This weekend was supposed to be dedicated to Autumn chores, and a few small items to move my writing career forward. On the good news front, I got the hoses coiled up and stored for the winter. I also managed some blogging, and sent my critique submission to the gang to dissect.
I didn't get the furnace filters changed. The fact is, I don't have to change them at all. This is because I live under a curse. I've lived under it since high school, and possibly longer. Maybe high school is just where I first noticed it.
Maybe I'm being punished for some prideful act. I really don't know what it is, but the curse is real. It works like this: If I spend money on something I don't absolutely need, I will be punished in short order with a necessary expense that makes me wish I hadn't indulged.
We bought our camper, and immediately had to buy our daughter four new tires. Tires aren't cheap any more, even cheap tires aren't cheap.
We bought my wife a new car, let's just say the furnace filters don't need to be replaced. We need not only a new furnace, but a new coil to go with it. This stuff is like a foreign language to me. If the repairman said I needed a new warp drive or flux capacitor it would make more sense to me. The end result is financing more stuff that I didn't plan on.
I'm making notes. Life is a big part of the character arc in my next story. The fact that you cannot plan everything will be part of the story. (The later part.) Stuff happens, it's very realistic, and it ought to resonate with readers. I'll make it more philosophical in the book, and it won't involve a curse. If you can't break the curse, write a book about it. What else can you do?
This week has been a wild ride on the entertainment front. Glenn died on The Walking Dead. He's one of those I considered untouchable. There is a conspiracy theory going around the internet now that he isn't really dead. Yeah right, more like undead. Still, it was unexpected, dramatic, and delivered the powerful emotional experience of good fiction.
I got all excited when it looked like the grave of the Headless Horseman was discovered on Bones. I was lukewarm to the idea of a Bones/Sleepy Hollow crossover, but it was great. The dead redcoat turned out to be General Gates, and it wound up being a fun story. A little Headless Horseman goes a long ways, and I think leaving it as a teaser was the right move.
It looks like the Reverse Flash is back on The Flash. It remains unknown whether he is good or bad. Special Agent May is back on SHIELD, and I'm glad for that. May and Colson are the main reason to watch the show. I expect good things ahead.
I've slacked off on Dr. Who. I really don't know if I like Peter Capaldi as the Doctor. I don't know, because I can't hear a word he says. The production team must have changed, because the dramatic music tends to drown out the dialog. I recorded the episode this weekend, and may get around to watching it. I want to, I just feel excluded from enjoying it.
I chose to record Dr. Who, because I watched Ash vs The Evil Dead. Bruce Campbell is back, and in a role that lets him shine. The show was hilarious, and I anticipate a great reunion between he and Lucy Lawless in a future episode. Hail to the king, baby!
That brings me to The Last Witch Hunter. We just got back from the movie, and it was wonderful. I'm not a Vin Diesel fan, but he was acceptable. The story is pretty standard fare these days. I loved seeing the Game of Thrones girl again. (Rose Leslie) It's nice seeing her do something more than trying to kill John Snow.
What pushed this over the top for me was the visuals. I saw things I never imagined in this movie, and loved them. Having a drink at Chloe's witchcraft bar became a bucket list item for about ten minutes. Then Vin Diesel burned it down. The “good” witch visuals were wonderful, even beyond the bar. Tiny scenes like a view of a florist shop, or the herb garden were creative as hell. ( So many mushrooms.)
There were a few nice twists and turns, and some great use of plants and payoffs. I enjoyed this movie more than any I've seen this year, and I've seen some big films this year.
There you have it; I'm broke, entertained, cursed, and inspired. Oh, and the hoses are all put away. How are you doing?
The furnace issue sucks. Maybe get a second opinion? Just in case?
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Been there many times. Though my curse is more when one bad thing happens, another one joins it. Wife loses job and soon after we find that she has a flat tire and 3 bald ones. Joy of joys.
I’m hoping to see the Vin Diesel movie when it gets on TV. Haven’t had any babysitter luck lately. We’re trying to save one of our requests for when the parents are free and we can see the new James Bond movie. Won’t be opening weekend though. Love who they got as the bad guys and I’ve taken the ‘everyone has their own approach to Bond’ mentality with the movies. Just in it for the action and wit.
