I Ain't Afraid of No Daleks

Whoa. I was on a writer's forum--a section for discussing books, films, televison and such--and mentioned that I didn't watch soap operas, thought 80% of reality programmes were robotic in their entertainment, and was picky about which dramas I choose to watch--and also, that I found plots in romance novels usually quite dull and repetitive...even the graphic sex seems to quickly loses its luster, with its sheer repetitive descriptions in what few romances I have read.

Well, I suppose there's only so many ways one can describe an orgasam. I'm often left wondering it the authoress really had such experiences, or just made it up out of her own bedroom fantasies.

Anyway, I was a bit taken aback by the responses to my brief little statement! Oh, was I shouted down, my goodness! You think I was making a judgement on them, personally! I used to get a similar reaction when I told people I didn't want to drink or try any (illicit) drugs. People used to get quite defensive over that--even my own sister...which is nuts, because I don't do those things only because I just plain don't want to, not because I'm judging people, or trying to make some kind of statement. Stupid gits.

It's amazing how people will take a perfectly simple, straightforward statement, and bend it and twist it around, to mean something totally different. Most times, I don't care, but sometimes....yeah, it can get a tad annoying, sure.

Look at my jokes about David Tennant and/or Doctor Who: I don't mean anything by them, I'm just passing the time of day, having a mild laugh...and if someone thinks it's funny too, great--if not, oh well. That's life. But, some fans have really gone off the deep end--whether I'm joking about Tennant's hair, or something that happened on Dr Who, or what-have-you...they twist it around, take it personally and seriously, think it's a reflection on them, for some strange reason.

But, getting back to the subject, I really don't need to watch most reality programmes. It simply holds no interest for me, what a bunch of shallow, ill-mannered beautiful people do. Many dramas are either things I can't relate to--or, just the opposite, I can relate to them a little too much, and they bring back unpleasant memories.

I'm steeped in reality. I wake with it, even sleep with it sometimes, when I have nightmares. Reality is with me 24/7, 365, year in and year out. I don't need to watch it on tele, thanks. I LIVE it. My life is a living, breathing soap-opera...okay, it doesn't have any sex or violence...or hardly any relationships at all...but to me, it can be just as dramatic sometimes, as any script written by some well-paid, well-clothed, well-fed writer sitting in his nice cozy luxury apartment somewhere, typing away.

My life isn't exciting, it's got more downs then ups--but the downs are filled with drunken brawls or sexual tension...its more about survival and loneliness, brief spurts of happiness and moments of greif and fear. Welcome to Reality-land.

Well, with the intimate knowlege that I have of back injuries, I suppose the word "nicely" is probably the wrong one to use, as there's nothing nice whatsoever about having a bad back.

But, one of my Whovian friends, who is also a Tennant fan-girl, has just messaged me that she'd read where the actor is progressing nicely, from an injury that had left him--I imagine--pretty much immobilized back in early December. That's very nice news, indeed. I want him, like most people, to be able to get back to doing that which seems to me to be his whole life.

Yet, even more so, I hope the gentleman will not bow to his desires, and more importantly, to some inconsiderate fan's pressure, and indeed listen to his specialist and physical therapist, and not make a serious error and jump the gun with this--otherwise he may well end up in a wheelchair for the rest of his life, later on down the road. A slipped disc is nothing to toy with..it can have a devistating effect on the nerves--those running from the back to the toes--not to mention on the spine itself.

Well, I'm sure he has the best wishes of most everyone, and certainly, he's getting good care.

Someone very recently suggested that I get rid of my cats...so I can not be tied down when I finally am able to find a new place to live--but I say....horse pucky.

After 48 years have having never been in love--or in fact, even kissed on the lips--by a man, I'm never going to have one rest his head on me, and gaze lovingly into my eyes--which my cats do, every single day! So I say, "pffft" to that suggestion.

The only "male" I'll ever have in my bed...and he's neutered:

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I got tagged to list my 10 New Year's resolutions...well, truthfully, I don't think I've ever gone the resolutions route...always seemed rather daft, to me. I mean, unless you've the "second-sight," who the heck can predict what the future will bring?

