No Strings Attached

New Who Review for "Sound of the Drums"

Most of this is going to be behind the cut and remember comments may be very spoilery.

Over all this took what happened in Utopia and kicks it up to the next level. Solid script and solid performances all around. I really like what John Simm did. Also the logic that is Doctor Who continuity manages to keep most of itself together.

On another note that I really don't consider a spoiler because it is the music related. When this episode came out in the UK the song "Voodoo Child" by Rogue Trader went back onto the charts and it ran up on the iTunes download list. You couldn't get it in the US just the UK but one week later it was available in the US too because of demand. The power of the fan.

I am grateful for good music in Doctor Who.

Wow. The Master as totally loony just works for me on so many levels. And the teletubbies were a nice touch too.

The Doctor in the pit of despair and Martha yanking him out of it.

Captain Jack being....well Captain Jack. The Torchwood riff just worked on so many levels. And I am wondering what they did in Tibet.

The Doctor figuring out how the Master did it which does play into next week.

Old Doctor. Martha escapes. Jack dies again.

I just enjoyed the heck out of this (but Utopia still remains my favorite)

Next week the conclusion which had fans talking, debating, fighting, and groaning (not the good kind of groaning either).

WH_ _L _F F_ _TUN_

Through some strange means that either involved people I know or just sheer dumb luck, I got four tickets to a taping of Wheel of Fortune at Radio City Musical Hall this past Friday. I didn't really look at the tickets when I got them however we had VIP passes for the show. We got there about an hour and half before the doors were going to open and it was a good thing we did since we found ourselves ushered into the lobby of Radio City Music Hall where we watched the previous show being taped. We were seated about 6 rows back from the stage where we had a great view of everything going on. I found myself dropping back in to stage management mode while watching the activity going on around me and analyzing the set up.

Vanna had some mike problems that seem to be attached to the dress that she was wearing for the first taping. Her mike worked until she put the dress on and then it just stopped. They tried 3 different body mikes and each time it worked until the dress got on it. Looking at the dress, which looked a lot like the sparkly purple dress Miss Piggy wore, I could see it might interfere with the mike. The second dress (for the taping of the second show) didn't have that problem.

Pat came out and played nice with the audience as did Charlie O'Donnell (the announcer). They answered questions and were very funny. They distracted the audience from some of the minor problems they were having on stage especially with one of the main cameras and another mike. They seem to be having quite a few of sound problems.

The audience didn't blow any of the puzzles so there were no do-overs. The audience couldn't believe that one group didn't get the final puzzle considering they pulled some great letters.

The shows will air until the title of "Best Friends" week in November. I believe the first show we taped was 11/8 with the second show 11/9 (Thursday and Friday)

I am grateful that we went and saw this.

I can't believe just I said/did that

One of the unique things about being a parent (and there are many) are the phrases that come out of your mouth and some of the stuff that you do for your child.

This morning, for some unknown reason that made sense to her, Caroline wrapped her plastic Llama in oil based clay and was upset that when she removed the clay there were still bits and pieces in the rough surface of the plastic. She wanted me to fix it so I found myself sitting at the kitchen table with a plastic llama and a toothpick picking the clay out of the llama's" fur". I got most of it and will probably take another shot at it later.

The other day I turned around in the car and said, "Stop attacking your sister with that Dragon."

"Please take the Doctor out of the Crocodile's mouth and take those dinosaurs and the Hulk back downstairs to your father."

"Caroline, I don't know where your rat is. He is probably where you left him." This is in reference to her Remy stuffed animal from Ratatouille. We found one of the cats sleeping on top of him.

"I don't think the cat wants to play with Diego right now." She was trying to get the cat to let her Diego toys ride on his back.

"You can bring 2 dinosaurs or 4 dogs but not both."

"Caroline, get the pig out of the bunny's mouth." She was putting Mr. Gordo into the mouth of our large stuffed rabbit with big sharp pointy teeth that is signed by the original cast of Spamalot. Another version of this is "Caroline, get the Doctor out of the Bunny's mouth."

"Could you put your dinosaurs away in your pirate ship please?"

I find myself repairing badly put together stuffed animals a lot. "Hold on sweetie. I have to finish stitching up this leopard and then I will fix Sponge Bob for you."

And the list goes on. It's rather fun.

I am grateful I can say these things with a straight face

Let NOT Go Mets

After watching a recap of the game last night and reading the paper this morning, I have to agree with Peter. The best thing for the Mets to do at this point is lose it all and come back next season having achieved the goal of ending the season above 500. We all knew this was going to happen since the Mets have NEVER won back to back titles in the teams entire history. They should just continue to lose and just let the Phillies get beaten up by whoever they play next since, at this point, I think the Mets would be done before they started.

Not that the season has not been fun. There have been both great ups and downs and they managed to stay in first place most of the season which is probably more than they have done most seasons. There have been players who have stepped up to the occasion and surprised us all. We have had very few total disappointments this season on the team. It has been a great team to watch and I appreciate that. But this is the Mets they work hard to break your heart in the end and I think they are doing it again.

Giants and Jets won last week. This week I think the Jets will and the Giants won't win. At this point I see both teams as spoilers for someone going to the Superbowl rather than one of the teams going to the Superbowl. What happened to these teams? Was Tiki Barber that important to the Giants? Are the Jets ever going to have a quarterback who is not day to day after the first game of the season? And who is going to slap down the Pats and their coach who got caught (one does wonder how much of this has been going on over the years for all the teams)? Makes for a lot of interesting talk on WFAN.

My prediction for the World Series? I have a wacky one, Cubs vs. Yankees and tell me that you would not tune in to see that series now that the BoSox have broken the curse.

I am grateful for sports and sports talk.

Gratitude is an Attitude

It amazes me, and perhaps it shouldn't, how many articles I have been reading recently about showing gratitude or expressing gratitude or making lists of things you are grateful for so you will love longer. It seems the new buzzword is gratitude which apparently, if expressed correctly, can change your life, fix your hair, and many other amazing things.

