The Patent Dragon's Zone of Soul Retraction

Development News... TDD-702 The Learning Curve and TDD-703 Errands Of Mercy are spell-checked and ready to roll. TDD-704 A Ray Of Hope is currently in development, and could be complete in time to roll out directly after TDD-703, if I was to run the episodes one after the other...

Mission News... My Mark II self-made book is on course for completion in time for the Task (85) to be declared a *SCORE* on my next Mission 101 progress report. The Task says "books" plural, but I've put enough effort into this for it to count now - each attempt has been a learning experience.

More on that tomorrow - when we may just *SPOILERS* get some SUN. */SPOILERS*

It really wasn't that much of a surprise that there wasn't much work to do, so I had an early finish. Not that I had much chance to capitalise on that, courtesy of the end-of-week shopping...

However, there was a bit of a surprise waiting for me at home this afternoon; a package from Amazon - but I wasn't expecting anything - until I remembered that I pre-ordered the triple-pack BluRay of THOR.

And that was the whole evening dealt with in one padded bag. except for putting a bit more work into my Mission 101 bookbinding Task (85). I could have the Task down for a *SCORE* by the end of the month...!

REDSKINS 2-0...

And for the rest of the evening, it's back to the bedroom and DAB radio for live coverage of Patriots-Chargers. This'll probably become a regular thing - I enjoyed Redskins-Giants last week (obviously).

So, How Was Your Day...? Surprisingly productive, actually, as far as my Mission 101. I have a plan in semi-motion for a different design of home-made book... I have made progress with my diddley-bow... and I can chalk up what I'm counting as a classic movie - the 1948 Hitchcock movie Rope. Hey, if the IMDB Top 250 rates this as an 8.0 (at number 234), equalling the already-seen All Quiet On The Western Front (1930), at number 217, then it counts.1I still have a backlog to deal with, but this was a most welcome chance discovery in the TV schedules!

Hmmmm, seem like I'm getting too relaxed here. Gonna post this, and go "low-tech" for thr rest of the evening - don't want the trusty netbook in bits on the floor...

"Slow and steady wins the race", so the saying goes. Well, let's see where that gets us...

Book Report... My latest attempt to complete Task 85 of my Mission 101 - "...make my own books" - continues! It's a gradual process, but I have avoided the pitfall that screwed things last time. There are still steps to foul up ahead, however.

Other Tasks... It's looking more and more as though Saturday is going to be a wash-out. The skies stay clear until Thursday, and then the heavens piss all over us again, right through Friday and Saturday. So long, Task 4...

Splendid.

Oh well, I'll just have to find some other Tasks to complete. My "complete unfinished craft projects" Task (Task 52) could be lined up for s *SCORE*, with a bit of effort, and I could always start watching The Prisoner for Task 96 if I have nothing else to do.

I'm feeling energised, with possibly no way to burn that energy off if Saturday falls through. Time to get busy.

Just waiting for some computer house-keeping to finish...

Last night was the bi-monthly police Community Engagement Meeting. We missed the last one due to the stresses and strains of The Move, so we felt duty bound to attend...

The meetings are still held at the school just across the playing fields from Number 99. My former home. The taxi went past the door. I took a look - the first time I've seen the house since I locked the door two and a half months ago...

I could have broken down in tears, but I didn't. The house looks fine, with a new garden gate, and new windows for what was my bedroom. The place is being lived in, and that's fine by me.

Even so, I'd be happy for the meeting to move to a more central venue, to encourage more local people to attend. Seven or so out of thousands isn't exactly what I'd call "community engagement".

Meanwhile... I'm picking up the pieces from my embarrassing admission that yes, I utterly failed to make good on my Mission 101 promise. The bookbinding plan did rather stumble at one of the last hurdles, but I can make good on that this weekend, spare time permitting - there is, I must admit, still tidying and sorting left to do post-Move. It would be nice to have a weekend that's not overshadowed by all that...

At least some woodwork jobs have been dealt with by the necessary professionals. The office window is sorted, all (or most) of the windows now open properly, and no killer winds have been driving me to seek shelter elsewhere, and the step just outside the bathroom door is now presentable again.

Not the most thrilling news, I know, but sometimes, it's good to have a quiet day. Next weekend will be anything but - and I must charge up some batteries for the camera.

Talk about a "perfect storm" - the wind must be driving cold air right at my office window, 'cause I just can't sit in there right now. The weather report says 9 degrees C minimum for this area - I say BOLLOCKS.

Oh, come on - it's still August, dammit. We had the fire on in the living room.

I'd bring the laptop through, hook it up for a DVD, but I know I'd fall asleep. I do have some Fan-Trek on the trusty netbook, but even that may be too much. My enthusiasm seems to be frozen...

...buuuuuut, I did get my sections of book-cover cut for my Mission 101 book-making task before the weather turned. A bit of work tomorrow, and I could be well on my way to ticking off Task 85!

Okay, time for some entertainment before I power down, and try some writing. At least that seemes to be working out for me right now.

So I didn't go out after all. The jobs I'd planned to fit in before leaving took longer than expected, and that was pretty much it. Couldn't even find a way, or the motivation, to squeeze in a trip to the movies for Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes.

This is the first of me switching on a computer "in anger", however, as I've been preparing some recovered notebook paper for my book-making Mission 101 task (Task 85). Cover card - check... cover leather - check... glue - check... pages - check. At least that's one task I've been able to advance in my two week slot.

Highlight of the day was probably catching a chunk of a Smallville episode called "Crossfire", and realising that the prostitute character is actually wearing a pair of boots exactly like ones I just happen to own. Nice.

( Updated with mini screen caps... )

Project shopping is nailed down for next weekend, whatever the weather. Annoyingly, this may end up impacting on movie-going plans - unless I can arrange to catch some Apes during the week. Could be the final trip this blockbuster season...

And I am REALLY starting to HATE this screwed-up chair. Almost sitting on the floor right now...

It's a bit weird today - I'm still energised by yesterday, but when I sit down, boy am I tired. THOR gets a full big-screen week starting Friday, so I might just go and see it again on my birthday... :)

The Weekend Of Madness may be over, but where to go from here? There are certainly a good crop of blockbusters still to come, but what else can I cram into the summer? Are we looking at a Summer Of Madness?

I have craft things in mind - I made a set of Emotional Spectrum "prayer beads" in preparation for Green Lantern (June 17), and there is still a couple of Mission tasks along those lines...

51 - Create something to sell, and sell it!
52 - Complete some craft projects I've started
84 - Learn to make my own paper...
85 - ...and make my own books!
91 - Create a "personal goddess"
94 - Make a PD-worthy pair of boots from scratch!
97 - Build a diddley bow

Still got Rush in three weeks, remember (Task 90)... oh, and no CLAN to fanny things up!

Development News... There's every chance I might just have TDD-701: After The Fall finished before REIGNFALL even starts posting! There wasn't a great deal of writing done today - I actually managed to do more yesterday - but progress is progress, and the rest of the story is pretty much writing itself on the scaffolding of pre-planned story threads. A bit more work tonight will push things ahead, maybe even reach completion...

Mission 101 Update... Here's the latest additions to the "Mission List"...

84 - Learn to make my own paper...
85 - ...and make my own books!
86 - Properly organise and chronicle my efforts!

Only fifteen to go, but I'm in no hurry to fill out the list. I still have a few tasks "in development", that may or may not find their way onto the official list, which I may just tidy up and repost as a new pre-dated Master List, as part of Objective 86. This is all starting to come together in a most pleasing fashion, and I fully intend to see as much of it to its proper conclusion as funds and commitments allow...

Stay tuned for more news!