writing again

If anyone has any digital photos (even just one!) of the Urban Tapestry concert or the Library Boy performance at Conchord, I would really, really love to get a copy. Many thanks. :-)

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I got a ton of work done of my novel yesterday, yay! SO great to get back to my writing again. Starting September, I'm going to start querying for magazine articles again but for now, I'm allowing myself the luxury of focussing on my book. I enjoy writing both nonfiction and fiction, but my heart is in my novel-writing. Until I make a name for myself in fiction, however, the money's going to come from my nonfiction.

As much fun as the summer's been, I'm really, really looking forward to a wonderfully dull autumn.

I wonder if this is an age thing, or more a result of a way-too-hectic few years? More likely the latter, I think. Jeff started developing the habit of asking, "Any news?" at the end of each day during Inkspot, since so much was going on. At first "news" would refer to anything exciting. As things got more stressful and then bad, the term "news" took on a more negative connotation.

More recently, the ritual goes something like this:

Jeff: "Any news?"

Me: "Absolutely none."

Jeff: "Woohoo!"





It was really hot and humid in Toronto yesterday, around 34 degrees Celsius. I wanted to start running again, but after doing basically nothing but sleeping for a whole week, I suspect that a full-out run would probably not be the greatest thing for me right now. So I went for a 45-minute brisk walk instead, and combined it with a brief errand to return a video.

Jeff and I watched "From Hell" on Sunday night. I wasn't blown away, and neither was I scared. And for me, that's saying something...I get scared in the cheesiest B-movie horror flicks. Perhaps part of it was because I didn't find the characters particularly believeable or interesting. Heather Graham's character was particularly flat; besides, I had a lot of trouble swallowing the fact that a 19th century prostitute could have such a perfect complexion, teeth and salon hair.

Another reason I didn't like the movie was probably because the Jack the Ripper story has been covered way too many times in Hollywood. My favourite was "Time After Time", with Malcolm Macdowell (does anyone else out there remember that one?).

Had dinner at Penelope's (Greek food) with Luisa last night; we just hung out and chatted for a few hours over souvlaki and lamb dinners.

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Today's Blatherpics:

	Bike rack in Higginbotham Park, where Jodi, Amanda and I took a walk/run in Claremont.
	Jodi and Scott practising "California Dreamin'" in the Snyder's living room.

parenthood

Jeff and I are never going to have children. This is by choice.

When I was much younger and living in the suburbs, I had always assumed that I'd get married and have children; that seemed to be the way of life at the time, where my family lived.

As I made my way through high school years, I realized that marriage was not an inevitability, particularly since I had pretty much zero interest in the opposite sex and they in me. I felt like I had my face pressed against the glass, watching everyone else in my school live normal lives, dating each other, graduating from high school and getting married, having children.

I finally started dating in university (cool computer geeks! hey, maybe boys aren't so dull after all). University was also a good influence on me in that I also began thinking outside the carefully-outlined circle that was my set of childhood preconceptions and expectations. I realized that when I felt like I was peering through a glass wall at all my "normal" classmates, they were the ones inside the box, not me.

When Jeff and I chose to get married, there was a strong expectation that we'd start having children. People would even ask when it would happen, a question I found somewhat rude at first but then learned to answer directly: "We're not going to have any."

In general, after the questioner established the fact that we could have children if we wanted to, the initial reaction to this answer was one of shock. Sometimes disappointment, sometimes even anger. How dare we not have children? They regarded our decision as a personal insult to their own. Were we children-haters? Some tried arguing, saying that we'd feel differently if the children were our own.

I was always amused by that argument. Of course I'd feel differently if a child was my own. If I made the decision to have children, then it would mean that I had decided to make that commitment, and would take that commitment seriously.

Jeff and I have made the decision not to have children. Just to clarify: I love children. I adore my nieces and nephew, enjoy getting to know the children of my friends. At the end of the day or weekend, however, I like to be able to hand back your infants and children and go back to my cluttered but creative hidey-hole of an office and re-immerse myself in my writing.

Until I get another hankering to change diapers, that is.

:-)

Speaking of which, I'm finally healthy enough to get back to work on my writing today, woohoo!





Links to pass the time:

From Harald Koch on Blatherchat this morning: "Do you know about No Kidding, the social club for childless and childfree singles and couples? They've been getting a lot of media attention lately. Personally, I think the club is a great idea. I have some issues with their spokespeople, but that's a rant I'll leave for another day..."

Even e-mail using PGP encryption could be descrambled, according to this SeattlePI.com story

As a result of the frequent commuting I did between Toronto and Philadelphia during my brief Xlibris stint, I'm a US Airways elite member and have several upgrade coupons. Don't know if I'll ever have a chance to use them, however, with US Airways filing for bankruptcy yesterday.

Toilet paper algorithms: toilet paper scientists?

EOnline has an article about the possible resurrection of "Davey & Goliath". Remember that old stop-motion animated show? Daaaveeey....

About to forward that amazing e-mail story to a friend? Before you do, you might want to check if its a hoax by running keywords through purportal.com.

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Today's Blatherpics:

	When Jeff and I took Ginny to Takesushi for her 65th birthday, a little Asian girl kept smiling at us through the slats in the divider wall between us and the next table.
	Ginny and Jeff at Takesushi on Front Street.

poll: star trek women?

Happy birthday, Parki!

Looks like Scott, Amanda, Zoë and Beckett have all caught colds. :-( Hopefully the plague won't spread much further.

