Review: The Machine God
The Machine God by MeiLin Miranda
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Well, this story functions quite well to continue the story from Black Mercury. We see the fates of many of the characters from the previous novel, but this really is quite a different story with a different focus. The series is going from mostly Steampunk to Steampunk Fantasy in this book while also exploring ideas of colonialism, fallen empires, and racism. (Also university and identity politics)
Sam cuts the grass
As I continue to go through my photos from May, I found these photos of Sam using his bubble lawnmower when I was cutting the grass.
Sam and Stella's first visit to Coney Island
Earlier this year we took the twins to Coney Island for the first time. They were not amused.
Sam and Stella's first time at Coney Island
Sam and Stella's first time at Coney Island
Sam and Stella's first time at Coney Island
Sam and Stella's first time at Coney Island
Sam and Stella's first time at Coney Island
Sam and Stella's first time at Coney Island
Sam and Stella's first time at Coney Island
Sam and Stella's first time at Coney Island
Sam and Stella's first time at Coney Island
Sam and Stella's first time at Coney Island
Sam and Stella's first time at Coney Island
Sam and Stella's first time at Coney Island
Scarlett's First Dance Recital
This year Scarlett concluded a season of ballet and tap with a recital. It was pretty neat to see it all come together after having seen it in bits throughout the season. Here are some of the photos I took. I think next year I’ll do the same thing the guy behind me did and rent some f2.8 glass so I can freeze the action a bit more and get less motion blur.
My First Brisket!
I had been wanting to do brisket for a very long time, but I couldn’t find anywhere convenient to buy a whole packer brisket. But right before I was convinced I was going to have to go to a butcher, Costco decided to carry them.
Yeah, it was 20 lbs, which is ridiculous for what was essentially going to be just 3 adults, but it was USDA Prime for only $3/lb! I had no choice. I put it in my shopping cart and resolved to deal with the consequences later.
Mother's Day Prime Rib Roast
For the first time in a few years, my mom was going to be in town for Mother’s Day. We didn’t have a ton of events to attend or anything, so I asked her what she would like for dinner if she could have anything. She said she wanted prime rib, so I figured it was the perfect time for me to try out a prime rib roast on one of my BBQs. Meathead has lots of tips for eliminating most of the hassle of making a prime rib roast. First of all, remove the ribs - they only serve to block heat and keep the roast from cooking evenly. Second, use twine to make it into a cylinder so it cooks evenly from the outside to the inside.