A knit tweed suit & discreet pearl earrings

Consolidation

2009-03-28T16:23:00.000-04:00

Until further notice, or server failure, my posts and updates will be occurring solely on IJ. I just cannot keep up with multiple accounts and would rather devote all of my attention to one place.

Nanny Ashtoreth.

Because I am a masochist;

2009-02-06T14:22:00.000-05:00

I watched ten minutes too many of the new Minder.

It was awful. I forever associate Shane Ritchie with Flushed Away and that's what Five should have done with this idea, cast, and script. It wasn't even one of those 'it's so awful it's good in a way' shows either.

Oh god, my brain. Now it just hurts more.

Snow!

2009-01-27T21:22:00.000-05:00

At last! A snow day. One that caught the county unawares, to boot. Last year, they salted the roads at the slightest suggestion of snow and looked right fools when nothing happened. This year, they ignored the forecast and dear god! the roads were adventurous driving into work. Granted, it didn't begin to snow until 8:15 and the schools were already in session or about to start, and that just added to the ZOMG!SNOW panic of some. It was amusing.

Schools closed 3 hours early. I decided to leave work at lunch time, as the state highway administration had begun salting the roads and I didn't want to be driving home through the half-frozen slurry with everyone else. I need not have planned. Our new director, a very wise and astute woman, decided to close the museum at 11 am.

The beasties made a snow fort around the fox holes they've dug in the woods [don't ask] and enjoyed snowball fights with their friends. I was going to try and catch up, but I pulled out my notebook for The Four Cities and spent the afternoon getting it ready for March's novel-in-90 efforts. I feel very accomplished and energetic about that WIP again. Isabel wants to know if I am "happy now, and can we please get back to focusing on me now?" *pets her* Yes, we will do that, and I have the next leg of Roberto's story tickling the back of my mind, as well as ideas to feed Roberto as to certain nefarious activities occurring in Venice. *remember to print out e-mails at work tomorrow*

Speaking of e-mails, I watched Apparitions today, too. You're right, it is very interesting and I hope that there will be a second series [unlike poor Ultraviolet *sad face*]. Oh, and Demons ep. 4. Much better than ep. 3 and Mina's background was delightfully explored and not maudlin.

Uh, I think that is all on the state of things. Slowly easing back into the normal routine *knocks wood* and letting the thoughts flow as they will. Another low-key and subdued night tonight is in order, the in bed by 11 has helped a lot, giving the body the chance to give the pneumonia the final heave-ho, and I look forward to getting back into the mix tomorrow night.

FYI & Out-of-my-shell

2009-01-26T14:29:00.000-05:00

PEDTM posts could look something like this, too. I think that I am going to take advantage of this visit and go to the reading.

St. Mary’s College of Maryland's Department of English, the Arts Alliance, the LFA, and VOICES Reading Series proudly present Poet Ann Buechner.

Thursday, January 29
8:15 PM, Daugherty-Palmer Commons

Ann Buechner was born in South Korea and grew up in Madison, WI. She has taught at Cornell University—where she also received her MFA in 2005—and at Seoul Language Institute in Busan, South Korea. Her poems have appeared in The Madison Review, Equilibrium, and Barrelhouse. Poems are also forthcoming in Patrick Somerville’s novel The Cradle, which will be published in March '09. Her work is mainly concerned with collisions and elisions; she is fascinated with the way we pull meaning out of (or push meaning onto) stories, so content-wise, she works a lot with fractured narrative, in which the relationship between existing stories (whether they be pulled from folklore or religion or popular culture) and "real" stories is blurred, forced together, and pulled apart. Because of this fascination with such "mythologies," she is also obsessed with the manipulation of the image and the icon—nothing is particularly sacred for sacred's sake. Ann aims for synesthesia in her poems. She hopes that they feel like a group of strange people in a waiting room: layered and varied in story and stance, tone and voice.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served after the reading.

ETA: After a Google search and seeing this quote, I think that I must go.

She also has the brilliant habit, of which I am undisguisedly envious, of summing up her reactions to movies in single, hilarious sentences. Most recently, after Crash, which I liked and she didn't: "I feel like Paul Haggis is sitting at his typewriter, calling over his shoulder, 'Hey baby, can you help me think of something racist to say to an Asian person?'"

