BBC has finally announced an air date for the next Doctor Ten special. November 15. I started to squee then realized I will be on a ship at sea and will have to wait a week!!!

I realized I still don't have Season Three and Four. Maybe when I have money again, perhaps after Christmas. I don't like falling too far behind because then it costs so much to catch up!

( Work smarter, not harder. )

We had to run out to Costco and get cat food, lest we be mobbed by a pack of angry felines. Whilst there had the usual run of freebies -- that's usually a weekend lunch but tonight it was appetizers. There was pancetta (yum), little pizzas, Chai tea, sesame dressing, chips and salsa -- seriously, you can get a good meal at Costco if you hit it at the right time. We bought some popcorn, lovely flavored stuff, because I agitated for it and my wife is too good to me.

Today was running around in costume, eating candy, eating a large lunch with cake (retirement party), then more food. I need to be VERY GOOD next week if I want to proceed to my goal, which seems to be receding rather than coming closer (oops).

It's very sad to me that Doctor Two is in last place. I wonder if it's just because so few of his adventures survived? Maybe after War Games is released more fans will see the greatness that is Doctor Two!

( It's Shark Week. )

There's an article in the NY Times that makes me grind my teeth. What makes these young blonde singers COUNTRY? At all? There's no place to comment and ask that very important question! *pant pant pant*

This evening I cooked up some four-cheese ravioli from Costco and created this sauce to go with it:

1 stick butter
1 tablespoon flour -- whisk together over low heat
Slowly add about a cup or so white wine (in this case a Chenin Blanc/chardonnay, not too sweet, not too dry), whisking all the time until slightly thickened and good consistency
Add dill, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to taste. Dash salt. Then add frozen uncooked shrimp and simmer until shrimp are pink. Serve with ravioli. YUM!

My ears are healing. They ITCH.

I see from the NY Times that cornerofmadness isn't the only one having trouble...

Also discovered in my reading this evening:

At a recent town-hall meeting in suburban Simpsonville, a man stood up and told Rep. Robert Inglis (R-S.C.) to “keep your government hands off my Medicare.”

“I had to politely explain that, ‘Actually, sir, your health care is being provided by the government,’ ” Inglis recalled. “But he wasn’t having any of it.”

*headdesk*

In the realm of ( too ridiculous to believe )

( And the day after the 4th )

Last night Barb and I went over to Indian School Steele Park to see the fireworks. Wandered around a little, got Italian Ice, listened to local group Tramps & Theives (they're good), watched fireworks, rode the Light Rail for the first time (nifty!). Walked past the usual crazies (hand-printed sign reading "When people fear the government, that's TYRANNY!" which lead me to wonder what folks like that would do if they actually lived in a tyrannical society...), considered glowy things but didn't buy any. We had her Mom over, served burgers and beans, corn on the cob and fruit salad. It was yummy. It was, indeed, a good day.

I managed to nab another stripe, but it's the same color as the first ones I got. I want a GREEN one...

* * *

Your result for The Chakra Test...

The Enlightened One

You have scored 100% Spirituality - Your dominant Chakra is the "Crown or Violet Chakra"

Take The Chakra Test at HelloQuizzy

I hope that is mostly true...

This is probably the worst review I've ever read (and I have to admit, just the clips I've seen tells me it's likely worth it) - even more so than one I posted on last year, but don't feel like plowing through past posts just now to see which movie THAT one was...

I also enjoyed reading these, adorable letters from kids to Barack Obama. Very cute!

( And this one )

I should be doing something useful, but instead I'm lounging here watching Ellen season two (it is ASTOUNDING the difference between S1 and S2 on this show - today it would have been cancelled first season and never made this shift to being, you know, funny) and poking around on LJ and reading the last week's worth of NY Times. But yesterday I did at least steam clean the floor and vacuum the living room, as well as did all the laundry, so I guess I'm mostly accomplished for the weekend. We also got some grocery shopping done and I actually still have a little money left (knock wood). I hope gas doesn't go up again before tomorrow morning, when I will fill up on the way to work.

Silhouette has just climbed on my lap to share it with my computer. He's making it very hard to type... But at least he purrs.

Ah, the season begins. Not that I have much money to give lots and lots, but there will be a Christmas. Let the festivities swing!

Words: 40,798

Ten thousand words in three days. Woot.

( David Tennant uses Real Skull on Stage: )

Really, Dear God, why can't I get published???

