Morose Barnacle
@morosebarnacle
Aspiring author who likes books, history, and nerd stuff. I've a goal to visit all the public art around Salt Lake City. I likely commit too many brain cells toward anti-squirrel schemes directed at the squirrels marauding my tomatoes every summer.
Aren't we past this trend yet? Who actually buys this stupid stuff?
Most of them even still have buds ready for a new round of flowers!
I'm stupidly pleased by today's grocery run. They had tuna packets on clearance and the lady setting them out said they had over a hundred more because they accidentally over-ordered. (They all expire late 2028, so not old stock.) I bought 17 packets. I can definitely eat that by the end of 2028.
In the last Steam summer sale, I saw WildTangent's Fate (2005). A demo of the game was bundled with Windows Vista, so I'd played before, but never finished. It's like a classic dungeon crawling RPG crossed with a slot machine! I was expecting a cut scene or something when I finished the main...
"Serf City: Life is Feudal" (1993) is a strategy game for PC. It's like a far less sophisticated Sid Meier Civilization game. I found it again on an abandonware site. It has cute pixel graphics a bit reminiscent of Lemmings, but this one's for the patient gamer--slow but addicting gameplay.
Finished "Crystalis" (1990) from start to finish when we dug the old NES out of storage. Lots of those games left unfinished because older siblings always hogged the Nintendo. (It now belongs to nephew who's into retro gaming.) So satisfying! I honestly don't know why this game isn't better known.
I've let everything die back in my yard this summer, but this one yellow prairie coneflower has been so admirably stubborn that I've been hand watering it through this heat. It amazes me how often there are bees on it.
Every other sticker/protective film on this new small appliance (and there were a lot!) were so easy-peasy to pull off... except this one. 🙄
Just found the biggest black widow I've ever seen in my life! (Parking garage stairwell.) Those legs could easily stretch over a 50-cent piece.
...to play an instrument, but had it with him, played the national anthem. (He played the flute.) Then they played a game of baseball. The US military is long gone from Erzurum, but the baseball diamond is still visible on google maps. (2/2) maps.app.goo.gl/59WNm5KeaKN2...
Super smokey today in Salt Lake City like standing near a camp fire. Most of it is probably from this fire that we've all been watching, though there are some really big fires burning in UT right now not too far away. Everyone's been saying "it's gonna be a bad fire year"... yep, I think so, too.
Went to Utah Symphony's performance/screening of Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves! So fun! Lorne Balfe (the composer) actually conducted. They even had a choir. I very much recommend going if it's performed near you.
Groceries this weekend: $52.48. I always find it interesting to see what stuff costs in different regions of the country. Here's mine for Salt Lake City.
Today's adventure in frugality: check for stuff marked down because it's at or near expiry date! I had a yummy dinner tonight, put 1.5 lbs of blanched broccoli in the freezer, and have meat ready for sandwiches all week. (I can't remember the last time I bought beef outside of a fast food burger!)
📚💙 I finished the audiobook for Katherine Center's HELLO STRANGER (2023). For me it's ⭐⭐⭐⭐. I think it's one of those books that's a fine book, but better as an audiobook. It's narrated by Patti Murin. Oddly, I got a Legally Blonde vibe from this one--the plots aren't at all similar, Murin... 🧵1/4
My pothos leaves looked glittery in the afternoon sun. Hard to capture in a photo and it only lasted a minute or two. It's amazing how much iridescence can be hiding in normal things--just need better lighting to see it!
💙📚 I read Sangu Mandanna's THE VERY SECRET SOCIETY OF IRREGULAR WITCHES (2022). ⭐⭐⭐⭐ What a cute cozy read! It's about a hodge-podge family desperate for an adult witch to tutor 3 young witches with somewhat out-of-control magic. It's a little annoying how the grumpy/sunshine trope is... 1/3
We changed brands of paper for the copier at work. The new stuff has the slogan, "Copy Paper: Bold Fearless Bright." I'm not sure how a ream of paper can be fearless. I suppose it's a better slogan than our old paper brand: "Need a copy? Print it!" I feel bad for the copywriter who had this job.
📚💙 Finished Alix Harrow's STARLING HOUSE (2023) last week. Easily my favorite book l read this year. (Maybe even in the last 2 years!) I *adore* the imagery that's so smoothly stitched into every page. Look at this 1st page--the book has a semi-sentient house, so this is a character...
I read Alix Harrow's Starling House (2023) this weekend. Such evocative language! Her main character is a HS drop out, but she puts wonderful imagery in her mouth without it sounding out of character. I like her opening--it's intriguing but not gimmicky hooky. I'm sucked in without noticing.
Saw Sheep Detectives this weekend! Cute funny movie that made me cry. I heard it perfectly described as "Babe meets Knives Out". The ticket seller assured us that Hugh Jackman was "charming" in this one--she was right!
I read Ashley Poston's THE DEAD ROMANTICS (2022). 📚💙 I rate it ⭐⭐⭐⭐ You want a fun slowburn romance that makes you cry from time to time? Well, this is the book. It's a tearjerker because the FMC frequently reflects on the unexpected death of her much-loved dad, but the tears all feel earned. 🧵1/5
I think somebody maybe did a little guerrilla gardening at this construction site. It used to be a diner that's been shut up for years and years.
Went to the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles today. These green traffic cones all labeled "STICKY" are scattered about the grounds. If you pick it up to peek underneath, there's genuine La Brea tar oozing up from the ground. Super satisfying to poke it with a stick!
Have you seen 404 fossilized dire wolf skulls today? Now you have.