Fic-y Goodness

MMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. What's better than Chocolate?
Reading an Allison Kenyon Dark-Hunter novel, then finding that Cinco has written another Chapter of her G/S AU fic, and that Ardath is getting ready to unleash more Riddick-Goodness upon us, her loving (and slightly impatient) fans.
Yay, Spring!!

Although... you know what my Uber-wish is.
I want to wake up to a phone call that says Barrage will be in town for a week and they are comping me front-row seats.

And a cat.

Hee.

I am now licensed...

... to DRIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whee! I took the Road Test and passed in the high 90's. Missed the thing where you have to drop your speed by five mph when you see a SLOW CHILDREN sign. I did not know about that one. Now I know, and knowing is half the battle!

So now the hunt is on for a Used Car. I've been doing my Consumer Reports research; I can use my library database access to read back issues of CR, and I've printed out lots of info from their Used Car Ratings issue.
If I had my druthers, I'd get the Hybrid Prius or Civic. I'm such a tree hugger. Literally, too- just hugged a maple in the backyard yesterday. Hee.

Anywho. Watched Animal Planet's DRAGONS program last night, having taped it Sunday PM. It was fabulous. Patrick Stewart narrated, and the CGI was gorgeous. I think I'll just have to order the pattern from Smallworks as soon as I get a job.
The hunt for work continueth. I have not heard from the agency recently (since January/February, in fact) and I would love to know WHY. Also haven't heard from Office Depot. Bleah. Mom says to call 'em up and ask why not; I'm still to shy. I should though, shouldn't I?

J's got a blogspot, too, now.
Erynn's a LiveJournal user.
Cowboy Mouth has a new album out. GET IT.
And I just wrapped up reading Maureen O'Hara's autobiography, 'Tis Herself.

All Torn Up

Six inches forward and five inches back!
Listening to Hedwig now... knowing that I would LOVE to see the show on stage. I'd love to be IN the show, even in Miriam's part (but I can't play bass, eh?)

Going for my license tomorrow AM. Nervous, but not nauseated/shaking/crying/scared. This is An Improvement.But, knowing my track record, I'll probably flunk it.I mean, no response from CBS for my "Locusts!" resume, no response from Home Depot on my "Psych Eval/ Employment Application." This would be the third strike. *sigh*

..."Wicked Little Town...."

Still haven't seen "Pacifier" yet, but I think I can try again this weekend. I know it'll be great.
OH! Found the PERFECT novel for Vin Diesel to turn into a film. Romantic Suspense called "Hot Target"- lead males are Navy SEALs protecting a Hollywood Writer/Producer who utterly does NOT want to be protected. I can hear Vin's voice saying Cosmo's lines; I just can't figure out who ought to be cast as Mercedes/Jane. Someone lushly beautiful but nearly as tall as Vin.

"And the strangest things seem suddenly routine..."

Sinuses are really hating the pollen count lately.
BUT New CSI tonight, so YAY! I'm ready to SMACKDOWN Ecklie, so, whoever the actor is, he's doing a FABulous job.
The cardigan goeth well. Check the Knitblog to read what's new there.

Fun with Jiffy Cake!

...except that it ended up not so much fun.
Somehow, I didn't do something properly.
I followed the directions, as usual;

• cake mix, egg, half the water
  
• mix on medium for 2 minutes
• add rest of water
  
• mix 2 more minutes
  
• pour into greased, floured pan
  
• bake for 25 minutes
  
• let cool for ten
  

But when it came time to remove from pan... it stuck. I had to pry the cake out. One quarter of the cake's underside stayed in the pan. DRAT! After a bit of wrangling, I finally managed to make the cake look edible, if lopsided. Once Mom frosted it, it looked MUCH better. Erk.

New BLOG! New BLOG!

OK! Moving Day!
I'm taking my knitting info and putting it up on a new blog. This way, I can just update knit items without having to scare knitters with my total wierdness here. I'll still let y'all know what's the what with my knitting projects, just not in the numbing detail that I can now go into on the blog.

OSCARS. Saw the last hour or so. Pretty cool. Hillary- love you for giving the orchestra what-for. "I haven't gotten to Clint yet!" Hee.

