Saturday, September 29, 2012

Portland Color Run 2012

I chose for my first 5K to do a Color Run.  It was fun and low key.  I did end up walking a lot of it but I ran enough to keep my heart rate up.  I also ran to and from the color stations and at the start and finish lines.

 Small victories:
  • I finished strong and with lots of color
  • Managed to carry ID, Money, Phone and car key without putting anything in a sock or my bra
  • I never stopped moving
  • Public transportation was an excellent way to get there

Lessons learned:
  • Eat a larger breakfast before, cereal and a latte just didn't cut it 
  • There is a lot of walking just to get to the starting line
  • It would have been more fun with a running/walking buddy
And, now some pictures: 

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Portland Lindy Hop Events Sept 26- Oct 3


Lindy Events for the Week of September 26-Oct 3

Wednesday September 26

7:30-10:30 pm Swing Night at Vie de Boheme
Drinking Age Only, 21+
Vie de Boheme Wine Bar (1530 SE 7th Ave, Portland)
Live Music by 12th Ave Hot Club

Thursday September 27

7:30-11:00pm Thursday Swing
PPAA (618 SE Alder, Portland)
7:30 Beginning Swing Drop-in Lesson
8:30 Live Music by Jenny Finn Orchestra

Friday September 28

6:00-8:00pm Pete Krebs and the Portland Playboys at the Secret Society

Secret Society Ballroom (116 NE Russell, Portland)  
 
8:00-11:00 Trashcan Joe at Brasserie Montmartre
Brasserie Montmartre (626 SW Park Avenue)


Saturday September 29

7:30-11:00 Saturday Swing with S Cubed Productions
Tabor Heights UMC (6161 SE Stark St, Portland)
7:30 Beginning Swing Drop-in Lesson
8:30 DJ'd Music by Allisyn, Kassiane and Liz
http://scubedp.wordpress.com/


Sunday September 30

5:15-6:50pm Lindy Hop I Series Class
Scottish Rite (1507 SW Morrison, Portland)
http://www.stumptowndance.com/

7-11:00pm Sunday Swing 
Scottish Rite (1507 SW Morrison, Portland)
7:00 Intermediate Swing Drop-in Lesson
7:30 Beginning Swing Drop-in Lesson
8:00-11:00pm DJ'd Music
http://www.stumptowndance.com/

Monday October 1

6:30-8:30pm Learn to Swing Dance with Josh and Emily
Wimbledon Square (2837 SE Colt Drive, Portland)
6:30-7:30 Beginning Balboa
7:30-8:30 Beyond Beginning Lindy Hop
http://www.facebook.com/events/257273261046069/

7:00-9:00pm Guided Swing Practica
Lower Melody Ballroom (615 SE Alder, Portland)
http://www.stumptowndance.com/

9-11pm Kung Pao Chickens
Drinking Age Only, 21+
Laurelthirst Public House (2958 NE Glisan, Portland)

9:00-11:00pm Lily Wilde Orchestra at Duff's Garage
Drinking Age Only, 21+
Duff's Garage (1635 SE 7th Ave, Portland) 
Tuesday October 2

7:30-12:30 Tuesday Blues
Lenora's Room (615 SE Alder, Portland)
7:30 Intermediate Blues Lesson
8:30 Beginning Blues Lesson
9:00-12:30 DJ'd Music

8:00-12:00 The Rigamarole
Village Ballroom (700 Northeast Dekum Street, Portland)
8:00-9:00 Intermediate Workshop
8:30-9:00 Beginning Swing Lesson
9:00-12:00 DJ'd Music by Stefan and Bethany
http://therigamaroledance.com/


Wednesday October 3

7:30-10:30 pm Swing Night at Vie de Boheme
Vie de Boheme Wine Bar (1530 SE 7th Ave, Portland)
Live Music by Hush Hush Swing


Upcoming Events!
October 7 Workshop with Ben White and Jenna Applegarth (Scottish Rite, Portland, OR)
October 17-21 Sun Valley Jazz Jamboree (Sun Valley, ID)
October 26-29 Victoria Lindy Exchange (Victoria, BC, Canada)
November 9-11 Vancouver Jazz Dance Festival (Vancouver, BC, Canada)
March 1-3 Portland Lindy Exchange

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Weekly Weigh In Sept 25


This week I finished the 30 Day Shred which was definitely exciting.  I didn't lose much weight but the measurements and the before/after photos are pretty telling.  I've done the first few workouts of Insanity which is definitely making me work.

Dancing is going well but the more intense workouts are definitely taking their toll.  My legs and butt are really sore.

I managed to get a couple of runs in last week so I might be able to pretend that I am ready for the 5K Color Run this Saturday.

All in all I'm feeling pretty good and my biggest effort right now is replacing the crappy snacks with healthier ones.

Statistics:

Current Weight: 221.6 pounds
Last Week:   223.6 pounds

Weight Loss/Gain: 2 pounds lost

Starting Weight: 225.2 pounds
Highest Point: 228.2 pounds
Lowest Point: 221.6 pounds



Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Weight Loss Tools

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Recipe: Naan

I've gotten a lot of practice with this recipe and have put lots of little tweaks to make it work for my ingredients and cooking space.

