It’s one of those days where nothing really interesting happened. No major disasters, nor small ones. No projects to describe, or an amazing writing efforts, just your run of the mill; I wake up, do my chore, scour the Net a little and get my butt off to school to listen to questions I already know the answers to.
Oh yeah, and we put a new seat on the toilet, which was pretty much the highlight of what occurred.
The day in one word, Boring!!!
So lets see if I can write about something a little more interesting today. Ah yes, I was having a most interesting discussion a few days ago about the finer points of writing and it let to a variety of thoughts that I am simply going to have to explain in a full Blog.
It is mostly a difference of opinion really, nothing vital, or anything, and basically it just says the same thing, but there are slight differences that give a different taste, I think.
Here’s one version, one that is grammatically correct, or so I’ve heard, and I’ve been thinking about the differences. Which one is right and which one feels right that’s what it all boils down to.
So let’s examine them:
#1.
“It was a spring afternoon in a suburb outside of Washington D.C. Late afternoon sun beat down on a trio of St. Bernards whose sudden barking disturbed the peaceful neighborhood.”
#2.
“It was a warm spring day in a nice little suburb just outside Washington DC. The late afternoon sun beat down on the peaceful neighborhood where a triplet of barking dogs disturbed the quiet of day.”
#1 admittedly it says it all perfectly, giving the details of the city, the time, the season and the situation, so what is missing. It doesn’t make you FEEL what’s happening. Yes it tells what’s happening just fine, but it comes across as a sum up. More than anything it doesn’t offer the actual experience.
So I’ll take #2 apart, and see what’s so different about it.
“It was a warm spring day” It gives a warm feeling, creating an image of something ideal and beautiful in whichever way a reader wishes to interpret it.
The way I like to describe it is a panning view of a big city (D.C. in this case) that then zooms in on some random suburban area.
“in a nice little suburb just outside Washington DC.” This gives a general location and creates an image of what the reader sees as a “nice little” suburb, whether that is the “Desperate Housewives” type or whichever the reader considers nice. Now I’ve heard that in literature one doesn’t really say “just outside” but I don’t really know why just “outside” would be any better, but still: In conversation one DOES say “Just outside” and to me that is the most important thing.
I’m not writing old fashioned literature nonetheless, I’m telling a story, much like I would if I were sitting face to face with the one interested enough to want to find out more about it.
It is more like the way a fairytale would be told, I think. Like “Somewhere, in a land far, far away a—“ well, you get my drift.
Where was I? Oh yes:
“The late afternoon sun beat down on the peaceful neighborhood where a triplet of barking dogs disturbed the quiet of day.” This shows time and creates location. A neighborhood, or a surrounding area of the place I want to take you.
Now, the problem appeared to be the triplet of dogs, this seemed to set the discussion participant aback as she wondered if that was the correct way to describe it. Participant wanted to know what kind of dogs were they? Why are they barking? Which adds a nice little bonus to me (the writer) since that means that this particular sentence makes the reader wonder what kind and why, practically forcing the reader to continue to see what happens next.
But that’s beside the point, let me explain what is:
Let’s take the movie example again and pretend we’re zooming in on a particular street, the warm and peaceful one, remember?
So the camera’s going down the street, not focusing on a particular place as of yet, when the sound of dogs barking suddenly disturbs the quiet day, without actually showing the dogs. You know the sound, and at this particular moment, you don’t really need to know what breed they are since you don’t even know whether or not those dogs are going to be important to the story.
It’s like when you’re jogging down the street and you hear some annoying little mutt bark in someone’s backyard. Are you going to check it out, or do you just imagine some indistinct breed that makes an annoying sound and move one? My point exactly.
So let’s continue with the paragraph that “created” the image, and inspired the questions.
“It was a warm spring day in a nice little suburb just outside Washington DC. The late afternoon sun beat down on the peaceful neighborhood where a triplet of barking dogs disturbed the quiet of day.”
The scene continues with this:
“It was a frequent occurrence and a cheerful sight for whoever passed bye, to see the two Golden retrievers, and their scrubby mutt companion, bounce up and down behind the white picket fence.”
This brings a few little details into focus and offers a glimpse into what is slowly turning out to be the place where I’m trying to take you.
Not much, I know, but these were the first couple of paragraphs, what else did you expect. It’s not like I can perform miracles and create magic in just a handful of words.
So this brings today’s Blog to a conclusion. It isn’t my usual type of writing through this wonderful web medium, but since I need to distract myself from the dreaded e-x-a-m-s tomorrow, I thought it did a nice job…right until I wrote this closing sentence, of course. Drat!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Busy days continue.
