Mmm, food poisoning and insomnia. What a lovely combination.

I suppose it's naturally hard to sleep when you're having to run to throw up constantly. I guess that'll teach me the importance of bringing my own food to work with me, instead of ordering out. But it was just fries and gravy! Maybe it's the side of mayo that's getting its revenge or something.

I'd drink some more Pepto Bismol, but I really don't want to throw up again…  I think I'll just curl up in bed and lie very still, maybe I can pass out for a while.

I have to go to sleep now (because whoa, exhausted!) but here's something funny to read: the Harry Potter timeline, as recorded by the_zaniak.

A bit early, but I figured I'd post about it now. My New Year's resolutions always end up something lame, so I figured I'd try and resolve to do something neat this year. And here's my list:

1. I've signed up for 12in2008, which is an awesome writing challenge where you set your own goals. I've set mine at 1,000 words minimum, but I'm hoping they'll be longer than that.

2. I've also joined the Project 365 group on Flickr, wherin people are challenged to take a picture every day and post it. What with learning more and more about my new camera (it can swap colors! it can shoot everything but one color in black and white!) every day, I'm thinking this'll be a good exercise and learning experience.

3. Since I bought myself a digital piano/keyboard thing, I'm going to try and get at least half an hour of practice in every second day. Originally this was an hour every day, but I don't want to end up quitting and disappointing myself, so I'm going to take it easy and go from there. I've got a Hanon Virtuoso Pianist in 60 Exercises book ordered, and a bunch of easy classics printed out, we'll see how long it takes me to get back into playing shape. I've got four years of piano behind me, but that was a Very Long Time Ago, so it might take a while. OTOH, since I can read music and I'm not doing any theory for now, it'll just be a matter of getting my fingering skills back.

4. I'm going to dig out my copies of Wheelock's Latin, the workbook, and the reader, and start working through them again. I know it's not a really useful language, but if I can't afford to go back to school and study the classics, I may as well pick up some of the information on my own.

5. I'm going to try (operative word being try and make my way through those Pimsleur French lessons, ridiculously structured as they are. I'm hoping that the course is actually better than it seems, and that the price of the thing (aroud $500 per course, there are three courses) reflects the quality. I didn't actually pay for it, so it's not like it'll be wasted if I don't carry on with it, but I want to actually learn French, and I might as well use what I have. I guess if it really doesn't work out, I can always try another course (maybe French for Dummies, or something like that). A couple of my roommates are from Quebec (and I actually get along with them most of the time), and they've said that they'd help if I wanted to learn.

Among others are the usual "exercise more," and "save up money," and "get driver's license," and "go to the dentist regularly," and so on, but those are the usual resolutions that most people make, so I won't bother enumerating them.

What are your resolutions for the new year?

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Now playing: Johnny Cash - Cat's In The Cradle
via FoxyTunes

The video is from mmaresca, and the comic link is from glitterandlube, who bring us DCU-flavored holidays…

Superman and Batman on the existence of Santa Claus.

Batman learns the meaning of Christmas.

I'm combining two memes here… it's the Wikipedia music album one, with a twist.

1. Go to Random Article on Wikipedia.
This will be the name of your band.

2. Go to Random Quotations.
The last four words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your album.

3. Click random article 15 more times (or however many you want); those are the tracks on your album.

4. Go to flickr and click on "explore the last seven days".
Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

5. Use Photoshop or something similar to mix it all up. Post.

One of the special features on the two-disc special edition of the 1989 Batman is a storyboard sequence that never made it into the final script, introducing the Boy Wonder.  Scene:

The Flying Graysons have just been killed by the explosion caused by the Joker. Dick Grayson, the only survivor, makes his way down to the ground and lunges at the Joker. Batman holds him back.

Joker: Oooh, Batman, love the boyfriend. He's kinda hot.

Now imagine that said in Mark Hamill's Joker-voice. Playing counterpart to Kevin Conroy's Batman.
Clearly, I now need to get my hands on Batman the Animated Series. *facepalm*

I just finished watching The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I believe this is actually the first time I've seen it since I saw it in the theatres - I never got around to picking up the DVD until a couple of weeks ago.

The first time I read the books, I was about seven or eight, and visiting family with my grandmother. I got really sick as soon as we got there, so I spent the entire week we were there in bed on the orders of my grandmother. I remember the bed had a small bookshelf above it, and on the shelf were all the books in the series. Already a bookworm even at that age, I picked up the first one (I can't remember if they were in publishing or chronological order, but I don't think it would have mattered at the time) and started reading. By the time I got to The Silver Chair and Eustace and Jill called Aslan's name three times, I was really sick and feverish.