Recipe: Naan
(adapted from The World's Greatest-Ever Curries)

Serves 6

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups whole wheat bread flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 square of fresh yeast
  • 5 TBSP milk
  • 2 TBSP olive oil
  • 4 oz honey flavored greek yogurt
  • 1 egg
  • 2-3 TBSP melted butter or olive oil for brushing
Directions
In a small bowl, cream the yeast with the milk and set aside for 15 minutes.  Sift the flour and salt together into a large bowl.  Add the oil, yogurt, and egg to the flour and mix together while the yeast mixture sits.  It will be fairly dry and clumpy.  

Stir the yeast mixture before adding it to the rest of the ingredients.  Mix until the spoon is no longer effective and then switch to kneading on a floured surface until the dough is smooth, has an even consistency and no longer sticks to your hands.  If it is too dry, add a little more yogurt.  If it is too moist add  a little more flour.  

Return the dough to the bowl, cover it with a towel and leave in a warm place for about an hour.  For me, the warm place is usually the oven heated to 150F and then turned off.  

Remove the dough from the oven, set-up the top oven rack 4-6 inches from the top element and pre-heat the oven using the broil setting.  Pre-heat a baking sheet in the oven.  

Return the dough to the floured surface and knead for a couple minutes.  Then, divide the dough into six even pieces and roll the pieces into balls.  Roll or press each ball of dough into a tear drop shape or a long oval.  I usually bake the naan in two batches because the dough puffs up well.  Place the naan on the baking sheet and bake for 3-4 minutes.

Remove the naan from the oven and brush with butter or olive oil.  I personally go back and forth better the two and can't decide which I prefer.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Portland Lindy Hop Events Sept 19-26


Lindy Events for the Week of September 19-26

Wednesday September 19

7:30-10:30 pm Swing Night at Vie de Boheme
Drinking Age Only, 21+
Vie de Boheme Wine Bar (1530 SE 7th Ave, Portland)
Live Music by Jenny Finn Orchestra

Thursday September 20

7:30-11:00pm Thursday Swing
PPAA (618 SE Alder, Portland)
7:30 Beginning Swing Drop-in Lesson
8:30 DJ'd Music by Stephanie and Noelle

6:00-8:00pm Libertine Belles at the Secret Society

Secret Society Ballroom (116 NE Russell, Portland)

Friday September 21

6:00-8:00pm Boy and Bean at the Secret Society

Secret Society Ballroom (116 NE Russell, Portland)  
 
8:00-11:00 Djangophiles at Brasserie Montmartre
Brasserie Montmartre (626 SW Park Avenue)

9:00-11:00pm Trashcan Joe at the Secret Society
Drinking Age Only, 21+
Secret Society Ballroom (116 NE Russell, Portland)

9:00-11:00pm Midnight Serenaders at Duff's Garage
Drinking Age Only, 21+
Duff's Garage (1635 SE 7th Ave, Portland)  


Saturday September 22

7:30-11:00 Saturday Swing with S Cubed Productions
Tabor Heights UMC (6161 SE Stark St, Portland)
7:30 Beginning Swing Drop-in Lesson
8:30 DJ'd Music by Allisyn, Kassiane and Liz
http://scubedp.wordpress.com/


8:00-12:00 Djangophiles at Living Room Theater
Living Room Theater (341 SW Tenth Avenue, Portland)


Sunday September 23

5:15-6:50pm Lindy Hop I Series Class
Scottish Rite (1507 SW Morrison, Portland)
http://www.stumptowndance.com/

7-11:00pm Sunday Swing 
Scottish Rite (1507 SW Morrison, Portland)
7:00 Intermediate Swing Drop-in Lesson
7:30 Beginning Swing Drop-in Lesson
8:00-11:00pm DJ'd Music
http://www.stumptowndance.com/

Monday September 24

6:30-8:30pm Learn to Swing Dance with Josh and Emily
Wimbledon Square (2837 SE Colt Drive, Portland)
6:30-7:30 Beginning Balboa
7:30-8:30 Beyond Beginning Lindy Hop
http://www.facebook.com/events/257273261046069/

7:00-9:00pm Guided Swing Practica
Lower Melody Ballroom (615 SE Alder, Portland)
http://www.stumptowndance.com/

9-11pm Kung Pao Chickens
Drinking Age Only, 21+
Laurelthirst Public House (2958 NE Glisan, Portland)

Tuesday September 25

7:30-12:30 Tuesday Blues
Lenora's Room (615 SE Alder, Portland)
7:30 Intermediate Blues Lesson
8:30 Beginning Blues Lesson
9:00-12:30 DJ'd Music

8:00-12:00 The Rigamarole
Village Ballroom (700 Northeast Dekum Street, Portland)
8:00-9:00 Intermediate Workshop
8:30-9:00 Beginning Swing Lesson
9:00-12:00 DJ'd Music by Noelle and Rachael
http://therigamaroledance.com/


Wednesday September 26

7:30-10:30 pm Swing Night at Vie de Boheme
Vie de Boheme Wine Bar (1530 SE 7th Ave, Portland)
Live Music by the 12th Ave Hot Club


