I could whine about all the customer service issues I've had lately, and how if you work in a customer service capacity, you don't want to deal with me.
Or I could lament how my iPod died again, and it's been less than seven freakin' months since I got it, and how they are about to lose me as a customer because their products cost more than anyone else's and last less time and I'm so pissed.
Or I could talk about the short story I'm working on for Amber Quill (release TBD, but maybe July). It's called RENEGADE, and it is inspired by the end moments of the episode "Nightshifter" from Season Two of Supernatural, though the characters and circumstances shall bear no resemblance to anyone you've ever seen. :)
But I would really rather talk about last night's Supernatural. Hope that's okay with you.
I watched "Nightshifter" first (which was coincidentally on before "Jus in Bello," which has nothing to do with the fact that I'm writing RENEGADE). At one point during "Jus in Bello" I thought, "The feel of this episode is so much more like last season." Which is neither a criticism or a compliment, just an observation. Could be the jail, could be the shot angles, could be the graininess of the film or the direction or a combination of all of the above.
Some of the good lines (as close as I can remember them without rewatching):
"Anyone got a breath mint? I got some guts in my mouth killing my way in."
"Yeah, but you didn't shoot the deputy."
"I'm so having a lot of sex when this is over. Not with you."
There was some complaint on a blog I used to read about how the show has made all women either evil/sluts or virgins/virgin-like. The complaint was followed by various levels of "feminist rage" aimed at the writers over this element, which I think is both vastly oversimplified and one of those things self-righteous people tend to find because they look for it.
First, I thought Nancy was great. Virgin sacrifice has ancient roots, so it fits the mythology of the show. But as the show went on, she revealed herself to be not much of a stereotype. She wasn't hot, but she was pretty in a normal-looking way. Certainly not someone who COULDN'T have sex if she wanted it. She wasn't completely fearful and shy/retiring, just scared of the guys the big bad FBI agent--the good guy, the one on her side, as far as she knew at the beginning--had told her were total monsters, something worth fearing. She acquitted herself pretty damn well, and was very brave, willing to give herself up to save her friends, and putting herself at risk to play her part in the battle.
Nor was Nancy the only non-evil female in the episode. Bela is not "evil" in that sense, she's just ambitious and without conscience, and probably more complicated than we have yet seen. Ruby isn't evil, either, taken at face value. Perhaps she'll be revealed later on to have ulterior motives that are firmly on Hell's side, but for now, she just keeps saving the boy's asses.
As for the rest of the season, we've had:
--Tamara, the hunter, who was smart, funny, a hunter
--The mom of the changeling who was just a scared mother
--Ben's mom, who seemed to be pretty together and neither evil nor virginal (thought it can be argued she had a slutty past, she wasn't portrayed that way on her episode), and Dean's momentary dream moment doesn't count because it was a dream
--Gertrude, the old woman...okay, never mind :)
Sure, there was the demon bartender, the pagan god woman, and the witches (whom I mostly place in a neutral category, as they were just selfish in a way most people are, not evil). But there was also the demon priest, Gordon, the ship captain's brother's ghost, the pagan god man, and the trickster. So how is a balanced slate of evil anti-feminist? Why not say, "The only non-evil man on 'Jus in Bello' was a buffoon, and so unfair to small-town sheriffs'?"
The other complaint I read about was that the show fell apart with the battle. I disagree. I think the problem is that people didn't get that Dean didn't tell US his whole plan. When he said, "We let them in, and then we fight," he wasn't talking about fighting to kill and be the ones to survive. He was talking about fighting to hold them until they could trap them inside and exorcise them, which they did, to great success, because as you could see when the lights came on, most of the people were moaning and moving.
Ruby wanted to kill the virgin and herself (supposedly, though I am in the camp that thinks there was more to that), use the spell to vaporize the demons and hopefully leave the people okay. Dean's plan had similar results, except they didn't have to cold-bloodedly kill the innocent woman. Choice is as much about being able to live with your decision (assuming you live) as about choosing the right thing. So while Sam was all "sacrifice the one for the good of the many," that was more than Dean could allow.
So, to recap:
1. They let the demons in.
2. They blasted them with rock salt and holy water that bruised the bodies but left them alive, and beat on them a little bit--again, leaving them alive--until they were all inside.
3. The deputy and the secretary/dispatcher used salt to trap them inside.
4. Sam's recording on the PA exorcised them all, leaving most, if not all, of the innocent people alive. Except the ones the demons killed before possessing, of course.
Seems like a very well-done plan, to me. I had no confusion while watching the show.
Okay, now the tasty little bits:
The tattoos
Some too-literal people might say, "How come they never mentioned that they had those?" but the show isn't like one perfectly connected series of moments. We don't see them doing laundry or shopping for rock salt (sorry, Megan), but we know they must. It's plausible that they got them after the big demon escape and before the season started, or between shows.
I just think it's hot that they have matching tattoos blocking demon possession. And that we got to see a flash of skin.
Speaking of skin...
Dean's shoulder
I like episodes where Dean gets shot in the shoulder. It's the only time we get to see those arms. Was that the same shirt? I have to watch BUaBS to compare. If it was, it was convenient that he had it on, pre-ripped sleeve and all.
Sam's Latin
OMG, he memorized the exorcism. And he said it so smoothly and confidently! Loved it!
Dean's jokes
I love the look that comes over his face when he just can't not say it, and he knows it's not right to, but he says it anyway. And it's always accompanied by Sam's bitchface, which is as dear to me as his hair. Which continues to be excellent, BTW.
Throwing them up against the wall
I don't think I'll ever get tired of that.
I probably have more thoughts I can't think of right now. What did I miss? What were your favorite parts? What was less than stellar that you can rationalize-away a la Natalie? :)
Friday, February 22, 2008
Monday, February 18, 2008
STILL Amazing Trish
She's done gotten herself into the final two! Way to go, Trish!
To vote on the best romantic/love scene, click below. Please vote!
To vote on the best romantic/love scene, click below. Please vote!
Sunday, February 17, 2008
When Bad Things Happen to, um, People
Today has been a case study in silver linings.
Bad Thing Number 1:
We were downstairs and heard a loud bang, followed by some clattering. I envisioned Number Two falling and dropping a box of stuff that scattered on the tile or hardwood floor. But the kids hadn't even heard it, and I couldn't find any evidence of the noisemaker. Not inside or out.
Until I opened the fridge a couple of hours later to grab a slice of cheese on my way out the door (I have developed an addiction to Kraft Singles Select cheese slices). I immediately understood the bang and clatter. See, when I bought a fridge, the one that fit our space, our budget, and my very very particular needs when it came to features, well the one I bought is not top-of-the-line. I like my stuff really cold, and keeping it that way causes a few freeze spots.
In one of which ended up a can of root beer.
Yes, the bang was the can exploding. The top blew off, and the side unzipped. Slush landed on every shelf, and brown drops flecked the walls and the stuff in the door.
Which I immediately closed and left to do my errands.
When I returned, the job was almost done. My fabulous husband and darling kids had taken every. single. item. out of the fridge and cleaned it, then cleaned the shelves and the holders in the door. Then they weeded out all the expired stuff, and the damned thing is now immaculate. No more jelly sticking the cheese drawer closed. No more tiny flecks of dried milk (that flaked off the neck of the jug) coalescing into a white coating over the main shelf. I was so happy. It felt like Mother's Day!
Bad Thing Number Two:
After finishing the cleanup (I helped do the dishes and stuff), we went downstairs and discovered that the Internet was down. The router had a very tiny glow in the Ethernet light but nothing in any other light. I launched into a VERY annoying conversation with Verizon. He made me crawl underneath and unplug the router, then plug it into a different outlet (after, of course, running me through a series of stupid questions and irrelevant tests that he had to do because he doesn't know that I'm not an idiot). His diagnosis? "Yep, the router is fried."
Other annoyances:
--The warranty had expired. No one is surprised by that, right?
--He could sell me another Verizon router. Yeah, 'cause the first one was of SUCH high quality. We could get one free if we had FiOS TV. Except they don't offer FiOS TV in our area, so that's not a very helpful offer, now, is it?
--We could buy any router anywhere. This, despite dire threats from Verizon when they installed it not to use any other router because it wouldn't be able to communicate with them for diagnostic purposes. Then again, that feature didn't exactly work out this time, either.
--I had to go shopping for a new router late on a Sunday. J made a joke about how we could save money and just go without Internet. HA!
Silver linings and other good things:
--It was only 4:00 on a Sunday, so the stores were still open.
--I had a Staples Rewards coupon card for $25 off a $50 purchase.
--I can expense the purchase, as it is impossible for me to do business if I have no Internet.
--The setup went pretty smoothly, with only a few difficulties. Like not being sure which cable went into the modem port on the router. And struggling to figure out how to get the other computers connected after I enabled encryption.
--The biggest silver linings are these:
**The security of the new router is MUCH better than the Verizon one.
**The signal is MUCH more powerful, so even in the far corner of the house, I get a
96 signal on my laptop (used to be lucky to get 60 with the Verizon one).
**I swear the service is faster on my desktop, which is wired to the router.
So I'm pretty happy.
Other things to make me happy:
Clips from Supernatural. OMG, do these two short bits make the next episode look made of awesome. The show will return April 24th for four episodes, which is less than any other show, but I'm just glad it's coming back at all. Unlike some other networks, though, they haven't yet announced renewals for fall. I'm trying to be patient.
So, how were your weekends? Got any silver lining stories?
Bad Thing Number 1:
We were downstairs and heard a loud bang, followed by some clattering. I envisioned Number Two falling and dropping a box of stuff that scattered on the tile or hardwood floor. But the kids hadn't even heard it, and I couldn't find any evidence of the noisemaker. Not inside or out.
Until I opened the fridge a couple of hours later to grab a slice of cheese on my way out the door (I have developed an addiction to Kraft Singles Select cheese slices). I immediately understood the bang and clatter. See, when I bought a fridge, the one that fit our space, our budget, and my very very particular needs when it came to features, well the one I bought is not top-of-the-line. I like my stuff really cold, and keeping it that way causes a few freeze spots.
In one of which ended up a can of root beer.
Yes, the bang was the can exploding. The top blew off, and the side unzipped. Slush landed on every shelf, and brown drops flecked the walls and the stuff in the door.
Which I immediately closed and left to do my errands.
When I returned, the job was almost done. My fabulous husband and darling kids had taken every. single. item. out of the fridge and cleaned it, then cleaned the shelves and the holders in the door. Then they weeded out all the expired stuff, and the damned thing is now immaculate. No more jelly sticking the cheese drawer closed. No more tiny flecks of dried milk (that flaked off the neck of the jug) coalescing into a white coating over the main shelf. I was so happy. It felt like Mother's Day!
Bad Thing Number Two:
After finishing the cleanup (I helped do the dishes and stuff), we went downstairs and discovered that the Internet was down. The router had a very tiny glow in the Ethernet light but nothing in any other light. I launched into a VERY annoying conversation with Verizon. He made me crawl underneath and unplug the router, then plug it into a different outlet (after, of course, running me through a series of stupid questions and irrelevant tests that he had to do because he doesn't know that I'm not an idiot). His diagnosis? "Yep, the router is fried."
Other annoyances:
--The warranty had expired. No one is surprised by that, right?
--He could sell me another Verizon router. Yeah, 'cause the first one was of SUCH high quality. We could get one free if we had FiOS TV. Except they don't offer FiOS TV in our area, so that's not a very helpful offer, now, is it?
--We could buy any router anywhere. This, despite dire threats from Verizon when they installed it not to use any other router because it wouldn't be able to communicate with them for diagnostic purposes. Then again, that feature didn't exactly work out this time, either.
--I had to go shopping for a new router late on a Sunday. J made a joke about how we could save money and just go without Internet. HA!
Silver linings and other good things:
--It was only 4:00 on a Sunday, so the stores were still open.
--I had a Staples Rewards coupon card for $25 off a $50 purchase.
--I can expense the purchase, as it is impossible for me to do business if I have no Internet.
--The setup went pretty smoothly, with only a few difficulties. Like not being sure which cable went into the modem port on the router. And struggling to figure out how to get the other computers connected after I enabled encryption.
--The biggest silver linings are these:
**The security of the new router is MUCH better than the Verizon one.
**The signal is MUCH more powerful, so even in the far corner of the house, I get a
96 signal on my laptop (used to be lucky to get 60 with the Verizon one).
**I swear the service is faster on my desktop, which is wired to the router.
So I'm pretty happy.
Other things to make me happy:
Clips from Supernatural. OMG, do these two short bits make the next episode look made of awesome. The show will return April 24th for four episodes, which is less than any other show, but I'm just glad it's coming back at all. Unlike some other networks, though, they haven't yet announced renewals for fall. I'm trying to be patient.
So, how were your weekends? Got any silver lining stories?
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Finding Favorites
I love finding new authors/new books to add to my must-buy list. Usually, at least in the last few years, those books feature kick-ass heroines. Most recently was Suzanne Enoch, with her thief/millionaire series.
This week I found a new one. I never read Roxanne St. Claire before, but picked up Killer Curves at the library. I don't know why it caught my eye. I'm so not into NASCAR, so I wouldn't have bought it, but there's no risk with a library book.
NASCAR is much more interesting in a book than in real life. Whodda thunk it?
I already started the next book, the first in her Bullet Catcher series, and she's become a must-buy for me. KC's heroine was strong, though not technically kick-ass, but the heroine in the first BC book is ALL kick-ass. I'm excited to read it!
But now, I must go family clothing shopping. *groan* I'm such a guy when it comes to shopping. I save up all my errands to do all at once. I know what I'm looking for, and I like to get in, find it, and get out. The kids hate it and wish I wasn't going. I don't like to browse for no reason or windowshop for fun, and the mall is only beneficial if I need a lot of things (like at Christmas) or if it's likely I'll have to try several stores before I find what I want.
Today will be a non-Natalie-type shopping day. Feel sorry for me!
This week I found a new one. I never read Roxanne St. Claire before, but picked up Killer Curves at the library. I don't know why it caught my eye. I'm so not into NASCAR, so I wouldn't have bought it, but there's no risk with a library book.
NASCAR is much more interesting in a book than in real life. Whodda thunk it?
I already started the next book, the first in her Bullet Catcher series, and she's become a must-buy for me. KC's heroine was strong, though not technically kick-ass, but the heroine in the first BC book is ALL kick-ass. I'm excited to read it!
But now, I must go family clothing shopping. *groan* I'm such a guy when it comes to shopping. I save up all my errands to do all at once. I know what I'm looking for, and I like to get in, find it, and get out. The kids hate it and wish I wasn't going. I don't like to browse for no reason or windowshop for fun, and the mall is only beneficial if I need a lot of things (like at Christmas) or if it's likely I'll have to try several stores before I find what I want.
Today will be a non-Natalie-type shopping day. Feel sorry for me!
Friday, February 15, 2008
You Would Think...
...I'd have learned not to trust my computer.
Not too long ago, I started getting a message every time I opened Adobe Acrobat Reader that there was a known compatibility issue. I periodically clicked the button to check for a solution, to no avail. But then I lost the ability to print on my color printer. It would start, then stop and scream until I shut it off and pulled the paper out. I thought for a long time it was the printer, until I found that it printed other color things perfectly fine. After a while, I realized it was just AAR, so I went to the Adobe site, and guess what?
It's been lying to me for weeks. There was a new AAR, which I downloaded and installed, and viola, it prints fine now.
Can't trust anyone.
Now. How about the things I loved so much about last night's show? (That would be Supernatural, of course)
I'm going on memory, since I won't watch it again until later. But here are the things that stick out in my mind:
1. Sam's eyes, giant-sized, when he wakes up to Asia. Over and over again.
2. The excellency on the part of every actor in this episode, when it came to repeating their lines and actions exactly, every time, only modifying when forced to by Sam's or Dean's changes. The waitress's "oh, crap" was my favorite. The words and inflection were the same no matter whether the bottle was on the floor or already back on the table when she said it. I'm guessing Kim Manners' direction had a lot to do with it.
3. That they could take something so horrific--Dean dying--and make it so damned funny. "This taco taste funny to you?"
4. Of course, the simultaneous conversation in the diner. "Sam Winchester keeps a ruler next to his bed..." !!! I hope this episode gets a making-of on the DVD. I so want to see behind the scenes!
