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Completed, then Disappeared
We had a pretty fun weekend that was just the right amount of social. After work we invited a couple new non-furry gay friends over for Jackbox and movies. One new friend, who we'll name Easy, is a second-generation Korean-American who I've established a really fast friendship with. He's adorable, geeky, friendly, and funny. Honestly, he really helped me feel comfortable when I've gone to R.'s new hangouts at a local gay club and pool party.
Because we couldn't stream "Drop Dead Gorgeous" anywhere, we watched "The Royal Tenenbaums" instead. It's R's favorite movie and it's always interesting to see it again; every time there's a different character to identify with. This time, it was Ben Stiller's Chas, the widower whose wife's death has gone unprocessed. He's so gripped by fear and anger that he's making it his childrens' problem, and it's touching to see how the repair of his relationship with his father allows him to finally achieve closure with his wife. The whole movie is this messy tangle of relationships in various states of disrepair, and how improving one can often untangle a knot that makes it easier all down the line. No progress is wasted progress, I suppose.
On Saturday we played in A's D&D game, which was...kind of fun. One player has a tendency to dominate proceedings with the expectation that everyone else is into the situation as much as he is, so it made for a bit of an awkward start because R and K were just not playing along. We used the prize money (and newfound reputation) to make friends in town and things picked up a bit after that. My character, a Forest Gnome Arcane Trickster, managed to score some Winged Boots which allows you to fly at your walking speed for up to four hours a day. I am, needless to say, so incredibly jazzed to try them out. :D
There was a bit where R was trying to do something with his character on his own and I thought it would be a good idea for mine to tag along, but he immediately challenged it in a way that made me feel like he didn't want me to be included. That...got me in my feelings a bit. I'm not sure if my perspective is accurate here, but over the week it feels like almost all of the feedback I get at the table from him is negative -- at least when it comes to the in-game actions of my character. It's not any one comment or incident that throws me off, but an accumulation of feedback that creates a vibe that my contributions aren't appreciated. And that vibe can be hard to shake off.
On Sunday, R went to visit a gay friend and head up to SF for a bear's bar event. I stayed in and watched two episodes of Twin Peaks and "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome" with K. We're *right* up against the major event for the series in season 2, but it's clear that the wheels are starting to come off now. My understanding is that studio interference frustrated Lynch and Frost more and more so they started handing the day-to-day showrunning to others. And the tone of the series as a whole shifts in ways that are kinda fun to talk about.
At it's start, Twin Peaks features a town full of eccentric people who've established a precarious kind of equilibrium with each other. Folks accept, tolerate, or rail against the eccentricity of others, but there's no question that everyone in town is a little weird. Over the course of the second season, the characterization isn't as strong so the...eccentricities of some characters are all but erased -- especially when they encounter new characters who are supposed to deepen the mystery. Without the underlying focus on specific character traits, the plots become a lot more problematic in terms of how mental health is presented on screen. Women are...flattened to the point of becoming trophies in romantic subplots, and there's even an unfortunate "Yellowface" subplot where Catherine Martell (the sister of the mill's owner) pretends to be an Asian investor to get revenge on the lover who tried to kill her in the fire. It's...not great to sit through.
After next episode, we get to see the slow and steady decline for a few episodes until Frost and Lynch return to wrap things up after news of their cancellation. It'll be interesting to see how Season 3 fits into the narrative when you see the whole series at once; I get the feeling I'll recognize a lot more callbacks than I did the first time.
This week I'm going to really put in the effort to be more mindful and present throughout the day -- and to think a bit more deeply about the things I'm doing. For example, my character in the Kjester game we're playing this evening could use the upcoming trip into the Feywild as a major turning point for his Metamorphosis arc. But how?
For now, scheduling time for my goals is the next skill to learn. :)
Because we couldn't stream "Drop Dead Gorgeous" anywhere, we watched "The Royal Tenenbaums" instead. It's R's favorite movie and it's always interesting to see it again; every time there's a different character to identify with. This time, it was Ben Stiller's Chas, the widower whose wife's death has gone unprocessed. He's so gripped by fear and anger that he's making it his childrens' problem, and it's touching to see how the repair of his relationship with his father allows him to finally achieve closure with his wife. The whole movie is this messy tangle of relationships in various states of disrepair, and how improving one can often untangle a knot that makes it easier all down the line. No progress is wasted progress, I suppose.
On Saturday we played in A's D&D game, which was...kind of fun. One player has a tendency to dominate proceedings with the expectation that everyone else is into the situation as much as he is, so it made for a bit of an awkward start because R and K were just not playing along. We used the prize money (and newfound reputation) to make friends in town and things picked up a bit after that. My character, a Forest Gnome Arcane Trickster, managed to score some Winged Boots which allows you to fly at your walking speed for up to four hours a day. I am, needless to say, so incredibly jazzed to try them out. :D
There was a bit where R was trying to do something with his character on his own and I thought it would be a good idea for mine to tag along, but he immediately challenged it in a way that made me feel like he didn't want me to be included. That...got me in my feelings a bit. I'm not sure if my perspective is accurate here, but over the week it feels like almost all of the feedback I get at the table from him is negative -- at least when it comes to the in-game actions of my character. It's not any one comment or incident that throws me off, but an accumulation of feedback that creates a vibe that my contributions aren't appreciated. And that vibe can be hard to shake off.
On Sunday, R went to visit a gay friend and head up to SF for a bear's bar event. I stayed in and watched two episodes of Twin Peaks and "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome" with K. We're *right* up against the major event for the series in season 2, but it's clear that the wheels are starting to come off now. My understanding is that studio interference frustrated Lynch and Frost more and more so they started handing the day-to-day showrunning to others. And the tone of the series as a whole shifts in ways that are kinda fun to talk about.
At it's start, Twin Peaks features a town full of eccentric people who've established a precarious kind of equilibrium with each other. Folks accept, tolerate, or rail against the eccentricity of others, but there's no question that everyone in town is a little weird. Over the course of the second season, the characterization isn't as strong so the...eccentricities of some characters are all but erased -- especially when they encounter new characters who are supposed to deepen the mystery. Without the underlying focus on specific character traits, the plots become a lot more problematic in terms of how mental health is presented on screen. Women are...flattened to the point of becoming trophies in romantic subplots, and there's even an unfortunate "Yellowface" subplot where Catherine Martell (the sister of the mill's owner) pretends to be an Asian investor to get revenge on the lover who tried to kill her in the fire. It's...not great to sit through.
After next episode, we get to see the slow and steady decline for a few episodes until Frost and Lynch return to wrap things up after news of their cancellation. It'll be interesting to see how Season 3 fits into the narrative when you see the whole series at once; I get the feeling I'll recognize a lot more callbacks than I did the first time.
This week I'm going to really put in the effort to be more mindful and present throughout the day -- and to think a bit more deeply about the things I'm doing. For example, my character in the Kjester game we're playing this evening could use the upcoming trip into the Feywild as a major turning point for his Metamorphosis arc. But how?
For now, scheduling time for my goals is the next skill to learn. :)