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puddlelilies.com / proofreading negates the immediacy of feeling

Month: November 2009

  • Hi.

    The book “The Ask and the Answer” has raised some questions in my head. Or at least comments, if they aren’t actually questions. The first is that I don’t know if the book was really good or if I was too caffienated, but I stayed up into the wees finishing it the other night. It is a page-turning adventure. What kept me turning those pages was that I was wondering how the characters were going to get themselves out of their problems: it’s a young adult book, so the teenage heros should be working their way out of their problems independent of adult help. The thing is, though, they didn’t do this. The whole book they are dealing with hopeless situations, and at the end of the book, things are still hopeless. “Arrrrg!” I said, since the next book in the series is not out yet. While it seems that the characters are making progress, they spent the most of the book being yanked around by adult antagonists. Mostly the teenagers just solve the problem of realizing that this is happening, that the adults are using them to get what they want, so I guess there is a little of that YA spirit, but mostly, the story is more reflective of ‘real life’ teenagers, who are often not actually in control of their own lives, still dependant on adults. I hope the characters get to grow into actually solving the problems of the plot in the next book or I shall be vexed, as I have just read two books showing me that they are capable of it.

    Lindsie’s review of Harry Potter (the latest one) in IMAX: Fun and all but only a couple of shots that really take advantage of the size of the screen. Most of the movie, therefore, is just really huge talking faces! But I had fun because mum and dad came down to watch and we went for dinner beforehand. Oh! And I also have a pattern for the hat that Hermione wears in the snowy scenes that I’m going to make. Another distracted movie reiveiw by Lindsie!

  • I just slept a lot. Around 8 last night my eyes got sleepy so I closed them and didn’t open them until 5:30 this morning. And then I slept some more! I don’t feel especially chipper or anything now, but it’s good to have rested so long if I needed it, I suppose.

    My plans for today include reading, writing, cleaning the bathroom and going for groceries. Maybe by listing them here they’ll get done. I keep being unproductive with my days… Mostly due to being ill for several of them.

  • I don’t like how Old Navy has been using the term “cardie” in their ads. Now when I use that term, as I do, others will think that I am mimicing Old Navy. For the record I am mimicing that scene from “Notting Hill” where Hugh Grant’s sister says that Hugh’s shop assistant has a “nice cardie”. I like Hugh Grant’s sister in that movie. So zany. My dad calls Hugh Grant “dirtbag” and Julia Roberts “horseface” so “Notting Hill is one of his favorite movies to disrupt whenever anyone is watching it.

    I got a new cardie last week at H&M in Vancouver. I love it but haven’t been able to wear it until today because I didn’t want to wear it while I was sick. I’m still sickly today but I wore it anyway to see if it would make me feel better. I think it did. I felt quite smart in it: smart like “Notting Hill” not like Old Navy.

  • There are tiny birds just outside my apartment making a lot of noise. It’s tiny, chirpy noise but noise anyway. There are a lot of them. I’m frightened… Ok, it just suddenly and completely stopped and I’m back to just the sound of traffic. Ho hum.

  • Amusing anecdote about Lindsie # 1: I occasionally am baffled by the element guides on my stove. As in, I look at them and can’t tell which knob is going to turn on a particular element. I usually take the few seconds needed to decipher whether I am about to turn on the front or back element, but once or twice I have put on the wrong one, resulting in a sad pot of non-boiled water and me having to wait longer for my pasta.

    Amusing acecdote about Lindsie # 2: My mum makes good pickles. I usually keep these in good stock, but I have lately run out and needed to go buy some store-bought pickles for my hamburgers. I feel a little guilty when I do this, and also a little annoyed at having to pay for pickles. Added to this is the fact that I don’t entirely trust store-bought pickles. Not about the taste, which is fine if not as good as my mum’s, or the cost or anything. They just seem suspicious and smug to me. Also, at the store they have the jars labled “GARLIC” and “NO GARLIC” adding to my stress since I didn’t know that garlic was even an issue when it comes to pickles. Also, why would they say “NO GARLIC” if there is no garlic? Why not just leave that label off? Vexing. No peanuts, maybe, no dairy would be cool. “THESE CRACKERS HAVE NO DAIRY IN THEM WHATSOEVER.” Yes.

  • It’s remembrance day so I spent some time remembering, and thinking. It doesn’t feel like enough.

