Don't take too long to think about it. List 15 books you've read that will always stick with you -- The first 15 you can recall in 15 minutes.

1) The White Company - One of the best stories of knights I've ever read and I've read A LOT.
2) Sherlock Holmes - All four novels and 56 short stories...multiple times!!!
3) Wuthering Heights - Why do I like abusive men, so much? Heathcliff is such a sexy creepo!
4) David Copperfield - Chapter 1: "I am born". GENIUS!!!
5) Great Expectations - It was the criminal the whole time!?!
6) Black Beauty - I think I cried from front cover to back.
7) The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Spoiler: EVERYBODY DIES!!!
8) The Count of Monte Cristo - Edmond is such a badass!
9) Cinnabon the Five'o'clock Fox - Foxes are the most fabulous creatures EVER.
10) The Pie and the Patty Pan - Beatrix Potter still rocks my world...
11) Mother Westwind When Stories - When the Bluebird got his blue coat...still gets me...
12) Gone with the Wind - Rhett Butler.
13) Old Yeller - Oh God, so much crying! At least in the Disney version they kill him AFTER he's rabid!
14) The Stand - So messed up - still have nightmares...
15) Dracula - I didn't know the book was filled with sex until I reread it as an adult. How that slipped under my mom's radar - I'll never know!

I am making good progress on Sailor Moon. I need to lift more weights while watching TV to get some good out of it. 30 Rock Season two is under my belt. God, that show is so funny, it's a workout just from laughing.

I saw UP this weekend and absolutely loved it. Only Pixar could make a story about a 78 yr old man and break every old man character stereotype in the book. I cried at certain parts and others were so super touching that they made me want to cry (when Carl touches the mailbox...oh man, it killed me!) I found myself struggling with it more towards the end. I think as it got more progressively fantastic and Carl got less old when convenient, it felt less and less like the movie I started watching, but it grounded itself again before too long.

Still better than Cars.
Wall-E forever!

I bought the Clan Building comic that Greg Weissman's been writing to try and fill the hole left behind by Gargoyles. While it wasn't the most amazing thing ever, it did make me feel better about some of the character's outcomes that got totally messed up when he got kicked from the show. Also, it's more Gargoyles and because it's one of my sacred childhood memories, it can do no wrong. Of course, it got cancelled too, but at least this story will wrap up in an August release so maybe there will be some sort of closure...maybe? Poor Brooklyn...he wants a lady friend SO BADLY.

It's not meant to be!!!

At least I have my precious, precious Sailor Moon!!!

And no time for anything fun.

Send your mommies luvs this weekend!!!

Somehow I managed to have some fun this weekend despite an insane amount of work to do and tons of frustration. Why did I think taking classes would be a good idea this quarter? It only took a year for me to forget why college is such a huge pain.

Despite missing half of our group, my partner (a woman my size and half my weight) and I managed to build a 6'X6'X3' radio telescope that will detect storms on Jupiter and transmit the frequencies to a shortwave radio. By the time we'd hammered the thing out and got it tested, my allergies were so freaked that my sinuses couldn't take it anymore and my nose started bleeding like crazy. But, we got it done and I am going to see my "team" mates and their no-show antics get their due. Seriously - I forgot how completely lame people are. Furthering my education seems like a waste of time if I am just going to get screwed by lazy students.

In a similiar situation with my business class - just trying to get through it with my A intact. It hasn't been easy when everyone is a MAJOR slacker who's work all needs to be rewritten EVERY week. ARGH! I am not signing up for this BS again anytime soon. At least not at RIT. I am done with RIT, although it's not going to be any better anywhere else. I got my feet wet again and can't handle the immature attitudes. I'm just too picky, I know.

Andrew and I squeezed in some dog park time and enjoyed watching Ellie run around, free range and being adorable. She just zips and runs in circles until she's all foamy at the mouth. The poor kid needs a yard! She was really shy of the other dogs, except for a HUGE mastiff that she wanted to be all BFF's with. The dog was massive. Of course my dog, who wouldn't even be a mouthful, was obsessed with her. Luckily she was sweet and patient with my pup. Gawd, it made me nervous though! You just don't know about other people's dogs.

