Happy New Year to Everyone as the world turns to the next year!
I have given myself a number of challenges for next year. I have joined a couple of groups to encourage me or just give me the kick in the rump I need to get these things done. I am being pretty ambitious this year for what I want to do but it is time for me to challenge myself after a couple of years of coasting.
Today is mostly getting ready for tomorrow and the start of the year. I would like to start the year with a clean house (possible) and a couple of projects off the table (less likely but do-able).
We are sticking close to home for our New Years Celebration. A good neighbor is having a party for the locals and it is within walking distance. Earlier in the day we are going to the bowling alley for their family bowling event that comes with dinner included. We have been doing this for a number of years and it works out very well. Even with all the police and warnings, there are a lot of people who think that the rules doesn't really apply to them so if we can avoid the areas where they are, we are doing well.
I hope that 2008 brings you health, wealth, and happiness. Just be careful out there this evening.
I am grateful for 2007 and having lived through it. Beats the alternative.
The Pats won but it was never a gimme until late in the fourth quarter when the Giants seems to have been hit in the head with a large bat and lost their focus. A couple of strange calls all through the game by the officials but especially in the fourth quarter. The Giants did put up one heck of a fight and should be proud of what they did. Now they just have to shut down the Bucks and move forward. Peter watched the game with me and followed it. I'm so proud, I taught my husband about football.
Woke up with a headache I would not wish on my worst enemy. Can't track down the source of it since I did all the cooking and meal prep for yesterday. Might be a little too little Caffeine in the system. So I am drinking a large mug o' coffee today. Going to take Ariel for boots since that will keep the snow away for a while longer.
I loaded a bunch of new music onto Ariel's Ipod for her including David Bowie, Duran Duran, Pink Floyd, Yaz (or if you are in the UK Yazoo), and Depeche Mode along with the new Sweeny Todd Sound Track as well as the original Broadway cast album. I figure with that mix, she can tell me what she likes and I can add more bands like that. The only thing I didn't add, because my copy has vanished off the face of the earth, is Pet Shop Boys Disconography.
I am grateful that Ariel is interested in the music that I have enjoyed
Well I did have to look at my calendar. My time sense is all screwed up. Yesterday felt like either a Saturday or even a Sunday but it turned out to be a Friday. This will sort itself out by next Thursday when Ariel goes back to school and our schedule will approach something closer to normal.
The weather is very grey and rainy. I shouldn't complain considering that there are areas that are screaming for rain. My parents were very happy when it rained while we were down there. It also rained a good bit for them yesterday. Not the end of the drought down in Atlanta but a little relief for the plants and animals in the area. We may get some snow up here on New Years Eve. It would be an interesting way to finish out the year.
My tasks from yesterday didn't get as done as I would like but I did get a bunch almost completed. A majority of stuff is back in place. The laundry is done and the house is in pretty good shape. So I think I will finish up at least one of the two dolls and a couple of short writing projects I need to get done before I have to turn the Calendar again.
Peter is interested in watching the Giants vs. the Patriots game tonight. Possible history in the making in several ways. I'll make sure we have the right snacks for the event. Personally I think it will be close for the first half of the game and then the Pats will start pulling forward for an absurd win.
Off to the next task.
I am grateful for puppets that make me smile.
The Twelve Days of Christmas lead to Twelfth night, which is not just a play by Shakespeare. So by my calculations this is day 4 but I could be wrong.
The week between Christmas and New Years for me can be a week of contemplation about the year past or a look ahead at the year to come or both.
I think looking back is just going to depress the heck out of me. Sure there were nice things that happened to me and I am grateful for each and every one of those but the suckey things were in abundance this year. I lost friends and acquaintances at an alarming rate. I had a miscarriage. I had various other health problems create such loving bumps in the road of life. But I know people who had it way worse than I did. Our car sucked up enough money in repairs that we could have gotten a decent used car for it but since we did sink so much cash into it and it works so we keep it. I had some career set backs that were real kicks in the teeth. I know I shouldn't care as much as I do but there it is. Then the WGA went on strike and that just lead to a whole bunch more suck. Then there are the issues that are really too personal to put out on the Internet to be found in 20 years.
But Caroline continued to grow and thrive. It amazes me how much she has learned in a year. She told us yesterday that she was an artist and Daddy is a writer and I'm a sewer since I sew things and Ariel is a student. So that is how we are compartmentalized to her. She hasn't had too many health issues so I am grateful. And Peter has plenty to work on which is good for a professional writer. Ariel is doing well in school and sorting out her college career. She doesn't drink, smoke or do drugs so, according to the news, that puts her a leg up on many of her peers. I had a big win at Shoreleave with our Beast(s) costumes which gave me a sense of personal pride and I sold a story to an anthology which will come out next year. So we did have good things happen to us and I know that.
This December is the 10th anniversary of Peter and my first date. It was the Marvel Christmas Party when they were still doing it. So next March will be 10 years since I moved to New York. Hard to believe that the time has passed so fast. But I have a little 5 year old sitting next to me which just proves it.
So today I finish picking up the items we dumped in the living room when we emptied the car and figure out where things are going to live. Then I have a couple of dolls that need my attention. Then I have a few other things I want to get done before next Tuesday.
I am grateful for all the good things that has and will happen this year.
That was a marathon but we made it.
How's y'all?
I am grateful for the time we made driving back.
My review for Sweeny is behind the cut just in case there are spoilers contained within it. I figured most people knew the story of the musical but found out last night that I could still "spoil" a movie by accident.
