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The 4th and other news
Jul. 13th, 2026 06:58 pmWe had family visiting us over the 4th, which was great, but it meant I didn't get around to posting any updates. The day itself was kind of weird, in that the 250th would normally be a big deal and instead inspired a "meh" feeling, thanks to Trump ruining it for everyone (both by killing the celebration and by putting the country in the state it's in). Our daughter bought some fireworks, though, and so we had a little show at the bottom of the driveway. First time for that since my brother moved North about 4 years ago. He used to go nuts on the 4th -- it was his favorite holiday! And now he's passed on, so I have a lot of bittersweet feelings about the date.
I was shopping for something at Amazon this week, and it remembered that I've been looking at book nooks, so it suggested a Dolphin Island set to me. Is that a thing? I guess it must be. Anyway, this was a much better set than the one it suggested, though still not as good as other book nooks I've seen. AKA,
* Dinosaur Museum
* Magic Station (Harry Potter Hogwort's train)
* Voyage Memories
* Whatever This Dreamy Seafaring Thing Is
* Steampunk
* Zodiac
* Tarot
* Pirate Bay
* Dark Family (Netflix's Wednesday show)
Whoo!
In TV viewing, we watched The Vow on Netflix last weekend and enjoyed it, and I've been bingeing on Hope Street (Britbox) before it gets removed. I was unprepared for the cast shakeups that happen each season, especially since Nicole and Clint and their toxic, histrionic relationship is one of the storylines I least like, and yet they're still around and still yelling at each other. :(
We've also started S2 of The Good Girl's Guide To Murder, which we both like. The lead character is played by the actress who plays Enid in Wednesday, so that's nice. She's very likeable. But looking through my Netflix list yesterday, I can see that I really need to finish S2 of Beef (disappointing) and get to one of the other 30 or so series in my queue. Probably this week, since we're having a heatwave and I'll be biking in the garage for-e-ver. \o?
I was shopping for something at Amazon this week, and it remembered that I've been looking at book nooks, so it suggested a Dolphin Island set to me. Is that a thing? I guess it must be. Anyway, this was a much better set than the one it suggested, though still not as good as other book nooks I've seen. AKA,
Whoo!
In TV viewing, we watched The Vow on Netflix last weekend and enjoyed it, and I've been bingeing on Hope Street (Britbox) before it gets removed. I was unprepared for the cast shakeups that happen each season, especially since Nicole and Clint and their toxic, histrionic relationship is one of the storylines I least like, and yet they're still around and still yelling at each other. :(
We've also started S2 of The Good Girl's Guide To Murder, which we both like. The lead character is played by the actress who plays Enid in Wednesday, so that's nice. She's very likeable. But looking through my Netflix list yesterday, I can see that I really need to finish S2 of Beef (disappointing) and get to one of the other 30 or so series in my queue. Probably this week, since we're having a heatwave and I'll be biking in the garage for-e-ver. \o?
Vincent's World
Jun. 27th, 2026 11:07 amI finished a new model last weekend— a 3-D Van Gogh-themed wooden bookend kit. This was a gift from our daughter a year-and-a-half ago, and I'd delayed it in favor of LEGO-like sets and because I hadn't put anything wooden together before. :O
It's a book-nook type of puzzle, where the pieces come in pre-printed wooden sheets and most of them interlock. There were only a few parts that required gluing. Very impressive, though it doesn't open back up again after assembly like some of them. Once it's built, it stays shut. But it has a back mirror to help show the full set, and a motion-detector light-up mechanism to illuminate the whole interior when someone stops to look at it, which is neat.
