robinsnest | Reading

I knit three rows last night! And I enjoyed it!

I also rescheduled my eye appointment for a week earlier. I realized that it's a medical appointment, not an eye appointment, so it uses the medical part of the insurance so only being able to use it once a year shouldn't be an issue. I wrote my insurance to confirm, and they said call VSP. VSP was confused when I called because they don't do cataracts. I told them that was the answer I expected.

When I made the appointment, lots of appointments were available in November. When I tried rescheduling, the earliest was December 31. I tried a new appointment, but only the optometrists were available. I want to go straight to a surgeon. I don't know if that actually saves a step, but it seems smart. So now my appointment is December 31, with the surgeon I originally scheduled with, which is nice because it's during break.

I wish I had thought of the medical vs glasses appointment earlier! But it's a month and a half away. Not that long to wait! I'm a little anxious because I don't want them to tell me something like just keep changing your glasses. That's not working. And it would be amazing to not need glasses, or even need them less.

beradan

So yea these many years ago I bought and more or less rehabbed an antique treadle sewing machine. Her name is Alice.

Alice has gone to live with an appreciative coworker, because I am moving at least once and hopefully twice in the next couple years and there is a limited number of times that I am willing to move (probably) 80+ pounds of mostly cast iron which I don't actually use to sew with. I got her in large part for the joy of taking her apart and putting her back together and having the experience of using a treadle machine, but she's not practical for everyday sewing for me.

Various combinations of me and a friend and the said coworker successfully got Alice out of my apartment, down a flight of stairs, into my CR-V, out of the CR-V again, and into the coworker's smaller hatchback without any bloodshed at all. We were all justifiably smug about this.

And then the coworker was forced to perform evasive maneuvers on the way home so as not to be rear-ended by a dumbass.

Coworker is fine.

Alice is also fine, of course. Alice is mostly cast iron and will unquestionably survive us all.

Unfortunately, Alice broke loose in the back of the car and smashed the absolute shit out of the rear windshield.

Coworker has already gotten the windshield replaced and doesn't appear to be experiencing any financial hardship, fortunately. She immediately came to tell me about it at work today, with pictures, because she thought I would think it was funny.

totchipanda

Dance was lovely, as expected <3 Broke my brain! Rather, the brain is willing, the flesh forgets. At least I'm not as sore today as I was last time lol.

Sitting at the front desk today, where it has so far been absolutely lovely and ought to remain so for the rest of the day. So peaceful and quiet. Ahhhhh. I have my fanfic to write, my journal to work on, and failing all that, Kindle online to read. Huzzah.

Only really have tonight and tomorrow for creativity, Sunday is a musical and somehow that takes up the entire day (I'll have a few hours in the morning, actually, but overcoming the I Must Wait (tm) can be tricksy). Perhaps I can get something sewn. Most likely though, I'll work on the mantle.

Tonight's dinner plans: Roasted tomato soup and a sandwich.

m_of_disguise

Went home for lunch and to cover a meeting for M, and arrived to find that Kate was still asleep. She woke up just in time for him to have his meeting, so I changed and fed her, and we hung out a bit while she colored with her crayons. M emerged fairly quicky from his meeting, in a mild panic because his workload had been more than doubled in the course of that 30-minute meeting, and it was all expected to be done within the next 48 hours.

I offered to stay home and watch Kate so he could focus on getting as much work done as possible, and he took me up on it. I made him and Kate a quick lunch of some frozen potstickers, and then Kate and I continued on with our day, coloring, doing flash cards, and reading books.

Tried to get Kate down for a nap at around 2, but she never really went to sleep. She did lay quietly in her bed for about an hour, though, which gave me just enough time to eat a bagel and watch the last episode of Death by Lightning. From what little I know of the Garfield assassination, it seemed to follow historical events pretty closely. They skipped Guiteau's trial altogether, which makes sense since it wouldn't have provided anything new for the audience. Overall an excellent show, great production value, fabulous costumes. Do recommend.

Around 3 o'clock I decided to make us all a snack, so I stuck some cinnamon rolls in the oven. Between the three of us we ended up polishing off all 8 rolls in about 5 minutes.

