sarakingdom

Just now, Everstorm said:

I just got The Hanging Tree 👀

1 hour ago, juliebarkley said:

My copy arrived a couple of days ago. It's titled Midnight Riot instead of Rivers of London, but FantasticFiction assures me that they are the same and they have never failed me yet. I'm confident that this will not matter for prize purposes.

They are indeed the same book! You apparently have an American edition, rather than a British edition.

This is excellent news. The definitely not magically inappropriate grape shears may be within my reach.

I have my final Rivers of London victim for the haunted biscuit tin on the cusp of reading, so I need to prepare my tin enchantment. The common thread between tomten and brownies and other Northern European housework elves is that they need to be paid in food, but despise gifts or thanks. So, basically, they want a job. I will be putting a magical "help wanted" ad in my biscuit tin with some basic job description and a salary range (mostly porridge, sometimes shared cookies), and it should be haunted in no time.

After that, I have @juliebarkley, Snarky, and Tank on the someday list, which coincidentally is the number of readers I need for the next prize: Victorian grape shears that were definitely not used for an inappropriate magical purpose.

7 minutes ago, Everstorm said:

I know I need more fresh herbs in my diet, but I have a hard time imagining eating them by the handful.  I must need more training.

It takes time to get past the "a single sprig of fresh basil costs $3" rationing stage, and into the "not only is it free, but it'll just go to waste if I don't eat it, and also I have ten thousand sprigs" stage. Then it becomes pretty easy to treat to as just another vegetable. I probably had the equivalent of $8 of basil in my eggs this morning. About as much oregano in the chili last night and twice as much basil and oregano the night before that. (which, to be fair, were both for many people, not just me). I've been eating these eggs once or twice a day for a week, and it's only now reaching the point, after twelve cups of basil in one week, where I'm looking at the basil plants and thinking I might need to cut back for a few days to let them catch up. Not stop, just... cut back slightly. Maybe $4 of basil for breakfast.

Eating them in that quantity is easier if you put them in something cooked. At least wilted. They're pretty pungent when fresh picked, heat mellows them a bit. I was worried I might get complaints from the other people eating my cooking when I stepped up my herb game so radically, but so far, it's all been a hit.

Quote

"Back at my old school," [Nightingale] said, "during the summer term when it was light in the evenings." Younger boys would sneak off the grounds and into the adjacent woods, build a campfire, and see what they could attract in the way of the local supernatural. "Everybody did it. And the masters must have been aware. There could be see many as five campfires going in the woods on some nights."

 

Each one, a group of boys from a different year. As they got older, the focus used to change, with the older boys drinking and smoking, and occasionally playing pranks on the younger.

 

"Did it work?" I asked.

 

"Oh, undoubtedly," said Nightingale. "Ballantine Junior and I once managed to induce the whole of 3B to wet themselves, by pretending to be werewolves. Matron was not pleased. And I was caned by the headmaster personally."

 

Which was apparently a great honour, because the headmaster was known to have progressive views, and be against caning in principle.

 

"I meant in attracting the supernatural," I said.

Do not doubt the trolling experience of Thomas Nightingale. He's been doing it longer than most people. Over a century of trolling.

17 minutes ago, Scaly Freak said:

That does make more sense. Especially if you add something creamy and a dash of whisky to it.

Coffee always has something creamy in it. That's an important element of coffee.

35 minutes ago, Scaly Freak said:

I'm good for 50+ pages as long as the writing doesn't suck horrifically, but I really don't expect that here. I'll let you know when I crack it open -- I intend to finish Manners & Monsters  before starting a new series.

I don't anticipate bad prose being a problem, no. It may not be the story or style you're in the mood for, and thus warrant putting down after a good college try, but the technique isn't gonna suck. That's pretty safe.

7 minutes ago, Scaly Freak said:

Let me know how the oregano coffee comes out? 

Chocolate mint.

Well, now I've started putting giant handfuls of herbs into every meal. Two cups of basil here, a cup of oregano there. Nothing is safe.

