Hi everybody! I know I’ve been neglecting my blog for about 6 months now, but I wanted to pop in and tell you that OUR BABY IS HERE!
He was born on May 9 at 7:37 pm. He was 6 lbs. 4 oz. and 20.5″ long. He’s spent about 24 hours in the NICU because he was early, but he’s doing really great!
Now, I’ve got to get back to the hospital, so I’m going to scram. But! here are a couple fresh, hot of the photoshop pictures!
This is a chapter from the novel I was working on for NaNoWriMo. I haven’t done any editing and I’ve only proofread it once so be forewarned: there are probably errors in spelling, continuity, grammar, etc.
Chapter 6: Follow the Yellow Brick Road
Airship Captain Meredith Smithwick entered the office of Marshal Hassin Crane. As she stepped through the door she admired the way he managed to keep things under his control even as they threatened to spiral into chaos. She’d seen him with his second in command Deputy Arnold Waverly a few times, but she had no idea the Marshal had so much manpower at his disposal. It looked like the plan was beginning to take shape.
“Arnold, I need you to track down a couple folks for me. Faster would be better. Get on the telegraph and put the call out that I’m lookin’ for Bethesda Lynn Hatfield and Hal Bedford.”
“Sir, I-,” the obviously beleageured deputy began.
“I know the telegraph is only for official uses, but this is close enough. Jump to, now.”
“No, sir. I mean, yes, sir, but Captain Smithwick is here. I thought you’d want to know. I’ll get on that right away.”
Deputy Waverly scurried away to the tiny telegraph room and began to put the word out. Marshal Crane looked up and waved Meredith to a chair across his large, oak desk. She sat and waited for Hassin to start the conversation. She knew him well enough to know his moods and this was a dark, if productive one. She studied his face. His brow was knitted together in concentration or frustration and he was struggling to maintain the smile he’d put on for her when she entered the room. Finally after what seemed like hours he began to fill her in on the plan.
“So far here’s what I got, Mere. I’ve put the call out to some of my old associates that I think can make themselves useful and I’m makin’ arrangements for my leaving Joliet. Once I get in touch with Beth I’ll know better the when of all this. Here’s the what. We’re gonna get us a nightside airship and make our way to those coordinates. It looks to me like that factory’s close enough to the shippin’ lanes that a close enough fly over probably won’t get us shot down. Once we’re past the factory we’ll set the bird down somewhere and get back to the place on foot. Then, accordin’ to Jonah, we’ll be able to get in through one of the old loadin’ bay doors. He says that when their team went to check it out there was a section of the factory that hadn’t been restored and the doors were locked, but looks pretty easy broken. We get in, see if we can’t get us one of them suits in a sneaky manner and get out. If we have to fight, that’s what me and Jonah will be there to take care of.
“The airship I’m hopin’ to have belongs to Captain Hal Bedford. The Kite is probably the best suited ship for a job like this. You ever met Beth?” he asked.
“I can’t say that I have, Crane. What makes the Kite so special? Is there a reason we can’t take Monstro?” Agitation always made her sound defensive, but in the moment she didn’t care. Monstro was her ship and it should be the one going out into the night.
“Well, first of all, unless Monstro (as marvelous as she is) has energy reserve enough to stay in the Nightside for more than two weeks she can’t be the one to go. Secondly, the Kite is built for stealth and speed as well as lifting power. She can fly as fast as, well,” he corrected himself, “almost as fast as Monstro and can do it unseen. But when we need to load her up with the power armor she’ll be able to shed that quiet, shadowy skin and really haul ass outta there. She can also be deflated and reinflated with just the power of her engines and in a matter of minutes. She really is built for this kinda mission.” He rubbed his face with both hands. He’d really not meant to insult Monstro or her captain. “And I was hopin’ to send Monstro along her route without you. Just for the duration of our time on the Nightside. I figure if the watchposts on the Dayside sees her flyin’ they won’t have a reason to suspect you’re not on her. Less trouble for everybody.”