It just makes me covet things like these Dinosaur Museum and Steampunk Workshop sets all the more, not to mention the ones that are more Lego-like instead of wood. I want all of the magic and Steampunk and absurd things! The problem is the expense, and then what to do with them afterwards. :O
I mean, I just finished photographing our kids' remaining Build-A-Bear toys and various outfits last weekend, and posted them up for sale at Facebook yesterday! I'm at war with myself trying to clear out the storage room a little while also gathering all the cool things in before they stop being made. /o\
It's a book-nook type of puzzle, where the pieces come in pre-printed wooden sheets and most of them interlock. There were only a few parts that required gluing. Very impressive, though it doesn't open back up again after assembly like some of them. Once it's built, it stays shut. But it has a back mirror to help show the full set, and a motion-detector light-up mechanism to illuminate the whole interior when someone stops to look at it, which is neat.
It just makes me covet things like these Dinosaur Museum and Steampunk Workshop sets all the more, not to mention the ones that are more Lego-like instead of wood. I want all of the magic and Steampunk and absurd things! The problem is the expense, and then what to do with them afterwards. :O
I mean, I just finished photographing our kids' remaining Build-A-Bear toys and various outfits last weekend, and posted them up for sale at Facebook yesterday! I'm at war with myself trying to clear out the storage room a little while also gathering all the cool things in before they stop being made. /o\
Hobbit-House Complete!
Jun. 14th, 2026 09:58 amI finished the Not-A-Hobbit-House about two weeks ago. It was a lot of fun to build, despite some areas that could have been sturdier (the trees!) and some wrong/ambiguous directions. Only missing one piece, a 2x1 flat white tile. I substituted a light gray one I had left over from the Magic Workshop set from a few years back. If I ever make it to the nearby Minifigures store, I'll buy a replacement.
Here's the inside, with the Frodo, Smeagol, and Gandalf mini-figures that HalfshellHusband bought as anniversary gifts to go with the set (which was a Mother's Day gift from our son):
The interior lighting was a missed opportunity in the directions. It's shown as something you "slip" into the middle roof piece after that gets built, but there's no way to do that. You'd have to include it during the build. Too late now! (That's kind of a shaky area of the set). As a result, it's not bright enough to see that this "Dwarf Cabin" (Hobbit House) mysteriously contains a boombox. \o?
This is the view of the rear when the roof is entirely closed. It has 4 hinged pieces that let you open things up, which is pretty neat!
And a view of the front, with the door partly open so you can see inside a little. I left some parts out of the build, namely the giant orange dog (that is completely out-of-scale with the rest of the house) and the signpost that states "Roantic Home." Bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha! You have to love the Chinese companies who create these knockoffs. They don't fully understand the culture of the target customers, so misspelling aside, it apparently isn't clear that while you might name your home something like "Bag End," you wouldn't post a sign describing they type of home you intend it to be.
All-in-all, I thought this was a terrific set. And while LEGO makes a set for "The Shire" (at $270), it does not make a Hobbit house. Especially not for $36! :D
Here's the inside, with the Frodo, Smeagol, and Gandalf mini-figures that HalfshellHusband bought as anniversary gifts to go with the set (which was a Mother's Day gift from our son):
The interior lighting was a missed opportunity in the directions. It's shown as something you "slip" into the middle roof piece after that gets built, but there's no way to do that. You'd have to include it during the build. Too late now! (That's kind of a shaky area of the set). As a result, it's not bright enough to see that this "Dwarf Cabin" (Hobbit House) mysteriously contains a boombox. \o?
This is the view of the rear when the roof is entirely closed. It has 4 hinged pieces that let you open things up, which is pretty neat!
And a view of the front, with the door partly open so you can see inside a little. I left some parts out of the build, namely the giant orange dog (that is completely out-of-scale with the rest of the house) and the signpost that states "Roantic Home." Bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha! You have to love the Chinese companies who create these knockoffs. They don't fully understand the culture of the target customers, so misspelling aside, it apparently isn't clear that while you might name your home something like "Bag End," you wouldn't post a sign describing they type of home you intend it to be.
All-in-all, I thought this was a terrific set. And while LEGO makes a set for "The Shire" (at $270), it does not make a Hobbit house. Especially not for $36! :D
I am so old...
