Rae Roy's Blog, page 47

Theatrical Tuesday – A Writer At Christmas

[image error]I did take Christmas Day off, but the rest of my “vacation” has involved writing. There is too much on my to-do list not to. Maybe someday I’ll have vacations completely free of work, but I’m sure ideas will strike me and I’ll have to write them down anyway.

Before today, however, I was rather blocked up. I got maybe a scene or two looked at each day on my short film script. Normally, I can get a revision done in a couple of hours. Nope. Couldn’t focus. Final Draft’s method for displaying comments didn’t help either. I sent them feedback because they’ll either tell me about some setting I couldn’t find or make use of the feedback. They’re pretty good that way. Anyway, I got the revised short film done today after several days of barely getting anywhere with it. Holiday brain, as one friend said, was probably another factor.

Writers are rarely not working. Every interaction or experience is potentially research. As is every moment we’re browsing on-line. We may or may not make use of it, but these are the things that become part of stories. Someone says something in a weird way like speaking nonchalantly about cancer. A dog that hates having his snow booties taken off and prefers to slip all over the house. These are character elements.

Maybe you’re watching TV with the family and a bit of dialogue strikes your mind in a funny way, which gets you thinking about one of the projects you’ve been stuck on. Suddenly, you have the inspiration you need to finish it.

I also completed a creepy monologue for some placement hours. That involved a couple hours of research and the actual writing. Now I’m just waiting to find out where I send it to.

I’ve watched a lot of cheesy Christmas movies in the last few days. I keep thinking the people that write them probably make a decent amount of money on the scripts, but some of them are so awful I want to bash my head against a wall. They would be better work than copy writing, but I’m really hoping my films are different enough to get me somewhere.

When I get back to Ottawa, I want to check out some Akira Kurosawa films and maybe catch some of the things I haven’t made it to yet at the theatre. I’d like to have a second watch of The Last Jedi also.

I think New Years might be filled with gaming this year. I can dress comfy and stay warm. We’ll see. I don’t currently have plans. Maybe I’ll go to a bar nearby for a bit too. Maybe I’ll visit friends. Really anything is possible.

I hope everyone is enjoying Boxing Day. I briefly thought about going out, but with all the Lego games I have, there’s really no need. Also, the only thing I want is a Nintendo Switch. Instead, I made a list of goals that include getting a Switch, with the steps to work toward them. Instead of using the gift card I got on a possible copy of Lego Star Wars, I’m going to put it toward the Switch after I sell some things to make that happen. It seems like a good idea to me. It also fits into my goal of reducing the stuff I don’t need.

My plan now is to take a break. Later, I want to have a look at the script for our video term project. I think it might be worthwhile to list the shooting information inside the regular script, so it’s all in one place. I need to slightly tweak a couple of lines and then work on memorizing mine. I *can* leave much of the rest for the end of the week, but I probably won’t. The more I have finished while not in class, the better.

Guid cheerio the nou,

R~

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Filed under: Musings Tagged: Movies, writer's block

Merry Monday – Merry Christmas

[image error]Well, my pie crust attempt failed again, but at least it tasted good despite it falling apart. That’s a step up from the last two times. The scotch also tasted good. 

I was given several Lego games for my Xbox 360, Blade Runner, Wonder Woman, and an Instant Pot. I’m looking forward to all of that when I get back home. 

My mom watched a lot of Wonder Woman with us and says Linda Carter was better looking than Gal Gadot. I’ll have to finish the old series when I get back to Ottawa. 

I’m not sure when I’ll have time to game or watch anything given all the homework I have, but I’ll manage somehow. No homework today though. 

My parents’s chocolate poodle has been into the tree all weekend. He’s such a character. He couldn’t go to sleep the other night without first coming out to say goodnight to me

Symphonic Saturday – 5 Favourite Christmas Songs

[image error]There are a lot of Christmas songs that I’ve never liked all that much. Most like Frosty, Jingle Bells, and Rudolph have always seemed too much like commercial jingles to me or too juvenile.

There are a few that have always delighted me though.

Here’s a list of my five favourite Christmas songs.

