The Tails of Merlin's Sister

11:57am: I'm not alone!
Hey, there are other people who ship Cam/Hodgins on Bones. There is even a whole community devoted to it. :D

And of interest to only me and ozchick I caught more season 1 Sea Patrol the other day. I never realised Buffer had a crush on Nav. Sweeeet!

In other news we lost some fences in last week's wind, and now we have lost the temporary measure. I really don't like wind. :( Still hopefully it will all be fixed by the end of next week. Am feeling a bit overwhelmed by housework at the moment, which I know is a symptom of my stress levels generally. The work hours are so long that I feel I get up, go to work, come home, eat, wash up and go to bed. So the house feels messy, not helped with fence mending stuff being stored. I know we can clear up fairly quickly but it's the irony that the mess is increasing my stress levels which makes me less inclined to clean things. Still, attacked the cooker today. I have to remind myself that it is 13 years old, so will not scrub up perfectly. :P And I have made a decision. If nothing happens between now and Feb I am paying to get the kitchen decorating finished off, I don't care what J says. It is not helping the sense of mess to have the job a quarter done! There is a new women only company locally so if they are any good I think I will use them, and see if they might be any good at doing MIL work as well. J means well when he says he will do things, but I don't want to wait any more!

Am reading an excellent book at the moment - 'The Guernsey Literay and Potato Peel Pie' by Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows. It is about the experiences of people during the WW2 occupation in Guernsey and the aftermath. It's told in letter style, and I have not come across a book I haven't enjoyed as much for a long time. To be both moved and uplifted at the same time. I'm afraid a lot of my friends will be getting it for Xmas. :D

I ordered my new glasses yesterday. I desperately wanted the dark red ones, but I had to conceed they made me look like I had been drained of all blood. :P So I have gone striking but kept to the warm browns, and I am trying the transition lenses to avoid the summer problem of glasses/sunglasses exchange in shops. I'm also trying some slightly more individually thinned lenses that are meant to make the edges of the glasses more effective. All in all it meant that the lenses were 3 times the cost of the frames! Thank goodness for discount schemes!

Ah well, I think it is soup making time. Life can't be hard if I can make soup. :D

7:02pm: Dr Who: The Water of Mars
( How long till Xmas? )

10:35am: Anybody else seeing the irony in buying Tinman in the sale on the day there are 100mph winds? :P
I did think at one point I was going to take off in the winds. And we were in London, so goodness knows what it was like on the coast. All I know is that we came home to 3 fence panels down. We will ignore the fact that I have been telling certain people that we needed to fix the rotten post all summer...

Anyhow, we were in London for the record fair. I splashed out on a £1 12" single of one of my favourite tracks. Spent more in HMV (NCIS S5 for £18 - weeee! Already watched Stakeout!) Bought Tinman in the sale as I keep getting it in bits but thought I would like to see it all the way through. Found a new posh coffee shop - was a little disappointed as it wasn't quite like the website - could have been friendlier as well. But it's nice to find somewhere I can go to get advice on experimenting in blends etc.

Plus we were in a little rush as we were seeing Ash in Tunbridge Wells on their A-Z tour. Such a tiny venue! And we were there an hour before they came on stage - could have lingered over the chinese slightly longer! They had technical problems - again! We seem to be the technical problems jinx on them. But once they got sorted they were great. Probably the strongest I've seen them since Charlotte left the band. And Return of the White Rabbit is FANTASTIC live! Free download still available!

Anyhow, I'd better get on with domestic things. Think it might need to be a roast today.

6:46pm: Not sure why I am so excited but...
... I am! FX are showing Babylon 5 from the beginning. Yes, yes I know I have the whole series on DVD. I just LOVE the fact it's being trailed again. :D

6:39pm: Commentary meme
Gakked from medie

Pick a paragraph (or any passage less than 500 words) from any story I've written, and comment to this post with that selection. I will then give you a DVD commentary on that snippet: what I was thinking when I wrote it, why I wrote it in the first place, what's going on in the character's heads, why I chose certain words, what this moment means in the context of the rest of the fic, lots of awful puns, and anything else that you'd expect to find on a DVD commentary track.

