Things have been a little quiet over here on my blog. Since last I wrote, Zan and I spent three long, full, tiring, beautiful days at Awesome Con. We attended a lot of panels, seminars, and workshops with local artists, and-- of course-- got to see a couple large panels with media guests from The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Since last I wrote, I visited New York City with a group of my best friends. We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge together, got wonderful-cheap dumplings from a hole-in-the-wall shop, drank cocktails at a 1920s style jazz club, and spent an afternoon stretched out under the trees in Central Park.
Since last I wrote, I've had a job interview and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Since last I wrote, I've started using a meditation app called Headspace. I'm not sure if I'm doing it right or not, but regardless, it's nice to sit still for ten minutes a day and not feel like it's time wasted. I've also started listening to a couple of new podcasts, after running into a friend who recommended to me Mystery Show, with Starlee Kine. I also started listening to You Must Remember This, by Karina Longworth, and I'm trying out a few more episodes of Welcome to Night Vale. Speaking of listening to things, I finished the last season of Cabin Pressure, and now only have the episode "Zurich" and the Christmas special left. I wish I had hours more left.
Since I last wrote, I finished Adventures of Huckleberry Finn on audiobook, and started on Jurassic Park. I also read a few books: Unstoppable Octobia May by Sharon Flake, Douglas Fredericks and the House of They by Joe Kelly (illustrated by Ben Roman), The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter, and The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson. More on these books in a future post, I think. Suffice to say, I've found a new favorite author in Angela Carter, and it's been ages since I've been hooked on a book like I was while reading The Name of the Star.
Since last I wrote, I've seen two films in the theater: Tomorrowland and Jurassic World. This is pretty big for me; I don't go out to movie theaters often. It's fun, though-- maybe I'll start. I've been making my way through my Netflix queue, too: I watched the mini-series Death Comes to Pemberley. I really enjoyed it-- I wasn't sure how a 21st-century Austen 'sequel' would go, but I really felt like it kept the themes of duty, honor, and financial considerations at the heart of the plot. And love, of course. Also provided food for thought on the question, What constitutes fan-fiction and what constitutes original work? Is it simply a matter of publication and/or professional production?
Since last I wrote, I started playing The Legend of Zelda: Wind-Waker HD. I'm having fun exploring this new world, and really taking in the design elements. One of my friends did her capstone project on open-world gaming, and it's made me look at the Zelda series in a new, more critical light. I'm thinking about the music, the animation, and the plot a lot more deeply.
Since last I wrote, I've drunk lots of tea, seen lots of friends, eaten lots of good food, taken lots of walks, and napped in the sunshine with two beautiful cats. Since last I wrote, life has been pretty good.
