In the last week or two....
Sep. 13th, 2026 11:05 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
flaviomataniThe Hampstead Alternative Picnic
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10165462102074919&type=3
Jon's Birthday at Aces & Eights
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=flaviomatani&set=a.10165504855569919
Went to Dark Scene at O'Meara (can't remember what it is called now). Stayed only a couple of hours, which seems to be the limit of my endurance for socials, but it was good:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10165499616029919&type=3
Mel's talk at the Guildhall Library on History and Treasures of the Library:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=flaviomatani&set=a.10165522247904919
after that, went with Mel and Bill her partner to Aces & Eights (I'm not drinking alcohol but still, maybe I should just move in there).
First school teaching day in the school year. It was as full of surprises as I anticipated.
Apparently I'm going to be playing at the Renaissance Festival next Sunday. I let myself get talked into this but I still feel what I do is way too different, but, well, we'll see how it goes
https://www.facebook.com/events/4448377992157034/?active_tab=about
Today it will be just one lesson and then the monthly meeting of Bibliogoth:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/262405353796481 (private group so FB might not show you the page).
In the meantime, coffee and an arepa...
Daily Happiness
Sep. 12th, 2026 07:55 pmtorachan2. We went to Universal Studios this morning and got to check out their Halloween decor, which sadly doesn't seem to be much as a lot of it is only brought out for the nighttime events. But we did have some tasty food. And then we went down to Disneyland after that and had a nice time there, too.
3. Just one more day of vacation, alas. But I have really enjoyed this week off, despite the heat getting in the way of some of my plans. I've got a few more planned long weekends coming up, and am going to put in PTO requests for those once I get to work on Monday.
4. Look at this sneepy boy! His little mouth!
2026 Universal Studios Trip #6 + Disneyland Trip #39 (9/12/26)
Sep. 12th, 2026 07:29 pmtorachanIt was warm today, but so much more pleasant than even yesterday, much less earlier in the week, so we were able to enjoy both parks in one day!
( Universal Studios )
( Disneyland )
inside every lady, there's a cowboy that wants to come out
Sep. 12th, 2026 11:55 pmcosmolinguistWe were invited for lunch with the rest of the polycule, starring some of the salad that J has grown this year. V wasn't up to it but D and I went. We also got to meet a couple of J's friends visiting from where J lived before they moved here. They were great fun to hang out with, but I'd expect nothing less from friends of J, who's one of the loveliest people I know.
This evening, D and I went to a transgym friend's birthday party. It was frog and cowboy themed (as far as I can tell, just because he likes both frogs and cowboys) and anyone who didn't arrive suitably attired was play-threatened by the birthday boy (35 today!) with being painted green. No one was (another pal noted, sounding almost disappointed!).
D and I don't have a lot of cowboy themed stuff. He wore his first pair of jeans in about 20 years (I don't think I've ever seen him wear jeans in all the time I've known him) and his leather vest, I wore a flannel shirt and a bandana around my neck. But most importantly, D wanted us to serenade George with "Cowboys are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other", so he played the song and sang it a bunch of times today, I picked up just enough of the words...
George called it a "core memory" when we'd finished.
hot yoga and cold swimming
Sep. 12th, 2026 10:52 pmrmc28Work is very busy, ice hockey is ramping up, I have my first WNIHL game a week tomorrow, and my knee injury from a week ago yesterday is still niggling a little, though much much better than it was.
I am half way through my two-week pass at the new hot yoga studio in central Cambridge, and have managed to go three times and have a good time each time. I will hopefully manage 3-4 more next week. I enjoy hot yoga and it feels like it's good for me, but I can't justify paying full prices for it when I can get very cheap room-temperature yoga through work most weeks.
For contrast, this afternoon I went to a workshop on cold water swimming at Waresley Country Park (thanks to my boss for making me aware of it, and to Kara for being a transport option to get there). A lot of talking through the benefits and risks of cold water swimming, and then an actual swim in the lake. The water was 18C, which I didn't find very cold at all - I'm pretty sure I've swum in cooler pools and I've definitely swum in colder sea - but I enjoyed it very much and I'm tentatively planning to try out the open water sessions at Milton Country Park (which is a lot nearer and easier to get to, and I could even cycle).
Birthday in retrospect
Sep. 12th, 2026 03:06 pmrolanniMy most humble thanks to everyone who sent me natal day greetings. I cannot possibly answer all of you, and hope that a blanket appreciation gives no offense.
I was off-line yesterday, as has been my habit since my birthday was appropriated as a National Day of Mourning, and most especially yesterday, which was the Magic Number 25.
