tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59265292024-03-18T23:51:17.169-06:00swamp and the citySarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115346910059830660noreply@blogger.comBlogger6536125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926529.post-25009593397358270802024-03-18T23:50:00.001-06:002024-03-18T23:50:45.086-06:00system of weights and measures<div dir="auto">I had a very lovely day in Tahoe - I did much more than I did yesterday, while still having ample time to follow royal family gossip. V and I both were quite productive, although we took plenty of breaks to chat - and we ordered Indian food for a very early dinner, which was truly excellent.<div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">After dinner, I spent some quality time continuing to read THE OVERSTORY, which I continue to love. And now, I need to sleep - goodnight!</div></div> Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115346910059830660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926529.post-2245983894705711522024-03-18T00:04:00.000-06:002024-03-18T00:05:03.689-06:00be held back by the substitution<div dir="auto">I had a lovely, absolutely lazy day. Adam made sweet potato hash and eggs for breakfast, and then I unpacked, guy myself organized, etc. I did a wee but if writing and journaling in the afternoon, but I mostly drank tea and took a nap. And then Veronica and I had an extended happy hour before eating dinner, and we all retired early. I intend to be more productive tomorrow, but this was a good way to ease into Tahoe. Goodnight!</div> Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115346910059830660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926529.post-3505474833266856072024-03-17T00:29:00.001-06:002024-03-17T00:29:17.465-06:00watch the stars fade<div dir="auto">No blog tonight...I made it to Tahoe, and the two hour the difference has hit me already - I've already been asleep for an hour. But luckily my flights were uneventful, and I landed to the incredible news about the Cyclones demolishing Houston, so that was v exciting. Then Veronica and Adam picked me (and my absurd amount of luggage) up, and we came home and ate tacos and went deep on the Kate Middleton situation. And now I need to sleep - goodnight!</div> Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115346910059830660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926529.post-72961460386689765272024-03-15T23:40:00.001-06:002024-03-15T23:40:25.716-06:00but i don't care for sugar honey if i can't have you<p>Sorry for not blogging the last couple of days - I've been scrambling to get ready for my trip, and it has made me both more frazzled and more boring than usual. I'm mostly packed, though - I have a couple of last things to do tomorrow, but then I'm heading to Tahoe for some long-anticipated writing fun with Veronica (yayyyyy).</p><p>Beyond packing, there were other tings happening the last couple of days. I had both a library board meeting and a PEO meeting on Wednesday, an economic development meeting yesterday, and allergy shots, in addition to my usual attempts to keep my life in order. There was also much basketball to be watched (and so far so good for the Cyclones). And, I had dinner with my parents and [censored] tonight, which was pretty tasty and a nice way to catch up before my trip.</p><p>But now, I need to go to bed so I can get approximately two hours less sleep than I normally do before waking up and finishing my task list. Goodnight!</p>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115346910059830660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926529.post-17129218454327329672024-03-12T22:13:00.001-06:002024-03-12T22:13:22.086-06:00am i not hot when i'm in my feelings<p>Nothing to report - or lots to report, if you care about royal family gossip, or how many times I've watched the 'I'm Just Ken' video from the Oscars, or various somewhat secret projects I have going on. Today was pretty chill, though - I got a bunch of stuff done, ran some errands, took a walk, chatted with Caroline, and made tofu stirfry for dinner since I had the house and the menu to myself.</p><p>But now, I'm going to try to wind down and go to bed at a more reasonable hour so I can continue my quest to get on daylight savings time (before undoing that work by going to Tahoe on Saturday). Goodnight!</p>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115346910059830660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926529.post-49483150214304440512024-03-11T22:52:00.001-06:002024-03-11T22:52:17.434-06:00who builds the future? do they care why?I have v. little to report today - I didn't get enough done, which makes me cranky. But I did get to sit on my balcony for awhile, so it's not all bad news. And I bought groceries, removed the gel nail polish from my nails (which took much longer than I wanted to spend on it, but was worth it), and watched some entertaining videos while I dealt with my nails. In other words, it could have been worse.<div><br /></div><div>But now I'm going to go to bed and force tomorrow to be more productive whether it wants to be or not - goodnight!