D'Other Green Room

And a little because of it. The beginning of this POD fanfic really turned out well, IMHO. I really hope the rest can carry it. In my mind, I think it has the punch I want, but it's sooooo slow going, the writing, thanks to real life in all its fun and frollic.

I need to cheat on another NaNoWriMo and out-goal myself, get this next section written, good or bad.

[/diversion]

...why I've never gone to Facebook. I was tempted today after seeing a few mentions here and there. But then I realized I don't want to be found by a good deal of the people who popped up on my list right away. It was spooky--and then there were people who had apparently been waiting for me with ready invites in the event I created an account, thanks to Yahoo. So, I deleted the account I'd just made.

Hell, for that matter, I hardly keep up with my favorite boards right now, and I'd much rather do that.

I want to get to so many creative projects. Sitting on paint Shop Pro to update a couple of images reminded me how much I love working with the CG illustrations (see my icon, taken from one of my offhand dabbles). I have several still to be done and I've not been able to devote enough time to even start it. Rather, the POD has been sucking all of my creative energy and free time.

Sigh. I need to just start posting that and let the chips fall. There are parts of it that are very good, but being a nitpicker myself, I can't help but be winder if I glossed too much there, or should put in more over there instead of falling into exposition. This is a LONG story already...

But especially after having almost finished reading The Lord of the Rings to my son (yes, aloud--and all of it, having followed The Hobbit), I have steadily come to enjoy exposition less and less. I'd rather be long winded than avoid the action in my prose anymore. Oh, and how did I miss this when I last read LOTR? You're told about this great action about to start, and you're getting to this great action, and riding to this great action...and getting to it....and getting to it. Then it's explained what happened in the battle after that fact. This annoyed even my five year old! LOL!

Now, of course, exposition is great and absolutely necessary. I love writing it. But, like with Guerdon, where I fought to draw out every battle, tech and flight scene, I've really come to resist explaining away what I can do with action. In the POD, I'm mainly referring to a flashback where *cough*exposition*cough* is catching up with one of the main characters and his crew. While there are bits of dialogue inside the exposition, also mentioned is a fist fight that breaks out between another crewman and an alien. It's not taken any further.

Because of the above stated issue, I'm itching to draw out the scene and more within that chunk of information to break it up and make the action not just mentioned but actually meaning something, an example of what the crew is living with and how they're feeling. It's not terribly necessary, as this is coming strictly from the main character's POV and his feelings are what the chapter is dealing with, but his reaction to the increased tension and the fallout with the others are useful, too.

But then, again, there's my lovely habit of running a tad, er, long. I hold the belief, always, that a story is as long as it needs to be. At what point do I lose sight of that and lose everyone's attention in the meantime?

*thinkety thinks* I'll look it over again, see if it'll be a fit. Hell, if it's annoying or looks useless later, I can always cut it back out.

I am never going to finish this thing. Plotbunny Of Doom--doom I say. ;^)

I'll sleep on it...and maybe break out a cartoon or two and dabble later on, if Child goes down to my mother's house for a while. ...Yes, I've been missing PSP. Time to get a fix. :^)

...but OMG, how CUTE on! I usually stick to the pencil skirt, but I said why not and tried on the navy paperbag style with the deep tucks and waist sash. It was fantastic. It made my legs look hot. It was on clearance.

Yes.

Another $30 for the most awesome!sexy!shoes didn't hurt, either. :^)

I showed Child the first disc of the LOTR EE trilogy.

OMG, that was hilarious.

One example? "No way! I'm not scared." Meanwhile, he's nearly biting his plastic spoon in half whilst the Ringwraiths are nearing Frodo on Weathertop, his eyes wide as saucers, his feet pushing into the sofa.

He loved it, good little geek in training. ;^)

But boy, do I detest it in my own life. Really, there are some people who just thrive on detonating a simple thing--particularly when they don't realize what they're really doing. I.e....

Mother is in a fuss because she went out to her garage yesterday afternoon and noticed two bottles of liquor left over from the reception missing. ZOMG. How could this happen on our remote and peaceful hill??? This heinous crime was immediately followed by my mother insulting our friends by "not accusing anyone of anything" and new plans to get secure doors and grates for the garage windows. Window grates. In the sticks. For a couple bottles of booze.

