Anatis January 19th, 2008

Paul called to ask if I wanted some takeaway and I said yeah, sure.

We settled on Pizza because we don’t have it much.

He went to get it, since it was on the way. Tops Pizza in Ewell. (Maybe if I put it in here enough people will find it via Google, so I’ll mention Tops Pizza in Ewell, Surrey, frequently in here.)
He got in, with his and my pizza.

He had a regular pepperoni.

I had wanted a Thin Crust Ham and Pineapple.
I opened the box and saw… cheese. I’m not saying Oh noes, there was a bit of cheese on it. I’m saying 95% of the pizza (and that includes the BASE!) consisted of melted cheese.

I pulled a face and my stomach turned at the sight of it. (I hate melted cheese, ok?) I said ok, I’ll stick it in the oven a few. So I tried to lift it…. and couldn’t. The middle was so melted and soggy, it stayed in the carton.
I peeled the edges of the unappetizing thing off and dragged great big wads of cheese of it (Tops Pizza, Ewell, Surrey!) trying to rescue the 5 bits of pineapple I found. Oh there was some ham, scattered into the cheese, too. So I stuck it under the grill, removing yet more cheese and getting some ham from the fridge. Under that cheese was bare base. (Tops Pizza, Ewell) That base, in the center, was two millimeters thin, if that. The rest was cheese.
Tops Pizza, Ewell Branch - have you EVER heard of the minor fact that there is TOMATO on a pizza?

Even after burning it to a crisp, it still tasted of nothing. Nothing. (Tops Pizza, Ewell, Surrey, England)
I should have taken a photograph, but honestly, I don’t want to even look at a picture, because it would make me feel ill.

Totally and utterly revolting. Pigs would turn up their nose at this slop.

Seriously, Pizza in the UK is the most revolting thing you can find. But I’m cured now.
That was the last one I’ll ever have here unless I make it myself.

Tags: Food, Slop, Tops Pizza Ewell Surrey

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Anatis January 7th, 2008

Erangryn - Front from left,
originally uploaded by Anatiss.

So I bought myself a Christmas Present on Ebay.
His name is Erangryn and he’s back in his box now that I took the photographs.
He’s a Royal Doulton Enchantica Dragon… and not only that, he’s #3 of a limited edition of 2950.
Royal Doulton usually keep the first three pieces of those dragons for their archives.
He came with a certificate of authenticity and his (unopened) box.
There are more pics of him on my Flickr page. Enjoy. I know I’ve had to keep the drool off him the entire half hour he was allowed out of his box.

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Anatis January 5th, 2008

So I’m doing the First Draft in 30 Days at the moment and it got me to thinking…

My heroine sucks. No, really, she does. I have no sense of her at all and she’s very shallow and uninspiring. Something has to be done, she needs to get a life.
And that’s where the Question of Character comes into it.
If Tia were real and I wanted to know things about her… I’d ask her questions.
So here is a list of questions to ask a character, whether you use any of it or not in the story, I still feel they (you) should be able (and required) to answer, because it gives the character depth. You just never know what you might slip into a conversation that gives the reader a sense of “oh she’s real”.

So here are the questions, in no particular order. Feel free to use them, and any additions you could suggest - please do. I will add any I receive to the list for easy copy/pasting. (I’ll also “Article” this post, so it’s easy to find later)