The Christmas Song
It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
Carol of the Bells
Winter Wonderland
O Holy Night

I’m going to take a least a couple days off to spend with my family. I hope you are all enjoying the time with your own whether they’re blood relatives or the family you’ve chosen.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

R~

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Filed under: Music

Frisky Friday – Holiday Edition

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I’m off to visit the family for Christmas, but I couldn’t leave without putting something fun up on the blog. 

1. Sex toy or Christmas decoration?

2. Face paint.

3. Sex toy advent calendar. So you can plan ahead for next year. 

4. Christmas design fails.

I likely won’t post much over the holiday while I spend time with friends and family. In fact, I think I’ll take a breather. I could really use one. 

I hope you have a wonderful holiday season whether you celebrate anything or not. 

Guid cheerio the nou,

R~

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Filed under: Musings Tagged: Sex

Thoughtful Thursday – False Information

[image error]You know what grinds my gears?

People telling me not to reply to their blog posts unless I jump through a bunch of hoops to format it just the way they find acceptable.

“You better say a stream of pleasantries rather than simply sharing a link or it’s unwelcoming.”

“You can only reply if you meet my ridiculous IQ level requirements that actually prove nothing about your intelligence, but really show my own insecurity about mine.”

“We need proof you’ve crossed a barren landscape and survived the Hidalgo sandstorm before we’ll talk to you.”

“Rescue a monkey from Agamemnon and we’ll see if you might know something worthwhile to chat about.”

Because that kind of response as a reply to your blog post is welcoming.

Nope.

Guess what?

It feels more like a slap in the face.

Guess what else?

There are thousands of other bloggers out there who are simply happy to have any response at all.

I guess I’m rambling about something without having mentioned what it’s even about. I get rather annoyed when I see people continually sharing incorrect information. In this particular case it relates to Marie Antoinette and that famous saying she almost certainly never said.

I suppose I find it extra irksome since her blood somehow runs in my veins, but whatever.

The point is that if you know it is widely debated on whether she could have said it since she was a young child at the time it was supposedly said, making an entire blog post about it just to make a comment about Trump is rather pathetic. All it shows is your own ignorance and desperation. Yes, Trump is an idiot and a mostly shitty human, but pointing that out doesn’t make you a better person.

Working on yourself does.

Do some frigging research before plucking some historical figure out of the air and using them for your “all rich people are evil” rhetoric. There are tons of rich people who do wonderful things in this world such as J.K. Rowling, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Warren Buffet, and many more. Many of them have even undertaken pacts to give away the majority of their wealth. Just because you aren’t on the receiving end, doesn’t mean they aren’t sharing it.

Also, if you can’t go a day without talking or posting about Trump, you have an unhealthy obsession.

Many of my fellow Canadians are so focused on what’s going on south of the border, they’re ignoring the bad shit our Prime Minister has been doing. Most of his election promises have been broken, but few are talking about the pipeline, reconciliation, clean water for the First Nations communities, the shit show that is the plan for cannabis legalization, and much more.

That bugs me too.

And if you want to know how rich people got where they are? Yes, it’s true that some of them got there by birth, but many got there by working hard and focusing on their goals or by seizing an opportunity instead of whining about other people being rich.

Also, while you sit there complaining about Trump, he continues pushing forward on his goals while your own languish.

Speaking of goals, I’m off to school early today for a meeting that could be really important for my future.

Guid cheerio the nou,

R~

Filed under: Musings Tagged: Discipline, Honesty, Politics

Warrior Wednesday – Fighting Oneself

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Image created using Bitmoji

Sometimes we have to fight ourselves. Actually, I find fighting myself to be the most difficult thing I do on a regular basis.

I wouldn’t say I’m lazy, but I like relaxing in the comfort of my home. If given the choice to stay home or go out, I’ll often choose to stay home. There are so many benefits. I get to sit around in comfy pants, the liquor is way cheaper, I am as warm or as cool as I decide to be, I know how to feed myself and that’s cheaper too, and so on. I’m mostly perfectly happy practically becoming a hermit in the winter.

Except I like to get out once in awhile to  ice skate because it’s the one winter thing I love. Snowboarding was fun at one time, but it’s too dangerous with my neck. I have snowshoes, but they feel like a lot of work. Of course, that could’ve been because I was rather hungover the last time I tried them, but I’m not a super athletic person anyway.

I’d rather geek out with some video games or cocoon in a blanket while watching a movie.

