un-masque-ed

i'm absolutely gazeboed

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:23:43 GMT

According to stand-up comedian Michael McIntyre posh people can substitute any word in the English language to mean drunk. Hence 'gazeboed'; it could also be 'car parked', 'trampolined', 'pajamaed' or 'paninied'. I'm not actually drunk but I'm wearing the tee-shirt I got last night when I went to his live show at the O2 arena.

The first time I saw Michael McIntyre perform was in an eight minute segment at The Royal Variety Performance in 2006. I was in stitches for the whole sequence; from the fear of not being able to remember his chip and pin to the odd walks we adopt when trying on shoes or walking through a metal detector. He's one of those people who observes the little things in life that we're all to busy to notice but the moment he brings it up you relate to every single detail.

The first time I saw him live was at the Hammersmith Apollo in September 2008, we were there when they filmed for his DVD release, the fastest selling stand-up DVD ever. That was an evening of anecdotes about 'man drawers' (the place where half dead batteries, out of circulation currency, older model mobile phones, takeaway menus and the measuring tape live), various methods to induce labour (herbal remedies favoured by the women, curry and sex favoured by the men, and the true properties of ingesting sperm), and why when we go on holiday do we turn off every appliance in the house except the fridge? Why do we trust the fridge?

Last night he performed for an audience of 16, 000, it was one of the extra dates that had to be added by popular demand. We booked the tickets months ago, when it seemed like forever until the performance. But it was well worth the wait. Right now I don't recall too many details of the topics, but I do remember that I laughed so hard my cheeks hurt. There was definitely something about mens changing rooms at the gym, a hatred of Italian waiters flirting with his wife using a big pepper mill, a hypothetical debate between various herbs and spices about why the salt and pepper are so special, and an observation that playing snooker looks like you're tossing off an invisible man standing behind you.

The DVD is released in a couple of weeks, I think I'll go pre-order my copy now. See if we can make this DVD sell faster than the last one.

Michael McIntyre 'Live At The Apollo':

...

apparently I have a memorable tummy

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:19:09 GMT

I love going to Sci-Fi and Fantasy memorabilia fairs. With a fistful of cash and a shopping list of needed trading cards, desired DVDs, craved after comics, obsessed about paraphernalia and the occasional wanted autograph just watch me go.

Some of my favourite moments have included meeting Carrie Fisher and Karen Allen; Harrison Ford's leading ladies for Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Catching up with Deep Space Nine's Chase Masterson, who I'd met a few years before and who threw herself across the table to hug me when she saw me. And I always enjoy being harassed by Stormtroopers from the 501st Legion, I just LOVE Stormtroopers.

There's always the chance for me to expand my collection of novelty Monopoly sets; I have a Lord of The Rings set, an Indiana Jones set, a Pirates of The Caribbean and a Las Vegas set amongst others. At each event I like to get another of the replica Harry Potter wands; to date I have Harry's, Ron's, Hermione's and Sirius wands. And then there's the impulse purchases that once you get them home you can't remember why you wanted it in the first place; what exactly am I ever going to do with those Xena and Babylon 5 collectible card games... I have no idea how you play it!

So when we found out that it was Expo 16 at the weekend, with the promise of all things film, television and game goodness, Dean, Katie and I decided to head over to Docklands and have a look. We knew that there was going to be some Anime there but panels with True Blood, Merlin and Star Trek gave us some hope that it would be a 50/50 split. Er, no. It was probably closer to 60=Anime, 30=Gaming and 10=Sci-Fi.

The smattering of sci-fi/fantasy/television/film memorabilia wasn't really worth the entry price I'd paid. But determined to get something out of the day I got autograph tickets for Terry Farrell and Nicole DeBoer, the two actresses who played the character of Dax in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Terry was the reason Katie had got out of bed that morning, and I have adored Nicole since I met her back in 1999 (at the same event where I met Chase).

After their little Q&A session on stage they got down to the signing. Well Nicole was ready, Terry was still trying to get back from the stage, but that gave me a few more minutes with Nicole. As I walked towards her she offered me a smile:

ME: Does that smile mean you vaguely remember me?
NICOLE: I signed your stomach once, of course I remember you. In fact about 20 minutes ago I was asked what was the strangest thing I'd ever signed and I remembered that.

We chatted for a little bit longer, which unearthed the memory of singing karaoke together ('Spice Up Your Life'), and then Terry arrived at the table and it was time to move on.

This was Katie's moment, so other than saying 'Hi' I let Katie do the talking and after getting her personalised autograph they had a giggle moment together.

KATIE: Thank you.
TERRY: You're welcome.
KATIE: Thank you so much.
TERRY: You're welcome so much.

Those few moments made the early morning, the entry fee and the endless queues worth it.

However, I still had to go to the nearest HMV and buy 'Prison Break: The Complete Series' just so I had something to play with when I got home.

(Oh... and what's with the 'Free Hugz' placards that all the Anime kids were wearing?)

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sarah/cameron captions: the further adventures

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:44:59 GMT

Had some time on my hands over the weekend, so couldn't resist messing around with some captions.

Managed to not upload the new ones from 'Vick's Chip' with the last batch so here they are now.

Here they are: pics.livejournal.com/masque101/pic/000cgx2a/g21

...

a little moment of calm

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:41:39 GMT

I spent an entire hour today just sitting on a wooden bench in the Victoria Embankment Gardens. I was wasting time, so I found the nearest place of calm and simply stopped. I could hear the traffic rushing by on the Victoria Embankment, I could feel the trains from the District and Circle lines rumbling along beneath the ground, but with the grass and the trees and the occasional white cloud in an otherwise blue sky I had found a little oasis.

I just took some time to enjoy the unexpected warm weather, to observe the tourists writing postcards, businessmen avoiding the office, couples looking for an escape. Some time to reflect on life, love, and the fact that the train I was on yesterday evening caught fire!

