I’m writing this on a new laptop which is smaller, lighter, and less broken than my old laptop (and a little smaller than I expected). Actually as I write this I realize they’ve sent me a Dell Latitude 7330 instead of a Dell XPS 13 9310. Oh well. I’ve been hurting for a new laptop for a while, but the impetus was an international trip that I wanted to be able to blog without lugging a heavy laptop with me.
I’d hate for my online presence to be a sugar-coated version of my life, so before I make everyone jealous with my tales of adventure, here’s what a normal life will probably look like.
I moved out of DC in June. I don’t yet know where I’ll be after this trip.
I recently finished reading Perdido Street Station which a former coworker recommended to me (and a newer friend lent me). The parts when story threads weave together are exciting, but the boring parts (which are plentiful) all describe characters taking transit from one grimy, seedy part of town to another which is fitting for a book named for a train station.
I just started Jane Eyre on a flight which has been delightful. I’m always pleasantly surprised when a classic is so enjoyable and when I can finally separate it from whatever preconceived notions I have about its cohort.
I also saw The Invite and Toy Story 5 recently. There’s more that makes The Invite great than the fact that it’s a comedy that is consistently funny, but that’s enough for me to recommend it without further comment. I’ve only read the title to Freddie deBoer’s Toy Story piece because it’s paywalled, but it is hard for me to see how the 5th movie is for kids. If it’s for parents, it’s not clear what it’s saying either. It starts with an anti-tech message which gets muddled instead of tempered. If I had to diagnose it, I’d say they’ve lost sight of which characters we’re supposed to care about. If I remembered the old Toy Storys better, I’d say they worked because the humans were in the background and we only cared about the toys’ feelings. There’s something sinister about Jessie’s single-minded focus on Bonnie’s wellbeing (which you’d expect Bonnie’s parents to take an interest in but I digress). Very surreal to see an entertainment company try to cash in on anti-tech trends.
Anyway, between moving, a family reunion, and trip planning, I haven’t been working on much else. There are a couple blog posts at various stages that I doubt I’ll get to while traveling.
If you’d like a postcard, let me know. I’ve already promised quite a few, so I’ll be at the post office anyway.