may 1st
It’s a sunny weekend in the bay, and it’s hard to believe we’re almost halfway through 2021. My week included a dreaded “deep cleaning” at the dentist, that luckily was much less painful than I’d imagined. I hope you managed to avoid any challenging dental anxieties at the end of April in your world.
As we leave behind April, we can wave goodbye to the forever lost Apple Remote, denizen of the deep couch cushions. I’m not ashamed to say I woke up at 8am to order the new one on Friday. It’s strange that in the 21st century one of the most exciting things the world’s richest company makes is a tv remote, but here we are. Did you get a new iMac or any other tools or toys? As little as my work laptop leaves its stand these days, I considered requesting my next one be a Mac mini or iMac, but I’m assured one day I might need to commute again. Damn.
Speaking of commuting, have you wondered how you might emerge from the COVID cocoon changed? Our personalities, actions, and opinions are a lot more plastic than I’d assumed, which is great news for someone who made a lot of mistakes and had a lot of trauma as a youth. Whether you’re meditating, reading about active listening, or participating in anti-racist actions, these habits can contribute to a lasting change—it’s never too late to start.
Be kind to yourself as you come out of your cave, because you might not be feeling just fine.
If you’re read this for a while or known me, you’ll be aware of my love of reading fiction—sci-fi or fantasy high on the list. Occasionally, I try to write scenes of fiction myself, despite my publishing history being exclusively creative non-fiction, which meant I was excited to read this advice from Max Gladstone. Magic systems or future technology are the fuel of dreams and childhood fancy, but I’ve learned that explaining less of the system means the reader’s brain fills in the gaps much more convincingly. Write as much as you want in your outlines and prep docs, but don’t forget to communicate mystery and enough reasonable holes that your story doesn’t feel like an RPG system.
In a story that is reminiscent of a Shadowrun campaign or a Netlix movie-of-the-week, Redoine Faid escaped from prison more than once. With a hearty disclaimer that the story includes murder, its a fascinating tale of intrigue and incredibly stupid and gutsy risks. Don’t trust anyone carrying laundry to see a friend.
This next bit is pretty frustrating and upsetting: the story of how Mumsnet became a TERF-haven. If you’re unaware, the UK is virulently infected with anti-trans sentiment, and its leading to deadly and bigoted policies across the islands. Women’s rights are a vital part of the work we need to do in society, but as always, we white women are keen to exclude others from our definition of women, whether its trans women, or women of color. Its unconscionable, and one of the first steps to fighting back against this garbage is being aware of it in the first place, and then standing-up to it in practice. None of us is safe and free until all of us are.
Finally, thanks again to friend of the email Joe for a few lovely beers in a windy sun-drenched park on Saturday! I didn’t think I’d make it there on my bike through the intense headwind, but riding home felt like a treat. I’ll buy the beers next time, pal!
Links
Closing
I hope you’re making plans of your own to lay outside in the sun soon, like a lizard. Depending on where you are in the world, you’ve either emerged from a long winter, or are entering one, but either way, sun’s out buns out.
I miss swimming a lot. In Texas it felt like we always had pools, lakes, river, and other swimming holes, but I’ve yet to find them in Oakland. This year, COVID permitting, I’d like to swim in a lake somewhere with friends, ideally during a camping trip. Now that my ribs are feeling better, I’m additionally looking forward to bike rides that fill a day punctuated by coffee stops. There’s a lot of Bay Area I haven’t enjoyed yet, especially while I was somewhat of a shut-in this year.
However you prefer to enjoy yourself, I hope you have ample opportunity. Until next week, keep relaxing and being cool, space cowgirls~