Pupdate 2: The Puppening

[cleolinda]

Oh my God, I am so tired. (Yes, I am going to begin every entry with "I am so tired" until I stop being tired.) We now have two puppies, for a total of four dogs and one Bad Cat, and I ended up not getting today off from Witchfinder Dogsitter General duty. (Mulch this, okay?) Fortunately, Shelby (who spent most of the week pitifully thin with a stomach bug) and Scout (who somehow managed to emerge fat and sassy from parvo quarantine at the vet) immediately fell to wrestling. Shelby is the Sunny Baudelaire of puppies, to the point where she will actually bite the air if she can't find anything else, and while Scout is more of a licker than a biter, they both enjoy chewing on each other's faces. Sam and Meko, meanwhile, were getting baths at the vet and were somewhat nonplussed to come home and find that Shelby had doubled. Sam, in fact, was getting a little stressed out--he actually had little seizures the summer we had the deck rebuilt, because his pomeranian nerves couldn't handle the noise--but once I was released from duty, he got to go upstairs with me to the Fortress of Solitude with the working AC and the absence of puppies.

Which is also to say that our air conditioner downstairs is broken, and it was over 70 degrees this afternoon. I was trying to hold on to winter in hopes that we'd get another cold snap, but, sorry to say, I think spring has officially sprung--the buttercups are in the front yard and the bumblebees are in the back. I mean, that's great for puppies, but not so great for someone whose wardrobe is mostly long-sleeved at this point.

That said, I'm almost in the mood for spring because Thursday and Friday's Morning DVD Commentary was POTC2--no, I still hadn't watched the extras after three months--and after umpteen hours of watching fluorescent turquoise water and sugarbowl beaches, I was kind of ready for a trip to the beach myself. I have a feeling that most readers around here haven't bothered to listen to the only writers' commentary (which you really should), else y'all would have immediately run and told me that they 1) confirm the Tia Dalma Theory and 2) mention that the production finally built an entire free-standing Black Pearl. Where did they build it? Alabama, the center of the universe, of course.

After a week of trying to acclimate to constant puppysitting (and getting the three DVDs I wanted to watch out of the way), I'm thinking of what I want to do with my mornings as this settles into a routine. Which is to say, I've already decided, and don't want to jinx it by actually saying it out loud--I'm worried enough about actually following through and being productive as it is. Also, I've been online for all of half an hour today and I've already managed to make an ass of myself twice, so I think I'm calling it a night just now.



Gonzales, Mueller admit FBI broke law.

Peanut butter recall widens for salmonella link.

Houston teachers asked to return bonuses.

American novelist becomes French citizen.

Breaking: Winona Ryder Almost Certainly Still Alive After Hoax Suicide Report.

Salma Engaged & Expecting.

Sigourney Weaver to play Gypsy Rose Lee?

New Orleans the Site of New Disney Film The Frog Princess--and people are already up in arms about... well, a lot of things.

My Little Pony... live.

The fandom exam ("Support your argument by using at least two sockpuppets").

Comments

[kvschwartz.livejournal.com]

If I began every entry with "I am so tired" until I were no longer tired ... I doubt I would ever get a chance to write a different entry opening. Ever.

[quizzicalsphinx.livejournal.com]

LIVE MLP = MORE HORRIFYING THAN EQUUS.

My God, I'm going to have nightmares. Brr.

[greenleafgurl17.livejournal.com]

I, too, feel The Tired. This weekend = marching in two St. Patty's day parade's (ERGH) and frantically trying to squeeze Research Papering in between.

P.S. When do we get to see pictures of the puppies? They sound so cute!

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

The fandom exam cracks me up. It captures the exact tone and style of real exams, what with the all caps and the bold text and the stern demands ("Do NOT copy answers..."). I think to parody something well, you have to stick very close to the form of the original.

Re: Peanut butter recall -- Dude, if you have peanut butter from October 2004, I would have to agree that eating it would be bad.

What was the Tia Dalma theory again? I need to start cramming for May.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

That when she's telling the Davy Jones story and says, very emphatically, that he was in love with "a WOO-MAN," she's gesturing to herself--and referring to herself. Apparently they cast Naomie Harris because she was one of the few actresses who actually grasped that in auditions. As you're listening to the commentary, with the writers shouting, "Look, THE LOCKET" every time it shows up, it seems almost painfully obvious in retrospect, but when the movie first came out, I remember us all debating it here in comments.

I had developed what I call the Barbossa Corollary, in which I think that Dalma and Barbossa also had a thing (that she and Jack had a thing almost goes without saying, based on what they say to/about each other when Jack and the crew first get to her shack), but my evidence for that was basically that she already had Barbossa's body and was ready to resurrect him. Which I assumed she wouldn't care about unless she had a history with him, but the writers on the commentary suggest that she may have known what was going to happen and was more invested in the events of the movie(s) than the (second) movie itself lets on, and so she may have gotten hold of his body because she knew the Pearl crew was going to need it.

[gravities.livejournal.com]

You making an ass of yourself? Come, now.

Nifty news about the Black Pearl in Alabama - I could use some beach time myself.

[entropy-and-me.livejournal.com]

I am so, so happy to hear the puppers are both back home and doing well. (Picture post pretty please?)

I also had some advice for upset doggy tummies, which have hopefully mostly passed now. My mom and her friends are all involved in animal rescue and have re-homed many a stressed out critter. They swear by a brand of dog food calld Canidae (both wet and kibble) for keeping upset/stressed out doggies calm when they move into a new environment. If you keep having stressed out doggy symptoms, it might help take the edge off. (Maybe for Sam and Meko, too, if they are having trouble adjusting).

