A Little About Me
Aug. 29th, 2025 12:59 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dandylover1 posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
addmeName: Georgiana or Georgie. Neither is my legal name, but they are what I use here and in most situations.
Age: Forty-one.
I mostly post about: Entries may consist of anything from short summaries of my day, to surveys, to essays on various topics, to interesting links and quotes that I find, along with my commentary on them. Lately, I have been writing reviews of opera recordings from the 1950's and earlier. I have no interest in politics and modern celebrities. I wish to keep my journal light and happy as much as possible.
My hobbies are: studying dandyism, Received Pronunciation, the Regency, and the Italian language, reading, writing, cooking, baking, playing cards and dice, and enjoying warm weather.
My Other Interests include: coffees, teas, antique menswear and accessories (usually Edwardian), chamber and classical music, pre-1950's opera singers, plants and gardening, crafts, and history and nature documentaries. I love wit, wordplay, and sarcastic humour without vulgarity. I also love cats.
My fandoms are: I don't have any.
I'm looking to meet people who: are positive, who share my interests and can introduce me to some new ones, and who enjoy at least some elements of high culture. While the minimum age I will add is twenty-one, I tend to get along with those who are older than I, particularly seniors. I am also single and searching, but since this isn't a dating community, I'll just say that you can find more about that in one of the sticky entries in my journal.
My posting schedule tends to be: It varies, from a few posts in a given week to a few in a single day. Often, I post what I call filler entries toward the end of the month. These are entries posted on one date but for another. I try to post a few entries per week.
When I add people, my dealbreakers are: minors (I prefer at least over twenty-one), depression and/or anxiety (posted often), bad self-esteem, life drama, recreational drugs, religion or politics (posted often), a lot of bad grammar and spelling, and frequent obscenities. Please note that I am totally blind, so if you mostly post images, I won't be able to comment on them, as I cannot see them.
Before adding me, you should know: I have no time for political correctness, lies, or drama. While I always try to be civil during discussions, I share my opinion without reservations. If you are easily offended, please do not add me. I have a very dry and witty sense of humour. Otherwise, feel free to read my profile and/or posts and add me if you wish. I will most likely reciprocate. I also comment when I have something to say, but there are times when I don't read my friends' page for awhile, and I am trying to change that.
Age: Forty-one.
I mostly post about: Entries may consist of anything from short summaries of my day, to surveys, to essays on various topics, to interesting links and quotes that I find, along with my commentary on them. Lately, I have been writing reviews of opera recordings from the 1950's and earlier. I have no interest in politics and modern celebrities. I wish to keep my journal light and happy as much as possible.
My hobbies are: studying dandyism, Received Pronunciation, the Regency, and the Italian language, reading, writing, cooking, baking, playing cards and dice, and enjoying warm weather.
My Other Interests include: coffees, teas, antique menswear and accessories (usually Edwardian), chamber and classical music, pre-1950's opera singers, plants and gardening, crafts, and history and nature documentaries. I love wit, wordplay, and sarcastic humour without vulgarity. I also love cats.
My fandoms are: I don't have any.
I'm looking to meet people who: are positive, who share my interests and can introduce me to some new ones, and who enjoy at least some elements of high culture. While the minimum age I will add is twenty-one, I tend to get along with those who are older than I, particularly seniors. I am also single and searching, but since this isn't a dating community, I'll just say that you can find more about that in one of the sticky entries in my journal.
My posting schedule tends to be: It varies, from a few posts in a given week to a few in a single day. Often, I post what I call filler entries toward the end of the month. These are entries posted on one date but for another. I try to post a few entries per week.
When I add people, my dealbreakers are: minors (I prefer at least over twenty-one), depression and/or anxiety (posted often), bad self-esteem, life drama, recreational drugs, religion or politics (posted often), a lot of bad grammar and spelling, and frequent obscenities. Please note that I am totally blind, so if you mostly post images, I won't be able to comment on them, as I cannot see them.