But I’ve also been at war in my own home. As a creative person, I regularly get behind in things like dishes. Well, this week I’ve mostly caught up! I’m feeling pretty good about that. It usually gets a little better after Christmas too.

I have more cleaning to do, but I’ve started making some progress and it feels good. One of the things I’ve done that I’m finding helpful is doing things in smaller chunks. Maybe I only have 10 minutes and I’ll wash the top row of the door inside my fridge. I haven’t got the whole fridge done yet, but doing a little bit here and there has been working better for me than how my mom has always done it. She’d have me help her clean the whole thing in one day and it took so much time that we’d rarely do it.

Another thing I’m fighting is with my writing. I really like to do a project and move onto the next. We can’t do that. We do a draft. Then another. Then another. And sometimes another. I’m looking forward to being done the semester just to work on different things!

It’s funny. When I was signing up for the program, I thought that doing a TV episode, a couple of plays, a short film, and a movie was a small amount of writing. Then I learned that most screenwriters get maybe 1-2 things written in a year outside of their day jobs. Now I see why. It’s a lot more work than I thought!

I’m loving it though.

I feel like I’ve finally found that thing that is my thing. Yeah, I’m capable of doing other things to survive, but this feels different. Even when I’m exhausted, I’m excited about it.

I was drawn to theatre at a young age, but there weren’t enough people in my grade school into it, so the first play I was going to be part of got canned. Someone convinced me to come out to drama club in grade 9 and despite my shyness, I loved it. The people were nice and didn’t make fun of me for being bad at things like volleyball. The boys found me cute, so I dated a few of them. I had a lot of fun in those days.

But then I lost myself for a time.

I’ve found my way back to the path I originally set out on, but was told it couldn’t go anywhere.

Well, we’ll just see about that, won’t we?

I’m pretty damned stubborn and I want this like I’ve never wanted anything before.

Guid cheerio the nou,

R~

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Filed under: Musings Tagged: Courage, Discipline, School

Theatrical Tuesday – A Review of The Star Wars Holiday Special

[image error]In short, just don’t.

Seriously.

It’s one of the worst things I’ve ever seen.

If you’re going to watch it, you best be super stoned.

It’s truly painful to watch.

I’d rather not know that Chewbacca has a wife and kid.

Or that wookies call Christmas “Life Day.”

There.

You now know everything you need to from it.

Now go watch something worthwhile.

Guid cheerio the nou,

R~

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Filed under: Reviews Tagged: Movies

Merry Monday – Christmas Party Season

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Image created using Bit Strips.

I’m sorry. I totally sucked this weekend in regards to blog posts. Christmas Party Season has started and made me rather busy on top of school work.

I saw Star Wars on Friday. I love it despite some seriously WTF moments. The music is fantastic, as usual. There were several awesome combat scenes. I felt like some things came too easy to certain individuals and you’ll know what I mean when you see it. I won’t say anything else because I’m not the spoiler type. I don’t know if I’ll do a lengthy review at some point or not, but maybe.

Also on Friday, I boosted my own car! Life skills leveled up. And then I had to boost it twice more because I couldn’t drive it long enough to charge the battery between getting gas and going to Star Wars. After Star Wars, I drove across town to get Sensei and Sempai some sake. That has brought Pixie back to life so far. The Eliminator boosting thing I got for $99 at Canadian Tire is now my favourite car thing. I feel much more at ease about traveling in the winter.

Saturday was spent on homework and our dojo dinner. I had a premium sake sampler. Many of the shots were rather strong like vodka, but I was feeling pretty good by the time dinner came.

Sunday was the Christmas edition of B-Movie club and I almost really messed up because I had forgotten I was bringing a potluck item. I hurriedly invented a rice stuffing recipe from several Internet recipes. I put the rice in the rice cooker while I showered. It finished shortly after I was done and I rushed to the store to get the rest of the items for the stuffing. We watched the Star Wars Holiday Special and that has to be one of the most painful things I’ve ever seen. I get to try and top it next month.

But I also got to spend time with my little buddy. We chatted about Iron Man, Spider-man, and Star Wars. He walked about with his “phone” which was apparently telling him jokes. He also made sure I knew he is now 4.5 years old and told me tales of the toys he had when he was young. Yes, that’s how he phrased it. Too adorable!

