Brazilian banquet, Vanguard euphoria, Cookie Puffs - and new boots to boot!

What a fun, full weekend! (Full in more ways than one.)

Even though the trains were out (for trackwork, between Blacktown and Strathfield) I made my way into the city last night to join some friends for the amazing Brazilian Churrasco Banquet at A Taste of Brazil in Pyrmont. Yummo! (And unique garlic bread rolls, made with a mayonnaise filling.) Oh wow!

I stayed overnight at Nate's for a marathon of early "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episodes, although after all the Merlot at dinner, we all dozed through most of them, usually waking in time to see end credits flashing by for each episode.

This morning we had brunch at one of Nate's favourite breakfast cafes, and then I ventured off alone into the city where I finally located, at Politix, the most amazing grey farmed-crocodile-skin zip boots to go with my newly-arrived, screen-used Andorian costume. (I knew I'd seen them somewhere, but the last few weeks of looking around was drawing a blank.) The boots were $100 off and really look wonderful. Now I can't wait to organise a proper full-dress photo shoot. (After I find someone to help me put the boots on when the skin-tight Andorian leggings won't permit bending, that is!)

On the bus-and-train home from the city, I finished reading David Mack's "Star Trek: Vanguard" novel, "Reap the Whirlwind". A lot of fun, but because I've been rather busy, I've had to read it in numerous one-hour chunks over many weeks now.

I was caught by surprise as I'd completely forgotten the author had put a Minipedia in the back - I'd restrained myself from reading it when I bought the book - so about three pages before the end of the narrative, the book flicked open to reveal that I was really only three pages from the end of the current story! (Reminds me of the good ol' days when some ST novels had a surprise excerpt of an upcoming "giant" Star Trek mass market paperback in the back.)

I'd also accidentally seen comments on TrekBBS about big surprises at the end, so I'd avoided all the details and responses. While reading this morning, all the details started being revealed, and I was very pleased.

The series has great characters who are revealing their complexities over each instalment; [i]two[/i] Caitians, at least three Andorians in this one - how cool is that? And journalist Tim Pennington continues to be a great character, redeeming himself over previous indiscretions.

Fan writer/editor (and New Zealander) Lana Pennington-Brown is a very good friend of mine (and is the Pennington the "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" writers had in mind when they made canonical reference to the Pennington School in the TV series), so even though Tim started out in "Vanguard: Harbinger" as an untrustworthy love rat, he's already becoming a better man than he used to be (as he mentioned himself in the chapters of "Reap the Whirlwind" I read today), and so I enjoy rooting for one of Lana's descendants. Makes the "Vanguard" novels even more fun!

I'm off now to read up on all the online posts about the book before I delve into a new "Tale of the Lost Era", "Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Buried Age" by Christopher L Bennett.

And, to celebrate my "Vanguard" euphoria...: I discovered today that Puffy Cookie Puffs have released a new flavour: chocolate Cookie Puffs! They are to die for! (Or is that "to diet for"?)


Puffy Cookie Puffs: now available with chocolate filling!


And, according to the official website, caramel cookie puff filling is due soon.