 Nostalgia, DVDs, old movies, television, OTR, fandom, good news and bad, picks, pans, cute budgie stories, cute terrier stories, and anything else I can think of. Contact me at theyoungfamily (at) earthlink (dot) net . . . . . . . . . .
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» Monday, May 30, 2011
Good Old Fashioned Post-Convention Depression
I paid for two nights of restless sleep by being cotton-stuffed and sleepy today, struggling even through doing the shopping. We had an invitation to a cookout, but I wanted only to stay inside, cool and somnolent. I did post some photos from the convention, but only felt better after supper, which was a thrown-together event that worked out fine: we bought some beef ravioli at Publix, layered them in a Pyrex dish between no-sugar-added Classico tomato and basil tomato sauce sprinkled liberally with Romano cheese, and James baked it for 40 minutes. Major yum, and there's enough for another meal. Before supper we went out to Bruster's for ice cream. I finished a book. Sat Schuyler near me on the sofa. Read Facebook, and The Wilderness Warrior. Watched Antiques Roadshow and R5Sons Alaska..
I think it was what I needed. Labels: food, shopping, sickness, television  A Nice Review of Timegate Some Timegate Photos
Willow snoozing in her crate on Friday night:
  Louis Robinson moderates the now-annual Sherlock Holmes panel:  Alan Siler interviews Sophie Aldred during her Saturday panel:  Sophie Aldred, "Ace," the seventh Doctor's companion:  A charming smile from Sophie Aldred on Saturday:  Sophie talks a lot with her hands; they are as expressive as she is:  Schuyler downstairs on the con floor Saturday, schmoozing with anyone who would wander by:  Kim Holec moderates the Blake's 7 panel.  Louis Robinson performs at the cabaret:  Sophie at the cabaret, singing a music hall song taught to her by her dad (sorry, the cabaret lighting was not conducive to photos):  The Ken Spivey Band (dad and son) perform at the Saturday cabaret:  Masquerade entries:  As we packed the luggage cart Sunday, Willow leaped aboard and lay down. "You're not leaving ME behind."  Sophie listens to a question during the Sunday panel:  Laughter with Sophie Aldred during the Sunday panel:  Louis and Ashley moderate a panel about the German "Enigma" coding machine, talking not only about the machine itself, but the personalities behind it.  Singing Doctor Who-inspired music, the Ken Spivey Band asks the audience for a big cheer.  The party's over: the convention committee's wrap up panel:  Labels: conventions, photos » Sunday, May 29, 2011
Timing Out at Timegate
Up early this morning; had breakfast at the hotel first, then went upstairs, finished packing, covered up Schuyler, got Willow off the luggage cart (she wasn't going to be left behind!), and took the fids and the luggage home. You could tell it was Sunday; we got home and back in just a little over an hour, and were able to see a half-hour of Sophie Aldred's second panel. (It was supposed to be later on, but they told her she should get to the airport earlier because she had an international flight.) She told some cute stories about her kids, who did not see Doctor Who till they were elementary school age, and it scared the younger. She also talked about the scene in "Remembrance of the Daleks" where she had to attack a Dalek with a metal baseball bat. Turned out this was one of the Daleks that had an operator inside, not a remote controlled one, so not only was the poor guy in there vibrating from the metal-on-metal contact, but then the director called a tea break and forgot he was in there!
(There was also a cute story about Sophie's little boy "getting even" for Mom having scared him with an episode where Ace gets attacked by a Dalek. The two boys were up asleep in their rooms while Sophie and her husband were downstairs watching "The Empty Child," which of course has the little boy in the gas mask calling "Are you my mummy?" The whole house was dark and they were getting creeped out watching the story. Suddenly the youngest started calling "Mummy!" "Mummy!" and Sophie went to see and saw him silhouetted against a window. Very spooky!) Following this we went to a panel about the Enigma machine and how it has worked into media. This was done by Louis Robinson and a young woman named Ashley. Much chat about Bletchley Park, the machines themselves, the secrecy of the employees, how long the British had knowledge of the German code, spies, and much more historical goodness. We took time to have a burger from the lunch stand they had at the bar, and then stood chatting to the Spiveys until it was time for the Ken Spivey Band (no relation) to perform. This is a young man and his dad, who usually do Celtic music, but this concert was Doctor Who-oriented, including the two songs they did last night, except for the perennial "Wild Rover." They had a CD of regular Celtic song, which we bought. Then wandered through the dealer's room. James bought me a tiny print of an anime style Doctor 10 with Doctor 5 (very cute!), alà "Time Crash," and I bought the hardcover Owly book and more magnets (at least I don't have my hotel keycard in my pocket this time to be demagnetized!), and James bought me the "summer" print, so now that means I have all four seasons of Owly prints. Then we stopped and talked for a bit with Mike and Kim before going to the "K-9 and Other Australian Television" panel, which was mostly K-9 (we watched most of the first episode of the Australian series, which is a kids' adventure). I then had Andy Runton sign my book and print since he hadn't been at the table when we'd been there earlier. He did a cute little drawing in the book, which is a full-color Owly story! Last Who panel was "Real Life Issues" in the series—indeed, how do you "go home again" after being a companion? (And put up with things like your annoying parents, re Martha!) It ended up with people chatting about how they found Who fandom (or fandom, period), and the sheer wonder of when you walk into a convention for the first time and realize "There's someone like me." The final actual panel was a "showdown" between Stargate, Star Trek (all versions), and Doctor Who, with a six-"man" panel. More of a discussion than a competition, of the strengths and appeal of each show, what appealed to the person about the show and why it was memorable, and even some nasty asides about Enterprise. :-) The final panel is always the closing commentary, where Alan Siler and the rest of the con committee thank everyone who made the programming, registration, film, and other essential parts of the convention possible. Then the audience gives feedback on the hotel (some disapproval this year, as always; we weren't the only people with problems), and gives suggestions for future panels. Many different types were offered—oh, and I made sure to pass on Louis' suggestion about a longer Holmes panel, too! And then like the Doctor's companion in the Ken Spivey Band song, the convention's said "so long" to us and it's time for us to go back to real life, which means it's time for that good old fashioned post-convention depression... (We listened to the CD on the way home...quite nice. Hope they record the Who stuff! I'd love the companion song.) Labels: conventions, friends, television » Saturday, May 28, 2011
Having a Time at Timegate
The room was cool, the bed was comfy, even the shower was great, yet we still didn't sleep well. Grumble.
