Accomplishing things is overrated.
Mar. 7th, 2011 04:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
icepixieRats. I had just four things on my to do list for the weekend, and I only did one of them (my ironing). Dear self: get better at working with self-imposed deadlines.
On the other hand, this past week I've had a grand time reading many, many books, which is largely the reason I haven't been around much. I work only two blocks from the downtown library, which is definitely feeding my bibliophile habit.
Recs: Heresy, by S.J. Parris (Elizabethan Oxford, heretic monk, Catholic intrigue...great combination, nicely-plotted mystery) and, to a lesser extent, Dark Echo, by F.G. Cottam. The man has a habit of writing only in short, declarative sentences, but the ghost story/historical mystery was good enough that after a while I didn't care. Well, I cared, but not enough to stop reading. It was spooky and cool.
Anti-Rec: Diving into the Wreck, by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. With a title like that and a plot involving a female captain of a space salvage operation, I was expecting at least some kind of connection to the Rich poem, even if it was obliquely, but no, not only did it not come through for me on that angle, it was just a terrible book. It was originally two short stories, and it showed. The actual interesting part started on, oh, the last page, too. Plus the author could not go more than two sentences without starting a new paragraph. Being fond of the single-sentence paragraph myself, I assume it was mean to up the tension or underscore importance, but the effect was much like highlighting every sentence in a textbook. Bah.
I've also been spending my time...uh, well, this requires some context in order to make myself feel less embarrassed. Once upon a time, like back in middle school, I used to watch Caroline in the City. (Don't judge me, I was thirteen.) I quite enjoyed it at the time, so, having little better to put in my Netflix queue, when I saw that it was out on DVD, I stuck it in there. And, you know, for a sitcom, it's held up quite well. Okay, so it was never actually objectively good, relying far too much on clichés, love triangles, and plots where the conflict would be over in two seconds if people would just talk to each other like sensible human beings, but, you know, for all that, it's still entertaining. (Did I mention I was watching this with the rose-tinted glasses of nostalgia firmly affixed to my face?) The characters consist of a cartoonist, her assistant, a greeting card executive, and a dancer, and it's nice to see characters on American TV who aren't variations on cops, doctors, lawyers, or soldiers. The show's, and especially Caroline's, combination of sweet/cute/spunky/sincere hits me in the same weak spot that Nora Ephron movies do (DON'T JUDGE ME), and Richard the Black Cloud of Despair is always highly amusing.
And they're so cute when they finally get together. So cute. LIKE PUPPIES AND KITTENS AND RAINBOWS EXPLODING ON THE SCREEN. Look at the icon on the LJ version of this post and tell me they aren't adorable.
Anyway, uh, there might be fic someday soon. Although given that at the moment Caroline and Richard are debating the merits of burnt umber versus burnt sienna, it's possible that I just wanted an excuse to write about art supplies.
So. How have you all been?
On the other hand, this past week I've had a grand time reading many, many books, which is largely the reason I haven't been around much. I work only two blocks from the downtown library, which is definitely feeding my bibliophile habit.
Recs: Heresy, by S.J. Parris (Elizabethan Oxford, heretic monk, Catholic intrigue...great combination, nicely-plotted mystery) and, to a lesser extent, Dark Echo, by F.G. Cottam. The man has a habit of writing only in short, declarative sentences, but the ghost story/historical mystery was good enough that after a while I didn't care. Well, I cared, but not enough to stop reading. It was spooky and cool.
Anti-Rec: Diving into the Wreck, by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. With a title like that and a plot involving a female captain of a space salvage operation, I was expecting at least some kind of connection to the Rich poem, even if it was obliquely, but no, not only did it not come through for me on that angle, it was just a terrible book. It was originally two short stories, and it showed. The actual interesting part started on, oh, the last page, too. Plus the author could not go more than two sentences without starting a new paragraph. Being fond of the single-sentence paragraph myself, I assume it was mean to up the tension or underscore importance, but the effect was much like highlighting every sentence in a textbook. Bah.