At some point, I emerged from the kitchen to see Kate standing in the living room, completely naked and holding every single one of her bath toys. She said "Bath!" very excitedly, so I gave her a bath, because how can I argue with that?

Dinner was leftover roast with the addition of a pasta-roni box to pad out the sides. Kate ate the pasta and little else, she seems to be going through a meatless phase. By 7pm she was sitting in the crook of my arm and falling asleep, so I put her down for bed, which she fought mightily, but she did pass out as soon as her head hit the pillow. I watched some nonsense on TV while M continued to work until 10pm, then we cleaned up the house a bit together and went to bed.

Speech therapy for Kate today. Lunch with my sister tomorrow. Going to try and get some chores done over the weekend, mainly cleaning up the bathroom and sweeping all the floors. At some point in the next couple of weeks, M and I need to dig out all of Kate's old baby stuff and make an inventory of what we do and don't need for Clementine. So far we're pretty sure we only need a handful of things, like a second car seat and some new bottles, and that everything else can be found packed away in our closets.

koshka_the_cat

This week was too weird. But it's almost the weekend!

I really have nothing interesting today, unlike the random whining yesterday

totchipanda

And telling myself i need to leave. Boss was of course unhappy that I didn't do (task) HER way, ripping pages out of the book and making notes in red pen. Girl, I am never going to do it YOUR way, I am going to do it MY way.

Tuesday was a bit of a wash, I was so tired ALL DAY. I woke up at 1 and was awake past 5, woke up again just after 8 worried I'd slept through my alarm, and spent the rest of the day in just a tired state. Doc appointment went well, his assistant took my blood pressure (141/83) and weight (i peeped the number, I don't have a scale at home to otherwise be aware of it) and then he walked in with my prescriptions and work orders for blood and mammogram. Pressed on my belly a bit, commented that I'd seemed to have lost a lot of weight since the last time (have i? I know I have lost some, others have commented on it and my least flexibly waisted jeans no longer dig in) but as long as it wasn't overly rapid, no concerns.

M and I were going to do her hair, since the coloured mask she was using has been discontinued, but she also spent the day just exhausted, and didn't feel up to rinsing her hair out, specifically. So we ate dinner and watched dancing and I enjoyed being able to knit without my helpers.

Yesterday I woke up just before 7 and stayed in bed for three whole hours before getting up. I started taping the patterns together and cutting out the pieces that I know would be sized correctly. Calcifer helped a lot. I started by taping one row together and putting it aside. My table, specifically taken and set up for sewing, is still covered in piles of fabric and other crafts, and an assortment of vegetables and fruit. Rather than deal with any of that, I worked in the space that was clear, and it mostly worked. The patterns were then loosely folded and put in the closet to deal with at a future date.

Wanted to sew a project bag and found one that I had cut out simply AGES ago. It's also been prepped and is laying next to the machine.

Had a lovely nap after I was suddenly FREEZING and bundled up in sweats, a hoodie with the hood up, AND wool socks. My tummy was mad about all the wheat I'd eaten the day before (the burger was yummy, tyvm) and it was still upset by the time I'd dragged myself off the couch for dinner, so I just made a sandwich. Then I decided to join

robinsnest mantle sew-along, since that had been on my list and in my pattern stash for close to three years already. I found an oddly shaped remnant of gorgeous bronze poly taffeta in a box, which was just the right shape to cut out one with long front bits and a hood, with enough left to do a heckin' lot of piecing for a ruffle. Started hand sewing it last night bc why not. I could just bang it out by machine, but in keeping with practices of doing nice things while I sink into winter, and not needing the item right away, handsewing it suits me more. It's fine. Considering I cut it out at 7pm and had one front edge and lappet hemmed by 9:15, it's gonna be great.

Dance tonight, musical on Sunday. Hanging out in between.

m_of_disguise

OB appointment went...fine. M was in A Mood the entire time, stressed about being tethered to work via his phone, snappy at Kate for doing typical 2-year-old things, annoyed and annoying about everything. Next time he can stay home. We had a tiff about it on the way home, and he was sour for the rest of the evening.

