The Dance of the Laptop

In our house we have 2 smartphones, one cheap-ass tablet (my 15th work anniversary gift. Whee.), one netbook and one (ancient) laptop. Oh, and a prehistoric desktop but we don't like to talk about that much. Plenty of apparatuses for all things online except that only one works well enough for things like 'writing show recaps' and 'webcam appearances on radio shows' and that would be the laptop. Usually things work out just fine; Dyl's shows are on Wednesdays or Fridays (Comic Book Haul) and Sunday afternoons (Dylan Knows). My writing obligations are Sunday night (The Strain) and Thursday night (Defiance).  Little overlap unless one of us is called to pinch hit on Snarkalec Radio on Thursday night. And that's exactly what's happening this week.

So here's the dilemma: Defiance airs on SyFy at 8 pm. Kiddie bedtime is 8 - 8:30 so we DVR it and watch from 9 - 10, after which I stay up writing the first draft of the recap  and listening to Snarkalec Radio until 11:30/12:00. Snarkalec Radio goes on about 9:15ish and runs til between 10:30 and 10:45. (It's a lot of fun; you should really check it out.)


So, a long night but not insurmountable. However, Dyl's been asked to appear on tonight's episode of Snarkalec Radio which he really enjoys so that means that 1) no recording and watching later after kiddie bedtime as I take notes real time then craft the story around it and B) I won't have access to the only piece of equipment that I can actually write on until 10:30 at the earliest (I'm looking at YOU, Netbook, and your premature posting problem.)

The plan therefore goes something like this: I watch live and take notes, he puts the kids to bed, I log off from Google Plus so he can log in, he plugs in his headphones and prays there are no technical difficulties (Ha. Haaaaaa.), hilarity ensues for the next 90 minutes, he logs off, I log back on and pound jelly beans and Diet Coke like it's my job while trying to remember what I actually meant by the notation 'M weevil' and if I've reached the 'butthurt' mention limit yet.

Sure, we could avoid the whole thing by getting another laptop or an actually working tablet but that costs money we don't have and besides, where's the fun in that? There can be only one and I know where the jelly beans are hidden.

Doctor Hell Yeah!

Ever since Dylan did his 'Dylan DOESN'T Know' show about Doctor Who last December, I've been intrigued by it. From that point on, I was keenly aware of the twitterverse chattering on about something called a Tardis, Donna, Rose, Amy, Nine, Ten, Eleven, feels, weeping angels, Sontarans (I'm looking at you, @DHGamerMR) and EXTERMINATE! but still hadn't seen it though my interest was growing. Plus all the pretty people in the glowy box loving the show can't be wrong, amirite? Thus emboldened, we borrowed the box set from my stepfather-in-law Dyl's step-father Roger and settled in to watch from the beginning of the New Series.

Two seasons and three episodes into the third series and I can officially say we're hooked. Well, I am. I assume Dyl is too as we're giving up going to bed at a reasonable time to watch just one more episode every night. I would even go so far as to way we've joined the ranks of Whovians but not sure we've paid our dues yet. Science fiction, adventure, space, morality...yes. Just. Yes. Whovian yet or not, I love it. And me being me, I *might* have already formed some strong opinions.

Let's just put it out there: my favorite so far has been Nine. Christopher Eccleston was absolutely brilliant - the fleeting childlike flights of joy and wonder but always with the undercurrent of deep sadness. It's so incredibly poignant and wrenching yet smart and fun. We're into the Tennant era now and while he's great too, the mania is just too much. Plus most of the acting is done with his eyes and since the mania factor is high, we get a lot of crazy eyes which is way too close to Barty Crouch Junior from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire for me to take seriously. I'm kinda expecting for Voldemort to pop up in the background and/or menacing tongue flicks any day now.

I'm also fully, solidly Team Rose. She was so...real. A normal girl with few advantages and even fewer goals ended up on the adventure of a lifetime. She's tough, she knows who she is and make no apologies for it. But now we've got Martha. Martha is adorable and sweet and I get that her character is supposed to be a stark counterpoint to Rose: smart and questioning but my god, enough with the butthurt puppy dog eyes at the Doctor. The Doctor is obviously grieving the loss of Rose but doesn't want to be alone which is why he's waffling on taking Martha back after their quick jaunt around the timestream so I don't blame her for accusing him of treating her as a 'rebound' because he totally is, but the result is that I'm tired of her whining and would very much like for her to go home. I assume that this is part of the Doctor's character development through the remainder of the season: coming to terms, letting go, and embracing the new on its own merits but it's not doing her character any favors right now.

Time to get to work, still have a lot more traveling to do before the Tardis lands in August!