Saphron's Journal

denerose @ 2008-07-12T23:42:00

2008-07-12T11:51:36Z

I has a Macbook! It is so pretty... even though I'm not a total convert yet (the PC and the Dell laptop are still on hand if any urgent Simcity or Windows file compatibility is required). It is pretty! I do fear that Kim will try to steal it and make me sad though.

denerose @ 2008-06-23T11:34:00

2008-06-22T23:36:42Z

Working 70 hour weeks is bad for me... BUT I did just get a promotion! I'm too tired to celebrate right now but I am sure I will be very pleased just as soon as Exams finish.

Re: Couch - free to good home!

2008-04-06T21:54:01Z

I've bought a new couch. This means that our old one needs a new home. It is old and small but very pretty. I'm picking up the new couch on Sat morning so if anyone wants our old one then you would probably need to pick it up one night this week.

It is a high wingback two-seater in burgundy plush. Think 70s faux Victoriana. I kept meaning to re-stuff the cushions but never got around to it but it doesn't absolutely need that. I think it would be better for someone wanting it in their bedroom rather than as we have it for an actual lounge couch (if we had the room this is what I would do). But that said it has served us well for over a year.

I'm sure you all know how to contact me.

Powerless

2008-04-04T00:35:31Z

We have no power at home. This means that our landline (it is a cordless phone and doesn't work when the base is out) is not working and my cell is about to die :/

It died around 8pm last night. The power company man turned up at 11pm. He went out and flicked a switch in the big central power box thingy. Low there was light and music and phone charging! Then as the power man was getting back in his van it went out again. So half of our block and half of the black over the road is without power... the rest of the flats are fine... all very odd.

Of course either way I have no phone because Kim keeps forgetting to put credit on it for me (he hates me obviously and wants me to be isolated from all contact)... Sorry to those of you I've not replied to. Email is probably the best way to contact me atm.

Graduation

2008-03-26T23:08:46Z

I am going to be a graduation marshal/usher and I get to pick which ceremonies I attend. Is anyone graduation from The University of Auckland during the May graduations? I'm already going to the second Arts graduation to see Catherine... Anyone else?

Overlocker

2008-03-19T23:55:57Z

Does anyone have an overlocker I could borrow next weekend or the weekend after?

Land of the living.

2008-01-13T00:37:16Z

I'm afraid I've been very busy and not had much to show for it. Well actually I do have some stuff to show for it but I haven't had much to report on.

Still have lovely boyfriend, great flat, cute cat and interesting job. All very sickeningly twee and happy over here so nothing thrilling or dramatic on any front really. I do apologise for being dull.

Just letting you all know that I am still alive and well. I do generally get to read Lj at work but not always so do forgive if there has been some great upheaval in the last few months of which I should be but am not aware of.

I can has job!

2007-10-11T21:22:40Z

Yay. I have just accepted a job at the university examinations office! I got the offer last night, I've thought about it and I'm really excited! It is going to be a big change from my this and that, here and there lifestyle and I can't wait. It is going to be nice to have a set schedule and not to mention a set salary. I'm jumping in the deep end though with Exams (note the capital) starting at the end of the month! Eeeee!

Courtney and Natalie be warned: I will be hunting you down to consume caffeinated beverages with me on a regular basis.

Even better I don't have to change my doctor. The uni doctors' office had just decided to stop treating alumni and now I won't have to go through the hassle of finding a new doctor. I love Dr Mauger she is the only doctor I've ever had who seemed to give a damn AND realise that people have different immune systems.

Yay!

denerose @ 2007-09-30T17:46:00

2007-09-30T05:12:47Z

20 Years Ago, I...
1) was 2 years and 10 months old.
2) already knew how photosynthesis, atomic structure and electricity work (thanks daddy!).
3) lived on an orchard in Katikati and had a pet sheep named Molly.

