reminiscing

The other day while reading something that mentioned goblins, I had a mental flash of a cartoony image of hunched over goblins running around low rocky terrain.  With it came a feeling of enjoyment and fun.  I had to think for a minute why I got such an emotional response to a random memory & realised it was an MMORPG view.  Then I had to think a bit more about which one it was.  Which made me realise I've played more than I think.  Ah, LOTRO.  I had so much fun finding new locations and new cultures in them.  I should go back and play a little more, but I got to a very grindy section and greener pastures beckoned.

Its also just a bit interesting that in all the years of LOTRO, thats the goblin scene engraved in my mind.  Maybe I was eating chocolate at the time.

My relaxing holiday

I took the short week off last week with plans to do some work around the house and computer gaming.  I ended up doing very little gaming as I enjoyed the house work so much.  I did get the been there done that achievment on GW2 finished.

So, what did I do?

1.  Oiled a table
2.  Sanded and varnished the walls of my parents veranda
3.  Smashed up about a metre of the old wash house concrete floor in the back yard.
4.  Pulled up metal pipes from various places in the yard and dug around another 2 to get the angle grinder in to cut them
5.  Dug down and found the old plastic drain pipe in the front yard and identified it will have to come
6.  Scraped back the font door and sanded about 1/2 of one side down to wood (lovely silky oak grain)
7. Baked a cake
8.  Chopped up some roots with a hatchett
9. installed 1/2 the irrigation system
10. Set my parents up with an NBN contract
11. Selected some paints and put test patches on my back veranda in anticipation of painting it when its rebuilt






2.  Thanks to Andrea for mentioning that she did this with a block of concrete in her yard, thus stimulating me to have a go.  I think mine will be easier overall - no metal reinforcing and its thin and crumbly (except where its reinforced with big rocks)

5.  I think the footpath section will require a digger.  Doing it by hand will result in a long slow process where there is a gaping hole in the footpath that someone could fall into and sue me.

7.  Mmmm delicious, I adapted a boiled fruitcake recipe to have walnuts, cherries and dates instead of mixed fruit

8.  Now to install the other 1/2 (other side of the driveway, attached to the front hose instead of the back)

content free

I got online and changed the settings on my blog due to what looks like spambot comments - though it could just be someone doing weird and bizzare comments....Chris?

Then I realised this year I've blogged once per month.  So here is April.

Nothing to say, just letting you know I'm still alive.

Wait,
I can hear something...whats that purple glow...Its full of stars!

Crash, bang, rattle.................................

..Message ends.

A quick (relatively) author calculation

After Andrea listed her female authors, I muttered foolishly that I should do the same as I've just reshelved all my books  (see below , and yes that is Jar Jar)...and now I feel just slightly pressured.

So since I have a database listing all my authors and books (or at least the physical ones.-I also own 2 different e readers that I'm not counting books on), I downloaded it to excel and deleted all non-female authors using the following (slightly flawed) criteria;

Obvious male names - remove (so females writing as males are gone - males writing as females are kept - unless of course I happen to remember these details)
any unclear names - google search - only keep if it states they are female somewhere... who is JJ Fortune by the way?
Keep any dual authors where one is female.

In doing this I realised my database is a little out of date.  I'm sure I've updated it, but somehow some data is gone. I wonder how out of date it really is.   More pressure to stick it all on Goodreads with a barcode scanner.  Except I'd have to pull them all down again.

Also note that not ALL of my fiction is Science/fantasy....just 99%+  and I've included it all.

So based on the above limitations;  I have 876 novels (see I know I was into the 900's last time I updated a pile) of which 457 are written or co-written by women  That's just over 52%

Whats the proportion of females to males on the planet? 

I considered uploading all the books as well as authors.....too big... authors only...all 117:

