Made a snow fort.
Made a snow-sculpture that looked a little like a bust of a helmeted Greek warrior (I was worried that it might look a little phallic), but it fell apart.
Didn't drive anywhere; Mark's bus slid around on the street a little.
Listened to the drip of melting snow and the crunching of snow and filed the details away for when I need to write a snow scene.
Worked on a draft of a short story -- tried printing it out and re-ordering some of the scenes to see if the story really wanted to start on page five. My secret vice is dream sequences; the story used to open (and close) with one. I listened to readers and agreed that the story stands fine without the dream sequence frame. After shuffling the scenes a little in an attempt to pull off a trick like Ursula K Le Guin did in "The Dispossessed," I'm pretty sure that I like the order I originally wrote the story in and I need to write a new opening and ending.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Happy Snow Day!
Just in time for my dad's birthday, we got a about four inches of snow. They're predicting a foot. In the Willamette Valley, if a snowflake appears in the sky, the drivers start doing loop-de-loops. It started snowing this morning around 4 AM. By 8 AM (and two inches) there had already been several highway closures and several spin-outs in downtown Eugene.
Tomorrow should be more entertaining, as it is above freezing (and still snowing) right now, and they're calling for freezing temperatures tonight.
Tomorrow should be more entertaining, as it is above freezing (and still snowing) right now, and they're calling for freezing temperatures tonight.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Writing and Other News
Got a rejection from Clockwork Phoenix. I'm hopeful that a story I just got back from the Wordos critique group will strike their fancy; I have to polish it up.
The cough hasn't gone completely away yet. Every now and then I have gook in the back of my throat.
It's been below freezing here for the last few nights, and as a result we've seen the sun. It's nice to not have to turn the lights on in the house at 11 AM because it's too dark to see anything.
I've been fiddling with Google gadgets and adding them to the blog on the right. I figure in terms of keeping track of what's in the mail and what's not it's easier to keep updated (and it will be a good motivator for me to keep things in the mail).
The cough hasn't gone completely away yet. Every now and then I have gook in the back of my throat.
It's been below freezing here for the last few nights, and as a result we've seen the sun. It's nice to not have to turn the lights on in the house at 11 AM because it's too dark to see anything.
I've been fiddling with Google gadgets and adding them to the blog on the right. I figure in terms of keeping track of what's in the mail and what's not it's easier to keep updated (and it will be a good motivator for me to keep things in the mail).
Friday, January 11, 2008
Photos
This week has been very low energy. I've had a cold that just won't go away... at least not the coughing part. It's kind of a pain but at least I'm sort of catching up on sleep. And I've managed to get manuscripts to Polyphony and to Clockwork Phoenix.
It also makes me think in pictures more easily than in words. So here's a slide show:
It also makes me think in pictures more easily than in words. So here's a slide show:
Monday, January 07, 2008
First Cold of 2008
Managed to catch a cold. It makes me sound like I have TB. I dressed up for the part in a white turtleneck and bathrobe ensemble, clutching at a glass goblet of orange juice Mark had made me. ("Cough, cough. 'Tis nothing, just a bout of consumption.")
Anyway, when I wasn't stumbling around I was asleep. I slept so much that after a while my dreams were like waking thoughts, only more random. I did get some good story ideas, though.
Anyway, when I wasn't stumbling around I was asleep. I slept so much that after a while my dreams were like waking thoughts, only more random. I did get some good story ideas, though.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Yipes!
OK.
Maybe it's not such a good thing that we live next to an Office Max. I just spent about $70 on ink cartridges for one printer. So I can print stories, which presumably I can sell. It wouldn't be so bad, except that I bought paper there earlier this afternoon. I have the uncomfortable feeling that this qualifies me for membership in the techno-peasantry. Gads, I almost feel like I should find an old spin-writer. Or locate my old type-writer from ages ago (although I'm not sure what I did with it after my old housemate, Keith, blew up one of its capacitors with his volt-meter. . . ).
Granted, I haven't had to buy ink cartridges for this particular printer in over a year, so I guess it works out to less than $8 a month. But still.
Maybe it's not such a good thing that we live next to an Office Max. I just spent about $70 on ink cartridges for one printer. So I can print stories, which presumably I can sell. It wouldn't be so bad, except that I bought paper there earlier this afternoon. I have the uncomfortable feeling that this qualifies me for membership in the techno-peasantry. Gads, I almost feel like I should find an old spin-writer. Or locate my old type-writer from ages ago (although I'm not sure what I did with it after my old housemate, Keith, blew up one of its capacitors with his volt-meter. . . ).
Granted, I haven't had to buy ink cartridges for this particular printer in over a year, so I guess it works out to less than $8 a month. But still.
Writing and Other News
Today I had some time to work on my writing. I really need to mail some stuff out (so what am I doing writing on the blog?). And what I discovered is that I have some version-itis on my computers. And I had run out of paper. And envelopes. And the entry in the story that I wanted to send to Polyphony had a syntax error in it, with the result that the story wasn't showing up in my mailcall report. Once I fixed that, I discovered that Polyphony had already received (and rejected) that particular story in 2005. So I printed out another story and I think my printer must be running out of ink because the copy has some problems.
