After all the whinging and moaning and moaning and whinging… June 4, 2009
Posted by phoenixaeon in A215, TMA05.6 comments
I have my TMA05 results back. Ecstatic is the word I’d use. 90%. (Now why couldn’t I have achieved that for TMA04?) There were some really good comments, too. Among them the askance to submit the poems for publishing. Yahooo! I shall do that forthwith! Well, after I finish doing my little dance!
Chuffed. To. Little. MINTBALLS!
OK, enough now. But after the arghness of TMA04 and the misery post, it’s only fair to include the ‘Yatta!’ post.
I am off now to find some food. Not had any breakfast as yet and me belly’s a-rumbling!
I’m in the mood for love. June 3, 2009
Posted by phoenixaeon in A215, Animals, French Open, TMA05, tennis.add a comment
Well, not me, but the animals at the safari park. We finally made it today, after the plans for Monday had to be put aside when the gardening folks were able to come and clear the garden a couple of hours after we called them. (But yay! Clear garden – apart from the rubbish that is left to go. But there is no longer a miniatrure forest out back! Means I can get my Japanese cherry blossoms and maybe a plum tree, too.) Anyway, back to the animals. As we drove into the park there was a stag having a sniff around one of the does. Into the lion enclosure, and one of the lions was trying it on, while three young lions were trying to attack one of the lionesses. The big daddy lion wasn’t much pleased and chased them off, roaring loudly, before flopping and rolling about on the floor. When we finally got to the elephant enclosure – Princi hadn’t been interested until we got to the elephants, the only animals she wanted to see – there was a bit of heavy petting going on! Princi got out of the car with Aunty Kirst for a walk around, but we left before the ‘bow-wow-chicka-bow-wow’ music started playing.
As for the rest of the animals, Princi didn’t seem much interested. She wanted to read the guide (the guy in the booth asked, ‘Do you want a free guide?’ I said ‘Oh, go on then.’ And the bugger charged me for it!), turn the radio on and dance (she was stood in the footwell in front of me), or generally climb around the car. When we left she was a bit put out, started demanding food (which she never ate!) and kicking up a fuss. This continued when we got home. I think she was particularly irked that the wheelchair was taking up the hallway – I couldn’t get my legs to work enough to get me up the two small front steps, so Skidaddles set the chair up so he could get me back in the house – and it trapped her in the front room. Oops! She did work out that she could push it out of the way a minute or so later!
As for other things… Still no TMA results. Grrr.
The tennis has been a good watch, even though Andy Murray was knocked out by Fernando Gonzalez yesterday. I think Roger Federer must be chuffed to little mintballs. No Rafa Nadal, Andy Murray or Novak Djokovic. I’m hoping that Robin Soderling can keep up his form, I’d love to see him win it. I think I’d have said that even if Murray was still in the tournament though, because Soderling has played some blistering tennis over the last few days. It’s been really good to see. It’s just a pity that Sorana Cirstea dropped her form after her match against Jelena Jankovic. She was beaten by Samantha Stosur today, but at least Stosur is another name you don’t expect to see in a slam semi-final. I’m looking forward to seeing what happems next.
Push the button! May 11, 2009
Posted by phoenixaeon in A215, ECA, Editing, TMA05.1 comment so far
‘Send’ clicked. TMA05 out into the wilds of the eTMA system. Yikes!
And so, the wrap up continues. I’ve redrafted the mythology poems once more and checked the commentary, so I’m fine with that going into the cyber-crapper. I will now grant myself the gift of a break before embarking onto the ECA commentary editing. Oh, and the plans I have for Mecha-Lexy. Still ooh-ing and aah-ing whether or not to change the title to Mecha-LEX. I think it sounds better, but the new plan might be able to make use of the extra syllable. Hmmmm. However, at the same time as stressing over a slightly new working of M-L, I am also wondering if I have made the right choice with this poem. As much as I like it, it’s starting to feel a little too risky. *Shudder* I am such a good score whore (not in a naughty way)! But I want a decent mark to buck the downtrend the last TMA gave me.
Argh!
Discombobulated. May 8, 2009
Posted by phoenixaeon in A215, ECA, Stannah209, TMA05.5 comments
Yup, that’s my word of the day. That is also my state of mind right now. I feel like I’m bouncing my head off brick walls trying to get the commentary for the ECA finished. I’m 630ish words into it, and it’s a bag of pants. No, scratch that. It’s a Boeing 747ful of pants. It is truly awful. But I’ve got to get it done, and the sooner the better. TMA05 will hopefully be blasted into the cyber-sewer on Monday. I’ve worked hard on that one, but I’m not expecting a good mark (by my standards, that is) after the disaster of TMA04. Hodilly humdilly.
