Monday, July 24, 2023

Dusting off the Blog

Three years on, and I'm still kickin'!

I think I might be dusting off the ol' blog again for real this time. We'll just see about that I guess. Twitter (or pardon me, "X," as its new owner has just renamed it. Insert eyeroll here) is a bit of a dumpster fire these days, and though I've an account on Mastodon now, it doesn't feel the same. Twitter (nope, sorry, not calling it X) hasn't felt like home for a long time, but I'm still there, mainly because there are still people I like there that I can't connect to anywhere else. But I think I need to go back to long-form writing for a bit. If I can maintain the attention span long enough to finish a post, that is.

There, let's talk about that for a moment. I cannot hold a thought for very long anymore, and often things get knocked clean out of my head. I know part of it probably has to do with my age. I will be halfway to sixty in about a week. I also get emotional really quickly -- some stranger's pet's cancer update will set me sobbing. My old supervisor treated me with the same level of discourtesy she always uses and instead of letting it roll off my back the way I usually do, I got so furious that I scared myself a little. The upshot is that she didn't get away with her BS that time (because I went up the chain of command and she got called on it), but I'm glad I don't get trusted with something like the nuclear codes, because boy howdy, there'd be a smoking crater where her house used to be. It was probably just an accumulation of all the crap I've taken from her over the years that made something in me rise up and roar, "¡Ya basta!" but still. Oof.

I don't think it's all age and hormones, though. I think perhaps it has something to do with being in year four of an international pandemic with no end in sight that has taken its toll on me. I don't go much of anywhere anymore, except to work, and even that's only 3 days a week. The other two days, I work from home. Even a trip to the grocery store requires psyching up for. I am at present in the midst of an internal discussion about a) whether I'm going to the movies for my birthday or not, and b) if so, whether I'll be masking. So far it's looking like a) mmmaaaaybe? and b) stuffing one in my pocket for just-in-case.

And while I'm thinking of it, may I point out how quickly we went from in-the-office to remote work when it was all the abled people that needed it to happen? Disabled folks have to submit paperwork for the accommodations they need to make their work possible but in March of 2020? I was handed a laptop and told, "Here, go home." No fuss, no muss, just, "We'll see you in [what turned out to be] a year and a half."

So. A year and a half on my own, just me and the cat. Except for July 2021, when I took the cat and went to Potter County for a month, working remotely from the place my folks bought with my sister and brother-in-law. It was a good time to do it, I think. My university announced they were opening the offices up in August of 2021, and I (who had become half feral by this point) needed to relearn some socialization skills. Also, it was nice to be around my family again, to see them in the flesh instead of on computer screens.

Caught the Dread COVID at the tail end of August 2022, probably from someone on the bus I use to commute to work (because that's where I'm nearest to other people) and even though I was masked. I've had bronchitis hit me harder. That tells me the inoculations worked. Was still masking everywhere until I'd say...January 2023? I think so. Now I only mask if I have a cough or a scratchy throat or something, mainly to keep my moots to myself. I also have one handy if I suddenly feel anxious about being in a crowd -- on the bus, say, or if I should find myself (just for example) in a crowded movie theater. Or, y'know, if it starts to smell like a burn barrel outside. That's a new wrinkle, right there.

Sophie's still here as well, though we had a health scare this past March that aged me a little bit and cost me a chunk of money. Long story with a lot of gross details so I'll just cut to the chase -- she has high blood pressure and a small heart murmur, as well as arthritis in her lumbar region, and digestive issues to boot (which is what caused the scare). So now she gets a quarter of a pill shoved down her throat daily chased with a squirt of fish oil. Because of course (of course!!) she won't eat her food if I mix fish oil with it. That would be far too accommodating. And the food itself is a prescription diet called "Gastrointestinal Biome," I guess because "This'll Make Your Cat Poop" isn't quite classy enough a title to put on a cat food bag.

Anyway

How the heck is everyone? I hope we're all still alive out there? I am not being at all facetious when I say that. I only found recently that a friend of mine died back in January of 2020. I Googled her father, thinking he might not be with us anymore, and yep, I was right. There was his obituary. And right underneath it was hers. Died "suddenly," which I think is code for COVID, but I don't know for sure. That was early days yet, before lockdown, even. She was definitely in several of the risk groups: overweight, over fifty, with pulmonary issues. She had very, very severe asthsma from childhood onward. Like, wound-up-in-the-hospital-from-attacks severe. And when we were in college we were in a car accident over spring break. When they took us to the hospital and checked us over they detained her because she was having or had just had a heart attack--brought on by the accident, not the other way 'round. She had tried to change lanes and we bounced off the tow truck that had been hiding in her blind spot.

