Tag: for your viewing pleasure

Prince Siegfried and the Black Swan

Friday.

Watched the 2010 Swan Lake last night (aka “the Swan Lake for our times”), after I decided that the production I was offered–The Velveteen Rabbit– was taking too much of my limited store of patience. My state of mind might have come over to Swan Lake, which was … not riveting, but certainly watchable, and I did watch it. I did not at all like the man who danced Prince Siegfried, and found the Black Swan much more compelling than the milquetoast–ahem–White Swan. Still, it took my mind off my problems for a while, so that was a thing.

Had a bad night, despite the best effort of cats, and only this morning realized that I have an answer to the problem of wanting to put heat on my back during the night. I have two heated throws, one of which now joins the bed furnishings.

Got grumpy on an email list, did PT homework, ate breakfast.

Wrote +/-660 new words, bringing the WIP entire to 30,145ish words. I’m still subscribing to the Write What You Know then fill in the scenes that are left mode of writing, and this morning I did leave a space for a chapter that has to be there, but the guys in the cellar haven’t gotten me the deets yet, and went on to write a scene I didn’t know I needed, until I looked at what my fingers were typing.

The cats were Very Pleased that I decided to join them at work, and they are still in Steve’s office, taking in the air from the sliders. I’m increasingly glad that I had the French windows replaced with the Andersen sliders. Yes, they were heart-stoppingly expensive, but the entire household is made glad by their presence.

I need to do my duty to the cats, then find something to eat. After, I intend to find someplace comfortable to sit-or-lie-down and try to work out some of the WIP’s future bits. I’m really enjoying the daily writing momentum. I’d like to preserve it, if I can, and give the whole Descent into the Slough of Despond a miss this time.

It’s a good plan.

How’s your Friday shaping up?

Mid-week ketchup

What went before — Tuesday: Saw Disclosure Day.

I have … mixed feelings.

On the one hand — looks pretty, gets on its bike and rides, and — granting that I have no idea what it means — the actors did a good job. And a plea for empathy is always in order, especially now, when empathy — Well. Paraphrasing Gabriel in Good Omens 2: If we have empathy, how will we know who won?

There are two Steven Spielberg movies that have been benchmarks of their kind for me, since forever: one was ET, the other was Close Encounters.

I really liked ET even knowing at the time that the storyteller entertained a vastly more positive view of humanity than I did.

Close Encounters? Made me nuts on so many levels.

Disclosure Day sits in the middle — ET‘s earnest belief that innocence and goodwill shall triump; and Close Encounters’ Imma scrape every nerve you have and leave you shaking with rage.

There was some good storytelling, and some o-so-stupid storytelling born of sheer wishful thinking on the part of the storyteller.

On the plus side, a bit of the movie was set in Sykesville Maryland, which happens to be in my old neighborhood. “Silver Spring 20 miles.”

Gotta go get something to eat.
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Man, the car’s GPS hates Bath. I dunno, maybe it gets its brains scrambled by all the noise and metal and whatnot at the Iron Works.

I’m somewhat chagrined to find that, after a lifetime of people asking me if my blood pressure was always this low? It’s now high enough to require drugs — lisinopril, which Steve took, though a lesser dose, because it was treating a different condition.

I did have a very pleasant drive coming and going, down Rte 197 and thoseways along rivers and past lakes, through a pretty day with a blue sky. I did stop at the Maine Maritime Museum and took a stroll around the grounds to both soothe my temper (ref uneasy relationship between GPS and Bath), and enjoy the day before driving home.

Chores have been done, and I’m getting ready to knock off for the day.

And tomorrow — I write.

How’s everybody doing?

A demon can get into real trouble, doing the right thing

Thursday. Cloudy, cool, and damp. Weatherbeans are calling for the damp to start falling out of the sky in a few hours. And the sun has come out during the hour I’ve been away to tend other matters.

