Surprise!
Marzipan Potpourri? On a Thursday? It's more likely than you think.
It's My Birthday
Yes, I'm 39 today. That felt like sufficient occasion for slight deviation from the mode. 39 is a strange one; divisible by 13, self-evidently not old but palpably not young. And most of all a prelude to 40, making it the foyer of middle age. John Darnielle sings "it's real sweet to grow old," and I'm holding him to his word.
Elden Fling
My recent return to Elden Ring has been fruitful; my skill level with the game has noticeably increased. I've never been great at demanding action games, which underlines the irony that I've always been attracted to the Souls games (for non-gamers, this is a very popular and notoriously difficult series that began with Demon's Souls in 2009). With Elden Ring, itself the grand culmination of the series, I seem to be coming into my own. Maybe Malcolm Gladwell was onto something with that 10,000 hours bit, although I don't think I've put quite that much time in (yet).
Come Drink With Me (1966)
I don't actually drink, but this week I had the pleasure of experiencing King Hu's wuxia classic Come Drink With Me for the first time. It's a masterpiece of staging, blocking, set design, choreography, and martial arts performance. It even has a couple of small musical numbers! An enthusiastic recommend from me.
The Sun Makes Me Smile
At least when it's not too hot out. I enjoy the northwest's rain and gloom, but nothing makes me happier than a cold sun.
Daisy Update
At times I stand in nonverbal awe of the beauty and bounty of the world.
—Dara Khan