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Monday, November 9, 2009
11:31AM
It's August again.
Now, before you correct me, I am aware the calendar says "November." But it's hot, everyone is going around in T shirts and sandals, and we've been doing this pretty much consistently since, oh, last spring, with the exception of one glorious week in which it seemed like winter had finally arrived. We have basically two seasons here, "Hot" and "Wet" aka rainy, and it appears we've now shifted back to Hot. Complete with the need for air conditioning. You might say that sounds really nice, but it's not just hot, it's also dry, and the harsh winds are no fun. (Welcome back to Vulcan).
I'm also finding it a bit hard to be chipper due to RL, specifically work. Due to the fact the economy sucks, I decided it was time to Make A Change re: employment and career. Unfortunately, due to the fact the economy sucks, said Change is not going as smoothly nor as swiftly as I had hoped. There is a lot of "hurry up and wait", lots of interviewing, and not much progress. This is all bringing me down, though realistically I do know things will be looking up, will be improving, and this should all be happening in the next few weeks. Unfortunately, I've been in this "within the next few weeks" mode for some time now and, well, it's tough.
On the bright side of RL, the family is doing pretty well. The husband is fine, the soldier boys are fine, the teenage son is fine, the youngest is looking into schools for next year (junior high!) and we are in the throes of Bat Mitzvah planning. (How did she grow up so much when I wasn't looking?)
"Julie and Julia" finally opened here two weeks ago and we went out to see it with my sister and brother in law Saturday night. Very enjoyable. My husband, who does fancy baking and also makes candies as his hobby, especially loved it.
I am watching "Stargate: Universe" and so far (I'm a couple of eps behind) my reaction is pretty much "meh." Without getting into the argument of "is this real Stargate?" or "too gritty" and all that other nonsense, I will say I'm finding the writing rather uneven (too many cringe-worthy moments) and the characters not very compelling. And yeah, the plotting is very predictable. I will also register my dislike for the plot device of ( spoiler ) I'm not crazy about the gratuitous sex scenes, either.
Still a few months away from "Lost." And football would be more enjoyable if my team was doing better.
I need to start writing again. I should take a look at the monthly prompts over at ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) matrithon and see if anything grabs me. Or, I can always go back to some of the WiPs which are older than many fandoms these days...
Monday, September 21, 2009
5:00PM
I have posted my second and final matrithon fic, Three Sunrises. The fandom is Stargate: Atlantis, the character Dr. Elizabeth Weir, the prompt "sunrise".
This is the first ficathon I've participated in and it was interesting. In hindsight, I wish I hadn't picked dates for the two stories that were only 7 days apart. With a holiday in between. But, I managed.
I've been rewatching Stargate:SG1 episodes with my daughter (she was too young when I watched them the first time around with her older brothers a number of years ago), and am relieved to find I am liking the characters and enjoying the plot threads as much as I did before. Like any long-running series, the show changed a lot over time. Characters left (cough:died:cough), came back, or didn't, other new characters were introduced, new villains, new heroes etc. etc. I remember hearing the show was supposed to end, variously, after the end of season 5 or 6 or 8 etc. Of all of those possibilities, the one it would have made the most sense to me would have been after season 8. Those last 2 years just didn't do it for me. ( cut for possible spoilers, even at this late date )
Monday, September 14, 2009
I have completed my first fic for the matrithon ficathon. My prompt was T'Pau, "thee asks too much." You can find my story, "Friend Or Foe" here.
Next up: the next story, though this one is in Stargate: Atlantis. And of course, work. And life. And stuff like that.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
6:29PM
The younger kids are back in school. And suddenly, work has picked up. I'd say that summer is really over, except for the fact it's still blazing hot. OK, it is a bit cooler in the early morning, but not the crisp fall days I remember from my own youth.