</div>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115346910059830660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926529.post-53914161424474598892024-03-10T22:55:00.001-06:002024-03-10T22:55:16.355-06:00i'm enough, and i'm great at doing stuff<p>I did almost nothing today - I stayed up too late last night, slept too late through the time change, had a bit of an upset stomach that encouraged me to linger in bed, and so finally emerged from my room sometime after eleven. I made myself some v. tasty coffee, which only rallied me enough to watch the Big 10 women's basketball championship, which was a pretty exciting battle between Iowa (not my home team, but I'll cheer for them in some circumstances) and Nebraska (never my team).</p><p>Eventually, I helped [censored] with a thing, did a wee bit of writing, and discovered it was already 5:30pm, so I watched the Oscars. While watching the Oscars, I also heated up some frozen spaghetti sauce and made spaghetti for dinner, which was a nice thing to eat while watching awards given for a bunch of films I haven't seen. I did really enjoy Ryan Gosling's "I'm Just Ken" performance though, so that was worth the wait.</p><p>And now, I should probably consider going to bed and attempting to get on the right time - goodnight!</p>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115346910059830660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926529.post-68579253409704686802024-03-09T23:07:00.002-07:002024-03-09T23:07:26.977-07:00sing the wrong lines to my own song, you don't mind<p>I had a pretty lazy day this morning, but I spent some quality time this afternoon working on a website project that I've been putting off for six months. I took a break at some point to take a wee nap, and then I broke for dinner - [censored] and I met our parents in Seymour, where some prime rib and onion rings made a valiant attempt to revive me. It was nice to hang out for a bit, so it was a v. good break...</p><p>...and then I came home and worked on the website for another three hours, which means my eyes are starting to cross and I should really go to bed before I revert to my ulcerous workstyle ways. Goodnight!</p>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115346910059830660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926529.post-9537158520452149112024-03-08T23:08:00.001-07:002024-03-08T23:08:14.850-07:00doc told me to travel but there's covid on the planes<div dir="auto">I'm back in my own bed after a nice mini trip away from it. I slept surprisingly well last night considering I was in an unfamiliar room, and the only downside of that was that I didn't wake up early and write this morning. But I got plenty of sleep, then put on some clothes and went around the corner to grab Starbucks, which was a nice treat that I can't get in my hometown. Then I got ready and checked out of the hotel, stored my backpack in my car, and wandered for a bit.<div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">While I suspect that spending more than a few hours in Iowa City would feel even more claustrophobic than Boulder (a university town I universally despise), it was a nice place to spend a morning. I wandered around some shops, stopped in at the famous bookstore, and had lunch (brunch) at a place called Dandy Lion. All in all it was a good way to spend a couple of hours.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Then, I drove home, with a quick stop in Pella to do some reconnaissance for a spring trip. When I got here I needed a nap almost immediately, and then I rallied to talk to [censored], watch some TV, and scrounge for a v late sandwich when I finally felt hungry. And now, I need to sleep - goodnight!</div></div> Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115346910059830660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926529.post-41719399816068265462024-03-07T22:28:00.002-07:002024-03-07T22:28:46.717-07:00the tiniest moves you make, watching the whole world shake<p>I'm in Iowa City for the night, which is a welcome switch-up from my usual routine. I haven't blogged about this, but my nephew had a pretty horrific accident while I was in Seattle - a car fell on him while he was working on it, and it crushed his chest pretty thoroughly. He's been out of the hospital for a bit, and seems to be doing shockingly well considering how badly he was injured - but since he was up for a visit, I decided to drive up to see him.</p><p>Since I'm not a morning person, and since I hadn't packed anything last night or finished tings I needed to do, I didn't leave home until noon, which put me at his house around three. His wife works from home and their toddler was down for a nap, so I got to catch up with them pretty thoroughly for a couple of hours. Their older daughter got home from school in time for me to see her too, and all in all it was a v. nice visit. Hopefully he continues to improve, and hopefully I'll see more of them in the next few months.</p><p>Then, I drove over to his sister's house to give her some moving boxes, and she and her husband and I had dinner in Iowa City. We went to Basta, which had a v. nice gluten free pizza and a nice cabernet franc from Scarpetta, which is a wine company owned by the same guy who owns the nicest Italian restaurant in Boulder (and my personal fave Pizzeria Alberico, which used to be Pizzeria Locale). We had a lovely time catching up over dinner, and it was nice to be able to walk to my hotel after (even if it was raining the whole way).</p><p>After dinner, I settled into my room, but I was too wiped out to do any writing that I had intended to do. And now it's time for bed - goodnight!