Boy, give money to the Democrats and all they can say is "thanks, now send more." *grin* Still, I just hope it's money well spent.

Of course, my dragons:











And I got this one by accident (I was trying to click a silver one, and the screen changed on me)... I'm not sure whether to abandon it or not, now that I have it...



I even joined the dragonspam community. Well, it's a hobby.

Why is it, when you order books from a series from Amazon, they send Book Six BEFORE Book Five?

( Articles )

I wish football season would wait until baseball ended before starting. All I hear now is football, football, football, when we're coming into the MOST IMPORTANT PART of the baseball season! Can't football wait for the end of the World Series? (Yes, I am perfectly reasonable.)

Companies that won't answer customer service emails aren't really interested in keeping customers, are they?

Got a call from my Mom the other night, and she's going to make it to the reception! I wasn't expecting that! Now of course the house will have to sparkle EVEN MORE... *happy dance*

( Meme )


I had a thought, but it apparently disappeared.

Gakked from fenchurche:



It says I did it in 2m 58s; I don't know why it doesn't show (unless it's just my layout). I'm pleased and surprised; I thought I was going slowly, especially when I couldn't remember how to spell Connecticut. I think it's easier with the map laid out there in front of one, though.

Last night I got to see my first Diamondbacks game live, at Chase Field. It was cool. It was fun. And it was, apparently, history-making, as for the first time in the history of our young team, the fans got mad enough to throw things on the field after a REALLY CRAPPY call by the umpire staff in the bottom of the 7th. I was sitting in the row furthest away from EVERYTHING, at the top of the world (eagles nest up there), and I could see it wasn't two outs. Anyway, it pissed a lot of people off and the game stopped cold for some five minutes. We lost. I still had fun.

We're losing again tonight. I'm glad this is a best of seven series. At least we still stand a slim chance of making the World Series again.

Best still, they let us wear jeans the last two days and show our team colors, since our Region consists of Arizona and Colorado (for those who don't follow baseball, the National League Championship is down to the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies - the winner of this best of seven will face the winner of the American League playoffs in the World Series). Now, for the most part, I'm not a big sports person, but I have always liked baseball, and have followed the Dbacks since the team was first started here, back in 1998. (And remember explaining to someone not from the southwest that a "Diamondback" was a rattlesnake, not a deck of cards - he thought it was a horrible name for a team...)

The room is beginning to look like a ROOM - most of the drywall is up and they said this weekend is patching and texturing on the walls. I hope they take us appliance shopping soon, now that I can see where things are going to go. I am suffering unparalleled joy at having a coat closet in the front of the house.

( Articles! )

I see that Nexus is available in collected volumes. This was one of my favorite comics through the 80's, basically as long as Steve Rude was drawing it, and I have most of the early part of the series and some of the later ones, as well. I would LOVE to get the collections (there are apparently seven out), and sell off the old comics (mostly because of space considerations - I was never a collector, I just bought the ones I liked).

Once we have the dining room table in a dining room and out of the living room, I'll be able to get to the cupboards under the living room shelves, and can finally get rid of all the old Babylon 5 tapes, since I have it on DVD now. I think I kept it around mostly because they were recorded in the original full-screen format (I don't know why they thought chopping off the top and bottom of a TV show makes it work at the widescreen ratio - it just cuts off the hair and chin of the actors in closeups - just like old Panavision movies chopped to TV changed the credits... -- "RUE GRI" with "OHN WAYN").

God, I lead an exciting life. Speaking of which, I'd better clean the catbox before going to bed...

Yesterday morning, driving to work, there was roughly twice or three times as much traffic as there normally is. I thought maybe it was national get-in-your-car-and-drive day but I hadn't heard, but apparently all it was is most of the Phoenix area schools started. On Friday? In the middle of August?

What do I know about such things anymore?

I forgot completely I had a review due yesterday. I haven't read the book. Fortunately, it's short and I got my deadline pushed to next Friday. Oops. Maybe it's time to take a hiatus from these, but I sure would hate to stop reviewing some of these independent artists - they need the exposure, and I like helping them (and I'm the only one on our mainstream list who gives them any).

It was a very fast and hectic week. I feel as though I got very little to nothing at all accomplished; no workouts, no packet sent out, never once finished at work (although we're getting a little smoother at the new process, it's still taking twice or three times as long to do things; "more efficient," my ass, Corporate). I did get a massage on Thursday, and my therapist recommends stretching, which I have been trying to do, and said I hunch forward too much, which is causing the tension (and the pain). I need to work on stretching exercises that open my chest and roll my shoulders back. I've been trying to be more conscious of my posture (which I know sucks).

