This week I’m working on getting out of the house. I intended to go out on Monday, but just wasn’t feeling like it, and the Tuesday came and I just couldn’t get moving, so today I am leaving the house. I’m only going to the grocery, but still, today, I’m gonna do it. Also I have a lot of work to do, but groceries first.
What did you work on this week?
I’ve been working my way through the list of things like getting my sons’ allergy plans updated, and sorting out bathroom repairs. Mundane, but it does feel good to cross them off the list.
I’ve also been trying to find ways to fix my appalling lack of sleep lately. I’m trying magnesium supplements in the hopes that that might help some of the issues.
And I made rogan josh with aloo gobi for dinner. It’s always so good, and I love the way the house smells while making it.
@Emily: Aloo gobi is one of my favourite vegetable curries. Yum. Also rogan josh. Have you taken a look at Madhur Jaffrey’s new cookbook?
I’m making broth with a rooster, brought to me by a neighbour culling her flock. First time with a rooster. I’m using fresh ginger to reduce the gaminess… will this work?
Back to teaching. My courses have always been online since my students are from all over the province, including the North, so covid has made little impact on the methodology—we did have a brief hiatus in the spring, though, as everyone else at the university was scrambling to adapt. Most of my students are frontline healthcare workers; such a stressful time for them! Kudos for those who have continued with their studies.
It’s good to be working again.
I’m so proud of myself, y’all. https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ-_f4kAb9m/?igshid=ap2l9cy6ydga
I tried a different brand of store-bought puff pastry and I think that it helped.
I just finished taste it and I cannot believe that I managed to cook this.
As for everything else it’s just work. Work, work, work preparation. I’m a bit behind. I have to sit with my bilingual dictionary and online translation and work out how to instruct the whole syllabus (including mathematics and science) in English, to a French speaking child. This is out of my wheelhouse and different for me because with local vernacular, we have other children who can help us to explain. Argh.
I’m also struggling with going out, Jenny. In my case, it’s to our version of the DMV. Man, I don’t wanna!
Wow, that’s gorgeous!
And delicious.
Thank you. It was, both.
One day, it will be this. https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/salmon-recipes/easy-salmon-en-croute/
I’m waiting on trusted supplier to advertise fresh salmon.
Sure Thing, you have my sympathies on the DMV. I have renew soon which has usually been painless, but b/c of US’s stupid “real ID” laws, this one time I have to bring in a massive amount of paperwork. I’m going to end up bringing my driver’s license (proof I can drive), passport (proof of citizenship/lawful residence in US), social security card (proof of my social #), deed to my house and a bank statement (two proofs of residence of DC!). B/c I can’t use the same form of ID to verify more than one thing. Oh, and I have to get my eye doctor to fill out a form. At least it is a one time thing and I can make an appointment so it shouldn’t take too long. Fingers crossed it goes well b/c if I have to make more than one trip the DMV in a pandemic so help me. . .
This has been one of those weeks when just keeping your head above water counts as productive, I think. At least it does if you’re worried/impacted by the news coming out of DC. Still doing my best to not watch the news, but some days I’ve been better than others.
I’ve switched away from Catalan for now to practicing Italian again every day. I’m reading “The Man in the Brown Suit” in Italian, which is fun b/c I read it 20 + years ago and have almost no memory of the plot. I do remember there is a little romance to it.
Fanfiction is not going too well, currently. There is a plot thing that is niggling at me, but I may focus on another part and come back to it. I really do want to post by my birthday in February, so I don’t want to stall too much.
This week at work has been pretty intense. And my clubs have started back up (virtually) so I’m not feeling like I’m getting the “me time” that I need. So, that’s number 1 on my to-do list.
I did get my corners and borders figured out on the orange quilt. It’s now patiently waiting for me to figure out a backing. I’ll get back to it soon I hope. I also put a lot of work into quilting another that I had started piecing last May. There’s a little more to do, but mostly, I need to trim and bind it. Then it will be time to move on to the next one. There are several that I basted which are awaiting their time to be quilted. In the meantime, Teddy is enjoying them.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ_NRjbhaMl/
The best thing I did recently was notice that the clouds had lifted and the rain was gone. I put on my coat and went for a walk around the block. That felt really good – I’m going to do more of that. (Almost wrote “going to try to do more” but I’ve read that “try” is a weak word that allows you not to do the thing, so I’m trying to be more positive.)
