N~space

I'm currently going back to a 'failed' novel from several years ago. I wrote around 75,000 words of what I had tentatively titled Breach of Faith before I realized that the passion I had for the work was slowly fading and that I didn't really want to finish it -- at the time, I was also writing pieces of what would eventually become Holder of Lightning, and I was far, far more interested in that world.

At that time in my life, I'd been 'let' go' from my previous job, was feeling rather lost and precarious (both financially and probably mentally as well), was looking for other employment and finding nothing that paid remotely close to what I'd been paid before -- for that matter, a couple years shy of a decade later, I'm still not being paid anything close to that salary...

I was in the meantime working on three separate writing projects at one time -- heck, being a 'full-time writer' had been forced upon me, so damn it, I was going to write. Writing on more than one piece at a time was something that's not my usual routine, as my poor little brain has a hard enough time remembering what I'm doing in one world, much less three. I found that as Holder became more and more the world into which I wanted to immerse myself, it was becoming more and more difficult to force myself back into the world of Breach.

Eventually, I just stopped going there at all, and the draft languished in its folder on my hard drive.

( Wherein the writer whines more than he already has... )

Okay, this is awesome. It's an photographer who takes photographs of the same street over a period of time, then edits the photos together using a comon theme, so it's as though everyone on the street is wearing white, or has a dog or is taking a picture. Absolutely terrific.

You know you want them.

Really, not much has been going on.

--Billie had two seizures last week, which was a bummer as she'd gone over nine months with no seizures. They were also both the same day so we have temporarily upped her phenobarb dose and her acupuncture schedule. Crossing fingers that this works (she hasn't had any since--a week and a half--so time will tell).

--sarah_prineas and the awesome Athena came to visit last week (with a brief cameo appearance by Sarah's daughter). We had lunch and went for a lovely walk while Blue flirted obsessively with Athena (Because she is a GIRL!!)

--Blue and I were in a dog show (Rally) last Saturday. We Q'd but we did not do well. Despite the fact that we have our Rally Novice title I am not convinced that Blue understands that when we are in the ring we are supposed to be working together.

--I've been working on short stories again, which is fun. Sometimes I look at them and I know exactly what has to happen in the rest of the story and yet I don't write it. I suck.

--I have done almost nothing this weekend except read books, walk dogs, and surf the Internets. Hmmm...not a bad weekend.

I am SO not allowed to watch nature documentaries anymore.

Yesterday morning, Patrick took out MrD to give me a chance to rest after an awful night of interrupted sleep. I looked on the BBC iPlayer and saw that there was an episode of Natural World available called "Bringing Up Baby". It was all about mothers and babies in the wild.

Oh good, I thought. I should find that interesting.

When Patrick got home an hour later, I was sobbing uncontrollably.

"...and the mother lion was roaring and fighting to protect them, but then he killed her babies in front of her and she was in so much agony as she had to watch...and then the penguin mother couldn't get back with food fast enough, and her baby was dead!...and then...and then..."

Patrick finally managed to interrupt. "Why in God's name would you watch that documentary?"

I blew my nose. "Well, David Attenborough was narrating, so I knew it would be good...and I thought that episode would be the most topical one for me, since I'm bringing up a baby right now..."

It was a bit too topical for either me or my hormones to cope with, it turns out. On the plus side, I feel very grateful to have been born human, after watching that film. But I'm going to feel emotionally shattered for a long time whenever anyone mentions lions...or penguins...or fur seals...or lemurs...or far too many other kinds of animals!

Those wildlife documentaries are NOT a good idea for mothers of babies to watch. They really ought to come with warning labels.

***
In completely more uplifting news, though, there are still two days left to enter my Thanksgiving giveaway! And Joan Bauer's Squashed has only ever made me laugh, even after watching traumatizing documentaries. ;)

I live-tweeted the Macy's parade yesterday, so I thought I'd put it here for those of you non-twitterers out there. It'll be like what I write about awards shows, but shorter paragraphs! Except for where I combined several tweets in one.

***

Time to watch the Macy's parade and complain that it's not a real parade! The Rose Parade, now that's a parade.

There's Spidey!

They are starting with a jillion cheerleader routine. And of course the cameras caught one of them just toppling like a tree.

The Kermit balloon is looking a little short on helium. Either that, or he's showing his age, because he looks wrinkly around the mouth.

