A little bit of statistics

Okay, not real math-like statistical analysis stuff, because honestly, I don't like that sort much.  After dealing with it for my undergrad thesis, I'd rather ignore it until I have to do another thesis.

I do, however, love my blog stats! I've started using StatCounter.com, and it makes me happy.  There are charts and graphs and lists, and it's all so pretty!

Did you know that, so far, 757 people have looked at my blog this month?  That's just... neat.

I also love the keyword analysis feature.  Of course, lots of people found me by searching for "something to write about" or some combination of those words, but there were some more... unusual search terms:
- why does debbie macomber 311 pelican court spell terrible as Teribly
- what's a diagram
- HBP stands for
- ending of one hour photo explained


Really? I swear, I don't remember writing a post explaining what a diagram is... How did you find me, blogglings?  Are you someone I know in real life?  Did you follow someone's link here?  Or were you the one looking for a diagram explanation?

Thank you, Bloggling Brains!

Anthropomorphism! Yes! Thank you for your help!

And in case you were wondering why I suddenly had the pressing need to know that word, it's because of a conversation I had with my parents. We were chatting via Skype and I had to go so I could take my dog outside before Morris and Adolph came out. Naturally, my folks asked who Morris and Adolph were. They expected me to say the neighbor's dogs, or maybe the random cats that sleep in my yard. No, Morris and Adolph are spiders. Morris spins his web in the corner of the overhang by the back door, and Adolph spins his huge web between the trees on either side of the path to the backyard.

My parents think I'm weird. Of course, then I had to tell them about Cassandra, the spider who spins a web in the backyard from the branches of the big tree to the ground. And Lewis, who has a permanent web in the holly bush out front (all the others take down their webs in the morning).

I don't know if it's a writer thing, or just me, but I name all sorts of things. My car is Ruby. My KitchenAid mixer is Kitty. My blender is Oscar. My grill is George. My computers are Trinsyn, Chionne, and Arra. My toilet paper doll is Nancy. And that's just a small sample.

Tell me, do you name things?

Be My Brain!

I need your help, blogglings.

I'm trying to find a word.  I know this word.  I remember doing an entire unit on the concept in high school English.  But the word has fallen out of my head, and it's been driving me crazy!

I want the word that means "to give human characteristics to a non-human being or object."

I know it's not personification. I know it's not transmogrification.  I think it might be a trans- word though.

If you know this word, would you please tell me?

Thanks!

Dear Blogglings,

I'm sorry that I dropped off the face of the internet for the last week.  Life suddenly got crazy busy, and it really just slipped my mind.  Of course, it doesn't help that I've had no concept of what day of the week it has been, either.  Yeesh.  I was so tired that on three different days, I woke up in the exact same position I fell asleep in.  How do I know I didn't move?  Well, the blankets were undisturbed, and my arm was asleep from laying on it!

This week isn't quite so crazy, but it's still a bit overwhelming.  Today was definitely a Monday, and the computers at work seemed to know that.  Given that things are still a bit crazy, I'm going to stay on hiatus for the remainder of the week.  It's not fair to you lovely blogglings for me to do half-assed posts.  You deserve a full ass.  Hmm.  That didn't sound right.

I shall return next Monday, full of tales of my crazy two weeks.  Or perhaps I'll just make stuff up.  We'll see which turns out to be most interesting!

Until next week!

I love Buffy.

Let me just say, you guys are awesome, blogglings!  Thanks for the well-wishes in the comments and via text.  I'm still sniffling, and my eyes are a bit itchy, but now that I've got my allergy drops, things are better.

Last night, I finished watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer again.  I think this is the fourth or fifth time I've watched the whole series through, and it made me cry again.  I think that's the mark of a good story - even though I knew how it ended, even though there was no element of surprise, even though I knew who would live and who would die - I had an emotional reaction to it.  I connected with the characters.  I could identify with their flaws, and I admired their strengths.  Joss Whedon's world, the Buffyverse, was filled out.  It wasn't just a random town with a bunch of demons thrown in.  Buffy wasn't just some girl with superpowers.  Spike wasn't just a blood-sucking fiend.  Every character, even one like Anya, who was supposed to be almost one-dimensional because she was an ex-demon who didn't understand humans, every one of them was real to me.  The writers on the show were consistent and true to the characters.  If they hadn't been... I don't think I would have cried.  Again.

My favourite part, though?  I loved how the end of the series felt like the end of the series, but not the end of the characters lives.  Granted, I now know that Joss went on to create a series of graphic novels that continue the story, but still, I didn't get the feeling that, once the show ended, the gang would go and rent an apartment in LA and sit around doing nothing.

And speaking of the Buffy graphic novels... I'm so disappointed that I can't read them!  I tried.  I picked one up at Barnes & Noble, and I tried, but my brain just doesn't like graphic novels.  I feel all ADD, and I can't follow the flow, and it is incredibly disappointing!

But not as disappointing as hearing that there's talk of a new Buffy movie, and that Joss Whedon won't be involved.  Seriously???  I'm a hard-core fan (you may have figured that out on your own...), but if Joss isn't involved, I won't be watching the movie.

