Zone Doubt, a.k.a. 'Surreal Я Us'...

Joules, trusted by... dozens... to make a drama out of your crisis...

Other sites:

:: JAT :: WaveWrights :: Publications ::

I live to write. It's not wise to get in my way.

... I'd write my autobiography, but no-one would believe it....


If you come across any words you don't recognise in this blog, take a look at the Taylorspeke Glossary in the left-hand infopane, you'll usually find a definition there.


The Poppy Tales

(Transformers fanfiction!)

Transformers mini-comics here.




Adventures in Orchids

Apparently I am now collecting them...

There's room for one - or maybe two, at a pinch - more on that bedroom windowsill (the only one in the house that's ideal for them). Let's see what I find. Well, that didn't last long...


EO - Everlasting orchid. Phalaenopsis. I've had this orchid since 2007 and it just keeps flowering...







AO - Alien face orchid. Phalaenopsis . Bought 2018 - lovely little flowers, all different patterns!





RO - Rescued orchid photo to come when it flowers. Phalaenopsis. Rescued from a bin up the road in 2019. Classic!






TO - Tiny orchid. Phalaenopsis. Bought at Tesco 21.8.20. It just begged to come home with me. How could I say no?





CO - Crimson orchid. Cambria. Another Tesco find. This one may be going to live in Ken's room once we've redecorated and put up the new shelving; it prefers a cooler, less sunny windowsill. If so, I'll need to find another cambrian to keep it company.






GO - Golden orchid. Phalaenopsis. Saw this one when I bought CO and left it behind - then immediately regretted it as soon as I got home. Never seen one like it before. Ken, bless him, went back over to Tesco in the rain and bought it for me...





DO - Dendrobium Orchid. Smells of wisteria, so beautiful...











RO2 - Rescued orchid no 2. Phalaenopsis. This is the one I rescued from the wall along the road middle of 2021.








PO. Pink orchid. Phalaenopsis. This is the one I bought at Cabury Garden Centre on special, late 2021. It's much happier here!










TWO. Teeny weeny orchid, Phalaenopsis. Rescued from Tesco end 2021 (I think).




















My IMDb ep summaries

(completed)
Arthur of the Britons
Sky
Star Maidens
The Starlost
Space Rangers
The Sentinel (part: seasons 2 and 3)
Swamp Thing (part: season 3)
Gravedale High
Transformers: Armada
Transformers: Energon
Transformers: Cybertron (part)
Misfits of Science (four eps)
Zoo Gang
Zodiac
Jupiter Moon
Transformers: Beast Wars (part: seasons 2 and 3)
Transformers: Beast Machines (part)
Vampire Princess Miyu
Starhyke
Nathan Barley
No Heroics
Undermind (3 eps)
Will Shakespeare (Tim Curry version)
Nightwalker
12 Kingdoms
Trigun (ep 8)
Rayearth
Hyperdrive (season 2 ep 3)
The Café

For later:

Missing Earthian ep
Missing Haibane Renme eps


Silver birch at Eastwood 

Farm

"Autumnal - nothing to do with leaves. It is to do with a certain brownness at the edges of the day... Brown is creeping up on us, take my word for it... Russets and tangerine shades of old gold flushing the very outside edge of the senses... deep shining ochres, burnt umber and parchments of baked earth - reflecting on itself and through itself, filtering the light. At such times, perhaps, coincidentally, the leaves might fall, somewhere..."

(Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead Act 2: Tom Stoppard)

Autumn...

I love this time of year. I love the colours, the sharp slant of sunlight on the trees, mosaics of acid-yellow and harts- blood, velvet and darkness and a haze of mist-grey over the hills. I love its immanence, its mellowness, the tang of frost just around the corner of the year...

Watching the little birds in the goat-willow in my garden, I realised something more.

I love this land with a fierce, possessive love, deep-rooted in two thousand years of history. From the frosted beaches and cloud-brushing peaks of the north to the wind-haunted meanderings of the rivers of the east, from the sensuous rolling patchworked hills of the south to the demanding dark moors of the west, this land seeps into bone and blood and synapse, mother of motley nobility, culture, individual freedoms. It can be known. It can be understood. It can be felt deep inside.

I love its effortless eccentricities, its vigour and vibrancy, its flawed perfections, its silent strength and tenacious resilience, its hard-won tolerances and intense and variable beauty, the profound energy in its sacred mythical landscape.

Home and more-than-home, the forces that shape and protect and bind, in me, as I am in the land. Love returning love in the stillness for those who'll only take the time to listen...

(Joules, Autumn 2004)


All photographs taken by Joules unless otherwise specified. All photographs © Joules A Taylor or other specified individual.


In Memoriam

17.03.09 - Argent

25.07.08 - Raptor

18.12.07 - Quyn

02.12.06 - Ryme


Currently enjoying:
Muse
Transformers - IDW, Prime, Animated, Rescue Bots.

Currently reading:
Various Transformers books and graphic novels.



Currently working on:
Haadri

Currently chuffed with:
My garden

Currently miffed at:
Nestlé, Nonpres Tinyhands Fart, Toadface Farage

Currently maintaining:
BCHS
BCW


Blog Pics
I've gathered some of my pages of photos together: the page of links is here. I'll be adding more as time goes by!




Evil Squid
A Little Glossary of Taylorspeke
(in no particular order)

plit popints - n. Typo for 'plot points' typed on a keyboard with more than half the characters worn off...

[PING] (alt [ping]) - n. A brainwave. The text equivalent of a lightbulb going on blindingly over someone's head. Usually mine. And usually at the most inconvenient of times. [sigh]

TPTB - The Powers That Be.

wulmet - n. A person of little or no talent who somehow inveigles himself into a position where he is in power over other, far more talented people and uses his position to downplay them in order to try to make himself feel superior.

biteable - referring to an anatomical part vb, tasty.