Can they even pretend for a minute that this is a parade and not an advertisement for NBC shows? Um, nope! Watch Mercy!

Okay, a performance from Hair, no complaints here.

Meredith Viera: "Hippies, as they were called, let their hair grow long to celebrate their new freedom of expression and camaraderie." It wasn't that long ago, Meredith, and they are still around today! It's like she's talking about a far off historical time.

Now I love Hair, but this is what I mean, they aren't on a float, they are performing at the spot where the parade will be in 3 hours.

Where's Will? Is he not with the show anymore or couldn't he get up this early?

INTERVIEWING LINUS ROACHE AS THE PARADE MARCHES BEHIND HIM IS NOT TELEVISING A PARADE!

Man, John Stamos was not born to lip-synch.

It's not that this isn't a parade so much as the fact that NBC works as hard as it can to show as little of the actual parade as possible. Some of us like watching parades. Can we see a little of this one, maybe? They show a little bit aerially, then Al interviews a minor celebrity working for NBC, then they show a Broadway number in front of Macy's. It's the Macy's Talk Show where the gimmick is that it happens with a parade going on just out of camera range.

Apparently, the parade exists because of the immigrants who worked at Macy's in the day wanted a European festival! Take that, Lou Dobbs!

Finally, they deign to show the parade, it doesn't exist until it gets to 34th, so why does the show start an hour before then? O yeah, ads!

Eek! Scary giant pilgrim heads of yore! That must have been a terrifying parade long ago.

Jane Krakowski, you are lip synching, why are you holding a mic? Love her, hate this song.

Finally they are showing the parade, only to stop it dead so that Jane can sing a terrible song on the Ocean Spray float. I think that's so that a million people across this great land can say, "Holy cats, I forgot to buy the cranberry sauce!"

Who the hell is Mitchel Musso? Hey, you know what's awesome about TiVo? Fast forwarding through stupid Disney channel songs!

Hooray, Sesame Street float! There's Bob and Maria and Luis! That might not be Carroll Spinney in the Big Bird costume, but it's really Bob!

Hamburger Helper float honoring local heroes who get cats out of trees and someone named Jay Sean lip synching a bad song. Best float ever. And by "best" I mean "most random".

There's a Chinese-American community center in Hocasun, Delaware?

Stop putting bad singers of bad songs on floats, Macy's! Are you trying to make us thankful for NBC's regular programming?

The only person dressed like it's winter on any of these floats is the NYC Marathon winner. Presumably because he has no body fat.

Alan Cumming is singing "That's Life" in a thick Scottish accent on a float with M&Ms dressed as Broadway characters. Very. Best. Float! No, wait, don't move on, more Alan Cumming! Okay this is REALLY what TiVo is for.

Cyndi Lauper! This parade is definitely improving. Except that Cyndi was just interrupted for a commercial. Back to normal, bad parade.

Gloria Gaynor is singing "I Will Survive" for the 30th year. I wonder if she's grateful or sick of it? It probably depends on the day.

Who are Boys Like Girls? I'd feel like my own gran over how I don't know who anyone is, except that I don't think anyone else does either.

They're cutting all the songs short now. It wouldn't do to have the broadcast end before Santa shows up!

The Mach 5? What year is it again?

Call child protective services! 150 kids have been jump-roping for the whole parade! It must have been some kind of punishment.

Thanks to melange428 I actually know what Yo Gabba Gabba is.

Now there are a bunch of grandmas who tricycled from Ohio. For exactly 36 seconds of TV time. Might not have been worth it.

Ziggy Marley on a pirate ship! It's as though they picked floats and people out of a hat and just shoved them together. Good song, though.

Oneida Indians perform a smoke dance. I'd make some sort joke, except that I was distracted by how great they were. And they are followed by a marching band with a head majorette wearing an Indian war bonnet! O you wacky parade planners.

Jimmy Fallon lip synchs one line of every Christmas song he can think of. I'd say it fell flat but they all seemed to be having so much fun.

Snoopy balloon!

"People are crazy about Macy's Holiday Express as it chugs into view, & people are crazy about this next country music star!" Who proceeds to sing a song called "People Are Crazy". Whomever wrote that intro needs to get a raise immediately.

500 girls performing a dance with giant slinkies to the B-52s' "Planet Claire". Am I hallucinating this?

