The cubs had another day off school today so Penny and I - avec kidlings - drove out to a lavender farm. It was fun, not only did we have a very pleasant morning tea at the tea-house there (lavender scones, yum!) we also stopped in at a few op-shops on the way. The first one was a fuge Salvation Army place, but as regular op-shoppers in Melbourne know the Salvos are always ridiculously expensive, so didn't get much. ($2 for a paperback novel? I don't think so...) I did, however, find another snowdome from Egypt that's similar to the one I already have. Similar, but not the same, it's now sitting on the mantelpiece next to the other one...
The next shop we visited in Wooriallock was much better. Came out with an armload of stuff, most of which had been priced at 50cents or less. Impressed? Delighted? Yep. That's where I picked up an almost complete box of the 'Two Towers' stickers, you know the ones that have '300' plus items? <bg> Most of the Eomer stickers were still there as well as one small one that had a line drawing of the white horse decoration in the Meduseld that made my heart sing. (And I checked very carefully, Joules, but the only pointy-ear represented was Legs...)
The third shop wasn't bad, either, the cubs got a bunch of toys for 50 cents. : )
Ah, don't get to go op-shopping all that often anymore.
And before I forget...
Thank you, Joules, for adding the 'Make Poverty History' banner thing at the top of my blog, and thank you, Soulsis for all the cool stuff you gave me last week! Some lovely, heavy, indian cotton - pink and purple! - to make into trousers, a large 'Hello Kitty' bowl and a pair of jam pots. The grape shaped one is almost perfect but the strawberry shaped one had lost its lid. No matter, it'll be perfect for a cactus! <g>
Right, where did I get to with the travellers' tales? Ah yes, Portland on Saturday morning...
The night before the mist had rolled in off the ocean obscuring the countryside when we drove into town but this morning it was clear and bright. There were a lot of cows...
Portland is quite large, and busy, it's the only deep-water port between Adelaide and Melbourne. It also had 3 op-shops within easy walking distance. Well, we did need some teatowels and other kitcheny bits and pieces that weren't supplied with the camp's kitchen and I'm sure I'll find a use for the turquoise plastic lobster-shaped tray I found... Had fun pottering around there for a bit, then we met up with Rod and Ruth and got on with the serious business of gathering supplies for the weekend. There was an open-air fruit and veg market near the supermarket. We got some lovely stuff there, including the nicest, crunchiest grapes I'd had for a long time. The supermarket was less exciting but we managed to get everything we needed and still stay within budget!
It was probly close to 2 in the afternoon when we got back to the camp for lunch. Spent the afternoon playing the 'Family Feud' boardgame that Mike had found in an op-shop. Actually, we weren't playing it as such, just trying to guess the answers to the very dated, USA-ethnocentric questions! <g> That was fun!
Pete made himself responsible for dinner - roast vegies and chicken bits - and Niki cooked the deserts, self-saucing choc puddings and a yummy lemony-custardy thing.
The Islandkateer weekends that work the best, in my opinon, are the ones where we cater and cook for ourselves. Not only is the food generally better but I think the way everyone chips in and helps in some way is a very bonding experience for the tribe.
Saturday was 'bec's birthday, too! I hope she had fun, what with the presents from Niki and I and the mini 'surprise' after dinner <g> So, 12 years old now, eh, sweetie? : )
We really were in a lovely spot, you could see the ocean and part of the beach from the hall. There was always the sound of the waves in the distance, and that wonderful salty, ozoney smell from the sea. There was hardly any traffic came our way and the garden snails on the coast look completely different to the ones I'm familiar with. Same shaped shells but the colours are lighter, more varied. Beautiful.
Yep, more later...
Thursday, April 28, 2005
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Another little snippet of my weekend a bit later but first this:
(nicked from The Zone)
Morpheus
?? Which Of The Greek Gods Are You ??
brought to you by Quizilla
Actually I like that result...
Niki has a CD of old jazz/crooner tracks which we tend to play in the car when we do roadtrips. One track in particular I really like, Dean Martin's 'Sway'. From the moment I first heard it I've always thought he was singing to another man. Only worked out why I thought that this weekend.
(Lyrics taken from here, by the way...)
Right, where did I get up to on my travellers tales? Ah yes...
Saturday morning I was woken up before 8 a.m. by the cubs' father growling that Soulsis' car wouldn't start. (She'd very kindly leant it to him while we were away.) I pointed out that she had told him about the starter motor sometimes not kicking over first go, especially when it was cold - as it was that morning. I got grumbled at some more before he said he'd try again and rang off. A minute later I get a text message saying the car had started fine. <rolls eyes> Tch, well I was awake now so I got up and had a shower. The cabin I was sharing with Niki, Alarice and Pete, Mike and Karen, and later that day Rod and Ruth, had two adequate bathrooms. The light/exhaust fan switch for both was on the wall outside and there were a couple of comical moments of turning off the lights in the occupied bathroom before we sorted out which switch belonged to which room. : )
Shower cubicles were very, very small though, and I found the hot water ran out after a couple of minutes. (No one else seemed to have that problem - perhaps I was just unlucky?) It is possible to wash yourself and your hair in a trickle of cold water, it's just not very comfortable. But anyway, on to breakfast!
Sam and Al took care of cooking the bacon and eggs for us each morning - thank you! - a task that was made easier by the huge oven in the hall's kitchen. (Ah, I should probly describe the camp. We had the use of a 5 bedroom cabin, a 2 bedroom cabin, a bunkhouse, and a small hall with attached kitchen.) Then once we'd all woken up sufficiently we piled into the cars and headed into Portland to do our shopping for the weekend...
More later!
(nicked from The Zone)
Morpheus
?? Which Of The Greek Gods Are You ??
brought to you by Quizilla
Actually I like that result...
Niki has a CD of old jazz/crooner tracks which we tend to play in the car when we do roadtrips. One track in particular I really like, Dean Martin's 'Sway'. From the moment I first heard it I've always thought he was singing to another man. Only worked out why I thought that this weekend.
When marimba rhythms start to playThese type of 'take me/make me' lyrics tend to be written for/sung by women. Interestingly though, not once did the idea of Deano singing to another man seem the least bit odd. <g>
Dance with me, make me sway
Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore
Hold me close, sway me more
Like a flower bending in the breeze
Bend with me, sway with ease
When we dance you have a way with me
Stay with me, sway with me
Other dancers may be on the floor
Dear, but my eyes will see only you
Only you have the magic technique
When we sway I go weak
I can hear the sounds of violins
Long before it begins
Make me thrill as only you know how
Sway me smooth, sway me now
Other dancers may be on the floor
Dear, but my eyes will see only you
Only you have the magic technique
When we sway I go weak
I can hear the sounds of violins
Long before it begins
Make me thrill as only you know how
Sway me smooth, sway me now
You know how
Sway me smooth, sway me now
(Lyrics taken from here, by the way...)