After breakfast was the Nicholas Courtney tribute panel. We discussed the Brigadier's tenure and Courtney's appearances at conventions. Following that, went to a panel discussing "The Future of Reading." Talked about e-books, self-publishing, libraries needing to take up new technologies, etc. This was in the boardroom, and, oh, my, were the lights bright...but the chairs were comfy! James joined me in progress for the Q&A with Sophie Aldred. She talked about her rapport with Sylvester McCoy, the fact that she was chosen as a companion at the last minute, conventions and other subjects, although we missed some of it due to nipping out for a hot dog (me) and a burger (James). Next was the panel I'd waited for, discussing Sherlock Holmes (chiefly modern iterations like the Robert Downey Jr film and the modern-set Sherlock, which is filming three new episodes) with Louis Robinson, along with small and entertaining digressions. He suggested we should have an afternoon next year. I'll second that! A funny: a woman in the audience said she'd taken her son to see the Downey movie and now he was crazy about Holmes. At the end of the panel they raffled off Holmes-ish things and the woman won the leather-bound collection of Holmes' stories. Louis said if he'd written that in a story, it would be considered unbelievable. James went to a panel about a writer's trip to Antarctica, so I went upstairs, got Willow, brought her outside, then walked her about the convention floor. Everyone wanted to pet her, including Andy Runton, creator of Owly. I'm always talking to him about Schuyler when I see him at Dragoncon, so I took Willow back upstairs and carried Schuyler (in her big, awkward cage, of course—how I wish she'd ride in the carry box!) downstairs. She did so well! She looked about warily, then relaxed when Andy whistled to her. So I sat her cage on one of the hassocks in a little conversation pit, and she looked around interestedly as if it was the biggest TV ever ("Look! 3D teevee!"). She flirted with Bill Ritch and a young man who was accompanying a female 9th doctor, and finally sat with one foot up, fluffed and content. Finally I took her back upstairs. Yesterday it was too hot, now the A/C is running continuously and it's cold. Sigh. Better cold than hot, though. Then I went to the Blake's 7 panel, with Kim Holec as one of the panelists, where we discussed favorite eps, characters, etc. Small but entertaining. After that we had some supper--no buffet tonight, but probably just as well--and waited for the cabaret, which was smashing. Professor Satyre (Mike Langford) was emcee, with funny commercials, movies and TV "mash-ups," and other humor, plus a recreation of President Kennedy's moon speech which gave me goosebumps; The Ken Spivey band (father and son) did two songs based on Doctor Who, a bouncy one starting "Amy's got a new boy!" and a second about the difficulties of a companion after the fact; Louis Robinson did two songs on guitar, an amusing one on middle-class life and a sad one about an IRA member; and Sophie Aldred sang a music hall song she learnt from her father and an old Scots ballad about Bonnie Prince Charlie. Following was a giveaway (we won nothing; oh, well) of some nice things including a region-free DVD player, and finally the masquerade. Some nice contestants: two River Songs, a Mercy Hartigan in the vivid red gown, a second Doctor who had the personality down pat, a nurse from "Empty Child" complete with gas mask, Rory in his wedding morning coat and top hat, several Amy Ponds (one running), one of the feline nurses, and more, including a truly outstanding Tharil. And here we are upstairs at 10:30 on Saturday night, as we are well and truly wiped out. I've had a sinus headache since earlier in the evening, but taking off my glasses really helped. Labels: conventions, friends, television » Friday, May 27, 2011
So We Are at Timegate
Really at, since I got a wild hair earlier in the month and decided to get hotel rooms. It's a nice room, but we had a problem with the A/C that was not resolved till 9 pm. Plus there's a funny odor in the room that's bothered me since Willow and Schuyler are with us. (Also, one of the elevators was stuck between floors which did nothing for my ease. I've been a bit nervous all day.) Wil did very well when we took her on the con floor, despite the big black "wolf" (Sadie the bobtailed dog) who wanted to play.
We had had no lunch by the time we checked on, so we ran to Kroger for hot dogs and some nice peaches. We ate on the room with the fids, then went downstairs to get our badges and a bit later to partake of the buffet. The Spiveys walked by the restaurant after they registered, and sat to talk with us for a while. Also had to take Wil out a couple times due to her nervousness. Everyone wanted to pet her, and eventually she got to like it. She sat quietly at our feet during the "Intro to Gallifrey" panel, then we brought her upstairs. Tonight we also attended a very small tribute to the 30th anniversary of Raiders of the Lost Ark, another panel on Arthurian themes in Doctor Who, and finally "The Best British Shows You Didn't Know You Didn't Know." They said they wanted to not talk about as many radio shows as they did last year, but it seems you can't talk about British shows without talking about radio. We suggested Garrow's Law, which we'd just gotten from Netflix, and, surprisingly, no one had heard of it. Went back to our room then planning to go back down in a bit, but by then it was 11:30 and we decided we were pooped instead. The fids loved the extra attention. Excuse typos—written on my Droid via Blogaway 'cause the hotel wifi is fried. Comcast...of course. Labels: conventions, friends, pets » Thursday, May 26, 2011
The King's
If you saw The King's Speech, you may be interested in this silent footage of "Bertie" and Elizabeth's wedding.
