Gyda's Song

Blast from the Past

2011-10-31T19:52:00.000-07:00

Long time no writey! I apologize for that, I've been off having adventures and shenanigans and no, I never ended up in prison and haven't had to make a bid for my life or anything exciting like that.

I have moved a couple times, although I'm still working in the same shop as a Dog Groomer where I try my best to avoid gnashing teeth and dogs matted in horse manure (true story. please don't ask).

SO, there is actually something very exciting about to happen on this blog.

After taking a year's break, I'm back to NaNoing (for those unfamiliar, that's the personal challenge of writing a 50,000 novel within the month of November), and I've decided to up-load as I go.

The story this year is a sci-fi tale about a young girl who's very content in her humble little life. However, she's dragged unwillingly into a secret society and must forge her own little niche.

It'll be raw, dirty, unedited, and probably make very little sense at the best of times. However, with any hope it will later be cleaned up and adapted to form a webcomic using screencaps from Halo: Reach gameplay.

I've got about fifty minutes to go before NaNoWriMo, so I'm going to go prep myself for the Big Moment :D

Inspired by brother to post

2009-03-08T06:48:00.001-07:00

Ack! He linked me! *dusts cobwebs, does quick cleaning*

Just a quick note before I head to work. I will be moving!!! Yay!!! I'm renting a two-bedroom two-story townhouse with two awesome coworkers/friends (will be sharing a room with one ... yay, college times!). It's got a lime tree in the backyard and a working toilet!!!

If you wonder what's so special about a working toilet, try to imagine not being able to flush toilet paper for a year. X(

Also, the water gets hot! :) Plumbing where I'm at now; not so great. :p

Anyway, this townhouse is also right behind the mall, including a Hot Topic and Barnes & Noble, and is about 5 minutes from the Gaming Shop.

I'm all excited!! :D

Anyway, work calls!!!

Dream time!

2009-01-26T06:25:00.000-08:00

I had one of the oddest dreams last night.

There ended up being three guys fighting for me. One was an angel with black wings, one was a server at a local diner, and the other was Native American with long, luxuious black hair.

I went to the diner with Angel-Guy and Server-Guy got jealous, and later captured and chained up Angel-guy! O.O While the two of them were battling it out, I met the Native American, who was interested in me but not in fighting; more of a peaceful 'let her make her choice' kind of a guy.

So, obviously, I chose him. Both Angel-Guy and Server-Guy were not amused, and attacked the Native American! I intervened with some awesome Northern Shaolin Gung Fuery, and swiftly had Angel-Guy and Server-Guy rethinking their sentiments towards me.

Then I had to carry the Native American home, since he had been wounded. He was very grateful, and I remember distinctly how his hair felt on my skin as I carried him piggy-back through a nice suburban area. For some reason I was naked, but I didn't care.

Later on there was a deer carcass at the side of the road, and as I was walking a Maltese at the time, I decided to take a different route home so he wouldn't roll in it.

X-posted from Facebook

2008-11-05T12:01:00.000-08:00

Note: I felt this was best spread around. So, feel free to spread around! :-) Just please give credit where credit is due, and leave comments! :-D

First off, I would like to thank and congratulate everyone who helped make this possible, everyone who voted (however you voted) and everyone who volunteered (whoever you volunteered for). One of the saddest things to me about the previous elections (not just 2000 and 2004, but previous elections as well) was the low percentage of voter turnout. Just the fact that this election was so important to so many people that, not only did it move them to get out and vote, but it made people act in a way to want to move others as well. We've done so much for this ability, for this honor, from the American Revolution, the Civil War, to Women's Sufferage. To everyone who voted, who voted for Obama, who voted for McCain, who voted third party or write in or however, I commend you.

Secondly, I would like to state my personal reasons for voting for Obama. I have been impressed with the man since he became Senator of Illinois, and remember reading an article about his charisma and infectious enthusiasm that, even then, struck me as what I would like to see in a president; someone who was able to move those around him to act. As the presidential campaign battled on, between the Democrate candidates, and later against McCain, I was continuously amazed by the fact that Obama did not stoop to attacks on his opponent. I was impressed by his intelligent asnwers. I truly commend him for choosing a runningmate who has the experience he lacks, and someone who is not afraid to voice his opinion, especially if it is contrary to the President, and I'm confident that, in such a case, Obama will listen. He is a man that is competant and confident without being cocky, intelligent without being condescending, and compassionate without being weak. I have great confidence that he will be able to help this country rise from her fallen depths, that he will be able to help bridge the gaps between income and political affiliation, and bring us our friends and allies from beyound our shores that the past eight years had alienated so painfully.

He can't do it alone, however; we are all Americans here, and he needs us to work together if anything he does is to help. Please, hold my hand as we raise America back up, whether you are Republican or Democrat, Conservative or Liberal, whatever your persuasion, this is your country too.

I would like to add that I feel Senator John McCain is a good man, and a good candidate, and while I do not agree with his stance on many issues, I think he would have done an admirable job as president. I admit that I do not have the same feelings for Palin as runningmate, and because of her I would have had trouble accepting his administration, had he won, but I want you to know that, had he any other vice-presedential candidate, I would not have been bitter had the election gone differently.

Please, comment to this to let me know you're with me in helping to make this country great again.

Politics, and underhanded scumbags.

2008-11-04T16:43:00.000-08:00

So it has come to my attention that google ads have been overtaken by the hideous prop. 8 supporter freaks. :-( I saw this on another forum, but it took me a couple days to remember I had google ads on my blog here, and now I feel sick that they have been showing up when people come to check up on me. I wish I would have thought of this sooner, as I would have had more time to do some major ass-kicking, but instead I give you this;

Whatever the pro-8 ad says, know that it is paid for by bigots, by homophobes, and by people who want to shove our great country back into the dark ages of segregation and white-male-hetero power. I do not accept, and you shouldn't either. The ads above promote hate and discrimination. They promote backwards thinking. They do NOT - I repeat; DO NOT support the American Way, the American Dream, nor the American Life.

I voted NO on Prop. 8 (as a registered Californian) because of Women's Sufferage, Integration, and the Civil War. Have so many people forgotten all we've been through already? It is no longer a time for ignorance and bigotry.

"Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it." ~ Santayana

Congratulations! It's an UPDATE!

2008-05-19T14:14:00.001-07:00

It's probably nearing 85 or so outside ... cooler than last week, though they don't consider 'summer' to be here until the triple digits of September-November. No more Halloweens in snowsuits!

No more snowsuits!

Not that I've had a snowsuit since I was 10, but I had asome crazy layering going on in those midwest winters!

So, I've been here about three months. I've become enamored of the Santa Cruz mountains (okay, mountains in particular, I just happen to be closest to the Santa Cruz ones), and the wiggly winding roads that trespass through mini-redwood forests and hug the mountainsides. On the west the view looks out into green (and sometimes urban-littered) valleys, and more mountain chains in the distance, and to the east there's that big huge expanse of blue known as the Pacific Ocean.