Came home and finished making dinner. Used the beef broth the roast had been in to make gravy, fried up some bacon for green beans, and voila, dinner. It was the first time in a very, very long time I've made a traditionally flavored roast with all the veggies in the pot with it, and I think it was fantastic, but then I was also ravenous by the time I ate anything. Kate ate the carrots, but mostly ignored the potatoes and meat.

Need more crock pot recipes, because I can handle making a side or two as long as the main is taken care of.

We finally switched the insurance at the OB's office over to the new one, and the amount we owe dropped significantly, by almost half. Good lord, my County insurance sucked. Glad to have that done and have it off my plate.

Lunch with my sister this weekend, probably the last outing with her I'll have before Clementine comes along.

Two weeks until Thanksgiving break, thank Zod. I am really looking forward to a 4-day weekend. Then it's two more weeks until baby. o.o

koshka_the_cat

Today was fine. Nothing interesting, at work or home at least. I am annoyed by my stubbornness though. I've been annoyed by my new car every time I drive it. I still want it to be a stick shift. I wonder if it's just me being stubborn, I'm really annoyed by it, or if it's just an easy thing to deflect other annoyances onto. I tell myself, nice new car! Lucky you! But apparently whining makes me happier or something.

Although, I am amused that the algorithm suggested a reel with a fake stick shift that fit in a cupholder. How did it know? I've stopped complaining out loud...

Oh! Changing the setting did fix it yelling at me to stop when I was already stopping, but today it yelled at me that I was leaving my lane when I was in an intersection with no lane markings. I didn't change steering and landed exactly in the correct lane. I get irrationally annoyed every time it does something like that. A few days ago I legit left a lane. It was curved and I didn't curve with it. Oops. The car was quiet and didn't care.

brickhousewench

10 and a half hour day today.

I am knackered.

m_of_disguise

Brake lights on the Honda are now totally out. M said he suspected there was a short in some wire because of the weirdness with the blinkers when we were testing them the other night. So, he took $50 from savings and we filled up the Jeep and now I don't have to drive the stupid Honda anymore! Hooray!

M went to bed almost as soon as I got home, so it was just me and Kate for the rest of the evening. I was feeling absolutely terrible, just light headed and uncomfortable, so I tried as best I could to just rest on the couch while Kate played on her own. Not super successful, but she went to bed early enough that I could relax a little before crawling into bed myself.

Watched another episode of Death by Lightning. Ep. 3 starts with just...a lot of sex, so be forewarned if that's not your thing. By the end of the episode, the groundwork had been set for the assassination, so it looks like we have the assassination and Guiteau's trial and execution all stuffed into the last episode. Hoping to finish the series tonight.

Defrosted our last beef roast overnight, then this morning I seared it and put it in the crock pot to cook on low all day. Didn't have my usual seasoning packets, so this is a more traditional roast rather than a Mississippi roast. We had a handful of small yellow potatoes left and a couple of already chopped carrots that didn't make it into the last soup, so those were added to the pot to finish them off, along with a packet of onion soup mix and some beef broth. I may add some Worcestershire sauce to the broth when I go home for lunch, since a lot of online recipes include it.

OB checkup this afternoon, so a short work day.

koshka_the_cat

I made two cinnamon star breads today. Half for me, one and a half for two teacher friends with birthdays this week. I've had a piece. It's delicious..

m_of_disguise

Katie was very clingy yesterday, and it made me not want to go back into work. I came home at my usual lunch time, and when she realized that I was about to leave, she burst into tears and flung herself into my arms and laid her head on my shoulder. Felt awful having to go back to stupid work.

Came home at the normal time, M worked late finishing stuff. Once Katie was in bed, he and I went out to the Honda to fix a tail light that wouldn't come on. He had me turn on the hazard lights to test things, and the button for the lights promptly broke, and he got all mad. I hate this stupid Honda, I hate having to drive it. Every time I get in it, something else breaks. And he loves this car for some reason, so any minor damage is a much bigger deal to him than it is to me. ~sigh~ The only reason I'm driving it this week is because the Jeep is out of fuel, and he doesn't want to fill up before we get paid on Friday. -_- After this week, I will be happy if I never have to touch this stupid car again.

Anyway, he went off after we were finished and found a replacement button, which is a whole $30.

