1840's Petticoat
Dec. 5th, 2025 09:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
atherleisureI finished the organdy petticoat I was making. It's completely plain. The other one has tucks, but I decided I wanted a plain one too. Now the rest of the organdy is available for anything I want to use it for; I don't have to reserve any for the petticoat. Not that I have plans for it right now, but it's another project off my list that has been there for awhile (since 2019).
It was made as a copy of the first one I made, excepting the tucks, and that one was made following the instructions from Elizabeth Stewart Clark's The Dressmaker's Guide: 1840-1865. I call them 1840's petticoats, but I think they're really appropriate from the 1830's through the mid-1850's.
It was made as a copy of the first one I made, excepting the tucks, and that one was made following the instructions from Elizabeth Stewart Clark's The Dressmaker's Guide: 1840-1865. I call them 1840's petticoats, but I think they're really appropriate from the 1830's through the mid-1850's.
AI kefluffle at work
Dec. 5th, 2025 12:31 pmbrickhousewenchI am so pissed off at one of our Documentation Managers right now.
She is a bit of a contrarian. She’s admitted that when someone says something, her first instinct is to jump in and argue for the opposite side. And sometimes that makes her especially annoying.
One of my European coworkers, who is also someone that I have trouble understanding, posted a blog post today. Now, some back story, when I say that I have trouble understanding her, it’s because even after three years, I barely know her. She misses most of our team meetings, because they fall right when she has to pick up her kids from school. OK, no problem. But we were actually on the same team for a bit, and she also missed a lot of those meetings. I finally wondered why I felt like I knew so little about her when we both work on database products and should be in a lot of the same Slack channels, yet I never see her posting. I went in to Slack and searched for all posts from her and it turns out that she only posts about once a week. And this goes back for months and months. So she’s a complete enigma to me, even though we’ve worked together for three years.
Back to coworker's blog post. She’s extolling the wonders of using an AI agent and how you can train it to think like you.
A documentation agent doesn’t wait for you to tell it what to do next. It’s not just “AI that writes with you.” It’s a system - a programmable version of your own brain - that already knows your process, your standards, your templates, your preferred IA patterns, and so on.
An agent in this sense is your AI twin, a codified version of your judgment, your craft, and your workflow, embedded directly in your repo, ready to activate any time a new feature, product area, or urgent request lands on your plate.
We’ve moved beyond the era of prompt engineering to the era of building AI systems - and for technical writers, that means creating your own documentation agent; a personalized AI twin that reflects how you think, how you structure information, and how you write.
She talks in very vague terms about training an AI, but gives no specific examples. So I asked in the Slack thread where she posted for some tips, or examples, or if I could see her copy of her “personal agent” file.
And I was told to just try it for myself.
Um, the reason why I’m asking is because it’s not clear how to do this myself! How is a Large Language Model supposed to know anything about how I learn, my 20+ years experience as a technical writer, or my personal workflows?
There was some back and forth conversation (thankfully a few other people seemed to be just as baffled as I was) and I finally posted
Other coworker: ”I honestly feel like [coworker’s] blog is further down the journey than I currently am, which is ok.”
Me: Same. I feel like sometimes when we're sharing info someone assumes that everyone else understands the skills they're using, when some of us haven't even been exposed to them yet. For example, how to get info into an AI chat. I can save things off the web that I want to dump into AI, it's easy to download Google Docs, but how are people getting things out of Slack and into VSCode or Cursor? Is it as simple as copy/paste into a file, ugly as that may be? Or is there some elegant trick that I just haven't learned yet? Same with issues, I haven't had a chance to play with issues yet. Do you have to download/save the issue, or can you just say "read issue 12345 and suggest how to resolve it"?
Manager: we've figured this stuff out by trying and experimenting though, not being taught by anyone... like just try stuff and see what works, then what works better
Me: How does refusing to tell me what you've learned help me here? How is it efficient for all of us we have to learn the same thing 20 separate times? This is the first week in a very long time that I've had time to play with AI, and I've gotten a lot done. But I haven't had time to try everything that I've wanted to. Saying "Just try it" doesn't find me time to do it.
Manager: because the most important learning is the journey not the result with AI
Which is utter bullshit, because we’re being pressured to produce results.
I've spent the past week experimenting with AI because it's Hackathon week, and that's what the docs team was working on. But I haven't had time to try everything because there's only so much time in a day.
