Birds
Jan. 13th, 2026 11:04 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ribirdnerd posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
birdfeedingI saw a cute little Carolina Wren this morning, picking up seed dropped by the Mourning Doves and House Sparrows.
ribirdnerd posting in birdfeeding
tuesday later
Jan. 13th, 2026 10:58 amsummersgate
I had the pin loom square "packages" all neatly arranged (12 rows, 9 in a row) when I left the room to get my camera and came back to find this. Rainy had struck. She loves to get on her back and wiggle around on anything I lay out. It's a real challenge when it comes time to make a bed. She looked a little embarrassed. When I tried to get her to look at me for this pic she wouldn't.
Let's try it again, this time with the gate shut so she can't get in.
the word fear did not and does not exist in my vocabulary
Jan. 13th, 2026 03:55 pmphilomythaThe Dark Invader, Kapitänleutnant Franz von Rintelen (available on Gutenberg Australia)
The autobiography of one of Germany's most successful secret agents in WW1. One of the good bits from my previous book was the mention of this autobiography in the author's note at the end, since Rintelen appears as a minor character in 'The Spies of Hartlake Hall'. So I looked it up and read it, and what a read it was. Rintelen is an absolute lunatic; what he most reminded me of was a German Miles Vorkosigan, including the bit where his superiors ship him off to cause problems for the enemy instead of having him meddling in politics at home. He likes coming up with wild ideas and carrying them out, he has bucketloads of chutzpah, he's not above creatively delaying his obedience to orders, he's not afraid of wading into just about anything and he's very cocky. He is exactly who you don't want as a coworker in headquarters, but exactly who you do want to send off to sabotage the enemy.
And since he spoke excellent English - the memoir is written by him in English, not translated from German - the Germans sent him to America to do something about the fact that America, though neutral, was supplying huge volumes of ammunition to the Allies. And so he sets about arranging the manufacture of time-bombs to put in the holds of cargo ships carrying munitions, he looks for ways to sabotage harbours, he tries to send money and weapons to Mexico to encourage them to invade the USA, he gets involved in organising strikes among dock workers and munition workers, and he makes friends with Irish nationalists and encourages them to help him with all of this. And, because this is real life and not fiction and he's not quite as lucky as Miles Vorkosigan, eventually he gets captured by the British on his way back to Germany, and put in a POW camp, and then later was sent for trial and imprisonment in the USA for his crimes there - he doesn't get back to Germany again until 1921, after four years of hard labour in pretty grim conditions which he makes plain in his memoir that he felt was extremely inappropriate as an enemy soldier.
But he did very obviously adore the British officers who captured him, he's incredibly Anglophile and the whole description of his being captured is interleaved with a description of him spending Christmas with one of the officers involved years later and how well they got on ('dearly beloved ex-enemies' is his phrase); he loves England and the British. He found that Germany wasn't the place for him when he got out - not least because von Papen, the Weimar chancellor, was his fellow naval attache in the US embassy while he was carrying out all this sabotage and they hated each other's guts and, according to Rintelen, Papen deliberately let his name leak out so that the British knew who he was and could arrest him. So Rintelen moved to London and settled there, and according to the Wikipedia article about him, it's possible that when WW2 came around he helped train SOE operatives in sabotage work, this being something of his area of expertise.
The memoir is very obviously written with his own biases and interpretation and grievances about various things, but it's a fantastic read and honestly even though he was clearly a complete nightmare in so many ways, I couldn't help but like him.
The autobiography of one of Germany's most successful secret agents in WW1. One of the good bits from my previous book was the mention of this autobiography in the author's note at the end, since Rintelen appears as a minor character in 'The Spies of Hartlake Hall'. So I looked it up and read it, and what a read it was. Rintelen is an absolute lunatic; what he most reminded me of was a German Miles Vorkosigan, including the bit where his superiors ship him off to cause problems for the enemy instead of having him meddling in politics at home. He likes coming up with wild ideas and carrying them out, he has bucketloads of chutzpah, he's not above creatively delaying his obedience to orders, he's not afraid of wading into just about anything and he's very cocky. He is exactly who you don't want as a coworker in headquarters, but exactly who you do want to send off to sabotage the enemy.
And since he spoke excellent English - the memoir is written by him in English, not translated from German - the Germans sent him to America to do something about the fact that America, though neutral, was supplying huge volumes of ammunition to the Allies. And so he sets about arranging the manufacture of time-bombs to put in the holds of cargo ships carrying munitions, he looks for ways to sabotage harbours, he tries to send money and weapons to Mexico to encourage them to invade the USA, he gets involved in organising strikes among dock workers and munition workers, and he makes friends with Irish nationalists and encourages them to help him with all of this. And, because this is real life and not fiction and he's not quite as lucky as Miles Vorkosigan, eventually he gets captured by the British on his way back to Germany, and put in a POW camp, and then later was sent for trial and imprisonment in the USA for his crimes there - he doesn't get back to Germany again until 1921, after four years of hard labour in pretty grim conditions which he makes plain in his memoir that he felt was extremely inappropriate as an enemy soldier.
