I Ain't Afraid of No Daleks

Well, it's past six pm, time for my dinner--a boneless baked pork chop, some frozen microwavable buttered brussel sprouts, and escalloped potatoes (the kind that comes in a box, I don't have time to mess about with home cooking tonight). Total cost: under 5 dollars-- (about 2 pounds 25 pence).

I'd posted this a while back, but the people I intended it for, may not have seen it, so I will post it again.

A while back, I was having serious issues with this website--thought it was the site, but it may have been that virus, and I didn't know it.

Anyway, I somehow lost several people unintentionally from my "friends" list--and I'm sorry, but by the time I discovered some people were missing, I'd forgotten you're blog "handles" to find you again. I know that sounds lame, but I can't keep track of the exact spelling of every blog name on my list. So, if you were on my friends list, and found you were dropped, either re-invite me to be a friend, or drop me a PM, and I will re-invite you.

Just for the record, I've only deliberately dropped two people from my friends list--one person hadn't been active in about 8 months, and the other hadn't been responding to my comments on their blog in months, and wasn't commenting on my blog, and never replied to a couple of messages, so I had to assume that he/she was no longer interested in me.

But, I've since found that five people were dropped from my list--no idea why three others were lost. But if you are one of those three--it wasn't me, really.

I'm forever trying to translate "britspeak." I've gotten pretty good at it, I reckon--as some people have assumed I'm British. Still, there's references, words and spellings that yet allude me.

One of these words was "gammon." I had NO idea what the heck a "gammon" was! I thought it might be a joint of deer or turkey. Nope.

Finally Googled it, and found that it's what we Yanks refer to as, a "ham steak," or if part of a joint, a "picnic" ham, or ham "shoulder" or ham "butt"...depending on what you buy. Or, of course a whole ham.

A CIDER-GLAZED "GAMMON"

A MAPLE-GLAZED "HAM"--STUDDED WITH CLOVES (Such as I have made for Christmas or Easter dinner)

Oh, now I've really got to remember to go in to my profile and switch my e-mail address to my "spare" e-mail address that I use mostly for junk mailings.

I just got SEVENTEEN--yes, 17, e-mails, all from one person, asking for David flippin' Tennant's e-mail address!

Why????? For heaven's sake, will SOMEONE tell me why the hell, these kids keep bugging me for the e-mail address of some skinny Scottish guy, whom I've never met, can never meet, and even if someone sprinkled magic fairy dust over us, and we ever did meet, we'd probably have nothing much to say to each other (Other then "Hello, nice to meet you," that is.) 'Cos why would someone like him want to be friends with someone like me? I mean, COME ON!!!

I've never even been to the UK! I haven't even been out of New York state since Jaunary of 2006!

Look at me, girls! Do I look like someone who would be friends with some big time British celebrity:

Okay, here's an e-mail address. It's not David's--I literally just made it up off the top of my head, but you're welcome to try it.

Scottishbloke.skinny@nospam_verizon.whatever

I sent the young fan a polite but to the point e-mail, but she says she reads my blog, so I'm posting this (again). I also asked her what made her think I would have this information, but have not had a response. If ANYONE out there knows who is circulating this information--and quite frankly, I am just about on the verge of losing my sense of humour over this, as 17 e-mails in one go is not fun to have to sort through when you're tired and not feeling so great. Please stop pestering me for something I will never be able to give you--and tell whoever is doing this, to set the record straight, okay? Thanks.

Talk about living between the worst of both worlds! I've got chav neighbours and yuppie landlords. Yeesh.

The daft chav neighbours have been scrambling around to tidy up their assorted messes, but inside the public areas of the building, and outside where they "party." They smashed this huge gaping 15 inch plus hole in the wall downstairs---which I'm sure the manager has seen, as it's been there for over a month, and he's been here at least once in that time--anyway, their solution to covering up the big, gaping hole?

Pin a map over it! Sideways! Oh yeah, I'm sure that's not gonna' get the landlord's attention. Especially since the map doesn't quite completely cover the edges of the hole....riiiight.

