I'm not sure what happened...

You know how I said I'd be able to avoid being on the Titanic Mills Residents Committee? Yeah...I'm not entirely sure how it happened, but I'm now a committee member. Not an officer, but a member. Shit.

Three people volunteered to be part of the four non-officer members. Silly me, speaking up in an awkward silence. I figured this way I could look like I wanted to help out, but was unavailable. "I'd be willing to help out, but I'm flying back to the States next week. I don't know when I'll be back, and even after I do come back, I won't be here for very long. Adam is still working nights, so he can't come in my stead, and we haven't resigned our lease yet, so we might not be staying."

Good enough for them. I'm on the damn committee. I'm not entirely sure where I screwed up, other than by opening my mouth. I know they say never volunteer, but that's what I was doing--NOT volunteering. Oh well, it's going on my CV.

Sheesh.

Review still to come. After exercise.

Argh...forgotten again!

So once again I've forgotten about Sunday Reviews. That may have had something do with the roast duck breast for tea last night. Ooops. I doubt I'll have time to write up a review today, since I have to go to the Titanic Mill Residence Committee meeting tonight. I've been to two of them, and they take about 3-3.5 hours. This one will be either much longer or much shorter since it's the Annual General Meeting and we need to elect a new committee. I don't want to go, but I said I would...the good news is that I can easily get out of a nomination to the committee (if that happens) since I'm flying back to the states in 9 days. I totally support the committee, but since I don't know what decisions Adam and I will be making about living arrangements over the next 6-12 months...yeah. And I won't be here for large chunks of the next six months anyway, it doesn't matter.

So yes, I shall try to write a review tonight, or certainly tomorrow. I'm debating between a couple of movies, a couple of books, or a video game...hmm...if you actually have a preference, your choices are Superman Returns, Zodiac, Wizard's First Rule, The Handmaid's Tale, or LEGO Indiana Jones. Post in the comments if you care (I get emails now, and so know when people say things :) ).

World's ugliest dog?

So a few weeks ago, a new "world's ugliest dog" was crowned. The article is here, if you care, but I'm confused. I actually think this dog is adorable, whereas I think any number of the Chinese Cresteds should have won. THOSE suckers are seriously hideous. And are usually the winners, I believe.

Here's this year's winner

A face only a mother...and I...could love.

He's a boxer mix. I personally think he's really quite endearing. The other dogs, however...wow. Beaten with an ugly stick. There are some images of them in the article as well.

No Sunday Review

I really tried to come up with something to review this week, but all the movies were forgettable, the TV is limited to current, but not new shows (except Dollhouse, but I've not seen enough yet to form an opinion) with the exception of The West Wing, and we don't need to hear a lovefest/orgy on my love for this show, particularly the early seasons (Adam's watching the first season now, and I forgot how many good episodes are in the first season).

Literature-wise, I can't think of anything new I've read this week, except for Terry Goodkind's short story Debt of Bones. I liked it, though in some ways I suppose I found it simplistic. I want to hold off on reviewing it, and more likely, Goodkind's "The Sword of Truth" series, until I've read more. I've just started Wizard's First Rule, and it's different from Debt of Bones. The writing is a little less...dashed-off, maybe. Which, in many ways, makes it less approachable (still, so far it seems better than Robert Jordan). I think Goodkind wrote Debt of Bones more for fun and to quickly sketch out some background for his readers, and possibly to turn a quick profit. None of that is bad at all, but I found the plot to be a bit "make everyone happy" at the end, and the writing was simpler. Neither of these is inherently a negative thing (though the forced "happy ending" plot device can bug me--see my comments on Harry Potter 7), but I'm betting it's not representative of Goodkind overall. Hence my not properly reviewing it.

So sorry about that. On my personal writing front, I've started back up (if knocked off for the weekend because we were busy), but I've been working on a thing that I started back in December. I'd written on it sporadically for quite a while, and then a couple of weeks ago picked it up more seriously. I'm a bit stuck at the moment on it, so I suppose it's time for me to go back to my historical fiction. I'm still kind of glad to be getting a forced second chance to write the second chapter, and still pissed that I lost so much of it. I've discovered, however, that I'm much much better at coming up with starts for novels and cliff-hangers to leave them on, but not so good at fleshing out the whole plot. Which is, well, a problem. A large problem for an aspiring writer. If, one must admit, an aspiring writer for lack of other career options at the moment.

It's so tiny and cute!!

See that picture over to your left. No, on the monitor...yeah, the one of the pygmy hippo. A baby one of those was just born at Edinburgh Zoo!!!!

Now just to try and find time to schedule a trip up there before I head back to the states. A doubtful happening, as we've got people coming over both tonight and tomorrow (we think tomorrow, but I didn't buy Carling so they may not), next weekend is Adam's birthday, and the weekend after is mine, then I fly back to P-town. Who knows, though. Maybe my birthday weekend. Probably not, but I haven't looked at train fares yet.

News articles (from a very quick search) with pics:

http://deadlinescotland.wordpress.com/2009/07/02/hippo-132/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/5719118/A-pygmy-hippopotamus-has-been-born-to-a-new-breeding-pair-at-a-zoo.html

http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/uk_national_news/4471798.Hippo_hooray_for_zoo_baby_Leishan/