there's just something about the moon
7 February 2026 18:10![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
musesfoolPer my last post, I intended to make two specific dishes for dinner this weekend (panko-crusted pork chops and pasta with sausage and cabbage), and my groceries were ordered with that in mind. Three guesses as to what did not arrive with my order, and the first two don't count. (Spoiler: it was the sausage and the pork chops.)
Sigh.
I gave up on today and just ordered pizza, and I think tomorrow I will pivot to mac and cheese because I have all the ingredients for that without having to do a second grocery delivery.
This afternoon, I baked an apple-cranberry crumble since I had 2 apples I hadn't eaten yet and all those cranberries hanging around. Instead of walnuts, I used pecans and instead of raisins I used chocolate chips, and I used maple sugar over the fruit instead of regular, and it smells fantastic. I can't wait to cut into it. I might need to make some whipped cream to eat with it.
The wind is whipping around like crazy and it's supposed to be super extra cold tomorrow, so I hope everyone is safe and warm, wherever you are.
*
Sigh.
I gave up on today and just ordered pizza, and I think tomorrow I will pivot to mac and cheese because I have all the ingredients for that without having to do a second grocery delivery.
This afternoon, I baked an apple-cranberry crumble since I had 2 apples I hadn't eaten yet and all those cranberries hanging around. Instead of walnuts, I used pecans and instead of raisins I used chocolate chips, and I used maple sugar over the fruit instead of regular, and it smells fantastic. I can't wait to cut into it. I might need to make some whipped cream to eat with it.
The wind is whipping around like crazy and it's supposed to be super extra cold tomorrow, so I hope everyone is safe and warm, wherever you are.
*
Writing, writing, writing
8 February 2026 00:11luthienThere was the story I was planning to write, and then there was the much more out there (and potentially much longer) story idea that came up in conversation with a friend last night - when I foolishly said: "I could write that."
Guess which one I've now got 1500 words of?
*sigh*
The word "fuck" has been coming up in my online conversations quite a bit today, mostly coupled with "you". She's an utter menace.
Guess which one I've now got 1500 words of?
*sigh*
The word "fuck" has been coming up in my online conversations quite a bit today, mostly coupled with "you". She's an utter menace.
I've invested too much time
5 February 2026 19:20musesfoolI knew Prue Leith left GBBO, but I just learned that Nigella Lawson is replacing her for this year's show! I am intrigued! (Note: I still haven't watched the most recent series - I usually save it for my summer vacation.)
I am also considering if I want to try to bake something new this weekend, or just more orange cranberry scones, so my giant bag of cranberries in the freezer slowly gets smaller. I do have plans to try a new pasta recipe and maybe some panko-crusted pork chops, but I hadn't really thought about a baking project. I will have to think on it now.
In work news, some of the stuff I was concerned about yesterday got done, finally, so I feel so much better. I still have to write my stupid review of Assistant J though. I've been putting it off but I can't put it off any longer. Ugh. Such a stupid process.
*
I am also considering if I want to try to bake something new this weekend, or just more orange cranberry scones, so my giant bag of cranberries in the freezer slowly gets smaller. I do have plans to try a new pasta recipe and maybe some panko-crusted pork chops, but I hadn't really thought about a baking project. I will have to think on it now.
In work news, some of the stuff I was concerned about yesterday got done, finally, so I feel so much better. I still have to write my stupid review of Assistant J though. I've been putting it off but I can't put it off any longer. Ugh. Such a stupid process.
*
this could be the year for the real thing
4 February 2026 21:37musesfoolI could talk about how exhausting work is, not for any big thing but just because a regular project of mine has taken about twice as long as usual for a variety of reasons, but I am very close to it being done. I mean, will there be changes? Yes, but just getting it all down and confirmed will be a huge weight off my shoulders. Also, there's other stuff that makes me tired, but that is above my pay grade, even if I've got the new CEO calling me to talk it over(!!!).
In other news, I knew Panarin was going, and though I'm not thrilled about the return (I dislike Drury a lot as GM, but it is what it is while Dolan is in charge), I'm glad he's not in Florida. I don't want him in the east at all, so I can avoid seeing him on another team. (It helped with Kreider, too.)
Anyway, what I really want to talk about is the new episode of The Muppet Show that aired tonight. If you are a fan of the original, without spoilers let me say I recommend watching it. Hopefully it does well enough that they make more, because I thought it was 100% in the spirit of the original, unlike some of the more recent projects they've done.