But he did very obviously adore the British officers who captured him, he's incredibly Anglophile and the whole description of his being captured is interleaved with a description of him spending Christmas with one of the officers involved years later and how well they got on ('dearly beloved ex-enemies' is his phrase); he loves England and the British. He found that Germany wasn't the place for him when he got out - not least because von Papen, the Weimar chancellor, was his fellow naval attache in the US embassy while he was carrying out all this sabotage and they hated each other's guts and, according to Rintelen, Papen deliberately let his name leak out so that the British knew who he was and could arrest him. So Rintelen moved to London and settled there, and according to the Wikipedia article about him, it's possible that when WW2 came around he helped train SOE operatives in sabotage work, this being something of his area of expertise.
The memoir is very obviously written with his own biases and interpretation and grievances about various things, but it's a fantastic read and honestly even though he was clearly a complete nightmare in so many ways, I couldn't help but like him.
Schooner Fame of Salem in Salem, Massachusetts
Jan. 13th, 2026 10:00 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
atlas_obscura_places_feed
When people think of Salem, the most famous sights are without a doubt related to the Witch Trials of 1692 and the city is especially popular and busy during the Halloween season. However, there is much more to Salem beyond the spooky or supernatural. The waterfront is equally historic, and the replica of the Schooner Fame is a testament to the city’s rich maritime history.
When the French Revolution broke out in 1789 and with much of Europe being dragged into war against France in the following years, the newly created United States found itself in a very precarious position. Support their French allies who played such a crucial role in helping secure American independence at the risk of starting another war with Great Britain or remain neutral praying for peace and a hopeful outcome. President George Washington chose neutrality and with the signing of the Jay Treaty in 1794, peace and commerce between the US and Britain would be maintained for 10 years. However, with the expiration of the treaty and the Monroe–Pinkney Treaty of 1806 designed to continue the peace being rejected by President Thomas Jefferson, the future between the two countries seemed increasingly uncertain.
By 1810, things were approaching a breaking point with numerous naval incidents such as skirmishes and impressment of American sailors resulting in violence, embargos being passed, and continued expansion westward convincing Native American tribes the only way to prevent American encroachment was forming alliances with the British. Conflict finally began when Congress formally declared war and President James Madison signed the measure into law in June 1812.
With war breaking out, the mariners and sailors of Salem had limited options on how to preserve their careers and livelihoods. They could either continue trading as usual, but risk being captured or sunk by enemy vessels, become privateers on behalf of the US government, or simply wait on the sidelines with no income and hope the conflict will end quickly. For many, privateering was the only practical solution and 25 men in Salem gathered resources and funds to purchase a ship so they could become privateers. They bought a small schooner originally designed for fishing named Fame which was built by Captain Epes Davis of Annisquam. The crew outfitted Fame with cannons and chose William Webb as their captain. Once they received their privateering commissions, they sail for British Canada in July 1812 as the first American privateer vessel.
Their plan was to sail along the Maine coast and with New England being close to the Canadian border, it didn’t take long for Fame to spot British vessels. Off Grand Manan Island in the Bay of Fundy, Fame captured the English ship Concord and the Scottish brig Elbe without firing a shot becoming the first American privateer ship to make a capture. Fame returned to Salem on July 9th, just eight days after setting sail and brought back a lucrative cargo of shipping supplies including masts, spars, staves, and tar. It was deemed legitimate cargo and auctioned off for around $7,000, an incredibly large sum at the time.
Throughout the rest of the war, Fame would make 12 cruises and capture 20 ships with many different captains and crew members. In 1814, Fame was wrecked in the Bay of Fundy, and its crew taken prisoners but returned to the US once the war ended a year later.
Construction for the replica of Fame began in 2002 and first set sail with passengers in July 2003. Today, it offers various cruises around Salem Sound, and it’s an absolute delight. Not only can you see and feel the history on board, but passengers also have the opportunity to assist the crew working the sails, steering the ship, purchase snacks and refreshments, and lastly witness one of the small cannons being fired before reentering the harbor.
There are many cruises and ferries across Massachusetts, but nothing quite like the Fame. An absolute must visit if you have an interest in the history of the War of 1812, enjoy sailing on the ocean, and would like to have a unique experience most visitors to Salem may not be aware of. Happy and smooth sailing!
bikini
Jan. 13th, 2026 08:05 amprettygoodwordIf yesterday was an edge case, this one’s completely off the edge — when I was compiling the week’s words, I failed to notice this one is not Polynesian but Micronesian, and while the two groups do make up the Eastern branch of Oceanic languages, it’s still off topic. My bad. Especially as the history is too interesting to give up:
bikini (buh-KEE-nee) - n., a close-fitting, two-piece women’s bathing suit that does not cover the midriff.