Toy Story 3 is about Andy going to college? Why do I have a feeling that I'll cry?

Apparently, an inflatable apple symbolizes New York City. Thanks, Matt Lauer!

Cheyanne Jackson is either really singing or is singing along with his pre-recorded track. Cheyanne Jackson is pretty awesome.

Wow, they introduce the police marching band, say what song they will play, and IMMEDIATELY cut to commercial!

Holmes as action hero isn't really canon, but it looks pretty cool.

Carly Simon sings "Let the River Run" on a float with ice skating Care Bears. Did she lose a bet?

Okay, the Rudolph/Aflac commercial is AWESOME!

Hello Kitty weighs the same as 3 apples? Aren't the Smurfs 3 apples tall? When did apples become the way to measure cartoon characters?

There are definitely too many effing songs in this parade. Andrea Boccelli singing White Christmas as Emily Hughes skates is the last straw.

And there are them appley Smurfs. Matt mentions the apples but doesn't bring it back to Hello Kitty. You gotta stay on your toes, Matt!

Kermit and some Disney girl sing "I Believe in Santa Claus". I'll bet I know what's coming up! Yes, it's the Pillsbury Dough Boy! Exactly who you would expect after the song "I Believe in Santa Claus". Well done.

And there he is, Santa! Who lip synchs his line differently than the line was recorded! I can't quite tell what he said, but it patently was NOT "Happy Thanksgiving to one and all"!

And after 78 tweets, the parade is over. Sorry if I over-tweeted, folks!

Happy thanksgiving! We are totally and completely stuffed! The food was amazing!!

Crossposted to Samantha Ling, Dreamwidth and Livejournal

I am, right at this very moment, sitting in a coffee house with Richard. My left wrist is very sore, in part because of all this typing I have been doing on a laptop and not on the ergonomic keyboard I usually use, and in part because I oh-so-cleverly managed to walk straight into the piano this morning and now there is yet another bruise to add to my collection. Hi. My name is Jennifer and I am VERY CLUMSY. Sigh.

In a little while we’ll pack up the laptops and head back home and do some last minute packing, and then head down to San Jose for Thanksgiving dinner with Richard’s family. But right now, I am still here, sitting in the coffee shop, feeling quite pleased with myself (recent bruise acquisition not withstanding).

Gee. I can’t imagine why.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my US readers (and happy regular old Thursday to everyone else).

Nanowrimo update: Um. Really? The above was not enough of a clue?

Originally published at A Cat By Any Other Name. Please leave any comments there.

Today I did exactly two things of note (poking the cats and getting dressed really do not count here).

1) I wrote – for a few hours during the morning at a local coffee shop, just me and my laptop and a large hazelnut hot chocolate, and then this evening, once Richard and I had eaten dinner and the bread came out of the oven, at a second coffee shop, this time with some decaf because I need to start cutting back on the caffeine soon.

2) I baked. My mom-in-law asked if I’d bring dessert for Thanksgiving this year, so this afternoon I headed off to the grocery store and braved the pre-Thanksgiving crowds to stock up on cans of pumpkin and evaporated milk and whipped cream. I made a pumpkin pie (My very first ever, actually, because to be honest I do not actually *like* pumpkin pie – it is the kind of thing that you would think should be good, except that it is squishy and *wrong*. Yes, I know, like you all needed any more reasons why it is that I am odd) and I followed the directions in the recipe very carefully, so it at least looks like it turned out just fine. I guess I’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see how it tastes. I also made pumpkin bread, because my older sister mentioned baking it on Facebook and I was suddenly struck with a burning need to go do exactly the same.

Nanowrimo update: I feel like, now that this thing is actually wrapping up, I am finally seeing some direction in my novel. Nice to see that it only took me 40,000+ words to finally figure out that little thing called a plot. Anyway, with the two bouts of writing, I now have just slightly under 2500 words left to go.

Originally published at A Cat By Any Other Name. Please leave any comments there.

...is actually over at SFNovelists.com: A Literary Thanksgiving.

Today I'm talking about the writers who make me want to write. If you have time, I hope you'll stop by (and comment with a few of your own favorites)!

Guess where I’m at! And The Gap store doesn’t count. I will have more photos later in the week.

