Saturday, January 31, 2009

Sunny Saturday

We're having beautiful, sunny weather in Seattle today. As soon as I'm done posting this I'll be taking Cal to the skateboard park. He improves with every visit.

Poor E will remain at home and file and shred. Cleaning off the desk is also on her agenda. She's not pumped about the job but I know when she's finished I'll get to hear how happy she is that it's done.

Tamara

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Friday, January 30, 2009

TGIF

It was a day filled with accomplishments. Not that I actually finished anything, but I felt like I made progress and I'm finding at work lately that progress is something. On top of that good news, it be Friday and that is always a good thing.

Now if I could actually accomplish stuff at home this weekend I would feel even better. Odds may be in may favor as we don't have major plans as of yet.

Back to the regularly scheduled updates! Enjoy 'em.

Elisa

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Thursday, January 29, 2009

Three Day Weekend

My four day week is done. Tomorrow the kids and I will tackle their rooms, go to McD's for lunch, and pick up my comics. I'll also throw in some clothes washing and hopefully clothes sorting.

Actually this week turned out to be lighter than I expected. Monday we were told the Shoreline high schools were only attending a half day on Wednesday and Thursday. Since technically we're an offshoot of Shorecrest High School we were to stick with the half day schedule. So yesterday and today I left work by 12:20. It was odd being home without everyone else. Kind of funny since that was my life for many years.

Decent update tonight. Enjoy 'em.

Tamara

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Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Rant from a Writer

I didn't have much to say tonight - apart from yes, my PIN arrived this morning and I have until noon Friday to file my tax return. I have never been so glad that one of my sisters is an accountant. *g*. It will be done in time. Other than that I was going to offer some random silliness - jokes & things. Of the quality of this (best said aloud)... a piece of string walks into a bar and the barman says to it, "I know what you are, you're a piece of string." The string replies, "Sorry, no, I'm afraid not." ... but as it happens I don't have to destroy your brain cells that way. You've been rescued by a rant from a friend of mine, an excellent writer whose work can be found HERE ... any comments you have send to me & I'll forward them.

Begin Rant:

I'm sorry -- can I rant for a moment?

I'm a writer. I can say that again after actually finishing several stories in 2008 and currently being on chapter 10 of a new novel (publishers out there, I'll be looking for you soon). While I have written some fanfic, I'm mostly interested in Original Fic. That's what I write. Original characters, original situations, original settings. Everything mine. I think I do it occasionally very well, and I'm proud of it. I have nothing against Fanfic; I've done one Xena fanfic, one BTVS fanfic, and four WMC fanfics. Nothing wrong with fanfic.

I heard about this fanfic exchange that's going on. Someone said I should go check it out, so I did, even though I didn't expect to see anything I could actually write about listed in their fandoms. For those of you who don't know what a fic exchange is, it's a fairly simple concept. Everyone interested in participating sends out a prompt as to what they would like to see in a story (what fandom, what pairing of characters, whether they want it be PG13 or NC17, and anything they really dislike like incest or character death, and some kind of prompt to go with it), and then a list of what fandoms they'd be willing to write in. The people running the exchange then match up the requested fandoms with the people who said they'd write in a fandom, and all the writers have a certain amount of time to finish their assigned stories. Simple, right?

Well, the organizers of this one put up a poll for fandoms they would include in this fic exchange. It was a nice long list, and then at the bottom you could write in another category if there was a fandom you didn't see listed.

Someone (not me) wrote in Original Fic as a write in category.

What did the organizers do? Well, their comments are in a private journal, so I can't tell you specific statements, but in my opinion they weren't exactly -- nice. I would call it snark, though others may not. Definite hints, in my opinion, that they were laughing. Granted, it was in a private journal, so they had every right to say what they wanted, and I'll respect their privacy as far as names and what was said. And if they didn't mean to sound so negative, then I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

But their attitude set off just about every hackle I have.

