Do we need to tell you to drink some water whenever we see you here, JenP?

It would never go amiss!

I am looking forward to hearing about the fair and the rad prizes.

I have stuck to my plan of reading, and I am dutifully shipping my "special drink" (oral rehydration solution for all your low-osmolarity needs!), and... actually, now that I'm writing it, I need to go turn the laundry. I am having a successful and enjoyable day.

So, remember the walkable sustainable city that consortiums of tech bros and investment bankers wanted to build in Solano County (California Forever)? My city is considering expanding its municipal borders in what is rumored to be a back door for that to go ahead without needing to get voter approval. I’m trying to read up on it and be a responsible citizen but it’s hard to know what sources, if any, to trust

I do remember, I think I learned about it from the NYC Daily podcast.

On a separate note I’m absolutely freaked the fuck out by what’s going on in the United States government right now.

I slept in and woke up to a winter wonderland of an inch of snow and it still coming down. But the weather app claims it’ll rain by afternoon so maybe not the “oh no gosh I can’t go anywhere” day I hoped for. But it’s a start. I am too scared to go to the news and see more of it, every minute of every day there’s something new and awful.

There is so much terrifying shit going on, javachik! I am oscillating between trying to calm myself down so I can function and thinking maybe I am not freaking out enough

Indeed. Part of me regrets seeing the movie Civil War (the movie) last year. The potential verisimilitude was depressing enough then.

what kind of info do you want? I think it was organized by the owners of the indie bookstore in our neighborhood,

If you can get an organizer’s email, or something? That would help. I could get something like this organized here.

Indeed. Part of me regrets seeing the movie Civil War (the movie) last year.

Yeah I studiously avoided it - thinking I’d watch it once we regained the White House in 2025 and I could relax. 🙃

You made the wise choice. I should have talked to you first.

On a separate note I’m absolutely freaked the fuck out by what’s going on in the United States government right now.

Hard same.

I am vicariously excited about the rad prizes (and the rest of the fair) and the non-verbal performance! Also the blueberry muffins, really.

The non-verbal performance was fun! It's been running since 2012 so it is like the local Blue Man.

It had all the stuff that made you cringe if you weren't in RenFaire or a theater kid. It had mime, juggling, magic, break dancing and audience participation. (Fortunately I was in the balcony, so beyond the reach of such shenanigans.)

Beautiful post apocalyptic steampunk doll factory setting, with four "robodroids" (color coded dudes with the aforementioned skills) who "do the robot" as they try to maintain their falling apart factory. Then there's a doll (a girl!). And she comes to life. And when she interacts with the robo-dudes they get zapped with color coded electricity, and joyfully display their skillsets.

It's not really plot driven.

It's a total spectacle with fantastic laser generated light effects which bring the set to life, and music, dancing, and (not particularly funny) physical comedy. The individual performers were all very expert and the integrated light and sound design was superb.

One disquieting thing was that before the show started and at a few key dramatic moments in the story, it went completely pitch black. I have never noticed the lack of lit exit signs and running lights before in my life. It was claustrophobic being completely immersed in darkness.

Anyway, a good 90 minute distraction. I talked to Matilda on the phone after. She's been doing homework all weekend learning her various Japanese alphabets. Her host mom took her to the kendo tournament banquet and she met a lot of teens and they wanted to practice their English on her. They said she should take up Kendo because it's just like baseball, but you swing vertically instead of horizontally.

Her classes this week start at Noon, so I'm actually going to see her this morning before I leave for the airport.