Hadestown: The Musical

I saw the live capture of "Hadestown: The Musical" Sunday during what was initially going to be a 5 day run in theaters. It has now been extended.  Since I reviewed the live show, I'm just going to make a list of things I like and didn't here. 

Love: Eva Noblezada, Patrick Page (on a ruptured achilles, shout out to the costume designer for that sparkly leg brace), Amber Gray, Andre De Shields, Reeve Carney, and the West End Fates. Also the workers and band were all great. 

Dislike: A few of the photography/editing choices I was less a fan of. Overall, you can see what you need to see. But some moments where they zoom in, you lose the things the rest of the cast is doing. 

Love: Being able to see it again, you catch so many little things. It is a delight. 

Love: Also, there are a few great photography choices, including panning to the audience in key moments. There's one bit where Persephone scoffs at the audience and the audience reacting to that was delightful. 

Love: a pro shot. Is it as good as seeing it live? No. Is it cheaper and simpler if you live somewhere that is not one of the few places currently running a live performance right now? Absolutely. Will it help you decide if "Hadestown" is your jam? Absolutely. Can you go in knowing nothing about the show? Yes. (I would maybe recommend skimming the wiki summary of the Orpheus and Eurydice story. But you do you.)

I'm not sure this is a dislike, so much as an I want even more. I would love a live capture of the original London cast. I know that's greedy. 

Romance Book Blast

Hello there! Today (July 28th, 2026 in case you are reading this on a different day) is Romance Book Blast. Over 950 authors have made their romances free in ebook forms. Including my Repeated Burn which you can find on the short reads page.

If you need a few or a few hundred more romances, there are lots of choices. Go forth and get ready to read! www.romancebooklovers.com Also, as of early this morning Amazon was still working on the price match, so please double check that if Amazon is your purveyor of choice.

Now vs. Later

Some days it's really tough to think long term.  Right now I have a trip coming up and I want to take a new knitting project on the trip with me.  Except, I haven't finished the last three projects I'm working on.  Two are sweaters that are bulky and not great travel projects.  Though both would be super helpful in my cold cold office. One is a sock weight shawl where I've finished the colorwork, though it is lace.  

But I want to start a new thing.  Except then I'd have four unfinished projects.  Sometimes it's hard to figure out how much I'm being distracted by startitis.  Projects are always shiny and new when you haven't started.  

And I don't really have a need for two new sweaters right now.  But also if I don't finish them I won't have them when there is more sweater weather in the forecast.  One of my stalwart sweaters is getting raggedy from how much I wear it, so some more in the rotation would be good.  I seem to wear out my cardigans faster, so need more of those in my closet.  But also, this shawl I want to start is so cute.  

I've often said knitting is a fun hobby for me.  Except for gifts I try not to attach deadlines to it.  It was one of the reasons I stopped test knitting.  Getting to see new patterns early was fun, but it also made knitting work.  And I have work.  I have lots of work.  I needed fun.  

But even my fun has limits.  Having too many projects going makes it feel like work again, weighing down on me.  

And sometimes I have to think big picture.  If I pick an in progress project to finish then it will be done, and starting another will feel fun. Even if I have to put off that fun for a little.

We Need to Talk About AI

I don't use AI to write. AI has in fact illegally used me to write. Sure, sometimes the entitity hosting my words have permission, but I haven't and they are my words. For me drafting is fun. I love the surprise when a few stray plot bits coalesce. I love when characters says things I didn't consciously know they were going to say. But if I wanted to read something someone else wrote, there are literally already more books out there than I could read in this lifetime. 

People keep saying things like well it's too late, the technology exists. And sure. And look, we've bundled just about all code together under that AI umbrella. But can I think of uses for AI? Sure? Are any of them have a computer report news for me or write stories for me instead of actual people with the ability to create context and nuance? No.

It's interesting because we've been using a version of what we are now calling AI to closed caption live TV. To caption videos on social media. And for a while it sucked. And then it got so good. And now it sucks again. It's almost like claiming the software needs no human intervention has made it worse. 

And of course it's proponents always want to toss to the side the water needed. As if we hadn't already learned that sucking up all the water from various places had terrible effects. 

But the other thing that's happening is, it's made me think harder about blogging. I love chatting with the internet. I love telling stories. But I am more and more aware that I am feeding the LLM machines every time I do. That no matter what copyright notices, or do not copy texts I put on my site, it's all feeding the machine. And while I like talking on the internet too much to stop, I may have to really think hard about where to dedicate my energy. 

7 Things About Staying Cool When It's Stupid Hot

I like heat. I even like humidity. (Dry air send my throat, eyes, nasal passages into a panic.) I also like watching tennis which around here happens in the dead heat of summer. My favorite social media comment ever was a guy yelling at the tournament account that they shouldn't hold tennis tournaments when it's going to rain. And well, we really need that rain when the heat index is triple digits. 

1. Be in the AC is the obvious option. But sure you might need to run errands, watch a sporting match of some sort, mow the lawn, or have an outdoor job. 

2. Hydrate. I know. Everyone says this. But all the extra things your body needs to do during extreme weather need liquid.

3. Be a shade seeker. Know where the shade is, whether it's the shadier side of the street to walk down, the shadiest spot to leave your car, the shadiest spot to wait for the bus, find the shade. You can also carry an umbrella or wear a large brim hat and create some of your own shade. If you do, be mindful of others. Being poked when it's stupid hot is harder to handle. 

4. Take breaks. You may have a great vantage that just happens to be in full sun right now. Plan out a break that takes you to a cool spot. Sip water, snack, watch from the concourse a bit. If you are out running errands and the stores you are hitting are not sufficiently cool, stop in at a cooling center or library (or combo cooling center library). Know where these things are along your route.

5. Natural fibers are really breathable. Athletic type clothes may also have sweat wicking capabilities. If you are somewhere you cannot alter your clothes, just keep this in mind and plan for breaks as much as you can. 

6. Know the signs of heat stroke and heat exhaustion: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/heat-exhaustion-heatstroke/

Dizzy is bad and means you need to take steps now. Heart racing is bad and means you may need medical attention. Don't worry about being embarrassed, I promise if you pass out you will be more embarrassed. 

7. Think of heat like staying up all night. You can do it, but it takes effort. Small breaks help if you can't get longer breaks. And missing some of the fun is worth it to avoid missing the rest because you had to go to the ER instead.