...

heel against floor and wave upon shore

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 18:16:39 GMT

15 years ago I made the mistake of staying in on a saturday evening and discovered the only thing on telly was the Eurovision Song Contest, live from Ireland.

Somewhere in the middle of the mindnumbing songs, the political scoring and Terry Wogan's sarcastic commentary was a traditional, cultural and mystical sequence called Riverdance.

It caught my attention and my imagination. It made my pulse race and my heartbeat quicken. Quite frankly it was amazing.

15 years later and I have finally had the full experience. No video, no soundtrack, no documentary can ever compare to watching the live show. My attention and imagination were still fired up, my pulse still raced and my heartbeat still quicken, but when you feel the pounding of the steps rattling through your body and feel the music sending shivers through your spine it magnifies. Quite frankly it was fucking amazing.

And I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried.

The tickets were a birthday present from my sister. I think it was a teat for her too... she cried harder than I did.
...

tv dating habits

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:55:40 GMT

Stolen from trancer21

Fandom Meme: If my TV habits were my dating life:

1.) The one who seduced you and fucked you over and broke your heart in a million pieces and laughed about it:
Bad Girls - I resisted this one for as long as I could but finally succumbed to temptation. I was hooked by the end of the first episode, completely besotted with Helen and Nikki. We were happy together for three series but then Helen and Nikki left me and the rebound girls just couldn't take their places. After that it was all over... SHIT HAPPENS.

2.) The old flame you don't see very often any more but whom you still really enjoy getting together with for a few drinks and maybe a pleasant nostalgic romp in the sheets:
Xena - I fell hard and I fell fast. I devoted myself to this one completely, it nealy took over my life. When it ended I was inconsolable and seven years later I still consider it to be my one true love. Every now and again I'll sit down and watch an episode or two and remember why I loved it so much in the first place.

3.) The mysterious dark gothy one whom you used to sit up with talking until 3 a.m. at weird coffeehouses and with whom you were quite smitten until you realized she really was fucking crazy:
Babylon 5 - There had never been anything like this for me before. There was depth, there was debate and there was a desire to know all the secreats of the story. The first four series were spot on; intriguing and slick and then in the fifth series it totally lost the plot.

4.) The one you spent a whole weekend in bed with and who drank up all your liquor, and whom you'd still really like to fuck again although you're relieved she doesn't actually live in town:
Birds of Prey - I really did spend a weekend with this one and did it twice. After the second time I was still pissed that it was over and wished I could have done something different to save it.

5.) The steady:
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit - Always there when I need a fix and always keeping me interested. Always a little something new... Abbie to Alex to Casey to... Alex apparently. (Haven't watched the new girl yet.)

6.) The alluring stranger whom you've flirted with at parties but have never gotten really serious with:
Battlestar Galactica - Everytime I even think about this one I get a shiver run along my spine. I know it's good, I know it's clever, I know it's like nothing I've ever seen before and maybe that's why it intimidates the hell out of me.

7.) The one you hang out with and have vague fantasies about maybe having a thing with but ultimately you're just good buddies 'cause the friendship is there but the chemistry ain't:
Charmed - It's entertaining, and every and now again I like to kick back and spend the evening with it. But that's where it ends.

8.) The one your friends keep introducing you to and who seems like a hell of a cool chick except it's never really gone anywhere:
Gavin and Stacy - Yeah I watched a few, yeah it's pretty good but I'm not rushing back to watch more.

9.) The one who's slept with all your friends, and you keep looking at him and thinking, "Him? How the hell did he land all these cool babes?":
The L Word - I even went with this one for a bit, but it just couldn't hold my attention. I felt cheated by it and can't understand why my friends don't feel the same.

10.) The one your friend has fallen for like a ton of bricks and whom she keeps babbling to you about on the phone for hours, and you'd be happy for her except you just know it's going to end badly:
Womens Murder Club - Actually I was the one who fell for it, I was the one who talked incessantly about it and I who knew it would end badly because it had been axed (It still didn't stop me from watching it and getting Debs and Maureen to watch it and feel my pain aswell).

...

run, fat girl, run (update)

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 22:43:21 GMT

Just over a year since I started at Weight Watchers.

I have been re-educated in food. Knowing all about saturated fats, and carbohydrates, and salts. Which ones are good for me, which ones are bad, how much I can eat of some things.

I severely miss being able to drink regular Coca-Cola. But have discovered a taste for Pepsi Max. At the pub I have to drink Diet Pepsi; I am only allowed two pints of this before Katie cuts me off because I apparently turn into an obnoxious drunk.

I went almost an entire year without eating a KFC, and celebrated by eating a KFC. I faired less well with McDonalds, lasting only four months, but in fairness I did go to a convention and was resorting to my regular diet.

Over the course of the year I have reached my 10% target and have collected five Silver 7's. One for every half stone I have lost, a quick tally up there and I've lost 35 pounds (2 1/2 stone). I did make it to 38 pounds but then we had Christmas.

I'm quite pleased with my progress, and have just over another stone to go in order to reach my target weight before learning how to maintain it. And I know that it's going to be the toughest part.

Now pass me a damn cookie!

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your debut album

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 09:20:57 GMT

Ganked from zephyr_tempest

Your Debut Album

1 - Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first random Wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2 - Go to Random quotations: http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last three words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.

If you want to do this again, you'll hit refresh to generate new quotes, because clicking the quotes link again will just give you the same quotes over and over again.

3 - Go to flickr's "explore the last seven days" http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/
Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

Supernovae In Fiction
'Is In Us'

music of the spheres

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:05:54 GMT

I am not a Doctor Who fan.

I count myself among the many that would hide behind the couch as soon as the dreaded theme tune would start, one of those terrified to tears when the Daleks would speak, but my true fear was reserved for the Cybermen (I think it had something to do with a dream I had as a child where they took over my school.

I repeat: I am not a Doctor Who fan.

