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Saturday, May 24th, 2025 06:15 pm
This is your check-in post for today. The poll will be open from midnight Universal or Zulu Time (8pm Eastern Time) on Saturday to midnight on Sunday (8pm Eastern Time).


Poll #33158 Daily poll
This poll is closed.
Open to: Access List, detailed results viewable to: Access List, participants: 26

How are you doing?

I am okay
18 (69.2%)

I am not okay, but don't need help right now
8 (30.8%)

I could use some help.
0 (0.0%)

How many other humans are you living with?

I am living single
7 (26.9%)

One other person
14 (53.8%)

More than one other person
5 (19.2%)




Please, talk about how things are going for you in the comments, ask for advice or help if you need it, or just discuss whatever you feel like.
Tags:
Saturday, May 24th, 2025 07:10 pm
Well, I'm gifted. There's a Hispanic grocery store across the street, and I walked over there before D&D last night to grab a few groceries that I needed. On the way back, I ended up tripping over my own two feet. I scraped up both legs a fair bit and had to get that cleaned up before the game, but it didn't seem all that bad at first.

I thought it was fine, save for the scrapes, but when I went to bed after the game last night my body let me know that it was worse than I thought. My left leg is bruised quite nicely and my right knee (which was scraped up) was aching. To make it even better, my right ankle - which is the one that I sprained quite nicely about a month ago that's just really properly started to heal - started swelling again a few after I fell. Plus my right knee has also started swelling somewhat today to match the ankle, which is even better.

Luckily, I still have the brace from when I sprained my ankle at the end of April, and I've been trying to soak it as much as possible which seems to be helping some. I'm not worried about it being a fracture this time like I was a month ago, so I'm not wasting the money on a trip to the doctor since there's only so much they can do for a sprain, as many, many, many past sprains have taught me. And while my knee is a bit swollen, it's not bad enough to justify a trip to the clinic on a holiday weekend, at least not yet.

After almost 40 years in this body, you'd think that I would have learned to walk by now. But, no, apparently not. šŸ™ƒ
Saturday, May 24th, 2025 04:02 pm
I found this article about making a Mosquito Bucket of Doom

1) Fill a bucket with water and put it outside.

2) Add a handful of grass to make carbon dioxide which will attract more mosquitoes.

3) There are two options to kill the resulting larvae.

-- Dump the bucket weekly and refresh the trap with new water and grass.

-- Add a mosquito dunk, which lasts about a month.  Replace whenever it sinks or dissolves.


Also, make sure there are no other pockets of still water to attract mosquitoes elsewhere in your yard.  Every bit that you can find and remove is one less mosquito nest. 
Saturday, May 24th, 2025 07:57 pm

Hello to all members, passers-by, curious onlookers, and shy lurkers, and welcome to our regular daily check-in post. Just leave a comment below to let us know how your current projects are progressing, or even if they're not.

Checking in is NOT compulsory, check in as often or as seldom as you want, this community isn't about pressure it's about encouragement, motivation, and support. Crafting is meant to be fun, and what's more fun than sharing achievements and seeing the wonderful things everyone else is creating?

There may also occasionally be questions, but again you don't have to answer them, they're just a way of getting to know each other a bit better.


This Week's Question: We all probably have multiple WiPs, but which of yours has been hanging around longest, waiting to be finished?


If anyone has any questions of their own about the community, or suggestions for tags, questions to be asked on the check-in posts, or if anyone is interested in playing check-in host for a week here on the community, which would entail putting up the daily check-in posts and responding to comments, go to the Questions & Suggestions post and leave a comment.

I now declare this Check-In OPEN!



Saturday, May 24th, 2025 09:16 am
Poll #33157 Round 151 Dates
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 7


When should we have Round 151?

View Answers

30 May - 1 Jun
4 (57.1%)

6-8 Jun
3 (42.9%)

13-15 Jun
4 (57.1%)

20-22 Jun
1 (14.3%)

27-29 Jun
3 (42.9%)

who knows, I'm on Drag Queen Time in June
3 (42.9%)

I should be free sometime in 2058
3 (42.9%)

Tiquy Boxx
4 (57.1%)

the time has come for you to Rush for your life
4 (57.1%)

Saturday, May 24th, 2025 11:03 am
For those who have go-to versions of common things like, say, meatloaf or brownies or curried chickpeas, how many recipes do you try before settling on one? Is there a point when you say "THIS. THIS is my [x]", or do you sometimes try new versions even when you have one you love? (Possibly this is a "once you've actually cooked a lot, you can look at a recipe and have a fairly good idea of what the different seasonings might add up to"?)

