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Frustrations
Jan. 27th, 2026 10:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sine_nomineOMG the only approved meds were narcotics! Got them to let me have TYLENOL. I can have a whole 400 mg every 4 hours.
There is a chance I transfer to rehab tomorrow. I still can't figure out what to do with the leg while sleeping. And, as I suspected, my night nurse tonight is very sweet. Not so knowledgeable. They keep saying nothing greater than 90 degrees. In certain situations I think they actually mean less than. I do NOT want to dislocate this,or have the surgeon questioning his choices of patient. Because good lord that hip was so done. Beyond, in fact. Break out the chisel. Yup.
( Bodily functions discussion within )
Must remember this is a long journey.
There is a chance I transfer to rehab tomorrow. I still can't figure out what to do with the leg while sleeping. And, as I suspected, my night nurse tonight is very sweet. Not so knowledgeable. They keep saying nothing greater than 90 degrees. In certain situations I think they actually mean less than. I do NOT want to dislocate this,or have the surgeon questioning his choices of patient. Because good lord that hip was so done. Beyond, in fact. Break out the chisel. Yup.
( Bodily functions discussion within )
Must remember this is a long journey.
I'd like my trash TV paramedics to be a little less trashy!
Jan. 27th, 2026 07:13 pmmuccamukkI honestly never did finish the last season of 9-1-1 Lone Star because I didn't like it as much after the cast change, and the new stories weren't grabbing me. Then I changed streaming services, and couldn't be bothered to find it another way.
But I was looking at what was on Crave, since I have that right now, and saw that there was a new show called 9-1-1 Nashville, and thought I'd give it a whirl.
Boy, whatever new direction notes they got, were not my thing. It's all about some rich guy and his sons fighting with each other, and a scheming baby mamma, and we basically don't meet any of the other characters in the pilot. How on earth did they talk Chris O'Donnell into this nonsense? He can't be that hard up!
Plus the rescues were just very silly. And this is by standards of the 9-1-1 franchise, which is already extremely silly. This girl gets carried into the air by a kite! Not like a special kite, just a... regular one. A tornado is bearing down on a country music festival and they save it with the power of heart!
I vaguely considered watching the second half of the pilot before deciding there's got to be other trash shows I'd enjoy more. When is the new Stargate show happening?
I think if you're interested in foe-yay half brothers who want to fuck, you might be in business?
But I was looking at what was on Crave, since I have that right now, and saw that there was a new show called 9-1-1 Nashville, and thought I'd give it a whirl.
Boy, whatever new direction notes they got, were not my thing. It's all about some rich guy and his sons fighting with each other, and a scheming baby mamma, and we basically don't meet any of the other characters in the pilot. How on earth did they talk Chris O'Donnell into this nonsense? He can't be that hard up!
Plus the rescues were just very silly. And this is by standards of the 9-1-1 franchise, which is already extremely silly. This girl gets carried into the air by a kite! Not like a special kite, just a... regular one. A tornado is bearing down on a country music festival and they save it with the power of heart!
I vaguely considered watching the second half of the pilot before deciding there's got to be other trash shows I'd enjoy more. When is the new Stargate show happening?
I think if you're interested in foe-yay half brothers who want to fuck, you might be in business?
YMI -- ODB: 27 January 2026
Jan. 27th, 2026 08:45 pmsparoweODB: Hope in Faith
January 27, 2026
READ: Psalm 31:13-18
Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the
Kristin’s son had died from cancer when he was just seven. Now, three years later, her older son was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Friends who were not believers in Jesus grieved with her, but they couldn’t understand why she continued to trust Christ. “How could your God allow this? Why keep believing in Him?” they asked.
For Kristin, however, it was an even stronger reason to keep believing. “I don’t understand why this is happening,” she said, “but I know God will help us through this. Only God can give me hope to keep going.”
Such a hope and trust kept King David going when he found himself in overwhelming circumstances. Surrounded by enemies seeking his destruction, he probably couldn’t understand why all this was happening to him. Yet he knew he was following a God he could trust to deliver and bless him in His time (Psalm 31:14-16). This certain hope enabled him to keep submitting to God and to say, “My times are in your hands” (v. 15). And it uplifted him, such that he could also say, “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the
In times when we feel overwhelmed and there seems little to look forward to, we know we can hang on even more tightly to God and the life-giving hope He alone provides.
— Leslie Koh
What do you need to keep going through life’s challenges? How does God’s promise of hope give you joy and strength even in hardship?
Loving Father, You know my struggles and doubts. Please give me the faith to keep trusting in You and the strength to keep going.
For further study, read A Place for Doubt in a Growing Faith.
Is this a Canadian thing?
Jan. 27th, 2026 04:13 pmmuccamukkI want to try making this Melt the ICE hat, which of course knits in the round. I haven't done that, so I looked up a couple tutorials on how to knit with double pointed needles. They both said, "these will come in sets of five." The pattern says, "divide evenly on 4 DPNs" (which I assume implies the existence of a fifth needle to work with).
Every single one of the many sets of DPNs I got from Mom comes in a set of four.
Why?
Every single one of the many sets of DPNs I got from Mom comes in a set of four.
