leading to worlds you long to explore

Mar. 22nd, 2026 01:07 pm
muladhara: (neo)
[personal profile] muladhara
I am now on holiday from work! I have no concrete plans, except sleeping a lot and maybe actually playing some danged video games! I've got some sort of cold (I am snotty and have a sore throat), and it's been that way since last week. At least now I can rest myself when I need to.

Work has not been a fun time lately. Last week, I covered two shifts for someone who was off ill, so ended up doing almost forty hours over six days. Come Sunday, I was pretty much dead on my feet and fed up of everything. This week just gone wasn't as bad, and nobody was off sick. Though had I been asked to do any cover, I would have straight up said no. But it wasn't an issue, so it was fine, thankfully.

~

Other stuff is bullet points?

# I bought some more Ohuhu markers, even though I haven't been drawing much lately. I bought the 48 set of pastel colours. Because I was feeling sad and I knew I wanted them anyway.

# I've just splurged on a set of gemstone beads from Hobbycraft. I was legitimately getting other things, and then I saw this set in similar items and I was like, you know what? I want that! I am sort of thinking about doing stuff with beads - not necessarily jewellery, although I was inspired by a customer at work who was wearing a bracelet made from rainbow coloured multifaceted beads. They were probably plastic, but the bracelet looked really nice, and it evidently caught my eye when I saw it. Though as I keep telling everyone who'll listen, I think I was a magpie in a past life because oh boy do I like my shiny shit.

# A while back I bought myself a foldaway walking stick, just in case I need it. I bought it after this incident when I left work and felt like all my joints had seized up. It is teal green and it looks amazing. I feel "guilty" about having it, but that is a whole bunch of internalised ableism (and also some ageism) that I need to work through.

# I can't remember if I have anything else to say, though no doubt I'll remember five more things after I've closed my computer down.
james_davis_nicoll: (Default)
[personal profile] james_davis_nicoll


One determined man struggles to save humanity from the mutant scheme to avert doomsday.

Ring Around the Sun by Clifford D. Simak

Enjoying Things

Mar. 22nd, 2026 03:00 am
kalloway: (GS MSV Strike Rouge)
[personal profile] kalloway
Well, it's been a week. ^^;;

I've been playing Final Fantasy VII for the first time in ages and really enjoying it. I'm playing the Switch version, with most of the 'cheats' enabled, which has basically made it into Story Mode, which is fine. I know eventually I'm going to get to endgame chocobo stuff and no cheats will save my arse... (also chocobo breeding/racing my beloved - Sephi can wait lol)

((seriously, if S-E could just make a chocobo breeding mobile game...))

Went down for the local-enough 30 Minutes Label Day/Contest yesterday and there was a really good turn-out. (Seven contest entries!) Winners were store-level only, compared to like, the worldwide gunpla contest, and the judging seemed to favor creativity over craftsmanship. (Which makes sense for 30ML, tbh.)

The store itself has rearranged with a big section for gunpla/bandai kits at the front, unlike the little corner the last couple times we were there. While we were there, an old guy was wandering around complaining loudly about how few 'real' model kits there were and how terrible color-separated snapfit stuff is. I was very tempted to confront him but his absolutely mortified wife was already trying to get him out of there.

Let~ People~ Enjoy~ Things~

That said, color-separated snapfit stuff is great and lowers the barrier for entry and can lead to a person attempting different types of models requiring different skills! Or they may be happy sticking with color-separated snapfit stuff and that's also great! (And either way, hobby shops stay in business! Double-great!)

Need to finish up my Redacted entry next.

March Was Deadlines! )

When not working on my Redacted project, I'm trying to get my desk cleared off and get things ready for the next Hobby Market, which is the 4th. Also need to get this month's mail sent out, which is 90% ready. And some very minor car repairs (and maybe schedule some more major)... Got my eye exam scheduled too because my right eye seems impressively fuzzy again. Blrgh.
mallorys_camera: (Default)
[personal profile] mallorys_camera
Remarkable how quickly one loses muscle tone & wind at my age.

The Schlock job requires a lot of sitting on my ass. And I haven't really had the time to exercise formally. I noticed that yesterday, when a stroll up New Paltz's hilly Main Street left me breathless.

Yes, I should make exercise a priority.

But honestly?

It's all I can do to force myself not to quit the Schlock job.

Adding more "must"s to the list would be ill-advised at this time because I won't, and then I'll feel very guilty, worthless, & inadequate.

###

Meanwhile, by the time I made it to the New Paltz Community Garden, clouds were coming in, and the temperature had dropped. Weeding was not going to be fun. So I contented myself by circling back to the casa and weeding the Patrizia-torium instead, which is now a veritable dell of enchantment and clean! So clean.

