No Strings Attached

Last Day of January 2008

Wow, that was a busy month. Looking a February, it isn't going to slow down anytime soon.

A number of my friends do "irons in the fire" about once a month giving a short list of projects they are working on. Other friends have their DONE list (think Monster House for how to pronounce that). I have my 101 I am working on and today is the day I am suppose to go through it and see what I have done or sort of done or totally failed on. Sort of a monthly assessment of what I am trying to do. I read over the list yesterday and my heart fell into my boots as to the number of things I didn't even start accomplishing. But this is the first 30 days of a 1001 day project.

I do know two things I need to get done by next Saturday so those are easy to get done if I can find all the pieces I need.

Today I am all about the paperwork. I have a number of things I need to get into various people for various things. That and I have some stuff I need to ship out.

I also want to get the various photos I have taken over the past two months off my camera and onto my computer. I haven't updated my photos in a coon's age.

But first Caroline and I have a couple things we need to do together that we always do on Thursday which will take me to about noon if it goes true to form.

I am grateful for all I DID get done in the Month of January.

RIP Patrick Roberts former Art Director at DragonCon

I found this in my inbox yesterday from John and Anne Parise who are the current DragonCon Art Directors

Hello Everyone,

John and Anne Parise
2008 DragonCon Art Directors

Patrick was one of those larger than life fans who had a passion for both Art and Fandom. He took the DragonCon Art show to new heights while working on his Phd which is no mean feat. He ran the SFFHS_ArtShows group on Yahoo which considering the varied opinions and people on that board showed he has the patience of a saint.

It was Patrick who convinced me to submit to the Art Show. He liked my portfolio and thought that my artwork would add to the show. He is the one who introduced me to the Yahoo group which I have learned so much from. We always had great fun talking about art, fandom, his family, my family, or another subject that came to mind. He was cool in a crisis either real (some items needed for the art show were missing from the warehouse) or imagined (someone on the Art show board was feeling picked on by the group). He had a great laugh that if you heard it, you knew that he was in the room or close to the room (And I am talking the main room for the Art Show at DragonCon).

I don't think that the art show would be the success it is today if it were not for Patrick.

I will miss him.

He is survived by his wife Felicia, his children, Derek and Nicole, and his parents, Patricia and Jim Roberts.
Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. This was totally unexpected and the family has a lot to deal with all of the sudden.

I am grateful for Patrick and his family.

RTBTCKI Post ChattaCon 2008 Edition

Hard to believe that is going to be February in a couple of days. I did a lot in January on various projects. I am going to have to re-examine my 101 list by the end of the month which is one of the things I said I was going to do.

Caroline slept in today. I think she was catching up on her sleep from the drive back. I did the same thing. I was out by midnight and didn't stir until 8:15 this morning. However I did wake up with a headache so bad that my teeth hurt. Maybe a lack of caffeine yesterday since I didn't have my usual cup of coffee. I have a pot brewing now to sip on. I also took some allergy medication trying to finish sorting out what happened at ChattaCon.

The committee for ChattaCon did a great job. If you are ever invited as a guest, they will do right by you. The whole convention is hospitable and friendly and relaxed. Chatta is a literary relaxa-con. Some see it as a party con and for them it may be but once you get past the drinking, there is a lot to do. It is still as much fun as it was when I went to it oh so many years ago.

One thing that I heard rumblings of in various corners (usually the corners of the con suite after much beer and other adult beverages had been consumed) was the us vs. them mentality which can break down to Fans vs. Mundanes or even further within fandom itself. Now I have been an eclectic fan over the years. I love books but I also love media, gaming, comic books, anime, and other sub genres of fandom. I don't pigeonhole myself and won't let others pigeonhole me as much as they want to. Look at the number of tracks you can find me on at a DragonCon for example.

There were rumblings again the people who don't understand fandom (or this form of fandom). There were rumblings again fans who keep (fill in your sub genre here) down and don't think their fandom is worth anything and it is doggonit. Then there is looking down the nose at a group that is "beneath" another group. The old school fans looking at the younger fans. The serious costumers looking at the cos-play groups. The readers looking at the media fans with distain. Peter talked about this in his opening remarks as Toastmaster at the Convention and I wish more people had heard him (it was the badge problem not that people didn't want to attended the opening ceremonies).

The most fun I have had in fandom is when it is one big dysfunctional family that tolerates each other's ticks and strangeness as long as no one else is getting hurt (unless they are into that). I enjoy the comradely I have found in fandom along with all I have learned from fans over the years. I have found life long friends through fandom. I have discovered forms of fandom that I never knew existed. Fans, overall, are good folk and have good hearts. I just wish that this us vs. them would go away. There is no us or them there is just we with our various talents and interests to give to the group.

I did learn some stuff about myself this ChattaCon because I am a much different person than last time I was there. For one thing I was not married or a mother. Most people there who knew me before I became Peter David's Wife, knew me as one of the O'Sheas which is not a bad thing. Our rep in fandom is pretty good and Sean's party rep is impeccable.

A couple of people I have known for years in fandom who would not give me the time of day if I asked before I got together with Peter were awfully chummy this round. I was polite to everyone but I found that a bit annoying. It was nice to be able to sit and talk to friends without the kids around even though I missed them a lot the whole weekend. Some of my friends really have me stuck back where I was over 5 years ago when they last saw me and I had to yank them back up to speed. A couple were uncomfortable with who I have become and I think we are going to nodding acquaintances from now on.

