put apprehension on the back burner, let it sit, don't even get it lit

I had a lovely day, although it started late because I went to bed sometime after two and so got up at 10;30. I have no regrets about that, but I am trying to go to bed earlier tonight (it's only 11:48pm!). But I got up, made some tea, got ready, and got some good writing done, so I'm happy about that.

I had some leftover spaghetti for lunch, ran to the grocery store to get some broccoli, messed around a bit, and then spent most of the afternoon finalizing my tax information to send to my CPA. I did take a long break to talk to Katie, which was great (and v. overdue). And then I made dinner, which turned out perfectly - salmon teriyaki, rice, and roasted broccoli, which is v. easy and also v. delicious. While I cooked, I listened to a couple of good entreprenuer-type podcasts, which gave me the push I needed to wrap up the tax stuff and upload it. And then I celebrated by reading - I started a book called THE FINAL STRIFE, which I picked up on a whim at the bookstore in Indianola last month. So far so good, but we'll see how it goes as I get deeper into it.

And now, I need to go to bed, or at least not look at my laptop - goodnight!

treat this night like it'll happen again

I mostly accomplished what I set out to do today - I wrote seven pages, which felt pretty good, even if I still have no idea where this story is headed. I also ate leftover burrito bowls with [censored] and spent some time this afternoon getting my tax documents together - I'm not done, but I'm farther ahead than I have been the last couple of years.

Eventually, [censored] left, so I said farewell, and then I took care of a bit more online stuff before making dinner. I whipped up some spaghetti all'amatriciana, which was delicious and relatively fast. Then I took my trash to my dad's dumpster, did a bit of writing, and ended the night by finishing a book I started the other night (ROSEMARY AND RUE). I didn't totally love it, but it is in the genre that I'm maybe writing, so it was v. thought-provoking.

However, it kept me up later than intended (but I needed to finish it because my library due date was fast approaching, so no regrets there) - so I think it's time for bed. Goodnight!

we barely notice as the pages disappear, floating off into another year

I had a nice Sunday, although it would have been nicer if it were eighty degrees and sunny. I got up at a reasonably respectable hour and made breakfast for me and [censored] -- it was the usual Sunday affair with scrambled eggs (filled with bacon, onions, green peppers, and mushrooms) and hash browns, and it was v. tasty (if I do say so myself). We ate while watching most of the skits from last night's SNL -- they're definitely still rebuilding and I hope Keenan is in all the skits because he wants to be and not because no one else is capable (although I could see that being true). But there were some good moments, and Weekend Update was funny, so that was a worthwhile watch.

I then spent the afternoon doing some desultory office work, journaling, and riding my Peloton, which is finally fully set up and ready for use (after an absurd number of months of paying my subscription). It was really nice to ride again (after the first five minutes, when I thought it was the stupidest idea I'd had all day), so I'd like to make it into more of a regular part of my routine.

Eventually, I showered and then made supper. I made the usual instant pot burrito bowl at [censored]'s request, but I tested a tweaked version and added some diced Spanish chorizo to the mix. I was a little leery because tweaking pressure cooked recipes is a science that I don't yet understand, so I was worried I would burn it or make the bowl too wet/dry or perhaps cook the chorizo into oblivion. But it turned out really well and was a nice addition, so I'll probably add it on the occasions when I feel like driving to Des Moines to source Spanish chorizo (which isn't even at Whole Foods, I don't think - but I found the brand I used to buy in Denver at Cost Plus World Market, so hopefully that continues to be true).

After it was ready, we ate and watched an episode of Letterkenny. Then, I cleaned the kitchen, procrastinated a bit, and came upstairs to plan out the week ahead. I have a lot of stuff I have been putting off that I want to get done this week, and I want to get deeper into the book, so hopefully I've outlined a plan to make all of that happen. And now, it's time for bed (or maybe reading before bed) - goodnight!

broken windows and broken tiles, frozen willows will go for miles

I got up this morning and engaged in a bunch of cleaning in my kitchen / living room in case a friend of [censored]'s stopped by - spoiler, the friend did not stop by, but I got a clean kitchen and mostly clean living room out of it, so it was still worthwhile. My renovated kitchen continues to be delightful, and I'm happy with how it turned out - and it's even better when it's freshly scrubbed / dusted / swept.

