taz_39 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
taz_39) wrote2025-12-14 10:29 pm
taz_39) wrote2025-12-14 10:29 pmEntry tags:
Austin, TX 2025 Week 2 part 3: Final Shows in Austin
**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.
--- --- --- --- --- ---
FRIDAY
I was still up too early, but considering I spent yesterday lying around that's not surprising. I felt a lot better than yesterday...maybe I got run down or dehydrated, or maybe it was a stress reaction, but part of it was definitely allergies.
Did a small load of laundry and gathered as much stuff as I could to chuck into my trunk. I am trying to mitigate weight because thanks to the four Candlelight dates, I will have to bring both trombones and a trombone stand home, in addition to my large suitcase. The suitcase is 29" and weighs close to 50lbs, the bass trombone in it's case weighs 30lbs, and the tenor about 20lbs. No idea how I can carry/drag all of that, but there seems to be no way around it. Very thankful for my tour trunk right now so I can at least leave a bunch of clothing and appliances behind.
Worked on Houston Foodie Finds, shared Dallas Foodie Finds with the tour foodie group, ate lunch, and went for a walk. The day started off dreary and foggy but unseasonably warm. There is a big historic cemetery nearby.
I often come to cemeteries to find inner quiet, and to think about lots of things.
( CLICK HERE to visit the cemetery with me )
I only ended up with about 30 minutes in the cemetery because a service was about to happen. The kind groundskeepers said that I could wander until 2pm, but the hearse pulled up 10 minutes before that so I left so they wouldn't have to shoo me out. There were so many very interesting headstones, and lots of famous people, and Civil War personages...but I am happy to have seen what I did, and spent time with the memories and monuments of these people, come and gone.
Back at the hotel for nothing but chatting with Jameson and dinner before the evening show. Carpooled in, it was a great show with a lot of understudies in. I've got everything in my trunk that I can think to put in there, and hopefully that will be enough.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SATURDAY
Managed to sleep until 8, hooray! Breakfast and packing dinner and other stuff for the theater as I wasn't coming back to the hotel between shows.
When it was time to carpool I met Michael (Key 3) as usual, and we went to the stairwell as usual. Someone was painting the stairwell entrance door, and he held the door open for us, wet paintbrush in hand. I walked through thinking that I was being careful but also not realizing that the man had been painting the door frame, not the actual door. And my coat brushed the door frame as we passed through. I might not have realized what had happened except I touched my backpack strap and felt something wet, and looked down to find that there were streaks of light grey paint all over me :(
I froze in the hallway, and Michael stopped to see why I had stopped. Saw the paint and said, "Follow me!" We ran to his hotel room and he let me use the kitchen sink while he used the bathroom sink (yes, he'd brushed the door frame too and had grey paint on his black clothes and canvas bag!) We cleaned up as best we could and continued on to the theater.
What a way to start the morning! Michael's dress pants were all right but I don't think he got it all out of his canvas bag. My coat is dry clean only so I should not have run it under the water, but it seemed a better option than letting the paint dry on it, you know? I took it to Wardrobe and asked for advice. They kindly let me hang it over one of their drying fans that are used for costume pieces.
I was advised to use rubbing alcohol if there was any paint remaining once it dried. Fortunately it looks like I got most of it out! Just a little near the hem on one side but it's barely noticeable (and will be a funny memory for me in any case!)
The first show went all right, although I didn't play as well as I would've liked. Some days are like that even when one is trying one's best.
One of our ensemble dancers, Masumi, took this photo of the large crowd of guests waiting to meet and get autographs from cast members. How wonderful and touching is this!! It is rewarding every day to be a part of a show that people are so excited to see :)
Between shows I stayed at the theater, typed this post, read a bit, did some Christmas shopping online, ate dinner, and went for a short walk.
Evening show was good, I played a lot better this time. Often the struggle is with FOCUS; no matter how much you love a show and it's music, when you have played the thing hundreds of times your brain can try to disassociate and wander off into space, and you gotta reel it back in :p
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUNDAY
I was up a bit early to do some packing and check in for my flight before heading to the theater. Boy, checking a THIRD bag sure is expensive! But it's the same cost as shipping would have been, actually a little less if you think of how long it would take to get there and packing materials.
Anyway, two shows. The first one was good, but the temperature outside had dropped overnight from 80°F to 40°F (26.6°C to 4.44°C) and it felt like the temp in the theater had not been adjusted for that. It felt very cold! But we had a good crowd so there's that!
Between shows I stayed at the theater, read my book, ate dinner, and did laps inside since it was so dang chilly out.
The last show in Austin was good, lovely audience, and it was Heather's (our flute sub's) last show with us. Dane will be rejoining us in Dallas. Well, some of us. Five musicians are laid off because of union Rule 24, so we will get to spend the holidays with our families! Yay!
We made sure to get a photo with Heather before we started loading out:
(the actual photo hasn't been sent yet so here's a screenshot from our instastory haha)
I had to bring both trombones home, but managed pretty well. Adding the huge suitcase to that, however, is going to be interesting. We will see how it goes.
It's been a great stay in Austin, it's a really cool city.
Next the tour goes to Dallas, but I will be home in Orlando with Jameson, and both of us have work to do!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday: Direct flight home, then the whirlwind of unpacking and getting groceries and whatnot. Jameson has a very long day tomorrow which includes an overnight at Disney (he'll be there from like 7pm to 2am) so I will wait to do anything noisy until after he leaves.
Tuesday: Jameson will be trying to sleep for the earlier part of the day because he has another Disney overnight, so I will have to find quiet things to do for most of the day. I'll probably wrap presents or go for a walk or something.
This post covers the weekend.
--- --- --- --- --- ---
FRIDAY
I was still up too early, but considering I spent yesterday lying around that's not surprising. I felt a lot better than yesterday...maybe I got run down or dehydrated, or maybe it was a stress reaction, but part of it was definitely allergies.