I've always thought New Year's resolutions a bit self-defeating, myself...only because it you don't--or cannot--meet the goals you've set for yourself, it only serves as a negative goad, not a positive one.

But, that said, I suppose there's a first time for everything. Thought these aren't "goals," so much as wistful wishes, I reckon--though I've made it five, 'cos I can't even begin to think of ten things, truth to tell:

1. New job--preferably one I'm good and and enjoy...but that remains to be seen.

2. New place to live--with my cats, of course, where I can enjoy my home, and not worry about the ne'er-do-wells in the building.

3. Try to care more about myself and/or my health

4. Spend more time doing some "serious" writing

5. Go visit mum's grave

I was reading where the place where I lived and worked 28 years ago, Yellowstone National Park, was hit by 250 earthquake tremmors over a period of three days.

Now, when I lived and worked there, there is a little place, not far from where I worked, right in front of Old Faithful geyser, that houses a seismograph. I remember every morning stopping by on my way to work, to look and see if there'd been any tremmors during the night--sometimes yes, sometimes no...Yellowstone Park of course, is extremely active, what with all the geysers, mudpots (pools of boiling mud), fumeroles (steam vents) and hot springs.

But, I have to say, 250 little earthquakes in three days, that's strange. Apparently it has the scientists and seizmologists (or however you spell that), stumped. Yellowstone had a major earthquake in the 1950's..it damaged buildings and cars, made the clock at the historic Old Faithful Inn (world's largest log cabin) stop working and broke the fireplace, changed the way some of the geysers and hot springs flowed and worked--some stopping altogether, and in some cases, changing the pressure and frequency of other geysers..including Old Faithful...and, sadly, the 50's earthquake killed 28 tourists, in the process.

Whether there's another big one on the way, is tough to say. The quakes have ranged from barely detectable, to a 3.8...which is close to a 4.0...when the damage starts.

The quakes are well away from Old Faithful, centred in the northwest end of the big Yellowstone Lake, which is some miles away from the national tourist attraction. Fortunately, it's winter tourist season, and there's few tourists and employees in the park at the moment, due to the holidays, and only a few of the park's buildings are open, at this time of year.

Scientists have speculated that it may be a developing fault, related to hydrothermal activity--there are hot springs located within the vast lake. One park ranger stationed at the north end of Yellowstone Lake, was said to have felt nine earthquakes in one day. Yet a park spokesperson has stated that "there doesn't seem to be anything to be alarmed about."

Yellowstone National Park is really the caldera of a volcano that errupted 70,000 years ago...basically, it's the whole in the ground left after a volcano blows out all of its magna at once....the big bang, if you will, and the reason it has so many hot springs and other geothermal activity, is because a pool of hot magma still sits about 10 miles underneath Yellowstone park.

Whether Yellowstone is getting ready for another big earthquake, or it's merely some kind of new fault, seems to be anyone's guess.

MAP OF THE YELLOWSTONE CALDERA--The activity is centred in the part of the lake nearest to the number "6" on the map.

YELLOWSTONE LAKE

HOT SPRING IN YELLOWSTONE LAKE

I've only just realized that today, 29th December, would have been my dad's 84th birthday.

Happy birthday dad, have a beer on me, cheers.

I've not been online a whole, whole lot the past few days, but that's fine, I do sometimes need to take a break from writing, so I don't get too stale or repetitive...although it may be too late for that, ha-ha.

I've been taking the doctor's advice and staying off the re-sprained foot for a few days--and likely will continue in that vein, until tomorrow night, when it's back to work for me. Normally I would have been working on my days off, to make up for having Thursday off, but since shank's mare is my main mode of transport, I decided that 2 or 4 hours loss of income next week, is a whole lot less painless than a loss of not being able to get around--particularly in light of the fact that I am on my own here, and have no one to do for me--the hell I went through trying to live my life normally while hobbling about on crutches in excruciating pain, that sheer feeling of helplessness that I had for a few weeks, when I first ripped my foot to shreads last year--despite the time that has since passed--is still very fresh in my memory, believe me. I really don't ever want to be in a place where I have to repeat that, again.

