This and That and Thanks

[paragraphs]

So, this is what I have been doing lately:

Reading this: Any Other Day. You should too, if you haven't. It is a team-fic, my absolute favorite kind of Torchwood story I have decided.

I have, like many of you, been watching Doctor Who. Am not feeling anything other than sadness that I am not feeling more. I wish... Sigh. Never mind. Pointless comments are just that--pointless.

I only have two episodes left of the fourth series of Battlestar Galactica. I never wanted to watch it, but eventually for some reason thought oh what the heck why not. Now I am almost done and am sad about that. I'll watch the last two tomorrow as I have off (yay!). But then what? I need something else...

Pimping this just in case someone hasn't heard: WIAD

Calling out about this again, because though Nick has a nice group signed up so far, I'd hate for anyone to miss out: RETCON!

I also am doing this, because it is fun and entertaining, and of all the hundreds of classes and software and such I have used/tried out this one has to be the most fun: Yes I am trying to learn German again, what of it? For some reason, things are sinking into my noggin at last. Maybe it is all the exposure over the years finally boring into that part of my brain that remembers language skills, or maybe just because I miss Nick and want to go to Germany again someday, and he will be there for awhile now so...yeah. I have had fun this weekend with it. Who knows, maybe this one I'll actually continue with? Never know!

Though I sorta took the weekend off for mental reasons, I am still making good progress on ballet boy. I finished the 'smoothing out' and am writing new material now. Whee!

49,118 of 85,000 words written. 55% done!

Several other writerly things going on, both original fiction and not, I have my London post to finish up (tomorrow?), and damn, I am tired right now. Ready for bed, I think. Maybe I will write another post on different things tomorrow--I am terribly guilty of planning on making posts, then blowing them off as being pointless (or too snarky) to share.

Yawn--off to bed now I think! Early morning comes early. And oh one last thing--thanks, so very very much, to all my friends here who wished me a happy birthday. My sister Leslie was the only one in the family (outside of my kids of course) who wished me a happy birthday, which is sad but that's what happens as time goes on, I suppose.

Comments

[hisfuturewife.livejournal.com]

Learning German is exciting! I miss actually having a place and people to speak it with. I fear my skills are starting to get rusty so even though you have Nick for help feel free to practice your new German skills with me!!

Vielen Glück!!!

[catsintheattic.livejournal.com]

OMG, I can't believe I missed your birthday! *blushes in shame* (Stupid meds are making me too tired.)

Happy belated birthday, darling! *sends belated flowers*

It's great to hear that your writing is making progress. And yay for learning German - you could read my other stories then. :-)

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

Sorry I missed your birthday. Semagic usually reminds me of such things, but I've been mostly doing very short posts via Flickr. I hope you had a good day though.

I think Nick will be good for your motivation to learn German. :) Looking at how adults learn languages best is something I'll be doing for my dissertation. If you want a tip, try learning chunks of prose by heart and speaking them aloud. That's how systems like Linguaphone work, but you could do it just as well by learning other text.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

How did I miss your birthday? I think the past few days have been overwhelming with freeway driving, and my LJing has been on the fly, too.

I hope this next year brings success and love and laughter!

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

Let me learn enough to say more than Die Blume ist nicht orange. Die Blume ist rot. and we will talk! LOL.

I am going through the first lessons fairly fast I guess, as things I didn't know I remembered suddenly popped into my head.

Nick won't practice with me! He GIGGLES at me and my Texas accent! :)

Danke!

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

Oh stop I stopped worrying about birthdays ages ago. That being said, I am not seriously disturbed to be 48. LOL. Thank you!

OMG I am a long way away from that! Right now I am just talking about the colors of buildings, cars, flowers, trees, doors, etc. And what colors they are not. And trying to remember which ones are masc, fem, neuter. OY you Germans!!!! WHY is a girl masculine? A door feminine? A car neuter? I do not get that. :) LOL.

