Nature Sounds Clock

Sep. 21st, 2025 08:32 pm
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[personal profile] days_unfolding

I was looking at a clock that had nature sounds to which to wind down and to wake up, but it was really expensive. (I like its meditation timer though.) But the dogs like to wrestle while I’m “winding down” and Gracie likes to wake me up, and I think that it would lose something in the translation :) I found something cheap that does that, so I’m might try it. Hmm, it would be nice to have nature sounds on a sleep timer to play for a few minutes after I turn out the light. I found a cheaper clock that I’ll try.

I had problems falling asleep, so I was up really late. I set an alarm for 9 AM.

Gracie is barking at some plants that I have soaking in the tub. Anyone want a dog? Cheap!

I’m not watching the UU service. I don’t think that will work while Bella has her class. But they post the recordings, so I’ll watch them.

I’m feeling really dizzy and shaky, so I can’t go to the dog class. But I have a singing class at the same time, so I can attend that class. (They would have to be at the same time.) I have a dog training app on my phone, so I‘ll work with that in the meantime. And that would enable me to watch the UU sessions.

I need to get more organized. I found an executive functioning, which is what I have a deficit on due to my illness, workbook, which I’ll try.

I think that I need to eat something. I’m feeling fine when I sit (although I’m getting a headache) but am dizzy when I stand up. Sucks.

The intervals and scales class was good. I was the only student in the class, so I’m glad that I showed up.

Oliver knocks things over just by walking by them. I told him that cats are supposed to be graceful, but he sure isn’t.

Took a nap. I was really hammered. Fed us all. I’m going to go to bed early because the garage guys might be here early tomorrow.

(no subject)

Sep. 20th, 2025 08:37 pm
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[personal profile] shadowkat
Called in sick on Friday - and for the most part stayed off the computer, and just watched television and dozed. wrestling with vertigo and loss of balance - most likely due to allergies and sinus issues, also caffeine withdrawl )
***

Question a Day Memage - September continued:

[As an aside - there's an interesting spelling difference between British English and American English. In British English they use "u" in words ending with or. Examples include favourite vs. favorite, colour vs. color, or colouring vs. coloring, flavour vs. flavor. I pick up on it partly because spellcheck on my computer is US, and the meme is British spelling.
I remember when I sent the book I published to an editor - he told that I was using a lot of British spellings for things, which I didn't catch because I was busy interacting online with a people who lived in the UK and were utilizing those spellings. I wonder about that difference. And others. And what is the origin of the difference - when did the American version split off? And why? I'm not a linguist so I wouldn't know.]

18. Did you have colouring books as a child? Have you tried any adult colouring books?

Yes. I didn't like them and drew, doodled, and colored outside the lines.

19. Are you adventurous with your menus, or do you stick to tried and tested ideas for meals?

I play around. I also get into routines. I am not good with a lot of left-overs. I can't prepare food for a week and eat it. My stomach is picky and I have scant storage space. (Small one bedroom apartment, with a refrigerator and small freezer). But I'd say I'm adventurous and I like to experiment - to the degree in which my body can handle it? Which unfortunately is insanely limited. Celiac tends to branch into other food sensitivities, if caught later in life.


20. Do you have a favourite quiz show that you regularly watch on TV?

I'll watch Jeopardy every once and a while.

21. How is Autumn treating you? What’s the weather like?

The weather is beautiful and mild. Feels like early spring, actually. 60s and 70s, occasional 80 degree day, sometimes 59 degrees.

Sunny. Not a lot of rain. Still see flowers, and all the trees are green and fully leaved.

I've been having issues with allergies, sleeplessness, back/leg pain, depression, and digestive issues - so I have been ill. And trying to figure it out.

Feeling a little better right now. Hence this post. Best I've felt in the last four days at least. Not stellar but better.

Singing Lesson Saturday

Sep. 20th, 2025 09:32 pm
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[personal profile] days_unfolding

I woke up at 4:30 AM, used the washroom, and went back to sleep until 7:30. Much better.

I thought about working outside, but they are predicting thunderstorms. We need the rain.

I have a Lily bonking me. Gracie is barking at Oliver. A quiet morning at home :)

Scanned my music and sent it to my singing teacher. So yay.

I’m slowly getting Gracie to like pets. It looks like no one has petted her, unlike Bella, who was asking for pets as soon as she got used to me. Gracie stays very still when I pet her.

Ack! Now they’re recommending consulting a doctor before getting a COVID shot. I’m glad that I got mine when I did. Actually, I read an article saying that if you’re going to get a shot, get it this last week, so I did.

I forgot to mention that I checked on my December cruise (yes, I’m taking cruises in November and December) and everything is set except for the buses.

Hmm. There is a retreat center in Urbana where you can get spa treatments and just relax. That’s kind of what I do with the cruises, but maybe I’ll try a retreat in the Spring?

We’re all fed. Nap time.

Had my shower. Gracie absconded with one of the cat bowls that fell on the floor. I told them that they were making me crazy:)

Zara made a fuss over me when I went into her room for my lesson. I need to spend more time with her. The rest of them get time with me naturally.

I had another fabulous singing lesson with my teacher. She’s an even better teacher than my last one, who I thought was good. We got through most of the “hard” song. She wants me to send her all my music for this semester! She wants to get me to where I can lead the alto section! She’s worth every penny that I’m paying her. I need to book more lessons.

I miss being able to tell my mom about my singing. She was always supportive of my singing, unlike my dad who thinks that it’s a waste of time.