She is a bit of a contrarian. She’s admitted that when someone says something, her first instinct is to jump in and argue for the opposite side. And sometimes that makes her especially annoying.
One of my European coworkers, who is also someone that I have trouble understanding, posted a blog post today. Now, some back story, when I say that I have trouble understanding her, it’s because even after three years, I barely know her. She misses most of our team meetings, because they fall right when she has to pick up her kids from school. OK, no problem. But we were actually on the same team for a bit, and she also missed a lot of those meetings. I finally wondered why I felt like I knew so little about her when we both work on database products and should be in a lot of the same Slack channels, yet I never see her posting. I went in to Slack and searched for all posts from her and it turns out that she only posts about once a week. And this goes back for months and months. So she’s a complete enigma to me, even though we’ve worked together for three years.
Back to coworker's blog post. She’s extolling the wonders of using an AI agent and how you can train it to think like you.
A documentation agent doesn’t wait for you to tell it what to do next. It’s not just “AI that writes with you.” It’s a system - a programmable version of your own brain - that already knows your process, your standards, your templates, your preferred IA patterns, and so on.
An agent in this sense is your AI twin, a codified version of your judgment, your craft, and your workflow, embedded directly in your repo, ready to activate any time a new feature, product area, or urgent request lands on your plate.
We’ve moved beyond the era of prompt engineering to the era of building AI systems - and for technical writers, that means creating your own documentation agent; a personalized AI twin that reflects how you think, how you structure information, and how you write.
She talks in very vague terms about training an AI, but gives no specific examples. So I asked in the Slack thread where she posted for some tips, or examples, or if I could see her copy of her “personal agent” file.
And I was told to just try it for myself.
Um, the reason why I’m asking is because it’s not clear how to do this myself! How is a Large Language Model supposed to know anything about how I learn, my 20+ years experience as a technical writer, or my personal workflows?
There was some back and forth conversation (thankfully a few other people seemed to be just as baffled as I was) and I finally posted
Other coworker: ”I honestly feel like [coworker’s] blog is further down the journey than I currently am, which is ok.”
Me: Same. I feel like sometimes when we're sharing info someone assumes that everyone else understands the skills they're using, when some of us haven't even been exposed to them yet. For example, how to get info into an AI chat. I can save things off the web that I want to dump into AI, it's easy to download Google Docs, but how are people getting things out of Slack and into VSCode or Cursor? Is it as simple as copy/paste into a file, ugly as that may be? Or is there some elegant trick that I just haven't learned yet? Same with issues, I haven't had a chance to play with issues yet. Do you have to download/save the issue, or can you just say "read issue 12345 and suggest how to resolve it"?
Manager: we've figured this stuff out by trying and experimenting though, not being taught by anyone... like just try stuff and see what works, then what works better
Me: How does refusing to tell me what you've learned help me here? How is it efficient for all of us we have to learn the same thing 20 separate times? This is the first week in a very long time that I've had time to play with AI, and I've gotten a lot done. But I haven't had time to try everything that I've wanted to. Saying "Just try it" doesn't find me time to do it.
Manager: because the most important learning is the journey not the result with AI
Which is utter bullshit, because we’re being pressured to produce results.
I've spent the past week experimenting with AI because it's Hackathon week, and that's what the docs team was working on. But I haven't had time to try everything because there's only so much time in a day.
(no subject)
Dec. 5th, 2025 08:46 amm_of_disguiseMade an easy dinner at home last night, a batch of freezer cordon bleus from Sam's and a pastaroni box. Easy and filling, if a little bland. Finished off the last stack of dishes in the kitchen, so now it is finally squared away and I can stop thinking about it.
Katie was in A Mood all afternoon. I thought at first it was because I was doing chores and not playing with her, but even when I was done she was still full of tantrums. She went to bed early, even after having a 4-hour (!!) nap after I put her down at lunch time.
M stayed up a bit late playing games, so I got to turn in a bit early, which was much needed after having such a terrible week of sleep. Didn't wake up too much during the night, either, so I'm actually feeling somewhat rested today, if a bit spacey.
Today's my last day of work, and then I'm officially on maternity leave. Hooray! I'll have a couple of days off before I have to be in the hospital, though I've been told I'll have to get some tests and do some things, so they won't be restful days. There's also stuff in the house that still needs to be prepared, like digging out Kate's old clothes so Clementine has something to wear home from the hospital, getting the changing table set back up to where it's accessible, and stocking the bassinet with supplies. Small things, but essentials.
