Friends

I hath tweeted:

• 10:59 I can't decide on my ending for a story: ellenmillion.livejournal.com/1006863.html #
• 13:43 OH GOD. I had a terrible half an hour absolutely certain I'd deleted all of my artist pay calculations. I'll go breathe in a paperbag now... #

Business as Usual

I got about a quarter of the anthology final-edited today. A second proof of the paperdolls book should be in my hands in... a week or two? I started slogging through artist pay, and nearly gave myself a heart attack when the printer stopped responding (the already DELETED artist pay calcs in the queue). Then I spent way too long fixing that problem.

And I got several hours in on day job and freelance job. Woo! Productive day!

Tomorrow will be at the day job.

Art and authoring

My story Genius is up at Torn World! I'm working on a new one that is young Birka and Fala-centered. I'd like to get a short finished every week for a while. This one is drawing on personal experiences that I've translated to story form before - but never quite like this!

Happy ending is totally whupping tragic ending in the poll I posted earlier.

Home and health

I'm a little sniffly today. Took vitamins, and am rubbing cat feet for luck in lieu of having any rabbits around. Between bellydance on Tuesday and crunches at the gym yesterday, my abs are killing me. My shoulders are a touch sore, too.

I've cleaned the kitchen today, and am doing a load of laundry now.

Planning

I dunno! I've got fun coding things I could do. I've also got a monstrous Torn World watercolor I'm working on - as big as Roses!! My new watercolor brushes shipped today, so I should finish the pencils for it soonish. I could play with my new acrylic paints, too. (They're so shiny and new! Even if some of my tubes came all squashed up in the mail.)

I'm working on a story that could equally go either direction. Pick your poison!

Poll #1508458 Happy versus Sad
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 26

Happy ending or sad?

I hath tweeted:

• 08:43 I feel a huge rant coming on... #
• 18:10 I have a new #TornWorld story up! www.tornworld.net/storypageview.php?id=47 #

Jamie called me last night. Just like that, after all these months. He sounded well, more well than I have heard him in a long time. We caught up a little bit, and he strongly hinted that he might rejoin Group 1 in Feb., although he made no promises. I sure do hope so! It's kind of odd, because I was just lamenting a couple of weeks ago how I had lost a friend - Meggan told me I would hear from him again when he was feeling better, but I didn't believe her. Sometimes I talk a better optimism than I feel inside.

DDO is weird. Last night, I noticed my character sheet said I was capped at level 4. So, I went to the DDO store, spent points I had earned in game, and "bought" a copper token thing, that increases the cap to level 8. That's slightly odd, that I have to spend resources for the privilege of going up levels, but the really odd things is that I get a receipt in my real-life email that looks exactly like a receipt I'd get if I bought something over the internet with a credit card. Anyway, I wasn't on long, but I did do one or two quests. However, my biggest accomplishment was learning how to use my collectibles bag - my inventory is so organized and clean now!

This super cold weather we've been having (it's been in the teens every night for several days, and will continue this way for several more) is making me worry about the water pipes at Burns. Sarah called the renters to ask them to leave some water running these nights, but nobody answered, and she had to just leave a message.

Christmas break is over - the kids went back to school today. They had been out since a week before Christmas. I hope they're having a great day.

I have an expense check due to come this week - my company reimburses us for our home internet since we use it for Help Desk, and I submitted for 6 months' worth in late December. If we do get it, Sarah and I have agreed we'll go out to dinner Friday night. We have cut back on eating out so much over the last several months! We've had to, though, because of all the expenses of moving and getting the Burns house fixed up. We have a lot on our credit card right now, more than we've had in years. But luckily, it's by choice, really - we could pay it off entirely with what's in our checking account, although that would make the balance there too small for comfort.

We had a staff meeting yesterday, and before it started, my boss raved about how good Avatar was in 3-D. He has good taste in movies, I have discovered, so I take his recommendations seriously. So, my family is going to try to go sometime soon since Sarah not having seen it at all gives the rest of us a good excuse to go for a second time! And speaking of movies, have you seen the trailer starring Hit-Girl (warning: not for sensitive parents of sweet daughters)? Wow. I think I'm going to have to see it.

Have I mentioned that I like just about everything about our new house? I really do. There are some things I want, though: a storage shed, framed awards & diplomas all over the office walls, an American flag to mount on a front porch pillar, a chainsaw for cutting firewood, and someday, mini instant water heaters under the master bath sinks and the kitchen sink since it takes so long now for hot water to reach them.

