i talk to streetlights down on every corner but they don't know where i have to go

I should have gone to bed an hour or two ago, but when has that ever not been the case? Today was lovely, though, despite my insufficient sleep. I woke up, made some coffee, and wrote for a couple of hours, which is always a good way to start the day. Then I devoured some leftover burrito bowl, took a shower, tidied up a bit, and gave [censored] a ride to [censored]. And then I went to the grocery store to pick up a couple of tings for New Year's Day, since I have no desire to go to the grocery store tomorrow and much need to make some food.

After I got home and put away my groceries, I had approximately five minutes to gather myself before heading out to the parents' house to play games. We played a few rounds of CAMEL UP, the game that [censored] got me for Christmas, and it remained quite fun - and despite feeling like we're getting better at the strategy of the game, all four of us each won a round, so clearly we haven't settled into some sort of strategic stasis where one person usually wins. This delights me, since all the train-based games are [censored]'s domain, and I like that the camels have thwarted his usual dominance, even if it's temporary.

Then, [censored] and I went into town to pick up Mexican take-out since our beloved restaurant has reopened, and we took it back to Mom and Dad's so that they could benefit as well. It was quite tasty, although I kinda wish I had never had Mexican food at the place we went to in Moberly last week because now nothing can compare to it. And then I came home, hung out in the living room for awhile, came upstairs, painted my nails, sent some semi-urgent emails (but probably not to you), and now need to contemplate bed. Goodnight!

you beat my heart from miles away

I woke up this morning feeling far better than I expected or deserved to - while I didn't get enough sleep last night, I certainly paced myself better than I have in the past with Katie, and so I got ready quite easily. Katie grabbed coffee for us while I was in the shower, and then we packed up and grabbed breakfast in the (very lovely) cafe next to the hotel lobby. And then I drove her to her in-laws' house so that she could reunite with her family, and I said my sad farewells in their driveway.

After I left her, I went to West Des Moines, where I grabbed some stuff for my house at Menards. Then I holed up at a Starbucks for a couple of hours and wrote, which felt great - I really miss writing in coffee shops, so it was a pleasant interlude. Then I grabbed groceries at Whole Foods (and ate some takeout sushi), grabbed a couple of tings at Target, and came home. When I got here, I took a brief nap almost as soon as I had finished unloading my car, and it was enough to fuel me so that I could make dinner (burrito bowls, as per usual).

Then, [censored] and I watched a couple of hours of comedy stuff - mostly a new Trevor Noah special, as well as some shorter videos from various sources (including old clips of the Smothers Brothers). And then I came upstairs with plans to go to sleep, but instead I wrote for the last couple of hours. I kind of want to keep going, but I think sleep is more important, so I'm going to give it a shot. Goodnight!

baby, i'm faded, all I want to do is take you downtown

I am, v unusually, in downtown Des Moines. Katie, a true member of the race of Joseph, is in town for one night only, and I kidnapped her from her in-laws to force her into a night of fancy frivolity.

I did do some non-frivolous things this morning, but I made it up here to pick her up around 3:30. We promptly checked into the Hotel Fort Des Moines - this plan came together 48hrs ago and we got an amazing deal on one of the most iconic hotels in the city, so I snapped it up. We had dinner at Malo, which is a Mexican place that my family went to after seeing Hamilton back in 2018 (so, a little bittersweet since that was one of my last excursions with Uncle Mark, although I didn't know it at the time). Then, after a sedate two margaritas, we were back in our room by 7:30, and we gossiped in bed (and discussed various questionable solutions to the problems of the day) until ten....

... But then we rallied and went down to the hotel restaurant and had a drink and chatted in the lobby until after one. There's a speakeasy here that we didn't explore, so that's an excursion for a different day. And now it's almost two, and I should go to sleep so that I can return Katie to her family and get myself back to the rivers and the lakes that I'm used to. Goodnight!

another dream...the monster's running wild inside of me

I was a little too sloth-filled today - I did a wee bit of writing tonight, but the rest of the day was pretty much a wash. I chalk up some of it to having trouble falling asleep last night, and then my alarm clock didn't go off because the power was shut off at some point last night and my clock apparently doesn't keep itself going without power. It has been so long since I've used an alarm clock instead of my phone that I hadn't even considered this possibility - so better to discover it now than on a day when I really needed to wake up.

sssanyway, I did some random tings throughout the day, read a bunch of stuff, and also ate delicious leftover ham balls, twice baked potatoes, and salad. And eventually I escaped the house and met up with Brenda for a drink at the newly-reopened Mexican restaurant - she was in my dad's class in high school, and she's now the museum director. We worked together a lot on the mural festival and had much to catch up on, so it was nice to see her.

Then I ordered takeout for mi hermano (and myself), came home, and ate with [censored]. After we chatted for a bit, I came upstairs and attempted to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, with mixed results. I did get some writing done, but I also discovered that one of my favorite techno DJs is now in his fifties (makes sense when I consider how old I am), and also married a girl that he met when he was like 48 and she was 19, so that was a downer.

But now, it's time for bed - goodnight!

mahna mahna

Merry Christmas! I had a delightful holiday, thanks for asking. It did require getting up at 6:50am, which is far too early, but that was necessary if I wanted to shower and make coffee before going to my parents' house for our approximate usual start time. [Censored] and I made it there almost on time, and we all spent a leisurely couple of hours unwrapping presents. Many fine gifts were given and received, and I'm happy with what I got - mostly a mix of cooking-related items, fountain pen items, and a couple of rogue games from [censored].

After we opened presents, my mom made brunch - we had the usual breakfast casserole and blueberry muffins, plus some delicious ambrosia that Dad put together yesterday. Then, we took a brief break - [censored] and Mom went to town on an errand, and I went to my house and took a brief-but-necessary fifteen minute nap. I also grabbed the twice baked potatoes that I made yesterday as my contribution to tonight's meal. And then I went back to my parents' house, where...

...we played one of the games [censored] gave me, which is called CAMEL UP. It looks a little odd and gimmicky since it has a pop-up 3-d palm tree and the dice are dispensed by a pyramid. However, we discovered that it's actually a ton of fun - just enough strategy to feel interesting, but a lot of random luck to keep things fresh. We played three games, and [censored], Dad, and I split the wins, which was much more distributed than when [censored] wins 80% of Ticket to Ride games in a season. So, it was pretty fun and I would definitely play it again if I can convince everyone else to.

Then we had dinner - Mom made brisket, which we ate with twice baked potatoes + leftover layered lettuce and apricot salad from yesterday. And then [censored] and I came to my house since the weather was getting much colder and it seemed like we might get some freezing precipitation. At this point, I am almost on the verge of a second wind, but I think I should go to sleep before I allow that to happen. Goodnight!

it's surprising wise men looked to the horizon

Merry Christmas (as of four minutes ago)! I had a pretty good day, but it was almost entirely in service of getting ready for Christmas instead of celebrating Christmas Eve. I did sleep in, which was a bonus, but I then went straight into food prep. I made twice baked potatoes and ham balls, with a break while the potatoes were doing their first bake to eat a leftover burrito bowl. I made far more potatoes than were necessary for four people for Christmas dinner, but I intend to freeze many of them so that Future Sara (and potentially Future [censored]) will be happy.

I also made more ham balls than necessary - I had decided that, since I had to get the meat grinder out, and since the ham my mom bought was three times as large as necessary, that I would make an extra batch of ham balls and freeze them for future festivities. Getting the grinder out was a bit of a trick, since it required reorganizing the basement (and by that I mean untarping everything that [censored] had tarped when the HVAC project was ongoing). But I found the grinder, made one batch of ham balls and baked them for freezing later, and made another batch to take to my parents'. And then I had approximately fifteen minutes to shower...

And then I went to my parents', dropped the ham balls in my dad's care, and took my mom to Sewal to a Christmas Eve program. Their church closed ages ago, but it's still somewhat maintained, and it was nicely decorated for the festivities. We sang several Christmas songs, heard several others sing solo/group endeavors, and listened to Ross read the Christmas story. It was a nice event and I'm glad we went, despite the rain and soggy roads.

Then we went home, and I talked to my dad until the timer went off on the ham balls - at which point I discovered that the oven wasn't actually working (even though it was on), and the ham balls were nowhere close to done. Luckily, the other batch that I'd made came in handy - [censored] went to town to retrieve it, and we quickly reheated it in the microwave, and they were delish. My mom had made layered lettuce, apricot salad, and sweet potaotes, so it was all tasty.

And then I came home, rebaked the second batch of ham balls to get them to the right temperature, cleaned my kitchen, and embarked on the usual Christmas Eve tradition of wrapping presents with [censored] while listening to ridiculous music. And now I must sleep since the family *insists* on having Christmas morning in the actual morning, like peasants. Goodnight!

disappear in the golden sands

I spent the day doing more family stuff - I got up, showered, helped [censored] with [censored], and made breakfast so that I wouldn't feel hangry later. Then we went to my sister's house to celebrate Christmas with her kids and their kids. It was a nice afternoon and good to see everybody, even if it's impossible to properly catch up with that many people in two hours.

Then we ran some Christmas errands before coming home, and I made burrito bowls, which were as tasty as ever. And now I need to sleep so I can do a million things tomorrow- goodnight!

just find a place to make your stand and take it easy

I should have gone to bed awhile ago because today was pretty tiring, but I caught a second wind (as usual) around eight and so powered through until now. But despite the tiring nature of the day, it was really good. [Censored] and I left the house around 8:40am to head south, since we had a date with my mom's sister for lunch. Aunt Dee lives near St. Louis, and her daughter Moriah was home for the holidays, so we met halfway - which meant eating at a random restaurant in Moberly, Missouri.

