I Ain't Afraid of No Daleks

A couple of purely American fun little Christmas tunes, for your enjoyment (or not).

I forgot to take the meat out of the freezer! And, my cheezy little microwave doesn't thaw stuff very well...so, guess it's one of those naf little 89 cent beef pot pies for dinner...if I hadn't lost wages last week, for being out with that stinking concussion, and I hadn't given my sis that emergency loan for my nephew, I'd be laughing, 'cos then I could order some Chinese takeaway or a pizza or sub sandwich or something. I hate those stinking pot pies... But, at least it's not my great aunt Carrie's squirrel pot pie!

I can't believe I wrote this light comment about David Tennant, on my blog this morning:

I'm picturing Tennant at home, bored out of his mind, driving his friends and family nuts texting them every five minutes, or roaming about his flat or home, rearraging his DVD and CD. book collections--and his spice and/or wine rack, into alpabetical order, making sure the sheets on his bed are perfectly flat, colour coding his sock drawer...stuff like that.

Personally, I always thought he looks like one of these uptight dudes that are (ultra neat freaks) all the time. Glad he's not my boyfriend, guys like that are a pain in the arse to be around.

And, that I've gotten no hate mail, nasty comments from the fan-girl legion! Hmm--he's out of the limelight--both literally and figuratively--for just a few weeks, and already the fan-girl's are going elsewhere...straight to the arms of David Morrissey, from the looks of things!

Well, I got through my shift---what a bunch of nuts out there today--and I'm not talking about the kind in the fruitcake...although talking about fruitcakes....

...had one man say nothing but (I think), "nah-nah-nah." every time I spoke.

Then, I had some woman, after I patiently, calmly and politely tried to tell her--three times--that I can't do her cancellation, that I didn't have access to the computer that does that--she was agitated, but speaking in a normal tone until, suddenly, and quite abruptly, she began screaming at me--and I mean, at the top of her little old lady lungs, and I said, "Ma'am I would like to try and help you, but please don't scream at me." Then, the bitch cranked it up a notch, and then suddenly screeched---absolutely like some kind of wild animal, "GO TO HELL THEN"! At least, that's what I think she said, it was so venonous as to be more or less incoherant.

Wow. Hurt my eardrum, that did. And actually shook me a bit, and I went downstairs to the drinks machine to get a Pepsi. There's a woman in need of some pills, man. It just doesn't pay to use my Doris Day approach on some people, I guess.

Speaking of hurting my ears, I also had the old bang-the-phone-receiver-on-top-of-the-table-as-hard-as-you-can, bit.

I had the moron who pretends he or she can't speak English. Yeah, right. That works...not.

And, I had the woman who answered the phone, "STUPID!!" and then, slammed the receiver down.

My (imaginary) response: "Hello, Mrs. Stupid. And how are you and Mr. Stupid, and all the little Stupids, today?"

Gah--my job sucks, but, it's better than cleaning toilets and emptying rubbish bins for a living, trust me.

Well, it's been snowing all day, non-stop, but very lightly...only adding about another inch or two, so no big deal. Roads are a bit slick in spots, but no one seems to be having any issues---we northeastern New York natives, don't worry about snowy roads...we worry about out-of-towners and stupid people on the snowy roads...

-

...like the winter tourists: "Oh-my-God, Harry! What's all that white stuff? If you don't drive 10 miles an hour, we're all gonna' DIEEEEE!!!" Or, the young male driver, "Hey, I'm so butch, I can drive like it's mid-summer on an empty motorway, dude!" Or, the trendy upwardly mobile driver: "I drive like shite, but I've got this uber-cool SUV with Sat-nav, wi-fi, a votex manipulator, sirrus radio and four-wheel-drive, so I don't have to worry that the roads are slippery!"

Ah, the joys of winter driving...maybe I'm lucky I don't own a car any longer.

I HATE my job!

I don't wanna' go to work today! Can I stay home mum...puh-lease!

Well, I'm off to the salt mines--maybe people will be nice to this old crappy telemarketer today...meh-probably not...anyway, have a lovely day everyone

Hullo all,

I'm feeling a wee better today, at least the shoulder and hand twinges (from the pressed nerve) has largely stopped, my heart's beating almost normally, and I've not had any dizzy spells. Still tired, tho', but who cares about that? I can sleep in tomrrow--don't have to be to work until 2pm, and sleep in on Monday--ditto. And Tuesday I don't have to be in until 5pm...and of course, I get Christmas day off, which will be nice. Very generous of my employers. I remember last Christmas eve, we had to work until 6pm. That sucked. This year I get out at 1:30, so that's fine.

