Dare to be different and learn to be lonely

It's Friday-evening, which means it's weekend, woohoo!
That's it, that's my good thing for today. :-p

So no list of three at the moment, but I do have something uplifting to share. I'm not sure if it's a worldwide custom to put up a sign in the yard when a baby is born, but that's what people do here. Sometimes they add a fake stork and other decorations, but the main feature will be a big sign with the baby's name painted on it. On my way home my bus drives through a couple of small towns and one of the houses we pass by has the whole shebang in the front-garden, including a name that makes me smirk every time I see it. I tried to take a picture today, but unfortunately the busdriver didn't believe in the speedlimit and raced by, despite the seven speedbumps on that particular road, dumbass. So you will just have to believe me on my word when I tell you what is on the sign in huge dripping pink letters:
( It rhymes with 'what the hell'... )

I've decided to not participate in Gishwhes II, despite Misha's many mails filled with adorkable pleas. I had a blast last year, but this time I'm simply not feeling sociable enough to go play with others. Thanks to real life sucking my spirit I also lack energy and time for a five day scavenge hunt. Fortunately for me Gishwhes already served its purpose* as it inspired me to be more creative with hands on art, to try new techniques and to challenge myself. I don't only mean relating to fandom, because I also blame Misha & Co for my new jigsawpuzzle-addiction;) I know some of my friends are joining for the first time this year and I do wish them as much fun as I had! Go crazy!

*(I know that's not its official purpose, and my initial goal when I signed up last year was to meet new people, but as it turned out my favorite items to collect were the ones where I could contribute to the team by playing on my own. It confirmed that I'm a true hermit. ~grins~)

The past few evenings I've finally been catching up on Pottermore and started going through Book 2. I must admit I skipped the potion in chapter 11, because it takes an hour to brew and I couldn't stay up until after midnight to finish. I will go back on Saturday or Sunday so I can try it in the daytime. Although I haven't even managed to make a practise potion before, so I fear it will still take me hours to get it right. But then I will be up to date and ready to wait until they actually open The Chamber of Secrets. If you want to friend me there: my name is PhoenixNight165 and I'm in Hufflepuff. \o/

In case you were wondering: yes, I'm an adult. :-p

Today I read a whole book in between work (on the bus and during my breaks). A proper paper one, with an hardcover even! It was the new YA novel by Aidan Chambers Dying To Know You. I may write a review in the future;)
I still have quite a collection of BigBang stories to go through, but I noticed my actual bookpile is not that big anymore; -only four books left!- and I'm looking forward to treating myself to some bookshopping soon. So I want your recommendations! Fiction or non fiction, tell me about the best or last book you read, pretty please?

PSAs
Now that my first workweek after the summervacation is over, I plan to catch up with the flist (and comments and mail) this weekend. I also still have that guestroom project to work on. Not to mention fandom fun. It's ReverseBang time! I will also post my final set of BB-artrecs. But first an early night. My bed beckons.

Oh, and I may have signed up for GISHWHES2012. I wasn't sure if I should, but Misha's mail alone was worth it. *grins*

I received a package from Misha Collins today \o/ My Gishwhes book arrived together with a lovely letter and a copy of the Guinness World Record certificate. But even before opening it and finding all that cool stuff, I was already a little giddy just from his name on the envelope, under 'sender' :-D

For sillie82 and bflyw, who requested a picture, so I'm hereby showing off;) For everybody else I'm sharing two lovely photos of a sunrise from a month ago, that I only just discovered on my camera.

( Tadaah )

Those were taken at the busstop in February. There's no snow anymore, but it's still freezing.

It's very busy at work, I'm glad it's only one more day until the weekend. Hope to catch up on mail and messages then!

Before I forget in between all my chores - doing laundry, checking finances, scavage hunting for Gishwhes, modwork for nickngreg, artwork for the ReverseBang*, wrapping presents and writing poems for Sinterklaas** - here's a link to the photos I made yesterday when the parade from Sint (Saint Nicolas) and his Zwarte Pieten (Black Petes) was doing the rounds through my neighbourhood! I could hear them coming from afar.

*Well, I would be working on that, but my author is still/again incommunicado, so I haven't a clue what to do. IF YOU READ THIS, AUTHOR: PLEASE ANSWER YOUR MAIL ASAP? ~bats eyelashes~ Message received, new plan made... tbc...

**We're celebrating Sint's birthday next weekend (officially the Eve of December 6th, but weekends are more convenient to get the family together;)