Sönke Ahrens
Finished reading: Mythos by Stephen Fry.
Excellent retelling of the classic Greek myths. Plus some I’ve never heard. If you ever read (or refused to read) Edith Hamilton’s Mythology, you owe it to yourself to read this one. Fry brings the characters …
Two more fall beers tonight:
🎃🍻
Every year, my wife and I grab as many pumpkin/yam/märzen/oktoberfests as we can and do a little home tasting. The selection at our local H-E-B this year is shockingly good, so I have a lot to post. I’ll make it a full page later; for now, just a …
Not a good day for football in our house. Nice of Apple News to sum up the day so conveniently though… 🏈
Finished reading: Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie. An epic end to an epic trilogy. Disappointing in all the best ways. One smidge darker than I’d hoped, but you have to be realistic about these things. 📚
Got off a plane from New Zealand Thursday night, back on a plane (to Atlanta this time) this afternoon. I often can’t decide whether I love this life of travel or wish I could spend some more time in my own bed. Today it’s the former.
Finished reading: Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie. Even better than the first. Characters you want to know better, mysteries abound, swords and sorcery and sex and what else do you want from a book? 📚
I’m a day late to the cycle photo @challenges but I’m going to post this anyway since I’m enjoying these photo challenges and it’s actually a nice shot of Melbourne from across the lake in Albert Park.
I wanted to make a joke about “divided by a common language”, but “this escalator is being rested” is such a great replacement for “down for maintenance” that I’ll just leave it at that.
I missed the first Virginia Tech football game last week (against ODU) because we were in New Zealand. An acceptable tradeoff, of course, but it’s nice to be back in the US this weekend and watch the Hokies take on Purdue. 🏈📺🦃
UPDATE: Having said …
Leaving Queenstown yesterday, Meera snapped one of the best sea-earth-sky yonder photos I’ve ever seen. Plane-window photos never work, but New Zealand is so picturesque it didn’t matter. 📸
Finished reading: The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie. Dirty, but not dark. Cynical, but leavened with hard work. Clichés and anti-clichés. Excellent, not stereotypical fantasy. 📚
During our stop in Glenorchy yesterday, we encountered some surprisingly well-dressed travelers on the shore of Lake Wakatipu.
We assume they were there for wedding pictures or something similar, because Glenorchy’s not exactly a formalwear kind of …
We are flying back from Queenstown today, but for the life of me I can’t figure out why.
It’s a day late, but on our adventures this afternoon we found the actual forest used for Lothlórien, between Glenorchy and Paradise. 👋 @jean
Visiting Rhyme x Reason brewery in Wanaka, New Zealand, tonight, they had some spectacular murals on the walls. Apparently painted by employees, who are allegedly paid entirely in beer.
Driving around Lake Wanaka, New Zealand, this morning, it just screamed Lord of the Rings. Here you have the forest of Lothlórien, the Misty Mountains, and everywhere a hobbit could go (and back again).
(Not pictured: we climbed a waterfall.)
Skied Coronet Peak today. That obviously calls for an après-ski New Zealand-native Ginger Bear in an orange can.
Okay, it’s orange and maroon, but as a Hokie, I approve anyway.
In 2019, we went to the Outer Banks for Meera’s birthday. We visited from Corolla all the way down to Okracoke, taking in beaches and lighthouses and sand and sun.
Meera and I are not good at relaxing vacations. We’re always skiing or hiking or …
We flew from Melbourne to Queenstown today, so I had to dig into days past for something precious for today’s challenge photo. My time alone each morning with coffee and words is indeed precious to me; this one occurred on Melbourne’s South Wharf …
Finished reading: Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson. Fun as usual; kind of a fantasy/mystery/romance. I didn’t love the storytelling device, but the story itself, the world, and the magic were all top-notch Sanderson. 📚
On the way back from visiting Westside Ale Works in South Melbourne today, we saw these three huge cranes on the same apartment complex. Coming from Texas, it’s refreshing to see rapid high-density housing buildup.
In 2019, we hosted Christmas at our house in San Antonio. My family flew or drove from the east coast (yes, it’s a 24-hour drive), and Meera’s drove down from the lake (a much-more-sensible one-hour drive).
The day after Christmas for us is always a …
On a wine-and-penguins tour on Phillip Island, we found this abstract tiling of Australian little penguins near the jetty in Cowes. Looking forward to seeing real ones later today!
Finished reading: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree. Spectacular, sweet fairy tale in fantasy clothing. Deserves its accolades. Highly recommended. 📚