Gawd, I’m running so late I don’t know how I’m going to manage today’s recording, so I’m just going to let the fingers fly and see where it leads.
Started off already running late. I really need to find a different alarm clock; it’s so hard to find just the right spot for it to go off when I want it to. Though it was late going off, I still could have turned over and snoozed the day away if there weren’t more pressing matters to take care off.
I really ought to do my workout today, but every fiber in my body protests at the mere thought, making me decide to skip it and stop worrying about it. The schedule this week is atrocious to say the least, so the way I figure, slackening the reigns just a bit won’t do much harm.
A big stash of laundry is waiting for me in the laundry room, and the lines, which are overfull, need to be sorted through in hopes of getting at least a moderate amount of semi-dry stuff. The air has been moist and chilly for days now, so denims have to stay up while sheets and Tees can be taken down, at least creating enough line-space for the three new batches.
While I’m lugging the piles inside and start folding, I have tricked myself long enough and quickly change into workout clothes so I can start on today’s exercises before the brain starts objecting again. It is really the only way that works, convincing myself to skip the day and then doing them anyway, that way I don’t have to go through the hassle of convincing myself to actually do them.
It goes well, even though jumping still hurts. By the time I reached eighty I had to stop for a minute to massage the throbbing knee and then shake it off to move on to the next routines. Luckily punching, jabbing and anything with the upper body is no longer a problem, so I rigorously go through that particular part of workout, before doing the stomach exercises along with some mild leg movements that don’t put too much strain on the sore knee.
Seventy minutes after commencing, I’m done and head for the shower hot and sweaty even though the air is pretty chilly. The best exercises make me forget that it’s a cold day, so this one definitely went well.
Yadzia gets his food and the painkiller, after which I eat a few slices of bread, pour my coffee and head for the table to set up the computer while grandpa and big brother continue to discuss today’s topic.
Now, it would be a marvelous subject to write about in today’s Blog, but since it’s a big one, I’m going to have to save it for later lest I’m still writing an hour from now, just to get it all down.
I’m even more behind, since the exercise session took longer than an hour, and since I won’t be able to get any writing done in the hour that is left to me before I need to get ready to depart, I decide to get online for a quick round of the messages and chat forums.
Before I know it, I need to hurry on up to the cabin for a change of clothes and fifteen minutes later settle in the car with big brother and little sister as we head for town. While I will be dropped off at school the two of them will pay a visit to several stores…grocery day! Yay…Not!
Since I only have an hour, at most, I head for the computers immediately, going over the errors I made in previous tests and then adding three thirty question tests more before my time’s up. I just barely manage to ask the teach one question–as it turns out the computer had it wrong–when through the open doors I can see the truck already waiting for me on the curb.
We head for Iceland next. Frozen veggies are so much cheaper there that it pays to buy large supplies in one visit, that will see is through the next couple of weeks, if not longer. That done we drive half a block down the road, to a department store. I need some new underwear, and though it takes some searching, I do finally find what I need in the right designs hidden under atrocious patterns and colors.
I end up with black and white polka dots (yuck) and bright red. Definitely not my taste, but at least they’re the right kind, hah. Since this is the second bargain month, lots of prices are down, so big brother manages to pick up four sets of linen trousers that will get him through the summer, and little sister finds shorts for herself and middle sister, along with two T-shirts for little brother. After we’re all set and pay for our purchases, we head back out to the car in the misty rain that’s started up.
Our regular supermarket is running low on supplies, but except for fresh produce and bread we manage to stock up on pretty much everything we need, and some extras since this month’s “tryout” section is offering a large selection of Asian goodies that are so damn cheap that we decide to buy enough to get us through at least a month of wonderful experimental cooking.
Sweet and sour sauces, curries, coconut milk, mango chutneys all for decent prices for a change. Delicious! I see some wonderful meals coming up in the near future, and little brother will be just as thrilled.
Though closing time is rapidly approaching we still need to get our fresh produce, and head back the way we came to a different supermarket, farther into town that shares prices similar to the one we frequent. Strangely enough that one is low on supplies to, but we manage to get most of what we need anyway. It won’t hold for two to three weeks, but one should be doable.
By the end of this fourth store, my feet (and knee) are killing me–I was stupid enough to pick my high-heeled boots for today–so by the time we’re heading back home my feet are tingling from the strain and more than ready to kick up in some decent relaxation.
The first thing I do when arriving at the house is change into more comfortable shoes and clothes, and then the fun part starts: Unloading. It takes a joint effort to get the multitude of bags down to the kitchen, and up to an hour to get everything stored in the right place (oh man, I love the new kitchen, even all the extras we bought today don’t overflow the supply closet shelves) before we all release a relieved sigh and declare ourselves done.
