The week thus far…

It’s Wednesday evening.

Work at the public library has been rewarding this week. Taught a Resume Design class last night at Workforce Solutions, which is really the Texas Workforce Commission. The people were nice, engaged, and appreciative, and we love doing that kind of work. For the people I work with creating a good resume is not a hard thing, but honestly for many people it isn’t easy and they can use the help. So we help. Being a public librarian makes me feel good every day.

My spouse has been sick with a stomach virus but is on the mend, but I’ve stayed home from Aikido this week to give her help at home after work and let her get the rest she needs.

I’ve been working on my Traveller RPG campaign in the evenings. That has been fun. Looking forward to playing in March, when we will revive our long-running campaign that has been dormant for the last year due to people moving and other examples of life getting in the way.

Saturday I’ll be interviewing someone for my Traveller podcast. Looking forward to that.

Found out today that a dear friend is looking at some serious health problems. Not happy about that.

That’s all.

 

Weekend Report

Yes, it’s time for yet another weekend report.

Twas a busy but good weekend.

Saturday: Aikido practice (2 hours), nap, lunch, drove to Fort Worth to see our friend John’s band play. Great show. Having talented friends is really a good thing.

Sunday: Breakfast with friends William and Katie, then we played D&D all afternoon.

Tomorrow the War on Ignorance continues.

I love this little dog

Having never had a dog before, my wife and I had no real idea the grip he would have on our hearts. We thought oh we really love him. But we had no idea the depth. It’s hard being away from him during the day at work. Whenever we both leave the house it’s hard to even do that, because we want him with us. The joy this little being radiates is absolutely unstoppable.

cute little sheltie dog
Riley on one of our many walks.

A trip to the movies

Normally we see movies at the local Alamo Drafthouse theater, here in Richardson (normally I would link to them, but as you’ll see I don’t think they are link-worthy anymore). Last year (or was it the year before?), the franchise owner for a bunch of Alamo locations shut our theater and some other locations down. They were reopened by Alamo corporate, which I suppose is now owned by Sony Pictures. The auditoriums were remodeled in such a way as to enshittify the movie-going experience. We used to enjoy going there for dinner and a movie, but the food it noticeably worse now. Some is actively horrible. And it is a lot more expensive. We went to a movie there a few weeks ago and noticed that the pre-movie experience is also worse. It all seems more corporate (because it is). It feels like what once had a living, shining soul is now a dead carcass that thinks it’s still alive, but still…

…still it is better than the experience of of going to a huge “normal” theater chain.

Last night we went to see Becoming Led Zeppelin at a nearby AMC megalo-maximo-giganto-plex. At the concession stand you pick your order on a touch screen and pay with a card. It spits out a receipt with an order number. Eventually a person working in the concession mine behind the “stand” puta your order up and you are summoned to get it. If they could make you prepare your own shit, they would. I’m sure that’s on the way.

Once in our seats we were immediately bombarded with advertising, “movie trivia”, and then more advertising, all designed to keep the attention of a society of people who can no longer stand the be alone with the horror of their own thoughts.

Then the lights dimmed slightly and we were shown previews of coming films (all of which look horrible. Sorry. I know I’m complaining. This is complaint-worthy.), as well as AMC (American Multi Cinema) propaganda, demonstrations of the sound system, etc.

This went on for at least 25 or 30 minutes. I honestly didn’t know if I was going to start freaking out. I’m not kidding. I really wanted to see this movie, but had I not been with my wife I think I would have left. The pre-movie torture session really was that bad. I honestly – no joke here – thought “maybe this will never end.”

The movie was, however, great and made up for the water-boarding we took beforehand. I mean c’mon – Led Zeppelin. The greatest rock band of all time. Totally worth it. It all sounded great. The interviews with the surviving band members were great.