1. Who are you?
2. Where did you grow up?
3. Are both your parents still alive?
4. Do you have brothers or sisters?
5. Where do you live now?
6. What do you do for a living?
7. Do you like traveling?
8. What is your favorite TV Show?
9. What is your favorite movie?
10. What is your favorite song / music?
11. Which music don’t you like?
12. Who would you like to meet?
13. Do you have a pet?
14. Are you promiscuous?
15. Are you shy?
16. Are you cautious?
17. What are you afraid of emotionally?
18. What are you afraid of physically?
19. What makes you happy?
20. Do you believe in love?
21. Are you in love?
22. Do you dislike anyone?
23. Who brings out the worst in you?
24. What kind of weapons do you prefer?
25. Are you fit?
26. Healthy?
27. Do you have any phobias?
28. Do you suffer from allergies?
29. What makes you cry?
30. What makes you angry?
31. What kinds of vehicles can you drive?
32. Can you ride a horse?
33. Do you know any first aid?
34. Do you know any herbal remedies?
35. Do you have any artistic talent?
36. Are you interested in sport?
37. Do you partake in any sport?
38. Do you play games?
39. Are you computer literate?
40. How many languages do you speak?
41. Do you take risks?
42. Did/Do your parents have a good marriage?
43. How would you react if I insulted you?
44. What would you do if I confronted you over a mistake you made?
45. How do you react to compliments, praises?
46. Who is your best friend?
47. Who was your best friend in school / childhood?
48. How many boyfriends/girlfriends have you had?
49. Who broke up with who?
50. How do you feel you fit your “mold” in life?
51. How do you break it?
52. How do you like to dress?
53. How do you actually dress?
54. What makes you relax?
55. What makes you tense?
56. Are you racist?
57. Are you interested in politics?
58. How is your general knowledge?
59. Do you read?
60. What’s your favorite book?
61. What car do you drive?
62. What kind of dwelling do you live in?
63. Where would you like to live?
64. Have you ever been in hospital?
65. Any scars, identifying marks?
66. Were you popular in school?
67. Are you popular now?
68. How do other people see you?
69. Are you a loner?
70. Are you a vigilante?
71. How do you deal with authority?
72. Are you a leader or a follower?
73. Do you like children?
74. Do you want children?
75. Do you have children?
76. Were you ever married?
77. Who do you trust with your life?
78. What hobbies do you have?
79. Do you have any bad habits?
80. Are you tidy or messy?
81. Is your place of residence presentable at all times?
82. Are you afraid of anyone?

More to come as I go along. Hope this list is of some help to some people out there.

Tags: Character, Questions, WIP, Writing

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Anatis January 4th, 2008

Angelle made a good point about pretentious writers today over on Wicked Wenches. Go check it out.

I view it as black and white. Either I’m published, or I’m unpublished. There is no in-between for me.
In a way I’m glad I don’t run around reading too many blogs because I don’t get half as annoyed these days. (Angelle is a great “oh this is interesting” poster on our crit group, and I really appreciate that she keeps us up to date on feeds and stuff.)
So go nip by her blog, she usually has some interesting things to say, or reports some fun things at other places.

Tags: Pre-Published

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Anatis January 3rd, 2008

waiting1,
originally uploaded by Anatiss.

I figured I’d share this one.
He’s waiting… to be let out. To be forgiven. Something. It was an image that sprang to mind and I don’t even know why.
Enjoy.

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Anatis December 28th, 2007

Not.

Read my lips. Pink is NOT my favorite color.
I am not a girly-girl.
I hate pink clothes. I am NOT a pink person.
In fact, I’m the least pink kind of person you’ll ever meet.
It doesn’t suit me, I don’t like it on anything and I go out of my way to avoid that color.

Invariably I end up with something pink every christmas or birthday.

You’d think family would know - after some twenty years - that I don’t wear pink. At all. Ever.

Right. That off my chest, I’ll be in the garden, burying a pair of slippers.
No one should have to endure such an atrocity.

Tags: Christmas Presents, Pink, Slippers

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Anatis December 21st, 2007

Tags: Random Quote

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Anatis December 10th, 2007

Yes, indeed.

Hard to believe that it’s been a year.

A WHOLE year of being

Unbelievable!

Yay me!

Tags: Quitting, Smoking, Stopping, Success

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Anatis December 7th, 2007

Ever had one of those days where you REALLY should have stayed in bed?
Today was one of those.
It started off pretty harmless. I woke up after not hearing my alarm.
Luckily it wasn’t that late, but still. I should have suspected it was going to go downhill from there.
I didn’t get to finish my coffee.
The bread I use to make sandwiches with… had green spots.
Fine, I use the other loaf. No biggie.
I then get into the carpark - I actually got the car today, usually I walk to work - get in the car and reverse out of the parking space.
My neighbor comes up and knocks on my window. I thought “Damn you, I’m late!” but alas, I wound down the window.
“Unless your car can fly… you won’t be going anywhere.” she says. “There’s a tree blocking the drive.”
“Ah. Ok I guess I walk.” I say.
She laughs.
Guess what. She was right. There was a big tree down across the drive and you couldn’t even climb over it. Phone call to the boss. “Uh…”

The crappy picture I took with the mobile. At this point most of the tree was already chopped.

