Playing with my new camera

I recently upgraded my camera equipment. I haven't been out to take photos yet since it has been so cold, so of course the mood strikes me at night, when it's freezing, to go out and take pics of the Moon. There I was, in the snow, fingers freezing off...but the Moon sure is pretty.

Doctor Who: The Myth Makers

This is another story for which all the episodes are missing from the BBC archives. This story is weak. It was a struggle to get through it. That's unfortunate because it had such potential. None of the Greeks or Trojans are likeable. Cassandra especially is awful. And it feels like nothing happens in any of the four episodes.

The TARDIS lands in ancient Greece, and the crew immediately gets involved in the Greek siege of Troy. The Doctor and Steven are captured by the Greeks. Vicki is left in the TARDIS. Of course, the Trojans bring the TARDIS back to Troy and Vicki ends up having to leave before the Trojans burn it. (I doubt that would've worked, but Vicki didn't know that.)

King Priam of Troy renames Vicki "Cressida," and inevitably Vicki and his son Troilus fall for each other. The Doctor gives the Greeks the idea for the Trojan horse, and the Trojans are defeated. The end.

Goodbye, Vicki!

This is Vicki's last episode. I like Vicki a lot, and I think this was a terrible way for her to go. She stays with Troilus. I guess this is one story in which Troilus and Cressida get a happy ending. I'm sorry to see her go at all. I didn't want her to leave so soon after her arrival. Now we're stuck with Steven and Katarina as companions.

Katarina

This is Katarina's first episode. What's the deal with Katarina? She is always listed as a companion, but she doesn't show up until the end of this story. And she doesn't last long. I wouldn't count her as a companion myself. Katarina is lame. She is too naive and unintelligent to work effectively as a companion on the show. She is Cassandra's handmaiden, and she sort of accidentally goes along with them in the TARDIS at the end. She thinks they're dead. Spoilers- you will be soon, Katarina!

THE RUNDOWN

Doctor: First
Companions: Vicki, Steven, Katarina
Episode: #20, "The Myth Makers," four parts- 'Temple of Secrets,' 'Small Prophet, Quick Return,' 'Death of a Spy,' 'Horse of Destruction'
Adversary: the Greeks, the Trojans
Classic Lines: Cassandra: "Woe to Troy!" Paris: "It's too late to say 'woah' to the horse."
Tuck This Away to Impress Your Friends: The Doctor first says that Homer made up the wooden "Trojan" horse, but then the Doctor gives the idea of the Trojan horse to the Greeks.
Next Up: "The Daleks' Master Plan"

Homemade pizza

I used to make pizza a lot, but I haven't made a whole pizza for a couple of years now. I'm not counting English muffin pizzas- those are easy and I make them often enough. Anyway, I made two pizzas for dinner the other night.

One was regular crust; one was garlic and herb crust. This is where I admit that I used Trader Joe's pizza dough instead of making my own. I know I should make my own. But I haven't tried that yet. I will. When I make pizza, I improvise. I don't use a recipe. There really isn't much to basic pizza.

I get the dough as close to a circle as possible. It usually looks circular, then when I transfer it to a cookie sheet, it loses its nice shape. Yep, I know I should get a pizza stone. I will. Then I put down the marinara sauce. This time I used Trader Joe's pizza sauce, which was very good. I slice up fresh mozzarella, and that goes on next. I used too much cheese this time. It was good, but next time I'll use less cheese. To finish it off, I season it with oregano, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. It goes into a 450 degree oven until it looks done. Ta da! Pizza.

garlic and herb crust

The garlic and herb crust was good, too. The garlic taste definitely came through.

I forgot to mention, it's best to let the pizza sit for a minute before you slice it. That lets the cheese firm up a bit. Of course, I used so much cheese that it was still oozing all over. But it was tasty!