( spoilers )
So that definitely lifted my spirits and I hope you give it a watch and it lifts yours!
*
In other news, I knew Panarin was going, and though I'm not thrilled about the return (I dislike Drury a lot as GM, but it is what it is while Dolan is in charge), I'm glad he's not in Florida. I don't want him in the east at all, so I can avoid seeing him on another team. (It helped with Kreider, too.)
Anyway, what I really want to talk about is the new episode of The Muppet Show that aired tonight. If you are a fan of the original, without spoilers let me say I recommend watching it. Hopefully it does well enough that they make more, because I thought it was 100% in the spirit of the original, unlike some of the more recent projects they've done.
( spoilers )
So that definitely lifted my spirits and I hope you give it a watch and it lifts yours!
*
Minor operations; testing new serving path
3 February 2026 22:25![[staff profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user_staff.png){kind=small}
mark posting in ![[site community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/comm_staff.png){kind=small}
dw_maintenanceHi all!
I'm doing some minor operational work tonight. It should be transparent, but there's always a chance that something goes wrong. The main thing I'm touching is testing a replacement for Apache2 (our web server software) in one area of the site.
Thank you!
Quick HR/Game Changers rec
4 February 2026 01:13luthienThis is my favourite kind of established relationship fic, exploring the "learning how to be together" phase of a relationship. Sweet but in a believable and not too sweet way. This one contains some spoilers for The Long Game, but is mostly set after the end of that book.
Heaven Has Got Nothing On Us (Oh, I Love You Even When My Body Turns to Dust) (39629 words) by overlycaffeinatedgalaxy
Relationships: Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov
( Summary )
Heaven Has Got Nothing On Us (Oh, I Love You Even When My Body Turns to Dust) (39629 words) by overlycaffeinatedgalaxy
Relationships: Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov
( Summary )
If they call me a domestic terrorist, by Michael Robey
2 February 2026 14:12twistedchickThis is a poem, but it was posted as an image, so please click to read it..
ETA: Since the original link didn't work, I am linking to my FB page.
ETA: Since the original link didn't work, I am linking to my FB page.
This is a prayer for Imbolc; this is a prayer for resistance
1 February 2026 22:04twistedchickThis is a prayer for Imbolc.
This is a prayer for when roads flood.
This is a prayer for the lingering dark.
This is a prayer for resistance.
We spark the fires to beg the light to return, but we never really know if it will work. The road may flood; this could be the year it all falls apart. The February rains may be too much. We fire up the forge to bend hard metal to our will, but we never really know if it will work. The road may flood; this could be the year that it all falls apart. The February rains may be too much. We write the poem to express what’s inside, but we never really know if it will work. The road may flood; this could be the year it all falls apart. The February rains may be too much.
Imbolc is a chance we take, a chance we take in the dark.
This is a prayer for when things fall apart. This is a prayer for when roads flood. This is a prayer for Imbolc. This is a prayer for the lingering dark and this is a prayer for resistance.
Brigid, the Goddess of poetry, invented keening for those times when no words were enough. Shall we now keen? Brigid, the Goddess of smith craft, invented forges for those times when small flames were not enough. What shall we now forge? Brigid, the Goddess of healing, invented beer for those times when water couldn’t cure the deep thirst. What shall we now toast? Brigid stands in the February rain, a warm flame in her hand, watching the roads flood. She will neither look away from the flood nor extinguish the flame.
Imbolc is a chance we take, a chance we take in the dark.
This is a prayer for when things fall apart. This is a prayer for when roads flood. This is a prayer for Imbolc. This is a prayer for the lingering dark and this is a prayer for resistance.
The shepherd goes out despite the rain. The shepherd is the resistance. Without the shepherd, the ewe will miscarry, die in the mud, bleed to death, deliver the lambkin still. The shepherd sees the rain, throws on her cloak, and cuts through the meadow. But she never really knows for sure if it will work. The road may flood; this could be the year that it all falls apart. The February rains may be too much. But she still wades towards the ewe. Brigid sees and holds her flame.
Imbolc is a chance we take, a chance we take in the dark.
This is a prayer for when things fall apart. This is a prayer for when roads flood. This is a prayer for Imbolc. This is a prayer for the lingering dark and this is a prayer for resistance.