15 Years Ago, I...
1) met Kim.
2) became a vegetarian despite my parent's eating meat
3) was diagnosed as a dyslexic.

10 Years Ago, I...
1) stopped home schooling and started at Metro.
2) had my first girlfriend.
3) decided I was Wiccan.

5 Years Ago, I...
1) called myself a Satanist.
2) was doing my degree at the University of Auckland and still had an A average.
3) was Women's Rights Officer on the AUSA exec.

2 Years Ago, I...
1) was involved with organizing CR.
2) had just returned from the UK.
3) broke off my engagement to Juraj.

1 Year Ago, I...
1) had just dropped out of my post-grad course and had a nervous breakdown.
2) was considering up-rooting and moving to Wellington or Dunedin - just because.
3) had to find a self image without academia.

So far this year, I've...
1) moved in with Kim.
2) have started designing and making stripping costumes.
3) have got my life almost back together.

Yesterday, I...
1) went for a long ride on the back of Kim's motorbike and accidentally killed a bug (it flew up my nose - ick).
2) had a very nice lunch with my Nanna and my mum.
3) went to Courtney's flat warming.

Today, I...
1) went to the Vegetarian Fair.
2) bought a motorcycle jacket of my very own!
3) visited my parents bought them lollies.

Tomorrow, I'll...
1) go to a job interview.
2) try to finish Morgan and Courtney's birthday presents.
3) go for another ride with Kim (if it is sunny).

Ps: Everyone who has not done this yet really aught. I know I am finding it very interesting to see what things people pick.

World Vegetarian Day

2007-09-28T23:09:41Z

Auckland Vegetarian Food & Lifestyle Festival

Sunday September 30th 10am to 4pm
Mt Eden War Memorial Hall, 489 Dominion Road, Balmoral
(opposite Potters Park)

$2 entry (free between 10-10.30am)

Celebrate World Vegetarian Day with us. Come to our Festival for fabulous food, free tastings, information, lifestyle products and cooking demos – great for non-vegetarians too!

Come and see cooking demonstrations by vegetarian chefs, including internationally renowned chef Peter Chaplin, and author and 'New Zealand Gardener' food editor Alessandra Zecchini.

Mmmm food....

denerose @ 2007-09-28T21:26:00

2007-09-28T09:36:43Z

While I do actually find the latest little meme very interesting I have to express my happy about something first:

I am getting free super fast internet!! Yay. With an estimate of 10mps... I'm told that is very fast. Yay for Vodafone buying Ihug, yay for central city location practically on top of the exchange. Yay for sexy geek boyfriend. Yay for super fast internet... it hasn't kicked in yet of course but still.... ooooooer!

Now I need to find something to DO with all that internet speed... Other than instantly find out what all of you have been up to of course.

Baaa etc

2007-09-17T03:03:11Z

1. Human Resources Specialist
2. Curator
3. Industrial-Organizational Psychologist
4. Anthropologist
5. Professor
6. Foreign Service Officer
7. Conservator
8. Director
9. Association Manager

10. ESL Teacher
11. Foreign Language Instructor
12. Genetic Counselor
13. Music Teacher / Instructor
14. Economic Development Officer
15. Sport Psychology Consultant
16. Lobbyist
17. Historian
18. Archivist
19. Psychologist
20. Humanitarian Aid Worker

21. Rehabilitation Counselor
22. Special Effects Technician
23. Actor
24.Computer Trainer
25. Electrician
26. Occupational Therapist
27. Forensics Specialist
28. Pharmacist
29. Mediator
30. Criminologist
31. Career Counselor
32. High School Teacher
33. Set Designer
34. Director of Photography
35. Costume Designer
36. Social Worker
37. Adoption Counselor
38. Addictions Counselor
39. Makeup Artist
40. Principal

Confidance vs Self Consciousness

2007-09-16T00:03:54Z

Thank you all for your comments on my last entry. Unfortunately I think my sleepy rambling didn't really get across my concern. While I do think it is odd that confident women are somehow scary to others this isn't something that I am willing to compromise on. My worry is the callousness that I can sometimes display simply out of lack of awareness. In the same way that shy people can be very self obsessed, thinking that everyone is looking at and judging them, I have the opposite where I tend to forget that what I do could mean anything to someone else, such as gestures or who I talk to, unless it is a direct action to them. While not being self conscious is probably a good thing it has its draw backs - at least it does if you still give a damn about other people in any way. I often lack awareness at all of how others might be viewing me which is what leads to misunderstandings.