Yeah, the yuppie landlords have been getting notice of the large number of police calls for the new people, and complaints (not from me) about all the people tramping in and out of the building at all hours and hanging around outside. And the roaches--still being blamed on me, the lying

That really frosts my britches! I let them run an electrical lead into my apartment, when their electric was shut off, so they could see at night--even tho' they later confessed using it for their TV set, and not a lamp.

I've given them extra food from my cupboard (when I had it to spare), and leftovers when I made a big batch of stew or spaghetti, 'cos my neighbour hasn't been able to work on account of a very bad back, so when he confessed to going hungry a while back, I did what I could for him--'cos, well, that's what you do for your neighbours, isn't it?

Well, apparently not any more, I won't.

I was informed that it was his sister who blatantly lied, and told them I had cockroaches--after telling me she'd found one in her apartment. I set the manager straight on that one. I was really upset over that accusation.

I've had them hurl other accsations in my direction as well--and am getting right fed up with the whole thing. Cops banging on doors at 5 and 6am, wee children left to wander around the outside of the building on their own, or allowed to screech for hours on end under peoples windows, the scummy looking people coming and going at all hours, fights under my windows, woman beaters, drug dealers...there's three in the two-room apartment next door, and another bunch of the family in a small apartment on the other side of the building, all getting into trouble all the time...that family is not what you'd call on the upper end of the gene pool.

I can't possibly move--no money for it, and even if I could find a place that suited, and even if I wasn't too poor to move, there's no one to help me, and I'm simply not well enough to pack and shift boxes, cats and furniture entirely on my own, any longer.

But, things have gotten so bad, that I would almost welcome them kicking out, if I could get the hell away from these bozos. It's not nearly as bad as the brief time I was homeless in Feb. of '95, but, it's not very restful and peaceful here any longer, either. I contantly worry about a break-in, quite frankly, because the front door to the outside, is no longer left locked, and I no longer have a proper working inside door to lock--so there's only a single, flimsy apartment door, between me and anyone with unlawful intentions. Not that I'm paranoid about it, but it is one more thing to cause me slight concern. The landlord nixed my request to install a new lock, by the way.

Yeah, the yuppie slum lords--who seemed nice at first glance--but whom turned out to be shallow, greedy prats. The man used to come around, saying he was going to do this and that, and fix up the building. Bull. The man hasn't even changed the burnt-out hallway lights (that's the hallway without any windows in it) in 9 months!

But, with all the goings-on, rather than just get rid of these people, they are going overboard. They've contacted the police to do a "search" of all the public areas of the building, and are threatening to hire private security to watch the building--they can't change a lightbulb in a dark hallway, or remove thick dangerous ice from their walkways and car park in the winter, but, they can hire private security? Riiiight.

That'll be the day. I'm guessing it's an insurance thing--their insurance company is probably threatening to raise their premiums if they get any more police visits.

I WAS sitting out on my balcony a while ago, getting some fresh air. Had to go in though. My neighbour's sister, for a bithday party last Saturday, borrowed a long folding table and chairs from the Salvation Army around the corner, and didn't bring them back right away, and apparently someone broke the table and she's literally hollering that she "didn't do nutin' to it," that it was someone else that damaged it. The guy coming to get the table is being nice, but I can tell this is escalating, and I don't want to eavesdrop and, well, don't particularly want to hear about it, so I came in and checked my e-mails before doing a bit of blogging.

Anyway, sitting here, still under the weather--stomach cramps again, and headache, trying to get up the ambition to finish the dusting I began this morning. Gah--I'm tired!

Sorry about the "rant," but I've no one else to whinge and moan to, except my blog.

I'm off for another day of telemarketing...if we're doing those snooty, bad-tempered, ill-mannered craft women again, it's gonna' be a helluva long day.

I kind of don't mind talking to the hunter's group, 'cos, ill-mannered American male nut-jobs with guns--ya' gotta' love 'em, ya' know? Guns is what makes America great--where else in the world can you kill both harmless animals and innocent people, and call it patriotic?

Ah well, have a good day, all.