Why?
Snowflake Challenge 2026 - Challenge 14: Fandom Promo
Jan. 27th, 2026 02:35 pmalthea_valara
Challenge #14
In your own space, create a promo and/or rec list for someone new to a fandom. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it and include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.
Let me meme at you:
CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED MMORPG
FINAL FANTASY XIV
WITH AN EXPANDED FREE TRIAL
WHICH YOU CAN PLAY THROUGH THE ENTIREY OF
A REALM REBORN
AND THE AWARD-WINNING
HEAVENSWARD
EXPANSION
AND ALSO THE AWARD-WINNING
STORMBLOOD
EXPANSION
UP TO LEVEL 70
FOR FREE
WITH NO RESTRICTIONS
ON PLAYTIME?
Final Fantasy XIV is a fantastic game - but it wasn't always. Its first incarnation was considered a critical failure, so what did they do? They rebuilt the game from the ground up while simultaneously releasing updates for the original version. This way they kept the current fans happy while building something BETTER for everyone.
If you want to know more about the history of FFXIV, I can highly recommend watching the NoClip documentaries; the first one is here: https://youtu.be/Xs0yQKI7Yw4?si=s0qkn8zXX-9agX96
What they ended up doing was creating a calamity ingame that gave them the excuse for a branching off point for the new version. The final scenes of version 1.0 can be seen in the trailer for "A Realm Reborn", version 2.0 of the game and its new "base game":
As A Realm Reborn starts, five years has passed since the calamity, and the city-states of Eorzea have rebuilt - but threats still linger. There's the Garlean Empire which tried to take over Eorzea in the past at the Battle of Silvertear Lake, and has a new plan to invade Eorzea now. But there's also the Primal threat - primals being summoned gods of what's then called the beast tribes. One of the threats of the primals is their ability to enthrall subjects, so that the person only does what the primal wants.
As you start the game, you're just another adventurer - but one with a mysterious power called the Echo, which allows you to glimpse past scenes from others' memories. You start off doing things for your local city-state, making a name for yourself, but soon attract the attention of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn - an organization that works to prevent the primal threat.
Will you make the choice to join the Scions? What's in store for you if you do? That's the story of A Realm Reborn. Now, there are those who say ARR is weak story-wise but I personally feel it's a solid story with enough OMG! moments to keep you interested. And it sets up SO MUCH of the future of the game, so it's well worth playing on its own.
When you first start playing FFXIV, you may find yourself overwhelmed. The HUD (heads-up display) will look rather busy at first, and they'll be a lot of NPCs with quest markers to talk to. The most important ones will have this symbol over their heads:
This is the Main Scenario Quest Marker. If you follow these markers one after another, you'll play through the game's main story. Note that the last marker of each individual quest will be green in color, letting you know that talking to that NPC will complete the quest.
Blue Plus Sign markers unlock things, like extra dungeons or jobs, and are usually good to check out, too. Any other markers can be ignored.
Gameplay is... well I'm not entirely sure what to call it, but you'll have a bunch of actions, abilities, or spells on your hotbar. Pressing certain actions will open up others for big damage, etc, and often, actions have cooldowns before you can use them again. There's an optimum rotation for each job, in which pressing certain buttons one after another will be the most effective. The game helps you though, by highlighting the next proper action(s) to do.
For those who may be scared of playing with others: there is now Duty Support! This is a system in which you can enter dungeons with NPCs rather than other players. You'll still need to do trials with players, but a large part of the game can be "soloed". But really, most players in FFXIV are pretty nice to play with. For instance, there is a "ready check" mechanism where a party member can ask everyone to indicate they are ready to go ahead with the fight, and this is used a LOT in Raids when you may have newcomers watching cutscenes. The vast majority of players will wait at least a little bit for the newbies to finish the scenes before progressing onto the fight.
The following list is my "starter guide" of resources, originally posted on Bluesky but now posted here as well.
FREE TRIAL - Includes the entirety of A Realm Reborn, the award-winning Heavensward expansion, and the Stormblood expansion, and allows you to play up to level 70 with no restrictions on playtime. There ARE some other restrictions, though! https://freetrial.finalfantasyxiv.com/na/
SERVER/DATA CENTER - choose a data center close to your region, then choose a server that's open for new characters. Those are indicated by the green person icon next to the server names on the Server Status Page: https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/worldstatus/
NEW WORLDS - indicated by "New" on the Server Status page. They offer bonuses such as a leveling buff, FREE GIL!, and more: https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/playguide/option_service/world_transfer_service/population_balancing/#anchor__001
WORLD VISIT - Couldn't get an account on the server you wanted to? You can visit other worlds and data centers using the World Visit System: https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/playguide/contentsguide/worldvisit/
STARTING CLASS - pick your Disciple of War or Disciple of Magic starter class. Make sure to do the class quests as you level, and definitely unlock your job at level 30: https://ffxiv.consolegameswiki.com/wiki/Class
STARTING CITY-STATE - This depends on what class you start as. The city-states have slightly different stories to start off, but eventually merge into one grand story line. It really doesn't matter which you start in!