</p>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115346910059830660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926529.post-79072525885530951942024-03-05T23:31:00.001-07:002024-03-05T23:31:17.233-07:00she's my alma mater<div dir="auto">I have little of interest to report - I woke up and wrote for a couple of hours, which was great. Then I changed my sheets and vacuumed my bedroom and office, talked to my mom, ate a v belated lunch, procrastinated, and eventually took a shower. And I messed around with cleaning and inking a couple of fountain pens before journaling for awhile, which always grounds me.<div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">When I was done with all that, I ate dinner - leftover tater tot casserole with a fried egg on top. And then I started reading THE OVERSTORY, which has been on my shelf for ages - and so far it's spookily in my vein of interests, since it starts in Iowa, has an interlude in the Stanford Prison Experiment, continues into silicon valley, etc. It won a Pulitzer and I can already see why, so I predict I'll be finishing it posthaste.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">But I'm proud of myself for closing it at midnight instead of listening to the voracious instinct that said to keep going, and I'm going to go to bed before I change my mind - goodnight!</div></div> Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115346910059830660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926529.post-47577412659511829692024-03-04T21:58:00.002-07:002024-03-04T21:58:20.692-07:00she ruins my life, but she does it so nice, but she'd often say it's for the art<p>Today was a great start to the week, all in all - I got up reasonably early (for me; reasonably late for everyone else), poured some cold brew, did a couple of tings, and wrote for an hour. Then I uncharacteristically made hot lunch, as we would have called it at school - there weren't enough leftovers in the fridge for lunch, so I made burrito bowls for me and [censored]. They were tasty, as per usual, and now I have lunch for the next couple of days figured out, which is a real bonus.</p><p>After we ate, I cleaned up the kitchen, procrastinated a bit, and then wrote for another hour and a half or so. I was pretty pleased by what I got done, and so I took a break, took a long-overdue shower, and said farewell to [censored]. Then I ran a couple of errands, came home, ate a twice-baked potato that I had thawed out from my freezer stash, messed around online for awhile, etc. Eventually, I retreated to my office - I didn't do any more brainstorming, but I paid some bills and journaled / planned for the rest of the week, so I'll take it.</p><p>And now, I need to sleep so I can repeat these feats tomorrow - goodnight!</p>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115346910059830660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926529.post-83392125714687248192024-03-03T22:26:00.000-07:002024-03-03T22:27:05.856-07:00I can't keep these feelings on the shelf<div dir="auto">I had a v nice day today, even if I did have to get dressed before ten. [Censored] and I drove up to Des Moines to have family brunch - Aunt B was in town for the weekend, and so we met her, Aunt Kathy, Drewbaby, and my parents at a restaurant in Jordan Creek so we could catch up.<div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Brunch was pretty good (not amazing, but not bad, and the cheesy potatoes on the buffet were great). And then we adjourned to Drewbaby's house, where we sat in the backyard (it was a lovely day except for that darned wind) until Becky had to leave for her flight. [Censored] and I talked to Drewbaby a bit more while I ill-advisedly tried a hard mountain dew, and then we headed home.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">When we got here, I didn't feel like cooking, so we had leftover tater tot casserole and watched SNL. And now I need to sleep - goodnight!</div></div> Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115346910059830660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926529.post-77753962962857727392024-03-02T22:09:00.001-07:002024-03-02T22:09:04.927-07:00the little brush right down the avenue<p>I had a pretty good day today - I mostly used it to get on top of the various accumulating to-dos that I've been ignoring for awhile, and while the list is daunting, it's not all that bad. I also did a bit of journaling in the sun on my balcony, which is pretty good for March 2. And I trimmed my bangs, which means I can see again, which will probably help my productivity even more than making a list does.</p><p>As evening rolled around, I made tater tot casserole for dinner, which turned out quite well. My parents came into town to eat with me and [censored], and I believe a nice time was had by all. And I'm quite glad that I've figured out how to make an excellent gluten free tater tot casserole - now if I could replicate tuna noodle casserole, I'd really be in business.</p><p>But that's a project (or a disaster) for another day - for now, it's time for bed!</p>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115346910059830660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926529.post-73163144223948244042024-02-29T23:22:00.001-07:002024-02-29T23:22:57.793-07:00it's the season of the sticks<div dir="auto">Nothing exciting to report tonight - I wrote a bit this morning, went to town to get groceries (and drop some money at the thrift store), worked some more, ate lunch, and then got allergy shots. Then I went to Centerville on search of a ham, but failed to find one. So [censored] and I had dinner in Garden Grove since I couldn't make the dinner I wanted.