanks.

I'm more or less on schedule to be done by NaNo, which I really need to start researching for. The idea I have in mind could either be hard sci-fi, epic fantasy or historical fiction. I quite like leaving it open like that, until I've got some more background info. There's a meet-up for Oxford Nanoites Saturday week, so I'm definitely going to that. One of the things I know I need to do is get out more, and they're very friendly on the forums, so I want to meet them in real life!


4. My recent viewing has included British Style Genius, which is a fascinating look at the history of British style and fashion. I've joined stylishly_yours, and have been having great fun going through their archives.

Also on my list is Stephen Fry in America, which I've only just started. Maybe it's because I'm cataloguing at the same time, but I wasn't overly impressed by it. I might start again, though, because I refuse to believe that Stephen Fry could be dull.


ETA 5: Today's face_of_joe picture is making me sporfle. Image is from S4, and potentially spoilerific. The caption is brilliant and potentially giggle-inducing.

So. That's me, more or less. How's everyone else?

Comments

[dyddgu.livejournal.com]

Me, I'm busy coughing at the undergrads. It's only fair, given they made me ill in the first place.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*nods* That's definitely fair. I don't come face to face with them until tomorrow.

I plan to bring a face mask. just to make the point.

[miss-zedem.livejournal.com]

1. Very cool shopping places *nods* We need a trip to London again sometime soon.

2. You actually have to physically go to Blackwell's? Cool. Although won't it be full of freshers at the moment? Still. Book shopping for a living is a Good Thing :)

3. Yay for getting the fic done :) Hmm, prompt... How about 'virus'? Since I've got one, I don't see why the team can't have one too...

4. I refuse to believe that Stephen Fry could be dull. *rolls eyes* Start believing. I watched it last night, and ended up abandoning it to go to bed (okay, I was ill, but still). I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and assume a lot of footage ended up on the editing suite floor (yes, I know they don't do that anymore ;P), because oh. My. God. Bad BBC. No cookie.

5. Hee. Cute picture *pets John*

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

1. It's just so much fun to look at all the sparkly things and go 'ooh'. Of course, if you have to ask the price, you can't afford them, but. Still fun.

2. The Oxford branch was curiously empty. Maybe they're sleeping off lunch.

3. That's perfect, thanks. Just what I need. How do you do that? ;)

4. I heard him talking about it on Front Row and it sounded so interesting. Having watched the first twenty minutes, I think it was more fun to make...

5. face_of_joe is an awesome comm, and I kind of want to send all the fic writers who describe Sheppard as 'impassive' there to have a look!

*sporfles at your icon* I love fandom in-jokes :D

[nnwest.livejournal.com]

The unproductive weekend was actually rather busy, I realize, now that I've recounted it for miss_zedem. I was just writing off being worn out to it being Monday. :) Otherwise, doing just fine over here--apart from the Monday thing and being at work again. Thanks for asking.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

heh. It's amazing how busy you can be doing nothing, isn't it?

Mondays are definitely to be endured rather than enjoyed...

[dune-drd.livejournal.com]

So glad to hear the job's going well, it's always so good to hear that when people start something new :)

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*nods* It's slightly nervewracking at first, especially when you start thinking "did I do the right thing", but I feel like I'm really getting settled. Which is nice. Odd, but nice :)

[rivers-bend.livejournal.com]

oh, i'm so envious of your london shopping trip! But in a gleeful excited-for-you way *g* That sounds like a great time! and Im' so glad work is good!

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

London was wonderful. The best thing about those kinds of shopping trips is that you end up spending less because you literally can't afford anything. But I could spend hours just being in Liberty's and soaking it all up :)

I keep feeling like I need to pinch myself about the job - it's like I've walked into a management textbook, only with all the best-case scenarios!

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Yay for the job being good! And for book shopping! :)

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

The book shopping was great fun - I didn't even have to take cash!

[crystalshard.livejournal.com]

*waves as is blown past*

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*waves back* Good to know you're still there!

[rustydog.livejournal.com]

There's a meet-up for Oxford Nanoites Saturday week

Oh, how neat! That sounds like a great way to psych oneself up and get encouragement. And I would think, better than feeling like you're writing all alone, which I guess is part of the attraction of NaNoWriMo.

"Nanoites," hee.

I'm so glad you had a nice trip on Saturday.

[dyddgu.livejournal.com]

Me, I'm busy coughing at the undergrads. It's only fair, given they made me ill in the first place.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*nods* That's definitely fair. I don't come face to face with them until tomorrow.

I plan to bring a face mask. just to make the point.

[miss-zedem.livejournal.com]

1. Very cool shopping places *nods* We need a trip to London again sometime soon.

2. You actually have to physically go to Blackwell's? Cool. Although won't it be full of freshers at the moment? Still. Book shopping for a living is a Good Thing :)

3. Yay for getting the fic done :) Hmm, prompt... How about 'virus'? Since I've got one, I don't see why the team can't have one too...

4. I refuse to believe that Stephen Fry could be dull. *rolls eyes* Start believing. I watched it last night, and ended up abandoning it to go to bed (okay, I was ill, but still). I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and assume a lot of footage ended up on the editing suite floor (yes, I know they don't do that anymore ;P), because oh. My. God. Bad BBC. No cookie.

5. Hee. Cute picture *pets John*

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

1. It's just so much fun to look at all the sparkly things and go 'ooh'. Of course, if you have to ask the price, you can't afford them, but. Still fun.

2. The Oxford branch was curiously empty. Maybe they're sleeping off lunch.

3. That's perfect, thanks. Just what I need. How do you do that? ;)

4. I heard him talking about it on Front Row and it sounded so interesting. Having watched the first twenty minutes, I think it was more fun to make...

5. face_of_joe is an awesome comm, and I kind of want to send all the fic writers who describe Sheppard as 'impassive' there to have a look!

*sporfles at your icon* I love fandom in-jokes :D

[nnwest.livejournal.com]

The unproductive weekend was actually rather busy, I realize, now that I've recounted it for miss_zedem. I was just writing off being worn out to it being Monday. :) Otherwise, doing just fine over here--apart from the Monday thing and being at work again. Thanks for asking.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

heh. It's amazing how busy you can be doing nothing, isn't it?

Mondays are definitely to be endured rather than enjoyed...

[dune-drd.livejournal.com]

So glad to hear the job's going well, it's always so good to hear that when people start something new :)

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*nods* It's slightly nervewracking at first, especially when you start thinking "did I do the right thing", but I feel like I'm really getting settled. Which is nice. Odd, but nice :)

[rivers-bend.livejournal.com]

oh, i'm so envious of your london shopping trip! But in a gleeful excited-for-you way *g* That sounds like a great time! and Im' so glad work is good!

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

London was wonderful. The best thing about those kinds of shopping trips is that you end up spending less because you literally can't afford anything. But I could spend hours just being in Liberty's and soaking it all up :)

I keep feeling like I need to pinch myself about the job - it's like I've walked into a management textbook, only with all the best-case scenarios!

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Yay for the job being good! And for book shopping! :)

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

The book shopping was great fun - I didn't even have to take cash!

[crystalshard.livejournal.com]

*waves as is blown past*

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*waves back* Good to know you're still there!

[rustydog.livejournal.com]

There's a meet-up for Oxford Nanoites Saturday week

Oh, how neat! That sounds like a great way to psych oneself up and get encouragement. And I would think, better than feeling like you're writing all alone, which I guess is part of the attraction of NaNoWriMo.

"Nanoites," hee.

I'm so glad you had a nice trip on Saturday.