Why would Original Fic be so hard to include in a ficathon? How difficult would it be to say, "I'd like two original female characters who meet at such and such a place and end up doing this or that, or having sex or not having sex, and here's a prompt for inspiration." This is exactly what you're doing with fanfic exchange prompts. You want to say you don't like incest, or bdsm, or fic where one of them ends up dead? Cool. That's something you have the option of saying in your prompt for a fic exchange anyway. Worried you might not like what you get back, or that it might not meet your expectations? Most of the time in fic exchanges you don't get exactly what you wanted, but you get something you enjoy anyway, so what's the difference? Why is it so much harder to wrap someone's mind around the idea that people want to read Original Fic as well as rehashed characters in redone storylines in already familiar settings?

I have nothing against those who write strictly fanfic. And I enjoy reading some of those rehashed characters in redone storylines in already familiar settings, so don't take that quite as snarkily as it sounded. But as a writer of Original Fiction, I'm more than a little ticked off at this idea that the two can't be included in the same exchange.

Thank you to Uber Etc. for listing Original Fic; thank you to the Xena fandom who helped people move from Uber Xena to Original Fic and encouraged this movement; thank you to those of you who READ Original Fic; and thank you to those of you who WRITE it.

Now, here's me being quietly subversive. Here's the address for their fic exchange poll. I've already gone over and scrolled down to the bottom and listed Original Fic in the Write In Category at the bottom. I think (and it's just my opinion) that it would be really cool if they got a few more calls for Original Fic. More than a few. A lot more.

And if they get enough to include it in the official exchange list? I'll write for it, if you will. Let's show them how original Original can be.

And if you think I'm on crack for this, at least go over and write in Xena because they forgot that, too.

Shadowriter

End Rant

Thanks Shadow...

Ze

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Dentists

Over Christmas I broke a tooth. Well, shattered is probably a better description. I bit into an olive rather enthusiastically in the belief that it had been stoned. It hadn't. There was a nasty cracking noise and a chunk of tooth came away. As Xena would say "one of my good chewing teeth". I rang the dentist to see if I could get an appointment this side of the next decade and was dead lucky. The had a cancellation and if I could go the next day I could be seen. So I went. They couldn't save what was left of the tooth - unfortunately it had been filled and re-filled too often throughout my life and was now too weak. They gave me my options.

Just need to mention that here in the UK dentistry is not completely under the umbrella of the NHS so unlike all hospital treatment (emergency or other), GPs (your local family practitioner),etc., treatment is not totally free at the point of supply. It's subsidised rather than completely paid for by taxes which means there is a charge - but nothing like the full amount. American readers - please sit down - I won't be responsible for injuries sustained when fainting.

My options - cheapest was extraction at £44 less the £16 that I'd paid for my initial consultation. However - it could be crowned if I was willing to pay for that. They said that normal cost of crowns was £198 less the £16 (I went "ouch"). However they were prepared to charge only the cost of the crown itself and include the cost of preparation and X-rays at no extra charge if I paid in advance. Cost would then be £175 (less the £16). I thought about it for all of... ooh... 20 seconds and then told them to go ahead. So I've been walking round with a gap in my teeth for the past 3 weeks. Yesterday she fitted the new crown. She numbed my gums to do so. After it was all finished she gave me the usual lecture, don't eat/drink for two hours, don't eat anything sticky for two days, nothing too hard for a week. Then she said when the anaesthesia wears off there may be a small amount of discomfort, your jaw might ache a little bit.

Little bit. Is that like having a nuclear warhead explode in your garden and saying you thought you might have heard a noise?? I feel like I've been on the losing end of a bout with Frank Bruno!! There's no fear that I'll be eating anything too hard - I doubt I'll be eating anything other than soup for the rest of the week!!

Tooth looks good though.

