confabcon | Member Posts

You may know Joyce Hindman as LionHeart Distribution or as Requiem Publications, publisher and seller of zines and as Bast Ravenshadow's publishing partner, or you may know her for her four tables at Media West, or as the artist with the little boxes and jewelry and other fun beaded stuff in the Media West art show, or as the fic writer Sekhmet.

She is now a senior citizen (over 70), and on social security after years on disability, along with her husband who is also a senior with health problems.

This has been a particularly tough year as far as health problems and medical expenses. Her husband was hospitalized with pneumonia. She needed rotator cuff repair on her dominant arm and additionally shortly thereafter broke the humerous bone near her shoulder on the same side.

She and her husband are now trying to cope with many medical bills for surgeries and physical therapy at a cost of thousands of dollars. With fixed incomes, and looking at increases in insurance premiums, food costs, et cetera, and with her husband's part-time job offering no work for two months now, they are very uncertain about how to pay these bills.

If you can donate anything to the Hindman GoFundMe, please do so at https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-joyce-overcome-medical-expenses . If you would rather donate privately as I did and you have PayPal, you can PayPal Joyce at jersey dot lion at gmail dot com.

Current Mood: supportive
Current Location: near the lake they call Michigan

beanside

Greetings again from Monroeville as we start the last day of our Comic Con odyssey.

Yesterday was super fun, but exhausting. First up, Comic Con is deeply confusing for new people. There were multiple times that we were standing around trying to figure out where to go. We got there in the end, because the staff were really knowledgeable and good. We got in a bit early, thanks to our three day pass, and walked around the dealers room. We got Jess an adorable Mothman shirt, as they'd forgotten to bring a second shirt and tried some amazing chocolate, that I may get some of today. Then, we got a tote bag with adorable chibi horror icons on it to carry our shirt and coats in. The autograph area was so stuffed and claustrophobic that we didn't really check it out much.

Once we figured out that the photos were in a different building, we headed down early. Probably a good thing, since they'd decided to combine the Session 1 & 2 photos for Fredddy Vs. Jason. We hung out until they called us for that, and then got into a long queue. And stood and waited. And waited. Which, I had been warned was the name of the game for Comic Con. But whoo, once the line started moving, it went at a good clip. They obviously had this down to a science.

As I said, our first photo was Freddy VS Jason, with Robert Englund (with iconic glove) and Ken Kirtzinger (in full Jason costume). We finally get to the room and get the go ahead to go forth. Jess and I had talked about who wanted to stand next to whom. They requested Freddy, which was fine with me, so I made a beeline for Jason. He said hello, and I turned to face the camera, cognizant of the need to be quick. He moved behind me and held my shoulder to guide me into place, and then told me that he was going to lay the fake machete on my neck.

Apparently, Robert Englund, who seemed to be having an excellent time, just kind of spun Jess into a chokehold and laid the claws on, like it was a dance move to him. (They loved it.) I started to open my mouth like I was shocked, and they took the picture, so I look a bit dorky, but I'm happy with it. Jess looks like they're having a blast.

Next up, we picked up our picture, and went to grab a water, and wait for our next photo.

Finally they called the Beauty and the Beast duo, and may I just say, there was SO much estrogen in that line. I saw maybe 5 guys (and of course one nonbinary person, who was standing next to me.)

We didn't have to wait for long before we were ushered in, and holy shit, that was Ron Perlman and Linda Hamilton. I said hello, and might have stuttered that I loved his work, and then he put his arm around me, and I looked at the camera. Damn, he smells good, and his sweater was super soft.

May I just say here that Linda Hamilton is an utter delight? She's a tactile person, so she was rubbing Jess' back during and after the photo, and was just SO sweet.

This was the picture with people with great voices. Seriously, like being wrapped in warm flannel. I was really happy with the picture, too.

Immediately after we got the picture, we got in line for the Terminator 1 duo, with Linda Hamilton and Michael Biehn. That line did not last long either, and we were soon ushered in.

Jess stood in front of Michael, who was...okay. Nice enough, but no real impression made. Just seemed to be getting through it.

Linda made up for it, greeting us warmly and immediately pulling me into a one armed hug. I also got back rubs and when we were done and I was moving away, she grabbed my hand and gave it a little squeeze. My inner baby queer was deeply satisfied.

After that, I was so sore and starving, so we left for the night. I'm sure the Terminator 2 panel was awesome, but I was dragging, so we headed out to grab lunch.

We went to a local chain called Dad's Pub and Grub which was excellent. They had beer battered french fries with cheese sauce and bacon that were amazing. I had a brisket pizza that was also really good, but I couldn't finish it. Jess says their gyro was likewise tasty. Solid A-.