5. Jared Padalecki's acting.
6. Jared Padalecki's hair.
7. Jared Padalecki's abs, even though they weren't really his abs, they were latex put over his body so he could pretend to stitch his own side. Seriously, I loved that whole montage. They basically sped up all the changing he will have to do to "become" Dean, to be strong enough to "face what's coming," to fight the war on his own. I loved Bobby's comments about the vampires and stuff, showing us that Sam is continuing to hunt and being frickin' good at it.
8. His intensity and weariness after he'd been through a hundred Tuesdays, and the determination that is unflagging, no matter how exhausted he has to be.
9. The series where they're walking down the street and he's reciting everything that's about to happen. His tone and delivery are perfect.
10. The trickster. A lot of people seem to be unhappy with his part in all this, questioning why he would care about teaching Sam a lesson. I think it's pretty clear. First, that's what the trickster is about. He teaches people lessons. Usually they seem to be to more to amuse himself than to actually effect change in the person, granted, but Sam and Dean are a special case. They're the only ones who tried to do something about the trickster's manipulations. They're the ones who have a higher purpose, who are trying to do something ultimately good. That may or may not matter to the trickster, of course, but they are a different kind of challenge. I think Sam intrigues him, and he wanted to see what he was made of, how he would react to his biggest fear coming true. It's also possible (though there's no evidence as yet) that he's aware of the war and was doing his part to get Sam ready.
11. The HUG, OMG, the hug. Sam getting out of bed and practically bodyslamming Dean. And Dean just taking it, understanding, and not making a joke or deflecting.
Well done. Just very well done.
One thing confuses me. When they changed the airing dates, supposedly switching "Jus in Bello" and "Mystery Spot," the reason I read was that "Jus in Bello" was a better break point than "Mystery Spot." The listing on my TiVo says for "Jus in Bello" that the boys break into Bela's apartment (of which there was no hint that I could see in the preview for next week, but it does look maybe like they're arrested in Bela's apartment, so that part may fit). In "Mystery Spot," Dean says he'd rather go after the Colt than investigate this lame-ass mystery, and Sam says they have no idea where Bela is. So that seems to fit the timeline the way it's laid out now. Did they shoot a little extra when they knew they'd be changing things around, and insert that bit? Or would the break-in fit either time frame? I guess I just need to wait until next week to find out.
Jericho was offered free at iTunes, so I'm watching that tonight! Can't wait!
Not too long ago, I started getting a message every time I opened Adobe Acrobat Reader that there was a known compatibility issue. I periodically clicked the button to check for a solution, to no avail. But then I lost the ability to print on my color printer. It would start, then stop and scream until I shut it off and pulled the paper out. I thought for a long time it was the printer, until I found that it printed other color things perfectly fine. After a while, I realized it was just AAR, so I went to the Adobe site, and guess what?
It's been lying to me for weeks. There was a new AAR, which I downloaded and installed, and viola, it prints fine now.
Can't trust anyone.
Now. How about the things I loved so much about last night's show? (That would be Supernatural, of course)
I'm going on memory, since I won't watch it again until later. But here are the things that stick out in my mind:
1. Sam's eyes, giant-sized, when he wakes up to Asia. Over and over again.
2. The excellency on the part of every actor in this episode, when it came to repeating their lines and actions exactly, every time, only modifying when forced to by Sam's or Dean's changes. The waitress's "oh, crap" was my favorite. The words and inflection were the same no matter whether the bottle was on the floor or already back on the table when she said it. I'm guessing Kim Manners' direction had a lot to do with it.
3. That they could take something so horrific--Dean dying--and make it so damned funny. "This taco taste funny to you?"
4. Of course, the simultaneous conversation in the diner. "Sam Winchester keeps a ruler next to his bed..." !!! I hope this episode gets a making-of on the DVD. I so want to see behind the scenes!
5. Jared Padalecki's acting.
6. Jared Padalecki's hair.
7. Jared Padalecki's abs, even though they weren't really his abs, they were latex put over his body so he could pretend to stitch his own side. Seriously, I loved that whole montage. They basically sped up all the changing he will have to do to "become" Dean, to be strong enough to "face what's coming," to fight the war on his own. I loved Bobby's comments about the vampires and stuff, showing us that Sam is continuing to hunt and being frickin' good at it.
8. His intensity and weariness after he'd been through a hundred Tuesdays, and the determination that is unflagging, no matter how exhausted he has to be.
9. The series where they're walking down the street and he's reciting everything that's about to happen. His tone and delivery are perfect.
10. The trickster. A lot of people seem to be unhappy with his part in all this, questioning why he would care about teaching Sam a lesson. I think it's pretty clear. First, that's what the trickster is about. He teaches people lessons. Usually they seem to be to more to amuse himself than to actually effect change in the person, granted, but Sam and Dean are a special case. They're the only ones who tried to do something about the trickster's manipulations. They're the ones who have a higher purpose, who are trying to do something ultimately good. That may or may not matter to the trickster, of course, but they are a different kind of challenge. I think Sam intrigues him, and he wanted to see what he was made of, how he would react to his biggest fear coming true. It's also possible (though there's no evidence as yet) that he's aware of the war and was doing his part to get Sam ready.
11. The HUG, OMG, the hug. Sam getting out of bed and practically bodyslamming Dean. And Dean just taking it, understanding, and not making a joke or deflecting.
Well done. Just very well done.
One thing confuses me. When they changed the airing dates, supposedly switching "Jus in Bello" and "Mystery Spot," the reason I read was that "Jus in Bello" was a better break point than "Mystery Spot." The listing on my TiVo says for "Jus in Bello" that the boys break into Bela's apartment (of which there was no hint that I could see in the preview for next week, but it does look maybe like they're arrested in Bela's apartment, so that part may fit). In "Mystery Spot," Dean says he'd rather go after the Colt than investigate this lame-ass mystery, and Sam says they have no idea where Bela is. So that seems to fit the timeline the way it's laid out now. Did they shoot a little extra when they knew they'd be changing things around, and insert that bit? Or would the break-in fit either time frame? I guess I just need to wait until next week to find out.
Jericho was offered free at iTunes, so I'm watching that tonight! Can't wait!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Valentine's Squee
I'm not gonna say much about anything in depth because I'm way too tired.
I hope your Valentine's Day was as lovely as mine. I got Tyvek envelopes!
Supernatural could not have been any better this week. I have never laughed so hard, or ached so much for Sam.
Richard Speight Jr. is a pretty amazing actor. I knew, watching Jericho last week, that I knew him, but not why. Then at the beginning of this Supernatural episode I remembered, but spent all of his scenes questioning myself. Yeah, he was a little heavier in the face and a little darker-haired, but his demeanor was totally different. Very much one of those rare actors who disappears into his character, erasing himself. Brava.
More tomorrow.
I hope your Valentine's Day was as lovely as mine. I got Tyvek envelopes!
Supernatural could not have been any better this week. I have never laughed so hard, or ached so much for Sam.
Richard Speight Jr. is a pretty amazing actor. I knew, watching Jericho last week, that I knew him, but not why. Then at the beginning of this Supernatural episode I remembered, but spent all of his scenes questioning myself. Yeah, he was a little heavier in the face and a little darker-haired, but his demeanor was totally different. Very much one of those rare actors who disappears into his character, erasing himself. Brava.
More tomorrow.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
MeMeMeMe
Monica tagged me!
The rules:
Once you're tagged, you have to write a blog with ten (10) random things, facts, goals or habits about yourself. At the end, you choose ten (10) people to tag, listing their names and why you chose them. You also have to leave them a comment telling them "you're it," and instruct them to read your blog for instructions. The rules also state you can't tag a person who's already tagged you.
Let's see if I can think of 10 things I haven't posted already.
1. I used to be the newsletter editor for the local chapter of the Cleveland Browns Backers fan club. The internet made the task obsolete, but I did a nice layout and got football news from old-fashioned bulletin boards. I mean, old-fashioned computer BBs, that is.
2. I took sailing lessons the summer between my freshman and sophomore years of college. I don't remember any of it. That was the same summer I worked on the beach. Man, that was a great summer. Of course, I also worked at Blockbuster, so I didn't have a lot of leisure time.
3. I am hard to live with. Okay, okay, stop laughing, I guess everyone knows that. I get cranky easily, I'm selfish and self-focused, and I hate to clean.
4. I own TWO jars of Foxboro Stadium dirt.
5. If we'd had a boy, he would have been named Mason James. I liked Tasslehoff Nelson Damschroder, but Jim objected. I think Tas is an awesome name for a kid. Points for you if you know the literary reference. :)
6. The "E" on my keyboard is completely worn away. L, O, and S are soon to follow. I guess that's not something about me, really. I mean, what could it reveal? That I use the same most-frequent letters as everyone else? Please don't point out that it spells "LOSE," thank you.
7. I try not to fear things. Like something happening to my kids, or major diseases for me or anyone in my family, or disasters, or whatever. Stuff that's mostly out of my control. I have a theory that fearing things attracts them to us, based only on a lot of people having their biggest fears happen to them. I mentioned this to a psychic once, and she pooh-poohed it, but I don't think it's a bad strategy anyway. I mean, there's no value in getting anxious about breast cancer or child abduction, right?
8. I write romance because I am addicted to falling in love. In real life, I would never change my choices. My husband is the perfect partner for me, I love my life, my children, my job. But there is nothing like the feeling of falling in love. I joke about falling in love with TV characters and shows and movies and stuff, and I do, but that's all superficial. When I'm writing about two people falling in love, I can actually live it. It lasts a lot longer than reading a book does (taking me four to twelve times as long to complete writing than reading). And I can't imagine that ever changing.
9. I don't like to write dark. I like adventurous, upbeat plots, even if the end of the world as we know it is imminent. I don't write a lot of tortured characters or get into the heads of evil people. I have a difficult time killing important secondary characters, and I never write about murder and that kind of mayhem. But I just got an idea for a book, and guess what it has? A tortured hero. Death and evil (governmental evil, even). Mayhem and probably murder, I don't think I can write it without that. And I'm kind of excited about writing it, too. Mostly because of the hero, of course.
10. I hate being wrong. Not to the extent of failing to admit it when I am, because I think in order to have people listen when you are sure you're right, you have to be willing to admit when you're not. But I try hard to make sure what I think I know is correct. Not that this is a unique trait, of course. But it wounds me. For example: I always pronounced "contrived" as "kon-try-ved." My whole life. But then I heard someone say it as "kon-tree-ved," and it had to be someone I deemed "in the know" because I started pronouncing it that way. No big deal when it's in my head, but I used it in front of friends recently, and they made fun of me. Teased me about it for DAYS, including in front of people who had no idea what was going on. I cried inside, and vowed never again to take a chance. I'll find a way to avoid saying words of more than two syllables from now on.
So there you go. Now, to punish by tagging...Megan, Jody, Misty, Vicki, Vicky, Mary, Trish, Jacki, Gail, and Karmela. I picked you guys just by going down my blogroll, so you may or may not be deserving of punishment. :)
The rules:
Once you're tagged, you have to write a blog with ten (10) random things, facts, goals or habits about yourself. At the end, you choose ten (10) people to tag, listing their names and why you chose them. You also have to leave them a comment telling them "you're it," and instruct them to read your blog for instructions. The rules also state you can't tag a person who's already tagged you.
Let's see if I can think of 10 things I haven't posted already.
1. I used to be the newsletter editor for the local chapter of the Cleveland Browns Backers fan club. The internet made the task obsolete, but I did a nice layout and got football news from old-fashioned bulletin boards. I mean, old-fashioned computer BBs, that is.
2. I took sailing lessons the summer between my freshman and sophomore years of college. I don't remember any of it. That was the same summer I worked on the beach. Man, that was a great summer. Of course, I also worked at Blockbuster, so I didn't have a lot of leisure time.
3. I am hard to live with. Okay, okay, stop laughing, I guess everyone knows that. I get cranky easily, I'm selfish and self-focused, and I hate to clean.
4. I own TWO jars of Foxboro Stadium dirt.
5. If we'd had a boy, he would have been named Mason James. I liked Tasslehoff Nelson Damschroder, but Jim objected. I think Tas is an awesome name for a kid. Points for you if you know the literary reference. :)
6. The "E" on my keyboard is completely worn away. L, O, and S are soon to follow. I guess that's not something about me, really. I mean, what could it reveal? That I use the same most-frequent letters as everyone else? Please don't point out that it spells "LOSE," thank you.
7. I try not to fear things. Like something happening to my kids, or major diseases for me or anyone in my family, or disasters, or whatever. Stuff that's mostly out of my control. I have a theory that fearing things attracts them to us, based only on a lot of people having their biggest fears happen to them. I mentioned this to a psychic once, and she pooh-poohed it, but I don't think it's a bad strategy anyway. I mean, there's no value in getting anxious about breast cancer or child abduction, right?
8. I write romance because I am addicted to falling in love. In real life, I would never change my choices. My husband is the perfect partner for me, I love my life, my children, my job. But there is nothing like the feeling of falling in love. I joke about falling in love with TV characters and shows and movies and stuff, and I do, but that's all superficial. When I'm writing about two people falling in love, I can actually live it. It lasts a lot longer than reading a book does (taking me four to twelve times as long to complete writing than reading). And I can't imagine that ever changing.
9. I don't like to write dark. I like adventurous, upbeat plots, even if the end of the world as we know it is imminent. I don't write a lot of tortured characters or get into the heads of evil people. I have a difficult time killing important secondary characters, and I never write about murder and that kind of mayhem. But I just got an idea for a book, and guess what it has? A tortured hero. Death and evil (governmental evil, even). Mayhem and probably murder, I don't think I can write it without that. And I'm kind of excited about writing it, too. Mostly because of the hero, of course.
10. I hate being wrong. Not to the extent of failing to admit it when I am, because I think in order to have people listen when you are sure you're right, you have to be willing to admit when you're not. But I try hard to make sure what I think I know is correct. Not that this is a unique trait, of course. But it wounds me. For example: I always pronounced "contrived" as "kon-try-ved." My whole life. But then I heard someone say it as "kon-tree-ved," and it had to be someone I deemed "in the know" because I started pronouncing it that way. No big deal when it's in my head, but I used it in front of friends recently, and they made fun of me. Teased me about it for DAYS, including in front of people who had no idea what was going on. I cried inside, and vowed never again to take a chance. I'll find a way to avoid saying words of more than two syllables from now on.
So there you go. Now, to punish by tagging...Megan, Jody, Misty, Vicki, Vicky, Mary, Trish, Jacki, Gail, and Karmela. I picked you guys just by going down my blogroll, so you may or may not be deserving of punishment. :)
Various Strike-Related Stuff
First, the most important thing:
IT'S OVER!!!!!
I am pleased and excited that the strike served its purpose, that a large and reportedly fractious group of people were able to stick to their guns for 100 days and get the job done. Congratulations, WGA, and all my favorite television and film writers!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was reading a post at United Hollywood by a writer for a cable show who talked about how she gets paid less than she would elsewhere, for doing the same amount of work, and how it was a failure of negotiations over the past 20 years that led to that. She was less complaining than being forward-thinking, talking about using the past to make things better in the future.
Over the past many, many (far too many) weeks, I've been 1000% on the side of the writers. I've overcome my typical aversion to the modern union because I believed what they were fighting for was important. But there's a big flaw in the above thinking.
If I sell my book to Publisher A, I stand to make several thousand dollars more than I do if I sell it to Publisher X. That wouldn't change the effort it took me to write the book, the amount of time spent and so on. Similarly, if my CFO husband were working for a different company, he could be making tens of thousands of dollars more. That's the nature of capitalism. I have never had an interest in economics or politics, so forgive me if I sound ignorant, but isn't everyone being paid the same amount called socialism?
In any event, that one small bit of perspective has shown that my attitude toward unionization hasn't really changed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On a lighter note, check out some final picket signs here. My favorite is the scripts one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TV Guide has a new Strike Chart, showing the tentative status of most shows. Most of the ones I watch will have more new eps in March/April/May, exceptions being the ones that just started (Terminator and Jericho shot their full orders for this season and are TBD for the fall) and a couple of hour-longs that probably won't come back until the fall. But it's still something to look forward to! Check out the list for your own favorites.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I fell in love last night:
I'd forgotten that BAG was the reason I watched a few episodes of Freddy a few years ago. I, like most of my generation, think of him as David Silver, the break-dancing freak of Beverly Hills, 90210. But his role in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles is perfect. Some of it is the way the character is written--self-contained passion, driven, SPOILER ALERT being John's uncle, fuhgawdssake, how could it be any better? But most of it was the way BAG layered his character, showing us so much with so little. Each choice lent every other a value, giving every moment bigger impact.