I can afford to take such leisurly trips because, despite gas being anywhere from $3.93-$4.15, my milage and my tips are such that my bank account doesn't feel the 'gas pains'. Besides, how could I possible live so close to such natural beauty and NOT take advantage of it at least once a week?

I'm also getting a chance to take part in some interesting cultural happenings in the area. Yesterday, while stuck in traffic on my way to work, I saw the aftermath of the 'Bay To Breakers' which is somewhat like a marathon where you run from the bay through The City to the ocean in as odd a getup as you can muster. Some of the tame outfits I saw was a girl wearing a TuTu, later a guy in some really tight really short shorts, and then a woman dressed up as a lobster; brigth red with tail and all!

I couldn't participate myself because there were doggies and kitties that needed grooming, but maybe next year ... *plots*

This week I'll be attending a limited viewing of the Japanese live-action movie 'Death Note' based on the Anime of the same name. I've seen a few episodes of the Anime, and admit that it's one of my favorites that I want to continue watching. I've become really interested in animes dealing with Shinigami, or 'Death Gods'. Death Note is one. Another, Bleach, takes a completely different approach of the term Shinigami.

June will see my celebrating my birthday with my friend Thomas, who shares the same birthday (we shall finally be able to celebrate our birthdays together, which is exciting), and then in July is Comic-Con!!! My very first convention! :-) I was hoping to get a cosplay outfit together, but since I can't sew (not to mention lack of a sewing machine, fabrics, and other such sewing necessities) that probably won't come to pass. There's always next year, though. :-)

No earthquakes here yet, but Thomas did feel one while we were on the phone. He dismissed it as nothing greater than a 2, and the conversation went on to other things.

So that's it for now. Kire's enjoying herself, and is proably busying herself with her 'Every Lasting Treat Ball' which should prove difficult for even her to break into! :-D

Hullo! Quick note!

2008-02-14T09:16:00.001-08:00

Writing from California!

Weather: 60 degrees warmer than your -2! :-D

Driving: Nothing different than you'd see in Chicago, Detroit, or Cleveland, excpet for the fact that cuttoffs and 4-lane-traffic dodging and the like occur 10 times more often. Still, the drivers are a strange Nice kind of crazy; there's not the general feel of road rage that I've felt in other cities.

Of course, that was just four days. If I move out here, my opinoin might change! :-)

And my golly, it's probably impossible to be out of state in this city! The steep steep hills are EVERYWHERE it seems! :-p Driving up and down them on the fringes of the city is fun; evern at 25 mph it's like a roller coaster ride! :-) But withing the city ... yikes! Can't see nothin'! :-p

Took a trip to Stintson beach the other day. Crossed the Golden Gate to get there and took a ridiculously fun curvy ribbon road that hugged the mountain and boardered the ocean. Miss a turn and you're going for a high dive! :-p :-)

Ocean was cold.

Still better than -2! :-)

Those are my thoughts for now! I'm just waiting for my check-in time here at the Hostel (it didn't take me nearly as long as I had thought it would to get here, and I didn't get lost once)!

Bai!

Poor poor Schubert!

2008-01-31T09:54:00.000-08:00

They say that your sense of smell is strongly linked to memory.

That made itself blatantly clear when Franz Schubert's String Quintet in C Major started playing and I immediately remembered the smell of burnt marshmallows, because that's what the musty old library smelled like that my quintet rehearsed that piece in at ENCORE a few years ago. Wonderful wonderful piece, icky smell. That and there were personality clashes between ... well ... just about everyone and our coach. I think I was one of two people that didn't argue with her in any way. If I'm remembering correctly (god, that musty burnt marshmallow smell really gave me headaches, it was hard to concentrate on anything besides trying to breathe!), the other cellist really got into a spat with the Coach!

Go figure.

This is today.

2008-01-24T13:37:00.000-08:00

Which started out very badly. As in up at 6am with a small stomach bug badly. Could be worse, could be one of those 24 hour stomach bugs, at which point I wouldn't be here typing but would be back praying to the porcelain god.

Just a small bug, so I'm starting to feel mostly better. I did some laundry. I sent out a resume with a really kick-ass job (no, I'm not telling you; I don't want to jinx it!).

Kire stole my pillow and is hanging out in the big leather chair watching 40 Greatest Internet Superstars on VH1. I just took some headache medicine and a Vitamin C tablet.

Oh, and you see those boxy pictures at the top? That's my store! All proceeds feed my want-to-pay-my-bills addiction. :-)

On The Golden Compass; New Line's ideas to cover up the 'anti-religion' part and (from what I've read) cut the film to 2 hours really killed it. Rumors say the second and third installments will be made, and will follow the book more closely. I should hope so; the story is why we read.

The Golden Compass, IMHO

2007-12-10T09:53:00.000-08:00

**this review is spoiler free**

So I saw the movie Saturday night with a friend. I think I need to see it at least a couple more time for formulate a more objective opinion (too many OMG SQUEEEE IT'S JUST HOW I IMAGINED IT OR MORESO!!!! moments), so this review will be short and sweet. :-)

Okay, so I went ballistic over the effects. Pullman's writing is very visual, and leant itself extremely well for the Big Screen. :-) The novel had a very Steam-Punk feel to it, and the movie took this aspect and ran with it, creating some of the most fabulous and intriguing forms of transportation. This made my friend, a writer of Steam-Punk, very very giddily happy.

One scene I have to talk about in particular was the Bear Fight. In the book, it was one of my most favorite scenes. I will not go into detail for spoiler reasons, so if you're curious why I liked this scene in particular, ask. :-) Anyway, in the movie, I didn't think this was possible ... I'm sitting there anticipating the dramatic end to the fight and it was 10X MORE exciting and surprising! There was arm-pumping involved. Completely unexpected. :-)

Now, the anti-religion part. I knew they had taken out the 'Church' antagonist, but it was fairly obvious (to me, at least) what they were talking about. The biggest let down was the big explanation near the end where they completely glossed over it and it didn't really work, instead of original 'Anti-church' ending from the book. At this point, I don't know how else they could have written it, but it'll be on my mind for a while now.

So, that's my opinion for now. :-) More details later!

... or not!

caffiene.

2007-11-08T11:33:00.000-08:00

Life: Applying for stable jobs, including but not limited to PetSmart, Barnes and Noble, and Borders. Living with parents. Emptying boxes and revisiting my past all at the same time while formulating my future. Oh, and trying not to die in the present. :-)

Knitting: I organized my yarns! So they won't tangle! All it took was zip lock bags, nylons, and rubber bands! Yay! I have successfully completed two projects for myself (a chunky warm scarf and hand warmers) and two for others (hand warmers for mom and a blanket for some lucky puppy/kitty at the Humane Society). I need to finish my sweater (three years and counting).

Writing: NaNoWriMo 2007 is well underway. I'm chugging along, though behind by the previous years' standards. Things took a very favorable turn last night, when it turns out that Breckin is famous (or infamous?), enough so that Miquelon has heard of him. I'll be very interested to see how that turns out ...

