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Pandemic Diary, Day 24
This is the first entry in this series. February 29, 2020, the day Washington’s Governor Inslee declared a state of emergency, is Day 0, and all entries are dated from that point. I started working from home as my “new normal” on day 18. I expect to be working from home for roughly 3 months. In less than 48 hours, Washington will be under a “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order, which should have us all mostly sitting around our houses for at least two weeks. I am lucky in that my job can be done from home, and while my employer, the University of Washington, may be closing down physical…
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Gratitude Journal 2020 #7
Three weeks ago, when I last posted a gratitude journal, Washington state had just declared a state of emergency due to COVID-19. That has been the start of some crazy weeks in my world, and I have not taken the time to sit down and post here. But the truth is, I think it is even more important in the midst of all of this to be grateful. I will also admit that a lot of what I am grateful for right now is in the way my employer and I am able to respond to the issue. More than anything I am grateful for the (as of right now)…
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Gratitude Journal 2020 #6
I have gone three weeks without posting, but not three weeks without being grateful. Sometimes, no matter my intentions, I just do not make it over to the computer with the energy to post. I do apologize for that. But, I am here now, with three weeks worth of gratitude Gratitude Item #13 – SavingsThe last few weeks we have been hit with some unexpected expenses. The car needed $3600 worth of work (and might have to go back in for more). The dogs’ dental visit cost $1200, and C’s cousin needs some financial help, so we have sent money to her (and will likely send more). None of this…
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Gratitude Journal 2020 #5
Last week I was sick. I spent most of the weekend curled up on a recliner or in bed, generally able to keep my eyes open for about an hour at a time and then falling asleep. I did manage to watch the Super Bowl, but I was so exhausted when it was over that I went right to bed, and did not even spare a thought for my gratitude post. But, I was grateful for things last week, and I am again this week. So here we go. Gratitude Item #9 – Game night with friendsWe ended up planning a last-minute game night last weekend. We made the plan…
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Book Review: Agency by William Gibson
Dear Mr. Gibson,I love your work. I have been a huge fan ever since someone first handed me a copy of Neuromancer. I even own No Maps for These Territories. And I get that you have always been writing near future, though perhaps with Neuromancer and Johnny Mnemonic we did not realize exactly how near. But now, like Bigend at the end of Zero History, with The Peripheral and especially Agency, we are looking just moments into the future. And I have to tell you, you are killing me. Killing me. When can we expect the next book? And now onto standard book review format. Agency is William Gibson’s latest…
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Gratitude Journal 2020 #4
What day of the week is it? Is tomorrow really Monday again? A Monday on which I have to go to work? What foul sorcery is this? Seriously, all these holidays crammed into four months (Veterans’ Day-Presidents’ Day) makes it seem like maybe we should have 4 day work weeks. But, tomorrow is not a holiday. It is Monday, and I must go to work. But that means tonight is Sunday, and it is time to be grateful. Gratitude Item #7 – New Art from Artists I RespectThis was a week of new media for me. The new William Gibson novel, Agency, was released. Picard premiered, and we finally ordered…
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100 Words On…The Dragon Prince
The Dragon Prince comes from the creators of Avatar (the cartoon, not the movie). If you liked Aang and friends, you will like this. It deals with many of the same issues but focuses on racism and cultural intolerance. It takes a deeper look at the characters’ responsibilities to the world outside of their adventures, and how sometimes those outweigh their own wants. It also takes a very nuanced look at families and family loyalty. It plays a bit with your expectations of characters, and how good intentions or love of family can still lead someone down the “wrong” path.
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Gratitude Journal 2020 #3
It felt like a busier week than it was. The Seattle area got hit with snow last week, which was rather odd, as we had bad snow last year, and usually, we go a few years between snowstorms. But, snow we had. And so ice we had. The University where I work had delayed starts many days. For Monday-Wednesday, I was only on campus for 6 hours a day, instead of my normal 9. But now it is the weekend again. It has been raining, and the snow is mostly melting. Next week should be a fairly normal week. And in a sense, I am grateful for being able to…
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Gratitude Journal 2020 #2
It was a very busy week at work. Classes were back in session, so students and faculty were back on campus. And, for the first time in a few weeks, I had to work a full FIVE days in a row. I often think that I would happily do a four tens work schedule where Wednesday was my day off. In addition, I did 18 phone screens over three days for the position I am hiring for. Yeah, busy week. But that’s okay. This next week should be a little less busy. Gratitude Item #3 – Snow blowerYou know how last week I started out by being grateful for cooperative…
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100 Words On…The Witcher
I had never played the videogame, so I came in with no preconceived notions of what the Witcher was supposed to be or any understanding of the timeline. Once I realized that we were operating on different timelines (thanks to comments about the war with the elves), it became a game to try to figure out “when” we were for each scene and to watch the timelines slowly converge. Also, I may be in the minority, but I LOVE the bard. I thought he was a perfect foil for Geralt. I hope we get a chance to see him again.