I think some of this comes out of some of the other current self-help trends. I have been told I should read "The Secret" to which I say no thank you. I have read enough reviews and short bits to know what the book is about. If it changed your life for the better, I am glad but it is not for me. Not all self-help tomes are for everyone no matter what they say on the cover.

I have been signing off my web log with the phrase "I am grateful" for a number of years now. Some mornings are harder than others to come up something to be grateful for but I always manage to find something. Which is a good thing. It gives me a moment to reflect on my life as it is and find something that I appreciate and am thankful for. It may be something small or it may be a universal truth but there is always something there even in the worst of times. I've tried to avoid repeats but I am betting I have some, which is fine. It means that I am super-grateful for that.

A number of people over the years have told me that they read this web log for my moment of gratitude that makes them stop and reflect on their own lives and find something that they are grateful for. I feel good about that. If I can make people happy or at least feel better about life then I think I have accomplished something to humanity as a whole. And maybe those people will past it onto other people who will feel a little better too.

It is such a simple thing to do. Just sit for a moment and reflect on what has been happening to you or the world around you and I bet you too can find something to be grateful for because there is so much in our lives that is good and sometimes the signal to noise ratio of our daily lives makes it hard to remember that.

I am grateful for the ability to read and write.

TIATF (The Found Keys Edition)

I found my keys! *Does the Dance of Found Keys* After a week I found them. I had a weird dream Sunday night about my keys being surrounded by animals. Last night after getting back from bowling I walking into the living room and looked at a large pile of stuff animals Caroline has stashed in her pirate ship. I pulled out a bunch of the animals and there were my keys.

I am thankful that my allergies seem to be manageable at this time. I have some sort of allergy that shows up when the seasons change and I have a pretty bad dust allergy which has only gotten worse over time. This past weekend I went with Peter and the girls to help his parents get ready to put their house on the market. We sorted out a couple of rooms that needed a little help and one closet that was rather dusty. This set off my sneezing and drippy nose but I have to say two days later I am pretty much back to normal.

I am thankful that Caroline can amuse herself. I have talked to other parents whose kids need them with them all the time. They want to be paid attention to or want to know that their parents are there. It sounds exhausting. From a very early age Caroline has been fine playing with herself. She enjoys playing or working with me but she will spend time by herself playing with her toys or drawing or building with her blocks. I know I am lucky in this regard.

I am thankful for all the support I get for my artwork and other creative endeavors. I have always gotten that support from my family and friends from the time I was young. I have gotten constructive criticism but never have I been told that I can't do what I do or I should just pack it up and never try again. I read other people's blogs about the uphill battles they have had to fight to be able to do what they love to do and do well and the kind of negative criticism they faced. And despite these odds they have been able to create and thrive which is a good thing. I'm thankful for the path I was able to take.

I am thankful for all the interesting people I know and not just the famous or well-known ones. I have learned about all sorts of things from these people over time. It is fun answering the phone and it is someone that I was a fan of when I was younger and now is among the list of people I call friend. But it is also fun talking to teachers and librarians about all kinds of things and local council officials about things that are going on in our district. Everyone has interesting information or stories to tell if one takes the time to ask questions and listen.

I am grateful for all the things I have to be thankful for.

A Mime falls in the forest.....

I heard over the weekend that Marcel Marceau shuffled off this mortal coil.

I can't remember the first time I saw a performance of his but I do remember I was pretty young. He was one of the first names of a performer that I recognized and kept an eye out for. I always loved watching him perform. He had a glee about it even when he was playing sad. He was a master of his art and beloved globally. He talked about the universal appeal of mime and how it was a form of performance that had no borders or language.

I want to see "Silent Movie" now.

I am grateful that Caroline saw him perform on an old Sesame Street segment when she was younger. He made her laugh which made me happy.

On another note, today would is Jim's Henson's 71st birthday.

So who is/are your favorite muppet(s)?

I have so many but Bean Bunny, Boober (from Fraggle Rock) and Kermit hold a special place in my heart.

New Who Review for "Utopia"

This was my favorite episode of the season.

A few things before I get into the review itself. I have been a fan of Derek Jacobi for many years. He is brilliant on stage and brilliant on film. I have watched some rather sucky movies to just see his performance. Fortunately this doesn't happen often since he tends to pick good projects. When I heard he was going to be on Doctor Who I was giggling like a schoolgirl. I frankly didn't care who he was going to play or if it was just going to be a cameo, I was thrilled to hear that he had accepted a role on the series. I got a lot more than I had hoped for and was not disappointed with his role or the script. Yes I started giggling again during the episode and I rarely get giggly.

This is the beginning of the end of the season. It was done as a three parter of which this was the first part. And even with what you have seen in this episode, you ain't seen nothing yet. The Roller coaster has only gone over the first hill and you have quite few to follow.

I feel sorry for those of you who have not finished TORCHWOOD. This episode dove tails rather nicely into the last seconds of the last episode and you get an explanation for some of Jack's actions before you have seen the episodes in which the actions or inactions were taken. But it is not too big a deal.

Of course, as per the rule of the game, spoilers behind the cut and in the comments. I strongly request that you stick to Utopia and the episodes already aired in the US and not for the next two. Patience my pretties, we'll get to them soon enough.

I am so grateful for Sir Derek's performance in this episode.

The Master is back! *does a happy jig* He is back and badder than ever. The casting of both Derek Jacobi and John Simms was just bloody brilliant. And the transformation from Yana to the Master when he finally sees the watch by Jacobi was a performance to behold. Also when Professor Yana examines his fob watch, voices of Roger Delgado and Anthony Ainley are heard. I know I watched and re-watched that section a number of times. And didn't you just get chills when you saw the watch in his hand and realized the same time as Martha exactly what he held?

Then there is the scene between Jack and the Doctor where everything is laid out including why the Doctor abandoned him and what Jack has been doing since then. Both actors put in just wonderful performances. And it made sense (well as much as anything makes sense in the Whoverse). I also love the Doctor keep cutting off Jack's moves on other people.