Then we went back to the hotel and laid down until we ordered dinner. This was from a place called Khalil's. Food was good, but nothing amazing. My dolmas were a little too lemony for me. B- average.

Today, we shall go forth, do our Transformers Picture, maybe also do the panel and then head home. There's a little place called Hillbilly's that we passed on the way up that looked interesting.

I'm hoping to be home by about 5:30-6pm, but we'll see.

And now, it is time to put on pants and get ready for another morning of hotel breakfast. The coffee is good, though. Everyone have a stellar Sunday!

beanside

Greetings from Monroeville, PA, just outside of Pittsburgh! I'm sitting here sipping shitty hotel room coffee and waiting for the free breakfast to start so I can get actual coffee. Sadly, that's not for about an hour, so shitty coffee it is for now.

Yesterday was a long day. I got up at 5 and worked for 4 hours, which was busy. I did a lot of schedule work. It turns out that being able to look at the schedule and see where you can move people to open up slots, or to fill things and how different appointments could fit together is not a thing that people can do according to my boss. Sounds fake, but I'm actually good at it. I can take a slot that has openings on one MRI machine, and see who I could move to open up a spot on another machine for a STAT patient. (We're getting so many openings on the 1.5 machine, and all we need is 3T slots for MRIs.) Part of my success is that I'm very stubborn, and also competitive.

After that, we walked the dog, who had multiple delivery men to distract him, and did not want to poop. It was very sad. Then we went back and got out stuff and headed out onto the highways. IT snowed most of the way through MD, but thankfully had not laid on the road. Once we got past Hagerstown, the snow stopped, and we made good time.

We stopped at a Cracker Barrel for lunch and continued up. Including lunch and bathroom break, it took about 4.5 hours, which isn't terrible.

After that, we lounged on the sofa (this room is enormous. Seriously HUGE. It's got a little living room area and a desk and I like it (even if I slept for shit).

Then, it was off to get dinner. I had put in a reservation at a place that was about 4 miles away. Sadly, Googlemaps took us this tiny windy two lane road that was somewhat difficult in the pitch dark, so by the time we got there, nerves were somewhat shredded.

We went to Eighty Acres Kitchen and Bar who had excellent food and amazing service. Our server, Liz was SO good. She seemed to have a sixth sense for when we needed another Shirley Temple. The gnocchi was softer than I'm used to, and I had some texture issues, but the flavor was spot on. My duck breast was well cooked and so full of flavor, and it came with a shreded half sour red cabbage that cut through the richness and made it even better. Jess had the Short Ribs, which were also really outstanding. After that, we finished up with a creme brulee, which made me happy.

Then it was back to the room, where I mostly failed to sleep well. No real shock there.

Today is the big day! Comic Con! I also may have signed up for another picture of us with Freddy and Jason. (Robert Englund--with iconic glove) and Ken Kurtzinger--in full costume.) Since I loved that shitty movie, I'm excited. (Supid, shitty movie being Freddy Vs Jason.)

I have promised to refrain from climbing Frank Grillo like a tree, likewise for Ron Perlman.

I wish I had some great pose planned for my pictures, but alas, I just want a hug from Ron Perlman. Beauty and the Beast was a formative show for me, and I dearly love the Hellboy movies. Ooh, and Hannibal Chau from Pacific Rim. He also was deeply entertaining.

We'll see how it goes! If the pictures are not terrible, I'll consider scanning them and posting them here.

Tomorrow, we shall go forth back to the con, so we can do the Transformer's panel and Jess can get their picture.

Okay, almost time for breakfast. Everyone have an outstanding Saturday!

beanside

Greetings, it is Friday! In just a handful of hours, I'll be ending my workday early and heading out to drive up to Pittsburgh for Comic Con.

In exciting news, Jess finally decided that they'd like to get a picture with Peter Cullen and Frank Welker, who are voice actors from the Transformers movies, so we went ahead and got that. That'll be on Sunday, followed by the Transformer's panel. I don't think we're doing anything tonight, since we probably won't get in til late. Instead, we'll spend tomorrow there, and see all the shit we can see. And we'll probably leave after the panel on Sunday for the long haul home.

We'll see how it goes, I guess. I don't know how much stamina we have, but we'll go for it.

Yesterday was good. We drove to Sibley for Jess' post op, got there early as usual and were done about 10min before the actual appointment time. We were pulling out of the garage as it was hitting Jess' appt time. Not any huge traffic either way, which was nice. Pretty smooth. Then we took the puppy for his walk, and I worked for half a day.

Work was busy and a bit chaotic as it always is this time of the year. We're trying to get in a kiddo for a long appointment, which is not going well so far. We had one, they couldn't take it, so we're back to figuring things out.