    I’m showing symptoms: sore throat, tight chest and a bit of a cough. It’s the chest part that worries me, but only because it lasts. There are respiratory problems with H1N1, but my chest always gets tight when I’m sick so I don’t know if I should worry about it in this new way or not. While I think about that I’m knitting and writing my Nano. While I knit I have “The Eyre Affair” on CD to listen to. I’m going to start a new patten, though, so I think I’ll have to leave the “book” off for a while so I can think about my rounds. (Of knitting… and each one is going to be different, which is why I have to think and leave off the book, which would either be distracting, or wouldn’t get listened to properly).

    I use the word “probably” too much in my writing. Things should either be what they are, or not, and no probably about it. I occasionally blame my characters for their indecisiveness; however, ultimately, their indecisiveness is my fault, isn’t it?

    There was nothing on TV last night so I wrote instead. I wish this was how things progressed in my normal routine.

  • I just watched “chorus line” and I liked it a lot. A little spooky in the way we get to know all the characters, but the point of the show is all about how dancers in the chorus are meant to look the same. And in the end, aftere spending two hours getting individualized, they all come out in matching costumes and we can no longer tell them apart. Spooky! They do a very nice kick line though– the finale bit is why I like the show so much– but it’s so great because the characteristics of the dancers are wiped out. Poor dancers.

    Anyway my trip over here was just lovely except that it hasn’t been raining the whole time like the forecast said. So I’m wearing my big nerdy raincoat instead of my cute winter jacjet. Curses! But the real thing I was worried about was the ferry being late and having to wait for the bus in Tswassen for an hour because it only leaves on the hour and exactly on the hour even if the ferry is late. But the ferry was perfectly on time, and the were two busses waiting: one expressing right to the new Bridgeport skytrain hub. I like when transit corresponds pleasantly.

    I made a quick stop at Dressew as soon as I got here and picked up many circular knitting needles because they were cheep cheep cheep. Now I have to do many projects. But not during this trip as I have no yarns with me.

    The crowd staying in the room below me in this here hotel is loud. My bets are on me sleeping soundly anyway.

    Yaaar. Chorus Line.

  • I have the sidiest of side parts today. It just appeared after brushing my hair this morning. I secured it in place with a little no-frizz and 2 clips.

    I had a tea this afternoon so I hope that it doesn’t keep me awake tonight.

    Holy mo what a boring day.

  • I just saw some amazing dance. I’ll try to find a link later. The show started with some experimental theatre so I was a bit scared, not liking, just for the sake of example here, where the performer enters the crowd and starts singing to people. After this number, though, there was a pretty stable fourth wall so I was comfortable enough. Although at one point, there was a dancer who was just too into her self: “At least look out to the crowd a little,” I thought to myself. Then along comes the next number and I have a woman ringing a bell and chatting to me in gobbledygook. Right to me. I guess I had it coming, and she didn’t need me to chat back or anything, but you know, me and audience participation are at odds, I suppose.

    I met my friend Jane there. I know Jane from dance class and *her name is Jane*. Jane has already read the book I am reading and laughs when I am witty.

    Tomorrow I work hard for money. With money I purchase pre-made hamburger patties and eat two, which is too many. Ergo, money makes me fat. However money also pays for my dance lessons, which make me trim, so I should stop complaining and go to bed so I am refreshed for work tomorrow. Only four days before a flex day. I will eat delicious meat sandwiches for lunch and remember to go to walking club on Wednesday.

    Today in knitting I learned how to decrease, which is easy. I also learned how to increase, which has a trick.

  • I was feeling crazy, restless and weird this morning. Well, from about 10:20 to 2. Then I ate hamburgers and now I feel better. I hoped that this was the case. However, in my craziness I forgot that two hamburgers is too many. One is enough! And then I suppose I could compliment it with some salad or vegetables.

    I’m not sharing my NanoWrimo efforts publicly this year. I think I have in the past… I can’t remember. But I’m trying to be more real about what I’m writing (opposed to my usual fantasies) and don’t want the pressure/judgement of others reading it to cramp my style. It’ll be shared at a later point, no doubt.

    I have plans to visit Julie B in Vancouver next week when I am there. Yaw! I have her link somewhere… Haw: here it is. It doesn’t actually show her if you look, but her essence is definately present.

    I used the extra hour of the time change this morning to write… And check my face book and email and everything needed in preparation for writing. I have about zero discipline. I’m still trying to edit through my Nano from 2007, and have just forgotten/denied everything from my 05 and 06 attempts.