Allison and Jodi are both back home. Allison's pretty much over hers. I spent much of yesterday sleeping but then got so bored of just staying at home that I went out and rented five DVDs: A.I., Kate & Leopold, From Hell, Ghost World, Dragonfly.

My mini-reviews:

A.I.: I didn't dislike it as much as when I first saw the movie, but only because I can skip vast chunks of the movie at a time. Jude Law is my fave.

Kate & Leopold: I'm a sucker for unrealistic sappy romances with Hugh Jackman, so sue me. My main beef: surely they could have done SOMETHING original with the usual time travel romance plot.

From Hell: Haven't seen this yet, probably later today.

Ghost World: Liked it except for the ending, which I hated.

Dragonfly: Thought this was semi-okay despite Kevin Costner's presence. Big gaping questions in the plot were distracting, though.





Scary Link of the Day:
The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins: Leonard Nimoy with go-go girls!
(Thanks to Parki for this link)

Poll: women of classic Star Trek

Browse this gallery (thanks to Cory of BoingBoing for this link); which of these was YOUR favourite? I only wish each of these photos was linked to the specific episode info.

My personal favourites:

Edith Keeler, who was in my favourite Classic Trek episode, "City of the Edge of Forever".

The Romulan Commander, who deserved to win.

Vina and Marta, because they were green.

Nurse Chapel, because I had a thing for Spock, too. And Number One, who only got to be a strong female senior officer in one pilot episode.

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Today's Blatherpics:

	Colour-sorted M&Ms at a candy store that Scott and Amanda took me to in Claremont.
	Krispy Kreme outlet.
	Scott and Cora in Claremont.

poll: sleep/naps

I am Queen of Naps. I challenge anyone to a Nap Contest. I will win. I have napped in cars, planes, bathtubs, canoes, tents, churches, movies. My favourite nap ever: dozing in a canoe as it drifted down the Nahanni River (Northwest Territories). Best general nap place: cottage. I tend to get carsick pretty easily, so in childhood got in the habit of learning how to fall asleep very quickly on long car trips.

At Conchord, someone told me that if you can fall asleep within ten minutes of your head hitting the pillow at night, you're sleep-deprived (it generally takes people longer to fall asleep). If that's the case, then I've been sleep deprived all my life.

I generally don't nap during the day unless I'm on holiday, mainly because I don't want to get into that habit. Since coming home from Conchord, however, my cold has knocked me into perpetual nap-mode. I think I've spent more time asleep than awake lately.

Hm...speaking of naps, I think I may take another one after posting this Blathering...

Poll: What are your sleep/nap habits?

When you have the opportunity, can you nap? How fast do you fall asleep? Are you a light or heavy sleeper? Do you have any sleep rituals? (i.e. a special pillow, have to read first, etc.) How long do you sleep every night, on average? How much sleep do you need every night to feel like a human being in the morning?

Answer here

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Today's Blatherpics:

	Zoë napping in her car seat.
	One of Zoë's favourite toys, Crusty Monkey. (Don't ask)
	The incredible folk music store and museum that Scott and Amanda took me to in Claremont.

toronto: a FUN city

It's my mom-in-law's 65th birthday today. Happy Birthday, Ginny!

Sad news: our friend Reid and his entire Mac team in Toronto got laid off from Roxio on Tuesday. :-( See his journal entry for details. If anyone out there has work for a team of Mac developers who work really well together, please do contact Reid (whose picture is above). They're really hoping to stay together as a team.

I slept most of yesterday, feel a bit better today. I hope Jodi's doing okay in L.A. Apparently Beckett's come down with The Bug, too. :-(

Our friend Helen has been visiting, but I'm afraid that my hostessing duties have been limited to staggering out bleary-eyed into the living room and asking how she's doing.

Several people told me about this chocolate-related job (thanks to Rob Wynne for the URL). Holy cow, they must be deluged with applications right now. Especially since I've sent in two dozen already under various pseudonyms...

;-)

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I've mentioned the Catholic World Youth Day backpacks in past Blatherings. My friend ScottM went out and got me one! For those interested, here's a close-up of the goods.

The backpack strap is nicely padded with a Canada logo in black print plus a plastic pocket for id:





The tag inside the backpack is one from Correctional Service Canada in Drummond, with the phrase, "Making Safe Reintegration Work":





A colour brochure about Ontario, Canada:





A plastic World Youth Day candle holder (with prongs on the inside to stick the candle on) and candle:





A small wooden cross on a string:





The official World Youth Day map by MapArt, with World Youth Day event locations marked in Toronto, special maps of Exhibition Place, Downsview Lands, and downtown Toronto, and a TTC map:





I had to cringe at some of the interior text, however. Like the following, which seems to try a bit too hard to emphasize the FUN aspect of Toronto:

"TORONTO: THE FUN CITY

The Fun City

With a dazzling array of performing arts, cultural and sporting events as well as street fairs, festivals and parades, Toronto is indeed Canada's City Of Fun. From cold winter to hot summer, Toronto is alive with festivities and fun."

Augh.

But onto the other backpack goodies. There was a World Youth Day pin:





A cityscape postcard:





A bunch of other postcards:





A plastic rosary:





And a Catholic World Youth Day scarf:





If there are any World Youth out there reading my Blatherings, I'd love to hear how much of this stuff you've actually used/kept. Thanks for the backpack, Scott!