AI really annoys me, especially all those dogs-choose-people videos which are supposed to fake warm my heart. But there is one series of AI videos that I love, the Greenland Defense Front, because who doesn’t love a well-armed polar bear. Plus, you know, the walruses.
Jennifer Crusie is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author and co-author of twenty-three novels, one book of literary criticism, miscellaneous articles, essays, novellas, and short stories, and the editor of three essay anthologies. She lives in a cottage in Pennsylvania, where she often stares at the ceiling and counts her blessings.
Find out more about Jenny’s published works by visiting JennyCrusie.com
82 Responses
Thanks – that was fun!
I’ve been editing my slide photography of landscapes, mostly taken 1995-2005. There’s some good stuff there, especially of some places I kept going back to. I enjoyed seeing all those details again, and the rich, moody colours. (Can’t share any, since they’d have to be scanned first and I’m not set up for that.)
PS. Great rejoicing: the sun’s coming back to my garden – a quarter of it was lit up this morning. Spring is going to happen.
Long story very short: It was discovered on Wednesday that Matcha needs to have two teeth extracted. Bad genes says the vet, for the rest of her teeth looked great, but these two were not having any of it. Explained why she was behaving strangely lately and why she smells bad out of her mouth.
I am happy I listened to my gut (even if I’m angry and sad it took me so long because I still keep thinking I’m imaginging things) and took her to the vet, but I’m of course not thrilled she has to have surgery. Poor Matcha. At least it’s teeth she won’t really “need”, and they’ll do X-ray of the rest of the teeth as well and thorough bloodwork on her while they’re at it to make sure there’s nothing else going on. I’m sure she’ll be in good hands, but I hate it that it has to happen. Fingers crossed Tuesday.
Hugs. My cat Koshka turned out to be gluten intolerant, and he had to lose more than a quarter of his weight before I figured it out (okay, a friend who used to be a nurse figured it out, then my vet confirmed it was possible). By the time we switched him to gluten-free food, he’d lost a couple of teeth in the back I didn’t realize were even gone, and had to have two more pulled. Thankfully, since we put him on the new food, he put weight back on and the remaining teeth are fine. But I too felt awful that I didn’t realize it was going on, and hated that he had to have teeth pulled. So you have all my sympathy.
Glad you figured out Matcha’s problem and you’re both on the road to recovery. Yeah, I said both. I know you’ve been stressed and hurting too. Best wishes for an easier time from here forward!
My coworker had a cat who had to have all his teeth removed, and he was not only fine, he could eat crunchies, and lived to a ripe old age, so no worries on that front.
It so hard sometimes to figure out if we should have a traumatic vet visit or give it a couple days, or try this or that. And based on knowing humans, not sure it would be any better if they could talk. We do the best we can.
Yesterday I watched a video where Flounder, a very intelligent cat and not AI, had been used his word buttons to tell his person “ouch” and a think “litter” to let her know it hurt when he peed. She decided to take him to the vet and he had blood in his urine and FIC, which could lead to kidney failure but they caught it early.
Those buttons are fun. My daughter taught her last cat to use about 11 during the pandemic. I have seen both dogs and cats use them to communicate. It was enlightening to see why cats would ask to go out and then come in—if it was too noisy for example.
Or if they were missing a person.
I can see how it would also help with their health care.
Shass, all my sympathy for you and Matcha. I’m glad you discovered the problem.
May it all go well and Matcha come out of it feeling so much better!
It’s really common for cats to need teeth extracted. And cats do great without them. My diabetic cat had several pulled, and he continued to love his diabetic-diet kibble (and continued to refuse to eat the canned stuff that would have been better for him). It was a struggle keeping him from eating kibble in the first week or so while his gums were healing! My next-door neighbor’s cat had ALL her teeth removed and continued to eat kibble!
Exactly. Predators don’t need to chew their food. Even tiny predators.
I don’t like AI, but I’ll make an exception for this. Especially since at the moment, I feel at though I am living in the land of polar bears…
Happiness will be things warming up, but at the moment I’m happy that the pipes didn’t freeze overnight when it got down to -14 without adding in the windchill. Also getting some writing done.
I will confess I leaked like a tap when I first saw one of those unspeakable dig-finds-new-owner videos. It took me two full minutes to smell the proverbial rat, and then I took lessons from the comments that pointed out the tells.
