March the 5th, 6th and 7th: Short version of the days
Aka, the events not all the interesting conversations I had. Boy, is it nice to be home and with my mom, aka someone who is SANE whilst arguing, although we're a lot more similar in our beliefs than I had noticed before, it's rather eerie actually.
So, Friday I had Japanese class, scrambled out of there (almost had to literally pull myself out the door since someone was trying to haul me back in by my book bag, realized it was Liz and not Caitlyn so I gave her hug and managed to get out), found the UPS card in my mail box, and quickly got back to the dorm. Looked up the location of the UPS place and found that, while it wasn't much more than 30 miles off, the roads were so twisty that it would take almost an additional hour to get there and get my package. So I nixed that plan and settled for calling them later to get the package rerouted to back home while I was on break. Also managed to get all my dishes cleaned before my mom came, I hate coming back to a messy room and for some reason messy dishes are the worst, is that just me?
Felt like I talked for almost the two straight hours on the ride home, the past week had been rather busy, and my mom didn't have much to offer up instead. But again, it was nice to talk to someone who, not only has similar views to me, but is mature about it too. Also had a discussion about race with her, when I have time I'll go more into it, and that helped set my mind at ease. Some of the YA blogs have been abuzz lately with discussions on race and gender, but it had gotten to the point where I was starting to be ashamed to be white and that's almost impressive in and of itself. I mean, you can't even shame me for being German and knowing who my relatives were, I know I'm not them. But pretty much instantiating that since I'm white I'm privileged and it has nothing to do with me as a person, geeze, I didn't choose to have this much of a lack of pigmentation!
So, came home, couldn't find my clock and decided that my laundry ate it. Had to apologize to it on Sunday since it turns out my yarn ate the clock instead. Should mention now that I have a unique packing stragedy here, take the dirty laundry and not much else home. Since it is a week's worth of laundry (and I am out of detergent) I figure that this should last me well enough. Plus, I still have some clothes back home (like, at least two pairs of underwear) and my mom had gotten a few new shirts for me (a sleeves blue one that fades into this cool green pattern and another shirt I'll probably return since it's a tad too small).
So, Saturday was spent all around books. First off, I was opening my mail on Friday and had gotten a letter from USAA where the URGENT notice wasn't in the window. Apparently they wanted a photocopy of my social security card and a Government issued photo id, front and back, by the 25th of February? Yeaaahhhh, sending that off Monday and I'll probably give them a call as well to see what's going on, something about post 9/11 rules but geeze, 9/11 was 8 years ago and I came of age a year ago as well, did someone fall behind on the paper work? Also means that I won't be sending my birthday checks in yet (something about, putting a hold on my account, eh?) and my mom and I will send my Federal refund (did my taxes in a dry run in about 10 minutes) to her account to transfer over to mine later. Hmm, maybe when I'm calling them I can inquire about gaining full control of my account too....
So, photo copied at the library and *finally* found a copy of The Demon's Lexicon. It's alright, need to do a book review soon (anime review should be up tomorrow or Tuesday, I swear!) but the cover, there is something WRONG with that cover. It's, ehhh, I don't even know what's throwing me off about it, maybe because the picture is orientated on the right and American's look to the left first? I dunno, not liking the cover for the second book either. But before this my mom and I went to Borders where I searched and failed to find the second volume of Tegami Batchi. BUT I came across a few volumes of the Nausicaa manga and grabbed number 7 since I knew I didn't have that one. So I'm only missing 4 and 6 now, and with any luck I can snag at least one of those at AZ and the other during a TRSI VIZ sale. It's funny, Borders in particular and possibly other bookstores as well, aren't putting books out as early as they used to. I remember finding books in the YA section before a week or two before the release date (manga section too, I remember seeing a few authors post "Ohp, it's out now apparently!") but it seems like they're holding back now, maybe checking the best sellers list and the reviews more carefully?
Back to the Tegami Batchi (keep switching between that and Letter Bee, it's a case where the translation is fine but the fandom uses both names), I did find it in Barnes and Noble in about 3 minutes and was quite happy. Seriously under-appreciated manga here, and, now that the anime has gotten back to the canon and renewed for a second season, I'm loving it anymore. So Viz, why the 6 month wait between volumes?!?! Yes it only has 9 volumes now (8 when they started publishing it), but even in Japan it gets three releases a year! Gah, the publishers are TERRIFIED of catching up to the Japanese releases, even though (IMO mind you) it would be better for the companies to match the releases so people wouldn't have to rely on scanlations as much. I mean geeze, apparently Yen Press is sending cease and desist letters for their series (which is completely within their rights but no one ever really cares >.>), and as a tangent this may explain why Soul Eater is taking so long to come out this month. Anyway, the second volume of that just came out and in Japan we're on the 16th volume. That one is due out, um, it isn't even listed on the site but, judging from the pattern, October 2014. Yes, four years from now and, even though I know there were a few problems (Ohkubo wanted them to release his other series first so that delayed them by a year, plus YP is so small that they do 3-a-year releases instead of 4-a-year, even though Soul Eater is easily one of their top three earners, and the 4 a year plan also has something to do with how fast they can move the manga off the shelves) but you can understand the need for scanlations.
