Was a very good day. Even if it started off with a profound sense of exhaustion this morning. I think I woke up a half dozen times in the night, I know my Fitbit step count looked like I'd gone to the mailbox twice in the night (which was welcome, as I was behind). Got clean and motivated, Amythest swung by and we headed to the Dallas Museum of Art for some Roman history.

Mary Beard is one of those historians, who not only gets all her historical ducks in a row, but can make a dry subject very lively. I've seen her on TV a few times, and read some of her work. She also gives a good lecture. Basic stuff, mostly about how her new book is about how defining 'Roman' changed repeatedly over the course of the empire. Fun bit, she had a Roman woman's epitath on the display, from near Hadrian's Wall. The woman's name, her status as a freed slave, that she was from a tribe further south in England, and that her hubby was from Palmyria in the Middle East. Those Romans got around. But before she started explaining it, I was picking out the Latin. The name, that she was an ex slave, her age at death, that Palmyria was involved. My Latin, while still nothing resembling more than a passing nod, is better than it was 10 years ago. Go me. The rest was basically how we can't just say 'Ok, that's Roman history, finis'. What we know, what we understand, how we interpert it, changes as time passes, and as we change. Which I'm in whole hearted agreement. In the Q/A she answered a few high brow questions, as well as stateing that besides Mary Renault, her favorite historical fiction writer is Lindsay Davis, of the Falco Roman mysteries. (I recommend them too.) Then we broke for the book signing, which me and Amythest passed on, due to the huge crowd. We instead went to our favorite bits of the DMA, then headed to the car and back out of Dallas. (Btw, if you're interested, Professor Beard's new book can be found on Amazon/B and N/other bookstores. S.P.Q.R. I'm pretty sure if you like history, you'll enjoy.

We got in contact with Nymaz, and met up to see 'Spectre' in the theaters. I'd heard some less than stellar reviews of the latest Bond flick, and I kind to have to agree that it wasn't great. Solid enough, but nothing spectacular. Unless you're talking about the title sequence. Which was full of tentacles and girls and more tenacles, and tentacles with guns... I was a very happy cultist. I also blame Charles Stross for no longer being able to watch a Bond flick without thinking 'But what would Bob Howard do ?' Seriously, Bond would be so much more effective with a Warrant Card, a Tilligast resonator and a iPhone with the OFCUT suite. (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, well Google 'Charles Stross laundry', buy some of his books too.) 3/5 dry martinis for a decent Bond flick, 5/5 perky tentacles for the title sequence.

(wow, call me the book pimp today)

The three musketeers talked about the NYC trip next week, I dropped Amythest off at her car, and I came home and wrote this. I'm zonked, and probably will make a very early night of it. Not too early, as I'll just be skewed off kilter tomorrow as well, but no 2am movie marathons tonight. Will probably catch up on TwitterBook then go to bed with a book. Not sure which one, the Mythos story I was reading today, Templar fanfic-history, my copy of the above mentioned SPQR (got the ebook). or something else. Oh lord, I probably should write a book randomizer for the Kindle app for nights I have no decision making skills. For now though, it's the interwebs and creepy Lovecraft music til bed. And this got long fast, so night night all.