Before adding me, you should know: I have no time for political correctness, lies, or drama. While I always try to be civil during discussions, I share my opinion without reservations. If you are easily offended, please do not add me. I have a very dry and witty sense of humour. Otherwise, feel free to read my profile and/or posts and add me if you wish. I will most likely reciprocate. I also comment when I have something to say, but there are times when I don't read my friends' page for awhile, and I am trying to change that.
![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
March on Wall Street
Aug. 28th, 2025 10:30 pmsilver_chipmunkI got up at 7:00 and had breakfast and coffee. Then I showered and dressed. I wore my red library tee shirt because I didn't have an Afsme one, and I figured the library was the closest I could come.
Then I set out for the march. I took the 20 bus to the subway, and the 7 to the E. Then the E to World Trade Center and it was only about a five minute walk to the union building.
I was a little nervous about going in at first but I saw others so I went in, signed up and got a ticket for a meal and an Afsme tee shirt. I put the sirt on over mine.
The breakfast was a mini muffin, a mini croissant, a small bowl of fruit salad, and a mini bagel with butter, cream cheese, and jelly. I skipped the butter but ate everything else. There was also a bottle of water, and they had coffee and tea but I skipped drinking cause I didn't want to have to use the bathroom during the march.
They had some introductory stuff, and then we marched with chanted slogans to Foley Square, where the march was actually starting. This was much bigger than I realized, there were groups literally from all over the country there.
After some more introductory remarks we took up the actual march itself, down Broadway to where they had the stage set up and then there were of course lots of speeches. One pleasant surprise was the presence of Zohran Mamdani, who was one of the last speakers. He was quite good.
After the final speech, by Al Sharpton, the organizer of the march, I went across the street to a cafe type restaurant and got a crab cake sandwich, which was good though rather bland.
I walked to Bowling Green, the nearest subway stop, and took the 5 to Grand Central and the 7 home from there.
When I got here I just rested and relaxed for awhile, but finally I started reading, and finished The Blue Hour, just in time to come out and Team the FWiB.
We talked for almost an hour and a half. and then got off. I went and played solitaire until it was time to call Middle Brother. He is fine, nothing much new. I forgot to ask if the cable box was fixed, and he didn't say.
After that I puttered around, looking at my book collection on my Nook (239 books). And thenmashfanficchick called and we had a nice talk. Ze is staying in Ohio til the 6th.
I texted with the Kid during the day, and I called her tonight but she didn't answer.
SO anything it was a busy day, and I am quite physically tired now.
Gratitude List:
1. The FWiB.
2. My union.
3. I went to the march.
4. My new computer is supposed to arrive tomorrow.
5. Good books.
6. Bed soon.
Then I set out for the march. I took the 20 bus to the subway, and the 7 to the E. Then the E to World Trade Center and it was only about a five minute walk to the union building.
I was a little nervous about going in at first but I saw others so I went in, signed up and got a ticket for a meal and an Afsme tee shirt. I put the sirt on over mine.
The breakfast was a mini muffin, a mini croissant, a small bowl of fruit salad, and a mini bagel with butter, cream cheese, and jelly. I skipped the butter but ate everything else. There was also a bottle of water, and they had coffee and tea but I skipped drinking cause I didn't want to have to use the bathroom during the march.
They had some introductory stuff, and then we marched with chanted slogans to Foley Square, where the march was actually starting. This was much bigger than I realized, there were groups literally from all over the country there.
After some more introductory remarks we took up the actual march itself, down Broadway to where they had the stage set up and then there were of course lots of speeches. One pleasant surprise was the presence of Zohran Mamdani, who was one of the last speakers. He was quite good.
After the final speech, by Al Sharpton, the organizer of the march, I went across the street to a cafe type restaurant and got a crab cake sandwich, which was good though rather bland.
I walked to Bowling Green, the nearest subway stop, and took the 5 to Grand Central and the 7 home from there.