(I didn't help enough with any of the meals under the cuts to tag this post with YKYC, alas.)

meatloaf! (well, meatloaves) )

belated notes on a batch of black beans a month ago )
Saturday, May 24th, 2025 11:22 am

***

Title: Vernal
Author:[personal profile] kat_lair
Fandom: Wheel of Time (both book and tv-show applicable I think)
Characters: Aviendha, Moiraine Damodred, Egwene al'Vere, Bair, Melaine
Tags: Canon Compliant, Rain, Ficlet, Rhuidean 
Rating: G
Word count: 737

Summary: The rain lasts until sunset.

Author notes:
Picked some spring themed prompts to get me out of a writing slump. This was for the prompt 'vernal'. Unbetaed so if you spot a typo or mistake you should tell me.

Vernal on AO3

Vernal )

***
Wednesday, May 28th, 2025 12:50 am
But time moves on. What, exactly, do you call "realistic contemporary fiction" once it's no longer contemporary? It's not exactly historical fiction either, since writers of historical fiction generally make specific choices in bringing the past to life, ideally with few or no whoppers of mistakes.

I sometimes say "then-contemporary", but... well, it sounds a bit silly, doesn't it?

(On a related note, it looks like now people are less likely to say "issues book" and more likely to say "social issues book", is that accurate? I'm not loving a change that involves using more words to get to the same meaning, but okay.)

*******************


Read more... )
Saturday, May 24th, 2025 12:58 am
DEAR ABBY: My dear friend, "Sandra," is married with two children. She and her husband have a 4-year-old son together and another son from her husband's first marriage who is 14. The 14-year-old's life is tough, much like Cinderella's. Sandra treats him very badly. She has him doing all of the housework in their home, belittles him constantly and is very vocal about how much she dislikes him. Her 4-year-old can do no wrong.

The older boy's mother has weekends with her son, but Sandra is open about not liking her either. I feel bad about how the boy is treated and want to talk to Sandra about it, but I don't know how to bring up the sensitive subject and maintain my relationship with the family. Her husband is completely on Sandra's side, so he does nothing to help the boy have a better life. Can you offer any advice? -- FEELING FOR HIM IN WASHINGTON


Read more... )
Saturday, May 24th, 2025 12:40 am
In tonight's game, the rest under a cut for those who don't care. )

And that's where we left off.
Friday, May 23rd, 2025 11:35 pm
*\o/* Word Count Step Count Headache?
Daily 607 9,470 yes
Monthly 14,022 212,968 8 days
Tags:
Tuesday, May 27th, 2025 07:05 pm
She can put weight on her foot, but after she walks for a while she doesn't want to. Still, it's recovering pretty rapidly, that's the important thing.

***************


Read more... )
Friday, May 23rd, 2025 09:39 pm
Oooh, 1987? I vaguely remember that year. 3 schools, since I left MS in the last term of 6th grade, finished it at a new one in FL, and started 7th grade down there (before moving back in the winter to finish back in MS). Let's see how many tabs I open. Hey only 22 catching my full attention. Let's narrow that down. hmm, 13? Let's do this.

length, and mention of reproductive choices )
Friday, May 23rd, 2025 06:23 pm


Unsure how I feel about having 22 minute episodes (sorry, "30 minute episodes"). On the one hand, short and quick enough to watch. On the other hand, this entire episode is essentially half an episode: In Which Our Heroes Travel To DeltFall And MurderBot Looks Around.

Enjoyable, but this kind of episode feels like it is meant for watching entire seasons all at once, where it would just blend in to the before and after. They spent too much time arguing in the shuttle for it to feel like it stands alone at all.

The security footage of what the Gurathin and Bharadwaj are doing back home was pointless, but I guess Character Building or something.

Friday, May 23rd, 2025 06:14 pm
This is your check-in post for today. The poll will be open from midnight Universal or Zulu Time (8pm Eastern Time) on Friday to midnight on Saturday (8pm Eastern Time).


Poll #33155 Daily poll
This poll is closed.
Open to: Access List, detailed results viewable to: Access List, participants: 26

How are you doing?

I am okay
18 (72.0%)

I am not okay, but don't need help right now
7 (28.0%)

I could use some help.
0 (0.0%)

How many other humans are you living with?

