Category: Domestic Life

bang the starting gun

48 hours to leave for Jim Palmer’s Celebration of Life in Courtenay BC

make a proper list including folding chairs and whatever I want to bring to the fOlks’ place on Sunday and make sure I’ve got enough masks

clean out my purse

pack for an overnight

toast enough almonds to make enough biscotti for a hundred people, and then make enough biscotti for a hundred people, which is three double batches, possibly more depending on ‘shrinkage’

find a gift/card for the folks putting us up

not panic the way I always do before a voyage of any description

Ran the dishwasher and a load of laundry yesterday. Jeff cleaned out the moribund stuff in the fridge may all gods cherish and protect him because YUK it was ghastly.

 

excelsior or word to that effect

Helped Paul dejunk yesterday. Always painful for two people with ADD who lived together for a quarter of a century. Of course I was essentially dejunking JOHN’s stuff and when did he die exactly? Anyway, there was his photo book from his trip to Okinawa, the brown belt, the blue belt, a couple of his shirts, a whole bunch of his gloves. Everything but the photo book off to the Goodwill. Regular books, too. “Loving what is” ?? – rather that you weren’t there at all, actually. Recycled the notes for his Avionics course (I asked Paul to do that, I couldn’t face tossing so much of his work, but he’ll never need it again.) I found yet another one of John’s filk books, this one more tailored to group work, and absconded with that, also a watch that I don’t know works. I also found a first season DVD set of Rocky and Bullwinkle, that one will be a keeper for sure. Moved any toys or kid stuff into the appropriate place.

He expected me to mock him for how many self-help books he has. Oh, no honey. You fought to understand yourself your whole life.

Really felt like I’d helped. We went for a walk in the POURING, ASS FREEZING COLD RAIN and then continued the work and then I went home. I hope to have the energy to do my own dejunking today.

Wordle in 4 – shoulda been 3 – one top five score in Lumosity – 288 words on fic – absolutely no other labour performed because I was a tired piglet after my morning with the mouse turds and the ex husband and the finding of some of my stuff in with his….

Although I’m not a fan of the carceral state the prospect of Tht Fcking Gy being forced to deal with arrests and lawsuits and depositions for the rest of his (hopefully short) natural life does please me.

Someone wanted me to advice who’s my fave Star Wars character. There he is, Captain Carson Teva, played with affable steel by Canadian Paul Sun-Hyung Lee. Anybody who weeps in sentimental gratitude when he’s given a chance to wear Biggs’ helmet from the original Star Wars deserves the role. (That’s not what he’s wearing in this photo btw.)

The enshinening

Suzanne has been and gone and of course Buster has already scooted across the newly clean kitchen rug. Definitely need a walk today.

Washed my room rug and the cleaning rags from yesterday, all dried and put away. Linens today maybe. I hear that Ataulfo mangoes are in at Fruiticana.

Wordle I blew completely (I ended up using a solver …. stupidity) BUT three top scores in Lumosity after a cup of tea and a roborative night of sleep. 140 words on the fic.

Weather continues damp and cloudy and cold.

a few diary items

Went to Paul’s, helped for about thirty seconds with dejunking, mostly talked about trip planning with Keith. Took Paul on various errands including banking, shopping and buying himself a treat. Paul insisted on purchasing egg bread and lemon tarts for Jeff which I delivered…. I should probably fetch out the rest of the treats that are currently lurking in my purse and let Jeff find them. I’m helping him with the egg bread, but the lemon tarts are all his.

144 words, Wordle in 3, ghastly (again) Lumosity. I’m either so stressed I can’t think straight (I don’t feel that way) or there’s something going weird at the brain level. I had very brief issues with my left hand a couple of days ago; migraine or TIA who the hell knows, I sure don’t. I did all the normal things at the time, smiled and raised my arm, both of which worked. Speaking has been gross – words disappear as I grab them for the queue. Jeff has been wondering I’m sure.

We’re already through four series of Endeavour, can you believe it. Love the show. The music, scripts, acting and mise en scène are all stellar.

Less than ten days to the Celebration of Life for Jim Palmer. As with all journeys, I am in worry mode.

RIP Moon Bin. He was a Korean pop star of whom I know nothing, except that he was 25 and those lads and lasses are under so much pressure to perform smiling and keep working that it’s no surprise they buckle. He apparently took his own life. I just hope none of his fans choose to join him.

 

Off to Paul’s today

Going to help with packing and take us for a walk.

