Friday 28 November 2003

Pic of the day: The muses are tired. Scribble, scribble. Picture from inspirational (?) anime "Bottle Fairy" episode 7, "October".

Writing & tiny ladies

Let's see... what happened this Friday? Not much, that's for sure. I started a weekend fling with Civ3. Starting from scratch with the Scandinavians. Trying to not micromanage too much, or my wrist will suffer. It is kind of fun, but I know from experience that this won't last. It will soon be more bother than it's worth. But I enjoy it while it lasts.

I am definitely not going to finish my NaNoWriMo novel this November either. Not only am I not going to finish it, I am not going to have written 50 000 words. In short, I am going to lose. This is so not going to impress Tsaiko. I am still baffled that I could so totally forget my RSI in October. It sure didn't take long for it to manifest in November! And now I've got some lurking small infection in my throat and sinuses; no fever, but it clogs me up with mucus and my voice is rusty. Not that it makes much difference for the novel: I could not have finished it now even if I were miraculously healed of all affliction. I have however completed the third to lasts and second to last chapters, and I like them very much. The second to last chapter I had gone over in my head many times already, but it still changed a bit when I actually wrote it down.

***

Hmm, this actually happened yesterday but it is too cute not to mention: I was walking along the road in a place where I knew no one and no one knew me. There I saw two small girls, surely no more than five years old, each clutching a rag doll. One of them stopped me and asked me if I had a lady. (The expression is also used less formally here in Norway to refer to a man's wife or lover. If a grown woman had asked me, it would have been extremely forward, basically asking if I was free. But you can get away with a lot when you are five...) The girl certainly took a plain 'no' for an answer; indeed, she looked quite satisfied as she retreated. From the presence of the rag dolls I deduced that the two small girls had been discussing the composition of the Norwegian family and had decided to poll random strangers as to their family status. There are all manner of good reasons why small children should hang out alone along the roadside, ask a passing stranger a strange question, and retreat in good order.

Now if a donkey speaks to me, I will definitely reconsider my course. (Especially since donkeys are about as common in Norway as moose in Sahara...)