So, I watched Good Omens 3 last night. I’m sorry the story had to be punished for Neil’s alleged bad behavior. The lack of his vision and what he imagined for Sir Terry’s vision was obvious in its absence, and what was offered was a flimsy sort of closure with a “feel good” denouement.

I thought, but have since better informed myself, that the last season had been cut from 6 episodes down to 90 minutes, which I was willing to admire the editor’s skill, while mourning the lack of depth.  In fact, I learn that neither Neil nor his production company was involved in Season 3. It was created by a Whole ‘Nother Group, which … kinda shows.

I actually wanted more of Jesus; he was shaping up really well, and I adored the practicality of — whatever it takes to bring people to you so you can teach — stories? pizza? Three-card monte? It’s all good.

This morning, I have been doing bookkeeping and poking at financial matters, which isn’t upsetting in the least. I will shortly get with sorting through closet and dresser drawers, moving winter out and into the spaces where spring and summer now reside.

For those following along at home, the preorder numbers thus far reported for the ebook edition of The Fey Duology are! Amazon 149; Apple 25; BN 7; Kobo 16.

The proof of the paper edition should be with me tomorrow.

Amazon wants me to go to “groundwood paper” for my paper editions, but doesn’t seem to be offering a sample, so — no, Amazon. Thanks for thinking of me.

And that’s the news.

How’s your day starting out?

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Sweet baby kitties. Who could guess that they were trying to murder each other five minutes ago?

Sunday evening 5 pm

All righty, then! Sunday. Cold and grey with snow showers.

Breakfast was — all together now! — hummus, naan, and grapes. Lunch will be a box of something, on account I’m lazy, and also because I’ve got a buncha RL stuff to cope with on my desk.

I also feel kinda pillow fort-ish. No particular reason, except that Steve has now been dead longer than he’s ever been dead before and I am Not Preferring this narrative.

Writing is over for the day — 1,377 new words, bringing the entire WIP to something around 104,110. Caught myself being unkind to same, which is too easy to do when it’s Just You. It is of course, not just me, and I would like to recognize Tali’s support — she came over and cleaned my eyebrows for me, which was … strange, but well-intentioned, and I did feel better for it.

Tried to watch Miss Scarlet last night, and didn’t quite make it through the first episode. Maybe I’ll try Bridgerton.

What else? Oh, the plaque sellers are out in force. Honestly, I’ve never understood why I need a plaque to commemorate the publication of a book when, yanno, I have the book?

There are an Incredible Number of People who are counting themselves IN on the Liaden Readalong. We probably need a theme song. I’ll try to draft some Rules of the Read today, or tomorrow, so people can take a look and offer fine-tuning, if any.

And that’s all I’ve got at — well, lunchtime.

Speaking of which — oughta go do that.

How’s your Sunday going?
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OK, so that’s it for the day. I didn’t get everything done, but really, when does that happen?

Everybody have a good evening. Stay safe. I’ll see you tomorrow.

Soup for breakfast

Monday. Sunny, windy — let’s just agree to call it cold.

Breakfast was leftover tom-yum soup from lunch the other day. I think I have the name right. Lately, I’ve been trying to order one thing I’ve never had before, so instead of egg drop or wonton, I got this other soup. It’s sweet and sour, with chicken and veggies, garnished with peanuts. Makes a good breakfast on a cold morning.

Lunch was the last of the (unfrozen) Thanksgiving chicken with gravy and dressing. There’s a little bit of dressing left. It’s in no danger of getting wasted.

Trash and recycling is in the garage, meditating on its journey to the curb. Which may be delayed until next week, depending on when the storm starts tomorrow, and if the weatherbeans remain adamant in their 6-9-inch predictions. I don’t have to be anyplace until Wednesday morning, and I have plenty of milk for hot chocolate, not to say stuff to keep me occupied, so, yanno, I’ll be fine.

