Author: Allegra

Born when atmospheric carbon was 316 PPM. Settled on MST country since 1997. Parent, grandparent.

Yesterday and today

Yesterday I ran four loads of laundry

did the May monthly numbers for household expenses

practiced (actually twice)

had homemade chicken fried rice for breakfast

Watched some more Sweet Tooth and Duckman and Homicide

RIP NED BEATTY AS BOLANDER

Read about 200 pages of Chuck Wendig’s Wanderers

Got most of ‘Spread ‘Em up to Heaven’ in Finale (my ghastly tongue in cheek Destiel filk, unforgiveable, rallllllly.)

Today I’m going to go into New West and do a small shop as I need to get more ant poison, the scouts are back.

Dr. Who?

Lyrics available upon request… but why

The song ends in the same key as the Dr. Who Theme so at the end you’re supposed to vamp the theme to a fadeout. It’s actually quite effective but I’m not taking on the fucking Beeb with IP issues. LOL. No, I’ll just mock them and their works, haw haw.

I don’t repudiate the song, but I should. It wormed its way into a Conflikt songbook before I realized that the entire song is antithetical to filk fandom in a number of strong and structural ways. It is a problematic song. It is a difficult song. It is a very self-centred and elitist song.

“50 years just makes it old, it doesn’t make it fine.”

Of course that’s all you need to say to get Dr. Who fans (who are…. engaged) to start beating on you verbally. Next time somebody does I’m going to compare their vigour in defending it to colonialism and then the fur can really fly.

the errand hang

Apparently running errands with your friends is the new hanging out… So that is me and Paul yesterday; two turns around the schoolyard park and a trip to Peggy’s to return cooking containers and a trip to the library to pick up, among other things, Chuck Wendig’s ‘Wanderers’, a book of women’s short SF, local Indigenous legends and organizing for people with ADD. I can just imagine Jeff’s snort as he reads that.

Made chicken fried rice yesterday, it was nom.

Gave Paul some chickpea curry and rice pudding yesterday as well.

Every time I try to write – even letters, I find rage and ennui flatten me out. I have no wish to reveal what is in me; it is all rotten and horrifying. This too shall pass; it always has before. It’s the pandemic talking, as far as I can see.

Fraser Foreshore

Paul and I went for a lovely walk at Fraser Foreshore yesterday.  I finally remembered to take peanuts, and was rewarded by two separate encounters with Bold as Brass Crows. They never got closer than about five meters, but they didn’t wait to come towards me, either, once they saw the peanut bag.

I’m pretty sure, mOm, that the duck we saw was a female widgeon. Also, we saw a killdeer. No hummingbirds; heard a pileated woodpecker as we passed.

There were what seemed like dozens of herons, they were flying so much. Most people were not wearing masks, which isn’t a problem, and we saw SO many honey bees it made my heart glad.

Then we came back here and ate pizza.

I made a really nice chickpea curry. I started with a bag of dried chickpeas, soaked them in four changes of water, cooked them slowly for hours with vegetarian broth, drained and rinsed them thoroughly, and then threw in a can of diced tomatoes. While that continued to simmer, I fried half a purple onion and four cloves of garlic in some butter, and threw  that and a couple of tablespoons of curry powder, pepper, extra turmeric, lots of Realime juice, two teaspoons of sugar and then two teaspoons of maple syrup into the pot and let simmer for a while. Then I added coconut milk.

 

O MY

It’s really really tasty. I think I’m going to run some over to Paul today.

The song I wrote for Willie P. Bennett when he died in 2008

This was originally composed on the Aria mandolin (Edith) that Keith had for a while and then donated to me, which got me started on having Otto, which was a good thing. Miss Margot came and sat with me when I was working on it. There are no lyrics. The formal title is Willie P.’s Lament.

Plenty of nothing

I cooked rice and made rice pudding

I reserved 5 books at the library

I fed the crows

I watched the rain

I set some chicken on to thaw

I watched some TV with Jeff

I rehearsed on all four instruments – no new stuff

I brushed my hair

I checked the mail

I finished the icecream

I washed some pots

I made pancakes from mix that Jeff didn’t like so they didn’t get finished

I paid my Visa Bill (it was endodontic work and my debit card doesn’t work for that)

I made tea

I ate pizza and wings that Jeff got from Little Caesar

I set chickpeas on to soak for a chickpea curry

I mini trained Buster

and other than that I didn’t do a damned thing all day yesterday

 

This is revered elder Qaapik Attagutsiak from Ikpiarjuk

Image

she turns 101 today

ᓇᓪᓕᐅᑎᑦᑎᐊᕆᑦ ᖄᐱ ᐊᑕᒍᑦᓯᐊᖅ,  ᐅᓪᓗᒥ 101-á’¥ ᐅᑭᐅᕐᑕᕋᕕᑦ!

Happy Birthday!!

from @JSavikataaq’s account on twitter

Is it Friday again?

I’m waiting for my toof to come in so the dentist can epoxy it into my head.

There is a tiny warm patch on my arm where the second vax when in, and I’m sleeping a little more soundly than I’d expect, but no other signs and sequelae.

I am continuing to plug away at my stack o’ tunes. I have written too many songs, says my pointer finger.

I worked a little bit on a fanfic today.

 

cheerful but lazy

Uh, yup, that’s me.

Temporary crown has not come off yet.

Timmy Ho’s yesterday morning, followed by Time Team… happy sigh.

Fed Paul over at his place yesterday – finished off the Salad Shirazi (finely chopped english cuke, couple tomatoes, fresh mint, fresh parsley, juice of one lemon, a little onion – absolutely amazing, who needs salt?), provided him with chicken curry and rice pudding. He ate it with gusto.

Keith seems to be doing okay. He had a tiny bit of Shirazi salad and Paul hoovered up his leftovers… lol. Keith’s thinking about going back to school. Obviously I am more than happy about this and will approve whatever he chooses to study. Also, offered him shelter/respite if the baby turns out to be colicky or has a bad turn and he needs a decent night of sleep for his own health.

Prior to that we went to Fraser Foreshore Glenlyon side. Paul and I have watched any number of herons do any number of things – shit on our windshield while we’re going down the 401 at 90 kph – make a left hand turn on final descent into an airport on Christmas Day – leap into the air in front of us while we’re bike commuting – FUCK THAT’S BIG – gain three meters in altitude instantly upon taking a massive dump after take off – but we never saw what we saw yesterday before.

The heron landed sideways. It looked like it was doing a sliding tap dance on the surface of the water, and then just flung out its wings and set down. The grace, the total coolth and control… fabulous. Just wonderful. Like Fred Astaire possessed its body for five seconds.

SO MANY BEES: bumbles, honey bees.

Nice people to talk to. and Dorgles.

Amazing, beautiful weather, not too hot in the sun or chilly in the shade. Tide was EXTREMELY low.

Only grit was MUCH NOISE from Parks workers and the local industries.

Today – laundry and a quick shopping expotition.