Christmas party...

[fajrdrako]

Today I went to see the movie Eragon with friends from the Ottawa Science Fiction Society: Pat, Sandi, Sheila, Harry, Lyn, Beulah, Glenn, Tasia, and Donna. I liked the movie more than I expected to - I think we all did. I particularly liked Jeremy Irons as the dragonrider/mentor of the boy hero. The hero reminded me of Heath Ledger and didn't much impress me, but I liked his dark-haired friend. We were picking out its visible influences: this from Star Wars, that from Lord of the Rings, something else from Dungeons and Dragons or Dragonriders of Pern. No, not a very original movie, but rather fun.

Then we went back to Pat and Sandi's place for supper and Christmas presents, and something remarkable happened.

My friends had taken up a collection at OSFS and collectively bought me two new young budgies.

So now Logan has two new friends. When I brought them in and put them in the second cage beside Logan, Logan let out a loud chirp of surprise. The new ones were nervous at first, but after about fifteen minutes started climbing and exploring, eating, singing, and looking around curiously.

Logan spent two days at maaseru's place while I aired my apartment out, hoping to eradicate any trace of Teflon that might have lingered. The place should be safe for them. I am trying not to worry. Sandi was very reassuring that the death of Remy was fate and chance, not my negligence and not my fault.

And for Christmas, Harry, bless his heart, gave me a frying pan with no Teflon on it. I will now start to rebuild my stock of pots and pans, not to mention cookie sheets and muffin tins.

After dinner and the present-opening, we all watched the 200th episode of Stargate, which apparently aired on local channels only recently. It was fun to watch with a loudly laughing fannish crowd. I'd actually seen about half of it last year, when maaseru and maaboroshi sat me down and showed me about half of it. Made me laugh. And I certainly love Claudia Black.

Comments

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

What a thrilling day!
What are the new babies to be called?! Is the green one a classic 'wild' green (like Gambit and my Magnus)?

Sandi was very reassuring that the death of Remy was fate and chance, not my negligence and not my fault.

I did wonder if, to keep up with the Christmas rush, the breeder had sent out a bird that was either much too young or not very robust.

At least having 2 of the little guys together, they should be able to play together and keep an eye out for each other. I look forward to learning more about them and their adventures!

Today I went to see the movie Eragon with friends from the Ottawa Science Fiction Society: Pat, Sandi, Sheila, Harry, Lyn, Beulah, Glenn, Tasia, and Donna. I liked the movie more than I expected to - I think we all did. I particularly liked Jeremy Irons as the dragonrider/mentor of the boy hero. The hero reminded me of Heath Ledger and didn't much impress me, but I liked his dark-haired friend. We were picking out its visible influences: this from Star Wars, that from Lord of the Rings, something else from Dungeons and Dragons of Dragonriders of Pern. No, not a very original movie, but rather fun.

I have heard it's very derivative; but Jeremy is always worth looking at. As sharikkamur said a while ago, re: Kingdom of Heaven: we know we're getting old because we prefer him to the young nominal lead...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

What a thrilling day!

Yes, it was!

I did wonder if, to keep up with the Christmas rush, the breeder had sent out a bird that was either much too young or not very robust.

I wondered that too.

they should be able to play together and keep an eye out for each other.

They're doing that already. Morning antics attacking the seed bell that Sandi gave them for Christmas. Cuteness is the order the of the day. Logan, in his cage, is showing off for them - using his cage as a stage for impressive acrobatics in a "see what I can do?" sort of way clearly put on for their benefit.

Jeremy is always worth looking at.

That he is. There's been many a movie where I ignored the nominal leads and focussed on him in his secondary or villainous roles - like the Die Hard movie he was in. He was superb in this this one, though I was also charmed as usual by Robert Carlyle, who played the horrible evil magician - I was hard put not to root for the him, really.

As sharikkamur said a while ago, re: Kingdom of Heaven: we know we're getting old because we prefer him to the young nominal lead...