Had lunch. I was eating a frozen yogurt bar for dessert, and I had two dogs and a cat climbing on me. I told them that it was my food. But the dogs licked my face and hands afterwards.

I think that I’m going to book more lessons and scan more music. Her lessons on Saturday weren't open, but I booked for Friday nights instead, which will work well. I subscribed to the time and have a month's of lessons booked. (Actually five weeks because I had a lesson what wasn't scheduled.) Scanned another piece.

I have the blanket and sheets from my mom’s bed with me, but I need to unbury them. I need to wash the comforter from my bed and will use them while it is washing.

Oliver: what are you doing upstairs when it’s time to feed us?

I’ve decided to start watching the live stream at the local Unitarian Church on Sundays. I’ll start going in the Spring or maybe starting January.

Booked a massage appointment for next weekend. I’ll have the massage, come home and let the dogs out and change clothes, and go to the dinner concert. I also booked a haircut right before my cruise.

Bella thinks that a moment that I’m not petting her is a moment wasted. Gracie thinks that a moment that she’s not barking is wasted. That covers their personalities pretty well.

Everyone’s fed and walked, although I need to feed the cats and Gracie again before I go to sleep.

I tried to tell my mom about my singing and the dogs, and I felt like I might have connected? Or at least I had the feeling of connecting. Then she said that she had to go, and Oliver started knocking things over anyway.

Okaaaaay. I need to bring in the recycle bin, do dishes, and put my mom’s sheets and blanket in the bed. (Done, done, and done, and I'm dripping sweat.)

I want to get to bed early to get up early because I want my nap before watching the UU service.

Still Crazy Tired

Sep. 19th, 2025 07:52 pm
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[personal profile] days_unfolding

Oliver was knocking a roll of toilet paper into the toilet. I told him that he was being a little shit.

I'm still really tired from the shots. I thought about emailing in sick, but there will be an update about the search for the replacement for my grandboss, who is retiring, this morning. I told them that I was going to go back to sleep after the update.

Gracie just threw up. Hmm, I wonder why.

Napped. I had a hell of a time getting up, so I took sick time to sleep this afternoon.

Got my new Zenni glasses. They’re cute. I swapped out my Overnight glasses because they were more expensive.

I have a cat in my face who is confused because I’m sitting in the kitchen. No, it’s not feeding time. Had lunch. Gracie was barking at Oliver, so I told her to come into the bedroom and go to sleep. But Gracie and Bella are wrestling now.

I’m dizzy.

Woke up at 5 PM. It’s dark. The weather report says that it’s raining. Good. I’m thinking of feeding the hordes and going back to bed.

Oliver is here. He wants food. He stretched and dug his claws in my leg. I told him to cut it out.

I’ve been putting my glasses in the pocket of my travel vest when I take them off to read so that the dogs don’t grab them. I have one more pair coming slowly.

Oh crud. I need to scan my music for my singing teacher.

Bella is the least food-driven pet that I know. Well, except for Lily. Bella will do anything for a hot dog though.

I'm too tired to scan my music or do anything else. I'm going to go back to bed. I think that I'll sleep in my clothes so that I can jump up and start doing stuff in the morning.

(no subject)

Sep. 19th, 2025 03:30 pm
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[personal profile] jayblanc
Press being breifed with remarks about Burnham 'reluctant to, but not able to rule out' stepping down from his position as Mayor to stand in a By-Election if the Labour Party needs his leadership.

Burnham's Radical-Realist 'Mainline' campaign group openly breifing against Government policy.

Sadiq Kahn having to defend London's against Trump's slander without any support from No.10.

A general sense that Starmer was hopelessly niave and sycophantic in his meeting with Trump, and no apparent concrete trade agreements or actual investment commitments, and more importantly no one from Government doing the press rounds this morning to talk these supposed deals up.

This is not a leader in control of the situation.

COVID and Flu Shots

Sep. 18th, 2025 08:51 pm
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[personal profile] days_unfolding

I'm looking into dormant seeding the bare patches of the lawn. That I could do even though I will be gone in the fall next year. Actually, I could do it this year. I'm looking at grass seed and ACE Hardware has some that seems good.

Overslept, but made sure that I took a shower because I have a meeting this afternoon for which I need to be on camera. (Plus, I have my COVID and flu shots tonight.)

Lily is sitting on the rocking chair in the front window upstairs. She's a cutie. I'm glad that someone found that rocking chair (it was my mom's) because I had an image of a cat in that window. Now she's looking out the back window. Got to keep the house patrol covered!

Gracie is chewing on Bella. I can’t tell if Bella is genuinely annoyed or is playing.

I got my new glasses. The frames are a little darker than I expected, but they are good quality. At least now I don't have to freak out because I have only one pair of glasses.

It's hard to believe that tomorrow is Friday. I swear yesterday was Monday!

Got my shots. They hurt more than I remembered—I made a face—but otherwise no big deal. My shoulder hurts, not surprisingly. Ugh. I’m feeling a little dizzy. I purposefully had no plans for tonight except feeding the hordes in case that I want to lie down.

Fed us all and took the dogs out. I'm feeling crazy tired; I can barely keep my eyes open. So I guess that it's bedtime.