Current Mood: content

I hath tweeted:

• 16:10 Exhausting day! Juggled phones for three jobs at once and coded like a maniac. #
• 19:03 YUM! Halibut, asparagus, mushrooms, ginger, garlic and soy over calamari noodles. I have bellydance in an hour, I hope I can waddle there... #

OK, so for those not already on the Google Group:

One of my resolutions was to be more social and not loose touch with folks that I like hanging out with. Since I'm no longer all that excited to go running through the woods with fun noodle and birdseed packets, this has caused me to feel really out of the loop.

Not that it's anyone's fault really, we're all social adults with busy lives and all that. So I figure a monthly meet-up mixer would be a good way to keep tabs and hang out. So as of this month, I will do my best to coordinate them. To that end, I've restarted the old Beer & Board Games google group.

First meet-up to play board games, drink beer, and hang out is this Saturday. I'm thinking just noon to six. Make the next one in Feb. go the long haul, as I'm sure we're all still in post-holiday wind-down. ;-)

So yeah, if you want on the Google Group and are not on already, let me know. That is all. Q, over and out.

But rewarding! Our bedroom is about half-sided, the dusty-awful tapestries are all down, and the space feels a hundred times larger than it did two days ago. Having electricity in the right places is awesome. It smells like Christmas trees (pine siding!) and sawdust.

I had to ice my hands for a while afterwards, and I made naan (recipe number 4, not as good as the last one) for an amazing Indian dinner, and I coded a lot on Torn World (a LOT. And so much still to do!) and now I go to bed.

Zzzzzz....

So far I have set aside five boxes to go to Goodwill. I have thrown away several boxes of trash. And I have put six boxes on the couch in the livingroom that are full of my husband's belongings. They aren't going back in the closet. We could make a whole lot of money on EBAY with some of that stuff...just saying'.

[Edited to add: I'm now up to eight boxes to go to Goodwill, and ten boxes that the husband has to look through (my husband is a pack rat, I have always known this, and love him anyway).

I haven't yet looked in Alex's closet, which contains a bunch more stuff that hasn't seen the light of day in quite some time. I'm also going to go through the kitchen. To touch Danny's coffee cups would be to die a slow death, but I think I can prune out some pans and other sundries.

Also on the chopping block will be some of Alex's toys and stuffed animals. We took all of her stuffed animals out of her room the other day due to misbehavior, so this affords me the opportunity to look through them and lose a few.]

Muscles and fingers hurt! Between chopping wood, yesterday's power wrangling, and putting up a whole lot of tongue and groove in the bedroom today, I am well worn. But the bedroom is looking a LOT nicer. No more extension cords stretched out across the floor! I have a light next to my bed again! Yay!

Looking forward to some writing tonight.

I hath tweeted:

• 00:05 #tornworld is alive! New material is starting to go up, and daily posts are being posted. tornworld.net - join the adventure! #

I wired in receptacles today - 6 of 'em. Including replacing one box and sealing up a wall. My fingers HURT.

So this entry is brief.

Isn't it crazy? 2010?!

That also means that Torn World is live!

A new story is up, as well as a new piece of work - part 1 of City of Lights, and the first of our daily posts is up: http://community.livejournal.com/torn_world/4464.html

General submissions for art and fiction are open (you must join as a creative contributor to submit)! We also have supporter accounts for sale - each supporter who has already paid is getting a free print of their choice from my gallery as a personal thank-you, but it's not too late to get in on awesome early-adopter deals. Any reader or contributor who purchases a supporter account (of any length!) between now and July will be entered in a raffle to win one of my originals, as well as other prize choices!

Background information is gradually trickling from our contributors-only wiki to the new articles database - you can see some of the entries online now: http://www.tornworld.net/setting.php

And, because it's January, nothing to do with 2010, there is a new issue of EMG-Zine online!

There are subscriber accounts at EMG-Zine also available, and remember that with those you get an ad in the banner rotation - not everyone has taken advantage of that perk, so there are literally only two in the rotation now! Very good exposure, and extremely affordable prices. What's more, all of those subscriptions come with subscription dollars, which don't go to some mythical overhead, but directly, completely to the authors and contributors that you choose. Really love Ursula's Wombat Droppings? Learn a new trick from Melissa or Annie's art technique articles? Is there a feature in our awesome searchable archives that you have referenced more than once? We've got FOUR years of amazing material online! Give our writers a reason to keep writing for us, AND enhance your own reading enjoyment!