All I can say is that it's a good think that an Office Max has opened up within walking distance of our house.
We're watching some friends' animals. They have a real cat -- kitten, actually. Instead of a meow that sounds like a rusty hinge, it has a squeak-toy voice. Instead of clomping around the house, it slinks. However, instead of snagging claws on our clothes during feeble attempts to jump into our laps, the kitten launches into a low orbit and crampons up to our shoulders.
Despite surprised yells, she purrs.
I'm not sure if I'd like to trade.
All I can say is that it's a good think that an Office Max has opened up within walking distance of our house.
We're watching some friends' animals. They have a real cat -- kitten, actually. Instead of a meow that sounds like a rusty hinge, it has a squeak-toy voice. Instead of clomping around the house, it slinks. However, instead of snagging claws on our clothes during feeble attempts to jump into our laps, the kitten launches into a low orbit and crampons up to our shoulders.
Despite surprised yells, she purrs.
I'm not sure if I'd like to trade.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Monday, December 24, 2007
Happy Birthday To Me
I celebrated my 43rd birthday today.
Mark was great; he decorated the house up like it was the old Savoure tea salon and we had a tea party. There were scones, quiche, teas, petit fours, French Art Nouveau botanical prints on the walls and some wonderful conversation -- Mark even put up a sign on the front door that read, "Tea like it used to be."
Later we made some sugar cookies and listened to David Sedaris' "Santaland Diaries", but not before I shot some artistic photos.
Mark was great; he decorated the house up like it was the old Savoure tea salon and we had a tea party. There were scones, quiche, teas, petit fours, French Art Nouveau botanical prints on the walls and some wonderful conversation -- Mark even put up a sign on the front door that read, "Tea like it used to be."
Later we made some sugar cookies and listened to David Sedaris' "Santaland Diaries", but not before I shot some artistic photos.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Oh boy, Oh boy!
Somehow, this was much funnier twenty years ago.
However, I just discovered this and I think it's hysterical.
However, I just discovered this and I think it's hysterical.
Spindle, Anyone?
Today I'm carrying a little pin of Malificent in my pocket. There's always been a place in my heart for Malificent. I think when I was small, it was her horned headdress and cool purple cloak. Now it's the music by Tchaikovsky (Op.66A: III) with its sly oboe duets. Makes me want to re-read "The Thirteenth Fey," by Jane Yolen.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Another Yule.
This year I managed to use a magnifying glass to light a candle from the sun's rays. The candle stayed lit all day and then we used it for a Solstice Service at the local UU church. Something about the glow of candles lit from the sun is extra special to me. Now all I need is to find some really good Solstice Music. We did sing some paganized carols, but it's really not quite the same - and I did manage to re-write the last stanza of "Light is Returning" so it's not so 80's glam-rock.
This morning it was clear (for a change) and I was able to watch the sun rise (more or less). The morning was clear, though, and the leaded crystals shone their rainbows on the kitchen walls. It was very strange to see how much sunlight slants in on the western kitchen wall - especially since I know on the other end of the year it can shine in through our northern windows.
The moon is out tonight. I am hoping that I'll have a nice view of it on my birthday, which is this Monday; I don't know of any traditions about full moons on one's birthday. I think, though, that I have to wait something like nineteen years for the next time the moon is full on Dec 24.... although on Dec 25 2015 it will be full very early on that day. This Sunday should be an interesting sight, too, as Mars and the moon will be very close to each other - and by a funny coincidence, it turns out they were close to each other when I was born.
Well... off to decorate the house.
This morning it was clear (for a change) and I was able to watch the sun rise (more or less). The morning was clear, though, and the leaded crystals shone their rainbows on the kitchen walls. It was very strange to see how much sunlight slants in on the western kitchen wall - especially since I know on the other end of the year it can shine in through our northern windows.
The moon is out tonight. I am hoping that I'll have a nice view of it on my birthday, which is this Monday; I don't know of any traditions about full moons on one's birthday. I think, though, that I have to wait something like nineteen years for the next time the moon is full on Dec 24.... although on Dec 25 2015 it will be full very early on that day. This Sunday should be an interesting sight, too, as Mars and the moon will be very close to each other - and by a funny coincidence, it turns out they were close to each other when I was born.
Well... off to decorate the house.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Latest Signing
Just got back from Waldenbooks. We were going to find Santa hats, but we didn't. I was going to put construction paper Santa Hats on the figure from the book cover's head, but I didn't. I tried to get Damon to sing "The Twelve Days of Christmas," but he didn't. Damon did show me the rubber pen trick, and I did startle Damon when I greeted a fellow Reed College alumnus with "Communism, Atheism, Free Love!" (the alumnus looked pre-occupied and didn't seem to realize that I was reading the caption on his T-shirt back to him). We had a great time and we managed to sell nineteen books in two hours. Many of my friends from The Shrewsbury Renaissance Faire stopped by and purchased books. This wiped out Waldenbooks' stock. 
Now it's off to holiday madness.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Book Signing This Weekend
Damon and I will be in Albany this Saturday, at WaldenBooks in the Heritage Mall. Come visit us. Maybe I can convince Damon to sing "The Twelve Days of Christmas".
View Larger Map
View Larger Map
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)