May. 19th, 2026 04:43 pmthat I can't reliably tell the difference between skunk stink and marijuana smoke when I'm out biking along the parkway. Now I know why people used to call it "skunk weed"!
I biked out in the world just 2 days last week because of heat and wind, and today might be it for this week? Temperatures will drop to more reasonable levels by Saturday, but that could be due to windstorms again. Ugh. Spring in Sacramento is always like this. :(
In book news, I'm currently reading the last of the Station Eternity series. I really enjoy the characters in it, and I'll be sorry when it's over. I recently finished Night Film, which was good but somehow a lot of work (it took me nearly 2 weeks to read it), and These Summer Storms (which I'm going to call a beefed-up romance novel— not one of my genres). Next on the list is Who Will Run The Frog Hospital?, since my hold on it came due. At some point, I'll get back to the Dungeon-Crawler Carl series, but I was hoping to improve my Goodreads stats a little, since the books in that series take awhile. I'm afraid Night Film just made everything worse!
Hobby-wise, I have begun building the Not-A-Hobbit-House set. The Amazon reviews have some complaints about the bricks imploding, so I'm trying to be careful. I hope the main issue was with the indoor tree (!), which is structurally not very sturdy. :O And there's always the question of whether all of the pieces will actually be included, especially since this is a knock-off set...
I biked out in the world just 2 days last week because of heat and wind, and today might be it for this week? Temperatures will drop to more reasonable levels by Saturday, but that could be due to windstorms again. Ugh. Spring in Sacramento is always like this. :(
In book news, I'm currently reading the last of the Station Eternity series. I really enjoy the characters in it, and I'll be sorry when it's over. I recently finished Night Film, which was good but somehow a lot of work (it took me nearly 2 weeks to read it), and These Summer Storms (which I'm going to call a beefed-up romance novel— not one of my genres). Next on the list is Who Will Run The Frog Hospital?, since my hold on it came due. At some point, I'll get back to the Dungeon-Crawler Carl series, but I was hoping to improve my Goodreads stats a little, since the books in that series take awhile. I'm afraid Night Film just made everything worse!
Hobby-wise, I have begun building the Not-A-Hobbit-House set. The Amazon reviews have some complaints about the bricks imploding, so I'm trying to be careful. I hope the main issue was with the indoor tree (!), which is structurally not very sturdy. :O And there's always the question of whether all of the pieces will actually be included, especially since this is a knock-off set...
More -ish than LEGO
Mar. 8th, 2026 01:59 pmGuess what I found at Amazon, while looking through Book Nook-style LEGO and peudo-LEGO sets? A Tardis set for all the Whovians out there. This is a wooden model-kit rather than being made of LEGO-style bricks, but it's still neat. There are a bunch of other Book Nooks offered by the same company, which include a variety of Steampunk-themed things and zodiac- and tarot-related sets. \o/
I did our taxes this weekend, and even with Turbotax it was more of a pain than it needed to be. We actually owe money this year, thanks to a bunch of capital gains that I didn't even know had happened. They typically get automatically reinvested. I.e., we often don't actually see any real money, just the changes in investment account balances. And yes, I realize that's a problem most people probably wish they had. Given all this, you'd think I'd be more sold on retiring this year. But I'm leery because of Trump and his effect on the affordability of healthcare. HalfshellHusband is a high consumer of health services, so having to get independent coverage makes me nervous.
I'm 3/4 of the way through Adventures in Calamity Physics, a coming-of-age novel about a high school senior who suffers a catastrophic trauma. She has an insufferably erudite Casanova of a father, and a rather pretentious friend group she was pressed into joining by a well-meaning teacher. Despite how it sounds, it's an amusing and mostly (drily) humorous read. It's work, though. Much of the prose includes references to books or films as passing supplements to descriptions or situations, so it's full of citation notes. And you find yourself reading every one of them.