Right, where did I get up to on my travellers tales? Ah yes...
Saturday morning I was woken up before 8 a.m. by the cubs' father growling that Soulsis' car wouldn't start. (She'd very kindly leant it to him while we were away.) I pointed out that she had told him about the starter motor sometimes not kicking over first go, especially when it was cold - as it was that morning. I got grumbled at some more before he said he'd try again and rang off. A minute later I get a text message saying the car had started fine. <rolls eyes> Tch, well I was awake now so I got up and had a shower. The cabin I was sharing with Niki, Alarice and Pete, Mike and Karen, and later that day Rod and Ruth, had two adequate bathrooms. The light/exhaust fan switch for both was on the wall outside and there were a couple of comical moments of turning off the lights in the occupied bathroom before we sorted out which switch belonged to which room. : )
Shower cubicles were very, very small though, and I found the hot water ran out after a couple of minutes. (No one else seemed to have that problem - perhaps I was just unlucky?) It is possible to wash yourself and your hair in a trickle of cold water, it's just not very comfortable. But anyway, on to breakfast!
Sam and Al took care of cooking the bacon and eggs for us each morning - thank you! - a task that was made easier by the huge oven in the hall's kitchen. (Ah, I should probly describe the camp. We had the use of a 5 bedroom cabin, a 2 bedroom cabin, a bunkhouse, and a small hall with attached kitchen.) Then once we'd all woken up sufficiently we piled into the cars and headed into Portland to do our shopping for the weekend...
More later!
Monday, April 25, 2005
<happy sigh> That was a good few days...
The Islandkateers met this weekend at Cape Bridgewater - 6ish hours out of Melbourne down along the South coast. Soulsis and her daughter ('bec, who turned 12 on Saturday) met Niki at my place on Friday morning after I took the cubs to school. To all our surprise we were packed and underway by 10.30, not only that but we (ie: Niki) managed to fit all of our gear in the car! This is notable because last time we went on a weekend away there was only 3 of us and the spare seat ended up being packed full of stuff that wouldn't fit in the boot. As Niki said, we must be getting better with practise.
We took our time getting there, stopping for breaks just outside Geelong, then in Camperdown, where we found an op-shop! We passed through Warrnambool which had previously been the furthest we'd been along the coast - going inland to Adelaide is something else entirely - then had a final stop in Port Fairy. Soulsis found another op-shop, and I found a lolly shop. : ) Port Fairy is lovely, it's like all the beautiful, quaint, old, pretty bits of Warrnambool pushed closer together.
We found our way to Cape Bridgewater, which is a lovely little coastal town, very quiet, with a widely curving bay surrounded by cliffs. We got to our accomodation by, oh, 5.30ish I think it was, Met Sam and Al there, then got settled in to our rooms (first there, first choice, woohoo!). Then we headed into the nearby town of Portland for dinner. It was dusk by that time, when a lot of critters become active, and unfortunately we hit a wallaby when it jumped out from the shrubby brush lining the side of the road. We think it must've clipped the front corner of the car, but weren't sure if it had been killed. We backtracked and couldn't find any sign of the poor wee thing, and it hadn't sounded like a solid impact so hopefully it took itself off with just a headache. Still, that was a bit of a downer after the easy trip up, and the 'Kangaroos ahead' road-sign we saw shortly after was just shy of mocking.
Anyway, got into Portland and found the pub that'd been recommended to us. Alarice, Pete and Paul were apparently on their way in (they'd driven from Adelaide, about 6ish hours the other way) and they made it to the pub just before the kitchen closed.
We had a good dinner (I had a 1/2 serve of fish and chips, which was about the equivalent of a full meal for me, and sticky-date pudding for desert) then Soulsis, 'bec and I decided to go for a walk and meet everyone else at the supermarket in a little while. Well, we walked, and walked, in the dark, with no sign of the shop. Saw some interesting things but not what we were expecting. Of course, we'd simply continued up the main road, the one that ran along the waterfront, forgetting completely that we'd turned off from another road on the way in. Ooops. Walked back a bit, then cut through to the road where we were supposed to be, then were rescued by Al... <sheepish> It was a good night for a walk, anyway, and not difficult, only a slight hill...
We got back to the camp without incident and not long after that Mike and Karen arrived. Lots of happy chatting - it'd been a while since some of us had seen the others.
Drifted off to bed around midnight, in a room I had all to myself...
continued tomorrow
Yep, lots more to say and too tired to do it now - especially with an early morning looming. : )
The Islandkateers met this weekend at Cape Bridgewater - 6ish hours out of Melbourne down along the South coast. Soulsis and her daughter ('bec, who turned 12 on Saturday) met Niki at my place on Friday morning after I took the cubs to school. To all our surprise we were packed and underway by 10.30, not only that but we (ie: Niki) managed to fit all of our gear in the car! This is notable because last time we went on a weekend away there was only 3 of us and the spare seat ended up being packed full of stuff that wouldn't fit in the boot. As Niki said, we must be getting better with practise.
We took our time getting there, stopping for breaks just outside Geelong, then in Camperdown, where we found an op-shop! We passed through Warrnambool which had previously been the furthest we'd been along the coast - going inland to Adelaide is something else entirely - then had a final stop in Port Fairy. Soulsis found another op-shop, and I found a lolly shop. : ) Port Fairy is lovely, it's like all the beautiful, quaint, old, pretty bits of Warrnambool pushed closer together.
We found our way to Cape Bridgewater, which is a lovely little coastal town, very quiet, with a widely curving bay surrounded by cliffs. We got to our accomodation by, oh, 5.30ish I think it was, Met Sam and Al there, then got settled in to our rooms (first there, first choice, woohoo!). Then we headed into the nearby town of Portland for dinner. It was dusk by that time, when a lot of critters become active, and unfortunately we hit a wallaby when it jumped out from the shrubby brush lining the side of the road. We think it must've clipped the front corner of the car, but weren't sure if it had been killed. We backtracked and couldn't find any sign of the poor wee thing, and it hadn't sounded like a solid impact so hopefully it took itself off with just a headache. Still, that was a bit of a downer after the easy trip up, and the 'Kangaroos ahead' road-sign we saw shortly after was just shy of mocking.