The rest of the day was nice. We opened gifts, ate good food, saw a movie, saw old friends, and napped (not necessarily in that order). Peter got me a couple of Froud Goblins that FAO Schwartz has an exclusive on. I love them. I also got a wonderful book on Pixar and a couple of other neat things including a Waffle Iron. My parents got the family a new set of pots and pans that we really needed since ours were slowly deteriorating. Caroline made out like a bandit in the toy department and Santa was pretty good to Ariel too as were my relatives so she has a goodly amount of loot.
Food is important on Christmas. We started with Eggs Benedict and ended with a tenderloin roast and Christmas Cookies. My tummy was very full and very happy.
Ariel, my sister Sheila, and I went to see Sweeny Todd while Peter took Caroline to see Waterhorse which they both enjoyed. Caroline has wanted to see that film since she first saw a preview for it back in September.
I am grateful that we had such a nice day yesterday.
I will preface this review with a little background about me and the musical. I loved that musical. It is probably my favorite Sondheim musical and in my top three of musicals I love over all. I have worked props for various productions over the years. I know how to make razors squirt blood from the expensive Broadway versions to the local no budget. I can mix blood in a variety of thicknesses and slight differences in color so that they pop under whatever the lighting it. I know every lyric and every note all the way to my bones. This is a show that I have loved to watch and have seen as many times as I can and have worked on as many times as I have been offered.
That being said, I really like the film. The cast was solid. The look was just off enough to keep the watcher uncomfortable. The costumes were great. And the music used worked very well. And there were all kinds of little things to keep me amused, Tony Head showing up in an un-credited cameo, The condition of Mrs. Lovette's shop during "Worst Pies in London", Sweeny in the bathing costume are among many things that just worked so well. The ending kind of fell flat. Toby kills Sweeny more blood, and fade to black. Peter came up with a brilliant ending which also gets the Ballad of Sweeny Todd back in to the mix. Fade to black and then a graph saying "One Year Later". You see the outside of a Theater and there is Toby waving flyers and singing "Attend the Tale of Sweeny Todd" and you have Sweeny and the rest of the dead people going through the crowd singing the Ballad of Sweeny Todd. It would look like when Sweeny went through the crowd in Epiphany. End of Film.
Now a number of purists, of which I am apparently not, are up in arms about the fact that they didn't use The Ballad of Sweeny Todd (TBoST) in the film. They didn't need to because all the TBoST does is set up the theatrical play for the audience. It adds nothing to the story. Yeah, it's a great song but a great song does not make for great film. And they didn't Ruin the Musical by not using it. I bet if you go see the musical it still opens and closes with TBoST. And there were some lyric changes within the songs, but I expected that because film is a different medium from stage and you can show things on film that would never work on stage. Overall most of the musical was up there on screen and the blood flowed like water.
The Three Stages of Present Giving
Stage One: When I was a kid, I anticipated getting gifts. I had lists and sat on Santa's lap and told him my heart's desire. Christmas Morning seemed to take forever to arrive. When it did, there would be presents under the tree but we could not touch them except one that was put out for us to open before our parents got up. They were really good about picking something that would distract us from the rest of the goodies under the tree until a more reasonable hour.
Stage Two: As I became an adult, I was all about the giving. I took a lot of time and really tried to find the right gift for the right person. Christmas shopping was year round for me because I was always looking for that one thing that would make my recipient smile or gasp or laugh. I did pretty well. There were some misses but for the most part I got the reaction I wanted.
Stage Three: Now that I am a parent, I get to be the one to help Santa fill what is reasonable on my child's list. I listen to what she whispers to Santa and then try to fulfill her heart's desire within reason. I have the joy of watching her face as she opens her gift from Santa. I think I like Stage three the best but the others had their advantages too.
On our plans for the day is present opening, Christmas Brunch, Ariel and I are going to see Sweeny, Peter and Caroline are going to see Waterhorse, and Christmas Dinner. Not a bad day to anticipate.
I am grateful that I am at the third stage but I still enjoy stages 1 and 2 too.
I have "Santa Baby" running through my head and not for the usual reasons. When I stage managed "Driving Miss Daisy" with the late great Mary Nell Santacroce as Miss Daisy, there was a sound cue going into the Christmas scene that was "Santa Baby." I had a whole slew of cues that had to be called. Now every time I hear it, that is what comes to mind.
We are in Atlanta at my parents' house with their lovely WiFi connection so I can again ramble on the Internet for the amusement or bemusement of others.
Caroline is excited for Santa's visit. This year she understands so much more about what is going on than she did last year. It is amazing how much difference a year makes. I know that the changes will become less as she becomes older but right now it is leaps rather than steps in a year.
I can remember being a child and the days to Christmas seem to drag on and on starting with Thanksgiving and ending with Christmas Eve. Now I blink and jump from one to the other.
The Christmas tree is nice but it needs gifts underneath it to complete the picture. We have our usual Christmas Eve dinner planned. Today is all about getting ready for tomorrow. But it is also a pause before. A short breath being held in anticipation of tomorrow and what it brings. I am going to enjoy the pause before tumbling to the end of the year.
I am grateful that I can watch Caroline's face as she gazes at the Christmas Tree.
Hi all-
We are in DC visiting Gwen. Our hotel has free internet for 24 hours and since we are going to be here less than that, it all works out.
Safe Travel to all who are traveling.
I am grateful that both Ariel and Caroline got up at 5:30 in the morning and cheerfully got into the car for the trip.