The crappy thing is that he's only credited for two episodes, dammit, and the only other thing listed at IMdB looks like one of those straight-to-video-after-three-years-on-the-shelf movies.
*sigh*
At least I still have Jericho.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I had a lot--and I mean, a LOT--of work today. But the entire time, my brain kept going, "Can we iTunes it tonight, canwecanwehuhhuh???" Turns out, CBS is showing the whole series on their web site, so I watched three. (Thank goodness we have a two-hour delay tomorrow!)
Yes, I'm still nitpicking. There was a little thing I noted last night that I don't remember now. My biggest complaint is that, as compelling as the overall show is, and as much as I like the Hawkins storyline, for too many episodes the focus was too much on him and not enough on Jake. I think I have three episodes left. When I forced myself to stop watching, the New Bern dictator was lying about Jake and Eric and the intentions of the people of Jericho.
I'm looking forward to spring. On the show, of course. I think they need to do an episode with Jake and Stanley chopping wood with their shirts off. Yeah, Jake's pretty scrawny, but he has nice arms. I'm an arms girl.
Sucks that Heather is (apparently) dead. I like her, and with her and Roger both gone, the only prospect for Jake getting it on is Emily, and that prospect does not excite me.
Still two episodes of Supernatural left (speaking of excitement!). This week, Dean dies over and over as Sam keeps reliving the day. It's already killing me, too.
Must go to bed now, and hopefully dream good dreams. I have enough inspiration, don't you think? :)
I am pleased and excited that the strike served its purpose, that a large and reportedly fractious group of people were able to stick to their guns for 100 days and get the job done. Congratulations, WGA, and all my favorite television and film writers!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was reading a post at United Hollywood by a writer for a cable show who talked about how she gets paid less than she would elsewhere, for doing the same amount of work, and how it was a failure of negotiations over the past 20 years that led to that. She was less complaining than being forward-thinking, talking about using the past to make things better in the future.
Over the past many, many (far too many) weeks, I've been 1000% on the side of the writers. I've overcome my typical aversion to the modern union because I believed what they were fighting for was important. But there's a big flaw in the above thinking.
If I sell my book to Publisher A, I stand to make several thousand dollars more than I do if I sell it to Publisher X. That wouldn't change the effort it took me to write the book, the amount of time spent and so on. Similarly, if my CFO husband were working for a different company, he could be making tens of thousands of dollars more. That's the nature of capitalism. I have never had an interest in economics or politics, so forgive me if I sound ignorant, but isn't everyone being paid the same amount called socialism?
In any event, that one small bit of perspective has shown that my attitude toward unionization hasn't really changed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On a lighter note, check out some final picket signs here. My favorite is the scripts one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TV Guide has a new Strike Chart, showing the tentative status of most shows. Most of the ones I watch will have more new eps in March/April/May, exceptions being the ones that just started (Terminator and Jericho shot their full orders for this season and are TBD for the fall) and a couple of hour-longs that probably won't come back until the fall. But it's still something to look forward to! Check out the list for your own favorites.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I fell in love last night:
I'd forgotten that BAG was the reason I watched a few episodes of Freddy a few years ago. I, like most of my generation, think of him as David Silver, the break-dancing freak of Beverly Hills, 90210. But his role in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles is perfect. Some of it is the way the character is written--self-contained passion, driven, SPOILER ALERT being John's uncle, fuhgawdssake, how could it be any better? But most of it was the way BAG layered his character, showing us so much with so little. Each choice lent every other a value, giving every moment bigger impact.
The crappy thing is that he's only credited for two episodes, dammit, and the only other thing listed at IMdB looks like one of those straight-to-video-after-three-years-on-the-shelf movies.
*sigh*
At least I still have Jericho.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I had a lot--and I mean, a LOT--of work today. But the entire time, my brain kept going, "Can we iTunes it tonight, canwecanwehuhhuh???" Turns out, CBS is showing the whole series on their web site, so I watched three. (Thank goodness we have a two-hour delay tomorrow!)
Yes, I'm still nitpicking. There was a little thing I noted last night that I don't remember now. My biggest complaint is that, as compelling as the overall show is, and as much as I like the Hawkins storyline, for too many episodes the focus was too much on him and not enough on Jake. I think I have three episodes left. When I forced myself to stop watching, the New Bern dictator was lying about Jake and Eric and the intentions of the people of Jericho.
I'm looking forward to spring. On the show, of course. I think they need to do an episode with Jake and Stanley chopping wood with their shirts off. Yeah, Jake's pretty scrawny, but he has nice arms. I'm an arms girl.
Sucks that Heather is (apparently) dead. I like her, and with her and Roger both gone, the only prospect for Jake getting it on is Emily, and that prospect does not excite me.
Still two episodes of Supernatural left (speaking of excitement!). This week, Dean dies over and over as Sam keeps reliving the day. It's already killing me, too.
Must go to bed now, and hopefully dream good dreams. I have enough inspiration, don't you think? :)
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Missing Mass.
Some of you may know that I grew up in Massachusetts.
Obligatory Exchange:
You: Funny, you don't have an accent.
Me: Only Bostonians have an accent. I'm from Western Mass. We enunciate more clearly than any other region of the country, or so I've been told.
(I've since met more people from all over the country, and while it may be partially true, there are accent-less people everywhere.)
Anyway. I lived in MA from age 1 to age 16, when my mother remarried and we moved to upstate New York (halfway between Hudson and Albany). A year later, I went to college in Ohio, and six months after that, they moved to Connecticut. I lived in Michigan, California (for two weeks), Maryland, and now Pennsylvania, where I've lived second-longest.
But you never forget your home state. I was lucky, and have mostly good memories. I evoke my New-Englandness several times every winter:
"I grew up in New England. I learned to drive through the Berkshires. I'm not afraid of a little snow."
I miss a lot about Mass. The foliage (it's okay down here, not always spectacular). The real snow (we get more than six inches about every three years). The solidarity (It's hard to be a Pats fan amongst Steelers, Eagles, Redskins, and Ravens fans, though it could be worse--I could be living in Indianapolis).
But you know what I miss most?
The presence of the word "wicked" in my vocabulary. As in, "Those Pats were wicked awesome this year."
I need to go home.
Obligatory Exchange:
You: Funny, you don't have an accent.
Me: Only Bostonians have an accent. I'm from Western Mass. We enunciate more clearly than any other region of the country, or so I've been told.
(I've since met more people from all over the country, and while it may be partially true, there are accent-less people everywhere.)
Anyway. I lived in MA from age 1 to age 16, when my mother remarried and we moved to upstate New York (halfway between Hudson and Albany). A year later, I went to college in Ohio, and six months after that, they moved to Connecticut. I lived in Michigan, California (for two weeks), Maryland, and now Pennsylvania, where I've lived second-longest.
But you never forget your home state. I was lucky, and have mostly good memories. I evoke my New-Englandness several times every winter:
"I grew up in New England. I learned to drive through the Berkshires. I'm not afraid of a little snow."
I miss a lot about Mass. The foliage (it's okay down here, not always spectacular). The real snow (we get more than six inches about every three years). The solidarity (It's hard to be a Pats fan amongst Steelers, Eagles, Redskins, and Ravens fans, though it could be worse--I could be living in Indianapolis).
But you know what I miss most?
The presence of the word "wicked" in my vocabulary. As in, "Those Pats were wicked awesome this year."
I need to go home.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Doesn't She Have Anything Else to Talk About?
Not really. Sorry. [VARIOUS SPOILERS. PROCEED WITH CAUTION.]
Jericho
I'd heard a lot about Jericho, but nothing ever made me say "Yes, I must watch that show!" But recently J expressed interest, so I put it on the Netflix list. We were gonna watch one episode, and ended up watching all four. I can't wait to get the next disk now.
It's not perfect. I mean, no show is, of course. But it doesn't make me want to talk about it, like LOST did, or watch the same episodes over and over, like Firefly or Supernatural. And though they don't in any way overshadow my enjoyment of the show, there are a few too many "that doesn't make sense" moments.
Let's start with the good, though. I like the characters, for the most part, especially the ambiguity of the mayoral candidate/mine owner. Jake's a bit of a Mary Sue (what CAN'T he do? and for a screw-up, he's sure willing to take risks and help strangers!), but I like that and don't want him to be any different. I like the women on the show, too, even though they're all too perfectly beautiful when they're under 50 and over 16, and the perfect blonde stays perfect no matter what she's up against. Seriously, though, I like that she has redeeming qualities as well as annoying ones, and that the "good" one--the teacher--has her own flaws (she's a bit wimpy, despite her core strength).
I like the story, the mystery that is Hawkins, the handling of the issues that come up. I'm really glad we started season one before season two arrives this week, and am recording that. I hope there is enough late interest that they keep it (writer's strike should help!).
Now, the nitpicks . Emily (the blonde? is that her name?) was driving toward Wichita when she ran over the birds. I haven't looked at a map, but at one point someone said that was the opposite direction from the blast (which is why she didn't see it). So at first I was thinking that maybe that was the outer limit of the blast wave, and it pushed all the birds to that point before gravity drew them down, but that didn't fit the location. And the escaped prisoners say the birds must have flown through the radiation. So they all just croaked at the same second, and fell in the same place? That was annoying. I like effect, but I don't like when logic doesn't support it.
Then, also related to Emily, she stopped her truck at the end of the pilot because she ran over the birds and got out to see what they were. Start of the next episode, she's walking with a gas can, presumably back toward Jericho. That makes no sense to me. Why wouldn't she have enough gas to get to Wichita? Why wouldn't she have kept going after she got to the birds? If she hadn't kept going, why not just turn around, and if she just turned around, why would she have run out of gas and why would it take until well after sunrise for her to still be nowhere near town? SUVs have big gas tanks. Now, it could be argued that she figured she'd get gas in Wichita, but then please give me a simple line that explains what's going on, don't leave it hanging. You can also blame the distance between most pilots being shot and the second episode being shot, I guess, and watching in a row on DVD shows flaws more easily.
There were a couple of other things like that, but I don't remember them, so--minor. The other thing that bugged me was that they had this big rainstorm coming, carrying dangerous radiation. Huge threat. I could see the problem right away, and yes, they did exactly what I expected them to do. First, the wind ahead of the rain? Would have carried radiation, too. But the big thing was that it was such a huge thing, and then once the rain passed, it was nothing. The Geiger counter didn't register anything, they took no precautions, they didn't say anything about groundwater or monitoring each other or anything like that. Stanley is a-okay! Yay, no more radiation issue, ever! Okay, I don't know that for sure, but still. It got eliminated pretty damned quickly.
Anyway, overall, good show, glad I started watching, can't wait for more.
LOST
I hadn't realized I didn't talk about this yet on here, just in comments, mostly on other people's blogs. I really enjoyed the season premiere, especially the flash-forwards. I find myself more curious about how they're going to play out the seasons rather than who the Oceanic Six are. Like, will they get off the island this season, and then we'll have their deterioration next season, as well as what happens to those left behind, and then the last season have them go back and what happens when they're reunited and trying to get off the island...again? That will be fun to see play out, I think. Best part of last week was Charlie. Man, is dead!Charlie hot! I love the confidence and true swagger he has, as opposed to the false bravado he often displayed while alive. Give me more dead!Charlie!
Last night's ep was like eating a carton of low-fat ice cream, though. It was fine while I watched it, but at the end, I was surprised it had gone so fast and left me with so little. Jack's ambush lines were pretty good, though, and as always, the acting is superb. I'm very curious about the new people from the helicopter, too.
Supernatural
It returned last week with an okay episode. There wasn't enough meat to the episodic story, but the acting was good. I liked all the characters, and of course the moments--when Sam said he had to be more like Dean, when Dean clutched at his brother in pain and Sam shoved him off so he could find the hex bag and save him. When Sam busted down the door *guh*, and later, when Dean talked to Ruby and said there was no way to save him, and she said no.
This week was much, much better. Oh, man, so much goodness. Poor Bobby and his wife, and how he got into hunting. How Dean drew him out of the dream, saying Bobby is like a father to him. When Sam woke up from the dream about Bela! I laughed and laughed, watched it again, and laughed some more. Sam in the bar, all morose--is there anything more appealing than a morose Sam?--and oh, Dean confronting himself. Dean with demon eyes. *guh* some more. And then, of course, the moment he tells Sam he wants to live, and it's understated and quiet but you can feel Sam's relief and their mutual hope, just when it seems there can be absolutely none (from an outside perspective).
The only thing I don't like is that they keep putting Sam in these crucifixion poses. Last week on the wall, and this week tied up on the ground. (At which point I said [internally, of course], "hey, that's MY dream!") We GET it, all right? He's supposed to be the demon messiah. He was sacrificed, betrayed, and came back to life. The facts themselves give us the symbolism, stop throwing it in our faces.
But you can tie Sam up in other ways. I don't mind that.
Next week's episode looks killer. Literally. Poor Sam! I bet those writers had a blast coming up with ways to kill Dean.
Summary
Monday is Terminator, which I'm loving and can't wait to see Brian Austen Green next week, and Kyle XY, which is okay, something I watch eventually, when I have nothing else to do. Then Thursday is Lost and Supernatural and then, presumably, a couple new episodes of Reaper when Supernatural is done. Pretty weak. Pleeeaaasssseee, let the deal being presented tomorrow be a good one, and let the writers agree to take it, and let the strike end next week, so they can get back to work quickly and ramp up production. There are so many bigger problems in the world, and even in my own life (though nothing truly major at the moment, knock on wood), but my life feels incomplete without the fictional element.
Random Other Stuff
Speaking of fictional element...
Writers often talk about how they wrote stories from the earliest age, etc. My own biography talks about my first book, written at age six or seven (yeah, we found it recently, I was in second grade, not first). But it was incomplete. I never could keep up a journal, and I didn't write true fiction until after college.
What I did do was narrate my life. And oddly, despite narrating many other lives (in my books, that is), I'm doing it again.
I have a memory of walking along the edge of a lake, and thinking about my actions as if they were written in a book. Describing the sky and the way I moved and what I thought about. I was doing the same thing yesterday, driving to soccer practice, when a car came flying up my side of the narrow back road I was on. I started describing the shoulder and the mud and the sky and stuff. I guess it's another sign I need to get back into my fiction.
I did start revisions on an old book the other day, which got stalled again by an editing job. It was exciting to be back into it, even though I only got through six pages.
That thing I kept meaning to talk about
I finally remembered!
"They" talk about how, when trying to find time to exercise, you should do things like take the stairs and park far from the store so you increase your steps. Several times a week, I am highly amused at myself as I park as close to the health club as I can possibly get. I do the same thing at any store. It's not laziness, though. Most of the time it's weather. It's too cold to walk in that wild, frigid wind! When it's not too cold, it's too hot! The rest of the time--like those six nice days between summer and winter, and winter and summer--it's a matter of time. I'm always in a hurry. I can't stand wasting time on travel, especially when it's not necessary.
So glad I already know English
I've been doing an editing job on some text written by someone for whom English is not their first language, or translated from another language. And as I corrected articles (a instead of the) and tenses (bring instead of bringing) and word selections (beat instead of win), it hit me how damned hard our language really is. Even setting aside exceptions to rules and spellings influenced by too many different sources, there's just so much detail to it! Nuance that has taken me 37 years to learn. It amazes me that adults from other countries can master it so well.
Eloquent Inferiority
I've been keeping up with the writers strike via a number of sources. One of them is United Hollywood, which has posted many thoughtful essays on the issues. I've been amusingly passionate about something that has nothing to do with me--mostly to my husband's amusement, on the rare occasions I've been unable to avoid bringing it up. He doesn't want to hear my rants, really, and is uninformed so won't debate me. Anyway, I'm desperate to get the writers what they deserve, even though I have no control and can't picket and won't be affected professionally, as I don't expect to ever write producible material for any medium.
