my_thestral

Well, have a happy one indeed! :) Let your men pamper you and don't forget to spoil yourself rotten for once. And call moms and sisters and wish them a happy one indeed. It's a very popular holiday in my country - we used to get carnation flowers ever since we were kids - and today kids still make presents for their moms in schools and kindergarten. Even my imported, grumpy BF is currently busy baking a cake for me. :)
In case you've never heard of it, this is a bit of how it came to be and what it celebrates:
http://www.internationalwomensday.com/about.asp#.VPwrm_mG_uI

It's a nice holiday and seriously - why not? ;)

So I came across this lovely picture today and it made me giggle:
( Ferret in a sock )

In my head it has a caption: Draco getting comfty in a Slytherin sock.. :D

Yey... I was like born yesterday, went to school three times, changed a few jobs and I woke up a few mornings ago being 43. How did that happen!? :) Behold, there's a tief on the loose, someone stole a bunch of my years! ;)
Not complaining, though, if the alternative is never live to see it, I'm good. I don't mind my life ;), heck, sometimes I even enjoy it! And when I do, it's mostly down to my wonderful friends and family: thank you all, you know who you are! :) (At least the friends part, I hope there's none of my family lurking around here, that would be... yikes! ;) I somehow have a feeling that my parents and my kids wouldn't, erm, approve of my more obscure LJ activities).

But just to point out a few of those that really made me feel like falling down the 43-foot-cliff was some sort of adventure, rather than calamity:

First and foremost: praevarus sent me the loveliest (and blasphemously expensive!) Harry Potter The creature vault book  - this one, have a look! - which is gorgeous and absolutely priceless and which I had to pry out of my son's and all the local kids' hands AND a fantastic customized card with semi-naked-balloon-covered men with faces of my favourite redheads glued on - yes, Rupert as well! - which still makes me blush and giggle as if I was 13, rather than 43! :D
The first to actually congratulate me was daleah who, apparently, made me my favourite Ron art (!!!) - right before the poor girl's computer crashed.:S Poor soul, I swear the whole goddamn Valhalla is against her this year! Dammit, gods, get your act together, I want my Ron and she needs 7 years of good luck for all your mischief! But! - perhaps it can be retrieved and if so, I'll post a link to it as soon as I can - she makes the best art and she's got a heart of gold to boot. Looking forward to that - but even if not, congratulations count for just as much!
UPDATE: I got my Ron after all! :D Best b-day ever and it's a blessing having such talented giving friends!

Then the wonderful inell made me a gorgeous Hugo/Harry fic which I once prompted her to do and of course she made all that and more of it :) - besides it was my first gift fic, even more the reason to celebrate it, yey! :)
And another first was a virtual gift - I got a bear-hug (or a huggly bear, matter of perspective) from the lovely and caring iwao! :D Someone give that girl a medal, she's always super-sweet to people (and not to mention talented, Ms. Da Vinci!) in spite of not exactly rolling around in a bed of roses herself!
Then I got more goodly-goody congratulations from roelliej (who seems to think I have a cool name, bless you, man! :)), idikehaine and anemonen to brighten my day and last, but definitelly not least: nia_kantorka - the poor girl was actually apologetic for not writing me anything - it's not a condition for friendship, you silly super-smart, super-busy babe :D, as appreciated as it is, just a lovely congratulations does the work just as well! (I hope I didn't leave anyone out - if I did, my sincere apologies, you're all my little daily blessings and bundles of joy for the day when I open the Internet! ;))
And that's even before my RL friends and family stepped in - just how lucky am I? If there was a Nobel prize for luckiness and serendipity, I'd win flat out! :) You don't believe me? Check this out: The bank I used to have a credit with called me up, told me I had an over-payment of about 100 EUR on the credit and because I no longer hold an account with them, I should come and pick up the cash. I mean - who gets that?! :D
Still not persuaded? My boss went and arranged me a bonus of 20% for the next three months cause she apparently realized that I work above the expected results. For a public administration that has had all the promotions suspended for the last 5 years, that's quite an achievement! But then again, I might have just saved my company a bit of money: I called the financial controller yesterday only to find out that he had no intention of even looking at our final report this year (and I need a certificate in 2 weeks) - but after a very Machiavellian combination of sucking up ("Oh, but you're SO capable, I know you can squeeze us in, you can do it in a few days!") and bullying ("I know there are other companies in front of ours, but trust me, not everyone is as annoying as I am!") the tune changed from "not this year" to "alright, send me the e-documents and call me next week). All hail my "people skills". :P  Ok, I think I might have just used up my annual reserves of bragging, will go and earn that 20% extra now. ;) Hugs to you all, wonderful people! :)