Dental Cleaning and Fixed Gate

Sep. 17th, 2025 09:46 pm
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[personal profile] days_unfolding

I had my dental cleaning this morning. They did only one side, and the other will be in a couple of weeks. They also recommended that I get a mouth guard for sleeping. (Yeah, I'll be sexy with the mouth guard and a future CPAP :))

The garage guy is here fixing the gate that he broke. He did a good job and even put the gates on their hinges. I've more or less talked myself into getting a new chain-link fence after the garage is built. It would be a lot cheaper, and the dogs could see out. I'd like it to be powder-coated green though to add a little pizzazz. They probably could use the same posts for part of it, but I want the gap closed up. Maybe they could put an extra post in.

They're going to start the work on the garage on Monday. They say. I called the electrician for the garage because it looks like they are really going to build the garage.

I was right about not seeding the lawn this fall. They're making a mess of the back yard. I'd like to do it next year, but I'll be in Europe at the right time. Maybe I could hire someone to water the lawn while I'm gone?

I think that I want raised beds that sit on the ground because it'll look neater. But I want the dirt elevated to keep critters out of the vegetable and herb gardens. I'll have to see what I can find. I can buy a bunch of dirt from the landscaping recycling place. I'll get a wheelbarrow and fill them myself. Actually, Home Depot has raised beds with feet that aren't really expensive and look nice. I'm wondering about the grass underneath it though.

The "overnight glasses" are done and are about to be shipped. Way to go.

Got my recycling out, including breaking down boxes. Got my perishable groceries in. I’m going to sit and cool off, and then I’ll get the rest of the groceries.

Thinking about [personal profile] susandennis’ comment about how she’s a large woman with small boobs. I’m a large woman with large boobs (DD), so that’s why my back hurts when I bend over a lot. I thought about breast reduction, but mine aren’t large enough for insurance to pay for it (and I feel for those who are eligible for it). So I really need to get on the diet and exercise wagon again, even though I have a bad case of “don’t wanna”.

Got some of the groceries in. I'll get the rest in the morning. Now I need to feed the critters and then go to bed because I'm really tired.

shadowkat: (Default)
[personal profile] shadowkat
Fair warning? Still sleep deprived, so irritable, tired and slightly depressed due to well lack of sleep. (I'm waking up in the middle of the night in pain and can't get back to sleep.) (I'm only revealing it - because I'm snappish at the moment, and not necessarily my best self.)

1. Having completed Buffy S3 in my rewatch. Am now finally in Buffy S4 and watched the Freshman, which has a couple of interesting guest stars, Pedro Pascal is in it. (Noticed something I hadn't previously? Spike is the front credits in various sections - previewing he's returning.) He's not going by Pascal, this is before he changed his name, also he's about twenty-five years younger. He plays the first victim and Buffy's friend in the episode.

I'm reminded of why I preferred the later seasons? I like the characters better? All of them. Willow's wardrobe is better and Willow becomes less of a damsel and more interesting. Also Xander is no longer a jerk, he's actually interesting and better developed. I actually like Xander. (Although he was more or less likable post the Zeppo. Xander's main problem was Angel - once Angel leaves, Xander kind of calms down.) Also his jokes are more self-deprecating and less nasty. (After the Zeppo, Xander becomes a touch more likable and gets over his skanky self - I finally figured out where I got the phrase "get over your skanky self" from? Buffy.) Giles and Joyce on the other hand - I wanted to smack - which feels like a continuation of S3, I wanted to smack them in S3 at various points, too. OZ remains as comforting and cool as ever.

Also the writing is a touch better - mainly because the writers are no longer attempting to write about their high school experiences which were about fifteen to twenty years ago? Read more... )

2. I finished reading The Perfect Rake - which didn't work for me? The writer was clearly trying to go for a Georgette Heyer style, and I found it tiresome. Also her prose was touch more purple than required. So you have bad Georgette Heyer with Purple Prose. I skimmed most of it. Otherwise I wouldn't have finished it? It's very skimmable - a lot of repetition. I don't know why I keep trying romance novels - I've clearly burned out on the genre? It's annoying at the moment.

Anyhow - I moved on to Spinning Silver by Naomi Novick rec'd by selenak. And so far? It's rather good. It's a retelling of the Miller's Daughter tale or Rumplestilskin. The second retelling that I've tackled.
The first was "The Croning" - a "cosmic" horror novel along the lines of HP Lovecraft that really disturbed me and I can't quite shake from my head. Read more... )

Also, stand a lone, like Uprooted was. I rather loved Uprooted and it stuck with me. So this is working for me for the same reasons it did.

I don't like "series" - I prefer stand-a-lone in novels. Read more... )

I do love fairy tales - or novels/stories that do twists on fairy tales, which is why I read The Croning. I find them interesting.

3. Greatest Comic Book Superhero of All Time - Prove ME Wrong via Screenrant
excerpt )
While I do agree with the selection, I don't like using the word "greatest" - and wish I could remove it from the current lexicon? After reading the comments - I also think this depends on how you view superheros? And what you are looking for in a character and that's subjective and personal? Read more... )

********

Question a Day - Memage

11. Do you like the taste of fresh basil? What other fresh herbs do you like or dislike?

I love basil, rosemary, dill, chives, sage, thyme. I hate fennel or anise, licorice and I don't get along.

12. Have you ever kept a paper journal? What about a bullet journal?

Yes. I don't know what a bullet journal is? Looks it up. Bullet Journal - and uh, that would be a no.

13. Did you have a baby doll when you were growing up? How about a Barbie (or equivalent fashion doll)?

Not a baby doll. A Barbie doll - yes, and Madame Alexander Dolls. My mother loved dolls and bought them for me. (I wasn't really that into them outside of using them to tell stories.)