Tonight, there is no photo of the blanket in progress, partly because my camera is running low on battery and I can't find the power cord, and partly because, well, it looks the same, just longer.  But here are the stats:

Section A: 10/10 rows complete
Section B: 86/90 rows complete
Section C: 0/111 rows complete
Section D: 0/90 rows complete
Section E: 0/10 rows complete
Balls of yarn used up: 3
Total length: 13.25 inches
Percentage complete: 30%

And tomorrow, I think I'll head to the yarn store to get some professional advice on how to do the different colours...

Letters to things

I am totally snagging the awesome letter-writing-stylings of Kiersten White.  You should go check out her blog, because she is really cool.  And short!  And her book, Paranormalcy, is a New York Times Bestseller (which I feel very guilty about not reading, because I read her blog faithfully, but I just don't like reading hardcover books - they don't feel right in my hands - so I'm waiting for the paperback edition).

And now, on to the letters!


Dear Spiders-who-look-like-dryer-lint,

   I know it's still a bit chilly outside.  However, I would appreciate it if you would STAY OUT OF MY BEDROOM.  I would also appreciate it if you would stop lurking in the basket of clean-but-unmatched-up-socks.  There is very little that freaks me out as much as reaching to pick lint off of the sock I want to wear, then realizing the lint has legs and is moving towards me.

Arachnophobically yours,
Danielle


Dear Clean-but-unmatched-up-socks,

   I promise, I haven't forgotten you.  I just had a lot to do this weekend, and getting you all back with your partners will have to wait until the rest of the laundry is washed and dried, the dishes are done, the carpets are vacuumed, the guest room is decluttered, and Otter's sweater is done.

Until my downtime,
Danielle


Dear Otter's sweater,

   Yes, I realize that you're a maternity sweater, and that we're on a deadline.  I'm working my hardest to get everything else tided up, so I can work on you without getting you covered in dust or spiders or mis-matched socks.  I'm not avoiding you, really!  I can't wait to get back to enjoying our time together.

Hurrying through the dishes to get to you,
Danielle


Dear mean pug at the dog park,

   Don't bite my dog!

Snappishly yours,
Danielle


Dear Blogglings,

   I hope you've enjoyed my outbursts at (mostly) inanimate objects.  I hope to finish reading another book to review soon, so we can return to a more writer-ly focus here.  Until then, please enjoy visiting some of the awesome blogs I follow by clicking on the "Links" tab above, or just clicking on this link to Kiersten's blog.

Always (trying to be) entertaining,
Danielle

Where do I go?

I've been busy today!  I added the "Links" section to my blog, so you can see the places I visit when I'm surfing the web.  The thing is, while I have close to a hundred blogs that I check out on a regular basis, I rarely comment on any of them.  It's not that I don't like what I see - on the contrary!  I love what I see, and I keep going back for more.

Unfortunately, it seems like most bloggers post either during the day (while I'm at work), or at night (while I'm asleep).  There's nothing inherently wrong with these times (she says as she types tonight's blog at 11pm).  Because I work in a medical office, we've got a fairly tight internet policy.  While I can get away with reading one or two blogs for fun while I catch up on the latest medical news, I can't read all of the ones I want, and I certainly can't wander off and comment on them.  When I do get a chance to make comments (usually after work), a lot of what I wanted to say has already been said, and I hate to comment with something like, "Yeah, I agree with Mr. X!"

What does all of this mean?  Well, it means that the awesome people that I admire probably have no idea who I am.

Except for Lisa and Laura Roecker. They know who I am now.  *squee!*

Do you know who they are?  You should go check them out!  Now!  Go!  I'll wait here until you get back.

Welcome back!  Did you have fun over with LiLa?  I'll bet you recognize the book below (since you clearly followed my directions and went to visit their blog!).

I went out and bought this book just after it came out (on March 1st).  Turns out, I wasn't the only one. Another friend of mine, who is friends with Lisa and Laura on facebook, posted a photo of herself buying the book at our local bookstore, and I commented on the photo, saying that I had bought it, too.

Next thing I know, I wake up the next morning with a friend request!  How cool is that??

Really, though, I think it's more than a little awesome that someone (well, two someones) that I have been admiring for months thought it would be a good idea to contact me.  And it certainly doesn't hurt that they're uber-talented.

I'm planning to start (and finish) The Liar Society this weekend.  I would have started it the same day I bought it, except I had three other books in progress, and that's my upper limit for multiple-reads.

Oh, right, there was one more thing!  The new list of links is a work-in-progress, mostly because I follow so many blogs that I can't stare at the screen long enough to put them all up at once.  Because it's so long, I don't think that many people will just go to that tab and start looking at all of them, all at once.  So what I'm going to do is, every week or so, post a blog about these other blogs, and why I follow them.  That way, you can a) get an idea of what they're about and b) get a bit of an idea about what I like to read.

Until next time, blogglings, have a nice weekend!  And don't forget to visit Lisa and Laura Write!