So, [censored] drove and I was a kind and delightful passenger for 2.5 hours. We got to Moberly slightly early, which was good - it rained almost the entire way, which made for delay potentials, but [censored] got us there with no issues. I was the one who booked the restaurant, which was a little nervewracking - it's hard to choose an appropriate restaurant where 12 people can sit together, where everyone can enjoy the food, and where they can accommodate my dad and my sister's mobility issues. I was hoping to just take care of the seating/mobility things and was hoping for the best on the food, but we were all thoroughly surprised and delighted. The place (D'Abolengo, for my own future posterity) was legitimately excellent - my enchiladas were covered in a perfect pork/sauce/queso mix, and the dish was one of the tastiest things I've had in awhile.

It was also good to see the family - it's very rare for us to get together since Mo lives in Florida, and I had actually never met her husband even though they've been married for a few years. So, my parents, [censored] and I were there, as were my sister and her husband, my niece and her husband, and Aunt Dee, Mo, Jaime, and Eli. The only person missing was my other cousin Jordan, who had to work -- and my sister's other two kids, but that would have doubled the size of the group with all of their various offspring, so it's probably for the best that they couldn't make it.

Anyway, we had an excellent time catching up, and it was lovely to see them all. Eventually, we parted ways, and [censored] and I made the 2.5 trip home, with a couple of quick stops to buy tings. A five hour round trip is a long way for lunch, but it was #worthit.

We were wiped out when we got home, though, so I messed around on my phone for a long time and came v. close to napping on the couch. I eventually rallied, did some kitchen tasks, ate some leftover Mexican food (from the local Mexican place, which I had for lunch a couple of days ago), and then painted my toenails and fingernails while listening to a couple of podcasts. And now I need to sleep since we have more Christmas plans tomorrow - goodnight!

in the desert you can't remember your name

No time to blog - I went to Des Moines to grab a bunch of groceries today, and I came back exhausted. But I rallied to make rice so that [censored] and I could eat last night's leftover salmon, and I did a load of laundry, and I wrote / worked for the last three hours. And now I need to go to sleep immediately because I have plans tomorrow that require me getting up earlier than I feel I should be required to be (i.e. 7:30am, how barbaric). Goodnight!

spadina avenue

I had a pretty good day, all in all, although too much of my productivity came too late in the day and now tomorrow's plans are in jeopardy. I spent some quality time this morning getting my Christmas cards ready to go - which mostly involved buying stamps, which meant a long conversation with the postmaster about the latest in her life. After all that, she only had one book of Christmas-themed stamps, so I came home and then went into the other town to try their post office. Luckily, they had more stamps, so I returned victorious.

While I was in town, though, I got a few groceries and picked up takeout lunch from the newly remodeled and reopened Mexican place. Their remodel looks nice and the food was tasty as always (albeit slightly more expensive), and I'm delighted that they're back in business. [Censored] and I ate lunch together, and then [censored] had a meeting while I finished stamping my cards. I walked to the post office to mail them (and marveled that it was warm enough to do that on the winter solstice), came home, had a meeting, and then talked to the HVAC guys, who were back to finish one final little bit of work with my system.

Then I ran out to my parents' house to pick up the ham I need for later culinary endeavors, came home, did a bit of work, and made salmon teriyaki with broccoli and jasmine rice. After [censored] and I ate, I procrastinated a bit, but then I cleaned up the kitchen, came upstairs, and wrote for the last three hours.

And now, I need to go to bed immediately, since I have a million pre-Christmas errands to run tomorrow. Goodnight!

shine bright like a diamond

Nothing to report tonight either - I did a whole bunch of little stuff that needed to get done, which felt great in the moment and yet didn't feel like much of an accomplishment by the end of the day. But I am reminded that it could always be worse, and at least all these small things are off my list. And now, it's time for bed - goodnight!

again last night I had that strange dream where everything was exactly how it seemed

I have nothing to report today - I spent most of it being fairly productive, at least in terms of setting up some stuff for next year. I also went way too deep into productivity apps - Evernote seems to be in the process of giving up the ghost and I need to find an alternative, and I'm also trying to figure out how to make some Frankenstein combo of online to-do lists + paper planners + journals work for me. We shall see, we shall see.

I did take a break in the afternoon to take a birthday card to my mom, and I also fed myself (tuna sandwich for lunch, leftover noodles and fried eggs for dinner). And while tonight feels like a night where I could stay up all night, it's already one a.m. and I should probably sleep.

But before I close, I would be remiss if I failed to wish a happy birthday to my mom! and also to Chandlord! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

shivers and cold champagne

I had a pretty productive day today, which was a good thing because I have a million things to do this week. I spent some time this morning journaling in bed, and then I finally got up, made some coffee, ate a granola bar, and talked to [censored]. We watched the Weekend Update portions of last night's SNL, but we didn't keep going because we both knew that we'd stop being productive entirely if we watched another hour of YouTube videos.

I spent most of the afternoon doing office stuff - including literal office stuff like dusting, rearranging my bookshelves, etc. I also washed my sheets, cleaned out the fridge, and other similarly interesting tasks. Eventually, [censored] left and I experimented with supper - I was in the mood for something spicy and Asian-ish, and I had almost zero groceries, so I read a few recipes online and then improvised. What I came up with was rice noodles with sauteed onions, brussels sprouts, ginger, and garlic, which I tossed with a sauce of peanut butter, chili oil crisp, soy sauce, mirin, and miso paste. The sauce recipe wasn't an improvisation, but the other ingredients were - I had no mushrooms, no green onions, no cilantro, no tofu, and nothing else, so I used more yellow onion than the recipe called for and also sliced up some brussels sprouts that were about to go bad.

Overall, the verdict was probably a 7/10, would definitely eat again but would keep tweaking. I liked the sauce, which was basically a spicy peanut sauce, but I thought that the recipe called for adding the ginger/garlic way too soon, and I think they probably scorched a bit from overcooking. Green onions would have been a big improvement. And the dish needed some protein -- I did fry an egg to put on top, which helped, but tofu or shrimp or chicken would be a nice addition.

Anyway, it was still tasty and I will happily eat the leftovers. Then I cleaned the kitchen, took a long-overdue shower, messed around online, and finally forced myself to write a couple of pages so that I have a headstart on thinking about what I'll write tomorrow. And now it's time for bed - goodnight!

i'm staring at the asphalt wondering what's buried underneath

I had a fairly lowkey and boring day. I slept later than intended (which is true pretty much every day when I don't have to be someplace early), and then I made coffee, took a shower, and went into town to get allergy shots. Then I came home and ate lunch with [censored] (leftover burrito bowls).

I did manage to get some writing done this afternoon - not quite as much as I would have liked, but I will take it. Then, [censored] and I went out for dinner, since I didn't feel like cooking. We went to one of our usual spots, which thankfully wasn't super busy - I ill-advisedly ate some cheese curds and the breaded fried onion bits on top of my burger, which is probably why I feel like I'm lightly dying. But they were delicious, and the fries were as good as always, so I have no actual regrets.

Then we came home and I intended to get more work done than I did tonight, but I mostly browsed hotels in advance of my writing retreat in January and daydreamed of warmer climes. And now I need to sleep - goodnight!

silhouettes when our bodies finally go

I have nothing to report - I woke up feeling like I might be getting a cold, but I took it easy and seem to have shaken that feeling off. I did talk to my HVAC guy for awhile, who dropped by with my bill, and who is always entertaining. I also dialed into a board meeting that I skipped going to in person since they wouldn't have had quorum without me. And I ate leftover spaghetti for lunch, which was tasty enough.

Then I did a bunch of personal administrative stuff, messed around online, made dinner ([censored] deserved burrito bowls, although [censored] deserves burrito bowls even more often than I make them), watched some music videos with [censored], and then scrolled somewhat mindlessly until now. And now it's time for bed - goodnight!

good tidings we bring

I had a fairly successful day today - I got a lot of sleep, and then I made coffee, took a shower, and did my nails. I do miss getting manicures when I'm not on the coast, and I was tired of my nails looking shabby, so I filed, buffed, and then added several coats of gel polish. They look pretty great for an amateur attempt, so hopefully they last.

Then I talked to Tanya for a bit, did some online work, ate a v late lunch, did some more tasks, and took the briefest of naps. Then I went into town for the Christmas party for my secret society - I helped plan it, so I got there early to set up, but it was all a breeze. Dinner took a little too long to come out and I was starving, but I had fun talking to everyone and liked my salad when I finally got it. I also followed someone else's lead and got a "punch" (with Malibu rum and peach schnapps), which felt a little naughty and very tasty.

Then I came home, talked to [censored] for awhile, and decided I should go to bed. Goodnight!

do you believe in life after love

I was weirdly busy today, and it didn't help that I stayed in bed until after nine a.m. because I read late last night and the night before last. I took a shower, made some coffee, and went into town for allergy shots - they unfortunately hurt today, which I did not enjoy, but I'm reminding myself that they've been worth it. Then I came home, printed some stuff, ate a quick sandwich, and went back into town to have a meeting about the mural festival. We're planning some activities for the spring, and I really need to get back in the game so that I can take care of some tasks, but that's a problem for Future Sara.

Then I came home again and spent the afternoon taking care of a variety of business tings. When I was finally done, it was after six, so I ate a quick snack and made spaghetti all'amatriciana for dinner. It was tasty, as per usual, and I was glad that I ate something real instead of heating up something from the freezer. And then I spent the rest of the evening theoretically working, but actually procrastinating.

Now, it's not quite 10:30 and I'm starting to feel the suspicious edges of a second wind - but I want to go to sleep before I convince myself to stay up until two. Goodnight!

so kiss me on the cheek, make it a long goodbye

I had a pretty decent day, when I let it be easy. I did some writing this morning, ate lunch with [censored] (leftover scalloped potatoes and ham, delish), and then procrastinated too much in the afternoon. But I took a bit of a walk, which helped me reset (even if I spent half the time walking and half the time, it seemed, standing around waiting for a train to pass through town).