The history is easier to explain in chronological order. One of the northernmost of the Marshall Islands is a coral atoll called Pikinni (stress on the first syllable) in Marshallese, from pikin, flat land + ni, coconut, so (is)land where coconuts grow. When the Marshall Islands were part of the colony of German New Guinea, the German adaptation was Bikini (still stressed on the first syllable), it became known by that in English (stressed first syllable) and French (stress typically on the second syllable, following that language’s norms). Japan took over the Marshall Islands in 1914 at the start of WWI, and the USA took it over following WWII, and from 1946-1958 they test-fired 23 nuclear weapons on Bikini Atoll. [Sidebar: They relocated the ~150 inhabitants first, and since in traditional Marshallese culture wealth is based on how much land your clan controls, this impoverished them.] Four days after the first test-fire on Bikini in July 1946, French designer Louis Réard introduced a new midriff-baring two-piece swimsuit, which he named bikini (stressed second syllable) after it, the idea being that it was just as much a sensation. Um. Yeah. [Sidebar2: Thanks to the swimsuit, the atoll now is just as likely to be pronounced with stress on the second syllable. Second round of Um. Yeah.]
---L.
bikini (buh-KEE-nee) - n., a close-fitting, two-piece women’s bathing suit that does not cover the midriff.
The history is easier to explain in chronological order. One of the northernmost of the Marshall Islands is a coral atoll called Pikinni (stress on the first syllable) in Marshallese, from pikin, flat land + ni, coconut, so (is)land where coconuts grow. When the Marshall Islands were part of the colony of German New Guinea, the German adaptation was Bikini (still stressed on the first syllable), it became known by that in English (stressed first syllable) and French (stress typically on the second syllable, following that language’s norms). Japan took over the Marshall Islands in 1914 at the start of WWI, and the USA took it over following WWII, and from 1946-1958 they test-fired 23 nuclear weapons on Bikini Atoll. [Sidebar: They relocated the ~150 inhabitants first, and since in traditional Marshallese culture wealth is based on how much land your clan controls, this impoverished them.] Four days after the first test-fire on Bikini in July 1946, French designer Louis Réard introduced a new midriff-baring two-piece swimsuit, which he named bikini (stressed second syllable) after it, the idea being that it was just as much a sensation. Um. Yeah. [Sidebar2: Thanks to the swimsuit, the atoll now is just as likely to be pronounced with stress on the second syllable. Second round of Um. Yeah.]
---L.
Book Review: Mr. Midshipman Hornblower
Jan. 13th, 2026 09:24 amosprey_archerAhoy there, mateys! In 2026, littlerhymes and I have embarked on a Year of Sail, starting with C. S. Forester’s Mr. Midshipman Hornblower!
(This was apparently not the first Hornblower published, but it is the first chronologically, so we decided to start there.)
In this book we meet Horatio Hornblower, a cool, logical, mathematically talented all-around doofus who gets seasick on his very first row out to his new ship as midshipman. The seasickness fades but the general awkwardness does not, as evidenced in the story where a woman offers to hide dispatches in her petticoats and Hornblower is like: discussing stays? and petticoats? with a woman???? and then there’s a glimpse of her thigh WHERE TO LOOK??????
He’s also almost madly brave, as evidenced in the story where he purposefully climbs aboard a fire ship (that is, a ship that has been purposefully set on fire in order to set other ships ablaze) in order to steer it out of the harbor. Absolute madman. But it’s the logical thing to do, so calmly he goes ahead and does it.
Over the years I’ve osmosed that the Hornblower movies starring Ioan Gruffud are good and also slashy, so I decided that I might as well give them a go too. I watched the first two, then commented tolittlerhymes, “These are good but they AREN’T slashy, the internet lied to me.”
“Watch the next movie,”littlerhymes commanded.
HOLY COW.
So in the first movie, Hornblower and company are on their way to a surprise night attack on a French frigate when Hornblower’s friend Mr. Midshipman Kennedy has a seizure. Unable to think of any other way to keep him quiet, Hornblower knocks him over the head, which means that they have to leave him on the jolly boat as the rest of them attack the frigate, and the jolly boat is cast adrift with Kennedy still in it.
In the third movie, Kennedy returns! Specially, Hornblower is TAKEN CAPTIVE by the SPANISH and in his very cell in Spanish prison, he finds Kennedy, who greets him “GO AWAY.”
Then Kennedy turns his face to the wall. He just got out of the punishment cell which is so small that you can neither lie down nor stand up, and he can no longer straighten his legs, and he wants to die.
