what is Sookie?

I'm asking for spoilers about the excellent True Blood television series on HBO.

What is Sookie Stackhouse?  What is it that happens when she touches the evil maenad Maryann (pictured here)?

The tv series is based on the Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris, but I have not read those books.

I am thinking of spending $25 to support their production of this great show by purchasing some of their TruBlood beverage.  It's just blood-orange fizzy drink, and really expensive at about $3/bottle plus shipping, but I also think it's important to financially support worthwhile productions.  Download for free, sure, I'm fine with that, but be sure to send them money to continue their work.  :)

( Read spoilers about the storyline from the books... )

camping trip: the quest for sleep

I happened to have Friday off of work and also the weekend free of the pager, so I joined some local Bears for a camping trip.  I left home 3pm on Friday and returned 9am on Monday.  I didn't get to see a whole lot of wildlife.  I did, however, get to see the Milky Way.  That was nice.  It's probably been 8 years since I was last far enough away from city lights to see it like that.  That first night, I also saw 9 satellites and 10 falling stars.

Here are photos of the Bear group that I camped with, plus one shot of me dozing off in a catnap trying to catch up on missed sleep after a morning of stripping down to just my bike shorts and being butch while swimming out to rescue a drowned tent.  (They say that good authors use a "hook" at the beginning to keep the reader interested in the rest of the writing.  *laugh*)  I'm the short, skinny guy in this group... and I'm also the old man needing his nap, apparently.  *more laughs*



( Read the diary and see the pictures... )