From the Bridge

by Becky Norris

Greetings, fellow FEARLESS crewmates! I hope this finds you all well and starting to get into the holiday spirit. Thanksgiving is right around the corner and Christmas right after that, so from here on out it's pretty much non-stop reasons to stuff yourself silly. Sounds pretty good if you ask me! For me, the holidays have a little extra meaning this year, because as each one passes I go a little further down the road to recovery from my foot surgery and get a little closer to the day when I can resume my normal activities. I'll say one thing--I've come to appreciate all the little things I always did without even thinking about it, like getting a cup of coffee or reading the newspaper while sprawled in the middle of the living room floor. It really is amazing the effort it takes to accomplish even the simplest task when you can't use all your limbs. I would suggest that everyone put themselves in this position for a while--it certainly gives rise to new and varied ways to do the things that need to be done. After all, necessity is the mother of invention.

It's also time to start thinking about a shuttle Christmas party. Even though last year's was tainted by unpleasantries, the people who attended did enjoy themselves. I think the FEARLESS has always been able to rise above anything or anyone who thought to bring us down, and since there is no one standing in our way, the party should be more fun than ever. Speaking of parties, I understand that the Halloween party was loads of fun, and I'm sorry that I missed it, but I am still pretty shaky on my crutches (if I had known I would need this skill, I would have practiced years ago!). I hope everyone had a good time, and didn't miss me too much.

I have been doing a lot of reading during my convalescence and have some good Trek books to recommend. I enjoyed Q SQUARED, by Peter David. It bounces around between three alternate universes and stars not only that omniscient troublemaker Q, but also Trelane (remember him from "The Squire of Gothos" episode of ST:TOS?). Now there's a troublemaker! It's a little hard to keep up with the different universes, but well worth the trouble. Also, CROSSROAD, by Barbara Hambly, was very good, especially for ST:TOS fans. I have to admit she strung me along till the very end--I was convinced that I had it all figured out. I don't know if anyone has read any DS9 novels, but I read WARCHILD, and I thought it was pretty good. Fans of Dr. Bashir should really enjoy it as the good doctor is definitely the star and gets to practice a little frontier medicine in the bargain.

If I read anything else, I'll let you know in the next newsletter. And please let me know if any of you read anything good--I love to read and am always on the lookout for new material.

Until next time, then, good sailing and may the galactic winds always be at your back.