I Ain't Afraid of No Daleks

I missed the trolley....then my sister actually called me...first time in over a month, to tell me that my nephew had emergency surgery Tuesday morning, because he put a rusty old broken golf club shaft through his ankle.

Then, just as our conversation got interesting...I ran out of minutes on my phone. Now I have to wait two to three week's until I can afford to buy more minutes on my phone again....so I'm phone-less for a while. Bugger!!!

I KNEW I shouldn't have gone to Lake George last Sunday and spent that ten dollars on myself. I just so wanted to get the hell out of here and have an hour or so of relaxation...yeah, and see what that gets me?

I need to eat some dinner, but I don't feel like it. I'm drifting between Polish sausage with sauerkraut and pierogi, or a turkey club sandwich and some soup....or nothing at all. Decisions, decisions...

"Jomar" asked me to reply to these questions of his, and I'm more than happy to oblige.

I don't know if my responses will be what he is looking for, but I'm answering them as frankly and openly as I am able to:

1. Why are you resting Doctor Who for a YEAR?!

To allow actor David Tennant the opportunity to pursue his stage career with the Royal Shakespeare Company....and, don't worry, it's not really resting it for a whole year, as there will be not only a Christmas special (already filmed), but in January of 2009, filming will resume for three film-length TV specials, to be shown late in 2009.

2. If Davies is handing in the hat, so to speak, why are accounts saying that the next 4 specials in 2009 will be between Stephen Moffatt and Davies? All that while Davies is saying "I'm done".

Possibly because they were already written by RTD. I believe that RTD may have penned the 2008 Christmas special. Often scripts for TV series are written as much as three or four months to a whole year in advance--which is common sense, as actors have to be hired, props made, locations found, etc.

3. Have we finally seen the doctor's 11th regeneration and hence the next-to last
one? Does this mean it's Donna/Doctor 2 that's the result of this?

There's a lot of debate about that. The Doctor did not fully regenerate. But, he did use regenerating energy. However, I'm sure that a good script writer could find a loop hole in this whole regeneration thing. The Doctor 2 and Donna weren't technically full regenerations, either.

4. It's expected that Davros has escaped again, what's new this time?

Nothing. Doctor Who without the possibility of Davros coming back, would be very dull indeed.

5. What happens to the maybe insane, maybe deceptive Dalek Kahn? Does this mean we have another ally to the doctor in the future?

It is unknown at this time, whether Dalek Kahn (or Caan) was destroyed in the explosion or not. I don't see "him" as an ally of the Doctor, but that's purely in any future producer's hands now.

6. How come the backfire only affected the daleks but not the entire Crucible?

Because, (and I'm not sure I'm entirely right, just my thoughts on this) I THINK it's because Davros specifically made these Daleks out of his own body, and the backfire was connected to their DNA, which the crucible is not made of, only the Daleks--which is why it didn't kill Dalek Kahn, because Davros didn't make him...though why it didn't kill Davros...?

7. After Rose kisses Doctor 2, realizing that that's the doctor she wants, why does she chase after the doctor when he disappears? Does she want to have afternoon tea with them before they leave?

Again, my take on this is that she knows Doc 2 ISN'T the same Doctor she fell in love with.

To use an anaolgy as a life-long pet owner: It's a bit like having to give up a pet you dearly love, for an identical pet from the same litter....it may look and act the same...but it's not the one that you knew first, and grew to love.

8. Does this mean the Mickey and Martha Jones will now be the new members of Torchwood?

Possibly. Again, it's up to the producers.

9. Why is losing all memories of the doctor called "death of one of the children of time?"

Losing your memory is a bit like death, isn't it? You lose a big part of who you are as a human being. Donna lost a huge chunk of herself--her very life, when the Doctor took her memories away

10. Wasn't Jack given the funniest line in "I cannot tell you what I'm thinking about now?".

Erm--I din't do more than smirk, I'm afraid. But then, I'm not as big a fan of that character as some people are (like the character, honest, I'm just not over the moon with him)

11. How does Martha know how to speak German all of a sudden?

She may already have known how to speak German. She may have either learned in in school, or while journeying across the world during that whole end of the world thing with the Master, Or--my personal theroy, she may have been required to take a course in German by U.N.I.T.

12. In the Torchwood base, where did that Time lock concept come from? I've heard of it in the Time Wars but how come Tosh could come up with it? Was there any revealed time studies by Tosh before? Why did it trigger? Because of the Daleks? Why? Was it because of Evelyn Myles loud scream?