Leftover pizza from yesterday fills our empty stomachs effectively, and while we put on a rented DVD, I get out the sewing kit to repair some holes in my sweater while I watch. No sense in just sitting there doing nothing when I might as well keep my hands busy.
“The Forbidden Kingdom”. It was much better than I’d expected. Sort of like an older movie with characteristics that, for some reason remind me of “The Never Ending Story”. I actually enjoyed it, even though it made me half an hour later heading on up to my cabin.
After I’ve fed the dogs, giving Yadzia his kibble and tuna mix before supplying him with his painkiller (the medicine can’t be given on an empty stomach) I go through a rushed evening ritual of reading and then changing into the pjs before I finally settle behind the computer to finish the evening off.
One more lesson tomorrow, and then the dreaded exam day has arrived once more. Ah well…we’ll see how it goes.
Started off already running late. I really need to find a different alarm clock; it’s so hard to find just the right spot for it to go off when I want it to. Though it was late going off, I still could have turned over and snoozed the day away if there weren’t more pressing matters to take care off.
I really ought to do my workout today, but every fiber in my body protests at the mere thought, making me decide to skip it and stop worrying about it. The schedule this week is atrocious to say the least, so the way I figure, slackening the reigns just a bit won’t do much harm.
A big stash of laundry is waiting for me in the laundry room, and the lines, which are overfull, need to be sorted through in hopes of getting at least a moderate amount of semi-dry stuff. The air has been moist and chilly for days now, so denims have to stay up while sheets and Tees can be taken down, at least creating enough line-space for the three new batches.
While I’m lugging the piles inside and start folding, I have tricked myself long enough and quickly change into workout clothes so I can start on today’s exercises before the brain starts objecting again. It is really the only way that works, convincing myself to skip the day and then doing them anyway, that way I don’t have to go through the hassle of convincing myself to actually do them.
It goes well, even though jumping still hurts. By the time I reached eighty I had to stop for a minute to massage the throbbing knee and then shake it off to move on to the next routines. Luckily punching, jabbing and anything with the upper body is no longer a problem, so I rigorously go through that particular part of workout, before doing the stomach exercises along with some mild leg movements that don’t put too much strain on the sore knee.
Seventy minutes after commencing, I’m done and head for the shower hot and sweaty even though the air is pretty chilly. The best exercises make me forget that it’s a cold day, so this one definitely went well.
Yadzia gets his food and the painkiller, after which I eat a few slices of bread, pour my coffee and head for the table to set up the computer while grandpa and big brother continue to discuss today’s topic.
Now, it would be a marvelous subject to write about in today’s Blog, but since it’s a big one, I’m going to have to save it for later lest I’m still writing an hour from now, just to get it all down.
I’m even more behind, since the exercise session took longer than an hour, and since I won’t be able to get any writing done in the hour that is left to me before I need to get ready to depart, I decide to get online for a quick round of the messages and chat forums.
Before I know it, I need to hurry on up to the cabin for a change of clothes and fifteen minutes later settle in the car with big brother and little sister as we head for town. While I will be dropped off at school the two of them will pay a visit to several stores…grocery day! Yay…Not!
Since I only have an hour, at most, I head for the computers immediately, going over the errors I made in previous tests and then adding three thirty question tests more before my time’s up. I just barely manage to ask the teach one question–as it turns out the computer had it wrong–when through the open doors I can see the truck already waiting for me on the curb.
We head for Iceland next. Frozen veggies are so much cheaper there that it pays to buy large supplies in one visit, that will see is through the next couple of weeks, if not longer. That done we drive half a block down the road, to a department store. I need some new underwear, and though it takes some searching, I do finally find what I need in the right designs hidden under atrocious patterns and colors.
I end up with black and white polka dots (yuck) and bright red. Definitely not my taste, but at least they’re the right kind, hah. Since this is the second bargain month, lots of prices are down, so big brother manages to pick up four sets of linen trousers that will get him through the summer, and little sister finds shorts for herself and middle sister, along with two T-shirts for little brother. After we’re all set and pay for our purchases, we head back out to the car in the misty rain that’s started up.
Our regular supermarket is running low on supplies, but except for fresh produce and bread we manage to stock up on pretty much everything we need, and some extras since this month’s “tryout” section is offering a large selection of Asian goodies that are so damn cheap that we decide to buy enough to get us through at least a month of wonderful experimental cooking.
Sweet and sour sauces, curries, coconut milk, mango chutneys all for decent prices for a change. Delicious! I see some wonderful meals coming up in the near future, and little brother will be just as thrilled.