 FOR TODAY, MAY 26, 2011 (because I totally forgot yesterday) Outside my window... ...a mix of watery sun and clouds. It is supposed to rain later today, thunderstorms from the west that have been doing a great deal of damage. A friend in Oklahoma had to hole up during a tornado. Just another reason that summer's high temperatures are not pleasing. I am thinking... ...of the weekend. Cross fingers, we are planning to have some fun this weekend, including seeing friends on Saturday. I am thankful for... ...Willow's bath being over with. I know that's funny. But it's a chore giving her a bath, kneeling at the side of the bathtub with aching knees. If she would only stand still. I try so hard not to get water in her eyes—I remember how much I hated that as a little girl when my mom washed my hair!—and her ears, then she moves and water gets there anyway. She is getting better as she gets older, but I wish for a little statue, just for the time it takes to get the job done! From the learning rooms... ...I've mentioned this previously: the PBS special about the World War I ambulance corps. Imagine going for a tramp in the French countryside and finding leftover war relics almost 100 years old! From the kitchen... ...James gave it a good scrub last night and loaded the dishwasher, so it's relatively tidy. We're having the last of our prepared dinners tonight, Italian beef, in prep for a holiday weekend. I am wearing... ...blue tank top, aqua shorts, and powder blue scuffs. "Am I blue? Am I blue?" :-) I am creating... ...not really creating, preparing. For the weekend. There, that's suitably obscure. I am going... ...out to fill the bird feeders next. They certainly have been cleaning up the seed, although I suspect that wretched squirrel has helped. We have "blown it" by not bringing up the new birdseed and putting it into the can last night. Some rain is supposed to arrive before noon. I am reading... ...depends on where I am. In the hall bath: The Little Ice Age. At bedtime: A Boston Miscellaney. At the sofa: Our Glorious Century (coffee table book by "Reader's Digest"). Plus I dip into The Wilderness Warrior. I am hoping... ...that the storms haunting the Midwest will dissipate. The photos from Joplin are as saddening as the ones from Alabama and north Georgia a month ago. I am hearing... ...birds complaining about no seed. Mr. Cardinal utters a continuous "Chip! chip! chip!" The air conditioning is off at the moment, so there is no hum in the background. Around the house... ...must tidy! must tidy! We have a guest next Saturday night and there is nowhere for him to sit in the living room! One of my favorite things... ...Lord Peter Wimsey! I am presently listening to "Clouds of Witness" as it is presented on BBC Radio 4X this week. Ian Carmichael is Peter in all these radio adaptations done in the 1970s, which is just fine with me. In this outing, Patricia Routledge plays the Dowager Duchess of Denver. She is just perfect for the role! A few plans for the rest of the week: A change of pace for the holiday weekend. Stay tuned! Here is a picture for thought I am sharing... I didn't know what to put here until I saw the comics this morning:  Yes, I read e-books--but let's see an e-book capture that wonderful library scent. Nothing smells like a real book! If you'd like to participate, check out The Simple Woman's Daybook. Labels: Simple Woman's Daybook » Tuesday, May 24, 2011
War Memories
With Memorial Day coming up, have to note the special we saw on PBS last night, Model T's to War: American Ambulances on the Western Front, 1914-1918. This was the story of the volunteer Americans who drove ambulances during World War I before the United States joined in the war, and had some impressive vintage film footage. I can't say I found the narration that inspiring—I'm used to something a bit more lively, in the Edward Herrmann mode—but what I found the most amazing was what was left in the French fields. I know there are WWI museums, and battlefield sites, but I was surprised to see how much was left in the anonymous countryside, overgrown with trees and brush, but undisturbed: rusting chevaux de frise, corroded shell casings, half-buried rail tracks, etc. I thought it would have been all wiped out by World War II, if nothing else! Like ghosts rising from the mists of time.
Labels: history, television » Sunday, May 22, 2011
Hunting the Wild Grocery
 Despite James soothing me back to sleep when he woke me while getting ready for work this morning, I slept badly the rest of the time and did not feel very refreshed upon rising. It was 9 a.m. and the temp was soaring already into the 80s; I went out to refill the bird feeders and put the new one out and was nearly smothered.James mentioned going grocery shopping after supper; since it would be even hotter at six, the very thought was nauseating and repugnant. So I got dressed, grabbed the coupons, and headed out for some redistribution of wealth as well as weight training. :-) Made a quick stop at Lowes for more safflower seed and ended up getting all my birdseed there, then maneuvered so that CVS and Food Lion would next come up on my right. Was astonished to find no large bobby pins in CVS. Regular size ones will not hold my hair up. I had a single reason to go into Food Lion: I like to have some of the Campbell's "Soup at Hand" containers available for quick meals. But neither the Kroger nor Publix we go to stock my favorite flavor, the vegetable with mini-noodles. This is what irritates me so much about grocery shopping: I have to go to multiple stores to find what I want. Only Walmart has the turkey Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches made with egg and not egg white. Only Kroger has the bread I like. Only Publix—and only the Publix on Johnson Ferry!—has small size low-carb whole-wheat tortillas. And only the Food Lion has the vegetable with mini-noodles. I am hoping when the big new Kroger opens just down the road from us in the fall that some of this nonsense will stop. However, the stop at Food Lion was fortuitous: I found seedless grape at 99¢/pound, Jello sugar-free pudding on sale, Hebrew National Franks on buy-one-get-one, and Rachael Ray dog food well discounted (Willow is now sick of "Lassie food" and has adopted RR's dog food as her new favorite). The Soup at Hand was on sale, too, and I found one more thing: Hormel prepared meats at $5 each. Usually we keep some of these on hand for Sundays when we are too lazy to cook. But with Memorial Day weekend coming up, I have declared this pseudo-vacation week, "pseudo" because we still have to go to work. But James shall have a vacation from heavy-duty cooking this week; all we'll have to do is fix a veggie or something simple like Ramen noodles as a side, and over the weekend we'll eat out. There weren't twofers worth stopping for at Publix, so I popped in Walgreens—no large bobby pins there, either! Ye Gods, will I be reduced to searching the internet? I confess that I didn't stop at Rite-Aid because I was getting decidedly light-headed from not having had breakfast yet. Instead I stopped for gasoline at the Kroger pumps (yay, 3.769 with my card) and then finished the essential shopping: milk, yogurt, bread (bakery fresh), apple juice via James' request, and some odd things, and was home well before 11:30. I've done a few smidges of housework, had one of the soups with half of a Portuguese roll for "brunch," rearranged the books in my to-be-read piles, and am now entering the last third of The Mistaken Wife (French spies have now come to the fore). Schuyler's sitting near me on the sofa and the History Channel is murmuring softly in the background. I am happy: the birds have accepted the new feeder first thing. Usually they give a new one the gimlet eye before condescending to eat from it. » Saturday, May 21, 2011
Lacking Edge
