PXWLF Day 1

I started with the main/downtown section of the festival and boy do I have regrets. There is a reason I usually mind the outskirts of the festival for interesting photos and experiences.

The Portland Winter Lights Festival is a 2 week thing with over 200 art installations and events. Last year they ranged from giant metal fire breathing dragon at the waterfront to 'store that happens to sell a few glow in the dark items is open late'. Also, last year I saw a drag king performance based on I Saw The TV Glow. It is a highly varied experience, and the website is deeply unhelpful. I can tell you already that some of the images this year are concept art and not actually was what done. There is cool stuff, but to find it you just need to keep hopping around hundreds of sites and hoping.

I've had a good time at the festival in the past. One year it happened during that extended snowstorm/power outage Portland had and I remember trudging through deep snow to see the fire powered light events, a truly surreal experience.

Anyway, the main downtown space can get crowded and people can get pushy. I don't have a sense of balance so people pushing me side to make a hole for their group is A Problem for me. Some lady wanted to push through a line I was in, rather than go around. I asked her to cut behind me instead of in front for a specific reason, and she had a expletive filled crash out at me.

I hopefully got at least 2 good pictures, but yeah, there is a reason I usually skip the main area. I am *hopefully* hitting the Electric Blocks and some east side stuff tonight, then I'll start sorting through lists to see what else I want to hit. The only exhibit up on St John's is... an art exhibit that's been there year round for years.

Also, damn, just like I need a dedicated Mike Bennett folder I need to start a PDXWLF folder.

Books

Huh, it doesn't look like I ever posted about Delay of Game... or any of the Ari Baran hockey books. Having taken a posting break has things disordered.

I've read 3 of the 4 books in the Penalty Box series: Game Misconduct, Delay of Game and Home Ice Advantage. I've had multiple people recommend the fourth book in the series, Goaltender Interference, to me. I do like goalies being interfered with, in certain ways. So, I am excited to get to it... but I've also got book club books to read first and I also like to alternate hockey books with non-hockey books.

Series so far overview: Ari Baran's books are the only hockey romances outside of Rachel Reid's that I've really enjoyed. Some other hockey books I've read can best be described as 'books that exist'. The first book is good, but also a bit rough... in every way: writing is rough in places, sex is rough and scenarios under-negotiated, dark side of hockey very leaned into. Later books are less rough, but if they have a editor I would like to give them notes. Ari has a weird habit of repeating sentences and ways of describing things. The instances of repetition are far apart in the book, but still it's something that should be caught. First book is good but rough, second book... drags a bit get is very good by the end, third book is solid all the way through. Endings can feel a bit abrupt.

* Game Misconduct - ( Read more... )

* Delay of Game - ( Read more... )

* Home Ice Advantage - ( Sideplot spoilers )