Flatterfed - vb. 27.02.08: my typo for flattered, but since it's so cutely apt I thought it would fit nicely here. Lutra defined it as "the lovely warm feeling of satisfaction resulting from enthusiastic reviews..." (which I've been getting for my MB fics).

Composted - vb, 'compos mentis', mentally capable of working. Contrast with uncomposted or non- composted, not 'compos mentis', not capable of working, hungover...

Cumbles - n, cucumbers.

Kewp - how Ken says 'thank you'. We rather like Lutra's 'nanx', too...

Musekick - noun, music, without which I cannot work.

'feinne - noun, caffeine, essential for correct mental functioning, especially first thing in the morning. I prefer mine in the form of SodaStream Diet Coke. And on that subject...

Skoosh - verb, noun. To skoosh - to add CO2 to a sodastream bottle filled with water to make it fizzy, prior to adding Diet Coke syrup (or just drinking as sparkling water). A skoosh - a bottle of water that has been skooshed. Skooshy - something that has been skooshed, water, or that whipped cream that comes in tins you have to shake then upend and press the nozzle...

Shoogle - verb. To shake gently, for example, of roast potatoes in a roasting tin to ensure they're covered with oil. I have vague memories of this being a real Scottish colloquialism...

Stegasaurus - n, spider of the genus tegenaria. Why? No idea. I just find it easier, that's all...
Edit 08.09.07: Lutra thinks that Brian is a good name for a mini-stegasaurus. From now on, any 'Brian's in the posts may be assumed to be a tegenaria. Except where otherwise specified.

Viterals - noun, vitamins + minerals. Also a pun on victuals.

Splish - verb. A combination of slosh and splash.

Parrots - noun, paracetemol (from the old joke "Why are there no aspirin tablets in the jungle? Because the parrots eat 'em all...")

Maggles - noun, magpies. As opposed to non-magical people.

Flamewings - noun. Swifts. So called because the first time we became aware of them was an early summer evening when they were flying high, the light from the setting sun seemingly turning their wings to flames. Lovely little birds. We always know summer's arrived when we hear their high-pitched squeeing.

Murfs - noun, moths.

Peasant cut - noun, roughly cut up into big chunks, e.g. vegetables chopped in a hurry for a hearty stew or soup. By extension, anything prepared in a hurry - haircut, material, even a first draft of a story...

Giraffe - noun, a carafe (of wine, coffee or water, for example).

Shrumps - noun, mushrooms.

Splings - noun, Kai's spelling homework: by extension, any spelling.

Tyops - noun, typos. var toyps, typso, psyto, psoyt, etc. Usual result of a dose of the fingerials (see next entry).

Fingerials - (pr. fin GEEE ree yalls) noun, fingers that will not type what you want them to.

Haddock - noun, time, of which I never have enough. (Origin of this term here.)

Sleep - noun? vb? a.k.a. sheeeeeeeeep.... I used to know what this word meant...


The Updates Blog

The place to stay notified of WaveWrights' Fiction updates: Zone, Darkside, DarkRealm, Matrix, Vault, Safehouse 13...




my computer gremlin Butch. click the pic to see the larger image

Butch, my computer gremlin. Click the pic for larger version, and read his adventures here...

Butch by the talented 

Sylverthorne

A gift for me! Butch by the very talented Sylverthorne. Click pic for larger image.

Joules' 

Haddock

This is MY haddock. It was caught exclusively for me by Talon. No, you can't have any. I need all the haddock I can get!!



A'lestrel by Valkyrie.

A'lestrel - a gift for me from Valkyrie...



Albino Alsatian Benten (c) MEBird 

2004

Another gorgeous Valkyrie gift for me - Benten the Albino Alsatian! Click thumbnail for larger image.

Radittsu, an oekaki for my birthday 04 

by 

Onna

Oekai by Bakayaro Onna - Radittsu at his sexiest...



The Zone Plant from
The Zone 

blog 

plant

OrganicHTML (which alas no longer seems to exist...)
[::..My Regular Reads..::]
:: Astronomical Pic of the Day [>]
:: What is Space... [>]
:: Dark Roasted Blend [>]
:: BLDG [>]
:: Watchismo Times [>]
[::..Fun Places..::]
::HubbleSite
Stunning...
::PALEOMAP Project
Absolutely fascinating.
:: Skymap
Check out the night sky where you are!
[::..Useful Sites..::]
:: GreenNet
First stop for environmental matters
:: The Forest of Avon
Our local community forest and places to visit
:: The Guardian
Online Guardian Newspaper.
:: Symbols
Exactly what it says
:: World Timeserver
For checking the current time around this world
:: Universal Currency Converter
Actually it's just a terran-global currency converter, not universal, but it's still useful...

So what is it with the haddock? Am I some kind of fish freak?

I'll leave that to others to decide.

The tale (or tail if you prefer) harks back to October 2000, when my GoodTwin and I, ably assisted by Sue, ran the first UK Professionals convention...
It's common knowledge that I never have enough time, and I was determined not to bewail the fact that weekend: hence I promised not to use the 'T' word...
Of course, that didn't really work (if nothing else I had to let the trainees know what times things were supposed to be happening!) so we decided a substitute word would be employed instead. There were several suggestions. Banana came very close to being chosen. However, I eventually decided that 'haddock' fitted the bill nicely. Ever since, haddock=time. Hence the title of my forthcoming autobiography,
My Half-Life in the Haddock Space Continuum....


Normally I wouldn't, but these were just irresistible...

How could I resist?

Just too adorable...

and to complete the rainbow...

These Too-Kawaii Kitties
were adopted from
Ghost's Anime Page (which appears to have disappeared, alas...)