Monday's mix

2009-01-26T13:58:00.001-05:00

I have seen the PEDTM ideas floating around f-lists now and in the past, and one time flirted with the idea*. Then I realised that there are days where my morning pages read like this:

I don't know what to write. That's fine. Just write something. But I don't know what to write. That's fine, just write something. But... I don't know what to write. Okay, just write something. But. I. Don't. Know. What. To. Write. That's. Okay. Just. Write. Something.

Yes, block-buster material there, I tell you. If my PEDTM entries were like that, I'd feel obliged to post everyone who read it a gift card to the local vintner, and as that is not feasible, I think that I will continue to skip the PEDTM.

You're welcome. *grin*

The abbreviated Report from the River Styx**: A very relaxing time, indeed. Mer and I left a little later than planned, as I just took longer to wake up than I wanted. I was tired, what can I say. Happily, driving at 80mph did no damage to us or the car, and we made it, more or less, on time. The beasties spent the weekend at their friend's house, which included a Saturday exclusively spent playing WarHammer40K, so I think they enjoyed their own time doing their 'stuff'.

The birthday party for my niece was at The Little Gym. It's a franchise run gymnastics school for the wee'uns, and they had a grand time. Mer was the oldest there, but she loves the little ones and was just in heaven with Hailey and Shelby, who are almost six and looking up to her as they buzzed about the gym.

After cupcakes and singing, we went to my aunt's house for dinner and to celebrate the other five birthdays. Yes! Six in the span of 12 days. We have sour beef and dumplings each year, and dear god, I swear it tastes better and better each year.

Sunday we just puttered around, we girls. Other than packing and unpacking the car [all of one overnight bag, so it wasn't a huge ordeal, really] we did nothing. Mer played her DS games and once we were home, I started a new game of FFVIII. Haven't played that for a long time, and I had fun. I was going to load up FFX, but the lure of Blitzball is too strong and I'd not resurface for ages. It's probably a good thing that Blitzball isn't a real world sport.

All told, it was good... it was needed by all... and I intend to keep it like this.

*Although, PEDTM posts might just contain things like this:

Grilled Vegetable and Mozzarella Panini

Ingredients
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Vegetable oil cooking spray
1 medium eggplant, cut lengthwise into 8 slices (1/4 inch each)
1 medium zucchini, cut into 8 slices (1/4 inch each)
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and quartered
8 slices ciabatta
1 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella
8 large fresh basil leaves

Preparation - Whisk vinegar, oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray; place vegetables in 1 layer on sheet. Brush both sides of eggplant and zucchini with vinegar mixture. Spray all vegetables with cooking spray and place under broiler, 7 to 8 minutes, turning once and coating with cooking spray. Lightly brush 4 bottom slices of ciabatta with remaining vinegar mixture; pile veggies, cheese and basil on each of the slices. Close sandwiches; spray both sides with cooking spray. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add sandwiches. Place a second skillet on top of sandwiches and press down. Cook 4 minutes, flipping once. Serve.

**There will be a longer one, and most likely f-locked, so there you have it.

Enter Lily...

2009-01-10T14:20:00.000-05:00

Or, as I will call her, Miol Draide, the great grey shark. She earned the name after sneaking upon my feet this morning and curling up around them after taking a test nibble to make sure that they were no threat to her. The brazen hussy, thinking she can endear herself to me so easily. I held out until the head butts to the face began and she was a total love sponge.

She's got a clean bill of health from the vet. Turns out our grey lady is five months old, no fleas, no mites, and almost fairly certainly going to be part of the menagerie here. While our vet didn't recognise her, we're still going to be on the look out for 'Lost Kitten' posters because she's too comfortable around people and far too healthy to have been feral. If no posters are spotted, it looks as if Lily will be staying. Puck, of course, is quite miffed. Quite. Barbie barked once at her, the token 'mind your place pipsqueak' and has since ignored her.

I need my head examined.

Well, that didn't last long...

