I Ain't Afraid of No Daleks

I need to find some new creative outlet. I've put off writing Dr Who fan fiction till the autumn, 'cos of that revelation a while back that I was becoming too obsessed with Dr Who.

I've "finished" that stupid 10 minute play--of course it needs filling in with the characters, and some holes in the dialog as well, but the essential plot is done...which is always the biggest hurdle for me. I can take my time with it and fuss over it, or maybe I'll just leave it "as is," 'cos it's not a real play, anyway, just something I did to pass the time.

So, now I need to find something else to do...and I haven't a clue what. Not sure I want to start another play...maybe I'll write some essays or poetry or something.

Lake George was nice. The trolley bus does a 10min. stop at the Steel pier where all the big cruise boats dock. There's a pub across from the pier with some bad band having a go at playing some pop-jazz. Meh. But, it was nice to hear some live music for a change, just the same, while looking at all the parachutes hovering over the lake (from the parasailing), the mountains, the boats, the vast number of different tourists, tho' it takes three hours or more to go to the Lake George Laundromat and back--and is very tiring, lugging my heavy laundry bag down the street to get there, it's was a relaxing ride, going and coming, and I did enjoy that.

Wow, the types of people one sees in Lake George has changed drastically from when I was young. Lots more foreigners---people you never would have seen at the lake some 20 or 30 years ago: Indians--some in sari's, hispanics, japanese, Pakistani's, Russians, Hasidic Jews and black people. (I'm NOT being racist, honest). 20 or 30 years ago, the tourist in Lake George were 95% white, mostly from New York City, Montreal or Albany/local. It's a good thing, I think, to see such diversity now.

But it's really is good for the area--and for tourism, to have more and more people coming up here to enjoy the scenery and attractions, and nearly everyone has been pretty accepting of the newcomers--which is a bit surprisng, because this area is a neo-conservative republican stronghold, and I've heard and seen, personally, a LOT of racial bigotry here.

The guys here in these rural mountain towns are your genuine Archie Bunker types, throwbacks from the 50's...no joke, really, they even sort of sound like Archie Bunker.

Another Victor Meldrew moment, as I went to open my e-mail just now, before leaving on the trolley-- it went something like this:

"I read your blog all the time. Please tell David that I love him so much, and I think he's the best actor on the planet. I hope you don't mind, but what is David's real address? I so want to write him a letter, and no one ever answers the letters I write to the BBC."

Okaaay then...

Where do these kids or whomever ever get the idea I know the man...it just boggles me every time, let me tell you.

David Tennant wouldn't give someone like me the time of day. I doubt we'd have much in common, and...no. Even if I lived in the UK, and worked for the BBC, or RSC, or whatever, I wouldn't know David Tennant. So, where do these people get the impression that I'd have any of his personal contact information?

Anyone?

What am I doing to leave these nutters overly entusiastic fans with the impression that I personally know the man? I'm genuinely stumped. I can't figure it out.

Really kiddo's, no. I don't know the man, will never know the man, the man doesn't know me, and probably wouldn't want to know me. Okay? I thank you all for reading my blog, it's really lovely that you've taken the time out of your day to do that, but honestly girls, I really, really do not, and will not ever have any personal contact with Tennant--he's never written me or met me, or e-mailed me or anything...and he never-ever will.

End of discussion. I've gotta run for the trolley before I miss it.

From a very early age, I was blessed with a mum who sincerely wanted me to read well, and to be curious about the world around me. Mum took me to museums and historic homes, she took me all over--(I say "me," 'cos my sister, even from a very early age, really wasn't into anything but staying home and hanging out with her friends)--we went rowing on the lake, swimming, fishing, picnicking, trips to the game farm (aka: the zoo) polo matches, bowling, just...loads of stuff. I mean, we didn't go every week, or even every month, but she did try hard to help me find things to enjoy.