Grooming: Saturday I had a mess of a 'Maltese' that was dirty and matted. The owner gave me free range, although preferred him longer. I brushed him out before the bath and felt that it wasn't so bad that it had to be shaved. I bathed him, and figured the mats might come out in fluff drying with a stiff brush, but they came out very easily with the high velocity dryer, I was pretty surprised! His ears and tail were very matted as well, but I was able to save them with patience. I didn't feel I had enough time to nitpick as I would have liked, but I was very happy with the fact that I was able to save him from a shavedown in this weather and an upcoming winter. :-)

Kire: Sassy as usual. Taken to standing/laying/sitting on the heat vents (much like I do. In face, when I do that, she usually joins me as well). She's currently curled up asleep on my blanket on the couch.

Other: Snow sucks. At least today it didn't stick.

Oh look, I have a blog!

2007-10-27T15:13:00.000-07:00

I forgot about this. :-p Then I remembered!

I have to say that I am very much amused byt eh "LOL Cats" pictures. And, for some reason, I get the urge to type in "LOL Cat Speak. This includes phrases like "I can has" or "I eated" or "I am in ur Blank Blanking ur Blank." I am both amused and annoyed by my constant desire to SPEAK IN ALL CAPS in ridiculous broken English.

I shall spare you the pain, however.

In other news, I will be attempting NaNoWriMo for the third year in a row this November. Here are the stats:

Title: The White Serval
Genre: Fantasy
Sequel to: Alchemist's Child (to be retitled, as I discovered there's already a novel out there called "Alchemist's Child")
Main Story:
1. Teegra getting abducted for her musical prowess and learning about her captors, Miquelon, Yann, and Seed in particular.

2. Breckin, Essyrian, and Martin in pursuit. Martin and Essyrian involved in numerous sibling spats. Breckin soon to follow when his ship is intercepted by his older brother.

3. Harkson searching for Zanadie, obsessing over Essyrian and Martin. Yjasson in a dillema about loyalty.

4. Zanadie attempting to rescue Klimeft, Andrie and Sirift trying to stop her for fear of her saftey.

Not to say that this is *exactly* how things are going to go; these characters may possibly have their own ideas on how to go about things. :-p

I shall try to keep you informed as the challenge begins and the month progresses.

and here I am

2007-07-31T15:12:00.000-07:00

I moved again.

Since High School I moved from Flint to Chicago to Flint to Chicago to Flint to Cleveland to Flint to Cleveland to Brook Park to Grand Rapids to Allendale.

aaaand, I'll be moving again in the fall. I am trying to pare down my things, get rid of what isn't absolutely necessary. This is proving difficult, although I did donate/throw away a lot of stuff during the last move.

But being in a new place is always exciting. I'm in a more rural area, and thought I'm about the same distance from work, it's taking back roads past farms and pastures. I pass about three sweet-corn stands, one of which offers tomatoes and onions and the like and a little nursery/farm that sells fruits and flowers along with the veggies. There's horses and cows and tractors and sch :-) It's much more enjoyable and far less stressful than taking the highway! :-D

Kire's doing great in the new place, and with new people :-) Except instead of begging she tries to stick her nose in people's food.

Furball and the Pirate

2007-05-25T17:57:00.000-07:00

Two things!

1) I took Kire for a nice long walk today. Oddly, at the end of some of our walks, she's in the habit of putting on the brakes as I go to enter the building and instead looking towards the parking lot. Today I decided to see where she wanted me to take her, and let her take the lead (so to speak). She took me out into the parking lot and between two cars that looked nothing like mine, looking up at me. Then, she ventured further into the lot and started looking around like a mall patron that has misplaced their vehicle. After that, she conceded to being lead inside. I was laughing at her nearly the whole time.

2) I saw Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End last night and was absolutely amazed! It was unlike any other major blockbuster I've ever seen; it was deep and meaningful, and surprising! The end is not something I would have expected, and yet it was the only ending that was fitting, really!

Curious to hear what other people think ...

This is so cool!

2007-04-24T18:48:00.000-07:00

!!!!!

This is so cool! It's like I'm living in a science fiction novel or movie or something :-D Of course, lets hope it's not one of those uber-catastrophic stories where Earth dies and we must all venture forth to make our lives somewhere else, like a parasite sucking total life and moving on, leaving a trail of shells in our wake.

We should fix this planet before we think about inhabiting others.

but it's still cool that we found one! I wonder if there's life, and what it would be like?

Everyone needs to see this ...

2007-04-21T09:18:00.000-07:00

If they ever offer synchronized treadmill dancing as a class, I am *so* taking it!

Apparently these guys ("The Fray") choreographed this all themselves. They can sing *and* dance ... on treadmills! :-D It's quite an amusing and impressive video!

Without further ado ...

OK Go

Slipping back in the ocean

2007-04-13T19:03:00.000-07:00

I am single. Again. After a long hiatus.

It was a fun hiatus. There were movies, and popcorn, and trips, and roller coasters (both of the physical and emotional kind). As the hiatus edged on, however, there was stagnancy, and fights, and bitter words. I realized the hiatus had to come to an end.

So, now I will slowly and carefully step back into the freezing waters of the ocean where the fish of life await. I'm not worried about finding someone, whether it takes two years or twenty. Right now, I'm about meeting people, making friends, and just seeing where life takes me.

Oh man, and Kire just farted and it stinks! I'm going to go put some incense on! >_<

~Gyda

Ta Da!

2007-03-21T11:37:00.000-07:00

As you can see, I have seen the Pirates III trailer, and now you can too! :-) That, and I'm not totally an idiot when it comes to computers. Almost, but not quite!

My first day as a Profressional Dog GRoomer went well; it started out with a slow morning; they scheduled me two dogs and one cancelled, and then got a little busier with three dogs in the afternoon. Only one of them was a bath and brush, and the others were wiggly!

After that, I had orchestra rehearsal, and didn't get home until after 10 at night. 'Tired' doesn't even begin to explain it. :-/ I slept hard, though, so today I'm ... sort of rested (maybe too rested?) and cleaning and practicing before work at the OG.

I'm trying to decide if I should fix my lunch now or after I get home from work ... tomorrow is right out because I'm up so early to get to work that the prospect of sleeping in vs. making lunch is already a lost battle.

Not much else to report. I'm convinced that Rimsky-Korsokov likes to torture cellists, as Scheherezade is one of the most annoying orchestral pieces I've played in a long time. It's not hard like 'Ooo, that's fast! better practice my fingerings!' but more like 'whoa, that's a lot of string/position changes in a very short time .... and it's fast!'

It'll come, it'll come ... just not easily and not pleasantly! o.O

Stay Frosty!
Caitlin

It's too early.

2007-03-17T04:19:00.000-07:00

So I've checked IMDB, and the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency has been unlocked. It is not a movie, as I had previously though, but a television series listed as 'Comedy/Drama/Mystery' by the same guy that did 'The Talented Mr. Ripley'. I have a good feeling about this (even though Mr. Ripley didn't exactly leave me with warm fuzzies, if you know what I mean).