Crossposted to Samantha Ling, Dreamwidth and Livejournal

This will be my only public post about this on this LJ, and I've already said all I'm going to say on my f-list.

I have a lot to be thankful for, but there's one thing I have given thanks for privately for many years, but never publicly: that I am an ex-Scientologist. I was in from 1978 to 1989, and I've been leaving ever since. I felt I broke faith in November, 1989, so this is my 20th anniversary, yet this is the first day I feel like I can say I'm actually an ex.

I want you to understand why I'm thankful.

I'm thankful that my thoughts are no longer recorded in privileged confessions that, later on, will be pried out of me in non-privileged ways so they can be plastered in gold on the staff notice board to control me, or posted publicly in other contexts to discredit and humiliate me. So many of us felt that this was a coincidence, but Aaron Saxton's 7-part series on YouTube is what made it clear to me that this was intentional and routine.

I'm thankful that I never joined the Sea Org -- in fact, I lied and said I was unqualified when I wasn't -- so that I didn't have experiences like Jeff Hawkins (his story's online and is pretty amazing), Nancy Many (who was ordered to live in a large garage with fumes while pregnant, of all things, and later went on to have a psychotic break while being coerced to falsely confess things), or Marc Headley (who was run off the road while trying to escape), or was put in a position where I had to do unspeakable things or coerce others to do them like Aaron talks about. Nancy and Marc's books are both available in Kindle versions if you're inclined, and Marc's has the better narrative, but Nancy's is the more terrifying. For you novelists on my f-list, they're all pretty interesting narratives regardless of how you feel about the subject. They go to very dark places beyond where most commercial novels go.

I'm extremely thankful to each and every member of Anonymous who has worked to expose the abuses and raise awareness, no matter how much I may disagree with specific actions of some members. I have only just come to realize how much your love bombing is perfect. May there be caek, love, and happiness in all your lives. In particular, the organization of Why We Protest has been very helpful.

I'm thankful to Emma, who's created Ex Scientologist Message Board, a place where people who were in Scientology (and are out to varying degrees of out) have a place to sort out how they feel and connect with former colleagues as actual friends.

In particular, I'm thankful that people who had experiences much worse than my own have the courage and venue to speak about them. I'm particularly thankful for Aaron coming out and speaking about what he himself did; most stories of ex-Scns seem to be about what happened to them. Many of us were wheels in a cog, and didn't really have any power (or pressure) to be abusive, so we just muddled along, like I did.

Aaron, though, some of what's coming out is chilling. Here's a four part radio interview he did in the last few days: part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4.

From part 2:

I received a letter yesterday from a mother who has not been able to talk [with] or see her daughter for eight years in the Sea Org because every time her daughter tries to get leave, they always do a secur--, this interrogation on her and they find out she's got a doubt about being in the Sea Org so they won't let her leave. She [the mother] wrote a letter and asked me how can she help. I had to write this woman back and say not only that I wanted to help, I had to confess to her that it was ME that ordered her to disconnect from her own mum.

Her own daughter! It was ME.

The email response I got back was just after hours of tears from her going, "how could you have done that? To my daughter? She was beautiful."

And I answered her back saying, "I know. I'm terribly sorry." [Aaron starts to break down on the air.]

From part 4:

It dawns on me, I'm reading these [non-Scientology] books, and I realize the word "love" didn't even appear in the thousands of Flag Orders and Policy Letters that I read, and it dawned on me that it was never about--, this man Ron Hubbard never loved, the Sea Org never--, it was never part of their policy to do this. The words "hate" and "enemy" were mentioned everywhere.

Some people I knew when I was in do not have that experience every day. Some have been through the same hell. Some have disappeared, and I don't know if they're just hiding out, if they're actually alive (there are people who seem to have gone missing and are feared dead, and there are mysterious bodies that have been found but remained unidentified), and there are people who desperately want to leave but feel they can't.

So if you are so inclined, on Thanksgiving, I'd appreciate a prayer, or thought, or perhaps some deed that will help.

• If you know someone who has disconnected from you over Scientology, write them that you love them.


• If you know someone who is in and is considering getting out, any of the above links in this post may help them.


• Prayers or thoughts that everyone who is in and wishes to get out will get the opportunity to get out, and soon.


• Prayers or thoughts that mothers will no longer be pressured into aborting, couples will no longer be pressured into splitting, and people will no longer be sent to the RPF (prison camp within the Sea Org).