Vin Diesel will be on The Ellen Degeneres Show on Friday. Watch it or I will be forced to crochet your hands together.

CSI 2x23 "The Hunger Artist"

Well, Freak me out. All this time, I thought I was just insane. Turns out, I have a mild form of BDD in addition to my GAD. I'm just a bowl of Alphabet Illness.
Wonder how to break this to my Psych.
"Hey, Dr. S- wanna see what I did to my arms and knees last night?" "Watch what I do to my face ever moment I can..."
The squick wasn't due to the gross-factor, but a fearful writhe of recognition.
"and the pick-pick..."
The curl of pleasure at the back of my brain when I pull the hair out, pull the with tweezers; it's pleasure, not pain, people.
"Stop picking!"

Jaclyn's got a blog, so she says, but I cain't find it. HotaruGFC, where y'at? The days roll on, and where's our "Once-A-Month" get-together?

Driving. (remember last episode?) Professional Evaluation: I can get my license any day now. Hot Smack. Think I'll do the Dance of Joy (patent pending). Let you know when I get it. I have to get it soon.
At least pre-March 11.

GO SEE THE PACIFIER.

Ted Raimi is on CSI:NY on Wednesday. WatchWatch.

+CROAK+

How will I know my love?

How will I know my darlin'?
Oh, Mister Moon, up above-
How will I know my love?

How do I know when I'm doing something that will end up as a good thing for me?
Easy.
It scares me sick when I think ahead to it.

Driving? So scared I had to go to therapy AND have a nervous breakdown on an attic ladder to finally get there.
:retch:

So.
Now I'm seriously considering the Civil Service Exam and I am shaking and on the verge of more :retch: and have already cried... and THAT'S just reading the How to find a testing center near you part of the game. :retch:

On the other fronts of my weird-called life... Finished the two skeins of "Scarf yarn" plus what was leftover from The Beret... and am still six inches shy of the goal.
Flag on the play. Fourth down and inches. Gotta get me some of that Lion Brand I crave, baby.

CSI. Love it. Watch it. Read Sobell's recaps. (And for the love of Rampling, read the Casa series.)
But I get a headache trying to parse things out. Another :retch: inducing moment was while I was trying to figure out what "deafferented" meant. You try it. See how fun it is to feel absolutely stupid. I know what afferent means.
GOD, I just feel so stupid. I'm a vocabulary type person and I can't get my mojo working with this stupid word!!!!
I'm NOT a 'phobe.
I love science and math. Just not enough to get past the "casual fan" stage of the loving. And it actually makes my brain hurt when I can't wrap it around something.

It's been a day of :retch:, kids.
Let's hope I can calm the nausea and get some sleep.

Oh, wait. Good thing- Deep Impact launched well and got past some tech-fry to swing into place. See you in July when my name will go :KERBOOM: into a Comet! Whoo-hoo!

CROAK.

Merry Holiday of Your Choice!

Merry Merry to ALL!

Sister-mine came home for the festivities. Luckily, she came in before the nastiness with winter weather slammed the airlines and thereby had much less stress than many people did.

Gift of the Holiday for me?
Holy COW.
You know that one gift that you casually mention a bazillion times but it's so expensive you don't hold any hope for actually getting it?
I unwrapped it and promptly burst into tears and hugged it like a stuffed animal.
The 5-CD set of Broadway: The American Musical.
WOW.
OH, man.
Thanks, Mom and Dad. You rock.
*sniff*

Be the Better Witch. DEFY GRAVITY.
Idina only has a few shows left- go see her before January 9th.
Go. Go now. Don't make me get the Flying Monkeys.

Driving is scary sometimes.
Don't make violent gestures to slowly driving people. They may be on the verge of a panic attack and THAT DOESN'T HELP CALM THEM DOWN, PEOPLE.

Also on the horizon; NASA/JPL's Deep Impact launch is coming soon. My name is on the disc that's going up with the craft. Close as I'll get to orbit, neh?

Oh. The Scarf? almost 40 inches long. 36 more to go, people!
Our Knit & Sip group was featured in the Times-Picayune on Thursday. Guess whose great big goofy mug is shown modeling The Beret? Yeah, sure, you betcha!