But Dean is. And as he has spent many a Saturday night at my place I may have caught the odd episode or two, maybe a handful or so. Okay, so I've seen a few of the Chris Eccleston/Billie Piper/ David Tennant era. I only glanced a couple of the Freema Agyeman. And because I'm not a a fan of The Catherine Tate Show I resolutely refused to watch when she became the new companion. That resolution lasted about 24 hours when I caught the repeat on BBC Three the following day and 50 minutes later had been thoroughly won over by the lovely Ms Tate and Donna Noble from Chiswick.

So maybe I am a smidgen of a fan after all.

A couple of months back Dean informed me that the family orientated Prom this year was going to be Doctor Who related and I immediately handed over my tenner. I had to get up early on a Sunday. I had to travel on public transport on a non work day. I had to queue in the sun. And I suffered a minor panic attack in the full to the brim Royal Albert Hall. But it was worth it.

The show was fantastic. Presented by Freema, with help from Camille Coduri (Jackie Tyler), Noel Clarke (Mickey Smith), a trio of Ood (the tentacle face ones with glowing balls), a couple of Judoon (rhino like bike couriers), two Sontarans (short, squat, looks like they got hammered into their outfits) Davros (meglomanic with a skin problem), a Dalek (pepper pot with a whisk and plunger) and three Cybermen (harbingers of bad dreams!).

Music for the new series has been amazing, from the choir voices of 'Journey's End' to Murray Gold's rockier piece for 'Doomsday', and with clips playing on the overhead screens I found myself quietly sobbing on several occasions. The specially filmed minisode 'Music Of The Spheres' was brilliant, light and funny with a cute little message about looking inside yourself for the song of the universe. But the part that shocked me the most was just how pleased I was when Catherine Tate put in a surprise appearance to introduce the section that included Donna's theme. I all but stood up and started jumping up and down... I clapped, cheered and whistled.

So my question is this: What's the next step up from a smidgen?

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so happy... i could melt

Sat, 17 May 2008 21:48:45 GMT

A week or so ago sweet nuisance calls me and rambles down the phone at me for about 10 minutes. I eventually manage to ascertain that whilst she's in England for the Chess performance Idina Menzel has a few other things lined up and sweet has just discovered that an album signing at Dress Circle is one of them.

I clear my schedule for the day and we meet in the queue around 11ish. She's been there longer than I have and has met Dani, a girl who most definitely has Glinda in her future. Along with Charlotte and Sophie, an Ipod with speakers blaring the Wicked soundtrack, a black marker and a street sign two hours passed in no time and with a sudden surge forward Idina has arrived and the signing has begun.

(For my ego: Just as we reach the door of the shop the question of my age comes up and the three younger girls are pretty shocked to discover that I'm 30, not believing that I was more than 24. I think this more about me acting juvenile than looking juvenile, but I'll take it.)

Halfway down the stairs we catch our first glimpse of The Menzel. She's looking gorgeous and relaxed and I notice that she has a very big signature. No wonder the new album has a gatefold on it!

All the way down the stairs we are informed that due to the numbers queuing we can only get one item signed. Both sweet and I are holding a Grimmerie in one hand for ourselves and an album in the other (mine for Katie and sweet's for Rich. A moment of indecision and we both pack the albums away, afterall we did queue for two hours in sporadic rain for this.

After years of practice both sweet and I step forward with books open on the page for her to sign. Here's how my couple of minutes plays out:

Idina looks up and smiles as I walk over.

IDINA: Hi.
MASQUE: Hi Idina.

I hold out the book opened to the page that says 'A lot happened in Oz before Dorothy dropped in'.

MASQUE: Anywhere on the page would be good.
IDINA: Okay.

One very large signature appears across the top half of the page. (I immediately think 'Oh good, Kristen Chenoweth can sign the bottom half one day'.) She hands the book back to me and I begin to step backwards to allow the next person in.

MASQUE: Thanks.

She's still watching me and smiling.

IDINA: It was nice to meet you.
MASQUE: Er yeah, it was nice to meet you too.

And I'd been so cool up until that moment. D'oh!

Sweet fared only a little better by grinning madly when Idina told her she liked her glasses.

While the adrenline was still buzzing we took a jaunt over to the Ozdust Boutique at the Apollo Theatre for merchandise, and we just couldn't leave without booking tickets for 28th May.

Yep we're going to see Wicked again.

...

well, it's the middle of the night

Sat, 10 May 2008 01:37:37 GMT

It's 2am and I can't sleep.

So it's time for some ramblings.

Dean and I were doing some work at the house this evening. We mowed the lawn, twice. Raked the grass clippings, also twice. Then sanded down the walls in what will eventually be my bedroom and pasted them ready to start with the wallpapering tomorrow. I mean later on today. Anyway, I was so exhausted when we got back to my parents place that I barely stayed up long enough to watch the results show of Dancing With The Stars before crawling into bed. And now I'm awake sitting at the computer with a blanket wrapped around me toga style after replacing the lightbulb because I can't type in the dark.

There was a lull at work today and I was wishing for a distraction. Be careful what you wish for. Just after three a handful of very drunk Australian Xena fans called me, from Australia, they were on a mobile and so was I. It was my buddies Penny and Natalie and friends. They were having a Xena get together and playing my music videos and in their enibriated state thought it was a good idea to call. It was great to hear from them, even though I'm not sure of half of what they said, Penny wanted to make sure I'm going to the convention in Burbank next year so we could catch up (I thought she said touch up at first), Natalie wants a rematch at pool because I kicked her arse last time we met in Vegas and I'm sure it was her babbling about dingoes eating her baby. Eventually realising that this phone bill would most likely be catastrophic they bid me goodbye, but not without first extracting promises from me to make some new Xena music videos... it's on my to do list. It was only a 17 minute call but it absolutely made my day.

Now I'm just randomly browsing the internet.

Went to the IMDB, there's been some rumours that Stephanie March may return to SVU, but they are just rumours, at least for the moment. Bring back Alex before we lose faith completely and realise that Butchy McFabulous Olivia Benson is actually straight!

