Navigator Original Role-Play

((Navigator is set in an alternate universe but for familiarity we kept the basic history of Earth as its template, the countries, their pasts, their people. To see a history of the extra continents and countries we added, and exactly what happened with the War, causing the events of this role-play to occur, check out the ‘A History’ thread on the forum))

In the 1830s the Navvies began to work on the rails reaching from one end of Britain to the other. Underground and over water, the 1890s marked the first major underground rail network in Scotland. The Glasgow Subway. Designed to allow transport of people, goods and information around the country with ease and speed.

Over two hundred years later; their work has gone to waste, the subways cut off, the railways destroyed. But in the lines of Glasgow the 'Navi' Rebellion Cell has formed. Determined to bring Britain back from the three year dictatorial rule of Tsuio Ingis, the leader of Jolnier.

We're a friendly pair (with a wish to become a friendly bunch) and our application system is pretty darn easy 

http://navigator-rp.proboards.com/ 

Torchwood Role-Play

Recently co-created a Torchwood role-playing forum, where you can take on a canon character (if you want) or take my preferred option and create a character of your own.
Anyway, currently we only have myself and my co-creator, so join us here.
xx

Blood Red Snow White

Wonderful book by Marcus Sedgewick.
Found this paragraph as I was re-reading.

"The typewriter was a marvel of miniturisation, made from steel and rubber and ivory. A simple enough thing, though to him, a miracle in itself, for in that box was the potential to write everything that could ever be written. Every word, every sentence, every thought that could ever be, was waiting to be made from the machine in the box. Every single idea ever was in there. And that in itself was a wonderful idea."


If you read my previous posts you may realise I have a thing about typewriters. And about writing. A big thing about writing.


xx

The Tiva Rebellion Movement

If you one of those (seemingly very few) people who watch NCIS and don't like 'Tiva' then join the Movement at the Tiva Rebellion Movement Base . Talk to other recruits, plot against Tiva, have a laugh, and use as much military language as possible.
Hope to see you there.
*salutes*
Brigadier

TV Characters

Anyone else out there fall in love with characters from TV but not their actors? Seriously. It's kind of freaky, but I do.
I mean, I like Mark Harmon, but I love Gibbs. Same goes for Patrick Jane and Cho from the Mentalist. Derek Shepard from Grey's Anatomy. Tony Almeida from 24. Sawyer from Lost. There are others . . .
So yeah. I think this is more normal than some stuff I do (see cheer-chick's post "Toasters For Retards"), but I'm not sure how normal.
x

Fanfiction

I reckoned, since I advertise my blog on my fanfiction profile, I should advertise my fanfiction profile on my blog.

So if you read NCIS fanfiction, and I have some 24 poems and 1 Pushing Daisies poem, then check me out at http://www.fanfiction.net/u/1759672/OutCold .

My main set of stories are set in the future of NCIS, and I'm really rather proud of them.

And please review. It makes me unbelievably happy.

Hx

Typewriters

So, I realise there must be quite a few difficulties with working on a typewriter, but oh I do love them so much. I do. And I was looking at some, and this - the Remington 5 streamlined portable typewriter - is just beautiful. It just rocks. I want one. I love it. It's the love of my life. It has a key that does the paragraph indentation for you! And I love all the little red bits. It's beautiful.

Just thought I'd share that.

Hx

Be Nice To Leaflet Deliverers

Title pretty much says it all. I've recently been doing a bit of leaflet delivering with my best friend for a Pilates Studio in town, here's some stuff that's happened to me.

a) Had a scary old woman yelling at me that if I did that around here I'd be sued (NOT true, the stickers said no 'cold calling', that's knocking on doors to sell stuff. Also, I blame the guy who was delivering a parcel to her - he pointed me out, he betrayed me).

b) Had several dogs barking at me.

c) Had my hands through a letterbox in a dogs mouth. I didn't know I could move my hand so fast!

That's added to the normal difficulties of the job. So here's 10 ways to be nice to leaflet deliverers, many of them may also apply to other delivery people and posties. 

1) Don't yell at us. We're just doing a job.

2) Put up a notice if your dog is likely to bite our hand. We like to be warned, and it's our own stupid fault at least if we ignore the sign.

3)If you have that furry stuff in your letterbox for insulation, how about making sure it isn't too thick, and that the hairs coming from the top and the hairs coming from the bottom don't cross over. It's really difficult to push through that stuff.

