Killian's Blog/Website/Whatever

Hello dear readers! This is Daniel, guest blogging from the UK. Yesterday, Catherine took us to see the Palace of Holyrood. We got lots of insider info from her, including why being painted wearing black was so posh (answer: black dye was the most expensive) and why the Stewarts commissioned big noses on all of their portraits (answer: to symbolize their lineage in Scottish royalty!). Holyrood is a "working palace", meaning that it's still in use by the Queen for state functions. It was more than a little surreal to be in a Royal Residence, with thrones and everything; I usually think of kings and queens as fictional, and as one of Catherine's British friends said, "you territorials don't really do  these things". There was some pretty serious history in there (Mary, Queen of Scots' bedroom!), really neat stuff. Here's Killian and Catherine in the courtyard (no photography inside, sadly): We also took a look at the ruins of Ho...

Ok guys. Get ready for so many pictures. Let's start with Day 1 (October 11): We spent a lot of time in airplanes, so we pretty much just took a three hour nap and then ate dinner at the Roseleaf Pub: Catherine shows us a map of the city happysleepy my first cuppa tea in the UK (Scottish Breakfast) my dinner: shepherd's pie, with a side of peas* and what I think was some kind of squash daniel's "veggie weggie welly-ton"-- which was way more delish than it sounds. After dinner, we walked home through Leith (I've thought of the Proclaimers a few times this trip), and then went to sleep. Day 2 (October 12): First, I need to mention that Daniel and I woke up around 7:30am. After quick breakfast, Catherine was off to meet with her PhD adviser and run some errands, so Daniel and I were on our own until 5:30. This is what we did: the Monymusk Reliquary! It's teeny! the Lewis chessmen! OLD COMPUTER! The pattern ...

(NOTE: my internet pooped out right as I finished this last night, so, you know, all of this stuff is still true, but minus half a day and some late-night sleep insanity. I'm only going to edit the time of departure in my first paragraph, because parents will probably be reading this, and I don't want to spark confusion ) Daniel and I are leaving in two days. --Wait, scratch that, a day and a half  ONLY A DAY.  What? You don't know what I'm talking about? That's because I've barely mentioned this trip. I'm trying to tell myself it's not some unhealthy superstition, but it might be. The weirdest part is that I'm still having a hard time trying to convince myself that this trip is even real. We'll be in Edinburgh on Tuesday morning, drinking tea and catching up with my friend Catherine (look at her tumblr, Notes from Bewilderment !). Seriously, what ? Scotland? On Tuesday ? My brain does not comprehend. But we are actually going . !!! We'...

I read the new Wonder Woman! And I liked it . Greek myth references were poppin' off right and left, Wonder Woman is a badass, and the story is mysterious, and interesting, and smart . Cliff Chiang's art is super awesome--which is important because art can seriously make or break a well-written comic--and I've been in love with Azzarello for, like, ever.  Spoilers? (highlight if you want to read it): Guessing Mr. Badguy from the beginning is Apollo, based on the "sun/son" puns and the fact that he made those three girls into oracles. Granted, Zeus has a lot of kids to choose from, but my guess is Apollo. Also, how badass was Chiang's rendition of Hermes? And making Hera a mysterious woman in a peacock cloak?? I AM SO INTO IT. (end of possible spoilers) DC has kind of screwed the pooch on a lot of their reboot* but, fortunately, I can make fun of them from afar because I have never been a big DC reader. Granted, I'm not a huge Marvel reader, eit...

This is a two-fold post. First, this is what I did in Portland every morning at 6:30/7am, instead of sleeping:  In case you are unfamiliar with the creatures in that second panel: they're guinea pigs. Seven of them. And that stuff that looks like hay? It's hay. A lot of it. So much hay was there, hardly a moment passed when I didn't have at least three hay-twigs stuck in my hair/on my pants/in my pockets/all of the above. I smelled vaguely of petting zoo. 'Twas very charming, I'm sure. Needless to say, I don't know how my parents do it. Second, I'm going to ask you to indulge me while I consider the idea of "home". Growing up, Portland was my practical home, and Seattle was my Home of the Future.  Portland was comfortable and familiar. Family, friends, school, work, all provided the ground upon which my routines were solidly built. Of course, it was under-appreciated. Meanwhile, each visit to Seattle, from childhood through last year, see...

This week is so much easier than the last. Watson's a little bit rowdier (the weather is cooler, so he expects us to walk him more than once a day or something. So demanding. Sheesh.) but the house is fairly quiet with Littlest Brother at my grandparents' and Middle Brother down for the count with a nasty cold*. PLUS, miracle of miracles, I've actually been sleeping. Now for the delicious stuff! I bought more books yesterday. Hooray!...My wallet is so pleased.  They're mighty fine ones, too: ones from My Very Exclusive List. Note: I've only had the chance to read the first one (I bought them yesterday, so, you know, be patient), and, therefore, the latter two can't yet come with my full recommendation. You ready? There's gonna be some clicky links, so prep the ol' digitus secundus . First, The Tiny Wife by Andrew Kaufman: The book is, appropriately, tiny. I'm going to use my supreme authority on the matter** to suggest that it's...

I've been home for a few days now. It's been nutsybonkers. Being a parent and simultaneously trying to maintain a household has to be the most taxing occupation--particularly when your family is loud and rambunctious. I feel for my parents. This is not the first time I have taken on mom-and-dad duties for the 'rents, but I've never tried it any longer than five days or so. We're currently four days deep, with eleven to go. If Daniel wasn't here to help me, I would be toast. There are a few factors at play here that make this bout of housekeeping a bit...let's go with super . First, I haven't slept through the night in weeks. A combination of heat and anxiety (the latter of which increases exponentially with the increasing sleep debt, creating a wonderful cycle of not-sleeping-ever) foiled my every attempt to catch up with my pal Morpheus. And then, when I did eventually fall asleep, I had terrifying dreams. I'd scream myself awake, and the not-sle...