Carja

My Keyboard is Fine

 Carja's Corner  No Responses »
Mar 262012
 

Yesterday I was playing Lord of the Rings Online when suddenly, my keyboard stopped responding. Those of you who play LOTRO or similar MMOs know that a keyboard, while not strictly essential to play, is quite useful. I rebooted and still nothing. So I decided I should try to change the batteries. I have a wireless keyboard and I hadn’t changed the batteries since I got it, which I think was early in 2010, I’d have to check Facebook to be sure, since I remember writing about it. Anyway, the problem was that I had no fresh AAA batteries on hand. What to do? Check the least used remote control of course! I scavenged the batteries from my TV remote (a universal remote replaced it some time ago) and success! Until this morning…guess the remote’s batteries were not much fresher than the keyboard’s!

After work, I stopped by the Giant Tiger and bought me some cheap AAAs. No sense spending a lot on name brand batteries if the batteries aren’t the problem right? Well, the header of this post and the fact that I typed this very blog you’re reading should have spoiled the result for you…the keyboard works. I’m still not going to buy any name brand batteries until I’ve used up the cheap ones I bought…Two bucks is two bucks right?

I have something new in store for Wednesday. Be sure to come back and check it out! I’m very pleased with how it turned out.

Until then, peace out folks!

Zoë of the Mouse Wing – Part 2

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Mar 232012
 

“Do you think they’ll have made any more pickles when we get back, Zo?”

“Maybe…” Zoë was only half-listening to Popkin. She was too busy making sure she didn’t forget any of the Sam’s flying lessons.

Take-off had gone very well. Since Popkin was an awakened Avian, he could be counted on to do most of the work…when he was kept focused. Letting him get distracted wasn’t so dangerous for him as it was for his rider. Sam ignored most of Popkin’s chatter. If the bird felt nobody was listening to him, he’d pout a little, but at least he was quiet. Zoë was beginning to see the merit in Sam’s approach.

As they flew over the Forlorn Forest Zoë focused most of her attention on the ground looking for signs of the missing children. It wasn’t going to be easy with the heavy canopy of trees.

“Where could they be?” Zoë said aloud, not really expecting an answer.

Popkin, answered anyway of course, “They’re probably fishing. There’s a lot of tasty trout in the streams around here. I like going fishing. Before I joined the Mouse Wing, I could spend whole days fishing. Maybe I’ll go fishing on my next vacation. Anyway, I hope they’re not playing in that big black cloud up ahead. No wait. There were no Avian with them, how could they fly? Would you like to come fishing with me on my vacation, Zo?”

Zoë nodded, “Maybe, sure…no wait, what?” She looked up at the chattering bird.

“I asked you if you wanted to come fishing with me on my next vacation.” Popkin repeated, “You should pay more attention.”

Zoë shook her head, “No, BEFORE that…” She looked around.

“Oh! Just that I hoped they weren’t playing in the big black cloud up ahead, but that was silly since furs can’t fly.”

Zoë saw the storm clouds just as Popkin mentioned them. That wasn’t good. The dark clouds were much too close for comfort. She’d been so focused on the ground that she’d forgotten to check her bearings. Such a greenie mistake. This was going to be a much bumpier ride now. She checked her tether. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner, Popkin?”

“I thought you saw it. Sam never misses things like big black clouds ahead.”

That hurt. As if she wasn’t blaming herself enough already without the reminder of what a rookie mistake she’d made. “Are we in any trouble, Popkin?” she asked.

“Of course not! I’m a good flier, Zo! Well, not unless the winds really pick up.”

As if on cue, a strong gust of wind buffeted the bird, almost knocking Zoë out of her seat.

“Okay that might be a problem…”

The Cost of Throw-aways

 Carja's Corner  No Responses »
Mar 212012
 

Welcome to the Monday Blog…on Wednesday, written on Tuesday!

Tuesday’s strip inspired this blog and since it wouldn’t have been posted on Monday when my blog usually goes up, I decided to hold off on the blog until Wednesday. That’s how I roll. It’s my website, so I can do that.

But what was it about yesterday’s strip that I wanted to write about, you ask? The throw-away gag I included in it. Did you notice it? Go ahead and look again, I’ll wait.

*humming*

You saw it? Good, then you won’t mind sharing with the class. No? Okay fine, this little bit has gone on long enough.

It’s the book Nektara is reading, A Game of Scones, which is obviously a play on George R.R. Martin’s epic work, A Game of Thrones.

That’s it, you ask? Yeah, simple huh? I did say it was a throwaway gag, didn’t I? *reads back what was written earlier* Yes, I did.

Sometimes these throwaway gags are the hardest to come up with. They’re not integral to the plot, and some may not even notice they’re there. Why do it then?

To amuse myself. Drawing a strip is a lot of work (even if mine doesn’t always look it) and when you don’t get any reader feedback, then it can sometimes be hard to motivate yourself to continue. I think I touched on motivation in last week’s blog. Well, it’s just as true this week. Adding these little throwaways is an added challenge and if they get people talking, so much the better.

But why this gag? Well, Nektara was created specially for my friend, Carolyn. She’s a mega A Game of Thrones fan and I thought it would be nice to have Nektara be a fan as well, but of the Animus equivalent of that series.

But the gag didn’t stop there. I got to thinking about the world of A Game of Scones and came up with stuff that I don’t see that I’ll ever use in a strip, so I decided to share it here (you lucky folks).

  • A Game of Scones follows the Main Houses in Peloros (Westeros) and their machinations to be the king’s baker.
  • The Main Houses are Starch, Bannister, Marteau, Carafeon and Breyjoy (I couldn’t think of anything for Targaeryon).
  • House Starch (Stark)  is in the North, their cookies are always cold.
  • House Bannister (Lannister) are the king’s carpenters. Their pastries taste like sawdust.
  • House Marteau (Martel) are masons. Their muffins are as hard as rocks.
  • House Carafeons (Baratheon) have the finest vineyards in Peleros (Robert Baratheon is a notorious drunkard). Naturally, their danishes are strong enough to make a fur drunk.
  • House Breyjoy (Greyjoy) are the masters of donkey riding (navigating the sea). Their biscuits look like donkey droppings.
  • One of the major protagonists is Jon Dough (Jon Snow), the illegitimate son of Ned Starch. (Illegitimate children are given the surname Dough (Snow) in the north.)

Way more work went into this throwaway gag than it should, but at least I had fun!

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