meowmensteen | Reading

Oliver likes to sleep on my down coat. So I looked for a down cat bed, and there aren’t any. I found a plush self-heating bed that wasn’t too expensive and ordered it. We’ll see if he likes it. I also found a shag dog bed on Chewy, but it’s large.

Got up reluctantly at 6 AM. The problem with getting up early is that I want to go back to sleep. But I need to feed the cats first. I think that I forgot to give them their crunchies last night. I suck.

I’m not going back to sleep. I need to take a shower because I have a short lunch today.

Bella is being manic.

I rescheduled my lab visits so that I can wait until Sunday to jump-start the car. I have to brush off the cars today so that I don’t get a ticket.

The cold bathroom is COLD. (I think that it once was a porch that someone converted into a bathroom. There's very little insulation and the floor stays cold.) I almost didn't take a shower because I didn't want to take my pajamas off. And after the shower, I was chanting COLD COLD COLD as I got dressed. It's cold upstairs too, but I'm cranking the space heater. My dad said to close the bathroom door so that the heat vent heats only that room, but I have litter boxes in there, so I need to figure out what to do with them. There is a door hook thing that opens a door to let cats in but keep dogs out. I should look into that as a possible solution.

Note to self: Cabela's is where I got the wool socks. Cozy! I ordered some more compression and regular socks on Amazon, and I'll order wool socks later (done).

sunshine_two's passing has left me a little shaken up. She was two years younger than me. I wonder what happened to her dogs and cats. You never know, so I was thinking about my dogs and cats. I think that I'll contact Hospice Hearts (dog and cat shelter for pets whose human becomes incapacitated or passes away) and see if I can mention them in my will along with a hefty donation.

I have a short lunch because my 11:30 meeting ran long and I have a 1:00. Bella and Oliver are in my face; Bella for pets and because she’s lonely when I work upstairs (she won’t use the stairs), and Oliver because he’s hoping that I’ll feed him again. (Not.) Oliver and Gracie: We’d be happy to eat your food. Me: I bet you would.

Piano class went well. Nothing exciting to report. Zara was happy for the cuddle time.

I shut Oliver in the bathroom when I let the dogs in so that he doesn’t get out. There are other advantages. Lily can eat without him eating her food when he’s done with his, and I can feed Zara without Oliver bursting in there.

Gracie still has a scarcity mentality about food. She needs to clean up every scrap of food around. She was found in a park (probably dumped—people suck) and probably had to scrounge for food. I told her that she hasn’t missed many meals here, but she still worries.

I’m not going to fix the washer tonight because it’s gotten late due to my piano class. I have some black clothes that someone, probably Lily, got fur on. I’ll run them in the dryer along with some hand-washed underwear and socks.

I think that I’ll wait until lunchtime tomorrow to brush off the cars, even if I get a ticket. There’s a wind chill warning now through tomorrow morning.

I’ve been reading Pete Buttigieg’s autobiography. I thought that it would be dry, but he’s a good storyteller, plus the way that he built his career is fascinating. Recommended if you are interested in politics and like biographies. It’s called Shortest Way Home.

I've got the underwear and socks soaking in the sink. I grabbed out the wide sink plug that I take with me for traveling. It's very useful to make a good seal. So I'll post, give the cats and dogs their crunchies, put the clothes in the dryer, and go to bed.

somedayseattle

We have floor-to-windows in our cripple-friendly apartment. The view is alright, not great but better than our last joint. It def lets in the light. For example, its currently 27 degrees outside.....and i have to run the a/c because its so damn warm in here. Meanwhile in yoga class, everyone was in winter jackets whilst i was in shorts and a tee-shirt.

I guess once in The Weirdness Parade, always in The Weirdness Parade.

greghousesgf

I'm cooking orange chicken and rice for lunch, speaking of food, I would be doing major grocery shopping today but my legs are acting up again.

Current Mood: hungry
Current Music: Martin Scorcese Blues soundtrack

somedayseattle

From DREAM MOODS--
Walker
To see or use a walker in your dream implies that you are not letting any hardships or obstacles stand in your way. The walker is symbolic of your determination and perseverance.
Hmmmm...I thought it because its the last thing I see at night.

Waves--
To dream that you are caught in a tidal wave represents an overwhelming emotional issue that demands your attention. You may have been keeping your feelings and negative emotions bottled up inside for too long. You may be holding back tears that you are afraid to express in your waking life. If you are carried away by the tidal wave, then it means that you are ready to make a brand new start in a new place.
Really? Not exactly breaking news, CNN

susandennis

I'm not going to swim today cause I don't wanna. I have other stuff I want to do. I could do both but nah.

I have a new bunny idea currently in production. I have some sewing I need to do. And then there is just regular day stuff like emptying the dishwasher and tidying up.

Biggie is being a bit weird today - actually, they both are. I did not get up until 6:30 and they were both sound asleep still. Usually they are making noise and jumping on me.

