Work and Movies

I've been hitting the keyboard hard lately, and I must say, it's more enjoyable than anything I've done in quite a while. Like I said in the last post, I've been working on an original language; on top of that, though, I'm also doing quite a bit of world building.

Now, to be quite honest, during the last four days not a lot has gotten done. DH has been off work on his "weekend" (which is actually four days long), and between talking with him during the day and talking with GL (as normal), I do absolutely nothing. I can generally get plenty done between sporadic conversation with GL when DH isn't home, but when DH is home, he somehow naturally fills in the blanks that I normally fill with work. Man, I love 'em both, but at any given moment I'd like to strangle either one or the other of 'em. They know this, so if they read this that won't come as any surprise.

But anyway, I'm looking forward to "my weekend" - Conman's at my parents' house this weekend, DH is going back to work, and GL's at home with W/GL and GL1 and GL2 (i.e., he's not at work where we usually talk). Tomorrow (yes, I realize that it is now tomorrow, but I haven't been to sleep yet, so to me, it's still today), I'm gonna (1) sleep until I wake up; (2) eat whatever I darn well please; and (3) write history and make up words until either my fingers fall off or my hands go numb. To you, this may not sound like the ideal day, but to me, this is heaven. Nirvana. Shangri-La.

Now, about movies.

DH and I watched two of 'em this evening. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and Stardust. Now, DH picked the FF movie, and I picked Stardust, and I have to tell you, I liked MY movie a lot better than his.

FF seemed to start off slow for me, even though I'm more than a bit familiar with the universe the FF comes from (old-skool comic book fangirl here, my friends). I kinda feel like there was enough representation of the history and mythos of the FF in the first movie that all the exposition was really not needed in the second. And I know the story well enough to know that there was MORE than enough material with Galactus and the Surfer to make a much more action packed movie. But, all that being said, it wasn't a bad movie.

Oh, and did I mention that they didn't actually show Galactus in the movie? Disappointment X 10.

Oh, Stardust. Where can I start? This movie was fan.tas.tic. I absolutely loved the story, the effects, the romance...it was beautiful. Not on the scale of LoTR-bring-me-to-tears-beautiful, but nonetheless, very elegant and well-done. The cast was great, the script was great...I just really, REALLY liked this movie. A lot. Go rent it. Now.

Okay, more to come soon. Until then, stay healthy everybody!

Dog Claws and Linguistics

No, one doesn't have anything to do with the other. They just happen to appear in the same post.

This morning, DH woke me up with the help of the pup. That, on the surface is cute and sweet and, you would think, and great way to wake up. It was, up until the point that the dog got overly-excited and the dog raked his paw over my face and my open eye. Yep, that's right, my eye was scratched by a dog's claw. It hurts, it itches, it's a little blurry, but I can pretty much see, so we're all good. Feels like there's something in my eye, but I can't rub it or anything.

Been doing a lot of work on the new book lately. I've got an 80+ page "world-building book", where I'm writing about the history and culture of the continent in my book. I also have a non-human race in my book, and I've been doing some linguistics studies to start developing a language for them.

Linguistics is fascinating. I've always loved words, and word-sounds, and how language changes and the seemingly arbitrary way words (which are basically a collection of letters and sounds) are assigned definitions, and how those developed. It's an amazing process, and I knew it was involved, but I had no idea that you couldn't just develop a language. I didn't count on "mother tongues" and "sound shifts" and all that jazz.

I won't be developing a mother-tongue, but I'll keep in mind the "old forms" of some of the words that I'm creating. I could see this turning into (1) an integral part of the book and (2) a completely addictive hobby.

I'll keep you updated on my progress. It's a lot of fun...if you're into that sort of thing.

Television Commercials...Lord Help Me

Now I remember why I don't particularly mind when the tv gets shut off. Yeah, I miss the shows, but the commercials...oh, Lord, the commercials.

Let's start at the less freaky and work our way up to the completely disturbing.

First, there are all those commercials for prescription medication. Yeah, I understand that there might be people who need these drugs because they have the afflictions they're meant for. HOWEVER, understand that chances are pretty good that if they've got toe rot or a fickle heart or a floppy....well, whatever it is that you've got...you already know about it, and a sixty-second spot during Dr. Phil isn't going to make you suddenly realize that you've got insulin-resistant diabetes and you need PillX to "fix it". Now, secondly, chances are even better that (a) if you do know about your condition and (b) you've already sought medical assistance for it that you and your physician have already discussed possible medications, and he's not going to make a change because that commercial during Dr. Phil said you ought to.

The next commercial type we ought to talk about are truly disturbing. The commercials where people are way too excited about what they're doing (like, getting a pizza for $5, or selling a car, or something else suitably tedious). Commercials like this are just...ick. They make my teeth set on edge...they're just...ew. No other reason but personal preference on that one.