I’m wearing my step counter again. It’s hard to remember to go out for a walk on a working day, but if I don’t manage it in daylight I do it after dark. Can’t wait for it to get darker later!
Remember–you ARE more positive!
I saw that after I posted. 🙂
I have made that salmon Wellington that Sure Thing mentioned above, salmon, spinach in a puff pastry a few times. Yours looks equally good with chicken and mushrooms. That’s the kind of picture that draws people in. Recipe, please.
My contribution to the culinary arts this week is taking three boxes of almost empty cold cereal and putting them in one box. So now I have Cheerios, cinnamon Churos and Dunkin Donuts coffee with cream flavored cereal to top off yogurt and fruit.
Last week I checked my license to see when it has to be renewed, not until next year. Thank goodness.
Yesterday I blocked off the morning to upgrade my anti virus in case I needed tech support from India. (p.s. I did)
I’ve been reading Arghers post about late mail, the other day I received my Christmas flyer dated Dec. 10 could it be a coincidence or the last blast from the head of the postal service?
I put it together, mostly on the fly. When I’m in queues today I will try to figure it out.
I got the First New Title of 2021 ready to launch. Will press ‘publish’ on that after work today, and tomorrow set it up for the new-releases newsletter at Queeromance Ink.
Aside from that, did tiny amounts of housekeeping/decluttering in the physical realm, and quite a lot of the same in the virtual. Records are in better shape and the process of deleting duplicate files from last year’s computer changeover has begun.
I’m pretty much not working, just trying hard to hold onto my belief that this year WILL get better. But in addition to the political chaos, I’m dealing with: sister-in-law diagnosed Sunday with advanced/inoperable lung cancer, friend’s elderly mother diagnosed with covid-19, and neighbor/friend in quarantine and awaiting test results because a coworker in a tiny office space tested positive.
So, mostly I’m fretting, which is exhausting. And I made a huge pot of beef barley stew, comfort food that’s reasonably healthy (extra veg, less salt).
And my agent is the best agent (like Murderbot says about his clients being the best clients). Nothing to announce, maybe never will be on this project, but it felt really good when my agent heard of an opportunity and passed it along to me, not in a mass-mailing to all her clients sort of way (although she probably did that too), but with a suggestion for what she thought I already had in my unpublished inventory that might work for it. Playing around with that pitch was a nice (albeit too brief) distraction from everything else!
Really sorry about your sister-in-law, Gin.
Thank you.
Hugs, Gin. And fingers crossed for the opportunity.
Thank you!
Sending opes and prayers for your sister in law.
Hopes and prayers.
Thanks. Latest news is more encouraging than early news, but it’s going to be rough.
I prepared for my daily walk this morning…dress warm, download podcast, get on the boots. Mask: check. Keys: check. Library books to return: check. Off we go.
10 seconds, perhaps 10 steps…. Like Jane Eyre, I had to admit there was no possibility of taking a walk today. Too effing slippery. (okay, Jane didn’t say that. Or did she?)
But like Jane, I was able to settle down by the window and read. (sans John Reed)
I made gumbo over the weekend. It was fun, and tasty, but it turned out I didn’t have spicy sausage, so it wasn’t as complex a flavor as I wanted. . I used shrimp and some leftover chicken. I feel I need to make it next month, with the proper andouille sausage. Okra really does put out a lot a goo.
I’ve painted several still lifes (still lives? stilllifes? That’s a lot of L’s in a row.) I looked it up. Still lifes. Anyway, it was pictures of fruit.
Really trying to concentrate on the future, on online classes for more skills, and not haunt the news sites. WordPress, anyone?
Also, I made a roulade cake, the recipe used *6* eggs, and one cup of flour and one cup of sugar. You melted the sugar with the eggs over a double boiler, then you whipped the batter for 10 minutes and it turned pale yellow and thick and fluffy. Fascinating. I got the idea for this because I had to do something with the fruit I had been painting, in this case 2 persimmons. I mashed them up with orange zest and marmalade, and then whipped cream. It rolled right up. And now there’s a 1 foot long cake in the freezer for days when only cake will do.
I saw them make roulades on the Great British Baking show. They looked pretty tasty.