WIKIS - you'll have questions, where to get help? I prefer ConsoleGamesWiki for how fast it loads on my mobile devices: https://ffxiv.consolegameswiki.com/wiki/FF14_Wiki
WIKIS 2 - The other major wiki is GamerEscape, which I turn to for more indepth guides or to research dialogue/lore: https://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Main_Page
DUNGEON/TRIAL/RAID GUIDES - Mizzteq (MTQCapture on YouTube) makes wonderful, entertaining guides for the duties. Highly recommended! (Note: it appears she has retired in the past year but her past guides are still available!): https://www.youtube.com/user/MTQcapture
CONTROLLER GUIDE - Do you play on controller? It's a bit outdated but Squintina's controller guide has LOTS of good tips: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1q_i5_X01hecbCOZOIN_71zceuSjWSuaN-OJdU6ZPV6s/edit
(C)HOTBARS - oh gods where do I put all these actions? Let XIV bars guide you! They have layouts for both Keyboard/Mouse and Controller: https://www.xivbars.com
TIMERS - FFXIV has a "weekly reset" and other events. Want to know when exactly that is? Check here: https://xenoveritas.org/static/ffxiv/timer.html
CHALLENGE LOG - Unlockable at level 15, this is a great way to get bonus experience and gil: https://ffxiv.consolegameswiki.com/wiki/Challenge_Log
RETAINERS - At level 17, you get access to retainers, which can sell items on the marketboard for you or go out on ventures to retrieve random (or not-random) items: https://ffxiv.consolegameswiki.com/wiki/Retainers
EUREKA TRACKER - for the Stormblood Relic Weapon farming zone - https://ffxiv-eureka.com
RELIC TRACKER SPREADSHEET - I love a good spreadsheet, and really like Wyn's relic tracker - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11N-u7o2-0cbL4E61rfpXHgAPK2X8S_lwyFUigKAQb08/edit?usp=sharing
RELIC TRACKER SITE - I've played with this, too! https://ffxivrelictracker.com
PVP MALMSTONE CALCULATOR - Calculates how many games you need to play to get all the malmstone rewards: https://belthesar.github.io/MalmstoneXPCalculator/
SQUADRON CALCULATOR - figure out how to train your Adventuring Squadron to level them up and complete missions: https://ffxivsquadron.com
FALOOP! - A website to track hunt marks and World Boss FATEs: https://faloop.app
CENTURIO HUNTS DISCORD - A discord server that can ping you for Hunt Trains, S Ranks, and World Boss FATEs: https://discord.gg/centuriohunts
HGXIV - A discord server for player housing enthusiasts: https://discord.gg/hgxiv14
If you're thinking of playing or returning to the game, do let me know! I'll be glad to assist in any way. <3 And if you're thinking, "This sounds great, but I have no time/money to play; can you tell me about the story?" -- LOOK NO FUTHER: https://altheavalara.neocities.org/ffxiv/
Snowflake Challenge 2026 - Challenge 13: Community
Jan. 27th, 2026 01:46 pmalthea_valaraChallenge #13
TALK ABOUT A COMMUNITY SPACE YOU LIKE. It doesn’t need to be your favorite, or the one where you spend the most time (although it certainly can be). Maybe it’s even one that you’ve barely visited. But talk about that space and how it helps support fannish community.
Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it.
Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so. Also, feel free to entice engagement by giving us a preview of what your post covers.
I kind of did this in Challenge 12! I listed communities and websites that I'm grateful for.
One other community space I must mention is Best Bar. They know who they are and where we hang out. They've been very supportive of me the past few years and I'm very grateful for that.
But really: Dreamwidth is one of my internet homes, and there's all sorts of great communities here! It's about time I post my list of DW community recs again. It was last posted in 2024, after all. Some of these may be dormant now but I'll include them anyway because I loved the idea of the community. HERE WE GO!!