In other news I think my muse battery has run out, or maybe my muses are more interested in things other than catching serial killers. :p

8:49pm: FIC: By Hook or By Crook, Gen, 8/?
Title: By Hook or By Crook 8/?
Author: Merlin's Sister
E-mail: michemerlin1@aol.com
Rating: R for language
Disclaimers: The Stargate: Atlantis characters are owned by the almighty MGM. Just borrowing them for a bit of fun. No point in suing me anyway. I work in the public sector.
Category: Gen
Characters: Heightmeyer, Sheppard, ensemble
Archive: Just ask.
Summary: A serial killer is loose on Atlantis.
Author's notes: Currently unbetaed so bizarre spelling and grammar all down to me. If anyone is up for a sneak preview and some double-checking, especially once I get to the action stages let me know! :D


( Just for falcon_horus... )

6:48pm: *dances and throws petals and other assorted nice things around*

The internet fairy has done her work. The connection is back. No explanation why it had gone this morning - I am presuming something local at the exchange.

It's not that I'm addicted or anything, ahem. But recently with all the personal and work strain coming here and discussing fandom, wandering around Youtube for silly vids has really helped in the stress management.

*hugs laptop tight and breathes sigh of relief*

4:07pm: Well, Sky don't think it's them. If it is something to do with the new box coming I can only book it at the earliest for next Monday.

If you don't see me for a while you know what's happened...

10:56am: AAAGH!
My internet connection at home has gone AGAIN!

It's doing the same thing as last time and i don't think it can be coincidence that I have just booked the Sky upgrade. But that's not due until the end of November and I can not go that long without the internet. I only have one school where I can access LJ for a start, never mind the repercussions of J going without ebay for a while.

I hope it's easy to sort out as I do not need this on top of all the other stresses.

3:27pm: FIC: By Hook or By Crook, Gen, 7/?
Title: By Hook or By Crook 7/?
Author: Merlin's Sister
E-mail: michemerlin1@aol.com
Rating: R for language
Disclaimers: The Stargate: Atlantis characters are owned by the almighty MGM. Just borrowing them for a bit of fun. No point in suing me anyway. I work in the public sector.
Category: Gen
Characters: Heightmeyer, Sheppard, ensemble
Archive: Just ask.
Summary: A serial killer is loose on Atlantis.
Author's notes: Currently unbetaed so bizarre spelling and grammar all down to me. If anyone is up for a sneak preview and some double-checking, especially once I get to the action stages let me know! :D

( I think I have the muse battery again... )

8:33pm: FIC: By Hook or By Crook, Gen, 6/?
Title: By Hook or By Crook 6/?
Author: Merlin's Sister
E-mail: michemerlin1@aol.com
Rating: R for language
Disclaimers: The Stargate: Atlantis characters are owned by the almighty MGM. Just borrowing them for a bit of fun. No point in suing me anyway. I work in the public sector.
Category: Gen
Characters: Heightmeyer, Sheppard, ensemble
Archive: Just ask.
Summary: A serial killer is loose on Atlantis.
Author's notes: Currently unbetaed so bizarre spelling and grammar all down to me. If anyone is up for a sneak preview and some double-checking, especially once I get to the action stages let me know! :D



( At last the muse is back... )

7:48pm: In celebration of the fact it's Friday
Fandom meme gakked from lots of people:

1) List 20 fandoms that you like or did like once.
2) Friends guess who your two favorite characters are from that show/fandom.
3) When someone guesses correctly, strike through the name, list the favorite characters and the friend who got 'em right.


1. Atlantis
2. Enterprise
3. Voyager
4. JAG
5. NCIS
6. Farscape
7. West Wing
8. X Files
9. Gilmore Girls
10. Next Gen
11. Dr Who
12. The Good Life
13. Babylon 5
14. Dawson's Creek
15. M*A*S*H
16. Frasier
17. Red Dwarf
18. Classic Star Wars
19. Bones
20. Sea Patrol

10:11am: I have a cold. I have been very good and kept on working, admittedly because the stress of reorganising things felt worse than the bug. But today... I wanted to be out in the garden, and to sort the recycling out etc. But I may have got to the stage where I need to just lie on the sofa.