After that, I spent some time this afternoon sorting through tings in my bedroom and office so that I can do the final bit of organizing to make both of them feel finished. Even after that's over, there's still a final final stage in which I hang art and other items, but for now, the focus is on no longer having a random hodgepodge of stuff on the floor (which is hard, since my bedroom is absurdly shaped and is both probably larger than any two of my previous bedrooms combined + also has no storage space). I made progress, so we'll see what tomorrow holds.

Eventually, [censored] took me on a tour of [censored], which remains an alarming delight. It's best explored on days like today, when it's too cold for wasps, and also when the sun is still out so that it's too light for bats. We grabbed some postcards that are tangentially related to the volunteer project I'm working on, said hi to all of my childhood modes of transportation (my tricycle, two bikes, and a scooter), and skedaddled before we ran into any trouble.

Then we went to the parents' house, where my mom made an excellent roast. We then played Ticket to Ride, which my mom was determined to win; unfortunately, she lost to [censored] by about ten points, but she roundly beat my dad and I, so at least there's that.

And now, I should go to sleep (which is what I should have done two hours ago) - goodnight!

good times never seemed so good

Sunday Scaries seemed to come early today, but since time is a meaningless construct and my weekdays and weekends are often flipped around, maybe that's not a surprise. I did get a couple of things done, and I ran an errand to get some pants and a dress hemmed - as per usual here, the person doing it is 82 and will charge basically nothing and also apologized that she won't have it done until early next week, but I had to spend thirty minutes giving her a full rundown of myself / my family + get a download of gossip from her. Since her son and her granddaughter, in a weird twist of family trees and timing, are both my age, there was of course plenty of gossip to be had.

I also had an impromptu writing date with my Bay Area people, which I was invited to because weather rained them out of getting together in person - we actually mostly talked instead of wrote, but it was good to see them. Then, [censored] and I got takeout from the Mexican place in town and ate it at the bar in our kitchen, where the only people to gossip with were each other instead of the tables around us. This was a good thing, since both of us have lots to do this weekend and gossip isn't high on the list.

Then we hung out, and I came upstairs with the intention of reading or doing something else mildly productive, but I failed (although I did try a new retinol product, so at least I did something for my vanity). And now it's time for bed - goodnight!

touching me, touching you

I was not particularly productive today, but that's okay. I did, however, try a new recipe for spaghetti sauce that turned out really well - [censored] was happy to no longer be eating leftover fish chowder, and I was happy that this was easy and v. tasty. So, that was a nice end result of the day even if nothing else of note happened.

And now, despite giving you absolutely nothing interesting, I'm going to go to bed - goodnight!

but that was love, and it's an ache i still remember

It was a bleak day today - not as bad as it was north of here, where there was a lot of ice, but the clouds were low and oppressive all day.

Luckily, I slept until ten, so I skipped some of the bleakness. That wasn't overdoing it since I stayed up until almost two, but it feels weird in a midwestern town where a lot of jobs start at seven or eight (or earlier, in the case of my dad's employees). But I'm not one of my dad's employees, and I'm trying to find the rhythm that makes me the most productive/happiest, so we'll see.

After I got up, I journaled, and then I ate lunch - fish chowder is good, but it's quite weird for brunch, which is what I was actually in the mood for. Then I showered and eventually wrote for a couple of hours, which I was pretty happy with. At some point [censored] showed up several hours earlier than expected, since he was escaping the aforementioned ice - I had nothing to feed him, and he didn't want my chicken and rice leftovers from yesterday, so that was all very tragic.

