The Worlds of Katherine Kurtz

Katherine Kurtz and Scott MacMillan => Archived Chats => Chat Logs => 2007 Archive => Topic started by: RainbowDragon on August 20, 2007, 06:38:08 PM

Title: KK Chat - Aug. 19, 2007
Post by: RainbowDragon on August 20, 2007, 06:38:08 PM
[18:43] * KK has joined #Deryni_Destinations
[18:43] <DeryniBot> Samuel welcomes KK to the chat with a bottle of
mead.
[18:43] * Bynw sets mode: +o KK
[18:43] <jemler> KK!
[18:44] <RainbowDragon> Greetings, KK!
[18:44] <KK> Hi, guys.
[18:44] <Bynw> hiyas KK
[18:44] <the_Bee> hi KK!
[18:44] <RainbowDragon> You have a new fan, SKinard, here tonight
[18:44] <KK> I wasn't sure I'd get online tonight.  Bit thunderstorms
in this part of the world--but all sound and fury, signifying
nothing.  No rean, at least.
[18:45] <KK> Hello, SKinard!
[18:45] <KK> no rain
[18:45] <Mistyck> hiyas Katherine!
[18:45] <KK> Hi, Rita.  We could use the rain.
[18:45] <Bynw> isnt it nice that you dont have to dial in to get
online though Katherine
[18:45] <RainbowDragon> we got a token amount of rain this afternoon
[18:45] <KK> The dog was trying to burrow under my feet to escape the
sound.
[18:45] <KK> YES!
[18:46] <SKinard> Hello KK!
[18:46] <KK> Hi, SKinard.  Where are you?
[18:46] <the_Bee> how do the cats react to thunderstorms?
[18:46] <SKinard> Eastern panhandle of WV
[18:46] <KK> Well, Jessie is in my lap, also burrowing.  Actually,
several of the others are outside.  I must bring them in shortly.
[18:47] <KK> Ah, that part of WV isn't that far from Staunton.  We
were up in Shepherdstown last month for a car rally.
[18:47] <SKinard> are there storms forecasted?
[18:47] <Mistyck> you can have it Katherine.  I'm sick and tired of
all the water we have around here :)
[18:47] <KK> Boy, was it hot!
[18:47] <SKinard> I am in Charles Town.
[18:48] <Kelric> you want to talk about bad weather?
[18:48] <the_Bee> Shiral says hello, KK. She had to go back to work.
[18:48] <KK> Don't know about forecasts, but we sure had a lot of
rumbling, down off the Blue Ridge.
[18:48] <KK> Ah, well.
[18:48] <KK> I actually know vaguely where that is....
[18:48] <Mistyck> at least Hurricane Dean isn't coming here
[18:48] <the_Bee> and I'm in Charlestown! MA
[18:49] <Kelric> I was driving back to Bensenville from Indy today
leaving indy about 11am indy time and by the time I was about 50 miles
away from the I-80 interchange on I-65, it was raining so hard I think
there was something like 800 ft visibility to the front.
[18:49] <the_Bee> Yowtch!
[18:49] <KK> We do need rain, though.  And our garden guy put in some
grass seed this week, so I need to water, if it doesn't rain.
[18:49] <Mistyck> yeah that's how it was here last Thursday Kelric--
nasty
[18:49] <SKinard> About 20 minutes from Sheperdstown.  7 miles from
VA, and 7 miles from MD.
[18:50] <jemler> a steady rain is better that a downpour. it lets the
ground soak it up gradually, rather than flowing over it.
[18:50] <KK> Scott and I probably went very near your house, then--
melting all the way.  (It was the weekend right after July 4.)
[18:50] <Mistyck> Jemler, any rain is too much here right now as the
ground is already super saturated.
[18:50] <SKinard> Ugh.
[18:51] <KK> Send some up here!
[18:51] <Mistyck> I will try to KK :)
[18:51] <KK> Actually, though, yesterday was very pleasant--even a
touch of fall in the air.  Got quite chlly last night.
