travels

In Malden. Not too exciting. Yesterday I saw a "Mountain Park" on the map, right behind my house. It's a decent size but doesn't seem to have trails, just one driveway up to the peak. That was surprisingly busy at dusk: some public library reading even, and amateur astronomers setting up. I thought about staying but had Urgent Shopping Plans.

Which were to go to the nearest Trader Joe's, in Assembly Square. That's part sad imitation of a real city, right by the T stop, and part giant parking lot and mall. TJ is beyond the parking lot, and despite all the space it had, somehow felt anemic. Still, I got stuff, especially cheaper nuts and cheeses and frozen shrimp. Which I cooked today, my fanciest thing since going nomadic.

My 'roommates' still haven't figured out how to turn off the shower without the water running, after two weeks. Nor how to get out without dumping water on the floor, or the poor mat on the floor.

I've had five hosts so far and not one has provided a washcloth.

TJ has started selling nuts in re-sealable bags. Yay!

The Orange Line seems less reliable than I recall from last year; there seem to be a lot of unexpected waits at stations.

Reading

I read Jemisin's Broken Earth Trilogy. It was good, though I'm not sure it really needed four Hugos in a row.

Dan Dennett's From Bacteria to Bach and Back was interesting as usual, though also as usual I'm not sure I came away with an actual story about consciousness.

The latest two Penric novellas were fun.

I found a novel length Bujold fic, A Bit Too Much Good Work; it's Captain Vorpatril's Alliance from the POV of Byerly and Rish. Enjoyed it a lot, and the author's other Vorrutyer or Arqua stories.