Stubb – The Beige Moth

Chapter 135: The Chase.—Third Day

April 13, 2025April 13, 2025 Robin VanGilder3 Comments

Alright, I’ve delayed enough, let’s finish this monster up.

I’ve had a real sense of impending doom lately, had some sleepless nights due to anxiety and whatnot. There are things I can do to combat that, and I know that I am in fact given to seeking out portents of disaster and using that as an excuse to take refuge in paralysis, but it would also help a lot if the country I live in wasn’t rapidly descending into fascism. Therapy is all well and good, but sometimes material conditions are the root concern, y’know. And yet, here I am, ready to finally finish out this years-long project. Let’s get to it!

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Chapter 134: The Chase.—Second Day

March 30, 2025April 16, 2025 Robin VanGilder2 Comments

As we approach the end of this great tome, I find myself in a reflective mood.

Thinking back upon the story as a whole, its many detours and sidequests, and the thrust of its narrative. This past week I even went and read some other criticism of Moby Dick, to refresh my memory a bit. The… pacing of this project has definitely been lopsided, with my having covered more than half the book in the first year, and then slowly grinding out the last bit of it. But that feels appropriate, as Ishmael dithered and delayed in telling the end of his tale, so do I struggle to embrace the entirety of this enormous work with the inadequate span of my typing fingers.

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Chapter 133: The Chase.—First Day

March 23, 2025April 16, 2025 Robin VanGilder1 Comment

Ugh, man, I finally feel like I’m waking up again.

Last week I had some minor oral surgery. Nothing too serious, no teeth being removed or anything like that, but nonetheless I had to go under general anaesthesia; that is, I was knocked out cold. It’s always a strange experience, I haven’t had it since I had my wisdom teeth out, and I’ve been some time recovering from it. The last few days have felt a bit like an extended dream which I cannot fully sink into nor awake from. But now, I’m coming awake again, and none too soon: the hunt is on!

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Chapter 130: The Hat

February 23, 2025 Robin VanGilder3 Comments

Another week gone by of 2025, and the world continues to fall into madness.

But at least my little slice of it is relatively calm and peaceful. It’s pouring down rain here today, and will be for the next week or so, and I love it. My favorite weather, as a lifelong resident of the Pacific Northwest. Even living in the middle of a city, there’s a certain peaceful coziness that comes from settling down inside on such a day that is utterly unmatched, at least in my personal experience.

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Chapter 128: The Pequod Meets The Rachel

November 24, 2024November 24, 2024 Robin VanGilder6 Comments

Where does the time go?

I can’t believe it’s late November already. Well, I suppose the time around the election was a bit warped, to my perception, but still. I feel like I’ve hardly had time to catch my breath lately, one thing or another going on. But this weekend, I had some time to myself, got a little caught up on some other reading, and on relaxation. So, I find myself once again in a mood to reflect upon some proper lit’rature. Let’s get to it.

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Chapter 126: The Life-Buoy

October 27, 2024 Robin VanGilder4 Comments

Blehh, I’ve got my first cold of the fall season.

Thankfully, it’s not a bad one. Just enough to give me a bit of a snuffle and make me feel more tired than usual. It’s very annoying, honestly. Not bad enough to take time off of work, but I still don’t want to go out except when it’s necessary, and I still feel worse than usual when I am at work. Ah well, could certainly be worse!

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Chapter 121: Midnight.—The Forecastle Bulwarks

August 4, 2024 Robin VanGilder2 Comments

Alright, enough! Let’s get back to it.

I apologize for missing last week, I had a good ol’ fashioned case of writer’s block. Ther weather was fine, I wasn’t too tired, just sat down and… no words came out. It happens to the best of us. I know that forcing it is futile, you might get a couple piddling paragraphs, but they won’t be any good. Of course, some of those times I’ve been most disappointed in my own work was when I would end up receiving very good grades from teachers, so perhaps I’m not the best judge after all.

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Chapter 119: The Candles

July 7, 2024 Robin VanGilder1 Comment

Y’know, I’m starting to have more sympathy for Ahab.

I, too, feel like cursing the sun, and never looking skyward again, as it beats down and boils the air around me. That is to say: it’s getting hot again, and I hate it. Supposed to get above 90 for the next few days, and I will be melting into a puddle, so we’d better get into this chapter before that happens.

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Chapter 118: The Quadrant

June 30, 2024 Robin VanGilder2 Comments

Ahhh, finally feeling better.

My cough is finally clearing up. I can breathe freely for the first time in like three weeks. I was starting to go a bit stir-crazy, being cooped up in my apartment this whole time. Man, I don’t think I could handle working purely from home, I gotta get back into the office.

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Chapter 114: The Gilder

May 19, 2024 Robin VanGilder5 Comments

Haha, that’s me!

Hoo boy, I had an exhausting week. Had a dentist appointment, went to a couple of podcast live shows, and had an endodontist appointment (where nothing actually happened). Turns out I’ve got a tooth that is all messed up and needs a root canal, not looking forward to that… except I kind of am, because it’s starting to ache more and more. Ugh. What a pain. Literally, in this case. But I won’t let that keep me from my whale-related responsibilities!

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