[18:51] <the_Bee> we're having a nice spell here
[18:51] <Mistyck> now you can send me some of that cool weather!
We're boiling again here
[18:52] <SKinard> It is cool tonight.
[18:52] <KK> We'll get more hot, I know--but this has been a welcome
couple of days' respite.
[18:52] <SKinard> Definitely.
[18:52] <the_Bee> any news re the burglary?
[18:52] * ambush has joined #Deryni_Destinations
[18:52] <DeryniBot> Samuel welcomes ambush to the chat with a bottle
of mead.
[18:52] <Mistyck> this is the very worst time of year here...between
the hurricanes and heat...
[18:52] <Mistyck> hiyas Ambush
[18:52] <KK> Fortunately, the heat isn't getting to me the way I
feared it might.  Hot, but one can always flee to the AC.
[18:53] <the_Bee> hi ambush!
[18:53] * ambush tackle-pounces KK
[18:53] <jemler> hey ambush
[18:53] <KK> No further news.  I have to call the investigator
tomorrow and get an update.
[18:53] <Mistyck> hope they catch those guys soon
[18:53] * ambush waves to the_Bee
[18:53] <the_Bee> ah
[18:53] * ambush waves to Mistyck
[18:53] <KK> Me, too!
[18:53] * ambush waves to jemler
[18:53] * the_Bee circles ambush's head
[18:53] <Mistyck> since Scott is away, did you get any writing done?
[18:54] <KK> You must be joking.  I did make serious inroads with the
piles of paper, though.
[18:54] <Mistyck> that helps :)
[18:54] <the_Bee> have you found your office floor yet? :)
[18:54] <KK> And I'm about to order my office--which should be
installed around the end of September.  It will be wonderful!
[18:54] <Mistyck> cool!
[18:55] <KK> There's more floor now than there was last week....
[18:55] <SKinard> Always a plus.
[18:55] <ambush> yay!
[18:55] <KK> Sadly, everything always takes longer than one hopes.
[18:55] <the_Bee> Are any of your cats paper-chasers, KK?
[18:56] <SKinard> I hear that.
[18:56] <KK> Well, they do like to help.  But they haven't been too
disruptive.
[18:56] <Mistyck> that's good
[18:56] <SKinard> KK, are you working on the book following Childe
Morgan?
[18:57] <the_Bee> I remember trying to clean out my school notebook
with the family cat charging back and forth through the papers.
[18:57] <KK> I <will> be, once I get to start writing again.  We still
have to sort out the new laptops.
[18:57] <ambush> ick
[18:57] <KK> I'm ready to start--just don't have the space for serious
writing yet.
[18:57] <the_Bee> Do you have a working title?
[18:58] <jemler> my sister is using mine and says i won't get it back.
[18:58] <KK> Childe III.  Sorry, but an actual title hasn't yet come
to mind.
[18:58] <SKinard> I also write for my job, though, scientific lines
instead of writing for fun.
[18:58] <the_Bee> ah ok
[18:58] <KK> I did that when I was with LAPD.
[18:59] <jemler> you were a cop?
[18:59] <SKinard> Investigator?
[18:59] <KK> But as long as I had to work for someone else, it was an
ideal job, because it was a totally different kind of writing and
creativity.
[18:59] <jemler> psychic investigator/consultant? :)
[19:00] <KK> I was a civilian--a senior instructional technologist.  I
wrote training materials.
[19:00] <SKinard> ah, a teacher
[19:00] <Mistyck> but Scott was a cop with LAPD, right?
[19:01] <KK> Well....sort of.  I did do some teaching, up at the
Academy.  But mostly, I wrote grant proposals and then training
materials that the teachers used.
[19:01] * Kelric ducks and gets ready to get pelted.
[19:01] <Kelric> with respect to the burglary,  where is Peregrine
Lovat when you need him
[19:01] <SKinard> Grant proposals?  Ugh.
[19:01] <KK> Scott was with the Sheriff's Department.  For a while, he
was a County Mountie.  :-)
[19:01] * ambush - in finest Dragonlance tradition - drops a mountain
on Kelric's head.