So, I wrote in the late afternoon before and after [censored] left, and it was great. I also talked to Terry, all too briefly. I ate a frozen gluten free pizza for dinner (not, perhaps, the most exciting option), and then I was going to write again...but instead, I realized I probably wouldn't get anything done, and so instead I finished reading ALIF THE UNSEEN, which I had started reading last night. It won a bunch of awards ten years ago and I'm just now getting to it, but I enjoyed it quite a bit, and it was relevant to the strange fantasy/scifi hybrid that I'm currently writing...

But now, I really need to sleep so that I can do the tings I need to do tomorrow. Goodnight!

i will find any way to your wild heart

I didn't blog yesterday because I was in too good of a mood, and I almost didn't blog tonight because I was in too bad of one. Not that anything substantively changed - if anything, it should have been reversed, since yesterday was dreary and miserable, while today was at least sunny and less windy. But the human mind is a mystery.

So, yesterday, I spent most of the day reading a "nonfiction" (I use that incredibly loosely) research book about secret societies, which gave me some little kernels of ideas but mostly made me roll my eyes. I also made scalloped potatoes and ham for dinner, which was a real win (especially since that meant leftovers today).

Today, I probably should have done more of the same, but I didn't feel like reading this morning. Instead, I mostly procrastinated, and somehow wasted most of the day. I think I did a few things that I had been meaning to do online? Actually, I remember what I did - I tried to start laying out my planner for next year, which made me anxious and surly from trying to narrow down my goals while also setting them up in such a way that I might have hope of accomplishing them. And I had a v. tasty ham sandwich, which was something.

I finally took a shower, and then walked into town to drop my water bill payment in the slot at city hall. That perked up my mood a bit, and a little later I ate leftovers with [censored] and watched most of last night's SNL, which was funnier than usual.

Buoyed by all of that, I snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and actually wrote five pages tonight, so at least the day ended in something good. And now I'm going to read a bit more of that dumb book and go to bed - goodnight!

no one will ever read the letters or the lies that i told

I had a surprisingly productive day, although I didn't write much...and also didn't get out of bed until 9:30 thanks to staying up until almost two reading last night. But when I did finally wake up, I showered, made some coffee, etc, and then went into town to get allergy shots.

When I got home, I didn't sit down because I knew I would lose momentum. Instead, I spent the afternoon doing Christmas decorations - I'm not totally in the habit of doing it because I used to always travel (to Iowa) at Christmas and so didn't do my own decor. But I was in the mood to do it today, so I put together my tree, decorated, switched outdoor wreaths, and then put all the boxes and other stuff back in the basement. My living room looks pretty festive, if I do say so myself, but I'm stopping there since I don't need to let Christmas explode al over my house.

Then I cleaned the kitchen, mopped, etc before taking a small break. I had my parents over for dinner tonight, so at some point I threw together some shrimp alfredo, which is delish. They got here just as I was finishing it, and it was super tasty.

But now, I'm falling asleep and need to go to bed - goodnight!

never changed by crooked hearts

It's suddenly way too late to be going to bed - I decided to read for a little bit tonight, which resulted in me reading the whole book in one swoop, as per usual. But today was good - I wrote for a bit this morning, then had a dentist appointment. After, I treated myself to a salad and fries at the Continental, and then I ran some errands. My evening was more of the same - writing, laundry, leftovers, procrastinating, etc.

And now it's time for bed so I can hopefully salvage some productivity in the morning - goodnight!

we're gonna play in the dark 'til it's golden again

I had an excellent writing day, which always means I got v. little else done - but I was happy to make that tradeoff today. I also slept until almost nine, which was even better. When I finally came downstairs, I discovered that it was blisteringly hot - I had set a program on my thermostat last Wednesday to turn the heat up to 82 overnight so that I could get the house nice and toasty before my heating was shut off by the HVAC guys that night, and my thermostat helpfully ran the same program again this Wednesday. So, it was 82 downstairs most of the day because the house doesn't cool off very fast - which was good incentive to stay upstairs at my desk, where it was a relatively reasonable 77.

So I took care of a couple of tings this morning (including looking at concert tickets for a show in May), and then I buckled down to write. I had a good morning session, and then I took a break to prep dinner - I tested a new-to-me slow cooker recipe involving chicken thighs, white beans, and 15-20 cloves of garlic. I added a couple of slices of bacon for good measure, since my chicken thighs didn't have the skin on and I thought it might need some extra fat as a result. While that cooked (for six hours), I made some huevos rancheros for lunch, and then did some more writing.

Alternating between writing, researching, and procrastinating took up most of the afternoon / early evening. Then I ate my dinner, which was quite tasty - it's probably not something I could make for [censored] since [censored] doesn't like chicken thighs, but it was easy and I'm looking forward to eating the leftovers. I also watched the last half of the Iowa State / Iowa women's basketball game - ISU gave Iowa a run for their money despite the juggernaut that is Caitlin Clark, and it was fun to watch.

Then I cleaned up the kitchen, messed around on the internet, and wrote a wee bit more. And now I need to wind down since I have many tings to do tomorrow - goodnight!

we rattle this town, we rattle this scene

I woke up earlier than expected because my fitbit buzzed me at 7:45am with a text from my friendly local HVAC guy, who wanted to know if they could run a gas line at my house today. I usually have my phone on silent and sleep through any text buzzes, but 7:45am was close enough to waking up that my body sensed the fitbit vibration and I opened one eye to check it.

I was pretty surly about getting up since I didn't go to bed until almost one, but I decided I wanted a gas line more than I wanted to go back to bed. So I texted him to say they should come, and I went downstairs to unlock the garage door so that they could get in. I didn't actually see them until they were almost done, since I decided to go ahead and shower - but [censored] was around today, and he knows more about gas lines than I do anyway. Happily, it all went v. smoothly, and now I have a gas line to my patio so that I can use my grill.

However, the shortage of sleep made me pretty low-energy all morning. So I took the opportunity to do a final backup of my old laptop and wipe it so that I could send it back to Apple for a credit - it paid for 25% of my new laptop, which made it worth sending back, but I felt a little pang of nostalgia for it since it has been in my life for several years. Usually I just toss old laptops into my closet and keep them forever, but this one is now on its way to the return facility, which was the right call.

At some point, I ate lunch with [censored] (leftover burrito bowls), and then I went into town to get allergy shots and drop off my laptop return. Then I came home, did a few quick tings, and talked to Barbara (formerly of Colorado, now of Oregon) for awhile. We had much to catch up on, and it was great to see her virtually. I got off the call just in time to bid farewell to [censored]....

...and then I spent the rest of the evening doing some more organizing of my office. It's getting into pretty good shape, although I have a bunch of stuff to put in the basement or donate -- but my desk and my office supplies are all organized, as is my office closet, and so all is right with the world. I also did a bit of writing, a bit of journaling, and a bit of procrastinating - so all in all, it was a lovely night.

And now, I need to sleep - goodnight!

scandal in the wind

I had a decent day around the house. I spent most of the morning deep cleaning my bathroom after yesterday's toilet installation adventure - not that my bathroom is large enough to require much time to clean, but I was overdue to clean my shower, and I cleaned all the other surfaces too. It is, perhaps, a sign of my age that the end result was exciting, but I suppose I'll take it.

Then I showered, made and ate lunch (huevos rancheros), procrastinated a bit, did a bit of writing, and spent the afternoon working on my office. My office closet is a disaster, and I got a long way toward making it less of a disaster, but there's still work to be done.

Eventually, I stopped doing housework and ate dinner with [censored] - we had a variety of leftovers from the fridge, all of which were delish. We also watched some of this week's SNL, which was bizarre and not particularly good beyond a few hilarious moments. And then I came upstairs, folded laundry, and contemplated my book while laboriously removing the gel nail polish that I'd gotten in San Francisco a few weeks ago. And now, it's time for bed - goodnight!

i'm on that new vibration

Today didn't go according to plan, but it was a v. good detour. I woke up, made some coffee, and eventually settled in to my desk to write - and was there for about ten minutes before [censored] got back from an errand and declared that today was the day to replace my toilet. This has been an effort that we've been putting off for months, but it has been getting more dire - the toilet was flushing/filling in a really strange way, which meant it would run for a few minutes every time I flushed it, and that was not something we thought we should allow to continue indefinitely. I'd bought a toilet a month or two ago, so it was on hand, but obviously this is not a project that I have the skillset for.

[Censored], however, does have the skillset, for better or for worse. If I were him, I would play dumb and let me hire someone to do things around here, but I'm v. grateful that [censored] doesn't do that. The project went reasonably smoothly, although it was obviously a dirty job, and there was a bit of a problem because the flange was broken and [censored] had to devise a workaround to mount the new toilet.

But when all was said and done, my new toilet is installed and seems to be great. I've gotten some real upgrades this week, since my bedroom is now warmer thanks to the new HVAC and the toilet behaves like a modern toilet. Now if only I could write a book, I'd really be in business.

sssanyway, after all that, I did a few tings, put on some makeup, and then [censored] and I met the parents in town for the holiday light show. I thought the outdoor displays weren't as creative this year as they were last year, but there were nearly seventy trees inside decorated by various individuals and organizations, so it was fun to see them all. Then, we went to our usual prime rib place for dinner - my prime rib was better than usual, so I was glad that I had ordered it.

I procrastinated for awhile after getting home, but then I sat down to write for a bit. It was a good session, but I'm falling asleep, so I think it's time for bed. Goodnight!

saturnalia

I had an excellent day, especially because I now have heat fully restored in the house. The HVAC guys mostly wrapped up the project today - they'll still have to come back in the spring to finish the A/C installation, and they need to finish running the gas line for my grill (which I opportunistically added to the job), but otherwise everything is set up. Now I have a zone for my bedroom/office and a zone for the main floor of the house, which should theoretically mean I can make it warmer upstairs without overheating [censored]. Time will tell, but so far it's great.

