Potions and Penguins

Life

2007-10-18T05:49:04Z

It's been a very long time since I posted here. I'm kind of embarrassed about that, but, then, I didn't really have a lot of readers, so. Hee.

So much has happened, and not all of it good. I may just go back to posting, telliing what's already happened - there was some exciting stuff in there about the time I quit posting. Why I quit posting, really. I'll tell it like it's real time, though. Makes it more exciting than, he said, she said, then we did this. Um, maybe I should look back at my old posts and be sure I wasn't doing that lazy stuff already. >:-}

I'm a Goth? A Japanese Goth? Moi?

2006-01-09T04:10:30Z

You Are a Goth!

You're so gothically outrageous, and you aren't afraid to flaunt it.

Whether you dress up like Robert Smith or a tragic Little Bo Peep,

chances are that you'll be parading around with the rest of the goths at Yoyogi Park on Sunday.

Don't forget your white makeup and blue lipstick! Who knows?

You may just get picked up by one of the seedy photographers.

What's Your Japanese Subculture?

Who'd have thunk it?

How scary am I?

2005-11-10T05:43:36Z

I'm just a fuzzy bunny. Heh. How appropriate.

You Are Not Scary

Everyone loves you. Isn't that sweet?

How Scary Are You?

My Monster Name - Sooo Wrong

2005-11-04T23:54:21Z

Sorry, I've been MIA, but I was in Europe with Kaitlin, and that was pretty hairy. Stace is still gone and won't be back from Scotland until the end of the year, and I just haven't felt like writing about it all. Soon, though.

"
This is sooo not me, pretty much the opposite of what I am, what I'm here to fight, in fact. But other people have been pretty happy with their results. Thanks to John.

For your own monster name, click http://monster.namedecoder.com here.

Griz

Hibernating

2005-09-16T08:52:23Z

I've been languishing in my "rubber room" since that whole Katrina thing. I don't know what people like me did before television and radio, when they couldn't find out about impending disasters and protect themselves.

I've said before that I'm a planet healer, but I don't suppose most of you know what that means. Planet healers, and it's not really a very accurate name, feel it when something dies or suffers greatly. For me, it's more animals than people, or at least I'm more sensitive to an animal's pain. Or fear. With something like a devastating hurricane...well, I can't even think about it, or I go all weird.

So, my mom grounded me and made me stay in this safe room in our basement. This house was built in the 50s, during the time when people were putting in bomb shelters. Then somewhere along the way, some nut job, perhaps a decendant of the bomb shelter generation, had the shelter soundproofed, and shielded so that they couldn't be spied on. It's why my parents bought the house. So, it's my safe room, now. I go down there when it gets bad and watch DVDs and listen to music and try to entertain myself. It's very peaceful, and I should really thank the person who put in all that stuff, because nothing gets to me there.

A lot of it is learning not to think about it. I could go just as nutso down there as outside if I let myself think about what's happening. So, when Kaitlin called, my mom asked her to come over and keep me company. I guess she also warned her not to talk about stuff, because she never mentioned it. I have no idea what my mom said to explain why I was down in the basement, but, aside from looking around a little, Kaitlin seemed okay with it.

My mom talked to Stace the day it hit. He called to make sure I was okay. He's seen me get hit by stuff like this. I wish I could talk to him, but there's no phone line down here, or none we could find. Gosh, I miss him, but he'll be home soon, so that's good. This has really been a heck of a summer. I'll be glad when I can get back to classes - my mom has permission to home school me at times like this, so I don't get behind. I hate it that I can't help out in the store, or go outside, but that would be way worse than a little boredom now.

Griz

A look into my mind

2005-09-05T00:11:58Z

Considering the way they arrived at this, it's not a bad fit.

Your Brain's Pattern

Your brain is always looking for the connections in life.
You always amaze your friends by figuring out things first.
You're also good at connecting people - and often play match maker.
You see the world in fluid, flexible terms. Nothing is black or white.

Hmmm. Maybe I should start a match-making business. :G:

What Pattern Is Your Brain?