It's only two weeks until my bunion surgery. This doctor scheduled an EKG - not sure why, I'll ask my PCP on Monday morning. I have to get the blood work done, too, and frankly, THAT makes me much more nervous than an EKG. I'm not worried about my heart, but when they take my blood, I fall down. So I'm going in late Monday morning, and getting off at 6 - this may be a test to see if I would like to move my hours from 7:45 to 4 to 9:45 to 6. I'm so torn. On the one hand, yuck, getting off that late - but traffic would be fine coming home, and I wouldn't have to go to bed so darned early. I'd be able to sleep until 7, even on days when I went to the gym (instead of getting up at 4:30).









The air pressure, up-and-down humidity, is killing my sinuses. I've had that low-grade headache for ages, and it won't go away, no matter what drugs I take. *heavy sigh*

This morning we got up early, went to take Barb's mom to the airport, sat with her until the flight crew took charge of her (so there won't be any chance of her missing the flight, like last time), then we went over to the Farmer's Market to shop a little. It was nasty, yucky, miserable hot out (the website claims it's only 101/103 with 29% humidity, but it feels a LOT hotter/yuckier). Now, just catching up on the soap (at least it looks like they're going to wrap up the current storyline before the promised "cliffhangers" before it moves to Direct TV), sitting around reading through LJ and the usual Caturday activities.

Oh, and ( One more article )

Weekly update:



As you can see, the snail is running in place. At least I know I can maintain.

Friday: Worked late, came home, did some stuff; watched more Hex, and I think we've completed Season One; a little more Six Feet Under, getting us well into the middle of Season Three. Did a few other things that I don't remember now.

Saturday: A few errands, haircuts, and then Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix. I know I'm in the minority, but I think they cut out TOO much. Yes, OotP needed some serious trimming, but man, there were some things chopped out that were future plot-important (of course, they've been doing that since Prisoner of Azkaban. Who besides those of us who read the book know how it was Professor Lupin knew the blank piece of parchment was a map?). I'm geekily looking forward to Friday night, when I shall head over to Borders to wait for midnight with my fellow geeks. Anyway, in general, it was a pretty good movie. Fred & George still rock.

Sunday: Not a lot. Got a new wireless keyboard so my old wired one could become the "emergency keyboard" for when problems ensue - we foolishly got rid of previous old ones and too late realized how useful it is to have a spare around the house. I like this one overall, but I don't like the change of layout of the "home, end, delete, page up, page down" keys. I keep hitting "delete" when I want "end" or "home" (because the delete is twice as large). I suppose I'll get used to it eventually, but the old style of keyboard is at work, so...

Because of all the overtime, I expect a decent paycheck (which will come in handy, since I have more expenses this month than I'd wanted), but it also means I haven't been to the gym since last Monday.

I have gotten very little writing done. Haven't gotten a package ready for submission. I don't suck anymore, but I am not yet made of awesome. I need an ending for a short story. No one has yet explained to me how to keep one's work under 4500 words and yet still have a theme, beginning, middle, and end; as well as that all-important plot. I know I've written short stories in the past, but rarely did I need to keep to a strict word count. I'm at 4213 words, but I expect I need at least two or three paragraphs to wrap things up. I plod on.

Why, oh why, don't they teach anchor people how to pronounce words anymore? Yesterday the woman at the main desk read a story about how the "SAM-a-tran" tiger attacked a zookeeper at the San Antonio zoo and just now they told me about storms in "Tucson and CataLINEa." *sigh*

Some articles:

( The New Hippocratic Oath )

( Bush apologizes for his mistakes... sort of )

( Sushi For Two )

I need to go through my journal and tag entries. I was looking for the last time I did an official Ticker Factory count on my weight. It was back in July. And why? Because I just re-reached that same goal I was at back on July 17, 159 pounds. *sigh* I thought I was doing all right. I knew I'd gained a little over the holidays, but I didn't realize I was that badly stalled.

Still, it is true I always lose more at the top of the year than at the bottom. From July on I either maintain or gain, so at least I didn't really gain (or I've already lost everything I did gain).

I think I'm battling a cold. Either that or I'm sore, draggy, tired, and headachey for no reason. (Well, sore maybe because I tried to increase the workout - fish oil is helping my shoulder, and I'm working slowly back up to weight training on the upper body, but I SWEAR I'm not overdoing it.)