Anyway, got into Portland and found the pub that'd been recommended to us. Alarice, Pete and Paul were apparently on their way in (they'd driven from Adelaide, about 6ish hours the other way) and they made it to the pub just before the kitchen closed.
We had a good dinner (I had a 1/2 serve of fish and chips, which was about the equivalent of a full meal for me, and sticky-date pudding for desert) then Soulsis, 'bec and I decided to go for a walk and meet everyone else at the supermarket in a little while. Well, we walked, and walked, in the dark, with no sign of the shop. Saw some interesting things but not what we were expecting. Of course, we'd simply continued up the main road, the one that ran along the waterfront, forgetting completely that we'd turned off from another road on the way in. Ooops. Walked back a bit, then cut through to the road where we were supposed to be, then were rescued by Al... <sheepish> It was a good night for a walk, anyway, and not difficult, only a slight hill...
We got back to the camp without incident and not long after that Mike and Karen arrived. Lots of happy chatting - it'd been a while since some of us had seen the others.
Drifted off to bed around midnight, in a room I had all to myself...
continued tomorrow
Yep, lots more to say and too tired to do it now - especially with an early morning looming. : )
Thursday, April 21, 2005
You can tell a lot about people from what's in the fridge, on their bookshelf, or on their mp3 playlist.
Here's my current favourites: (in no particular order - very handy thing that random button...)
One of these days I'll get round to converting my own copies of my CDs to mp3s, then I can have all of my favourites handy in a playlist.
Found KittenKong disemboweling one of cubs' marker pens the other day - no more baby mice left to torment, obviously. She's already been through the local mynah population.
There's been new Samurai Jack eps showing and I've not managed to see any of them. Unfortunately it clashes with Spongebob Squarepants on another channel. Tch.
Wading through chapter 7 of SFSG at the moment - this one's not been as easy to get out as the previous. I've been writing long enough now, I suppose, to not be surprised when a fic slows down to a crawl, especially after a burst of intense creativity. Still annoying though.
Hee, on the train going to the Aquarium the other day, one of the cubs said something that set off a runaway train of thought which ended up being an outline for another novel. <g> I've made lots of notes but it's going to sit in my 'Ideas' folder for the moment.
Not sure why but I seem to be angling towards the Sci-Fi end of the literary spectrum.
(Onna, don't sweat the new ideas coming in on top of everything else, it's all part of the ebb and flow of creative energy.)
A marker on my personal journey: When people asked me what I did I used to reply 'full-time mother', 'writer' rarely, if ever, was mentioned. Now when I'm asked that question I answer without hesitation 'writer'. Cos that's what I am. : )
Here's my current favourites: (in no particular order - very handy thing that random button...)
Oasis - WonderwallThe Smashing Pumpkins' 'Rat in a cage' would've been on there as well but I can't find the bloody file. <grump> Oh well, it's not like Morpheus isn't easy to boot up.
Beach Boys - Wouldn't it be nice
Slade - Cuz I love you
Cold Play - God put a smile upon your face
Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus
Primal Scream & Kate Moss - Some velvet morning
Doves - Black and white town
Tatu - Everything she said
Duran Duran - Save a prayer
Eagles of Death Metal - I only want you
Foo Fighters - Everlong
Outkast - Hey ya
Iggy Pop & the Stooges - Gimme Danger (not as good as Eye-candy McDrooly's version but seeing as I can't get a copy of that...)
Placebo - The bitter end
Kylie Minogue - Can't get you out of my head
The Hives - Hate to say I told you so
Last Exile soundtrack - Cloud Age Symphony
Massive Attack - Teardrop.
One of these days I'll get round to converting my own copies of my CDs to mp3s, then I can have all of my favourites handy in a playlist.
Found KittenKong disemboweling one of cubs' marker pens the other day - no more baby mice left to torment, obviously. She's already been through the local mynah population.
There's been new Samurai Jack eps showing and I've not managed to see any of them. Unfortunately it clashes with Spongebob Squarepants on another channel. Tch.
Wading through chapter 7 of SFSG at the moment - this one's not been as easy to get out as the previous. I've been writing long enough now, I suppose, to not be surprised when a fic slows down to a crawl, especially after a burst of intense creativity. Still annoying though.
Hee, on the train going to the Aquarium the other day, one of the cubs said something that set off a runaway train of thought which ended up being an outline for another novel. <g> I've made lots of notes but it's going to sit in my 'Ideas' folder for the moment.
Not sure why but I seem to be angling towards the Sci-Fi end of the literary spectrum.
(Onna, don't sweat the new ideas coming in on top of everything else, it's all part of the ebb and flow of creative energy.)
A marker on my personal journey: When people asked me what I did I used to reply 'full-time mother', 'writer' rarely, if ever, was mentioned. Now when I'm asked that question I answer without hesitation 'writer'. Cos that's what I am. : )
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Monday, April 18, 2005
Saturday, April 16, 2005
Dang, I think our DVD is broken. It makes this godsawful squealing when a disc is playing. Heh, it'd probly cost as much to buy a new one as fix the old but I loathe the idea of disposable tech. Maybe there's an electronics repairer we can sell it to for a few quid?
Cubs and I went to the Aquarium today. <happy sigh> It's still one of my favourite places to be. The baby leafy seadragons have grown noticeably - so cute! I want a tank of those when I'm unnecessarily wealthy. It's very restful watching them just drift around...
Cos it's the holidays there was face-painting for the kidlings there today. Most children chose from the available list - they want to be a puppy or a kitten, or a pirate, a witch, or Darth Maul. Most children. My cubs naturally wanted their own designs, which they drew for the bemused girl doing the duty. <g> Blue and orange jellyfishes on their cheeks...
The gift shop, alas, had run out of plush jelly fish but 2 new plush sharks were added to the cubs' collection and I got a purple squeaky puffer fish! Have to go back in a few weeks and get the pink and blue ones. I do so like having sets of things.
Cubs and I went to the Aquarium today. <happy sigh> It's still one of my favourite places to be. The baby leafy seadragons have grown noticeably - so cute! I want a tank of those when I'm unnecessarily wealthy. It's very restful watching them just drift around...
Cos it's the holidays there was face-painting for the kidlings there today. Most children chose from the available list - they want to be a puppy or a kitten, or a pirate, a witch, or Darth Maul. Most children. My cubs naturally wanted their own designs, which they drew for the bemused girl doing the duty. <g> Blue and orange jellyfishes on their cheeks...
The gift shop, alas, had run out of plush jelly fish but 2 new plush sharks were added to the cubs' collection and I got a purple squeaky puffer fish! Have to go back in a few weeks and get the pink and blue ones. I do so like having sets of things.
