Current earworm: “Truckin’” by the Grateful Dead, pushing out another earworm which outstayed its welcome two weeks ago.

Finished reading Real Tigers by Mick Herron, book 3 of the Slough House series, a couple days ago. Another fun read, continuing the humorously cynical tone but this time with a bit more optimism for the slow horses.

Finished reading The Mills of the Gods by Tim Powers. Classic Powers (Phoenician gods + Paris + Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, and Pablo Picasso), executed … well, acceptably. Not one of his great works (start with Last Call or Declare, not his later books), and a little heavy-handed on the Catholicism (were all of his books like this?), but includes a truly harrowing oil lamp–lit journey through the Paris catacombs.

Meghan and I watched the first two episodes of Slow Horses, as good as the book.

Meghan and the bambina and I finished Fellowship and started The Two Towers.

Walked from the Federal Way light rail station to the Tacoma train station (with two unexpected detours), partly along the BPA Trail: 38k steps, 19 miles. A good dumb walk to end a year of them.

Finally finished rereading Ursula K. Le Guin’s version of the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, reading her translation/rendering notes this afternoon. I don’t understand most of this, but most of what I understand resonates, and a lot of what I don’t makes me think.

Meghan and I watched the first half of The Fellowship of the Ring (standard edition) with the bambina. She has identified it as the origin of three well-known memes (so far).

Family over for Christmas dinner.

Almost made it through the Christmas season without getting earwormed by the Bad One, but it was playing at the grocery store yesterday from a speaker right over the checkout line, so I was basically doomed.

Meghan and I went to Letterpress Distilling for cocktails and to see Amy and Dave, selling produce there.

Yesterday, we went to Meghan’s family Christmas gathering, including out-of-towners from the Bay Area and New York. Lovely time.

Walked around Green Lake for the Pathway of Lights. Too crowded, but still glad I went — good weather, music, and views.

Our last incandescent light bulb blew out, and the switch it was on didn’t work with LED bulbs, so replaced the switch.

Current earworm: “Letter Never Sent” by REM.