Wednesday, May 17, 2006

My feet hurt

I guess I can't blame my feet. After all, I'm managing a little over a mile in my normal routine and then adding a mile to that at the gym. Last week's weight was 192 pounds, so small wonder it feels like I need new shock absorbers.

So I'm signed up for Hardboiled Heroes and Cozy Cats, including a 10 minute pitch to an editor. And I don't have anything finished to pitch. I'm going to have to do some research on whatelse can I do with the time, but I feel bad. I would have left that selection blank had I realized it was pitching.

But just in case someone wants something of mine, I'm working on "Blue Man." Slowly. I woke up at 4:30am and managed a little writing today. But it's a late bedtime and getting up tomorrow is going to be tough.

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The BookWorm

"The Blue Man on the Porch" (Over the word limit because I haven't started deleting yet)

Progress Bar from Writertopia

WEEKLY TOTAL

Progress Bar from Writertopia

MONTHLY TOTAL

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Zy's Novel

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Monday, May 15, 2006

NEWS!

I'm going to be an aunt! In July! Kai kept her pregnancy a secret, not wanting to get everybody all excited and then lose the baby.

And I over-slept again. Well, that's starting not to be news :p

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The BookWorm

WEEKLY TOTAL

Progress Bar from Writertopia

MONTHLY TOTAL

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Zy's Novel

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Sunday, May 14, 2006

*Sigh* Bad weekend

I'm still stuck on cleaning house. The goal is to finish it this weekend, so I'll have next weekend free when Chad comes in.

The house isn't cooperating. *pout*

But I want this
That will come in so handy, when my neighbors turn on their backdoor light that shines in the bedroom window.

I haven't had a chance to do any website playing or writing. I hate weekends filled with what I HAVE to do as opposed to what I WANT to do.

8pm Update: Got the kitchen rearranged and added a brevage only dorm fridge. What's left?

  • Kitchen: done except remainder of dishes, replacing table, and building plate rack

  • Office: Need to finish putting up books and filing papers that are currently in the living room. Books waiting on new bookshelf. New bookshelf waiting for me to call during business hours about broken part

  • Back bedroom: stuff on bed needs final dealing with. One more box to go through, maybe something bigger for filing patterns. WOuld like apothocary chest for magic tools. Oh and the bed, but I need another person for that, keeping the boxspring and matress up while fixing the metal support underneath it.

  • My bedroom: waiting on the new bookcase so I can switch around bookcases. Can probably hang the gold mirror over the dresser

  • Bathroom: needs new sink, new faucet for bathtub, will probably only get to mop it

  • Living room: *Twitch* Go through everything and decide where it needs to go. One piled high sewing table, 5 to 6 boxes, and stuff on couch *TWITCH*



In other news, I got Drupal upload or download or something. Anyways, I'm in the figuring out the behind the scenes stuff and why is that not working stage. I haven't even gotten to making it pretty. But that shouldn't be too far away.

To bed early tonight and sticking to the damn schedule.

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The BookWorm

WEEKLY TOTAL

Progress Bar from Writertopia

MONTHLY TOTAL

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Zy's Novel

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Friday, May 12, 2006

Alt BM Site Redesign Notes

Mainly cause I'm taking up too many windows at work. At home, with FireFox and it's lovely tabs, I can reopen these.

http://drupal.org/
Book Review module
Front Page module
Image Module
Collaborative book--I don't think this is what I'm looking for yet.
User
Comment

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The BookWorm

Thursday, May 11, 2006

So I have this available for later

Indoor track at gym is 1/8 of a mile. 20 laps equals 2.5 miles.

Shit! No wonder my feet hurt.

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The BookWorm

My first day on the new schedule

And I overslept. It's okay, I'll get on schedule soon enough. Tonight is my first night back at the gym in probably two months, so that will help.

I bought a 1GB flash drive for the laptop. Now I can do websuilding at work. *INSERT MANICAL LAUGHTER HERE* I just have to remember not to pull it out while anything is still open. I doubt I'll make that mistake again after the Dante paper fiasco. Now I just have to find out if the file uploader program will run without being installed to the server. I may have to run a closed test site for that. Anyways, that's lunchtime fun.

Here's a question? How many words can you put on a double-spaced page? I just need an average. I don't think I calculated the word count for the paper right.

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The BookWorm

WEEKLY TOTAL

Progress Bar from Writertopia

"Two Halves of a Soul" i.e. Dante paper

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Zy's Novel

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Awake and feeling like shit

Which proves I shouldn't go on the Internet and read anything because I will run across something that will make me feel worse.

I never do learn and I really don't want to discuss it while I'm faced with the choice of having to rewrite the big chunk of my cursed paper on my planned recovery day from said paper.

I have to get dressed and deal with my car and I don't even have the willpower to do that.

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The BookWorm


Progress Bar from Writertopia

This can't be happening

I finished it. Ended being 13 pages long, 3240 words. and because I was an idiot and pulled the zip drive out wrong, the file is now totally corrupted.

There is no back up. I was in such a hurry to put it on the desktop to send it, now it's gone. And all I have left is the first 5 pages I did day before yesterday.

Okay, maybe some good news! If this converter thing can make any sense out of the backup on the laptop. Well I don't know what converter I'm supposed to download, I can only hope I'm making the right choice.

Choice A wrong, trying to find a choice B. I can't believe it is more than likely gone.

Tried it nothing worked/ I have to write the whole damn thing again tomorrow on what was supposed to be my stress free day getting the car fixed.

Yeah, I'm going to bed now


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The BookWorm


Progress Bar from Writertopia

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Too evil for words

Lucus is probably going to send Boba Fett after them but it's still too hysterical.

American Jedi

I wish I had seen that in the theaters instead of Episodes 1 - 3! It looks like it actually has a plot. And yes, it's still funny even if you haven't seen American Pie. I want a lightsaber lacross stick.

On a more serious note now that I've finished supper. I have four pages at least left in the paper to write. I brought everything but my notes to work, and couldn't work on it without the notes. I also had to take out the Italian so my word count dropped.

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The BookWorm

WEEKLY PROGRESS

Progress Bar from Writertopia

"Two Halves of the Soul" i.e. Dante Paper

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Zy's Novel

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Monday, May 08, 2006

*TWITCH*

My back and neck hurt, the muscle relaxer has finally worn off so I'm not operating in a dazed stupor (that finally explains the 5 minutes naps I kept needing yesterday), the paper's still not done but very close, and I better study for the final.

Course if I have to take out the Italian, my paper's going to be much further away from done. Nearest I can tell this apathy must be because my body thinks it's summer already and doesn't want to be bothered. That and the pain and lack of sleep.

I'm taking a stress day. I don't know if it's going to be Tuesday or Wednesday yet, but I also need to take my car to the shop and they're only open Monday - Friday.

Now study.

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The BookWorm

WEEKLY PROGRESS

Progress Bar from Writertopia

"Two Halves of a Soul" i.e. the Dante Paper

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Zy's Novel

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Sunday, May 07, 2006

Break for lunch

Paid bills and discovered BellSouth is still screwing up my phone bill. I only called about three months ago to have it fixed. *SIGH* I'm on page two, but I haven't done any formating beyond double-spacing. I already have two quotes that are probably going to end up being block quotes. The way my outline has worked out, if I spend a page on each topic I'll meet the ten-page quota. I'm not very worried about going over at this point.

Mustard has a new hiding hole. I'll have to take picture the next time he's in it.

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The BookWorm

Zy's Novel

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Saturday, May 06, 2006

Thanks

For all the kind words on the inches-loss. Now if everything would just settle down so I could make it pounds-loss. *Shrug* I need something to be obsessed with over the summer anyway.