I have an early morning rehearsal for our concert on Sunday, which is why I'm up so early. >_< Never did like mornings. Going to have to get used to them, though, with my new job (eeee, start Tuesday!!). Thankfully though we're getting into spring so 1. It'll be brighter earlier and 2. It'll be warm!!! :-D Nothing like getting up early early in the morning to be dealt an icy slap in the face. gr, me no likey winter!

The writing endeavors have slowed up a bit, with the sudden appearance of hte dreaded Writer's Block. I *know* what I want to write, how I want to edit, where I want things to go, but for some reason all that comes out is crap crap crap. I'm going to try a few things to throw this block out of the way (would normally set the writing aside for a few months or however long it took, but I'm determined here!). I'll be submersing myself in other creative endeavors to jumpstart the juices (knitting, drawing ... I'm currently trying to devise a pattern for knitted Dice Bags, and already have some potential customers) as well as trying to continue to write. I started a bit about some RP characters of mine, little stories to try and budge the block, so we'll see how that goes *grrrr, block!*

Oooo, the sky is already getting lighter! :-) It's matching the flames under my kettle as my hot-cocoa awaits! Talk later!

~Gyda

Yay Movie Goodness To Come!!!

2007-03-11T18:28:00.000-07:00

So I am highly anticipating the release of two movies that ... won't happen for a while.

First is The #1 Ladies' Detective Agency, based on the series of the same name by Alexander McCall Smith. I *love* this series! His style of writing is so fresh and descriptive, it's almost like I'm there in Botswana (and in this cold weather that's a double blessing!). The characters are deep and intruiging, especially Mma. Ramotswe. I cannot wait for this movie to be released! For some reason, though, its page on IMDB is locked ... :-(

The second I just found out about today ... apparently Steven Spielberg has been chasing the rights for this and finally got them, and will be releasing the first of hopefully a series in 2009. What is it, you say? Why, The Adventures Of Tin Tin! :-D It's actually a French cartoon, and is very big in Europe, but I remember watching the English-dubbed version when they played it on Nikelodeon. My, how I loved it! It's also a detective story about a young guy -- Tin Tin -- and his dog Snowy (a pure-white Wire-Haired Fox Terrier, by my guess) and the cases they solve as a reporter and trusty canine sidekick. It's on YouTube, if you're curious. :-)

The good news is that by the time they're released, I should be in a stable financial situation enough to see them opening night. *knocks on wood* :-D

world, here I come gulp

2007-03-04T20:44:00.000-08:00

So I have a little more than a week until I graduate. I have a job all lined up, I'll be calling tomorrow to find out when exactly they want me there. I'm getting really really excited and at the same time really really nervous.

Why does it seem that midnight is the best time dwell on one's insecurities and the greater obstacles of life? Huh.

One of my biggest hangups still is details. I have been trying very very *very* hard to get over this, but it seems to be a deeply rooted part of me that just can't get it. Whether it's just inexperience that I'll overcome with time, or something that will forever hinder me, I don't know at this point, but I'll groom and snip and brush and snip some more FAR longer than I would like until I cannot see or find anything, call the instructor over, and invaribly have something I need to fix. The instructors assure me that I'm fine, I'm being too hard on myself, that experience will change this, but knowing me and my past, I guess I'm not ready to tell myself to 'let it go' quite yet. Tomorrow I'll go in with the singular goal of getting my dogs groomed on time and checked ONCE before they go.

I find I've been gravitating towards my more spiritual side. I've been so lax these past few months, trying just to make it from one day to the next, and now I find myself saying little prayers to the gods and trying to imbue the calmness of Buddhist teachings in my everyday life to help me transition from part time student to full time adult. I have yet to break out my Yoga DVD or do some serious meditation, but it will come. I feel like I'm such a disctractable, flighty person at times and need something to really ground me.

Due to a blast of insight from a weapon known to some as a 'clue gun' I have decided to go back and polish up "Zanadie" for publication before "Alchemist's Child", as it was pointed out that an unknown author would have better luck with a standalone novel than a trilogy. Yeah, I'm a novice, could you tell? ;-) Still going to edit Alechemist, as well as work on the sequal, but for this month (National Novel Editing Month) I'll be putting my focus back on Zanadie.

It's so interesting visiting this work after having set it down for nearly a year, especially when the main character ends up with a rather sizable role in Alchemist. It's wonderful to see how her character changed and matured in the two books, and going back I'm seeing how I can better accentuate this. I've realized that I never gave her an age, so now I have the joy of figuring out timelines (numbers! math! evil!!!).

Kire's zonked out behind me on the chair. She's gotten in the habit of standing ON TOP of the BACK of the chair and putting her feet on my shoulders, and then just standing there, as if reading the laptop computer screen from her perch. Such a cat, except that she's not. :-p My friend described her as a "cat, mixed with a deer, that is somehow a dog". I can't really disagree. I took her to PetSmart today to get food, and she was really well behaved. :-)

Anyway, I think I'm through divulging my demons and angels for the night. Take care, everyone!

~Gyda (and the comatose catdogdeer)

meh.

2007-02-27T16:57:00.000-08:00

I feel like I'm getting sick again. Sore throat, fatigue, stuffy head, blahdablahdablahda. Yay for tea and cough drops!

So I gave the first two [polished] chapters of my NaNoNovel (Hereby called by its working title: Alchemist's Child) to a friend to critique. Said friend is also a fantasy writer and has ready many books on the subject (and even has a signed letter from Terry Brooks, author of the Shannara series (which I have not gotten around to reading, yet).

Friend apologized for taking so long, and admitted that he'd sit down to critique and get so involved in the story he'd forget! He finally gave up all hopes of redpenning until he'd read them, and then would go back and write. Yay for me, I can be engaging! :-D

So I've been participating (loosely) in the National Novel Publishing Year. February was for researching agents and publishing houses. I've found two good legit sites (Preditors and Editors and AgentQuery). On AQ I even found an agent who specializes in the sort of novel I wrote! :-D

March is National Novel Editing Month, where the goal is to put in 50 hours of editing. We'll see how it goes, as it's been a busy time for me IRL and I only really get pockets of time to do stuff. I've been steadily (if not slowly) editing the whole thing since January, however, and it's shaping up into a nice little story. My only fear is that it's too little. I think I know where I can expand on, and hopefully I can do that in March, and certainly Friend's critiques will aid in that. On a whole, I'm feeling very happy and confident about my little adventure.

On other creative fronts, I've been toiling away periodically on my FreeForm knitting project. It's turned out to be dense and slow going, but a little bit here and a little bit there and I'll have a little poncho :-) I might get one more skein of the Noro, but I want to see how long my first lasts me. I *may* not need another, and don't want to jump the gun. It's a varigated, and it's broken up by other yarns, so it's not exceedingly important that it be from the same dye lot, fortunately.