When I got here I just rested and relaxed for awhile, but finally I started reading, and finished The Blue Hour, just in time to come out and Team the FWiB.
We talked for almost an hour and a half. and then got off. I went and played solitaire until it was time to call Middle Brother. He is fine, nothing much new. I forgot to ask if the cable box was fixed, and he didn't say.
After that I puttered around, looking at my book collection on my Nook (239 books). And then
mashfanficchick called and we had a nice talk. Ze is staying in Ohio til the 6th. I texted with the Kid during the day, and I called her tonight but she didn't answer.
SO anything it was a busy day, and I am quite physically tired now.
Gratitude List:
1. The FWiB.
2. My union.
3. I went to the march.
4. My new computer is supposed to arrive tomorrow.
5. Good books.
6. Bed soon.
All the songs I loved so well
Aug. 28th, 2025 09:21 pmcosmolinguistThe winner of today is angelofthenorth who, when I realized at the bus stop on the way to the gym that I'd forgotten to grab my headphones, lent me hers (she was going swimming and couldn't use them anyway).
The gym playing Happy Radio (which includes plodding song in minor keys with depressing lyrics!) is bad enough but today it had Smooth FM on! Who wanted to get their reps in while the Carpenters sing "every shalalalala"?!
The Calvin Harris albums on my phone did a pretty good job of drowning out them and Celine Dion and so on.
But when some guy had just swiped my kettlebell when I put down next to my foot so I could rest before my last set (my gym doesn't seem to have very high awareness of sets... or putting things back where they belong so people can find them and not trip over them -- it's a lot more about young men showing off for each other -- so I appreciate he saw someone staring into space and figured any nearby equipment had been abandoned), and just as I was finishing the final set with the next-size-up kettlebell that the universe was apparently telling me it was time for, a new song started and I thought to myself no, I draw the line at that fucking Chris Isaak song, I'm done.
I left just in time to miss both buses home and get sworn at by a scrote on an e-bike for not getting out of his way when I hadn't seen his black-clothed black-bike no-lights ass coming right at me in the dark on the sidewalk. But I still think I left at just the right time!
(no subject)
Aug. 28th, 2025 04:15 pmpshaw_ravenPumpkin muffins didn't turn out great. They're okay, but they needed more fat (I had fat free yogurt) and probably more sweetener. I was trying to make them less sugary so they would be Fox-friendly. They're sort of bland, but probably fine if I whip up some cinnamon cream cheese to spread on them. Going to try a more traditional recipe next time.
Trees and Flowers
Aug. 28th, 2025 02:09 pmyourlibrarian posting in common_nature
I wish I'd had our car in this photo as a reference point for how large those trees were, At least in the next photo you can see a park building in the bottom left which gives you some idea. It was very impressive to be driving through these roads of giants.
( Read more... )
a reassuring trip to the dentist
Aug. 28th, 2025 02:38 pmredbirdI just had a reassuringly boring dental visit. I called yesterday because I'd been having pain on and off for the previous three days, and they gave me an appointment for this morning.
I felt much better last night and basically OK this morning, but I still wanted the dentist to check in case there was a problem—intermittent symptoms can be hard to diagnose. The dentist looked inside my mouth, poked in a few places, and took two X-rays, finding nothing wrong. His best guess is that something was caught between my gum and bone, and I got it out by cleaning my teeth yesterday; I don’t know why the previous three days of brushing and flossing hadn’t done the job.
The dentist did see a little tenderness in the area that had been hurting, and wrote me a prescription for something to rinse with. Other than that, call if there are further problems, or come back in three months for my usual cleaning.
I am pleased with the outcome: it stopped hurting, and the dentist confirmed that there's nothing wrong, so I don’t need unpleasant and possibly expensive dental work.
The dentist said to hold the prescription rinse in my mouth for “a few seconds,” then rinse with water, and I only need to rinse that side of the month. The printed prescription label says 30 seconds and not to rinse for 30 minutes afterwards, which I assume are the standard instructions for this medication.
