Anxiety.

My course materials finally appeared today. Argh! I am stressing out. The onset of A215 is a reality now, not just an electronic anomaly on the hard drive. Eeps! Currently in the process of copying the audio discs to iTunes.

With the closing of A103, A215 begins. A103, however, has left its mark. Before studying the introductory humanities course I am ashamed to say I had never heard of Rachel Carson. The first essay I had to write was based around an extract of Silent Spring. I enjoyed that essay, but still I haven't got around to buying the book. Then, in the final essay, I once again used the reactions towards Silent Spring and Rachel Carson as part of my argument as to how women's actions began to change science in the 1960s. So, when Elizabeth Bear mentioned the name Rachel Carson in her blog yesterday, I had some sort of inkling as to the reference. This made me happy.

As long as I have knowledge, I will always be happy.

Oh my!

300 posts! Well, I never thought I'd manage that. I quit my first ever blog on 99 posts, then the second blog on four posts. Way hay, congratulations me!

Anyway... I once again picked up Dust by Elizabeth Bear the other day and have been reading it when I have a spare second. When I first picked it up I couldn't get into it, my brain just wasn't in the right space to process it. With Principessa being ill over the weekend, reading seconds have been few and far between, so it's been slow going. Until last night. The story hit the ground running, and I became completely enthralled! I had promised myself an early night, but the book had other ideas. I was loathe to put it down to go to sleep, but my eyes threatened a boycott (why does boycott have two 't's? Is there really any reason?) and the cocktail sticks were becoming ever so slightly riotous against the rallying eyelids! I will resume reading again once I've finished on the net. (Now very tempted to buy the Promethean Age series.)

But... maybe I should do some writing first?

Keep on dreaming boy, 'cos when you stop dreaming it's time to die.

(Picture from www.bbc.co.uk/sports)

Ah well. Andy Murray didn't win. He gave it a good shot, and played some fantastic tennis, but Roger came out and you could see the win in his eyes. Andy was just a pesky little fly that needed swatting, and swatting in the most complete sense of the word. But still, what an amazing game. Some of the rallies brought out the best tennis in the both of them, but I haven't seen Roger play that way - with that confidence - all year. Stunning!

Elizabeth Bear is offering up some more food for thought in regards to narrators and POV. Go have a read. You wont be disappointed.

So, Principessa is in school. I would love to get some writing done, but there is nowhere in this silly house that provides any silence. I think I may have to invest in some earplugs, just to blot out the sounds of the TV. Drives me mad. I'd love just to switch the TV off, but a Skidaddles insists on zoning out in front of it. Ho hum.

Anyhows, off to wash Principessa's painted uniform.

"But my bum is too small!"

Don't you just wish you could say that? Well, that is Principessa's new moan for when she doesn't want to do as she is told. "I can't because my bum is too small!" What can you say to that? Not only that but she put her jeans on before, which in itself is fantastic, but they're on back to front! She makes me laugh!

She is a genius at work. She is starting to tell more stories now and I love it. The only thing is, they are always about Captain DJ. I am so sick of hearing about Captain DJ. But she is inventing characters too. The other day she told me about the Wire Cat. That sounds like an interesting character. But he seems to be an angry cat, as he wags his tail and scares Captain DJ away.

Over the last few weeks I have been reading the blog by the writer Elizabeth Bear. I think I must have found it on the SF/F Writers Who Blog page. I seem to check in at her blog about two to three times a day now. I am totally immersed in her writing bubble (I just wish some of her motivation and shiny would rub off onto me!) and some of the writing advice she gives is spot on. I think I might have to read a book by her now (I am ashamed to say that I had not heard of her before) because if her fiction is anywhere as good as her blog, then it has to be good!