Anyway, those essays are not only passionate and well-reasoned (both of which I can be from time to time) but philosophical and eloquent, two things I lack. I am unable to evoke emotion via metaphor, or inspire choking laughter, two common results when I read UH.
Obviously, what I lack in quality, I make up for in volume. File this under "five posts in one."
Or at least, have a good weekend!
Jericho
I'd heard a lot about Jericho, but nothing ever made me say "Yes, I must watch that show!" But recently J expressed interest, so I put it on the Netflix list. We were gonna watch one episode, and ended up watching all four. I can't wait to get the next disk now.
It's not perfect. I mean, no show is, of course. But it doesn't make me want to talk about it, like LOST did, or watch the same episodes over and over, like Firefly or Supernatural. And though they don't in any way overshadow my enjoyment of the show, there are a few too many "that doesn't make sense" moments.
Let's start with the good, though. I like the characters, for the most part, especially the ambiguity of the mayoral candidate/mine owner. Jake's a bit of a Mary Sue (what CAN'T he do? and for a screw-up, he's sure willing to take risks and help strangers!), but I like that and don't want him to be any different. I like the women on the show, too, even though they're all too perfectly beautiful when they're under 50 and over 16, and the perfect blonde stays perfect no matter what she's up against. Seriously, though, I like that she has redeeming qualities as well as annoying ones, and that the "good" one--the teacher--has her own flaws (she's a bit wimpy, despite her core strength).
I like the story, the mystery that is Hawkins, the handling of the issues that come up. I'm really glad we started season one before season two arrives this week, and am recording that. I hope there is enough late interest that they keep it (writer's strike should help!).
Now, the nitpicks . Emily (the blonde? is that her name?) was driving toward Wichita when she ran over the birds. I haven't looked at a map, but at one point someone said that was the opposite direction from the blast (which is why she didn't see it). So at first I was thinking that maybe that was the outer limit of the blast wave, and it pushed all the birds to that point before gravity drew them down, but that didn't fit the location. And the escaped prisoners say the birds must have flown through the radiation. So they all just croaked at the same second, and fell in the same place? That was annoying. I like effect, but I don't like when logic doesn't support it.
Then, also related to Emily, she stopped her truck at the end of the pilot because she ran over the birds and got out to see what they were. Start of the next episode, she's walking with a gas can, presumably back toward Jericho. That makes no sense to me. Why wouldn't she have enough gas to get to Wichita? Why wouldn't she have kept going after she got to the birds? If she hadn't kept going, why not just turn around, and if she just turned around, why would she have run out of gas and why would it take until well after sunrise for her to still be nowhere near town? SUVs have big gas tanks. Now, it could be argued that she figured she'd get gas in Wichita, but then please give me a simple line that explains what's going on, don't leave it hanging. You can also blame the distance between most pilots being shot and the second episode being shot, I guess, and watching in a row on DVD shows flaws more easily.
There were a couple of other things like that, but I don't remember them, so--minor. The other thing that bugged me was that they had this big rainstorm coming, carrying dangerous radiation. Huge threat. I could see the problem right away, and yes, they did exactly what I expected them to do. First, the wind ahead of the rain? Would have carried radiation, too. But the big thing was that it was such a huge thing, and then once the rain passed, it was nothing. The Geiger counter didn't register anything, they took no precautions, they didn't say anything about groundwater or monitoring each other or anything like that. Stanley is a-okay! Yay, no more radiation issue, ever! Okay, I don't know that for sure, but still. It got eliminated pretty damned quickly.
Anyway, overall, good show, glad I started watching, can't wait for more.
LOST
I hadn't realized I didn't talk about this yet on here, just in comments, mostly on other people's blogs. I really enjoyed the season premiere, especially the flash-forwards. I find myself more curious about how they're going to play out the seasons rather than who the Oceanic Six are. Like, will they get off the island this season, and then we'll have their deterioration next season, as well as what happens to those left behind, and then the last season have them go back and what happens when they're reunited and trying to get off the island...again? That will be fun to see play out, I think. Best part of last week was Charlie. Man, is dead!Charlie hot! I love the confidence and true swagger he has, as opposed to the false bravado he often displayed while alive. Give me more dead!Charlie!
Last night's ep was like eating a carton of low-fat ice cream, though. It was fine while I watched it, but at the end, I was surprised it had gone so fast and left me with so little. Jack's ambush lines were pretty good, though, and as always, the acting is superb. I'm very curious about the new people from the helicopter, too.
Supernatural
It returned last week with an okay episode. There wasn't enough meat to the episodic story, but the acting was good. I liked all the characters, and of course the moments--when Sam said he had to be more like Dean, when Dean clutched at his brother in pain and Sam shoved him off so he could find the hex bag and save him. When Sam busted down the door *guh*, and later, when Dean talked to Ruby and said there was no way to save him, and she said no.
This week was much, much better. Oh, man, so much goodness. Poor Bobby and his wife, and how he got into hunting. How Dean drew him out of the dream, saying Bobby is like a father to him. When Sam woke up from the dream about Bela! I laughed and laughed, watched it again, and laughed some more. Sam in the bar, all morose--is there anything more appealing than a morose Sam?--and oh, Dean confronting himself. Dean with demon eyes. *guh* some more. And then, of course, the moment he tells Sam he wants to live, and it's understated and quiet but you can feel Sam's relief and their mutual hope, just when it seems there can be absolutely none (from an outside perspective).
The only thing I don't like is that they keep putting Sam in these crucifixion poses. Last week on the wall, and this week tied up on the ground. (At which point I said [internally, of course], "hey, that's MY dream!") We GET it, all right? He's supposed to be the demon messiah. He was sacrificed, betrayed, and came back to life. The facts themselves give us the symbolism, stop throwing it in our faces.
But you can tie Sam up in other ways. I don't mind that.
Next week's episode looks killer. Literally. Poor Sam! I bet those writers had a blast coming up with ways to kill Dean.
Summary
Monday is Terminator, which I'm loving and can't wait to see Brian Austen Green next week, and Kyle XY, which is okay, something I watch eventually, when I have nothing else to do. Then Thursday is Lost and Supernatural and then, presumably, a couple new episodes of Reaper when Supernatural is done. Pretty weak. Pleeeaaasssseee, let the deal being presented tomorrow be a good one, and let the writers agree to take it, and let the strike end next week, so they can get back to work quickly and ramp up production. There are so many bigger problems in the world, and even in my own life (though nothing truly major at the moment, knock on wood), but my life feels incomplete without the fictional element.
Random Other Stuff
Speaking of fictional element...
Writers often talk about how they wrote stories from the earliest age, etc. My own biography talks about my first book, written at age six or seven (yeah, we found it recently, I was in second grade, not first). But it was incomplete. I never could keep up a journal, and I didn't write true fiction until after college.
What I did do was narrate my life. And oddly, despite narrating many other lives (in my books, that is), I'm doing it again.
I have a memory of walking along the edge of a lake, and thinking about my actions as if they were written in a book. Describing the sky and the way I moved and what I thought about. I was doing the same thing yesterday, driving to soccer practice, when a car came flying up my side of the narrow back road I was on. I started describing the shoulder and the mud and the sky and stuff. I guess it's another sign I need to get back into my fiction.
I did start revisions on an old book the other day, which got stalled again by an editing job. It was exciting to be back into it, even though I only got through six pages.
That thing I kept meaning to talk about
I finally remembered!
"They" talk about how, when trying to find time to exercise, you should do things like take the stairs and park far from the store so you increase your steps. Several times a week, I am highly amused at myself as I park as close to the health club as I can possibly get. I do the same thing at any store. It's not laziness, though. Most of the time it's weather. It's too cold to walk in that wild, frigid wind! When it's not too cold, it's too hot! The rest of the time--like those six nice days between summer and winter, and winter and summer--it's a matter of time. I'm always in a hurry. I can't stand wasting time on travel, especially when it's not necessary.
So glad I already know English
I've been doing an editing job on some text written by someone for whom English is not their first language, or translated from another language. And as I corrected articles (a instead of the) and tenses (bring instead of bringing) and word selections (beat instead of win), it hit me how damned hard our language really is. Even setting aside exceptions to rules and spellings influenced by too many different sources, there's just so much detail to it! Nuance that has taken me 37 years to learn. It amazes me that adults from other countries can master it so well.
Eloquent Inferiority
I've been keeping up with the writers strike via a number of sources. One of them is United Hollywood, which has posted many thoughtful essays on the issues. I've been amusingly passionate about something that has nothing to do with me--mostly to my husband's amusement, on the rare occasions I've been unable to avoid bringing it up. He doesn't want to hear my rants, really, and is uninformed so won't debate me. Anyway, I'm desperate to get the writers what they deserve, even though I have no control and can't picket and won't be affected professionally, as I don't expect to ever write producible material for any medium.
Anyway, those essays are not only passionate and well-reasoned (both of which I can be from time to time) but philosophical and eloquent, two things I lack. I am unable to evoke emotion via metaphor, or inspire choking laughter, two common results when I read UH.
Obviously, what I lack in quality, I make up for in volume. File this under "five posts in one."
Or at least, have a good weekend!
Sunday, February 03, 2008
I Don't Want to Talk About It
And any comments that mention it will be deleted. Thank you.
The weekend was excellent, overall. Yesterday Number One had a 7:00 a.m. soccer game again and I was all set to go as it was J's birthday weekend, but he hadn't seen a game yet, so he went and I slept in a bit.
I had my chapter meeting (Central Pennsylvania Romance Writers), which is always a shot of energy and determination, and which had an excellent presentation on setting with a focus on architectural history.
After the meeting we went to lunch at a new restaurant near me, that I had not yet been too. Yee haw! Our waiter, Albert, gave us excellent service and was a very good sport. And very other things, too. He made it the best lunch six women have had in a long time. :)
Yesterday afternoon was shopping for J's birthday, then grocery shopping, then some editing work and the rest of a critique for a friend. Today was sleeping in a bit again, supervising the kids' breakfast for Daddy's birthday, presents, work out, more editing, go to pick up the wings for dinner.
My weekend ended at 6:25 p.m. precisely.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This week looks to be a decent one. New Terminator tomorrow, new Supernatural and Lost on Thursday, and I'm feeling a little caught up on my to-do list. I plan to get a lot of work done this week. Now that certain obsessions-that-shall-not-be-named are no longer distracting me or anything.
Yeah. *sigh*
The weekend was excellent, overall. Yesterday Number One had a 7:00 a.m. soccer game again and I was all set to go as it was J's birthday weekend, but he hadn't seen a game yet, so he went and I slept in a bit.
I had my chapter meeting (Central Pennsylvania Romance Writers), which is always a shot of energy and determination, and which had an excellent presentation on setting with a focus on architectural history.
After the meeting we went to lunch at a new restaurant near me, that I had not yet been too. Yee haw! Our waiter, Albert, gave us excellent service and was a very good sport. And very other things, too. He made it the best lunch six women have had in a long time. :)
Yesterday afternoon was shopping for J's birthday, then grocery shopping, then some editing work and the rest of a critique for a friend. Today was sleeping in a bit again, supervising the kids' breakfast for Daddy's birthday, presents, work out, more editing, go to pick up the wings for dinner.
My weekend ended at 6:25 p.m. precisely.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This week looks to be a decent one. New Terminator tomorrow, new Supernatural and Lost on Thursday, and I'm feeling a little caught up on my to-do list. I plan to get a lot of work done this week. Now that certain obsessions-that-shall-not-be-named are no longer distracting me or anything.
Yeah. *sigh*
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Thursday Thirteen #23
1. My horoscope says I'm getting money tomorrow.
2. It's almost SuperBowl Sunday--close enough to anticipate, far enough to savor.
3. This week seems like a much better week for my friends than last week was.
4. Emergency Bootsquad meeting tomorrow!
5. Lost returns tonight.
6. One of the spoilers for Lost said that someone we thought was dead in the season finale in May isn't. Until the show airs, I can hope it's Charlie. :)
7. Lost has eight episodes in the can! Just in time for everything else to be gone gone gone...EXCEPT:
8. Supernatural, which returns tonight for it's final four-episode run.
9. Discussion about why the network switched episodes 11 and 12 around indicates that last episode, "Jus in Bello," is very, very good.
10. Tonight I get to watch TV and relax with shows I know I love and can't wait for, which means I get:
11. Sam's hugeness, Sam's hands, Sam's dimples, Sam's emo hair...
12. Dean's masculine vulnerability, Dean's hands, Dean's eyes, Dean's no-way-I-have-emo-hair-that's-why-I-keep-it-short hair, and...
13. Winchester brothers. *sigh*
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Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Release Day
Yesterday was release day in the world of home entertainment. Typically, books, music, and DVDs are officially released every Tuesday.
This is not your typical release announcement.
Because Patry Francis is battling aggressive cancer, she's not able to promote her book. So over 300 authors, including some very big names, are doing it for her.
I'm not a big name, nor am I part of the official effort, but I'm completely blessed at the moment, and it's not that hard to do a little favor for someone who needs it. So check out her website, blog, and buy here if the book interests you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Since Francis's book appears to be one that explores the darker side of real life, how about the opposite to balance it? We all need balance in our lives--I keep telling everyone that.
Jody Wallace also had a release yesterday. A retelling of the fairy tale "The Twelve Dancing Princesses," her book is bound to be as delightful as her trailer (see below).
I haven't read this book yet, but knowing Jody, it's sure to be full of snarky humor, my favorite kind. Her website is here, her Writer & Cat blog here (yes, the cat blogs), and the book can be bought here.
Happy reading!
This is not your typical release announcement.
Because Patry Francis is battling aggressive cancer, she's not able to promote her book. So over 300 authors, including some very big names, are doing it for her.
I'm not a big name, nor am I part of the official effort, but I'm completely blessed at the moment, and it's not that hard to do a little favor for someone who needs it. So check out her website, blog, and buy here if the book interests you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Since Francis's book appears to be one that explores the darker side of real life, how about the opposite to balance it? We all need balance in our lives--I keep telling everyone that.
Jody Wallace also had a release yesterday. A retelling of the fairy tale "The Twelve Dancing Princesses," her book is bound to be as delightful as her trailer (see below).
I haven't read this book yet, but knowing Jody, it's sure to be full of snarky humor, my favorite kind. Her website is here, her Writer & Cat blog here (yes, the cat blogs), and the book can be bought here.
Happy reading!
Let It Glow
Forget snow. I mean, yeah, a little accumulation of fluff would be preferable to today's icy rain, if that were the only choice. But at this time of year, I'm always desperate for light.
Some of it is practical. It's not that safe to let my eight-year-old walk to the bus stop in the dimness before sunset (on the rare days I'm not with her--and even when I am, I'm wearing my black leather coat, hardly a safety feature).
There's also the litter thing. My living room has well-placed lamps ideal for reading or visiting, but it totally sucks for cleaning the kitty litter that gets scattered on the floor. In the morning, by the time I get to it, it's light enough that I open the front door and get a perfect illumination of every grain of clay. But it gets dark around five, which is too early for the post-dinner box usage. So when I clean up, I can't see anything. It's very frustrating.
Some of it is mental. In the winter, come 6:00 I'm ready to shut everything down. It's night time! That's not work time! It explains why I seem to do so much more reading in January than any other time, and why I don't balk at working at 8:00 or 9:00 p.m. as easily in the summer.
And some of it is physical. I know I'm not the only one who has light issues. My mood is noticeably grumpy right now, and I'm craving a day of sunlight so I can smile again, but I'm not actually depressed, as I know SAD sufferers can be. And the depths of the dark winter make the long, warm summer nights so much more enjoyable. But right now, I feel like I'm just hanging on. I am not worried that I won't be able to, but I'm really tired of trying.
So, let it glow, let it glow, let it glow!
Some of it is practical. It's not that safe to let my eight-year-old walk to the bus stop in the dimness before sunset (on the rare days I'm not with her--and even when I am, I'm wearing my black leather coat, hardly a safety feature).
There's also the litter thing. My living room has well-placed lamps ideal for reading or visiting, but it totally sucks for cleaning the kitty litter that gets scattered on the floor. In the morning, by the time I get to it, it's light enough that I open the front door and get a perfect illumination of every grain of clay. But it gets dark around five, which is too early for the post-dinner box usage. So when I clean up, I can't see anything. It's very frustrating.