Naturally Hornblower tenderly nurses him back to health, which involves gently smoothing his lustrous hair from his brow. (The production team clearly threw realism to the winds with the lustrous hair, as I feel strongly that Mr. Midshipman “so depressed he’s trying to starve himself to death” Kennedy would probably not be bothering to comb his hair or indeed shave and would therefore have a beard like Santa Claus.) It does NOT involve climbing into bed with him to warm him with his own body heat, but I feel sure that fanfic has filled in this gap, and if it hasn’t (or even if it has) I might need to commit a little fic for the cause.
littlerhymes and I have embarked on a Year of Sail, starting with C. S. Forester’s Mr. Midshipman Hornblower!(This was apparently not the first Hornblower published, but it is the first chronologically, so we decided to start there.)
In this book we meet Horatio Hornblower, a cool, logical, mathematically talented all-around doofus who gets seasick on his very first row out to his new ship as midshipman. The seasickness fades but the general awkwardness does not, as evidenced in the story where a woman offers to hide dispatches in her petticoats and Hornblower is like: discussing stays? and petticoats? with a woman???? and then there’s a glimpse of her thigh WHERE TO LOOK??????
He’s also almost madly brave, as evidenced in the story where he purposefully climbs aboard a fire ship (that is, a ship that has been purposefully set on fire in order to set other ships ablaze) in order to steer it out of the harbor. Absolute madman. But it’s the logical thing to do, so calmly he goes ahead and does it.
Over the years I’ve osmosed that the Hornblower movies starring Ioan Gruffud are good and also slashy, so I decided that I might as well give them a go too. I watched the first two, then commented to
littlerhymes, “These are good but they AREN’T slashy, the internet lied to me.” “Watch the next movie,”
littlerhymes commanded.HOLY COW.
So in the first movie, Hornblower and company are on their way to a surprise night attack on a French frigate when Hornblower’s friend Mr. Midshipman Kennedy has a seizure. Unable to think of any other way to keep him quiet, Hornblower knocks him over the head, which means that they have to leave him on the jolly boat as the rest of them attack the frigate, and the jolly boat is cast adrift with Kennedy still in it.
In the third movie, Kennedy returns! Specially, Hornblower is TAKEN CAPTIVE by the SPANISH and in his very cell in Spanish prison, he finds Kennedy, who greets him “GO AWAY.”
Then Kennedy turns his face to the wall. He just got out of the punishment cell which is so small that you can neither lie down nor stand up, and he can no longer straighten his legs, and he wants to die.
Naturally Hornblower tenderly nurses him back to health, which involves gently smoothing his lustrous hair from his brow. (The production team clearly threw realism to the winds with the lustrous hair, as I feel strongly that Mr. Midshipman “so depressed he’s trying to starve himself to death” Kennedy would probably not be bothering to comb his hair or indeed shave and would therefore have a beard like Santa Claus.) It does NOT involve climbing into bed with him to warm him with his own body heat, but I feel sure that fanfic has filled in this gap, and if it hasn’t (or even if it has) I might need to commit a little fic for the cause.
The Duty of a Civilization and Weaponized Naivete
Jan. 13th, 2026 08:39 amseawaspCut for length...
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
The "demand for perfection -- but only on one side" approach is, in fact, a major tactic and stumbling block in modern politics, and I should probably make that another post.
tuesday
Jan. 13th, 2026 09:15 amsummersgateI did no art-a-day for the last couple days. Busy with people. We had our second family holiday party on Sunday and then yesterday we spent the morning with Johnny and Alison before they left, had coffee with Chloe at the Iron Furnace coffee shop in the afternoon and went shopping for a part to fix the bathroom sink. In the evening I made this amigurumi girl bear:
I'm learning more tricks on how to place the body parts and features and this one went smoother.
I have an appointment for Skye to get an xray on Thursday. She's been doing good recently (eating and pooping) so I was feeling hopeful but his morning she moaned for a while, threw up and wouldn't eat her breakfast. Then she went rogue and is hiding somewhere that I can't find her. Now I'm worried again.
Chloe got the materials for linoleum block printing for Christmas and I've seen a few of the things she printed so far. Really neat. Which made me want to try block printing again. I am fighting the urge to spend money on linoleum blocks (the rubber kind) and a new set of gouges (I can't find my old ones). I'll probably lose the battle. The desire for art supplies generally wins. But I think I will make myself put off the decision to buy till after I finish assembling the pin loom blanket that I'm making for Rowan. Who knows, maybe the desire to do block printing will go away by then. I know I am very compulsive especially with buying art and craft supplies. The Octopus of Wanting.
I'm learning more tricks on how to place the body parts and features and this one went smoother.
