Cat Kind and Writing

So, this weekend has been ok. I love it when the creative juices explode into action, and I can get a large chunk of a  story written, or a new outline completed.  I was able to work for four hours straight, and it started by reading over older work, realizing that the beginnings of two separate stories really belonged  together.  In addition, I got the outline of a new one begun.  Awesome stuff!

That brings me around to self publishing. I think I’ll try the 99₵ kindle ebook app when the time comes.  It seems like it would be a better route given the success of several new authors using that particular media.  In any case, it would be a publishing credit.

I cannot wait for the semester to be over! Finals are in a week and a half.  Next semester subjects are English Composition, Algebra, Geology 101, and a Digital Electronics class.   Woot! Useful stuff. I have to start at the bottom again for math, it’s been too long. Back in the day I could do calc problems that took two pages to solve  like it was fun (it was) but now, yeah, I’m lucky to be able to solve a simple equation. The review will be good, allowing me to re-build a solid foundation.

They are playing Christmas music on not one, but TWO of my radio stations now. My favorite TV show (The Walking Dead) has been put on hiatus until Feb. 12^th, and they are playing frigging Christmas movies in the time slot.  I am coming to the realization that I severely dislike Christmastime.  I have trouble with the mythology being accepted as genuine history, I hate the fake cheer everywhere. If people were genuinely cheerful and happy, it would be different, but most of us seem to put on the smiley face mask this time of year. I am glad for those who have faith and nothing to sullyt heir traditions, but to me, this time of year always seems such a hassle. I’ll be glad when things go back to “normal” whatever that is.

We now have a kitten. I know, I know, it isn’t particularly smart with two large dogs and two humans living in 240 sq. ft. There were no other kittens near by, no cat, and no humans.  I found it underneath a car parked next to the old Ford I recently purchased.  It was alone, in freezing weather, and I had to go to work right then or be late.  I can leave a lot of things out in the cold to fend for themselves, but not a baby, especially such a cute, furry baby mewling at the top of it lungs.

The dogs are interested and want to make friends, but the kitten is having none of it. The instinctive drive to nurture perpetual hatred of dogs is simply too strong.  Hopefully, it will calm down over time, learning that Diablo and Jager simply want to play, and in Jagers case, mother.

We need to find a name for it. None we’ve found so far seem to fit.  I wonder, is there a name list for cats somewhere?

I need to go feed the aforementioned cat, and then get back to writng.

Toodles! 

Bikes, Brakes, and Theatre, or Not

Last night started out with the potential to be a fun filled, interesting evening. I had done my hair, planned an outfit with heels, and was even wearing lipstick and mascara. I had purchased tickets to a performance at a small local theatre, a Neil Simon work, my man was willing to come with me, and there was the possibility of friends showing up to share the evening with us. I was hoping to go for drinks afterwards.

We left an hour before the performance was to start. Traffic was light on the way into town, and then it wasn't. As we approached Virginia Street, it became more congested, then detoured. I heard the rumbling sound of ten thousand motorcycle engines as I tried, now pointlessly, to beat the clock.

After a bit of calculated meandering, I was able to line up the car with the entrance to one of the Cal-Neva parking garages. We drove up 5 levels to the roof and back down without finding a parking spot. After reaching level 5 of the second parking garage a half hour after the performance was to start, we secured a spot between four tricked out bikes and a green suburban. Halfway down the elevator, I realized I was still in my flip flops. My cute little heels were still in the car. Oh well, f*#& it anyway, the shoes don't make the night. Right? Right. It turned out to be a good thing, because with the theater closed, and all the gleaming motorcycles around, we decided to take a walk. I would've been crippled in those things before we'd gone more than two blocks.

We traversed the line of booths, ogling the leathers and sunglasses and occasionally scantily clad biker -ahem- ladies.  We had a grand time perusing fantastic creations on two wheels that cost more than some houses. We heard at least 3 versions of AC/DC wannabes, and had a fantastic view of an awesome fireworks show. As a side note, if I ever wanted to become a pickpocket, I would hit fireworks shows. People are so entranced, they don't even notice it when you bump into them.

Bikes can be some damn sexy machines. Don't get me wrong, a flat black '49 Merc will get me every time, and I'm still holding out for that black and orange '67 4x4  Dodge pickup with the built 426 Hemi, and I'll always have time for a '23 T-bucket (what girl wouldn't?), and I'll positively swoon for a '38 Caddy, and I just might sell my soul for a chance to drive a Bugatti Veyron or a Koenigsegg-CCXR,  but bikes are different. They are like the wiry Irish boxer types that are sexy, not the bodybuilders (4x4's that never see mud) or the workin' guys ( the 4x4's covered in mud) or sleek debonair types (30's and 40's luxury cars). They're a breed of their own. Definitely intriguing.