The weekend is also packed, with M and Kate both having dental appointments on Saturday, and then the house tour on Sunday. Gotta get as much done before I'm laid up as possible, so it's all falling on this weekend. Lots to do!
Katie was in A Mood all afternoon. I thought at first it was because I was doing chores and not playing with her, but even when I was done she was still full of tantrums. She went to bed early, even after having a 4-hour (!!) nap after I put her down at lunch time.
M stayed up a bit late playing games, so I got to turn in a bit early, which was much needed after having such a terrible week of sleep. Didn't wake up too much during the night, either, so I'm actually feeling somewhat rested today, if a bit spacey.
Today's my last day of work, and then I'm officially on maternity leave. Hooray! I'll have a couple of days off before I have to be in the hospital, though I've been told I'll have to get some tests and do some things, so they won't be restful days. There's also stuff in the house that still needs to be prepared, like digging out Kate's old clothes so Clementine has something to wear home from the hospital, getting the changing table set back up to where it's accessible, and stocking the bassinet with supplies. Small things, but essentials.
The weekend is also packed, with M and Kate both having dental appointments on Saturday, and then the house tour on Sunday. Gotta get as much done before I'm laid up as possible, so it's all falling on this weekend. Lots to do!
*yawn*
Dec. 4th, 2025 09:18 pmkoshka_the_catTesting is exhausting, but it's over. Until Monday when we take another test. I was able to knit during testing today, which was nice. The kids need less technical support than they used to.
And it's gotten chilly in the mornings this week, so I remembered the one feature I wanted in a new car--a heated steering wheel. I wish I had remembered that in April, but that was air conditioning weather. Well, it's still air conditioning weather in the afternoon, but it's been in the 40s in the morning. Not cold enough for the heat, but the wheel is like ice. The only thing I really use the heat for is to aim it at the wheel. I figured out how to turn the heat on today, but couldn't get the stupid skinny vertical vent to aim at the wheel. I thought it was a bad shape for air conditioning, but it's horrible for heat. So I just turned it off and lost all feeling in my hands. I'd rather do that than be hot.
I almost got rear ended on the way home. I forgot it was a school zone after stopping at a light, took my foot off the gas at 20, the Jeep behind me still wanted to go 45, got huge in the mirror, and came to a loud, screeching stop. I suspect its automatic braking kicked in. Yikes.
I want a heated steering wheel, but getting rear ended isn't how I want to do it!
And it's gotten chilly in the mornings this week, so I remembered the one feature I wanted in a new car--a heated steering wheel. I wish I had remembered that in April, but that was air conditioning weather. Well, it's still air conditioning weather in the afternoon, but it's been in the 40s in the morning. Not cold enough for the heat, but the wheel is like ice. The only thing I really use the heat for is to aim it at the wheel. I figured out how to turn the heat on today, but couldn't get the stupid skinny vertical vent to aim at the wheel. I thought it was a bad shape for air conditioning, but it's horrible for heat. So I just turned it off and lost all feeling in my hands. I'd rather do that than be hot.
I almost got rear ended on the way home. I forgot it was a school zone after stopping at a light, took my foot off the gas at 20, the Jeep behind me still wanted to go 45, got huge in the mirror, and came to a loud, screeching stop. I suspect its automatic braking kicked in. Yikes.
I want a heated steering wheel, but getting rear ended isn't how I want to do it!
(no subject)
Dec. 4th, 2025 07:48 amtotchipandaIn the spirit of "I'm just a baby!" it took me 3 evenings to complete my list. Fridge clean up involved moving some of the definitely not great anymore foods to the freezer. Made foods, and yesterday I washed a pot of dishes. A literal pot, I needed it for soup, but the water was warm enough that I got three (3) mugs washed and poured the water into the previous night's rice pot and washed that too. Eyyyyy.
Tonight I need to make one more night of food before it's weekend time and I get really lackadaisical about eating in general. I have to get a couple of groceries (namely coffee cream) before the weekend so I'll see about picking up some snacks too.
Yesterday I spent awhile looking at various methods and ideas for journaling. My January stickers are due to arrive today. I have space for one more month in my current book, and then only a partial month after that. I am torn between wanting to start a whole new year in a new book, or just keep going and start a new book with February. I definitely do NOT want a partial month so I will need a new book before oh, mid-January. I found some really fun options through these videos (spoopy Moonshade collection by Archer & Olive; CATS and other fun designs by Tiefossi; reading journals by the Quirky Cup Collective; Notebook Therapy's understated designs; so many more!!) before remembering that Michaels exists and has inexpensive journals. (I'd really like a nice one though.) I'm buzzing with motivation to make a fun journal that works for me in the new year.