Or rather the panic right before the holiday. I have a few things left to do that need to be done before we leave. Our cat/house sitter arrived yesterday and I had to change the sheets in the room that she uses since the cats like that bed a lot. I was amazed at the amount of cat hair that can be generated in 3 months.
I have a million things to do before we go and I might get half a million done before the clock strikes and we have to leave.
Since we may be off the Internet for the next couple of days, I want to wish everyone Happy Holidays in general. Merry Christmas for some. Happy Yule for Others. Safe Solstice to others. And on the south side of the planet, Happy Summer Solstice. A pleasant Kwanzaa which starts right after Christmas. And I believe that Eid al-Adha was on the 20th of December. Hanukah is over since it started the night before Caroline's Birthday so I hope everyone had a good one. And happy Hogwatchnight. Have a nice Festivus. And a blessed whatever you celebrate. (There I think I covered all the bases.)
I hope everyone has a good weekend and a pleasant week.
Now off to continue doing laudry.
I am grateful for the little things in life that make me smile.
My dreams are odd. And I have known that for years. Sometimes they are so real, it is hard to sort out from reality but I usually can do it. Some of them are the fantastical and others are pretty mundane.
Now with the writer's strike on we all know that we will be, if we turn on the TV, watching more reality shows which are even now being worked on.
I had a dream last night that I was doing a couple of days work on a new reality TV series. A friend had asked me if I could help with the auditions for the show. Escorting people in and introducing them to the producers. Making sure that the runners we had kept everyone in food and water. Making sure that the next person was ready to go. The usual stuff that you have to do when you are running an audition which I have done a number of times in my life.
The show was a reality show called, "Is it in the kiss?" and it was a show where they were trying to find out if you could fall in love with someone purely by their kiss. You didn't see faces or anything else. The only interact was the kiss.
I am grateful for the lucidness of my dreams even when they are weird.
Yesterday I put out three large garbage cans and a bunch of boxes for recycling today. The cans were full to the brim with paper. Between the packaging from the toys that Caroline received and the paper I cleared out while cleaning the house, it was quite a sight. Now there are still some boxes in the garage but I think I am going to wait until the next paper pick up for those. We have a great set of guys who work for the sanitation department and I really don't want them to think of this house as the house of paper.
I braved the post office to post the last package that needs to get some where before Christmas. I was lucky. I got a prime parking spot in front of the post office and there was only one person in front of me. She had a number of packages going overseas and to Canada but she had all her paperwork in order so that didn't take too long. One of the best December post office visits in a while. By the time I left there was a line. So five minutes would have made a big difference.
Today is all about getting the house ready for the holidays and cleaning up the corners. I also need to start to seriously think about my 101 in 1001. I am looking at other peoples lists to get ideas for the structure.
I am grateful for the good manners I saw being used on the Internet yesterday during a rather heated discussion that did NOT dissolve into a flaming.
If you have just started reading this and I know I have a few new people out there, this is called Random Thoughts Before the Coffee Kicks in in which I do a brain dump of what is on my mind and there is no real rhyme or reason to it other than I though it.
Sunday we took Caroline to see "Alvin and the Chipmunks" which was a cute holiday film and Caroline loved. She danced along as the Chipmunks sang, followed the plot very carefully, and occasionally needed to be reassured that everything was going to be OK. Not a bad script, not a bad cast, and some truly laugh out loud moments made it fun for me too. Not one that needs to be seen on a Big Screen but a neat little retelling of the chipmunk story and they do managed to get most of the Chipmunk "hits" in there.
Out of all the "holiday" films I have seen this year, "Enchanted" still is at the top of my list as best this year. I will put one caveat to that, if you do not like all things Disney and have not seen most of the princess films, this is probably not your cup of tea. They take a lot of those things and turn them on their heads to hilarious effect.
I need to take a picture of our life-sized Ewok with our large plush Chewie sitting on his knee.
Apparently I am Millie's human today. I still haven't figured out how they figure out who I belong to on a given day but I have noticed a rotation of which cat cuddles up next to me in the morning. Nap time is a free for all but they all have their places that they go to on the bed for that.
I got my big project done and now have to brave the post office and mail the thing to my secret Santa. With that done, I have really only one more thing I need to finish before the New Year.
Yeah I am a sheep at time....baaaaa....But I have been reading about 101 in 1001 in which you set 101 goals for yourself to be accomplished in 1001 days. A couple of pit falls I can see which includes the fact that over the years goals change as do the situation you find yourself in. But I think it might be a useful tool to prod myself to get some stuff done that need to be done or that I want to try. So I am going to think about that for a while and see what sort of list I can compile before January 1st. My first goal might be completing the list.
Weather is cold but clear. There are still a few icy patches where the sun doesn't shine on for very long but they are easy to avoid. It feels like winter which, considering it is December, it should.
Caroline is sleeping in today. Probably a good thing since she has been up late and then up again at the crack of dawn with a 3 to 4 hour nap during the day. If we can keep her from napping, we can probably get her back on track for a regular sleeping pattern which is better for us too.
Peter is working on a new project which I am reading as he is handing me chapters and that is about all I can say on that subject. He did pick up another tie-in novel to do for next year but until the other party signs the contract I can't say much about it except Peter will have 8 works published next year and three of them are original works.
I am grateful that our cats get along for the most part. (Currently one is curled up next to me asleep and the other two are lolling in the sunbeam fast asleep.)
Welcome to another edition of MMQ where I talk Sports especially football.
