confabcon | Member Posts

There's an elegance to a pristine film print, whether it's new or kept in good condition, where you can lean in and see the grain and take in the depth and breadth of the color. There's also a wonder to an older print that's been seen many times before, where you see the scratches and the flecks and the flickers, and when it hits just right, it's almost a living thing breathing in the dark with you - and because you see the film stock itself, you understand it's all the more real because you know it's a story, and it's easy to fall in love with a story.

Miracle Mile was playing as part of Bleak Week at a local theater. I knew what kicked off the plot, so taking that with it being Bleak Week, I had a good idea of where the movie was going, but not how it'd get there. I'd had one too many cups of coffee today and took an electric bike over to the theater, which unintentionally put me in exactly the right kind of excited state to focus and let myself be carried along by a very tightly told story that knew how to keep me engaged the whole time.

There was still a bit of light in the west when I left the theater. I took a regular bike back, enjoying the smooth ride. On my way there, I'd passed by the Lincoln Center premiere of Disclosure Day, and some of the installations were still there hours later. I'm seeing that one later this week, too. I expect it'll make for a curious double feature. I don't think it'll be a Killer of Sheep/Sinners experience, but it looks like there's enough in common to work as a conversation.

Current Mood: hyper
Current Music: nothing now

duskpeterson

The place where you are standing or sitting is the Chara's sitting chamber. You are privileged to see it; most visitors only encounter the Chara in his court or at receptions. The primary purpose of the sitting chamber is to provide the Chara with a place to relax with his friends during his brief moments of leisure.

To your right is the hearth, and over it is carved the royal emblem. This was added during the reign of the previous Chara. Directly opposite is a doorway leading into a semi-separate bedchamber, of which we will speak later.

Directly in front of you is the law. This impressive display of books, in a floor-to-ceiling bookcase, constitutes the Emorian edition of the Chara's law. You must not touch the books, but if you admire them from afar, the Chara may unbend enough to talk of the law with you. By all means, take this opportunity to learn more about the law from Emor's High Judge.

A small window to the left of the bookcase offers a splendid view of the black border mountains.

Other objects and chambers in the quarters are entirely private. Do not touch anything in the Chara's quarters – I emphasize that. Over the centuries, the Chara's dungeon has been filled with many men who accidentally let their hands touch something forbidden that belonged to the Chara.

In a word, visiting the Chara – at least, the current Chara – is an intimidating experience. Let us leave here as quickly as possible.

[Translator's note: Due caution in these quarters is shown by the protagonist of Law of Vengeance.]

beanside

It's very early. We ended up playing our 5:30pm game at 7pm, wso I'm a little but tired. I'm having trouble keeping my eyes open. I will muddle through.

I will wake up with the application of lots of coffee. I need all the bean juice. Today I have work, then I will take the little princess to the vet to be checked out. She's been a little bit quiet, so I wonder if she's having some depression, or even a little FELV flare. Jess said her gums are a little pale, so she might need a fluid bolus, or an iron shot, or eve a blood transfusion. Never having had Cece, we don't know how pale her gums are normally, thig pale, or if she needs some support. I'm a little bit worried, but we'll give her whatever support she needs.

Just a couple of little pictures of her today. After starting the day on the bed, she spent a lot of the day in her little area in the closet, only coming out lorn enough to say hello a few times.

Portrait of a brave girl on the bed.

A little gargoyke sutting by the desk

The rare sighting of the closet cryptid.

I'm a a little worried about the vets, but it could just be that we haven't figured out the little cryptid's konami code yet.

She was very sweet while she was circulating through the room. I gave her the tiniest peice of duck and she scarfed it down, going so far as to shake her head and breaking her prey's (nonexistent) neck. It was super cute and endearing. I may pull her out some chicken breasts and cook them for her. If we need to feed her salmon oil and chicken, that'w what we shall do.

She does get judgy sometimes. It is also cute. When the dog barks, she kinda looks at the door like ""stinky dog." She'll turn it on us when the food and snacks don't seem to meet her standards, though we did get her to eat a few bites of I and Love and You Xoxo's Whitefish and tuna, so that was good.

Then, she fucked off to the closet, and I ran up to the local crab shack because I wanted a crabcake and some steamed shrimp. The crabcake was sadly very mid, so I might have to consider getting a crabcake dinner from one of the good restaurants, just to get what I want.

Then, with game snacks in hand, we settled in to play Marchen. It went really well, but I think the plot may have been over complicated. A few people lost track here and there, so I will try to make future plot points more straight forward. It did lead to the best exchange of the day, though so I am not at all sorry for it.

The total asshat of a ruler in this land asked if the werewolf his wife had just killed was the beast. One character said yes, and one said no. No firm plan had been decided, and it's super like this party to contradict each other. Honestly, had they not mentioned it, I would have just assumed that it wasn't a particularly masterful bit of roleplay.

They do have wrap up of the current country, but after that, they can move on to the next country, with minimal interruptions on the way. Sadly, we don't play again until the 27th, schedules being what they are. Though the 14th seems to be open, so I did ask about that in chat just to make sure that there was actually sometihng else on that date.

After game I determined that I wanted dim sum for the next game and put in an order.

The second game got pushed back from it's normal 5:30pm time to 7pm, as I mentioned, so during the afternoon, we got stuff done. We napped. That was what we got done. Then, I heated up some dim sum and peking duck, and prepared for game. It was very tasty and sustained me through the three hours. *g*. I went to bed stuffed.

The game was also fun. We're going to kill some hags, but first we got waylaid by displacer beasts. This is the campaign that I play the slightly pyromaniac Bladesinger wizard. Sadly, his fireball was not useful. However, Steel Wind Strike kicked ass. I love it when I get to cast it. It's a multiple enemy attack that does massive damage if it hits. He was about 50/50 on whether it hit, but that still meant that he hit them like 6 times over both uses of the spell. He's only got one more high-level spells left, so hopefully the hag fight isn't too bad.

I woke up at 6 and the

Had a really good day yesterday. I didn't do that much, but it felt stuffed with fun things. It was actually a pretty good weekend.

Today, I shall call the new vet and see if they would be able to see Cece today. IF not, we'll do one visit at the current vet, and then move onto the new.

I'd rather go with the new vet from the start, but I also want the baby seen today (especially since I already took two hours off of work).

Yoda has a grooming appt at 10:30am that Jess will take him to. Depending on when he's finished, either Jess or I will pick him up, and then it will be off to the vet for Cece.

He's been such a good boy about the new cat. He'll sniff at the suddnely closed door, but he doesn't bark or growl. He's just curious. I'm very proud of him. Of course, she's also been her dainty very quiet self. Even her meow isn't very loud.