...to become a member of the Scots rockers, The Proclaimers (pictured below, with Tennant). Says Charlie Reid, "We auditioned him, and even tho' he sings like shite, he does play a mean tambourine." "And", Charlie's brother craig, added, "he's really fit and our manager says we need to sex up our image a little."

Still a bit ill, but well enough to go to work, thankfully.

Chilly morning, but a cloudless one, looks like another nice summer day on tap, over here--sorry if the weather's rubbish where you live.

Bit of a restless night's sleep for me, but I'm up early and don't see the point of returning to bed.

Tonight's the big free street party luau downtown: giant working volcano, ukulele music on the harp--what, they couldn't find anyone that plays the ukulele? Strolling comic, kid's games, free rum tasting (over 21 adults of course),special foods and non-alcoholic drinks, etc. Fireworks at the end of the night from the traffic roundabout. Yippiee. Meh. Trust me, if it's in this city, even a luau will be dull. From what I gather, none of the big city tourists are at all impressed.

Will I go? Maybe, maybe not. Depends how I'm feeling. Might stroll far enough down to catch a glimpse of the fireworks (I'm just a street or two, too far north, to see it from my balcony.)

Well, another dull week in my part of the world. This is what laughingly passes for our daily newspaper has to report today:

A Lake George man was found drink driving around 5am this morning in Glens Falls. The limit for DWI (driving while intoxicated) is .08, he was .22---or, in less journalistic or legal terms, the man was snockered. He's being held in jail pending his arraignment on felony drink driving charges, which happens when one has a prior drink driving conviction, which this gent apparently has.

Police were called (yet again) in to break up a fist fight outside a South Street bar, when a man from a rural town exchanged words with a man from this city and it resulted in physical disagreement called "Oh, yeah? Let me let my fist settle this argument."

The county where I live, Warren county, is under a serious investigation of fraud and mis-use of state funds, in regards to a contract with a construction firm which built a power plant for the county nursing home. It is alleged that there may be some underhanded dealings in regards to how they (county commissioners) awarded the contract, and it's also alleged that the county may have paid for it, with some Medicaid funds--which are to be used solely for health care for the poor/elderly. The state's investigation is continuing, and no other details are known yet.

A dance store is moving into this city's downtown business district.

Oh good, another useless specialty store, just what the people of this city needed. It'll fit right in with the "upscale" children's clothing store and the "upscale" (expensive/posh) children's bookstore, wine shop, jewelers, antique shop, and whatever other shops most working people in the city can't afford. It'll be great for the people buying the half-million dollar condos in the chav pub district...those would be the expensive new posh condos right next to the betting shop, the drug paraphenalia shop, the soup kitchen for the homeless, and the low-brow pubs where drunken fights break out practically every night, on the streets.

Six city police officers took part in a chase after a 17 year old, who was wanted for a probation violation. The teen had been arrested earlier in the year for 3rd degree burglary, for stealing prescription drugs from a home. However, an officer visiting the teens home, found alcohol present, which was against the terms of his 5-year probation. When officers confronted the teen on Glen Street, he fled, prompting officers to give chase. The teen was nabbed in someone's back garden about 10 minutes later. There were multiple officers involved in the chase, because the teen had a prior history of doing a runner. The teen now faces jail time, not only for the violation, but for resisting arrest.

Hopes are high for Saratoga county, when a major microchip manufactuer visits the area next week. It is hoped that the business will relocate to the area's newest high-tech industrial park, located in central Saratoga County.

Our city's mayor is barely cold in the grave, and the paper is reported potential candidates considering running for the mayoral slot in the upcoming election.

A music teacher in a rural middle school (grades 6-8)--which is right across the road from where mum and I used to live--was arrested for possessing child pornography materials, and other offenses-including unspecified charges involving two 14 year old girls--at least one including physical contact. He was charged on three felony counts. The man was a teacher for 30 years, having spent the last 19 of those years at the middle school. He was released on bail pending a formal hearing.

A notice that US Route 9 (aka; Glen Street) will be closed off during the street party tonight, and a detour will result.