If you want to see some more pictures of current characters I have in the closet, check out the Garb Closet. Please, it doesn't get any traffic. *Sob*

The desks are almost completely bare, the washer is in a cleaning cycle, I'm dressed in sweats having taken a muscle relaxer already, and the ten page Dante paper awaits.

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The BookWorm

Zy's Novel

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Creating May Goals

Been keeping an eye on Southern Expressions and decided I like her monthly goal list. And I'm trying to get more diligent about making and keeping deadline, setting up a writing schedule, articulating it all to set positive force of the universe in line with it, etc.

First list:

  • Write Dante 10-page paper

  • Take Dante final

  • Submit "The Rose"

  • Submit "Father's Love"

  • Submit "Dreams of the Dead"

  • Finish editing "The Blue Man on the Porch"

  • Finish editing "Covenant of the Restless

  • Finish three chapters in Zy's Novel

  • Write 5000 words in Canterbury Murder Mystery

  • Write 5000 words in AMF 2007 Resource Guide


Now other than the three submits, how realistic is this list? Probably not very, my habit of overscheduling myself. I need to set reasonable goals.

And sometimes putting exactly what you need Googles what you need. In this case, an article by Lazette Gifford on "Setting Reasonable Goals". My answers to some of her questions:

#2: Will you write everyday?

I want to, but recognize other things have a habit of getting in the way. So I will start this experiment with weekly goals added together for monthly goals.

#3: What other commitments do you have?

Need to go to gym an hour and half (at least) everyday.
Need to start cooking and prepackaging lunches and dinners--one day during the weekend for this and other chores.
Paying job is Monday - Friday 6am - 5pm counting the average commute.
Would like to schedule two hours a week for sewing.

#4: Are the people you live with supportive?

No, Mustard insists on sitting right in front of the computer monitor or on the notebook everytime I sit in my office chair. The boyfriend doesn't live with me and doesn't seem to be in any hurry to visit either so his needs are thrown out of the equation.

#5: How much worldbuilding and outling do you do?

I think I need a better way to save my notes. I have trouble finding them. But nothing--except the Dante paper and Canterbury Murder Mystery--is starting from scratch.

#6: Besides word/page count, what other goals?

I like sending two manuscripts out a month.

#7: And what about rewrites?

Yeah, edits need to be counted as a separate goal. I should dedicate at least one writing period a week to just working on edits.

#8: Reading

I really don't have to schedule that in. *Sheepish grin*

#9: Goals for rest of your life.

I guess boyfriend and parent time fit here, but the idea makings me say "damn it." My mother dumped to much sister crap on me. For this month, I'm ignoring them.



So I've five writing goals for totally new words.

  • I need to write 3000 words a week to finish Zy's Novel by October.

  • I need to write 620 words a week to finish AMF 2007 Resource Guide by September.

  • I need to write 1250 words a week to finish the Canterbury Murder Mystery by July.

  • Not counting Dante paper or final 'cause after next week they won't matter.


So the weekly total of words at this point = 4870 words. Don't start shouting "you can do it!" The point is to reach my goals and not have a burnout, coronary or anuerism.

Two stories are on the editing block. Right now, I've gotten the new direction on "Blue Man" started, so that's what I'll finish in May.

And I like sending just two stories out for submission that way, I already have something ready to go for June.

Now let's chart out the daily schedule. (May 5th: Got tired of how much room it was taking up in the post and wanted color. Click the link to see the prettier version.)

Schedule is designed for after classes are done, but before physical therapy ends. I hate scheduling every minute of the day, but I'm equally tired of false expectations of what my writing output can be. Once I lose the weight I need to, I can scale back on how many days are spent in the gym. And physical therapy won't last forever. I'm exhausted at the end of the day, so my writing time is 4 am Monday - Sunday, with extra time as needed on Saturday and Sunday. And I found one more hour available Tuesdays and Thursdays.

So how many words can I write in an hour? I think I can manage 400 words, but I haven't timed myself. 400 words x 8 = 3200 words (1 writing period for editing), which leaves 1670 words for Saturday and Sunday.

*Perks up* Now the total of what I need feels managable. It didn't when I tallied the numbers. One hour a week for editing, I can get the submissions ready on Saturday/Sunday to mail out on Monday. Now you can start encouraging chanting.

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The BookWorm

Zy's Novel

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Links to Print out and use

Book Reviews for Writers

The Healthy Writer

Five Important Tools in Microsoft Word

Microsoft Help Files

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The BookWorm

Zy's Novel

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Proof of Inches gone

October 2005


April 2006


The middle is actually meeting. Now once I get back to the gym, I take measurements.

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The BookWorm

Zy's Novel

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Sunday, April 30, 2006

Wishing Someone had wrote this advice when I was a teenager

Whatever: 10 Things Teenage Writers Should Know ABout Writing

I have lost some weight, but the pictures are at home to prove it. :p Been crazy this weekend.

"Covenant of the Restless" is finished for class. I'm still not happy with it, and haven't figure out how to add the Toby Locke and Kate fight scene, but I made some extensive changes to it. But since everything is due tonight, I'm clamping down on the perfectionist with promises to work on it later.

This comment from a member of my class makes me feel better about the whole story idea of "Blue Man" now. "This story is a welcome excursion from the realistic stories of this class. It takes a great imagination to create a story like this. Keep it up." Wish they had put their name on their copy of the story.

Okay, finished with the Blue Man version for class. A lot of typos, and a lot of people liked the idea, even if it confused them.

Notes for my official version:

  • Time lapse is an issue

  • Murdock's background

  • Cyndia's looks

  • People think Cyndia's thoughts are POV shifts. -- I think I caught all of those.

  • 3 - 4 people don't like my title.


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The BookWorm

Zy's Novel

Progress Bar from Writertopia

"Covenant of the Restless"

Progress Bar from Writertopia

"The Blue Man on the Porch" for class

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Friday, April 28, 2006

Better Now

Found the notes from the class workshop on the story.

  1. Dialogue (all those "thou"s)

  2. Pace

  3. Contractions - Apostrophes in the wrong place.

  4. Make Kate more badass - more backstory

  5. Change ghost visualizations - more ambiguity

  6. Kate's motivation for leaving the cross


I decided to push back the open to show the shipwreck actually taking place, and hoping that improves the pace. And a flashback to the Toby and Kate fight will hopefully pick up the pace. All I can do at this point is try.

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The BookWorm

Zy's Novel

Progress Bar from Writertopia

"Covenant of the Restless"

Progress Bar from Writertopia

"The Blue Man on the Porch" Class version

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Thursday, April 27, 2006

Titles and Papers

This is probably a Discipline Under Fire post, but *shrug* I'm going for here.

First problem: I have no thesis for the Dante paper I have to do. None. I think I'm going to have to shelve the compare and contrast with Christine de Pisan, and maybe concentrate on the feminine in Dante.

Second problem: may not be a problem any more. "Covenant of the Restless" is the title for the Captain Kate's short story. Hopefully, it doesn't give too much of the plot away since "restless" refers to both the privateers/pirates and the dead. Now the second problem becomes, how to fix the story? I can't find the notes I made during class, just the story copies that a few left comments on. Maybe I filed those notes under the other class, I didn't look there this morning.

Going through the comments: too long for a short story, "thou" is formal (IT IS NOT! "YOU" IS THE FORMAL. Okay, getting a little worked up over that one.), female Captain is not historically valid, they must be part of the English Navy like "Master and Commander" but they don't act like Navy, too short and needs more backstory. I miss my list from class, I had wrote down about ten things and some glimmers of how to address it.

*Taking two Aleve before the headache gets any worse.*

I'm not sure how to fix the "thou" problem. If English Masters' students have no concept of Elizabethan English mechanics, the general reading public won't either. Wikipedia supports that view. :p That stance is arguing with the historian "but that's how they talked!" stance. Hence, part of the headache.

