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There was worky thing that was dull dull dull

A social thing that was awkward awkward awesome (my straight friends who are getting it in the ear – not like that you dirty dirty people – set me up on a gaydate. Yeah more on that later).


And my friend has a pet mutant demon. She denies it but I know the truth. I saw it!

Sparky: Yeaaargh, what's this thing?!
THING: Mrrrrow?
P: Oh that's Fluffy (yes, she called him Fluffy. No, really)
Sparky: *looks at wrinkly, bat eared, bug eyed, bald monstrosity* What IS it?
Fluffy: Mrrrow?
P: He's a cat!
Sparky: This? This is not a cat
P: Of course he's a cat
Fluffy: Mrrrow?
Sparky: Did he have a terrible accident?
P: It's his breed.
Fluffy: Mrrrow?
Sparky: he's supposed to look like this? Ye gods, why? Who would breed gremlins?
Fluffy: Mrrrow *advances*
Sparrky: Aaaargh *backs off* he's coming to get me!
P: He's very affectionate!
Sparky: he wants to eat my skin!
P: He wants a hug.
Sparky: He wants exorcising!
Fluffy: Mrrrrrow? *begs, loose skin flapping around*
P: Just stroke him.
Sparky: You can touch this monster without getting mange?
P: He doesn't have mange. He's naturally hairless, I told you
Fluffy: Mrrrrrrrrow?
Sparky: Uh-huh. I'm not touching this thing without gloves. And a shield of some kind. Maybe a flamethrower.


The breed is called a sphinx. And they are ugly ugly ugly freaky kitties. And, yes, ridiculously affectionate which means they just love to get up close and personal with all their ugly. And they do look like they want to eat your skin. In fact, they look like they're already wearing the skin of several of their victims.

Review: Hit List by Laurell K Hamilton, Book 20 of the Anita Blake series

Yes, here I am getting fully up to date with Anita Blake so I can have another break before I have to face this again. So, Hit List, by Laurell K Hamilton

Anita finds herself called all around the US and finally to Seattle in her role as US Marshall of the preternatural branch. The Harlequin loyal to the Mother of All Darkness are hunting tigers – weretigers – and leaving a trail of butchered bodies in their wake. Anita, away from St. Louis and her powerful magical foundation there, as well as her mighty and numerous – oh-so-numerous – allies now must face Harlequin and Mother Darkness with a few body guards and her fellow US Marshalls, including Edward, Bernardo and Olaf.

In some ways I was relieved when the focus of this book became clear. It was another Obsidian Buttferly, another rescue from the endless sex, another holiday from the angst. Another attempt to return to what Anita Blake was – Necromancer, kick arse fighter, strong, powerful, driven by justice and finding the bad guy. Rather than what she had become – sex addicted, surrounded by angst and personal issues, constantly emotionally crashing, constantly fretting about her loves and marvelling at the new shiny power du jour.

Already we've removed many of the problems that normally make me cringe at Anita Blake. Without the 10 zillion extra characters, we're not going to get stuck on unnecessary tangents and side-plots. Without her harem we're not going to have page and page of sex. Without all their emotional baggage to juggle, we're not going to get the endless angst pages. This made me happy! Less so when Anita picked up a new tiger boyfriend to put some of the sex and angst back, but still, it was an improvement


click for the rest of the review

Ok, the gaydate

I realise that this could sound like a fun good time – alas, it rarely is. Yes, a gaydate, to me, is one of those times when your straight friends decide that you need to spend social time with another of their gay friends – regardless of how little you have in common, because you are both gay. I actually thought I was one of the few people who used the term, but it seems to be quite common since most gay people knew exactly what I meant when I said it – and of course my fellow gaydater also knew (and used the word before I did).

So, I'm at the pub with as largish circle of friends. Beloved has avoided this social thing because a) work, b) because he has this idea that my only leaving the house with him to cling to is not much healthier than being hermit guy and c) they're my friends not his – and is there anything more awkward than being dragged to a social occasion with a whole load of strangers? He got me with the last one because I duck out of his social commitments with the same excuse. Damn hoisted on own petards!


So, here I am at the pub, nursing my drink and snarking away when I am introduced to D, she is a friend of some of my friends. Hey D, small talk small talk, small talk, moving back to snarking with friends. And then I am introduced to D again, yeah we met, hi D. Small talk. Back to friends. And then I am introduced to D again, brief nod, reflection that we've officially used all small talk, back to friend snarking and more booze... aaaand then... I am introduced to D.

Sparky: Ok, if I weren't gay, I'd think they're trying to set us up.
D: And if I weren't a lesbian. This, sir, is a gaydate.
Sparky: *groan*
D: Yeah
Sparky: Fine, let's sit and mock the silly people

D: They're watching us
Sparky: and don't they all look smug. I can almost hear them “awww, my gay and your gay are playing together”
D: *yells across the room* we're not hanging out! We're plotting the next step in the gay agenda! You should be scared, guys! SCARED!

Which, y'know means that she is both kinda awesome and also kinda worrying because this is not a gay bar and that kind of public, well, not so much outing as broadcasting makes me want to hide under the table.

However, it did get me out of awkward social occasion early (because now people were LOOKING at me) by claiming I'd been paged by the godfather of the gay mafia and that our time was nearly nigh! NIGH damn it! MUAHAHAAH!