Anyway, I spent the evening alternating between procrastinating and doing tasks that I needed to get done (but had been avoiding, in some cases), and I feel pretty good about what I accomplished. And now I'm going to bed at midnight instead of two in hopes that I get up earlier tomorrow - goodnight!

and now i pull up in my green honda

I had a lovely and relatively productive day today, although I probably should have gone to bed two hours ago. I spent some time this morning taking care of email and getting ready, and then I had a meeting regarding my volunteer project. One of the women there told me that she'd told her husband, after seeing how I was organizing something, that I'm like my grandma on steroids, which she assured me was a compliment. I'm pretty sure she meant my organizational skills (mine are related to spreadsheets; Gram's were related to feeding dozens or hundreds of people), but she may have also meant that I'm a couple of inches taller than Gram. However, my height advantage is not due to any sort of illegal drugs, and is more due to Gram shrinking before her death.

sssanyway, I was flattered, so I'll take it. After the meeting, I came home, ate some leftover fish chowder, did some more work, and ran a few errands. I also made dinner, which took waaaaaay longer than intended - I was trying a new recipe, and while the food tasted amazing in the end, it took more like forty minutes to cook instead of twenty (and this was at the final cooking stage, not including the twenty minutes of prep before that). I'm looking forward to the leftovers and I would probably make it again, but I need to tweak it to figure out if there's any way to speed up the process.

While the dish was simmering, I wrote for 40-some minutes, which I'll take. And I ended the night with some Zelda - I may be overdosed, which is what I need to get out of playing for awhile, so hopefully tomorrow I won't feel the urge. But it was fun to play tonight, so #noregrets.

And now, I need to sleep - goodnight!

i'm just mad about saffron

I apparently forgot to blog yesterday, but the only thing that you missed was that I made a fish chowder which was not [censored]'s favorite...but I'd been craving it and I was v. happy to eat it, so hopefully [censored] will live. It was very bad repayment for the fact that [censored] put up my remaining office and bedroom blinds, but we're still speaking, so I think it's okay.

Today was pretty productive, all in all - I actually got dressed in real clothes and put on makeup when I woke up just to get myself into the work frame of mind, since all I wear anymore is variations on a pajama theme. The clothing seemed to help, or at least I was in the right mood - after I put my desk back together (since I'd had to tear apart my office to give [censored] access to the windows), I wrote approximately ten pages before / after lunch. This was more than I've written in a day in a v. v. long time, and [censored] is about to discover how weird I get when wandering around the house after a lot of writing in a day, which is something only Terry and Adit have deep experience with. I'm happy with how the story is going, although I suspect I'm currently wandering in a cul-de-sac that won't stay in the final draft, but we'll see.

At some point, I took a break for lunch (and made a v. tasty grilled ham and cheese sandwich). And I did some house stuff after I was done writing - mostly cleaning my pendants in my kitchen and testing some new bulbs, and also saying farewell to [censored]. At some point, I took trash to my dad's dumpster, and I ate some leftover chowder. I also did some stuff for the volunteer activity I'm getting involved in, since we have a meeting tomorrow. And I played some more Zelda, without perhaps making much progress, but it's hard to tell with that game. And now, I must sleep - goodnight!

welcome back to the age of jive

I'm tired, but it's my own fault - I've let myself get into this Zelda game over the past couple of days, which has meant staying up later than I should have. Luckily for me, my battery died a little before midnight tonight, so I'm going to go to bed and hope that I make up for lost sleep tonight.

Despite that, I haven't been entirely lazy - I spent yesterday and a bit of time this morning finishing the paint job in the bathroom, so at least I'm done with that. And today, I also made eggs for brunch and then potatoes au gratin for dinner - I took the potatoes to my parents' house to go with a ham and some baked beans that my mom made, and it was all pretty delicious.

Beyond that, I have very little to report, and a lot that I want to get done tomorrow - so I think it's time for bed. Goodnight!

it's eating through you, it's making its move

I had a v. productive day, especially considering that we got a lot of snow and I felt like it was a snow day. However, while [censored] did get a snow day, I had no one to tell me that I got a snow day as well, so I decided to proceed with business as usual.