Though closing time is rapidly approaching we still need to get our fresh produce, and head back the way we came to a different supermarket, farther into town that shares prices similar to the one we frequent. Strangely enough that one is low on supplies to, but we manage to get most of what we need anyway. It won’t hold for two to three weeks, but one should be doable.
By the end of this fourth store, my feet (and knee) are killing me–I was stupid enough to pick my high-heeled boots for today–so by the time we’re heading back home my feet are tingling from the strain and more than ready to kick up in some decent relaxation.
The first thing I do when arriving at the house is change into more comfortable shoes and clothes, and then the fun part starts: Unloading. It takes a joint effort to get the multitude of bags down to the kitchen, and up to an hour to get everything stored in the right place (oh man, I love the new kitchen, even all the extras we bought today don’t overflow the supply closet shelves) before we all release a relieved sigh and declare ourselves done.
Leftover pizza from yesterday fills our empty stomachs effectively, and while we put on a rented DVD, I get out the sewing kit to repair some holes in my sweater while I watch. No sense in just sitting there doing nothing when I might as well keep my hands busy.
“The Forbidden Kingdom”. It was much better than I’d expected. Sort of like an older movie with characteristics that, for some reason remind me of “The Never Ending Story”. I actually enjoyed it, even though it made me half an hour later heading on up to my cabin.
After I’ve fed the dogs, giving Yadzia his kibble and tuna mix before supplying him with his painkiller (the medicine can’t be given on an empty stomach) I go through a rushed evening ritual of reading and then changing into the pjs before I finally settle behind the computer to finish the evening off.
One more lesson tomorrow, and then the dreaded exam day has arrived once more. Ah well…we’ll see how it goes.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Strange dream and some rambling.
A strange dream flashed past this night. I remember running over rooftops during the night. Corrugated aluminum surfaces thundering under my feet, I leap, miss and slide down the sharp incline only to manage to catch myself just barely before the end of canted surface.
Breathing hard I lay there on the edge, staring at the starlit sky, wondering how the heck I’m going to get off the roof when a strange sound from my right startles me. I turn my head and see this woman, dressed in what appears to be a joker outfit. She is climbing some sort of street lantern, which starts to bend like a reed until she’s hanging right beside me, upside down. She’s laughing like a lunatic and I’m just grimacing as I look from her, down to the ground that’s at least nine feet below me.
Now, I don’t know what the heck that means, but it sure was weird. Hah.
I’m a little late this morning, for some reason I set the alarm wrong last night, but since today is not an exercise day anyway, and I was dreadfully late getting to sleep it really doesn’t matter. I hurry through the morning rituals, getting some reading done and then head to the house so I can feed Yadzia his breakfast, and give him his pain medicine.
That done, I have my own and watch the coffee percolate distractedly, needing my caffeine boost pretty bad, since I can’t stop yawning. Talk between big brother and grandpa becomes more animated with every second. Today’s subject appears to be Socialism and the way it is rapidly taking over the world.
Strange how this particular movement is gaining ground when it is basically communism wrapped in a new word. Everyone seems to forget that the worst dictators through history come from extreme left. Napoleon was for the people, Saddam, Castro and then I’m not even mentioning the disaster of communism in China and the former USSR. Heck, I believe even Hitler started out in a labor party.
Gawd, all those folks started out with the promise of a better world for all and look where it led. Eeewwww.
It proclaims caring for all, along with equality that will allow everyone, whether they work hard or not, to live in the same amount of comfort, meaning that those who work their butts off are working solely to provide for those who don’t. Talk about misguided and sneaky. Taking away wealth from the “evil” capitalists to give it to the people and then it turns out that “the people” really just means those at the top of the power chain. Smart on their part, I have to admit.
Sure, for those who don’t like to work hard it is certainly the answer since they’ll get their money no matter what, but for those who work hard to provide for their families, it is promising to be hell on earth. I mean, a social safety net is all nice and fine, but you can overdo it. There are lots of people out there who would much rather sit on their butts and get that monthly check in without effort on their part.
As is usually the case with socialism and communism, taxes for the rich (or richer) will go up, making working hard a rather useless endeavor, since you’re loosing too much of it to taxes demanded from you to support those who can’t…or won’t. For those who can’t it’s perfect, for those who won’t, well, it’ll just breed laziness, doesn’t it?
I mean, seriously, why make a million dollars through hard work when half of that will go to taxes? Might as well work less, make less and loose less when it’s all said and done.
