So... the Sorting Hat on Pottermore decided to put me in GRYFFINDOR!

This was not met with happy cheers. My face slumped and I was like "What is this Fuckery?" and got a bit moody and quickly pondered which of my answers had led me to be sectioned off as "brave and chivalrous" and all that malarkey. I'd wanted Ravenclaw, damnit! I'm a total geek who likes books and history and Shakespeare and such-like! Heck, I would have even been mildly pleased with Hufflepuff because there's something cool about being a rank outsider, and I think in truth that I'd probably rather suit that house, as well.

But then I got over myself and realised that this was actually a very great compliment. So, yes, I'm quiet and geeky and what-not, but maybe I have a strange sort of bravery running through me somewhere after all... Maybe that sneaky lil Sorting Hat is right.


Gracie the Gryffindor by ~darth-jurious on deviantART

But anyway... all that silliness aside: yes I'm now on "Pottermore" and it's quite good fun! The duelling can be addictive when you get together with a few friends and keep challenging one-another, and the inter-house rivalries become stupidly intense! (Reminds me of being back at school in Newton house when we had those uber-competitive sports days and team matches! Rawr!) Also, Potions is a huge challenge (I've melted two cauldrons already, which I think is very Gryffindor of me!) and some of the added titbits of information you glean from J.K.Rowling on the characters and the story as you progress through the chapters of the books are rather interesting.

At the moment, I've finished book one and am waiting for book 2 to become available. In the meantime, I am just messing about with duelling and potions and stuff. If you want to become my Hogwarts pal, my username is "SkullOwl15316" (you have to choose a username from a generated list before you ask me why I chose such a strange one!).

And... for the sake of Pottermore... Go Go Gryffindor!


Go Go Gryffindor by ~darth-jurious on deviantART

Tired, mopey, random doodle time... Oberon lounging in a tree by moonlight. Why have I drawn this? Well, why not...? Just love doodling ol' Steampunk'd!Briggsy!Oberon.


A Spirit Of Another Sort by ~darth-jurious on deviantART

"But we are spirits of another sort:
I with the morning's love have oft made sport,
And, like a forester, the groves may tread,
Even till the eastern gate, all fiery-red,
Opening on Neptune with fair blessed beams,
Turns into yellow gold his salt green streams.
But, notwithstanding, haste; make no delay:
We may effect this business yet ere day."
-Oberon, MSND 3:2

Based on and inspired by the STC's production of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

Had a great time at Crufts last Saturday. It's always a great chance to see friends in the dog world that I don't see very often any more, since I don't get to many conformation shows, and it's just a blast in general - there's nothing like it. I was given the privilege of handling one Tervueren girl in the ring and we got second in the Limit Bitch class (which will mean nothing to most of you, but that was really good, trust me!). It's always fun to do a bit of show handling again. :)

(Before you ask, my boy wasn't entered - he doesn't do shows any more, and even if he did, he'd have to qualify to get there. And he's certainly not good enough to do agility at Crufts yet! Hehe.)

Anyway, here's a round up of all the BOBs (or "Best of Breed"s to the uninitiated... hehe!) in the four varieties of Belgian Shepherd dog at Crufts. Well done to the owners, handlers and breeders:

( BSD BOBs )

All photos are © The Kennel Club and available to view on their Flickr pages. Woof. :3

To top off the weekend, my Phoenix-boy got a third and a sixth place at the final show in the "Agility Nuts" winter series. His third place meant he also won his first medal! What a superstar boy! Very proud of him! Unfortunately the day was marred by my suffering a bout of random vertigo which has taken me the whole time since to fully recover from -- a bit scary! -- but hey-ho... sh!t happens.

Here's token photo to show that Phoenix is every bit as pretty as the show dogs, and talented in his own little way. ;) Hehe. (Though I am perhaps a bit biased...)

Free to a good home! The sniffles! I'll even throw in a cough and a few sneezes. Any takers...? :P *cough*

Got my start date for new job: May 1^st, with eight days worth of induction! Bit scary but also exciting. I really hope I do good at this job - it's just an absolute dream job,I can't let them down.

Debating whether to go to dog training tonight now. See how I feel later on. Don't want to be poorly for this weekend, though - Crufts Saturday and an agility show Sunday!

Well, what a weekend! With the drama of my interview with the "Dogs Trust" over on Friday afternoon, I at least had chance to relax a lil on my Saturday and Sunday excursion down south to Abingdon 'n' Oxford.

I had to drop my poor Phoenix-boy off at the boarding kennels Saturday morning, which he resisted with all his might. It was quite a battle getting him into the kennel! Silly sausage. He really doesn't like his mummy leaving him... but I need a break once in a while. (He's certainly not going to be happy when I have to leave him in the kennels for nearly a *week* during the Discworld Convention in August!)

So Saturday afternoon my housemate Bec and I rolled on down to Abingdon and the journey was managed without a satnav! (With a tiny bit of help from Bec on her phone... just because I took my less preferable route and was a bit hazy on it.) We were staying at a hotel called "The Upper Reaches", which is pretty much connected to the Unicorn theatre, where we were going to see the play in the evening. (Also, something of a coincidence for me, it is owned by the same group that own "The White Hart" in Lincoln, which is a very famous old hotel in my home town! Kinda cool.)

Since our hotel didn't start serving dinner until 6:30pm, Bec and I ventured out for dinner and had a quick bite at a lil Mediterranean restaurant, then rushed back, had a quick change of clothes, and went to the theatre to see the Studio Theatre Club's latest play.