Well, not entirely - I did sleep until almost ten. But then I got with it. I made some coffee, wrote four pages, showered, and ate a late lunch (cobb salads ftw). At that point, the snow was still falling quickly, so I watched it for a bit, and then I spent the afternoon painting in the bathroom. I finished all the surfaces that are standing in the way of [censored] being able to finish the plumbing, and so tomorrow I just have to paint above the entrance and closet doors (once) and paint the south wall (twice). This is entirely doable and feels much less precarious than trying to paint over the vanity / medicine cabinet / light bar, so things are getting close.

When I was done painting, I made burrito bowls for dinner, which were v. tasty. Then I came upstairs and intended to read a book - but on a whim, I picked up my Nintendo Switch (which I haven't played since the height of the pandemic) and started Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. I'm like six years late to this party, and Nintendo is releasing a new Zelda game in three months, but I'd bought this sometime during the pandemic and then ended up not playing it. I was originally going to play Civilization, but my desktop is currently unplugged for reasons and I didn't want to play on my laptop....so Zelda it was. So far so good, although open ended games are dangerous for me because I can explore forever and possibly never go anywhere...but for now it's fun.

However, it also kept me up later than planned, and since I want to write and paint again tomorrow, I should probably sleep. Goodnight!

slightly bored and severely confused

Today was better than yesterday, but it was probably the rush of adrenaline that comes with knowing that we're about to get inundated with snow and wind. I also had a 9:30am in-person meeting, which is incredibly rare in my new world (and in my old world, where no one went to the office even after we were all supposed to go to the office). I went into town to talk to someone about the volunteer thing I'm getting involved in, and I think I'm now even more involved, which is pretty par for the course when it comes to me getting involved in things.

Then I ran to the grocery store to opportunistically stock up on things, came home, and realized I should have bought eggs, since they were the only thing I actually needed. I made lunch first (mason jar cobb salads, + one for me to eat today), and then ran back to the grocery store for eggs. Then I had a call, changed into my painting clothes, and did some bathroom painting. I only got two walls done, but it's going well, so hopefully I can wrap it up tomorrow.

When I lost interest in painting, I wrote for awhile and knocked out five pages. I also ate a v. late dinner right as [censored] got home - he beat the storm, but the winds are turning. We watched the ISU game and chatted for a bit, and now I am going to go to bed so that I can paint and write and cook again tomorrow. Goodnight!

pushing out what you're never getting back

It was a grim and grey day in ye olde Iowa - it rained off and on throughout, which I suppose is better than the snow we're supposed to get on Thursday, but it was still unpleasant. I blame the weather for my extreme lack of desire to do anything today, but it could also be that I found all the tasks on my list to be rather unappealing.

Despite that, I did get more done than I might have expected. I made a tasty omelette and did some quality journaling, which is always a good thing. I also did a bunch of painting prep - Randy would have been done painting by now, but Randy also didn't have to paint around a brand new vanity / medicine cabinet / flooring, and so didn't have to prep as carefully. However, I got everything meticulously covered in plastic / tape, and I figured out my supplies, so I'm ready to make a dent in the paint job tomorrow. I also touched up a couple of things in my bedroom that needed touched up while I was at it, so at least that's done.

After that, I probably should have painted, but instead I did some other tasks, tidied up, and made some roasted brussels sprouts and a (defrosted, reheated) twice baked potato to go with leftover barbecue chicken that my parents sent me home with last night. And I managed to write five pages tonight, which I will totally take.

And now, I need to go to bed so that I can accomplish all the things tomorrow - goodnight!

and all that's left is a version of events favorably framed for the sake of self-defense

I was having a case of the Mondays, but it was hard to stay in that mood when the weather was strangely gorgeous. It will go back to being miserable tomorrow, but today was almost sixty degrees and sunny. I took advantage of it by taking a long walk around town while listening to a couple of podcasts. Because it's mud season, and because the town has let most of the paved roads lapse into gravel, and because there are no longer sidewalks on most blocks, I mostly walked down the streets to avoid the mud on the edges. Luckily, I met very few cars, and only one dog that had decided to claim an entire block as its territory, so it was all good.