I did posit a question to the bigger server. I had donated capital to a group of potential new builders. And they were building cabins in the Western Mountains of Maryland. They started construction recently, and tomorrow, it is time to book your stays. I asked if people would be interested in doing a D&D weekend where we all went up to this three bedroom cabin and have two and a half days of D&D. It wouldn't be like playing through. Good lord, I'm 53, I don't have that kind of stamina. But like four-6 three hour sessions. We could play a mini campaign in that amount of time. I think it would be a lot of fun, and people have agreed, so I guess tomorrow, I'm putting in for a cabin next summer/fall. We don't have to choose dates right now, it's just making the statement of intent that I would like to book for this number of days and paying a deposit. In August, we'll chose dates and book the cabin.

I definitely want to allow time between sessions, because these are going to be luxyry modern cabins complete with a hot tub, a sauna and a cold plunge pool. The interior looks amazing. A full kitchen, plus outdoor grill. They'll even do your grocery run for you and have it waiting, or have meals waiting for you. We'll probably pack in our own groceries. I don't want to stomp on people's food choices after all. A quick trip to Sam's Club and we'll be good to go.

I think it'll be a lot of fun! I do enjoy playing in person, and these would all be my people, so it should be awesome.

And now, I shall drink some more coffee and try to wake up. Everyone have the best Monday you can Monday.

hannah

Downtime (6 words) by Hannah
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Carl/Eva Stratt
Characters: Eva Stratt, Carl (Project Hail Mary 2026)
Additional Tags: Microfic
Summary: 0500-0530.

Please enjoy this six-word story.

Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: nothing now

beanside

Well, this morning started out on a high note. I woke up, went to get my coffee, realized I hadn't take my inhaler, and went back into the bedroom only to see a smoll kitty on the foot of our bed with us.

Princess Cece has been mostly hiding in the closet, coming out once in a while for love, so this is a bit step. She chose to come out and sleep on the bed with her new humans! She's so brave! She's adjusting a little bit at a time, but she doesn't seem to be having the stress reaction her foster was afraid of. When she was left at the vet to be euthanized, she needed a saline bolus to help her, so we've been watching her like a hawk. But she seems to be okay.

( A handful of pictures of the baby. )
I'm not sure her vision is very good, because she wouldn't follow the little string toy at all, though if I let the feather brush her, I got a paw. But she's still a bit traumatized, so we'll give her a little while and try again.

I was thinking there was no chance that she'd sit with Jess during game, but now I'm just not so sure. She might come over and sit.

So far, this is the sweetest natured, most polite cat in all of existence. She is nothing but love. Yesterday, she wanted ear rubbed so badly that she shoved her head and my hand down to the floor so she could get maximum pressure on my scritches. I'm going to have to grow my nails again so she can get the good stuff.

In case you couldn't tell, I'm kind of in love.

Yesterday was mostly spent with her. We'd cycle in and out of the room, even while she was hiding and talk to her to help get her used to our voices. When she'd come out, we'd sit with her and give her all the love and tell her how brave she is.

But she spent most of the day in the closet, so I wasn't expecting her to be on our bed this morning. I'm so happy.

She went on a little hunger strike yesterday that was apparently "I want my kibble." She wouldn't eat any of the wet food we were giving her more than a little nibble, and we were getting concerned. We were told that she was a picky eater, but she wasn't eating anything. The vets I've found online say to give a wet food diet, because it increases hydration, but Celeste had a different opinion. Jess gave her kibble and she immediately ate half a bowl. Then she drank some water. So that made us feel better.

Having a FELV cat shouldn't always be so high stress, it's just sometimes when they're stressed, they can have a little crash. But she's doing really well!

Sorry for babbling about her so much. She's my new special interest.

I did go out for lunch with a work friend, which was nice. I had some things I'd gotten for her from Canada/Alaska, so it was good. I had cream of crab soup and meat lasagna, both of which were really good, but good lord, my stomach made me pay. I had such nausea and stomach cramps afterwards. Fucking Mounjaro getting in it's last licks.

One thing I have noticed is that if I'm really nauseous after a heavy meal, sometimes eating something light can help ease it some. So a few hours later, I had sushi and miso soup and that seemed to settle things down.

Hopefully, the Mounjaro will work its way out of my system in the next few days, and this will all be a thing of the past.

Today, we have two games, Marchen at 12pm and Nine Omens at 5:30pm, depending on traffic for one of our players who's coming home from down south. It's all down to DC and Baltimore traffic. Which probably means the game is doomed, because our beltways do not fuck around, even on the weekend.

I'm looking forward to both very much, so I'm hoping that things behave.

We're reconsidering whether we want to take Cece to our current vet. Jess doesn't like driving and the current vet is on a busy road, and can be difficult to get in and out of. If it looks like she's going to be going regularly, it might be worth it to switch her to a new, more easily accessible place. Also, this was the place we've been going, so it's about a 20 minute drive to get there, which might stress her out. So we're thinking on it. I'll call the vet we're looking at tomorrow early and see if we could get her in there in the near future for a check up.

We have an appointment at the old vet tomorrow, so if the new one doesn't have one right away, we can always go there and then switch. The new vet is about 9 minutes away and not on a main road, so Jess would be able to take her by themselves if they want to see her more frequently for weigh ins and what not. (They found a few people online whose vet wanted to see their FELV+ cat monthly, so we're preparing for that. Other's just do every 3 or 6 months, so we'll see what they say.)

I'm so glad I called out of work so that we could get her on Friday. Today would have been very difficult and she'd have had less support from both of us. This way, we can keep an eye on her and give her love when she wants it, and just be there to enjoy the new baby. Tomorrow, I'll go to work and spend a little time with her on my breaks and lunch, and then quality time in the evening.

I'm still debating on going to Sam's Club today. It'll be the 7th circle of hell, but we do need toilet paper and I really want to get Cece some lobster to try. She probably won't want it, but I'd like to see. We have some portions of halibut that are in the freezer, so I may pull them out and make them tonight so she can taste that. I may just order the four pack of little frozen lobster tails and have them delivered. They're not quite as tasty as the fresh, but Cece won't know the difference. Or if I want to make something simple, we have a fisherman's pie that is basically like a halibut pot pie. I've wanted to try it, so maybe we'll put one of those in. That would be an easy dinner between games. I'm not sure how it'll be, but I'm willing to try it. If it's not to my taste, I still have half a portion of lasagna.

And now, I believe I shall drink my coffee and go back in and pet a kitty some more. Everyone have an outstanding Sunday.

hannah

Night comes early with evening thunderstorms. Looking out the window, I knew there was a sunset behind the dark sky, and watched it slowly go from dim to dark. I heard it coming in from miles away, and I practically turned around and blinked and it'd gone from a storm coming to a storm arrived. Loud thunder, shocking lightning, it's been going for over an hour now and it'll probably stay a while long. I hope it does. It makes for a wonderful sound, and it's a wonderful scent, too.

I ate the first cherries of the season as it came down. It's summertime here, no question about it.