I also have lost the capacity to party all night which is not a bad thing. Keeps me out of trouble. I have to face that I have become a morning person after having been a night owl for so many years. Part of that has to do with being a Mom and part of that had to do with my job which had me on the train before 7 AM. I don't adjust back for a weekends anymore. My party days are past me and as much fun as I had with them, I really don't miss them. Of course it could all be due to that doggone allergy attack too.

I am grateful for all the experiences I had at ChattaCon.

We made it HOME!

We left ChattaCon about 1:30 and got to my parents a little before 4:30 which was about an hour longer than we had planned but between the roadwork and an accident that seem to shut down I-75. The girls were happy to see us. Caroline gave me the short hand version of what she did while I was gone. Ariel filled in a detail or two with my mother answering the rest of the questions. We had dinner at my folks, packed up the car, and heading on home.

Peter did an excellent job of figuring out what needed to happen when (like fill-ups) so we had a pretty smooth drive back. Going through Washington DC at 5:00 AM is much easier than doing the same drive at even 6:00AM. By the time we hit rush hours, we were in New Jersey on the stretch between rush hours. We did see one accident that shut down I-95 right above Baltimore. I feel sorry for everyone who got caught in that mess.

So now we are home. Peter is taking a well-deserved nap. Caroline is telling her various stuffed animal families all about her adventures in Atlanta and assuring them that she is back to play with them for a while. Ariel is in school and has her usual activities this afternoon. I'm not too worried about her since she slept a majority of the trip. I got enough sleep that I am functional but I think I will sleep well tonight. Caroline conked about 8:30 and woke-up about 7:15 so she had her usual night sleep.

I am ready to start on my next project. The BIG PROJECT has sort of been put on hold until Robbie is better since he was part of it. I want to revise some pieces and create a few new ones for both FarPoint and LunaCon art shows.

To everyone I saw at ChattaCon, it was nice seeing you. To all those who for many reasons had to pass, you were missed.

I am grateful that Peter got us home safely.

ChattaCon 2008 Day 2 and a little bit of Day 3

I awoke early to the pungent odor of cigarette smoke in our hotel room which was weird because we are on a no smoking floor. Eventually we sorted out with the Hotel that the man in the room next to us believed that no smoking meant that he could smoke in the bathroom which we shared a common ventilation system. But that started my day with a slight allergic reaction that became progressively worse during the day.

That was the only really downer to an otherwise magnificent day. I caught up with news with a number of people, got to see the Art Show and other activities at the convention, and had some time with Peter which was really nice.

Peter did a couple of panels, a reading from Tigerheart, and signed autographs.

We went to dinner at a very nice restaurant on the property called "Dinner in the Diner" which is not a kid friendly but very adult friendly. The food was excellent and the service was top notch. Not the cheapest meal by any means but if you live up in Chattanooga well worth it.

Later that evening we went to see the Masquerade which was once the crown jewel of ChattaCon. There were some very nice costumes in the show but overall we are in the lull of that happens in every show when the next generation of costumers starts up the ladder. The MC was bemoaning that he had lost his messenger bag at the Wrestling Party (which was Sean's party) and asked if anyone finds it could they get it back to him since his car keys were in it along with a bottle of Wild Turkey.

Later that evening, I went by Sean's room to talk to my siblings and other friends who were there cleaning up from the party the night before. And sitting on the table was (One guess.....Yeah you go it) a messenger bag that was unclaimed with a bottle of Wild Turkey within it. Since I had been at the Masquerade, I could tell Sean who's it was. I took the bag and handed over to one of the convention honchos and it started its journey back to its owner which I think it succeeded before the night was over.

Today we pack up, say our good-byes, pick up the girls, and head home.

I am grateful for all the fun I had at ChattaCon.

ChattaCon 2008 Day 1

This is my first Chatta at the ChooChoo which is a neat looking hotel with some train cars set up as Hotel Rooms. It is steeped in train lore. The only draw back is that the convention is not contained to one building but a couple of buildings on the property. So we are getting our exercise here, which is not a bad thing.

We left the girls with my parents and weaved our way through Atlanta traffic then the traffic north of Atlanta and then the traffic between Atlanta and Chattanooga and of course the traffic in Chattanooga. But we still made good time over all. We arrived to find a very large line that rivaled DragonCon in size. Fortunately it was to get badges and not to check in.

The folks who run ChattaCon have been great to us. The phrase southern hospitality gets bandied about so often but they are the epitome of such. We found a great goodie bag in our room along with a case of water which is very much appreciated. There were some badge snafus that will have to be sorted out today but that is not entirely their fault. FedEx had a major hand in it.

I went around and caught up with my brother and sister and a whole bunch of friends some of which I have not seen since before Caroline was born.

Peter's opening remarks as Toastmaster were well received. I think the guests he introduced enjoy their introductions. I enjoyed the reception afterwards. ChattaCon keeps its convention goers well feed and no one goes thirsty. I only went to one party which my bother Doc Whoopee was throwing which has a wrestling theme. A lot of fun was had by all.

Day 2 will be more of the same I think. I plan to go see the Art Show and catch up with some other people. So far it is a nice relaxing convention.

I am grateful for the slower pace of this convention.

Has it been 30 years?

Peter and I will be at ChattaCon this weekend. I was thinking this morning when I couldn't get back to sleep when my first convention was and what my first convention out of town (ie Not in Atlanta) was. So I think I have it figured that I have been going to convention for 30 years now. My first out of town convention was ChattaCon. That's quite a few years of going to conventions. But then I look at Ariel and Caroline who probably can't remember a time that they didn't go to conventions. I know Caroline's first convention was in urtero and in Europe.