Other than my walk, the rest of my day was good too - I did some planning this morning while drinking coffee, and then I ran into town to meet with someone about this volunteer thing that I'm getting involved in. Then I came home, made an omelette, and talked to Caroline. Then, I procrastinated for awhile, took a nap, ate some lunch, and took a walk. I also did some journaling and laundry somewhere in there -- all v. exciting stuff.

Eventually, I went out to my parents' for dinner - since the weather was nice, my dad felt like grilling, and he made v. tasty barbecued chicken. He also bought me flowers for Valentine's Day, which was super sweet. And my mom made baked potatoes, which are almost as good as flowers in my book. So we chatted for awhile, and then I gave my dad a ride into town to pick up a car, and then I came home and folded laundry.

And, for the record, I forced myself to write for an hour tonight since I wasn't able to this morning - it felt like garbage, but I think I got some ideas for where this scene is headed, so I'll take it. And now, it's time for bed - goodnight!

find light in the beautiful sea, i choose to be happy

Happy Super Bowl Sunday! I did very little of what I intended to do today, since I intended to be productive and didn't really care about watching the game....and instead watched the game and did almost nothing else. I did, however, make extremely delicious eggs and hash browns for me and [censored], which gets partial credit for the day.

Then, I was going to paint, but I talked myself out of it. I did take a shower, which is good adulting on my part. And I talked to a writer friend for awhile, which was a good way to spend some time on my Sunday afternoon. I also talked to my niece, which was also a good way to spend some time. And I tried to get my office to the point that [censored] can install some more blinds, although that's going to have to wait until next weekend or later.

Eventually, though, I decided to check out the Super Bowl, so I turned on the pregame show - and then proceeded to watch the whole thing. I was mostly in it for the nice little cheese plate I made for myself at the beginning, but I was also nominally rooting for Kansas City (due to geographic proximity + liking Mahomes). There was a part of me that likes to see new people win and so appreciated Philly's efforts. All in all, it was a really good and entertaining game, so I was glad I watched it.

After, I stuck around to watch the Gordon Ramsay cooking competition show that came on after, which I probably won't watch again. And I messed around online and did a bit of journaling before suddenly realizing that it's late. So, I should probably go to bed - goodnight!

strike up the band and make the fireflies dance

I really didn't want to do anything at all today, but I forced myself out of bed sometime after 9:30 (heroic, I know) and tried to get cracking. That meant making coffee, showering, taking care of some random tings, and then driving to Indianola to buy paint. The samples I bought yesterday revealed a winner, and I decided to get the paint today so that I can do at least some painting tomorrow. The bathroom that we're (re)painting is not particularly big, but I also am really tired of painting, so my motivation fluctuates by the hour. Still, I would like for [censored] to be able to put in the toilet sometime in this decade, and I need to paint the wall behind the toilet before that happens.

So, I drove to Indianola, got paint, grabbed lunch, and drove home. This required a nap when I got here, which I took - and happily, [censored] installed two of the blinds in my bedroom while I was gone, so we'll see how I sleep tonight. The west blind and the balcony door drapes are still missing, but the east blinds were the ones I most needed, so this is v. exciting.

After I was done napping, I did a bunch of painting prep - almost everything is taped, although I need to get a ladder and tape a couple of remaining spots, grab some dropcloths, and generally finish my setup routine. However, I'm hopeful I can paint the whole bathroom tomorrow, but we'll see.

Eventually, I took a break, watched some of the ISU/OSU game, and then picked up pizza for supper. I got back just in time for the end of the game, which was stupid. And then I procrastinated while my book buzzed in the background of my brain - we'll see what comes out in the next couple of days.