I also have to wonder is backstory worth giving up surprise, or can I do it in such a way that surprise is still valid? Was anyone surprised after learning the scar on Toby's face was given to him by Kate and he still supported her? Maybe I should angle for the support to be the surprise.

Okay enough of the piddle-paddle. Time to get to work.

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The BookWorm

"Covenant of the Restless" (Capt. Kate's short story)

Progress Bar from Writertopia

"The Blue Man on the Porch" FInal Version

Progress Bar from Writertopia

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Revision Hell

I have to have the revisions on Blue Man and Capt Kate's story ready to turn in by next Tuesday.

Yeah, that was my internal reaction too.

Made worse that the changes I have started on Blue Man won't be finished by then. The class never heard about them, but still. ACK!



Yes, I promise not to use the Writertopia's progress bars everyday.

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The BookWorm

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

New progress bar!

I like having the progress bars in the side bars from Zokutou. But they are hard to keep updated in the template. And when you put them in the post, the invisible tables show up. So I went looking for something else.

Southern Expressions clued me into a couple of choices. I picked the simple progress bar from Wordtopia. Here's what Zy's Novel current status look like:


They also have a more animated graphic that you can use (more fun with NaNo):


I like them a lot! Now go see all the progress I made over the weekend and today in Discipline Under Fire.

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The BookWorm

Some clips from Google Video of the Day

Christopher Walken dancing to Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice". As far as I can tell this is the music video for the song. And Walken makes me feel much better about my dancing abilities.

Reworked trailers are funnier if you've actually seen the movie they've redone.
The Shining goes happy.
Sleepless in Seattle goes dark.

And Titanic gets a sequel. Titanic 2: the Surface Okay, I'm a Titanic nut and James Cameron won eternal good will from me for the sheer volume of historical detail he put into the film. Rose and Jack were just there for two reasons: a) make the tragedy human without stepping on any relations or survivor's toes and b) to run all over the sinking ship to see all the historical details.

So getting over the implausibility of Jack getting frozen in an ice cube, this sequel trailer idea works for me. I don't expect it to work for anyone else. Though I think it was the putting a Titanic survivor (who pretty much went through the sinking practically yesterday) watching "Titanic the musical" won me over.

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The BookWorm

TESTING

Couldn't update anything yesterday. Seeing if it will work today.

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The BookWorm

Saturday, April 22, 2006

Interesting Times

April 21st: The Chinese proverb times, and it has been going on the whole week. Two people are leaving the office for better jobs. I’m thrilled for them, but also amused. Everyone keeps looking at me to make an announcement and I have nothing to announce.

I finally got my settlement from the 2005 wreck, but my bank wants to keep it tied up for ten days. *Sigh I was stupid, I should have went to Hibernia with it instead of depositing it with the credit union but they hit me with it at the end of the day and I couldn’t roll with the punch. Plus I was worried about the car and that put a screeching halt to getting it fixed last night.

My car had other plans. Leaving for work on this morning, I discovered my left front tire is flat. I can’t work the jack to lift the car to put the spare on, so I fill it mostly with a can of inflate-a-flat and head to Springfield. None of the tire shops are open. I head for Hammond. The car starts shaking like I’m in a jalopy. Pulled over at the next gas station and discovered that the tire has come apart.

Luckily, a nice man helped me get the spare on. (Chivilary is not dead in the South.) And I’m now sitting at Tire Kingdom waiting for them to get two new tires on, align the wheels, and change the oil. Turns out that one of the tires was bigger than the other three and that was probably a contributing factor to my alignment issues.

Hopefully, the check issue will get cleared up quickly and I can get the other important things fixed before we go to Texas again for a live-steel group event. I need to get my horn and one of the headlights replaced. The front bumper and windshield are my responsibility to fix—and waiting for the check—and the back bumper is State Farm’s responsibility once I get time to leave it with the body shop.

The TV is reminding me that I need to update my home insurance. Need to make sure I have away-from-home-expenses coverage and replacement-value coverage on contents. I probably want to update my electronics too. And if I end up making the improvements to the bathroom, I have to get that listed.

Now I’m going to move onto typing on Zy’s Novel and Blue Man while I have the time.

April 22nd: I spent about 4 and a half hours at work yesterday. Then to celebrate my income tax refund, I went out to eat with Joe and Krista, and then Krista and I went to see Silent Hill.

I enjoyed it, and Krista the true horror fan in our fan declared it alright. There is blood and gore, but by the time it really gets bad in the movie, they have set it up to where you’re almost rooting for it. They did drop the “breeding a Lovecraftian Elder god” plot line of the video game from the movie, but left enough questions on origins to pick it up in the sequel. I only hope the sequel answers what I felt was the big gip for the protagonists at the end of the movie.

So where am I now? Waiting for the other half of my car repairs to get started. Then a car wash and inspection sticker, and I should be good to go for the next 3000 miles. Still need to replace back bumper and fix front bumper and windshield, but it looks like that will have to wait until after the Tyler, Texas trip. I considered doing it today too, but I need to get the house in order (i.e. finish the back bedroom and go through that stuff) and I want that done before the trip too.

So more work on Zy’s Novel and the Blue Man while I have this enforced waiting period. When I post this online, I’ll put up what I managed to get done the last two days.

Finally posted, now time to go work on back bedroom progress!

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The BookWorm

Thursday, April 20, 2006

Back Bedroom Part Two

Okay, I was a triffle ambitious that Part Two would have the "after" pictures.

As I said earlier, drawers fell down with a crash. Here's the stack that I made after the crash.


I drilled holes into the wall for the masonry anchors to hold up the drawers. Here's me holding up a blot that I'm afraid is too long, and you can see the hole with anchor in the wall.


Here's the holes where the whole damn side popped out of the wall. I didn't even have a chance to hang the other side up.


Why? Partly because I think the white support is slightly bent. You can see the supports in use in this shot. Granted it is the other side of the room, but you get the idea.


The second reason is because the two back rooms are a pine lean-to. They put 2x6 pine boards flat to make the walls and then covered with sheetrock and siding on the outside. There's no hollow space for the anchors to expand into!

And how do I know? Here's the holes I made with the drill on the kitchen side of the wall.


So tomorrow it's off to Lowe's for putty to fill in the walls, and 2-inch wood screws. Hopefully that should keep the damn thing on the wall this time. This is shaping up to be a fun weekend.

Stay turned for Part Three!

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The BookWorm

BULLSHIT BEHAVIOR FROM A PUBLISHER!

Millenia Black - Taking Care of Business: The Great Betrayal - Jim Crow Publishing

If sueing turns out not to be an option, release the publisher's name and let's boycott. I hate to put the other author's they carry in the position of no sales, but the only way for this behavior to change is to hit them where it hurts. And that is always the pocketbook.

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The BookWorm

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Back Bedroom Part One

I'm a third-generation pack-rat, thank you very much. On both maternal and paternal sides. Actually, me and my sisters are trying the hardest to break the habit. I use most everything that I keep, which is a step in the right direction. Pack-rat-ness seems rooted in poverty, though I think nature and nuture work against you as well. You want to hold onto things more even though you know you have no use for it. I constantly work on it, but like all subconscious problems it's always easier to talk about stopping them.

The old closet came out easily with three people hitting it. Here's the results.



The sheetrock underneath was in bad shape. Mice had chewed holes over the years, and generally unpainted ugliness. So we had to go to Lowe's for expanding foam, paneling, and the last of the closet shelving bits. Still not finished with the closet though, I have some more bits on the shopping list.

I couldn't have hung any paneling or the rest of the shelves without my sister Krista and our friend Joe.