Martha's confusion over the hand was great too. There was not a bad performance in the bunch on anyone's part.

And then there were two lines that so sent me back to wanting to write slash again and it wasn't the lines but how they were delivered.

"Use my name."
"Master... I'm sorry."

Tons of slashy goodness delivered that made me start to giggle again.

So now The Master has the TARDIS. Martha, Jack, and the Doctor are stuck at the end of the universe with the bad guys beating down the door. Hold on kids the ride has just started.

*giggle*

Happy Birthday Peter

I love you more and more each day.

Your Wife-

Kathleen

Can't find my Car Keys

No, really I can't find my ring of keys. Last time I can remember having them was in my hand was Sunday as I went to the back door to unlock it for Caroline and me having come back from the Ren Faire. Since then I have been racking my brains as to where I put them. Caroline needed to use the potty so I was focused on that rather than the keys. They are not in the kitchen as I have cleaned and looked there. I have looked all the places I normally look and a few I don't. While cleaning the house Wednesday I took extra care to look for them.

Why do I need them so bad? They have the only copy of the key to window on the back of my truck which is currently locked with Caroline's stroller in the bed. I need that stroller and can't get to it.

So think good thoughts that I find my keys today. If I can't, this would be the second set in 3 years having lost a set on the Port Jeff ferry or rather over the side of the Port Jeff ferry.

Arrrgggghhhhh *Deeeeeep Breath*

I am grateful that I do have copies of all but one of the keys on that ring.

Bloggedy Blog Blog

Some mornings writing this web log is the easiest part of my day. Other mornings it can feel like I am pulling teeth. Some days I get more than one good idea or something I want to say here but I hold off except those rare occasions when I do post more than once. Part of it has to do with that I sorted out long ago I could become rather obsessed with this thing and I needed to put very strict limits on myself so I don't end up with yet another time sink. I still have to tell myself that missing a day or two does not make me a bad person nor will everyone stop reading this web log if I don't post every day.

Other mornings various things that need to happen right then interrupt me. Caroline needs something or Peter or Ariel or even the cats who insist that there be food in the bowls and water in their dish every morning. These take precedent over my time on the Internet or my computer. This morning was a great example of that since I have been writing this off and on since eight o'clock.

More recently that novel I started about 3 years ago for the Novel in a Month has been occupying my brain and I have been working out parts of the world building that had eluded me. Now I need to buckle down and finish my outline for the darn thing along with writing the rest of the novel. So I think some of my time is going to there for a while. I also have two short stories I want to finish and see if I can sell before 2009.

Then there are my dolls and puppets and other creative stuff. I am not going to be costuming for FarPoint this year (I know FLW but I think this one is gonna stick) so I think I want to see if I can get some new stuff in the Art Show. I also want to get some new stuff done before the next DragonCon Art Show Jury which tends to be in the early part of the year. I need to redo some of my photos for that and really set up some museum slide shots for that. Ah the advantages of being a camera assistant to a very good museum photographer when I was back at the Center for Puppetry Arts. I learned how to shoot puppets and 3-D objects for catalogues from a master of the art of photography.

It doesn't mean that I won't be blogging. It really does allow me to clear my head for the day and get moving. But there might be a few more misses than there has been. Doesn't mean I don't like y'all any less just that life is kind of pushing me in a direction I think I need to explore a bit and that will probably take up more of my free time (as I laughingly refer to it). Now watch as I blog everyday for the next six months since I have written this down and put it out on the inter-web.

I am grateful to each and everyone of you who takes the time to read this.

A Day in the Life of the Wife of a Writer

(If you ever had wondered how I end up on some of my adventures here is a prime example of what happens to start me on them.)

Scene 1

A living room on Long Island. On one couch sits KATHLEEN working on her computer. On the other couch sits CAROLINE who has managed to get as many of her stuffed animals onto the couch as is possible in this dimension.

Enter PETER from his lair/office

PETER: You doing anything next Tuesday.

KATHLEEN (thinks for a minute or two before responding): No.

PETER: Can you go into the city and give Garrison Keillor a copy of Tigerheart?

KATHLEEN looks at Peter rather puzzled since she knows that Mr. Keillor no longer lives in Manhattan

PETER: I have rehearsal for Man of La Mancha and my editor is unable to attend the signing.

A light bulb goes off over KATHLEEN's head

KATHLEEN: Where is he signing?

PETER: Barnes and Noble Union Square at 7pm next Tuesday.

KATHLEEN: Sure. Why not?

END Scene

(OK so my formatting stinks for playwriting today but I don't have my script software up and running this morning)

Anyway that is how I found myself seated in the audience for Mr. Keillor's reading, Q&A, and signing. I got there about 5:30 for a 7:00 reading which was smart on my part since by seven it was SRO. I sat in the second row on the end and read a book I had been reading on the train.

(Sidenote:If you ever go to a reading/signing at that Barnes and Noble and you want to get your book signed early in the shooting match, sit towards the front of the reading. They go by rows starting with the first row and working back to those standing. It works well for them and everyone knows where they stand for an autograph)

Mr. Keillor was early and ran up on stage and started talking. If you ever get a chance to hear him talk, I highly recommend it. He was suppose to read from his book which eventually he did but his verbal journey to the actual reading was as much if not more fun than the passage he read. He had the audience in stitches. He talked about turning 65 and the issues that turning 65 brings up. He encouraged everyone not to retire but remain relevant so they can justify their healthcare expenditures to the rest of the country. He did one of those lovely rambles he does that starts at point A and visits points E, K, M, and I before going onto point B.

The Q&A was a little on the weird side. Not from him as much as the people asking the questions. Someone asked him if he had to change his stories for regional differences. He said not really since there are not really that many difference in the US.

"The further away from home, the easier it is to tell stories; the closer to home you tell these stories the more likely you are to be corrected"-Garrison Keillor at the Union Square Barnes and Noble.

Some of the questions made me want to take a rolled up newspaper and hit those people lightly on the nose and say, "Bad audience member. No questions for you." Especially the few knuckleheads that were trying to get a rise out of him, which didn't happen.