If the upcoming trend continues to grow with present speed, I see a world rapidly degrading because there are not all that many people willing to work hard without some form of compensation. Besides, taking money from the rich (the way CNN so grandly compared it with Robin Hood the other day…idiots) and using it for present needs rather than investing it in endurable companies that’ll provide work and products for the future, is like pissing it all away. Sure, everyone will have their cake right now, but once you’ve drained the so-called rich, what then?
But enough of the ramble, such thoughts tumble through my mind at random, and I dismiss them so I can set up my computer and get to work.
It doesn’t go well today, I fear. I sit behind the monitor for hours and only manage a page or three without ever getting into the flow I so desperately need.
By the time five in the evening arrives, I give up and head for the kitchen to start on the pizzas I promised to make from what is left of our supplies.
While I start on the dough, little sister arrives and begins cutting the veggies and cheese while I pound and shape the dough until it is ready to be rolled out into the square oven dishes until we’ve got two yards of pizza crust to shove into the oven.
Pre-baking the dough, little brother mixes up a sauce, so little sister and I can start to cover the pies less than ten minutes after they were first shoved into the heat. Sauce, cheese, corn, mushrooms, onions, peas, peppers green beans and more cheese, finished off by spices and herbs before one by one they are returned to the oven and bake until a golden crust forms.
An undeniable success tonight that’s a fact. Six feet of dinner rapidly dwindles down to three. The leftovers are bound to feed us through the next couple of days. No more cooking for me in the near future, hah. This is a good thing, since today’s little exploit took almost two hours…but it was worth it, every delicious bite was.
That done there are some chores to go through, and once I get those done I settle down to watch “Medium”. It has been quite a while since we last saw the final episode of the season, but the new episode certainly offers it’s usual entertainment as the evening rapidly advances and leaves us with “Supernatural” as I get on my computer to do some more work.
This time behind the computer doesn’t go well either, but at least I get some done, if nothing other than editing. Afterwards I do some studying, too. No way around it, really. What has to be done has to be done, nonetheless. I do feel a tad stressed about going for exams again in two days.
Fortuyn has some minor blisters on his skin from yesterday’s accident with the deodorant and gas stoves, and though he is moving about tentatively, he doesn’t seem too badly impaired. He’s probably going to need some ointment to make him a little more comfortable, though.
But anyways…Tomorrow’s going to be a busy day. Lessons, groceries and more groceries, just like every two weeks. I get exhausted even thinking about it…so I won’t, until it actually becomes necessary. Hah.
Oh yes, last night I posted my review for Bitter Moon I: Triane’s Son Rising, by Amy Lane on Amazon. Very nice reading, I’m definitely curious how part two will compare, and if the author likes the review, naturally.
I do have to say that writing a review and an honest one at that isn’t all that easy. It takes time and effort to actually describe a story and the impressions it gives without writing down spoilers. It is an interesting concept, though, and considering that I still need to do several others in the near future that is a good thing.
So tonight I will probably start on a new book to review. Wonder what kind of thoughts this one is going to provoke.
Breathing hard I lay there on the edge, staring at the starlit sky, wondering how the heck I’m going to get off the roof when a strange sound from my right startles me. I turn my head and see this woman, dressed in what appears to be a joker outfit. She is climbing some sort of street lantern, which starts to bend like a reed until she’s hanging right beside me, upside down. She’s laughing like a lunatic and I’m just grimacing as I look from her, down to the ground that’s at least nine feet below me.
Now, I don’t know what the heck that means, but it sure was weird. Hah.
I’m a little late this morning, for some reason I set the alarm wrong last night, but since today is not an exercise day anyway, and I was dreadfully late getting to sleep it really doesn’t matter. I hurry through the morning rituals, getting some reading done and then head to the house so I can feed Yadzia his breakfast, and give him his pain medicine.
That done, I have my own and watch the coffee percolate distractedly, needing my caffeine boost pretty bad, since I can’t stop yawning. Talk between big brother and grandpa becomes more animated with every second. Today’s subject appears to be Socialism and the way it is rapidly taking over the world.
Strange how this particular movement is gaining ground when it is basically communism wrapped in a new word. Everyone seems to forget that the worst dictators through history come from extreme left. Napoleon was for the people, Saddam, Castro and then I’m not even mentioning the disaster of communism in China and the former USSR. Heck, I believe even Hitler started out in a labor party.
Gawd, all those folks started out with the promise of a better world for all and look where it led. Eeewwww.
It proclaims caring for all, along with equality that will allow everyone, whether they work hard or not, to live in the same amount of comfort, meaning that those who work their butts off are working solely to provide for those who don’t. Talk about misguided and sneaky. Taking away wealth from the “evil” capitalists to give it to the people and then it turns out that “the people” really just means those at the top of the power chain. Smart on their part, I have to admit.