I am living single
8 (30.8%)

One other person
14 (53.8%)

More than one other person
4 (15.4%)




Please, talk about how things are going for you in the comments, ask for advice or help if you need it, or just discuss whatever you feel like.
Tags:
Friday, May 23rd, 2025 05:20 pm
I'm so very, very thankful that the new CEO at Unnamed Nonprofit hasn't tried to change anything when it comes to us having extra long weekends around holidays. Hell, if anything he's even better than the former CEO on that front, as he's added extra time here and there for us.

On that note: yesterday was my twelve year anniversary at Unnamed Nonprofit. Time really fucking flies, huh? There are only five people in the entire company who've been there longer than me, and two of them are probably going to be retiring within the next year or so. So that's also a bit terrifying.

Anyway, I managed to get a whopping ten hours of sleep last night, and it was lovely. It cut into my plans for today, admittedly, but the fact that I don't have to go back to work until Tuesday means I still have plenty of time for writing fanfiction, and playing video games, and maybe even watching some movies/TV shows if I can focus on them long enough to watch something new-to-me.

To the surprise of everyone, including me, I've stuck with my planned schedule for the week. I went and bought groceries after work yesterday, so I've got enough to cover me until my next paycheck and I can make some burgers this weekend too. I decided to go with edibles for my relaxation aid, so I picked up a pack at the dispensary on my way back from the grocery store, but they were having a holiday sale so I had enough left over to get some beer too without going over my budget.

I'm not planning on leaving the hotel the rest of the long weekend, although that could always potentially change. Honestly, though, I'll be happy if I can manage to not even have to leave my room for the entire time. That would be great.
Friday, May 23rd, 2025 01:38 pm
I got a text this morning about Yahtzee: as of Thursday he can't use his back legs, and while he's still alert and appreciating belly rubs, it's basically Time. He has a vet appointment at 5 today.

This isn't entirely shocking -- he's 15.6 years old -- and I've been low-key anticipating this; but it's still sad.

He is a very good boy and the bestest first service dog.

(I am leaving comments enabled but have disabled email notifications.)
Friday, May 23rd, 2025 08:54 pm

Hello to all members, passers-by, curious onlookers, and shy lurkers, and welcome to our regular daily check-in post. Just leave a comment below to let us know how your current projects are progressing, or even if they're not.

Checking in is NOT compulsory, check in as often or as seldom as you want, this community isn't about pressure it's about encouragement, motivation, and support. Crafting is meant to be fun, and what's more fun than sharing achievements and seeing the wonderful things everyone else is creating?

There may also occasionally be questions, but again you don't have to answer them, they're just a way of getting to know each other a bit better.


This Week's Question: We all probably have multiple WiPs, but which of yours has been hanging around longest, waiting to be finished?


If anyone has any questions of their own about the community, or suggestions for tags, questions to be asked on the check-in posts, or if anyone is interested in playing check-in host for a week here on the community, which would entail putting up the daily check-in posts and responding to comments, go to the Questions & Suggestions post and leave a comment.

I now declare this Check-In OPEN!



Thursday, May 22nd, 2025 10:30 pm
*\o/* Word Count Step Count Headache?
Daily 1,282 8,879 no
Monthly 13,415 203,498 7 days
Tags:
Friday, May 23rd, 2025 12:57 am
oh my flist it is COLD and i am ANNOYED because it is MAY. i wore a sweater and a winter coat to work. i mean. wtf. seriously. monday is memorial day! what is this bullshit!

in other less annoying news i am one signed lease away from having an apartment. \o/ \o/ \o/ it has off-street parking and a little storage space in the basement and laundry in the building and there's a hood over the stove (omg) and there might not be enough window for my plants but we'll see. i'll be at the mercy of the bus because i won't be walking distance to the t any more but i won't be massively farther away from everyone either. i was starting to despair and now i'm not altho i have to sort shit and pack and change my address in a million places and i am not looking forward to any of those things. i mean, moving is a pain in the ass.