After that, it was a trip up to Hunt Valley for my tattoo. It wasn't as bad as I was fearing. My last tattoo was done by an apprentice 20 years ago, and I get the feeling that he was heavy handed. I managed to hold rock still, and we got it done an hour and a half early. I was expecting to be there til 8:30, but was done at 6:52pm. I had to shift a few times, but I did that while she was switching needles or adding more colors.

Anyway, meet Owlbert the Owlbear.

I love him so much!

Done by Ronie at Layer3 Collective, same as Jess' tattoos.

Right now, he still feels like a mild sunburn. But that is not unexpected after having someone basically flay the top few layers of skin for 2 hours.

It's weird. I've always gotten tattoos to commemorate things. This is the first one I've gotten that is just kind of random. Not particular commemorating anything, just wanted it. It's kinda cool. Since Ronie wanted some D&D art for her portfolio, she gave me a discount. The total tattoo cost $250. Jess' last one was I think $400.

Ronnie uses Saniderm, so I don't have to fuck with it, except to change the dressing tonight. Then I can put on the second one and leave it til Sunday night. Which is handy, since we're going to be at the con.

After that was one, I slept like a rock. Fell asleep early and did not stir thereafter. It was nice, especially after getting up early to go to Sibley.

Okay, on that note, it's time for me to go forth and get myself together. I still have a bit of packing to do! Everyone have a most excellent Friday!

beanside

It's Thursday, and it's going to be a busy day! I'm up at 4am so that I can take Jess to Sibley for their 3(ish) month post op. It's really just a formality, since they're doing great. The scars look good, and they're pretty happy with the results. Weirdly, the spots where the drains were are bigger and more prominent. But they were in for 3 weeks, so not horribly shocking.

Then, it's home from DC, and off to work for four hours. Then, I shall go forth and get my leg tattooed.

I'm nervous about the tattoo, since it's been years since I had work done, and it was all black. This'll be my first tattoo with color, especially white, which is notoriously painful. It's going on my calf, so it's not a horribly sensitive area, but still. Jess is such a rock for their sittings that I'm afraid I'll ruin their reputation. "Sure, Jess is great, but have you met their spouse?"

Tomorrow, I will go to work half a day, then we're off to the wilds of Monroeville, PA for Steel City Comic Con. I'm anxious about that, too. I've never done a con like this, so I really don't know what to expect. We'll see!

My countdown app is at some interesting numbers. 1 day to Comic Con, 29 days til we go to Philly for a weekend. Then a bit of a long stretch and 145 days to going to see the Lost Boys Musical in NYC, and then 154 days til Alaska.

Jess and I were discussing the fun of the five hour flight. It's gonna suck, even if it's non-stop. I'm not a fan of flying, but sometimes, it's the best way to get places. I've decided that I'll have my anti anxiety med, and I'll just take that and hope to nap. Fuck knows, we have to get up at ass o'clock to be there 2 hours early. Our flight leaves at 7am, so we're leaving our house at 4:30am. Which means that I'm getting up at 3am. So I should be tired, right?

And now, I shall go forth and put pants on. Everyone have an outstanding Thursday!

hannah

It wasn't exactly a bar crawl or a pub crawl since one was very much a pub and the other was very much a bar, and it was still one of each of those, starting at the pub and ending at the bar. Two drinks in two locations full of the sound of human voices. It counts as a crawl. I've done art crawls before, and this was my first crawl of this type, however you want to describe it, whatever the specific and precise nomenclature. I've never done one before and it'll be a while before I have another one like this again, in large part because there's no chance to repeat it. Because the pub's closing tonight.

I'd read about it closing a few days ago, and went there last night to check it out, indulge in fish and chips, have a cider that tasted like college and a margarita that meant business - and the cider really did taste like the ciders I had in college, sweet and soft, the bottle the same shape on my lips. It brought back a host of good memories of being afraid of new things and doing them anyway, the thrill of being someplace very grown-up and learning how to handle myself in that kind of world. It didn't quite have the smell of some of those places, but this pub was only in its present location about twelve years, and you need at least fifteen to build up that kind of aroma. If there was a scented candle of such an aroma, I'd seriously consider buying one, and while the smell wasn't there last night, the feeling was. My younger brother was on the fence about going last night, but was up for it tonight if it'd still be open. Tonight was its last night, so I called him up and off we went.