There was just my brother J. and his daughter A. coming over today. The allergist test came back for chicken eggs and peanuts, and they're figuring out a plan to build up a safe tolerance under controlled conditions. I didn't stay long; I needed to decompress after a frustrating day of holding patterns. They got off late because errands ran late, and didn't say until quite late. Also, I wanted to do some more editing and composition, and it wouldn't have been possible if I'd stayed out this evening. I had to get back and get the words out. And I did, not long before the rain came in. Suitable timing.

Current Mood: calm
Current Music: nothing now

lmemsm

I've been working updating my build scripts to the latest versions of certain libraries. It can be a difficult process because, I often use older C/C++ compilers or less popular C runtime libraries and patch to make path handling more portable and build for several target platforms. I typically do a lot of patching and don't follow upstream sources that closely. I sometimes add my own build system in place of the upstream version or patch to fix build issues, security issues or even to add missing features I need.

Once I have a compiler, core utilities and basic build tools in place, I build libraries and programs in these four categories: archive, communications, graphics, audio. After that, I typically build my graphics/GUI libraries. Then I build applications that use those GUI libraries and my audio and generic cli programs. On Linux, I build X11 libraries before building GUI libraries.

Lets Compare Notes

If anyone would be interested in following along with me as I update my libraries and programs, feel free to contact me: https://fosstodon.org/@lmemsm It would be fun to compare notes on how to build any of these packages and to share patches. I may also consider dropping some libraries or adding new ones to these categories based on what I need to build the applications I want on my system. I will be building these libraries on Windows using the original MinGW and Linux using musl and gcc. I've considering a build for BSD system, possibly NetBSD, as well.

Here's the status of what I'm updating and how far I am in the process.

Package List

Category	Program / Library	Current Version	Latest Version
Archive	libz	1.3.2	1.3.2
	bzip2	1.0.8	1.0.8
	unzip	6.0	6.0
	zip	3.0	3.0
	liblzw	0.2	0.2
	zstd	1.5.7	1.5.7
	bsdgzip	20111009	20111009
	libxml2	2.15.3	2.15.3
	libarchive	3.8.7	3.8.7
Communications	libressl	4.3.2	4.3.2
	libssh2	1.11.1	1.11.1
	nghttp2	1.69.0	1.69.0
	curl	8.17.0	8.20.0
	certs	20260602	20260602
	putty	0.84	0.84
Graphics	libpng	1.6.58	1.6.58
	giflib	6.1.3	6.1.3
	jpeg	10	10
	jbig2dec	0.20	0.20
	tiff	4.7.1	4.7.1
	freetype	2.13.3	2.14.3
	openjpeg	2.5.4	2.5.4
	libwebp	1.6.0	1.6.0
Audio	libogg	1.3.6	1.3.6
	libvorbis	1.3.7	1.3.7
	flac	1.3.2	1.5.0
	speex	1.2.1	1.2.1
	opus	1.6.1	1.6.1
	opusfile	0.12	0.12
	wavpack	5.9.0	5.9.0
	libmodplug	0.8.9.0	0.8.9.0
	libid3tag	0.15.1b	0.15.1b
	libmad	0.15.1b	0.15.1b
	mpg123	1.25.12	1.33.5
	twolame	0.4.0	0.4.0
	libsndfile	1.0.28	1.2.2
	libao	1.2.0	1.2.0
	libtheora	1.1.1	1.2.0
	portaudio	190700_20210406	190700_20210406

beanside

Well, that didn't go anyhow near I had planned it. In the best possible way.

I went to work as usual yesterday, and then I got the bright idea that I could just take a half day of work, put Yoda in the bedroom and we could go to get the Princess Celeste. Jess nixed that one, because they didn't want to leave Yoda alone for that long. But then I came up with another option. We could move his allergy shot up earlier, and then leave around 5:30, which would only leave him alone for a max of 30 minutes. Jess agreed and the foster was up for it, so I called the vet, and moved Yoda's shot appointment up a bit.

Yoda did not enjoy his allergy shot. He yelped like they murdered him when they lifted him onto the table. Little dog HATES being picked up. But he got it and should be feeling much less itchy soon. Then we had a bit of time to pet and praise him until he settled down, and then it was time!

The drive to York wasn't bad at all. Aside from some traffic right around our house, we managed to miss everything, and pulled into the parking lot of the Petsmart right around 6:35pm. Our appointment was at 7, so we chilled for a little while.

On the way down the street to the store, there were people in chairs and on the back of pickups lining the street. IT was technically for a parade of street rod cars. but it felt like these people were here to cheer us on as we went to meet little Celeste.

She and her foster arrived a few minutes later, and we went to a room to let her out of her carrier. Needless to say, she was a wee bit overwhelmed and shy. But oh my lord, she's cute. After a little while, she got brave, and came out and sniffed around the room, gracing me with a rub against my calf and giving Jess the all important head newf and laying next to them for a few moments.

After a bit, the foster asked what we thought, and we immediately said yes. Of course there was paperwork, but only one sheet. Her adoption fee was only $75. I gave them $140, because that was ridiculously low, and they do good work, taking care of bottle babies and sick kitties, so they can put that towards the next cat who needs extra TLC.

Then, we drove home. Cece was mostly quiet the whole drive, to the point that we kept peeking to make sure she was stil in there. Every once in a while, she gave a very tiny polite mew to let us know that she wasn't sure she liked being stuck in the carrier. I, who was braced for the full on yowling song of her people, wasn't sure what to do with such a sweet girl.

Then we got her home, and sat her carrier on the bed, and opened it up. She was again tentative, but eventually came out. I offered her some treats which were scarfed, and she ate a little food before going under the bed. When we looked for her before bed, she had disappeared thoroughly, and wherever she went is where she stayed. Hopefully, today she'll come out and investigate a bit.

The happy family.

As a result, we cancelled most of our plans for the weekend. I am still going out to meet with a riend for lunch, but Jess has a phone call scheduled with their brother, so they will be hanging out here with kitty. When I come back, Jess will get a little break, and I will sit in with her. If she seems to want company, we'll just stay there. She has water and food under the bed, so if she doesn't want to come out just yet, she doesn't have to. If she wants more quiet time, maybe we'll go to the movies this afternoon, but we'll see.

Tomorrow, we have games planned, so we'll be at home all day for her, and Jess will be in the bedroom at their desk, which apparently is something she's enjoyed with her fosters. The husband played video games, and she would sit on his lap or right next to him. We're hoping she does that for us as well.

All in all, this weekend is about baby.

She's so soft and pretty. She has the tiny pale ring around her eyes like little spectacles, and the softest fur, and the tiniest little meow. (That will probably change once she settles in.).

She'll go to the vet on Monday and get more info on her health and see what her FELV status is. Hopefully we get good news, but if not, we'll take care of her whatever comes.