*breath*

Mom, I love you, but you didn't buy the liquor for the reception, so it's not yours. You shouldn't even be worrying about it. You do tend to drink a tad much, so I have to wonder if you might have, er, forgotten that you'd set it in your house? If that's not the case, no problem and I apologize. But really, you leave the garage doors wide open and have yet to replace the back door. (There is NO back door right now.) No police officer in their right mind is going to file a serious report on missing booze in a wide open garage at the top of a hill, even when you have a "likely suspect."

And nobody wants Pop's tools (and even if they did, how the hell would they lug it through the woods???), and no one's going to bother fielding through your five dogs (three large, four with badass potential)to get into your house and kill you and take your jewelry. Really.

[/zomg!drama]

When is it time to say, "You've edited enough. It's as it is for now. It's not like you're posting to ASC. Stop fussing and post the damned DRAFT"?

Because I know I'll find a hundred things that need to be changed as soon as I post, and I'm hardly halfway through this thing and am still working out its canon in later parts. Not that I couldn't have had changes here and there with a completed fic, but... ugh. I always get like this when I know it's time to start sliding it off my plate.

Have I also mentioned that the POD has been on my nerves and making me nuts? No? You must be very new. ;^)

When is it time to say, "You've edited enough. It's as it is for now. Stop fussing and post the damned DRAFT."

Because I know I'll find a hundred things that need to be changed as soon as I post. Not that that wouldn't happened with a completed fic, but... ugh.

We have two more wandering up on the hill, one black and furry and male, the other akin to a giant white jack russell and female. Each has a collar, travel exclusively together and they look to be in decent shape overall, so I'm not immediately alarmed. Sadly, these won't even come near people, so just giving them something to eat is a challenge, let alone getting close enough to assess them well.

I truly love to help the animals in need and would never think to do otherwise when confronted with one, but I do miss Chicagoland for this point. We never saw strays out where I lived because they were immediately seen to and protected. In five years on his hill, I've seen a barnful of strays in need, desperate, abandoned, injured, starved or just lost. I absolutely hate that this happens, and am continually furious at the ignorance, cruelty and irresponsibility.

(This all is plainly obvious, of course, but it but it cannot be said enough how much it sucks.)

And I will eventually get them to come to me, if at all possible.

Funny how when I make a single, tiny, simplistic edit to an old file I just happen to glance at, I suddenly see thirty more mistakes appear before my eyes.

What IS it with that???

...at SAM's club at a ridiculously good price?

NOM NOM THIS NOM NOM

I did change a little. First I reduced the servings to 2 cups and used King Arthur white-wheat flour. Then I added 4 cloves of garlic to the sautée when I added the mushrooms, olive oil (see below), I used only a tsp. of soy sauce, and I used No-Sodium Chicken Herb Ox instead of vegetable broth, 1 packet per 4 cups of water. If you like cracked black pepper as I do, being generous with it is really good.

Short form:

Shiitake Mushroom Gravy -- 2 cup portion

(ed. the author shows no oil amount. I used enough olive oil to coat the bottom of my round iron pan and make a good roux)
* 1/4 cup whole wheat flour or brown rice flour
* 1/8 lb fresh shiitake mushroom, sliced
* 1 tablespoon fresh thyme or fresh marjoram
* 1/2 quart vegetable stock
* 1 tablespoon soy sauce or Braggs amino acids
* 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
* sea salt
* fresh ground black pepper

Directions

1. Heat oil in a 2-quart saucepan [on medium heat].
2. [Sprinkle in] flour and stir with a wooden spoon (ed. I used a whisk--no lumps that way) until the mixture becomes the consistency of wet sand. [Cook, stirring every several seconds, until lightly toasted. Roux burns easily.]
3. Add mushrooms [and garlic] and cook 5 minutes more.
4. Pour in stock and soy sauce. [Stir vigorously while doing this so all is incorporated well.]
5. Bring to a slow boil and cook 20 to 30 minutes until thickened.
6. Adjust seasoning with apple cider vinegar, sea salt and black pepper.

___

I need to review this one eventually. Wonderful stuff. We had it baked on top of a dish of turkey meatballs that we'd made earlier for the wedding reception, but I can see it with a lot of dishes.

And the deals, therefore!

Gosh, I love that store, and we got there on a good day, as they were having the midsummer/end of line sale. We got the Strind Side Table I'd been eyeing for a couple of years for half off, and in the dent and bump, I got this chair that I've wanted in the office for ages for $89. It'd been a floor sample.

We also got the stoneware I've wanted, too, in white and green, three sets of melamine bowls for Child's cereal and side stuff more Bygel rails for the kitchen among other bits and pieces for the house. I REALLY want the mugs that goes with the stoneware, though. I regret leaving them behind. I also wanted glasses but didn't see what I wanted that day.

