Lodestar 66, Scrim vs Avatar Remaindered 23, Sard

After editing Scrim’s Chapter 66 Scrim Meeting Sard went looking for where I’d left Sard in his story. I had a feeling that I was repeating myself. Turns out that Chapter 22 (of Avatar Remaindered) was the last one I’d posted, and that I wrote the unfolding situation from Sard’s point of view in Avatar Remaindered Chapter 23, and from Scrim’s point of view in Lodestar 66.

While I did play with dropping Scrim’s point-of-view chapter and crossing into Sard’s point-of-view just for this chapter in Lodestar, realized that since all the rest of Sard’s story is told in Avatar Remaindered, Chapter 23 belongs there. And so decided to post just Lodestar 66, Scrim Meets Sard here and now.

66. Scrim Meeting Sard Download

Christmas Eve

Last night I joined a small group of eight people taking one of Rick’s Tours … this one driving up to The Mt Cootha Lookout, then on the way back viewing various Christmas lights installations.

This one is the newly opened bridge from Kangaroo Point into Brisbane CBD, with the bridge done out in Christmas livery and the new casino on the left with its festive—dare I think festive anytime?—lights. Time will tell.

I wasn’t quick enough taking photos for the most part as it was a drive, and we couldn’t hold up the traffic. Did have some success videoing.

This an amazing display in a frontyard in a nearby suburb. The owner begins the installation process on November 1 and finishes taking it down late February. Totally dedicated. The electricity bill must be off the planet.

Wall to wall with people, kids, dogs, inscense, perfume, fragrances, meaning I had to go sit in the van quite soon. I saw at least two families in their pyjamas all alike. Six or seven fancy dogs.

Everything was blinking. I had intended to make a donation but couldn’t see where and the fragrances … as above.

The best for our little group was the display in the CBD. Hundreds of people there too but roomier and out in the open at Brisbane City Hall and its attached Square.

A whole story was shown but a couple or three of videos, the longest one of 43 seconds … we’ll make do with a frame. (I’ve just started learning about my carbon footprint in relation to mobile phone use)

One of my favourites (frames) … representing an Australian Christmas carol from my teens … Six White Boomers … where boomers mean large kangaroos.

Cory Doctorow: Proud to be a Blockhead

Under the above title was going to be a link to Doctorow’s post of that name, but I don’t think so. Not yet. The link I pasted turned into a wall of text, virtually unreadable. So, again, this post will be the ‘About Blogging’ … how often already this year have I tagged a post that way?

Because what happens usually when I click on a Share Button, the title of the article/post to be shared and its URL are copied and saved on a virtual clipboard. Then, when I click and copy on a place in my post of my choosing ... usually after I’ve introduced the article/post as I intended to do here … the article/post will paste into the position directly under the title and shove the intro to the bottom, or into a never-never land where it can never again be found. (Yes, that is a hint to myself to save a draft though I’m not sure if that’ll work.)

I can but give it all another go.

Lol, this is a straight-out quote that reverberates in my head … from one of my own fictions, and when I say or think those words, I always feel like I’m hovering over Tardi Mack (trucker and surfer starring in Mongrel [published] and Meld [still being edited]) saying it while he is giving x y or z problem another go.

Intro

I’m proud to be a blockhead the same as Doctorow. Quoting from Doctorow’s article … “the most laughably false statement about writing ever uttered is Samuel Johnson’s notorious “No man but a blockhead ever wrote but for money”: … Yep. I’m definitely a blockhead.

There’s so much in this article that resonates with me, that I relate to, the whole article is rich with quotes about ‘making art’, creative endeavors of all kinds, how badly musicians are paid, and that by Spotify that people tell me I ought to be ashamed of not using them in preference to Apple Music, for example. All of them guilty of the same practices?

Why it’s important to read and read lots, how writing is a way of thinking, a way of working stuff out. While Doctorow is afraid his luck will run out in relation to his writing career, I’m often afraid that the internet will fall over and how easy that will be when it does, with all the links in the chain from me here typing this to you opening WordPress or your mail service, and reading. And there’s much more.

So I thought you might as well read the original … https://pluralistic.net/2024/12/21/blockheads-r-us/

GISNEP

I solved today’s #Gisnep in 09:50. 🎉
No. 139 | December 24, 2024
https://gisnep.com

It’s quite a good quote, one of my favorites so far. Give it a go …

Cat Diary 24

Guess what? I’ve lived here for four months and 25 days and I discovered this morning that the table on the balcony is quite an interesting place to be …

Quite a high place compared to where I usually sit and a good new angle to watch the passing parade of people down on the podium, going wherever they are going.

Foods that I like, so far …

Kibbles, kibbles, kibbles

Salmon in spring water

Salmon in olive oil, and sometimes smoked

Smoked salmon skin

Barbecued chicken, yum, bring it on

But I do not not not like smoked sardines, raw egg yolk, and I hate raw chicken.

Sachets of cat food are not my favourites either. And I will definitely turn my nose up at catnip flavoured treats.

Spoilt, the old woman calls me.

Knitting

Since the tiger-knit is done, I’ve begun a project that I’ve had in mind for a few months and has already had a few trial runs. I’m amazed how well the yarn has stood up to being ‘frogged’ (knitting term that means to pull undone) four times up to now.

And even this time I was doubtful at first whether I’d keep this version as that bottom corner just will not unroll. I’ve tried a few things already, including pulling the first three rows apart. This merely caused the rolling effect to rise.

But I discovered it is probably an effect of the work being on the needles–which causes a certain tension along the sides–and which disappears when, for example, I knit half a line and the work hangs differently.

And let me tell you that the above are not the true colors! Though even the true colors, being what we used to call Vogue shades, are not my favorites. The yarn was on special, probably because no one likes them. I’m planning on throwing a bit of quinaquadrone gold at the finished work which usually fixes sickly hues such as these.

Third, as I hope you’ll have noticed by now, is the lack of a regular pattern. I wanted to see if I could knit a lacy organic-looking ‘shawlette’ to support an bunch of vines that I will crochet and/or embroider on it after the knitting.

A shawlette is a medium-sized shawl, I’m assuming. I learned the term from JS. The deepest part will about 40 cms or 17 inches. The length … not sure yet … whatever it ends up being when I’ve reached the required depth.

On the right side of the work, I’m increasing at the beginning of every line, then knitting eyelets either by (1) yarn over, slip one knit one and psso … which gives me a left-leaning stitch, and (2) yarn over and knit two together OR knit two together and yarn over … which give me right-leaning stitches. the main thing to remember is to do a yarn-over either before or after a pair of stitches knitted together. NOTE to self do not follow a yarn over directly after a yarn over.

The wrong side of the work is always purled.

By making these tiny decisions on each ‘knit’ line (on the right side of the work) for each wriggling vine wending its way up the knit, I’ll be able to pick out the strongest longest foundation vines to embellish. The rest will help build a foresty texture when I have fixed the colors.

That’s the plan, anyway.