Department of Hump Day, DW Whinges, Pain, et al.

[kaffy_r]

Meanderings

• It's Wednesday, and I plan to venture out to World Headquarters today. If only to remind them that I exist outside of snarky emails. Oh, and to put in a vacation request for next week. Because they'll be so pleased at less than a week's notice. I'm such an idiot.
• My hands are slowly recovering from two days of extremely heavy, non-stop typing. Had to take 13 single-spaced pages of notes at a Monday meeting (31 people speaking about a proposed park facility. Albeit surprisingly civilized about the whole thing, which was a bit of a controversy in my little burg, they went on ... and on ... and on ... and bloody on. Meeting started at 7:30 p.m., ended at 11:45, and the testimony was non-stop from 8:30 on. The next day, why it was deadline day, and I had to write about that upon which I took the notes. As well as several other items. Yes, it was a Mr. Codeine twofer day, you betcha. I still have to look into the "dip your hands into melted parafin for temporary relief" idea, I'm thinking.
• Soon I shall be 56. WTF?
• Have watched, and not disliked, "Night Terrors." There were some some things to appreciate about it intellectually, and I appreciated it a little more after reading azriona's post here. The story did benefit from George having two loving parents at the same time  (a seeming rarity in modern Who, no matter whose era we're talking about) and there were some effective moments (Alex realizing that Claire can't have kids and what that means, for example), but I don't think it was very well written. It certainly wasn't emotionally engaging for me, and the reveal of the doll house was obviated by the fact I knew it was a doll house the moment Rory and Amy notice the copper-painted wood pan. The dolls weren't frightening, the little boy's origins were BWUH, even for Who, and an apparently near-direct rip from "Fear Her," , Alex's whiplash from loving father to 'he's an ALIEN!" to "never mind" wasn't believable and even the little things - the idea of a landlord in what was far more likely a council estate building was risible and either careless writing or careless production, for example - were inescapably irritating. More than one person has commented that it felt like Gatiss was trying to write a Moffatesque episode, and failed. I'm afraid this cements my opinion of Gatiss' writing; meh. It matches my opinion of his acting, sadly. Huh. Yeah, the more I think about it, the less I like "Night Terrors."
• Have watched, and very much liked - very, very much liked - "The Girl Who Waited." Of which more, perhaps, anon.
• People in my thoughts today: ljgeoff (you're amazing! Keep going!);honorh (you and your family are in my thoughts),mack_the_spoon andnamarie24(I wish I could give you more than my best wishes for your hopes and dreams); my beloved dr_whuh, who keeps me going and makes my life sweeter in every way, and my mom, who I need to call, post haste.

Comments

[promethia_tenk]

I still have to look into the "dip your hands into melted parafin for temporary relief" idea, I'm thinking.
I used one of those for awhile, when I was first diagnosed. They do feel fantastic, although I'm not sure how much the pain relief to annoyance/set up/time ratio was worth it. I think you can probably do about as well wrapping your hands in a heating pad for awhile or using some heated gel packs, and then you don't have an electrified bowl of molten wax laying around your house. I'd happily gift you with mine, but I don't live anywhere near Chicago.

Still, hope you get feeling better!

[kaffy_r]

Yeah, the idea of electrified molten wax does sound a little alarming when you put it that way. Heh. Still, I've used a heating pad without getting quite the comfort I'm looking for, and one of my doctors said the thing about the paraffin was that it enclosed your hands completely. I'm willing to try it once; I have paraffin in the cupboard, because I had been hoping to do some jam making a while back, and never got to it. And thanks for the good wishes!

[promethia_tenk]

*considers* It does somehow get the heat in deeper, I'll admit, so if you've got the supplies around anyway and your hands specifically are giving you problems, probably worth a shot. Hope it helps!

[kaffy_r]

Thanks!

[sahiya.livejournal.com]

I am with you on both "Night Terrors" and "The Girl Who Waited." Though I feel I should give NT a rewatch, just to be fair. Everything else this season (except for "The Curse of the Black Spot," which was MUCH worse than NT, IMNSHO) has gotten a rewatch (or three or four), and I've often liked eps better the second time around. I watched NT with non-fen in the room, which always affects my experience as well. But that still doesn't negate the fact that an episode called "Night Terrors" failed to frighten me.

[kaffy_r]

But that still doesn't negate the fact that an episode called "Night Terrors" failed to frighten me.