One night, when my grandmother forced me to put the book away and go to sleep, I closed my eyes really tight, and whispered Aslan's name three times. I don't remember the exact nature of the dreams I had that night, but I do remember that I tried to dream them again by saying "Aslan, Aslan, Aslan," over and over again. Sadly, I never managed to go back. I guess it's just like with the wardrobe not being a doorway into Narnia after the Pevensies come back; there are other ways into Narnia, but it'll probably happen when you're not looking for it.

I was saying to my boss at the bookstore yesterday that knowing the allegories behind books like The Narnia Chronicles and His Dark Materials kind of spoils the story for me. I know that there are certain things that the authors intended the books to do, but frankly, I don't really care. I don't care that Aslan is an allegory for Jesus, I don't care that the Magisterium is a thinly disguised Catholic Church. As I said yesterday, "stop getting your religion all over my fantasy!" I don't need to be preached to, I don't need to be lectured, and not knowing what the authors intended the stories to be really doesn't take away from my enjoyment of the incredible storytelling that goes on in these books.  Maybe it's a good thing that I didn't pursue that English degree that I was planning on. All the meta and the analysis would just spoil things for me.

So, guess who's probably going to have to work tonight, on a day off, on a day of the frelling staff Christmas party, on a day when I have a headache so fucking bad my goddamn migraine pills aren't touching it? I'm sitting here, crying, because while I feel bad for the girl who's getting two wisdom teeth out tomorrow, she's not the only one in pain and fighting not to throw up. Seriously, what is this, karma for something? I just… I'm so hungry I feel like I could eat and eat and eat, but I'm also so nauseous, I can barely keep water down. I was going to drug myself up with some more pills and try to put in an appearance at the staff party dinner, but now…

She's going to call the boss and tell him, and if he calls me to tell me that I have to work, I'm not going to the fucking Christmas party. I am not going to sit there and put on a happy face for the sake of "diplomacy" or "loyalty" or whatever else, and then go to work like a good little fucking worker bee.

Goddammit.

Ugh. Last night of the workweek, and my head feels like it's swollen to twice its size. My sinuses are rebelling, I think, and there's nothing I can do about it, because I left all my drugs at home. Not that I actually have anything at home that would help with a sinus headache, what with being all out of anti-inflammatories, migraine pills, and any kind of sinus/cold medication. Maybe I'll just drink some hot tea or something, that might make me feel better. On top of that, I forgot to wear a sweater tonight, but thankfully, my stepmom dropped off a fleece jacket I had at their place, so at least I am warm.

And likely to remain warm even if I go outside, as I have received my X-Mas gift from my parents: a nice and warm winter jacket. It'll most likely be used for skiing/outdoor stuff, but it'll also come in handy when it's below -20C outside and my black coat just doesn't cut it. Plus, in the spring and fall, it zips out into a fleece jacket and a waterproof shell, so really, three jackets for the price of one.

Tomorrow is the staff holiday party. I was actually planning on not going, because I'd rather go to a movie (or two) on a Tuesday night than have to force myself to attend a party with people I don't really have anything in common with (other than work, which considering we work in different "departments," isn't a lot). But a couple of the roommates (the ones I actually get along with) have asked me to come and keep them company, so I might go just for dinner and then head out early. Everyone knows I get a lot of headaches lately, so I can always use that as an excuse, right? Still, it's a Greek restaurant, and it's Tuesday, which means belly dancing and plate smashing, so it should be fun. I just hope that coworker J either gets her tooth pulled and lots of painkillers, or at least lots of painkillers, because there's a chance that the boss will try to make me work tomorrow night. And while I can say no to coworker J or someone else who tries to get me to switch shifts with her, saying no to the boss might be a bit more difficult. Still, if this headache doesn't go away by tomorrow afternoon, I'm going to do my best to put my foot down and say no.

So I'm clearing off the hard drive, burning the tv stuff to disks, and while it's still taking a while, at least it doesn't take an hour per disk, like the computer I used back in Edmonton did. Man, that was a pain. The second external hard drive is still FUBAR, but I'm going to hang onto it for a while, just in case I get a chance to plug it into an actual desktop and see if that works any better. BFF got me a hard drive recovery program, but apparently you have to leave it running for up to a week, and, well, I take my laptop to work with me every night, five nights a week, so that's not really an option. And no, I'm not willing to go to work and leave the laptop at home.

Last night, instead of going to see The Golden Compass, I passed out and napped instead. Bad dreams and depression will do that to a person, I guess. I'm feeling a little better (or at least dealing with it a little better), even though I still can't really talk to anyone about it without starting to cry. So I guess maybe I'm just getting better at repressing?

The plan for today includes burning more disks, doing laundry, putting away some of the yarn stash in a better container than a plastic bag, possibly going to Calgary with my stepmom, stopping by the knitting store in Canmore and picking up DPNs for the earflap hat (if we go), and a trip to the post office to see if the t-shirts I ordered from Threadless (this one, this one, this one, and this one) have arrived yet. It's been over three weeks, so hopefully they'll be here soon.