whaling – Page 2 – The Beige Moth

Chapter 122: Midnight Aloft.—Thunder and Lightning

August 11, 2024 Robin VanGilder1 Comment

Ahhh, it’s amazing what a shift in the weather can do.

And also just getting out of the apartment, I suppose. We had some awful hot, muggy weather the last few days, but today is nice and cool again. Went for a walk around the city, got some teriyaki for lunch. I feel like I’ve spent too much time since I moved cooped up in here, between being sick and the weather. I’m no longer in inhospitable Auburn, but a proper city! There are so many places to go and things to see.

Continue reading →

Chapter 117: The Whale Watch

June 23, 2024 Robin VanGilder1 Comment

Well, I’m certainly feeling better than I was last week.

Though I wouldn’t quite say I’m no longer sick. I have a really nasty lingering cough, it’s been keeping me up all night, and freaking me out making me think I have gunk in my lungs. But, for the most part, I’m feeling a lot better. I really feel like I need a vacation, though. But I want to wait for the fall to take time off of work… when the weather is more amenable.

Continue reading →

Chapter 116: The Dying Whale

June 9, 2024 Robin VanGilder1 Comment

Well, things are finally turning around a bit.

Just a quick update on the saga of my dental problems: I had my root canal this week! At long last! Honestly, it was mostly fine, as I was simply laying there dazing in the chair hopped up on nitrous oxide the whole time. It cost a bit extra, but man it was worth it. And now the pain in that tooth is gone. Everyone talks shit about root canals, but they really do the damn thing. Anyway, back to the topic at hand, which this week is a deep, dark subject….

Continue reading →

Chapter 115: The Pequod Meets The Bachelor

June 2, 2024 Robin VanGilderLeave a comment

Man, I had a weird week.

I apologize for missing my post last weekend, call it a holiday off. I read the chapter, but couldn’t come up with anything, my head wasn’t in the right place for it. Then I had another dentist appointment on Tuesday, had some more fillings done. Unfortunately, those fillings were right next to the tooth that is still very sensitive and in need of a root canal, so it was… not very comfortable, shall we say. I was recovering from that the next couple days, and had a very stressful time at work. But, I’m feeling much better now, things have been resolved, just a bit.

Anyway, let’s get into it.

Continue reading →

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!

Continue reading →

Chapter 113: The Forge

May 13, 2024 Robin VanGilder2 Comments

Ugh, once again I have been offended by that great, terrible orb in the heavens.

We had some hot weather here the last couple days, is what I mean. Not too bad, not over 90, but it was the first time in my new apartment, and it turns out that sea breeze does not make as much of a difference as I hoped. My new fan performed admirably, though. But still… I may need to invest in some conditioned air, at some point in the future. Well, let’s get to it.

Continue reading →

Chapter 111: The Pacific

April 7, 2024 Robin VanGilder2 Comments

Let’s keep this train a-rollin’.

I apologize for being a bit late this week, things were busier at work and I’ve been a bit stressed over my upcoming move. I’m really workin’ on it in earnest now, getting things organized, packing up all my books and video games and movies, etc etc. A lot of that is all squared away now, plans are set, all that’s left is to be ready on the day itself.

Continue reading →

Chapter 110: Queequeg in his Coffin

March 26, 2024 Robin VanGilderLeave a comment

The pieces are starting to fall into place.

It’s funny, so much of this book is either vague and philosophical, blowing out its themes to a vast scope, or extremely mundane and specific, that one quite forgets that there’s an actual plot going on, and certain things must be set up for it to conclude. Not that we’re ever going to fully get away from Ishmael’s philosophical reveries, of course. Yet, this is one such chapter, containing a pivotal development that will resonate with the inevitable end of this tale.

Continue reading →

Chapter 106: Ahab’s Leg

August 21, 2023 Robin VanGilder4 Comments

Summer continues apace here in Pacific Northwest, and it has been awful, here in my little apartment.

This place was not designed to deal with this sort of heat. I get the radiant warmth from lower floors, so it is nearly impossible to maintain livable conditions without sitting directly in front of a fan at all times. And, over the past weekend, we had some awful wildfire smoke to boot! Ugh. The rains of fall cannot come soon enough.

Continue reading →

Chapter 105: Does the Whale’s Magnitude Diminish?—Will He Perish?

July 9, 2023 Robin VanGilder2 Comments

The last day of my vacation has come, and I decided to take advantage and write one more post, for now.

The damnable summer heat has finally abated, somewhat. The famous clouds of my homeland have returned, if not the more-famous rains. But I know that they shall, in the fullness of time. I can only hope we don’t suffer from awful wildfire smoke this year (knock on wood).

Continue reading →