Upcoming Events!
October 17-21 Sun Valley Jazz Jamboree (Sun Valley, ID)
October 26-29 Victoria Lindy Exchange (Victoria, BC, Canada)
November 9-11 Vancouver Jazz Dance Festival (Vancouver, BC, Canada)
March 1-3 Portland Lindy Exchange

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Weekly Weigh In Sept 18

This week has been a bit rough on the exercise routine.  I've been feeling a bit tired and my knees and ankles have been sore so I took a break from running.  Right now, dancing is my major form of exercise at five nights a week.  Four nights of swing dancing and one of ballet.  I'm really feeling the effects of going from being a lazy social dancer two nights a week to dancing most songs four nights a week.  Hopefully my body figures things out because I need to get back to running to prepare for my first 5K on September 29 and I start Insanity on Monday.

Nutrition things to work on:

  • Healthier snacking
  • Drinking more water on Weekends


Statistics:

Current Weight: 221.6 pounds
Last Weigh In:   223.6 pounds

Weight Loss/Gain: 2.0 pounds lost

Starting Weight: 225.2 pounds
Highest Point: 228.2 pounds
Lowest Point: 221.6 pounds




Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Weight Loss Tools

Monday, September 17, 2012

Writing Update Sept 17

Well, I did better than last week.  There are new words on the page of one of my stories.  Not very many but there are new words.  Here's to writing more each week.  May next week have a more respectable word count.

Statistics:
Words Written: 160
Scenes Outlined: 7

Works In Progress


Thriller (NaNoWriMo 2012) - Brainstorming and Outlining
0 / 50000


Outbreak (NaNoWriMo 2011) - Resting

54270 / 90000

Hive Mind (NaNoWriMo 2010) - Editing and Writing Second Draft

51628 / 90000

Steampunk Seasonal Serial - Writing First Draft

15799 / 50000

A Guide to Inter-species Dating - Writing Rough Draft

1564 / 50000


Literary+ Strangers Anthology - Outlined, Waiting to Write

0 / 6000

Literary+ Smoke and Shadows Serial Installment 2 - Brainstorming

0 / 700

Literary+ Smoke and Shadows Serial Installment 3 - Brainstorming

0 / 700

Greased Gears - Writing First Draft

9326 / 90000

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Starting A Swing Dance: Getting Started

Before we can get to the nitty-gritty business details of starting a swing dance there are a few considerations to think about before starting a dance.

Get a group together!

Starting and running a dance is hard work.  Unless your new dance is going to be your only occupation, you probably want to work with a group of dancers to put it together.  Your best bet is to have a mix of leads and follows.

There are several advantages:

  1. You are guaranteed to have at least those dancers at your dance.  There will always be someone to dance with you and with the beginning dancers.
  2. You have teachers for your drop-in lesson if you are having one. (Highly recommended!)
  3. You can split the work load of teaching, DJing, working the door and cash register, set-up and clean up.
  4. Splitting the start-up costs makes it easier to get started.


Can your scene support a new dance?  

This is an important question!  You don't want to shell out the money to start a dance and not have enough dancers come to keep it running.  You need to look at whether or not there is already dancing on that night.  This doesn't have to be a deal-breaker but it is something to consider.  Is the available dancing all ages or over 21 dancing in bars?   Which part of town is the dancing?  Your new dance should fill a niche.

Example:  In Portland, the weekly all-ages swing dances were on Thursday and Sunday.  There was often other opportunities to dance on most nights of the week but all of those opportunities were to live bands in local bars. Fun, but it left a gap for younger dancers who wanted to do more dancing.  There was also the problem that both of those dances were before work days. When I got a group together to start a new dance, we chose Saturday night to offer dancing to the school-age crowd and adults who work Monday mornings.


Friday, September 14, 2012

Review: Mainspring by Jay Lake

Mainspring by Jay Lake
Tor Books, June 2007
Genre: Alternate History, Steampunk
Format Read: Kindle

Book Description:
Jay Lake's first trade novel is an astounding work of creation. Lake has envisioned a clockwork solar system, where the planets move in a vast system of gears around the lamp of the Sun. It is a universe where the hand of the Creator is visible to anyone who simply looks up into the sky, and sees the track of the heavens, the wheels of the Moon, and the great Equatorial gears of the Earth itself.

Mainspring is the story of a young clockmaker's apprentice, who is visited by the Archangel Gabriel. He is told that he must take the Key Perilous and rewind the Mainspring of the Earth. It is running down, and disaster to the planet will ensue if it's not rewound. From innocence and ignorance to power and self-knowledge, the young man will make the long and perilous journey to the South Polar Axis, to fulfill the commandment of his God.

My Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading Mainspring but it had some flaws that detracted from my enjoyment.

Mainspring takes place in an alternate universe with a Clockwork Creator. The religion bears similarity to the Christian tradition but the actual differences are never explained to my satisfaction. Some of that may be due to trying to only reveal what is known to the main character but it leaves the reader's understanding of the world lacking. It was clear that there was some really interesting world-building being done behind the scenes but it would have been nice to see more of it.

