A walk by the river at sunset, in the hope of seeing a Starling murmuration over the reedbeds.
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A walk by the river at sunset, in the hope of seeing a Starling murmuration over the reedbeds.
( Read more... )
Reading: Adventures Across Space and Time: A Doctor Who Reader - I love the idea of this book - a collection of academic writing about Doctor Who that can stand as a starting point for scholars, but I knew when I bought it that I would find it quite hard going because I'm not a humanities scholar and I find their idiom somewhat hard-going.
Listening: The Radio Free Skaro and, this year, the Starship Alexandria Advent calendars. I am, as I always am, somewhat behind. But at least this year I'm up to day 18...
Watching: We watched The War Between the Land and the Sea and it was... fine? I don't quite feel it justified its existence. The ending was unsatisfactory - our heroes got to be in love, but everything else looks like a complete garbarge fire. It was very good in places, fine in others, kind of dull sometimes and events often felt like they were happening in order to get to the next plot beat rather than because they made internal sense. If it hadn't been Doctor Who adjacent, we wouldn't have watched.
Listening: The Radio Free Skaro and, this year, the Starship Alexandria Advent calendars. I am, as I always am, somewhat behind. But at least this year I'm up to day 18...
Watching: We watched The War Between the Land and the Sea and it was... fine? I don't quite feel it justified its existence. The ending was unsatisfactory - our heroes got to be in love, but everything else looks like a complete garbarge fire. It was very good in places, fine in others, kind of dull sometimes and events often felt like they were happening in order to get to the next plot beat rather than because they made internal sense. If it hadn't been Doctor Who adjacent, we wouldn't have watched.
Yesterday, Noelle and I were chatting over the puzzle when John came out and asked me to come look at his computer - he couldn't get it to turn on. I told him no, that he needs to contact IT. He did not know what IT was. I told him, it's Brandon. Brandon has been to John's many times to help him. John said he didn't know a Brandon. It was pretty sad. But, no way would I touch his computer.
John was dying quickly a few months ago and put into the nursing wing. He is better now and maybe not dying tomorrow (he is 89) but he's lost many of his marbles. He still sleeps in his room in the nursing wing but spends his days in his apartment with his wife, Hazel, who is blind and does not have all of her marbles either. They have a son, Keith, who lives nearby. Before, he got sick, I used to help him with his computer. But, when he got sick, his son stepped in and stepped up and took over their finances but even so Hazel tells me they have been scammed by BECU three times now. I am sure she's not got all the facts right but clearly there are some computer/financial issues there.
John was not happy that I would not help him and I'm sorry about that but no fucking way am I putting my fingerprints on that bed of quicksand!
After he left, Noelle and I discussed it and she asked me what I would have done differently with Myrna that would have saved me from the quagmire of her family. It's a great question and I did not have answer and still don't. BUT I am getting more and more clear on what I will never do again!
Then, yesterday evening, I ran into Joan who said "I was going to come find you to ask you to change my bandage." I do not know what the wound is or how she got it handled but I assured her that NFW was I going to even get close to that. "Well, Bonny does it sometimes but Bonny's not here" Wait til Bonny gets back or call a nurse or your children. I do not do wounds. Ewww.
I want to make a sign for my door - or maybe my forehead - that says help and has a red circle with a slash over the words.
But, after all that, I came back here to my own place with my own cats and watched some good TV and knitted and wallowed in the knowledge that I do not have to go anywhere or do anything or even talk to anyone for the next few days. It was a lovely evening. I finished the book I was reading and slept like a log.
I think I will probably go swim a few laps this morning. And then my dinner will be ready for pick up about 4. And that's it for plans.
John was dying quickly a few months ago and put into the nursing wing. He is better now and maybe not dying tomorrow (he is 89) but he's lost many of his marbles. He still sleeps in his room in the nursing wing but spends his days in his apartment with his wife, Hazel, who is blind and does not have all of her marbles either. They have a son, Keith, who lives nearby. Before, he got sick, I used to help him with his computer. But, when he got sick, his son stepped in and stepped up and took over their finances but even so Hazel tells me they have been scammed by BECU three times now. I am sure she's not got all the facts right but clearly there are some computer/financial issues there.
John was not happy that I would not help him and I'm sorry about that but no fucking way am I putting my fingerprints on that bed of quicksand!
After he left, Noelle and I discussed it and she asked me what I would have done differently with Myrna that would have saved me from the quagmire of her family. It's a great question and I did not have answer and still don't. BUT I am getting more and more clear on what I will never do again!
Then, yesterday evening, I ran into Joan who said "I was going to come find you to ask you to change my bandage." I do not know what the wound is or how she got it handled but I assured her that NFW was I going to even get close to that. "Well, Bonny does it sometimes but Bonny's not here" Wait til Bonny gets back or call a nurse or your children. I do not do wounds. Ewww.
I want to make a sign for my door - or maybe my forehead - that says help and has a red circle with a slash over the words.
But, after all that, I came back here to my own place with my own cats and watched some good TV and knitted and wallowed in the knowledge that I do not have to go anywhere or do anything or even talk to anyone for the next few days. It was a lovely evening. I finished the book I was reading and slept like a log.