I’ve almost gone off animal reels completely now, apart from Rocky Kanaka or suchlike.
In other news, the semester is over here, and I’ve been diving headlong into The Lord of the Rings for maximum escapism. Alas, not all that escapist, looking at the Orcs besetting Blue cities these days.
Happiness is spending time talking to writers about writing. I’ve been at a convention this weekend, and it’s been great. Unfortunately, it’s Sunday morning–too soon it will be time to return to reality.
It made me happy to watch the movie – Letters to Juliet – romance and humor!
It’s one of my faves, too, Mary.
I did better at being cordial and helpful at work this week, which has been a challenge recently (and not so recently to be honest). I have to remind myself “this is what she pays me for” when asked to do some stupid task. Last week I did put my foot down about talking to a customer about her project – that is not my part of the business and after one instance that went badly, I’m not confident that “helping”is necessarily helpful in the long run.
About to make reservations for ridiculously expensive Easter brunch with 8 other people. It’s fun, it’s our tradition, and I feel I am spiritually and culinarily connected with my mother and two friends who are gone, but who were enthusiastic participants, and my darling niece who no longer lives in MI.
And we are getting above freezing this week! Maybe the snow/ice stuck behind the front grill of my car will finally melt!
It is supposed to get above freezing this week and I am living for that. I did get into the woods this week and it is always good for my soul no matter the weather. Cold rain might be the exception. That’s just gross.
My dog still hates the snow. My husband haves fun watching the ice form on the river. He also enjoys showing me the problems caused by ice dams. Why?!
I saw this video when it came out – it’s great.
My big happy this week was getting a new tattoo – a small penguin with flowers on its back on my right ankle. It’s in memory of my dear friend who died last year of ALS. He loved penguins. The tattoo artist was a lovely young woman and she did a great job.
That’s really sweet way to remember your friend. Sounds lovely.
Jenny, that’s hilarious! I hope it doesn’t come to that. Some experts say the prez is deteriorating fast. JD does not have any charisma. There are possibilities there.
I enjoyed watching both Greenland Defense Force videos. Somebody should make a list: “The Best of AI Videos.” These would be on there. There are a few videos that put Star Trek in trailer parks or as rednecks. Some that do similar things to Star Wars. Picture Harry Potter as a hillbilly, Hermione in Daisy Dukes.
Heh.
I strode upon the Dotter’s Treadmill today. I don’t think that’s going anywhere. I forgot to have Alexa read me an audiobook, or to carry my MP3 player and earphones. Next time she asks if I’m using it, I’ll be able to reply in the affirmative.
Expecting a delivery from Wallyworld after lunch. They made a substitution – a half-gallon of 2% instead of the three pints I wanted. I suppose it doesn’t matter, I’ll just have to measure as I use it instead of recording the pre-measured amount. I also suspect I’ll mix it with “instant non-fat dry milk” to stretch it. I’ve been having cravings for milk, lately.
When my boys were little I used to make chocolate milk with the instant dry milk mixed with whole milk. I haven’t thought if it in years. Also, strawberry but that got to be too much.
Another of today’s purchases was “Great Value sugar-free Chocolate Syrup” and I have already used some in 2% milk.
I had to think back to when Mama mixed dry with whole milk. We lived in Panama City, FL, and Papa was stationed at the US Navy Mine Defense Lab aboard one of five minesweeper there. (USS Vigor, Valor, Venture.. and so forth. Four “Vs” and an “A.”) Mama shopped the day-old store for bread and snacks. Navy wives make do.
Gary I always find that if I can be consistent with an elliptical or treadmill or walking for a month then my body starts to crave it and I feel a lot better generally.
And I always read on my phone while doing it.
I love my new under the desk elliptical!
I hope I start craving the treadmill. 🙂
I hopped on again this afternoon. This time I said, “Alexa, play something from my Audible Library!” and Alexa replied, “Resuming playback of Agnes and the Hitman which pleased me no end.
Alexa has good taste.
When I sold Tupperware, we had a recipe for cocoa mix made with the instant nonfat milk that we would pass around to partygoers. It was good.
Many, many moons ago in the then-USSR, I bought some dried milk that was not fat free. It spoiled faster than nonfat but as I recall, it tasted a lot better and I think it kept much longer than fresh milk. Of course UHT milk is another way to keep nonrefrigerated milk that never really caught on here, although it’s popular in Europe.
