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January 26, 2010

Deadlines and Do It Yourself (or, I Broke My G-String!)

Filed under: music, updates — Tags: , — Natalie @ 5:56 pm

Hi everyone. Remember me?

No? I didn’t think so.

Now then. I haven’t been writing just because I have nothing to say, honest… Okay, I haven’t been writing only because I have nothing to say.  I have other excuses for my silence: three graduate school applications, one performer’s application, and possibly an entry into Malahat’s novella contest (if I can come up with something that won’t embarass me)–all on or before February first.

Related subject: I’m applying as a performer for a local music festival, and they prefer video as audition material, which means going out and performing some place.  (Harder to accomplish than one might believe. There are open mics everywhere in this town, and they all happen on nights when I’m busy.)

When I practice just for the love of it I usually play my six-string, which means that my twelve-string tends to sit in the case unless I’m working towards a performance. So out came the twelve-string the other night, for a tune-up and practice. And obviously I need to make a habit of tuning more often, because the strings were way out of whack–enough that one of the strings snapped when I went to tune it.

Yes. My name is Natalie, and I’m here to tell the Internet about how I broke my G-string.

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December 10, 2009

Reasons (not) to write a research paper

Filed under: Uncategorized — Natalie @ 6:18 pm

Looking for a reason (not) to write a research paper? I’ll give you fourteen.

reasons (not) to write a research paper

Reasons to write, or reasons not to write? I’ll let you decide.

November 8, 2009

Epic Win

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , — Natalie @ 3:11 pm

Sometimes conversations are awesome.

Herewith, today’s bit of silliness:

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October 19, 2009

Sneak Peek at Song Lyrics!

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , — Natalie @ 5:16 pm

So, a while ago I mentioned that I was working on an album, by the title of Accidentals. (I did mention that, didn’t I?)

My original plan was to have the album written, recorded, and parts of it uploaded to the website by… um… April sometime. That, well, didn’t exactly pan out. Things sometimes don’t.

However! There are definitely bits of it that I think are polished and ready to go. In the spirit of that, I’ve decided to release some of the lyrics to the website here, because I know you’re all just dying to get a piece of this project.

Behold, my songwriting genius! Here are the first two verses from the second song, fourth track on the album.

Direction

Them, according to the travel the most important part
They can say anything if you can only start
They say the purpose is not this path is within walking distance.
I’m tired tired these people speak

They can say anything if you are the most reliable
Instead, this victory is not to say only, run the race
They say the only important the best thing you can do
I need to shut down the flap and the rest of the chorus

…Hey, what’s that sceptical look for? Those are totally my lyrics!

No really, they are. I just fed them through Translation Party first. (Including the title, if you’re wondering.)

Have fun…

September 22, 2009

When conversations on twitter go strange places…

Filed under: Uncategorized — Natalie @ 1:03 am

This post alternatively titled, “Dear xkcd: I am very sorry”.

“Clippy’s” dialogue is, for the most part, attributed to @sparkle_panties on twitter.

Behind the jump, because the comic is larger than my website’s content div and I’m too lazy to fix it…

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September 12, 2009

Music and Mishap: Mountainfest Day 6

Filed under: music — Tags: , , , — Natalie @ 9:00 am

Last full day here. At least our camp stove waited until now to stop working. Into town for breakfast we go

Okay, really. I know this is a small town, but jeez. Why does everyone here know about our camping problems? What gives?

Back at the campsite, a couple of guys are driving a truck around selling ice. They give us a good scolding as they pass. (”Come on! You guys haven’t bought any since the first day!”) Apparently we’ve left an impression?

We do buy ice when they come back around the second time. Hate to disappoint people, and all that.

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September 8, 2009

Music and Mishaps: Mountainfest Day 5

Filed under: music — Natalie @ 9:00 am

We’re halfway through the afternoon and I suddenly realize that I have nothing to write about. Hmm. Now what? Do I go hunting for trouble or just start making things up?

I decide that both of these options sound like far too much effort. Opt to drag a lawn chairdown to the river instead.

