Aerden's LJ

Writer's Block: Tonight, tonight

Fri, 25 Dec 2009 03:23:08 GMT

If you celebrate Christmas, what will you do this evening? If you don't, will you still do something festive or is it just another night?

View 753 Answers

My husband and I wrapped packages and went out to dinner.

Caroling Puppets!

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 13:16:16 GMT

Oh, my God, this is like goyleandcrabbe singing Christmas carols--they kind of vaguely look like them. *giggles hysterically*

Tuesday Update

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 13:13:35 GMT

Happy Birthday, trinibelle!

I hope you have a happy one!

AC Writing: My current AC article that I'm working on concerns the best TV detectives of this decade. Problem is, most of the shows I can think of have ensemble casts. Aside from Monk, Psych, and Castle, can anyone think of any other mystery shows since 2000 which don't have ensemble casts? The trend really has gone away from that, it seems.

Life: I'm very tired, and the remnants of my cold aren't helping.I garbled with saltwater this evening and bought a Neti pot on the way home from my voice lessons. Maybe it'll help, but really, my nose is not the problem now; it's my throat and post-nasal drip--in which case, maybe the Neti pot will help?

Music: It looks like I might be performing in another Gregorian chant mass, on January 19 or 21. Not sure yet. It will be at St. Mary's Seminary Chapel here in Houston. We'll see how I feel tomorrow night. If I'm as tired as I am tonight, I'll be really reluctant to go to the three-hour rehearsal, but I'll probably push myself, anyway.

Recipe: Corn Casserole

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 20:01:00 GMT

Corn Casserole
Preparation time: Less than 10 minutes
Baking time: 40 minutes at 400 degrees F.

Ingredients:
1 pkg. Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 can of whole-kernel corn (undrained)
1 can of cream-style corn
½ cup of butter (1 stick), melted
1 8 oz. container of sour cream
1-2 cups of shredded cheese. mild Cheddar or Monterrey Jack are suggested.

Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Pour into baking pan. Bake 40 minutes at 400 degrees.

Recipe: Broccoli-Cheese Ritz Cracker Casserole

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:46:57 GMT

My contribution to the recipe exchange going out around my office. I am now on three iterations of it. O.O You have been warned.

Broccoli-Cheese Ritz Cracker Casserole

Ritz crackers, crushed
2 pkgs. frozen broccoli spears
1-1/2 cups of milk
1-1/2 tbsp. cornstarch
½ tsp. dry mustard
½ tsp. salt
Dash of pepper
Velveeta cheese
Butter

1. Boil and drain broccoli according to directions.

SAUCE:
1. Combine milk, cornstarch, mustard, salt, and pepper.
2. Cook on low heat until sauce thickens.
3. Add a chunk of Velveeta, and melt it in the sauce.

CASSEROLE:
1. Pour cheese sauce over broccoli. Mix in thoroughly with some crumbled Ritz crackers.
2. Sprinkle crushed Ritz crackers on top of casserole; dot with butter.
3. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Narcissa's Gone

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 10:14:04 GMT

I got up about 4:00am because Narcissa Malfoy from the Beyond the Hallows RPG was writing a journal entry in my head. I decided I wanted to write down what she was saying, because it was beautiful and so her.

My bth_narcissa journal has been deleted. *cries* I hate it when DM's do that, even though the game has died, and I know they want to do housekeeping. I'll never be able to recreate all of her posts. I wish they would have at least warned me, so I could have saved what I wrote for her. :(

Yeah, I know. If this is the worst thing I have to be sad about, I have an awesome life, and I should shut up and be thankful. But I loved this character.

Edit: I revived my BTH Narcissa journal at cg_narcissa. I can't restore the posts or the poetry, except for one poem, but I might be able to cobble together paraphrases of some of what I wrote for her, and she can now have a place to speak in the future.

