Day 360: The sun came out right at the end of the day today. Pretty soon it’ll be warm enough to have lunch out on the balcony!
Borders of Infinity by Lois McMaster Bujold
30/2024 – ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Collects three in-universe novellas with a bit of a framing story. Of the three, the third was the best, then the first, and the last was the weakest. Admittedly, that analysis is definitely affected by modern biases; the middle story’s approach to going beyond the gender binary, while likely progressive at the time, is very dated by today’s standards, and there’s a consensual intimate relationship that involves a somewhat eyebrow-raising age issue. That said, all three are still enjoyable additions to the Vorkosigan saga.
Year 50 Day 359
Day 359: Somehow got confused when making our nightly mugs of tea, and made myself a mug of my wife’s Mint Medley. Unfortunately, I don’t like mint. Not sure how I managed this, but I won’t make this mistake again.
Year 50 Day 358
Day 358: Highline’s Q Center (part of the college’s LGBTQIA+ community) had their spring fashion event today, so I went down to enjoy the show. The students did a great job! This was also my first time seeing Highline’s theater; it’s tiny, but a very cute little space.
Year 50 Day 357
Day 357: It was gorgeous, sunny, and 71º F as we were leaving work today. Unfortunately, the rest of the week is going to be grey, drizzly, and mid-50s, but I sure enjoyed this.
Year 50 Day 356
Day 356: It was a work from home day, and nothing of particular interest happened, so we’re back to yet another “me on the couch” shot.
Year 50 Day 355
Day 355: Though the fabric is still in fine shape, I’m afraid the print on this shirt is degrading to the point where soon it won’t be remotely legible. So, for posterity: The “coexist” is made up of the Death Star, the One Ring, a xenomorph, the X-Files ‘X’, the Tardis, Shazam’s bolt (not a lightning bolt scar, though it is often mistaken for that), and a Star Trek Type TOS II phaser.
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock Storybook by Lawrence Weinberg
29/2024 – ⭐️⭐️
An uninspired children’s adaptation of The Search for Spock, complete with odd errors (“Uhuru”, for instance), illustrated with stills from the film.
Year 50 Day 354
Day 354: Found quite the score while out shopping this morning — an impressively good condition set of the classic Star Trek Blueprints from 1975, with all twelve sheets still in the original faux-leather pouch. If you’d like a closer look (and aren’t lucky enough to stumble across a set), here are scans of the full set at Cygnus X-1.
Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold
28/2024 – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A bit of a deviation from the main thread of the Vorkosigan , but still related (similar to how Rogue One is “A Star Wars Story”). Bujold continues to demonstrate a gift for creating flawed but endearing characters and dropping them into situations both amusing and adventurous. And while I wouldn’t have expected much from a sheltered, naïve, gay obstetrician who’s never met a woman in his life before venturing off-planet, title character Ethan makes for a very entertaining protagonist.