Somehow, I finished the first chunk of Sailor Moon and cried so much at the end. More amazing still, I managed to get to the movies to see X-Men Origins. No, the script wasn't poetry and yes, it was campy and silly, but I enjoyed it. Gambit needs work - that was my most major disappointment.

BUT I GOT TO SEE HUGH'S BOTTOM.

Nuff said.

I am going for all of the wrong reasons.

But Hugh Jackman makes it seem so right.

Poor Andrew - he's such a good sport! Especially since I'm going to be drooling into the popcorn.

Last night, Andrew and I decided that we were going to get the most out of the weather boone Rochester granted us. Right out of work, it was bright, sunny and warm! We got home, changed and packed for a trip to the dog park where we could watch Ellie romp and be outdoors for a while.

We literally got to the end of our street when his car died. It just snuffed out completely. Even Ellie was like, "What the hell?" By the time the car was towed and I picked him up from the repair shop, our moment of opportunity passed and we medicated ourselves with fast food for dinner. At least Ellie got a walk.

Now we are down to one car and have to juggle our schedules until we know what's wrong THIS TIME. It's always something with any car he has and it's starting to get to us. Not only is it expensive, but it's so inconvenient.

So much for that wad we were saving for a summer trip. Not to be all "woe is me" but I suspect the repairs will eat it all up, just like that. I should be grateful that we broke down close to home, that no one was hurt and that we have money saved away for this kind of thing, but I am so cranky that our evening got robbed of fun.

It's still April and I desperately want to go swimming!

Surprisingly...no one's pool is open. :D

I am going to sit here all day and fantasize about being poolside until I can get to the RAC and fake it indoors.

IT'S NOT THE SAME!!!

I so look forward to that first "real" day of Spring, when I can open all of the windows in the apartment and put all of the winter coats, boots, scarves and hats upstairs in the closet.

Today.

Is that day.

Work unblocked Livejournal? Are they serious? I may actually start using this again!

I am so bad...

Although, I spend most of my time on Doggyspace helping Ellie "post".

Except not lately, because I am watching ALL of Sailor Moon to fight off a strange nostalgia grip that won't let go. I thought I was over this anime thing?

There is no escape!

I've had a terrible case of the flu since Tuesday (ok, actually since Saturday, but it didn't completely take me over until Tuesday) and I always get the weirdest, but most vivid dreams when I am at my sickest. My dreams are always pretty clear and I remember something from every night, but sick dreams are more like movies that play on and on and stay lucid. The dream I had this afternoon ended just a little bit too soon and it's driving me crazy, like I missed the last TV episode of an epic series! Here's how it wrapped up:

So by the time the Looking Glass Gang had been defeated and the Mad Hatter and the Cheshire Cat (who was totally a stud and crazy!) had been killed by the grizzled cop who was hunting them down (with the help of his sexy female partner), I really cared about what was going to happen to Alice. Sure, she was a psycho, but there was more to it. Why did she really assemble this band of crazy killers and for what purpose? What did she have to gain by sending them on weird missions of thievery and violence?

She looked almost sad as she was put in the police car of Sexy Female Partner (name escapes me) and Grizzled Cop (name also escapes me) says something to the effect of, "Glad it's over." Sexy Female Partner drives away and Alice looks up creepily over the back seat, "How are you, your Majesty?" SFP smirks the SCARIEST FREAKING SMIRK EVER and the car violently jumps the road and cruises off course into the distance. THE END.

OH SNAP, SHE WAS THE QUEEN OF HEARTS THE WHOLE TIME!

I am never going to know what happens! *cries*

A) Vets are stupid - possibly more stupid than doctors, which I find hard to believe. Still, here I am with a cat worth over $1000.00 thanks to my bungling veterinarian. Apparently crystals in the urine and an e-coli infection in the bladder = Maza has depression. Yeeeeeaaaaah...not going there anymore. I am absolutely thrilled that I didn't make the painful and heart wrenching decision to put her to sleep. Oh wait, except I did...because he wound up telling me she had a painful and incurable disease equivalent to renal failure. Fortunately, I had the presence of mind to tell him to check the goddam urine tests ONE more time. Ellie and Maza have a new vet now.

