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shadowkatMy customary routine when I get to work each morning is to get water, meditate for about thirty minutes with the headspace meditation app, and then get maybe a cup of tea, and log in to check email. I check work and personal. Work was boring. I checked personal - which mainly spam, but there was an email from Illona Andrews blog (she's an urban fantasy writer who for the most part, writes an entertaining blog - it's less marketing and more on the informational/entertainment side. Mainly because she writes it not some marketing rep.)
This email talked about a PINK HOUSE. It's a $500,000, 1970's track home in Trenton, NJ, with a large backyard, no landscaping. Painted white and pink.
In the University Heights area near Princeton.
So curious, I clicked on the link and clicked through all the photos...and as I did, my jaw slowly dropped. Particularly on this picture:
It's a picture of Janet Leigh screaming on a see through pink shower curtain, the whole bathroom is pink. It is basically Barbie meets 1960s pop, in psychedelic pink.
After I hit the bathroom photo - I thought - okay I have to share this with everyone I can think of who might be remotely entertained by it. I thrust it at various coworkers (except the one I should have - but Moscow Coworker did it for me), and family members, along with Wales.
RJ - the co-worker that I should have sent it to, but got it by way of Moscow Co-worker - was over the moon. She fell in love with the house. And wanted to become friends with the owner, also wanted all the clothes. The closet photo that scared my brother and hurt my eyes, turned her on.
Personally? It's a bit much for me. I couldn't handle the bathroom. And considering it took me close to twenty years just to hang a few photos on an apartment walls...let's just say, I'm minimalist by nature. Actually my whole family is.
***
Other than that? Work was beyond boring. I wrote for a bit by long hand, in the journal that I'm using to write a fantasy story. It's being told in journal format - first person narrative, for now. With illustrations - if I can figure out how to do them properly. I'm hoping to switch it to the Ipad soon.
Also, texted family and Wales about the Pink House. And chatted with various co-workers - wandering around the office to do so. Which increased my movement and steps total.
And bugged Breaking Bad, who rewarded me with his daily rant about C&D.
BYT was here today - but I never saw her. She hid from me - either in his office with the door closed or her own, or in the break room - when I was in my office. She also doesn't go down my aisle. Yes, this is a now an Assistant Vice President in the organization. She's doing well, outside of the lengthy commute. Although I got news for her - if I leave, she no longer has an excuse to cut her commute short. This whole situation is insanely ironic.
And tried not to go to sleep during a training session - I'd done it previously (fell asleep during the first half, so in a way doing it a second time cleared it up a bit). They read a terribly complicated power point presentation - that's their idea of training.
***
Making my way through PenPal which reads like a childhood memoir intertwined with creepy horror bits here and there - as a through thread.
Told from the perspective of an adult attempting relay vague memories of his childhood. It's an interesting narrative style, reminds me a little of King's the Body, except not quite as tight or focused.
Very creepy though. And the writer smartly stays vague throughout, not really telling the reader who or what it is that is either pursuing him or following him. But there are clues positioned throughout. For example - whatever it is - appears to be somehow associated with his friend Josh or Josh's family. And Mrs. Maggie. Also the house he lived in as a small boy.
They moved when he was in the second grade, and the house didn't appear to get sold.
The narrator states at the beginning that he relayed his memories to his mother and sat down with her and got her version of events. In piece meal fashion, and with a little difficulty. To see how much of what he remembered was true and how much was imagined. Since small children tend to exaggerate things.
The narrator and his mother are not wealthy. She's a single working mom, it's not clear what happened to the father - except that he appears to be dead. And she's barely making ends meet. She can't really afford day care or a sitter. And he's home alone a lot of the time or with friends.
Makes me very glad I don't have children - the book is frightening from that perspective. Also I'd say the narrator is remembering a time back in the 1980s or 70s? There's relatively little to no technology. They don't have computers until he's in high school. And there aren't any cell phones.
A lot of it wouldn't work if there were cell phones. Movies are cheaper. I'd say definitely he's an adult remember a 1980s childhood?
Sci-Fi Co-worker and book buddy - is enjoying Dreadful. He said it was well-written, he liked the writing style and the characters. Also it was an interesting concept that he'd not run across before. So I made a friend happy this week, two friends actually.
Battlefield by Jim Butcher - killed off my favorite female character. Ugh. I knew he was going to at some point. I wasn't spoiled for it - I just know the trope and genre, it's urban fantasy noir and he's not subverting it at all. Still. Annoying. It has all the things that irritate me about the noir genre, which I usually handwave. (ie. Chauvinistic sexist misogynistic crap.) As I get older - it gets harder to handwave it. White little boys have all the fun, while all the women are either evil, have to be killed, killed to further their journey, or something they have to protect. Illona Andrews kind of subverted the genre - by making the lead female, and not killing off the male lead. And making them equally strong.
Others who have subverted it - include Patricia Riggs, and Kim Harrison. The female writers subvert. So did Toby McGuire or Sceanne McGuire.
My difficulty with Butcher is he plays into it - a bit too much. So much that I can figure out what will happen next, because I know this trope like the back of my hand. For a bit, I didn't think he would - but now, it's kind of obvious. I should stop. But alas, I still like five of the characters.
He better not kill off my other favorite female character. Thomas? He can kill off. Thomas or Butters. I find them annoying. But stop killing the female characters already. Kill off some of dumb white boys. Or I'm done with you, you sorry ass writer. I've decided I'm just getting the dirt cheap books via audio credits now. I stopped buying the paperbacks and hardbacks about ten years ago? We're on book 17. I stopped with book 10. Everything since has been cheap e-books and/or audio.
I honestly think Kate Daniels has ruined me for urban fantasy - they subverted all of the tropes. And are the only ones to do something truly innovative with vampires and shapeshifters. Also veered completely away from Judeo-Christian mythos.
***
Courtesy of brithistorian - I discovered that I can watch the Summer Olympics on the NBC Sports App, which allows me to avoid commercials and annoying politics.
***
Off to wind down for bed. I want to get 7 hours of sleep for once.
This email talked about a PINK HOUSE. It's a $500,000, 1970's track home in Trenton, NJ, with a large backyard, no landscaping. Painted white and pink.
In the University Heights area near Princeton.
So curious, I clicked on the link and clicked through all the photos...and as I did, my jaw slowly dropped. Particularly on this picture:
It's a picture of Janet Leigh screaming on a see through pink shower curtain, the whole bathroom is pink. It is basically Barbie meets 1960s pop, in psychedelic pink.
After I hit the bathroom photo - I thought - okay I have to share this with everyone I can think of who might be remotely entertained by it. I thrust it at various coworkers (except the one I should have - but Moscow Coworker did it for me), and family members, along with Wales.
RJ - the co-worker that I should have sent it to, but got it by way of Moscow Co-worker - was over the moon. She fell in love with the house. And wanted to become friends with the owner, also wanted all the clothes. The closet photo that scared my brother and hurt my eyes, turned her on.
Personally? It's a bit much for me. I couldn't handle the bathroom. And considering it took me close to twenty years just to hang a few photos on an apartment walls...let's just say, I'm minimalist by nature. Actually my whole family is.
***
Other than that? Work was beyond boring. I wrote for a bit by long hand, in the journal that I'm using to write a fantasy story. It's being told in journal format - first person narrative, for now. With illustrations - if I can figure out how to do them properly. I'm hoping to switch it to the Ipad soon.
Also, texted family and Wales about the Pink House. And chatted with various co-workers - wandering around the office to do so. Which increased my movement and steps total.
And bugged Breaking Bad, who rewarded me with his daily rant about C&D.
BYT was here today - but I never saw her. She hid from me - either in his office with the door closed or her own, or in the break room - when I was in my office. She also doesn't go down my aisle. Yes, this is a now an Assistant Vice President in the organization. She's doing well, outside of the lengthy commute. Although I got news for her - if I leave, she no longer has an excuse to cut her commute short. This whole situation is insanely ironic.
And tried not to go to sleep during a training session - I'd done it previously (fell asleep during the first half, so in a way doing it a second time cleared it up a bit). They read a terribly complicated power point presentation - that's their idea of training.
***
Making my way through PenPal which reads like a childhood memoir intertwined with creepy horror bits here and there - as a through thread.
Told from the perspective of an adult attempting relay vague memories of his childhood. It's an interesting narrative style, reminds me a little of King's the Body, except not quite as tight or focused.
Very creepy though. And the writer smartly stays vague throughout, not really telling the reader who or what it is that is either pursuing him or following him. But there are clues positioned throughout. For example - whatever it is - appears to be somehow associated with his friend Josh or Josh's family. And Mrs. Maggie. Also the house he lived in as a small boy.
They moved when he was in the second grade, and the house didn't appear to get sold.
The narrator states at the beginning that he relayed his memories to his mother and sat down with her and got her version of events. In piece meal fashion, and with a little difficulty. To see how much of what he remembered was true and how much was imagined. Since small children tend to exaggerate things.
The narrator and his mother are not wealthy. She's a single working mom, it's not clear what happened to the father - except that he appears to be dead. And she's barely making ends meet. She can't really afford day care or a sitter. And he's home alone a lot of the time or with friends.
Makes me very glad I don't have children - the book is frightening from that perspective. Also I'd say the narrator is remembering a time back in the 1980s or 70s? There's relatively little to no technology. They don't have computers until he's in high school. And there aren't any cell phones.
A lot of it wouldn't work if there were cell phones. Movies are cheaper. I'd say definitely he's an adult remember a 1980s childhood?
Sci-Fi Co-worker and book buddy - is enjoying Dreadful. He said it was well-written, he liked the writing style and the characters. Also it was an interesting concept that he'd not run across before. So I made a friend happy this week, two friends actually.
Battlefield by Jim Butcher - killed off my favorite female character. Ugh. I knew he was going to at some point. I wasn't spoiled for it - I just know the trope and genre, it's urban fantasy noir and he's not subverting it at all. Still. Annoying. It has all the things that irritate me about the noir genre, which I usually handwave. (ie. Chauvinistic sexist misogynistic crap.) As I get older - it gets harder to handwave it. White little boys have all the fun, while all the women are either evil, have to be killed, killed to further their journey, or something they have to protect. Illona Andrews kind of subverted the genre - by making the lead female, and not killing off the male lead. And making them equally strong.
Others who have subverted it - include Patricia Riggs, and Kim Harrison. The female writers subvert. So did Toby McGuire or Sceanne McGuire.
My difficulty with Butcher is he plays into it - a bit too much. So much that I can figure out what will happen next, because I know this trope like the back of my hand. For a bit, I didn't think he would - but now, it's kind of obvious. I should stop. But alas, I still like five of the characters.
He better not kill off my other favorite female character. Thomas? He can kill off. Thomas or Butters. I find them annoying. But stop killing the female characters already. Kill off some of dumb white boys. Or I'm done with you, you sorry ass writer. I've decided I'm just getting the dirt cheap books via audio credits now. I stopped buying the paperbacks and hardbacks about ten years ago? We're on book 17. I stopped with book 10. Everything since has been cheap e-books and/or audio.
I honestly think Kate Daniels has ruined me for urban fantasy - they subverted all of the tropes. And are the only ones to do something truly innovative with vampires and shapeshifters. Also veered completely away from Judeo-Christian mythos.
***
Courtesy of brithistorian - I discovered that I can watch the Summer Olympics on the NBC Sports App, which allows me to avoid commercials and annoying politics.
***
Off to wind down for bed. I want to get 7 hours of sleep for once.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-25 09:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-07-25 12:51 pm (UTC)Personally? It's sensory overload for me. Also the pink is a kind of neon pepto bismo color. Not a nice pale pink, or magenta which are my preferences.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-25 10:31 am (UTC)I must post this house to tumblr, they’d love it over there.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-25 12:57 pm (UTC)And, oh please do, and let me know what happens.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-25 05:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-07-25 05:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-07-26 06:31 am (UTC)ETA — check out this beautiful 1950s house with what look like the original furnishings: https://www.tumblr.com/prismatic-bell/757102663343144961/minim-calibre-stonedrunkwizard?source=share
no subject
Date: 2024-07-25 11:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-07-25 12:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-07-25 02:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-07-25 05:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-07-25 06:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-07-25 03:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-07-25 05:25 pm (UTC)Seriously though? I think it was part of the 60s pop theme? There's a heavy 60s cinema theme going on in there - with the Sunday in New York memorabilia.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-25 08:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-07-26 12:14 am (UTC)