Becca’s World

PySolitaire is the Windows version of PySol, a game I can never live without when I run Linux. Forget clicking separate menu items for Spider Solitaire, Klondike and FreeCell, the three games that Windows provides; now you can have those and many, many other types of solitaire in one program. (And the screenshots reveal that MahJongg is included in the Windows program as well. Smart move, I say, ’cause I also love to match MahJongg tiles.)

All right, back to my game of Braid – I used the demo function to remind me how to play this Napoleon-type solitaire and I’m determined to beat it in less games than it took me to learn and conquer Terrace…

“Big Bang Theory” – witty sitcom with former “Roseanne” actor Johnny Galecki; on CBS Monday evenings.

“Chuck” – funny spy/action show; on NBC Monday evenings.

“Pushing Daisies” – may get tired of this after a bit, but for now the quirkiness is cool and the dialogue is interesting as well; on ABC Wednesday evenings.

“Private Practice” – this may also wear out its welcome after some time, although it’s quite good at presenting both the personal problems of the staff and the dilemmas of their patients; on ABC Wednesday evenings.

Also worth mentioning at this time: “Journeyman” (time travelling) and “Moonlight” (vampires). We’ll see what stays and how attached I remain!

Since this came up on Katie MacAlister’s message boards, I thought I’d share it here:

Red Dwarf Theme

It’s cold outside,
There’s no kind of atmosphere.
I’m all alone,
More or less.
Let me fly
Far away from here.
Fun, fun, fun,
In the sun, sun, sun.

I want to lie
Shipwrecked and comatose,
Drinking fresh
Mango juice.
Goldfish shoals
Nibbling at my toes.
Fun, fun, fun,
In the sun, sun, sun.
Fun, fun, fun,
In the sun, sun, sun.

(And if you’ve never heard of “Red Dwarf,” you’re missing out on some great British humour.)

It’s probably not surprising that I sped through Crimson Eve and loved it, considering that’s been my experience with the previous two novels in the Kanner Lake series.

It probably does help to read the books in order, but I think each one does a good job of having most of its story stand apart from previous events. There may be references in Crimson Eve to Books One and Two, but they don’t have a huge impact on this story, and I appreciate that – there have been so many times in my reading history that I’ve only been able to find a later book in a series and I hate to be shut out.

I made guesses along the way with Crimson Eve, trying to determine what was going to happen. I was close with a few things, but Brandilyn has proven once again how much better she is at plotting. She’s been honing her skills for years and I love the result!

And just in case you don’t think suspense novels are your thing, this one is action-filled with realistic characters and great dialogue. (I’m so picky about translating everyday speech to the page!) I hope you’ll like it, too.

Here’s what a weekday now entails for me:

- Wake up just before 7 am and take my time with my early-morning routine of breakfast, shower and walk with the dog.

- Check my to-do list for errands and housecleaning tasks.

- Alternate those tasks with recorded TV shows (there are so many at the start of the fall season!) or a bit of reading.

- Watch news at noon with lunch. (I’m copying my dad with that one.)

- More TV, reading and/or tasks!

Sounds like the sweet life, probably, and I am enjoying it. Of course, if you don’t like to clean and organise, it wouldn’t be much fun.

I’ll likely need to add a few more hobbies to the mix so there’s no chance of getting bored, but there will also be a baby soon to take up my time!