Finished watching Maigret last night (I had been going to finish the night before, but it was (sadly) clear to me how this was going to have to go down and I wasn’t up for Maigret finding out exactly what his roll of the dice had bought him.) Still, all’s well that ended well, though I fear for Louise and Jules as a couple.

As a writer, I do need to have a Word with Maigret’s writers. Guys? You don’t give a character a Defining Quirk, like, for instance HE DOESN’T DRIVE, and then, when that Quirk becomes inconvenient, suddenly! he DOES drive. Points off, writers. Do better going forward.

My to-do list says I have some phone calls and banking stuff to deal with, but what does it know? I’m gonna go play with glass for an hour, because I am reputedly An Adult. Also, having sat with the manuscript for four hours this morning, I need to think. Actually, I need to talk to Steve, but since that’s a non-starter, thinking it is, and so the glass.

How’s everybody this afternoon? Weather good? Whatcha watchin?

The Long Back Yard at 6:30 this morning:

End run

6:30 am: The workday begins

Later that same day: Taking a break to make myself a pot of lentil soup for today and For! The! Future!

The cats are still all back in Steve’s office, having, as the barbarians they are, not the least little bit of interest in lentil soup. Barbarism aside, I have done my duty to themselves, taken a short walk, and also accomplished a few diddly little things while I’m in this side of the house.

USPS allows me to know that I can expect delivery of my tea order today, so that’ll be interesting, going forward.

Last night’s movie was “Vengeance Most Fowl” which is as far as I know the “new” Wallace and Gromit. Those who had been wanting to know about this new??? Wallace and Gromit will do well to remember that I don’t get out much, and in acknowledgement of that I did quotate “new”.

Tonight, I may (re)watch “Enola Holmes,” which I enjoyed the first time I saw it, and which will be pleasant to see again over a glass of wine.

Tomorrow — is Veteran’s Day. There is therefore, no trash pickup, no needlework (the library being closed), and, I think?, no mail. There is, however, a dental appointment. In case anyone was looking for evidence of Life Not Being Fair.

And! My lunch appears to be done. I’ve just added some red wine, and will let that perk a bit while I cut bread and pour ice tea and such like.

How’s Monday treating y’all?
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The end of the six-day run, and what a run it was.

The manuscript has shrunk, but that was expected, and some of the shrinkage was only due to a particular exchange being in the wrong place, so those words aren’t gone, they’re only on-hold for awhile.

I still have about 200 pages of corrections to input, which will now have to take a back seat to Real Life, but! it’s much easier to sit down for a half-hour between Stuff and input a couple pages of corrections than it is to try to work out a whole scene in spits and spots.

On the topic of Adjusting Mine Environment — I was being sufficiently oppressed by the darkness — especially in Steve’s Wing — that I thought to add to tomorrow’s errands a trip to Home Despot or wherever to buy some twinkle lights to install in the laundry room.

Then, as I was wandering the house earlier, I snapped on one of the many “neon” tube lights we have around here, leaning in corners for quick-lights, and I said to myself, I said, “Self? We don’ need no farkin’ twinkle lights.”

I installed a blue tube and a … pink, I guess it is. And boy! don’t they light up the space! I did hang them up with the brackets that came with; fingers crossed they’ll stay where I put them.

Harney’s came through with the tea, and I have 50 sachets each of Scottish Morn and Hiberian Irish to test drive, starting — tomorrow morning, because now?

It’s wine o’clock.

Everybody have a good evening. Stay safe. I’ll check in tomorrow.

The work in hand

Friday. Dim and chilly. Slept late, for recent values of late.

Today is an Official sweatpants-sweatshirt-snuggy-sox-Read!-The!-Manuscript!-Day.

. . . just as soon as I get breakfast, which will be! Oatmeal with apple jam. First cup of tea is brewing.

Kpop Demon Hunters was amusing, and I’m not sorry I had to wrassle Netflix best two out of three to get to watch it.

Y’all have a good Friday.