Movie-wise... we watched Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning on Netflix last weekend. Ulllhhh. The inside-the-situation-room scene was particularly bad, with some of the worst and needlessly wordiest dialogue ever seen in Hollywood. None of the actors seemed to believe in what they were saying. Plus, there's the endless over-reliance on rubber mask disguises, which wasn't believable in the first film. :( There were some fun car chases, but a lot of the movie seemed like noise and flailing trying to disguise a lack of conviction. \o?
Now, in the throes of the spring-forward bleariness, I need to get ready to go bicycling. Today will be outdoors, after three days of being stuck in the garage because of excessive wind. Welcome to spring in Sacramento. :O
I did our taxes this weekend, and even with Turbotax it was more of a pain than it needed to be. We actually owe money this year, thanks to a bunch of capital gains that I didn't even know had happened. They typically get automatically reinvested. I.e., we often don't actually see any real money, just the changes in investment account balances. And yes, I realize that's a problem most people probably wish they had. Given all this, you'd think I'd be more sold on retiring this year. But I'm leery because of Trump and his effect on the affordability of healthcare. HalfshellHusband is a high consumer of health services, so having to get independent coverage makes me nervous.
I'm 3/4 of the way through Adventures in Calamity Physics, a coming-of-age novel about a high school senior who suffers a catastrophic trauma. She has an insufferably erudite Casanova of a father, and a rather pretentious friend group she was pressed into joining by a well-meaning teacher. Despite how it sounds, it's an amusing and mostly (drily) humorous read. It's work, though. Much of the prose includes references to books or films as passing supplements to descriptions or situations, so it's full of citation notes. And you find yourself reading every one of them.
Movie-wise... we watched Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning on Netflix last weekend. Ulllhhh. The inside-the-situation-room scene was particularly bad, with some of the worst and needlessly wordiest dialogue ever seen in Hollywood. None of the actors seemed to believe in what they were saying. Plus, there's the endless over-reliance on rubber mask disguises, which wasn't believable in the first film. :( There were some fun car chases, but a lot of the movie seemed like noise and flailing trying to disguise a lack of conviction. \o?
Now, in the throes of the spring-forward bleariness, I need to get ready to go bicycling. Today will be outdoors, after three days of being stuck in the garage because of excessive wind. Welcome to spring in Sacramento. :O
More pseudo-LEGOs
Mar. 2nd, 2026 04:41 pmI don't think I mentioned that HalfshellHusband got me a fantastic Lumibricks Time-Rift Library set for Valentine's Day. I'm really looking forward to putting it together!
In the meantime, I just finished a Starry Night set I got 2-3 years ago and never put together because of all the time spent on the house rebuild or (after moving back home) because it was still in an unopened box. I picked this set out as a birthday present however many years ago, partly because of the Starry Night theme (I have a LOT of Starry Night "merch") and also because it includes a Van Gogh minifigure with his painting. \o/
What I failed to notice at the time was that it was a mini-brick set. I haven't worked with those before, and the danger of something rebounding off the other pieces (or just falling) is very high. The smallest pieces are extremely hard to find on our Oriental-patterned rug. I didn't lose anything permanently, though the set had a few missing pieces (I improvised) and a LOT of extra pieces. The instructions were all pictures, with the number 1, 2, and 3 being the only non-Japanese (Chinese?) parts, and one of the blues was REALLY hard to make out on the diagrams— I had to get out a flashlight. This was a super-challenging build. :O
Midway through the build:
Three-quarters of the way done:
Final product with mini-artist:
I would recommend this set, except that it's no longer being made. There are other Starry Night sets, but the resulting "pictures" are usually less accurate than this one. Someone did a very creative job designing this! But if you're tempted, there's the original LEGO set (expensive!). And also these three knockoff sets at varying prices (all of which have a mini-painting, and you could add your own made-up mini-figure)! That last set is actually pretty good. All are mini-bricks, though, so be warned.