At least Stannah-209 has been fixed. Skidaddles called the careline this morning and within two hours of calling the engineer was knocking on the door. Woohoo! Supposedly it was only the battery that was the problem – too old and not holding its charge very well. I am hoping that is all it is (I haven’t tested the repair out for myself yet) and not the wiring in the arm of the seat working its way loose like the last time. We’ll have to see. Hopefully it is all fixed, and that means I can go to see Coraline at the weekend with my sis. Yay!
Well, I’m off to do battle with the pants monster to see if I can save my ECA commentary. Maybe some Scritti Politti might add force to the offensive…
All time consists of waiting. April 27, 2009
Posted by phoenixaeon in A215, ECA, Puuuuuuusssshhhhh!, TMA04, TMA05.add a comment
Today I wait to hear news of Skip’s new arrival. Hee, a really exciting time for her, Al and the little life she is bringing into the world. It’s exciting for her, but also for all her friends and family waiting for introductions.
I am also waiting for the return of my last TMA. I was hoping, seeing as there’s such a short period of time to complete the final TMA and the ECA, that the return of TMA04 would be sooner rather than later. No chance of that then. The input and critique would be extrememly helpful for final edits of the ECA, especially now I’m gearing up to have all completed in the next four weeks. At least I have finally begun the commentary for the ECA. In fact, this is where this post ends, prematurely, as I go back to the real writing!
Push, Skips. PUSH!
When I’m cleanin’ windas! April 22, 2009
Posted by phoenixaeon in A215, Conversations with Principessa, ECA, Poetry, TMA05.5 comments
This evening, about 15 minutes before bedtime, Princi disappeared upstairs. I thought she had gone to sit with Nanny, but noooo. Just as I was juddering my way upstairs to put her to bed there was a thump followed by a whine of pain. Grandand was already on his way up the stairs to help me up at the top, so shouts of ‘What happened?’ and ‘Where are you hurt?’ echoed across the landing. Princi walks crying out of the bathroom, cradling her right hand. ‘I hurt my hand,’ she sobbed.
‘What were you doing in the bathroom?’ I ask, as I slowly wind my way up the stairs on the stairlift.
‘I was window cleaning,’ she says. ‘But I hurt my hand. I’ll never do window cleaning again.’
‘Princi! You shouldn’t stand on the side of the bath and play with water, it’s very dangerous. You’re lucky you only hurt your hand,’ I say. Grandand helps me up and I go into the bathroom to see what she had been up to.
Had she ever been cleaning windows! The window ledge was flooded, and there was a toothbrush (luckily, the one I replaced yesterday) caked in soap. A build-up of soapy scum had accumulated at the bottom of the frame. Little terror!
At least she went to bed without much fuss after eating a marmite sandwich and drinking a glass of milk. (Oh marmite, why have you forsaken me? I used to love marmite, but now I can’t stand it.) I’m hoping she’ll stay in her bed tonight instead of being the surreptitious starfish in the night.
________________________________________________________________________
One good thing that happened today, I have more or less finished TMA05. There’s only a little tweaking of both poems and commentary left to do now. I think I’ll leave that until next week and move onto the ECA. There’s still the commentary to do on that, and I have to have a play around with the poems and life writing, just to make them as perfect as they can be. I’ve got about another 4 weeks to get it all sorted (TMA05 goes off in three weeks), so I’m not feeling too panicked at the moment. So here’s the WIPs:
- TMA05 = Publication research, themed sequence of poems (at least 3) 40 lines (max 42) + 500 words reflective commentary + reading final chapters of BRB. (May 15) *
- *Revise drafts of Persephone, Cassandra, and Yggdrasil. Begin planning submissions commentary based around Iota magazine. Have chosen Poetry magazine instead. Commentary @ editing.
- ECA = 1,200-1,300 words prose (life writing) + 40-50 lines poetry**+ 700 words reflective commentary. (June 5)
- **Revise drafts of Mecha-Lexy UNDER REVISION, At the feet of Rafa Nadal UNDER REVISION, Meat, and the life writing narrative UNDER REVISION. Complete first draft of Foil and Gambling on inheritance. Choose which poems to use for ECA. Begin planning the commentary.
So there’s still a bit to do, not least the 700 words commentary. But I’m now at the final push, and actually feeling quite good about it all. Me and positivity, not something that happens often! Especially where my writing is concerned.
Hard at work. April 21, 2009
Posted by phoenixaeon in A215, ECA, Life writing, Poetry, TMA05, writing.2 comments
Work in progress
Yep. That’s me. Not the computer, obviously, but working hard at getting TMA05 all sorted. The first draft is kind of there, but already I am making changes to it. I suppose that’s a good thing as it’s allowing me to reference the BRB some. And so much for the estimated ‘Oh, it’ll only take about an hour.’ Hah! Nope. I tippy-tapped at it while Princi was at school, and again now, while she is distracted watching TV with Nanny. (I’ve only got another twenty minutes, then Neighbours is on and Princi will return to cleave asunder any plan of working, yet here I am, blogging.)
