Dragon Flies

I worked hard at my O-fic, "Dragon Seeks a Wife", yesterday, finally finishing up the text shortly before Aearwen phoned me for our weekly chat. We had a totally delightful hour catching up with writing, music and families, finally signing off with a promise to talk again next week. I'm already looking forward to it. After starting the next load of laundry in the dryer, making the bed and checking the mail I began editing the fic. I wanted to send it off last night, but still had three pages to edit when my eyes went bonkers at 9:00 pm. So when I awoke at 3:15 am this morning I went right to my computer and started the final edit. I was able to send the completed story to the publisher at 4:20 am this morning. Now I just hope that they enjoy the story enough to include it in the book. If they don't, I'll check out a couple of other places to submit it, but I also will have time to ask a couple of friends for beta help which would be wonderful. So if it doesn't get accepted, it's both good news and bad news at the same time. Rather like life in micro - LOL.

SPOILERS BELOW FOR SURVIVOR....Then a quick discussion of Ghost Hunters

Zane was voted off as the first in the new season.

Last night was the first episode of Survivor Philippines. By the time I had been watching it for an hour I was already bored. I decided to switch over to watch Ghost Hunters instead, flipping back and forth during commercials. So I was able to watch Zane get voted off before returning to Jason, Adam and the Ghost Hunter crew. My DH said that Zane was really stupid, telling people that he didn't want to put out the effort for some really stupid reason. He was a character and it might have been fun to see him play, but ... really? I mean ... REALLY?

Survivor Returnees L-R Michael Skupin, Johathan Penner and Russel Swan

It was a joy to see Russel Swan (2009 - Samoa) and Michael Skupin (2001 - Australia) return, although I am totally lukewarm about Jonathan Penner (Fan vs Favorites). Jonathan always struck me as annoying and I suspect he still is. But Russel and Michael were both fun to watch in their individual seasons and I think they will pull me in to watch the show as long as it is only 60 minutes long. Then I will happily switch over to Ghost Hunters.

Ghost Hunter Adam Berry

Ghost Hunters was investigating a New Orleans bar and hotel that had been experienced an arson fire in 1973, killing 32 men. It was a gay bar and safe house and allowed Adam Berry to come out of the TV closet on camera in an easy and natural way. He's never hidden his sexual preference in interviews, but it hadn't been explored or utilized on the show before this episode, to my knowledge. He's a nice guy and a good investigator and displayed some real sensitivity to the spirits of these dead men. Now to decide on my next writing project.....

Monday, Monday

I had such a nice day off.  I didn't get to read quite as much as I wanted, but I did finish one book and begin the next in the current series that I'm buried in.  I played LOTRO for a while, but mostly worked on my crafting because I was WAY behind in that.  Another night or so and I'll be caught back up, at least with one character.  And DH and I went out to celebrate my birthday (belated).  We went to Barnes & Noble where he bought me a book on digital art techniques that I wanted, and then we went to Outback for prime rib.  He ate all of his, plus had two short beers.  I ate most of the appitizer (coconut-battered shrimp - yummy) and had one short beer and an iced tea, but I only ate half of my meat and saved my potato.  Sitting in my fridge is tonight's dinner - the rest of my prime rib, a loaded baked potato and au juis for the meat.  I'm looking forward to it already.  We finished the night with cupcakes, and the Survivor finale.  Very excellent all around. 

Speaking of Survivor - congratulations go out to Boston Rob who played what was probably the best game of Survivor that I've seen in 22 seasons of the show.  He won the $1 million and also won the $100,000 fan choice award.  The other two admitted that they got there because he brought them there, and he worked hard to get there, but he won immunity when it counted and made alliances that worked.  Well done! 

