An update on Doug: No voice, not really reading, Doctor Who streak, and what to do about Black Death this year

(16:25:50 CST) (4 Comments)

An update on Doug: No voice, not really reading, Doctor Who streak, and what to do about Black Death this year

Woke up yesterday with my voice at least 90% gone, possibly as much as 95%. Today, it is something like 80%. Maybe less gone depending on how good the hour is. What generally happens is my first attempt to talk leads to me whispering. My second attempt leads to me coughing. Then I get this weird bitonal effect where this sort of rasp-as-voice and this sort of whine-as-voice say roughly the same words, but not quite at the same time. If you are curious to what this sounds like, this is a short wav recording of me reading, and screwing up, the opening line of Lovecraft's "The Call of Cthulhu". Just to clarify, I am not straining my voice, talking in a purposeful whisper, or applying any effects. When I try and talk normal, that's the sound that comes out. I am not going to talk any more today because that can't be good for it.

I am in something like the end of my first week of full freedom: little work and no school. Coming into this three-week break (ish, since holiday travel is likely involved), my plan was to tackle three to five serious books as an end to my 2009 Reading Tally. My first week off has not seen me make it through one. I have actually read chunks of several more serious books, but first I wanted to take time to work on my website, and then I went and got fairly sick and it took away my concentration. My plan, I guess, is to finish the three or four books that I have open and call it a year. Going by my weighted reckoning, that puts me at about 95 books for the year. I am going to try extra hard to get over 150 next year and not just talk about it.

Though I have not been reading, I have been on a semi-serious Doctor Who streak. I say semi-serious because I've seen three of the Tom Baker serials, listened to one of the radioplays, and watched through the first series of the "new Doctor" branch. Over a week or two. When I'm on a serious streak, I can easily triple that level of dedication, but I'm beginning to think I am too old for much dedication. Ah, well, c'est la vie. I do plan on making a Doctor Who page soon and posting reviews and notes about the various bits. Nothing on par with a real fan site but just something having an outlet for me to talk what bits I have seen and such. I've been meaning to do the same thing for Tales from the Crypt. Neither of these things are absolutely guaranteed to come about.

Finally, I've been trying to think about what to do about "The Masque of the Black Death" this year. While I definitely want to have something, I don't think I'm going to call it "The Masque". I might make the eponymous punch, though. I just don't quite have it in me to organized a "bash" of any sorts. For one, several regulars from the previous years will not be there. Secondly, while money isn't super tight, the less I spend for right now, the better. Third, depending on how this next week works out, Sarah and I might be getting back from out of town kind of close to the date and all the trouble that can cause. Finally, I think last year had a vibe of Sarah and I trying just a little too hard. I think it will work better with us just chilling out more, maybe movies on in the bedroom sort of thing. Closer to Halloween, but maybe a bit quieter. BYOB and pot-luck snacks. I think that would work. Anyone who wants/plans to show up have any suggestions? Drop me a comment and I'll let every one know, say, by the 23-24th.

Well, people of the Earth, I guess that's it for now. Have a better one.

Si Vales, Valeo

file under (...on Myself [in 2009])

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