Some of it is mental. In the winter, come 6:00 I'm ready to shut everything down. It's night time! That's not work time! It explains why I seem to do so much more reading in January than any other time, and why I don't balk at working at 8:00 or 9:00 p.m. as easily in the summer.
And some of it is physical. I know I'm not the only one who has light issues. My mood is noticeably grumpy right now, and I'm craving a day of sunlight so I can smile again, but I'm not actually depressed, as I know SAD sufferers can be. And the depths of the dark winter make the long, warm summer nights so much more enjoyable. But right now, I feel like I'm just hanging on. I am not worried that I won't be able to, but I'm really tired of trying.
So, let it glow, let it glow, let it glow!
Monday, January 28, 2008
Shout it!
Word.
Ignore the "fandom" and "fanfiction" catalyst of that post. Just kind of latch on to the central idea, 'kay? The part around the naughty words in capital letters. :)
I had kind of a weird dynamic growing up. I was born in 1970 so, of course, was parented in the midst of the feminist movement. My mother wasn't an activist. She was a single mother (by the mid 70s) who became an executive vice president, a copywriter-of-the-year nominee, and a successful small business owner out of necessity and because she was smart and talented. She was a truly superb role model in that regard, and she raised me to be the same, to believe I could do anything I damn well wanted to do.
Never once did she tell me to hide my light under a bushel (in fact, she used the phrase a lot, as in DON'T DO IT). She never told me it was inappropriate to be proud of yourself, or to talk about your achievements (though bragging should be avoided--there is a difference). And yet, she did the exact opposite.
It wasn't her fault. Her generation, I think, was caught between the era of the little woman and the powerful woman. They worked very hard to be the latter, but had decades of the former force-fed to them, in insidious ways. Again, it's weird. My grandmother was a single mom. She worked for the FBI. Her mother worked in a shoe factory and was more independent than any other woman I've ever met. And yet...and yet...
My mother walked the walk, she talked the talk, yet she still sent the message, via words and actions, that her remarkability should be ever unrecognized. That everyone else was more important than she was, did more important things, had more value in the world.
A great deal of it was the DoFor Syndrome. She had to always do for others first. Her stuff, her needs, always came last. Some of that was single motherhood, but it had a side effect of making us think she didn't value herself. I always believed she didn't, and I hated it. And I've fought guilt my whole life for not being that way.
And boy, am I not that way. Ask my family, my friends--I do not come last. I make the sacrifices for my family that are necessary, but I still do the things I want to do. My needs never go unmet.
So I think my challenge is to keep the kids from absorbing the wrong message from that. I don't want them to cross over into selfishness, to take self-focusedness to an extreme. I know that's something Icould can easily do, and I have to remain aware of it and keep it in balance.
Yeah, that's the most important thing I want my kids to learn from me. Balance.
Anyway. Shout it, Kali. And accept your applause.
Ignore the "fandom" and "fanfiction" catalyst of that post. Just kind of latch on to the central idea, 'kay? The part around the naughty words in capital letters. :)
I had kind of a weird dynamic growing up. I was born in 1970 so, of course, was parented in the midst of the feminist movement. My mother wasn't an activist. She was a single mother (by the mid 70s) who became an executive vice president, a copywriter-of-the-year nominee, and a successful small business owner out of necessity and because she was smart and talented. She was a truly superb role model in that regard, and she raised me to be the same, to believe I could do anything I damn well wanted to do.
Never once did she tell me to hide my light under a bushel (in fact, she used the phrase a lot, as in DON'T DO IT). She never told me it was inappropriate to be proud of yourself, or to talk about your achievements (though bragging should be avoided--there is a difference). And yet, she did the exact opposite.
It wasn't her fault. Her generation, I think, was caught between the era of the little woman and the powerful woman. They worked very hard to be the latter, but had decades of the former force-fed to them, in insidious ways. Again, it's weird. My grandmother was a single mom. She worked for the FBI. Her mother worked in a shoe factory and was more independent than any other woman I've ever met. And yet...and yet...
My mother walked the walk, she talked the talk, yet she still sent the message, via words and actions, that her remarkability should be ever unrecognized. That everyone else was more important than she was, did more important things, had more value in the world.
A great deal of it was the DoFor Syndrome. She had to always do for others first. Her stuff, her needs, always came last. Some of that was single motherhood, but it had a side effect of making us think she didn't value herself. I always believed she didn't, and I hated it. And I've fought guilt my whole life for not being that way.
And boy, am I not that way. Ask my family, my friends--I do not come last. I make the sacrifices for my family that are necessary, but I still do the things I want to do. My needs never go unmet.
So I think my challenge is to keep the kids from absorbing the wrong message from that. I don't want them to cross over into selfishness, to take self-focusedness to an extreme. I know that's something I
Yeah, that's the most important thing I want my kids to learn from me. Balance.
Anyway. Shout it, Kali. And accept your applause.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Random Entertainment
I'm reading the Supernatural season one companion by Titan Books. They did a fabulous job with the Firefly books, I wish they'd done better with this one. It's got great content, but is in, like, eight-point type.
Remember the episode "Bloody Mary"? And how, at the end, Dean's eyes bled? I always questioned what his secret was, where someone died, and my friends always explain it away as having to do with Mary (his mom) or people he couldn't save in the course of his job, or something. But in this book, Eric Kripke says there's absolutely a reason behind it, he knows exactly what it is, and he'll reveal it someday. But he won't likely refer back to "Bloody Mary." He says he wants people to go back and watch old shows, after the series is over, and see pieces that relate to later things.
Well, I feel vindicated. :)
New episode this week! Wheeeee!
~~~~~~~~~
We saw Transformers this weekend. Good flick, but I get so irritated. The writing was pretty solid in the beginning, but it fell apart at the end. I mean, "let's hide the cube in a city populated by innocent civilians?" WTF? Where's the logic in that? And when I can visualize, 100%, the director saying, "now climb out on this ledge for no good reason, because it will look a lot cooler than you being in the middle of this nice flat roof," the moviemakers have failed. They were lucky they engaged me so perfectly with the Qatar scenes. I liked Shia, didn't care for the chick, though I liked her character a lot. There was just way too much body awareness, it distracted from her acting.
I also watched Idiocracy. I had fairly low expectations for that one, and boy, did it live up to them. Still, I laughed frequently and evenly enough to watch the whole thing. There were some nuggets in the story that were good, though the trappings failed miserably, IMO.
~~~~~~~~~
There's something that keeps happening, that every time, I think, "Man, I've got to remember to blog about that!" and then I get on here and, of course, fail to remember to blog about it. So...um...sorry?
~~~~~~~~~
Last week was a very sucky week for me and several of my close friends. There must have been some kind of universal convergence or something. Most of the stuff was, luckily, not catastrophic, though for some of it, that's little consolation. So here I am, putting out a public request for an un-convergence this week. Or, at the very least, a reverse convergence. You know, one filled with only good things.
PlsKThx.
Remember the episode "Bloody Mary"? And how, at the end, Dean's eyes bled? I always questioned what his secret was, where someone died, and my friends always explain it away as having to do with Mary (his mom) or people he couldn't save in the course of his job, or something. But in this book, Eric Kripke says there's absolutely a reason behind it, he knows exactly what it is, and he'll reveal it someday. But he won't likely refer back to "Bloody Mary." He says he wants people to go back and watch old shows, after the series is over, and see pieces that relate to later things.
Well, I feel vindicated. :)
New episode this week! Wheeeee!
~~~~~~~~~
We saw Transformers this weekend. Good flick, but I get so irritated. The writing was pretty solid in the beginning, but it fell apart at the end. I mean, "let's hide the cube in a city populated by innocent civilians?" WTF? Where's the logic in that? And when I can visualize, 100%, the director saying, "now climb out on this ledge for no good reason, because it will look a lot cooler than you being in the middle of this nice flat roof," the moviemakers have failed. They were lucky they engaged me so perfectly with the Qatar scenes. I liked Shia, didn't care for the chick, though I liked her character a lot. There was just way too much body awareness, it distracted from her acting.
I also watched Idiocracy. I had fairly low expectations for that one, and boy, did it live up to them. Still, I laughed frequently and evenly enough to watch the whole thing. There were some nuggets in the story that were good, though the trappings failed miserably, IMO.
~~~~~~~~~
There's something that keeps happening, that every time, I think, "Man, I've got to remember to blog about that!" and then I get on here and, of course, fail to remember to blog about it. So...um...sorry?
~~~~~~~~~
Last week was a very sucky week for me and several of my close friends. There must have been some kind of universal convergence or something. Most of the stuff was, luckily, not catastrophic, though for some of it, that's little consolation. So here I am, putting out a public request for an un-convergence this week. Or, at the very least, a reverse convergence. You know, one filled with only good things.
PlsKThx.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
Supernatural, TV Ears, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Tom Doyle (who?)
Supernatural has a new trailer! Check it out in my widget (in the sidebar). I know it doesn't display the whole widget in my too-narrow sidebar, but you can see the whole video screen. Or you can watch it bigger here. Dean!
I can't waaaaiiiitttt!
~~~~
I was reading Parade magazine yesterday, and I found something I think I might need. I'm a few years from 40, but my hearing is already giving me problems. When I started exercising regularly last year, I started getting extremely frequent tinnitus. I assume it's because of the iPod usage. Chronic tinnitus is a type of hearing loss, so it's unlikely to be reversible. I'm not noticing any overall hearing difficulties, but I do find myself straining to hear the TV, especially at night when I watch shows with guns and soft-spoken gunmen. I have to keep the TV low so it doesn't keep my kids, one of whom is directly above the TV, awake.
But I dunno, investing in something like that feels like an admission I don't want to make.
~~~~
Also in Parade was an interview with Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who has a movie out soon. It was a weird article that seemed to care more about his relationship with Mary-Louise Parker than the movie, and it mentioned his two episodes on Weeds in 2005 but not his 11 episodes in Supernatural. I know that's because Weeds is where he met M-LP, but still. I was going to say it was more reminiscent of People than Parade, but People would have mentioned Supernatural. It also didn't mention The Watchmen, which he is filming right now. Next door to the Supernatural set.
~~~~
You've got to watch both of these, even if you're not a Patriots fan. The song is hilarious, and it's slightly different in each one.
I assume it will be updated again.
~~~~
Lots to do today, which is why I wrote this post last night. :) Let's see how well that "save as draft" stuff works...
I can't waaaaiiiitttt!
~~~~
I was reading Parade magazine yesterday, and I found something I think I might need. I'm a few years from 40, but my hearing is already giving me problems. When I started exercising regularly last year, I started getting extremely frequent tinnitus. I assume it's because of the iPod usage. Chronic tinnitus is a type of hearing loss, so it's unlikely to be reversible. I'm not noticing any overall hearing difficulties, but I do find myself straining to hear the TV, especially at night when I watch shows with guns and soft-spoken gunmen. I have to keep the TV low so it doesn't keep my kids, one of whom is directly above the TV, awake.
But I dunno, investing in something like that feels like an admission I don't want to make.
~~~~
Also in Parade was an interview with Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who has a movie out soon. It was a weird article that seemed to care more about his relationship with Mary-Louise Parker than the movie, and it mentioned his two episodes on Weeds in 2005 but not his 11 episodes in Supernatural. I know that's because Weeds is where he met M-LP, but still. I was going to say it was more reminiscent of People than Parade, but People would have mentioned Supernatural. It also didn't mention The Watchmen, which he is filming right now. Next door to the Supernatural set.
~~~~
You've got to watch both of these, even if you're not a Patriots fan. The song is hilarious, and it's slightly different in each one.
I assume it will be updated again.
~~~~
Lots to do today, which is why I wrote this post last night. :) Let's see how well that "save as draft" stuff works...
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Best Weekend of the Year (so far)
Yesterday was a long day. I got up at 5:30 for a 7:00 a.m. soccer game for Number One. They lost, 2-0, but she was happy to be back on the field and didn't really care about the score.
Then we had a tournament for Number Two. Four games, best record wins. It was very exciting. All of the games were good, but there was one team that really topped all the rest. They won their first two games 6-0 and 6-1. We won ours 5-0 and 8-3 (They actually only scored 2 goals on us, but the scoreboard was broken and displayed scores like 22-57 so the ref must have screwed up the counting). Then we played each other and tied, 3-3. We won our last game 9-0 and they won theirs 7-1. The winners are determined by a sequence of things:
It's the last one that killed us. Without the maximum, even with the scoring error, we played better and should have won. But because it maxed at 6, they got the first place trophies. Not that it mattered, really. The trophies were all the same size. :)
I know, I'm terribly competitive. And really, all of the above isn't important. What's important is that our team played amazingly well for a group that hasn't played together since early November. Some of them have had player development together, but not all. They passed well, supported each other, played keeper without complaining (one of our regular keepers couldn't do the tournament), and overall showed vast improvement as a team. They were complimented by other coaches and had a great time.
After the tournament we went out to dinner with family, and then my SIL and I went to see 27 Dresses. It was full of clichés, some of which drove me insane (like the put-upon sister versus the selfish, indulged, thoughtless sister, and the character out to do something self-serving that will hurt the other character and they fall for them and don't want to do it anymore but it happens anyway and the other character hates the first one). Overall, though, it was very enjoyable. There were subtleties, partly in the writing, partly in Heigl's subtle performance, that saved her from being unsympathetic and annoying. Ed Burns was pretty wooden, but his character surprised me at the end, and...well, I have to be honest. No matter how clear the outcome of a plot like this is from the first minute, I dig every minute of the resolution.
And Cyclops is a helluva kisser.
I also watched two episodes of Numb3rs and three of Private Practice last night. Which meant, yes, that I went to bed at 2:00 a.m. and slept (kind of) until 10:30.
It's kind of crazy, really. Not the sleeping part, the TV part. I'm tired of crime and medical dramas. Really, really tired of them. You couldn't pay me enough money to sit through CSI or Grey's Anatomy nowadays. But these two are two of my favorite shows. Yeah, Colby's arms have a lot to do with it, but Numb3rs is so well written and acted, with such emotional undertones. And Private Practice is similar. It's not perfect, of course. I'm getting annoyed with Violet's obsession with Alan, and Addison is a bit too abrasive and harsh for me, but otherwise the chemistry is great. I really believe everyone (besides Addison) has been friends for a long time. Dell is my favorite, I think, but I love them all.
Unfortunately, Numb3rs is over and I only have three episodes of Private Practice left to watch. I'm glad there are signs that the writer's strike could be over soon.
Then, today, the Patriots beat the Chargers. They weren't flawless by any means, but they tightened the screws when they had to and outscored San Diego, and that's all that matters. Now, on to the SuperBowl!
Before the game, CBS's opening had an orchestra called E.S. Posthumus playing a song called "Unstoppable." It reminded me of TSO, orchestral rock, and it was perfect football music. Not only did I find (and buy) that song on iTunes, I found (and bought!) the NFL on CBS theme song, also by E.S. Posthumus! I almost bought an entire album (it will be awesome writing music!) but I'm saving my gift card balance for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I'm keeping it in mind, however!
The nicest thing about the game was that we all watched together. Or, well, "watched." J was on the computer and watching over our shoulders. Number One was bribed to watch the first quarter with us, then decided she was more comfortable downstairs than in her desk chair doing essentially the same things (listening to music and playing Sudoku on her phone). But we were all in the same room, interacting, and that's always nice.
So it was a great family weekend, one full of excitement and happiness. How was yours?
Then we had a tournament for Number Two. Four games, best record wins. It was very exciting. All of the games were good, but there was one team that really topped all the rest. They won their first two games 6-0 and 6-1. We won ours 5-0 and 8-3 (They actually only scored 2 goals on us, but the scoreboard was broken and displayed scores like 22-57 so the ref must have screwed up the counting). Then we played each other and tied, 3-3. We won our last game 9-0 and they won theirs 7-1. The winners are determined by a sequence of things:
- Best record (we both had the same record, 3-0-1)
- Head to head (we tied)
- Goals Differential (maximum of six goals)
It's the last one that killed us. Without the maximum, even with the scoring error, we played better and should have won. But because it maxed at 6, they got the first place trophies. Not that it mattered, really. The trophies were all the same size. :)
I know, I'm terribly competitive. And really, all of the above isn't important. What's important is that our team played amazingly well for a group that hasn't played together since early November. Some of them have had player development together, but not all. They passed well, supported each other, played keeper without complaining (one of our regular keepers couldn't do the tournament), and overall showed vast improvement as a team. They were complimented by other coaches and had a great time.