31 minutes ago, Scaly Freak said:

I have collected new reading material from the library.   

 

 

33 minutes ago, Scaly Freak said:

@sarakingdom, does this count towards the haunted biscuit tin, or do you need an update when I've started/finished reading it? 

Technically, fifty pages is the threshold when I get the reader credit. But I figure that when you start it, you're good for fifty pages, and I will begin my biscuit tin enchantment process.

54 minutes ago, Everstorm said:

Glad you're getting some sleep 

I'm down from a twenty hour sleep deficit to a thirteen hour sleep deficit, which should come down a bit more once last night's sleep is factored in, maybe 10-11h. Single digits is livin' the dream.

Anything under seven is arguably not really a deficit, but in the normal range. I've achieved that for very brief periods in my life.

I believe I have worked out how to enchant my biscuit tin. One more victim, and Project Haunted Biscuit Tin is go.

Obligatory rugby content. Modern wizardry, guys.

I suspect 50% of Nightingale's idea of modern professional managerial skills are in fact rugby coaching skills.

2 hours ago, Rhovaniel said:

It does seem like the sort of thing that would slip his mind. Practical, that one. 

And not overly inclined to meddle in the kitcheny realm. That would be rude. They have a division of labor.

2 hours ago, Rhovaniel said:

It's not betrayal if its for your own good  Wait, now I feel like that something a betrayer would say. Ouch. hmm. Must think on this with a cuppa. 

Apparently it's not betrayal if it's one's job to ensure people are training safely. Apparently. (This, I have been told, is my own fault for selecting him to oversee my challenge.)

1 hour ago, Everstorm said:

Nice score post-betrayal, though.  Maybe he's onto something?

Shhh. Stupid wizard already thinks he knows nearly everything.

3 hours ago, Rhovaniel said:

I'm with Nightingale on this one. I'd suspend you too. Only I'd send you to bed with a hot chocolate or herbal tea of your choice as well  

Now I feel cheated because I didn't get hot chocolate with my suspension. (I'm focusing on that rather than THE BETRAYAL.)

46 minutes ago, Everstorm said:

Ooh, nice!  A caterpillar got into my basil 😠

My condolences on your loss.

Ours is supernaturally healthy. I'm trying to keep it under control by being its native predator. I'm literally eating it by the fistful once or twice a day.

My breakfast lately has involved giant handfuls of freshly harvested basil and green onions, and I could not be happier about it.

A review of Falcon-related activity on the tube, narrated by one of the models for Inspector Nightingale. Presumably a training video for Transport for London.

3 hours ago, Everstorm said:

grumble grumble one little twenty-hour sleep deficit and some wizard suspends me from training the nerve

4 hours ago, Harriet said:

Wow, the hip thrust machine killed me.

A common problem.

40 minutes ago, Rurik Harrgath said:

*Conspicuously absent in mentions*

 

 

Harumph.  I'll just be out in the hot tub then.  😛 

Is it... is it possible you are a goat?

7 minutes ago, Harriet said:

Please, tell me more about the relationship between vikings and zen. Is it through ferocity and bloodlust that we come to zen? On... on the other side, somehow? Do we have to go through the brutality and ruthlessness rather than around it? I also wish to better understand the link between small British cafes and zen, if that is possible. Thank you in advance. 

There is no link between Vikings and Zen. There is no link between small British cafes and Zen. It is because it is Vikings breaking into song in a small British cafe that it is Zen. I hope that clarifies things. If not, meditate on this koan until clarity arrives.

14 minutes ago, Harriet said:

I know it is the right song, but Vikings?...

 

...I have just looked up the sketch on YouTube and there are indeed vikings. I knew the skit only from the old fashioned record that my uncle had. The recording was not *quite* identical to the youtube video (I think?), but it's the same sketch. I had no idea the singers were vikings. You can't tell a singer is a viking if you can only hear him 😁

I'm pleased to have shared this theologically important fact with you today. Because the fact that it's Vikings breaking into song in a small British cafe is what makes the spam chant so important in Zen.