Normally, on April Fools' Day, I'll run across some really great pranks online. This year, I didn't see many, sadly. I did see several amusing announcements, though! I loved Nathan Fillion's, though the possibility of Castle getting cancelled made me worry for a second. Kiersten White's and Lynn Viehl's blogs made me giggle, too. And I'm left wondering if Blogger's new "View" thing is an April Fools' joke... it doesn't seem, well, useful.
Oddly enough, no one at work pulled any pranks or jokes or anything... unless you count the guys who came to install the new furniture, then left, saying that the tabletops were cut wrong, and that they'd be back Monday. Except for the part where that wasn't a joke.
Also, some of my Canadian family and friends got a prank from Spring. It snowed.
I can't remember the last time I was on the giving end of an April Fools' joke. While I can be witty or even amusing on paper and in real life, I just don't have the right kind of funny to pull off a prank.
What about you, blogglings? Did you find anything good out there today? Did you pull a prank?
Friday, April 1, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Finally! Finished a few!
This week has been, well, crazy. I'm feeling pulled in a dozen different directions, and I've been multitasking beyond my standard capacity at work, but that's okay. I went out shopping last night, and in addition to buying the pillowform I needed for one of my projects (see below!), I bought a new notebook. There's just something that feels good about a new notebook. I used to be a Moleskin gal, but lately, I've been using the Ecosystem notebooks and loving them. I'm feeling the need to write by hand, and I'm about to start the re-write on HEA, and it just felt right. So the new version will start out hand-written in a pink notebook. Very princess.
I've put the blanket for Otter/Baby Bear on hold, mostly because I tried doing the color-blocked section, hated the way it was turning out, and ended up frogging ten rows of blanket. Otter, you'll appreciate this - I'm using Grandma's needles for the blanket! Our grandma was notorious for getting almost all the way done with a project, realizing she had made a mistake somewhere earlier, then ripping out the whole thing and starting again. I didn't rip out the whole thing - I kept the first 100 rows, so it's not too bad. But I'm waiting until I have time to go to the yarn store and ask for advice on how to proceed.
In the meantime, I've actually finished two other projects. The first was a birthday present for a friend - Matt bought a sock monkey for Brie, and wanted her name embroidered into a tattoo on its arm (like those commercials where the toys went crazy - do you remember them?). I've been putting it off for months, but tonight, I finished it! It wasn't hard at all, and it didn't take long to do, but I just didn't get around to it. Now, though, it's off the list!
I've put the blanket for Otter/Baby Bear on hold, mostly because I tried doing the color-blocked section, hated the way it was turning out, and ended up frogging ten rows of blanket. Otter, you'll appreciate this - I'm using Grandma's needles for the blanket! Our grandma was notorious for getting almost all the way done with a project, realizing she had made a mistake somewhere earlier, then ripping out the whole thing and starting again. I didn't rip out the whole thing - I kept the first 100 rows, so it's not too bad. But I'm waiting until I have time to go to the yarn store and ask for advice on how to proceed.
In the meantime, I've actually finished two other projects. The first was a birthday present for a friend - Matt bought a sock monkey for Brie, and wanted her name embroidered into a tattoo on its arm (like those commercials where the toys went crazy - do you remember them?). I've been putting it off for months, but tonight, I finished it! It wasn't hard at all, and it didn't take long to do, but I just didn't get around to it. Now, though, it's off the list!
The other project I finished (at 10:30, which is after I wanted to be in bed, and has delayed this post) is a sweater-turned-pillow. I started this one YEARS ago after finding this awesome yarn. Unfortunately, I didn't get enough to actually finish the sweater I started, but I really liked the pattern. So I modified it, and voila! Years later, a knit/crochet pillow cover. I'm pretty happy with it. And there's just enough of the yarn left to make a simple scarf or something small. Maybe.
So that's what I've done while waiting impatiently for the weekend.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Dream a little dream
Before I forget, if I were you, I'd head over to read what Theresa had to say at edittorrent today - I was relieved to find out that I'm not just being a snob, I'm using the phrase properly! And yes, I'm a grammar geek.
And now, onwards with my own stuff!
I had some truly messed up dreams last night. I don't think I ate anything crazy, and I fell asleep watching one of the movies that I've watched hundreds of times, so I can't figure out why I had these dreams...
In the first one, I was at a restaurant downtown, and I was eating spaghetti (and twirling it with a spoon), and one of the doctors from work was sitting there, staring at me like I was crazy, because I was twirling my spaghetti. Then I woke up.