Musical Humor: Courtesy of sauron_the_dark. This is awesome and hilarious:

TV: Annnnd...Mythbusters will give us a special treat on Monday, December 28:

Simple Gifts

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 02:06:49 GMT

Beer!: Sipping on some Samuel Adams Winter Lager. Mmmmm....! Dinner was home-made pizza from Mark. :)

Meme: (Nabbed from gypsy_anna's journal.

"If you read this, if your eyes are passing over this right now, even if we don't speak often, please post a comment with a memory of you and me. It can be anything you want -- good or bad. When you're finished, post this little paragraph on your blog, and be surprised (or mortified) about what people remember about you."

Pern: I realized today that Aerden finds "Carol of the Bells" to be Really Irritating when he has a migraine. But then I realized that he's irritated by everything when he has a migraine, so that wasn't as amusing a thing as I'd thought it would be. Ah, well.

Recipe: Red Lobster's Cheddar Biscuits

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:04:25 GMT

Birthday:
Happy Birthday, padfoot_uk!

Food: I am part of a recipe exchange (two, actually), and I just received my first recipe. This is also the first response I have ever gotten from a chain-letter. It's one of my favorite foods, too!

Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits

Serves 12
Cook time: 30 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups Bisquick baking mix
1 cup cheddar cheese, finely grated
3/4 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons butter (melted)
1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder (or fresh garlic, minced)

Topping:
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 teaspoon garlic powder (or fresh garlic, minced)
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
Salt to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine Bisquick with cheddar cheese, milk, 2 tablespoons of melted butter, and 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder in a medium bowl. Mix until well-combined.
3. Drop your choice portions of the dough onto a greased cookie sheet.
4. Combine all ingredients for topping and brush this mixture over the tops of each unbaked biscuit.
5. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits begin to turn light brown.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. If the Catholic Church would just serve these at mass, fresh out of the oven, they would have no end of converts! :)

Lockerbie Airplane Bomber: Missing

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:54:47 GMT

Incredible.

In other news, Happy Beethoven's Birthday!

Recipe: Artichoke Dip

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:28:12 GMT

From my friend Cynthia:

Artichoke Dip

1 can quartered artichokes
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons Italian breadcrumbs
Your favorite seasonings (garlic, green onions, cayenne, Tabasco)

Mix 1 can of quartered artichokes with 1/2 cup mayonnaise and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Add Tabasco, onions, garlic, or cayenne to taste. Place in ceramic baking dish, sprinkle Italian bread crumbs on top, and bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until dish begins to bubble and breadcrumbs are browned. Serve with your favorite crackers. Rosemary crackers are yummy with this!

* * *

I'll give the Tabasco and cayenne pepper a miss and throw in some spinach, dill, and maybe some Asiago cheese.

PSA: For the Disabled in an Emergency

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:18:24 GMT

This Accessible Emergency Information website might be of help.

Stephanie Burgis Advance Reader Copy - A Most Improper Magick

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:59:23 GMT

Win an advance reader copy of Stephanie Burgis' novel, A Most Improper Magick: http://tinyurl.com/yckky2q

It sounds wonderfully Victorian, with a sense of humor, so I'm willing to forgive the 'k' added to 'magic.' (g) I hope I get to read it!

San Antonio Bay?

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:53:09 GMT

Headline: "DSHS Recalls All Oysters Harvested from San Antonio Bay"

Me: San Antonio has a bay?!

Apparently, the oysters are infected with norovirus, which causes diarrhea and other nastiness.

From Paul and Lilith's Wedding (SPH)

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 20:16:23 GMT

(To former players in sphogwarts)

SPH: Remember, when Paul and Lilith got married, they did it not only as a wedding, but also as a consecration of themselves to defending the Light?

I never got to write the ritual because time got away from me, and I wanted to coordinate the writing of it with Viv. But I did want to share part of it with you. It's Gandalf's Pledge:

The rule of no realm is mine.
But all worthy things that are in peril
As the world now stands--
Those are my care.

And I, for my part,
Shall not wholly fail in my task
If anything passes through this night
That can still grow fair
Or bear fruit and flower again
In days to come.