Upcoming events for September at the city's civic center include: Barnum and Bailey's Ringling Bros. Circus, Willie Nelson and Jacob Dylan (Bob's son) in concert, "Pro"-Wrestling, the American version of the Lippizan stallion show, and indoor motorcycle racing.

A Vermont police dog was killed yesterday, being hit by a police car, while Vermont police were pursuing two robbery suspects also involved in a shooting incident. The police car was pursing the suspects when the dog ran in front of it. The suspects fled on foot into woods near the New York border, and New York State Troopers were called to the scene to set up a paremiter to watch for the suspects. They pair were caught a short time later, on the Vermont side of the border. The armed robbery took place in the town of Lancaster, Vermont, not far from Rutland, in the east-central part of the state.

For the bettors, it is reported that a horse name "Pyro" is the current odds-on favourite for the world famous Traver's Stakes this Saturday. The Travers is one of American's top summer derbys, and is internationally televised. The Travers stakes brings tourists into the Saratoga/Lake George tourist region, from all over North America, as well as thoroughbred fans from Europe and the Middle East.

Owned! Well, I tag whomever wants to be tagged back.

* 1. What is your first name?

Nancy

* 2. What is your favorite food?

Pizza.

* right now?
Hot rare roast beef with melted cheddar and BBQ sauce on a crusty roll

* 3. What high school did you go to?

Guilderland Central HS

* 4. What is your favorite color?

Blue
* 5. Who is your celebrity crush?

Haven't had a celeb crush in decades--but I was partial to Richard Dean Anderson (MacGyver, Stargate SG1) for a brief time, and an actor named Kevin O'Rourke (Remember WENN), but I wasn't dreaming about them or anything.

* 6. What is your favorite drink?
Coke Classic

* 7. What is your dream vacation?
Something different, like a windjammer, freighter or ferry cruise (not a cruise ship) holiday, or gypsy vanner holiday, or the Orient Express or Copper canyon train, or, if a package holiday, or something not ordinary--something where you do stuff you wouldn't normally do, like snowmobiling up a glacier, or horseback riding on a beach, or riding a camel--with some decent breaks in-between for some relaxing down-time, of course.

* 8. What is your favorite dessert?
Mud pie--coffee flavour ice cream, served on a crushed Oreo (chocolate biscuit) pie crust, topped with hot fudge, whipped cream and a marichino cherry.

* 9. What do you want to be when you grow up?
I'm 47, isn't that grown up enough? After all I've had to deal with, If I grow up much more, I'll be dead!

* 10. What do you love most in life?
I dunno'. Memories of my mum, my cats, my friends, my nephew (whom I've not seen or spoken to in almost 3 years), writing, the outdoors, and yes, Dr Who.
* 11. What is one word that describes you right now?
Tired
* 12. What is your Blog name?
Playwrite27

* 13. What is the last celebrity or celebrites you watched on television or DVD?

David Tennant and Catherine Tate.
*14 What is the weather like where you are?
Chilly--almost auntumnally so, partly cloudy, but the moon and a few stars are visible.
*15. What can you hear right now?
A couple of crickets outside on the lawn, a car whooshing past, the hum of my computer, my 'fridge clicking on.

(click pic twice to make larger)

Boots was playing with his little life-size furry mouse--he always plays before bedtime.

Well, he was tossing the thing up in the air, and batting it across the room, like he aways does...only this time, I actually watched him take stand up on his haunches, take the mouse in one paw, toss it in the air, then bat in across the room with his other paw, just like I used to do with a bat and ball, when I was a kid! Ha! Boots would make a great baseball player, ey?

I did some pre-beditme surfing, as I am wont to do. I took some pain killer and took a walk in the night air--oh, a lovely night. A night to be sitting on a porch or garden with your mates, joking around and talking, or a night--not that I'd know about such things having never done it myself, for taking a romantic moonlight stroll hand in hand with your partner.

Still have a headache, so I won't be doing a read before bedtime. Just looking at the 'puter screen is killing me.

Anyway, back to David "I'm a sex-god and I'm Scottish too" Tennant.

