Katherine Nabity's Blog, page 265
November 22, 2010
14-1, 0-19
League finals was yesterday. Huck Discs & Chew Bubble Gum made it to finals, but lost to Good Huck Charm, our Tuesday night counterpart. We played four games; I believe all of them went past soft cap. Which means we played from 12:15 to 7:30-ish with a few short breaks. The guys had only three subs, way too few. Us girls fared better, averaging a two in/two out rotation. By the fourth game we were all pretty beat, endurance-wise.
On the plus side, I got to play the most games possible with a team that I very much enjoyed. A 14-1 record is nothing to sneeze at. It's certainly the best record of any team I've been on, much less captained. On the other hand, this is my nineteenth league and I still haven't been on a championship team. You'd think that even statistically, out of a sixteen team league, I would have made it once so far. Not so much.
Today, Eric and I have been hobbling around with terribly sore muscles, and napping, and eating salty foods with our ibuprofen doses. In a little over a month, I'll be setting up registration for league #20.
On the plus side, I got to play the most games possible with a team that I very much enjoyed. A 14-1 record is nothing to sneeze at. It's certainly the best record of any team I've been on, much less captained. On the other hand, this is my nineteenth league and I still haven't been on a championship team. You'd think that even statistically, out of a sixteen team league, I would have made it once so far. Not so much.
Today, Eric and I have been hobbling around with terribly sore muscles, and napping, and eating salty foods with our ibuprofen doses. In a little over a month, I'll be setting up registration for league #20.
November 14, 2010
Book #25 - The Devil's Teeth
Book #25 - The Devil's Teeth by Susan Casey
A while back I saw Susan Casey on Charlie Rose talking about her recent book on giant waves. An interesting interview and a topic I know nothing about. I took a look for The Wave at PaperbackSwap and saw that Casey had also written a book about great white sharks and the Farallon Islands. The Farallons are a group of islands 30 miles west of San Fransisco. They are a big breeding ground for seals and therefore a stop over in great white shark migration. They're also a weird hub of biodiversity and a creepy, harsh place to live on or work from. Again this is a place I'd never heard of and was intrigued by.
The book is roughly in three parts. In the first, Casey describes how she came to be interested in white sharks and her first visit to the Farallons, basically as journalist. She covers the research that has been being done at the islands, but doesn't go into great detail. For the rest of the book, I supposed. The second part involves her second trip back during the off-season shark-wise. She also includes some of the history of the Farallons. They've been a hub for fur hunters, egg hunters (sea bird eggs were a commodity in gold-rush San Fransisco before enough chickens made it west), and the US military. The place is inhospitable and has a long history of maritime tragedy.
Which makes Casey's decisions in the third portion of the book somewhat befuddling. She writes on page 169:
---###---
Five more books in a month and a half? I might be able to make my 30-book goal yet.
Other things read and links to my reading notes:
The Popinjay’s Daughter, by Anne Cross
Memory Boxes by Pam L. Wallace
Household Spirits, by C. S. E. Cooney
A while back I saw Susan Casey on Charlie Rose talking about her recent book on giant waves. An interesting interview and a topic I know nothing about. I took a look for The Wave at PaperbackSwap and saw that Casey had also written a book about great white sharks and the Farallon Islands. The Farallons are a group of islands 30 miles west of San Fransisco. They are a big breeding ground for seals and therefore a stop over in great white shark migration. They're also a weird hub of biodiversity and a creepy, harsh place to live on or work from. Again this is a place I'd never heard of and was intrigued by.
The book is roughly in three parts. In the first, Casey describes how she came to be interested in white sharks and her first visit to the Farallons, basically as journalist. She covers the research that has been being done at the islands, but doesn't go into great detail. For the rest of the book, I supposed. The second part involves her second trip back during the off-season shark-wise. She also includes some of the history of the Farallons. They've been a hub for fur hunters, egg hunters (sea bird eggs were a commodity in gold-rush San Fransisco before enough chickens made it west), and the US military. The place is inhospitable and has a long history of maritime tragedy.
Which makes Casey's decisions in the third portion of the book somewhat befuddling. She writes on page 169:
"The chance to be with people who possessed these elegant survival skills, I realized, was a big part of what had drawn me here. This was an oasis of competence in a bumbling world, clean and straight where things were usually compromised and bent."Unfortunately, she proves that she's pretty much a part of that bumbling world. While she has very little sailing experience and a doesn't seem particularly interested in gaining any expertise, she pushes to be the sea-bound member of the Shark Project's experimental floating research platform. Things, of course, go awry and Casey doesn't seem to feel much responsibility for the results. She chalks it all up to being "shark crazy;" that anyone who has seen a white shark would understand her want to see more. I don't buy it. For me this attitude soured what might have been a really interesting book.
---###---
Five more books in a month and a half? I might be able to make my 30-book goal yet.
Other things read and links to my reading notes:
The Popinjay’s Daughter, by Anne Cross
Memory Boxes by Pam L. Wallace
Household Spirits, by C. S. E. Cooney
November 12, 2010
Felicia Kendricks, Girl-About-Town ( #FridayFlash )
Felicia Kendricks, Girl About Town
From the gloom of the shop, Felicia peeked through the door. She squinted against the late afternoon glared from the whitewashed building across the street.
Aside from the stream of idle shoppers, the coast was clear.
"Don't be ridiculous," Benderbeau said from behind her. The big man hadn't even looked up from the piece of environmental armor he was tinkering with. He had been tinkering all day. "If he's come back, I'll take care of him."
Still, Felicia paused. She didn't like confrontations. When they had opened the shop that morning, there had been a squatter set up along the poorly opposite wall. He had been a thick, sweaty man with two tables of shoddy equipment under a dingy makeshift tent. That wasn't the worst part. He was a brayer. He used his loud voice not so much to advertise anything useful, but to drown out other barkers nearby. That included Felicia. In the cacophony, Felicia hadn't been able to attract one new seller. The usuals came by, but they were honest men and had little new stock for Cardinal Novelties.