One of my biggest complaints was that until the last quarter of the story, the main character was just being carried along by events. He wasn't making any choices about what was happening in his life and once he starts making choices it's because there's no one left to make the decisions for him. None of the small conflicts seemed to have any effect on the greater story arc.

Mainspring had really interesting world-building that I would have liked to see more fully developed and revealed. The main character had an interesting journey both physically and character arc-wise but it felt like there was something missing. I probably won't read Mainspring again and I might recommend it based on the world-building but I'm not sure that the strengths outweigh the flaws. It was an interesting look into a Steampunk world but there wasn't enough tension for my tastes.

 Relevant Links:Mainspring on Amazon

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Recipe: Sweet Potato Stew



Made this recipe for the first time on Monday and I really enjoyed it.  It has good flavor and is nice and filling.

Sweet Potato Stew

Makes 4 servings
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 can (28 oz) of stewed tomatoes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp of ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp paprika
1 cup nonfat, low sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh basil chopped


Directions:

Combine chicken, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, paprika, and broth in the crockpot
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hrs or on high 3-4 hrs or until done.
Sprinkle with basil just before serving.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Portland Lindy Hop Events Sept 12-19


Lindy Events for the Week of September 12-19

Wednesday September 12

7:30-10:30 pm Swing Night at Vie de Boheme
Drinking Age Only, 21+
Vie de Boheme Wine Bar (1530 SE 7th Ave, Portland)
Live Music by Melissa Buchanan Band

Thursday September 13

7:30-11:00pm Thursday Swing
PPAA (618 SE Alder, Portland)
7:30 Beginning Swing Drop-in Lesson by Melissa and Colin
8:30 DJ'd Music by Melissa and Ronda

9:00-11:00pm Sentimental Gentlemen at the Secret Society
Drinking Age Only, 21+
Secret Society Ballroom (116 NE Russell, Portland)

Friday September 14

6:00-8:00pm Pete Krebs and his Portland Playboys at the Secret Society

Secret Society Ballroom (116 NE Russell, Portland)  
8:00-11:00 Djangophiles at Brasserie Montmartre
Brasserie Montmartre (626 SW Park Avenue)

9:00-11:00pm The Clambake Combo at the Secret Society
Drinking Age Only, 21+
Secret Society Ballroom (116 NE Russell, Portland)


Saturday September 15

6:00-8:00pm Everything's Jake at the Secret Society
Secret Society Ballroom (116 NE Russell, Portland)

7:30-11:00 Saturday Swing with S Cubed Productions
Tabor Heights UMC (6161 SE Stark St, Portland)
7:30 Beginning Swing Drop-in Lesson
8:30 DJ'd Music by Allisyn, Kassiane and Liz
http://scubedp.wordpress.com/


8:00-12:00 Djangophiles at Living Room Theater
Living Room Theater (341 SW Tenth Avenue, Portland)

9:00-12:00 The Ukeladies at the Blue Monk
Drinking Age Only, 21+
The Blue Monk (3341 SE Belmont, Portland) 

Sunday September 16

2:15-5:15pm Movement and Momentum Workshop with Peter Flahiff and Mindy Hazeltine
Scottish Rite (1507 SW Morrison, Portland)
Prerequisites include: Swing out, Lindy Circle, and Tuck Turn

5:15-6:50pm Lindy Hop I Series Class
Scottish Rite (1507 SW Morrison, Portland)
http://www.stumptowndance.com/

7-11:00pm Sunday Swing 
Scottish Rite (1507 SW Morrison, Portland)
7:00 Intermediate Swing Drop-in Lesson
7:30 Beginning Swing Drop-in Lesson
8:00-11:00pm DJ'd Music
http://www.stumptowndance.com/

Monday September 17

6:30-8:30pm Learn to Swing Dance with Josh and Emily
Wimbledon Square (2837 SE Colt Drive, Portland)
6:30-7:30 Beginning Balboa
7:30-8:30 Beyond Beginning Lindy Hop
http://www.facebook.com/events/257273261046069/

7:30-9:30pm Guided Swing Practica
Lower Melody Ballroom (615 SE Alder, Portland)
http://www.stumptowndance.com/

9-11pm Kung Pao Chickens
Drinking Age Only, 21+
Laurelthirst Public House (2958 NE Glisan, Portland)

Tuesday September 18

7:30-12:30 Tuesday Blues
Lenora's Room (615 SE Alder, Portland)
7:30 Intermediate Blues Lesson
8:30 Beginning Blues Lesson
9:00-12:30 DJ'd Music

8:00-12:00 The Rigamarole
Village Ballroom (700 Northeast Dekum Street, Portland)
8:00-9:00 Intermediate Workshop: Solo Jazz with Andrew Slac
8:30-9:00 Beginning Swing Lesson
9:00-12:00 DJ'd Music by Andrew and Angie
http://therigamaroledance.com/


Wednesday September 19

7:30-10:30 pm Swing Night at Vie de Boheme
Vie de Boheme Wine Bar (1530 SE 7th Ave, Portland)


Upcoming Events!
October 17-21 Sun Valley Jazz Jamboree (Sun Valley, ID)
October 26-29 Victoria Lindy Exchange (Victoria, BC, Canada)
November 9-11 Vancouver Jazz Dance Festival (Vancouver, BC, Canada)
March 1-3 Portland Lindy Exchange

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Weekly Weigh In Sept 11


I'm a little annoyed with my scale right now but the measuring tape is keeping me happy with my progress.

