Night 2 of Tin Man
Well I absolutely loved night 1 and in about an hour the first part of the three part miniseries is going to be on again leading into the second part (which I can’t wait to see). Part 3 will air tomorrow and I’m having a hard time clearing out my schedule for 3 nights in a row to watch the show in its entirety. That’s probably the reason I normally don’t watch anything that I have to commit more than one night to. And no I don’t have a DVR or TiVo or anything else like that – I mean how much work do you think I would get done at home if I could record anything at any time???
But I digress – back to Part 1 of the Tin Man. It was really a strange feeling watching the movie because there was so much that was familiar and yet even more that was new. The closest I can come to explaining what I mean is by likening it to going back to your hometown after years away (if it’s growing that is) and seeing all the new buildings, roads, houses, stores, etc. You get this feeling of vertigo because you can see the way it used to be superimposed behind what it is now. I felt the same way watching Tin Man.
Anyways, I’ve got to get some work done so I can enjoy the show! Is anyone else out there watching the series? Do you like it? Or no? Please let me know – I’d enjoy hearing from you. 
Cornelia Funke’s “Inkheart”
This is yet another of those books that I received as a present last year. I read it a few weeks ago and then read the second book “Inkspell”. I have to admit I loved the books – skillfully written, engaging characters, and a plot that sneakily draws you in until you realize you can’t put the book down just yet . . . you just have to see what happens next!
My favorite character by far was Dustfinger – part villain, part hero, all conflicted. You just never knew what he was going to do. A truly engrossing read and I highly recommend it (if you haven’t read it yet).
PJacks
P.S. This is being made into a movie that will be released this next year!
Tingly For Tin Man
My first thought when I saw the commercial for this was . . . huh? After the 5th or 6th commercial I found myself thinking okay, this has potential. And then waiting in my happy little Inbox this morning was a link to the Sci Fi Wire featuring a story about Tin Man. By now I’m getting tingly with anticipation. I loved the Wizard of Oz and I’m really looking forward to this new take on the world of Oz!
According to Sci Fi:
The six-hour miniseries sets the story in the Outer Zone (“the O.Z.”), an alternate universe in which DG (Zooey Deschanel) is stranded. She sets out on a quest with three unusual partners: ex-cop Wyatt Cain (Neal McDonough); Glitch, a man missing half his brain (Alan Cumming); and Raw (Raoul Trujillo), a nervous, wolverine-like creature.
Now how cool is that?
Tin Man will premiere on Dec. 2 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. I’m ready!
Dear Santa,
Uh huh, you read that right. I’m going to take a night and indulge in one of the most heartwarming (and yet oh so hilarious events) I’ve ever had the pleasure to be a part of. This was the first year that my 4 year old was actually able to understand and “write” his very own letter to Santa. We did the whole bit with the envelope addressed to the North Pole (although I didn’t go completely crazy and pay for that “Dear Santa” letter thing). We got the Dear Santa part down and then my son got this very serious expression on his face.
After a few moments of intense concentration (and no writing) I asked him what he was doing. His answer? “Mother,” (all drawn out, I can’t wait until he’s a teenager *shudder*), “I want to get it right.”
“Get it right?” This from me staring in amazement (and confusion) at this little being who was looking like he had found a genie bottle and was only allowed one wish. I had been expecting a frenzied babbling of every toy he’d seen in every commercial for the last 6 months. “Honey, what would you really like for Santa to bring you?”
And it finally clicked. The slow grin spread across the face. Those beautiful green eyes lit up. And we were off.
“I want a rocket that will take me places like they have on Little Einsteins and I want a dragon that can live in our tree – he’ll be my very best friend. And I want a Power Rangers bike with the dragon and the sounds,” (finally, something I could actually take care of), “and I want a little brother . . . ” (Uh oh) “. . . the same age as me so that we can play baseball and chase together.”
Well by now I have writer’s cramp and a headache from trying to figure out how to get around the ‘little brother’ issue. And then comes the pièce de résistance . . . “and Santa, I want you to make it so my mommy doesn’t have to work so that she’s not tired and she can spend all day playing with me.”
Wow! Number one I don’t think anyone has ever wished that for me before (except for maybe MY mommy) and number two – instant ocean of guilt. Am I too short with my son? Do I not spend enough time with him? I work from home. We do lots of activities together. Do I work too much? Well yeah, probably. But I have a house to take care of and rising costs from every direction.
My little one looked at me and I guess he saw the worry on my face because he grabbed me by the cheeks, planted a kiss, told me he loved me . . . and pointed at the paper because he had thought of some other things he wanted to add! Oh well, one of the few times that a short attention span is actually a good thing.
So now I think I’ll write my own letter to Santa. And I’ll ask for the health of my family and friends, prosperity . . . and a few extra hours a day to spend with the love of my life.
PJacks
What Is A Wendigo?