I painted 1 wall of my kitchen while listening to the podcast from last week. My to do list is lengthy but I got the second Covid vaccine yesterday. And I just want to sleep. Hopefully the tiredness will wear off before I work the weekend.
I managed to go for groceries Tuesday evening, since it wasn’t part of Sunday’s outing. I stocked up on diet Sprite, which it turns out all the grandkinder like. Also, brown rice to serve with tuna steaks. Or eggs and bacon. Whichever.
I ran USB cable around and managed to transfer my TBR list to the littlest Kindle. I finished my DeMarce and Crusie books and slipped in All Systems Red. Murderbot is the black knight of SF. “Nice try, Murderbot, but I’ve shot your arms off.” “Tis but a scratch!” [Systems Failure Well Beyond Immanent. Shutting Down Yet Again, You Idiot.]
I’ve just got one more day on my edit, hopefully, before sending it to the author. I’m getting rather exasperated with her habit of getting things back to front. I want to tell her to begin at the beginning, go on to the end, and then stop. Still hoping for the architecture proofs, but haven’t heard anything.
I’ve been going for good walks most days, and even posted a few pix to Instagram, belatedly, yesterday (https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ9G1VFnEdX/). Today a present of two dozen snowdrops arrived unexpectedly, ready for planting – double scented ones. I didn’t think I’d get them until after they’d flowered, so very excited. Meant I had to get dressed and do some gardening, which is always good. I’ve cleared the corpses of ginger lily, canna and cobaea, which were finally felled by the frosts last week. The view from the kitchen is much less depressing.
Such lovely photographs! You obviously live in a beautiful area but your eye for the perfect image is amazing. Thank you so much for sharing them with us.
Thank you!
Got back to work last Thursday, school started on Monday, all of us are swamped by work.
Yesterday I had to go to the office not least because all of us had video meetings aroubd the same time and not enough rooms in the flat to be undisturbed (loft like space, very unfriendly for work from home) and I’m the only one who at least got the chance to use an actual office.
Got very cold on the way to and from work and to physio (finally was able to start treatment for my heel spur), so now I’m drinking lots of hot ginger with lemon because my throat doesn’t feel like it should do. And my hands and feet are cold. Gah!
On top of work I got 3 side jobs copy proofing and hardly know when to do it. But DS offered to help and though it will not really lessen the work load, it’s lovely that he offered.
Now we only have to make sure that the internet connection holds strong: DD got kicked out of her vidro lesson today and her Latin teacher was quite miffed about it. When the 4 of us have to work online… as probably does most of the apartment building, this can happen, but mustn’t, argh.
I have been knocking projects off the list, partially to keep me busy and away from the CNN website because I don’t need any more talking heads telling me that the riot on Wednesday was terrible and potentially treasonous and that we all know who was responsible for it. I did see that the City of New York is cancelling contracts with the Trump organization (apparently some people don’t read the morals clause) which hits him in the wallet so that’s always good.
I am now about 80% finished organizing the storage room and am moving on to the laundry room. I cleaned and organized the pantry, took some stuff to a local charity shop, and repotted a couple of plants. I flipped a drawer front that had the handle in the wrong spot and it looks much better now.
I also discovered that the fabric I have for my mom’s quilt backing is too short. I think I was shorted (or longed, I’m not sure which) at the fabric store because it’s a weird length. We have to go to Edmonton in a couple of weeks so I can get more then. I was so excited to get started, I had even bought a walking foot for my machine!
I have started a master list of all the projects I want to accomplish this year, both big and small. Today I stopped in at the hardware store to see if I could find a tip-out tray kit for the false front of my sink base cabinet. The big one was $25 and the small $15 and since all I need it for is a scrubby, an SOS pad and a nail brush, I got the small one. The woman who sold it to me must have been sick of looking at it for goodness knows how many years (it was at the back of the store and the packaging was all yellowed and dusty) and she sold it to me for 7.50!
And made two 600 km trips back to back.
I also made kitchen curtains. It took a year, maybe 2, plus about an hour and a half actual work.
I’m supposed to hear this week if I have a job after the end of the school year. They have two more days left to tell me. I’m undecided about how to feel about it. It’s very likely that I will have been vaccinated by the end of the summer so will have to go back into the office. I’m not sure I can deal with the constant interruptions anymore. I’ve been spoiled, working from home. I’m wondering if I can retire and go back to writing for clients part time.