In other news, I put the coffee table together. That amounted to screwing in the legs, which were in two pieces to accommodate a flat lower section. The biggest challenge? Breaking down all that styrofoam to get it in our garbage can. It'll probably take 2-3 weeks to get rid of it.
In the meantime, I just finished a Starry Night set I got 2-3 years ago and never put together because of all the time spent on the house rebuild or (after moving back home) because it was still in an unopened box. I picked this set out as a birthday present however many years ago, partly because of the Starry Night theme (I have a LOT of Starry Night "merch") and also because it includes a Van Gogh minifigure with his painting. \o/
What I failed to notice at the time was that it was a mini-brick set. I haven't worked with those before, and the danger of something rebounding off the other pieces (or just falling) is very high. The smallest pieces are extremely hard to find on our Oriental-patterned rug. I didn't lose anything permanently, though the set had a few missing pieces (I improvised) and a LOT of extra pieces. The instructions were all pictures, with the number 1, 2, and 3 being the only non-Japanese (Chinese?) parts, and one of the blues was REALLY hard to make out on the diagrams— I had to get out a flashlight. This was a super-challenging build. :O
Midway through the build:
Three-quarters of the way done:
Final product with mini-artist:
I would recommend this set, except that it's no longer being made. There are other Starry Night sets, but the resulting "pictures" are usually less accurate than this one. Someone did a very creative job designing this! But if you're tempted, there's the original LEGO set (expensive!). And also these three knockoff sets at varying prices (all of which have a mini-painting, and you could add your own made-up mini-figure)! That last set is actually pretty good. All are mini-bricks, though, so be warned.
In other news, I put the coffee table together. That amounted to screwing in the legs, which were in two pieces to accommodate a flat lower section. The biggest challenge? Breaking down all that styrofoam to get it in our garbage can. It'll probably take 2-3 weeks to get rid of it.
I now own this...
Feb. 26th, 2026 05:33 pmIn fact, I own two of them! I purchased a random LEGO Harry Potter minifigure from ebay, and it also wound up being this: Professor Sprout with mandrake. How cute is that?
It is, of course, all about the mandrake. Because I love absurdity. AND I just discovered that there is also a Sirius Black minifigure with ball and chain! Ahahahahaha!
After our random winter day last week (53o), we're now having more springlike weather. A little TOO springlike—Saturday's high is supposed to be 76o, which is awfully warm for the end of February. It makes me worry that the summer temps will come early, like in March or April. Please, no!
I finished Station Eternity recently, which was a fun read. It's a combination of comedy, mystery, and sci-fi. The main character is a young woman with an uncanny gift for solving murder mysteries, who notices that a LOT of those murders involve people who are somehow connected to her. She pleads with a sentient space station to grant her refuge, so she can get away from humanity and stop triggering more murders. There are only two other humans on the space station with her... until the station decides to invite a human contingent for a visit. More murder ensues!
I also finished T. Kingfisher's Hemlock and Silver, which is kind of a desert-based light fantasy with loose ties to the Snow White fairy tale. The main character is a poison expert, which is unusual. An enjoyable read over all. Someday, I'll get around to reading The Raven and the Reindeer, which I forgot I bought on Kindle at some point. This is good, as our county library still refuses to buy the digital version of it.
This weekend: I'll be building the coffee table, gathering some more items for Goodwill, and I might finish my pseudo-LEGO mini-brick Starry Night set! \o/
It is, of course, all about the mandrake. Because I love absurdity. AND I just discovered that there is also a Sirius Black minifigure with ball and chain! Ahahahahaha!
After our random winter day last week (53o), we're now having more springlike weather. A little TOO springlike—Saturday's high is supposed to be 76o, which is awfully warm for the end of February. It makes me worry that the summer temps will come early, like in March or April. Please, no!