14. When was the last time you had to dress up for a special occasion? What did you wear?

My father's funeral. Black skirt, red silk top.

15. Do you enjoy driving a car, or is it just a way to get from one place to another?

Just a means of getting from one place to another. Also I can't drive. And rarely use a car to get anywhere. I use subways and trains. The only time I'm in a car is if I'm going to the airport, or visiting and someone else is driving. And no, I don't enjoy driving, or riding in cars.

16. Do you have pierced ears? If not, do you still wear earrings?

Yes. I have pierced ears. I rarely wear earrings - because I wear head-phones to work and at work all day long.

17. Do you own a smart speaker (Amazon Echo, Google Nest, Apple HomePod). If so, what do you use it for?

No. I do have a speaker, that you can use Alexa with - but I can't get it to work properly. I'm not techie. Nor really into gadgets. Also the whole idea of a smart speaker creeps me out.

Slightly Annoying Day

Sep. 16th, 2025 10:31 pm
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[personal profile] days_unfolding

Sigh. The dogs had the whole time that I was gone to wrestle, but they waited until I went to bed. I told them loudly to cut it out, and, to my surprise, they kind of listened. But they kept on going back to it until I turned off the light.

Woke up a little after 7 AM. I'm tired. No nap at lunch because I was covering tickets for a colleague until 12 and had a webinar at 1.

Crap, crap, crap. The cats knocked down my work laptop. I didn't notice that my glasses fell down with it. And Gracie chewed up my glasses. I ordered another pair from Zenni, but I'll need to be careful until they arrive. Crap. I ordered another pair expedited.

The garage people said that they would be here at 3 to take down the shed. It's now 4:30, and they haven't showed up yet. Sigh. Now it's 5:30 and nothing.

It took a long time, but my dental insurance said that the claim for my bridge is currently in an appeal (after first saying my tooth wasn't extracted when it was, but they finally found it). I'll tell the dentist that.

The guys came and took down the shed at 6 PM. The guy driving the machinery messed up one of the back gates, so he’s going to replace it. Meanwhile, I have to take Bella out on a leash as well as Gracie. The guys left a mound of gravel and dirt in the back yard, and Gracie really, really wanted to climb it.

I found a place called Overnight Glasses that make glasses same day (if ordered before noon) or next day and send them overnight mail. I’m going to order another set of glasses later tonight.

Watered the outside plants.

I’m feeling cranky. I chewed the guys out for being late.

Got the garbage out (which includes dumping litter boxes). Ordered my "overnight" pair of glasses, which should get here on Thursday. They're cute glasses with a brown-and-black-striped frame.

Now I need to crash fairly quickly because I want to eat breakfast before I shower and go to the dentist.

Oh, and RIP Robert Redford. That shocked me, although I don't know why.

shadowkat: (Default)
[personal profile] shadowkat
Weirdly, and believe it or not? I sleep better now than I used to. I used to average between 3-5 hours. Now, it's between 5-7 hours, so progress. I even get 8-9 hours intermittently. The smart watch has made a difference - it inspires me to get to bed earlier - and the move to the financial district means that I'm sleeping twenty minutes longer.

I've always had problems with sleep - since I was a child. Busy mind. I used to sleep with my books. And a cat or two. I was raised with cats. I miss the cats, actually - but can't really own one now for multiple reasons not worth going into? They did not help me sleep better.
Read more... )
Last night, I went to bed early, turned off everything around 9:00 pm, and was in bed by 9:40pm. Fell asleep by 10:16 pm (according to the watch at any rate), and ended up waking up at 2:30am, and couldn't get back to sleep - even though I listened to three different sleep meditations on the Calm app. One...kind of triggered a bad memory - it was talking about imagining being in a peaceful and safe place...and managed to remind me of a horror novel that I read over a year ago, and still haunts me to this day. (PenPal, avoid at all costs).

Me: It was about walking through a forest and for some reason it brought to mind this horrible scene from a horror novel -
Mother: How odd that a meditation about Star War's the "force" would trigger horror novel, usually the force is a good thing.
Me: No forest.
Mother: yes, the force.
Me: No. F-o-r-e-s-t, Forest.
Mother: Ohhhh. That makes more sense. I thought you said force.

Sigh. It is possible to have conversations with folks, use words in the same language, and completely not understand one another.
Read more... )

****

Been seeing advertisements in the subway for "Friend.com" - stating things like, "Friend: listens to you, responds, and supports you" and "binge a entire television series with you", "share adventures"...and I thought, oh, this must be friending app, similar to a dating app, except for platonic relationships! I should go check this out.

Eh.

Turns out my definition of "friend" isn't exactly the same as others?

Friend is an AI wearable pendant that records everything you say and do, and after collecting all this data - analyzes it and talks to you about it

From the The Verge

An AI pendant that you wear around your neck constantly, records your voice and all your discussions, and supports you, talks back to you and is your friend )

Apparently he spent $1.5 M just to buy the domain name.

I don't know, I find the concept kind of frightening? And really disturbing? That's not how I define friendship. Friendship is supporting each other, listening to each other, and caring about each other, and enjoying things together, debating things, discussing things, and sometimes disagreeing but being okay about it.

Although I guess it is weirdly reassuring in a misery loves company kind of way that there are so many people out there, including this guy, who crave friendship and can't quite find it?

In more disturbing AI news?Read more... )

Okay. What happened to friendship apps - where you just, you know, meet folks with similar interests? I feel like I woke up one morning and suddenly found myself living in a science fiction horror series by way of Black Mirror and Philip K Dick? And how can I extricate myself? Does anyone see an escape route? Because I want out. Also is there a way we can make any of this stop?