<div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Then we watched some TV, I adjourned upstairs but mostly read about the Ottomans and the sultans' tendencies to murder their brothers upon ascending to the throne (no relation to my plans for [censored]). And now I need to sleep - goodnight!</div></div> Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115346910059830660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926529.post-88610528913772497382024-02-28T23:16:00.001-07:002024-02-28T23:16:39.770-07:00extra bright I want y'all to see this<div dir="auto">I had a decent day, all in all. I slept in, got somewhat ready, and then talked to Katie for a v long time since we were overdue for a catch-up. Before I called her, I put a baked potato in the oven, which made for a v nice lunch with some leftover barbecued chicken.<div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Then, I spent the afternoon doing some work - first a chat with a writer friend about productivity, and then some work to finish a program I had to give at my secret society tonight. I finished with just enough time to shower, put on makeup, and find a better outfit than sweats... But I really just wanted to wear sweats because it was 74 yesterday and 14 this morning. So I compromised with thermal leggings and a cardigan, which seemed to work.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Then I ate some leftover pasta and sped into town for my meeting. It was all good and my program went well, so I'm glad the ladies had fun with it. And then I came home, chatted with [censored], watched some FRIENDS, and messed around on my phone until I realized it's time for bed. Goodnight!</div></div> Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115346910059830660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926529.post-66134556801177149172024-02-27T22:54:00.002-07:002024-02-27T22:54:52.989-07:00garden of rhythm<p>I have nothing to report today: I got up later than planned, had some cold brew while taking care of various administrative tasks, and then showered so I could go into town for lunch. I met up with Brenda so that we could talk about the website for the mural trail, which I am way overdue on finishing because I completely lost interest after the festival was over. But I'm getting going with it again, and talking through some of the details with her was helpful.</p><p>Then I got gas at the new Casey's (v exciting! both that we have a new Casey's and that they sell premium fuel for my premium Audi). And then I swung by my parents' house to relieve them of some chicken hindquarters - my dad rotisserie'd two chickens on Sunday and we ate one of them then, but neither of them really like dark meat, so I was the beneficiary of their poor taste in chicken parts.</p><p>Then I came home with the intent of writing outside for awhile, but I mistimed it - it was 74 degrees at 2pm, but by 5pm it was 37. I was home before five, but the wind that brought this crazy cold with it had already started. So I did some tings around the house, chatted with [censored] until his departure, and then spent the evening doing a mix of laundry, eating, journaling, taking care of admin stuff, and talking to Adit.</p><p>And now, I need to sleep - goodnight!</p>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115346910059830660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926529.post-28777299753692012922024-02-26T22:33:00.001-07:002024-02-26T22:33:05.262-07:00lustre and mist<p>I had a v. nice day, all in all. I woke up and got to my desk as fast as I ever do (after cleaning up / pouring some cold brew / saying hi to [censored]), and I wrote for most of the morning. Then I had a chat with Heather (aka dear respected madam), which is always good for my spirits. And then I wrote a bit more after, since I was still in the groove, and I wanted to stay in the groove as long as I could.</p><p>When I finally felt done, I ate a late lunch, and then I took a walk around town. It was seventy-ish degrees here today, which is absurd, but that meant I was basically contractually obligated to go outside and enjoy it. When I got home, I relaxed for a bit, and then I made dinner - some cajun pasta recipe that I continue modifying to find exactly the right combo, but tonight's was pretty good.</p><p>Once dinner was ready, [censored] and I ate while watching this week's SNL. And when we were done and I had cleaned up the kitchen, I came upstairs and did a couple of hours of work-type stuff - mostly emails, but all tings that I needed to do and had been putting off.</p><p>And now I need to go to bed - goodnight!</p>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115346910059830660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926529.post-25312871473065562972024-02-25T22:19:00.001-07:002024-02-25T22:19:54.573-07:00i think it burns my sense of truth to hear me shouting at my youth<p>I had a pretty fun day, especially considering that it mostly involved moving tape measures and string around my yard. I'm planning to build a fence, but the property lines on a one-acre yard are a little less obvious than they were when I lived in apartment buildings and half-duplexes. So, since it was bizarrely nice today, [censored] and I went hunting for survey pins buried in the yard.