I think I always would have. I've always preferred older men to younger, and always loved roles that are those of older mentor or friend or servant to the young and glamorous hero, and I've always preferred the 'interesting older man' type to the 'young blond hero' type at all stages of my life. In other words, even if I were still fourteen, I think I'd have preferred Jeremy Irons just because that (the role, the look, the style) has always been my 'type'.

The change is that while the men I used to most fancy on-screen used to be decades older than I was, now they're my age or younger. I don't know what that means, but at least I'm consistent!

And yes, I do sometimes fancy the young ones, increasingly now as the median age in movies sinks to way younger than me.

The girl in the lead was rather attractive too, but her character was hardly developed (or featured).

They're obviously setting up for a sequel.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

lat night I still hadn't entirely named them - Sandi called the green one Indigo Montoya because she loved his deep blue tail feathers. Sandi is an artist and loves good colours. But she gave me leave to rename as I wish and I like my X-Men theme, so I slept on it and decided the names this morning. The green one is Phoenix and the blue one is Longshot.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Morning antics attacking the seed bell that Sandi gave them for Christmas. Cuteness is the order the of the day. Logan, in his cage, is showing off for them - using his cage as a stage for impressive acrobatics in a "see what I can do?" sort of way clearly put on for their benefit.

Brilliant! A training school in budgeri-skills with practical demonstrations by the master!

I've always preferred older men to younger, and always loved roles that are those of older mentor or friend or servant to the young and glamorous hero, and I've always preferred the 'interesting older man' type to the 'young blond hero' type at all stages of my life. In other words, even if I were still fourteen, I think I'd have preferred Jeremy Irons just because that (the role, the look, the style) has always been my 'type'.

Yup. I've always liked characters who give evidence of having a brain and depth, not simply a pretty face/capacity for derring-do.

And I've always liked Jeremy because tall, thin brunets have tended to be my default setting (although there are, of course, exceptions!).

The girl in the lead was rather attractive too, but her character was hardly developed (or featured).

She certainly looked very attractive in the trailers, but that's all I've seen of it so far.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Great names! (Although I do like Indigo Montoya!)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I like Indigo Montoya, which will remain as Phoenix's pseudonym.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Of course! He needs one for any undercover work...
(Are the new birds both boys?)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I'm not entirely sure but I believe (by their sere) that Longshot is a boy and Phoenix is a girl.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

That would fit with the names! I am glad they're settling in, anyway! (Seed bells are wonderful things.)

Will you keep them together with intent to breed?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Seed bells are wonderful things.

They think so.

Will you keep them together with intent to breed?

I haven't decided yet.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Magnus was very fond of seed bells, and of slices of apple.
Breeding birds always sounded complicated to me, with nests & c., but I gather from past comments that you've had nesting pairs before. And the babies do look so cute!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

My budgies didn't like apple when I tried it on them before, but of course this is a new set of budgies with tastes of their own. I'll try it!

Bok choy remains a treat. But today they seem more into dozing than eating. It's that kind of day.

Yes, at one time Simon and Wisdom had a heavy romance going and there were eggs. Three hatched. One became a lovely green bird named Domino whom I had for some time. Then there were two young babies who died. That was hard. I think the breeding was hard on Wisdom, too. So I have mixed feelings about it.

On the one hand, when the babies survive, it's fun for me, and it gives the parents (I think) a full spectrum of budgie life. On the other, it's hard to see the babies who don't make it, and it's a strain on the life of the egg-layer who is feeding the babies.

