It did get sunny and clear for a bit today. This summer has been very moist, lots of thunderstorms and rain. Last summer was dryer and cooler. Which may explain why I was walking about more during it. In a way being forced to return to the office periodically - is forcing me to walk about outside more this summer than I'd have done normally.
Oh look, I managed to capture a bee at a flower today without realizing it.

Took a brief walk around the neighborhood, but not to the cemetery. Didn't feel like it. Also kind of bored of the cemetery. You can only take pictures of the same trees and statues so many times...the birds are cool. But I think I have a swallow's nest near my window, because every once and a while I'll see a baby bird/swallow drop down to the ledge and peer inside it squawking. It's kind of cute, and I've seen birds fly close to it at times. At least I think it is a swallow.
Niece called me while I was walking outside, so I chatted with her until I got inside my apartment - then we talked for a bit. She's doing well. Very active - wants to go out with friends and do stuff, and gets antsy sitting still for too long - I think it's a result of the pandemic. Decided life-guarding was kind of dull and wants to get a job as a cashier at her local co-op grocery store. Apparently she met her boyfriend in a seminar literature class. And she's really not a fan of roller-coaster rides.
COVID rates are increasing my area again - we went from 76 cases to 139 cases. Also the infection rate is flucuating between .68% and 1%. However, the city and state combined still have over 66% fully vaccinated and 72% partially vaccinated.

ME to comics fandom: Why would a writer put themselves in their own story and book.
Fan: because it's funny!
ME: I don't find it funny. Narcissistic maybe...
The humor is kind of lost on me. Writing yourself in your story seems awfully self-indulgent. It used to annoy me that Stan Lee did. It's that whole Brechtian breaking the fourth wall bit - which sometimes works and sometimes doesn't.
On another fandom topic?
I have no patience for love triangles. Also I've come to the realization that if your husband, spouse, wife, significant other is cheating on you with someone else? Blame your spouse/significant other. It's not the other person's fault. There was clearly something missing from your relationship or your spouse/significant other is an ass, or something. But the fault really lies with them. The other person is granted responsible to some degree, but they don't owe you anything, nor is there any reason why they should care. They didn't make a commitment to you.
That said? I think it's dumb to have sex with or get romantically attached to someone who is committed to someone else. I mean if they are going to break that commitment, what makes you think they won't do it to you? It's awkward, and it cheapens everyone involved. It's why I hate love triangles.
The moment I find out someone is married, engaged, or romantically committed to another person - my lust or physical attraction for them flies out the window and races at break neck speed down the street and into the next county, never to be seen again. Seriously this has happened to me.
In law school, I was attracted to this guy, then I found out he was married. The attraction died on the spot. We became friends and car-pooled to study for the bar exam. I have had a lot of male friends in my life time. I think the reason this happens now, and happened in my mid-twenties, is I did the love triangle thing in undergrad and it did not end well. (ie. Been there done that - have the battle scars to prove it.)
This may explain why I have no tolerance for it in books, films, and television shows - even though it is a very popular trope.

Been feeling a touch cooped up this year - so I think it's a good thing I'm visiting my niece, bro and sisinlaw in two weeks. I'm thinking small excursions this year. Also considering hunting down a gym that has boxing.
Niece found a boxing class. She tried a karate class but it was for little kids and gave up.
Now, if I can only keep myself from stressing about the trip. It's hard to visit people I've rarely visited and not seen in ages. I never know what to pack or wear or bring. And I've only been up there once - by Amtrak and that was in 2019.
On Television? I've been re-watching the 2018 episodes of A Discovery of Witches - mainly because I'd forgotten them. You don't actually have to have seen the previous season to follow the current one - or have a great memory of it - mother and I followed it fine without it. But it does help.
Anyhow it has content on the process - the best bits are on set design and fight sequences, along with F/X (special effects not the channel). Apparently they built the library and archive from scratch. Amazing the amount of detail. They also build Isbeau's castle, and including small details. I want to be a set designer in my next life. The F/X - they used wires and fans.
Enuf. Leaving you with another picture of a flower. My neighbors have gone a bit nuts with the gardening. I'm thinking the pandemic brought out the gardeners in a lot of people. (Not me, I kill plants. I can't even keep plants in an aerogarden alive for a long time.)

Oh look, I managed to capture a bee at a flower today without realizing it.

Took a brief walk around the neighborhood, but not to the cemetery. Didn't feel like it. Also kind of bored of the cemetery. You can only take pictures of the same trees and statues so many times...the birds are cool. But I think I have a swallow's nest near my window, because every once and a while I'll see a baby bird/swallow drop down to the ledge and peer inside it squawking. It's kind of cute, and I've seen birds fly close to it at times. At least I think it is a swallow.
Niece called me while I was walking outside, so I chatted with her until I got inside my apartment - then we talked for a bit. She's doing well. Very active - wants to go out with friends and do stuff, and gets antsy sitting still for too long - I think it's a result of the pandemic. Decided life-guarding was kind of dull and wants to get a job as a cashier at her local co-op grocery store. Apparently she met her boyfriend in a seminar literature class. And she's really not a fan of roller-coaster rides.
COVID rates are increasing my area again - we went from 76 cases to 139 cases. Also the infection rate is flucuating between .68% and 1%. However, the city and state combined still have over 66% fully vaccinated and 72% partially vaccinated.

ME to comics fandom: Why would a writer put themselves in their own story and book.
Fan: because it's funny!
ME: I don't find it funny. Narcissistic maybe...
The humor is kind of lost on me. Writing yourself in your story seems awfully self-indulgent. It used to annoy me that Stan Lee did. It's that whole Brechtian breaking the fourth wall bit - which sometimes works and sometimes doesn't.
On another fandom topic?
I have no patience for love triangles. Also I've come to the realization that if your husband, spouse, wife, significant other is cheating on you with someone else? Blame your spouse/significant other. It's not the other person's fault. There was clearly something missing from your relationship or your spouse/significant other is an ass, or something. But the fault really lies with them. The other person is granted responsible to some degree, but they don't owe you anything, nor is there any reason why they should care. They didn't make a commitment to you.
That said? I think it's dumb to have sex with or get romantically attached to someone who is committed to someone else. I mean if they are going to break that commitment, what makes you think they won't do it to you? It's awkward, and it cheapens everyone involved. It's why I hate love triangles.
The moment I find out someone is married, engaged, or romantically committed to another person - my lust or physical attraction for them flies out the window and races at break neck speed down the street and into the next county, never to be seen again. Seriously this has happened to me.
In law school, I was attracted to this guy, then I found out he was married. The attraction died on the spot. We became friends and car-pooled to study for the bar exam. I have had a lot of male friends in my life time. I think the reason this happens now, and happened in my mid-twenties, is I did the love triangle thing in undergrad and it did not end well. (ie. Been there done that - have the battle scars to prove it.)
This may explain why I have no tolerance for it in books, films, and television shows - even though it is a very popular trope.

Been feeling a touch cooped up this year - so I think it's a good thing I'm visiting my niece, bro and sisinlaw in two weeks. I'm thinking small excursions this year. Also considering hunting down a gym that has boxing.
Niece found a boxing class. She tried a karate class but it was for little kids and gave up.
Now, if I can only keep myself from stressing about the trip. It's hard to visit people I've rarely visited and not seen in ages. I never know what to pack or wear or bring. And I've only been up there once - by Amtrak and that was in 2019.
On Television? I've been re-watching the 2018 episodes of A Discovery of Witches - mainly because I'd forgotten them. You don't actually have to have seen the previous season to follow the current one - or have a great memory of it - mother and I followed it fine without it. But it does help.
Anyhow it has content on the process - the best bits are on set design and fight sequences, along with F/X (special effects not the channel). Apparently they built the library and archive from scratch. Amazing the amount of detail. They also build Isbeau's castle, and including small details. I want to be a set designer in my next life. The F/X - they used wires and fans.
Enuf. Leaving you with another picture of a flower. My neighbors have gone a bit nuts with the gardening. I'm thinking the pandemic brought out the gardeners in a lot of people. (Not me, I kill plants. I can't even keep plants in an aerogarden alive for a long time.)