I've also been spending my time...uh, well, this requires some context in order to make myself feel less embarrassed. Once upon a time, like back in middle school, I used to watch Caroline in the City. (Don't judge me, I was thirteen.) I quite enjoyed it at the time, so, having little better to put in my Netflix queue, when I saw that it was out on DVD, I stuck it in there. And, you know, for a sitcom, it's held up quite well. Okay, so it was never actually objectively good, relying far too much on clichés, love triangles, and plots where the conflict would be over in two seconds if people would just talk to each other like sensible human beings, but, you know, for all that, it's still entertaining. (Did I mention I was watching this with the rose-tinted glasses of nostalgia firmly affixed to my face?) The characters consist of a cartoonist, her assistant, a greeting card executive, and a dancer, and it's nice to see characters on American TV who aren't variations on cops, doctors, lawyers, or soldiers. The show's, and especially Caroline's, combination of sweet/cute/spunky/sincere hits me in the same weak spot that Nora Ephron movies do (DON'T JUDGE ME), and Richard the Black Cloud of Despair is always highly amusing.
And they're so cute when they finally get together. So cute. LIKE PUPPIES AND KITTENS AND RAINBOWS EXPLODING ON THE SCREEN. Look at the icon on the LJ version of this post and tell me they aren't adorable.
Anyway, uh, there might be fic someday soon. Although given that at the moment Caroline and Richard are debating the merits of burnt umber versus burnt sienna, it's possible that I just wanted an excuse to write about art supplies.
So. How have you all been?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-03-07 10:34 pm (UTC)You can pretend you don't know me if you like. /geek
no subject
Date: 2011-03-07 10:43 pm (UTC)You can pretend you don't know me if you like. /geek
Heh. I'm reasonably certain we're demonstrating the same level of geekitude here.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-07 10:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-07 10:49 pm (UTC)What happened to comedies where you loved all the characters? I miss the nineties.
Me too. I don't think I've watched a sitcom since Frasier went off the air, just because they're all so unfunny and dull and I hate the people on them. Maybe all the good writers moved over to writing dramedy?
no subject
Date: 2011-03-07 10:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 06:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 01:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-07 10:35 pm (UTC)Hee, Caroline in the City! Oh, Caroline and Richard, you were ridiculous, but entertaining.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-07 10:45 pm (UTC)You know the sad thing? I'm working part time. I have a four-day weekend EVERY WEEK, and I still managed to avoid most of my to do list.
Oh, Caroline and Richard, you were ridiculous, but entertaining.
Soooooo ridiculous. (Really, it wasn't them who were ridiculous so much as Julia...and Trevor...and Joe...and Del...oh, show. You were so terrible on a macro level, but so funny on a micro, dialogue-level. And your main characters pined so adorably.)
no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 12:35 am (UTC)And speaking of my Ghost Hunter obsession, now I want to look into Dark Echo.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 02:34 am (UTC)Also, sitcom about a cartoonist! Come on, it appealed to 13-year-olds everywhere!
It is one of the more imaginable types of jobs for kids, isn't it?
no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 04:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 04:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 01:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 02:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 05:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 09:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 04:04 am (UTC)Or politicians. Or forensics experts. *headdesk* Ugh, SO true...
no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 04:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 04:31 am (UTC)At one point I wanted to wear my rollerblades everywhere like their delivery guy.I think I must have stopped watching before she and Richard got together though. :(no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 04:51 am (UTC)The show was definitely waning when they got together, but they were so cuuuuuuuuute that I don't really care. I think my favorite bit is that they decide to wait two months before having sex, and Annie finds that Caroline has put a big happy face on her calendar for that date. Of course she has. *g*
no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 06:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 01:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-13 08:36 am (UTC)Don't worry: I'm most certainly not judging you. I've got a soft spot for Nora Ephron movies as well. ;)
no subject
Date: 2011-03-13 07:37 pm (UTC)P.S. You might like Caroline, if you like Ephron films. It's basically the sitcom equivalent of them.