That's about it for now. Just was watching tv tonight and noticed the weirdness, thought I'd share it with all of you.

Welcome to 2008, Y'all

So, here we are, in a new year. It's 2008! Woohoo (and uhm, stuff.)!

I don't generally make New Year's Resolutions. I don't make false promises to myself that I know I'll just end up breaking, and then I feel all disappointed. What I do is think about what I'd like to achieve in the coming year and then work diligently at making those things happen.

For those of you who don't already know me, I'll tell you a little bit about myself. I don't work outside the home (haven't had a "job" for going on two years now). I'm pretty much just a mom to a smart, creative little boy, and keeping up with him is work enough. I couldn't ask for a better job. My career is that of a writer. I write fantasy fiction of the epic variety, I write essays, I write horror short stories, and well...I write this blog.

Now, I told you that to tell you this...

My "not resolutions" for this year are as follows:

1. I want to further develop my craft by learning more about style development, character development, and learning the best ways to approach worldbuilding. GL has already given me a good resource (Patricia C. Wrede's Worldbuilder Questions) and I've already spent just about the entire day setting up a "book" of the questions on my computer in a way that are convenient to answer.

2. On a related note, I WILL learn to use the yWriter software I have, and I will utilize the FLY Fusion pen-top computer mom bought me for Christmas.

3. I am going to attempt to take better care of my body in the year to come by eating healthier (finances willing). Con's getting older and so am I, and I'd like to be able to be active with my active child. And this may be TMI, but I'm going to start taking more pains with my appearance. I'm not one for doing the lady-like shaving (anyone who knows me already knows this), but I'm gonna make a valiant effort to keep up with the underarms and legs. I'm also going to continue the habit of make-up and hair that I've gotten into. I feel better about myself when I do, and I don't look like my normal total-slob self.

I suppose that's about it.

Oh, and today is my dad's 68th birthday, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDY! (even though I know he won't read this *grin*). It's also SS1's 21st birthday, so Happy Birthday to you, too!

DH started his new work schedule today (actually, it started on December 31, but he was on "B Crew" which meant he didn't actually have to go to work until today). 12 hour shifts are tough, but the payoffs of 4 day weekends and higher pay seem to me to make it all worth it. I know I'm going to lose track of my days like I did before when DH had a rotating shift, but it's all good. I generally don't know what day it is anyway...

So, I suppose that about wraps it up for today. More soon!

In-Between Holiday Stuff

Christmas was great at our house. Conman got everything he put on his list to Santa Claus (and then some), I got a replacement wedding ring for the one I lost, and DH got a new video game for the computer, and that was just here at our house. At mom and dad's it was clothing central, and we all got stuff we can use.

For a little more about what I got in particular at mom and dad's...

My mother apparently believes that I'm a sixty-year-old living in a thirty-two-year-0ld body. Never mind the fact that I am forever struggling to stay "hip" and "with it" (are those the correct terms? I'm not sure any more...) so that I won't be a complete embarrassment to my son when he gets older. Mom insists on prematurely aging me. Let's give a rundown of the clothes she bought me for Christmas this year:

1. Sweater with appliqué. I don't remember exactly what color it was, or exactly what the appliqué was either, but suffice it to say that if I were doing my own shopping, I wouldn't be wandering to the rack that holds this beauty.
2. Sweater with "Aspen" or "Nordic" motif. I know that mom did not actually go to either of the places that are appropriate to buy a sweater like this (namely Aspen or any part of the world that would legitimately carry the word "Nordic" it its description) so she bought it off the rack in a department store. It's red with some sort of skiing or snow-play black and white motif around the collar. Yet another rack I would most likely avoid like the plague.
3. Thin sweater with built-in tank top dickie and black, fake, seed pearls. My schedule doesn't include a visit to the Whispering Pines Retirement Home Christmas Formal Hoe-Down, so I doubt I have anywhere to wear this gem. Waaaaay too overdone to wear casually with jeans, and of a black tone that goes with none of my black slack or skirts that I would wear on a slightly dressier occasion. Mom's solution? "That would look fantastic with a pair of khaki slacks!" Okay. I'll get right on that.
4. Plain purple sweater exactly like the one she bought last year. Okay, in all likelihood, this is the one I'm most apt to wear. It's plain. It's got cable-knitting. It's purple. Sounds great, right? Well...let's back up for just a second. I'm a natural blond, and I have the pasty-white skin to prove it. Pastels are, by and large, NOT by best colors. "Washed out" is an understatement; in this case, it's more like "bleached bone white".