So, it's been a relaxing day for me here. I had a spot of stomach trouble yesterday, but it was much better today, thankfully, so I wasn't stuck in bed for the entire day. And, I had a amazing, gobsmacking surprise when I hobbled down to my mail box downstairs, to find that someone, bless them, had very thoughtfully, kindly and generously decided to surprise me (and boy did it ever) with Dr Who Series 4 DVD box set. It was, very literally, the absolute last thing I ever expected. It was something I have dearly longed for, but never thought I'd ever be able to have. I am still a bit gobsmacked by the whole thing, I have to tell you.

I've spent a part of the day, trying to figure out my budget for January...I'm really going to have to curb my supermarket shopping and other spending, until I know for sure whether I'm being laid off or not, and if I am, for how long. I really don't want to be without a weekly income for a few weeks, but there is a day labour place in the city--doesn't pay much--but I might be able to get some work here and there, doing cleaning and dishwashing, or whatever it takes. I learned the hard way not to be too picky about employment--just take whatever comes along--as long as it's practical, and I can actually do the work. It's not the best way to live, but then, I can't complain. I had my chance--twice in my lifetime, to change my life and do what I love--and both times, I blew it...once from merely being a young moron who was completely unprepared for what was thrust at me, the second time--well partly it as Bush's college financial aid cuts, and partly it was just adulthood--life if you will, getting in the way.

Now I'm back to swimming in the poo with the rest of the mundane's and that's that. End of story. And, a little over a year ago, I came to grips with that; I'm OK with it, and have completely accepted my fate...that's just the way life goes for millions of people, why should I be any different? It's not like I was born under a special star or have some hidden talent or something, for pity's sake.

It's a quiet night here in my city, and that's what I like, quiet nights--no screaming sirens, no car boom boxes...I was writing a bit-same thing I've been writing, Evil Waters...the Doctor repells the monster, but..then what? I was going to give the story a twist, and make the Doctor's "companion" (a one-off companion) not quite what he appears to be--but that was before I saw The Next Doctor, and now I have to make sure that I don't cross the line and be seen trying to copy RTD's work....very tricky that. Back when I'd only seen about 3 episodes of Series 1 with Eccleston, I wrote my first Who-fic...knew there was a new Doctor, seen maybe two photos of David Tennant--knew absolutely ZERO about Series 2..nothing whatsoever.

And, in my first story, It took place in Hollywood shortly after talking pictures came in--it was the 9th Doctor, Rose and..the return of Romana, with the addition of a cowboy actor/stunt man as a one-off companion as well.

Anyway, I had these energy creatures--sort of electrical balls of light, the size of a cricket ball, I think, who if memory serves me, could transform themselves into people...not sure, mind you, I haven't read the story since 2006..but anyway, these killed their victims--but basically sucking their faces off, leaving the victim faceless...I wrote that because I think I couldn't imagine anything more scary than losing your face...I was thinking, as I recall, about pictures I'd seen of soldiers in WWI, who'd essentially lost their faces, and how terrible that seemed to me. Well, about a month later, I was sent a copy of Idiot's Lantern, and then had to go and delete my story from the who-fic website where I'd posted it, because to me, the idea of plagarizing someone else's work, is a genuine abhorrence. I wouldn't ever, ever, ever, do that. And even tho' I didn't plagarize Idiot's Lantern--well, I couldn't could I have? Still, even the thought that someone might think I'd copied someone else's work, just is unbearable to me.

Anyway, chapter three of Evil Waters is slowing taking shape--it's nonsense of course, and not one of my better stories...I was tempted to do another Doctor/Donna story, simply because those are absolutely fun to write--but, decided to go with the flow of the current series and do a semi-companionless piece. It's not novel or script quality material, but...meh--it's something to do, isn't it?

I suppose I should get back into feature articles one day, that's really were my skills lie...but I don't really enjoy writing features all that much...and now that I'm pretty much living a static and mundane exisitance...what the hell do I have to write about? Before, I had a car, I could go around and find stories to write, people to interview...now??? Somehow, I don't think life as an old maid would really appeal to website or magazine publishers...certainly not to most readers--a story without sex or romance, violence or scandal, in this day and age? Would never sell.