(no subject)

I keep getting noncon networked. I went on a date, and the guy gave me advice on breaking into his field. (That makes it sound like a terrible date, but he also let me deliver a mini-lecture on animal names in the English language as historical evidence of linguistic class and status patterns, so I count it overall as a win.) And then I was talking to one of my roommates today, and he asked about my job hunt and what I'm interested in and all that, and next thing I know, he was offering to give me names of people he knows who are doing that sort of thing. (He also explained why I haven't been asked for my share of the utilities, which I was beginning to wonder about, after a month and a half of living here. Apparently, he only bothers to add up the bills and divide them among roommates every few months, especially in the summer when we're not paying heat. Given that in the first week of knowing him, I saw him lose his car, his keys, and his phone, I figured it was something like that.) See, I know networking is a good thing, and people offering to network me in, as it were, is a good positive thing, but networking and social-professional interaction and asking strangers for advice or for favors is basically incompatible with my personality defects, so I have a hard time responding appropriately. (size two jeans problem, I know.)

( brief reaction tonight's Top Chef )

Also, I read some books! (If you've wondered where I've been lately, the answer is reading and re-reading the same book over and over again. It's a habit I thought I had left behind, and I'm not sure whether I'm glad to see it again or not.)

( Blackout, by Connie Willis )

( Liaden Universe novels, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (both a brief overview of the series and a sort-of rec, and then a more detailed reaction with spoilers )