The signing went smoothly for me. I was able to get the manuscript to him with a little bit of an explanation of what it was and where it was from. We had a very short discussion about theater and parents. Over all I walked away glad that I have listened to A Prairie Home Companion as long as I had and my impression of the man behind the mike who creates a lot of the magic was better than when I came into the bookstore.

I am grateful that I went on this errand.

Avast Maties

It be "Talk like a Pirate Day" so I be expecting that the salty language to be extra salty today and ye ol' grammar to be walking the plank.

Have a Bonny Day.

The Adventures of Caroline

Which will now be known as TAOC and will join RTBTCKI (Random Thoughts before the Coffee Kicks In) and TIATF (Things I Am Thankful For) as an occasional piece on a topic that comes up again.

This one is all about Caroline and her life. Currently she is 4 years 9 months but it seems like only yesterday I brought this little bundle back from the hospital. In that time she has done a lot of both growing and learning.

We went to the New York Renaissance festival on Sunday just the two of us. She went on the pony ride twice. She petted a lot of animals. I have managed to teach her to let the animal come to her rather than chase the animal. I explained that it is only polite since we are on their territory. And animals do tend to come check her out. The one time I removed her from a situation was when she and a colt were getting along just fine but the mare didn't seem too happy. She understood I was trying to protect her. We also played some games of chance and she won a unicorn, which was her whole goal of going to get a stuffed unicorn, and a stuffed horse. She had a lot of fun. I did too.

She wants to be helpful. She loves helping me in the kitchen when I work on dinner. She helps me unload the dishwasher and fold clothes. The folding cloths use to be very hit or miss but she is getting better about it. She is even picking up between groups of toys or projects. I will be very happy if she learns to pick up one thing before starting another. (Heck I should learn that skill.)

She loves to dress herself. She checks with me to make sure that she had things on the right way but she does it. Some of her fashion ideas can be a bit radical in terms of her color combinations but she is four. She has her favorite clothes and sometimes has to be informed that they have to be washed before she can wear them again. Brushing her hair can be a bit of an adventure. She has long curly hair that has never been cut except once by her which is now down to her rear when wet. Since it is so curly, it becomes tangled quite easily. We brush it twice a day now so we can use the brush she likes.

We work on letters and counting. She can count to ten with no problem past that she needs a little help. Letters are something she tolerates me pointing out to her but I happen to know that she recognizes more than she is letting on. Her vocabulary is increasing rapidly. She is curious as to what words mean and how she can use them.

She wants to do crafts when I am working on things. It doesn't have to be the same thing I am doing but she wants to be doing something like what I am doing or at least some of her own art work. I encourage her any way I can to express herself creatively. She draws, paints and sculpts. She is trying to figure out how to sculpt animal figures. She will take a stuffed animal and study it very carefully before trying to recreate it in clay. The final product has been kind of hit or miss but at least she is trying.

She is a happy, healthy kid which is all I can ask for and more.

I am grateful for my time with my little girl and our adventures together.

The Wheel of Time has stopped

I am sorry to say that James Oliver Rigney, Jr. a.k.a. Robert Jordan author of the Wheel of Time series has stepped off the wheel. He succumbed to the cancer he talked about in his blog. He leaves behind is wife Harriet McDougal, various family members, and numerous friends and fans of his work.

I didn't start reading the Wheel of Time until my brother Patrick recommended it to me and I spend a summer catching up to the point of the next book. I will admit that I have not read the last one but will catch up now.

My path crossed Robert Jordan's a couple of times over the years. Some before I became a book editor and a few after. I will remember him as a pleasant chap who had infinite patience with his fans. Some of which did cross into the weird zone but he dealt with them very well too.

I knew he had served a tour in Vietnam but I didn't know all the details of it until I read through his Wiki Entry. I wish I had been able to thank him for doing that. Our Vietnam Vets really don't get thanked enough for what they did for this country. He also worked as a nuclear engineer for the Navy. This man was no slouch in the brains department.

My sympathies to Harriet and his family. He was one of the good ones.

I am grateful that I did get to talk to him about his writings.

New Who Review for "Blink"

This one is a lot like "Love and Monsters". It is what happens to the people that cross the Doctor's path but are not companions. They really have no direct (or little direct) contact with the Doctor but are affected by him all the same because of something that the Doctor has to deal with. And I think that Sally Sparrow would make a bang-up companion for the Doctor.

Not much more I can say without hitting some form of spoiler so the rest is behind the cut.

I am grateful for having seen this one in one shot. The tension is much greater than when broken up with commercials. I recommend watching this one on DVD when the set comes out.

Der Commissar in town Uh-oh (Not my joke but tell me that it doesn't work for the look of the Doctor on the telly?

Not at the statues were statues. A number of them were actors dressed up to look like statues which is cheaper than what they would have to have done to make this episode look right. The writer's explanation of the weeping angels was fascinating. In fact the premise gets a big thumbs up from Peter for original thinking. I have seen a number of "The Angels have the Blue Box" t-shirts floating around conventions.

That a fandom had sprung up from a DVD Easter egg doesn't surprise me. You get fans of the strangest things out there. That Sally just happened to find one of them in her best friend's brother doesn't seem that weird when you factor in the Doctor. I love that the 17 DVDs have one thing in common, they are all the DVDs that Sally owns. And how they wrapped around how the Doctor knows what to say was just brilliant. Consider all the work that the Doctor and Martha had to do to get their plan to work. How much planning and pipe laying had to be done so when it did all come together, the Doctor was controlling the situation. And getting the Angels to look at each other which froze them when the TARDIS moved. We cheered.

Overall it is well done and works on so many levels.

This one had a Caroline scare factor of hiding under her blanket but peeking out to watch what was going on with occasional gasps being emitted.

And I'll never look at a statue the same way again especially those weeping Angels.

RTBTCKI (The Feeling More Alive Edition)

I think I might be repeating something I said a number of years ago but I still find it true. Sometimes when one has been sick for a long time, when one finally feels better one is amazed on how much better they feel since they had forgotten what well felt like. One gets use to how one body feels so when something chronic goes away it is interesting to see what the body feels like without that problem. Boy I hope that made sense.