My mother's comment at the end of the day: "You've turned the whole room into a closet." I resisted the urge to show where this is a growing trend in America, and pointing out that the only built-in closets I have are going to be demolished when the bathroom is remodeled in the name of family harmony. I have to have storage space and preferably a place to "put things away" instead of dumping them on the floor and shutting the door.

Monday night, Krista and I went through my material stash (2 large totes--50 gallons--and 1 medium sized tote--25 gallons, I think) and she ended up with 1 large tote and the medium tote full of material to start her costume business. I kept the material I need for my new list of sewing projects, and that will fit in the medium tote once Krista is through transporting fabric. I'm not going to lie and say it was easy to let go of the fabric. There was a lot of stuff I had fell in love with. But for now on, only falling in love when I have a specific project in mind.

Next step is to go through the Garb Closet and organize it. Of course I make these things so time consuming when I add in I want pictures of me modeling completed garb sets. But it is the easiest way to make sure I have all the accessories and props, which will then be bagged with the clothes. That storage solution alone will take care of a few of the boxes I have left. Those pics will end up in the Garb Closet blog, and possibly a website gallery.

After that it will be time to group Chad's stuff together and go through the boxes that are left. I have things that I have invested some money into, but I'm not displaying them (like the Star Wars figures). I settled on Ebay as a solution for the comics, maybe the figures will end up there. Course, I have to get off my bumpkis and set up the auctions. :p

I had a setback last night. I finished buying a top and casters for the drawer set kit that is a separate unit. The drawers mounted on the wall needed to shift up, so there would be room to park the dresser under it. In the processing of shifting them, the entire set up pulled out of the wall. Luckily, it was separate from the shelves and I have drywall anchor bolts that I hadn't used. So tonight I get to put extra bolts in everything.

So watch this space for Back Bedroom: Part Two when I'm ready to take the after pics!

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The BookWorm

Wednesdays Headache

Wednesdays must be bad to be me days. I took a muscle relaxer to ease the pain in my back and it only made me sleepy. Two Aleve seem to be doing a better job. At least, my head has finally quit pounding.

Things to do Today

  1. Reading Diary - post what is already written. FINISHED! 4 posts left to write, and 4 books to pick out to finish the assignment.

  2. The Garb Closet -

    • Type posts

    • Make new garb pics

    • Take pics of me in final garb outfits with proper backgrounds

    • Put current projects pics up in the sidebar

    • Update links



  3. Discipline Under Fire -

    • Update progress bars

    • Post new developments of Zy's novel



  4. Clean out Garb Closet binder - FINISHED!



Need to update Half.com listings. Add Block's non-fictional books to the Wish List.

Finally finished the summary of Lawrence Block's Spider, Spin Me a Web. Headache finally gone too, replaced by slight feet ache since I'm breaking in new shoes. *Sigh* I need to invest in one of those shoe stretchers.

I'm off to work on the rest of the posts.

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The BookWorm

To Do List Updated

I don't know if this is going to become a daily post or not.

Things to do Today

  1. Reading Diary -

    • post what is already written -- FINISHED!

    • 4 posts left to write

    • 4 books to pick out to finish the assignment.



  2. The Garb Closet -

    • Type posts -- FINISHED!

    • Put current projects pics up in the sidebar -- FINISHED!

    • Update links -- FINISHED!

    • Make new garb pics

    • Take pics of me in final garb outfits with proper backgrounds



  3. Discipline Under Fire -

    • Update progress bars

    • Post new developments of Zy's novel



  4. Clean out Garb Closet binder - FINISHED!

  5. Update Half.com listings -- FINISHED!



Read Free!
The BookWorm

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Tuesday Quicky

Back Bedroom: Need to write and show the rest of the progress. Pictures are at home and I'm still not finished yet.

Scarborough Faire: That's where we went over the Easter weekend. It was good trip. Here's some pictures, but be warned, they're for "work." No cutsey shots of us being silly.

Not much else going on. I'm almost done with the semester, and I have a lot of writing projects to get moving on.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

These people were in Atlanta and they didn't get my HELP!

The Legend of Zelda: The Hero of Time. It's a fan-movie, it's an independent movie.

So part of me is "yeah, show Hollywood that this can be done!" and the other part is "oh my Goddess, you actually put on tights and made this film."

*Twitch*

Ah, I got it. The real issue for me is he's blond. Yes, I know Link is blond in the third game which is what they based the store for their movie on. But the Link I know and love has brown hair and I don't care how many times Nintendo changes it.

The fan-sick puppy in me will probably get this film. Just to see what they did with the story.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Just want to get this link out

What a Girl Wants #24: The Rest of the Story. I'll be donating to Friends of Lulu after payday.

I'll have to get back with ya on the back bedroom progress.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Saturday, April 08, 2006

Tweaking and other news

Mario Spezi arrested in Italy for criticizing a murder investigation. Please, please help Buzz, Balls & Hype put the word out on this injustice.

In less serious news, I switched over to Bloglines and am loving every minute. It also has a feature for blogrolling, so I switched those links around to. Now I just have to spread the word on RSSPECT to more comics, especially those who aren't on a daily update schedule.

Now that I've spent a few hours setting that up, it's time to crack on the rest of the day. Namely moving things around in the back bedroom to tear out closet and replace with modular shelving. This room needs to be my sewing room/guest bedroom.






You can see by these pictures I have my work cut out for me.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Friday, April 07, 2006

Getting Kicked in the Pants Yesterday

Yesterday's fun: blood work at the lab, mailed certified letter to close out April 30, 2005 wreck, set up Bloglines account. I'm keeping BlogRoll (it's easier to update the blog link list with it) but Bloglines shows LiveJournal updates. See Blogging 201 for more information.

Submit to Submission couples with the lessons from Lawrence Block have reamed me. So it's time to put yp, shut up, and get off my ass. Time to earn 100 rejections. I think I can use the word meter to keep track of rejections for web-prettiness. I'll keep track of the important details offline.

I sent off the Front Porch and got so worked up about it and doing laundry at the same time, I forgot to tell them it has never been published before. Tonight I need to get a list together of markets I should be subscribing to.

G.I. Joe: I spent wayy too long last night catching up on G.I. Joe continuity. It was a cartoon I watched religiously as a child of the 80's, but I had never read the comics. Too bad I didn't because I learned some stuff that left my mouth open.

#1: Destro is Scottish.
#2: They killed off Lady Jaye. *Sniff* She was my fave.
#3: Cobra Commander in the cartoon was a space alien that even his species didn't like and exiled to Earth. In the comics, he was an American who went around the bend after his brother returned from Vietnam with a death wish. That death wish led to drinking and driving and killing himself and Snake-eye's family. Somehow, the man who would be Cobra Commander decided it was the government and Snake-eye's fault his brother died and his life was shit, and things spiraled from there.

Cobra Commander was a home grown terrorist a decade before Timothy McVeigh.

And this revelation was caused because David Willis likes Cover Girl's butt.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Acadiana Medieval Faire Year One

This is really bringing out the "Valley Girl" persona in me. Oh. My. God. We had 7000 people in three days!!!!!

Saturday alone had 1200. School Day was too big in retrospect, but every kid and chaperone I talked to at the drink booth was having a good time.

Sure, there were logistic problems (there are always logistic problems no matter what you do) but the concept worked and the theme is sound. The vendors sold heaps of stock, especially on School Day. They want to come back, and some are talking about building. Black Swan sold out of his entire stock of wooden weapons and shields. Our jewelry lady said she paid the bills for the next three months.

The kids were great; they even found my garter. I had lost it when running to plug a hole in the fence. So before we were swamped at the drink booth, I was laying a quest on them. Find my garter and I would have King Edward III knight you into the Order of the Garter. A girl found it, her two guy friends pushed her to getting knighted and took the pictures, the King knighted her with my dagger. Last image was her beating the back of one of them saying "I can't believe you did that to me!"