After the tournament we went out to dinner with family, and then my SIL and I went to see 27 Dresses. It was full of clichés, some of which drove me insane (like the put-upon sister versus the selfish, indulged, thoughtless sister, and the character out to do something self-serving that will hurt the other character and they fall for them and don't want to do it anymore but it happens anyway and the other character hates the first one). Overall, though, it was very enjoyable. There were subtleties, partly in the writing, partly in Heigl's subtle performance, that saved her from being unsympathetic and annoying. Ed Burns was pretty wooden, but his character surprised me at the end, and...well, I have to be honest. No matter how clear the outcome of a plot like this is from the first minute, I dig every minute of the resolution.
And Cyclops is a helluva kisser.
I also watched two episodes of Numb3rs and three of Private Practice last night. Which meant, yes, that I went to bed at 2:00 a.m. and slept (kind of) until 10:30.
It's kind of crazy, really. Not the sleeping part, the TV part. I'm tired of crime and medical dramas. Really, really tired of them. You couldn't pay me enough money to sit through CSI or Grey's Anatomy nowadays. But these two are two of my favorite shows. Yeah, Colby's arms have a lot to do with it, but Numb3rs is so well written and acted, with such emotional undertones. And Private Practice is similar. It's not perfect, of course. I'm getting annoyed with Violet's obsession with Alan, and Addison is a bit too abrasive and harsh for me, but otherwise the chemistry is great. I really believe everyone (besides Addison) has been friends for a long time. Dell is my favorite, I think, but I love them all.
Unfortunately, Numb3rs is over and I only have three episodes of Private Practice left to watch. I'm glad there are signs that the writer's strike could be over soon.
Then, today, the Patriots beat the Chargers. They weren't flawless by any means, but they tightened the screws when they had to and outscored San Diego, and that's all that matters. Now, on to the SuperBowl!
Before the game, CBS's opening had an orchestra called E.S. Posthumus playing a song called "Unstoppable." It reminded me of TSO, orchestral rock, and it was perfect football music. Not only did I find (and buy) that song on iTunes, I found (and bought!) the NFL on CBS theme song, also by E.S. Posthumus! I almost bought an entire album (it will be awesome writing music!) but I'm saving my gift card balance for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I'm keeping it in mind, however!
The nicest thing about the game was that we all watched together. Or, well, "watched." J was on the computer and watching over our shoulders. Number One was bribed to watch the first quarter with us, then decided she was more comfortable downstairs than in her desk chair doing essentially the same things (listening to music and playing Sudoku on her phone). But we were all in the same room, interacting, and that's always nice.
So it was a great family weekend, one full of excitement and happiness. How was yours?
Friday, January 18, 2008
Crazy Head
Did you ever have so much to do that you can't wrap your mind around which thing to do first, and it feels like you're spinning in mental circles? That's how I feel right now. So I'm blogging. Like that will help.
I had a weird dream last night. Actually, I have weird dreams every night. I haven't written fiction, really, since the end of November. And when I'm not writing fiction, my brain vents the creative backup in vivid, powerful, tiring dreams. I'm talking full-color, full-action, full-plot dreams.
I don't remember most of last night's, except for this one part. I was in Utah, and following some people as we drove somewhere. I was driving, I think, some kind of open Jeep-type vehicle. My Jeep matched the colors around us--the pinkish tans of the buttes in Utah. The sky matched, too, everything a swirl of color in the late afternoon sun.
I looked to the left, and there was a curve of UFOs banking through the vast sky next to us. I think about four or five of them. The undersides of the ships made me think of the undersides of horseshoe crabs. Then I looked back at the road, to see if the people in front of me had seen the ships, and the road was curving. I wasn't.
So yep, we sailed over the edge. Into vast, miles-up nothingness, in a heavy car. But my kids were in the car, I think, so of course we weren't going to crash. Also of course, it wasn't that easy. First I was heading toward a road on another butte, and was going to land on it, and I knew we'd survive. But then, defying all the laws of physics, our trajectory changed. That kept happening. I'd see someplace we might safely land without dying, and tried to steer toward it (as if turning a steering wheel in a heavy Jeep in midair is going to do anything). And then we'd shift again, like the updrafts were strong enough to lift us and whirl us in another direction. Then we were over a city. There was a park, but nope, we got moved. Eventually, as we came down, I slowed us by being outside the car, apparently holding it, and I stuck my foot out to "trip" over a row of white lily-like flowers, which brought us down and kept the wind from blowing us to a less safe spot. Then I set the car down on the sidewalk.
Boy, was I pleased with myself! It was a nice, light landing, no one was hurt. They also didn't seem to notice my feat, however, and the whole thing together is pretty easy to interpret, I think. I am in control of my life, however outside forces try to change my trajectory, and where I land may not be the original site, or the best site, but it will be good nonetheless. I will be triumphant.
And no one will care.
Oh, well.
I had a weird dream last night. Actually, I have weird dreams every night. I haven't written fiction, really, since the end of November. And when I'm not writing fiction, my brain vents the creative backup in vivid, powerful, tiring dreams. I'm talking full-color, full-action, full-plot dreams.
I don't remember most of last night's, except for this one part. I was in Utah, and following some people as we drove somewhere. I was driving, I think, some kind of open Jeep-type vehicle. My Jeep matched the colors around us--the pinkish tans of the buttes in Utah. The sky matched, too, everything a swirl of color in the late afternoon sun.
I looked to the left, and there was a curve of UFOs banking through the vast sky next to us. I think about four or five of them. The undersides of the ships made me think of the undersides of horseshoe crabs. Then I looked back at the road, to see if the people in front of me had seen the ships, and the road was curving. I wasn't.
So yep, we sailed over the edge. Into vast, miles-up nothingness, in a heavy car. But my kids were in the car, I think, so of course we weren't going to crash. Also of course, it wasn't that easy. First I was heading toward a road on another butte, and was going to land on it, and I knew we'd survive. But then, defying all the laws of physics, our trajectory changed. That kept happening. I'd see someplace we might safely land without dying, and tried to steer toward it (as if turning a steering wheel in a heavy Jeep in midair is going to do anything). And then we'd shift again, like the updrafts were strong enough to lift us and whirl us in another direction. Then we were over a city. There was a park, but nope, we got moved. Eventually, as we came down, I slowed us by being outside the car, apparently holding it, and I stuck my foot out to "trip" over a row of white lily-like flowers, which brought us down and kept the wind from blowing us to a less safe spot. Then I set the car down on the sidewalk.
Boy, was I pleased with myself! It was a nice, light landing, no one was hurt. They also didn't seem to notice my feat, however, and the whole thing together is pretty easy to interpret, I think. I am in control of my life, however outside forces try to change my trajectory, and where I land may not be the original site, or the best site, but it will be good nonetheless. I will be triumphant.
And no one will care.
Oh, well.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
All and Sundry
Not a very accurate subject line, as sundry is an indeterminate number, but I'm tired of calling it random thoughts. :)
I saw this yesterday. There are also articles here and here.
Now, I don't have anything to say about Indianapolis Colts fans in general. I'm not going to paint an entire group of people with the colors shown by the few classless members who booed a 14-year-old girl who didn't deserve it. Every team has jerky fans, as well as awesome fans. I think it's nice of Patriots owner Robert Kraft to honor her before the Patriots game this coming Sunday, though that's a bigger deal than the actual booing was.
Really, the only thing I have to say is that I admire Anna Grant for the aplomb she showed, both in her laughter at the time the booing occurred, and in her responses in the media afterward. She understands what being a true fan is all about. Good for her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I can't say the Supernatural comic book series has been that great a success. The art didn't appeal to me, the story was weak (though, to be fair, I find that to be true with comics in general--there's just not enough space, I guess, to plumb any depths), and nothing that happened really sticks in my head except that Peter Johnson made a mistake with the Impala (which he is fixing, according to this article). I didn't even get the last issue of the run.
But look what's coming!
I looked at the inside sample pages, and it was lots of blood, not my favorite part of the show. But it's much more about Sam and Dean than the Origins comics were, and that I like. So I'm looking forward to checking it out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The WGA strike is showing some signs of nearing an end. Not really close to an end, of course, but they are signing more and more individual deals, and the DGA is holding the same line with the AMPTP, who is facing losing TONS of money, so it can't last too much longer. It can't end soon enough for me (except, you know, if the writers don't get a fair deal, then it would be too soon), especially with only four Supernatural episodes left. I just rewatched the first 8, and I am seriously floundering without the show.
In the meantime, I do have some other shows I've been trying.
Private Practice
Yes, I know it started months ago. I've had 8 episodes sitting on my TiVo for...well, for months. I finally watched the first two episodes last week and enjoyed them. They both made me cry, which I don't want to keep doing, but I liked the dynamic among all the characters, the comfort level between actors, and the feel of the show. It has potential.
Kyle XY
Not a new show for me, of course, but just returned to the schedule. I liked the premiere, though it didn't wow me. Not only am I still not enthralled with the voiceover, it's spreading to other shows, making it seem even more annoying on this show, for some reason. One thing I didn't like was the feeling of finality. I watched the preview for upcoming episodes and they look good, I like the direction of the show, but the first episode really should make me eager to see more, not ready to turn off the TV and go to bed. I'd also like Matt Dallas to eliminate the gee-gosh crooked smile and sheepish look from his repertoire. Kyle has matured and grown a lot, and dealt with some pretty intense stuff, and that just doesn't fit anymore.
(In case my anonymous commenter returns to yell at me for not liking the show, I do like it! It's very good and I will continue to watch it.)
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Definitely my favorite new show. We watched the first two episodes last night. I got made fun of because at the end I commented on how well they fit the 1999 parts with the movies. The look was similar, grainy film, similar lighting, etc. But I also thought the casting was great. Lena Heady, despite the impossibility of the actress's age, is perfect. I love Thomas Dekker. He's got a lot more talent than was apparent in Heroes. And, of course, I love Summer Glau because of Firefly.
Now, this show made me want more immediately. I have a vague theory about Cameron (the Summer Glau character), and her relationship with the future John, and how she became a robot. I like the storyline, and all the little pieces (like the ex-fiancé and the problems generated by time travel). I'm sad that there are only going to be seven episodes more.
I do wonder, however...the show is kind of a lead-in to the upcoming film that's supposed to be after the apocalypse, with John Connor played by Christian Bale (not a bad choice, IMO). The movie's release date is listed as June 2009, which gives us two seasons of the show (strike notwithstanding). So does that mean it won't continue after that? Is it supposed to lead us right to the apocalypse (now that the time travel has negated the timeline of T3)? Perhaps that's best, as a dragged-out storyline is never good, and there isn't much elsewhere to go with it. But that's not how networks generally operate.
As for the rest of TV:
Chuck "comes back" for one night next week. Numb3rs ends tomorrow. I have no idea when Reaper and Samantha Who? will air their last two episodes, or when Scrubs does their last five. Supernatural and LOST come back on the 31st, for 4 and 8 weeks, respectively, and after that, I guess I'll be giving my Netflix subscription a good workout.
That's okay. I'm way behind on movies, anyway. And I can always use the time to write. :)
I saw this yesterday. There are also articles here and here.
Now, I don't have anything to say about Indianapolis Colts fans in general. I'm not going to paint an entire group of people with the colors shown by the few classless members who booed a 14-year-old girl who didn't deserve it. Every team has jerky fans, as well as awesome fans. I think it's nice of Patriots owner Robert Kraft to honor her before the Patriots game this coming Sunday, though that's a bigger deal than the actual booing was.
Really, the only thing I have to say is that I admire Anna Grant for the aplomb she showed, both in her laughter at the time the booing occurred, and in her responses in the media afterward. She understands what being a true fan is all about. Good for her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I can't say the Supernatural comic book series has been that great a success. The art didn't appeal to me, the story was weak (though, to be fair, I find that to be true with comics in general--there's just not enough space, I guess, to plumb any depths), and nothing that happened really sticks in my head except that Peter Johnson made a mistake with the Impala (which he is fixing, according to this article). I didn't even get the last issue of the run.
But look what's coming!
I looked at the inside sample pages, and it was lots of blood, not my favorite part of the show. But it's much more about Sam and Dean than the Origins comics were, and that I like. So I'm looking forward to checking it out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The WGA strike is showing some signs of nearing an end. Not really close to an end, of course, but they are signing more and more individual deals, and the DGA is holding the same line with the AMPTP, who is facing losing TONS of money, so it can't last too much longer. It can't end soon enough for me (except, you know, if the writers don't get a fair deal, then it would be too soon), especially with only four Supernatural episodes left. I just rewatched the first 8, and I am seriously floundering without the show.
In the meantime, I do have some other shows I've been trying.
Private Practice
Yes, I know it started months ago. I've had 8 episodes sitting on my TiVo for...well, for months. I finally watched the first two episodes last week and enjoyed them. They both made me cry, which I don't want to keep doing, but I liked the dynamic among all the characters, the comfort level between actors, and the feel of the show. It has potential.
Kyle XY
Not a new show for me, of course, but just returned to the schedule. I liked the premiere, though it didn't wow me. Not only am I still not enthralled with the voiceover, it's spreading to other shows, making it seem even more annoying on this show, for some reason. One thing I didn't like was the feeling of finality. I watched the preview for upcoming episodes and they look good, I like the direction of the show, but the first episode really should make me eager to see more, not ready to turn off the TV and go to bed. I'd also like Matt Dallas to eliminate the gee-gosh crooked smile and sheepish look from his repertoire. Kyle has matured and grown a lot, and dealt with some pretty intense stuff, and that just doesn't fit anymore.
(In case my anonymous commenter returns to yell at me for not liking the show, I do like it! It's very good and I will continue to watch it.)
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Definitely my favorite new show. We watched the first two episodes last night. I got made fun of because at the end I commented on how well they fit the 1999 parts with the movies. The look was similar, grainy film, similar lighting, etc. But I also thought the casting was great. Lena Heady, despite the impossibility of the actress's age, is perfect. I love Thomas Dekker. He's got a lot more talent than was apparent in Heroes. And, of course, I love Summer Glau because of Firefly.
Now, this show made me want more immediately. I have a vague theory about Cameron (the Summer Glau character), and her relationship with the future John, and how she became a robot. I like the storyline, and all the little pieces (like the ex-fiancé and the problems generated by time travel). I'm sad that there are only going to be seven episodes more.
I do wonder, however...the show is kind of a lead-in to the upcoming film that's supposed to be after the apocalypse, with John Connor played by Christian Bale (not a bad choice, IMO). The movie's release date is listed as June 2009, which gives us two seasons of the show (strike notwithstanding). So does that mean it won't continue after that? Is it supposed to lead us right to the apocalypse (now that the time travel has negated the timeline of T3)? Perhaps that's best, as a dragged-out storyline is never good, and there isn't much elsewhere to go with it. But that's not how networks generally operate.
As for the rest of TV:
Chuck "comes back" for one night next week. Numb3rs ends tomorrow. I have no idea when Reaper and Samantha Who? will air their last two episodes, or when Scrubs does their last five. Supernatural and LOST come back on the 31st, for 4 and 8 weeks, respectively, and after that, I guess I'll be giving my Netflix subscription a good workout.
That's okay. I'm way behind on movies, anyway. And I can always use the time to write. :)
Friday, January 11, 2008
Random Friday
I can't believe I've had nothing to post all week.
Which is more boring? Nothing new for five days, or a post like this one? (Feel free to comment anonymously *g*)
~~~~
I recently did some research on dryers. A Consumer Reports article about efficient clothes drying mentioned that clothes should not be completely dry when removed, and should be removed promptly. Most care tags on the clothing itself also says remove promptly.
Why? It just gets stuffed into the laundry basket for a couple of days.
(I also don't like the idea of parts of the clothing being damp. I have mildew paranoia.)
~~~~
Titan magazines has problems. A few years ago, I subscribed to the LOST official magazine. They had my money for, like, three months, and I didn't get the first issue. When I called, they said my subscription would start with the second issue. Annoyed, I canceled immediately.
So now they have a magazine for Supernatural. A friend got me a subscription, weeks and weeks before the first issue was released. But I didn't get it, and neither did she. She finally called, and they said the same thing. Second issue for me, third for her--they had no more first issues available. I ended up buying us both the first issue at the bookstore. They had a ton of copies.