I have an appointment for Skye to get an xray on Thursday. She's been doing good recently (eating and pooping) so I was feeling hopeful but his morning she moaned for a while, threw up and wouldn't eat her breakfast. Then she went rogue and is hiding somewhere that I can't find her. Now I'm worried again.
Chloe got the materials for linoleum block printing for Christmas and I've seen a few of the things she printed so far. Really neat. Which made me want to try block printing again. I am fighting the urge to spend money on linoleum blocks (the rubber kind) and a new set of gouges (I can't find my old ones). I'll probably lose the battle. The desire for art supplies generally wins. But I think I will make myself put off the decision to buy till after I finish assembling the pin loom blanket that I'm making for Rowan. Who knows, maybe the desire to do block printing will go away by then. I know I am very compulsive especially with buying art and craft supplies. The Octopus of Wanting.
I ain't dead yet!
Jan. 13th, 2026 06:04 amsine_nominePosted this in response to someone, and realize it might have relevance to the handful of you what would actually read what I post, if ever I would actually post.
In part, I said, "Anemia plus upcoming hip surgery plus full time job plus being across the country this long have finally combined to eat any spare brain cells I might have."
Note that I am leaving out the state of the world (the insanity is not just limited to the US at present, but wow is it looming large), and the challenges of working in the particular areas of interest for Major NonProfit in the times such as these in which we find ourselves living. Those are just the lagniappe.
In part, I said, "Anemia plus upcoming hip surgery plus full time job plus being across the country this long have finally combined to eat any spare brain cells I might have."
Note that I am leaving out the state of the world (the insanity is not just limited to the US at present, but wow is it looming large), and the challenges of working in the particular areas of interest for Major NonProfit in the times such as these in which we find ourselves living. Those are just the lagniappe.
muddling through winter
Jan. 13th, 2026 08:34 amunicorndukethings melted last week and everything was mud, so I got a couple days break from spreading straw. weirdly, my problem elbow hurt more when I wasn't using it constantly than when I was. Not sure what's up with that. The temperature dropped again, so the ground froze again. Did another load at dawn this morning but discovered a belt had worn weirdly on the shredder, so I need to run to town today and get a new one before we shred more.
The pottery class I was going to take isn't actually available on Wed, their only evening hours are mondays from 5-8 and they only just updated that on facebook and haven't emailed me back. I'm busy that night, so that's out. I could theoretically do day classes but with how short the days are, any daylight is needed for work hours especially if I need extra warmup time between morning and afternoon. ETA: I found another studio with wed classes and easier signup procedures. done.
I did go to spinners guild on sunday and it was a gosh dang delight including one of the longer term guild members coming this time who is queer in so many ways and everyone was lovely to him. It was so so so nice and relaxing. I think for the next meeting I'm going to get either my electric wheel battery up and running or take my smaller wheel and start an alpaca spin on it. My CPW is too big and loud for the space we've been meeting in. I got there right at 1pm and was still one of the later arrivals, so clearly I need to get there even earlier :)
We have started the wood stove indoors back up, so that's nice. I missed it. We ran out of wood that size and it had gotten warm, so there was less point in running it. Dad got on the roof and cleaned the chimney out while it was off, so that was nice and split some of the wood at the rental into wood stove size for both their house and mine.
I did kickstart my parents into doing work on their house! I sanded their office floor and then mom cleaned it and we sealed and finished it together. Definitely one of those times where it would have been faster with just one person, but so be it. My dad has been working on their living room wall drywall which is next in line. They do have renters moving into the rental Feb 1, so there is painting to be done there, plus some other small misc stuff. Parents' house also needs paint so I will be helping with some amount of painting. I didn't do drywall in my upstairs bathroom yet as expected, but I'm planning to later this week when dad is around to help me move the drywall outside to cut and then upstairs to get in place. They do have an extremely firm deadline of house renovations of June when my dad's college buddies are coming to visit, so there's that. We did discover that nice foosball tables are extremely heavy and it would be good to have more than two people to get it in a bilco basement door. I didn't get squished but it was very very heavy. After we got it down there, my dad said, you know, I think it did say something about being over 200lbs. hmm. thanks dad. Although we would have had to get a cousin or something to come help, which my parents are slightly allergic to asking for help, so I dunno if that would have happened anyway. We do have a vague plan to get the floor done which is good and there is progress happening. Given my parents hated the smell of the seal and finish, we are waiting to move them into the house until the living room/dining room/kitchen are all sealed and finished.
Winter is one of those times where I am just sleepy a lot, so I do accept this as a fact of life but also am fully aware that I am relatively isolated from the local area. In NY, I had an established friend groups, I had places I could go when I wanted a little socializing or crafting with folks, all sorts of things. Here I don't have any of that, so I'm trying to find something. Over the summer, I was so busy with the farm that I didn't really notice, but now I really can tell. To be fair, I have three nights a week where I have weekly social opportunities, but they are all digital. I know I need to push myself and get out there but it's hard and farm work is a bit unpredictable with when we need to run for straw and things. So spinners guild was excellent. I'm hoping to go to a meetup this saturday, although I'll be missing gaming with Jade that night for it. I need to do something thur/fri nights. And maybe some saturdays during the day. Hmm.