There you have the final, brutal truth, god knows. (And part of me is less willing to forgive NT than I was to forgive the admittedly execrable CotBS, because CotBS at least had Spaaaaace Piiiraates!!!!! and NT was rather joyless, despite Rory's and the Doctor's best efforts. I don't mean happy; there was a sense of joy, for me, in "Flesh and Stone," for instance, despite its darkness. Maybe the better word to use is lifeless; NT felt lifeless, where CotBS at least felt almost cosmically cheesy. And I think cheese has more life and dynamics than NT.

Wow. I'm really starting to dislike NT now. Oh, dear.

[ljgeoff.livejournal.com]

I have not seen any of the new season yet, but I go for the spoilers. It seems that teh internets all agree that Night Terrors was sup-par. I really can't wait to see the season, though!

Thanks for the warm thoughts! I'm on track for construction. Do you have a camera card reader? I want to show folks my pics!

[dr-whuh.livejournal.com]

BB here. I'll answer this one on Kaff's behalf: Yup. Oughta work, anyhoo; never tried it.

[kaffy_r]

And there you have it, from the resident tech god. Send the card our way and we'll see what we can do! (You should have my snail mail address in your emails somewhere; if not, let me know and I'll send it.)

[dr-whuh.livejournal.com]

If you can't find our snail addy, just email the card. Or the whole camera.
Uh-huh. Resident tech god; that's me.

[ljgeoff.livejournal.com]

I must send you the card snail mail - no download cables. Which is the problem. Message me here your snail addy. I'm going to take a few pics this weekend, and then I'll send it off. Thank you!

[dr-whuh.livejournal.com]

Kaff sez she'll supply our snail address. Did nobody get the joke about the concept of emailing the card/camera?

[ljgeoff.livejournal.com]

Oi! I kindof did, but then I thought - what it there's some sekrit techy way of emailing the camera card that I don't know about? So, yeah, under-confidence rules yet another day.

[mack-the-spoon.livejournal.com]

Thank you kindly for your thoughts and best wishes. They are much appreciated!

I was pleasantly surprised by just how much I liked "The Girl Who Waited". It isn't better than "The Doctor's Wife" (I doubt there will be an episode this season that's better than TDW, IMO) but I really enjoyed it and thought it showed off Karen Gillan's acting in a way that most episodes hadn't yet, for her.

[kaffy_r]

Yes, I think Karen really pleasantly surprised me with her grasp of Old!Amy, and she and Arthur Darvill really anchored the story beautifully.

[elisi]

It's funny, but I adored Night Terrors. I'm not generally a fan of Mark Gatiss' writing, so had no expectations, but the story just really worked for me. <3

And, uh, I might have written ridiculous reams of meta on TGWW... /o\

Hope your hands feel better soon!

[kaffy_r]

I've been looking foward to reading your meta (actually, I owe you a couple of comments from your last commentary, too, if I recall.

Thanks for the good wishes. Right now, Mr. Codeine is helping.

Also? Icon love. Much icon love.

[namarie24.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Kaffyr. Your best wishes are appreciated. <3

Yeah, I thought "Night Terrors" had some decent moments, but those were largely outweighed by its many problems. "The Girl Who Waited", OTOH, was lovely. I enjoyed the chance Karen Gillan was given to shine, and of course Rory is just awesome. One of my favorites thus far this season.

I hope your hands recover well!

[kaffy_r]

When I actually have to look for the good things in an episode, there's a good chance that, in my books at least, it's not a good episode. I freely admit there are some bad episodes I like, (CotBS being one of them. Ahem.) but they are bad episodes. NT didn't even rise to the level of cheesy goodness for me.

Thanks for the good wishes, too!

[hawkmoth.livejournal.com]

(Me? 58. WTF, indeed. Still just a fan girl...)

Been awaiting your views on those two episodes. Night Terrors could have been so much better, though I did find some moments very creepy. TGWW was much better, though I'm wondering about the whole "ooh, adventures!" thing, without any reference or teeny nod to the whole "what about our daughter?" crisis.

Achy (achey?) hands: Try the Rice Sock Technique! Seriously, get some clean, white, long and stretchy athletic socks. Fill about 1/2 to 3/4 full with regular rice. Tie off in a knot. Heat one in the microwave 50-60 seconds (or slightly more). Then apply for nice flexible warming. (Works well on the back of your neck, your feet, wherever.) Just be sure it's not too hot against bare skin. And you can empty them out after several uses (when the rice gets cooked), wash the socks and do it all over.

[kaffy_r]

TGWW was much better, though I'm wondering about the whole "ooh, adventures!" thing, without any reference or teeny nod to the whole "what about our daughter?" crisis.