2009-01-07T10:07:00.001-05:00

No, really, the euphoria of a new year coming in is still here, although slightly elusive at the moment. I shall blame the weather. My shoulder and knee are in a state of constant aching from the rain, and while that's not horrible on its own, it occurring hand-in-glove with getting back into the normal routine elevates it [the ache] to a grumble worthy event.

Other grumbles? Algebra. The bane of my existence has returned with unholy glee. However, I now have geometry to attack back with, as the beastiette's class has moved into the realms of geometry.

I will never, ever again watch another news programme. Made that mistake last night, and well... enough said.

Head cold? We are currently in the midst of a wild on again/off again romance. I'm all for the off bits, but the cold is pushing for on. Hopefully I will win, but given that I went to bed at 11[!!] last night and slept until 8:30 this morning might be an ill omen. Time to step up the C again, and lay in a stock of peppers, ginger, and raw honey.

On the other hand, there is good news.

Parent/Teacher conference for the beastiette went well. Oh the horror of middle school... Her classwork and participation are 'A' level, but she's consistently failling to turn in her homework, which is odd considering that she does her homework each night. The root of the problem is the locker area, which is an absolute pit of monstrous horror and confusion, a sentiment expressed by the teachers. We went to the beastiette's locker, she opened it, had time to find all the missing assignments and give them to her teachers. We're working on a strategy for her so she can by-pass the pit of horrors from now on; and while the teachers cannot relax their rules and let her go back to get her work if she's hassled and jostled overly much, they are going to accept it from her if she takes it to the office and asks the secretaries to put the work in the teacher's in-box. I will be buying a larger binder for her and several pocket folders to go into it so she can just carry everything with her and only need to use the locker to store her coat, lunch, and book bag each day.

I am emerging from the mid-winter hibernation and beginning to turn my mind to sharing more here now that there's been some 'me' time. Granted much of that time was spent surrounded by family, but that too is good. Next time, though, I am going to find a way to sneak a few days just to myself in there, though.

I have some hand-written letters to post this week. I've just been finding my thoughts scattered trying to sit down and send emails lately, although with being back to the 9-5 routine, that might change again with the shifting energies. Still, there is a wonderful magic in pen, ink, and paper.

Other [not quite] breaking news:

The new face of Doctor Who. The internet feeding frenzy is just mind-boggling! Holy cow, people! It is a television programme. The world will not implode with this change. Hmm... If all those people just harnessed their energy and did something productive in the world, I might be able to watch the evening news again. That said, he is a bit goofy looking, but I double-dog dare you to show me one Doctor [with the exception of Peter Davison] who wasn't just a bit goofy looking. Also, I did quite like his interview in the Confidential and, as with every other new Doctor, will reserve judgment until I see his performance on screen.

With that, my coffee mug is sadly empty again and I must go remedy that before stepping back into the daily grind.

It's a good time for a Guinness

2008-12-31T12:39:00.000-05:00

The best laid plans, eh? Got hit with the cold from hell yesterday. Took a warm bath, had a hot pot of tea, and more Vitamin C than I can tally, and then slept. Felt 100% better today, so I'm hoping that I nipped it in the bud. Considering that the tickle in my throat is mostly gone, I'm taking it as a good sign.

The beastiette decided that she wanted to come home today. She rang yesterday and I was teasing her that she missed her animals more than she missed us. Of course, today was windier than a wind tunnel on testing day, and when mum rang to let me know that they left her house, I told her to check-in with me when they got to Annapolis so I could leave. I didn't want her to drive all the way down here on New Year's Eve and she equally didn't want me to drive up to Towson, so we agreed to meet in Dunkirk, which is more or less the halfway point. Normally, it takes me 45 to get there if I go over the Solomon's Island Bridge, but with the wind today, there was no way I wanted to try that route and was going to up and cut over to Prince Frederick. It adds an extra thirty minutes, but that was fine with me. Well, they didn't call me until they were in Upper Marlborough, which is about 20-30 minutes away from Dunkirk. So, I got to go over the damned bridge.