I finished Station Eternity recently, which was a fun read. It's a combination of comedy, mystery, and sci-fi. The main character is a young woman with an uncanny gift for solving murder mysteries, who notices that a LOT of those murders involve people who are somehow connected to her. She pleads with a sentient space station to grant her refuge, so she can get away from humanity and stop triggering more murders. There are only two other humans on the space station with her... until the station decides to invite a human contingent for a visit. More murder ensues!
I also finished T. Kingfisher's Hemlock and Silver, which is kind of a desert-based light fantasy with loose ties to the Snow White fairy tale. The main character is a poison expert, which is unusual. An enjoyable read over all. Someday, I'll get around to reading The Raven and the Reindeer, which I forgot I bought on Kindle at some point. This is good, as our county library still refuses to buy the digital version of it.
This weekend: I'll be building the coffee table, gathering some more items for Goodwill, and I might finish my pseudo-LEGO mini-brick Starry Night set! \o/
New to me...
Jan. 27th, 2026 05:39 pmWe went up to Portland to visit family last weekend, and found some new things as a result.
1. There is a fragrance called Ghost Trees. I'm undecided on whether I like it, but I love the name!
2. There is an Instagram account called freddieandthebag, which features videos of a black cat (named Mr. Freddie Mercury) accompanied by narration of his "adventures" with Mother, the short man, and various other enemies/frenemies who frequent his yard. It's wonderful.
3. There is a used LEGO store in the Portland area called Yellow Castle Bricks. Oh, heavens! We spent a couple of hours there, pawing through accessories and minifigures and their components. Even though I lost most of our LEGOs as a result of the fire (smoke damage), I still want more— some for speculative reselling purposes, and others... because I have a ridiculous love for tiny things. I want ALL the accessories! The weapons, the dog bones, the teapots and cups, the brooms, the apples, the tennis rackets, the electric guitars, the scissors, and the flasks/goblets. I bought all of those, and a briefcase, a red toolbox, a seahorse, and a rhino head and alien head. Plus a shark and a crocodile. Yessssssssss!
Speaking of LEGOs, the steampunk airship pseudo-LEGO set that I built is no longer available. :( I hesitate to recommend any more sets, lest they sell out at Amazon before the next time I'm eligible to receive gifts! But... a company named INSOON offers several "Book Nook" building sets, which are LEGO-like "scenes" that open up to be a room or close to resemble a wide book. These include a fake Hogwarts set and, get this, a dinosaur museum set! Whoo!
No idea where I would store all the things I want, but I DO long for them. :O
1. There is a fragrance called Ghost Trees. I'm undecided on whether I like it, but I love the name!
2. There is an Instagram account called freddieandthebag, which features videos of a black cat (named Mr. Freddie Mercury) accompanied by narration of his "adventures" with Mother, the short man, and various other enemies/frenemies who frequent his yard. It's wonderful.
3. There is a used LEGO store in the Portland area called Yellow Castle Bricks. Oh, heavens! We spent a couple of hours there, pawing through accessories and minifigures and their components. Even though I lost most of our LEGOs as a result of the fire (smoke damage), I still want more— some for speculative reselling purposes, and others... because I have a ridiculous love for tiny things. I want ALL the accessories! The weapons, the dog bones, the teapots and cups, the brooms, the apples, the tennis rackets, the electric guitars, the scissors, and the flasks/goblets. I bought all of those, and a briefcase, a red toolbox, a seahorse, and a rhino head and alien head. Plus a shark and a crocodile. Yessssssssss!
Speaking of LEGOs, the steampunk airship pseudo-LEGO set that I built is no longer available. :( I hesitate to recommend any more sets, lest they sell out at Amazon before the next time I'm eligible to receive gifts! But... a company named INSOON offers several "Book Nook" building sets, which are LEGO-like "scenes" that open up to be a room or close to resemble a wide book. These include a fake Hogwarts set and, get this, a dinosaur museum set! Whoo!
No idea where I would store all the things I want, but I DO long for them. :O
Finished steamship!
