Chapter 125: The Log and Line

What’s my line here? Ah yes: let’s get back to it.

Well, I missed a couple weeks again, so it goes. I’ve been busy and exhausted, mentally and physically, the past couple weekends. I desperately need a vacation, to tend to business in my apartment, and in my own mind and body. I’ve got one scheduled in a couple weeks, right after Metaphor comes out, hopefully I can regenerate myself somewhat.

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Chapter 123: The Musket

I’ve been re-energized.

Last week, I was in too bad of a mood to write my post. Some things going on that weekend just threw off my whole vibe, I couldn’t get in the right headspace for writing. Things improved significantly through the week, though. Starting to get back into an old hobby of mine… but, in a careful way. It’s a trading card game, and those can be a real money sink if you’re not careful.

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Chapter 119: The Candles

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 117: The Whale Watch

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.

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Chapter 116: The Dying Whale

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….

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Chapter 115: The Pequod Meets The Bachelor

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.

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Chapter 113: The Forge

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.

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Chapter 111: The Pacific

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.

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Chapter 110: Queequeg in his Coffin

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.

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Chapter 108: Ahab and the Carpenter

Dang, I should’ve saved the Walrus and the Carpenter image for this week. Ah well!

Trying to get back into a groove here, not make that last post a one-off. Especially since this one follows up on it in an extremely direct way. Why, if it weren’t for the complete shift in tone and genre, they could’ve been combined into one chapter. Perhaps an author with a different bent might’ve done so, if somehow combining the ideas presented previously into the milieu of this scene in order to make a more harmonious whole. But Melville is not such an author, and neither is Ishmael. The medium is the message, it would do you well to remember.

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