I thought I’d be boring today and not do a profound quotation from that collected thingy to start off my entry. I might do one later in this entry, maybe not, largely because the place where they are currently written is in a different location to me right now, and I don’t know if I can be bothered to go get it :)

Life, at the moment, is pretty goodly nicemuch. Make sense? Glad you thought so! Seriously though, exams are over for the year, and barring a horrible horrible result shock (which shouldn’t happen) I think I’ve done adequately for this session. Got a definite credit in Poetry - averaging around 69-70 from what I can tell, which means that as I go into my Creative Arts interview - on the 30th of November - I have an average of around 75, which is a Distinction. Which is a nice advantage to all of those high school kiddies who’ll be trying to get in. The whole ‘also done two courses’ thing will probably help as well :)

I am also, technically, until tomorrow, off work, which was nice whilst it lasted. Getting paid, however, is even nicer, and so it is with a touch of anticipation that I will be returning to work tomorrow, in order to earn monies - both at school and Woolies tomorrow - and thus be able to buy stuff, like anime dvds, which are, of course, a vital spending component for me. We all have our vices, né?

Another one for me, of course is books, particularly those of the fantasy variety. And right now, I’m relatively bitching about something… namely, a book named ‘Elegy for the Lost Star’ by Elizabeth Haydon. For two reasons, really. First, it’s been out in the US since August, and we here in Australia are getting the book in Novemberish-sometime. This irritates me as I don’t personally think it takes three months to print a few copies of a book. But the second thing that irritates me is the fact that, for the first time, we here in Oz are getting the hardcover. Now, you’re probably thinking “but Ben always buys hardcovers as he says they look much pretties and he is a rich bastard!” to which I say, well, yes, but the fact remains that since none of the other hardcovers have come out in Australia means that I have collected the large edition softcovers - which I prefer to hardcovers, and to normal softcovers, as they’re pretty enough to display, and comfy enough to curl up with. So, if I buy the book in November, it won’t match on my shelf. And being as this series is probably my favourite favourite ever (or at least in the top three) this is a travesty. Sure, the large softcover is coming out too… in January/February. And I’ve been waiting to read this book with slavering toothicles since I finished Requiem for the Sun what, 2002-2003 sometime?

So doubtless you can all see my dilemma here. Do I get the hardcover and slake my thirst for Rhapsody, Achmed, Ashe et al. especially due to the incredibly plot twistedness at the end of Requiem, or do I wait in feverish impatience until January/Februaryish? Or, in traditional Ben style, do I simply get the hardcover, read it, and then get the large soft later for collection purposes?

Sigh. So many decisions :)

I am also currently attempting to work out the actual value of my anime collection, as it is of this point in time. For fun, and to bore and amuse my readers, I might go through it now :)

Current collection is:

Ah My Goddess! The MoviernCowboy Bebop Best SessionsrnExcel Saga Imperfect CollectionrnExcel Saga Volume 1rnHaibane Renmei CollectionrnHellsing Perfect CollectionrnKiddy Grade Volume 1rnLast Exile Volume 1 + boxrnLast Exile Volumes 1-5rnLove Hina Perfect CollectionrnLove Hina Christmas SpecialrnLove Hina Spring SpecialrnNeon Genesis Evangelion Perfect CollectionrnNeon Genesis Evangelion Movie CollectionrnNeon Genesis Evangelion: ResurrectionrnNeon Genesis Evangelion: Genesis Rebo

Neon Genesis Evangelion Platinum Volume 1 + boxrnNoir CollectionrnOh My Goddess Volumes 1 & 2rnSamurai X: TrustrnSamurai X: BetrayalrnSamurai X: ReflectionsrnShe, The Ultimate Weapon Volume 1 + boxrnSomeday’s Dreamers Volume 1 + boxrnSomeday’s Dreamers Volumes 2 & 3rnSpirited AwayrnWitch Hunter Robin Volume 1+ boxrnWitch Hunter Robin Volumes 2-5rnVoices of a Distant Star

Totalling 68 DVDs altogether :)

When we tally up the RRP prices of those items into Australian dollars, we find that my anime collection, brand new from retail, would cost $1957.65. Australian dollars, of course. I didn’t of course buy it all retail, and at least one perfect collection there was a present… still, I’ve spent around $1500 or so, at a guess, on anime in the past year. A bit excessive… but then when you actually look at the buying period, that was heavily concentrated at the start of the year. It averages out in total at more than $100 per month, but for the past four or five months, when I work it out, I’ve spend less than half of that per month. Noir was one of the big ones - it cost over $250 for the whole thing. Ah My Goddess! The Movie and the Samurai X collections I picked up at Electronics Boutique during a special sale period, both Oh My Goddesses were likewise bought on special off the net, and a good half of the remaining stuff was bought off the net for at least $5 off retail price as preorders or as normal purchases… still, a hell of a lot of money to spend.

My spending amount is going down though. Currently I’m collecting three series, one of which ends with one more dvd, the other with two more dvds. They are monthly releases, but they’re staggered - Last Exile one month, Witch Hunter Robin the next, and now Evangelion Platinum with Witch Hunter Robin… buy WHR only has one DVD to go, so it’s not so bad :)

Yes, I’ll admit it, I am a bit obsessed. We all need a hobby though - and as a teetotaller in my age group, I’m probably spending less than the average drinker per week on my hobby, and am not being sick, making a public nuisance of myself (mostly) or acting in any other way that alcohol might make me do - which would be interesting, being as I’ve never even been in such a situation so I have no idea how I’d react :)

Otherwise in life, it’s pretty much same old same old. Looking to do some major writing this holidays, play some D&D etc… might look at doing a new book. Who knows. For now, anyway, I think I’ll close though… I’m kinda sleepy, and Stargate is about to start.

I’ll save the quote for next time ^_^

Alcatar’iel,

-Andiyar