****

I did spend about an hour this morning talking to Art History Major (cubical mate) who is stuck at home recuperating from a stress fracture, which I think is a broken foot. Read more... )

*****

I'm avoiding the news as much as possible. I know what's going on in the world. I wish I didn't. My way of coping is ruthlessly mocking it and making fun of everything. I managed to make myself and various co-workers laugh today. So, that's a win, right?

One co-worker thinks we should all go to group therapy for the trauma of Crazy Org's merger of the agencies. I'm beginning to think the entire United States needs some group therapy.

I found this "Portrait of Life/Portrait of Grief" rather moving and relatable:

Choir Day

Sep. 15th, 2025 11:08 pm
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[personal profile] days_unfolding

The garage guys are going to take down my shed tomorrow. I need to remember to take the dogs out on leashes.

Manic cats are running around upstairs.

I’m looking into a possible Iceland cruise for next year. It would have to be only one week because I’ll have the long trip to Europe in the fall. I like the Viking cruise, but sheesh, expensive.

Hmm. I was thinking more about paddle boarding, and my balance isn’t the greatest. Maybe not. In that case, there doesn’t seem to be a shore excursion on the “private island” that I want. I guess that I’ll just spend the day on the ship.

Went to choir rehearsal. We were given a new piece that’s in Latin with a lot of embellishments, so that’s going to be the piece that I send to my voice teacher. Everyone liked my “My dog thinks I’m cool” t-shirt.

It’s the time of year to practice Christmas carols for the Dial-A-Carol thing. We’re doing one that I didn’t know, “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas,” in choir. That got a lot of requests last year for Dial-A-Carol. I need a book of Christmas carols (ordered) and need to practice ones that I don’t know.

Stopped at the local grocery store on the way back to pick up a few things. I decided to get a garlic chicken sandwich from the deli, and it turned out to be very good. I wound up with a couple of lipsticks in colors that I like. Oh, and it’s apple cider season so I got some and some Apple butter and English muffins on which to put the Apple butter.

Dogs: “You’re home! I missed you so much! I’m so happy that you came back!”
Cats: “Good, you’re home. Feed us.”
Dogs have owners; cats have staff. Oliver is biting Lily for some reason. I told him that he was a little shit.

I need to feed the critters and go to sleep.

Tired Day

Sep. 14th, 2025 10:16 pm
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[personal profile] days_unfolding

Someone did something with the charger for my Apple Watch. I can’t find it anywhere. Ordered a new one. Sigh.

Woke up a little before 9 AM.

My Bluetooth headphones finally paired to my phone. Yay.

I’m feeding the hordes. “Gracie, leave Oliver alone.” Etc. I knocked over my box of Grape Nuts, and Gracie cleaned it up. She’s one weird dog.

Dogs: "We ate breakfast. Now it’s nap time.” Me: “You are right.” But they were lying quietly when I came in, and now they’re wrestling. Why? Gracie is running around in circles.

Napped. Contacted the cruise line and got my login straightened out. Booked my shore excursions and spa treatment. Do I want to try paddle boarding? Had lunch.

Bella and Gracie were wrestling and fell off of my bed. I laughed. Goofs :)

Napped again. Now I’m feeding the hordes and myself (done). Watched an episode of Downton Abbey. Now it's bedtime.

Ouch, Oliver

Sep. 13th, 2025 09:34 pm
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[personal profile] days_unfolding

I wound up staying up late watching a real-time video of 9/11 on the Today show, I think? I watched until I was falling asleep watching. (I hadn’t seen anything like it because I didn’t have cable on 9/11.

Emailed in sick for my singing lesson. Rescheduled my COVID and flu vaccines. I want to stay home and work on the place. After feeding us and a nap. I’m a little dizzy and have stomach cramps.

Ordered more recycled toilet paper.

Manic doggos and cattos. Oliver goes into a pet carrier when I open Zara’s door to give her her food. I’m not sure how I trained him to do that. But today he jumped on my arm and scratched it, drawing blood, on his way in. Sigh. I saw a Facebook group called “My orange cat is a little shit”. Maybe I should join it :) Bella always double-checks that it’s really okay to eat her food. We’re all fed now. Nap time. I heard a car alarm going off and thought I forgot to disconnect the Honda, but the alarm wasn’t it.

Napped. I’m feeling a little shaky but need to take a shower (done). Started laundry.

I read an article about a repair cafe, and I checked, and there is one in Urbana. I should bring my leather purse in there.

Dogs: You are eating! You should give your food to us! Me: LOL, no.

Found my Bluetooth headphones and am charging them. Did some work with Byron Katie’s worksheets.

I’m thinking of going to bed early and getting up early. I put my clothes in the dryer, but I think that I'm going to sleep in my clothes because my pajamas aren't dry yet. Plus, I can get up and start doing stuff right away.

Saturday is tired

Sep. 13th, 2025 07:56 pm
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[personal profile] shadowkat
I'm thinking of going to bed earlier tonight and reading for a bit. I'm still struggling with waking up in the middle of the night and in pain.
So maybe Chamoille tea? I was trying to convince the doctor to prescribe muscle relaxants - but no, she thinks I should reduce my allergy meds, caffeine intake (decafe coffee and matcha lattes during the day), and drink more water instead. She's decided it's dehydration.

