Now that everything Creative has been turned in for Stormed Fortress, and about all that remains to go with the production (on my part, that is) would be page proofs…what's next?
Well…the NEXT ARC is started. I have not one, but Two Atheran short works begun…and hopes of finishing both.
It's time to start scanning the rest of the Paravia sketchbook…
Not to mention catch up on Barn Chores, like the messy task of Washing Horse blankets…
And it's summer - when the rains settle in, time to garden.
And Read - that huge heap of TBR books that stacked up since I did the edits ot Stormed Fortress…(I don't read fiction while finalizing text.)
Can there be a better summer list? (Well, maybe not the horse blankets.)
What's everybody else up to? It's awful quiet in here!!!
originally posted by Blue
Myself, I have gotten serious about writing for the first time in a while - kind of scary. But, as mentioned, I have a friend who got herself published for the first time and seems to be doing quite well for herself. Since I don't have her expertise in love n' stuff (she's a romance novelist) I am sticking with something I have more of a handle on.
Not much else going on here.
originally posted by Jo
Well I will be looking forward to SF coming out of course but also Harry Potter and other sequels I'm waiting for. I go back to work from maternity leave in August so that's really pants. Getting the whip out to get my husband to sort out our garden, laying a patio oh the excitement of it all. Reading all the Dresden Files at the moment great books. With 2 kids not much chance of anything else really but I'm going to have a nice bottle of wine tonight or 2!
originally posted by PurplePenny
I've been preoccupied with one of our cats who is in hospital having radioiodine treatment. Here in the UK it is a much, *much* longer process than in the States. In the US, depending on the state regs, they are in for a couple of days, maybe a week - here in the UK it depends on the facility and Bumble Bee has to be in for three and half weeks 
Then we had a scare with Romey - thought he'd been hit by a car but he'd just been in a fight with something big (dog?, fox?).
But we also have a new kitten, he's gorgeous. I really should get some piccies of him put up somewhere for everyone to see.
When not worrying about cats I can be found building on my little plot of land in Second Life.
Now there's a thought … is there a Athera Sim? If not how about it? Hey I'd help build it… I love building in SL.
originally posted by Blue
Hope your kitty gets better soon, PurplePenny.
Jo, what do you mean by "pants"?
originally posted by Wendy Collett
Penny - I've just been having a quick squiz at SL for my eComm subject for uni - you must have a good bandwidth to run around it alot! My home connection won't cope with it, and the work one made my computer hummmmm like a swarm of angry bees!! It didn't like it at all!!
Other than that, my car broke down last night on the way home (around midnight), and I had the scariest, unfriendly tow truck driver pick me and the car up and take us both home - it was very much more frightening than waiting by myself for an hour on a quiet side-road for road-side assistance to come! I'll be writing a letter to the automobile club about him. Nothing he did (lots he didn't do), just felt like a Twilight Zone Episode…
I've got upcoming the QLD400 V8 supercars weekend in July at Willowbank, I'm organising volunteer crew to help out on site that weekend in Brisbane, Australia, if anyone wants to give a hand? 
Cheers, all.
originally posted by Eshi
I'm busy rowing, mostly. Even though I didn't go to Henley Royal this weekend and I've missed a week's worth of outings and ergos (due to food poisoning!) that's pretty much what's on my calender. Evenings are blessedly lighter and we can stay out later and actually see where we're going! Odd to think that I only starting rowing last fall and now I get itchy when I can't go out.
Oh, and I've decided I need more to do in my spare time and after several people suggested the Curious Pastimes LARP I am instead looking into joining up with Regia Angolorum, who are a 950 - 1066 living history group, which somehow seems more worthwhile and interesting to me. It's a much earlier period than I've been previously involved in but I intend to have my hands full with sewing, period crafts and background reading :o) Time to dig out papers and stuff from university…
Blue, the expression that something is pants is common in the UK (elsewhere? I don't know) and is a rather gentle way of saying that it's not good/fun. For instance, hearing that it's a number of months left until we actually get to read Stormed Fortress could be said to be rather pants.
originally posted by HJ
Four weeks of school left, then six weeks off. We're going up to the Lleyn Peninsular, North Wales, for two weeks in August. I really cannot wait… peace, quiet, fresh sea air, sheep, mountains, time with the family. Best two weeks of the year!
originally posted by Jo
Blue, Eshi summed up pants nicely - thanks Eshi. Yes going back to work will be rubbish but I suppose it beats watching episodes of Dora for those who have children and know all about it. On the plus side my daughter is 2.5 and can count to 10 in Spanish so not all bad.
originally posted by Blue
Thanks for the clarification on "pants," Eshi and Jo. I figured that's what it probably meant, but I like to ask the source whenever possible.
Must be interesting when you go clothes shopping, or do you use "trousers" for what Americans call pants?
Jo, I don't have children, but I watched an episode of Dora the Explorer once… friend's kid had it on. My brother, an avowed Barney hater, said it made Barney tolerable by comparison.
originally posted by PurplePenny
Wendy - I've got a shiny new puter and plenty of bandwidth… and SL *still* runs like treacle sometimes! It eats up memory (and takes ages to let it go once you log out). My work PC really struggles with it. If you do venture in again do a search for PurplePenny Broome - that's me.