I have no idea. I have seen some episodes of Torchwood, but probably Davies threw it in there, just because he wanted to mention it, or as a plot device, and not for any specific reason. After all, it IS a television programme, and not everything has to have a specific reason or function...sometimes a script writer can slip stuff into the script ("I was a father once") just as something to keep the fans busy chatting about.

13. How can Donna ever ignore the existence of the aliens, the Doctor in the future when it's going to be coming at her when she lives in this "new life" she has in the form of media and friends. Was it sufficient for her mother and grandfather NOT to confirm anything?

Maybe you didn't notice? But, the "old" Donna was a bit...shallow. Even in that last episode, she wasn't taking the Dalek invasion and planets moving seriously, but was on her mobile, so busy talking about one of her friend's weight loss, that she barely even noticed the Doctor saying goodbye to her.

But...I have a theory...okay, it's probably not going to ever happen, but I'm sooo-sorry to see Ms. Tate (one of the best companions EVER) to leave, that here's what my immagination would WISH to happen:

Donna--as a part Time Lord, knew what was happening to her, and figured out a way to come back later...retain her memories...if not the Doctor's mind, and find the Doctor again....because Doc 2 said that not all the threads were pulled together yet.

Oh, just wishful thinking...but that's what this show is sometimes all about.

OKAY, NEXT:

14. Why didn't the doctor invite Donna Noble's grampa into the Tardis? Not pretty enough? No men allowed? How about mickey?

Age, my dear. I take it you're young? I'm only 47 and I can't run any longer. Put simply, I'm sure both men might know that it would simply be too dangerous for Donna's grandfather to travel in the Tardis.

15. When did the doctor have the power to erase memories? What did he use to do this?

He's always had that power. He did it in the old series--I forget which episode now. The Doctor doesn't like it, but he can see into human's minds, he can plant suggestions in their minds, he can make them forget--well, it's basically like super-powerful hypnosis. It was part of the old series---the 4th Doctor saved Sarah Jane from the decompression chamber by using mind-power.

16. If donna cannot regenerate, how come we see a sort of regeneration after she got hit by the Dalek? Does this mean she can regenerate ONCE only?

But, Donna DIDN'T regenerate. What she got was a boost from the Doctor's regenerative ENERGY. She didn't physically regenerate.

CLAIRIFICATION: Davros' ray that hit Donna, didn't really trigger a regeneration...what it did, was that it zapped Donna's new Time Lord brain into existence.

Gah--I'm well knackered, let me tell you.

Interesting day, in telemarketing land...well, actually we've switched to doing collections calls, at the moment.

This afternoon I got two yakkers...you know, those kinds of talkers that come up for air less often than a whale.

First guy was a southerner--a film stunt driver and former race car driver.
Nice gent, lovely man. But my boss was giving me dirty looks after the 20 minute mark.

I'm not the type that would ever feel comfortable just hanging up on someone. I mean, rude behaviour is what people do, who are just plain too stupid--or mentally lazy, to know anything else.

Then, I got the heartbreaking story. Now, I hear more tales of woe than a hundred bartenders. But this was a tough call to sit through. A mum told me she'd just lost her 16 year old son in a drowning accident 2 weeks ago. And, somehow she connected with me, and told me every detail of what she was going through in the aftermath (with the 100,000 plus in expenses), and how it happened, and what her son was like, and how the community responded, and then told me all this happened two days after she'd had eye surgery, and was blind. 27 very difficult minutes, trying to be caring and compassionate--while doing my job (I made the sale).

And, when she started talking about having to take him off life support....well, that of course touched an still-sensitive nerve in me, what with my having to be alone watching mum die, and signing the papers to cut off her life support, as well.

Tough day. I may not be able to do much physcial labour any longer, but by gosh, today I'm plumb exhausted.

2 things meme:

2 names you go by:

Nancy/Nance

2 things you are wearing now?

posh top and posh black trousers

2 things you want most in a relationship?

never had a relationship, but suppose companionship and love?

2 favourite things right now?

Writing, Doctor Who

2 things you want badly right now?

To go the hell home

A job that I enjoy, am good at and/or where I'm genuinely wanted

2 things you did yesterday?

went to work, rode bus to store

2 things you'll do tomorrow?

went to work, take cab to health center

2 people you talked to yesterday?

bus driver, till clerk

2 favourite holidays?

Don't bother with them any longer

2 favourite beverages?

Coke classic, fruit punch

2 favouite television programmes?