We stayed until they rolled up the sidewalks, tried to figure out what to do with the rest of the evening ( my honey doesn't like dancing or bars) gave up and headed for Denny's. Why Denny's? Because, as evey REAL night owl knows, they have breakfast for dinner at midnight plus, and when conversation lags, you can shoot frilled toothpicks at the ceiling using drinking straws as launching apparatus... We missed the exit, and after about three turns trying to get back in sight of the restaurant, some jackass decided it was OK to go 15 mph in a 35 right in front of me. The brakes popped.

I'd been meaning to do the brakes for like almost a month, even had the parts in the car. Fortunately I had tools in the trunk, so I did the brakes at like 1 in the morning in a Wally World parking lot.in the lowest cut shirt I've worn in a while. Not my idea of a great Saturday night.

We finally made it to Denny's, met a friend there, hung out and had good times til like 4. So yeah, it didn't go anything like I had planned.

One heck of a Saturday night.

Disappointments and Demons Conquered

Well, in short, I didn't get the land. Ten minutes before I was supposed to meet the realtor to see the property, she called me, said she had just spoken to the listing agent, who was getting papers for it signed right then. Three days later, I found out that the money I thought I was getting that would have paid for it wasn't coming and wouldn't be there until next year. Anyway, I'm sure this just leaves me open for a  a better opportunity in the future. Like next year. Now, I have discussed the whole patience teaching thing in the past. I've got it down pat, O Omniscient Being, you've taught me well. Please Stop!! ( It's nice to have someone else to blame, lolz)

In other news, that laughing demon of public speaking has finally been soundly thrashed. Ok, maybe just got his butt kicked and is hiding in the alley, but still, I took the fight to his corner. I joined Toastmasters last week.

My first week, I spoke for all of two minutes, and left the front of the room for my chair, shaking and blubbering all the way. It's not like acting, where you can pretend to be somebody else. That's fun, from what I remember of it. You have to be YOU up there for this kind of thing. THIS week, however, I survived through a 8 minute plus speech, one planned and organized, it even had an outline. Now, If can just keep from hiding behind a piece of paper, and stop trying to find my place from it, and stop saying 'ah' and "um" and "uh", I'll have the beast dealt with. Woot!

Why did I join toastmasters, you ask? Well, in selecting my college subjects, I found I could take Public Speaking. On a whim, I decided to take the course, not really thinking it through, just knowing that it was something I needed to work on and that it would fill a communications requirement for my degree. So yeah, it was all hunky dory  until it dawned on me that I would actually have to SPEAK like I knew what I was talking about in front of PEOPLE. Yeah. Like signing up for the course would defeat the demon, right.

In addition to public speaking, Geology is awesome, but I need to study more. German is awesome, and I need to study more. It has affected my capitalization in English, that's for sure. I have to write everything twice. Cultural Anthropology has been a breeze, and almost pointless. It seems almost purely subjective and the least scientific or logical course of study I've come across.

I am thinking of auditioning for some sort of theatrical performance next summer. I won't have to go to North Dakota until the summer after next for school, and after the public speaking stuff it should be entertaining. I wonder what will be available then? Is there a "summer season" for theatre?

And on a completely different note, why do I like the British spellings of words so much more that the American versions? I have a friend who would say it's because the English version is correct, but she's British. 'Theatre". "Travelling."  "Centre." Although I like that American English uses "z" rather than "s" in a lot of words. I think "Z" is my favorite letter, come to think of it.

I still need to conquer my use of parentheses. Also, I need to find something besides "in other news" and "and on a different note" to introduce random subjects. How does one look up that sort of thing? Is there a thesaurus for phrases?

I need to start writing again. I have a paper due in Anthropology by Oct. 10th, and a 10 sentence German essay this week, which will keep me writing, I guess, but that isn't quite what I mean. I need to start my novel over, after staying away from reading novels for a while. I still have a tendency to adopt the voice of whatever author I've been reading, rather than developing my own. the blogging thing may help with that, but my grammar needs LOTS of work there, as I'm sure you can tell. :P

So, enough mental vomit for one post, Adios! Or, rather, Auf Wiedersehen!

