December, 2022 - Noah's Archipelago

December 31, 2022: Happy 2023!

December 30, 2022December 31, 2022 by Pyra Draculea

Ruth is standing, hair down, in a green party dress and holding baby Valerie, in a pink onesie with a pink bow in her hair and wearing a white sash reading "2023." Ruth scowls and says to Noah, "I thought we were dressing Valerie up as Baby New Year." Noah, standing next to her, in a blue loincloth with a blue bow in his hair and wearing a white sash reading "2023," smiles and replies, "There can be two Baby New Years." Ruth groans, "Ugh... Noah..." and Noah retorts, "What? I'm nowhere near old enough to dress up like Father Time!"

It’s safe to say that Noah‘s favorite TV show as a kid must have been Mr. Dressup. In any case, happy new year!

December 30, 2022: New Year’s Resolutions

December 29, 2022December 30, 2022 by Pyra Draculea

Ursula and Noah are sitting on the living room rug, still building Lego, while Ruth and Agnes are sitting on the sofa behind them. Ruth is knitting and Agnes is holding baby Valerie. Ruth asks Agnes, "Any New Year's resolutions, Mom?" Agnes replies, "Yes, Frank needs to exercise more." Agnes then grins and looks at Noah and asks Ruth, "What resolutions are you assigning yours?" And Noah frowns in response. Ruth has a nervous grin, laughs, and replies, "Well... I think Noah ought to read more books." Furious, Noah retorts, "I prefer audiobooks. Y'know, while I'm busy doing all the work around the house? I listen to 3 books a week." Ursula then pipes up, grinning, "Wait, did you just say you can listen to books instead of read them?" Confused, Noah answers, "Yes?" Ursula then asks, "Why didn't you tell me that was an option?!?"

Hmm… they have audiobook versions of Garfield anthologies? Anyway, wonder if Frank knows he’ll be exercising more in 2023…

December 29, 2022: Lego and Pizza

December 28, 2022December 29, 2022 by Pyra Draculea

Noah and Ursula are sitting on the living room rug, assembling Ursula's Lego Goat Boat. Ursula says, "I'd have so much more time to build Lego if it weren't for all the homework." Noah, busy pushing pieces together, echoes her: "Yep. I'd have so much more time to build Lego if it weren't for all the housework and cooking." Ursula senses an opportunity and asks him, "So you admit we should order pizza more?"

Ursula has a point, but I doubt Noah will give in on the pizza front. Also, I like how Ursula seemingly assumes that as soon as they graduate from school, the only thing stopping them from building Lego stuff is the time spent cooking rather than ordering pizza.

December 28, 2022: Ursula Needs A Hobby

December 27, 2022December 28, 2022 by Pyra Draculea

Ruth and Ursula are in the embroidery aisle of a hobby store. Ruth is holding out a unicorn embroidery kit and says, "What about this kit, honey?" Ursula is disinterested and, without even looking at it, says, "Dunno, don't care." Ruth turns to pick out a different kit and says, "Oh, c'mon, it's time you got a hobby. Embroidery, for example." She then smiles and tells Ursula, "It'll make you a more rounded person." Ursula looks annoyed and replies, "I already draw. I don't have time for other hobbies, especially with all the math homework." Ruth crosses her arms and groans. Meanwhile, a grinning Noah comes up, bearing a model kit to show Ursula, saying, "They don't have any tanks, Ursula. Want an F-14 instead?" Ursula replies, "I guess so. No Viking ships?"

Looks like Ursula already has hobbies, just not the ones Ruth was hoping for.

December 27, 2022: Dorks & Dragons

December 27, 2022December 27, 2022 by Pyra Draculea

Noah and Ursula bump into Adam and Duke whilst out shopping. Noah asks the boys, "Hey, what'd you get?" Adam smiles and says, "Warhammer!" while Duke replies, "D&D!" Noah says, "Cool!" but Ursula is less impressed and tells her brothers, "D&D is for dorks." Duke retorts, "Yeah? So when are you gonna start playing?"

Duke might well call Ursula‘s bluff about D&D… although she probably doesn’t quite have the attention span for it yet. (Or at least I don’t think I had my brief foray into D&D til at least grade 6… and I still might not have enough attention span for Warhammer 40K, though it sounds fun … Read moreDecember 27, 2022: Dorks & Dragons

December 26, 2022: Boxing Day

December 25, 2022December 26, 2022 by Pyra Draculea

Noah is in a music store with Ursula, who is complaining as usual: "Ugh... not more shopping!" Noah replies, "Oh, c'mon! Boxing Day sales are a time-honored tradition!" He continues, "Back when I lived in Vancouver, me and my friends would wolf down our Christmas dinners..." and as he says this we see him remembering a Christmas dinner where he's standing in front of the front door, putting on his jacket with one arm while holding a big turkey leg with his other hand, eating. He tells his mother, "Thanks, Ma... be back by noon!" and she yells back, "You just got here!" Noah then continues telling Ursula, "... and race down to Seymour Street to camp out in line for A&B Sound's big sale" as we see Noah and Glen standing in a line of men all waiting to get into A&B Sound the next morning, with Glen telling Noah, "Sweet, we're only 37th in line this year." Ursula cuts Noah off, saying, "That's insane!" Noah, missing her point, smiles and replies, "Yeah, we sure got some crazy deals..." and we see him remembering walking out of A&B Sound with Glen, both grinning and loaded down with boxes of new stereo equipment.