Dr Who, Law and Order

2 things you like doing outside:

horseback riding, historic walks,

I Just HAVE to get rid of Mozilla Firefox. It just plain SUCKS. Everyday I have more and more issues with that, besides which it bogs down my computer, and makes the extra I pay for high-speed service basically worthless.

I'd like to either go back to IE or try this new Opera that I've heard of, but haven't a clue (I'm not into tech stuff at all, I don't even know how to do MP3, Ipods, etc...) how to get rid of Firefox to change to something else.

Need step-by-step instructions to do this. Any takers? Thanks.

"Aye, that's ma' lunchbox. What can I say? I'm shagalicious."

...often constipated.

Well, over an hour and a half later, the fight's still going on, and the dog's still barking, and my cat is still in heat...and I've broken out the pain reliever...industrial size.

The local headlines in this morning's newspaper:

A car crash at exit 17-N of the Northway (aka: I-87) closed all three lanes to traffic this morning...shortly after a lane was re-opened, another crash occurred, closing it again. No news on when the lanes will re-open.

The Glens Falls "Tree Commission," has given an update on renovations to city park--they are taking out 29 existing trees, and re-planting 30 trees.

The band "Stone Temple Pilots" apparently "rocked" the Glens Falls Civic Center last night.

Down in the city of Saratoga Springs, dog owners are asking for a dog-walking park.

There's been a huge increase in sightings, locally, of fox, bear, moose and fishers. Belief is that it's partly due to habitat loss (from development), and partly due to climate change.

One of the local amusement parks, Six Flags/Great Escape, will be putting in a new ride. A spokesman would not say what it is, only that it is a "major iconic" ride. Locals speculate that it is either a super-hero themed ride (Batman, Spiderman, etc) or another big roller coaster, called "Serial Thriller"...which would bring the number of 'coasters in the park to six. Also, it has been announced that the local Six Flags park will be the very first amusement park in the entire northeastern US, to open it''s doors during the Christmas season, to host holiday events, beginning in winter of 2009. Some rides will actually be running for this event.

Yes, we notherner's are a hardy lot--who else in the world would go to an outdoor amusement park in the snow, freezing rain and bitter cold?

The depot that would allow for a tourism train to stop in the northern Saratoga county town of Corinth (where I lived for 6 years) has been delayed, due to the fact that the bids coming in have all been deemed too costly.

Adirondack Community College is now offering online courses.

Schroon Lake school board election results were dismissed by the Education Commissioner, and a new vote has been resecheduled. This all stems from the fact that some 30 people pulled a voting booth lever that was blank--one that didn't have anyone's name on it.

SERIAL THRILLER ROLLER COASTER--COMING TO THE LOCAL PARK NEXT YEAR?

Well, Hurricane Bertha (hey, a hurricane named after my auntie!) is staying out to sea, it seems, so no worries there. But, we're slated for some potentially severe weather this afternoon, so will have to keep that in mind.

Gawd, it's HOT. I dread working today, as with all those computers at work, and the fact that you're stuck in your seat, unable to move around...tough in hot weather. The air conditioning is minimal to non-existent in the office, making it baking, on days like today.

Have I mentioned that I'm not a hot weather person?

Well, the poor abused American actors have got their 10 percent pay raise and better benefits they wanted.

Not that I begrudge them, really. It's just petty grumbling, as we telemarketers don't have a flipping union--or ANY benefits...no sick pay, no holidays--or holiday pay, no pay raises--myself and other employees have been on the job for more than a year and a half, with no pay increase--in fact, last year for 3 months, we had our pay CUT. We get work lay-offs and hours reduced, with virtually no notice. We get sent home without notice, if we don't sell--no matter that it's not us, it's the economy.

So, pardon me if I do not shed tears for spoiled union workers, who sob that they aren't getting enough---some of us don't get ANY at all. And, it's hardly the first job I've had with bad pay/no pay raise/no benefits. So, I hardly feel any empathy for these union workers and their sob stories.

For gawd's sake, they're in a job they probably really like--certainly it's better than being a janitor or a dustman or a till clerk at Walmart's. Some people are NEVER happy.

Hi all,

Woke almost an hour early. One of my charming, ever-so-posh neighbours decided to have a fight with...someone, this morning. Besides all the shouting (mostly female), it came complete, it seems, with tossing heavy objects at the wall, stomping about and slamming doors.

Oh, and the bassett hound across the hall, decided to have a barking festival...so, no hope for it. Might as well get up.

