Dust, dust everywhere....

Yesterday I attacked and conquered the kitchen.

Today, it's the bedroom.

You know what you don't ever want to do when cleaning? You vacuum the bedroom. You try to the vacuum through that narrow space between the bed and the bookcase on the other side of the bed, and you accidentally knock the little cup that holds the dust askew. In the brief milliseconds before you can find the off switch the room is full of swirling dust and all the work you've done is for naught.

It adds a whole new perspective to the ancient question: should you dust before you vacuum, or vacuum before you dust?

From Hell..

I'm watching Brimstone as I work on the bookshelves. I love it. And oooh that John Glover.

Appropriately, before I started watching Brimstone while working, I watched From Hell: the movie where Johnny Depp is on the trail of Jack the Ripper.

I cannot believe how beautiful Johnny Depp is in this.

Now, I prefer him as the wild and funny Jack Sparrow, but here is is intense, tormented and sad. What a serious movie. I liked it; I liked it a lot; I liked all the actors (Ian Holm, Robbie Coltrane, Heather Graham). I liked the theme. I loved the plot: it has several good twists. Most versions of Jack the Ripper movies bore me, but I watch them if they have good stars, like Samuel West.

Challenges...

blackbyrde and I exchanged our challenge stories today. I'll post it here when it's edited and ready - soon, I hope.

Meanwhile we issued each other another challenge:

blackbyrde's challenge for me - a Pirates of the Caribbean Jack/Will story:

"While Jack and Will are sufficiently distracted with each other, a thief (or thieves) steals Jack's "affects". Who is the thief? Where does he/she go? and to what lengths will Jack go to retrieve his affects?"

My challenge to her, a Lord of the Rings story:

"I want more of your elves! it could be part of your Haldir/Elladan/Elrohir storyline if you wish, or not. What it is: write the account of Haldir's first meeting with Aragorn."

Labour Day....

A good day, a nicely fannish day.

(1) Up early (i.e, about six), doing more housecleaning. Can't believe I did this. Marcelle visited for breakfast and we watched Kenneth Branagh's Much Ado About Nothing while I did housework.

(2) Finished housecleaning (skipping a few things like the dirty dishes in the sink and the living room windowsill) and tried to print the challenge I wrote story for blackbyrde; the printer didn't work. Hmm.

(3) Had dim sum at the Mandarin Ogilvie restuarant with the Ottawa Slash Association crowd. Got a whole bowl of tripe to myself! And some delicious duck.

(4) We went back to my place and watched The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and some sections of the added features. Loved it.

(5) blackbyrde and I went to see Pirates of the Caribbean in Kanata. Loved it as much as ever. A few new observations:

• When Elizabeth Swann is being bounced in the hold by the skeleton pirates, she's wearing knickers. Whatever era you put the movie in, it's wildly anachronistic.
  
  
• was that a kerosene lamp I saw in Elizabeth's room?
  
  
• Didn't notice any earring on Jack Sparrow this time, or hint of one. Did notice the chest tattoo.
  
  
• Jack is barefoot on the island. Did he have his boots when he went off the plank on the Black Pearl? But left behind his hat?
  
  
• I love Jack more every time I see the movie. Body and mind. Norrington too. Will... doesn't evolve or change in my assessment.
  

Getting home, I chatted with my frend Lisa and then with walkingowl on the phone, and read the challenge story that blackbyrde finished - liked it very much indeed. I find that some writers make the Elves seem to sweet and young, while I like to think of them as tough, seasoned warriors. blackbyrde struck a good balance. Besides, I found the story nice and sexy.

Why is my LJ getting the date wrong? It isn't tomorrow yet! Not in this time zone....