Some Additional Details

I wanted to add a few details to my last post to answer a few questions I’ve gotten.

• Game Version: We’ll be playing 4th Edition D&D
• Race/Class restrictions: I’d like to keep it to the options in the first Players Handbook but if someone really wants to play something from the PH2 I won’t object
• Alignment restrictions: Good, Lawful Good, or Unaligned.  At this point I’m not really interested in running an Evil alignment game.
• When we’ll start:  I think it’s a good idea to wait until after the holidays to get this thing rolling.  Starting right in the middle of everyone’s busy season seems like a plan destined for failure! Plus I know several people that are participating in NaNoWriMo (I have no idea if I spelled that right) so you won’t have to worry about interrupting your writing

I’ve currently got 3 players: Tami, Byrd, and The Hubby.  There’s room for more, if anyone else is interested please let me know!

Calling All Geeks

I mentioned a while back that I had an interest in playing D&D.  I had kind of given up on the idea since I don’t know anyone around here who plays or might be interested in playing.  Then I read this yesterday from Gabe over at Penny Arcade and thought that sounded like a perfect solution; play by email!  I haven’t thought through all the details and logistics yet, I thought I’d see if there was any interest first.  I’ve never played D&D before so I thought it might be fun to get a group of people together who haven’t played before or maybe haven’t played 4th edition, though I won’t turn anyone away

So, how about it?  Who wants to put their RP hat on and go have an adventure?  If you’re interested send me an email at pvillegirlblog [at] gmail [dot] com!

Welcome BBB Readers

First off, thanks John, you doubled tripled quadrupled my previous record for page views in a single day by linking to me!  Not sure if that’s an indication of how many readers you have or how few I have

Either way, if you’re comming over here from The Big Bear Butt Blog, thanks for clicking through, I hope you stick around.  Since you’re probably here because of the raffle, I’ll point you to the Crafts In Progress page up at the top to see pictures of the scarves I’m working on for the raffle (I’ll keep posting more pictures as I work on them).  Also up there are my Finished Projects, the current standings and rules for my Movie Trivia Game, and a few short stories I’ve written.

Unfortuantely this isn’t a WoW blog (though I used to write one) so if you don’t find anything of interest here I understand.  As the tag line says, I mostly write about whatever crosses my mind: movies, books, crafts, and anything shiny that distracts me from work.  If you like what you see there’s an RSS link up there, feel free to add it to your reader of choice! 

I hope you all participate in the raffle, cancer research is a cause near and dear to my heart.  My thoughts and prayers go out to Julie and her family, thanks John and all the Shide Devils for organizing this charity drive.

Book Review: Riddle Master Trilogy

In a land where wizards have long since vanished, Morogon, Prince of Hed, is confronted with a challenge much different from that faced by Hed’s land-bound rulers before him.  Although he wants only to rule and work the land of his birth, Morogon must search out a very different destiny – given to him by the stars imprinted on his forehead since he was born.  He must wander strange, foreign lands full of untamed magic in the form of riddling wraiths, mysterious harpists, a lost crown, a magical sword, and an all-knowing High One who rules over all.  But in his quest for a new life for himself and his people, he must face great dangers – not only to himself and his people, but to his promised bride, his land, and his very way of life…

The Good

The Riddle-Master trilogy was definitely a good read.  The characters are very real.  Morogon and Raederle are a couple I really enjoyed reading.  All of the supporting characters were well written, even the villains (and you don’t really know who they are until the end anyway) are understandable if not likable.

The action moves along at a nice pace, though I’m glad I read the trilogy in a single volume, the cliffhanger at the end of book 1 is a doosie!  The story is intriguing.  At its heart it’s a coming of age story, though it’s definitely high fantasy with a battle to save the entire realm.

The No-So-Good

There wasn’t anything truly bad about this story but there are a few downsides.  The story is hard to follow at times.  The main characters are riddlers, they put pieces of the puzzle together to figure out what happened and why.  Sometimes the author expects you to do the same which means remembering lots of little details.  She doesn’t tell you anything twice and you kind of need to remember everything for it all to make sense.  This makes it a good read for a vacation where you can read the whole thing in a relatively short amount of time! 

You can tell this was the author’s first novels, and the second and third are leaps and bounds ahead of the first book.  I think the best way I can put it is that it’s lacking in polish.  You don’t really understand why Morogon and Raederle love each other so much, when you get to the final battle at the end it’s kind of anti-climactic, you get the big reveal of who the good and bad guys really are and bam, Morogon defeats them.  It kind of makes sense when you know all the little details but it doesn’t flow well.

