The Winter Court of the Insane, Philosophical Ladybug

Thanks to circumstances out of my control, I was, as I feared, not able to do my shopping thing on my birthday. And I wasn't able to celebrate at all until late in the day. But I got some awesome things, including the Orange Islands set and The Loner, which actually isn't as much of a downer show as I was led to believe. It's great so far! I'm so glad I decided to ask for it. I only did because Dad initially couldn't find the Pokemon set, as the clerk and the computer system were both inefficient.

I finally got to do the shopping thing this past night, whereupon I got the bat and also the second Sailor V manga. I also discovered that Barnes and Noble is clearancing most of the first line of Sailor Moon Figuarts figures for 50%! They didn't have the ones I wanted most, unfortunately, and none of them seem to have Mercury, alas. But Chibi Moon seems to be around at some stores up North, and I just so happen to have another chance to go up that way this weekend! So I may get her, and if I do, I may pick up another character while I'm at it because these prices are incredible. There won't be another chance to get them this low, I imagine. Once they disappear from physical stores, the prices will probably only go up.

My Venus is gorgeous, by the way. I changed her expression to the perky one and she's so cute! I have her holding Artemis. I could get Super Sailor Moon among these clearance ones, but I'd rather have the original Sailor Moon who comes with Luna. I don't think Super Sailor Moon does. I couldn't seem to see a Luna in the package. I will probably keep a look-out for the original Sailor Moon on Saturday. I also may try to find Jupiter, as she seems to be hard to get. I'm sure I saw one at this Barnes and Noble before, so she was apparently already bought when they went on clearance. Neptune and Saturn I don't think I've ever seen in the wild.

I've had some oddball things happen, like not being able to get the birthday coupon from Build-a-Bear yet. At first the lady on the phone didn't know what I was talking about. Then I got sent an expired coupon. When I asked, the lady on the email was chagrined that she'd sent an expired one and said they didn't have any for the current month yet. WTH. She'd send one when they come in. But I decided I should get the bat tonight, in case she'd sell out or the coupon would only come when I wouldn't have a chance to go or something. I think I made the right choice. I had a little more remaining on the gift card than I thought, so that was awesome. And there were only four of her in the bin! Yikes! I was told they would restock, though. But I'm glad I got her. She's even more incredible in person! I'm going to put her next to Milly and they can be best buds.

Another oddball thing is that the seller I messaged asking about the unsealed box doesn't seem to have answered. That's the third seller in a row who hasn't answered an eBay message from me. That seems too weird, so I wonder if the problem is on my end. But there is a place at eBay for messages from members, so even if the email copy didn't come through, it seems like I'd find the messages there if they replied. So bizarre. Why are sellers suddenly not responding to me?!

While at Barnes and Noble, I slightly debated returning the manga to get a figure instead, but I really want a figure in addition to the manga. I've been wanting the other Sailor V volume for years and this was a great time to buy. For some reason, Barnes and Noble is doing 10% off all book buys until the 23rd! Very unusual! That said, if I'd found the figures on clearance before I bought the manga, I might not have bought it. But once I did, I didn't want to return it. The figures on clearance, ironically, were over where Dad was waiting, the one place I hadn't thought to check for clearance stuff. So after I bought the manga and Mom and I were going to get him, suddenly I saw them and we were there a while longer.

I really wanted to buy something at Toys R Us and give them business, but I just couldn't find anything I wanted that much. The one thing I might have bought, a Miraculous Ladybug doll, was part of a BOGO 50% off sale, only there weren't any other characters left that I could include, save for the expensive two-doll pack that I can't get right now. So maybe I'll check another Toys R Us on Saturday. I could have just bought the one doll by herself, but I felt I'd rather see if I could find two at another store and then decide whether to buy. I might not because of the Sailor Moon figure sale.