Off-kiltering

What went before: So, today has been a mismash of working and laying around. I did get some WIP-reading done, and a lot more of lying in bed by turns listening to The Goblin Emperor (which I know so well I’m not stressed about missing things) and dozing. Back is still tender, but not so much as even this morning, so, yanno — progress progresses.

I’m hoping to be done with the worst of this particular brand of nonsense by tomorrow. fingers crossed

The cats are liking the lying in bed part of the day’s structure. I fear they’re going to be disappointed when the schedule returns to what I like to call normal.

I may try to get one more shift of WIP-reading in this evening. Or I may just watch the last three episodes of WandaVision.

Everybody stay safe; I’ll check in tomorrow.

Saturday. Cool-for-now and sunny. Windows in my office are open.

Woke up early and ill, but hey! At least my back doesn’t hurt. Currently sipping ginger ale. Trooper has had his morning gravy-with-meds.

I did watch the last three episodes of WandaVision last night. Pulling the witch out the hat was . . . facile, and honestly, I’m not inclined to follow Agnes any further down her road.

I’m actually amazed that Marvel tried to undertake a story about life-changing grief, and that they managed as well as they did. Even unto that very difficult — and correct — ending. And Wanda’s love for Vision did not allow her to remember/recreate him wrongly.

One of the things that we as writers do over and over is to use death as a plot device — the motivating force that triggers the Real Story. And while it’s true that the Lost Girl, the Dead Spouse, the Slaughtered Village releases a lot of energy, surely there are other means available?

Going back to Wanda — I’m interested in the smart girl with the bright red lipstick — Darcy? — who seems to be a continuing character. Does anyone know where I might find more of her?

And on that note — woman does not take her meds on ginger ale alone, so I’d better see what I can cobble together and call breakfast.

I expect it will be another Off-Kilter Day here.

What’s the day looking like there?

Rosebush proof of life:

I could hide ‘neath the wing of the bluebird as she sings

What went before: Done, compiled, and gone.

All that’s left is to write the Author’s Afterword.

I believe I may do something irresponsible and have an early glass of wine and watch Wandavision.

Monday. Slightly cloudy, and cool at the moment, and the windows in my office are open for the cats, and fully occupied. They’ll be closed later, when it gets hot. That’s the windows, not the cats.

Trooper has had his first envelope of gravy and is asleep in his box on my desk.

Waiting for my tea to brew. First breakfast will be Skyr.

Today is Chores and writing an afterword. I Dare of course was the Seventh Book — the last in the orignally-planned series. I’m now working on Book 28.

I watched . . . three? episodes* of WandaVision last night and I’ll be continuing. I finished Dr. Who last week, I guess, and I have come to the conclusion that I Do Not Get Dr. Who, which is fine. I believe it consistent with other conclusions in re Dr. Who that I made in the past.

My intention had been to cancel Disney after I finished Dr. Who, but it renewed for the month before I finished, thus WandaVision, which makes much more storytelling sense to me than the Doctor, for all he’s cute as a bug.

It’s been my policy of late to avoid Marvel movies, because My Ghod and Little Green Apples (apologies in advance to all who think they’re the bee’s knees) they’re irritating. I think the last Marvel movie I saw with Steve was Captain Marvel, in an empty theatre — and it was fine. And we did watch Black Panther here at home, somehow. But a little of Tony Stark/Cap/The Hulk/Thor/etc goes a long way, and the flipflopping characterization — never mind. Just went off Marvel movies, is what I’m saying. (I also went off Star Wars movies. Three was more than enough.)

All of the above is to make the point that I have no idea who Wanda — or Vision — are in the universe outside of the sitcoms they’re hiding in. I DON’T WANT to be told who are they, or their backstory, because, so far at least, the story is interesting on its own merits.

So! While Disney has my money — are there — how do I say this? — any other Marvel movies that are Interesting, Not Irritating, and Don’t Hinge Everything  on an intimate knowledge of 400 interwoven films? You may include Marvel projects, as long as they meet the criteria Thank you for your recommendations. I realize this may be a touchy topic, so I also thank you for your continued civility in any discussion that follows.