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
nacramamo is National Craft-Making Month, and is gearing up now to kick off in October. The challenge is to work on some kind of craft every day for 31 days.100words is a drabble community for fiction of all kinds. They post weekly challenges there. birdfeeding covers everything to do with birdfeeding, gardening for wildlife, and related topics.crowdfunding connects creators, patrons, and fans of cyberfunded creativity. Watch for the mid-month Creative Jam with a new theme each time.reddit_refugees offers resources for newcomers to Dreamwidth.snowflake_challenge runs in January, and is a way to celebrate fandom and meet interesting people on Dreamwidth. There's also sunshine_challenge that runs in the summer, but I'm less familiar with that one.Newly added to the list since I last posted this:
allkindsofdolls is what it says on the tin. If you love dolls, check it out. ladiesbingo is a bingo challenge to make works focused on the relationship between women, whether gen, femslash, or familial. I'm currently having great fun trying to fill my bingo board!getyourwordsout is a writing challenge community where you can challenge yourself by wordcount of number of days written per month.10trueloves is a writing challenge where you pair a character with ten others (IIRC, they don't have to be romantic pairings, but I'm not sure; check the comm for more info!)1character is a writing challenge where you choose a character and prompt set, then write one line sentences to fill each prompt.everykindofcraft is what it says it is. inspiredby posts writing prompts monthly.makezines is for folks doing just that!threesentenceficathon is happening RIGHT NOW. People leave prompts, other write short fills of 3 sentences or longer.The past list of community recs:
communal_creators is a community for creative types! A mini-round for time pledges will be happening this spring. ANY kind of creativity is welcome! We have people writing (both fic and original), knitting, crochet, vidding, storyboarding, baking, making websites... if it's creative, you're welcome here.ffprompts posts monthly prompts for the Final Fantasy video game franchise. As a big fan of this series, I'd love to see more fills for the prompts happening!addme_fandom is a place to find friends who share your fannish obsessions. lyricaltitles is a bingo fest for fanfiction and original fiction centering around using songs for inspiration!fan_flashworks is a multifandom comm that posts one prompt for the week you use to write a short fanfic.c_ent is for Chinese Entertainment, and comes highly recommended by a few people. booknook posts a weekly Read-in-Progress check-in posts on Wednesdays.reference_library is a place to gather helpful links and share them, run by senmut.sweetandshort is a low-pressure community for creating small fanworks / original works each week.moodthemeinayear is what it says on the tin: the folks there are working on creating custom Dreamwidth mood themes over the course of a year.1word1day posts a vocabulary word a day!finalfantasy - of course this would be here, if you know me. It's been very slow there lately, but I'd love to see more activity there.awesomeers - they make a post for each day of the week in which they challenge the members to comment with Just One Thing you did today that you're proud of accomplishing. Of course you are free to post more than one thing if you'd like! I love the idea of this community, though I haven't been very active in it lately. I hope to change that, if only to congratulate other people. Also: we celebrate all accomplishments there, so something as simple as "I got out of bed" would be acceptable!do_it - A community for posting to-do lists to make yourself accountable to others.readingtogether - has seen some activity the past few months. It's not like a normal book club where everyone reads the same thing - instead everyone reads their own thing and posts their progress. justcreate - has weekly check in posts where you can update everyone on your creative progress. All kinds of creativity are celebrated there, including fiber arts, drawing, writing, and more. get_knitted - is similar to justcreate but posts daily check-ins. The folks there are GREAT about commenting on each other's comments. It's not just for knitting, either - there are people there who do scrapbooking and jigsaw puzzles.drawesome - has drawing challenges. I haven't taken part yet because I am a very sucky drawer, but I hope to start there in the future.genprompt_bingo - for the writers! They generate bingo cards of prompts, with all the prompts being gen. You can, of course, write a shippy fic from the prompt; it's just the prompts themselves aren't meant to be shippy. I'm currently working on a bingo for my last card, wish me luck!allbingo - They do all sorts of bingos, mostly writing-related but I think they've had some crafting ones as well. There's new challenges monthly!agonyaunt - critiques letters to advice columnists and the answers the letter writers get. I love this community because it is filled with smart people that I am learning a lot from. I'm a person of a certain age, and I know because of the timeframe I grew up in I have a lot of inherit biases and whatnot. I try to be above those biases, but sometimes I don't recognize them. Reading the other commenters to agonyaunt helps me recognize those biases and better myself.holiday_wishes - active in the last two months of the year. People post their holiday wish lists there, and others fill them! I really was blessed one year - I got a bunch of cards, some yarn, some chocolate, and some other sweet treats. ♥ I couldn't do much in return but I did send back cards to everyone who sent me things.thisfinecrew is a social justice community focused on the USA. It doesn't get as much action as it once did but there are still informative posts there once in a while. thissterlingcrew is the UK equivalent.3weeks4dreamwidth is a thing in which people post/interact more on Dreamwidth, to show love for the platform. ♥your_favourites is an icon making community that migrated over from LiveJournal. Looks like they have themes for members to create icons for, and then take a vote for best icon. I've joined it in hopes of finding more icons to add to my own journal.addme and findingfriends are communities to help you find people to add to your Dreamwidth circles. The latter has a set questionnaire to use, and asks that if you use it elsewhere you include a link back to the community.journalsandplanners - what it says on the tin: for those who use a journal or planner to organize their lives. There's also bujo for bullet journalers.anime_manga has seen some activity lately!fandomtrumpshate raises money for charity by creating fanworks.getting_started is a community with resources for those new to Dreamwidth.indie_games sometimes sees activity, and in the past, we did a play-together of A Short Hike which was really fun. common_nature is a photo community to share nature pics from your area, and has been active recently.followfriday recommends people/communities to follow each Friday.iconthat is another icon challenge community. signalboost is for getting the word out to others about people needing help in some way.twitter_refugees is for folks migrating to Dreamwidth from Twitter.bnha_fans is for fans of Boku no Hero Academia. It's modded by vriddy who I got to know during a snowflake_challenge!comment_bingo is a bingo challenge community for commenting on all those fanfics you read.womansplace is a community that holds dual purpose: 1) Celebrate characters who identify as women or who are aligned with womanhood in transformative fan works. Events include community recs, a prompt fest, and a vid exchange. 2) Raise funds via a vid auctionkittens_and_spitefic's goal is to prompt fan content by acting like a total troll and pretending to bash what you want to see up one side and down the other. Commenters then engage with the supposed "troll" by spamming them with cat (and other animal) macros and/or content that caters to everything the original poster professes to hate.Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd I think that's it! If there's any interesting communities you know about that I've missed, feel free to drop them in the comments! And also feel free to share this post, I'll make it public so you can pass it around.