I think I will probably go swim a few laps this morning. And then my dinner will be ready for pick up about 4. And that's it for plans.
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cosmolinguist Dec. 24th, 2025 04:23 pm)
cosmolinguist Dec. 24th, 2025 04:23 pm)I wrote and sent (luckily could retrieve in time!!) an email to them from my erik@ address, rather than the Gmail address I've had since 2004 and use for bank stuff and parent stuff and... that's about it now.
I have never even started to do such a thing before, I don't know what happened here! I'm feeling fine today, so for my brain to be so addled is very weird!
Luckily (??), emails sent from the erik@ account from my phone often bring up an error message that means I have to fiddle around a bit to get them sent, and when that happened this time my blood ran cold and I quickly deleted the email altogether. It never got from "outbox" to "sent" so that should be okay!
But sheesh what a near miss!
It was an email about my birthday present too so very obviously from me, I couldn't say it was just spam or something.
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What I read
Well, the Katherine Addison Cemeteries of Amalo re-read continued: I managed to access Lora Selezh and on to The Witness for the Dead, The Grief of Stones and The Tomb of Dragons (the latter was the one where I first began experiencing weird lagging effects on the ereader).
On the go
Seem to have several things currently on the go.
Still dipping in to Diary at the Centre of the Earth, which is becoming compelling, especially as so much of it is set not quite in my neighbourhood but very close and has allusions to things like busroutes familiar to me.
Started Ursula K Le Guin, The Lathe of Heaven (1971), which have been meaning to do since discovering the movie is online available and wishing to refresh my memory. Do have a copy but it is a) somewhere inaccessible and b) 1970s paperback probably in disintegrating condition so shelled out for (v reasonable) ebook. Not very far in yet - wow it's a bit generic c. 1970 nearish future dystopia! - do we need so much futtock-shroudery from Haber about his dream-machine? (feel that this may have been editor thinking this was Necessary Exposition?).
Also have started Dorothy Richardson, Pointed Roofs (Pilgrimage #1) (1915), for online reading group, which after various struggles have given in and am reading via Kindle app on tablet because stutter mode is NOT what one wants with Richardson's prose. Do have 1970sish Virago edition somewhere in the book maelstrom but disinclined to the turmoil of trying to locate.
Up next
That seems like enough to be going on with but I am in expectation of Christmas books.
I already recced my fave Heated Rivalry fic on Day 5 when I focused on hockey romance more broadly, but since Heated Rivalry has taken over fandom by storm, I thought some more recs would go down well. Everything is Shane/Ilya because duh. Also, they were written before the show, but since the show is such a faithful adaptation of the book, it shouldn't be a problem.
Ilya Rozanov Gets Railed by GlitterCity 13K
“You didn’t like it the last time we tried it,” Shane said.
Ilya gave a one-shouldered shrug. “Was years ago. Maybe it is an acquired taste, like licorice.”
“You also don’t like licorice,” Shane pointed out.
“Yes, but I keep trying it because Luca likes it so much.”
“And then you make a face and tell him how awful it is.”
“When have I ever told you your dick is awful?” Ilya said, looking mildly offended. “I am its number one fan.” I kinda dislike the title because while there's of course quite a lot of smut in this, what makes this story is the amazing characterisation and the fantastic banter (see the quote). Podfic available!
you'd rather die than take your eyes off me by princebutt. 6K, Ilya is in a car accident. Shane hurries to be by his side, and outs them in the process. Set during the year Ilya is playing for Boston. AU.
there's no pretending by moonsock. 13 K. The term, he’s told, is temporary retrograde amnesia. Ilya doesn’t need the direct translation to understand: he forgot things. Ten years of things.
The Pitt
singing in unison by dotsayers. AU. Gen. Leah's sick the night before Pittfest. Robby gets his ticket back. I love a good ensemble piece. And an AU. Two of my fave things rolled in one.
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cakewrecks_feed Dec. 24th, 2025 02:00 pm)
cakewrecks_feed Dec. 24th, 2025 02:00 pm)Stockings around the Christmas tree
Look so bad that your jaw drops.
Once he got a good look at them
Santa Claus went into shock.
Who comes up with these Christmas cakes?
Have the bakers lost their minds?
Did they drink too much spiced eggnog?
Or are they legally blind?
You will see a glut of flotsam pieces as you neeear
Cakes that just won't make you jolly
Hey, d'you think that might be holly?
Shocking amounts of frosting, these
Might send you right 'round the bend
Will you hold out for better cakes
Or just buy these in the end?
BONUS CAROL OF THE SILVER BELLS:
[sing it with me, now!]
Diiiing doooong,
Diiing...
Dong.
A choir of thanks to Maryann M., Janet G., Kadmi, Megan K., Katherine D., Jackson L., Ann M., Jenna C., Ashley S., & Grainne, who all want to go Christmas caroling with Sharyn. Me, too, guys. ME, TOO.
Turns out one of my uni hockey friends has a long-standing history channel on YouTube, and of course he made a video about ice hockey history. I think I'd have liked it even if I didn't know the creator, enjoy:
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