terracinque and I managed to get off work early enough to catch the advance screening of Pan’s Labyrinth with fosteronfilm on Wednesday. I’ve never been to the Midtown Art before. It’s a very nice theater, although I think I like the Tara–where we saw Miss Potter–better. Had a chance to gab with sfeley, who was also there to catch Pan’s Labyrinth, while the hubby was off buying popcorn, and chatted briefly with lord_darkseid while waiting for terracinque to park.
The movie was gorgeous. Words like “lush” and “evocative” spill off the tongue when describing the cinematography. It was also gritty and dark, the non-fantasy parts particularly, but the fantasy elements were also darker than the typical treatment given to such subject matter by Hollywood. While I quite enjoyed the fantasy part–the faun and the Pale Man as well as the flitting EFX fairies were phenomenal–the real world brutality left me wide-eyed and in need of a fuzzy animal to squeeze. Honestly, I felt somewhat traumatized by movie’s end; my ability to handle gore and squick is pretty unimpressive, and there was much violence. Fortunately, we’ve got a very squeezable fuzzy animal at home, so it’s all good.
On the fuzzy animal front, Hobkin’s been getting the hiccups a lot recently. It’s rather dramatic when a critter as small as he is gets the hiccups. His whole body jounces with each one. Wish I knew what was causing them and if there was something we could do to decrease their frequency. Right now, all we can do is hold and pet him while he hics. At least they don’t seem to trouble him all that much. Probably distresses me more than him.
Session is going great, so far. I’ve even gotten a couple kudos from the attorneys and secretaries on my work, which makes me inordinantly warm-and-glowy. It has been busy, and I’ve had to stay late every night since it began, but I continue not to feel unduly stressed or overwhelmed. ‘Course the General Assembly has been out of session this last week as it hammers out the budget; I fully expect the scary-busy-stress to ramp up next week.
I continue to stay off the java. I’m drinking tons of tea, but I’ve only had one mug of coffee since session began. The coffee monkey is still hovering about, waiting in the wings, but at least it’s not on my shoulder anymore.
Writing Stuff
Received:
– Note from mroctober listing the tentative ToC for Magic in the Mirrorstone, the anthology slated for a spring ’08 release from Mirrorstone Books. My story, “Princess Bufo marinus, I Call Her Amy,” will be sharing a ToC with an amazing bunch of authors including Beth Bernobich (beth_bernobich), Holly Black (blackholly), Cassandra Clare (cassandraclare), Gregory Frost (frostokovich), Jim C. Hines (jimhines), Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Lawrence M. Schoen (klingonguy), E. Sedia (squirrel_monkey), and Janni Lee Simner (janni). *Squee!*
– Email from oldcharliebrown letting me know that the Weird Tales editors are passing on a submission (RT: 80-days), but also that he read and liked the story. Alas, it’s too long for Fantasy Magazine, but I’m pleased regardless to have Sean’s thumbs up on it.
– 9-day pleasant pass from Murky Depths with an invite to submit again.
A SINCERE invite. And hey, if nothin’ else, you have to respect turnaround time like that.
*rummaging for something appropriate to submit*
Between this and So Fey, people are gonna start thinking I like you.
Oh, no! Um, um. We need to stage a public brawl at the local tavern . . .hey, waitaminute, I do like you.
You like me, don’t you?
meep.
Silly gal!
I once had the hiccups at a Health in IT seminar. At one stage I was hiccuping so bad I fell out of my chair with each hiccup, and I had to leave the room. So I feel for poor Hobkin.
Eep! That’s awful. Hiccups can be so distressing! Sometimes drinking water helps when I have them, but I can’t seem to convey “drink this in small sips” to the little fuzzwit.
Ooh, I really want to see Pan’s Labyrinth! And congrats on the Mirrorstone anthology! I’ll definitely want to be reading it when it comes out. 😀
Thanks, Maggie! I’m pretty jazzed about it too. Wish we could’ve shared a ToC in it, though.
Yeah, that would’ve been nice. But, I’m *really* glad you’re in it. 😀
Well…if I’m ever going to have an impressive collection of all the anthos and magazines you’ve appeared in I’m just gonna’ have to go get rich or something. 🙂
Hee! My shelf o’glory is indeed getting near unto full. I might have to start shelf o’glory 2. Woo!
Send the coffee monkey my way. Now that’s a comforting fuzzy animal for you.
Glad to hear the session is going well and yet you still have news on the writing front. Go forth and be victorious, my dear. I’ll stay right here and have another cup of mocha java for the double-addiction hit.
We are so jealous you got to see Pan’s Labryninth. We are in a movie-less rut right now, having seen all we wish to see and no new exciting flicks arriving this weekend. Sigh.
Coffee monkeys, not so much fuzzy and hyper and jangly, but definitely huggable. I think I’m sticking that monkey back on my shoulder this week.
Oh…my…gosh…you are sharing a ToC with Nina Kiriki Hoffman! Eugie and Nina Kiriki Hoffman together in the same book…:drools: And I’ve never read that story of yours!! I totally know what I want for Christmas ’08!!
Awww, that’s too bad about the hiccups; my Ladybug gets hiccups sometimes (although she’s a little bigger than Hobkin, so it’s not quite as cutely dramatic. 😉
I’m totally jazzed about this anthology and its way shiny ToC! Can’t wait to get my hot lil hands on it . . . next year. Sigh. Waiting is.
I would say “I understand how you feel,” except of course I’ve never had to wait months and months for my name to come out in print with Nina Kiriki Hoffman. 😉 I’m so excited for you! That’s just awesome. I can’t wait to see it.
Both their stories are wonderful. In fact, I could not have sold the book to Mirrorstone without‘s help.
Give that skunk a hug for me.
Sounds like you’re managing the first big crunch-o-rama at work. Go you!
Thanks, sweetie! I managed the first couple weeks, yepper, but this week, I think I’ll need to enlist the aid of some heavy duty stimulants in order to keep on swimming.