January resolutions accomplished

New year, some new ideas. Inspired by homekeeping, in addition to my resolution chore list, I'm doing the Seven Things Project, wherein you resolve to throw out/pass on/sell/otherwise get rid of one thing per day all year. (No, I won't be listing all of them in the monthly wrapup, but I'm going to try to do it!) The purging borders on Stalinesque, and just one month in I'm noticing a huge difference in the amount of crap clinging, limpet-like, in my life.

Last year was supposed to be the "get rid of old projects" year, and this year continues the theme as the three of you who actually read this will notice that a bunch of old projects have disappeared. I've decided that if I can't be arsed to work on them, it's a huge sign I should just let them GO. Yes, I've planned them for a long time, but somehow they haven't been important enough for me to actually finish them. It's time to start listening to the latter half of that statement instead of the former. While I seem to be craving some sort of cosmic permission to change my mind about things that were once important, it's also a huge relief to have the burden of expectation gone. (repeat comment about limpets). In some cases I'm getting rid of all of the stuff involved; in others I'm keeping them for future inspirations. Nothing wrong with that... in moderation.

I additionally resolve to do at least one item on the lists below per month; I got really sloppy towards the end of last year on that subject. Uh, even though I haven't done anything on that list this month.


STUFF I DID
Books:
( Reviewed )

( Audio )

( Bought )

( Read )

Current Handiwork Project: Alpaca squares
Travelled to: London, England and Cardiff, Wales (HUZZAH!)
Homekeeping:
- started "7 Things Project" aka "Sunday Seven" and have steadily been clearing out stuff I don't use
- dumped an SUVful of electronics, including the denizens of the Graveyard of Dead Technology
- culled cookbooks and listed them on half.com
- made one-serving cookbook for myself
- got rid of 2/3 of my sewing patterns
Other:
- Signed up for entrelac and sock-making classes (March)
- Gotten an exterminator's estimate for demousing the house
- Completed main Big Finish Doctor Who audio collection
- Cancelled AOL pay service (saving $180 a year)
- Gotten Stratford B&B reservation
- Sent in huge list of Whovian panel suggestions to Media*West

( Stuff I Gotta Do )

( Stuff I Wanna Do )

( Stuff I'm Thinking About Doing )

Misc. of interest to the f-list

Geekery and Charity
How rich are you? Six of the original Doctor Who costumes are being auctioned off... including Chris Eccleston's jacket. Also Star Wars costumes, including one of Alec Guiness' robes.

Excuse me a moment, I have to wipe drool off the keyboard and monitor.

Handcrafts and Charity
A page one article (even in the B section) of the Post plus top billing on the website is going to ensure that these charities get swamped, but I'm going to do my bit too:
With Gratitude in Every Stitch: Washington Post article on quilts for wounded soldiers
Quilts of Valor Foundation
Operation Kid Comfort
Home of the Brave Quilts
Marine Comfort Quilts

Cooking Geekery
From the food section of today's Post, the Baker's Edge, a baking pan that uses channels to maximize the "edge" of baked goods. More information at the article, the maker's website, or the Baker's Catalog.

Sheer Geekery
There will be a line of Sarah Jane Smith Adventures toys. To include action figures (I have no doubt that in the hands of fans, Sarah Jane will finally be getting a little something-something with Action!Jack and any/many variants of Action!Doctor) and sonic lipsticks.

Yes, I want a sonic lipstick. Badly. Yes, I am sad, sad little femmefan geekgirl. Nothin' wrong with that!

Purrrr..../Dear Author

Just got a forwarded email regarding my last review, with the author stating "This lady knows her business!" (Apparently even the parts where I was saying "That didn't work.")

Purrrr...


Somehow thinkin' this next one's not going to be so well received:

Dear Author,

You're bored with your series. We. Get. It. Since you've got another series that you obviously care more about, I don't know why you didn't just stop signing the contracts on this one and go with the other one. I certainly don't know why you thought it was acceptable to send in random exposition instead of a plot. And I mean really random - paranoid travel tips, recipes, craft instructions, digressions into other universes, cat litter for the love of literature! and even a few paragraphs regarding the social limitations on women in Saudi Arabia.

The HELL, woman? Why did you even bother trying to put in a mystery, it's not like any of your characters could be arsed to even investigate it!

But the biggest jaw-dropping moment was when you gave the nod to a couple of authors - ever-so-coyly including yourself in the third person, which was just tacky - and you advertised your own OTHER series! Never a word about the previous books in this one, just the other one.

Look, just write "Character B broke into Character A's house one night, stabbed her to death, and there was much rejoicing." We know you want to. Or take the whole series out back and just shoot it to put it out of our misery.

Oh, and by the way? Not reading the other series. Why? Because I used to be a fan of the first one, when it was worth the effort of reading.

Signed,
me

PS - among those writing tips you kept including and not demonstrating? You only got half of Ray Bradbury's writing advice right. Yes, he said "throw up in your typewriter every morning." But he *also* said "...clean up every afternoon."


ETA: No, I can't say here who the author is or what the book is - you're not even going to find hints in the "read" section of the resolutions - because I wrote the review and Reviewing the Evidence gets to publish details first.

... Y'all need to be checking my reviews, y'know. About half the "Dear Author" letters tie to actual reviews. That's why I adore RtE and kept it when I dropped the other reviewing jobs: You get to say what you REALLY think!

Molly Ivins

She died too young, and when her brand of straight talk was most desperately needed.

Beyond that, I'll let her tell it in her own words.

Selection of Ivins columns