Also the "fat day" thing which is the perfect example really. I do have days when I don't feel well/happy etc (I am after all lacking a regular level of happy hormone in my head so I probably have them much more often than most) but I just don't tend to project that on to my body. When I have a waah day, where nothing looks or feels right, I will generally try and blame it on outside things such as the heat or the cold or my diet. Also I do retain water on occasion, like any girl, so there are days when I am physically bigger than normal but if I even notice (I would probably have to put on tight gloves or something) I tend to shrug it off and warn my partner that I may have PMS in the next few days. So it isn't that I've not had a "fat day" just that I had never thought of it in that context until it was pointed out to me.

I just never learned to think of my body like that, which I think is good, but at the same time part of that is forgetting about how other people might see me. The body is important as is self presentation. Obviously I care a bit and care enough to have adopted a sub-cultural aesthetic (most of the time). Mannerisms and body language as well as self presentation all affect the way that others see us and communicate things to the world. I tend to forget this at times because I never learned that external awareness in the usual way. I also tend not to think of myself or others in physical terms. I have a few friends who find very fat people almost personally offensive which I simply can't comprehend but I think is probably kind of common. I also think that it is a hint at the way "most people" perceive others (through other bodies) in that our self presentation and display is a social communication. I read a very good article on fat actually and how that body was part of representing and supporting social values. So, anyway, by being fat, a socially unacceptable position, you are somehow rejecting social values and judging people who WORK to stay thin - I think that this is how my confidant attitude becomes perceived as offensive because I am somehow seen to be judging the less confident or putting myself above others. So it is just another way in which I am insensitive to how I'm being perceived and how my way of being or actions may upset others. It is an example, among many, of how I tend to forget that I have any affect or effect on others when I don't mean to - which is just as selfish as a shy person who thinks that everything they do matters to others it is just the other extreme.

denerose @ 2007-09-08T18:40:00

2007-09-08T06:42:06Z

I didn't have anything to do with organizing this! It is going to be sooooo good. I'm going to arrive late, get all boozy and dance and then go home hours before closing! Yay!

Innominata

2007-09-03T02:32:40Z

Yay! That went well! My final sums have been done and we raised $62 for Auckland Cat Rescue!! And I basically broke even (I didn't make back a few small costs but those I'm happy to pay, venue fees and advertising have been recouped and that is the main thing). And most of all everyone seemed to have a really good time which really is the main thing. Thanks to everyone who came along and made it such a fantastic night.

It was particularly yay to see the bridal couple and congratulate them even though they must have been exhausted! Thanks for making the effort guys.

Room Noir were, as expected, absolutely beautiful and their music was amazing too :p
I also think my last moment go-go girling was not too bad?? I didn't actually get to SEE or hear much of Vostok Lake what with being back stage struggling in to my costume and hunting for a lost go-go witch! But I did get to bounce around to her Iron Fist cover which I find highly amusing.
Djs did an awesome job and after Catherine and I managed to start the dance floor moving it continued to do so for most of the night. Yay!

My photographer has a horrid horrid flu and couldn't make it which is sad especially as the main part of the costume prize was meant to be framed prints of choice :(
So if anyone has photos PLEASE email them to me at saphron[AT]acerbussonitus[DOT]org so I can put them on the website - even if you think they suck I can get mum to fiddle with them and make their subjects more apparent if you want (she used to be a professional photo retouching lady once upon a time).

So all in all I think the night was a success. Thank you again to everyone involved and everyone who came along, looked gorgeous and most of all had fun!

Tomorrow Night

2007-08-31T00:06:47Z

Zanzibar is on the corner of K'rd and Pitt St. Doors are at 9pm...

Annnnnnd I'm coming down with something... I just know something is going to get forgotten :/

Samantha

2007-08-30T01:33:48Z

Does anyone know if Sam is ok? She's not been replying to emails or phone calls for at least a week.