My babe Chad has done a good thing. I am so proud of him.

I will post pictures as soon as I get some to post. Here's to next year and that I'll have time to take my own pics!

News stories and reviews about AMF:

"Canterbury on the Bayou" in the Daily World

Traveler Creative History Teaching

Marisa's Fresh Canvas She and the other Americorps volunteers saved us Saturday and Sunday. And we really missed you on Monday, LOL! But seriously, this is a federal program worth savings. Before taking a break with us, they were cleaning up Katrina and Rita mess and building houses.

"Lafayette faire offers medieval view" in the Advocate

Acadiana Medieval Faire So you can watch out for Year Two progress!

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Blog Maintenance: Progress Bars

I don't know what happened with Forward Motion's progress bars. Maybe they decided no more hotlinking. So I switched to zokutou word meter for all projects instead of just editing projects.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Thursday, March 30, 2006

Good Witch, NOT!

Hey you Perth mates, let me know how you fared. Glenda looked bad.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Changed the Blog Links

Decided to give BlogRoller a whirl. The idea is I'll ready only what has recently updated, and waste less time. *Whistles innocently* What?

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Fun debunking

Life in the 1500s debunked

What's aggravating (especially to us in historical renacting for education) is how damn often this stupid email is cited by TEACHERS! I know most teachers are wonderful people doing lots of things for too little money for the sakes of children, but it's just another great example of how the current teacher's education fails us, them, and eventually the children. Teachers need to have degrees in what they're going to teach, not degrees in the theory of how to teach.

Dress rehersal Saturday was a blast, and I got sunburnt on my face. Sunday I got sunburnt on my arms, having remembered the sunblock on my face but put it on while wearing a jacket. Sunday was building stages, and I managed to run straight into the 2x6 boards sticking out of the truck while looking for fire ants mounds to poison. Whiplash limits the jobs I can do, and now I have a skinned, sunburnt nose to show for it. I did figure out what was wrong with the generator (score one for the female Liberal Arts thinker over the male engineers and construction gurus).

Unfortunately, I won't finish the blue silk dress before Saturday, so I can't be Christine de Pisan this year. So I will be playing Mrs. Bailey, wife of Harry Bailey the owner of the Tabard Inn and the host in the Canterbury Tales. I'll actually be dong the candle making demo. Now I just need to find her first name.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Resource Guide Finished

Now today will be spent on things I a) have to do like... um taxes and b) things I want and have to do like... um homework and c) things I want to do like Blue Man and Zy's novel.

The upper respitory infection is better. I blow my nose and my ears pop, but the times between blowing my nose are getting longer. Today is going back to the dietian, which got scheduled in the middle of the day. I've lost a little bit, but I haven't been measuring as well as I should.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Doctor today

Going to the doctor will post how that turns out.

Upper respitory infection. An antibiotic and a perscription to knock the mucas out
faster.

Good news though. Despite the setbacks to exercising whiplash brings on, I can now fit in undies that I had grew out of. Hopefully next step is pants!

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Sunday, March 19, 2006

Blogger seems to be working now

And I'm officially sick with a cold. Good news is, today it seems to be more head cold than chest cold, so I may have beat it back in time. I hope so.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Friday, March 17, 2006

Really confused

I keep getting a 403-forbidden-to-look-at page for this blog and Discipline Under Fire. My other blogs and other Blogger blogs I read are showing up with no problems.

I'm hoping this is just a work issue.

Nope, isn't just a work issue. Apparantly one of the servers has goofed up. I think Blank is fixed now, but Discipline Under Fire is still messed up.

I understand that these things happen(so I'm not one of the wacko users going on a conspiracy to shut me up tirade), but the lack of acknowledgement does bother me. I would expect something on the Dashboard explaining "we're having issues click here for more info." As it was I had to go through the Help Group to find the Status page that explains the issue. With as many people who are complaining in the Group, wouldn't posting the link on the Dashboard be easier?

Nothing I do (with the exception of the Reading Diary and Discipline Under Fire) has much consequence (and I'm going to back them up when I get home tonight). But the lack of disclosure is unfair. Here I was thinking that IT at work was trying to keep off the computer.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Wow, it turned out to be a fabulous day!

Oh the joy, oh the rapture. I read over the last finished section of Zy's novel and everything clicked! The fog evaporated, Zy's deductions to find the next clue became clear to ger through me, and I have solved half of the dilemnia confronting her right now. My mind raced with the possibilities.

And the clock switched to 7:30am work time before I could write more than a sentence.

Somewhere, something that is not my friend is in control of this and is laughing his ass off.




That was my morning note. I managed to get homework done quickly for class tonight, and then wrote about page on Zy's novel. A whole page! The last time I got anything typed was December 27th, so you might as well count that for anything written as well.

The class liked the Capt. Kate's story and had good suggestions for improving it. I'm not sure how I feel about the dialogue yet, but at least I didn't get "the sux the big one." I need to turn in the "Blue Man" because I need show more words and I can write in contemporary English, and my rule for this class is nothing shown that's almost ten years old.

The coloring books came in! I really should have ordered 5 of each title, I want to keep one of each.

I made egg drop soup for the first time and it's edible. Appearance needs work, I think I dropped the egg in too quickly. The Cheesburger Mac also came out well, despite me almost burning the noodles.

But what lead to this sudden clarification? I was in early without having to work overtime and had time to devote to Zy's novel is a factor but I don't think the only one. I started participating in Red Planet again. And yes, I am an admin, there's precious little responsibility there.

I brought back fun.

Could someone give me a clue stick so I can hit myself with it? I should have gotten it with the depressive funk I got in back on February 17th.

But I needed this lightbulb moment. It tweaks my response to Wolfie's question.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Sunday, March 12, 2006

Fun weekend, sure

Any more family drama, and I'm going to start drinking like the good Catholic I ain't. This probably wasn't the right weekend for Divine Secret of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, but I can't help think that maybe it all goes down a little smoother with enough vodka.

I'm not going to spill or kvetch anymore. Really my whole question is how did I get pegged for the family therapist and why me? And people wonder why I never seem interested in writing stereotypical Southern, relationship fiction. I'm not ready to regurgitate reality to fiction yet.

I'm going to get massaging with my physical therapy, yeah! My next appointment is Wednesday so not to interfere with work and school too much, boo! I just don't want to get yelled at for missing too much work. Actually I just don't want to be yelled at period.

Acadiana Faire and moving right along with 85% of Chad's estimated tickets sales already sold. The garb is coming along fine, except for mine and my mother's. I hope this booth idea goes over really well because she'll never participate again if it doesn't.

That's it for an update. I'm going to work on the resource guide now, and try to get some homework done.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Monday, March 06, 2006

Another nice thing about mass transit

Accidents are really low.

Yeap, I was rear-ended again while leaving work for a change of pace. This time the bumper must be replaced. I don't know how my neck, shoulders, and back are going to be, right now I'm cruising on low dose pain killers and alternating ice and heat packs.

And I missed my Dante class after I went nuts getting the report I was supposed to give done.

So tomorrow, I get to see just how bad this is and make my phone calls on it. Whether I do it from home or work depends on my back.

And this is hysterical and true at the same time. It worked for Lysistrata.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Catch up from the Notebook

February 21: I started thinking this morning's commute on how to deal with the Blue Man's central problem: my protagonist doesn't detect much and my alien is flat. Tuesdays must be my new editing days, the influence of the Creative Writing class perhaps?

The problem is restructuring for the sake of this story without messing up anything I've alluded to in the novel. I'm pondering separate chases for them both, but it doesn't help develop a relationship between them. Requires more pondering and surrounded by cubicle walls not very conductive to pondering.

Now waiting during the break in class. The problem if they meet defeating Thirsten, there is no reason for Murdock to take pity on her and take her to outer space.

