Working Wednesday, January 19, 2022

~ Jenny

I’ve been crocheting like a madwoman, finishing WiPs while thinking about how to finally finish the WiP That Will Not Die (much like its hero) and listening again to the Music Video Most Likely To Keep Me Warm in 2022 (and beyond):

What did you work on that kept you warm (or not) this week?

58 thoughts on “Working Wednesday, January 19, 2022”

  1. Alan Rickman!

    Nice song.

    On what am I working? What I need to work on is the diet. I’ve gained five pounds this week, and that means the story, Return to Atkinsville. And step up the Chair Yoga. And in an hour or so, a trip to the FNFL. The hydroponic gardens due later today need purified water (I read that as “distilled”) and I can always use more carbonated beverages. I’m the enabler for the rest of the family. I’m down to just chicken strips, and I’m thinking stir fry for those. I need other meat and eggs and vegetables.

    I went to bed last night shortly after midnight. Got up four hours later. Ate breakfast, two eggs, over, two strips bacon, two slices whole wheat extremely thin bread. I’m good until afternoon, I think. I still have things to work on before the garden arrives. I’m going to grow tomatoes and chili peppers and such. There will be pictures.

    1. I never read the instructions on my Smart Garden 3 so I have always just used tap water. But we have very soft water. I do run it through the dishwasher between loading different plant seed pods. When the plants get to about 6 inches tall (this is after I have pinched them back a time or two), I transplant them to 4 inch pots. I have an old broiler pan I put the pots into so I can water them without having to worry about getting water on the furniture. When the weather gets above 40 F AT NIGHT, I harden the plants off by first moving them where they will be in full shade for two days, then I move them to where they only get morning light directly for several days, then they are ready to go into sunlight. If you are leaving them in pots to grow instead of planting them in the ground, this is the point I transplant them again. I have had my Smart Garden for two years now.

  2. I’ll give two week perspective here, as I didn’t write last week. I had a lovely trip to Vancouver to see my daughters at Christmas. We hadn’t seen them since before Covid. I spent the last bit of that holiday sprinting to finish a pullover for one of my daughters before getting on the plane. I finished it, and it fit perfectly! Yay! Since returning, I have managed to write up a blog post about the sweater, take up a new busy role at work, and spend the rest of the time collapsed on the couch in a swirl of jet lag and brain fog. It’s getting better, though, and we stayed healthy. Sweater link if you are interested: https://knitigatingcircumstances.com/2022/01/16/the-caravay-pullover-winners-daughter-takes-all/.

    4. So beautiful … what I aspire to. I am just beginner -intermediate so still knitting the small stuff with acrylics

  4. I had an epiphany about a week ago for a quilt challenge project. We’re supposed to come up with a smallish quilt that has a strip of a particular color (we were supplied with) running through it. When they are done, we’ll line them up where the blue comes out and see how the ribbon wanders around the wall. Well, I had scrapped my original idea as too hard, and came up with my new one while I was trying to sleep. I’m going to use a capital N (for Nancy) as my blue going from side to side, and I’ll have a night with a moon on one side of the N and a daytime sky on the other with the sun. I’m thinking of calling it Night N Day. Anyway, that idea had me excited for this project. On Saturday I went shopping and found my perfect fabrics and Sunday spent some time with my graph paper and figuring out how to make it. The background is now done, so I just need to cut out the other pieces and applique them on.

    Other than that, I’ve been continuing quilting and crocheting, but neither project is anywhere close to being done! One of these days though, I’ll have something fun to share.

      1. I was thinking of recreating a photograph and haven’t done that before. With a deadline looming shortly, I determined this was not the time to try to learn that particular skill.

  5. I finished sorting out my files. I’ve now got a new lead for my lightbox, but a quick look through the first batch of slides suggests this isn’t going to be a quick job. May need to have second thoughts: I do have space to store them, and perhaps it’s not worth the time and angst involved.

