Updating...
Mar. 26th, 2009 08:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
londonronnieHaven't posted much about life chez Ronnie lately, so here's a few random snippets...
. One large domestic crisis - well, not so much a full-blown crisis, more a bloody hell... A part of our guttering blew off in the high winds a couple of nights ago. Local blokey goes up to fix it and then informs us that the joists up there are rotten (hence the guttering becoming detached). Apparently we'll have to get a specialist firm to cut back all the joists, insert new pieces and then inject the rest of the wood with some sort of substance that'll prevent any more going rotten. Big job, big money... *sigh* Not what you need in these cash-strapped times.
. Something else we've had to add to the shopping list - our PC is on its last legs apparently. When it got taken away to get the noisy fan fixed last month (which turned out to be unfixable, btw) the boffin told us that our hard drive was "failing". Could pack up next year, next month, next week, tomorrow, whenever, according to him. The PC is nearly five years old, so it is coming to the end of its useful life, admittedly. As luck would have it, however, Aldi have one of their sooper-dooper computer offers on today, and as I've been more than pleased with the laptop I got from there last year we decided to take the plunge. And yay! We got one! Haven't taken it out of the box yet (that can wait until the weekend when little inquisitive hands aren't around) but it's got a fantastic spec and is light years ahead of our current PC (which, incidentally, cost three times as much five years ago!). The only downside to getting a new PC, of course, is having to transfer all your files and reinstall your software etc. Still, you can't beat having a new toy to play with, can you? *g*
. I'm a bit pleased with meself cos I've actually got a couple of my New Year's resolutions under way. First up, I've started transferring all my vinyl albums and 78rpm records onto disc, via my USB turntable and the laptop. Which means that I'm currently spending most nights wallowing in nostalgia and it's lovely!
Secondly, I've nearly got all my stories uploaded to the Auto Hatstand. It had been bothering me a bit that they were spread all over the place - various zines, different LJ comms etc - so now they're going to be all together. Naturally enough, I've saved the longest one until last, and as I want to change some of the formatting I'm going to have to read through it to make sure I don't miss anything, so goodness only knows when I'll finally get it uploaded. It took me three nights to get The Secrets Beneath sorted, for the same reason, although I have to admit that I did enjoy getting reacquainted with the B&D of that world. I'd missed 'em!
. And speaking of fic, I've recently been really lucky to have done some betaing and casting-an-eye-over a couple of really excellent Pros stories. Can't believe that two such brilliant stories landed in my lap in the space of a few weeks. Both are looong (one's novel-length) and both are destined for zines, and that's all I can say at present! Little tease, aint I? *snigger*. Don't worry though, I'll give you all the heads-up when they finally make their respective appearances!
. What else is there to tell you? Daughter G has set a date for her wedding - 5th April 2010, which happens to be Easter Monday. And it looks like they're going to be spending part of the honeymoon in LA (Grrrr...*is jealous*)...
. And oh! Only seven weeks to Nattercon! I hereby declare the countdown well and truly started! Can we have a quick rollcall? How many folks here are going?
OK then - off to reformat a certain Regency gent and his friend...
. One large domestic crisis - well, not so much a full-blown crisis, more a bloody hell... A part of our guttering blew off in the high winds a couple of nights ago. Local blokey goes up to fix it and then informs us that the joists up there are rotten (hence the guttering becoming detached). Apparently we'll have to get a specialist firm to cut back all the joists, insert new pieces and then inject the rest of the wood with some sort of substance that'll prevent any more going rotten. Big job, big money... *sigh* Not what you need in these cash-strapped times.
. Something else we've had to add to the shopping list - our PC is on its last legs apparently. When it got taken away to get the noisy fan fixed last month (which turned out to be unfixable, btw) the boffin told us that our hard drive was "failing". Could pack up next year, next month, next week, tomorrow, whenever, according to him. The PC is nearly five years old, so it is coming to the end of its useful life, admittedly. As luck would have it, however, Aldi have one of their sooper-dooper computer offers on today, and as I've been more than pleased with the laptop I got from there last year we decided to take the plunge. And yay! We got one! Haven't taken it out of the box yet (that can wait until the weekend when little inquisitive hands aren't around) but it's got a fantastic spec and is light years ahead of our current PC (which, incidentally, cost three times as much five years ago!). The only downside to getting a new PC, of course, is having to transfer all your files and reinstall your software etc. Still, you can't beat having a new toy to play with, can you? *g*
. I'm a bit pleased with meself cos I've actually got a couple of my New Year's resolutions under way. First up, I've started transferring all my vinyl albums and 78rpm records onto disc, via my USB turntable and the laptop. Which means that I'm currently spending most nights wallowing in nostalgia and it's lovely!
