No Strings Attached

Posted By Kathleen David on April 30, 2013

Bottle, bottle, who’s got the bottle? Yes, this counts almost as another bottle episode.

Over all not my favorite of this season for reasons I will explain behind the cut.

Acting was solid over all. The big reveal was set up so you could see that the pieces where there.

It was nice to see parts of the TARDIS we had seen before or been told about before. Thanks to green screen we can have scope and claustrophobia all at the same time. There were lots of shout outs to fans of the previous Doctors and I am sure I missed some since we went through some places so fast.

So not bad but not as good as it could have been.

Next week The Crimson Horror.
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Posted By Kathleen David on April 29, 2013

Things continue to improve for Peter slowly.

He can now touch the thumb of his right finger to his pinkie with pretty much normal effort. He has started to type again for limited amount of time. Between that and Dragon Dictate, he is able to get work done. It might not be as fast for him as his pre-stroke speed but he is getting a lot done for various projects.

His gait is returning to normal. He is only using a cane for very long distances. His stamina is returning slowly.

He is bowling again and starting to get his game back in order. He is throwing closer to his average these days.

Each normal activity that he can do is a victory.

And like any recovery we have our good days and our bad days and our OK days.

Next month is a busy one for us. Ariel is graduating from college. We have Phoenix Comic Con at the end of the month and a lot to do the rest of the month.

Caroline is doing fine in school. She is happy to have her ELA and Math tests behind her. She has her math and social studies left. Her flute practice is continuing. She is learning the flute part of the Star Wars theme.

My neck is doing fine, thank you. I am adjusting to things as they happen. I had my annual wellness visit and, after I take some other tests, I will find out if I am “well”.

You, dear reader, can still help us by spreading the word about Peter’s books and other works. We do still have some pretty steep medical bills coming in. The insurance company keeps deciding how much they are going to pay and how much we are going to pay. Just when I think we might be pretty much caught up on things, we get hit with another charge that was sorted out by all the other parties. It does wear one down but with your help I can say that I am not as worn down as I might have been.

Oh, in other forms of excitement, the brakes went on my truck and I managed to get to the service station before they were totally gone but it was pretty scary there. I was the only one in the truck at the time.

I am going to open this up to questions. So ask and I shall answer the best I can. If I can’t answer, I will tell you that I can’t and I ask that you respect that.

Thank you to everyone who has helped us. We would not be here if it weren’t for your help and know that we are very grateful.

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Posted By Kathleen David on April 27, 2013

If you are in Atlanta, you should check out what the Center for Puppetry Arts has planned for today. It’s pretty spiffy. And you’re welcome.

There are things happening all over the United States today at various venues. Check around because there is some cool stuff going on.

As many of you know puppetry is as much part of my being as breathing. It just is. I started playing with puppets at a young age and building them when I was older. It is my calling.

I started showing at Art Shows with puppets, met my husband because of a puppet, made a lot of friends because of puppets, and had some really cool adventures because of puppets.

I have worked to educate people about puppets and puppet building. I have taught puppet workshops. I have always been willing to share information about how I do what I do. I take personal pride in that I have gotten teaching someone the basics of a hand and rod puppet to about half an hour.

I am a proud puppeteer and wear my red fleece heart on my sleeve.

I encourage each and every one of you to go out and have some puppet fun today. Even if that is watching Muppet Show sketches on YouTube.

I am so very grateful for puppetry.

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Posted By Kathleen David on April 18, 2013

Yesterday CNN got a serious black eye for reporting hearsay as news using those nine words “I’ve got a source who has told me…” which is an automatic red flag for me for things I see around the Internet. The mysterious Source apparently is an individual that knows all and tells all even when there is no verification for what they said.

Rumors and the like flying around the Internet like bats in a cave right before sunset.

I take anything I hear on the Internet with a big ol’ grain of salt. I double check to make sure what I am reading is true before I pass it on. Even trusted sources get the once over before I’ll believe it. Especially deaths, the number of times various people have been reported, falsely, to be deceased would be a book in itself.

Fandom has its own rumor mill that wildly speculates about whatever the fans are talking about. I know this for a fact because apparently there was a rumor that went around the Internet that Peter had died from the stroke, which I quickly quashed.

Recently one fandom was in a serious tizzy because of a rumor that was supposes to be gospel about what was going to happen to one of their beloved characters. They didn’t like it one bit and many swore that it would ruin the show. I know the actor in question and asked them about it. It was false but I couldn’t say anything because they told me in confidence. Eventually the rumor was proved false but a lot of people got upset over something that wasn’t real.

I know there are people out there who take great pride in stirring the pot and causing these Internet frenzies. These people do have no life and really need to get one.

Then there is what I call the wishful rumors. Started by people who wish that what they say would be true. I have a Doctor Who story about that one that went down a pretty twisted rabbit hole and still has repercussion in Dr. Who fandom to this day.

I think that news organizations that don’t verify before reporting need to change their name from news to speculation organizations because that is what they are doing. And verifications now even have to be checked because some of the sources used to verify can be suspect (ie: fandom rumors).

I am grateful to news organizations that act like news organizations rather than sensationalism and rumormongers.

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Posted By Kathleen David on April 16, 2013

I started to have a bad headache right after I heard about what had happened at the Boston Marathon. It continued into the night and I am still hurting. It could be because I am coming down with a cold I think or it could be a reaction to what I am hearing and seeing.

If you are a long time reader of this web log, you know I was in the city on 9-11. And I have written how I got home and the different things that affected me.

That’s not where my mind went when I heard about the explosions, it was the Atlanta Centennial Olympic Park Bombing that immediately came to mind, July 27, 1996. That was a nail bomb that killed two and injured 111 people. The perpetrator was home grown and eventually caught but not before he set off three more bombs killing and maiming people.

I was supposes to go down to the park that night and meet up with some friends. The tower where the bomb went off is where we were going to meet up because we had a buddy on the tower working lights for the shows. I didn’t go because I was in the middle of writing a fanfic and was on a roll. The next day I found out that group I was going to go with decided not to go and went to Taco Mac instead. So fanfic may have saved my life.

My heart goes out to everyone affected by this senseless tragedy.

I am sure there is going to be a lot going around on the net about this. I plan to take the information with a grain of salt. Just remember what happened to Richard Jewel in the passion of the moment to get answers. Time is needed to figure out what happened and we are going to get all kinds of speculation and wild theories over the next couple of days.

Blood supplies are going to be depleted. Blood donation is at a pretty low point right now so if you can give blood, maybe you should think about it. Careful about donating money. There are a number of scams already out there. Red Cross is one place that is pretty safe.

I am hoping that I can get this headache to go away or calm to a dull roar. And if I am getting sick, I hope I get over it soon.

Healing thoughts and prayers to the injured and my prayers and sympathies to the family who lost someone.

Hug someone you love today. Life is uncertain.

I am grateful I didn’t go down to the park that July night.

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