One video talked about cyclical planning with quarters rather than month by month, and I think I'd like to try it at least once. Especially here in December, when we're all thinking about reflections and the like, I cannot remember the beginning of the year that well. Three months is a good amount of time for me to hold onto. This is partly why I'm not sure if I want to break up part of this cycle/year across two notebooks, I could do a lot of planning and prepping and January in the current one, but then I'd be referencing it all the time with a new book in February. I'm inclined to wait. (Can't do nuffin' til next week, I have enough money left for some groceries and that's it!)
I do think the cute cat gridded notebook I picked up a couple months ago could be dedicated as a reading journal. It's not so many pages and thus contains less failure lol. And the cats are cute.
Tonight I need to make one more night of food before it's weekend time and I get really lackadaisical about eating in general. I have to get a couple of groceries (namely coffee cream) before the weekend so I'll see about picking up some snacks too.
Yesterday I spent awhile looking at various methods and ideas for journaling. My January stickers are due to arrive today. I have space for one more month in my current book, and then only a partial month after that. I am torn between wanting to start a whole new year in a new book, or just keep going and start a new book with February. I definitely do NOT want a partial month so I will need a new book before oh, mid-January. I found some really fun options through these videos (spoopy Moonshade collection by Archer & Olive; CATS and other fun designs by Tiefossi; reading journals by the Quirky Cup Collective; Notebook Therapy's understated designs; so many more!!) before remembering that Michaels exists and has inexpensive journals. (I'd really like a nice one though.) I'm buzzing with motivation to make a fun journal that works for me in the new year.
One video talked about cyclical planning with quarters rather than month by month, and I think I'd like to try it at least once. Especially here in December, when we're all thinking about reflections and the like, I cannot remember the beginning of the year that well. Three months is a good amount of time for me to hold onto. This is partly why I'm not sure if I want to break up part of this cycle/year across two notebooks, I could do a lot of planning and prepping and January in the current one, but then I'd be referencing it all the time with a new book in February. I'm inclined to wait. (Can't do nuffin' til next week, I have enough money left for some groceries and that's it!)
I do think the cute cat gridded notebook I picked up a couple months ago could be dedicated as a reading journal. It's not so many pages and thus contains less failure lol. And the cats are cute.
(no subject)
Dec. 4th, 2025 08:45 amm_of_disguiseMany developments in a single afternoon, yeesh.
Had my OB checkup, gave me the checklist for getting into the hospital, what to bring, who to call, etc. Have to buy a special body wash and use it the night before and morning of the surgery to cut down on possible infection. I'll probably be in the hospital for 3-4 days. M was like, "Well, that will be a nice break for recovery!" and I had to remind him that I'll be up every 3 hours to feed the baby, so it's not exactly a spa vacation, my dude.
The Cleburne House has dropped in price again, and is now sub-$200k! M agreed to go see it this weekend, so I emailed our realtor and am waiting to hear back. Of course, I was subjected to a classic M doom spiral about purchasing a house before his saving goal of March, but good lord, dude, we haven't even stepped foot in the house yet, maybe wait to catastrophize until we actually see the place first. He talked to a friend who pointed out that the breakfast nook can easily be converted into an office (it's actually set up as an office in the listing photos, too) by adding doors to the openings, which I have been saying the entire time, but you know, this time a dude said it. -_-
Kate has her first dental appointment on Saturday. Poor girl, I don't know how she'll do with it. She was excellent at her last doctor visit, but the doctor wasn't poking around in her mouth, so we'll see. She will get many cuddles and maybe some ice cream afterward.
Had my OB checkup, gave me the checklist for getting into the hospital, what to bring, who to call, etc. Have to buy a special body wash and use it the night before and morning of the surgery to cut down on possible infection. I'll probably be in the hospital for 3-4 days. M was like, "Well, that will be a nice break for recovery!" and I had to remind him that I'll be up every 3 hours to feed the baby, so it's not exactly a spa vacation, my dude.
