Missed Writers' Group for Jane Austin
Mar. 13th, 2009 02:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lydamorehouseLast night I was supposed to go to Wyrdsmiths, but I stayed home for a "date night" with Shawn. We hadn't had one of those in a while and... we were in the middle of watching SENSE AND SENSIBILITY (BBC's version) and I needed to know what was going to happen next.
True confession? I'm SO not usually one of those Austin fawning types. Normally, at cons when writers start gushing about Jane Austin I try to remember if she was the one who wrote WUTHERING HEIGHTS or what (yes, I know that's actually Bronte.) Anyway, I usually take those moments to catch up on a micro-nap if I'm on a panel, or get another Mike's if I'm at a party.
But movie ruled. I was totally hooked from scene one.
In other news, I'm sick of my car. Any day we wake up and it's freezing (as in 32F/0C) or below outside, one or both of the front car doors freeze shut (or won't latch, depending on the whim of whatever demon has bedeviled my car). Do you know how many days are below freezing in Minnesota? A lot. Yesterday (or maybe Tuesday) morning, in fact, I had to do the classic Minnesota winter hairdrier trick before I could even leverage my keys in between the door the frame to pop it open. I was funny the first hundred or so times, but it's becoming an every day thing... and deeply annoying.
What's frustrating is that, honestly, for Minnesota... this isn't that cold. I'm okay with the idea that I might have to run an extension cord from my garage to the street when there are -40F wind chills, but at 32F many Minnesotans start talking about heat waves and we all smile a bit brighter as the icicles start melting in the sunshine. 32F is a good, warm day for March, damn it. I shouldn't have to be standing outside with a hairdrier pointed at my car door lock. That's just... annoying.
Deeply annoying.
Especially since outside of this one quirk, Steve (our car) runs like a dream. It's even vaguely green, since it's flexible fuel and could run Ethenol if any gas station nearby carried it any more. If it wasn't silver -- a color I find very boring, and it seems to be difficult for other motorist to notice -- it'd be fairly perfect. Except the door thing.
At least spring seems to be coming. I mean, hell, it's warm out (32F)!! And I had a gardening dream last night, even.
If I remember, I'll write a bit about Mason's big concert at school today that Shawn and I attended, although one word pretty much sums up the entire thing: cute!
Also, at some point I may have to rant about my inability to play well with others in electronic communities (like listserves.) It's baffling to me how badly I seem to come off in text... especially given that I write for a living.
True confession? I'm SO not usually one of those Austin fawning types. Normally, at cons when writers start gushing about Jane Austin I try to remember if she was the one who wrote WUTHERING HEIGHTS or what (yes, I know that's actually Bronte.) Anyway, I usually take those moments to catch up on a micro-nap if I'm on a panel, or get another Mike's if I'm at a party.
But movie ruled. I was totally hooked from scene one.
In other news, I'm sick of my car. Any day we wake up and it's freezing (as in 32F/0C) or below outside, one or both of the front car doors freeze shut (or won't latch, depending on the whim of whatever demon has bedeviled my car). Do you know how many days are below freezing in Minnesota? A lot. Yesterday (or maybe Tuesday) morning, in fact, I had to do the classic Minnesota winter hairdrier trick before I could even leverage my keys in between the door the frame to pop it open. I was funny the first hundred or so times, but it's becoming an every day thing... and deeply annoying.
What's frustrating is that, honestly, for Minnesota... this isn't that cold. I'm okay with the idea that I might have to run an extension cord from my garage to the street when there are -40F wind chills, but at 32F many Minnesotans start talking about heat waves and we all smile a bit brighter as the icicles start melting in the sunshine. 32F is a good, warm day for March, damn it. I shouldn't have to be standing outside with a hairdrier pointed at my car door lock. That's just... annoying.
Deeply annoying.
Especially since outside of this one quirk, Steve (our car) runs like a dream. It's even vaguely green, since it's flexible fuel and could run Ethenol if any gas station nearby carried it any more. If it wasn't silver -- a color I find very boring, and it seems to be difficult for other motorist to notice -- it'd be fairly perfect. Except the door thing.
At least spring seems to be coming. I mean, hell, it's warm out (32F)!! And I had a gardening dream last night, even.
If I remember, I'll write a bit about Mason's big concert at school today that Shawn and I attended, although one word pretty much sums up the entire thing: cute!
Also, at some point I may have to rant about my inability to play well with others in electronic communities (like listserves.) It's baffling to me how badly I seem to come off in text... especially given that I write for a living.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-03-13 08:22 pm (UTC)Jane Austin is a parody name, and searching on that will find "Fence and Fencibility" and "Pride and Extreme Prejudice", "Winchester Park", etc.,
no subject
Date: 2009-03-13 08:53 pm (UTC)In the winter in cold climates (like where both of us are)you want to make sure that the air inside is not recycled in (it's an option on the air control) because otherwise it makes the interior too steamy.
Other possibility could be that you're parking in a damp location which again encourages freezing in the lock.
Good luck!
no subject
Date: 2009-03-13 08:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-14 04:52 pm (UTC)Austen and Cars
Date: 2009-03-15 11:21 am (UTC)But you enjoyed that one, good for you.
As to your car: what if you cover it with something not too heavy? Maybe just one of my harebrained ideas, but it might be less of a hassle than the hairdryer stunt. Or I could send you the snow spray they sell here in Egypt, it might have the opposite result (a bit like in Kerala where they gave me skin whitener when I asked for sun lotion).
Dorian
Door locks
Date: 2009-03-17 07:20 pm (UTC)WD-40 and lots of it. The WD actually stands for "water dispersant" Particularly if you keep the can in a nice warm place in the house, it can help break up the freezing.
Get the little extender tip, and stick that in the key hole and let it rip. Also apply to the latch mechanism when its open, then close/open the door a couple of times to work it in, then spray it again.
Writing I can't help on, but this I know.
Keep well,
Jeff