It’s Imbolc! It’s pouring rain in the lingering dark. The roads have washed away. The ewes are miscarrying, the forge fires going out. The poets are throwing down their pens, the yeast has failed the hops. Who are you in these times? What’s Imbolc to you or you to Her? Resistance thrives in the lingering dark and flash floods bring forth new paths. Put on your cloak and wade through the mud. The Goddess Brigid is holding her flame. The Goddess watches and weighs.
Imbolc is a chance we take, a chance we take in the dark.
This is a prayer for when things fall apart. This is a prayer for when roads flood. This is a prayer for Imbolc. This is a prayer for the lingering dark and this is a prayer for resistance.
-- by Hecate Demeter.
This is a prayer for when roads flood.
This is a prayer for the lingering dark.
This is a prayer for resistance.
We spark the fires to beg the light to return, but we never really know if it will work. The road may flood; this could be the year it all falls apart. The February rains may be too much. We fire up the forge to bend hard metal to our will, but we never really know if it will work. The road may flood; this could be the year that it all falls apart. The February rains may be too much. We write the poem to express what’s inside, but we never really know if it will work. The road may flood; this could be the year it all falls apart. The February rains may be too much.
Imbolc is a chance we take, a chance we take in the dark.
This is a prayer for when things fall apart. This is a prayer for when roads flood. This is a prayer for Imbolc. This is a prayer for the lingering dark and this is a prayer for resistance.
Brigid, the Goddess of poetry, invented keening for those times when no words were enough. Shall we now keen? Brigid, the Goddess of smith craft, invented forges for those times when small flames were not enough. What shall we now forge? Brigid, the Goddess of healing, invented beer for those times when water couldn’t cure the deep thirst. What shall we now toast? Brigid stands in the February rain, a warm flame in her hand, watching the roads flood. She will neither look away from the flood nor extinguish the flame.
Imbolc is a chance we take, a chance we take in the dark.
This is a prayer for when things fall apart. This is a prayer for when roads flood. This is a prayer for Imbolc. This is a prayer for the lingering dark and this is a prayer for resistance.
The shepherd goes out despite the rain. The shepherd is the resistance. Without the shepherd, the ewe will miscarry, die in the mud, bleed to death, deliver the lambkin still. The shepherd sees the rain, throws on her cloak, and cuts through the meadow. But she never really knows for sure if it will work. The road may flood; this could be the year that it all falls apart. The February rains may be too much. But she still wades towards the ewe. Brigid sees and holds her flame.
Imbolc is a chance we take, a chance we take in the dark.
This is a prayer for when things fall apart. This is a prayer for when roads flood. This is a prayer for Imbolc. This is a prayer for the lingering dark and this is a prayer for resistance.
It’s Imbolc! It’s pouring rain in the lingering dark. The roads have washed away. The ewes are miscarrying, the forge fires going out. The poets are throwing down their pens, the yeast has failed the hops. Who are you in these times? What’s Imbolc to you or you to Her? Resistance thrives in the lingering dark and flash floods bring forth new paths. Put on your cloak and wade through the mud. The Goddess Brigid is holding her flame. The Goddess watches and weighs.
Imbolc is a chance we take, a chance we take in the dark.
This is a prayer for when things fall apart. This is a prayer for when roads flood. This is a prayer for Imbolc. This is a prayer for the lingering dark and this is a prayer for resistance.
-- by Hecate Demeter.
Three Things
2 February 2026 11:48luthien1. The heatwave - or heat dome as the meteorologists have been calling it - is over. There's eight days I never want to live through again. The max got to almost 42C/107F here again on Saturday, but was down to about 30/86 yesterday and we're on track for only 24/75 today. I'm actually sitting here with a light wrap around my shoulders. When I went out at 8.00 this morning it was, like, 9/48 degrees. Talk about temperature whiplash. It's going to heat up again later in the week, but only to about the mid-30s, which is much easier to live with than 40+.
2. I had dental surgery for an implant this morning. It went well, and very glad they could do it under local anaesthetic, but also very glad it's over. Currently sipping tepid coffee on the non-numb side of my mouth and icing the other side of my face. I think I might curl up in bed with some fic in a while.
3. Festivids is live. I haven't had a chance to watch as many as I'd like yet, but just off the top of my head there are several Babylon 5 vids (yay!), a great character study of Gromit from Wallace and Gromit, and some really inventive Dykes to Watch Out For vids that manage to turn a static source (a comic strip) into something really effective and dynamic.
2. I had dental surgery for an implant this morning. It went well, and very glad they could do it under local anaesthetic, but also very glad it's over. Currently sipping tepid coffee on the non-numb side of my mouth and icing the other side of my face. I think I might curl up in bed with some fic in a while.
