Ok mostly just not sitting in front of my computer...

My back is finally kinda sorta better.  So hopefully I'll be around this weekend some.  If it rains, for sure I'll be in.  If it's warm and sunny, well I can't say for sure.

But things, I have done things. 

We watched all 26 episodes of El Cazador de la bruja.  Nadie is my new hero.  Just a normal girl, no super powers, who's willing to give her life to protect the girl she'll realize she's in love with.  It was the character development that made this series.  It wasn't Noir.  Nothing will ever be Noir.  It was lighter, fluffier, more relaxed, more character and less plot driven.  It wasn't better than Noir.  Noir will always be one of my absolute favorites.  But it was different in a very good way.  A lot of people found this series dull.  It was slower to be sure.  There was less action.  Much more of a focus on detailing the main characters, on developing the relationship between Nadie and Ellis.  And that is what made it so good to me.  Often, character development takes a backseat and if you know me, you know that character development is what matters most to me.  That and the ending...Nadie and Ellis.  You have to see it to get it.

We also watched Blue Drop which is gorgeous and sad.  It was also slower.  More character episodes, not that much action.  But Hagino...I really did love her.  Mari drove me nuts, until nearly halfway through the 13 episode series.  But there was a nice bit at the end.  It really is gorgeous animation though.  It's a bit harder to get through as it is heavy.  It's hard to explain.  It's not heavy like death and destruction and the world is always ending.  It's just gloomy, like you know this cannot come to good.

And now we've returned to Mai-HiME.  In which I remember, yet again, that there isn't enough Natsuki and not nearly enough Shizuru.  Oh come on, you knew I only really loved the ShizNat.  Speaking of ShizNat though, I finally found someone who can write them in-character and it not be either horribly stilted or just poorly written.  And she can write them in verse or AU.  And thus, I offer you the two stories I am reading now, both in progress but both still being updated:  The Endless and Inter Nos.  If you like the HiME/Otome characters, and certainly if you like Shizuru/Natsuki, these are worth your time.  The Endless is a Sandman/HiME cross that is truly intriguing.  However, you don't have to know Neil Gaiman's work to appreciate it.  Inter Nos is set in the time of Ancient Rome, in which Hime is Rome.  That you really just have to read.  But the characters are perfect.  They are spot-on in-character.  That's all that should really matter outside of how well written these stories are.

And now that I've gotten carried away...the whole point was to say that I'm back and will probably be around this weekend.  I have to get to work on my girl...that I haven't talked about...but that I actually have a pretty good outline for.  Yes, yes she is a Spash story...

 So it's official:  today the announcement came that South of Nowhere has been cancelled.  They will air the second half of season 3 and then we're over.

Honestly, I don't know how I'll feel when it's all said and done.  When we've gotten our last few episodes and the end is really here. 

Right now, as a fan who adored this show, I feel hard done by.  I don't know precisely where to direct my anger and frustration.  I feel strongly that a lot of the blame can be placed squarely on the shoulders of the network.  But I cannot guarantee that every single thing that went so horribly wrong over the course of the show is entirely the fault of the network.

I know that I will elaborate later.  Make a point by point case of how South lost the plot for me.  But I can't right now.  I guess all I can say now is that, regardless of the mess, I loved this show.  I loved Spencer.  I loved the idea of Spencer and Ashley.  I loved where I thought Ashley could go.  I loved what Kyla was.  I loved every single ounce of potential that this show had to be amazing, and groundbreaking, and honest, and real.

I don't ever want to forget that.

So was it worth it?

Every single second.

 First things first, I have finally put a picture to every single mood on the LJ Mood Theme list.  This does not mean that I am done.  But it does mean that the hardest part is over.  Now I just have to go through and make sure I'm happy with my choices and adjust if I'm not.  So it's a big deal, even if I'm not done.  But by Sunday I am determined to have it loaded and ready to be used.

That has sucked up a great deal of my time.  Seriously, hours per weekday.  But it will be worth it.  No I didn't work on it at all this weekend.  I watched soccer and hockey.  Same thing I do every weekend because soccer is serious business for me.  I watch the BPL games, La Liga games, Serie A games, and Bundesliga games.  I follow a lot of teams and just enjoy watching the game.  Sure I'm doing other stuff while the games are on, but most of the weekend involves the TV being on.  And obviously I cannot focus on my mood theme and ANYTHING else.  Great weekend for the Rangers!  Horrible weekend for Liverpool.  End of story.