• Prayers or thoughts that Aaron is able to help undo some of what he did, and that he will be effective in helping. He's looking at being criminally prosecuted, but he cares more about speaking out about injustice.


• If you are so inclined as to join Anonymous in some context, even if it's not as a protestor, they would love to have you.

I have parents who care about me, two cats, a husband, a decent place to live, decent food to eat, a bunch of friends, and all that I require. I'm happy that I now live in a context where love is available all around me.

And, most of all, spread love around -- to anyone -- and be thankful your life is different.

NB: Yes, I realize this post may mean I get a Suppressive Person declare, and if the CoS sees fit to do so, feel free to mail it to me. I'd be happy to get it framed.

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Send some lovin' thanks to your friends with our holiday vgifts!

Photos of the week

We're so delighted with the immense talent of our growing, global lj_photophile community that we've decided to introduce a poll. Each week, we'll choose a half-dozen photos (based on user comments and staff feedback) and ask you to select a photo of the week. The winning photo will be announced in the next newsletter. If possible, please limit photo size to 350x350 to ensure that images display properly on friends pages. We want to thank you again (and again!) for sharing your passion.

Check out this week's photo poll and more fantastic user content after the jump!

( Read more... )

Curtains

Thanks for joining us. To our American friends, have a fantastic Thanksgiving. To all of our international neighbors, we'll eat a little extra for you!

The first thing I did when I got up this morning was to can the apple butter. Seven more jars, and this time only one of them didn’t seal. Now I must decide whether I want to turn the jar in the refrigerator into more apple butter cinnamon rolls, or else try making apple butter pie (just like pumpkin pie except you use apple butter instead of the pumpkin pie filling). Hmm. I think the rolls might win, but whatever it is the apple butter becomes, will have to wait until after Thanksgiving.

Anyway, today I’m going to share two videos with you.

This first one is of Rupert and Ingrid. It occurred to me that, while I posted about *getting* the kittens, and have been merrily posting pictures and stories about them to Twitter and Facebook, I never managed to transfer that sort of thing over here. So the first, and most important factoid is that when we took the two little kittens to the vet to get fixed, the vet called to let us know that Orpha was actually a boy. So Orpha (the crazy little tabby) is now Rupert.

They are very busy, very curious, very cute. They get into everything. There is pretty much nowhere in the house that is safe from them anymore. Anything and everything is a fascinating new toy – this includes knitting patterns (Ingrid has snatched papers straight from my hands), raw beets, shelled walnuts, cardboard of any kind, the drain cap for the bathtub, Richard’s sink, and on and on.

I heard noise from the kitchen this morning and came out to find them working industriously on a new project. This, right here, would be why it is that we are thinking that Christmas is going to be extremely…interesting this year.

The second video I wanted to share has nothing whatsoever to do with kittens. I know that most of the people in my generation probably associate Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” with the movie “Wayne’s World”. I, however, will always associate it with when my oldest nephew was a tiny little baby. My sisters and my mom and I were all together – I’m not sure at whose house – and we were all laughing and tired and getting punchy, and Bohemian Rhapsody came on, and my sisters and I started lip-synching and head-banging along. I suspect if someone had had a video camera it would have been one of those marvelous home movies we could have brought out to completely and utterly embarrass the nephew when he’s a teenager trying to look cool – irrefutable proof that his entire maternal side of the family is Just Plain Weird. But alas, such a video does not exist. So you will all have to make do with this version instead. I suspect my oldest nephew will prefer it this way.

Nanowrimo update: 43,010. This time last week I was despairing that I’d even be able to finish. Funny what cranking out more than 11,000 words in one weekend can do for one’s writing morale.

Originally published at A Cat By Any Other Name. Please leave any comments there.

Oh dear.

29 years ago, when I was 3-1/2 years old, my little brother got his MMR vaccination shots...and I went into flailing hysterics on the floor of the doctor's office, so horrified and upset on my little brother's behalf (because I KNEW how much those needles hurt!) that I just couldn't cope.

So you can imagine how I felt this morning when MrD had his shots. At least I managed to control myself, this time. I didn't cry, and I didn't kick the floor or pound my fists on it as I sobbed.

But I really, really wanted to.

