cheriepriest | Reading

Air temperature 63 F, wind south about 5 mph, fog at the airport with visibility under a mile. Air quality "moderate" with AQI 68. Errands this morning mean I may not get a walk before it turns nasty hot out there.

jhetley

Tom Lehrer . . .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIlJ8ZCs4jY

jhetley

Usual summer flowers -- whole hells of purple loosestrife, brown-eyed Susans, Queen Anne's lace, crown and purple vetch. The phragmites are putting up tassels, another invasive alien striving for world dominion.

Roadkill limited to a garter snake tangled on a downhill and a mummified squirrel pancake I may have reported on the last ride over this route.

No interesting metal birds over at the airport/base. Did hear something heavy taking off but I wasn't in a place to see it. I think C-17 from the engine sound.

Got out on the bike, past the fair grounds before the crowds could jam up the works, over hill and dale and home. Did not die. Ride takes me over 300 miles for the year, about half what I'd like to have nearing the end of July.

15.71 miles, 1:30:50

jhetley

Air temperature 63 F, wind south about 6 mph, sunny. Air quality "moderate" with AQI 55. Will consult with the body about a bike ride across town.

lovelyangel

Starting Tuesday afternoon, I packed my media into boxes, removed bookcases, installed bookcases, and moved media from boxes back onto shelves. I finished this morning – so about four days total. But I’m happy to say the new Media Wall is in place.

( Photos, Below This Cut )

jhetley

Air temperature 60 F, wind northwest about 4 mph, sunny. Air quality alert in place, AQI 104 or "unhealthy" for sensitive groups. And we all know I am a very sensitive person. Walk instead of bike ride . . .

lovelyangel

Between Oregon Country Fair, volunteer work, and packing and moving my library, I haven’t had much time to watch anime – and I fell weeks behind. I’ve recently been trying to dig out of the hole, one series at a time. Catching up means watching three or four weeks of episodes for a show. I was three weeks behind when I caught up with My Dress-Up Darling S2 earlier this week.

The last part of episode 14 and most of episode 15 featured a new character, Amane Himeno, a crossdressing cosplayer. Amane’s story was respectful and upbeat, which was unusually pleasant. The treatment of crossdressers in anime varies widely but has been less tropish in recent years. Mostly. I appreciated that Marin and Gojō took Amane’s story in stride. I liked Amane a lot.

Amane shared a number of crossdresser makeup and costume tips. None were new to me, but I was impressed that the show went into careful and correct detail. The orange concealer showed that the mangaka did his research. I’ve been coached by professional makeup artists as well as drag queens, so I think I’ve seen all the tricks.

At Kumoricon, there are plenty of crossdressing cosplayers, and they’re all nice and fun people; we’ve had pleasant chats. And a few (not a lot) were as cute as Amane Himeno.

Amane Himeno
My Dress-Up Darling, Episode 14

The makeup store scenes in the episode reminded me of my Visit to Hollywood Lights three years ago. After the episode I was inspired to revisit the Hollywood Lights Website, and I was sad to learn that they no longer sell professional makeup. I’m glad I had a successful and nostalgic visit with them in 2022.

Out of curiosity, I used the Ben Nye site to see where I could get makeup if I needed to (although I really doubt I’ll ever need any more than what I already have). I was surprised to find Costume Avenue in Beaverton! Gosh. I guess I never had to drive into Portland. I’ll go check out the store one of these days. I drive right by it when I visit Debbie in Hillsboro every week (although the store is closed on the days I visit Debbie).

jhetley

Hummingbird.

jhetley

Air temperature 68 F, wind southwest about 7 mph, mostly cloudy. Daylight flees -- I am now getting up before the sun. Trash bin out to the end of our driveway. May be able to get a walk in before the real heat takes hold.

jhetley

How do you negotiate with someone whose stated aim is to kill you and all your tribe?

jhetley

I haven't seen monarch butterflies on all that expanse of milkweed available on my bike routes. I've seen two total this summer, here in town, and Elder Son reports a few. Have you people south of us been starving and poisoning them?

jhetley

First flowers on the wild cucumber vine, whole hells of chicory and Queen Anne's lace and goldenrod. Thistles going to fluff, wild rose hips swelling. Also saw one laggard lupine blooming.