I completed level 2 of the 30 Day Shred.  My only thought on this is that I really hate planks.  I'm enjoying the exercises of level 3 much more even though they are harder.  I'm working to do at least a few reps of the more challenging versions of exercises before switching to the modified versions.  I'm starting to look ahead to what I'm going to do next after this and have decided that I will start Insanity after a few days of rest.  The rest is mostly so that the rest day lines up with my schedule.

I made it through Week 6 Days 1 and 2 okay but Day 3 was a miserable failure.  I think that there had been a large gap in running days.  I decided to do another mini-review and have been working on running faster.  I'm starting to feel like a real runner now!

I'm currently swing dancing four nights a week.  At least one of those, I am committed to dancing almost every song and I'm working on dancing more and sitting out less on the other nights.  I'm also keeping up with my ballet class which I'm enjoying a lot and picking up more of the finicky technique details that I never got the first time around.

I got a heart rate monitor at the end of last week and have been enjoying seeing my calorie burns and what zones different exercises keep me in.  I come from a science background so more accurate data is a wonderful thing.

New progress pics are up. Also, hurrah for measurements! I have proof that I'm building muscle now (and probably holding some water weight).  In two weeks, I'm up two pounds but down half an inch from my waist, arms, thighs and hips and down four inches from my belly!

Statistics:

Current Weight: 223.0 pounds
Last Weigh In:   223.6 pounds

Weight Loss/Gain: 0.6 pounds lost

Starting Weight: 225.2 pounds
Highest Point: 228.2 pounds
Lowest Point: 222.2 pounds



Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Weight Loss Tools

Monday, September 10, 2012

Writing Update Sept 10


I'm a bad, bad writer.  At least, I've been finding the time to outline a scene each day even if I haven't done any other writing related stuff.  My goal this week is to really work on writing each day even if I only get a few sentences written.

Statistics:
Words Written: 0
Scenes Outlined:7

Works In Progress

Outbreak (NaNoWriMo 2011) - Resting

54270 / 90000

Hive Mind (NaNoWriMo 2010) - Editing and Writing Second Draft

51628 / 90000

Steampunk Seasonal Serial - Writing First Draft

15639 / 50000

A Guide to Inter-species Dating - Brainstorming and Outlining

1564 / 50000


Literary+ Strangers Anthology - Outlined, Waiting to Write

0 / 6000

Literary+ Smoke and Shadows Serial Installment 2 - Brainstorming

0 / 700

Literary+ Smoke and Shadows Serial Installment 3 - Brainstorming

0 / 700

Greased Gears - Writing First Draft

9326 / 90000

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Starting a Swing Dance: Opening Remarks

 I've been devoting a lot of time and energy toward starting a new local swing dance.  We're starting small but we are having a great time.



This is the first post of an ongoing series of posts about the important details of starting a new weekly swing.  Some is this stuff is going to be the behind the scenes details that no one mentions about running an ongoing event and a lot of it will be a collection of information that I wish had been available as I was getting started.

Here are some of the Highlights:
  • Starting a business
  • Event Insurance
  • Music Licensing
  • Teaching 
  • DJing
  • Advertising

Friday, September 7, 2012

Review: Orb by Gary Tarulli

Orb by Gary Tarulli
Self Published, November 2011
Genre: Science Fiction
Format Read: Kindle

Book Description:
Three months outbound from Earth and the starship Desio approaches its planetary destination, her crew eager to commence a mission of scientific discovery. Kyle Lorenzo, however, has a personal reason for being on board--an inner conflict that will ultimately propel him to explore not only the furthest reaches of an enigmatic ocean world but the nebulous recesses of his inner psyche.
           
It is during the long and isolating interstellar journey that a physical relationship develops between Kyle and the ship's physician, Kelly Takara. That part is easy. Understanding the reasons for avoiding the emotional commitment desired by Kelly is harder. So, too, is trying to penetrate the mind of Larry Melhaus, the mission's brilliant and reclusive physicist--a failure of communication made exponentially more troublesome when the scientist's disturbing behavior begins to threaten the crew.

And while Kyle seeks a path to comprehending himself and Melhaus, the ship's crew, led by their strong-willed commander, Bruce Thompson, attempt to fathom a planet where none of the precepts of science seem to apply. A world where every preconceived notion of what constitutes life must be re-examined and challenged.

Two divergent journeys: One inward, one outward.
Strange if they culminate at the same destination...

My Thoughts:
I rather enjoyed the set-up of this novel.  The narrator, Kyle, is a writer chosen for a space mission over the objections of the scientists who believe that literature is no longer relevant.  The motivations of the group setting up the mission become clear later in the story.  It was fascinating to see space travel from the perspective of a character that is a writer.  I loved the details of the new planet and how it affects the crew.

The plot build up of Orb is slow and depends more on the growth and development of the characters but the climax is sufficiently action-packed for the tastes of most readers. I found the insights into human nature and the reactions to completely alien environments to be both intriguing and engaging.