February 22: Pondering a bit more, maybe it's the morning commute. I could totally see Cyndia finding the crashed spaceship and finiding evidence that it's Thirsten's ship, and oh by the way he's an alien. Well at least that is forward momentum on the editing front and my brain actually wants to deal with the problem.

I have an appointment with a PT tonight finally. And I just discovered that the new cell phone has no off switch. Must study the manual more.

A coworker helped me find the off switch. So I don't come across as a total idiot, I went from Nokia phones to a Motorola. I'm not used to pressing the green send button either.

February 23: Finally got to see a PT, Rachel--a nice girl who wants to be a nurse. And she confirmed what I expected, I wasn't doing enough cardio to lose weight. My ability to lift weight is impressive for my overweightness I guess, or maybe for a girl. I ended up going to bed late because I had to cook supper. This weekend is my birthday weekend, 29-years-old on Sunday, and I don't really feel like doing anything but resting and pampering me.

Reality though, the massage spa was already booked yesterday for Saturday. I need to clean out the fridge and package food in correctly portioned meals for lunch and supper. I need to do laundry. Aside from sleeping in, that's not a whole lot of pampering. *Shrung*

Writing pondering: will probably be more detailed in Reading Diary, but the chapter on details in Lawrence Block's book made me wonder if I was getting trapped on details and frozen on progress. It goes a long way explaining jumpiness over Zy's Novel. Another thing to get to this weekend.

I'm writing everyday, but it's not fiction. Well, that just popped in my head but it's true. Reading Diary entries and posts for this blog, no problems. Concentrating on a story, big problem! I can guess why. I got yelled at just as I finished Capt. Kate's story, so I have to watch what I do at work. And it's easier to break up blog writing and homework between breaks. Might as well say lunch is a bust. By the time I get the laptop set up and have an idea to go with, lunchtime is over. By the end of March, things should be caught up and settled down. We'll have to see what happens then.

February 27: I forgot to clean the fridge and I didn't get to work on fiction, but I found fiction folders that have been missing since unpacking from my Katrinea evacuation. I did find my two desks and got to work on the resource guide for Acadiana Faire, which is more of a rush job. No teachers' workshop this year and we're publishing to a PDF on CD so I can use color. I also got my Valentine's day/birthday sewing table present put together.

No class tonight or tomorrow. I really want Mexican, but I'm going home and have frozen pizza. I have a lot of writing to catch up on. Tomorrow already has a large chunk of the day reserved to help Krista hunt garb fabric.

Today: Well, that was the plan before two hours stuck in a traffic jam stole my energy last night. And I had stayed late at work and must go in early Wednesday to deal with the end of renewal season mail that we didn't get to finish. So right now, I'm trying to get caught up on stuff and work on fiction. I've started on the Blue Man edits even though that hasn't completely gelled yet for me. I have to pull out Zy's Novel and see where I stand with it.

And at some point today I must clean the fridge.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Saturday, February 25, 2006

Can I have a happy birthday?

In a world without Don Knotts?

I watched him the Disney movies. Apple Dumpling Gang was my favorite. I enjoyed his Scooby Doo Mystery Movies guest appearance, and later on Matlock. Sorry folks, but I could never get into Mayberry.

And Darren McGavin died today. I always had his Night Stalker series on my "to watch" list. At least now it is on DVD and I can.

Enjoy the Happy Lands, fellows. You deserve it.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Too Many Distractions!

No, I can't let myself get sucked into my Fans archive CDs. There's stuff I need to accomplish today, so tomorrow is free from all petty concerns.

First: the office. The exercise bike keyboarding experiment is a failure for now. I'm still too rotund in the torso to do it comfortably. Maybe I'll go back to it when I've lost 20 - 40 pounds. Next I have to get the printers set up and the new books shelved so I have room to work.

Second: is to get my sister's help on the mundane tasks. Laundry, refrigerator clean out. Back bedroom shifting so we can start demolition in there, probably Mardi Gras.

5:00pm update Well, we had to pause in my house and take care of some business in Covington. But I have the printer installed, and my computer desk reconfigured without the exercise bike. Course now, Mustard thinks that means come sit in front of my monitor.

I have to find a new home for the shredder, since I'm now out of electric sockets under the desk. I had a crazy vision of the next home office I do (which will be over the detached garage but is still in planning stages). Built-in line of sockets, I don't know if they would be on or under the desktop surface, but just the idea of creating a huge power strip with room for twenty or more plugs and I could keep all the computer wires and cords straight really hit home while I was trying to plug in the new printer.

Now I need to go check on laundry and start on the boxes stacked next to my desk. Maybe I can get through a couple before it's time to leave for the movie.



Read Free!
The BookWorm

Monday, February 20, 2006

Racism in Marketing

Whoa, I spent way too long reading most of the links I could find on this topic. Not that it isn't fascinating, not that I don't care, but I have other things I need to be doing today. But I am going to do my part.

Jim Crow Publishing by JA Konrath. First entry I read on the issue, which is African-American writers being shelved in the African-American section even though their book does not have anything to do with African-American issues, and the author protests.

On the Wrong Side of the Alligator. Reading her entire blog is a wake up call to this issue. From there I ended up at the following links in no particular order.

A Stop at Willoughby: Racism and Publishing... and Comments by Patrick

Taking Care of Business: Publishing Suppression ~ Suffer in Silence? by Millenia Black

Taking Care of Business: Storm Brewing - The Motive for Racism in Publishing

The Way There: Controversy by Monica Jackson

My Irrationaltities: Publishing and Race by Shesawriter

Race and Publishing by Tess Gerritsen

Blogger to Blogger by Tess Gerritsen

Romancing Paradise: Segregating Literature by Lynn Raye Harris

I really had no idea this topic had been brewing for a few months (I don't read enough author blogs but I can't keep up), so I'll add my late, unpublished, white female voice to the chorus. Placing books in a certain section because of the color of the skin on the author is WRONG. I think it is an issue stemming from the marketing takeover of the publishing industry, but it really doesn't matter who started it or why it started. It must END.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

To Do List

I've been keeping it by the week right now. Some things get added because I don't have my shopping list handy. Some things do scroll over because I didn't get to them. More will be added to it, but if I go back to the three to four pages list I had in 2004, I really will go nuts.


  1. Homework:

    • Read and edit short stories

    • Post to Reading Diary

    • Read Franke Chp. 5

    • Read Dante Purgitorio 12 - ?

    • Start brainstorming final Dante paper


  2. Write resource guide (paying gig)

  3. Write Zy's Novel (hasn't happened in months)

  4. Reserve hotel room in Houston for June conference

  5. Update Alt BM Site

  6. Clean office

  7. Set up new printer

  8. Put ink in old printer

  9. Pay Dad for ink and car insurance

  10. Cook

  11. Take books back to Library

  12. Unpack

  13. Buy sticky notes for work desk

  14. Buy air gun for black cat problem

  15. Edit Blue Man

  16. Update Library Site

  17. Download Penchant and Baskerville fonts to laptop

  18. Buy good office chair



Boy, I wish I could take a week vacation. Everything done lately has been for everyone else. Some me time would be a neccessary relaxation break. Unfortunately, I don't think I have enough time saved up for a whole week off now and be able to take the trips I want to later in the year.

This first rehersal weekend went well. We got a lot of character work done, but we could have done it all on one day. Something to remember for next year.

Now I have to go get my phone out of the car cause I just realizied I didn't bring it up and I'm expecting a call back about the PT.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Friday, February 17, 2006

First rehersal weekend

Won't be home this weekend because of Acadiana Medieval Faire's first rehersal weekend. I have to teach a class I'm really not feeling prepared for.

