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WEEK 18 2011

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Saturday 7 May2011
Saturday - I had lunch with friends, at a new-to-me Thai place that was pretty darn good. Not fancy - just an old strip mall storefront, but good. My friend and I regaled his teen age boy with stories about how the place used to be pretty much the only new shopping in town, and the only movie, when we were new hires at NASA in the mid 80's. He bore it all stoically, probably helped by the spicy noodles.

We are going to try to see Thor tomorrow, at the first Sunday matinée.


I'm feeling better, and have done some chores, mowing the lawns being the major. I've discovered that the battery is dead in the Probe (not unexpected) and the house central a/c isn't cooling any more (not entirely unexpected). Well, it was putting out air at 80F, which is probably some cooling. Bah. Also the condensation drain is plugged again, judging from the moisture on the a/c stand. I cleaned it out, some years ago, but stupidly re-glued it, rather than putting in some sort of screw joint. More chores.

I haven't done nearly as much as I thought I would on return. The allergy or cold is really an energy drag, and I'm pretty tired.


The wedding or reception next door went rather quietly. So rather than leaving the house for the evening I just vegged out and watched a bunch of Tivo stuff.

Smallville is ending, but there are actually better shows out there, Fringe and Warehouse 13 come to mind, along with The Mentalist and Psych!. I got tired rather quickly of Being Human, but apparently Stargate Universe is ending soon. Monday. I stopped watching a while back, I didn't care much for the mad scientist thing, but I suppose I'll watch the finale.


Over the last few weeks I've read some Sci-Fi. Not very good stuff, but definitely a step above the Galaxy Unknown series. This is the Spinward Fringe series. I started with Book #35: Origins, and then moved through the series in order, #36: Resurrection and Awakening, #37:Triton, #38:Frontline, #39:Fracture and #40:Fragments.

The author has some talent, and there are good ideas, but it's marred by edit errors, and plot meanderings and incoherence. For example, in one book a character's rank kept jumping between Sergeant and Major - kind of off putting. And then the Triton is a space ship they capture and spend almost an entire book refitting as a super space dreadnought, only to be completely out gunned, damaged and captured immediately in the next book. Huh?

Good enough as space opera to keep one entertained. And at $2.99 a pop for the book, why not?

The list of books read at Week Eighteen therefore looks like this, an average of a just over two per week.

#1 Lords of the Sea
#2 Kris Longknife #1: Mutineer
#3 Kris Longknife #2: Deserter
#4 Kris Longknife #3: Defiant
#5 Kris Longknife #4: Resolute		 #6 Kris Longknife #5: Audacious
#7 Kris Longknife #6: Intrepid
#8 Kris Longknife #7: Undaunted
#9 Little Women
#10 Good Wives
#11 Empress of Eternity
#12 Quarter Share
#13 Up Jim River
#14 Betrayer of Worlds
#15 The Bounty*		 #16 Half Share
#17 A Yacht Voyage to Norway, Denmark, and Sweden
#18 The Wreck of the River of Stars
#19 Citadel: Troy Rising II
#20 Live Free or Die
#21 Surface Detail
#22 How the Irish Saved Civilization
#23 The Name of the Wind
#24 The Wise Man's Fear
#25 A Galaxy Unknown
 #26 Valor at Vauzlee
#27 The Clockwork Universe
#28 The Clones of Mawcett
#29 The Sun, the Genome, and the Internet
#30 Trader Vyx
#31 Origins of Life
#32 Milor!
#33 Castle Vroman
#34 Outies
#35 Origins
 #36 Resurrection and Awakening
#37 Triton
#38 Frontline
#39 Fracture
#40 Fragments


Friday 6 May 2011
Friday - I talked with my neighbor, who mentioned that he's hosting a wedding tomorrow, so it might be a big congested and noisy. No problem.


"You might be wondering, where is there room for any sort of science in a comic-book movie about a Norse god in a red cape who swings a magical hammer? Well I’m glad you asked."  A post at Cosmic Variance on the upcoming Thor movie.

Thursday 5 May2011

Thursday - 

Wednesday 4 May 2011

Wednesday  -

Tuesday 3 May 2011

Tuesday - It was a moderately busy trip down. I looked into the mirror when I got home, so now I know what I'll look like after a really bad day, ten years from now...

The cats were moderately happy to see me. T takes such good care of them that they aren't desperate. Phoebe however, showed signs of distress in the last few days, shouldering the closet doors open and stealing my socks and leaving them strewn all over the house.

I'm too tired to move, basically.

The lawn needs mowing, the grass is about ten inches high in spots. It's always something.

Monday 2 May 2011

Monday - after a long days work, mostly gardening stuff in the front yard, I headed south. Bills to pay, errands and chores to do. It feels weird leaving Kevin behind, I'm not one on leaving a job unfinished, but most of the two man stuff is done, particularly the electrical and plumbing, where a second safety/gofer guy is helpful. There are mounds of small jobs, but the big stuff for inside the house, and outside (mostly) is done.

Sunday 1 May 2011

Sunday - a slowish day. We were both beat, and despite the best of intentions it was a half day. A bit of trim, gardening and painting. No huge projects.
Picture of the Week
llamas in somis
Photo Notes: Llamas in Somis

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