@stevendbrewer@wandering.shop

In another universe, I have boarded the aircraft to fly to Scotland and am sipping a mimosa waiting to push back from the gate.

alcoholic drinks

I'm having Blue Cosmos for cocktail hour with @philipbrewer and Jackie.

After afternoon naps, we are almost to the point of proceeding to consider getting ready to mosey toward heading out to the patio. And, in due course, to have cocktails.

I checked the radar and, although there is rain north and south of us, there is a band of no-rain aimed right at us!

#WritersCoffeeClub In your writing, what location has inspired you the most?

Indisputably, the location that has provided the most inspiration is the Caribbean island of St. Croix. Until he passed away, a colleague and I did mongoose research there & I visited more than a dozen times over many years. But I have traveled very widely over my lifetime. Those experiences inform all of my writing: from megacities like Sao Paulo to the desert southwest & tidy New-England towns, they're all there.

You can read more about the Better Angels in *Better Angels: Tour de Force* available from Water Dragon Publishing. If you purchase a signed copy directly from the publisher, you'll also receive a 'zine with snapshots and descriptions of each of the Angels including their vital statistics and "three measurements." https://water-dragon-publishing.square.site/product/better-angels-tour-de-force/354

Tau snorted. Another approached and he snapped at it. Then he began to leap in the air snorting and snapping at the bubbles.
The Angels began laughing uproariously and came out from where they were hiding, and began to shriek and dance around in the cloud of bubbles with Tau.
"Sheesh! I just got it for the performances," muttered David shaking his head.

#wss366

"Angels!" Zaza said. "I have an idea!"
She whispered to them and they all laughed. She got out her device and tapped in a quick message. They concealed themselves behind the furniture.
Ten minutes later they heard the hatch trigger and could hear a click-click-click through the corridor. Tau stuck his head into the lounge. They covered their mouths and tried not to breathe.
Tau regarded the bubble machine. He approached it and sniffed it. Then a bubble landed on his muzzle and popped.

#wss366

The Better Angels were snoozling in the lounge when David stuck his head in.
"Replicate this, Lala!"
"On it!" she said, headed back to the giant replicator on Angels' Wings.
Thirty minutes later, she carried in a device. The Angels crowded around.
"What is it?" they asked. "What is it?"
"Watch!" David said. He pressed a button and a stream of bubbles emerged from the top.
"#Bubble!" Bebe shrieked. The Angels all began to cavort around and chase the bubbles around the room.

#wss366

Today is the day we would have flown to Glasgow for Worldcon. Instead, @philipbrewer and his wife are visiting for the week and we're mostly just hanging out on the patio with our mom. We'll probably do some of the remote convention events. But, although I was very disappointed to not be given a place on the program, avoiding two long international flights and an unmasked convention is nothing to sneeze at.

#WordWeavers Share an #IndieAuthors book that you love.

I really liked *The Inconvenient God* by @asakiyume https://annorlundaenterprises.com/books/the-inconvenient-god/

I should read her newer work set in the same world, which I've purchased, but which is, embarrassingly, still on my TBR pile.

Rory charged blindly into the path toward Aimee. A powerful blow hit him from behind, knocked him into her, & they both fell. His shield blunted the strange demon's attack, but left his clothes smoldering & gave him first-degree burns over his shoulder & back.
He screamed with pain & in anticipation of the next attack, but it didn't come. When he looked up, Tseluna had assumed her normal appearance & was standing between them & the other demon.
"Who… What is that?" Aimee whispered.

#wss366

Best wishes to all my UK friends out looking for bank swallows — or whatever it is you do on a "bank holiday."

Doe and twin fawns at Fifth Street, in Southwest Michigan. #SilentSunday

The ol' Sprackler recommended this breakfast sandwich from Tandem in Hadley. It has a "wild cheddar" bagel (cheddar melted over everything) and hashbrowns with ketchup with egg and bacon or sausage. It's pretty good. #WesternMass

You can read more about Totemo Isogashii and Lambda in *The Better Angels and Lambda and Tau* in *Better Angels: Tour de Force* available from Water Dragon Publishing. If you purchase a signed copy directly from the publisher, you'll also receive a 'zine with snapshots and descriptions of each of the Angels including their vital statistics and "three measurements." https://water-dragon-publishing.square.site/product/better-angels-tour-de-force/354

Totemo's face momentarily broke involuntarily into a smile, but then she controlled her expressions. She had missed Lambda a lot more than she was willing to admit.
"Welcome back, Lambda. It's good to see you," she said, gravely. Then, turning, she slapped her thigh and said, "Let's go!"
Lambda wasn't fooled. She barked affirmatively and fell in two steps behind her, but her tongue lolled.

#wss366

Totemo Isogashii waited impatiently at the Holufinia spaceport security #border. She had seen the starliner arrive some minutes before and now she was just waiting for Lambda to dismbark and make her way through the red tape of customs and passport control. She hated waiting. Finally, she caught sight of Lambda loping easily through the other slower moving pedestrians. She passed through security and then sat obediently before Totemo.

#wss366

Tsubaki Factory has a cute song called ベイビースパイダー
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wAapbqPqQQ #jpop

Stupid LinkedIn question of the day: Dealing with skeptical learners in e-learning: Are you ready to convince them of the power of gamification?

My answer: Gamification is a terrible idea and should be avoided at all costs. Gamification is merely an updated form of operant conditioning. Read *Punished by Rewards* or *Motivation* or other good books on why using incentive schemes like gamification are always a bad idea.