Did a small load of laundry and gathered as much stuff as I could to chuck into my trunk. I am trying to mitigate weight because thanks to the four Candlelight dates, I will have to bring both trombones and a trombone stand home, in addition to my large suitcase. The suitcase is 29" and weighs close to 50lbs, the bass trombone in it's case weighs 30lbs, and the tenor about 20lbs. No idea how I can carry/drag all of that, but there seems to be no way around it. Very thankful for my tour trunk right now so I can at least leave a bunch of clothing and appliances behind.
Worked on Houston Foodie Finds, shared Dallas Foodie Finds with the tour foodie group, ate lunch, and went for a walk. The day started off dreary and foggy but unseasonably warm. There is a big historic cemetery nearby.
I often come to cemeteries to find inner quiet, and to think about lots of things.
( CLICK HERE to visit the cemetery with me )
I only ended up with about 30 minutes in the cemetery because a service was about to happen. The kind groundskeepers said that I could wander until 2pm, but the hearse pulled up 10 minutes before that so I left so they wouldn't have to shoo me out. There were so many very interesting headstones, and lots of famous people, and Civil War personages...but I am happy to have seen what I did, and spent time with the memories and monuments of these people, come and gone.
Back at the hotel for nothing but chatting with Jameson and dinner before the evening show. Carpooled in, it was a great show with a lot of understudies in. I've got everything in my trunk that I can think to put in there, and hopefully that will be enough.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SATURDAY
Managed to sleep until 8, hooray! Breakfast and packing dinner and other stuff for the theater as I wasn't coming back to the hotel between shows.
When it was time to carpool I met Michael (Key 3) as usual, and we went to the stairwell as usual. Someone was painting the stairwell entrance door, and he held the door open for us, wet paintbrush in hand. I walked through thinking that I was being careful but also not realizing that the man had been painting the door frame, not the actual door. And my coat brushed the door frame as we passed through. I might not have realized what had happened except I touched my backpack strap and felt something wet, and looked down to find that there were streaks of light grey paint all over me :(
I froze in the hallway, and Michael stopped to see why I had stopped. Saw the paint and said, "Follow me!" We ran to his hotel room and he let me use the kitchen sink while he used the bathroom sink (yes, he'd brushed the door frame too and had grey paint on his black clothes and canvas bag!) We cleaned up as best we could and continued on to the theater.
What a way to start the morning! Michael's dress pants were all right but I don't think he got it all out of his canvas bag. My coat is dry clean only so I should not have run it under the water, but it seemed a better option than letting the paint dry on it, you know? I took it to Wardrobe and asked for advice. They kindly let me hang it over one of their drying fans that are used for costume pieces.
I was advised to use rubbing alcohol if there was any paint remaining once it dried. Fortunately it looks like I got most of it out! Just a little near the hem on one side but it's barely noticeable (and will be a funny memory for me in any case!)
The first show went all right, although I didn't play as well as I would've liked. Some days are like that even when one is trying one's best.
One of our ensemble dancers, Masumi, took this photo of the large crowd of guests waiting to meet and get autographs from cast members. How wonderful and touching is this!! It is rewarding every day to be a part of a show that people are so excited to see :)
Between shows I stayed at the theater, typed this post, read a bit, did some Christmas shopping online, ate dinner, and went for a short walk.
Evening show was good, I played a lot better this time. Often the struggle is with FOCUS; no matter how much you love a show and it's music, when you have played the thing hundreds of times your brain can try to disassociate and wander off into space, and you gotta reel it back in :p
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUNDAY
I was up a bit early to do some packing and check in for my flight before heading to the theater. Boy, checking a THIRD bag sure is expensive! But it's the same cost as shipping would have been, actually a little less if you think of how long it would take to get there and packing materials.
Anyway, two shows. The first one was good, but the temperature outside had dropped overnight from 80°F to 40°F (26.6°C to 4.44°C) and it felt like the temp in the theater had not been adjusted for that. It felt very cold! But we had a good crowd so there's that!
Between shows I stayed at the theater, read my book, ate dinner, and did laps inside since it was so dang chilly out.
The last show in Austin was good, lovely audience, and it was Heather's (our flute sub's) last show with us. Dane will be rejoining us in Dallas. Well, some of us. Five musicians are laid off because of union Rule 24, so we will get to spend the holidays with our families! Yay!
We made sure to get a photo with Heather before we started loading out:
(the actual photo hasn't been sent yet so here's a screenshot from our instastory haha)
I had to bring both trombones home, but managed pretty well. Adding the huge suitcase to that, however, is going to be interesting. We will see how it goes.
It's been a great stay in Austin, it's a really cool city.
Next the tour goes to Dallas, but I will be home in Orlando with Jameson, and both of us have work to do!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday: Direct flight home, then the whirlwind of unpacking and getting groceries and whatnot. Jameson has a very long day tomorrow which includes an overnight at Disney (he'll be there from like 7pm to 2am) so I will wait to do anything noisy until after he leaves.
Tuesday: Jameson will be trying to sleep for the earlier part of the day because he has another Disney overnight, so I will have to find quiet things to do for most of the day. I'll probably wrap presents or go for a walk or something.
low_delta (low_delta) wrote2025-12-14 09:22 pm
low_delta) wrote2025-12-14 09:22 pmEntry tags:
the oven
Last night Cindy was making supper, baking some chicken. She walked into the kitchen to see smoke. It was coming out of the vent on the stove top. She opened the oven door and a cloud rolled out. But wasn't the smoke of burnt food. There was a glow coming out from under the bottom panel of the oven, and sometimes sparks. The heating element had fried itself.
We had to finish the chicken under the broiler, periodically turning it off and back on. It turned out a little well done, but not bad.
Today I took it apart to get at the element. I unplugged the thing, then removed the back panel. I pulled the connectors off the element. Then I took out the panel on the floor of the oven, and removed the two screws that were holding the element in place. Then I placed an order for a new one. $50, plus $12 for shipping, will arrive on Wednesday.