I have finished my thank-you cards - and if you gave me something and don't get one, it's because I can thank you this way. My family gets cards. *g*

Humorous article, and nice; and another, which isn't funny but it's just as sad...

( And if the links don't work: )

And just because I've been trying to get my butt writing again, I am going to include a general overview of my world:

General world info: Mostly a parallel Earth, with only a few slight changes, most notable of which is, of course, magic works. And many people know or are at least aware that it truly existed once, as one of the sciences. Select people know it still works, or may even know a true Mage. As Judeo-Christian mythos (fear of witchcraft and magic) spread and gained power, it served to oppress mages/magickal families, driving them into secrecy and hiding. Eventually the complete suppression of magic as a science followed, which included the systematic destruction of magickal creatures (including werewolf families as well as vampires, leprechauns, and other human/spirit creatures both benevolent and not). In-depth magickal studies indicate werewolves were driven to extinction in the Great Werewolf Massacre of 1478, although this isn’t strictly true – many European werewolves sought shelter in Ireland, where they were welcomed and integrated into native families; the Judeo-Christian ideals didn’t initially reach much of Asia, Africa, or the Americas, where native werewolves continue to exist today, although they are just as secretive as mages. Vampires, likewise, went underground, especially the “true vampires,” the benevolent vampires who co-exist with their human families and friends as protectors and retainers; of course even the renegade vampires, the “in-betweeners,” as well as the “nosferatu” monsters, live in hiding, as well. Since most “leprechauns” (luck spirits) and other such magickal creatures are actually born into magickal families and thus are relatively easy to keep secret (many leprechauns usually don’t even know that’s what they are – and of course, only Irish families really use that term, although it’s a quick and easy way of explaining what luck spirits are. No pots of gold or short green guys, but good luck tends to follow them, especially their loved ones, through life; a few highly attuned leprechauns can be able to grant wishes, but that is exceedingly rare).

Drat. I haven't uploaded the Box of Kittens icon.

Stat.

I was suddenly washed over with a feeling of strange bereft-ness. Probably because I've been reading my Flist and seeing how many other people other folks have. While I have been overflowing with the joys of the holidays, I realized I'm spending a lot of money on myself and the three or four people I have left in my life, and that's about it. Oh, sure, Barb has a million billion friends, and I know many of them like me because I'm her sig other, but on the whole, me - I'm alone. My mother is the only relative I have left (who will answer mail, anyway), although her second-oldest brother and his wife will send a Christmas card. I've lost touch with all my friends from school. All my friends from after school have scattered to the wild winds and despite the fact that I've lived in the same house and had the same phone number for nearly 20 years now, everyone I've ever known has simply gone away from me.

Now, this isn't a pity party, I'm not asking for sympathy; I know there's a few real friends there, and I hug them tightly and call them collectively George (you should know who you are). It's just a realization that much of what I have I have because I have a marvelous significant other - including a large part of my "family," who are all in-laws (outside of the law, 'cause of course, the law won't let them be REAL in-laws). I love them, too. I do have a great deal, and I am thankful for each and every one. I just feel - I don't know, I guess it's the time and the right place where I miss my brother and my father and I wish Mom still lived in-state. I've always been an acquaintance-repeller; not sure why. Don't know if I'm too brusque (probably) or too annoying (likely) or just plain irritating (certainly). But those that love me - well, they mean more to me than I can say.

In news that made me happy, the shuttle Discovery launched successfully this evening. Paul Krugman wrote a great big "We Told You So" article which I include for those who can't use the link ( here )

I was also pleased with ( Maureen Dowd )

And then this article made me delirious with happiness. So it HAS been a happy couple of days, really. The off feelings didn't come around until late this evening, after we watched the final episodes of Full Metal Alchemist (wow, what an intense little series THAT was!) and some early Dr. Who (both versions of An Unearthly Child and Cave of Skulls). It was a good day of shopping and spending and enjoying time with, you guessed it, a great friend.

So I suppose it's just time to reflect, to consider, to ponder, spend a little time on regrets, and then move forward positively. There's too much YAY going on to waste it all on "maybes" and "what ifs" and "oh if onlys" and "if I weres..." To paraphrase Harold Hill, that way you only pile up a lot of empty yesterdays.

For all those who haven't had a chance to see Mark Knofler and Emmylou Harris live, then pick up the DVD/CD combo of their live show - totally awesome.

And on the whole, it's been a pretty good week.