She considered his words before dropping her gaze and saying, “That is actually a very good idea. I apologize but I just hate the idea of being crew on someone else’s boat. I’m sure this Captain Bedford knows the area better than me as well. Of course, you’re right, Monstro would never be able to stay on the Nightside so long. I especially see the wisdom in sending her along her way. I’ll inform my first to tell any askers at the next stop that I’m confined to quarters with some infections disease. That should probably keep the Duskers from asking too many questions. Once she’s back on the Dayside she’ll be in the air until she’s well past the Order’s influence. Hopefully, at least. Now, what is this about preparations for leaving? What about your duties here at Joliet?”
“He don’t know it yet, but Arnold’s about to get a promotion,” the Marshal chuckled softly. “He’s gonna be in a fit state once I tell him. I have to go on this, Mere. You know that there’s bigger fish to fry than takin’ in drunks what tear up the inn and keepin’ track of the shippin’ fines every now and again. We can’t let this kind of thing go unchecked. The Marshals do more than just police their wayposts. After the last of the fightin’ died out the Marshals and Magistrates back then decided that we had to be more than just local hick lawmen. Now we’re a defensive line all across Dusk tryin’ to catch the little nasty things like this before they get to be big nasty things. Not many know that we’re all banded together now and we wanna keep it that way. It lets us operate more on the sly and keep under the radar of the the Continental Assembly and folks from the Dayside like the Order of the Magi. I checked in with the High Marshal’s office up at Waypost Aleph and I’ve got some new orders. Orders to plan and carry out this operation.”
Stunned, Captain Smithwick sat for a moment with her mouth open and her brain trying to find some words. “How. How is it that we have not noticed a difference in these last 80 years? Surely someone on one side or the other would have noticed an uptick in militant movements among you. How do you keep such secrecy?”
“We don’t often do things outside the original mandate is how. There’s very narrow allowances for things like this and we can’t act without direct orders from the High Marshal. It’s only happened one other time since the last war, that I know of, and I don’t know what was done. Just like nobody’ll have a notion as to what we’re doin’ if I can help it. Big, showy actions ain’t in our job description. That’s the Assembly’s place. We do the dirty, underground work that keeps both sides in their place. And we use the old telegraph lines to pass orders and communications. Nobody really uses it anymore except for Nightside airship captains and the Marshals so it’s a pretty darn sneaky way to talk.”
“I see,” Meredith said still unsure if the Marshal was having her on. “Changing the subject, where is our killer Operative? I was sure I would find him here trying to meddle in your planning. Did you scare him off? Eat him, perhaps?”
“Downright hilarious, Mere. He went off with a bunch of equipment. Said somethin’ about gettin’ in touch with the Assembly to explain the situation. He also thinks we got a spy in Joliet. He didn’t say why he thought so, but we played out a big scene this mornin’ over at the Three Wolf. Him being drunk at 1000 hours and me tellin’ him to get back where he came from. So he pulled up stakes and headed back toward the Nightside. He’s gonna talk to his bosses and meet up with us once we got an airship secured and after he’s ‘dealt with’ our spy. Which I’m guessin’ in Operative speak means he’s gonna kill the guy or lady whoever they are. We’ll pick him up just over the nightline when we head out. Speakin’ of. Hey, Arnold! Any luck findin’ Hal or Beth? Time’s a-wastin’.
“Sir, Captain Bedford has received our telegraph message and is on his way to Joliet with the Kite. I haven’t yet heard anything of Bethesda. I suspect that since she’s not currently serving on any crews it might take awhile for the message to find her. I’ll keep trying, sir,” Waverly delivered his news and turned back to the telegraph machine.
“Crane, who is this Bethesda Hatfield?” Meredith asked.