That was not fun. It's not the height of the bridge that gets me, it's the lack of barriers that bothers me. Jersey barriers only on a bridge built for Navy ships to be able to pass under do not, in any way, inspire confidence or security. Throw in cross-winds and on-coming traffic, and it is enough to make my heart rate go up into the 100's. I made it over with now panic attacks, thanks to deep breaths and the constant stream of soothing talk that I was doing. I kept telling myself that the funny shakes and shudders were the bumps and ridges in the road surface... Proud of myself for doing that, not happy that I had to. Thankfully, many others feel that same and their was light on-coming traffic, mostly commercial vehicles now that I think about it.

Realised, that like Rincewind, it's not heights that bother me, but the sudden and unexpected bouts of extra-gravity that might occur. Especially when there are capricious winds added into the mix.

Still and all, made it and was 10 minutes later arriving than mum and beastiette who were happily noshing on chips from a pizza and sub shop. Didn't tell them that I came over the hell-bridge, after all, why worry them as I got there in one piece. We didtake the longer route back and went over the draw-bridge instead. It's much lower and has better barriers.

As for tonight, have some champagne laid in for midnight, and will have a low key night with the beasties. They are already starting in on their Simpsons marathon, although threats of LEGO Star Wars on the X-box have been bandied about. Either's wonderful as long as they aren't bickering *wink*

Happy New Year's Eve everyone.

From the holly and ivy bedecked barge of Kharon...

2008-12-27T11:55:00.000-05:00

A belated holiday report from the River Styx.

The car was packed and loaded on Tuesday night, giving me some free time to relax, which was needed; as we went up the road to my mother's house early Wednesday morning. It was enough time to relax before getting ready to go out to my cousin's house for Christmas Eve dinner. Cousin Fabio has decided to add a beard tot he goldilocks he's sporting, so the highlight of the night was hearing his brother ask if his girlfriend was coming over for supper and then making the smart remark of 'but she'll miss singing Happy Birthday to you at midnight," when told she would be with her mother that night. Cracked us all up and Fabio is now JC.

Christmas morning, my aunt, uncle, and cousin came over for breakfast after the beasties opened their presents. Then my brother, sister-in-law, nephew and niece came over, more for brunch, but with a 5 and soon-to-be 3 year old, enough said about trying to get them out the door early. Then it was back out to my other cousin's house for Christmas dinner. We are fairly relaxed and low-key during the holidays. I think we're all at the age where we'd rather sit at home and enjoy each other's company along with good food and good drink instead of rushing all around trying to cram as much into the season as possible. It gets you nothing but tired and cranky.

Did nothing for Boxing/St. Stephen's Day. Slept through all the Premier League matches and will have to watch MOTD in a bit to catch the highlights.

Got back today, and am listening to the beasties play Dawn of War 4... joy. The beastiette is staying with my mother until the 3rd [lucky thing] and looking very forward to having her quiet time with her Nana. Going to pop a ham in the oven and then begin to think about relaxing tonight. If they play DoW4 all night, I just might go hide in the beastiette's room and enjoy the quiet there with the dog and the cat.

Enter Henrietta

2008-12-16T20:52:00.001-05:00

I have been relieved of dish duty. The reason being the decision I made regarding the hamster that was found on our doorstep. Yes, I know, stretches my credulity, too, and I was there when the beasties were taking the garbage out, ran back in, grabbed a near empty coffee jar and then rushed back out to scoop up the shivering creature.

She's a cute little thing, dark grey and white, and as friendly as can be. She's currently in the empty coffee pot, it's all I could find, and the cat is feeling very put out at the intrusion. The dog is gloating that the cat is put out and probably thinking 'now you know how it feels.' Tomorrow it will be off to PetSmart to buy a habitat for her and an early Yule present for the beasties. The eldest has named her Henrietta, and the name seems to be sticking.

Which just leaves me curious... just what exactly does it mean when the universe delivers a hamster, literally, to your doorstep?

Questions~

2008-12-12T09:26:00.001-05:00

They are coming and so are the answers for Mysteries of the Dark Moon. This week just threw a curve ball my way, and I am taking my time to rebound from it and not getting myself all stressed out over the rebound period. My copy of the book looks rather festive right now with the little coloured post-it flags decorating the pages that have the questions on them. It's fairly cheerful sitting here on my desk.