The Mariners announced the broadcast team for this season. Same asshats as last year. There is one guy who is not too painful to listen to and he's retiring after this year and going to be replaced by one of the ones who is very painful to listen to. So for sure, I have many years of crappy Mariners broadcasts ahead of me. Sigh. We also don't know yet what the broadcast streaming situation will be or rather how much it will cost. We had our own sports network and they folded and MLB.TV took over. That's either going to be ok or horrible. And no clue yet what it's going to cost. Spring training is doing a trickle start. It's not official for about 2-3 more weeks but they are gathering.

My closet/dressing room is complete. It's cozy and tidy and sooo functional. I did get a request for review from Closets by Design but I declined. I don't hate what they did but they sure could have done a less sloppy job and been less irritating about the whole thing, not to mention way cheaper. But I do love the end result and that's the real joy. I've never had anything like it. Like a whole lot of kids, I was totally into tents, and my room and cozy little spaces all my own. This is the grown up adult version of that.

taz_39

**Disclaimer** The views and opinions expressed in this post are my own, and do not reflect the views or opinions of my employer. DO NOT RESHARE ANY PART OF THIS POST WITHOUT PERMISSION. Thank you.

This post covers Monday and Tuesday.

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MONDAY

Up at 7:30 but stayed in warm fluffy bed until 8.
Downstairs to hotel breakfast for coffee since I've packed up all of my coffeemaking gear (I often feel lazy about brewing coffee on travel days.)

The bus wasn't leaving until 11:30 so I packed, ate breakfast, worked on Philly Foodie Finds, and practiced my PowerPoint until it was time to go. The bus ride was graciously uneventful; the highways were mostly-clear and we had no trouble though we did drive more slowly (not a complaint!) When we pulled up to the Tulsa hotel I recognized it right away...I'd stayed here with My Fair Lady in 2024. And then from my hotel room, I was surprised to realize that I can look out the window and see the hotel across the train tracks where we stayed while on tour with Tootsie in 2022!

Tour deja vu is so weird. All of these different pieces of past lives, all of these memories, intersecting and overlapping. I have been to so many places that I have started to forget some of them, while others seem burned into my brain forever.

(A photo from my visit to Tulsa in 2024.)

Also My Dear Readers: if it seems like I'm not doing much/exploring much in a particular city, chances are I've been there before and have done a lot on previous visits. For example, here in Tulsa I've:

done a tour of Black Wall Street
seen Boston Avenue Methodist Church
visited the downtown Deco architecture museum (Decopolis)
explored parts of Route 66
spent an afternoon at Gathering Place

...and have eaten at Sisserou's, Lone Wolf Banh Mi, Chimera, Antoinette Baking Co., Inheritance, Yokozuna, and Rose Rock Microcreamery.

I'm probably gonna start back-linking entries where I wrote about these previous visits, so that readers can have context (especially new readers.)

Having been to Tulsa many times, then, I knew that the best grocery option was a Reasor's next to a Whole Foods a few miles outside of town. Initiated my traditional luggage-drop-and-Uber to those stores and got everything I needed.

Two Foodie Side Notes from today's groceries:

1 - Whole Paycheck has started carrying Tsar Nicoulai smoked sturgeon, and it is FANTASTIC. Delicious, mild, meaty, and flavorful. It is not as fatty as salmon but still has lots of Omega-3s and B12, and is lower in sodium than smoked salmon. While it's a bit expensive, I'm going to keep an eye out for it because DANG it is good!

2 - Drizzilicious Mini Rice Cakes. They're SO GOOD! I was skeptical at first but the Birthday Cake ones were addictive. I got the S'mores ones this time and I don't like them as much but they're still awesome and quite low in calories. I want to try all of the flavors!

Anyway, I got back to the hotel and put things away and unpacked. For the last several cities we've been blessed with extended-stay-type hotels which have a big fridge, microwave, kitchen sink, stovetop, dishware, etc. But this time we are in a "normal" hotel. The mini fridge is bigger than most, but there's no microwave. Dishes will have to be done in the bathroom sink (Fun Fact: I always delegate one hotel hand towel and washcloth to be used exclusively for dish drying. Don't want to wipe your face and then use the same towel to dry clean dishes.)

There is a small table near the bathroom and that's where my food setup will be. Instead of the microwave I'll use my Itaki steamer (on the right.)

Nothing to report about the rest of the night, I ate dinner and relaxed.

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TUESDAY

Up a little late (8am.) Jameson had an overnight last night that STARTED at 2am, and he didn't get home until 5! So I did not text him!

Made myself coffee, yogurt, and Banana Creme Koia-infused oatmeal. Incidentally I accidentally bought steel-cut oats last week, but they cook up wonderfully when slow-cooked in the Itaki.