Roadkill limited to one bullfrog in a thoroughly residential setting. Also, the usual supply of stains on the road with no visible corpse. Did smell skunk over by the DOT garage. And no geese or ducks yet on the cemetery pond.

Got out on the bike, up to the golf course and over to the road through the bog and back, warm and sweaty work. Did not die.

15.33 miles, 1:25:48

jhetley

Air temperature 62 F, wind south about 5 mph, cloudy. The species has not ended while I slept, which is a lost opportunity. Bike ride probable.

jhetley

Air temperature 56 F, wind near calm, sunny. No hummingbird sightings yet this morning. Since they have to feed early and often to maintain that fierce temper, I assume they have found other fish to fry. So to speak. Morning appointment, afternoon walk?

jhetley

Bought a couple of extra bags of coffee on our foraging run. A lot of US coffee comes from Brazil. Donald the Deflector is promising 50% tariffs on Brazil if they don't let his dear buddy out of jail. Prosecuting people for attempting to overthrow the government is a subject close to his heart . . .

jhetley

Next on the diversion calendar, finishing up the job in Iran?

jhetley

Hummingbird working the hosta flowers outside my window while I was getting dressed, about 0500. The early bird gets the nectar? Anyway, one also showed up outside my office window a little while ago, no way of knowing if it was the same bird. Hostas there, too, bumblebee working them now.

Air temperature 55 F, wind west about 7 mph, sunny. Foraging later, either bike ride or walk at some point.

lovelyangel

While I dealt with OCF and worked with my church, packing was on hiatus from July 10 to July 19, and I resumed packing late Saturday. It took the rest of the weekend to finally empty the remaining 7’ bookcases.

( Photos, Below This Cut )

mrissa

Review copy provided by the author, who is a personal friend.

Nera has been helping her father at the titular Station her whole life. Or...her whole life-ish thing. Because Nera has only ever been in the Station, so she only interacts with her father, the dead, and the dogs who guide the dead on their way through the Veil and keep them safe. (The dogs. OMG the dogs. So many good doggos in this book.) Charlie has just lost her sister, who is also her best friend, and her family is falling apart. On top of it all, she's been seeing ghosts--but never the one she most wants to see.

But when Charlie finds the Station, she hopes for a chance to reverse what was lost. Nera is astonished--delighted--to meet another living person who can share at least some of her ghost experiences. But all is not well with the Station itself--dark forces threaten its peaceful work of helping spirits leave this world for what comes after. They want to shatter and rend. And the dark forces know all of Nera and Charlie's most vulnerable points.

Like life, this book is so full of both grief and joy. Both are extremely well-drawn and intense--I started reading this book on an airplane and stopped almost immediately, because I could see that there would be moments of stronger emotion than I wanted to invite by myself in seat 16B. If you've suffered loss recently, time your reading of this book carefully, but I think it can be very healing. I think this is one of those rare books that can be enjoyed by many but will be desperately needed by some. There's so much heart here, for other people and of course dogs, but also for places. Highly recommended.

jhetley

Air temperature 60 F, wind west about 7 mph, partly cloudy. High today supposed to be around 70 F. Got some rain and a single shot of thunder yesterday, neither as much as forecast. Morning appointment, afternoon walk?

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Another Haunt

Some kind of hunting lodge for rich weirdos

Reading

Godot still not here

(no subject)

Sunday boring report

Another day earned

Library Update #4: Media Wall

Modified planning

My Dress-Up Crossdresser

(no subject)

A hostage of fate

(no subject)

Where have all the flowers gone . . .

Thursday floral report

World enough and time

Not under heat dome

(no subject)

(no subject)

Morning improvement

Library Status Update #3: Packing, Part 2

The Lighthouse at the End of the World, by JR Dawson

More humdrum prospect

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April 2020

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