Summary

I’m going to give this one 3 *’s.  It was a good read, just not great.  Pick it up at the library or used book store.

Trivia

Guy 1: Why do this?
Guy 2: Why not do it?
[Guy 1 shakes his head]
Guy 2: Cause yesterday I walked out of the joint after losing four years of my life and you’re cold-decking “Teen Beat” cover boys.
[pause]
Guy 2: Cause the house always wins. Play long enough, you never change the stakes. The house takes you. Unless, when that perfect hand comes along, you bet and you bet big, then you take the house.
[another pause]
Guy 1: Been practicing this speech, haven’t you?
Guy 2: Little bit. Did I rush it? Felt I rushed it.
Guy 1: No, it was good, I liked it. The “Teen Beat” thing was harsh.

Hitting the Pocketbook!

As you may or may not know, the Race for the Cure here in Austin was yesterday.  Unfortunately I was laid up in bed and was not able to walk.  I almost met my goal of $200 (it’s not too late to donate, I’m $25 short of my goal).  Breast Cancer is a disease that, at least it seems to me, touches more lives than it doesn’t.  This is evidenced by recent events in the Shide Devils, a World of Warcraft Guild that a couple of my fellow bloggers are members of.  They have set up a donation site and raffle for their guild member who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.  I will be donating a couple of hand made WoW themed scarves to the raffle.  If you would like to donate/enter the raffle you can follow the above link for more information.

I hope you can help out in some way with this cause.  If you aren’t able to, please get yourself and/or the women around you checked for breast cancer.  “Early detection is the best protection.”  For more information on breast cancer and self-exams you can visit the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s website.

Quinoa Casserole

More recipes today   This recipe originally comes from a co-worker of my husband’s (original here).  I’m basically going to shamelessly copy it and add my own notes.  Everything here is Haley’s except for my notes at the bottom.

Quinoa is a small grain common in South American cooking. I like it because it is quick to cook, very healthy, and I prefer it’s taste to that of rice or other grains. It is also a complete protein on it’s own, which makes it a great ingredient for vegetarian dishes. I often use it in casseroles. The one below is a favorite–Mark particularly loves it.  (Note from Lauren: I am able to get Quinoa in my regular grocery store, it’s usually with the couscous, which can sometimes be found with rice and sometimes with pasta)

Here is my disclaimer for this recipe: I think that I do at least a little something different every time that I make this dish. I don’t measure any of the ingredients either, except the grains and water. Thus the quantities listed below are approximate at best. My recommendation is that you play around with your own substitutions and modifications, according to your tastes etc. So be brave, and enjoy!

• 1 cup Quinoa (or part quinoa, part Bulgar wheat. I often do 1/2 and 1/2)
• 2 cups water
• dash of salt
• chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 can Ranch Style beans (or kidney beans + Mexican spices like chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder)
• 1 can black beans
• 1/2 can Mexican Rotelle diced tomatoes (or a little salsa, or something of the sort)
• a few wedges of (light) laughing cow cheese (La Vache qui rit) or ~ 1/4 cup sour cream
• Mexican spices: I use chili powder and cumin.
• Salt (to taste)
• grated Mexican cheese (~1 cup, or less for a lower-fat version)

Measure the quinoa, then rinse well**. Mix grains, water, salt, and cilantro in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the water is absorbed, and the quinoa is larger in size, clear, and has a visible white “tail”. Turn off the heat. Add in beans, tomatoes, soft cheese or sour cream, and spices. Mix well. Salt and season with more spices to taste. Stir in grated cheese if desired. Pour/spoon into a casserole or baking dish. Top with grated cheese. Bake, covered, for 30 min at 350 degrees. Remove cover, and bake about 10 minutes more, or until the cheese on top is melted.

Haley Notes:

• Chicken also works very well in this dish. I have often put chopped chicken pieces from a rotisserie chicken into the casserole, and called that dinner.
• Quinoa works well in other kinds of casseroles. I particularly like mixing it with spaghetti sauce and soft cheese (like laughing cow cheese, or goat cheese) and baking it, often adding black olives, mushrooms, spinach, or other vegetables.
• A Quinoa Link

** Rinsing the grain before cooking it reduces the slightly bitter taste of plain quinoa. Just be sure you have a colander/strainer with small holes

Lauren’s Notes:

I made this dish for dinner last night.  Both The Hubby and I enjoyed it!