Josephine Angelini

Amanda Ashby

Kage Baker

Margaret Ball

Lorna Baxter

Hilari Bell

Holly Black

Laura Black

Alexandra Bracken

Kristin Britain

Karen Brooks

Mary Brown

Lois McMaster Bujold

Frances Hod. Burnett

Trudi Canavan

Diane Carey

Gail Carriger

Carmen Carter

Kristin Cashore

Kylie Chan

Cassandra Clare

Jan Clarke

Jo Clayton

Suzanne Collins

Dawn Cook

Susan Cooper

A.C. Crispin

Mary Janice Davidson

Gail Dayton

Monica Dickens

J.M. Dillard

Nancy & Fran Dorer

Diane Duane

Rosemary Edghill

Jennifer Estep

Lynn Flewelling

Kate Forsyth

Sally Gardner

Claudia Grey

Laurell K. Hamilton

Charlaine Harris

Zenna Henderson

Georgette Heyer

Andrea K Host

Tanya Huff

Eva Ibbotson

N.K. Jemisin

Kij et al Johnson

Diana Wynne Jones

Julie Kagawa

Sylvia Kelso

Celine Kiernan

Caro King

Angela Knight et al

Mercedes Lackey

Louise Lawrence

Ursula Le Guin

Sharon & Steve Lee & Miller

Madeleine L'engle

Joan Lennon

Shariann Lewitt

Jacqueline Lichtenberg

Johanna Lindsay

Holly Lisle

Elizabeth A. Lynn

Melissa Marr

Ann Maxwell

Katie Maxwell

Anne McCaffrey

Vonda McIntire

Patricia A. McKillip

Robin McKinley

Stephanie Meyer

K.E. Mills

V.E. Mitchell

Elizabeth Moon

Lyda Morehouse

Rebecca Neason

Lisanne Norman

Andre Norton

Naomi Novik

Jody Lynn Nye

Robin D. Owens

Tamora Pierce

Elizabeth Pope

Alis A. Rasmussen

Tansey RaynerRobert

Mickey Zucker Reichert

Jennifer Roberson

Veronica Roth

Jane Routley

J.K. Rowling

Lynsay Sands

Pamela Sargent

Elizabeth Scarborough

Lisa Shearin

Josepha Sherman

Kathleen Sky

Joan Slonczewski

Maria Snyder

Midori Snyder

Zilpha Snyder

Wen Spencer

Anne SpencerParry

Meagan Spooner

Caroline Stevermer

Tricia Sullivan

Sheri S. Tepper

Kate Thompson

Carrie Vaughn

Catherine Webb

Cherry Wilder

Liz Williams

Susan Wright

Janny Wurts

Sarah Zettel

Marion ZimmerBradley

mmm Bacon

I bought a bed which has finally arrived.  Its hand made and each piece has the serial number of the bed on it somewhere so everything fits the right way round.  Jacobean reproduction mahogany 4 poster.  Its not all together yet but I'll add a photo when I've finished putting the top on and have a mattress on it.

So, why the bacon heading?  I thought the delivery guy had eaten a bacon sandwich, the wafting of bacon was profound.  Then I thought the neighbour must be cooking bacon.  Then I realized, for some reason, to me at least, Mahogany smells like bacon.

Mmm bacon bed.  I fully expect to get lots of bacon cravings sleeping in it.

filing

I have a new bookcase (read garage put together shelving 2100 high by 1800 wide by 400 deep).  I thought I'd put books on it A-F, G-L, M-R and then S-Z.  Surely they'd average out to roughly the same volume per shelf...well maybe not the M-R shelf - how bad could it be though.

So far, with about 5 boxes of books to go, A-F is 2.5 layers deep, while G-L is only 1 1/3.
M - R is just under 2 deep, but I have yet to unpack the 2 boxes labeled McCaffrey and and Pratchett.  I forsee having to put 1/2 of M on the shelf above and QR on the shelf below.

Then I expect I'll be considering buying another shelf.  If I adjust them all I can fit one more in.  I hope the house supports can take the load :)

promotion

I got one...after six months of application work.  Now off home to put my feet up.

A record? maybe

Its been two months since my last online appearance.

I moved in, put a security screen on the front, pest controlled for termites in the palms and cut down about 30 trees.  Before you gasp in horror they were palms and trees that were leaning over the gutters rubbing them and I'm in the process of putting 15 different ones in at the moment to make a good hedge that wont grow over the house.  In the longer term I'll replace the trees on the other side as well with citrus.

Putting in the new trees requires I first remove the old concrete edging - 20cm deep.  Pick axes, shovels, crowbars and branch cutters to remove entwining roots have all come into play.  I'm 1/2 way through.

I've also booked someone to come clean the gutters.  I have to get quotes on replacing the back deck (or dodgy deck as it has been described), which I told my younger brother not to walk on in case of collapse.  Then the outdoor toilet will get an extra wall and door to internalise it. 

The next outdoor job is to pull out all the mother in laws tongue in the front bed under the veranda and replace them with sun jewels, and buy a yellow bushy rose for the octagon shaped bed.

I'm also painting the master bedroom (1/2 way through).  It was mocha/kahaki coloured and will now be a yellow cream.  In between I've pulled out the (sort of) in built wardrobe and am fixing the back, which was not put together correctly.    Has to be done before January when the queen bed arrives.

Hmm, also using a special dry rot hardener on the wooden edges under the cladding and then repainting, to avoid damage to the walls.

Long term plans:  remove unnecessary wall between lounge and kitchen which makes the space less usable, refurbish kitchen - perfectly functional at the moment, just old.

You know, maybe theres a reason I haven't blogged.  I haven't even mentioned all the uni work I'm lumped with right now.  I feel tired.

This is a first for me

I've never had a spambot comment before (see previous thread).  I always thought my blog too boring for them to find.  Is this part of the long slow slide towards...shudder...popularity and witty repartee?  Or is it just that no-one is blogging and the bots are getting desperate?

Settling in

My house settles today.

Interesting note:  there are no original house plans.  Apparently there were fires and floods and a chunk of the old ones were lost.

