People Made of Smoke

The knee injection went better than expected? I'm icing it now - as ordered. It required an ultra-sound, then an injection. For a bit it felt great, then after an hour of standing and walking - mildly painful (or per usual). I have the next injection on Juneteenth, in the morning. Since I have the day off - this means I don't have to take time off for it. And the one after that - sigh, is a 2:20pm appointment - so I may have to take the day off work for what amounts to a 20 minute doctor visit. Oh, well, maybe I'll visit the book store afterwards (Barnes and Noble is conveniently located three blocks from the doctor, and on the way to and from the doctor) or a coffee shop and read. B&N is selling records and CDs again. Along with journals, art supplies, cards, chocolate, fancy pens, and lovely books. It has a whole section reserved for fantasy. The doctor's office is about a moderately brisk fifteen-twenty five minute walk from the subway. Barnes and Nobel is closer, although it's about a ten-fifteen minute walk to the subway.

So after the knee doctor, I went to B&N (probably shouldn't have - since wandering around a book store for thirty minutes isn't the best for knees).
And bought four large paperbacks, a specialty chocolate bar, and a kind energy bar. Got five dollars off - using my Premium Card. But, that was probably just for the treats.

My hoard includes (honestly, Book Instagram is not good for me - it makes me want to hoard books, and I obviously do not need assistance in that department):

* The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab - this is highly rec'd by Book Instagram.

*The controversial Want by Gillian Anderson.
(Nancy Friday's collections of erotica were controversial as well.)

* The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon - which I think I may have on Kindle, but I've been eyeing the very pretty paperback for some time now - and I think I want to read it in large paperback? It's a doorstop book.

* Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson- he's extremely popular (kind of Fantasy's take on Stephen King or John Scalzi) and it's been optioned for a television series. But it caught my eye because it's about a caper - with the cunning of a brilliant criminal mastermind and the determination of an unlikely heroine: a street urchin who must learn to master the power of a Mistborn.

They are all large paperbacks, with slightly larger print - not the teeny tiny print that only someone who doesn't require reading glasses can read.

I love books. I can fall into a book and forget everything. Also I can't eat while I read. Or do much but read. Unlike television - where my hands get twitchy and I want to snack or eat or do things.

I joined Story Graph a while back - mainly because Good Reads was annoying me? Not that I'm good at keeping either up to date.

***

Oh, per Instagram, my union announced that its members had ratified the most recent negotiated contract by an extraordinary margin. (Basically it passed and I'll get my raise sometime this year. Yay. I'll probably retire before the next one gets passed.

***

Apparently it was New York Flag Day? So, of course to commemorate the occasion, they had a mini parade through the Financial Historic District. (Basically in front of my building to roughly Francis Tavern. ) Complete with bagpipes, a marching band (a small one) and lots of big flags. And they were thrusting flags on folks who passed by. I got one. Not feeling all that patriotic at the moment, but I got one and put it in a drawer - in reserve.

It's not a great photo? But below is a picture of the bagpipers at the end of the parade, standing around chatting in the shade. It doesn't look hot? But it was. It was 92 degrees with humidity - high humidity - so had a heat index of well over 100 (I think that's 35 C?). It wasn't that bad where I worked - we had a breeze and we're near the water. But it was hot on the way to the doctor's appointment, even though that's about ten blocks uphill from the water. (I live and work on a group of islands in New York Harbor with over 8 million other people, most of which appear to be under the age of 30 and didn't exist when I first moved here in the 1990s. People had an insane amount of children between now and then and dumped them all in NYC for some reason.)

