Spontaneous Musings

House of Plague Redux Day 2...

2022-05-08T01:41:56Z

Well, this variant either is a mild version or the vaccines work? Because so far it's just a head cold, with an occasional cough, headache, fatigue and brain fog. Also low grade fever of 99.9, which was over by about 10 am.
Tynenol pretty much took care of it.

Either caffeine or tynenol sever sinus headache/congestion took care of the headache, possibly both.

Steady diet of unsweetend quick cook steel grain oatmeal, with milk (breakfast) (today added berries), homemade chicken and veggie soup (recipe below), cheese, proscuttio, apples (running out of them - damn it), and water.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
( Read more... )
I may have to escape my self-imposed quarantine on Monday or Tuesday and make a quick run to the pharmacy and Carnival store for supplies - such as apples, kind energy bars, and other things. But I also might use Fresh Direct Express.

I don't think I'll have the viral load on Monday. But who knows? Workplace has set five days, which I'm pleased by actually with a possibility to extend. The HR department at new organization that I've been thrown into, seemingly randomly, is actually pretty efficient in this regard.

***

Facebook.

ME: I've this weird aversion to meat
College buddy: Could be medication related. Something similar happened with metroformin for me - I found the smell of cooking chicken disgusting all of a sudden.
ME: Ah, that's it. This started roughly after I upgraded the amount of metroformin I was taking.
Aunt: You probably got bitten by a tick and have an allergy.
Me: No, this is an aversion not an allergy. It isn't life threatening. The allergy has severe side effects. I just find meat disgusting right now.
Former massage therapist (who ironically told me to eat meat ten years ago, specifically lamb and beef): You are upgrading.

Sigh. No. It's the metroformin.

***

I've taken up knitting again. See below my first and second attempts at a scarf.
( two attempts at a scarf, guess which is which )
Goal is to complete one decent scarf. Then move on to a hat. Then maybe socks, and maybe a sweater? Although that may be impossible since I suck at counting and measuring.

But it gives me something to do with my hands while watching television. And it's oddly calming and meditative.

***

Overall, I think I'm doing okay. And I'm grateful to be working for an organization that provides me with plenty of time to get over a virus. Not everyone does - if everyone did, we probably wouldn't be in a pandemic. Our priorities - as you've no doubt realized by now - aren't exactly in the right place.

***

Television? I don't know what too watch. Decisions decisions. Also I have brain fog. ( what I managed to watch )

The fatigue and the brain fog are the worst. It's like this type of malaise, in which I just want to sit and do nothing or sleep. Also certain things give me a headache, like wordl. I'm not bothering to revise my book at the moment - while writing blog posts isn't a problem. Also no energy.
From what I've read - that's the worst part of this particular variant, and the hardest to overcome. But at least there's no pressure on the chest, or a feeling of chest congestion - like at Christmas or in the Fall of 2019.

All in all - I think being vaccinated for the flu, and Covid three times, boosted my immune system enough to make this fairly mild. Plus having something around Christmas, also helped. Because I had built up about 8,500 antibodies. This means my body could fight it off without too much problem, and it is manageable.

If you've not gotten vaxxed, do so. It will make the virus more manageable when and if you get it.

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Day #42 - of year 2...

2021-04-28T02:24:45Z

Pretty day - I went to the fruit and vegetable store to pick up eggs and cream for a quiche. ( Read more... )

Mother: I told your brother about your photography hobby.
Me: Oh.
Mother: He said if you really want a good camera - he can point you in the right direction, but that the iphone also works. I told him that you seemed to be happy with your phone. And had the eye for it.
ME: True. I wouldn't know what to do with an actual camera - I'd have to take a course.
Mother: According to your brother, the UK isn't letting anyone leave the country. People can come in, but UK citizens can't leave.
ME: odd, I hadn't heard that.

UK friends reading this? Care to chime in? Is this true? Is bro right - you can't leave the UK? I figure you would know, considering you actually are living over there. Assuming of course you are reading this? [See, put it in bold, so you might see it, and everything.)

