Family came over for a picnic dinner yesterday. It was so nice.

Finished rereading The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison. I’d forgotten how much I’d enjoyed this fish-out-of-water story. The invented-language names were constantly baffling, but once I started aggressively using the glossary and cast of characters as a reminder, the book was smooth sailing.

It only got to 86° yesterday, and the forecast is for the lower 80s today.

Finished rereading H.M.S. Surprise by Patrick O’Brian, the third book in the Aubrey–Maturin series. If you’re interested in reading any of these books (perhaps you enjoyed the movie?) but aren’t ready to commit, start here (but read the Wikipedia plot summaries of the first two before you start).

105°.

Reached 99° today. Bracing for tomorrow.

It reached 97° yesterday; it’s 84° right now. Mom stayed with us last night, and will again for the next couple days.

It is not yet 9am, and it is 79° outside.

Got the air conditioner out of the cellar. It still works.

Finished reading Kindred by Octavia Butler. About slavery and its effects on everybody (but especially the enslaved), it’s brutal (but intentionally less than it could have been) and compelling, with a spare style that suits the story. You should read it, but only when you’re prepared.

Went for a walk today. Meghan dropped me off at the “trailhead” (Olympic Sculpture Park) and I walked along the shore, around Magnolia, through Discovery Park, across the Ballard Locks, to Golden Gardens, and up the stairs. Then Meghan picked me up again because I am not in the same walking shape I was in four years ago. Over 26k steps and 12 miles.

Finished reading Abaddon’s Gate by James S.A. Corey. I had two major dissatisfactions with the book. First, one of the viewpoint characters made consistently dumb decisions, from before the book started to almost the end; I understand the arc the author wanted to draw, but it made a quarter of the book unpleasant. Second, two characters made a big deal about violence being a dead end and a last resort … but the book sure loves its military-grade ultraviolence, in precise detail. Which is exciting reading! But the author kind of wants to have their cake and eat it too, but really just wants to eat tasty cake.

The summary of the next book in the series promises more of the same, so I think I’ll take a break for a while.

That’s right: We’re having a Dutch baby for breakfast this morning.

Today was the kids’ last day of school for the year, and the day they reached maximum immunity.

Today absolutely felt like a Friday, but alas: no.