[::..Anime/Manga..::]
Useful sites:

BBTS -
Fabulous anime figures

Anime Lyrics
A huge selection... evil popups

Anime still needed to complete series' I'm collecting... Many thanks to everyone who has helped me acquire the collection!
Ai no Kusabi

Owned:
   DVD
   Dj: June Special
   CD: Ambivalence

Cyber City Oedo 808

Owned:
   DVD
   All 3 eps on Video, dubbed
   Dj: Cyberage 1-3
   Illustrated Book 2 (Benten's) in Japanese

From Eroica with Love

Owned:
   Manga Vols 1, 9, 11

Mirage of Blaze

Owned:
   DVD Vol 1 (eps 1-4)

R.G. Veda

Owned:
   English Manga: Vol 1
   Japanese Manga: Vol 1-7 complete
   Tarot Pack
   R.G.Veda video

Twelve Kingdoms

Owned:
   Anime Vol 1-12: complete

Under the Glass Moon

Owned:
   Manga Vol 1, 2
Vol 3 needed

Vampire Hunter D - Bloodlust

Owned:
   DVD

   Vampire Hunter D Book 1



New Vampire Miyu

Owned:
   (Studio Ironcat) Manga Vols 1 -5 (complete)


Yami no Matsuei

Owned:
   Viz Manga: English translation, Vols 1 - 11 (complete: I believe vol 12 is only available online)
   Japanese 3-DVD set
   Central Park Media: Descendants of Darkness Vol. 1, English/Japanese subbed.
   Sketchbook


[::..Joules SP fied..::]


... this is Terra? How the hell'd I end up here...?

(Thanks, Lutra, for the quote!)

[::..archive..::]
07/01/2002 - 07/31/2002
08/01/2002 - 08/31/2002
09/01/2002 - 09/30/2002
10/01/2002 - 10/31/2002
11/01/2002 - 11/30/2002
12/01/2002 - 12/31/2002
01/01/2003 - 01/31/2003
02/01/2003 - 02/28/2003
03/01/2003 - 03/31/2003
04/01/2003 - 04/30/2003
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02/01/2004 - 02/29/2004
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06/01/2004 - 06/30/2004
07/01/2004 - 07/31/2004
08/01/2004 - 08/31/2004
09/01/2004 - 09/30/2004
10/01/2004 - 10/31/2004
11/01/2004 - 11/30/2004
12/01/2004 - 12/31/2004
01/01/2005 - 01/31/2005
02/01/2005 - 02/28/2005
03/01/2005 - 03/31/2005
04/01/2005 - 04/30/2005
05/01/2005 - 05/31/2005
06/01/2005 - 06/30/2005
07/01/2005 - 07/31/2005
08/01/2005 - 08/31/2005
09/01/2005 - 09/30/2005
10/01/2005 - 10/31/2005
11/01/2005 - 11/30/2005
12/01/2005 - 12/31/2005
01/01/2006 - 01/31/2006
02/01/2006 - 02/28/2006
03/01/2006 - 03/31/2006
04/01/2006 - 04/30/2006
05/01/2006 - 05/31/2006
06/01/2006 - 06/30/2006
07/01/2006 - 07/31/2006
08/01/2006 - 08/31/2006
09/01/2006 - 09/30/2006
10/01/2006 - 10/31/2006
11/01/2006 - 11/30/2006
12/01/2006 - 12/31/2006
01/01/2007 - 01/31/2007
02/01/2007 - 02/28/2007
03/01/2007 - 03/31/2007
04/01/2007 - 04/30/2007
05/01/2007 - 05/31/2007
06/01/2007 - 06/30/2007
07/01/2007 - 07/31/2007
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01/01/2008 - 31/01/2008
01/02/2008 - 29/02/2008
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01/01/2015 - 31/01/2015
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01/12/2015 - 31/12/2015
01/01/2016 - 31/01/2016
01/022016 - 28/02/2016
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01/12/2016 - 31/12/2016
01/01/2017 - 31/01/2017
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01/11/2017 - 30/11/2017
01/12/2017 - 31/12/2017
01/01/2018 - 31/01/2018
01/02/2018 - 28/02/2018
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01/10/2018 - 31/10/2018
01/11/2018 - 30/11/2018
01/12/2018 - 31/12/2018
01/01/2019 - 31/01/2019
01/02/2019 - 28/02/2019
01/03/2019 - 31/03/2019
01/04/2019 - 30/04/2019
01/05/2019 - 31/05/2019
01/06/2019 - 30/06/2019
01/07/2019 - 31/07/2019
01/08/2019 - 31/08/2019
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01/10/2019 - 31/10/2019
01/11/2019 - 30/11/2019
01/12/2019 - 31/12/2019
01/01/2020 - 31/01/2020
01/02/2020 - 29/02/2020
01/03/2020 - 31/03/2020
01/04/2020 - 31/04/2020
01/05/2020 - 31/05/2020
01/06/2020 - 31/06/2020
01/07/2020 - 31/07/2020
01/08/2020 - 31/08/2020
01/09/2020 - 30/09/2020
01/10/2020 - 31/10/2020
01/11/2020 - 30/11/2020
01/12/2020 - 31/12/2020
01/01/2021 - 31/01/2021
01/02/2021 - 28/02/2021
01/03/2021 - 31/03/2021
01/04/2021 - 30/04/2021
01/05/2021 - 31/05/2021
01/06/2021 - 30/06/2021
01/07/2021 - 31/07/2021
01/08/2021 - 31/08/2021
01/09/2021 - 30/09/2021
01/10/2021 - 31/10/2021
01/11/2021 - 30/11/2021
01/12/2021 - 31/12/2021
01/01/2022 - 31/01/2022
01/02/2022 - 28/02/2022
01/03/2022 - 31/03/2022
01/04/2022 - 30/04/2022
01/05/2022 - 30/05/2022
01/06/2022 - 31/06/2022
01/07/2022 - 31/07/2022
01/08/2022 - 31/08/2022
01/09/2022 - 30/09/2022
01/10/2022 - 31/10/2022
01/11/2021 - 31/11/2021
01/12/2022 - 31/12/2022
01/01/2023 - 31/01/2023
01/02/2023 - 28/02/2023
01/03/2023 - 31/03/2023
01/04/2023 - 30/04/2023
01/08/2023 - 31/08/2023
01/11/2023 - 31/11/2023

Monday, August 31, 2009

lenticular clouds
Lenticular clouds over Talbot Hill.
K&K went off to the Avon Valley Railway, and had a great time steaming up and down the line.
sweet peppers sweet pepper colour change I pottered, but got quite a lot done.
End of August and it's already autumn: the nights are distinctly cool, and growth has slowed right down in the greenhouse. Which is OK actually, as it's still warm enough to ripen what has grown before the nights get really cold...
I love the intensity of the colour of sweet peppers ripening.
Kai's back to school tomorrow, and I get back to what passes for normal...