Instead of looking at myself as falling behind in so many areas, I am looking at this as myself on a treadmill. What I miss this round will come back by and be addressed then... or not, and will be let go until the next cycling.

Also, to the absolute jackass who initiated the festive season beginning with a parade leading to his store front the day after Thanksgiving... you, sir, need to roast slowly in hell in your own juices. The Yule season should be 21 Dec - 8 Jan, thank you very much.

Slightly more productive weekend

2008-12-07T20:57:00.001-05:00

I got some blocks dissolved and some more resolution with issues that are nagging at me, which overall makes me a very happy camper. I've made it up to the portion on Hekate in Mysteries of the Dark Moon but have just been riding more on the energies of other areas so that I haven't posted my answers. I hope to get that done tomorrow whilst the beasties are at the orthodontist.

Once more there is a strange time warp where it goes from 6 pm to near on 9 pm in the span of thirty-forty minutes, so whomever is responsible for that, please to be stopping it. Thank you.

My mother was funny tonight on the phone. She said that if Bowe's [the game shop where the beasties play their WarHammer40k stuff] was open on Saturday that she wouldn't be upset if we came home early from the Christmas visit. I think they may have overwhelmed her with their boyish beastie outbursts over Thanksgiving. I might do that, and let beastiette stay up a few days before going up and collecting her. She adores the one-on-one time with her Nana, and at 11 is about all the boisterousness my mother can take for prolonged times.

Going to run the dog out for the last time, it is winter out! and then make some tea and settle in for my relaxation time.

Notes to self~

2008-12-02T09:21:00.001-05:00

1] This evening, sit at the dining room table and not on the sofa. The chance to fall over asleep is less likely.

2] Find winning lottery ticket or Sugar Daddy [or Momma] ASAP.

3] Drink more water and less caffeine today at ~~Hell~~ work.

Settling back in~

2008-12-01T13:52:00.000-05:00

I am so very far behind in everything that I wanted to get accomplished this week.

The only thing I did manage to get done was the BPAL order for mum and final verification of NaNoWriMo 2008. I've got many ideas floating about in my head and I am aching to get to them, but as usual, the holiday break ate all my time. I always vow that I will take time off after I return to get everything I wanted to get done completed, and once more managed not to do so and go to work. More fool me, I say.

In any event, I am slowly getting back into the swing of things after this break and just won't even delude myself into thinking I will ever catch-up. Things will get done when they get done.

Not quite Black Friday.

2008-11-28T07:04:00.000-05:00

First off, the internet. Is there really any need to get up at 'o-dark-hundred' to brave the cold and rapid wildlife to get to a store at 4 a.m. just to find that perfect bargain? From my vantage point of sleeping in until 10, snuggling with my beasties and the borrowed beasties of nephew and niece, the answer is a resounding 'No!'

We were talking about that last night after desert and whislt enjoying a really yummy double bock, and the consensus is that, recession or not, we'd rather forgo the early morning insanity and relax. We also agreed that we'd all quit if we worked for stores that made us get up at three a.m. to go to work the day after Thanksgiving.

Supper was, once again, a study in organised chaos. We got the turkey in the oven at 8:30 a.m. without a hitch, well, other than having to get up at 7 a.m. for mum was as good as her word and got us up early. Yay. The small details got taken care of so that we had time to relax and play when my brother got here with his family. Did the family photos for Yuletide cards, etc., and then all finished getting dressed for the day. Obviously, the beasties were for the photo, but mum and I were dressed from the top up and running about in flannel jammie bottoms.

My aunt is doing well. She has her heart surgery on the 12th, but resolutely ignored that fact and took over as de facto head of the kitchen. I'm good with that. Just tell me what needs doing and where to take care of it, and I'm a happy little helper. Had oysters again, and they were much better than last years, a bit fatter and saltier, and really good.

Should pop off for a bit to get lunch for the beasties. They asked if they could have ice cream first. I don't see any problem with that. *grins*

Get ready, kids! It's that time :D

2008-11-26T15:39:00.000-05:00

Yes, time for another series of Nanny Ashtoreth's Reports from the River Styx!