So I did some writing today, but I was a little distracted because the installation required the main guy (Ron) to be in and out of my office all morning. But I did some work, ate some leftover soup with [censored] for lunch, did some more work, supervised the project, etc., etc. After the guys left, I buckled down for an hour, and then I made dinner. After last night's fried food fest, I was in the mood for something totally different, so I made salmon teriyaki with rice and roasted broccoli. In an absentminded move I accidentally made regular long-grain white rice instead of jasmine rice, so we ate like peasants, but it was otherwise quite tasty.

After dinner, I did some truly mindless procrastination for an hour or two, but then I got into the manuscript and did some brainstorming for the last hour or so. And now, I must sleep - goodnight!

turn up the lights

Nothing to report today - I got up, showered, and chatted with the HVAC guys before going into town to get allergy shots. Even though I didn't have heat last night, it wasn't bad - my nose was cold when I woke up, but it only got down to 63 in my bedroom and 65 or so downstairs, and then the greenhouse effect of my windows started to warm things up.

When I got home from the doctor and grocery store, I turned around and went straight back bc I realized the eggs I'd but expired a month ago. Luckily, the harried solo cashier just let me grab a different carton, no formal exchange necessary. I came home again, set up my new computer monitor, ate some peanut butter toast, and had a video chat about writing. And then I spent the afternoon doing some work but mostly messing around the house.

Happily, the guys got the new furnace going today and it seems to be working - there's still stuff to do, but I'm not going to freeze. While that momentous thing happened, I talked to Ritu for awhile, which was an overdue pleasure. And then I dragged [censored] to Garden Grove, where we had a tasty dinner that immediately made me sleepy.

And now, I'm going to go to bed - goodnight!

in the midnight hour

No blog tonight - I had an excellent writing day and also made perfect garlic smashed potatoes for dinner, but I was rewarded by having no heat in my house tonight due to the current stage of the HVAC project. Luckily it's pretty warm in here still, and won't get crazy cold outside tonight - but I hope tomorrow's continued work goes smoothly.

And now it's bedtime - goodnight!

now they're calling on the fire brigade

My HVAC project kicked off today... Luckily the contractor gave me two hours' notice before showing up, so I was showered and dressed in time to let them in. I still have heat tonight, which I'm basking in, but it's possible I won't have heat tomorrow. However, I think it will all be worth it despite the inconveniences this week.

While they were in the basement all day, I did a whole bunch of work - I got a new laptop in honor of Black Friday, and I spent the day setting it up. I've let the business side of writing lapse quite a bit since I haven't had any new releases, and I took the opportunity to go through a bunch of files, reorganize things, and make sure I have the right files/programs in the new laptop to start making progress on some year-end goals. It was fun and also bittersweet - I found partial manuscripts I'd forgotten about, and all told I probably have four books' worth of words that didn't become actual books. C'est la vie, I guess, but hopefully this one will succeed where the others didn't.

At some point, I made chicken and wild rice soup with mushrooms, which was perfect (and will be even better tomorrow when I don't have heat). And now I'm going to go to bed early so that I can take advantage of tomorrow - goodnight!

i miss you, but i miss sparkling

I had a pretty productive day, all in all. I dreamed of my book last night (and not in a nightmare kind of way), so I woke up, journaled a little bit, made some coffee, and wrote six pages. Then I showered before having a call with Heather (aka dear respected madam), who was in fine form.

After that, I made a late lunch (huevos rancheros), tidied up the kitchen, cleaned snow off my car, and went into town for allergy shots (which hurt). Then I came home, did a bunch of house stuff, did a bunch of laptop stuff, and took care of various online errands. At some point, [censored] left and I ate leftover tacos from Saturday night, which were still tasty.

And now, I really need to sleep - goodnight!

we'll paint it red to fit right in

I've had a busy couple of days. Yesterday, I made brunch for Aunt Kathy, [censored], and my parents at the v unfashionable hour of 9:30am in deference to their Midwestern preferences. Then, Kathy, Mom and I went to the town craft fair - I didn't really need crafts, but I bought a couple of things that I thought were cute/unique.

Then, we dropped Mom off at home and Kathy and I went into the other town to check out the stores that were open for small business Saturday. The town is really trying to make new businesses work, and I did get a cute top at a clothing store run by a high school classmate and a pendant at a gift shop attached to the hotel, so I think I did my part to support the local economy.

After that, Kathy left and I spent the rest of the day doing tings, napping, and picking up takeout from the Mexican food truck, which was braving the snow. It snowed a surprising amount overnight, and I didn't leave the house today as a result. I slept in, made breakfast tacos (delish), did some tings, and then finished getting the basement ready for my massive HVAC project. [Censored] was instrumental in this, and I still have some stuff to carry upstairs and a few things to cover with tarps, but otherwise we're good to go.

And then I made fresh spaghetti to go with leftover sauce, watched the ultimately depressing Iowa State basketball game, ate leftover chocolate cake, did some online stuff, and decided to go to bed before I buy any more black Friday deals for myself - goodnight!

last train to clarksville

Happy Thanksgiving Day Two! Aunt Kathy, Drewbaby, and Sammie came down today for a day of merriment, which meant I had to get up and be somewhat presentable for the second day in a row.

But first, I made myself eggs since I forgot to eat dinner last night and was feeling it. I also did a wee bit of black Friday shopping online. And then I baked a chocolate cake to use some of yesterday's leftover cream cheese frosting - the cake was a new recipe, but it turned out deliciously. I probably needed to make a second cake since my leftover frosting situation is absurd, but this was a good start.

I also showered, cleaned the kitchen, and prepped the ingredients for a salad before heading out to my parents' house. Lunch was mostly yesterday's leftovers plus my salad, but the meal was perfect - v easy and tasty. Then we hung out, talked, drank some wine, and some of us played Ticket to Ride. Kathy, Drewbaby and Sammie hadn't played it before, so perhaps it's not much of an achievement that I won, but I will still take the victory.

Then we ate dinner - we had a baked potato bar, which was the perfect follow up to lunch. And then Drewbaby and Sammie headed north, and Kathy came to my house, where we talked to [censored] until bedtime. She's staying over and we're doing brunch + local craft fair stuff tomorrow, so I need to go to bed if I'm going to cook again for the third morning in a row. Goodnight!

chordal drift

Happy Thanksgiving! I had a pretty lovely holiday, all in all - I baked all morning, although I wasn't perfectly satisfied with the results (I think I need to switch back to the other gluten free flour blend I sometimes use). The chocolate chip chewies were v. tasty, as usual, but I thought my pumpkin cupcakes were a little too dense. Ah, well, c'est la vie.

After baking, I had just enough time to shower before going out to mom and dad's for dinner (aka lunch). my sister and her husband came as well, and we had approximately a million pounds of turkey, along with the usual suspects (mashed potatoes, corn casserole, green bean casserole, deviled eggs, gravy, etc.). It was a really lovely lunch, and it filled me up enough that I forgot to eat supper, so I would say it was a success.

After [censored] and I got back to my house, I sat around for awhile and dozed off briefly, before watching Iowa State men's basketball play in a Thanksgiving invitational (they pulled off a v. impressive come-from-behind victory after being less than impressive earlier in the game). And then I spent the rest of the evening doing some writing work, journaling, etc.

And now, I need to go to bed so that I can continue the festivities tomorrow - goodnight!

feelings doing somersalts

I had a decent day, all in all, but I spent too much time looking at my computer. I did a bunch of random stuff this morning, and then I had lunch (some roasted chicken+squash+onion+brussels sprouts that I'd frozen last month, which I will have to recreate because it has been a v. nice thing to have in the freezer for quick lunches). I also talked to [censored] about fences and toilets, as we do. Then I took a shower and took a walk downtown to pay my gas bill (v. exciting).

After that, I did some work, and then I made dinner (Grandma Barb's spaghetti sauce, even though I don't have a Grandma Barb). [Censored] and I both enjoyed it, and I spent a little too much time scrolling on my phone after, but c'est la vie. Then, I was going to bake, but I had something that I absolutely had to finish tonight, so I spent the last couple of hours cranking it out. I'll get up tomorrow and bake, I swear.

And now, since I have made that claim, I should go to bed so that I can make it happen - goodnight!

in my button-up shirt a natural disaster

I am feeling somewhat surly about the fact that I spent the day running errands instead of being more creative - but it was raining all day, so chances are slim that I would have been productive with my book anyway. Instead, I did some tings around the house, got allergy shots, and then drove to the next town over to get the groceries that I wasn't able to pick up in Des Moines last week. While I was over there, I had lunch at my favorite restaurant in that town (their cobb salad was particularly tasty today), and then I went to Walmart and Fareway.

Thus stocked up, I came home and spent some time putting away groceries, dealing with last night's dishes, taking out the trash, etc. And then I spent the evening in a mix of journaling, scrolling, doing a couple of tasks, and otherwise being quite lazy.

But tomorrow is another day, and we'll see what I get done - goodnight!

i don't wanna go because i know the conditions

I got several tings done today, even though I inadvertently stayed up until two last night and so slept later than intended. But I did a bit of writing this morning (after talking to [censored] about fence and before eating some leftover chili for lunch), and I finished cleaning out my pantry. I also did some other house tings. And I went out to my parents' house to give my dad his birthday card (happy birthday, Dad!) and pick up some special paper to print some stuff.

The stuff I had to print was a bunch of star-shaped logos to put on a Christmas tree at the local festival of trees and lights. My secret society decided to decorate a tree this year, and I was able to take a logo that my mom had, edit it to improve the printing, and then cut it out, punch a hole in it, and put it on ornament hooks. I took the ornaments in to the fairgrounds tonight, where a bunch of people were in a frenzy of decorating. I didn't stay for the full finishing touches on the tree, but it was coming together nicely when I left, so that felt good.

Then I came home and made burrito bowls, even though I had intended that we would get takeout from the Mexican food truck. I also experimented with making a queso - the verdict was that [censored] and I don't like having too much tomato or other ingredients in the queso, but it was pretty tasty for a first attempt. And we ate while watching last night's SNL, which was as close to uniformly excellent as anything I've seen them do this year.