    Meanwhile, life has suddenly got busy. I’ve started a new (hopefully short) edit for Penguin and have a friend coming to stay for a few days tomorrow. So next job is to clear the workroom for her, since it’s also my spare room.

    Went to Bodnant Garden yesterday, researching camellias. They didn’t have the one I fancied for sale. Might go back next month and see what’s in flower then. The plant I did fall for was Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’. They had at least half a dozen mature shrubs in the winter garden, and I was bowled over by the perfume. I think I could fit one in, though they’re expensive and a bit hit and miss. But to have that scent in January!

  6. Writing in between hospital shifts. Also helped edit a book and am taking Kyle Hanagami’s dance course, which asks for 5-6 hours of dance time per week. And taking my daughter for vaccination today.

    I’m not sleeping well, to be honest, which disturbs the dogs. But I have a few days off, starting today, and plan to nap this afternoon. I’ve written 1500 words and now plan to have a relatively Unworking Wednesday.

  7. I realized that I wasn’t enjoying any of the projects that I had scheduled for myself, so I shelved the lot of them. I have been hand sewing through my mending pile instead, which makes me happy.

    I’m trying to decide if I ever want to go back to in person shows and sales as a vendor, or just focus online entirely. Not sure. I miss the energy of participating in a group event, but customer service is my day job and I am pretty peoples out …

  8. I spent time trying to get a blog up and running; the writing isn’t the problem, but the tech is, despite how “easy” it’s supposed to be. Yesterday I gave up–I’ve got work-that-pays and my own writing to do. Maybe now is not the time. Just getting basics like laundry and dishes done feels like an accomplishment! Winter=fallow time. I need to honor that.

  9. I’m still not doing much working, as the universe keeps thwarting me, so no pix of the quilts for the Romancing The Vote auction (to benefit Fair Fight). Next week!

    Oh, but I have been working on one thing — Deb and I are putting together a JortsTheCat-themed listing for the auction, with our cozy mysteries (my series has an orange cat character and hers are set in a fictional provider of “Jorts merch” — adoptable cats) and a few other fun things. Photo of that to come next week too for anyone who’s interested.

  10. My only Working Wednesday update is that, after taking a three-day vacation this week, my retirement fantasies are only more frequent. I just wanna quit and spend the rest of my life driving around North America with my dog, camping, hiking, and visiting friends and family. Is that too much for a 40-something lady to hope for?

    1. ….Yeah, probably. I wish I could quit too. But realistically I don’t think I’ll ever even retire deliberately (as opposed to being forced into it) since I am permasingle and don’t think I can ever give up income.

    2. I don’t think I want to retire per se, but I’ve noticed recently that I’ve got this yearning to do something wildly different. I just don’t know what. And I wonder if it’s a reaction to the pandemic going on seemingly forever, and I’m thinking probably a lot of people are feeling the same way, not just in connection to jobs (the Great Resignation/Retirement) but in other ways too, like moving to a new house/city/country, or taking on a major new hobby, or something entrepreneurial, or … I dunno. Just different.

  11. I’m crocheting a dress, knitting a skirt and a sweater, switching between all three.

    I started Urinetown rehearsals this week, which is twisted and interesting. I’m singing about how people should pee before the show really starts, about how not to be a dumb bunny who gets killed, and singing the most kissup song ever (“Mr. Cladwell, you’re so godly…”).

    I have no idea if my show that’s supposedly in progress this month will come back this weekend or not, all I have heard is “we need ushers!” so no idea if the entire orchestra has caught it or not. I assume they probably all have to test today (five days later) so nobody will know until tomorrow. They haven’t said anything about getting a replacement pianist/conductor either, which I assume they will have to do because ours was definitely symptomatic and no matter what he’d probably have to do 10 days, which shoots him out for the weekend. Sigh.

  12. I’m trying to write today, with about the same amount of success I’ve been having (little to none…but the day isn’t over yet).

    Not working at the day job tomorrow because I either have a cold (HOW?! I wear masks everywhere!) or the Thing That is Not a Cold. Went to get tested this morning and should get the results back in a day or two. In the meanwhile I feel meh, although not terrible, so I’m going to go upstairs and see if I can get the new cat to come out for five minutes again.