Feeling guilty no more
Jan. 27th, 2026 10:51 amsusandennisOk, just got clarity.
Jim Across The Hall, has maybe 4 marbles left. He needs to be in memory care and would be if they had room. He also has nearly no one. All he can do is watch TV and walk downstairs to the front desk and back. That is really his entire life. Oh and he does come to elbow coffee. And he's not at all stressed or unhappy or hurting anyone.
He knocked on my door today to ask for help. He can not articulate what he needs help with so I have to go to his apartment. It's his TV - he's got no signal. This is his life and he's got nothing else. He's already been down to the front desk and they told him the IT guy would come tomorrow at 1:30. That's forever in his life.
"If you can't do anything that's fine. but I thought it might be worth asking you."
It took me a minute to figure out his system and that it was cable. So I rebooted his DVR. No joy. But then I rebooted his cable box and that did the trick. He was so happy, he could not even express it. It made my day.
That's the kind of help I'm happy to provide. He has no one else. He has no other distraction.
Hazel and John have no business buying a smart phone with no plan on how to get it operational. I am not that plan. Plus, they have family and resources. Even Jim had already lined up help and was just asking if I could help sooner. I no longer feel any guilt about Hazel and John. Thank you, Jim!
Jim Across The Hall, has maybe 4 marbles left. He needs to be in memory care and would be if they had room. He also has nearly no one. All he can do is watch TV and walk downstairs to the front desk and back. That is really his entire life. Oh and he does come to elbow coffee. And he's not at all stressed or unhappy or hurting anyone.
He knocked on my door today to ask for help. He can not articulate what he needs help with so I have to go to his apartment. It's his TV - he's got no signal. This is his life and he's got nothing else. He's already been down to the front desk and they told him the IT guy would come tomorrow at 1:30. That's forever in his life.
"If you can't do anything that's fine. but I thought it might be worth asking you."
It took me a minute to figure out his system and that it was cable. So I rebooted his DVR. No joy. But then I rebooted his cable box and that did the trick. He was so happy, he could not even express it. It made my day.
That's the kind of help I'm happy to provide. He has no one else. He has no other distraction.
Hazel and John have no business buying a smart phone with no plan on how to get it operational. I am not that plan. Plus, they have family and resources. Even Jim had already lined up help and was just asking if I could help sooner. I no longer feel any guilt about Hazel and John. Thank you, Jim!
I had too much to dream last night
Jan. 27th, 2026 09:28 amsusandennisMy brother reminded me of the song about having too much to dream and it's been me lately. My dreams have been long and involved and more like scripted TV without the ads. This morning the alarm went off in the middle of about the 3rd act. It was not hard to get up but it was really hard to shed the groggy. I had to think hard to figure out it was not Saturday.
I ran into Hazel and John yesterday. I was trying to get on the elevator and they were coming off and they blocked me. Hazel said she wanted to come see me so I could set up the new 'flat phone that John bought me'.
NFW to the max. I told her that she needed to find another avenue for that endeavor. Call IT (they never come). Take it down to the Kid Tech Helpers (oh they talk over my head). The IT team - two very nice guys, are here to help people with their Timber Ridge provided TV and wifi. IF IF IF they have spare time, they might also help with phones and computers. The Kid Tech Helpers are volunteers who come to help with whatever technical issues you have.
I have this horrible vision of my setting up Hazel's phone and then every single time she wants to use it, she will be at my door to have me show her one more time. This is the same woman who brings me her tablet every three months. All she does is play solitaire on it but then, of course, clicks on everything because she can't really see the thing well enough and then it fills with crap and I have to clear it out again. And she wants to use a smart phone??????
John still cannot get on his computer. I think they are both mad at me because I won't help them. But neither of them makes the tiniest effort to help themselves. They also have a son who could help them. I do feel guilty but all of my energy goes to fighting that feeling. They can be mad all they want.
Oh I did fix an Apple watch today. In the middle of volleyball, Holly's watch kept trying to call 911 and she couldn't get it to stop. I figured it out (works just like my Pixel watch) so the game could continue. It was the first time I'd ever touched an Apple watch. They are a nice piece of hardware.
Another one of our regular volleyball players had to leave the game today early so she could get ready for her birthday party. She's 96 today.
My closet/dressing room continues to delight. I am now two clear boxes away from done. I needed four but I was just not sure how they would work out and they come in packs to 2 so I ordered one pack to test. Perfect so the second will be here today and the closet will be done.
There's a very small space behind the dirty clothes hamper and yesterday I threw down an old Mariners fleece blanket. It's the new favorite cat spot.
Today is house cleaner day. But also day two of bunny exploration. I'm trying out new patterns. I think I have the one I want. The first one (below) I did was ok. The second one was too big. The third one might be perfect but so far I've only done half. Martha came by last night and approves but says they need ribbons so I'm going to make up some and she'll decorate them.