Wordle in 5, 1646 words on ‘The Instructor’ yesterday, with none expected today because of my errands. Lumosity one top score the rest abysmal dreck. I made myself coffee and toasted a sourdough muffin. I’m pretty well used to not keeping cream in the house any more, sigh; my liver has thanked me.

Bakhmut’s still under siege. Putin visited military headquarters in Kherson and Zelenskyy visited the front in Avdiivka.

China’s mediated the first progress in the Yemen war in years; Saudi Arabia and Iran may reopen embassies. Given that 60% of Yemeni deaths since 2015 are directly attributable to the war (via food insecurity and zero health care) and that a million people there have been affected by the cholera epidemic the faster peace comes the better and I don’t care who brokers it.

There’s a yummy beef and tomato and onions mix for wraps in the fridge and also a very nice lentil tofu stew. Sounds bland, but with turmeric, ginger, half a lime, cumin, black pepper, cayenne and plenty garlic it’s anything but. The tofu got cooked in a spice mix but it all ended up incorporated in the stew and it is quite yummy. A bit salty for the diet because for all the veggie ingredients leading one to think it’s vegan, I cooked it in chicken stock (I didn’t want it going bad in the fridge).

Twitter is being really weird and gross and they just took the bans off dead-naming trans people (using what they were named at birth rather than their chosen name for transition) and it’s OPEN SEASON on trans people in a way that was obvious enough before but is now a tidal wave of bigoted speech. Trust trans people to know their own gender enough that you do not need to question them about it.

seven percent of parents regret having children.

one percent of trans people regret transitioning.

IT’S A VERY SUCCESSFUL SOCIO-MEDICAL PROCEDURE, quit second guessing trans people and spending all your chocolate coin attention on the ‘poor parents’ who have been ‘cheated’ of the ‘child they were meant to have’ BLEUCH I hate people who think like that NONE OF US FUCKING GET THE KID WE WANT we get the kid we get and whining about it is rude to everyone and makes you look like a gurning nithing. (gur-ning nye-ðing aka a facepulling poltroon)

I slept GREAT but not ENOUGH so I imagine I’ll be napping this afternoon.

So tempted to write Elizabeth Holmes in jail and mock the living shit out of her but better people have more claim to my time LOL. She honestly believed that people like her can’t go to jail well just ask Martha Stewart she did five months and is still proclaiming her innocence.

did NOT make wordle this morning

That was sad. I mean I was actually upset for a moment. Two top fives in Lumosity, 1189 words on the fanfic. Coffee has been consumed, the day has begun.

Confirmed that we’ll be at Barry and Jackie’s overnight after Jim’s memorial. It conflicts with a Bahá’í festival but that’s just our luck – everything always happens on the same day.

SCORE! the weed joint had Trainwreck. I named a fanfic after the strain before I’d even gotten to try it but the weed sommeliers were not lying – absolute gem of a strain – calm blissful body buzz and zero anxiety.

Today I’m going to try to do health oriented things, get some letters in the mail, call a couple of friends, do some more sorting for the yard sale – matters of that nature. I can be upset or I can try to make progress and they don’t usually go together.

Charge your devices! Natural and infrastructure disasters are always only a tick of the clock away!

DeSantis threatening to build ‘another theme park’ to compete with Disney is extremely funny since as far as I know the only two documents he has any interest in are the Bible and the Constitution and neither of them have any fuckin’ IP. What’s he gonna do, ask Veggie Tales to put up the money?

Today’s Trotsky Tuesday guest is Alexander Berkman, who for a long while was Emma Goldman’s sweetie.

shopping today

Very irritating, we are waiting on the Heavy Launch but it’s been delayed so we’ll probably miss it live because we have to go shopping. LAUNCH SCRUBBED according to Jeff.

I had a good night of sleep and I don’t feel quite so wretched and hopeless.

Wordle in 5, one top 5 and one best of in Lumosity and no writing as yet today.

Everybody have a good day!

daily report

Wordle in three, Lumosity scores tanking continues, dishes washed and put away, load of laundry currently drying, and 450 words on the new fan fic.

NO FUCKING COFFEE AT CHURCH THIS AM. Do I really need to say anything else? Although to see Rev. Brian Kiely in the pulpit after so long an interval was truly wonderful for me. Keith and I had quite a conversation driving home (we bailed on the congregational financial discussion). I’m still ringing with it and will process in due course. I donned: Bra, <— this is for my mOm, I don’t care what anyone else thinks and I’m laughing as I type this <— Hanes “Leaky Girl” absorbent knickers (cause I don’t want to laugh nervously and…. widdle) lavender hose, Dayglo lime baby Grogu earrings, midi length maroon dress, mandolin pin, slicked back hair.

