Revised opinion

Just saw the gas-mask kid episode, and whatever else is wrong with the series - I still blame the writers big time - I really really hate Eccleston as the 9th Doctor.
Hate hate hate.

Haaaaate.


Today's earrings: amethysts

Bedtime reading: Fragile Things, Neil Gaiman

L'Heure bleue

As I always say.

I know you do, although I don't believe I've ever actually heard you.



-- Edward Gorey


Today's earrings: sapphires, aquamarines

Bedtime reading: Fragile Things, Neil Gaiman

Perseveration

noun
1.
the tendency for a memory or idea to persist or recur without any apparent stimulus for it
2.
the act of persisting or persevering; continuing or repeating behavior; "his perseveration continued to the point where it was no longer appropriate"

- - Dictionary.com

Today's earrings: spiders, webs

Bedtime reading: Ringing Changes, R.A. Lafferty

The song in my head today

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu7sRdRrm_w


Today's earrings: bees, kangaroos

Bedtime reading: Ringing Changes, R.A. Lafferty

I had no idea

Look familiar? It seems to be a common subject in skater film.
(Which you should not watch if you don't want to see people wipe out onto the concrete below. Skaters are nuts.)


Today's earrings: tree frogs, coins

Bedtime reading: Fragile Things, Neil Gaiman

2nd credit line obtained

After drinking we checked out the windows @ Gumps, then went to Macy's. b2 is a most luck-bringing shopping partner; I came away with a really cute sweater and 4 pairs of stockings.

Sadly, the luck-bringing was not reciprocal. Sorry!


Today's earrings: flies, fish

Bedtime reading: Fragile Things, Neil Gaiman

Stacey's is closing

Which is awful. However, there is an associated sale. Anyone want to come into the city for bookshopping purposes this weekend?


Today's earrings: scarabs

Bedtime reading: "Sunbird," Neil Gaiman

Poor Radhika

She really should have made Chase be the host.


Today's earrings: flowers, brass triangles

Bedtime reading: "When All the Lands Pour Out Again," R.A. Lafferty

Happy Inauguaral!

Dude, it's been a totally frabjous day. There were all these petty annoyances - starting with me spilling coffee on the front of my pale green shirt first thing in the morning and the spot nagging away at my peripheral vision all day - but I was still obnoxiously cheerful.

Kinda like these people.


Today's earrings: eyes, suns

Bedtime reading: "Great Day in the Morning," R.A. Lafferty

I think it's Spanish radio

emanating from our newest hire's computer just now. It was rap a little while ago.

I think I upset her earlier, when I said that I knew there were Evangelicals who aren't evil bigots, so why ask Rick Warren to speak? and she replied, "I have nothing to say to you," and walked away. I don't know if she's offended because I insulted Rick Warren or because I said there were unbigotted Evangelicals. Probably the former.

Her computer has moved on to Santana w/Rob Thomas, so, not Spanish radio...

Quincentoratio

AKA, my 500th post.

I hope everyone had an excellent MLK Day/Inauguration Eve.


Today's earrings: compasses

Bedtime reading: "Continued on Next Rock," R.A. Lafferty

Release the minions!

It wasn't all that dramatic, but I did get my big project done in good time today. Hooray!

Went out after with b2 & her school friend L. We had wine at the usual spot and then dinner on Grant Street. After dinner, being as we were on Grant Street and all, I bought some shoes and L got some Alcatraz-themed tchotchkes to decorate the worst cube in her office back home. The big score was an Alcatraz mousepad.

When we got to Sutter I ran for the bus and didn't get a chance to say: Bye, L! It was really fun and I hope to see you again soon!


Today's earrings: diamonds, estrogen molecules

Bedtime reading: "Bright Coins in a Never-Ending Stream," R.A. Lafferty

Early

I woke up around 4:30, I guess. About 5:30 I gave up, got up, and made myself some breakfast. Then I figured, why not? and went in to work early. Confused the heck out of my coworkers. Had a tolerably productive day bullying the minions. (I had four minions this week. Four! I must release them tomorrow.) Stopped off at Rite-Aid and yelled at the manager for holding up the line. Stayed up to watch Supernatural, which lacked angels and apocalyptic omens but did closely resemble some recent horror movies that I've seen commercials for. Disappointing.

I'm pretty tired now.


Today's earrings: monkeys, alligators

Bedtime reading: "Entire and Perfect Chrysolite," R.A. Lafferty

Re-paint

Turns out the battleship gray was primer. The door is once again browny-peach, but of a pinker shade. The colors still don't work together, but now you have to look closely to notice.

In other (Top Chef) news, I hate Stefan, and also Hosea and Leah. I hope they get everything they deserve in this life.


Today's earrings: lizards, green eggs

Bedtime reading: "The Polite People of Pudibundia," R.A. Lafferty

They painted my door, sloppily.

Got home to find that my door has gone from browny-peach to battleship gray. Mostly. When I opened the door the edges were still browny-peach, which turns out to be a singularly unattractive frame for battleship gray.