Then I cleaned up the kitchen, came upstairs, procrastinated for awhile, and did a bit of writing work to cap off the night. And now I need to sleep - goodnight!

scrollin' through a life i barely recognised

I didn't get enough done today because I got sucked into twitter reading about the fresh drama at Open.AI -- I've been staying off twitter, which has been good for my productivity, but it still sucks me in during moments of breaking news. I also slept until nine, which was v. nice but didn't help in terms of getting up and getting about my day.

However, I took care of various tings, washed my sheets, made fresh brown rice to go with leftover tofu stir fry for lunch, and did a whole bunch of organizing in my pantry to see what I have and what I need to replace. And eventually, [censored] and I met the parents for dinner - we went to our usual steak place, where I had a ribeye, and it was a v. nice evening.

But now, I need to sleep so that I can get more done tomorrow - goodnight!

love locked down

I have nothing to report - I got allergy shots this morning, then made a lightning trip to Des Moines to stock up on groceries and home goods. I made it home right before dark, and I spent the evening putting things away, eating leftover chili, and reading all the speculation in Silicon Valley over the firing of the OpenAI CEO. And now I need to sleep - goodnight!

a dreamer til the end

I need to go to bed immediately - I was writing just now, which was great, but now it's later than I had planned to stay up. Today was good, though - I did some work stuff this morning, then had a mural festival meeting, and then chatted with the guy who's embarking on my HVAC project while he poured concrete for my new A/C pad. Then I talked to my friend Durand, who is a delight. And then, after a brief nap, I made brunch for dinner, which [censored] and I ate while watching last week's SNL and various other comedy tings.

And now, I need to go to bed - goodnight!

skipping stones

I had an excellent day - it's amazing what can be accomplished when I manage to ignore my phone. I spent the morning journaling, writing, and reading a variety of tings. Then, I made myself lunch - I usually eat leftovers for lunch, but I had no leftovers, so I made a tofu stirfry with broccoli, red peppers, and onion, along with some brown rice. Yes, this is a v. unusual meal for southern Iowa, but sometimes I want tofu - and with the right seasoning (in this case, an Omsom sauce packet) and the right cooking method (lightly coated in cornstarch before stir frying to get some crispiness), it's pretty tasty. I doubt anyone will steal my leftovers, so I will get another couple of meals out of it, which is fine by me.

Then I did some tings around the house, had a meeting, did some more tings, and took a brief walk since the weather was so nice. And then I ran out to my parents' house to consult with my mom on some Christmas tree decorations for our secret society. When I came home, I made dinner (v. unusual to cook two meals in a day from scratch) - I was in the mood for chili, and I thought [censored] might appreciate those leftovers more than the tofu. So I made my favorite black bean chili, and it was delish. While it was cooking, I did some laundry, cleaned, etc. And after I ate, I had a conversation with someone in New Mexico who wants to plan a mural festival similar to the one we did here - I wish him well, and also am glad I don't have to plan another one anytime soon.

When I got off the phone, [censored] had arrived, so we caught up for awhile before I came upstairs. And now I really need to sleep - goodnight!

she's a butcher with a smile

I didn't get enough sleep last night, so I'm going to go to bed ASAP and try to rectify that. But I did get settled back into the olde Iowa today. I cleaned my coffeemaker, which I'm sure is what enabled me to do some excellent writing / brainstorming on the book. I ate some squash/chicken/Brussels sprouts dish that I'd previously prepped and frozen, which was a delicious lunch. I got allergy shots, which were less fun but still worthwhile. And I stopped by the office of something I'm on the board of to help the director with a technical problem, bought groceries, and fully unpacked from my trip. Oh, and I did two loads of laundry as well.

So, all in all everything was good, although I would have been even more #inittowinit with more sleep. On that note, it's bedtime - goodnight!

I've got my spine I've got my orange crush

I made it home after an entirely smooth and uneventful day - I had breakfast at my hotel, packed, did a bit of writing, checked out around noon, and was able to get an Uber just before the imminent shutdown of the streets around my hotel for the APEC event. I got through security in a flash, had a bit of sushi before the flight, read/journaled all the way to Denver, and survived a long layover by doing some book brainstorming.

The flight to Des Moines was boring and a few minutes early, so I was in my car at the moment that my plane was originally supposed to land. And now I'm in bed and hope to stay here for many hours - goodnight!

time after time

I had an excellent day in the city of sin - my writing workshop was great, and I'm feeling more unblocked than I have in a long time. But I didn't sleep well last night due to the timezone difference, and I was so "on" all day that I'm pretty wiped out. So I'm going to go to bed, have a leisurely morning, and then hope I can get out of the city before everything gets too crazy with security shutdowns for the apec summit. Goodnight!

i've been sitting here for ages, ripping out the pages, how'd i get so faded

Today was great and I feel like I made some solid progress on the plot / development issues with my book. My brain didn't want to wake up at first (probably because I only got four hours of sleep after last night's family time extravaganza - I was not hungover, but I was incredibly tired). But then I got into the groove and the book started humming, so that was a delight.

I also caught up with some writer types, and I got a full report on the Vegas writing conference that I missed from Veronica. She and I had an early dinner together at Aliment, and my steak salad and french fries were exactly what I needed (as was, of course, hanging out with Veronica). And then I retreated to my hotel and journaled a bunch, and I have a pretty clear sense of what I want to get out of an intense plotting session tomorrow.

And now, I need to sleep and try to catch up on last night's deficit - goodnight!

no squealing and remember that it's all in your head

Shhhh - I'm secretly in San Francisco. I decided to come at the extreme last minute to do some writing stuff related to nanowrimo, and I'm hoping it will unblock the last blocks with the plot of my book (which I have made good progress on this month, but it's still not there).

However, the fact that I came at the extreme last minute meant that I didn't have time to let anyone know that I was coming, other than my writer friends. Happily for me, though, the people I did reach out to today mostly didn't have plans. I spent the whole morning/afternoon traveling, which was a drag since I woke up at 5am to make it to the airport on time. But my flights were perfectly smooth and I didn't have to get a suitcase from baggage claim, so that felt winning.

Within forty five minutes if landing in SF, I met up with Lauren (aka Subz) for a late lunch in Burlingame. She was in fine form and I could have talked to her for ages, but we parted ways and I took an Uber to SF to check into my hotel.

I spent the evening running errands, eating a funghi pizza at Delfina, taken a nap, etc.  I took a brief nap, and that could have been the end...

... But instead, despite the lure of staying in bed, I went out. I met up with Vidya, Claudia and Adit, and we had a couple of bottles of wine at Linden and Laguna, followed by a punch bowl at Hazies. We've still got it, I guess, but we'll see how i feel tomorrow.

And now I must sleep - goodnight!

if your dreams don't scare you they're not big enough

I had more going on today than I usually do - I wrote in the morning, but then I talked to Tanya, who was as delightful as always. Then I ate a cobb salad for lunch and tried to buckle down on work with mixed results. I had another call in the afternoon, and then I went into town for a library board meeting. It's a nice (and entertaining) group of people, and we had a good conversation even if the state completely screwed library funding, so we'll see what happens there.

Then I sped home, made a quick dinner (leftover fried rice and leftover broccoli + two fried eggs), and then went back into town for a meeting of my secret society. The meeting was good and I won the giveaway tonight, which was exciting since I never win. And then I ate some lemon meringue pie while discussing local politics (mostly chickens) with the ladies.

Then I came home, messed around a little, and did a bit of writing. And now I need to sleep - goodnight!

and then they put you on the day shift

I had a lovely day, all in all. I spent the morning doing various desk tings (including a little bit of writing stuff), and then I spent the rest of the morning making lunch. I had intended to prep some of it last night, but I was feeling lazy then, so I had to cook this morning so that [censored] and I could eat. I made the fixings for cobb salads, which took a bit of prep, but it means that I now have four jarred cobb salads in the fridge waiting for future lunches. I feel like I'm almost past the season where I'll be in the mood for a cobb salad, but it tasted good today.

Then I cleaned up, did a bit of work, and went into town to get allergy shots. They reacted as usual, but not terribly, so I'll take it. After my shots, I grabbed a couple of groceries, came home, and wrote for a bit. But I mostly let myself get sidetracked by other things I needed to take care of, which was fine with me.

When it was time to think about dinner, I decided to experiment with a chorizo fried rice recipe. It came out of J. Kenji Lopez-Alt's THE WOK cookbook, which I got last year for Christmas. He contributes to one of my favorite online recipe sites (Serious Eats), and I follow him on Instagram, so I knew it would be good. I usually don't modify a recipe on the first attempt, but I decided to add some shrimp, increase the amount of rice, and scale up the soy sauce / sesame oil accordingly.

After I'd diced the chorizo, shrimp, onion, green pepper, and scallions, and defrosted the frozen corn just a little bit, I turned on my induction burner as hot as it would go so that some I could heat my skillet (note: I bought a wok but I haven't fully seasoned it). It turns out the turbo burner on my induction stove is perhaps faster/hotter than gas, because my fried rice produced so much smoke that [censored] and I had to open a bunch of windows (and the front door, and briefly the garage door) and I was coughing as I finished cooking. But that level of heat produced some absolutely delicious fried rice. There were some lovely smoky bits, some perfectly crusty lattices of rice, and yet none of it was overcooked.

So this is a hard one, because from the taste alone + the ease of making it, I would absolutely add this to the rotation. But the smoke level was definitely carcinogenic (not to mention pervasive through the house). I think I'll try again at a slightly lower temperature point and see if 20% less flavor yields 80% less smoke.

Ssssanyway, after [censored] and I enjoyed our rice (and cleared out some of the smoke), we watched a bit of TV (including an interview the Please Don't Destroy guys from SNL did with Jimmy Fallon), and then we watched three episodes of OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH. It continues to be absolutely absurd, which means I love it.