Part of Dad's Christmas present from me was a promise to make The Cardigan. January is Go-Day.

8 cups of water per day. Less bread, more veggies. Rembrandt Whitening Strips. Let the improvement begin!

It's complete! Mwahahaha!

The BERET is completed!
(insert Wild Dance of JOY [here])

I went to the Knit & Sip meeting on Thursday and the ladies hassled me into finishing it _right_ then.

A photographer from the Times-Picayune was actually there to take pictures for a blurb about the group; when I finished, they made me slap it on my head and pose. I'm such a geek.

So now I'm in the midst of making the matching scarf- Lion Brand Yarn Chenille Thick & Quick Rainbow Print Denim. The Beret and scarf patterns are inside the wrapper. I'm going to knit the scarf as it will only take 2 skeins instead of the 3 for the crochet version.
It ends up being 76" long, then you turn up each end to form pockets.

I love it.

A scarf with pockets.

It may take me a bit longer (ha) to do than the beret, but it's gonna rock so much when it is complete.

Wheeeeeee!

So I'm now completely in lurrrrrve with the Diesel Vin.
It all began on a dreamy summer afternoon. I was sitting under a tree with my kitty, Dinah, listening to my Sister read from a book.... oh, wait. Not.

It's a strange connection of events, y'see.

It really began during a slumber party ay Allison's house back in 1989. I think.

I couldn't sleep in a room full of gently snoring girls, so I snuck out with my pillow to her TV room and quietly watched cable. MTV.

And there was this amazing little video on (ever notice how the truly good stuff was on at 2 AM?) that was this little kid and a great big metal robot.

A Friend is a Friend

Nothing can change that

Arguments, squabbles

Can't break the contract

That each of you makes

To the death, to the end

Deliver your future

Into the hands of your friend.

Wow, says I. Wow. The end of the video was a bit where they've trapped the Iron Man in a pit, filled it in, and thought it was over. Years, pass, and a picnicking couple are using forks and knives and the Iron Man digs his way up and comes out under their little checkered picnic blanket. And the little kid meets him, and they just stand there, looking at each other.
Wow.

A few years later, I came across "The Iron Man- The Musical by Pete Townshend" in the CD section of Camelot. This was back when CDs had those great big cardboard sleeve/box holders around them. Must buy. Must acquire this thing. Did I even know anyone with a CD player at this point? No. Did I buy the thing? Of course! Great music must be obtained whether you own the medium to play it on or not!

So eventually we get a computer, and it has a CD-ROM drive that can also be used as a CD player on it. Way cool. And the CD? Way cooler. It's based on the Ted Hughes children's book. Pete Townshend as Hogarth (the little boy), Nina Simone as the Space Dragon!
And..... John Lee Hooker as the Iron Man himself.

I eat heavy metal

Gargle premium gas

I drink heavy water

Nitro-demitasse...

Swell. This is the start of my ecclectic collection of CDs, really.

And I listen to that for a CHUNK of years. Play it LATE at night on The Demon 91.7 FM.

And then along come the rumor whispers around 1996 or so.
They're making a film of "Iron Man."
animated
Rachel from Friends is in it
Harry Connick, Jr. is in it
(and Harry being a local boy and all; well, I gotta see it now, right?)

But the bummer is that it isn't going to be the same as Pete's vision. But Harry is in it!
And it opened in 1999.
But no one was interested in going to see it. And I was in England for July... and, well, never got around to it. Dang.

So every now and then it would run on Cartoon Network, but I'd always miss it.

OK. So now it's 2004. I'm clicking around, late at night... and there's this thing on the TV Guide channel about The Chronicles of Riddick. And this vaguely familiar looking guy is showing off the sets with a tone of voice I've only ever heard a few times before. A tone of .... genuine feeling. Like he's proud of the work that somebody put in. Like he's enjoying the fact that he has something to play off of besides the now ubiquitous green-screen.
Wow. An action movie guy (Pitch Black, my brain reminds me, followed rapidly by Fast and the Furious and XXX, none of which I've ever seen) who seems to be interested in the scenery. Must learn more about him.
So, a few clicks of the mouse and Ardath Rekha's site and a trip to The Art of Vin Diesel (off line for now)later, I'm hooked on the man and his work.