I had quite a good time doing errands in New Paltz, tromping dyspnea notwithstanding:

Banner off somebody's porch:



Front window at the Cat Café mit bonus reflected Portrait of the Artist:



Solar power-operated Frida. Tough battle, but somehow I convinced myself I could live without it:



I splurged on books instead. Hard covers! When I closed up the house in Monterey, I swore I would never buy hardcover books again, since I had a library of something like 3,000 of them; I loved them all, but transporting them to the East Coast was completely out of the question, and nobody else wanted them, nobody! I did try. On the West Coast, libraries don't do periodic book sales to raise cash the way they do on the East Coast.

I do read digitally, but truth be told, I prefer physical books. I like the heft of them, I love the faint smell of bookbinding glue and the texture of paper pages.

My extravagant expenditure sparked a momentary tizzy. Books! Great! You can burn these for heat & light when an Iranian drone takes out all the power plants. Fahrenheit 451 was actually a survival guide!

###

On the way to New Paltz, I took a wrong turn & ended up on an unfamiliar road. But, of course, there are no such things as wrong turns; you are always exactly where the Universe wants you to be, and the Universe clearly wanted me to enjoy spectacular views of the Shawangunk ridge:



Plus bonus view of dead-seeming orchard, longing to become a symbol of spring & rebirth when it jumpstarts those pink blossoms in the next month or so—always assuming the brutal winter that now finally seems to be ending didn't murder it:

let's rest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mar. 22nd, 2026 07:38 am
marcicat: (penguin)
[personal profile] marcicat
Plans for today:

REST

spoil deadloch s2 for me

Mar. 22nd, 2026 11:35 am
fiachairecht: (autumn 2)
[personal profile] fiachairecht
In one (1)!! specific way — I suspect I already know the answer to this, because unlike most of fandom I did actually watch the season 1 that the Kates gave me and not the season 1 in my head, but new season new possibilities however extremely slight for disappointment!

Anyway, does s2 end with Cath and Dulcie still together y/n.

('Kimara can't you spoil that for yourself' not without seeing both shitty opinions on Cath and also spoilers for other things, so I don't wanna.)

Just one thing: 22 March 2026

Mar. 22nd, 2026 06:34 am
[personal profile] jazzyjj posting in [community profile] awesomeers
It's challenge time!

Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.

Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished!

Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!

Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.

Go!
beanside: Papa Perpetua V from Ghost (Default)
[personal profile] beanside
Today, I'm up because a small kitty said so. At 4:15 the patting on my head and face began. I nudged her off, and she came right back up and smacked me some more. I finally got up around 4:30 AM. I would prefer to be in bed, and I may go back a little bit later. Yesterday was our two game day, which was super fun, but also a bit tiring.

Yesterday, not long after I closed my computer, Yoda and my sister got up, and after his breakfast, he demanded walks. Still has a bit of the runs, and I'll admit to gagging as I was getting it up. I have a very sensitive gag reflex, and it just triggered it. He was a good boy, and we got back inside as Jess was getting up. After that, it was off to the pharmacy to get a metric ton of medication. It wasn't quite as bad as when Jess and I both have to get our psych meds, but close. I had an inhaler, plus the Mounjaro and scopolamine patches, plus a new Statin medicine the doctor had recommended. I do a coaching session with my insurance for my diabetes and asthma medications, so a chunk of the meds were free to me. Basically, I chat on the phone with a nurse case manager once a month, and Hopkins pays my copay. So the Mounjaro, the inhaler, and the Rosuvastatin, all are free. The other meds ended up being about $8. Can't really beat that.

Of course, the moment I got home, I popped the Mounjaro open and read the verious papers. Then I yanked my pants down and stabbed myself in the thigh with it. Good lord, it burned like hell. In cool things, though while the serum needs to be refrigerated, it is also shelf stable for 21 days at room temperature. Which is going to make the trip SO much easier. When the pharmacist pulled the package out of the refrigerator, my brain starting running the hamster wheel, trying to figure out how that was going to work.

Instead, it'll work just fine. I'll just have the pens in my bag, along with everything else.

I do know that next time I do it (I have an alarm set for Saturday at 9am) I'll leave it out overnight, and see if room temp makes it burn less than it did cold. It wasn't a dealbreaker, but it was somewhat unpleasant as the burn stuck around for about half an hour.

Today, my leg is a bit achy, but not horrible.

Then, I hoped onto the smaller server to play a quick oneshot called "The Town where nothing goes Wrong Right. It was a fun non combat roleplaying game that involved a time loop. It was very cool and fun. I enjoyed it immensely. We have a prequel set up for next week with two of the players. Jess and I will help another player do her character sheet, and then we shall do a short role play about their characters meeting in prison. It's a set up for the Marchen Campaign, which shall begin in Mid April. Unlike a lot of our other games, we should be able to schedule a few in May, because we're only accommodating 5 people instead of 7 or 8. May is going to be a rough month for scheduling because of the cruise, and also people on the other server are away.