I spent the rest of the evening watching the first two episodes of Death by Lightning, which is a new Netflix miniseries about the election and assassination of President Garfield. Stacked cast - Michael Shannon, Matthew MacFayden, Nick Offerman, among others. MacFayden's character is completely insufferable, but that seems to track with what I've been reading about the real Guiteau. Excellent acting from everyone, and I love Nick Offerman as Chester A. Arthur. Very few female characters, not unsurprisingly since it's a show about politics in the 1880s, but the few that are on screen get some excellent natural form looks. My only casting gripe is Betty Gilpin as Garfield's wife. She's a fine actress, but she has iPhone face.

koshka_the_cat

This Monday work, Tuesday off thing made work feel weird today. The kids were definitely off too. But sleep in tomorrow!

And ugh. My apologies for both of my senators caving.

m_of_disguise

Went home Friday and took Kate on an afternoon walk, in which we had an unpleasant encounter with a neighbor. He kept getting into Kate's face and waving and going "SAY HI" really loudly, so, of course, she hid behind me and wanted nothing to do with that. He accused me of being racist because she wouldn't greet him and then he stormed off into the complex. Asshole.

Saturday was uneventful. Tibby had a vet checkup first thing in the morning, and since Saturdays are walk-ins only, we had to arrive when they opened, put our name on the wait list, and then sit in the car until we were called up. Took a total of 1 1/2 hours to get in and get seen, bleh. But he's been given new meds for his bladder infection, and he's been released from bathroom quarantine. The rest of the day was quiet. M went out in the afternoon to go shooting since it was projected to be the last temperate weekend for a while.

I had really hoped to sleep in on Sunday, but Kate had other plans and was up at 6:30. -_- I'd had a bad night, and was dozing off on the couch in the morning while she ran around and ate cheese. I tried to get her back down into bed at 8AM, because usually she just needs a bit of a snack and something to drink on her early mornings and she goes right back down. Once she was in her bed, I crawled back into mine and passed back out. She was up again an hour later, ugh.

The rest of the day I felt completely terrible and I was in a cranky mood. She eventually went down for a nap at noon, and I finally had a chance to brush my teeth, take a shower, and eat something. She slept for 3 1/2 hours, which was a nice break and gave me a chance to catch up on my weekly shows and to watch a movie, Lies We Tell, which is based on a gothic novel and includes a young heiress under the care of a shady uncle, betrayal, a battle of wills between the heiress and the uncle, and, of course, murder. It was pretty good, and it has actually decent mid-Victorian clothes, so I'd recommend it. There is, however, a rape scene, but you can see it coming before it happens so it's easy enough to skip over.

Once Kate was in bed, I had more gothic mid-Victorian fun with Guillermo del Toro's new Frankenstein. Very, very pretty movie, as most of del Toro's movies are. There were some changes from the book, as is to be expected, but I don't feel like they detracted from the story. I was very impressed that they didn't shy away from 1850s men's hairstyles, save for on Frankenstein and the Creature.

McDonald's for dinner, much ice cream was had. Kate went down for bed early, so my movie watching was done in my own bed for once, which was lovely. M was out seeing the new Predator film with friends, so I had the house to myself. Lovely!

brickhousewench

Quite a while back I realized that Raven had unfriended me on Facebook. And that's her right. I figured it was because she wasn't happy with all the Anti-Trump stuff I was posting back in 2016 (back before people really knew how bad he was). I kinda assumed that she and her husband voted for him in 2016. But I was hoping that she would see his true colors. But it's been fairly obvious lately from her blog that she's a big fan of RFK Jr and his anti-vax agenda. She drinks raw milk and recommends it to her readers. And recently she posted about an ostrich herd that was culled in Canada because the farm had been infected with avian flu.

Since avian flu can be 17x as deadly as Covid (as in 53% fatality rate vs Covid’s 3.4%) and since not only has it spread beyond birds to mammals but there have been instances of cattle getting reinfected, I'm not going to consider it a conspiracy by big pharma when the government thinks it's safer to cull an infected herd that let the virus possibly mutate further and pass to other species of animals that haven't been infected. If we ever have a bird flu epidemic, it's going to be BAD. I'd really like to avoid that.