I still am having trouble getting into two of my favourite Dr Who websites, so I've been randomly searching other forums--yech. The drippy, gooey, fan-girl posts...what has the man done to mY wonderful non-sexual, just a regular sort of interesting alien guy, Doctor?

Oh, Tennant is so lovely in the role, it just completely suits him down to the ground. It's not him, really. It's those...squeeing, hormone raging, love-struck, sex-starved....fan-girls. Yech. Bleh. Phhoey. Oh yeah, and BLEH.

So, the hot topic on the forums is whether or not Tennant is staying or leaving.

Some "fans" positively assert (like they personally know...riiight.) that Tennant is leaving halfway into the 2009 shoot, even going as far as quoting drama coaches and spewing out all sorts of reasons for the man to leave.

Other fans shout these fans down, yelling that Tennant is staying for Series 5, and having this big contract waved in his face to lure him in--depending on who you "listen" to, it's a BBC contract for 1.3 million. Or, latest scuttlebutt is that they've upped the ante and are offering him, not only 1.5 million (3 million dollars approx.), to stay on, but, chances to play other roles while filming "Who", as well.

I say, "Meh-whatever."

I just want to be prepared. It really messed me up emotionally (on a weekend that I didn't need anymore emotional upsets, having just gotten no less than 20 different demands (more or less all at once) in the mail from my student lender, to pay them 29,000 dollars or else, a major loss of income due to illness, and told that I might be temporarily laid off the following week (thankfully it was only one day, as it turned out.) So, the literal shock of Tennant's regeneration, was very much the LAST upset I needed. The show was the one constant that got me through mum's loss, and the foreclosure, unemployment, repossession and my near-bout with homelesses, and...that other, darker thing, and all the rest. And, then, Davies pulled the rug out from under me, and I realized at the end of 12, that i couldn't even depend on Dr Who!

So, whether Tennant stays or goes, I've decided not to give a flying fig. I still love Dr Who, very much. But...not quite as much as I did, a few months ago.

I've read where he's one of the most entertaining and deeply riveting Hamelt's to come along in years, as well. I read on one of these forums tonight, that he's been out there at the stage door just about every night, to say hello to his fans and sign a few autographs. Wow, that's impressive. A tiring performance, but still has the energy to do that--was the man a hyper-active child, does he tank up on Red Bull before his performances, or is he just naturally wired? God, I'm just tired from walking four city blocks (streets). Must be nice to be so peppy all the time.

Back to telemarketing tomorrow. I was told by the physican's assistant I could take a few days off to rest, and she'd write me a note, but screw that! Lose a few days pay? Yeah, no. Not me. I'm poor enough already, thanks. It's going on half-past eleven here in northern New York, and I must be away to bed. Have a lovely day tomorrow everyone. Cheers.

WHEN IT COMES TO WHETHER HE'S STAYING OR LEAVING, DAVID TENNANT IS ALL WET!

This is soooo-cool! For those of you like myself, who will never-ever get to see this stuff, up close and personal, here's the next-best thing:

A nice video of a British Dr Who exibition

Well, it's getting late--only 9pm, really, but feels late to me, for some reason.

Something weird happened. I left the site, and came back, deciding to write another post or two, to pass the time before bedtime, and I'd been logged out. I didn't log out though. That was strange.

For the first time since I began it, I checked the stats of Roasting David (Tennant) group: some 70 hits a day, with a day with over 100 hits. Wow. That was fast. I think the first day I had maybe 8 hits. It's only been a couple of weeks. A bit thanks to my friends, who've contributed their humour to the page, by the way. Far-out, guys and gals!

I deleted the file with my most recent play on it. Bitter Revenge was a bitter disappointment. What rubbish! I was going to delete the play's post on here, but that would take too long, trying to find what day last week I posted it. So, that remains the only copy of this play that is in existence--well, I can't remember if I posted it on my Misc. blog, but if I did, I will probably delete it from there, when I go on it again.

I still have traces of a headache and nausea tonight, but I'll be damned if I'll take tomorrow off. I need the money. I do hate to admit this, but sometimes I genuinely envy people who get sick pay and holiday pay. Haven't had that in years. Being that I don't have a car, have minimal computer skills, live on a poverty level inocme and live in a tourist economy, my employment options are pretty damn slim. This is basically as good as I'm going to get. Period.