( But then it got worse )
We had to finish the chicken under the broiler, periodically turning it off and back on. It turned out a little well done, but not bad.
Today I took it apart to get at the element. I unplugged the thing, then removed the back panel. I pulled the connectors off the element. Then I took out the panel on the floor of the oven, and removed the two screws that were holding the element in place. Then I placed an order for a new one. $50, plus $12 for shipping, will arrive on Wednesday.
( But then it got worse )
days_unfolding (days_unfolding) wrote2025-12-14 08:04 pm
days_unfolding) wrote2025-12-14 08:04 pmCOLD Day
Got my new sweats. I'm not sure why they delivered it at 9:30 at night, but okay.
The third blanket kept me toasty warm.
Woke up at 7 AM. I was wondering what to do about the dogs and the dangerous wind chill, but both Gracie and Bella peed inside. I’ll let them out in the afternoon. It’s currently-5F/-21C with a wind chill of-11/-23C.
Oliver wants food now! Fed us all.
I’m feeling dubious about Dial-A-Carol later tonight. I guess that I’ll brush off the cars later and go from there.
Gracie was barking at the cats. I told her to shut up. Now she and Bella are wrestling on the bed. Gracie just scratched near my eye. I yelled.
Had a nice nap. The sun is shining on my chair in the kitchen, so it’s warm. I have a dog (Bella) partially in my lap, a cat (Oliver) in my face, and another dog (Gracie) looking at the cat. I’m trying to explain to Oliver that I fed him this morning, and he’s not going to eat right now. He is not convinced.
Now they’re having a severe weather advisory going all day. I’m going to change my Dial-A-Carol signup. I don’t want to go out tonight. I removed my signup for tonight. I didn’t see a time to sign up for later. I’m going to brush off my car tomorrow.
I want to let the dogs out, but I’m worried about my Amazon order arriving while they’re out. Maybe I should stand out with them, but it’s cold. I’ll go put my boots on. Maybe I should start brushing off the car while I’m out with them. Or not. I’d rather stay on my porch. I stayed just inside the door, and tried to bring them back inside in about 15 minutes. Bella came in, but Gracie did not. I waited a few more minutes inside, and then Gracie was on the porch saying that it’s cold outside (Me: No, really?) and came in. Whew.
I’m thawing a little, and then I’ll take my shower. I’ll wear my new sweats because I’m not going out.
I bought a blue topaz ring that says “Fuck it and begin again” on the inside. A good sentiment.
The cold bathroom is COLD. I felt like an icicle before I got the hot water on. Now I’m cozy in sweats and wool socks. I’m making soup to make my insides as warm as my outsides.
Oliver: maybe if I get in Mom’s face, she’ll feed me early. Dream on, cat.
Oh crap. My Christmas cards are now arriving on Tuesday. They’re going to be late.
Had my soup. I got dizzy when I took it out of the microwave and spilled some of it. The dogs were happy about that. I think that I’m going to lie down for a little while.
Had a nice nap. The dogs came in on the first try. Cold out there, isn’t it. Fed us all. I need to go measure the laptop and order a sleeve for it while I’m thinking of it (done and ordered).
Oh crap. The laptop that I was going to take with me on the trip is not turning on. I’ll have to take the “new” laptop. The sleeve that I just ordered will fit it though. Heck. I’m wondering if I should order another small travel laptop. I saw one for $265 that would get here on time. What to do. Okay, I got it. I travel enough that it’s worth it. I need to get rid of the old one.
It's a nice night for some tea (steeping). I think that I'll go to bed early because I want to get up early and brush the snow off of the cars.
The third blanket kept me toasty warm.
Woke up at 7 AM. I was wondering what to do about the dogs and the dangerous wind chill, but both Gracie and Bella peed inside. I’ll let them out in the afternoon. It’s currently-5F/-21C with a wind chill of-11/-23C.
Oliver wants food now! Fed us all.
I’m feeling dubious about Dial-A-Carol later tonight. I guess that I’ll brush off the cars later and go from there.
Gracie was barking at the cats. I told her to shut up. Now she and Bella are wrestling on the bed. Gracie just scratched near my eye. I yelled.
Had a nice nap. The sun is shining on my chair in the kitchen, so it’s warm. I have a dog (Bella) partially in my lap, a cat (Oliver) in my face, and another dog (Gracie) looking at the cat. I’m trying to explain to Oliver that I fed him this morning, and he’s not going to eat right now. He is not convinced.
Now they’re having a severe weather advisory going all day. I’m going to change my Dial-A-Carol signup. I don’t want to go out tonight. I removed my signup for tonight. I didn’t see a time to sign up for later. I’m going to brush off my car tomorrow.
I want to let the dogs out, but I’m worried about my Amazon order arriving while they’re out. Maybe I should stand out with them, but it’s cold. I’ll go put my boots on. Maybe I should start brushing off the car while I’m out with them. Or not. I’d rather stay on my porch. I stayed just inside the door, and tried to bring them back inside in about 15 minutes. Bella came in, but Gracie did not. I waited a few more minutes inside, and then Gracie was on the porch saying that it’s cold outside (Me: No, really?) and came in. Whew.
I’m thawing a little, and then I’ll take my shower. I’ll wear my new sweats because I’m not going out.
I bought a blue topaz ring that says “Fuck it and begin again” on the inside. A good sentiment.
The cold bathroom is COLD. I felt like an icicle before I got the hot water on. Now I’m cozy in sweats and wool socks. I’m making soup to make my insides as warm as my outsides.
Oliver: maybe if I get in Mom’s face, she’ll feed me early. Dream on, cat.
Oh crap. My Christmas cards are now arriving on Tuesday. They’re going to be late.
Had my soup. I got dizzy when I took it out of the microwave and spilled some of it. The dogs were happy about that. I think that I’m going to lie down for a little while.