But what makes me sad was that today when I went to look for her blog on Facebook, she's apparently locked that down as well. Or blocked me, it's hard to tell when the message is only that the page isn't available. It also makes me sad when she's posting (vaguely) about people who are evil and monsters and I'm pretty sure that what she's saying between the lines that that anyone who isn't MAGA or MAHA is evil in her eyes.

I should probably just remove her from my feed. But I miss the friend that she used to be when we first met each other. * sighs *

totchipanda

Weekend was rather delightful. I was very glad to get home and just spend my days in silence. Watched my weekly shows and paid a nice man to bring me dinner. Woke up in the middle of the night with an unhappy tummy, but at least it was the weekend so I could sleep as long as I wanted the next day.

Saturday was mostly lumping around. I washed a pan of dishes, scooped the cat box and swept the kitchen floor. Meals were very much "suggestions". It was chilly in my apartment so I, wearing my tank top and booty short-pajamas, put on the banyan I sewed in July and absolutely loved it. It was the perfect weight and kept me warm and swirled delightfully around my ankles. 11/10 good sewing decision! Do need to figure out the closure situation, I used a length of wide double-faced satin ribbon that had previously been worn as an Edwardian belt, which was fine but occasionally too tight around my middle.

I finished knitting my rainbow cowl. I had set up a "home theatre" with the antique laptop, projector, and gaming headphones to watch Next to Normal on the wall with Trick, so casting off said cowl took a hot minute. I needed better light. I'd won yarn chicken with a couple meters of yarn left, which ended up being the PERFECT amount to actually cast off with eyyyyy. I have about half of all the colours left, and another skein of the main colour. I wonder what else I can make hehehe. I also stitched the hem of the shirt dress and marked the buttonhole placements. Then I put that machine away, but did I pull out the machine that can do buttonholes? No, I did not. I pulled out the shiny Brother now that I have belts for the variety of belt-driven pot motor machines that I have. It needed a good dusting, and they all need oiling. I had too much assistance to do much more.

Sunday was even lazier. I had to go to the store to get coffee cream, and also picked up sandwich meat, bread, cheese, chips, and then found a turkey breast in the meat section! Yesss I can finally have my Thanksgiving dinner almost a month later! I wound up some new skeins of yarn for other projects (defending them all from Calcifer) and cast on the mystery knit-along. Had a nap. Did make the turkey and really really hope I did it right, but it was also a lazy kind of day bc I hadn't planned for it so I only made mashed potatoes and the tiniest amount of gravy. Started watching the Witcher S4, and surprised immediately by how easily Hemsworth fit into the role. It helped that they spent the first 10-15 minutes reprising the greatest hits of the first three seasons with him in those scenes.

At work today and like, there's no one here lol. Including my boss!! So it's gonna be a more relaxing day than normal. Tomorrow I have a doctor's appointment and plans with M (since DWTS is still happening), but lots of my own time, and then all day Wednesday :D I taped together 1 partial pattern together yesterday (again with the helpers) so obviously need to do more. Hmm maybe I can do that on M's floor tomorrow. We shall see. Need to make some decisions!

beradan

Look, I may be from the cornfields of Ohio, but I was raised by Michiganders.

The song itself, of course

The Edmund Fitzgerald (WDIV Detroit)

Gales of November: Diving the Edmund Fitzgerald (KMSP Minneapolis-St. Paul)

National Museum of the Great Lakes

Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum

Mariners' Church of Detroit

koshka_the_cat

I was diagnosed with small cataracts my last eye appointment. My glasses, once again, aren't good enough after a few months. I made an appointment for January 7--medical, not optical. I really want the surgery and I want corrective lenses. I know my insurance won't agree, but I'll make it work.

And the Sunday night feelings are strong tonight. Just having one day than a day off is messing with ny brain!

koshka_the_cat

I bailed on my plans to go to a gameboard cafe with a teacher friend last night when they got pushed back to 7. 6 was pushing it, 7 was too late. I'm a night person, but I hate being out at night.

Today I went out to lunch with Luci who's in town for a concert. So that was nice!

atherleisure

I cut out a new sewing project yesterday, but that's all there is to say right now because it's to be a Christmas gift. While I don't believe the recipient reads this, I would rather wait until after Christmas to share.

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sewloud

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December 2021

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