So, it is party time again, folks!

[wiseheart]

Each year this time, we launch my virtual birthday party, which starts on October 1 and ends on October 9 at midnight, sharp. The goals of the party are to post as many comments and collapse as many threads as possible, on as many new pages as we can. It is always great fun, as you can see if you check out the similar entries of the last few years.

This year, I'll also throw the real party at mid-time - and post the recipes of all the food that will be there for you, so that you can all participate if you want to. Virtual food has no calories.

Fandom-related discussions are as welcome as the ones about coffee or chocolate (just to name a few favourites from previous years), and, of course, pictures and recipes of birthday cakes. ;)

So, drop by, tell your story, post your pics or silly poems, ask questions you always wanted to ask and have a good time!

Soledad, in excited expectation




Oh, and by the way, to provide birthday gifts hobbit-style, I've got a revived story and a Kansas 2 update for you.

Enjoy!

Comments

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

I'll make a recruiting entry right before the beginning of Advent, then, and we'll see who joins up.

[espresso-addict.livejournal.com]

I enjoy Only Connect, though I tend to catch it when channel surfing late at night (I have insomnia). Yes, Minister is one of my all-time favourites.

We stopped recording a year or so ago -- it was just becoming a struggle to watch things and a source of stress.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Yes, whenever I start yammering that the cards didn't turn out as they were supposed to, my colleagues give me blank looks. They never spot the mistakes on their own. But I still know they are there, and I'm not happy.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Elves! You need to befriend some Elves and get them to visit your garden regularly. Wood-Elves would be best; they can talk to the plants and make them grow willingly. *g*

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

You just lurk near one of the shared computers until it becomes available, then sit down in front of it and don't leave until you are finished. *g*

And I don't get paid to type in my fic. I get paid to rot in the room uselessly, in case someone gets sick or has to leave on some official business, and then I have to go and hold the lesson for them. If there is no such case, I simply waste my time there.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I am relieved I could do it. Typing on a laptop for an extended amount of time kills my back and my wrists, so having a real keyboard is a blessing.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

My satellite receiver is still dead - service guy failed to show up last week - so I'm watching a daily quiz programme with Mum on Hungarian tv (at least we spend an hour together each evening) and some canned stuff for my writing.

I re-watched all 13 episodes of Crusade recently, for the cryptic Galen stuff, to get into the character's head for my current Babylon 5 crossover story, and some B5 episodes from the end of Season 3, as the story takes place in that time frame.

Next on the plan is to finally watch the Black Guardian trilogy of Dr Who, featuring the Fifth Doctor, which I've purchased via the English bookshop in summer but never got around to actually see it. And I still have to watch the second half of Merlin's last season, which I bought in Vienna around May or so... *sigh*

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

So would anybody be interested in a Christmas Card exchange? I could put up an entry at the beginning of Advent, and we could join up. Only hand-made cards would count, even if it's only a pencil-drawn fishbone, claiming to be a pine tree. *g*

Of course, I'd send you guys a card anyway, like every other year, I just think it would be fun. And then we could discuss techniques and our headway with the project (or the lack thereof) and have fun.

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

I mostly like having a fair amount recording, because it means not running out of things to watch, although running out of space is a different ;)

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Oh, and BTW, the DW importer is still acting up. One day it is willing to import my comments, on the other way it isn't. Right now, the first 516 comments are safely imported, but today I couldn't get through the rests. *sighs*

I don't dare to delete the emails with the comments, in case we need to put them back again, like two years ago, and keep prying that LJ should behave this time.

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

Hopefully the service guy will come soon and be able to fix the problem.

Yay for rewatching Babylon 5 and Crusade

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a pest - although at least it sounds like they let you get on with fun things while waiting around.

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

Good luck! Hopefully it won't crash again.

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

Sounds like it could be a lot of fun (and impetus to actually getting cards made - nothing like deadlines for motivation).

[elmey.livejournal.com]

Well it does sound nice, but that's because I haven't mentioned the weeds, etc. It's a benign neglect sort of garden.

Here are the sad facts on the Multiflora Rose:

http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/pubs/midatlantic/romu.htm

That said, when they're blooming (huge bushes) all along the paths of the park and the roads in June, they're beautiful and have a lovely soft scent.

[espresso-addict.livejournal.com]

Ah, I know all about benign neglect gardens. We have more nettles than any other plant (sadly including grass).

The Multiflora cultivar Rambling Rector is widely grown over here; it doesn't seem to be invasive though it does get warnings not to plant it in too small a space. I don't think roses have been widely used in agricultural hedging -- traditionally hawthorn is used, though one does get dog roses in it from time to time, but they're native here.

There's a big problem with Rhododendron in the UK -- it's invasive and seems to be capable of growing absolutely everywhere.

[espresso-addict.livejournal.com]

It does seem a very odd thing to want you to do, but good for catching up on non-work projects.

[espresso-addict.livejournal.com]

Apart from the icon problem, LJ seems fairly stable atm (touch wood).

[espresso-addict.livejournal.com]

Wood elves would be excellent but we live in the middle of farmland, so they don't tend to visit much.

[espresso-addict.livejournal.com]

It's a pity you can't watch it at work, whilst doing all this sitting around.

I've never got into B5 though a few people have suggested it's like DS9.

[ideealisme.livejournal.com]

yay! :)

[espresso-addict.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid this year is going to be frantic as we complete on the new house at the end of November, Mr EA is hoping to get this one on the market by February (not gonna happen, but don't tell him that), and the rental business on the Scottish house will be starting in March...

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

No, I don't think so - aside from the fact that both shows take place on a space station.

I am biased towards Star Trek forever, but B5 does have one big advantage: the 5 years have an ongoing storyline. There are lots of filler chapters, of course, and the 5-year-arc would have worked better had TPTB not sabotaged the show so that JMS was forced to finish everything of interest in a hurry in mid-Season 4 - only to give the green light for more and than have to come up with something to fill it. But some of the characters were interesting, the alien cultures, too, and there was a lot of background work.

Really, it's like apples and oranges - it depends on your personal taste which one do you find better.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

I've stitched a lot of cards in these fruitless hours, too.

[espresso-addict.livejournal.com]

I think people were comparing it with the Dominion War arc in later DS9, tho' to be honest that wasn't my favourite aspect of DS9. I got the impression it might be a bit depressing which rather put me off -- definitely not robust enough for depressing entertainment these days. Or am I confusing it with BSG?