Ze

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Monday, January 26, 2009

Blank

Sorry, a bit wordless tonight. Enjoy your updates

Elisa

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Sunday, January 25, 2009

Bah

It's snowing again. It started out this morning as just a dusting but here in the convergence zone the flakes have fattened up as the day has progressed. I'm not for fat snowflakes. I want skinny, intermittent snowflakes.

Four day week for me and the kids. E is jealous. She really shouldn't be. I plan on spending my Friday helping Cal and Duncan get their rooms in order. And I really need to thin out Cal's closet. It's time to get rid of those size 4 shirts.

Today much was accomplished even with the fat snowflakes. Best of all...the burn ban is off and the fireplace is going. I have to admit that I broke my resolution about never touching the damn thing. Let's hope my luck holds....

Tamara

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Saturday, January 24, 2009

Chore Day

The usual weekend and chores are upon us. Any of you have first hand knowledge on how to make two neurotic cats (from earlier abuse with dogs and people) become less so and to accept a dog into their lives again let me know.

A good size update for you, so lots to read and don't forget the feedback, writers will appreciate it.

Have a good night.

Elisa

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Friday, January 23, 2009

Lycos/Tripod Alert

An FYI to anyone who has a European site hosted by Lycos/Tripod, they're closing operations in Europe in four weeks. Also those of you with favorite abandoned sites hosted by this company, now might be the time to snag those stories. Here's the pertinent information courtesy of Ze: www.webuser.co.uk/news/news.php?id=275335.

Tamara

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Thursday, January 22, 2009

Foggy Days

We wake up to serious fog and as the sun rises it burns away slowly...by nightfall fog returns. I enjoy these foggy times, fairly common for my area, but when they are thick it's nifty to see. Darn cold though and a burn ban is in place, hence no fireplace...bummer. That is what the fleece throws are for I guess.

Now back to your updates, enjoy!

Elisa

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Wednesday, January 21, 2009

American kindness and my first american

I said I'd mention the fantastic things Americans had done for me. And then I'll tell you about the first time I met an American.

At the end of 2006 I was knocked off my motorbike when a car changed lanes right into me. The driver sped off without stopping. I was left very badly injured. I couldn't work. Self-employed means no work = no money. Things looked grim. American friends decided to help. They set up a website. They organised an appeal. Dozens of them offered things - autographed books, photos, characters in a novel - for auction. And scores more of Americans bid, bought or donated. Some sent gifts directly to me. All because they'd met me or chatted to me online & liked me. Or they'd not met me but liked my writing. E & Tamara sent stuff. In the end I had enough to pay my living expenses for almost 3 months. I was overwhelmed. I love Americans.

My first American. A bloke I met when I was living rough - I was about 15 - he was the worst stereotype of an American tourist you could imagine. Loud, rude, obnoxious, big hat - and fairly idiotic with it. He coloured my views of American tourists for years. (Bit like folks in Torremolinos or Thalaraki feel about Brits - they only see the worst of us). It wasn't until I started meeting more Americans on my travels around the world that I discovered Americans were also friendly, intelligent, fun and downright nice as well as idiotic.

Anyway - this bloke stopped me in Trafalgar Square after he'd heard me begging and told me he'd never met a real Cockney before and he wanted a picture of a real cockney in real cockney land. I was pretty rude and told him there was no such place, it wasn't like bloody Disneyland and anyway even though I was a real cockney, Trafalgar Square - whilst being in London - was in the City of Westminster not the City of London and so wasn't cockney country (just think of it this way - Pasadena and Glendale are part of LA - or they would be here in the UK - but they're not Watts). He ignored the rudeness - I figured at the time it was because Yanks were rude so it felt natural to him. He told me he'd give me five bucks to pose by the lions. I had no idea what five bucks was but he held out five pounds. Five pounds!!

I'd have sung the entire Dick van Dyke part from Mary Poppins for five pounds!! He obviously had no idea how much it was. Put in context - at 16 if I'd been working I would have expected about six to seven pounds for a whole week's wages. I posed for the picture. I talked rhyming slang for him. I put a neckerchief and a flat cap on (borrowed from a bloke selling pigeon food) and posed for a couple more pictures. I spared him the singing. He'll never know what a lucky escape that was.

