The Nutmeg of Consolation and Clarissa Oakes, by Patrick O'Brian

I've finished another two Aubrey-Maturin books. I liked them reasonably well and remain profoundly addicted to the series. Last night, I was thinking "I could read this YA book I checked out three weeks ago, or any of the several unread e-books languishing on my phone. Or I could start the next Aubrey-Maturin book." Guess what book is underneath my hands even as I type this up on my phone?

Nutmeg felt more like a bridge than a book in its own right. Aubrey & Maturin were sent en route to a mission in South America back in The Letter of Marque, and they still haven't made it there four books later. I still liked it: there's a particularly stirring fight between Aubrey's Surprise and a French ship where Aubrey knows (and likes) one of the lieutenants, giving an additional personal note to a very tricky and compelling battle.

Clarissa Oakes was named "The Truelove" in USbeditions, persumably because US publishers think readers are too sexist and/or stupid to buy a naval-historical book named for a woman. 9_9. It's all aout Clarissa, though. I don't know how I feel about the book. Clarissa is a deeply problematic character in terms of background and situation, and I don't know hat P'OB was competent to write this kind of person: female characters are not his strong suit. It works, more or less, and I enjoyed the read overall. I do feel kind of conflicted about it, though.

Still, on with the series! Gosh, I only have 5 full books left in it now. D:

Cycle of Abuse

I biked over to the library this afternoon, about 3 miles away, to return The Truelove Clarissa Oakes. After dropping off the book, I headed back. A couple of blocks from the library, as I was pedaling across a busy street during a break in traffic, I was thinking "I need to get across quickly because this break in traffic isn't quite as good as I thought". Of course, this meant that my left foot immediately fell off the pedal, which proceeded to thwack hard against the back of my lower leg. Fortunately, the oncoming car started to slow at the same time I came almost to a halt, and I managed to get my feet back in position and get out of the street without further incident.

My calf: "That hurt."
Me: "It was a bike pedal and I wasn't going that fast. Get over it."
My calf: "Really, that hurt. A LOT."
Me: "Yeah yeah whatever."

I biked two miles uphill towards home, with my left leg generally bemoaning its fate, and then took the three-mile detour that I'd planned, because six miles is pretty 'eh' as a work out.

Calf: "Can we stop yet?"
Me: "No. It's not like you're going to stop hurting because I'm sitting down anyway. You hurt even when I'm stopped at a light."
Calf: "I hate you."

Six miles total later I finished my workout. LIKE A BOSS. An injured boss.

I dismounted the bike and walked into the garage.

Calf: "ZOMG WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME NOW?"
Me: "... walking?"
Calf: "I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR THIS."

My leg had not been thrilled about biking but it was miserable walking. I limped back into the house, looking so pathetic that Lut volunteered to make dinner for me. I took a couple of ibuprofen, but it wasn't thrilled even with sitting down. After fifteen minutes at my computer, I went to the bedroom to read. Lying on my stomach or side worked best, by allowing my leg to stay mostly-but-not-entirely straight with no pressure on the injured side. After napping for an hour, I got up again and it's not bothering me as much, but at this rate I will not be walking to work tomorrow.

Biking, maybe.

Three Good Things

the_gneech started doing these again, reminding me that I'd stopped. Like a good sheeple, I will start again now until I get bored and/or forget.

1. I went to Washington DC the weekend before last, to visit telnar, and totally forgot to write about it, but had a lovely trip. Left Friday evening and returned Sunday night so that I wouldn't have to schedule time off, which simplifies the process. This was the first plane trip I'd manage to take since October; we'd scheduled it six months ago to put inertia on our side for a change (we'd been saying 'we should get together' for a while now, but it'd be 'the next couple of months don't look good', over and over.) Go inertia!
2. Lut experimented with mug cupcakes while I was gone, and tonight I made my favorite of the recipes (so far) for both of us. :9
3. I worked about 14 hours on Tuesday (drove to and back from Tulsa for training) so the rest of this week I get to go home early. Whee!