Work was busier today - I get to play with a new excel spreadsheet as well as the editing that I'm currently doing. Lawyer has created a nifty one in Excel - that does things I didn't know you could do in excel. Sigh. She has an advantage? She grew up with the technology or as she put it, with excel and youtube, while I grew up with an electronic typewriter, dial up internet, rotary phones, copy machines, micro fiche, recording devices, cassettes, record players, and calculators. ( Read more... )

***

Television Shows

I'm currently watching Legend of Vox Machina (new obsession - well not as obsessed as I was with Buffy, which dissatisfied me - only aiding in the obsession), Widow's Bay, From, Rivals, General Hospital, and Midnight Mass.
Also flirting with X-men '97, the Legend of Korra, the Mighty Nein, and The Citadel (which requires a rewatch), and the Witcher (which requires a rewatch). Oh, almost forgot, also flirting with the horror series "We Were Liars". (I'm in a horror, soap opera, and anime mood for some reason.)

***

Books

Almost done with Wylding Hall (at the 90% mark) - which means I got to find something else? It's the first book that I've finished on the Kindle in about two months, since I finished "The Inheritance" - I went through three DNF's in between. So kudos to Wylding Hall! And it hasn't taken me that long to finish. I'm still reading "This Kingdom Will Not

I may go back to Willow Hill (another British folk horror novel). I need an e-book. Carting paperbacks or hardbacks on the subway is just unwieldy now. Although, considering I did it up until roughly 2008, I don't know why?

Wylding Hall is creepy and unnerving - it's also more in lines of Shirly Jackson and Donna Tartt than Stephen King? Or psychological horror with folk horror underpinnings? We get the suggestion of it, but don't quite see it happen. The author leaves it up to our imaginations. And, it's told through six points of view - in a kind of scattershot written documentary style narrative (think Daisy Jones & the Six). This makes it very interesting to me - because no one sees the same thing, or they each perceive it differently. Or see a different piece of it. I actually prefer this type of horror novel - but it's not for everyone.

**

Catching up on June Mememage

4. Is rain forecast for your area this week?

Yes. There's rain forecast for tomorrow - 80% chance and on Friday. ( Read more... )

5. Have you learned anything new in the past year (a new hobby/craft/language/fact)?

Well, right now I'm learning new things about Excel? I learn new things at work all the time. What else have I learned? I learned there's such a thing as a LORAM Dump Train this week. And I learned that if you go to work when you are supposed to be on strike or cross union lines, your union can garnish your pay for that period and suspend your union privileges.

I also learned that you can do cardio by marching in places and lifting your knees high - this is also considered Tai Chi walking.

6. Can you swim? If so, what age were you when you had lessons?

Probably 5 or 6, it might have been earlier than that. ( Read more... )

7. Have you ever made pastry from scratch?

Yes. But I don't remember how? ( Read more... )

8. If you could share your life with any kind of animal (assume for a moment that the animal is tame and wouldn’t kill you, and you had the space and resources to care for it *g*), what kind of animal would be your dream companion (real or imaginary)?

A flying white tiger or a flying lion.

More practical? Siberian Forest Cat or a Siamese Cat.

I'm a cat person.

9. Do you like wearing hats?

No. They tend to give me a headache or come off. I don't mind knitted hats during winter.

10. Have you ever been to a horse race?

Yes. A couple when I was a child living in PA. We lived in Horse Country.
I didn't own one. But I had a friend with one. And my parents took me to a horse race once when I was a kid, I only have vague memories of it - mainly of a lot of people standing around dressed up and in the mud. It had rained.

Still enjoying the Legend of Vox Machina - each season is slightly better than the last, the characters (six leads) all have good arcs, and it's a adult animation. (ie. There are sex scenes, battles, and swearing, thank you very much. And sardonic ribald humor. With British accents.)

It's streaming on Prime, and each episode is 20- 30 minutes each.

It's about a bunch of adventurers who band together to fuck shit up. Has a gunslinger, two magical elves, a woodland spirit, a cleric gnome, a singing magical gnome, and an giant orc. Music, chaos, romance, adventure, magic and adventure ensues - while they fight dragons, warlocks and other beasties along the way. High fantasy at its comedic best.

Time got away from me. Off to bed.

I kind of fell down the rabbit hole of Tony Head tributes and clips last night so forgot about doing various memes. Also, we lost two Star Wars alums: Marsha Lucas (George Lucas's wife and his film editor - at 80) and Tom Kane (the voice of Yoda in Star Wars, among others) in May.

