alfreda89 | Reading

Wednesday. Cloudy, and cool, but high humidity. The windows are open, because -- cats.

Breakfast was naan and hummus with a side of grapes. Salad for lunch with my pork chop.

Been to the chiropractor, now home; made myself a mug of iced peppermint tea (which is becoming a go-to), ate a pineapple ring (want another one, but so far holding out against tooth decay), and am fixing to place my completed embroidery project into my book, after which I will need to explore my project box to see if I have any more kits.

Stripped the bed, and the sheets are washing.

Made an appointment for a Monday haircut, which is none too soon. Flipping the coin on leaving it "long" or whacking it all off.

To-Do includes washing the bathroom rugs, so I guess while that's happening I'll steam mop the floor and the kitchen floor, too, why not?

This afternoon, I need to read what I wrote yesterday, and maybe write another few new words.

No, the excitement never stops. You can see why so very many people want to embrace the writing life.

How's Wednesday treating everybody?

I finished my project last night at the needlework meeting:

jhetley

When in doubt, send the Marines. USMC aircraft flocking over at the base, including a pair of (metal) Ospreys coming in for a landing just as I headed across the end of the runway. Funny-looking things.

First goldenrod blooming, tansy, continued St. John's wort. And the first purple loosestrife of the season, bedamned invasive weed.

No fresh roadkill. There *may* be a different dried-out skunk on my detour road, since I haven't been over that section in more than a week.

Got out on the bike, air temperature 78 F when I got home so marginal conditions for my aged body. Did not die.

15.58 miles, 1:30:55

jhetley

Air temperature 63 F, wind near calm, fog at the airport. Clearing here, sunshine. Hill-side's dew-pearled. Bike ride probable.

mizkit

Does anybody have a functional crossposter from Wordpress (a private site, not the .com) to Dreamwidth? It turns out the one I was using doesn't work with scheduled posts, which I've been doing, and furthermore is abandonware so I'm deeply, deeply reluctant to pay money to use it to crosspost. And at this point, Dreamwidth is so legacy internet that nobody newer is crossposting to here.

Current Mood: frustrated

stevenpiziks

Tuesday was Elaine's appointment at the Latvian embassy. Karina and I went along for both moral support and to be celebratory. I also wanted to observe the process so I'd know what I was in for later!

We met at a Metro station and took a subway to the stop nearest the embassy. We deliberately gave ourselves plenty of time so we could get breakfast. Karina found a nice cafe, and we ate and chatted and kept an eye on the clock.

It was HOT. Boy, was it HOT! Did I mention the HOT? By 9 AM it was already 95 degrees out and humid, humid, humid. Whew! When we emerged from the cafe, we planned our route to the embassy based on what side of the street had the most shade. Fortunately, someone decades ago had the forethought to plant a whole lot of sidewalk trees, so there was a lot of it.

We were on embassy row, and we played "guess the embassy's country by the flag." Elaine usually won.

We arrived at the embassy fifteen minutes early, but they don't let you in until the exact moment of your appointment, so we wandered around looking at other embassies and trying not to melt.

At last we were allowed into Latvia's embassy. It was actually a little disappointing. We weren't allowed into the embassy proper. The lobby area looked a little like a basement church classroom. Small table with utilitarian chairs. Bulletin boards with stuff about Latvia. An easel with a white board on it. The clerk stood behind glass.

Here we ran into a small embarrassment. None of us speak more than a few words of Latvian. All three of us feel a bit cheated here. If our respective parents had spoken Latvian to us as children, we could have grown up fluent in it. But in the 60s, it was what Karina calls "one-way assimilation." You are in America, you speak English! So we didn't learn it, and Elaine had to ask the clerk to speak English. The clerk clearly disapproved, and I suppose I can't blame her. They probably have a lot of new citizens who don't speak Latvian these days, and it must seem ... jarring. But there's nothing for it, so we forged ahead.

Elaine gave her paperwork to the clerk, who went over it and declared it proper. Elaine signed a couple of forms. ("Should I sign my name in English or in Latvian?" she asked. The clerk said, "You only have one signature, so sign it the way you sign anything else.") The clerk took her photo. ("Should I smile?" "No teeth," said the clerk, and the three of us dissolved into laughter, which made it hard for Elaine to get the photo taken.) Elaine paid a couple of fees, and it was done! Her passport will arrive in the mail later.

Outside, Elaine cheered, and Karina and I joined in. Group hug! Group photo! We also noticed one of those little library thingies. It was filled with books about Latvian culture, free for the taking. We each took one.

On our way to the embassy, we had passed a modern art museum. Elaine likes modern art quite a lot, and Karina said she'd been meaning to visit this museum for years, so we decided to check it out. It turned into a very pleasant afternoon of wandering through galleries examining work of all kinds and styles. They had some famous pieces by O'Keefe, Picasso, Matisse, and Renoir, and lots of pieces by artists who were new to me.

After a while, museum overload set in and we decided we'd had our fill of art. There was a lot to unpack and think about. Here, we needed to go our separate ways. There was a long, bittersweet good-bye. Because distance prevents me from seeing them often, I forget how much I like spending time with Elaine and Karina until I'm with them. It's our shared family history and a whole pile of common interests that all create a bonhomie you just don't get anywhere else.

stevenpiziks

I'm in Washington DC this week. Why? I was approved for Latvian citizenship. Latvia grants citizenship to children of Latvian WWII refugees, and my father was exactly that. I spent about a year working on it, doing one thing here and another thing there. And then it was done, and I was declared a citizen! I'm a dual citizen now. This means, by the way, that I can live anywhere in the European Union for as long as I want. So can Darwin, as my spouse. We're also eligible for EU health care.

Anyway, the final step is to apply for my Latvian passport. This requires an in-person visit to the Latvian embassy in Washington DC. My cousin Elaine, whose father (my uncle) was also a Latvian refugee, started applying at about the same time I did, and by sheer coincidence, we got passport appointments at the embassy during the same week! Also, our cousin Karina happens to live in Washington DC. So we decided to make a family event of it. This turned out to be a wonderful idea. I rarely see Elaine and Karina these days, and I'm pretty sure we've never done anything together, just the three of us, in this particular combination, so it was kind of cool to explore that.

On Monday, after a couple bobbles with the flight ("We're delayed by 45 minutes." "Nope! We're taking off in ten minutes!" "Sorry--we're delayed again." "Nope! We're heading out now."), I got to Washington and took a cab straight to Karina's house. I thought it was just going to be a few of us for supper, but what with one thing and another, a pile of other family was included, so it turned into a raucous family dinner party, and I got to meet a whole bunch of relatives and sort-of relatives I didn't know before, which was delightful. And the food was fantastic. No dill, either!*

After a fine evening of catching up and getting-to-know-you conversation, with cheesecake, I headed off to the little flat I'd rented. It's a really cool basement flat that I would have killed to have when I was in college. I conked out hard!

* This is an in-joke for the Latvians in the audience. Dill to Latvians is what gefilte fish is to Jews. You either love it or you hate it, but it shows up at every family gathering.

rolanni

There is a photoblog of Rookie's Gotcha Day Celebrations here.

Not to overshadow Rookie's Celebrations (which -- everybody wore themselves out and they're napping now. I have been informed by His Gotchaness that there will NOT be fireworks this evening, so -- OK, then)

As I was saying before I got caught in my own parenthetical -- not to overshadow The Celebrations, but! I have finished writing my scene at +/-2,080 words, which brings the WIP entire to!

+/-51,490 words.

And there was MUCH rejoicing. Also ice cream. Because, by damn, I earned ice cream.

Here, have a celebratory snippet:

"Jen Sin!" Catie's voice was sharp from directly overhead. "He has a knife!"

"Well of course he has a knife," Jen Sin said, astonishment sharpening his own voice. "He's not an idiot."

rolanni

Tuesday, July 8. Rainy and cool.

On this date in 2024, Ellen Richmond kindly gave me a ride to the Tradewinds Market in Clinton, to a meet in the parking lot, where the deal went down, and a black kitten, with wide eyes and a great deal of surprised good humor came home to the Cat Farm. He weighed about 4 pounds on arrival. His name was Rook Thunderpaws.

Today, on the first anniversary of his Gotcha Day, Rookie (as he's called more often than not) weighs a whopping 12.25 pounds, making him the largest cat in the household. The windows have been opened so that he may do a proper inspection, he and Tali have already competed for possession of the spring, and he supervised my taking the trash to the curb from the viewport overlooking the driveway.

I will be updating on festivities a little later, but I woke up knowing where a scene I've had in my head for at least two years goes, and having to do research on: the Tactical Defense Pods; Jen Sin's age; and formal language re Scout issued weapons. I also need to eat breakfast.

