Assassin's Creed in Space

My stomach appears to be a lot less grumpy than it was last weekend! I’ll take that win. Next week I’m out of town again, so I don’t know if I’ll be able to get a Saturday Note up in time.

Right now I’m almost done with Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood. Naturally the following game might be Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, but I’m a bit tired of playing Assassin’s Creed games for the moment, so we might take a break with something like Stray. Finishing up Going Postal, then we’re onto a new book.

This one doesn’t really have an argument, it’s more like, “Hey, this is crazy, and I want to talk about it.”

'Not How I Wanted It' as Criticism

I’ve been out for a bit the last couple of days, so there’s even LESS planning on this Saturday Note than usual. 

Presently I am reading a book about medieval manuscripts. Not sure what I’m watching, other than occasional Elementary episodes. Still playing Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood. I’ve got it on the schedule to paint and finally do those Titan’s Curse annotations, too.

Kit Fisto Rules

I expect to be out of town today. And I had an idea for a bit of a dour Saturday Note, with examples from both fiction and real life, but you know what? The world is messy right now. You don’t need that. We need something fun. So we’re going to talk about a character who is both incredibly awesome and very underrated.

For Reasons.

Presently watching Kim’s Convenience while it’s still on Netflix (leaves in June). Behind on book reviews (again).

Anyway, your Moment of Zen.

In Praise of Shinwell Johnson

AGH I’m so behind on everything–letters, annotations, and reviews. It’s freaking me out a bit.

The NC Zoo is waiting on the NC budget to clear so they can finish working on their new Asia section, by the way. They have a new director, though.

Star Wars Day was Monday, so here’s your jam for the week.

Enjoyment of Bad Movies

Since Star Wars Day is Monday, I considered doing a Star Wars Saturday Note, but I don’t know what I’d say? I guess I’m a bit Star Wars’d out on interesting essay topics.

I am a bit behind on letters, which is frustrating, though hopefully I can get that done in the next week. Still need to find a place to put annotations, though.

Presently reading An Unexpected Apprentice by Jody Lynn Nye!

The Historical Epic Tour

The mouth still feels weird, but the dentist said everything looks fine, which made me think it’d be better by now. And I suppose it is better, just very slowly… look, I’m getting tired of this. So I’ve been brushing and flossing and mouthwashing because that makes it feel a bit better.

I finished The Egyptian–which inspired this Note (although originally I had a completely different topic)--and apparently the English translation is hundreds of pages shorter than the original Finnish? Which is wild, because the book is five hundred pages. What the eff!

The Extended Editions

My mouth has been feeling weird all week, sometimes achey, and my anxiety keeps telling me that my teeth are about to all fall out. The soonest I could get a dentist appointment was Monday morning, so let’s pray that I don’t lose everything before then. It doesn’t really have any splitting pain, though, so that seems like it’s probably a good sign.

I realized that I need a place to put my letters and drafts–right now I just have several large piles of paper.

The last two seasons of Brooklyn 99 are now on Netflix, so I am watching those. Just started The Egyptian by Mika Waltari, and man, our guy Sinuhe is not making good decisions.

On Mind Control/Possession

Oof, stressful week, I have horrible headaches, but it is still the Easter season, it is the weekend, and I have some Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood to play! And I’m caught up on all the books I had been planning on, so that is a bit of a relief (now I need to find some more…).

And I got Return of the King (Extended Edition) from the library!

Darth Vader's Redemption

We are in the Easter Tridium! That means that it’s not Easter yet, but it’s darn close!

I am almost caught up on my reading list, which means… I have to pick up new books to read. The library’s got me covered, though. I should be able to finish up Assassin’s Creed II soon, and after that, we’re doing Brotherhood I think?

Allergies haven’t been as bad these last couple of days, so I think pollen levels are going down? Hopefully I haven’t spoken too soon.

I watched a lot of Star Wars last weekend so this is on my mind, and with Easter and everything, redemption’s on my mind.

The Joy of Fan Theories

Hello! I am out of town for a bit so this might not be a full Saturday Note! Or it might be! I’ll find out when I finish writing it. While I’m working on this, I am reading Persepolis, I have finished the “Bonfire of the Vanities” section on Assassin’s Creed II, and the next book is probably going to be Thieves’ Quarry, I think?

The world is rough out there, so here’s a link to cheer you up. And remember:

NO KINGS.

Genre & Criticism

Most days this past week, I have woken up with an achey, throbbing ear. This is not ideal for someone who has to listen to phone calls all day for work! So that’s fun.

I am currently reading Play of Shadows by Sebastien de Castell, and in Assassin’s Creed II I got to the Bonfire of the Vanities. Hopefully, I’ll get to writing those Sea of Monsters annotations, though having recently re-read The Patriot Witch, that book would also be a good one for annotations?

Had the strangest urge to write poetry Friday morning…

"They Used to Be Friends!"

My stomach has been weird these past few days, but I think it’s mostly settled. It’s been worse before, though, so thank goodness for that.

It is PI DAY! Eat some pie. Saint Patrick’s Day is coming up, if you go to parties for that? It’s, unsurprisingly, not as big a deal in this Puerto Rican household.

