I have a teenager living in the house. Yesterday, we had his party in the park (as is usual AND was at his request). The weather was pretty much perfect, although the wasps were frightful. Holy hells, there were a LOT. I made a very effective wasp trap from a discarded water bottle (that yes, I pulled from the trash can - I have no shame) and it made a difference.
The party was well-attended, and he had a good time. He also got a new scooter from his aunt and uncle, an adult upgrade to the one he was using. It has a weight rating of 100kg. He should be able to use it for a good long while, which is awesome.
Today, I have no plans outside of thoroughly cleaning the litter boxes. It's gotten to the point that they smell like they need scooping right after they've been scooped. It's pretty friggen gnarly and as much as I don't want to haul them down to the laundry room to apply soap and water, I need to. At least I have gloves.
The party was well-attended, and he had a good time. He also got a new scooter from his aunt and uncle, an adult upgrade to the one he was using. It has a weight rating of 100kg. He should be able to use it for a good long while, which is awesome.
Today, I have no plans outside of thoroughly cleaning the litter boxes. It's gotten to the point that they smell like they need scooping right after they've been scooped. It's pretty friggen gnarly and as much as I don't want to haul them down to the laundry room to apply soap and water, I need to. At least I have gloves.
Tags:
For my mom's birthday, we (that being me and mine, plus my sister and her spouse) went over to hers to DIG! as a gift. Mom has more stuff than she needs and yard work is much more valuable to her than a trinket.
We all met for lunch at a local Croatian schnitzel place that was hella tasty, then after, it was work. Can I just say that I am fucking sore? I don't move like that often enough and I'm paying for it now. The week prior, we had pulled down the majority of the Dutchman's pipe. Yesterday, we dug up the roots. Or most of the roots? The damn thing was trying to take over the garden and was in there DEEP. Some of the roots were as big around as my wrist.
Lesson learned? Don't plant Dutchman's pipe anywhere it can spread. Because it will take over if you give it a chance to.
We also started pruning out the dead vines from the grape arbour. Being as tall as I am, I can reach with the loppers to cut them free to be pulled down. On the one hand, great, no lugging around a ladder or step stool. On the other? My shoulders and arms and back are not fans of me raising my arms up right now.
Is the work done? Pardon me whilst I'm over here laughing myself sick. In mom's garden, the work is NEVER done. There's only "needs doing" and "good enough". We got some things to good enough and that's fine with me.
We all met for lunch at a local Croatian schnitzel place that was hella tasty, then after, it was work. Can I just say that I am fucking sore? I don't move like that often enough and I'm paying for it now. The week prior, we had pulled down the majority of the Dutchman's pipe. Yesterday, we dug up the roots. Or most of the roots? The damn thing was trying to take over the garden and was in there DEEP. Some of the roots were as big around as my wrist.
Lesson learned? Don't plant Dutchman's pipe anywhere it can spread. Because it will take over if you give it a chance to.
We also started pruning out the dead vines from the grape arbour. Being as tall as I am, I can reach with the loppers to cut them free to be pulled down. On the one hand, great, no lugging around a ladder or step stool. On the other? My shoulders and arms and back are not fans of me raising my arms up right now.
Is the work done? Pardon me whilst I'm over here laughing myself sick. In mom's garden, the work is NEVER done. There's only "needs doing" and "good enough". We got some things to good enough and that's fine with me.
I'm fighting a serious case of the Don't Wannas. I don't wanna do the household laundry (one measly load). I don't wanna make cookies. DO NOT WANT.
So, no shit, there I was...
Laundry is done and needs folding/putting away. Cherry chocolate chip oatmeal cookies are baking in batches. I still need to make dinner, even though I really don't wanna.
Living with the wrong prescription continues and I'm done. I'm limited in what I can and cannot do without squinting. Using my laptop and writing? Fine. Reading? Sure. Hand sewing? Since I take my glasses off to do this anyway, this is always a yes.
Not being able to see clearly is turning into a giant ball of frustration that I can't do much about except wait. Okay, I can call the optician, but if he's waiting on an answer, then I'm still waiting. *grump*
I now have a twelve year old. His party was on Sunday and it went off without a hitch. Well, mostly without a hitch. The weather was fantastic, we found a spot in the shade, his friends came (this is important, as he has only *just* found his tribe), and the park wasn't stupidly busy (although parking was a Beast).