Castles in the Air

So, I have been interested in alternative housing for a long, long time. I have wanted my own piece of Earth ( I have learned, through my Planetary Geology course, that it is bad form to refer to THE Earth, it is either Earth, or, THE planet(and, I still haven't corrected this whole parenthesis thing, either(as you can see))) for quite some time, as well. There may be hope at the end of the tunnel yet ( not to mix metaphors, or anything).

I've learned of a 5 acre parcel for a price I can afford. The price is very little, and that corresponds to other facts about it. It is sand. It is hilly. It's in the desert in a county that has had the highest unemployment rate in the nation. And, if I can make it work, it will be mine.

It will mean I can build a workshop. A real, honest to life workshop, where I can set up my anvil and put it to good use, where I can finally have a decent bench upon which to build furniture, a proper place for my automotive tools, a VEHICLE LIFT!!! I can set up a welder! I could even devote a corner of it to a potter's wheel, and kiln..

I wonder if it would be possible to make a combination metal forge and potter's kiln. Maybe a section for glass blowing, too. I could put that in the center of the shop, put er the whole thing off of propane. Put the benches on the sides, get the portable bench design built, and put the vehicle lift next to the custom built toolbox....

Oh yeah, I'll be able to build the house, too. Maybe I can take vacation next year and go to the earthbag building seminar taught by Nader Kalili! That would be a fantastic beginning towards the house, a chance to make the mistakes before they matter.

I want to build an earthbag dome house,  something solid with a sense of permanence, rounded and fitted to the land, growing out of it. I want window seats and a cellar, high ceilings to let out the heat, and a thick, thermally massive stone fireplace to warm it. I want arches, and a big porch, the kind you put rocking chairs on and hang a swing from, to enjoy a cold beer or glass of iced tea as the sun goes down. I want a kitchen with enough counter space to prepare baking on, and storage for the produce from the garden that will grow out back, and room for the deep freezer so it doesn't have to stay outside. There will be a greenhouse too, but not just any ordinary greenhouse! This one will be built for aquaculture, so we can have fresh fish whenever we want it, too.  Outside of this will be a row of rabbit hutches and a chicken coop for meat, and eggs.

I'll put down a well, and set up solar and wind generators for power. There will be a backup battery bank too, so we don't have to worry about running out of power.


Of course, it will take a long time to get to the point described above. With any luck at all, it will have come together like this just about the time I graduate. We'll start with a small one room house (that will later become a guest house, or a studio) a generator, and a water tank. You've got to start somewhere.

Financially, I've no idea how I will make all this work, yet, other than the initial purchase of the land. With that, at least we will have a place to be, a place to stand and call our own. I look forward to it, and while I won't say I want it more than anything else, I want it just as much as I want to learn, and to travel, and to invent and create. It is one piece of the puzzle one more clip in the video montage.

Someday, it will be awesome. It's just another risk right now.

School Stuff

I am busy as hell, and loving every minute of it. Every minute I can keep my eyes open, that is. I have been more tired more frequently in the last three weeks that I've been in a long time. It's cool though.

I am taking Planetary Geology, Cultural Anthropology, German, and erm... Public Speaking. I know this sounds more like a liberal arts major than engineering, just hear me out.

The whole thing started months ago, when I was assigned a student advisor. Apparently no one informed the professor that he was to take this position in my educational efforts, so by the time I realized he would be no help at all, the courses I would have preferred were full. Undaunted, I had decided I had STARTED this thing already, finally, and could fill other educational requirements for the degree, the ones that are supposed to make one "well -rounded". I didn't bother to explain that I am already rather round at parts, they might  have sued me.

The first three courses are interesting, and fun. The Public Speaking course is more of a necessary evil. I needed a communications course to fulfill a requirement,and well, I've avoided the subject long enough. Now the only problem is that I must find an audience to hear my four required speeches. Sounds like I'm not going to be able to avoid toastmasters after all...
 
So yeah, my "gap decade" has come to a close,  I have signed on for a long haul of late nights and early energy drinks, but what the hell, you only live once, right? Might as well make it interesting.

Travelling Dreams

Sigh. Someday, when I can, I would like to split my years in six-month increments, spending half the year wandering about the earth, seeing what there is to be seen, experiencing all the places I read about. The other six months I'll spend in the desert, hammering at my anvil, and perhaps the occasional piece of marble or granite, (I've recently become intrigued by stone sculpture, like I need another hobby), and a keyboard.

