Of This and Other Worlds

anywherebeyond is so fab I think my brain broke. Seriously, look at what she sent me in the mail today!

( Thing of Awesome )

And the timing was perfect, too. Thank you so much, S.!

I got a bicycle for my birthday! A shiny new bicycle from my husband, who is wise in the ways of cycling! Yay! I think this may be the first new bike I've had in my life. And it's certainly the first one I've owned in over fifteen years. *huggles it*

My other birthday present: spring weather! It was positively mild today, and the snowbanks are rapidly shrinking. Dare I hope that by next week they will be gone?

In other news, I fail at writing today -- only 572 words so far. But my head feels like it has been stuffed with cotton wool, and I just can't seem to get my thoughts to cohere. So I have been using the time to do character maps, timelines, and other useful things. At least that will keep me from feeling completely unproductive.

It's embarrassing to admit how hard I have to think to do a timeline, though. I'm constantly counting things on my fingers with my tongue stuck out one side of my mouth, trying to figure out how much time has passed between on event and another -- and even after I've done my best, I'm sure I've got it wrong. Why do numbers hate me so?

I also fail at intuition. I really thought that by now I would have some word from Agent E. about Knife. However, no news is at least potentially good news, right?

I had a bit of a creative discouragement today, but as though to make up for it, I received two lovely packages.

One was a gorgeous calendar by avarill with pictures of her Nunavut trip -- thank you so much, avarill!

The other was a lavish basket of fruit, cheese, chocolates, nuts and other goodies, which my husband received as a perk for speaking to a professional organization. I must say, this is quite the nicest one he's come home with yet.

*munches chocolate to fend off creative Dementors*

*did not get her 750 words written today, however, so is good thing I am not actually signed up to novel_in_90 yet*

...is this (S). Or this (18m).

So. cool.

But seriously, the wishlist thing? Link me to yours in comments, please. I'd like to see what I might be able to do for some of you who brighten my LJ days, even if it's just sharing some music love or hammering out a drabble or something.

Also, I think from now on LOST should just be the Locke and Eko hour. I would so watch that.

I have already told lizbee that her Totally Awesome Parcel arrived not just on the day, but within a mere two hours, of baby Paul's birth. Wombat photos will be had as soon as I a) have energy for same; b) have a baby whose lips are not purple (the sad side effects of gentian violet treatment) and c) can get my husband to return the camera. I will also repeat that the Graeme Base dragon book and Possum Magic, sent for the enjoyment of the other two boys, are brilliant and will, I'm sure, be long and well loved.

Also, lydaclunas, I got your parcel three days ago, but what with all the hospital stuff going on, it rather got lost in the shuffle. I opened it last night and was delighted -- thank you so much! Dinotopia I read today for the first time, and it is indeed very nifty. Simon has already fallen in love with "Froggy" and stolen it from his brother temporarily (along with Liz's stuffed wombat), but I'm sure it will make its way back to its rightful owner when Paul is old enough to appreciate such things. And the olive oil was a very nifty touch, too.

In short, you guys are the bestest. Thanks so very much.

stmarysalice, I will reply to your e-mail soon -- thanks!

Since the first part of what made it so awesome is non-fannish in nature, I'll put the details (and accompanying picspam) up on rjanderson_blog as soon as I get the chance. But for now suffice it to say I got a fabulous early birthday present from my husband and I'm very, very pleased with it.

Now for the second part. I got to see the pilot of the new Doctor Who series. I won't spoil any of the details for anybody, I just want to say that just seeing the opening credits gave me a big stupid grin all over my face, and by the time it was over my face hurt from grinning so much. I also jumped and clutched my husband several times, which is just the way Who ought to be. The dialogue's clever and snappy, Christopher Eccleston as the new Doctor is wonderfully Doctorish, there are some delightful tips of the hat to the original series, and I genuinely like Rose. The story has a few over-the-top goofy moments, but would it really be Who if it didn't?

Anyway, I can't wait until the premiere officially airs so I can a) watch it again and catch the stuff I missed the first time; and b) find out what everybody else thinks of it. I'm sure there will be some people somewhere who don't like it (again, would it be Who if etc.?) but on the whole I think it's a great way to pull in new viewers and a tremendously promising start to the series.

Oh, and speaking of new viewers, my husband actually liked it and said he wouldn't mind seeing another episode. That's a major triumph for a guy who avows that he hates "time travel stuff" and has never liked any of the Doctor Who episodes I've shown him before (including the TV movie).

I have died, after all. Of ecstasy. Because sannalim's home-made cinnamon rolls just arrived by FedEx, and I have just taken my first bite.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Mmmmmmmmmmm. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.

I am about a million miles out of the Zone right now. I would have to eat, like, a whole cow to get back in it. But you know what? I. don't. care. Because these rolls are absolutely amazing. My only hope right now is to find a lot of friends who love cinnamon rolls to come and save me from myself before I eat the whole dozen.

Thank you so much, sannalim. I've got your address off the box, and your GAME t-shirt will be in the mail shortly.

Did I say yum? YUM.

Now I'm all flabbergasted. And touched. And grateful. Somebody sent me 12 months of paid LJ time.

Whoever you are, thank you, thank you, thank you!

And on my fifth wedding anniversary, too -- how felicitously timely.

No, I'm quite sure it wasn't my husband who paid for it.

An hour ago my husband came home from work and brought the mail with him, including one entirely unexpected, slim square package neatly labelled to "Miss Maude (sic) Moody", care of my address. On opening the package, I found a large quantity of fragrant wood shavings and, buried in the midst of it, a wand wrapped in a roll of parchment. The letter, which looks as though it were written with a quill or else a nicely scratchy fountain pen, read as follows:

Miss Maude Moody
Please find enclosed the replacement wand you ordered. It is Applewood -- 11 1/2 inches, with Griffon (Gyps africanes) in the main compartment, little owl in the personal compartment.
You did not specify a metal for the tips. Perhaps you were not aware that all Walter's Wands come with Yorkshire tips at no additional charge. So much more durable, you know. I called your home for specifics. Luckily, the gentleman who answered your fire was quite clear that iron was the only possible choice. As I recall his precise words were "like her vertebrae".
We hope this wand meets your complete satisfaction.
Use it wisely,
Walter the Wandmaker
-- Riven at Rivling
www.waltswanson.com

The wand is indeed very lovely, a smooth tapering cylinder of pale wood with a knob near each end, and about 2 cm of iron on both tips. To say that I was astonished to get it would be an understatement. I have the coolest readers... Walter the Wandmaker is obviously of a much friendlier disposition than Ursula March, but he is certainly no less generous. Thank you so much, Walt.