4) Try to avoid a low letterbox. After wandering around for hours, we really don't want to bend down.

5) If you have a small, yappy dog, DO NOT have a low letterbox. What are you, a masochist? Do you put the letterbox there just so our hands are at the right height for your dog?

6) If your drive is a really long trek/uphill/downhill, have you considered a letterbox by your gate on the street? Would make life a lot easier.

7) If you see us when we're delivering to our house, how about smiling, or taking the leaflet from us, and not making us feel like shit on your shoe?

8) Why have a drive that to get up someone has to walk up the street, then walk up the drive which is going back in the opposite direction, then back down the same drive? Or vice-versa from the other direction. 

9) A little note for kids - if you see us out your window, ignore us, don't excitedly announce our presence to your parents, it makes us scared that they're going to emerge and yell abuse at us. 

10) Remember: We're just doing a job, we are most likely broke, which would be why. No one likes lawyers, lots of people aren't fans of the police, but only a few nutjobs would want rid of either. Just bear in mind that we may or may not support the leaflets we are giving out, but that isn't the point - we're not the people advertising to you, we're just the people who gratefully accept money to pass around leaflets because they need it.

I realise doing this has made me even more jaded - now when I get someone being nice to me as I'm delivering, I'm shocked. So thanks to anyone who reads this, and thanks to everyone who's already nice to us.

Hx

WIFI

So - if you bothered to read my miles long France post, then you'll love to know that we're getting a lodger in the downstairs apartment. A lodger who is out there for work. For at least a year. A lodger who's company is installing . . . who guessed it . . . wifi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now, I know, I know, it'll be protected, but I reckon if I suck up to him, he might give me the WEP, right?

Yay! Thank god for Tom (I think that's his name).

Hx

Update

The whole point of this blog was my sleeping condition, hence the title, so I thought I'd give you an update on that one. It fluctuates, but since right now it's 1:10am, I think it's safe to say I'm not cured. =D

Are you sure no one has a diagnosis for me?

Hx

France

Hey,

So, I recently spent 6 weeks of my summer holiday in France and I thought I'd do a blog post about it for all zero of you who are interested, because I'm just thoughtful that way. 

Set off, exciting . . . 6 hour drive to my grandparents in England, stay at their place for a few days. They'll drive my mother completely insane (I'm already there, but they do occasionally spark a desire to top myself, much as I love them and all), but everything's good, 'cause they have wifi and I'm happy as a pig in . . . excrement (are you allowed to swear on blogs? - I'm not sure about the rules there . . .). My dad flies down to join us, and the next day we head off to the white cliffs of Dover. Which I get to see for all of ten minutes as we queue for the Chunnel (first time using it, I thoroughly recommend it). The idea of being in a car, on a train, in a tunnel, under the sea, is a bit freaky, I'll grant you that, but so quick, so simple . . . ahh, the wonders of avoiding the ferry. Drive on from Calais to some little Camperniegle (don't think I'm spelling that right) which is lovely. Great dinner. Worst possible nights sleep. Dog (one of them - the old one who sleeps with me in my double bed at home) - thinks the same rule applies to camp beds in cramped motel rooms. Dad - with Mum in small double bed right beside me continually attempts to shove his feet in my face. Lovely. Relative sanity saved by a) Kate Adie's autobiography (everyone buy it and read it) and b) mentally planning a TV crime drama. Driving for about 6 hours the next day, finally reach our little alpine chalet, settle in, etc, etc. While later my brother and his mate fly out.

Here's the deal with the holiday - lots and lots of walking up mountains. Every second day. At least. Saved by 2 thoughts - a) this must be improving my fitness no end and b) lunch is gonna taste SO good. Kinda contradictory, I know. Tried rafting down a reasonably strong river with Dad, Cal (brother) and Pete (brother's mate). Oh, and Jean-Mi (French instructor guy). FANTASTIC. Loved it to bits. Extraordinary. Everyone should try swimming in rapids (yeah, we didn't exactly stick in the raft), but preferably by choice and with a guy like Jean-Mi around. Not that I know much about these things, but I wouldn't recommend falling in while alone. However, if you do, lie on your back, point your feet downstream. Under NO circumstances try to stand up. Use your arms to flail around and try to get to the sides. After the rocks there is an 'anti-current', if you can get into that, you should be good to stand up, and hopefully climb out. In the words of Maximum Ride - "See, I'm fun and educational!"