I felt much better last night and basically OK this morning, but I still wanted the dentist to check in case there was a problem—intermittent symptoms can be hard to diagnose. The dentist looked inside my mouth, poked in a few places, and took two X-rays, finding nothing wrong. His best guess is that something was caught between my gum and bone, and I got it out by cleaning my teeth yesterday; I don’t know why the previous three days of brushing and flossing hadn’t done the job.
The dentist did see a little tenderness in the area that had been hurting, and wrote me a prescription for something to rinse with. Other than that, call if there are further problems, or come back in three months for my usual cleaning.
I am pleased with the outcome: it stopped hurting, and the dentist confirmed that there's nothing wrong, so I don’t need unpleasant and possibly expensive dental work.
The dentist said to hold the prescription rinse in my mouth for “a few seconds,” then rinse with water, and I only need to rinse that side of the month. The printed prescription label says 30 seconds and not to rinse for 30 minutes afterwards, which I assume are the standard instructions for this medication.
The Friday Five for 29 August 2025: Trash Questions
Aug. 28th, 2025 12:58 pmanais_pf posting in thefridayfiveThese questions were written by spiralsheep.
1. Does where you live have regular doorstep rubbish collections or do you have to take your trash somewhere else?
2. Do you separate recycling? What sort of stuff gets recycled from your household?
3. Do you take things you don't need to charity shops, or give them away online, or sell them secondhand, or ...?
4. Do you pick up litter in your local area, from streets or trails or play areas or parks? Have you ever found anything interesting discarded or lost in a public space?
5. Are there "repair cafés" near you to help mend fixable items? Have you ever been helped by a community repair service or volunteered for one? Do you do any other kind of upcycling?
Copy and paste to your own journal, then reply to this post with a link to your answers. If your journal is private or friends-only, you can post your full answers in the comments below.
If you'd like to suggest questions for a future Friday Five, then do so on DreamWidth or LiveJournal. Old sets that were used have been deleted, so we encourage you to suggest some more!
spiralsheep.1. Does where you live have regular doorstep rubbish collections or do you have to take your trash somewhere else?
2. Do you separate recycling? What sort of stuff gets recycled from your household?
3. Do you take things you don't need to charity shops, or give them away online, or sell them secondhand, or ...?
4. Do you pick up litter in your local area, from streets or trails or play areas or parks? Have you ever found anything interesting discarded or lost in a public space?
5. Are there "repair cafés" near you to help mend fixable items? Have you ever been helped by a community repair service or volunteered for one? Do you do any other kind of upcycling?
Copy and paste to your own journal, then reply to this post with a link to your answers. If your journal is private or friends-only, you can post your full answers in the comments below.
If you'd like to suggest questions for a future Friday Five, then do so on DreamWidth or LiveJournal. Old sets that were used have been deleted, so we encourage you to suggest some more!
Fannish 50 S3 Post 34: Jin and his Unique Tour
Aug. 28th, 2025 12:41 pmglitteryvAt the end of the last (as of the date of this post) episode of Run Seokjin, an announcement was made that Jin was GOING ON TOUR!!! This 18-date, 9-city tour (titled #RunSeokjin_EP. Tour) ended up being unlike anything else I've seen.
Yes, Jin sang most of his solo catalogue (including his two solo albums). BUT the "twist" in the concerts is that they were designed to be an extension of his variety show. So there would be games played between him and ARMY, there would be "penalties", and a lot of happy chaos.
Due to the short planning period (IIRC, he and Jin Crew (his team) had abt 4 months to set everything up), the tour had few stops. OTOH, however, these included cities in South Korea, Japan, the US, England, and the Netherlands. Every venue sold out. There were two special live screenings for the first and last shows (one online, the other one at the movie theater.) Ppl DRESSED UP and SHOWED UP R-E-A-D-Y to sing with and cheer Jin along. It was an overall magical tour that got everyone feeling equal amounts of 😍,🥰, and 🤩.