3. Festivids is live. I haven't had a chance to watch as many as I'd like yet, but just off the top of my head there are several Babylon 5 vids (yay!), a great character study of Gromit from Wallace and Gromit, and some really inventive Dykes to Watch Out For vids that manage to turn a static source (a comic strip) into something really effective and dynamic.
Update
1 February 2026 16:50lexinSo, we’re through with January. Good.
I’m a bit tired, I don’t know why. My CPAP machine mask seems to leak, but there’s no obvious reason why. It’s a mystery.
Cats
Opal had a big sore on her back where she was biting herself all the time that Smokey was ill. I’ve taken her to the vet and the only suggestions she made was that I put her on a special food for stomach and skin. So, I did. And it seems to be working, albeit slowly. It’s down to one inch across from more like four. As I said, progress.
Little Geraint has gained weight; when he came to me, he was thin as a rake, and his fur was in an appalling condition, all over mats. Since I started to brush him, he’s been pulling the mats off himself, as if he couldn’t be bothered before and now, he has someone looking after him, he’s prepared to meet them halfway. For a couple of weeks my carpet was covered with mats of fur, but he seems to have succeeded and now his fur just needs to grow in again, which I hope will happen in the spring.
Health
I’ve been to the hospital for my tummy troubles and they’re threatening me with a colonoscopy. I’m not looking forward to that at all. Really don’t want to play, I’ve had one before and they suck.
I also saw my psychiatrist, and he suggested we play around with my mood drugs. So I’ve cut one in half and we’ll see if that works as he hopes it will. Fingers crossed.
Gaming
I’m concentrating on Skyrim and I have a character who’s reached level 49. He’s now finding NPC’s dead in ditches, which is distressing when they’re vendors who had been useful. So far, two have been killed by dragons.
I’m a bit tired, I don’t know why. My CPAP machine mask seems to leak, but there’s no obvious reason why. It’s a mystery.
Cats
Opal had a big sore on her back where she was biting herself all the time that Smokey was ill. I’ve taken her to the vet and the only suggestions she made was that I put her on a special food for stomach and skin. So, I did. And it seems to be working, albeit slowly. It’s down to one inch across from more like four. As I said, progress.
Little Geraint has gained weight; when he came to me, he was thin as a rake, and his fur was in an appalling condition, all over mats. Since I started to brush him, he’s been pulling the mats off himself, as if he couldn’t be bothered before and now, he has someone looking after him, he’s prepared to meet them halfway. For a couple of weeks my carpet was covered with mats of fur, but he seems to have succeeded and now his fur just needs to grow in again, which I hope will happen in the spring.
Health
I’ve been to the hospital for my tummy troubles and they’re threatening me with a colonoscopy. I’m not looking forward to that at all. Really don’t want to play, I’ve had one before and they suck.
I also saw my psychiatrist, and he suggested we play around with my mood drugs. So I’ve cut one in half and we’ll see if that works as he hopes it will. Fingers crossed.
Gaming
I’m concentrating on Skyrim and I have a character who’s reached level 49. He’s now finding NPC’s dead in ditches, which is distressing when they’re vendors who had been useful. So far, two have been killed by dragons.
attempting to make sense of my aching heart
31 January 2026 20:40musesfoolI should have done the boiling milk in the new pot thing last night, but I didn't so my bread-baking was a little delayed until I did that, waited for the pot to cool, and cleaned it, so the dough could do its second rise in it. The dough does rise, so that was not an issue at all. I might have overcooked it a titch - the bottom was a darker brown than I'd prefer - but it's a beautiful boule (pic). It only tasted okay, though, I guess we'll see how it tastes tomorrow and the day after, and with butter instead of cream cheese. *hands*
Then this afternoon I watched the Miracle on Ice documentary on Netflix, which was really good - that team is the reason I became a hockey fan, and specifically a Rangers fan, so they have a lot to answer for! Kidding! I'm kidding. It was lovely to see so many of them in the present, watching them watch their younger selves.
And then after dinner, I watched the s3 premiere of Shrinking, which made me laugh a lot and also tear up. They are all so ridiculous and I love them. And I read it already got renewed for a season 4! So that's good.