And now, I really need to sleep - goodnight!

sip the gossip, drink 'til you choke

I have v. little to report today - the sun was out, which was a welcome development, and it almost certainly helped my mood. I took care of a few tings around the house this morning, and then I made a quick trip to Des Moines to pick up some house stuff. It is absurd that I have to drive ~130 miles for lightbulbs, but that's the way it is. I was going to go only as far as Indianola, since my main goal was to get paint samples - but I went on to the south side of Des Moines to get the aforementioned lightbulbs, since [censored] is experimenting with different light temperatures for the bathroom.

That errand accomplished, I drove back to Indianola, got the paint samples, got some groceries, and came home. As soon as I got here, I put a pot roast in the oven - it was a new to me recipe, which is always dangerous, but I was in the mood to experiment. Then, I painted samples on the bathroom walls, which means we're committed to painting. And then, I had a chat with Veronica, since we hadn't debriefed since our retreat, and it was as lovely as always to talk.

Eventually, the roast was finally done, so [censored] and I ate dinner - and [censored] didn't seem to take offense to the fact that I put harissa and other spices in the roasting juices, so I'd say it was a win. I thought it was pretty tasty - it was kind of a cross between a pot roast and what my mom would call pepper steak, since it had tomatoes and spices roasted with the meat (and carrots and potatoes, of course). I also heated up some twice baked potatoes just in case the roast was terrible, which it turned out was overkill, but all in all it was tasty.

Then, [censored] and I watched a Trevor Noah comedy special, and then I tidied up, folded laundry, etc. And now I need to sleep - goodnight!

the past was only practice

I had a pretty good day - not enough writing, but I thought a lot about the story, so I feel good about that. I got up in time for a 9am call with someone in London, which almost felt like being back at work - probably because she's a former coworker and we caught up on gossip, and also because I never take 9am video calls anymore. Despite the time, it was good to talk to her, and it also reinforced that I made the absolute right decision to leave when I did.

After that, I refilled my coffee and then talked to John for a bit - we hadn't caught up since I was in SF in September, and I mostly wanted to brainstorm with him about some plot points for my book that relate to artificial intelligence. I took a couple of classes on it in college and it was a possible focus area in my major, but John went on to get a PhD and become a professor and found a company using AI, so he's a little more knowledgeable about current trends than I am. The conversation gave me a couple of killer ideas for possible plot points, so I left feeling buzzy and excited about where to take the book.

Then, I took care of some tings, ate some leftover pasta, talked to [censored], etc. This turned into wanting to take a nap, which I did, since I went to bed too late last night (and am headed in that direction again tonight). And then I did laundry, took care of some necessary tasks, reread my manuscript and thought a bit, and then talked to my friend Sara. I unfortunately had to cut off slightly early to go to dinner, but I was v. happy to accept an invitation to my parents' house to eat, since I didn't have anything ready to cook.

So, [censored] and I went out there and ate, and stayed for awhile after. Then we came home, and I thought about writing, but instead scrolled the internet (but also reread some notes and made some fresh notes about where the plot is going). And now, I should probably sleep - goodnight!

i skip stones and wonder how long 'til i'm discovered

I successfully wrote this morning before having any other obligations, so that felt great - it does seem to help to make coffee and then put on my noise canceling headphones and write before doing much of anything else. I got another four pages between my morning session + a brief session over dinner, and I'll totally take them.

After that, I had a chat with a college friend (Tanya, whom I'd lost touch with for years, but have recently reconnected with), and then I ate some leftover salmon and tidied up. I also took a v. quick nap before showering and getting ready for the second half of my day. This included another video chat, some exploration of paint colors, some kitchen time, and reheating leftover carbonara pasta for dinner. Then I went to a meeting of me and my mom's secret society, which was fun (and only briefly / mildly controversial, as any group with by-laws and amendments can sometimes be).