Friday, April 15, 2005
Thursday, April 14, 2005
I-i-interesting day. The cubs' father developed chest pains yesterday so today he took himself off to the doctors while the cubs and I had lunch at Smorgys. I got a text message from him later in the afternoon saying that while the e.c.g. was clear he was being kept in overnight for observation.
Hm. Stress perhaps? Or decades of dining at the Golden Arches of Doom (and similar) catching up with him?
Anyway, he rang later again tonight to say all the obs were negative so he was coming home.
Heh, just spent the last 15 minutes listening to him try to remove the sticky disc contact things left behind from the e.c.g. without pulling out too much body hair...
Yay! Chapter 6 is finished! I'm one chapter ahead of my proposed schedule. Very pleased about that. : )
And there was a tickling [ping] this evening that could develop into a decent short. I've made notes, will let it simmer for the moment and see what happens.
Gods I love my imagination!
Was there something else?
Ah yes...
This make your own South Park character site is lots of fun. (Thanks for the link, Joules!) I think it's an updated version of the program that Okapi used to make the little Lutra portrait at the top of the page. Cubs had a ball with it, as well. Kept them amused for minutes...
And something else that came from Joules' blog:
Ooookaaay... : )
Heh, school holidays are almost over. Not been a bad couple of weeks - not entirely looking forward to going back to the grind again. Eh well, one does ones best...
I keep forgetting to say that Soulsis and two of her chicks came 'round for a visit last Sunday. We watched Short Circuit and Spaceballs, and later on Pirates of the Caribbean (hee, Orli...)
Soulsis arrived bearing gifts as well: a very cute little pink beaded chandelier, a string of clear quartz chips, and a lovely, pudgy blue ceramic fish. <bg>
Hm. Stress perhaps? Or decades of dining at the Golden Arches of Doom (and similar) catching up with him?
Anyway, he rang later again tonight to say all the obs were negative so he was coming home.
Heh, just spent the last 15 minutes listening to him try to remove the sticky disc contact things left behind from the e.c.g. without pulling out too much body hair...
Yay! Chapter 6 is finished! I'm one chapter ahead of my proposed schedule. Very pleased about that. : )
And there was a tickling [ping] this evening that could develop into a decent short. I've made notes, will let it simmer for the moment and see what happens.
Gods I love my imagination!
Was there something else?
Ah yes...
This make your own South Park character site is lots of fun. (Thanks for the link, Joules!) I think it's an updated version of the program that Okapi used to make the little Lutra portrait at the top of the page. Cubs had a ball with it, as well. Kept them amused for minutes...
And something else that came from Joules' blog:
| C...Carbon You scored 31 Mass, 39 Electronegativity, 32 Metal, and 0 Radioactivity! |
Nobody understands you... no, not even organic chemists. The social individualist. You like your attention... but not TOO MUCH attention. You are able to form incredibly close relationships with many individuals, but you don't really get along with preexisting groups. You value equality in relationships, and don't deal well with overly submissive or demanding people. Well, whatever... thanks for making life possible... oh, and cut the global warming out. |
 |
My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:
|
| Link: The Which Chemical Element Am I Test written by effataigus on OkCupid Free Online Dating |
Ooookaaay... : )
Heh, school holidays are almost over. Not been a bad couple of weeks - not entirely looking forward to going back to the grind again. Eh well, one does ones best...
I keep forgetting to say that Soulsis and two of her chicks came 'round for a visit last Sunday. We watched Short Circuit and Spaceballs, and later on Pirates of the Caribbean (hee, Orli...)
Soulsis arrived bearing gifts as well: a very cute little pink beaded chandelier, a string of clear quartz chips, and a lovely, pudgy blue ceramic fish. <bg>
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
The cubs, my mum and I went to see a movie today - you'll never guess which one.
Robots. Again. Probly just as well I quite like it but...
The Fat Albert Movie... <headdesk> Why??
At least it looks like they've not tried to base it in 'reality'.
This headline on a magazine cover caught my eye the other day:
Hey, cool, Orli's in another 'historical' epic movie! Wonder if there was any gratuitous nudity in 11th century Europe? <smirk>
Ah, pop culture, you've got to love it. There was a Phillip K. Dick reference in a recent episode of My Life as a Teenage Robot. XJ9's mother/creator - when the 'droid wanted to experience dreaming - wondered in passing what it was androids dreamt of - Electric sheep? It's probly daft but I always feel clever, somehow, when I pick up an injoke. : )
I had an 'excuse me??' moment today. There was an ad for some Yu Gi Oh merchandise - dueling dragons, or something, that fired missiles at each other - but the tag line was 'so you can hit the sweet spot' every time!'
<snigger> Perhaps I read too much yaoi but isn't that a euphemism for the prostate gland?
Oh, oh, oh! Go here! Cacked myself laughing! (Link nicked from Joules' blog.)
Woohoo! 4 pages into chapter 6 and I had a brain-spang about an upcoming bit. Yeah!
Tch, oh for heaven's sake, my memory's turned to porridge - can't remember where this quiz came from...
Given that this is a seasonal thingy I wonder if the results would still be relevant for someone born in the Southern Hemisphere?
And Joules just gave me the link to this quiz...
Don't know him at all but his work sounds fascinating. Heck it sounds like something I'd write!
Robots. Again. Probly just as well I quite like it but...
The Fat Albert Movie... <headdesk> Why??
At least it looks like they've not tried to base it in 'reality'.
This headline on a magazine cover caught my eye the other day:
"Princesses feud over father's death bed."My initial thought was to wonder why anyone would want to fight for possession of something like that? : )
Hey, cool, Orli's in another 'historical' epic movie! Wonder if there was any gratuitous nudity in 11th century Europe? <smirk>
Ah, pop culture, you've got to love it. There was a Phillip K. Dick reference in a recent episode of My Life as a Teenage Robot. XJ9's mother/creator - when the 'droid wanted to experience dreaming - wondered in passing what it was androids dreamt of - Electric sheep? It's probly daft but I always feel clever, somehow, when I pick up an injoke. : )
"Evil will always triumph because good is dumb."Dang it, I wish I could remember where that quote came from - something the cubs were watching, I think. Atomic Betty? Danny Phantom?
I had an 'excuse me??' moment today. There was an ad for some Yu Gi Oh merchandise - dueling dragons, or something, that fired missiles at each other - but the tag line was 'so you can hit the sweet spot' every time!'
<snigger> Perhaps I read too much yaoi but isn't that a euphemism for the prostate gland?