I've had all of about 4 hours sleep, as it was about 33 C in here, last night. Yesterday, tho' it was actually 30 C outside, according to weather reports, the humidity made it feel more like 33 C.

Flame is in heat, and I am at the point where I'm about to turn her into feline stew meat. Not really, but she is basically driving me bonkers with her continual yowling and howling. Unfortunately, I have no proof of her shots, and in order to have her "fixed," even with a discount, she would have have to have all her shots...which would literally cost hundreds of dollars---not to mention the 20 dollars or so in round-trip cab fare, getting her there. So, I just have to put up with it. Thankfully she has never been outdoors, and the boys are "fixed."

Trying to wake up..feel rotten. Don't think the antibiotics worked as well as they could have, as for the first time, I am having pain in the area of the infection. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, with a new physican's assistant. Hopefully this guy will have more on the ball than the woman I've been seeing. We'll see.

Not a very interesting post--but then, not a very interesting life. I long for something interesting to happen to me, but reckon that part of my life is well and truly finished. This is all there is from now on, and I will just have to make the best of it.

A trip to the laundromat in Lake George is about as exciting as it's going to get this summer, I reckon. And, that's fine. At least I'm not in crisis, and that's a good thing.

Cheers, Nancy G.

Easy-peasy. Just place it between two mobile phones, leave them in talk mode, all while very close by, having a radio talk show on, or tape recorded conversation so they'll stay on....wait approximately 65 minutes, and viola! You've got yerself one hard cooked egg, mateys....think about that, next time you're on hold to the phone company for hours...well, at least that's what two Russian journalists claim.

Oh, and here's another cheery thought--- it's said that it takes 2 minutes for the radiation from your mobile, to pass through into your brain.

Now, as a former worker in the equine industry, well I knew that my job was dangerous--even possibly fatal. In fact, injuries I accrued while working with or riding on horses, include: fractured kneecap, fractured left toe, concussion, back injury (which came close to putting me in a wheelchair), sprains, bruises--(including a minor bruised rib when I fell into the manure spreader), pulled muscles, lacerations, and...one bite in the arse... by a little pony. STOP laughing!

Okay..that was kinda funny....poor wee thing backed up into the corner and got the most guilty look on his face--it still makes me laugh, just remembering that pony's "Whoops, I'm so sorry, please don't kill me" expression. Despite the pain, I just didn't have the heart to stay mad at him, after that---smart pony he was, too.

He's really gone off the deep end of fashion this time--he's actually starting to dress....(gasp) like an average bloke!

As opposed to....

The Lorretta Lynn look

The Saturday Night Fever Look

The "Who me? Gay?" Look

The Partridge Family Look

And...okay, I'm not even gonna' go any further with this one...use your imaginations.

...He passes to Noah, he shoots--he scores!

...His leftovers by using Tupperware.

Okay, I'll stop now. Don't want the Almighty getting ticked off at me.

A co-worker thinks I should start going back to church. I used to like church--most of the time. Most church members were lovely to me...but some (including the minister, once) could be quite petty and snarky, at times. Sometimes church people...well, to be charitable, they can be...interesting. But, I can live with that, you get that everywhere, anywhere in the world. People are the world's most imperfect creation.
I was quite active in my church, after I became a Presbyterian (which I actually had to learn how to spell). I'd mess about in the choir, help with the food pantry, at dinners and the annual Christmas Bazzar, and caroling to shut-in's, recycling drive, Christmas musical/play, Sunday school...you name it. If they needed me, I usually was there.

But, then the Presbyterians split into the traditional, conservative presbys, and the Southern (towards a more gospel singing, hand-waving, right-wing style religion) Presbys. And, after our minister left, we got a Southern style woman--and...nothing against it...but growing up Catholic, I tend towards the private, conservative, traditional type of worship. I will never be fully comfortable with boisterous, aggressive displays of faith. Can't help it, that's just the way I am. So, I drifted away...still went to church, just not that often, and not as active about volunteering.

Yet, it isn't no wanting to go to church...no one seems to get, that it's hard for me. It's not that I don't want to---it's that emotionally, I can't. Not alone. Maybe if I had a good friend to be with me, but...not alone. There is no where, anywhere on the planet (except in hospital) where I feel more alone than in a church. But, NO ONE gets this.

I get tired of trying to explain it--and it comes out sounding like I'm just making excuses--but it's not like that at all.

THE CHURCH WERE I OFFICIALLY BECAME A PRESBYTERIAN: