shadowkat | Entries tagged with personal

Had another PT appointment on Monday, which...went okay, I guess? ( Read more... )

Work party and work in general made me want to walk out the door and retire today. But alas, I can't. I'm not positive, but I have a feeling Breaking Bad felt much the same way.
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Today was my father's birthday - which FB decided to alert me to. Annoying considering my father was never on FB and disliked it. My father, had he lived, would have turned 90. He died in 2022 at the age of 86 just short of his 87th birthday.

So feeling a bit down and out today. Not helped by the bitter cold snap plaguing New York and the East Coast at the moment. It was 18 F degrees this morning, I think that is -6 C. Tomorrow it is supposed to get up to 45 and possibly rain, practically balmy.
****

Buffy S5 Rewatch

Episode S5.4 Out of My Mind

Definitely enjoying Angel more this go-around, probably because I've watched this season one too many times? That said, the dialogue in this episode for the most part is rather good. And there are some good bits here and there.

The episode is mainly about Riley and Spike.
( Read more... )

Off to bed and other things.

The folks singing in the lobby - aka the apartment Christmas Party, can't sing. So, I put on my headphones and decided to listen to EMDR Bilateral Simulation to block it out, and to calm my nervous system, which is kind of keyed up.

The apartment building Christmas Party - was not what I'd expected? Instead of a party for the complex celebrating the building's 100th birthday, it was more a gathering of a select group of people and their kids to visit with Santa, get gifts, sing songs with audio equipment, and have a pizza party with cupcakes, brownies, cookies and snacks.
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So, having been weirdly triggered food wise, I came back up and had left-over chili (I make a mean vegetarian gluten-free chili, if I say so myself), gluten free NY Cheesecake (small) with berries, and some pumpkin latte ice cream with nuts. Oatmilk eggnog with a touch of brandy to drink.

Then watched the rest of Otto Preminger's classic adaptation of Leon Uris' epic "Exodus" on Amazon Prime, starring Paul Newman, Eva Marie Saint, Sal Mineo, John Derek, Sir Ralph Richardson, and Lee J. Cob. I'd been watching it off and on most of the day.

(The book was actually better - I read it in high school, but the film has some excellent and understated performances in it, even if it shows it's age - it was done in 1960.) Not to be confused with the Moses Story, this is the story of the battle to create Israel in 1948, after WWII during the British occupation. ( Read more... )

I watched it - because I remembered it being one my favorite Paul Newman films. Also I've been listening to the Newman memoir on audible. Newman keeps stating in his book that he wasn't a great actor, he was just good enough, and it didn't set his world on fire or anything. He hadn't found his calling. And he is convinced he probably had a learning disability - because he struggled with reading his entire life, and struggled to memorize lines - as if he didn't quite do it properly or something, but he didn't quite know why or how. (Sounds like dyslexia to me? I struggled with memorizing lines too for similar reasons.) I read well now - but I had to work at it, and still do, I have all sorts of tricks that I apply, most of which I'm no longer aware of doing, and couldn't explain to anyone.

It's astonishing that he actually thinks this - because his acting seems effortless. He's effortlessly charming, charismatic, and pulls in the audience - even in a film like Exodus. He also didn't think of himself as attractive to women or anyone. He reminds me of my brother - who didn't see it either. Often the most attractive people are the ones who are the most oblivious to it.

***

I'm enjoying S2 Angel much more than expected. [Even though, David Boreanze is not as thin and hot as he was in Buffy S1-3.] Most likely assisted by the fact that I couldn't remember most of it - having not watched it since it aired or shortly thereafter? I thought I remembered it better than I had? But I totally forgot about Angel's Darla dreams, or how Darla was seducing Angel in his sleep. I also forgot about the scenes with Cordelia and Gunn bonding. They have some nifty platonic scenes between Cordelia/Gunn, and Cordelia/Wes - indicating that Cordelia most likely gets along better with men than women? Cordelia is growing on me, and I don't remember liking Cordy this much when I watched the series back in the day? (I think the difficulty was I came in and out of it, and like all the characters, she has her ups and downs.)

Finished watching First Impressions - which is the third episode of Angel S2. It establishes Lorne's club as another new set. We've moved from the Bar that Angel met Kate at in S1, to Lorne's Demon Bar. In this episode, Angel dreams of singing Send in the Clowns and Tears of the Clown, at Lorne's club - apparently he was going for a medley (which was thankfully off screen - since David Boreanze can't sing to save his life. And I'd rather he didn't butcher one of my favorite Sondheim songs.) Believe it or not, Tears of the Clown is actually a song by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles with a lyric like "there's sad things around but nothing sadder than the tears of a clown when there's no one around".

I'm thinking okay, where are we going with this? Is this a dream? It is - he's meeting Darla at Lorne's bar, and starts dating her, and having a relationship with her in his dreams.
( Read more... )

Interesting episode, all things considered. Only quibble is sigh, Gunn.
He's annoyingly stereotypical, and kind of cringe. I've seen it done better elsewhere. I honestly don't think the writers knew what to do with the character?

**

On a final note?

My contacts came today. I was told they'd shipped on Friday. And they arrived today. That was fast. Considering they were ordered November 8.
How much you want to bet that they forgot to order them, and didn't do it until I reminded them to, this week?

Ah. As predicted the party in the lobby finally ended - and prior to 10 pm. The plus side of families with small children throwing a party - is it is never a late one.

Off to bed.

Contemplating taking up chair yoga at home. All I need is my chair which I bought for the peddler that I got rid of. I don't know what it is about December and the Christmas season that seems to instill me with anxiety and depression - often at the same time. I'm fighting both at the moment.

Called the optometrist to find out what the status was on my contacts, which I'd ordered way back on November 8. I left two messages.

Optometrist: We didn't order any contacts for you.
Me: Yes, you did. Either that or it was an incredibly expensive exam.
Optometrist: Let me check - oh, wait, yes, we did. (flustered). My mistake. Sorry about that. I'll look into it and get back to you.
ME: Whew. You had me worried. Considering I ordered them way back on November 8 - they should be ready by now, that was over a month ago.
Optometrist: Yes, yes, we're so sorry. We'll get back to you.

How much you want to bet that that order hadn't gone through in November or they stupidly gave it to someone else and now have to order them again? Thank god, I have enough for another two-three months.

People are stressing me out. Work is always stressful at this time of year - our fiscal year ends in December, so there's this mad rush by all the idiotic procrastinators to send work my way. (I don't procrastinate at work, elsewhere yes, but not at work.) Honestly, sometimes I wish I could take off sometime around November to some exotic island somewhere, and not return until March 30. Solves the seasonal depression issue, and the anxiety issue. I am prone to seasonal depression because I need sunlight and blue skies. Drab, gray, rainy skies make me hurt and depress me. Hence the reason I don't live further north than NYC, nor in the Pacific Northwest, the Midwest, or Canada. I don't mind darkness at night? But I need sunshine.

**

Buffy S5 Rewatch ( Buffy is my mental health/comfort series, particularly the later seasons. I don't know why exactly? But something about it comforts me when I get stressed, frustrated or depressed. More than anything else. It's one of those things that you either get or you don't?)

The Replacement - Season 5, Episode 3. The first three episodes spend a lot of time setting the stage for what is coming, and setting up the characters, also depending on the previous year - placing the characters in either a good spot or a bad one. You can always tell how the season will end, based on where everyone is in the beginning of the season. If a character is isolated from everyone in the beginning of the season - they won't be at the end for example? Or if a character is happy, and in a relationship, and seemingly doing great - they won't be at the end. They also set the tone and the theme. It's pretty clear by the time we get to this episode that this season is about duality.
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Book Meme

1. Still reading "The Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem" - which is spending way too much time developing a romance between a newspaper owner and a police inspector, and not enough time on the friendship between two female journalists, investigating the murder, and well the promised mischief and mayhem. I may jump over to the Ill-Manner Ladies Guide to Utter Ruin Book 2 instead. Or Gideon The Ninth.

2. Am making more headway listening to the Paul Newman memoir - which is all the transcripts of all the audio recordings. (Newman burned the audio recordings in a fit of self-revulsion and embarrassment (he was a private man, and not comfortable talking about himself), but, alas they were all transcribed by his best friend a year or so prior to the burning and his kids found them a few years after both he and his friend died, and after much hemming and hawing, decided to publish them in a book - they also gave them to the actor and director Ethan Hawk (for reasons that I fail to completely understand) to make a documentary. This by the way proves that I'm wrong about why Hawk didn't delve into Paul's relationships with his family and siblings and the Sporting Goods Store. It wasn't because he didn't have access or was necessarily forbidden? I think it was because it was already in the memoir and already out there and didn't interest Hawk, the actor and director, all that much? Actors and Directors tend to be somewhat introspective and self-involved? And like to well talk about their own field more than dysfunctional families and Sporting Goods Stores? Hawk focused on what interested Hawk and ignored everything else.)

I started this after I finished re-listening to Graphic Audio's dramatization of the entire Kate Daniels Magic Series - which is excellent by the way. It has a full cast. Like a movie in your mind.
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Leg and knee didn't hurt as much today as they did on Saturday, making me think arthritis may be a factor, and sigh shifts in the weather.

The Super decorated the lobby of the apartment in style - we have poinsettias, a tree, a mechanical elf climbing a ladder to decorate the tree, and a carousel on top of the mail boxes, among other things. It's quite festive. Never thought I'd say this?? But I actually prefer a pre-war building of 77 units to a brownstone. Also the building is older - it's 100 years old, and quite sturdy all things considered.

And Momma got a Xmas present for me - today - I know what it is - she got it on Cyber Monday before it went up in price. ( kitchen appliances and where to put them )

I did partake of Cyber Monday. Got shoes for $22 on Lands End, and a pair of pants fo $21. And some underwear via Amazon. Yesterday at Walgreens I bought a cup warmer for work - worked like a dream. Plugged it in and it kept the cups warm. My tea, decafe coffee, and matcha lattes kept getting cold fast. Now they stay warm. It was only $5.

I'm embracing my love of my city and neighborhood. I love NYC. I was talking to Breaking Bad today, and describing how my entire family is spread around the US and lives in suburban and rural areas (ie. you need a plane and car, or in the case of my brother, a train and car to get to them).

Breaking Bad: So you're the sole urbanite?
Me (I think about it): Yup pretty much. I like cities.

I read on Calm or somewhere recently that anxious folks tend to prefer walk in city streets or places where they know all the threats instantly than a nature walk outside of the city. They feel safer. ( Read more... )

***

December Memage:

1. Do you use serviettes/napkins when you eat, or are they just for fancy meals/when you have guests?

When have guests or fancy. I rarely use them other than that. Don't have that many, and I can't find them?

1. Managed to get the flu shot that I'd been procrastinating - I don't like the pharmacy, but I'm no longer working in Jamaica, so can't get it there. And not sure about getting it at City MD in the city.

Also, due to shifts in the jet stream combated another migraine, still lingering but not as bad as it was earlier - and it appears to be dissipating finally. My own fault for forgetting to take an antihistamine. A hot shower helped. I'd taken a walk to pick up batteries and get brandy (actually I was getting rum but all they had was brandy, which actually works better anyhow) for the egg nog that I'd bought. I can also use it for hot toddies, hot apple cider, and baking/cooking. I don't really drink any longer - so it's used more for well egg nog and toddies, and baking.

Put up my Xmas lights in my living room window - which is a miniature evergreen tree (plastic but looks real with snow on it) and yellow lights, and a burlap stand. I call it my Charlie Brown Christmas Tree. It's adorable and make me happy. That and the snowflake fairy lights, and the little Saturn light globe. I'll probably leave them there until well into February. I leave the Saturn Light Globe there year round, just only turn it on during the winter months. Removed the little pumpkin from the window.
My holiday decorations tend to be on the simple side, and mostly in my windows and window sills.

2. Was thinking about Angel today, and it occurred to me that in "Are You There Now or Have You Ever Been" that he doesn't tell his friends what actually happened in the hotel or what he was doing there or that he'd left that poor woman in the hotel to suffer since 1952. I'm not sure what he did with her body or if she was a ghost? But his friends didn't seem to know she was still there or that the bank money was there? Which begs the question how did Angel get all the money he appears to have stashed away? He's clearly not poor, and tends live rather well. Similar to Dracula in a way. The older vampires in Whedon's series live quite well. Or know how to?

Probably over-thinking it too. Mustn't overthink television series, and Disney superhero films. Doesn't keep me and others from doing it...

3. Former Sr. Minister (the Unitarian Minister who left the church to become a rabbi), is writing a blog on substack for subscribers - which she advertises on FB. I wouldn't mention it - except, she surprised me today with this blurb on FB.

"My son and I went to part of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade yesterday. I love the marching bands, but the whole thing is increasingly lackluster. And I was struck, as I am every year, by the idolatry. Here's a 100-word reflection on it:

When the Pillsbury Doughboy balloon floated by in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the announcer informed the crowd that this was the parade’s most iconic balloon. Our response, I guess, was muted, because he reprimanded us: “When I say it’s the most iconic, you make the most noise!”

Theologian Neil Gillman taught: when people realize that something is a symbol (or need to be told to cheer for it), the symbol is broken. It no longer carries the magic.Maybe the symbols of consumerism are breaking. We’re finally figuring out that they’re giant idols. Impotent. Full of nothing but air."

I did a double take. [ETA: Sigh, for some reason my mind read Gaiman not Gillman. I have told you all that I'm dyslexic right? [I've certainly written multiple posts on it.] Thank god, I restrained myself from responding to her on FB. I think the reason my mind decided it was Gaiman, is it saw Neil and the similar sounding name, the quote, and the Sr. Minister's name and made that connection. ]

4. Tom Stoppard died. I've read and seen a lot of Tom Stoppard plays.
Known for: Rozencrantz and Guildestern are Dead, The Real Thing, Shakespeare in Love..
( Read more... )

5. Finished Slow Horses S5 - it's only six episodes and fairly tightly written - so it didn't take all that long to binge, unfortunately. By the time I got into it? It was alas, over. Very funny British satire about spooks.

November Memage

29. What types of fruit do you always have in the house to eat?

Granny Smith Green Apples, Raspberries and Blackberries.

Somewhat accomplished? I managed to get laundry done, switched out my torn padded bed pad, for the new less padded but not torn one. The torn had to be thrown out - it's not salvageable, unfortunately. I loved it - but can't find a similar one. Took out the recyclables. Washed the linens - it was mainly just the linens. Only two loads. So not that expensive.

Played more Mahjong. I lied when I said I don't like games? I do, but it depends on the game, and who I'm playing with. I can play that one for hours. Except it lies when it says it doesn't have ads - it does. Worse, to get out of the ad, I often have to offload and reload the game.

I also managed to schedule my flu shot for tomorrow. (I don't get the side-effects outside of a sore arm - I think I have a VERY strong immune system? But I'm doing it on Saturday morning, just in case.) Other goal is to clean out foyer closet and put up my Xmas lights in the window (if I can find them, I may need to get new ones), and the little Xmas tree with its lights, and take away the Thanksgiving decorations. Sent off Xmas list to family members, waiting on theirs.

Apparently sisterinlaw and niece's Thanksgivings included a Nantucket Pie. It's basically a fruit upside down cake with cranberries. I don't like cake and I like it even less now that I require substitutions, so I'm glad I had my pecan and pumpkin choices.

Watching Dancing with the Stars - which has some excellent dancing this season. ( Read more... )

Dinner was left-overs. Breakfast was fried eggs over spinach leaves, lemon, and grits. I combined Breakfast and Lunch.

Angel S1 Re-Watch - Episode 2 - Are You Now or Have You Ever Been

I remember being less than thrilled with this episode the first two times I saw it. But now, I see a lot of interesting things in it that I'd not seen before. Weirdly, I find I appreciate it more without the echo of others in the background or my desire to compare it against Buffy. The two shows are very different series, with different goals and aims. Distance helps, I think?

( cut for length )

Question a Day Mememage - November

Catching up on the Mememage - I'm dreadfully behind.

24. Do you have throw pillows/cushions around the house?

Yes. Although apartment.

25. Is lunch a snack, a light meal, or your main meal of the day?

Snack or light meal - I'm not a lunch person. I even skip it sometimes on weekends.

26. On National Cake Day – what is your favourite cake?

Flourless Chocolate Cake - which is technically the only cake I have any longer.

Or

Angel food, but I haven't found much in the Gluten Free versions. It's hard to find. I like it because it is light, and can serve it without icing. Also butter mochi cake, which is kind of similar.

27. Have you ever slept in socks at night?

Yes, and I always end up kicking them off in the middle of the night. So I don't.

28. November is part of World Vegan Month – have you tried any vegan food this month?

Yes. My chocolate chip cookies that I get from Insominac Cookies are vegan.

I don't know why I'm tired all the time. I actually did sleep eight hours last night, or so my watch informs me. But I also woke up periodically, and the leg did bother me, and IBS had its issues, but nothing major.

I had today off due to the doctor's appointment, but I was dragging.( Read more... )

Coming home, I accidentally ended up on the M train, without realizing it, and had to switch at Marcy Avenue (it's somewhere in Queens and I've never heard of it), which meant going down six flights of steps, across a street, and up six flights of steps, taking the M back across the bridge into Manhattan, down more steps, and taking the F back. ( Read more... )

I'll try to get a pie tomorrow at work. I'm near Whole Foods, and the farmers market, which has a gluten free bakery vendor on Tuesdays.

Dinner was hearts of palm spaghetti, asperagus, and broccoli with pesto, grated parmesan, and pepper. Blood sugar was high, so went with a vegetarian dinner that was low in carbs.

***

Television

I finished S3 of Dark Winds on Netflix. AMC is dumping seasons of shows that previously aired on AMC onto Netflix. They've also dumped Interview with a Vampire S1-2, Mayfair Witches, Breaking Bad, and This is Going to Hurt - to name a few.

Dark Winds was hard to follow in places, but overall entertaining. The problem it had - was four different mysteries, none of which were connected, two of which had happened some time ago, and in different locals. Also the mysticism, and a mystery solved during a dream sequence. (I am not a fan of dream sequences in television shows, films or books. I don't particularly like reading about my own dreams. It's also hard to do it well - I honestly think only David Lynch succeeded because he thinks that way.)

I liked the first two seasons better. Not sure if it is continuing or not?
It's based on the Tony Hillerman, Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mysteries which were written in the 1970s, and this takes place in the 1970s. (I read them in the 90s). What's unique about the series is it is filmed on Navajo reservations, and the cast is mostly Navajo, Native American, and it's written by Navajo and Native Americans. The executive producers are Robert Redford and George RR Martin, who both had a cameo, playing chess, during it.

Also started This is Going to Hurt - a fictionalized account of Adam Kay's non-fiction memoir on his experiences working as a Junior Doctor on an NHS maternity ward in London. I'd categorize it as hyper-realism, and it is a dramedy. Although I don't find it funny - it's a bit too dark for my sensibilities. There is however a somewhat funny bit about the doctor attempting to get a pregnant woman in and out of a lift that won't stop moving. I thought NYC's inner city hospitals were bad - they've nothing on London's NHS, as shown here.

It's gritty, grim, black humor. Ben Whinslaw is brilliant in it. I don't know if I'll make it through all the episodes? There are only seven in all.
It's written by Adam Kay, who wrote it as a 7 episode limited series, focused on himself and another doctor working in the maternity ward. Reminds me a little bit of The Pitt, but far more raw and a little bit more bloody, also we slant into the personal lives of the doctors. Adam Kay appears to be a gay doctor, who is still firmly in the closet at home and at work - causing issues with his significant other.

Made through two episodes so far.

Finally, rewatching Angel S2 and Buffy S5. Of the two, I've watched Buffy S5 quite a few times, but not since 2010.

( Buffy vs. Dracula and the Real Me )

Over on Angel, we establish that Angel doesn't sing (or dance). And likes Barry Manilow. Specifically Mandy. ( Read more... )

Okay done for tonight, I think. Off to work tomorrow.

The Community UU Church of NY's sermon today (which I watched on my television set via Youtube - youtube kindly thrust it at me, as recommended, and I didn't have to look for it and I finally figured out how to watch my community's UU church services via youtube on my television set) - stated that we're all tired because there's so much happening constantly around us, and it's overwhelming.

I thought, okay, that's probably why I've been feeling exhausted lately, sleep deprived, and kind of ill? Too much happening all at once, none of which I have control over.

I've even stopped the good news posts, mainly because I can't seem to get myself to weed through the hundreds of comments and links on the social activist's facebook page or in the Nice News or Waging Non-Violence emails, any longer? I find it all to be overwhelming, even if it is good news? I just want to close off the news media and forget it all exists for a bit.

And, it's getting darker earlier now. Dark at 4:30 pm, and 5:19 feels like 8. Shorter and shorter days. I'm not a fan of darkness, I have a tendency towards seasonal depression and require light. It's why I can't live that far North and have veered away from the North Pacific. NYC is about as far North as I can reasonably get, I think.

Anyhow, the church services on Youtube motivated me to donate to the Food Bank of NYC today. So far, I've donated to Food Bank, ACLU, and National Parks Conservation Service this year.

***

Tomorrow is the doctor's appointment. ( Read more... )

***

Made Chili last night with Chili beans, Classico Marinara Sauce, Jasmine brown rice, red onions, dark chocolate, and chili seasoning. It was smooth and excellent. Served with shredded cheddar cheese, Mary's Gone Crackers, and chopped red onions. Also cheese and crackers on the side. I might do celery and carrots with it tonight.

I don't understand my body? I couldn't handle the idea of putting ground beef in it. The thought turned my stomach, so rice was used instead. I used to love ground beef. Now, I can't stomach it. Instead, I love celery sticks, which I used to hate. Now I eat celery constantly?

Also, I used to hate beans, and avoid them like the plague - because gas pains, now my stomach wants beans but not meat. Somethings happened. Doctors are happy. Cardiologist and Endcrinologist - want me on a plant based mediterrean style diet without red meat at all, and beans instead.
Meat is bad for high blood pressure and diabetes.

After hemming and hawing, over whether to buy a cornish game hen, a duck or a rainbow trout for Thanksgiving or order something premade via Fresh Direct, I finally caved and bought a Rock Cornish Game. ( Read more... )

I did learn that my church, the UUA of Brooklyn, not the Community Church of NYC, has about fifty people signed up for its annual Thanksgiving Gathering, and I thought, nope. ( Read more... )

****

I don't know about anyone else? But the period between November 20 and March 20 is tough on me, emotionally and mentally? Between the shortening of the days, the cold, the stripping of the flowers and trees of leaves, and the holidays...I struggle with depression. ( Read more... )

I make little plans to get through it. ( Read more... )

Sometimes life is in the enjoyment and love of small things, small pleasures, small hobbies, completion of small tasks, and small moments.

***

Question a Day Memage:

[Shout out to kazzy_cee who found/came up with all of the questions - I really appreciate it. I can not come up with them well at all. I've tried. It's not as easy as it looks. I appreciate and am grateful for those that do. Thank you.]

21. Do you have lots of layers of bedding on your bed?

Yes. ( Read more... )

22. It’s Jamie Lee Curtis’s birthday! What did you last see her in on TV/film?

The Bear - she's amazing in The Bear. Plays the abusive alcoholic mother of the chef. It's a raw vulnerable no holds barred realistic portrayal of a recovering alcoholic. It's a joy to behold. I've a crush on the actress, who just gets better with age. (The Bear is a hypo-realism series about the running of a Chicago Restaurant, and the lives of all of those involved in running it.)

23. It’s National Cashew Day – do you like cashews? Have you used them in a recipe?

Not really, they are really hard to digest and lead to stomach cramping. Again, not a fan. I tend to use almonds instead.

I'm procrastinating dinner, mainly because I don't know what to eat? (I have to throw out the chicken and chicken soup that I made last weekend - and haven't touched, after getting incredibly ill. I didn't get ill because of it? But the idea of reminds me of it - so just no.)

Both Crazy Workplace and Apartment Complex are having holiday parties the second week of December, and since I will be around - I should probably go to them. ( Read more... )

There's a new list of top 100 books - that is kind of interesting? - it's the Australian Radio List or what I want to call the Top 100 Books that have been, will be or are soon to be adapted into movies or television series. I've either read, tried to read, seen or tried to watch over half of them - some I have on my to see/to read list, and actually own. I could literally go down a good portion of that list and give recommendations. I'm tempted.

Decided on the left over baked salmon, celery, carrots and some quinoa.
Then watched Buffy S4 Primeval, after watching Yoko Factor the night before.

Buffy S4 Rewatch - Yoko Factor and Primeval

After watching Yoko Factor again, I get why the fandom split over the character of Spike to the degree it did? I'd forgotten how cool Spike was as an anti-hero character, and how good an antagonist. ( Read more... )

What's interesting about Angel and Buffy's cross-overs to each other's series - is that Buffy only crosses over to Angel in S1. ( Read more... )

At any rate, Yoko Factor reminds me of why I love this series. Snappy banter, which is just a joy to behold (a lot of television writers ironically can't write dialogue - how they become television writers without being able to write good dialogue is beyond me?). Also, Adam is actually palpable in the episode - due to Spike. I was actually rooting for him to get his chip out and disappointed he didn't. Although, they'd have to kill him off. So that wasn't happening.

There's a hilarious scene where Xander gives Spike a gun, and Spike gleefully points it at him - only to get a migraine. ( Read more... )

Primeval - eh, this feels like watching a bad comic book brought to life. I remember liking it better in the early 00s. It doesn't age well, and is kind of on the campy side? Forrest is ...annoyingly misogynistic - so much so, that it doesn't surprise me that Whedon went there again with Warren and Caleb. I prefer the villains who aren't misogynistic. I really did not like the villians in S4 at all. This episode just reminds me of why.

( Read more... )

Note while this is the last arc episode? It's not the last episode of the season. Which is interesting, and different from S1-3, in which it would have been the last episode. Showing that S4 was meant to be a bridge episode between S3 and S5.

Some say this is the best episode of S4, IMBD did, which makes me wonder about some of their reviewers? I mean obviously HUSH is the best episode, with several others coming close. HUSH is among the best of the series. Each season has one or two standout episodes. S4 is hands down - HUSH.

***

Crazy Workplace

Breaking Bad: I swear this place could be a Paddy Chafesky play. It is a Paddy Chafesky play. It might even be better if it was.
Me: Paddy Chafesky wrote Network right?
Breaking Bad: Yup, excellent writer.
ME: Agreed. I read all his plays in high school. (Don't remember them, but I did read them.)

I even put a Paddy Chafesky quote from NETWORK in my high school yearbook. "I'm Mad as Hell and I'm not going to take any longer." I kind of regret doing that. But I found it amusing at the time.

***

Now that the Vertigo is blessedly gone, I've a ENT on Monday about it. (Taking the day off.) I'd rather have had the ENT appointment on Tuesday when it was still there, bugging me. On the other hand - I wouldn't have been able to get to the ENT appointment or provided coherent information, so maybe not.

1. My union is odd? We get Election Day off but not Veterans Day, this actually true of the entire Railroad, while Transit and the other agencies due get Veteran's Day off.

I don't care? I'm not a Veteran. And I'd prefer election day? But it's still odd.

2. There's this odd trend in which people bake cakes that look exactly like their pets or a cat, parrot or dog that resembles their pet, or another breed, and they cut into it while their pet is present - and video tape their pet freaking out over them "cutting" into the realistic cake.

I can't decide if it is AI or not? Guessing it is - because I just don't see any animal sitting there while its human cuts into a realistic cake, but what do I know? Whether it is or not - it's sadistic.

Social media has proven to me that there are a lot of sadists on the planet. Who like to torture various living things. Also a lot of folks who should not be allowed to own pets.

Have you seen this trend? The humor is lost on me. I find it anxiety inducing and feel sorry for the pets. They require nicer owners. I want to launch a pet rescue campaign. Rescue the poor animals from sadistic narcissistic owners.

For some reason the dogs seem less phased. But I still don't find this funny? Horrifying, yes. Sadistic, yes. My god. Humans are sadistic.

Aliens: Should we save the human race?
(Watches Youtube and Tiktok Videos of people torturing their pets)
Aliens: Eh, let's not. We'll come back in another few thousand years and see if they've evolved any or better yet, their pets have finally rebelled and killed them all off.

***
Question a Day Memage - November

9. The Austrian-American actress Hedy Lamarr was born today in 1914. She and composer George Antheil invented an early version of Bluetooth technology. Do you have any home accessories that use Bluetooth (earbuds/headphones, speakers, fitness trackers, personal scales)?

Yes. Diabetic sensor, earbuds/headphones, and speaker are all bluetooth. So is FIRE HD.

10. It’s Sesame Street Day! Who is your favourite Sesame Street or Muppet character?

Eh, hard to choose? Fred & Ernie. Big Bird or Kermit. Doc - the head of the band.

11. Do you insist that everyone uses coasters for their drinks?

No, I often forget to use them. As a result, my wooden furniture is a bit worn around the edges.

***

Do random snippets of story ever come to you out of the blue and usually when you have no way of writing them down?

1. Sigh, Let's Do the Time Warp Again

I don't know about anyone else? But regardless of what I do? I'm always thrown sideways by the time change. It's dark out - and I keep thinking it's 6:58 or almost 7pm, when in reality it's only 5:58 pm and almost 6. (I really wish they'd stop doing time change back and forth.

It just occurred to me that maybe this is the inspiration behind the song (or not as the case may be? I don't really want to know either way, and regardless - I posted it on FB too, so an annoying relative will most likely tell me) - Time Warp.

2. Watched the Associate Minister's last hurrah - so to speak - or her last sermon. The church really needs to acquire a Director of Religious Education who isn't interested in becoming a minister - this is the second one they've lost to the Minister path. There's clearly something about Religious Education that calls people to become Unitarian Minister's? That and yoga.

I didn't go in person - for various reasons - I had ambivalent feelings about the Minister in question, and my church isn't the most accessible on the planet? ( Read more... ) And I wasn't exactly close to the Assoc Minister, actually I'm kind of relieved she's leaving? And I can't say I didn't agree with her sentiment that letting go of this congregation and moving on to one out on Long Island, (the Assoc Ministers always go out to Long Island for some reason - the last one went to Huntington, this one to Shelter Rock), was a good idea for all involved? The church really needed to jettison the prior leadership - the music is fine, they can keep that, but the management of the church needed to be reconfigured.

Have you ever met people that you feel you are supposed to click with or should click with - and just don't no matter what you do? Or that you do sort of like, but sense that they don't really like or understand or see you - and wish you'd go away?

That's the energy I always kind of felt from the Associate Minister? I'm learning the best approach in these situations is to - back away and give that person plenty of space. It happens to me online as well. So it's not relegated to in-person interactions.

Also I'm irritable folks. ( Read more... )

I don't know if any of that made sense. Perhaps it did? Perhaps it didn't?

3. Television

* I've given up on Outlander. It's not my cup of coco. I don't like it and there are too many other shows to watch instead.

* I finished Rainmaker S1 finally - this is on Netflix. It's a legal procedural. And among the better ones. There are a lot of twists and turns.
It's more serialized than most - and far more character centric. It's based on the book by John Grisham, except instead of a big Insurance firm being the bad guy, it's a law firm. So a blending of The Firm and Rainmaker, I think? It has a lot of Grisham's legal tropes in it. ( Read more... )
Anyhow, recommend, the above doesn't really have any spoilers, or only vague ones.

* Watched two more Angel episodes from S1, She and I've Got You Under My Skin

A. "She" is the episode with the comedic dancing from Angel and Wes, and manages to get across both characters personalities with it. Also the humor of the writers - I think they were going for Seinfield's comedic bit with Elaine and the dancing? Hollywood writers like to make fun of how people dance for some reason? ( Read more... )

[I was going to skip it - glad I didn't - you kind of need to see it, to understand the Wes/Angel and Cordy dynamic. Also, it has great character moments. I think I kind of skipped over it the first two or three times I'd watched the series. I've not watched or rewatched since roughly 2005 or thereabouts. I think the only season I've rewatched since then was S5.]

B. In I've Got You Under the Skin - the writers pull an interesting twist, actually two twists. It's another episode written by Jeannine Renshaw - who was also responsible for co-writing I Will Always Remember You, and Parting Gifts. She's known for writing for The Cleaning Lady, In the Dark, and Grey's Anatomy, among others. The episode comments heavily on The Exorcist, and kind of makes fun of it - even has the name of the priest being the same name as the director of the Exorcist, and dead. It also furthers the bond between Wes and Angel. The writers are working over-time to develop Wes and Angel's bond to equal Doyle and Angel's. ( spoilers and length )

* Watched Jurassic World: Rebirth on Peacock - this is the latest Jurassic World flick. I have a weakness for these movies and have seen all of them. I saw roughly three of them in theaters. My favorites are 1, 3, and 5, or all the ones with Sam Neil and Laura Dern in them. Film 4 wasn't bad, and slightly better than film 2. But this film is horrible. ( Read more... )

Skippable.

* Welcome to Derry - this was on HBO. It's a prequel to IT. And I can't tell if it's a satire of Stephen King horror films and books or supposed to be taken seriously? It's a bit over the top? Even the credits are over the top and tongue in cheek. It's screaming satire or parody to me? And it's not real subtle about it. Reminds me a little bit of Fallout in that respect. ( Read more... )

***

Off to bed, have to get up early for eye doctor's appointment tomorrow.

Spent most of my vacation attempting to quell various aches and pains, brought on by various factors, some known, some guessed at, some not?
( Read more... )

***

The UU Church has a Devotional Poetry Writing Group. I flirted with it. But I'm wary of anything regarding the writing and sharing of poetry. ( Read more... )

UU Church is also featuring a singer/song-writer for tomorrow's service, who is (apparently) popular? I hadn't heard of them before the Church newsletter told me about him - but I'm also not really into religious music? While I have, as you've no doubt figured out by now, widely diverse taste in music, there are few genres I rarely listen to? They are "traditional classical opera", "electronica" (depending on the electronica), "religious music", "gospel", "choral music", "rap" (depending on the rap), and heavy metal (depending on the heavy metal). So, as result, I hadn't come across this person, who I think is trans, and is creating queer religious music and going across the country with it.

Anyhow...I checked them out last night, and their song, entitled Ploushare Prayer by Spencer LaJoye.

Folks, they made me cry? It really moved me. I was surprised.
( Ploushare Prayer Video )
But not sure I can deal with the crowd that will converge on the church tomorrow to hear them play for free. I'll do it on Facebook or Zoom instead. No steps. Sleep in. And better acoustics, not to mention I can see more.

***

Pain and fear of large crowds kept me from participating in the No Kings Day. I hope it went well. More to the point? I hope it accomplishes something?

Ah, it's getting darker earlier now. Sunset was at 6:30. My heart goes out to my brother - whose heating and cooling system has failed him. He's tried to get it fixed multiple times. The first time, they came out, he paid them, they claimed that they fixed it. They didn't. They came out again, claimed to fix it, they didn't. Then they got bought by someone else. Who kept claiming they didn't get my brother's calls or emails, and came out, and then well up and disappeared. So he found a new company - and the whole system has to be replaced. He has a wood burning stove - but it's not going to heat the entire house, and his bedroom is one floor below it, and heat rises? And it gets cold up there? And my brother gets cold easily. [I'm so glad I rent. Let all of that be somebody else's problem. We've had hitting issues - but they tend to get resolved quickly - since there's about 100 people affected.)

****

Television

1. Weirdly I'm enjoying Angel the Series better now than I did way back when I first watched it in the late 1990s. If I was to hazard a guess - I think it would be lowered expectations, and no longer wanting Angel and Buffy to be together - or being disappointed that they aren't? I wasn't in the fandom until roughly 2002 - or midway through S6. ( Read more... ) At any rate - I'm enjoying Angel more now. Partly, because I like Angel, Wes, and Cordelia better now than I did twenty five years ago. I find them a bit more relatable and comforting. They are all a tad lost, and doing the best they can to make things work, while flailing miserably most of the time. The writers dig down into classic noir tropes.

And, I like how most of the writers veer away from the classical hero trope. For all the times, Angel succeeds, he also fails miserably. In the Scourge? The seventh or eighth episode, he attempts to sacrifice himself heroically - but his speeches to Doyle about why he sacrificed his humanity and a life with his one true love to pursue the cause, backfires on him in a huge way. ( Read more... )

Moving on to Parting Gifts - which I didn't like the first time I saw it, twenty five years ago, I do now. It's a great study in characters and contrasts. Also demonstrates how Wes, Cordy and Angel work slightly better than Doyle, Angel and Cordy did. For one thing - they get it across pretty quickly - that there are 0 romantic feelings between Angel/Cordy or Cordy/Wes. ( Read more... ). They also set up each character's skill sets. ( Read more... ) But mainly, within a short period of time - they set up the problem, the on-going villain (WRH law firm in the shadows), and the relationship dynamic between Angel, Cordy, Wes. And I realized while watching that I like all three, and all three actors in spite of myself?

I prefer watching this outside of a fandom superimposing its views onto me?
I can find it comforting and enjoyable on my own. Also, no longer caring who ends up with who, or romantic ships - makes the show more interesting?
I was never much into romantic relationships on television shows? I much prefer the platonic friendships - they are more interesting to watch, and less frustrating - particularly within the noir/horror genre.

2. The Diplomat S3 - this is fun. Want sparkling funny witty dialogue - this is it. Good actors. And excellent political satire. Also, even though the President in this series was responsible for an act of terrorism? I still prefer Allison Janey as President to the one we currently have. I'd rather live in the world of the Diplomat? Sad I know. But here we are. And, sigh, Rufus Sewell is hot. This show just makes me laugh. I'm not binging it this go around - I'm letting it last. Then I may rewatch from the beginning.

[I'm still watching Poker Face and Rain Maker on Peacock, just slowly.]

Off to get lunch soon, and then a massage at 3:15.

On the Buffy/Angel rewatch - I actually think what the writers did in the episodes Bachelor Party through Something Blue is rather clever? They managed to move Willow, Doyle, Buffy and Angel on from their first loves in an entertaining and convincing manner. Also from the metaphor - no longer are we doing the Beauty and the Beast metaphor, or the taming the wild beast in the man - or being abandoned by Daddy. We've moved on to the sick mother, or the dark mother imagery and providing women with greater agency in a relationship.

Tough to do, well. But they did it. I'm convinced by the end of Something Blue that both Willow and Buffy have to move on to someone else. And I've stopped shipping them with OZ (Willow) or Angel (Buffy) and have decided they are better off without them. Also done with the trope. Both OZ and Angel leave for more or less the same reason - they can't control the beast inside when they are around Willow and Buffy, so they have to leave. And they tend to weaken Willow and Buffy, and take away their agency. On the surface the relationships seemed great and really romantic, but in reality they were toxic to everyone involved. And, well didn't help either character grow or evolve. The writers had no choice but to somehow get this across - since Angel had moved onto his own series, and you can't have Angel and Buffy on separate shows and in a relationship. And well the actor playing OZ wanted to be written out. Doyle - was given a wife - to make him more appealing to Cordelia, and to parallel the character with Willow's situation. It doesn't quite work - but it does give him a back story, which was needed.

Sciatica is slightly better - but I've also not aggravated it too much this morning. At least the calves no longer hurt, and digestion is working better.

Started watching Rain Maker on Peacock, which stars in supporting roles, the actress who played the Evil Queen (in Once Upon a Time) as the bad ass lawyer that Rudy (the protagonist) ends up working for - "Bruiser", and John Slattery (Mad Men) as the head of the firm, that Rudy was fired from, and is fighting against. Slattery is inspired, since he doesn't come across as either a bully or evil, but likable - and that works actually.
And LP (who played the Evil Queen) is also cast against type, as the good guy rouge with the heart of gold lawyer. It's actually better than expected and based on John Grisham's novel of the same name. Grisham is an executive producer.

Buffy S4 and Angel S1 rewatch. Every time I watch Bachelor Party (Angel S1 ep. 6), Pangs (Buffy S4 Ep 8), I Will Always Remember You (Angel S1 Ep.7), and Something Blue (Buffy S4 Ep. 9) - I wonder the same thing - how in the bloody hell could anyone still ship Buffy and Angel together after watching those episodes? Are they metaphor blind? Blind to subtext? I felt the writers hammered me over the head with why Buffy and Angel could never work - to the point in which I wanted to say, enough already, can we please move on? I get it. But alas, I know people still shipped them, thought IWARY was terribly romantic, and basically everything about why they didn't work flew over these folks heads. My niece didn't get it. My brother didn't get it. Various online friends didn't get it. Very disconcerting. They are smart people too. Oh well. Not everyone thinks the same way.

Watched them again - curious to see if I'd change my mind. I didn't.

It's been a while since I'd seen them, and I forgot a few things? ( Read more... )

2. I managed to clean out my kitchen cabinets above the sink - so I know there are no bugs hiding in them. Also, I have too much food and don't need to go grocery shopping for a long time.

There's a lot of things I need to get rid of. And a lot of bean salads, chili, and bean soaps in my future.

Already managed to clear out the cans of tuna fish and salmon.

3. Sciatica is still plaguing me. I bought an "Aleve Topical Cream Rub" to see if that helps.

It helped a little. Couldn't walk that far, made it about ten blocks to and from the pharmacy, and gave up. Did that twice today actually. Also doing leg exercises.

Good news? The calves aren't tight any longer, and I can walk. Which means reducing the antihistmines helped, and increasing the water. Probably was caused by dehydration. Now, if I can just fix the sciatica - hopefully tomorrow's massage.

Well, the Sketchers UNO Black Sneakers finally got delivered. That was a lot of stress and bother over a pair of sneakers. I'm not ordering that again. ( Read more... )

Also I turned my mattress, and made the bed up clean this morning. The heat came on around 9, so I had to turn on some fans. But it's off now, and the apartment is a comfortable 73-76 degrees. No A/C, no heat. One small fan, and the window fan in the bedroom which I reversed the air flow to the outdoors.

Sciatica is slightly better? Still hurts when I get up, and I got to walk for a bit. I'm definitely taking up chair and bed yoga again. I'm hunting a balance disc.

***

Made a pot of chili last night - using my mother's recipe, with some tweaks and from memory. ( Read more... )

Today - Had wild albacore tuna fish, celery, chopped onions and Helman's Mayo mixed together on seeded gluten free sourdough, toasted in George Foreman grill for lunch. It was a tasty lunch.

Breakfast was fried eggs, greens, and radishes. And some apple cinnamon almond flour muffins with walnuts.

Snack - green apple dipped in dark melted chocolate and walnut butter.

***

I indulged another actor crush today - and watch Cillian Murphy's latest film - Steve - which just popped up on Netflix. ( Read more... )

(My actor crushes are: ( Read more... )

Christian Bale and Cate Blanchette are in another flick that just dropped on Netflix - "Knight of Cups" - which I found today. I thought - oh, goody, then oh damn - Netflix. Netflix has the worst interface of all the streamers. It crashes. You can't find anything on it. It's almost impossible to fast forward, pause, or rewind. It has a tendency to keep going to the next episode without telling you. And it is often unavailable - while I have no issues with Hulu or Disney + or HBO. Prime is getting wonky too.

You will have to pry my streaming channels along with my books and Apple music account out of my cold dead hands. ( Read more... )

Memage

9. Did you ever have one of those ‘magic’ painting books where you used water on the paper to bring out the colours when you were small?

I asked my mother about it. She had one. But I didn't, nor did my brother. So maybe they weren't a thing in the 1970s? She also didn't bother with coloring books, paint by numbers oils, or any of that - preferring to encourage us to draw and paint our own things, finger paint, use paints, brushes, pencils, and blank paper.

My mother was a frustrated artist and art teacher, who had horrible teachers - who told her she wasn't any good. ( rant about evil culture vultures/arbiters of taste who deserve to choke on their tongues )

10. It’s World Porridge (oatmeal) Day! Are you a fan?

I am. But I don't think it likes me all that much? ( Read more... ) I eat eggs over greens instead - easier to digest. Or coconut yogurt and nuts.

11. Do you own/use a food processor or blender?

Yes, but I rarely use it. I am single. It's huge. And I don't process much. Food digests better when I don't?

The phrase..."they shoot horses, don't they" comes to mind, it's also the title of a film about people killing themselves participating in an insane dance marathon.

To the tune of ... Bad Day by REM...[BTW - there's one too many songs with the title "Bad Day" (and quite a few are NOT to my liking - I do not like David Powters) - it took me forever to find REM's because I forgot it was REM who did the song that I actually liked. I couldn't remember the title nor the band, just that it was about a Bad Day.]

I woke up early this morning with my alarm - after a restless night of bad dreams - only to discover that my right leg just wasn't functioning. It did not want to go to work this morning. At all. [Of course - I ignored it, and dragged it to work anyhow. Because it's better to walk off sciatica then to baby it, or so I'm told. Also, I didn't want to risk getting into trouble for trying to take a sick day prior to vacation. ]

It felt like someone was sticking hot needles in it from the hip to the toes. Frigging Sciatic Nerve - probably the result of constipation/digestive issues or sleeping wrong or throwing things out of alignment...ugh. Frak, Frak, Frak.

( Fighting the Sciatic Nerve All Day )

****

I checked email - only to discover that no, Fed-EX did not deliver the shoes. They ignored my message in the door. Took a picture of it, told me that no one was there, and they required a signature. So blatantly ignored the signed form. I called them, talked to them in person at the FedEX across the street, and even did virtual chat.

( I spent the day futilely fighting with FedEx and my sciatic nerve )

During the Teams Meeting today - I was distracted by sciatic nerve, back pain, and well the Fed Ex issue. So it was hard to focus on what they were talking about. And the meeting didn't go well, or I didn't feel it did? I probably wasn't the best judge.

Outside of that? I was bored out of my mind, and I hurt. So I ate three chocolate chip cookies (one left over from the day they gave me two free ones). I'm turning into the Cookie Monster. Must stop.

Off to make dinner, and maybe lunch? And watch more television. And try not to pray for someone to put me out of my misery.

Current Mood: aggravated

I'm not allowed to buy more books. So I stared at the books at Lofty Pigeons, briefly picked up one on the art of making gluten free bread (hint, sourdough) and hobbled out again. I was dripping in sweat, since it was a hot and humid day and I'd walked three miles. So sweaty, that I could feel the booksellers giving me the side-eye (do not drip sweat on our books or touch them with sweaty fingers). That was yesterday not today.

Today - I went to work, got there way too early, and was so horribly bored, I found myself debating copyright law on Dreamwidth. (Thank you by the way for that. I may go back to it tomorrow. Note debate/discuss not argue. I'm conflict adverse not debate adverse. There is a difference. One is emotional, one is logical and analytical.) And then, unsuccessfully tried to revise my contemporary romance novel - which I'm becoming increasingly convinced doesn't quite work and requires a wee bit too much suspension of disbelief from the reader? ( Read more... )

Art History Major was back and felt the need to ~~brag~~ ~~whine~~ regale me with how busy she is. I wish people wouldn't do that. Yes, yes, we all know you are swamped and very very busy...bored now. (Actually all she does is chat in Teams meetings, or go to meetings in person, or go to training, or go chat in her boss's office - according to Breaking Bad - all AHM and her boss do is chat all day long. New agency that old agency was forcibly merged into is really into video chat and meetings. They have meetings about everything. ) So, I rarely talk to or see her. She might as well be out. We share a cubical wall, but I rarely see her outside of briefly in the morning or occasionally during the day.

Mother: does she accomplish much from these meetings?
Me: No, they never appear to.

I hate meetings - I find them to be generally speaking a colossal waste of time. Unless they are negotiations - in which case - those can be somewhat productive?

**

Allergies are beating me up this week a bit. Itchy eyes, sniffles, and a bit of chest congestion. It's fall - or end of summer - so allergy season.
COVID vaccine - didn't have any side-effects outside of the sore shoulder, unless we count the allergies, which showed up two days later, so probably not? Sore shoulder is over finally - thank god. I had to take aleve for that finally. It hurt more than it had the last time - this version of the vaccine really packs a wallop. Although I'm grateful it was just a sore shoulder.

**

Meditations - last night's and this morning's were helpful. As was the Sunday UU sermon. Or comforting at least.

Last night, I was listening to part four of a six part sleep story about a hike on the Pacific Crest Trail. ( Read more... )

The other one, this morning, was about not needing to please people all the time, or at all. And it told a fable - about a old man, a boy and a donkey.
( fable ) (Both are in the Calm meditation app.)

And in Sunday's service - I was reminded of the Leonard Cohen song, Anthem"

"Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in"

It's similar to the Native American view that all art needs to have a flaw in it, so as not to attempt to improve on nature, and remain balanced. My grandmother actually taught me the Native American view - she'd learned to bead and create beaded art, and dream catchers from watching the Hopi and Navajo in Arizona and Nevada. And deliberately put flaws in all her work - to ensure that the light got in. You know a work is genuine and not mass produced - when it has the deliberate flaw.

***

The clothing I ordered from Talbots came - or three of the four items. And they all fit and looked good, or I was pleased with them. Whew! Since they were mostly final sales items.

**

The day was sunny but hazy, and not good for allergies. But I took a long walk - first briefly through the trees and garden, then along the pier with the water brushing its sides, looping back through the tall buildings, old and new to get two chocolate chip cookies from Insomiac cookies. (Every time I go, I'm both annoyed and relieved that they only have one type of cookie that is gluten-free and it is chocolate chip.)

The picture is of a mural that is around the corner from where I work. I found it striking, so took a photo of it. NYC is a city that just vibrates with an artistic vibe. It's as if all the artists in the world decided to perch here for just a bit, to drink coffee, tea, and play, before popping off again somewhere else.

It was a lovely day, the sky bright as a robin's egg, so I took a long walk to the local art festival or Artmeggadon - which allegedly had over 400 artists participating. ( Read more... )

But I found it a bit crowded in places, and often hard to see the art, so chose not to walk any further into the fair, and zig-zagged back home taking in the scant offerings on the way. It being Brooklyn, I saw a variety of landscapes on the walk - from multi-family homes that one might well see in the wealthy suburbs of Connecticut or Mass, with their broad porches, arched roofs, and well manicured lawns - to the brick multi-storied pre-war apartment buildings, and old school shops. Upon two walls were painstakingly painted murals, telling their own stories of the people who lived here, with songs in their hearts.

As I neared my own block, I chose to snap a few photos of the sunflowers growing in wild abandon in front of stone and mortar house that dated well back to the 1950s and the pre-war apartment building next door.

Television this weekend

* Great British Baking Show - up to Episode 13

* The Newsreader on Prime - it only has season 1, and it's leaving in four days, after that you can only see it and the next season on AMC. S3 has aired in Australia but isn't available yet on streaming. It takes place in yesteryear - the yesteryear in question, 1986. And focuses on a National News/Local News broadcast station in Melbourne, Australia during 1986. It stars Sam Reid (Lestate in Interview with a Vampire), Anna Torv (Fringe), and Robert Taylor (Longmire). I finished S1. The later seasons aren't available on streaming (outside of AMC). But S1 kind of stands by itself, and wraps up neatly on its own. I didn't really need to see anything after it? It doesn't really require more episodes, although there is obviously more story there. It's a workplace serial. Also discusses homosexuality and bisexuality through a 1980s lens - which is painful at times, but accurate and informative - it's good to see how far we've come, I think.

* Call the Midwife - this is a partial re-watch continuation. I can't remember when I stopped watching the show? I think it was somewhere around S6 or S7? Since I vaguely remember the episodes I'm watching now.
But not well enough to skip ahead. It's a comforting series that takes place in the 1950s-60s in London - Great Britain. It's on Netflix, so it's just streaming from one episode to the next. I'd originally watched it on PBS several years ago.

*Angel the Series - started my re-watch. It's better than I remembered and holds up better than expected. Things I didn't realize? ( Read more... )

****

Question a Day Meme - End of September

22. Are you good at managing your time, or would you love to be better organized?

Yes. Perhaps too good - work wise. I've had to be - because of deadlines, and I get anxious. So, I don't procrastinate on big things, and get them done quickly. Also, I don't over-schedule myself.

23. Do you know how to perform the ‘Heimlich manoeuvre’?

No. I used to, ages ago. But I don't now.

24. Have you ever seen a comet in the sky?

No.

25. ‘Rotomontade’ is a bragging speech or rant. When was the last time you had a really good rant about something?

My rants tend to be more kvetching not bragging? I don't tend to brag? Bravado is not a skill of mine.

26. Have you ever been fruit-picking? What kind of fruit did you pick, and what did you do with them?

Yes. Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Blueberries as a child. We made pies with them and put them over cereal and ice cream. Also muffins and cake with the blueberries. I can't remember if we picked apples.

27. Do you know how to change a tyre/tire on a car? Have you ever had to do it?

No. And no.

28. Have you ever eaten caviar?

Yes. It's salty, but I'm not really a fan? Expensive but not worth the price or the bother.

Humid overcast day, with sunlight filtering through - and a bit on the hazy side. In the mid to upper seventies, although felt warmer due to the humidity. I put on the A/C and installed the new reverse and inverse air window fan in the bedroom - which I'm hoping will help when it gets colder and they start blasting the heat. Now, it's not an issue. ( Read more... )

Also cleaned out the chemistry experiments in the fridge - basically transferred them to the compost bin, and the plastic to the recycling bin.
Didn't do a deep clean - I hurt enough, and that would kill my back.
Had lunch, which consisted of gluten free cheddar and chive "American Southern" biscuits (think American scones but puffy?) by way of Capulla's (an Italian Gluten Free Baking company). The biscuits are excellent by the way. Can't tell they are gluten free at all. (Turns out I didn't like biscuits previously because they had gluten - and made me sick.) Added proscuitto, cheddar cheese, and some English mustard, and it was a decent lunch.