As of right now, there's no official way to rewatch any of the shows (except if you bought a ticket for the opening weekend performances. Then you can watch it on Weverse.) THAT SAID, where there's a will, there's a way: there most deffo are places to find uploads. Also, a lot of the performances are on YT as fancams.
Here's a 31-minute Bangtan Bomb abt the opening weekend. The cameras follow Jin as he gets to the venue, warms up, does soundcheck, and performs. I like how it gives a clearer picture as to how, despite not having any dancers, choreo, or a spectacular stage set, Jin's tour was AMAZING.
Bonus: the rest of the Tannies attended on different days. RM, Hobi, and Taehyung went to Day 1 while Jimin, Jungkook, and Yoongi went to Day 2.
NB for the next two videos: they're bona fide fancams. So the sound might not be the best AND there aren't subtitiles. However, they're really great examples of what the VIBESSS were like at Jin's concerts and why ppl had such a fantastic time in person as well as at home (watching livestreams.)
As shown in the video above, one of the things that Jin did during the concert was be "forced" to wear one of the outfits he wore in his Run Seokjin episodes when it was time to perform "Super Tuna". This one instance, he had to wear the sauna outfit...
Finally, here's video of Jin and Red Velvet's Wendy performing their song "Heart on the Window". This was the second time they performed it live and it was just as GLORIOUS as the one time they sang at Jin's showcase. Added context to their convo (since I watched it live): Jin thanks Wendy for singing with him, she thanks him back. Then she starts to talk to the audience and Jin (v. playfully) shoos her off the stage. I lurve their sibling energy, LOL.
Yes, Jin sang most of his solo catalogue (including his two solo albums). BUT the "twist" in the concerts is that they were designed to be an extension of his variety show. So there would be games played between him and ARMY, there would be "penalties", and a lot of happy chaos.
Due to the short planning period (IIRC, he and Jin Crew (his team) had abt 4 months to set everything up), the tour had few stops. OTOH, however, these included cities in South Korea, Japan, the US, England, and the Netherlands. Every venue sold out. There were two special live screenings for the first and last shows (one online, the other one at the movie theater.) Ppl DRESSED UP and SHOWED UP R-E-A-D-Y to sing with and cheer Jin along. It was an overall magical tour that got everyone feeling equal amounts of 😍,🥰, and 🤩.
As of right now, there's no official way to rewatch any of the shows (except if you bought a ticket for the opening weekend performances. Then you can watch it on Weverse.) THAT SAID, where there's a will, there's a way: there most deffo are places to find uploads. Also, a lot of the performances are on YT as fancams.
Here's a 31-minute Bangtan Bomb abt the opening weekend. The cameras follow Jin as he gets to the venue, warms up, does soundcheck, and performs. I like how it gives a clearer picture as to how, despite not having any dancers, choreo, or a spectacular stage set, Jin's tour was AMAZING.
Bonus: the rest of the Tannies attended on different days. RM, Hobi, and Taehyung went to Day 1 while Jimin, Jungkook, and Yoongi went to Day 2.
NB for the next two videos: they're bona fide fancams. So the sound might not be the best AND there aren't subtitiles. However, they're really great examples of what the VIBESSS were like at Jin's concerts and why ppl had such a fantastic time in person as well as at home (watching livestreams.)
As shown in the video above, one of the things that Jin did during the concert was be "forced" to wear one of the outfits he wore in his Run Seokjin episodes when it was time to perform "Super Tuna". This one instance, he had to wear the sauna outfit...
Finally, here's video of Jin and Red Velvet's Wendy performing their song "Heart on the Window". This was the second time they performed it live and it was just as GLORIOUS as the one time they sang at Jin's showcase. Added context to their convo (since I watched it live): Jin thanks Wendy for singing with him, she thanks him back. Then she starts to talk to the audience and Jin (v. playfully) shoos her off the stage. I lurve their sibling energy, LOL.