Then I drove home in the v. unwelcome rain, talked to [censored], and messed around online. And now I need to sleep since I have more video chats and more writing time tomorrow - goodnight!

would you miss me in the end if i run out of oxygen

I had an excellent first official post construction day, which felt amazing. It started off amazingly mostly because I was able to laze in bed until almost nine - I was awake by eight, but I had no desire to get out of bed, and I had no reason to because Randy wasn't here to start work and [censored] wasn't here to judge me.

Eventually, though, I did get out of bed - I made myself some coffee, foam rolled to get the kinks out of my shoulders, and then wrote for a solid hour. I got almost four pages, which was great - and they were four good pages, in that they revealed some story that I wasn't expecting.

If that was all I did today, I would have been delighted. However, I did have to stop writing so that I could take a shower, eat some lunch (a v. uninteresting but nostalgic Amy's enchilada, which was the frozen meal of choice when I lived with Adit a lifetime ago), and then run into town for a meeting related to a volunteer group I'm participating in. That meeting ended in thirty minutes, which was good news for me.

So, I washed my car (it was above freezing today! yay!) and then, on a whim, drove to Indianola to look at paint chips. I know, I literally just finished construction. But [censored] and I are going to repaint the bathroom, and I still need to paint the dining room, and I think I want to use Benjamin Moore instead of the paint I get locally (don't tell the local guys). So I got paint chips, and then I checked out a bookstore that I hadn't been to before - it was small, but I was pretty impressed with their fantasy/scifi section, so I picked up a couple of books on a whim.

Then I got gas for my Audi, which takes fancy fuel that I can't get near my house, and picked up groceries before driving home. When I got here, I messed around a bit before making dinner - a spicy miso carbonara pasta that I absolutely adored. I can't make it when [censored] is here because [censored], like the FDA, doesn't like undercooked eggs (and I'm guessing [censored]'s jury is also out on the amount of chili paste I put in it). But I loved it and have leftovers for the next couple of days, so that's a win.

After eating, I procrastinated a bit with Twitter, reread what I wrote today, and then finished a book I started reading last week - SATURNALIA, about an occult/alchemical secret society in Philadelphia in a near future when the climate is wrecked. It was pretty good, and I liked the writing, but I didn't love the ending (but that could just be me). Still, it was a much better use of my time than reading twitter, so I'm glad I finished it.

And now, I need to sleep - goodnight!

i can buy myself flowers

I am extremely delighted that I will wake up tomorrow morning with no one in my house. Granted, [censored] is welcome anytime, but [censored] is in [censored] tonight. But my contractor wrapped up the last day of work today - he still has to come back in a couple of weeks when we get the final piece of trim for the vanity, but as of today's he's basically done. We still have to finish some tings (I need to do some deep cleaning, and [censored] has some remaining plumbing, and we have a joint agreement to paint some tings), but things are otherwise done and I'm *delighted*.

Of course, Randy was here all day today, so I was a bit distracted - but I got some administrative stuff done, which I'll take. And eventually, Randy left, and then [censored] vacated, and I had the house to myself for the evening. So, I wrote for an hour, ate some leftover salmon, and watched an episode of SEVERANCE - I've been meaning to watch it forever, but I was finally in the mood to start it tonight. So far so good, and I'm eager to see where it goes.

And now, I'm going to go to bed and wallow in it - goodnight!

in the desert you can remember your name

Merry Christmas! Or, at least, that's what has been going on here the last couple of days. Aunt Becky and Uncle Brian got here on Thursday afternoon, and then Aunt Kathy and Drewbaby came down yesterday. Last night, we had a veritable feast - I made ham balls and twice baked potatoes, and my mom made layered lettuce and baked beans and deviled eggs. It was all super delicious, which is a good thing since we had enough leftovers to eat again tonight.

After dinner last night, several of us adjourned to my house, and Drewbaby and I talked until midnight. That meant that this morning's alarm came all too soon, but I got up and made blueberry cream cheese cupcakes (which should have been a Bundt cake, but I couldn't find my pan). We had brunch at my parents' house, with breakfast casserole from my mom and fruit from Aunt Kathy.