Feel Free to Skip if this topic has no meaning to you. I do understand. I watch Peter's eyes glaze over when I try to explain football to him. He's a baseball fan. He watches the Superbowl for the commercials.
The Jets loss to the Patriots comes down to who got it done and done well. Pats did and the Jets didn't. Until the Jets can tighten up both defense and offence, they are not going anywhere for a long time. You can't place yesterday's game on the Quarterback. Parts of it yes but overall no. He did what he was suppose to do now the other players have to get themselves where they are suppose to be. I do like that it was not the blow-out that everyone predicted. 20-10 is a respectable loss to the Pats.
Next the Patriots play the Dolphins who are coming in with a win. That's right the Dolphins won a game. Of course it was to the Ravens who haven't exactly been playing at the top of their game recently. But it seemed to me that the Ravens were expecting an easy win and a disheartened Dolphins team. They got an angry team that really did want it more. Well that and a couple of really lucky plays.
Cowboys and Packers are still battling it out for who is going to do what. The Cowboys loss was more them giving the game away rather than the Eagles winning the game. (Sorry Eagles fans). They had their chances and just couldn't capitalize.
Speaking of not capitalizing on opportunity, how about those Giants? It was the inability for the receivers to hang onto a ball that killed them. Eli got the ball there but the catch, or lack there of, was painful to watch. And Shockey is out for the rest of the season with a broken leg because Toomer rolled over on it? This team seems out to sabotage any chance they have at a playoff game.
The Cleveland Browns still have hope. Especially since the Steelers seem to want to hand the division to them. It will be interesting to see how this one plays out.
I am grateful that everything is not sorted out before we get to the end of the season.
It is a fine day for things to do inside. Outside is rather nasty and there are not very visible patches of ice. I know since I skidded on two of them on my way to get the paper.
Which is a good thing since I have plenty to do inside today and I am sure I can find some fun stuff for Caroline to do inside as well. One of the cats poked his nose out the door and did not make a run for it as he usually does. I think he even knows that this is a day to sit inside.
Now I know that all we have are isolated ice patched and a lot of wind and rain where other people are getting pounded with snow and ice. Or they are digging out of snow or ice right now. To those people go my sympathies. I don't even want to think what our street would look like if it were snow or ice right now.
Speaking of indoor activities, for you Doctor Who fans who haven't found it yet, there is this really cool Doctor Who advent(ure) calendar that they have been doing the month of December. I made the angel last night. But they have had teaser trailers, conversations with various cast members, crafts, and some cool games. Whoever is there point person on this site, they are really good at this.
We finished up the 2006 Robin Hood TV series and look forward to seeing the second season. Good acting and fun writing and some really bad puns. So that is one DVD series down and a couple more to go. I think we are going to pick up Sapphire and Steel next or Beauty and the Beast. Peter and I still need to finish HEX but we don't think that is appropriate for Ariel yet. Torchwood will be starting up soon. I have been mostly spoiler free except the big ones.
Off to turn on some lights (it got dark) and get some work done. Let's be careful out there.
I am grateful for indoor activities.
Considering the fact that Peter, Ariel, and Caroline all had wicked bad colds in the last month and a half and I had magically avoided them, it did not surprise me to wake up with that stuffy head, teeth aching, throat hurting feeling. I managed to hold it off until after Caroline's party but no more. Which I will take as a good thing because I can probably be over this by next weekend. But right now it feels like someone took a baseball bat to my face.
Caroline traced her name yesterday all the way through. I wrote it in block letters and she put another piece of paper on top of what I wrote and carefully traced it. She has been working with some books that my parents got her for her birthday. I am keeping that piece of paper to go with the lock of her baby hair that she cut when she was younger.
Hard to believe that we are about half way through the month already. Time is just flying. Now I just have to figure out which light went out in the light strand so my all holiday lights will light again. That and walk the property since we have a Nor'eastern heading our direction. It should be all rain according to the weather predictions. I managed to get our sidewalk and property ice-free yesterday with the help of a little rock salt so I wasn't worried about the hard freeze last night. I just need to secure the garbage cans and some water bottles.
Off to take some sort of decongestant.
I am grateful that I was able to see my daughter write her name for the first time.
Guess who won a copy of "Tales of the Beetle Bard"?
And because I don't want the commissioner of Baseball knocking on my door. I here freely admit that I have taken steroids (hears horrified gasp from the audience) under a Doctor's supervision (hears the audience say a knowledgeable "Oh."). I took them when I had a very bad allergic reaction to penicillin which cause me to break out in itchy painful hives. I took them for a sinus complaint which the steroids helped ease the painful inflammation. And I think that is it.
I have known 'roid heads in the past. I can't think of a gym I haven't gone to that hasn't had a few gym rats with all the physical signs of 'roid use. The problem is that in the screams of how bad they are, people lose sight of the fact that in certain cases steroids are of great benefit. There are medical reasons to take them. Peter had a bad reaction to something and itched for over a week and looked miserable. His doctor didn't give him anything for it but said that he would "get over it". I took steroids per doctor's orders and I was back to normal in about 3 days. That was fewer days wishing that I could roll around on sandpaper to relief my body's reaction to another medication.
Yes, there are people who abuse steroids but there are people who abuse just about anything they can get their hands on from food to drugs to exercise (yes it is possible to abuse exercise) to the Internet.