Had a nice nap. The dogs came in on the first try. Cold out there, isn’t it. Fed us all. I need to go measure the laptop and order a sleeve for it while I’m thinking of it (done and ordered).
Oh crap. The laptop that I was going to take with me on the trip is not turning on. I’ll have to take the “new” laptop. The sleeve that I just ordered will fit it though. Heck. I’m wondering if I should order another small travel laptop. I saw one for $265 that would get here on time. What to do. Okay, I got it. I travel enough that it’s worth it. I need to get rid of the old one.
It's a nice night for some tea (steeping). I think that I'll go to bed early because I want to get up early and brush the snow off of the cars.
greghousesgf (greghousesgf) wrote2025-12-14 09:59 am
greghousesgf) wrote2025-12-14 09:59 am
(no subject)
I had so much fun at both the concert and the Dickens faire! I was right, it did cheer me up!!
house_wren (house_wren) wrote2025-12-14 10:40 am
house_wren) wrote2025-12-14 10:40 amEntry tags:
winter
On Friday, I saw icicles that were 5 feet long hanging off the metal roof of a low slung hardware store in a small town. Nice!
I also saw a great many houses with icicles caused by ice dams. This is bad, bad, bad. Ice forms at the edge of the roof and then melting water cannot drip off. It backs up and, usually, leaks into the building. My former house suffered from this and no amount of ventilation or insulation or anything else could prevent ice dams from forming. It was stressful, frustrating and expensive. I think it had to do it being a four-square, hip roofed house built in the 1920s. Every time I see ice dams on a house I feel a surge of gladness that I no longer have to deal with this problem.
The best icicles are on a sunny day in the late winter, after a wet snow that sticks to the evergreens. As the snow melts in the sun, short icicles form at the end of the branches, like a fairy tale image of winter.
This morning's low temperature was -11F / -23C and the big warm up (sarcasm) for the afternoon is 4F / -15C. But on Tuesday the prediction is for 36F / 2C. Ahhh....
I also saw a great many houses with icicles caused by ice dams. This is bad, bad, bad. Ice forms at the edge of the roof and then melting water cannot drip off. It backs up and, usually, leaks into the building. My former house suffered from this and no amount of ventilation or insulation or anything else could prevent ice dams from forming. It was stressful, frustrating and expensive. I think it had to do it being a four-square, hip roofed house built in the 1920s. Every time I see ice dams on a house I feel a surge of gladness that I no longer have to deal with this problem.
The best icicles are on a sunny day in the late winter, after a wet snow that sticks to the evergreens. As the snow melts in the sun, short icicles form at the end of the branches, like a fairy tale image of winter.
This morning's low temperature was -11F / -23C and the big warm up (sarcasm) for the afternoon is 4F / -15C. But on Tuesday the prediction is for 36F / 2C. Ahhh....
Susan Dennis (susandennis) wrote2025-12-14 07:58 am
susandennis) wrote2025-12-14 07:58 amSunday
Picture 6 cat treats sprinkled on the carpet and two cats sniffing and then going to to their naps. That's zero star review of the approved cat treats. Julio ate one yesterday. Biggie did, too. This morning, Biggie did his usual begging for treats so I sprinkled the 6 out on the carpet. He sniffed at them and then gave me the stink eye and wandered off.
He peed a little - a very little this morning but then hopped out of the litter box and spent five minutes actively playing with Julio. He sure does not seem in pain or even uncomfortable. Just annoyed about the treat situation.
Nothing much going on today at least that I know of. I plan to go for a swim after I finish this. And then watch my usual Sunday morning TV and maybe some puzzling.
He peed a little - a very little this morning but then hopped out of the litter box and spent five minutes actively playing with Julio. He sure does not seem in pain or even uncomfortable. Just annoyed about the treat situation.
Nothing much going on today at least that I know of. I plan to go for a swim after I finish this. And then watch my usual Sunday morning TV and maybe some puzzling.
inchoatewords (inchoatewords) wrote2025-12-14 09:08 am
inchoatewords) wrote2025-12-14 09:08 amMedia Post
Movies: Wake Up Dead Man, the new Knives Out movie. I liked it quite a bit, but I think that it didn't use a lot of the supporting cast as much as some of the previous films.
Television/Streaming
Farscape:
"Won't Get Fooled Again" - where John is experiencing all sorts of delusions after being captured by a Scarran on the commerce planet. Despite the serious of the ground situation, which we only discover later, there are some funny bits in here, as the characters are not their "regular" selves.
"The Locket" - where Aeryn is technically only gone for one day, but has lived over 150 cycles on a different planet, and Crichton follows her back there. This was a really good episode, had some touching moments without being over the top.
"The Ugly Truth" - where the crew meet with Crais on board Talyn but then the ship shoots at a Plokavian ship, and the whole crew gets interrogated, and we see the different versions of the story everyone tells. Much like the Japanese film Rashomon.
"A Clockwork Nebari" - where some of Chiana's people find her and are determined to take her back to her planet for "cleansing." Meanwhile, the whole crew gets brainwashed, too. The eye thing was a little too much for me; I had to look away.
"Liars, Guns and Money - A Not So Simple Plan" and "With Friends Like These" - two episodes of a three part series, where the crew hatches a plan to rescue Jothee, D'Argo's son.
Buffy:
"Passion" - where Angel is still actively stalking Buffy. And Jenny (Ms. Calendar) dies.
"Killed by Death" - where Buffy goes to the hospital after developing a high fever and ends up rescuing a bunch of sick kids from Death.
"I Only Have Eyes for You" - where two tortured souls are haunting the Sunnydale campus. You really can tell the time period here, because Buffy hates the young male student for killing the female teacher when their "relationship" ended, while conveniently ignoring the fact that the woman was a predator.
"Go Fish" - where the swim team starts growing into freaky amphibious creatures.