It was really sad being there. Their plushie section has seriously dwindled. Unless it's moving elsewhere in the store, there weren't any FAO Schwartz plushies anymore. No Maine Coon cat. There isn't even a Sonic section! I found one lonely Knuckles plushie and nothing else. And they've reduced their Turtles section. And of what's still there, no new 87 keychains beyond what was there before. And all Mega Construx Turtles stuff is being clearanced out. So sad. Of course, the latter isn't a Toys R Us problem but something Mega Construx is doing all over. I think the Mutagen Canisters are not clearancing out, but regardless, Toys R Us didn't have any. Sad. I still need to pick up another Baxter to make into Barney for my dA friend, and I wonder if I should get a second one to have on hand here in case someone else wants one and they do clearance out and disappear. I don't know, though; all Wal-Marts other than mine seem to be stocked pretty good on the Canisters right now. Seriously, though, Toys R Us getting rid of stuff like the FAO Schwartz plushies and reducing what's available to buy doesn't seem like a good move when they're already in financial trouble. They should hang onto their merchandise unless they find they have to get rid of it. And I always wanted that Maine Coon, but there was rarely ever a sale. If I see it at another Toys R Us, maybe I should get it.

Before I went out, I debated things to get at Barnes and Noble and another thing I considered was that Leonardo and Mousers set. That was the only place I've ever seen it, but now it wasn't there anymore. But eh, it's a little cheaper on Amazon anyway. Also, the Technodrome set is down to $104 on Amazon! Still more than I want to spend on one toy, but that is awesome! I wish the Splinter would be available some other way, though, because I'm afraid I'll never get to have him.

I've been enjoying the Pokemon episodes, watching old favorites and seeing others I don't remember or never actually saw. I think Pikachu Re-Volts is my new favorite episode, heh. I try to avoid rewatches until I've gone through everything, but I might have to watch that one again soon anyway. I still like Holy Matrimony!, except for cringing at how Jessie and Meowth kept trying to force James to go home and marry against his will. I loved when he finally had enough and yelled at them! But it's not the episode with James talking about the marble house. I wonder what episode that was.

Misty hasn't frightened me with her temper yet, but I'm sure she will soon. In the episodes I've seen so far, though, she was in the right to be frustrated or angry. I love when she exclaims, "James is right here!" when everybody starts bawling at the Little Match Girl story James starts telling with himself in the role. LOL. And Ash was being a jerk in The Ghost of Maiden's Peak and insulting her, and he and Brock were both being a little annoying in The Purr-fect Hero. That said, a paper fan shouldn't hurt and it looked like it hurt, so I don't like them making it look like Misty hurt them when there's no logical reason why that would have hurt.

I'm still considering updating my old fic, but I'm thinking I would probably leave the original up. Someone was actually reading it yesterday. And liking it, incredibly. I think I might call the new version Dead and Alive: Director's Cut or some such, because if I leave the old one up, I need some way of identifying the new one as being connected with it.

I also got an intense Turtles plunnie after reading a series of blurbs a friend has been showing me. I immediately wrote a blurb, love it, and want to write a full-length fic. But the bat one is supposed to be next and I've already made a dent in it. It doesn't absolutely have to be next, though, so I wonder if I may write back and forth on the two fics at once and whichever one is done first will go up next. My attention is wavering again. As much as I like to write slice-of-life or humorous fics as breaks, it doesn't take long and I'm anxious to do more character-developing intense stuff and squee again.

So, as people might expect from me by now, I still haven't bought those dolls. I want them, but I'm getting irritated that the price of the add-on one keeps increasing. It increased once shortly after I added her to my cart, and then the next day she had increased in price again! By now she really shouldn't be considered an add-on anymore. Since her low price was probably the main reason I was going to buy right then, the second price-raising, combined with the aggravation of online sales tax, made me decide to hold off for now. We'll see what happens after my birthday, I think.

Then there's another factor. I've wanted the Figuarts Sailor Moon figures since they first started coming out, but I wasn't willing or able to blow $50 on one figure. I check in on them every now and then, hoping for better prices. And I want to make sure I'm getting the genuine article and not a bootleg.