And now, I need to sleep since I have a million tings going on tomorrow - goodnight!

mixing up the medicine

I was pretty productive today, all in all - I had a meeting in the morning, and then I did a variety of writing/finance/house tasks all day. I took a break to make an omelette for lunch, which was perfect (onions, mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, goat cheese, plus leftover roasted potatoes). And I spent some quality time in the basement, which is close to ready for my overly complicated HVAC replacement.

Eventually, [censored] and I had dinner - I made salmon teriyaki last night, and I made fresh rice and roasted broccoli to go with the leftover salmon tonight. [Censored] and I ate and then watched Nate Bergatze's latest comedy special - he hosted SNL a couple of weeks ago and was hilarious, so I'm glad to see his other work is getting picked up.

And now, I need to sleep - goodnight!

i'm gonna shake it like the thunder tonight

I was way lazier than I intended to be today - this is always the consequence of coming back from a trip, but I really thought I would be more productive than this. But I did get some excellent writing done this evening (if I do say so myself), helped [censored] with something, and inspected the amazing job that [censored] did fixing my gazebo while I was gone. I also took care of a variety of tings around the house. And I made myself some roasted potatoes and brussels sprouts to go with some pulled pork that I had in the freezer, which felt much more industrious (and healthier) than the pizza I had intended to order.

But now, I need to go to bed so I can do all the things tomorrow - goodnight!

cheers to the 2010s

No blog tonight- I made it back home after an interminable drive. It took longer in this direction, mostly because I didn't have the same blizzard pressure and so stopped and sat down to eat lunch and dinner (as well as grabbing breakfast and coffee before leaving Denver). I also got coffee from the world's second slowest Starbucks in York, Nebraska (the world's slowest is one in Kerrville, Texas).

But my trip was uneventful, other than seeing the immediate aftermath of one extremely terrible accident on the other side of I-80. And now I need to sleep - goodnight!

hanging by a moment here with you

I had a wonderful day in Colorado - so wonderful that I almost regret cutting my trip short, but I decided to get out of here tomorrow so I can spend the weekend dealing with my basement HVAC situation. I woke up this morning, showered, grabbed some coffee, packed, and checked out in time to meet Morganne for lunch at The Kitchen. We've known each other for ages (she was on my team in 2008), and I always love catching up with her. And my halal chicken sandwich was absolute perfection, so that was a good way to end my time in Boulder. I actually mostly hate that city and have finally accepted that to be the case, but Morganne and the Kitchen are wonderful.

Then I drove to Denver, with a stop at H Mart to pick up many packets of rice noodles for pad Thai + better jasmine rice than I can get in Iowa. When I got here, I checked into my hotel, spent literally seven minutes here, and then took an Uber to LoHi. I met up with Alex at Lady Jane (one of my old haunts) - she was on my team for three days a million years ago, but we've stayed in touch, and I was delighted to find out that she recently left our mutual former employer under similar circumstances to mine (voluntarily and long overdue). We caught up and compared notes, and it was great.

Then I was supposed to meet Katie for dinner, but she is sick, and I'm v depressed that we won't see each other this time. But I had a plan b (who didn't feel like a plan b because they hadn't responded to me until last night and didn't expect me to be free). I ended up at Bar Dough with Andy and Nina, which delighted me - I missed seeing them when I was here in May, and they are some of my favorite people here. So we caught up, and Andy's stories about what I left behind didn't stress me out too badly, and it was so great. Then we came back to Wildflower for a nightcap, which I highly recommend.

And now, I must sleep so I can face the long dark of Nebraska tomorrow - goodnight!

sending out an sos to the world

I had a lovely day in Boulder, although I've screwed up my sleeping schedule by napping from 9:30-11pm and then sending emails for the last hour. But I got up this morning, made myself presentable, and went to Boxcar (one of my old haunts) for a latte and some writing time. My lunch date cancelled due to having COVID, so I was on my own - and that meant going to my favorite paper store and the Boulder bookstore, since I was, as usual, convinced that a new notebook would solve all my plot problems.

This equipped, I went to Postino, where I had lunch and wrote for awhile. Lunch was tasty, but it would have been tastier if they hadn't gotten half of my order wrong. I liked what they brought instead, so it was no big deal, and the glass of zinfandel I had with it went a long way towards making everything better.

Then I went to a happy hour that I organized for myself - and I was pleased to see Alisha, both Tomases, Steph, Morgan, Morganne, Morganne's baby, Midou, Caroline, Stacey, Isaac, Dave, Alice, Vicky, and a couple of other random stragglers. It felt like an old pre-pandemic work happy hour, and I gave them permission to use my name and likeness to throw future happy hours for themselves even when I'm not around.

Then, Caroline and I had dinner with Sara (other Sara) at River and Woods. I had my beloved poutine, which was delicious but made my stomach hurt, which is why I crawled into bed as soon as I got to my hotel. But now I need to go to bed for real so that I can accomplish all the things tomorrow - goodnight!

get drunk on the good life, i'll take you to paradise

I had a pretty good day in Boulder - it's warming up a bit and the sidewalks/streets are mostly clear, which was a bonus. I got up early and left my room a little before nine to move my car - since I've been able to park within half a block of the hotel both nights, and street parking is free after seven p.m., I refuse to pay for the hotel valet, but this does mean moving my car in the morning. But that also meant I could go to Starbucks and write for a bit, which I did.

Then, I got a manicure at the salon I used to go to here - I hadn't been there since February 2020, since my office in Boulder was shut down for two years and then I resigned and moved to Iowa. But the woman I always saw was still there and she was delighted to see me, so that was fun. And my nails look stylish again, but we'll see how long they last when I get home.

Then I ran a couple of errands at the mall before picking up Tomas for an off campus lunch. We've been friends forever, so we talked more about non-work stuff then work-stuff, which was v. welcome. He also made me glad I'm not raising teenagers right now, although some of it does sound quite entertaining.

After I dropped him off, I came back to my hotel briefly, and then met Lexie (from my old team) for a drink at Rosetta. I had barely gotten to say goodbye to her when I left last year, and it was really great to catch up. And then, I came back to my hotel, changed shoes, and walked down Pearl to grab dinner at Pizzeria Alberico. It was delish, as usual, and I did some good journaling while eating a mushroom pizza and drinking a nice montepulciano. They were surprisingly empty tonight, likely because of Halloween, but that was good for me since it meant I could linger.

And now, I must sleep - goodnight!

your side of town

I have officially stayed up too late and I almost feel like I'm getting a cold, so I need to go to bed ASAP. But today was good - I had breakfast in my hotel, did some v important writing/work stuff, and then showered and packed. I ordered a poke bowl from my favorite Denver poke place for lunch, and it was as tasty as always.

Then I checked out and drove to Lafayette to see Caroline + special guest Aaron. I hadn't seen Aaron since I left my job last year, and it was really nice to see him in a more introverted setting (he and Caroline are the introverts, not me). We hung out for a couple of hours, and then I drove to Boulder and checked into my hotel. It's nice to be back and see the mountains, which are dramatically snowy. But I holed up and ate a much needed steak in the hotel while doing some work, and then I read for a few hours. And now I need to sleep - goodnight!

wait for them to ask you who you know

I had an extremely lazy, unexpected snow day. Denver got eight or so inches of snow overnight, mostly after I arrived, and it was still coming down this morning when I opened my drapes to look out upon the world. Katie and I were supposed to grab brunch, but she wasn't feeling well; I had tentative plans to see Aunt B, but she got even more snow than Denver did. So, I holed up in my hotel and had a mini writing retreat, which suited me perfectly.

After showering and spending some quality time getting ready, I went downstairs and had breakfast. I wrote in my journal and observed the world while eating some tasty food and drinking excellent coffee, and I was quite satisfied. Then, I took my laptop to the lobby and wrote for awhile. I eventually relocated to the bar, where I had a glass of rosé and some fries while finishing the book I started reading last night. And then I wrote some more until my eyes got tired and I decided I needed a nap.

Eventually, I did vacate the hotel - the sun came out in the late afternoon, and the buildings around here did a great job clearing their sidewalks, so I walked over to Larimer Square and grabbed some tasty enchiladas. It was still too cold for my tastes (it never got above freezing today), but the walk did me good. Then I returned to my room, wrote for another couple of hours, and then did some desultory internet scrolling for the rest of the night.

All in all, it was a good day - and hopefully tomorrow is equally nice (with slightly less snow and more socializing). Goodnight!

you're not like the others, futuristic lover

I have never made such good time on a drive to Denver before - but I was highly motivated by the winter storm warning here, in a way that was only matched by the drive in 2020 that involved trying to beat wildfire smoke + curfews in Denver related to civil rights protests. I actually left my house in Iowa at 8:03am, which is a new record - I showered, loaded my car, made some coffee and ate some ham out of a Ziploc bag like a savage, and said goodbye to [censored], all before I usually get up in the morning. I deserve a medal, but I don't know what governing body would give it to me, so I'll just have to award it to myself.

The drive was thoroughly uneventful - all across Iowa and Nebraska, it was tempting to take my time and eat a real lunch or stop places, but I did my very best to forge ahead (although I had breakfast McDonald's and lunch McDonald's). But I started seeing alarming amounts of snow and ice on eastbound cars around North Platte, so I forged ahead. I drove through snow through most of Colorado, which picked up after Stirling... But at that point I felt committed, since it was still only 4pm. So I booked a room in Denver (which I hadn't done since I wasn't sure I'd make it here), and I made it into town around six. The last hour felt treacherous, and my door didn't want to open when I arrived because of how much ice/snow had accumulated around the bottom of the frame, but made it without issues.