I've got my car back, yey! And it only costed about 130 EUR and I almost kissed the silly ugly beast when it roared to life again.:)
And cause I'm happy - I thought I'd make you smile as well:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/rossalynwarren/british-men-in-shorts-are-so-splendid?bffbuk
It sure made me LOL - and the women on the pictures don't look too depressed either. :)
Oh, and while we're at it - I'll take that blond one gift-wrapped and delivered first thing in the morning, thank you very much. ;) And if they put a ginger on next time, I just might pick him up myself.:D <- silly me is being silly

Wow, that Pottermore article sure produced some heavy black smoke! I thought my Twitter page was going to catch fire with the speed of the new update on the Potter & co. rolling in! :P
I had to see that, so I dug out my ancient Pottermore username and I went to read it - and I really like the evil style it's written in.:) There's not much new info and what there is it's written through the eyes of the "lovely" Skeeter woman, so it's not exactly the Bible, but it was fun to read nevertheless.
Aaaand while I was at the site, I noticed that I never did the sorting there, so I said to myself - oh, to hell with it, why not, god knows when I'll wander out here again. I did one sorting once already, but not on this page and back then I got sorted as Gryffindor, which I found very suspicious, because I had the same amount of points for Hufflepuff house, but the wacky site insisted I was part of the red-and-gold lot, so I eventually came to accept it. I wouldn't mind being a Hufflepuff, actually, courage is not really a personal trait I admire, but being able to work hard definitely tells a lot about someone's character.
So - I went into sorting fully convinced that the "official" site will be able to rectify the mistake and put me in the Hufflepuff house at long last. Like hell it did.
Slytherin here, apparently. :P I don't even know how to comment that. I should have suspected a snake-pit ahead when another "which HP character are you?" quiz pointed out that I was a bit crazy and that I'm definitely alike Bellatrix Lestrange. Right. Erm... The harmless ol' me? Honestly... ;)
It's a good thing, really, that I don't take it too seriously. :) (My secret identity is definitely one of a house-elf. We have a different kind of magic. Or possibly a thestral. It is impossible to see me for who I am without knowing some destruction.).
Aaaanyway, tonight we see who will play Dutch in the finals ;) <-- how's that for confidence! - and my sons' Messi and Neymar jerseys are mysteriously getting washed so the little traitors can cheer for whomever the hell they want - but they'll do it in orange clothes, like all good Dutch half-lings.;) Aaaand I'm definitely suffering through another game with hideous orange earrings tomorrow, so there's no way in hell the Dutch won't make it to the finals after a sacrifice like that. Throw a virgin in the flames, I don't care, you've still got nothing on me and my dread-inspiring earrings, that's how god-awful they are!:) Did I mention I promised to wear them to work if the Dutch win the finals? And I will - I just might remove the little cardboard pieces with a Dutch flag on them first. Hawaii looking orange plastic flowers are quite vomit-inspiring enough, thank you very much!;)
And - heading sideways again - I'm finally busy writing the last fic I still have unfinished. And I'm cursing with it profusely enough to make the crowd of the Exorcist movie blush, because the damn thing is confusing me out of my tiny brain. After I wrote 150 pages of it, I let it chill for almost 2 years and I have no idea where it was headed back then - so now I'll have to invent a whole new course of the story if I want to wrap it up. Hopefully it will not end up being complete and utter crap, but it's likely. Oh, well, it's not like my other work shines in the dark, does it? :) It'll be just another quiet disaster and let's hope it can merge to the background of my other piss-poor stories and fall forgotten pronto. But I will finish it, just because I'm a mean bitch, who just doesn't give up - and a Slytherin at that, apparently - and I hate loose ends. Even disaster has to come to an end once - and this one will. ;)
Oh, yeah - a gypsy stopped me today in front of the shop and offered to read my hand (mother of god, who still does that?!) and when I tried telling her I don't care about her Sybill Trelawney vudu, she said: Think of one wish and I'll read your palm about it - and I barely stopped myself from saying: Oh, how are my prospects of getting Rupert Grint gift-wrapped doing today? ;) Seriously?! :) In the end I just showed her my completely happily empty wallet and offered to give her the 1 cent coin I dug out and I think she felt sorry for me, cause she told me to keep it. So I shop with cards. And I'm broke. How splendid is your life? ;) :)
Yep, that's it for this edition of pouring my heart out - stay safe and whatever you do, wear orange tomorrow! ;)