***
It's been a glum few days, here in Wales. The endless rain is starting to feel nigh-on apocalyptic, and when you combine that with pure exhaustion (the return of the dreading Teething monster, eating all our nights)...well, glum and grim are both good words to use.

Luckily, last night I found exactly the right book to brighten my mood: Sherwood Smith's Once a Princess (Book I in her Sasharia en Garde! duology). Swordfights! Pirates! Witty banter! Romance! And a truly awesome mother-daughter team. Now I'm midway through the novel and feeling so much better about everything.

I bought this one as an e-book to read on my iTouch for the sake of speed (I needed a comfort read STAT! no time to waste ordering a copy from Amazon!), but I think I might have to buy myself a print copy, too, for easier re-reading in the future. And Book 2 will definitely be a print purchase for me. For some reason, e-books feel like disposable reads to me, maybe because they're so easy to delete, or maybe because they're dependent on computers, and I've lost sooooooo many files to dead computers in the past.

What about you guys? When you love a book, would you rather have it in print for comfort or on an e-reader for the sake of easy portability and having it with you ALL the time?

__
And a quick PS: don't forget, 5 more days to enter my Thanksgiving giveaway! Joan Bauer's Squashed is one of my favorite comfort books ever. Good luck!

Millennicon has updated their website to reflect that some "S.L. Farrell" person will be their GoH next year. If you look further, you'll note that some Stephen Leigh is their musical guest of honor (even if they do misspell the first name...)

You're gonna be there too, aren't you? March 19 - 21, 2010. You really should come...

I know that I have been stressing all week about how I was going to get everything done, so maybe that is the key – the more I stress, the more that eventually gets accomplished. Who knows.

There was a write-in planned for tonight, but Thursday nights are knitting nights for me, and lately I’ve had this tendency to skip them more and more because I’m so tired by this point in the week, and I need to stop doing that. So Richard brought his laptop and I brought my knitting (since conveniently both groups meet in exactly the same coffee house, which means there is occasionally some competition for chairs when things get busy), and I had an absolutely lovely time. I worked on some mindless garter stitch gift knitting, which was about all I figured my brain could cope with at this point in the month. I will admit that I did bring along a lace project but tired brain + low lighting + dark yarn and fiddly pattern do not a happy knitter make, so…garter stitch it was.

Nanowrimo update: Ha ha nothing to see here, move along.

Originally published at A Cat By Any Other Name. Please leave any comments there.

I could probably come up with something completely pithy to say about today, except that I really can’t find the motivation. I have one more day before I am off from work for over a week and I am starting to panic ever so slightly about the possibility that I might not be able to finish everything that I need to get done. I keep eying my total word count and feeling a bit overwhelmed by how much is still to be written, even though I know I should be glad that I’ve even gotten as far as I am, considering how long I’ve been out of practice. I am at least glad that we spent some time this past weekend stocking the freezer with meals, because this week has been kind of insane, and tonight is the only night this week when I had absolutely nothing planned. Although that wouldn’t have mattered because even if I’d cooked something, Richard had a writers group to go to, so there still wouldn’t have been enough time.

I did do a little bit of writing though, at home by myself while he was out. It’s still so hard to work when I am at home, and it is so frustrating that everything and anything can distract me from something that I know needs to be done, and that I *want* to do.

Nanowrimo update: 26,096 Hey, look at that, I’m only 2 days behind (gah).

Originally published at A Cat By Any Other Name. Please leave any comments there.

I love board games. I love them so much, I would marry them if I could. They’re fun, they’re social, and the good ones make you think in all sorts of great, brain-stretching ways. If I’m ever made supreme ruler of the world, board games will the universal pastime.

Oh, yes, to the point of this blog entry. I linked to a great game called Ticket to Ride on Twitter the other day, and have since been thinking about which games I’d recommend as Christmas presents. Here are 10 that came to mind right away. (I’m gearing these suggestions toward casual gamers, since hardcore board gamers already know about all the good stuff.) I buy my games from Funagain.com — they have great info, reviews, and ratings from a vibrant and diverse gamer community.