They left blue tape on the knobs, too.


Today's earrings: owls, lighthouses

Bedtime reading: Hare Sitting Up, Michael Innes

Paint

They painted the hallway today, and the fumes have stuck around. Good thing it's warmed up a bit so I can open the windows.

I hope they're not sprucing the place up to sell it. That would be bad.


Today's earrings: deer, bunnies

Bedtime reading: Hare Sitting Up, Michael Innes

Good day

Brunch at the Dancing Square, with extended inspection of the new appliances. I think M may have actually drooled on the refrigerator. It's a very nice refrigerator. Brunch was yummy (most excellent piecrust), I won the Scrabble game, and then we hung three pictures in the dining room. M gave me a lift home, and then I did my laundry.


Today's earrings: fish, suns

Bedtime reading: Nation, Terry Pratchett

On the current Doctors

At first, I thought it was Billie Piper. And I do find her fairly annoying as Rose Tyler. Then I saw her as Fanny Price in Mansfield Park, and I realized that Billie Piper qua Billie Piper wasn't the problem.

Then I wondered if it was Eccleston. Things improved so much when David Tennant took over. But no, Eccleston's done plenty of good work. He's not the source of the trouble either.

Then I caught the episode about the scribbling alien who was possessing the little girl, and I realized it's the writing, mostly, and the direction. That's where the trouble lies. I mean, who were they trying to kid with the "torch of love" crap? Nonsense scribbled on a anvil and thrown at my head, that's what that was. Much like the episode that made me bail mid-episode on Nine, with the idiotic philosophical conversations with the last condemned Slitheen - they wrote a silly bit of self-importance, and asked the actors to deliver it pontifically.

I blame the writers.


Today's earrings: leaves, crows

Bedtime reading: Smoke and Mirrors, Neil Gaiman

Worked late

The Troll left around 6:30. I thought I was the only one left in our end of the office. Really, I did. So I started singing aloud to the music in my headphones. It was mostly Johnny Cash, which is not too bad, but have you ever tried to keep up with the lyric to "I've Been Everywhere"? Anyway, just after 7 Newbie wandered into my field of vision; she was peering down the hallway, apparently looking for the source of the sounds. oops! I told her I'd thought I was alone, sorry about the singing...

I did not ask, and she did not volunteer, why she was hanging out in the break room at 7 when her shift ended at 5:30. Life would be nothing without its little mysteries.

I'm kinda glad I wasn't singing along to Sublime.


Today's earrings: hands, basketweave spoons

Bedtime reading: Smoke and Mirrors, Neil Gaiman

Management in the office

They were talking about redoing the proprietary software. They say they mean it this time, which would be nice. I'm going to go on not holding my breath about it.


Today's earrings: turtles, shells

Bedtime reading: Smoke and Mirrors, Neil Gaiman

At Sea

Today, I was flummoxed by a tiny island nation.


Today's earrings: mermaids, anchors

Bedtime reading: Smoke and Mirrors, Neil Gaiman

I have a posable emu

Just wanted to share that with you all.


Today's earrings: scarabs

Bedtime reading: Smoke and Mirrors, Neil Gaiman

Extravaganza

First thing this morning, I collected a present from the Wandering Albatross at the post office. A big present; I had to drop it at home before going to work. This evening I opened it, and what wonders I beheld! So far my favorites are the poseable emu and the wind-up cow, but that may change after I read the books and put the Hatching Tortoise Grower in water.

The fold-out dinosaur is definitely coming to work with me.


Today's earrings: flies, amber

Bedtime reading: Smoke and Mirrors, Neil Gaiman

Train Wreck

Well, just a small one. We were riding the steam train in Tilden and saw that these guys were out riding around on their own tiny trains, so we went to watch. Tiger was utterly fascinated, and I was pretty interested myself. The best one was a long combined passenger/freight with this one flatcar in the middle carrying John Deere tractors. Most cool.

There's a junction just to the left of the spectator area, and the drivers were stopping and switching it, taking one track or the other, all working smoothly. Then one guy driving an engine with one passenger car rode through and derailed. It made an awful noise, but no one was hurt or even very shaken up. We moved down the rail to better spectate. A host of train-hobbyist dudes gathered to help. ("Look what good helpers they are, Tiger!") The train-hobbyist dudes tried to muscle the engine back on the track. As it weighed about 600 pounds, that didn't work very well. Then a senior train-hobbyist dude appeared with a block of wood and a crowbar. He levered the engine back into place pretty much single-handed while the other guys steadied it on to the rails. Problem solved! We applauded. The driver started up his engine again and drove on. We applauded some more, and he wished us a happy new year.


Today's earrings: lobsters, leaves

Bedtime reading: Good Omens, Pratchett & Gaiman

Happy New Year

Tonight we subdued the Fondue with skewers and extensible forks, and K & S won at Scrabble. It was a most excellent party.


Today's earrings: diamonds, dice

Bedtime reading: Good Omens, Gaiman & Pratchett