( personal health update )

This morning - I woke up with painful right knee. Felt like someone stuck a hot poker into the left side of the right knee. After hobbling about, making the bed, taking a shower, putting cream on it, and taking an aleve, felt better. Also sorted out the rest of the winter-spring attire to make room for the spring-summer attire. (There's a lot of clothing that I need to get rid of. I foresee lugging clothing to the basement in the foreseeable future. I take it down there - it magically disappears on its own. ) Actually standing on it for a bit - helped. I think I moved it the wrong way in my sleep. Oh well, I'm getting the first injection into it - this coming week - so that should help tremendously.

I felt accomplished and slightly better. (Back is just bugging me. Will do exercises shortly. Doing the heating pad first.) After that - it was around 11:30 am and I'd not eaten anything or taken my pills, so that had to be seen to.

But. Just as I was about to make brunch - I saw a wasp crawling along the inside of the apartment window. I stared at it in shock. First wasp I've seen in ...I can't remember how long? And it was a big one too. Cursed. And hunted for something to catch it in. ( Read more... )

After that I tried to make brunch - only to have the two freshly cracked eggs slide down between the stove and the counter top, because they got knocked out of the container I'd put them in when the coconut oil fell from the shelf into the container. I didn't give up. I still made fried eggs, grits and power greens (argula, spinach, and protein pea shoots with lemon juice on the greens).

So a productive morning?

Friday Five swiped from solenne.

1. Do you enjoy reading?

Oh I adore it. Which is kind of strange considering how long it took me to figure out how to do it. It didn't come easily. I'm the sort of person who appears to appreciate the things that don't come easily for me? Once I figured out how to read? I read everything in sight. I devoured books.

2. What is the first book you remember reading?

It was probably the Robin Hood picture book based on the Disney Cartoon. I also read Benji. Most books were read to me - such as the EB White Books, which I adored. The Little House on the Prairie novels that were read to me and I'd read. Ronald Dahl's Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator and James and the Giant Peach. A lot of ghost stories.

But the first I loved was probably Watership Down, followed by Misty of Chinaook Island, Lisa Bright and Dark, Witches of Worm by Zelphia Keatley Snyder, The Westing Game, Escape to Witch Mountain, The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien...

3. Who is your favourite author?

At the moment? It's probably Illona Andrews - who I've read just about everything they've written. They write urban fantasy, sci-fantasy, science fiction romance, and epic fantasy romance. But romance is slow burn and not the main focus of most of their books.

But it shifts a lot, and technically, I don't really have a favorite? My spellcheck doesn't like how folks are spelling favourite - it wants favorite. It's an American English Spell Check.

4. What is your favourite book?

There's too many, and it constantly changes? I mean it would be like picking a favorite pet or child? I've books I've loved and re-read multiple times - such as the Vicky Bliss mysteries, the Kate Daniels series, the Dresden Files, the Hobbit, Dune, Anne McCaffrey's Dragon Rider series, Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion, The Secret History....the Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge, Storm of Swords by GRR Martin, The Great Gatbsy...

5. What is the last book you read and the first you'll read next?

The Inheritance by Illona Andrews and a reread via audio book of Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher, currently reading This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Illona Andrews (hardcover and audio book), and Wylding Hall by Elizabeth Hand (e-book).

I really love books. I love reading. I love discussing books. I love analyzing them, I love writing them. As long as books exist, life is good. What I love about NYC is it such a book city. There are books everywhere. And people reading them everywhere. It's a city that loves to read, talk about books, sell books, and write books. It's my type of city.

Anthony Stewart Head dies at 72.

I loved watching him perform - first fell in love with him - watching him on stage in London's West End Production of CHESS, he'd taken over his brother Murray Head's role. (Yes, I saw Anthony not Murray. They don't look the same.)

Then Taster's Choice commercials, then VR5, and I followed him to Buffy - I started watching Buffy because of Head.

I'll miss him.

Ugh, this is the third actor to die from the central Buffy cast in the last three years.

