Stuff happens...
Feb. 9th, 2007 09:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wiseheartLong and disjointed entry ahead. Various things that have absolute nothing to do with each other beyond the various tags. You've been warned. *g*
Sick leave over
Yeah, I gave in and told the doc that I'm willing to go to work on Monday. She'd have given me some more days if I'd tried hard enough, but I just couldn't do it. At least five of us are sick, and the other colleagues are collapsing under the additional work. It's not like you can put the little trolls on a shelf until you are completely healed. Besides, I really am better now. Still snot-nosed and still coughing, but no fever, no cold shivers, no nausea, no nothing. So, I guess I'm as much healed as I would be in the next fortnight, which means I can work. Unfortunately. Ah, well, it was a nice week.
News from Nightmare City
If you remember, we've already discussed the strange dreams I have sometimes. Well, here's the newest one, the one I had two nights ago.
I went to visit Granny's youngest sister and her hubby (both dead for some twenty years). They used to live in a large block of flats (for the Germans under us: Altbauwohnung), which had several entrances, since it was so frigging huge. We usually entered through a side entrance, because it was closer to their front door. So did I in the dream.
Their kitchen was on the right side of the front door, and I went directly there, for some strange reason, and began to prepare breakfast (which I never did when they were alive, but I often ate with them there; Granny insisted to visit her folks regularly). I started to brew coffee, surprised that they should have bought such a strange coffee machine, when I heard that the front door was open - it made a noise as it swang to and fro.
I went to close it, and for the first time, I realized that I wasn't on the first floor, where my relatives used to live, but on the ground floor; and that there were the names of two women whom I never heard of on that door. I must have mistakenly gone into a totally stanger's flat. (The funny thing is that it had really happened to me that I climbed two storeys instead of one in RL once when I visited them, and buzzed strange people.)
In any case, I realized that I was in the wrong place, but I also realized that the door had been open when I arrived, otherwise I couldn't have gotten in. Now, why was the door open? I began to panic in earnest, because all of a sudden, I just knew that those two women were lying murdered in their rooms, I just hadn't seen them, with me having gone right into the kitchen and whatnot. And I was scared shitless, because I also knew that the murderer would return, soon. So I tried to close and secure the door frantically, but the stupid thing always tore itself free from my hand, and I wasn't able to put on the security chain.
At that point, I awoke and was very happy that it was all a dream.
Books and TV
Due to healthcare changes (for the worse), the anterooms of every doctor are like belaguered castles. Old people attack their doc as long as they don't have to pay extra money for visiting. That makes things for people like me, who actually are sick, not easy - the oldies stared at me full of accusation for carrying my Evil Germs of Doom (TM) to the doctor's, where I could infect decent people. *g*
In any case, I had to wait a lot, and while I spread my Evil Germs (TM) among the local population, I was reading Evangeline Walton's re-telling of The Mabonigion - a six-pound tome, practically determined to be read during endless waiting periods. Well... let me tell you, I'm glad I went there without having breakfast first. The old Celts had a really... interesting view on things. The chopped-off human heads discussing their own grade of decay were... off-putting, to say the least. And really, the random capitalization almost reached the level of certain fanfics... It's an interesting read as much as one can see where Lloyd Alexander took the names and a few characters and ideas for his Prydain Chronicles, but I think I'll wait with the continuation until I get sick again.
As for TV, we get a lot of Without a Trace lately, which I like. I love Anthony La Paglia as much as I dislike his brother, Jonathan. Anthony has this strange mix of mafia don and teddy bear in him - very cuddle-worthy. And I always liked Eric Close. He has such a wonderfully strange face, like a wooden doll, I could watch him in the most boring role in the Universe and be happy with it. The big black woman whose name I've forgotten is great, too. Firstly, she's not pretty, secondly, she's compassionate and tough as nails at the same time, and thirdly, she is not very young anymore, so someone I could easily identify with. The pretty Latino boy is completely exchangeable, and the brainless Barbie clone is annoying, but not even she could me put off the series.
We also have Cold Case - now, that's another one I can't warm up to. I mean, the trick how they meld the guest characters with their past or future selves is interesting, but the detectives don't really have a personality. And Kathryn Morris, whom I used to love unconditionally in Pensacola, bores me to tears. I've given up on Cold Case.
And then there is Missing, of course. I've suffered through a few episodes, and while I like the characters well enough, and even the idea with a permanent medium in the FBI is a refreshing one, I just couldn't get hooked. I don't know why.