Seattle Worldcon
Aug. 28th, 2025 10:31 amseekingferretI am back from Worldcon! It was, as usual, A LOT.
I flew out of Boston Tuesday night, got to my hotel around 11PM, which in my head was 2AM. It was the start of a lot of long days where my East Coast brain would wake me early and my con-going heart would try to keep me awake late to see as much as possible. But I never did go to any of the evening parties.
DW People I saw includedgwyn, beatrice_otter, mecurtin, wickedwords, elf, batyatoon, and probably more I am forgetting. I did not get to spend as much time talking to them as I wanted, but it was great to see so many people.
Wednesday morning I got my badge early, then I took a bus out to U-City to rent a bicycle for the next two days. It was a Kona hybrid, a nice aluminum framed bike with sturdy shifters and disc brakes. I liked it a lot more than my own current bike, I'm thinking of getting one.
Biking in Seattle was fun but the downtown sure is hilly. I biked about 25 miles over the two days I had the bike, and I also probably walked the bike up close to a mile of hills I didn't feel up to climbing. So I have mixed feelings about the plan, it was nice to have the transit speed and flexibility the bike gave me, but I definitely overtaxed myself and sapped energy that could have gone to other con activities. An ebike might have been the wiser choice.
I got back to the con only to realize I had lost my badge. I think when I left the con I took my mask and badge off simultaneously and the badge must have missed my pocket. I went to registration and after some being directed to different stations, found that some lovely person had found and turned in my badge. Whew!
I was on 4 panels about fanfic and they were all really fun to be a part of. I also attended a couple more panels on fanfic, there was so much and it was great that none of the panels had to be THE load bearing panel; there were a bunch of times when we could say, for more on that check out this other panel.
I did a workshop on making maps with watercolors. I'm not sure why I signed up for this other than just wanting some sort of crafty time, but it was fun even though I was not that good, and maybe I need to do more painting. The cool but frustrating thing about watercolors is how they surprise you and do things you didn't expect they would do on the page. I don't love the map I made, but I think I can get a D&D oneshot out of it.
There was a Jewish fan meetup, which was amazingly heterogeneous in perspective and yet had this lovely vibe of kindness and openness and comfort. Several people were saying it was the most comfortable they'd felt since October 7th, to be in a room of people who understood them as Jews and Fans. We also had fannish Kabbalat Shabbat (nusach arisia) with about 30 people, and 15 or so came back for a morning Shabbat service. We had a Lecha Dodi to an adaptation of the Firefly theme and a Jurassic Park Adon Olam.
Sunday morning I hosted a crossword meetup. We had about 15 people, which is pretty good for the morning after the Hugos. I announced that I was there to evangelize cryptic crosswords and we pulled together a group of about 5 people, 2 who were total cryptic newbies, to solve the latest Square Chase variety cryptic. Meanwhile the rest of the people solved various other American crosswords I brought.
Program highlights included Ada Palmer reading from Hearthfire, Brandon Sanderson reading from the new Mistborn series, academic panels on the evolution of robots in fiction from RUR to Murderbot, and on the monastic tradition in SFF, and Leigh Bardugo, Holly Black, Matt Ruff, Caitlin Rozakis, and Nicholas Binge talking about what it was like to have their books adapted for the screen.
I didn't do as much touristing as I wanted, but also I'd hit most of the most obvious Seattle sites I really wanted to see when I was here for the Spokane Worldcon ten years back. I did take a nice walk in the Olympia Sculpture Garden Shabbos morning, and I saw a lot more of the city, just qua city, because of the bike.
And then my flight home, which was already kind of precariously late to go to work the next day, was delayed an hour. I got home at 2:30 AM Monday and somehow dragged myself to work but I was a zombie who did no functional work that day.
Anyway, that was Worldcon. It was great but too much and so I'm thinking I'll skip LA next year and do more relaxing vacations.
