I'm watching The Terminator. I love these films. I love that James Cameron doesn't patronise his audience, the way modern superhero/sci-fi films do. I've seen it so many times that I hardly notice now, but the film launches straight into the action, making no attempt to explain itself. For at least twenty minutes you have to pick up the story from the actions of the Terminator and the flashback dreams of Kyle (such a terrible eighties name).

I also love this story, because it's an epic that chooses to focus on the saviour of mankind'ss mum. Sarah Connor is the mother of the "one man who taught us to fight", the hero and leader of the future human race, but we never see him be anything more than a slightly pathetic kid. It's like the story of Mary before Jesus got cool.

Sarah Connor is a woman who kicks ass. She's a fucking icon. I love it.

It also has Arnie saying "Fuck you, azzzzholl" and, of course, "I'll be back". And one of the worst sex scenes ever put on film. There's hands gripping the sheets and everything.

In less Terminator-y news, I found a really cool website for all the geeky knitters in the world. Purlescence Storytellers is a blog where people tell a little story to explain what a fictional character would knit, and then post patterns and pictures. From Buffy knitting point protectors for her stakes to Persephone knitting something to keep her warm in Hades! The site runs classical and pop culture challenges side by side. It's so incredibly dorky, I wish I'd thought of it first!

I'm listening to Metallica. Hurrah!

Much less sick today, Livejournal. I got up and did some washing and tidied my room a bit. No where near done yet but I can walk to my desk and the door now! I also opened all the windows in the flat because it had that mongy sick person smell. Like, stale sweat and stuff. Not nice.

I handed my portfolio in yesterday in a daze of drugs and feverishness. It's probably not as good as it could be for that, but since I did most of it before we got our extension, and therefore before I got sick, I have reasonably high hopes.

Today I have mostly listened to classis rock, knit, watched Supernatural (I'm watching the couple of episodes from season 2 that I missed last year- yay catch up!) and Stargate Atlantis on Sky (could John and Rodney get any slashier? Lines like Rodney describing John as "rakish" and saying they have a "saving eaching other's lives thing" and that they take it in turns. Too funny).

Later I plan to eat chinese food (apparently solo as my dinner guest is coming later and I'm hungry now!), knit some more, watch TV some more, and abuse brackets (take that!).

Ooh! I've sort of finished my ugly jumper! But I have one ugly addition to make before it's completely, uh, complete, so I shall save most the rejoicing until then. Suffice to say that it is UGLY and ill-fitting and the first actual garment I have made on my needles and thus I am excited anyway.

Have I mentioned how much I love Planet Rock? They can't close it down, I can't get any other channels on my DAB for one thing!

Other than the amazing Alice Cooper breakfast show (SO worth getting out of bed for), there are the taglines. Oh the taglines. Personal favourites so far include:

At Planet Rock, we want to teach the world to sing. Like this... (cue classic rock song)
We're not rocket scientists, but we know how to rock it!
And the absolutely, laugh out loud brilliance of:
If music be the food of love... stand by for a good rogering!

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

Meep. I've almost finished writing my article on lone travelling, although not quite. Although it's getting hugely long. Eep. And it's kind of birthed a second article whilst being written, which is exciting!

In non-journo school related news, I finally finished reading The Testament of Gideon Mack which was interesting in a slow sort of way. It was readable, but I think I missed the point. If there was one. I enjoyed it though, in an interesting, character-study way, but I suppose as an avid sci-fi lover, I read supernatural elements a little too literally by default.

I have an excited pile of books waiting for me now. I ordered a bunch off Amazon, despite being skint. I have:

The Postman Always Rings Twice- James M. Cain
The Big Sleep- Raymond Chandler
Crooked Little Vein- Warren Ellis
A Pretty Face- Rafael Reig

And also Reig's Blood on the Saddle, which I read a while back and really enjoyed, so I though I'd invest in my own copy.

A whole bunch of noir/detective novels to devour. Yum! I don't no where to start... with a classic noir or a more modern book? I'm excited about Ellis's novel, especially, as I enjoy his surreal, dark, gory comic storylines.

Books=squee.

Also, I have started knitting a sleeve for my sick jumper (I'm making my first ever jumper and it's shaping up to be an ill-fitting, Weasley-esque monstrosity. I'm very excited about this fact. I want people in the street to go "ohhhh... Did you make it yourself? How.... nice." and throw up in their mouths a little, but secretly be really jealous that THEY don't have a hideous, candy-coloured, acrylic disaster to keep them slightly itchy). My first every sleeve! I'm excited, although I'm knitting it so slowly because I keep putting it down for ages... Still if I get enough work done this week, which it looks like I might, I can take an afternoon off to watch crappy films and KNIT. Yay!

Oh my gosh, my Ravelry invite came today and although I haven't had much chance to add to my profile yet, I've been browsing the site a bit and it's ace! I'm kittybawden on there if any of you guys have an account... It's made me all exciting about picking up my needles again. I made that hat on the spur of the moment but I haven't knit anything exciting in ages. I haven't sat down with a pattern and pushed myself to do something I haven't done before. I still knit like a complete beginner and I started over two years ago!

I went out for a drive with my dad on Sunday and we stopped so he could have a pint (or two) and later on he needed to pee (and after listening to all his whinging I did too) so I pulled into the Stanborough Lakes car park and we ran off to the loos, only to find they'd been locked twenty minutes earlier! At first we were worried, but then I remembered my uber handy radar key! Yes, I was given a radar key, which I finally got a chance to use, and it was everything I thought it would be! The magic of being able to unlock the disabled loo... It was amazing.

I'm uber broke this year so everyone is going to be getting painted pasta necklaces for Christmas. BUT one of the temping agencies I'm signed up to finally got me a temping job! It's only Tues to Fri this week but it'll be £6 an hour more than I've earned since August! It's holiday cover for a receptionist at a Ferrari garage in Chiswell Green. I know nothing about Ferrari's, but I'm hoping that doesn't matter. The woman at the agency said they just wanted someone who could answer phones and look pretty. I've been hired as decoration. Hurrah!