I've been to Amazon, scary, they've had a redesign and I don't like it. It took me at least 10 seconds to locate my wishlist and that's just not good. Even worse I have to restrain myself from buying things by reminding myself that I need to save money to buy things like a new bed, and a desk, and a washing machine and a new kitchen.

Also been over to Passion and Perfection to look for some new fan fiction. I still have my Special Victims Unit phase going so I'm not in the mood for any of my other obsessions, unfortunately there's nothing new and substantial on that front.

Thankfully, for both myself and anyones f-list, Katie is working tonight and has just giving me permission to phone her. She has promised to bore me to sleep. I love my girly.

Night, night xoxo

...

more of the big x

Wed, 07 May 2008 21:26:39 GMT

As if it hadn't been enough at the weekend, Monday being the first Monday of the month, was Xena Meetup Day. Debs and lara had specially moved the venue to a pub down the road from the Hilton in hopes that we could entice some overseas fans to join our monthly gathering.

The advertising over the weekend paid off as in dribs and drabs various contingents arrived. Unfortunately the Stateside guys arrived 20 minutes before closing, a couple of the Czech guys turned up a little before that but the Scotish and Austrian guys were with us for most of the evening. But the big surprise was the quiet woman who at the end of the evening revealed herself to be none other than Lucia, the Brazilian artist who created the Little Xena and Gabrielle comic strip on the Ausxip website, loved the world over by even the butchest, bravest and cynical of Xena fans.

A little bit different to the usual meet; we had even more sweets and cakes than normal, a bit of a quiz (my team won), a raffle and the music videos that Creation wouldn't show you - MINE.

Although we had a lovely big screen to show them on there wasn't a sound system to go with it. So we made do with the speakers on Debs laptop and listened very carefully. I got some good comments and dished out some website cards. One of the Czech girls handed it back to me and said, 'I know who you are, I'm a huge fan of your videos.' Slowly but surely my plan for world domination is working.

I won absolutely nothing in the raffle, I probably had most of the stuff anyway. I just wish Katie could have got the plaque she wanted, but she got to take home what was left of the Flying Saucers so she was happy. (Flying Saucers: wafer thingies with sherbert inside)

The evening rounded out sitting outside the pub with some of the Americans and some chips they'd got from somewhere. We chatted about our favourite moments of the weekend. This was followed by tearful goodbyes to those I won't see until the next convention and hugs to those I'll see at the meetup next month.

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masque three.zero (launch party)

Wed, 07 May 2008 18:43:16 GMT

Being as I wasn't fond of the idea of turning 30 I left it until the last minute to arrange any kind of festivities to mark the occasion. Ultimately I invited a few friends and family, had some food, played some music and just chatted. The perfect type of party for me.

I finally decided that it was time to introduce some of the members of the London Xena Meetup Group to my family. They are a huge and important part of my life and I think my family were ready for them. So Lara, Jane, Lou, Huma, Debs and Alex joined the party along with the usual suspects of Katie, Dean, Maureen and Ravurian and the rest of my family.

Ravurian decided to get me a 60th card and tear it in half... I love you too Bro. Lara and Jane got me some book tokens and 'Aslan' a toy lion that means I can adopt a real one. When I was 8 I wrote in to Jim'll Fix It because I wanted to adopt a lion. 22 years later Lara and Jane fixed it for me... ROAR. Debs and Alex presented me with the complete boxset of adult Harry Potter books. The box had to be pried out of my hands so that I could blow out the candles on my birthday cake... I love my books.

For some reason, that escapes me now, Dean thought it would be a great idea to have modelling balloons at the party so I picked up a pack. When we eventually managed to get the things blown up the results were varied; Alex made an orange long necked, lop sided dog, Lou managed a green bee, Katie followed the instructions and made a purple dinosaur and I inflated a dark green balloon, stuck a pair of eyes on it and called it a snake. Modelling balloons... who said 30 was grown up?

When Katie and I found ourselves the only ones left the Wii was opened and we finally got to bed some time after 5am.

30 is not so bad after all.

...

masque three.zero

Wed, 07 May 2008 18:26:56 GMT

Well it's here. The day that I've been dreading for the last three years... My 30th Birthday.

And now it's here, it's not so bad.

My agonising over turning 30 is based firmly in the 'what exactly have I done with my life' category. I still live with my parents, with a joke of a job and no real idea of what I want to do with myself for the time that I have left on this planet. If being a professional dreamer was a career opportunity then to date I would have 2 television series, 2 mini series, 1 movie, a merchandise empire, 3 Baftas, 2 Golden Globes and an Emmy on my mantelpiece and would have appeared on Mtv Cribs, twice. (My London mansion and Los Angeles villa.) Alas reality is much more real and I'm the only person who can change what I've got. So I'm working on it, I have some tentative plans, some ideas and the realisation that I have to get out of the place I have worked for since university and known all my life. Time to cast aside the safety net.

But back to today. My girl is with me, on my actual birthday and she took me out for dinner. My diet is either forgotten for the evening or birthday calories don't count, especially when there is crispy coated mushrooms and lemon and herb chicken to be had. I'll only turn 30 once and shouldn't have to suffer the whole day.

Although a milesone birthday should be marked with a appropriate present, according to my parents, they had no clue what to buy me. I'm not a girly girl and so jewelery and clothes don't excite me. Nor do ornaments, pottery and plates like it does my sister. But they found the perfect gift: A Nintendo Wii, with extra controller and sports package. WHOO YEAH. It seemed that I had dropped enough hints.

It may well have been late by this time but we decided to do the shopping for my party. You should have seen the look on my sisters face when she saw the chocolate cake I was planning on buying. It would seem that the diet is forgotten for the whole weekend.

So Happy Birthday to me.

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traditions can be somewhat skewed, right?

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:52:31 GMT

Usually I have a dinner party somewhere in the middle of December. Originally it was a way for myself and my friends to say thank you to my parents for putting up with us all for another year and a chance for those of us that wouldn’t see each other at Christmas to celebrate together.