It has "warmed up" to 20°F (-6.66°C) and I felt twitchy from two days stuck inside for the snowstorm, so after breakfast I had a brisk walk to the DGX (that's a Dollar Store that also carries groceries.) I only needed disinfecting wipes and scotch tape. Worked on Foodie Finds, tried to work on my PowerPoint but felt kinda scatterbrained so set it aside for today. Read my book and ate lunch and finally walked to the theater (I am so impatient haha)

I remember this theater well and knew where to go. But I don't remember these bizarre music stands that look like they're made out of a chunk of grocery cart!! LOL!!

There was also this vaguely ominous sign in the pit. Um...ok, I won't? :p

Configured my little space to my liking, then found my trunk and dug things out and put things in. Popped by Company Management to steal a piece of candy and to sign a congratulations letter going to Great Gatsby for their opening night on January 31st. Yes, shows send nice cards and letters to each other! We've received our share and sent a bunch too :)

Sound check was fine, and in fact for once all of us were HAPPY with the sound in the pit! A miracle! And a testament to the acoustics of the hall I'm sure. Our hotel is so close that I could walk back to eat dinner, then our show. I was pleased with how I played, especially after 3 whole days off due to that snowstorm. It wasn't a packed house, but it was an appreciative audience.

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Wednesday: Gonna have to Uber to a UPS to return those mutes, and eating at Lone Wolf Banh Mi. One evening show.

Thursday: One evening show, no plans as yet.

days_unfolding

I’m having problems transferring my phone number to the new carrier. I need to contact them after their support is open. Okay, got my phone working, but their instructions were wrong.

I have a hair appointment scheduled, but the guy hasn't come to dig my car out yet, so I left a message that I won't make it.

I checked with my snow guy, and he says that he's still coming.

I have some cash back from Sharper Image, but their stuff is so expensive. Need to think about whether to get something.

An email informed about a protest, and "bring a candle or put a candle in your window if you can't go". We don't do candles here because of inquisitive cats and dogs, but I ordered a couple of battery-operated candles. So I'll have them for next time.

The guys did my walks. They always forget to do the walk out to the cars, so I guess that I’ll get that. I was looking for a warmer day to jump-start the car, but it’s going to be cold all week. Sunday’s probably the best.

Fed us all. Ugh. I really want to go to sleep. But I need to fix the washer. Maybe I can go to bed early and get up early. I should take the garbage out, but I don’t feel like dragging the bin through the deep snow in the frigid temps (11F/-12C with a wind chill of 9F/13C).

I was wondering why

sunshine_two hadn't posted, and I think that I found her obituary. I have no idea what happened. RIP.

greghousesgf

I've been watching House again. I still think Hugh's hotter than the sun.

Current Music: Martin Scorcese Blues soundtrack

susandennis

Ok, just got clarity.

Jim Across The Hall, has maybe 4 marbles left. He needs to be in memory care and would be if they had room. He also has nearly no one. All he can do is watch TV and walk downstairs to the front desk and back. That is really his entire life. Oh and he does come to elbow coffee. And he's not at all stressed or unhappy or hurting anyone.

He knocked on my door today to ask for help. He can not articulate what he needs help with so I have to go to his apartment. It's his TV - he's got no signal. This is his life and he's got nothing else. He's already been down to the front desk and they told him the IT guy would come tomorrow at 1:30. That's forever in his life.

"If you can't do anything that's fine. but I thought it might be worth asking you."

It took me a minute to figure out his system and that it was cable. So I rebooted his DVR. No joy. But then I rebooted his cable box and that did the trick. He was so happy, he could not even express it. It made my day.

That's the kind of help I'm happy to provide. He has no one else. He has no other distraction.

Hazel and John have no business buying a smart phone with no plan on how to get it operational. I am not that plan. Plus, they have family and resources. Even Jim had already lined up help and was just asking if I could help sooner. I no longer feel any guilt about Hazel and John. Thank you, Jim!

susandennis

My brother reminded me of the song about having too much to dream and it's been me lately. My dreams have been long and involved and more like scripted TV without the ads. This morning the alarm went off in the middle of about the 3rd act. It was not hard to get up but it was really hard to shed the groggy. I had to think hard to figure out it was not Saturday.

I ran into Hazel and John yesterday. I was trying to get on the elevator and they were coming off and they blocked me. Hazel said she wanted to come see me so I could set up the new 'flat phone that John bought me'.

NFW to the max. I told her that she needed to find another avenue for that endeavor. Call IT (they never come). Take it down to the Kid Tech Helpers (oh they talk over my head). The IT team - two very nice guys, are here to help people with their Timber Ridge provided TV and wifi. IF IF IF they have spare time, they might also help with phones and computers. The Kid Tech Helpers are volunteers who come to help with whatever technical issues you have.