Oh, oh, oh! Go here! Cacked myself laughing! (Link nicked from Joules' blog.)
Woohoo! 4 pages into chapter 6 and I had a brain-spang about an upcoming bit. Yeah!
Tch, oh for heaven's sake, my memory's turned to porridge - can't remember where this quiz came from...
You Are A Lime Tree |
 You are intelligent, hard working, and innately successful. You try to change what you can in life - and you accept what you can't change. Tough on the outside, you are actually soft and relenting. Jealous at times, you are extremely loyal and giving to those you love. You have many talents, but you don't have enough time to use them. |
Given that this is a seasonal thingy I wonder if the results would still be relevant for someone born in the Southern Hemisphere?
And Joules just gave me the link to this quiz...
 | I am:Cordwainer Smith (Paul M.A. Linebarger)This inimitably unique storyteller created a future with so many deep layers of history that all the world we know is practically lost in it. |
Don't know him at all but his work sounds fascinating. Heck it sounds like something I'd write!
Saturday, April 09, 2005
As with movie adaptations you never expect a TV serial to stay true to the original book but by golly I'd not realised just how thoroughly the Sharpe mythos has been tampered with. It's not a bad reworking, it holds true within itself, but the books are far more detailed, and involving.
Having said that I'd still like to get the DVDs - always keen to add to my Sean Bean collection of media, hee. There was someone on eBay selling the sets very cheaply... but they (the seller) have been suspended from trading. Dang. Just as it looked I might be able to afford a set. Oh well, one day.
Had another dream last night about preparing for a cruise 'home' - this is the second one in recent months. The bulk of the dream involved preparations, making sure everything of mine and the cubs was packed, working out when we'd have to leave to get to the ship on time, thinking about what sorts of supplies we'd need for the journey. It was too close to reality in that respect to be a 'fun' dream but I was definitely anticipating the journey and destination.
Yay! Chapter 5's finished!
Did a quick word-count and the total so far is just about 30,000. Not bad for 6 weeks work, eh?
Oh for goodness sake! It got to 33 degrees today, forecast 31 tomorrow. <grumblemutter> It's Autumn, temperatures are sposed to be dropping...
And I've got a mild cold <snuffle>. I feel entitled to whinge. : )
Having said that I'd still like to get the DVDs - always keen to add to my Sean Bean collection of media, hee. There was someone on eBay selling the sets very cheaply... but they (the seller) have been suspended from trading. Dang. Just as it looked I might be able to afford a set. Oh well, one day.
Had another dream last night about preparing for a cruise 'home' - this is the second one in recent months. The bulk of the dream involved preparations, making sure everything of mine and the cubs was packed, working out when we'd have to leave to get to the ship on time, thinking about what sorts of supplies we'd need for the journey. It was too close to reality in that respect to be a 'fun' dream but I was definitely anticipating the journey and destination.
Yay! Chapter 5's finished!
Did a quick word-count and the total so far is just about 30,000. Not bad for 6 weeks work, eh?
Oh for goodness sake! It got to 33 degrees today, forecast 31 tomorrow. <grumblemutter> It's Autumn, temperatures are sposed to be dropping...
And I've got a mild cold <snuffle>. I feel entitled to whinge. : )
Friday, April 08, 2005
Monumentally annoyed.
The cubs' father's old, unpaid cable bill has turned up on mine. Grrrr... When he said he'd 'sorted' the outstanding amount (the arrears that ended with his losing the connection) I naively assumed that meant he'd paid the bloody thing off.
I shall have to have words.
You know, I really need some bookcases so I can bring my eclectic assortment of books out of storage. I realised today, on the way to the bus-stop, that probly the main reason my general/literary knowledge is better than average is because from a very young age I was browsing my parents' bookshelves. My cubs don't really have that option at the moment. They have their bookshelf in their bedroom, then there's only one other bookshelf available to them in the lounge-room and that's half-full of DVD's and photos. (There's one slim shelf in my bedroom but given the usual clutter in there even I can't access that without effort.) <grumble> I need space...
Not been paying an awful lot of attention to the whole Pope thing but one image in the media caught my attention: that of Dubya in the thick of it all looking extremely uncomfortable and out of place. It occured to me that given his religious background there's a good chance he was brought up being told that Catholicism was one fairy-step over from worship of the anti-christ.
No wonder he looked uneasy.
I've been working through my list of interesting typos etc. as new characters appear in SFSG, finding names for them all. I remarked to Joules that I was going to run out of names soon but today I found an excellent source to supplement the typos.
Ablyn - Gabie - Jonti - Rache - Taila - Keely - Mohi - Miriama...
These were all first names from Nickelodeon's daily 'Birthday Bop' list. Hee.
Ah, now there's a thought, I could always pay a visit to Baby's Named a Bad, Bad Thing. Some of the names listed there would be perfect in a sci-fi setting - much better than trying to foist them on a child in the here and now. <smirk>
The cubs and I went to the Melbourne International Flower Show today. Or rather, I went and dragged them along with me. : ) Eh, wasn't too bad, they didn't get too bored and in fact found some of the exhibits fascinating, being genuinely intrigued to see 'art' made with organic elements. It helped that we were able to track down the source of free balloons amongst the too-many-to-count booths so the cubs went away happy.
I knew I should've brought my camera though. The first thing we saw in the exhibition hall was 2 huge flamingos made from pink carnations! Tch. Ah well.
Got away with only buying the cubs one icecream each - we brought all our food and drink - but I probly would've spent more if I'd gone on my own and had a proper chance to browse. There was lots of very cool stuff on offer including some gorgeous orchids, Joules, but on closer inspection they were either made of plastic or modelling clay.
A fun day, but I'm tired now and it's supposed to be hot again tomorrow. Tch. 'Unseasonal heat'. No, really? <grump>
The cubs' father's old, unpaid cable bill has turned up on mine. Grrrr... When he said he'd 'sorted' the outstanding amount (the arrears that ended with his losing the connection) I naively assumed that meant he'd paid the bloody thing off.
I shall have to have words.
You know, I really need some bookcases so I can bring my eclectic assortment of books out of storage. I realised today, on the way to the bus-stop, that probly the main reason my general/literary knowledge is better than average is because from a very young age I was browsing my parents' bookshelves. My cubs don't really have that option at the moment. They have their bookshelf in their bedroom, then there's only one other bookshelf available to them in the lounge-room and that's half-full of DVD's and photos. (There's one slim shelf in my bedroom but given the usual clutter in there even I can't access that without effort.) <grumble> I need space...