I suppose if the wifi is as good as it's supposed to be, we could probably play something on the ship on Friday night, but that might be tough. Though there is a vanity in the closet that one of us could play at. Might be tough, but it could be fun. We'll see.

The rest of the day was quiet. We took the dog out again and relaxed until it was time for the Crooked Moon game. I really enjoy the game, but it's definitely some heavy lifting as many of the more immersive games are. But the characters are wonderful. I put out the call for a folk horror game and my players, as always, understood the assignment for their characters. They're all disasters, and I'm looking forward to playing more with their backstories. I love each and every character.

Today, I have Strixhaven at noon, and that is going to be super fun, and then I have the rest of the day to cook. When I finish this entry, I'm going to go clean out the cast iron dutch oven and get some chicken boiling to make Yoda's broth. Then, later, I shall clean out the cast iron again, and fry up some spinach, and make the filling for my stuffed shells. They shall go in the oven with a liberal amount of mozzarella on top, and will be hopefully delicious. I'm looking forward to them.

Some of my packages came yesterday, so I am once again the proud owner of a glucose monitor and blood pressure cup. The swimsuit from Torrid was a tiny disappointment, as it again does nothing to make the boobs look good, which made me sad. It's pretty suit, so I'll keep it. It's just not great in the chest region. That'll give me three suits to rotate out for the cruise. That should keep me from having to wear a very wet one.

Another package is coming today with a few t-shirts, a sleeveless top and a couple of pairs more of shorts. It's my spring package! It's a shame they won't come early, because it's supposed to be a fairly warm day. I wish the downtown farmer's market was open. I could go down and get some things. Probably nothing that I desperately need, but it would be fun. But alas, not til 4/12, and that day I have a game at 9. Of course, the market opens at 7 am, so its still possible. I'll mark it as a solid maybe.

If I can source my meat from farmers, I'd much rather. But the farmers market by us (which doesn't open til the end of April) only has poultry and pork, and I do like my beef. If I'm going to frequent them this year, I might need to consider a wheeled cart, especially for downtown where they have a ton of stuff.

There is a year-round one on Saturdays, but it's not as big, and Saturdays can be difficult with work and games. Next weekend we're free on Saturday, so it's possible that I could head down there. I'll see what I feel like doing.

Yoda is doing so much better. He's eating his chicken and rice and acting like himself again. Still maybe slightly subdued, but SO much better than he was. He really likes the rice and chicken, and I'm not sure we're going to convince him that kibble is better after this.

I've been looking at new desks, and have come to the conclusion that I have expensive tastes. I like the heavier, solid wood desks with a little character, and they are all freaking pricey. There was this one that was perfect. It had a hutch, and it was big enough for both monitors, and I loved it, and it was $3400, which is excessive. I do want something that'll last, but it doesn't have to last quite that long. I may go up to the Amish Market and see what they would charge. I'm sure it's expensive, but maybe not quite that much? I also want to get a new chair, which is always a crapshoot. I may just get that off Amazon. The last time I spent extra money on a chair, it actually made my back worse, but the cheapo off Amazon has worked fine.

Okay, time for me to contemplate a shower, and also starting Yoda's soup. Everyone have a super Sunday!

Activity #104 - At The Movies

Mar. 22nd, 2026 11:04 am
tinny: Evelyn split down the middle between two alternate universes (eeaao_split evelyn)
[personal profile] tinny posting in [community profile] icontalking




This month, your challenge is straightforward: look at the 20 movie posters under the cut and make icons inspired by them. You can get inspired by the textwork, the composition, the coloring, the crops, whatever catches your eye!

I hope you find them inspiring!

Inspirational Posters under here )

* Please state in your comment which poster(s) inspired you.

* You can make as many icons as you like (if you need a goal, five is a good number :))
* There is no minimum, 1 icon is enough to enter this activity
* Please submit your icons (and URLs!) to this post, all in one comment (if possible)
* Everyone can participate, you don't have to be a member of this community

* I will collect all the icons from the comments and make a result post
* Everyone can leave comments on the inspiration and activity result posts
* There is no voting

Deadline: Saturday, April 11th, your end-of-day

Activity Results for #103 Comic

Mar. 22nd, 2026 10:09 am
tinny: (__geek ifruity)
[personal profile] tinny posting in [community profile] icontalking


Everyone really went outside their comfort zone, and the results are amazing!

44 comic-look icons by 6 makers )

Plus, littlemissnovella linked a texture set she created before: https://i.imgur.com/Iva9yxM.png

Feel free to comment here or on each maker's threads linked next to their name.

Our next activity will be coming up later today.

Heavy Mist

Mar. 22nd, 2026 07:39 am
poliphilo: (Default)
[personal profile] poliphilo
 A light mist is when we can't see the hills on the far side of town. A heavy mist is when we can't see the town.