Therefore, I'm jumping off the internets for a few hours, to eat breakfast, write my scene, correct my other scene, and do my duty to the cats.

Here's a picture to get you in a celebratory mood:

jhetley

Air temperature 65 F, wind north 9 mph, rain shower on the weather radar but not seen here. Breakfast internalized after a "fasting" blood draw at a lab across town. Glad they open at 0600 . . .

On to coffee.

jhetley

“When Fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.”

Attributed to Sinclair Lewis, but probably not.

marthawells

Kerr County Flood Relief Fund

The Kerr County Flood Relief Fund supports relief and rebuilding efforts after the flood of July 4, 2025. Your generosity helps our neighbors recover.

The Community Foundation - a 501(c)(3) public charity serving the Texas Hill Country - will direct funds to vetted organizations providing rescue, relief, and recovery efforts as well as flood assistance. The Fund will support the communities of Hunt, Ingram, Kerrville, Center Point, and Comfort. All donations are tax-deductible, and you will receive a receipt for your gift.

https://cftexashillcountry.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=4201

And Kerrville Pets Alive! is taking donations for rescue and fostering lost pets.

https://kerrvillepetsalive.com/?link_id=3&can_id=588b5a597b5d30fd7e36b213e5ba6987&source=email-freedom-is-fought-for-not-given&email_referrer=email_2803907&email_subject=how-you-can-help-texas-flood-victims&&

rolanni

Monday, sunny and already too warm for my taste. We are once again standing under a Heat Advisory, though I haven't gotten any city notices about cooling centers being open.

Breakfast et, one's duty to the cats dispatched, trash staged, banking done, have appt to see the chiropractor, then plan to stop at grocery before I come home. Station air is ON.

Spent yesterday introverting. Today may be some more of the same, though I will at least be sitting with the manuscript for a bit.

The cats don't appear to like the Sensitive Stomach blend of cat food, though everybody will eat it, grudgingly. Except, of course, the Actual Guy with the Sensitive Stomach, for which said food was purchased.

TOMORROW is Rookie's Gotcha Day. He tells me he wants to do a podcast, but I'm really not sure about that. Maybe he'll be satisfied with a photoshoot.

So! How's everybody doing?

Today's blog title brought to you by Sail North, "Row"

Pictures from the past
2003 Marscon Writer Guests of Honor
Hanging around in Waterville 2016
Steve's High School Reunion July 2023

jhetley

Air temperature 70 F at 0630, wind near calm, sunny. Dew point 67 F, so that soup's on. Another nasty day, and that's just the heat. AQI and pollen index both "moderate." Will walk early. Do not expect cat friends to be available.

jhetley

Thunderstorm rolled and rumbled through this evening. Moved on now but hasn't cleared the air, still hot and sticky out there. Waxing moon shines through the murk.