Yey, I finally managed to finish my endless Art of denial fic - it ended up being over 128K long and has 26 chapters - and I already got someone complaining that he expected an epilogue. Isn't that enough words, for fuck's sake?! :) The fics is stretched over 20 years - and still someone wants a closure after the story's done. Oh, well, it's not the kind of fic that could make everyone happy.:)
I know the length and the pairing (Ron/Draco) will put most readers off, because there's just not a big community out there who would enjoy it, but I went a bit out of my shoes to put most of the story from Draco's perspective, rather than Ron's, so that's an oddball for me. And you know what - I know it's mushy and very cliche-ed but I don't even care, I'm quite proud of it. :) I might even consider posting it into communities (and kick myself afterwards). If anyone has a good idea what's a good community to post a Draco/Ron fic into, then do let me know, I'd appreciate it.
I'll post the last chapter separately, this is just to let you know that for once, I feel like I've actually accomplished something and I don't even care if no one likes it... :) Yey, me, for effort alone! :)
 

Uh, I don't know how the fandom is with believers and all, but I guess those eggs and ham taste yummy whether you are one or not. :)
So - HAPPY EASTER, fandom! or - for a select few friends of mine that know I have "special" language skills: VROLIJK PASEN! :) <-- Dear god, I hope I didn't just wish you guys happy passing (into an early grave, or something, yeah, those "special language skills" are dubious at best! :))

We actually managed to colour eggs this year, rather than children (case of previous years where they tattooed themselves with colours so extremely it took a lot of scrubbing to make them presentable!) and tomorrow it's presents time - we have a habit here of kids running around the house, looking for small treats you took a lot of effort hiding. Last year we forgot one only to discover a very misshapen and frozen chocolate bunny at Christmas. ;)
So yeah, fun ahead!

Ups, it seems as if one of my fic really stroke a cord with one of the readers. :) They (he/she, most likely the latter) left me a comment - two, even! - that sort of scolds me how on earth could Ron ever cheat on Harry. Oh, my Ron is no angel.
He's a cheating bastard in almost all my fics. Because, in reality, as much as I love the character - and I do, with and because of all his faults - I believe Ron probably would have been an easy prey to temptation (especially if it was based on near-worship by someone who always acted superior), because of his insecurities.
He married Hermione, someone he sees as superior in intellect and morals and whatnot (and who is not afraid to lecture him at every possible occasion) - and his best friend is a living legend. I think he'd still be starved to get a feeling of self-worth where ever he could find it - and who better than Draco Malfoy, someone who's known to want nothing but the best, someone who knows how to get to him, kick him where it hurts - and kiss him when he needs it most, at least in my imagination.:) If someone who's shown you nothing but contempt, suddenly bows to you - how would that makes you feel? In Ron's shoes? Ron's far from perfect, that's what makes him Ron. And he betrayed Harry's trust, abandoned him before, simply on the account of those insecurities. Twice.
The fic that got the comment - In the shadow of your love - is not about being fair to anyone, it's about sometimes not being able to make a decision solely upon what is the right thing - but on who you are as much as you'd like to fight it. In life - real people inevitably stray. In the same fic, Harry is cheating on Ginny - how's that right? And Ron is already cheating on another dear friend of his with Harry - his wife. When he's with Draco, initially, it doesn't even qualify as cheating because he doesn't attach feelings to his, erm, more carnal desires. He might as well be using Draco for all it's worth to him (though, admittedly, Harry would see it with different eyes). It's consensual, Draco clearly craves it and Ron puts no weight on it. Yet. This fic will get infinitely more complicated when he starts to. And he will, that much is already written, though the work is not finished yet. And Ron will not be the only one who changes, Harry will, too.
I'm sorry, but I can't - and I won't - write characters (even if I'm ruining someone's  favourite ones) sterile and lifeless, when there's so much more to them than their qualities.
Admittedly, Ron is a bit of an asshole. That's what makes him my favourite character - he might as well step out of the book and into the real life, because he's so realistic, he's almost 3D. You can't claim that his loyalty to Harry is his redeeming quality, because it's not him who stood by his side the whole time, it's Hermione. As soon as Harry bumps into one of Ron's complexes too hard, Ron betrays his trust. He's vulnerable this way. And yet - it's Ron Harry wants in this fic, not Hermione or someone else, for that matter. Ron. Because he can't help it. You are shaped by life into a mixture of impulses and desires that sometimes have no logical explanation, no good healthy reasoning behind them. That doesn't make them any less real and any less worthy of pursuit, as unhealthy as that might turn out to be. With Harry at his side, one could say Ron has everything he ever wanted. And yet he's pulled to Draco, because of who he is, because he craves recognition, he can't help soaking up admiration and because Draco gives him one thing Harry can't: the feeling he's equal. No matter what their relationship is like, Ron was always going to be submissive to Harry, because that's just the way he loves and admires him. But perhaps, just perhaps, he wants to feel dominant or at least equal to someone - and I think that could be a big psychological drive behind his promiscuous behaviour. He's looking for confirmation - but get caught in something entirely different in the end. Feelings he didn't know were there.
Let's see where this fic takes us,it's not an easy one to write.:)
It's clear that whoever wrote the comment was slightly ticked off with me, but frankly, don't mind the feedback in whatever form it comes, it makes me re-consider and re-establish the reasoning behind my writing. :)