I am looking forward to seeing old friends and the possibility of having an uninterrupted conversation. This will also be the first time since Caroline was born that Peter and I have gone to a convention without the kids. My brother will be throwing his usual party or his unusual party as the case may be. Overall I am going up there to have fun and a little relaxation time since I don't have any panels on my schedule. Don't get me wrong, I love the panels that I do at various conventions. It is just going to be interesting to go somewhere as "the wife".

A number of years ago when Peter and I were just dating, we went to ChattaCon on a lark. He wanted to go to a convention not as Peter David but as Kath's Boyfriend and since ChattaCon is my old stomping ground, it seemed a good place to do it. My friend Bill drafted him into helping to pour beer in the con suite. So Peter was checking IDs and pouring beer like a pro. One guy came up and handed Peter his ID. Peter checked the date and handed it back. The guy did a double take and said, "You're Peter David!"

"Yep."

"What are you doing here?"

"Pouring you a beer now what do you want?"

The guy got a beer and went back to the table he was sitting at with his buddies. There was a lot of animated talking and pointing. Finally one of his buddies came up to Peter and said, "Our pal says that you are the writer Peter David."

Peter finishes pouring a beer for someone else, turns to the guy, and says, "Yes I am." To which the guy goes back to his table and confirms what the first guy told them. Which I think gave them a pretty neat convention story to tell.

I am grateful for comfortable conventions.

Ah that Wacky Intra-Web

The other day I was chatting online with a friend who lives in another country which is really kind of cool since we were "talking" pretty much in real time. I asked them if they read this article that another friend had recommended to a bunch of us in the same group. He typed Teal Deer. Which I had seen in passing on some boards recently so I googled it and came up with the Urban Dictionary definition A bastardization of "tl;dr", which is a bastardization of "Too long ; Didn't read." And I wondered if our attention span has really become that short.

Then there is JGI Just Google It or the more indelicate JFGI which is used more often when people who have the information dogpile on a n00b (or n00bee) for asking a simple question which could have been answered in a sentence or two. Now there are people out there who go onto various boards and try to get us to do their homework for them. I use to get that ALL the time when I worked the homework boards on AOL but we had a bunch of macros that we used to shut that down. There are the annoying ones who do ask a bunch of questions that I found out the answers in less than 20 seconds on Google. My personal favorite is the questions that included the phrase "And don't tell me to google it because I can't get google on my computer" This usually is with a request for something of a rather adult nature. To which it was explained to them why this would not help them at all.

Pwned is pretty much over now. Especially when major news organizations use it in their headlines, which makes it the death of da cool.

Then there is the whole LOLcat phenomenon. Which has strayed greatly from icanhascheezburger. There are now entire communities devoted to various forms of the LOLcat and fandom. In the interest of full disclosure, I do belong to a number of these communities. This is to the point that someone has tried to scientifically explain the phenomenon or pseudo- scientifically. Can I has an Explanation?.

The Language of the Internet is still growing and changing. Even as I type this, someone is coming up with the next phrase to be used. And they will for a short time pwn the Intra-Web.

I am grateful for things like the Urban Dictionary so I don't feel like such a n00b at times.

This is Robbie

This is Robbie Greenberger who I can now be less cryptic about since his father went public on his blog about what is going on with him.

I have known Robbie since he was about nine and we were on stage together for a Mystery Trekkie Theater sketch. He saw Dead Jedi. (The title was the Sith Sense).

Robbie is good buddies with Ariel and a member of the Scooby Gang that hangs out at Science Fiction Conventions. Caroline thinks he is the bee's knees and calls him affectionately Robbie Rotten (a Lazytown Reference). She is always happy to see him.

He has been a warm body for me in a number of sketches I have done at both Farpoint and Shoreleave. The picture is Robbie as J.M. Barrie in our skit "Depp Charge" which he got to tell Johnny Depp about who apparently thought it was a hoot.

So think good thoughs/prayers/energy for Robbie. He has a hard road ahead of him but he is a tough kid and is always up to a challenge.

I am grateful that they caught this before it went too far.

And Here I though 2008 was going to be better.

I'm going to be a bit cryptic here. Some know all the details but the family involved has told who they want to tell and I am leaving it at that. If it is addressed publicly then I will be less obtuse. If you know who it is, I ask that his name not be brought up in the comments at this time. Thanks. If you have a guess and want to check, then e-mail me ( puppetmaker (at) gmail (dot) Com)

We found out this morning that a family that are some of our best friends were told that their eldest son has leukemia. It is apparent the best kind of leukemia to get if you are going to get it. He is under going treatment now. Please keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers.

I am grateful for medical treatments that didn't exist even 10 years ago.

Taking Time to Just Breathe

There are times that I find myself holding my breath for what seems no reason at the time. I tend to hold my breath when I am bowling. I tend to hold my breath when the phone rings before I answer it. I hold my breath a lot when I drive. When I find myself holding my breath, I take a moment to remind myself to breathe and for a short time I am very conscious of my breathing. I take the time to slow it down a bit and breathe properly. I learned this trick from my voice teacher back in college and it has served me well. She also taught me how to be really loud without any strain on my vocal cords to which I will always be grateful to her since that lesson had gotten a lot of use over time.

I have learned from various places since then that breathing is very important. There is the obvious that we need to breathe to continue to live. But there is the less obvious of how our breathing affects our mental state and our mental state affects our breathing. Sometimes when I am feeling down and out, I will take the time to just breathe. Just listen to my inhaling through my nose and exhaling out my mouth. I can find my center and my inner calm if I do it right. Sometimes when I am about to panic, I remind myself to breathe and it will be OK. There are other times that these exercises aren't very helpful but I at least try them to see if I can get myself back on track.

