Writer

Writing 24 (out of 66) scenes complete – structural/continuity revision

This week has been the Worcestershire Literary Festival, so I’ve been focusing less on writing and more on making the most out of the available events. I have done some writing though – the scene I’m working on was a bit of a mess and I’ve done a fair amount of work on the structure and focus of the scene, but it’s still broken.

Reading “Do the Work” by Steven Pressfield

I downloaded a free version of this some time ago and have just got around to reading it. It’s a productivity/motivational book around the issues of “resistance” and how it prevents us getting the job done.

Fighter

I’ve worked hard with my kettlebell training this week and am really starting to see the benefits.

Geek

Playing Tiny Tower for iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad – it’s free and it’s really very good! It’s very similar to the classic Sim Tower game only less focused on elevator management and more on keeping all your tower residents happy. Very addictive!

I’m rather intrigued by the new social game, Mindbloom. I came across it via Dogwood Tales and while I haven’t had a chance to play with it fully, what I’ve seen of it so far is impressive.

You begin by planting a virtual tree.

Each branch of the tree represents an aspect of your life that you would like to prioritise, eg. health, creativity, finances or relationships. To earn points and level in the game, you complete tasks that help get you closer to those goals.

The visual interface is gorgeous – a delight to explore and navigate around and it changes as you play. Areas of your life that you spend a lot of time on has branches that grow and flourish. Those areas that are more neglected has leaves that turn brown!

Ironically, the one thing that makes me pause is the social aspects. I really can have some very inane and bizarre things on my to do list at times that I wouldn’t necessarily want to share with everyone. It is possible to choose which items are visible to your friends and make some branches private, but that does seem to defeat the advantages of getting support from other people.

On the whole, though, it’s a beautifully implemented idea and a potentially valuable motivational tool.

It’s been both a busy and very unproductive week with most of the focus being on the new guinea pigs. So this should be a very short report!

Writer

Writing 24 (out of 66) scenes complete – structural/continuity revision

This scene will probably take me a while. Currently it’s a filler scene with a completely unrealistic timeline. Getting through it one sentence at a time, but it’s a bit of a slog.

Reading “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson

A young adult fiction book I picked up on a whim some time ago then completely forgot to read. I discovered it again hidden on my shelves while looking for something else.

Fighter

Training was good this week. Very heavy cardio and needed an inhaler break for the first time in months (could also be connected to mild allergy to the new guinea pigs, though). Enjoyed it though and it was a good feeling to really push myself.

I’m ashamed to say, though, that I have slacked off exercise for the rest of the week and lost momentum as a result.

Geek

The guinea pigs are settling well although Biscuit is still terrified of me. I think she even growled at me this morning – I picked her up and her whole body was vibrating, like a sort of angry purr. Bramble however, waits for me to pick her up most times now and her eye looks a lot better. I think I’m going to have to find some calm time without children around to tempt them with treats and try and get them to trust me a little more.

I have found that I’ve been getting a little lung tightness this week though – manageable but upsetting. I know I have allergy issues with some furry creatures (most notably cats) but had hoped to be okay with the piggies. Reading up on it, it might not be an allergy to the animals but could be bedding related. I’ve been tested for hay/grass allergy, so I know it’s not that. The other culprit could be the wood-shavings, apparently.

So, I’m going to try and ditch those and go the fleece-lining route – the idea is that you have a layer of old towels, then a layer of fleece material (washed three times so its ready to absorb moisture) on top. The fleece wicks away the moisture from the wee and the towel soaks it up. You can then use a little handheld vaccuum to get rid of the poo each day and stick the fleece and towels in the washing machine as required. No wood-shavings flicked everywhere, kinder on the piggies feet and bottoms and hopefully kinder on my lungs.

Fingers crossed.

Warning: this post contains an overdose of cute. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

So, the researching has come to an end. Meet Biscuit and Bramble:

They already have me well and truly wrapped around their tiny little fingers claws. We brought them home on Tuesday, and in just a couple of days, Bramble is already enjoying short cuddles. Biscuit is a bit more timid but is tolerating some attention now. They still hide a lot and scarper if so much as a bee flies past them.

Bramble has a gunky eye at the moment, so had our first trip to the vet already. Antibiotic drops to the rescue (thankfully the more tame piggie, so I have some hope of getting the stuff in her eyes and not all over me). I feel terribly anxious about them. I’m such a softie. I’m sure I never worried this much over the fish! If they were sick, I just treated the water and hoped.

I haven’t got an awful lot of work done this week, though. The run is visible from the window and they’re terribly entertaining to watch when they think we’re not looking!

Wow. That was amazing (not the photograph, obviously, there’s only so much an iPhone 3GS camera can cope with a mix of darkness and very bright lights from a long way away).