And by this point, I am so very tired of all the ableist digs Angel keeps making toward Spike in his wheelchair. I know he's supposed to be a dick, to EVERYONE, pretty much, but come on, man, not cool.
Reading:
Finished Daisy Jones & The Six and loved it. Want to check out the series to see how it holds up.
For book club, we read All Systems Red by Martha Wells, the first Murderbot Diaries book. I enjoyed it, and Murderbot is an interesting and sometimes very relatable character. I want to check out the next book in the series.
Television/Streaming
Farscape:
Buffy:
And by this point, I am so very tired of all the ableist digs Angel keeps making toward Spike in his wheelchair. I know he's supposed to be a dick, to EVERYONE, pretty much, but come on, man, not cool.
Reading:
Finished Daisy Jones & The Six and loved it. Want to check out the series to see how it holds up.
For book club, we read All Systems Red by Martha Wells, the first Murderbot Diaries book. I enjoyed it, and Murderbot is an interesting and sometimes very relatable character. I want to check out the next book in the series.
days_unfolding (days_unfolding) wrote2025-12-13 09:21 pm
days_unfolding) wrote2025-12-13 09:21 pmAnother Snow Day
Canceled a bunch of subscriptions on PayPal. I think that all I have left is Netflix, which I want to keep. Oh, and I should resubscribe to Hulu.
I checked into my cruise, but the boarding documents won't be available for a few days. I also bought the Have It All package, which includes WiFi, drinks, and one specialty dining meal.
Bought a ring that looks like hugging arms, and it'll have "Mom" engraved on the inside.
Now I really need to go to bed. I have a boatload (so to speak) of stuff to get done this weekend.
Gracie is trying to play dog play with me on the bed, and I told her to go play with Bella. That’s why I have two dogs. Now she’s snoozing with her head on my leg.
Woke up a little before 6 AM. I explained to the dogs that the cats get fed first. They don’t think that’s fair. Fed us all. My stomach hurts. I’m going back to bed. The dogs are wrestling on the bed and not leaving me any room. The snow has started.
Woke up a little before 11 AM. I’m feeling cold. It’s 15F/-10C out. So yeah, cold. I’ll take a shower in a few minutes. After lunch.
BuddhaStoneShop had a bracelet that I liked for only the shipping cost, so I got it. They also had a ring in the shape of a cat for shipping cost, so I got that too. And a Tree of Life bracelet. And a Yin-Yang necklace. They’re probably getting money from part of the shipping cost, but still, it’s cheap.
Oliver was warming my lap and purring.
I’m IBSing. But I’m staying home today so I guess that it’s okay.
Ate lunch.
Finished the book on James I. I just ordered a book on Charles I to continue my investigation into the Stuarts.
Oliver is knocking stuff down and being annoying.
The Precip app says 3.3 inches of snow so far, to make a total of 6.5. It’s like living in a snow globe. I saw a map on Facebook with the words “Stay home” over our band of snow. Will do.
I think that I’ll have one more nap. Slept for about an hour. I’m feeling cold and trying to warm up before my shower. It seems like the dogs and cats are sleeping. At least, they aren’t in the kitchen.
Opened packages while I and my clothes were warming up. I got the file folder wall holders for sheet music. I need to dig out my drill.
Hmm. UNICEF Market has a lot of rings that I like.
The dogs are barking at who-knows-what.
I think that I’ll have some soup.
Final snow total: 5.7, for a total of 8.4. Now we’re into the cold part of the weekend (currently 0F/-18C). I'm going to pull out another blanket and go to sleep. I hope that Gracie won't chew holes in the blanket. Oh, and I need to set the faucets to dripping.
I checked into my cruise, but the boarding documents won't be available for a few days. I also bought the Have It All package, which includes WiFi, drinks, and one specialty dining meal.
Bought a ring that looks like hugging arms, and it'll have "Mom" engraved on the inside.
Now I really need to go to bed. I have a boatload (so to speak) of stuff to get done this weekend.
Gracie is trying to play dog play with me on the bed, and I told her to go play with Bella. That’s why I have two dogs. Now she’s snoozing with her head on my leg.
Woke up a little before 6 AM. I explained to the dogs that the cats get fed first. They don’t think that’s fair. Fed us all. My stomach hurts. I’m going back to bed. The dogs are wrestling on the bed and not leaving me any room. The snow has started.
Woke up a little before 11 AM. I’m feeling cold. It’s 15F/-10C out. So yeah, cold. I’ll take a shower in a few minutes. After lunch.
BuddhaStoneShop had a bracelet that I liked for only the shipping cost, so I got it. They also had a ring in the shape of a cat for shipping cost, so I got that too. And a Tree of Life bracelet. And a Yin-Yang necklace. They’re probably getting money from part of the shipping cost, but still, it’s cheap.
Oliver was warming my lap and purring.
I’m IBSing. But I’m staying home today so I guess that it’s okay.
Ate lunch.
Finished the book on James I. I just ordered a book on Charles I to continue my investigation into the Stuarts.
Oliver is knocking stuff down and being annoying.
The Precip app says 3.3 inches of snow so far, to make a total of 6.5. It’s like living in a snow globe. I saw a map on Facebook with the words “Stay home” over our band of snow. Will do.
I think that I’ll have one more nap. Slept for about an hour. I’m feeling cold and trying to warm up before my shower. It seems like the dogs and cats are sleeping. At least, they aren’t in the kitchen.
Opened packages while I and my clothes were warming up. I got the file folder wall holders for sheet music. I need to dig out my drill.
Hmm. UNICEF Market has a lot of rings that I like.
The dogs are barking at who-knows-what.
I think that I’ll have some soup.
Final snow total: 5.7, for a total of 8.4. Now we’re into the cold part of the weekend (currently 0F/-18C). I'm going to pull out another blanket and go to sleep. I hope that Gracie won't chew holes in the blanket. Oh, and I need to set the faucets to dripping.
