Wednesday, December 8, 2021

Yule Love It

I think it's time for me to enter into the xmas spirit. Oldest will be home on Saturday night and I'd like to have some lights up at least by then. I suspect I may do a 'time to fake it til you make it' xmas post most years but I can't be arsed to look at the archives right now. I got back from my October friend reunion trip with ideas about sending Thanksgiving cards to those beloved individuals and others. Ha. Somehow it's the second week of December. 

Spirit has been fairly lacking but today I had a moment while donating blood of enjoying the xmas pop music (all songs from my youth or before). Somehow I had never noticed that our friend James Taylor recorded a Christmas album, 2004. Smooth and warm. I'll bet they offer it as a PBS fundraiser treat. Lou Rawls can join this relaxed jazzy mood too!

We have no snow but got a few bitter cold nights and days this week. Going back up to 50s and 60s for the weekend. We'll be driving to Austin around the 23rd and back on the 27th if the roads stay clear.    

Here's our tree with beautiful Zing last year:

christmas tree with long haired cat in front

I've been lighting candles and thinking of her. 

Wednesday, November 17, 2021

Paying Heed

aka My Turn to Yell at a Cloud 


This kottke.org item made me think about moments when I have noticed cultural changes. Usually things change slowly over time but occasionally I've noticed being on the lintel between the past and future. For the most part, I am feeling contemplative about these, not grieving but observing these markers of the passage of time.

Gas price going above $1.00 per gallon. I was a teenager in 1980s New Mexico and noticed when this happened. I heard about gas prices in the news and knew that prices generally go up over time, not down. So I wondered if I'd ever see them go back down under that line. Nope.

The use of thin plastic bags at the grocery story. I remember hating the sound of these bags rustling. I was annoyed by them and wished they would disappear. They have not. I still love using brown paper bags and making crafts out of them. Most of the time I use reusable bags at the grocery store. I use produce bags for veggies in the crisper drawer and I use plastic bags to line wastebaskets. Oh and to dispose of pet excrement. I acknowledge the usefulness of thin plastic bags while still wishing they would disappear. 

The end of daily local newspapers. I realized years ago that I was outliving newspapers and it upset me. This is driven by the collapse of print advertising in favor of the intrusive chaos of online advertising. I'm still trying to figure out how to have a full life without a pile of old newspapers ready to use. I have a bag hanging in the garage of old papers for firestarting, etc. I pay for a subscription to the local newspaper on Sundays only, mostly for the reprinted nytimes crossword. I plan to quit that by the end of the calendar year. There is an upstart online local news source that I'd like to support instead.

Office paper goods. Stickling with paper for a moment, I started working in office jobs (reception, admin asst, etc.) while 'secretary' was in the process of being retired as a job title. I did temp jobs and a string of permanent positions in a variety of offices starting in the late 1980s. My current job is an IT faculty support position but it's in the same office where I did reception work for six years. The drawers and cabinets still have a few remnants of vintage office supplies. But we have gotten rid of all the carbon paper, paper checkout slips, and ink stamps that were still around when I started. A friend's first job on campus was driving punch cards from office to office. She shared a stack of the cards she keeps as a souvenir.

The end of 'nude' pantyhose. I'm cheating here, I didn't notice the moment but I am glad that my daughters aren't expected to wear stockings as an inevitable part of wearing a skirt or dress. I can conjure the sweaty feeling of pantyhose and the way it always cut into my waist. Every once in a while, I see a pale person with bare legs who is clearly cold and might actually benefit from some leg covering. 

'Hey FirstName' email salutation. I have a coworker who starts most of her emails with this. I don't like it but I know it's a language shift rather than rudeness. It feels too casually intimate to me so I tell my grown children not to use it with their instructors. Even 'Hi FirstName' still seems better to me. I suppose most of their instructors will be younger than I am and my kids will end up sounding stilted if they follow my advice. 

 

 

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

Less desirable funk

Fri 11/05 Guh. I interacted with an unhappy client today. He's unpleasant and doesn't want to work with me. I feel the same. I have attempted to palm him off on my supervisor, hopefully that will be adequate for all concerned. I am trying to get over feeling small and defeated. Updated: It took until after lunch but I came out of the funk. Palming off seems to have accomplished my goal.  