I would definitely recommend Orb to other science fiction readers.  Just be prepared for a slow build to a satisfying conclusion.  I wouldn't read Orb if you are in the mood for an action packed adventure but it was definitely an enjoyable read.

Relevant Links:
Orb on Amazon
Website for Orb

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Recipe: Slow Cooker Pork with Fruit



I'm bringing the crock pot back out now!  You should probably get used to seeing crock pots since I'll be using mine about 3 times a week.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Pork with Fruit

Servings: 8
Prep Time: 5 min

Ingredients:
3-5 pounds Pork Shoulder Roast
1 large onion, sliced
2 apples, cut into pieces
3 TBSP mango chutney
1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup water
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1 oz raisins

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients in the crock pot. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.      
Slice meat and serve.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Portland Lindy Hop Events Sept 5-12


Lindy Events for the Week of September 5-12

Wednesday September 5

7:30-10:30 pm Swing Night at Vie de Boheme
Drinking Age Only, 21+
Vie de Boheme Wine Bar (1530 SE 7th Ave, Portland)
Live Music by Teresa James and the Rhythm Tramps

Thursday September 6

11:30-1:30pm Pete Krebs Trio with Jen Bernard
Pioneer Courthouse Square

6:00-8:00pm Libertine Belles at Secret Society
Secret Society Ballroom (116 NE Russell, Portland)

7:30-11:00pm Thursday Swing
PPAA (618 SE Alder, Portland)
7:30 Beginning Swing Drop-in Lesson by Brenda and Candace
8:30 DJ'd Music by Rod and Brenda

Friday September 7

6:00-8:00pm Swing Papillon at Secret Society
Secret Society Ballroom (116 NE Russell, Portland)


Saturday September 8

7:30-11:00 Saturday Swing with S Cubed Productions
Tabor Heights UMC (6161 SE Stark St, Portland)
7:30 Beginning Swing Drop-in Lesson
8:30 DJ'd Music by Allisyn, Kassiane and Liz
http://scubedp.wordpress.com/

7:30-10:30 Swing Outside Saturday
Peninsula Park (700 N Rosa Parks Way, Portland)

9:00-12:00 Bridgetown Sextet at Duff's Garage
Drinking Age Only, 21+
Duff's Garage (1635 SE 7th Ave, Portland)

Sunday September 9

5:45-11:00pm 9th Anniversary of Stumptown Dance! Live Music by Bridgetown Sextet
Scottish Rite (1507 SW Morrison, Portland)
5:45 Beginning Lindy Hop Series Class
7:00 Intermediate Swing Drop-in Lesson
7:30 Beginning Swing Drop-in Lesson
8:00-11:00pm Live Music by Bridgetown Sextet
http://www.stumptowndance.com/
http://www.facebook.com/events/156690131121397/

Monday September 10

6:30-8:30pm Learn to Swing Dance with Josh and Emily
Wimbledon Square (2837 SE Colt Drive, Portland)
6:30-7:30 Beginning Balboa
7:30-8:30 Beyond Beginning Lindy Hop
http://www.facebook.com/events/257273261046069/

7:30-9:30pm Guided Swing Practica
Lower Melody Ballroom (615 SE Alder, Portland)
http://www.stumptowndance.com/

9-11pm Kung Pao Chickens
Drinking Age Only, 21+
Laurelthirst Public House (2958 NE Glisan, Portland)

Tuesday September 11

7:30-12:30 Tuesday Blues
Lenora's Room (615 SE Alder, Portland)
7:30 Intermediate Blues Lesson
8:30 Beginning Blues Lesson
9:00-12:30 DJ'd Music

8:00-12:00 The Rigamarole
Village Ballroom (700 Northeast Dekum Street, Portland)
8:00-9:00 Intermediate Workshop: Solo Jazz with Rachael
8:30-9:00 Beginning Swing Lesson
9:00-12:00 DJ'd Music by Michael Faltesek
http://therigamaroledance.com/

Wednesday September 12

7:30-10:30 pm Swing Night at Vie de Boheme
Vie de Boheme Wine Bar (1530 SE 7th Ave, Portland)


Upcoming Events!

October 17-21 Sun Valley Jazz Jamboree (Sun Valley, ID)
October 26-29 Victoria Lindy Exchange (Victoria, BC, Canada)
November 9-11 Vancouver Jazz Dance Festival (Vancouver, BC, Canada)

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Weekly Weigh In Sept 4

I've been hovering a approximately the same weight for a while so I've adjusted my calorie goal a bit to see what happens.  I'm also working on doing some serious meal planning so that I can get back to eating healthy food instead of junk.

I'm doing pretty well at maintaining my evening exercise routine but sometimes I have trouble motivating myself to do Level 2 of the 30 Day Shred.  I really hate planks.  I just have two more days before I can move on to Level 3.

I ended up taking a bit too long between Couch to 5K runs (Made it to W6D3!) so I'm doing another mini review.  This time I'm trying to run at a faster running pace.  So far so good.  I actually look like I'm running now!