A couple of nights ago, frustrated with my hesitation to order the Everfree dolls, I started randomly browsing for Sailor Moon dolls and some neat listings for the Figuarts popped up too. One was a Buy It Now, but I wasn't impressed with the seller. The others were auctions, and I am impressed with the seller. I'm assuming they were listed low because the seller hoped a bid war would start. They're genuine, as I learned how to spot bootlegs. One already had a couple of bids. The other, incredibly, still does not. I happened upon things shortly before the first auction would end, and I considered trying to jump in and get the first figure. In the end, still conflicted, I didn't. Maybe I would have if I'd had more time to decide. I get really rattled when I have to decide something right away like that.

I think maybe I didn't jump in too because I was thinking if I won, I'd ask the seller if he'd combine shipping if I won the other auction as well, and part of me was thinking I wouldn't be able to afford two, even at the incredible price. But if I asked, I might for some reason end up getting the other regardless and spending more than I felt I should. And maybe I felt a little bad to take her away from the high bidder, heh. I don't like to do that and always feel a little bad to do it, even though I know all's fair in auctions. This last reason alone wouldn't have stopped me from bidding, however. It was mostly thinking a bid war would start and worrying about money. I do feel kind of sad for not trying to jump in and get her. I was worried too, I think, that an impulse bid might leave me with buyer's regret and I'd panic all over. For a product like this, maybe that wouldn't have happened, though.

Now the second one's auction will end soon and the lack of bids makes me want to give it a shot. Even with the shipping price, she would be way less than what I could get her for in a store. And since she is genuine, and one of my favorites, I feel like I want to and should try for her. I may not have a chance anyway, as bids could suddenly appear at the last moment, but I want to try. Oddly, the first one never got any more bids after that first two. I was stunned.

So ... I guess we'll see what happens. If I do get her, I'll probably save her for opening on my birthday, same as the DVD set. Like with Belle two years ago, saving for then feels like a challenge, and that if I break it, I'll be spoiling something for my birthday.

There is one other I'm considering too. She's a little more than these, but still way better then what I'd find in a store. Part of me says if I get one, I'll stop there. The other part says I'll only want the others even more after getting one. The latter is probably closer to the truth when it comes to something awesome like these.

After weeks, I'm finally out of the horrible Marble Zone in Sonic 1! **dances.** And as a demonstration of how awful that zone is, by comparison, when I got to Spring Hill Zone or whatever it's called, I got through the first two acts within a few minutes of arriving! I'm still in the third act and it's slightly annoying, but nothing like Marble Zone! Ugh, that zone was not fun at all. Whoever designed that zone must have been a sadist. All the lava pits and bats knocking you into lava pits when you finally thought you'd cleared them, and so many ways to fall down through the zone when it was almost complete....

I was seriously thinking of deleting the game and not even trying to finish it because Marble was giving me so much trouble. And yet I was really sure that eventually, somehow, I'd make it out. I am so glad I did. But unless I can unlock Tails or Knuckles and find new ways through that horrible place, I'm not going to want to replay the game because of that zone.

Planning my shopping spree itinerary for my birthday. I think Toys R Us will be the headlining place, of course. So hoping I can find something there I'll be able to buy. I must give them business! But I also want to get to Build-a-Bear and get that beautiful new bat, check our favorite decor store while we're there and probably peek in The Disney Store and Hallmark too. Then I plan to get to Target and I think I should visit the party store right around the corner from it. Either of them might possibly help with the costume pieces. I usually also like to go to Wal-Mart. And getting a pizza is a must.

Also pondering whether to get those Lyra and Sweetie Drops dolls after all. They sold out of the Fashion style Starlight before I made up my mind, but they still have the dolls. But ironically, I think that when I add up the cost, they're going to be ONE CENT short of free shipping. **repeated headdesk.** So I'm not sure about that, since I'd need to add something else to the order. I still kind of want a Team Rocket shirt instead, but there I have the problem that if I get the design I saw at F.Y.E., you can clearly see what Jessie is wearing and Dad would go through the ceiling if he saw me wearing the shirt. Then the other design has Meowth in front of her so you can't see how skimpy it is, but it has "Prepare for trouble and make it double" around the picture, and he'd probably try to read that and I'd end up having to explain that the characters are antagonists. Whee. Fun times. I still haven't had the courage to say that Baxter, Barney, and Z are antagonists in canon. To me they're not antagonists and I didn't make plushies of bad guys because I'm thinking of my verse (and also that in canon, Baxter started out trying to be honest and only went bad when he got unstable and later cracked up), but Dad wouldn't be thrilled, I'm sure. Anyway, I should just forget the Team Rocket shirt idea, but now that I know there really are shirts with them, it's awfully hard to make myself stop wanting one.