Katie had to work every weekend in December but managed to wrangle New Years Eve off, so I rescheduled the party.

Over the years the evening has changed to include family members and friends of my parents but it’s still a lot of fun. Every year we have a different theme, there has been James Bond, Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter and Las Vegas to name just a few, this year the theme was Monopoly. I’d been angling for this theme for a couple of years because I love the game, the menu included dishes such as Melons of Mayfair, Leicester Square Lamb and Trafalgar Trifle - the menu is the same every year but the names have been changed to confuse the inebriated. And just to top things off each menu card had a cute little Monopoly style token, mine was a bottle of coke.

...

long time, no... anything

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 16:07:02 GMT

Someone reminded recently that I have a live journal and that I really should prove that I am live and journal about it!

ninety-nine truths (minus the ones that were already missing)

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 17:24:21 GMT

Because I was bored.

Because I like talking about myself.

Because I might want to remember all this stuff at some point.

01. Real Name: Michaela
02. Nickname(s): Masque, Mickey, Mick, Myk, Squiggle, Magpie, Angel, Khaos
03. Single or Taken: Very taken, just celebrated first year anniversary
04. Zodiac Sign: Pisces, on the cusp with Aquarius
05. Male or Female: Female
06. Playgroup: St. Mary’s
07. Primary School: St. Joseph’s
08. Secondary School: St. Catherine’s
09. Eye Colour: Varying shades of blue
10. Hair Colour: Varying shades of blonde
11. Long or Short Hair: Longish
12. Shoe Size: 6
13. Asthma? No, I just get out of breath easily!
14. Are you health freak? Not even remotely
15. Height: 5’ 4”
16. Do you have a crush on someone? Yes
17. Do you like yourself? Not completely
18. Piercings: Ears, naval
19. Tattoos: Not yet
20. Righty or Lefty: Righty… mostly!

FIRSTS:
22. First surgery: Never had surgery… touch wood
23. First piercing: Earlobes – aged 15
24. First best friend: Marie Lester – aged 3
25. First award moment: 3^rd Place Fancy Dress – aged 6, as the Tin Man
26. First sport you joined: Gymnastics – aged 3
27. First pet: Snowy, the rabbit – aged 6
28. First vacation: Lake District – aged 5
29. First concert: Bucks Fizz – aged 5
30. First crush: Joseph Downey – aged 4

CURRENTLY:
49. Eating: Nothing
50. Drinking: Coca-Cola
52. I'm about to: Watch ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ and sulk because Karen Hardy isn’t in it!
53. Listening to: ‘Right Beside You’ – Sophie B. Hawkins
55. Waiting for: My life to start (how very dramatic of me)
57. Wearing: Jeans, tee-shirt and cardigan

YOUR FUTURE:
58. Want kids? Most definitely
59. Want to get married? Most definitely
60. Careers in mind? Television and Film Production (writing, editing, filming)

WHICH IS BETTER WITH THE [[[SAME]]] / OPPOSITE SEX? :
68. Lips or Eyes? Both
69. Hugs or Kisses? Both
70. Shorter or Taller? Either
72. Romantic or Spontaneous? Both
73. Stomach or Arms? Both
74. Sensitive or Loud? Both
75. Hook-up or Relationship? Relationship

HAVE YOU EVER :
78. Kissed a stranger? No
79. Been in love with more than one person at once? No
80. Lost glasses/contacts? No
81. Ran away from home? Yes, I made it once around the block and got bored.
82. Broken any bones? No
84. Broken someone's heart? Yes
85. Been arrested? No
86. Turned someone down? Yes

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:
89. Yourself: Not at the moment
90. Miracles: Only if you count my ability to pass exams without studying
91. Love at first sight: Yes
92. Heaven: Only in Xena
93. Santa Claus: Only in the magic he inspires
94. Fairies: No, but still think they’re pretty
95. Kissing on the first date: Of course, how else do find out if you have chemistry
96. Angels: Yes, especially the ones walking among us

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:
97. Is there one or more people you want to be with right now? My Nan, right now the thought of facing Christmas without her hurts
98. Is Superman really better than Batman? No, Batman is better because he is human (but ultimately Batgirl is better because she does it in heels!)
99. Do you believe in God? Not anymore

...

facebook anyone?

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 12:28:02 GMT

Sitting in the pub last night with friends I finally submitted. After much poking (and I'm not talking about that cyber type that the aforementioned website provides) I agreed to sign up to Facebook.

I feel overwhelmed and exposed.

Overwhelmed because people are sending me messages and grafitti and there are so many applications for fun things to do it's just plain scary. Exposed because for once I have signed up using my real name. Whilst it's true that everything I have ever written on this journal is true somehow not giving my real name provided a semblence of protection. But then Facebook is just a place to say hello, swap videos and pass the time so I guess I can live with that.

My name is Michaela Upton. See you one Facebook if you're interested.

(This does not mean in any way that I'm giving up on Live Journal. I still have those moments where I need to not be quiet.)

...

fan fiction meme

Sun, 14 Oct 2007 17:47:38 GMT

So I was clicking through flist to flist, picking random names and reading journals when I found this little gem of a questionaire. I copied it and pasted it into Word so I could fill it out at a later date and here we are at the later date... and I forgot where I got it from.

You pick 12 of your favourite television/film characters and then get to mix and match them in the questions that follow. Whoever I stole it from had chosen an all female list for the slash possibilities and I'm going to do just the same. (And should the person I stole this from ever happen upon my journal... you had people from Murder in Suburbia, Firefly, Desperate Housewives and Sex And The City.)