God, I miss SPH. It was so...brilliant, so deeply layered.

In Loving Memory

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 05:12:53 GMT

@>->-- Frances Marie Christian --<-<@

December 19, 1940-December 11, 2009

You fought a good fight, Aunt Frances. Now, you are free to dance, forever.

Writer's Block: Role model

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 04:25:14 GMT

Is there any character from a novel or film that serves as a role model to you? What kind of advice do you think she or he would give you regarding any major issues you're facing right now?

Submitted By masakali

View 681 Answers

Jo and Marmee March from Little Women.

They'd tell me to act with love, and they'd give me some mych-desired practical advice, I hope.

Monday Update

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 02:55:25 GMT

Life in General: My Aunt Frances is still with us. She amazes me. Maybe she is trying to make it to her own birthday, now. I still have not gone back to see her because of this cold I have. I think I'm on the mend, but it doesn't seem a good idea to go see her when I'm still coughing and sneezing, even if I don't have a fever. The coughing sounds horrendous.

Fortunately, I saw my doctor this morning, and she's prescribed some steroids to reduce sinus tissue swelling. That should reduce the mucus and everything else, which will make the cough go away. By some miracle, I don't have bronchitis, so I'm thankful for that.

We are also monitoring the Imodium use. She's concerned that the Imodium might be masking symptoms--though I think, if I did have a Bad Infection of some sort, I'd be feeling sicker than I do. Right now, I feel okay, except for being wiped out by the cold.

TV: I saw an episode of Intervention tonight. I don't usually watch the show, because I don't consider watching family train wrecks to be entertainment. I think what interested me was that the woman on the show was addicted to Percocet (among many other pills), the first dose of which she took for a migraine.

I remember when I was creating my Pern character Aerden, and I knew when I created him that I didn't want him to be an addict. He has an appallingly high tolerance to fellis, but he is, at least, ruthless about taking it only for migraines and not otherwise. I wanted to tell a story of hysterical amnesia and how it haunted someone. A struggle with addiction didn't appeal to me, and it still doesn't.

I guess the honest truth is that I look on it as a character flaw. Not to say that I think non-addicts are 'better' people than addicts. What I mean is that it takes strength to stay off the stuff. Non-addicts--if you've never been tempted, how can you claim to be strong? Recovering addicts, I think, are very, very strong people. But there is the issue that no one forces you to continue taking a drug you know you shouldn't take.

I don't mind giving a protagonist weaknesses, but, for the purposes of writing, addiction is a weakness that becomes the character's primary struggle; it swallows up all other concerns into its maelstrom. Could Frodo Baggins have managed the journey to Mordor and back if he'd been an addict? I don't think he could have. He would have been desperate for a fix by the time he got to Bree. He might not even have left the Shire. And if he had gotten past Bree, he'd have been in really bad shape, the rest of the way. I don't want to write that kind of character. I see them on Dog: The Bounty Hunter every Wednesday. I prefer to let the inner weakness be something else.

I don't know if that makes me a bad writer or not, that I'm unwilling to go that far. Someone once said that we write our trauma, and I guess drug addiction just isn't my trauma. One thing that Intervention has shown me is that drug addiction is difficult to overcome, and it takes a lifetime of daily struggle and a lot of determination. I don't know if I could do it. It doesn't happen magically, and you don't always get a happy ending. Sometimes, you just get half a loaf.

I have to say, though, that if any drug addict had understandable reasons for being an addict, this woman would be it. Her father is an alcoholic who abstains from alcohol for nine months of each year. Her mother not only enabled her father's alcoholism but denied that he hurt the daughter and her sisters as children. She also enabled the daughter's Percocet addiction. The daughter was taking a truly terrifying amount of Percocet each day. I don't know how she was still alive, by the time people intervened.