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Sunday, August 30, 2009

Marking time and tidying up. Watched The Day the Earth Stood Still (the original) this evening - knocks spots off the remake.

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Saturday, August 29, 2009

Kai's Barbecue...
As it happened, only the N and B sprogs could make it (couldn't get hold of the G sprog, which is a bit worrying: hope all's OK). I did chicken pieces, two burgers each, and sausages (which are obviously not so popular these days) and a chocolate fondue with marshmallows, fresh whole strawberries and pieces of fudge for dipping.
It all went splendidly (the B sprog described it as awesome!) and they all had a lot of fun riding the train afterwards.
And I'm happy - I found the cover for the mini-greenhouse, which is now out of the main greenhouse and being used for storing all the things that need to have some sort of cover (enviro fleece, vermiculite, etc). Frees up an awful lot of space, which will come in very handy next year.
Tired now...

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Friday, August 28, 2009

Well that was dramatic - thunderstorm that set off car alarms, with hail. Heavy hail. In August. Right.
At least my water butts are full again...

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new orchid Sainsbug's have had some glorious orchids this summer - beautifully exotic dendrobiums and cattleyas, but they were all rather expensive, and I was a little dubious about buying forced orchids from a supermarket. However, they're now selling them at half-price, and although all the real beauties have gone, I did find this little treasure -> for £3.49. It's not with the others yet, as I have to feed them and check for scale insect (still an occasional problem) before settling it in the gravel tray.
WH Smith's are selling school equipment at reduced rates in preparation for the new term - including Maxell 4gig retractable pendrives for £9.97 instead of £24.99. Kai needed one for school, so Ken bought us all one each.
Barry Mine is purple. Wouldn't have been my first choice, but at least it's not pink. And it does match Barry. <- Sort of. (Anyone remember Barry? The little talking unicorn with the purple mane and tail from the National Lottery adverts? Voiced by Graham Norton?)
Lutra says it "looks like it started out as a cow but got distracted..." But he doesn't care, he's a very laid back unicorn...
Had the first green pepper from the greenhouse last night. Lovely...

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Thursday, August 27, 2009

Tyjer Climbs a Tree!
This is noteworthy because it's the first time he's done it. Prior to today he's clawed at a couple, but made no attempt to climb, just sat at the bottom and gazed up. But this afternoon we found him on the roof of the shed (Argent's old haunt) - he must have climbed up the buddleia to get there as Kai's window was closed - and a little later he climbed his way up the elder tree (rather awkwardly, but he managed). There'll be no stopping him now!
My kitten is growing up...

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Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Watched my latest LoveFilm offering this evening - City of Ember. None of us have read the book it's based on, otherwise I suspect we might not have enjoyed it as much as we did, but that aside it was fun, very much a fun family film.
Other than that, I've had a bitty day. Useful, but nothing concrete accomplished. Now need to do a little tweaking of the Haadri site.

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Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Pool sunk and mostly filled (the water butt ran out) up in the square. It'll be a few days before we trim the liner though - want to make sure it's properly settled first.
Photos soon, I hope.

Dammit, something's bitten me, on the foot. Anti-histamines only partially working: feels like tiny electric shocks - or someone sticking tiny needles in my skin - all over me.

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Monday, August 24, 2009

no idea.... We aren't sure what this is. There's a bus-stop at its base, but even for the eccentric UK this seems a little elaborate to just be a bus-stop...
We went to Weston-super-Mare. In the rain. But since when have we ever let a little rain stop us? It's now Tuesday morning, despite the date at the top of this post. This should have been posted yesterday (I did start it then) but I was so tired that by the time we'd got back, I'd done everything else that needed doing and struggled to stay awake through Moonlight I just couldn't keep my eyes open long enough to finish the page of pics - which is here. There's more info there too.
It strikes me that there were more attractions this year than previously - maybe to help make up for the temporary lack of the Grand Pier. There was a lovely old fashioned fun-fair, as well as a more modern one and the sand sculptures, and a stand alone ride called Chaos that would once have been irresistible. I think now, though, with the high blood pressure, such rides might be a bad idea (the Launchpad at the London Science Museum had a warning at the entrance, and that was one of the contra-indications. Hadn't thought about it before, but I suppose it makes sense. [grump]) Still tired. Taking it easy today.

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Sunday, August 23, 2009

We now have 2x3 metres of butyl pond liner, enough to make a tiny wildlife pool up in the square. Wyevale also had a whole load of plants on 50% off, so I've also picked up two different ferns (for behind the honeysuckle, which is coming on a treat) and another delicate juniper for Roeg's Pool, to help keep the algae at bay next year (if a third of the pool is in shadow, it can cut down the amount of gunge by a large percentage).
Will start digging this week...

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Saturday, August 22, 2009

Here y'go...





Or watch it here if it's a little jerky. Apparently, if you don't have the most recent quicktime, clicking on the link may crash your browser. Sorry - no idea why...
Spent most of the day in the kitchen again, blanching beans and mangetout for freezing, preparing fruit and making apple sauce with Wendy's Bramley apples. Have a few left and Kai's picked some of our blackberries: I will be making a crumble for tomorrow's dessert.