Tonight on Doctor Who is "Blink" which is one of those episodes that doesn't have much Doctor in it like "Love and Monsters" but I swear you will never look at a certain common object the same way again after viewing this episode.

No I am not watching Flash Gordon the series. I tried. I really did try but Yuck. The writing leaves me cold and there is not one character that I can connect to. Tonight we get the Hawkmen without the wings from what I can see in the commercial so I guess they are really the Flying Squirrel men since they glide rather than fly.

Caroline has been growing again. Her legs are so long and I hope her torso catches up with them. She has been drawing more complex pictures and doing a good job of it. Currently she is experimenting with creating things with straight lines. Straight lines are harder to do than curves. She had me sit down as she observed me and drew my picture. It's not a bad one either. It is interesting what she sees as needed to make the picture look like "Mommy" for her it is my pony tail and the fact that I am taller than Daddy. She is always careful to make me taller when she draws the two of us together.

She is also interested in expanding her vocabulary and understanding what we are talking about. If we say a word that she doesn't know, she asks what the word means. I had to try to explain state to her so I got out a map of the US and we went over how the country is divided into states. I showed her where we lived and where her grandparents and aunts and uncles live. I'm pretty sure she got it from what she was telling Ariel later. She is a sponge for information and her retention is really good.

I think Belichick (Who some people are calling Belicheat) got off way too easy. My concern is that this practice is much more prevalent in the NFL than we the fans thought it was. I am getting a feeling that the Pats were not the only team using this system to steal plays. This may be the tip of the ice-burg on this scandal.

Personally I think it is too early to start the Magic Numbers game for baseball. Lets at least get another week into it before everyone tires to figure out who is in and who is out. There are some teams that we know are out and now have the role of spoilers for other teams who are on the cusp of being in.

I have one of my wacky costume ideas. It would be a bear to build but might be fun to do at a convention. I still have my big project I want to do for CostumeCon in 2009. I so want to recreate the Storyteller and his Dog from the series the Storyteller. I saw the coat once and it was made of patches of stories with what looked like game boards mixed in. The problem is that I am going from memory and haven't a clue if I will ever find the right resource pictures so I can recreate it. Although I just got an idea of someone I could ask for assistance to see if such information exists. Hmmmmm.

Julie Taymore had a new film in limited release called "Across the Universe" which I was interested in because I love just about everything she had done but now I really want to see because of some of the people involved including what looks like Bread and Puppet puppets. Those people do some amazing work. Also Bono and Eddie Izzard are involved.

Well off to get something done today. The weather is rather cool this morning but that doesn't bother me in the least. I am such a polar bear. I love fall and winter and spring is fine too. It is the dog days of Summer I am not too fond of.

I am grateful for the lovely weather we are having today.

Happy New Year 5768

L'shanah tovah! To all who celebrate.

Ours celebration is going to be rather low key. Peter and Ariel will be attending Synagogue later today.

I am working on catching up on a project I am part of that I ended up being further behind than I knew. I hope to be all caught up by Monday.

I am so grateful for good friends. More than I can express right now.

Finally feeling better

Probably during DragonCon and defiantly after DragonCon I was running a low fever that was sucking any energy I had into the void. I haven't felt myself in a while. This morning I woke up and for the first time in a while, I felt rested and not just getting up because my eyes opened and that is what you are suppose to do when your eyes open. It will be nice to go through the day without feeling like I am going through the motions. I haven't taken my temperature this morning and considering the past week I probably should.

The weather outside is a little cooler too. That could be part of it. It has been humid and hot the past couple of days but a bunch of thunderstorms moving through yesterday seems to have taken the humidity down to something reasonable.

So I am going to sort out some stuff that we brought back from DragonCon and get to work on a number of swap dolls that have been stacking up. I think I know what order I need to do them in. I also want to revise the clothing on the dolls I took to DragonCon. It was a first pass at clothing really but I have costumes for each in my head that I want to do.

I am grateful for waking up and feeling human again.

One Good Deed in Remembrance

I have to special thanks a fellow artist who goes by the handle BayArts on Live Journal for bringing this site to my attention.

I have been thinking about how to talk about this day.

I know a couple of people who have birthdays today and they were around before the towers fell. So Happy Birthday to YOU! You deserve to celebrate like it is 1999 (OK I am going to know how old I am for those of you who don't get the reference.

I even went over the stuff I have said the past couple of years on this day and really didn't know how I was going to address it this year until I saw what she had posted in her journal. And it made a world of sense to me. One thing that did come out of that day was that we were all nice to each other. We were concerned for our fellow beings. We helped each other. People who were sitting on our very long subway ride to Queen were people who needed to sit. All able-bodied people were standing and there was no pushing or shoving. The doctor and the two other individuals who took that shell-shocked woman to the hospital. Trains were hard to come by but these three people gave up their space on the train to help this woman. People helped each other and it was a beautiful thing.

And in that spirit My Good Deed was started. You can do something little or something big. It really doesn't matter. It is a good deed in memory of those who died today. Bringing a little light into the world and making someone feel a little better. We did it than and I know we can continue to do it now. I'm going to make an appointment to give blood as soon as I can medically (they prefer you wait a certain amount of time after taking a run of antibiotics). And I'll probably come up with something I can do today too. I encourage all of you to participate even if you don't go to the website. Opening a door for someone. Letting someone in while in traffic. Giving up your seat on the bus. Helping your neighbor by bringing in their garbage cans too. A lot of little somethings can add up to a big something.

(One good Deed Award goes to lyonessnyc who solved my HTML problem)

I am grateful for another way of thinking about today.

Monday Right?

No I know it is Monday. It just took a moment. DragonCon/Labor Day and the drive back home sort of screwed up last week for me. I thought Wednesday was Monday and it kind of went from there. But I think with yesterday being Sunday and feeling like a Sunday, I am back on track.