Ignore the fumes in the background, it's the vodka. Yes, mum's hidden away the wine until tomorrow night and has inflicted a blend of pomegranate and cranberry juice spiked with vodka upon me. Three sips and I swear my cheeks were flushed pink and supper was a giggly affair. Afterwards, dishes were done by the beasties whilst I got the spinach ready for tomorrow. I had the choice of getting up earlier to do this, and earlier was 6 a.m. instead of 7 a.m. and I, ever in the mode of sleep-in as long as you can, chose to fry up the pound of bacon and onions tonight.

The drive up was, thank all the gods, boring and mostly uneventful. There is a gob load of new construction, and a new bridge ramp contraption that now arcs off I-95 to Towson, and the beasties pointed out a cemetery from our new vantage point. It was the Gardens of Faith, and the place where many of my family is buried. From the old ground view, I never knew we passed so close by the relatives, and now we have a new tradition of waving to them and sharing our news on the last legs to mum's house.

We're mostly ready for tomorrow and the 21 relations that will be arriving for fun and mayhem. My nephew has informed us that he is not only staying the night tomorrow night, but another 3 as well, and that they are coming over so early that they will be eating breakfast in the car. I just laughed and agreed. Five year old logic can be fun, too, and well, I wouldn't mind having them come to be with us for 3 days or with egg on their faces at 9 a.m.

Going to have a nice warm bath, remember why I don't drink vodka... oh the sleepies, and then get the air mattresses and sofa bed ready before I settle in and continue to pirate air time on-line *piratical grin*

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-25T15:35:00.000-05:00

A bit early, I know. Trying to relax a bit this evening before the rest of the packing in the morning. Tonight is laundry and getting my list ready. I hope to get on the road by 10, but noon is more realistic. As long as we can hit Baltimore before 2 pm and the northern bound crowds begin to clog I-95, we'll be golden.

There's no telling what tomorrow will bring preparation wise at my mother's, hence the early wishes. Thursday is right out, and hopefully I will be able to carve some time out for myself to at least have a few hours Friday night to check in.

Still ready to duct-tape the beasties to the wall. They not been at all cooperative, so after making sure that they each have a decent set of clothes for Thursday, they can go nekkid the rest of the time as far as I'm concerned. Right, time to get a few more loads run through the machine and then my own mischief to get up to. I hope.

Oh yes, one more thing...

Why is our national harvest festival celebrated so late? *headdesk*

Pattern

2008-11-25T11:51:00.001-05:00

Because I don't know where else to put it.

Legwarmers/Spats[crochet]

With size "I" hook, chain 53.

Row 1: Double Crochet (dc) in third chain (ch) from hook, dc in each of next three ch, *skip the next two ch. Dc in each of the next four ch, ch 2, dc in each of the next four ch; repeat from * across to the last 6 ch. Skip next 2 ch, dc in each of the next three ch, 2 dc in the last ch. Ch 3 and turn.

Row 2: Dc in the front loop of each of the first four dc, *skip next two dc, dc in front loop of next three dc, (dc, ch 2, dc) in next ch 2 space, dc in front loop of next three dc; repeat from * across to the last 5 dc. Skip the next two dc, dc in front loop of last three dc, two dc in top of the turning chain.

Rows 3-26: Repeat Row 2. Finish off.

Edge: Single Crochet (sc) evenly all the way around leg warmer. Join with slip stitch to first sc. Finish off and weave in all the ends.

Make two of the above.

For lacing: Take two lengths of ribbon no more than a 1/2 inch wide, and each about nine feet long, lace through the first and last spaces of every other row, finish by tying into a bow at the end.

As close to 'Fin' as it will be

2008-11-25T07:10:00.001-05:00

Stayed up chatting last night so that I could validate the behemoth. Cheers! Yes, I could have cheated and entered an Atlantic time zone, gotten the purple bar, and then changed time zones back again... but that would be no fun and that would be cheating. Cheat once in NaNo and might as well cheat the whole damned month.

Am not writing on Punctuated Reflections today. I might get a few more words in between Wednesday and Sunday, but I'm not going to be bothered one way or another if I don't. It is, for all intents and purposes, finished and ready to be put to bed until editing in February.