[vervassal.livejournal.com]

I'm 19 (young by any standard), and I've just about always loved Jeremy Irons. But then I've also just about always had a thing for older men...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yes, there you have it! I'm sure I'd have felt the same way about him at 19 that I do now.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Yes - as you say, breeding does give them the full range of budgie life, but it is hard on them; I know it affects life-expectancy of the parent birds. And I know how you feel about the tiny ones.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

I did like him when I was 19 (but he was a lot younger then, too!)
Now, who were my main crushes when I was 19...?
Actually, they were historicals:
A 25-year-old consumptive artist, and a 45-50-ish King of Jerusalem.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Hmm. When I was nineteen... there was Shelley and Byron and Henry II and a whole slew of 12th century knights, kings and an emperor. I can't recall what I was watching on TV those days - not much. Possibly nothing at all! And of course I liked a number of fictional people from books and comics. Lymond, of course, and Aragorn son of Arathorn.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

I was in second year at St As then: doing courses in Mediæval History, Existentialism (I loved Camus!) and Greek. So my favourite mediæval boy was much to the fore. (I take it your Emperor is his grandson-in-law?!)

Fictionals at the time: Michael, in Prisoner of Zenda - I recall being disappointed by the casting in the 1984 BBC serialisation.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Grandson-in-law... Um, without consulting a genaeology, yes, I think so! I'm thinking of Federigo Secundo, or at least, I was then!

I didn't know there was a 1984 BBC serialization of Prisoner of Zenda. I wish we got these cool questions more often! Of course, it may have showed here and I just wasn't paying enough attention.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Yes: Federigo was married to (among others) Isabelle-Yolande de Brienne, Queen of Jerusalem. Unfortunately, he didn't treat her very well, and the poor girl died of puerperal fever at the age of 16, after giving birth to a son, who was named Conrad, after her grandfather...

Sadly, the 1984 PofZ was never repeated or released commercially. I live in hope of finding someone with an old home copy...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Poor Isabelle-Yolande! I'm sure many young women in that century had a similar fate, bearing a child and dying young, but it seems so sad.

There are numerous shows that disappeared without a trace that I am still looking for. Some, unfortunately, exist on DVD but are just too expensive for me. Ah well. It's a quest. I am well aware that I can't have everything!

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Poor Isabelle-Yolande! I'm sure many young women in that century had a similar fate, bearing a child and dying young, but it seems so sad.

Apparently, he neglected her a great deal, preferring his beloved Bianca di Lancia. Her mother had died the same way, days after her own birth.

There are numerous shows that disappeared without a trace that I am still looking for. Some, unfortunately, exist on DVD but are just too expensive for me. Ah well. It's a quest. I am well aware that I can't have everything!

It just surprises me that the BBC hasn't released more of its classic serials.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

he neglected her a great deal, preferring his beloved Bianca di Lancia

I find it hard to blame him. It's the whole dynastic marriage thing. Difficult for everyone.

It just surprises me that the BBC hasn't released more of its classic serials.

I wish they would!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

training school in budgeri-skills with practical demonstrations by the master!

Logan is proud to be called a Master, but thinks it is only his due. With Pryde and Gambit around, he was the young and inexperienced one. Now he's the King of the Cages and having a great time.

tall, thin brunets have tended to be my default setting

Yes... me too.

She certainly looked very attractive in the trailers

It's interesting: her role is to be a Princess who is captured by the villian and kept chained to a table, then to be rescued, fall ill due to black magic, and bring the hero to her home where he can save the day and become the great warrior he was destined to be. In other words, it's a very traditional, passive, uninspired female role. Yet she (along with the direction, costuming and so on) manages to make the princess seem like a proud, intelligent and courageous warrior-woman all the while. Quite a trick!

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

I find it hard to blame him. It's the whole dynastic marriage thing. Difficult for everyone.

Indeed - but some people are more courteous than others in handling the public side of it. I got the impression that, once he'd married her for her title (when she was about 13), he kept Isabelle-Yolande stuck in one castle, and generally forgot about her. Since she was Queen of Jerusalem in her own right, her rank should have required more public acknowledgement. It was perfectly fine and understandable for him to continue with his long-term mistress (and I vaguely recall Bianca was distantly related to Conrad's side of the family, too!), but Isabelle-Yolande's status merited more due.