At the end of all of this I went over to my dad's house (who was tired after the gold trip with his brothers+cousins, something about the seafood the previous night too) and it was rather tame there. Took advantage of CR having a two day Shinkai event and watched A Place Promised in Our Early Days (saw Voices of a Distant Star Friday night and 5cm a Second on Sunday) and apparently watching slightly sorrowful love stories before bed gives me strange yet awesome dreams. Had a few of those lately, certainly stuff to think about which makes me happy. Or maybe my marathon reading of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief had something to do with it (is it just me or are more protags being dyslexic these days? There are times when I think I have a mild case of it but it's nothing like it's ever described in the books, guess I must've been more tired every day at the library than I thought).
Sunday was quiet as well, got over to Jo Annes and kicked myself afterwards for forgetting to check my email for any possible coupons. True it wouldn't have saved me much (the black stretch fabric was already 40% off and the only other things I got were two patterns, a zipper and some Velcros) but I do obsessively save pennies you have to remember. Just managed to fit it all on my gift card, although my mom said she would give me $10 for fabric as a birthday gift, sure that'll get used soon enough. Got cracking with the patterns this evening, one was the elusive knife pleat skirt pattern and I cut out all the pieces for Kim's skirt with that (of course I forgot my sewing scissors and mom lost hers, thank god Ted had a pair of scissors) and I hope to finish the skirt by later in the week. Think I've got a good shot at it, almost no homework, a working iron, and a laptop I can prop by the sewing machine to show me the backlog of Project Runway, sounds like a plan to me.
And I'm crashing now, GAH, better get that anime review up tomorrow, the reason it got delayed is that I realized I was about to finish up two more anime that would fit the cyberpunk definition and wanted to add them in. Reminds me, it is March now and I said I would make it a mecha March, better catch up with Bantorra and then face the music and try GUNDAM SEED. I admit I'm crazy for trying to watch a 50 episode series in under 30 days, maybe it'll really grab me and I won't be able to stop? Signing off, new lenses tomorrow, er, today.
So, Friday I had Japanese class, scrambled out of there (almost had to literally pull myself out the door since someone was trying to haul me back in by my book bag, realized it was Liz and not Caitlyn so I gave her hug and managed to get out), found the UPS card in my mail box, and quickly got back to the dorm. Looked up the location of the UPS place and found that, while it wasn't much more than 30 miles off, the roads were so twisty that it would take almost an additional hour to get there and get my package. So I nixed that plan and settled for calling them later to get the package rerouted to back home while I was on break. Also managed to get all my dishes cleaned before my mom came, I hate coming back to a messy room and for some reason messy dishes are the worst, is that just me?
Felt like I talked for almost the two straight hours on the ride home, the past week had been rather busy, and my mom didn't have much to offer up instead. But again, it was nice to talk to someone who, not only has similar views to me, but is mature about it too. Also had a discussion about race with her, when I have time I'll go more into it, and that helped set my mind at ease. Some of the YA blogs have been abuzz lately with discussions on race and gender, but it had gotten to the point where I was starting to be ashamed to be white and that's almost impressive in and of itself. I mean, you can't even shame me for being German and knowing who my relatives were, I know I'm not them. But pretty much instantiating that since I'm white I'm privileged and it has nothing to do with me as a person, geeze, I didn't choose to have this much of a lack of pigmentation!
So, came home, couldn't find my clock and decided that my laundry ate it. Had to apologize to it on Sunday since it turns out my yarn ate the clock instead. Should mention now that I have a unique packing stragedy here, take the dirty laundry and not much else home. Since it is a week's worth of laundry (and I am out of detergent) I figure that this should last me well enough. Plus, I still have some clothes back home (like, at least two pairs of underwear) and my mom had gotten a few new shirts for me (a sleeves blue one that fades into this cool green pattern and another shirt I'll probably return since it's a tad too small).
So, Saturday was spent all around books. First off, I was opening my mail on Friday and had gotten a letter from USAA where the URGENT notice wasn't in the window. Apparently they wanted a photocopy of my social security card and a Government issued photo id, front and back, by the 25th of February? Yeaaahhhh, sending that off Monday and I'll probably give them a call as well to see what's going on, something about post 9/11 rules but geeze, 9/11 was 8 years ago and I came of age a year ago as well, did someone fall behind on the paper work? Also means that I won't be sending my birthday checks in yet (something about, putting a hold on my account, eh?) and my mom and I will send my Federal refund (did my taxes in a dry run in about 10 minutes) to her account to transfer over to mine later. Hmm, maybe when I'm calling them I can inquire about gaining full control of my account too....