From what we've seen so far, she is the most chill, laid back cat on the planet. I'm looking forward to seeing if that holds, or if she'll be a little shit once she settles in.

Now that the sun is coming up, I may take her some fresh food, and see if I can spot a baby. We gave her the familiar food last night, but today I may mix in some of the bougie food to see if it will tempt her. She's apparently a picky eater who likes to graze instead of eating the whole can in one sitting, so we'll be watching to make sure she eats enough. We also have enough treats and toppers to give her variety. My favorite is the krill mix that has tiny little shrimps in it. I've slipped Yoda some shrimps and he loves them.

I also would like to get to Sam's Club and get some lobster tails, so I can cook them up for us, and then see if Cece would like some tidbits. She's going to be so very spoiled, even if she doesn't know it yet. (I also need coffee creamer, so I'm not just going to get lobster for the cat!)

I just cant even with her little face. I want to do all the snuggling, and I have to wait for her to feel comfortable. Hopefully she'll come out today and let us shower her with all the affection. And pictures. As soon as pictures are obtained, more will be forthcoming.

For now, I will drink my coffee and let both her and Jess rest.

I know my brother in law will be over this afternoon to meet her, but we'll see if Ms. Celeste would like to make an appearance.

But, hey y'all, we have a cat again. I need to scan her vet records in for both our vet and also the apartments, so I can formally add her to the lease, so that'll be sometime this weekend. No rush.

hannah

My niece A. had an allergic reaction earlier this week. She's fine, she's doing well, and her parents are concerned because they don't know what set it off yet. An appointment with an allergist has been scheduled. They're also not traveling to Texas this weekend.

Not because of their daughter, though. According to my mother, the reason they're staying in New York the same week A. had a bad enough allergic reaction to warrant calling an ambulance for an EMT home visit is because the flight was mistakenly booked to Houston instead of Austin.

They're coming over to Manhattan tomorrow instead of flying out to Texas, and I'm not complaining about it. Hopefully both her parents will come by. Of course, I'm also hoping I'll have about thirty minutes to go to the library and pick up a couple of hold items that came in. Both those things are on about the same level right now.

Current Mood: hot
Current Music: nothing now

beanside

It's finally Friday! I think the next few days are going to be busier than my average workday, tbh. I'm going to get to Monday and be like "What do you mean the weekend's over. I had not weekend." It's good stuff, but there's a lot of it.

Today is a good example. I've got work, including the hour+ manager's bitch-athon meeting, which is always good entertainment. Then, during lunch break, it's off to go get the pills from the pharmacy. After work, we have to take a very itchy dog to the vet to get his Cytopoint shot, so he'll feel better. Then, we have the Amazing Digital Circus finale at the movie theater this evening. Fortunately, that's not supposed to have any previews, so we should be out right around 8:30pm. Then it'll be off to bed at a reasonable hour.

Saturday, it's up early to take Yoda to his summer camp so that everyone can do stuff and he won't be stuck at home moping. Then it's back to load up the car for a later trip to the storage unit. Then, we're off to the movies again, this time for He-Man. We all know that I am here for a campy sword and sorcery movie. Then, we come back, I go to have lunch with a friend while Jess catches up with their brother. Once I'm back, we'll be taking more stuff to the storage unit, and then coming back to finish preparing the house for our new overlord.

Sunday, we have a little time in the morning, and then we're going to have game at 11, and as soon as we finish, we're on our way up to York, PA to meet with her fabulousness. Then, providing that she likes us, we head home with Celeste, or as I've been calling her, Princess Cece. Once we get her back and settled, we may have another game, depending on another player's travel speed.

Then it will be bedtime and we will see if our little princess lets us sleep at all. I'm braced.

Yesterday, I had work, then at lunch I built a cat tree that came with absolutely no instructions. Years of IKEA had prepared me, and I had it together in about 20 minutes.

It's not enormous, but I think it'll be a good height. The top piece is just above Jess' desk, so if she wants to cuddle during games, she can just hop over to pester them. We were told that she liked to sit on the foster's lap while she gamed, which would be awesome. More importantly, it seems like it would be an easy one to get up on, just stair steps to get to the cushy top. I hope she likes to use it to lounge in the sunbeams. We get pretty strong and warm morning sun, so it's a good place to bask.

I also got her a new drinking fountain, which I got set up.

We were told that she eats the tender bit kibble and then wet kitten food. She's very picky, but the rescue is operated on a shoestring, so they can't get terribly adventurous with her food. It's strictly donations or the cheap stuff.

I did get some of the cheap stuff that she likes, but I also got her some good food, with premium toppers and then a sampler of the seriously bougie fresh food, so we'll see what she likes. I would really like to see her gain a couple of pounds.

And I'm excited to occasionally slip her people food, when we have good stuff. Boodle loved the occasional bits of lobster tail or halibut or cod, and I wonder if Celeste will like it.

You'll notice in that picture that she's got a lot of bowls already because of the uncertainty of what she'll eat. But, everything I've looked up says that FELV+ cats should be on entirely wet food diets for the hydration and the higher fat content, so we might go in that direction.

We've got a few more things coming today, and I believe that is it for what Princess Celeste shall need. A new litter box, a scooper, and a mat for that water fountain. and the two bed/caves. One shall go in the closet, and one under the bed, so that baby will have places to feel safe.

Are we overcompensating for the knowledge that we might only have a little while with her? Maybe. But that's okay. She deserves all the love and spoiling after what the prior adopters put her through. She's going to be our little princess for as long as she lives, be it one, two, five or ten years.

In looking up FELV, I've discovered that the median age to survive after diagnosis is about 4 years. But, I found that other cats lived 7, 10 or the oldest, 22 years after being infected as a kitten.

I'm 100% behind 15+ years with Princess Cece.

Right now, I'm just impatient. I want to know everything about her. I want to know what her full meow sounds like. So far, we've heard a little mew and some chirps, but I want to hear that Siamese yell. I want to know if she's a polite kitty, or if she likes to knock things off tables. I want to know what her fur feels like, and if she likes being kissed on the top of her little head.

I especially want to know how she likes to be loved. Is the belly a trap? I got her a handful of new toys, including a water play mat. We'll see if she likes that. Is she going to get zoomies in the middle of the night? Should I expect to be run over repeatedly at 2am? I want to know everything about her.

Monday, I'm leaving work early to take her to her vet appt. I'm nervous about it, but also have a "what will be, will be." philosophy.

It's kind of adorable. When I started browsing Petfinder, Jess wasn't sure they were ready for a new kitty. I showed them some pictures, put in a couple of applications. But when they responded about Celeste, Jess got excited. Now they're as all in as I am. Just ride or die for this little cat we've only seen pictures and video of. They are participating in preparing to spoil a baby.