The pottery class I was going to take isn't actually available on Wed, their only evening hours are mondays from 5-8 and they only just updated that on facebook and haven't emailed me back. I'm busy that night, so that's out. I could theoretically do day classes but with how short the days are, any daylight is needed for work hours especially if I need extra warmup time between morning and afternoon. ETA: I found another studio with wed classes and easier signup procedures. done.
I did go to spinners guild on sunday and it was a gosh dang delight including one of the longer term guild members coming this time who is queer in so many ways and everyone was lovely to him. It was so so so nice and relaxing. I think for the next meeting I'm going to get either my electric wheel battery up and running or take my smaller wheel and start an alpaca spin on it. My CPW is too big and loud for the space we've been meeting in. I got there right at 1pm and was still one of the later arrivals, so clearly I need to get there even earlier :)
We have started the wood stove indoors back up, so that's nice. I missed it. We ran out of wood that size and it had gotten warm, so there was less point in running it. Dad got on the roof and cleaned the chimney out while it was off, so that was nice and split some of the wood at the rental into wood stove size for both their house and mine.
I did kickstart my parents into doing work on their house! I sanded their office floor and then mom cleaned it and we sealed and finished it together. Definitely one of those times where it would have been faster with just one person, but so be it. My dad has been working on their living room wall drywall which is next in line. They do have renters moving into the rental Feb 1, so there is painting to be done there, plus some other small misc stuff. Parents' house also needs paint so I will be helping with some amount of painting. I didn't do drywall in my upstairs bathroom yet as expected, but I'm planning to later this week when dad is around to help me move the drywall outside to cut and then upstairs to get in place. They do have an extremely firm deadline of house renovations of June when my dad's college buddies are coming to visit, so there's that. We did discover that nice foosball tables are extremely heavy and it would be good to have more than two people to get it in a bilco basement door. I didn't get squished but it was very very heavy. After we got it down there, my dad said, you know, I think it did say something about being over 200lbs. hmm. thanks dad. Although we would have had to get a cousin or something to come help, which my parents are slightly allergic to asking for help, so I dunno if that would have happened anyway. We do have a vague plan to get the floor done which is good and there is progress happening. Given my parents hated the smell of the seal and finish, we are waiting to move them into the house until the living room/dining room/kitchen are all sealed and finished.
Winter is one of those times where I am just sleepy a lot, so I do accept this as a fact of life but also am fully aware that I am relatively isolated from the local area. In NY, I had an established friend groups, I had places I could go when I wanted a little socializing or crafting with folks, all sorts of things. Here I don't have any of that, so I'm trying to find something. Over the summer, I was so busy with the farm that I didn't really notice, but now I really can tell. To be fair, I have three nights a week where I have weekly social opportunities, but they are all digital. I know I need to push myself and get out there but it's hard and farm work is a bit unpredictable with when we need to run for straw and things. So spinners guild was excellent. I'm hoping to go to a meetup this saturday, although I'll be missing gaming with Jade that night for it. I need to do something thur/fri nights. And maybe some saturdays during the day. Hmm.
Hair
Jan. 13th, 2026 01:32 pmsmokingboot'There's such a thing as chemo hair,' said the hairdresser some time back, despite me repeatedly trying to tell her that what I had was radiotherapy, not chemotherapy. 'Same for your hair, almost,' she said. I don't think it is, but she was on a roll. 'When your hair first grows back, it's going to be strange. Still got the chemo in it you see. Might as well shave it all off, the next growth is better.'
I ignored her because I am not shaving my head for someone who tells me chemo and radiotherapy are effectively the same thing. So it has grown. And I have to admit, it's not great. The trouble is knowing the difference between ageing hair, treated hair, radiotherapied hair, cancer hair and whatever the hell else is going on. Also, it itches, the colour doesn't last, and the last time she coloured my hair it burned my scalp. I had to stop her.
Right now it looks dry, brittle. There is some shine, but not my normal shine. The nurses were a bit more useful. 'It's going to change, they said, 'colour change, texture change, maybe it will start being wavy.' I asked them if I should shave my head. 'That's up to you,' they said, 'but you don't need to.' I told them about the hairdresser. They tried to be polite.
Now I have seaweed shampoo and conditioner. Let's see what happens.
Yesterday I did stuff that needed doing and took effort, today I started one thing, ended up doing two others, more productive than I have been but.. truth is that by 11 I am done. If I am to get anything really sorted I have to get up early in the morning and do it straight away. And yet, how true is this, really? I stayed up late doing the place plan. That wasn't creative as such, it was recording, taxing in a different way and once I finished it I collapsed into near torpor for weeks. Let's be honest, I couldn't do it again.
