Thanksgiving Thursday Thirteen

Activities to bide my hour on the ski machine, listed in order of prevalence. You’d be surprised what works with the proper work surface.

This Thursday list resulted because I’m grateful for the opportunity to exercise both body and brain.

1. Study Japanese – my favorite; to be doubly productive is great, though my ears sweat on the Rosetta Stone headset (good thing I have a second pair)

2. Sweat – unfortunately unavoidable despite the fan blowing on me; people have said it’s one reason my skin is so clear, so that makes me feel better

3. Cat Wrestling – this is funny until someone gets hurt or she sabotages my speaking lesson; no Japanese phrase I’ve learned sounds like a high-decibel “meow”

4. Editing – revising a piece of fiction makes time fly and it’s rewarding, though writing legible notes can be tricky

5. Listen to Music – a classic necessity before language studies came along

6. Email – tediously typing one-handed

7. Visiting my Online Group’s Fiction Writers’ Workshop – reading the works my friends have submitted is always rewarding

8. Reading Fanfiction – this lets me catch up on the plethora of talented authors updating on the Pomme De Sang website, though I’ve fallen far behind

9. Books – I used to carry a book bag downstairs before writing became more imperative than reading; there are a few tomes collecting dust by my laptop stand down there

10. Write – even trickier than jotting notes or typing, of course, sometimes that story simply needs to be told NOW

11. Surfing the Web – this is better saved for already distracted moments as that uninterrupted hour of exercise offers precious time to focus

12. Magazines – Out of guilt I used to fastidiously read periodicals I receive via loved ones; I’ve been forgiving myself for not reading that which I didn’t subscribe to in the first place

13. Television – while sometimes entertaining, the TV actually makes time seem to slow down; the one in the basement might no longer work

Thanksgiving Thursday Thirteen

Grateful for my health, activities to bide an hour exercising on my ski machine came to mind today. Listed in order of prevalence:

1. Study Japanese – my favorite; to be doubly productive is great, though my ears sweat on the Rosetta Stone headset (good thing I have a second pair)

2. Sweat – unfortunately unavoidable despite the fan blowing on me; people have said it’s one reason my skin is so clear, so that makes me feel better

3. Cat Wrestling – this is funny until someone gets hurt or she sabotages my speaking lesson; no Japanese phrase I’ve learned sounds like a high-decibel “meow”

4. Editing – revising a piece of fiction makes time fly and it’s rewarding, though writing legible notes can be tricky

5. Listen to Music – a classic necessity before language studies came along

6. Email – tediously typing one-handed

7. Visiting my Online Group’s Fiction Writers’ Workshop – reading the works my friends have submitted is always rewarding

8. Reading Fanfiction – this lets me catch up on the plethora of talented authors updating on the Pomme De Sang website, though I’ve fallen far behind

9. Books – I used to carry a book bag downstairs before writing became more imperative than reading, there are a few tomes collecting dust by my laptop stand down there

10. Write – even trickier than jotting notes of typing, of course, sometimes that story simply needs to be told NOW

11. Surfing the Web – this is better saved for already distracted moments as that uninterrupted hour of exercise offers precious time to focus

12. Magazines – I used to skim gifted periodicals out of guilt; I’ve been forgiving myself for not reading that which I didn’t subscribe to in the first place

13. Television – while sometimes entertaining, the TV actually makes time seem to slow down; the one in the basement might not even work any more

A Monkey Driving a Car

Thank goodness for patient people trying to help me enter the world of blogs. But I have a long way to go. I've somehow managed to follow my own blog and can't figure out how to remove it.

But I have figured out how to update profiles. That's good. Right? And I actually came across a funny question I thought worth sharing. That probably takes me back to the status of easily entertained primate, but here it is.

For your birthday, your aunt gave you a maple syrup dispenser shaped like a rooster. Write her a thank-you note.

Dear Aunt Olive,
I can't tell you how much your gift means to me. I really can't. We'll go out for pancakes the next time you visit. Hope to see you soon. Give Uncle Evan my best.
Love, Darla

Taurus and Taurus: Thursday 13 - Rachel's Websites!

Taurus and Taurus: Thursday 13 - Rachel's Websites!

Thursday 13

I recently discovered the art of a young American living in Japan . He has sold me a trio of his wonderful paintings of Japanese demons, or Yōkai. Here is a list of those soon to be on my wall and ten more of these fascinating beings. His work can be found at http://www.matthewmeyer.net/artwork.

Zashiki-warashi - a playful and childlike spirit, its presence is encouraged for good luck. A common prank is to leave little footsteps in ashes.

Hone-onna - in the guise of a woman, this creature with a skeleton face lures unwitting men to its side and sucks the life force from them.

Yuki-onna - in all its historically ruthless or more modern, forgiving incarnations this "woman" in the snow floats across the landscape luring travelers to their death. Inhumanly beautiful, it has a gaze that can be terrifying.

Nurarihyon – appears as an old man and is very difficult to expel, often mistaken for the owner of the home he inhabits. Some myths consider him the leader of the Yōkai.

Futakuchi-onna – is formed from a human woman who rarely eats. A second mouth appears, spiteful and threatening as it demands food. Eventually it turns the woman's hair into virtual tentacles.

Jorogumo – a spider that can take on the shape of a beautiful woman, it devours unsuspecting men. In Kanji it has two different spellings, one meaning "binding lady" or the even more colorful "whore spider".

Wanyudo – oddly takes the shape of a burning oxcart wheel with a man's face appearing in the center. The former human is usually thought to have been a tyrant punished for his crimes by guarding the gates of hell and gathering unwary souls.

Noppera-bo – can take badger shape, it usually opts to appear human. Who wouldn't if given the choice? These will impersonate the loved one of a victim before the beast causes its face to disappear into a featureless mask. They are considered otherwise harmless.

Gashadokuro – announced by a ringing in one's ear, this giant skeleton will gladly bite off your head. They are created from bones of those who have died of starvation. I'd like to know who would create this fifteen-foot-tall monstrosity.

Basan – this large chicken-like mountain dweller breathes ghostly fire. I'm not sure it's technically a Yōkai, but I like Mathew's illustration.

Ningyo – a form of mermaid with a monkeys mouth and gold scales. The beast's flesh is not only tasty, but is reputed to provide extreme long life. But beware, as the death of one is said to bring ill fate.

Onryō– usually these were women in the mortal world. Made to suffer by volatile lovers, these spirits return amongst the living strong and bent upon vengeance. However, this revenge usually fails to seek the creature's deserving target.

Nuppeppo – haunts ruined temples or graveyard as an unpleasant but relatively harmless hunk of dead, animated flesh.