I had dinner with Jay Lake tonight, which was fun. It’s nice to catch up with someone, like, in real life, instead of just existing online. I love you guys, but it’s nice to see facial expression beyond an emoticon. That and Jay is funny.

Afterwards, I went to see The Curse of the Golden Flower with Rob. My comment upon the films end was, “Wow. I never expected something so lavishly produced to make Phantom Menace look good.”

I have loved every one of Zhang Yimou’s films so far and this one was unredeemably awful in almost every respect. It’s been a long time since I’ve wanted to leave a film. Also, one of the worst choices for end credit designs ever. Bad from beginning to end? Sadly, yes. We were trying to decide when we turned on the film, and I think it might have been when the prince arrived at the palace a full day before Chan, despite the fact that they left ten minutes apart, both riding horses at full gallops. And yet, Chan’s mother arrives a mere two minutes after she does, despite leaving considerably after her and having to battle what appear to be ninjas–several times–on her way to the palace. Yeah. Ninjas in the T’ang dynasty. I’m not worried about spoilers, because really, you should not see this film.

Have I mentioned how much I enjoyed dinner with Jay?

Aliette de Bodard just posted the first sentences of her last five stories, and I thought it looked like fun. So here are mine.

The Wentworths of Long Parkmead had the regard of their neighbors in every respect. (Shades of Milk and Honey)

As the ventilator pushed air into his lungs, Samuel savored the brine from the sea. (”Locked In”)

His keys dropped, rattling on the parquet floor. (”For Solo Cello, op. 12″)

When the matriarch announced that she was sending the sixteen members of Pimi’s small-family across the ocean to settle in Repp-Virja, Pimi thought it the end of her life. (”The Bride Replete”)

A liveried manservant waited by the front stairs of Fairbairn Hall as if he expected to take the reins of a horse. (”Ginger Stuyvesant and the Case of the Haunted Nursery”)

If you’re working on your pirate story, today is your last day to submit it to Shimmer. Captain John Joseph Adams is all set to turn the canons on any latecomers.

My friend, Jodi Eichelberger, is doing a series of podcasts on his website. Listen to the first one,10 Swimming Lessons, to get a taste of what our time in Iceland was like.

Nearly all the hot water in Iceland is geothermal and comes right up out of the ground. For this reason, there are several outdoor swimming pools open year round. I made it a priority to visit one very soon. I had swimming lessons at the YMCA in kindergarten, but the only technique I learned to prevent drowning was grabbing onto my cousin’s frilly swim suit. Despite having taught myself how to swim later in college, I found I had a lot more to learn from these Icelandic pools.

I completely forgot that I’d taken this video when I was building the polar bear. When I went back in December, one of the things I wanted to do was give him a more substantial tail. The existing one hung down and was not very attractive–I didn’t make that one–so I wanted something that fit the bear more as a whole.

And then things went a little wrong.

I’ve been troubled for awhile because my left shoulder, the one I hurt when I fell down the stairs last year, has begun bothering me again. I couldn’t figure out why. I hadn’t had another injury. My lifestyle is much less stressful than the things I did on the show. And yet…something that I was doing in Portland made my shoulder hurt.

I finally figured out what it was. When I read or edit at the computer, basically anything that doesn’t require both hands on the keyboard, I put my elbow on the desk and lean on it. My left elbow. What happens then is that my shoulder rolls forward into the position that lets the tendon pop out of its groove, and then I lean on it, compressing the tendon between my bones. Nice, eh?

I’m now trying to break the habit. It is not easy. But, if I do it, then I’ll get to sleep on my left side again. That’ll be nice.

Deanna Hoak, professional copy-editor, makes a very compelling argument on why she prefers manuscripts to be in Courier. It has the distinction of also being the shortest argument I’ve seen. Go read it and see if you agree.

We headed down to -e-’s house for the Oscars. We still haven’t plugged our television in after coming back from Iceland and she was offering homemade chicken soup for Rob’s cold (which is much better) so it seemed a pretty clear choice. There was much hashing of costumes, I mean wardrobe, and a general consensus that Pilobolus dance rocks. We also liked the living tableaus of the costume designers work. That’s so much better than previous options.

I mentioned the wire and bark basketry I was doing for the monkeys heads, and that I was expecting my fingers to be sore. I was not expecting to form calluses so quickly. My fingers feel as if I’m wearing a thin pair of gloves on the tips. To other’s touch, they feel as if I polished them with a pumice stone and removed my fingerprints. When I push on the tips, the skin moves slowly and stiffly, as if a layer of glue coats it.

I notice it most when I’m trying to handle something small, like say, putting my contacts in. It is more than passing strange and very disconcerting.

I had wanted to attend the Rainforest Writers Village but was afraid to schedule it because of my utterly random travel plans. And now we’ve rescheduled our Hawaii trip to be smack dab on top of the RWV. HOWEVER, I happen to know that they still have some spots open, and just because I can’t attend doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t go.

the Rainforest Writers Village
and its Retreat(s)

Initial planning for the first retreat and its host organization began in February 2006, but the need and potential for it lay within staff members years before this. The impetus was the staff’s desire to create at least one time and place in the year where all but writing was put aside. A retreat was the natural concept to arise. The objective was to create an annual writers’ gathering that focused on:

1. solitary writing…
2. in an isolated environment…
3. supported by a collective of contemporaries of like mind and pursuits.

Individuals involved would gather at a location of minimized outside interference or influence, ready to spend an intensive three days on their own work, with others involved in the same who were present for support and interactive development of written creative work as art, craft, and science. Balanced against this would be a schedule of events aimed at supporting this process, with the number of retreat guests and attendees kept to a limit. With all this in mind, a suitable location was sought as the first step.

“The Rain Forest Resort Village” is situated on Lake Quinault in the Pacific Northwest Pennisula. Local populations are small and centers of civilization are approximately 50 miles from the resort; close enough for those who wish to seek them out, and far enough for others not to have to seek escape from them. The resort has no phones in the rooms or cabins, and no cell phone service. It is its own little village, with a restaurant, general store, gift shop, lounge, post office, and laundromat on site. [By Spring 2007,there will be wireless service in certain areas of the resort.]

Participants will get writing time free of work and daily social life. They will get professional advice from, and interaction with, guests who have had success in the writing business.

I spotted this Dr. Who quiz on Lisa Mantchev’s blog and couldn’t resist.

You scored as 4th Doctor. Wild, eccentric, wacky! do you want a jelly babie?
What Doctor Who character are You?
created with QuizFarm.com

I can’t say that this is really surprising as this was “my” doctor. I think everyone has a doctor that they identify with most. The Fourth Doctor would be mine, though my story in Destination Prague is a Fifth Doctor story.

I was looking for some footage of birds for a bit of research and this video of dogs came up. It is strangely mesmerizing.