Not much done yesterday so I am going to try to do better today. I have been having a lot of days recently that have not been my best so I am going to take a moment to regroup and breath before trying to figure out which iron in the fire needs to come out first and be beating into shape. I have some household chores that need to be done to keep the household running and then I will be onto some more creative work I want to do.

I am grateful for the ability to slow down and just breathe.

Miss Me?

Well that was an interesting 24 hours. I now know I can do it. Didn't mean that I didn't want to get online half a dozen times during the day but I managed to not give into the urge.

When I got up and got my morning cup of coffee, I was at a bit of a loss since I usually get my coffee, then sit down with my computer and take care of things that need taking care of. Instead I read through the paper and wrote in my paper journal. Then later in the day I needed to check something and instead of hopping onto the computer, I consulted our encyclopedia for the information. I also used the calendar on the wall and a piece of paper and a pencil to calculate some sums. Paper and pencil/pen were my friends yesterday. For my local weather, I looked outside.

So I am going to make the 16th of the month, no computer day with as little electronic use as possible for a year or so.

I found most of the fabric I need for the BIG PROJECT. I had to go to my fall back on one of the pieces. The fabric I am looking for really doesn't exist for me right now. Doesn't mean I can't remake parts of the outfit if I do find the right fabric. Now I have to cut and sew the BIG PROJECT.

I am grateful for finding a fabric that will work.

Going off the Internet for a day

I think this afternoon/tomorrow I am going to go off line for 24 hours. I am also going to not watch TV nor take my cell phone with me. Just to remember what life was like before I had all these distractions. It is part of my 101 in 1001 project which so far is going pretty poorly. I have a few things done and a few things started but I am nowhere near where I hoped to be.

Today I have a few errands to run with Caroline including one that I have been needed to do for about two weeks now. I think I am going to spend a good part of tomorrow figuring out how I am going to get everything done before ChattaCon and then FarPoint.

Not much else going on. Peter did rewrites to the Iron Man novelization and is now into the Hulk novelization about half way. Ariel has a big match this afternoon so think good thoughts for her team. Caroline has her usual agenda for the day. And I need a miracle to find a fabric I need for a costume.

I hope y'all have a good day.

I am grateful for Giraffes.

Sour Grapes make good Whine

I belong to a number of on-line groups through various means on the Internet. I have a number of interest groups that I belong to that reflect my various interests. I find it funny when it seems that the same complaint goes across several groups about the same time. And almost like clock-work there is that most deadly of discussions to which the flames seem to spring up from no where which is "What is Art?"

It started on a Science Fiction Art board that I belong to. There was some crabbing and whining about a juried book called Spectrum which is considered a good thing go get into if you want to do book covers since just about every art director has one. My work is not at a point that I think I would even be accepted to be juried but some day I would like to give it a shot. Anyway there are fees to even be considered and it is considered by some an exclusive club that doesn't let anyone in who isn't already part of the club.

And there is one individual who is, of course, above all this because they make art and the jury at Spectrum wouldn't know art if it showed up a the jury's door and hit the jury in the face with a pie. This person is a rabid digital artist who is always grousing about how digital art is treated by the art world. I have seen their art and most of it is derivative or just altered images of other works or those flipping avatars that everyone seems to copy. But they claim that they are the gawds' gift to digital art because they have worked so hard to learn how to use the tools well. Anything that they draw on their own is not very good to what were they thinking. If given any constructive criticism (and we are talking in the nicest way possible from some pretty well known people in that genre) they come up with at least 50 excuses of why they can't/won't change what/how they do something including a series of self diagnosed medical conditions. And this is the person that informed a very diverse group of artists that we don't know what art is. Which set off some people who I haven't ever seen get into the mix on the subject. Personally I steer clear of these since I know what I like and it might not be what you like and that's art.

About two days after the "what is art" brouhaha broke out in that group, much to my amazement an art vs. craft heated discussion broke out on both a doll group and my main puppetry group. The puppetry group moderator politely managed to put out the flames on the puppet board so only a few pieces of felt were thrown. That and one of our favorite puppeteers of the group ended up in a rather serious bike accident so our attention when to him, his wife, and his puppet troupe. I love that the moderator was able to point others to where this discussion had gone the last time it had come up. I also think we lost one of our know-it-alls who came to enlighten us poor shlubs that we are not advancing the field but making derivative works based on puppets that already existed. Not going to really miss them.

The doll group was talking about this rather interesting book that was published this year called "500 Handmade Dolls: Modern Explorations of the Human Form" which is a very interesting look at the evolution of the doll from doll to object d'art. And this lead to a lively but rational discussion about dolls as dolls vs. dolls as art. Until two individuals decided that we were missing the point and the book was bad because a number of items in it were not dolls to them so the title was wrong. Which lead to a heated discussion about what is a doll. This is a hot button issue with a number of folk in that group since their work has never been accepted (according to them) by the art world but it has been by the doll world. Personally I didn't know that the two were separate worlds. And then we got into the pattern vs. free hand fight that no one wins with the usual how much of a pattern can you alter before it becomes an original work which I swear some people trot out just to see how much of a blow-up they can get out of certain individuals.

So I am going to hunker down until this all blows over in a week or so. I do have opinions but am choosing not to express them because I really don't want to get into it with some of the people on the various boards because I know I am just going to be spinning my wheels and I have better things to discuss with the denizens of those groups.

