Spontaneous Musings

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?

Updates...

* Sciatica - it still hurt today, but not quite as badly as yesterday, and mostly when I went down steps. Less so - up steps. But down steps was excruciating. And...well, NYC Transit and I are going to have words about their alleged accessibility endeavor. Frigging hell - there's a lot of steps.

I came home and did more stretching exercises, and was finally able to yank the right hip back into alignment, which helped (not completely - it's a cocktail and it was bothering me before that). But yes, it was partially an alignment issue. The hip no longer hurts at least. Just the back and knee.
( Read more... )

* Getting a Pair of Sneakers Delivered Shouldn't be this Difficult?

I'm reminded of why I hate FedEx or having to sign for anything. Also why I attempt to get everything sent by Amazon Prime or USPS.

Long story short - despite my best efforts, the package was not delivered. Instead they left a slip in front of my sign. Why wasn't it delivered?
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So, I'm trying again - with a new sign, a request to ring my buzzer three times, and if there are issues to call me. I'm home tomorrow. Fingers crossed that they comply.

* Omni Subway Pass

So, my "free" transit pass didn't work today - I swiped it, it didn't go through, my hand shook when it tried again, because my leg was killing me from going down the steps. Then it said "just used" and I can't use it again - for another fifteen minutes - because they don't want me giving free rides to others. As a result, I was out a ride and had to purchase one.

This is how I discovered that all you need to do to get the OMNI - is tap your credit card against the turnstile. You don't need a card. You don't need the app. You don't need a cell phone. Just a credit or debit card - tap and go, like you do at the grocery store. It will only charge you once.

If you have a credit card on your phone - you can use it.

I can't wait to get the "One Pass" - which will take the place of the annoying transit pass that I currently have - and I can tap it, as opposed to swiping, and also use it to swipe in and out of work.

Gotta love technology. I remember when we had tokens, and they were heavy and took up space in my wallet. I even had a separate change purse for them.

* Jury Duty

They found me. I need to move again. ( Read more... )

It's just the questionnaire. I have 10 days to answer the questions and send them in - either by postage or online or phone. I'm in no hurry. It's not a summons as of yet.

* Breaking Bad and I discuss everything but work

Found out Breaking Bad's family is from Bretagne or Brittany quite by accident today. (I thought he was Italian). He's French/Italian. I got him beat - I'm French Belgium, German, Eastern European, Swedish, Irish, Scottish, English, Welsh, and Spanish (according to Ancestry.com, so...whether that's reliable or not is another discussion. Oh - as an aside, I'm apparently "distantly" related to a famous person - 10th cousin. Who is it? Dwight D. Eisenhower, of all people. Sigh. We were also for a bit distantly related to Prime Minister Lloyd George, but somehow that got debunked. Now it's Dwight D. Eisenhower, so we kind of graduated from an obscure British Prime Minister to a WWII General and President of the US. My grandparents would be impressed, so would my father, if he were still alive. I keep forgetting to tell my mother about it and I forgot to tell Breaking Bad, which shows how impressed I am about it?)

We were talking about languages. (Neither one of us are linguists or good at languages or we'd be doing anything else.) ( Read more... )

*****

I'm currently flirting with Quadaphrenia - a Rock Ballet at NY City Center. Prices are between $185-$45. It's ballet - so you kind of need good seats, or it's not worth the bother. Still cheaper than Broadway though.
I love ballet and dance. I took ballet as a kid and in college. I sucked at it. I can't do anything choreographed to save my life. But I have to admit I stuck with Ballet longer than most. So, I understand it. It makes sense to me. I speak its language. Also I get wanting to move to music.

Also, it's to Pete Townsend's Quadaphrenia...so wicked cool.

I kind of missed the window for David Byrne and Hugh Jackman at Radio City Music Hall. Which is okay.

1. Vaccines

Got the COVID vaccine after work. The New York Governor made it possible for everyone between the ages of 6-110 to take it for an expandable 30 day period, under an emergency order.