This was the very first birthday party I had been to in my entire life where someone lost a pair of underpants, though. Yes, it was my kid. And yes, he is potato. He was coming back from changing in the bathroom and they got dropped. Before we left, I sent him to walk back to the building to see if they were still there, but nope. So I went to go pee and, and as I was coming back, noticed something weird near the playground. Since I can't see for shit, I got closer.
And found his underpants.
The boy must have initially walked back a different way the first time, and didn't retrace his steps the second. We found them, that's what's important and my child? Is Potato. I love him, but oy.
So, no shit, there I was...
Laundry is done and needs folding/putting away. Cherry chocolate chip oatmeal cookies are baking in batches. I still need to make dinner, even though I really don't wanna.
Living with the wrong prescription continues and I'm done. I'm limited in what I can and cannot do without squinting. Using my laptop and writing? Fine. Reading? Sure. Hand sewing? Since I take my glasses off to do this anyway, this is always a yes.
Not being able to see clearly is turning into a giant ball of frustration that I can't do much about except wait. Okay, I can call the optician, but if he's waiting on an answer, then I'm still waiting. *grump*
I now have a twelve year old. His party was on Sunday and it went off without a hitch. Well, mostly without a hitch. The weather was fantastic, we found a spot in the shade, his friends came (this is important, as he has only *just* found his tribe), and the park wasn't stupidly busy (although parking was a Beast).
This was the very first birthday party I had been to in my entire life where someone lost a pair of underpants, though. Yes, it was my kid. And yes, he is potato. He was coming back from changing in the bathroom and they got dropped. Before we left, I sent him to walk back to the building to see if they were still there, but nope. So I went to go pee and, and as I was coming back, noticed something weird near the playground. Since I can't see for shit, I got closer.
And found his underpants.
The boy must have initially walked back a different way the first time, and didn't retrace his steps the second. We found them, that's what's important and my child? Is Potato. I love him, but oy.
Tags:
Months ago, I discovered an adorable kobold plush that was being sold by Makeship. I posted it to the Discord server I share with my 4e gaming group because it was cute and needed to be seen. ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
clawfoot, DM extraordinaire and my dearest friend for over 30 years, decided that I needed more than just an image of an adorable kobold plush, and thus the birfday giftening happened Friday night before she headed to her writing retreat.
I would like to introduce you all to Gashur, the most dapper kobold you will ever meet:
(His bowtie is some red Chinese brocade I had kicking around, with some ribbon and a bit of velcro. I did all the stitching by hand with needle and thread for reasons, and I just finished it tonight. My hands, unused to that much work, kind of hate me now.)
clawfoot, DM extraordinaire and my dearest friend for over 30 years, decided that I needed more than just an image of an adorable kobold plush, and thus the birfday giftening happened Friday night before she headed to her writing retreat. I would like to introduce you all to Gashur, the most dapper kobold you will ever meet:
(His bowtie is some red Chinese brocade I had kicking around, with some ribbon and a bit of velcro. I did all the stitching by hand with needle and thread for reasons, and I just finished it tonight. My hands, unused to that much work, kind of hate me now.)
Tags:
Happy Birthday to me!
I am now officially older than my father was when he died. Yeah, odd milestone, but it certainly feels more personal than, say, a decade marker like 40 or 50. A few years ago, we were getting lunch at a Wimpy's Diner before heading to Toronto for Christmas and I spied an old advertisement on the wall that dredged a memory of my dad up from the depths of my brainmeats, so I sent it to my sister to see if she also remembered and she did!
My dad used to roll his own cigarettes. Not using a pinch of tobacco and papers, but a machine. I can't remember what it looked like now, but I have, in my head, an image of something akin to the old credit card imprinters. I can see him sitting at the kitchen table, newspapers laid out to keep the excess tobacco somewhat corralled. Anyway. Weird memory to have crop up.
Here's the ad that brought that up to the surface:
+~+~+
I have finished my first week of work. It was...work, but I did it and am going to have to adjust to the tiredness that comes with it. (I am still very proud of myself for getting outside and working, even if it was only 8 hours over two days.) On my first day, waiting for the bus home, I got to use my new emergency hat because it was too cold and windy to be standing still. I found the UGLIEST yarn while out thrifting for overalls for Declan's Hallowe'en costume. Then I googled hat patterns and found one I really liked the look of. It's ugly and cozy and I LOVE IT.
(Pictures don't do it justice. It's more vibrant in person.)
+~+~+
Yesterday, we all had a spot of very successful errand running! First up were flu shots for the lot of us. This year, we went to an independent pharmacy and it was quicker than it is at a chain.