I also did the January recs update:
unfitforsociety has been updated for January 2026 with 17 story recs and 1 vid rec in 3 fandoms:
* 16 Heated Rivalry
* 1 The Good Place story and 1 Avatar the Last Airbender/Legend of Korra vid
If you are reading HR fic, there is probably nothing new there for you, since most of those recs came from you all, but maybe there's something new for you to enjoy? I still have so much Batfamily fic open in tabs that I want to get back to reading, and still more HR fic and some Pitt fic open as well. I've just been mostly unable to settle in with any of it, and have instead been slowly continuing my DCC reread, with occasional notes. *hands*
*
Then this afternoon I watched the Miracle on Ice documentary on Netflix, which was really good - that team is the reason I became a hockey fan, and specifically a Rangers fan, so they have a lot to answer for! Kidding! I'm kidding. It was lovely to see so many of them in the present, watching them watch their younger selves.
And then after dinner, I watched the s3 premiere of Shrinking, which made me laugh a lot and also tear up. They are all so ridiculous and I love them. And I read it already got renewed for a season 4! So that's good.
I also did the January recs update:
unfitforsociety has been updated for January 2026 with 17 story recs and 1 vid rec in 3 fandoms:* 16 Heated Rivalry
* 1 The Good Place story and 1 Avatar the Last Airbender/Legend of Korra vid
If you are reading HR fic, there is probably nothing new there for you, since most of those recs came from you all, but maybe there's something new for you to enjoy? I still have so much Batfamily fic open in tabs that I want to get back to reading, and still more HR fic and some Pitt fic open as well. I've just been mostly unable to settle in with any of it, and have instead been slowly continuing my DCC reread, with occasional notes. *hands*
*
but we ain't friends, we're just morons
30 January 2026 21:18musesfoolUgh, this week felt like it was EIGHT WEEKS long, and everyone I spoke to at work today agreed. I did not get everything on my to do list done but I don't even care. There was no way I was focusing on much after a 2 hour team meeting. I logged off at 4:45 and took a glorious nap, and then put together the dough for everything bread, which I will bake tomorrow.
In other news, I was so sorry to hear Catherine O'Hara died. RIP. What a legend!
*
I really enjoyed last night's episode of The Pitt. Again, my brain is soup, so I'm not really up for saying much about it, but I did literally yell, "NO!" when the credits rolled. Sometimes I am okay with an episode ending (or at least it feels like it reached a good stopping point) but last night was not one of those times.
This weekend, I will watch the new episode of Shrinking, plus the new episodes of Bridgerton, and possibly I will continue with Pluribus, which I didn't love but kind of want to see why everyone else raves about it. It could click at some point or it could be like Severance, which I also don't love the way many other people do. *hands* Sometimes, that's just how it goes.
*
In other news, I was so sorry to hear Catherine O'Hara died. RIP. What a legend!
*
I really enjoyed last night's episode of The Pitt. Again, my brain is soup, so I'm not really up for saying much about it, but I did literally yell, "NO!" when the credits rolled. Sometimes I am okay with an episode ending (or at least it feels like it reached a good stopping point) but last night was not one of those times.
This weekend, I will watch the new episode of Shrinking, plus the new episodes of Bridgerton, and possibly I will continue with Pluribus, which I didn't love but kind of want to see why everyone else raves about it. It could click at some point or it could be like Severance, which I also don't love the way many other people do. *hands* Sometimes, that's just how it goes.
*
(no subject)
31 January 2026 00:37luthienI have the first line of a Heated Rivalry fic in my head, but I'm not sure where it fits in the timeline. It's possible it may be a canon divergence AU.
I guess I'm just going to have to rewatch the whole thing in order to work it out, aren't I? Oh, woe. The hardship.
I guess I'm just going to have to rewatch the whole thing in order to work it out, aren't I? Oh, woe. The hardship.
Snowflake Challenge 2026 - Day 15
31 January 2026 00:27luthienChallenge #15
How Did the Fandom Snowflake Challenge Go?
Not as well as previous years. lol. I was going well up to challenge 9, and then life happened and I got behind and it all got too much and I crashed and burned. I did enjoy taking part, though, and it was good to interact with some new people as well as people I already knew. Really, the interaction is what I want out of snowflake more than anything, so in that sense it was a success even though I didn't get to all the challenges.
How Did the Fandom Snowflake Challenge Go?
Not as well as previous years. lol. I was going well up to challenge 9, and then life happened and I got behind and it all got too much and I crashed and burned. I did enjoy taking part, though, and it was good to interact with some new people as well as people I already knew. Really, the interaction is what I want out of snowflake more than anything, so in that sense it was a success even though I didn't get to all the challenges.