No one told me she'd died. I hadn't been in contact too terribly recently with her or with her next younger sister (with whom I also went to college, and whose wedding I was in), but my contact info hasn't changed in about 15 years. I went crying to my own sister when I saw the obituary, and she said they were probably so wrapped up in their own grief that they forgot to let me know. I accept that explanation, but it still stings a bit. I'm also left wondering what happened to all her animals. She had at least one sheltie, two cats, and a flock of chickens. Where are they now? I hope her sisters found room in their homes for them, at least the dog and the cats. I imagine they could probably give the chickens to any farm that wanted them.

Well, that's about it for now, I think. Lunch break is over, and I've been playing around with this post for over a week now. Time to hit the Publish button and go back to work. Also need to weed out the reading list so that it only contains authors who've been active in the past couple of years. Except for Reckless Sarcasm coz that's my sister, and Peanut Butter and Bacon Sandwiches because she's a friend from high school, and dang it, I'm keeping that one up.

Hope you are all well! Type at you soon.

Thursday, July 23, 2020

Note to self

Hello! Came here looking for an old post my mother wanted the link to, so she could show it to someone at work. Decided to poke around, and found this in my drafts. Might as well publish it, 'cause it's still true, and I may very well need the reminder.

Originally written in November of 2016:

So, in case I forget in a few years, and anyone hears me wonder aloud whether I should try contact lenses again, and why I stopped wearing them in the first place, please:

1) Give me a slap upside the head.
2) Point me to this post.
3) Make me read the following explanation:

It's because I can't see in them! No, it's not that I got lazy and decided to just wear my glasses full time. It's because I got tired of settling for sub-par vision. Peripheral vision is great and all that, and it's lovely to not have a colored frame around your field of vision, but what the hell use is it if it bloody fades in and out? If it gets cloudy for no reason? If suddenly, after hours of OK vision in front of the computer, your eyes refuse to focus on the frickin' clock across the room, or road signs, or the head-sign of a bus (thank heavens the buses talk now, or I would've accidentally wound up in another town)? Oy.


Ahem. Seems I was a little irritated, there.

And now, back to 2020.

So how the heck is everyone? I hope you are all well. I am currently working from home (which I have dubbed the Hermitage) while helping my department cautiously plan a phased return to work. I will not be one of the folks returning right away. I can still get plenty done from home, and I am not thrilled with the idea of going back to campus as we receive an influx of people from all over the world. I don't care if we'll all be masked, I am still very nervous. So I'm waiting this out and gonna watch what happens.

My family is fine. No one has gotten sick yet (knock wood). My parents' county only had a couple of cases so far, and that was early on. My sister is working remotely, my brother-in-law's job is considered essential (he works at a lab for a pharmaceutical company), and they have all sorts of protections in place. I haven't seen much of anyone in a long time, except for occasional trips out into The World when I just want to be near(ish) to people. I'm getting groceries delivered and I have to tell you, I may never go back to doing it the other way, except maybe for specific produce needs. It's so nice to get it all done at once and not have to worry about whether I'll be able to schlepp it all home on the bus. I have pulled all the flowers out of my front patch and am growing tomatoes, cucumbers, and herbs instead -- except for two Asiatic lilies that I decided to leave where they were because a) they're established; b) they don't take up much room; and c) they're pretty. Also? They smell good.

When not working, I've been embroidering and knitting. I just started a knit-along project by Romi Hill that will hopefully end in a nice bi-color shawl made out of bamboo yarn. She's been doing weekly classes online to explain and demonstrate the various parts of the pattern, and to answer questions. People are signed up from all over. There's at least one person from Canberra in the class.

Sophie's fine. She transitioned to The Two-Legs Staying Home All the Time just fine. I think to her it's like a Christmas vacation that just hasn't ended yet. Some folks on Twitter and Instragram have posted videos of their cats being very annoyed at all the people being around all the time. I think there's at least one person I follow whose cat has decided to live in the basement until things go back to normal.

All right, I should probably get back to work. I will probably post again soon, because it's not like I don't have the time, right? 

Again, hope you're all well.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Recipe post

At my first Thanksgiving in my house, I served a braised Brussels sprouts in mustard butter that everyone liked very much. Every time that I am asked to serve it again there is a panicked scurry to remember from where I got the recipe. I usually remember I mentioned it on the blog, and then once I search I realize that I didn't post the recipe, just a link to the University of Illinois Ag Extension page. Since my state has been gutting their support to Ag Extension in recent years, I thought perhaps: a) other parts of the country might be doing the same; and b) if that's the case, this page I rely on will vanish. And so, for posterity (as well as my own convenience) I'm quoting the recipe here:

Braised Brussels Sprouts with Mustard Butter
Braising is an excellent method for cooking Brussels sprouts. Braising refers to cooking food with a small amount of liquid in a tightly covered pan.