“Bethesda Lynn Hatfield is the best field mechanic and Engineer I’ve ever met. She’s one of the last honest to gods Engineers left. She freelances, too, and that suits us better than tryin’ to hire one what works for the Assembly or some such governing body. Her daddy, his daddy, his daddy and his daddy were all Engineers and when she was born they thought that was the end of the Hatfields as such. But she showed them. She had more talent for machines in her little finger than all the menfolk in her family combined. Last I heard of her she was working her way from Waypost to Waypost by fixin’ stuff on airships, trucks, trains and anything else that’d carry her around. She’s gonna be the one that drives that Monkeysuit out of that factory, I’m hopin’. I’d bet Hal could use somebody like her on the Kite for awhile too. He’s been without a real mechanic for some time now.
“While we’re on the topic of the crew for this job, did you have any luck gettin’ in touch with your cutpurse?” Marshal Crane swiveled his chair to look out his office window. “We’ll definitely need somebody what can sneak around.”
“As the matter of fact,” Meredith said, “I did. She’s on her way to Joliet now. She is not exactly what one would call a law abiding citizen. I hope that will not cause any trouble between you.”
“Like I said. Bigger fish right now, promise.”
“Good, good. She’s on the Thunderstruck currently. That’s a Dayside train that’ll stop off at Sundown Camp. She’ll get off there and then make her way to us. She should be in town by the day Monstro will be leaving port.”
Still looking out the window Marshal Crane asked, “What’s her name? Where’s she from?”
“Her chosen name is Rue. If you ask, she has no family name and no family. When I met her she was training as an acolyte in the Order of Magi and dividing her time between that training and studying at the University at Alantown. She has never mentioned family, friends or even a hometown. It’s all very mysterious and she likes to play that for anyone who will be her audience. Once she allows you to get to know her, however, she is a very sweet and talented young woman. Sometimes I think it is unfortunate that she uses her powers for less than legal means, but she has never shown herself to be anything but trustworthy to me. To be honest, though, she’s barely a woman grown. If one were to hazard a guess she is most likely only 20 years old. Barely old enough to be in the university. Let alone have already been in the school, and asked to leave.” Meredith followed her words with a sigh. “Poor girl.”
“Wait a minute, there.” Crane turned to look again at Captain Smithwick, “You’re telling me she’s a mage? Then why in the gods’ names does she pick pockets and hold folk at daggerpoint? Wouldn’t her life have been easier if she’d stayed at her schoolin’? St. Cuthbert and all his spiteful disciples. That just don’t make any sense. Hell, I’d go and study if they’d let me.”
“You do not mean that for a moment, Crane. I don’t think you’d be happy anywhere except here keeping your people in line and ‘busting heads’ every now and again. You would not leave these people for anything I can think of.” She smiled at Crane and leaned forward, “Not to mention that I don’t think I would find you nearly as interesting.”
“Oh, right. You’re right. I wouldn’t dream of trading all this,” he waved his hand around the office, “for unimaginable arcane powers. I mean, who would? Rottin’ here in the last waypost this side of boredom and right before you get to shithole? But, there is somethin’ to be said for bustin’ heads I reckon. And all your stiffs at the university probably wouldn’t want me. I’m too hairy to be a mage. If I singed some hair you’d have to put me out with a hose.” He grinned thinly. “But really, wonder why she get the boot? She ever tell you? Not that I’m a gossip. Just want to know who’s watching my back…or who’s gonna be stabbin’ it as the case might happen to be.”
“She has never told me. Not directly anyway, but she talks near nonstop about a young professor there. She says that they knew each other when they were both younger, and I suspect that they were lovers at the university. And that is forbidden so that there is no favoritism. My guess is they were found out and she was asked to leave. When I questioned her on the subject she turned the cold shoulder and left me standing. That, however, is just idle gossip and womanly talk. If I were you I would not bring it up to her. Or around her. Or anywhere near her. You might just get that backstab you mentioned.”
“That’s somethin’ right there,” Marshal Crane said. “Two young people can’t even love each other without somebody stickin’ their noses in. Eh, well, I’d still like to have some of that Arcane power y’all lord over the rest of us. But, that ain’t neither here nor there.” He stood and held his hand out to Meredith.” Hows about you and me, two sorta young folk, go and have us some lunch and we’ll talk about whatever happens to spark our interest. I’d say we done talked enough about the serious stuff.”
“That,” Meredith Smithwick replied, “sounds like a fantastic plan.” They left arm and arm and headed toward the Three Wolf Inn to get a meal.
Don’t worry, I’m not going to put them here. Well, I might put some of them here.
What I’m saying is that I just finished NaNoWriMo for 2011. It’s been a lot of fun, a lot of frustration and a lot of looking at the online thesaurus, but I made it! It sounded like such a daunting thing when I started (this was my 2nd NaNo, I didn’t finish it last year), but looking back now it doesn’t seem like it took that long to put down 50,000 words on paper…er…zeroes and ones? The story is incomplete but I’m gonna try to finish it one day. If any of you are interested I’ll post some excerpts from the thing here (just keep in mind it’s pretty rough drafty stuff).
Anyway, I’m going to keep this short (and maybe a little sweet. I’m such a sweetie). Thank you to everyone who encouraged me and challenged me. Thanks to @mintlisa who put up with me stressing over this thing all month and thanks to @wtfjams for the idea that spawned the novel.
One last thing: the folks at the Office of Letters and Light (as well as running NaNoWriMo) also run a Young Writers program. If you’d like to retroactively sponsor me, please go and donate. My username is darthvol.
Thanks again!
I’ve been looking around on my livejournal for a little bit today (instead of working on my wordcount for #NaNoWriMo) and I found a post I’d done in response to an article on the AV Club (which I haven’t been able to find yet. If I do I’ll link it) in which Steve Hyden picked an album for every year he’d been alive. Here’s my list from 2008 and I’ve edited it to include the years since.
1979: Queen – Live Killers (Double Live album)
1980: The Clash – London Calling (U.S. release)
1981: The Stray Cats – The Stray Cats
1982: R.E.M. – Chronic Town
1983: Violent Femmes – Violent Femmes
1984: Van Halen – MCMLXXXIV (1984)
1985: Bon Jovi – 7800 Fahrenheit
1986: They Might Be Giants – They Might Be Giants
1987: U2 – The Joshua Tree
1988: Jane’s Addiction – Nothing’s Shocking
1989: The Cure – Disintegration
1990: They Might Be Giants – Flood
1991: Pearl Jam – Ten
1992: Rage Against the Machine – Rage Against the Machine
1993: Nirvana – In Utero
1994: Weezer – Weezer (Blue Album)
1995: Foo Fighters – Foo Fighters
1996: Cake – Fashion Nugget
1997: Blur – Blur
1998: Less Than Jake – Hello Rockview
1999: Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds – Live at Luther College
2000: Eels – Daisies of the Galaxy
2001: Muse – Origin of Symmetry
2002: Queens of the Stone Age – Songs for the Deaf
2003: The White Stripes – Elephant
2004: The Killers – Hot Fuss
2005: Fiery Furnaces – EP
2006: The Decemberists – The Crane wife
2007: The New Pornographers – Challengers
2008: Flight of the Conchords – Flight of the Conchords
2009: Them Crooked Vultures – Them Crooked Vultures
2010: Mumford and Sons – Sigh No More
2011: Jonathan Coulton – Artificial Heart
This was an interesting thing to do so show me your list in the comments.
It’s that time of the year again. Time to strap on your writin’ boots and churn out 50,000 words in 30 days. Or if you’re me 6,000 words in a week-and-a-half and go back to playing video games.
As you probably can tell I have a horrible combination of short attention span and procrastination-itis. I have a hard time following through on projects because of things like Dragon Age: Origins and Star Trek: The Next Generation on Netflix. I managed to finish my 365 project last year because folks I know were actually coming and looking for the photos and reminding me when they weren’t there.