I don't wanna wait another 2 days to go get her! I want her now. And then I want the day off to spend time with her. I'm thinking about taking Monday off. I've got the time, and it might be nice for her to have both of us. Plus, then I could have a day to crash. I'm pretty sure I've got the time, so I might ask my manager about that. I need to put in another hour of PTO for the week after next as Yoda is due for his vaccines and needs his checkup, so I'll have to double check my time.

I was going to do both vet appointments next week, but then that seemed like a lot to deal with.

He's going to seriously whine about being left behind on Monday while we take her to the vet. I didn't want to deal with taking him the very next day.

I'm debating on what we're doing for dinner tonight. With taking the dog for his allergy shot, I won't have a ton of time to cook, so it'll probably be snacks at the movie and my sister will be on her own. Maybe I'll order something for 3:30, so we can have an early dinner.

I've also got to make Yoda's food today and find time to bag and seal it. They didn't have some of his meat in stock, so I'm going to have to use some ground goat instead of chunks. I don't know what kind of gravy that'll make, but we'll see. Next time, I'll just make sure to indicate that if they don't have lamb, it can also be goat meat.

I've also got the cat's bougie food that's supposed to come today, though as it is currently showing New Jersey, I doubt it. It'll probably come tomorrow.

Same, sadly for our coffee. We're getting low on Tim Hortons, and might have to use some of our inferior coffee. It was supposed to come today as well, but also appears to be in NJ. Maybe Fedex can do it, but we'll see.

The few other pet things we ordered should be coming today, at least. The more set up I have things, the happier I am. It looks like her collar and dress are going to be coming next week sometime, which is fine. It's not a deal breaker. I believe she comes with a collar, and I have a little harness coming for when she goes to the vet's office. She's going to be in her carrier, but I believe in being doubly safe.

Oh, and then on Tuesday, I get to have a virtual visit with my primary care doctor to discuss why I'm going off Mounjaro and what the next option shall be. I'm leaning towards something like Trulicity or Jardiance. I know some of them have the same issues, but hopefully not to the same extent.

Okay, I need to put in an order for something for breakfast for me. I forgot to get eggs, so I can't make myself breakfast. I'm debating between putting in an order for eggs to come today, or waiting til tomorrow and making a quick stop at Sam's Club, since it's right by the storage unit. I could get some meat, and maybe even a few lobster tails so that the princess can try a little taste.

Okay, time for me to get myself together. Everyone have a most excellent Friday!

duskpeterson

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

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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:

Side story | Stream of Dying. All right, so you're captured.

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:

From the inner garden to the Chara's quarters.

Meeting the Chara.

UPCOMING FICTION

My next release will be a Law of Vengeance side story: "Wait." You'll encounter a few characters you already know.

My fiction announcements are also available by e-mail and feeds.

hannah

The meeting I had today was the first in a long time where I had space to talk. She let me take a few moments to look away and formulate my answers, and that's rare enough to be worth mentioning. I can't say if everyone at the organization works like her, and it still struck me as a good sign. So I'm tentatively open to the possibility. Wary, and open.

Also of positive note, the nearby mulberry tree's ripe. The only reason I didn't walk away red-handed is because a lot of birds had gotten to it before I could get a crack at things.

Current Mood: hopeful
Current Music: nothing now

beanside

Happy Thursday!

I'm so glad that the only places I need to go today are both air conditioned. They're not up to my levels of frosty, but but it's better than nothing. Today, unlike yesterday, I will not be sitting outdoors for over 2 hours int the heat. But more about that later. I have two things to do today. 1. go get our pills, and 2. take some stuff to the storage unit so kitty will have more room. The pharmacy is important, but the storage unit is vital. We've got winter clothes, and suitcases and a Christmas tree to get out of the house. We want the good Princess Celeste to have plenty of room.

When I expressed frustration that we had four more days until we got to meet her, her foster mama offered to meet tonight. It's tempting, but we're not ready. Plus we have a lot going on this weekend, and I'd hate to leave her the first full day.

So, Sunday it is. How can I possibly wait to pick up this baby?

I love her foster mother. I had asked if she had any video or audio of her talking. which she's sent. But she's continued to send photos and video of her. They're adorable, and I appreciate it so much.

We got more info on her background. She was adopted in 2022 by what was assumed to be a lovely couple. They passed all the background check and vets and references. They had her for 3 years, before she tested positive for FELV. They immediately wanted to euthanize, but the vet worked with hte shelter, and let them know. They hurried over, and she was saved. (The people have since turned to backyard breeding to make some cash, so they're not great people in general.) She's been back with them for 8 months, so she'she's about 4 years old. I was already grumpy at these people when I thought they'd surrendered her. But no, instead they were going to euthanize a perfectly healthy cat who may never show signs of FELV. Also as presumed, they got the cheap test, which has a 40% fals positive on healthy cats.

I mean, maybe on Monday, our vet will say "yes, she has it." It's what I'm expecting on the PCR test. Then, we'll make plans on how to keep her as healthy as possible for as long as possible.

I went insane on buying. Princess Cece got like four packages yesterday. Chewy is doing little backflips, I swear. Also Petco and Amazon. She's got a ton of food, meal toppers, treats, churus. And more coming today, I think. She has her bougie food coming and her cat tree, and maybe a fountain to drink out of and her princess dress (which I repeat: if she doesn't want to be a cat who wears clothes, she certainly doesn't have to.

Even her foster was saying that they're kind of limited to what's donated and what's on sale food wise, so she's going to be in for a bit of a shock at the level she's to be spoiled. Last night, I ordered two cat bed/caves for her to hide in if she needs to. They're both very nice and she can curl up in either and feel safe. One is a cute felted orb. The opening is kind of high on the side, so she'll be able to either peek out or snuggle down out of sight. The second is made like a cat food can, with the top just a tiny bit raised for the best hiding places. She's going to be SO spoiled. And hopefully, Ms. Picky Eater will find her groove and become spherical kitty!

We'll keep it within reason, but we're going to make this cat round.

Yesterday was a busy day. I worked from 8-12, then went over to the Patient Access Picnic. Last year, our table was behind the speaker, this time in front of. Even though we were about 50 feet away, good lord it was loud. You could barely hear yourself think, and to talk to someone, you had to yell, so that made it even louder. I came home with a screaming headache. The company was lovely, including a couple of my old IKEA friends, J and M. I helped M get hired in Radiology. I have kept in touch via facebook messenger, but it was really nice to see her. The food was okay. Hamburgers and hot dogs, BBQ chicken, pasta salad, corn and baked beans. The chicken was a little dry, but the sauce was good, so that was something. I was severely nauseous when I left, but the Mounjaro did not make anything return to sender, so that's good. All in all, glad I went, to see M if nothing else, but lord, I wish they'd turn the music down. Of course, next week I'm going to be in another loud overstimulating environment, taking a turn at the Hopkins Pride booth.