The report that came out yesterday has a bunch of people shouting "what about the children?" and "How could you?" and another bunch saying, "Yeah? And tell me something I didn't know." I am in the latter bunch. I figured that any edge these guys could get away with they would use. They are in a very competitive profession that can have great rewards or great disasters. And because they want that chance to go to the big leagues, they will do what they can to get there. I think it holds for just about any professional sport. Yes, there are some who do it naturally and are gifted with the body to do what they want to do so well.
But even with pumping up, I couldn't hit a fastball pitched over the plate by a professional pitcher. That is a skill that most of these player have. The athletic abilities don't disappear when they are off the juice. They may not be as good but they can still play ball better than most of us out here.
I'm not advocating that we should allow the use of steroids for those who want an edge. Far from it, but I do think that the hue and cry of the evil of steroids is making people forget that steroids do have a place in medicine that can be used for healing and helping. It is a tool in the toolbox. It is how you use that tool that makes it good or bad.
I am grateful for my doctor prescribing me steroids when it was call for in my treatment.
The news that Terry Prachett has a kind of a very rare form of early onset Alzheimer's has lit up the Internet.
Terry's Message on the Discworld Board
The number of fans of his work is amazing and the number that have come out of the woodwork is astounding. And no one is slowing down to think but the feathers are flying.
Terry is rather brave to put this out there for all to know. I liken it to when Michael J. Fox told the world that he had Parkinson's. Now in both cases I have a feeling that they decided to be up front before someone in the media decided to "out" them and they would rather have this out on their own terms.
I know Alzheimer's is a terrible degenerative disease. Personally I have had friends with parents and grandparents who have been affected. I don't think anyone in my family has had it or if they did I don't know about it.
But Terry has time before his mind goes and he is still working on the various books he has under contract and, knowing writers as well as I do, probably a couple more churning in his brain pan. We're talking 20 years not next week. And that is the point that a lot of people seem to be missing. It is long term not something that is going to make him "go away" within the next year. He still plans to meet his obligations for the next couple of years. Because they caught it so early, there is more that they can do for him and he can do for himself.
However this news got me to thinking. This is probably the worse thing that can happen to a writer. If something happens with your hands there are other ways of getting your ideas out there but to lose your mind slowly. That must be torture. And you have the knowledge that your mind is slipping while it goes.
I have always been scared about losing the use of my hands. A lot of what I do creatively depend on the fine motor skills I have developed over the years. But it also depends on my brain since I have to work out in my head a lot of what I create. I know what things I have a predisposition in terms of my family medical history and I have told my doctor what they are. I know there is a good chance that I might lose my fine motor skills because arthritis does run in my family. But until then I plan to continue to make puppets and dolls and things. And keep an eye on medical science to see what is on the horizon that might help me in the future.
As is, probably, Terry and his family. Medical science has created cures for many things that use to kill us. Now other things that are showing up because we are living longer are being worked on. Once we solve those I bet another set of things we never thought about will crop up. We were never meant to be immortal (Highlander aside) but we can have a good life for what we do have on this planet. Which is what Terry is planning to do. Terry is one of the most optimistic people I have met with a wicked sense of fun and a love of bad puns. He has the right attitude to make it and I think he will with his sense of humor intact.
I am grateful for the couple of times our paths have crossed especially the first one when I hadn't a clue who he was except he was working on a book with my friend Neil which he found funny.
I have a number of projects that I need to do. A couple of those need to be done within the next day or so. Now I have to dig deep and find the energy to make these things that need to be made. I do have the materials for what I want to do. Pressing deadlines tend to make me figure things out faster. Which is not the best place to be in.
We saw "Juno" last night. It was a nice little film about teenagers and pregnancy and growing up quickly. Dynamite cast that took the script, which was a good script, and made it sing. It looked like it was done on a budget of $1.29 but it didn't matter. The look was good and the music was fun (Ariel wants the soundtrack) and it worked on so many levels. It is what I call a bittersweet film.
I was looking around to see what they produced for Golden Compass and, except for some action figures, everything is on the high end of the scale in terms of price. Plus there is no alethiometer available even though there were some nice prototypes on display at Toy Fair this past year.
Caroline made out like a bandit in the toy department for her birthday and Hanukah. She has been trying to play with all her new toys in turn so they all get used. She loved her new table and chairs. She has spent a lot of time at it playing with her other toys that she got.
"Pushing Daisies" is new this evening but close to the last episode that they have in the can. Television is going to become much easier to watch in the New Year or rather not watch. I can only take so much reality (say close to none or one) and game shows only work for me if there is some component of skill or knowledge rather than just random chance which many of them are these days. I will not be surprised to see Match Game come back soon since the Actors don't have much work and the networks are looking for old game shows to revamp.
I am grateful for sewing machines that work.
But I'm going to write this up anyway. It is not that I don't have anything to think about. I have lots that I am pondering in my mind but nothing I care to put out on the Internet to be dug up in 20 years and used for nefarious purposes.
I have lots to do today and a plan of attack but that makes for pretty boring reading really.
Recently a number of people I know have been finding things that they wrote on boards when the Internet was young have been found and used to their disadvantage. They are not the same people as the people who wrote on those boards. For one thing we use to think that the Internet was much more private than it turned out to be and for another people change. The radical, rabid person you are at 20 is different from what you are at 25, 30 or even 40. Life changes every minute and so do you. I know a couple of people who use to make their money in the drug trade (middle management sort of) and now they are clean and living very productive lives. If what they had done comes back to them, it could shatter the lives that they have built after walking away from easy, all be it dangerous, money. I think they live with that in the back of their heads each and every day.
