Finally a real post in the New Year

I meant to write this a week ago, but you know, things happen.

I originally didn't have any plans on New Year's Eve, but I mentioned that on Facebook and almost immediately smtemp told me about a party at emojimjitsu's house out in the suburbs. I hesitated over it for a bit before realizing that if I had bought tickets to any event in the city, it'd cost the same or less than a Lyft out there and back, so I got dolled up (it's me, so read "gothed up") for the party I headed out.

I was congratulated on my Metal Gear Solid aesthetic as soon as I stepped into the house, so

It was great! Lacking a car, the suburbs seem almost like an entire world away sometimes, so I don't often get the chance to hang out with my friends who live outside the city. I'm definitely glad I took smtemp up on her invitation rather than spending NYE alone. And the annual Space Dragon dinner that ping816 throws is next Friday, so I'll get to see people again. Just need to figure out how to get out there...

I read the first volume of Death Note in Japanese and understood (almost) everything! worldbshiny recommended it to me back when when all went to see lisekatevans's show (the one I wrote about here, though this time with worldbshiny and meowtima rather than by myself). I found a website called Ebook Japan that sells digital manga and light novels and doesn't care if you live overseas, and while they have some weird DRM scheme because it's Japan, I'm willing to suffer through that for ￥450 manga. I didn't realize how much of the story was a cat-and-mouse criminal and detective game between Light and L. I figured it was just about a snotty teenager being a jerk. And there was definitely some of that--I liked how Light assumed he was qualified for supreme moral judgement over humanity due to being an honors student--but it was mostly about mysteries. As a man in his thirties, that's a lot more interesting to read.

Last weekend I mostly did nothing, though worldbshiny invited a bunch of people out to brunch and it turned out I was the only one who could go. And then when we arrived, it turned out that the charity donations were only going to the organization based on drinks purchased, not food. We got just food and she kindly drove me home.

Yesterday was the beginning of mutantur's next Call of Cthulhu game, so we got together (with two new players!) and played Pulp Cthulhu. No longer merely ordinary men and women called together to fight monsters from beyond the stars, now we are heroes. ...or will be, once the plot gets rolling. We got started late and didn't make it to the main part of the scenario, so that comes in two weeks.

Today I'm doing chores and relaxing, and next week is pretty light. And after I typed that, I realized that for me of a year ago, saying that having events on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday was "pretty light" would be unthinkable. How quickly the tide turns.