I don't think my cello wanted to be practiced today. I started out and everything was in tune except the C string, which had fallen, so I had to tune that, then tune the others that had gotten out of whack, and then halfway through my practice session the other three strings decided to whack out too and fall down the depths of hte known scale. Aragorn; 2, Caitlin: 2. We are tied.

I haven't done much drawing outside of my D&D gaming group, although I am trying to get a better feel for people, starting with my Gnome Druid 'Zikky', which is truly a challenge as Zikky is a transvestite and right now none of the other characters (or players, for that matter) know that "She" is really a "He". Thank the gods for non-gender specific Gnomish names! :-D

Well, my tea is at its end, and I must refill it before my throat erupts in an explosion liken to that of Mount Toba.

~Gyda

yawn

2007-01-02T04:25:00.000-08:00

The time is seven hours and twenty-five minutes and one day into the new year. I'm waking up for school. I'm drinking soup and theraflu for breakfast (mmm, yummy!).

Last night I worked on a sweater that's been in progress for well over a year. It's the most ambitious knitting project I've undertaken since a Saxon-Braid cabled scarf I made for my mom (that pattern took 45 minutes to complete three inches. I am not longer a fan of cable knitting. Pretty, but far too much work!). I've got to finish the sleeves, attach them to the body, sew that all up, and add the collar and buttons. Yay, excitement! It's turning out really nice, too, if I don't say so myself! :-) I couldn't afford the yarns used in the actual pattern (Alchemy yarns, very very pretty) so I went with Bernat Soft and Chunky, and I have to say I am pleasantly surprised! It's a nice, smooth yarn to work with and it knits out soft! I can't wait to be able to wear it!

Besides that, Month 3 has started for National Novel Publishing Year, which means the first revision. I'll be going over Alchemist's (or Osprey's) Child to smooth out inconsistancies and flesh out parts and whatnot. The site says that this revision is more about content than grammer/spelling, but there are sections that I know I'll be tweaking the G&S (especially where I was transcribing from my notebook, and not looking at the screen).

Anyway, I'ma going to be off and getting ready now. Need to finish my medicine and breakfast and stash away some cough drops for today. Take care!

Happy Beginning of 2007!

2007-01-01T06:22:00.000-08:00

Yay, confettii! #$%$%*#(*#*#&^##)$*(

Anyway, Craig and I have a New Year's tradition. It's not one
we intended, but it happened all the same. Ever since we
started dating, one or both of us have been sick come
New Year's.

2005 it was Craig. I was at home at the time and remember
calling him up to hear hacking and stories about sitting near
the stage for the Don Faranacci concert at Nighttown, inundating
himself with tea, water, and loads of lemons.

2006 it was me. We were together this time, at the Don Faranacci
show in Nighttown, and I was trying to hack up both lunges.

2007 it was me again, although Craig is just getting over being
sick. We spent New Years here, at my apartment, watching the
Prairie Home Companion show. I ate an entire pan of soup.

Now, I'm making tea and preparing to wake up before work
(that's what I get for saying I have open availability in order to get
Christmas Eve off; I close New Year's Eve and work New Year's Day).
then, Craig and I will go see a movie (hopefully. As it turns out, the
cinemas that he has gift certificates for doesn't exist in this state).

New Year's Resolutions? Survive. Be tidier. Be creative. Finish things.
Be social. Be strong. Be frugle. Be musical. Be good. Be bop.

Ham and Rice Soup

2006-12-27T10:34:00.000-08:00

I just made this, and I really like it, so I'm writing it here
so I don't forget (and you can experiment if you'd like, too!)
It is as follows:
*note: I experiment alot, so escuse the vague insrtuctions

1. Boil water. I think I was using about four cups.
2. Add salt. I think I used 1/4 teaspoon (I measure in my hand)
3. Add Liquid Smoke Hickory Seasoning, 1/8 tsp (this I did measure)
4. Cut up and add cheese (I used Garlic Herb)
5. Cut up and add ham (precooked, but I guess since you're cooking here than that wouldn't matter)
6. Add prepared rice (I cooked it earlier).
7. Let cook at medium head until cheese is fully melted. I did add a little more salt after the fact, but I like my things salty. :-)

Finished? Ha! Hardly ...

2006-12-27T09:13:00.000-08:00

I had a wonderful Christmas with my family, and I hope everyone reading this enjoyed their respective holidays! I didn't get a chance to celebrate the Winter Solstice, unfortunately.

Everyone around me has been coming down sick, and today I think I've got the start of it. Sore throat, stuffy head, fatigue and achey pains. I took some sudafed but it doesn't really seem to be heliping. :-/ I'm certainly not sick enough to warrent staying home from work (no hacking, really, I just feel thbbt).

My mom got me a pattern-a-day knitting caldener and I'm jumping the gun and working on January 1st's pattern. I just happen to have the proper yarn and needles and a little extra time (off of school for this week). So, hopefully I shall have a lovely scarf by the weekend. :-)

In other news, I finished NaNoWriMo with a grand total of 58,441 words.
However, I had not yet reached the end. I joined NaNoFiMo
(National Novel Finishing Month) and finished it at 68K. Now, I will be
participating in NaNoPubYe (National Novel Publishing Year) to get it all
groomed and polished so that it looks like something more than connected
drivel.

And when I get that finished, whether or not it gets published, will I be
done? No. Why? Because it ends on a major cliffhanger and there's at least
two more novels waiting in the sidelines to follow it. So, on top of editing
Novel 1 and writing synopsis and query letters and what not, I will also be
outlining Novel 2 so that in November I'll be able to whip it out.

Rinse, repeat.

Not that I'm complaining, but it was supposed to be a nice, little novella
about a father and a daughter, and ever since the plot exploded (twice), it's
turned into this large-scale epic battle thing. yeow.

And I still haven't settled on a title. When I started NaNo, I didn't have one
in mind, but I wanted to write something since I'm not an 'Untitled' kind of
person, so I jotted down 'Osprey's Child' because I like the word Osprey and there was supposed to be one in the story. The bird never showed up, and I changed the title to Gypsy's Child, because the father was a Gypsy. But
then I changed the race name from 'Gypsy' to 'Rosarin' and didn't think 'Rosarin's Child' really worked, I wanted something familiar to draw the reader to the book from the title. I started thinking of it as 'Alchemist's Child', since he's an alchemist, and am currently debating over that and 'Osprey's Child' again (bird finally showed up).

So that's where I am at now, concerning NaNo. I'll try to keep you posted as I wade through the useless wordpadding and inconsistancies.

~Gyda

Countdown 1:13:00

2006-11-30T19:45:00.000-08:00

Well, NaNoWriMo 2006 is almost over, and I have 58,441 words to show for it, and the novel isn't even finished! It's quite near the end, I know how it will end and that it will end soon, and on a major cliffhanger, therefore I will need to write a sequal, which of course I have no idea what is going to happen.