Be It Resolved That... (or, The First Check In)

I was poking around the internet, trying to find out a bit about how well the world does with keeping their New Year's Resolutions.  It doesn't look good, blogglings.  It depends on where you're looking, but anywhere between 36% and 98% of people have already given up their resolutions.  Let's see how I'm doing so far...

1. Drink more milk. I usually only drink milk when my parents are here (or I'm visiting them), and we drink milk at every dinner. Specifically, I will drink milk with a meal once a week.
• Not bad!  I'm drinking milk more often, but I've modified my resolution: instead of just drinking milk once a week, I've resolved to finish every container of milk I buy before the 'best before' date.  So far, I've managed to meet that goal.  Yay!
2. Cook dinner. And I mean really cook, not just reheat leftovers or zap a TV dinner. Specifically, I will cook myself at least one meal a week.
• Check!  Tonight was the first night in about a week that I stopped by and picked up take-out for dinner.  I've been making pasta and chicken and other pretty yummy stuff, and I've definitely saved money, which is a bonus.
3. Use 'so' less. I use the word 'so' an awful lot on this blog. So much, in fact, that it's started sticking out to me. I will use it less. But I have no specifics on how much less. ;)
• I think I'm doing okay with this one... I've been making a concerted effort to use that word less, and I've been diligent in my editing.  If you think I'm wrong, please, let me know, and I'll step up my efforts.
4. Be on time for work. I am really bad about clocking in at 8:02. All I have to do is wake up 2 minutes earlier (in theory). Specifically, I will clock in to work at 8:00 or earlier at least 4 days a week (which is an improvement over my current one-day-a-week trend).
• Umm.... Well, I clocked in before 8:00 twice last week... Okay, okay.  This one needs work.  Lots of work.  LOTS of work.
5. Drink more water. Over the last few weeks, I've been drinking a lot of pop. A LOT. Like, 3 or 4 cups of Dr. Pepper at work, then a Cherry Coke with dinner, and a Dr. Pepper later in the evening. That can't be good for me. But I got a fancy new plastic cup with my initials on it, and I find that I drink more water when I'm drinking out of that. Specifically, I will have more water than pop while I'm at work (even if that means guzzling two glasses of water in the last ten minutes of my day!).
• For the most part, I'm doing pretty well with this.  Monday was a mess - the computers were stupid, and I drank a LOT of Dr. Pepper at work.  But aside from that, I have been drinking just as much water as pop, so I'll call it a win.
6. Finish Partners. I HAVE to finish this play. I've run it through the critique group once, and I've made some major changes, but I need to finish this next draft and submit it to the theatre if I want to have a chance of having it produced next season. Specifically, I will finish this draft by the end of January and I will have it to my crit partners by mid-February.
• Haven't touched it yet.  Crap.

I'm getting there, I think.  It definitely helps that I've set specific goals, rather than just wishy-washy "I wanna get healthy" resolutions.  I can work with a goal.  I'm not so good at the abstract. 

How about you, blogglings?  Have you joined the ranks of the given-up, or are you still slogging along?

A WhoIe Pile of Celebrating! (and a little ick)

Merry Christmas, blogglings!  (I've totally decided to call you all 'blogglings.' If you wish to register a complaint, do so now or forever hold your peace.)

No, I'm not late, I'm part Ukrainian - Merry Christmas to everyone who uses the Julian calendar instead of the Gregorian calendar.  I celebrated the same way my family has celebrated for many years: I made pierogies for dinner!  I went all out, too (relatively speaking).  I boiled them, then fried them in butter and onions, and served them with kielbasa.  Mia may or may not have partaken in some kielbasa as well...

Also, happy 700th blog post!  It's crazy to think that I'm coming up on the three year mark for this blog.  Yikes!

Also also, happy 81st follower!  And because I ended up with 75 followers before the end of 2010, I will soon be having that bigger giveaway that I promised - keep your eyes open for more details.  And for those of you who commented way back in October, I haven't forgotten!  I will be reviewing a story soon for Franchise, I swear.  I just need to get a few more things finished before I can set aside the time to properly review it.  I feel that I need to put more effort into reviewing something that I've been asked to review than I do for a book that I randomly decided to pick up, if that makes sense.

Of course, life wouldn't be life if there wasn't some blah to mix in with the yay...  (TMI coming up!)

I wasn't going to make any resolutions to lose weight this year, but two factors have made me change my mind.  First, my sister is getting married, which means I'll be wearing a bridesmaid dress in front of people, so I want to look passable.  Second, when I squatted down to pick something up from the floor this evening, my pants split.  Ugh.  So it's time to start working out again.

Also, I've caught some sort of plague (hey, I'm a writer, I can call it a plague if I want to - a 'cold' is far too common), and it's making me cough a lot.  Tonight, I coughed so hard, I threw up in my mouth.  Ew.  Can I please be well now?  On the bright side, a new place never feels like home until I've thrown up there, so now my 'new' apartment doesn't need the descriptor 'new' anymore!  (And yes, I realize that's one of the craziest requirements for 'home' that exists.)