I left out the cilantro, neither of us like it, and just cooked the quinoa with salt.  I had planed to leave out the beans as well since The Hubby doesn’t like them but after discussing it he said I could leave them in.  We decided there would be nothing to bind the quinoa together with out the liquid from the beans.  After eating it The Hubby decided we should make it with just one can of beans next time.  I added chicken and sausage to the casserole, just cooked both in a skillet before adding to the quinoa.  The Hubby liked the sausage but I didn’t.  For the seasoning I used pre-packaged taco seasoning (and idea I got from another friend who also makes this casserole), though next time I’ll probably use half of the package as it was very salty.  I think veggies would make a good addition to this recipe.  It’s also very good served with tortilla or corn chips.

Give it a try, I hope you enjoy!

B&N Nook

THEY STOLE MY IDEA!!!!!

 

Quick and Easy Dinner

Last night was the second time I’ve made this dish and it was good both times, in my book that’s a success!  This meal works really well for The Hubby and I because we always have the ingredients on hand so all I have to do is pull it all out of the fridge and throw it in a pan.

Ingredients:

• Cooked Chicken – I use about one breast per serving or if it’s already cut up about 1 cup
• Pesto – about 1 tbsp per serving
• Cooked Pasta - any kind you like, about 1 cup per serving
• Minced Garlic – about 1 tsp per serving
• Parmesan cheese – optional
• Olive Oil

Directions:

1. Put olive oil and garlic in a preheated pan large enough to hold all ingredients.  Cook garlic on medium-high heat 1-2 mins until it starts to brown
2. Add chicken and cook another 1-2 mins until chicken is heated through
3. Add pasta and pesto.  Cook another 1-2 mins until pasta is heated through, stirring constantly so the pasta doesn’t burn on the bottom.
4. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Variations:

• For a lighter version you could use sun-dried tomato pesto instead of the regular kind and leave out the cheese
• Veggies would make a great addition, if they’re cold, add in with the chicken, if they’re hot already stir in at the end.

 

Trivia

Jasper: You know what I was thinking? When you get back to London, maybe we could sneak off somewhere together. Maybe Venice. You and me in Venice could be good.
Iris: Do you mean that? I mean, are you free to do that?
Jasper: Darling, I’ve just traveled halfway across the world to see you, haven’t I?
Iris: [Iris & Jasper almost kiss before Iris pulls away] Yeah, that doesn’t exactly answer my question. So, are you not with Sarah anymore? I mean, is that what you’ve come here to tell me?
Jasper: I wish you could just accept knowing how confused I am about all this.
Iris: Okay, let me translate that. So, you are still engaged to be married?
Jasper: Yes, but, I mean…
Iris: Oh, my God.
[Iris gets up from the couch]
Iris: This was a really close call. You know, I never really though I’d say this, literally never, but I think you were absolutely right about us. Very square peg, very round hole.
Jasper: You cannot mean that.
Iris: The great thing is I actually do. And I’m about three years late in telling you this, but nevertheless I need to say it. Jasper. Wait, I need the lights on. Jasper, you have never treated me right. Ever.
Jasper: Oh, babe.
Iris: Shush. You broke my heart. And you acted like somehow it was my fault, my misunderstanding, and I was too in love with you to ever be mad at you, so I just punished myself! For years! But you waltzing in here on my lovely Christmas holiday, and telling me that you don’t want to lose me whilst you’re about to get MARRIED, somehow newly entitles me to say, it’s over. This – This twisted, toxic THING between us, is finally finished! I’m miraculously done being in love with you! Ha! I’ve got a life to start living.
[Picks up Jasper's jacket, walking to the door]
Iris: And you’re not going to be in it.
Jasper: Darling.
Iris: Now I’ve got somewhere really important to be, and you have got to get the hell out.
[Opens the door]
Iris: Now!
Jasper: What exactly has got into you?
Iris: I don’t know.
[Pushes Jasper out the door]
Iris: But I think what I’ve got is something slightly resembling, gumption.
[Slams door shut in Jasper's face. Lifts hands up and screams with joy]

My Internal Geek

So, I read Wil Wheaton’s blog… there, I said it.  The only reason I started watching Leverage and The Big Bang Theory is because I found out he was going to have guess appearances on those shows.  I’m a geek at heart…  His most recent post deals with the death of his D&D character.  After I finished reading it my internal geek poped her head up from behind some book somewhere and said “I wanna play D&D” and then /whimpered in my head.