Next Saturday - 1st Sept 2007 - Innominata

2007-08-25T02:11:27Z

ONE WEEK AWAY!

Zanzibar is a perfect venuw so make sure you don't miss out on checking this one out.
Room Noir will be on early to sooth and scare you with beautiful music, the Djs Somnus, Spiggy and Valec will try to keep you dancing and amused and then Vostok Lake and The Vostok Girls will go on at midnight.
There are prizes for best costumes male and female, and best mask as well as a charity raffle for the Auckland Cat Rescue (who also get all the profit from the night that isn't going to the bands).

I am hoping this will be a magical evening in more ways than one. Those of you going to the wedding beforehand, please remind the bride and groom that their names are on the door and we are looking forward to seeing them there too (I've been assured you'll all have time to go home, sober up and get changed well before Innominata so start planning your outfits!).

Costume Magic are one of our sponsors and will hire you a full costume (including all layers and accessories) for just $50. Make sure you mention Innominata and go in the special prize draw!

Burlesque

2007-08-17T11:23:14Z

All is going well. We MAY still have room for a few more girls. We also need a bunch of other stuff done back stage and a LOT of sewing and stuff. I also need help/contacts getting sponsorship sorted. Please contact me if you're keen to get involved in any way :)

-Saphron.

BurlyQ, Innominata and stuff...

2007-08-05T04:47:36Z

Burlesque: if anyone out there is interested in dancing in a burlesque review please get in touch with me. Saphron at acerbussonitus.org or denerose at gmail. We have an open audition/meeting on Thursday evening and this is the last call for casting - I can't guarantee any spots to people not there on Thursday.

Less than a month to plan and create your pretty pretty frocks for that fancy costume prize!

Feel free to hotlink

I have my voice back... mostly. Catherine did not help in this though. Why was singing loudly to GnR last night a good idea? Because the birthday girl said so of course!

Kim is the best boyfriend ever. He is doing dishes, and he makes me cups of tea and is generally cute and lovely and yay.

denerose @ 2007-08-01T17:55:00

2007-08-01T05:59:06Z

I have been ill for just over a week now and it is today I loose my voice. I have actually lost my voice - when I try to talk all that comes out is a funny squeaky sound...
It is highly traumatic as my mother is not online. I think I am going to have to call and squeak at her and hope she realizes that a) it isn't a prank call, b) it is me, c) I have lost my voice and need her to come and make me hot chocolate stat, and d) that I don't pop a blood vessel/tonsil etc doing it.

Also I can't talk to Bettie. I discovered my lack of voice by trying to say "Good morning Miss Page, who is a pretty little kitty then!" and it came out as "Giiiaaah...*squeak*, *cough*, preee..." I then tried the simpler "Bettie Bet!" greeting but that ended up beaing "Bee*squeak*" she keeps meowing at me but I can't respond. Very very sad.

Autism

2007-07-31T05:52:52Z

There is a debate going on, it seems, between people who want to "cure" autism and people who want it accepted as just a different way of being. Oddly enough the pro-cure people are mostly parents of severely, low functioning, autistic children and the other side of the debate are people with mild, high functioning, autism like AS. To me it seems a very black and white way of looking at it. I mean there are lots of things about autism that suck no matter how functional you are and then there are bits that are nice too. I think there needs to be more research and it does need to be better understood and that anything that can increase the quality of life for low (and high) functioning autistics should be looked in to. Just because you find a diet that helps alleviate some symptoms doesn't make the person any less themselves for example. Lobotomizing people and sedating them is obviously, I hope, not really under the "quality" of life banner.

Anyway while I think the argument and the creation of "sides" is silly I do agree with the "acceptance" crowd in that I think we need to encourage and celebrate the good things about autistic people - particularly those in our lives. Also it has come up several times of late. So I thought I would talk about my dad, who is autistic.