[19:02] <ambush> :P
[19:02] <Mistyck> hehe to Ambush and Kelric
[19:02] <Kelric> ugh.  it was Mount Nevermind
[19:02] <jemler> Scott was a smokey eh. bear in the air, or did he
drive a bubble-gum machine?
[19:02] <KK> My proposal got us $1,000,000--at the time, the biggest
federal grant for law enforcement training ever.  And I got a
promotion.  :-)
[19:02] <ambush> popups for the win
[19:02] <Mistyck> nice!
[19:02] <SKinard> Wow!
[19:02] <jemler> could you write me a proposal like that!?!
[19:03] <the_Bee> cool!
[19:03] <Bynw> lol jemler
[19:03] <KK> He did a lot of undercover, and really was with the
mounted unit.
[19:03] <ambush> lol
[19:03] <jemler> mounted as in horse?
[19:03] <KK> Yep.
[19:03] <the_Bee> Does he still ride?  Do you?
[19:03] <Mistyck> that reminds me, are you going to have any horses in
VA like you did in Ireland?
[19:03] <jemler> well, well, well. let's hear it for Dudley Doright!
[19:04] <KK> My horse, actually.  The late, great Jubal: beautiful bay
quarterhorse.  He was so steady, you could land helicopters next to
him.  They used him to help train other horses.
[19:04] <Temprus> "I think this guy is a cop!" "How can you tell?" How
many other people ride horses in the middle of the city?"
[19:04] <KK> We don't really ride anymore.  And we didn't have horses
in Ireland; just lived next door to a stable.
[19:05] <KK> We had other priorities.
[19:05] <ambush> mmmhmm
[19:05] <Mistyck> ahh.  Understandable
[19:05] <jemler> Temprus, have you ever seen Jeff Dunham?
[19:05] <RainbowDragon> I'll bet that smelled... special
[19:05] <ambush> lol
[19:06] <KK> We were far enough from the actual stables that it wasn't
a problem at all.  Besides, horse stables don't smell bad.  Now,
cows....
[19:06] <jemler> smell good on the barbeque!
[19:06] <SKinard> lol
[19:06] <Mistyck> lol Jemler
[19:06] <KK> Mostly, we got to look at them grazing, every time we
came up and down the crive--and we didn't have to feed them or muck
out after them!
[19:06] <Temprus> Yes, get venti :D
[19:06] <Mistyck> Jemler you got me hungry...I think I'll get Outback
Steak tonight :)
[19:06] <Temprus> err great
[19:06] <KK> the drive....
[19:07] <jemler> you buying?
[19:07] <KK> MMMMM, Outback!  Love their prime rib!
[19:07] <Mistyck> that's what I am yearning for :)
[19:07] <SKinard> Me too!  With the shrimp on the barbie add on
[19:07] <Mistyck> yeppers
[19:07] <jemler> does Outback serve alcohol?
[19:07] <Mistyck> yes Jemler
[19:07] <SKinard> definitely
[19:08] <jemler> the closest thing to that here is Ponderosa. The area
it's in is dry, bo booze!
[19:08] <KK> Actually, Applebee's has a really great California Shrimp
salad right now, with avocado and bacon and shrimp--yum!
[19:08] <the_Bee> I had a delicious Hungarian goulash at The
Cheesecake Factory last sunday
[19:08] <KK> That sound yum!
[19:09] <SKinard> Really?  There is actually an Applebees here in CC.
[19:09] <Temprus> <jemler> Temprus, have you ever seen Jeff Dunham? <-
Why?
[19:09] <SKinard> Sorry CT for Charles Town
[19:09] <KK> Give it a try, then.  I think it's just a summer menu
item, but it's great.  We saw an ad for it on TV, and it sounded so
good that we went right over to Applebee's that night.  And it was all
it promised....
[19:10] <SKinard> I'll give it a try.
[19:10] <ambush> i like spicy food
[19:10] <ambush> :)
[19:10] <jemler> he's a ventriloquist (spell that!). on one of his
shows he was talking about the police in santa ana ca. they rode on
bicycles. he said how intimidating is this. they tell you to pull
over, and ring the bell on their bikes!
[19:10] <KK> The bacon is that applewood-smoked one they do so well.
Great melding of flavors.  Oh, and there're black olives.  Knew I was
forgetting something.  And baby tomatoes.
[19:11] <Mistyck> I do too, but some things like the Outback Prime Rib
and the salad KK's talking about can be "to die for" :)
[19:11] <Kelric> I was lucky last night when I was hunting for a
restaurant at 9:45 pm last night
[19:11] <ambush> anything spicy
[19:11] <SKinard> Yum
[19:11] <Temprus> Ah, yeah, I kinda remember that joke, might have
been the inspiration of my comment :D
[19:11] <KK> Bicycles are actually great for some kinds of policing.
They use them along the beach boardwalks, and we even had them in
Bray.
[19:11] <Kelric> I found a Texas Steakhouse right by where my hotel
was.
[19:11] <Kelric> mmmm.  steak
[19:11] <SKinard> Back t the cows!
[19:12] <Mistyck> hehe...good yummys
[19:12] <KK> The bikes can go where cars can't, like down alleys.  And
bikes are faster than a man can run.
[19:13] <Bynw> hmmmm steaks ....
[19:13] <Mistyck> we have mounted HPD officers during the baseball
games in Houston...it's kinda neat to see them
[19:13] <Bynw> we only get bicycle cops during the summer
[19:14] <the_Bee> hard to ride a bike through a snowdrift
[19:14] <Mistyck> yep
[19:14] <KK> Yeah, most people on foot are somewhat intimidated by a
man on a horse, so they tend to play nice.  They're afraid of getting
stepped on or kicked--though actually, horses don't particularly like
to step on soft, squishy people-feet.
[19:14] <the_Bee> so I've read
[19:15] <Mistyck> yep and it keeps the cars away so the people can
walk from the parking lots to the stadium
[19:15] <SKinard> Depends on the horse.  My Grandpa's horse like to do
that.
[19:15] <KK> Well, yes.  Snow would be a mitigating factor.  Of
course, motorcycles are somewhat limited, too.  Most departments don't
send the motor officers out in the rain or snow.
[19:16] <SKinard> KK, I have a couple of Deryni questions for you.
[19:17] <KK> Well, guys, all this talk of steaks and food has reminded
me that I've had little to eat all day--and I still have some things I
want to accomplish this evening.  But I'll try to answer SKinard's
questions first.
[19:17] <KK> Fire away!
[19:17] <SKinard> I am a scientist and I had read that the Deryni gene
was always passed on.  But if that is the case, then how does the
Deryni blood get diluted?
[19:18] <ambush> and i have 1 question, too, kk.......
[19:18] <SKinard> Also, why wouldn't Rhys and Evaine's children all be
healers then?
[19:18] <the_Bee> There has been MUCH discussion on that subject,
SKinard :)
[19:19] <SKinard> I am likely over-thinking this...I am a scientist
and all.
[19:20] <the_Bee> I'm not a scientist, and I overthink it too
[19:20] <SKinard> Are there weak Deryni genes and strong Deryni genes?
[19:20] * RainbowDragon waits impatiently while KK ponders the
questions ...
[19:20] <KK> As you'll see in the retrospective re Deryni genetics in
the High Deryni hardcover (coming to your favorite bookstore for
Christmas!)--there are more genetic factors at work than I'd posited
all those years ago.  Some aspect will usually get passed on, but some
of the factors are recessive, so you'd have to have the right
combination of genes for it to surface farther down the line.
[19:20] <KK> What kind of scientist, SKinard?
[19:21] <KK> Yes!
[19:21] <KK> The Healer's talent also need to be trained.
[19:21] <SKinard> I work for the Health Effects Division in EPA.  I do
chemistry, toxicology, and risk assessment.
[19:22] <SKinard> I have a bit of geneyics training though.