Sure, for those who don’t like to work hard it is certainly the answer since they’ll get their money no matter what, but for those who work hard to provide for their families, it is promising to be hell on earth. I mean, a social safety net is all nice and fine, but you can overdo it. There are lots of people out there who would much rather sit on their butts and get that monthly check in without effort on their part.
As is usually the case with socialism and communism, taxes for the rich (or richer) will go up, making working hard a rather useless endeavor, since you’re loosing too much of it to taxes demanded from you to support those who can’t…or won’t. For those who can’t it’s perfect, for those who won’t, well, it’ll just breed laziness, doesn’t it?
I mean, seriously, why make a million dollars through hard work when half of that will go to taxes? Might as well work less, make less and loose less when it’s all said and done.
If the upcoming trend continues to grow with present speed, I see a world rapidly degrading because there are not all that many people willing to work hard without some form of compensation. Besides, taking money from the rich (the way CNN so grandly compared it with Robin Hood the other day…idiots) and using it for present needs rather than investing it in endurable companies that’ll provide work and products for the future, is like pissing it all away. Sure, everyone will have their cake right now, but once you’ve drained the so-called rich, what then?
But enough of the ramble, such thoughts tumble through my mind at random, and I dismiss them so I can set up my computer and get to work.
It doesn’t go well today, I fear. I sit behind the monitor for hours and only manage a page or three without ever getting into the flow I so desperately need.
By the time five in the evening arrives, I give up and head for the kitchen to start on the pizzas I promised to make from what is left of our supplies.
While I start on the dough, little sister arrives and begins cutting the veggies and cheese while I pound and shape the dough until it is ready to be rolled out into the square oven dishes until we’ve got two yards of pizza crust to shove into the oven.
Pre-baking the dough, little brother mixes up a sauce, so little sister and I can start to cover the pies less than ten minutes after they were first shoved into the heat. Sauce, cheese, corn, mushrooms, onions, peas, peppers green beans and more cheese, finished off by spices and herbs before one by one they are returned to the oven and bake until a golden crust forms.
An undeniable success tonight that’s a fact. Six feet of dinner rapidly dwindles down to three. The leftovers are bound to feed us through the next couple of days. No more cooking for me in the near future, hah. This is a good thing, since today’s little exploit took almost two hours…but it was worth it, every delicious bite was.
That done there are some chores to go through, and once I get those done I settle down to watch “Medium”. It has been quite a while since we last saw the final episode of the season, but the new episode certainly offers it’s usual entertainment as the evening rapidly advances and leaves us with “Supernatural” as I get on my computer to do some more work.
This time behind the computer doesn’t go well either, but at least I get some done, if nothing other than editing. Afterwards I do some studying, too. No way around it, really. What has to be done has to be done, nonetheless. I do feel a tad stressed about going for exams again in two days.
Fortuyn has some minor blisters on his skin from yesterday’s accident with the deodorant and gas stoves, and though he is moving about tentatively, he doesn’t seem too badly impaired. He’s probably going to need some ointment to make him a little more comfortable, though.
But anyways…Tomorrow’s going to be a busy day. Lessons, groceries and more groceries, just like every two weeks. I get exhausted even thinking about it…so I won’t, until it actually becomes necessary. Hah.
Oh yes, last night I posted my review for Bitter Moon I: Triane’s Son Rising, by Amy Lane on Amazon. Very nice reading, I’m definitely curious how part two will compare, and if the author likes the review, naturally.
I do have to say that writing a review and an honest one at that isn’t all that easy. It takes time and effort to actually describe a story and the impressions it gives without writing down spoilers. It is an interesting concept, though, and considering that I still need to do several others in the near future that is a good thing.
So tonight I will probably start on a new book to review. Wonder what kind of thoughts this one is going to provoke.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
What a day!
I woke right on the dot for a change, hah. The alarm shrilled and the dogs bound away, leaving only Chaos and Yadzia–he wanted on the bed last night and stuck around–lounging beside me as I stretch and yawn against the night’s stiffness. There was ridiculously little room what with Yadzia joining in, but I could hardly deny him access when he was looking at me so pitifully. Heck, he hasn’t wanted on the bed since Knight II joined my pack.
I pat both canines on the head, throw the blankets off and roll out of bed…to shiver violently against the obvious chill of the day. The sky outside is covered with thick heavy clouds and the moment I open the door, tiny pearls of rain start falling down, darkening the porch boards right before my eyes.