My oldest child has asked me to mail her newspaper crossword puzzles. I am delighted by this request, I'm going to try and get a few sent off to her today. Oldest is turning 20 on the 23rd of this month. A score of years! a fifth of a century! I'm going to claim her as an achievement even though I didn't whittle her from a block of stuff, she was more the leaping out, fully formed, sort. It's good to be fellow travelers with her on this slice of temporal reality.

Maybe she needs a full spectrum light while she's living in the lake effect zone. My youngest child hasn't asked for anything lately and that concerns me. Update: it's tech week for the high school musical and I was able to give her cash for food. L is doing sound/mics for this show and also working hours at the city Arts Center. After the h.s. show wraps she'll have rehearsals and perfs of the Kansas Nutcracker.  

We'll be figuring out our xmas travel plans this week. MIL wants to see us and we need to decide if we go to Austin or host her here. I ordered and received some cute toys for xmas for my nuclear family members. Spouse may be set. I want to find more small things for both girls. And Oldest is still a puzzle. 


Friday, October 29, 2021

Change in the weather

Fall 

Lots of beautiful leaf color and new autumn-y conditions are prevailing. Highs in the 40s to start next week. And we just got through with a couple of days of gray chill and cold rain. As it clears out today it's sunny with gusts of wind. I just noticed that the orange flowers that were in our wildflower planter last Saturday are gone. I wonder if some nasty child picked them or if nature has taken her course. 

Opt Out 

I'm not feeling Hweeny this year. I haven't carved a pumpkin or bought any candy. I think I'll turn the porch lights out and skip trick or treating. Maybe we'll go see Dune.  

Kid Plans 

Haven't heard from Laserbeam yet if she will be home for t'giving. Sunbeam is busy all of a sudden. After volunteering for the latest outdoor show, she was hired to do sound tech for the city arts center. That took some effort and lots of time - she applied in August and has been keeping in communication with them since. She's also doing sound for a high school theatre production with November performance dates. Her calendar is suddenly full which I think is probably a good thing. (The h.s. show is All Shook Up, a musical build around Elvis songs, and you could not pay me to attend.) She did sound for her first arts center event last night - benefit auction for the Humane Society with a real auctioneer. 

Futuring

Sunbeam has also decided she wants to apply for college. The common app deadline is Halloween so it'll be an interesting weekend. Maybe it's best not to spend too much time worrying over the essay, just bang one out. Several of her choices have 11/15 deadlines which gives a touch more breathing room. I'm not sure a 4 year liberal arts college is the right thing (executive function challenges, dislike of writing) but seeing what's out there is good. I think the process will have good results no matter what the outcome.     

Shiver

I haven't thought of this song in a dog's age. The catchiest tune about seasonable depression ever. Her alto still gets to me, I love it. 




Tuesday, October 19, 2021

There and Back Again

The Big Hug

The big gathering of the Zoom friends has occurred. We feasted, toasted, danced, lolled, hiked, and were awed together. It was amazing that it happened. Our host made sure everyone was comfy. I got to see a part of the country I've never been to before (central Oregon and Washington, Crater Lake, Columbia Gorge, Portland). The weather was beautiful - no smoke, how is that possible?! I'm so freaking grateful!

Artefacts

Thrifting in Yakima, I found a basket for my mom's birthday and a little needlepoint turquoise pin/pendant to go in it! Here's a good image of a similar Norwegian sending basket. I am still looking for some history on this form. I haven't tried translating the painting on the rim yet. 

Non

Perhaps you'd like some reading or a resource to share on nonbinary gender identities. This British person has you covered: What Does That Mean - A Guide to Nonbinary Identities by Fay Roberts. I consider myself supportive to the gender noncomforming among us and I found it a useful read. It's helpful to review since much of this stuff is new and takes practice. 

Morning Inspiration

This is a fun read about the author's sampling of various self-help morning routine recommendations. I love that she found something she can take away. And we're all relieved that it's not the early morning cider vinegar dose. More of EB in the Grauniad.  

Close and Far

Presbyopia is the stiffening of the lens in the eye during middle age. Focusing gets harder and the eye is stuck usually in far vision. It's why most of us eventually need reading glasses. More here. I've just received some wp glasses in the mail and it is such a relief to have a new pair that aren't held together with wire. Now I have: dedicated close glasses which I keep at work, dedicated far glasses for most of daily life, the wonky wired pair which are progressive, and two pairs of prescription sunglasses. In the future I look forward to getting some infinity distance glasses for landscape and star viewing. Some day I'll have a glasses cabinet. 