The internet tells me whole milk power exists here too, although I’ve never come across it. Supposedly it will keep for 8 months without refrigeration. I don’t know if it’s reasonably priced.
I used to buy it (Parmalat brand ) all the time for taking to my office in the car for tea and for back up when my kids were little and my DH traveled a lot and I didn’t want to make emergency grocery runs. It’s regularly in my grocery store. Seems to be 3.49 a quart. They also sell it in individual serving boxes with straws which are great for little kid snacks. It’s more expensive than fresh but not exorbitant and really useful for those situations.
I’m talking about UHT milk .
Full fat dried milk also seems to be available.
When we were little (so early 60s) and lived in Montana my mom only gave us dried milk because they had been doing nuclear testing around where the fresh milk came from and by the time the milk was dried the radioactivity was much reduced.
My mother in FL used to buy UHT to have on hand when returning from traveling, until I convinced her that one can freeze liquid milk, which was a cheaper solution. I think that in Europe UHT is as cheap or cheaper than fresh. I routinely bought it when I lived there.
During my submarine days, they bought some of that shelf-stable milk. Nobody liked it much until about sixty days into the patrol, when we’d been without for a good long time.
Almost everyone preferred the dry milk, provided it was served close to freezing.
I bought some to use in my yogurt making, although I didn’t end up doing so. It is much harder to find the whole milk powder (I think I had to get it off of Amazon), but not impossible.
The Greenland clip gave me goosebumps. Who’d have thought that it’d come to a point like that?
I’m researching European alternatives to most of my tech stuff (browsers, authenticator etc). That’s hard for a non-techie like me.
Yet still be got the subscription for HBO max for the next couple of weeks. Kiddo and I wanted to get it for a certain Canadian show, my guys want to watch
certain football ⚽️ tournaments. I’d much prefer to get a subscription for Crave, but well, I’m a tech-clueless one.
Happiness? Not sure about my happy moments, but it felt very nice to watch the Olympic Opening ceremony with hubby and son and yesterday the Canadian women vs the Swiss. We’re in awe of what felt like 50 saves by the Swiss goalie. 51 shots on goal vs 8 iirc? Wow!
The orangutan evidently could not even convince enough of his idiot minions in Congress, so I hope the invade-Greenland idea is dead.
I really do hope so, Patrick. The orange buffoon and his minions are surely an unbelievable menace to democracy.
I completely am on Greenland’s side and am utterly ashamed that it’s my country that is on the side of evil. The image of the dead eagle just makes me sad.
There were even cigars and cigarettes hanging from the mouths of the walrus and polar bear. It’s those extra touches.
The past couple of weeks I’ve been watching The West Wing on Netflix. Never saw it before so I’m a newbie. Usually I’m not bothered by spoilers, this is after all fiction, but I can’t keep myself away from people that comment about what has happened on the show through Reelz. I wish they would give the episode number that such and such happened so I would have a heads up.
Because it is football and winter Olympics yesterday, I tried my hand at making sliders. I only made one batch actually came out pretty good. It was BBQ pork on brioche rolls. Already prepared BBQ just had to microwave and spread over sliced provolone cheese and top with the sliced half of the rolls.
Next time maybe a scoop of coleslaw will be added for crunch. Just thinking.
We finished the first Miss Marple video and will watch more. We also never finished Only Murders in the Building and so want to get back to that.
But right now it’s all Olympics all the time. With Peacock we can watch whenever we want. My neighbor and good friend came for the team figure skating yesterday and will today, and we watched with popcorn, chocolate, lemon bars, mulled cider, and texted commentary from my son who follows it closely. We are mostly happy when people do well but we are rooting against the skaters trained by Eteri Tutberidze and by extension the Georgian team, because we consider her guilty not only of doping her skaters but also child abuse (see her behavior at the 2022 women’s Olympic finals plus starving them, not letting them drink water before skating, and teaching incorrect techniques that leave them with chronic injuries by the time they are out of their teens.) I hope this enhances your viewing.
I’m also happy that I emailed the annual family letter out before Valentines Day.
I am relieved that my PT said my increased pain was just overdoing it and I just need to cut back a bit.