Griz

Your Basic Moral Dilemma

2005-07-02T09:36:43Z

It's almost time for Stace's birthday. I've been working on something for him. I do some ace knitting, and we live in sweater country, so that's what I'm making. It's too bad angora is so girly, or I could use some yarn spun from our own rabbits. Kaitlin has been helping me look for a Celtic knot pattern for the design. I'm making it black on black. ; )))

That was my first idea, but my mom looked so disappointed in me when she heard us talking about it. She says I complain about not having much of any powers, but I don't do anything to develop them. She's meaning that I should be able to knit a ward into the sweater, and it would be all the design it needs. I can do wards. It's not that, but I want to put some faerie magick into it, and I can't do that.

My father is fae, but the only thing I inherited from his is that I'm not susceptible to glamour. Faerie glamour, anyway, don't know if it's true for vamps. Hope I never need to find out. \;+) Anyway, Stace's sweater is barely started because I don't know what to do about it. I want it to be a protection for him, but I also want it to, well, remind him of me. That gets dangerous, though. You have to be careful not to influence people in your gifts. It can make bad things happen, and that can come back to bite you. That's sort of Rule #1 in the Witch's Handbook. Sigh. I need to sleep.

Griz

Deranga, the Bunny Cropper

2005-06-28T01:35:00Z

Listening to a Scottish band that's getting a lot of play here, in honor of Stace. I like some of their stuff, but it's mostly heavily derivative. I'm seeing that in most of the "big" bands from the UK lately. The first FF song I ever heard, I thought was a new Cure - he sounded exactly like Robert Smith. What's that for? I love little Robbie, but one of him is enough for any galaxy.

Anyway...Woohoo! Stace called me last night, over the Internet! Ain't technology great? He says the house they're staying in is like a mini-castle, only without the servants. His mom (Evelyn) has been snarking like mad. She says if Reg (Stace's dad) thinks she's going to spend her time cleaning a 16 room mausoleum, he is sooo wrong. That's funny, because she's really a neat freak. I guess it's the difference between 6 rooms and 16, and also because this is supposed to be a holiday for her.

The place has ponds with swans and cute little sheep in the pasture with a crusty old Scot that no one can understand to look after them. Trouble is, it's out in the country, and Stace isn't old enough to drive. Sounds like it's going to be a total drag for him. Guess I don't have to worry about him falling in love with some redheaded Amazon. Heh.

Really, I want him to have a good time, but I don't want him falling in love with someone else until I figure out how I feel about him. I mean, I've got 15 years invested in that boy. I should have first dibs. Right?

Bunny Cropping
Yesterday was bunny fur harvesting day. Time to get togged out in my goth version of a beekeeper's uniform. All that lovely, soft fur flies around like you wouldn't believe. My mom got me goggles and a mask with a respirator so I wouldn't get it in my eyes or fill my lungs with fur. Not being a punk goth, that was a little too Blade Runner for me. Auntie Bee (do you get the feeling Auntie Bee and I are soulmates?) took me down to Seattle, and we went to a vintage clothing shop and bought this big old black straw hat. Then she ordered mosquito netting from some Army surplus place online and made me this way cool veil to wear over the hat. I look like Deranga, the Goth Goddess of Madness in it.

I can't wear a sweater or velvet or anything like that when I'm doing the bunnies, because I'd never get the fur out of them. So, I've got this stretch satin catsuit to wear for bunny cropping. LOL! Can you picture it?

This is where our damp and misty climate comes in handy. The high humidity keeps the static electricity down to a minimum, which is great with this lighter than air fur. It's beautiful. Soft, soft, soft. I bet it would make great pillows. You know, like down pillows? Sometimes I fantasize about flinging myself into a swimming pool full of the stuff, but it would probably kill me. >;-) I'd go straight to the bottom, probably break a few bones, then be smothered when the stuff subsided all over me. Yike.

Griz

Rampant Paranoia

2005-06-26T07:37:05Z

Okay. I've recovered from my case of Leo-mania. He's pretty, but he's also a patronizing jerk. You'd think he was old enough to be our father, the way he practically patted Kaitlin and I on the head every time we turned around. Grrrr.