And guess what? He was the Iron Giant in the movie based on "The Iron Man" by Ted Hughes.
Neat.

Gets funnier.

I go to Circuit City en route to Target while Christmas shopping. Guess what's out in the BUY THIS NOW section? "The Iron Giant" Special Edition DVD.
I open the Parade Magazine the next Sunday and what's highly recommended for purchase for Christmas?
Yep. "The Iron Giant" Special Edition DVD.

It's the Circle of Liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiife! And it Moooooooves us aaaaaaaaaaaallllllllll!

You ought to listen to the Townshend musical. John Lee Hooker's songs are tres plus cool.

Pas du Beret.

Well, I've got two distinct pieces of The Beret accomplished. Unfortunately, they are still TWO distinct pieces; crown and brim.

*sigh*

I can't quite figure out from the abbreviated instructions how to sew them together...

(hang on, let me go and get the instructions..)

"...easing in the fullness."

Grrrrr.

Will I have to wait until next Thursday or will I be able to get answers from helpful online Knitter/Crocheters?

In other news: NEW TAMORA PIERCE NOVEL!

Whoo! Trickster's Queen is at the STPL and my Hold on it got pulled! I'm about 2/3rds of the way through. Definitely taking my time to savor this one as it will be a while before I get my hands on another new Tamora Pierce.

More other news:

The hummingbirds are still visiting the feeder.

Barrage is currently performing in China. I hope they have as much fun as the last time, and that they get to explore more, too.

Still more other news: New Sam Raimi film, Hey! New Sam Raimi film, Hey! (Author does a solo conga line whilst dancing her glee.)

Not much Ted in the E! News special about The Grudge, but a glimpse and that's good enough for me. And there's a fabulous shot of him in his lovely glasses on a website that I'll give to ya when I find it again. I got told about it through the Sam Raimi club on Yahoo Groups.

Other things of note:

Red Sox lost again. *sigh*

The Presidential Debates are neither Debates nor anything but twinned Press Conferences. Discuss.

West Wing starts again next Wednesday. Jimmy Smits is in it this season and I hope he has more fun there than he looked like he was having in SWE2: Attack of the Clones.

I still want a cat. I was at a gardening store the other day when a very young cat strolled in, looked right at me and flopped to the ground, wanting to have someone pay attention to him. Very vocal kitty, all purry and prrrowwwly. It was hard to leave.

It is difficult to be afraid of Julian Sands in Warlock when you've seen him running naked around a pond in Room With A View. If you're still freaked by his menacing performance in Warlock, I suggest imagining him perched in the tree, shouting, "Beauty! Joy!"

I-Pods are prohibitively expensive for their terribly short (non-replaceable) battery life.

Doonesbury is being held responsible for crashing websites with its latest series of strips.

I just deleted a little section in which I used the phrase, "Hop, elephants; hop!" I just wanted to type that phrase again.

Knit Update

Thanks to the highly knowledgeable ladies at the STPL Knitting group, I have passed the "doofus" moment and am well along in my beret pattern. After two hours of work, all I have to do is finish the band and do the tassel pouf on top and HEY! Presto, I've got a new knitting project done.

This project's "doofus moment" brought to you by "Circle Crochet." When you don't know exactly what "6 sc in ring" means... But, thanks to Fran and Lois, I can do anything that requires a ring to start.

Updates:

Tank Top: So close to finishing, I can't express how pleased I am. I am wearing it to the next meeting of the Knit & Sip at the Library, I promise. Pictures to follow when I can get them taken and uploaded.

Dad's Cardigan: Attempting to get measurements to puzzle out for the pattern. I may have to do some hunting for the wool; might be worth it to have extras.

Beret: See above.

Crochet hooks: As I'm telling you about the beret, you may have guessed by now that I acquired the N and P hooks. This has been a long story in the telling, but I finally got them thanks to the generosity of Kris at Cohasset's "Creative Stitch." She dug through her stash at home and brought them in the next day for me. Anyone in the area, please please please go and shop there instead of Wal-Mart. I support locally owned businesses; won't you do the same?

