Mondays are overrated

[jadesfire]

Good...er...lunchtime all. Gosh, when did that happen? Hope everyone's coping with Monday okay. I'm tired out of my tiny mind, but managing better since the sun came out. I have lists as long as my arm to be getting on with, so clearly what I want to be doing is writing a long LJ post about my dull weekend.

~ I had a very practical weekend, what with one thing and another. On Saturday, I made us a medicine box from a shoebox and diet coke boxes. I can actually find a paracetamol when I need one, which is a great improvement. My SAD light makes an excellent craft lamp, it must be said.

~ Mum brought me up a collection of crochet hooks and some yarn, so I spent a happy evening trying not to tie my fingers together and mostly succeeded \o/ I'm pretty confident with the basic stitches now, as well as the basic amigurumi technique, which I like a lot. My main problem now is turning the end of my first row of proper stitches - all my squares are somewhat wobbly at the edges! Blackwell's knitters, would someone be able to help me with that on Wednesday, please? The books and YouTube vids aren't really doing the trick *looks hopeful*

~ A couple of emails at the weekend have made me look back on 2009 slightly differently than I'd expected. 2008 was a bad, bad year, and I know we'd all hoped this year would be better. It hasn't been, for most of my friends, and I will be glad to get into 2010, hoping for more. On the other hand, my own state of mind has, on the whole, been much better than last year, and I feel like I'm definitely *trying* to recover, even if I'm not there yet. I got up the courage a while back to email some friends that I'd more or less lost touch with, and their replies have been humbling and incredibly welcome. I'm still too flakey for my own liking, and need to get a grip on my organisational skills, which are more than lacking, but just the desire to do that is so much better than last year. Baby steps, but it's good to see progress.

~ Is anyone going to do Christmas wish lists this year? I checked, and they went up about this time last year. I'm very aware that the last posting dates are coming up in a few weeks, and I want to make sure I send stuff in plenty of time. If they don't pop up in the next few days, I might get the ball rolling myself...

~ I discovered a bunch of postcards from Menorca in the bottom of my rucksack. If I have your address, you might be getting a surprise!card in the next few weeks. Also, I must thank naye, rustydog and darththalia who have all sent me cards over the last few weeks, and have brightened my day immeasurably.

~ I did watch Waters of Mars yesterday . For me, it wasn't a great episode, and it wasn't a terrible one. I don't mind the darkness, the slightly crazed aspect of it, but I didn't feel they really exploited the plot elements they could have played with. To me, it felt like they were trying to cram too much into one episode - too much character detail, too much plot, and they ended up not doing justice to either. Also, there were too many 'Doctor looking ominous' moments for my taste - I got it the first time - and the last part, just standing in the snow looking contemptuous, was far more chilling and scary than all the raving or posing against the explosions. Just let David Tennant act - he doesn't need the dramatic backdrop or music or anything like that.

For me, it felt very much like an 'on the way episode' - like they've got to move him from A to B, and this was just the marker along the way. We're only half done with the development, and while the plot sounded good on paper, and Lindsay Duncan was simply superb,* I wanted a little...more...from it.

ETA: I am waiting for the first "typical rubbish accents" post to pop up. Because although Steffi's German accent was put on, the American and Russian ones were genuine. Why yes, I did watch the Confidential. I enjoyed almost more than the episode.

GADGET GADGET!

*OTOH, I thought she was going to shoot him and trigger the regeneration. Which would have been way more interesting...

I did watch the trailer for Christmas...

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EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! I'm more excited about seeing Donna than anyone else. Can't wait to see what they do with her *bounces* Don't screw this up for me, RTD. Please? I'm more than prepared to give the new Doctor a chance, but seriously.

DONNA!!!!!!! *squee*

Is it Christmas yet?

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So, how's everyone else? Good week ahead?

Comments

[dyddgu.livejournal.com]

Meant to say in re crochet, if your first chain is too tight to hook into, I find using a hook 1 size up for that chain helpful. We can look at the raggedy edges on Weds - antarra is the best crocheter amongst us, I think.

[dyddgu.livejournal.com]

Also, regarding the "cramming into one episode" thing - I've found that a problem with the whole series since it returned. I used to love the 30 min eps with stories that lasted a few weeks. I suspect I am in the minority, though!

[dune-drd.livejournal.com]

That was a put on German accent? Then it was a good one. Sounded genuine to me, at least, and didn't overdo it

[pwcorgigirl.livejournal.com]

I'm about to get myself together and go out to do errands. Right now the sun is finally shining on the garden and our neighbor's black and white cat is sitting by the iron bench washing her face. She's so cute!

