I Ain't Afraid of No Daleks

OK, just got a message from someone I don't know--this woman had some lovely things to say about my Roasting David Tennant blog, which always never fails to surprise me, considering it's just something I do to pass the time, and don't take terribly seriously.

For quite a while, I'd been planning to install a playlist player on one of my blogs--but, had decided that music playing might be distracting...or even annoying, on my main blog, and my Wordpress Dr Who fiction as well. But, decided that my Roasting David blog would be a good experiement for this, as few people stay on there more than a few minutes (as far as I know), it gets less than 150 viistors a day generally, and reading it doesn't require any concentration. (I suspect a lot of people go on there just to look at the pics.)

So, I made up a player with a very random mix of my favourite tunes and artists--a rather electic selection, I may add. Well, this woman was all a-gush 'cos I'd apparently choosen artists and/or songs that actor David Tennant also likes (according to her, I'll have to take her word for it.) Mind you, outside of The Proclaimers, I've absolutely no clue what music the sex sensation that's sweeping the British nation (known as David Tennant) listens to! Really, no clue. How strange is that? If we have similar tastes in music, I would find that exceedingly surprising. I'd choosen these songs and artists before I'd decided which blog to put this player on, so it really wasn't any deliberate choice: "oh golly gee whiz, why don't I put songs on there that David would like?" Erm--no.

My playlist contains 200 songs. Sure, there's current popular artists on there, of course. I've no idea what this woman heard, but I have an idea that not all the artists and songs would trip Tennant's fancy: John Denver, Shaun Cassiday, Frank Sinatra, the Beach Boys, Barry Manilow, Ramsey Lewis, Mel Torme, Patsy Montana, Glenn Miller, Chopin, Christopher Cross...no way. I'm sure a trendy guy like that wouldn't be caught dead listening to those artists. Anyway, I thanked her, but told her it was only coincidence.

Do people really pay attention to the songs a famous actor listens to? I dunno', I'm not into celebrity culture. I suppose if these fans want to know what hair product the actor uses, where he lives, what he looks like nude, where he shops, what hospital he was in, what woman he's dating and/or engaged to, etc, that they probably do keep track of the types of music, film, etc, that he's interested in.

Anyway, this woman also asked me to do a meme for her...well, I've a half hour to kill before I have to change into my office clothes. I need a break from dusting--damn cobwebs...this place is horrid with the cobwebs/dust, can't keep up with it, used to only have to dust only a couple of times a month in my caravan--this place I can't go two weeks without cobwebs all over the place. Dang.

Anyway, heeeere's meme:

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1. Do you listen to music or talk radio in the car?

I've not had a car of my own since late summer of 06. But, mostly I listened to music, either local radio or a mix tape of my own...except in the morning, when I'd catch the news and in-depth discussions on public radio, or listen to the banal chit-chat on a small town Vermont radio station...usually discussions of maple sugaring, sheep raising, winter pot hole reports (holes in the pavement from winter errosion), club activites, the lunch menu for the Meals on Wheels programmes...real exciting stuff.

2. If you were to name the most creative outlet that you have, what would it be?

Writing...mostly just blogging--but also Dr Who fan-fics, poetry, plays and essays.

3. What do you do to make yourself feel better when you are sick?

Sit up and watch Dr Who, or snuggle up in bed with my cat(s).

4. What was your greatest accomplishment in 2008?

I didn't die and I didn't become homeless.

5. Are you a window person or an aisle person? Why?

Oh, definately a window person--I love to see where I'm going and where I've been, and where I'm headed--that's 50% of the fun of traveling, for me! If I were an animal, I'd be the dog hanging it's head out the window, barking my joy at the world that I was going somewhere.

6. What's your favorite beach in the world?

I've not been to many ocean beaches...just lakes and rivers, mainly. I suppose it would be the main beach on Lake Luzerne, NY here in the Adirondacks (after hours when the tourists have left)...I used to live just a mile walk from the lake, the "main" beach is on a side road, up a hill, away from the town's other beach on the main street (they've two beaches on the lake)...it's nice and tranquil....and on certain summer afternoons, you can clearly hear live chamber music floating across the lake, from the classical music camp across the way.

7. What's the last thing you bought yourself, just for fun?

I'm not sure. Think it was a cheap DVD about two weeks ago, of an old 70's comedy film with Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn.

8. What would the child you once were think of the adult you have become?

In all likelyhood, I'd have run away and joined the circus, or committed hari-kari.

9. What is the sickest you've ever been?

Though I nearly died in 2007, a year ago I had that awful tooth/facial abscess for months that finally came to a head ('scuse the gross but unintentional pun), and that was really horrid to have to deal with...I was one sick puppy for a long time, with that.

10. What's the first fable you ever remember hearing or reading?

Not sure...I believe it was a picture book based on the fable about the wind and the sun competeing to remove some bloke's cloak.

11. What's one of the first books you remember picking out of a library on your own?

It would have been, I think, either a book called "Ferdinand the Bull," or one of the Billy and Blaze books (a series by C W Anderson about a boy and his faithful pony)...those were my two favourites, and I vaugely remember getting them from the big library in Albany.