At the office when I first was hired, there used to be a secret santa and a in-office party--this year, they didn't even put up any decorations until the latter half of last week, and no Christmas bonus...well, we get to wear jeans to work (casual dress) for the rest of the month...oh whoopie, big perk. Nothing like working for a chav boiler room operation, ey? Not that I do anything for Christmas any longer--tho' a friend might be Skype-ing me, Christmas day, so I won't be alone, for a change--well, I'll only be alone in the physical sense, and not all the way around, like the last 3 years. Christmas totally alone--in case you're wondering...it goes beyond sucking like a Hoover...it's just rotten. You pretty much get used to it mind you, but it's still rotten.

It's snowing this morning--lazily, not the nasty blowing stuff like last night. Supposed to snow on and off all day. The roads are fair..not great, but not bad either. I reckon we got about 6 to 8 inches of the white stuff, all told, with more on the way, possibly, tomorrow. We won't be dreaming of a white Christmas this year--tho' some people who have to shovel the stuff, may be cursing it a little.

It's rather chilly out there though, about 9.1 F (minus 12.7 C), and not expected to get much warmer, for the next couple of days at least.

The cats are in a good mood this morning. Boots is making me laugh...my ancient old tele is sitting on the floor of the living room (presently being used as something to put my dvd shelf on, since I can't get a converter box like I planned, therefore rendering my TV completely useless except for watching old VCR tapes)...anyway, my ginger and white cat Boots, is going between sitting on the rug in front of the tele screen, admiring his reflection---no really, he loves to sit and look at himself, to sitting on the old Victorian chair next to my big front windows, watching the big snowflakes come drifting lazily down...oh, if we could only be as content and as easily amused as our pets!

Well, enough of my boring blather. Onwards with the more interesting stuff.

So, I've written a on here a couple of times, wondering about the Doctor's new companion....well, there's to be no companion (supposedly) for the first special--being filmed abroad somewhere--probably Europe I imagine--tho' it could be Las Vegas for all I know.

I've only just read, there's to be a different companion for all the other specials. Hmmm--Poor Doc, just can't keep his friends around. Poor bloke.

It's nice to know Mr. Tennant is up and about, and listening to his doctor's. The man's so hyper-active and a workaholic, I can just imagine how antsy he must be to get on with his job and his life. Well, it's not really a job I suppose, as more of a career. I have a "job," he has a dream come true, ha-ha.

It took me a long time to recover from my worst back injury--but then, I didn't have any medical insurance, and wasn't able to afford the surgery, and had to do most of my therapy in-home, by myself (with the help of a special book of exercises), and I'm sure with his money, Tennant is gettng top-notch care.

I'm picturing Tennant at home, bored out of his mind, driving his friends and family nuts texting them every five minutes, or roaming about his flat or home, rearraging his DVD and CD. book collections--and his spice and/or wine rack, into alpabetical order, making sure the sheets on his bed are perfectly flat, colour coding his sock drawer...stuff like that. Personally, I always thought he looks like one of these uptight dudes that has to have everything in perfect order all the time. Glad he's not my boyfriend, guys like that are a pain in the arse to be around.

He did have something really lovely to say about Mr. Bennant, who took over Mr. Tennant's role at the Novello: "I am very sorry to disappoint anyone who booked to come and see me in Hamlet, but confident that you will be far from disappointed by Edward Bennett's performance in the title role. He is one of British theatre's most promising talents and an opportunity to see his Hamlet, alongside the brilliant ensemble of actors that I have had the great pleasure of working with all year, is very exciting."

SCENES FROM WEST MOUNTAIN SKI AREA, APPROX. 3 MIS FROM THE CITY OF GLENS FALLS:

Tobbogan run I wrote about recently--I hope to give this a go, sometime in the next couple of months!

I must get scam e-mails dozens of times a week...all kinds, but the most common is this BS where they want you to pose as a relation to free up funds at a bank or whatever.

This one, is one of the worst written one's, I've had in a while:

Dear sir

thanks
John david

I feel like I've just gotten an e-mail from one of the Dukes of Hazzard.

In the wake of the suicide of a teenager due to an adult bullying her via the internet, the state of Missouri has enacted a law against what is now called, "cyber-bullying."

The first test-case is against a 21 year old woman, who was sending harrasing and "vulgar" text messages to a 17 year old girl.

The complaint alleges that the 21 year old was upset over a boy the two girls mutually knew, and began sending lewd texts and threatening voice mail messages to the girl. These allegedly went from calling the teen names like, "pork and beans," to an outright threat of rape. The girl also alledgedly had eggs, tacks and cans of beans thrown at her car.

(BEANS???)

The defense attorney in the case calls it a "bad law," and claims it criminalizes behaviour that ordinarly would be considered "normal." The case goes to court in early January.