Then he asked how to get to the Tower of London - was it close. I explained that London was a bloody big city and it was about four miles away. He said it was too far so I told him how to get there on the tube (subway train). For that five pounds I'd have been willing to take him there myself if he'd wanted to walk. He pulled out a couple of tickets he'd been give by a friend - they were for the Ceremony of the Keys. I was gobsmacked. How the hell had he got tickets for that!! Never mind, he was asking another question. He asked if the show would still happen because it was raining. I wanted to bang my head on a wall. I carefully explained to him that the Ceremony of the Keys had been carried out every night for over six hundred years.

I don't think he grasped the concept of six hundred years. It was a time that happened before there was a USA. He said "yeah but it's raining". I got ruder. I told him again, this time with the addition of some swear words, that the bloody ceremony been happening on every night - uninterrupted even by the Blitz - for over six hundred years - possibly even as long as nine hundred - and a little rain wouldn't stop it. I don't think he understood Blitz. I told him again that if Hitler's bloody bombers hadn't stopped it and had only made it late once - once - and that only because the Chief Warder had been blown off his feet by a bomb exploding nearby, then rain wasn't going to make a bleeding bit of difference.

I really should have been nicer to him - he'd just given me enough for a bed in a shelter and meals for a week. My only excuse is that I was an angry, hurt, fifteen-year-old kid. He went off satisfied that he wouldn't miss it. I still don't think he understood though. I think he thought it was some sort of parade put on for tourists like a Disney show, I don't think he got that it's simply a military tradition - like the Changing of the Guard or Beating the Retreat - that tourists have latched on to because they're quaint or colourful. I hope he wasn't too disappointed with the show - it only last about 20 minutes all told...

Ze

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Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Taxes and things

Watched the inauguration. Nice speech. Left me very hopeful. What was that bloke doing though - fluffing his lines?? Obama knew exactly what he had to say but that muppet who was reading it out to him completely bolloxed it.

Taxes. Here in the UK we generally don't have to worry. We have something called PAYE (pay as you earn). If you are employed by someone then they deduct tax each payday according to a code provided by the Inland Revenue and you never have to bother. If you're self-employed though - whole different kettle of fish. I think it's a lot like things are in the USA. You have to register for tax and then fill out all the appropriate forms providing income and expenditure details. Then pay the assessed tax in a lump sum.

You can do this the old fashioned way by hand-filling forms & posting them. The cut-off date for this is the end of September. Or you can be nice and modern and do the necessary paperwork online. Cut-off date January 31st. File after that and you get fined. You have to register on the Inland Revenue site and they will send you your PIN. Not PIN number if you please - PIN stands for Personal Identification Number so that would be number number!! That's worse than HIV virus (Human Immunodeficiancy Virus virus). It takes 7 days to get your PIN.

I'm self-employed. Guess when I registered. Yep. Today. What do you reckon?? Think I can get it done in time?? *g* I'll keep you posted...

Ze

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Monday, January 19, 2009

Ramble from phair

We are once again lucky enough to have phair share part of her world.
It's colder than a titch's wit up here in the Commonwealth. We've seen more than a few days in single digits and too many snowy days this soon in the new year. The ground is little more than rock hard ice and slippery as the proverbial slope. After a two year absence, winter has reasserted his birthright strangle hold on New England.

And, so it goes, my house is cold. I've got it just warm enough to keep the pipes from freezing. My body, however, is not as easily maintained as the pipes or as easily warmed as last year, it would seem.

"I'm feelin' the cold," my mother would say as she got older.

I use to tease her that she kept our house like an ice box when we lived in a triple decker in the city. She'd flash me that glare which frightened me as a child but amused me no end as an adult.

"You just wait," was the warning to end the conversation. Usually, it was the warning which ended all conversation.