I have this horrible vision of my setting up Hazel's phone and then every single time she wants to use it, she will be at my door to have me show her one more time. This is the same woman who brings me her tablet every three months. All she does is play solitaire on it but then, of course, clicks on everything because she can't really see the thing well enough and then it fills with crap and I have to clear it out again. And she wants to use a smart phone??????

John still cannot get on his computer. I think they are both mad at me because I won't help them. But neither of them makes the tiniest effort to help themselves. They also have a son who could help them. I do feel guilty but all of my energy goes to fighting that feeling. They can be mad all they want.

Oh I did fix an Apple watch today. In the middle of volleyball, Holly's watch kept trying to call 911 and she couldn't get it to stop. I figured it out (works just like my Pixel watch) so the game could continue. It was the first time I'd ever touched an Apple watch. They are a nice piece of hardware.

Another one of our regular volleyball players had to leave the game today early so she could get ready for her birthday party. She's 96 today.

My closet/dressing room continues to delight. I am now two clear boxes away from done. I needed four but I was just not sure how they would work out and they come in packs to 2 so I ordered one pack to test. Perfect so the second will be here today and the closet will be done.

There's a very small space behind the dirty clothes hamper and yesterday I threw down an old Mariners fleece blanket. It's the new favorite cat spot.

Today is house cleaner day. But also day two of bunny exploration. I'm trying out new patterns. I think I have the one I want. The first one (below) I did was ok. The second one was too big. The third one might be perfect but so far I've only done half. Martha came by last night and approves but says they need ribbons so I'm going to make up some and she'll decorate them.

days_unfolding

Walmart Delivery was scheduled out until Tuesday, so I scheduled a delivery order at the local grocery store.

I wanted Bella to have her goose tonight, so I brought it in with me. She’s squeaking it. I didn’t think that through :)

Woke up a little after 7 AM. The dogs came in early. Someone wrote a criticism on Facebook about people who leave their dogs out in the cold, and someone said that their stupid dog doesn’t want to come in. I know that problem. -4F/-20C with a wind chill of-17F/-27C. I’m glad that I’m not trying to get the car out.

A post on Facebook says that roads are mostly snow- and ice-covered. I think that Bella is barking for the sake of barking. I don’t think that anyone is out there.

They’re plowing the side streets. Yay.

My grocery order has been delivered. I'll go get it in a minute.

Oliver was on my lap, and I told him that he was a handsome guy. Then he started digging his claws in and biting, so I told him to get off. Sigh.

The cats (Oliver and Lily) are wrestling to entertain me as I work.

Now Lily is digging her claws in and biting. She drew blood on my hand. I dumped her off, but she came back. I feel like a pincushion.

Gracie wants to know what Bella is barking at.

Overslept my lunchtime nap.

I asked the snow removal guy if he could come tomorrow, which should be warmer than today. That reminds me to put the letter to send in my mailbox to be picked up.

I finally let Randy Rainbow talk me into Ground News. It draws news from both the left and right and discusses bias. I got it at a discount, so we'll see how it goes.

Went to get my phone unlocked because I paid it off, only to find that it was already unlocked. Okay. Now to look for a new phone company, one that handles international travel well. (Lily says,”Feed me first!”)

Well, hell. I signed up for Ultra Mobile, which offers free calling to a wide variety of countries, and costs half of what I was paying Xfinity. But I ran into problems getting a transfer code from Xfinity. It took around three hours. No, I'm not kidding. The transfer is processing.

Because I spent so long dealing with Xfinity, I didn't get a chance to work on the washer. So I'll have to wear dirty clothes tomorrow. I'll work on the washer tomorrow night for sure.

Ate dinner way late. I need to feed the beasts their crunchies (dry food) and go to bed.

inchoatewords

Movies: None.

Television/Streaming: Picnicface, season 1, which turned out to be their only season. Picnicface was a Canadian sketch comedy troupe. Think Kids in the Hall early years with a healthy dollop of Tim and Eric and you have Picnicface. And their Comedy Network season, back in 2011, was actually executive produced by Mark McKinney (one of the aforementioned Kids). It was pretty funny, but some bits didn't really age well and there are some content warnings (some mentions of suicide and eating disorders, and if you have something like misophonia, there can be lots of repetitive sounds that might trigger you). There are 13 episodes and they can all be found on YouTube.

Video Games: I finished Witchy Life Story, which I got as part of a cozy games Humble Bundle a few years ago. The game is a visual novel type story that has some crafting/potion creating elements. The plot is that you are a young witch-in-training; you're sent to a little village by your grandma to bless their harvest festival. You're a teenager, or close to it, so there are definitely snarky versions of the conversations you can have. Overall it's pretty cute, but there were a LOT of typos and that bothered me. The mechanic for crafting was a bit repetitive after a while. I did like the idea of it, though, and I liked that you could romance multiple folks in the game, one of whom is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns.

somedayseattle

HHHHOOOOOLLLLLLLYYYYYYY SSSHHHIIIITTTTTBBBBBAAAALLLLLLSSSSS!!!!