The Cleburne House has dropped in price again, and is now sub-$200k! M agreed to go see it this weekend, so I emailed our realtor and am waiting to hear back. Of course, I was subjected to a classic M doom spiral about purchasing a house before his saving goal of March, but good lord, dude, we haven't even stepped foot in the house yet, maybe wait to catastrophize until we actually see the place first. He talked to a friend who pointed out that the breakfast nook can easily be converted into an office (it's actually set up as an office in the listing photos, too) by adding doors to the openings, which I have been saying the entire time, but you know, this time a dude said it. -_-
Kate has her first dental appointment on Saturday. Poor girl, I don't know how she'll do with it. She was excellent at her last doctor visit, but the doctor wasn't poking around in her mouth, so we'll see. She will get many cuddles and maybe some ice cream afterward.
Decreases!
Dec. 4th, 2025 05:21 amatherleisureI finally got to the decreases on my stocking! Maybe I'll be more enthused about it now. I don't need to be excited about it, but I would like to be a little more interested than I have been.
I was about to knit...
Dec. 3rd, 2025 08:14 pmkoshka_the_catBut Poppy just came and sat on my lap. I don't even see him much, so I think I'll take advantage of this!
(no subject)
Dec. 3rd, 2025 10:22 amm_of_disguiseAnnoying night of food hunting after dark. M was in the mood for Mediterranean food, but was working late, so I was sent out on the task of picking up something for us. Attempted to get to a place that was supposedly nearby, but it took nearly 20 minutes to get there because of stoplights and nonsense, and they were closed by the time I arrived. -_- Went back to a place that was much closer to the house and had success. M raved about the food, but it really just confirmed for me that I am not a huge fan of Mediterranean food. Meh.
The food place didn't have fountain drinks, so I stopped at McDonald's and picked some up for us. Their drive-through was closed, so I had to go inside and wait. It's been a hot minute since I was inside, and they've changed everything so you order and pay on touch screen kiosks and then pick up your food at the counter, very minimal interaction with staff. There was a constant beeping in the kitchen and everyone was moving continuously, and all I could think was that it would be absolute HELL to work here.
Ate entirely too late, felt miserable going to bed. Garbage sleep, Clementine was way too active for me to get any rest, and at one point she put her foot into some organ that did NOT appreciate it, and I ended up in tears.
Exactly one week until baby.
The food place didn't have fountain drinks, so I stopped at McDonald's and picked some up for us. Their drive-through was closed, so I had to go inside and wait. It's been a hot minute since I was inside, and they've changed everything so you order and pay on touch screen kiosks and then pick up your food at the counter, very minimal interaction with staff. There was a constant beeping in the kitchen and everyone was moving continuously, and all I could think was that it would be absolute HELL to work here.
Ate entirely too late, felt miserable going to bed. Garbage sleep, Clementine was way too active for me to get any rest, and at one point she put her foot into some organ that did NOT appreciate it, and I ended up in tears.
Exactly one week until baby.
Again!
Dec. 2nd, 2025 07:36 pmkoshka_the_catI knit a row at work today! After doing lesson plans...
My car yelled at me for leaving the lane in the same intersection it's been yelling at me in. It's annoying me more than it should. I did satellite view on Google maps and if it's current, the crosswalk is messed up. I promise, I'm not leaving the lane! Stop yelling!
My car yelled at me for leaving the lane in the same intersection it's been yelling at me in. It's annoying me more than it should. I did satellite view on Google maps and if it's current, the crosswalk is messed up. I promise, I'm not leaving the lane! Stop yelling!
Week 3
Dec. 2nd, 2025 09:09 pmatherleisureAs expected, I did a lot of cross-stitching over the Thanksgiving break.
Here's where I ended last week:
And here's where I ended this week:
I was going to put it away until the next time we're hanging out with family, but it's close enough to done not to want to do that. I want to finish a dress and a petticoat that I have in progress, but I'll probably finish this up as soon as those are done.
Here's where I ended last week:
And here's where I ended this week:
I was going to put it away until the next time we're hanging out with family, but it's close enough to done not to want to do that. I want to finish a dress and a petticoat that I have in progress, but I'll probably finish this up as soon as those are done.
Weekend Update - Thanksgiving and then some
Dec. 2nd, 2025 07:37 pmbrickhousewenchI overslept on Thanksgiving. Last week I was bad and stayed up way past my bedtime doomscrolling on Facebook a couple of nights, and it caught up with me on Thursday. I had planned to get up early, go feed dredpiratebunny’s critters, then head up to NH for Thanksgiving dinner, then feed the critters again on the way home. But when I woke up a little after 11:00 there was not enough time to feed the kitties and make it to NH in time for dinner at 1:30 pm.