So, photo copied at the library and *finally* found a copy of The Demon's Lexicon. It's alright, need to do a book review soon (anime review should be up tomorrow or Tuesday, I swear!) but the cover, there is something WRONG with that cover. It's, ehhh, I don't even know what's throwing me off about it, maybe because the picture is orientated on the right and American's look to the left first? I dunno, not liking the cover for the second book either. But before this my mom and I went to Borders where I searched and failed to find the second volume of Tegami Batchi. BUT I came across a few volumes of the Nausicaa manga and grabbed number 7 since I knew I didn't have that one. So I'm only missing 4 and 6 now, and with any luck I can snag at least one of those at AZ and the other during a TRSI VIZ sale. It's funny, Borders in particular and possibly other bookstores as well, aren't putting books out as early as they used to. I remember finding books in the YA section before a week or two before the release date (manga section too, I remember seeing a few authors post "Ohp, it's out now apparently!") but it seems like they're holding back now, maybe checking the best sellers list and the reviews more carefully?
Back to the Tegami Batchi (keep switching between that and Letter Bee, it's a case where the translation is fine but the fandom uses both names), I did find it in Barnes and Noble in about 3 minutes and was quite happy. Seriously under-appreciated manga here, and, now that the anime has gotten back to the canon and renewed for a second season, I'm loving it anymore. So Viz, why the 6 month wait between volumes?!?! Yes it only has 9 volumes now (8 when they started publishing it), but even in Japan it gets three releases a year! Gah, the publishers are TERRIFIED of catching up to the Japanese releases, even though (IMO mind you) it would be better for the companies to match the releases so people wouldn't have to rely on scanlations as much. I mean geeze, apparently Yen Press is sending cease and desist letters for their series (which is completely within their rights but no one ever really cares >.>), and as a tangent this may explain why Soul Eater is taking so long to come out this month. Anyway, the second volume of that just came out and in Japan we're on the 16th volume. That one is due out, um, it isn't even listed on the site but, judging from the pattern, October 2014. Yes, four years from now and, even though I know there were a few problems (Ohkubo wanted them to release his other series first so that delayed them by a year, plus YP is so small that they do 3-a-year releases instead of 4-a-year, even though Soul Eater is easily one of their top three earners, and the 4 a year plan also has something to do with how fast they can move the manga off the shelves) but you can understand the need for scanlations.
At the end of all of this I went over to my dad's house (who was tired after the gold trip with his brothers+cousins, something about the seafood the previous night too) and it was rather tame there. Took advantage of CR having a two day Shinkai event and watched A Place Promised in Our Early Days (saw Voices of a Distant Star Friday night and 5cm a Second on Sunday) and apparently watching slightly sorrowful love stories before bed gives me strange yet awesome dreams. Had a few of those lately, certainly stuff to think about which makes me happy. Or maybe my marathon reading of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief had something to do with it (is it just me or are more protags being dyslexic these days? There are times when I think I have a mild case of it but it's nothing like it's ever described in the books, guess I must've been more tired every day at the library than I thought).
Sunday was quiet as well, got over to Jo Annes and kicked myself afterwards for forgetting to check my email for any possible coupons. True it wouldn't have saved me much (the black stretch fabric was already 40% off and the only other things I got were two patterns, a zipper and some Velcros) but I do obsessively save pennies you have to remember. Just managed to fit it all on my gift card, although my mom said she would give me $10 for fabric as a birthday gift, sure that'll get used soon enough. Got cracking with the patterns this evening, one was the elusive knife pleat skirt pattern and I cut out all the pieces for Kim's skirt with that (of course I forgot my sewing scissors and mom lost hers, thank god Ted had a pair of scissors) and I hope to finish the skirt by later in the week. Think I've got a good shot at it, almost no homework, a working iron, and a laptop I can prop by the sewing machine to show me the backlog of Project Runway, sounds like a plan to me.
And I'm crashing now, GAH, better get that anime review up tomorrow, the reason it got delayed is that I realized I was about to finish up two more anime that would fit the cyberpunk definition and wanted to add them in. Reminds me, it is March now and I said I would make it a mecha March, better catch up with Bantorra and then face the music and try GUNDAM SEED. I admit I'm crazy for trying to watch a 50 episode series in under 30 days, maybe it'll really grab me and I won't be able to stop? Signing off, new lenses tomorrow, er, today.