In TV news I am in danger of having something to watch every evening. I can't remember the last time there was enough I wanted to see, and the channels had the decency to show them on different evenings. :P We have ordered a Sky+ box 2 months ago but are still waiting on delivery. J is planning a complaint letter...

If anyone wants me I will be on the sofa.

6:59pm: Been reading havocthecat's post about the level of vitriol aimed at SGU and I was reminded of how, whilst wandering around the NCIS vids on Youtube the level of childish responses to different ships, even when the makers are up front about the fact they usually ship the complainers ship. And as for the response to some of the live Yeah Yous vids...

I suppose it just reminded me of how wonderful my flist is... considerate and able to form arguments without resorting to 'Nah, nah, nah'. I started with LD, where again that is/was the norm, and I just struggle to understand any other behaviour... especially when it is meant to be FUN.

*hugs flist*

In other news my Ash new single has still not turned up or been emailed for download, and like all the other subscribers via recordstore, we yet to have a response as to why. Hope they get it sorted because it was an expensive option.

Right I'm off to read some cookery books - need to keep the inspiration coming.

7:44pm: Interesting. NCIS: LA is on Sky One, not hidden away on FX.

Very interesting.

10:09am: These links of a links are dangerous...
Tony, Abby and the Princess Bride...

9:43am: Feeling the McZiva love
After seeing the opener to S7 NCIS the McGee/Ziva plot bunny is definitely demanding to be written, or at least to receive more carrots. So a wander over to Youtube has discovered a little flurry of the McZiva love. :D. Prob my favourite is here but you can do the follow a link thingy and there are more. :D

Actually I was quite impressed by the opener to the season. Not so much in the story, but in the story style and the slightly open ending. Hope they will properly follow up to it. Less of the Tony/Ziva stuff would be good though. I am assuming FX are doing the same as last year and not showing the rest of the season until the Spring as Burn Notice is due back. But you never know.

On the other hand was disappointed with the opener of Bones. Giant reset button! Lots of nice little moments, and Cyndi Lauper, but hoping other episodes will be stronger.

In other news I am on my own again today as J continues to cover on Sundays. Last week I was all enthused about things to do. Today after a bad night with an upset stomach I don't know what to do. Part of me thinks going to yoga would be good for me, the other just wants to hole up, do a bit of tidying, and prepping soup for the freezer. I've got some hard and long days at the chalkface coming up so am thinking having some soup in the freezer to defrost would be good, easy and nutritious. Am also planning to see if I can get J to eak leeks today by covering them in cheese sauce. :p. Assuming my stomach can take it. I think it's just my IBS flaring but the stomach was not happy over night, and I'm never the most content person when that happens. Not a good combination.

6:33pm: Tried 10 mins of SGU admittedly half way through. A tad on the melodramatic side for my tastes. May try again when it passes me in the schedules. Am more excited by the return of Burn Notice. :D And Fringe but I think I will have to do that via the box sets as I missed so much of S1. I think Bones S5 is arriving imminently too. :D Which is all good after the dying a death schedules we've had recently.

I have completely failed at the happiness meme :( not because I haven't had happy moments but I forget to record them. :P But I was reminded of it again when travelling home. The sun had that warm autumn glow about it, and it was bathing the scenery in a beautiful gold. It's taken me a while to really appreciate the fact I love . :Dliving on the Marsh. The flat landscape, with the giant skies. It may not be Norfolk, but it's not far off

6:37am: Someone explain to me the thought processes of my other half who decided I needed to be woken up to ask me why the TV was so loud. If I'd had the energy I would have explained it was where I'd switched the DVD off and it had switched to TV after I fell asleep, but that seemed a very complicated answer to have to give at midnight. :P

Watched the 2nd eppie of Flashforward. Enjoying the mystery and the arc. And why did no-one tell me how cute Joseph Feines is?? Nice to see they can throw in some humour amongst the melodrama. Hoping the journey, and the answer, will be satisfying. Old BB is in charge after all.

