Currently

Watching: Naruto Shippuuden. I always thought anime looked stupid - but then, as you know, Seeg convinced me to watch Bleach, and I actually loved it. Naruto specifically always looked really stupid - the kid has whiskers. But it's actually a brilliant and clever program, and a damn good reason why he has whiskers. It has me laughing, it has me crying, it has me angry, and it has me happy. I love it. We finished all of Naruto in December, so we immediately moved onto Shippuuden. I have suspicions about characters and the way the plot may unfold, but if there's one thing I've learned about anime, it's that you almost never see things coming. Bleach had the best villain I've ever seen in any tv show, movie, or book. That pretty much drummed in that things are never quite what they seem in these sorts of things.

Thinking about: My writing. I've started to put more work in lately, and I think it's paying off. I'll be honest, though: I don't know if what I'm writing is actually any good. I need to sit down and read through the last 4 chapters I've written as if it were a book written by someone else. If it's not good enough then I need to go back and try again. But I'm feeling positive!

Listening to: Soundtracks. Specifically the Morrowind one I bought from DirectSong the other day, and The Hobbit that Seeg bought recently, too. They are amazing soundtracks. Over the last few years I've grown to prefer soundtracks over the radio - call me an old woman but I really don't like what counts as "music" these days. Heartfelt lyrics seem to be a thing of the past as far as the charts go, and if there are any heartfelt lyrics then they're covers. Otherwise it's all balls and rude boys. Even musicians I used to like have been struck off of my playlist with the shit that they bring out these days. I'm quite happy with my game and movie soundtracks, thank you.

Excited about: My new products. I had wanted to open a new shop for it, but Seeg talked me around. Another shop means more work, and more work means even less time to do the things I want to (ie: play games, watch movies, be lazy and write). Instead, I'm opening a new "shop" within Peaches and Pebbles. Think of it like a Starbucks within a bookshop. The new "shop" will have its own section within Peaches and Pebbles, and it will have its own name. Products purchased from it will have its own packaging, and its own business cards. It's still jewellery, which is part of the reason I've decided to keep it in Peaches and Pebbles, but it's different as far as what I usually do goes - but it's still unique. Long story short, I'm very excited about it!

Reading: The Exiled Queen/The Ruby Knight. The reason I've listed 2 is because I started reading both series (The Seven Realms/The Elenium) around the same time. I got the first book of The Elenium (The Diamond Throne) and read that, but I also bought The Demon King of another series while reading it. Once I finished The Diamond Throne, I moved onto a different series. That series was much more exciting, and so I've stuck to it, but because the 4th book of The Seven Realms has no release date for the UK yet, despite being released in the US in October last year, once I finish what I have, I'll surely return to The Ruby Knight.
...Did everyone follow that?

Playing: Mass Effect. It's one of my favourite games, but I've never played it. I like to watch games. I see them as sort of really long films. Obviously this doesn't work for all games, it needs to have a good story. But the main reason I never played it is simply because I can't shoot - I like to be very precise with my aim, which slows me down a lot, and if the target is moving then I have no chance. So, games that are based around gun fights are not games I can play. But I decided I was never going to learn to shoot if I didn't try. So I picked it up and gave it a go - and I enjoyed it. I'm still not much use at shooting, but the game forces you to have 2 NPCs with you, so fortunately, the shooting is not all down to me. The story is wonderful, though - I watched Seeg play through all three games and it quickly hit my list of favourite games, and now I'm playing it too. I always felt a bit silly wearing my Garrus t-shirt without having played the game myself. I figure that once I finish the trilogy, I'm entitled to buy a hoody :D

Worrying about: My future. I know I said a couple of days ago that I'm feeling more positive, and I am! But that doesn't change the fact that the only thing I want to do with my life is left in the hands of other people, who work based upon opinion rather than on any academic achievements. On one hand, that's good - I can get where I want to without having to go back to school for 6 years. On the other hand, it's bad, because, well, opinions. I understand the reason for it - afterall, agents make no money until a book gets published, distributed, and subsequently sold. But that doesn't make it any easier. But I realise that the only thing I can do is keep plugging away at it - I'll never get there if I give up, right?

How is everyone else? Anything exciting you're looking forward to? Anything you're worrying about? Or are you listening to/playing something awesome? I really would love to know!