</p><p>Thanks to my dad's metal locator (a real upgrade over oldschool metal detectors) + [censored]'s maps of my property + [censored]'s very nice 200ft tape measure, we appear to have found all four pins marking the corners of my yard. It took a couple of hours, but that was surprisingly fast and lucky since we weren't sure where they were and also weren't sure they still existed. After we found them all, [censored] and I ran a string along the line that is most in need of a fence, and spray painted a neon pink dashed line across the yard so we could visualize the fence. Of course, the hope is that this spray painted line also starts training that neighbor not to park shit in my yard - I realize an acre yard is not small and I am not overtly using that space, but it's time to lay down the law.</p><p>After we wrapped all that up, we went to the shop to drop off dad's locator + check my tires, and then I came home and wrote most of the rest of the afternoon (after some snacks + some judicious social media breaks). I actually wrote on my balcony for an hour and a half, which is absurd in February - but it was almost seventy degrees, the sun was shining, and I saw my first robin of the year out in the yard. And I killed two mosquitoes who came for me, which is even more absurd in February. So we'll see how hot/bad June is, but for now February is nice enough to want to get outside and enjoy it.</p><p>Then, I went out to my parents' house for dinner - Dad was testing his new rotisserie on some chickens, which turned out perfectly but also took about an hour longer to cook than planned. But Mom mad scalloped potatoes to go with them, and it meant that [censored] and I hung out longer than we might otherwise have, so it was a nice evening.</p><p>And now, I need to sleep - goodnight!</p>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115346910059830660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926529.post-7303484423093394502024-02-24T21:55:00.001-07:002024-02-24T21:55:17.538-07:00lost frequencies<p>I have nothing of note to report today - I did some minor bits of work, a little bit of writing, some journaling, etc. And I eventually got out of the house - [censored] and I went to Chariton to pick something up at a supply store there, and we had dinner at the Iron Horse / Charitone. My steak was pretty good, and the baked potato was the size of two potatoes - so I have a v. sizable leftover for some meal in the next few days.</p><p>And now, I'm going to crawl into bed and either read or sleep - goodnight!</p>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115346910059830660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926529.post-71451862901481090772024-02-23T22:24:00.003-07:002024-02-23T22:24:40.288-07:00all i wanna do is prove it to youI didn't blog yesterday because I had nothing of note to report - a committee meeting (at which I successfully pulled the plug on something I didn't want to do), some writing, and some making of dinner (burrito bowls). And I finished reading 'Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone', which was interesting as an exercise in exploring ways to tell stories, but not my favorite mystery ever.<div><br /></div><div>Today, however, was more action-packed - I got up, chatted with [censored], made some coffee, took a shower, and went to Des Moines. My primary goal was to have a follow up with my allergist, but I took advantage of the fact that I was going at a reasonable time of day to have lunch with Aunt Kathy. We met at a seafood place in West Des Moines, and it was great to see her - and I would have said that even if I didn't know that she reads my blog.</div><div><br /></div><div>After, I went to the allergist, who asked me if I've seen any cats recently (no) or eaten crab (also no), and then told me to come back in six months. More to the point, I'm through with the main series of shots and am entering maintenance mode, so he wanted to see how I'm feeling - and overall it's been great. I'm not using eye drops for my allergies, and he thinks I could stop taking claritin, but I've been taking it out of habit. My ragweed season this year was way better than tree season last spring, so I'm hopeful that tree season this year will be much improved. Of course, tree season could start any day given how warm it's been, but we'll see.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then I grabbed some stuff that I didn't precisely need from World Market (indoor pots to replant some stuff), got some groceries from Whole Foods, came home, chatted with Adit, and ate leftover burrito bowls with [censored]. And now I need to get ready to go to bed - goodnight!</div>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115346910059830660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926529.post-63803178625896521892024-02-21T22:14:00.002-07:002024-02-21T22:14:26.172-07:00global concepts<p>I have nothing to report today - I got some writing done this morning, did various tings this afternoon, cleaned the kitchen, took a walk to pay my gas bill, and made dinner (a sheet pan meal with roasted butternut squash, brussels sprouts, red onions, chicken breast, and a nice maple/dijon vinaigrette sauce). I also talked to my friend Joann (of spinster honeymoon / friendship renewal fame). And I welcome [censored] back to southern Iowa, but I doubt I'll convince him to eat the squash leftovers tomorrow.</p><p>And now, I need to go to bed - goodnight!</p>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115346910059830660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926529.post-70747166897038442082024-02-20T21:37:00.002-07:002024-02-20T21:37:26.554-07:00in all the time i've known you i still don't know what you mean<p>I had a very lowkey day today - I somehow woke up tired, and I stayed tired, and I also didn't caffeinate enough. I did clean up the kitchen and write a little bit, and I did three loads of laundry, and I finally unpacked my suitcase from my trip - so it wasn't all a waste. But I certainly didn't feel #inittowinit from a productivity standpoint.