There will be reruns of SG1, soon, on RTL II, thank God. I mean, there already are reruns on Tele5, both SG1 and Andromeda, but the quality on that channel isn't particularly good, especially when the weather is playing up. But at least I can get my sci-fi fix.
Kitchen duty
When I came back from the doctor's, I got this cooking attack. It rarely happens, as I ate at school during the week, but today, I wanted to cook. So I made this very nice turkey and mushroom casserole with sour cream that I learned from a colleague. Mum was enthusiastic about it, and we ate too much, I'm afraid. But it was very good, and I'm sooo proud of myself for having done something domestically creative again.
Writing
I've finished Chapter 14 of "The Joy Machine". As it deals with religious stuff, I've sent it to my fellow Trekkie Akeel to see through it. I don't want to insult anyone due to sheer stupidity. I've also written a bit on Chapter 2 of "Trial Without Error", which is a coda to Atlantis' Episode 1.13 - "Hot Zone". I hope at least the![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
notshep people will like it, as it adresses an issue that was discussed on the community to some length. But I don't make me any more illusions about it being wildly popular. I just don't have the gift for that sort of thing.
I also made a poll over on Memory Alpha and asked the folks which story would they want me to write next, after I've finished "The Joy Machine". I'm curious what they would choose - if any.
Well, that's all for today. I told you it would be boring. But perhaps tomorrow I'll report in about the Big, Fat House Cleaning of Hell (TM). That will make you bite your nails, eh?
Sick leave over
Yeah, I gave in and told the doc that I'm willing to go to work on Monday. She'd have given me some more days if I'd tried hard enough, but I just couldn't do it. At least five of us are sick, and the other colleagues are collapsing under the additional work. It's not like you can put the little trolls on a shelf until you are completely healed. Besides, I really am better now. Still snot-nosed and still coughing, but no fever, no cold shivers, no nausea, no nothing. So, I guess I'm as much healed as I would be in the next fortnight, which means I can work. Unfortunately. Ah, well, it was a nice week.
News from Nightmare City
If you remember, we've already discussed the strange dreams I have sometimes. Well, here's the newest one, the one I had two nights ago.
I went to visit Granny's youngest sister and her hubby (both dead for some twenty years). They used to live in a large block of flats (for the Germans under us: Altbauwohnung), which had several entrances, since it was so frigging huge. We usually entered through a side entrance, because it was closer to their front door. So did I in the dream.
Their kitchen was on the right side of the front door, and I went directly there, for some strange reason, and began to prepare breakfast (which I never did when they were alive, but I often ate with them there; Granny insisted to visit her folks regularly). I started to brew coffee, surprised that they should have bought such a strange coffee machine, when I heard that the front door was open - it made a noise as it swang to and fro.
I went to close it, and for the first time, I realized that I wasn't on the first floor, where my relatives used to live, but on the ground floor; and that there were the names of two women whom I never heard of on that door. I must have mistakenly gone into a totally stanger's flat. (The funny thing is that it had really happened to me that I climbed two storeys instead of one in RL once when I visited them, and buzzed strange people.)
In any case, I realized that I was in the wrong place, but I also realized that the door had been open when I arrived, otherwise I couldn't have gotten in. Now, why was the door open? I began to panic in earnest, because all of a sudden, I just knew that those two women were lying murdered in their rooms, I just hadn't seen them, with me having gone right into the kitchen and whatnot. And I was scared shitless, because I also knew that the murderer would return, soon. So I tried to close and secure the door frantically, but the stupid thing always tore itself free from my hand, and I wasn't able to put on the security chain.
At that point, I awoke and was very happy that it was all a dream.
Books and TV
Due to healthcare changes (for the worse), the anterooms of every doctor are like belaguered castles. Old people attack their doc as long as they don't have to pay extra money for visiting. That makes things for people like me, who actually are sick, not easy - the oldies stared at me full of accusation for carrying my Evil Germs of Doom (TM) to the doctor's, where I could infect decent people. *g*
In any case, I had to wait a lot, and while I spread my Evil Germs (TM) among the local population, I was reading Evangeline Walton's re-telling of The Mabonigion - a six-pound tome, practically determined to be read during endless waiting periods. Well... let me tell you, I'm glad I went there without having breakfast first. The old Celts had a really... interesting view on things. The chopped-off human heads discussing their own grade of decay were... off-putting, to say the least. And really, the random capitalization almost reached the level of certain fanfics... It's an interesting read as much as one can see where Lloyd Alexander took the names and a few characters and ideas for his Prydain Chronicles, but I think I'll wait with the continuation until I get sick again.