Now I know what she meant. The chill likes to settle across my shoulders and if I don't put on a sweater, I'll have a stiff neck the next morning. My preference is to keep my feet bare at home. But lately, they are like size 7 blocks of ice by evening. I've taken to wearing the feeted pajamas I got in 2004 as a, 'just in case.' But, worst of all, my nose is cold - I think I hate that most.

Still, the snow falls mindless of my discomfort. Actually, it continues mindless of all human suffering. Winter will flurry and blizzard through my lifetime as it did throughout my mother's which was dramatically similar to the winters of my grandmother's life. There's a reassuring repetitive poetry to winter. A snow covered field is not much different between my grandmother's time and my toddler niece's. Snow, cold and white, falls in drifting swirls or driven on the Northeast wind to cover the grass with a frozen blanket until the sun muscles her way back to power and melt it all away.

We talk so much about the human ability to save or destroy the planet. How we're warming or cooling or defrosting the globe. The seas are rising and the farm lands are dry. All of nature is on the verge of extinction because of the reckless over population of the earth by the bipeds with opposable thumbs.

It is kind of funny, when you're trapped shivering in your cold home because of ice and snow, to think how much of our time we spend worrying about ruining the environment. It might be closer to the truth that we have no real ability to save the planet. In fact, it may be truer that the world will just have to save and destroy us - one snow flake at a time.

phair


You know last time she wrote I was somewhat jealous of her snow, that no longer holds true. So for tonight I wish us all an early spring. For those of us in the US, on this historic Martin Luther King Day I wish you all the very best and even more so I hold the hope we all have a brighter future with tomorrow's inauguration of Barack Obama.

Enjoy your updates!

Elisa

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Sunday, January 18, 2009

Still Sun...Amazing

The sun continues here in Seattle and we took advantage of it today taking Max to a dog park and Cal to the skateboard park. Tomorrow the sun is supposed to reappear, which means we'll get out with kids and dog once again.

So far the weekend has been productive. I purchased not one new pair of walking shoes but three. One was free so it's not quite as crazy as it sounds. I now have choices when it comes to my foot comfort at work. I'm looking forward to trying them out on Tuesday.

We also made it to Sam's and bought two mattresses for the trundle bed that we assembled last week. The boys now have a place to sleep here that's not the inflatable mattress on the living room floor. Yay!

Tamara

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Saturday, January 17, 2009

Sun

The area lately has been shadowed by fog, however today the sun broke free. Tamara, Calvin and I got some chores done amongst the traffic and crowds of other folks out enjoying the splendid afternoon.

A nice long weekend for many of us Americans lies ahead. If you are one of the lucky ones (with us), enjoy it! May the rest of you at least have a grand weekend.

Elisa

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Friday, January 16, 2009

Yay! It's Friday!

And I get a lovely three day weekend. What could be better? No debt and the ability to lose weight overnight. I reckon I'll just have to be content with the three day weekend.

The school where I work is expanding. We're scheduled to get five more students soon, which puts a strain on our already tight school space. As a result two of us have been shuffled to the auxiliary classroom waaaaay down the hall. Tuesday when I go back to work I'm wearing a pedometer to see just how many steps I log in a day. My feet are curious (and sore).

Tamara

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Thursday, January 15, 2009

Announcement Night

A couple of quick announcements tonight, first I want to recommend for all of you that enjoyed the online version of Grace by Kris Dresen to consider supporting her work and purchasing your very own copy of the 192 page graphic novel. I'm looking forward to my copy arriving.

Secondly a big thank you to all of you folks that responded to FireDragonArmy about the Gunmetal Dark chapters. She has them all now and appreciates so many of you contacting her so quickly. Also if anyone wants to consider archiving them for her on a web site please contact her directly at FireDragonArmy@gmail.com

Now back to your update, enjoy 'em!

Elisa

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Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Why Americans??