We had our first visitors! My friend and his husband dropped in to see the Big House, have dinner, watch some Olympics, and stay the night before jetting off back home. Was great to have some real quality time with them.
Prep for that included fetching home a 7-qt slow cooker so I could do a version of my pork shoulder pot roast (standard version includes several varieties of red chilis. My friends has a very low spice tolerance, so this version was chili-free), which evidently succeeded because there is hardly any left. The North Carolina-made bourbon I found was also a hit.
Today my sibling, her wife, DH and I are going troll-hunting at the Arboretum, after which they will settle in for Super Bowl and I will not. 🙂
Garden trolls?
Ooh my goodness be careful where you call anything made outside of Kentucky – Bourbon. That’s very controversial. If I can find it I’ll put a link for a documentary.
https://youtu.be/a4TH6R0TJVI?si=OSqZZRXA2-7sELBx
This one is called Neat.
Yes, I refrained from complaining. It has to be made within arms reach of Bourbon County or it’s just whisky.
The Wikipedia article cites multiple sources contradicting this Bourbon County KY attempt to monopolize the name. Seems about as silly as attempts in France to monopolize champagne.
And for the same reason–it has roots there.
Evidently bourbon doesn’t, and likely originally had nothing to do with Bourbon County, even in name, at least per Wikipedia, which I want to believe since it fits my inclination to name foods by what they are, not where they were made.
You might like the book “Real Food / Fake Food” by Larry Olmsted or you may find you want to argue with the author.
The specialist did a lot of tests and gave me some exercises for my eyes to get them to track together better. She thinks they can be helped. I will go there weekly for a while, for therapy. I see her again next month. She gave me a new glasses prescription, and we went to Warby-Parker, so they can change out the lenses in the frames of the glasses she told me not to use, anymore. I will have a pair of glasses that are for both eyes for reading, and a pair of glasses that are for both eyes for distance. “Rejoice with me, for I have found my hope, which was lost.” (paraphrase of Luke 15: 6.) Thanks to all of you cheerleaders on Argh, especially Debbie, who asked for a report. I still have another appointment with a neuro-opthalmologist doctor at the end of February, and she was fine with that, and says he’s good. .
KC son is looking to move to Utah in April. He took the job Friday. They are using a POD. He helped me book a flight to Phoenix in late March so I can look for a house. I hope I can see better, by then. It’s Southwest, and I chose my seats on each flight. I like the aisle, because I’m claustrophobic. He has talked to Phoenix son about helping me find a house. That son has a client who buys and redoes houses, and rents them. My step-dad told me not to move twice, but maybe I could rent first, and find my “last home” quickly and buy it, and not unpack very much, at first. KC son’s house rose in value a lot. I’m sure mine hasn’t, so much. It’s a good neighborhood, though. My real estate tax bills show that the county thinks my house has increased in value. 🙄 There are several townhomes near my Phoenix son that I can afford.
I have an appointment for a haircut next Tuesday. What a relief. My hair looks pretty bad.
I am so happy about your eyes! That’s great news . Sympathies about the quick move but I bet you will be relieved and happy when it’s done.
Thanks, Debbie. I think you’re right. I had planned to move before the stroke, so this is not a new idea, just a more difficult iteration of it.
If you’re still having vision problems when you travel, tell the person at the check-in desk and ask for early boarding for the flight, because of your vision issues. Explain it’s a temporary condition, which is why you don’t have a permanent early-boarding approval. They’re usually really helpful. (I resisted doing early boarding for a LONG time, for my mobility issues, not vision, and I still don’t want the wheelchair-to-the-gate help, but I’m really slow walker, so it’s better for everyone if I don’t hold up the race from the gate to the plane.)
Thanks, Gin. I think I’ll be all right. I can wear the goggles with one eye covered in tape. I hope I will OK to navigate the TSA and other barriers.
My Mum has slowed down a little too. She doesn’t use a wheelchair to gate…, but she does turn up early and tells the airport desk that she needs help getting to the gate and they usually load her onto those little electronic carts and deliver her there so she can save her energy
Happy to hear the good news on the eye front! Hope the new glasses and exercises do the trick. Wishing you all the best in Phoenix too!
Thanks, Jean Marie!
Fingers crossed for eye improvement and easy house hunting!
If uou don’t want to move twice, and if staying with Phoenix son isn’t an option, what about putting all your stuff in storage and using one of those long stay hotels ?