This morning there's a heavy mist. But perhaps the sun will burn it away.....

Last weekend we were very busy, gallumphing all over the Midlands. This weekend we are busy enough. On Friday we drove up to Basingstoke to see an exhibition of women's art that my sister had curated at the Willis. Yesterday we were househunting in Eastbourne with and on behalf of Wendy and Mary.

There are lots of artistic women in my mother's half of the family. I have on display around the house a couple of accomplished still life watercolours by my great-grandmother, a number of wood carvings by my grandmother, one or two ceramics by my mother and several paintings by my sister. Four generations of female artists in a direct line....

Today at the Meeting House one of our chaps is starting a discussion group which he's calling (I think) Quaker Explorers. He wants us to talk about the deep stuff. In his other life he's a psychotherapist....

Jokes

Mar. 22nd, 2026 12:25 am
pattrose: 00 Starfleet Academy 3 (00 Starfleet Academy 3)
[personal profile] pattrose
Jokes

* What do you call a vicar who becomes a lawyer? A father-in-law.
* What kind of cheese doesn't belong to you? Nacho cheese.
* How did the phone propose to his girlfriend? He gave her a ring.
* Which month of the year has 28 days? Um, all of them.
* Why was the broom late to work? It overswept.
* What does a pig use in the shower? Hog wash

90 discussion questions

Mar. 22nd, 2026 12:23 am
pattrose: (Horse1)
[personal profile] pattrose
90 discussion questions.

1. Which films do you find yourself thinking about years after watching them?

The sad ones affect me the most. As an example, take The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, I just loved it. I’ve seen it twice but read the book about six times. I love sad movies. They stay with me much longer. I saw this one 30 years ago, I think. I still remember every part of the film.

I loved Prince of Tides so much. It was really sad.

I loved Fisher King. (With Robin Williams). This is very sad.

Crunchy questions

Mar. 22nd, 2026 12:20 am
pattrose: (White Kitten)
[personal profile] pattrose
Crunchy questions.

What are some commonly held beliefs about the place you call home? Are they accurate? Inaccurate? How do you generally respond to media depictions - or do few to none exist? (You can answer for your country, the region you live in, town, or a combination.)

I call Tucson, Az home. People always think it’s huge, but it’s not. I think we have 899,000 population. Phoenix has 3.5 million population. Now that’s a big city.

Our Sheriff department sucks. As you all can tell from the Guthrie abduction. They fucked it up from the start. The FBI should have been on it. It’s really a shame.

Arizona is filled with Trumpsters. This is true. But we’re hearing any more people not liking him any more.

The summers are brutal. True. We have triple digits for all of June, July, and August. Usually 110 most days. But it’s a dry heat. Not much humidity. We love it here. September-November are gorgeous days. I love the fall. December-March are very nice warm days. Our winters rock.

March not quite 365 days questions

Mar. 22nd, 2026 12:18 am
pattrose: Tarlan (Gay Pride)
[personal profile] pattrose
March not quite 365 days questions

22. Do you still buy physical books, or do you tend to buy e-books these days?  Does it depend on the type of book (i.e. fiction or non-fiction)?


It depends if we’re going on a trip, I’ll buy ebooks for my iPad and phone. But I still love books. I have a bunch of mystery books from when I was first married, 56 years ago. They have always moved with me. I only have about 250 books. But I have tons on my iPad. I love to read.
pattrose: Ben and RayK 2 (Due South 2)
[personal profile] pattrose
How to Make Crock Pot Shipwreck Stew

Ingredients You’ll Need:
* 1 lb ground beef (85–90% lean)
* 1 large yellow onion, diced
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
* 3 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
* 2 celery ribs, sliced
* 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
* 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
* 3 cups beef broth
* 3 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
* 2 teaspoon paprika
* 1 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1 bay leaf
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* Optional: 1 teaspoon sugar if tomatoes taste very acidic
Step-by-Step Instructions:
1. Brown the beef and aromatics
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until mostly browned, 4–5 minutes. Stir in the diced onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds more, just until fragrant. Drain off excess fat if needed.
2. Layer everything in the slow cooker
To the slow cooker, add the potatoes, carrots, celery, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, Worcestershire, paprika, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Spoon the browned beef mixture over the top and gently stir to combine. If your tomatoes taste sharp, add the optional sugar.
Cook low and slow
Cover and cook on LOW for 7–8 hours(preferred) or HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the potatoes and carrots are fork-tender and the broth has thickened slightly. Avoid lifting the lid too often, which can extend the cook
4. Adjust and serve
Remove the bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls and serve hot. Garnish options: chopped parsley, a dollop of sour cream, or shredded cheddar for a cozy finish.


I made this Thursday night. I was so good. We loved it. I’ll be making this again.

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