Enthusiastically Ambiverted Hopepunk
The stuff about me and my life. The “diary” side of blogging.
📚 eleven of 2020: The Little Animals by Sarah Tolmie ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #PKDickAward nominee
Unlike most or all of the other nominees, this was more historical fiction with a thread of magical realism—not a bad thing, though, as it’s a neat work that I very much enjoyed.
Since we had an extra day this past weekend, Prairie and I decided to run off for a “mini-break”, and headed up to Whidbey Island for an overnight stay in a B&B. We stayed at the Anchorage Inn B&B, which was a pretty place with pleasant hosts, drove around the island, and spent some time exploring Fort Casey State Park.
While wandering Fort Casey, I played a bit with getting some abstract shots of the decay and geometries of the structures. Those shots, along with more representational shots, are up on Flickr.
Getting away for a day was long overdue!
Since we’re going to have a Longest Night masked ball at Norwescon this year, I picked up a basic mask this past Halloween season. However, it was all black plastic, so I knew I’d want to decorate it somehow so it didn’t look like wearing blackface. I just wasn’t sure what I wanted to do.
This Saturday, the Mercury is doing a masked ball, so this gave me the impetus I needed to find an idea. What eventually came to mind as inspiration was Vinnie, Pizza the Hut’s henchman in Spaceballs. He’s a robot, but it was all done with makeup, no prosthetics.
My painting skills aren’t great—I have no idea how to do actual shading, it’s all solid colors and lines—so I doubt people would really connect the final result with the inspiration. Even so, I’m pretty happy with the end result.
Day zero: The base mask.
Day one: Sketching the design in pencil, and the first coat of white.
Day two: Second coat of white, and adding the metallic silver.
Day three: Detailing in black, and the finished product. Likely won’t be easily identified as the inspiration, but I think it still comes across as decently robotic. I’m happy with it, at least.
📚 ten of 2020: All Worlds are Real, by Susan Palwick ⭐️⭐️⭐️ #PKDickAward nominee
Good collection of bittersweet and thoughtful short stories. Particular favorites are “Cucumber Gravy”, “Lucite”, “Homecoming”, “Remote Presence”, and “Recoveries”.
Our “Movies we think you’ll like” lineup on Amazon Prime tonight included:
Sherlock Holmes
Murder on the Orient Express
Clue
The VelociPastor
and
Movies for Cats – Forest Songbirds
Apparently, the combination of Law and Order SVU, The Fabulous Mrs. Maisel, The Expanse, and Dr. Who (before it was taken off) is enough to convince Amazon that we’re…murder kittens.
Well, okay then.
Got my copy of the new #StarTrekPicard novel today…but can’t (well, won’t) read it until I’m finished with this year’s #PKDickAward nominees. So many books, and only so much time to read! 📚🖖
Me, not long ago: “Okay, my ‘to-read’ shelves are full. No more books for me until I read more of these and open up some space.”
Me, today: “Well, I guess these can go on top of these, and these go behind these, and that gets today’s additions on the shelf….”
📚🤷🏼♂️
At the next to last ConCom planning meeting before Norwescon 43. We’re getting closer!
📚 nine of 2020: The Outside, by Ada Hoffman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #PKDickAward nominee
Humankind is out in space, limited to mid-20th century tech while super advanced AI gods control advanced tech, FTL flight and comms…oh, and Lovecraftian energies are destroying people. Fun!
📚 eight of 2020: The Rosewater Redemption by Tade Thompson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #PKDickAward nominee
An excellent conclusion to a fascinating trilogy. Wrapped everything up nicely, satisfactory ends for all the characters, and a very interesting take on alien invasion.
