At the moment I'm happy and content.
In the grand scheme of things I'm still a moody miserable cow, but this week has brought a few nice things that have cheered me up.

I finally got a book delivered from Amazon that I've been waiting ages for. It's the latest translated work by my favorite artist Junko Mizuno.
It's several pieces done as a serial, collated into one book.

"In this dreamy science fiction fantasy, Junko Mizuno illustrates a story full of catfights, alien safari adventures, evil experiments and a girl who dreams of becoming a pop idol. Following the Third World War, humankind left the toxic surface of the Earth and built an underground city to survive. A serious social problem has emerged in this new society: hyperorexia, or severe overeating, a side effect of the "Pure Trance" life-sustaining pill."

Wow, all my favorites, who could want more.

I have all of her stuff, some English translations and some in Japanese (some in both I'm ashamed to say) and some magazines or books which contain just one page or one teeny illustration by her.
She's one of the few people who's stuff I'll actually admit I'm an out and out fan of.
"Fans" always strike me as a bit creepy and obsessive. I don't see why you need to know every particle of information about someone to appreciate their art, writing or film making. A bit of back ground can be enlightening, but it can also sap all the magic out of a performance or a piece.
So I'm a fan of her work, and admire her for her work, but I couldn't tell you her star sign or anything, like I say, fandom can be creepy as hell.

I also just finished a Modesty Blaise book.
I love Modesty, I want to be her. I love the total retro escapist nonsense of those books. I've read all but one and a bit. The one is proving hard to get hold of and the bit I have, but it's a short story in a collection where Modesty and Willie DIE! I'm putting it off and may never actually read it.

On Monday My mate took me to see Devils Rejects. I was almost put off by the fact that it's the sequel to House of 1000 Corpses, which is dire, even when watched while half cut, but he wanted to treat me to a trip to the movies and it was that or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (no, no and no again!).
I really enjoyed it, and he was right, I did need a trip to the movies, I hadn't been in what seemed like and age!
It's actually a good film, bit self indulgent at times and shameless rip off of / beautifully done homage to, 70's road movies and horror (Texas chainsaw for sure). It's slick and smoothly done and has a really good soundtrack, i.e. no White Zombie.

I watched, and have no shame in admitting to watching, the first episodes of Lost, which has just started screening over here. It was the reviews that compared it to Twin Peaks that won me over the most.
It's sod all like Twin Peaks, too polished and neat, but it is a bit fucking weird. Only a bit mind, it's still very mainstream.
I enjoyed it thoroughly though, I know I'm going to be hooked, for Dr Jack if nothing else (OK you can throw things at me for my being a total girl now if you like).

My Nan made a batch of raspberry jam and I've been eating it on crusty bread with English butter all week.

For those of you overseas, specifically in the US, Jam is the stuff which comes in jars, made from fruit boiled up with sugar and pectin (my Nan uses currants instead of packet pectin, nicer by far, I think you can use apple juice or gooseberries too, but don't take my word for it).

You call it Jelly, it's not Jelly, jelly is the stuff thats made from fruit flavoured Gelatine, is made in molds, is eaten with icecream by children at parties, and wobbles on a plate.

You call that Jello. Knock yourselves out with that one, but don't call Jam Jelly.


I've also been knitting some more, which has almost dented the happy theme. I won't go on too much and turn this into a knitting blog, most knitting stuff is totally lost on none knitters, and can, frankly, get a bit dull.

I've been doing an intarsa pattern, also known as fairisle, which is where you knit a pattern with different coloured wool.

It's also a way to find out swear words you didn't know you knew as it's really fucking difficult!

I've unraveled it twice. I'm trying very hard to stay zen about it and have a piece of piss scarf going on the side to switch to when it get near to throwing it out the window or burning it. I think it's good though that I'm mature enough now to see when it needs to be unraveled and started over, rather than having a tantrum and giving up or just plowing on and undoing up with a mess.

That makes me happy.

That's all for now.