So is it fair to judge someone for a job or a security clearance based on some rant they did out on the Internet over almost 20 years ago? Apparently to some it does. Human Resources for large companies know how to use a search engine and do so with great frequency when going through job applications. They have said that it helps them sort out the candidates. So that photo that you use to have online of that tattoo on your butt that is a Dilbert cartoon against big business CAN come back and bite you on the ass. But that is very short sighted on the part of the HR of the companies.
So today I bounced around to my usual spots on the web and looked for a topic to write about today and realized that I had nothing to say but I said it anyway.
I am grateful that I can find something to say even when I start with nothing.
That went about as well as I could have hoped. Caroline had fun. Caroline's party guests, both young and old, had fun. And the house is in not too bad a shape. Caroline made out like a bandit in the presents department.
She still has one on the way from my parents that I think she is really going to enjoy. It is a table and chairs sized for her. No more using the coffee table as a desk. I can remember how much I enjoyed the table and chairs that I had when I was her age. (Later: It arrived and I put it together for her. She loves it. She is currently sitting at the table and playing with the dolls her paternal grandparents got her. Her feet don't touch the ground at this point so this table and chair set has room to grow. The construction is solid and all the parts( bolts, washers, pilot holes) are made to metal. No plastic to strip and break here.)
We did one of the crafty activities I had the parts for. We made Princess Paper Bag puppets. All the girls made this project their own. The puppets were all so different. It was a creative group I had to work with and they listened for the most part to the instructions.
So that part of the year is done. Onto the rest of the Holidays now.
Giants won. Jets lost. Must be Sunday in New York. I really don't think that the Giants are going to make the playoffs. There are too many "if" and "only if this team loses". Yes, yesterday's win was a big one for the Giants but they could find themselves shut out if they don't keep up the pressure.
I am grateful that I can assemble things in a reasonable amount of time
I think I lose track of time because when December rolls around I am concentrating on Caroline's birthday rather than the end of the month. So as of Monday, we have two weeks to get ready. Well less than because of travel time. Fortunately, we have our house sitter in place so the cats and other things that need to be done will be done so that is one things down and a hundred to go.
Today all I have to get through is Caroline's party. I have it pretty much planned out with the usual wiggle room to allow kids to be kids. It is going to be a small party but I think that is better at this point in her life for both her and me. I even have a few crafty activities planned including the kids making Paper Bag Puppets and finger puppets. We'll see how it goes.
Tomorrow I have a few projects I want to start on. I think I have my list in order. It will be the first time in a long time that cleaning the house is not on my list because it is in such good shape right now. I may do the "clean one drawer of cabinet" idea because I am at that point and the drawers could really use it. Either that or rebuild the bread drawer.
I am grateful that we are ready for the party.
And finds out there can be major consequences to her actions. Yesterday Peter took Caroline with him to the gym. They have childcare there that is very good. Recently they have instituted a rule that personal toys were not allowed. We happen to know that Caroline and a couple of the other kids around her age are responsible for the change in policy because they brought toys in and wouldn't share. Caroline pleaded to bring in her stuffed Dalmatian toys. She solemnly promised her father that she would share. The people who run childcare were informed that if she didn't then they could take the toys away until Caroline was leaving. Well she didn't share and had one of her biggest meltdowns to date. 20 minutes into his workout, Peter had to turn around and come home with her.
Now normally with this sort of behavior and most others that we like to discourage, we have her stand in the corner for a set period of time to think about what she did. This one was a bit beyond the usual time so Peter had me clean out her play tent of all its toys and other comforts leaving her with her blanket and her pillow. She lost the blankets that enclosed the tent so she was visible to us. She was informed she was to stay in the tent unless she had to go potty and think about what she did. She cried and tried to make cute to get out of the situation but we held fast. So she cried herself to sleep and took a nap. When she woke up, she went potty and back into the tent until dinnertime. She was reassured that we loved her but we didn't like her behavior much. And I don't think she will be taking anything to the gym anytime real soon. Also it is probably better we did this before her birthday party so sharing is a giving rather than a concession.
Ariel and I went to see Golden Compass. Ariel's one line review is "It was jaw dropping". I thought it was pretty well done. The look was wonderful (very steampunk) and the cast was superb especially the kids. The Ice Bears were amazing as were the daemons. Good one to see on a big screen since there is a lot of detail in the world they created. It is worth both time and money to see.
I will say to the concerns of some about the religious aspects of the film, What religious aspects of the film? I must say that I am about as disappointed about the campaign against this film as I was by the campaign for "Last Temptation of Christ" which I though did a great job of explaining the human and the divine and how it could inhabit one person and the free will allowed to Christ just like the rest of us. This has no more religion in it than Harry Potter. Yes, Pullman has said in interviews that he was trying to write a counter to all the Christian based fantasy out there and sited the Chronicles of Narnia as an example. I didn't see the Christian themes in Narnia either until I was much older and well versed in religion. This is a great film for children, school age and up, with minimal blood (yeah there is some violence) and no swears or smoking or sexual content.
I am grateful for good films for the whole family.
I have recently been in a rather heated discussion with some other crafty people about what is "One of A Kind" and what is a "Limited Edition". This came out of the work that someone was doing with a commercial push mold and some paint. They were creating the same base image but painting it a little different each time and selling them as OOAK (One of a Kind). My contention, along with a number of other people, was that since they were using the same commercial push mold for each piece, it was the paint job that made each unique so limited series (if they even do that) would probably be a better way of putting it. Of course we are big meanies for even suggesting that each piece is not totally unique.