1 pound small, firm, bright green Brussels sprouts
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter or margarine
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Check each head, peel off any loose or discolored leaves. Using a paring knife, cut an X through the core end of each head.
Bring sprouts, water and salt to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Lower heat, cover and simmer. Shake pan once or twice during braising to redistribute sprouts.
Cook until just tender 8 to 10 minutes. Test by piercing with a knife tip. Drain well.
Melt butter in a large skillet of medium heat. Whisk in mustard until smooth. Cook , stirring constantly until smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds.
Add sprouts to skillet, coating well with the butter mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve. Serves 3 to 4.

[Originally from the Brussels Sprouts entry of the Vegetable Directory, University of Illinois Extension.

And yes, I need this again this year. I'm about to print it out to take it with me to my Mom's. We don't do Thanksgiving at my place any more. Mom traded with me -- now I'm in charge of Easter.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Howdy!

Hiya!

Long time, no write! How the heck is everyone?

No time to talk now, but I wanted to show you this. It's a video by Pomplamoose, who are favorites of mine for all their cover songs. This one, though? This is an original song by them, and I love it.



It's so very bouncy. Innit?

Anyway, I'll write more later. My hands have other things I need them to be doing right now. At the moment I am hip-deep in knitting a sweater (life list #12, look out!) for my Dad. Been doing it for a while, had to put it down for a bit 'cause I was having some slight vision problems (ugh. Age), and then summer came along I didn't want a lap full of wool, but I picked it up again once the heat broke, and now? I can see the light at the end of the tunnel (and no, it's not an oncoming train, thankyouverymuch)! I really do think I can get this finished, blocked, and wearable by Christmas. Woo! It's not a Christmas present, though, 'cause he already knows about it, and I prefer my presents to be surprises. Just something he can wear at Christmas. If he wants.

Another excuse reason I haven't been blogging recently is 'cause my laptop went kaflooey a while back and I haven't gotten around to replacing it yet. So there's that.

Okay. More later. Buh-bye.

Friday, March 21, 2014

DMC color changes, for my own reference...

...and I suppose also for anyone who embroiders using DMC

Just ran across the following piece of information that I *know* I will forget, courtesy of Scarlet Quince News for March 2014:

"DMC Merged Colors

"In 2005, DMC 'merged' some of their color numbers in Europe. Changes in their dye formulas caused by evolving regulations and restrictions on chemicals used in dying meant that 7 pairs of colors had become so close together as to be indistinguishable. For each pair of colors, they discontinued one of the numbers and printed both numbers on the label of the other. Up until now, all 14 separate color numbers have been available in the US, but now the new labeling is going into effect in the US. Here are the colors in question:

"
Discontinued Substitute
504 3813
731 732
776 3326
781782
8063760
971740
3773407


"Example of new DMC labeling for merged colors Here is an example of the new labeling" [newsletter has an image of the label. Discontinued color is in parenthesis under the other color number.]

"At the moment, you may find 504 in the 504 bin, and both 3813 and 3813 (504) in the 3813 bin. If the stores are smart, they'll put some 3813 (504) in the 504 bin when all the old 504 is gone, but you may want to print this list and keep it in your wallet. We question how well the news will trickle down from DMC to local craft shops."

I know I'm gonna forget this and go crazy looking for a color that no longer exists when working an older pattern. Here's hoping I remember to look here.

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Oh, that's right! I have a blog, don't I?

I've been reading over my l'il blog in recent days, and it's hit me how much I miss blogging. I think I'm gonna try easing back into it.

Mind you, this may be the final burst of activity before I decide to kill the damn thing altogether. I don't think so, though. It's occurred to me lately that this blog as been languishing since I started using Twitter more often. Perhaps I need to cut back on using that, and then I will be able to do better at this.

And no, the fact that I'm making this decision right now means I'm gonna fling myself into another NaNoBloMo thing. At the end of a solid month I'd be so sick of this I wouldn't touch it again until 2015.

So, watch this space. There might be something here tomorrow. Saturday at the latest.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

All cried out (cover song)

Hullo. Been a while, I know. I have a blog post to write about going to the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival, but until then, have a listen to this:



I found  this on Blip, when I was looking for the version by Fink. I think I like this better. He's really good, no?