Do you still think that way about me now?

So this year round, I am gonna enter the SFX Pulp Idol Short Story Competition. I have a list of 16 possibilities, some of which are open to combinations, so I'd like to write up two or three of them and pick. I'll probably call on you guys to adjudicate if I do have two or more possibilities; I'll let you know.

I haven't read many short stories, scifi/fantasy or otherwise, so if you want to suggest collections I might like, give me a shout.

Meanwhile, the new storyline in Company continues to be thrashed out. I'm loving these characters a lot more than the ones I originally focused on. New dilemma: do I keep the old storyline at all? Answers on a postcard please... (Nah, not really.)

My mum can apparently tell when I'm working on my writing just by looking at me. I came downstairs from working on Company and she said, "You've been working on your novel, haven't you? I can see it in your face!" I don't know whether to be flattered or alarmed that I'm so transparent lol!

I got home a day earlier than I was expecting, due to my little brother leaving his cream for his lips in Belfast and having a fundraising bag-pack to do Thursday (today) and various other reasons which I can't recall now, all of which led to him and Dad coming to Belfast on Tuesday night and hauling me, and a lot of my stuff, home for the holidays. Good grief you people can write a lot in just two days!!! 'Course, having to work on dial-up makes it seem a lot longer. And you've all taken a rash of picture-posts, so that takes an age to get through to, lol.

...I was going to say something else, but it's completely gone out of my head.

Minty, got your Christmas card!

I am now subscribed to SFX for a year (saves hassle and a chunk of money!) and I got this week's comics through the mail, which worked well bar Mum's spending guilt-trip. The advantage about buying them in Belfast is Mum's not there after the moment of purchase to belabour me about how I've got no money coming in and that I need to be sensible and not waste money willy-nilly. I get where Mum's coming from and why. I DO need to be wiser with my money, and I AM going to cut back. Once I have the various mini-series I've started complete, then it'll just be a select few regular series, I promise. And as my brother says, money's of no use or pleasure just sitting in the bank.

We went shopping today - my cousin's wedding's tomorrow so Mum needed to buy everything today - and I got make-up! And I have no idea what to do with it! It was hilarious, because the only one of us with any experience in cosmetics is Amy, who's 11, and she took over and was giving all the instructions. I'm sure the people in the chemist's thought our heads were cut, getting make-up advice from the youngest member of an all-female group lol. Sharon got bored with the whole thing, and when Sharon gets bored, she lets everybody know about it, 'cos that's what you do when you're 17. So Mum headed off with her to find a formal dress (and she got one! For £4! So that cheered Sharon up no end).

It's something I would love to learn to do: put on make-up properly, pick the right products, co-ordinate with your colouring and clothing. It would be a good skill to have.

Parentals are off to the wedding tomorrow, leaving us to tidy the house, then we're going to the party at night. I hope Ann's got a decent DJ/band/entertainment/whatever. And I hope I don't make a complete hash of this strange new make-up thing lol.

( This is a very cool end-of-the-year meme )