I had breakfast out, then headed over to Stonington. I had A Plan: go to Stonington, park, and wander about on foot, and when I had done, to go back up to (the town of) Deer Isle to ditto, thence to Blue Hill, where I planned to visit the co-op, do some shopping, and take on lunch, which I planned to eat in the park. Alas, road work had its way with me, so! Blue Hill, the co-op and the pleasant picnic some other day. Yesterday, thwarted, I skated over to Bucksport, walked the riverwalk, had lunch at Sweet Cheeks Diner, and eventually wound up in Belfast, where I treated myself to ice cream at the Wild Cow Creamery (Vanilla ice cream with inclusions of cherry and chunks of dark chocolate. Yes, it was every bit as good as it sounds, and I very wisely got two scoops). I took my ice cream to the Belfast Town Park (see? I did get a picnic), and sat on the rock that had been my "outdoor office" decades ago when the laptop and I wanted to a change of scene in which to work, in the breeze and the sun, overlooking the water, and it was very satisfying.
Pizza for dinner rounded out the day, and this morning I arose, refreshed, and wandered back to Steve's office to write.
One of the ... comforting things about yesterday was recalling certain spots on my journey. Deer Isle/Stonington/Blue Hill was not one of our more usual rides, though it wasn't completely new territory for me. I was -- warmed -- when I passed the spot where we had pulled over on the little spit of land with the open ocean on one hand, and the tidal pool on the other, to eat -- yes -- a picnic that we had purchased at the Tradewinds. I was happy to see that the ice cream stand where we had stopped to get milkshakes that time was still there, and had a line. I recognized that intersection there, and the place at the side of the bridge where the reversing tide can be viewed.
So -- it was a pleasant day, and this morning made so by all those good wishes from near and far.
Since I goofed off yesterday, I have some chores to do, now that the day's work is done (for those keeping track at home: 1,020 new words, WIP total 55,260. Ish.)
What's been happening with you?
Random pics from yesterday
Books read in 2026
Sep. 12th, 2026 01:52 pmrolanni55 Bone and Blood, (Border Kingdom #2) C.E. Murphy (e)
54 Liberty's Prison, Randall Liberty, Christine Graf (e)(bkclb)
53 Daggerbound, (Swordheart #2), T. Kingfisher (e)
52 A Gentleman of Modest Ambitions (Lord Julian #12), Grace Burrowes (e)
51 Swordheart, T. Kingfisher (re-read) (e)
50 Carousel Seas (Archers Beach #3), Sharon Lee, narrated by Elizabeth Rogers
49 Carousel Sun (Archers Beach #2), Sharon Lee, narrated by Elizabeth Rogers
48 Carousel Tides (Archers Beach #1), Sharon Lee, narrated by Elizabeth Rogers
47 Diviner's Bow (The Redlands #3), Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, narrated by Eileen Stevens
46 Ribbon Dance (The Redlands #2), Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, narrated by Alex Picard
45 Kin Right (Korval in Exile #7 AND Tinsori Light #3), Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (unedited manuscript)
44 Salvage Right (Korval in Exile #6 AND Tinsori Light #2), Sharon Lee & Steve Miller, narrated by Eileen Stevens
43 Trader's Leap (Korval in Exile #5 AND The Redlands #1), Sharon Lee & Steve Miller, narrated by Eileen Stevens
42 Accepting the Lance (Theo Waitley #7 AND Korval in Exile #4), Sharon Lee & Steve Miller, narrated by Eileen Stevens
41 Neogenesis (Theo Waitley #6 AND Korval in Exile #3), Sharon Lee & Steve Miller, narrated by Eileen Stevens
40 The Gathering Edge (Theo Waitley #5), Sharon Lee & Steve Miller, narrated by Eileen Stevens
39 Alliance of Equals (Korval in Exile #2), Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
38 Dragon in Exile, (Liaden Universe® beginning the Korval In Exile arc), Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