Thank you everyone for your good wishes for my Birthday both on and off the list. I appreciate it a lot. We went to the Ren Faire at Sands Point and I met up with my fellow puppeteer who has the same birthday. He does a great Punch and Judy show and the kids loved it. I had a lot of fun too. And Peter made me dinner.

This week is all about the catching up with various projects and swaps that I got behind on because of all the stuff we did in July and August. I have the boxes all lined up and I am ready to crack the first one and see what I have to work with and on.

Cleaning is on my list too. This week is paper recycling and we have a bit of it to be recycled and just sorted.

My Monday bowling league starts tonight and I am without both of my teamates until at least next week. I am hoping that we haven't lost one for the season due to a bone spur.

Well football was not great for the fans of the New York teams. I'm not writing off either team but of the two I think that the Giants have the longer row to hoe. Baseball is being better. I will admit that I am surprised that the Yankees managed to pull it together to make a run at the Wild Card. If the Mets clinch their second division title it will be the first time in team history.

On one of the many lists I belong to there is an individual who exhibits a behavior that drives me crazy in real life and they have it to an art form on the internet. There is a serious case of the "ya buts". Every time someone tries to come up with a way for them to solve their "problem", they put up another roadblock or add a piece of information which of course makes the solution untenable. I have seen this person do this before but not to the degree they are doing it now. I am starting to just not read anything that they are writing because I can't take the long list of excuses they are coming up with for their inability to do something. Which is sad since they have had interesting insights on other topics we are discussing right now.

On another list I appreciate enthusiasm but there comes a point where I feel like the list is being dumped on. I know that you just found this fandom but please oh please take it down a notch and this is not the older board members being cranky. I found out from the list parent that you have scared away a couple of people who had just joined. I'm betting that this new shiny fandom will tarnish for you in a while. I am curious if you will be come a regular of the group or decide that we (and fandom) are not worth your precious time any more. I'm betting on the flounce.

There are creepy people on the internet. Of course there are creepy people in real life too. But there are some that just don't get it when asked to refrain from certain behaviors that are making other uncomfortable. Like the mother who, very politely I thought, asked for you to stop using a picture you had of her 13 year old daughter as an example of the kinds of pictures you want others to find for you on the internet because you don't "do" search engines. I saw the picture you took and her costume is something I would let my kids wear but you have managed to make it feel dirty with the way you describe what you are looking for. Also I don't think you are being as clever as you think with the avoidance of search engines so you won't leave a "finger print". I know that some people are keeping track of your trolling so when your real name come up, they can hand over what they have to the proper authorities.

Well enough ranting this morning. I, of course, have a million and three things to do today. So I guess I'll start at the top of the list and start working through it.

I am grateful for a straighten out time sense.

Today is My Birthday

I am 44 years old today.

We plan to have a simple day. We are going to the Hempstead Castle at Sands Point for a local Ren Faire. One of my fellow puppeteers, whose birthday is today too, is performing his Mr. Punch show which he is well know for there.

Peter and the kids gave me my presents this morning including the Flash Gordon movie and a couple of Futurama action figures. I am typing on my big present which is this computer because it was an early birthday present.

I am grateful that I made it to 44 and beyond.

New Who Review for "Family of Blood"

Finally they air part two of this on SciFi. I didn't like where they put the commercial breaks in the action but that's just me.

I believe if you want to read the original novel, the BBC still has an e-book version up on their site for download.

This one rocked my socks and is still one of my favorites of the season. Strong acting and a strong script with good casting equals a show that I watched more than once which I can't say for the previous episodes this season. There was only one other episode that I did that for and it will be later in the season.

Yes, I did hear about the hiatus on the show but notice that the BBC has said there would be several specials in 2009 so we are not going to be without.

Next week "Blink" which you do have to watch carefully or you will miss something.

Spoilers behind the cut and in the comments.

I am grateful that we will have some Doctor Who in 2009.

I really feel that "Being Human" is the set up for "Family of Blood" and the conflict within that is set up with the Doctor and John Smith. And Mr. Tennant played it beautifully. The scene in the farmhouse where they finally have the watch and Martha is begging him to change back is just a brilliant piece of work all the way around. I swear I watched just that scene a dozen times. And there is a choice to be made by John Smith even in the face of total destruction of his village and possibly him. But somewhere deep inside he makes the call that needs to be made.

The Family itself was creepy and unearthly so kudos to each actor for that. The fact that the end turns on itself and you find out that the Doctor was not running from them out of fear but of pity really changes the tone to the whole story. They got eternal life but on his terms not theirs.

Martha had to really step up to the plate here being the only person who really knew what was going on with the exception of who pinched the watch. She has to convince everyone that she is not crazy and does know what is best for all parties involved.

Then there is poor Joan who learns that the man she fell in love with is a facade. I know a number of women who can relate to that. But she still knows in her heart of hearts that Martha is right and they do need the Doctor.

And the ending at the war memorial did bring a tear to my eye.

DragonCon Art Show 2007

DragonCon Art Show 2007 More Pictures

This year I decided to bring in some different stuff than I had last year. Last year it was all about the Doctor Who puppets with a few others thrown in for good measure. This year it was more about the dolls even though the centerpiece was the Boy Wizard and Friends.

The dolls were made by the same method that Wendy Froud uses to make dolls. Which should make sense since Wendy was my first doll teacher outside of books and Runo's lovely site Runo Dollmaking. They are armature wire bodies with polymer clay head, hands, feet, and partial bodies. The rest of the body is cotton batting covered in cloth.

The Pixie Elementals were made during my time at Cape Cod. These were created while I looked out onto the salt marsh and bird sanctuary. Each was an experiment in what I could and couldn't do with the clay. The hair is clay as well. These were mostly a success but I did learn the limits to using clay as hair. I am quite pleased with the results.

The Fairy Grandmothers turned out well too. I wish I had more time to work on their clothing before the convention but alas there are only so many hours in the day. During DragonCon they were seated at the Doll table along with a lot of other cool dolls.