I ran into Hazel and John yesterday. I was trying to get on the elevator and they were coming off and they blocked me. Hazel said she wanted to come see me so I could set up the new 'flat phone that John bought me'.
NFW to the max. I told her that she needed to find another avenue for that endeavor. Call IT (they never come). Take it down to the Kid Tech Helpers (oh they talk over my head). The IT team - two very nice guys, are here to help people with their Timber Ridge provided TV and wifi. IF IF IF they have spare time, they might also help with phones and computers. The Kid Tech Helpers are volunteers who come to help with whatever technical issues you have.
I have this horrible vision of my setting up Hazel's phone and then every single time she wants to use it, she will be at my door to have me show her one more time. This is the same woman who brings me her tablet every three months. All she does is play solitaire on it but then, of course, clicks on everything because she can't really see the thing well enough and then it fills with crap and I have to clear it out again. And she wants to use a smart phone??????
John still cannot get on his computer. I think they are both mad at me because I won't help them. But neither of them makes the tiniest effort to help themselves. They also have a son who could help them. I do feel guilty but all of my energy goes to fighting that feeling. They can be mad all they want.
Oh I did fix an Apple watch today. In the middle of volleyball, Holly's watch kept trying to call 911 and she couldn't get it to stop. I figured it out (works just like my Pixel watch) so the game could continue. It was the first time I'd ever touched an Apple watch. They are a nice piece of hardware.
Another one of our regular volleyball players had to leave the game today early so she could get ready for her birthday party. She's 96 today.
My closet/dressing room continues to delight. I am now two clear boxes away from done. I needed four but I was just not sure how they would work out and they come in packs to 2 so I ordered one pack to test. Perfect so the second will be here today and the closet will be done.
There's a very small space behind the dirty clothes hamper and yesterday I threw down an old Mariners fleece blanket. It's the new favorite cat spot.
Today is house cleaner day. But also day two of bunny exploration. I'm trying out new patterns. I think I have the one I want. The first one (below) I did was ok. The second one was too big. The third one might be perfect but so far I've only done half. Martha came by last night and approves but says they need ribbons so I'm going to make up some and she'll decorate them.
YMI -- ODB: 26 January 2026
Jan. 26th, 2026 08:01 pmsparoweODB: Mercy and Our Mess
January 26, 2026
READ: Jonah 2:1-2, 7-10; 3:1-5
From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the
During Sunday school, my patience with three-year-old Peter was wearing thin. He was unhappy, unkind to the other kids, and absolutely refused to be content, even when we offered him the most coveted toys. My pity turned to annoyance. If he stubbornly persisted in being difficult, then fine, I’d send him back to his parents and he would miss out on all the fun.
Too often I find my compassion has conditions. If someone ignores my advice or refuses my help, then they don’t deserve it anymore. Fortunately, God doesn’t act that way toward us. The prophet Jonah experienced His great mercy after a time of stubborn disobedience when God commanded him to travel and preach to Nineveh (Jonah 1:2). Defiantly choosing the opposite direction, Jonah was caught in a terrible storm, set adrift at sea, and then swallowed by a great fish—a self-made disaster (vv. 4, 15-17). When Jonah finally “prayed to the
In little Peter’s case, a trip to the playground consoled him—a brilliant idea by a helper with more patience than I had shown. How beautiful is mercy that continually seeks us out, even in the middle of our own mess.
— Karen Pimpo
Why do you sometimes struggle to offer mercy to others? When have you seen God’s love seek out even the most difficult recipients?
Dear Jesus, thank You for loving me with such long-suffering love. Teach me, please, to do the same.
Source: Our Daily Bread
Icing on the cake
Jan. 26th, 2026 08:36 amsusandennisSo, I'm standing in my new dressing room this morning putting on my swimsuit and figured out exactly what was missing. A mirror. I have one, inconveniently hooked on the bedroom door which I never use because... it is inconvenient! So I took it down and leaned it against the space where my swim suits hang to dry. PERFECT!!
I think I'll move the suits to the back of the bedroom door. Or maybe the door to the bathroom. Doesn't matter. And, godbless Command strips. I put in a work order to have them come hang the mirror. It's going to be awesome.
I had decided to skip the swim this morning but then, changed my mind and got in a good number of laps while it was still not quite light. It was pretty crowded down there. Dixie was doing her lane walk. Dixie is married to Butch who also lane walks sometimes, usually during volley ball. Dixie knits amazing dolls - big ones - to order. They are incredibly detailed and beautiful. She's the one who tracked me down to find out how I did the curly hair because she had a curly hair requirement for one of her college mascots. Fin man was in the other lane. He always swims with yellow fins. I have no idea what his name is but he's in the top 10% or of people here who are able bodied. And he's in the top 1% of men who are. I need to find out his name.
Anyway, it was a good swim. During the six weeks I didn't swim, Google updated my Pixel watch. It used to just show time elapsed while I swim. I had to wait until I had sync'd with the app before I could learn number of laps, etc. But now I can get that and much more data right on the watch while I'm swimming. It's pretty darned cool. I used to have a fancy swim watch that did that but it was a crappy every day watch. Now my very cool every day watch has stepped up its game!