Still fucked up about the family meeting. I’m so sad and scattered about it. And it’s 450 bucks to rent a storage space. I shouldn’t put my name on the lease but I’ll need it myself soon enough.

HOWEVER that said Jeff is being encouraging and rational (always a superb combination when one is woff-wobbling.) Life proceeds and there are still yuks to be had and thoughts to be thunk, and I’m comfy as these things go. Keith wanted me to go back with him and I’m NO I DON’T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER I’LL BE THIS COMFY I WANT MY COMPUTER AND MY TEACUP AND MY PRETENCE AT NORMALCY and damn but that stung. Also, like I keep saying, there’s no heat in their all concrete building so…. it’s a freaking meat locker. Ryker would have been there but I was already peopled out.

later

Still feel gross. I am sure this is all psychological. I sure don’t feel like eating.

 

I am still here

wordle in 3 a few lousy words Lumosity terrible again for three of them but the other two were a top score and a top five…. just don’t ask me to do any filing today unless it’s the trash.

My seasonal allergies are ridiculous right now (for me – it would be hardly noticeable for other people but my nose is being stupid and I can’t stop sneezing).

I support trans people, their existence, their rights and their happiness. Those who wish to outlaw and harass them are fascists, and they are numerous across the planet.

I am also against wanton snail murder

that is all

Calm

Helped Suzanne clip Lucky’s claws. LUCKY IS AN AWESOME CAT. He has all catly features AND HE FETCHES HIS STRAWBERRY most assiduously. She has a lovely large airy apartment just off Kingsway, really close to where Mike lives.

On the obverse of the coin of like, Dave D’s Mookie is poorly in a number of ways although he’s still drinking and will be going to the vet next week. I spoke to Dave yesterday and on top of his current challenges (temperature outside changing 35 degrees C in a single day not being one of them but WOOF it got hot after the deep freeze, got to 29 degrees above yesterday in TO, August will be scorching!) this is going to press him until it’s sorted out.

D Roti Shak for supper and now, after I make coffee, breakfast. Their aloo IS SO GOOD.

Wordle in 3, 1 top 5 in Lumosity, a few little words, but mostly I watched TV and kept to myself yesterday after I got back from Suzanne’s. Called Katie to tell her I love her and what stuff her dad got rid of.

 

did I mention I wrote 850 words yesterday

Wordle in 4, Lumosity PICTURE A RUSSIAN TANK IN EASTERN UKRAINE, 850 words yesterday and today I make a village by visiting Suzanne and trimming her cats’ claws with her. I ran the dishwasher yesterday and haven’t emptied it yet; but I did completely put away my laundry and my floor remains pristine.

EVERYONE is HEREBY ORDERED to HAVE A NICE DAY.

I think today is the day I get a shot and reup my meds.

better today

Although my Lumosity scores tanked. I mean really, do I have a brain at all. Wordle in 5. 281 words yesterday on TB.

I don’t spend much time talking about it on my blog, but my despair and anger over the reproductive health situation in the US is immense, and I don’t really think the republicans WANT to tank the US birth rate even more, but I think that’s what’s going to happen. It all smacks of religiosity and panic and eugenics, and I find it horrifying. Anyway, so many young women instead of using birth control will be using a gun instead – self-reports of women under 30 going for bilateral salpingectomies are skyrocketing on social media. Women are sharing the names of US doctors who will perform this no questions asked without consulting spouses…. Can’t force birth on a woman in that situation, unless you’re kidnapping her and implanting the fetuses of wealthy men, which I suppose is the next step for these fucking assholes. I’m long out of the game, but I ask you to spare a thought for the women of reproductive age in the family who are feeling all this socio-legal grinding on the pillars of their lives with more dread than I.

I don’t spend much time talking about it on my blog, but I’m still getting the occasional kudo on AO3 even though I locked down my account so it’s only available to members.

Had a really productive and helpful conversation on the phone with Keith yesterday.

I am going to drink some coffee and try to get a little more cheerful and fold my laundry.

Apparently Putin’s so desperate for actionable intelligence that he’s authorized hacking into Ukrainian coffee shops’ security cameras.  Eye…. roll….

Music tonight at Peggy’s

Not too much else going on. Today, phone calls regarding housing and storage for the kids.

Woke up this morning with my eyes stuck shut so I guess I need to be putting in drops before bed.

Wordle in 4 and I scratched my head for a LONG TIME before I got it. Lumosity one top five score, one best ever score.

About ten words of writing on TB, reviewed some other projects without adding to them. A kudo for a recent story last night, which was pleasant.