Meanwhile search services should be running, but probably returning no results or incomplete results for most queries.
Meanwhile search services should be running, but probably returning no results or incomplete results for most queries.

Do you make crafts? Do you like to look at crafts? Would you like to get (or give) advice about crafts? All crafts are welcome. Share photos, stories about projects in progress, and connect with other crafty folks.
You are welcome to make your own posts, and this community will also do a monthly call for people to share what they are working on, or what they've seen which may be inspiring them. Images of projects old or new, completed or in progress are welcome, as are questions, tutorials and advice.
If you have any questions, ask them here!

Do you make crafts? Do you like to look at crafts? Would you like to get (or give) advice about crafts? All crafts are welcome. Share photos, stories about projects in progress, and connect with other crafty folks.
You are welcome to make your own posts, and this community will also do a monthly call for people to share what they are working on, or what they've seen which may be inspiring them. Images of projects old or new, completed or in progress are welcome, as are questions, tutorials and advice.
If you have any questions, ask them here!
Hello to all members, passers-by, curious onlookers, and shy lurkers, and welcome to our regular daily check-in post. Just leave a comment below to let us know how your current projects are progressing, or even if they're not.
Checking in is NOT compulsory, check in as often or as seldom as you want, this community isn't about pressure it's about encouragement, motivation, and support. Crafting is meant to be fun, and what's more fun than sharing achievements and seeing the wonderful things everyone else is creating?
There may also occasionally be questions, but again you don't have to answer them, they're just a way of getting to know each other a bit better.
This Week's Question: What do you like to listen to / watch while crafting?
If anyone has any questions of their own about the community, or suggestions for tags, questions to be asked on the check-in posts, or if anyone is interested in playing check-in host for a week here on the community, which would entail putting up the daily check-in posts and responding to comments, go to the Questions & Suggestions post and leave a comment.
I now declare this Check-In OPEN!

Our next stop on the trip that day was Oneonia Gorge. It has a tunnel through the rock in between the trees, though we didn't go through it. Instead, we stopped just before it to take pictures of the creek and gorge.( Read more... )
Today I have nothing. Next Monday, aqua yoga starts up again. But, today is free. USPS sent me an email of my coming postal mail and there is a letter/bill/something from the company that manages the condo. Maybe it's a refund check - hahahaha. I will need to go down and see when the mail comes.
I quit taking the allergy pills because they quit working but that was a month ago and I am so tired of my nose running so I started up again today. Fingers are crossed but I did add more Kleenex to my subscribe and save order. My ankles are being weird. They are fine right now but this weekend they were very swollen. Not my feet. Not my legs. Just my ankles. They looked like they had a tractor tire around each one. Dr. Google was baffled. Even Dr. AI was scratching his silicone on that one.
I haven't used my feet like I did last week and they are grateful. And they do not hurt. And I am happy about that. I am taking them to the podiatrist tomorrow. Along with all my shoes.
I spent way way way too much money last week. Last month. So July is going to see some cutbacks. I have the money but I don't need any more shit. I really don't and I don't have any place to put it. Even groceries. I'm working hard on eating out of the freezer this week. I'm nearly out of bread and eggs. Maybe a grocery run tomorrow after the podiatrist.