Jenn’s Top 10 Board Game Gifts for 2009

Basic Board Games

1. Ticket to Ride: Awesome train game. Simple to learn, but with endless replay value. And hey, tiny plastic trains in fun colors! There are several expansion sets and variants available. (Ages 8+, 2-5 players)

2. Settlers of Catan: This game is so basic and awesome, it should have replaced Monopoly and Life decades ago. Could be easily modified to give younger players an advantage. Lends itself to classic lines such as, “Can I get a sheep for my wood?” Many variants available. (Ages 12+, 2-4 players)

3. Carcassonne: One of the rules is a little complicated at first, but after you get the concept behind “farmers,” it’s easy sailing. Tons of replay in this tile-placement game. (Also, the origin of the word “meeples.”) Hunters and Gatherers is a fun variant. (Ages 8+, 2-5 players)

4. Tayu: This is a very simple game that I find very easy to teach and play. I especially like that you can play in teams. The version I have is covered with Chinese-style dragons and has heavy majong-style tiles. I haven’t played with the newer version yet, but it still looks beautiful. Most board gamers wouldn’t put this on their lists, but it’s on mine anyway. (Ages 7+, 2-4 players)

Card Games

5. Once Upon a Time: The quintessential game for writers and storytellers! Using special fairy-tale based cards, players try to steer the story toward their personal “happy ever after.” (Ages 6+, any number of players)

6. Guillotine: The tagline reads, “The revolutionary card game where you win by getting a head!” You play an executioner trying to collect the best heads in your bag. Downsides: special cards makes play less intuitive than I like. Upsides: we have a house rule that you must make a guillotine noise when it’s your turn. (Ages 12+, 2-5 players)

7. Bohnanza: You’ve got to play this one once or twice before you get the hang of it, but it’s really quite fun despite the subject matter. (Yes, that would be bean farming. You Iowans will feel right at home.) (Ages 12+, 2-7 players)

8. Citadels: I’d just like to say up front that I’ve never won a game of Citadels, and I would still recommend it. It feels very different from a regular card-based game because each round, you take on the role of a different character at court. It’s an interesting (and occasionally frustrating) mechanic. Good for large groups, especially large groups of ex-D&D players. (Ages 10+, 2-7 players)

More Advanced Games

9. Puerto Rico: This game is a lot more complex than the games in the first group, but beloved by gamers everywhere. If you can get someone experienced to show you how to play, all the better. If not, just muddle through the first game and you’ll pick up the strategy. It’s never the same game twice. (Ages 12+, 3-5 players)

10. Acquire: The rules are simple, the strategy and tactics are not. I love this game for it’s almost complete lack of chance as a factor. I love the way my brain shifts into overdrive when I play this game! (Ages 12+, 3-6 players)

So there’s the list. I’ve played each of these games dozens of times. (And I’ve probably played Settlers of Catan hundreds of times.) When you’re ready for your next hit, I’ve got plenty more great games to recommend.

Have you got some favorite games? Please add them to the list!

Originally published at jennreese.com. You can comment here or there.

Okay, it's the Top 12, about to be whittled down to the Top 10.

I think that absolutely Jakob, Russell and Legacy are staying, Victor, Ryan and Nathan are on the bubble and probably Nathan will be cut this week. For the girls, definitely Ashleigh, Kathryn and Karen are staying, with Mollie, Ellenore and Noelle on the bubble, most likely Noelle will go.

All that was written before the show started, let's see what actually happens! And I'm MUCH less certain about the girls than the boys.

Ryan and Ellenore are doing the Lindy Hop, which should probably do well for them, a fun, high-energy partner dance. And I thought that was awesome. So does Adam! And Mary! Nigel starts out by saying, "I think it's terrible...that we haven't had the Lindy Hop on for the last three seasons!" O Nigel, you card.

Kathryn and Legacy are doing a Sonja jazz routine about a guy who quivers whenever he sees his lady. Okay, Sonja, whatever you say. And it starts with Legacy doing that spider arm walk across the stage, which is okay by me. Plus, he's shirtless! Best dance ever so far! Holy crap, that was sexy. That was fabulous on both of their parts, not just Legacy with his tricks. Nigel compliments Legacy on his musicality, that he didn't think he had it in him, and Legacy answers, "I was dancing!"

Karen and Victor are doing a secret lovers tango. They are new partners this week in the last week of these partnerships, which I don't think will help them much, but Karen was born to tango, so if Victor can keep up, it should work. And it did. Victor seemed very strong and powerful, his height worked for him in this, and Karen made us believe in this relationship.