I don't get why Titan is more concerned with their distributors than their subscribers. It's not a cheap subscription ($32.95 for six issues, which is $1.50 less per issue than the cover price of $6.99). And we're guaranteed buyers. Plus, if you make us happy, maybe we'll buy copies of other show-related magazines.
~~~~
Anyway, I got issue one earlier this week, and issue two today. It's pretty good. Lots of interviews and behind-the-scenes stuff. I don't know what the strike and halt to the show's production will do to the magazine. Hopefully it won't last much longer.
Two tidbits of info:
1. Eric Kripke would ideally like to end the show after five seasons.
2. Jeffrey Dean Morgan is (was?) shooting The Watchmen right next door to SPN.
And BTW, if you don't know yet, Supernatural returns to TV on January 31 and has four episodes to air before it gets removed from The CW's schedule as of February 28.
Yes, let's all sob in sorrow and also be delighted that we get more new shows than most anything else that started in the fall.
~~~~
The Patriots play tomorrow night! Can't wait for Number Two to watch her first playoff game! I swear, she's a bigger football fan than her father and I put together. She's recording Super Bowl X (we're about to have XLII--that's 42). We had this exchange the other night:
Me: Whatcha doin', hon?
Her: Watching the Baltimore Ravens losing season. I want to see why they fired the coach, Brian Billick.
Me: You know, they wanted to interview Josh McDaniels for that job.
Her: The Patriots' offensive coordinator?
You don't need to know football, I don't think, to get the significance of that conversation. How many 8-year-olds know the names of assistant coaches? And 8-year-old girls, at that?
~~~~
Looking for an exciting, adventurous sci-fi romance? Check out the latest Hunters for Hire book from Cerridwen Press: Danger on Xy-One by Vicky Burkholder.
I've read this book, and it combines heart-pounding adventure with unique secondary characters and the kind of romance that develops naturally, without contrived conflicts and irrelevant obstacles. The worldbuilding is especially solid, without being dry and dull, as can often happen in SF. Give it a read!
~~~~
We got a new kitten yesterday. Her name is Baby Girl, and Number Two won't let us change it. I can't fight her--it's her cat. She won't let me call her BG, either. But I can't call her Baby Girl! It's so silly!
She has adjusted very well, though we're mostly keeping her in Number Two's room, since she was spayed on Wednesday and needs to be kept quiet. Also, because Frisbee is furious. You haven't heard such growling since the original Exorcist. She's furious with all of us and feeling very neglected. Poor demon cat.
Maya, aka Box Cat, and BG are getting along fine. Dolly, aka Dumb Dog, hasn't noticed her existence.
Yep, that's my friendly household!
Which is more boring? Nothing new for five days, or a post like this one? (Feel free to comment anonymously *g*)
~~~~
I recently did some research on dryers. A Consumer Reports article about efficient clothes drying mentioned that clothes should not be completely dry when removed, and should be removed promptly. Most care tags on the clothing itself also says remove promptly.
Why? It just gets stuffed into the laundry basket for a couple of days.
(I also don't like the idea of parts of the clothing being damp. I have mildew paranoia.)
~~~~
Titan magazines has problems. A few years ago, I subscribed to the LOST official magazine. They had my money for, like, three months, and I didn't get the first issue. When I called, they said my subscription would start with the second issue. Annoyed, I canceled immediately.
So now they have a magazine for Supernatural. A friend got me a subscription, weeks and weeks before the first issue was released. But I didn't get it, and neither did she. She finally called, and they said the same thing. Second issue for me, third for her--they had no more first issues available. I ended up buying us both the first issue at the bookstore. They had a ton of copies.
I don't get why Titan is more concerned with their distributors than their subscribers. It's not a cheap subscription ($32.95 for six issues, which is $1.50 less per issue than the cover price of $6.99). And we're guaranteed buyers. Plus, if you make us happy, maybe we'll buy copies of other show-related magazines.
~~~~
Anyway, I got issue one earlier this week, and issue two today. It's pretty good. Lots of interviews and behind-the-scenes stuff. I don't know what the strike and halt to the show's production will do to the magazine. Hopefully it won't last much longer.
Two tidbits of info:
1. Eric Kripke would ideally like to end the show after five seasons.
2. Jeffrey Dean Morgan is (was?) shooting The Watchmen right next door to SPN.
And BTW, if you don't know yet, Supernatural returns to TV on January 31 and has four episodes to air before it gets removed from The CW's schedule as of February 28.
Yes, let's all sob in sorrow and also be delighted that we get more new shows than most anything else that started in the fall.
~~~~
The Patriots play tomorrow night! Can't wait for Number Two to watch her first playoff game! I swear, she's a bigger football fan than her father and I put together. She's recording Super Bowl X (we're about to have XLII--that's 42). We had this exchange the other night:
Me: Whatcha doin', hon?
Her: Watching the Baltimore Ravens losing season. I want to see why they fired the coach, Brian Billick.
Me: You know, they wanted to interview Josh McDaniels for that job.
Her: The Patriots' offensive coordinator?
You don't need to know football, I don't think, to get the significance of that conversation. How many 8-year-olds know the names of assistant coaches? And 8-year-old girls, at that?
~~~~
Looking for an exciting, adventurous sci-fi romance? Check out the latest Hunters for Hire book from Cerridwen Press: Danger on Xy-One by Vicky Burkholder.
I've read this book, and it combines heart-pounding adventure with unique secondary characters and the kind of romance that develops naturally, without contrived conflicts and irrelevant obstacles. The worldbuilding is especially solid, without being dry and dull, as can often happen in SF. Give it a read!
~~~~
We got a new kitten yesterday. Her name is Baby Girl, and Number Two won't let us change it. I can't fight her--it's her cat. She won't let me call her BG, either. But I can't call her Baby Girl! It's so silly!
She has adjusted very well, though we're mostly keeping her in Number Two's room, since she was spayed on Wednesday and needs to be kept quiet. Also, because Frisbee is furious. You haven't heard such growling since the original Exorcist. She's furious with all of us and feeling very neglected. Poor demon cat.
Maya, aka Box Cat, and BG are getting along fine. Dolly, aka Dumb Dog, hasn't noticed her existence.
Yep, that's my friendly household!
Monday, January 07, 2008
Reading
It turns out, even before the strike, TV wasn't that compelling.
Early last year, I spent every night watching TV. That kind of continued with the Dark Angel and Gilmore Girls DVDs in the summer, but when fall hit, I was bored. There was one show that I still felt was great, a few that made me want to watch before they accumulated many episodes, and some I just had to drop. I still haven't watched much Bionic Woman and no Private Practice yet. I weep for the return of Supernatural, and I'm looking forward to Lost and The Sarah Connor Chronicles. But I'm not eager to turn on the TV, not even to rewatch Supernatural, which I did at least three times each episode last year.
So what am I doing instead?
Sometimes I'm working. Sometimes I'm reading blogs and entertainment info (much of it strike-related) online. But most of the time, I'm reading.
It's nice. Quiet. My kids are in bed, my husband downstairs on his computer. I have a dog and two cats in the room with me, usually one on my lap, and I'm completely relaxed. It's something I'd been doing less regularly since I got into TV on DVD, and I missed it.
I think I mentioned that my TBR pile was very low, and between my brother, my husband/kids, and some generous friends with gift cards, I was able to build it back up again. I go to start a new book and stand in front of the shelf, giddy with choice, many of them books by friends or people I know.
One of those is Deep Magic by Joy Nash. I met Joy years ago, I think first through the Fantasy, Futuristic, and Paranormal chapter of RWA. I judged her first Celtic paranormal historical, Celtic Fire, in a contest, and even though I was already not reading historicals anymore, generally speaking, I really liked her entry. I met her in person a while after that, and when I went to speak at her chapter and we had dinner first, she was talking about the book and I recognized it!
Anyway, I haven't read Deep Magic yet, but I know it will have the same blend of rich worldbuilding, intense emotion, and heart-pounding action as her earlier books. You can check it out here.
So, what books are you looking forward to? What's drawing you to the armchair in the silent living room, under a warm kitty, with a yummy beverage steaming beside you? (Or, you know, the equivalent. :)
Early last year, I spent every night watching TV. That kind of continued with the Dark Angel and Gilmore Girls DVDs in the summer, but when fall hit, I was bored. There was one show that I still felt was great, a few that made me want to watch before they accumulated many episodes, and some I just had to drop. I still haven't watched much Bionic Woman and no Private Practice yet. I weep for the return of Supernatural, and I'm looking forward to Lost and The Sarah Connor Chronicles. But I'm not eager to turn on the TV, not even to rewatch Supernatural, which I did at least three times each episode last year.
So what am I doing instead?
Sometimes I'm working. Sometimes I'm reading blogs and entertainment info (much of it strike-related) online. But most of the time, I'm reading.
It's nice. Quiet. My kids are in bed, my husband downstairs on his computer. I have a dog and two cats in the room with me, usually one on my lap, and I'm completely relaxed. It's something I'd been doing less regularly since I got into TV on DVD, and I missed it.
I think I mentioned that my TBR pile was very low, and between my brother, my husband/kids, and some generous friends with gift cards, I was able to build it back up again. I go to start a new book and stand in front of the shelf, giddy with choice, many of them books by friends or people I know.
One of those is Deep Magic by Joy Nash. I met Joy years ago, I think first through the Fantasy, Futuristic, and Paranormal chapter of RWA. I judged her first Celtic paranormal historical, Celtic Fire, in a contest, and even though I was already not reading historicals anymore, generally speaking, I really liked her entry. I met her in person a while after that, and when I went to speak at her chapter and we had dinner first, she was talking about the book and I recognized it!
Anyway, I haven't read Deep Magic yet, but I know it will have the same blend of rich worldbuilding, intense emotion, and heart-pounding action as her earlier books. You can check it out here.
So, what books are you looking forward to? What's drawing you to the armchair in the silent living room, under a warm kitty, with a yummy beverage steaming beside you? (Or, you know, the equivalent. :)
Friday, January 04, 2008
Told Ya!
| You Are 50% Left Brained, 50% Right Brained |
 The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning. Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others. If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic. Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility. Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way. If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art. Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports. |
(Actually, I think I mentioned this in a comment on someone else's blog. But if you read that blog, I did tell ya! :)
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
An Easy One, and Total Vindication!!!
I had a weird dream this morning. It was very vivid, and very intense, and I remembered all of it but couldn't post until now. Let's see if I still remember.
I was an employee for a pipe fittings company, and Joss Whedon was the owner. He was very particular about his molds, and there was one size we just couldn't find anywhere. Then we got married. I wasn't really myself in this part of the dream, I was an unmarried younger woman.
Then it changed. I had a flat tire. Since my friend Megan also had a flat tire (on her flatbed truck) and the repair person was supposed to go fix hers first, I went over there. But I didn't call first, and she had company. No, not that kind of company, it was a female friend hanging out. I was all embarrassed and stuff and insisted on not intruding, and went outside to wait. From that point on, Number Two was with me, and she kept asking why we had to wait, how much longer, etc.
Pipe fittings company = Don't Look Down by Suzanne Enoch, in which the rich hero was in the middle of acquiring such a thing. I finished reading that last night.
Joss Whedon = Firefly Visual Companion, Volume 2, which I started reading last night after I finished the other book.
Getting married = Hel-lo! He's Joss Whedon!
Flat tire = No idea. Possibly represents feeling stalled.
Megan's house/friend situation = I have ideas but discussing them here would make me too vulnerable and you'd all feel uncomfortable with the view into my psyche. Psychologists among you probably can figure it out. :)
Waiting = Number Two "got" a kitten for Christmas. We went on Monday to pick one, and did, and I filled out the paperwork, but they didn't get back to us until last night, so she was already bummed about waiting. It turns out there was already a hold on that cat, so we have to go back Saturday and see if they have a new crop of kittens. Number Two is not thrilled with the wait.
You know, some night I'd like to just sleep without dreaming.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today, while running all over town doing stupid errands that were only half rewarding, I listened to Pottercast. They got Jo Rowling on the show, and she talked about a lot of great tidbits and factoids. One thing they discussed was whether or not Harry is a horcrux.
She said for convenience, Dumbledore said Harry is the horcrux that Voldemort didn't intend to make, but that the description is not accurate. A horcrux is intentionally made--which is what I've been saying all along! \o/ Vindicated \o/
She also said the process to create a horcrux is a series of spells to prepare a vessel and split the soul. Since Voldemort did not prepare Harry as a vessel to house a piece of his soul, and since the rebound of the avarta kadavra curse tore Voldemort's damaged, vulnerable soul accidentally, and the fragment went to Harry as the nearest place where it would be safe, rather than being placed in him--it all amounts to Harry being something that's never been before, and never had a name, and is therefore NOT a horcrux!
I heartily advise any Harry Potter fan to head over to Pottercast and download a couple of episodes. It's great! 130 and 131 are the ones with Jo.
With the exception of the bank, post office, library, Sears, and grocery store, and checking my e-mail, I have done almost nothing so far today. Starting 2008 off slow, I guess...
I was an employee for a pipe fittings company, and Joss Whedon was the owner. He was very particular about his molds, and there was one size we just couldn't find anywhere. Then we got married. I wasn't really myself in this part of the dream, I was an unmarried younger woman.
Then it changed. I had a flat tire. Since my friend Megan also had a flat tire (on her flatbed truck) and the repair person was supposed to go fix hers first, I went over there. But I didn't call first, and she had company. No, not that kind of company, it was a female friend hanging out. I was all embarrassed and stuff and insisted on not intruding, and went outside to wait. From that point on, Number Two was with me, and she kept asking why we had to wait, how much longer, etc.
Pipe fittings company = Don't Look Down by Suzanne Enoch, in which the rich hero was in the middle of acquiring such a thing. I finished reading that last night.
Joss Whedon = Firefly Visual Companion, Volume 2, which I started reading last night after I finished the other book.
Getting married = Hel-lo! He's Joss Whedon!
Flat tire = No idea. Possibly represents feeling stalled.
Megan's house/friend situation = I have ideas but discussing them here would make me too vulnerable and you'd all feel uncomfortable with the view into my psyche. Psychologists among you probably can figure it out. :)
Waiting = Number Two "got" a kitten for Christmas. We went on Monday to pick one, and did, and I filled out the paperwork, but they didn't get back to us until last night, so she was already bummed about waiting. It turns out there was already a hold on that cat, so we have to go back Saturday and see if they have a new crop of kittens. Number Two is not thrilled with the wait.
You know, some night I'd like to just sleep without dreaming.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today, while running all over town doing stupid errands that were only half rewarding, I listened to Pottercast. They got Jo Rowling on the show, and she talked about a lot of great tidbits and factoids. One thing they discussed was whether or not Harry is a horcrux.
She said for convenience, Dumbledore said Harry is the horcrux that Voldemort didn't intend to make, but that the description is not accurate. A horcrux is intentionally made--which is what I've been saying all along! \o/ Vindicated \o/
She also said the process to create a horcrux is a series of spells to prepare a vessel and split the soul. Since Voldemort did not prepare Harry as a vessel to house a piece of his soul, and since the rebound of the avarta kadavra curse tore Voldemort's damaged, vulnerable soul accidentally, and the fragment went to Harry as the nearest place where it would be safe, rather than being placed in him--it all amounts to Harry being something that's never been before, and never had a name, and is therefore NOT a horcrux!
I heartily advise any Harry Potter fan to head over to Pottercast and download a couple of episodes. It's great! 130 and 131 are the ones with Jo.
With the exception of the bank, post office, library, Sears, and grocery store, and checking my e-mail, I have done almost nothing so far today. Starting 2008 off slow, I guess...
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Dissecting 2007
I intended to do this in several different posts, and that's just not working out. I do not want to drag 2007 into 2008, so I'm dumping it all here. You may want to spread out the reading over a few sessions. :)
Recent Movies
I saw I Am Legend, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, and P.S. I Love You around the holiday. I loved them all.
I Am Legend had some flaws. There was a major thread they dropped the ball on, which was really important. I didn't care for the ending, though it wasn't at all surprising, and because there was no romance involved, it didn't bother me as much. Will Smith's acting was amazing, the hints that his hold on sanity wasn't as strong as it seemed, combined with his determination and his pain. The filming was masterful, with most of the special effects and the editing done in such a seamless, taut way that tension was never lost. We learned the backstory in a clever manner, too.