Dear Casefic Writer!
30 January 2026 08:50daegaer( Saiyuki )
( Saiyuki Gaiden )
( Saiyuki Ibun )
( Weiß Kreuz )
( Weiß: Side B )
( Crossover Fandom )
( DNWs )
you know together we're glowing
29 January 2026 19:33musesfoolAs a post-Christmas treat, I bought myself this Emile Henry dutch oven and the instructions say to boil milk in it (and then clean it out) before using it the first time? I've never heard of that, but my other dutch ovens are enameled cast iron, not ceramic. Has anyone heard of this/done this?
anyway, mainly I bought it because I want to try this no-knead everything bread but didn't want to deal with my 6 qt cast iron dutch oven, which is extremely heavy and also tucked away in a closet somewhere. My plan is to mix it up tomorrow after work since it needs an on-the-counter overnight rise, and then bake it Saturday morning. We'll see how it goes!
I might also make garlic and bread soup again this weekend, and also maybe some version of citrus and soy noodles (it's a ramen recipe but I'm just going to use angel hair instead since I already have it) for dinner tomorrow. Oh, and those orange cranberry scones again - the cranberries are still taking up too much room in my freezer and must be used up!
*
anyway, mainly I bought it because I want to try this no-knead everything bread but didn't want to deal with my 6 qt cast iron dutch oven, which is extremely heavy and also tucked away in a closet somewhere. My plan is to mix it up tomorrow after work since it needs an on-the-counter overnight rise, and then bake it Saturday morning. We'll see how it goes!
I might also make garlic and bread soup again this weekend, and also maybe some version of citrus and soy noodles (it's a ramen recipe but I'm just going to use angel hair instead since I already have it) for dinner tomorrow. Oh, and those orange cranberry scones again - the cranberries are still taking up too much room in my freezer and must be used up!
*
One more three sentence fic
30 January 2026 02:26luthienOne more fill for ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
threesentenceficathon
Language!
Fandom: Heated Rivalry
Pairing: Shane/Ilya
Rating: T
Prompt: being in so much pain that you’re swearing in multiple languages
“Jesus fuck – putain – Говно – Christ, I need more languages to swear in if the team keeps doing this sort of thing every time I’m out with an injury; watching this is even more painful than my actual MCL sprain,” Shane complained, jabbing a finger at the TV screen.
“There is no need for cursing; he did not miss the goal by so very much – only feet, not yards,” Ilya said consolingly, and leaned in to stop Shane’s mouth with a kiss before he had the chance to direct more swear words – whether in Canadian English, Canadian French, or very bad Russian - at Ilya.
“See моя любовь,” Ilya continued when he lifted his head – not from Shane’s mouth – sometime later, “we only need one language, and it has no words.”
threesentenceficathon Language!
Fandom: Heated Rivalry
Pairing: Shane/Ilya
Rating: T
Prompt: being in so much pain that you’re swearing in multiple languages
“Jesus fuck – putain – Говно – Christ, I need more languages to swear in if the team keeps doing this sort of thing every time I’m out with an injury; watching this is even more painful than my actual MCL sprain,” Shane complained, jabbing a finger at the TV screen.
“There is no need for cursing; he did not miss the goal by so very much – only feet, not yards,” Ilya said consolingly, and leaned in to stop Shane’s mouth with a kiss before he had the chance to direct more swear words – whether in Canadian English, Canadian French, or very bad Russian - at Ilya.
“See моя любовь,” Ilya continued when he lifted his head – not from Shane’s mouth – sometime later, “we only need one language, and it has no words.”
Weather, pets, life
29 January 2026 18:14luthienWe survived the high of 42C/107F yesterday - thank you, ducted air con - but I wound up with a particularly bad headache that snuck up on me over the course of the day. It was one of those days when I kept wondering why everything was so hard and I couldn't get anything done. Eventually, when the penny finally dropped and I took some painkillers, my first thought was: I can't think straight. I can't write! This is it. I'll never be able to write again.
I will just point out here that I have lived with chronic daily headache and migraine for literally decades - and yet logic still goes out the window every time I get hit with a bad one when it's been a week or two since the last one. The human mind - what can you do? I think I'll try to write something tonight, just to prove to myself that my mind while in the grip of a headache doesn't know what it's talking about.
