Wotcha

[maystone]

There is snow everywhere; the sunshine is streaming in around the edges of the window shade in my room, and the Rocky cat is snoring happily next to me on my bed. CBC Radio 2 is playing a lovely assortment of choral music; I'm trying not to nod off to sleep amidst all of this contentment.

I've just come back from spending a few hours in Lancre with Granny, Nanny, Magrat, "our Shawn," and a truly vicious horde of Lords and Ladies. That's it for unread Discworld books in the house. Now what do I read? I have a gift certificate to Amazon.ca, but I'm having a lot of trouble deciding on what to order. Top choices: Catching Fire (the second book in The Hunger Games trilogy), The Lost City of Z (a true travel/adventure book about an expedition to the Amazon), or any number of still unread Discworld books. You see my dilemma. Of course it's not as though I get this one choice and then will never be able to order any other book ever again in my life - ever. But that's how it feels when it comes time to place an order. I don't have this trouble in an actual bookstore, only online. And that is why I am considered to be a classic neurotic. (I do love the classics.)

I have a job. Or at least a job title. I'm now Executive Producer at The Voice of TV. Dar is an executive producer, too; we have different specific duties but identical general ones. My stuff doesn't actually kick in until the new site is launched in March, at which time I'm supposed to be a liaison with various networks and studios, scheduling set visits and interviews and such like. I'll also continue with reviewing and editing. It is a nominal salary for the time being, but that's fine with me. It's interesting, and it keeps me off the street corners.

I'm reviewing The River on ABC right now. Have you seen it? I like it, but then I like horror stories. This show is not a gore-fest, for which I am very thankful, but it has a wonderful eeriness, and they make great use of sound and all of those multiple camera angles. There are some squeamish moments for me - it takes place in the Amazon, so there are big bugs. Do not do big bugs. But other than that, I'm enjoying it.

I'm gearing up to review Game of Thrones when it returns April 1. I guess that the producers are sticking with GoT as the series name; the actual second book is Clash of Kings, and the whole story series is A Song of Ice and Fire, but I think most viewers haven't read the books.

Next up for reviewing is Missing, again on ABC; it stars Ashley Judd and Sean Bean! And you'll never guess what happens to Sean Bean's character in the very first episode. He gets killed! No, really! Hahahahahaha. That's no spoiler; it's built right into the story line, btw. But just the thought of Sean Bean's character being killed again . . . I just have to watch this show. And they're going to have to update the Sean Bean Death Reel.

In not so amusing death news, the oldest alpaca on the farm died on Jan 31. Daniel belonged to Deb, and he was one of the top alpaca studs in Canada. He'd been sick for a good part of the winter, but Dar nursed him back to health. We were all breathing sighs of relief that he was back to his old grumpy, adorable self when he suddenly just dropped dead. We think it was a heart attack or stroke. The only good news is that he went very quickly, and he went while he was grazing in the winter sun. We miss him terribly. As does our white suri boy, Ozzie, who lived in the paddock next to Daniel, and who was his best friend. After Daniel's body was taken away, Ozzie paced the fence line, crying. Dar let him into Daniel's paddock; Ozzie searched around Daniel's little house for him, and then sniffed out where Daniel died. He spent some time there and then went back to his own paddock. You cannot tell me that these aren't sensitive creatures.

The rest of the alpacas are doing well. It's been a relatively mild winter here, for which we're thankful on the alpacas' behalf. Most of the adult females are seven or eight months pregnant now, and Dar said she's seen cris movement in some of the pregnant moms. We should start seeing babies popping out in late May.

I haven't even picked up my camera in weeks. It hasn't been the greatest winter for me as far as health goes. I went completely off prednisone in late November:just in time for the cold, windy, wet weather to kick in. My joints were not pleased. Then I got hit with the world's longest lasting cold last month. It just finished with me a few days ago. Not that health was the only reason for not using my camera. The battery is going on it, and it's not working all that well. I really want a new camera, and I'm hoping to get one in a few months. I'd like to go back to a smaller Canon. We'll see.

And that's about it for now. Oh, hey, I just realized that I do have one more Discworld book squirreled away: Wintersmith. And The Walking Dead compendium, too. I can has books! To read, it is good.

The rest of the alpacas are doing well.

Comments

[maystone.livejournal.com]

Ha! I think that you're right. He was laughing about it in an interview I read, too. Missing isn't really my kind of story - espionage, lots of chase scenes - but I can't pass up watching The Bean.

I'll add Feed to the list, thanks.