A South African video game studio (not a phrase I think I've ever typed before) has created a game called Relooted, a heist game where the objective is to rob museums and steal back African artifacts. I'm pretty sure my computer isn't powerful enough for me to be able to play it once it's released, but I love the idea and I look forward to seeing more games like this.
I recent listened to Green Day's latest album Saviors (édition de luxe) for the first time. I liked the whole thing, but I've especially latched on to "Fancy Sauce." The chorus is like a Russian nesting doll of Easter eggs: The tune of the chorus is like a greatly slowed down version of the can-can song (Offenbach?), while the lyrics of the chorus contain call-outs to Suicidal Tendencies ("I'm not crazy, you're the one that's crazy") and Nirvana ("stupid and contagious"). Enjoy!
Between finally getting off of Keppra (with its side effects of lethargy and sleepiness) and finally starting to get caught up on all the things I fell behind on during my long Keppra-induced nap, I feel like I'm finally starting to get back into my usual life again. Barring unforeseen events (which is never a safe thing to do, and yet I persist on doing it anyway), you should start seeing me around here more often, hopefully even reading and commenting on your posts.
Lisa now knows the area better, and she will be able to base herself out of Munich, made a lot of day trips from there to visit a bunch of places she has lined up, and also make some multi-day excursions where she can travel more lightly while leaving much of her stuff in the "home base" in Munich. We have some of those trips lined up already, and hope to get the rest of them booked by the time she leaves for Europe. Some of those plans may have to wait until she's already there, though. Fortunately, having that Eurail pass gives her a fair bit of travel flexibility, as she's not generally tied to any specific train.
While Kayla and I are at Westercon, Lisa and Kuma will be packing for their trip. I'm scheduled to take her to the airport in Reno on the Wednesday after Westercon.
During the Christmas episode we saw the firm's acapella group, which might have just been an excuse to highlight one character's amazing singing voice. Anyway, they were singing White Winter Hymnal, and I'm going to just post two quick videos, the original version and a different acapella cover:
(Those lyrics can't be entirely right - surely the pack is swaddled in their coats, not swallowed?)
Anyway, you'll notice that in the first one they weirdly pronounce "the" with a "long e" (the vowel in pee) before the words "white snow". Does that strike anybody else as a weird place to do that?
( Read more... )
The issue here was that I had a $20 discount coupon from Jiffy Lube for air conditioning service, which the minivan needed, and it was good today only. The original plan was for Kayla to take her meeting and then I'd take the minivan to Sparks. Jiffy Lube is only open until 4 PM on Sunday, and an AC job takes a lot longer than an oil change, so if I was going to take advantage of this offer, it had to happen sooner, not later.
I got to JL and after confirming that the Astro has had its AC upgraded to the modern coolant (that we did years ago up in Oregon), they said they could do it, but that it would take a little while. I wish I'd know just how long it would have taken, because had I known, I might have tried to get some lunch. Instead, as I typically do when going to that JL, I ordered a coffee from Starbucks, which was ready (albeit under Kayla's name, but nobody ever checks) by the time I walked across the shopping center parking lot. For an oil change, they often are done by the time I get back, but an AC recharge involves purging the system (sucking out all the coolant), which turned out to be harder than usual, they said, because the coolant was sort of goopy. That's odd because I had the system completely repaired last year, but okay. Fortunately for me, I had a new issue of Trains to read.
I had assumed that some of the coolant had leaked out of the system, but they said that the biggest problem was that there was too much coolant in it, which was part of why it took so long to purge. They also were concerned that even after recharging, it wasn't putting out as much cool air on Max AC, but I reassured them that this older vehicle and older system doesn't work that well at slow engine speeds. I rarely turn on Max AC except at freeway speeds because it needs more power to run the compressor than works at slower speeds.
After stopping to grab a sandwich and soda, I set out on I-80 east for home, and to my relief (in multiple ways, as it was pretty hot out there), I got the level of of air conditioning I would expect from a properly functioning system.
I wanted to get this done before Westercon because it is a long drive (around 500 km each way) from Fernley to Santa Clara, and much of it will be in hot places including the Central Valley of California. Here's hoping that this recharge holds for a while.
How are you doing?
I am OK
16 (57.1%)
I am not OK, but don't need help right now
12 (42.9%)
I could use some help
0 (0.0%)
How many other humans live with you?
I am living single
12 (42.9%)
One other person
11 (39.3%)
More than one other person
5 (17.9%)
Please, talk about how things are going for you in the comments, ask for advice or help if you need it, or just discuss whatever you feel like.
A note on tariffs: If you are wondering what groceries will be impacted the worst and what to stock up on, I recommend Suttons Daze. https://youtu.be/WUw9W8AIoPc?si=7etP6sjXCfC3oIZ0
My thoughts are darker. Much darker. Her assumption is based on facts and well researched information. My mind always goes to worst case scenario. What if no one wants to sell us anything at all? As in embargo. We are detaining so many tourists from other countries. At some point, they may get so pissed off over how our government is treating them that they walk away entirely. I also think about climate change's effect on our food supply as well as lack of farm workers. I have a lot of dark thoughts that I hope never happen.
As for the garden, I ran the numbers. I am only behind 3 pounds on my goals to date. Crop failures include currants, raspberries and I didn't have time to harvest mulberries. Will I meet the rest of my goals? Probably not on the potatoes. The new seed potatoes are looking good. The others were hit with a killing cold snap. There are lots of empty grow bags at this point. The deep plastic pots are doing terrific. Basil had root rot from all the rain. The herb spiral is bare. I just plopped a few seedlings into containers. I'm hoping they do better. There is still time to replant.
Chrono's shows and hospitalization means I never installed my cucumber trellis. Those are sprawling but still doing okay. Looks like a cucumber that never originally germinated decided to grow in the front flower bed. I reused soil. Surprise!