I am grateful for reminders no matter how painful they are.

Tueday Morning Armchair Quarterbacking

I had to review some of the games I didn't see or didn't see all of so I could write about this. I saw the Packers/Seahawks game. Caroline informed me that they were playing in a Giant Snow Globe and a Giant kept shaking the globe. The Packers proved that they are the team to beat in the in NFC. They played with tons of heart considering how the game started. They didn't give up and they didn't surrender. I swear, the harder it snowed, the harder they played.

Then there was the Giants game. Where was this team the whole season? It was amazing to watch both the defense and the offense both play well. They put the pressure on the Cowboys and didn't let up the whole game. It shows that one game can make a major difference at this point. Most people had picked the Super Bowl to be Pats vs. Cowboys but it is not going to be. If Giants can play like that again, then they have a shot at the Packers but I think it is only a shot. So I am going to call the NFC for the Packers.

The Patriots made the Steelers fans feel a little better I think. The Jaguars came up empty again the Pats. And it is not like they didn't have opportunity an several times during that game. I feel like it was not as much as the Pats won but the Jags lost. So now they are benched to watch the rest of the dance. Now they have to take on a set of Charged Chargers.

As to the Chargers, this is the game that I had to read the play-by-play on since I didn't see the game. Sounds like this could have gone either way in the last minute of the game. If Manning had connected with Clarke we might be talking a whole different ball game. It must of been a heart breaker for the Colts fans. The question is whether the Chargers can ride this wave out and take down the Pats. I still call the game for the Pats but won't be surprised at an upset by the Chargers. They just have to play as hard and as smart as they did in the Colts game again.

I am grateful for onion dip and fresh potato chips.

Under the Sea

Through magical mean (Thanks Ralph) we had four tickets for the Broadway production of The Little Mermaid. Originally there was another activity attached with it but due to circumstances beyond our control, it was just the show.

Caroline enjoyed her first train trip into the city, She watched out the window and commented on what she was seeing. She was very good. We had lunch at one of our favorite restaurants, John’s Pizzaria (Their motto is No Slices).

We joined the HUGE line to get into the theater and were seating in pretty short order. Caroline decided for whatever reasons were rational to her that she was scared. So she put her coat over her head as the beginning of the show but was peeking out. As the first act progressed, the coat slid off the head and then off the shoulders as she watched in rapt attention.

I really don’t care what the critics say about the show. It was not constructed for them. It was constructed for my 5 year-old daughter who believed and followed every moment of the show. It was for all the other little girls who gasped and cheered their way through the show and waited outside the stage door to meet the actors who they treated like rock stars.

Personally, I enjoyed it. Most of the new songs fit seamlessly into the songs from the film. There were some clever tricks with the costumes and sets that worked very well. Ursula was a hoot and a half and the costume was quite clever. It moved well. We were at the end of the first act in what seemed like no time and the second act moved pretty well too. It is by no means the perfect musical but it is rather enjoyable especially if you have a small child with you to watch the show through their eyes.

I am grateful that I could take Caroline to see this show.

Eureka! French Toast!

We have a potential storm warning for the area for tonight into tomorrow. I am not expecting much from it since I replenished the ice melt that we need to be in compliance with the town and village ordinances.

I had to go and get milk since we were out. And looking at the dairy case where there was a lot of milk that had been sold I came to a conclusion about storms and instincts. I believe that there is a primal human need to make French Toast during a snow storm. Hear me out on this theory. What are the things that everyone stocks up on? Bread, Milk, and Eggs. I had to go down the baking aisle to get some baking powder having used the last of it that morning to make pancakes and I noticed that the vanilla section was pretty much wiped out. All that was left were a few bottle of the house brand. That is when I had my revelation about French toast.

I am grateful for French toast.

Oh......Pickles!

Yesterday I was helping Caroline look for a specific book called "Spot and his Mommy." It is one of those thin square books that blend in with all the other thin square books. I had no luck and after going through the third book shelf for a second time, I informed my daughter that the book was not going to be found that day.

She gave me a look and raised then dropped her fists to her side while exclaiming with as much frustration as her voice could muster, "Oh Pickles!"

I did not laugh out loud but I was laughing inside. It was so funny and a safe thing for her to say to express herself when she is mad or frustrated.

Not as much done as I would like yesterday. Sometimes it is just a matter of maintenance of area that I have already cleaned. I hope to get more done on a couple of things today. I have the day at home pretty clear except what Caroline needs.

Last night we watched Family Guy : The Blue Harvest and then we watched Star Wars : The New Hope (the Han shot first version). A nice evening of movie watching. What is amazing is that Family Guy did in less than 40 minutes what took the movie over 2 hours to do. Now the effects aren't as good in the cartoon and the scenes are chopped to the bare bones but still. Gives me hope for that wacky puppet show I want to do called Reduced Star Wars and do all 6 movies in a one hour time period (or possibly 50 minutes).

Today I want to finish up one puppet and get the other two started. I also need to find out where some costume pieces are. Which might entail dealing with a space I don't want to deal with right now. Or maybe I'll take down the holiday lights.

I am grateful that my daughter finds ways to express herself that are socially acceptable.

It's foggy!

We had one heck of a thunderstorm move through the area last night. I got up at 3 AM and made sure that some of our more irreplaceable electronics were off and disconnected from the grid during the storm. We got a lot of rain in a very short time. I am almost scared how some of the areas that flood around here look which is one of the reasons I haven't gone off and done my errands. I think I am going to stick close to home today at least until I know that the roads have drained. Now we have very dense fog. I can see across the street but not a couple of houses up the street.

