One week until we return to the glorious land of my forbears, the slopes of the Canadian shield, granite and mounted with tall pines and wild blueberries, deep, freezing lakes and a sky so full of stars one can forget there is anything else.
There is nothing else.
Target: 1300 words
Written: 1524 words, novel: Bad Neighbours
Read: Odds On, Michael Crichton (as John Lange)
Comics: Seven To Eternity 12-13, Low 20, Deadly Class 36
Music: Walls And Bridges, John LennonWhat a nice day, hitting Sandbanks Winery, then Gillingham’s Brewery and ironically, running into some nanobrewer who was there to pick up, who then invited us to his garage brewery (literally called Garage Time), and it turned out pretty good.
Plus, our granddaughter’s fourth birthday. Christ, it goes so fast.
So fast.
Target: 1200 words
Written: 1283 words, novel: Bad Neighbours
Read: The Primrose Path, Bram Stoker (what the fuck was this shit? Maybe the worst book I've ever read. Man has a beer at a pub and boom, he's beating his wife and hitting her with a hammer, before killing himself? Maybe the CTE from the attempted manslaughter by his wife's idiot friend was the real reason behind that?)
Comics: Fathom v2 1-4
Music: Elliott Smith, Elliott SmithMan, I have been busting my ass to get caught up to where I need to be to ensure all the things I need and want to do in life get done, after a vacation that was pretty hectic, and didn’t leave a lot of time for anything, let alone extras.
I don’t regret it, but the work it takes to get caught up; I’m starting to think for whatever I can, I might need to intensify the workout, so to speak, before the vacation, instead of playing catch-up afterward. Some stuff will be unavoidable, but if the major stuff is complete, the stuff that can be done ahead of time?
Well, maybe then it’s not all bad, yeah?
Target: 1200 words
Written: 1395 words, novel: Bad Neighbours
Read: Look Homeward, Angel, Thomas Wolfe (I'm pretty sure this book should have been called The Never-Ending Story, not that other one)
Comics: The Hawk And The Dove 4-6, Hawk And Dove 1
Music: East Side Story, SqueezeI fully intend to follow this up with a post on Monday or Tuesday called Long Ass Weekend, but for now, know, going into Easter, that I was run ragged for weeks before our vacation, and as fun as travel is, it was also insanely busy, and then we got back and I have a thousand things to catch up on, so hosting Easter is kind of bullshit.
Fuck Jesus, and the bunny he rode in on.
Target: 1200 words
Written: 983 words, novel: Bad Neighbours
Read: Look Homeward, Angel, Thomas Wolfe
Comics: Hit-Girl v3 1-3, Kick-Ass v4 13
Music: IV, Veruca Salt (single most underrated girl band in history - Olivia Rodrigo owes her career to them - Guts is a straight rip off in style, made pop palatable)I wish.
Nope, naturally, because I took the day off to recover from a highly energetic and busy vacation (from my absurdly busy life), everyone fucking needs me.
I don’t know how, but over the past year or two, it has just turned more and more insane with each passing month.
How do I claw my time back?
I say no to fucking everything.
The problem is, I keep running into things I cannot say no to, or other people fucking commit me without my input, and here we fucking are.
Fuck.
Great vacation. Next time, I’m going to go live in a goddamn cottage in the forest with no other people in sight.
Shit, I may just go live there full time.
Target: 1100 words
Written: 1719 words, novel: Bad Neighbours
Read: The Last Wish, Andrzej Sapkowski
Comics: Kick-Ass v2 4-7
Music: It's A Shame About Ray, LemonheadsThere’s a long day of flying coming, but at least I learned something on this trip.
I am out of fucking shape.
Target: 1100 words
Written: 1058 words, novel: Bad Neighbours
Read: Melusine, Sarah Monette (god, I wanted to like this, so much possibility, but so many loose ends and too many anachronisms - like it just needed to go back in the oven for a bit to be truly cooked through)
Comics: Hit-Girl 5, Kick-Ass v2 1-3
Music: Itch, RadioheadI went in the mid-nineties and the Red Light District was pretty wild. During the day, it was wild, but at night, damn. The girl I went with (fellow exchange student, not girlfriend or prostitute) and I were fascinated.
Now, there’s parents running around with kids. I went to Sexmuseum and came out ill last time because you know, the shit that was in there went want beyond anything I would ever even consider (think beastiality and worse). Now, I watched a mother pose with a bearded drag queen outside, then take what had to have been her eight and ten year old in.
What happened?
We have Disney prostitutes, instead of Disney princesses. (Of course, it’s a hundred percent certain you’ll find an Ariel and a Jasmine in one of those windows. Don’t ask me how much; I’m all for sex workers not being stigmatized, but paying for sex is not my jam.)
Anyway, saw a Van Gogh and the Night Watch.
I guess culture comes in all forms.
Target: 1100 words
Written: 111 words, novel: Bad Neighbours
Read: Melusine, Sarah Monette
Comics: Hit-Girl 1-4
Music: It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back, Public Enemy (so good)Goddamn. Is it a requirement of being either a tram driver or tram conductor that you must be in the angriest one percent of all the people in Amsterdam?
I watched a lady try and get on with her friend, at the tail end of a group of about eight, which the tram could more than accommodate, get her hand slammed in the door, separating her from her wallet (luckily, the credit card she needed to swipe onto the tram fell inside) and her friend. The door was open maybe twenty seconds, like definitely not so long as to say it was nearly done.
And she wasn’t behind, she came in right with the other people waiting. Her friend didn’t make it, and hopefully, got her wallet for her.
Clearly, it wasn’t her first tram ride, however, as she casually turned to the conductor and asked, how many stops is it to the Rijksmuseum?
Target: 1100 words
Written: 2121 words, novel: Bad Neighbours
Read: Melusine, Sarah Monette
Comics: Kick-Ass 5-8
Music: It All Seems So Silly In The Long Run, Sublime (doesn't it, though?)What a peaceful place.
This is my kind of place. Quiet. Peaceful.
Ducks.
Target: 1100 words
Written: 939 words, novel: Bad Neighbours
Read: Melusine, Sarah Monette
Comics: Kick-Ass 1-4
Music: It, PulpMan, I haven’t had a night out like that, joking around with the boys and girls, everybody laughing, telling bawdy jokes, laughing, having a great time, in forever.
I don’t know that the heavy drinking was all that great for me, given various health concerns I’ve got now, but man, I miss the fun.
I miss laughing.
Felt nice. No pretense, just fun, and a good time had by all.
Thank you, Rocco, for making it a brilliant night.
Target: 1100 words
Written: 220 words, novel: Bad Neighbours
Read: Melusine, Sarah Monette
Comics: Cyber Force v5 10-11, Cyber Force: Shootout 1
Music: Istanbul (Not Constantinople), They Might Be Giants