Thursday, September 30, 2021

Good things

Chipping at it

I'm upping my jogging frequency. I'm trying not to get over-ambitious but to keep working at it. No dramatic changes but I'm sleeping okay and certainly think it's good for me. Still plenty of sunflowers along the wetlands path. The starlings have moved on or changed their schedule, I'm not seeing the murmurations at sunset anymore. I was happy to see migrating seagulls yesterday, circling lower than expected. I'm used to seeing them very high in the sky. I see a family with three generations regularly and have gotten fond of them. I need a pair of daily distance glasses for jogging and everything else. My wired together pair works for mooching around the house but exercising with them is pesky.

Steam it up

Dear friends have recommended KJ Charles books and I'm going through the Will Darling Adventures now. M/M Romance! plus smart story. Good to see there are more like Cat Sebastian out there. I think I'll go get that third book right after work today. I'm looking at The StoryGraph as a goodreads alternative. I've copied my books over and we'll see if I can make the change. 
  

Make it quick

Here's a weekday dinner recipe we loved this week: BudgetBytes's Chipotle Lime Chicken and Rice. But make it even easier: use ground turkey instead of chicken breast. While prepping I found a forgotten bag of lemons and limes in the fridge. The lemons were fine but there were grievous lime losses. Luckily there was one good one left to use. I've been less than inspired to cook lately so it's nice to find a fast and tasty option. The temps dipped and then got hot again so the oven doesn't appeal. And for some reason that has me wandering away from the whole business.    

Another winning recent dinner was Smitten's Black Bean Chicken Chili. It's mostly a pot of beans with some chicken in. I have a history of cooking dried beans and being disappointed that they are still crunchy. I did the quick boil method to start so I could be sure that they would get done. Happy with it. I think more things could be added to flavor: bell pepper, bay leaf, jalapeno. Or just plop a spoonful of salsa in the finished product like I did.   

Make it dance-y

Our h.s. reunion trip is a week away now and excitement is building. Our sweet host is making a disco night playlist and asked everyone for five fave dance songs. I had a good time throwing mine together. I hear there will be a disco ball and everything...



Friday, September 24, 2021

Purple news

Mmm, purply

Still enjoying the randomly purple streetlights around town. Local news story link. Eventually they'll get these defective light fixtures replaced. But until then we'll get to see the Princely pools of light here and there.  


Plague latest

Got news yesterday that the campus Covid transmission rates are lower than the surrounding county rates. I find that reassuring. As far as I know, I don't know any colleagues who've gotten sick at work. I have pretty much lost my sense of pandemic dread. Being back at work in person is better for me in a bunch of ways than working from home.

I wish the high school could require vaccination but they can't so, as at my workplace, they're relying on masks. Daughter is concerned about choir where they sing through masks and I don't know how to gauge that risk. I hope we can collectively get through this winter without lots of cases.  

So happy to hear that my nephew regained his sense of taste and smell recently after having had Covid in early spring. My brother says that all three of my U.S. nephews are fully vaccinated now which was a nice surprise. The ex-sis-in-law is an anti-vax so there was influence in the other direction. 

Tripping

We're going to send our h.s. senior on a euro trip next March. This is a group trip that's being organized by a German teacher at a nearby school. 

Flowering

I have decided to plant some of the milkweed by our mailbox. It gets full sunlight and is hard to mow around. I hope it will come up in the spring and then I can mulch around it. Some of the milkweed pods I'm going to put in the freezer and plant next spring in case that's more effective. The marigolds continue to bring the joy. I am going to look up how to string a garland.  

Pudsey

Yesterday I learned of the existence of someone referred to as Bishop Pudsey although they also had the name Hugh de Puiset. He was born around 1125, was possibly related to Charlemagne and has fame as a strong-armed bishop in the north of England. "The most princely of all the Prince Bishops of Durham." His role as bishop lasted an impressive 42 years, 1156-1198. He built at least one bridge and some buildings and paid for a regional inventory called the Boldon Buke. He was advised by a hermit named St. Godric of Finchale. It was a well upholstered rabbit hole to fall into. 