While we were waiting the 15 minutes, we wandered through the dollar store and found gloves for the boy. His mitts died an ignoble death last year and he needed something new. I asked him if he wants a string (idiot strings are the best way to keep kids from constantly losing mittens and gloves, because that can get expensive and fast); he declined. Well, at least they weren't THAT expensive.
The longest errand we ran was buying winter boots for the boy. He has adult sized feet and sensory issues, so it makes it challenging. As a woman with hard-to-fit feet, I completely get it. BUT, after much gnashing of teeth and beating of breast, we found a pair that are a good size, didn't cost a gajillion dollars, and should do for the year. Added bonus? Not having to deal with the craziness that will be today (the store was pretty quiet when we went). The weather is turning and that reminds parents that they need winter gear for their kiddos.
It was dark when we came home, but the sky was FANTASTIC. This is the best shot I got from my cellphone:
+~+~+
I haven't been reading much lately. I'm still editing my book, and I was thinking that writing is taking enough energy that I don't have much to spare to create new worlds from the words of others. While that does impact on the time I have to read, it doesn't really explain why I have been buying books and not reading them. Maybe things will settle out in a week or so when I get myself used to working for someone else again. Maybe.
Or maybe I should start reading something today, because it's mah birfday.
I am now officially older than my father was when he died. Yeah, odd milestone, but it certainly feels more personal than, say, a decade marker like 40 or 50. A few years ago, we were getting lunch at a Wimpy's Diner before heading to Toronto for Christmas and I spied an old advertisement on the wall that dredged a memory of my dad up from the depths of my brainmeats, so I sent it to my sister to see if she also remembered and she did!
My dad used to roll his own cigarettes. Not using a pinch of tobacco and papers, but a machine. I can't remember what it looked like now, but I have, in my head, an image of something akin to the old credit card imprinters. I can see him sitting at the kitchen table, newspapers laid out to keep the excess tobacco somewhat corralled. Anyway. Weird memory to have crop up.
Here's the ad that brought that up to the surface:
+~+~+
I have finished my first week of work. It was...work, but I did it and am going to have to adjust to the tiredness that comes with it. (I am still very proud of myself for getting outside and working, even if it was only 8 hours over two days.) On my first day, waiting for the bus home, I got to use my new emergency hat because it was too cold and windy to be standing still. I found the UGLIEST yarn while out thrifting for overalls for Declan's Hallowe'en costume. Then I googled hat patterns and found one I really liked the look of. It's ugly and cozy and I LOVE IT.
(Pictures don't do it justice. It's more vibrant in person.)
+~+~+
Yesterday, we all had a spot of very successful errand running! First up were flu shots for the lot of us. This year, we went to an independent pharmacy and it was quicker than it is at a chain.
While we were waiting the 15 minutes, we wandered through the dollar store and found gloves for the boy. His mitts died an ignoble death last year and he needed something new. I asked him if he wants a string (idiot strings are the best way to keep kids from constantly losing mittens and gloves, because that can get expensive and fast); he declined. Well, at least they weren't THAT expensive.
The longest errand we ran was buying winter boots for the boy. He has adult sized feet and sensory issues, so it makes it challenging. As a woman with hard-to-fit feet, I completely get it. BUT, after much gnashing of teeth and beating of breast, we found a pair that are a good size, didn't cost a gajillion dollars, and should do for the year. Added bonus? Not having to deal with the craziness that will be today (the store was pretty quiet when we went). The weather is turning and that reminds parents that they need winter gear for their kiddos.
It was dark when we came home, but the sky was FANTASTIC. This is the best shot I got from my cellphone:
+~+~+
I haven't been reading much lately. I'm still editing my book, and I was thinking that writing is taking enough energy that I don't have much to spare to create new worlds from the words of others. While that does impact on the time I have to read, it doesn't really explain why I have been buying books and not reading them. Maybe things will settle out in a week or so when I get myself used to working for someone else again. Maybe.
Or maybe I should start reading something today, because it's mah birfday.
Paul wanted a 'proper birthday cake' as his present (it's his birthday today), and he wanted it to be chocolate. That means, of course, a chocolate layer cake. Fine. Okay.
Cake decorating is totally NOT MY THING. I am TERRIBLE at it. I cannot stress that enough: TERRIBLE.
You know how every baker has that one thing that they excel at? They also have that one thing that, no matter their skill or enthusiasm, will never work out. Me? I excel at pie crusts. Don't ask me to make a layer cake.