this past weekend was all family, all the time - cousin j of j&m turned fifty and his lovely wife threw him a surprise party and he was SUR. PRISED. (even tho my sister showed up at the restaurant where his mom and brother took him to to get him out of the house while the party guests showed up. she covered for herself but still, oy.) my contribution was a raisin pie which went over really well even tho i had some issues with the top crust and it was thus not an attractive pie. the party was in the afternoon so afterwards i went over to my sister's and we ordered chinese food (not bad but could've been better - the wonton soup was undrinkably salty altho the wontons themselves were good and the moo shi was about 98% cabbage) and watched drop which was tense and i enjoyed it. (it has some actor from yellowstone 1923 who my sister likes which is why she wanted to see it.) and then sunday was j&m's girltwin's final dance recital, as she is graduating from high school in like three weeks. there were dances in a mix of styles from all the classes at the dance school where she goes and let me just tell you that the tiny girls in the tiny ballet tutus are FUCKING ADORABLE. so, so cute. the girltwin looked very confident on stage and did a really good job and it was overall a thoroughly enjoyable recital.

and last sunday i went to ikea with [livejournal.com profile] tamalinn which is always fun. we had meatballs. :D

and today was the monthly admin lunch and we had italian food which means... meatballs. :D also chicken parm and chicken alfredo with broccoli and bread and salad but, you know, meatballs. i love a good meatball.

otherwise the less said about work the better, mostly because i am MADE OF SLACK and i really do have shit to do. most of it is emails and some of it is expenses and a lot of it is about to be travel and i don't want to do any of it. >.<

...my laptop is really dirty. i need to clean it. not right now but soon.

grosse pointe garden society is done for the season and now i know who the dead body is and i don't know how i feel about it. and i can't get over how dumb most of the characters are about their relationships. seriously, so stupid. but it ends on a "what next??" note so i'll probably watch the second season too.

enjoying poker face tho. it's kind of a weird show but the guest stars are fun and i really like natasha lyonne's character.

lego hq is coming to boston. american hq, anyway. they're moving from connecticut and personally i find this really cool.
Thursday, May 22nd, 2025 08:07 pm
This is your check-in post for today. The poll will be open from midnight Universal or Zulu Time (8pm Eastern Time) on Thursday, May 22, to midnight on Friday, May 23 (8pm Eastern Time).

Poll #33150 Daily check-in poll
This poll is closed.
Open to: Access List, detailed results viewable to: Access List, participants: 25

How are you doing?

I am OK
10 (40.0%)

I am not OK, but don't need help right now
15 (60.0%)

I could use some help
0 (0.0%)

How many other humans live with you?

I am living single
8 (32.0%)

One other person
11 (44.0%)

More than one other person
6 (24.0%)



Please, talk about how things are going for you in the comments, ask for advice or help if you need it, or just discuss whatever you feel like.
Tags:
Thursday, May 22nd, 2025 06:43 pm
1. Dear Carolyn: My mom basically despises my boyfriend, ā€œTom,ā€ because he didn’t graduate from college and works a blue-collar job. She is so rude to him, we can’t even be around her. She defends this by saying that looking at us together makes her feel disgusted, she can’t help how she feels, and she’s being as nice as she can given the intensity of her feelings. Tom actually cried after our last dinner with my parents.

Tom and I are 24, are independently financially stable and have lived together for six months — another source of my mother’s angst, but I suspect if I were ā€œshacking upā€ with a more ā€œeligibleā€ bachelor, she would deal just fine. Although I am beyond furious at her treatment of Tom, I don’t want to lose her. Our relationship no longer resembles the mother-daughter bond we used to have. I’m also scared about what this is doing to my parents’ marriage. My dad is saying things to her in a tone I’ve never heard before — telling her that her behavior is unacceptable, that she needs to stop. She just gets defensive and yells at him. I don’t want my relationship to be their undoing.

I love Tom and could see us getting engaged in a year or two. However, I’m actually thinking about breaking up with him over this, although I know evil shouldn’t triumph. But I feel like he’s on one side, and on the other side is my relationship with my mom AND my parents’ relationship AND the potential to have it all if I meet a college-educated suitor. (I feel like a horrible person saying this.)


Read more... )

******


2. Dear Annie: I am a 26-year-old woman deeply in love with someone my parents can't stand. He's not what they envisioned for me; he's rough around the edges, has tattoos, rides a motorcycle and works with his hands for a living. My parents like clean-cut, college-educated types in suits, and he's the complete opposite.

Yes, he has a bit of a "bad boy" past. He's made some mistakes in his younger years -- got into trouble, partied too hard, even had a brush with the law. But that was years ago. Since then, he's turned his life around. He's steady, loyal, hardworking, and treats me with more respect and care than anyone I've ever dated.

Despite all that, my parents won't give him a chance. They're polite when he's around, but I can tell they're just waiting for me to wake up and realize he's "not good enough." They constantly drop hints about finding someone "more suitable" or "more stable," and it's starting to wear me down. I feel caught in the middle -- between a man I love and parents I don't want to disappoint.