Not like I won't be back within a season. ;^)

*awaits new catalog*

*squees*

Stoneware, glasses, more Bygel rails for the kitchen, a table top to make into a desk and another couple of lamps for the tables. I'm certain there will be more. *g* It's probably not worth a whole trip up to Woodbridge, but it's a nice day trip that we all enjoy...and it'll give me lots of time to write more thank you cards! :^D

I wonder if it'll be any use to post the Plotbunny of DOOM here. But I'm tempted to, if only to keep me kicking on it, like with Guerdon. Another 600 KB and it'll be as long as that one, and still that won't finish it. Problem? It kind of locks me into what I'm doing before the end. It is well outlined, but I have been changing a lot of details...

*thinkety thinks*

OMG, it's hard to play and, being all silver, heavy, but the sound? *swoon*

I could probably take pics, but rather, I'll get something decent tomorrow morning when the sun isn't glaring through the house. This is pretty much it; all the specs are the same save the French pointed arms, the engraving (mine says "KG Special" and "Custom"), and that mine is an older model.

In the meanwhile, I'm getting used to the weight. It's seriously almost as heavy as the alto flute, so I might have to wear my wrist brace on the right to hold it properly for now. The playing, while forcing me to be neat about my embouchure as a good instrument should, is OMG rich and loud, even on the lowest notes. When I manage to hold this thing straight, I'm certain the upper register will come along, too. What I have managed to play flew out of this flute like a dream.

But this? Yes, worth every penny, and I still got it for a steal. :^)

Time to register it. Yay!

The flute is on its way to C'ville. They'll call me when it's in tomorrow so I can go get it. I'm not anxious to spend yet another day driving across two counties (it's 50 minutes one way), but hell, I'm still not about to complain.

*excited*

It as pretty funny, how many people did not even ask if I had a registry. Two waffles makers, two roasting pans (when I'm largely vegetarian), two sets of pots and pans...though those both stay. They're awesome. Anyway, they were very sweet to think of us, and I did have fun going after the exchanges that I could manage.

Here's the first one--the pitcher. It's quite petite, just right for dinner and a few large glasses of water, and the green is perfect for everything going on in the kitchen. :^)

But first I got the gift card, with which I just purchased another LeCreuset piece, this is kiwi green. After all, we got a gorgeous 7.5 qt. dutch oven in the kiwi. How can't I have another? And the baking dish has a bonus piece!

*grinning*

People have asked me what I'll do when I tire of apple/kiwi/spring green. Thankfully, it's been one of my favorite colors since I can remember, because we have some really gorgeous and high quality stuff in those colors now. I walk into my kitchen and feel happy. This is a good thing. :^)

(Ed.: I don't know why this post didn't post, but this was written for yesterday.)

I finally lost it this morning.

While quietly thinking about stepping up to a better flute, a new issue with my beloved student flute kept popping up every week. Pads bad, keys sticking, upper register simply impossible, lip plate finish wearing off (very annoying on lip, lemme tell you!). These things were fixed, time after time, and then the keys started getting sluggish again. More oil, more polishing, more this and that and the other thing. Finally, today, one of my key wires popped off during the entrance hymn and I had to scramble with a Bic pen to get it back in place.

*limit*

So today, we went out and tried out a few flutes at the music store where I get my supplies. I tried a couple, a Yamaha and a Gemeinhardt. Dreamy! And worlds above my little student flute without a doubt. While the Yamaha was $1600 and way over the budget I was thinking about, it seems that the Gemeinhardt KGB Special is on clearance for $799. It's a real intermediate flute, open hole, low B foot and inline G, and is solid silver. Its lesser quality (silver headjoint with plated body--and, not on sale, checking in at $789, just $10 less than the KGB) model, which I played in the back room, felt and sounded wonderful, though the open holes will take some practice. The solid silver will have better weight and tone.

I'll be called tomorrow to be told whether or not they could find it. The sales guy really wants to find it and get the sale, so if it exists in any of their stores, I've a feeling he'll get it. *g*

Criminey, I'm really telling myself to get good at the thing. But then, I've always enjoyed a challenge. ;^)

My 5 year-old has discovered online gaming. Now he won't play the Jump Start go-cart race game without waiting for others to join him and is doubly determined now that he's landed in third place thrice over. 0_0

It begins.

LOL!

Read that just now and did a...



Relativity is awesome.

There must be something wrong with me.

;^)