After the picnic, I'd planned on getting the pills, but the beltway was backed way up on both sides. I think I'll probably try to go at lunch. I got home a little after 3. Of course, being me, I'd offered to work the last two hours of the day in case we were crazy. (Which we were.). It was a lot of fun with the headache, but I got through it.

I got a certificate from the Head of Radiology in the Hospital for always being willing to help out with problems. It came with points, so soon I'll be able to buy some other silly, useless thing.

Tomorrow, we have to set up the cat tree. (Unless it gets here early and we do it tonight) We should also test the fountain (Depending on when that arrives). Oh, and probably make another trip to the storage unit. We have a lot of shit between the 3 suitcases, a big cooler, Christmas stuff and winter clothes. It'll be nice to have the big suitcases out, since we won't need any of them for 5 months. I'm pretty sure the overnight trip at the end of July can be handled in the Nomade Lane carry on and maybe my tiny kid-sized rolly bag. The beginning of October might need a rolly bag for each of us, since the con lasts 3 days. And CONfab will definitely need a rolly bag and maybe a big bag.

Saturday, we have to drop the puppers off for his day care. We have He-Man in the morning at 10, Im going out to lunch with a friend after, and then we shall work on getting anything else ready for the princess. We'll change the sheets. Shame the new comforter hasn't come. I'll vacuum, and wipe things up, just so there's a little less Boodle hair on things.

Sunday, we have game at 11-2, then we're driving up to York, PA to meet Miss Celeste. And as long as she doesn't hate us, we're coming home with a kitty. Her foster has made it clear that she's ours if we want her. So that's good. We were both a little worried that the foster would hate us, but we've been texting and she's decided that we're good people. So yay!

I'm a wee bit nauseous this morning, but we'll see how it goes through the day. I will nudge Jenn about the PTO I put in for both Celeste and Yoda's appointments this week. Celeste is Monday and Yoda's is Wednesday. I may call today to see if we could nudge his cytopkine shot up to today or tomorrow, because he's been itching something fierce and I don't want him to get an infection.

All in all, the beanside/nilchance house is all in for this kitty. I'd say the kitty talk will drop off when we get her, but I'd probably be lying.

One thing they did mention about her is that she loves to sit next to you or on your lap while you game. Jess is so excited about that. Boodle would lay on the cat tree next to her desk, or on the desk while Jess played D&D. Depending on one of our other group member's travel plans, we may have a game right after we get her home, so she'll get her chance pretty quickly, though it might take a couple of weeks for her to get that comfy.

Or, maybe she will be one of those cats who just settles right in with no fuss, I have no idea. It's all up to her.

Okay, going to stop babbling and drink some coffee. Everyone have an amazing Thursday!

hannah

Going through the Murderbot books in hard copy, as the library holds allow, is a more personally enjoyable experience than the ebook version. It'll take longer to get caught up, and I can't say I mind the pace.

Today was a little better for general tension and anxiety. Some of it came from badly-timed intense coffee, with the rest being at something of a lower state than yesterday for no particular reason I can determine. At this point, I'm happy to take it.

Current Mood: complacent
Current Music: nothing now

beanside

It's Wednesday, and I have a freaking work picnic in 83 degree weather. Oh joy. I do want to go, it's just gonna be hot and sunny and my stomach is Mounjaro pissed.

I think I'm done with the Mounjaro. I spent 20 minutes praying to the porcelain god yesterday because it got pissy. It was not fun, and I've come to the conclusion that it was just not sustainable. This was the lower dose, and it still made me puke. I just cant do it any more. There's a few other meds we can try, so hopefully one of them doesn't make me sick. Next stop Trulicity or Januvia. I put a somewhat less strong note to my doctor, but when she replies, I think I'll let her know that I won't be taking more Mounjaro on Sunday. It's just too much. I can't spend 5 out of 7 days so nauseous that I'm functionally useless. By the time I get through work, I'm to tired to do anything. It's not fair to me, and it's not fair to my family. I have a friend who's on the same dose as I am, so it won't go to waste. I'll just put it in a cooler and take it to the picnic to give her.

So yeah, yesterday sucked, aside from getting a couple of videos of the kitty. First one was of her very little meow. The second is of her little chitters.

She's been sunning herself in the warm sun, so she has that little ring around her eyes, because Siamese have color changing fur--lighter in the warm, darker in the cold.

From what I've gotten from her foster, this meeting is a formality. As long as we're not axe murderers, this is our kitty. The only thing that could be a problem is if she doesn't like us. I've already gone in and ordered supplies--food, treats, toys, a cat tree that'll put her just above Jess' desk for easy access. We were told that she likes to be close especially when you're gaming or at the computer, so that way she can be close, and if she wants, it's an easy hop to bug Jess. I also may have bought her a pretty velvet collar and a tiny dress. If she doesn't like it, she doesn't have to wear it, but I figured we'd see.

Yesterday the first bit of things for the princess arrived. She now has food bowls, and a plate for the wet food. Still to come is her big drinking fountain. If it doesn't come in time, she can use Boodle's bowl for a little while until it shows up. It's going to be hard waiting for Sunday. I really just want to meet her now and bring her home. But we need to wait for everything to get here and get set up, and that won't be til Thursday.

Yesterday was a clusterfuck at work. The managers were all down at a meeting at the hospital, so the Island of Misfit Toys (including me) were left in charge. I was very busy, and the nausea didn't help. I ended up leaving about an hour early. I'll make it up today, since I'm working a couple of hours of OT. Plus I went in at 7:30 yesterday to help out.

I think I did a reasonably good job. I got all my stuff done, so that's good. Today should be slightly less insane. We'll head out at noon to go to the picnic. It's only about 10 minutes from our house, so I can take my time and change my clothes before I go, since the picnic technically doesn't start til 1. I'll probably get there early and claim a table in the name of Radiology. Only one of my fellow IKEA denizens is coming, but it'll be good to see her. It's been a few years.

Then, home to work another 2 hours. They didn't have many people coming back after the picnic, so I offered to leave a few minutes early and come home and finish the day til 6. It's usually not too bad during that time frame, but we'll see. Afterwards, I shall open packages, and see what more things have come for the princess. Today her food, litter and carrier should be arriving.

I think the cat tree comes tomorrow. Jess finally took Boodle's cat tree out to the dumpster. I know that was hard. That tree has lasted through so much. But it was time for a new one for a new princess. I'll try to put it together tomorrow. It doesn't look terribly difficult (Famous last words), so hopefully we'll get it up without any major issues.

Then, we'll just have two and a half days to wait through to get to the kitty. On Friday, we've got Amazing Digital Circus, and Saturday we have the He-Man movie, which is looking promising. I've seen lots of reviews calling it "silly fun." That sounds like my kind of movie.