I'm happy with this novel. It's very different from last year's, and I don't think it will involve quite so much editing, although I'm alreday thinking of things that definately need to be tweaked and inconsistancies that need to be straightened out. All in all, I have decided to go ahead and try NaNoPubYe (National Novel Publishing Year) and see what happens.

In other news Kire knows Sit, come, lie down (but only if you've got food), and Hop Up. I'm also teaching her 'Talk' so that I can get her to Baroo on command. :-) She spent Thanksgiving sassing people around, and has been using her 'voice' a lot more ltely. Good times!

She'd be the perfect candidate for Agility, as I've noticed that she tends to take the path of most resistance, choosing to leap over couches and crawl under chairs when she can just as easily go around. She also likes to curl up under the couch and fall asleep, and usually I forget she's under there and go into conniptions thinking she's snuck into my room and is eating the wall or something. Basenjis do that. :-)

Anyway, it is late and I am tired, so I will head off for now and see you another day!

~Gyda

splish splash!

2006-06-22T18:01:00.000-07:00

So, if you haven't been watching the news, it's rained here. Alot. After the squalls subsided, Wolf and Kire and I hopped in the car to investigate. We walked about two closed fjords in the parks and wondered at the speed and power of the river water that dragged along large tree trunks as if they were little twigs. Kire, hesitant at first (Basenjis hate water) decided she liked the after-rain smells as well as licking the water off the ground (which we tried to discourage, especially close to the river where the water was ... less than desireable ...).

We walked a little ways on the trail, and after a while Kire decided she didn't want to behave at all and was in tracking mode, so I picked her up on my shoulders and carried her across my neck like the natives do (see picture below). My decision to do was was well timed, as we soon passed a large, feisty Rottweiler that Kire certainly would have wanted to engage in an argument of sorts (Craig noticed that, though she didn't squirm from her post, her hock certainly rose). Further on we passed a gentleman walking his beagle who asked "What kind of dog-walking is that?!" I explained that it was "she's not behaving" dog walking.

History of the Basenji

So we got home, and both of us needed a bath, so I changed into a swim suit and prepared for the worst. In the shower she twisted and wriggled and pushed and pulled and finally realized she wasn't going anywhere until I was satisfied, and stood snuffing while I washed and rinsed. Then, trying to dry her, she kept walking off and shaking (and let me tell you, that curly tail straightens out when she shakes and slaps me in my legs and it leaves marks, it's like a whip!).

So now I have a tired, yet clean, Basenji girl. I was afraid she was going to start thinking of the bathroom as a 'torture' room, but after our battle was finished, she walked right back in without a problem. *breaths a sigh of relief*.

Nosey

2006-06-05T19:28:00.000-07:00

So The Puppy can, at times, be absolutely wonderful and amazing and then a moment later be very very naughty.

She's decided that her belongings include not only the purple dragon and fleece camel squeak toys, but also the bed as well as my boyfriend's parents. She'll be nice and affectionate and happy with his parents, and then suddenly snap at them. She also growled at him a couple times when he came to say goodnight (although then she may have thought she was protecting me -- or the bed -- from some tall, dark, scary monster that ate her daddy's body). The bed thing we have figured out; if she growls at him, she spends the night in the crate. If she doesn't, she's rewarded by getting to spend the night with me (she's a pillow hog, by the way). As for The Boyfriend's parents, we're still working on it. We could have over-stimulated her when we brought her home, maybe giving her too much freedom too soon, and now we have to backtrack. We'll see. It's currently a work in progress.

She got a boo boo the other day; I noticed the tip of her nose was slightly bloody. Not enough to warrent a panicked, emergency trip to the vet's, but enough to make us wonder. We figured she had just scraped it on the bottom of the fence while eating grass. Well, today I found the REAL reason (I think). During dinner, I had put her in her crate, along with her food. She'll often howl and cry (as some upset Basenjis are wont to do), but she was yapping. Now, Basenjis don't bark, the closest they come is a sort of rounded yapish noise, or singular woofs. The fact that she was doing it in short succession made me wonder ... I found her nose again bloodied, and the inside of her crate smeared with it, along with numerous scratch marks. She didn't act hurt, quite the contrary; she seemed determined to get at whatever had hidden behind the wall behind her crate! Hunter indeed! We'll see if moving the crate solves the problem, but I'm definately calling the breeder tomorrow to see if there's anything else I can do!

And now for a funny and harmless anecdote; I was sitting on the bed reading Ella in Europe, a novel by Michael Konik about his six-week adventure taking his lab/greyhound mix around the European continent and examining the differences between American and European customs and habits regarding 'El Canidae'. Kire was loose in the room, sometimes curling up to lay by my side like a little brindle deer, other times grabbing up her fleece camel and subjecting it to a thurough beating. She'd throw it around, or nudge it with her snout, and then open her mouth wide and try to get as much of the toy in her teeth as possible, pulling back her jowls until there was more fleece than fur, doing all of this while trying to avoid squeaking it.

Yes, I do believe she hates the sound of the squeaker. She loves these toys, but plays with them in such a way that their beautiful SQUEAK -- SQUEAK is never heard. Reversely, if I or my boyfriend hold it out and squeak it continuously, she's all ears and eyes and trying to follow it and snatch it away so she can silence the dreaded noise! We'll weave it over our heads and behind our backs, handing it off to each other as she follows just one whisker behind, determined to tear it from the possession of two highly annoying humans and shut it up, if not forever than just for a little bit.

I should have realized something was up; the first fleece toy I gave her is all but destroyed, but the squeaker inside is left intact.

She's my silly girl, my little Miss Priss!

Boinkie

2006-05-31T11:17:00.000-07:00

My new doggie, 16 month old Basenji Kire, has turned out to be a bit of a smart-alek. She tells us what's going on! She's a sweetheart at the bottom, though! She loves being with her 'people', me and my boyfriend, and when she's not busy exploring and trying to chew things she shouldn't, she's content to lay resting right next to us (right now she's got her head on the laptop and my thumb keeps bumping her wet nose!).

I had my first show last week (her second) at the Basenji Club of Cincinatti's Annual Specialty. Since Kire is an American-bred African (from the Avongara line) we participated in the African Stock Exhibition in the Full African Bitch class against Kire's sister as well as one of the new imports from Cameroon. Kire came in third, most likely due to her curiosity, my lack of experience, and all the interesting smells on the pavement that she just had to explore. It was a great experience, though, and we both had a lot of fun!

I myself am still trying to get used to getting up at 6am for her morning walks! After that, we usually go back to bed for a few more hours.

yay!!!

2006-05-17T04:21:00.000-07:00

So the neighbors did find someone to take Carson, and now, all links and contacts we had with him are gone. I hope he found the perfect home.

I, however, have not yet. I had a big extravagent plan to move down to Virginia, but then I was broadsided by reality. Pooh.