And all my garb is Elizabethan except for a few fantasy peices. Which goes back to the sewing problem mentioned yesterday. To which I'm giving serious thought to atleast getting half to three-fourths of the garb bought. What feels defeating about that isn't a hand-crafted vs. commercial, but that I like to sew and would like to learn a repitore of techniques and have a closet full of different centuries. The only way to learn is to actually do. And it's the kind of obsessive fun I can get into. I'm not a cosplayer, so it is just something fun to pick up that I don't plan on making a career out of. (Writing does not fit half the description, so it's not an even trade.) Everybody needs a hobby.

And I can't have one.

Maybe the reason you don't see my prioritizing and I avoid it until I'm pulling my hair out is because I have to make fucking depressing decisions.

I'm taking a half-day off work today in order to get everything packed and ready for this weekend. At least now I'm in a mood to claim mental stress for it. I'll be fine. I'll go buy more blue silk to hold until I can make Christine's outer dress properly, I'll go order the garb to cobble together into her outfit, I'll order the room for June, and I'll get Izzo out of the Library.

But I better leave now or I won't make it to Baton Rouge.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Audio Books and Other News

I found some unabridged books on CD for a decent price and bought two different books to try out on the commute. I always resisted because I didn't like the price and felt like it wasn't the same experience as reading. Which it isn't, but not in a bad way. I've been emerging from the car happier and feeling like I've accomplished something besides sitting in traffic. If this lasts through the second audio book I bought, I may join Audible.com. Of course I think I may have to upgrade to a better MP3 player and read at the gym or listen to music like everybody else. :p Looking at the Creative Zen Nano Plus 1GB, but I'm open to suggestions. Especially anything cheaper than an iPod. (I don't care how good iPod is, if I drop $300 on anything it'll be a dishwasher!)

I also need to change my format in the Reading Diary. At the rate I'm getting a chance to read, I won't have 28 entries by the end of the semester. It's not really the reading, but the digesting and writing of the entry. My review for Locked Rooms is up and hopefully I'll be able to type up "Inferno" soon. (Got finished with it this morning.)

I still haven't gotten the printer installed. Yeah, there's stuff I need to print and I'm out of black ink. Not that I feel I'm going to be home and awake long enough to do anything about it tonight either.

Now for the match up of the post: free time vs. the number of projects I have. I don't remember now, but I think I neglected to add in exercise time with my time management exercise. You remember, the one that told me I have two hours free in a twenty-four-hour-period. Then again maybe I did, I finished exercising, sauna, and cleaning up by 7pm. Of course that doesn't count driving time and the stop at the grocery store for fixings for supper. (Vegetable beef soup with 8 grain bread for the gourmets out there.)

So I currently have a list of 21 things all competing for the same time--actually more than 21 "homework" covers a lot. Now the majority of the list is mundane tasks that I need to take care of so they can be replaced with other mundane tasks. The other large groupings are homework, writing, and sewing.

There's no real way to combine tasks. You can't type on a keyboard and run fabric through a sewing machine. Ditto on holding a book to read. Some one could read to me, but the only option right now is Mustard and he thinks it's beneath him.

Damn, I'm not even thirty yet and I can't wait for retirement.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Quick one because I'm tired and need to sleep

Hey Red, tried to post to your blog, and it bounced back to me via email as "undeliverable." Hrmph, I thought it was a funny story to commiserate pain. Silly bots.

Err, what do you want me to do with it?

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Saturday, February 11, 2006

New printer!

I got a new laser printer today! And my first real receipt to keep track of for tax deductions. Inkjet is still functional, but print quality isn't good enough for submissions. And I don't need them to bitch about excessive print jobs at the paying job. However new shiny printer will have to reside in the box until I find a place in the office to put it.

This is going to be hard.

Keeping the inkject for stuff I want in color, and inkjet is not in the most accessible spot on top of my computer desk hutch. Okay, so I'm short and I have an exercise bike in the way. Exercise bike needs a new seat, but that doesn't get the printer put up. The rest of the hutch is filled with speakers, DSL modem, label printer, and camera dock.

The pennisula of the computer desk is filled with boxes from the neverending scanning project. Okay, I plan on consolidating tomorrow.

No, the plastic drawers stacked next to the desk for paper won't be sturdy enough. The cart on wheels usually rests in front of the AC unit. Putting printer on top of that does not keep the room cold. Table desk across from computer desk is space for spreading out and handwriting. Plus cords would have to cross the room. I'm a klutz.

Maybe behind the monitor? Course then we have the loading paper problem. Maybe if I shift the scanner and the USB hub. That might make the scanner harder to use.

Okay, so who's the moron who said technology makes our lives easier?

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Capt. Kate sent off and posted

Yes, I finally got my edits commited to computer memory and emailed the document to my professor. And while I was at it put the rest of the story up at Discipline Under Fire.

Use the Categories links to find all the post for Capt. Kate's short story, and that will give you this second draft version in peices.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Not to sound totally gloomy

Because I'm not. Most of the previous weeks stuff was written in the center of the depressing maelstrom. That was last week, and the weekend got me past the hump. I got Captain Kate's story edited today, so I'll be able to email it off to my professor tonight. Fitness Assessment went well, even though I didn't hear from a personal trainer today. I have to remember to give them my new cellphone number tonight. I forgot yesterday. Work sucks and I'm foaming at the mouth over completing homework (and I'm not even going into the dreaded V Day shopping), but I'm surviving. I still have some creative juices trickling. And hopefully tonight, I'll get home in time to actually work on the creative ventures. Need to try for the 4am writing time again.

Now I really dodn't understand these Meme things, but I'll give it a whirl.

The Meme of Four

Four jobs you've had in your life:

Student
Carhop
Office gopher
Underpaid, stressed out civil service bureaucrat

Four movies you could watch over and over again:
Fifth Element
Lord of the Rings
Edward Scissorhands
Princess Bride
and... oh that's four... still... most everything else I have bought in the DVD collection. Haven't catalogued yet, but I'd say about a hundred.

Four places you've lived:
Hammond, Louisiana
Natchitoches, Louisiana
Savannah, Georgia (It was a month out of summer vacation for two years.)
Claremore, Oklahoma (for six weeks my sophmore high school summer)

Four TV shows you love to watch:
Well, I don't watch TV now, so series I'm interested in getting on DVD
Lost
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Angel
The X-Files
Firefly (Already have Serenity, must get the "Joss Whedon is my Master" now TV)

Four places you've been on holiday:
Chicago, Illinois
Boston, Mass.
Washington D.C.
DISNEY WORLD (Would like to spend some time in the new parks now)

Four websites you visit daily:
Okay, I'm excempting the webcomics and blog traul from this list
Southeastern Louisiana University
CNN.com
Dear Abby
Tell Me About It by Carolyn Hex

Four of your favourite foods:
Chicken and dumplings
pizza (no pepperoni or anchoives)
Sonic extra-long coney without chilli add mayo
Cheese dumplings from a Chinese restaurant
(Yeah, I know most of it isn't good for me. And please draw no judgements that I follow the same eating habits as the main characters do in two of the universes I write fanfics for.)

Four places you'd rather be:
At home writing
At home reading
At the gym working out (which means going to sauna. I think I'm using it as a sweatlodge)
In Houston in June because I would be in the writer's conference I want to go to

Meme passed to:
Whoever reads this post?

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Catching up on previously written blog topics

New entries under January 27th, 30th, 31st, February 1st, 3rd, and 6th. All caught up on everything I had previously wrote before this date. Keeping up with blogging has never been this bad before. I'm going to try to have a weekly update at least. This entry maybe a little disjointed. I have a lot of topics to cover.

Important lesson: Always take care of the bag before going to bed! Or at least unload most of it so I have to pack in the morning. Over the weekend, I bought a Samsonite rolling laptop bag (link to one that looks the closest to what I bought). It has been great, except for Dante's Inferno making things really tight.