I need a haircut rather badly. Haven't had one since Easter week. Think I'll give myself a front trim, this weekend some time.

You have no idea how much I miss my internet radio. I can live without Youtube, but I really, really miss my music! It made the time go by so much faster.

I swear, if I have to hear the local station play Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On", or Roger-flippin' Whittiker singing "The Last Farewell" one more time, I'm gonna' throw that old clock radio out the window!

Who the hell listens to Roger Wittiker anymore?

How'd you like to wake up to this every freakin' morning:

1. Are you married or single?
Single--as in old maid, as in I don't even date.

2. Do you have brothers and sisters?

A sister.

3. * Are they older or younger than you?

Chronologically older, mentally...?

4. Have you ever met a famous person?
Yes. Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood, John Ritter, Ian Marter (Dr Who companion), Nichelle Nichols (Urhura in Star Trek), Louise Jameson (Leela on Dr Who), Adam West (the original Batman), and the guy who played Threepio in Star Wars-- Kenny something?

(can you tell I went to a lot of sci-fi cons years ago?)

5. What countries have you visited?
Netherlands, Iceland, Egypt. (does a 3 hour layover inside Heathrow count as England?)

6. What do you do on Sundays?

Either catch up with stuff I wasn't able to get to the rest of the week, or, bum around and goof off.

7. What kind of people do you not like?

Neo-cons, racists, homophobes, people who try to impress me with their impressiveness, irresponsible (ie: selfish/lazy) parents, people who put down anyone with a disability, people who are too crude/rude (way beyond what's appropriate), pedos and women beaters, anyone who hates or uses violence just to give him or herself a (false) feeling of power, people who are too mentally lazy to think for themselves, or who lack the basic life skills to care about how they behave in public (spitting on sidewalks, peeing on walls, swearing in front of kids, no basic manners).

8. Who has had the most influence in your life?

My mum, definitely.

9. Would you like to be famous?

Honestly, I don't think I've ever given it any thought. I don't think it would matter to me, one way or the other, to be truthful. I imagine it would change my life, perhaps, by affording me far less privacy, so I'd have to do things differently, I suppose...but, I'm used to changes, so...whatever. Though I think this blog is about all the "fame" I'm ever going to get, ha-ha.

10. How many different towns or cities have you lived in?

I've lived in two villages, four towns, a national park and one city.

11. Which do you prefer, sunrises or sunsets?

Tie, I adore them both. Tho' when younger, I preferred sunrises a bit more, but now that I'm older, I am more inclined to admire the sunset.

12. What was the last book you read?

I just finished the last page of Last of the Great Scouts (see previous post about Buffalo Bill) yesterday, also finished A study in Scarlet last night, and Sting of the Zygons this morning at the doctor's office.

13. What's your favorite food?

Kind of a tie between Italian and Tex-Mex/BBQ.

14. Do you live in a house or an apartment/flat or other?

A dumpy little one bedroom apartment.

15. How tall are you?

Five feet, six inches

16. What are your hobbies?

Reading, writing plays and Dr Who fan-fiction, blogging, playing cards on the computer (euchre, gin rummy, whist, cribbage, poker), silk flower arranging, collecting model horses, antique saddles and riding gear, listening to music, walking (when I'm able) around Lake George, an interest in history.

17. What's something you do well?

I've been told I have a nice speaking voice, but not sure what good that is.

18. Which sports do you like to watch/play?

Watch: Golf, show-jumping, polo, harness racing, western reining/cow cutting, snooker, basketball, sometimes local ice hockey games.

Play: horseback riding, horseshoe pitching, darts, ten-pin bowling, fishing, hiking, crazy golf. (mind you, I suck at each and every one of them)

19. Are you a 'morning' or 'night' person?

Anything goes, I've grown accustomed to working all sorts of strange hours, but in reality, I've always been more of a morning person.

20. What is your motto?

"Life sucks and then you die"