My Aunt (mother's younger sister) advised Mother that Mackinack Island was rather touristy and crowded with tourists, reiterating what I'd learned from my attempt to get recommendations via dreamwidth. So, she's decided that maybe I should just come down to visit her in Hilton Head after all.
The logistics of traveling together seems to be an issue - well that and we can't find a place that makes sense to travel to. Before you suggest she just visit me in NYC? Been there done that multiple times over the years, and it won't work now - I don't have a fold out couch.

Work. Sigh. It's slow and kind of boring again (my work depends on other people and they aren't as efficient as I am.) But, the nice thing about advances in technology - is I have toys to keep me occupied at work now unlike the dark ages - aka the 1980s and 1990s, where I had nada. People don't realize how good they have it right now. In early 1990s, I bought magazines and read them at work to keep myself occupied. Now? I can play with my smartphone. Also the internet. And write my book, and/or play with my book on the computer. Also brought a little sketch book and colored pens. I'm all set. Usually I just drift off to sleep while meditating or reading about horror films on MicroSoft Edge (workplace browser).

I did accomplish a few things this week. Surprisingly enough. I wish I'd done the jury duty - it's been a slow week. But I couldn't risk it interfering with the knee injections, which start next week. And I'd have been anxious and irritated the whole time - worrying over it. With any luck they'll call me in August. But, I have no control over these things. I don't know why they need to put me in their pool at all. I live in a city with over 8 million people in it. It's not like they have a shortage of people. In Kansas - they never called me - because I went to law school and was automatically disqualified. Here? They don't have that rule. Which seems odd - considering NYC has more people than the whole state of Kansas does. So why could Kansas afford to be picky but not New York? (Yeah, I know Kansas has less court cases, but honestly, NY can't possibly have enough to include over 5 million qualified people.)

**

Making my way through the X-Men Animated Series (currently streaming on Disney +) - which I haven't seen since it aired on Fox (before Rupert Murdoch bought Fox and made a travesty of it, until Disney bought it from Murdoch somewhere around 2020) in the mid-1990s. And I only watched it intermittently back then. It aired between 1994-1996, right after law school and right before I moved to NYC. Hence the reason the sequel is entitled X-men '97 (it takes place one year after the original concluded).
Is it any good? Eh. It depends on what you like or what floats your boat? X-men is a superhero soap opera with insanely convoluted plots that appear to be written by folks on an acid trip. No one reads or watches the X-men comics for the plotting. They do it for the characters - it's a superhero relationship drama with a heavy thematic emphasis on human rights, and being an outsider or ostracized for being different. Mainstream comics, it's not - that's Batman and Superman and the Justice League, X-men is kind of counter-culture comics. They'd been around about thirty years before they took off briefly in the 1990s. Then disappeared again from the public eye, to resurface in a slew of movies and animated series, then went underground again.

So, is it any good? It's uneven. ( spoilers )
So a mixed bag, but that's true of the comics too. I kind of look at the X-men comics like published fanfic? With art? It varies by writer and artist, some are really good, some...make me wonder how they ever got hired and if the person who hired them was stoned at the time? But I feel like that in my own work place.

It is a good comfort watch though. Also, it dates well. Most things that aired in the mid-to-late 1990s do, though? The cultural vibe started to change around that time, and became a little kinder and more diverse. (Thank you NAACP and the LGBTA and Women's Rights movements - it didn't do it in a vacuum, it had help.) Also to be fair? The X-men and Marvel were always a bit on the liberal progressive side of the house. (DC not quite as much?) Stan Lee was very liberal. And the X-men had a pro-outsider or ostracized minority vibe. It's why I loved them, it's also why they were very counter-culture and kind of underground or cult.