In fact, I might use the remainder of the month to rethink the writing approach and plan for 2009.

But first, I am getting more coffee.

All signs point to staying in bed

2008-11-23T08:52:00.000-05:00

I don't normally put much store in these things, but today, they seem to be a good reason to just stay quiet and stay in bed.

Sun Sign- Taurus: You're drawn to activities that don't interest the people around you. Your needs are different from those of your friends and neighbours.

Moon & Rising Sign - Scorpio: You see so much around you that could be better, and many of your ideas would work if they were enthusiastically applied. Getting others to hear you as a supporter and not a critic will be key.

Got the windows sealled and ready for winter, which has arrived with pronounced determination, and stocked up on the comfort foods of mac-n-cheese, so there is now no need to go back out. Going to hibernate for the time being and begin getting my ducks in a row. Think I might take the next two days off whilst the beasties have school, just to have some solitude for a few hours before the crazy of holiday travel begins.

My holy glazer

2008-11-21T15:09:00.001-05:00

More or less. The eldest decided to come to work with me today. He's been getting squirrelly with waiting for his orders to come through, and I don't blame him. So, Peter put him to work helping to install the windows on the recreated Chapel of 1667 today. Poor eldest beastie, he picked a hella cold day to work outside. It even snowed for a bit today.

The recreated chapel.

He was a frozen popsicle by the end of the day. Got the compie with me, had a warm shower, warm food, and is now crashed in his warm bed. The other two are finishing up their supper and settling in for a quiet evening. Hooray.

Thursday's still pushing the envelope

2008-11-21T10:09:00.002-05:00

The long standing aversion to Thursdays took an interesting turn yesterday, and in a somewhat positive way. Alright, it was very positive, but still a surprise and still occurring on a Thursday and catching me off-guard. The Thursday wariness will still stand.

A brief time-line is order:

Tuesday - Beastiette spilt cream soda on notebook keyboard. Or cat did, according to Beastiette, which is likely as Puck thinks she can type better than we can; or she is just protesting the lack of food in her bowl by making herself an immovable obstacle until said bowl is replenished. Keyboard dried by Beastiette and first cleaning administered by me when I got home from work.

Wednesday - Second cleaning administered. Keys still slightly sticky and slow to rise [mostly the space bar, control, shift, and keys a, s, d, f, g. ASDFG!

Thursday - No computer. *blink* *BLINK*

"Mum! Guess what, guess what! I got paid and the notebook keys were crunchy so I took it up to BestBuy and the Geek Squad. They can't clean it today, but it will be ready tomorrow."

Which was terribly sweet and thoughtful of the eldest Beast, but if he'd told me whilst I was still at work, I could have borrowed more modern technology for last night. The Toshiba needs a new hard drive, and kept crashing on me [that goes up to the Toshiba store in Annapolis on the way up for Thanksgiving holiday with my mum] and the old Dell... well, it is an old Dell, enough said.

But, I'm looking on the bright side. The beasties were thinking of me and that gave me warm fuzzies all over, and I will have a happy and cream-soda free keyboard tonight. Beastiette also knows not to have drinks [or cat] so close to the computer again.

Hopefully I'll be able to watch The Devil's Whore tonight. Other than one of the best mini-series titles ever, the cast looks impressive and I'm a sucker for period dramas, so there we go.

Writing vent

2008-11-16T14:55:00.003-05:00

While I will rarely do this, sometimes I need to vent in a safer space where I know who is reading. Today, I did so in an entry over in my IJ [also called Nanny Ashtoreth].

I did debate for a while whether or not to post it into my PanHistoria blog, but then thought it was well enough where it was as a pressure release. It served its purpose and now I can turn my thoughts to more fulfilling creative endeavours.

I iz a NaNoCat

2008-11-13T17:28:00.001-05:00

Cutest word tracker, ever.

Visiting the last century

2008-11-13T12:08:00.003-05:00

I am at the museum's visitor centre working the meet-n-greet desk for the lady who normally does this, but, obviously, she needed the day off. Normally this is not a problem, and normally I have advanced warning so that I can be prepared for days like today. I was asked to step in for her at 10 am, and so find myself thrown back to a strange, old world.