He told us about the LARP thing, and Kaitlin's really hot to go to one. I'm kind of creeped out by the idea. I don't like things where people hide who they are. I really embarrassed the family when we went to Disneyland when I was little. You know how they have people in Goofy and Mickey Mouse and other costumes. They wanted me to get my picture taken with one of them like the other kids, but I figured, that wasn't really Mickey. It could be anybody. I totally freaked out, screaming and crying. Heh. Still don't like it.

Welllll. Auntie Bee was just in here reading over my shoulder. She says I should remember that at costume parties and LARPs, I'd be in costume, too. Hmmm. Oh! \;+)))) Should she be telling a sweet, innocent little kid like me stuff like that? Hey!

Bee, here. She's not that little and innocent. Besides, I'm just trying to teach her how to express herself as a woman. Her mother will keep thinking of Griz as a baby until she's got gray hair and wrinkles, so, someone has to give the kid a clue. Bye.

Huh...........waiting for her to leave. ;-) Auntie Bee is really cool, but she thinks I'm a baby, too, really, or she wouldn't think she had to tell me some of this stuff. I ALREADY KNOW!!! Sheesh.

Griz

Leo continued

2005-06-25T06:39:15Z

You should have seen the look my mother gave Leo, when we got to the shop. He's lots older than us, like 19 or 20, so she was really suspicious. I think she figured I saw this pretty goth and worked my wiles on him. >;-) Not that I have much in the way of wiles, yet, but I'm definitely going to work on them. Then Kaitlin introduced him as her cousin from Germany, and Leo did this little bow thing and took my mother's hand like he was going to kiss it. A semi-euw moment. My mom blushed and smiled, a lot. Then he hit her with his accent, asking about stuff in the shop, and she really melted.

We sell stuff already made up. Like there are women who do weavings for us to sell, and women who knit or quilt or do bead things. He liked this small hanging with a Celtic Knot kind of thing in it, but he wanted to know if they could make another one just like it. Turns out he thought it would make a cool tabard kind of thing for his LARPing. And he was right, but the lady who does those is a witch, and she weaves wards into the material. Snerk. This one had a ward against bombardment with male energy. It's like for when you really don't want a guy around, I guess. Anyhoodles, it would be pretty funny for a guy to wear, even if it would let him wear it.

My mom is so cool. Without even cracking a smile, she said she'd ask Lenore to do a tabard for him. That way he could choose the colors and it would be a perfect fit. Smart lady. We were waiting while she called Lenore from the back room, probably so we wouldn't see her laughing like a loon, when I heard a scream.

It wasn't a regular scream. It was one of those in my head, and I knew something was hurting the bunnies. Man, I shot through the back room and outside without even thinking. There was this hungry looking dog there. He was trying to get to the cages. Our protective wards were holding, but the bunnies, who are wienies at the best of times, were scared half to death. It took me a minute to feel him out before I could be sure he was just a dog, a hungry dog, and not something evil taking that form.

My mother came out pretty much right after I shot past her. She asked me if it was okay, and I said it was. Then Kaitlin and Leo were standing in the doorway, so I told Kaitlin to bring the rest of our lunch so I could give it to the dog. He was a big guy, skinny and dusty, with his head hanging down. Poor thing. I put the food down for him, and we all backed off so he could eat. Leo found a bowl in the back room and filled it with water for him, too, which impressed me. (as if Leo needed to do anything but breathe to impress me)

When the dog had finished eating and drinking, he kind of sidled over to me and leaned into my legs. The he looks up at me with these big, sad eyes. My mother says, "Griz, we can't." But I just petted the dog. Mom sighed and went back to her phone call. So, now we've got a new dog for the shop. He can protect the bunnies and keep the burglars away. Heh.

