Waffling... drama and food

[kennahijja]

There's one busy weekend behind me...

A bit over a year ago, me and random acquaintance (RA) had the following conversation:

RA: Hey, would you mind proof-reading my thesis once it's done? Not for subject matter (which is about 200 sea miles outside my intellectual comfort zone), just grammar, commas, that sort of thing?
ME (being me...): Sure. Throw it at me whenever it's ready.

(fastforward to one-and-a-half weeks ago)
RA: Remember that thesis? Here it is! (plonks into inbox) Um... could you do it in a week? It's... a wee bit late.
ME: Sure. (I mean, that's over a week, even if it's 100+ pages).

(fastforward to last Friday night, me in bed about to go to sleep)
ME (being me): The thesis! Oh *f**k*!

Spent most of Saturday and all of Sunday night editing, realising that my grip on German commas wasn't helped by an all-English environment. But on the upside, I shoved in a nice little break trip to the National Gallery on Sunday - not much sleep as a consequence, but well... At least it's off my back now :).

That said, this lunchtime I experienced 'treacle tart' for the first time firsthand and outside a HP book. Which was an interesting experience. It doesn't even taste bad (though I failed to figure out what it might have been made of). But the consistency?!? I expected sticky, but not *this* sticky... Probably not an experience to be repeated ;).

Oh, and if anyone has a surefire recipe on how to get yourself to write when you're tired and un-inspired and would rather do anything else, do share!

Comments

[ryf.livejournal.com]

realising that my grip on German commas wasn't helped by an all-English environment.

You mean you actually know the rules and don't just put them wherever it looks good?

Ergh, my natural sciences thingy is showing, I suppose. *hugs English*

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

You mean you actually know the rules and don't just put them wherever it looks good?

I wouldn't go that far... I just have a pretty good comma instinct that seems to agree with the rules. *hugs English* There, commas actually make sense!

[liriaen.livejournal.com]

Sad to say, German commas do so as well. Make sense, I mean. As for surefire methods.. have you tried a vottle of red wine yet? Or hot chocolate with vodka?

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

I know they do - I've just never learned the rules in German :).

Alcohol in any shape or form will put me right to sleep (not that I have any...). Otherwise, Baileys in real coffee (not that I have any either...) would be my first recourse ;).

Heh - 'vottle' would make a nice measurement unit, don't you think?

[liriaen.livejournal.com]

bottle. And I'm only on my first glass, lordy, lordy.

[reposoir.livejournal.com]

I think treacle tarts are made with something similar to molasses- not quite, but close....

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

It certainly has the right consistency for it! Ew.

[karaontai.livejournal.com]

It is actually made of something called "Golden Syrup" -- according to this web site I found lol.
Have a look if you like http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-treacle-tart.htm

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

It explains quite a bit, but still doesn't sound as if I want to try it again... or make it :).

[siamkatze.livejournal.com]

Oh, and if anyone has a surefire recipe on how to get yourself to write when you're tired and un-inspired and would rather do anything else, do share!

Yep. It's called NaNoWriMo. ;-)

[leni-jess.livejournal.com]

Lovely icon! Now if it were mine/meant to represent me, there'd be a big fat red X over the last check box.

[siamkatze.livejournal.com]

Hehe, I do actually have a plot this year. I just liked the icon so much I had to take it anyway. ;-)

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

Icon!love! Though honestly, I'd have a ticky in the last box too, and an empty one below that saying "motivation" ;).

I have the ultimate respect for the NaNoWriMo people, but they've got to be a tad soft in the head for doing something like that to themselves, don't they?

[siamkatze.livejournal.com]

Ha ha, yes, I have been questioning my sanity every day since November 1. ;-)

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

Uh-oh! I wasn't aware I was talking to one of them ;). Hope it goes well!

[snorkackcatcher]

There are rules for German commas? You mean where they have to go instead of can go, other than in the stylistic sense?

Can't help with the writing recipe though. Let me know if you find one. :(

[fpb.livejournal.com]

German sentence structuire is a very peculiar thing, and, unless vigorously and carefully punctuated, German sentences can be extremely confusing. Me, I still haven't managed to get my head around the GErman use of the subjunctive.

But if you want to see a really fanatical attitude to punk to atium, submit a fic to FictionAlley.

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

But if you want to see a really fanatical attitude to punk to atium, submit a fic to FictionAlley.

*nods*
It never happened to me, but I heard all about it from a friend of mine who wrote an excellent comedy/parody with purposefully eccentric format/dialogue, and ran into a very unimaginative by-the-book coder. Talk about worlds colliding...

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

I've been told there are... yes, and they're pretty rigid. But seeing that I never *learned* German grammar rules (or slept through primary school if I did), all I have to go with is instinct. But that's proving pretty reliable.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Oh, and if anyone has a surefire recipe on how to get yourself to write when you're tired and un-inspired and would rather do anything else, do share!

Designate a room as studio or working room. Go there. Sit down. Start on the first sentence. DO NOT GET UP UNTIL YOU HAVE STARTED A SUBSTANTIAL PIECE OF WORK. You ought to have done at least five hundred words before you so much as get up for a tinkle or a cup of coffee.

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

You know, I might actually try this... if only my laptop hadn't the games on it I like to play :(. So used to writing on the train, but it doesn't work on shortish journeys on crowded buses :(.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

And it won't work on commuter trains in Britain, either. You will be too squashed to open a pocket calculator, let alone a laptop.

I have three computers: a laptop (which I loathe), an ageing PC which is connected to the internet, and a yet older PC - given to me free by someone who was finished with it - which is in my working room. This one has no games and no Internet connection. When I sit down in front of it, I have no choice except write or read.