Noah fondly remembers Boxing Days past. I don’t think I ever did the A&B Sound Boxing Day madness, or if I did it was looking for CDs later that afternoon, long after the hardcore dudes had already gone home with their new stereos and TVs. My brother says he used to go line up … Read moreDecember 26, 2022: Boxing Day

December 24, 2022: Merry Christmas!

December 25, 2022December 24, 2022 by Pyra Draculea

Ursula is kneeling on the floor next to Grandma Agnes' Christmas tree while baby Valerie plays with the discarded wrapping paper from the opened presents and Agnes sits in a chair drinking cocoa. Ursula asks Agnes, "Grandma, how come Santa's tags have your writing on them?" Agnes concocts some BS answer: "Well, Santa's very busy with delivering presents so he doesn't have time to fill out all the tags." Ursula next asks, "Why don't the elves write the tags?" and Agnes tells her "Elves can't read and write, dear." Ursula counters, "That's not what Granny Thorsen says."

Merry Christmas, all!

December 23, 2022: Noah’s Gift Bags

December 25, 2022December 23, 2022 by Pyra Draculea

Noah is sitting at his computer when Ursula approaches him, carrying a roll of Christmas wrapping paper. She offers, "Daddy, I'll wrap your presents for you if you give me ten dollars." Noah smiles and replies, "That's OK, honey. I used gift bags instead; they're more efficient." Ursula scowls and shakes the roll of paper at Noah while telling him, "Presents are better when they're wrapped." Noah rolls his eyes and tells her, "Presents are the same whether they're wrapped or bagged." Not giving up, Ursula retorts, "No, they need to be well-wrapped. Y'know, 'presented'?" Noah grins and asks, "And you'd thinnk that even if you weren't asking me to pay you to wrap?" Ursula replies, "What's that got to do with it?"

Ursula‘s entrepreneurialism runs aground on Noah’s obsession with efficiency. Listen, kiddo: you can’t build a successful business just on your family and friends. (This one was inspired by an episode of Nightwave Radio from earlier this week wherein the host, Mersh, was talking about using gift bags and some of the people in his … Read moreDecember 23, 2022: Noah’s Gift Bags

December 22, 2022: Ginger-boardwalk

December 25, 2022December 22, 2022 by Pyra Draculea

Noah, Ruth, and Ursula are in the kitchen/dining room making gingerbread houses... well, Ruth made a gingerbread house, Ursula made a gingerbread church, and Noah is putting the finishing frosting touches on a gingerbread Coney Island covering the entire dining table, complete with midway, Ferris wheel, carousel, and candy cane rollercoaster. Noah is licking his lips and thinking, "Almost finished my gingerbread masterpiece: Candy Cane-y Island... Now to protect it from being devoured by Ruth and the kids." Meanwhile Ruth is scowling and thinking, "Guess we're eating in the living room for a while..." and Ursula is glaring at Noah and thinking "Show off!"

Noah goes overboard with the gingerbread… why build a house when you can build Coney Island? Er, “Cane-y Island”.

December 21, 2022: Happy Solstice!

December 25, 2022December 21, 2022 by Pyra Draculea

The Thorsens are all gathered around the Christmas tree, celebrating the winter solstice and Yule by opening their presents from Granny Thorsen and "Odin." Baby Valerie is playing with the ripped up wrapping paper and Ursula has opened her presents: an iPad from "Odin" and a hand-knit sweater from Granny Thorsen. She smiles and says "Weird how Odin's handrwriting looks so much like Granny Thorsen's..." Noah stands behind her and scowls at Duke and Adam, with his finger over his lips shushing them. Duke says nothing and Adam says, "Freak coincidence, sis."

Christmas is still a few days away, but Yule/the solstice is today, aka the day the Thorsens open presents from Granny Thorsen… er, “Odin.” Wait til Ursula notices how Santa’s handwriting is the same as Grandma Agnes‘. (We also see Granny Thorsen’s first name in the runes: Hrefna. And yeah, she wouldn’t write “from” … Read moreDecember 21, 2022: Happy Solstice!