In The System
konditorei asked for a general life update, so here goes:
Married life is pretty good. Our apartment's lease is up in a month or so, but we're renewing for another six months since our place is fairly close to work for Alex. I am getting used to this whole married/on our own thing, although it is sometimes Weird As Hell.
Also, next month is gooseoboe's wedding and we were looking to take a long weekend in Austin. Any suggestions on a relatively inexpensive B&B or cute hotel to stay at? Or things to do?
What else... Oh, yesterday I had the 'pleasure' of having my biometrics taken by the USCIS. The fingerprinting scanners are cool, but apparently my hands were ridiculously dry and they had a terrible time trying to capture my fingerprints. Oops. The Application Support Center is a sterile, depressing place. It's very wide open, but industrial, with giant placards that say GUARD and RECEPTIONIST but no decorations. Berber carpets and a little pen-like waiting area. Bleh.
But at the very least this means my immigration petition is moving along quickly. WHOO.
Other things: Easy Virtue is pretty good, even if I don't buy Jessica Biel as a cougar seducing some young impressionable thing. Once again, is there a period movie with Colin Firth in which he doesn't get the girl? The soundtrack is ridiculously fun though.
Before I forget, a meme from cornerofmadness:
Bold the Hugos you've read
1953 The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester
1955 They'd Rather Be Right (aka: The Forever Machine) by Mark Clifton and Frank Riley
1956 Double Star by Robert A. Heinlein
1958 The Big Time by Fritz Leiber
1959 A Case of Conscience by James Blish
1960 Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein
1961 A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
1962 Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
1963 The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
1964 Here Gather the Stars (aka: Way Station) by Clifford D. Simak
1965 The Wanderer by Fritz Leiber
1966 (tie)
Dune by Frank Herbert
...And Call Me Conrad (aka: This Immortal) by Roger Zelazny
1967 The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein
1968 Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny
1969 Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner
1970 The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
1971 Ringworld by Larry Niven
1972 To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip José Farmer
1973 The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov
1974 Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
1975 The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
1976 The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
1977 Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang by Kate Wilhelm
1978 Gateway by Frederik Pohl
1979 Dreamsnake by Vonda McIntyre
1980 The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke
1981 The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge
1982 Downbelow Station by C. J. Cherryh
1983 Foundation's Edge by Isaac Asimov
1984 Startide Rising by David Brin
1985 Neuromancer by William Gibson
1986 Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
1987 Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card
1988 The Uplift War by David Brin
1989 Cyteen by C. J. Cherryh
1990 Hyperion by Dan Simmons
1991 The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold
1992 Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold
1993 (tie)
A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
1994 Green Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
1995 Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold
1996 The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson
1997 Blue Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
1998 Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman
1999 To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
2000 A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge
2001 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
2002 American Gods by Neil Gaiman
2003 Hominids by Robert J. Sawyer
2004 Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold
2005 Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanne Clarke
2006 Spin by Robert Charles Wilson
2007 Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge - Ugh, terrible book.
2008 The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
Well, back to dealing with stupid people on the internet. And maybe watching House.
Married life is pretty good. Our apartment's lease is up in a month or so, but we're renewing for another six months since our place is fairly close to work for Alex. I am getting used to this whole married/on our own thing, although it is sometimes Weird As Hell.
Also, next month is gooseoboe's wedding and we were looking to take a long weekend in Austin. Any suggestions on a relatively inexpensive B&B or cute hotel to stay at? Or things to do?
What else... Oh, yesterday I had the 'pleasure' of having my biometrics taken by the USCIS. The fingerprinting scanners are cool, but apparently my hands were ridiculously dry and they had a terrible time trying to capture my fingerprints. Oops. The Application Support Center is a sterile, depressing place. It's very wide open, but industrial, with giant placards that say GUARD and RECEPTIONIST but no decorations. Berber carpets and a little pen-like waiting area. Bleh.
But at the very least this means my immigration petition is moving along quickly. WHOO.
Other things: Easy Virtue is pretty good, even if I don't buy Jessica Biel as a cougar seducing some young impressionable thing. Once again, is there a period movie with Colin Firth in which he doesn't get the girl? The soundtrack is ridiculously fun though.
Before I forget, a meme from cornerofmadness:
Bold the Hugos you've read
1953 The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester
1955 They'd Rather Be Right (aka: The Forever Machine) by Mark Clifton and Frank Riley
1956 Double Star by Robert A. Heinlein
1958 The Big Time by Fritz Leiber
1959 A Case of Conscience by James Blish
1960 Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein
1961 A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
1962 Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
1963 The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
1964 Here Gather the Stars (aka: Way Station) by Clifford D. Simak
1965 The Wanderer by Fritz Leiber
1966 (tie)
Dune by Frank Herbert
...And Call Me Conrad (aka: This Immortal) by Roger Zelazny
1967 The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein
1968 Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny
1969 Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner
1970 The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
1971 Ringworld by Larry Niven
1972 To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip José Farmer
1973 The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov
1974 Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
1975 The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
1976 The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
1977 Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang by Kate Wilhelm
1978 Gateway by Frederik Pohl
1979 Dreamsnake by Vonda McIntyre
1980 The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke
1981 The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge
1982 Downbelow Station by C. J. Cherryh
1983 Foundation's Edge by Isaac Asimov
1984 Startide Rising by David Brin
1985 Neuromancer by William Gibson
1986 Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
1987 Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card
1988 The Uplift War by David Brin
1989 Cyteen by C. J. Cherryh
1990 Hyperion by Dan Simmons
1991 The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold
1992 Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold
1993 (tie)
A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
1994 Green Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
1995 Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold
1996 The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson
1997 Blue Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
1998 Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman
1999 To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
2000 A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge
2001 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
2002 American Gods by Neil Gaiman
2003 Hominids by Robert J. Sawyer
2004 Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold
2005 Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanne Clarke
2006 Spin by Robert Charles Wilson
2007 Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge - Ugh, terrible book.
2008 The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
Well, back to dealing with stupid people on the internet. And maybe watching House.