I just finished Queen of Candesce recently - I picked it up on a whim when I was traveling. Mostly I picked it up because of a few simple lines on the back cover.
From the blurb description:
"Now, in Queen of Candesce," Venera finds herself plunging through the air between the artificial continents of Virga..."
From an Interzone review blurb:
"Queen of Candesce has a backdrop that's simultaneously steampunk and space opera..."
What can I say, artificial continents, steampunk, space opera...you've got my attention.
It is the second book in a series, and usually I don't pick up a book in the middle, but the author Karl Schroeder, wrote the book well and helped fill in the blanks so you don't need to read the first book, but it makes you REALLY want to read the first book. A good lesson to any up-and-coming writer I feel.
I won't give much of the book away, but I'll say I enjoyed it. Its got a couple interesting characters, and this book was full of a lot of machination and intrigue, but it mixes that with an equal amount of action. It had a pulp feel to it. Plus the setting is rather unique, and I really love that.
My biggest beef was the main character - Venera is a woman and the author is a man. I feel he did have women review the character - there are points- but I don't think he had enough reviewing. Venera is a very unique woman due to her upbringing, but I don't know if that is excuse enough to have her behaviorally acting like a man for the majority of the book.
Still, that aside, I did devour the book. Usually I don't like intrigue, but this book kept up the fast pace that it set in the beginning. Also, like I said, the author hinted enough about the first book in the series that I KNOW I want to pick that one up: airships, pirate duels, traveling into the heart of an artificial sun, what's not to love?!
Yesterday was a day filled with BEER! And the festivities started at 3 pm. Before you think I am a drunkard, let me essplain, ossifer.
I was introduced to a fun and quirky thing called Hashing. It is actually an international past time: "Hash House Harriers is an international group of social, non-competitive running, social, and drinking clubs." (Wikipedia) As I was told: "we're a drinking club with a running problem."
The core idea: one of the members plays the hare and they mark a trail that the pack, the rest of the participants, have to follow. The trail is often challenging: it winds through random fields, down rail road tracks, over fences, under bridges, and through woods. And the trail usually has a few false leads to confuse and waylay the pack.
What's the point of this funny excursion? Is it to get out and run and enjoy the great day? Well yes, but it is also about the BEER. At the end of the hash all of the hashers gather to drink and go through a lot of off-kilter administrivia that involves mandatory drinking and singing lewd songs. For example, the theme of this run was "back to school," and because I forgot my theme I had to sit on a block of ice and drink cheap bear from a bed pan. I also had to drink because I was the new guy, and because I had another minor "infraction."
So now some of you are asking yourselves, "why would anyone do this?" My only answer is that it takes all kinds. I'm "that guy" that enjoys the off-kilter nature and the open revelry of the event.
Besides hashing, I also went to the opening party for a brewery in Huntsville, and then followed that up with a friend's birthday/going away party. It was a great Saturday chalked full of good times and BEER!
I spent a few hours exploring the back roads of Huntsville on my bike today. I've been away for almost two weeks, and I felt I needed to get reacquainted. 32.4 miles later, I'd love to take a nap, but I figured it would be better to put my thoughts first.
I haven't had Wanderer (my bike) for very long, and I definitely haven't had the opportunity to ride it as much as I'd like. Thus, every time I take it out it is a learning experience. Wanderer is a long wheel base recumbent bicycle, that means it handles differently than a traditional diamond frame bike.
Namely, the bike is right around 6 ft long, and because the wheel is way out in front, the steering is very sensitive. The slightest touch can create a foot of travel, and this creates a unique challenge at slow speeds, particularly when climbing hills. Because you're in a reclined position on a recumbent, you can't stand up in the pedals when climbing, or throw your body about to keep the bike on track. Instead, you're just supposed to drop into a lower gear and spin the pedals. Now Wanderer has a great low gear, I can climb a 10 percent grade with little effort, but my speed drops drastically.
What happens when you're vigorously pedaling a recumbent with sensitive steering up a hill at a crawl? If you're not skilled at steering, you wander up the hill like a drunken buffalo. Today, on two of the hills (they call them mountains here, but I've lived in Cali and I'm not going to insult the Sierra Nevada range) I traveled six feet into the lane before I could correct myself. That made life interesting with traffic (and it undoubtedly made me very popular). Luckily, it was Sunday morning, so traffic was light, and I pulled off to the side when the cars bunched up behind me. And, even though I was on a steep hill, thanks to my low gear, I was able to hop right back on and easily start pedaling again to continue my wobbling ascent.
Now, I know I've said some disparaging things about my recumbent, and I still have my concerns, but it has a lot of great aspects too. Once I crested the hills and hit high gear coming down, my eyes were watering from the speed, and I let out numerous "WAHOOOO!"s as I banked into curves. And, I spent 32 miles on the bike and nothing is rubbed raw or aches (well besides my weak legs, but they'll learn soon enough). I've put a lot of miles on my mountain bike and I've always had a problem with numb hands, shoulder and back aches, and most importantly sore areas that are very personal to me.