Secondly, I've nearly got all my stories uploaded to the Auto Hatstand. It had been bothering me a bit that they were spread all over the place - various zines, different LJ comms etc - so now they're going to be all together. Naturally enough, I've saved the longest one until last, and as I want to change some of the formatting I'm going to have to read through it to make sure I don't miss anything, so goodness only knows when I'll finally get it uploaded. It took me three nights to get The Secrets Beneath sorted, for the same reason, although I have to admit that I did enjoy getting reacquainted with the B&D of that world. I'd missed 'em!
. And speaking of fic, I've recently been really lucky to have done some betaing and casting-an-eye-over a couple of really excellent Pros stories. Can't believe that two such brilliant stories landed in my lap in the space of a few weeks. Both are looong (one's novel-length) and both are destined for zines, and that's all I can say at present! Little tease, aint I? *snigger*. Don't worry though, I'll give you all the heads-up when they finally make their respective appearances!
. What else is there to tell you? Daughter G has set a date for her wedding - 5th April 2010, which happens to be Easter Monday. And it looks like they're going to be spending part of the honeymoon in LA (Grrrr...*is jealous*)...
. And oh! Only seven weeks to Nattercon! I hereby declare the countdown well and truly started! Can we have a quick rollcall? How many folks here are going?
OK then - off to reformat a certain Regency gent and his friend...
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-03-26 09:52 pm (UTC)Sorry to hear about the joists but yeah to a new computer and look at you, being all industrious, what with transferring your music and uploading your stories. *goes back to napping*
no subject
Date: 2009-03-27 11:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-26 10:06 pm (UTC)Not going to Nattercon . . .
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Date: 2009-03-27 11:03 pm (UTC)Only problem is, once I've converted all the records will I have the heart to actually get rid of them?
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Date: 2009-03-26 10:43 pm (UTC)And yeay Nattercon countdown! *vbg*
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Date: 2009-03-27 11:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-27 11:16 am (UTC)Congratulations! I know what a pain it can be, having to reformat and, nine times out of ten, at least for me, make some tiny and, well, maybe not so tiny changes to a story.
And speaking of fic, I've recently been really lucky to have done some betaing and casting-an-eye-over a couple of really excellent Pros stories. Can't believe that two such brilliant stories landed in my lap in the space of a few weeks. Both are looong (one's novel-length) and both are destined for zines, and that's all I can say at present! Little tease, aint I? *snigger*. Don't worry though, I'll give you all the heads-up when they finally make their respective appearances!
Thanks! Other than Bast's, I didn't know there were any Pros zines still being published.
And oh! Only seven weeks to Nattercon! I hereby declare the countdown well and truly started! Can we have a quick rollcall? How many folks here are going?
Unfortunately, not me. Shore Leave (a scifi/K/S con,) is the weekend before and, what with that and going to DC with an English friend who's coming over for the con, I didn't figure the money would stretch far enough.
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Date: 2009-03-27 11:10 pm (UTC)I've managed to resist the temptation so far, mainly because I don't want to get carried away and end up with something that would differ from the version available elsewhere.
Unfortunately, not me
Shame - maybe another year, eh?
no subject
Date: 2009-03-27 12:49 pm (UTC)Hooray for uploading to the Hatstand and transferring your vinyls! (Does your USB gadget do cassette tapes?) Makes you feel really accomplished to get things like that done, doesn't it.
Oh, and I'm Nattercon-ing (God and prevailing winds willing!), really looking forward to meeting you at last! *g*
no subject
Date: 2009-03-27 11:16 pm (UTC)You said it :-(
Does your USB gadget do cassette tapes?
Unfortunately not - my original plan was to get one that did cassettes as well, but this one was such a good bargain that I went for it. I'm hoping that by the time I've got all the records done the USB cassette decks will be a reasonable price!
Oh, and I'm Nattercon-ing (God and prevailing winds willing!), really looking forward to meeting you at last! *g*
Oh, fantastic! I didn't know you were planning to be there! *g*
no subject
Date: 2009-03-28 02:27 am (UTC)And hey, watch these builder/roofer type persons. we have been watching Rogue Traders and they'll tell you you need loads doing when in fact you actually dont! Might be worth having someone else check it out...