Thoughts on "Skin Game"

I got the latest Dresden Files book by Jim Butcher the other day.

Entitled "Skin Game", it's the latest chapter in the life of Harry Dresden, Chicago's private investigator/wizard.

Harry's been through some shit the last few books. Vampires. Evil wizards. Necromancers. Ghouls. Faeries. Ghosts. He's fought pretty much everything. He's obliterated an entire type of vampire. He's killed people closest to him. And he's been killed at least once.

Now he's working for an unpleasant Faerie queen.

For all that, the last few Dresden Files books have fallen into a kind of routine. We (the readers) get to hang out in Harry's head as he psychoanalyzes his various sexual hang-ups while facing down bad guys of various stripes.

It was cool for a few books, but I have to say I'm starting to get a little tired of it. One of the great things about the Dresden Files series was the slow but steady progression and growth of Harry throughout the series. It kind of feels like that's stalled in the last few books.

That or the character progression isn't doing much for me.

I guess he started losing me in "Ghost Story", but it's really come home in "Skin Game".

The plot is sort of an "Ocean's 11" heist story with no real surprises. Lots of Murphy and Harry doing the sexual-frustration dance. Lots of Harry ogling chicks. Lots of bad guys being bad. Lots of Mab the Queen of Winter being a badass. Lots of Harry mouthing off too much. Lots of Harry getting googly-eyed over his daughter.

Yawn.

I dunno. I guess I'm just expecting more after so many books echoing this theme. There was a neat part when we got a new Knight of the Swords (read the series if you don't know to what I refer) but even that was kind of... I dunno. Tepid. Just lacked punch.

I am given to understand Butcher plans on about 20 Dresden books. I still plan to read them all. Butcher's prose is fun and easy to follow. I do enjoy his books, but I have to say they're falling into kind of a dull pattern now. I'm a tiny bit disappointed.

special needs morning

It's always a glory and joy when I do my morning bike ride into the office and then my brain decides to list out all the things I forgot or forgot to do.

Going to be a long, long day.

Memorial Day

Good lord what a beautiful day! I think I got my first sunburn of 2014 while bike riding.

Impressions

For reasons, I spent a good four-hour chunk of yesterday in ER. Turned out to be a false alarm on my part, but that's good. I walked away with impressions (some literal... I still have a bruise on my arm from where blood was drawn):

• ER security guards are awesome. They're funny, relaxed, cheerful, and always have entertaining stories. The TSA should take tips. Lots of tips.
• ER nurses are godlike rock-stars. They're efficient, funny, and disarming. They're also surprisingly-strong.
• ER doctors are on a par with the ER nurses. The ones I've met handle the stress and busy of the job like champs. Even with crazy shit going on around them all the time (and there was no shortage of that), they always seem (in my experience) to take the time to explain everything.

Lessons I learned:

• Bring a book, if you can. You'll be doing a lot of waiting.
• If the opportunity presents itself, go to the bathroom before too much goes on.
• Find your happy place. You're going to be sitting and staring a lot (unless you brought a book).
• Try not to choke when you're told what the ER co-pay is. Oy.

Glorious Wednesday Weirdness

Welcome back, ghost music! I have missed your haunting strangeness in my mornings.

Here's hoping the bicycle gods are kind this day.

oooof

Record-breaking heat here in the Bay Area. The air quality is shite. On the plus side, it makes early-morning bicycle rides pretty goddamn comfy. And it helps me justify those tasty rum cocktails when I get home.

Though in all fairness, I don't really need to justify those.

Finale Fever

Last night's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." was pretty entertaining. A bit rushed, but certainly had a fair amount of fun. It was nice to see Coulson getting his mojo going. And the Sam Jackson cameo was welcome and long-overdue.

I loved Bill Paxton's over-arcing crazy. I still think Ward is a zero and a bit of a douche, but he at least remained consistent in his creepy, fucked-up, douche-y weird.

I'll be curious to see what they do with Fitz next season and if they give Trip a meatier role than "backup guy".

That last bit with the monolog was totally awesome.

"Person of Interest"... just... wow. Yeah. I don't even know where to begin. That ending was fucked up. I have no idea where they're going with the next season.

Dear bicycle gods

Dear bicycle gods,

After three pints of beer and about three miles of walking with a flat tire in the goddamn hot sun, I just want to say fuck you.

Seriously.

I don't know what the hell is up or why I'm getting random flat tires. I really don't. The beer probably isn't helping. No... that's not true. The beer is totally helping.

So, again: dear bicycle gods, bite me.

Sincerely, me.

For today's WTF'ery...

• Okay, so the CW is now going to air a show called "Gotham", which is due to star a young Jim Gordon in the pre-Batman days. In other words, we're going to see Batman without Batman. Because reasons. WTF? WHY NOT JUST DO A BATMAN SHOW???? WHO THINKS A NON-BATMAN BATMAN SHOW IS A GOOD IDEA????
• I just saw a sea gull fly by my window with what looked like a huge chunk of red meat. That was in no way disturbing. Especially coupled with this morning's full moon and the impending heat wave due to strike today.
• The CW canceled "The Tomorrow People". It's saying something when the CW thinks a show has gotten too bad to air.
• They're selling Game of Thrones action figures. I'm wondering if the Ned Stark one has an easily-removed head. I'm trying to figure out who these are marketed for, given the subject matter. And I'm wondering if my budget can handle getting the $100 bundle they're offering on ThinkGeek. A White Walker, Tyrion, the Hound, and Danaerys? Dude... add in a Needle-armed Arya and some Direwolves and I wouldn't even be debating this purchase.
• So... yeah. we're totally fucked.

R.I.P. H.R. Giger

The king is dead. Long live the king.

Seriously

blather

• So far the bike gods seem distracted, letting me do my thing without interference. Oh, there was the whole "nearly getting clipped by a speeding car" thing this morning, but that's kind of par for the course. Any morning where I don't see someone waving a knife around is a win in my book.
• High-five
• So... "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.". Interesting stuff. I personally think they've kind of written themselves into a corner with this whole "S.H.I.E.L.D. is gone" storyline, but whatever works. It's still an improvement over the first part of the season.
• "Person of Interest". Holy. Shit. Just.... yeah. Goddamn.
• With my new phone, I ordered a new holder to carry it. As with my previous phone, I decided to go with Skinth Solutions. A month's lead time is a bit brutal, but I gotta say they deliver and I'm happy with my purchase. Now I'm like a dorky Batman-wannabe with my quasi-utility-belt accessory. Still, it's got my phone (case and all), with room for the stylus, a pen, a flashlight, and I bet I could slip a couple of other small things into it. My one regret was sticking to Velcro instead of going with some kind of snap to secure it. Oh well.

Amusement

Apparently some of my co-workers read this blog.

Why? I have no idea. Amusing, though.

Yeesh

Holy crap it's hot.