1) Gabrielle (Xena: Warrior Princess)
2) Alex Cabot (Law and Order: SVU)
3) Barbara Gordon (Birds Of Prey)
4) Xena (Xena: Warrior Princess)
5) Delinda Deline (Las Vegas)
6) Helen Stewart (Bad Girls)
7) Olivia Benson (Law and Order: SVU)
8) Sam Marquez (Las Vegas)
9) Susan Ivanova (Babylon 5)
10) Talia Winters (Babylon 5)
11) Nikki Wade (Bad Girls)
12) Helena Kyle (Birds Of Prey)

1. Have you ever read a Six/Eleven fic? Do you want to? (Helen/Nikki)
Okay, I swear I put the 12 in random order and still managed to get a canon couple! I have read many, many fics for these two characters and yes I would read many, many more.

2. Do you think Four is hot? How hot? (Xena)
She is pretty damn hot, I mean come on, she wears leather to bed.

3. What would happen if Twelve got Eight pregnant? (Helena/Sam)
Well I read a fic where Helena's meta powers did get Barbara pregnant so it is within the strange realms of possibility. However I don't think Sam would be too happy to be pregnant, pushing a stroller whilst trying to get a whale to bet big would be be out of even Miss Marquez's multitasking ability.

4. Can you recommend any fic(s) about Nine? (Susan)
Gia Cogli Angeli, Ivanona? and Oblique, both by Penumbra. Not only do they have good sex scenes but they have a damn good storyline running through them.

5. Would Two and Six make a good couple?
It would be the battle of the power suits, with Alex trying to put the perps in prison and Helen trying to get them out again.

6. Five/Nine or Five/Ten? Why? (Delinda/Susan or Delinda/Talia)
Susan would probably not know what to make of Delinda, she wouldn’t understand why a total genius insisted on acting like a total ditz, but I think Susan would definitely apreciate the woman anyway. Delinda would enjoy a woman in uniform and would enjoy trying to break the Commander even more. Talia and Delinda would look very hot together, style and sass. And with the fact that Delinda’s head never seems to stop working Talia would never get bored. I’m gonna go with the Delinda and Talia pairing, even if they are both blondes.

7. What would happen if Seven walked in on Two and Twelve having sex? (Olivia walks in on Alex and Helena)
Oh dear, this would not be good. Despite the fact that Helena is a metahuman with above average strength and speed I think Olivia would still attempt to kick the Huntress’s arse. Alex would then employ her above average lawyer skills to placate Olivia with the old ‘she was wearing a leather coat and I thought it was you, especially when she purred’.

8. Make up a summary for a Three/Ten fic. (Barbara/Talia)
A metahuman with the ability to bend the space time continuum catapults Barbara Gordon in the the future where she journeys to Babylon 5 and her vigilante abilities come to the attention of Security Chief Michael Garibaldi. He brings her in as a consultant and in one of his sidetrips to stalk Talia Winters the two women meet. Talia is immediately fascinated by the ‘tinkering’ that Barbara has done with her wheelchair (she thinks, therefore the chair moves). Friendship becomes courtship becomes a relationship and Talia’s telepathic abilities become essential in overcoming any lack of sensation that Barbara’s paralysis might cause in their sex life.

9. Is there such a thing as One/Eight fluff? (Gabrielle/Sam)
No, and I don’t think there should be. But if there was I think Sam would be guest starring in that episode that had a Las Vegas style casino in it and shall remain nameless.

10. Suggest a title for a Seven/Twelve hurt/comfort fic. (Olivia/Helena)
Her Blood, My Hands (Helena held her mother in her arms after she had been stabbed, Olivia sort of held Alex after she had been shot. Both lost loved ones on the streets of the cities they were destined to protect. Both have lost their mothers. Both of their love interests were shot. Would this be a fic that got our leather clad heroine’s together? Or the story of two crimefighters helping each other to realise where their hearts truly lie? Who knows?

11. What kind of plot device would you use if you wanted Four to deflower One? (Xena/Gabrielle)
LOL, let’s see there are so many. Hot water is in short supply so they might have to take a bath together. The weather has turned nasty and they seek shelter in a handy cave. Not enough money for a room at the inn, Gabrielle will do the bard thing but it will only get them one room with one bed. The Amazon’s are having another party, it all gets sensual and erotic and frisky. They need to pose as mistress and slave, again, and this time they have to prove it. It’s a mission where one or both of them might die and just have to tell the other how they feel and then have mind blowing sex. To name but a few.

12. Does anyone on your friends list write Seven slash? (Olivia)
Yes, ralst. Thankfully she only slashes her with Alex, I’m not into the Casey stuff. And of course I love the Olivia from the Femslash Anonymous series.

13. Does anyone on your friends list read Three het? (Barbara)
I have no idea. I think the only one who would read any sort of Birds of Prey fic would also be ralst and in most cases Barbara always has a Het moment with Dick or Wade before she gets down to it with Helena. Does that count?

14. Does anyone on your friends list write or draw Eleven? (Nikki)
Yes. Including me who has written and vidded her. And once again ralst makes the cut. (I think I need more people on my friends list.)

15. Would anyone on your friends list write Two/Four/Five? (Alex/Xena/Delinda)
God I hope not. Just the logistics of trying to get them into the same universe and timeline would be a nightmare. Take Xena out of the equation and Alex/Delinda might be a possibility. Given the belief that Alex is a trust fund kid and Delinda is a clothes horse they would have fun maxing out credit cards in both New York and Las Vegas.

16. What might Ten scream at a moment of great passion? (Talia)
’The Corps is mother, the corps is father’, though hopefully not if she’s with Susan because she would spend a month on the couch. On a more vague, enigmatic approach she might say something about ‘Mirrors’, she once said that when telepaths make love it was like all the thoughts were reflected.

17. If you wrote a song-fic about Eight, which song would you choose? (Sam)
’Hey Big Spender’, though that might be more like Sam singing it. She likes her clients to spend lots of money at her casino.

18. If you wrote a One/Six/Twelve fic, what would the warnings be? (Gabrielle/Helen/Helena)
WARNING: Xena, Nikki and Barbara did not okay this story.

