I never had a gift but one, to know when the great wheel gives to the touch, to know and act

[sovay]

So it is Valentine's Day, and the vast majority of my week so far has consisted of physical stress, emotional stress, doctor's appointments, and realtors.

But the Google doodle is a pair of Ferris wheels with some coasters spelling out the rest and I can live with that.

I'm going to go buy some books with derspatchel.

[edit] Also dinner at Mary Chung's.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

*hugs*

Hope this day is kinder to you. I'll be interested to know what you buy.

[ashlyme.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

Hope this day is kinder to you. I'll be interested to know what you buy.

[sovay]

I'll be interested to know what you buy.

The paperback of Elizabeth Hand's Available Dark (2012) and a recent reprint of Mikhail Bulgakov's A Country Doctor's Notebook (1927) trans. Michael Glenny.

Today, from about two in the afternoon onward, has been awesome.

[ashlyme.livejournal.com]

Excellent! I'm glad you had a great day - you look extremely happy in that photo.

I must read more Hand. Thanks for sharing!

[sovay]

- you look extremely happy in that photo.

derspatchel has a knack for taking photos like that.

I must read more Hand. Thanks for sharing!

Weirdly, I like her recent, almost nonfantastic work best: I think Available Dark is her best novel and there are ways in which I think you could start perfectly well with it here and backtrack to Generation Loss (2007) if you felt like it. Of her most recent collection Errantry (2012), not all the stories speak to me at the same level, but "Winter's Wife" and "Near Zennor" make it worth seeking out. The latter story in particular you need to read.

[snowy-owlet.livejournal.com]

Oh, click the heart between the Ferris wheels! Then keep clicking. It's pretty cute.

[ashlyme.livejournal.com]

Yes, I liked that! Especially the squirrel and chameleon.

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

Not to mention the duck and octopus...

Nine

[sovay]

Not to mention the duck and octopus...

The tiger and the horse are just watching the moon.

[sovay]

Especially the squirrel and chameleon.

I haven't seen that one yet! Right now the elephant and the monkey are having a successful disco date.

[sovay]

Then keep clicking. It's pretty cute.

The rabbit producing dead fish out of its hat for the dolphin is adorable.

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

Have a lovely day. Let us know what you find.

Nine

[sovay]

Let us know what you find.

See above to ashlyme! We also found dinner at Mary Chung's, which is what this picture is doing.

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

What a fabulous day! Most excellent book finds. And Suan La Chow Show and Dun Dun Noodles are the canonical dinner at Mary's.

Nine

[sovay]

And Suan La Chow Show and Dun Dun Noodles are the canonical dinner at Mary's.

We ordered moon cakes for New Year's too, but those were just enough too much food that we brought two of them home. They are in the refrigerator with last night's avocado cheesecake. It is terrifyingly possible we could just subsist on dessert tomorrow.

[gwynnega]

Sorry your week has been so stressful! But book buying sounds like a perfect Valentine's Day activity.

[sovay]

But book buying sounds like a perfect Valentine's Day activity.

It achieved results.

[schreibergasse.livejournal.com]

%$^&*(), even google seems to think I'm fated for bad dates and loneliness...

[sovay]

even google seems to think I'm fated for bad dates and loneliness...

Don't try to check the doodle on your phone: it only shows up on computers.

[ladymondegreen.livejournal.com]

May this be one of many, many such days. The realtors and stress and medical woes can wait, this is more important.

[sovay]

The realtors and stress and medical woes can wait, this is more important.

I do not believe in Valentine's Day as the be-all and end-all of the relationship year, but it was a good day to have work.

[ladymondegreen.livejournal.com]

*smiles* I don't really hold much stock by Valentine's Day either, but you'll note I didn't specify. I hope all your days are like that.

[sovay]

I don't really hold much stock by Valentine's Day either, but you'll note I didn't specify.

Hah. Fair point.

I hope all your days are like that.

Thank you.

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry for the the majority of your week.

I hope today has been kinder, and that ye've found some enjoyable books.

Happy Lupercalia/Cyril and Methodius Day/Valentine's Day to you and yours!

ETA: Alas, I didn't get to see the Google doodle. By the time I got home,* it had changed to something honouring the asteroid's near-miss. Oh well, the second g jumping out of the way so the asteroid can go through is rather cute.

*Went into the city for the 20th birthday party of the centre where the programme I got my MA from is based. There was decent beer,** a buffet including some rather nice dolmades, and a chocolate cake that made me glad I'd not given up chocolate for Lent, because I would've almost had to cheat and it's always disheartening to fail Lent so early.***

**Nothing extraordinary, and all of it bottled, but the Smithwick's didn't run out, so I was content.

***This is why I will never try giving up swearing again. Or Guinness, because certain friends of mine who tend bar in certain locales will always get my pint started as soon as I come into view, and it would be uncharitable and downright inhumane to refuse it when they've done that. Of course, now I'm staying up too late... But I just got home, and I'm not going to go on TV Tropes and waste the whole night, and that's what I really gave up, so I'm okay. At least that's what I'm telling myself.

[sovay]

it had changed to something honouring the asteroid's near-miss. Oh well, the second g jumping out of the way so the asteroid can go through is rather cute.

I missed that! But I hadn't heard of 2012 DA14 before your comment, and looking it up caused the Russian meteor event to flicker across my screen, and then I lost a certain amount of time to staring amazed at handheld (or dashboard) footage from the sky over Chelyabinsk, so thank you.

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

You're most welcome!

Now I almost want a dash cam, myself, just in case something like that happens when I'm on the road. That said, I'm glad I don't need one for the reasons that folk in Russia apparently have them.