Why don't I do this now? Because I want ten lifetimes of experiences (it's ok, I've got two down already, at least. If I wrote about various life chapters, you'd swear they came from different books entirely). I want to be an engineer. Or, rather, engineering is the real world, work-a-day version of one of the things I want to be. That is the only sensible "career" I've even a moderate interest in, other than writing, which doesn't really count. Even renowned, many times' published authors will say it doesn't "count". Fortunately engineering is the type of career that will produce a decent paycheck, which may provide the means to some of my other dreams. Of course, if I end up with a multi-million dollar best seller on my hands, that would change things a bit, but I'd still want to go to school. It would just be in a very different way (can we say two years at MIT and two at Cal-Poly, spread between travelling the world over eight?)

On a completely unrelated note, I have GOT to stop using paretheses so much! I need to find another literary device for following multiple branches of thought simultaneously. Hmmm...

I finally sent off the loan paperwork for school. Now to send a letter to my student advisor, and choose subjects. Yay! Almost to the fun stuff, in which I will soon drown, no doubt.

I wonder what a person could do with a double B.S. in ME/EE with a  minor in materials, a Masters in English Lit. and  PhD in Geology? Is that even possible? WHY does that sound like fun? It really shouldn't. Should it? Anyway, I think that would be interesting to accomplish by eighty years old or so. Given my perspective on education, I think that seems reasonable. Perhaps I'll use that idea for a character sketch.

Ok, enough ranting, I MUST sleep. The whole polyphasic thing doesn't mesh up very well with a standard work schedule.


Laterz!

Ice Cream, mmmm!

Good Morning!

 I woke up to breakfast in bed, consisting of a bowl of Red Velvet Cake Ice Cream. Why is it bad things taste so good? And why must one face temptation of this magnitude before breakfast? FOR breakfast? I succumbed. It was glorious.

 My man and I spent about an hour and a half cleaning debris from around and under the motorhome, and from the planting beds. I think this week I will get some marigolds and whatever I can find that is interesting and purple, and put them in. Maybe some ivy, as well. I really liked what grew year before last, it even survived under mulch for one winter, but sadly, it froze in late spring last year. I think some sugar snap peas may be in order as well, and perhaps some carrots. I also have a bag of grass seed that would do well under the tree.Trees. I keep forgetting about the one at the end of the lot. It seems as though it belongs to the next site over, somehow.

I went treasure hunting at yard sales with a friend on Saturday, and found some wonderful red metal kerosene lanterns. I've no idea what I'm going to do with them. I just thought they were really cool.
  
                                                       

I'm really getting the itch to start making stuff again. As usual, I want more workspace, blah blah... and I am going to try and make some space here in the motorhome. Braiding the shoelaces the other day started something. I want to be able to use my forge and anvil, not to mention the sewing machine.  I think I will look for a small desk at next weeks' sales. Or maybe i could use the two half size filing cabinets and something over the  top? hmm... We'll see. I have the itch to get to work on stuff, so I'm gonna go do that instead of writing about it. After I get another bowl of ice cream!

Laterz.

Randomness Involving Newish Boots and Scrambled Pancakes

So, it is the close of another weekend in which I have accomplished nothing and learned little. My neck has a crick in it from being in weird positions while reading and slouching in front of the computer. I have read two books this weekend, The Lazarus Effect by Frank Herbert and Bill Hansom,  and The Drifter's Wheel by Phillip DePoy.  The first book was more or less your standard science fiction story, involving mutants, the beginnings of a civil war, and sentient kelp.  The second was different,  a murder mystery  set in Appalachia, with a bit of the surreal, supernatural, and eastern philosophy mixed in. 

I bought new boots in a second hand store,  and braided laces for them a few weekends ago.  I posted a picture of them on facebook (yes, I am that lame, depending on your perspective). I am very pleased with them, they are some of the first comfortable boots I've had in over a year.

                                                                   

I have also discovered scrambled pancakes this weekend. I put too much batter in the pan,  tried to flip it too early, said f*ck it and decided to stir them up. The second batch I did on purpose,  then drizzled maple syrup over them. I rather like the taste of pancake in scrambled form. It also seems to have a thicker texture than those cooked in the traditional manner.  All in all, I find it to have been a culinary success, despite the slightly odd appearance.

As for other pursuits, I've actually been getting some writing done. Nothing really publishable, but enough to get me back into the habit. Perhaps in a few months I will gather the nerve to start submitting again. 

I need to get out and use my forge. Perhaps next weekend. I'm sure I've got some steel lying around that I can hammer into something or other.

So, yeah. Randomness. The main reason this post even exists is because I liked the title. You really didn't have to read beyond that to get the best part.

Toodles.