Worse, the brayer seemed to take delight in drowning out Felicia and poaching potential sellers. When the Phoenicia Harbor constabulary appeared and ran the squatter off, he threw Felicia such venomous glance that her heartbeat thundered in her ears. Sure, Benderbeau could take care of the squatter and maybe some of the passersby might help her, but if the brayer intended her harm, and she was sure he did, she wouldn't be able to do much about it. Under whatever excuse she could find, she had stayed inside for the last hour or two.
"I thought you had your heart set on that soda-pop? If you're going to get it, I'd rather you do it now. So you can get back to work eventually."
"Fine." She scowled over her shoulder. "If you don't see me in fifteen minutes, you’ll know what happened to me."
She threw open the door and made a show of bracing herself. "Need anything while I'm out?"
Benderbeau sighed. "No. Just hurry back."
Felicia nodded.
The streets and alleys of Phoenicia Harbor were busy and noisy, even if her shops weren't. Plenty of farmers with their plodding carts. Merchants with mundane goods. And shoppers, but most of them fell into two categories. Either they weren't the type that was in need of what Cardinal Novelties had offer, or they were the type which meant that they were low on cash.
As Felicia walked, she kept one hand near her own pocketbook and kept a sharp lookout for the ugly brayer that meant her ill. She sniffed at how paranoid she had become. What had happened to the happy-go-lucky girl-about-town?
"Too many short fuses," she muttered to herself. The high and mighty in Tempe Nouveau might not see the results of the Cardinal Order embargo, but they were crystal clear here. She was overly relieved to make it Corrin's Repast without incident. As usual, the spicy smells that emanated from the building made Felicia's stomach rumble.
At the counter, Lonnie gave Felicia his familiar smile. The restaurant was about half-full with early dinner-goers.
"One Lemon Zip for the lady?" he asked even if he knew the answer.
"Definitely."
"Anything else?" He raised his eyebrows in what passed for seductive technique for Lonnie.
Felicia couldn't help but take a look at the hand-scribed menu. It changed every day, and every day the food was tasty. Prickly pear soy was the special, and despite her late lunch, she almost gave in to it.
"I better not," she said. "I'm light in the pockets these days."
Lonnie nodded and retrieved an icy bottle from below the counter. He traded it for a couple coins. "You should get that boss of yours to pay you better."
"He would if he could," said Felicia, though she wasn't sure if that was true. Her performance had been less than stellar lately. "Poor old Benderbeau's in a rougher situation than I am."
"You both should go into the restaurant business. People always need to eat!"
"True. But I'm no good in the kitchen and I think Benderbeau's idea of cooking involves a flame thrower."
Lonnie laughed and waved goodbye.
Felicia couldn't wait until she got back to the shop to pop open the bottle. She took the littlest sip and thrilled as the bubbles tickled her tongue. With another tug, she swore she could feel the effects of the caffeine that was carefully masked by the drink's sweet and tart flavors. As usual, the solution made her feel calmer. The shadowed patterns on the street and the cool winter breeze were enjoyable now. Even the brayer seemed like less of a threat. Knowing his mean spirit, he had forgotten her entirely and moved on to glaring at the next person that had crossed his path.
Kyle Benderbeau was outside under the shop's overhang when Felicia returned.
"Finish repairs on that suit?" she asked.
For a moment, he didn't seem to hear her. "Not yet. I just needed some air."
She nodded and took her usual place leaning in the doorway. They passed the time quietly, watching the progression of shoppers pass by.
Benderbeau spotted him before Felicia did while he was still quite a ways down the street. The man was plain with black hair and dusky skin. He wore dusty tan and gray. Considering the size of the pack he was carrying, he was strong. Just not as bulky as most of Phoenica's residents.
"Felicia, make sure that man comes into my shop."
She nodded and after another tug on her Lemon Zip, she placed the bottle against the building.
"Don't get into specifics, just promise him a good offer."
Felicia waved him off and heard the door close as he went into the shop. She took a few steps forward down the street. Not entirely into the man's path, but near enough that he would notice her.
"You look like you're tired of carrying that pack around."
The man paused. "And you'd like to relieve me of its contents?"
"Indeed. Cardinal Novelties can give a fair price for your goods. Guaranteed." She smiled and looked him straight in the eye. Though a little plain, he wasn't bad looking. She clasped her hands behind her back and waited for his reply. She wouldn't mention a price unless she needed to.
A movement on the ground caught Felicia's eye. A cat stood just at the man's heel. The animal looked young, with wide yellow eyes and short, thick mottled brown and orange fur. It seemed to watch Felicia intently.
The man nodded slowly. "This is the place?"
"Cardinal Novelties would be it!" She pointed to the shop front and noticed that the whitewash of their building was no better then the rest. The cat darted in front of the man, heading straight for the door of Benderbeau's shop.
"Is that cat yours?" Felicia asked.
"Marcel travels with me," the man responded simply. The feline waited at the door with an impatient stare at the two humans.
"Well, Marcel is awfully cute."
Felicia opened the door and Marcel darted in. Benderbeau was behind the counter, trying not to look like he was waiting for them.
---###---
Eventually, Eric and I will write a post-apocalyptic novel. We've tried a couple times now, but we're just not ready. This excerpt is from one of the experiments. It's possibly my favorite, set in a future version of the Phoenix metro area. I like the concept, but it never had enough science-backing for Eric. I think one of the stronger points was the possible political/economic intrigue. Plus, Felicia is my bouncy, care-free alter-ego.
From the gloom of the shop, Felicia peeked through the door. She squinted against the late afternoon glared from the whitewashed building across the street.
Aside from the stream of idle shoppers, the coast was clear.
"Don't be ridiculous," Benderbeau said from behind her. The big man hadn't even looked up from the piece of environmental armor he was tinkering with. He had been tinkering all day. "If he's come back, I'll take care of him."
Still, Felicia paused. She didn't like confrontations. When they had opened the shop that morning, there had been a squatter set up along the poorly opposite wall. He had been a thick, sweaty man with two tables of shoddy equipment under a dingy makeshift tent. That wasn't the worst part. He was a brayer. He used his loud voice not so much to advertise anything useful, but to drown out other barkers nearby. That included Felicia. In the cacophony, Felicia hadn't been able to attract one new seller. The usuals came by, but they were honest men and had little new stock for Cardinal Novelties.
Worse, the brayer seemed to take delight in drowning out Felicia and poaching potential sellers. When the Phoenicia Harbor constabulary appeared and ran the squatter off, he threw Felicia such venomous glance that her heartbeat thundered in her ears. Sure, Benderbeau could take care of the squatter and maybe some of the passersby might help her, but if the brayer intended her harm, and she was sure he did, she wouldn't be able to do much about it. Under whatever excuse she could find, she had stayed inside for the last hour or two.
"I thought you had your heart set on that soda-pop? If you're going to get it, I'd rather you do it now. So you can get back to work eventually."
"Fine." She scowled over her shoulder. "If you don't see me in fifteen minutes, you’ll know what happened to me."
She threw open the door and made a show of bracing herself. "Need anything while I'm out?"
Benderbeau sighed. "No. Just hurry back."
Felicia nodded.
The streets and alleys of Phoenicia Harbor were busy and noisy, even if her shops weren't. Plenty of farmers with their plodding carts. Merchants with mundane goods. And shoppers, but most of them fell into two categories. Either they weren't the type that was in need of what Cardinal Novelties had offer, or they were the type which meant that they were low on cash.
As Felicia walked, she kept one hand near her own pocketbook and kept a sharp lookout for the ugly brayer that meant her ill. She sniffed at how paranoid she had become. What had happened to the happy-go-lucky girl-about-town?
"Too many short fuses," she muttered to herself. The high and mighty in Tempe Nouveau might not see the results of the Cardinal Order embargo, but they were crystal clear here. She was overly relieved to make it Corrin's Repast without incident. As usual, the spicy smells that emanated from the building made Felicia's stomach rumble.
At the counter, Lonnie gave Felicia his familiar smile. The restaurant was about half-full with early dinner-goers.
"One Lemon Zip for the lady?" he asked even if he knew the answer.
"Definitely."
"Anything else?" He raised his eyebrows in what passed for seductive technique for Lonnie.
Felicia couldn't help but take a look at the hand-scribed menu. It changed every day, and every day the food was tasty. Prickly pear soy was the special, and despite her late lunch, she almost gave in to it.
"I better not," she said. "I'm light in the pockets these days."
Lonnie nodded and retrieved an icy bottle from below the counter. He traded it for a couple coins. "You should get that boss of yours to pay you better."
"He would if he could," said Felicia, though she wasn't sure if that was true. Her performance had been less than stellar lately. "Poor old Benderbeau's in a rougher situation than I am."
"You both should go into the restaurant business. People always need to eat!"
"True. But I'm no good in the kitchen and I think Benderbeau's idea of cooking involves a flame thrower."
Lonnie laughed and waved goodbye.
Felicia couldn't wait until she got back to the shop to pop open the bottle. She took the littlest sip and thrilled as the bubbles tickled her tongue. With another tug, she swore she could feel the effects of the caffeine that was carefully masked by the drink's sweet and tart flavors. As usual, the solution made her feel calmer. The shadowed patterns on the street and the cool winter breeze were enjoyable now. Even the brayer seemed like less of a threat. Knowing his mean spirit, he had forgotten her entirely and moved on to glaring at the next person that had crossed his path.
Kyle Benderbeau was outside under the shop's overhang when Felicia returned.
"Finish repairs on that suit?" she asked.
For a moment, he didn't seem to hear her. "Not yet. I just needed some air."
She nodded and took her usual place leaning in the doorway. They passed the time quietly, watching the progression of shoppers pass by.
Benderbeau spotted him before Felicia did while he was still quite a ways down the street. The man was plain with black hair and dusky skin. He wore dusty tan and gray. Considering the size of the pack he was carrying, he was strong. Just not as bulky as most of Phoenica's residents.
"Felicia, make sure that man comes into my shop."
She nodded and after another tug on her Lemon Zip, she placed the bottle against the building.
"Don't get into specifics, just promise him a good offer."
Felicia waved him off and heard the door close as he went into the shop. She took a few steps forward down the street. Not entirely into the man's path, but near enough that he would notice her.
"You look like you're tired of carrying that pack around."
The man paused. "And you'd like to relieve me of its contents?"
"Indeed. Cardinal Novelties can give a fair price for your goods. Guaranteed." She smiled and looked him straight in the eye. Though a little plain, he wasn't bad looking. She clasped her hands behind her back and waited for his reply. She wouldn't mention a price unless she needed to.
A movement on the ground caught Felicia's eye. A cat stood just at the man's heel. The animal looked young, with wide yellow eyes and short, thick mottled brown and orange fur. It seemed to watch Felicia intently.
The man nodded slowly. "This is the place?"
"Cardinal Novelties would be it!" She pointed to the shop front and noticed that the whitewash of their building was no better then the rest. The cat darted in front of the man, heading straight for the door of Benderbeau's shop.
"Is that cat yours?" Felicia asked.
"Marcel travels with me," the man responded simply. The feline waited at the door with an impatient stare at the two humans.
"Well, Marcel is awfully cute."
Felicia opened the door and Marcel darted in. Benderbeau was behind the counter, trying not to look like he was waiting for them.
---###---
Eventually, Eric and I will write a post-apocalyptic novel. We've tried a couple times now, but we're just not ready. This excerpt is from one of the experiments. It's possibly my favorite, set in a future version of the Phoenix metro area. I like the concept, but it never had enough science-backing for Eric. I think one of the stronger points was the possible political/economic intrigue. Plus, Felicia is my bouncy, care-free alter-ego.
Felicia Kendricks, Girl About Town ( #FridayFlash )
Felicia Kendricks, Girl About Town
From the gloom of the shop, Felicia peeked through the door. She squinted against the late afternoon glared from the whitewashed building across the street.
Aside from the stream of idle shoppers, the coast was clear.
"Don't be ridiculous," Benderbeau said from behind her. The big man hadn't even looked up from the piece of environmental armor he was tinkering with. He had been tinkering all day. "If he's come back, I'll take care of him."
Still, Felicia paused. She didn't like confrontations. When they had opened the shop that morning, there had been a squatter set up along the poorly opposite wall. He had been a thick, sweaty man with two tables of shoddy equipment under a dingy makeshift tent. That wasn't the worst part. He was a brayer. He used his loud voice not so much to advertise anything useful, but to drown out other barkers nearby. That included Felicia. In the cacophony, Felicia hadn't been able to attract one new seller. The usuals came by, but they were honest men and had little new stock for Cardinal Novelties.
Worse, the brayer seemed to take delight in drowning out Felicia and poaching potential sellers. When the Phoenicia Harbor constabulary appeared and ran the squatter off, he threw Felicia such venomous glance that her heartbeat thundered in her ears. Sure, Benderbeau could take care of the squatter and maybe some of the passersby might help her, but if the brayer intended her harm, and she was sure he did, she wouldn't be able to do much about it. Under whatever excuse she could find, she had stayed inside for the last hour or two.
"I thought you had your heart set on that soda-pop? If you're going to get it, I'd rather you do it now. So you can get back to work eventually."
"Fine." She scowled over her shoulder. "If you don't see me in fifteen minutes, you’ll know what happened to me."
She threw open the door and made a show of bracing herself. "Need anything while I'm out?"
Benderbeau sighed. "No. Just hurry back."
Felicia nodded.
The streets and alleys of Phoenicia Harbor were busy and noisy, even if her shops weren't. Plenty of farmers with their plodding carts. Merchants with mundane goods. And shoppers, but most of them fell into two categories. Either they weren't the type that was in need of what Cardinal Novelties had offer, or they were the type which meant that they were low on cash.
As Felicia walked, she kept one hand near her own pocketbook and kept a sharp lookout for the ugly brayer that meant her ill. She sniffed at how paranoid she had become. What had happened to the happy-go-lucky girl-about-town?
"Too many short fuses," she muttered to herself. The high and mighty in Tempe Nouveau might not see the results of the Cardinal Order embargo, but they were crystal clear here. She was overly relieved to make it Corrin's Repast without incident. As usual, the spicy smells that emanated from the building made Felicia's stomach rumble.
At the counter, Lonnie gave Felicia his familiar smile. The restaurant was about half-full with early dinner-goers.
"One Lemon Zip for the lady?" he asked even if he knew the answer.
"Definitely."
"Anything else?" He raised his eyebrows in what passed for seductive technique for Lonnie.
Felicia couldn't help but take a look at the hand-scribed menu. It changed every day, and every day the food was tasty. Prickly pear soy was the special, and despite her late lunch, she almost gave in to it.
"I better not," she said. "I'm light in the pockets these days."
Lonnie nodded and retrieved an icy bottle from below the counter. He traded it for a couple coins. "You should get that boss of yours to pay you better."
"He would if he could," said Felicia, though she wasn't sure if that was true. Her performance had been less than stellar lately. "Poor old Benderbeau's in a rougher situation than I am."
"You both should go into the restaurant business. People always need to eat!"
"True. But I'm no good in the kitchen and I think Benderbeau's idea of cooking involves a flame thrower."
Lonnie laughed and waved goodbye.
Felicia couldn't wait until she got back to the shop to pop open the bottle. She took the littlest sip and thrilled as the bubbles tickled her tongue. With another tug, she swore she could feel the effects of the caffeine that was carefully masked by the drink's sweet and tart flavors. As usual, the solution made her feel calmer. The shadowed patterns on the street and the cool winter breeze were enjoyable now. Even the brayer seemed like less of a threat. Knowing his mean spirit, he had forgotten her entirely and moved on to glaring at the next person that had crossed his path.
Kyle Benderbeau was outside under the shop's overhang when Felicia returned.
"Finish repairs on that suit?" she asked.
For a moment, he didn't seem to hear her. "Not yet. I just needed some air."
She nodded and took her usual place leaning in the doorway. They passed the time quietly, watching the progression of shoppers pass by.
Benderbeau spotted him before Felicia did while he was still quite a ways down the street. The man was plain with black hair and dusky skin. He wore dusty tan and gray. Considering the size of the pack he was carrying, he was strong. Just not as bulky as most of Phoenica's residents.
"Felicia, make sure that man comes into my shop."
She nodded and after another tug on her Lemon Zip, she placed the bottle against the building.
"Don't get into specifics, just promise him a good offer."
Felicia waved him off and heard the door close as he went into the shop. She took a few steps forward down the street. Not entirely into the man's path, but near enough that he would notice her.
"You look like you're tired of carrying that pack around."
The man paused. "And you'd like to relieve me of its contents?"
"Indeed. Cardinal Novelties can give a fair price for your goods. Guaranteed." She smiled and looked him straight in the eye. Though a little plain, he wasn't bad looking. She clasped her hands behind her back and waited for his reply. She wouldn't mention a price unless she needed to.
A movement on the ground caught Felicia's eye. A cat stood just at the man's heel. The animal looked young, with wide yellow eyes and short, thick mottled brown and orange fur. It seemed to watch Felicia intently.
The man nodded slowly. "This is the place?"
"Cardinal Novelties would be it!" She pointed to the shop front and noticed that the whitewash of their building was no better then the rest. The cat darted in front of the man, heading straight for the door of Benderbeau's shop.
"Is that cat yours?" Felicia asked.
"Marcel travels with me," the man responded simply. The feline waited at the door with an impatient stare at the two humans.
"Well, Marcel is awfully cute."
Felicia opened the door and Marcel darted in. Benderbeau was behind the counter, trying not to look like he was waiting for them.
---###---
Eventually, Eric and I will write a post-apocalyptic novel. We've tried a couple times now, but we're just not ready. This excerpt is from one of the experiments. It's possibly my favorite, set in a future version of the Phoenix metro area. I like the concept, but it never had enough science-backing for Eric. I think one of the stronger points was the possible political/economic intrigue. Plus, Felicia is my bouncy, care-free alter-ego.
From the gloom of the shop, Felicia peeked through the door. She squinted against the late afternoon glared from the whitewashed building across the street.
Aside from the stream of idle shoppers, the coast was clear.
"Don't be ridiculous," Benderbeau said from behind her. The big man hadn't even looked up from the piece of environmental armor he was tinkering with. He had been tinkering all day. "If he's come back, I'll take care of him."
Still, Felicia paused. She didn't like confrontations. When they had opened the shop that morning, there had been a squatter set up along the poorly opposite wall. He had been a thick, sweaty man with two tables of shoddy equipment under a dingy makeshift tent. That wasn't the worst part. He was a brayer. He used his loud voice not so much to advertise anything useful, but to drown out other barkers nearby. That included Felicia. In the cacophony, Felicia hadn't been able to attract one new seller. The usuals came by, but they were honest men and had little new stock for Cardinal Novelties.
Worse, the brayer seemed to take delight in drowning out Felicia and poaching potential sellers. When the Phoenicia Harbor constabulary appeared and ran the squatter off, he threw Felicia such venomous glance that her heartbeat thundered in her ears. Sure, Benderbeau could take care of the squatter and maybe some of the passersby might help her, but if the brayer intended her harm, and she was sure he did, she wouldn't be able to do much about it. Under whatever excuse she could find, she had stayed inside for the last hour or two.
"I thought you had your heart set on that soda-pop? If you're going to get it, I'd rather you do it now. So you can get back to work eventually."
"Fine." She scowled over her shoulder. "If you don't see me in fifteen minutes, you’ll know what happened to me."
She threw open the door and made a show of bracing herself. "Need anything while I'm out?"
Benderbeau sighed. "No. Just hurry back."
Felicia nodded.
The streets and alleys of Phoenicia Harbor were busy and noisy, even if her shops weren't. Plenty of farmers with their plodding carts. Merchants with mundane goods. And shoppers, but most of them fell into two categories. Either they weren't the type that was in need of what Cardinal Novelties had offer, or they were the type which meant that they were low on cash.
As Felicia walked, she kept one hand near her own pocketbook and kept a sharp lookout for the ugly brayer that meant her ill. She sniffed at how paranoid she had become. What had happened to the happy-go-lucky girl-about-town?
"Too many short fuses," she muttered to herself. The high and mighty in Tempe Nouveau might not see the results of the Cardinal Order embargo, but they were crystal clear here. She was overly relieved to make it Corrin's Repast without incident. As usual, the spicy smells that emanated from the building made Felicia's stomach rumble.
At the counter, Lonnie gave Felicia his familiar smile. The restaurant was about half-full with early dinner-goers.
"One Lemon Zip for the lady?" he asked even if he knew the answer.
"Definitely."
"Anything else?" He raised his eyebrows in what passed for seductive technique for Lonnie.
Felicia couldn't help but take a look at the hand-scribed menu. It changed every day, and every day the food was tasty. Prickly pear soy was the special, and despite her late lunch, she almost gave in to it.
"I better not," she said. "I'm light in the pockets these days."
Lonnie nodded and retrieved an icy bottle from below the counter. He traded it for a couple coins. "You should get that boss of yours to pay you better."
"He would if he could," said Felicia, though she wasn't sure if that was true. Her performance had been less than stellar lately. "Poor old Benderbeau's in a rougher situation than I am."
"You both should go into the restaurant business. People always need to eat!"
"True. But I'm no good in the kitchen and I think Benderbeau's idea of cooking involves a flame thrower."
Lonnie laughed and waved goodbye.
Felicia couldn't wait until she got back to the shop to pop open the bottle. She took the littlest sip and thrilled as the bubbles tickled her tongue. With another tug, she swore she could feel the effects of the caffeine that was carefully masked by the drink's sweet and tart flavors. As usual, the solution made her feel calmer. The shadowed patterns on the street and the cool winter breeze were enjoyable now. Even the brayer seemed like less of a threat. Knowing his mean spirit, he had forgotten her entirely and moved on to glaring at the next person that had crossed his path.
Kyle Benderbeau was outside under the shop's overhang when Felicia returned.
"Finish repairs on that suit?" she asked.
For a moment, he didn't seem to hear her. "Not yet. I just needed some air."
She nodded and took her usual place leaning in the doorway. They passed the time quietly, watching the progression of shoppers pass by.
Benderbeau spotted him before Felicia did while he was still quite a ways down the street. The man was plain with black hair and dusky skin. He wore dusty tan and gray. Considering the size of the pack he was carrying, he was strong. Just not as bulky as most of Phoenica's residents.
"Felicia, make sure that man comes into my shop."
She nodded and after another tug on her Lemon Zip, she placed the bottle against the building.
"Don't get into specifics, just promise him a good offer."
Felicia waved him off and heard the door close as he went into the shop. She took a few steps forward down the street. Not entirely into the man's path, but near enough that he would notice her.
"You look like you're tired of carrying that pack around."
The man paused. "And you'd like to relieve me of its contents?"
"Indeed. Cardinal Novelties can give a fair price for your goods. Guaranteed." She smiled and looked him straight in the eye. Though a little plain, he wasn't bad looking. She clasped her hands behind her back and waited for his reply. She wouldn't mention a price unless she needed to.
A movement on the ground caught Felicia's eye. A cat stood just at the man's heel. The animal looked young, with wide yellow eyes and short, thick mottled brown and orange fur. It seemed to watch Felicia intently.
The man nodded slowly. "This is the place?"
"Cardinal Novelties would be it!" She pointed to the shop front and noticed that the whitewash of their building was no better then the rest. The cat darted in front of the man, heading straight for the door of Benderbeau's shop.
"Is that cat yours?" Felicia asked.
"Marcel travels with me," the man responded simply. The feline waited at the door with an impatient stare at the two humans.
"Well, Marcel is awfully cute."
Felicia opened the door and Marcel darted in. Benderbeau was behind the counter, trying not to look like he was waiting for them.
---###---
Eventually, Eric and I will write a post-apocalyptic novel. We've tried a couple times now, but we're just not ready. This excerpt is from one of the experiments. It's possibly my favorite, set in a future version of the Phoenix metro area. I like the concept, but it never had enough science-backing for Eric. I think one of the stronger points was the possible political/economic intrigue. Plus, Felicia is my bouncy, care-free alter-ego.
November 9, 2010
NoCuFoNi Update & 4 Film Recs
Novel Cutting Fortnight (NoCuFoNi) progress: -4183 words. That's out of an original 23,918. Which is actually more like 17% instead of 10%. My argument for not shooting for 20% per scene is that this includes the exorcism of a character. I clung too long to a nine-page scene that was rewritten down to a couple of paragraphs. Sometimes, showing is *not* the best thing to. Showing unimportant things does not help the story.
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Good stuff I've watched lately, two documentaries and two comedies:
Facing Ali (2009) - This is billed as tribute to Muhammad Ali by ten of the boxers who fought him over Ali's long career, but it's also the stories of these ten boxers. How do these men, all of whom were notable in their own right, cope when their professional lives intersect with someone as famous, as "charged" as Ali? It's a good ten stories. It's also a very well-produced film, weaving restored archival footage with interviews.
American Grindhouse (2010) - Good documentary on the history of exploitation films. Some of the earliest films really were exploitation flicks, offering quite a bit of skin and violence. Also, the "noir" genre has been reframed for me as a film-making style that attempted to keep pace with non-studio films while working within the Production Code. (Available via Netflx' View Instantly)
The Infidel (2010) - What happens when a British Muslim finds out that he was adopted and his real name is Solly Shimshillewitz? And his son is engaged to the daughter of a devote cleric? Well, the reality probably isn't as funny as this movie. Sometimes the humor goes a little awry, but Omid Djalili does a really good of being conflicted about who he thinks he should be. This movie works for me because, while it relies on stereotypes, it pokes fun at the stereotypes of both cultures. (Available via Netflx' View Instantly)
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) - If I were ten, *this* would displace Night at the Museum as my favorite movie. Adult me still found it pretty darn funny. Comedically, this movie is full of call-backs: humorous things that are set up early in the movie and paid off later. And that makes it pretty smart for a kid's film. It has the usual lessons, but again, it's kids' film. It doesn't aim at being subtle. (I was amused by this quote from the Commen Sense rating: "Although no grand life lessons are offered, the movie does center on a son's need for fatherly encouragement and the idea that you shouldn't compromise who you are just to be popular." Apparently those lessons aren't grand enough.) (Available via Netflx' View Instantly)
---###---
Good stuff I've watched lately, two documentaries and two comedies:
Facing Ali (2009) - This is billed as tribute to Muhammad Ali by ten of the boxers who fought him over Ali's long career, but it's also the stories of these ten boxers. How do these men, all of whom were notable in their own right, cope when their professional lives intersect with someone as famous, as "charged" as Ali? It's a good ten stories. It's also a very well-produced film, weaving restored archival footage with interviews.
American Grindhouse (2010) - Good documentary on the history of exploitation films. Some of the earliest films really were exploitation flicks, offering quite a bit of skin and violence. Also, the "noir" genre has been reframed for me as a film-making style that attempted to keep pace with non-studio films while working within the Production Code. (Available via Netflx' View Instantly)
The Infidel (2010) - What happens when a British Muslim finds out that he was adopted and his real name is Solly Shimshillewitz? And his son is engaged to the daughter of a devote cleric? Well, the reality probably isn't as funny as this movie. Sometimes the humor goes a little awry, but Omid Djalili does a really good of being conflicted about who he thinks he should be. This movie works for me because, while it relies on stereotypes, it pokes fun at the stereotypes of both cultures. (Available via Netflx' View Instantly)
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) - If I were ten, *this* would displace Night at the Museum as my favorite movie. Adult me still found it pretty darn funny. Comedically, this movie is full of call-backs: humorous things that are set up early in the movie and paid off later. And that makes it pretty smart for a kid's film. It has the usual lessons, but again, it's kids' film. It doesn't aim at being subtle. (I was amused by this quote from the Commen Sense rating: "Although no grand life lessons are offered, the movie does center on a son's need for fatherly encouragement and the idea that you shouldn't compromise who you are just to be popular." Apparently those lessons aren't grand enough.) (Available via Netflx' View Instantly)
November 7, 2010
Bits & Book #24
Black Gate's Goth Chick had an interesting article on jinni: Pursuing the Jinn. In my opinion, jinni are one of those things that aren't used often enough or well enough in speculative fiction. One of the few urban fantasy series I've found palatable is Rachael Caine's Weather Warden books, mainly due to the djinn. I also came across a teaser/trailer/short film a while back that was pretty intriguing.
This is the type of thing that I'd love to see more of in the land of electronic books: Dracula Soundtrack app. I'm not saying that I'd necessarily want all my books to have a soundtrack, but it's an area that can set electronic books apart from their paper versions. No one seems to be taking advantage of the interesting things that an electronic text could do.
Book #24 - The Reel Stuff edited by Brian Thomsen & Martin H. Greenberg
The Reel Stuff is an anthology of short stories and novellas that have been adapted for the silver screen. Honestly, I have seen only about half of the resulting movies. The standout pieces of this anthology for me were Donald A. Wollheim's "Mimic" and Clive Barker's "The Forbidden," the latter being the basis for Candyman. Wollheim's story is tight and succinct and packs a good wallop for its word count. Barker's "The Forbidden" has the best "deep" idea of these stories, playing with the notion of stories not only creating monsters, but also keeping them at bay. Other observations:
I wonder if the model number problems in Philip K. Dick's "Second Variety" influenced the Battlestar Galactica re-imagining. The number of characters that write-off strange occurrences is staggering.That William Gibson thought that microfiche would be the way old information would be archived is slightly befuddling. Born in 1974, I have never once used microfische.I also wonder if the narrator character from Lovecraft's "Herbert West--Reanimator" influenced in inclusion of a mad scientist's assistant in Universal's 1931 Frankenstein. There is no such assistant in Frankenstein the novel.I could probably write a treaties how female characters, or in the case of Barry Longyear's "Enemy Mine" lack of female characters, are treated in this anthology that has no woman writers. I might revisit this it when I understand better how well-regarded women writers treat their female characters (and their male characters, for that matter).
This is the type of thing that I'd love to see more of in the land of electronic books: Dracula Soundtrack app. I'm not saying that I'd necessarily want all my books to have a soundtrack, but it's an area that can set electronic books apart from their paper versions. No one seems to be taking advantage of the interesting things that an electronic text could do.
Book #24 - The Reel Stuff edited by Brian Thomsen & Martin H. Greenberg
The Reel Stuff is an anthology of short stories and novellas that have been adapted for the silver screen. Honestly, I have seen only about half of the resulting movies. The standout pieces of this anthology for me were Donald A. Wollheim's "Mimic" and Clive Barker's "The Forbidden," the latter being the basis for Candyman. Wollheim's story is tight and succinct and packs a good wallop for its word count. Barker's "The Forbidden" has the best "deep" idea of these stories, playing with the notion of stories not only creating monsters, but also keeping them at bay. Other observations:
I wonder if the model number problems in Philip K. Dick's "Second Variety" influenced the Battlestar Galactica re-imagining. The number of characters that write-off strange occurrences is staggering.That William Gibson thought that microfiche would be the way old information would be archived is slightly befuddling. Born in 1974, I have never once used microfische.I also wonder if the narrator character from Lovecraft's "Herbert West--Reanimator" influenced in inclusion of a mad scientist's assistant in Universal's 1931 Frankenstein. There is no such assistant in Frankenstein the novel.I could probably write a treaties how female characters, or in the case of Barry Longyear's "Enemy Mine" lack of female characters, are treated in this anthology that has no woman writers. I might revisit this it when I understand better how well-regarded women writers treat their female characters (and their male characters, for that matter).
November 2, 2010
November...on its head. ( #amwriting )
No NoNaWriMo for me. Instead, more of a NoCutHalfMo. My goal, by the end of next week, is to cut 10K from Model Species. So far, after starting Thursday and doing a pretty substantial rewrite on the first scene, I'm at -823. I have a long row to hoe.
Halloween passed with little fanfare. There wasn't too much participation at Thursday night's league games, costume-wise. I have to go out to games tonight to see if the post-but-nearer-to-Halloween crowd does better. Today, I say goodbye to my lovely orange, egg-shaped pumpkin-turned-jack-o-lantern and hello to a a few cut-price decorations.
Sadly, we're in the last three weeks of league. Whether we continue to go undefeated, whether we make it to finals, there is only a 5-7 more games to be played with this team, and I wish it were more. For me, there's a good combination of players who are either often my teammates (Nabity, Reif, Dave, Kuby, Debbie), I've known for years and not been on a team with (Al, Cole, George), I just didn't know (Amber and Skyler), or are brand new players (Jenn, Nora, Evan, Paul). I know we have the tendency to huck-to-height, but everyone, including our new players are pretty solid. I'd love to have this team again.
Not that I won't be busy with VOTS stuff after fall league ends. We have men's league, New Year Fest and then spring league. It's frisbee season in Arizona.
For whatever reason, I've suffered from a massive arthritis flare up over the last couple days. Aleve and alcohol are about all that's kept me upright. I seem to be better today.
Halloween passed with little fanfare. There wasn't too much participation at Thursday night's league games, costume-wise. I have to go out to games tonight to see if the post-but-nearer-to-Halloween crowd does better. Today, I say goodbye to my lovely orange, egg-shaped pumpkin-turned-jack-o-lantern and hello to a a few cut-price decorations.
Sadly, we're in the last three weeks of league. Whether we continue to go undefeated, whether we make it to finals, there is only a 5-7 more games to be played with this team, and I wish it were more. For me, there's a good combination of players who are either often my teammates (Nabity, Reif, Dave, Kuby, Debbie), I've known for years and not been on a team with (Al, Cole, George), I just didn't know (Amber and Skyler), or are brand new players (Jenn, Nora, Evan, Paul). I know we have the tendency to huck-to-height, but everyone, including our new players are pretty solid. I'd love to have this team again.
Not that I won't be busy with VOTS stuff after fall league ends. We have men's league, New Year Fest and then spring league. It's frisbee season in Arizona.
For whatever reason, I've suffered from a massive arthritis flare up over the last couple days. Aleve and alcohol are about all that's kept me upright. I seem to be better today.
October 29, 2010
Rewriting, It's What's for Dinner ( #amwriting )
Rewrote the first scene of Model Species. Then cut 10% of it, word-count wise. Lean prose. I'm going to go through the rest of Model Species, cut the fat, make a couple of changes. Then do the same to Luck for Hire. Probably should do Divine Fire too eventually.
No NaNoWriMo for me this year. I'm not even going to attempt something half-assed. Working on projects in progress is enough work. Plus, Eric is presenting his Master's project in December. My collaborator will be busy enough. I would like to set some sort of reading goal, but nothing appeals.
No NaNoWriMo for me this year. I'm not even going to attempt something half-assed. Working on projects in progress is enough work. Plus, Eric is presenting his Master's project in December. My collaborator will be busy enough. I would like to set some sort of reading goal, but nothing appeals.
October 27, 2010
So, yeah... ( #amwriting )
Received a non-vague rejection from an agent yesterday. The upshot: my writing sample (in this case, the first five pages of Model Species) did not maintain the interest that, presumably, the query letter elicited. Which put Eric in "What can be improved?" mode. The advantage of Eric's "What can be improved?" attitude is that, well, things are improved. The disadvantage is that it's hard on the ego. The implicit statement that precedes "What can be improved?" is "Something is screwed up." Inevitably, I interpret that as "I have screwed this up...again. I suck." Maybe an understandable attitude, but not a helpful one. What followed was an evening of discussion/argument that, as usual, resolved into "Yeah, that's something to be fixed." In this case, two things to be fixed.
First, when we rearranged Model Species, I didn't really look at the new first scene as a first scene. This is a boneheaded mistake on my part. As a second scene it was a lull in action after an intense scene. As a first scene...well, it was a lull when it needed to be zippy. So, rewrite time for that.
The second issue: Eric and I were talking a boredom the other day. For instance, what makes a movie boring? I glibly tossed out that maybe it too is a matter of edge detection. Eric's theory is that neurologically we rely on edge detection to gather information similarly to how it occurs in image processing. (He will undoubtedly correct me if I'm getting this wrong.) Further, it's edges--changes and contrast--that make things exciting. Changes draw the eye, fire the neurons, stimulate the brain. To further the further, it may be the changes in any medium are the interesting part. Changes in tempo or contrasting sounds make music more listenable. An action movie that is continuous break-neck action is fairly boring. Same for a drama that is nothing but talk without tension.
The same for literature? Why not? When Eric and I talked about it the first time, I thought about it in a scene-to-scene manner. Scenes should vary in pace. Eric considered it in a more intra-scene level. If all things in a scene are given the same weight (measured in the amount of detail), does it make the scene boring? Maybe. I have a tendency to maybe homogenize details. Important things in a scene don't stand out because I give less important things a similar amount of detail. This is a by-product of how I work. I immerse myself in characters and the world. I'm not sure if I can change that or if I want to, but maybe my writing needs an editing pass where I accentuate the important plot points and remove some of the minutia. We'll see how that goes.
Should have learned this ten years ago? Should have taken a tougher look at Model Species? Hindsight is 20/20. Can't do anything about the past aside from learning from it.
First, when we rearranged Model Species, I didn't really look at the new first scene as a first scene. This is a boneheaded mistake on my part. As a second scene it was a lull in action after an intense scene. As a first scene...well, it was a lull when it needed to be zippy. So, rewrite time for that.
The second issue: Eric and I were talking a boredom the other day. For instance, what makes a movie boring? I glibly tossed out that maybe it too is a matter of edge detection. Eric's theory is that neurologically we rely on edge detection to gather information similarly to how it occurs in image processing. (He will undoubtedly correct me if I'm getting this wrong.) Further, it's edges--changes and contrast--that make things exciting. Changes draw the eye, fire the neurons, stimulate the brain. To further the further, it may be the changes in any medium are the interesting part. Changes in tempo or contrasting sounds make music more listenable. An action movie that is continuous break-neck action is fairly boring. Same for a drama that is nothing but talk without tension.
The same for literature? Why not? When Eric and I talked about it the first time, I thought about it in a scene-to-scene manner. Scenes should vary in pace. Eric considered it in a more intra-scene level. If all things in a scene are given the same weight (measured in the amount of detail), does it make the scene boring? Maybe. I have a tendency to maybe homogenize details. Important things in a scene don't stand out because I give less important things a similar amount of detail. This is a by-product of how I work. I immerse myself in characters and the world. I'm not sure if I can change that or if I want to, but maybe my writing needs an editing pass where I accentuate the important plot points and remove some of the minutia. We'll see how that goes.
Should have learned this ten years ago? Should have taken a tougher look at Model Species? Hindsight is 20/20. Can't do anything about the past aside from learning from it.
October 24, 2010
Read Lately:
I missed this fall's 24 Hour Read-a-thon. I'd like to take a day one of these weekends, call it a reading day, and whittle down my to-be-read pile, but that's probably not going to happen.
Read lately:
I managed my way through three stories from Joyce Carol Oates' Haunted. Just wasn't getting into the swing of these stories. The main characters and the story-telling style were a bit tedious to me. It could be my mood. I'm impatient lately.
Read "Banshee" by Ray Bradbury. I have a thick Bradbury anthology and I wish they would have sorted them by genre.
Read the opening story of Murder on the Ropes, a boxing mystery anthology. "Sunlight Shining on Water" by Doug Allyn was light on the murder, light on mystery actually, but heavy on crime elements. By far the most straight-forward story I've read lately. This isn't a bad thing...
The December issue of Realms of Fantasy is available as a free download. Read "Queen of the Kanguellas" by Scott Dalrymple. Will probably read the rest of the issue soon.
Also read "Clockwork Fairies" by Cat Rambo. The blogger at 365 Days of Women Writers (should that be Woman writers?) didn't care for it. I was okay with okay with stodgy Claude, a man of his time. He's a good backdrop for the fantastic elements of the story.
Read lately:
I managed my way through three stories from Joyce Carol Oates' Haunted. Just wasn't getting into the swing of these stories. The main characters and the story-telling style were a bit tedious to me. It could be my mood. I'm impatient lately.
Read "Banshee" by Ray Bradbury. I have a thick Bradbury anthology and I wish they would have sorted them by genre.
Read the opening story of Murder on the Ropes, a boxing mystery anthology. "Sunlight Shining on Water" by Doug Allyn was light on the murder, light on mystery actually, but heavy on crime elements. By far the most straight-forward story I've read lately. This isn't a bad thing...
The December issue of Realms of Fantasy is available as a free download. Read "Queen of the Kanguellas" by Scott Dalrymple. Will probably read the rest of the issue soon.
Also read "Clockwork Fairies" by Cat Rambo. The blogger at 365 Days of Women Writers (should that be Woman writers?) didn't care for it. I was okay with okay with stodgy Claude, a man of his time. He's a good backdrop for the fantastic elements of the story.