Wednesday, September 15, 2021

Ambulation

I want to walk above the white cliffs in summer. Photos and description of the long walk at this Diamond Geezer post. From that post:


Jogging has happened over the past month. It's not as often as I aimed for but I am tracking my dates so I can see the pattern. I'm doing a few minutes of jogging, a couple minutes of walking and repeat for 30 minutes or so. At the end of this week I get to lengthen the jog sections again. I'm aiming to get to a 25 minute jog with warm up/down walking on either end. I did not feel like going yesterday evening but I really wanted to have gone and there was only one way to get there. Current temps are not as cool as I'd like but firmly in the temperate range so now is my time. When I go at sundown there are usually starling murmurations with groups that join and separate over the wetlands. Currently there are tall sunflowers by the path. I often think I should have a bag to pick up trash but it's a different goal. 

I have lost most of my interest in mowing the grass. I only got the front mowed a week ago, never got to the back. Maybe I can get them both done this coming weekend. Big black butterflies have been visiting the marigolds in the front. And I saw stripey caterpillars munching on the rue yesterday. <fist pump> I have milk weed pods from Nod's cousin in Missouri. I guess I'll freeze them over the winter and plant the seeds out next spring. Nod harvested the big daddy orange tomato and it is in the center of our kitchen counter, beaming, right now. He announced that he's going to move that planter box north on our lawn by a foot or two before next growing season. To get more sun. His cherry toms have been big winners this year.  

I see rain in the future forecast for Oregon and I hope the rainy season is begun for that part of the world. Both for myself - my trip in October to central Washington state - and for the general relief in that area. That's enough fire for now. There, there.  


Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Recommendations

I highly recommend this puzzle. It is large and reminds me of my love for EG. We finished it this week. 


Professor T on PBS has a certain Gorey tinge to it. My mother said, "This show is British and weird and it makes sense that you like it." I know EG was American but he seems comfortable next to British murder fiction. 

There are wonderful clouds floating around northeast Kansas today.   

This is a perfectly good recipe for a one-pot farfalle (bowties) pasta meal. May they be forgiven for blaspheming the name lasagna. I alter it of course. I make it with veggies instead of sausage and omit the ricotta. I use real garlic instead of garlic powder. The last time I made it I chopped up a small eggplant, a large zucchini, half a red bell pepper, and half a large onion. Any of those amounts may vary and sometimes I add mushrooms. For me the pasta takes the max time or even a few minutes more to get done. Stir vigorously half way through.     


 

Monday, August 2, 2021

ventrilosurprise


I remembered an artist who painted NM mesas, mountains and clouds as flattened pastel shapes in the 1980s. The name was something short and male like Mike Post. I was going to grill my h.s. friends in October about this but I have stumbled upon the answer: Doug West. He created a lot of work in the 80s and his posters were everywhere in northern NM. The color in the paintings is more vivid than I remembered. I think I was remembering sun-faded posters. If I had stupid money I'd buy this print now: La Tetilla Peak. Or maybe this one Afterglow. Or Cielo, or Heaven's Way. Clearly I needed to look at his art now.

A typo that deserves a special award is on this page:

This location is just behind Daiquiri, New Mexico, home of O'Keefe.

Nope! there is no Daiquiri, NM. I'm guessing that's auto-correct's reaction to Abiquiu.

 

Why can I not edit the blog list on the side of the page? That's new.


This story is high quality:


Also saving this tumblr link: Iceblink that reposted it.  



Thursday, July 29, 2021

Scraaaawp

So far it's been a three feather day. I didn't pick any of them up, just admired them on the ground. I walk/jogged this morning first thing. 

Got a blood draw and cholesterol test for health insurance discount this morning. Even though I fasted, #s are not good. I am so sad and feeling decrepit about it. I know they're just numbers and it's more important that I survived stupid quarantine times so far. And still - my body is working less well and here's the proof. 

Youngest went to the county fair last night. It was hot and her friend convinced her to go by saying they could go look at all the quilts in the air conditioned hall. I have fond memories of looking at the table setting competition, the entomology displays and the woodworking. 

I'm wearing a mask now in the office. Which makes it less fun. Ah well. Quarreled with Nod last night about having a friend over. He's saying he can't go back to not seeing friends and I am ready to close up shop and withdraw. I am feeling so small right now. Maybe it'll be nice to see her.   

---------------

4 feathers!

I wept and felt poorly about my physical architecture for a while. I felt more philosophical by the end of the day. In general I am very pleased with myself and it was upsetting to have that fall away for a while. 