Today has been much better. The headache has departed and the max temperature today was 'only' 35/95. You can really feel the difference in how less suffocating the air outside feels, even though the poor garden is still baking. It's going to get back up to 40/104 again tomorrow and the day after, though, so we'll see how I go. I'm having my weekly massage tomorrow, which should help stop my upper back from clenching up too much.
One other side effect of the hot weather is that we're only sleeping under a sheet atm, so no real surprise that I was awakened fairly early this morning by my feet being pounced on, not long after D had left for work. When I opened my eyes I was surprised to find that it was Abby, who is seven now, and not Olly, who is not quite ten months old. Then she growled, and I realised she thought my feet moving under the sheet were a moving kitten. Even after six months, she is still DEEPLY offended that Olly exists, and, worse, that he exists in her house.
So I rolled over and went back to sleep, and a while later I got woken up by another pounce. This time it was Olly. He didn't let up, so I had to fold the doona back over to protect my feet. Then, when I'd spoilt his fun, he jumped up to play with the blind cord. At that point I incarcerated him in his bedroom. (Yes, he has his own bedroom with his own special fluffy bed, blanket, litter tray, scratching station, water bowl and overnight snacks, partly because he's spoilt to death, and partly because every time we leave him free overnight, he wreaks havoc on the other pets and the house in general. I guess we're getting off reasonably lightly, though. As a friend pointed out to me, think how much worse he would be if he hadn't been desexed.)
Have some pics:
( Cat pics )
I will just point out here that I have lived with chronic daily headache and migraine for literally decades - and yet logic still goes out the window every time I get hit with a bad one when it's been a week or two since the last one. The human mind - what can you do? I think I'll try to write something tonight, just to prove to myself that my mind while in the grip of a headache doesn't know what it's talking about.
Today has been much better. The headache has departed and the max temperature today was 'only' 35/95. You can really feel the difference in how less suffocating the air outside feels, even though the poor garden is still baking. It's going to get back up to 40/104 again tomorrow and the day after, though, so we'll see how I go. I'm having my weekly massage tomorrow, which should help stop my upper back from clenching up too much.
One other side effect of the hot weather is that we're only sleeping under a sheet atm, so no real surprise that I was awakened fairly early this morning by my feet being pounced on, not long after D had left for work. When I opened my eyes I was surprised to find that it was Abby, who is seven now, and not Olly, who is not quite ten months old. Then she growled, and I realised she thought my feet moving under the sheet were a moving kitten. Even after six months, she is still DEEPLY offended that Olly exists, and, worse, that he exists in her house.
So I rolled over and went back to sleep, and a while later I got woken up by another pounce. This time it was Olly. He didn't let up, so I had to fold the doona back over to protect my feet. Then, when I'd spoilt his fun, he jumped up to play with the blind cord. At that point I incarcerated him in his bedroom. (Yes, he has his own bedroom with his own special fluffy bed, blanket, litter tray, scratching station, water bowl and overnight snacks, partly because he's spoilt to death, and partly because every time we leave him free overnight, he wreaks havoc on the other pets and the house in general. I guess we're getting off reasonably lightly, though. As a friend pointed out to me, think how much worse he would be if he hadn't been desexed.)
Have some pics:
( Cat pics )
A city aflame fought fire and ice
28 January 2026 22:44musesfoolIn case you haven't listened to it yet: Streets of Minneapolis by Bruce Springsteen.
It's in my bsky feed and my tumblr dash and I saw it here on DW first (in a locked post), so I needed to have it here too.
And since I've been listening to it a lot lately, here's Help Save the Youth of America by Billy Bragg. Unfortunately always timely.
*
It's in my bsky feed and my tumblr dash and I saw it here on DW first (in a locked post), so I needed to have it here too.
And since I've been listening to it a lot lately, here's Help Save the Youth of America by Billy Bragg. Unfortunately always timely.
*
Still here.
28 January 2026 14:50twistedchickWe got 6-8 inches of snow, and a lot of cold, but we're still here. Power works, gas works, water works. I'm going out now to try to take down the plowed wall next to the cars. It only took 2 days to see a snowplow -- but the area is still closed down through tomorrow, so not surprising.
Not looking forward to more from next weekend.
ETA: Both cars have 2.5 feet of ice and snow along the side next to the lane. I couldn't budge it.
If the SU can't either, we may have to phone the incel across the street to dig it out for an exorbitant fee. If we didn't have the possibility of another storm, with wetter snow, this coming weekend I'd let it sit, but I will still have that doctor's appointment next week.
grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Not looking forward to more from next weekend.