I also bought a new cellphone and had to get a new cellphone number. I'll probably post my complaint letter to the FCC and Tracfone here once I have written it. Enjoying the new phone so far, except not being able to hear the ringer in the car.

Also bought a flash drive on the 6th, and got it working today. The wireless network connection between my Windows XP desktop and Windows 98 laptop is tempermental on when it wants to work. Files saved to the flash drive and I can connect between the two easily.

Upgraded to Firefox at home. Turns out what was triggering the dial-up box to come up was a Javascript virus that attacks older Mozilla users. And it's somewhere lurking in my daily browse through. Hopefully this will finally stop it from driving me nuts as I go online.

Cast call had a decent turnout. I didn't take any pictures to share, since two video cameras were going and I was checking people in and putting my phone book into my new cell phone. *Sigh* I really need to find time to sew our garb.

But on that front, I hired my out-of-work baby sister to housekeep for me. She needs the money, I need the house stress to go away to concentrate on everything else that has to happen. She's even willing to help on the evil scanning project, which has made my office space nearly unusable.

I had to tweak the diet, but this version seems to be holding. Snack in the car by 5:30am or 6. Breakfast at 8am. Lunch at 1pm. Snack at 4pm. Supper at 7:30 or 8pm. So far this is keeping from getting hunger pains in between feeding times.

Job issues. Where to begin? My supervisior reacts the same way with anyone taking college class--we're trying to take her job. Personally, I don't want it. It looks like I'm stuck in the state civil services until I retire (because that will happen before I can live off a bestseller), so I have time to wait her out. No need for grand Machievellan schemes. Though the whole thing has left a taste in my mouth for the accounting classes the department will pay for and consider useful for my job performance.

Finding another job: I can't afford to give up state service because of the benefits. And no other departments are really hiring after Katrina and Rita. Have no idea how long that will be going on. And I have no control over what my supervisor tells them, because as sure as she doesn't want me to outdo her, she can't lose me.

Okay, fine. Like I said, I can wait it out. I wait out better with more sleep and less caffine than I had last week. And I never handle those confrontations well. I always ome up with what to say after I've edited the scene. Doesn't work as well when my brain froze on "I'm being yelled at for getting here early and not falling asleep behind the wheel. I'm getting yelled at for doing my job in the order I see fit to make the fewest mistakes. I'm being told I need to pile all the work on my desk so my count is the highest, no matter how long it actually takes to do the work. I'm being yelled at for not being a team player, which the previous command does not compute with." Fun cycle.

I dealt with it better after getting a chance to talk with my coworkers, and after exercising and more sleep. They assured me I hadn't wandered into a Kafka version of my life. Looks like the mail has slowed down to a normal pace, so that makes everyone easier to deal with.

Stress affecting creativity? Big time. I keep promising myself I will do better, but it's like I have limited willpower. Right now, it's all focused on the health and there's none left over for anything else. Should be the more you use the more is there when you need it. Maybe it's depeleted by feeling overwhelmed. Not exactly sure, but hopefully I get some things cross off the to do list tonight.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Monday, February 06, 2006

Friday, February 03, 2006

Why does the "To Do" List grow longer with the more tired you feel?

Has anyone else noticed this? I'm looking at a 15 item list of things I have to do before leaving for Lafayette. Unfortunately, the one thing I need to do--workout--is the one thing I won't because they close early on Fridays. Ugh.

Meanwhile, this week has spiritually and physically exhausted me. All I want to do is crawl into a massage bed and be pampered. Not going to happen on Cast Call weekend. Better happen soon or I'm going to be even crankier.

I was going to download the Blogger add-in for Word in hopes of making updates easier, only to discover my version of Word is too old. So will it be helpful enough to warrant spending money on the latest version? I really need a laptop bag that my other black bag stuff will fit into, now that I'm actually getting to use the laptop. Carrying five bags a day doesn't help my muscles rest and repair.

That's it from me for this post.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Thursday, February 02, 2006

And the really stupid thing is I looked at it this morning and remembered I needed to pack it

*Sigh* As noticed last night, it's been a week since I last updated. Have kept blog notes in a notebook along with Capt. Kate short story. I actually have time for typing this lunch hour. And the notebook is in the bathroom where I was reading it last night.

*Sigh* No typing done last night because my sister is having a crisis of the heart. And now no typing because I don't have the material. *Banging head on desk.*

I weighed and took measurements today. Lost three pounds, but no significant loss in inches yet. But it was an upper after yesterday. (There will be a post up latter to explain yesterday.) The nutritionist has me on a restricted carbs diet and eating schedule is what I call it, eating the same time so my blood sugar stays level.

Here's to hoping for no drama tonight so I can get the story typed. Or the ceiling fan blades put up.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

So I'm a High Scoring Hack

This morning I got an email asking to spinoff from one of my fanfics series. I'm flattered, but no is the answer I hopefully conveyed nicely--it's hard to be coherent at 5:30am. It's also strange to be using contractions again; read Capt. Kate's short story to see wherefore... I mean why. (Yes, I will get it posted to Discipline Under Fire soon.)

So then I had enough time this morning to take the Hack Quiz. I got a 12, so I still have some artistic integerity left. I've studied enough literature to come to an empowering conclusion for us writers who want the money and the fans--the hacks are remembered. Just look at some of the scathing comments made about Shakespeare. Genius comes disguised in many forms. And genius has to eat too.

I'm not putting myself on Shakespeare's level, but I'm at peace with being called a "hack." Now deadlines, time management, and my inability to get my act together to submit: more worry consuming.

February 8th will be my fitness assessment appointment. I need to redo my measurements myself and update my file. Yes, I'm keeping a file on my measurements; I'm serious about this weight loss. I don't feel that I'm making any progress. I know, I know it's going to take time; I've only been on the diet for a week; my workout schedule got sporadic for a while. Get up, start over again, and spend 15 minutes in the sauna now that I know where the clock is to watch. I'm tired and really want a good, professional massage, but Saturday is booked already with Acadiana Faire's Cast Call.

Damn, I hate feeling like I'm going to drift asleep at any moment. And I've been feeling that way for too long. It's another reason to handwrite the blog entries. Keeps my brain wake and eyes open. A classmate expressed concern about my appearance last night.

Lunch break: Got yelled at about the notebook. Don't dare pull out the laptop either. Which leaves me trying to be good and not cause a ruckus--even though I'm not handling anything at all well due to little sleep. What was my goal not to complain about the paying job here?

The irony of just noting that the notebook was keeping me awake and then getting yelled at for writing was not lost.

Supper: My supervisor had two valid points to call me on the carpet for:

  1. I spend too long on breakfast

  2. The notebook and note taking is perceived as distracting. (I didn't even bring up how it was keeping me awake. Tired not stupid.)



What upset me to the point I almost spent the rest of the morning in tears was how she said it.

  1. I don't care about my job

  2. I'm cheating the state out of money

  3. I'm not pulling my weight

  4. She can stop me from going to school and I shouldn't be going to school because I work

  5. I'm supposed to eat breakfast before work, screw the doctor's schedule, what time I leave my house, and what time places that serve breakfast actually open.


It hurt because I've been killing myself to get to work early and take care of the leftover work. I don't dig for the batches with the highest counts, I do what's on top. And we're all doing a lot more work with the stupid scanning system and we all deserve more pay. But right now we're only getting K time that I'm spending as fast as I earn it. And there's no cash value until retirement (a little less than 30 years away for me), so don't accuse me of stealing anything. I give a damn about my job otherwise I wouldn't be in an hour early and hello, compare my errors to other workers.

I don't have enough sick time for a stress leave that will actually do me some good. Though at the rate I'm going I may get one.

Read Free!
The BookWorm