Since we settled on Celeste, I've been doing a ton of research on FELV. When we take her to the vet on Monday, I'd like to get a PCR test, to definitively tell us whether she's got abortive, regressive or progressive FELV. She's a healthy kitty for the moment, and the most common test has a 40% false positive rate, so we'll see. Not getting my hopes up, but it would be awesome. The PCR is more expensive, so I'm kind of assuming that owners who returned her would be doing the cheaper test. The big thing is to keep her indoors so she doesn't pick up any infections and to minimize stress.

Whatever she has, we'll love her very much while she's with us, no matter how long that is. She'll be pampered and given the best of food, and loved. Hell, I already love her. I'm definitely taking a churu to the meeting to facilitate a good introduction. "Hello, we have food."

I went in yesterday and ordered some fresh food from Smalls. We've been told that she's a super picky eater, so I figured I'd see if fresh food would make her happier. Even if I just use it as a topper for the rest. Why shouldn't she be just as expensive as Yoda's food?

The fountain says it'll be here today, but I'm betting tomorrow as it's still in shipment created status. So I can puzzle through that while I'm busy figuring out the cat tree. I think we'll set it up right away, so we can get used to the running water noise before she arrives.

Sunday will be busy! First, we have game at 11, then right after, we shall be heading up to Petsmart to meet her. Then, it's back for a another potential game. I figure it's not a bad idea for her to be introduced to her room and then left alone with just Jess while they game. It gives her a little bit of time to settle in. Of course, we're going to have a little bit of time when we first bring her home to introduce her to my sister, but once that's done, she can have some quiet time. That'll lead directly into bed time, so more low key time. I'll wake up at 4, and see if she's interested in some love and give her food, but again, it'll be low key. Then Jess will spend most of the day in the room on Monday, so she'll have company and hopefully start to bond. I'll take their place at 4:30 for my own bonding time.

Can you tell I'm a little excited for this girl? I want to get my hands on her plush fur and love on her. I want to hear that little meow in person. I've missed having a cat. I don't know how Yoda is going to do with her, but we'll work through it. Boodle mostly stayed with Jess during the day, and then had the run of the house at night, so we might try that. I want to see if she's the kind of cat who will knock things off tables! Is she a little shit baby?

Okay, done babbling, though I'm sure I'll come up with something more soon.

Time for me to start getting myself together. Everyone have an outstanding Wednesday!

beanside

We survived Monday! It was a busy day, but not terrible. It was busy, but we got a lot of people in, and started working on my new project, which required a spreadsheet. I'm always down to make a spreadsheet about it. There's something empowering about conquering data manipulation on Excel. I don't do it enough for it to become routine.

My stomach held off til the end of day to really start getting upset. It meant that I was able to eat my eggs in the morning, plus something for lunch. Dinner was pretty much as washout.

So I know I mentioned yesterday that I've started applying for kitties. Well, we got a bite back yesterday about a kitty named Celeste. She's a special needs cat who has Feline Leukemia, but is in remission. She could live 2 years, she could live her whole life without symptoms, it's a toss up.

I wasn't sure I was ready for a special needs cat after Boodle, but she needs us. Her previous family had her for 3 years, which is where she got FELV. Once they found out, they returned her to the rescue, where she's been for 8 months. There was something about her sweet little face in this picture that hooked me.

We were told that we should come and meet her, and then see how it goes, and that we should bring a cat carrier in case it went well. So, of course, I have no gone on Chewy and ordered half the site. She needed new Water and food bowls, and a new cat tree! And a new carrier!

Hopefully, things will go well. I've already set up an appt with our vet for a checkup right after we get her. We'll need to assess her heath, and then make a plan to keep her as healthy as possible, so we can have her for as long as possible.

Today, I shall see how my nausea does. Hopefully, I'll be able to eat some good things before the nausea hits. Yesterday, I learned that while plain eggs are good, an omlette with cheese and bacon is not. That made me nauseous. Go figure. I ended up tossing the omlette and making plain scrambled eggs instead. With sourdough bread. If I'm feeling exceptionally creative, I'd slice to pieces of bread and make toad in the holes.

Today, my two big bosses are down at the main hospital, and I've been put in charge of emails and the STAT list while they're gone, so the day should go quickly. I will need to be extra organized today.

This is going to be a busy weekend. Friday night, we have the Amazing Digital Circus finale. I've been spoiled about the ending, and I gotta say, choices were made. They may not have been the choices I would have made, but I'm looking forward to it anyway. Then, Saturday morning we drop Yoda off for a day of fun, and have the He-Man movie. It looks stupid and fun, so I'm there. My sister has something going on, so we thought it might be good for him to have a day at his camp. Afterwards, we'll have to decide what we want to do. We don't have to pick up the dog til 6, so we'll have a few hours. Some of it will be putting together the new cat tree, I imagine.

Then, Sunday, we have a game, and then we meet the baby.

Okay, time for me to hop off and go forth. Everyone have an terriffic Tuesday!

hannah

Clearing accounts at the start of the month is the easiest time to do it. Updating payment information, deciding to cancel a couple of old Patreon subscriptions since it's been months since I've listened to an episode of that podcast, remembering which family members I can piggyback off of for which streaming services so I don't need to pay for them myself - it's hard to forget to get around to it when it's the start of the billing cycle.

It's not a lot on a month to month basis, and it doesn't add up to a huge amount each year. But it's nice to get it done. To say goodbye without looking back.

What I found worth looking back on was when I last replaced my computer mouse, mostly for my own curiosity. I've used the same make and model of mouse for about as long as I've owned personal computers, and I last got a box of five new ones three years ago, around when I last got a new one - the thought was that if I bought several, I'd be good for a while. Three years seems about the amount of time these things can deliver a good performance, and with four left in the set, I've got a while before I need to start thinking about either buying more or transitioning to another kind of mouse.

Current Mood: lethargic
Current Music: nothing now

beanside

Happy Pride Month! It's a really shitty time to be GLBTQIA+ these days. So it's more important than ever that those of us who can show up and be our authentic selves and show off our Queer joy for those who can't or aren't safe to do so. I haven't seen anything from the Office of Diversity this year about working either Pride or Trans Pride, so I'm going to have to go looking.

We were discussing a campaign playlist for Marchen, and there's a lot of lovely fucked up songs on there, because the characters are almost all feral to some degree or another. So there's a lot of really cool music with some darker themes. Absolutely awesome. And I came out with my top song for how I'm approaching things, and it was much less dark and more hopeful. It's kind of my endgame song.

Watch on YouTube

It's not dark by any stretch. Instead, it's gentle and hopeful, and talks about surviving no matter the odds. We have quite a way to go to get there, but it is where I'm looking. Redemption for the party, and if not peace, a rest. I mean, it is a fairy tale land, so there's got to be some happily ever after. It also reminded me how much I like Dar Williams.