12. What is your idea of a perfect romantic evening?

Can't say that's ever been something I've had to think about. I really don't know. Dinner, a quiet stroll, maybe take in a film or play, or go to a festival or something? I absolutely am at sea when it comes to romance, this is the wrong question to be asking me.

13. It's been said that, "The best things in life are free." Do you think this is true? Why or why not?

That's sort of a 50/50 answer, I think. Yeah, I've managed to have some brilliant times that didn't cost me a red cent--but then, it's a lot easier to enjoy your life when you have the funds to go out and do the things you like to do, or persue your interests, than say, in my situation now, where I'm mostly trapped by situations I don't have much control over, due to (mainly) financial considerations.

14. If you had to gain 10 pounds what would you eat to gain the weight?

Big Macs/hamburgers, chili-dogs, pepperoni pizza, hot fudge sundaes, french fries (chips).

15. If you could have had the starring role in an existing movie, which movie would you pick?

A classic western, maybe like True Grit, I'd get to act, ride horses and play cowboy, and be in a pretty location for shooting, as well. That would be super cool, I'd think.

...you're being stared at?

Well, maybe you are.

A former co-worker, whom I only barely knew, has just been sentenced to 20 years in prison, after pleading guilty to killing his girlfriend's baby.

He admitted he murdered the child, because he was jealous that the mother--whom also worked in my office, for a time, was also dating the man's brother. The co-worker then attempted to smother the baby as it lay on the floor, three times, finally succeeding.

I haven't followed this story too closely, for I find it hard to think that someone in my office would ever do such a thing--NOT that I'm being naive, trust me, after what I went through as a child, I know too well, that anyone can be capable of anything, no matter who they are, or what their social/economic status or background.

We've got petty theives in our office--tho' management stupidly is in denial over that fact...a denial that one day may come back to bite them in the arse, and end up putting us all out of work, due to their total lack of authority and control...sooner or later, I'm sure at least one of these petty theif reps will rip off a customer--which probably already has happened, but it's been covered up, and then the client will get wind of it, and there's the business down the old loo.

But, I just work there...I go in, sit my bum in the chair, field calls, try to make the client some cash, and go home. I tried to warn them, and was told to get out if I didn't like the petty theivery. No really, that was pretty much the attitude.

So, they'll just go on hiring anyone with a pulse who can sell stuff, that walks through the door--despite the company website stating that all reps are college grads, some of our reps can barely read! Who cares? I get a pay check every Friday--no benefits, no raises, no paid time off, nothing but a pay check...and causal dress days when we can wear jeans to the office--whoo-hoo. Why should I care about this "business?" They don't care, very obviously.

Just popped into my blog to say hello. It's Tuesday, which means I work night shift tonight. Slept in--that's always a treat, after years of having to get up at the ungodly hours for work. Not that I care really, what time I work...not like I have a life, is it? Still, that's the way the ball bounces.

Not got much to say really...that's not good for a writer, is it? Tho' I did write a few lines for a play I'm messing about with, and a couple of sentences in my Dr Who story. Not a very productive morning. I'm off to make some vegetarian tacos for lunch, then maybe I can get some stuff done around here, to make me feel less like a lazy layabout.

Well, it's snowing here--just lazy snow, nothing much, it's 16 F, so it's not too cold..not exactly tropical, either, but at least one doesn't have the worry of arriving to work with one's face falling off from frostbite.

Having grown up Catholic (which I got rid of as soon as I turned 18), and then as a brand new Presbyterian, finding myself the sole protestant employee in a Convent full of old nuns...well, I found this musical especially funny. Love nun humour!

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Something that I meant to write about the other day and never got around to, was my rather interesting walk to work on Friday morning. I say interesting, because it's not every day one gets to slog down the streets to work, in minus 20 F temperatures...I think that's something like minus 26 or minus 28 C? It's freaking cold, let's just leave it at that.

Well, Friday morning it was somewhat foggy and misty...but, it wasn't. Let me clarify that: it was misty, but, the mist was frozen. As the sun tried to poke through the icy fog and flat white clouds, the world changed in an instant.

I was walking, head bent down to the vicious cold, the howling, biting wind driving the bitterness of the frost deep into my soul. Then, I realized something was different. The sun had come out breifly, and suddenly I was surrounded by diamonds. In the sunshine, ice crystals danced in the air, all around me, like dust motes made of fairy dust. It was like walking inside a living snow globe...a nobody walking to her dead-end telemarketing job, abruptly finding herself being given the privlidge of being inside some wintery gimcrack, shaken by the hand of an unseen deity.

One of the papers in the UK reports that Michelle Ryan from Eastenders has been selected to be Matt Smith's companion for Series 5.

I want to emphasize that I do not know if this is true or not. I only hope that if she has been choosen, she can actually do some straight-up serious acting, and not just look like some chav lad-mag centre-fold model. ...and, more to the point, that the series won't dive down into the bargain bin for ratings, and go all sex-driven soap-operaish, to keep it's teenage fan-girls all titilated. God help us real Whovians if they do.

Though I imagine those knockers would be a splendid place for the Doctor to hide his Tardis key and sonic screwdriver. "Oh, have you got the Tardis key...never mind, I'll get it meself."