Okay. So we tried to get a chainsaw to the tree. No dice. Its an electric chainsaw and the multitude of extension cables was simply too much. I run and get another cable…. and manage to lock myself out of the house.

So I call my better half and tell him I’ve locked myself out.
He says he should be home around the same time I am.
Cool beans.

At 11am I finally managed to get to work - minus the car.
Which was unlocked, and in the carpark, all day.

At 3:30pm my butt starts to vibrate. (My phone is on vibrate and in my back pocket - don’t get too excited!)
I answer the phone. It’s the better half.

“Bad news,” he says. “I won’t be home before 7pm.”

It’s not my bloody day, is it?

Hopefully your day went better than mine, but I should clearly never have gotten up, much less left the house today!

Tags: Crazyness, Keys, Trees, Wind

• Life, the Universe, and Everything , Primal Screams
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Anatis December 6th, 2007

Egawds. Here we go again. Angelle tagged me. You evil minion, you!

1. Eggnog or hot chocolate? Hot chocolate. Eww Eggnogg. What is it with you people!
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just put them under the tree? Wraps them.
3. Colored or white lights on tree/house? Eww to colored lights. That’s if I had lights.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? No, I don’t want to end up kissing the 60 year old postman!
5. When do you put your decorations up? Do christmas cards count as decorations? Our living room is too small for a tree. (Seriously) Besides, we usually end up elsewhere.
6. What is your holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Paul. Oh… wait… Not dessert you said.
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child. I’m German. We celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve.
   I have to elaborate on the memory since not everyone knows what it’s like there.
   Christmas at my house started with “Waiting”. Waiting for the tree to be carried in. Waiting to be allowed to decorate it. (We use real candles, so this takes time and care.) Then, once it was all decorated, the living room door would be closed. It was the only time it was ever closed. Then you wait. Christmas in my house does not happen before 6pm.
   We would help in the kitchen, annoy Gran, drive everyone mad. And then…
   Then usually you would hear someone playing “Silent Night” on a trumpet from the Church tower and you’d sneak toward that closed door.
   The trumpet would finish. Everything goes quiet. The lights are out. Christmas music starts quietly beyond that closed door. And the door opens to reveal a dark room. A room lit by only the Christmas tree, the light sparkling in tinsel and baubles, the candles throwing lights all around the room.
   There was usually snow outside or it was snowing, making the world outside blue at night. I will never - ever - forget that sight, the sense of peace, the sense of excitement when that door opened and I saw the tree. Everything else just faded into the background for a few precious moments. Magic.
   I wish everyone could experience it and it still brings tears to my eyes thinking about it.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I don’t remember. Santa is different in Germany. He brings gifts on the 6th December. The “Christkind” (Christ Child) brings gifts on Christmas Eve. I remember my brother got stuffed into Santa’s Sack once because he was giving Santa lip…
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Hell yes. To me, Christmas Day is weird.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Silver and muted reds. Mostly silver. Real Tree. Real Candles, too. And an Advent Ring with 4 fat red candles, ribbons… ahh… you have to be able to SMELL Christmas as well as see it, or it’s not real.
11. Snow! Love it or dread it? Love it.
12. Can you ice skate? Yes
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Gawd. No. I remember some toys I got, if that counts.
14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you? To be honest, to me only Christmas Eve really counts. Everything else is weird. I hate forced family gatherings with a passion.
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Cookies!
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? St. Nikolaus. (He puts candy in your shoes 6th December)
17. What tops your tree? I don’t have one, but when I do… nothing.
18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving? Giving. I never get what I want, so I don’t like it lol.
19. What is your favourite Christmas song? Winter Wonderland - tho not really a Christmas song.
20. Candy canes. Oh God… you’re talking to the dentally challenged here!
21. Favourite Christmas movie? I don’t have one.
22. What do you leave for Santa? What do you mean, leave for him? He’s supposed to leave for me!

Tagging Lara!

You know, I think I could get into this tag blogging thing!

Tags: Christmas, Tag Blogging.

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