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

I have not heard of this Linguaphone. You should take a look then at livemocha (there are free lessons--but no Welsh! grr! lol) as they do some things I haven't seen before. I like this one as I like the all-encompassing format--reading, writing, speaking and listening. I made it through disc 15 of Pimsleur's but was so frustrated by not having text and learning to read I finally just tossed it. Actually I still own it, the whole course. I worked on it to and from work.

What I really like though is helping those learning English, and earning points. For coffee? Maybe. I haven't done anything in which I could teach others in ages, so it is nice to get the 'helpful!' scores, and have people friend me cuz they thought I was helpful.

Thank you for the birthday wishes! It was a quiet one, really nice time with the daughter, and with a bonus holiday today too. (Okay I get that every year... LOL).

[catsintheattic.livejournal.com]

LOL - but the girl is neutral, not masculine: das Mädchen. :-)

And a car can be either neutral (das Auto) or masculine (der Wagen).

I don't get it either. I'm just glad that I don't have to learn it.

Poor you! *pets* It must be such a confusing subject.

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

SEE? I CANNOT REMEMBER THESE THINGS! LOL.

OY!

It is a fun subject though. My daughter says I should learn Spanish, which is probably true as it is everywhere here, but I don't WANT to. We do have Germans everywhere here too--they just blend in, and have their own little things! My butcher is German and has invited me to join the German community but I have not done that.

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

LOL it zoomed by! Thank you!

And I hope so. I've laid my cards on the table now re: fantasy and have a whole heck of a lot of work to do. I am not afraid. Much. :)

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

It was actually from looking at livemocha and finding no Welsh that I did a Google search and eventually ended up at Benny the Polyglot Irishman's blog. :)

My problem is that I know plenty of Welsh by now and ought to be out there speaking the language. It's a confidence issue mostly.

For some reason, I thought Linguaphone (http://www.linguaphone.co.uk/) was an international company, but it seems that it's British. We have a couple of their courses from many years ago, two that are no longer on their list! (Norwegian and Welsh) Their method involves listening to CDs and following the text in the book. That way you get the pronunciation right and you know you're learning correct sentences and phrases. You used to also get a tutor who would correct exercises that you sent by post, but I don't think that's part of the deal any more.

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

They took the Welsh off? That is sad. Do you think the efforts to preserve Welsh are working? We've been curious about that. Nick continues to study Welsh off and on but oh sigh we were sad when we went to Wales that we heard not one single person speak it, no matter where we went.

I wish I had studied languages when I was a kid. I am still not sure how I passed Portuguese with A's and B's at university!

[catsintheattic.livejournal.com]

I guess it will be easier to learn a language you want to learn, because time flies when you're having fun. And isn't it nice to know that you have Germans to talk to once you feel a little more secure about the language? :-)

[klgrem.livejournal.com]

I am annoyed that we still don't have Dr. Who here. *pouts*
So I don't have any feelings either. ;)
But congrats on writing and good luck with learning more German!
Perhaps you'll work it into a fic or story sometime. :)

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

Thanks Linda! And thank you for the birthday wishes too.

Here's a little Darren Hayes tidbit for you--just now reading it but thought of you immediately of course!

Uh add the link, C: http://www.twitlonger.com/show/1jkrj5

[klgrem.livejournal.com]

Hehe. ;)

I had a feeling he was talking about Darryl of Hall and Oates.

Thanks for the link, C. Brings back memories.

*Hugs* ♥ :)

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

Oh I know!!! I so love his twitter--really adore that man, his music, his outlook on life, and his tweets. :)

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

The issues regarding the Welsh language are very complex but also very interesting. I'll be talking about quite a few of them in my LJ as I try to make the transition to full fluency. I do think that Welsh is just about holding its own, though it's far too soon to say whether it's safe from extinction yet.

I'm sorry you didn't hear anyone speaking Welsh while you were over here. You will if you go further north, eg places like Carmarthen, Lampeter and Aberystwyth, as well as up in the north where we live, which is the Welsh stronghold. The Brecon Beacons are too near the border and too Anglicised, sadly.

Having said that, Welsh is making a comeback in Cardiff and our little granddaughter starts school in September in a Welsh speaking school. Our daughter has been brushing up her Welsh in preparation.