Small Pandas and the Big Ariel Photograph

[lathany]

February - it's cold and dark and I alternate between busy period at work and trying to hibernate back home. I want spring to get a move on.

• Lunch with Alistair - Despite meeting on a weekly basis in places such as the rogues' camp, Kurast and Hell, we decided to meet up in person and in London as it turned out we only work about ten minutes apart. The conversation covered Dragon Age, Torchlight and Mass Effect with occasional updates on the lives of mutual friends (such as verlaine's about-to-be-daughter). We compared our opinions of (PC) classes, reminisced about Baldur's Gate and I was again urged to play Planescape Torment. And the best thing of all? Turns out that I'm not the only person in London who likes a dessert course to my lunchtime meal.
• The Gift (very mild spoilers) - Having just finished the first Pellinor book by Alison Croggon, I got onto the internet and ordered the other three. It's been a while since I found myself so absorbed by a new author and there's not been enough fantasy in my life. Although it's hard to read on the train because the various meal descriptions make me hungry! It's not flawless - the heroine reeks of special (and suffers from the problem I think someone else raised recently - the difference between writing books about ordinary people being heroic and those about people doing super-human things because they're powered). Also, I liked the Lord of the Rings feel, but I know it's annoyed other readers who see it as plagiarism. One final comment, a word of warning to anyone who was caught by The Wheel of Time - I don't know if four books ends the sequence.
• Jigsaws - I received an envelope from venta about a week ago and opened it to find a mystery child's jigsaw. About half an hour later, a pair of pandas gazed up at me - Bea loves pandas, so I'll be passing it on to her next. Following this, I made the 455 piece one that my parents-in-law bought me. That was hard as all roads and houses look much the same from a certain height. However, I finally finished it and can now see Ashford from, I assume, a light aircraft height.
• Duplicity - Last Friday's film may be my favourite Julia Roberts film (although I was also fond of Pretty Woman). It's fast, funny and has plot. She's also great in it (I'm not usually a huge fan of her).
• Blood - Last weekend, for the second time, it turned that my blood doesn't have enough iron in it (an irritating score of 123 when 125 would have been OK). This was particuarly annoying as it was ro have been my tenth donation. I'm hoping to be back over the limit in the spring when I'm next able to go. Fortunately, I hadn't taken the duo along this time - it would have really confused them.

Comments

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

such as verlaine's about-to-be-daughter

For someone who's already seen a photo (http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=10956159&id=667910391) of her you sound remarkably skeptical!

She's also great in it

I think so too, but a brief bit of web exploration in search of clues as to why sadsack-whose-name-I've-forgotten gets billed above her revealed various people saying she was miscast in the role. Apparently she didn't come across as "cold" enough. Don't people realise you catch more flies with honey than vinegar?! (He said, carefully avoiding spoilers...)

[lathany.livejournal.com]

She was about-to-be at the time!

[dracunculus.livejournal.com]

You haven't played Planescape: Torment? What are you waiting for?

Periodically I have to remind my husband, with escalating degrees of distress and urgency, that he's never played KOTOR. But he doesn't seem to care!

[lathany.livejournal.com]

I've never finished KOTOR and a plan this year is to go back and play it from the start. I remember it crashed on me, so I might hunt down a patch as well. with Planescape Torment, I own it, but have only had one abortive attempt at it. It's slightly harder to get into after BGII (which I met first) as the engine is clunkier. But I do mean to have another go.