Eshi - Regia used to be very strict about autheniticity ('spect they still are). Kev and I used to do Wars of the Roses. We tried to be authentic and working for the Bodleian Library certainly helped with the background research. It was particularly gratifying the day that a rather obnoxious authenticity officer from a different society pointed at the brass hooks & eyes I'd hand crafted and told us they were not authentic and I replied "Portrait of a Jester: 1425" 
Within a few months everyone was using brass hooks & eyes!
Now… there is a connection between those two hobbies… wonder whether anyone can spot it. Clue: my Second Life surname.
originally posted by Eshi
I am really curious to see exactly how strict they can be with the paucity of sources. Looking at their guidance on Saxon clothing for instance, some of it looks like it's from boggy finds in Germany dating a 200-300 years later. Anyways, if I'm putting effort into something like this learning at the same time is cool. Also, I intend to just relax and let other people impose their rules on me, though I suspect it would be easy to get caught up in various arguments for and against certain things. For instance the grubenhaus they've built it is interesting to hear why they have gone with the construction that they have when there isn't strong evidence for exactly what the subterranean bit was for… I just get the feeling this is more up my alley than trying to throw myself into a fantasy role-playing system I know nothing about.
A-nd, when someday I miraculously have enough money to do a Masters degree in Care of Collections it is likely to be helpful to be more familiar with the way certain small finds looked before they were buried for a thousand years :o)
Sorry for going on a bit. Getting carried away. I'm still off sick and home and bored and prone to rambling.
Second Life scares me in the same way that The Sims scare me. People's whole lives seem to get eaten by these things…
Ahhh - well, at the Pirate Fests, we calls em "Stitch Nazis" …
originally posted by DarthJazy
HI All
Glad to see that most everyone has a decent summer planned. Janny hire someone like a teenager a couple of bucks and then you don't have to do it.
My summer will consist of spending time with my son working at my two jobs, and last but not least Playing my MMO World Of Warcraft. I was going to do a re read but since i just finished one in UNDER 2 MONTHS woot.
I did get a new game that will take up some time Final Fantasy 12. I think that is it for me for now can't wait to get a new book HINT hehe.
originally posted by Walt
Ok Darth… you made me bite… Which server are you on?
My Main: Haomarush - UD Warlock 'Xuldune'
Other summer activities include working obscene hours of overtime, tricking the kids into doing yard work, finding new ways to keep the cat from escaping outdoors, lots of scrappin' and stampin', and working a Ren faire in August. Should be a very good summer. Except for the whole waiting for SF part…
originally posted by Angus
Hmmmm. What to do on summer vacation…
A week in Prince Edward Island with buckets, shovels. I intend to re-create Ithamon with my kids, fallen tower of Justice and all.
For those who don't know, Prince Edward Island is Canada's Rhode Island and Cape Cod rolled into one. Lots of lobster (which I hate - tried it several times, and can't even acquire a taste for the "big bugs"), potatoes (good soil for potatoes) and it is, of course, the Land of Anne of Green Gables.
Also camping for a week in Eastern Ontario. Most beatiful forests and lakes in the world.
And in between all of that, lawsuits and real estate closings! Divorce and child custody! Wills and Estates!
All things being equal, I'd rather be camping.
Please give me a good (new) book soon!!!
originally posted by Iris
Angus! Finally, another person who doesn't like lobster!
Many years ago when we were traveling in the NE, my husband bought some to cook and I named them on the way home…couldn't have dreamed of eating them then! He was happy to eat both (carnivore all the way) but I don't like them, drawn butter or not.
Some interesting summer plans! - leave it to Janny to spark some life around here!
We are going to a conference called "No Barriers" in California (around Reno) this week. We went to one two years ago in Italy and it was amazing! It's a collection of all the best minds and thinking in disability technology - put on by MIT and there are fascinating research presentations and demos on some of the innovative ideas and products in assistive devices - from amazing prosthetics to computer chips in the brain. I am looking forward to having my mind blown and getting some heavenly cool weather too! Living in FL, any chance to visit a cooler climate is one I won't pass up!
On another note, I picked up a book to read on the plane - "Empire of Blue Water" by Stephan Talty. The true story of Captain Morgan…non-fiction but excellent so far!
originally posted by DarthJazy
Walt
My Main
Night Elf Hunter on Runetotem
my alt
Mystris draenaei shammy i loving the shammy.
we are attempting magtheridon tonight woot
originally posted by DarthJazy
Blumoonrise
is my hunter name
originally posted by Angus
Okay, what the heck is "woot"? And hey, what Eshi said about Sims and SL fits for WoW fanatics too.
How's your Crusade burning these days? I know of at least three divorces caused by that one game. Not that I mind making money, but geez, I mean really. This stuff is way too addictive for me to even try. I like reality too much to make it worse by fantasizing. That's what good books are for…and your wife doesn't mind if you stay up late reading!