Sighing at the wet day ahead, I return to the bedroom to help Chaos off–Yadzia did it himself and easily trotted out the door–and quickly pull the blankets up before wet furry bodies return from their morning jaunt and dirty the sheets.
That done, I quickly go through the morning rituals, wanting to take advantage of the early start to get my workout done properly (the knee’s much better, only a slight discomfort now, really) and still have time left to get some writing time in on the computer.
Half an hour later the dogs and I arrive in the house. Big brother is still hosing down the patio, and I’m just about to lock Knight II in the pantry to prevent a noisy collision of packs when the door at the top of the stairs opens and the first wave of dogs comes flying down the stairs.
There’s short tussle between Knight II and Tallis (a white/brown crossbreed) before I manage to grab the Great Dane’s collar and haul him off to the pantry.
I’ve just closed the door when big brother finishes his descend and looks Tallis over a little worriedly to make sure that Knight II didn’t do him damage. All seems well, and with that I grab my workout clothes and change into them so I can get started.
Though jumping is a little iffy today (it sends a rather piercing ache through my entire leg) I still manage to do eighty before I switch to the other routines. I’m still not doing any kicks, knowing full well that if jumping’s a problem those are bound to be disastrous, but other than that all exercises go smoothly and within the usual time.
Seventy minutes after commencing I’m done, breathing deeply and only a slight reddening of perspiring skin when I head for the shower to wash up. Clean and dressed again, I make Yadzia’s meal and give him his painkiller while I’m chewing on my own breakfast.
With the usual coffee and OJ already in place on a side table, I set up the computer and get down to work. It doesn’t go bad, especially not considering the way I’ve been distracted this past week, and I end up with four brand new pages to add to the ongoing vampire project. It ain’t perfect that’s a fact, but it’ll get there after some rigorous edits in the near future, I’m sure.
By the time dusk arrives, I put the computer away to see about dinner. Reheating yesterday’s leftover rice, and adding some peas, corn and red bell pepper today’s meal is taken care of in a satisfactory manner, leaving me free to settle at the table once more to sew the multitude of holes in my favorite winter vest. It appears to be slowly falling apart at the seams by now, two years after purchasing it, but I like it too much to mind either the many repairs or that it is now three sizes too big.
That done, I head for the laundry room to get the day’s laundry. Since I wanted my workout this morning I’d postponed it ‘till now, forcing me to look into the two lanterns that no longer provide light in the courtyard. Apparently the two energy saving bulbs inside gave the spirit sometime during the last week, and I replace them before I start hanging the three batches on the lines that are rapidly filling up because nothing will dry in this weather. Drat.
I’m almost done when I hear a dog squeal inside, followed by shouts from the sibs. Little brother comes running outside, saying that a deodorant bottle exploded, sending a flare of fire into the living area that singed the hair and belly of Fortuyn (white/black pointer), and wets a blanket under the tap to douse the flames.
Once inside I find big brother and middle sister already having gone in the poor panicky dog’s pursuit and the flames dosed without actual damage.
Apparently one of the dogs got his teeth into the deodorant bottle during the evening, bursting the side, which then proceeded to empty into the air without notice until reaching the gas heaters that stand in the enclosed area of the living area. This caused a considerable explosion.
Luckily no real damage is done. Fortuyn is obviously a little shocked, singed all over his body, but no massive burns or anything like that. A good spraying with cold water has him calm down considerably. This is followed by a solid dose of painkilling and anti-inflammatory medicine, which has him settle down in a quiet corner to sleep it off.
We do a thorough check of his entire body, but only find his skin to be slightly pinker than usual, bringing instant relief. After airing out the room now filled with the smell of burnt deodorant we all settle down to watch and episode of “The Closer”.
Entertaining as usual, but afterwards we shut the TV down so big brother and I can do some studying. Me for my repeat theory exams in a couple of days, and he for the next stage of our “education”. We immerse ourselves in the badly written scripts for a couple of hours, and then, feeling brain-bruised, decide to watch an episode of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” before calling it a night.
I head on up to my cabin and feed the dogs while big brother comes up too, so we can discuss some more of the lessons and make plans for tomorrow to boot. At last I’m done with the dogs and spend another thirty minutes or so just talking before I state that I really need to start on the evening rituals if I want to be in time for bed, in just a few hours.
With a glance at the clock big brother departs to start on his own evening rituals, leaving me to do my habitual reading before I get online and start on today’s Blog.
And eventful day, for sure and though I could have done without the near miss with Fortuyn, it was a good one, on the overall.
I pat both canines on the head, throw the blankets off and roll out of bed…to shiver violently against the obvious chill of the day. The sky outside is covered with thick heavy clouds and the moment I open the door, tiny pearls of rain start falling down, darkening the porch boards right before my eyes.