Seahawks 31 Billygoats 27

We are heading to THE PROMISED LAND!

Super Bowl 60 !!!!

greghousesgf

Last night was kind of weird. I was meeting a couple of friends of mine at this bar we really like for drinks and snacks and music (this bar has an awesome electronic music system) and none of us is football fans so we forgot yesterday was super bowl Sunday and the place was JAMMED and we couldn't play any music so we just had one drink each and a mixed appetizer plate and went to this Pakistani place for dinner. The Pakistani food was yummy, I had goat curry and papadums with this great dipping sauce. Then we hung out at their place and had more drinks and ice cream and watched cartoons and then I went home. Now I'm doing laundry and I just realized I should have put this one sweater in the dryer instead of hanging it up but it's too late to put it in there now.

Current Music: the Who

susandennis

So, I'm standing in my new dressing room this morning putting on my swimsuit and figured out exactly what was missing. A mirror. I have one, inconveniently hooked on the bedroom door which I never use because... it is inconvenient! So I took it down and leaned it against the space where my swim suits hang to dry. PERFECT!!

I think I'll move the suits to the back of the bedroom door. Or maybe the door to the bathroom. Doesn't matter. And, godbless Command strips. I put in a work order to have them come hang the mirror. It's going to be awesome.

I had decided to skip the swim this morning but then, changed my mind and got in a good number of laps while it was still not quite light. It was pretty crowded down there. Dixie was doing her lane walk. Dixie is married to Butch who also lane walks sometimes, usually during volley ball. Dixie knits amazing dolls - big ones - to order. They are incredibly detailed and beautiful. She's the one who tracked me down to find out how I did the curly hair because she had a curly hair requirement for one of her college mascots. Fin man was in the other lane. He always swims with yellow fins. I have no idea what his name is but he's in the top 10% or of people here who are able bodied. And he's in the top 1% of men who are. I need to find out his name.

Anyway, it was a good swim. During the six weeks I didn't swim, Google updated my Pixel watch. It used to just show time elapsed while I swim. I had to wait until I had sync'd with the app before I could learn number of laps, etc. But now I can get that and much more data right on the watch while I'm swimming. It's pretty darned cool. I used to have a fancy swim watch that did that but it was a crappy every day watch. Now my very cool every day watch has stepped up its game!

I need to do laundry today. And I realized that now would be a very good time to switch from mini monsters to Easter bunnies. I have a nice bit of monster backlog that will enable me to keep up supply while I work on bunnies. I may start that today.

low_delta

We had our fancy dress ball on Saturday, the Robert Burns Banquet. All over the world, on this night, the Scottish diaspora gathers to celebrate Burns, the Bard of Scotland. There were recitations of his poems and songs. After dinner there was a pipe band and Scottish dancers. Later on, a Celtic-ish folk Duo.

I wear my formal kilt outfit - my Prince Charlie jacket with tails. It was weird, though. Right when we got there, Cindy told me that my bow tie had come undone. I don't tie it from a loose tie, it's on a strap that goes around my neck, and it had come unclipped. Later on, the hook on my belt broke, and it started falling off. Around that same time, during the performances, I dropped my flash unit. It was fine except a piece of trim came off. But it was weird.

It only got up to 2° yesterday. Fortunately it wasn't a long walk to the car. Today it was 12°. We were supposed to have our little ceremony at the Robert Burns monument. We always meet there for some more Burns (we always sing "Auld Lang Syne) and then retire to a nearby pub for refreshments. Because of the cold we decided to skip the monument and just meet at the pub. The woman who normally bring her scones wasn't able to come, so we had kringle. Not as many people as usual, but had nice talks with a few of them.

On the way down, I saw four cars spun out on the freeway. One of them *just* happened. When I got downtown it didn't seem very cold until I turned a corner and was walking into the wind. Holy cow. We have a rule that we wouldn't stay out there for more minutes than the temperature. I think we could have done twelve minutes, but not in that wind!

days_unfolding

There was a rumor going around of rolling blackouts, but the reputable news organizations say no, but the system is at capacity because of the cold. I need to shut down my computer and lights and get to bed to save energy :) Thank goodness I have dogs to keep me warm.

I found a used Suburu Crosstrek that I really like. Hmm. I also found a Suburu Crosstrek Hybrid.

Things that you say only if you have pets: “Bella, give me the toilet paper!” My cheeky little thief.

I bought another pair of black jeans off of eBay.

Woke up with an alarm at 7 AM. That’s what happened last night; I set my alarm for 7 AM, not PM. I tried to go back to sleep, but Gracie wouldn’t let me.

Got the dogs inside early. Gracie had vanished though and I was walking around the house calling her when she showed up and jumped on me.

It’s supposed to keep snowing until 1 PM. Currently 5.7 inches of snow.