I'm not blind to his flaws, but I believe in the man he is now. How do I move forward when the people I've always looked to for support can't accept the person I've chosen? Am I being naive for thinking love is enough, or are my parents judging him unfairly? -- Torn Between Love and Loyalty


Read more... )
Thursday, May 22nd, 2025 06:32 pm
The comments rapidly go off the rails, but there are three links there to go through.

There's more linkage here.

I genuinely do not have the energy to read all of this. I will be sending out an email to my senators, I guess.
Thursday, May 22nd, 2025 09:15 pm

Hello to all members, passers-by, curious onlookers, and shy lurkers, and welcome to our regular daily check-in post. Just leave a comment below to let us know how your current projects are progressing, or even if they're not.

Checking in is NOT compulsory, check in as often or as seldom as you want, this community isn't about pressure it's about encouragement, motivation, and support. Crafting is meant to be fun, and what's more fun than sharing achievements and seeing the wonderful things everyone else is creating?

There may also occasionally be questions, but again you don't have to answer them, they're just a way of getting to know each other a bit better.


This Week's Question: We all probably have multiple WiPs, but which of yours has been hanging around longest, waiting to be finished?


If anyone has any questions of their own about the community, or suggestions for tags, questions to be asked on the check-in posts, or if anyone is interested in playing check-in host for a week here on the community, which would entail putting up the daily check-in posts and responding to comments, go to the Questions & Suggestions post and leave a comment.

I now declare this Check-In OPEN!



Thursday, May 22nd, 2025 09:09 am
I've been tired all week, I thought it was due to lingering tiredness from the wedding. But this morning I woke up, got up, sat and stared at my computer for ten minutes, then went back to bed for another hour and a half. Then I tried eating a little granola and promptly threw it up. My mom and dad both said they had stomach issues in the last few days but they thought it was something they ate. But now I think there's a little stomach bug going around.

I feel way better now even if I'm still really tired. Good news is that it's a rainy gross day, so I'm doing some computer work and can take a nap later.
Tags:
Monday, May 26th, 2025 12:53 am
but Paramount Plus won't cooperate at all. So I finally convinced E to watch some Prodigy with me!

Man, I really love that theme song. Also, I'm gonna just say, maybe it's because it's aimed at a younger audience but this show does the best technobabble - just enough to explain, not enough to confuse or bore.

**********


Read more... )
Thursday, May 22nd, 2025 12:20 am
In tonight's game, the rest under a cut for those who don't care. )

And that's where we left off.
Wednesday, May 21st, 2025 09:15 pm
*\o/* Word Count Step Count Headache?
Daily 0 7,811 yes
Monthly 12,133 194,216 7 days
Tags:
Tuesday, May 20th, 2025 11:30 pm
*\o/* Word Count Step Count Headache?
Daily 470 8,833 no
Monthly 12,133 186,405 6 days
Tags:
Wednesday, May 21st, 2025 06:00 pm
 
This is your check-in post for today. The poll will be open from midnight Universal or Zulu Time (8pm Eastern Time) on Wednesday, May 14, to midnight on Thursday, May 15. (8pm Eastern Time).

Poll #33148 Daily Check-in
This poll is closed.
Open to: Access List, detailed results viewable to: Access List, participants: 33

How are you doing?

I am OK.
19 (59.4%)

I am not OK, but don't need help right now.
13 (40.6%)

I could use some help.
0 (0.0%)

How many other humans live with you?

I am living single.
11 (33.3%)

One other person.
15 (45.5%)

More than one other person.
7 (21.2%)




Please, talk about how things are going for you in the comments, ask for advice or help if you need it, or just discuss whatever you feel like.
 
Tags:
Wednesday, May 21st, 2025 06:58 pm
The clowns running the FDA have proposed restricting access to covid vaccines, to people over 65 or who have certain medical conditions. There's a public docket for comments on the proposal.

Your Local Epidemiologist has a good post about the proposal, including that the people suggesting this know that nobody is going to do the placebo-controlled tests of new boosters they want to require.

Possible talking points include:

Families and caregivers wouldn't be eligible for the vaccine, even if they share a household, unlike the current UK recommendations.

Doctors, dentists, and other medical staff wouldn't be eligible either.

My own comment included that the reason I'd still be eligible for the vaccine is a lung problem caused by covid.

Seriously, this is just exhausting.