I flew out of Boston Tuesday night, got to my hotel around 11PM, which in my head was 2AM. It was the start of a lot of long days where my East Coast brain would wake me early and my con-going heart would try to keep me awake late to see as much as possible. But I never did go to any of the evening parties.
DW People I saw included
gwyn, beatrice_otter, mecurtin, wickedwords, elf, batyatoon, and probably more I am forgetting. I did not get to spend as much time talking to them as I wanted, but it was great to see so many people.Wednesday morning I got my badge early, then I took a bus out to U-City to rent a bicycle for the next two days. It was a Kona hybrid, a nice aluminum framed bike with sturdy shifters and disc brakes. I liked it a lot more than my own current bike, I'm thinking of getting one.
Biking in Seattle was fun but the downtown sure is hilly. I biked about 25 miles over the two days I had the bike, and I also probably walked the bike up close to a mile of hills I didn't feel up to climbing. So I have mixed feelings about the plan, it was nice to have the transit speed and flexibility the bike gave me, but I definitely overtaxed myself and sapped energy that could have gone to other con activities. An ebike might have been the wiser choice.
I got back to the con only to realize I had lost my badge. I think when I left the con I took my mask and badge off simultaneously and the badge must have missed my pocket. I went to registration and after some being directed to different stations, found that some lovely person had found and turned in my badge. Whew!
I was on 4 panels about fanfic and they were all really fun to be a part of. I also attended a couple more panels on fanfic, there was so much and it was great that none of the panels had to be THE load bearing panel; there were a bunch of times when we could say, for more on that check out this other panel.
I did a workshop on making maps with watercolors. I'm not sure why I signed up for this other than just wanting some sort of crafty time, but it was fun even though I was not that good, and maybe I need to do more painting. The cool but frustrating thing about watercolors is how they surprise you and do things you didn't expect they would do on the page. I don't love the map I made, but I think I can get a D&D oneshot out of it.
There was a Jewish fan meetup, which was amazingly heterogeneous in perspective and yet had this lovely vibe of kindness and openness and comfort. Several people were saying it was the most comfortable they'd felt since October 7th, to be in a room of people who understood them as Jews and Fans. We also had fannish Kabbalat Shabbat (nusach arisia) with about 30 people, and 15 or so came back for a morning Shabbat service. We had a Lecha Dodi to an adaptation of the Firefly theme and a Jurassic Park Adon Olam.
Sunday morning I hosted a crossword meetup. We had about 15 people, which is pretty good for the morning after the Hugos. I announced that I was there to evangelize cryptic crosswords and we pulled together a group of about 5 people, 2 who were total cryptic newbies, to solve the latest Square Chase variety cryptic. Meanwhile the rest of the people solved various other American crosswords I brought.
Program highlights included Ada Palmer reading from Hearthfire, Brandon Sanderson reading from the new Mistborn series, academic panels on the evolution of robots in fiction from RUR to Murderbot, and on the monastic tradition in SFF, and Leigh Bardugo, Holly Black, Matt Ruff, Caitlin Rozakis, and Nicholas Binge talking about what it was like to have their books adapted for the screen.
I didn't do as much touristing as I wanted, but also I'd hit most of the most obvious Seattle sites I really wanted to see when I was here for the Spokane Worldcon ten years back. I did take a nice walk in the Olympia Sculpture Garden Shabbos morning, and I saw a lot more of the city, just qua city, because of the bike.
And then my flight home, which was already kind of precariously late to go to work the next day, was delayed an hour. I got home at 2:30 AM Monday and somehow dragged myself to work but I was a zombie who did no functional work that day.
Anyway, that was Worldcon. It was great but too much and so I'm thinking I'll skip LA next year and do more relaxing vacations.
A Minor Abundance
Aug. 28th, 2025 07:10 ampshaw_raven
I saved some Seminole pumpkins from last season because I'd read that they "store well," and wanted to see how true that was. After about ten months in a cool, dark part of the pantry, only one looks dubious - the whole one you see here. The rest were fine and got roasted up. Today I'm hoping to make some pumpkin muffins. I also have a recipe for a decadent pumpkin bread that has a layer of cream cheese in the center.