Oliver is meowing outside the bedroom door. I told him that I don’t want him in here because he bites, but he’s loooooonely. Nap time.

Got up a little after 12 PM. Oliver is stretched out on my lap. Apparently, I’m a cat heater.

The final total was seven inches of snow. I’m wondering how I’ll get out tomorrow. I’m wondering if choir will be canceled.

Listened to Randy Rainbow’s Christmas video, “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Fuck It.” True that.

I’m feeling a little depressed and don’t know why. Maybe it’s the state of the country, which is depressing enough. (Yes, I do read the news and know what’s going on. I have no words much of the time. I imagine though what my mom would have to say.)

Took another nap and slept until 6 PM. Yikes. Bella and Gracie were climbing on me and licking my face at first. I pulled the covers over my head. Apparently, I left the dogs out too long when I let them out because they were waiting at the door.

I found some instructions on digging your car out.

Bella is playing with her goose stuffy.

No choir rehearsal tomorrow, so I won’t need to get out. I’ll probably ask the guy who shovels my walks to dig out the cars. I’m wondering if the university will be closed, but I’d have to work anyway because we’re remote. It’s officially a “remote work day“. We no longer get snow days.

I don't feel up to fixing my washer--I need to move stuff to get at the drain--so I think that I'll go to bed now.

taz_39

**Disclaimer** The views and opinions expressed in this post are my own, and do not reflect the views or opinions of my employer. DO NOT RESHARE ANY PART OF THIS POST WITHOUT PERMISSION. Thank you.

This post covers the weekend.

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FRIDAY

I was up early to do laundry after having more dreams involving cats. What is WITH that this week?

The laundry room here is one of the best I've ever seen in a hotel, with modern washers/dryers that are regularly cleaned. Just noting that because it's incredibly rare. Breakfast, stealing a few bagels from hotel-provided goodies. Checking the weather. It's already below 30°F (-1.11°C) and dropping quickly. I still don't have gloves.

While laundry was in-process I shared Tulsa Foodie Finds with the group and packed things to go into my trunk. We have until end of day Saturday to pack our trunks each week, but with the storm coming I'd rather have everything in there tonight. Started working on Philadelphia Foodie Finds, and after laundry was done and folded I bundled up and walked across the parking lot to Bass Pro Shops. Lucky that there's one so close in this weather!

If you need an Emergency Giant Stuffed Fish, Bass Pro Shops has got you covered. Who DOESN'T want a trout to squeeze.

I found basic gloves, and had hoped to find a black fleece zip-up but no luck. Had fun looking at this and that (they have little toys and old-school candies) then back to the hotel to pack myself dinner. The plan was to go to the theater early to wash my trombones.

The rest of the day was "nothing." Practiced my PowerPoint again until my voice went hoarse. Had a short nap, read my book (I've started Priory of the Orange Tree.) Chatted with Jameson...his dad flew in last night and barely made it ahead of the storm. Hopefully they have a good visit. Jameson's also taking care of a lot of appointments, and found out that he needs to have a root canal, a new crown put in, and new glasses. Good grief. Maybe this is why I don't go to the doctor regularly...I don't even want to know what they'll find haha.

I bundled up and was just stepping outside when it occurred to me that the stage door might not be open this early, as there was no rehearsal today! Lo and behold crew call was not until 6pm, but I at least put my things in the car before going back upstairs to hang out some more and eat dinner. Eventually I got over there, got in, put stuff in my trunk, and just barely had time to wash both trombones. The show went well...the audience was depleted, perhaps because of the coming weather, but they were very enthusiastic and loud cheerers :D

When the show ended we came to the stage door to find this:

Snow was falling quickly, but it was the powdery type. Driving was not hard. I'm not sure what tomorrow will look like but we'll see.

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SATURDAY

Allowed myself to sleep until 8 and then lazed in bed to 8:30. Lovely snowy day :)

I think we got about 5 inches (12.7 cm) which isn't very much. Still, you can see that the roads are not particularly well cleared, and few cars were driving. But it was not snowing, and our matinee was not cancelled.

And so I went about my day as normal for a Saturday. Worked on Philly Foodie Finds, packed snacks for myself for intermission, did meal planning for tomorrow. I decided to check our internal website, and ticket requests for Philly had gone live! I quickly reached out to all of my family members to confirm their dates/times/head counts, and submitted their requests. We are sold out, out, OUT in Philadelphia because it's the closest we'll get to New York. Everyone and their mom's nephew's dog wants to come see the show while we're there, to the point where even reserve seats may not be available. I am glad to get my family's ticket requests in, to give them the best chance possible of being able to see the show.

Just as I was finishing that up, a message in the company chat:

Whoa! I was surprised. It never occurred to me that they might cancel all four weekend shows. But checking the forecast again, I saw that we were due for more ice and sleet, plus another 8-10 inches (20.3 - 25.4 cm) of snow by Sunday.