....Back to Work

Someday I will have two days in a row off again, but I don't see that happening anytime in the foreseeable future.  I had a really delightful Sunday.  I had a 40% off any regularly-priced item coupon for Dick Blick's Art Supplies.  I can't resist a coupon like that, so I got some more water-soluble resist for my silk and because brushes were on sale at very good prices, I picked up three large paint brushes for my watercolors.  It's getting down to crunch time for my silk painting.  I'll wash the silk tonight to get rid of any sizing or other chemicals and I'll cut it to size and hem it.  I'm not 100% sure if I will hand sew the rolled hem, or use the sewing machine like I did for the lid lining satin fabric.  The rolled hem foot for the sewing machine isn't cut and dried - it is a bit tricky to get it to work properly.  I might be better off with hand-hemming the top since it will be "front and center" and the focal point of the entire project.  All that I know is that the sizing has to be exact. 

After our excursion at Dick Blick's, we wandered over to Barnes & Noble and wandered through the stacks.  We ended up with some magazines of interest and one bargain book with some amazing photographs that I would like to bring into silk painting and enamel work.  We went out to TGIFriday's for a couple of drinks (he had his usual beer, I had some wine) and then home for a light meal and the "Survivor" final.  Sandra won the $1 million.  Personally, I think Parvati deserved to win.  Russel received no votes, but once again won the "Sprint Player of the Game" and the $100,000 prize that accompanied that.  It makes two times in a row that he has won the $100,000 but not the grand prize for the game.  DH thinks that Russel should have won, but I am grateful that in the end it seems that evil does not get rewarded.  It reaffirms my basic faith in humanity which has been bashed and battered at the hands of current events and intoleration throughout the world over the past few years.  I can hardly wait for the fall session which will be in Nicaragua. 

The Taste of Success

What a fantastic day for the US at the Olympics yesterday. Shaun White and Lindsay Vonn both pulled Gold, and Shani Davis got his repeat Gold - a very rare event in speed skating long track. We also had a Silver in the women's downhill, a Bronze in the half-pipe and a Bronze in the speed skating long track. All is good! Of course, our skips are really not doing well in curling. The men's team has had the same clutch button shot for the past two rounds and blew it both times to lose both games. The women's team also has lost two rounds now. They will have to win their third game and many others to proceed to the semi-finals and it's not looking good.

Tonight places me in a television quandry. I have the finals of the men's figure skating - something that I absolutely WILL NOT miss, but I also have Survivor - the one television program that I insist on watching. I have a feeling that I'll catch Survivor on "on-demand" and watch it on my computer instead, later in the week. I refuse to miss the skating.

And for those of you who are not tied up in the Olympics. So sorry that you're getting one more dose with my blog. But I love them, and I post about things that I love. I did continue progressing on my etching designs yesterday, and prepped a bunch of pieces for more enamel work. I have some firm dimensions now for paper templates, and I have more etching components on order because I was too low on stock (and also had a tough time finding my papers). Since I'm still awaiting my translations, I have time to get a new shipment of papers into my hands. Of course that costs money that I really don't have, but I'll spend for my art where I won't for other things.

Finishing Line Approaching

Well, the cards are addressed and will be mailed on Monday and Tuesday. Sharon's gift is finished and photographed. I need to add an explanatory letter, pack, and ship it. Express Mail will be my saving grace here and it will go out on Tuesday. The last gift cards will be picked up this morning. I am still missing one present and it does not make me happy. I'll have to dredge up the paperwork for it. I still have names to enter into my database and a newsletter to compose that must be sent by Saturday/Sunday.

So Natalie ended up winning on Survivor (those of you from other countries - so sorry - this is Americana at its' best or worst). It seems that running below the radar has its' rewards. Did she deserve it? Not really. But she upset fewer people on a polarized jury. The person who actually played the game the best was also very annoying and obnoxious, and he didn't manage to win because of his tactics. Maybe there was some justice in this after all.

Got to run - a million things to do before I even get to the shop today. I'm only very grateful that we didn't get the 20" of snow that my friend in Virginia got over the weekend!