Once I checked into my hotel, I decided I didn't want to go out for the night - and the last-minute deal I booked included a food credit, so I spent it on an excellent salmon dish and some wine at the hotel restaurant. I was going to do some work, but instead I read a book, and it was delightful. And now I'm going to finish unwinding and go to sleep - goodnight!

if you live like that, you live with ghosts

I was pretty busy today - I decided to take a rather impromptu trip to Denver this week, which it turns out is perhaps a bad idea because the weather does not look ideal for a drive across Nebraska. However, I want to be in Denver next weekend to see a friend visiting from London, and so going this weekend enables me to see some more people before that.

So, I spent some quality time this morning writing, and then I showered, ate lunch, did some housework, and went into town to get allergy shots. Before I got my shots, I went to the courthouse and voted in case I don't make it back before election day - it was only city and school board, so it only took a few minutes, but I'm glad I got it done. My allergy shots were annoying and itchy, as per usual, but I took my laptop and worked for thirty minutes while I sat there.

Then I came home, spent a couple of hours packing + doing house stuff, and had a quick call with someone. Then, [censored] and I met the parents in town for dinner - we never go to the steakhouse in town, but they had a gift certificate, so we went there to help use it up. We all agreed the appetizers were great (albeit gluten-y) - their cheese balls and breaded mushrooms were excellent, and Dad got chicken gizzards, which, while not my favorite, were quite good for gizzards. My main course (an Iowa chop) was almost too salty, since I'm guessing it was brined too long, but otherwise everything was good.

Then [censored] and I came home, and I finished packing by ten p.m., which is a record for me. I also emptied the dishwasher, folded laundry, etc., so that [censored] is not left with a total mess in my absence. And now, I need to sleep so that I can get on the road as early as possible (for me, not for normal humans) - goodnight!

it was all by design

I have nothing to report - I did a lot of desk work today, so I'm a little burned out on screens. But I took a break tonight and made burrito bowls, which was quite tasty. And that's pretty much all you're getting tonight - perhaps I shall be more ebullient tomorrow night. Goodnight!

i laid the groundwork and then just like clockwork the dominoes cascaded in a line

I apparently forgot to blog last night, but you didn't miss much - I mostly did stuff around the house yesterday (along with a v. productive writing session in the morning). I also picked up my car after getting it detailed, thanks to a ride from my mom - the detailing was a rather last-minute choice, but my car looks great, so I'm glad that I happened to see the last-minute opening for a detailing slot. And eventually, I went to the next town over to have dinner with Hannah - we went to the Pit Pony, which is relatively new and is so named in reference to the area's history with coal mining. It was a delight to see Hannah and my burger was tasty, so all in all it was a win.

Today was more of the same - my eyes are going blearly from looking at my computer all day (a mix of coming up with ideas and researching things, plus doing a bit of travel planning). But I did eventually leave the house for a meeting of my secret society - I suppose we discussed secrets, but we mostly met and then ate snacks, and I took the end of the meeting to talk to the president (who is the only person in the group younger than me) about Britney Spears' new autobiography. I'm counting that as a win.

Then I came home, talked to [censored] for a bit, and spent the last couple of hours back on my computer. And now I really need to sleep - goodnight!

i cooked the books and threw my combinations

Today was pretty good, all in all - I sent a bunch of emails that I've been ignoring / avoiding responding to. which felt great as soon as I was done with them. I also got allergy shots, which I didn't react to quite as badly as I often do. And I had a ham sandwich for lunch, which is lowkey one of my favorite things to eat, so that was pretty delightful.

In the afternoon, I had a call with my friend Heather (aka dear respected madam) and took care of various tings. Eventually, I said farewell to [censored], sat on my balcony for a little bit to take advantage of the last eighty degree day, and then made dinner. I tried a new-to-me sheet pan recipe with butternut squash, brussels sprouts, red onion, chicken breast, and a maple syrup / dijon marinade, and it was *excellent* - not necessarily something that would be [censored]'s favorite, but it will have to go into the rotation for when I'm here by myself. It would be even easier with precut butternut squash, since cutting the squash took more time than all the rest of the prep combined, but c'est la vie.

After I ate, I cleaned up a bit and then did more email / writing tasks. And now I need to sleep - goodnight!

hardtop impala, blank checks and cannonballers

I was quite productive today - perhaps more productive than I wanted to be, or at least in different ways than planned. I did sleep in a bit, but after I had some coffee we got to it - [censored] had access to some of my dad's equipment and there was a list of tings we wanted to do outside. This mostly involved using a lift to clean out my gutters - I felt rather guilty because [censored] did all the cleaning, but this meant that we weren't both on the lift and in danger of getting stuck if something happened. I was also able to fetch various supplies, hoses, etc. without [censored] having to climb on and off the lift, so I'm consoling myself with the idea that I was useful. While [censored] was up there, we also installed a solar panel to provide permanent power to one of my security cameras, so we'll see how that works.

At some point my dad stopped by to inspect (or impede) progress, but we wrapped up all the gutter stuff and took a break for some leftover ham and scalloped potatoes. Then, despite wanting to take a nap after the potatoes, I rallied and went outside to put some tings in my shed, finish cleaning up some flower pots for the winter, etc.

And then [censored] brought over a different piece of equipment + a log chain and used it to pull several tings out of my yard. The previous owner left behind an old clothesline that was embedded in an overabundance of concrete to anchor it, and [censored] managed to excavate it. Also, we had several trees coming up around my flagpole - the flagpole was in the wrong location for my tastes, but a tree there would be perfect, and one of the volunteer trees was a catalpa that looks like it could be nice if it survives. So [censored] pulled the other trees (a mulberry, an elm, and a tiny shoot of maple) and also pulled the flagpole. It's unclear whether the catalpa was damaged in this process beyond a cut root, but [censored] watered it and filled dirt in around where the flagpole/concrete had been, so hopefully it makes it through the winter and thrives next year.

After all that, I folded some laundry, took a quick shower, and ran into town to pick up dinner. The Mexican restaurant has been closed for remodeling for months, but they opened their food truck this weekend, so I picked up food for [censored] and the parents. It was all v. tasty, and it was definitely nice to hang out and not do yardwork in the evening.

And now, I need to sleep so I can get cracking with other tings tomorrow - goodnight!

there's more than one way to get your freedom

Today was more of the usual - I wrote in the morning, took a shower, and ran into town to get allergy shots. When I got back, [censored] and I drove around for a bit, and then I spent the afternoon doing a few tings, taking a nap, taking a walk, etc. As evening approached, [censored] and I went to Garden Grove, which was unusually disappointing - my food was great, but they were so busy that we had to sit at a high top table (which I never like since my legs are so short) and they were out of [censored]'s preferred meal, so that was a bummer.

But, it was a beautiful day and hopefully the weather continues to hold - we shall see. Goodnight!

wanted to fight this war without weapons

I felt fairly accomplished today, all in all. I wrote most of the morning, before taking a quick shower and making a frozen pizza for lunch. Then, I caught up with Veronica for an hour, which was v. necessary. I did a bit more writing, did some procrastinating, and took a nap. And then, I made scalloped potatoes (Barefoot Contessa's potatoes au gratin recipe, modified to remove the leeks and onions that [censored] and other midwesterners don't want in scalloped potatoes) and a ham. It was a bit decadent for a Thursday night, but it was v. tasty.

While that was cooking, I cleaned up the kitchen and then sat on my balcony and wrote for a little bit. Eventually, [censored] and I ate while watching tv. And then I left [censored] to his own devices, came upstairs, vowed not to doomscroll social media, and instead inhaled an entire book - THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR. It's been sitting on my shelf for awhile, and I read it fast because it's relatively short - but it's a bizarre, fun book and I'm glad I read it.

And now, I need to sleep - goodnight!

let's rewrite an ending that fits instead of a hollywood horror

I had a strangely busy day today, although I felt like I didn't get enough done. I spent the morning journaling / writing, and then I had a catch-up with my friend Tanya. I accused her of being the Ghost of Christmas Future because she is dealing with some career-related stuff that I am not currently dealing with but may someday be back into, and it was, all in all, a hilarious conversation.

Then I had lunch, did some house stuff, and had a call with a writer who is an expert in building newsletter content / followings - it was certainly worth the time, and I need to spend some time considering what we talked about over the next couple of weeks. I ran into town to pick up a couple of tings, and then I came home and had a long chat with Katie, which was v. overdue. And then I went out to my parents' house and mooched dinner off of them, which was tasty (and certainly easier than the experimental recipe I was going to try tonight).

Shortly after I got home, [censored] arrived, so we caught up for a bit. And now I need to sleep - goodnight!

the world was wide, too late to try, the tour was over, we'd survived

Nothing to report today - I had to get up early to go get allergy shots, which were accomplished without drama (but with a lot of swelling). Then I came home and did some writing-related tasks this morning. I also fielded a call from the town that is hosting next year's mural festival - I've been avoiding them since I didn't want to deal with mural-related activities this last month, but I decided to take the call, and we ended up talking for an hour.

After that, I ate lunch and then went for a drive - I checked out the Amish discount store, which had the usual ridiculous array of goods. Then I came home and, inspired, did a bit of writing. I also did a bit of laundry and a bit of sitting on my balcony, since it was nice enough to be outside. After that, I ate dinner (well, cheese and salami and a variety of jams), and I wrote a tiny bit more before inevitably procrastinating.

And now, I need to start winding down for the night - goodnight!

rain keeps beating on the rooftop, muddying the glass

The changing weather is kicking my hoarding instincts into gear, so I ran to Des Moines today to buy groceries. It was actually nice today and appears destined to be nice all week, but my freezer is mostly empty, so I stocked up on meat (I can't help it, I like organic chicken now and the massive chicken breasts at Fareway astonish me). I also bought some cheeses and a few other tings that I can't get locally. And, I bought a toilet (not at Whole Foods) - my bathroom is in desperate need of a new one, but that required me picking one out, which I had not wanted to spend any energy doing this summer.