621187641-1469982387827680-3183476378324717589-n-6974c20ec44a5.jpg

(photos courtesy misc local weather stations)

The concern here is not only quantity of snow, it's also the frigid temperatures and the wind "sweeping down the plain" (pun completely intended.) Even IF they had infrastructure for the snow (which they seem not to) the snow is light and icy. I've seen 2 "plows" out, one was a dump truck with a shovel attached and the other was a pickup with a shovel and salter being escorted by a cop. They plow, but the snow is so light that it just blows immediately back onto the roads where it is pressed down by cars. Then a layer of sleet on top of that...then another 8 inches of snow on top of that, all with the wind still blowing the snow around.

People are coming from far away to see our show, and I think we could not expect them to drive in unsafe conditions like this. Especially the evening show on Saturday and matinee on Sunday, which is when the storm will be full tilt.

Loading our own trucks is going to pose increased risk and difficulty due to the weather as well. If crew waits until, say, tonight to start loading out, they will have to be out in -5° for several hours, loading heavy equipment with snow falling and icy metal truck ramps. I can completely understand why the decision was made to cancel shows and allow load out to take place right now, before the rest of the storm hits.

Right after we were notified that the shows were cancelled, musicians were given a deadline of 2pm to get to the theater and load our gear out of the pit. I'd left my trombones out and assembled the night before, so I was anxious to get to the theater and didn't wait for my carpool (neither was ready to go yet anyway.) Driving wasn't bad at all, I just had to be careful and slow. I parked right at the theater and had everything put away in minutes, chatting with the keyboardists while we packed up. I helped DAR (our MD) carry some equipment to the freight elevator, and saw Dane (flute) and I think Michael (keys) arriving together about that time. Even in the 10 minutes it took for me to pack up, it started snowing heavily again, illustrating the urgency of loading out quickly.

Back at the hotel I took off my layers and gave the car key to Ryu (violin.) Then...well, honestly I didn't know what to do with myself! Two whole days free, but it's bitter cold outside and no hills in Oklahoma for sledding. Luckily just then my Aunt called and we had a good 40-minute conversation, then I ate lunch and chatted with siblings a bit.

I was making this video to show Jameson the Oklahoma City "snow plow" when a 4-wheeler spun into frame from stage right. Wheee!!

Watch on YouTube

Ate lunch, trolled TikTok, and practiced my PowerPoint until I was hoarse again. I'm doing very well with staying under an hour, but am still overtalking on the "Gig Info" section so that I end up having to rush the "Gigfishing" section. The more I rehearse it the more I can establish what I will consistently say and have better control over that timing.

There was a "band hang" in the hotel lobby in the evening, but I decided to stay in the room because my cousin (who reaches out almost never) was talking at length with me, and I wanted to give him my full attention. He wants to reconnect with my siblings and I, and I am MORE than happy to chat with him more often!! He's super smart, musically talented, and has a lot of great ideas :)

In closing for the night, here are all of the touring show cancellations that I can remember (click on the title to read the blog post about what happened):

Ringling, Atlanta GA, 2014: Winter storm/ice storm resulting in two cancelled shows. When this happened, these were the first Ringling show cancellations to happen in the last 20 years!!
Ringling, Houston TX, 2016: The air conditioning broke down at Reliant Stadium and we had to cancel the show to protect our animals (so they wouldn't overheat in performance.)
Tootsie, Kansas City MO, 2021: One of our truckers went over his hours and HAD to pull over, our equipment didn't make it to the venue on time, and the show was cancelled.
My Fair Lady, Jackson MS, 2024: Winter storm/ice storm, resulting in 2 shows cancelled and getting "iced in" at our hotel for two days.

Adding Beauty and the Beast to that list, that's 10 cancelled shows in the 10 years I've been touring. Average of one per year. It's a rare event! Even though we are losing some money this weekend and folks are disappointed, I am grateful that we are safe and warm rather than putting lives at risk over a show.

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SUNDAY

It was dead quiet at 3am, so I woke fully up and looked outside.

You can see that little shiny patch on the road under the street light. It's icy and largely unplowed.
I fell back asleep, and in the morning there was more powdery snow covering the roads.

I heard a plow go by once sometime between 3 and 5am--by "plow" I mean the little white pickup with a shovel attached--and I heard it scraping ineffectively against the icy road. Later on it was in the Bass Pro Shops parking lot, it's engine straining as it pushed snow into little piles. Here it seemed to be more effective.

Went down to hotel breakfast to steal an English muffin and some fruit, and poked my head out a side exit to see the fresh fallen snow.

Back in the room I turned on the weather-news: we'd gotten about 7 inches (17.8 cm.) The news van was riding around downtown showing that the roads were driveable, but covered in a layer of packed snow and therefore slippery and treacherous. There were no actual snow plows or salters to be seen. A singular Bobcat was diligently picking up little scoops of snow with it's adorable little shovel and depositing it in a pile. Doing it's little best.