This year I’m going to try the public-shame method of getting it done. I’m going to post my current word-count on twitter at the end of every day and I encourage you to motivate (humiliate) me in real time if I don’t meet my daily word-goal. I have to clear 1,666.7 words daily to reach the 50,000 word total. So, starting Nov. 1 feel free to heckle in hilarious ways via @ohnopatrick or in the comments.
I realize that I’ve been on the business end of neglect claims from my other projects, but I promise that I’ve not forgotten about them. The cosplay photo project is probably going to have to wait until Spring since a lot of the locations I’ve scouted are in the out-of-doors and the music project is moving slowly for several reasons.
Oh, one last thing. I’d like for you guys to help me pick my topic for NaNoWriMo.
I have three ideas. I’m going to give you 3 vague descriptions and you can pick.
1) A fantasy/lost technology setting.
2) A post-apocalypse setting (without zombies).
3) A real world setting with the story about an MMO guild.
Thanks!
I never thought I’d get verklempt over a CEO.
Thanks for everything you’ve brought into the technology world, Steve.
May flights of angels sing thee to the Apple HQ in heaven.
Ok.
Two months is much too long to let my blog (and my various project things) languish. Sorry about that, blog and readers.
Things going on:
1) I might be changing day-jobs (hence a lot of the slacking on the music/photography/blog front). I’m not sure yet if it’s actually going to happen and whether or not it’s going to affect my daily schedule. Things being up in the air make me nervous.
2) Went to Dragon*Con this year and it was, once again, fantastic. I hope to have photos ready to post in another week or so. At the con I got to meet Wil Wheaton, Jonathan Coulton, Paul and Storm, Molly Lewis and loads of cool con-goers. Wil Wheaton is absolutely the nicest celebridude I’ve had the pleasure to meet. @mintlisa knitted a dice-bag for him and we filled it with a couple favorite sets of polyhedrals and he seemed absolutely thrilled to get it. I don’t care whether it was acting or not, it was awesome.
3) The cosplay photo project I have been planning is on temporary hold until I find out about the new job and scout some locations. If those of you who’ve contacted me are still interested I promise the project isn’t dead…just in cryo.
4) I have a couple of musical numbers I’m working on for that project. I’m moving more slowly on this project now because I’ve decided to branch out from pop/folk things that I can record on my own and into some more classical works. I’m working on getting a recording of my recent performance of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Pie Jesu (from Requiem) with Soprano Robyn Van Leigh. Also I’ve been composing a short Introit for SATB choir which I hope to have performed by the 2nd Presbyterian Chancel Choir once finished and I’ll work on getting a recording of that as well.
5) I finally got my first disc golf (Dooley) ace last week at Fontana Village’s amazing course. Boom.
Hey everybody!
It’s time for another song. This one’s another original that I’ve had kicking around for quite awhile.
It never had a title until I had to post it and it had to be called something. I figured “This Stupid Little Song” would do (and I added it to the last verse).
This Stupid Little Song by Oh No Patrick
Instrumentation is still 2 guitars (Epiphone Acoustic and my Stra-tele electric) and two voices (Me and my sister @zoebeth13). I’m still using Garage Band and my Blue Snowball mic. I’m hoping that for the next one I’ll have a mandolin guest and maybe a banjo guest! 
Thanks for listening!
Hey everybody!
I need some volunteers who are willing to put together costumes and then cosplay them for me! I’d like to do some photo series of cosplay from different fandoms. You pick your favorite video game, movie, tv show, anime, etc. and build yourself a costume. Be as elaborate or as simple as you’d like and then let me shoot you. With a camera. Not a gun.
So, if’n you’d be interested leave a comment or give me a mention: @ohnopatrick!
Hi there.
I’ve finally gotten over my fear of flash and offboard lighting and decided to do some fashion-y style shooting with @mintlisa as my model. The equipment I used is as follows:
Canon 40D, Sigma 28-105 f2.8 (max), Vivitar 285HV flash unit (on a stand) and some aluminum foil for a snoot.