</p><p>Eventually, though, I went out to my parents' house for dinner - I was going to have leftover curry, but my dad was testing his new rotisserie, so I took them up on the offer of supper. His first attempt with beef roast was quite tasty, and Mom roasted some nice potatoes / broccoli / carrots to go with it, and so I was well-rewarded for the effort of driving out there (and by that I mean it was zero effort, although I probably added some dust to my car).</p><p>Then I came home, messed around online, and took care of one important life task that I needed to get done (health insurance, since I'm about to lose cobra). It's hard to believe I've been gone from my job for eighteen months - and in previous stints, I went back to the same company after 2yr 3mo and 2yr 4mo respectively. So if I keep that trend up I should be back by the end of the year...but I really don't intend for that to happen.</p><p>But I'm glad that I finished the long process of looking at subpar insurance plans and choosing the least bad option, so at least I know I'll be covered when my cobra expires. And now, I need to go to bed - goodnight!</p>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115346910059830660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926529.post-65868411744266876212024-02-19T23:41:00.000-07:002024-02-19T23:42:01.168-07:00I watched the mighty skyline fall<div dir="auto">I had a lovely day, all in all - I made coffee (on the second attempt), said hi to [censored], and wrote for just a bit before showering and making lunch. Hannah came over, since she has Mondays off, and I made coconut chicken curry from the Burma Superstar cookbook since she's one of the few people here who I know I can subject to such things.<div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Hannah brought stuff to make sushi rolls, so she made some while the curry finished cooking. The curry turned out well, if I do say so myself - it could have used some more time for the flavors to meld, but otherwise it was quite tasty. And [censored] ate lunch with us, albeit leftovers dug from the depths of the fridge since curry isn't [censored]'s jam.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Hannah hung out for a few hours after lunch, so we caught up on many topics before she headed out. [Censored] left shortly thereafter, and I chilled for a bit before taking out my trash and then writing for an hour to make up for limited production earlier.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Then I watched the Iowa State basketball game - they gave a valiant effort against Houston, but it wasn't meant to be. And then I did what I should have done instead of watching the game - I read part of a mystery for the past couple of hours. I'm tempted to keep going, but I should probably sleep instead - so we'll see whether I turn out my light or pick up my ereader after I post this. Goodnight!</div></div> Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115346910059830660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5926529.post-8746121991754731012024-02-18T22:39:00.004-07:002024-02-18T22:39:53.205-07:00every time the bass bangs, realize it calls your name<p>I was more productive than I perhaps even wanted to be today. When I got up, I made some coffee, buckled down, and wrote for a few hours. I probably should have kept going, but eventually I got hungry, and that stalled any creativity for the day. However, lunch was tasty - I procured some tamales from a random tamale seller yesterday, who met me on the town square and handed me a packet of tamales wrapped in foil. It felt a little like a drug deal, but I'm not going to judge - and the tamales were excellent. I ate a couple yesterday and a couple today and froze the rest, so I'm excited for tamales to appear again in my future.</p><p>Anyway, after I ate and caught up on what was happening on the internet (spoiler: nothing), I spent the afternoon cleaning the basement. [censored] and I had both idly considered that it would be a good idea to mop before starting to spread everything back out after the HVAC project, but mopping an entire basement also feels like a bad idea in the moment, so we had never done it. But today was the day. [censored] very kindly swept dirt and moved tings around, and also helped me get water in a place where we don't have easy access to water. And I mopped basically the entire basement, with the exception of where some shelves were that we couldn't move + the weird prison bathroom. So now the basement, and even the garage, smell v. fresh and PineSol-y, and we can go back to using the basement as intended.</p><p>When we were done with that, I went ahead and mopped the kitchen too since I was going to be washing mop heads anyway. Then I took a shower before making dinner - a creamy chicken and mushroom dish with mashed potatoes. I overcooked the chicken breasts in a rookie move, but the sauce was excellent and my mashed potatoes are almost always great. And [censored] and I enjoyed it while watching a bunch of skits from the last few weeks of SNL, which was a nice way to close out the night.</p><p>And now I need to go to bed since I have plans tomorrow - goodnight!</p>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08115346910059830660noreply@blogger.com0