We stopped for hot dogs first. I got to the pub and saw that they were going a step beyond having the last night in that they were actively dismantling the jukebox - the jukebox that the night before had played the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Kansas, those kinds of bands - and figured that if they were taking that apart, there probably wasn't a kitchen anymore. Myself, I'd decided that I could do pub drinks two nights in a row but not pub foods, so I'd eaten before I left. But he was still waiting on dinner. So we went to a corner hot dog place a block away and he got one with onions and mustard, and another with ketchup, sauerkraut, and relish, plus a papaya drink. That's seriously what it was. Not papaya juice. The menu said "papaya drink." It tasted more like the melon the fruit is than the fruit itself usually does. We hung around as he ate, marveling in the old school accents that wandered through and ordered hot dogs well-done. Armed and ready, we made our way down the block, and down three steps, and into a place full of the human voice. The music was almost gone - sometime during our stay there, someone played "Piano Man", and if that's the last song in a place open until two AM with smokers hanging around outside, it's a suitable one. I had a cider and he had a beer, and we both did a shot of Jameson's straight up. Earlier that night, I saw a guy come in on roller blades, wearing hockey gear and bearing a stick, and during our hour and a half there, we saw people pass on well-wishes and old stories to the bartenders, thanking them for so many years and all the memories they'd helped make.

The only music that played was one song. Nothing else. Everything that I heard was the sound of the bar itself, and the sound of the human voice. Up and down the bar, in front and behind, throughout the guts of the place as the kitchen got cleaned out and the empty bottles taken away. It was a fantastic sound, with nothing getting in its way, and the rarity of it was both that there was nothing in its way and that it was overall quite happy. A place for people to meet and greet and take some of the world away for a while can have alcohol, it can have food, it can be indoors or outdoors, there's a lot of variance and possibilities, and for a moment, while I had it indoors, nothing got in its way. Just this beautiful sound that I could usually only catch a few syllables of at a time. Next to me was my brother, who spoke about his in-laws. Next to me was someone asking for a drink, or someone catching up with a friend and telling him to meet another friend who'd know who sent him, or trying to move through a narrow space to get to the bathroom without making anyone spill.

We had our drinks, and we walked out. It was a few degrees above freezing with an almost full moon high above and we were bolstered to walk seven blocks from a pub in its last hours to a bar comfortably set for the foreseeable future. Even less space, even less overhead, three steps up instead of three steps down. More music, though. A range from the same kind of music as the night before - Creedence Clearwater Revival, Cream - to songs that came out earlier this calendar year. Another beer for him, an Irish coffee for me because I'd wanted one for a while and the first place wasn't equipped to make coffee anymore. Not as many people around, but still close enough to the first place in that it wasn't too loud we couldn't hear the presence of the people around us. It wasn't an overwhelming amount of sound to hide the fact that the place wasn't very good or a lot of screens as a way to keep you from realizing you aren't having a good time. There were screens, but no sound, and none in the back. There was music, but not so loud it cut through the conversations. It was remarkably well-balanced and arranged, and we talked about travel and friends and real estate and made each other laugh until it was time for us to head on out. I might live on the same island, but he had an hour's travel at the very least, and wanted to get back home before tomorrow.

We started at one spot and ended at another. Drinks and talk at both. Two links still make up a crawl. There's other places in both our neighborhoods for us to do it again, and it'll never be quite the same. And I'm good with it having been this way once, because it was the kind of thing that even if both were staying around, wouldn't feel the same for it being something so new. It wasn't college in the bottle of cider so much as it was the memory of how it felt, and now I've made a new set of memories.

Current Mood: enthralled
Current Music: Los Angeles - Big Thief

valoise

Final Orbit, by Chris Hadfield
A continuation of his series of Apollo-era thrillers set in space & on Earth, this is a frantic journey through so many concurrent crises that the character development suffers a bit.

The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman
I continue to like Osman's style - short chapters, each focused on a different character driving the investigative plot forward in a really engaging way. But this is not a stand alone book. From the first page you need to know who 10 or so characters are and what their relationships are with each other.

Legends & Lattes and Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree
I've heard good things about this fantasy series for quite a while but hadn't read them. But I was killing time in a cute little New England village, stopped in a local bookstore and picked them up on a whim. I really love the way these books build friendships and bonds between diverse species of characters.

beanside

It's Wednesday! I've made to to half way through the week! Today I have a full day, then tomorrow and Friday will be half days, so that's not too bad. Yesterday was busy, yet not too bad, which was nice. I took a good hour trying to move patients, since we had some cancellations. Most of them weren't interested in moving, sadly.

The evening wasn't that great. First of all, we were having shitty weather, and I was achy. Second, my backup glasses were delivered...but not to me. Then, I had ordered chicken and a salad, and I was very excited about the salad. Ruby Tuesday's has the best Ranch dressing of anywhere. And then the salad came, but no dressing, and the chicken was underseasoned and sparse. I was just generally annoyed and unhappy. I felt like a whiny baby, but I was actually sad about this, because I really wanted the ranch dressing.