Susan Dennis (susandennis) wrote2025-12-13 05:39 pm
susandennis) wrote2025-12-13 05:39 pmCat Attitude
According to the vet, Biggie should be writhing in pain, not eating, not peeing. Biggie, shockingly, is not following the script. I think he's basically miffed about the lack of Temptations. But, he's also not wild about the new food. He'll eat it but he's kind of like 'where's the good stuff, woman??!!' And he's not writing, just crawling all over me so I'll get up and get him some treats.
I broke my rule and volunteered to go to Safeway and get Joan some bananas. It is the very last time. I am not doing that any more. But my mouth did not get the memo so I went and got the bananas because I told her I would. The last time.
I figured out the wifi repeater issue and my signal is really strong and I think I know how to keep it that way.
Oh and Fitbit told me I'd been over doing it and should consider a rest day - hahahaha Oh Fitbit, your algorithm is not made for old fat people but it's sweet that you try.
Now for an evening of TV and knitting.
I broke my rule and volunteered to go to Safeway and get Joan some bananas. It is the very last time. I am not doing that any more. But my mouth did not get the memo so I went and got the bananas because I told her I would. The last time.
I figured out the wifi repeater issue and my signal is really strong and I think I know how to keep it that way.
Oh and Fitbit told me I'd been over doing it and should consider a rest day - hahahaha Oh Fitbit, your algorithm is not made for old fat people but it's sweet that you try.
Now for an evening of TV and knitting.
Fueled by Ramen and cheap beer (somedayseattle) wrote2025-12-13 03:41 pm
somedayseattle) wrote2025-12-13 03:41 pmi smile when i feel like crying
The high temp in International Falls, MN today is -3. Th wind chill factor is -37 degrees. Unless you are there, be grateful to be where you are.
Susan Dennis (susandennis) wrote2025-12-13 11:21 am
susandennis) wrote2025-12-13 11:21 amSaturday
Volleyball this morning. There were a lot of people and I play on the edge so balls don't get to me frequently which is fine. Today, I spent all of my non-ball time doing various water aerobics. It was great. I did a lot of in place high knee kick marching and twisting and stretching. Made the whole thing more fun.
Elbow coffee was a small crowd. John and Hazel are getting older very quickly. They keep getting locked out of their apartment - forgetting or losing keys. Bonny took them down on Wednesday and they got two new keys. Yesterday morning, when I got back from the pool they were in the hallway waiting for security to let them in because they had forgotten their keys. Today they missed elbow coffee because they had a conference call - their credit union, their son and them. Because they say, the credit union keeps scamming them. The good news is that they are here and not out there on their own.
Biggie does NOT like the new treats. Not one bit. But they both like both the wet food and the dry.
I have a dead wifi spot in my bedroom and I have a wifi extender. I can see that the extender is improving the signal very much but I can't convince my phone to use the extended signal. This will be my project this aft.
Bonny's out of vodka so 'you want to make a Costco run on Monday?' Sure, says I. I'm very low on coffee.
And that's about it for the hot news here. We are, today, a dry day between rains. Still really grateful to live on a hill.
Elbow coffee was a small crowd. John and Hazel are getting older very quickly. They keep getting locked out of their apartment - forgetting or losing keys. Bonny took them down on Wednesday and they got two new keys. Yesterday morning, when I got back from the pool they were in the hallway waiting for security to let them in because they had forgotten their keys. Today they missed elbow coffee because they had a conference call - their credit union, their son and them. Because they say, the credit union keeps scamming them. The good news is that they are here and not out there on their own.
Biggie does NOT like the new treats. Not one bit. But they both like both the wet food and the dry.
I have a dead wifi spot in my bedroom and I have a wifi extender. I can see that the extender is improving the signal very much but I can't convince my phone to use the extended signal. This will be my project this aft.
Bonny's out of vodka so 'you want to make a Costco run on Monday?' Sure, says I. I'm very low on coffee.
And that's about it for the hot news here. We are, today, a dry day between rains. Still really grateful to live on a hill.
days_unfolding (days_unfolding) wrote2025-12-12 09:34 pm
days_unfolding) wrote2025-12-12 09:34 pmVocational Awe
Gracie got manic a little before 7 AM, so I got up. The roads are not plowed yet. The dogs are bounding through the snow.
I should check into my cruise. I need to do that tonight.
Got the dogs in without a hassle. But someone knocked down the cat food, and Bella has a can. Sigh.
I'm cozy in my sweats. Got my makeup on because there's a meeting with the new grandboss this morning, only to find that my primary colleague is out and I need to host a conflicting meeting. Oh well.
No nap today. I have a meeting at 11 and one at 1, so not enough time for a nap. (I worry about oversleeping.) Oh! My 11:00 got moved! I dozed a little but started coughing. Gracie was resting in the crook of my legs and wasn't happy when I got up.
I'm reading some documents linked from my meeting about "vocational awe," the idea that librarianship is not just a job, but a "calling". Apparently librarianship was originally associated with churches. There is a strong belief that librarians will do whatever is needed no matter what. And that's not fair.
Ordered some new-to-me hats, scarves, and gloves from Poshmark. Cozy is the theme right now.
There was someone standing in front of my mailbox. I went outside to see what was going on, but the guy had left by then. That makes me a little nervous.
I'm exchanging emails with the vet at which I'm boarding the cats. They said that they got them in. Good.
Petalura had a cotton top with stars on it that I like, but it’s $100. As it turns out, it’s out of stock. I did ask them to email me when it’s back in stock, but still, that’s one way to keep me from spending money. (Very pretty top though.)
I definitely have a pop singer’s type of voice. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” was a lot easier than my choir songs, even if Mariah Carey’s notes jump all over the place. I seem to have had a breakthrough with high notes too. Cool!
Fed the beasts. I’m making myself some Greek soup (eaten).
I saw a Facebook ad for becoming an LGBTQ+ coach. I don’t think that I’m together enough to do that, but it’s a nice goal.