Well, she has a point. I'm taking way too many medications as it is. Mentioned this to mother, who felt the need to do a competition - apparently she's taking more than I am, and I have no grounds to complain.
I told her to stop - she was repeating some of the meds and giving me a headache. Mother had suggested the muscle relaxants - which is what she's taking.

Some doctors throw pills at you, mine is trying not to - considering I've already had too many pills from other doctors thrown at me.

**

Finished Buffy S3 rewatch - and as I mentioned on TV Talk - It's a mixed bag of a season. Ironically the weak link is Faith - and her relationship with Buffy, which should have been built better than it actually was. If it had been - I'd have cared more about the character. Such as it is - I was tired of her. Also, it reminded me of an issue I had with Whedon and his series (not just Buffy) - which is the whole Freudian crap. It was a bit too much on the nose with Faith and the Mayor (the guy turns into the Freudian equivalent of a giant phallic snake?). I think I liked Faith better when I first watched the series in the 1998-1999? But her character doesn't really date well? And has been handled better in other series since then? I liked her better on Angel actually, mainly because they built more of a relationship between Faith and Angel, than with Faith and Buffy. I think a huge mistake was not making Buffy bisexual or building up on that friendship in a way that they really became like sisters? As it is - Buffy doesn't really seem to have that much of a relationship with Faith - so it's hard to care. Angel seemed to have more of a connection with Faith somehow? I don't know. Other than Faith - I liked the season. I even like the Mayor as the villain.

The other difficulty I had with S3 - and it kind of drags towards the end - is one too many characters, and trying to do too many things, as a result several characters got lost in the shuffle, including Faith. Ensemble series are difficult to do well because of that.

Back to Work

Sep. 13th, 2025 12:28 am
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[personal profile] days_unfolding

Woke up at 6 AM and used the bathroom. Woke up with my alarm at 7. Took the dogs out. Now I’m taking a nap.

Took a shower over lunch. Found out how to call my dental insurance but I’m still plowing through email from when I was out.

Work is done. Gracie and Bella are fighting over a dog toy. At least it is an official dog toy and not something of mine with which they were playing.

I have an impulse to watch Downton Abbey. (I saw a clip of it on YouTube.) I think that I was starting the fifth season when I stopped watching? I’ll start with that anyway.

Checked when the Symphony season starts, and it’s October 4th.

Lay down after work, but couldn't sleep. But it was nice lying on the bed with the dogs.

Watched an episode of Downton Abbey. Read some Downton Abbey stuff on the Web.

Fed us all. Bella is dozing at my feet, groaning. I think that it's bedtime. Hmm, I have an impulse to watch one more Downton Abbey episode (done). Now it is bedtime for sure.

9/11 Anniversary

Sep. 11th, 2025 10:09 pm
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[personal profile] days_unfolding

I’m thinking of staying out one more day; I’m still having dizzy spells. Yeah, I emailed in sick.

I’ve been thinking about 9/11 for the past few days, probably because of the New York City trip that I had planned. Never forget. It was a very big deal when I lived in California because one of the flights was headed towards the Bay Area. There’s a memorial there that I never saw. I remember my mom leaving a message because I was still asleep: “You will find a lot has happened when you get up.” Hard to believe that it’s been 25 years.

I’m reading Byron Katie’s book Loving What Is. The basic idea is that our thoughts about an event cause suffering, not the event itself. I think that it will help. She has worksheets on her Web site. I want to download them on my tablet and work with them.

I think that Bella is a little annoyed with Gracie’s play fighting. She’s keeping her at bay.

Napped. Woke up a little after 12 PM. Rescheduled my COVID and flu shots for Saturday after my singing lesson. Ate lunch.

I want to lie back down, but the doggos are wrestling.

I need to pick out a song to work on in my singing lesson.

Napped. Threw myself together. Went and picked up my groceries. Made dinner.

Now I need to post and feed the critters one more time. I'm really tired.

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[personal profile] shadowkat
The world continues to be just a bit crazy?

It was a pretty day, and almost 9/11 weather but not quite. Also for the first time ever - I was in the Financial District on 9/11. About fifteen minutes away as the crow flies to the World Trade Center footprint. It is still called the World Trade Center - we just don't call it that - we call it the Freedom Tower. Trauma leaves its scars.



I thought it would be an issue? But it really wasn't. I work in a building that is closer to Battery Park and Staten Island Ferry, not near the World Trade Center. I can see the Freedom Tower out of my office window, but I'm not really near it? And so didn't run into any of the crowds or political power brokers who felt a need to make an appearance (basically all the mayoral candidates), Frump didn't go (he went to the Pentagon instead - because NY kind of made it clear he wasn't welcome), but he also came to the city, to visit the site in the afternoon and to go to the Yankees game (most likely will get booed again - like he did at the US Open). The only downside of NYC, is everyone and their entourage feels the need to come here. But, on the bright side? It's a huge city, so I don't tend to see them.

Speaking of Frump. Mother was amused that he sued the Wall Street Journal ("WSJ")for $81 million defamation suit, and Rupert Murdoch (aka Fox News, Tabloid King and Frump crony, owns the Journal and didn't back down and even let Fox cover the story. She couldn't remember what it was about. I was reminded today - via a headline on Mozilla Firefox home page, with CBS News covering it (also ironic considering), and an email from one of the many news outlets that I keep unsubscribing from and they keep ignoring me.

The skinny? Read more... )

Honestly, the satire writes itself now, doesn't it? No wonder SNL gave up.

