Hi

[in_the_blue]

I've been a little immersed in media lately. Wait, I'll backtrack. We stayed here for the holidays, which was lovely and relaxing. But somewhere along the line I came down with an annoying cold. It's sucked most of the creativity right out of me, so instead of writing I've been reading and watching. We saw Life of Pi and Lincoln and Les Misérables and Rise of the Guardians at the theatre, and I had a few movie nights here with friends where we watched Truly Madly Deeply and The September Sessions and Love Actually, and with my kid we watched Midnight in Paris and The Aristocats (finally streaming on Netflix!) and Step Into Liquid and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and with my sweetheart we watched Pitch Perfect and Riding Giants. And finally, we watched the first episode of S3 of Downton Abbey which is probably old news to most of you, but we waited until it was on over here. I finished reading the Dragonthology anthology (self-serving plug here, my story's in it) and also finished reading A Dance with Dragons (so now I'm all caught up on ASOIAF), and read all the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels, and a mystery called Never Tell by Alafair Burke and Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives by David Eagleman. Right now I'm reading Peter Heller's Kook, which is a nice antidote to George RR Martin. That means it's going to be a fast read!

We were also lucky enough to score tickets to see The Book of Mormon onstage with the touring company, which was a treat and a lot of fun. I grew up just outside NYC and got to see a lot of theater, and I miss that. It's way more expensive now than it was then, and it's less accessible here than it used to be, but we try to go when we can. This show was one we went to for my husband's birthday.

I dusted off a story I started a while ago and I'm furiously trying to finish it. My frustration with it was that I stopped writing at the very beginning of a sentence, just after the opening quotation marks. I have no idea where I was going, and I don't like what I came up with. Time to scrap it and start again. I also finished the book I started in October. It's my longest piece of writing to date, and also the one that was finished most quickly. I don't know what that says about it, but I've sure had a wonderful time writing it, so at least it says I love it. It's out to its very first reader. That makes me nervous!

In other news, I'm mainlining tea (on my third cup of the evening right now) trying to shake this cold. I'm also trying to reestablish my appetite, which seems to have gone far far away. I still want to see The Hobbit and Django Unchained and The Impossible and maybe even Skyfall, but first I want to get rid of this cold. At least I'm only working tomorrow and Saturday. I have been keeping up with working out, though, riding the stationary bike on hill courses with the difficulty level almost all the way up for at least 45 minutes almost every day (that's when I get my best reading done), then doing sit-ups and free weights too. I feel better when I exercise. Still no skateboard, but it's been too wet for skating anyway.

How are all of you?

Comments

[jothra]

Hi!

What'd you think of Scott Pilgrim?

Someday, when I have lots of disposable income again, I'm going to have a shelf. It will have all of my friends' published work on it. It's going to be awesome.

[in_the_blue]

For the most part, I liked Scott Pilgrim. It got a little bogged down in the fifth book (I think it was Book 5) but what the hell. I knew the bulk of the story from the movie, which I liked in its own way. Scott's an ass, which is great, but Ramona was an ass too, which I thought was appropriate. No one's perfect. Actually, they were all asses, except maybe Knives. She was just obsessed.

What I really liked even more than the actual storyline was the kind of unyielding sense of wry humor in the series, and the tiny asides. I was impressed at how well the movie adhered to the basic plot, after I'd read it.

What'd you think of it?

[jothra]

The only thing I didn't love about the movie was that Ramona remained the perfect manic dream pixie girl, and didn't get to prove that she was as big of a putz as Scott. They totally deserve each other.

The touches of video games in the world building never fail to amuse me. Like the change people drop when they 'die'. And Scott's extra life.

[in_the_blue]

One of my favorite things in the graphic novels is when Scott remarks on the pitiful amount of coins the deceased leave behind. I loved that, and the use of the highways through peoples' minds.

[ceitfianna]

I hope you feel better and your holiday sounds nice other than the cold. Its always lovely to just get immersed in media.

[in_the_blue]

Yeah, we've had a lot of fun. I think some of this nestling in has to do with the time of year. It's dark, it's cold, and there's not a whole lot else to do.

And thanks, feeling a lot better today!

[camwyn]

I've successfully moved to Massachusetts. I've gotten started in my job at my new location. I've got people in the office who love my beef jerky, and I brought my second batch in today (well, I've made it before, this is my second batch here in Massachusetts). I did 32 floors of stairs in 7 minutes 38 seconds yesterday and other than being tired today I'm in no pain, which is kind of weird because it's only my second day of stair practice, so you'd think something would hurt. Overall, pretty good.

[in_the_blue]

That's amazing. I can handle seven or eight, but I don't think I could even walk up 32 floors of stairs. You're like a modern-day pioneer (or at least that's how I always think of you).

It seems like you're liking Mass. so far, at least from what I've read in your journal. For me, Boston was Fenway Park and hot summer nights. I went at every opportunity.

[silveraspen]

Here's hoping you feel better soon! And hurrah for exercise, because you're absolutely right about the impact it has. I notice similar effects myself, which is part of why I am now actively fighting to carve out time to do it.

And finally, we watched the first episode of S3 of Downton Abbey which is probably old news to most of you, but we waited until it was on over here.

So did Viv and I. :) I enjoyed it!

[in_the_blue]

My favorite way to exercise (I found through trial and error) is to do it first thing after I wake up. Otherwise I get too immersed in everything else to carve out the time for it. And then I still have my whole day ahead of me, so it doesn't feel like I've carved out a big chunk in the middle of my day. But that's just me.

For me, Maggie Smith is still the best thing on Downton. Shirley MacLaine might give her a run for her money if she sticks around for a while!

[thewickedlady]

I just bought your anthology! :D! I had it on my to-do list as soon as my next paycheck hit. :D!!!

But you finished it!! GO BOOK! That's the first big hard part! That's so awesome.

[in_the_blue]

YOU ARE AWESOME. Thank you for buying it!

You know what was cool? The book I finished was a sequel. I know I said this somewhere before, so forgive me if I'm repeating myself, but writing a sequel is like writing fanfiction for your own characters. It was SO MUCH FUN I could hardly stand it.

[vivien]

Lots and lots of media! Yay! I have been immersing myself, too. I am okay. Some days I am actually good, which is a huge improvement, but I am fine with okay.

[in_the_blue]

Okay is way better than not okay!

The media immersion has been so much fun. I even watch more TV than I used to -- went through a phase for a few years where I really didn't watch any -- even if it's mostly of the cooking-show or home-repair-or-buying-show variety.

Can't wait until Breaking Bad is back, though. July seems very far off.