I need to do laundry today. And I realized that now would be a very good time to switch from mini monsters to Easter bunnies. I have a nice bit of monster backlog that will enable me to keep up supply while I work on bunnies. I may start that today.
I think I'll move the suits to the back of the bedroom door. Or maybe the door to the bathroom. Doesn't matter. And, godbless Command strips. I put in a work order to have them come hang the mirror. It's going to be awesome.
I had decided to skip the swim this morning but then, changed my mind and got in a good number of laps while it was still not quite light. It was pretty crowded down there. Dixie was doing her lane walk. Dixie is married to Butch who also lane walks sometimes, usually during volley ball. Dixie knits amazing dolls - big ones - to order. They are incredibly detailed and beautiful. She's the one who tracked me down to find out how I did the curly hair because she had a curly hair requirement for one of her college mascots. Fin man was in the other lane. He always swims with yellow fins. I have no idea what his name is but he's in the top 10% or of people here who are able bodied. And he's in the top 1% of men who are. I need to find out his name.
Anyway, it was a good swim. During the six weeks I didn't swim, Google updated my Pixel watch. It used to just show time elapsed while I swim. I had to wait until I had sync'd with the app before I could learn number of laps, etc. But now I can get that and much more data right on the watch while I'm swimming. It's pretty darned cool. I used to have a fancy swim watch that did that but it was a crappy every day watch. Now my very cool every day watch has stepped up its game!
I need to do laundry today. And I realized that now would be a very good time to switch from mini monsters to Easter bunnies. I have a nice bit of monster backlog that will enable me to keep up supply while I work on bunnies. I may start that today.
(no subject)
Jan. 26th, 2026 11:22 amkradeelavhad an excellent meeting this past weekend with the second architect to discuss the haus office ~~ (dad's still working and he needs somebody to do the fiddly small details)
feat: a real funny moment, though the context is needed since i'm this tiny shrimp of a chick that most architects tend to errrr underestimate on first look before actually talking with me. :p
me: [introductions, brief design pitch on me/my wants, hands him 3 pages of notes]
him: [he does a double take]
me: - now the important things in this office to remember is the le courbesier lc2 loveseat and then this eames soft pad chair that'll go -
[blah blah blah]
him: [ stays professional, but eyes getting wide ]
me: - and that should be it. With me so far, or any questions?
[beat]
me [angelically innocent]: I know that was a lot :)
[ him looking like holy shit you weren't kidding ]
him: one question .... is that a bauhaus behind you on those shelves? ....and the keith haring book?
me: [internally grinning: I Got Him :3 ]
feat: a real funny moment, though the context is needed since i'm this tiny shrimp of a chick that most architects tend to errrr underestimate on first look before actually talking with me. :p
me: [introductions, brief design pitch on me/my wants, hands him 3 pages of notes]
him: [he does a double take]
me: - now the important things in this office to remember is the le courbesier lc2 loveseat and then this eames soft pad chair that'll go -
[blah blah blah]
him: [ stays professional, but eyes getting wide ]
me: - and that should be it. With me so far, or any questions?
[beat]
me [angelically innocent]: I know that was a lot :)
[ him looking like holy shit you weren't kidding ]
him: one question .... is that a bauhaus behind you on those shelves? ....and the keith haring book?
me: [internally grinning: I Got Him :3 ]
Things happening
Jan. 25th, 2026 07:42 pmladyjaxLife is still happening while everything is going on. The Bay is preparing in a variety of ways for a possible escalation, especially since ICE thugs have been spotted in Albany and a few other places, possibly Alameda. They tried to snatch someone near Hoover School a few weeks ago but a kind person offered them sanctuary.
I am low key worried for Shirley (y'know cause Mexican American) but I try not to dwell on it. She's taken a class in how to deal with agents showing up at the restaurant and when I showed up yesterday to pick her up from work, she was finishing up briefing her staff about their rights and what to do if they do show up. The restaurant is in Berkeley and I just know the Orange Menace is salivating at taking another shot at the Bay.
NOTE: Daniel Lurie and the other business leaders were patting themselves on the back calling the Menace off of San Francisco. What they love to ignore is that the feds were posted up on Coast Guard Island. There was a ready response group out there to greet them, including religious leaders - one of whom was shot in the face by a fed. Here's the thing, Coast Guard Island offered a direct shot straight into East Oakland. They would have torn through there first way before they waltzed into San Francisco.
Message to everyone: can we stop electing billionaires to anything and everything? That goes for Tom Steyer running for governor. That man annoys the fuck out of me on principle.
Ugghghhhghghghghgh
In the interest of not going down the rabbit hole of depression, I'm dong the bits I can to be in community, particularly by bike.
I've been delivering food with Community Kitchens once a month with the Mobile Meal Team. We ride out with meals, water, and utensils to feed our unhoused neighbors.
Today, I rode out with a friend who works at the Crucible and helps coordinate refilling the Town Fridges. The fridges sprang up during COVID so that folks could get fed. There's a few left and we made a circle around town, checking out what was there and then refilling with staple foods like beans, rice, and canned goods.
It's on my mind to get into comms. I want to get my HAM radio license and am also exploring mesh networks. Oakland has ORCA so at some point this year, I hope to actually make contact with them.
