I am reminded, after closing my account about a decade ago, how transactional everything about LinkedIn is.

Yard work today.

Finished reading The Language of Power by Rosemary Kirstein. This is clearly not the end of the series, though it ends on an adequately-satisfying note, but it’s the most-recently published. (Kirstein is apparently continuing to write.) Less Le Guin–esque than the others, but still reminiscent. I’ve enjoyed all these books.

Finished reading The Lost Steersman by Rosemary Kirstein. This was a little more harrowing than the previous two, but (or thus?) a little more compelling.

These books are self-published, and could have used another pass from a copyeditor, but nothing that ruins the read.

Successfully added SPF and DKIM records for pile.org email.

The bambina came home sick from school today.

Discovered that today is literally the first day of Achewood’s return so let’s gooooooooo

(Achewood is foundational for Meghan and me, but not without its problems, as discussed at ridiculous length by the Brain Tape podcast.)

Announcement of upcoming email server changes.

Finished reading The Outskirter’s Secret by Rosemary Kirstein. Confirms the Le Guin vibes I got from the first book: ecology and sociology are core to the story.

Tonight’s kitchen victory: huli huli chicken, first time using the grill this year.

After evicting the huge spider from the house, I had a half-finger of scotch.

Went with Mom, Meghan, and the bambina to Magnuson Park.

Mowed the lawn, first time this year.

Finished reading The Steerswoman by Rosemary Kirstein. A kind of a fantasy novel about a group of (mostly) women who gather and share knowledge, and a group of (mostly) men who hoard it, this feels like the kind of story that a younger Ursula K. Le Guin might have written.

Finished reading The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey. I read it compulsively, but it was really hard, about sexism and abuse and surviving them. It didn’t help that the protagonist — or at least the narrator, maybe she’s not the protagonist — is not especially likeable. I’m glad I read this, but I can’t easily recommend it.