Ah well. Now, on to the first proofread of Electric Soul! I imagine there will be two or three proofreads overall.

I've been missing Fred Meyer's ever since we moved down here. When I heard they had built one about ten minutes away, I was thrilled. I finally saw it yesterday, however, and now I'm not so thrilled. It was more like a big Smith's with a clothing shop in the middle of it. The toy department was kind of pathetic. Instead of being more like ShopKo or K-Mart, it felt like the old grocery store toy sections. Although, granted, they did have more toys than a typical grocery store, but not as much as Fred Meyer's used to have. And the prices are horrible. $17-something for a Fashion Style Pony?! That's even worse than Walgreen's price! But at least I saw some new Pony merchandise I hadn't seen before, so that was fun to look at.

Now, Smith's bought Fred Meyer's years ago and converted them to Smith's Marketplace, it's true. But the ones where we used to live were still Fred Meyer's. Only the name had changed. I guess if they build them from the ground up, they make them more like Smith's. Now I'm wondering what the ones in the old area are like, if they're still Fred Meyer's inside or if they've all been remodeled and have less merchandise, like Smith's.

I was there in the first place not just to see what it was like, but as part of my search for Halloween costume pieces. I didn't have any luck there. Whereas Fred Meyer's in the old area had a big costume section, this one was dinky and not much better than a regular Smith's. And they had inflatable graves like like year, only these had dumb epitaphs that weren't even creepy. They said dumb things like, "I liked bacon" and "Dead Fred." Compare that to last year's, which had corny but creepy things like "I'll be back" and "Rest in pieces."

I also looked at the Wal-Mart in that town. They had a wonderful selection of stuff, but not what I wanted. I am especially baffled at the lack of lab coats. Mad scientists are a Halloween staple! There's never been a year when I didn't see lab coats. Surely they're still coming. I'm more worried about the wig problem. I may end up having to get that one that looks like season 1 Baxter's hairstyle, even though I really don't want to.

ShopKo was horrible. I thought maybe if I looked early in the season, they'd have more stuff. Their costume section was just as pathetic as the last couple of years. Barely any costumes and only a handful of wigs way too expensive for just Halloween usage. It's sad. I remember when their Halloween section was epic. It was one of the best ones that I looked forward to seeing the most.

At least the trip wasn't a total loss. I finally found a nice birthday present for a friend and can at last mail her birthday (and Christmas!) stuff. And I saw two Baxters in the figure department. Honestly, all the Wal-Marts except ours are ordering more than one set of the Mutagen Canisters now. I don't know why ours always has to be so insistent on just one at a time. Ugh.

It was a beautiful overcast day and fell like Fall, and the sight of the Baxters gave me a special sense of nostalgia, both of when I found mine early this year and shopping times years ago when I found YGO merchandise. The feeling only lasted for a minute, as I was walking outside in the gloriously cloudy day, but it was nice. I miss when YGO was in first-run and I found something neat pretty much every time I was out. And discovering figures of favorite characters was always the best part. Or shirts.

And I did end up ordering the Indigo Pokemon DVD set. I kept wanting it really badly and felt like I was just torturing myself by waiting, so I ordered it early Thursday morning. As usual, I immediately waffled over whether I'd made the right decision, especially when I saw eBay had it for a few dollars less. Problem is, for me it wouldn't really be less since I'd have to pay entirely in cash on eBay. On Amazon, most of it is paid with the gift card. After I'd slept, I felt at peace and that I'd made the right decision and got what I really wanted. It hasn't shipped yet. It will probably show up next week sometime, either two weeks before my birthday or less than that. And I probably will try to save it for opening on my birthday, as planned, since I likely wouldn't be doing another Amazon order to be the birthday order.