This from the lips of the esteemed Russell T. Davies, OBE, when asked if David Morrissey will be really be the next Doctor Who: "Well, he isn’t the new Doctor in series five – David Tennant doesn’t regenerate into him . ."

Ah, but, David Tennant is scheduled to regenerate in the Christmas 2009 special...which isn't part of Series 5! (Series 5 doesn't begin until 2010.)

Really, I can wait. I really love Tennant's Doctor so much, I want to soak up the glow for as long as I can, before losing Ten possibly forever...or until the musical comes out, ha-ha.

Well, I'm going to bed at the ungodly hour of 11pm, since I'm a wee under the weather tonight...and now the nerve in my right shoulder is playing hell (a bone spur in my neck presses on the nerve once in a blue moon), so staying up to type chapter three of Evil Waters (my new Who fic) is more or less out of the question, as this also effects my right hand--I can only type in brief spurts of two or three minutes...I don't mind being my age, but it would be a lot more nicer if I still had the fitness of my 45 year old self, ha-ha!

Well, hopefully the teenager's upstairs won't be having a party, on account of the rubbish weather--still light snow and freezing fog, but now it's minus 13 C out there. Just the sort of weather to hold a clam bake and a Hawaain luau, ey?

Okay, that's just stupid. There's an ambulance wailing away down the street, going only about 25 miles per hour..which would be fine...only...there hasn't been a car by on the street, in almost a half-hour. The streets are flippin' deserted!

Boobycakes--whomever she or he is, sent me this one. So, I need to kill a few minutes, what the hell?

CHRISTMAS MEME II

1. What holiday programmes do you plan on watching this year?
Absolutely nothing. I don't get television in my home, there's no place I can rent videos from and I have no Christmas DVD's--best I can do is maybe something on YouTube, perhaps. Mostly, if I watch anything, it will be DVD's I already have--I have just over 25 films, and all of Dr Who series I, II and III, as well as a couple of series 4, and a few misc. Brit-coms that have been sent to me. Mostly probably Dr Who and some of my various Films--and maybe that new ITV sci-fi series, possibly.

2. What is the best gift you bought for someone this year?

I gave a disabled co-worker, who has kids and has been having a rough time of it lately, $50.

3. Have you done your Christmas shopping yet, if yes, when did you do it?

I really don't have anyone (other than myself) to buy for here. My sister doesn't celebrate Christmas at all, and I've no one here but the cats. I did about half my shopping--bought the cats some toys and two tins of tuna fish, and bought a little something for the daughter of a friend. Despite the fact that she doesn't celebrate Christmas, sis is going to be getting (after Christmas), a $20 gift card to Pizza Hut, and my nephew (when he gets out of jail) will get probably a gift card to either Old Navy or Aeropstotle or whatever the name of the clothing company is, that's so popular with the kids over here.

4. Black Friday: In the United States, that's the big first shopping day after the Thanksgiving holiday. Did you go shopping? In the United Kingdom, that's the day after the holiday, when everyone is hung over, bruised and battered from too much drink. Have you ever suffered on Black Friday?

No, I've never actually been shopping on Black Friday over here. Not my thing, really. There's just as good--or better, bargains, in the after Christmas sales.

5. What Christmas stands out to you as the best Christmas? The worst?

The best. Gee, I think in 1979, for once the whole family was there, I got some really lovely surpise gifts..and things I really wanted, everything went smoothly, no fights, everyone liked what they got, Christmas eve was...memorable and enjoyable. It wasn't so much the gifts, as just...the peace? A rare thing in my highly dysfuctional family, indeed!

The worst. Oh, that would be Christmas 2005. Mum had just died a month before, and it was literally my very first Christmas completely alone. Oh, and it wasn't pretty, it was cold, I was out of work--couldn't find a job to save my life...it was kind of scary, I suppose. Also, the furnace and boiler were both broken, and I was reduced to living in one room, I was also sometimes hungry...my Christmas dinner was a 1 dollar frozen turkey TV dinner. No one remembered me until after Christmas. I got a 50 dollar gift card from someone on the 26th--which was lovely, really, and two other Christmas cards a few days later...but the weeks leading up to Christmas were miserable, frightening and lonely. I got my first foreclosure warning notice just a few days before Christmas. 2006/2007 also sucked, but not as bad as that first Christmas alone.

6. Did you buy yourself a Christmas present this year?

I buy myself prezzies every year, since 2005. I bought a paperback book in 2005, and I think I did the same in 2006. Last year I bought myself a new model horse and...I forget what else. This year, I fared much better. My "big" prezzie was a decorative storage trunk with a western theme. I also got myself (on sale of course) a new pair of jeans, a pair of trousers for work, and a video.