I’ve also been thinking about the peace corps. But I’m not sure if there is a project that would really interest me. Maybe the point is to volunteer even if it’s not interesting because it’s good for humanity. It’s a lot to think about. Also I have dogs. Is it fair to the dogs to leave them for two years?
I have a lot of questions in my head.
I don’t know about the other things, but I’m going to say, NO, not fair to the dogs. Hugs.
Peace Corps work will probably be not at all what your expectations are, even with a thorough job listing! When I did it, my work was so different than expected, but still a great thing! So just be open to doing anything haha
Also, same boat with the doggo. I can’t leave him, even with my momma, which kind of hogties things.
I don’t know…which week is this? I wrote an article and sent it off, reread the 48 pages of the manuscript I’d written for the 3rd cozy mystery, since it had been so long since I’d had a chance to work on it. Today I actually added about 1,600 words, which was a major accomplishment (migraine, impeachment news to obsess over).
I also did a lot of work for the day job, despite it in theory being my day off. Got all the tax work hashed out with the accountant except one piece of info I’m waiting for from elsewhere. It turns out I did a good job this year. We were afraid the shop (an artist’s cooperative featuring about 45 local artists and craftspeople) wasn’t going to survive the Covid crisis. We were shut down for two and a half months by Gov. Cuomo back in March, along with most of the rest of New York State. Tourist season was called off. But somehow we managed, between grants and a birthday fundraiser I did for my birthday on Facebook, and me not taking a salary for 4 months (thank goodness for that extra $600 Federal unemployment) to end up in the black.
I also made chicken soup, so there’s that.
I’m redrafting patterns for all the cloth dolls I made, so that I can post them for people to use to make dolls and toys. And then I’ll have a place to put some of the designs I am making for the laser cutter as well. It is helping distract me from work on my teeth tomorrow, which I am full-body dreading.
Also!!! Writing up encouragement for #DailyFeb2021 because that is roaring at us faster than I can think clearly – Yikes.
Sometimes I just need to get out of the house, so I get in my car & just drive.
If the weather is nice I go to Ocean City NJ & walk the boardwalk & bask in the sunlight.
I plug in an audio book for the drive & just enjoy the day.😎
We are beginning our quarterly deadlines, so I’ve been busy. However, I took a few minutes to dump a few things in a pot and make chili. I keep miraculously having just the right items in my freezer, which I would ascribe to good planning except it definitely wasn’t.
It didn’t help that I had the (muted) TV on because I think some national events need to be watched in real time. Not enough to want to *hear* them, of course.
Cleaned the bathroom. I have a schedule of what I must do on every day of the week. It helps me cope with everything. Also, it helps me remember what day it is.
I’ve finished repurposing the old mattress topper in to mats for the dog crates. And I made a draft stopper for the front door. I was using an old towel; but, really. And I have the materials so that’s done. Just makes things a little nicer. A little maintenence on some jeans, clean-up, and I can put the sewing machine away for awhile.
Thank heavens for my dog because she gets me outside for a walk every day. (She gets really pissed if we don’t go.) It also helps my sleep cycle if I get the half hour+ exposure to natural light.
As for politics, it’s just getting worse and worse. Just found out one of the new parler-type websites is located about 20 miles north of me. Anough about that for now.
Love the mattress topper recycling ideas. I need to replace mine soon. Has a definite sag in the middle!
As long as you are not allergic to dust or dust mites. If I took an old mattress out of a very tightly sealed cover, my allergies would not let me hear the end of it.
I don’t think Parler is going to be around long. They’re suing Amazon. They don’t have a leg to stand on, so that and the fact that everybody’s blocking them should end them pretty quick.
From your mouth to God’s ears.
My boss bought a second home in northern CA, so it has been crazy trying to help her get things done before she gets on a plane on Saturday to be gone 2.5 months!
We decided that cat was not going to recover from nasal problems by himself, and got him to the vet. It was actually worrying how easy it was to get him into the car carrier, as he doesn’t like anything done to him (except expert petting). Expensive antibiotics later, he has started to eat again YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh and visiting a car body shop – did you know your wheel well cover could come off by itself while you are driving? As well as the similar plastic thing behind your front bumper a few miles later after you successfully removed the wheel well cover from behind your tire? Yep, they sure can! Good news is they are surprisingly cheap to fix.