I took my Mounjaro shot yesterday and today I feel kind of assy. I didn't sleep well, and now I'm nauseous as fuck. I hate this fucking medication. I'm so tired of feeling sick. I guess I'll be going on Ubereats and ordering a couple of quarts of Matzo Ball Soup from the Jewish deli. It's one thing I can eat all the time without worrying that it's going to fuck things up more. At this point, I should fucking own this deli.

I'm just so over this. I've got a new glucose meter coming today, because the one I got died, so I'll be interested to see if this is doing anything for my glucose levels. The dying one didn't think so, but seeing as it wasn't a good one to start with, I figured I'd get a decent one. I sure as shit hope this is worth it.

Yesterday, we didn't do anything. Jess woke up with a bit of a cough (probably allergy), so we decided to skip the Greek Festival. Instead, we did nothing but relax. Which was probably a good thing. We had some good food, as I sprung for the good sushi after the shitty stuff we had the day before. Also Fish and Chips. Both were excellent and made me happy. They weren't quite as good as what I had in Alaska, but the fish was not coming directly off the boat. Also, it was cod, not halibut. I like cod. But halibut is my favorite.

The food was excellent, and made up a little bit for the week of Mounjaro bland food.

We did watch a few videos. I mostly focused on food videos, and found a few more places that I might like to try. Disney food is looking mostly like a washout. They don't seem to have a lot off good food at the west coast parks. Definitely nothing like the cheeseburger eggroll they have in Disney World. I'm still going to eat and drink there, but I'll be very picky.

I watched a couple of videos on the hotel we're staying at in San Diego. It's called the Lafayette Hotel, and it is very much the House on the Rock-level accommodations. It has multiple restaurants and bars, each with a different theme. The main lobby bar looks like it's something out of New Orleans. Then, you move to another hallway and htey have a 50's diner, and beyond that is Quixote, the Mexican restaurant that was created to look like a Mexican church. All dark wood and stained glass and the beautiful painted tiles. There's also a games bar with two bowling lanes, and a Jazz supper club. The rooms are hideous. They're tacky and overblown, with clashing fabrics and dark wood, and I absolutely love it.

Watch on YouTube

Just to give you a little glimpse of the rooms. It looks like it should be fun. Probably way more than we need, but we'll give it a go. The horrible tackiness brings me joy.

Today, I shall have to take some calls and do some work, and then on WEdnesday, we'll have our PAS picnic. I don't know how much I'll feel like doing that, but I will for the sake of call center unity. I have to go digging on our shelves, so I can find my badge. A lot of people are coming directly from work. I'm coming from work, but my work clothes are a little different.

At some point this week, we're going to go up to the guy and sign up for a 3 day pass to see how we like it and if we think we could stick with it. I really like the pictures of their therqpy pool. I would love to have a heated indoor pool that I could do gentle exercise to try to settle my knees down. Maybe my back as well.

Merrit, which is closer to us actually have a therapy pool, but they're also considerably more expensive by about $35/month. They have a class called Aih Chi on Sundays that might be good. Low impact excercise. I'd like to get a little more in shape before the big vacation next November. It's probably going to be at least as much walking as Alaska, possibly more once you include the four days between Disneyland/California Adventure and San Diego. Then, you add in Ensenada, Mexico and San Francisco. We're going to be using Uber and public transit as much as possible, but that's still going to be a lot. The hard stretch will be Anaheim and San Diego, since there's not really a break in between. We arrive in Anaheim on Monday, and will hit the parks on Tuesday and Wednesday. Wednesday night, we're taking the train down to San Diego, and hitting that on Thursday and Friday. Honestly, embarcation on Saturday may be relaxing after all that. At least now, I know the drill for the most part. It's a different port, so it might be slightly different, but we'll see.

It won't be as smooth as the first time, as we won't have aa concierge to walk us through everything, but we'll make it work.

I'm very excited about this trip. It's like another bucket list brought to life. I'm going to see most of the major cities in California. We might even do a little tour of Los Angeles, though I'm 99% sure that it's not really my scene. Anaheim will be more my thing as I ate up that Disney bubble shit. Then, San Diego looks so cool and chill, and I'm all about that. Then, onto Mexico and San Francisco. San Francisco doesn't seem my vibe, but it looks cool to visit.

I really want to go back to bed, but I'll give it a little while. I have some cheese and chopped prosecute to put in my eggs this morning if my stomach is up to it. Hopefully, my loaf of sourdough bread comes early. I want to have that with the eggs, and maybe have a bit of the olive tapenade that I ordered out of an abundance of hope that I wouldn't be sick as a dog.

I'm really missing Boodle right now. I love Yoda, but I also want a kitty, too. I started looking at pictures on petfinder, and found a kitten named Panini. She's a beautiful gray Maine Coon who was surrendered by the breeder because she had chronic constipation. The rescue got her cleaned out and medicated her, and after a month or two, she grew out of it. Perfectly healthy cat who just had a little bit of poop problem. I don't know if we're actually ready to get a cat. Yoda's still an asshole and I stll miss Boodle horribly. Not sure if I'm ready for a replacement. But I'd like to meet her and see. It's possible it won't even get that far. She may already have been adopted or the rescue doesn't think we're a good match, but we'll see.

Okay, time for me to go forth and get dressed and shit. After work, I'm going to. pick up everyone's medication for the month. But first, a probably busy day at work.

Everyone have the very best Monday possible!

hannah

Blue moons are more common than most people might think, and they're still rare enough to be worth marking. They're not necessarily an omen or a portent, the way a crow isn't indicative of anything other than a crow. But crows are worth marking, too - stopping everything I was doing to watch one for a few minutes as it rested and called out from the very top of a nearby water tower before setting off. I know other people don't think highly of them, and I don't think highly of those people. They're suitably handsome birds.

Spending a couple hours hanging out with people online and chatting about potential convention panels is, also, worth remarking on, because it's always good to write it down and remember the times you make someone laugh.

Current Mood: working
Current Music: The Suburbs (II) - Arcade Fire

valoise

Sharing Recipes by Seldovia Village Tribe
One thing I like about community cookbooks is the way it reflects the culture and community of the people who contribute the recipes. This one comes from the people of Seldovia, Alaska. A small isolated village only accessible by ferry, it is full of recipes for local seafood and game. In fact, it's the only one I've ever read with recipes for bear and caribou.

Beyond the Blue Horizon by Frederik Pohl
I was so impressed by Gateway, I decided to read the next book in the series. Gateway was a tightly written book, this was a meandering mess.

Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz
I'd read a lot of glowing reviews for this and decided to give it a try. Very cozy and enjoyable book about a found family of robots recently granted personhood who are trying to find a place for themselves. It's up for Best Novella in the Hugo Awards this year and I was happy to put it at the top of my ballot.

When Late the Sweet Birds Sing by Kate Wilhelm
Published in 1976 & won the 1977 Best Novel Hugo, but it's the first book I'd ever read by Wilhelm. An interesting study in what make us human.