From within the story, I just assumed that Amy and Rory have been running as fast as they could into adventures ever since leaving River at the hospital - to try to avoid thinking about the reality of River being their daughter. and of her younger self still being kidnapped, and from worry or wondering whether they could change River's fate if they could just find her. People in RL often run away from massively life-changing events, or go into shock and just plain act as if nothing has happened, so it's arguably what we're dealing with in Amy and Rory: "We can't think about this now because if we do, we'll go mad. Let's lose ourselves with the Doctor and the TARDIS, just for a little while ...."

Which means, of course, that it's always there, under everything they say and do.

ETA: and thank you for the tip. How long does the rice pack generally retain its warmth, in your experience?

Hurrah! Another member of teh Still A Fangirl club!

[hawkmoth.livejournal.com]

Ah! You have summed up exactly what could be the answer...the Doctor told them "She'll find us" and that's what they're going with, distracting themselves from the sad reality of not having her. (But, you know, just a little something would have been nice...)

Re: the rice pack, it depends on how hot you've gotten it. Usually it stays comfortably (and comfortingly) warm for 15-20 minutes, sometimes longer.

[kaffy_r]

You're right, it would have helped to have even two lines, or a look between the two of them.

And 15 or 20 minutes sounds pretty good to me.

[clocketpatch]

*hugs* I wish I had something to make you feel better, or at least something with more substance than virtual hugs.

I didn't mind Night Terrors. As a stand alone filler episode it met my expectations (I could've used a bit more emotional continuity on the whole Amy's missing daughter front, but the episode had its position shifted so I can't complain). It was overall a bit meh though. And I noticed the landlord on a council estate thing as well, which made me tilt my head a bit because I'm not from the UK so if it looks out of place to me...

The Girl Who Waited on the other hand was brilliant and while it did have its faults I've yet to come across anyone saying that they hated it.

[kaffy_r]

Virtual hugs help far more than you might think - and when I'm feeling particularly sore, they're often a little easier on my poor old body!

Regarding emotional continuity, as I said to hawkmoth, I'm choosing to think the disconnect had more to do with shock than anything else.

I noticed the landlord on a council estate thing The other thing I noticed, and got a gigle out of was the fact that Alex and Claire's flat was Jackie and Rose's, just repainted.

natalities

[apostle-of-eris.livejournal.com]

I seem to have progressed from "You'll never be this young again," to "You'll never have this few prescriptions again."

Re: natalities

[kaffy_r]

*snort*

You really are a funny man, you know that, right?

[viomisehunt.livejournal.com]

What you about Night Terrors: Ditto, and you said it much better than I. I don't recall, was the Tenth Doctor as playful and encouraging with the little girl in Fear Her, as he was with this child? [I still have to giggle at an eleven year old child in a Western society singing the Kookaboora song--but then again, maybe Brits did sing those kind of songs to their children--or having her sing a Disney tune cost too much money. My children were nurtured with The Temptations and the Miracles, and my daughter sang Lionel Ritche to hers. :))]

My eleven year old Granddaughter and fellow Who was grounded and didn't get to see The Girl Who Waited until yesterday. She sobbed and yelled at the Doctor about how unfair he was when she realized they were taking the elder Amy.

But yeah -- it did get to the "Feel The Love" bit at the end.

I got one of those paraffin thingies for feet and hands for my daughter-in-law. I encourage you to use it, as she says it is "divine".

Only fifty-six? You're the same age as my middle sister. In eight weeks, I shall be sixty.

[hawkmoth.livejournal.com]

I still have to giggle at an eleven year old child in a Western society singing the Kookaboora song--

Hey, some songs are universal! Kookaboora was a campfire favorite when I was a Girl Scout (American), back in the 60s.

[viomisehunt.livejournal.com]

:)) Yeah, I learned it back in the fifties -- fourth grade I think.

[kaffy_r]

was the Tenth Doctor as playful and encouraging with the little girl in Fear Her, as he was with this child?

No, he definitely wasn't. But the Eleventh Doctor definitely has a sense of sympatico with children.

[I still have to giggle at an eleven year old child in a Western society singing the Kookaboora song--but then again, maybe Brits did sing those kind of songs to their children

I'm like hawkmoth, except that I grew up in Canada singing that song - I learned it in Brownies and Girl Guides (not Scouts, but Guides, like our British compatriots.) I still love it, and have, I kid you not, sung it to myself on many an occasion. It just makes me feel good.

(My son grew up to the music of Duke Ellington, Nirvana, The Temptations, The Beatles, Howlin' Wolf, The Ramones, Springsteen, Kate Bush, and everything his eclectic, music loving dad could introduce him (and me, really) to.)

And based on what you say, I'm definitely going to try the wax.

Hey, you and me, we're youngsters!