Right now I have about ten pumpkins growing on my vines, but none have been harvested yet. They're all still green, but so far none have been nibbled by critters or rotted by excess water. And there may be more, as the vines are still flowering and the bees are still happily visiting every morning.
My roselle is budding. I'm afraid I confused Fox by referring to it as hibiscus, which it is - but it's not the kind that produces huge, showy flowers. The flowers are pretty, but this hibiscus is the kind from which we get hibiscus tea. So your drinks like Lemon Zinger come from this plant. You can also make a syrup or jam from the calyxes, and the extension service's web site assures me I can expect ten to twelve pounds of these ... per plant.
Now that it's not Death Hot, things look much better in the garden. The last tomato plant still alive is doing pretty good and putting out more tomatoes. All the basil has died off but I've sprouted another round of them. When we get back from vacation it will be time to start peppers, maybe more tomatoes, garlic, some herbs, and probably dedicate one bed to beans. I can put some trellises up and have all the black beans I can manage.
Day off
Aug. 28th, 2025 08:34 amcosmolinguistI took yesterday off work, probably inadvisably so close to big deadlines but it gave me a chance to meet someone and do ridiculous things I'd need a filter that I don't have any more to describe here in more detail. The tl;dr is that my brain and body feel much better and I slept for eleven hours last night.
Now to get back to work and catch up quick...
Dutchman's Flat
Aug. 28th, 2025 12:49 ammarycatelli posting in book_loveDutchman's Flat by Louis L'Amour
A collection of his short stories. Several with the sort of plot familiar from the novels -- one in fact later was expanded into a novel -- and a few ones where the smaller compass let him do some quirky plots.
A collection of his short stories. Several with the sort of plot familiar from the novels -- one in fact later was expanded into a novel -- and a few ones where the smaller compass let him do some quirky plots.
Reading day
Aug. 27th, 2025 10:16 pmsilver_chipmunkGot up late again, had breakfast and coffee.
I spent most of the day reading. I finished Artists in Crime. and I started The Blue Hour.
I did di a teensy amount of work in the house, not much but enough to say I had.
Happily I was able to Team the FWiB early, at around 6:40 so by the time 8:00 rolled around and I had to get off for the D&D group, we had had about an hour and a half together so that was nice. My psychiatrist called, and we talked.
We didn't play anything tonight, we just discussed our next game , which is not going to be D&D or Pathfinder, but a very different game, Monster of the Week. I played that once, fortunately, so I'm not totally in the dark about it. I'm going to play the Changeling avatar.
We only hung out til 9:00. After I got off, I had dinner, and then went and read more til pet feeding time.
I fed the pets, and here I am.
Tomorrow I'm getting up at 7:00 and going to a march on Wall Street with my union.
Gratitude List:
1. The FWiB.
2. My D&D group.
3. Good books.
4. My cold continues to improve.
5. My union.
6. Almost payday.
I spent most of the day reading. I finished Artists in Crime. and I started The Blue Hour.
I did di a teensy amount of work in the house, not much but enough to say I had.
Happily I was able to Team the FWiB early, at around 6:40 so by the time 8:00 rolled around and I had to get off for the D&D group, we had had about an hour and a half together so that was nice. My psychiatrist called, and we talked.
We didn't play anything tonight, we just discussed our next game , which is not going to be D&D or Pathfinder, but a very different game, Monster of the Week. I played that once, fortunately, so I'm not totally in the dark about it. I'm going to play the Changeling avatar.
We only hung out til 9:00. After I got off, I had dinner, and then went and read more til pet feeding time.
I fed the pets, and here I am.
Tomorrow I'm getting up at 7:00 and going to a march on Wall Street with my union.
Gratitude List:
1. The FWiB.
2. My D&D group.
3. Good books.
4. My cold continues to improve.
5. My union.
6. Almost payday.