I have been seeing this a lot on E-Bay recently too. There is an individual that has been making copies of objects from a Movie I like. I have one of their pieces and they do a good job. My complaint, not on my piece I knew it was going to be one of many, is that they put stuff up on E-Bay declaring it OOAK and that this is your only chance to own this replica from said beloved movie. Except it is not. It is a OOAK until they make another that looks exactly like the previous one which of course becomes the new OOAK. Slightly different paint job aside. Also I can tell by the pictures that they have created molds for these things rather than "each one being individually hand made" which is technically true since you do have to pour the resin for each one by hand. I think their definition of hand-made and mine are rather two different things. Again I would say limited edition, if that, and they better hope that their sales record of the amount of money they have made per year off of the objects makes it to the desk of anyone who had a stake in the film. Especially the artist who designed the stuff they are so faithfully copying.
This debate about what is OOAK and what is not comes up in the doll world all the time. Especially when you hit the magic world of repaints of manufactured dolls. That can turn into one heck of a catfight.
For me OOAK is just that. It can't be reproduced. It is unto itself a unique object. There might be another that would look like it along the same lines but there are no molds to get the same shape. You either recreate as close as you can by hand or you go for another form. I would never declare my patterned puppets as OOAK because I have a pattern and can pretty much recreate what I did previously with the pattern. My fabric choices may be different but overall it is about the same as its fellow puppet.
But then that's me and your mileage may vary.
I am grateful for the OOAK objects I own.
When I was a kid one of the movie on TV that I looked forward to when it showed on the Wonderful World of Disney was 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. I loved the way it looked among other things. When I was a teenager I finally read Sherlock Holmes (yeah, I started late on that one) and when Mystery started showing the Jeremy Brett version, I fell in love with the look of the piece. This weird mix of Victorian and mechanical has always been of great fascination to me. It was only in the last couple of years that I have a name for it and it is called Steampunk.
The funny thing is that all of the sudden Steampunk has become popular in geek magazines, in cos-play, and even mainstream fashion. It is probably one of the fasting growing sub-genres in fandom right now. Which makes me both happy and inspired. I like the look of the clothing. I owned clothing that would be considered Steampunk before it was popular to wear such clothing in public. In fact a couple of friends gave me a nifty stocking cap so I would stop wearing my aviator headgear in the cold weather. Hey, the fleece kept my ears very warm.
Ariel's fashion interests are going a different direction. She has discovered through her anime magazines the Japanese Lolita fashions especially Pirate Lolita and Pretty Lolita. There is a lot of lace and petticoats in those outfits. And it is very popular in her age group. More conventions are having Lolita tea parties and the like so those into Lolita fashion can show off the dresses they have gotten. Lolitas get together and have outings as groups to things they enjoy. This form of Japanese is creeping into mainstream fashion as well.
The strange thing is that in my head I can fuse the two into Steampunk Lolita very easily. These would be clothes for Ariel rather than me. I don't wear dresses. Ariel told me that she can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times she has seen me wear a dress or skirt. I may have to sketch this out.
I am grateful that others share my love for the look of 20,000 Leagues.
I can remember on the Muppet Show Robin the Frog wants to sing "They Call the Wind Miria" but instead his Uncle Kermit informs him in no uncertain terms that he is going to sing "I'm Five" instead. (Robin: I'm going to get my Agent! I'm going to get a Lawyer! Kermit: I'm going to get your Father. Robin: I'm going to sit down and learn this cute little song.) It was the first time Robin refers to Kermit as his Uncle.
Well today I have a little girl who could sing that song too. She's five. We scrapped the plans to go into the city today. She's too sniffy and it's too cold for her in this condition. So Peter and I are going to do some activities she likes that are indoors and around the area.
She wanted her Daddy to make her birthday cake which he has done. She was rather emphatic that she wanted Daddy to do this and Peter is perfectly happy to do so. We are going to out to lunch with her and an indoor play place she loves to go to. Then this evening she will get her presents and have her Daddy cake.
Sunday we are having her formal birthday party with her friends and cousins. I have some crafts planned for the kiddies.
Today I am spending time with my daughter and it is a wonderful feeling.
I am grateful for the time we have together today.
Caroline,
I have no idea if you will ever read this or the other missives I have written but I want a record of this time in your life.
You know that a lot of people have been following your progress since the day you were born. Your father posted about it in his web log and world knew that you existed. I have pictures that your father took of that day. You were so small. You fit into the crook of my arm comfortable. Now when I pick you up, your feet hit about my knees.
When you were born we had to guess as to what you wanted. I learned the different sounds of your cries so I had some clue of what you needed. Now I can ask you and get a clear answer of what you want or don't want or what you need to do. I can hold a conversation with you about many things. I love finding out what you are interested in or want to know more about. I love to read to you even if it may be the hundredth time I have to read "Olivia forms a Band" to you.
When you were a baby I had to change you. Now you go potty usually announcing to the rest of us what you are about to do. You are very body aware. Accidents at night are few and far between. You like to bathe yourself with a little help from me. I always ask what kind of bath you want you chose between a water bath or a bubble bath. I haven't cut your hair. You did when you were much younger but it was only your bangs which have grown long enough to be put back in a braid. I have a piece of the disaster in my desk drawer.
I love watching you draw. You are getting better at it every day. You experiment with form and function. You love painting and playing with clay. Anything crafty and you are a happy camper. You like learning to work with new materials and new forms of art. And I encourage you to explore your creative side.