I hope she is still off the drugs. She has gotten away from her parents, which I think is a good thing. Unfortunately, she also left her husband and children. Not so good. I'm not sure whether this is a case of 'Half a loaf is better than none' or not. I will say she's better off than the alcohol addict they had on, the last time I saw the show. I never would have believed alcohol could lay claim to a person as deeply as it did to that woman. If I remember correctly, she pretty much went back to the vodka. Truly tragic.

I'll watch Castle next, then go to bed. I'm still feeling tired from this cold.

Snow in Houston!

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 05:37:07 GMT

The Weather Overhead: It snowed today in Houston!

Yes, I know all you folks from up North are just laughing your asses off at us and probably telling the truth--we had snow flurries. But, hey! I had snowflakes on my umbrella by the time I walked to the grocery store across the street from our house. They were falling from the sky in little fluffs of whiteness swirling about in the air. They were beautiful! They speckled my clothing as I walked. I was so happy to actually see snow; it comes here so rarely.

One of my friends had enough snow in her yard to build a very small snowman! :) We even have a cellphone picture to prove it. Too cool!

State of the Body: Crappy, this morning. I had to ask Mark to come get me from work, after I'd told him I would ride the bus home. Luckily, my office closed today at 10am because people in Houston don't know how to drive safely in mildly icy conditions. I was really glad of that.

Mark: You are too good to me, and I don't deserve a wonderful man like you. Not only did you come get me when I was unattractively sick, you made me feel sexy and desired, later. You are a prince among men. I love you so very, very much.

Writer's Block: Name that tune

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:55:14 GMT

Is there any song you'll never grow tired of hearing? If so, what is it, how long have you loved it, and why?

Submitted By connxx

View 1390 Answers

That would be "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" by Simon & Garfunkel and "California Dreaming" by The Mommas and the Poppas.

Yeah, I'm all Sixties.

Listening to Celtic Woman

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:43:50 GMT

First order of business:

Happy Birthday, metal_aria!

I'm sorry the greeting is late. I hope you had a lovely birthday!

State of the Body: I don't know if I have the flu or just a cold, but I felt crappy enough to stay home from work, today. Thank God for Tylenol PM.

Tonight's Noise: I think I've figured out why I'm under-enthused about Celtic Woman. Mark has been listening to them on the TV tonight. I wasn't paying much attention. After a while, I asked him what he was watching, and he told me. I told him I had thought he was listening to a concert of tunes from recent Disney movies.

Celtic Woman sounds to me like Disney songs--you know, the sort that are in Pocahontas, The Little Mermaid, etc. Their voices are too pretty, and they have no personality. Their songs are sappy.

(whine, whine, whine, grump, grump, grump)

And they scoop when they sing. Bleah.

However, their performance of "Ni Sen La" rocks. Great song and great English verse they put to it!

Writing: I feel the need to write some Snape and Graves fan fiction. Come on, Paul and Severus, talk to me.

Paul and Lilith Compare Notes

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:28:38 GMT

LMAO!!!! Viv--I just came across this entry in my musevoices journal. Lilith and Paul are kibitzing about the difficulties they have persuading their authors to write about them.

It was so nice to read it. I really needed something to make me smile. :)

Dividend Article

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:25:23 GMT

I came across this article on ex-dividends and thought I'd share.

Making Ex-Dividends Work for You

In Memory

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:54:44 GMT

@>->--Crys O'Regan--<-<@

(Marvo Thee Magnificent)

Writer's Block: Seeing stars

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:01:02 GMT

Which character from any film, television show, or book would you most like to take on a date and why?

Submitted By blue_mariposa88

View 2283 Answers

Brendan Fraser's character from the Mummy movies--If Evie would let me borrow him. (g)

Otherwise, Hodgins (T. J. Tyne) from Bones. Sorry, Angela; you foolishly gave him up, so I'm nabbing him. I know what's good! He's a totally fun guy and very intelligent. Wonderful sense of humor, and loyal.

Brain Insulin Levels Could Link to Dementia

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:47:13 GMT

Researchers Find Insulin Link to Brain Shrinkage and Dementia

This is a significant development toward finding a treatment for dementia and types of Alzheimer's disease.