In other news, Frump's NASA and a bunch of folks at Frump's Pentagon are worried about a globe that a bunch of drones tried to unsuccessfully take down.

US House UFO Hearing regarding US Missile Strikes on Unidentified Object - and it Bounces off of it

Read more... )

I saw the news blurb - when asked if it scared them by the House, they said yup.

I don't know but I feel like the science fiction novel that I wrote in my head and then on my computer between 2012-2016 is coming true? Frump became President, there was a pandemic, my brother went to Hawaii, and now we have aliens? Is a mutant zombie apocalypse next? I don't want to be a prognosticator - if causes a great deal of anxiety, is somewhat vague, I usually don't believe it nor does anyone else, and I can't do anything to change any of it. I'd much rather be oblivious.

Leaving you with a photo of the World Trade Center - on a bright sunny day like today. We rebuilt it better, and with a lovely memorial.

and I said to myself, sit down

Sep. 11th, 2025 04:47 pm
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[personal profile] nnozomi
To my relief, the stray cats didn’t forget me over my summer elsewhere; my morning run is now reliably interrupted by a belly-patting session with Miké-chan in the park, and one of the green-eyed cats near the nighttime junior high came immediately over to say hi when I went past, winding in and out of the fence and bonking its forehead into my hand.

How does everybody save (non-work-related) files as a rule? As with so many things I am old-school and inefficient; at the end of the month, the latest version of everything I want to save goes onto a couple of USBs, stored in different places. If it’s the middle of the month and I want to be sure to save something, I email it to myself. I never use GoogleDocs etc., everything is on my hard drive + memory sticks.

Work: Someone in a translation I was editing had come up with “adversary management,” which confused the hell out of me until I realized the intended meaning was “adversity management.” Presumably “adversary management” is a little more active…

I found a decent, simple recipe for limeade and have made it twice with very good results. Actually the first time, I couldn’t find limes in the supermarket and had to make sudachi-ade instead; even more of a pain to squeeze (it takes three or four sudachi to make up one lime), but just as good taste-wise. Lovely tart pale-green summer drink, and the kitchen smells deliciously limey as a bonus.

My mom reminded me of a piece of graffiti seen years and years ago which became a family joke: “I love grils. / [Different handwriting] You mean girls. / [Different handwriting again] Hey, what about us grils?”

Courtesy of the farmboys as usual, I learned the Chinese word for post-its (便利贴, convenient stickers) and duct tape (大力胶, really strong tape). Also 心急吃不了热豆腐, you can’t eat hot tofu when you’re fretting, roughly equivalent to “hold your horses, calm down.”
Earlier this year the actor Zhang Zixian was among the farmboys’ visitors; he’s the one whose nuanced performance as Wang Shi’an in The Rebel absolutely blew me away, and it was mind-blowing in another way to see him out of character: cheerful, comic, laid-back, with a bit of a stammer, obviously very likeable but coming off nothing like either poor screwed-up evil Wang Shi’an or one of the most gifted actors in the business, for all that’s what he is. Performers are something else.

Speaking of performance, Y and I went to Takarazuka a couple of weeks ago because they were reviving their production of Guys and Dolls, which has been one of my favorite musicals all my life. It was very disappointing on one front: the Japanese book and lyrics, dating from the 1980s, are limp and awkward and miss the point entirely more often than not, an extra shame because the original English ones are so sharp. (I know it’s a tall order to turn good English lyrics into good Japanese lyrics which are also singable and mean the same thing, but it has been done! The Japanese lyrics for the latter-day Gershwin musical Crazy For You are a masterpiece.) Also the audience was very subdued, hardly rippling with laughter even at the punchlines that survived into Japanese (“Tell him I never want to speak to him again! And tell him to call me here”), although Y figured this was just a cultural thing. Still, the dancing was very good (including the traditional Takarazuka Grand Staircase at the end), and the singing was a lot of fun: you get used very fast to the “men,” ie women playing otokoyaku, singing contralto instead of tenor/bass, and the second act in particular was riveting. This is from a much earlier production, but the staging doesn’t ever seem to change, and it gives you a good idea of what the otokoyaku sound like (Shibuki Jun as Sky Masterson singing Luck Be A Lady). Parenthetically, it amuses me that Takarazuka is obviously much stricter about policing YouTube than about B站. Also, we killed some time wandering through the theater shop looking at the vast quantity of performer headshots etc., reflecting that the gorgeously androgynous otokoyaku overlap interestingly with the occasional gorgeous androgyny of male C-pop (and J-pop and K-pop) singers, approaching from the opposite side as it were. I imagine there have already been papers written about this as a cultural/sexual/sociological phenomenon.

Music: I’ve probably posted it before, but Beethoven’s Sonata No. 32 devolves (or rather sublimates) into jazz in the middle of the second movement, which I can never resist. I’ve linked it with a timestamp here (Mitsuko Uchida’s recording, with notes on YT by the astute Ashish Xiangyi Kumar), but listen to the whole thing if you have a chance.
Also, Jiang Dunhao song of the post (because I can): his own 铁皮火车不停开, sung live sometime last year, which I find very comforting.