Right now you love dinosaurs, horses, princesses and various animal families you have created. Your current favorite DVDs are 101 Dalmatians and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Your current favorite color is purple. You like to dress up as a princess but eventually you want to put back on your "Caroline clothes" and be Caroline again. You have a splendid imagination and a fun way of looking at the world. You want to be friends with all the children you meet. You love your sister, your father and me very much and we love you very much too.
Happy 5th Birthday.
Love,
Your Mommy
I am so grateful for every minute you are in my life my dear one.
Normally I would probably call this a RTBTCKI but I am on my second cup so that ship has sailed.
Caroline has an awful cold right now. She hates being a mouth breather but that is the only way she is sucking oxygen right now. We are working again on how to blow into a tissue and she is a little better at it than she was last time. Personally I'd rather her have the cold now and get over it before next Sunday which is her birthday party rather than not have it and it shows up the day of her birthday party. I just feel sorry for her right now.
The snow that we had yesterday was gone as of the evening when we had ice then a cold rain to wash it all away. Rumor has it that we are going to have another shot at snow for the next three days. Between the cold (hers) and the weather, I may have to bag her big birthday plans for something a bit closer to home. But we'll see what happens in a day or so.
Jets won and the Giants won. The Jets are keeping the Dolphins in the basement without light or air at this point. If they had lost to the Dolphins, I don't think they would have heard the end of it. The Giants won but it was not pretty. They have to get their act together and they cannot place this all on Eli (well a chunk of it yes but not all).
Baseball rumors are fun. They have the fans speculating what is real and what is a myth. The Mets dumped Lastings Milledge for a couple of decent players. Their reasoning for getting rid of Milledge before his stock goes down any further is rather mean if you ask me. He's a young kid and he acts like it sometimes. He wants to be a rapper and used language that is considered acceptable in rap song but not on the field. Last time I checked he wasn't using any of those words on the field or in the clubhouse within the sound of the microphones. Some of the other reasons they listed are just stupid. I wish Mr. Milledge a long and brilliant career and when he gets into the Hall of Fame it won't be as a Met because they traded him away.
Basketball has been interesting in the Big Apple. The Knicks are in trouble on so many fronts. There needs to be a housecleaning and reorganizing. I swear Isaiah must have pictures of someone high up with some sort of farm animal to be holding on still. The Nets just need some time and I think they will right themselves.
Oh, we saw Beowulf this past weekend. Overall I like it. Good casting and a solid script. My biggest problem is one that I had with Polar Express. I kept wanting to pick up my video game controller and move the characters around so I could see other stuff. It looked like a giant video game. I think Peter figured out what was wrong with it last night while we were watching Pirates of the Caribbean yesterday afternoon. Davy Jones looks alive even though he is mostly CGI with an actor in a motion capture suit. Except the eyes. The eyes are Bill Nighy and that really brought the character to life. The eyes of everyone in Beowulf looked dead/flat. You can do a lot of acting with the eyes.
Enchanted is still number one at the box office and deservedly so. I can recommend this movie highly which isn't something I have been able to do much this year.
I really need to get some stuff done today for the birthday party. That and a couple of puppets.
Have a great day folks.
I am grateful for actors who can act their way out of a paper bag.
It is snowing right now. It is pretty and falling with big fluffy flakes. It is also not going to be around long as the temperature climbs and this turns to ice and then to rain. But outside is a pleasant picture to look at as I type this.
The decorations are half up (more like 3/4) but the wind chased us inside the rest of the day. I will complete it after the rains stop.
It is going to be a good day to get stuff done indoors. When I read the weather report last night before going to bed, I figured I had the morning to run some errands (we really DO need milk and bread) but apparently not.
I have an idea for a costume that is starting to percolate in my head. It might be just a walk around or it might be something for Costume Con because if I go, I want to compete even if I get my rump handed to me by everyone else. I think I am a good costumer.
I am grateful for being able to share this snow with my daughter.
I think I blinked and the year came to the twelfth month. Not that I am minded it too much since this year has honesty been da suck (as we say in Internet speak) and this past two weeks just compounded things. (Note to K, not what we talked about yesterday. Don't worry. We're cool.) So think good thoughts for us, we could really use a turn of luck right about now (the bad to good kind of turn). And I'll think good thoughts for all the various people I know that are not having the grandest of years either. The number of people being given the Holiday Heave Ho is staggering this year.
It has not all been bad. We have had a lot of fun over the year. There have been positive things dropping in on occasion. We made new friends and got to spend some time with old friends we hadn't seen in a while.
December is a rather busy month for us in the family department. We have one birthday and at least two holidays to celebrate. From Thanksgiving to New Years Day we are pretty much booked solid. I really don't mind that December is family month. I mean we spend a lot of time together as a family but December brings it into focus.
I have my December plans worked out. I have only three things I need to get done on the creative front. I have a couple of plans to sort the stuff that ate our house. I also want to continue working on the Novel that got left behind last month. When we last left our story it was 20,806 words, I would like to get it to 50,000 by the end of the year. Then there are the two short stories that I have been hinting at for years here. I might just sit down and pound one of those out.
But today is all about the decorations I think and getting a space ready for the next step in the great clean that I need to do. That and light bulbs, have you ever noticed that all the light bulbs seem to blow at the same time? And even if you stocked up on them the last time they all blew, you never quite have enough? I do know the scientific explanation of why that happen, thank you.
I am grateful for any good luck we have had or are going to have this year.