Sure didn't welcome the alarm this morning, but sort of woke up by the time we got to the Farmer's Market. It was reasonably cool at that point, but the sky was already in summer mode, smoggy around the edges and a pale insipid blue at the zenith. There's nothing quite like a winter sky.Instead of pot pie this week we bought a delicious 2-person meat lasagna, some corn on the cob, cookies for Willow and dessert cookies for us, more bacon and some country sausage, two Portuguese rolls, and fresh strawberries—what a heavenly scent. And Bernhard's had apple turnovers again! We heard that there is such a long waiting list for the Farmer's Market that there will be one on Sunday's, too, with different vendors. I think I heard this one is later, after church, since there are so many churches in downtown Marietta. We came home by the bakery, which netted us dessert for two other nights, then James and I parted company. He was going to meet Clay and a friend in Conyers at a sale that Museum Replicas does each year. They sell swords and other period items. I gathered all my coupons together and went to JoAnn, Michaels, and then finally wound through "the back" (Barrett Parkway becomes Piedmont Road, which becomes East Piedmont; I stopped at Wild Birds Unlimited to get a new squirrel-proof bird feeder, then backtracked through Sewell Mill Road and Bishop's Lake Road, which brought me to Borders without having to go through that hideous intersection at Johnson Ferry and Roswell). Borders popped up with an absolute surprise yesterday, a 50 percent off coupon, so I decided to pick up the first part of the authorized Robert Heinlein biography. Came home having eaten nothing but that exquisitely flaky apple turnover, so made myself a peanut butter and wine jelly sandwich with the soft, lovely "bun" I bought at the Farmer's Market and checked e-mail, then went on reading The Mistaken Wife. A bit later I popped on one of the 1940s Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes movies that were on Netflix streaming. I haven't seen any of these (and I didn't see many; neither Mom nor Dad liked British mysteries) since I was a kid. These updated Holmes and Watson to Nazi-threatened England, and in Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon, the code from "The Dancing Men" came into play, but the rest was a typical World War II B-movie about the Germans trying to get their hands on a revolutionary new bombsight. Moriarty wasn't even that menacing. Rathbone did do a good Holmes, though, even if Nigel Bruce was avuncularly clueless as Watson. When James got home we debated going out, but ended up eating out of the freezer: I had a Lean Cuisine and he ate the tiny steak-and-kidney pie and the beef pastie he bought several weeks ago at the British store. He let me taste the latter; it was quite good. Anyway, he came home with a short sword and a knife. I suppose I should be glad there wasn't a saber he liked. :-) So we ended up lolling about all evening, watching Ice Pilots and the newest Doctor Who until he had to wander off to bed because he's working tomorrow. Very tiny chat tonight, just Rodney, Emma and I... My gosh, look at the time, and there are still kids playing outside at the trailer park behind us! My mom would have had a cow about me staying up this late. » Friday, May 20, 2011
Why Birds Go Crazy in the Spring
Just went to get some water and heard what sounded like a baby bird begging for food. There on the feeder, with the seeds right in front of him, is a fully-fledged chickadee, no signs of babyhood left, still fluttering his wings and begging to the parent bird, who is eating on the opposite side of the feeder and ignoring him. When the parent bird flew off, the baby followed, still warbling his bird version of "Feed me! Feed me!"
Labels: birds » Thursday, May 19, 2011
Period Delight
We just finished up The King's Speech—what a splendid film! A simple tale, movingly told, wonderful performances, especially Colin Firth—portraying all the frustration of an intelligent man who cannot express himself, with a very natural stammer (not sounding like someone imitating a stammer)—and Helena Bonham Carter, who I believe I've only seen in "weird" roles (in Merlin and the Harry Potter films), so charming as Queen Elizabeth. (There were actually three Potter alumni in the film: Carter, Michael Gambon as King George V, and Timothy Spall as Winston Churchill.) Geoffrey Rush, Claire Bloom, Gambon, Derek Jacobi, Guy Pearce as the very hissable, offhand Edward VIII...all well-cast. And nice touches of humor that made everyone human.
I probably should buy this one (and also find a copy of Bertie and Elizabeth, which I enjoyed on Masterpiece Theatre). Labels: movies FOR TODAY (VERY LATE), MAY 19, 2011 Outside my window... ...a bit overcast this morning, but I know that will burn off. After a nice respite of cold, it is going back up into the 70s today, and 80s tomorrow. It is also very quiet because the bird feeders are empty. I simply wasn't feeling well enough yesterday to go outside and refill them. I am thinking... ...how nice it would be if it stayed cool. I know the crops need sunshine and warmth to grow, but the eventual 90s don't do any good for them, either. I could bear 70s with a breeze, although I prefer colder. 80s and 90s are just too ridiculous. I am thankful for... ...feeling better at the moment. My digestion operates on a whim. I've been trying for several years now to pin down what foods I have problems with, but trouble is, it is never the same food twice, so, who knows, it may be a combination that I haven't figured out yet. The doctor is puzzled as well, since I can eat a food one week which bothers me the next, then doesn't bother me again. I do know I have trouble with chicken at certain places. I believe it's not the chicken itself, but additives a particular store or restaurant uses, so I avoid those places now for that product. Oddly, I also have a problem with Cheerios or clones of same. From the learning rooms... ...I am thoroughly enjoying How the States Got Their Shapes, although I wish they'd lay off on about half of the stupid jokes/questions. Evidently they want to keep it lighthearted so people who aren't history or geography "geeks" will stick around. I had no idea a meteor crater formed part of the Cumberland Gap! From the kitchen... ...we have some pork chops defrosting. I'm certain James will do something yummy with them. One of the easiest things he does is, instead of using a bit of canola or sesame oil in the pan, to pan fry them in applesauce. Not only are there fewer calories from the oil, but it makes the pork sweet and delicious. We use no-sugar-added applesauce, so it is a completely natural flavor. I do not get why so many foods have added sugar in them! Why add sugar to most fruit juices to make "cocktails"? Fruits are sweet enough. And what's with spaghetti sauce with high-fructose corn syrup in it? Ugh. I am wearing... ...a green T-shirt, Mutts pajama bottoms, and white socks with my scuffs on. Later when it gets up to the 70s I may have to change outfits. I am creating... ...some Christmas gifts. I finally have all the "ingredients" and now just have to sit down to do them. I am going... ...to put in an order to Hamilton Books for a few volumes. Most are books I was planning to purchase when the paperbacks came out; why buy a paperback when I can get the hardback cheaper? I also have two gifts to put away. The actual purpose of the order is to get an annotated version of one of my favorite novels of all time, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. These annotated novels are very expensive, but this is at 60 percent off, an excellent discount. I am reading... ...Time Unincorporated 2, The Doctor Who Fanzine Archives (commentary on the classic series), and a chapter or two at the time of The Wilderness Warrior. I am hoping... ...an upcoming house guest comes earlier, not later. :-) I am hearing... ...the computer is humming and there's an airplane overhead. Nice quiet environment for working. In a few minutes I will put on a Doctor Who podcast and start my workday. Around the house... ...well, the laundry was done yesterday, although I still have to get the towels out of the dryer. Cleaned up the magazines and around James' chair yesterday as well. Really need to place a project in progress somewhere else than in the spare room, as it is taking up too much space. One of my favorite things... ...Baskin Robbins coupons! We need to use one this weekend. A few plans for the rest of the week: The usual shopping. James is working Sunday, so perhaps I'll dub off How the States Got Their Shapes. Can't do Castle yet because two episodes are plastered with storm warning alerts. Here is a thought I am sharing... You know, this is the most difficult part of this whole process! I never know what to say or post, and usually end up stopping and coming back later...how about my favorite? THINK FALL! :-) If you'd like to participate, check out The Simple Woman's Daybook. Labels: Simple Woman's Daybook » Sunday, May 15, 2011
It's So Exciting...