Since I wanted [censored]'s help unloading it and [censored] was leaving tonight, I made my trip as fast as possible - I left here around eleven and was back by 4:15. Then I said goodbye to [censored], made myself a boulevardier, and had a long chat with my friend Sara, who wanted some advice about some work stuff (hence the boulevardier). After we were done, I reheated some leftover burrito bowl and read a book. And now, I need to sleep - goodnight!

when the rain soaks through the heels and slips to the sole

It was a v. dreary day today, which reminds me that Iowa in winter is about a million times worse than Iowa in summer. It wasn't all bad - I got up relatively early for a Saturday and went into town to have coffee with Amber. She was in [censored]'s class, so I didn't know her well in school since I thought [censored]'s classmates were children, but she is not a child now. We had a good time chatting about a variety of local subjects, so I'm glad we made it happen.

Then, I grabbed groceries, came home, ate some leftovers, and did a whole lot of nothing. I guess I accomplished a nap, a load of laundry, and a journal entry, so it wasn't all a wash - but I wasn't in the mood to do anything else while it was so grey outside. I did, however, rally to make dinner - I cooked a tater tot casserole and invited the parents to come and share it with us. It turned out quite well, even if the grocery store only had mini tater tots, and the bagged caesar salad I bought was a good addition.

After the parents left, I finished cleaning up and then procrastinated some more before folding my laundry and doing a couple of minor tasks. And now I need to sleep - goodnight!

where'd you wanna go, how much you wanna risk

My day was pretty good, all in all - I got up and did a bit of work before going into town and getting allergy shots. My reaction to the shots was pretty standard, so I came home feeling good. I ate some leftover Mexican food from last night's excursion, and then I finished prepping for and having a videoconference. After that, I messed around online, sent some emails, etc. until it was time to stop looking at screens for the day.

Eventually, I made supper for me and [censored] - it was time for the usual instant pot burrito bowls, so I whipped some up, and we ate them while sitting on the couch. Then I came upstairs and was going to read or journal or something, but instead online shopped. And now, I'm going to bed - goodnight!

all the blue light reflection that color my mind as i sleep

I'm falling asleep so this will be quick - but I enjoyed the second day of the conference and then made it home, with a quick stop in Des Moines along the way. The morning sessions were all fine (some more informative than others), and the ladies preparing the food continued to make sure I, the only person with a food sensitivity, was able to eat.

I stopped in at a store on the main street in Manning to check out what they have going on downtown, and then I drove to Des Moines. I had to return something at the mall, so I took care of that, and used it as an opportunity to check out a couple of stores. I was going to buy groceries, but I was too tired, so I drove home while listening to a couple of podcasts (Conan interviewing Arnold Schwarzenegger was participating good).

When I got here, I didn't feel like cooking, so [censored] and I ended up going to the other Mexican restaurant location (30min away, worth it). They were packed for a Thursday, but the food was good, and [censored] and I were able to catch up.

And now, I need to sleep so I can do a million things tomorrow - goodnight!

it's the summer of love

I'm v. tired, but I'm having a lovely time in the small town of Manning, where I have come for a tourism conference. No, I am not a tourism coordinator, but I'm now on the board for the county economic development group, and someone from the board needed to go to this conference. It's three hours from home, so I had to wake up early this morning (in a thunderstorm! how unusual, since we've been in a drought!) to drive over here. I made it two minutes before the opening speaker, which was just right, and all in all it's been a good event. I've learned more about road signage and liquor laws than I thought I needed to know, but I also got to go see the Templeton Rye distillery, which is a few miles away. They have spent tens of millions of dollars on that facility, which I find fascinating, and they glossed over the whole controversy of when Templeton was actually being produced in Indiana. But it was still a fun tour and I enjoyed my tasting, and I was lured into buying a sweatshirt, so it was all good.

Then I v. quickly checked into my hotel and had dinner at the conference center - I am the only gluten free person in attendance, which means the catering ladies were looking out for me specifically, and tonight they made me a massive amount of gluten free pasta to go with the sauce and the salmon, which I appreciated. This area is very heavily German Catholic, and so after dinner, we were 'encouraged' to play a couple of German games (nailing a nail into a stump, and holding a beer stein as long as possible). I mostly hung out and talked to some people who knew my mom from my mom's involvement in tourism years ago, as well as some other people who were pretty entertaining.

And now, after having my last drink in the lobby (probably in direct violation of the liquor laws we learned about today), I need to sleep - goodnight!

don't wear sandals, try to avoid the scandals

I have nothing to report - I wrote today and it did not go well. But I had lunch with [censored] (fresh spaghetti to go with last night's sauce), took a walk at some point, cleaned out the freezer and took out my trash, etc. And I spent some quality time on my balcony at sunset with a truly excellent glass of petite sirah...I had to have a blanket as well, but it was worth it.

Then I ate some sweet potato hash that I found in the freezer with a couple of freshly fried eggs, and I finished my reread of Haruki Murakami's HARD BOILED WONDERLAND AND THE END OF THE WORLD. It's still one of my favorites and still somewhat incomprehensible, but I loved it. And now I must sleep - goodnight!

hardtop impala, blank checks and cannonballers

I have nothing noteworthy to share tonight. I did not get into the book like I intended to this morning - I did a bit of desk work, but otherwise was somewhat lazy. I ate lunch with [censored], tried to write a little more, and eventually spent a few hours in the basement. I set up another rack of rolling shelves and put a bunch of stuff on it, and I'm pleased with my progress - there is still lots to do, as we like to say around here, but I'm feeling a little less panicked about cleaning the basement before the HVAC project.

Eventually, I stopped and took a bunch of trash to [censored]'s dumpster and cardboard to the recycling trailer. Then I came home and made dinner - Grandma Barb's spaghetti sauce (note: I do not have a Grandma Barb, but someone on the internet does, and the sauce is a banger). After [censored] and I ate, we procrastinated a bit (including [censored] finally getting me to watch a YouTube video about a guy named [censored]'s death), and then I cleaned up the kitchen, folded the three loads of laundry I did today, and called it quits for the night. I was, again, going to try to write for a bit, but instead I read a magazine. And now, I really need to sleep - goodnight!

the higher ups will tell you what you can't eat, where you can't go, how to dress, how to act decent

I had a relatively good day - I didn't get as much done as I intended, but it was far better than nothing. I did some writing this morning, which is feeling like molasses, but it was a worthy attempt. I also did a handful of other chores before showering, eating some soup, and going into town. There was an open house at the battery factory today, and I wanted to see it since I'd never been inside (and my dad's company did some of the construction work on the expansion a few years ago). I happened to run into some people I knew when I got there ([censored]'s friend's family), so I mostly walked around with them, and it was pretty interesting to see the manufacturing process.

Then I went to the museum, where they were opening a new '100 Years of Batteries' exhibit to celebrate the long history of battery manufacturing here. I got there just in time to see the ribbon cutting. Separately, I also talked to a guy who collects Native artifacts and has started making his own replica pottery based on fragments found in the state, so that was pretty interesting.

Having experienced enough culture for one day, I came home, ate a snack, relaxed for too long, and then forced myself to clean. My bedroom and office have been mild disasters for the past couple of months (starting when I no longer had impending house guests and got swept into the mural festival), so I did a deep clean of my bedroom - fresh sheets, laundered duvet cover, thorough dusting, vacuuming, etc. It has suddenly turned to fall here, and according to the temperature sensor in my bedroom, last night was the coldest night in my room since May. So, I put some flannel sheets on the bed and I'm ready to get cozy (even though my spirit is not ready for winter).

Eventually, [censored] and I went out to the parents' house, where we had brats and potato salad and baked beans in defiance of the onset of autumn. Unfortunately the brats were accidentally beer brats, thanks to a likely mistake at the grocery store meat counter, but they were well cooked and the potato salad/beans were perfect, as always. So we all caught up for a bit, and then [censored] and I came back to town, where I cleaned my office for the last couple of hours. I still need to dust and vacuum, but I got all the mural stuff put away, organized my papers, cleaned off my desk, etc. It's starting to feel like I can get down to actual work here, but we shall see...

And now, it's time for bed - goodnight!

you steady chasin' that paper

I had a lovely day, all in all. I skipped an optional meeting this morning because it was at 7:30am and I need to reclaim my mornings after the official end of the mural festival. But I still got up in time to make some tea and make a nine a.m. appointment for allergy shots, which are continuing relatively well - my allergies have been totally manageable this fall, which is a big improvement over six months ago, so the shots have been worth it.

Then I grabbed some groceries, came home, and spent the morning taking care of a variety of writing / personal tasks. Then I had a late lunch with [censored], avoided my to-do list for a bit, and then buckled down in the basement to organize more of my tings. It's not looking as bad as I thought it might be, mostly because I kept a lot of empty boxes post-move, and many other things can be easily consolidated now that I've been here a year and have a better idea of what I'm using.

Eventually, I stopped working (and stopped taking a break on my grandparents' old armchair, which is in the basement) and made a double batch of chicken tortilla soup. It was just on the verge of too spicy, but it was a v. welcome treat - it's suddenly cold here today (I had to wear a jacket and uggs to the hospital!), which is hilarious since I'm getting heat advisory warnings on my phone for San Francisco. So [censored] and I ate dinner, discussed chain saws (as one does), etc., before I decided to hang out upstairs.

And now, I must sleep - goodnight!

find my sun in the dark side of my shadow

I was pretty productive today - I did writing stuff most of the morning and most of the afternoon. I took a break around lunch to make some huevos rancheros - I doctored a can of black beans to make them better, and I made a quesadilla and two perfectly fried eggs. [censored] even partook despite not liking corn tortillas, although I scrambed [censored]'s eggs - it's amazing that we get along since he has the worst taste in eggs, but I digress.

After writing for much of the afternoon, I spent an hour working in the basement. I need to start clearing some stuff in preparation for a massive HVAC project, and [censored] is far ahead of me after doing a lot down there while I was in San Francisco. Then, I made dinner (the usual burrito bowls), took a quick shower while it was cooking, and ate with [censored].

And now, I need to sleep so I can accomplish a million different things tomorrow - goodnight!