Happy-ish.

Things that have made me ridiculously happy today (actually, yesterday…I've been slow to post):

News of an upcoming Wallace and Gromit Movie (short). Yay! I’ve just watched Flushed Away and I actually really liked it. I went in thinking there was no way it would work and ended up thinking Hey that was cute. The story was a little abbreviated but I actually thought that the computer animation worked ok. Sure, it’s not as lovely as the stop motion clay animation but you know, it fills in the gaps. It will do.

Spin Magazine’s Slacker radio station. I’ve been listening to punk today. I feel rebellious. Or something.

Vegan Yum Yum’s jellied cranberry sauce. I like cranberry sauce, and I have made it from scratch and it is good. But secretly, what I really like is the canned stuff that comes out with a splorching noise. Out of the can, I mean. I like to carve my name in it. Now I am I going to try making it myself…and then I will carve my name in it.

A few recipes from the Veganomicon cook book. Still not a vegan but still love her cookbooks.

Words that SOUND dirty but aren’t. Duty, ball cock, and manhole…I could go on for hours, seriously. Ms. Fond of Snape started it…but it’s still cracking me up.


Things that have made me less happy today:

Traffic.

The soy tacos from Whole Foods. Not good.

None of my mail arriving.

BUT TODAY:

Heavens to Betsy (as my mother would say) I think I have mental powers! Not two days ago I was watching Stephen Fry in a semi-illegal downloaded thingy and thinking “But goodness wouldn’t I like to read a blog written by him? He’s an interesting guy and I bet he’d be quite good at it.” (yeah, I do think like that). And today, I am alerted to the existence of this. Now, Mr. Fry, I will concentrate on you coming by with a beer and a SALMON taco for me. See you in a bit.

No, seriously, thank you, Mr. Fry. You made my day that much better. Well, you and the fact that the soy tacos are gone. They were really bad.

AND! AND! I planted a terrarium, the other night. I’ve actually had the terrarium for quite a while but seeing as it is a “Gothic Garden” and will eventually contain such things as “Black Dragon Coleus”, Aloe plant, Sensitive plant, Dragon’s Tree and Moonflower, I thought it appropriate to get it growing now in hopes that it would be in full bloom for Halloween. This morning I discovered sprouts, Moonflower sprouts. And they are growing at an alarming rate, Every time I leave my desk I worry a little that I will come back to jungle. I swear I can hear the rustle as they grow (Did you know that rhubarb grows so fast you can hear it? It apparently creaks. It also apparently likes the dark, or more specifically, candlelight. Rhubarb is creepy. And it probably should be in my Gothic Garden, listening to some Bauhaus, or at the very least, some Morrissey).

Anyway…what was I saying?

Hotdamnandhellyeah.

What I am reading: My mother and I were talking the other day. She mentioned that she had asked my dad if he read more than one book at a time because she was currently reading two…I am currently reading…too many. But I am enjoying them. Just about done with The Devil in the White City and hotdamnandhellyeah what a good book. The writing is lively and kind of fun, even when the story is grim. The history is interesting and yes, I do have a weird fascination with certain serial killers, I didn’t know anything about either H.H. Holmes or the Columbia Exhibition before this book. It is a “fictionalized non-fiction” book of sorts but that’s how it stays entertaining.

At the same time I am also reading two Georgette Heyer novels, Behold Here's Poison (because that's one of the best darn titles ever!) and The Nonesuch. In another gaping hole in my education, I had never heard of Georgette Heyer, I don’t know why, I read mystery novels and she wrote quite a few of those, but I suppose her Regency romance novels are really what she is known for and I am not up on romances. I have read a few here and there and I have no issue with them, I just tend to read other things. Well, a few months ago, the BFF mentioned that she had been loaned these two books that the loaner had described as “as close to Jane Austen as you will probably get”. That intrigued and frightened me, I love Jane Austen and often times when someone says, “This is what Jane would write if she were writing today” they are usually about as far from Austen as you can get. But Heyer wrote a lot and here was a personal recommendation, so I found a few books on half.com and started reading. I am about halfway done with Behold here’s Poison and only starting The Nonesuch but…Georgette Heyer keeps popping up in my life. After I ordered the book, I happened to win another book (by a different author) online, and in researching THAT author, I came across many references to Heyer. Then I asked my mom if she had ever read any Georgette Heyer as mom is very well versed in Regency romances…and pretty much any other book out there. She told me that she not only knew who she was, she had read all of her books when I was a little girl! Finally last night I was watching a documentary sort of thing on Stephen Fry and he was talking about his guilty pleasures. Apparently, aside from darts and punching Hugh Laurie, he loves Georgette Heyer. Heck, she’s even widely credited with creating the Regency romance genre…well, the kind that wasn’t actually written during the early 19th century.

I guess the real question is, what rock have I been under all these years?

(Incidentally, Stephen Fry has the most beautiful stage punch ever. Straight out from his shoulder and right to the jaw. I could watch him coldcock Hugh Laurie all day and not got tired of it.)



I think I am also reading a few other books but I tend to leave them scattered around and pick them up ever now and then. I am kind of puttering around with a few books on fairies that I am using as inspiration for some new pictures. And I picked up a YA book in “Great Britain” in Epcot called I Am Morgan le Fey by Nancy Springer. I just found the title interesting. We’ll see if I like it.

I think I did startle two little girls in that store though. Oh and hey, why is there not a bookstore in Disneyworld? Or is there one and I just couldn’t find it? There were several Disney books that I was looking for (and eventually found in different places throughout the parks) but it just seems like a good idea…one store, all books. Most of Disney’s movies were inspired by books and heck, Disney has it’s own publishing branch, but it took me forever to find the Mary Blair book I was looking for (found it in Mexico in Epcot, didn’t buy it, too expensive). Anyway…these two young girls were perusing the meager selection of books in the toy store in Great Britain and one of them said to the other “Who is this MANDY”? referring, of course, to the book, Mandy, by Julie Andrews. AND here’s where the story gets a little Ren…I had just come from the pub and was a little…happy (just a little) so I swooped in and proceeded to school these kids on good books, Mandy being a story I had read at their age. I also heartily encouraged them to read the Mary Poppins series as well as the Narnia books. They took it all in stride but kind of backed away slowly. And then when one of them asked for a book her mother said, “I am not paying $20 for this! Come on!” and dragged her out of the store. Sigh.

And the same goes for you! No, no, I would totally buy you a $20 book...ok, i wouldn't, but I do think you should read the Mary Poppins series...and at least The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe of the Narnia series. It's good stuff.