NaNoWriMo 2006 Winner!

Validated my novel on Sunday at the last St Louis write-in, 50007 words!  Story needs a few hundred more to finish, but I'm about there.  Managed to drop in lyrics for Weird Al's "White and Nerdy" and the Wordworth daffodils poem, plus some

Biroid lifestyle

Did Biros really revolutionise writing? Fifty-seven Bic Biros are sold every second (and then "borrowed" by passing colleagues) - not bad for a 60-year-old product. But did the pens really make that much of a difference?  It was a familiar frustration that led to the invention

Eternal Sweater progress report V

Back in the saddle, thanks to my cheerleaders.  Started the sleeve on Monday at lunch, it's all downhill from here!  I think I've figured out how all the pieces fit together.  Sewing up is going to be quite the task. * 20th Nov: most of the cuff

Recipe: Citrus Scones

My guinea pigs survived the first test batch of citrus scones after Thanksgiving dinner.  The recipe is a variation on my English Scones. Citrus Scones * 2 tablespoons of Penzeys orange peel * 1 1/2 teaspoons of orange essence * 1 pound of whole wheat flour * 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar

Oh, THAT sweater!

OK cheerleaders, I'm back on the case.  Did the cuff of the sleeve yesterday at lunch, today I'm measuring against the other sleeve and starting the pattern part.  This is the last part I have to knit. And I made 40004 words on the novel last

Sweater? What sweater?

I took this week off from the Eternal Sweater and worked on the novel at lunch.  My two beta readers (Hubby and Rox) have liked it so far.  Hit the thirty thousand word mark Thursday night, which means a nice black line on my progress graph.  Of all the utilities

Forcibly upgraded

My computer got upgraded at work.  While I am loving the new speed, wireless keyboard  and mouse, and new display options, I also got Internet Exploder 7.  I knew I'd encounter  it at some point, and I don't like it. The way they've done

Data recovery

BBC News: Top 10 data disasters revealed. Hard drives kept in dirty socks and the dangers of oiling your PC feature in a top 10 list of data disasters.  In one case, a university professor needed help after he tried to fix a squeaky desktop computer by squirting it with

Eternal sweater progress report IV

If you walk into a yarn store and say you're thinking of setting fire to a recalcitrant sweater, be prepared for some horrified gasps.  The sweater has a stay of execution, but I did wind the yarn for the next pair of socks and write over sixteen thousand

Of penguins and backups

My characters are misbehaving.  The geologist started out as an annoying egomaniac, turns out he's recovering from depression and has a decent side.  The two pilots were having an affair and didn't tell me, and my secondary character has elbowed her way into top billing.  I