Procrastination & Release

Normal people usually do their spring cleaning in the spring when the weather is more pleasant. The Ito household, however, has a touch of the Goldilocks Syndrome. This year, we planned on doing it early, but Weather, itself, whimsical and impervious to our pleas for stability, kept cartwheeling around us. Either it was “too hot” or “too cold”, and we were left to assure ourselves that we would get around to it – like, really, seriously buckle ourselves down for it – once it was “just right.” We were content with saying, “Well, we like waiting for things!” And then several months later summer came and swept us up into a fiery furnace of heat, making it impossible to budge even a centimeter without breaking a sweat.

And the consequences? Why, merely being boxed in on all sides by the crystallized form of our book-hoarding mentality, with not an inch of free space! Therefore, no other choice proffered up except the one: Get off our lazy butts and start moving!

Good morning to you

When Hats asked me to write this release post, I panicked a little. English is not my first language and I have been feeling down lately, which doesn’t help with inspiration. I have gotten better over the years but a part of me still believes that I don’t deserve to be successful and happy. Dealing with these feelings has been harder than usual these last few months, which is why I have been inactive for some time. It is part of the reason why you didn’t get a release earlier. Everything is not bleak though. Summer has finally arrived, after an unusually long winter. These are the months that I love the most. At this time of year, the flowers of the linden tree next to my house get golden when the sun sets. It never fails to lift my mood. Today, fittingly, I bring you some of my favorite projects. I hope you will enjoy these chapters as much as I did.

Download links:

Just You, Me, and Sekine

Forgive me, Readers. Here I am sitting on a wooden crate in the middle of my bedroom, surrounded by boxes upon boxes and stringed up books and manga. My laptop is resting on a detached piece of ply-wood, which I slid on top of two, stacked up filing crates from Wal-Mart to create a makeshift table. I feel like I cursed the release by setting a deadline for myself. Who knew I’d have so many obstacles in my way just trying to come online? My laptop going haywire, for one. PS keeps glitching on it. But when I think of all the obstacles the Sekine’s Love staff had to go through in order to finish the final chapter, my daily battles seem to pale in comparison.

I wish I could have least made a special card for them. I mean, we are going to be putting out the last and final chapter of Sekine’s Love, for Pete’s sake! My original plan was to release it with the revised editions of Volumes 1-4 and give everyone a big surprise. But just look at my current living situation. It’s like fighting an uphill battle right now. Revised chapters will eventually materialize. skippyskippy has already tackled the first part of it. Guess right now it’s only a matter of when. Lots of chapters I needed to get out but was unable to. I’ll chip away at them slowly until I find a new apartment.

Tonight, it’s just you, me, and Sekine.

Booked Up For Tonight

I’m desperate to finish the last few pages of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte. Gilbert Markham has finally got the balls to elude his crotchety mother and is pussy-footing at the gates of Helen Huntingdon’s estate in Grassdale. I know he’s going to get in somehow. He’s waited freakishly long for this one moment, and I doubt Anne is going to have him walk all the way home, tail between his legs. When other men would be content to console themselves in the bosom of another young girl, this guy has exacted such patience as to make him a saint! He’s going to get the girl all right.

Jejeje~ It’s time for a release!

I’ve been sitting here for well over two hours, fingers hovering over the keyboard, at a loss over what to write about. It’s not that I don’t have anything to talk about, but the words aren’t coming. Usually they just gush out as I hack away at my keyboard like a madman.

777-Triple Seven- Phase 3: Party juseyo!

Hello, I’m Hatsumi, better known as Hats/Hatsu/Mimi and Stiletto Heels’ machismo Admin slash Head Translator. In reality, I’m just an oddball who went to sleep with headphones and a pair of dusty New Balance sneakers on. If it wasn’t for that darn water bug that went stealth ninja mode in my bedroom!

Water bugs occasionally sneak into our house during the summer. One was crawling its way toward my bed. My ears still twitch from remembering the sound of it rustling over the loose mail that was scattered on the carpet. *rubs ears* When I turned on the lamp, it disappeared. When I turned it off, it creeped back. By the fourth time, to my horror, it was gone without a trace. I glanced at my alarm clock – 4 AM! My eyes were like washed up sandbags. I was drooping over the side of the bed from exhaustion. So as a precaution I shimmied my feet into my sneakers and put my headphones on to cover my ears and went to sleep. I figured it couldn’t burrow its way into my ears if I didn’t wake up, but if I did, I’d at least have my shoes on to stomp the hell out of it.

Yep, that’s me. And I’m supposed to be in charge of this team? Hah. More like everyone ELSE here is helping making me look like I’m doing a decent job. Thanks, Team.