Jan. 11th, 2026 01:14 pmMy pseudo-LEGO steamship project is done. This one was sturdier than the steampunk magic shop I built last year (different manufacturer, too). I only had to superglue one piece that kept disconnecting, although the silver... ballast tanks (? Whatever those are on the boats?) don't fully connect (they need some re-engineering), and those and the yellow tanks fall off easily. Still, super fun to build:
The Amazon link for that set is here.
I'll be going out for a bike ride soon. The rain has stopped for now, and we're not being plagued by the cold fog, so there should be some good weather ahead at least for a week. I rode outside TWICE in the last 6 1/2 weeks. That's how bad it's been— only a snow climate would have been worse! Not a typical winter for us at all.
I'll be riding during the 49ers playoff game. On purpose. I've hardly watched any games this season— too many injuries, so it's a nail-biter every time whether they'll squeak out a win. Still angry about the Super Bowl they lost, with too many key injuries over the course of the game. I think that was the Niners' year to win, and the referees lost it for them with questionable calls.
In garage biking, I'm almost to the end of Orphan Black, which is sad. I've really enjoyed it. I'm also close to the end of The Walking Dead, after which I'll have to try one of the spin-offs for biking purposes. I need really engaging TV for garage-biking, and a high level of peril accomplishes that nicely. I've also been watching Is It Cake? out there. I enjoy that series, though I'm getting near the end of its last season as well. I can't fathom why the S3 contestants are so prone to baking vanilla cakes, though. Do you want your cake to impress the judges with its flavor, if the win comes down to that? Then WTF would you pick vanilla? It's as "meh" as you can get. OTOH, I personally would not risk matcha or Earl Grey as a main flavor, either. Those are acquired tastes. And S2 Miko's propensity for using mango always seemed risky. People tend to either love it or hate it, and I'm on the "hate" side.
Monday will be my first day back at work, after 3 weeks off. It's been great— I'm not ready to go back. I got virtually no home projects done during that time off (doesn't that always seem to be the way), apart from Christmas stuff. But the relaxation was nice! \o/
The Amazon link for that set is here.
I'll be going out for a bike ride soon. The rain has stopped for now, and we're not being plagued by the cold fog, so there should be some good weather ahead at least for a week. I rode outside TWICE in the last 6 1/2 weeks. That's how bad it's been— only a snow climate would have been worse! Not a typical winter for us at all.
I'll be riding during the 49ers playoff game. On purpose. I've hardly watched any games this season— too many injuries, so it's a nail-biter every time whether they'll squeak out a win. Still angry about the Super Bowl they lost, with too many key injuries over the course of the game. I think that was the Niners' year to win, and the referees lost it for them with questionable calls.
In garage biking, I'm almost to the end of Orphan Black, which is sad. I've really enjoyed it. I'm also close to the end of The Walking Dead, after which I'll have to try one of the spin-offs for biking purposes. I need really engaging TV for garage-biking, and a high level of peril accomplishes that nicely. I've also been watching Is It Cake? out there. I enjoy that series, though I'm getting near the end of its last season as well. I can't fathom why the S3 contestants are so prone to baking vanilla cakes, though. Do you want your cake to impress the judges with its flavor, if the win comes down to that? Then WTF would you pick vanilla? It's as "meh" as you can get. OTOH, I personally would not risk matcha or Earl Grey as a main flavor, either. Those are acquired tastes. And S2 Miko's propensity for using mango always seemed risky. People tend to either love it or hate it, and I'm on the "hate" side.
Monday will be my first day back at work, after 3 weeks off. It's been great— I'm not ready to go back. I got virtually no home projects done during that time off (doesn't that always seem to be the way), apart from Christmas stuff. But the relaxation was nice! \o/
Happy New Year!
Jan. 1st, 2026 02:55 pmHere's hoping 2026 is better than last year, though that seems unlikely for those of us in the U.S. Unless new representatives help tip the political balance a little.