I should check into my cruise. I need to do that tonight.
Got the dogs in without a hassle. But someone knocked down the cat food, and Bella has a can. Sigh.
I'm cozy in my sweats. Got my makeup on because there's a meeting with the new grandboss this morning, only to find that my primary colleague is out and I need to host a conflicting meeting. Oh well.
No nap today. I have a meeting at 11 and one at 1, so not enough time for a nap. (I worry about oversleeping.) Oh! My 11:00 got moved! I dozed a little but started coughing. Gracie was resting in the crook of my legs and wasn't happy when I got up.
I'm reading some documents linked from my meeting about "vocational awe," the idea that librarianship is not just a job, but a "calling". Apparently librarianship was originally associated with churches. There is a strong belief that librarians will do whatever is needed no matter what. And that's not fair.
Ordered some new-to-me hats, scarves, and gloves from Poshmark. Cozy is the theme right now.
There was someone standing in front of my mailbox. I went outside to see what was going on, but the guy had left by then. That makes me a little nervous.
I'm exchanging emails with the vet at which I'm boarding the cats. They said that they got them in. Good.
Petalura had a cotton top with stars on it that I like, but it’s $100. As it turns out, it’s out of stock. I did ask them to email me when it’s back in stock, but still, that’s one way to keep me from spending money. (Very pretty top though.)
I definitely have a pop singer’s type of voice. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” was a lot easier than my choir songs, even if Mariah Carey’s notes jump all over the place. I seem to have had a breakthrough with high notes too. Cool!
Fed the beasts. I’m making myself some Greek soup (eaten).
I saw a Facebook ad for becoming an LGBTQ+ coach. I don’t think that I’m together enough to do that, but it’s a nice goal.
Fueled by Ramen and cheap beer (somedayseattle) wrote2025-12-12 05:12 pm
somedayseattle) wrote2025-12-12 05:12 pmunintended benefits
At Old Lady Bingo yesterday a woman walks past our table. She nods and says hello to Stephanie, a sassy old broad sitting across from me. She does not respond. The woman takes another step and issues another hello. Nothing from Stephanie. As the woman is past the table, Stephanie waves her hand dismissively. "Damn, dude. That was rude" says I. Without missing a beat or looking up at me she says "Nobody disturbs me during bingo!"
Living here is truly a different world.
Living here is truly a different world.
Susan Dennis (susandennis) wrote2025-12-12 12:51 pm
susandennis) wrote2025-12-12 12:51 pmIssaquah made the NZ news!
I just got a link about our floods that actually does mention Issaquah from my friend Scott in New Zealand. He was quite amazed as am I.
I did pop into the vet and, turns out, they do carry the smaller bags of kibble and they had plenty and they had treats which are not Temptations but Biggie won't turn 'em down. Chewy is really dragging its feet over this order which is very non-Chewy like. But, I have enough for the weekend and I'll just go back on Monday and pick up some cans if I need to. The vet is very quick and easy to get to with very easy parking.
Timber Ridge does this Christmas Gala thing every year which is lovely if that's your cuppa. They open up all the dining rooms and spread out with all kinds of food and drink and it's a big party. If all you want is dinner, you are kind of SOL. I went the first year with a bunch of people and it was fine. Last year I just wanted food and it was a PIA. So this year, I'm just pretending all the dining opportunities are closed. My freezer is packed to the gills and I will not starve.
I noticed this morning that the inside of my car is disgustingly filthy. Well, not quite that bad but still it needs some love. I thought to myself I should be sure and get it cleaned up before my brother comes in a month. Then I thought hmmmmm I could put this on his Todo list!! hahaha nah. We have a very excellent strong vacuum system just around the corner from my parking space. I just need to roll it over there and do the deed. It's a very small car - so a very small job.
Now it is 1 pm and I have not even watched Jeopardy yet. I hate to get behind schedule!
I did pop into the vet and, turns out, they do carry the smaller bags of kibble and they had plenty and they had treats which are not Temptations but Biggie won't turn 'em down. Chewy is really dragging its feet over this order which is very non-Chewy like. But, I have enough for the weekend and I'll just go back on Monday and pick up some cans if I need to. The vet is very quick and easy to get to with very easy parking.
Timber Ridge does this Christmas Gala thing every year which is lovely if that's your cuppa. They open up all the dining rooms and spread out with all kinds of food and drink and it's a big party. If all you want is dinner, you are kind of SOL. I went the first year with a bunch of people and it was fine. Last year I just wanted food and it was a PIA. So this year, I'm just pretending all the dining opportunities are closed. My freezer is packed to the gills and I will not starve.
I noticed this morning that the inside of my car is disgustingly filthy. Well, not quite that bad but still it needs some love. I thought to myself I should be sure and get it cleaned up before my brother comes in a month. Then I thought hmmmmm I could put this on his Todo list!! hahaha nah. We have a very excellent strong vacuum system just around the corner from my parking space. I just need to roll it over there and do the deed. It's a very small car - so a very small job.
Now it is 1 pm and I have not even watched Jeopardy yet. I hate to get behind schedule!
greghousesgf (greghousesgf) wrote2025-12-12 11:26 am
greghousesgf) wrote2025-12-12 11:26 am(no subject)
Really looking forward to this weekend, tonight I'm going to the East Bay Gay Men's chorus Xmas concert and tomorrow I'm going to the Dickens Faire with some friends. If this doesn't cheer me up after what happened 4 days ago nothing's going to.
Susan Dennis (susandennis) wrote2025-12-12 08:22 am
susandennis) wrote2025-12-12 08:22 amFamously wet
Timber Ridge - the place where I live - is in a small kind of bedroom community of Seattle called Issaquah. Issaquah has a population of about 40,000. It's been raining here in the Pacific Northwest. A lot. But, Timber Ridge is on a hill. And, yesterday, I went to the vet's and back and only saw large puddles.