Just thought I’d share.  I almost Tweeted this but then I remembered my Twitter updates my Facebook…  Those are 2 very different groups of people!  I think my “internet” friends are less likley to mock my internal geek

Trivia

I left the names in this time.  If the dialogue wasn’t enough the names should give it away for any geeks in the audience

Leonard: I may throw up on ya.
Jim: I think these things are pretty safe.
Leonard: Don’t pander to me, kid. One tiny crack in the hull and our blood boils in thirteen seconds. Solar flare might crop up, cook us in our seats. And wait till you’re sitting pretty with a case of Andorian shingles, see if you’re so relaxed when your eyeballs are bleeding. Space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence.
Jim: Well, I hate to break this to you, but Starfleet operates in space.
Leonard: Yeah. Well, I got nowhere else to go, the ex-wife took the whole damn planet in the divorce. All I got left is my bones.

E-Readers: Fabulous or Foolish?

Recently Tami and Bre did a podcast discussing E-Readers.  This got me thinking, which almost always leads to a blog post so here we are.  Their opinion, if I may summarize, is that E-Readers are good in theory, the technology is cool.  In practice however, they’re still likely to buy dead-tree books of titles they enjoy and DRM issues (as with all digital media these days) are a hassle.  My thoughts are much the same.  Allow me to elaborate:

A Story

My first, an so far only, experience with E-Readers was when I found the Kindle app for the iPhone.  I was practically giddy.  The Hubby and I had talked about the Kindle before, which basically came down to “I want one” and “I think they’re srupid.”  I’m sure you can immagine the circular conversation.  I promptly downloaded the app and bought my first Kindle Book, Twilight.  That month I read all 4 of the Twilight books, 8 of the Dresden Files books, and another fantasy book.  I spent $80 all told in a series of $5-15 (edited to reflect the more expensive new eBooks) purchases.  After that month I decided my impulse control wasn’t strong enough to allow me to use the Kindle on a regular basis.  I went back to dead-tree books.

I’m a Geek

After listening to the podcast I was trying to organize my thoughts into something cogent that I could write a comment about (I quickly realized that I needed to make a blog post!).  A question floated to the top.  Why do I want an E-Reader?  I bounced that around for a while…  Convience of carrying many books around in a small package… cheaper than new dead-tree books… free previews of books…  portable web browsing… All that’s great but what it really came down to is that I’m a geek at heart.  I love technology.  I love bright, shiny, new things.  I want the latest and greatest.  Once I realized that it was just my inner geek I was able to more rationally evaluate the idea.

DRM

Love it or hate it, I think DRM is here to stay.  I don’t have a problem with DRM, but I do have a problem with how much is charged for digital media.  Paying for 1’s and 0’s has never set well with me.  Looking at it objectively, $5 for a digital book seems ridiculous from a major publisher, there’s no paper, there’s no shipping, there’s almost no overhead for the ebook that’s not already going to be spent for the dead-tree book (indie publishers/authors I think it’s ok, for example Wil Wheaton charges $5 for digital copies of his books; it’s an issue of volume).  I feel like I’m getting riped off. 

Ok, back on topic, I was talking about DRM.  I regretted almost immediately that I couldn’t share the books I bought in Kindle versions.  For me, talking about a book with a friend is half the fun.  I actually have a solution for this.  What if you could “beam” your eBook to a friend and it would “delete” your copy as long as your friend has it.  You could even put a time limit on the borrowed file (no more borrowed books lost forever).  It would exist just like a dead-tree book.  For every book paid for, only one copy exists and I can share it with anyone who has an E-Reader.  Just like with a dead-tree book I could buy/sell/trade it as I saw fit.  As with everything some will figure a way to thwart the system, but that’s nothing new.

Thin Ice

E-Readers are expensive.  There’s no way around it.  I can go to Wal-Mart and buy a laptop for less than a Kindle.  E-Readers don’t really do anything else.  Sure they have portable (and with the Kindle, free) web browsing, but I get that much better and on a better screen with my iPhone.  I’m not going to drop my data package on my cell phone bill because I get an E-Reader.  Some play MP3’s… meh, I’ve got an iPhone and an iPod for that. 

I just can’t justify spending that kind of money on a uni-tasker who’s function I’m not even sure I like.  That’s the bottome line for me.

Trivia

Guy: That thing is a damned hazard! 
Girl: It’s just a toaster!
Guy: Well, insertion of bread into that so-called toaster produces no toast at all, merely warm bread! Inserting the bread twice produces charcoal. So, clearly, to make proper toast it requires one and a half insertions, which is something for which the apparatus doesn’t begin to allow! One assumes that when the General of Electric built it, he might have tried using it. One assumes the General might take pride in his creations instead of just foisting them on an unsuspecting public.
Girl: You know something? Nobody gives a rat’s ass that you have to push the toast down twice. You know why? Because everybody pushes their toast down twice!
Guy: Not where I come from.