We had our book-signing party last night for the round-robin project. We all agreed the quality was pretty good overall, despite the inevitable DOA's that a few turned out to be (some were, quite honestly, doomed from chapter 1). There were a surprising number of books that had lots of gratuitous deaths in the final chapter--I call them gratuitous because they weren't intrinsic to the plot and in fact were for the most part pretty unnecessary. I guess that's an outcome of the rule "no killing off the main character(s) until the final chapter." (We should make it clearer that that doesn't mean you *have* to kill 'em all in chapter 8). There were also a surprising number of unhappy endings. In these cases for the most part, yes, it was a logical outcome for the book, but it didn't *have* to be that way; it could easily have gone the opposite way and the book would not have suffered at all (in fact, might have worked better). Oh well. And of course we bandied about suggestions for improvements and some rule changes for next year. At least 2 of my children are already hatching new plot ideas.
In other news, I became a great-aunt for the 16th and 17th times this past week (my niece and her husband had a boy, and my nephew and his wife had a girl). Which meant today I got to pay a visit to the local baby clothing/equipment store. Just walking in and seeing the displays almost makes me nostalgic. Almost.
Back to juggling work. And I really need to get cracking on my matrithon fics. At least I've got them both outlined, but the actual writing has not happened yet.
Monday, August 17, 2009
I am still jet-lagged/exhausted all of the time. Summer is winding down, meaning it's time to get the school stuff (books, supplies, clothes) purchased. And I'm still catching up on house-related things (during my absence no laundry, cooking or shopping was apparently done. Though husband is forbidden to do laundry as a rule--there are 2 loads of pinked whites to attest as to why this rule exists).
The round-robin book project is winding down as well, with the final chapters being written this week. I have much editing to do (we're not allowed to fix grammar or spelling until completion, as these "mistakes" can turn into plot points, and they often do) and then the book-signing party is next week. Then I can finally get back into fic writing (I turned down participating in another round-robin project for this reason and because I need a break) which is good as come September, I have 2 matrithon stories to have completed. Despite my schlepping along a spiral notebook, I did absolutely no writing (and only very little thinking) on my trip. I don't know why I'm surprised, as the only long hand writing I do these days are shopping lists, but each and every time I travel I always make sure I have a nice new notebook handy, and it usually comes back just as pristine as when it left.
For those of you interested, ( highlights of my trip )
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
I am back home. More later, but for now:
1. I finally found the tribble.
2. I adore GPS. Except in the borough of Queens.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
After traveling for about 24 hours (ah, the joys of connecting flights!), I have arrived safe and sound (and with my luggage too!) I am thoroughly exhausted.
One good thing about the flying is I got to watch the Trek movie again. My major observation:
I still can't see the tribble, and believe me, this is now two viewings that I was actively looking for it. Oh, well, perhaps on the return flight next week.
And now to get some rest and try to reset my body clock.
Friday, July 31, 2009
The first lines meme (take the first line of your last 20 stories and see what this says about your writing), as gacked from many on my friends' list:
( 20 is a big number )
So, what does this say? Considering how many years back this list of stories stretches, I'd say first of all that my output has really slowed in recent years. And my recent resurgence is due to the new movie--I'd reached a point, I'm afraid, where I'd said basically everything I had to say re: Voyager and Janeway and the other series weren't doing it for me either. (looks guiltily at the various WiPs, some of which have been around for years). Second, I usually write in 3rd person, but first is not unheard of. Third, Sometimes I start with dialogue, and sometimes I don't. And finally,I don't think these are particularly 'boring' opening lines, but I really think to get the 'feel' of the story, the first paragraph (or at least the first three sentences) would be a much better gauge.
In other news, I'm recovering from yesterday (fast day) and starting to get really excited about my upcoming trip. And I signed up for matrithon! Today is the last day, folks, so if you were thinking about it and haven't done it yet, time is running out.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
We're back from our annual summer vacation. We did our usual few days of hiking, kayaking etc up North. Usually we don't go until mid-August but this year we went earlier due to people's availability (and still oldest son couldn't make it, alas). A good time was had by all, though it was extremely hot, and we didn't get to pick any blueberries on our last day as we usually do as they were all picked out (since we were there a good month earlier than usual, this was a real surprise but apparently the attraction has greatly gained in popularity). But we still all had fun. We have been doing this for many years and as the kids have been growing up we've been doing more and more rigorous hikes and trails. Unfortunately, the adults have also gotten older and I have to admit it's not as easy as it used to be for me. This despite having gotten more serious about my exercising on a regular basis. Oh well. Maybe by next year it'll be easier...