Talked through my feelings about our current risk assessment with Nod and youngest yesterday after work. I'm thinking about the risk of transmitting Delta and our status as vaxed ppl with vaxxed friends. We are not spending time with anyone with kids under 12. We're all connected, of course, and every errand and conversation with another human increases risk. 

We ended up having two friends over last night, one masked, and played Catan indoors where the air conditioning lives. It was really fun. May the Infinite have mercy on our souls. 

 




Monday, July 19, 2021

Summer is a thing

  With feathers on? ...is a-rollin' on? I had a moment last week when I realized that summer was moving and not going to be here much longer. Then I went skinny dipping and that was an effective response.

  Finished Three Women and found it interesting but not as insightful as I expected. Also, as JL pointed out - why nobody who had actual agency and contentment in their sexuality? They exist. I'm glad it meant something to K but I would not recommend. Onward with Just Mercy which started strong. The Danish highly recommends the movie. After JM I get to transition to some lighter summer reading. I think I need to get ahold of some McQuiston. Just checked the library and all versions of Red, White and Royal Blue are on hold for many people. Might have to buy that one.    

  This is week three of being in the office. Working on campus is good in many ways:

  • I'm out of the house.
  • I take more steps every day. 
  • I see people in person.
  • I see more sunlight, plants and animals.

  I will miss being able to take care of some dumb housework things during my workday. I know that the few coworkers who are in the office with me are vaccinated. But I wonder if we will have a Covid surge on campus after the start of the semester and have to go back to working from home. 

  I am appalled at the illness and deaths of unvaxed folks, particularly here, near the rube center of the country. I was telling Nod that I'm thinking that the U.S. has made healthcare a consumer good. To such a degree that many people maybe don't think of doctors/hospitals as providing expertise and care but rather as sellers. And why wouldn't you be instinctively skeptical about what they sell? Not sure this explains everything but it could be a piece. Will U.S. healthcare be improved in my lifetime? I can imagine so but I can also imagine it getting worse.   

  L had friends over for a fire and cookout last night. We went to bed before they were done carousing but they were quiet and considerate. Nod observed that her gang are quirky nerds and we love them.  



Thursday, July 8, 2021

In the flesh

The first week of being back in the office is underway. I'm still excited to see people. I'm glad to be at my desk which is a better height than my home desk. Paying for parking at work makes me feel like such a sucker. I paid for the academic year starting in August but I can't make myself do it for the rest of July. Next Monday through the 30th I'll be parking on the street like a student/peasant. Should be okay if campus stays as sleepy as it is right now.

I sewed 'back to campus' badges for my friends but I haven't given any out yet. The computer center is lightly attended this week. Our team lead left cookies for us and my daughter baked lemon cake so I've had a lot of sweets this week. I'm working on adding some vegetables to the mix. I broiled eggplants last night and made baba ghanoush. It remains one of my favorite things. 

I have spent time getting worked up about Delta. Then I remember that I'm vaccinated and that the vaccines are doing good work and I relax again. 

I have plane tickets and a plan to see my old friends in October. Glee! We're planning a salon/talent show and I've been having fun thinking about this. I may need props. 

I hope the entire west coast isn't on fire at that time. I think every news story from here on out should include reference to the climate emergency. Ignoring it is lying by omission. 

I'm reading two non fiction books at once which feels a little dry despite the good topics and decent writing. I may try reading alternate chapters in each in order to keep my momentum going. They interest me in different ways. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson about death row advocacy work and the racism baked into the US justice system. Three Women by Taddeo which is about how three individuals feel about their sex lives and agency in general. 

  

Friday, June 4, 2021

Socca!

Niçoise street food
With me it's usually books or food. Food's turn - I have finally discovered Socca! I bought some chickpea (gram) flour a couple of years ago after reading a recipe I have since forgotten. But yesterday's hungry recipe reading finally found a most excellent use for it. I did not use the broiler because we are FINALLY starting to warm up around here. Added a pinch each of cumin, chile powder and black pepper. I cooked it in a preheated iron pan for 5 or 6 minutes on a side. I made salted yogurt to go with (plain yogurt, feta cheese, salt, minced mint leaves). Such a tasty mediterranean appetizer/snack! 