My weekly ballet class is going well.  I'm starting to do better at balancing and it is starting to feel much better.  As of this week, I'm now swing dancing 3-4 nights a week and doing my best to dance every song for most effective calorie burning.  I'm starting to realize that I've been slacking off at dances for awhile; dancing every song is making me sore!

Statistics:

Current Weight: 222.0 pounds
Last Week:   222.2 pounds

Weight Loss/Gain: 0.2 pounds lost

Starting Weight: 225.2 pounds
Highest Point: 228.2 pounds
Lowest Point: 222.0 pounds



Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Weight Loss Tools

Monday, September 3, 2012

Writing Update Sept 3


So, Camp NaNoWriMo went about the same in August as it did in June.  I think that I need to build up to writing that much in November.  I hope to write 500 words a day in September, 1000 words a day in October and 1667 words a day in November.  So far, I'm already behind but I can definitely catch up.  Sometimes real life gets in the way of writing.

Statistics:
Words Written: 0
Scenes Outlined: 2

Works In Progress


Hive Mind (NaNoWriMo 2010) - Editing and Writing Second Draft

51628 / 90000


Outbreak (NaNoWriMo 2011) - Resting

54270 / 90000


Worst Case Scenario (NaNoWriMo 2012) - Brainstorming and Outlining

0 / 50000


Steampunk Seasonal Serial - Writing First Draft

15639 / 50000


A Guide to Inter-species Dating - Writing Rough Draft

1751 / 50000


Literary+ Strangers Anthology - Outlined, Waiting to Write

0 / 6000


Literary+ Smoke and Shadows Serial Installment 2 - Brainstorming

0 / 700


Greased Gears - Writing First Draft

9326 / 90000

Sunday, September 2, 2012

September Goals

Another month, another set of goals. I'm working on consistency most of all right now.  Consistency in my sleep habits, consistency in my exercise routine, and consistency in my writing.

As such, I am setting up some daily goals for myself:

  • Maintain my exercise routine
  • Write 500 words on a WIP, probably Steampunk Seasonal Serial
  • Spend 30 minutes rewriting Hive Mind
  • Outline 1 scene for November's NaNoWriMo Novel
  • Draw 1 small sketch
  • Enter 1 recipe into the family cookbook I'm putting together
  • Clean 5 things
  • Have a blog post everyday

Guest Blog by Sophie Duncan: Mad With It

Please welcome Guest Blogger Sophie Duncan!  This is the final stop on her Literary Plus Blog Tour.

Thanks to Allisyn today for hosting me and thanks to Literary+ for making this tour possible.

Mad With It - The Highs and Lows of A Writing Imperative
Muse
I've covered a diverse collections of subjects this week on my blog tour, but today I wanted to focus on the reason I even have a blog tour, the reason I put pen to paper and finger to keyboard, that nagging need in the back of my head to write. Shen, our illustrious leader in Literary+, asked yesterday if we could describe our muses. Some folks had a personification of their muse, others had a more abstract concept of them, but some of us couldn't even be that definite. For me, it's the niggly idea at the back of my mind that won't go away, the reason I can walk down the street having a conversation with myself and it can be as ephemeral as a few notes of music. Call it what you will, my muse, my inspiration, my compulsion, all I know is that I would hate to live in a world where I couldn't write.
Thinking
I have ideas wandering around in my head all the time, they keep me company, they allow me to entertain myself whenever I like and, although it isn't easy getting them out of my head and onto the page, I love that process. Some ideas are like old friends, they grow and evolve over time. Death In The Family is one of those. It's been swimming around in my head since I was 15 and has been put onto paper in several guises, each time slightly different, and, I hope, each time better. When I wrote the first scene the first time, I had no idea about tropes and bad ways to start a novel, I just wrote Tom waking up from a nightmare. Apparently, that's far too cliched to be a good way to start a novel. I did change it, but not because of that, but because I found there was a lot of initial information I wanted to get to the reader and a conversational scene was a better way to deliver that without just information dumping on my reader.

