Poem: Daily Grind

Morning, inbox full

Head full of cotton wool
Phone rings, what now
Emergency or stand down
Paperwork, what’s next
Managers must know best
Lunch time: relax
Reluctant to go back
3pm, the end is near
Imagination into gear
Headache, backache
To tell the truth it’s soul ache
Tomorrow is another day
But all days are the same.

Poem: People Don't Write

People write:

They write emails
And lists
They write blog posts
And comment on the world
But people don’t write.

The dance of pen on paper is slowly forgotten
Replaced
By clattering plastic
And uniform text.

Mad Dorito (crochet pattern)

It's not often that I make up a pattern from scratch, so to immortalise this unusual moment for as long as this blog may last, I have decided to put it up online.  The explanation as to why I decided to make a mad dorito (it took about 2 hours) is not going to be present, it's a bit of an in joke and I don't think anyone outside the MX-5 circle would get it.  I might be wrong.  Either way, I'm not explaining.

So, the pattern: (Instructions are in American rather than English as that's how I think of my stitches.  If you are English, substitute SC for DC and you'll be all right).

Materials:
Yellow and black wool
4.5mm crochet hook
wool needle
red and white felt
2 x black beads
scissors

Sides (make 2)
Foundation Chain 20, ch1 to turn. (if you can't foundation chain, ch21, sc into 2nd ch from hook, sc along to end, ch 1 and start row 1)
Row 1 - sc2tog, sc in each sc along.  ch1, turn.
Row 2-end - repeat row 1.
Final row should be a single sc2tog.  Secure wool.

Leave a long tail on one triangle and use it to sew the edges together, leaving a gap to add stuffing.  Stuff lightly, this is a dorito not a samosa.  Sew up gap.

I decorated with a felt square mouth a-la Domo-Kun, black bead eyes and an angry monobrow in black sc.  I also edged the mouth in sc to give it a slightly sunken look and to hide the stitching around the edge - the felt I'm using shows needle marks quite badly.

So, if you every felt a need to make a mad dorito, now you can!

The temptation of the classifieds

Recently, I have harbored a pipe dream that tends to involve a large vegetable patch, an orchard, beehives, chickens and the postcard good life.  I am well aware that this will involve long days, manual labour and will require me to give up my social life.

My fiance, needless to say, is not enthralled by the idea, and would probably be even less enthralled if he realised that, if I come into enough money and he is sufficiently aggravating  I may just pack up and move to Ireland, leaving him in the dust.  Luckily for him, the chances of that happening are seriously remote.

Still, we did come to an agreement - I give up on the idea of us ever having children and I get my smallholding.  I have all sort of plans - selling dried herb sachets on e-bay to supplement the income over winter for a start.  Apple orchard + fruit press = apple juice (or scrumpy, potentially).  Beehives for honey to sell or make into mead.  On a small enough scale I wouldn't need more than an acre or two, and if I happened to land more, well, sheep farming for fleece has it's appeal.  And lambs are both cute and tasty. (I find sheep too stupid to form lasting attachments to once they're past the cute and skippy stage).

Of course, it would be tough.  The weather in the UK is not exactly brilliant at the moment, the past few years have been rough and I bet farmers are getting themselves further and further into debt as they try to recover.  I'm not looking at this career change through rose tinted glasses, at it's fundamental level it involves hauling around large amounts of animal shit.

And yet I want to do it anyway.  What does that say about me, I wonder?

Camp Nanowrimo

It feels more official with a badge, corny as that seems.  I feel a little guilty for setting myself a low goal this month, a measly 20k compared to November's 50k, but I could raise it, you never know.

I also feel like it's a cop out because most of what I've written so far has been typed up from a handwritten first draft - but I HATE typing up with a passion, and at least Camp Nanowrimo is getting the words onto the screen and into an edit-able format.  Ok, you can technically edit the handwritten copy too, but that gets messy and confusing.  It's quite amusing that chapter 4 on the first draft will be chapter 2 on the second draft, but I've cut out a large amount of the crap and decided to just go with split perspective rather than a split timeline.  Flashbacks and dreams are enough without diving completely into the past every other chapter.  It worked for the fanfic, but that's only because Duo didn't need much introduction - anyone reading Gundam Wing fanfiction should already have a pretty good handle on the characters and story after all!

Should probably go change my facebook picture to match I suppose...

Well, it's been a while...

It's been a while since I last posted, but then I don't think that the minute details of my life are all that interesting, and there is no point in writing if you have nothing to say.  

I have embarked on a new project - Camp Nanowrimo.  My word goal is only 20k at the moment - eminently achievable and I hope I won't be burnt out at the end, as I usually am in November.  I've decided to jump on the bandwagon and convert a fanfic into a Novel.  The only fanfic I have written that does not require an encyclopedia of explanation to give the background plot is Blue Lightning - after all, any post-war society that includes elite soldiers that fought in that war will do.  So, I created WW111 and the 'Specials' and Duo became Darren.  Solo got to stay Solo, but as names go his is not quite as recognizable.  In fact, if any strangers ever read it and contact me to ask about the subtle parallels to Gundam Wing, I will be happy to sign their copy of the book.

Not that I think it likely, but there you go.

So far I'm 2,500 into the second draft, the one that I will be using for the word count, and I seem to have mislaid the notebook with the original draft in it (not a brilliant start I know).  Well, I know where the secondary notebook with chapter 2 in it is, but I'm still not convinced that the split POV is the way forward - I think I'll write it split and then get a second opinion after a few chapters.  As Bracket is the only one I trust to read my WIP, I will be calling on her years of writing expertise to guide me in my choices.

And perhaps get her to take her damn commissioned blanket for her cats at the same time!

IT HAS HAPPENED!

IT HAS HAPPENED!  My book is now up for sale on Amazon.  Currently only available for kindle download, soon customers will be able to order the paperback version as well - as soon as I approve the proof copy when it arrives. XD

So excited about the fabulous cover designed by Carly Woodhouse - it just looks awesome!  It might have taken longer than I would have liked, but I'm really happy with it.

For those who have already read the book, I have now changed the ending to better fit in with the 'suspense' category I have dumped the book into. 

The kindle link is as follows:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Elysium-Dysfunction-ebook/dp/B006ZCGM72/ref=sr_1_20?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1348997684&sr=1-20

Hopefully I can amend this to add the link to the paperback version soon!