ETA: Both cars have 2.5 feet of ice and snow along the side next to the lane. I couldn't budge it.
If the SU can't either, we may have to phone the incel across the street to dig it out for an exorbitant fee. If we didn't have the possibility of another storm, with wetter snow, this coming weekend I'd let it sit, but I will still have that doctor's appointment next week.
grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
now i spend my time following him whenever he's with you
27 January 2026 18:15musesfoolToday was super annoying because I had a very weird internet outage. Spectrum acknowledged that there was an outage in my area even! But it was only partial? Or intermittent? Just fucking weird. I could get to my work-related sites fairly frequently (outlook, sharepoint), but literally nothing else would load except for some reason gmail. Like, no news sites. No bank. No shopping sites. Bitwarden timed out trying to log into my password vault. I couldn't get anything at all to load on my personal laptop until I plugged in my phone to use it as a hotspot, which was greyed out and not allowed on my work laptop. Finally, around 4 pm when Spectrum said the outage was over but I still didn't have full service, I chatted with them and somehow their reboot of everything worked (even though I rebooted the modem and router several times on my own without any luck), so I was able to get full access to the internet on both laptops and on my TV. *hands*
In other news, I found that a stint overnight in the fridge greatly improved those cupcakes. I wasn't impressed by them at room temp (texture was super spongy), but they're really good with the extra time in the cold! So if you need vegan cupcakes, the KAB recipe is recommended, especially if you make them ahead of time.
Meanwhile, it looks like we might get a nor'easter this coming weekend? A big storm potentially, though with less snow and more wind. No warming of temperatures anyway. Oy.
*
In other news, I found that a stint overnight in the fridge greatly improved those cupcakes. I wasn't impressed by them at room temp (texture was super spongy), but they're really good with the extra time in the cold! So if you need vegan cupcakes, the KAB recipe is recommended, especially if you make them ahead of time.
Meanwhile, it looks like we might get a nor'easter this coming weekend? A big storm potentially, though with less snow and more wind. No warming of temperatures anyway. Oy.
*
While the US Freezes, Australia Boils and Burns
27 January 2026 17:47luthienIt looks like parts of western Victoria have recorded the state's hottest ever temperature today. Right now, it's 48.9C, or 120F in the old money.
The forecast is for 42C/107F here tomorrow, which will be bad enough. I'm really glad I don't have any appointments until Friday. I'm not planning to budge from the house. I'm worried about fires, though. Where I live is just far enough from bushland that I don't have to worry about them for myself, but god. There were 900 buildings lost and a big chunk of land all burnt out in the heatwave a few weeks ago, when there were dozens of fires burning across Victoria and New South Wales.
How many fires are there going to be in this sort of heat?
(And still we have politicians trying to say that this is normal. I saw one leader of a far right less-and-less-fringe party call climate change 'rubbish' today. I won't dignify her words by attaching her name to them, but if you're Australian I'm sure you know who I'm talking about.)
The forecast is for 42C/107F here tomorrow, which will be bad enough. I'm really glad I don't have any appointments until Friday. I'm not planning to budge from the house. I'm worried about fires, though. Where I live is just far enough from bushland that I don't have to worry about them for myself, but god. There were 900 buildings lost and a big chunk of land all burnt out in the heatwave a few weeks ago, when there were dozens of fires burning across Victoria and New South Wales.
How many fires are there going to be in this sort of heat?
(And still we have politicians trying to say that this is normal. I saw one leader of a far right less-and-less-fringe party call climate change 'rubbish' today. I won't dignify her words by attaching her name to them, but if you're Australian I'm sure you know who I'm talking about.)
Three Sentence Fics
27 January 2026 13:31luthienI wrote a couple of fills for threesentenceficathon. There could be more, but for now there's these two:
She Knows
Fandom: The Scarlet Pimpernel
Pairing: Percy/Marguerite
Rating: M
Prompt: she knows
( Read more... )
Rumours
Fandom: Heated Rivalry
Characters: Hayden & Shane (Shane/Ilya implied)
Rating: G
Prompt: Have you heard the rumors about us?
( Read more... )
threesentenceficathon. There could be more, but for now there's these two:She Knows
Fandom: The Scarlet Pimpernel
Pairing: Percy/Marguerite
Rating: M
Prompt: she knows
( Read more... )
Rumours
Fandom: Heated Rivalry
Characters: Hayden & Shane (Shane/Ilya implied)
Rating: G
Prompt: Have you heard the rumors about us?
( Read more... )