The whole after cancer thing is driving me mad. I'll talk to the doctor soon. This fatigue is just ridiculous, the depression less insidious because I know its cause but still damaging. All they are going to say to me is that we can try Tamoxifen, but its rep for side effects is worse than Letrozole, and it took me long enough to get used to the latter. Ten years like this? I know, time to be grateful, make the best of it, people are facing much worse. If I can cover my head in kelp I'm doing OK.
I ignored her because I am not shaving my head for someone who tells me chemo and radiotherapy are effectively the same thing. So it has grown. And I have to admit, it's not great. The trouble is knowing the difference between ageing hair, treated hair, radiotherapied hair, cancer hair and whatever the hell else is going on. Also, it itches, the colour doesn't last, and the last time she coloured my hair it burned my scalp. I had to stop her.
Right now it looks dry, brittle. There is some shine, but not my normal shine. The nurses were a bit more useful. 'It's going to change, they said, 'colour change, texture change, maybe it will start being wavy.' I asked them if I should shave my head. 'That's up to you,' they said, 'but you don't need to.' I told them about the hairdresser. They tried to be polite.
Now I have seaweed shampoo and conditioner. Let's see what happens.
Yesterday I did stuff that needed doing and took effort, today I started one thing, ended up doing two others, more productive than I have been but.. truth is that by 11 I am done. If I am to get anything really sorted I have to get up early in the morning and do it straight away. And yet, how true is this, really? I stayed up late doing the place plan. That wasn't creative as such, it was recording, taxing in a different way and once I finished it I collapsed into near torpor for weeks. Let's be honest, I couldn't do it again.
The whole after cancer thing is driving me mad. I'll talk to the doctor soon. This fatigue is just ridiculous, the depression less insidious because I know its cause but still damaging. All they are going to say to me is that we can try Tamoxifen, but its rep for side effects is worse than Letrozole, and it took me long enough to get used to the latter. Ten years like this? I know, time to be grateful, make the best of it, people are facing much worse. If I can cover my head in kelp I'm doing OK.
Private Rites by Julia Armfield
Jan. 13th, 2026 08:52 amjames_davis_nicoll
Sisters process family tensions as the world slowly grinds to an end.
Private Rites by Julia Armfield
Be Cassandra While Western Civilization Collapses Around You!
Jan. 13th, 2026 08:38 ammallorys_cameraWhere, oh where, did I go wrong?
I think by picking up the wrong travel brochure in Bardo.
Clearly, I was reaching for the glossy folder emblazoned, Enjoy your next incarnation as a veterinarian in the 1930s & 1940s Yorkshire Dales!
Instead, my astral fingers fumbled, & I picked up the one labeled, Be Cassandra while Western Civilization collapses around you! (Note: This material contains themes of intense sadness, depression, hopelessness, and emotional distress.)
###
Anyway, yesterday I did regain a modicum of sanguinity: It was a bright, sunshiney, though intensely cold day & I shot the shit with a couple of my fellow tax-preparing wage slaves at the Schlock office who laughed at all my jokes and told me they never peddled product unless the client was clearly on the verge of being swept up in a financial maelstrom. Their eyes widened with admiration when I went into my patented rant about how companies bloated with middle management always update their perfectly functional software & support documents every year because that's the only way middle management can justify its existence.
I am a mouse trained on scraps! The things that keep me happy are so small! All I really need is an audience for an hour & a chance to show off how much I remember from my university economics classes.
###
Came home & realized that Chapter 4 in the Work in Progress would be wayyyyyy too long if I followed my kinda/sorta outline. Really, I need to split it into a Chapter 4 and a Chapter 5!
And Chapter 4 has to end with an elliptical, evocative, & allusive conversation with the New Millennium Kingdom girl—
And here, I totally ran out of steam.
Because while it's staying light till 5pm now, it's still midnight at 6pm, and I can't work at night.
Which is weird because I'm perfectly capable of working at 4 o'clock in the morning when it's just as dark.
###
So! Notes for the final climactic Chapter 4 WiP scene, which hopefully, I can polish off before I toddle off to the gym:
Brief review of the revolving signage on the New Millennium Kingdom table: COVID is God's Down Payment, The Blood of the Lamb Works Better Than Purell, etc, etc, etc.
One time I asked her (your enigmatic question & response goes here)
Another time I asked her, "But what did you do before this?"
She laughed and said, "I was a broker at Goldman Sachs."
Work Buy the dip, short the godless index into the dialog somehow.
Has to be some ruminations about the Universe's plan & the very last line will be the girl laughing at Grazia, Didn't we already decide that?
