Store trips, Sky Coyote, and sardines

The evening’s adventure was a stroll to the local store, at about 8pm. Overcast sky, searing hot winds. Two midnight-black gentlemen are approaching. Well, one of them may have been a gentleman. The other was jabbing his hands around like an insane boxer, and singing filthy adolescent lyrics from some boasting rap song. He was having fun. His companion was doing his best to ignore the whole thing. I gave ‘em a twisted grin and moved on by.

Books: Xenocide

Xenocide is the latest, a fortunate pick-up at a local thrift store. They’ve gotten a bit more pricy– I think this one was $1.49– but that’s cheaper than postage alone at half.com or amazon.

Orson Scott Card. A Mormon author with rather creepy and nutty ideas about homosexuals, this is not a fellow I’d have much inclination to subsidize but, he doesn’t make a cent from used books.

New foods ‘n’ things

Yes, it’s time once again for Adventures… in… Food!

Today’s episode features pan dulce, which is usually just translated directly to English as “sweet bread” (not to be confused with sweetbreads). Available in a wide variety of simple and fancy forms, these most often resemble gigantic cookies (think “biscuits”, if you’re English). Plain, sugared, pink, rolled in chocolate chips, made into little mountains, decorated with faces, or perhaps rolled flat and shaped around a gooey center, these are practically a meal in themselves. I’ve successfully resisted buying any for several years, now, but they finally got the better of me.

Kage Baker, some more

A series of hefty novels revolving around The Company, roughly classifiable as science fiction and historical fiction, political satire, and other things… I’ve reviewed the first and third books in the series, previously. They were entertaining enough but, lazily paced, repetitive, and predictable.

Fiddling while half.com burns: flame on

You may be aware, oh my children, that the Post Office has recently raised their rates… again. Not simply, but in a variety of confusing ways, depending on the size and shape of what you were hoping to mail, as well as its weight. Not even as a matter of class, as the size, shape, or weight may inadvertently skip your item on into an entirely different class.

It doesn’t affect most people, directly. Why post, when you can phone, text, email, AIM?

In an era when communications costs go down and down, is it so surprising that the postal costs go up and up? Yes, I think so. Perhaps it would be less so, if the Post Office weren’t a government-granted monopoly, but that’s not actually what I’m here to rant about.

Let’s make like a tree… and book!

Mom used to hate that little joke. Well, she’s dead now, so the joke’s on her. Sorry, dear.

It’s been a while since I’ve played with books. It was the EvilGanome who got me interested in dead trees, again, with his recommendation of Kage Baker. Thanks, Evil… umm, that doesn’t sound right, does it? Hmm. “Who knows what Evil lurks in the hearts of Ganome?”

Old Man’s War

I’m reading Old Man’s War, by John Scalzi. He’s an up-and-comer, and it’s been all too long since I’ve followed the latest science fiction.

Garden of Iden

A Kage Baker book, the first in a series from an up-and-coming author, a bit of history intertwined with a bit of science fiction. I think it was recommended by the EvilGanome …

The key is… limes!

Yes, indeed. One of the Miercoles Madness bargains today was three pounds (about 1.4 kilos) of key limes, for $0.99. That’s a lot of limes!

The little fellers run about 25 calories each, and provide 40% of the RDA of vitamin C. Squeeze one into a glass of water with your handy-dandy lime squeezer, add it to your beer, splash it on your burrito. Limes are a favored Mexican condiment so, it’s appropriate enough.

the books of our days

Better. Long, hot soak, and the sun is shining, bless it, and I’ve burned through about a third of If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things… where did I see that recommended? Was it vuboq? Mmm. I’m not clear that it’s a good book– the writing is precious, ornamental, overly done. Language is a tool, and there’s nothing wrong with a tool being beautiful, but the decoration shouldn’t obscure the function. Still, it’s a bit of a tease, and I’m still reading it. There are allusions to stories that haven’t quite been told, which is not a bad ploy.

Got to remember to keep to my schedule. I love the night, but I need that sunlight. Ah, I hope I wasn’t too foolish, last night. Emotional storms drain the life out of me. Time to bow my head, check my email, and pray I wasn’t as wild as I felt like being. Aaaigh.