As for other writing stuff, I’ve got stuff I need to add onto the prose life writing piece for the ECA, and I have begun editing Mecha Lexy. I think I’m all decided on the poems I want to use for the ECA, Mecha Lexy being one and At the feet of Rafa Nadal being the other. I like ML because it has some humour to it, and AtfoRN because it isn’t autobiographical – it’s just a poem about water bottles and OCD! I just need to work on them a little to make them all they can be. But at least I’m settled in what I’m using. That takes a big weight off.
Anyhoos, off to make use of the ten minutes I have left!
Oh no! Something else to distract me. April 18, 2009
Posted by phoenixaeon in A215, ECA, TMA05, blip.fm.add a comment
Grrr. Blip.fm is sapping my time. I should be writing commentaries, but instead I am searching for music to blip. And I was so disappointed when Needle Gun wasn’t on there. Hmph!
On the commentary writing thing. I am half way through the commentary for TMA05. I have got to finish writing about the editing process, then do the research and submissions half, but that shouldn’t take too long. I’ve got all the info I need, so it should take me about an hour or so to do. So for that reason I am having the weekend off. Princi starts back at school on Monday, so besides going out for a coffee with Kirst on Monday morning, I’ll have free time to get the work done. I’ve already started compiling the actual poems/prose for both TMA05 and the ECA, so if I can get organised I should be sorted out within the next few weeks. Yay!
Cats and dogs on the track? April 13, 2009
Posted by phoenixaeon in A215, Moto GP, TMA04, TMA05.Tags: writing
add a comment
This weekend marked the start of the Moto GP season with the Qatar GP. The race was penned in for around 9pm yesterday, but the weather intervened. A downpour forced the organisers to call it all off. Hmph! Now I’ll have to wait until 7pm tonight to see the race. At least there’s some tennis on to keep me occupied when I’m not a climbing frame or a piece of furniture for Princi.
I so totally wasted yesterday. With Princi at the beach, I should really have done some work on TMA04. Instead, Gaz and I played Guitar Hero. It was a waste of good writing time, but hell, I rocked! Gaz? Not so much! That means that I’ll have to get the TMA fixed and sorted, then sent off today when Princi goes to the swingpark (yep, the Walker is just a little too much today. Princi knackered Grandand yesterday at the beach, so having to help me in and out of the wheelchair is pushing it a little! There’s always next weekend). I’m just sick of looking at it now. Once it’s gone, I can get started on the prep reading for the commentary for TMA05, and start planning that and the commentary for the ECA. It doesn’t help that I’m still not sure what poems I’ll use for the ECA, and that some of them are still unfinished. I suppose that’ll help in the selection process though. Silver lining, gotta look for ‘em!
My brain is a very strange place. April 8, 2009
Posted by phoenixaeon in A215, Dreams, ECA, Life writing, Poetry, TMA04, TMA05, Writing goals.Tags: writing
1 comment so far
Yep. I had another weird dream last night, though the only part I can remember is an advert. It had a bloke in it, all happy and jolly, until all of a sudden he clutches his side and falls down. Next thing, his insides are spilling out and there is a huge writhing mass of something contorting in the open cavity. It turns out to be his liver, with the tagline – ‘If you don’t look after your body, your body wont look after you.’ Then the writhing mass devours him. I know. My subconscious is messed up!
Still, I had another patch of productivity yesterday. I fixed the problems with my TMA narrative, and completed the first draft of the commentary, then completed the first drafts of two poems that had been playing on my mind. During Princi’s distracted phases today I have tidied up the commentary, compiled the TMA so it’s ready to send, and sorted out the references. Now all I have to do is get all the relevant info for the biblio, and it’s more or less done. Yay! So now my checklist looks like this:
- TMA04 = Life writing. 1500 words + 500 words reflective commentary. (Apr 17)
- TMA05 = Publication research, themed sequence of poems (at least 3) 40 lines (max 42) + 500 words reflective commentary + reading final chapters of BRB. (May 15) *
- ECA = 1500 words prose (life writing) + 40-50 lines poetry**+ 700 words reflective commentary. (June 5)
- *Revise drafts of Persephone, Cassandra, and Yggdrassil. Begin planning submissions commentary based around Iota magazine.
- **Revise drafts of Mecha-Lexy, At the feet of Rafa Nadal, Meat, and the life writing narrative. Complete first draft of Foil and Gambling on inheritance. Choose which poems to use for ECA. Begin planning the commentary.
So that’s me for the next few weeks. And if other poems make themselves known, then I’ll scribble them too. Wow! I never thought I’d be so over-awed by writing. It’s giving me a strange adrenaline rush!
Well, time for a break. Possibly time for some phonics fun with Princi, if I can tear her away from the laptop. As for the teaching of letters writing, we’ve only managed a,b,c,d before she got bored and wanted to draw shapes. At least she can write her name.