    1. Deb, I got a nasty cold in November in spite of always wearing a mask and not once getting cold feet (my weak spot). No one of my family got it (even thogh dd and dh shivered in the freezing cold watching ds’s soccer matches).
      As if my immune system wasn’t used to fending off a cold anymore.
      Anyway: get well soon or better still, fingers crossed that the cold doesn’t come in earnest.

    2. Update: Covid test was negative, so it is either a cold or the up and down weather. Also, I FINALLY finished the damned chapter I was working on, so huzzah.

  13. Working on my own and other peoples year end/year begin projects. I think the end is in sight on most of the accounting things – the ironic thing is that DH deals with all our tax stuff, and I end up helping other people with their tax prep.

    I am only working in the office 3 days this week, and am the only one in, so fairly restful and productive. As evidenced by my actually posting on a Working Wednesday! About to crank up the rock and roll before checking the current project list.

    1. Bless you! I use Turbo Tax because I don’t own a home and my medical deductions are too low to qualify, so it’s “Fill In Income” and “Fill in taxes withheld” and efile. It’s Friday, and CoVA finally made my W2 available. Whoops! Saturday, now, and my taxes are done and filed. Next year, it’ll be all on 1099s.

  14. That is definitely a video that warms the body and the heart.
    I’m playing veterinary nurse. Max tore his ACL (or whatever they call it in a dog) and had surgery on Monday. Poor guy. He now has a pin and plate in his right rear leg. All considered, he’s doing well and staples from incision will come out at the end of the month. He’s a 98 pound boy but seems to do well hopping around on three legs.
    He hated the cone from the Vet, so we found a soft one, that has clear plastic strips in front. He sleeps in it very well, and no longer runs into furniture.
    He has become expectant of massages though. It seems to be my job. The minute I walk in my daughter’s door he rolls over and gives me puppy dog eyes. And of course I comply with the request.

      1. It’s called ZenCone. Cost around $40, but we figured it is totally worth the cost.

  15. I forgot to mention that I love this video. (Alan Rickman. SO sexy. That dance scene. And I love the twist at the end.) In fact, the first time you posted it, I went right out and bought the CD. Alas, Alan Rickman was not included.

  16. For most of the video I was puzzled that there was no driver, and what the heck? But then I looked on the proper side of the car and saw him.
    Having a hard day when all my commitments seem like more than I’m capable of handling competently. Not feeling very sharp, and can’t quite find my focus.

  17. The mailbox post is mostly in: I still have to install the actual mailbox and since my old one is frozen to the ground and we’re not going to get a thaw for weeks yet, it’ll be awhile. But I and my sledge hammer did the job. I’m very proud. And very cold.

  18. Unexpectedly ended up at the dentist (the dental lab damaged the mold for my replacement crown, and they needed to cast another). That seems to have taken care of today, so I came home — found out last night that the local Target where I do the Wednesday shopping to buy the prefurred brand of kibbles and litter has been closed since a mysterious fire the morning of January 3. So while we were well stocked up on those, I’ll have to get the next round of them elsewhere until the place can reopen.

    So back at home trying to maximize the information in my DNA test results. I can identify (at least which grandparent the connection is through) most of the “closely” related matches, and a fair number of the more distant ones, until I hit the people who probably have New England Descent — New England being well documented and well recorded back to the early 1600’s and intensely genealogically researched since the New England Historical & Genealogical Society was founded in 1850, still going strong. At the tail end of my match list, the common ancestor is someone in the 1600’s and the shared matches are with people related to me on a completely different line. This, I think, is where we hit ‘background white noise,’ barring more information.