I still might. I've been flirting with taking some art courses - and getting back into it. I find art relaxing, and the part of my brain utilized comforting. Hint? It's the non-analytical side.

Mother: The writing in this soap opera is horrible. ( Read more... )

Hmm, guiche came out looking tasty. Taking off for a bit to eat a slice.

Came out a lot better than expected, even better than the last one. Apparently layering with cheese, then spinach, then bacon pieces, and then egg and milk mixture was the perfect solution. I added red and black pepper, garlic salt, fresh dill and fresh basil.

***

In other news, had the oddest debate with a couple of commentators on Ao3, apparently they missed the memo on the site becoming a fandom archive for meta and fanfic, not just fanfiction? And assumed all posts were fanfic, even if it was rather obvious that they weren't? I don't know. The mind boggles.

( bewildering fans )
Some people bewilder me.

Well, I now remember why I didn't smoke pot that often in school or since. It makes me incredibly woozy and sick.
( why THC and me are unmixy things apparently.. or last night's panic attack )

In COVID news?

New York has decided to make vaccines available to everybody, no appointment necessary. [They are getting desperate. They have 40% with one dose, and 33% with both, they want 80%.
( from Governor's nightly email )
New York will adopt the new CDC mask guidance for fully vaccinated people. Fully vaccinated individuals can conduct outdoor activities or gather without wearing a mask outdoors except in certain crowded settings and venues. Read the full CDC guidance.

This is kind of confusing. Does this mean I can now wander about my neighborhood and its environs, maskless? I mean, in Brooklyn, you can without warning run into about thirty people all at once. Also can I do the park?

I'm considering trying the park. But it's really hard not to wear a mask outdoors, unless I'm alone. Even though I'm fully vaccinated.
( why we're opening up - I've no clue. )

( maybe this is why - 44% of New Yorkers have completed one dose and 31% are fully vaccinated )

Ugh allergies are making me crazy tonight. I may need to put on the A/c to clean the air.

According to mother, niece went to her prom with a girlfriend, the girlfriend wore a tux, and niece wore a dress. Her friend really wanted to go to it.

Me: They had a prom. Was it outdoors?
Mother: No, indoors, but everyone was tested, and/or vaccinated.
Me: Her school?
Mother: No, another high school I think.
Me: Okaaay.

Niece doesn't appear to care that much about graduating, she figures she'll graduate when she gets her BA, high school doesn't matter. I think now that she has decided to stick at Simon Rock until she gets her BA through Bard College, and do foreign exchange stuff - she's stopped worrying about it?

I worry about niece, but alas, not my kid.

Mother got her CAT Scan today, and now her left groin is bothering her, her right is the injured one. And her left hip was already replaced.
I will not worry about her - can't do anything anyhow. Cousin posted a video about the reason his mother and her generation has hip replacements is they were all doing too many hip dances as teens. (I decided not to tell him that if they'd been doing hip dances as teens and adults, they most likely wouldn't need the surgery.)

Good night.

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Day #40 of year 2 of the Pandemic

2021-04-25T23:03:00Z

I made flatbread.

It was from Simple Mills Almond Flour Flatbread mix. I'm not clever enough to do it completely from scratch - also gluten-free breads are really hard to do from scratch - you need more space in your kitchen than I currently have. Put Tumeric and red pepper in it, sprinkled rosemary and Parmesene on top, we'll see if it's any good. Plan on having it with the left over filet mignon and green beans tonight. Also for breakfast tomorrow morning.

I was going to make a quiche, but I decided too much cholestrol and too rich. Also they give me heartburn. Plus, I think I can put wild main jam on the flatbread with butter.