[19:22] <the_Bee> Important work!
[19:22] <SKinard> Obviously poor typing skills...:-)
[19:22] <KK> Cool!  I was a chem major as an undergrad--pre-med--but
as you know, I changed disciplines.
[19:22] <SKinard> I was pre-med too!
[19:22] <KK> We refer to the phenomenon as "rented fingers."
[19:23] <SKinard> I have already preordered the book since the one I
read was loned to me from a friend.
[19:23] <Mistyck> steak ordered :)
[19:23] <KK> Did you actually go to medical school?  I did, for 1
year--then decided I would rather write about medicine than practice
it.  Glad I realized when I did.
[19:23] <the_Bee> Outback has takeout/delivery?
[19:24] <SKinard> No. Got in and decided it was not what I wanted
afterall.
[19:24] <Mistyck> yeppers Bee :)
[19:24] <Mistyck> and you can order it thru the internet
[19:24] <Mistyck> curbside takeout
[19:24] <the_Bee> Goody!
[19:24] <jemler> well, now that i've stirred up everybody's appetite,
i'm gonna take off. later folks
[19:24] <Mistyck> nite Jemler
[19:25] <jemler> skinard, nice meeting you.
[19:25] <ambush> can i ask ya my ? ,kk?
[19:25] <SKinard> Will there be new generation chart for Morgan and
Duncan?  Nice meeting you jemler.
[19:25] <SKinard> oops.  Sorry ambush.
[19:25] <ambush> np
[19:25] <KK> At least I hadn't run up horrendous debts when I
realized.  I was out of money, but I didn't owe any student loans yet.
[19:25] <jemler> bye all, i'll get the rsy from rd when he posts! ;)
[19:26] <KK> Not new charts, but tweaked ones.
[19:26] * jemler Quit
[19:26] * jemler has left IRC
[19:26] <SKinard> Luckily I hadn't run those debts up either!
[19:26] <ambush> do ya have any definate plans for kelson's children
as teens or adults?
[19:26] <the_Bee> ask fast, ambush! KK's getting hungry
[19:27] <the_Bee> ah you did
[19:27] <KK> Sadly, my Outback is too far away to deliver--but I'll
drag Scott off there later this week, once he's back.  It's up in
Harrisonburg, about 20 min. up the road.
[19:27] <the_Bee> not sure where mine is
[19:27] <Mistyck> ahh..luckily mine is just 2 miles away
[19:28] <SKinard> Thanks KK.  I will look for the info in the new High
Deryni.
[19:28] <KK> I doubt I'll go much beyond KKB, actually.  That's kind
of a nice stopping point.  But I do plan to go earlier, and do the 948
book....
[19:28] <Bynw> weee 948 book
[19:28] <Mistyck> cool.  That year has always intrigued me
[19:28] <SKinard> Yay.  I would love to read more about Rhysel
[19:28] <ambush> cool
[19:28] <the_Bee> where all those nice people die :(
[19:28] <KK> I'm afraid it's going to be another of those downer
books, though.  A lot of people die....
[19:29] <SKinard> Inevitably.  My favorite was King Javan, but knew it
had to end badly....hence the persecuted Deryni 200 yrs later.
[19:29] <the_Bee> but Jerusha lives past 90. and Michaela
[19:29] <KK> Anyway, on that note, there's a Jessie cat who's been
climbing up my leg--and I, too, am starving.
[19:30] <Mistyck> take care KK and thanks for stopping by.  Hope to
see you next week
[19:30] <ambush> lol
[19:30] <KK> SKinard, nice to meet you!  Do come back.
[19:30] * ambush waves to KK
[19:30] <the_Bee> nighters KK.  have a good week
[19:30] <Bynw> cya KK
[19:30] <SKinard> Thanks for chatting!
[19:30] * KK steps onto her Portal, waves goodnight, and disappears in
a shower of green sparkles.
[19:30] <SKinard> Nice to meet you as well!
[19:30] * KK Quit
[19:30] * KK has left IRC