rolanni

38 Faking it (Dempsey Family #2), Jennifer Crusie, narrated by Aasne Vigesaa (re-re-re-&c-read, 1st time audio
37 Copper Script, K.J. Charles (e)
36 The Masqueraders, Georgette Heyer, narrated by Eleanor Yates (re-re-re-&c-read; 1st time audio)
35 Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language: Hereditary Deafness on Martha's Vineyard, Nora Ellen Groce (e)
34 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Winifred Watson, narrated by Frances McDormand (re-re-re-&c-read; 1st time audio)
33 The Wings upon Her Back, Samantha Mills (e)
32 Death on the Green (Dublin Driver #2), Catie Murphy (e)
31 The Elusive Earl (Bad Heir Days #3), Grace Burrowes (e)
30 The Mysterious Marquess (Bad Heir Days #2), Grace Burrowes (e)
29 Who Will Remember (Sebastian St. Cyr #20), C.S. Harris (e)
28 The Teller of Small Fortunes, Julie Leong (e)
27 Check and Mate, Ali Hazelwood (e)
26 The Dangerous Duke (Bad Heir Days #1), Grace Burrowes (e)
25 Night's Master (Flat Earth #1) (re-read), Tanith Lee (e)
24 The Honey Pot Plot (Rocky Start #3), Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer (e)
23 Very Nice Funerals (Rocky Start #2), Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer (e)
22 The Orb of Cairado, Katherine Addison (e)
21 The Tomb of Dragons, (The Cemeteries of Amalo Trilogy, Book 3), Katherine Addison (e)
20 A Gentleman of Sinister Schemes (Lord Julian #8), Grace Burrowes (e)
19 The Thirteen Clocks (re-re-re-&c read), James Thurber (e)
18 A Gentleman Under the Mistletoe (Lord Julian #7), Grace Burrowes (e)
17 All Conditions Red (Murderbot Diaries #1) (re-re-re-&c read) (audio 1st time)
16 Destiny's Way (Doomed Earth #2), Jack Campbell (e)
15 The Sign of the Dragon, Mary Soon Lee
14 A Gentleman of Unreliable Honor (Lord Julian #6), Grace Burrowes (e)
13 Market Forces in Gretna Green (#7 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
12 Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent, Judi Dench with Brendan O'Hea (e)
11 Code Yellow in Gretna Green (#6 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
10 Seeing Red in Gretna Green (#5 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
9 House Party in Gretna Green (#4 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)*
8    Ties that Bond in Gretna Green (#3 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
7    Painting the Blues in Gretna Green (#2 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
6 Midlife in Gretna Green (#1 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
5    The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison (Author), Kyle McCarley (Narrator) re-re-re&c-read (audio)
4    The House in the Cerulean Sea, TJ Klune (e)
3    A Gentleman in Search of a Wife (Lord Julian #5) Grace Burrowes (e)
2    A Gentleman in Pursuit of the Truth (Lord Julian #4) Grace Burrowes (e)
1    A Gentleman in Challenging Circumstances (Lord Julian #3) Grace Burrowes (e)

_____
*Note: The list has been corrected. I did not realize that the Gretna Green novella was part of the main path, rather than a pleasant discursion, and my numbering was off. All fixed now.

jhetley

Back from walk, 78 F out there and damp. All cat friends had enough sense to stay inside. First thistles, bell-flowers blooming, nightshade, bindweed. Even birds mostly silent, but we have seen some juvenile robins about.

rolanni

Electron-lite day here at the Cat Farm.

Feel free to talk among yourselves. Snacks are in the cabinet over the sink; drinks in the fridge.

jhetley

Air temperature 66 F before 7 AM, wind south about 8 mph, partly cloudy. We are headed for a high of around 90 F and rising dew point. Think I'll skip the bike ride and swap in a walk. After all, I do want to live to see the apocalypse.

rolanni

Saturday. Sunny. Predicted to be much warmer than yesterday, so the windows are, sadly, closed, and we're on station air.

Breakfast was half a blueberry muffin and cottage cheese. Lunch is as yet undecided. I have pork chops that I need to bake, so I could do that at lunchtime, rather than this morning, and freeze two, instead of three. That might actually be the way to go. Turkey burger chili can happen tomorrow, when the 'beans are calling for really hot, and I will definitely be hibernating in the coolth.

Other chores on the day include answering emails, taking the clean dishes out of the dishwasher, swapping out the cat fountains, one's duty to the cats, taking a walk, doing back exercises, and, well, writing.

Since my best writing time is between lunch and coon cat happy hour (and, if I'm honest, after coon cat happy hour til, oh, 10-ish, but I really don't think I'd better go Fully Nocturnal; things are weird enough around here), the Current Plan is to clear chores/appointments in the morning, and after lunch, to write, even if the chores aren't done. There will, after all, always be chores.

Speaking of chores, I Have Viewed How-Tos on YouTube and am confident that I can keep the shower and surrounding bathroom up to spec without killing myself, so *that's* good. God She knows that I have vacuum cleaners. And dust cloths. The only thing that's still a Puzzle are the basement stairs. I think I can handle the cordless vac on the terrain, but there was something amiss with the cordless vac, pre-BaltiCon, which I will have to investigate, now that I'm home.

. . . and John Fogerty has just informed the Listening Audience of Classic Vinyl that "Down on the Corner," was inspired by Winnie the Pooh, whom he imagined busking on a city corner with his band, Winnie and the Pooh Bears. Strange man, John Fogerty.

I do believe that's All The News.

What music are you listening to this morning?

Today's blog post brought to you by War, "Low Rider."

jhetley

Air temperature 63 F, wind west about 7 mph, partly cloudy. Dew point 53 F, so the humidity hasn't kicked back up. Yet. Tomorrow is supposed to revert to hazy hot and humid. We live in the frozen north to avoid that shit . . .

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