But big news!!! Enormous news! Absolutely wonderful and intoxicating news!!! I am going down and getting my doggie today!!!! :-D I met her in January and have been making frequent trips down to see her (near three hours away), and now I finally get to bring her home!!! Having my boyfriend drive; I had a dream where I drove myself and couldn't concentrate on the trip back because I was too happy! This dog is an absolute spitfire, yet totally loving! Last time I visited, I took down a fleece toy that I'd been sleeping with to get my scent on, so that she'd have something that smelled of me when I wasn't there. Do you know she's been carrying it around with her ever since? Now she won't have to, becuase I'll be right there!!! Having grown up with dogs, this is certainly an exciting moment for me!!! I just keep thinking of all the fun we can have! I'll be taking her to renessaince fairs, and parks, and I'll be showing her and hopefully I can get into lure coursing!!!

American Sighthound Field Association
Official Basenji Website

I can't believe this day is finally here! I'm so blissfully happy, once I actually get here I'll be walking on clouds!!!!!

...

2006-04-29T06:51:00.000-07:00

So our neighbors had an Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix that was too big and too rambunctious for their yard and lifestyle (just a little bit of research could have prevented this!). My boyfriend and I sort of became surrogate parents, and would take him on walks and teach him what obedience we could, loved him and threw the ball for him. Our neighbors appreciated this, as it made him a calmer dog around their six-year old.

Now they're getting a divorce, and the dog has to go. We made arrangements for our friend to take him, who's been wanting a dog. Everything's fine and dandy, right?

Except for all the emotional baggage and quirks the neighbors didn't tell us. Aparently, the dog has 'something against blondes'. Would have been nice if he would have told our BLONDE friend that before she drove off with him; he's tried to jump at her three times already in his new home. He goes nuts when anyone gives him affection of any kind, and the whole first night he was in his new place with his new owner he wouldn't stop barking, and now she's facing possible eviction.

I'm awaiting more news. Supposedly she was going to tell neighbor he either has to take the dog back or its going to the pound. My boyfriend doesn't think there's much hope for rehabilitation, because he's a mix, because he's already three years old, and because he's not the most intelligent of dogs. I, who have always harbored a love of the underdog and a sometimes painful optimism about such things, am adament that with the right training, he could be a wonderful pet. It's not my decision, though. I'll be getting my own dog soon (just have to wait to put this house in order before I can bring her home), and I have to put my attentions towards her, but in a way I feel like I'm betraying neighbor's dog. We've done so much with him, and he's shown so much love in return. He always looks for us and when we come home he watches us and wags his tail (and goes into a crazy barking frenzy when we don't come over to say hello). Now, I know I wouldn't be the right owner for him, but that optimistic part of me says that someone, somewhere, could make him very happy. We'll just have to see what happens. He's running out of chances.

yipe!

2006-04-21T12:30:00.000-07:00

So there were some ideas that have been waffling around in my head for a while, the kind of ideas where you think "that's interesting, but I'll put more thought into it later, since it's a ways off."

Well, all of a sudden one of those far-off considerations became an immediate concern, if I were going to do it.

When I first heard of it being a short-term possiblity, I was ecstatic, deliriously happy. The next day I was afraid. All the what-ifs began presenting themselves. But I'll do research, I have time for that, and if everything checks out, then all systems go. Life is too short to be spent in fear. One must risk in order to truly experience.

I look at myself today and wonder back, and sometimes I am proud that I have grown and matured, but there are still times in which I feel like a child playing adult games. I don't really know the rules yet, so I do what I can, what I think is right, ask when I get truly flustered, and hope I don't land on a "BACK TO START" square.

This 'idea' is one of those latter instances. It's something I so depserately WANT, but I wonder if it is something I'm ABLE to do, since it's another step up the child-to-adult ladder, and I'm afraid the rung has rotted through and will break.

Of course, maybe it's just the difference between before and after. Maybe I just don't think I can do something until I realize I've already done it? The psyche is a strange and sometimes disturbing place.

brain went where?

2006-04-15T08:34:00.000-07:00

I have this wonderful ability to organize seperate storylines in my head and keep them straight. I am currently reading 3 books (fantasy, biography, and romance) while editing a fourth (fantasy of my own invention). I can set one down and two minutes pick up another and not be confused at all.

Wish I could just move that outside of my head, and actually into my life.

I've been so disorganized [my whole life] that it's really getting to be a problem. In the past it was a nuisance and I could usually patch something up last minute, sometimes to amazing results that surprised myself, but usually just enough to get by. I'm finding that Real Life doesn't quite work like that, and my original tactics are far outdated. I've done some things in the way of getting back on track, but not enough. I actually have to put the forms and statements and whatnot INTO the folders. Life will not automatically allign itself into neat piles just because I bought a few folios and a tub. A nice green tub. Still no magically flying papers.

And in this attempt to mold and bend and reshape a stubborn part of my character, I need distraction, to keep sane. Or keep from going sane. "I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it!" (on a bumper sticker somewhere). The storylines I am currently involving myself with in my (limited) free time;

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
I actually just finished The Golden Compass, the first book in the series. It's been quite a while since I've been so drawn in by a book! Pullman's style of writing is realistically descriptive, and his characters seem almost tangible. I espcially liked Iorek Byrnison and the whole idea of the Althiometer. I will soon be embarking on The Subtle Knife and I can't wait!

Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog by John Grogan
Anyone who's ever had and loved a dog will connect with this book. John Grogan recounts the life of his big, lumbering lab, with enough energy and love to fuel an army of hummers.

Gone to the Dogs By Emily Carmichael
A romance about a bombshell blonde forced to live out the pentance of her previous, wild life in the form of a Pembroke Welsh Corgi named Piggy; therapy dog and matchmaker. I especially love the bits from 'Piggy's' point of view. :-)

Zanadie by Me!
A simple fantasy story about a girl going on a journey to help a friend and discover herself. Needs much editing. Is currently getting much editing. To be quite honest, seeing the red pen makes me feel good about it, like it's actually getting somewhere. Once I'm able to fill in the plot caverns, I'll let other people Red-Pen it. I just don't want them falling into a literary crevasse.

And now I think I'll go and try to organize ... I've just collected myself a nice little pile. Little piles make me feel good, especially if they have somewhere to go. :-)

Brrrg.

2006-04-08T19:57:00.000-07:00

The weather here is not nice. It was getting all nice and warm and I was looking forward to wearing some of the nice collection of sundresses I have. Then boom. it's cold again. I'm sitting here with a sweater, jacket, and two wrist warmers on (I knotted them myself! One is made from fuzzy white Pattons' Divine, and the other is a collection of yellow, orange, and blue-with-squiggles yarn I had lying around.

I really should knit a matching pair at somepoint. Do I keep forgetting I have two wrists instead of one?

I actually just knitted another using DPNs and seed stitch with some yarn from my Mom. It's a gorgeous turqoise color, and is nice and toasty! :-D I bound it off too tightly, however, and it doesn't quite fit. Must work on that. And then make another to match. Because I have two wrists. (must remember that).

I'm still working on my sweater. Finished the sleeves, but they're one inch too long! Have to tear out and finish them, then it's block/seam sew and add the collar. Yay! Sweater!

why is it ...

