leene_chan | OOooooooooOOOOOooooh....O

That up there is a self-portrait.

I finished His Dark Materials last night. I don't know what to think. I liked the first book, the second one was good and the third one was tripe. Considering that I started the series with a positive impression I was shocked at how frustrated I became in the end. There were times I wanted to throw that last book out the window! But I finished it.

Kristen wanted to do me a favor and finished rooting and styling that green Azone #5 head I was working on. She figured out a new technique for doing curls that she previously used for a commission and it turned out beautifully. I put the head on the little Azone body and it looks really cute. I'm going to name the doll Lyric after an elf character I made up for a story I tried to write when I was in junior high. (I gave up on it because it sucked!)

I've been using a stationary bike regularly for the past two weeks. I don't like exercise equipment that only works half your body but my father insisted on one after his cardiologist told him to get in shape and beggars can't be choosers! I've only been able to do 25 minutes a day, four or five times a week. I've never been an athlete and I'm burning 150 calories per session. Heh heh heh...a personal trainer would probably laugh at me but you have to start somewhere! I'm tired of being a weakling.

I just beat (and killed!) Arietta. And I'm clocked at 109 hours. Shut up, I'm enjoying myself! o_o

All my characters' levels are in the low seventies. I fought the arena Cameo Battle and lost but I managed to kill Mint before I died!

I am just so jazzed that I managed to beat the Advanced Individual Rank with Jade and get him a costume change that isn't a bathrobe! I did it by equipping a Holy Ring and running around in circles a lot to keep my HP above 2500. I felt like I was playing BAROQUE again! That, and I had this AD Skill that let me recast a spell right away if the enemy knocked it out of me. (I can't remember what it's called). Now my eyes feel like they're about to pop out of my head. I had to take a shower and some Advil to get rid of the pain. Ha ha ha ha ha ha.

I also started the Nebilim side quest. Yes, I've been consulting a FAQ! The part where the party has to beg that sword off Peony was very funny. (Natalia: "That's sexual harassment!") Peony must be an incompetent ruler. All he seems to care about are his pigs and enticing people to join his bisexual harem. ^o^