{ he's left me no warning, no words of farewell. }

[delga]

The past week has been long and yet enjoyable. The Boy Cousins arrived on Sunday and departed last night, and so we were out and about for most of the week. We didn't have anything planned for Monday so I did some chores whilst the boys did homework and then played on their gameboy things (Idk). Then we walked into D. and visited the rents at the store, came home for lunch, and made crispie cakes, huzz. Then they played outside and I was thrown a little by how boyish they were. (House full of girls! Boys are a rarity!) They're lolarious, though. And so cheeky! In the evening they watched NCIS (Jackson!) and then kept bugging me about what happened to Jenny Sheppard. I did not tell them.

This feels like a great point at which to note that they spent the WHOLE WEEK trying to creep up the stairs and make me jump but they didn't succeed because I know every creak on that damn staircase. Huzz, a triumph!

On Tuesday we played in the morning (more football! More gameboy!) and then after lunch I took them into P. where we went bowling. We played a couple of games and drank coloured ice drinks (d'awww, the bowling 'experience'). J, the older of the two, won both games, and D lost both, heh. I bowled pretty well considering I mostly bowl backwards. Afterwards they played a couple of games of pool before we marched back to the bus stop. I'm pretty certain Tuesday night was the night they watched Italian Job. I watched the last half hour with them and thoroughly enjoyed it because that, unfortunately, is the best part of the film.

And then they had to read because my aunt told me to make sure that they did.

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On Wednesday I took them to the cinema to see City of Ember. Um, guys. I LOVED THIS FILM. I didn't really know what it was about before we went in, but I think that made for a better experience because then you have to sort of put your faith in the story and let it carry you. It's about an underground city that is falling apart because the people were only supposed to stay there for 200 years before making their way up to the surface which, by that time, should have been free from whatever danger it was that sent them underground in the first place. Except the box that had the instructions in it got lost, and the current mayor (played wonderfully by Bill Murray) is corrupt.

The city is a beautiful mess - think of a rubble-stocked 24-7 Chinatown, with lanterns up above, and cobbled streets, and you get the idea. The two leads are children who, to begin with, have no reason to even try to escape from the city. Except there are continuing power failures which fill the population with fear. I think the blackout scenes were some of the best done, accurately conveying the people's fear that eventually they'll die underground.

It's an atmospheric film, with a fair amount of action in the latter half, but all very much in line with the tone of the narrative. There aren't any cheap laughs - the humour is mild and mostly ironic - and it's a satisfying watch. There are a couple of things that don't add up - things that are hinted at and never really explained, and the very, very end is pretty damn lame. Hugely enjoyable, though, and suspenseful in a few places. It felt like a remake of Logan's Run, although much more successful than The Island was a few years back. I definitely recommend it.

We missed one of the buses on the way there (I am a moron), but on the way back we stopped for lunch and then browsed a couple of stores whilst waiting for the bus back. The Boy Cousins were mightily impatient, which isn't something I'm usually well-equipped to deal with, but they're also CRAZY so it worked out. We stopped in D. and picked up Baby Cousin who got all shy, bless her. Then we played in the garden, even though it was freezing. Baby Cousin saw the boys aiming at the netball hoop so she wanted to try that too. Then she played on the swing before I yanked her indoors (so. fucking. cold) and we played with the rubber ducks. Then she wanted to type on the laptop so I told her which letters to press and she wrote out everyone's names. My girl can now type her own name and mine without help, oh yeah.

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On Thursday I sent out some job apps before working at the store for a couple of hours after which we set off for B. When we got there I actually got lost but we eventually found the leisure centre. They played in the pool for about an hour and I spent some time talking to a Gujarati woman in the reception area. I took the boys to B. because there's a wave machine there but the demand was low so it didn't actually come on. Sigh. Then we took the bus back home, and even though it left B. 15 minutes before The Sister's bus, we got home 10 minutes later than her. I don't know.

Friday I got another damn rejection letter, and we didn't have anything planned so I let the boys do whatever they wanted to do, and sorted out the MOUNTAINS of laundry that The Mother left behind for me. In the afternoon we baked some muffins which came out okay, but a little bit heavier than I would have liked. The Boy Cousins get excited about baking, which made me laugh. In the afternoon, I ironed and watched crime shows which the boys took varying interest in. Then The Sister came home and she ironed, whilst the Boy Cousins watched High School Musical, and she and I watched other things. When the boys went to sleep, I convinced The Sister to watch the Life pilot with me which was joyous, and also useful for this week's episode. Marvellous.

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Yesterday morning I baked more muffins whilst they lazed around. I made them put on their jackets and walk into D. where we grabbed Baby Cousin and went to play in the park. INSANE INSANE. There was this tiny obstacle course thing with a revolving log thing, and a climbing frame with a super-long slide, not to mention a basket-swing that spun round. (INSANE.) The boys ran about the various things and Baby Cousin played on the swing and the spring-rides. And then we sat on the roundabout and got thoroughly, thoroughly dizzy. Baby Cousin LOVED that. She sat in the middle whilst we pushed the thing round and jumped on. I promptly fell off which was probably for the best. Just thinking about it makes my head go.

We dropped off Baby Cousin and had some biscuits, lols, and then grabbed a lift home - it was raining by that point.

My aunt and uncle came in the evening, and we ate together before they took the boys home. I was completely knackered so I went to bed pretty early. And then the clocks went back so I got an extra hour of sleep, whoop whoop.

I want to watch a film tonight but I don't think it's going to happen. But! The Mother and I are going to watch Merlin this afternoon. Sans The Sister because she watched it this morning, sigh. Well: at least she can't talk all the way through it now.

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Things that I hope to post eventually (omg):

- fannish review o'the week
- pictures/photos
- NCIS/Life fanfiction
- Spooks/NCIS fanfiction
- a music mix that I've been working on for the past year

Which reminds me: new Spooks tomorrow! I've decided that I'm going to watch the BBC3 listings because that way I can watch Criminal Minds with the rents next week. (I am kind of disappointed that I'll be missing CM tomorrow! Even though it's new Spooks! But I promised The Flatmate that I'd watch, so.) Am still trying to decide whether or not the discussion posts are a complete flop. (I'm leaning towards 'yes' but, I don't know because some people actually use them. But then: others link to their reaction posts later anyway, so what's the point?) I'm more worried about spoilers for people who get the episodes later (hi, Australia!) and there's this assumption in some parts of the comm that certain spoilers are 'given' which just isn't the case (and is frustrating as fuck). So. I get to be pedantic about that stuff now.

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Also: it's Diwali this week! Wonderful!