I think I may have finally figured out this writing thing. This week's ten page submission to my writing class came off as pretty close to perfect, by all reviewers. So, yay! This is in contrast to one of my newer classmates, whose entry I reading aloud to hoshikage and Wonderful Husband. Let us just say, mass hilarity ensued. Very purple prose, worse than me at my very worst. Also a lot of "wait, that sentence doesn't make any sense."

So, in summation, ego-stoking has been achieved this week. And hoshikage and I went to see Rise of the Guardians at the cheapie theater tonight, so now she has seen it and also loves it. And I have seen it... five times now. I'm going to go for at least six, since Wonderful Husband is interested in seeing it again (a rarity!) now that it's $2. Though hoshikage and I actually went for a 3D showing, which at this theater costs a whole $4. Totally bank-breaking. :)

And, filed under "the universe trying to piss me off," Michael Bay is apparently going to work with Megan Fox for the Ninja Turtles film. What, they couldn't work together for DotM and consequently gave the film about HALF of its long, long list of sins by introducing Carly as a piss-poor Mikaela replacement, but the two of them can work together again to ruin another of my childhood loves? I have not got the words for this. I really, really don't.

Things that irk me: in the writing class, we're supposed to have a max of seven submissions each week. And you're supposed to wait a week after your last submission before doing your next. So when I get to class and see nine submissions on the board, four of whom submitted last week (all longtime students who should know better), and Maralys carelessly tells me to add my submission onto the list too? Well, I'm a bit ticked off at Maralys for not enforcing her own rules, and MORE than a bit dubious about her word that she'll bump my submission (I have not submitted at all yet this term) ahead of everyone who did double-submissions. Trust me, by next week she'll have forgotten ALL about that little pie-crust promise....

Things that do not irk me: finding the RotG screenplay available for download. Gleaning nifty bits like Jamie is supposed to be 8 (the artbook flat-out says 10, which is what I've been, and shall continue, going with). Sophie is indeed supposed to be 2! I guessed right. But Jack's unnamed sister was supposed to be 4. Um, no. She does not look or act 4. I'll stick with my habit of making her 10, same as Jamie. It makes the Jamie/Sophie Jack/Jack's sister age difference the same, which symmetry pleases my feral fanficcer hindbrain. OTOH, apparently the Thaddeus Burgess statue was supposed to have the correct 1680s date on it for Burgess' founding, not the 1780s one which contradicts the "300 years later" text in the film....

Have been listening to the RotG soundtrack on my way to/from work when there's nothing good on the radio. It's actually pretty good stuff.

Taylor Swift's newest single, "I Knew You Were Trouble"? I gave it the courtesy of one solid listen-through the first time I heard it. Now it's a change-the-channel tune. It sounds like a Jem and the Holograms song. And not one of the good ones either. Which is kind of a pity, because her last single, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," really amused me.

Have clawed my way out of persistent mild depression by forgiving myself for not writing very much at all this month on Field of Stars. What I did write, I think is good. And I'm just about at the point where I get to join two plot threads and do a really big WHAT THE HELL rugpull reveal about one of the basic assumptions the entire kingdom has made. And now that I'm no longer depressed, I think I can handle Maralys and the writing class. *knocks on wood*

Tickets for the next NKOTB tour go on sale this weekend. They have Boyz II Men and 98 Degrees as opening acts. Trying to decide if I want to go to their sole LA performance or not. Have texted stitchy, my usual compatriot for boyband events, with the info; waiting to see how interested she is....

Anniversary coming up this weekend. Can't believe I've been married almost nine years. But we both looked at the gift suggestions for ninth anniversaries (willow, pottery, and leather) and decided we couldn't come up with a thing along any of the lines. So our gift to one another is upgraded seats for our trip to England in May.