Still, I felt really silly that it was affecting me, so I eventually snapped out of it. I watched some videos about the hotels we're staying at for the Alaska trip. The first one is the Pan Pacific in Vancouver. It was actually built above the cruise terminal, so boarding is a quick trip to a special elevator and down we go. TBF, I've stayed in 4 star hotels, but never a 5 star, so this seemed inordinately swank.

And it seemed swank in an understated way, like a more modern class. Everything is very sleek and pretty and the rooms are very well furnished. We're in the basic room, so it's not like bells and whistles, but it's still very nice. I think I'll enjoy my two nights there.

After that, I watched about the CedarBrook Lodge in Seattle. It looks lovely as well, though with a more rustic feel. This one is only for one night. It has a lounge for each building with a fridge with free ice cream. It looked very cute, and they have a shuttle to the airport so I'm good with it.

That made me feel better and got me excited about our trip. We got two rooms for that, so that my sister and brother in law could have their own room. Plus, I figured we're going to be in close proximity for most of the cruise. It would be good to have a little privacy at the beginning and end of the vacation.

Today, I need to go get my pills, and also stop at the Student Support Network with our extra coats. We ordred the wrong sizes, and didn't get around to sending them back, so we have some very nice, fairly expensive winter coats that people can use. This helps students and their families with basics and winter gear. They're open til 6 tonight, so I will run up and give them some coats, and maybe a bit of a donation as well. I'll have my check by then, so I can stop at the bank and help their mission out.

Tomorrow, we have Jess post op appt, which is first thing in the morning. Because of traffic around Washington DC, we'll have to leave at ass-o-clock, probably about 5:30. We'll be there super early, but it's the only way to be sure to miss traffic. If we leave at 6, the commute time jumps from 1hr 15minutes to at least 1.5 hours, if not longer. If we leave at 6:30, it's going to take 2 hours. Jess' appt is at 8:30, so if I don't want to do my ADHD stressing about time, we're going to leave 3 hours early and get there 1.5 hours early. There's a coffee shop we can hit to kill time.

Then, work for 4 hours, then tattoo for 3 hours. It's a busy day!

Then, up to Comic Con to meet both Beauty and the Beast. I know the picture is going to be one I hate, but that's okay. I'll have the memories. I've never done a con like this, so I'm sure I'm going to be confused, but we'll figure it out.

I will post the picture once we get home an I can scan it, so you can all see how it looks.

Oh, I got a new dress from Midnight Hour. It's seriously hot, and I'm looking forward to wearing it somewhere. Gotta find someplace fancy to wear it with my military jacket from Torrid.

Okay, time to got forth and get myself together for work. Everyone have a wonderful Wednesday!

duskpeterson

North of Border Port lies a beach. Its serene beauty belies its bloody history.

It is here that, on half a dozen occasions, the Daxions beat back the Emorian armies that were intent on conquering Daxis. Finally frustrated by all these attacks over the border, the Daxions undertook an amazing task of landscaping, bringing the Western Ocean several miles inland from where it had lain before. Once the Daxions were finished, their border with Emor had narrowed to a brief passageway between a mountain and the deep Ocean.

Guarding the border has been exceedingly simple since then. Indeed, on the one occasion on which Daxions permitted Emorian soldiers to cross the border – in 976, when Daxis agreed to allow the Emorians to travel south in order to attack the Koretian capital from its naked back – it took so long for Emor's vanguard to pass over the border, one horse at a time, that a concerned Koretian borderlander was able to alert Koretia's council in the south to the coming attack. Alas, his message was not heeded, and Koretia fell to the Emorians.

The Daxions, on the other hand, have not been attacked from the north since they persuaded the Ocean to guard them. Their true vulnerability lies now to the east, which is why Daxis attempts to maintain good relations with Koretia these days.

Because the border is so narrow, you will likely have to wait several hours to cross the border into Emor, during the busy season. You may wish to spend your time exploring the caves nearby.

[Translator's note: That narrow little border causes some trouble for travellers in Breached Boundaries.]

hannah

For some years now, I've been saying The National is my favorite band that's presently producing work. Not my favorite of all time; favorite out of all the bands working right now.

That may change. It might change quite soon. Because Voxtrot just announced their second album.

Yes, really.

A while ago they'd said that they were working on something, and today they told us when we could finally expect the album. They'd already released three songs and today they sent out a fourth, plus the knowledge there'd be seven more new songs on the album. I knew there'd be an album coming and I've only listened to one of those four, hoping it wouldn't be long before I heard the rest of them. As joyful as it was to know there was new music by the band out there for me, even sharper was knowing if I waited a bit longer, there'd be a complete work instead of individual pieces waiting for me in return. Almost three and a half years ago, they put out a compilation with two unreleased songs and it felt like a bounty of riches. Now there's ten more on their way. It's almost more than I can dream of.