(I realize the above may sound snooty from someone working on the 28th book in a long and involved universe, but visual storytelling frustrates me at the best of times; I depend on text to remind me of important events/people, and I use text to remind readers of same. Film is all forward motion. Also, why are the damned things so dark? Ahem.)

My Disney Watchlist, which may or may not give a range: (Encanto and Free Guy: I already watched these, but I may want to watch especially Free Guy again.) Shang-Chi, Mulan live action, Ms. Marvel, The Light Shop, and two Fantastic 4 movies (no, I don’t know why).

I think that’s all that’s going on at the Cat Farm today — chores and more chores.

What’s happening at your house?

Today’s blog post title comes to you via WandaVision and the Monkees “Daydream Believer”
________
SPOILER:
.
.
.
.
The twins have just been born and Vision is starting to smell a rat.

 

The untranslated stars

We have traversed the Longest Day and emerged from the Shortest Night.

Winter is coming.

What came before: All righty, then. Coming up on Coon Cat Happy Hour and I will be joining them this evening.

Following is Facebook housekeeping; not applicable to those reading on other platforms.

Thanks to everyone who has explained to me that Boosting = I pay money to FB. That will not be happening. As to FB giving me money, I don’t recall ever handing over anything like a Paypal link or a bank account number to Corporate, so that’s unlikely to happen, as well.

What I believe I will do is crosspost to groups for a week, and then call a vote. Someone made the very valid point that there are people who only want the Official News, and someone else made the equally valid point that it’s easy enough to skip the personal crossposts. Since I don’t want the Official News people to skip over the stuff they want because I’ve taught them my posts are Mere Nattering, the try-it-and-evaluate system seems reasonable.

ENDS Facebook housekeeping

Writing has happened. Yet Another Chapter-by-Chapter has been put together; some old words have been polished and rearranged. I’m really looking forward to getting to a place where new! words! can happen, but we ain’t there yet.

And that’s all there is from the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory.

Everybody stay safe; I’ll see you tomorrow.

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Saturday. Sunny and heading for +/-80F/27C. The curtains are selectively open in my office, and the heat pump is already at work.

Slept in, because by the time I went to bed last night, I was exhausted. Chapter-by-Chapter is a Very Useful Tool, but it does take a toll on the brain.

Breakfast was oatmeal and tea. Pork chop and baked beans on-deck for lunch.

We here in Central Maine tremble before an Extreme Heat Watch, said Extreme Heat projected for Tuesday, when heat indexes are expected to approach 105F/40C. The weatherbeans are fair dancing in their excitement. They do so love their Wild Weather.

In news unrelated to anything at all, Perry Wink and his bunny sidekick are visiting Vancouver, where it’s presently drizzling and 52F/11C. Perry is planning to attend the Teddy Bear Picnic in St. Andrews Park this afternoon. If you see him, say hi.

I’m currently reading two books. The first is a fascinating research paper recommended by Alex Picard — Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language, by Nora Ellen Groce, a study of hereditary deafness on Martha’s Vineyard. The second book is The Masqueraders by Georgette Heyer, which I’m having read to me by Eleanor Yates.

In viewing news, I watched the first episode of the second season of Ncuti Gatwa’s Dr. Who a couple days ago. P’rhaps I’ll make space to watch the second this weekend. I must say that Mr. Davies spares no one his scorn in the matter of villains. I’m still trying to settle in my own mind if that’s a bug or a feature.

I spent a little bit of time staring at Cap’n Fish’s website yesterday, but the moving parts defeated me, which means I’ll be shelving that for the present, and will therefore have a treat to look forward to in future.

And that? Is all I’ve got. Today is also a writing day, so I’d better get to it.

What’s everybody doing today?

Today’s blog post title courtesy of e e cummings, “Summer Silence.”