I am hiding up in my room because our FURNACE decided to quit DURING AN ELECTION DURING THE WINTER DURING A PANDEMIC, and I admit I am exaggerating when I call the first week of November “winter” but I am STICKING WITH IT FOR THE INDIGNATION FACTOR, and also even if we say “autumn” it’s all pretty outrageous timing and I think we can agree on that, FURNACE.
Anyway. Strangers breathing in my house right now. It’s fine. It’s fine. I keep thinking of solutions and then realizing those don’t solve the problem. “We could all leave while they’re here and go to the….oh.”
On Election Day I was cheerful and energetic and LFG. The day after the election I was saggy and discouraged and I ate a lot of candy. Today, the day after the day after the election, I am feeling better than yesterday, and ready to count the good things (while still being kind of flattened by all the bad things). I know it’s counting chickens, and we still have a coup to avoid, and we still have a large part of the country believing in an alternative reality, and we will in the best case scenario be blocked at every step by the Republican-controlled Senate (I am not currently accepting applications for hope re: the Senate)—but I am also imagining how we can perhaps soon AT LEAST remove some of the corrupt/incompetent appointees. We can perhaps AT LEAST have someone in charge who believes in the existence of the pandemic and the need to react to it. And there’s the possible-VP-elect to think about. We can think about HER.
And there are lots more good thoughts we could be having, but even as a person who does NOT believe in The Universe as an entity that waits eagerly for me personally to say Unwisely Hopeful Words so it can rub my face in the dirt of irony, there is only so much cultural superstition a person can shake off. It is plenty bad enough that I ordered some flags IN CASE there is a reason to use my brother’s idea of Democrats displaying the U.S. flag again once it no longer symbolizes approval and support for a white nationalist administration. I wouldn’t have ordered them ahead of time, but…I wanted to have them on hand If It Became Time To Use Them, and already they won’t be here until Saturday. If I don’t need them, I will wrap them carefully and put them aside for a future election.
Oh, here is a happy thing that won’t make anyone uncomfy about taunting The Universe. I mentioned I’d read the first book of N. K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth trilogy, and I think I mentioned that when I went to order the next two, I found that the cost of ordering the whole trilogy was LESS than the cost of ordering Books 2 and 3, so I ordered the whole trilogy. (A LITTLE disheartening since I’d already BOUGHT Book 1 and could have saved even MORE money if I’d bought the trilogy to begin with—but this is a perfect example of SUNK COSTS, and the trilogy STILL cost less than buying the other two books. Plus, if I hadn’t liked Book 1, I would have wasted money if I’d bought the trilogy. LIFE IS A SERIES OF GAMBLES, WE WIN SOME WE LOSE SOME.) (And now I can add Book 1 to the pile of books I’m planning to pass on to others who might like to try them.) I ordered the trilogy on November 2nd, and I ordered it from Target because I am trying to reduce orders from Amazon—and that meant the predicted arrival was November 9th instead of November 4th. I’d HOPED the books would arrive sooner, but I couldn’t count on it. I started re-reading the first book because I didn’t feel like reading any other story—and I just got an email notification that the trilogy is arriving TODAY, days and days before it was expected! I can start reading the next book TODAY instead of NEXT WEEK!
Her short story collection, How Long Til Black Future Month, is also wonderful.
There is also a Jemisin duology called Dreamblood which I think is good and different from most fantasy, but I would caution has quite a bit of fairly nasty child abuse which I would not want anyone to be blindsided by. Her first published trilogy, which starts with The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, is also very enjoyable, but I think it’s quite obvious when reading it after the broken earth that it’s a first published novel/series, and it feels less startlingly original than her other work.
She’s probably my favourite living author so it makes me really happy to know other people are enjoying her work, too.
SECONDED re: the short story collection!! I am so excited for you (Swistle) to read the rest of the trilogy, too!
That’s a good feeling, having something you want to read coming.
I am hoping to display grace while my FIL frets over Dems taking his guns away and not pointing out that he in fact owns no weapons other than steak knives. I cried in 2016 and my husband who did not think this was a crying matter did not point out that I didn’t cry at what he likely would have considered more appropriate times.
This historic first seems underwhelming given What We Could Have Had. So flawed is that thinking. I will try to mark the occasion with the recognition that path markers seem very unimportant when you are standing next to them on the trail.
Flags seem like a nice yet respectfully nonpartisan celebration. Good idea.
Oh such a bummer about the furnace.
I just returned (at 9:10 am) from the DMV having arrived at 6:05 am. In addition to being glad that’s over, I am actually glad I got so much of my book read. I rarely read such a big chunk at once.
Not sure which is better: getting excited about a book you want to read or being satisfied after finding time to read a book and be about done with it.
Oh HEY our furnace went out this week too!
We tried to turn it on for the first time on Monday when lows were in the 30’s. We actually have 2 systems in this house – one went on and one did not. Yesterday was the first time we could get a repair person out. Luckily, we have a working gas fireplace with a blower on the first floor where we have no heat, so we are able to keep the temperatures relatively warm (and now our weather warmed up, whew).
But the verdict was $5k just to get the 13yo system to turn on again. SO GUESS WHO IS BUYING A NEW FURNACE THIS WEEK? Yeah, that would be me…
We have the opposite problem. It’s still way too hot (literally and figuratively) in the Phoenix metro. I had to turn our A/C back on because the second floor was at 87 and everyone was sweating. I did some stress shopping and bought floral candles, which is moderately comforting.
If you’re looking for a fluffy, non-stressful book, Paris is Always a Good Idea by Jenn McKinlay hit the spot. It’s got a lot of tropes, no real drama, and it’s escapist. Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell is next on my list, and I’ve pre-ordered Ready Player Two for electronic delivery on 11/24.
OMG, how did I not know there was going to be a Ready Player Two??! That is EXACTLY what I need right now, I’m so glad I read this!
Yup! And once again, the excellent Wil Wheaton is doing the audiobook!
Yay! Is the audiobook coming out on the same release date? My kids and I have very fond memories of Ready Player One entertaining us on a long road trip through New England in the summer of 2019. Not just a good book, a LONG good book!
I looked it up (thanks Google), and it is!
Wait, please, Swistle, is that your zip code? I always envisioned you living somewhere in the PNW.
So glad you’ve jumped on the N.K. Jemisin train! I think it was The Lazy Genius that turned me on to her writing. As an historically not-into-SF reader, I’ve found her writing to be a lovely escape.
Thank you for your frequent posts these past few days. It is very much appreciated. In ever thought I’d say this but I am thankful for George HW Bush and the Bush/Gore debacle in 2000. I remember he brazen he was in flint after that election and how he didn’t care one iota that he lost the popular vote by a significant margin and he had no qualms with arguing over the hanging chads for days and weeks at a time. As a result, this feels so much more doable—- Biden has the popular vote, he’s not the one saber rattling and tweeting lie after lie. That are so many more reasons for this particular vote to be taking as long as it is. This is something that was anticipated and we were prepared for. I also love that Florida isn’t even in play. I want to say more but don’t want to jinx things. Just know it feels good to know there are other like minded people throughout our country and I have faith we will see this through.
WTH, Furnace???
Yay for early arrival of anticipated books!
We replaced our AC and Furnace this summer. Fortunately, we had a not too hot few days that they were able to get it installed and going. But then we had some weird issues with the drainage pipes from our water softener and the house humidifier that took some time to track down.
But! Here is a furnace story for you. My mom always has the small town local furnace guy come out and do a tune up/check up on her furnace in late August. Guy came out. Furnace checked out fine. But when my mom tried to turn on the furnace a couple of weeks ago, it would not. Furnace guy’s younger associate comes out to see why the furnace won’t start. He checks everything and finally finds the problem when he takes apart the pipe that goes from the furnace to the outside (which in my mom’s 100 year old farm house means connecting to the old chimney). There was a dead RACCOON!!!!! It was plugging the air intake or out flow and the furnace wouldn’t start. The furnace guys took pictures and video to show all their furnace repair buddies. Fortunately my mom’s neighbor is a mason and he put a cap on the chimney so hopefully no more raccoons use it a toasty place to hang out for the winter.
The raccoon stories my mom has. The raccoons love her house.
Oh! one more thing — grocery report. I don’t usually go shopping Thursday mornings but I might from now on. The shelves seemed more stocked than ever. Much of it is Thanksgiving-y kinds of foods (so many boxes of stuffing). But even the cleaning aisle was looking well stocked with 3 brands and sizes of disinfecting wipes. And if you need canned pumpkin — come to west MI. We’ve got plenty. So again, I’m not sure if it is a start to the store getting geared up for the Thanksgiving rush or if Thursday mornings are when things are normally well stocked before the Friday/ weekend grocery buying.
Target online ordering is the best! I, too, am trying to avoid Amazon as much as possible and have had great experiences with Target. At least in my metro area, shipments are always way faster than advertised.
I mean this very respectfully, but I’d be interested to learn more about why multiple people and Swistle feel shopping at Target online is a better choice than Amazon? Of course, I understand why buying locally could be/is considered a better option, but I mentally put Amazon and Target in the same bucket? I googled a bit, and their employee pay scales seem similar, although, on every list I saw, Amazon’s was actually a bit higher. I’d love to learn more. What am I missing?
I was wondering the same thing Nicole, Target is a big box store in my head.
Target is a big corporation that is known to pay its employees a good living wage and provides them with good benefits.
I live in a small town so its a challenge to shop responsibly. I try local shops first, then stores like Target or Costco (both have reputation for being good corporate cutizens) then Amazon, then if i absolutely cannot find it anywhere else and cannot do without…W*lm*rt.
Amazon’s billionaire owner is repeatedly and increasingly in the news for shady/unethical practices (especially towards its employees), and repeatedly has to be forced to toe the legal line; the owner seems to be trying to gain not only unimaginable money but also inappropriate levels of power. Target is not in the news for such things, and seems to be a normal big company.
Thank you for your reply! It makes sense. To be clear, I never thought Amazon was as pure as the driven snow or anything…. ;-) I just saw them as a “normal big company” as you say above re Target. I do understand though, I have an immediate distaste for Walmart & Sam’s Club and never ever shop there, even though I DO frequent Target and Costco and one could say they are fairly similar. I’ll give some extra thought to Amazon now as well. Although a true boycott would also mean Whole Foods, Zappos, Audible, etc.. and really, what’s a middle-class white woman supposed to even DO without those? (That’s a joke of course!)
On Tuesday our Roku background turned to a flag theme and I was shocked at my absolutely visceral reaction of disgust. It’s our flag! But I realize I now associate it with hatred and self-righteousness and nationalism rather than patriotism. I hope you get to fly yours.
This summer, I discovered the sci-fi of Becky Chambers, and now I am shaking the shoulders of anyone who remotely mentions liking anything remotely like sci-fi because HER BOOKS ARE SO GOOD.
I picked up one of hers at the library maybe a year ago, completely randomly, and loved it. To Be Taught If Fortunate was the title, I think. Thank you for reminding me to check for more!