While in the river we chat it up with a couple of drunks who are squirting (or just flinging the contents of their waterbottles) at each other, and us. A bit later, we’re confronted by security, telling us that we can’t have glass bottles in the river. (Ours were actually plastic.)

My mother spends the rest of the afternoon telling anyone and everyone that we fell afoul of security. See? I’m not the only one who thinks today’s been boring.

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September 4, 2009

Chapter Captions!

Filed under: writing — Tags: , , , — Natalie @ 9:00 am

So I’ve been putting it off all summer, in favour of doing silly things like relaxing and starting new projects–but it is a universal truth that a writer in possession of a first draft must, soon or late, revise.

Now, I hate revising.  Every moment I spend revising is a moment I could spend writing something new. (Or cleaning the house or walking barefoot on broken glass. I have my priorities.) Still, we live in an imperfect world, in which all manner of unpleasant tasks must be done. Alas.

So I powered through a re-read before starting actual revisions. To keep myself entertained assist in the revising process, I decided to give each chapter a caption as I went along. Something that would not only remind me at a glance what had happened, but also the meat of the chapter, what it was about. Its very essence, if you will.

Apparently more goes on in this book than even I knew (or maybe I’m just not very good at capturing essences). More than once I was torn between two or even three different captions. In such cases I’ve included any runners up first, with the most apropos caption at the end.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I urge you not to laugh: This is to be taken very seriously.

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September 1, 2009

Music and Mishaps: Mountainfest Day 4

Filed under: music — Tags: , , — Natalie @ 9:00 am

Wake up a bit bleary-eyed, but high and dry. Well, unless you count sweat. Because it is that hot. Already. A man’s walking a dog, which runs away from me as it comes near our tent. I’m informed that it’s not a very friendly dog.

There’s a music boot camp happening on the stagegrounds. We go to listen and chat it up with panelists afterwards. We call it networking but really we’re just here because we think they wear snazzy clothing.

The river is full of people, lawn chairs, beer cans, and waterguns when we go back to the campsite. Everyone who squirts us (so, everyone) gets a thumbs-up as we go past.

No pants toll today, either. I’m guessing those girls have decided they don’t want any pants after all–from the amount of skin I’m seeing so far, theirs or anybody else’s.

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August 28, 2009

Music and Mishaps: Mountainfest Day 3

Filed under: music — Natalie @ 9:00 am

Wake up bright and early this morning. (If I keep saying that, it’s because it’s hard NOT to wake up early when you’re tenting. On account of it being, uh, bright.) Stumble out of the tent to find the dog and the rest of the neighbours comfortably sprawled out on lawn chairs. Theorize that my mother will have drunk them out of coffee by the end of the week.

A drunk girl wanders by. She’s very loud and enthusiastic. Enthusiastic enough that I doubt her vocabulary extends beyond four-letter-words. Or, well, one four-letter-word, anyway.

Today is our last chance to stock up on groceries. I don’t really want to leave the campgrounds, but my mother refuses to go into town without me, even though my sense of direction isn’t any better than hers.

I go anyway, of course. To put this in perspective: My mother needs me to tell her where to go. * Of course I’m coming.

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August 25, 2009

Music and Mishaps 2: three girls walk out of a port-a-potty…

Filed under: music — Tags: , , , — Natalie @ 9:00 am

One of the great joys of the camping life. I went to bed exhausted. Naturally, today I’m up at the very crack of dawn.

Today’s first piece of new information: The neighbours’ dog is a Peeping Tom. A startling revelation, perhaps, but not nearly as startling as the head that suddenly appears at the bottom of the tent while I’m changing. (By the time I get out of the tent he’s switched his affections to our tea-towel.)

It’s already getting warm. Figuring we’ll want some shade, we decide to give the gazebo another go. (The tent doesn’t count. It’s like a sauna. That you can’t stand up in. Or move around in.) So we spend the next little while getting the poles assembled while the wind blows us and our gazebo every which way, and passersby call horror stories to us about how their gazebo ended up in the river.

I doubt there’s a person on this entire campsite who doesn’t know we’re new at this by now. It must be painful to watch, because divine (or otherwise) intervention occurs not in the form of the bloody wind letting up even for a moment, but a pair of shirtless cowboys who help us hold the damn thing in one place long enough to throw the mosquito netting over the top.

