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Weekday mornings I have less available time, so I only get to do these updates on the weekends...sometimes not even then if we get out to do things early.

Anyway, we've seen a shockingly large number of films in the theater for a change recently. I'm pretty sure I mentioned that we'd seen Finding Dory, the sequel to Finding Nemo a while back but since then we went out two nights this week and saw Ghostbusters which I very much enjoyed (especially with the repeated tips of the hat to the original) and followed that by seeing Star Trek: Beyond. I'm getting the point that they're making these films with fast-paced action, clearly to try to keep you from seeing all the plot holes. Was it fun? Mostly. Did it hit a lot of Star Trek tropes? Yes. I didn't hate it, I just think that it could be better.

My job has been getting busier, and they seem pretty happy with my work. It's been three months in the post thus far.

Other items...yesterday we had to pick something up in Norco, and the couple my wife had met online were very pleasant. We spent quite a while chatting after loading the item in the pickup. Very nice. From there we went to La Habra to purchase replacement gear and then to Fullerton (Placentia???) to help repair/replace the waterer for our friends' chicken coop. They are out of town, and their housesitter just wasn't sufficiently savvy to fix things up. The fix was fairly simple and we were out of there pretty fast, and so we made our way to a pizza place in Placentia that serves Chicago-style stuffed pizza called Tony's. It takes time, but when it arrived, it's the best we've had in SoCal!

Not having to work every other weekend has been a real joy; like a weekly vacation! I know that most of you readers get this all the time, but I've worked two or more weekends a month for many years, and so it's very strange to me. Now that we've caught up on many things that we haven't had time for in years, I think it's past due time to arrange a game day. Soonish?

Later today we'll be off with another friend to an event that I've always been on call for, and have never attended...this should be exciting!!!

(no subject)

More books read. Wow!

First was a graphic novel by Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo Book 30: Thieves and Spies. I've been following this series for years now. I don't get the comic books, but I wait for the collections to come out and the latest once again is pretty fun. Sakai's Japan is populated by humanoid animals and the protagonist/ronin is a rabbit. If you like comics at all I would urge you to read this series, they are great!

Next was Osprey Men-At-Arms #16: Frederick the Great's Army, an old one of this series, the plates aren't much to speak of, the sketches don't really give good views, and the text is meh. Not the best.

Then, Osprey New Vanguard #13: Scorpion Reconnaissance Vehicle 1972 – 1994, a workhorse. Not a vehicle of legend.

Next it was Questions for a Soldier, a short piece set in John Scalzi's Old Man's War series which did a fine job of giving a picture of what it's like serving in an interstellar military. Not bad if you're reading the series.

Then, Osprey New Vanguard #14: Crusader: Cruiser Tank 1939 – 1945, another British military vehicle, less modern than the previous one. What can I say?

Finally, I finished a book by Jeremy Clarkson, the former star of the British Top Gear show, called I Know You Got Soul: Machines with that Certain Something. In this book each chapter deals with one specific technological item (such as zeppelins, space shuttle, Spitfires, etc). He then explains why each of them were what he'd describe as soulful. A pretty good read, all-in-all.

On to the next book!