As I understand it, EMG-Zine would be eligible for The Rose and Bay Awards (Other category), if any of you folks felt like nominating it! Additionally, I think our model allows any fiction or poetry piece to be nominated for their categories (there doesn't appear to be a post for poetry yet, but should be soon).

Please consider spreading the word about both projects - tweet about it, blog about it, or just mention it to friends you think might be interested!

Today I got up early and went to the movies at Colonial 18 in Lawerenceville.

Mild spoilers follow.

First, I saw Avatar (starting at 9:25 AM!). It was better than I expected, especially the romance. The blue aliens were fairly human-like, despite greater height, being three fingered, and having super powers in their hair. As I watched the movie, their culture reminded me too strongly of the current over-idealized concept of the American Indian - it was almost like Disney's Pocahontas, right down to the evil white men trying to take their land. The humans were fascinating, though, with an excellent variety of well-portrayed iconic roles: the Good Warrior, the Evil Warrior, the Scientist, and the Traitor for Good. Experienced movie goers may rightly claim that they've seen all this movie's thematic elements, and most of its plot elements, before, but they can't claim they've ever seen these elements put together quite like this! The action was excellent, the scenery was breathtaking (I saw it in 2-D, but I understand 3-D is also available), and the actors' portrayals highly engaging. I'll want to see it again when it comes out on DVD: solid B.

I'll pause here to mention that my movie viewing was briefly interrupted when a manager made his way to me down the row of seats where I was sitting, after the movie started. "Mr. Rariden?" he whispered. What good could possibly come of this, I thought! "Yes," I answered, and then he handed me my billfold. "You dropped this in the lobby," he said. "I had to look at the video to see which movie you went into," he said, by way of explaining why it had taken him so long to get it to me, I suppose. All I could manage was, "Wow, thanks!" before he left. To make this story even more remarkable, I must mention that, besides credit cards, I had a $100 bill in there - and there it remains. Wow, indeed!

Movie #2 was Sherlock Holmes. Much has been made of the Sherlock Holmes/Dr. Watson, Robert Downey/Jude Law relationship in the movie, but I can't say it did all that much for me. Clearly they were close friends, but to imply that they were gay just seems like a silly stretch for sensationalism to me. They were fun to watch, and worked well together, period. Just because a guy may feel "jealous" about a woman taking his friend's attention away from him says zip about sexuality. As for the plot, it presented a mildly interesting tension between science and the supernatural. That said, the movie was neither particularly intellectually stimulating, nor particularly exciting, despite, I think, trying for both. Still, it was competent and watchable: B-.

Current Mood: satisfied

I hath tweeted:

• 15:58 Happy new year, everyone! It's hours away for me still, but for many of you, its already 2010. I hope it's an amazing year for you all. #

My own choices result in my feeling lonely, and then I feel somehow surprised when I feel lonely. I am pathetic.

Current Mood: lonely

I am in good spirits, but I have a lot to be upset about.

I had to call my first wife earlier this week, and ask her for a big favor. I haven't talked to her in probably 15 years, and I for DAMN sure didn't want to talk to her ever again. This is why you get divorced! She was happy to hear from me, wanted to chat and such. Frak that! I'm still upset about the whole thing.

I had a mole removed that my doctor told me was, "worrisome". So we'll find out if that's something to be worried about. At least I won't worry about losing my hair. But I have 6 little stitches in my hip, right where the front of my leg comes in, so every move today has pulled at the stitches. Ibuprofen just isn't enough.

I had a plan to go out and make a bonfire tonight, smoke a lot of cigars, and drink a little scotch. No, reverse that: drink a lot of scotch and smoke a little cigar. But no one wants to go with me. Everyone copped out! And drinking alone? Well, that just seems sad. So I'll go out and have one, maybe a shot, and ring in the new year like a man with two kids.

Business as Usual

It's new years eve! No business! (I have, however, been cleaning my studio like mad. Giant bags of trash generated so far...)

Art and Authoring

I dug up a bunch of old, old concept work for Torn World. 1998 Old.



This is one of six that are posted for registered readers of Torn World only. I also (semi-)finished the map and established the historical time boundaries and did a bunch of coding at the site!

Have I mentioned that Torn World launches tomorrow??

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy