C.J. Cherryh's Blog, page 215
July 22, 2009
computer archaeology…what was your first?
Downbelow Station was the book that convinced me I had to get into computers. First Don Wollheim (DAW) said it was too long and maybe I didn't need all the scene-setting: you know that book has a lot of scene-shifts, some scenes only 10 lines long. So I rewrote it and took out all the setting and description. Don came back saying never mind the length, just put the stuff back in. But Betsy suggested time-stamps on the sections, and I liked that idea, so I did. But typing a book is about a 3 mont
July 21, 2009
got the pond leak stopped…yay!
We have not found many glitchs with the Savio brand pond kit. Everything has worked as advertised: it's virtually maintenance free, never has to be drained, is very, very clear to the bottom (brown-tinted, but clear)—and does not make a lot of machinery-racket or cost a mint to run.
BUT—there was the famous incident of the waterfall expansion foam. The purple sparkly waterfall foam. Never, ever, ever use that stuff if you can possibly avoid it. Just stack the rocks cleverly. Point number one, it
July 20, 2009
moon landing
www.tor.com asked me to do a short piece for their series on the moon landing. Which I did, if you're interested.
July 19, 2009
Well, we repeated the near-death experience, aka canoe trip, of 2 years ago…
And we both emerged dry and relatively rested.
Only half the course was available because of bridge construction, but it was about enough: I've been so tired. But I went with OGS's husband, Steve, and Steve II, (his best buddy) in another canoe. Steve paddled. I did the bow-bit, for the most part (except one tree) serenely inactive. Jane was with the guide. And THIS time we were actually there for the instruction, learning that bow doesn't do anything, and the propulsion and most of the steering
July 17, 2009
We've had so much fun with the cellphones page, I'm going to pose another…
…in the same vein.
What is the absolutely craziest thing you've ever done that you survived?
Ours was probably undertaking a 4000 gallon pond dig (most of the back yard) with a Mantis tiller. But outside of that—probably deciding in my 6th decade and Jane's 5th to take up ice skating. Hey, it was safer than downhill skiing. We not only decided on ice skating, we decided on figure skating, and it's been the absolute best exercise in the world. Talk about fine motor control.
Mine, somewhat back, was
July 16, 2009
Hosting a party for a quarter of a hundred intimate friends…
We are breaking in (I hope that's not prophetic) the garden with a party Friday night, and Sunday afternoon, which will be a sort of mini-convention, starting tonight with a dinner on the falls. Spokane Falls, that is, which should be very pretty, even in this low-water period. The Spokane is a white-water river that flows through Spokane, and one of the city's classiest restaurants has a spread of windows aimed right at it. We're supposed to have done a lake cruise, but we think the boat broke,
Maneuvering around the blog…just a note
This site is getting larger. And larger. However, there are some shortcuts.
1. scroll up. Way up, above the banner. See that gaudy little triple box in the corner? That is your ruby slipper icon. If you click that, it will take you to the initial display of the page, with all comments folded up.
2. Getting to extra pages: you have 2 choices. On the left, there is a vertical list of other page/topics. It is also displayed horizontally in the blank just above the banner.
3. you can change the banner
July 15, 2009
a delay…
Lynn has been called to the bedside of a seriously ill close friend. This sets the CC timetable off a bit, but we will get there. Hugs to Lynn. Jane and I continue to work on text and art, so some things are moving forward. Jane has her new computer and is preparing it to get to serious work ASAP.
July 13, 2009
Entirely TMI…along with cellphones, the bane of the modern age…
I found a feather on the drive, a very nice feather contributed by one of the ravens that lives over in the church grounds. I picked it up, deciding our good-luck troll, who collects such things, might have a Spokane raven feather for his collection.
Then I thought: bird flu. West Nile Virus.
And put it down.
And now I think, y'know, I'm going to find that feather and hand it to the troll.
The world isn't half as dangerous as television watchers believe. Oh, sure, I know a dozen places you can get s
July 12, 2009
Patching up old mistakes…
I've concluded Rusalka is going to have to have a new copyright. I'm changing things. This is a book I always felt could have been better. I was writing it during some very hard years, when I was close to losing both parents: my dad and my mom were alternating in hospital, and it was just a very, very hard period during which my concentration wasn't what it should have been. So I'm cleaning up the text, explaining some motivations, doing what I would have done if I'd had my wits about me.
One thi