In purely personal stuff, I’m depressed and annoyed with myself for taking no steps AT ALL toward ever getting anything I’ve written or translated published, in spite of helpful suggestions on all sides. I’m struggling with the pessimistic feeling that it’s all pointless: I’m terrible at promoting myself (either to agents/publishers or to would-be readers), I’m probably not writing anything that would suit the publishing zeitgeist, I don’t have connections who would do the promoting for me and nobody will take on a writer cold at this point in time, I don’t know the ins and outs of the process of getting translation rights etc., I can’t bring myself to try to get a novel published through what now seems to be the typical route of short stories*, and so on and so forth. Obviously the solution is to get off my ass and at least TRY, and if I fail disastrously in terms of original writing, then to look into self-publishing, but it’s very hard to get rid of the WHY BOTHER YOU WILL FAIL (and probably poison the waters by doing it wrong the first time around) dark cloud.
*Short stories. I think I’ve said so before, but my mind just seems to work in novel lengths? I never can think of anything I want to write as a short story. I have written lots of short story-length fics, but by virtue of being fanfic they’re all kind of…within novel-length [or drama-length, you know, long-form] continuities, not completely freestanding. I don’t know. Ideas for doing something to deal with this?

Photos: Very few, because it’s been too damn hot and humid to be motivated to photograph anything. My limeade and some flowers and the balcony with sudare at sunset, Koron-chan taking her ease, and also WARNING for people who don’t like creepy-crawlies, a very elegant centipede. I thought it was a lot like Oliver Melendy’s encounter …something which looked like a tiny, elaborate trolley car. It was perched on a leaf, standing firmly on ten blunt little round feet that could have been wheels… The whole creature was a rich cinnamon brown color, and along each of its velvety sides was arranged an ornamental row of creamy scrolls., but if you are more Mona than Oliver, maybe don’t click.



Be safe and well.

Sick Day

Sep. 10th, 2025 10:29 pm
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[personal profile] days_unfolding

I woke up with a really upset stomach that got worse, so I called in sick to my dental appointment and work. I need to feed the critters and go back to bed.

I had an unexpected $2000 dental bill. It turns out that my insurance is refusing to pay for my bridge because one of the teeth was previously missing. I’m not sure if it’s worth pursuing with the insurance. They have been working with them for a while. Dad said yes, call them.

I changed my Walmart pickup order to tomorrow.

Went back to sleep. Woke up around 2:30 PM. Ate lunch. Lily is telling me that it’s feeding time, but it’s still early. Whoa. I bent over to pick up my glasses, which Lily knocked on the floor, and had a dizzy spell.

Went back to sleep. Woke up a little before 8 PM. It’s humid out.

I’ve been reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s book about her partner, who died of cancer. It’s rough in parts—her partner went back to her addictions before she died—but she had a great love and found her truth. It’s got me thinking how to get more spirit in my life.

Oh crap. There was another shooting. Political discourse in this country has gone down the tubes.

The cats are telling me they missed a meal. They ground me. I’m making dinner and soaking the cats’ dishes. I’m telling Gracie not to chase the cats. The car keys fell out of my pocket and Bella grabbed them. I finally got them away from her. A quiet evening at home :)

I ordered some Bluetooth headphones and resubscribed to Audible to have books to listen to while I’m cleaning. Elizabeth Gilbert mentioned Pema Chodron and Thich Nant Hanh, both of whom I’ve listened to in the past.

Fed us all and took the dogs out. Now it’s time to post and go back to sleep.

Wedensday is exhausted

Sep. 10th, 2025 08:59 pm
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[personal profile] shadowkat
I didn't sleep that well last night, allegedly got seven hours, but with a lot of intermittent wake-ups.

I listen to sleep stories at the moment, via Calm, to get to sleep - for the most part, it is working. Depends on the sleep story.

Catiching up on September - Question a Day Memage

6. What’s the last book you read – did you enjoy it/would you recommend it?

This is hard. Mainly because I'm in another reading slump, and have started and given up on a lot of books lately.

So, the last one I finished and recall? Was Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (I linked you to another person's book review - who liked the book, while I slogged through it and had issues with the narrative style and writing.)

It's about an elderly woman's friendship with an octopus - who helps her figure out what happened to her son, who went missing decades ago. The book is more focused on the quirky characters than it is on the plot, so as a result the plot is haphazard at best, and depends largely on the stupidity of its characters to move forward. And the characters are remarkably dense.
The octopus has to work overtime to help them figure things out.

I don't know - it's a popular book? I just didn't like it. Although I did finish it - which is more than I can say for the last seven books I've tried to read.

7. Is there anything you know is an extravagance, but you still pay for it regularly because you want to treat yourself?

Sigh. Most likely my television streaming subscription services, and the matcha lattes I get. Also an occasional gluten-free baked good (chocolate chip cookie, donut, muffin...brownie).

8. Can you take a nap and still sleep well that night, or are naps just for when you are unwell?

No. I only take naps when I'm sick or haven't slept the night before, and my body dozes off (so not feeling well). I'm not much of a sleeper. And if I nap, I get groggy and can't sleep at night. Everyone in my family seems to have this problem.

9. When you look outside, what do you see right now?

It's night, so the silhouettes of trees and leaves,reflections of things in the windows (pictures on my walls, easel, chair, stained glass stars hanging from window sills) and a dark sky, also for a while a spotlight. It's the week of 9/11 and they shine spotlights in the sky to remember the twin towers. It looked like the moon - so I wondered if it was, and realized, no a spotlight - the light went to the ground like a spotlight. It's gone now. Saw it last night too.

10. Are there any confectionary bars they don’t make any more that you miss (describe them)?

Okay, not sure what this is? Oh, candy bars.

I don't think there are any that I loved that they don't make any more? Ponders. No. Even saw a Whatmacallit recently. I just can't have them any longer. But that's not because they aren't being made.
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