One of my church friends refuses to ever say she's having a bad day. She says, "I'm having a bad 10 o'clock," with the expectation that 10 will pass and the day will improve. I like her attitude. :)

[aeshna_uk]

I actually really enjoyed it... but I've come to realise that my yardstick for enjoyment is pretty much "did it keep me happily entertained/involved for an hour?" (I really am shit at being a media fan - can't be doing with that whole moral outrage, capslock of frothing doom thing, and if I don't like something, I just don't watch it ;)) This was pretty much typical DW - silly in some places, scary in others (I wonder how many Sunday night kiddie bathtimes got cancelled last night?), with added Doctor On The Edge Of A Nervous Breakdown. I really liked that sequence - he's slipping over the edge into vengeful godhood, and then Adelaide delivers the slap he needs. For a moment there, I thought she might shoot him, as well... but the choice she makes - the choice he wouldn't - is actually far more effective. He's veering between extremes, losing any sense of perspective, and it'll be fascinating to see how it all ends up.

For my money, this and the Easter episode have been the strongest of the specials so far... or at least the most enjoyable! :)

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

I haven't watched it. Actually I haven't watched the Easter one either. I find that I just don't care. I'll watch the X-mas one since it's DT and RTD's swan song, but I fully expect to put my fingers in ears and "la-la-la" over the massive plot holes.

I'm glad the crocheting is working for you, I really enjoy it when i have the time and my wrist isn't bothering me.

[phoenix64.livejournal.com]

I'm totally with you on the Donna squee! *bounces*

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

OTOH, I thought she was going to shoot him and trigger the regeneration. Which would have been way more interesting...

Me too! Otherwise why would she pull her gun while the door was still open? I mean, obviously so the viewers could see it in that shot, but you know what I mean.

[aeron-lanart.livejournal.com]

I had a Doctor Who party - me, nephew and nephew's house mate with added popcorn, nibbles and a dog on our knees (intermittently). I had great fun. I also enjoyed the episode but like aeshna I'm not a terribly objective Doctor Who viewer - if it keeps me entertained, I'll like it!

After Waters of Mars finished we messed around with my remote controlled dalek and k9 until we found out that the house mate had never seen Torchwood... cue me digging out the box sets and having to fix my dvd player with my sonic screw driver (strictly speaking, I used it as a torch as I couldn't see which way round the scart was supposed to go). We only had the chance to watch the first 2 eps of series 1, but he wants to see the others!

As for 2009, mine has been *miles* better than my 2008 was so far, but I'm not sure it could have been much worse and have me surviving it in one piece. In 2009 I have got *my* life back, and that is brill - if a little expensive at times. So many good things to look back on this year which is such a change.

[rustydog.livejournal.com]

Here's to baby steps and seeing progress in 2009. ::hugs::


(Not looking at the other comments since I haven't watched the "Coming Soon" trailer...)

it felt very much like an 'on the way episode' - like they've got to move him from A to B, and this was just the marker along the way.

I think you're right, and I'm usually very forgiving of this kind of episode in a season-long or several-episode arc, but I'm finding it harder to shrug off when it's a much-anticipated "event" like this, a longer-length special that's coming months and months after the last one with at least a month until the next one. Sigh. I think in the end, a year or more from now when we have the bigger picture, I won't remember the disappointment much if at all.

*OTOH, I thought she was going to shoot him and trigger the regeneration. Which would have been way more interesting...

Me too! And as much as I'm dreading That Thing, I was almost hoping for it because it would have been super interesting and hugely surprising.

[fish-echo.livejournal.com]

*flails* Wait, what, it's mid-November already? I'm still not sure how that happened *shakes head in confusion*

Thanks for the reminder on wish-lists. I was/am planning on doing so, I just hadn't realised that now would be time to start dusting off last year's entry.


it's good to see progress.

Yay, progress! *pompoms of awesome* (And yes, I believe in celebrating any and all progress.)

[rivers-bend.livejournal.com]

I loved a lot about the Dr Who, but felt like they tried way too hard with a lot of it. As you say, like they were cramming in too much stuff. And also, yes. David can act. He doesn't need all the extraneous stuff. But it did bring back to me all the reasons that I love this series, and I'm excited for the Christmas one!

[miss-zedem.livejournal.com]

Agreed about the WoM - it felt rushed and underdeveloped in places, and laboured in others. The crazy!Doctor I didn't buy at all, although it might have been more convincing had it lasted more than five minutes. Lindsay Duncan was fab though, and I got to spend a lot of time going 'ooh, botanical gardens! ooh, Swansea!', which pleased me :D

*hugs*

[azure-chaos.livejournal.com]

I've only been waiting for Waters of Mars for months and I've missed it?! I had no idea when it was on, I was just being all patient thinking it would be Xmas *sighs* I'm sure it'll be repeated just before the Xmas special airs though.

Nate (who managed to avoid reading the spoilers \o/ )