I am using IE to do my web browsing today, and this version is so old that it doesn't even have the 'new tab' options. It also does terrible things to my IJ layout. E-mail? Right out unless I go straight to gmail because I cannot figure out how to configure Outlook on this old thing. I think it is coal fired. My work computer is at least steam-powered... I am not a steam-punk aficionado for nothing, my friends... and I really am pining for my HP notebook.

It is cold and raining, so visitation is nil and I am without my NaNo idea notebook, so I'm pretty much sitting here watching the rain fall and working up the bravery to attempt a bit more web browsing. If not, I'll find some scrap paper, or raid the photocopier for paper, and work on other ideas and outlines until I can get home and back into the 21st century.

Ah the past, it is a strange country when one does not have the proper tools to tweak technology.

On the love side of the relationship today

2008-11-11T12:29:00.001-05:00

I have a love/hate relationship with Verizon. Today, though, they are on the love side of the line. I am back to normal connectivity and not the trickle the interweb information streams have been of late. I also think that the construction company working on Chancellor's Run road expansion might wind up being sued at least once before this absurdity is completed.

I have no illusions that I'll find any recompense for the few days of frustration here, although I would use it to get more minutes for the mobile as that has been more reliable with making calls since Friday. Love to be in the middle of a conversation with my mother and hear a horrendously loud crackle and then have the line be dead for anywhere from 3 to 20 minutes. This got old back in June.

On the other hand, one reason for this headache is now resolved. The other three are still living at home. Stresses of the season no doubt, but they've been mighty cantankerous this weekend. Also looking at my diet which has been entirely too filled with processed foods and sugar, etc., because of ease and convenience. This headache is the signal to forget that load of garbage and get the slow-cooker out. Hopefully now that fuel prices have gone down the cost of fresh produce will begin to reflect that, but I'm not going to hold my breath on that account just yet. Still, with a bit of creativity, I'll get there and wean myself off the junk again. All it will take is some extra planning each weekend and preparing meals in advance and then freezing them for taking to work instead of skipping lunch or grabbing crap at the deli.

Speaking of which, time to begin thinking about chow-time for the beasties. *resists temptation to get Papa John's to deliver as it's a holiday. Then again there's always Chinese... or Indian.*

Dr Wicked

2008-11-11T10:33:00.001-05:00

Wow. I think that I have found the Grail of smashing writer's block.

Write or Die!

Off to give it a go.

Do they even read their own book, part II

2008-11-09T14:46:00.001-05:00

Monks brawl at Jerusalem shrine.

Yes, you read that right.

First Golden Calves, now this. Where will it end?

Remembrance Day

2008-11-09T10:06:00.001-05:00

A new page.

2008-11-07T15:32:00.007-05:00

I'm getting a bit old for this nonsense, and find that as time progresses and technology gets taken down to the dumbest denominator [please see Facebook, Myspace, etc.] that I am becoming more and more of a Luddite.

What brought this on, you might ask. To which I will answer: the latest idiocy pulled on the paying customers at LJ. If you are unaware of this, do count your blessings. If you know what I'm referring to, then you might also be courting other blogging options, as well.

I do think that I'll be using my IJ as the primary blog, still, but will be happy to cross-post the public entries here. The big drawback that I find here is the lack of options with the security settings for individual posts here: it seems to be an all or nothing approach, unlike IJ and Wordpress.

That said, and those concerns addressed, I am still more willing to give Blogger a fair chance as I still have no faith in LJ. My faith and confidence in them dropped to nil a few years ago, and they stopped getting my money for their service. They are still not going in a direction that will reverse my decision. My IJ is a permanent account, purchased for the amazingly low price of $25 when IJ was still the unheard of alternative for LJ. The only thing that I'll be changing about it is the name when I finally get my rename token. Yes, the new name will be nanny_ashtoreth. I was going to go to the effort and rename my LJ, but alas, that will not be happening because they have once again proven that they do not listen to their paying customers and I am more than happy to put that money aside for continued support of PanHistoria.