Have lapsed on the happiness meme again. Will attempt to rectify...

Day 5

Day to myself and went to yoga class. Came out all nicely stretched. Then went home to read the paper and get ready to cook thrifty casserole with meat out the freezer and red wine from the meal on saturday. Creative thriftiness and good food always puts me in a good mood.

Day 6

I wore my new white V neck Tshirt. A small thing to get happy about but it seems M+S do listen to their customers as they've lengthened it. Which may seem a small thing but when you are small with a big bust you often have to make a choice between a Tshirt that stretches down to a nice length, and one that fits the shoulders properly. This did both. And all with fairtrade cotton and for a fiver. :D

7:19pm: *hops from foot to foot*
sg_rarepairings prompts... so many but so little brain power.

And the story ideas that are coming from my muses...

*eyes Kate and John muses suspiciously*

9:49am: The Yeah You's - 'Looking Through You'
As well as providing me with the inspiration for the last fic, the Yeah You's have given me great fun with their new album (could be a whole novel in there). It is very summery and I feel for them releasing it the week before the first torrential rain and mists of the Autumn. You can hear their claimed influences of the 80s, esp Madness with the occasional touch of Ska. Definitely some ELO as well. But who I hear the most is the early 90s band Jellyfish, very close sometimes, though I don't know how many people would know them.

And you know what I really love having watched some acoustic sessions on the website is that they can REALLY sing - yay for live harmonies!

10:00am: FIC: Morning, SGA, Sheppard/Heightmeyer, PG
Title: Morning
Author: Merlin's Sister
E-mail: michemerlin1@aol.com
Rating: PG
Disclaimers: The Stargate:Atlantis characters are owned by the almighty MGM. Just borrowing them for a bit of fun. No point in suing me anyway. I work in the public sector.
Pairing: Sheppard/Heightmeyer
Archive: Just ask.
Summary: John finds a way of telling Kate how he feels.
Feedback: Always welcome.
Author's notes: This fic is inspired by the song ‘Getting Up With You’ by The Yeah You’s. You can check it out at their website by watching the video here. And… *smiles sweetly*... if any of my more artistic inspired flist feel like doing a manip based on it, or maybe their own video version I could offer virtual chocolate or coffee… or maybe fic. I can be bribed very easily. :D
Author’s notes 2: As with all these sudden bursts of writing it's completely unbetaed, so bizarre spelling and phrasing completely down to me.



(  'Some days you're running for cover, things don't go your way/ One mess after another, your life's in disarray/Feeling tongue-tied on the inside it all feels wrong...' Such a John!song :D )

6:17pm: They're back to S1 on the reruns of Atlantis. *happy sigh* Still miss the early days. Not sure what to do about SGU. The trailers are not appealing, never mind if I knew half of the discussions beforehand. But it is space opera. I think it will be a decision on the evening.

Anyway, I am aware that I have slipped in my happiness days so...

Day 3

Had lunch with vic_amy_z and caught up, mostly about her up and coming nuptials, but life and fandom in general. Had lovely food, and visited Chinese deli and stocked up on the way back. What lunch times were made for!

Day 4

A and JP came up for lunch. Food, if I say so myself, was excellent. I love getting chances to entertain, and tried doing new things. In this case roast pumpkin with sage to go with the roast pork. Good conversation, good friends... what more could you ask for?

6:31pm: Happiness Meme day 2
A work meeting with an old colleague turned in to a 'put the world to rights' discussion. Yes, we got work done, but I also left the meeting feeling good about what I try to achieve in my job.

8:28pm:

Ash are releasing 26 singles in a year rather than an album.

Apart from the pain in my wallet, I am very excited!

I will ignore the fact that I have already ordered the first one before the subscription package was announced.