Suburb of Heaven

I'm doing a short talk on two Hogarth prints later on this semester, so I've just started reading two books on the subject of the prints, Gin: The much-lamented Death of Madam Geneva and Ale, beer and Brewsters in England: women's work in a changing world, 1300-1600. If you're interested in the topic, there are also two podcasts that relate directly, one from the BBC's In Our Time on the gin craze (the image they use is a detail from the print I'm talking about) and an episode of Tides of History where the host interviews the author on the topic of women and beer brewing.

Kiki has had her two shots and is now on her two month stretch of enforced inactivity. She can go for short walks but I predict in a few days she'll be feeling better and the short walks are just going to frustrate her. She's going to end up staring at me with pleading eyes and trying to squish herself into my lap so I know how much she is suffering.


jesse_the_k asked about three of my icons, my main one, my eclipses one, and my zen one.

My nom-de-internet is pretty old by now and comes from Saint Catherine of Siena, a mystic saint that I did my thesis on. The image is of Saint Catherine holding a lily, and is from a fresco in the basilica of San Domenico and was painted by Andrea Vanni. If you go visit, say hi to her head for me.

I didn't make my eclipses icon and sadly I don't have a note down anywhere about who made it. I know very little about astronomy, but I'm fascinated by old astronomical charts and texts and images. I adopted this icon because I just find it deeply beautiful.

My zen one is Damian Lewis from the tv show Life. I loved the show so much, and besides the great acting and fun stories it had great music too. Sadly it was crippled by the writers strike and when the two seasons finally made it to DVD they had replaced a lot of the music with lesser choices. I was not happy. Anyway, Damian Lewis's character Charlie Crews is a police officer sent to prison for a crime he didn't commit, and while he's there he studies Zen. When he's freed, he brings his slightly eccentric Zen sensibilities out into the world with him, much to the frustration of those around him. (He also has a thing for fresh fruit.)

BRB, sobbing wildly because of a tv show I'm going to miss very much.

Why am I watching Hannibal it's so pretty but I can't cope. But I can't look away, either.

I shake my fist at thee, charismatic group of actors and staff and people who write clever Tumblr tags and post gleeful cannibal puns. I shake my fist at thee!

I'm scared one of the cats is ill, I have money but not really because hahahah bills, my feet hurt, and I ate a lot of crappy food today and regret it because blurgh, except probably not enough to stop myself the next time I want something crappy.

I apparently watched The Last Unicorn at just the right age to do serious damage because I almost started sobbing today listening to a PODCAST of the Tolkien Professor discuss it in his fantasy literature class. That's like, third-hand emotional trauma. (Although to be honest that's probably hormones talking. Mostly.) I have a DVD of the movie because my sister likes to torment me, and I could show it to Bemo because he's never seen it, but then he'd have to watch me cry helplessly from the second the movie started till the last credit rolled.

The next book the podcast was discussing was Sabriel so I have a good excuse to reread it, especially since I'm sort-of rereading one of the Travis McGees I don't really like and don't know why I decided to reread. And I'm also reading Caesar's Women for the umpty-millionth time, but it's been a while since Sabriel, so.

Also I have a bunch of the Oz books on my Kindle to reread.

Bemo's back hurts and he's in part-time PT because of it. Oh goody, more bills. If he winds up needing an MRI I'm going to scream. Of course it's not his fault, but that doesn't make me any less irritable about it.

This is all payback for me being happy that we only have three more car payments. By the time June rolls around I'll be too bugfuck to cope with the extra cash. Either that or the car will be hit by a meteor the day after I make the final payment.

Justified kicked ass tonight.

I don't know if random stream-of-consciousness really makes a journal entry.

I need quarters for laundry.

I need to clean the house.

I need to get to bed.

I need a gif that perfectly expresses my feelings. OH WAIT I DO

Inexplicably mopey. Well, perhaps not really inexplicably, but it's definitely no good reason. After yesterday's spring-like temperatures, it was chilly and snowed a little bit today, and we're possibly getting more snow this Wednesday - I'm praying for a snow day. Really, it's just one of those days when all you do is see yourself in the mirror and go, "God, I look tired and jowly and aged." That kind of thing. I'm feeling unmotivated and lumpy. Pssht.