As for TV, we get a lot of Without a Trace lately, which I like. I love Anthony La Paglia as much as I dislike his brother, Jonathan. Anthony has this strange mix of mafia don and teddy bear in him - very cuddle-worthy. And I always liked Eric Close. He has such a wonderfully strange face, like a wooden doll, I could watch him in the most boring role in the Universe and be happy with it. The big black woman whose name I've forgotten is great, too. Firstly, she's not pretty, secondly, she's compassionate and tough as nails at the same time, and thirdly, she is not very young anymore, so someone I could easily identify with. The pretty Latino boy is completely exchangeable, and the brainless Barbie clone is annoying, but not even she could me put off the series.
We also have Cold Case - now, that's another one I can't warm up to. I mean, the trick how they meld the guest characters with their past or future selves is interesting, but the detectives don't really have a personality. And Kathryn Morris, whom I used to love unconditionally in Pensacola, bores me to tears. I've given up on Cold Case.
And then there is Missing, of course. I've suffered through a few episodes, and while I like the characters well enough, and even the idea with a permanent medium in the FBI is a refreshing one, I just couldn't get hooked. I don't know why.
There will be reruns of SG1, soon, on RTL II, thank God. I mean, there already are reruns on Tele5, both SG1 and Andromeda, but the quality on that channel isn't particularly good, especially when the weather is playing up. But at least I can get my sci-fi fix.
Kitchen duty
When I came back from the doctor's, I got this cooking attack. It rarely happens, as I ate at school during the week, but today, I wanted to cook. So I made this very nice turkey and mushroom casserole with sour cream that I learned from a colleague. Mum was enthusiastic about it, and we ate too much, I'm afraid. But it was very good, and I'm sooo proud of myself for having done something domestically creative again.
Writing
I've finished Chapter 14 of "The Joy Machine". As it deals with religious stuff, I've sent it to my fellow Trekkie Akeel to see through it. I don't want to insult anyone due to sheer stupidity. I've also written a bit on Chapter 2 of "Trial Without Error", which is a coda to Atlantis' Episode 1.13 - "Hot Zone". I hope at least the
notshep people will like it, as it adresses an issue that was discussed on the community to some length. But I don't make me any more illusions about it being wildly popular. I just don't have the gift for that sort of thing.I also made a poll over on Memory Alpha and asked the folks which story would they want me to write next, after I've finished "The Joy Machine". I'm curious what they would choose - if any.
Well, that's all for today. I told you it would be boring. But perhaps tomorrow I'll report in about the Big, Fat House Cleaning of Hell (TM). That will make you bite your nails, eh?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2007-02-10 03:15 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-02-11 01:24 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-02-11 07:19 pm (UTC)The story that had me most captivated was not the one about Pwyll, but the one about Bran and his twin brothers. Although that story is even harder to stomach, in parts.
But then, I am steeled by reading Norse mythology as well as Frazer's "Golden Bough" and "The White Goddess". Especially norse mythology is not really squeamish about the fate of their heroes (or any other people, really), either. And Frazer's analysis of human sacrifice and its meaning and transfer in mythology had me forewarned a bit what to expect when reading the Mabinogion.
Still, Evangeline Walton writesd great. As for random capitalization.. well, Tolkien did that all the time, and he got away with it, too... :)
Sorry you have to work again. I have just been contemplating why it is that now, just when I finally start to get around my writing block and get some ideas how to write the fouth chapter of "Murder the Dawn", the weekend is over... :(
(no subject)
Date: 2007-02-13 12:14 pm (UTC)That's the basic hostility of the universe. Or, as Harper says in "Andromeda": The Universe hates you. Deal with it!
But I must admit it's hard to accept. *g*
And yeah, I know mythology can be brutal. I first threw up (well, almost) on the Kalevala, when Youkahainen gutted the rendeer to find refuge from the cold in its still-warm body.
Where could I hunt down that human sacrifice thingy? It seems interesting, even if a bit stomach-chrurning. I saw a BBC documentary on the Mayan and Aztec pyramids not so long ago, that wasn't something you should watch while having dinner, either.
Frazer und Ranke Graves
Date: 2007-02-13 09:06 pm (UTC)Hier:
Der Goldene Zweig von James Georg Frazer; und Die Weisse Goettin von Robert Ranke-Graves.
Sorry, ich weiss nicht, ob es eine Ungarische Uebersetzung gibt! Falls Du sie lieber in Englisch haben willst, rufe die Titel einfach bei Amazon.com auf.
Viel Spass beim Lesen wuenscht
Aislynn
Re: Frazer und Ranke Graves
Date: 2007-02-13 09:17 pm (UTC)