It's been such an exciting weekend, it's hard to write about it!Yes, I'm being funny. :-) Here's what happened this weekend. See if you can stand the excitement. Farmer's Market, Saturday morning: Bernhard's finally had apple turnovers this morning. I looked heavenward and said "Thank you, God!" The guy at the booth said it was the best reaction he had all morning. :-) We also bought veggies and boiled peanuts, plus a turkey pot pie. This was followed by Hair Day. James made Tabouli from couscous, with fresh diced tomato and cucumber and olive oil in it, last night, letting it set in the refrigerator. By today the flavors had deepened and it went nicely with the shrimp Ben and T brought. The carmelized onion dip I bought was also successful, eaten with Trader Joe's baked chips. James dropped me at home and went to his IPMS meeting. I finished The Alchemy of Murder (mystery featuring reporter "Nellie Bly") and washed the floor in the master bath. By the time James came home, neither of us had anywhere we wanted to go. So we had some soup and read and relaxed for the rest of the evening. I started The Wilder Life and later got on chat, while James went down to the Man Cave. This morning we traipsed up to BJs in Woodstock. We had several coupons for items we needed (omeprazole) or could stock up on (Swiffer sweepers). On the way in the store we saw a little chipmunk scampering near the entrance. When he saw people coming toward him he ran inside! Poor little thing! He'll be all alone and frightened, and they'll probably hunt him down like a mouse or he'll starve. One of the things we found were three solar-powered LED lights that can be mounted anywhere. Sadly, the light string we put outside to light the backyard and the gate quit working. We hope this will be a replacement at least at the gate. According to the description, they charge in sun or shade; today should give them a good workout. James mounted one as soon as we got home, then we sat down to read the paper and watch This Old House. Ironically, since it never got over 62°F today, with a brisk breeze and mostly overcast skies, we had our first "summer supper" of the season: chicken breast strips in mixed greens, mandarin oranges, chow mein noodles, and slivered almonds. Yum! Now watching the season finale of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, with the most adorable little boy who has brittle bone disease and an infectious sense of humor. Labels: books, friends, shopping, television » Friday, May 13, 2011
A Spoonful at a Time
Thankfully it was a much nicer day than it was a yesterday afternoon. Lunch (some leftover pork) completely sent my stomach into a tailspin; I was sick to my stomach all afternoon and even after a very plain dinner of turkey and ramen noodles I wasn't feeling well. It took a long time to fall asleep.I wasn't exactly refreshed when I woke up this morning, but thankfully I wasn't sick to my stomach any longer. I had oatmeal and yogurt while I sat at the computer and checked e-mail and the weather. Well, goodness, there was a 40 percent off coupon for Borders this weekend. I immediately thought of going out to East Cobb to get Earlene Fowler's State Fair, which I looked for last weekend. But the East Cobb store was out of it. Of course, I could always order it online, but then I'd have to pay postage. But wait, I'm a Borders Reward Plus member. I don't have to pay postage. Okay, I'll order it and use the coupon code. Then I noticed the "buy any paperback, get a second half off." Pity they won't let you use two coupon codes together. Oh, wait, they will! So I got State Fair for 40 percent off, and Mr. Monk on the Road for 50 percent off, no postage, and, oh, yeah, I had $5 in Borders Bucks. So I got two paperbacks for $3.07. Yay. I still went out to East Cobb, as I had a coupon for Betsy's Hallmark and another for Michael's, and wanted to stop at Trader Joe's. So I used a coupon at Borders for Italian Neighbors, plus found the May British "Country Living." At Michael's I stopped briefly for a part to a craft project, and got various things at Trader Joe's, including more of the chocolate cake for desserts, and some delicious onion dip for Hair Day. Finally I stopped at Betsy's. They didn't have what I really wanted, a small purse organizer, so I bought a small item that can be used for a gift instead, then came home via the gas station. Zowee...$54 to fill up my car! Spent the afternoon trying to work with Willow a little. She has been having what we think are deliberate "accidents" to get our attention. I also trimmed the fur around her paws, vacuumed, put up the things I'd purchased, and had a little lunch. Frankly, I don't know where the afternoon went. James got out a little early, and arrived home with some groceries he'd picked up at Publix (he needed at least one ingredient for the Tabouli he was making for Hair Day). We had supper at Fresh2Order, then walked across the parking lot—rejoicing in the cool air that was suddenly tossing the trees and sweeping across the asphalt—to Costco and picked up some things we had coupons for, like omeprazole. I found the complete Jeeves and Wooster amongst the DVDs at a lovely price (and the new "Shop Smart" to boot). And still, amazingly, arrived home before 7 p.m. Watched two Colour Confidential programs, as well as a couple of Improv-a-ganza shows. James was looking for a container to put the Tabouli in, so we rooted in the big plastic container shoved in the corner of our master bedroom closet, the one with the stuff we can't fit into the kitchen, like the turkey platter and additional Corningware, and discovered the rest of the silverware we brought home from my mom's attic (it was the same silverware, received by both myself and my dad when we worked at Trifari). Oh, good, more teaspoons! » Wednesday, May 11, 2011
FOR TODAY, MAY 11, 2011 Outside my window... ...sunny, and working itself into "hot," sadly. It's supposed to be in the low 90s today. The birds are twittering each other and I know it's about time for me to refill the feeders. There is a sparrow sitting on the only feeder with a little bit of seed left, and he looks a bit disconsolate. I am thinking... ...not much; gearing myself up to work. I was a little blue yesterday because it would have been my parents' wedding anniversary. I am thankful for... ...a cool house when it's this warm outside. Some folks love the sun so much, but it really bothers me when it's too hot. I was listening to a Rick Steves' podcast about Bermuda earlier this week, and can't imagine deliberately going anywhere it's warm for the reason of being warm. Maybe I'll change my tune as I get older, but right now it's painful. :-) From the learning rooms... ...another great episode of How the States Got Their Shapes last night. I really must keep these! This week they talked about Chicago...and Boston drivers. The fellow they spoke with, asked "What advice would you give drivers in Boston?" gave the only sensible answer: "Park the car, take the T." Amen! The most gloriously