That's not to say that I'm not appreciative. I mean, at least she tried, right? You'd think in thirty-two years of knowing me that she would at least have some inkling of the styles and colors that appeal to me. I don't think she's ever paid that much attention, though, and it's even worse since Conman came along. Oh well, 'least I'll be warm this winter, even if I look like something out of American Graffiti gone terribly awry.

Thank goodness for the gift I bought myself - a FlyFusion pentop computer. I asked for this, she had NO idea what I was talking about, so I bought it for myself and she paid me back. Perhaps in another post I'll relate to you the story of the pen, and how it is filled to the brim with win.

Christmas Shopping and an Anecdote

For today's entry, I thought I'd give you a couple of nuggets to chew on for the holiday season. I probably won't be posting again until after Christmas (unless something really fantastic happens and I feel you simply must know about it NOW).

Anyway, I was all prepared to rant and rave about Christmas shopping, crowded stores, horrible traffic and how awful people can be during the holiday season, especially the last weekend before Christmas.

Quite simply, I can't. Let me explain.

First, traffic wasn't that bad; I've seen it much worse in the shopping centers that I frequent. Sales were good, people were surprisingly cheerful and even helpful. I couldn't believe it myself; I gave information to a lady and she not only said "thank you", but said, "Oh, honey, thank you so much, you just helped to make my baby's first Christmas!" because of the information I gave her. Someone actually backed their vehicle up so I could take a prime parking spot instead of taking it for themselves. People said "excuse me" and "I'm sorry" and "thank you".

It's surprising that I find things like that amazing, and quite frankly, the world ought not work that way. We should all be kind and polite to each other no matter what the season, but I like that it shines a little brighter during this of all seasons. Okay, sermon done.

And now for the anecdote.

It isn't snowing outside, and there isn't even a chance of a white Christmas around these parts this year, but that's okay; Chirstmas always brings back some memories of sledding and snowmen, cold feet and hot chocolate, wrapping and then later unwrapping presents. This happens to be a sledding anecdote (which happened either in late junior high or early high school); I may have another "wintery" anecdote for you after Christmas.

I have always lived in this little community in West Virginia, and my parents lived on a hill (which isn't entirely uncommon around here). Their driveway is asphalt, and when about six inches of snow falls, it's not entirely difficult to compact that six inches down to a nice, 2-inch thick sheet of ice. Makes for some fan-tas-tic sledding.

Generally, we rode down the hill on four-foot long sheets of mine belt. Picture heavy, 1/2 inch thick black rubber with a sheet of fiberglass fabric in the center, and you've pretty much got the idea. However, there was one wooden sled with steel runners that you could steer, and everyone who lived near me waited anxiously for their turn on the wood sled.

When my turn rolled around on this particular day, I had a great idea. I would ask my friend "Roundman" to ride down the sled with me. Now, before we go any further, I have to explain our track to you. Like I said, the driveway was asphalt; it curved slightly to the left, and at the bottom you had two choices. You could either hope to cross the bridge and end up either in the creek or out in the road (depending on whether or not you hit the bridge) or you could cut a little harder left and go over the 2-foot high bank and into the neighbor's yard. This feat isn't difficult to accomplish, and most of the time you could make the turn and come to a gentle stop there in the neighbor's yard.

Now, I told you that so I could tell you this - Roundman and I were going to go down the hill together on the fastest sled known to man, on a 2-inch thick sheet of ice over asphalt. As his nickname may indicate, Roundman is NOT a small fella; our combined weight on the sled was approximately 300 pounds. He laid down on his stomach on the sled, and I laid down on his back, also on my stomach.

The moment came, and Roundman pushed off. It wasn't long before we were going approximately Mach 2 down the hill; I could feel Roundman struggling to keep control of the sled under me. We managed to make it down the hill, and make the turn into the neighbor's yard, and skidded to a halt out in the middle of his yard.

I hopped up off his back and walked a little way away from him, not turning to look at him, and said, "Oh, wow, man, we have got to do that again!" I could hear our friends chuckling around us, and I turned around and looked at Roundman. He was plucking a combination of grass, dirt and snow out of the top of his overalls-style snowsuit. The sled was about eight feet behind us, the front of the runners buried into the ground all the way to the piece of wood you use to steer the contraption.

Yep. We'd sledded for about eight feet on Roundman. He looked at me, his perpetual grin on his face, and said, "Nah, that's okay. I don't think I wanna go again."

Merry Christmas, everybody. Be safe, be joyful, and show your love.

...And To Top Off the Day...

Yes, yes, I realize that this is now three posts in one day, but I'm here to tell you, this is just funny beyond belief to me. I can't exactly explain why, but I find more humor in this child's facial expression than I find in an entire year's worth of SNL:


moar funny pictures