37 Sourdough, Robin Sloan (e) (bookclub)
36 Necessity's Child (standalone in the Liaden Universe®), Sharon Lee & Steve Miller, narrated by Eileen Stevens.
35 Dragon Ship (Theo Waitley #4), Sharon Lee & Steve Miller, narrated by Eileen Stevens
34 Ghost Ship (Theo Waitley #3), Sharon Lee & Steve Miller, narrated by Eileen Stevens
33 Saltation (Theo Waitley #2), Sharon Lee & Steve Miller, narrated by Eileen Stevens
32 Fledgling (Theo Waitley #1), Sharon Lee & Steve Miller, narrated by Eileen Stevens
31 The Talisman Ring, Georgette Heyer, narrated by Joe Jameson
30 A Gentleman Far from Home (Lord Julian 11) Grace Burrowes (e)
29 Black Sheep, Georgette Heyer, narrated by Natalie Simpson
28 Cotillion, Georgette Heyer, narrated by Raj Ghatak
27 Platform Decay, (Murderbot) Martha Wells (e)
26 A Gentleman in Moscow, Amor Towles (e) (bookclub)
25 Fair Trade (Jethri Gobelyn #3), Sharon Lee & Steve Miller, narrated by Eileen Stevens
24 Ribbon Dance (Liaden Universe #26), Sharon Lee & Steve Miller, narrated by Alex Picard
23 Trade Secret (Liaden Universe #17), Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (e)
22 Sea Wrack and Changewind, Sharon Lee, narrated by Alex Picard
21 When the Wolves are Silent (Sebastian St. Cyr #21), C.S. Harris (e)
20 An Heir of Distinction (Bad Heir Days #5), Grace Burrowes (e)
19 Longeye (Fey Duology #2), Sharon Lee & Steve Miller***
18 Duainfey (Fey Duology #1), Sharon Lee & Steve Miller***
17 *Crystal Dragon (Liaden Universe® #10), Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
16 *Crystal Soldier (Liaden Universe® #9), Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
15 Seeking Persephone (Lancaster Family #1), Sarah M. Eden (e)
14 Theo of Golden, Allen Levi (e) book club
13 *Balance of Trade (Liaden Universe® #8), Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
12 *Mouse and Dragon (Liaden Universe® #7), Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
11 *Scout's Progress (Liaden Universe® #6), Sharon Lee & Steve Miller**
10 *Local Custom, (Liaden Universe® #5), Sharon Lee & Steve Miller**
9 *I Dare (Liaden Universe® #7), Sharon Lee & Steve Miller**
8 Cuckoo's Egg, C J Cherryh, (audio first time)
7 *Plan B, (Liaden Universe® #4), Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
6 Getting Rid of Bradley, Jennifer Crusie (audio first time)
5 *Carpe Diem (Liaden Universe® #3), Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
4 *Conflict of Honors (Liaden Universe® #2), Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
3 *Agent of Change (Liaden Universe® #1), Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
2 A Gentleman in Possession of Secrets (Lord Julian #10), Grace Burrowes (e)
1 Spilling the Tea in Gretna Green, Linzi Day (e)
________
*I'm doing a straight-through series read in publication order
**I screwed up and moved right on to I Dare from Plan B, therefore deviating from publication order. I will now amend myself and go back to pick up Local Custom.
***I'll be re-issuing Duainfey and Longeye as an e-omnibus later this year, and so I need to read them!
morning thoughts and caffeine
Sep. 12th, 2026 09:58 amtopaz119Random thoughts about various things I've been watching/reading...
BabyBoy and I have been watching Lanterns and while I have no idea what's going on (seriously, sooooo many threads getting tweaked every week), at least once an episode, I hear myself saying, "I am so glad someone had the good taste to cast Kyle Chandler in something." Also, Aaron Pierre has the most brutally awesome deadpan delivery. So, yeah, no actual thoughts about plot/writing/etc, just kinda enjoying those two and their vibes.
And then there's Ted Lasso, S4 ( mostly vibe spoilers but some plot events )
I did manage to export my Goodreads to StoryGraph -- I'm mkhwriter there. Given the reading slump I'm currently in (I didn't even finish a single book at Beach Week--last year, I finished 8, 6 start-to-finish), I don't know how exciting it'll be over there, but I might be easing out of it.
No DragonCon this year, mostly because it was just too damn hot. It's always hot (I mean, Atlanta in August/early September, duh) but this year we had extra sweltering conditions and the thought of thousands of people and the heat and masking up just did not appeal. Maybe next year...?
Freed Up Some Mental RAM Apparently
Sep. 12th, 2026 12:02 pmglindaIn non-DIY news, I went to a gig last Saturday night with work friends, which was excellent and as a result I’ve booked both tickets and time-off for a couple of other film/gig/theatre things over the next couple of months that I wanted to see which is a good feeling having those in the diary. Also if I’ve already bought the tickets I’ll definitely go, I just need to put them in my phone calendar so that if someone asks me to do a shift swap I remember I have plans and say no! (Project stop letting work take over your life is still a work in progress.)