One of the things we often did, was travel to libraries. Mum would look for books to read first, and then we'd go to the children's section, and look for books there. Ironically, mum never took me to the village library. I didn't step foot inside our village's library, until mum began working there. I've no idea why mum never went there. Mostly she took me to the two libraries in the city of Albany and the one across the river, in the city of Troy. Of course, we had a nice little library at my elementary school, which I had acess to, from early autumn to early summer.

So, I learned early in life to love books--and, one thing leading to another, by various routes, I also learned to enjoy reading poetry, essays and plays, as well.

Today, I have my own small library at home, numbering some 150 to 200 volumes, an even mix of fiction, literature and non-fiction. Some books I've only lightly skimmed through, some I've read just the once, others I've read several times, and a few I've read dozens of tiems. Some are text-books, some used books from library book sales, yard (boot) sales and used bookshops, some were gifts, and some we books I purchased new.

I certainly have my favourite titles and authors. Though I don't consider myself to be all that well-educated (even tho' I did graduate from a community college), nor do I consider myself particularly smart, books always make me feel as if I have the wealth of nations in my home. I don't know if that's an ego thing, or what, but I do feel "richer" with a good selection of books on my shelf.

I tend to lean towards westerns, mysteries, classics/literature, historical fiction, historical non-fiction, poetry, plays, horse books and essays/journals.

Of course I have other things on my shelves, like a few biographies and political/social books, books on cats, nature, religions, books on writing, misc. fiction novels, philosophy, science-fiction/fantasy, and other subjects.

What sort of books to you like to have at hand?

So, I'm waiting for lunch to heat...last night's supper I didn't eat. I am a bit disappointed, I was looking forward to having the scalloped potatoes with this, as I've not made them in ages--it was more mum's thing than mine, to make them, and I've realized that I'm out of milk--which one needs to make them, so...instead, I put some pierogi dumplings in the pot with the ham and veggies, let them cook that way. Not really in the mood for dumplings, but it was either that or bread and butter, and.....meh.

Flame is being a real character this morning. The cooler weather always agrees with her--well, that and the fact she had tinned tuna for breakfast, 'cos I'm out of her regular food. She's running around like a loon. She just leaped up to the top of the open closet door--and immediately yowled and whinged because she was stuck up there, and unable to get down ('cos of her partial blindness she can't see well enough to jump down).

I got her down, and played with her, so that took her mind off the indignity of having to be helped down--she genuinely hates it when I have to help her down.

She kinda' reminds me of a story my late mum used to tell me. I was a horse crazy kid from the time I was about 4 or 5 years old..don't know why, as we didn't have horses around. Maybe the heavy exposure to TV westerns, in the early 60's? Anyway, seems there was a fun-fair set up in the car park of a local department store, Topps, and there were pony ride. So, I was begging mum to let me ride the pony--guess I was around 6 at the time. So the man puts me on the pony--and supposedly I started bawling my eyes out and asking to get off. Bit embarrassing, when you think how much I loved/love horses.

But, Flamey's sort of like that--insists she has to get up on something..and immediately freaks out, when she realizes it's scary.

In the local news:

A young teenage girl had to be rescued by volunteer firefighters from a bridge pier at Mill Hollow, on the Battenkill River. She was swimming with friends and got carried downstream by the fast-moving current and was unable to make it back to shore. The rescue took only minutes, thanks to special equipment purchased by the town of Greenwich's fire department, and special training firefighters underwent in ice and fast-water rescue. The girl was possibly suffering from mild hypothermia, but otherwise unharmed.

More than 7000 people were without long-distance telephone service in the towns of Lake Luzerne and Corinth yesterday, after lightning struck a fiber-optic cable.

The semi-pro ice hockey team--the Albany River Rats, out of the state's capital city, has announced dates it will be playing games at the Glens Falls Civic Center.

Another thunderstrom shut down the Saratoga race meet yesterday, less than half-way through the days throroughbred races. Standing water in the far right turn caused officials concern, and after agreeing that it would take more than an hour to clear the water away, they made the decision to cancel the remaining eight races. It was not known if any refunds were given to patrons.

