Exciting adventures around the West End

We got the opportunity to go and see a private viewing of The Prestige last night at the Warner Bros offices in Holborn.

Together with my new colleague Tash, we set off, taking a "short cut" through Covent Garden. We strolled, we chatted - it was grand. Until I fell down.

I have NO idea what the bloody hell happened. I was upright one second, flat on my face the next, kissing the ground in religious fervour. More than the embarrassment I hurt. Man. Everywhere - my bag was slung cross ways over my body and I had my inhaler in my coat pocket. Bag and inhaler got itself slammed into my stomach. When I fell, I somehow managed to angle myself so that I don't fall on my left arm which has already been broken in exactly such a fall...so I landed fully on my right side.

My thumb bent itself backwards in this amazing superhuman feat and kept me upright, preventing my face from fully connecting with the ground. And my palms were scraped. A lovely young chap rushed at me, Tash was stunned as the one second I was next to her then I wasn't and she was still thinking about reacting to help me up, when this young guy was there helping me up. Being a true Londoner I surreptitiously checked my pockets to make sure my tenner I drew had not been robbed - I know, how awful!!!

In pain, and feeling hugely miserable and sorry for myself, but putting on a brave face, we walked through to Holborn.

For two hours and ten minutes I was transported to Victorian England - The Prestige is singularly one of the best movies I had ever seen. It was less about the sensationalism of the acts from back in the day, it was about the magic, the power of obsession and how far people would go for that obsession.

Are you watching closely?

Got home and the cushioning of my hand was so swollen I could hardly move my fingers and especially my thumb. Down-downed some anti-inflamatories with tea, had a hot bath, went to bed with a bandaged hand and woke up with a much improved claw.

Work was awful - I couldn't pick things up properly, my boss made fun of me cos I couldn't type properly, I couldn't undo the buttons on my trousers with my left hand fast enough to go to the loo to pee - it was hilarious and awful at the same time. I got loads of sympathy from everyone and had my food opened for me, my lucozade cap twisted open, my yogurt lid peeled back for me - it was fab...

Much better tonight tho. Here's hoping Lizzy the Claw will be fully functioning to fulful her NanowriMo duties this weekend!

Priceless!

Chuckle!

Sleeping Dogs...

Poor Sparrow - he gets all jittery with the fire crackers exploding. We coddled him most of the night, making sure the music is louder than usual to cut through the loud bangs. In the end, we retired to the computer room to work on our respective Nanowrimo works. I looked down and he had gone to drag his blankie from his chair and was nosing it around on the floor next to me.

How unbearably cute is that? I shook it out so he could cuddle and there he is, fast asleep. A little bundle of sheer misery.

I feel bad in that I have not written as Mark - my word count is only 3539!

Six word stories

I have started reading the brilliantly astounding Mark Chadbourn and on his forum, one of the members posted a link to Wired Magazine.

I don't think there is any copyright infringement here, so I will copy a handful of the stories across - they are brilliant.

Dozens of our favorite auteurs put their words to paper, and five master graphic designers took them to the drawing board. Sure, Arthur C. Clarke refused to trim his ("God said, 'Cancel Program GENESIS.' The universe ceased to exist."), but the rest are concise masterpieces.

Failed SAT. Lost scholarship. Invented rocket.- William Shatner
Computer, did we bring batteries? Computer?- Eileen Gunn
Vacuum collision. Orbits diverge. Farewell, love.- David Brin
Gown removed carelessly. Head, less so.- Joss Whedon
Automobile warranty expires. So does engine.- Stan Lee
Machine. Unexpectedly, I’d invented a time- Alan Moore
Longed for him. Got him. Shit.- Margaret Atwood
His penis snapped off; he’s pregnant!- Rudy Rucker
From torched skyscrapers, men grew wings.- Gregory Maguire
Internet “wakes up?” Ridicu -no carrier.- Charles Stross
With bloody hands, I say good-bye.- Frank Miller
Wasted day. Wasted life. Dessert, please.- Steven Meretzky
“Cellar?” “Gate to, uh … hell, actually.”- Ronald D. Moore
Epitaph: Foolish humans, never escaped Earth.- Vernor Vinge
It cost too much, staying human.- Bruce Sterling
We kissed. She melted. Mop please!- James Patrick Kelly
It’s behind you! Hurry before it- Rockne S. O’Bannon
I’m your future, child. Don’t cry.- Stephen Baxter
1940: Young Hitler! Such a cantor!- Michael Moorcock
Lie detector eyeglasses perfected: Civilization collapses.- Richard Powers
I’m dead. I’ve missed you. Kiss … ?- Neil Gaiman
The baby’s blood type? Human, mostly.- Orson Scott Card
Kirby had never eaten toes before.- Kevin Smith
Rained, rained, rained, and never stopped.- Howard Waldrop
To save humankind he died again.- Ben Bova
We went solar; sun went nova.- Ken MacLeod
Husband, transgenic mistress; wife: “You cow!”- Paul Di Filippo
“I couldn’t believe she’d shoot me.”- Howard Chaykin
Don’t marry her. Buy a house.- Stephen R. Donaldson
Broken heart, 45, WLTM disabled man.- Mark Millar
TIME MACHINE REACHES FUTURE!!! … nobody there …- Harry Harrison
Tick tock tick tock tick tick.- Neal Stephenson
Easy. Just touch the match to- Ursula K. Le Guin
Special Web-only edition: We were unable to include these 59 stories in the print magazine.
New genes demand expression -- third eye.- Greg Bear
K.I.A. Baghdad, Aged 18 - Closed Casket- Richard K. Morgan
WORLD'S END. Sic transit gloria Monday.- Gregory Benford
Epitaph: He shouldn't have fed it.- Brian Herbert
Batman Sues Batsignal: Demands Trademark Royalties.- Cory Doctorow
Heaven falls. Details at eleven.- Robert Jordan
Bush told the truth. Hell froze.- William Gibson
whorl. Help! I'm caught in a time- Darren Aronofsky and Ari Handel
Nevertheless, he tried a third time.- James P. Blaylock
God to Earth: “Cry more, noobs!”- Marc Laidlaw
Help! Trapped in a text adventure!- Marc Laidlaw
Thought I was right. I wasn't.- Graeme Gibson
Lost, then found. Too bad.- Graeme Gibson
Three to Iraq. One came back.- Graeme Gibson
Rapture postponed. Ark demanded! Which one?- David Brin
Dinosaurs return. Want their oil back.- David Brin