19. What might be a good pick-up line for Two to use on Ten? (Alex/Talia)
"Do you think we look alike? Maybe we should go see what else is a mirror image." (See answer 16)

20. When was the last time you read a fic about Five? (Delinda)
Never. Alas the love between Delinda and Sam exists only in my mind, but I do tell myself stories every night.

21. What is Six's super-sekrit kink? (Helen)
She likes to read letters from her imprisoned lover whilst in bed. And we all know what she does afterwards, at least I know what she does.

...

book... cheque?

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 18:15:40 GMT

I recently had to change banks. I joined the Woolwich when I was 7 years old, when they had a funny kids account that attempted to make saving money more enjoyable... whatever. Anyway I was very happy with the Woolwich, I knew the desk staff at the local branch, they had a really cool HQ building that from a distance I would tell new friends was where I lived and when my account got hacked earlier this year and over £300 was taken they re-imbursed me and got right on with the investigation.

But in July they were taken over by Barclays, I don't like Barclays and I'm not totally sure why. I vaguely remember when I was 11 years old that my parents had a problem with a credit card limit and that it got a bit testy so I'm guessing this is possibly the origins of my hostility. As soon as the anouncement of the take over was made my mother closed her account with them and moved to another bank; when the takeover went into affect my sister withdrew all her money and did the same; but I figured most banks were pretty much alike and stayed where I was.

I am a muppet and my name is Masque (I hope I have blue fur).

I assumed that my Woolwich account would be substituted with the equivalent Barclays account, but oh how wrong I was. I received my new card from my new bank and it might as well be a library card for all the good it does. I knew something was amiss from the first moment I laid my eyes on this unremarkable piece of light blue plastic: there was no chip, meaning that all store purchases were out the window. On closer examination I discovered that this was not a debit card either, thus rendering all my online shopping accounts and standing orders useless - a couple of which got suspended. In short the only thing I could do with the damn thing was get money out of a cash machine, and when that went squiffy I decided enough was enough.

I went into town and picked a new bank. I now have a bank account that allows telephone and internet banking, a very pretty card that is accepted everywhere and has the glorious chip imbedded in it and today my brand new cheque book arrived. I've never had a cheque book before and I have no idea what I'm ever going to use it for but I just feel better knowing that I have one.

...

thoughts on yesterdays statement

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 10:42:39 GMT

I have a few things on my to do list.

1. New house.
Generally I think this is supposed to be last on the list but I always do everything arse about face, I can't help it, it's the way I was born.

2. New degree.
I do have an old one, I know it's here somewhere but like most things if you don't use it regularly it stops working.

3. New career.
Technically it would be my first career seeing as my toe hold in the legal archiving industry has afforded me three different offices... in the same basement.

Oh and somewhere in there I need to turn 30. My family and friends assure me this is not allowed to go by without being acknowledged... Fine... but the following year I start counting backwards!

...

work sucks... so what else is new?

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 10:46:36 GMT

I'm back at work after a week long holiday and already I want to resign.

one true pairings

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 19:56:18 GMT

Shamelessly stolen from ralst

List the first five OTPs that come into your head, but preferably from different fandoms.

1. Xena and Gabrielle (Xena: Warrior Princess)
2. Helen and Nikki (Bad Girls)
3. Olivia and Alex (Law and Order: Special Victims Unit)
4. Helena and Barbara (Birds of Prey)
5. Susan and Talia (Babylon 5)

1. When did you first fall in love with ship number 1?
From the very first episode I watched, Comedy Of Eros. When Gabrielle got shot with one of Cupid’s arrows, she called Xena’s name and you just know that if Joxer hadn’t got in the way she would have been ripping that leather corset off the tall, dark and deadly one.

2. When did you fall in love with ship number 5?

Someone got me to watch an episode called Ceremonies of Dark and Light and told me to listen very carefully to the secret that Susan was going to confess. When she said ‘I think I loved Talia’ I begged anyone who would listen to loan me the entire series, I had to know who Talia was and why Susan loved her.

3.What is your favorite moment of ship number 3?

The devastation in Olivia’s eyes when Alex tells her that she has to go into protective custody.

4. What will the ship be if you take the boy from ship 2 and the girl from ship 1 and mesh them? If one or both of the ships are slash, then pick and choose.
Nikki and Gabrielle… Interesting. Well Gabrielle stood by Xena who had carved a bloody path across most of the known world to conquer it, Nikki is mild by comparison having only killed to protect her previous girlfriend. And Gabrielle could write epic tales and Nikki could read them and answer essay questions.

5. Vise versa.
Xena and Helen… Scary. Not sure how well Xena would react to being told to ‘grow up and stop all this macho crap’ but then she would probably see the woman fighting for the ‘greater good’ of her charges and get on board with it. Not sure what Open University course she would get the Warrior Princess to sign up for though… Woodwork? Embroidery?

6. What's your favorite moment for ship 4?
In ‘Lady Shiva’ when Barbara is dressed in her Batgirl costume and sitting in her wheelchair while Helena kneels before her begging to be able to help Barbara with her battle. (And because Dina Meyer looks gorgeous with the dark eye makeup.)

7. How long was there between the time you got into the fandom and the time you started shipping ship number 3?

The ship was part of the reason that I decided to watch the series. I decided to watch the series from the beginning and Alex Cabot does not appear until the second season, but by my watching schedule that was about three days.

8. When did you start shipping ship number 4?
From the unaired pilot episode. There was a hug and I was hooked.

9. Take three random people from three of the ships and create an OT3?
Talia, Alex, Barbara…THUD!

10. Rank your OTPs in order.

Currently

1 - Olivia and Alex (Law and Order: Special Victims Unit)

2 - Helena and Barbara (Birds of Prey)

3 - Xena and Gabrielle (Xena: Warrior Princess)

4 - Helen and Nikki (Bad Girls)

5 - Susan and Talia (Babylon 5)

Honorary ships that didn't quite make the five:
Sara and Catherine (CSI: Las Vegas)

Buffy and Faith (Buffy, The Vampire Slayer

Elphaba and Glinda (Wicked)

Sam and Janet (Stargate SG1)

...

i'm bored...

