The latest in updates.Things viewed:Wonder Woman. It did not disappoint. It thrilled, it pleased, it made me laugh...and a few million people are deep in the honeymoon phases of "I lurve this thing more than anything ever" so I will keep my assorted nit-picky "I wish this trope would DIE" grumbles to myself. I adore Gail Gadot and I thought her casting was a fab choice all along, so I get to say VINDICATED!!! with shoutycaps and extra exclamation points.And I hope WW ends up with more movies than Superman and Batman combined.Tammy. I do not know why I put this in my Netflix queue. I dd not hate it. Plenty of hists and some big misses. Not my kind of humor for the most part, and some bits of it actively offended, but...when Melissa McCarthy hits it, she knocks it out of the park. So.Sense8. Season 2: I enjoyed...but.  SO MUCH BUTT. (sorry could not resist.) The writing went into a sadly predictable Wachowski Bros tailspin (all pretty, no plot, coincidences get capped by dei ex machina and are trumped by absurdities, while character contradictions breed like mice)  In short, I can see why it got cancelled. The expensive music rights for all the long, lingering Feelings Montages had to be adding up too. If they'd indulged in less Moody Prettiness and added more plot progression instead, the costs might have been justifiable, but no.Gotta say, though-- if it had been renewed,  I would have eventually hated it. The Asian Female Martial Artist Stereotype's inability to remain clothed already had me ranting on Facebook, and it takes a lot to get me complaining about that trope.  I have SUPER-high tolerance for justifying nudity. BUT.  Sense8's female nudity was heavily sexualized where the male nakedness was not, AND the flesh-baring was disappointingly far from equal-opportunity. One Super-Hot Gay Latin Movie Star and lots of butts in orgy scenes do not balance out the half-naked girl-fights and bad-girl seductions. And that was only one trope. There were more spinning out of control.So, anyway, I loved the first season, I loved parts of the second one, and I wish they could have a few episodes to wrap up the plots that were nearly complete, but season 2 destroyed my faith in the writers' ability to complete any story in a satisfactory way.  Ah, well. On to the next show. Here's hoping Stranger Things gets its sophomore season right, and that Black Mirror can keep up its streak.Things Read:I have only three more Grace Burrowes books left to read, and then I will have to leave Regency/Victorian England and move to 1635 or 1636 or whatever year that alternate history series has reached. I need to pick a non-fiction read for June too.  Haven't decided on a topic, so suggestions are welcomed.Things Uncategorized:

• I had on my caregiver hat for most of May (those life detours, they keep a-coming) so several author expectations got sidelined and/or postponed. The format review for Rough Passages collection is complete, and Powerhouse is nearly ready for audio release.  Designing new business cards, bookmarks and other swag is still on the to-do list. (I collected great ideas for beyond-bookmarks swag from the SFWA Nebulas conference! But that's another post.)  Stay tuned for announcements, but don't hold your breath.
• Spouseman is healing up from the last round of repairs and gaining back stamina, so that means we're getting garden-puttering done and walking regularly again. We are planning day trips and possibly even a Real Vacation (tm) soonish. V exciting.
• I have discovered the productivity app/role-playing game/community Habitica.com and am still loving it to pieces after several weeks, which bodes well for it becoming a favored tool in the life organization kit.
• I have renewed my resolve to stop stressing over my inability to Produce At Speed. With that pressure removed, things are flowing again. I am simmering scenes for a new project on the back burner while I edge ever-so-slowly towards completing Heartwood.  The Habitica and Freedom apps are limitingtime lost online, and I'm keeping my brain energized by doing regular writing warm-ups and posting on the Other Things blog. (linked for the curious)

It's summer, and the things, they keep happening. Expect pictures in future posts.PS: my hair is still blue.