So...continuing from last night... why was I brought up to hate Americans?? Well, once upon a time in England, before the second world war, there lived a handsome prince (who we'll call William). William had an older brother (who we'll call John.) William worshipped his big brother. He though that John walked on water. John was his hero. But it was 1939 and a really evil wizard had stolen the throne of a faraway country called Germany. The wizard had cast a spell on the people and made them do horrible things. Like start a war. John was in the army and had to go. Rifleman John was sent to N Africa. Where he fought for years and years. Eventually (he was now Corporal John) he went to Italy. One day while fighting in Italy he and his platoon were in place in their dugout on a small rise above a valley. They had held on to this strategically important spot against heavy odds for days but now the enemy had been driven back and they were waiting to be relieved. Two platoons of newly arrived, brand-new American soldiers were sent to relieve them. They wandered down the middle of the road towards the dugout. Before they could get there they heard some shooting. And an aeroplane flew past with it's machine guns firing. It was an American aircraft and it wasn't shooting at them but still they panicked. And they turned tail and ran away. Their sergeants tried to stop them but couldn't. (In their defence they were conscripts, it was their first sight of battle and probably not one of them was over 18).

That was bad enough. But then - in order to cover up the fact that they had run away - they lied. They said that Corporal John's position had been over-run and they were all dead. They said the Germans had fired at them and they were lucky to escape. And so their Captain ordered that the post should be shelled with mortar fire.

And the Americans blew Corporal John and his men to pieces.

One of Corporal John's men had been answering a call of nature a little way off and so he wasn't killed outright, he lived just long enough to tell the tale of how they'd watched the Americans run away. And when Corporal John's Lieutenant went to the American Captain he was told "Too bad. It's a war, buddy. Get lost." And nothing was done. And the Lieutenant wrote to Corporal John's mother and told her the tale. And she cried a lot and cursed Americans. And she gave William the letter and the medal that they'd given John and William cried. And when it came William's turn to go to war he asked to be posted to Burma to fight the Japanese because, although it was a terrible place to be, there were no Americans there.

I have that medal still. William was my father and he hated Americans because they never even said sorry for killing his hero. My father taught us to hate Americans too. Hate's like that. You have to be taught it. That Captain taught my father to hate and he taught me. Fortunately for me life taught me to stop hating. Hating is hard - it takes so much energy. It's far, far easier to love.

I am blessed that I have so many good friends who are American. And next week I'll tell you of the fantastic things they've done for me. And how grateful I am to have them in my life.

Enjoy your updates. Good Night and may your God/s go with you..

Ze

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Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Racism & Americans

Whoa!! Hold your water!! Before you all pelt me with indignant emails *g*. That header doesn't mean Americans are racist (though, like everywhere else on the planet, I'm sure a fair few are). No, it means I'm going to start with racism as a topic, then move on to prejudice in general, then on to a specific prejudice - about Americans.

It was the recent fuss about the HRH Prince of Wales and his son Prince Harry that made me start thinking. (In case you haven't heard the British Press have got their knickers in a twist because 3 years ago, before he went to war and grew up a bit, Harry is heard calling an Army friend Paki. Following that little revelation the press then threw a wobbly on hearing that Prince Charles affectionately nicknames a polo-club pal as Sooty.

I really don't get the Sooty furore. When I was growing up Sooty was a little, yellow, teddy-bear glove puppet with a best friend called Sweep. Sooty was never a euphemism for or insult to or even reference about any non-white. And the pal says it's just an affectionate nickname and it doesn't bother him. So wtf is the problem?? Paki, yeah, now that's different. Ok you can ask if Brit isn't an insulting shortening of British why is Paki insulting?? It's just a short form of Pakistani. It would be nice if that was all it was. Unfortunately (like the N word) its use in this country has been, almost exclusively, as a racist epithet. It's not the word itself that's the problem. And that brings me to my next point. It isn't words that are racist or bigoted. It's the people who use them. It's the way they're used. If an African-American uses the N word nobody reels in horror and says he's racist. But if anybody else...