My dad is one of the kindest and most gentle people I have ever met. He is also the most intelligent - like really really intelligent. He is in the top division of the top one percentile for IQ with a score of 179 on one test (European Standardized I think). He sings, hums and "beeps" (something which is called 'stimming' some people rock, cross and uncross their fingers or any number of other distracting behaviors to calm themselves) all day. He has trouble saying goodbye and no and generally doesn't deal with closure well. He has trouble reading facial expressions and know what to say and when. He is careful in the extreme. He always takes his time so when he finally does something you know it will be done right. He has a weird sense of humor. He does a fantastic dalek impression. When I was little he always, always answered when I asked "whhhy?" and usually in great detail too. He spent a whole summer making plasma generators to amuse me. He used to read to me in Latin and Ancient Greek when I was small. He would rock me for hours and count every rock out loud. He is trusting - maybe too trusting. He has saved literally dozens of lives because he is calm and careful (being a genius may or may not be a factor). He will sit for hours and untangle a knot in my hair without hurting me. He will nurse a sick hedgehog back to health for months if necessary. He loves cats. He has a deep calm voice. He gets bothered when sci-fi spaceships don't make sense. He collects broken tvs and printers and can't throw anything away. He fixes them and gives them away to the solo-mums in our area. He can explain the exact chemical reactions going on inside an egg while it boils yet he can't actually boil one. He was my primary caregiver and homeschooled me while mum worked, I studied: maths, physics, chemistry and electronics from age 8, and then I went to a tutor for English/Dyslexia. We built gigantic lego forts and aircraft carriers and made amazingly realistic dalek costumes out of boxes. He always has time for people and cats and hedgehogs. Yet he is never on time for anything. From age 4 he knew every part of a car motor and how it worked. He was 34 before he learned to drive one. He is good with computer hardware but software is too "user friendly" for him and confuses him when it doesn't behave in the "obvious" and "logical" fashion. Yes sometimes he reminds me of Spock. He has friends who are physicists, chess grandmasters, doctors and mongrel mob members. He never judges people based on looks or anything else really. He really likes microwaves because they are so "efficient". People who are scared of the word 'radiation' confuse him. I love my dad for lots and lots of reasons, of which the above are just a few, but most of all I love him because he is my dad.

Mother Russia - Pictures

2007-07-23T10:38:51Z

http://acerbussonitus.org/Gallery/index.php?dir=

Gallery is still being worked on but all of my pictures are up. You can make comments and stuff. Yay for boyfriends!

Announcement:

2007-07-23T03:46:52Z

Feel free to hotlink. More details and web-flyers coming closer to the date.

denerose @ 2007-07-21T10:43:00

2007-07-20T22:59:44Z

Things I learned:

People will do just about anything to see Mary dance including but not limited to arriving at a gig on time!

Next time: Vostok Lake play 25 mins - not an hour. I like Daphne's music a lot but I agree with comments made that people can't take more than a few songs of her style of estrogen fueled intensity.

I still have to start the dancefloor.

Partners are ever so useful! And Kim is particularly wonderful!

Go-Go Girls ftw.

Myspace and Lj pimping worked well as did some flyering but I got no feed back on the posters so won't bother with them next time.

Think about door bitching and having someone else stage manage.

While being the sole investor (particularly when you were not expecting to be) in a gig is a little bit more stressful it is also rather more satisfying to break even (we made $20!).

Just because the owner of your local bar is good friends with some people you trust as both peope and professionals does not mean that said bar owner will also be a good professional - although once he finds out who you know he may well start to behave like an adult (at least).

Last, but not least, I must try to never EVER again get Peter Murphy and Andrew Eldritch confused in a room full of drunk goths. While I survived this time it very well could have been suicide by goth lynching had I not been more careful

*does the profit dance*

Don't forget I have an announcement tomorrow for the Sept 1st gig. I hope everyone who came last night had fun. I'm sorry that I hardly got a chance to talk to anyone - note aforementioned doorbitch considerations - and I am really glad you could all make it. I hope you all had a great night :)

*edit* For those who were worried, the girl who collapsed at the end of the night was fine - she was an epileptic and used to it, poor thing.