Not been paying an awful lot of attention to the whole Pope thing but one image in the media caught my attention: that of Dubya in the thick of it all looking extremely uncomfortable and out of place. It occured to me that given his religious background there's a good chance he was brought up being told that Catholicism was one fairy-step over from worship of the anti-christ.
No wonder he looked uneasy.
I've been working through my list of interesting typos etc. as new characters appear in SFSG, finding names for them all. I remarked to Joules that I was going to run out of names soon but today I found an excellent source to supplement the typos.
Ablyn - Gabie - Jonti - Rache - Taila - Keely - Mohi - Miriama...
These were all first names from Nickelodeon's daily 'Birthday Bop' list. Hee.
Ah, now there's a thought, I could always pay a visit to Baby's Named a Bad, Bad Thing. Some of the names listed there would be perfect in a sci-fi setting - much better than trying to foist them on a child in the here and now. <smirk>
The cubs and I went to the Melbourne International Flower Show today. Or rather, I went and dragged them along with me. : ) Eh, wasn't too bad, they didn't get too bored and in fact found some of the exhibits fascinating, being genuinely intrigued to see 'art' made with organic elements. It helped that we were able to track down the source of free balloons amongst the too-many-to-count booths so the cubs went away happy.
I knew I should've brought my camera though. The first thing we saw in the exhibition hall was 2 huge flamingos made from pink carnations! Tch. Ah well.
Got away with only buying the cubs one icecream each - we brought all our food and drink - but I probly would've spent more if I'd gone on my own and had a proper chance to browse. There was lots of very cool stuff on offer including some gorgeous orchids, Joules, but on closer inspection they were either made of plastic or modelling clay.
A fun day, but I'm tired now and it's supposed to be hot again tomorrow. Tch. 'Unseasonal heat'. No, really? <grump>
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
I've got some potatoes at the moment that are no good for boiling - they break apart - but they make the best roast taters. : ) Crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. <licks lips> Bet they'd make decent baked potatoes, as well. Hm, maybe tomorrow night...
Ah, I keep forgetting to post these links to a couple of interesting blog/lj thingies:
Diamond Geezer's entry on the 4th April about the decline of British television is very funny (today's is a bit of a giggle as well), and Erestor's entry on the 3rd of April is a thoughtful, rather soothing little piece about death... not to mention her ongoing links to pictures of 'nekkid/textile-free french rugby players'. Hee.
<sigh> The cubs' father has written a book, a <shudder> Romance novel to be precise and I've agreed to edit for him. Fortunately there's no issues with his spelling, grammar or punctuation but... I don't like Romances.
Why did I agree? Cos I'm egotistical enough to believe that with my input there's a better chance it'll sell, which would be good I have to admit.
But... I don't like Romances...
What I've read so far seems to be no more or less contrived or lame than any published Romance I've read (when you're desperate enough, you'll read anything) so that'd have to be points in his favour and to be honest, I've read much, much worse.
Soulsis lent me her DVD copy of 'Final Fantasy' a week or so ago and at last I got round to watching it.
Yes, I can acknowledge the technical mastery of the CGI but no matter how realistic the main chara's hair is (and it is, though interestingly no one else in the movie has anything close. It's all short-back-and-sides, or missing, or slicked-down for every one else!) it's no substitute for a half-arsed plot.
I don't know the FF games at all but was this movie taken from one of the game plots? It seems to suffer from the same problems a 20 part series has when it's cut down to a 90 minute film. Interesting premise overall but the treatment of it was slap-dash, requiring great bouts of suspension of disbelief without adequate explanations to back those up.
But that's not what really bothered me. On some levels I could appreciate how life-like the characters were, their body movements were convincing enough most of the time and a lot of thought had obviously been put into skin, hair etc but for all that the characters were terribly wooden. There was very little movement in their faces which unfortunately lead to minimal expressions. For instance, when the main 'villain' realises he's stuffed up, his voice (James Wood) is full of anguish and disbelief but his face displays not much more than mild annoyance.
Quibbles aside I'm glad I saw it, and will probly happily watch it again when the cubs aren't being distracting...
Heh, the little Haadri birthday-smut Joules wrote for me has filled out to a five-part mini epic. : ) Not that I'm complaining, oh not at all. Lots of lovely lemon...
Ah, I keep forgetting to post these links to a couple of interesting blog/lj thingies:
Diamond Geezer's entry on the 4th April about the decline of British television is very funny (today's is a bit of a giggle as well), and Erestor's entry on the 3rd of April is a thoughtful, rather soothing little piece about death... not to mention her ongoing links to pictures of 'nekkid/textile-free french rugby players'. Hee.
<sigh> The cubs' father has written a book, a <shudder> Romance novel to be precise and I've agreed to edit for him. Fortunately there's no issues with his spelling, grammar or punctuation but... I don't like Romances.
Why did I agree? Cos I'm egotistical enough to believe that with my input there's a better chance it'll sell, which would be good I have to admit.
But... I don't like Romances...
What I've read so far seems to be no more or less contrived or lame than any published Romance I've read (when you're desperate enough, you'll read anything) so that'd have to be points in his favour and to be honest, I've read much, much worse.
Soulsis lent me her DVD copy of 'Final Fantasy' a week or so ago and at last I got round to watching it.
Yes, I can acknowledge the technical mastery of the CGI but no matter how realistic the main chara's hair is (and it is, though interestingly no one else in the movie has anything close. It's all short-back-and-sides, or missing, or slicked-down for every one else!) it's no substitute for a half-arsed plot.
I don't know the FF games at all but was this movie taken from one of the game plots? It seems to suffer from the same problems a 20 part series has when it's cut down to a 90 minute film. Interesting premise overall but the treatment of it was slap-dash, requiring great bouts of suspension of disbelief without adequate explanations to back those up.
But that's not what really bothered me. On some levels I could appreciate how life-like the characters were, their body movements were convincing enough most of the time and a lot of thought had obviously been put into skin, hair etc but for all that the characters were terribly wooden. There was very little movement in their faces which unfortunately lead to minimal expressions. For instance, when the main 'villain' realises he's stuffed up, his voice (James Wood) is full of anguish and disbelief but his face displays not much more than mild annoyance.
Quibbles aside I'm glad I saw it, and will probly happily watch it again when the cubs aren't being distracting...
Heh, the little Haadri birthday-smut Joules wrote for me has filled out to a five-part mini epic. : ) Not that I'm complaining, oh not at all. Lots of lovely lemon...
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
Hm. At the Museum on Sunday I had the opportunity to measure how tall I am. 160 cm - 5'3". I could've sworn I was 5'6". Perhaps I've shrunk? Or have I just got it wrong all these years.