Hey. This camping thing ain’t so bad, right?

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August 21, 2009

Music and Mishaps: Mountainfest Day One

Filed under: music — Tags: , , , , — Natalie @ 9:00 am

So this summer my mother and I packed up and headed off to Merritt Mountain Music festival. We were looking forward to it, yes, but also a little bit anxious. We’re not campers. Before Merritt, we had only been camping at once, and that was a much shorter trip, much closer to home. But we tried to make up for it by leaving a couple of days before the festival itself and being ridiculously organized about the whole affair.

Ridiculously organized is what we do best. Naturally, we leave at least an hour late.

Long drives are long. But at least this one’s uneventful.

First major accomplishment of the trip: Not getting lost before we find our gate. Or rather, the gate the nice people have directed us to. Which happens to be the wrong one.

Correct gate: Acquired! Groceries and dinner are inching up on the priority list. But first we need a place to live. Time to fight with the tent.

…Uh, yeah. Any takers on the outcome?

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August 18, 2009

Music, Critique Groups, Smurfs

So! Books have been read, words have been written, music festivals have been attended and performed at, and the blog has been… largely ignored.

Oops?

Well. Someone recently described my website as “smurfy”. The new Smurftastic banner was added as a form of retaliation (some people will do anything for a joke). Thanks to @stridera on Twitter for making it.

The band I play in, the Mark Rose Big Band, played at this year’s Rarearth Jazz and Blues festival. Turned out to be a great show! We didn’t outnumber the audience, which is a blessing for a 22-piece band at 10:00am on a Saturday, played really well, and generally enjoyed ourselves (during the show and after).

And we have truly attained professionalism. We got paid, sure, but the mark of a professional band has nothing to do with money. Once you start playing jokes on each other on stage, you know you’re there.

What can I say? I’ve never played trombone while wearing a clown nose before. (I want to say there will be pictures. Unfortunately, this is only true if I find some.)

The online critique group I co-moderate, Reading Excuses, has its own domain now. In need of a critique group? Check us out at www.readingexcuses.com.

Finally, starting Friday I’ll be posting what I hope will be a humorous rundown of my trip to Merritt Mountain Music Festival, so it won’t be a month and a half until my next update. The posts are written already, so you have no cause not to believe me!

August 16, 2009

Products That Really Ought To Be Renamed

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , — Natalie @ 8:51 pm

“Hey, can I steal your integrity?”

And imagine, I was only trying to ask an innocent question about hairspray.

July 7, 2009

Merritt Mountain Music Festival and Music Roundup

Filed under: music — Tags: , , — Natalie @ 10:49 am

So, heading out to Merritt Mountain this morning. Excited? Yeah, just a little. It’ll be the first time – possibly the only time – and aside from the whole music festival thing, we’re pretty inexperienced campers. A week-long trip… it should be an adventure.

Random factoid of the day: The icemaker in our fridge occasionally makes this unearthly wailing noise.

So, there’s this cool thing called the Internet, and turns out it has lots of cool music on it.

I’m probably the only one in the world who hadn’t seen this already, but I’m linking it anyway, because I like it: Don’t Stop Believing from Glee. I’d actually never been a huge fan of this song, but I like it much better in this version. Funny what happens to a song when it’s done by people who can actually sing, in an arrangement that isn’t dead.

Then there’s the only part of the Tony Awards I actually watched (where watched is translated as “obediently clicked youtube link”): Neil Patrick Harris does his thing.

For some musical comedy, check out Tim Minchin. Make sure you actually watch his videos, as his performance is half the fun. (This link is to a song called Dark Side. For somewhat less appropriate fun, check out Inflatable You and Some People Have It Worse Than Me.)

A college-based a capella group called Eight Beat Measure does a version of the theme song for Nickelodean’s “Doug”.

And finally, anyone who’s a Harry Potter fan, and anyone who’s not, should check out the Very Potter Musical. Trust me, it’s worth the three hours.