The sha-rieking of the gays
Happy Pride! The Las Culturistas podcast continues to make me happy and is the most gay thing I know. Last week they re-posted a past episode with Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp and it is a wonderful way to feel some pride if you love hyper cackling gay men as much as I do. I found an earlier pod ep with them and liked it as well even though I don't speak Drag Race fluently. I may even try Jackson's novel, The Astonishing Life of August March

Dutiful
Both of my book groups are discussing books I would never have chosen this month. Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises for one and Hinojosa's Once I Was You memoir for the other. I'm skimming the memoir. Haven't decided if I'm going to try the EH or not. I was thinking I had read it in h.s. but that was For Whom The Bell Tolls. While I was messing around I read his short story "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" and enjoyed its decided shortness.   



Wednesday, May 12, 2021

Hunger For Books

This is an important list: Queernorm Worlds: 37 Fantasy Books with No Homophobia. I can already vouch for many on the list and look forward to reading more!!

I have shared Cat Sebastian's writing with two good friends who are both appreciating her smart, sweet, historical and wonderfully smutty romance novels. I am full of smug satisfaction at these successful recommendations.

I'm having a hard time settling down to read my next two book group books (Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises and Once I Was You by Hinojosa). So I am allowing myself to start the fun books first. I'll do the dutiful reading closer to our meeting times. I'm in the middle of the latest Jeeves book. This Bertie is a bit too smart but he'll do as the whole confection hits all the right notes. 

Friday, May 7, 2021

Peering out

Coming late to the party here, but wow - Miriam Makeba! 

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

Emergence

 Last spring I watched eagerly to see what would bloom in our new yard. There were some leaves that came up by the mailbox that looked like daffodils but no buds or flowers came along, just the green. I concluded that we didn't have any functioning bulbs. But! this year I was happy to be surprised by one crocus and a few lovely daffodils in the front yard. Share my joy. 


In the backyard we are mostly overrun by wild garlic. But the redbud trees have buds and everything is greening a little more every day, all around.  

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Urgent Redirect

 You better read Mrs. Kennedy now. If you can resist reading parts of that post aloud, you are a stronger man than I. Picking pot strains compared to selecting mutual funds, oh yes. 

Monday, February 22, 2021

Exhale

It is the end of the winter. It is a hard ugly time of year when things are going well or at least monotonously. Right now I am consciously thinking through resources, things that nourish and support me. Gather all your supplies and lets get through this. 

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Frozen rocks

And now the midwest is going through a cold snap with temps firmly below freezing. Locally we'll have lows below zero starting tomorrow night. 

Tuesday, February 2, 2021

Small rocks

It's winter and I feel like a beachcomber on a rock beach of gray and meager appearance. I have a few small rocks to show you.

Friday, January 22, 2021

Better now

It was hard to be online much the week before the inauguration. I was happy to be busy at work, to cut down my twitter reading. My employer university is having a few dozen classes in an additional online teaching environment in the coming semester. Instructors (and staff!) have only had a couple of weeks to prepare to use this environment for the spring semester. Plenty to occupy the mind there. 

I had a reminder set to look for a new book by Emily Nagoski. She wrote Come As You Are:  The Surprising New Science of Women's Sexual Wellbeing. It gives a new angle on women's sexual desire and satisfaction, highly recommended by one of my friends. I see that the new book is checked out in all of its versions from my library and there are multiple holds on it. The title is Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle. She's got good timing, this author.

I am breathing easier and noticing my shoulders floating at a more neutral level now that the new administration has begun. I had fears of bad events on the day. I was busy not counting chickens until the hatching had been achieved. Apparently the planners agreed and that explains the military presence and lack of crowd. I will accept that price. I recommend Gaga's anthem and the poem. I still haven't watched Joe's swearing in, I'll do that soon.    

Important Metafilter list of people's favorite podcast eps. I loooooved the ones about the 'accidental' gay parents. I hope they are not suffering from internet fame at the moment and have a long creative lives.  

Daughter number 1 is toiling in her dorm room. She has mostly online classes, just a couple of socially distanced IRL study type gatherings. I hope it is a good adventure for her. She is making her way. 

Daughter number 2 finished her first semester finals earlier this week. I nagged and she worked over the winter break. I haven't checked to see if any of this has pulled her Calc and Physx grades up yet. That would be nice. We talked to her about being evaluated for ADHD in December and that is the plan. Haven't got an answer from the doctor's office yet. I think L will grow out of a lot of stuff over the next four or five years. But in the meantime we want to be sure she's got all the tools she needs to make her life.