The Last Station

Family holiday went well. Still a bit odd, but I really shouldn't complain.

Warded to Dan
My mother asked after you. Hope you had a good time with your dad?

Warded to Ravenclaws
I feel like we should all gather sometime soon. I've been hold up in my flat writing among other things and thus haven't seen anyone in what seems like forever. Thoughts? Suggestions? Retorts?

Sarah is suddenly convinced I should get a pet and has sent me three Owls this week from the school to make suggestions. I'm not sure I have the time for something like that, but I expect I won't hear the end of it until I do something about it. Or if I can last until she finishes school, she can get her own pet and won't have to try to convince me to get a dog so that she can visit it on the few Hogsmeade weekends she has left.

[Warded to Dan]
My mother is coming on Saturday. Would you still be interested in dinner?

[Warded to Emma]
You write fiction, yes? I'm considering some things and would love to visit with you if you have time at any point.

Number of things I expected would happen when I moved to Hogsmeade that actually have come to pass? 0

Number of things that have actually come to pass since I moved to Hogsmeade that leave me disappointed? 0


I've decided to take my writing in a new direction, but that's certainly not the most exciting thing going on right now...

Warded to Dan
My mother is coming to Hogsmeade again sometime in the next couple of weeks and I'm wondering if you might want to come out to dinner with us. She hasn't made plans yet, but I thought I'd ask you before she does so I know what to say when she does.

So it looks like I may get to officially spend the next two months focusing on my writing, and I must say I'm glad for it. Though, I can't help thinking my father will come back with some ex post facto terms and conditions, but I'm really trying not to take that approach. I need to stop questioning myself when good things happen.

[Warded to Michael]
We still haven't set a time to get together for dinner. I've some updates on that bloke I spoke with you about a while back. Turns out talking and being honest worked out for the best - took us a while to get there, but it's good.

Had a nice lunch with my mother and sister today. It is incredible to think that Sarah will be finishing up at Hogwarts this summer. Time just goes by so quickly.

I'm still trying to figure out what my next venture will be as I'm no longer in the quill-selling trade. I've had some great offers (and thank you to all of the shopkeepers in the village who have been so wonderful in considering me and giving me time to make some decisions), but I still haven't settled on what I think would be best for me. I have managed to write another ten pages in the past week, so maybe this break is for the best. Until the financial reality kicks in. Thankfully my mother gave me a nice little birthday gift that should keep me current for a short while longer.

[Warded to Dan]
Thank you again for Tuesday. Hope it doesn't put too much pressure on you if I say it was probably one of my best birthday I can remember. And the after-dinner activities weren't too bad, either. Looking forward to a movie tomorrow and I promise to try my best not to insist on a repeat performance on account of your father's flat and all...

Since I am not going to my parents' tomorrow, my mother has decided to come to Hogsmeade on Saturday. She's hoping Sarah might be able to come down from the castle to join us for lunch. Of course, my father isn't coming because he refuses to cancel his two Saturday morning appointments and made a snide comment about there being no reason I should be too busy to go see my parents on my birthday. As though my birthday is about him. And I really wouldn't want to spend the evening listening to hints about my life choices being a long string of disappointments. And I have somewhere better to be.

Warded to Merrill
Good work on that matching. Almost eerie how that worked out. Thank you.

Warded to Dan
Just realized I forgot to give you your birthday present. Will owl it over to your flat in a moment.

OOC: it's a basket of DVDs of all the films nominated for the 2006 Oscars with a note saying "Apparently these are supposed to be good films so I thought you might like them."

So not that I ever found it to be particularly exciting to begin with, but the selling of quills has quickly lost any semblance of thrill that might have existed. I'm thinking it's time to look at my options for covering expenses in a different way while I write.

2006 has turned out to be interesting thus far. Wondering if I need to slow down on this whole 'being more social' thing. It's all a bit more complicated than it looks from the outside.

[Warded to Dan]
I know things haven't seemed weird between us, which I guess is good, but do we need to talk about New Year's Eve? Just thought I should ask.

And apparently since I haven't produced anything that's been published since I arrived in Hogsmeade, I'm continuing to waste my time with 'a ridiculous little hobby'. There was even a brochure for an Australian Healer academy tucked into one of my gifts - which included a copy of The Healer's Desk Reference that I will gladly give to the first taker as I've honestly no use for it. (Why Australia? I've no idea. Perhaps because he thinks I'd be too far away from here to be 'distracted'.) A supportive father, that's what I have.

/moping

So, I've resolved to try to be more social. Parchment, ink, and quills don't exactly make for good friends or conversation partners. We'll see how this goes.

I've managed to write five pages since I got here. Too bad none of it is actually for the project I'm meant to be completing while I'm here. Oh, well.

If anyone is interested, we just got a whole batch of new quills and inks in at Scrivenshaft's logging inventory is such a lovely way to spend the first day on the job in advance of the new Hogwarts term. I do doubt they will fly off the shelves (save for the charmed ones), but many are one-of-a-kind. So, there's that.

Huh. A journal that everyone else can read? I do hope no one minds terribly if I prefer to use my current personal journal most of the time. You likely do not want to read most of it anyway.

[Warded to Ravenclaws]
Hello.