Heh, well, at 5'7" I'll be literally looking up to Joules, then...
The cubs, however, are 140 cm tall. Eeek!
I'm a lazy person, I admit that. By 'lazy' I mean I'll happy ignore boring yet necessary tasks in favour of stuff I want to do. (But then, isn't 'lazy' one of those subjective terms, like 'selfish'. I had a relative who was disappointed in me cos I was 'selfish'. I was very upset, until it dawned on me I was only 'selfish' cos I didn't put them first all the time. Humph. But am I really lazy? When there's the need, or desire, I can work as hard and tirelessly as anyone [no guarantee about not whinging, though.] Perhaps the sort of people who might consider me 'lazy' could be those who work themselves into the ground carrying out duties/obligations/jobs that they don't enjoy simply cos they feel they should - which creates bitterness and resentment towards those who appear to be slacking off... I digress - where was I? Ah yes...) Every so often the consequences of my laziness comes back to bite me on the bum. Like this morning. I knew I should've done some washing yesterday but I couldn't be bothered, so I paid for it by having to spend extra time rummaging through the laundry pile, getting stressed, trying to find something not too obviously grotty for the cubs to wear. Heh.
Needless to say I did a load of washing this evening when we got home...
I went into the cubs' school today to spend a few hours inputting a fuge pile of books into the library database. The cubs' came with me, grimbling about their having to go into school on the holidays. I explained that they weren't going to School, just to school, to have fun while I worked. : )
Eh, it was fine. They divided their time between reading quietly in the room I was working, or tearing off outside to have fun with Penny and Sarah, who'd come along to do some gardening.
And later in the afternoon we met their father at the cinema to go and see Robots again. My first impressions were confirmed - it's a light, clever, fun little movie who's plot is just a bit too pat for my satisfaction but that's very enjoyable nonetheless. This time though I got the chance to really appreciate just how well the musical soundtrack meshed with the action. (But as I found out later that all the really good songs aren't on the official CD. Tch, typical.) The cubs loved Robots all over again, and there's a very good chance we'll be seeing it next week as well. No problem there for me. : )
LOLOL! One of my cubs made a funny! Watching the news today about the continuing saga of the dead Pope, some talking-head on-screen made some comment about 'filling his shoes'. S piped up and said he could fill the Pope's shoes... with butter! <proudsmirk> That's my boy!
Heh, well, at 5'7" I'll be literally looking up to Joules, then...
The cubs, however, are 140 cm tall. Eeek!
I'm a lazy person, I admit that. By 'lazy' I mean I'll happy ignore boring yet necessary tasks in favour of stuff I want to do. (But then, isn't 'lazy' one of those subjective terms, like 'selfish'. I had a relative who was disappointed in me cos I was 'selfish'. I was very upset, until it dawned on me I was only 'selfish' cos I didn't put them first all the time. Humph. But am I really lazy? When there's the need, or desire, I can work as hard and tirelessly as anyone [no guarantee about not whinging, though.] Perhaps the sort of people who might consider me 'lazy' could be those who work themselves into the ground carrying out duties/obligations/jobs that they don't enjoy simply cos they feel they should - which creates bitterness and resentment towards those who appear to be slacking off... I digress - where was I? Ah yes...) Every so often the consequences of my laziness comes back to bite me on the bum. Like this morning. I knew I should've done some washing yesterday but I couldn't be bothered, so I paid for it by having to spend extra time rummaging through the laundry pile, getting stressed, trying to find something not too obviously grotty for the cubs to wear. Heh.
Needless to say I did a load of washing this evening when we got home...
I went into the cubs' school today to spend a few hours inputting a fuge pile of books into the library database. The cubs' came with me, grimbling about their having to go into school on the holidays. I explained that they weren't going to School, just to school, to have fun while I worked. : )
Eh, it was fine. They divided their time between reading quietly in the room I was working, or tearing off outside to have fun with Penny and Sarah, who'd come along to do some gardening.
And later in the afternoon we met their father at the cinema to go and see Robots again. My first impressions were confirmed - it's a light, clever, fun little movie who's plot is just a bit too pat for my satisfaction but that's very enjoyable nonetheless. This time though I got the chance to really appreciate just how well the musical soundtrack meshed with the action. (But as I found out later that all the really good songs aren't on the official CD. Tch, typical.) The cubs loved Robots all over again, and there's a very good chance we'll be seeing it next week as well. No problem there for me. : )
LOLOL! One of my cubs made a funny! Watching the news today about the continuing saga of the dead Pope, some talking-head on-screen made some comment about 'filling his shoes'. S piped up and said he could fill the Pope's shoes... with butter! <proudsmirk> That's my boy!
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Yay! Congratulations Sue and GoodTwin for your excellent (and well deserved!) results in this year's Cowley awards. Always good to see great writing acknowledged. : )
Cubs and I had a fun day at the Museum. The Dino exhibition was great - even if I wasn't given much opportunity to savour it - and standing next to those effing big skeletons was marvellous. All too easy to imagine what it would've been like living in their midst. Hm, I'm sure I can work some megafauna into SFSG somewhere...
Getting home we just missed the bus but I was stuffed if I was going to hang around and wait 50 minutes for a 5 minute bus-ride so I cajoled the cubs into walking. Not only did we make it up the long, steep hill with only one rest in the middle, we also got our fish'n'chips and arrived home before the bus would've picked us up from the original stop. Hah! Very proud of us, I am. : )
My feet hurt a bit though, not enough to consider aspirin so I can live with it.
Right. Quizzes nicked from The Zone:
So... an existentialist - bordering on hedonist - dragon, eh? Sounds about right...
This one came from Okapi's lj:
"Quirky... quietly hyper..." <smirk> Moi?
(And Onna has on her blog a very funny "Letter to my pets". : )
Cubs and I had a fun day at the Museum. The Dino exhibition was great - even if I wasn't given much opportunity to savour it - and standing next to those effing big skeletons was marvellous. All too easy to imagine what it would've been like living in their midst. Hm, I'm sure I can work some megafauna into SFSG somewhere...
Getting home we just missed the bus but I was stuffed if I was going to hang around and wait 50 minutes for a 5 minute bus-ride so I cajoled the cubs into walking. Not only did we make it up the long, steep hill with only one rest in the middle, we also got our fish'n'chips and arrived home before the bus would've picked us up from the original stop. Hah! Very proud of us, I am. : )
My feet hurt a bit though, not enough to consider aspirin so I can live with it.