Oh, AND I conquered my hand wash dishes. My kitchen is close to clean!

It was a great weekend

Thoughtful Thursday – Winter, eh

[image error]So I have a new friend in town from South America. I’ve been telling him for weeks that it wasn’t cold out yet.

Today it was cold out.

It wasn’t as cold as it will get around late January or for a good chunk of February, but the wind chill made it -31 Celsius this morning. That’s -23.8 for the Fahrenheit folks.

Anyway, I thought a post offering tips to new Canadians and visitors might be needed.

Welcome to Canadian winter. Officially, we’re a little more than a week early as the 21st is the day it starts. I’m sure they’ve noticed our sun is hardly around. That will slowly get better from the 22nd on.

Remember a few weeks ago when you joyfully frolicked in the snow because you hadn’t seen it much/ever before? You’ll likely be wishing for it to leave like the rest of us unless you fall in love with sports like skiing, snowshoeing, or snowboarding. Personally, I feel ice skating is the best of the options and the Rideau Canal doesn’t stay open all winter since it doesn’t stay frozen all winter.

Dressing in layers is an important skill to pick up. Fleece and wool are great for one of the layers because they keep you warm even while wet. You want to try to be warm without sweating though. There are some great athletic sweat wicking items for under layers. Long Johns are great and so are thermal weight socks.

Keeping your hands, face, and ears covered is important as frostbite can be severe. Google image search that if you want to have nightmares about your toes or fingers falling off. You should have something on your head because much of your body heat is lost there. Good boots like Sorel are recommended.

The bus is almost always late. Mackenzie King is a great bus stop with heat if you’re around Rideau Centre. A number of buses go through there and they have a digital schedule up that’s close to accurate. Also, if you take the bus from the North Gloucester area to the college, it’s worth ignoring every 95 you see and getting one of the others that goes there as the alternative is always being late for class.

You need snow tires. All-seasons are NOT good enough for winter driving.

A tea light candle can save your life if your car breaks down. The flame in a small space like a car can keep you warm until help arrives.

If you didn’t like hot beverages before, you might start.

Dry your hair before catching a bus. I didn’t used to in high school and now I wonder how I survived the 30 minute walk with frozen locks.

Electric heating pads that automatically turn off are fantastic.

Hot baths are wonderful things too.

You might want to put plastic on your windows to cut heating costs and stay warm.

Soups, stews, and chili are extra yummy this time of year.

There might be more, but I’m tapped out for the moment.

Guid cheerio the nou,

R~

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Filed under: Musings Tagged: Travel

Warrior Wednesday – Food and Fitness

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Image created using Bitmoji

A couple of weeks ago, I switched to a low FODMAP diet after having some people horrible reactions to garlic.

Before that, I was having a lot of trouble working out. Every practice had me taking nearly 5 days to recover.

It was ridiculous.

I knew something was wrong, because I used to play roller derby and wasn’t having anywhere near the trouble I was having.

I never thought that it could be the result of eating the wrong things for me.

Working out is hard enough. Early on there should be some pain and it should take a day or two to recover fully, but I was feeling like I had been out doing an intense paintball session including army crawls after my regular Sunday class. It had gotten to the point that I couldn’t make most Tuesday classes because it hurt too much to walk let alone consider doing my martial art.

I was worried I’d have to give it up.

But it’s like night and day after changing my diet.

I’m excited about my art again and looking forward to doing it more.

I’m also super excited for my space gym. I had backed it on Kickstarter before losing my job in July of 2016. At the time, I was freaking out because I couldn’t get the money back. Now, I’m looking forward to getting in better shape and I’m hopeful I can finally fully recover from my neck injury. It’ll be here any day now. One of the best things about it for me is that many of the machines at gyms don’t really fit my petite size well. Especially the ab machines. Another great thing is not having to go to a gym. No extra gym fees and I can work out anywhere. It weighs around 2 lbs, so I can take it with me if I want. It will also fit nicely in my small condo.

I kind of want to see if, now that I know which foods cause me to bloat and increase recovery time, I can get my abs to come out of hiding. I’ve seen hints of them periodically.

Who knows what the new year will bring?

But first, there is Christmas baking to figure out…

Guid cheerio the nou,

R~

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Filed under: Martial Arts Tagged: Fitness