Links for knitting sites of interest:

http://www.chicknits.com/

http://www.royea.net/knitfiend.html

http://knitty.com - This one ROCKS the house. It was my saving grace during the infancy of The Tank Top.

http://www.knittinganyway.com

And the much requested RED CROSS site for 1940's era patterns.

Fran- Your Jack Frost Two-Needle Mittens Pattern is available on EBay from various sellers. I haven't been able to locate any other places yet.

Olympic Opening Ceremony?
Very cool. I was in love with all the living art through history and the DNA laser helix. It was a WOW moment. (Take a gander at the official website's photo gallery.)

But Bob and Katie needed to SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!
They talked over all of Bjork's song and made some really impolite "off the cuff" comments about other countries during the Parade of Participants. And they were wrong about some of the opening representations. ARGH!

I was ready to scream at the television. I just kept biting my tongue through every horrible moment of commentary.

Anyway. Yay, Hellas!

+CROAK+

Hey, kittens-

FX's Rescue Me rocks. It is a harsh, non-sanitized look at the NYFD that makes a viewer realize how much horror these guys see beyond the memories of 9/11. They have to deal with an environment that does not take kindly to expressions of grief and sorrow.

Denis Leary is the force of nature behind this project. If anyone is interested in the circumstances that may have created his feelings, take a look at this FEMA document about the Worcester Cold Storage Fire of 1999. It was a horrible tragedy that should have been avoidable.

On to better and happier news. Peter Davison is going to be at Dragon*Con. OH. Did I mention that earlier? Hmmmmmm.

It looks like the DragonLady herself, Anne McCafrey, will be at Dragon*Con. All hail the WeyrFolk! I hope Lisa B gets to go again- she is such a cool person.

Dreamed about Penn Jillette last night--- a very jumbled group of images including Penn pulling fast ones on a group of people in the Quarter. And driving around in a tiny car looking for a gas station. I dunno. Buy his book.

Watch Rescue Me, buy Sock, go to D*Con and tell Campion how cool he is.

+CROAK+

At the COPA!
COPACABANA!
The hottest spot north of Havana!

Wheeeeeeee!

Yes, I am a nutcase. I just love that song.
I think I scared Bree half to death with my dramatic interpretive dance of it at Pleasure Island.
Hee.

So- what's new today?
Farmer's Market today. Plums from California, apples, and red potatoes with things growing out of their EYES! EEEEEEK!! We dug through the pile until some non-growing potatoes were located and bagged.

It is VERY humid 'round here (like every day, pretty much, +sigh+).

Bald Cardinals have been sighted in the backyard this past week or so. I checked with several websites, including the Cornell University site and Hilton Pond, and they say that this is unusual, but not unexpected with Cardinals at this time of year. No conclusion has been reached as to WHY the poor things are going around like their near-relatives, the lizards, but the two leading theories are:

1) Mites on the one area they can't preen themselves (top o'the head)
and/or
2) Genetic predisposition to all-at-once-molting instead of usual gradual feather-by-feather molt.

More conversation on this topic here and here, too.

Now, I know why scavenger birds like vultures have featherless heads and necks- it is due to the lovely carrion that they consume. Not having material for the bacteria to grow on is a definite plus when it comes to the health of the birds.

But it's got to be disturbing to the rest of the flock when some of the cardinals begin losing their glorious crests.

 
Also-- FINALLY read The Fellowship of the Ring without falling asleep in the opening histories. It's a new edition; hardback, larger type, illustrations by Alan Lee. (Search under ISBN number 061826051X- it has a cover illustration of the halls of Moria.)

Dragon*Con approacheth. I am not financially able to attend this year... even though the one and only Peter Davison will be there!!!!! ACK! Campion! Albert freaking Campion!

/runs about in circles briefly, finally settling down at the keyboard again

Hem.

AND the DISH of the DAY in Hitch-Hiker's!!!!!!!!!

OK, OK, I'm going now. Enough +CROAK+ing for now.

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeegads.

So I've finally gotten the hang of this thang. I hope.