walkable city ever, especially now that expressway is gone. Who drives in Boston? Bus and cab drivers and cops 'cause they have to, otherwise idiots and tourists. :-) From the kitchen... ...quiet! But I must cook some rice tonight. Haven't had rice and soup in a couple of weeks and am "jonesing" for it. Probably my favorite meal. I am wearing... ...blue tank top, aqua shorts, and blue scuffs. Much too warm to wear anything else. I am creating... ...or will be creating, when I go back to Michaels or JoAnn, to get one more part for a gift project, which is why I can't talk about it. I am going... ...to buy a new rug for the door to the deck. The one there is just too small. Ironically, I wish they still made them in this size, but Walmart has quit selling them, and I haven't seen them anywhere else. I am reading... ...still reading Hambly's A Free Man of Color. There are many characters and I must be deliberate about my reading to keep track. I've just started The Wilderness Warrior; it's a massive book and will take some time even if I read it constantly. I've also started The Little Ice Age. I am hoping... ...my Amazon package will come soon; the new Penderwicks book is included. I am hearing... ...birds (including Schuyler, who just clucked at me because her teevee isn't on; soon I'll finish up the two Rick Steves' podcasts I didn't hear the end of Monday and yesterday). Around the house... ...many things to put away, and I still need to clean out the spare room closet. I think the problem is that I don't know what to do with the floppy disks. Would Goodwill actually want them? Who uses floppies anymore? Yet I feel so wasteful throwing them out. One of my favorite things... ...the new Hawaii Five-O! I was very skeptical about this show, especially at first where they were going to mess with the theme song. Wisely, they just left it the same. I am happy with the entire cast, especially Scott Caan as "Danno," He's sweet and tough all at once. Grace Park and Daniel Dae Kim are super as well. I love it when Kono "kicks ass." Alex O'Loughlin is good as Steve McGarrett, but he's just your typical action hero protagonist; nothing really unique about him. Oh, and I love the CIA agent; I hope she joins the cast. A few plans for the rest of the week: Hair Day on Saturday, and I think we have a trip to BJs planned. There are some nice coupons, including for omeprazole. Here is a thought I am sharing... ...I don't have a profound thought...I do have a "laughter is the best medicine" link (warning: this site can get scatological and rude): Damn You, Autocorrect! WARNING! Do not read this site...at work, if you need to pee, if you have lung problems... If you'd like to participate, check out The Simple Woman's Daybook. Labels: Simple Woman's Daybook » Monday, May 09, 2011
When 64 Meant Fun
The Commodore 64, That '80s Computer Icon, Lives Again
Oh, goodness, do I remember the Commodore 64! I needed word processing skills to be able to get a job and my previous business school (who shall remain nameless, but let's say they go by the initials J&W) wouldn't allow me to learn word processing because I couldn't reach 60 wpm typing speed. I learned my first word processing on a 64, Alice and Juanita's, to be specific. It used a program called "Easy Script." Later I became enamoured of another word processing program called "Paperclip." I still have a couple of stories written in Paperclip and printed out on that noisy old dot matrix printer. James and I bought one together, then I got custody of it when I moved to Atlanta. We had one—gosh, was it, into the early 90s?, first the original, and then the new one, the 64C, I think it was, which we had in the apartment after we were married. The greatest gift the 64 gave us was contact to a "sort of" internet, the late, great GEnie, a bulletin board system. At that time, J. Michael Straczynski, creator of Babylon 5, and a whole bunch of other science fiction writers, like Rosemary Edghill, Ashley McConnell, and Christy Marx, hung out on GEnie's "SFRT," the "Science Fiction Round Table," which became so popular they had to break it into three different boards, one for books and short stories, one for televised SF, and one for related stuff (gaming and comics). JMS used to chat about the series in long, detailed posts. These roundtables were discussion groups, and there were others for television, books, science, etc., sort of like Usenet (now accessible through Google Groups) and forums on web pages. It was on GEnie I met Laura Hayden after I created a GEnie group for Remember WENN. I remember one wonderful Christmas when the SFRT hosted a role-playing game New Year's Eve party and you could come with your favorite television character. I was pretty shy at role-playing, and, although I remember I "brought" someone with me, I didn't play much. A lot of the hunky or brooding male characters from then popular-SF were involved, I recall, like Methos from Highlander, and it was super-fun to read. I wonder if anyone still has that saved somehow. And all this on a clunky old 2400 baud modem that tied up the phone lines; thankfully we had a program called "Aladdin." It was basically a macro program that would activate the modem, download all the new messages (since the last time you read), and then shut down the modem. You would read all the messages, reply to whatever you thought interesting, then start up Aladdin again; this time it would upload your messages. I also remember James playing games on it, like Lode Runner; my favorite game was Jumpman. I remember Terica being addicted to Lode Runner for a while—you'd walk in the house and hear beep-beep-beep and then "Sh*t!" from where the computer was and laugh and know it was T, or Ann, playing Lode Runner again! As the web and Usenet got more popular, and after GE sold GEnie, it wasn't quite the same anymore, especially after the new owners jacked up the prices. We couldn't afford both the new "Genie" and our Earthlink fee, and the friends we'd had there were also "jumping ship," so eventually we quit, too. It was so much fun while it lasted. :-) And then we traded in the 64 for a PC. "The old order changeth..." » Sunday, May 08, 2011
Sorta Lazy Sunday
Went to bed last night rather later than expected; Jen couldn't get on chat because her ISP had been banned from Dalnet for spamming. !@#!@#$! spammers! I contacted Ops to see if someone could help her; they did try, but couldn't. Phooey.So we didn't get up until late this morning, and I was a bit out of sorts all morning, with a nagging sinus headache. James had one himself. We didn't go out to Kroger until after noon—I was reading the end of White Corridor and wanted to know what happened!—and then as we got back into the truck, I had a nosebleed out of nowhere. Kept my nose pinched on the ride home and it abated. After a little while we decided to go to Borders, as Larry Correia's new book was out. We had to go to Douglasville to get it, and even then James had to ask someone to get it for him, as they had not put it out yet. I tried to find either State Fair (Earlene Fowler) or Mr. Monk on the Road (which I've been waiting for), and they were sold out of both. I did pick up My Life in France from the remainder shelf, having been intrigued by this part of Julie & Julia. By this time it was almost five, so we came home and chilled out for an hour or so until we were ready for supper. James had marinated some lamb shoulder pieces in Trader Joe's "Island Soyaki" and grilled them. Grilling really gets rid of a lot of the fat that lamb tends to have, and the marinade removes the strong taste. We had a tomato-and-cucumber salad on the side, and fresh strawberries and cream on angel food cake for dessert while watching Extreme Makeover. Labels: books, food, online, shopping, television » Saturday, May 07, 2011