The goblins were an experiment as well. Again I would have liked to do more with the costumes before displaying them for the first time but the time factor came into play. These were fun to make but the Red Goblin has grown on me faster than the Blue one. Something about his face just makes me smile.

The Boy Wizard and friends have been kicking around in my head for years now. They have been a back burner project but I figured with James, Oliver, and Matthew showing up for DragonCon there would be a market for them. And I was right since these were 4 of the 6 pieces I sold this year. These were simple glove puppets and the challenge was to see how little I had to do to make it obvious what these were based on without screaming certain copyright and trademark names. It was pointed out to me by a friend that simple puppet for me is rather complicated for the general population. I pointed out to them that their absent-minded doodles were better than most works of art so we were even on that score.

So even though I didn't sell any of the dolls, I was glad that I showed them at DragonCon. I now have time to reform and revise the clothing before I show them at their next venue which will probably be either LunaCon or Farpoint.

I am grateful for all I got done for the Art Show.

Boy Wizard and Friends Puppets

Here are the Boy Wizard, the Boy Wizard's best friend and behind them the Headmaster and the Potions Teacher for your amusement.

I had fun making them and they did sell at DragonCon sort of as a set since the same person bought all four of them.

Con Crud

If you have ever been to a gathering of people be it a very large family reunion, school, or a convention, you have probably encountered the phenomena known to those who go to conventions as Con Crud. It is that illness that you pick up from who knows where sometime during the gathering.

There are things you can do to reduce it. You can pop vitamin C like it was going out of style. Some recommend a product called "Airborne". You can wash your hands a lot or use an anti-bacterial hand gel (highly recommended if you are shaking a lot of hands. In fact I got some for a couple of the celebrities when they found out I was going by a CVS and they had just about run out). Or you can hide in your room the entire convention but what's the fun in that.

Caroline is suffering some sort of GI problem that pretty much times out to the convention. She may have picked up in childcare there or going around the convention with one of us. However she got it, she is a pretty miserable little girl right now. Peter stayed up with her last night and we swapped out about 7 this morning so he could get some real sleep. Caroline has been fading in and out this morning. She doesn't seem to be running a fever but her tummy hurts and we have had a couple bouts of upchucking over the last 12 hours. Now she doesn't want to eat but I can get her to drink water so until she keeps that down I am not pushing food.

I am now hoping that the rest of the family avoids this but won't be surprised if they don't.

I am grateful that Caroline's illness started last night and not in the car on the way home.

RTBTCKI (The Post DragonCon 2007 edition)

The "I ran a marathon" feeling isn't going away so we are calling this one the Marathon DragonCon. We survived the trip home with some help from the Garmin and traffic reports that got us around some nasty traffic on the way home. The best had to be avoiding the massive pile-up in DC by the Garmin taking us over surface streets until we were above whatever was causing the problem. It was a 15 hour drive but we made it. Caroline was a trooper as was Ariel. Caroline played with her toys, watched some videos and took a long nap. Ariel finish up two books along the way too.

In no particular Order since my ears are still full of road noise....

The Art Show

Many kudos and applause for John and Anne Parise who are the directors of the Art Show. Getting that monster together is no mean feat and it worked really well for me. I had fun participating with the "treasure chest" challenge (mine had the plastic skeleton on top with the two plastic skeletons on either side of the opening of the chest). I plan to apply again next year for the show as soon as we are allowed. The way they set up the paperwork made it one of the easiest things for me to deal with this past weekend.

I sold all the puppets that I made so this was my best DragonCon in terms of total number of sales but I put stuff at lower minimum bids so over all I made a little less money. I did get compliments on the dolls from lots of people. I may work on them a little more and then put them up for sale here. One person bought all the Boy Wizard puppets but I did get pictures before they sold. I met a lot of nice people who were running booths in artist alley and even ran into some old friends I hadn't seen in close to 10 years.

My panel went well and was SRO which is a good sign for a panel. I had some repeat business along with a lot of new folks. I think if I do it next year I am going to retool it a bit and change the focus slightly. I think I was informative for the group.

My goals for next year are not to be finishing the art pieces at the convention and to come up with some new puppets for the show. I'm thinking rod puppets.

Young Adult Track
Bev and Company yet again did a beautiful job with the track. I probably had more panels on that track than the others but Young Adult lit is a passion of mine so I really enjoy my time there. I also enjoy the people I am on panels with and the audiences too. I had fun talking about all kinds of subjects. The Yule Ball was a blast and a half. I will be back if they want me.

Matters of the Force
I always enjoy this track too. Cathy runs a tight ship and the shuttle craft do run on time. I unfortunately had to bow out on one panel because Peter was MCing the Banquet and it was important that I was there. It turned out more important than I thought since they gave Peter the Julie Award. I was there Monday morning and participated in the Children's hour helping the kids make simple Star Wars puppets. Cathy had all the materials I needed to make both finger puppets and paper bag puppets. So I had the kids make their own personal droid as the finger puppet and we made Chewie paper bag puppets. I think they had fun and I plan to do that again next year.

The Rest of the Convention
I didn't make it to any of the costuming track at all due to having so much to do elsewhere. I have been asked if I would be willing to do a puppet/costuming panel for next year and said if they schedule it, I will do it. I saw the Masquerade on the repeat on DragonCon TV (I love my DragonCon TV) due to the Yule Ball. Yes, I did see the Wallace and Gromit sketch and thought it was adorable.

Having the convention in three hotels worked but you had to plan ahead. I am hoping that when the Marriott is done renovating (next year is the rumor) that we can consolidate this thing just a bit. I know it is still expanding over all, which is a good sign for a convention. The fire marshal was apparently called by someone about the crowds. Both the hotels and the convention staff had to adhere to the rules laid down by law which was a pain for the convention goers but believe me the guests got caught in this too and we almost missed stuff we were told to be at because of it.

It was nice catching up with people and meeting new people. I got to spend time talking to Janny Wurts and Don Maitz which was neat. I caught up with Bill Stout who won Iron Artist again along with other artists and guests I have known for years. I didn't go as many parties or stay out as late as I had in the past. I was rather tired each evening after a long day. I did make it up to the guest suite twice and to my brother Sean's party and the Yule Ball but that was about it for the evenings. I must be getting older. *grin*

So big thumbs up and we told Pat Henry on the way out that we would be willing to participate next year.