I'd kill to be in Spa World right now, the Korean jimjibang back in Virginia, lying on the mats on the radiant heat floor. You get kind of boneless and warm to the core.

Anyway. Maybe there will be a snow day. Oh, and tonight's Castle was really, really good.

I am late to the Elementary party, but glad I got there.

In other news, this video has been making me so happy recently. It's like all of Italy, encapsulated in one four minute video.

Have finally caught up with all the Leverage eps that have been languishing on the DVR. This season has been a little flat for me, but wow, they made up for it with the two eps that served as their summer finale. Yowza.

My birthday is tomorrow - looks like my gift from my mom is going to be a new tire. On Friday Bemo was dropping me off and a giant group of high school boys was trooping across campus and knocked over a normally-secured metal pylon. Cue loud yelps, clanging noises, and one big distraction, cue a slightly-too-hard curb check by Bemo, cue a flat tire showing up later that day and requiring a replacement. I am doing my best not to be really surly about yet another unexpected expense. I took out my irritation by cleaning the kitchen - at least all that energy can be harnessed for something worthwhile.

There's nothing that makes me realize how small the world has gotten than texting with my sister wile standing in the prep room unframing paintings, while she is on the other side of the world and about ready to go to bed. She's still on Mindanao, and aside from some mild annoyances with her classmates and some digestive issues and a sore throat, she's having a good time. She's prone to swollen tonsils, so fingers crossed that she shakes off the sore throat. She's already planted rice with a carabao, visited a shelter for young gang members trying to transition out of that life, and talked with a couple doing outreach through art.

Meanwhile, another friend is in Morocco and two coworkers are enjoying two weeks in Spain. I am in full-on travel yearning mode.

Also, continuing to love Legend of Korra, even if the dialogue was a little stilted this ep and I wish they had more time to spin out the story. Several characters are suffering a bit from the pace and the romantic strands of the story aren't being handled very well, but the action sequences are dynamite and I remain deeply in love with Lin Bei Fong.

Got a box in the mail from my mom. As usual, it includes things I wanted (a trashcan from Singapore that I had as a kid, featuring three flamingos, some Chiz Curls from a Filipino market because none of the markets here carry them), some things I didn't expect but were nice surprises (clothing from my sister - we've been swapping things) and some absolutely batshit stuff only my mom would think I want (a busted plastic knight's helmet, some clothing from mom that she knew I wouldn't fit into) and some things I wish she had not seen (A FAN LETTER TO RICHARD DEAN ANDERSON THAT WAS NOT MEANT TO BE READ BY ANY OTHER EYES). Oy.

Am currently watching some track and field events to get jazzed for the upcoming Olympics, which I unabashedly adore watching - not just track and field but a ton of events I otherwise do not follow at all. Am currently speculating that if I were a javelin thrower, I'd set up dummies and pretend to be attacking enemy troops. Meanwhile, a roast is filling the house with a very nice odor of steak and onions and potatoes, and I'm anticipating something delicious soon.

When I grow up I want to be Lin Bei Fong.

That is all.

So obviously, right this very second, somebody is writing an incredible alterna-team story with Sterling, Maggie, Quinn, Chaos, and Archie all being badass, right? RIGHT?

What a great finale. Lots of continuity, juicy character moments, a fast-moving plot (two points for bivalve deployment) and a genuinely sweet Nate and Sophie moment at the end of it all. Sometimes they write Sophie as the Good Nagging Woman to Nate's Wayward Male, but I think they hit just the right notes tonight.

I actually had a weird pop culture moment and watched some of the Golden Globes tonight. Strange, I usually don't bother. But I wanted to see the dresses.

Also, I'm continuing to work through the stack of books from the giant haul from the library book sale ages ago - I'm currently reading a Laurie King book that apparently features both Kate Martinelli and Mary Russell? I'm not sure, have only gotten through the first parts of the book, and it's all Martinelli at this point.