The Warren County proposed budget is up by 12% this year.

A groom at Saratoga Race Course was charged with raping a 48 year old woman in Saratoga Springs. After being taken to the Saratoga County Jail, the 29 year old man pled not guilty through a Spanish speaking interperator, but refused to say anything else. The man had allegedly assulted the woman on a street corner in the city shortly after three am. When police found her partly clothed, she'd told them she'd been raped and beaten by a Hispanic man. Working with track security and New York State Police troopers, city police were able to identify the man as the suspect they sought. Unable to post the $50,000 bail, the main remains incarcerated in the county jail.

A new volunteer firehouse was just built at Hulett's Landing on the northern end of Lake George, and a dedication ceremony was held.

A thoroughbred retirement farm has begun a vocational programme at Walkill state correctional facility, to enable prisoners to have some employement skills after release.

Okay, this is...just. Insane. When i went for horse training, I had to PAY for it!--hundreds of dollars! And, horse care is one of the LOWEST paying jobs going! Trust me, I know whereof I speak--AND it has no benefits, either. What good is training prisoners to do a low-paying drudge job? Okay, people like me, do (or in my case, did it) for love, not money. But will a prisoner feel that way?

So, I'm listening to some tunes via Pandora radio, and trying to recharge myself enough to go do all my errands today.

SONG/ARTIST

Touch Too Much/The Arrrows
Accused of Love/Tom Petty
Born at the Right Time/Lindisfame
Make it With You/Bread
Headlights/Runrig
Lady/Little River Band
Everyday People/Sly and the Family Stone
Razorblade/The Strokes
Little Honda/The Hondels
Listen to the Music/Doobie Brothers
At It Agian/Paul McGee Band
Someone to Believe In/Gordon Lightfoot
Yellow/Coldplay
She Don't Want Nobody Near/Counting Crows
Everything Old is New Again/Barenaked Ladies
Ride Like the Wind/Christopher Cross
Every Woman in the World/Air Supply
Long Black Veil/The Proclaimers
The Mary Martin Show/The New Pornographers
Where the Streets Have No Name/Pet Shop Boys
I Can't Sleep/The La's
Sweet Jane/Mott the Hoople
Hollywood Nights/Bob Seeger
Hotel California/The Eagles
I Can Do It Without You/Kaiser Chiefs
Vince the Loveable Stoner/The Fratellis
More Than Us/Travis
Dreamin' Again/Jim Croce
Catch Another Butterfly/John Denver
Sweet Love/Kate Wolf
Acony Bell/Gillian Welch

On my fan-fiction websites, I can see what search criteria has brought people to my site.

Mostly it's a lot of "Dr Who fan fiction," "doctor rose fiction," "doctor donna fan fiction,"--lots of searches for Doctor/Donna stories, actually--also "doctor martha stories," "doctor who stories," that sort of thing. But sometimes the searches get a bit...odd.

Today, the search was "Doctor Donna Sex."

Okaaay then.

Other searches were...doctor who needle, doctor rose kinky (not kidding), dark doctor who, doctor who blue (does that refer to his suit, his Tardis, or his mood?), doctor who porn stories, doctor donna who porn stories, david tennant porn fan fiction, doctor rose sex fan fiction...well, you get the theme here.

Wehn did Doctor Who fiction devolve from genuine extentions of the series, down into the sewers of "Who-porn?" Fans today are totally different from us old-timers.

David Tennant and his henchman Davies, has a lot to answer for, in the dumbing down of Doctor Who fandom, I believe. More Davies than Tennant--but seriously, I really don't see the sex appeal in Tennant, and I don't think I ever will...oh, he's not exactly un-handsome, and certainly he exudes a certain amount of feckless charm, but...I don't know. Guess I grew up in a different culture and a different era---Cary Grant, Parker stevenson, Pierce Brosnon...yeah, they're hunky. But...Tennant????? He really does just look...average, to me. Certainly not a bloke I'd expect to see gracing the cover of a sensual romance novel (not that I read them...much). I mean, he's nice I suppose, but not exactly pin-up material, if you ask me.