But, last night, I was watching the national news on ABC when all of a sudden they were showing a national news guy standing in water reporting that Issaquah Creek (which runs through the town) had overflowed its banks and folks downtown had been asked to evacuate! Then I saw several photos of places very nearby that I know well that had replaced their parking lots with deep rushing water.
So wild to be so close and so surprised. I do feel isolated here in the cult but I thought that was my imagination. Turns out, nope.
Thinking back yesterday, the vet did ask me if I had had trouble getting there and I just kind of brushed it off as weird. Sorry, Dr. Vet.
So now I'm high and dry as usual but also way grateful.
Biggie seems fine. Normal. Yesterday morning when I got up, I gave him gabapentin which the vet techs really appreciate as he is not very fond of stuff they do to him. Usually, it just makes him a giant stuffy after about 2 hours and he stays that way for the rest of the day. Yesterday, he never really settled down. He was staggering when he walked so I know he had it in his system but he was feisty as ever and the tech did report he was not happy with their working on him. Last night all he wanted was to sit on my lap which is not handy or usual but fine. This morning he seems back to usual. And is still peeing just fine. And eating fine and now waiting for his morning Temptations. Sorry, buddy.
Chewy is being a little slow to fill the order for his new food and it's beginning to piss me off. They need approval from the vet which they got yesterday. And I uploaded again this morning. And still the order says 'pending approval'. Even if they ship it today and it arrives this weekend, it will still be Monday or Tuesday before it gets up here. Maybe I'll go back to the vets and buy some there to tide over. The problem is they only sell 7 lb bags of the kibble. I don't want to store that much. Plus I have 4 pounds being delivered from Chewy. Ok. am in chat with Chewy now...
Hazel stopped by last night. She had somehow gotten her tablet into safe mode. Easy fix. She plays solitaire on it a lot. It's one of the few things left that she can see enough to do. Then she asked me if I'd come help John with his computer. I used to do this quite a bit BUT then their son took over and I was happy to relinquish. I do not know where son is now but Hazel said they had gotten scammed by BECU and gotten it all fixed but then it happened again yesterday. The way she was saying it did not make sense but that's Hazel for you. I told her that no, I would not be able to help. I learned my lesson with Myrna's computer and Myrna's son. She assured me that this was different. But, touching someone's banking on a computer leads to nothing good. I told her to contact Brandon or Michael (our two IT guys) and they would help him. She was ok with that and I was so relieved.
Someone (son?, Timber Ridge?) tried to talk Hazel to moving into Assisted Living. John is still living in the nursing wing. She refused. But she really needs it. She keeps locking herself out of her apartment - multiple times a day. Now they apparently are having banking issues.
While I have sympathy, their problems are not mine to fix. And my trying will only make things worse. I learned my lesson the hard way. But, at least I learned it.
Ok Chewy was able to remove the 4 lb bag from my order so I'll go to the vet's today and buy some there.
But, after I swim. My leg does not hurt today so I need to get back to walking. Walking to the pool counts.
But, last night, I was watching the national news on ABC when all of a sudden they were showing a national news guy standing in water reporting that Issaquah Creek (which runs through the town) had overflowed its banks and folks downtown had been asked to evacuate! Then I saw several photos of places very nearby that I know well that had replaced their parking lots with deep rushing water.
So wild to be so close and so surprised. I do feel isolated here in the cult but I thought that was my imagination. Turns out, nope.
Thinking back yesterday, the vet did ask me if I had had trouble getting there and I just kind of brushed it off as weird. Sorry, Dr. Vet.
So now I'm high and dry as usual but also way grateful.
Biggie seems fine. Normal. Yesterday morning when I got up, I gave him gabapentin which the vet techs really appreciate as he is not very fond of stuff they do to him. Usually, it just makes him a giant stuffy after about 2 hours and he stays that way for the rest of the day. Yesterday, he never really settled down. He was staggering when he walked so I know he had it in his system but he was feisty as ever and the tech did report he was not happy with their working on him. Last night all he wanted was to sit on my lap which is not handy or usual but fine. This morning he seems back to usual. And is still peeing just fine. And eating fine and now waiting for his morning Temptations. Sorry, buddy.
Chewy is being a little slow to fill the order for his new food and it's beginning to piss me off. They need approval from the vet which they got yesterday. And I uploaded again this morning. And still the order says 'pending approval'. Even if they ship it today and it arrives this weekend, it will still be Monday or Tuesday before it gets up here. Maybe I'll go back to the vets and buy some there to tide over. The problem is they only sell 7 lb bags of the kibble. I don't want to store that much. Plus I have 4 pounds being delivered from Chewy. Ok. am in chat with Chewy now...
Hazel stopped by last night. She had somehow gotten her tablet into safe mode. Easy fix. She plays solitaire on it a lot. It's one of the few things left that she can see enough to do. Then she asked me if I'd come help John with his computer. I used to do this quite a bit BUT then their son took over and I was happy to relinquish. I do not know where son is now but Hazel said they had gotten scammed by BECU and gotten it all fixed but then it happened again yesterday. The way she was saying it did not make sense but that's Hazel for you. I told her that no, I would not be able to help. I learned my lesson with Myrna's computer and Myrna's son. She assured me that this was different. But, touching someone's banking on a computer leads to nothing good. I told her to contact Brandon or Michael (our two IT guys) and they would help him. She was ok with that and I was so relieved.
Someone (son?, Timber Ridge?) tried to talk Hazel to moving into Assisted Living. John is still living in the nursing wing. She refused. But she really needs it. She keeps locking herself out of her apartment - multiple times a day. Now they apparently are having banking issues.
While I have sympathy, their problems are not mine to fix. And my trying will only make things worse. I learned my lesson the hard way. But, at least I learned it.
Ok Chewy was able to remove the 4 lb bag from my order so I'll go to the vet's today and buy some there.
But, after I swim. My leg does not hurt today so I need to get back to walking. Walking to the pool counts.