Take my account/review with a dash of salt - I have only put ~ 200 miles on my bicycle, but it is just the beginning. I strive to learn and improve, and down the road, I expect to have more to say about riding a recumbent. I just wish I had a trike to compare it too as well!
My new bike arrived last night! I had a lot of fun putting it together in my living room because it was pouring outside. I have pictures to share, but those will have to wait for when I have a little more time to tell the tale.
My life is crammed full right now. I'm working overtime at the 6:30 to 5:30, and once I get home I'm back to the grindstone thanks to Project Epic. Plus I have Project Errant demanding my attention.
Do I need more? Apparently so, because I'm slated to go to Boston, Los Angeles, and Connecticut in the next two weeks.
From high enough up, an anvil looks like a raindrop.
I ordered a new bicycle, and after ~5 weeks it finally arrived on Tuesday! I took a few hours off of work to play bike mechanic.
What did I get? Well scroll on...
Those are some big boxes for a bicycle.
It was buried under a lot of cardboard and paper packing material, but Wanderer, my new bike, waited patiently.
Some assembly may be required...
The few tools that would accomplish the job.
Shortly after I took the last two pictures I sat on the floor with the front fork in my hands staring at the instructions without really comprehending. I told myself more than once "not to panic," and "just look at it logically - it's a puzzle." I knew the engineer was within me somewhere. I just had to find him hidden amongst the cabinets full of account books and towering piles of administrivia. But find him I did.
Wow, that's a long frame...
Don't mind the improvised bike stand and please ignore the mess. Yes, that is my mountain bike in the background. It was a good subject for comparison, and it never got jealous.
Two hours after I started, the rain had cleared and I finished assembling Wanderer - it was fortuitous. Without further ado, I'd like to introduce you to my new ride to work and traveling companion.
Wanderer is a Long Wheel Base (LWB) recumbent bicycle. At over 5 feet long and 35 pounds, it isn't dainty, but you should feel how plush the ride is!
I've been riding my bicycle more - shocking, I know - but the majority of my miles haven't been back and forth to work. I ride for exercise and just for fun, to get out of the apartment. I'm racking up a lot of experience, but like being sandwiched in between a passing semi on one side and an SUV on the other, not all of it is enjoyable.
I was riding one of my favorite routes last Sunday morning. There's a short greenway that follows a creek for two miles that isn't far from my apartment, and I usually work it into a 4 mile circuit that I ride 3, 4, or 5 times depending on how spunky I'm feeling. The greenway is two miles of flat, smooth pavement, and you can really get cruising on a bike, even a mountain bike in dire need of a tune up rolling on fat tires.
The path has a designated split for bikes and pedestrians, which should come in handy for bike riding speed junkies. Unfortunately 80% of the pedestrians ignore the demarcation. Conversely, I have yet to see a fellow cyclist "breaking the rules" and riding on the wrong side of the line. Such is life. Usually, the greenway is lightly populated, and when I need to pass someone, I use proper etiquette: "'On your left', or 'on your right.'"
Well, Sunday morning I went out for a short "wake up" ride (refer to my previous post). Apparently others had a similar idea because the path was busier than normal. I spent a lot of tune slowing down and weaving to get around groups of people. Then, just before I was going to exit the greenway, I hit a "clot." A couple with a stroller was walking down the very middle of the trail, while another couple was heading towards me on the pedestrian side.
Now, while a cyclist on a road bike might slow and wait, that thought didn't cross my mind - I have a mountain bike! I was on the right, and I planned to go around on the right in the grass. Then, for some bizarre reason, I called out: "Behind you!" I still wonder why I said that instead of the proper: "On your right."
What did the couple with the stroller do? Bless them, lefty just stopped dead and half turned to stare at me, while righty proceeded to cross the rest of the path directly into my turn, pushing the stroller in front of them. Words failed me as I careened towards the stroller. I know I must be descend from an ape: instead of shouting a warning, howls and gibberish more befitting a chimpanzee issued from my lips. I guess that got righty's attention though because they finally stopped dead in their tracks as I passed around the stroller, which was now on the grass, with inches to spare. I remember the blond haired, blue eyed toddler smiling up at me as I pulled my leg away to make sure I didn't kick her.
I pedaled away as fast as I could, fiercely griping the handle bars to stop from shaking.
Should I have stopped and apologized? I knew then that if I did stop, I wouldn't have had anything nice to say, so I pushed harder. Was I in the wrong? I'm not sure.
I'm lucky - I know it. I hope I've grown from the experience. I will now always say "on your left or right," and when passage is in question I will slow down and wait. I ride to enjoy life, not send little Becky Sue, or myself, to the hospital.
"RAGBRAI, The Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, is an annual seven-day bicycle ride across the state. RAGBRAI is the longest, largest, and oldest touring bicycle ride in the world." (ragbrai.org)
Spending 7 days riding 472 miles across the open, flat roads of Iowa in the summer, and camping out for six nights with ~10,000 of your closest friends; what about that doesn't sound fun? If I only would have made my revelation about biking a few weeks earlier, I would be there right now.
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