National Treasure: Book of Secrets was better than the first one, I thought, and the first one was pretty darned good. I love smart writing about smart people. The humor was excellent, and Riley still rocks the theater. Some spots at the end felt a little rushed, but Ed Harris was there, so who cares!
MaryF was right about needing tissues for P.S. I Love You. I'd have liked a little advancement of the symbolic hope at the end, but otherwise I don't think I have any complaints. Complex relationships, solid acting--the fight scene at the beginning had to have been filmed late, they were so comfortable with each other--and a happy ending equal a satisfying experience.
Looking Ahead, Movie-Wise
Some of the trailers looked even better than what I just saw.
Wall*E, about a robot left on Mars for 700 years, looks adorable.
Hancock, featuring Will Smith as a dissolute, destructive superhero
Mad Money is one that can go either way, from an amusing adventure to a ridiculous disappointment, but I'm looking forward to it regardless.
There were several others, and I can't remember them or find their trailers to bump my memory. I'm very excited that Juno is finally opening locally this Friday.
2007 Top Entertainment
Top Books
I gave 14 books a perfect 10, not including those I read as critiques before they were published. These were:
Seventh Key, Evelyn Vaughn
The Medusa Prophesy, Cindy Dees
Natural Born Charmer, Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Death Masks, Jim Butcher
Innocent in Death, JD Robb
Blood Rites, Jim Butcher
Coyote Dreams, CE Murphy
Dead Beat, Jim Butcher
Proven Guilty, Jim Butcher
Avalon High, Meg Cabot
White Knight, Jim Butcher
How to Lose an Extraterrestrial in 10 Days, Susan Grant
All Through the Night, Suzanne Brockmann
Creation in Death, JD Robb
Top Movies
I saw 17 movies on DVD and 30 in the theater. I know! Thirty is a lot! There would have been more DVDs if it hadn't been for the Gilmore Girls semi-marathon, as well as Dark Angel and a few other TV shows. The movies I gave 10s to are:
Eight Below
POTC: At World's End
Ocean's 13
National Treasure 2
I also gave 9s to the following:
10 Things I Hate About You
Music & Lyrics
Live Free or Die Hard
Hairspray
Bourne Ultimatum
Stardust
I Am Legend
PS I Love You
See a theme? I like comedy, I like adventure, I like hot actors. LOL
Top Television
This includes those I saw on DVD as well as live. The 10s are:
Kitchen Confidential
Gilmore Girls, seasons 1 and 4
Supernatural, season 2 (three was an 8, but after the last ep I’ll bump it to 9)
Jake 2.0
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Lost, seasons 2 and 3 of Gilmore Girls, the fall season of Numb3rs, and the end of season 2 of Prison Break got 9s. I'm dying for Lost to start again, and I don't miss Prison Break anymore.
That Goals Thing
I met all my goals!
Weight
I lost 15 lbs. What? You thought I said my goal was 50? Oh, you must have misheard me. I said fifTEEN. That sounds a lot like fifTY.
Dining Room
We have a few little things left to do, but the transformation is technically complete.
Exercise
I exercised 301 days this year, one more than my goal. I only skipped more than two days in a row once, and that was my birthday/Christmas Eve/Christmas Day.
Books
This one's a little trickier. I read, in their entirety, 107 books. I also read parts of 56 books, with a total page count of 2471, which is a little over 7 books at of 350 pages. (I went as high as page 139 before stopping, and as low as the first page. The most common reason for stopping was boredom.)
So that's only 114, right? And my goal was 115. But I also critiqued 12 full books, all of which are either published, sold, or submitted. That right there would be enough, but I also critiqued 21 other chapters (mostly in partials) and read 10 short stories, some in an anthology, some for a contest, plus 6 Golden Heart entries, plus75 magazines. I think I overwhelmingly met my goal here.
Writing
Officially, I wrote 302,546 words, of which 25,182 were nonfiction (paid work). That falls 47,454 words short of my goal. But I think between the GabWagon and here, I've probably written three times that, and since the GabWagon is 100% related to writing, if I add that with what I've written here about writing, I'm sure I'm well over 350,000 words. Plus business e-mails and IMs could count, too. Since there is no "prize" for achievement, I'm just going to say I did it and leave it at that. :)
What DID I Do in 2007?
I started doing freelance nonfiction and editing/proofreading early in the year. I'm not going to add up the number of projects I did--it's several books edited/proofed, several articles written, lots of bios written, many more advertising pieces proofed.
For fiction, this is what I did:
Pretty good year, I think.
2008 Planning
I'm not setting goals this year. I do, however, have plans.
I will continue exercising, and will exercise 2.5 hours a week. I need to increase my intensity and time for each. I think doing a 45-minute workout three times a week will be more effective, for example, than walking for 15 minutes twice and using hand weights for five minutes three times.
I will continue to track my weight, and hopefully lose more, but I know if I put too much focus on it, it will backfire. So I plan to make small changes in an ongoing, long-term effort.
I will keep a list of the books I read, movies I see, and TV shows I watch, but I'm not compiling all the info I did in 2007, with notes on what I thought about them and such.
And I'll keep track of my writing, both nonfiction and fiction, but since I have absolutely no idea what's going to happen tomorrow, never mind the rest of the year, I don't want to set full goals. Some of the things I plan to do, in the absence of outside influence (like contracts):
How did you do? What are your plans? Share!
Recent Movies
I saw I Am Legend, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, and P.S. I Love You around the holiday. I loved them all.
I Am Legend had some flaws. There was a major thread they dropped the ball on, which was really important. I didn't care for the ending, though it wasn't at all surprising, and because there was no romance involved, it didn't bother me as much. Will Smith's acting was amazing, the hints that his hold on sanity wasn't as strong as it seemed, combined with his determination and his pain. The filming was masterful, with most of the special effects and the editing done in such a seamless, taut way that tension was never lost. We learned the backstory in a clever manner, too.
National Treasure: Book of Secrets was better than the first one, I thought, and the first one was pretty darned good. I love smart writing about smart people. The humor was excellent, and Riley still rocks the theater. Some spots at the end felt a little rushed, but Ed Harris was there, so who cares!
MaryF was right about needing tissues for P.S. I Love You. I'd have liked a little advancement of the symbolic hope at the end, but otherwise I don't think I have any complaints. Complex relationships, solid acting--the fight scene at the beginning had to have been filmed late, they were so comfortable with each other--and a happy ending equal a satisfying experience.
Looking Ahead, Movie-Wise
Some of the trailers looked even better than what I just saw.
Wall*E, about a robot left on Mars for 700 years, looks adorable.
Hancock, featuring Will Smith as a dissolute, destructive superhero
Mad Money is one that can go either way, from an amusing adventure to a ridiculous disappointment, but I'm looking forward to it regardless.
There were several others, and I can't remember them or find their trailers to bump my memory. I'm very excited that Juno is finally opening locally this Friday.
2007 Top Entertainment
Top Books
I gave 14 books a perfect 10, not including those I read as critiques before they were published. These were:
Seventh Key, Evelyn Vaughn
The Medusa Prophesy, Cindy Dees
Natural Born Charmer, Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Death Masks, Jim Butcher
Innocent in Death, JD Robb
Blood Rites, Jim Butcher
Coyote Dreams, CE Murphy
Dead Beat, Jim Butcher
Proven Guilty, Jim Butcher
Avalon High, Meg Cabot
White Knight, Jim Butcher
How to Lose an Extraterrestrial in 10 Days, Susan Grant
All Through the Night, Suzanne Brockmann
Creation in Death, JD Robb
Top Movies
I saw 17 movies on DVD and 30 in the theater. I know! Thirty is a lot! There would have been more DVDs if it hadn't been for the Gilmore Girls semi-marathon, as well as Dark Angel and a few other TV shows. The movies I gave 10s to are:
Eight Below
POTC: At World's End
Ocean's 13
National Treasure 2
I also gave 9s to the following:
10 Things I Hate About You
Music & Lyrics
Live Free or Die Hard
Hairspray
Bourne Ultimatum
Stardust
I Am Legend
PS I Love You
See a theme? I like comedy, I like adventure, I like hot actors. LOL
Top Television
This includes those I saw on DVD as well as live. The 10s are:
Kitchen Confidential
Gilmore Girls, seasons 1 and 4
Supernatural, season 2 (three was an 8, but after the last ep I’ll bump it to 9)
Jake 2.0
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Lost, seasons 2 and 3 of Gilmore Girls, the fall season of Numb3rs, and the end of season 2 of Prison Break got 9s. I'm dying for Lost to start again, and I don't miss Prison Break anymore.
That Goals Thing
I met all my goals!
Weight
I lost 15 lbs. What? You thought I said my goal was 50? Oh, you must have misheard me. I said fifTEEN. That sounds a lot like fifTY.
Dining Room
We have a few little things left to do, but the transformation is technically complete.
Exercise
I exercised 301 days this year, one more than my goal. I only skipped more than two days in a row once, and that was my birthday/Christmas Eve/Christmas Day.
Books
This one's a little trickier. I read, in their entirety, 107 books. I also read parts of 56 books, with a total page count of 2471, which is a little over 7 books at of 350 pages. (I went as high as page 139 before stopping, and as low as the first page. The most common reason for stopping was boredom.)
So that's only 114, right? And my goal was 115. But I also critiqued 12 full books, all of which are either published, sold, or submitted. That right there would be enough, but I also critiqued 21 other chapters (mostly in partials) and read 10 short stories, some in an anthology, some for a contest, plus 6 Golden Heart entries, plus75 magazines. I think I overwhelmingly met my goal here.
Writing
Officially, I wrote 302,546 words, of which 25,182 were nonfiction (paid work). That falls 47,454 words short of my goal. But I think between the GabWagon and here, I've probably written three times that, and since the GabWagon is 100% related to writing, if I add that with what I've written here about writing, I'm sure I'm well over 350,000 words. Plus business e-mails and IMs could count, too. Since there is no "prize" for achievement, I'm just going to say I did it and leave it at that. :)
What DID I Do in 2007?
I started doing freelance nonfiction and editing/proofreading early in the year. I'm not going to add up the number of projects I did--it's several books edited/proofed, several articles written, lots of bios written, many more advertising pieces proofed.
For fiction, this is what I did:
- Finished writing Unbreakable
- Edited Under the Moon
- Wrote Rebuilding Forever (published in July)
- Revised Unbreakable
- Wrote Hummingbird
- Revised Color of Courage
- Wrote More Than You Know
Pretty good year, I think.
2008 Planning
I'm not setting goals this year. I do, however, have plans.
I will continue exercising, and will exercise 2.5 hours a week. I need to increase my intensity and time for each. I think doing a 45-minute workout three times a week will be more effective, for example, than walking for 15 minutes twice and using hand weights for five minutes three times.
I will continue to track my weight, and hopefully lose more, but I know if I put too much focus on it, it will backfire. So I plan to make small changes in an ongoing, long-term effort.
I will keep a list of the books I read, movies I see, and TV shows I watch, but I'm not compiling all the info I did in 2007, with notes on what I thought about them and such.
And I'll keep track of my writing, both nonfiction and fiction, but since I have absolutely no idea what's going to happen tomorrow, never mind the rest of the year, I don't want to set full goals. Some of the things I plan to do, in the absence of outside influence (like contracts):
- Revise Behind the Scenes
- Revise Hummingbird
- Revise More Than You Know
- Write sequel to The Color of Courage
- Write sequel to Under the Moon
- Start first book of Victory series
How did you do? What are your plans? Share!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Since I Don't Do Resolutions...
I was going to post about my weekend. But since it entails uploading photos, doing research, and other stuff not conducive to my current level of fatigue, I shall leave you with this, instead:
In 2008, 
nuj resolves to...
nuj resolves to...Take evening classes in lost.
Become a better football.
Put fifty dvds a month into my savings account.
Go to the hot celebrities every month.
Be nicer toobieo.
Pay for my movies on time.
Become a better football.
Put fifty dvds a month into my savings account.
Go to the hot celebrities every month.
Be nicer to
obieo.Pay for my movies on time.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Dryer Wars 2007
The following is a true story, told by the participants. No facts have been changed to protect the innocent. There were no innocents in this war.
The Dryer: It happened slowly, as these things always do. Conditions down here deteriorated, and those in power were oblivious.
The Owner: All I knew was that my clothes were taking longer and longer to dry. First it was three cycles, then it was four. The dryer is old. I thought we needed a new one.
The Dryer: That infuriated me. I did my job for nine years, toiling away, and all she ever did was load me up again. Sure, the lint filter got cleaned before every restart. But it wasn't enough. It's never enough.
The Owner: A couple of years ago a sock got stuck in the fan, and we took apart the bottom of the dryer to pull it out. It was really full of lint then, so I knew that might be the problem now. But I couldn't find the ratchet set.
The Dryer: There are always excuses by those in power for not attending to those laboring under them. I was tired of it. I wasn't going to take it anymore, not with a lame token.
The Owner: Things were getting worse. I found the ratchet set and cleaned out the completely clogged exit duct, and all the lint loose in the bottom of the dryer. It didn't help. The next load took an entire day to dry. War had been declared. I got out my Consumer Reports articles and ratings on dryers.
The Dryer: Do you know how heartbreaking it is to have hope dashed so completely? It was like putting a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. I took a calculated risk in complete rebellion, but what else could I do?
The Owner: Plans are no good if you don't implement them. The articles I read said you should clean your ductwork once a year. We hadn't done it since we moved in. Nearly nine years ago. I'd taken measurements weeks before, but Christmas and work and school stuff kept interfering. It was going to be a big job. I even bought all the materials earlier in the week, but didn't break down and take care of things until the end.
This morning I pulled out the dryer, cleaned out the rigid, flat duct that goes behind it, completely replaced the old ductwork, and replaced the vent that goes to the outside, with a new louvered cap over it. It wasn't easy. Just cleaning the floor under the dryer took forever. But in the end, it was worth it, to end the war.
The Dryer: I dried the next two loads in one cycle. The third one, too, the big one of towels. War can be ugly, but sometimes it's necessary, to wake people up to their stupidity. I'm just glad no one was killed in this one.
The Owner: I can't wait to see my electric bill next month.
The Dryer: It happened slowly, as these things always do. Conditions down here deteriorated, and those in power were oblivious.
The Owner: All I knew was that my clothes were taking longer and longer to dry. First it was three cycles, then it was four. The dryer is old. I thought we needed a new one.
The Dryer: That infuriated me. I did my job for nine years, toiling away, and all she ever did was load me up again. Sure, the lint filter got cleaned before every restart. But it wasn't enough. It's never enough.
The Owner: A couple of years ago a sock got stuck in the fan, and we took apart the bottom of the dryer to pull it out. It was really full of lint then, so I knew that might be the problem now. But I couldn't find the ratchet set.
The Dryer: There are always excuses by those in power for not attending to those laboring under them. I was tired of it. I wasn't going to take it anymore, not with a lame token.
The Owner: Things were getting worse. I found the ratchet set and cleaned out the completely clogged exit duct, and all the lint loose in the bottom of the dryer. It didn't help. The next load took an entire day to dry. War had been declared. I got out my Consumer Reports articles and ratings on dryers.
The Dryer: Do you know how heartbreaking it is to have hope dashed so completely? It was like putting a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. I took a calculated risk in complete rebellion, but what else could I do?
The Owner: Plans are no good if you don't implement them. The articles I read said you should clean your ductwork once a year. We hadn't done it since we moved in. Nearly nine years ago. I'd taken measurements weeks before, but Christmas and work and school stuff kept interfering. It was going to be a big job. I even bought all the materials earlier in the week, but didn't break down and take care of things until the end.
This morning I pulled out the dryer, cleaned out the rigid, flat duct that goes behind it, completely replaced the old ductwork, and replaced the vent that goes to the outside, with a new louvered cap over it. It wasn't easy. Just cleaning the floor under the dryer took forever. But in the end, it was worth it, to end the war.
The Dryer: I dried the next two loads in one cycle. The third one, too, the big one of towels. War can be ugly, but sometimes it's necessary, to wake people up to their stupidity. I'm just glad no one was killed in this one.
The Owner: I can't wait to see my electric bill next month.
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