Monday morning and other nasties

[robinmckinley]

 
Well, it is Monday, after all. You have to expect nasty.
            My nasty started yesterday of course. Or even the night before that. Saturday night we had duck for dinner as you may recall. And I had Gravy* and Gorgeous Golden Crackly Skin.
            And Sunday morning I was 12.37 pounds heavier than I’d been the day before and could barely

Comments

[robinmckinley]

Oh goody! (I had this vision of your neighbors glancing out the window, very stereotypically British... "I say, my dear, there seems to be a flesh-eating plant coming up the walk." "You don't say, Basil?" "Mmm, yes. It's just eaten the dachsund." and it just went on from there...)

********* LOL!!!! My neighbours at the top of the hill TO THE LIFE. And furthermore THEY HAVE DACHSHUNDS. And why hasn't either of us mentioned Little Shop of Horrors yet? FEEEEEEED MEEEEEE. :)

And it was an UTTERLY NEW THING and like NOTHING ELSE and everyone who loved it was AUTOMATICALLY A GEEK

My parents were a young married couple at the time, and my father who had sworn he would never, EVER buy a TV set.... bought one. Just to watch Star Trek. I was doomed, even before birth, to be a nerd.

*********** Whereas I had to INVENT it, entirely without help. Oh, well, barring my first boyfriend in 8th grade.

Well, in the case of Alibris, much like Ebay it has a buyer rating system. If someone sends me something which isn't as advertised (or doesn't send it at all) I can give them a low rating; when I buy, I can avoid the sellers who others have dinged for poor service. There are no guarantees, but I've not had a problem yet.

********** I did once several years ago and just stopped using it. Maybe it's improved.

1) The Case of the Dangerous Dowager (1937)
2) The Case of the Fan-Dancer's Horse (1947)
3) The Case of the Terrified Typist (1956)

************ THE FAN DANCER'S HORSE??!??? Okay, read that one (and the first) for the title alone. Now I've read Terrified Typist but I can't remember a thing about it. That's okay. :)

Thanks ! (cutting to salve lj's delicate sensibilities)

[blackbear88]

My neighbours at the top of the hill TO THE LIFE. And furthermore THEY HAVE DACHSHUNDS.

GET OUT! Really??? Oh, that's priceless. I think I picked dachshunds because they seem like easy rosebush prey. :)

And why hasn't either of us mentioned Little Shop of Horrors yet?

"FEED ME, ROBIN! FEED ME SO THAT I MAY BECOME EVEN MORE LOATHSOMELY BULBOUS!" (Really, HPL had a lot of adjectives...)

Whereas I had to INVENT it, entirely without help. Oh, well, barring my first boyfriend in 8th grade.

Yeah, by the early 1980's there were nerd support groups in middle schools everywhere. :) I think they called it "chess club." But still, the boyfriend, that's a start.

On the topic of fantasy-as-we-know-it-Jim, did you encounter Lord Dunsany during your formative period? I am way late to the game on his stuff, but he's on my to-read list.

THE FAN DANCER'S HORSE??!??? Okay, read that one (and the first) for the title alone. Now I've read Terrified Typist but I can't remember a thing about it. That's okay. :)

Oh yes--I think I like Terrified Typist because the ending genuinely surprised me, and because it doesn't start off with the standard "hot girl comes to Perry's office for help with a case" opening that so many of these novels do. Well, let me know what you think, even if you hate them--at least they can't be any worse for you than the Golden Compass movie! I think. :)

[robinmckinley]

On the topic of fantasy-as-we-know-it-Jim, did you encounter Lord Dunsany during your formative period?

************ Yes. And William Morris. And Charles Williams. And some of the classic horror writers--Bram Stoker, obviously, and MR James in particular.

I am way late to the game on his stuff, but he's on my to-read list.

***************YOU HAVEN'T READ DUNSANY YET???? Good gods, woman, put EVERYTHING down and read him NOW.

[blackbear88]

LOL! Yes ma'am. :)

I only found out about him in context of "Where is Lovecraft's Dreamlands stuff coming from anyway?" and the answer was Dunsany. Late to the game, as I said... Do you have a particular Favorite Thing I should start with, or shall I just plunge in?

[robinmckinley]

Start with some short stories to get used to his style. (He's got at least two styles: the contemporary and the High Falutin' Forsoothly. Both are uniquely his and both very of his time. You want to be *comfy*, you know? He's *not* trash, so it's a different adjustment from the pulps, you know? And send your feminism out to play with the goddesses, because she will *not* be happy. Oh, and Lovecraft? Read The Two Bottles of Relish and Lovecraft is *nowhere*). Then The King of Elfland's Daughter. Then, if you're not hooked . . . well, there's something WRONG with you. :)

[blackbear88]

Right, I'll get on it.

Then, if you're not hooked . . . well, there's something WRONG with you. :)

LOL! There are miriads of things wrong with me, but I suspect this isn't going to be one of them! :)