Griz

This Time I Really Have Been Abandoned

2005-06-19T05:29:11Z

Well, Stace and his family left for Scotland today. A whole 10 weeks before I see him again. I figured we'd get some time to say a private goodbye, but we were never alone, and Stace didn't even try. I don't know what this means. I mean, we've known each other since we were babies, so, in some ways, he's like my brother. But he's a guy, too. He's cute and sweet, and I wonder if I'm, like, well, starting to have feelings for him. It's kind of freaking me out, 'cause I don't think he's feeling that way about me.

My mom let me have the day off so Auntie Bee and I could drive the MacGregors to the airport in Seattle. You should have seen the luggage. No, not a ton, barely anything. They believe in traveling light and having everything color coordinated - read, boring. I know Stace doesn't have a lot of variety in his wardrobe, being as almost everything is black, and his father's a guy, so, again, not needing a lot of choices. But how does his mother do it? Of course the fact that she wears about a size minus 3 means she can get a lot more garments in a bag than someone wearing like a 12, or something, but still.

I'm a goth, and I couldn't go anywhere for a week with just one medium size suitcase. Auntie Bee is like me. She kept shaking her head and asking Mrs. Mac if she was sure she hadn't left some luggage behind. I mean, they're going to be living there for 10 weeks!

When we got back, I had a message from Kaitlin asking if I wanted to hang out for a while. I think I'm going to call her back. I'm sitting here worrying about me and Stace, and missing him, and thinking maybe I shouldn't be missing him quite so much. This will take my mind off things.

Griz

I Want to Learn to Ballroom Dance

2005-06-18T08:40:12Z

One more day until Stace leaves. I was so bummed, but this afternoon we went to the early matinee and saw Mad Hot Ballroom. It was soooo cool. It's about these inner city kids who are in this program to learn ballroom dancing. Sounds whacky, but it was great. Those kids were all attitude and energy (hey, I sound like a movie reviewer) but that dancing is really hard physically, so there went that dancing is gay, thing. And you really have to concentrate and focus on your partner so you work as a team, so they had to go outside themselves to do it.

They learned so much and tried so hard, that you just wanted to yell for them. Man, my feet were dancing. I told Stace we were going to take lessons when he got back. Heh. You should have seen the look on his face. But if I tell his mom about it and get the 'rents to see the flick, it'll be a cinch.

Oh, oh, oh! And that goth girl, Kaitlin, that we met at that club a while ago, she was there with some jock who was being really obnoxious. When she saw us, she practically ran to sit next to us. He looked at us like we had leprosy or something, sneering and trying to pretend he didn't know us (which he didn't, actually). After the movie, Stace and I were going to the coffee shop over on Water Street, so we asked Kaitlin if they wanted to come along.

The guy, his name was Bruce (why are Bruces always such jerks?) acted all weirded out about it. Finally, he says, "Why don't you get a ride home with them, and I'll catch you later." What a creep! Kaitlin looked really hurt. I mean, I think it was a date, so that was soooo rude. But as soon as he was gone, we started talking about the movie and drinking chai lattes (decaf for me), and forgot all about ole Brucie.

Stace's dad picked us up, and we took Kaitlin home. She lives in this big modern house up on the bluff. It doesn't look like a goth kid's house. It had kind of a tense, or maybe nervous feeling about it. I don't know exactly, but it just didn't feel right. I wonder if Auntie Bee would...no, how could I suggest that they have their house cleansed? ;-) They probably don't even believe in feng shui and cleansing and that kind of stuff. I'll have to think about this and talk to Kaitlin. She's going to bring her mother down to the shop next week, so, I can ask her some questions then and maybe figure it out.

Griz

I think I'm in love

2005-06-12T08:39:52Z

Auntie Bee was showing the web site for her favorite station at home in San Francisco. There's this guy there, called "Miles, the Intern," who is, I have to assume, an intern at the station. I wonder what an intern does at a radio station. Well, anyway, this Miles has a pic of his family there, and he's got an adorable gothy brother. He looks like a mini-Pete Steele to me. Sweet. Wait. I looked again. I think maybe that is Miles, the Intern, but with long hair, which would be a real disappointment.

Pete Steele, if you don't know the name, is a gorgeous gothy rocker. Here's a nice pic, although I wish it showed his face better.