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 15:10:38 GMT

... so I'm going to rant!

Why do people wait until they are at the ticket barriers before looking for their tickets? Surely, for the seasoned commuter these wonders of technology are no surprise. They were probably there yesterday, and the day before that and will most likely still be there tomorrow, so why are people caught so off guard.

As you can guess I've been caught behind these forgetful souls one time too many. I've also been caught behind the ones that refuse to believe that they need to 'seek assistance' and continue to push their ticket through again and again with the same results. And I've been caught behind those whose Oyster cards have refused them entry/exit and watched them glare at the card as though it just insulted their parentage. It happened yesterday and today and will most likely happen tomorrow... oh the joys of working in London.

I'm so bored it's time for another 'Blog Thing'

You Are a Dragon

You are very charismatic and incredibly popular.
People are drawn to your energy, but you are a very difficult person to get to know.
You are very active - you are usually hard at work or play.
You enjoy drama, and you enjoy anything unusual or eccentric.

What Mythological Creature Are You?

1. I'd like to think I am. (So let's add egotistical to that)
2. There could be some energy there. And someone once told me that I present myself as an open book, but it wasn't in any language they could read.
3. Active... let's hope that's to do with my internet activities. If I was hard at work I wouldn't be doing this so I'll have to agree with the hard at play.
4. The bigger the drama the better. Unusual or eccentric, yeah that's a pretty good description of my interests.

I could deal with being a Dragon. Does that mean I can incinerate anyone who doesn't have their ticket ready?

...

i survived xenathon 2007

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 12:41:41 GMT

As I've mentioned before I belong to a group called Xenameet, and in keeping with the shows philosophy 'For The Greater Good' we decided to make a stand.

Last year xenavirgin donated money in our name to sponsor a child in a developing country; this year she took it one step further and came up with the idea to raise enough money to help more than one child by building a school, along with all the equipment, from the ground up. She also came up with a brilliant way to get the money: have our friends, family, work colleagues and Xena fans around the world sponsor us to watch every episode of Xena ever made, including the Hercules Trilogy that introduced the character, back to back. It was an idea that was greeted by the rest of the group with much enthusiasm. (Imagine that)

The dates, venue and schedules were set.
The rules: 3 people had to be watching at all times.
The caffeine ranged from fizzy drinks to espresso to pro plus.
And the pizza was on speed dial.
And once we start we ain't stopping.
Ready, Steady, Go!

And now I remember why I love this show. So it has plot holes, continuity issues, character mistakes, story clangers and a finale that left people either crying or seething*; but it also had two great leads, a quirky Kiwi humour, a heart the size of Texas, and a friendship and love that was honest and tender and, to my mind, remains unrivalled. Through subtext to maintext, the lingering glances, the casual touches and anytime they whispered ‘I love you’, they stole my heart. It’s now 12 years since the show first aired, it has been 6 years since ‘Friend In Need’ but after this weekend it is clear that they still have it. On Friday evening when we pressed play for the first episode it was only fatigue that could force me to walk away. I still had a desperate need to watch as much as I could, the much loved episodes I have watched over and over again or the ones that I thought I could get by without. And it was good to know that after so many years and numerous viewings I can still find things that I’d never noticed before.

Being a fan of Xena has opened so many doors for me; as a person, as a writer, as a video bard and as a friend. I spent five days in a house with people I see for one evening a month; it was a very interesting experience. I learnt more than just the preferred pizza topping, or whether they were a morning person. Debs: our grand leader, I saw her at conventions, usually with a large stack of merchandise in her hands, she may have trouble with words but she finds ways to express how she feels about her friends and loved ones and would do anything for them. Sofia: she used to be the quiet one but has proved to be a little tinker with a wicked sense of humour, makes a mean tiramisu and managed to watch episodes for 39 hours straight. Sammy: our representative from Gran Canaria, we gave her a lot of grief about her love life but only because we want to see her happy and these last few weeks, she has looked very happy. Danny: for a while she was ‘that German girl who had a Chakram dyed into the back of her head’, then she became one of us and now I call her my friend and she still has interesting things dyed into the back of her head. Lou: I’ve known her since my By The Gods days, we were re-introduced when we both attended the Xenameet, and every time I see her I learn something new; she told me once never to throw a friend away and I’m glad I didn’t. Lara and Jane: they have opened their house and their hearts to this ragtag gang of misfits many times, we all owe you so much… Lara for realising watching Xena could raise money and Jane for her devious plan to make Maureen watch ‘Married With Fishsticks’. Maureen: my long time Xena buddy, with you I learnt that even when it comes to the show you have your limitations, and quite frankly I don’t blame you. And finally my girl Katie, even if the only new thing I learnt about you in the last few days was never to let you sleep through ‘A Day In The Life’ it was worth it.

But let’s not forget why we did this Xenathon in the first place. Xena and Gabrielle were all about making a better world and that is precisely what we are trying to do. You can still donate, pledge, sponsor, ‘give us your f***king money’ (thank you Sir Bob) by checking our website:

Xenameet

Help us continue the fight 'For The Greater Good' while we go and get some sleep.

Footnotes:

*Plot holes: In ‘Fallen Angel’ Xena was baptised by fire and water, thus absolving her of all of her earthly sins… this would include the deaths of the 40,000 souls that perished in Higuchi! (Drop the ashes in the water Gabrielle)
*Continuity issues: Horses changing sides whilst pulling a chariot, the disappearing/reappearing swords, you get the idea.
*Character mistakes: Gabrielle is a great cook, so why does Joxer imply she isn’t in ‘Purity’? Why does Joxer take on the role of cook when in ‘In Sickness and In Hell’ he gave Xena and Gabrielle food poisoning?
*Story clangers: The Titans, Vanishing Act, Married With Fishsticks… that’s all I’m going to say.
*Finale: Beautifully acted, written, directed… but drop the ashes in the water already!

...