Take Irish jokes. The person I learnt all mine from was my great-uncle Seamus. Born, grew up and eventually died in the same small town in the Republic. Never left, even to go on holiday. Said he lived in the finest place this side of heaven so why go anywhere else. His favourite joke - every single time we visited. How do you confuse an Irishman?? Put 3 spades against the wall and ask him to take his pick. Then he'd laugh like a hyena. Would I get away with telling that joke in public - in my broad cockney accent?? No fear. But why shouldn't I be able to?? I'm half Irish.

We throw isms about too easily these days. Once upon a time we could tell the difference between affection and hatred. Between gentle fun and downright bigotry. We could laugh at ourselves. Now we scream with outrage the moment we even think someone might be not PC. My uncle Seamus would be disappointed. He loved a good laugh.

Now I promised you my prejudice. Not racism please. American isn't a race. I was brought up to hate Americans. I was brought up to think they were liars and cowards. I despised Americans. Until I was in my 20s and started travelling the world. And meeting Americans. I made a couple of good friends. And I learned not to judge the many by the few. Then came the internet. And I made a hell of a lot of American friends. I'll tell you why I hated Americans tomorrow - coz I've gone on long enough. Who?? Me?? Tease?? *g*

Ze

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Monday, January 12, 2009

Welcome to Monday

Sorry tired tonight, hence lack of words. But you are in luck as there is quite a bit to read. Enjoy it!

Elisa

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Sunday, January 11, 2009

Blah

Another weekend comes to a close. Back to the day job I head. Hope you all had a good one. A few more stories tonight, so enjoy.

Elisa

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Saturday, January 10, 2009

Heading Home

Took mom to the airport this morning. Seems odd not having her here. Both kids are sad and so am I. I think we've convinced her to come back for spring break but I do wish she lived closer.

Small update tonight. Enjoy 'em.

Tamara

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Friday, January 09, 2009

TGIF

My work week has come to an end. A very a good thing. This week has felt extremely long and I am ready for the break. So I leave you with the updates, enjoy 'em.

Elisa

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Thursday, January 08, 2009

Back in the Groove

Well, it's been a week. Monday we had still more snow and opened an hour and a half late. Not the best way to get special needs kids back on a regular schedule. Then Tuesday we couldn't take them to PE because the gym was being used for a meeting. Argh! Wednesday and Thursday have gone like clockwork, however. I have high hopes for tomorrow being just as smooth. *knock wood*

My own kids have gotten back into the groove. Cal has three half days this week to make up for the three half days scheduled for parent/teacher conferences that were canceled due to snow. Duncan is incredibly jealous. He keeps telling my mom he'll see her at 11:10 to be picked up.

Tonight I get a break from cooking dinner. We're loading up the van and heading to little e's grandma's house for dinner. Then back to get kids showered and settled in for the evening. I'm ready for the settling in part.

Big Buffy update tonight. Y'all enjoy 'em.

Tamara

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Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Comics, people & stuff

The reading kind that is. Not the stand up sort. I couldn't think what to say tonight - I'd almost decided on an anecdote about American tourists I met in my youth and then Lara Z commented on my immeasurable skill at attracting strange characters into my life. And a reader called Lorraine commented on comics. Those two remarks collided in the cavern between my ears and I went "ah-ha" (honestly - I did). And I thought I'd tell you about Comic Shop Man. Because he's the character to end all characters. You couldn't make him up, nobody would believe you.

In case you hadn't guessed, I also read and collect comics. Not with the same devotion that Tamara has though. I'm selective about the titles I choose. Xena (of course, Even though the current series is...well..(just imagine 20 minutes of really bad language). One or two DC titles. And ever since my childhood (when she first appeared as a syndicated newspaper strip) Modesty Blaise.