Then, I was wrecked, so I came home to get some stuff and snuck in a nap for good measure. I got back to the festivities for most of the second half of the Iowa State/Kansas basketball game, which we won, to all our mutual delight. Then, we exchanged white elephant gifts, which have gotten better over the years (although it was surprising that Kathy stole her gift back right at the end).

Then, the aunts and Drewbaby and I learned how to play Raccoon Tycoon, which John and Jess gave me for my birthday a year or two ago. It was pretty fun, although I came in last both times, which was uncharacteristic. Then we ate leftovers and eventually started the migration back to my house.

And now I desperately need to sleep so that I can attempt to get some stuff done after everyone leaves tomorrow - goodnight!

i'd dress them wicked, i'd give them names

The flooring is all installed and I'm v. v. pleased with it (and also pleased that it's done). The installer will have to come back at some point to put in a trim piece that hadn't arrived at the store yet, but the kitchen, pantry, dining room, and bathroom are all done. And they all look great - I'm glad that it all looks good, because I was worried it would go horribly awry at the last minute if it turned out that I'd made the wrong choice based on the flooring samples.

Installation would have actually been done sooner, but I ended up feeding the installer (and [censored]) lunch, which added some long-winded (pun intended) tornado discussions to the mix. Still, we were done by 1:30 or so, and my house is almost done. Of course, Randy has to come back next week to finish the trim, and then there are myriad other projects that [censored] and I (and my dad, in some cases) have discussed - doors, patio / privacy fence, gazebo refresh, trees, install window treatments, basement storage overhaul, garage redesign, garage door openers, a possible remodel of my bathroom, finish redoing the prison bathroom in the basement, etc., etc., etc.

However, all of that is going to wait for awhile - I am really deeply eager to get into writing the book more steadily, and I also want to do some travel, so I need a break from house projects. Still, I'm glad that we did the kitchen / bath, since the space is so much more functional that it will make living here even better.

sssanyway, I took care of a variety of tings this morning and afternoon, and then my houseguests arrived - Aunt B and Uncle B came in from Colorado for "Christmas", and Aunt Kathy and Drewbaby are arriving tomorrow. Luckily, the flooring is done, but unluckily, there still isn't a toilet on the main floor of the house. However, so far so good. We had dinner at the Mexican restaurant in town, and it was delicious - and the staff was excited to see my dad, since he rarely goes in anymore and usually [censored] and I just pick up takeout. Then, my parents went home and the rest of us came to my house, where Aunt B and Uncle B got the tour of the latest house developments, and then we talked until relatively late. And now, I really should sleep so that I can make a million food items tomorrow - goodnight!

please book me first-class to my fancy house in london town

The house remodel is tantalizing close to being finished - the flooring guy came today, and he finished the bathroom / linen closet / kitchen despite being by himself and despite gossiping with me for a good hour of his work day. All that's left for him is the pantry, dining room, and clean-up, so it's quite likely he'll get done tomorrow. That still leaves a bunch of trim/finish work for Randy, and some further plumbing adventures for [censored] (who likes to do that kind of stuff), but the end is near.

Beyond that, I have v. little to report. I did some minor tasks throughout the day based on my ability to focus, but I continue to find it hard to write when there's someone in my house and I can't put on my noise canceling headphones to ignore them. I also ate a v. late lunch of avocado toast - the flooring guy doesn't take a consistent noon break the way Randy does, and I was starving but didn't want to cook anything real while the flooring guy was working. So I made avocado toast, and I'm sure I was judged for it, but it was v. tasty.

After the flooring guy left, I did a bunch of tidying up, did some laundry, and ate some leftover coconut chicken curry. I also talked to Katie for an hour and a half, which was v. needed - we are the only ones who understand each others' experience with 1980s Iowa + living in big cities, so I miss being able to discuss that over margs at Bar Taco instead of over the phone.

Eventually, [censored] showed up, and even later, I decided I should sleep. I still haven't gotten around to crawling into bed, but perhaps it will happen soon. Goodnight!