I Love Cliche
I don't tend to obey writerly rules when I put ideas on paper (for paper also read computer file), I write what I want to and however it comes out is fine by me. I'm not talking grammar, I mean things that are looked down upon by the establishment - I've never met a cliche I didn't like (and sometimes, I didn't even know it was a cliche, hey I can't know everything) :). That doesn't mean I don't tweak. I want to tell a good story and I'll fiddle, rearrange, strip out and otherwise alter to make my writing the best it can be. I have several editors who are good for content checking and who will tell me if I'm not quite hitting the mark. For example, I added two complete characters into the Death In The Family story because one of my editors said he wanted more lead up to the involvement of a certain group of people in the story, i.e. their appearance came as a shock to him and he wanted more strands of plot, not to give away the involvement, but to make the reader go 'oh yeah, of course'. I also changed the climax scene because there 'wasn't enough action' according to the same editor (he was right and I also found myself inspired to add in a dynamic between Sean and Tom that I had been underplaying).
Angry Face
Taking my editor's advice isn't always easy though. I trust them, that's important, because it means we can be frank with each other. I have sat and ground my teeth at some suggestions, they're interfering with my darling, my lovely text, the bastards! However, I always give every suggestion a day or so to sink in, I mull it over, I work it into the story in my head, I think about it. I don't take every piece of editorial advice, but most of it sinks in and I have to admit, yeah, they're right. Accepting editing is surely the toughest part of the writing process, at least for the ego.
Writers Block
Something else that is part of the writing process and is the absolute worst thing for me that can happen is writer's block. If the little people in my head aren't talking to me, I am bereft, lonely and depressed. It is a truly horrible feeling when my mind goes blank. I am so used to my imagination taking me to wonderful places, scary places, anywhere I fancy, that when it doesn't, it's like being stuck in a mental quagmire all alone and it can be very worrying like the first time you're trying to think of a word and it won't form.
Typing
Well, that's the lowest a writer can be, but the highest, that's when inspiration hits like a freight train. It's not always convenient (hands up who has found themselves scribbling in the middle of the night - I have a laptop by the bed for just those moments), but it is always thrilling. I get a lot of inspiration in the car, which is why I bought myself a voice recorder that is voice activated, so I can start talking to myself while driving. Since I was made redundant, I'm not driving so much, but then I get to write all day, so my muse and my discipline are much better. Yes, I said discipline. Writing when not wanting to is another lesson that I've had to learn if I want to meet deadlines. The Wittegen Press Giveaway Games were a fantastic way for me to practice said discipline, because I had to produce, get edited and publish a short story once every two days for the whole of July. I discovered I can write 10K words in a day. Okay, so, on reread, the edits aren't perfect for these giveaway stories, but the Wittegen Press team is working on the shorts before they are assembled into anthologies for sale.

Happy Writer
So, sometimes this writing bug is easy and fun, other times it's impossible, but mostly it's somewhere in between the two extremes. It takes imagination, dedication, love and sometimes hatred too. I've been writing (not publishing) since I was a child and I would never not want to write, it is part of me. I want to make a living with my words and I'm just starting out on that road, it's my dream job. To anyone else out there who has the woodpecker in their head that keeps hammering out its words, I say, congratulations, you're a creator, go for it.

Well, that's it, my last post of this blog tour. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have hosted me over the last seven days, Brooke Johnson, A. K. Flynn, JD Savage, Tressa Green, Paul Carroll, Leonard Suskin and Allisyn Bridges. And thanks to the folks at Literary+ for helping make this possible. I've had fun writing these blog posts, I hope you have enjoyed my little ramblings too.

Sophie Duncan
Sophie was born with the writing bug in her blood, boring her primary school teachers with pages of creative writing and killing her first typewriter from over use when she was thirteen. She began publishing her work on line while at university where she discovered the internet and fanfiction. It took another decade for Sophie to realise her long-time dream of releasing her own original fiction as an author through Wittegen Press.

Death In The Family (Heritage is Deadly #1)
Leaving a good London school with solid prospects, Tom Franklin has the world at his feet. Yet one thing has always haunted his perfect life: his dreams. When Tom discovers that the nightmarish images of dark places and even darker instincts are in fact repressed memories from his early childhood, he must face the heritage from his birth-father, a savage vampire known only as Raxos.
Realising his memories are his only hope of controlling his awakening instincts, Tom returns to, Coombedown, the sleepy, Cornish village in which he was born, unknowing that the night-breed in his veins will lead him into danger.
Death In The Family is a young adult, paranormal novel.
Death In The Family Literary+ Blog Tour Schedule:
Literary+ is a mar­ket­ing ini­tia­tive which was founded and led by Shen Hart. This is a time of evo­lu­tion and progress, the mar­ket is being opened up to e-books and self-publication. As a fel­low writer, Shen under­stands that self-publication is a hard and often lonely road. She started Lit­er­ary+ to bring together authors and related cre­ative spe­cial­ities with the goal of help­ing each other. With a tight knit, friendly and wel­com­ing com­mu­nity at its core, Lit­er­ary+ holds a strong focus on mar­ket­ing. As Lit­er­ary+ con­tin­ues to grow and evolve it will use inno­vat­ing, orig­i­nal and exper­i­men­tal mar­ket­ing meth­ods and schemes to get its member’s books into their reader’s hands.

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Opening Night Jitters


Tonight is the Opening Night for the S Cubed Productions Saturday Swing Dance and I have lots of feelings!

Lindy Bombing at one of our Meetings
I'm super excited about this entire adventure.  Tonight is the culmination of eight months of planning and plotting.  In retrospect, Labor Day Weekend may not have been the best choice for opening night but it'll be fun anyway.  I think that at the end of the day we will be as prepared as possible and anything leftover will just be details.

So here is what is happening tonight:


Schedule of Events:
7:30-8:30pm Beginning Swing Drop In Lesson
8:30-11:00pm Dance to DJ’d Music

Location:
Tabor Heights United Methodist Church
6161 SE Stark St. Portland, OR 97215

Free parking is available or take the bus. The Church is easy walking distance from the 15, 20 or 71 lines.

$5 Cover includes the Beginning Swing Lesson


Here's where you can find S Cubed Productions around the web:
        Opening Night Event!
S Cubed Productions on Google Plus
        Opening Night Event!
S Cubed Productions on Twitter