He's really tall, just like he looks. Sigh. I wish he had a baby brother, or even a son. Sometimes it seems like I was born at the wrong time.

OMG! I just went to the band's site, and it had a tombstone for Pete there, with the dates 1962-2005. I feel sick. Stace and I have been waiting to see them until we're old enough to get into one of their shows. Oh, man.

Later: Well, that just sucks. I called Stace all hysterical and crying, and he practically laughed at me. It's a joke. A dumb joke. He says they do stuff like that everytime there's a Friday the 13th. Stupid. STUPID! What if I was one of those suicidal types? That could have sent me right over the edge. And if this was such a great joke, why didn't Stace tell me about it???

Pretty but dumb. That's it. I'm going to be mad about this for a good long time, I bet.

Griz

Old Woman Selling Yarn

2005-06-11T22:36:17Z

Yeah, I missed a couple days. I was going to do this every single day, but I have enough things to obsess over without adding one more. Me and Tim Booth (of James):

My therapist said not to see you no more
She said you’re like a disease without any cure
She said I’m so obsessed that I’m becoming a bore, oh no

I love this song! It's old, like '93, when I was barely a toddler. I never would have heard it if it wasn't for my Auntie Bee who's a hard rockin' kinda lady. She does house cleansings and face reading. Sometimes I think I might like to do the house cleansing thing, too, but everyone says my talents lie elsewhere. Yeah, so I get vibes, but what good does that do me, or anyone? It's not like I know the next lottery number or anything.

Now, my little brother is awesome. If he weren't 5 years old, man he could so go out and conquer the world. Auntie Bee has some great stories from her work, too. Me, I'm betting I'm gonna be working at the old needlework shop the rest of my life. Sigh.

August 23, 2005 - That's when Christopher Paolini's second book, Eldest, comes out. My grandparents got me the original Eragon at this book fair when Christopher was still self-published. I think that's pretty cool, having the original, and it's autographed! But he wrote that when he was 15. I'm fifteen, and what have I done? Talk about depressing. Now, he's 19, with a book contract. Don't get me wrong, I'm not jealous, just feeling inadequate.

BUT...SCHOOL IS OUT!!!!!

Griz

Harry Potter and dress codes

2005-06-09T08:17:53Z

Up late again. I've been obsessing over the new Harry Potter. It's nuts, but ever since I heard about those guys who got arrested for selling bootlegs of the new book, I've been afraid I'm missing something. Like, if someone got those copies, I mean, those guys probably read them, right? Then, they'd have it before me! Whoa! I guess I figure I'm the daughter of a witch, so I should have first dibs, you know?

I was at the shop after school today (almost done!!! Yay!!!), and my mom had hung this new weaving piece. It's pretty cool. Some of the stuff we get in there is weird. Women's magic, the stuff they sew or knit or weave into the stuff they make, is as different as the women who make the stuff. And we all know how strange some people are.

My mom used to tell me that I'd get my full powers once I hit puberty. I suppose she's right, but sometimes I'd be willing to trade those powers for better fashion sense or just one day with the in-girls. I mean, so I can read the magic in a weaving. What's that going to do for me? When I say that to Stace, he looks at me like I'm nuts. He's so into science and technology, he's sure that stuff is all normal and that, one day, he'll figure out how it works. Who knows? He may be right.

They sent one of the in-girls home from school today. She was wearing this see-through tunic kind of thing, and I hear she was totally naked underneath! Thank the goddess we have a dress code, even if it's pretty lenient. A sight like that could burn out my retinas. Gag.

Only a little more than a month before Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince comes out. Am I repeating myself? Just saying.
Griz

Mating Rituals

2005-06-08T08:09:07Z

I'm sitting up writing this in the dark. Computers sure beat paper for that, don't they? Spent the evening next door at Stace's. Lots of popcorn and Pepsi, two of my favorite things. I think I'm on caffeine overload - the MacGregor's don't believe in decaf. Still raining (what a surprise), but I'm feeling better.