B) Ellie in puppy class = ADORABLE. She's a little older than the others so she's calmer and doesn't pee all over - still - I am just beaming with pride. She's going to be the CUTEST and the BEST puppy EVER!!! *mom mode engaged*

C) Work's been going good. I got some stuff done that made me feel like I am contributing more than just being a busy bee all day long with the stuff no one else wants to do. And, thanks to a job that actually pays me real money, I can live a somewhat normal financial life. Minus the kitty expenses, which were a set-back (but a welcome one in the long run), Christmas will be something I can manage this year. That just feels really good. I adore giving gifts and to be able to single out each member of my family and get them something decent - YAY! I know it's not supposed to be about the stuff - but come on - who doesn't love stuff?

D) I miss peoples. Tomorrow I need to make some phone calls.

The vet wants to put Maza on kitty anti-depressants. She's starting marking downstairs, which is the polite way to say she's started to piss all over the carpet and wall in the living room. So far, I've done everything else I can think of. She's got new litter, a bigger litter box, I'm scooping and cleaning every single night, I've been getting Feliway and squirting it everywhere and we've been keeping the office her private sanctuary, spoiling her with canned food and keeping her on steroids to avoid reinfection of her UT. I am willing to try it, even though it'll be costly. It's my fault she's stressed after all. I moved her and got a puppy. The hard truth is that if the meds don't work, I'll have to find her a new home. I just can't have a cat peeing on the rug, especially in a rented apartment. I don't know if anyone would be willing to take a chance on a cat who sprays, but I don't want to consider the other alternative right now - it's way too upsetting. So, I am putting my faith in the drugs to chill her out and make her a happy kitty again.

Why does it ALWAYS feel like two steps forward and four steps back? I finally get my puppy and she's working out great and then my stable cat goes off the deep end and has been wracking up the medical bills. My cat needs kitty PROZAC and I am the one feeling depressed and crying because if they don't work and no one will take her, I'll have to keep her shut in a room with her litter box for the rest of her life, or have her euthanized.

FUCK!!!

Yeah, I don't do this internet thing so much anymore. My computer knows I am having an affair with the work PC, so I just avoid coming up here in general to try and ignore Compy's hurtedness...

Anyway, Maza's been really sick and a few hundred dollars later she's doing better. We're pretty convinced she's stressed out of her gourd between new apartment and new puppy. Poor kitty - we made the office a sanctuary get-a-way where she can catch some peace if she needs it. She doesn't take much advantage of it, but it's there if she wants it. Mostly she just gripes about how I don't feed her much anymore. It's the same amount as always, she just got too spoiled at my mum's!

Ellie is the awesome. No surprise there.

Halloween was awesome fun! Joint parties are the way to go. Gabby = AWESOME!!!

Oh God - I AM SO BORING!!!

I made the mistake of calling my HIGHLY CONSERVATIVE GRANDMOTHER on ELECTION DAY. Oops... Regardless, it's a hilarious story to be shared at another time.

Maza had to go to the vet today for an OMG BLOOD IN PEE visit. She's on antibiotics and pain meds. She's all stoned on kitty vicodin.

I have a House Cat!

I am home sick. I've had a cold/stomach thing since Friday and I am not quite 100% well yet. I thought it would be a good idea to rewatch All Dogs Go to Heaven. It's been over 10 years since I'd seen it and I thought "Why not?" After all , I'd remembered it fondly.

I've been crying all afternoon! What a sad movie, omg! I think it's safe to say it went over my head as a kid.

Ellie has stolen like 5 pair of underwear from my basket and has put them in a row in the office. She's an artistic genious! Or...maybe just a pervert...

Cause I don't have enough to do, or something...

Checkout mypupper on the Youtube for an adorable addition!

I am SO torn! Ellie would make an adorable lobster dog, but a shark costume is just so me... I can't decide!!!