Me: Today the Minister got on my nerves again. She was going on and on about the apathy and languishing we were all feeling wasn't psychological but spiritual -
Mother: Not everyone defines spiritual the same way.
ME: Yep, she defines it as seeing something outside of us, and connecting to nature, etc. And she went on about finding the awe in the world around us.
The woman has a nice home, two kids, a lovely husband, a job, and is able to get away - also got a paid sabbatical.
Mother: She was telling everyone what to do.
ME: Kind of the whole nature of sermonizing, I guess. I just miss the music. Last year they had more music, less talking. Music is more universally relatable, talking not so much. Talking tends to be about oneself.
Mother: But you are finding the awe in things...I mean you are finding it in flowers, and small moments - that's a rare gift. And you share it. You've found it in a tulip you see in the yard of a neighboring building - in the middle of a city.
Me: True. My granny taught me that - to see the miracles in the smallest things, and the wonder in them. At church they were all talking about the big moments..
Mother: Its a gift to see that. A true gift. Not everyone does. You stop and look at the little flowers - not only that you take pictures of them for yourself. Whether it be flowers on a branch or a lone bud in a yard. Many people never notice them.

I find flowers awe-inspiring, so delicate and beautiful. And each one is unique. Different from the rest. They also have such a short life-span. Here today, gone tomorrow - lifting their little heads to the sun. Smiling or shyly looking up at me in wonder. (I don't, however, have any difficulty with cut flowers - they can survive in water for up to a week - about as long as they survived outside. It's fine. The Minister has issues with cut flowers.)

It was raining and overcast most of today, now, however it is bright and sunny making me kind of wish for a balcony, but I don't like heights and balcony's are work. So just as well I don't have one. My windows have a nice view all on their own.

Saw a movie, Monday starring Sebastan Stan and some female actress who I've never heard of, but have seen before. She had no boobs. My mother commented on another actress in the Baker and the Beauty who also had no chest. I mean she was boyish looking. It's so odd to see - when my chest is well ..definitely present. I wear a D cup, and my breasts are huge. I've never had tiny boobs. My neice does - but she also barely eats. I envy people who have no boobs. My back would hurt a lot less without the additional weight. Anyhow it was hard not to notice this - since she spent a good portion of the film naked. The actress did not have a gorgeous body.

It's a hyper-realism style film, neither of the actors were filmed to look attractive, although I think Stan has to really work at it. They did it with clothing, and cinematography.

Definitely an indie film, the sound or voice dubbing was off in places and I had to re-wind to get it back on track. Also it's very choppy. Is it good? Eh. I got bored, and I didn't like either character that much, and there were a lot of cringe-inducing scenes. But, on the other hand, if you are single or want to watch an anti-romance flick - this one is rather comforting. It made me happy I was single. And not falling for some hot guy on a Greek Island. It also made me glad that I didn't live in Greece.
So kind of a weird satire/character study of the cliche romantic Grecian romance trope. I recommend watching this back-to-back with Mamma Mia.

The Oscars are tonight. I've seen five of the films, I tried to watch seven of them - but two did not hold my interest. Also, I can't find Minbari for anything less than $19.99, and I'm not willing to spend $19.99 on a movie at the moment.

What did I see?

* Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
*Sound of Metal
*Promising Young Woman
* Nomadland
* Trial of the Chicago

of the five? Toss up on which I'd hand awards to. They are all vastly different films with different intents. It's hard to care about the Oscars, I honestly find awards shows to be a waste of time. We're not comparing apples, we're comparing grapes, oranges, bananas, apples, and raspberries. It's too subjective for words. Also you've no idea what will stand the test of time or be popular ten years from now. I mean the person who loves The Trial of the Chicago 7 probably will hate Sound of Metal. Or vice versa.

Also, all you have to do is look at past winners. There's some odd ones. Why Gandhi and Out of Africa won is beyond me. Or Rocky for that matter.

Anyhow, it's been a quiet Sunday. I should take a walk, but I'll most likely make dinner, and watch the last episode of the fourth season of The Great Pottery Throwdown instead.

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Day #310 - Brrr...a day to cook, and veg...

2021-01-24T04:20:07Z

It was too cold to walk today. Pretty though.

View outside my front door. I stepped outside in a sweater and sweat leggings, and boots - to take a picture. The after shivering, ran back inside. It was 32 degrees F, felt like 22 F. (I have no idea what that translates as C, possibly 10 degrees?)

