(no subject)

Watched Rustin last night - which got me all fired up to go to Church, and to join Social Justice Action Group, only to lose interest this morning. I struggled with sleep all night long. I slept. But fitfully. But I did sleep, had very odd dreams/nightmare. (Basically sleep two-three hours, wake up, go to bathroom, sleep another two-three hours, wake up hot, toss off covers. Sleep another two-three hours...realize its 8 am and get up. But still better than Friday night which was sleep for about an hour or two, wake up, and get up at 7:30. I've done everything I can think of. I take melatonin tablets, I have two air purifiers in the bedroom. I used an ice pack. And often use the Headspace app. Although lately it's been the body keeping me awake not the mind.)

It's a pretty day. Sunny. Snowy. Cold. I feel as if I'm pushing myself through the motions? Although work is going okay, I'm getting stuff done.
And the union has gotten everyone (in the union) an 11% raise over the course of three and a half years, and found a way to boost our dental/vision care and get us the same care as the non-represented. We just have to pay more for the insurance - it's now 3% of our base salary. I may decrease the 457 to counter-act it.

Toilet seat still needs to be replaced. I may have to hire someone via Task Rabbit. Super is taking forever.

Memage:

1. International Day of Women and Girls in Science - can you name a female scientist?

Jane Goodall

Although Jane Goodall loved animals as a child, she never intended to become a scientist. Her lack of formal training was advantageous when she was sent to the Gombe Stream Game Reserve to observe chimpanzees in their natural habitat. Without the constraints of conventional methods of studying animals, Goodall developed her own techniques, including living among the chimpanzees she was studying, and connecting with them on a personal level. Through her work, she learned that chimpanzees make and use tools, form strong bonds between mothers and infants, engage in warfare, and demonstrate compassion. Goodall is now one of the world's leading primatologists and a lifelong advocate for conservation.

2. Today Charles Darwin was born in 1809 and across the world his birth is celebrated. Have you a Natural History Museum nearby you can visit?

Yes, the American Natural History Museum in New York City, which I have to plan to go to soon. It's evolved, and has all sorts of new wings and collections. Also the planetarium.

3. Shrove Tuesday - will you be having pancakes today? Do you make your own crêpes?

Ugh. Now I want to make pancakes. I should not have pancakes. I've made my own crepes - when I was a kid, but not in years. We had a crepe maker for a bit. Also, now, can't have them unless I can figure out how to make the gluten free variety - which technically speaking should not be hard to create. Crepes don't have to rise or expand, and gluten really is just needed for the spongy/expansion bit.

4. International Book giving day - do you like giving books as gifts? When was the last time you did that?

Yes. I gave them at Christmas to Brother, Niece, and Wales.

5. National Flag of Canada Day - are you any good at vexillology (the study of flags) - or do you struggle to identify different flags?

I suck at recognizing flags - I only know a few really well.

6. Tomorrow is the third Saturday in February and it's National Red Socks Day - will you be wearing red socks?

I didn't know that, and definitely not. I don't think I have any red socks. Some with patterns that may have red in them, but not solid red.

(no subject)

1. Watched 60 Minutes - just to see the Cillian Murphy interview. Every time I see one of his interviews, I fall more in love with him. I've a crush a Cillian Murphy. The man is so genuine, self-effacing, modest, and just into acting - and providing a real moment on screen.

Actors that I currently have a crush on? By crush - I mean - enjoy watching on screen or listening to.

Cillian Murphy, Robert Downy Jr., Margot Robbie, Emily Blunt, Vanessa Kirby, Viola Davis, Coleman Domingo, Samuel L Jackson, Hugh Jackman,
Diane Lane, David Tennant, Karen Gillian, Benedict Cumberbatch, Idris Elba, Sandra Oh, Michelle Yeoh, Angela Bassette.

It does vary at times. I'm thinking of watching the Brothers Sun just for Michelle Yeoh.

2. Fire Country - this gets better as it goes. The supporting cast, basically everyone other than Bode and Gabriela is really compelling. I'm kind of hoping more time will be spent on them. I like Bode and Gabriela, but I find everyone else more interesting.

I'm on episode 12, season 1. Been binging it - it's comforting. Reminds me a bit of Sullivan's Crossing and Virgin River in how its set up. It's not really a true procedural, more of relationship drama disguised as one?

3. I've been reading the Great God Pan and Other Horror Stories by Arthur Machen. I got it for free via Kindle Unlimited, it's also free on the internet as an audiobook.

I picked it up out of curiosity - after Stephen King announced on Xitter, in response to a question regarding The Scariest Horror Novel that he ever read - or the best, was "The Great God Pan and Other Horror Stories by Arthur Machen".

Stephen King

"The greatest horror tales I ever read is a tie between “The Great God Pan,” by Arthur Machen (novella) and THE CEREMONIES, by T.E.D. Klein."

The Ceremonies is bloody expensive, so I went with the Great God Pan.

The greatest one's that I've read? It takes a lot to scare me or unsettle me in a book. But, I loved:

* Harvest Home by Tom Tyrone.
* The Stepford Wives
* The Twisted Ones by T Kingfisher
* The Hollow Ones T Kingfisher horror tale based on the short story The Willows by Blackwood.
* There's a story about a woman whose soul is removed from her by a bunch of witches, and she and her husband are hunting it down, it's really creepy and I can't remember who wrote it or what it is called. But it was written circa 1920s-30s? And a contemporary of HP Lovecraft.

I've come to the conclusion that the best horror tales are the ones that don't tell you all that much. And leave a lot to the imagination. The less we know - the scarier the story truly is.

One of the most frightening ghost stories I'd heard was told to me in college about sounds in a house, and then the inhabitants looked outside, and someone was sitting in a car, which was normal enough, except as they dashed past the figure to their cars, the eyes followed them, and the head turned all the way around - watching them leave. That one - I still remember, even though it was orally told to me in 1988.

Also still reading everything else - A Wedding By Dawn, Yellowface, various comic books, and listening to the Barbra Streisand Memoir that is seemingly endless. The woman really did need an editor. I'm on Chapter fifty-five, and it's devoted to her husband and how they met and their glorious relationship, along with her insecurities. It's a very honest book. She does state, and I found this charming and informative - that she'd finally learned that being bluntly honest isn't always a good idea and can hurt folks. And it was better to be honest with compassion or be more careful with it. As her husband put it, "I love your honesty, until I don't."

4. Struggling with my health. I'm beginning to think certain foods and drinks cause hot flashes, headaches, and dizziness - and I need to figure out how to avoid them? Also can be linked to severe fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Problem with a restrictive diet is adding more foods to the list is kind of problematic?