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Friday, August 21, 2009

[grump] So we arrived back from London at 9 pm (after leaving the house at 8 am) yesterday evening, absolutely knackered, showered, had dinner, and settled down to get emails done and blog updated - only to find we'd lost connectivity...
[sigh] Kai and I got it sorted this morning (cable modem - fixed by turning off then back on again. Typical.) and I'm now trying to catch up.
Earth Hall Yesterday we went to London, to the Science and Natural History Museums. Absolutely fantastic, both of them. We really needed more time, but we still managed to see most of the Science Museum and a fair bit of the NHM (the queue for the dinosaurs was too long, and we were too tired to check out the butterfly jungle and the orange zone). The pic is of the Earth Hall entrance to the NHM - great fun!
Pics Here.
Lots of other things we'd like to do in London - the Greenwich Observatory and Planetarium, London Eye, sight-seeing tour, London Zoo, etc. etc., but we'd need to go and stay for a week, I think. Maybe consider it for next summer.
Today's supposed 'day off' started with me blanching and freezing more toms, taking Ken's library books back, and shopping...

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Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Venison (thanks, Wendy!) makes an interesting stir fry with honey and coriander sauce...

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Tuesday, August 18, 2009

SunflowerOff Kai and I tanked to watch G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra at the Showcase Cinema De Lux in at Cabot Circus. Not for any special reason or because we desperately wanted to see it, but I needed to get into town to have the left arm of my working glasses altered, and to pick up tickets for London (taking Kai to see the Science and Natural History Museums. We'll only have time for a quick whiz around both but it'll be a fun day) and it was showing and Tuesday is cheap (heh, £11.60) matinée day. And the reviews sounded OK. And Sommers was responsible for the Mummy films, which we still enjoy every now and then...
[bg] It's fabulously over the top and HUGELY enjoyable nonsense. A tad more logic than T2 (and thankfully a distinct lack of the puerile and scatological so-called 'humour' that spoiled T2), but it really doesn't matter: just park brain at door and wallow in sheer fantasy.
Such fun - though I confess at one point we did wonder who wasn't in it: there are familiar faces everywhere. (Though it took me ages to realise the villain was the wonderful Christopher Eccleston, I just couldn't think who he was. He dun 'alf make a good baddie.) Having Brendan Fraser and Arnold Vosloo in the same film again was cute too.
Despite the amazing cg and futuristic weaponry, it has an oddly nostalgic feeling, all terribly Saturday morning kids' adventure TV and films and 20th century comics full of arch-villains you love to hate and heroes you just have to cheer and tales of derring do. It's a 'must have', a perfect way to waste a couple of hours. As long as you can put up with the interminable fight scenes, of course. (I didn't find them too bad, for once.) Great stuff.
Tomatoes... toms
Remember the monster Black Russian tomatoes I spoke of? Here's the biggest one...
They have a subtle, rich taste to them, very pleasant. The skin is thin, the flesh soft and juicy. Very nice. I shall be growing them again next year.
toms
But talking of toms, how's this for comparisons? ->
Black Russians (a more typical size, a little smaller than the monster), Stupice (a nice taste, but not terribly strong. They're great for cooking though), and good old reliable Gardener's Delight cherry toms.
We like tomatoes, and they're very good for you.
A bit tired now - had to get up early to make the film, and had a late night. Only problem is, One Missed Call is on at 1.30 am and I've said Kai can stay up to see it with me. Not sure I can keep my eyes open that long.

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Monday, August 17, 2009

Addendum:
"...But have patience and all you desire shall turn up in an op-shop..." The wisodm of Lutra. (Copy/pasted from last post's comments)
A sentiment with which I heartily agree, and which was proved true again when I found the perfect bistro table for the square in the cats' charity shop, for £5. (Ken picked it up for me - literally - after court.) I'll post a photo later: at the moment my pendrive is stuck in the only spare USB socket and the machine won't release it. No idea why, all I did was clear it and add some photos I want prints of when I next go to Tesco. Probably Butch playing up again...
It's snazzy though - weatherproof, metal, black, tripod stand, really nice. A little on the wobbly side, but a few minutes with a screwdriver should fix that, and I don't want it for any heavy-duty work in any case. So, dead chuffed for the second time today.

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Monday shopping. Much as usual. Except for some rather spiffing finds in the charity shops...CRM mug
We now have a miniature (portable) bagatelle kit, which Kai loves (and has so far got the highest score, 190), originally from Past Times (which has now closed down in Briz), and I have a pretty Charles Rennie Mackintosh design-decorated mug with a lid. Not quite sure why I like mugs with lids, but I do. And the same place had a snazzy spec case, silver metal with an embossed snakeskin pattern, dead cool.
Then I visited the cats' place (local charity that supports a cats' home, but which is not affiliated to the CPL) - the place I found my Casshern DVD...
Now, regular readers will probably have gathered that I don't do cute (except for kits, dogs, and occasionally sprogs), nor am I a particularly fluffy sort of person. But every now and then I find something that can mostly be called cute, and it really appeals. Sometimes that something is a plushie.
It started with the 'frilly with attitude'. frillyfrilly Apparently its official name is 'Slayer' - I assume because of the link with the Dilophosaurus in Jurassic Park - but I bought it because of its upraised middle finger. [g] Hence its title.
I could live without the horrible pink mouth, however.
The next plushie was that marvellous volitans from Lutra (the pics are on the blog entry for Monday, February 23, 2009. Sorry no link - I'm being lazy), and for a while I thought that was it. Then while we were down in Exeter I found 'Ox'oxbug, the bull plushie with the dopiest expression on its face, and he came home with me. Then there was the giggling fly. Then today I found 'Scurry', this rather splendid bug...
And pinned on the board outside the charity shop with Scurry was something special.
You know I like bats, right? How fond we all are of Ferdinand the pipistrelle who haunts our garden? Well, there's a stall in St Nick's Market that sells wonderful old photographs, a small selection of high quality crafts - and, some years ago, unusual plushies. They had a fruit bat.

fruit batfruit bat I wanted one, but couldn't bring myself to fork out £7.99 for something completely useless just for me.
[g] Now I have one. For 10p.
I am dead chuffed. Altogether a very successful shop.
(Please to note, however, I am NOT collecting plushies - only unusual or eccentric ones, or ones that demand to come home with me. That being said, if anyone ever finds a squid... or a seahorse...)
Anyway. Back to the rockface: I have a site to design...