Sure, I can slap frosting on the top of cake or drizzle over a glaze, no problem. Wanting a layer of cake, then frosting, then more cake, then everything covered in buttercream? Hahahahahahahahahahaha, no.
I did everything exactly right. Sure, I subbed out lard/butter for shortening (because that is not something I buy. Ever), and orange extract for vanilla, but these are not catastrophic substitutions. In fact, they are perfectly FINE substitutions when you've made as many cakes as I have over the years.
Neither cake came out of the pan in one piece. (Pans were buttered and floured, and the cakes were allowed to cool completely, as per instructions. I did not, and should have, used parchment disks on the bottom.) There was just enough buttercream to make a decently thick crumb-coat/hold it together. (I should always make twice as much, but never give it more than a passing thought until it's way to fucking late.)
The only consolation is that it's edible.
Cake decorating is totally NOT MY THING. I am TERRIBLE at it. I cannot stress that enough: TERRIBLE.
You know how every baker has that one thing that they excel at? They also have that one thing that, no matter their skill or enthusiasm, will never work out. Me? I excel at pie crusts. Don't ask me to make a layer cake.
Sure, I can slap frosting on the top of cake or drizzle over a glaze, no problem. Wanting a layer of cake, then frosting, then more cake, then everything covered in buttercream? Hahahahahahahahahahaha, no.
I did everything exactly right. Sure, I subbed out lard/butter for shortening (because that is not something I buy. Ever), and orange extract for vanilla, but these are not catastrophic substitutions. In fact, they are perfectly FINE substitutions when you've made as many cakes as I have over the years.
Neither cake came out of the pan in one piece. (Pans were buttered and floured, and the cakes were allowed to cool completely, as per instructions. I did not, and should have, used parchment disks on the bottom.) There was just enough buttercream to make a decently thick crumb-coat/hold it together. (I should always make twice as much, but never give it more than a passing thought until it's way to fucking late.)
The only consolation is that it's edible.
Happy Birthday to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
lovecraftienne. May you have many more years of being only 39 ahead. :)
And a very very Happy Anniversary tofuzzpsych! Ten years together (six married) but far from over. I love you.
lovecraftienne. May you have many more years of being only 39 ahead. :)And a very very Happy Anniversary to
fuzzpsych! Ten years together (six married) but far from over. I love you.
Tags:
Happy Birthday to the_daily_rant!
I shall have to make you a cake or something (pie, maybe?) very very soon.
the_daily_rant!I shall have to make you a cake or something (pie, maybe?) very very soon.
Tags:
Well, I didn't get my birthday wish afterall. Damn. I've been looking forward to that drink for a long long time. Oh well. Not that I would have enjoyed the taste of alcohol yesterday, what with the cold and the aftertaste of Ricola and everything, but it would have been nice.
Otherwise, though, it was a good day yesterday. I ate WAY too much, thanks to my mom andclawfoot, and even got a huge boquet of yellow freesia from the Grays. I like getting flowers. It's also probably the only aspect of me that's really a girly girl.
Now I have half the money for that writer's conference in June (my mom is incredible, really. She even permanently loaned me her old sewing machine because mine is pooched), lots to read ("Shadowmarch" from my understanding and very patient husband and the first Lemony Snickett book frommeowster) and gift certificates to squander delightfully on comics and a hair cut (from the exceedingly generous joncanuck and the_daily_rant who stuck them in a punishing card).
Friday night, I drank a little too much tea, but was in the company of friends, so having to get up at least six times to pee in the middle of the night was worth it. :) So thanks to all and sundry who made my very low-key "milestone" birthday worth celebrating, by making it all about me and not at all about the parasite.
Otherwise, though, it was a good day yesterday. I ate WAY too much, thanks to my mom and
clawfoot, and even got a huge boquet of yellow freesia from the Grays. I like getting flowers. It's also probably the only aspect of me that's really a girly girl.Now I have half the money for that writer's conference in June (my mom is incredible, really. She even permanently loaned me her old sewing machine because mine is pooched), lots to read ("Shadowmarch" from my understanding and very patient husband and the first Lemony Snickett book from
meowster) and gift certificates to squander delightfully on comics and a hair cut (from the exceedingly generous joncanuck and the_daily_rant who stuck them in a punishing card).Friday night, I drank a little too much tea, but was in the company of friends, so having to get up at least six times to pee in the middle of the night was worth it. :) So thanks to all and sundry who made my very low-key "milestone" birthday worth celebrating, by making it all about me and not at all about the parasite.