( cutsies )
Did I go to bed early Monday night? Of course I didn’t. =P
dredpiratebunny’s critters, then head up to NH for Thanksgiving dinner, then feed the critters again on the way home. But when I woke up a little after 11:00 there was not enough time to feed the kitties and make it to NH in time for dinner at 1:30 pm.( cutsies )
Did I go to bed early Monday night? Of course I didn’t. =P
(no subject)
Dec. 2nd, 2025 08:11 amtotchipandaMe yesterday morning: I'm going to do ALL THE THINGS!!
Me yesterday afternoon: I'm just a baby, I can't do anything!
I got two out of the four things I'd planned done, so that's something. I made a light soup with enoki mushrooms, my first time trying them, and they weren't bad! The broth was delicious. Going to be a yummy lunch too. I washed what's left of my hair as soon as I got in the door (changed and wrangled the cats inside). ANd instead of knitting, though I had it handy, after eating I worked on my journal. And then it was time for bed.
Tonight, hmm. I need to make another food (how does this keep happening) and I'll try to get some of the other things done. We'll see.
Me yesterday afternoon: I'm just a baby, I can't do anything!
I got two out of the four things I'd planned done, so that's something. I made a light soup with enoki mushrooms, my first time trying them, and they weren't bad! The broth was delicious. Going to be a yummy lunch too. I washed what's left of my hair as soon as I got in the door (changed and wrangled the cats inside). ANd instead of knitting, though I had it handy, after eating I worked on my journal. And then it was time for bed.
Tonight, hmm. I need to make another food (how does this keep happening) and I'll try to get some of the other things done. We'll see.
(no subject)
Dec. 2nd, 2025 09:09 amm_of_disguiseQuiet enough night at home. Katie was in a good mood, and was very invested in trying to balance a ball on my head, so she spent most of the evening standing next to me on the couch, saying "ball!", putting it on my head, and then saying "hat!" Silly girl.
She went to bed easily, and I went out and picked us up some cheap McDonald's for dinner. I had really been looking forward to their mango smoothie that they have on the menu right now, but the machine was broken. Womp womp. They gave me an extra 10-piece nugget and an ice cream in recompense, and all was well.
M told me he had run into a neighbor while he and Katie were on a walk, one I've spoken to before, and she is moving out because they are fighting rats. EEEK. Her unit is a few buildings away from ours, so we haven't seen any vermin, thankfully. She also told us that everyone on that side of the complex has moved out, and basically every unit facing the back lot is empty. Yikes.
Speaking of which, one of our last sets of neighbors in our particular building has moved out. We weren't sure they had since there is still a TON of stuff around their unit, but the other night when M came home, their front door was wide open and everything was dark, so he went up to do a welfare check and found the place abandoned. He said the heat had been cranked up to 95 (!!) and there was detritus all over the apartment, so we're thinking that maybe a vagrant got in there and rifled around. Yeesh.
So now it's just us and the older Asian couple and their son that live upstairs, and the rest of the building is empty. When we move out next year, they'll be the last.
She went to bed easily, and I went out and picked us up some cheap McDonald's for dinner. I had really been looking forward to their mango smoothie that they have on the menu right now, but the machine was broken. Womp womp. They gave me an extra 10-piece nugget and an ice cream in recompense, and all was well.
M told me he had run into a neighbor while he and Katie were on a walk, one I've spoken to before, and she is moving out because they are fighting rats. EEEK. Her unit is a few buildings away from ours, so we haven't seen any vermin, thankfully. She also told us that everyone on that side of the complex has moved out, and basically every unit facing the back lot is empty. Yikes.
Speaking of which, one of our last sets of neighbors in our particular building has moved out. We weren't sure they had since there is still a TON of stuff around their unit, but the other night when M came home, their front door was wide open and everything was dark, so he went up to do a welfare check and found the place abandoned. He said the heat had been cranked up to 95 (!!) and there was detritus all over the apartment, so we're thinking that maybe a vagrant got in there and rifled around. Yeesh.
So now it's just us and the older Asian couple and their son that live upstairs, and the rest of the building is empty. When we move out next year, they'll be the last.
Whew
Dec. 1st, 2025 09:00 pmkoshka_the_catI mathed right and the first row of lacy things lined up. And I've knit three days in a row!