Next week, son number 2 is beginning his mandatory military service. Son number 1 is still in the army, having elected to serve longer and is advancing through the ranks. They are both in combat divisions. I worry, of course, but I am extremely proud of both of them. So my next several days are devoted to making sure we have all the gear etc we need to have before he goes in (it's easier the second time around as you have at least some idea of what to expect).
The other two kids are still on summer vacation, of course. The round-robin book project is going very well. This week we're up to chapter 5 (out of 8). As a result, most of my writing energies are currently taken up but I'm still tossing a couple of ideas around re: fanfic. (side note: the Trek 2009 movie is now available for pre-order! I'm also hoping to catch at least one more viewing on the plane next week). And I haven't forgotten about the matrithon either...
Next week I'm also leaving on a jet plane, another transatlantic jaunt. One of my college roommates is getting married, and to say that I'm excited is an understatement. I'm also looking forward to seeing lots of folks I haven't seen for the last 20+ years, basically. I'm going solo, sans husband and kids, but I'll only be gone a week. And then when I get home it'll be in time for the back-to-school crush i.e. getting books and supplies. Plus I have promised my daughter that she can finally get her ears pierced.
I hope everyone else's summer is also going well.
Monday, July 6, 2009
It's time for another new fic, Seven Minutes. It's AOS: what was going through Pike's mind as he piloted the shuttle to Nero's ship. I've actually been mulling this one for a while (I know, I've fallen off the pace of posting one new story a week) but RL has a way of interfering with my inner life.
Just spent the weekend hosting mega amounts of family--my side--and this coming weekend is more of the same only with my husband's relatives. The younger kids are off from school and so far no one is going too stir crazy (I hope). The lone remaining teenager (as his brothers are now both in their 20's) is our fill-in gardener for the summer which is useful if not terribly fulfilling.
In other writing news (no, not the paying job) this is the second summer our family is participating in a neighborhood round-robin book project. (No, my husband is only participating vicariously. He gets his kicks doing other hobbies). There is a total of 23 people, ranging in age from 11 to 70. Each week you write a chapter of a book. The first week it's your own, the second you are assigned to write chapter 2 of someone else's book, the third week you get to do chapter of 3 of yet another person's book and so on and so forth till you get to chapter 8 and finish. Then we have a book-signing party. It's a lot of fun. I'm also one of the editors so I'm responsible for shepherding 4 other books, besides my own weekly writing. The genres and topics are widely varied, as of course are the writing abilities. Last year we seemed to have a lot of wizards and magic, this year I'm seeing some caveman tales, a few hard-boiled detective ones, and some sequels to last year's books. It's a lot of fun, and provides endless hours of amusement for all of the participants.
Monday, June 15, 2009
This is getting to be a habit! I have a new story, How To Win Friends And Influence People, written for ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) trekchic, maker of icons extraordinaire, who wanted a friendship story with Kirk, McCoy and Spock. Enjoy!
In other news, it *does* appear the phone is now working! Apparently they replaced some equipment at the central station and now our problems are solved. Next up: world peace!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
I spoke too soon, as the phone woes continue. Sometimes incoming calls get through, and sometimes they don't. I can't even count how many technicians have been to the house over the past few days, how many supervisors we have spoken to. "This is really strange," one of them remarked today, when within the space of an hour sometimes they got the line to work and other times couldn't. No kidding. But they will keep on trying. My daughter asked how much all of these service calls are costing. "Nothing," I replied. "They are *obligated* to give us working phone service!"
In happier news, thanks to the talented trekchic, I now have a Pike icon! She will be receiving fic for her efforts, oh yes, she will.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
I've finished another AOS story. "Forward Progress" is a Pike/Number One story and can be found here.
I have been having phone woes the last several days. To begin with, the land line has been very flaky. We've been able to make outgoing calls, but incoming calls have been...questionable at best. More often than not, one or two rings (or half-rings) and that's it. There's nothing on the line when we attempt to answer. Of course, it's completely unpredictable how and when this occurs. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. (Never when important calls try to come through but somehow the spammers are usually successful).