In the teaser for the next dances, Noelle and Russell are in sexy outfits doing sexy moves and Mollie and Nathan have their hair all crazy and are talking into invisible phones. This only says one thing to me. That idiot Tyce.

I was wrong! Mollie and Nathan are doing a hip hop routine about Alexander Graham Bell inventing the telephone! Boy did I call that wrong! And it was fun, but kind of eh. Better than okay, less than great. The judges are kind but unenthusiastic. Nigel says that it was a little like "Dolly Dinkle's Regional Hip Hop Class 101", though he also says that he is positive they'll both be in the Top 10.

Noelle and Russell are doing a samba. As they say in the rehearsal footage, this is a tough dance to come into cold. Russell was terrific, because he was born terrific, Noelle was okay. They are getting the tiresome, "You're too sweet for this dance" critique from Adam. I love you, Adam, but honestly.

Ashleigh and Jakob, who would have to actually murder Nigel during their routine to not make Top 10, and even then that might not take them out of the running, are doing a lyrical jazz by Sonja about a moment of contentment, which doesn't sound exciting, but might be beautiful. And it was. My God, Jakob is bendy.

So far, I'd say Karen and Victor, Noelle and Russell and Mollie and Nathan are bottom three.

Okay, now everyone does a second dance! Ryan and Ellenore are doing a dark Broadway routine about the dark side of fame, by Spencer, thank goodness. They are dancing to the most hideously edited version of Razzle Dazzle from Chicago that I have ever heard. Who cut this song down, Norman Bates? The dance is actually great, but the song is very distracting.

Kathryn and Legacy are doing a waltz. This may be extremely bad news for out Legacy. However, it looks like the choreogrpher brilliantly made the story that she's the guardian angel and he's the dancer who never was and she guides him through the whole thing. Which just might be genius. Okay, that seriously made me cry and I watched it twice. I couldn't care less what the judges say. And the first words out of Adam's mouth are, in such a sweet voice, "Are you crying again? Legacy, why are you crying?" So it wasn't just me. Legacy answers that it's the portrayal of hope that makes him cry, happy tears. Nigel says that they can't be mean to him after that! Cat says that if they are, that the whole audience will mutiny. They all agree that there were some technical issues, but that they both stole everyone's hearts.

Karen and Victor are doing a Lori Ann hip hop. I hope this doesn't suck as much as the last thing she did on the show. They are supposed to be moving mountains. It's okay. Victor's jacket is incredibly distracting. The judges are wishy washy about it. Karen looks like she's smiling as hard as she can through tears.

Mollie and Nathan are doing the can can, choreographed by Tyce. I'm going to try REALLY HARD not to hate it before it starts. I liked it! Despite that idiot Tyce! The second routine of the night ending in a double split. Nigel throws in the fact that the girls didn't wear panties, which I was thinking throughout the routine, wondering if anyone would bring it up. Natch, that someone was Nigel.

Noelle and Russell are doing another goddamn Tyce routine. Contemporary, apparently painting their relationship on each other. Or something. Was she supposed to rip his shirt? Not that I'm complaining. That's pretty nice, actually. What's wrong with me, two idiot Tyce routines in a row that I don't hate? Well, I'm awfully tired.

Okay, last one is Ashleigh and Jakob's cha cha. Another prop dance for them, they are fighting for posession of a chair. That was fun and sexy.

Same bottom three as far as I'm concerned, Noelle and Russell only because there must be three. I think I was wrong at the beginning, I think Victor and Karen might be going.

Here is my order of the night:

1. Kathryn and Legacy quivering jazz
2. Ellenore and Ryan dark side of fame Broadway
3. Kathryn and Legacy's waltz of tears
4. Ellenore and Ryan Lindy Hop
5. Ashleigh and Jakob contentment jazz
6. Ashleigh and Jakob chair cha cha
7. Noelle and Russell painting contemporary
8. Mollie and Nathan can can
9. Karen and Victor tango
10. Noelle and Russell samba
11. Karen and Victor moving mountains hip hop
12. Mollie and Nathan telephone hip hop

Posted via LiveJournal.app.

You must — must — watch this amazing ad for the New Zealand Book Council:

Despite the fact that the ad features a book, this is not a book trailer and the words aren’t actually important. It’s all about the mood and the magic, the feelings that books inspire.

Originally published at jennreese.com. You can comment here or there.