content Remember that anxiety dream that I said might have to do with a project at work? Heh. Said project kept me there yesterday till 7pm. Actually, it wasn't *too* bad - basically, it was at the point where I just had to plug away at it, and there wasn't anything I needed to be home early for, since Donald-and-Tanja time rarely kicks in before 8pm anyway. Also, working on it after everyone else left meant I could just... get on with it, which is always good.
And like I said to co-worker #1 who left at about 6, amazed I was still there - I'd prefer to work on it now, while the stress levels are low and I can just get on with doing it on my own than getting hardline about leaving when they stop paying me to be there, and just put the work off till next week, at which point the stress levels of *everyone* working on the project will be sky-high
That being said, I'm still not looking to make a habit of it, and I *am* keeping a record of my hours and planning to ask for a day in lieu sometime soon, and then just sit back, read and enjoy (I have the second JR Ward book set aside against *just* such a day)
Once I got home, I briefly checked to make sure there was nothing urgent that needed doing on Success U, then caught the lovely
janetlin online and discussed her feedback on Chapter 2 - all greatly appreciated (grin... or should that be 'yay! yay! she's well! and has beta-ed!) - and most of which will be taken on board before it goes up - hopefully tonight - on public view. And yes, those of you that are hangnig out to meet Methos. You get to meet him. And really? He's not happy.And then Donald and I spent some us-time watching the Pretender. Not two of the stronger episodes, but there was Darkfaceofvengeance!Jarrod in both of them at one point or another, so I felt somehow fulfilled by it (snork). And there was snugglage, and that makes all things better.
I finally finished 'Scardown' too. Oh gods, the writing is good. And I really, really cried this time. Not just sniffles, but actual cryage. Of course, that could be more to do with hormones than the strength of the writing, but I'll believe as I wish, thank you. The first book (Hammered) is... good. Good enough to get me interested in picking up and reading number 2. But Hammered is really *nothing* on the second one. The main character, Genevieve Casey, makes me think of who Honor Harrington might have been if she'd been an NCO instead of commissioned, if she hadn't had all the priviledges that being a genie daughter of two doctors gave her, and if she'd grown up in a not-too-distant earthly dystopia instead of the Star Kingdom of Manticore. Also, if she was in her mid-fifties after a life on the front lines (following a life on the streets), instead of on board a starship. So OK, my Honor-metaphor is really falling apart here. But there are similarities in strength of character and grit and just determination to do what needs to be done. Also, sense of humour.
And many of the main characters from Hammered are in Scardown. But they really, really come into their own in Scardown - especially one of them who goes from being a definite bad guy to being vaguely understandable and oh-so-very-human once you realise just how high the stakes are that he's playing for. And damn, Elizabeth Bear is even better than Weber at making you believe everything really is lost (and making you *care*, damn her), and then suddenly pulling a possible fix out of the blue that makes perfect sense and you realise has been set up since chapter 3, and then wrenching that away from you just when your guard is back down, and then offering something else, and wrenching that away too... and finally resolving it in a 'Oh. My. God. I *can't* believe she just *DID* that' kind of way. And, damnit, I want Book 3 now.
Snork. Normally a trip to Barbara's is preceded by Donald saying 'X book has come in for me, feel heading down to Barbara's?' And me saying 'yeah, what the hey, why not?'. This is the first weekend I can remember that I've been jumping up and down saying 'Sweetheart, we're *going* down to Barbara's today! I *NEED* Book 3. No seriously. No if's, but's or maybe's. We're *going*'. And Donald smirks in amusement.
And now I go to put final fixes on Ch 2, and then head off to Barbara's.
Hugs
T