Had a wee bit of a sleep in this morning, woke at 9:15. Nice day out there. Partly sunny, cool and not at all humid.

I have today off, 'cos of the new rules at work, where all reps in my department have to work at least one weekend day each week.

Personally, I think it should be every other week--rotating employees, if the boss had common sense, 'cos some reps are really upset, and two at least told me they were going to look for other jobs, because of this (they both have kids, and want the occaisional Saturday off). I wanted weekends off, 'cos of my health, mostly, but no choice in the matter.

Well, I know now why I was so tired yesterday...yes, my infection is back and as bad as ever. The ol' plumbing is a bit stopped up, and I ain't talkin' about my loo. Not the most comfy way to spend the morning. Better now, thankfully.

Fed the cats, but not me. Not very hungry. Feel incredibly weak and shaky today, probably should rest, but I cannot. I have virtually no clean clothing, and am out of milk and cat food. I have to get my cheque this afternoon, go to Price Chopper and cash it, pay my internet bill, buy some cat food and stuff, come home, pack my laundry and hop a trolley bus to the laundromat--a good 3 hour trip there and back...going to be a long afternoon.

Hope you all have a fantastic day.

Sat down to read around 8pm or so, nodded off, and didn't wake up until midnight--thank God I'd turned off the stove! So, instead of my New England boiled ham dinner with scalloped potatoes, I had two slices of cold pepperoni pizza. The ham can be easily re-heated tomorrow, I reckon.

I was quite ill today, tho' I said nothing to no one about it. I reckon no one will be reading this at this ungodly hour of the night, so I am mentioning it now.

I woke early, feeling actually quite rested, but by noon-time I was beginning to feel ill. By 3pm, I was worried that I might collapse. I didn't thankfully, and made it home okay. I got in, threw my ham, cabbage and carrots in the pot to boil, stuck the frozen pizza in the oven and fed the cats.

Not sure what is wrong with me. It's not just tiredness...it's a bit worse than that. It's as if all the energy is being drained from me. Whether it's the infection taking its toll, or my anemia or diabetes, I've no idea. At work today, I was feeling dreadful, that I can say. It was a sudden weariness so intense, that it almost physically hurt. I felt like screaming from the sheer sudden exhaustion. I just wanted to leave work and go crawl into a hole somewhere and never come out again--I can't believe I even blogged early in the evening--where did I find the energy?

My lower jaw is also hurting again--very tender. I never did have that bad tooth pulled--how could I, when the only blinking dentist (that takes Medicare) is nearly 15 miles away and I don't own a car? I fear that my abscess may return--tho' all the antibiotics that have been thrown at me of late, probably has staved that off for a bit. And, while I waited for the bus the other day, some pesky insect--probably a deer fly--- had a field day with my scalp, and I have several very itchy bites on the top of my head that are driving me banannas! It's not like one can slather some anti-itch cream on one's hair!

Deer flies used to be the bane of my existence as a hiker....they follow you! No, really. If you run, they will follow and continue to hover around you. And they leave big welts, that both hurt and itch...I hate them! my half-collie Shamrock, back when I was in my teens, used to hate them, as well. She had that long, pointed collie nose, and it was inevitable that a deer fly would land on it, and start sucking her blood...the welt was sad to see. They're nasty things, those deer flies...used to have to grab a branch with pine needles or leaves on it, to act as a fly brush, to flip around my head when I was out walking through the woods Or, if one was especially determined to follow me, I might walk under/through some low-lying branches to shake it off. I often wore a cowboy hat hiking, but then they'd go for my neck, back and shoulders. They've been known to leave a lump the size of a ping-pong ball. I used to call them the Nazi's of the fly world.
DEER FLY