Then I fell asleep again, and I dreamt about a prison, where there was a group of women who were in this big room, wearing very unattractive orange jumpsuits. They were doing prison-y things, like hanging around and sitting on tables, until suddenly it was time for them to shower (GET YOUR MINDS OUT OF THE GUTTER!). One girl went in, and turned on the water but got distracted brushing her hair, so the next girl couldn't get her shower in time. The second girl, who was inexplicably played America Ferrara, was stuck standing outside of the bathroom in a terrycloth bathrobe (which was waaay too nice to be prison-issue). She got in trouble with the guards for not having a shower. As she was getting hauled off, swearing that it wasn't her fault, I woke up.
Then I fell asleep again, and my next dream starred Charlie Sheen. I was hanging out with him somewhere warm and sunny, beside a pool. Next thing I know, I'm in the pool, and sliding towards the deep end as Charlie warns me that there have been unattended children in the pool, and that I should watch where my feet go when I touch the bottom. Before I got to the bottom of the pool, I woke up.
Weird, no? I really can't explain the random celebrity cameos, especially since I don't watch Ugly Betty, and I haven't watched Two and a Half Men for a while. And I've got NO clue why a doctor was watching me eat spaghetti.
So tonight, I'll be watching Castle, eating chocolate, and crossing my fingers for some less weird dreams.
And now, onwards with my own stuff!
I had some truly messed up dreams last night. I don't think I ate anything crazy, and I fell asleep watching one of the movies that I've watched hundreds of times, so I can't figure out why I had these dreams...
In the first one, I was at a restaurant downtown, and I was eating spaghetti (and twirling it with a spoon), and one of the doctors from work was sitting there, staring at me like I was crazy, because I was twirling my spaghetti. Then I woke up.
Then I fell asleep again, and I dreamt about a prison, where there was a group of women who were in this big room, wearing very unattractive orange jumpsuits. They were doing prison-y things, like hanging around and sitting on tables, until suddenly it was time for them to shower (GET YOUR MINDS OUT OF THE GUTTER!). One girl went in, and turned on the water but got distracted brushing her hair, so the next girl couldn't get her shower in time. The second girl, who was inexplicably played America Ferrara, was stuck standing outside of the bathroom in a terrycloth bathrobe (which was waaay too nice to be prison-issue). She got in trouble with the guards for not having a shower. As she was getting hauled off, swearing that it wasn't her fault, I woke up.
Then I fell asleep again, and my next dream starred Charlie Sheen. I was hanging out with him somewhere warm and sunny, beside a pool. Next thing I know, I'm in the pool, and sliding towards the deep end as Charlie warns me that there have been unattended children in the pool, and that I should watch where my feet go when I touch the bottom. Before I got to the bottom of the pool, I woke up.
Weird, no? I really can't explain the random celebrity cameos, especially since I don't watch Ugly Betty, and I haven't watched Two and a Half Men for a while. And I've got NO clue why a doctor was watching me eat spaghetti.
So tonight, I'll be watching Castle, eating chocolate, and crossing my fingers for some less weird dreams.
Friday, March 25, 2011
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...
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...
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
I want to scratch my eyeballs out of my head
I have allergies.
This isn't, like, news to me. I've had allergies for most of my life. And actually, the older I get, the more I seem to develop, which seems totally unfair, since the rest of the world apparently outgrows allergies with age.
Somehow, I managed to avoid most of the pollen issues that everyone seems to have in this area for my first three springtimes. Unfortunately, this year, it's getting to me. I'm having a hard time telling, though, if it's true allergies, or just due to the ridiculous levels of pollen in the air. Every morning, my red car looks yellow. And I've washed it twice in the last week.
In any case, my eyes are so itchy tonight that I can barely keep them open, so I'll be retiring now to listen to audiobooks and knit some dishcloths (because I can - and will - literally knit those with my eyes closed), and I'll try not to rub my eyes too much.
Man, if only I didn't spend my days working with eyes and knowing how bad it is to rub at them!
Day 5:
Section A: 10/10 rows complete
Section B: 62/90 rows complete
Section C: 0/111 rows complete
Section D: 0/90 rows complete
Section E: 0/10 rows
Balls of yarn used up: 2
Total length: 10.5 inches
Percentage complete: 23%
This isn't, like, news to me. I've had allergies for most of my life. And actually, the older I get, the more I seem to develop, which seems totally unfair, since the rest of the world apparently outgrows allergies with age.
Somehow, I managed to avoid most of the pollen issues that everyone seems to have in this area for my first three springtimes. Unfortunately, this year, it's getting to me. I'm having a hard time telling, though, if it's true allergies, or just due to the ridiculous levels of pollen in the air. Every morning, my red car looks yellow. And I've washed it twice in the last week.
In any case, my eyes are so itchy tonight that I can barely keep them open, so I'll be retiring now to listen to audiobooks and knit some dishcloths (because I can - and will - literally knit those with my eyes closed), and I'll try not to rub my eyes too much.
Man, if only I didn't spend my days working with eyes and knowing how bad it is to rub at them!
Day 5:
Section A: 10/10 rows complete
Section B: 62/90 rows complete
Section C: 0/111 rows complete
Section D: 0/90 rows complete
Section E: 0/10 rows
Balls of yarn used up: 2
Total length: 10.5 inches
Percentage complete: 23%
Monday, March 21, 2011
More POV musings and a new tracking thingy
After writing about possibly trying the first-person POV last week, I feel like the universe is sort of conspiring to make me try... In my blogroll today, I came across this post about first-person. The whole thing has been marinating all day as I've been working on other projects at work, and I think I'm going to do it.
Well.
I'll try the first chapter or so. We'll see how it feels. The thing is, I've already started mentally rewriting it, and it feels good. I just need to try it on paper and share it with someone else, I think.
In other news, with Otter's maternity sweater done, I've moved on to Baby Bear's blanket. However, I work best when I feel pressure, so I'm creating pressure by posting my progress here. Until it's done, at the end of each blog post I'll be including the current progress of each section of the blanket, the number of balls of yarn used up, and frequent photos. If that doesn't motivate me... well, then the blanket won't get finished :)
Day 3:
Section A: 10/10 rows complete
Section B: 32/90 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: 1
Total length: 7 inches
Percentage complete: 13.5%
Well.
I'll try the first chapter or so. We'll see how it feels. The thing is, I've already started mentally rewriting it, and it feels good. I just need to try it on paper and share it with someone else, I think.
In other news, with Otter's maternity sweater done, I've moved on to Baby Bear's blanket. However, I work best when I feel pressure, so I'm creating pressure by posting my progress here. Until it's done, at the end of each blog post I'll be including the current progress of each section of the blanket, the number of balls of yarn used up, and frequent photos. If that doesn't motivate me... well, then the blanket won't get finished :)
Section A: 10/10 rows complete
Section B: 32/90 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: 1
Total length: 7 inches
Percentage complete: 13.5%
Friday, March 18, 2011
Booooo! And also, first-person POV
I was on a streak! I read two awesome books in a row, polishing each of them off in a single day. I was on a roll! I was ready to keep on going!
I picked up book number three, and just before the halfway point, the MC did something so stupid and out-of-character that I had to put the book down and walk away. Argh! I'm actually pissed off at the book right now, and it's been kicked under the bed. The stupid thing wasn't the only bit that irritated me, though it was what made me stop reading. I noticed that this book was really dated. The references, which would have been pretty current when it was published in 2007, just seem, well, dumb. And in ten more years, they just won't make any sense at all. Note to self: don't reference too much pop culture, or your book will get really old, really fast.
All three of the latest books (the two awesome and the one under the bed) had one thing in common - they were all written from the first person POV. Up until I read The Duff by Kody Keplinger, I had not read much that was written in first, and what I had read was chick-lit style (which I really enjoy, but it's not serious stuff (usually)). These days, there's more and more popping up, and I'm starting to find myself more open to reading it. I'm still not sure about things written in first-person present tense, but I'm working on it.
After reading these books, I started thinking about HEA, and the full re-write I'm going to start very soon, and I think that a first-person POV might actually be just what the book needs to feel right. It focuses entirely on Princess Jane (formerly Princess Martha Louise), and I really didn't get into much of anyone else's head in the first draft. I think I'll try the first couple of chapters and see how it's feeling. This might be what I need to feel better about the story. Wish me luck!
I picked up book number three, and just before the halfway point, the MC did something so stupid and out-of-character that I had to put the book down and walk away. Argh! I'm actually pissed off at the book right now, and it's been kicked under the bed. The stupid thing wasn't the only bit that irritated me, though it was what made me stop reading. I noticed that this book was really dated. The references, which would have been pretty current when it was published in 2007, just seem, well, dumb. And in ten more years, they just won't make any sense at all. Note to self: don't reference too much pop culture, or your book will get really old, really fast.
All three of the latest books (the two awesome and the one under the bed) had one thing in common - they were all written from the first person POV. Up until I read The Duff by Kody Keplinger, I had not read much that was written in first, and what I had read was chick-lit style (which I really enjoy, but it's not serious stuff (usually)). These days, there's more and more popping up, and I'm starting to find myself more open to reading it. I'm still not sure about things written in first-person present tense, but I'm working on it.
After reading these books, I started thinking about HEA, and the full re-write I'm going to start very soon, and I think that a first-person POV might actually be just what the book needs to feel right. It focuses entirely on Princess Jane (formerly Princess Martha Louise), and I really didn't get into much of anyone else's head in the first draft. I think I'll try the first couple of chapters and see how it's feeling. This might be what I need to feel better about the story. Wish me luck!
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