Worked it off by going to the health food stores on Courteylou. Flatbush Coop and Frontier Health Food Store. I had an unexpected and somewhat toxic interaction at Frontier with an old guy that shelves things and advises people where to find stuff (he's always in my way, and I get a really bad vibe off of him every time I see him). ( Read more... )

The whole interaction left a bad taste in my mouth and rage in my heart at old farts, Turkish restaurants, people who are desperate enough to carry guns and gun manufacturers.

**

Spoke to mother, earlier, who regaled me with the story of a snake. They have poisonous snakes in Hilton Head, SC. She's also concerned about a Tropical Storm that is barreling in her general direction, but so far they are just sheltering in place.

Apparently one of her neighbors was watering plants in her garden and got bitten by a copperhead.
( the evils of gardening and snakes )

Apparently the neighbor tried to drive herself to the emergency room, got woozy, and ambulance came to her. It had bitten her foot. They couldn't give her the anti-venom because she was on blood thinners. But they monitored her, and it was okay - since it was a more mature snake (younger ones release it all at once apparently), and it was her foot. She also got fined by security - for pulling over, even though it was an emergency. At least they didn't tow her.

***

Dinner was mixed greens, feta, black pitted kalmata olives, falafal, tahini sauce, glazed pecans, apple cider vinegar/lemon juice. With iced unsweetened black tea (and lemon juice) for beverage. And gluten free vegan chocolate chip cookie for desert. ( Read more... )

The photo was obviously not taken today but several weeks ago, I just never got around to posting it until now.

It's a beautiful day - with a clear blue sky, and in the low seventies. I'm thinking maybe Greenwood Cemetery today. Which I actually managed to do - took an hour and a half walk to, through, and from the cemetery - entering from another entrance. (I wanted to see what the houses across from the cemetery looked like - on the Windsor Terrace side of the fence, and well, not that great? Note to self - do not try to go the cemetery at night to do the night activities - unless you can get a chauffeur to take you to and from the cemetery. They have an electrical substation across the street from the Windsor Terrace entrance.) This resulted in nicely lowering my blood sugar (after the ploughman's lunch and the donut). It had gone high, now it's within range. If I'm doing carbs, try to exercise immediately afterwards. I didn't like the donut - it reminded me of a miniature bundt cake with chocolate frosting filling, except with the texture of a cake donut, and the donut taste. It was too thick and too much like cake. So far Sixteen Mills is really good at Belgian waffles and bread, not so much at muffins and donuts. Which is okay - other places can do those. Best muffins I've had - were at a place that appears to have disappeared or gone out of business? This happens a lot in the city. One never quite gets used to it.

***

Entertainment Bits

1. Watched this youtube podcast with Katee Sackhoff (Starbuck BSG, and was in Longmire, and Bo-Kataan in Mandalorian) and Tahmoh Penkikett (Helo BSG, and Ballard Dollhouse, among others). They discuss losing your confidence during your craft - that resonated with me. And how it can throw you off your game. Also how folks think your talent comes easily and you don't have to work at it - which couldn't be any more untrue.

Here's the Podcast

It's about halfway through the podcast. And then they talk about BSG filming and the audition process.

Katee Sackhoff (Starbuck from BSG) is doing podcasts with various castmates from BSG, and other science fiction serials, television shows, etc. She's done 69 in one year - which is kind of amazing actually. Most people barely get out 20. It's the new trend - former television stars doing podcasts on youtube and patreon. Everyone has one. Pick your television star. I personally like Michael Rosenbloom's the best, but we also have Will Wheaton, Katee Sackhoff (who I actually find kind of charming), Charisma Carpenter (whose voice sets my teeth on edge for some reason that I can't put my finger on - no fault of the actress, is rewatching Buffy as both Cordelia and Charisma Carpenter), Juliet Landau (is rewatching Buffy as both Juliet Landau and Drusilla)....

They've also discovered that conventions is the way to go - you can do theater, network with folks in the craft, meet up with old friends, and get paid for it. And since they can't get residuals any longer - this is the only money they get. So if you are into going to fan conventions? More power to you.

2. Finished a few television shows:

High Country - an Australian detective limited series. It only has one season. I think it probably was set up for more than one, but didn't get picked up for a second season? The detective is half-aboriginal and half-white. She is selected by the current, retiring sheriff to come up to the High Country from the City Police department in Melbourne, and take over his position. So, Addy brings up her wife and the wife's daughter to the High Country, and ends up investigating a bunch of missing persons cases.

It's good, a bit choppy in places, but I really enjoyed it. The lead played by Leah Purcell was quite good. But her wife, kind of got on my nerves, and I wanted more of her relationship with the retired sheriff, Sam and the father of her kid's boyfriend.

Wednesday S2 - Part I - which is actually better than S1, partly because they wisely bring in and focus more on Wednesday, Wednesday's family and less on her fellow students and the school. We see less of Enid, and there is less of the romantic triangle bit. Wednesday doesn't have a romance at all - the wrote out Xiaver completely. And this actually works better, because Wednesday doesn't work with a romance.

It gets better as it goes. And while Thandie Newton is underused? Her grandmother is a lovely addition. And once again Burton's style is often better than the writing, but overall - it was an entertaining binge.

*****

On the way home yesterday, I passed a sign in the subway that stated, black print on a white backing in huge letters:

friend (noun)

a person who listens to you, and often responds, and supports you.

I've been meditating on it off and on ever since.

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shadowkat

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Page Summary

Tuesday is cold but hanging in there...
Saturday...is hanging loose or trying to?
This that and Buffy S5 Rewatch...and book meme
Monday is just feeling grateful ...a few days late and a dollar short, but there you go
Saturday is accomplished despite a sinus headache
Friday forgot it was Black Friday, and did laundry instead
Monday is tired, but got through yet another doctor appointment
Sunday is hanging in there and wondering where the weekend went...
Friday is thankful it is Friday finally...and the Vertigo is gone!
Tuesday is off to bed after rambling a bit and doing a meme
Sunday is irritable from being forced to do The Time Warp Again...
Saturday breezed on by....like it always does
(no subject)
Cool brisk Thursday...slides away into night
Saturday is raining and overall dreary...so did chores
Thursday feels very whiny & just wants to be put out of its misery...
There's a crack in everything but that's how the light gets in?
Sunday wanders into an art fair....
Saturday is overcast and threatening sunshine...
Sundays are meant to be lazy...and meander around cemetaries...

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Style: Sea and Salt for Nouveau Oleanders by branchandroot
Resources: OpenClipart and Oceanside Twilight

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Page generated Dec. 24th, 2025 06:56 pm

Spontaneous Musings

from a curious soul

Entries tagged with personal

Tuesday is cold but hanging in there...

Saturday...is hanging loose or trying to?

This that and Buffy S5 Rewatch...and book meme

Monday is just feeling grateful ...a few days late and a dollar short, but there you go

Saturday is accomplished despite a sinus headache

Friday forgot it was Black Friday, and did laundry instead

Monday is tired, but got through yet another doctor appointment

Sunday is hanging in there and wondering where the weekend went...

Friday is thankful it is Friday finally...and the Vertigo is gone!

Tuesday is off to bed after rambling a bit and doing a meme

Sunday is irritable from being forced to do The Time Warp Again...

Saturday breezed on by....like it always does

(no subject)

Cool brisk Thursday...slides away into night

Saturday is raining and overall dreary...so did chores

Thursday feels very whiny & just wants to be put out of its misery...

There's a crack in everything but that's how the light gets in?

Sunday wanders into an art fair....

Saturday is overcast and threatening sunshine...

Sundays are meant to be lazy...and meander around cemetaries...

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Syndicate

Page Summary

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