I got some more stuff done yesterday including reclaiming the living room from Caroline who had different areas set up for her difference animal groups. That sort of went a bit south this morning as she has re-set-up a couple of them. I will convince her to put stuff back that she is not using.

I also went through the pots and pans cabinet and pulled everything out. I got rid of most of it. I kept one big pot that I use as an extra water dish for the cats and a couple of pots that were in good condition which I put away for whoever needs them down the road. I was amazed at the number of lids I found for pots that no longer exist in our cabinets. I also found another casserole dish I didn't know I had but will be useful down the road.

Today will be about a few other odds and ends that need to get done. I need to go to a hardware store and get some glue, clamps or those large rubber bands you use to keep things that are glued together. We also need light bulbs as I watch another bulb go out. I want to go to a local cloth store and see if they have the fabric I need for a coat I want to make.

I am grateful that I got a cabinet done in my long term project of going through every cabinet and drawn and getting rid of stuff we don't need/use.

When things get away from you

I hadn't really dealt with Caroline's closet or her drawers in probably about 2 years so yesterday I did both which took most of the day but gosh darn it they are clean now and filled only with clothes that fit her. I now have a large bag of outgrown clothing to donate. This was one of those cases that you do a lot of work but it is not immediately evident to the eye. But it really needed to be done.

I also got my pots and pans in working order. My parents got me this great set of Belgique cookware. But with great cookware comes many instructions on how to use them and get them ready for use. There was a thin plastic coating on the copper section of each piece that had to be removed with a solution of baking soda and hot water. Each pot takes 20 minutes to soak before cleaning off. I got all the pots done yesterday and cooked a new recipe for curried lentils that went over very well with Ariel. I also cooked up some curried chicken to add to the lentils for a more balanced meal but the lentils were a meal in itself. Now I have all kinds of yummy curried lentils to each for the next couple of days.

Next job is sorting through the kitchen cabinets and dumping all the Teflon pans that are showing any sign of flaking which looks like most of them. I am going to recycle rather than donate because I consider them a health hazard at this point.

But today is my weekly errand with Caroline which will take up most of the morning and we have some other errands to run in the afternoon. And I want to get some crafty stuff done to get ahead on some minor projects I am doing. Then it is onto the puppets and the BIG PROJECT.

I am grateful for my new cookware.

Ok That's 1 project down and 9999 to go

I have finished my part of a round robin doll swap and sent the boxes out to the next step of the process. I am hoping that I can do another one of these in 2008. The two I have done in 2007 were a lot of fun and I love the dolls that I got back when they came back.

Next is a couple of puppets that need to be done for a couple of people which if I can get a majority of it done this week, I will be happy. Then it is onto the BIG PROJECT for Farpoint. However I think today is going to be about getting Caroline's room back into order and a few other things on my giant list of things to do.

I think that this is a good day to be indoors. It is not raining but it is damp and foggy. I also may do something crafty with Caroline later. I need to make a snow person and an ATD with wings for a swap later this month. I have some ideas in my head as to how I want to do this and I need to try a couple before doing the final dolls.

I am at the cusp of either getting really sick or being well. I hate being at that point because I want either to feel normal or just get sick and get it over with. This is like being at the top of the hill on a rollercoaster and then you see the drop. This is just frustrating especially since my energy level has been in the basement since about the beginning of the year.

Oh, for those of you who attend ChattaCon, I will be there with Peter but the girls are not coming with us so if you want to have a conversation with me without the usual distractions, there is your chance. Peter is the toastmaster and has been working very hard at getting ready for the event.

Other conventions on the docket this year are Farpoint, I-Con, LunaCon (just me), Shoreleave and DragonCon. Peter will probably be at San Diego ComicCon and New York ComicCon (which we had so much fun at last year we might do it again if invited). There may be a few added to the list but these tend to be our regular stomping ground.

I am grateful for ping-pong balls and all the versatile uses they have for puppets.

And the Fans Scream On

I read this morning on Muppet Central that the Dark Crystal sequel will be going direct to DVD. Personally I am glad that they are making it and will pick it up on DVD probably the first day that it is released to stores. This project was first announced back in 2005 and has a long and rocky road to this point.

Now I have already seen, on the release of this news, some of the more fanatic fans for the Dark Crystal series already start to dismiss the sequel because it is not being released on the Big Screen so there must be something wrong with it. They feel "betrayed" because the PTB couldn't get into the theaters and are cutting a deal for direct-to-DVD which makes it less worth. And of course we hear the cry "Well Jim wouldn't have done that. He would have found a way to get it into movie theaters."

Bull I say. The direct format didn't really exist 20 years ago. Video Tapes were just ramping up to be direct sales rather than just rentals and DVD technology was R&D at best. Jim was pretty good at seeing the potential for various formats to deliver entertainment and tended to be on the cutting edge of such things. These "fans" also forget that in terms of dollars both Dark Crystal and Labyrinth didn't do that well in the theaters. Where these films picked up speed and became cult classics were in the secondary markets. And so they are going directly to that market and passing up the chance to get slammed at the box office yet again, which might hurt their potential DVD sales.

The Fraggle Rock fans are now biting their nails that the Fraggle film will also go direct to DVD. Might I remind them that the Fraggles were one heck of an experiment in television since it was one of the first made for cable children's shows? No? I didn't think so. The Fraggles have never been on the big screen and there is a reason for it. They were built for the small screen (which has gotten bigger since they started). They would have to revamp how they made a number of the puppets just so the puppets wouldn't look awful on the large screen. So they won't look like the Fraggles you saw on TV and therefore the fans are going to complain about them.

