((((((((((((((((((Don)))))))))))))))))))))))
So happy to see you!

Well, the SHOV is mostly deserted these days, but lights are stil on for the occasional patron. For those who want to visit, like you.
And yes, we have news! New book is coming! I will need to reread TAW in the next weeks. Meanwhile, next week I begin my classes, but tomorrow is a free day, so long weekend. Still, March 24 is a day of remembrance of the last dictatorship and how much it costed our Country. It is not a happy day, but at least I welcome the fact that I do not need to work.

I get to listen to audiobooks while I work, so I have the book and audiobook of TAW.  I enjoyed it more the second time than the first.

I hope your classes are going well..  And days of rememberancve are at least handy reminders of something horrible so that history is less likely to repeat itself.  Although it always seems to anyway :/

Hey, Don!

*** lights some lava lamps***

I think I'll reread TAW some time in summer. Then it is fresh in my mind. 

I've just finished Academ's Fury in my first read through. I had some problems with the first Alera book. It took me a long time to finally finish it and several attempts to get past the first pages. Just didn't hook me that well at the beginning.

Hey RB!

I really enjoyed the first Alera book.  Don't want to put any spoilers here, but I found the way the tension built up in the middle to be fun.

I never read Alera, I did not find the premise interesting.

Game of Thrones Lite 

There's an interview when someone asked Jim if he read the ASOIAF series, and he said that he didn't..  but I think he was fibbing.  Alera was started before GoT came out on HBO, and there are too many parallels for it to be coincidence.  But that's just my opinion.

[quick "I'm still alive" post]

Glad to see you are also alive.  Serious time has passed, and I would guess that not all of us still are.  I think about the old crew a lot and wonder how people are doing.

As it is nice to meet you, Mr. Bogen.

Yeah, PM me.  I'll say hello.

And The Law wasn't what I expected, but I really enjoyed it.  I got it through Audible and listened at work.  Jim Butcher narrates it.  He did a good job, I think. 

I renovate old houses these days.  Not many zoom meeings for a job like that

My laptop sits collecting dust, for the most part.  I use my phone for most things these days.

Anyway, I hope you're doing alright.

Hey!  It's good to see you here.

I did.  I feel like I missed a lot.  I haven't had time to give them the attentive reread I usually like to do with a new Dresden book.  Overall, they were cool.  I'm happy to still be excited about the series.

How's tricks?

Hello, my Weirdoes.

I suppose it's that time to do my biannual check-in. (Or is it semi-annual? I don't remember the last time I posted.  Either six months ago or two years ago.  One of those.)

I'm still alive.  Doing fairly well, in fact. 

I'm still an asshole, and people seem to tolerate me anyway.  I'm being told that I have to grow up and work on that stuff.  I suppose I knew it was coming sooner of later, so I'm giving it the old college try.  Results are mixed.

Hope all is well in the SHOV.

Yeah, for sure.

I love how the show pokes fun at pieces of TNG and also has really strong characters and story lines.  It keeps with the Trek tradition of bringing in philosophical themes that are relevant to the current day.  It's the best work MacFarlane has ever done IMO.

Does Hell have a special place for writers???

Jim's got a corner booth reserved.  GRRM will be seated near the kitchen.