Right. Quizzes nicked from The Zone:
| You scored as Existentialism. Your life is guided by the concept of Existentialism: You choose the meaning and purpose of your life. “Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does.” “It is up to you to give [life] a meaning.” --Jean-Paul Sartre “It is man's natural sickness to believe that he possesses the Truth.” --Blaise Pascal More info at Arocoun's Wikipedia User Page...
What philosophy do you follow? (v1.03) created with QuizFarm.com |
 | You scored as Dragon. You are the Dragon. You store a lot of knowledge about everything. You are generally one who is good with personal growth and can regenerate yourself after a bad experience.
Which animal totem best suits you? created with QuizFarm.com |
So... an existentialist - bordering on hedonist - dragon, eh? Sounds about right...
This one came from Okapi's lj:
You Are Strawberry Pocky |
 Your attitude: fresh and sweet Comforting, yet quirky ... quietly hyper You always see both sides to everything |
"Quirky... quietly hyper..." <smirk> Moi?
(And Onna has on her blog a very funny "Letter to my pets". : )
Saturday, April 02, 2005
Okay, so here we are at the beginning of another fortnight of holidays. Personal goals? Finish chapter 5, clean my room, make some clothes for myself.
The cubs and I are going to the Museum tomorrow to see the Chinese Dinosaur exhibition before it closes (better remember to check ticket prices online before we go - and bus timetables).
Bit annoyed with the cubs, actually. They saw these Aquapets on the telly and as so often happens, what they see is what they want. We nipped into a toy store after school, just so they could have a look. The shop only had 2 and they were discounted, and I'd just got paid (you can see where this is leading) so in a moment of weakness I offered to get them one if they could agree to share it.
They opened the box the moment we stepped out of the store, not surprising, but 2 minutes later there was tears as they realised the thing was interactive ie: you can't just play with it, you've got to look after it or it will grizzle at you.
<rolls eyes> Can't wait to see them with kids of their own. "Make it stop crying! Turn it off! Take the batteries out!" <sigh>
They wanted to take the thing back to the shop and I lost my temper at them. Long story short I made them grub through the rubbish bin to find the thing's instruction manual they'd thrown away without looking at, worked out how to send the critter to 'sleep', then claimed the thing for myself.
His name's Fanga and he's kind of cute. There's a sense of accomplishment when you finally work out what it is he wants to make him happy. His little 'happy dance' is good to see...
The cubs' father and I had our interview with S's teacher the other day. The first thing she said was how different he was without his brother around, the second was how imaginative he is...
This cub's also doing well and his teacher is pleased with his progress. Like his brother his reading level is way above average and he's finding the class work interesting. I'm so glad: last year was a horrible year for them both, brought about mainly by a teacher who scared them and who didn't, apparently, believe in giving encouragment to anyone who wasn't keeping up. He's gone now.
The definitions, and differences, between Mary Sue's and self-insertions is something I keep coming back to in my own mind, trying for clarification. There was a discussion about it recently on the Prosfanfic list and with Sue's permission I'll quote a snippet of one of her posts that says it all, really.
Here's an interesting word:
intagliated - carved on the surface. (Oxford Concise: 1974)
Oooh! Just found out that UK TV over here will be running the Sharpe's Rifles series! YAY! I've wanted to see these again for ages! (Still can't get the DVDs in Aus - not without a credit card anyway.)
Oh dear <tongue in cheek> They'll be screening at the same time as The Bill - whichever shall I choose?
<snort> Like there's a contest...? I've missed the past few eps of that and I'm not in any hurry to catch up...
The cubs and I are going to the Museum tomorrow to see the Chinese Dinosaur exhibition before it closes (better remember to check ticket prices online before we go - and bus timetables).
Bit annoyed with the cubs, actually. They saw these Aquapets on the telly and as so often happens, what they see is what they want. We nipped into a toy store after school, just so they could have a look. The shop only had 2 and they were discounted, and I'd just got paid (you can see where this is leading) so in a moment of weakness I offered to get them one if they could agree to share it.
They opened the box the moment we stepped out of the store, not surprising, but 2 minutes later there was tears as they realised the thing was interactive ie: you can't just play with it, you've got to look after it or it will grizzle at you.
<rolls eyes> Can't wait to see them with kids of their own. "Make it stop crying! Turn it off! Take the batteries out!" <sigh>
They wanted to take the thing back to the shop and I lost my temper at them. Long story short I made them grub through the rubbish bin to find the thing's instruction manual they'd thrown away without looking at, worked out how to send the critter to 'sleep', then claimed the thing for myself.
His name's Fanga and he's kind of cute. There's a sense of accomplishment when you finally work out what it is he wants to make him happy. His little 'happy dance' is good to see...
The cubs' father and I had our interview with S's teacher the other day. The first thing she said was how different he was without his brother around, the second was how imaginative he is...
This cub's also doing well and his teacher is pleased with his progress. Like his brother his reading level is way above average and he's finding the class work interesting. I'm so glad: last year was a horrible year for them both, brought about mainly by a teacher who scared them and who didn't, apparently, believe in giving encouragment to anyone who wasn't keeping up. He's gone now.
The definitions, and differences, between Mary Sue's and self-insertions is something I keep coming back to in my own mind, trying for clarification. There was a discussion about it recently on the Prosfanfic list and with Sue's permission I'll quote a snippet of one of her posts that says it all, really.
"...I often hear the terms MS and author insertion used indiscriminately.Yeah, what she said! <g>
The two are not the same, in my opinion. MS is, as we've said, a poorly written character by dint of being too good to be true.. Author insertion seems to me, to be more a way of drawing on life's experiences so as to make your characters more believable."
Here's an interesting word:
intagliated - carved on the surface. (Oxford Concise: 1974)
Oooh! Just found out that UK TV over here will be running the Sharpe's Rifles series! YAY! I've wanted to see these again for ages! (Still can't get the DVDs in Aus - not without a credit card anyway.)
Oh dear <tongue in cheek> They'll be screening at the same time as The Bill - whichever shall I choose?
<snort> Like there's a contest...? I've missed the past few eps of that and I'm not in any hurry to catch up...
Friday, April 01, 2005
Meh.
I do have a list of things to mention, just couldn't be arsed right now. I've been languishing in the late-season heat and I'm too full of home-made mushroom lasagne to move. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. : )
Tee hee hee...
(Link nicked from Blue Witch's blog.)
I do have a list of things to mention, just couldn't be arsed right now. I've been languishing in the late-season heat and I'm too full of home-made mushroom lasagne to move. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. : )
Tee hee hee...
(Link nicked from Blue Witch's blog.)