I really wasn’t sure what to expect, but Jonathan Coulton is an excellent live performer. He appeared relaxed and jokey with the audience which gave the concert a very informal and friendly atmosphere. He even confidently navigated a minor disaster when the G-string on his guitar broke, with quips about angering the string gods, a quick impromptu Q&A session while the (only?!) guitar was restrung and deliberately singing a comedic off-key version of Skullcrusher Mountain when the new string kept slipping out of tune for the next few minutes.

We also got to hear a number of new songs from the upcoming new album – they sound great and I will definitely buy it when it’s released (I think he said it was due the end of summer).

The support band were also very good – Paul and Storm – I didn’t realise at the time that they were originally part of Da Vinci’s Notebook. Great comedic duo who also provided backing for some of JoCo’s songs later on.

So, if you get a chance to see him in concert, I highly recommend going. Only, sit nearer the front and take a better camera with you.

Writer

Writing 24 (out of 66) scenes complete – structural/continuity revision

Finally made some progress! Impressive as I only had two available writing days. The break definitely did me good. Looking forward to working on a new scene next week.

Reading “Mindfulness In Plain English” by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana

Recommended on a recent Back to Work show. It’s a really good and clearly written introductory book on mindfulness meditation. I downloaded the PDF for free from UrbanDharma.org and imported it into iBooks. I’ve been wanted to reintroduce meditation back into my life, if only in a small way – it has been the push that I’ve needed.

Fighter

Really enjoying training at the moment. In class we’ve been taking a back to basics approach with different strikes which has coincided with my own resolve to work on basics. Lots of opportunities for repetition and getting it right.

I’ve been able to keep home training going a little better this week, but it’s noticeable that I slacked off last week. It’s been hard going.

Geek

My research obsession this week has been about guinea pigs. It’s been triggered by a forum post looking to rehome some and I stopped to seriously consider whether it would be a good idea for me to offer.

I had a rabbit when I was a kid and I like the idea of our sons having a small furry animal in their lives. Piggies do seem a good choice in term of temperament and sociability. Me being me, though, I’m having to research it to the nth degree to make sure that I would be giving any creature we take on the best possible home, plus husband is not terribly keen. Either way, I’m getting a lot of joy from the research process for its own sake!

In other news, going to see Jonathan Coulton‘s concert in Manchester tonight. Squeee!

Yesterday evening, we got the wonderful opportunity to explore Spetchley Park Gardens after closing time with the Worcester Flickr Group.

There’s something rather magical about exploring a place like that once the general public have gone home. The atmosphere is totally different and you can take photographs you’d never be able to get during opening hours. The kids ran around like maniacs playing super-spies and hiding behind bushes, while my husband and I filled up our DSLRs’ memory cards super-fast.

I’d definitely go back again and would highly recommend a trip there to anyone visiting the area. As an extra bonus, with so many photos to process afterwards, I now feel a lot more confident using Aperture and don’t feel as reliant on the preset adjustments any more.

I’ve included a slideshow of the photographs I took below for those who are interested:

Writer

Writing 23 (out of 66) scenes complete – structural/continuity revision

No progress as the kids are off for the half term holidays.

Reading “House Rules” by Jodi Picoult

I few years back, I went through a phase of reading everything Jodi Picoult had ever written and overdosed on them somewhat. I do love her books, particularly her characterisation but find the endings rather hurried (as if she thinks “crap, I’ve got to wrap this up in just two chapters” and panics) and they got a bit samey after a while.

So, I’ve picked this one up from the library with some trepidation but I have to say I’m enjoying the early chapters and already feel fiercely protective of the main characters.

Fighter

I’ve missed a couple of days exercise due to half term, but have tried to stay generally active instead. I did make training this week, which I’m pleased about. Life got in the way a lot in May and my attendance had been a little shabby as a result.

Kettlebell routines are going well. Even after only a couple of weeks on the beginner routines, I’m already seeing strength gain and able to increase reps. Unfortunately, muscle soreness has also increased!

Starting to practise 100 straight punches a day in the mirror to try and get form right. Ideally, I’d like to get some pads or a punch bag (and clear out the garage to keep it in) for training at home, but as I am still on an unnecessary spending freeze that will have to wait for a while.

Geek

I’ve picked up Sims Medieval again. It’s still not going to light the world on fire, but as a casual game it’s quite fun when you get further into it.

I’ve reset Plants vs Zombies on the iPad. It’s such a great game even on repeat plays.

Mostly, though, I’m killing time on casual games until Skyrim and Mass Effect 3 are released. It’s going to be a long wait.

Because it’s been a while since I inflicted a Minecraft video on you.