Right now I’m re-reading The Sea of Monsters and taking notes for annotations. After that is a de Castell book? I think? It might be Patriot Witch. I’m a little behind on my reading.

Norse Myth Stories: Where are the Elves?

I am out of town this week! So we have a shorter Note than usual. 

As for reading/gaming update: I am starting a new urban fantasy series, October Daye–which is quite fun so far! It’s interesting to see another urban fantasy author cover the fae stuff, and also weird to see someone with a fantasy series revolving around fae courts long before the romantasy takeover of the concept.

[I mean, obviously, there were a bunch of these, it’s just now that they really took off in public awareness with that, and it’s weird.]

Still playing Assassin’s Creed II!

Arthurian England Sux

Yesterday, Pokemon turned 30 years old! 

I am planning a trip next weekend, so I don’t know if I will be able to do a Saturday Note then. I will try, though.

Remember that, as it is Lent, if you have a Catholic parish near you, you will probably find a Friday night Fish Fry, if you feel like doing fish & chips that night.

The Kudzu Plot

I am off of Tumblr for Lent, so everything that you see posted there throughout the next few weeks is pre-queued, or possibly an imposter. I am also cutting back on TV, so presently not watching any shows. I did just finish an obscenely long YouTube video about BIONICLE, which in part inspired this Note. And I’m reading Pratchett’s Monstrous Regiment!

I’ve talked about “Aragorn’s Tax Policy” before, but here’s a good post about it by someone smarter than me. People are also still crying over the canceled Ben Solo movie from Lucasfilm, which still makes no sense to me.

Oh, and I have a new laptop!  So far, so good, but it’s still going through the setup phase.

Pop Culture Engagement Is Not Mandatory

I went and ate ice cream yesterday, I finished something at work, and the plan is to get a haircut today. Also, did you know that AmTrak has vacation packages? Just an observation.

Not sure what I’m reading today, but I just finished the third Sisters Grimm novel. Might I be able to convince my dad to go watch Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die in the theater? Perhaps not this weekend, what with it being Valentine’s Weekend and all, and I suspect the theater might be full…

Anyhow, Lent is coming next week! Be ready!

The Delight of a Good Book

It’s been an odd week, but it ended well because yesterday was WAITANGI DAY (the birthday), which turned out quite nice, although I definitely ate too much. Let me know if you want leftovers! I’ll e-mail them to you.

Now I’m not sure how this weekend’s going to go, but I have high hopes. I’m just finished with season one of Fallout, in the short time that it’s on YouTube. And maybe I’m about to get into some good books this next week! We’ll see.

Generally, I’m fairly critical in these essays, but today let’s try something different. It is my birthday (or the day after) after all.

Magic as Metaphor

It’s a strange week, but I made it through okay. Things are expected to get cold this weekend, so we have that to look forward to. Maybe we’ll get snow? I got one of the Extended Editions from the library; maybe I can convince someone here to watch it with me?

I just finished the Poetic Edda! Well, a volume of it, anyhow. It’s a bit different. I’ve picked up the Chef’s Table miniseries about pizza on Netflix–though I may be giving up Netflix and Hulu for Lent. I started playing the remastered version of Assassin’s Creed II on PS4.

Next Friday is WAITANGI DAY!!!!!

TV Adaptations Are Not Always Better

I have actually had a pretty good week! I got the new Dresden Files book in a book giveaway on Kindle, I got a reply to a fanmail letter I sent to a fantasy author, and I re-read The Lightning Thief. Question for you guys: if I wrote out annotations to the Percy Jackson book series, would you guys be interested in seeing them?

Lent is coming up sooner than you think, by the way.

The Percy Jackson Show is Bad

This Saturday Note is written a bit later than usual–I had a dinner thing Friday night (yay!), but also after writing Fun Facts my computer decided that the browser needed to freeze and would not re-open after I closed it and clicked it dozens of times.

Physically, I am much better off than I was at the beginning of the week, in which I felt pretty crappy. I’m re-reading a (possibly signed library copy?!) of The Wee Free Men, and finishing up “Valley of Memory” on Assassin’s Creed: Mirage.

The Extended Editions of The Lord of the Rings are in theaters this weekend, by the way.

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Discussion Thing

Good day! Being back to work after vacation is hard, but I made it through the week.

Presently, I’m reading Bring Me the Head of Joaquin Murrieta; after that, I have a couple of other nonfiction books from the library (I got too many–I need to pick up a novel soon). Probably giving up the Percy Jackson show because, uh, the writing is dumb overall, so finishing up the Jurassic Park cartoon on Netflix, and starting season two of A Man on the Inside. 

Playing the “Valley of Memory” expansion for Assassin’s Creed: Mirage.

Not Everything is an Exact Allegory

I wasn’t even sure if we’d have a Saturday Note this week. I spent most of it out of town on vacation, so I don’t have a list of notes of things I wanted to talk about, or an outline or something like that. I do have some dragon sketch practice, though.

Presently reading an Avatar book, about Yangchen. I have a lot of laundry to do today, so I'm not sure if I’ll be able to do a lot this weekend.

Now I feel like I've written about this kind of thing before? I can’t find it, though, at least not in the Saturday Notes, so we’re going to go with it anyway.