† I find with “Morgue Attendance” that I begin to run into a problem in the why is this happening? department. I can usually dispel that with a cry of Because CREEPY! and carry on, but the specific shape of the story won’t allow that kind of easy evasion. So, back on the shelf it goes until something sensible ferments.
‡ Two black inks in the same rotation?! I had meant to fill the Parker with something else last Friday, and discovered there was a mere syrupy drop left in the bottle. Panic took over, as I had less then five minutes to get on my way to work.
† Strangely, I opted for a no-booze New Year’s Eve, keeping my evening lubricated with just shy of a gallon of iced tea. So that sleep, starting late though it did, was not an alcoholic coma. Just the human frame finally collapsing from the forced march of daily employment in the modern understanding of the term.
Whether the depression and treatment thereof had anything to do with the brief teetotalling is unclear. I don’t think so, as I certainly had a small neat whisky the next day. Perhaps it’s… *gasp*… maturity asserting itself at last.
Yes, it’s that time of year again, when the sun finally stops its southward trundle.
There’s also some kind of gift-giving festival associated with this time of year, isn’t there?
This week’s videos (yes, plural!) are all Christmas-y. I think I’ve mentioned previously that while I don’t follow Christianity, I have been embedded in it most of my life, so I’m willing to enjoy some plainly non-secular tunes in connection with the season. There’s a couple of those below.
But I also have an incorrect sense of humour, so one of these things is not like the others.
I’m going to share a couple of things I’ve watched this week, rather than hoard one away for future use. Such extravagance!
First, a bit of charming semi- or perhaps quasi-traditional animation, which follows a mythology I’m not familiar with:
Now, since it is a mythology I’m not familiar with, I don’t know how closely it holds to tradition, but I’m willing to accept it is traditionally Finnish (I’m not a subscriber to the mad idea that Finland itself was a Norse myth and only gained existed in 1923 as a scheme to frighten the Russians).
The other thing is just an excerpt from an old favourite of mine, presented by a chap with a good voice for the purpose. What struck me, though, is that it’s the first time I’ve experienced the words in connection with maps, which re-framed the action wonderfully in my imagination.
A friend showed this to me earlier in the week (along with a load of others, via Facebook). It reminds me very much of the sort of thing the NFB was ushering into the world when I was a kid, and that’s exactly the kind of stuff we looked forward to in the school day film viewings which inspires this flavour of entry here.
The idea of showing this sort of thing to the kids was, I think, to instill some sense that art was a thing worthy of pursuit. I call this art. You may not, but if you stick to that line, you can expect the shades of Ray Harryhausen and Willis O’Brien moaning under your bedroom window until they see some sign of repentance.
Pretty well, for a vacation only from work. Let’s get that checklist from the last entry:
Throwing out stuff I should have thrown out when clearing out the parents’ house instead of letting Nostalgia shove me around;
Throwing out stuff so my son won’t have to do item (1) in 35 years;
Committing small acts of home repair as a proof of good intention to the house;
Small acts of sympathetic magic in hopes of convincing wealth to shower upon my household (already begun, as you may note from the roster of “Rich Man’s Pens” that are showing up in my rotation);
Getting my son as much locomotive time as possible in celebration of his birthday– there’s a steam engineandan archaic diesel within reach;
Submitting more stories to more markets;
Please, please, please some writing, because the boy’s at school still for almost the whole period that I’m not and I should have time even with the previous chores standing in my way.
On items (1) and (2), about a bag from each column. This was balanced out by the importation of yet more track and rolling stock for my son’s toy train empire (his birthday, after all), which I should not complain about. He also got books about actual locomotives, which pleased him at least as much as the toys, and that makes for a happy pappy.
(3) was… well, nothing new broke. Status quo is a win in that department. Item (4) has a similar result, and since I’m aware that there is indeed plenty of “how much worse can it be?” in the realm of household economy, I’ll not complain aloud.
That steam engine referred to in (5) is apparently laid up for the season, but…
…there was some fun had, even if things were a little overcast.
I will admit failure on point (6), mainly through distraction on the other points AND some repairs done for local clients, but as far as (7) goes I will offer the threatened large and oddly formatted progress report:
Writing Attempted
Amount Written
Pens Used (no particular order, and not just on the writing)
Inks Used (likewise)
First Draft of “Swimmer’s Build”
First Draft of “Final Girl”
Second Draft of Choose Your Own Hideous Fate project
That’s actually less time spent on writing than I hoped, but an encouraging outlook as far as being able to get anything like that done at all when I’m (sort of) in command of my own schedule. Hooray!
Speaking of writing things– there’s some pens there without links, aren’t there? I’d best get down to business on that….
An odd entry on the Friday Filched Film– someone else talking about pens. What’s odd is that I’m giving it space here, even though I disagree with almost everything said in the first five minutes, and spend the rest of the item switching between quite nodding and surging to my feet, finger poised in the attitude of argument, shouting, “Now just a darned minute, buster!” I don’t necessarily agree with the suggestions or the reasons, but I support the reasoning process that leads to the suggestions. Plus, there’s some pretty pens.
He also has the grace to not say, “If you disagree with me, U R STOOPID!!!1!” For my part, I am more given to positive recommendations than negative– I’ve got pages crammed with suggestions for new users young and less so, while the only pen I really urge anyone to avoid is that horrid Apis.
What's up at Ravens March. 