Updates from Day of the Mothers to Day of Memorials:

Still hunting Jobs. I went to WillStaff and dealt with the odd beauracracy that is theirs and now I will go in for an interview with "Carolyn" next week. This week. Whatever.

Talking with Mitch at the Library again... We are both trying to be friendly- this is a grand thing. I have suggested/recommended some books to him and he has been interested in them.
But seeing as how I have completely misinterpreted him before, I am not certain that I have correctly interpreted him this time.

Have now seen Finding Nemo and LOTR:TTT (again) on DVD. No tree-squish in this version of Towers, but it wasn't the director's cut version. Le sigh.

Still no word from Jaclyn. I miss her so much, but I guess she is busy with other things. But I miss her.

Am reading books about the Catholic Curch and its hierarchy and the divide of what the Council of Bishops thinks and what the laity think. I am stuffing myself full of knowledge but I don't know if I will be better off with it. Ignorance is bliss. But I am all about learning the truth. ("What is truth?")

Things to see:
Wolf's Rain series (Go Yoko Kanno!!!)
New Harry Potter Movie
Spiderman 2

Things to read:
Andrew Greeley
Vows of Silence
Company of Glass

Belated Mother's Day Weekend Update:

Saturday- Mom is marinating the brisket!

I'm making the five cup salad- A cup each of Mandarin Oranges (drained), Pineapple chunks (drained), Marshmallows, Coconut (a little less than a cup of this, as it tends to get _too_ coconutty), halved Cherries and Sour Cream. Fold together. Store overnight (this makes for better flavor and less prep time tomorrow).

Sunday- Mother's Day.

Dad has rolled out the charcoal grill and we are searing the brisket. OH MAN. Meat and fire.

GoodGoodGood stuff. I can never be a vegetarian. I just want to go to my knees and drool when I smell steak, burgers, or brisket. I did do the Dance of Joy.

I am prepping the twice-baked-potatoes. (Bake, slice in half lengthwise, scoop out potato, [SAVE SKIN SHELLS.] milk, butter, salt, pepper. Mash. Put mash into ziplock bag, cut off bottom corner. Pipe into skin shells. Cover. Refrigerate. Later, bake in oven again, cover with cheese and bake until cheese is melted satisfactorily.

All in all- FABULOUS Mother's Day Dinner. Brisket, Five Cup Salad, twice-baked-Potatoes, Italian Beans... and a Sara Lee Chocolate Silk Pie for dessert. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

All right.
I'm a bad blogger cause I have wasted my time not blogging.
Tough nougies.

Still unemployed.
Still broke.
Still trying to adapt fear of cars somehow.

However.

Almost finished with the halter top (all I have to do is crochet the last strap).
And just have to put the buttons on the cardigan.

And Ryan Glorioso has a cool idea for Los Angles: Dine For 2. A waiter comes to _your_ place and serves you there!!! I love it.

Also?
They're remaking "The Last Unicorn."

I'm craving egg drop soup and Burger King fries. Separately, not at the same meal.
...though, maybe... Meal o'Salt Night.

Have been reading Katherine Kurtz, Andrew Greeley, and books about cats.

Ep 26 of Bebop ran again the other night- watched it with tears streaming down my face at the end during "blue" as we pan through the atmosphere...

you're gonna carry that weight.

YEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAA!

Another Dragon slain! The Spider at the end of the Hall has retired and I can get rid of that nightmare forever!!!!

/me does dance of joy and wishes I'd known about it this time last year.

Pause in the knitting while I figure out how to sew sides together. Then I get to learn how to crochet around the edges and make an I-cord.

I got Labyrinth on DVD!!!!!! Wheeeee!

When in doubt-
When you've lost yer dearest friends-
When yer world comes a'tumblin' down...
Read Logan and Marie het. This one.

Or consume a cheesecake.

Or go to Mars. I was so impressed, let me tell you. Dad and I watched a lot of the coverage... and we saw the PBS special twice. THESE are the kind of people I want to work among someday. Even if I was just their jester to make them laugh when they needed it.


Just so you know, the above photo was lovingly borrowed from the NASA website and no copyright infringement was meant. I really really love those guys. They're SO COOL!