duchesspariah

The doctor had x-rays done for my right knee and right shoulder. As far as the lab techs could tell, no breaks. However, the doctor will call me officially tomorrow or Friday. She did say that I'm not to work or spend a lot of time on my leg for the rest of the week. If the pain is either better or not there at all, she'll release me to return to work on Monday. Otherwise, she'll recommend a specialist to do MRIs.

I'm on a muscle relaxer and an anti-inflammatory medicine.

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I cleaned out the Kitten, except for the stuff in the trunk. I haven't bothered the trunk yet, because I wasn't up to wrestling with it. My back passenger door won't open at all, due to the wheel thing jamming it. So depressing.

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Today was the five day mark for Fred. We are supposed to feed him every 5 to 7 days, trying to feed him every five. Apparently, sometimes they won't eat again that soon.

I soaked Mr. Frozen Baby Pinkie Mouse in hot water for about three minutes before dropping it into the moist "feeding" container. Then, I washed my hands (to keep Fred from considering me food with Mr. FBPM (aka Food) smell). Once I placed Fred in the container, he literally had his nose on the mouse before I had him all the way in. He headbutted it once, and then he began to chow down.

Estimated time from hitting the feeding container to chowing down: .9 seconds
Estimated time from hitting the feeding container to finishing Food: 2 minutes

Here is the promised video. I was planning to play the Jaws Theme, but I didn't expect him to eat so quickly. Promise I'll be smarter and quicker next time. Overall, it is kind of low quality. Like I said, I'll do better next time. *looks at calendar*
On Friday or Saturday, depending on how hungry he is.

Be aware. For some reason, there is feedback from the camera's microphone.

[Poll #1096001]

Okay, I need help from all of you. This semester, I'm taking a writing workshop for fiction. I have decided to concentrate on the story of Sarki Kinan. The Prologue, Chapter 1, and chapter 2 went up for critique last week. I heard a lot of VERY helpful comments, and I finished my rewrites on the prologue about ten minutes ago. I want MORE helpful comments, please.

Mainly, I want to know if version 2 (the "after" version) is an improvement. Please don't critique version number 1, as it is just there to contrast. However, if there is something you liked in version 1 that didn't make it to version 2... lemme know. If there is something in version 2 from version 1 that shouldn't have made it, lemme know. Just... help.

If you haven't read this, be brutally honest.  Rebekah and Laura, both of you have seen the original of the prologue, but I included it in here anyway.  My main question for Laura is whether the changes improved the text.  My main question for Rebekah is whether you think I've addressed the things that were brought up in class. 

Help? ( BEFORE AND AFTER )

Hardback, trade paperback or mass market paperback?
I don't generally buy hardbacks, because I don't have a lot of room left on any of my ten bookshelves. However, any book of an author that I'm collecting (Diana Gabaldon, Laurell K. Hamilton, such on and so forth) I will generally buy in hardback. I absolutely DESPISE when a series goes hardback while I'm in the middle of reading them (*coughKimHarrison'sHollows**haSherrilynKenyon'sDarkHunterchoo*). Mostly, though, I buy used paperbacks from yard sales, used book stores, and random peddlar malls. Unless it is a book that I'm missing from a series, I won't pay more than $1.00 for a non-used bookstore used book. If it is a romance of any kind, I won't pay more than $.50.

Barnes & Noble or Borders?
Well, I prefer Joseph-Beth. However, now that Borders/Waldenbooks has the Borders Rewards, I generally go there instead. If I'm being completely honest, though, I mostly order my books off of Amazon.com now. And, if I order a book, I always order at least $25 worth to get the free shipping. *shrugs* I'm a book whore. Sorry.

Bookmark or dog-ear?
Dog-earring is EVIL. However, I don't buy bookmarks. I lose them, immediately. I do use random bits of paper torn/found as markers, because I can literally keep a random centimeter of paper longer than an honest-to-gods bookmark.

Amazon or brick and mortar?
I love bookstores. I love the smell, the atmosphere, the browsing, and the adventure. However, I rarely go anymore. Amazon is just easier.

Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random?
I alphabetize by author. Then, I put the books in the proper series reading order... except my hardbacks and my school texts. Hardbacks are in order favorite author, then series order. Texts are randomly everywhere, with a small nod to topic.