I’ve spent part of this holiday watching (with glee) seasons 1, 2, and 3 of Charmed (a present from a very sweet family member who always knows exactly what I want/need at any given time – even if I have no clue). I just finished watching the episode where Piper is turned into a Wendigo and I found my curiosity aroused so I pulled out my handy dandy Encyclopedia of Fantasy to look it up. Yes, I have an Encyclopedia of Fantasy (I have the Sci Fi one too) and yes, I’m going to share with you what I read because it was really . . . neat, cool, awesome (well, you get the idea). So here we go:
WENDIGO: In Native American tradition – especially among the Algonquins – an evil spirit. Native Americans believed you could be possessed by a Wendigo and thereby turned into one, a psychosis usually manifested by way of devouring. its main attribute is that it eats people and can transfer that affliction to any it bites – the parallels with European myths concerning Vampires are obvious. The Wendigo has been likened to the call-of-the-wild personified.
Wow! The piece actually goes on for about another five paragraphs but I thought that would be enough to get the gist. Funnily enough the Wendigo is normally portrayed as either a spirit of the wind (no body) or as a giant skeleton of ice. So much for the cute, furry creature that Piper turned into (well okay, if you take away the orange eyes and icky teeth).
I’ve decided that once a week I will pull something from this encyclopedia to write about – that way I’ll get my research time in and you may learn something new and exciting too!
PJacks
Finishing the Golden Compass
Okay, I’ve finished the first book of Phillip Putnam’s Dark Materials trilogy. It was a good story, if a little bleak at the ending, and made me want to read the second book, “The Subtle Knife” now. So I’ve started that one. I have to say I didn’t see a whole lot of religious (or atheist) undertones in the Compass – it was really a good read and I’m sure it will make a great movie. Most of the controversy I’ve read to date seems to echo my opinion that the first book is fine, that it’s in the second book that the undertones start coming out.
I almost wish I had read the books before all of the controversy started (I’ve had them for a while, just haven’t had the luxury of time to get through all of my pending reading). I am finding myself looking too closely for the supposed undertones instead of just relaxing and reading the story. Luckily the Compass was engrossing enough that I lost myself in the story before getting too far into it!
I should finish the second book this weekend, so I’ll have a better idea of what all of the fuss is about!
PJacks
Things I’m Thankful For:
Now that I am gradually coming back out of my turkey-induced stupor, I realized that I had not devoted any time to pondering all of the things that I am thankful for. So I thought I’d do a quick little list that I can look back on through the year when I get stressed or frustrated – I know it’s hard to imagine a writer getting stressed or frustrated, right?
My List:
1) My Family. I can’t imagine life without my family – even when they are being annoying!
2) The health of my family and friends – the good health I should add.
3) Technology – the fact that it allows me to work from home so that I can spend even more time with my family!
4) Coffee – there is nothing like the smell of coffee brewing and a great cup of coffee can make even the worst day better.
5) Imagination – both mine and other’s. Books, movies, songs – I love being able to disappear for a bit into someone else’s world. Although I’m always happy to come back home again after!
I could go on . . . but I think we all get the idea. I hope everyone (who celebrates it anyway) had a wonderful holiday and has their own list of things they are thankful for!
PJacks
Technology: Books and/or E-Books
I’ve read quite a bit about the booming technology industry and the question of whether or not real, paper and print books will disappear. My opinion is that no – they won’t. I love my technology – don’t get me wrong. I even have my PDA set up to where I can download e-books and carry them with me. To be honest I haven’t evolved enough yet to do the audio book thing but I have enjoyed most of the books that I’ve downloaded. They can be found for free all over the internet and it’s a great chance to read other unpublished authors in my same field – to see what’s out there.
Having said that – I still buy at least a book a week. There’s just something about holding the book in your hands and curling up on the couch. I stare at a computer screen all day long (and sometimes all night) and going to bed and staring at yet another electronic screen to read a book just does not sound that relaxing!
On the other hand – I can store 30 or 40 books on my PDA and slip it into my purse. It’s a great way to have something to read while waiting for an appointment or on a trip where you don’t want to be weighed down.
My final opinion is that they both have their place. I enjoy my e-books and all but they will never replace my love for a physical book that I can hold in my hand, dogear a page, and revisit like the old friends they are.
PJacks
Why A Catch All?
I have several blogs that I maintain for various business ventures but I found myself looking for an outlet for my opinions and discussions about writing and reading (any genre really although my focus is Fantasy/Young Adult) and entertainment in general. I also needed a place I could throw thoughts that just didn’t seem to fit anywhere else. Plus my writing instructor demanded (in that sweet way she has) that I have a creative blog that I write in consistently (she said daily, I said twice a week, we compromised on 5 days a week) to get myself into the habit of writing and train my brain! Who knows where it will go from here! If you have a favorite book, movie, audio that you are passionate about, please let me know. It may be something I haven’t read/heard/seen yet and I’m always looking for new worlds and adventures to lose myself in!
PJacks
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