Then, my ancient (and I do mean ancient--I've had this particular model for about 7-8 years) cell phone decided to die. It was gradually getting harder and harder to get good reception. Or any reception. And then it wanted to be charged all the time. Naturally, it made life more interesting to have both cell *and* land line service give out at the same time. It made getting in touch with me lots of fun, or so I've been told. (And let's ignore the minor detail that I work from home...)
Currently, things are looking up. I am now the proud owner of a fancy new cell phone, complete with camera! (Of course, the store employees laughed themselves silly when I asked about transferring all the data out of my old phone. Can't be done, like harnessing a dinosaur. So I've been slowly and painfully inputting all the numbers etc. by hand). And today marks the second day in a row that the phone company has sent people over to work on the line and fix our problem. (I'd have felt better if each time I didn't have to re-explain that yes I can make outgoing calls, it's receiving them that's the problem). It *does* appear to be working--for now. Let's hope it continues.
Not sure whether or not it's tempting fate to note that at least my internet connection (see above, works from home) has been stable.
Back to work for me now. And working on my latest fic. I really, really want a Pike icon to go with it. But alas I am untalented in that area. And based on my last post, absolutely no one is reading this journal anyway, or cares, and so it doesn't look like I will be getting one anytime soon.
But, at least I have phone service!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Another new story: Good Advice is set during Kirk's first year at the Academy. And yes, my new favorite captain appears as well.
Speaking of which, as I am untalented in this area, I would be deeply appreciative if someone could make me a Pike icon. Preferably him sitting in the captain's chair on the bridge, with the caption "Punch it". Pretty please? There's an offer of fic in exchange...
Sunday, May 24, 2009
10:53AM
I went to the Trek movie again last night. I never see movies multiple times in the theater (heck, in the last ten years I haven't seen that many movies in the theater, period!) OK, I did see "The Wrath Of Khan" twice when it came out, but that was on the same night. My boyfriend and I went to an early-ish evening showing and as soon as it was over, we turned to each other and said, "Let's watch it again!" (Can you even still do that anymore these days? Or do they kick you out before the next showing begins?)The crowd was a lot rowdier the second time around, and a lot more vocal, but that was probably mostly due to the much later hours. So too with last night.
The first time, a week and a half ago, my husband and I went to the Trek pic (and I thoroughly outed myself during the intermission). Last night I saw it with my two oldest sons. B, the oldest, has never been into any of the sci fi stuff and in fact has made a point of not watching any of that sort of thing with me and his younger brothers. G, the second, has watched all of Stargate (both SG-1 and Atlantis) with me, Lost, Battlestar Galactica, as well as some DS9 and VOY (and oh yeah, he did watch ENT with me, the little that I did), plus we've started "obtaining" TOS and so he has so far watched "The Cage" with me. It was certainly an interesting experience watching with the boys (not to mention due to their both having military IDs we saved the price of a full ticket admission between the three of us). I didn't say a word before it began, just that this movie is designed for those who know absolutely nothing about anything Trek to enjoy it just as much as those who know a lot more. B did say he liked it (all the things blowing up, naturally!). On the way home G of course got into a full-fledged discussion and dissection of all events and characters. I was worried it was going to be too much for B to stomach, when he then turned to me and said, "Wait a minute--isn't this the one with Janeway? I thought you liked her." Give the boy some credit, he did gain *something* through the process of osmosis all these years! So I explained that Janeway was in a later series and these were the original characters from the original series. In retrospect, we really should have brought D, son number three, with us, as he's as big of a sci fi and fantasy afficianado as G is (actually in the case of fantasy, he's more so).. But the movie didn't even start till 10 pm and it was a school night...I did apologize to D this morning but he took it in stride.
I am so glad I saw the movie again. This time around I noticed a lot of details I'd missed the first time. And ( cutting away for some spoilery ramblings )
Friday, May 22, 2009
And yet another new fic, once again thanks to the new movie. Sins Of The Father recounts a classic scene between father and son, revised to match the new canon.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
My muse has apparently awoken with a roar, thanks to the new Trek movie. Rehabilitation" is an "episode addition", containing a conversation I would have loved to see. And yeah, that means this story (unlike the last one I posted "The Beat Goes On") does contain spoilers for the movie.
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