Keep, throw away, or sell?
Throw away? THROW AWAY?! WTF?

I keep books that I like. If I didn't like them, I will attempt to sell them to a used book store for credit. If they are not acceptable to a used bookstore, I donate them to a place like Goodwill or Friends of the Book Cellar.

Keep dust jacket or toss it?
Okay, I'm with Wendil. "*puzzled* There are people in the world who throw the dust jackets away? Idiots."

Read with dust jacket or remove it?
I take the dust jacket off, place it in the book's spot on the shelf where it is safe, read the book, put the dust jacket back on, and put the book back in its spot.

Short story or novel?
Novel.

Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?
I've never read either. However, once the final book is released, I plan to begin the Harry Potter series.

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?
That really depends. If the book is really good and I don't want to stop despite being tired, I'll bribe myself. "One more chapter, then you have to go to bed."

"It was a dark and stormy night" or "Once upon a time"?
Generally, I read books that are more dark and stormy than happily ever after. I do like books set in the past, though, over contemporary.

Buy or borrow?
Buy... I'm addicted.

New or used?
98% of my books are used books. The new books are predominately those of authors that I absolutely couldn't wait until a used one popped up or books that I receive as gifts.

Buying choice: book reviews, recommendations, or browse?
I do a lot of watching book lists for titles that look interesting. Then, I will read synopses on them.

Tidy ending or cliffhanger?
Some people take cliffhangers to a new level of piss-me-off. For example, Rachel Caine has five books in a row in a series where the character goes from frying pan to fire to center of volcanic eruption to fiery inferno to hell. That gets annoying. I'll still buy the next book in the series if the last one doesn't end with imminent death and destruction. Promise.

However, the goody-goody endings where the hero rescues the heroine and the heroine gets married to the hero right before she gets pregnant to have two beautiful twin girls... the piss me off too.

I like the middle ground.

Morning reading, afternoon reading, or nighttime reading?
All of the above.

Stand-alone or series?
Most of the time, I go for series. I don't know why. I guess I just fall for characters and want to know what happens after the end. However, I have nothing against standalones.

Favorite series?
Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series

Favorite children's book?
Wombat Stew

Favorite YA book?
The Changeling Sea by Patricia Briggs McKillip (oops)

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?
Erm. I don't know. Everyone on my friends' list has heard of the books that I love from me, even if they never heard of them before me. Moonshine by Rob Thurman might be one that fewer people have read.

Favorite books read last year?
I'm not sure what books I read what year. I know that I essentially worked my way through Rachel Caine's entire series. Really enjoyed them. Jennifer Armentrout's debut novel was impressive. Rob Thurman's Night Life was a definite last year read, because I got it for Christmas and had read it the day after I opened it. lol.

Favorite books of all time?
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Nightlife and Moonshine by Rob Thurman
Any book by Laurell K. Hamilton
Any book by Kim Harrison
Any book by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Any book by Diana Gabaldon

What are you reading right now?
Right now, I'm resisting the urge to read to try to get other stuff finished.

What are you reading next?
Probably, considering the crap that I'm trying to complete, something fluffy like Katie MacAlister's The Trouble with Harry

Favorite book to recommend to an eleven-year-old?
I would either recommend Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lioness quartet or Mercedes Lackey's Heralds of Valdemar series.

Favorite book to reread?
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon or Elizabeth's Wolf by Lora Leigh

Do you ever smell books?
ESPECIALLY used books!

Do you ever read Primary source documents?
I just finished a research project last semester that required ALL sources to be primary sources fished from the archives. I read Night by Elie Wiesel one night for the hell of it. Otherwise, no.

Erm. Why can I not post longer entries without it erroring? *pokes* Why did I have to make two short posts?

So, Keystone Cinemas had an eight pm showing (in two theaters) of Pirates of the Carribean 3. My brother, his fiancee, and I attended.  I won't say much of anything about the movie, because I realize that most of you haven't seen it and won't have time to see it in the near future.

FAVORITE QUOTATION: "I wonder if he plans this or if he makes it up as he goes."  It is said by the same "assistant" that tells Norrington in the first movie that Captain Jack is "without a doubt the best pirate I have ever seen." He gets the same dirty look for this comment, just not from Norrington.

STAY AFTER THE CREDITS!