Anyway, all this planning for their summer in Scotland made his folks nostalgic, so they pulled out their videos from the last trip. Yeah, that could have been truly dire, but there was this one I'd never seen before! Soooo funny. Poor Stace. ~WEG~

At the time, when they came back from that vacation, I overheard the oldies talking about this "bad experience" Stace had on their trip to the Edinburgh Zoo, but no details. And he wouldn't tell me what it was, either. I guess it was still pretty traumatic for him, poor little guy. We were just kids then, like 9 or 10. I don't know if I'd have laughed at it then, if I'd known. Probably. (Embarrassed) Or maybe not.

Well, first, I have to tell you that tech geek Stace is not a dancer. His best moves are this kind of seasick sway. So, there he is, in the Edinburgh Zoo with his parents. He's in his baby goth gear, which is to say all in black, except for the white shirt his mom makes him wear, in his headphones, playing his tunes, eyes closed, letting the music move him.

Anyway, one of the main attractions at this zoo is a penguin parade every afternoon. All these penguins like just march through the Zoo while the tourists look on in awe. Yeah. Stace's mom is behind the video camera, and there's Stace, oblivious. The penguins start waddling along, and he's right in the path of the parade. So, they'll go around him, right? Uh-uh. These are big pengies. They're as tall as Stace, who is, as I may have mentioned, vertically challenged.

The video jiggles, and you can hear his mother calling, "Eustace. Eustace!" But he's in musical nirvana. So, one of the smaller pengies starts veering toward him, then gets in front of him and starts swaying, too. ;-) I'm laughing, think, "how cute."

The big guy at the head of the line, however, takes offense at this behavior and heads for Stace in a determined waddle. More camera jiggling, more, "Eustace! Look out, Eustace!" And I can hear laughing and little screams from the other people, but, no, Stace is still feelin' the music and doesn't even open his eyes.

I figure he's going to get slapped with a flipper or chest-butted, or something. But the big penguin marches up to him and pecks him really hard on the head. Yikes! Stace goes, "Ow!" opens his eys just in time for the next peck. He freaks, falls over backwards and the bird is all over him.

Then this rather studly fellow in a nummy kilt rushes into the frame and grabs Stace and pulls him to safety, fending off the pissed off bird. Who knew penguins could be so aggressive, or so huge? Who knew men in skirts could look so, so manly?

It must have been scary for Stace, but I couldn't help laughing. He looked so funny and confused as he tipped over and the bird jumped on him. I know it was mean to be laughing at that, but it was pretty funny to watch. Of course, Stace didn't think it was quite as funny as the rest of us. Sorry, Stace. But what makes it really funny is the explanation for the attack.

The time of year they were there was getting on to mating season, and that little seasick sway of Stace's looks an awful lot like the way male pengies dance for the babe of their choice. So, that big bird thought Stace was trying to steal one of his women, I guess. And that smaller pengie that was groovin' with Stace was a female, who apparently liked his looks, a lot. A little round, all in black, with a white chest, black hair and pale face - he probably looked like some new kind of pengie to her. Sooo funny. Bad Griz!

He's still got a couple of little scars from the bites, but it was more a wound to his pride than a physical injury. Poor guy. Heeee! Ooh, how totally ungoth of me.

After the 'rents and I quit rolling around laughing, Stace said he's having second thoughts about going back there, and gave us all a dirty look. I wanted to laugh about that, too, but I really wish he wasn't going, so that wasn't so funny.

Stace walked me home, and we really talked about not seeing each other all summer and stuff. It made me feel better that he's going to miss me, too. Boy, am I shallow.

Griz

Abandoned in the Fog

2005-06-07T08:11:21Z

Stace and I have been planning our summer for ages. It's mostly just not being in school, but it also means we can stay up later and do things on weeknights. There's not much to do here, even though we're on the coast. I mean, it's not like we have sunny beaches or anything. But then I'm not a fun in the sun kinda chick. But it's great to just hang out there in the fog sometimes, you know?

Well, color me chagrined, because Stace's father got a gig teaching a summer session in Scotland, so the whole family has to go. I mean, I'm really happy for Stace. They went there once before, and he said it was pretty cool. So, that's good, but I'm going to be all alone this summer. I might as well work full time at the shop. Well, not really, but I am bummed.