For the past 15 years I've bought them at the same place. A tiny little specialist shop, hidden off the beaten track, which deals in comics, graphic novels and bric-a-brac devoted to comics & sci-fi, statues of characters etc.. If you don't know it you won't find it without help. New customers get served by the owner's wife. She's a nice, polite lady with a broad West-Country accent. Regular customers - if he likes them - get served by the owner. If he likes you enough he'll bend over backwards to get the things you want. But you have to ask in the approved style. And get answered that way. My cousin has coveted a statue of the Alien for about four years. She has never been able to go in and buy it though. Because he knows she's my cousin she'll have to ask properly. She just can't bring herself to do it. And I've been mean and won't do it for her. I may soon though because he's closing down in March as his health is too poor to carry on. Damn!! I'm going to miss him.

The approved method?? You walk in and slam the door behind you. When he looks up you point to the item and say (in a loud voice), "How much are you overcharging for this f***ing piece of s**t then?? Whereupon he will shout his reply, "More than you can f***ing afford, you f***ing b*stard." Then both of you grin. Then he'll say, "Want a f***king cuppa??" The correct response is "Too f***ing right." His wife will then bring tea or coffee for all the negotiating parties. The swearing stops and you discuss the price. Except for new comics (which are price-fixed) nothing in the shop has a price marked. You must never pay the first price he asks. Always offer one quarter. By the time you've finished your drink you'll have agreed a price (half his first, twice your first, which is what it would have been marked at if it had been marked). You shake hands, pay for your goods and then he says with a grin, "Sod off you thieving git." And you reply "Till next time you f***ing mangy tosser". He'll shake hands again, his wife will give you a hug and you leave with your purchase.

He has a pretty decent number of regular customers and they're all very loyal. I'm really going to miss him.

Ze

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Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Twelfth Night

Otherwise known as Epiphany. The twelfth day of Christmas. And the day that here in the UK is traditionally the day the Christmas decs get taken down and stored away until next year. You can take them down earlier - a lot of people do these days. Some pack them all away on New Year's Day (note the addition of the apostrophe and the word day there, please. It's a possessive not a plural *g*). There's nothing wrong with clearing them away early but it's considered terribly bad luck to leave them up any longer than today. The room doesn't half look empty without the tree in it. (It's a bloody big tree we have).

Getting the tree packed away and everything taken down went quite well. I remained uninjured (which is a minor miracle in itself). The tree was safely back in the loft without damage. And I only broke one tree ornament. Oh - and a light bulb. I didn't look where I was swinging the ladder that I'd used to get into the loft. But that was all. Pretty good I thought.

It's flamin' cold here, too. Ok, by the standards of half of Europe and great chunks of the USA it's not that bad - but I'm a wimp when it comes to being cold. And it's minus 5c. I want it to be summer please. Now would be nice.

Did pretty well with pressies too. Well, except for the gloves. An elderly lady of my acquaintance likes to knit. Earlier this year she gave me a scarf because she knows I feel the cold. Unfortunately she's a very enthusiastic knitter and she doesn't always stop in time. I'm 1m 72 tall (that's around 5ft 8) the scarf is brown and three metres long. Three metres!! (Ten feet or so). Am I supposed to wear it round my neck or mummify the dead bodies of my enemies in it?? So for Christmas she knitted some gloves to go with it. They're lilac. Bright lilac. Because of course a three-metre-long scarf is just desperate to have a pair of lilac gloves as a companion. Do I look like the sort of person that mummifies themselves in brown wool and tops it off with lilac gloves?? I thanked her very politely though and told her how lovely they were. I'll wear them every time I go to visit her. But if you think for one minute I'll even contemplate wearing them at any other time... hah!!

Final thing. I've heard again from my emailer of stereotype fame. He or she (still don't know) pointed out that there had been a question mark. I no longer had the email when I posted (having deleted it at once) so couldn't check. And since (presumably) it was a correctly written single one (not like the annoying habit I've had since first learning to write of doubling up question or exclamation marks) I was not observant enough and missed it. I apologise for that. I stand by every other thing I said though.

Ze

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