The National's going to have some stiff competition.

Current Mood: giddy
Current Music: Fifteen Minutes - Voxtrot

beanside

It's Tuesday! Whoo, survived Monday! Go me! I did it to the tune of 60 calls. The team average is supposed to be 37-40, so that's a lot. By the end of it, I was wiped out. But instead, I slapped on a bra and went out to deliver some ornaments we'd gotten to a small business who's decorating a tree in Good Sam Hospital. I had gotten like five boxes of them, and we used exactly none, instead going with the snowflakes and ginormous balls from Walmart. It's an interesting mix, but I kind of love it. I have one more ornament coming courtesy of the sale in the band Ghost's shop. They had a grucifix ornament, so I grabbed that shit.

Today will hopefully be a tiny bit quieter. Probably not much, but a girl can dream. Maybe 50 calls?

The CT techs at work are making me crazy. They were emailed about a week ago, with a question about a patient's contrast allergy, and where they should be scheduled, and they haven't replied. I've got a spot held, and I'd like to get the answer so I know whether they can use it. I sent a reminder yesterday, but still nothing.

For absolutely no reason, I woke up at 4:30 this morning and was ready to get up. No clue why my body does this sometimes. It's not a huge thing, just annoying. I took my Rybelsus and managed to stay in bed for 30 minutes for it to kick in before I got up and took pills and drank coffee, as per the directions.

I'm debating dinner tonight. I was considering chicken fajitas, which could be very tasty, it's just a lot of prep, cutting up the onions and peppers, and chicken, plus making tortillas. I'll probably do it anyway. I want fajitas. And more importantly, I want homemade tortillas. I even have a press. I'll have to do it early, since I have a psych appt at 5:30. It won't take long, but it'll break up my flow. I figure chopping first, then cook some tortillas, then appointment, then cook the chicken, peppers and onions. I need to christen my chicken with some marinade this morning, so it'll be ready.

I've been slowly paying down the cruise, and I should have it paid by the end of next week. That'll be everything paid for except the pre and post cruise hotels. We're down to 156 days.

It looks like this shit is going to happen! Next milestone will be getting the dog used to his sitter. We're going to meet with her off his turf, and see how he does, then bring her into outside when we're walking him. My plan is that each time, she gets his leash and he walks with her solo. And eventually, she just walks him right in the house, and we see how that goes.

I've almost got the next grouping of cards ready to go. Hopefully the first batch has arrived/is arriving soon. I'm hoping to stop at the mailbox tomorrow when I go to get my pills.

Thursday, I have two food deliveries coming. One from a seafood place and one from the butcher. They're both relatively small orders, but our freezer will be bursting at the seams.

Okay, I suppose it's time to consider chopping some food, maybe. Then I could bag it and marinate it all day. Everyone have an awesome Tuesday!

hannah

Waiting for mail after a federal holiday is a study in impatience and adjusting expectations. There's a lot of frustration on waiting for luxuries in ways there wouldn't be if I was waiting for necessities, most of it fairly minor and petty. On the flip side, it's fairly easy to distract myself and move on for a little while, at which point there's other things needing my attention.

In other sources of anticipation, it's apparently going to snow sometime tonight and through the morning, and it'll be the first snowfall of the year. With that, the waiting is still from human hands, but much less directly than the networks and supply chains that make up the post office - though it's still got me restless over something I'm very much looking forward to.

Current Mood: restless
Current Music: nothing now

duskpeterson

ONLINE E-BOOK (html, epub, mobi, pdf, and xhtml)

Free at my website.

The Motley Crew (The Thousand Nations). When a young man named Dolan flees from the north, he faces danger on all sides. The Northern Army wants him back. The Empire of Emor wants him dead. His native homeland of Koretia may not want him at all. And his only protection is a man with motives that are mysterious and possibly deadly.

New installment:

2 | Flight Through the Forest. When you're fleeing from high danger, you have little choice in your companions.

EARLY ACCESS

My readers at Patreon and Ream get the first look at Twisted (The Thousand Nations: The Motley Crew side story). That short story will go into general release next month.

BLOG FICTION

Tempestuous Tours (Crossing Worlds: A Visitor's Guide to the Three Lands #2). A whirlwind tour of the sites in the Three Lands that are most steeped in history, culture, and the occasional pickpocket.

New installments:

Royal chapel.

Ambassador's Balcony.

Introduction to the borderland.

Border Port.