And one of the rabbits got into the store and pooped in the new shipment of yarn.

'Scuse me while I go sulk.

Faerie Glamour and a New Little Gothie

2005-06-05T22:05:35Z

Well, yesterday didn't turn out so bad, once I made it to the shop. My mom's a white witch. Her thing is the decorative arts, like weaving spells and protections and bindings into the things she makes. So, her shop is a yarn and needlework place. It's pretty cool. We have a lady who comes in and weaves yarn right in the shop. We have angora bunnies in the yard in back, and she uses their fur. That's one of my jobs - harvesting the fur.

Not as grotty as it sounds. They, like build up a full head (body ;-) of hair-growing steam every month or so, and the old stuff is just there waiting to either shed or be raked out. They're cute, big furballs. If I can figure it out, I'll upload a pic. Maybe Stace can do that. He's a heavy duty geek about stuff like that.

Anyway, it rained off an on all day, so we weren't uber busy, and I had time to work on some homework. Stace and I wanted to go try and sneak in to see this new band we heard about. The Raving Flakes. The kid who told us about the band said he heard they're faeries or there's a faerie in the band. This is kind of a freaky area, so that's actually possible. We both really wanted to know. Faerie bands can put the glamour on an audience. Faerie glamour is like making you see and hear things the way the faerie wants you to instead of the way they really are, so, if there's a faerie in the band, you'll think the music is to die for no matter how bad it might be. If Stace and I both went we can tell because he's susceptible to the glamour, and I'm not. Sometimes I wish I was.

It turned out the show was 18 and over, and they were carding, so we didn't get in. It would have been nice to know about them, you know, just to know something that other people can't, for sure. Is that lame? But we did meet this other goth chick our age. She tried that old, "I'm with the band" thing - how lame is that? - but it didn't work. We were laughing at her for being such a dweeb, but she looked like she was going to cry, so we felt bad.

Anyway, we started talking to her. Her name's Kaitlin, and her family just moved here from Georgia. She doesn't have the accent, but her dad was in the military, so she's lived everywhere, so that's probably why. What a life that would be. I've lived here all my life, and my mom says we'll never move. But, hey, when I'm out of school, I can go wherever I want.

Griz

Coming to you from the land of showers and sorcery

2005-06-04T23:40:27Z

Bet that got your attention. So, we're having our usual sunny (yeah, right, and is it any wonder I'm a goth?) weather here in lovely foggy rainy place on the coast. It's Saturday, and I have to help out at my mom's shop, as usual. Oh, to be able to lie in bed on a rainy day listening to Pete Steele moan and wail.

Before I could leave for work, though, I had to chase the cat around in the rain to get him inside. I have no idea why Hermione always feels compelled to dash out into the rain. I mean, cats aren't supposed to like the wet, now are they? Well, tell that to Hermi. I know. I think it's probably a plot of hers to make me look like a fool. I mean, seriously. It's not as though the neighbors don't already have me pegged as the spawn of Satan, what with the chronic bad attitude and the depressing black attire. But there I am, crawling along, head in the shrubbery, calling my y'now cat, for all the world to see.

So, anyway. There I am, butt in the air, bugs and other detritus (are you impressed?) in my hair, when I hear, "Hey, Griz," and nearly jump out of my skin. I lost a chunk of scalp and hair 'cause I didn't have time to untangle myself before shooting three feet into the air.

That was Stace, my best friend and neighbor. He's, if anything, more goth than I am. The poor guy looks like Puggsley Addams, shortish, round, cute, pale complexion and black, black hair. I dye my raven tresses, but his are natural.

"Thanks, Stace," I told him. "I'm sure that my scalp will grow back in time, and I won't always be marked by a huge bald spot on the side of my head." Yeah, I'm a snarky y'know when I'm in pain.

Anyway (again), that was my morning - chase the cat in the rain, rip my hair out by the roots, and I haven't even started for work, yet.

Welcome to my life.

Griz