swordmage: (zombie sheep)
Willa ([personal profile] swordmage) wrote2010-03-02 10:19 pm

(no subject)

Well, let's start with 50 Books, shall we? In no particular order:

1) Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper - I then lent it to my dad whose first comment was "I want to buy a cleaver now." I, already being in possession of a cleaver, bought two of her cookbooks, both for
specific regions. Land of Plenty, which is Sichuanese, and Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook, which is Hunan. There's a bunch of really good stuff in them, and I'm really looking forward to cooking out of it.

2) The Fortune Cookie Chronicles - short, easy, read on take-out Chinese in the US. I'm fairly convinced it's related to an article in the Times a few years ago about the origins of fortune cookies, but damned if I totally know.

3) The Umbrella Academy, Volume 1 - Surprisingly good. I nabbed in on the cheap for the iPhone (Dark Horse is putting out a bunch of trades in such a format) and got sucked in. The James Jean cover art may or may not have been partially responsible.

4) Percy Jackson and the Olympians - The Lightning Thief - I... don't know. I'll probably read the rest, but I don't think it was absolutely wonderful. The characters and the characteristics of their immortal parents were well-done, and the idea was good, but I felt it was... a bit lacking somehow.

The next books sitting on the to-read list are mostly partially-read. Likely, they'll get tossed aside in favor of a history of the Custer Battlefield since 1876 (work reading, title is Striken Field) and You Are Not A Gadget, which I think, based on some skimming, I will both love and hate. Expected reaction shouldn't be as violent as the one to Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, which is one of the few books where I've wanted to kill the writer.




Other than that, I went out to fighter practice tonight. I'm not a newbie, I am uber!noob! But, on the bright side, I practiced some simple things with Bryan and am feeling a bit better with stuff overall. With luck, enough friends will be willing to put up with me poking at them for a bit of time once a week, and all shall be good. Did discover I need to retape my tip though - red on black... not so good for my sight. Definitely need to get in better shape, but this is a good reason.

Also working on cleaning the house, which is a slow process. Translation - getting the library and spare bedroom to actually *be* such things. It's working out though, which is a nice thing. It's also rather overdue. (If you can consider it a few months to be overdue.) In the end, jut happy to be getting the house together and everything settled. After Crown - and btw, we'll be there Saturday and a bit of Sunday - we're going to get the yard in order.

Tomorrow, between work and CSA pickup, my plans involve, quite simply, homework. I feel like I'm running a little behind, but really I know I'm ok. Need to finish something for last week, but I should be alright, I think, as it's kind of not too much.

About the only downside to all of this is that one of my eyes seems to be a bit sore/painful. I actually think it may be a stye, but that doesn't make things any less annoying. Combined with the fact that I spent all morning being very sniffly, it's not been a good day in Willa!health.

[identity profile] dverning.livejournal.com 2010-03-03 02:19 pm (UTC)(link)
With luck, enough friends will be willing to put up with me poking at them for a bit of time once a week, and all shall be good.
Some of us are even willing to work with you more than once a week...

Thursdays at the grassy declivity in front of Campus Health is going to be St.Felix practice. I'll be there this week and hope to attend semi-regularly. (Sadly, it conflicts with Victory Hall.)

Plus, there's any time you just want to do pickups or technique work. Just call.

Glad Bryan worked with you. Sad that I missed you. I was playing Hardsuit and Cut&Thrust last night. *hugs*

[identity profile] swordmage.livejournal.com 2010-03-03 03:53 pm (UTC)(link)
I saw you out there, but you looked busy and I sort of was as well, so I just made a note to say hi later. (We can see how that went. *grin*) We'll just kidnap you for dinner in the semi-near future or something.

Hhmmmm, Thursday. May be able to drag Dom out too - especially if he'd actually get to *do* something non-businessy. Next person who asks why he doesn't get out to fight at practice will likely get snapped at (though it's not happened for awhile).

Pretty much, for awhile, I'll be happy if I've got several someones to watch me for half an hour or so each (so they can do something more interesting as well) and tell me I'm doing it wrong. Bryan recommended a few things to work on at home which I'll be trying as well.

[identity profile] weavedancer.livejournal.com 2010-03-03 07:53 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm most pleased that you are fighting now! I reserve a play-date in the near future.

Bryan is a good teacher. I don't know what he recommended you do at home, but he is probably right. The more the better!

[identity profile] swordmage.livejournal.com 2010-03-03 08:38 pm (UTC)(link)
*grins* I'd like that quite a bit.

Oddly enough, circling a doorknob with my blade. Since I iz weakling and have no control, this is *definitely* something I will be working on.