Weather Forecasting
Dec. 1st, 2025 11:18 pmbrickhousewenchThe forecast a couple of days ago was three inches of snow.
The forecast Sunday night was 6 inches of snow.
The forecast Monday morning was 9 inches of snow.
The forecast Monday around dinner time was 2 inches of rain/snow mix.
The forecast as I’m going to bed Monday night is 1.5 inches of snow to rain. No, now it’s 2.2 inches. Wait, it changed again, now it's 3.5 inches. I swear, the forecast has changed every time I’ve thought to check it today.
I don’t know if this is a particularly tricky storm, or if the cuts to the National Weather Service have been that severe, but this feels a little bit ridiculous.
The forecast Sunday night was 6 inches of snow.
The forecast Monday morning was 9 inches of snow.
The forecast Monday around dinner time was 2 inches of rain/snow mix.
The forecast as I’m going to bed Monday night is 1.5 inches of snow to rain. No, now it’s 2.2 inches. Wait, it changed again, now it's 3.5 inches. I swear, the forecast has changed every time I’ve thought to check it today.
I don’t know if this is a particularly tricky storm, or if the cuts to the National Weather Service have been that severe, but this feels a little bit ridiculous.
(no subject)
Dec. 1st, 2025 12:50 pmm_of_disguiseThe long holiday weekend was very, very good. Thursday I cleaned the house, getting the last pile of dishes done, the cat closet scrubbed, and the living room picked up and vacuumed. M started on the food very late, so I helped with the chopping and shredding and other prep stuff since I could sit down while doing all that. I made an absolutely enormous new-to-us baked mac n' cheese recipe, which was very good, but OMG, so huge. We still have a quarter of the pan left after eating on it for four days. We subbed pepper jack for the American cheese, because neither of us like American cheese. Besides that we cooked up two tri tip roasts in different flavors, and made some mashed potatoes. I had chopped some sweet potatoes to roast them, but we had made a grave error in that almost every side dish we chose needed to be made in the oven, and with such a small oven, we had no ability to cook multiple things at once. By the time the roasts and the noodles were done, it was 10:30 at night, so the sweet potatoes went into a bag to be used another day.
Friday was a chill day. Everyone slept in, even Kate, and when I got up, I roasted up the sweet potatoes from the night before so we could munch on them through the weekend. Kate really wanted to go out for a walk, and M suggested we make it a family outing since we needed to go buy her a coat first. We loaded into the car and headed to the store, and completely forgot that it was Black Friday, so we drove straight into a madhouse. Kate and I stayed in the car while M ran inside and picked up a couple of jackets for her, then we drove out to Weatherford and headed to M's favorite park there, which has a playground and walking trails. Kate was introduced to the slides, which were THE BEST. She could have gone down that slide all night long, but a storm rolled up on us, and suddenly we were getting hailed on! Kate and I took refuge in the covered picnic area while M pulled the car up, and then we headed home.
Saturday and Sunday were both very chill days. No cleaning, no cooking, just eating leftovers and lounging at home. We had an excellent cold front move through on Saturday evening, and by Sunday it was down into the 30s! It was wonderful, I'm so glad it actually feels like the season should. M went out shooting on Sunday to cap off the weekend, and we put Kate down in her own bed so we could lounge together in ours at the end of the night.
All in all, it was an excellent weekend. M was noticeably more relaxed and happier without work stress to bum him out, so I'm glad he got a good break from it all. He had a good meeting with his boss this morning, too, which reassured him that he's doing well and has been a good addition to the team, and he seems less worried about work overall.
T minus 9 days until baby. This is my last full week at work, so I'm trying to get things finished up and get my personal items (mainly patterns I have printed off at work and stuck in various drawers *cough*) gathered up to take home. Our plan was for me to take my full leave and then us reassess our needs once it was over, but M is talking more and more like coming home permanently is a guarantee now, so I don't want to leave anything behind just in case.
Very excited to not be pregnant anymore soon!
Friday was a chill day. Everyone slept in, even Kate, and when I got up, I roasted up the sweet potatoes from the night before so we could munch on them through the weekend. Kate really wanted to go out for a walk, and M suggested we make it a family outing since we needed to go buy her a coat first. We loaded into the car and headed to the store, and completely forgot that it was Black Friday, so we drove straight into a madhouse. Kate and I stayed in the car while M ran inside and picked up a couple of jackets for her, then we drove out to Weatherford and headed to M's favorite park there, which has a playground and walking trails. Kate was introduced to the slides, which were THE BEST. She could have gone down that slide all night long, but a storm rolled up on us, and suddenly we were getting hailed on! Kate and I took refuge in the covered picnic area while M pulled the car up, and then we headed home.