Took the day off for an annual skin cancer checkup - only to realize that my organization provides up to four hours for cancer screening on the way home from the check up. It's too late to change it now, might as well just continue taking the day off. Scheduled a follow up for next June, but around 4:45 pm, so I don't have to take the vacation day. They took a biopsy of one of the moles on my back - which looked funky under the magnifying glass.
( Read more... )

Afterwards, walked to Bryan Park and took the F from the front of Public Library, because Grand Central has become an insane maze with the pretty but horribly confusing signage. Breaking Bad and various co-workers weren't wrong - it has corridors that go nowhere. The signage is incredibly confusing. And I almost got lost hunting the exit. So on the way back, I chose to forgo it. (I tend to avoid Midtown Manhattan like the plaques nowadays.) On the way to Bryant Park - I took 41st Street - there was a series of gold plaques with quotes from poets and authors embedded in the sidewalk (NYC and LA are into embedding plaques with names or quotes on them in their sidewalks. NYC does historical references and quotes from authors, while LA does the Hollywood Walk of Fame - with various television and movie stars names embedded in stars on the sidewalk. Personally, I prefer NYC's take on this - but then I'm allergic to LA, I'm a New Yorker. New Yorkers are allergic to Los Angeles). It was hard to stop and take photos of them, because of all the young adults with their cell phones walking past.

But I managed to do it anyhow - so here's three of the plaques beneath the cut.

( plaques embedded on 41st Street between Madison and Fifth Avenue )

Bryant Park had free Yoga - and a Yoga Check in Point. I thought they were doing it on the lawn or in the park, but nooo - it was on the concrete stone platform in back of the NYPL, and in front of the restaurants, at the top of the steps leading to the park and green cordoned off lawn.

All these people were sitting or lying on thin yoga mats and blankets on the concrete platform. See? This is why I don't do yoga classes and do it at home, if at all, instead. I need more padding than that. Although lately best I can do is chair yoga. Maybe its just me? But doing yoga on concrete looks kind of painful? My knees hurt just thinking about it.

I was going to do a museum or the NYPL, but it was 9:47 am, I was hungry (ate at 6:30 am, doctor's appointment was at 8:30 am) and my knee had begun to bug me. So I went home.

Even if I didn't make it to a museum or the gluten free bakeries on the upper East Side as originally planned? I got stuff accomplished. Came home and did laundry. Listened to an audio book while doing it. And took a long walk around 4pm, after which I treated myself to a Coffee Ice Cream (Cold Brew) Milk Shake from Carnval Ice Cream Shop, which is a neighborhood and South Brooklyn staple.

Passed a lot of rose bushes on my walk. Been seeing a lot of roses this year. Roses do very well in New York, they love the climate. Flowers love the climate. If you like flowers or trees or greenery - New York is a great state to live in.

( roses )

**

Television

* I finished my comfort re-watch of Buffy - thinking I'd get a reboot (but no such luck, we shall speak of it no more) - and have moved on to a comfort re-watch of the early 1990s X-Men Animated Series (which is streaming on Disney +/Hulu. ( Read more... )

*Rivals - this is really funny in places. It does farce well. And sex comedy well. I prefer British satire and comedies to American satire and comedies. I don't really know why exactly? Maybe things are just funnier when delivered with a British accent? Or the Brits just do farce and satire really well? I'm on S2. Also the Taggie/Rupert romance is oddly enough working for me? It shouldn't - but the actors make it work? Also the actress playing Taggie comes across as mid-late 20s, not 21, and the actor player Rupert comes across as early 30s. He doesn't quite come across as old enough to be her father or as old as Aidan Turner and David Tennant. It also helps that he hasn't slept with Taggie yet, and is sleeping with Cameron - pretty much everywhere including the steps. (As an aside? I can't imagine having sex on steps as being all that comfortable? Painful, yes. Comfortable, no. ( Read more... )

* Midnight Mass - I keep trying to watch it, but I can't get into it. I keep getting bored. My difficulty with it - is I don't like or care about any of the characters, nor find any of them remotely interesting - which is kind of a requirement for anything I watch, read, or listen to?
It's definitely a requirement of the horror genre. If you don't care about any of the characters - then there's no emotional investment - and you won't care if they are in danger or killed off - which means the show isn't horrifying or scary.