NEWS & UPCOMING FICTION

As some of you already know, I posted last month's update two days after I tripped on an uneven sidewalk, banged my head three times against a metal fence, and acquired a concussion, not to mention a broken leg. (I consider that update to be one of the greatest accomplishments of my life.)

Unfortunately, the concussion delayed my completion of "Heir" and its accompanying Blood Vow omnibus, since putting together an omnibus requires a concentrated mind I just don't have at the moment. I've moved those two projects to next year's schedule. In their place, I've juggled my release schedule in order to offer my Ream and Patreon readers a side story this month from The Motley Crew.

The timing of my next e-book installment release is a little uncertain at the moment, since my recovering head is still at the stage where, every time I edit a story, I introduce more errors than I correct. However, I hold out hope that I'll be able to get a new e-book installment out in January. In the meantime, as you can see, I'm continuing to bring out blog fiction.

Fortunately, the concussion hasn't stopping me from writing stories. Among other things, I've finished composing Motley Mayhem, the third novel in the Thousand Nations series.

( Ways to offer me a tip, financial or nonfinancial )

beanside

And, we're back to Monday. Ugh, work. I had a nice weekend, though it wasn't quite what I planned. When the sun finally rose yesterday morning, it revealed a dreary, rainy day with sleet. Add to that, Jess wasn't feeling great thanks to a uterine rebellion, which had been delayed a couple of moths by surgery. We cancelled the massages, since they were a drive down a mostly raised highway, which increased the chance of icy roads.

I felt bad for doing it last minute, but it seemed like the wisest thing to do.

Mostly I did nothing yesterday, except in one small burst of productivity. I chopped up my bacon and vegetables (leeks and onions) and put them on to sauté, bacon first, then beef, then leeks and onions. While each was cooking, I put dishes in the dishwasher and started it. Finally, the leeks and onions were done, and I added them into the rest and started my water to make broth. I have Sam's Club Beef Base, which is a thick paste that you add to boiling water to make your broth. It has a really good taste, though if you use too much, it can get salty. Thus why I used half broth, half water.

Then, it needed to simmer until the barley was tender. I did not wait til the barley was completely tender. It was smelling too good.

I am hypercritical of food I make, so believe me when I say: This was fucking good. It was warm and the beef flavor was good. The barley was a little more toothsome than expected, but it couldn't detract from the umami hit of the bacon and the buttery soft little leeks and onions and carrots.

I had two bowls and dipped my rosemary sourdough in it and ate that, too. It was really tasty. And perfect for the start of winter.

After that, I went and laid down for an hour and napped with my full warm belly.

Didn't do a whole lot in the evening. Game was cancelled, so I mostly just relaxed. It was a nice day.

The next three days are quiet, but on Thursday, we start with a trip to Sibley for Jess' postop, then I have a tattoo appointment and then Steel City Comic Con on Friday-Sunday. Hopefully a fun weekend!

For now, I'm going to go forth and get myself together. Everyone have the very best of Mondays!

ride_4ever

Thank you kindly to

small_hobbit for the postal mail!

small_hobbit is the first one to send me a card for my "milestone" birthday!

Current Mood: posty
Current Location: near the lake they call Michigan

beanside

Only 1 day left til December! Which means that there's only 18 days until I turn 53. First up, Steel City Comic Con, though. That's less than a week away.

I can't really believe that it's already December. It just seems unfathomable that the year has gone by. I've only got two months to pay off the cruise. Which we've got, but Wells Fargo only allows you to spend $5000 in a day, so I have to break the payments up into like $1000 or $2000's at a time, so that it saves the majority of the available in case of emergency. It'll be all good, just annoying. I'll have everything paid off in plenty of time.

Today, we have one thing I forgot about at 10:45am--A signature massage from the Healing Path. It's 90minutes of bliss. They use hot stones, and I always ask them to do light pressure. I know I'm a mass of knots, but having someone dive in and try to break them up is agony. I'd rather it do less for me, and not leave me bruised the next day (not usually physical bruises, but I ache. Instead, I relax and come out refreshed and happy.

Then, I think I'm going to do some cooking. I found a recipe online for Irish Strong Farmer's Soup. It sounded interesting, so I figured I'd give it a try. We have game at 5:30, so I should be done by then. I love Beef Barley Soup, so I'm excited to try it.

Then game followed swiftly by bed. We're in a part of the module that focuses on my character which is cool, a little nervewracking and a feels a bit indulgent. I know every character in this game gets the spotlight on their backstory, but it feels weird when it's you. I feel a little bad for it, but that's just me being weird. So tonight I get to work out my wizard's Daddy issues.

My sister just got up, so that's the end of my quiet time. Now we shall move into social time. I would have liked more quiet time, but that's okay. Two of the people she went to Thanksgiving dinner with came down with a stomach bug as of Saturday, so we'll see how that goes. If I get sick in time to fuck up meeting Ron Perlman and Linda Hamilton on Saturday, I'ma be peeved.