June 18, 2009

Problems with Process

Filed under: process, writing — Tags: — Natalie @ 12:59 am

Going to play at the open mic at El Portillos this Monday, if work doesn’t interfere. I think I’ll try and make that a regular thing for the summer – again, so far as work allows.

Also, videos of my performance on May 30th may be forthcoming. No promises yet, but we’ll see…

So I’ve been busily chasing my tail on the latest project – a novelette-length project which I think could turn out really well if I could actually make it, you know, go somewhere.  But fear not: ranting about a project that nobody except me has any reason to care about is not the point of this post. Well, exactly.

A friend asked the other day what my starting point was – do I springboard from plot or character (or something else on a list that could stretch for miles)?

To which I can only give the enlightening answer of, “umm, whatever works”.

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June 3, 2009

It’s The End Of The World As We Know It

And I feel like we’ve done this before

Yes, my fellow forum players are once again clamouring for a Plot. A Plot to end all Plots, or at least–not coincidentally–the world.

I remain absolutely baffled. And a little annoyed.

But! It has lead to the coining of a new term:

The Apocolypse Phenomenon: The belief that all conflict must rise from world-ending, apocolyptic events; disaster and mayhem are considered a matter of course.

You know, I swear I had a much cooler definition at last night at 2am, while I was trying to fall asleep. Oh well.

So, the Saturday show went fairly well! I think I would definitely do a show that long again, if given the opportunity. As long as I had more than a week’s notice to fill two hours anyway.  (Yes, I knew I would be playing more than a week in advance; I did not know that I would be playing for that long.) It certainly was a learning experience. There are a few things that I would do differently next time.

By the way, for anyone who saw the previous “testing” post on livejournal and is wondering what that’s about, I just installed a plugin called Journalpress that lets you automatically export wordpress posts to blogs using the LJ server. It was completely painless to install, and will make my life easier.

May 26, 2009

Places to Go, People to See

Filed under: music, updates — Tags: , — Natalie @ 4:21 pm

If anyone who happens to be reading this is local to Vernon BC, I’ll be playing from 10:00am – 12:00pm at the Rec Center, for the Vernon environmental fair.

Two hours is a pretty long time! It means that I get a nice long playlist, though, and even though I haven’t decided all what I’m playing yet, I’ve got some fun stuff lined up: A few Barenaked Ladies tunes, several Jonathan Coulton songs (I went for his more general stuff; so if you’re not into songs about zombies and giant squids this shouldn’t scare you away), a couple jazz tunes, a couple country tunes. I have some of my own songs on the list as well, three of which are from my album-in-progress, Accidentals.

The Vernon Second Wind Concert Band, along with the Vernon Secondary School band,  is also doing an outdoor concert the evening of Wednesday, June 3rd. Show starts at 7pm.

Both these events are free, so if you’re local you should come check us out! More detail about these events after the cut.

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May 21, 2009

Not obsessed, really.

Filed under: writing — Tags: — Natalie @ 12:22 am

Just determined.

A snippet of real life dialogue for you…

Me:  I’m nearly finished with the novel. Five scenes, maybe as many as seven, but no more.

Friend: That’s great! You’ll have it done in no time.

(pause)

Friend: Do sleep, though.

May 7, 2009

Books 6 and 7

Filed under: reading — Tags: , , , , — Natalie @ 12:10 pm

Hmm. We’ll have to see what happens to this “blurb about what I’m reading” thing now that I’m no longer required to do it for class. In the meantime…

Black Powder War – Hooray for Naomi Novik books. They’re so easy to read. I’m happy to work for what I’m reading, but it’s nice to read something light and fun sometimes, too.

I’d heard a couple things about this book beforehand, or to be more accurate, I’d heard those things more generally about some of the middle books in the series. Someone mentioned to me that after Laurence and Temeraire go to China in book two the series settles into an easy “go to far away places, see how dragons live there” sort of pattern for a few books. I didn’t feel that for BPW (though we’ll see about the next couple books. This book’s focus was completely different so far as I’m concerned.

The nasty cliff-hangers that were also mentioned, though… Uh, yeah. I can see that.

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