In less fun news, my knee is giving me problems again. I fell over at ice-skating a couple of weeks ago, and while the bruising is all healed up - I did plenty of elevating and heat/icing it - it’s still complaining at me. (It did not appreciate last week’s gym session, and really did not like the bouncing/dancing at the gig - though in fairness, neither of my knees appreciated the standing gig.) However, it does feel a lot better for having gone for a swim - I’d been avoiding swimming because last time I hurt my knee - the other one - it really didn’t appreciate swimming but apparently this time round swimming is the preferred activity. Bit of a pain that the swimming pool is going to be closed for renovations for a few weeks soon. Since I started writing this entry last week - I thought dreamwidth had eaten the draft but no it was actually in a pages document - I’ve been sleeping with my heatbag on my knee and that seems to have helped a lot. It still twinges a bit if I’ve done a lot of walking or try to kneel on it, but it doesn’t complain when I roll over in bed any more which as an active sleeper is a big deal! I also found somewhere I can get padded skate leggings from in the UK so when I finally crack and get myself skates I’ll get some of those too.
Interesting Links for 12-09-2026
Sep. 12th, 2026 12:00 pmandrewducker- 1. Richard Taylor reminisces about his VFX work and how things have changed since Lord Of The Rings was made
- (tags:lotr history specialeffects movies )
- 2. Ectopic pregnancy deaths in the USA have nearly doubled. It's worse in states with abortion bans. -
- (tags:USA death women abortion OhForFucksSake healthcare )
- 3. 'NAZA' Review: A Devastating Exposé of Israeli Genocidal Policy
- (tags:Israel genocide documentary review Palestine Gaza )
Friday Five: Soup and Sweet Edition
Sep. 11th, 2026 09:31 pmofearthandstars![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
thefridayfive:
1. What is your favorite soup? My first thought was minestrone, which I have loved since I was a kid (though I moved on from a canned version to a homemade version). But if I'm honest, lately it's been a fancy lasagna soup - which I like to serve with a seasoned (tofu-based) ricotta, and, um, crusty bread, of course.
2. Have you made your favorite soup yourself? Perhaps more than I should. It has definitely been on the menu less during the summer, which is why I am eager for fall!
3. What is your favorite dessert? This is a trick question. All desserts are marvelous. But if I had to pick... *flails*... well, I recently had Boston creme pie for my birthday, but also I love hummingbird cake and carrot cake and baked pears and all sorts of lovely things. Cripes, I just finished dinner.
4. Have you made your favorite dessert yourself? Yes, but usually the house-spouse is the dessert maker. They are just better at it and like fussy, fancy, multistep recipes. I like quick n' easy.
5. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream or other frozen treat? So, I am allergic to dairy and corn and coconut (among other things), but 99% of ice creams, vegan or no, have some ingredient containing those, and the <1% that don't taste like the ice that builds up on the side of the freezer (blech). But I like raspberry sorbet and mango Outshine bars.
Daily Happiness
Sep. 11th, 2026 05:37 pmtorachan2. A couple weeks ago I discovered this cookie bakery on instagram. Ever since I liked a few bakery related posts, the algorhythm is always giving me local bakery stuff (some of which is within SoCal but not exactly local if I'm not going near there for other reasons, but most of it is actually close enough that I'd go there just to go there). This place is about 8 miles away, so I decided it would make a good bike trip at some point on a day off. I had been planning to go this week one day since I'm off all week, but the heat made it impossible, since they don't open till ten. But today was not too bad, so I put in an order the night before (they suggest to do so as they can sell out) and headed out to arrive when they open so I could pick up my cookies. I got a six pack with two sea salt chocolate chip, one peanut butter, one Earl Gray and vanilla, and two ube Earl Gray. Then when I arrived, there were more that hadn't been on the menu so I got two jam ones, one raspberry rose, and one lemon citron, and then a neopolitan slice. So far I've tried the peanut butter and chocolate chip ones and they're so good! The cookies are expensive, but they're also huge. Plus this is a very small operation (it was literally the owner behind the counter) and I am willing to pay a little more to support a small local business.
3. The bike ride itself was very nice, despite being a little later in the day than I would prefer. I made sure to put on sunscreen, and wore a hat, so hopefully didn't get too much sun. Since I was getting close to the shop a little before they were set to open, I found a cafe on the way and got a guava matcha latte to cool off, which was very delicious. Riding home I could smell the cookies in my bike basket behind me!
4. The other day when my step-sister came and cleared some of her stuff out of one of our sheds, there was a car seat (not a baby seat but literally the back bench seat of a car, which I believe is not even from a car she owns anymore) that she left for us to put out on the curb. Unlike most stuff that might get picked up by someone, I knew this stood almost no chance of anyone claiming it, so after a couple days I put in a request to the city, and they finally came to pick it up today. During the week or so it was waiting, our next door neighbors added a bunch of their stuff as well, so there was plenty for the truck to pick up. (Some of their stuff did actually get taken by random passers-by, but a lot of it was just junk, as they are still clearing out after the grandpa (a hoarder) died earlier this year.)