7. If you had a rich uncle, who told you to make out a Christmas list, anything you wanted, for Christmas this year, what would you ask for?

A pair of flannel pyjamas, a model train set, a new model horse, a bookstore gift card, and some Dr Who stuff, cat toys and a new flea comb for the cats, snow boots, a dressy winter coat, packet of underpants and/or some warm socks, a haircut, maybe some nice perfume...I'm just making this up--honestly, I really can't think of anything in particular. Of course, if I were greedy, I'd say that I'd love a weekend in the UK and a Ford Ranger, a pre-paid credit card to buy clothing, and money to spay Flamey... but--if this were a real-life situation, I wouldn't ask for anything like that, that's not my style I'm afarid.

8. Favourite Christmas beverage?

Don't really have one, unless it's gingerale or hot cocoa. (Yes, I'm quite dull)

9. What will you be doing this Christmas eve?

Nothing much. Sitting around, eating cheese and crackers or popcorn, watching DVD's, listening to music, blogging. Usual stuff. Maybe go for a walk to look at the holiday lights on some of the houses, if it's not too cold or icy.

10. christmas feast: what do you plan on having this year?

Pork loin rib roast, brussel sprouts, mashed turnips (swede), pork flavour instant bread stuffing, apple sauce, strawberry ice cream.

DAMN--the kids just came home with what sounds like their friends, and yeah, the banging and crashing and laughing have started already...so much for sleep tonight, dagnabbit.

I'm glad I decided not to go with that fan fiction website that expressed interest in putting my stories on there...I'd have to write a new complete story every single month--and it's not that I couldn't do that, but, would I even want to?

I have two fan fiction blogs, devoted to Dr Who. One, is older stories from 2006-2007, the other is newer fiction...all "ten" stories, written for the most part within the last 12 months. While nearly all this fiction had been previously posted on various blogs and two fan-fic websites, in June I decided to put them altogether...the older fic on one blog, the new stuff on another.

I looked at the stats for those two websites. On the newer Dr Who fiction website, in the last 7 months, I've had a sum total of 412 visitors. Even tho' I'm mathematically disabled, I do figure that to average about a half a visitor a day. The most popular post, "Rain of Terror" (probably only because it's first on the list), in 7 months, has been looked at (but not necessarily read) 214 times. I reckon that comes out to almost one whole visit to that story a day, in the last roughly 200+ days. Wow, aren't I a popular fan-fiction author???

Maybe I should send a sample portfolio to Russell T. Davies.

Erm--maybe not.

I'm not complaining, honest. Every few months or so, someone comes along and tells me he or she enjoyed one of my stories, and that never fails to knock my socks off, in sheer amazement. I mean, I just get so chuffed when someone says I made them happy 'cos I wrote some daft thing I made up at (usually) two or three O'clock in the morning.

Really, I am not a popular fan-fic writer, partly 'cos I don't do "Who-porn," but, mostly I think, because I nearly always prefer to write in actual proper (if slightly shorter) paragraphs--I REFUSE to dumb down my writing for a certain segment of educationally lazy Dr Who fans. I figure I was reading proper books with proper paragraphs by age 9, and I don't reckon today's kids are stupid, and they do the same...it's, sadly, some of the teens to adults that seem to have a serious problem reading paragraphs online. No idea why...I read boooks and newspapers online all the time...with proper paragraphs.

Another reason I'm not a popular Who-fic author, is that I sometimes write quite long stories, and some people prefer short-short stories...which is fine. I sometimes do, as well. I mean, one time I may be engrossed in a short story by Raymond Chandler ("Goldfish," "Nevada Gas") or Mary E. Wilkins Freeman ("The Revolt of Mother," "Old Woman Magoun"), and then another time, prefer something lighter, like from Louis L'Amour ("The Sixth Shotgun," "Off the Mangrove Coast")... or even Dave Eggers' short-short stories in the Guardian.

Heck, I'll even read the back of a cereal box, or the Sun online, if I get desperate enough.

Also, I really never have spent any time in the classroom, studying how to write fiction...I honestly haven't a clue, so I my fiction stories can be written a bit haphazardly. Sometimes, writing is a joy, and sometimes...it just feels like work. And, I'm guessing that that may show up in my writing sometimes as well...like with chapter two of Evil Waters that I posted on here yesterday morning--well, this morning, it's not even 9 o'clock at night here, yet. I wrote it, 'cos I just wanted to get on with it, and I imagine that it would reflect that.

Someone suggested I transfer my stories from Wordpress to blog.co.uk--not sure why. If anyone is actually reading this post, and would like to give their opinon of this idea, I'd welcome the feedback.