Ever feel like someone cut your animation sequences and you only have five alternating lines of dialogue?

So I finished Mass Effect 3 on Saturday morning. My thoughts on the game in the LJ-cut below. 

Bioware says "just wait until you see what we have in store DLC-wise!" I... hope they mean it. I'm sad it's all over (even though I still have my second Shepard run-through remaining).

Naturally, pretty much everything I say in the LJ cut contains massive spoilers for the entire series.
( Do not read until you have completed Mass Effect 3! )

I am wearing a shirt with a sepia-tone picture of the galaxy on it.

Which is all well and good, except that every time I look down, I think I'm wearing a shirt covered in crumbs.

If you were speed-dating and wanted to choose a song to represent yourself to your potential future date, what track would you choose?

I would use this song :D

Although possibly that would be my outro, and one of the many versions of this track would be my intro!

That second track has quite an interesting background, which you can read here on Wikipedia. I'm certain I first heard it in one of its Looney Tunes incarnations.

I also love that I was able to successfully Google that second track within two searches. The successful  keywords were "assembly line music". I'd never known what the track was called until today.

For someone who is apparently saving their money to fund their future writing hermitage, I seem to be making a lot of purchases this week.

In my defense, this was only about $6 including postage (and I have been wanting a FemShep poster since 320 B.C. Exactly that long ago.)

That's suspiciously cheap. I wonder if this is unlicensed merchandise? Or maybe it's just cheap because I'm skipping the middle man. Was this an ethical purchase? I guess at least I know it hasn't been tested on animals :P Although I imagine the first thing the cat will do when it arrives is fall asleep on it...

( ME3 poster )

Boo to those who say FemShep should have got more lady-specific options (other than who you can romance). I've enjoyed having Sherpderp's Shepard's gender making zero difference to gameplay, even animation styles. I'm glad Sherpard's dance moves are just as terrible for either gender, not "goofy dance for dudes, SEXAY DANCE for ladeez".

Also, while I liked the old canon version of FemShep, I LOVE the new freckles. For someone who hastily slaps on sunscreen as soon as she opens the blinds (hey, we do have extreme UV warnings here in Aus for nearly 8 hours a day) I just adore freckles. Which is good, seeing my face is made mostly from freckles (despite the sunscreen efforts... my face would be a leather bag if it weren't for the sunscreen...).

See also: The Many Faces of FemShep

So today I finally saw a doctor about my lifelong chronic drowsiness and fatigue.

I'm a thorough patient. I brought print outs of all the exercise, food and dizzy spells I'd had in the last week, along with some rough outlines of when I slept and how well (I have kept records like this on and off for years trying to pin down what is wrong with me). I wrote out my entire medical history in dot-points, and checked up on family history.

I laid it all out and for once it seemed like it was all coming together. The doctor listed out all the things it could be, and said I could go get tested for all of them. Filled out the forms, and it was like a weight fell off my shoulders. Finally, something is happening! I can know for sure, if nothing else, what isn't causing this.

Had to fast tonight for the blood test tomorrow (I wanted to go in ASAP). Now I look down at my blood test forms... at an unfamiliar name. Fiona.

The only correct thing on the form was the doctor's name, and what tests are to be done. The patient details were all wrong. And I will probably need to wait till I can get another appointment so I can request a new form. Which will be at least a week. So suddenly I go from seeing an end to this - all the tests would take about a month - to feeling that weight come piling back on.

It's only a week's delay. Maybe a little more. But for some reason now I just feel DOOMED FOREVER. Perhaps more just because I thought finally here was a doctor able to help me and then it just seemed like she didn't really pay attention at all. Which isn't true, I'm sure, but I'm having a freak out moment here, everything is true when you are freaking out. Or everything is a lie. Sometimes you gotta mix it up.

But I have a cool hat!

...I don't have a cool hat. But I do have cool pants!

... I don't have cool pants! But I do have a cool running gag!

... I don't have a cool running gag.

I have been feeling like a glass half asleep, lately. All transparent and foggy and making little sense.

I do that sometimes.

Ever feel like you are the bass line and the world is a squeaky treble? That has been my mind lately. (I go all floppy about it over here).

I miss you, LJ. All your fanfic and squee and Russian spammers. Let's be friends again!

I hope we are all feeling extra-crunchy this afternoon!

Today, I walked around our entire house picking up cobwebs with a large stick. It was poked into roof cavities, eaves, corners of doors... I now have a gigantic ball of spider-floss. I am of mixed opinions about this.

...I have donated the spider-floss to the rubbish bin.

Great success.

Daddy Long Leg spiders really need to learn how to spin. Their webs are all over the place. Also redbacks, their webs are hideous. Orb Weavers, on the other hand always make beautiful webs. Beautiful... for me to DESTROY! AHAHAHAHAHHA.

This has been your spider-related bulletin for the day.

So, nearly a year and a half has passed since we lost so much in the Belmont Blaze of 2009.

In two weeks, it'll be my 27th birthday.

In four months, Kyoko, the cat who was trapped in the fire, will celebrate her third birthday as a healthy, loving, flighty feline.

In a year and a half, my partner will complete his bachelor's degree in Mathematics.

Time passes, wounds heal, lessons are learned. Losses paid, wins tallied.

I just wanted to thank all of you who were involved in assisting Karl and myself out during that terrible time last year. Whether it was emotional support, help cleaning up, donations of money or supplies - it all made a world of difference to us.

While we are still poor at this point in our lives, Karl a full-time student, me working full time for a not-for-profit organisation - I have been paying forward all of your kindnesses and generosity at every chance I get. The fire was a terrible experience, but one I have learned much from. I have learned how little in life I need. The most important things are the people and animals I care for, and doing good in the world.

Nothing else matters a jot. Not a thing. There are many things I love, like my dancing, like my books... but nothing takes a higher priority. I have never been poorer, but I am giving more time, money and emotional support to those in need than ever before. And every time I give, I feel a little bit richer. Cheesy, but true. I have never felt happier, or more confident, or more loving than I have this year. There has been stress and strife, but I have faced it stronger than I've ever been before. I would not be doing this well if it weren't for the lessons I have learned from you all, and from my family.

So thanks to all of you who helped out. You made a world of difference, and I am a better person for having experienced your kindness. I will continue your kindness a thousandfold throughout the rest of my life.

On a related note - today I heard about a girl who this morning found her 12 month old cat lying in their yard, one leg completely mauled off by some other creature. He will live, but the surgery and general vetinary care bills are high and this girl is a full time student, so she is trying to raise money to help cover the bills. I have given all I can - if you could spare even $5, it all helps. They're 66% of the way to their target right now, less than a day after the accident. I hope that by tomorrow morning, they'll have met it. Please help if you can.

Wishing all of you the very best... of both life and of pants.