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Sunday, August 16, 2009

I have a craving - unfortunately hopeless - for a pile of deep-fried breaded mushrooms and garlic mayonnaise...
I could try the frozen vanilla yoghurt with strawberries dessert I attempted earlier, I suppose. No mushrooms, garlic or breadcrumbs, but it looked nice when I made it.
frozen yoghurt And it still looks nice now, and it tastes lovely, but it's frozen solid. Must have done something wrong...
Will try again.
No train video yet: the battery ran out (the car battery that runs it, that is, not the one in my camera). It's now charging (I knew there was a reason I kept the old battery charger when I got rid of the car!) Maybe tomorrow...

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Saturday, August 15, 2009

Shattered.
But it was a fantastic day, the clouds lifted and the sun appeared before I barbecued the chicken pieces, the food was all rather nice, and the company wonderful. My snippet of video of the train hasn't worked very well though, so will try taking some more tomorrow.
Wendy, GoodTwin and Sue, thanks!
sheeeeeep. Must have sheeeeeeep...

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Friday, August 14, 2009

bog irises Hm. Forecast is for cloudy weather - but not rain. We might be OK.
The bog-irises in the rockery are looking beautiful this year... -> marrow <- Large marrow in veg rack.

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Thursday, August 13, 2009

I tried to make a second demi-john of melon wine, honest I did, but I'd obviously left it too long, as the must had turned into a bucket of slime that resembled something that fell through the rift, and I had to ditch the lot. Smelt wonderful, but wouldn't even strain through the sieve, just sat there shimmering slightly. Most odd. 'Course, given my luck it was probably a cure for cancer, now being enjoyed by the tigers in the compost bin...

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Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Well, it was supposed to be a relaxing day...
Still, the next batch of beans, mange tout, and tomatoes are now in the freezer, and we have a rather large marrow in the veg trolley: will try to remember to photograph it tomorrow.
We ordered three classic sci-fi DVDs last week (at Ken's urging) and they arrived today, so this evening we all watched When Worlds Collide. Still as shiver-inducing as when I first saw it (I think I was younger than Kai) and sprog really enjoyed it too. Tomorrow will be the original The Day the Earth Stood Still (well, it was stupidly cheap and I should be able to pick up the remake very cheaply at some point), then the original War of the Worlds on Friday...

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Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Rift Special pt 2

There was sun. And blue skies. We went to Cardiff. Millennium Centre Only this time we caught the train from Cardiff Central to Cardiff Queen Street and thence to Cardiff Bay... I've made a page of photos (28 or so of the ones I took - there were 275 in total) here.
We hopped on the Aquabus for a trip around the bay, then had lunch in Demiros, Demirosa Welsh, Spanish and Italian restaurant (yes, really!) where we sat outside by a lionhead fountain and ordered possibly the best burgers and chips we've ever tasted served by a waiter who sang Italian opera at us. [bemused] It was interesting...
We'd decided to walk along the barrage coastal path but my blasted sandal broke, which really put paid to much walking (not to mention I'm going to have to find something else to wear while I complain to the sellers). We did try, but only got as far as the start of the path when I realised it wasn't going to be feasible.
So instead, we took the land train... (more at the photo page.)
barrage
Left this morning at nine, got back this evening at five thirty. Had a truly wonderful day. Both now knackered. But we still all went out to watch for Perseids, and K&K saw several bright ones (I wasn't so lucky, mine were feeble). Now a very pretty golden gibbous moon is rising, and it's too bright.
I really ought to make an attempt to tackle house cleaning tomorrow. Haven't managed much so far!

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Monday, August 10, 2009

The usual Monday...
[bemused] I forgot to say the other day but there's a new café opened up in Baldwin Street. It's called Zulu. It's offering to serve its customers their choice of kangaroo, ostrich, zebra (I think - only glimpsed it as bus went past), springbok - and wildebeest! I want a wildebeest burger!!
We've had ostrich and kangaroo in the past and really really like them: we were dead pissed off when the supermarkets stopped selling them because of people who objected, basically because they found the thought of eating Skippy too horrible. But seriously, if you have to cull an animal, doesn't it make more sense to get some use from it rather than waste it? [watches the vegetarians foam at the mouth and feels a bit guilty because of the air miles involved. In transporting the kangaroos, that is, not anything to do with vegetarians...]
The house is beginning to smell of melon. Better get the wine on the go tomorrow.
Edit: here's Zulu's details. They do wild boar and crocodile too - and I did see zebra. Not sure about that - too much like a horse. And OOOH! You can buy meat there as well! This I have to investigate...

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But fortunately drinking vast amounts of fizzy water stopped them. Eventually.





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I have hiccups... I don't get hiccups... This does not bode well...

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Sunday, August 09, 2009

1) More of the wall done. 2) First batch of tomatoes frozen for cooking later, since freezing then using the first two toms worked just fine. 3) Second batch of chopped and whole dwarf beans blanched and frozen. 4) Second batch of apple and cucumber chutney tried. Well, it's a lot spicier - but it's also a lot more liquid, which I didn't want. Not sure if we like it. Don't really want to waste it if we can help it, so will give it another taste tomorrow. 5) Kai's dismantled the packing case the loco came in. 'ooray! I have some of my room back. 6) Greenhouse water-butt stand now levelled. All the rain we had softened the ground, and it was listing dangerously. Emptied it over the last few days (plants needed a lot of watering as it has been sunny and hot this weekend) so now waiting for the forecast rain to fill it up again... 7) Looking forwards to bedtime. Kai wants a day off tomorrow!