The play this time was Shakespeare's "Comedy of Errors", which I had, by chance, read last year just out of curiosity. My friend Bec had never read it at all, or even heard of it, so it was all new to her.

( A Comedy of Errors )

Afterwards we rolled on down to the pub to have a drink and a wee chat with some of the STC members. Got a few weird looks from some people at the bar because I was carting around a copy of "Twister" (which jarethshair had kindly given to me for my Discworld Convention-shenanigans later this year). They were probably wondering if I was going to set it up on the floor and start a game! Heheh.

Whilst there, I was given a badge from one of the cast members as a kind of reward for "coming to every play", which was really cool. (This had, apparently, been Stephen Briggs' idea...) My badge said "I ♥ Syracuse" - the other variation was, of course, "I ♥ Ephesus". I wore the badge for the rest of the weekend. :) It's a cute lil memento for me to keep.

Stephen also asked, jokingly, if I wanted to book tickets for the next play already. ;) Teehee. Owing to not knowing about job status and stuff I have no idea if I'll be able to make the next one - which will be a production of John Dighton's "The Happiest Days of Your Life" - but I would like to. I remember watching the old black-and-white film version (starring Alastair Sim) as a child, it being one of my mum's favourite films, and I imagine it'd be a really fun stage play. But we'll see... It falls on the same weekend as a local agility show, too, so if I have the weekend free, it'll be a choice between one or the other...

Anyway, yesterday Bec and I had a fabulous breakfast at our hotel then leisurely checked-out and left the car at the park-n-ride before jumping on the bus to Oxford city centre. We had a good poddle round the shops and stopped a couple of times at some of the neat lil coffee shops. I discovered a book shop where EVERY BOOK was £2! *happy dance* It was a miracle I only emerged with two, both classic Russian novels that I've never heard of before and which sound weird but intriguing! (They are "The Master and Margarita" by Bulgakov and "Dead Souls" by Gogol... anyone read either of these?)

I didn't manage to find the black fine-line pens I had initially set out to get... but ah well! Much fun was had, regardless of shopping objectives.

After this, we returned to the car and I drove home in a solid block, and was pretty darn knackered when we got back. It was worth it, though - a really awesome weekend away and a nice break from real life and my beloved woofit. :)

And to top this off, I got the phone call this afternoon to say that the "Dogs Trust" would like to offer me a job as a canine carer, "if I'm still interested". Are you kidding me?! :D So excited and happy about this prospect! And I could have asked for no better way to end my weekend!

Back from weekend in Abingdon and Oxford. Tired now... but good times were had! May write about them tomorrow...

But on a brief quick note of squee... I now seem to have earned enough loyalty points with the "Studio Theatre Club" to start receiving free gifts. ;) Heheh. Got given a badge from their "Comedy of Errors" run. :D Kewl.



Also... should hear about whether I got the "Dogs Trust" job or not tomorrow as well. Eee... I'm a bit scared... :S

*phew* Initial panic over... Got a call back this morning and my new interview date is now Friday at 4pm.

Now round 2 of panic-driven preparation begins!!! Eep! :S

...you know, I think am *so* gonna be ready for my weekend away down south after all this!!! Make me laugh, Studio Theatre Club. I know you will. And be kind weather. It would be nice to have some memories of Oxford where my friend and I aren't freezing to death! ;) Heheh.

Gosh, I'm so anxious tonight... obsessing over the fact that I didn't receive a call-back with a rescheduled interview date this afternoon and doing the whole fretting-thing over whether they will just forget about me and I won't even get a chance to go to interview, and my whole world is suddenly crumbling around me... :( My chest hurts I've been that anxious.

*deep breath*

God damn it, I need to chill. Thought I'd got over these bouts of intense worrying which I used to go through a lot when I was younger... I guess I've not quite grown out of it.

Hmph…

I was really psyched-up this morning for my job interview… only to get a call whilst I was at work saying they’d sent me the wrong date, and would have to reschedule! Carpet pulled from beneath my feet? Yus.

I know it doesn’t sound bad, but… gah! I was *ready*! So nervous and excited and scared and stuff! And then, boom, gotta put it all off for a few days.

*deep breath*

Anyway, yes, drew this on my lunch break at work. Venting was needed. Good ol’ Steampunk’d!Oberon taking the brunt of my disappointment — in biro on lined paper. Gosh... no wonder he looks grumpy! ;P


Grumpy Obs by ~darth-jurious on deviantART

Interview with "Dogs Trust" tomorrow! Oh shit! Attempting to prep myself this evening but can't focus. :S I *so* want this job! It'd be my dream come true!!! (Well... one of them, at least!) I'm excited about it but... oh my God, I'm very nervous, too! Please don't let me say anything stoopid! :0|

Then... providing I survive the interview... the week rolls on with my poor ol' car being serviced on Monday (be good, Walsie-car! No big bills, plz!), work Tuesday-thru-Friday, then Saturday my friend and I are off down to Abingdon to see Shakespeare's "Comedy of Errors" get the Studio Theatre Club treatment. Fucking yes! XD (That is if we make it because, in the spirit of comedy, I've decided to attempt the 100+ mile journey without using my satnav. ;) My satnav will be in the car, just in case, y'know... but if I don't know the way by now, there's no hope!)

Then, finally, next Sunday my friend and I will be moseying into Oxford. To do what, I have no idea... we'll just point at pretty buildings and wish we had enough money to go look round them all. ;P (Hopefully it won't be as friggin' cold as it was last time we were in Oxford, though, when we were literally hopping between coffee shops in an attempt to keep warm! Heheh.)

*roll shoulders back* Okay week, I'm ready. Bring it!