2006-04-07T11:55:00.000-07:00

you can't get sleep before the days you've got the most stuff going on? I'm exhausted, but I'm just getting ready for work and a non-stop weekend. O bed, why do you torture me so? You are so warm and cozy and inviting, but I have found no comfort in you.

Maybe I should try sleeping in my car ... the sound of rain might lull me to sleep ... Hmmm ....

Mmmm .... chocolate!

2006-03-31T20:10:00.000-08:00

I think I may be addicted to blogging. I've already created three. :ponders: Oh well! Call me diverse!

It's really windy right now. I'm afraid the house is going to blow away and I'll be stuck sitting here typing in the rain. Must go get an umbrella, just in case.

I have to wear a tie at work (sucks, 'cus I'm a girl, and with short hair, a button-down shirt, and a tie, I am often mistaken for a guy). I wear one I got at hot topic. I get a lot of compliments on it, usually from older gentlemen that tell me striped ties are classy and the only 'Real Tie' there is. It's just a simple black with grey and white stripes, but it seems really popular.

I really wanted the army-green one with three red stars, but I don't think it would have gone over quite as well. :sigh:

Speaking of Amry-green, I really like M*A*S*H. Not the movie, which I haven't really seen, but the repeats they play on ... well, I can't remember the channel, but they must play 2-3 hours of M*A*S*H repeats in the afternoon and again at night. I could sit through the entire run, I swear! Give me Alan Alda and Gary Burghoff any day (and Jamie Farr!). Even the character Maj. Charles Emerson Winchester III (David Ogden Steirs) is somewhat inticing in an intellectual sort of way.

Definition

2006-03-31T08:31:00.000-08:00

Orinthoptomotry: (n) The Study of a Bird's Eye View.

mirk.

2006-03-24T19:15:00.000-08:00

I can't concentrate without music in the background.

When I was in school, I studied best with big thumping classical pieces from the late romantic era. My roomate was quite the opposite, so when we were studying at the same time, I had on headphones, and usually had the volume up high if not all the way. Mahler made me deaf. And some Barber.

Well, not *entirely* deaf. More like partly deaf. Mostly not, but sometimes I can be looking right at a person and thinking .oO(huh?).

but I can't concentrate without music, which sucks because my CD player is broken and only plays tapes and the radio.

So I've gotten into the habit if listening to the local college station. It's pretty cool, and now I'm actually recognizing popular culture songs. Yay! They have a pretty vast collection, though. I actually called up last week and requested a song from a local band that I'm friends with. Conversation went like this;

Me: I'd like to request "Lust Song" from 'this is exploding.'
DJ: Yeah, yeah, we have that!"
Me: Great! :is happy:
DJ: So what are you doing tonight?
Me: :panicking: Well, I'm actually knitting, but it's not old school, I got the pattern from VOGUEKnitting, which, yes, is associated with the VOGUE high-fashion magazine. It's high class knitting.
DJ: Really? Well I'll be sure to mention that!
Me: 'Kay

So I drag my boyfriend down to listen when he gets close (I know because he runs down what's coming up).

DJ: And next we have going out to Gyda in Cleveland this is exploding's Lust Song. Apparently Gyda's having a wild night knitting, although she assured me it was high-class. I think she said she was knitting a sweater. So Gyda, you should knit me a sweater!

I thought it was pretty funny. I wasn't prepared at all for him to ask what I was doing, but indeed, I was sitting there with my sleeves hanging out on a pair of size 10 circular needles. I feel like a celebrity when I request songs on the radio, and I'm sure that having such quirks as 'knitting' make me an object of curiosity.

My friend and I went out to a coffee shop this week and sat around drinking tea, chatting, and knitting. We were right by the door, and more than once people leaving asked me to whip them up something. This one guy gave me his measurements.

I'll be lucky if I can finish this sweater for myself. I have too many things started and not finished. I'm trying not to start anything else (though being a gemini makes it hard!!!)

I have two major pieces in the works;

Scarf for Mom
- last pattern in a beginner's book
- not difficult, but time consuming
- 45 minutes for 3 inches.
- more than halfway done, should just do a little bit each day ...
Sweater for me
- finished body
- mostly done with sleeves
- block, piece
- collar
- buttons or zipper? the big decision!

Ooo, I made a list! :-D
let me just see if I can finish a scarf and make a sweater .........

grrrr.....

2006-03-23T21:54:00.000-08:00

So I've been battling it out with the computer for the past hour or so. I thought I had my secret weapon of doom and would be stricking down the computer in all its haughtiness against me with its html! I had .... Lissa Explains it All!!!, which is an HTML tutorial designed for kids ... by, eh, kids.

And yet I am still beaten. :shakes fist at monitor: WHAT DO YOU WANT?!?!?!?!!?

i'm going to bed. :-p

but first, let's see if my feeble attempt at making a links tab did anyhting;

This has proved that yes, indeed, I can makes a list of links.

if I could just figure out how to put them where I want them ...

Little Dogs and Happy Eyes

2006-03-23T15:14:00.000-08:00

I had a yucky day at work. It's worse when it's slow, because there's nothing to do. At a bookstore, or a library, I could can read when I didn't have any customers to wait on. At a restaurant? If I'm lucky, I eat. Otherwise, I end up doodling. I drew a Basenji and a Walking Eyeball today.

I have problems with proportions, and drawing smallish heads in ratio to the bodies. Must work on that. Pen on paper.

I didn't want him to look too scary, so I have him a little smiling mouth. He's a happy eyeball! Pencil on Paper.

An Account of something Furry

2006-03-22T12:28:00.000-08:00

Aha, the gratuitous INTRO POST! This is where I tell you all about myself, why I'm posting, the deep, dark, secrets of my past, and what not.

Or is it?

Maybe I won't post my intro here, maybe I'll save my intro post for next week, when I've already mentioned work, family, friends, and had a lengthy discussion on the societal pressures of trying to become the next champion underwater basket weaver and first ever to wear a foam Red Wings wingnut hat while singing exerpts from RENT.

"Today for you/Tomorrow for me!"

Or perhaps I'll make posts with subject lines like this one which, believe me, have everything to do with my life, but leave any mention of their connection lacking in the following post, forever keeping you at suspense, because you have the most vague, slightest inkling of something important, or pertinent, or furry, or just plain interesting ... and yet the full details never come to fruition.

I can guarentee you one thing, though; there are deep and mentally stimulating blogs out there. There are blogs so intense you will cry, you will laugh, you will write your congressmen.

This isn't one of them.

At the very most you'll probably just cock your head and wonder "who gave her the permission to use the keyboard?" Then decide it was probably some fluke when an institutionalized blog junky escaped for the evening and ran amok with her doctor's desktop while he was away on vacation.

Either way, this is the rantings of a slightly crazed mind. There might be snippets of genius, moments of cohesiveness, or pages of sheer horror, but for the most part, it's all just silly.