Saturday and Sunday were both very chill days. No cleaning, no cooking, just eating leftovers and lounging at home. We had an excellent cold front move through on Saturday evening, and by Sunday it was down into the 30s! It was wonderful, I'm so glad it actually feels like the season should. M went out shooting on Sunday to cap off the weekend, and we put Kate down in her own bed so we could lounge together in ours at the end of the night.
All in all, it was an excellent weekend. M was noticeably more relaxed and happier without work stress to bum him out, so I'm glad he got a good break from it all. He had a good meeting with his boss this morning, too, which reassured him that he's doing well and has been a good addition to the team, and he seems less worried about work overall.
T minus 9 days until baby. This is my last full week at work, so I'm trying to get things finished up and get my personal items (mainly patterns I have printed off at work and stuck in various drawers *cough*) gathered up to take home. Our plan was for me to take my full leave and then us reassess our needs once it was over, but M is talking more and more like coming home permanently is a guarantee now, so I don't want to leave anything behind just in case.
Very excited to not be pregnant anymore soon!
(no subject)
Dec. 1st, 2025 08:10 amtotchipandaBi-weekly budgeting doesn't help much when I forget two major expenses that happen every month, sheesh. Extra glad I didn't decide to treat myself, it's gonna be a stretch to get through the next two weeks!
Friday ended up being more of a "rot on the couch" night. Saturday I did a little knitting, went to the cafe to meet the local people and arrived home to tell the tale (they were very much My People, I had a yummy drink and a yummy treat, took the train both ways because I've been in that neighbourhood before and the street parking is tricksy with the high-density housing all around, and worked on my journal), ordered in a dinner, and rotted some more.
Woke up at 1:30 am with a very unhappy tummy. In thinking about what I ate over the past two days, there was really nothing out of the ordinary for me, so who knows what upset it. I didn't get back to sleep until after 5am, and woke up again at 1030. I wanted to just rot at home, but there were PUPPIES waiting for us, and I was OK as long as I was sitting, so I rotted on their couch. With puppies.
THEY ARE SO STINKING CUTE. 9 weeks old, so wee, so sweet, so happy to see people, utterly fearless. SO SOFT AND WARM.
Nicole shaved my head for me before it got too dark. Sheesh there was a lot of hair on my head! We left maybe an hour later. Got home and crawled right into bed where I remained for the entire evening. Slept a good 7 hours. My tummy is still not thrilled but it's a lot better.
Today I should like to catch up on some of the things I put off over the weekend. Make a food, clean out the fridge a bit, dishes, wash the rest of my hair. Knit some more, it's an excellent cat-cuddling activity.
Friday ended up being more of a "rot on the couch" night. Saturday I did a little knitting, went to the cafe to meet the local people and arrived home to tell the tale (they were very much My People, I had a yummy drink and a yummy treat, took the train both ways because I've been in that neighbourhood before and the street parking is tricksy with the high-density housing all around, and worked on my journal), ordered in a dinner, and rotted some more.
Woke up at 1:30 am with a very unhappy tummy. In thinking about what I ate over the past two days, there was really nothing out of the ordinary for me, so who knows what upset it. I didn't get back to sleep until after 5am, and woke up again at 1030. I wanted to just rot at home, but there were PUPPIES waiting for us, and I was OK as long as I was sitting, so I rotted on their couch. With puppies.
THEY ARE SO STINKING CUTE. 9 weeks old, so wee, so sweet, so happy to see people, utterly fearless. SO SOFT AND WARM.
Nicole shaved my head for me before it got too dark. Sheesh there was a lot of hair on my head! We left maybe an hour later. Got home and crawled right into bed where I remained for the entire evening. Slept a good 7 hours. My tummy is still not thrilled but it's a lot better.
Today I should like to catch up on some of the things I put off over the weekend. Make a food, clean out the fridge a bit, dishes, wash the rest of my hair. Knit some more, it's an excellent cat-cuddling activity.
Sleeves
Nov. 30th, 2025 09:11 pmkoshka_the_catThe sleeves are on, and I think I figured out how many stitches I need before starting the pattern. Counting is hard.