I think by picking up the wrong travel brochure in Bardo.
Clearly, I was reaching for the glossy folder emblazoned, Enjoy your next incarnation as a veterinarian in the 1930s & 1940s Yorkshire Dales!
Instead, my astral fingers fumbled, & I picked up the one labeled, Be Cassandra while Western Civilization collapses around you! (Note: This material contains themes of intense sadness, depression, hopelessness, and emotional distress.)
###
Anyway, yesterday I did regain a modicum of sanguinity: It was a bright, sunshiney, though intensely cold day & I shot the shit with a couple of my fellow tax-preparing wage slaves at the Schlock office who laughed at all my jokes and told me they never peddled product unless the client was clearly on the verge of being swept up in a financial maelstrom. Their eyes widened with admiration when I went into my patented rant about how companies bloated with middle management always update their perfectly functional software & support documents every year because that's the only way middle management can justify its existence.
I am a mouse trained on scraps! The things that keep me happy are so small! All I really need is an audience for an hour & a chance to show off how much I remember from my university economics classes.
###
Came home & realized that Chapter 4 in the Work in Progress would be wayyyyyy too long if I followed my kinda/sorta outline. Really, I need to split it into a Chapter 4 and a Chapter 5!
And Chapter 4 has to end with an elliptical, evocative, & allusive conversation with the New Millennium Kingdom girl—
And here, I totally ran out of steam.
Because while it's staying light till 5pm now, it's still midnight at 6pm, and I can't work at night.
Which is weird because I'm perfectly capable of working at 4 o'clock in the morning when it's just as dark.
###
So! Notes for the final climactic Chapter 4 WiP scene, which hopefully, I can polish off before I toddle off to the gym:
Brief review of the revolving signage on the New Millennium Kingdom table: COVID is God's Down Payment, The Blood of the Lamb Works Better Than Purell, etc, etc, etc.
One time I asked her (your enigmatic question & response goes here)
Another time I asked her, "But what did you do before this?"
She laughed and said, "I was a broker at Goldman Sachs."
Work Buy the dip, short the godless index into the dialog somehow.
Has to be some ruminations about the Universe's plan & the very last line will be the girl laughing at Grazia, Didn't we already decide that?
No re-gifting Nobel Prizes!
Jan. 13th, 2026 08:31 amneonvincentThe Nobel Prize can't be revoked. Darn. If it could be, I'd revoke the Nobel Prize for the frontal lobotomy. That hasn't aged well.
An old poem
Jan. 13th, 2026 01:28 pmsmokingbootFor your lost love. Maybe it wasn't real, maybe it wasn't lost, but mood is mood.
https://open.substack.com/pub/smokingboot/p/eros-and-psyche?r=1r9jj7&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
https://open.substack.com/pub/smokingboot/p/eros-and-psyche?r=1r9jj7&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Pinch Hitters' Prompts: Round 6
Jan. 14th, 2026 01:37 ammodzilla posting in fffxGREAT GRATZ (gratitude and congratulations) to pinch hitters! We have several outstanding pinch hits to claim.
If anyone has a pinch hit for this round of fffx but did not sign up at the start of the exchange to get both an assignment and a gift, you are welcome to leave prompts of your own here, in the comments. This round's tag set contains fandoms, characters, ships, and concepts that participants are already interested in, but you don't have to stick to what's already there - give prompts for whatever fandom(s) you want.
Please give your AO3 name and specify if you're interested in art, fic, or both. Please do not say whose pinch hit you are working on. Please make sure your AO3 preferences are set to allow you to receive unassigned gifts.
There is no minimum treat length - works submitted in response to these prompts may be shorter than 20 panels or 5,000 words.
Works for pinch hitters (including treats for past pinch hitters, at the tag) can be counted towards the achievements attriplecrownofexchanges (should they be resurrected). Or, if you were considering a treat in this exchange (thank you) and the existing requests haven't sparked an idea yet, maybe a new prompt will.
If anyone has a pinch hit for this round of fffx but did not sign up at the start of the exchange to get both an assignment and a gift, you are welcome to leave prompts of your own here, in the comments. This round's tag set contains fandoms, characters, ships, and concepts that participants are already interested in, but you don't have to stick to what's already there - give prompts for whatever fandom(s) you want.
Please give your AO3 name and specify if you're interested in art, fic, or both. Please do not say whose pinch hit you are working on. Please make sure your AO3 preferences are set to allow you to receive unassigned gifts.
There is no minimum treat length - works submitted in response to these prompts may be shorter than 20 panels or 5,000 words.
Works for pinch hitters (including treats for past pinch hitters, at the tag) can be counted towards the achievements at
triplecrownofexchanges (should they be resurrected). Or, if you were considering a treat in this exchange (thank you) and the existing requests haven't sparked an idea yet, maybe a new prompt will.