Author: Polgara

This is a picture of my to-be-read shelf, a bookshelf devoted to the books I have yet to read. These aren’t all of my TBR books, since they wouldn’t all fit; it’s more my top priority TBR books.

If you click on the image for a larger view, you might be able to detect two copies of The Hobbit–one fully illustrated; more than one Christopher Golden book (I’m a terrible, terrible friend); Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, which my mom bought for me on my birthday three weeks before she died, and which I’ve only read half of (I can’t help it, it’s boring–who knew my reading tates would be so far off the general public’s?); lots of Harry Dresden books, which I’ll be picking up again once the last Harry Potter has been devoured this weekend; and, well, lots of others.

You might notice a picture of J, the daughter of my friends Tony and Tricia, over there on the left–isn’t she cute? And you might also be wondering what that feathery thing is–that, my friends, is my “COQ” ring, a sequined and feathered symbol of my position as HotKaGoF (Head of the Kitchen and Goddess of Fun) (at least, I think that’s what the “H” stood for, it’s been a few years) in the Court of Quidam. It’d take too long to explain, and you’d just think I’m weider than you already do; just suffice to say it was a gift from a dear friend.

This post has been brought to you by my desire to justify the continued existence of this otherwise neglected blog. 😀

I’ve been on an orange kick lately–the color, not the fruit. Just can’t seem to get enough orange! On my commute today, I was behind this Mazda that was the most brilliantly amazing shade of coppery orange ever! I decided I loved it so much, I had to have a picture of it. Unfortunately, the picture was taken through my windshield, so the color isn’t entirely accurate, which makes me sad. But still, I wanted the memory of the shiny, sunset-colored car to be preserved forever right here. Lucky you!

It’s here! My friend Allyson’s first book, Will the Vampire People Please Leave the Lobby?, became available exclusively at Barnes & Noble stores across the country on Friday, about a week earlier than any of us expected. Friends from NY to Florida, Iowa to Texas and California, have been reporting back with stories on how they found the book, how they chatted up the store employees to generate bookseller interest, how they took pictures (and posted them) of the book on display, and finally how they felt upon reading the essays nestled within the covers. It’s been a big weekend for those of us chronicled in this book about how an internet community based around fandom (in this case, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly fandoms) can change a life. Specifically, it’s about how it changed Allyson’s life, but so much of it describes how it changed many lives, mine included.

If you’re reading this blog, I’d wager your life has also been changed by online interactions with strangers around the world, and if that’s true, you should stop by your local B&N and look for Will the Vampire People Please Leave the Lobby? by Allyson Beatrice. Leaf through it, maybe read a page or two (I’d recommend the chapter entitled “The Internet Wants Your Daughters”), and if you like what you see, buy a copy and bring it home. And as you’re reading it, everytime you come across a mention of Allyson’s friend Paula, you can think to yourself, “Hey, I know her–I read her blog!”

P.S. It’ll be available in all other bookstores as of August 1st!

Wow, two months since an update. I suck. I’m so sorry to be neglecting this blog so grievously; I guess I’ve been spending too much of my time updating my knitting blog. Sorry!

Anyway, I was just in my LJ talking about tomorrow’s holiday. Growing up, the 4th of July was the awesomest holiday ever. Mom would take us to the park near Grandma’s house, where they had all kinds of races and contests for the kids (I once came in third in a potato sack race, won a frisbee!), and rides for the really small kids, and lots of bbq and ice cream. The local Eagles club would have an open house, and my cousins and sister and I would run around the function hall screaming and yelling, or downstairs at the bar, begging Uncle Jack to take the cover off the pool table for us (he didn’t give in until we were in our twenties). Sometimes they’d give us sparklers to play with after dark, or we’d go to the nearby bridge to watch the fireworks over Boston, or we’d just watch them on the bar tv. It was a day spent with family–uncles, aunts, cousins–and it was awesome. I looked forward to it every year, even when we outgrew the park (and became old enough to drink more than Shirley Temples from the bar).

The park two blocks from me does a lot of the same stuff I remember as a kid–rides and races and free food. The Hollywood Bowl is doing fireworks this year (which I find odd, given the lack of rain). But it’s just not the same. For me, it’s a family holiday. I suspect this year will be spent either on the couch reading The Goblet of Fire or watching Independence Day and 1776, or else at the movies watching Transformers. It’s nice to have a day off in the middle of the week, but nowadays, that’s really all it is.

For those of you for whom it’s something more, I wish you a wonderful and fun-filled holiday! For me, I’m thinking cheeseburger, ice cream, and my couch. Woot!

I appear to be in an updating kinda mood, so I figured I’d update here too. I’ve already updated my writing blog and my knitting blog, can’t leave the nonexistent readers of my polgara blog out of the loop. Not that there’s a loop. There’s just me, avoiding my to do list. I wish I could apply the motivation I’m using for avoiding, to the tasks I’m supposed to be doing, like laundry, dishes, groceries, balancing my checkbook, etc. And once the Red Sox game starts in forty minutes, well, that’s three and a half hours more that I won’t be doing my chores. I really suck at being an adult.

I have a conference coming up in San Francisco. I need clean clothes for that. And hopefully, when I balance my checkbook, fingers are crossed that I’ll find a few extra dollars to pick up a new shirt or two for the trip. New shoes would be nice, too.

Trouble is curled up on the chair sleeping, with her paws wrapped around the fuzzy balls of my purse–yes, my purse has fuzzy balls. Sadly, there’s no other way to describe them that isn’t pornographic. The balls drive most of the pets I know to distraction–when I go to PT, Marley (and Maggie, if she’s there) usually make a play for the purse; last week Marley tried to eat the balls. Too cute.

Jack has apparently, finally, realized that he was cranky because he was supposed to be napping, and has disappeared into the bedroom. Weekends always confuse him.

Hmm. Yeah, I’ve really got nothing else. Just the whole avoidance thing. Oh, but if you, my nonexistent reader, have a hankering to purchase a present for someone who may or may not resemble yours truly, might I suggest something like this? Perhaps 15 or so of them, in cedar green? I have a snazzy green tank top in my head that refuses to go away, and it’s screaming for that yarn. 😀

Have a good weekend, and don’t miss the orientation!