I am low key worried for Shirley (y'know cause Mexican American) but I try not to dwell on it. She's taken a class in how to deal with agents showing up at the restaurant and when I showed up yesterday to pick her up from work, she was finishing up briefing her staff about their rights and what to do if they do show up. The restaurant is in Berkeley and I just know the Orange Menace is salivating at taking another shot at the Bay.
NOTE: Daniel Lurie and the other business leaders were patting themselves on the back calling the Menace off of San Francisco. What they love to ignore is that the feds were posted up on Coast Guard Island. There was a ready response group out there to greet them, including religious leaders - one of whom was shot in the face by a fed. Here's the thing, Coast Guard Island offered a direct shot straight into East Oakland. They would have torn through there first way before they waltzed into San Francisco.
Message to everyone: can we stop electing billionaires to anything and everything? That goes for Tom Steyer running for governor. That man annoys the fuck out of me on principle.
Ugghghhhghghghghgh
In the interest of not going down the rabbit hole of depression, I'm dong the bits I can to be in community, particularly by bike.
I've been delivering food with Community Kitchens once a month with the Mobile Meal Team. We ride out with meals, water, and utensils to feed our unhoused neighbors.
Today, I rode out with a friend who works at the Crucible and helps coordinate refilling the Town Fridges. The fridges sprang up during COVID so that folks could get fed. There's a few left and we made a circle around town, checking out what was there and then refilling with staple foods like beans, rice, and canned goods.
It's on my mind to get into comms. I want to get my HAM radio license and am also exploring mesh networks. Oakland has ORCA so at some point this year, I hope to actually make contact with them.
icefall, rain, melt
Jan. 25th, 2026 11:56 pmdarkoshiA small layer of ice accumulated last night, on plants, grass, fallen leaves, metal railings, rooftops, exposed cars, and trampolines. The walkways and roads near my house remained clear. The first time I went outside today, it even snowed, in the shape of tiny spikes. Later, I went for a walk. It was nice. Frosty, quiet; two dogs barked at me, one wearing a pretty green sweater.
On my way out, I saw 2 cars on a neighbor's driveway, one with its lights on, either just arrived or getting ready to leave. On the way back only one car was there, but its back windshield appeared to be broken, missing glass. That reminded me of the warnings I'd read yesterday against throwing hot water on your windshield to melt the ice.
Near my house, wind suddenly kicked up, ominous and exciting. It started raining, and I went inside.
It rained and/or sleeted a lot. But now it has stopped. The roads & walkways are still clear; the ice on other surfaces is melting. The temp is slightly above freezing and expected to remain above freezing until tomorrow night. So it will all melt.
On my way out, I saw 2 cars on a neighbor's driveway, one with its lights on, either just arrived or getting ready to leave. On the way back only one car was there, but its back windshield appeared to be broken, missing glass. That reminded me of the warnings I'd read yesterday against throwing hot water on your windshield to melt the ice.
Near my house, wind suddenly kicked up, ominous and exciting. It started raining, and I went inside.
It rained and/or sleeted a lot. But now it has stopped. The roads & walkways are still clear; the ice on other surfaces is melting. The temp is slightly above freezing and expected to remain above freezing until tomorrow night. So it will all melt.
Through surgery
Jan. 25th, 2026 08:43 pmsine_nomineWell, it was a long surgery and a bunch of stuff apparently changed but I am now bionic. It's wild to have zero hip pain, but some of the other body structures are now shouting. Really annoying.
I have mobilized some, and have as a goal to walk to my power chair and eat meals in it..
Lots of sleeping, and I am probably not taking enough pain meds. Certainly not eating enough. As traditional my hemoglobin tanked due to surgery and appetite along with it.
Anyway stuff is mostly good, though I cannot figure out how to make the bed comfortable.
I have mobilized some, and have as a goal to walk to my power chair and eat meals in it..
Lots of sleeping, and I am probably not taking enough pain meds. Certainly not eating enough. As traditional my hemoglobin tanked due to surgery and appetite along with it.
Anyway stuff is mostly good, though I cannot figure out how to make the bed comfortable.
(no subject)
Jan. 25th, 2026 09:17 pmkradeelavi've been blabbering about tellius meta (with a slight side of selfship) on the fe tumblr lately, dumping a few of the text heavy posts. will post some of this with artwork eventually on the artblogs. supports/flavor text definitely inspired by how kidlightnings did it :3
( bright eyes, design meta )
( moar meta )
and then:
Bright Eyes
A mage that helps Tauroneo in Daein's reconstruction. In Izuka's disappearance, the only replacement that Almedha did not immediately dismiss. Among other scribe duties, she investigates Ashnard's and Begnion's war crimes.
Supports: (more TBC, here's C-A with Zihark)
( Read more... )
kidlightnings did it :3( bright eyes, design meta )
( moar meta )
and then:
Bright Eyes
A mage that helps Tauroneo in Daein's reconstruction. In Izuka's disappearance, the only replacement that Almedha did not immediately dismiss. Among other scribe duties, she investigates Ashnard's and Begnion's war crimes.
Supports: (more TBC, here's C-A with Zihark)
( Read more... )