[whiski_sour]

Managed to read "Gonzales, Mueller" as "Godzilla, Bueller".

Once again, my lackluster reading comprehension skills make the world a more interesting place.

[supersyncspaz7.livejournal.com]

Despite the fact that people are wanking over The Frog Princess, I TOTALLY want to see it. The singing alligator reminds me of the diva!gator in All Dogs Go to Heaven for some reason.

[elsajeni.livejournal.com]

Seriously, I can't wait to see it. RETURNING TO HAND-DRAWN ANIMATION. SET IN JAZZ-AGE NEW ORLEANS. CLASSIC CONCEPT OF JAZZ-SINGER ALLIGATOR. HOW CAN THIS GO WRONG?

[purpleivey.livejournal.com]

Seriously! It sounds frickin' awesome : )

[edda.livejournal.com]

I am pleased at the healthy dogness you now experience, although I hope you get to rest as well.

That fandom exam is funny squared.

[maliekai.livejournal.com]

"Princess Maddy"? Really? That's entirely un-fairytale-like. Colour me disappointed.

[hawleygriffen.livejournal.com]

My Little Pony... live.

....
So. Scary.

[mustang-bex1126.livejournal.com]

You're brilliant and fantastic, and can always seem to find the most perfect joke for everything! ~jealous~ =) Loved the title... Hope the AC get's fixed soon.

[purpleivey.livejournal.com]

Yay, Terry Pratchet and Lemmony Snickett references in one post : D

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

What was the Pratchett reference? I'm not sure I've actually read anything of his--I keep meaning to read Good Omens and then never get to.

O_o

[purpleivey.livejournal.com]

Well, it was actually (what I assumed to be) a Good Omens referemce. There's a character in it called the Witchfinder General, and it just seemed so much your sort of book that I thought there's no way it couldn't be an intentional reference! : D

Seriously, though, you should read it. Think of it as a parody of the Apocalypse.

[all-ephemera.livejournal.com]

OMGREADIT
Go. Now. We'll wait. :)

[greenleafgurl17.livejournal.com]

Terry Pratchett = AMAZING. All of his books are fabulous.

[moonfairyhime.livejournal.com]

I hope the pups get better soon!

I have a favor to ask of you. In your next linkspam, could you please include a link to http://moonfairyhime.livejournal.com/287605.html. It's a poll on my livejournal for my LENG 112 class about fantasy, fantasy readers, and changes in fantasy.

Thanks in advance if you choose to do so.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Is it too late to post the link, or would it not help now? I filed this away under "to post" in my inbox, and then... well, puppies happened.

[moonfairyhime.livejournal.com]

It's not too late to post the link--I'll be using it to gather info for at least another two weeks. Thanks so much!

[laughing-cities.livejournal.com]

My Little Pony...live?
i think i just died.

and now you've made me forced to watch the commentary for POTC2. haha.
i usually never watch movies with the commentary. do you recommend it?

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Well, it depends on the commentary--the best ones are like really interesting conversations. I would definitely recommend the Keira Knightley/Jack Davenport commentary on the first POTC, for example, because it's hilarious because it's just the two of them messing around (in a very dry, British way), whereas the Gore Verbinski/Johnny Depp one is kind of interesting, but also really mumbly. I'll either give a commentary a five-minute trial or read DVD reviews to see if I want to listen to the whole thing. The Heathers commentary, for example, I turned off after about fifteen minutes. Mostly they're filled with really interesting trivia or story insights, although a lot of directors can slip into dry technical details.

[laughing-cities.livejournal.com]

Wow, thanks for all the insight. I love dry, British humor. it's the best kind! I'll definitely look into commentaries now. Thanks again!

[angelene.livejournal.com]

I listened to the writers' commentary to PotC2 first thing after watching the movie for the third time in a row and I totally loved it. There's this guy, I'm not sure who of the writing crew he is, but he's got the most fantastical laughter. Also, it was extremely nice to have all of my 'are they trying to tell [me] something with that and could it be [insert theory here]' confirmed there (including Tia Dalma's History/The Locket, the thing about the Dress, etc). Yay, I'm schmart. That, and I love hearing pros talk about the(ir) writing process just in general.

I sure wrote about it in my journal at some point, but didn't consider plugging in your journal at the time, seeing as it'd been uber-long since you'd posted the PotC2 original entries and I figured everybody must've already figured everything I'd figured by then.

Anyway, listening to the PotC2 writers' commentary led me to re-watch+listen to the first movie's writers' commentary, which was, however, not as thrilling as the former, imo.

Needless to say, I can't wait for the trailer (http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=19258).


My Little Pony... live.

I think I just died inside a little.

[angelene.livejournal.com]

I figured everybody must've already figured everything I'd figured by then

I think I skipped a 'had' there:

I figured everybody must've had already figured everything I'd figured by then

didn't I?


/not a native(ly) English-writing person

[amaelamin.livejournal.com]

No, you were just fine. :) "Must've" is a contraction of "must have," so you've already got the past tense covered.

[angelene.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your reply; it felt okay when I first wrote it (without the additional/unnecessary 'had'), but then I doubted that the reason it felt 'natural' was that it was a literal, word-to-word translation of something I was thinking in my native tongue -- which oftenly turns awkward. Though not this time, appearently. Thank you again. :)

[greenleafgurl17.livejournal.com]

What was that website you mentioned before that reminds you to do things? I was looking for the entry but I can't find it (okay, so I'm lazy and didn't look very hard...)