I have no idea how the costs compare but it might save a lot of hassle.
I am so glad to hear about your eye therapy! And best of luck with the house hunting.
Posting before reading comments again. Will go back through & read them.
THANK YOU, JENNY, I love this!
Great video about Greenland. Hopefully, it doesn’t become a realty.
Cold and rainy today here in Hawaii but we’ve had three great hiking days and are hanging in the hotel room watching Olympics figure skating so life is good.
TV Babe, instead of Pool Babe?
Exactly. Also, I think a rewatch of Heated Rivalry – a “reheat” – is on the horizon tonight.
Thanks for that link – it made our day!!!
At the moment I’m struggling with happiness, but we did have sunshine today, and my husband got me flowers this week. I also have high hopes for the most recent therapist I am trying.
Flowers are lovely. My DH came home saying you left something off the shopping list but I remembered anyway and it was two bunches of tulips, enough to fill our Dutch tulip vase. Since I am almost entirely house bound right now (healing hip + snowcrete) that really cheered me up.
My happy is two days over freezing in the coming week. I need some of this snow to disappear. In the meantime, no walks for me or Pixie.
And I will be able to start my taxes at least two weeks before I usually get to them. Sooner started, sooner finished.
I’ve had a fun weekend going through photos of my NZ trip. Trying to make it extend a little longer!
Late again, but just wanted to say I enjoyed the video! Also sad that so many nice animal videos are fakes. At least this one is full on AI and great fun.
An Internet friend of mine is posting daily bits about the Olympics like the charming paper extension Canadian skater Maddy Schizas (sp?) got and she has a picture of something she calls synchronized blow drying which looks vaguely like group curling done with alpine horns to a steep slope down which presumably humans will then slide (hopefully not to their deaths). I am completely bewildered .
I am pleased to report that the Georgians did not get a team skating medal. Now I only need to root against the Georgian man and the “independent” Russian woman. I prefer to support athletes but take child abuse seriously. And of course what I do at home must magically affect their chances !
Aha!
They are using leaf blowers to dry the ski jumping track.
I had no idea.
These days I seem to accomplish about one task requiring significant physical effort a day, where previously I could do at least three. Yesterday I did run laundry from a mostly preloaded machine and did partly reload the dishwasher, but the big accomplishment was making a large batch of turkey chili. (Partly in honor of the Super Bowl, which I watched but was not hugely engaged with, no preattachment to either team.). Too late to use dried beans, I found that I had only one can left of kidney beans (and no dried lentils, which would have cooked quickly). I recalled that I had some farro (a kind of hulled wheat seed) that I had bought out of curiosity but had found nothing that I liked it in. Since it’s used much like pasta and chili is often served on pasta, I tried a dry cup of that. It worked very well in the chili (cooking and filling out quickly), thickening it up (and added carbs such that it needed neither pasta nor crackers with it). It did drop the protein content a bit, although wheat has some. I may add some tomato juice for a tad more liquid when I reheat it.
I cook with farro a lot. I love it in grain salads for summer with a dressing (usually vinaigrette), herbs, scallions and maybe tomatoes, and it’s also a lovely side starch when we have a protein main dish, often with a truffle oil or an orange flavored olive oil.
I am also making turkey chili tonight,
With a cornbread side and 6 toppings.
After my first experiments, I had planned to leave the farro until summer and try it on cold salads, since I seemed to prefer pasta in or with the hot foods it’s recommended for. But its rather mushy taste works well with the rather mushy beans in chili.
I didn’t know what farro was until last week, but if you want to get fancy how about farro risotto with butternut squash (only recipe I know of)
A little late to the party – I worked most of the weekend. But finished a great book, We Germans by Alexander Starritt and saw Materialists, with Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal. I was fearful from poster and reviews that it would be drekkish. But it wasn’t. And the performances were interesting and enjoyable. If you have Hamnet and Materialists as your choice, I’d go for the latter.
About my milk jones:
A pint of Pet brand 2% milk has 260 calories.
A pint of Great Value 2% also has 260 calories.
A pint of instant non-fat dry milk has 160 calories. It also tastes ever-so-slightly better when served extra-cold. I have two quarts standing by in the fridge.
Also, I have treaded the mill again today. Gotta burn off those milk calories. 🙂