Sighing at the wet day ahead, I return to the bedroom to help Chaos off–Yadzia did it himself and easily trotted out the door–and quickly pull the blankets up before wet furry bodies return from their morning jaunt and dirty the sheets.
That done, I quickly go through the morning rituals, wanting to take advantage of the early start to get my workout done properly (the knee’s much better, only a slight discomfort now, really) and still have time left to get some writing time in on the computer.
Half an hour later the dogs and I arrive in the house. Big brother is still hosing down the patio, and I’m just about to lock Knight II in the pantry to prevent a noisy collision of packs when the door at the top of the stairs opens and the first wave of dogs comes flying down the stairs.
There’s short tussle between Knight II and Tallis (a white/brown crossbreed) before I manage to grab the Great Dane’s collar and haul him off to the pantry.
I’ve just closed the door when big brother finishes his descend and looks Tallis over a little worriedly to make sure that Knight II didn’t do him damage. All seems well, and with that I grab my workout clothes and change into them so I can get started.
Though jumping is a little iffy today (it sends a rather piercing ache through my entire leg) I still manage to do eighty before I switch to the other routines. I’m still not doing any kicks, knowing full well that if jumping’s a problem those are bound to be disastrous, but other than that all exercises go smoothly and within the usual time.
Seventy minutes after commencing I’m done, breathing deeply and only a slight reddening of perspiring skin when I head for the shower to wash up. Clean and dressed again, I make Yadzia’s meal and give him his painkiller while I’m chewing on my own breakfast.
With the usual coffee and OJ already in place on a side table, I set up the computer and get down to work. It doesn’t go bad, especially not considering the way I’ve been distracted this past week, and I end up with four brand new pages to add to the ongoing vampire project. It ain’t perfect that’s a fact, but it’ll get there after some rigorous edits in the near future, I’m sure.
By the time dusk arrives, I put the computer away to see about dinner. Reheating yesterday’s leftover rice, and adding some peas, corn and red bell pepper today’s meal is taken care of in a satisfactory manner, leaving me free to settle at the table once more to sew the multitude of holes in my favorite winter vest. It appears to be slowly falling apart at the seams by now, two years after purchasing it, but I like it too much to mind either the many repairs or that it is now three sizes too big.
That done, I head for the laundry room to get the day’s laundry. Since I wanted my workout this morning I’d postponed it ‘till now, forcing me to look into the two lanterns that no longer provide light in the courtyard. Apparently the two energy saving bulbs inside gave the spirit sometime during the last week, and I replace them before I start hanging the three batches on the lines that are rapidly filling up because nothing will dry in this weather. Drat.
I’m almost done when I hear a dog squeal inside, followed by shouts from the sibs. Little brother comes running outside, saying that a deodorant bottle exploded, sending a flare of fire into the living area that singed the hair and belly of Fortuyn (white/black pointer), and wets a blanket under the tap to douse the flames.
Once inside I find big brother and middle sister already having gone in the poor panicky dog’s pursuit and the flames dosed without actual damage.
Apparently one of the dogs got his teeth into the deodorant bottle during the evening, bursting the side, which then proceeded to empty into the air without notice until reaching the gas heaters that stand in the enclosed area of the living area. This caused a considerable explosion.
Luckily no real damage is done. Fortuyn is obviously a little shocked, singed all over his body, but no massive burns or anything like that. A good spraying with cold water has him calm down considerably. This is followed by a solid dose of painkilling and anti-inflammatory medicine, which has him settle down in a quiet corner to sleep it off.
We do a thorough check of his entire body, but only find his skin to be slightly pinker than usual, bringing instant relief. After airing out the room now filled with the smell of burnt deodorant we all settle down to watch and episode of “The Closer”.
Entertaining as usual, but afterwards we shut the TV down so big brother and I can do some studying. Me for my repeat theory exams in a couple of days, and he for the next stage of our “education”. We immerse ourselves in the badly written scripts for a couple of hours, and then, feeling brain-bruised, decide to watch an episode of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” before calling it a night.
I head on up to my cabin and feed the dogs while big brother comes up too, so we can discuss some more of the lessons and make plans for tomorrow to boot. At last I’m done with the dogs and spend another thirty minutes or so just talking before I state that I really need to start on the evening rituals if I want to be in time for bed, in just a few hours.
With a glance at the clock big brother departs to start on his own evening rituals, leaving me to do my habitual reading before I get online and start on today’s Blog.
And eventful day, for sure and though I could have done without the near miss with Fortuyn, it was a good one, on the overall.
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