I swear that if you gave a fan everything they wanted in a film or TV show, they would then complain that that was not what they wanted and explain how you got it all wrong and could improve on it.

I am grateful that there will be new Dark Crystal and Fraggle Rock in my future no matter what the format.

A Week into 2008

Feel any different?

Yep, it was a week ago that we were on the last ticks of 2007 and getting ready for 2008. So how did the first week go for you? Any resolutions already out the window yet? Any resolutions still in force that you are surprised that they stuck around a week and wonder how far you can take it?

Speaking of sticking around to see how far they can take it, how about those Giants? Not how I expected the game to go but it was nice to see Eli throw the football to his own team. Sorry Bucs fans but now you get to sit on the bench with the Jets fans who didn't even make it to the playoffs. And the Chargers took on the Titans and won. I think I would have gone for the Chargers if I had known exactly how many players were out for the Titans. Not a pretty sight, but they held their own for most of the game.

So next week is the next round of win or go home (sounds like a game show). Here is how the rest of the playoffs and the Superbowl is going to go. It is going to be Green Bay and the Pats in the AFC playoff with the Pats going to the Superbowl. For the NFC I think that the Colts and the Cowboys are going to go head to head with the Cowboys going to the Superbowl. Pats win Superbowl and a lot of armchair quarterbacks say the only reason they did this well this season is that they cheated. Cowboys vs. the Patriots will give the network the UMPH they need to sell the rest of the ad time.

I have done some of the stuff I am hoping to do this year. Some other things have fallen by the wayside and need to be picked up and done this week. Then there is the BIG PROJECT. Yep, it is that time of year. I have a BIG PROJECT I need to get done for Farpoint. Today I need to go further a field for fabric since I have had carp luck around here. But first those dolls I keep talking about. I feel bad about having them in my possession when they should be with their owns. The journals are the hard part for me to complete as strange as that sound.

Caroline informed us that she got up last night but noticed that it was still dark outside and so she went back to bed and there was a "4" on the clock. Which means that she got up at 4 AM and figured out that it was too early to get up. She is starting to sort out digital time. I need to get a book so she can learn analogue time. I remember when digital watches first came on the scene. I was so proud of my red digital read-out watch.

I am grateful that my parents got me a digital watch early in the era of digital watched.

Where's My SNOW!

I know that I should not be complaining because there are still some sever drought stricken areas in the United States if not the world. I do appreciate the rain. I sincerely do. However, it is the Winter is for Snow not Rain and I would like to see some more of the white stuff drifting through the area. I have noticed that to the East, North (which I expected) and South, they have had snow. We have had little to none and most of it mixed with ice.

The best game so far in the playoffs is the Jaguars vs. the Steelers. That was a game that went down to the wire and had exciting play though out. My hat is off to the Steelers for showing such heart and coming back so strong in the fourth quarter. I know I have a couple of Steelers fans in the group so I'm sorry your team lost and I hope you can take some solace in your teams fight back to being on top. I think it just goes to show how turnovers can just kill your game. Washington tried but the Seahawks wanted it more and looked much better on the field on all fronts.

And speaking of turnovers, the Giants are playing Buccaneers. Eli played mightily the past week and the Bucs have been phoning it in getting ready for this game. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top but I am not counting on the Giants since Eli seems to play his heart out one week and forgets the color of his team's jerseys the next week. I think the Titans will win over the Chargers. I know San Diego has been playing well but I think the Titans want it more.

I am grateful for fun football games to watch where everything is on the line.

Working out the Week

Since Ariel went to school for two days this week, I have almost gotten back into the groove of things. By Monday, I think I'll have the day in my head when I wake up rather than when I look at my calendar on my computer. I like time. I like knowing what time it is. I like knowing where I am within a month or a year. It has always been a comfort for me. I can trust that 9 AM will occur after 8 AM and so forth.

Then there are schedules. During the School Year I know that Ariel will be leaving the house at 6:50 and returning home about 2:35. Right now she has her high school bowling team so she either has a match or practice so she doesn't get home until between 5 and 6. Peter goes to the gym Monday, Wednesday, and Friday pretty regularly and Caroline goes with him to childcare. He has bowling leagues Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I have a bowling league on Monday. The summer is much more fluid but that is fine too.

I have to create some structure for myself because, as those who know me well, I can be a champion of time frittering. Some of it is constructive time frittering but a majority of it is rather pointless. And I can see myself falling into that rut. I no longer make excuses for myself but try to break myself out of my fritter mode. But with the wonders of the Internet that can be hard. Because you can find such cool stuff that you want to take time to look at.

For example, there were these puppets of a girl and an elephant that were made to celebrate the life of Jules Verne which were these amazing puppets. Well now there is a whole exhibit of their work which is quite amazing.
Steam Driving Animals?
and if you speak French, the catalogue of the exhibit itself
Les Machines-Nantes
I wish I could see the exhibit in person but these photos give me the scope of what is there to look at. And I have a number of search terms I can use to find more information and pictures of the exhibit.

And with that I have taken up about 40 minutes of my day that did not further anything but an interest. That is what I need to avoid or limit so I can get other things done outside the Internet which I am trying to incorporate into my daily and weekly schedule. I have a little list that I want to get done in 1001 days and so far I haven't been able to strike one item off the list. I can say that I started a number of them but nothing is done. And I can't say that I am happy with myself over that.

I am grateful for the cool things that I do find on the Internet or others point out to me.