Family and politics

I realized in talking to mother - that I've hit a wall or I'm fed up. Sometime around 2020, possibly 2019, I hit the wall in regards to the alt-right conservatives.
( Read more... )

I took a break while writing this - to call my niece. ( Read more... )

Mother is doing okay. She received the new KN95 and KN94 masks that I sent today (as did I), and has been chatting with her home health care aids - who she got hooked on Bridgerton.

Escapist Entertainment

By the way? We are getting a second season of Bridgerton. AND, Discovery of Witches starts this Sunday on AMC, I know because my DVR picked it up and has it scheduled. I told mother about it.

Watched Legacies tonight - it's back, along with Nancy Drew, both of which were good, but not as good as last year. I told niece they were basically shows with pretty young people chasing monsters and running from ghosts. She said that she liked watching that sort of thing too. (She's been watching Euphoria on HBO.)

Apparently Sabrina was cancelled and the 4th or 5th season is its last. I still need to watch the fourth and fifth seasons of The Expanse, although may wait until the last one films and is released - the sixth, before I do that. I hate cliff-hangers. Also I forget things in between seasons.

Things to watch?
( Read more... )

And returning shows. I'm waiting for the Witcher. Also the prequel series for Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. And, The Nevers. (I have a weakness for fantasy and sci-fi.) According to Neil Gaiman they were filming Sandman for Netflix in October.

Reading
I'm now reading the latest installment in Illona Andrews Kate Daniels series - Blood Heir - which focuses on Julie (Kate's adopted daughter), Ascanio, Derrek, Nick, and various other supporting characters. What I loved about the Illona Andrews novels - is the supporting characters were as fun as the lead, and stood out. It's among the few urban fantasy series in which the world building and supporting characters are as interesting as the protagonist and you want more of.)

Also, working my way through Promised Land by Barack Obama - which is a detailed account of his first term in the White House, and really gets across how things work. For example? ( Read more... )

I highly recommend this book - it gives a great deal of insight on how things are run in the US and why.

And comic books. I explained my love of them to my niece or tried to. ( Read more... )

And...I need to read the latest Dresden book.

Fandom

On Twitter they asked which MCU movies you've re-watched the most?

1. Black Panther
2. Avengers: Infinity War
3. Avengers: Endgame
4. Captain America: Civil War
5. The Avengers
6. Iron Man

I like Robert Downy Jr. If you don't, I get it. I do, I find him amusing and appealing. I will literally watch him read the phone book.

On FB - someone stated they had a crush on Buffy. To which anne1962 stated most everyone did.

Me: I was one of those, less mortals, who had a crush on Spike. Masochistic I know. But there it is.
G: I feel your pain, I had one on Anya - except vengeance demon.
Me: My girl crush? Willow. I was also partial to Illyria.

Buffy grew me, along with her portrayer, it took a while. By about the end of the second season, I loved both. But my crush was on the others.

Cooking

I made another quiche tonight - it's better than last weeks. ( Read more... )
While I was baking the quiche, I decided to make a root vegetable soup. It was a cold day - so why not? Also if I made enough - it could serve me for lunch for the next few days.

Recipe? ( Read more... )

It was a cold day - so a good day to cook - if the kitchen got too hot, I could open a window. Plus, I find cooking comforting sometimes. I'm not much of a baker - I don't do measurements well, I tend to cook intuitively.

I'm cutting back on sweets. And finding that chocolate isn't doing it for me at the moment - so I might go off it for a bit, see what happens.

Anyhow, leave you with a picture of my view out the front door of apartment complex today - with a moon sitting in the clear blue sky...

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Cooking Meme...

2020-08-08T17:07:31Z

HAVE YOU EVER: AMERICANA COOKING EDITION

[US or American language and cooking terminology, specifically Midwestern and Southern, working class/middle class American, in that biscuits mean well the American version of a scone, which if you've ever had them - you'd never in a million years call a scone. They aren't like them at all. Biscuits are more puffy, and Also, since I'm gluten intolerant - most of stuff hasn't been done recently.]
( Read more... )

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