I scheduled it while at work for around 4:40pm, and ended up getting there early - so go it around 4:30pm. I got it today, in case there are any major side-effects. That way I have the weekend to get past them, not that I've ever had any outside of a sore arm. ( Read more... )

No, I didn't get either the Flu shot or the Shingles at the same time. My primary care begged me not to. I'm immune-compromised, so it's not a good idea. I tried to tell her that everybody else that I know of - has, but she was adamant. I could, I suppose, ignore her and do it anyhow - but I was afraid to - best not to take an unnecessary risk.

2. Take a photo of any book with your phone and have it instantly read to you - I keep seeing this weird app advertised on Facebook, in which you can take a photo of literally any book in a library or book store and automatically have it read to you.

Speechify reads books to you

Of course it does it in a monotone - but you can pick any number of digitized voices to do it.

I don't have any issues with having books read to me - my issue is that someone can willy nilly go to a book store or library, scan the book, and have it read to them for free? I don't know, that kind of screams copyright infringement? It's one thing if the writer is getting paid a royalty from the service...but what if they aren't?

3. Traveling Water Color Kit Another thing advertised on FB and Instragram that I'm resisting the urge to purchase: Tobios Travel Watercolor Kit, whomever is marketing this is doing an excellent job. I keep reminding myself - that this is not how I like to paint. I like to do it alone. In my apartment. With a large canvas. And room. Not in miniature. I have shaking hands, and no fine motor coordination - so can't do the miniature work well. I'm not a miniaturist, I tend to work better large? Big woman. Big hands. Big canvas.

But it is lovely for someone who wants a small traveling kit to wander about doing small stuff with?

Don't get it from Amazon - which apparently is selling knock-offs.

4. Shopping Went online shopping - via Talbots and Amazon - and picked up a few things on sale, including pjs, and a shawl.

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As an aside? For the most part, I hate or dread shopping. But I did find it weirdly comforting doing it online this week. I prefer online than in-store shopping. Sales clerks and other shoppers and the dressing rooms, plus hunting stuff makes me edgy.

I like it displayed. I have no patience for hunting through the racks. I'm not a good bargain shopper. My mother isn't a shopper. The appeal of hunting for things in stores is kind of lost on us? But hunting for things online shopping is fun - even if it's a bit like playing Russian roulette? Since I suck at returning things, and some places don't let you.

Debating buying a pair of Uno Black Sneakers from Amazon. I don't really need them. I have enough shoes. But does one ever really have enough shoes? Ponders.

5. Buffy Revival or Continuation (Because it's not a reboot! Got it?) I keep stumbling upon online fights over whether it's a reboot or a continuation or a revival...which is kind of amusing. Welcome to the Internet - where people fight over semantics incessantly.

Anyhow, the latest: Gellar Reveals more about Buffy's Comeback and Insists its not a Reboot (But it's a lot easier to call it a reboot.)

"In a new interview with Entertainment Tonight, Sarah Michelle Gellar was asked about the Buffy reboot which is under no circumstances to be called a reboot. “There’s so little I can say about what we just shot,” Sarah explains. “I will say that it’s not a reboot. It’s a continuation of a world - the world of Buffy, if that makes sense. It’s picking up 25 years later in a world of Buffy. It’s equal parts incredibly thrilling but also it’s very nerve-wracking. People have been asking for this for so many years but everyone also has an opinion on how it should be done."
( Read more... )

[From what I've read - I don't think much of the original cast will return, outside of maybe one or two, and as either special guest stars or brief cameos...I think it's mainly a continuation of the world, with Gellar more in a Giles' role. The shift is the mentor/watcher will be Buffy herself. Which is also why - I don't think it will do that well or get picked up past one season? Because the fandom fell in love with the characters NOT the world? Joss sucked at world building. Star Trek, it's not. Also what was captivating was the dialogue and banter, the one liners, and the humor - also, sigh, the supporting characters. A good portion of the fandom did not watch for Buffy - they watched for everyone else. I know I did. Buffy did pull me in - but not Gellar, it was the writing, direction, and how Gellar played Buffy against and with the other characters. I've not liked her in anything else. And I didn't like books like Fray which were playing with the world - but didn't have the television characters in it. But hey, I could be VERY wrong about this? Just because it doesn't seem appealing to me...doesn't mean it isn't to other people?]