Eight days a week.
Well, it's Saturday, in fact the last Saturday of the month, which as usual translates to busy busy. Still my determination to still not read social media while waking up in the morning, at least until I am out of bed, seems to have continued apace. While I didn't exactly jump out of bed when the first alarm went off, for after all it was the Weekend, I was awake and nearly up a good hour before I usually am on Saturdays.
Did listen to an audio book for a while though. I managed to win a competition recently run by one of my favourite authors, Sharon Lee, who with her husband Steve Miller writes the excellent space operas set in the Liaden series. This book however is by Sharon alone and is, well, I'd normally say Urban fantasy, but contemporary fantasy might be a better description since it's actually set in a coastal town in Maine. And not the biggest of them either. But fantasy elements it has, though not the recycled Tolkien kind. An interesting mythos, background and worldbuilding. This is the second of the Archer's Beach series, the third of which is coming out early next year. The first was Carousel Tides, this one is Carousel Sun, and I think the next and possibly final one (I have the vague memory that it's a Trilogy) will be Carousel Seas.
The book's main protagonist is Kate Archer, who among other things runs the Carousel at the local theme park that is one of the reasons for the town's continued survival. The books mix magical politics with town life, and even a sub-plot about drug runners. She, like the Carousel is more than she seems, though this comes with a fair few problems and responsibilities. And no, she's not a werewolf, vampire or any other conventional paranormal creature. Yes, there is a romance subplot for those who like that. I may not be terribly inclined to the romantic myself but I still slightly enjoy seeing it work out for others. Though it was a while ago that I read my print (or at least ebook) version of this so I can't quite remember where it leaves it.
In spite of my general disinclination for books written in the first person, I didn't have a problem with it here. The audiobook's narrator I'm finding pleasant to listen to, and while I enjoyed one of their other audiobooks (Fledgling from the Liaden universe) the American accent there took me a bit to get used to, whereas with Carousel Sun the location makes it feel right from the beginning.
So, I did that. Then I went to my Gaelic study group. Well, there's two of us, and we're mostly for the Saturday session looking through the litir do luchd-ionnsachaidh which are a series of 'letters to learners' done by a Gaelic speaker and publicised via BBC Alba. (Scotland, gaelic section). There is an audio reading of it, usually 5-6 minutes long, and a pdf version of the text in Gaelic. There are a few notes on the more idiomatic Gaelic at the end of the pdf version but no actual translation. So we spend about an hour and a bit listening to it, reading it aloud in turns and working out what the heck it means.
Then it was time for WABA Thornlie so I headed off there, with a detour past the shops to get some snacks, where I also got tempted by some other bits and pieces and now have a purple travel pillow, a glass tea kettle, a new lapboard for the computer, or possibly crafting, and some jars for when I get around to making jam. As well as the snacks.
Gaming was fun. I got to play some new games and some ones I'd played before, so in, rough order, that included Glory to Rome, Roll Through the Ages, Stone Age, Istanbul, Flash Point (a Fireman rescue game), Duck! Duck! Go! and Sushi Go. A mix of results (lost Glory to Rome badly, can't get the hang of the vault) Won Roll through the ages, got pipped at the post in Stone Age and Istanbul, and my firefighter was responsible for at least 6 out of the 7 rescues we did to win the game. Though some of them were set up by others for me to finish dragging out. It's a cooperative game and can get a bit tense towards the end when you're not sure if the house is going to fall down around the firefighter's ears. Taught Duck Duck Go and won one and lost one game of Sushi Go which is a very silly card game about Sushi.
Left just after 11 and came home. Got my duolingo done and khan academy and I notice via email that FB has noticed I'm not visiting any more. Tough. I'm feeling better for not being on there for a while at least. And I feel like I've got more time.
Though I do need to work on getting this done earlier and going to bed.
Originally posted at http://ariaflame.dreamwidth.org/87538.html where you may comment if you wish. There are currently
comments on the original post.
Did listen to an audio book for a while though. I managed to win a competition recently run by one of my favourite authors, Sharon Lee, who with her husband Steve Miller writes the excellent space operas set in the Liaden series. This book however is by Sharon alone and is, well, I'd normally say Urban fantasy, but contemporary fantasy might be a better description since it's actually set in a coastal town in Maine. And not the biggest of them either. But fantasy elements it has, though not the recycled Tolkien kind. An interesting mythos, background and worldbuilding. This is the second of the Archer's Beach series, the third of which is coming out early next year. The first was Carousel Tides, this one is Carousel Sun, and I think the next and possibly final one (I have the vague memory that it's a Trilogy) will be Carousel Seas.
The book's main protagonist is Kate Archer, who among other things runs the Carousel at the local theme park that is one of the reasons for the town's continued survival. The books mix magical politics with town life, and even a sub-plot about drug runners. She, like the Carousel is more than she seems, though this comes with a fair few problems and responsibilities. And no, she's not a werewolf, vampire or any other conventional paranormal creature. Yes, there is a romance subplot for those who like that. I may not be terribly inclined to the romantic myself but I still slightly enjoy seeing it work out for others. Though it was a while ago that I read my print (or at least ebook) version of this so I can't quite remember where it leaves it.
In spite of my general disinclination for books written in the first person, I didn't have a problem with it here. The audiobook's narrator I'm finding pleasant to listen to, and while I enjoyed one of their other audiobooks (Fledgling from the Liaden universe) the American accent there took me a bit to get used to, whereas with Carousel Sun the location makes it feel right from the beginning.
So, I did that. Then I went to my Gaelic study group. Well, there's two of us, and we're mostly for the Saturday session looking through the litir do luchd-ionnsachaidh which are a series of 'letters to learners' done by a Gaelic speaker and publicised via BBC Alba. (Scotland, gaelic section). There is an audio reading of it, usually 5-6 minutes long, and a pdf version of the text in Gaelic. There are a few notes on the more idiomatic Gaelic at the end of the pdf version but no actual translation. So we spend about an hour and a bit listening to it, reading it aloud in turns and working out what the heck it means.
Then it was time for WABA Thornlie so I headed off there, with a detour past the shops to get some snacks, where I also got tempted by some other bits and pieces and now have a purple travel pillow, a glass tea kettle, a new lapboard for the computer, or possibly crafting, and some jars for when I get around to making jam. As well as the snacks.
Gaming was fun. I got to play some new games and some ones I'd played before, so in, rough order, that included Glory to Rome, Roll Through the Ages, Stone Age, Istanbul, Flash Point (a Fireman rescue game), Duck! Duck! Go! and Sushi Go. A mix of results (lost Glory to Rome badly, can't get the hang of the vault) Won Roll through the ages, got pipped at the post in Stone Age and Istanbul, and my firefighter was responsible for at least 6 out of the 7 rescues we did to win the game. Though some of them were set up by others for me to finish dragging out. It's a cooperative game and can get a bit tense towards the end when you're not sure if the house is going to fall down around the firefighter's ears. Taught Duck Duck Go and won one and lost one game of Sushi Go which is a very silly card game about Sushi.
Left just after 11 and came home. Got my duolingo done and khan academy and I notice via email that FB has noticed I'm not visiting any more. Tough. I'm feeling better for not being on there for a while at least. And I feel like I've got more time.
Though I do need to work on getting this done earlier and going to bed.
Originally posted at http://ariaflame.dreamwidth.org/87538.html where you may comment if you wish. There are currently
comments on the original post.