Apparently hell froze over somewhere because my BF appologized. That's a... well, it's not a first, but it's definitely such a rare occurrence it deserves an update to the LJ. Looks like those dark looks headed his direction did what they were supposed to. And he paid the bills and got me the new Vikings episode. I suppose there's a "I love you" in there somewhere. ;O)

Another day of dealing with community services today, I hope a more productive one. Then I have to take my son to my sister's for a weekend holiday and his way of saying he will miss his little bro is to play with him more than he did for entire holiday week. I guess my men are just not that big on expressing their feelings directly. :)

If I can do some writing in the evening, this day just may not be a complete loss.

Well, in light of recent Rowling revelation that she regrets putting Ron with Hermione, everyone's got a bit to say (some more fiercely than others), so I guess I have to clear my throat as well, though not entirely seriously. ;)
Ron's my favourite, because he feels the most real and the least fiction. He's got no super-powers, he's just being in this story cause he's all in all an awesome human being, character faults and all. If he doesn't get "the girl" - I can't really see his role in this story at all other than pointing out how fairy-tale perfect everyone else is in comparison. He would have been a proper third-wheel if he did get the girl. Now - who's supposed to be "the main prize" girl here, is debatable.
I'd take Luna over Hermione any day. That's just cause I'm a proper Hermione in real life (minus the larger-than-life brains, of course) and I'm fully aware how difficult I am on people. I feel nothing but pity for my rather Ron-ish boyfriend for having to put up with me. So - I'm glad he got her, but I think they would have been a proper long-term disaster together. They're great high-school romance material, but living with someone that clearly has a superiority complex and a tendency to run your life would have ruined Ron and their relationship.
Thus, Luna for Ron (if it has to be heterosexual). She's so blunt, self-confident and happy about being the odd one out that she would have made anyone comfortable about just being themselves.
(I'm still rooting for Draco, though. ;) Not a likely match, but they might have more in common than they're aware of. Or possibly Harry, given Rons infatuation with heros.)
I see nothing but boredom in Harry/Hermione relationship. I think they would make excellent parents, but would there be any fun in that logical and very-well matched relationship? Forget it, no fireworks there. Lots of stability and understanding, but that counts for a lot only once you're about 90. You have to get there first. Ron is the element of chaos and if anything else, I think Hermione doesn't deserve someone with so much spark. As glad as I am that "Ron the underdog" got her, I believe they should no longer be together in the epilogue. Save for the introduction of kids, which was a really nice touch, the epilogue was not my favourite. Not because of the pairing(s), but because it felt like a too tight lid on a very multi-layered and expansive story.
But let's face it - this is a children's book. If Rowling could ensure that the first book would have only been read by 11-year-olds and the second book by the 12-year-olds  and so on - I think this could have been a much different and a far more authentic story of coming of age. But you know kids - once they start reading, they're not gonna stop, if they know there's more. And you can't have 11-year-olds reading about 17 year-olds explorations in the world of adulthood.
Just my cookie.