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Saturday, August 08, 2009

looking straight up a balloon For a Saturday, that was exceptionally hectic. Got up, opened and watered in greenhouse, into town to collect new glasses, via Wilkinson's where I picked up two photo frames I've been looking for, then out to Wyevale to look for honeysuckle and price up either ponds or rubber lining for pools. Pre-made ponds were £40 and up, while the rubber is much cheaper and more flexible, so we will go for that for the wildlife pond up in the square (when we've worked out how much we need, anyway).
Found honeysuckle (non-British evergreen for once - lonicera darts world) and another oregano that the bees love so much (as attested by the fact they were flocking to it while I was trying to plant it, the little buggers!) K&K had mortared a good section of the wall and Kai had put another coat of weatherproofing on his wagon while I was out: when I got home Kai helped me plant the newcomers while Ken mowed front and back.
Kai and I measured up to see what size we want the pool to be and where it will go, and shifted rocks so Ken could mow beneath them (these are the rocks that need to be remortared back into the wall. It's been a long slow process, but the end is now in sight).
balloons In between we watched the Red Arrows performing at the Balloon Fiesta weekend - fantastic stuff, even if we were too far from the show to see them well. Still, we did catch a downward starburst and a couple of single jet flypasts - and a huge heart with an arrow through it (in smoke)... I really want to take Kai to an airshow. They were a regular part of my childhood, and I feel he's missing out.
Then it was harvest - another marrow, two cukes, radishes, lettuce and tomatoes - and another greenhouse watering session while dinner cooked, and then I realised the mass take-off had happened and there were balloons in the sky...
balloons
Admittedly not as many as previous years, but it was still a great sight. Although we were just slightly taken aback when a car drifted over the house...
carcar
Then again, we've seen a Scotsman, a petrol pump, Churchill (the dog, not the PM), a UFO and a bunch of carrots, so a car is probably not so odd.
Absolutely knackered now. Hoping tomorrow will be a little quieter.
For a change of pace, here's YouTube footage of my favourite plane of all time, the Avro Vulcan...

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Friday, August 07, 2009

Every day feels like Saturday when Kai's on holiday. It's very disorientating.
So, today. Kai painted another coat of the weatherproofing woodstain onto the new wagon (each piece of wood needs four coats, and the stuff takes about ten hours to dry each time. It's a long job, but the end is in sight...) I've started work on a client's new website and started another load of melon wine. After spagbol al fresco sprog helped me water, which is a bit of a major chore these days.
And of course he rode his train. So chuffed about it.

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Thursday, August 06, 2009

The nagging finally pays off - Kai's loco is now running!
railway
There'll be video once he's finished constructing the running stock and the battery is properly seated and covered. Then I can go for a ride!

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Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Yup, new glasses, both work and distance. Though I only use the distance ones for TV subtitles anyway (although since that includes the anime I suppose it is quite a lot...)
The appointment was quite amusing. I had Ken help me measure the usual distance between my eyes and my monitor - thirty three inches/eighty four centimetres - because my last two pairs of specs haven't been quite right, and I've had to peer and lean forward a little, which has been uncomfortable. (I've been wearing my old distance ones for the last I forget how many months, but they've started making my eyes ache.) The optician looked at me like I'd grown an extra eye when I told him the distance, but went ahead taking that into account. When he'd finished he shifted his chair back three feet and held up the card, asking me to read as far down as I could. I think it surprised him that that was the next to smallest print size (the one used for newspaper ads, it claimed) without strain and I even managed to make out some of the minute text on the very smallest line. But it proved my point - my monitor is just under three feet from my eyes and I need glasses that take that into account.
I'm going for modern, little frames this time, the squarish ones: Ken's suggestion, since the one place I could still get the spectacle nose pads from has now closed down, and he thought smaller, lighter frames might negate the need for them. I think he's probably right (though they look quite odd on my big face - just as well I'm not vain!): I'll find out on Saturday when I pick them up.
In the meantime, Kai went to the Banksy exhibition with the G sprog and his mum. He was picked up at 8.15 this morning, and they still had to stand in the queue for an hour before they could get in. But Kai says it's brilliant, well worth the wait, so I may still try to see it before it ends.