5. I had a good but frustrating Blue Prince run today lol. ( spoiler-ish )
6. This was from the other day, but Jasper was sleeping on my desk most of the afternoon today, too. :)
shanah tovah umtukah
Sep. 11th, 2026 08:10 pmwaterswordif you're celebrating and a pleasant weekend if you're not! I have drunk ½ an accidentally very strong G&T, figured out the Calibre-to-offline-iPad workflow that I think will work for me, and am about to face my 2025 10Q answers.
Tomorrow will be the farmer's market, a "mingle" at a local writer's & artist's community org, tashlich at the river, and the making of a chocolate zucchini loaf for the block party Sunday.
Weekly Reading
Sep. 11th, 2026 04:30 pmtorachanDeath on Board
First in a new-to-me historical murder mystery series set at the turn of the century. A governess escorting her charge from America back home to England to start boarding school encounters a series of mysterious deaths onboard the ship. It was just all right. There are a few more books in the series and I will probably check them out, but I'm not sure I would rush out to read another series by this author.
Miss Morton Takes the Waters
There's a new Miss Morton book! I just happened to see it on Amazon. I do like this series and am glad it seems there will be another after this.
Murder at Gulls Nest
Another new-to-me historical murder mystery series lol. This one seems to be actually new, though, and there is just one more book after this (so far). A former nun investigates the disappearance of a friend who also left their order. I liked it and will definitely check out the sequel.
A Stocking Full of Spies
Most recent in the Ministry of Unladylike Activity series of middle grade mysteries by the author of the Murder Most Unladylike books. I continue to enjoy this series and hope that there are more books to come.
Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire
For people who like reading wikipedia entries lol. But seriously, this is a book about the history of the empire, covering all three trilogies and including material from various shows and stand-alone movies that are part of the current canon universe. I have not watched all the stuff it covers (most notably the Clone Wars) but it doesn't matter, because it's covering all the lore for you! I liked it a lot.
Star Trek: Lower Decks vol. 2
This second volume of Lower Decks comics was not written by Ryan North, but is just as funny as the first run. Still not as good as the actual show itself, but I have yet to read tie-in comics that are.
Fruitcake
Cute middle grade graphic novel (loosely autobiographical) about a boy coming to terms with his sexuality in small town Texas. This is apparently the third book in a series, which I didn't realize when I picked it up, but it's 100% stand-alone.
Exercise: bad for you
Sep. 11th, 2026 09:15 pmcosmolinguistI woke up way too early, 6am, and knew right away that I wouldn't be getting back to sleep.
Ah, autumn. If I didn't already have enough reasons that summer is my favorite season, the fact that I'm least plagued by my sleep-maintenance insomnia would be a good reason to prefer it. I really haven't missed it.
I was tired enough that I had to independently reinvent the idea of going to the gym before work -- I forgot I used to do that! -- but once I thought of that I was excited about it, and relieved to have a reason to throw off the covers instead of feeling like I'm admitting defeat when I finally crawl out of bed.
I wasn't able to do a lot of gym because I foolishly forgot that getting the bus at like 7.30 means rush hour so it took a long time to get there. But it was totally worth it: there was no one at all in the gym when I got there; I got to use the weight rack and everything!
I got back just in time to start work so I did my morning check-in meeting and a couple of quick tasks and all my usual morning chores: empty the dishwasher, open the curtains, make a pot of tea...
I went for a shower, felt so good. I sat down on the edge of my bed to do my testosterone gel, which takes a few minutes to dry before I can finish getting dressed.
I started to feel like I had a headache so I laid down on my bed. I was ravenous despite having had breakfast before I went out so I was pondering what kind of snack to have when I went back downstairs.
I slept on and off for the next four hours.
Every so often I'd wake up with a splitting headache, contemplate the four or so steps it'd take to get me to the ibuprofen, or the effort it'd take to pick up my phone and ask someone else to bring some to me, and these things seemed like way too much work. I'd roll over and go back to sleep.
This was so miserable. It was 3pm before I could drag myself out of bed and go downstairs to make a sandwich (I was really hungry by this point!) and get some painkillers.
I felt better for about two hours but pretty gross again ever since. The headache isn't as bad but it's been one of those kinda nauseous ones that makes me think I'm having an atypical-for-me migraine.
So once I've had some dinner (thanks to D who made shepherd's pie yesterday (which for my Minnesotans is basically like if you had mashed potatoes instead of tater tots on tater-tot hotdish); it's always enough for two meals) and more ibuprofen, I'm back in bed.
I hope I sleep, I hope it helps.
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