On a May Saturday
James had to work today, but his hours were so much pushed back that we were able to get up only a few minutes earlier and go to the Farmer's Market as always. It was much spread about today, out to the railroad tracks, because there were also more than a dozen art booths, the usual jewelry/paintings/crafts and even someone with mostly children's furniture for the yard. We still had tomatoes and cucumbers, so bought two more ears of corn, more fresh strawberries, chicken salad, some double fudge cookies for this week's desserts, dog cookies, something from the bakery for breakfast, and I got two containers of Greek yogurt and James got some jalapeno cheese and a cup of boiled peanuts.We still had enough time to go home by Bernhard's and get a couple of desserts each for this week, and I bought two of what they call "Portuguese rolls." When we went to the bakery when I was a kid, we called these "buns." They look like miniature loaves of Italian bread, and Bernhard's are delicious, crispy crust on the outside and light as a feather inside. Well, as we were leaving we noticed that Weinerz, the butcher shop next door, was open! They haven't been open on weekends for almost a year. Now they are going to be open the first Saturday of each month. They don't have pork schnitzel anymore, but we got fresh Italian sausage and also bratwurst, and I got some salami for lunches. Then we were home and James went off to work, and I collected my coupons and went off to Town Center. I ended up listening to Car Talk on the way there. I know this show has a lot of fans, but I've never quite cottoned to it. I suppose I should listen to it, as it's the closest I'm ever going to get again to the spirit of Ask the Manager. My first stop was the new Michaels that they transferred from the shopping center down the road closer to Town Center Mall and put into the old Linens'n'Things location. Everything is all fresh and new, and I was able to find something I needed for a Christmas/birthday gift project. Next I popped next door (and I do mean next door, as the Michaels is now one shopping center over from the JoAnn—not to mention that there's a Hobby Lobby just down the road, separated from both of them by only two restaurants; it's crafter's heaven) to JoAnn, and got three more parts for the project, the new "Just Cross-Stitch," a couple of decorations for Memorial Day, a blue jay on a rock to join the menagerie of small stone/resin animals outside, spare bulbs for the hospitality candles, and an organizational book. A few months ago, when the news of Borders' Chapter 13 went around, someone compiled a list of alternative, independent book stores in each state. I wanted to find at least two of them today. So "Tinker" the Trusty Droid was pressed into service. I found Book Exchange fairly easily, although it was a mess in the parking lot from a Boy Scout yard sale. I parked near and was flabbergasted to see an identical copy of the entertainment center we had years ago (without a back, but it was the same one). This was a nice little used bookstore, from which I bought Tales from Watership Down and an old Ginnie Gordon Whitman book. I was going to stop at another store on the way, on Shallowford Road, but the left turn lane I needed to use was so backed up that I waited there for five minutes and only advanced five cars when the light changed. It would take me another twenty minutes to turn left at that rate; I didn't want to waste the gas. I did stop at another cute little bookstore right on Roswell Road, near Robinson Road, Bookmiser. I did see a book that looked interesting, about living in Italy, but did not purchase it. Also stopped at the comic book store for Free Comic Book Day, but there was nothing of interest. I was hoping there was another "Owly" comic. Traveled home and had one of the rolls and fresh salami for lunch. I had the film I Capture the Castle on the DVR and watched that. This is based on a book that is much raved about by its readers, so I bought it several years ago. I loved the protagonist, Cassandra Mortmain, age 17, and her eccentric family was occasionally amusing, but I didn't enjoy it as much as some did. The film captured the central plot well (Cassandra's enchanting sister Rose trying to marry into money to help the impoverished family, with two American brothers vying for her) but was much grimmer than the book. Romola Garai was a wonderful Cassandra, but the filmed story as a whole was rather depressing. Later I watched Julie & Julia, which paralleled blogger Julie Powell's yearly project to cook all the recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking with the life of Julia Child herself, from bored housewife in postwar Paris who decides to learn cordon blu cooking to the publication of her first book. Amy Adams was Julie and was quite cute in the role; I had a peek at the original blog and the real Julie was rather profane! Meryl Streep did a great job of portraying Julia Child, but I loved Stanley Tucci as Paul Child. He was the highlight of the movie for me. James was supposed to be home by 8:30, but he was on a late call. So I put on The Velveteen Rabbit, based on the little book by Margery Williams. I usually like sweet little things of this type, but I'm sorry, this was a mess. Williams' charming allegorical book about a toy that becomes real due to the love of a child was padded, as it had to be to fill a movie time slot, with the story of a humorless grandmother and a repressed son/father. This would have been fine—although the additional story really smacked of The House Without a Christmas Tree—if insipid animation hadn't been added to it. Watercolor-like British animation (like that used in Miss Potter) might not have been so bad, but this was Saturday-cartoon type stuff. I thought at first that the setting was England, but there was a mishmash of accents, and the cartoon animals voices were terrible, especially that of the rabbit, who had a squeaky kids' voice. It could have been quite charming. Ironically, when this was finished James was home, and I started Doctor Who...which featured a kid named Toby—Toby was the name of the small boy in The Velveteen Rabbit, too. » Thursday, May 05, 2011
A Timeline of the Doctor
Majorly cool!