  19. My big achievement this week has been delivering some long overdue birthday presents for a pair of adorable toddlers. The kids in question are currently sick so it may be a week or 2 before their grandparents are able to deliver the gifts, but at least the transfer process has started. I had planned to go out to the suburbs and drop off the bag of gifts yesterday, but my great nephew came down with a bug and so I wasn’t able to get out there. Today it is over 20 degrees colder, but I met my sister in a public place where there was no danger of my nephew and I trading germs and she helped me drop off the goodies.

    I am also tracking the progress of my passport and State ID on their way to me from France. As of 6:30am today they had cleared customs and were in Indianapolis. I have absolutely no idea why they were routed that way or what carrier is responsible for getting them the rest of the way to me, but the knowledge that they are only 1 state away is very encouraging.

    I’ve also been working on getting a replacement reloadable card to pay for the laundry equipment in my building and today finally heard that they were in stock. It has been 6 weeks or more since I was able to do laundry without begging somebody with a car to transport me and it and I was on the point of staging a sit-in at the management office until they did something. Tomorrow, when it is predicted to be really cold, I get to spend time in the unheated basement. But I will have clean underwear.

  20. I am working on finding a house today. I drove 4 hours to Palatka & saw 3 houses. Really liked 1. Staying in St Augustine tonight & then going to Gainesville tomorrow to look at some there.
    GPS was not my friend today. Actually some of it was my fault. I turned wrong a couple of times and got redirected – once onto a one lane scary dirt/ sand road. Yikes.

  21. Got Pixie to the groomer; she behaved beautifully, for the most part. She doesn’t like to be brushed by me. Gonna have to work on that.

    Haven’t done any work on the afghan I’ve been crocheting forever. Getting single digit lows starting Thursday night and going for at least a week, so maybe I’ll be motivated to picking it up again.

    Mostly, I’ve been carrying on and dodging ice patches while walking the dog and running errands.

  22. I’ve been working on figuring out the Cover Situation for my Edwardian queer romance. Along the way I’ve succumbed to a trio of Art Deco pre-made covers which I looked at a dozen times yesterday, woke up full of Story Ideas, and decided to order. That is so out of character for me in this Spend No Money, It’s A Hobby writing life of mine. But who knows, if I can turn out a respectable trio of 1920s romances, maybe those will catch me some eyeballs that have not paused on my contemporaries.

    Our new treadmill is up and running. Yesterday I walked on it. About to go walk on it some more.

    My parents put an offer on a lot in the town where my sister lives. Cross your fingers they get it and can start building ASAP.

    Otherwise: day job work. It’s too worky.

    1. Any advice on treadmill specs, what to look for, what to avoid? I’m going back and forth on whether to get one, and the main thing in the “not” column is just not having a clue what features/specs to consider.

  24. I’m grateful that my dog has something easily treatable. My walking coffee table has hypothyroid. Treatable is good. She is looking perkier. So I am okay with vacuuming tumbleweeds of doghair.

  25. I’m on holiday, so I worked on not checking my work email (limited success).

    We went tramping (aka hiking) in Rakiura Stewart Island, NZs third, smallest, and southernmost main island. It was gorgeous. It was an easy three day walk on well formed tracks and it’s a Great Walk so the huts are good, ie I can’t claim it as work at all, although I’m unfit enough that I felt it anyway. Huh, do other countries have huts for walkers? There are a lot here, some just basic shelters, but Great Walk huts have wooden bunks, mattresses, running water, long drop toilets, a fire for heating and a kitchen to set up your camp cooker. Luxury. Rakiura is Very Far South, only the tip of Argentina and Chile is closer to Antarctica. And pics!
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CY0zjvJvq-r/?utm_medium=share_sheet

    The upside of our restricted borders – seeing parts of NZ I’ve never been to before.

      1. Yes, logging. There was a lot of logging of native forest when NZ was being colonised and ancient forests were decimated.

    2. Scotland has similar shelters, I know – think they’re called bothies. Most of England and Wales isn’t as remote.

  27. Today is my first day up and about after being flattened by whatever that was for four full days. Sadly, the housework did not do itself while I was horizontal, and the cats refuse to vacuum. So I have rather a lot of housework to catch up on.

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