I finally got around to painting my Pyre Troll from Privateer Press. It was an ambitious paint-job, in that not only did I set out to paint flames and flame-illuminated effects for the first time, I also planned to do all the serious painting in one sitting.

Click for the picture

The local paper had a “Friday the Thirteenth” article in which I learned that fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskevidekatriaphobia. That word seemed long and unwieldy, so I did some searching, and sure enough, there is an alternative word: friggatriskaidekaphobia.

The word is shorter, it nicely concatenates “Frigga” (derived from the name of the Norse god from whom we get the english word for Friday) with “Triskadekaphobia” (the word for “fear of the number 13”), and when you say it you sound like you’re saying “friggin’ triskaidekaphobia.” That last is what makes me happiest. I have no fear of this day, or that number, and will cheerfully poo-poo such superstitions — especially if it makes friggin’ triskaidekaphobes uncomfortable.

I also step on cracks, break mirrors from time to time, and fail completely to knock on wood. Like right now. Friggin’ triskadekaphobes! Nothing bad is going to happen today that couldn’t just as easily happen on any other day. Aaaand here I am, not knocking on wood.

So… the word of the day is friggatriskaidekaphobia. Say it with a sneer!

I saw Grindhouse.

I’m not going to review it, per se, but I do have a couple of other reviews to respond to. Since I may inadvertently spoil something, the I’ll stuff the juicy bits behind the cut. Continue reading Saw Grindhouse… →

Long story short… we drove straight through from just north of Seattle to 30mi south of Salt Lake City. We decided to go straight through when we learned that a stomach bug was barfing its way through our extended family in Boise, which is where we’d initially planned to spend the night.

I may be barfing all day tomorrow, hung over from the Vivarin-popping I did, but at least it won’t be contagious.