In other words I'm probably going nowhere today either. BUT, there is a gas station visible from the hotel, so after breakfast I bundled up and took the rental car there to fill it up. Even in an SUV I had to muscle through piled-up snow, and did slide around a bit, but imo that's normal winter stuff. Got the car filled up and returned. Made sure to walk up the stairs for exercise as I had for breakfast. I'm on the 5th floor so that's up and down 10 flights, better than nothing. Worked on Foodie Finds, chatted with Jameson, ate lunch, and more PowerPoint rehearsal.

Kind of wash, rinse, repeat, plus reading my book, watching Vox Machina, drinking tea, and eating dinner. After dinner I packed some more, but that was pretty much it. A boring day, but I'm grateful to enjoy this boredom. And grateful to be warm and safe while it's bitter cold outside, with nothing to worry about except making sure I'm on the company bus on time tomorrow morning. Often I look around at my circumstances and feel like a QUEEN, with how much I DON'T have to shoulder.

Especially with the state of things, lately.
I like to keep my journal positive, and a sort of "safe space," so I will only say this.
If you have an ounce of empathy and self-preservation, know that we stand together.
And if you don't, well...I hope that you've made peace with the fact that your arguments won't hold water in front of god OR the devil.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday: A short bus ride to Tulsa. It will be bitter cold so groceries and unpacking, that's all.

Tuesday: Opening night in Tulsa.

somedayseattle

I’m sorry I haven’t been a little more active lately. I have a couple personal crisis. I’m dealing with and that shit in Minnesota is putting me in such a hateful mood. I am honestly considering flying to Minnesota to protest but I’m I’m sorry I haven’t been a little more active lately. I have a couple personal crisis’ I’m dealing with and that shit in Minnesota is putting me in such a hateful mood. I am honestly considering flying to Minnesota to protest but I’m afraid I’ll get stuck in the ice.

The plan for today is sit on the couch and watch the Seahawks. Hopefully they will beat the LA Rams. The downside is having to listen to Tom Brady commentating. If the Seahawks lose, so be it. Like me and walking, they have achieved more than anyone expected, they have a bright future ahead of them and nothing to be ashamed of this year.

PS – fuck ICE and anyone who supports them. But you already know that. I’ll get stuck in the ice.

The plan for today is sit on the couch and watch the Seahawks. Hopefully beat the LA Rams. The downside is having to listen to Tom Brady commentating. If the Seahawks lose, Soviet. Like me and walking, they have achieved a lot more than anyone expected, they have a bright future ahead of them and nothing to be ashamed of this year.

PS – fuck ICE and anyone who supports them. But you already know that.

lupine_dreaming posting in

addme

So, I made a DW a few years ago, but fell off posting on it pretty quickly. I’ve made this new account in hopes of being more active!

Name: Eclipse

Age: 31

I mostly post about: So far, I’ve mostly been posting my writing as well as fandom meta. I post a mix of fanfic and original writing. But I anticipate also making posts about the books I read and the movies I watch. We’ll have to see how things evolve!

My hobbies and interests are: Drawing, writing, houseplants, reptile care, and dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures.

My fandoms are: I’m in the horror fandom at large. However, my two main niches are the Alien franchise and the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise (minus the shitty remake lol). I’m also in the following fandoms: Ghost the band, Beetlejuice, Phantom of the Opera, and the monster romance community.

Other fandoms I enjoy but that I’m not posting about a lot at the moment are: the Stargate franchise, Batman villains, and Once Upon a Time.

I'm looking to meet people who: Basically, I’m just looking for nice, chill people who share some of my interests!

My posting schedule tends to be: I only recently made this blog, so I don’t know what exactly my schedule will look like, but I anticipate it being fairly sporadic.

When I add people, my dealbreakers are: People who are oddly aggressive and rude, conservatives/MAGA types, people who are anti-LGBT, people who are strongly pro-GenAI, and people who generally participate in fandom purity culture.

Before adding me, you should know: I am in my “cringe but free” era, and as a result, have been writing more OC/self-insert x Canon Character fic — specifically OC x horror villain stuff. If that’s not your thing, this probably isn’t the right blog for you. ^^’

Also, while I generally do not care what people ship, I am very uncomfortable with lolisho, so if you like that kind of thing, we won't mesh well.

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meowmensteen

February 2023

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Ohs Hit

A Self-Healing Prophecy

Reading

Busy Day

if i cant have you i don't no gravy, baby

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an eternity of maternity

Cause I don't wanna

Tulsa, OK 2026 part 1: Travel Day, Settling In

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Feeling guilty no more

I had too much to dream last night

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And Still More Cold and Snow

Oklahoma City, OK 2026 part 3: Winter Weather and Our First Cancellations

The same old story

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February 2023

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