Doctor Who Infograph (a tip of the hat to Leila Roy!) Labels: Doctor Who, science fiction, television » Wednesday, May 04, 2011
FOR TODAY, MAY 4, 2011 Outside my window... ...sunny and COOL! We had a cool front move through yesterday during evening rush hour; it was a pain to get home (seventy minutes!) but it was much cooler when I got home than when I left work! The wind is rustling the leaves, and that wretched squirrel is after the bird feeders again. Isn't there some sort of baffle that goes around the deck posts that will keep the squirrels from climbing up to the deck? Anyway, we are having "blackberry winter" (the opposite of Indian summer) and I will enjoy. I am thinking... ...actually, my mind is in neutral right now. I should be thinking about cleaning up...books everywhere! I am thankful for... ...storms that pass over without damage. The photos and video still coming in from Alabama and North Georgia is heartbreaking. We drove through the pretty area in Georgia two years ago where the most damage is now. Sad to see the broken trees, but worse the broken lives. From the learning rooms... ...I can't put a finger on what I'm learning now, but I would LIKE to learn how to deter squirrels. :-) From the kitchen... ...we have one serving left of the lovely fresh strawberries we bought from the Farmer's Market, to go along with strawberry angel food cake. Not sure if we need to eat it tonight or it can wait till tomorrow. I am wearing... ...scrubs pants and my Owly t-shirt and white socks. They sell the scrubs even at the Dollar Store and they are great for hanging around in. You may have to wash them a dozen times to get them soft enough, though, as they are well sized. I am creating... ...this entry? Really, I've been very remiss lately. I am going... ...to vacuum, I promise! Oh, this dreadful carpet! I wish we'd had the money to get hardwood floors! I am reading... ...still reading Once and Future Giants. I have also started A.J. Jacobs' My Life As an Experiment, which was a remainder find, The Wilderness Warrior (Theodore Roosevelt), and am about a fourth into Barbara Hambly's 1833 set New Orleans mystery, A Free Man of Color. I am hoping... ...to be a little more attentive to my poor, neglected Live Journal. To be honest, I joined LJ because a couple of friends only would accept readers who were LJ members. So I'm very sporadic. Today I looked at the forlorn thing, changed to a cheerful Christmas-themed template, added a couple of more pictures, and hope to go in there occasionally, if just to answer a "writer's block" question. I am hearing... ...nothing. It's so cool that the A/C is off. In a minute or two I will put on a podcast. Leo Laporte, I think. Around the house... ...it's cozy here around my work desk. Schuyler is glaring at me because I have not put the television on for her. In the spare room we are still working on bug-out bags in case of emergency. One of my favorite things... ...aired on television last night and I will watch it tonight: a new historical series. This is based on the book How the States Got Their Shapes, and will concentrate how the borders between each of the US states "got that way." A few plans for the rest of the week: Well, James works on Saturday, so I'm not sure what I'll be up to. I ought to go up to JoAnn and see if the new Michaels "next door" (almost literally) has opened. We'll have dueling craft stores because there's also a Hobby Lobby within walking distance (and a Hobbytown a scant quarter mile further). Here is picture for thought I am sharing...  A last look at Westminster Abbey, the lovely site of last week's royal wedding. I loved seeing all those historical buildings, and even learning more about them. I knew about the Poets Corner, but I did not know that Britain's "Unknown Soldier" was interred there. If you'd like to participate, check out The Simple Woman's Daybook. Labels: Simple Woman's Daybook » Sunday, May 01, 2011
A British Sunday
We'd bought a box of scone mix at the British store on the Square and had that for breakfast this morning, with clotted cream and jam for the scones, a last "celebration" for "Wills and Kate," while watching royal wedding specials on BBC America. The scones were unremarkable, probably because the mix came out so thin that James had to add flour to it to be able to roll it out as the box instructions indicated! So they basically tasted like his biscuits with sugar. But it was yummy just the same.About noon we headed out to Kroger by way of Walmart. We wanted to continue to stock up our "bug-out bags" (backpacks we bought on discount when the Parkway Pointe Borders was closing). We want these to have spare clothing, toiletries, medical supplies, etc. in case of some emergency where we have to leave the house. The recent tornadoes in Alabama have, sadly, spurred this project on. We never did get to Kroger, as we found there was nothing we needed there, except for gasoline, that we couldn't get in Walmart. I also bought some supplies to keep at work, as I am going to be giving up my purse. They are taking away my desktop computer and leaving me only with my work laptop, which I will have to take back and forth. I simply can't carry both that and the purse up the stairs (along with my lunchbag and my folder holding my work). Instead I'll have a little desk organizer that will keep ibuprofin, Pepto-Bismol, and other things I need at my desk. (The purse needs to be retired anyway; the main compartment zipper has never worked, and the lining is all torn. It's been a good friend, but its days are at an end.) We came home by Kroger so James could get gasoline, then came home to put everything up. We had one more errand; I needed gasoline, too, and we picked up a paper. We'd left BBC America on for Schuyler and came home to find them running the "highlights" program yet again. Poor Skye must think she's stuck in Groundhog Day—next thing she will be telling me she wants to be a princess and be married in Westminster Abbey. :-) I finally changed channels, to end up watching The Windsors on WPBA...really wasn't trying to British monarchy myself out, but I can't resist old newsreels, especially the ones they showed in the first part, from the Edwardian and World War I era. I love old film—I wish I could jump into it and it would come alive so I could see what it was really like. I believe supper awaits: pot roast pot pie, a fresh tomato and cucumber salad, and farm-fresh strawberries on strawberry angel food cake for dessert. Yum! Labels: events, shopping, television |
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