Tomatoes need to be clipped. I bought clips. Do I know where they are? No. Suckers also need to be trimmed. With the skunks out and about, I'll be working in enclosed garden. I also need to get a few more squash plants into the ground. That means weeding first. There's a lot to do.

With luck the beans are on track. Tomatoes are on track. If the squash gets planted, that's a large chunk of my food goals. The jury is still out on carrots. One patch germinated but I'm waiting on the second. If I can find time, a third batch will get planted. Onions did poorly this year. I need to reorder potato onions. Look them up. They are a fascinating onion. Bulb onions don't like my growing conditions.

Fireflies are happy with my yard. It's fun to watch them from the window at night.
My skunks: https://youtu.be/2CRcR4sLkKA?si=8Ny2Yq7oInH1Gs2i
I am researching natural repellents. Irish Spring soap, Pinesol, Epsom salts, citrus peels . . .Some are for the ground hog, some for the skunk. Apparently they often co-exist in the same warren. The skunks are eating my slugs. At least there is that.
Food goal: Still at 325 pounds.
Hello to all members, passers-by, curious onlookers, and shy lurkers, and welcome to our regular daily check-in post. Just leave a comment below to let us know how your current projects are progressing, or even if they're not.
Checking in is NOT compulsory, check in as often or as seldom as you want, this community isn't about pressure it's about encouragement, motivation, and support. Crafting is meant to be fun, and what's more fun than sharing achievements and seeing the wonderful things everyone else is creating?
There may also occasionally be questions, but again you don't have to answer them, they're just a way of getting to know each other a bit better.
This Week's Question: What do you like to listen to / watch while crafting?
If anyone has any questions of their own about the community, or suggestions for tags, questions to be asked on the check-in posts, or if anyone is interested in playing check-in host for a week here on the community, which would entail putting up the daily check-in posts and responding to comments, go to the Questions & Suggestions post and leave a comment.
I now declare this Check-In OPEN!
The guy who sold me the blinds has now had plenty of time to respond to my email even if only to say there's nothing he can do. So far, I have heard crickets. He requested a review and I gave him a glowing one just after installation. Dude, I can edit that sucker. And will. I'll give him until Tuesday. The reality is, if you had told me at the first decision point that I could have these shades but I'll never be able to open my window OR I can live without shades, I would have picked what I have now. BUT I would have sure liked that discussion. Plenty of people here have shades and can open windows. Of course, I've never seen any I like as well as these but still...
It's a hot, sunny morning and I'm thanking those very shades.
Scott and Julie were very surprised that they were going to sleep in daylight and waking up in daylight. They've been to Alaska so it's not a totally foreign concept but they had not experienced it here in the lower 48.
At elbow coffee yesterday, we learned that David (Noelle's husband) is not doing well and John (Hazel's husband) has issues that sound like heart related. Joan is also, I think, deteriorating pretty quickly. She is still mentally sharp but her 93 year old body seems to be checking out. I suspect that this time next year, my neighborhood will look very different.
My friend, Martha, said she ran into Dick and Jen, who are moving into Myrna's apartment. They were actually moving some stuff in! They said they had tried to find me but I wasn't home. This was last week when we were out boosting the economy.
Today will be baseball and knitting and a great appreciation of my life. There's nothing like having people you know and trust come and see what you have and how you live and be so admiring of it all to nail down your gratitude for everything. It's the greatest thing.
I think I'll put some clothes on now and go get yesterday's mail before anyone else gets awake.

![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
Further details below ...
( Read more... )
( Read more... )