Oooo THAT Peter......

There is a discussion about the latest Spiderman Storyline over on Peter's Blog (www.peterdavid.net) which due to content is rather heated (and I am not going to put a spoiler here but will allow that there might be such discussion in the comment section so be forewarned). My problem is that I keep seeing "Peter" and it takes a moment for my mind to process that they are talking about Peter Parker not Peter David. Personally, I know all about it and am steering clear of it so don't ask my opinion about it.

We might be going to New York ComicCon this year for reasons that will become clear later. We had a lot of fun last year and met a number of really nice people.

I have to get cracking on the costumes for Farpoint. I want to have them done by the beginning of February (Yeah, I can dream). Today is all about those darn dollies that are sitting on my sewing table and laughing at me. Then I have a couple of puppets I need to knock out.

I have a possibility to present a puppet show I have been knocking around in my head. I am now debating what I should do. I would have to have the proposal and a chunk of the show done before March. Just something to think about at this point. It might even work for that piece that Neil thought would make a good puppet show eons ago. The only stipulation to this show is that it has to be done in toy theater form.

Yesterday when I woke up I thought my allergies were kicking up but now I think I am looking at a head cold since this feels more like a head cold especially in the throat. I have also had the darn tickle in the back of my throat which has been causing lots of coughing. I have been sipping on water to try to keep from coughing.

Now I just need to get some motivation going so I can work on stuff. I think I have been spending entirely too much time attached to the Internet recently. But I love the Internet and all the cool things on it. I know what I did before the Internet came along for entertainment and maybe I should see if I can still survive without it. So I am going to go off the grid once a month on the 16th of the month this year. From Sunrise to Sunset to start with and then eventually 24 hour periods. This includes not using my cell phone and not watching TV (but I can tape something to watch later if needed).

There are other things on my 101 list that I need to get started on so I can complete them in a timely fashion. Rather than a Home Make-Over, it is a Me Make-over to try to break some of the bad habits I have had off and on for years.

I am grateful for the nifty stuff that the postman brings.

RTBTCKI The First for 2008

Do you still find yourself writing 2007 rather than 2008? I have to admit that I am. It will probably sort itself out for me about mid-month.

The wind is vicious this morning. It will suck every molecule of warmth it can get out of you. This is a cover-up to avoid frost-bite kind of day. The snow showed up and went away just as fast. It was pretty for a brief time.

We watched Letterman last night. Robin Williams was on and he was "on" too. The top ten list read by writers who are still on strike was inspired. We will be watching it again tonight since it is under contract with the WGA.

Not much else happening on that front. The producers are being jerks and yet again offered less than the current contract only if the writers took a bunch of stuff on the table that the producers don't want to talk about (like the Internet). They are negotiating in very bad faith and biding their time until they can talk to the DGA about their contract.

Anyone know where I can get the fabric for Barbossa's coat? I have had no luck.

Today Peter is off to read a movie script he is writing the novelization of so we won't see him until late. Ariel has a bowling match. Caroline has her doctor's appointment. So it is a rather busy day for all of us.

I am grateful for finding the perfect fabric for a project.

A Pause Day

Tomorrow Ariel starts school again. She has one project she has been working on for class on Thursday. There is some more work to be done today but the mountain has been reduced to a small hill. Most of what she has left is the creative fun part. I have to go get her some tag board and I have to find my compass (drawing not golden) along with a few other drafting tools.

So today feels like a pause to me. Vacation is practically over but school and our usual schedule haven't really started up yet. That will probably kick in when Peter goes to bowl his usual Wednesday leagues tonight.

I had a digital art rant but thought better of it. I don't create digital art and I don't really have to deal with it so any rant I may have is purely subjective rather than practical. I really need to learn to use the skip button when reading some boards especially when I know it is the person that is annoying me not the subject material. Besides others who have much more experience are beating their heads against that brick wall.

I did get my 101 together but I think I need to refine some of them. So I am giving myself the month of January to tweak the list. So far this year I have joined, online, a group that encourages you to write in a paper, a 101 in 1001 group, a read 52 books in a year group, an ATD/paper doll swap group, and a DragonCon weight loss group. I am hoping to do another round robin doll for this year. I have had fun with the ones I have done so far. I need other people sometimes to motivate me to get something done and I like motivating and encouraging others to get stuff done.

It feels like snow, looks like snow and even smells like snow but no snow this morning.

We watched the Tournament of Roses Parade and were impressed with the floats and the use of flowers. I found the ABC coverage easier to watch than the NBC coverage. NBC did more promotion and ads than covering the parade. And Ariel and I have to give the Chinese Olympic committee credit for creating the cutest Olympic Mascots ever.

Real Mascots not a Weird Blue Thing (Atlanta Reference)

I am grateful that I got up early this morning even though it was because of a weird dream.

Happy 2008

This is a leap year so my buddy Katie will be turning 10 on February 29th. I remember celebrating her 5th birthday way back when. We found cool stuff for her that worked for both 5 and 20.

Last night we went bowling and then to the neighbors to ring in the New Year which was nice and quiet and walking distance. We started the New Year watching an awards presentation to Billy Crystal (Mark Twain Award) and then Monty Python which is a good way to start the New Year by laughter.

Today is going to be rather quiet. We have seen most of the movies we want to see that are in theaters. The weather is rainy and cold but not cold enough for the precipitation from turning into ice or snow. I want to watch the Tournament of Roses Parade which I have been watching since I was a little tyke.

I hope that everyone had a good New Years Eve and got home or where ever they were going safely.

I am grateful for a chance to try something new.