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I should write more later about the funeral. But I'm glad I went.
And then there was eventually acro, after a workshop about difficult conversations and getting out of conversations and such.
And then it took me forever to start the car when I left Acro and then I got home and it's apparently been three more hours.

And of course someone has replied to my Facebook post about Bondi Beach
In a way that seems to consider it Israel's fault.

I'm so goddamn tired.

Crosspost, Bondi no context.

The headlines on my watch said something about Australia needing to rethink their gun laws. And then there was another headline also mentioning Bondi, and saying something about an attack on the Jewish community.

I neither have time this morning nor available brain to look any further into this although it's probably going to be a question answered as soon as I turn on the car radio.

Perhaps the worst thing so far is the thought of "this is not surprising. I already knew Australia is not safe for Jews anymore. It was a matter of time."

I have to get on my way to a funeral I've decided I'm going to.

There is apparently a Bondi Beach in australia. Confusion with Pam Bondi was only momentary based on all the rest of the context.

Speaking of not her but the other one,
. DHS seems to have noticed that their polling is really really bad and now say oh well actually cut back and do what we kept insisting was what we were doing.. Otherwise known as we noticed that everyone really hates us when we're randomly dragging people out of a Home Depot so we're going to at least say that we're going to stop that.

Oh also, boycott Home Depot.

Ugh

I'm feeling really pissy with myself right now. I can't even pretend I know what I did with the last oh I don't know 4 hours. And about quarter to 7:00 I realized there was a dance nearby I could go to and then I thought about going and I didn't know who was going and I didn't get ready and then I didn't and then I thought oh I will go to the Balboa because that's only $10 and it's from 8:30 to 11:00 and at that point it was like most of it or maybe it was 8:00 I could totally have done that but now it's 9:15 and it's a half hour out to Glen Echo and sure it's not that that a price for the hour but it's a half hour drive each way and so I'm not and that's all well and good but then I'm also barely getting any exercise anymore and I miss dancing and I didn't go dancing last night and I don't know if I'll get dancing on Sunday maybe I could. Acro is late in the day for change just everything is so much tetrising and somehow all the time is gone I don't understand that either. And I was annoyed because I felt like oh God I have all this stuff I should do in the house that works better if there isn't someone here with me and then I did kind of clean some of the kitchen and then I got out to the Christmas Market and found some things or at least figured out some things maybe and I'm just tired that's probably a matter of not doing enough of my asthma drugs but it's also just I keep not doing things I keep not dancing I keep not visiting with people I keep losing time and there's only so much time you know.

And maybe I just need more water and didn't realize I need more water I don't know. And also more than a little annoyed that I have a whole lot of sparkles in my hair and none of them are visible with my hairs up like I almost always have my hair up and I went back to her and I got a lot more sparkly to put in my hair having explained to her that they don't show with my hair up

Current Mood: jubilant

Entry tags:

retirement

Freedom !!!

I made it! I'm retired!!

WE WON AT CAPITALISM! (Hat-tip to

rmd for that wonderful turn of phrase.

Oh, nice!

Someone anonymous bought me paid time, with the note, "I love your bird photos," which is a) kind, and b) gives me incentive to *take* some bird photos. And other photos. And, as a necessary corollary, walks.

Before that, I need to find my walking boots, one of which is in Some Bag Or Box, and also possibly buy other boots (because snow), which is always somewhat tangled because I have ridiculous calves and ankles.

But meantime, I can organize my tags! And post other things. And so on.

Anyway, thank you, Photononymous!

Entry tags:

obituaries

a sadness

supergee, aka Arthur Hlavaty, who I was never close to but enjoyed, died a day or so ago. He wrote engagingly, both on Dreamwidth/LJ and other places, apparently knew like, everyone in SF fandom. His wife's post on it, and Kalimac's reminisce.

Peace to his wife and husband, aka

nellorat and

womzilla.

He was very much a fanzine fan, and had a life and a half in various ways. He was quietly who he was, and lived his life as that; witness his family, for example. As I said, I liked him, in a "ships passing in the night" sense, and I'm mostly posting about it because... Well, people matter. The people who make up community, who are in the same places.

(Also, writer John Varley has probably died, though I haven't seen a definitive post on that yet. I've enjoyed what I read of him, but he was never one of the ones I really *connected* to.)

moar mommage

Once my mom got from the hospital to a rehab facility, she got a lot more There. (I mean, still has dementia, so not *that* there, but conscious and coherent.)

And, turns out, what actually actually happened, contrary to my last post, is that she sort of did have a stroke, but not really. A former stroke, in essence.

( Medical details and muttering, but nothing gross. )

My dad is like, "I don't need help myself! So why should the light housekeeping people come just for me!" so I'm going to call him tomorrow and basically go, "They can help arrange the house for when mom comes home," which is, after all, true. But they can also help 89-year-old *him*, too. Cough.

All in all, I dislike this phase of things.

Current Mood: pleased

Entry tags:

Decembrrr

We had our first real snow last week. It actually stuck around & is still looking nice.

Saturday we went to a "cut-your-own" Xmas tree farm and brought back a lovely tree. I've never had a tree so fresh it still had snow on it, so that was fun. It's also the first time we've had a full-sized tree here.

Next, what started out as a quick dash to Home Despot for appropriately-sized lights, rapidly turned into an epic trek for brunch in town, British foods 45 minutes up the road, and finally Home Despot. We decorated the tree - we do NOT have too many ornaments, we still have hooks left! - and settled in for a nice quiet Choresday on Sunday. The cats are interested in the tree, but haven't climbed it or broken anything that we know of.

Today, the snow is melting a little, and we can see loads of animal tracks across the back yard.

This is also my last Monday ~~on earth~~ of working. In a little over 4 days' time I will be a free human being!

(no subject)

Never work for evil people.

Current Mood: complacent
Current Music: The Flamingos--I Only Have Eyes For You

Entry tags:

Chocolate

I like chocolate. From this first principle, interesting adventures derive [themselves]. I used to favor Hershey's Kisses, but the logistics of fiddling with tiny wrappers during an arthritis flare were an obstacle. Then I hit upon the bag of milk chocolate chips as my delivery vector of choice; direct chocolate hit, chocolatier taste, no fiddly wrappers - what's not to like?

When they're not to be found, that's what. Over a couple of weeks, due to scarcity, my sweet spouse went to more than one store, for me. Then, last week, there were none to be found anywhere. He brought me a bag of Kroger's store brand and a bag of Ghirardelli. While not as chocolatey and with more beat-up looking chips, the Kroger was still an acceptable alternative. Ironically enough, the Ghirardelli bag combined being significantly more expensive with larger chips. My spouse called the chocolate taste "understated." I called it "nonexistent." Nothing like paying more for less flavor.

This week, relief was in sight, as he returned home victorious with the desired chocolate. Those first chips after a week of deprivation were intensely pleasurable. [I may have to do extra walks this week, weather permitting.]

As I went towards the fridge this afternoon, in anticipation of more chocolate chip goodness, I heard music in my head. I'm a filker; this isn't exactly a surprise. Bill & Gretchen Roper have an excellent song on the subject, "My Husband The Filker." As I let the tune play out to see which one it was, "Sha bop, sha bop" flowed into "I Only Have Eyes For You", a decidedly apt tune for chocolate on an overcast winter afternoon.