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Tuesday, August 04, 2009

TransFormers - Revenge of the Fallen - hereinafter TF2. ............. ............. OK. The transformation scenes were pretty stunning, as expected. The soundtrack was great, as in the first film.
The rest was crap. Very enjoyable crap, it has to be said, but crap all the same. Basically an excuse to have enormous amounts of military hardware, slow-motion explosions and dozens of Transformers all together in the same 2.5 hours worth of brain candy. Actually, 'brain candy' sounds a little too fluffy and innocuous. It's more like brain-triple-tequila-slammers-on-an-empty-stomach (I make no apology if that doesn't make sense. Neither did the film). Even less coherent and logical than the first film, although at least the finale doesn't take place in a densely-populated city, only close to one (Cairo). That huge wheelie-thing at the beginning is impressive though. And Shia LaBeouf is marginally less irritating than in TF1. And there's a very cool cyclopean cougar decepticon that I'd rather like for Yule. And the film has the rather tasty Mark Ryan (Nasir in Robin of Sherwood: I spent half the damn film trying to place where I'd heard him) voicing Jetfire. And Simmons comes across as a much more sympathetic character than in TF1. But the camera work is manic and nausea-inducing and far too fast for comfort (actually that's true of the film as a whole), and as far as I can see the only way to differentiate between the autobots and the decepticons is that most of the autobots are coloured, while the decepticons are mainly plain silver-coloured metal.
Except for that monstrous multi-component thing at the pyramids. I'm sure it was supposed to be most terrifying and doomful, but unfortunately all I could see when it was constructing itself was the Stations creating Good Robot Bill (from Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey) and nearly pissed myself laughing, which I'm pretty sure wasn't the director's original plan...
So - crap film. Great way to spend (yet another) rainy afternoon. Will we be buying it? Hell yeah!
Popped into Sainsbug's on the way home, and they finally had Journey to the Centre of the Earth: I've been keeping an eye out for it, as Kai is particularly fond of the film (not sure why.) Not only did they have it at a sensible price (£5.99), but the double disc pack also contained the free 3D version of the film, of which we watched a little after the ordinary version. It's actually rather good. The pack comes with two pairs of cheap cardboard 3D specs, which always make my eyes ache after a bit, but they really work. Admittedly the colours are dreadful, but the effects are great.
So, with that one bought, we now just need the director's cuts of TF2, Wolverine, Star Trek, Half-Blood Prince, and the correct version of Watchmen (going to have to compare the three different versions currently available and choose wisely). Erk. That's a lot. Still, only five months to Yule...
And my Cloud Appreciation Society certificate, badge and welcome letter arrived this morning. The letter says my unique membership number "should be quoted in all correspondence with the society and should be written on your forehead at any society gatherings." Um, yerrs. In addition, the certificate exhorts me to "seek to persuade all who'll listen of the wonder and beauty of clouds" - so consider yourself exhorted. I'm sure you've noticed how many sky and cloud photos I post here...
Muse have a new album out in September. Lutra commented she'd heard the single - Uprising - from it, which of course had me tearing off to finally join the Muse community so I could listen to it.
... wow...
Have pre-ordered The Resistance from amazon.
I'd love to see them live. I haven't been to all that many concerts in my life - Focus, Tom Waits, RunRig, Christy Moore, and The Cramps (twice!) come immediately to mind, though there may have been a couple of others - but Muse... [sigh] The concerts sell out almost immediately. Eh well. One day, maybe.
Opticians tomorrow. Pretty sure I need new working glasses.

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Monday, August 03, 2009

Monday shopping... But I did find this in the St Pete's Hospice charity shop (for £1.50), and just couldn't resist it...
plush flyplush fly again
Plushie fly.
It giggles!
I made a small video of it giggling and tried to upload it, but bloody blogger won't accept it, just kept on telling me it was uploading and not letting me cancel. Will see if I can find another way. Edit: uploaded here as a quicktime file. Will have to do until I can find out how to convert from .mov. to .mpg - or how to embed .movs...
Oh look - I found out how.
It just had to come home with me: it had the volunteer at the till and I in stitches. She mooted it as a good remedy to a spell of the blues, and I have to agree. Kai went out for a very looong bike ride with the G sprog this afternoon, arrived back knackered and grumpy (been ages since he last rode, he's going to be sore in the morning!) and I played it to him. It took seven fits of the giggles and he was smiling again. Wonderfully silly, and such a dopy face. The fly, that is, not Kai.
I've decided that 'The Giggling Fly' is a great name for a pub, and I'm going to use it in Haadri. Somehow.
In other news: also found Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey in the same shop. Absolutely pointless film, but we already had the first one, so it completes the set.
Kiwis three and four now planted in the square.
And I've graded the first bean harvest (into small whole beans and larger cut beans) and spent a half hour blanching and freezing them. All good stuff.
Kai wants to see Transformers 2 again tomorrow.

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Sunday, August 02, 2009

Lord's Wood and Kai Ye gods - sun... Again...
K&K leapt out to catch the bus to Pensford - a lovely little place just outside Bris, with a quite impressive viaduct - to visit Lord's Wood: ->
They had a great time - didn't get back until gone six, and were knackered.
And me? Well, while the two machine loads of washing were doing I watered in the greenhouse, made the trellis for the square and planted two kiwis and the new lavender, trimmed the grass around the veg bed where my lettuces are coming along so well, spent a couple of hours making a trial load of apple and cucumber chutney (it's pleasant and definitely goes well with chicken, but lacks zing. I need to add something in the spice line next time. And more cumble and less apple, I think, and perhaps a tad more sugar...), picked a dozen or so tomatoes, nearly 2lbs of dwarf green beans (to be blanched and frozen tomorrow, too tired tonight), an aubergine and a handful of radishes from the veg bed before the day's second watering/feeding in the greenhouse.
This was supposed to be me taking it easy...
... one day, maybe. Touch tired now, having an early night.

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Saturday, August 01, 2009

Up late, woken by a very nasty dream which Ken says I should turn into a story, so no details I'm afraid...
Took me a while to re-orientate myself, then I did a little client site stuff while Ken went up to Maplins to get the vital components for K&K to get the loco electrics done. When he got back he put the eight hooks into the planking in the square for me to make the trellis: will get that done tomorrow if it's not too wet.
Then I ended up standing in the kitchen for over an hour making dinner and a lentil and buckwheat slice to go in the oven when the stye-pie (shepherd's pie made with pork mince) came out. The standing bit is significant because of the phone call during dinner - Kim (HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIM!) ringing to see if I'd like to go down to the Bristol Harbour Festival and watch the fireworks with her...
Harbour festival
fireworks We parked in Bedminster and walked to the Floating Harbour. Rides and slides and stalls everywhere and quite a lot of people, though perhaps not as many as the last time I was there. Had a wander around the market, then headed back through the horrible crush along the waterside to the swingbridge - a good place to watch.I tried to take photos, but forgot that it's much more successful if I use the motion setting, not the night-time one... fireworks So the pics are small, because they look better that way. fireworks fireworks Pretty, but not quite as spectacular as in previous years, and the performance was a little shorter. But they started it with Muse's Feeling Good, and nothing was going to be a failure after that!
Now my legs and feet are killing me: seem to have spent a lot of the day standing up. I have been ordered to take it easy tomorrow. [heh. Right.]
BUT, this morning I had an email from an author whose writing and opinions I really respect, saying how much she enjoyed Missions, which has made my week! Thank you Jane: will reply properly tomorrow.

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