I am grateful for all the experiences I had at DragonCon this year.

DragonCon 2007 Travel Day

Quick one before I get on the road today and head back up to New York.

We are basically packed except the cold stuff that needs to go into the cooler and those stray items that always seem to show up when you are packing.

Peter and I agree that this one was more of a marathon than most DragonCons for us. It might have been that it was spread through three hotels or it just might be that we had that much to do. But we had fun this weekend and are looking forward to next year.

Ariel had a blast on her birthday and got some cool stuff from friends and family.

Caroline loved Childcare and playing with the other kids. It also gave her a taste of what a structured childcare would be like since they had them do activities and they had quiet time and time outs when they got out of control. It was kind of strange not having to figure out who was going to take care of Caroline when this round but considering everything we had to do I would say it was a really good thing.

I got an e-mail from someone who was there when the Michael incident happened and gave it to me from their perspective. The woman had the best of intensions at heart and was concerned for all of those people had waited on line for an absurd amount of time to get into the Yule Ball and for that I do applaud her. She knew she was going to get in but was concerned that others would not.

Crowd control was a bit wonky this year probably because the fire marshal got really involved this year. The Cannons had things in hand and the door guards did work hard at giving everyone a fair shake so they could get in and have fun at the Ball. I would ask that if you do have a problem like this, give the people who are suppose to deal with it a chance to and understand that they have information that you probably don't like people who do need to get into that room before the festivities are starting for whatever reason.

I am grateful for any traffic we DON'T hit on the way home.

So Neville Longbottom, Jason Street, and Q walk into a rib joint...

No really they did or at least the actors did.... OK it wasn't a rib joint but our hotel room but the BBQ was from Fat Matt's Rib Shack.

Peter and I love Fat Matt's. DragonCon has been a bad convention for us to get there because we are so gosh darn busy (but in a good way). So a couple of years ago we instituted Rib Night for Sunday before things geared up for the evening. Then we started inviting our friends and family that we wanted to talk to up for chicken and BBQ. It has become a nice way to be able to talk to people for a bit in a relaxed setting.

And we always have interesting people show up. Among them are my siblings and my sister-in-law, my friends Mike and Janet Lee, John Hudgens (who's documentary American Scary is a really interesting look at Horror Show Hosts), Tim and Anna Zahn. We also had two of the actors who performed with the Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker animatronic puppet that has appeared both at Disneyland and Disney World. It is pretty darn amazing to watch. Along with them were a couple of other Disney folks that we have known for years. It was nice to chat with some puppeteers about puppetry and how that doggone thing works along with how they solved some of the problems. Peter invited John de Lancie to join us since they had written a book together. We invited Matthew Lewis to join us because we had such a great time together at United Fan Con. Peter met Scott Porter last year because Scott was a big fan of Peter's work. We had great fun this past year watching him in "Friday Night Lights" Both he and Matthew are fine young actors. So everyone sat around and talked about a number of subjects and had fine BBQ.

I escorted Matthew and his friend Ellie to the Yule Ball that the YA track puts on every year. I played the pit bull and let Matthew be the nice guy so that we weren't stopping every 20 feet. I got him to the ballroom where the function was going to be starting and of course took him to the front of the line so he could go in. Where we encountered this woman who was offended that we were "cutting" in line because she had been waiting to get in. The Chudley Cannons were guarding the door. She got right into Matthew's face about it. Matthew was apology to the woman and trying to explain that he had to just open the ball and then he was leaving while the Cannons and I are trying to get him the heck out of there. At first I think we thought she was joking but rapidly realized that she was serious and looked like she was about to take a swing. I didn't see the end to this story because I was with Matthew and Ellie but according to the Cannons, she looked mortified once everything had settled down and the looks she was getting from the other people in line were priceless.

Ariel and I hung around the Ball because Emerald Rose was playing and Ariel wanted to enter the costume contest. And she won "Most Angry Tonks" for a costume she thought up on the fly based on what she was wearing.

I'll do a wrap up in a day or so. I need to compose my thoughts for the weekend first and right now my brain is putting 2 and 2 together and not coming up with 4.

I am grateful that everyone had fun last night.

DragonCon 2007 Saturday

At lot of stuff happened Saturday but the highlight had to be Peter getting the Julie Award during the Banquet. Pat Henry said that Peter was the person that Julie wanted to make sure that he got the award. Julie pushed for him every year. And this year he got it. Boy, it is a heavy award.

My panel went well. I filled the room to capacity and proceeded to talk about puppets and puppetry. I think I did OK. I really can't tell without feedback but I did have a lot of people talking to me afterward.

More later kids. We had a busy day.

I am grateful for fun at DragonCon.

DragonCon 2007 continued

I did my Harry Potter costuming panel with one of my favorite costumers Aurora Celeste. She is a phenomenal costumer and is the maintainer of the website Robes for all Occations which is connected to the Madame Malkin's Yahoo group a fine group for Harry Potter Costuming. Snape went over well with the group there. We answered all kinds of questions about all kinds of topics. I think one of my favorites was from a 6 year old who wants to do a Mad Eye Moody costume for Halloween. There is a commercial eye available but I also gave the DIY answer off the top of my head as to how to make the eye for cheap.

I had some invites for some parties but by that point in the day I had had it. I went by the Art Show (no bids yet) and talking to a number of the artists there. I went back to the room and Peter and Ariel went to see the Boogie Knights concert at 11:30 pm. Caroline fell asleep about midnight since she had taken a two-hour nap earlier in the evening.

I found out that I have to have my "pirate chest" back to Anne by 5 pm today. I think I am going to finish it this morning and turn it in when I take Caroline over for Childcare, which she is anxious to go to.

Today is my Puppet Panel which is my one solo for the convention. I am looking forward to it.

I am grateful for the fun we are having