We started off the day watching the Ducks win the Orange Bowl, which was fun. We didn't do any real New Year's Eve celebrating—HalfshellHusband and I watched a movie, although the Boy went to a small party thrown by a friend of a friend. He had a great time, but I was up late so I could pick him up and bring him home.
Geez, why don't we know any people who can invite us to parties anymore?
Over at Idol, we're waiting on the final poll for the Wheel of Chaos season. I didn't make it into the finale, but I finished 4th this time thanks to everyone's support! I'm looking forward to whenever the 20th season kicks off, but I expect that'll be awhile.
Not sure what I'll do today, other than possibly putting together more of my pseudo-LEGO steampunk airship set. Maybe go out for a brief walk, now that the skies have cleared? It's too wet for bicycling. AND, in case you were wondering... I have biked outside ONE TIME in the last 5 1/2 weeks. We've either had miserably cold fog or rain since November 24th. I am so sick of it. I started watching Orphan Black at the beginning of this stint, and now I'm in Season 5. I may wind up finishing it before the weather gets bikeable again. :O
I hope all of you are enjoying New Year's Day, ideally with friends or family and fun food. \o/
We started off the day watching the Ducks win the Orange Bowl, which was fun. We didn't do any real New Year's Eve celebrating—HalfshellHusband and I watched a movie, although the Boy went to a small party thrown by a friend of a friend. He had a great time, but I was up late so I could pick him up and bring him home.
Geez, why don't we know any people who can invite us to parties anymore?
Over at Idol, we're waiting on the final poll for the Wheel of Chaos season. I didn't make it into the finale, but I finished 4th this time thanks to everyone's support! I'm looking forward to whenever the 20th season kicks off, but I expect that'll be awhile.
Not sure what I'll do today, other than possibly putting together more of my pseudo-LEGO steampunk airship set. Maybe go out for a brief walk, now that the skies have cleared? It's too wet for bicycling. AND, in case you were wondering... I have biked outside ONE TIME in the last 5 1/2 weeks. We've either had miserably cold fog or rain since November 24th. I am so sick of it. I started watching Orphan Black at the beginning of this stint, and now I'm in Season 5. I may wind up finishing it before the weather gets bikeable again. :O
I hope all of you are enjoying New Year's Day, ideally with friends or family and fun food. \o/
Pseudo-LEGOs for Primeroids
Jul. 17th, 2024 06:05 pmFor those of you who have Amazon Prime, here are some things (today only)! And let's hope you have better luck displaying pictures than I do. It was all good this morning, but I think the Amazon servers got overwhelmed. :(
LOTR Barad-dur Tower with eye of Sauron
Steampunk Trading Center
Steampunk Airship
Cooler but unrated Steampunk Airship (with random dragon accessory, because why not?)
Gorgeous Steampunk Train Station
Lesser Steampunk Train Station
Semi Industrial-Looking Steampunk Train
And now at an everyday reasonable price (I have this same model): Starry Night with Mini Van-Gogh Action Figure and Easel!
I also have this cute little Christmas Train (there's one set left on Amazon), and I have to say that this 21-in-1 Christmas Village set looks neat (despite complaints about missing pieces, which probably aren't a problem if you have a lot of LEGOs at your house).
Plus, a couple of Pirate Ships. Needless to say, ALL of these are for advanced builders (like, 12 and up).
In other news, it's been slightly less hot here the last 4 days, so I've biked outside. But with these temps, that's still pushing it. :O
And now at an everyday reasonable price (I have this same model): Starry Night with Mini Van-Gogh Action Figure and Easel!
I also have this cute little Christmas Train (there's one set left on Amazon), and I have to say that this 21-in-1 Christmas Village set looks neat (despite complaints about missing pieces, which probably aren't a problem if you have a lot of LEGOs at your house).
Plus, a couple of Pirate Ships. Needless to say, ALL of these are for advanced builders (like, 12 and up).
In other news, it's been slightly less hot here the last 4 days, so I've biked outside. But with these temps, that's still pushing it. :O
