It was great to see Michael Kirk and his friend who joined in the festivities. Though Michael forgot his laptop, we talked about how his site was doing post IndieWebCamp and I demo’d some of the recent reading workflow I’ve worked through in the past several months. Sadly I forgot the official photo of the group.
Chris Aldrich in his natural habitat (with pastries nearby). Hearing Tantek’s voice in my head, I went back after we wrapped up so I didn’t have to illustrate another one.
The quirkiest place I’ve ever voted. Glad they offered to be a polling place.
There’s only one thing on the ballot today: County Measure H – Los Angeles County Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
I know who’s big into celebrating St. Patrick’s Day!
You have to love the way the interior decorator has highlighted the tchotchkes with the lovely floral print wall paper, the couch, and the throw pillows. The restraint in not doing a floral print on the couch was superb!
I voted.
Walking up to my new polling place, the American flag is blowing softly in the breeze.
Waiting for the library to open with central casting milling around the front door:
A poor actor talking about knowing Corey Feldman back in the day is wearing a brown poncho with black devil horns on his forehead while speaking in a preternaturally loud voice, as if he were giving a performance;
His sixty-ish female companion is trying to wrangle several children, though I’m not sure how many of the three or so orbiting her are actually hers;
One of the children, a 7 year old named Tommy Two Feathers, is commanded to look for a blue jacket as the group hovers around a very late model Toyota pickup parked in a no parking zone that appears to have all of the family’s belongings except for the several dozen or so which are sitting on the sidewalk for no apparent reason;
Then there are two tatted up 20 something thugs, one of whom is sparking up in the grass while the other twitchily watches;
There’s a granola mom with two home-schooled kids buzzing around on scooters;
A first generation Chinese woman with tattered plastic grocery bags full of books to return;
A Caucasian retiree in a hoodie;
An average mom with a bright, curly red-headed 2 year old; and
A few hipsters of the Eagle Rock persuasion.
I wish I could take more photos, but don’t think the menagerie would really appreciate it. I definitely wanted to videotape the devil’s performance, but I’m not sure if I would have remained one of the audience in the process.
I’m wondering how I came to be here…
I couldn’t resist a shot from the car
Yes those are black horns!
I really didn’t know what I was walking into…
The pastoral scene belies what is happening behind me
This planter is out of place in this all-too-quirky neighborhood.
Alas, this seemed like it was finally going to go somewhere, but it quickly ran out of runway to have a satisfying ending as a standalone novel. Admittedly it is part of a multi-part series (three perhaps?) but it could have had a more satisfying ending by itself.
Ruby’s motivations were all too self-centered and she didn’t take the logical steps at any point in the book even when they were given to her on a platter, which makes it seem a bit too stilted. This is sad because the author creates an interesting world, has some generally interesting characters, and a wonderful way with words.
I’m torn thinking about whether to continue on in the series or just stopping here. Perhaps if I can get e-book copies of the next two once the third is released in November later this year I may continue.