After a week, Pete went home. Cal and Dad stayed a week longer. Then it was just Mum and me. More walking up mountains. After a while, my best mate and her family came out for a week, which rocked. Stayed up all night talking once, quite literally - it wasn't intentional! Tried an aerial, through-trees, in harness, obstacle-course-ey thing (technical term), which was fun. 

They left, then it was Mum and me again. We tried a tandem paraglide. It's not as scary as you might think, but it's even more amazing. For the first bit, an EAGLE flew with us. AN EAGLE. Did get nauseous near the end, when my instructor decided to do 360s, but it was still brilliant. I am definitely doing that again. 

Had to go to bars and stuff for wifi. Also one night I babysat for a 4 year old boy and his 2 year old sister. Cooked their dinner, watched a movie with them, read to them, dealt with the 2 year old's tantrum, then Logged Onto Their Wifi For The Rest Of The Night. And got 40 euros for my trouble. It was a pretty sweet deal.

Journey back was Hellish. Well. The first bit was good - so good we didn't stop for the night where we had booked but just drove on to Calais, where we thought we could just get the ferry across (no Chunnel this time). Umm . . . no. Dogs need to cross over 24 hours after their treatment, and under 48. Stayed the night in a hotel in Bleriot-Plage. Nice little place. Nice beach (oh, the beach), adorable (and that word is NOT one of my more used) beach huts. I want one. Crossed the next day. GOT STUCK IN TRAFFIC IN ENGLAND. Eventually made it to my grandparents again, where we spent a few days with my cousins. Now, they're not that bad, and I had internet, so I survived, but at that point I would have preferred just to go home.

Actually enjoyed the whole experience a lot, but the not having wifi thing sucks like hell, as does the not having friends (except for one week). It's a mixed bag.

Hx

WRY

Hey,

So, this is really sad and weird, but I was typing the word 'wry' in a story (I love that word, it's so cool and it has no vowels - really useful during Scrabble) and I noticed that if you look at the third line down on a normal Western keyboard (the QWERTY line) and skip every second key, you get WRY - hit tab, skip Q, hit W, skip E, hit R, skip T, hit Y. You think someone did that on purpose, all those years ago? Random thought.

Anyway, just decided to post that because I needed to share that info, even though no-one reads this (well, except you).

Hx

Controlling Parents

Hey,

I have a friend who has controlling parents. They love her, and they're basically nice, but they're controlling. It's mainly her mum. She tells her what she can't wear, she won't let her do things that everyone her age (or a few years younger) does. They just want to protect her, but it's patronising, and it's annoying. Not just to me. She knows it to. She knows what I think, and she thinks the same. How wrong is it of me to encourage her to break her parents rules? Don't worry, not big ones, just small, stupid ones. I know it seems ridiculous, but if she doesn't push the limits a bit, she's either going to end up like her mother, or (more worryingly) have a massive, big style, rebellious explosion in a few years time. I'm probably going to do it anyway. But I was wondering if people think I'm doing the right thing.

Hx

Collective Worship In Schools (school prayer)

Hey, 

I'm writing an essay in English that basically says school prayer should be banned. I believe this because I'm an atheist and I find it demeaning (not to mention boring) sitting in assembly in my supposedly non-denominational school, listening to some minister talking about God giving us the ability to love each other, and Jesus dying for us and whatever else.

Anyway, I was just wondering what everyone else thinks.

Thanks,

Hx

Trouble Sleeping

Hi, 

I was wondering whether anyone can help me? I am 14 years old and I can rarely-to-never get to sleep before midnight, even if I'm really active in the day. Usually I'm in bed sometime between 12:00pm and 2:00am but I'm not sure exactly when I get to sleep.  On weekdays I have to wake up at seven, but I can quite easily lie in and get the right amount of sleep at weekends, I just can't drift off in the first place. I don't normally get tired through the day, so it doesn't really cause any problems, but it's driving me crazy not knowing what's wrong. Is it just hormones or do I have some sort of sleeping disorder? Or something else entirely? It doesn't sound like insomnia from what I've read, but I'm no expert. Does anyone know what's up? Or have any plausible theories/solutions? Please?