My father has suggested that I don't need to put a cover on the well.  Just put a beehive on top.  Nobody will come close enough to fall down it.  I'm not adverse to having a beehive, I just want to meet the neighbours and make sure none of them are anaphylaxis allergic before I do so.

Vague and uninformative statement 2

settling in 2 weeks.

Today I put a deposit on a house

annnd i think I'll leave it hanging there.  Yep.  Thats enough information.

annnd here are the gingerbread men

I shall actually eat one shortly - I forgot to take them to work today

mmm cookie.

posting due to poking

It was pointed out to me the other day that I had not posted since...hmm..ahem..May 11.  This was because I have been in the busiest time of my year.  The worst is over, I see light at the end of the tunnel.  No wait, its an oncoming train..maybe.  Anyhoo., its a local public holiday today and I only spent mumble 2 mumble hours at work and am now avoiding the marking I brought home.  Procrastination Away!
LAst night I made delicious rasberry and chocolate macarons - a big success - see below.  Today I'm off to make icing to decorate those gingerbread men I bought after Easter and haven't had time to make yet.  Photos of that to follow - if I remember

On another note, I bought myself a lucky dip from avon - always something interesting in it.  This time it was hair extensions...see below. longest hair I've ever had.

Cupcakes into darkness

I made some 18 cupcakes Thursday night and set my alarm early on Friday to ice them...see the glorious creations below (pre the little candy bees and butterflies I put on them).

Then I carefully packed them in my cupcake transporter and took them down to the car to take to work.  At which point one of the latches gave way and 15 of my 18 cupcakes ended up face down on the grass.


KHANNNN!!!!


Sorry, just went to see Star Trek into darkness.  Good movie.  Clever weaving of original story line into reboot.  Good special effects.  No cupcakes.

not trying it out at that price

I've been looking at bluetooth dongles & found one that looks sweet...the AZiO BTD-V400 Micro Bluetooth Adapter.  This is a US company & there's lots of sellers...in the US (from about $14 upwards..who won't sell to Australia.  I even found one on ebay.com.au which said won't sell to Australia.  Then an advanced google search led me to an Australian domain that just sent me back to amazon and the same companies I'd been looking at.  I finally found one who will send it, for $22US, plus $48 for the freight.  I'm just not paying that for a microdongle in a small sleeve of plastic.  You'd think someone would be buying in bulk and on-selling in Aust.  I wonder if theres some setting that aren't approved here.  It did have 80ft reach.  Interferance perhaps?

Back to officeworks to pick up a Targus version for $23.

On a funner note.  I learned to ice cakes fancily the other night

The top design is called Mr Whippy.  The bottom is called garden.  The missing one looked like a big pink rose with a leaf and ladybug on it...you missed it.  I ate it.

interesting weather we're having

Ive just read Germany has just had issues with mycotoxin in cows milk due to contaminated feed from Serbia (milk can't be consumed) and a New Zealand malter is rejecting barley due to the biggest ergot outbreak in New Zealand in over a generation.  In both cases, perfect weather conditions for the respective fungi to grow and produce toxins.  Since they picked it up there's no hallucinogenic beer for the Kiwis.

free time warning...

I downloaded sculptris...thanks Amanda.  My free time has fallen down the black hole of awesome software. 

I just tried to make a dodecahedron with a tail (the start of a phage).  So far (in 20 minutes) I've made something that looked remarkably like a duck head...which has now turned into a brain and spinal cord.  It all looks very, very cool, but not what I was aiming for...yet.

do not call

I put my mobile on the do not call register today.  I got an unknown call a couple of days ago that I missed and didn't bother ringing back, then today it rang, I picked up and missed the call (answer and it hung up).  I thought I might have messed up the answering and found this number had been calling multiple times a day  - ooh maybe its a sessional teacher needing to call me.  I did have one call at work today & he had called last year on my mobile and I'd ignored it as an unknown number.  I'll call back. ...Answering machine with if you are returning a call to "insurance company I will not advertise by naming here" and are interested in ....press 1.  I proceed to hang up as soon as they get to press one. 

I've never contacted these people, so some company that has my mobile has sold the list - bad company.  I did a search on the number and apparently there's a lot of complaints about them multiple calling people who never even contacted them. 

So, my phone won't block them without downloading an app that is allowed to phone out from my mobile and thus spend my money.....what the??  My phone service also does not provide this service.  They recommend getting on the "do not call" list.  So badda bing there I am. I also put them on my contact list labelled SPAM, so if the calls do come through, I will see and ignore them easily.

If do not call doesn't work, my friend, Spam, may end up having a lot of numbers over time.

note to self

Do not download books to kindle when you have jobs you should be doing.  I was going to work on some important paperwork today.  Instead I lazed around all day reading.  It was relatively pleasant in the morning and I could have got things done.  By the afternoon it was just oppressive & I no longer felt like doing anything other than finishing one novel and starting the second.