There was fuckery last night and I had to put my foot down. My sister asked if her adopted niece could come over and do a load of laundry as their machine was broken. I agreed, figuring Yoda might be cool with her, and we'd see how much work we had cut out for us.

I wasn't thrilled, but it could be useful. Then, she gets a text from the kids mother that she and her boyfriend are on their way. *record scratch*. Her and her...boyfriend. She's one thing, but I am not inviting some random dude into my house. Yoda doesn't like men. I flat out said absolutely not. And honestly it was rude to assume. We got mission aborted, and it turned out that they had forgotten that they were supposed to spend time with their grandmother, so yay for that.

Aside from that bit of stress, it was a good day. We had Arvandor first. They are currently in the final battle of this Arc, after they've already fought a banelich and two dracoliches. Now, they've found the King and his guards. The king isn't the power behind the throne, but he's a formidable opponent. Then, we had turkey sandwiches for lunch/dinner. Then another game, which is a fun little module.

Tomorrow, it will be back to work, but for now, we shall relax and prepare for massage, and then game! Everyone have an outstanding Sunday!

ride_4ever

My first post of combining hockey fandom and dog fandom was so well received that I've decided to do another one:

Watch on YouTube

Current Mood: sporty
Current Location: near the lake they call Michigan

hannah

I ended up going to the family gathering today. Sleeping for close to ten hours last night helped sway my decision considerably this morning. It went okay, and leaving when I was ready to leave - peeling off from the group and taking the subway back - was something that didn't get any pushback I could pick up on.

I'm not so much glad I went as I'm relieved I did. There were still the usual frustrations with conversation, and I'm slowly coming around to accepting that I'm probably always going to have to deal with them.

Current Mood: tired
Current Music: nothing now

serrico

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

beanside

It's Saturday, and I slept for shit. I just could not fall asleep, and when I did get to sleep, it didn't stick. I was up and down all night. Then at 5, my body insisted that it was time to get up. The cat didn't even bother getting up for food, that's how early it is. I've of course, got two games that I'm running today, so that should be fun. The first one at 12:30 should be good. The second one at 7pm could be interesting. Maybe I'll take a nap after game #1. I hate that some nights the ADHD is stronger than the sleepy pills. My body is a wonderland. Or at least a fun house that has been declared unsafe by the city.

May I just say that it was fucking cold out yesterday? Our high was in the low 40's and when we went for the night time walk with Yoda it was 33, feels like 28 degrees farenheight. On the plus side, I got to try out my new winter coat. It was very nice and warm. from my butt to my shoulders was not cold. Unfortunately, my cheeks and thighs were freezing. Yoda paid it no mind and just trotted his little self along.

I probably have a few more little presents that I need to get, but overall I'm pretty well done. I'm observing the economic blackout except from small businesses, but even if I wasn't, the black Friday sales this year are pretty blah. I'm not seeing anything that would even tempt me to buy.

I forgot to mention yesterday, we decided that instead of doing a lot more big presents, we would adopt a Navajo Elder. There's a site called Adopt a Native Elder that will match you with an Elder who needs help meeting basic needs. The inital buy in to adopt is steep ($300) but that will provide with a spring and fall food run. You can also get them firewood and grocery cards as well. It's our family gift to each other.

My sister did the adoption, and then when it comes time to order fireword or yarn for rug weaving, I can pick that up. I was scrolling BlueSky and saw the site recced by an author I follow. I looked and in the dopamine haze post turkey, I decided that I wanted to do this. I can't fix the world, but I can give someone a softer landing.

Yesterday was so boring at work. I took 22 calls, and spent a good chunk of my day working on filling some slots in. It worked out well and I was able to shuffle around some appointments to get in bigger MRIs. I get a kick out of doing that. It's like a game of Tetris, where I can look at the schedule and look at the STAT list and see what we have the potential to accommodate. It worked out well. I got 4 people off the list, so that's not nothing.

We ordered food, and I had osso bucco for the first time, and good lord it was tasty. I will definitely get that again. For dessert, I made roasted pears with blue cheese and honey. Very tasty, and not terribly hard to make. I'm not mad at it at all.

I have things to do today. I've gotta get myself together at a reasonable time, then head out to the nursery and to grab lunch before game. Right now, I just kind of want to sit here and let my ass become one with the couch.

Actually, it looks like the nursery is open on Sundays, too. So I may go tomorrow and shop and grab lunch and achieve a meld with the cushions until game.

Okay, off to do some prep work for the 12:30 game! Everyone have an excellent Saturday!