More coal, Snooty!

"A story is about a character who has a problem, how he goes about solving that problem, the obstacles that prevent him from solving the problem, ending with a final expression of the problem and (usually) a clear resolution of that problem."

In the past seven days I've been writing like a demon, managing an average of 2000 words a day even though I didn't write at all on Saturday. I've been maintaining a positively professional pace on the Danjuma story.

( Spoiler synopsis and noodling. )

Amusing aside: I googled for "halting state" to make sure that there were adequate explanations for what it meant. Charlie Stross's book Halting State has completely swamped any serious discussion of Turing mathematics, and the first ten links are about him. Good man.

[Explanation of the subject line, here]

The iPhone Experience

Last night, Omaha and I went out to buy her an iPhone. It was surprisingly easy. We went over to the AT&T store at the Southcenter shopping district and they were sold out. I told Omaha (and Kouryou-chan) to keep talking to the guy at the AT&T store while Yamaraashi-chan and I went over to the Apple Store in the mall to see if there were any left. Sure enough, there were. So I got into line while Yamaraashi-chan found a bench nearby and kept reading her book, called Omaha and told her I was in line and did she want me to stay in line, or would she mail-order one?

She decided that I should stay in line. The line was amiable, the Apple geeks were doing a good job of maintaining order, and everyone got their phone in due time. They were even passing out water and coffee! Omaha showed up with Kouryou-chan, and while she waited in line I took the girls over to Coldstone Ice Cream.

It took Omaha less than twenty minutes to get her jesusphone, and she was a very happy camper. I ribbed her about it. "How's your precious"? I asked.

"My phone does not bind me to the Dark One!" she hissed. She learning that there are aspects of it she's not sure she likes. Which is why, when I get the chance, I'm buying a Neo 1973 when one becomes available. I mean, it won't be nearly as cool as the iPhone, but it runs Linux and all of it, even the dialing capability, will be source-available.

Still, I have to admit that what I've seen of the iPhone is quite the amazing little gadget. I'd kinda want one, if I didn't feel like owning one was more selling my soul than even the iPod.

I coulda been an accomplisher!

This morning we fed the girls and then got ready for the day. Yamaraashi-chan was going to her sister's house to attend a wedding shower; Kouryou-chan's dance class was having their end-of-year performance at the local Performing Arts Center. And for a huge chunk of the afternoon, from 1:00 until about 4:30, I was supposedly without obligations.

I dropped Omaha & Kouryou-chan off at the PAC first, then drove Yamaraashi-chan to her sister's house. I started down the road to the mall, where I wanted to do some shopping, when the phone rang. I pulled over to answer it. Kouryou-chan was hungry, and she might not have anything to eat during the performance, and could I pick up some fruit and string cheese for her?

I abandoned my shopping plans, turned the car around and did the shopping that Omaha requested. Then I went home. By then it was already 2:30.

Since I was stuck at home and had two hours to spare, I figured I'd do some housework. I spend a chunk of it cleaning up the kitchen: I'd forgotten just how many dishes macaroni & cheese generate, and even if they are nonstick they all need to be cleaned. For the record: three stovetop pots, one casserole dish, two bowls, assorted measuring and stirring devices. I should just make Kraft, ne? I also fixed the back screen door, the handle of which had broken off.

While I was doing that the phone rang. It was my mother. Now, I love my mother, I really do, but she can really talk my ear off. About my brother, about her financial situation, about her hips, about how much she misses her grandchildren and on and on and on. Oy vey, indeed! I don't mind talking to her, but it another hole blown in my day. I feel like I got very little done.

That conversation ended, I had about five minutes before it was time to pick up Kouryou-chan and Omaha. I drove to the few computer shops in my small town, all of which are clustered near the PAC, and discovered that none of them had a hard drive for sale for less than $100, and I didn't need anything bigger than, oh, 80GB. I put my OS's on very small, fast drives for swap space and then use Very Big, Slow, Reliable drives for storage. Bleah.

Oh, well. I felt very grim and frustrated.