How did they explain Ichabod showing up on Bones and vice versa? I didn’t get to watch, but the concept was really strange. One is a pure science show and the other pure magic. Also, I’ve heard a lot of theories about the Glenn thing along with ‘evidence’. The interesting thing about having tons of friends on FB that are obsessed with these shows is that I get a slew of sadness, hate, acceptance, and conspiracy theory posts the next day. Surprised none of them have noticed that they go ‘I can’t believe that person died!’ after every GoT episode. Makes me wonder if it’d be more shocking NOT to kill someone in that series.
Ash vs Evil Dead was awesome!
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Sounds like we have similar tastes, which is no surprise. The Bones people found two bodies, a fresh one and a headless redcoat. Abbie used her FBI credentials to take Crane to D.C. to check things out. It was a little ponderous, but the double episode crossover was a lot of fun. We had free movie tickets or I would have made us stay home and mourn our furnace.
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Fun is the most important part. At least it should be. People take their fiction way too seriously these days. How do you mourn a furnace?
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By throwing dollars in a fire.
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This is a well known curse – there is no known cure… 😉 Thanks for the Last Witch Hunter review as I was wondering whether to go see it and shall now 😀
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I really enjoyed it, particularly the visuals.
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We had major repairs on our furnace last winter and then in the spring, we put four new tires on the van. I really, really understand.
Good thing you got those hoses put up!
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Yay for small accomplishments. That’s okay, maybe some of the sentiments can seep into my next book.
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Shouldn’t everything be material? 🙂
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I heard about the Bones/Sleepy Hollow crossover, and I thought it was weird to try that. I don’t watch either show, but I have seen both in the past, and they seem like two different worlds. Glad to hear they were able to pull the merge off.
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It was kind of fun. I also appreciate those who try new things.
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Yup, familiar with this curse. And I have to agree about Peter Capaldi, sort of. I can hear him, I just can’t always understand him. Sigh.
RIP Glenn.
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I’ve never had accent issues, even though my hearing is “mature.” I can listen to Davy Jones the pirate all day long. Gimli the dwarf, no problem. Maybe his voice is too soft??
I hope they aren’t going to recycle the surviving parent story on TWD. It was fine for Rick, but I see no need to have Maggie struggle through this so soon.
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Agree. I’m curious how they will develop this for her though. She’s lost so much, she could go off the deep end. That said, I haven’t seen yesterday’s episode yet.
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It’s good, but it’s backstory that doesn’t involve her.
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I’m glad you got those pesky hoses put away now maybe the curse will not include a busted pipe in the freezing weather. I have the bones show recorded so you and I have one thing in common that we watch.
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It gets cold enough here to freeze back into the house too. I hope we’re still a couple months away from that.Bones is great. I even based a character upon her, somewhat loosely, but it’s true.
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Ha! I’m fabulous! Last night Marred hit the bestsellers list. I couldn’t believe my eyes!
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So happy for you. I’m not slitting my wrists or anything. (teasing you)
You deserve all the success this can bring you. It’s a great story.
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I’m procrastinating with those fall chores, except for cleaning leaves out of the pool. If I don’t the skimmers get plugged and then we’d need a new pool pump. We also have a curse – it’s called Christmas. Every year, some unexpected huge expense occurs at Christmas – leaky roof, dead car, pool pump (twice)..well, you get the idea. We’ve started setting money aside for the Christmas catastrophe.
I am not a fan of scary movies but might see The Last Witch Hunter when it gets to Pay per View. The new 007 movie is out at the end of this week, then the last part of the Hunger Games, and we already have tickets for the new Star Wars film.
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I like the way you think. Budgeting for the Christmas catastrophe and advanced Star Wars tickets. Awesome.
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Oh, that stinks, Craig! Just try to remember, it could have been worse. So otherwise, how have you been?
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I’m good. Have heat and everything today. We’ve missed you around here.
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Thanks! I missed you too! 🙂
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