Writing...yeah I'm still doing it.  Every week.  And I keep meaning to type the drabbles up obviously but that hasn't happened yet.  I will get to it.  But I've got an idea, an actual idea with plans.  Something in line with what I'm doing in my drabbles.  Filling in the blanks of two and a half seasons of South.  And we have A LOT of blanks.  So what I'm seriously considering is retelling the story, specifically what started out being Spencer's story.  Following the same timeline and remaining within the canon I've been given.  But fleshing it out, filling in the holes, addressing issues that were unfinished or that just disappeared.  I realize this isn't original.  But it's something that matters a great deal to me.  I guess it just goes back to my feeling that, somewhere along the way, we lost the plot a bit.  But this is a serious idea for me.  The first real idea that I've been able to flesh out.  So we'll see how it goes.

Also, I'm still shuffling through Roswell and Gossip Girl.  I still adore Roswell.  I still heart Serena.  I like Blair only marginally more than when I thought she was a complete bitch.  And sometime this week I'm going to watch La vie En Rose and Paris, Je T'aime.

As a final word, Champions League is back!  4 games today and 4 tomorrow!  Awesome!  Better if we manage to beat Inter...

 So I've been doing three things really.

Watching Roswell.
Watching Gossip Girl.
Working on my new mood theme.

No seriously.  I come home from work, work out and watch either Roswell or Gossip Girl, eat dinner, shower, and sit down to work on the mood theme.  I remember now why I got so frustrated last time.  271 pictures and I still feel like I'm lacking.  Maybe I should be less picky.  I need another icon for either sleepy, groggy, or exhausted.  And full. I don't have anything for full.  And I really want this one image that I just don't have.  If you know the show you'll know the one.  When Spencer walks out on Ashley after she's told her she chose her.  And the kid is just standing there on the verge of tears and she does this fist clinching thing.  Gah.  But anyway...

This thing is a bitch.  She'll be gorgeous when she's done.  And I'll be super proud [not that I actually had to find the pictures this time (Sara, you are my hero!) but the choosing is a nasty business ya know.]  So it's like 3+ hours a day. 

Oh, just to put it out there.  I have been online.  I'm covert ya know? ;)

But the real point here is that the damn thing has like taken over my life.  I'm determined to finish it by Sunday night.  Partly because I want to have it for use and partly so I can't agonize over it anymore.

Also, I need to get the rest of the drabbles typed up.  That comes after the mood theme is done though.

I cannot tell you how much I missed Roswell.  Oh good times!  Max and Liz...how cute are they?

And Gossip Girl.  Oh Blake Lively...It's really slick.  Perfectly packaged.  So far I find Blair to be a bitch.  That's a problem I realize and I'm sure once I get further in that will improve.  But Serena...so fucking awesome!  And Jenny, don't sell out kid.

 Now, for a moment of nostalgia. 

So I never just post anymore.

Yeah, I know.

I only post if I've managed to write something, but that was never really the point of this LJ.  The point was to talk about generally unimportant things that matter a great deal to me.  And it's not like there haven't been a million.  I just haven't posted about them.  I dunno why.  But lately as I've been trying to write again, I've been thinking about a few of them.

So, since they've been on my mind...

The fall really sucked sports-wise for me.  Really really sucked.  My field hockey team won the national title.  This, is the only highlight of a rather shitty season. 

And South isn't back until April.  Hooray for strikes! 

And that, is that.  I feel better.  I still don't know about the USWNT...but I love Heather.  I just can't not.  She's reading to little kids for sobbing out loud...

I'm back, a week later.  A week and a drabble later.  Yes, I've managed to write another one.  No it isn't perfection and beauty and awesomeness, but it is moving foward.  It is getting out of bed.  It is moving into the day.  It is trying for the future.  It's still oddly hopeful.  I refuse to write the angst and anger the promos often inspire in me.  I don't want  new girls and Ash kissing boys again.  I want roses, and I love yous, and sitting in laps.  I don't want to get from naked Spencer to Spencer kissing a new girl.  I want candles and couches and sitting oh so very close.  So here's to moving forward.  Here's to having hope.  Here's to the girl I know and love and who I worry is going to fade away.

So it's strange and not that good but it's something which is a lot more than the nothing I've had for a week.  I swear I will write something decent again soon...really.

It was one line.  Four words.  This is what I ended up with.  Obviously I'm stuck at the same point.