Since I do seem to be pretty much using this meme to check in here once a month, I've decided to start doing it on the first of the month, or close to it, rather than a week or so in.
August was not terribly interesting for me. Somehow, it never is. It's like this big, blank, empty stretch of the year I can never seem to remember much about once it's over. We did finally start getting a decent amount of rain after a particularly dry start to the "rainy season," though, so that's good.
Current clothes: Blue jeans. A light tan t-shirt from the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. Blue denim short-sleeved shirt unbuttoned over that. White socks.
Current mood: A layer of perfectly okay, spread over a deeper layer of anxiety and irritation that pokes through to annoy me at random moments.
Current music: Nothing much.
Current annoyance: Yes, it's the ol' human body again. My plantar fascitiis is flaring up, so I've been walking a lot less, which I think may be one source of my lurking irritation. Walking is good for both body and mind! Also unquestionably contributing is the fact that the calendar of my life has finally flipped over to a new and unpleasant page, and I am getting freaking hot flashes. Like, constantly. This, too, is both physically and psychologically uncomfortable. Sigh.
Current thing: I'm sort of trying to make my current thing getting stuff done around the house, but I have to admit I'm not trying very hard.
Current desktop picture: Still the 12th Doctor.
Current book: Gil's All-Fright Diner by A. Lee Martinez. Which is okay, but not brilliant. It's a horror-comedy, and the horror-comedy sweet spot is really hard to hit (although wonderful when it works). The author did a lot better blending pulp SF and detective noir in The Automatic Detective, so I'm finding this one mildly disappointing by comparison.
Current song in head: There's been a lot of stuff bouncing around in the brain lately, some of it more annoying than others, but right this second it appears to be Bob Dylan's "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall".
Current refreshment: Nothing at the moment. But I'm thirsty.
Currently watching: I've started watching Matt Groening's new show, Disenchantment, on Netflix. I've only seen the first two episodes, and so far it's no Futurama, but it's not bad.
Current happy thing: I may not be trying super hard with the "getting things done around the house" thing, but I did actually have a fairly productive "weekend" this week on my days off. I was able to cross a number of things off the to-do list, including one that had been on there for a long, long time.
Current thought: I really want a vacation from the world. I am gonna do that staycation where I lock myself in the house and spend a few days lying on the couch reading books. I have plans... Just, not quite yet.
Saturday, September 01, 2018
Monday, August 06, 2018
August Currentlies, And Stuff
So, I was thinking that if these days I'm mostly just stopping by this blog once a month to do this "currently" meme as a way to keep up on the state of my life, I should move it to the beginning of the month and maybe add in a little recap of what I've been up to for the past month. But, for one reason or another, it's still taken me this far into August to get to it. Oops.
Well, there's not a whole lot to say about July, anyway. The main event of note was that I turned 47. Which is maybe not that big of a deal. Certainly I seem to have long since reached the age where I barely pay attention to the number. Mind you, I have little doubt that will change soon. The idea of being -- gasp! -- fifty is just hard to wrap my brain around. It feels wrong, somehow. Fifty is not who or what I am!
Well, I guess I've got a few years yet before I have to face the thought of being wrong about that. In the meantime, here:
Current clothes: Blue jeans. A t-shirt from the National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center, where I got to see the space shuttle Discovery a few years ago. It's got a nice picture of Discovery on the back.
Current mood: OK, but a little, I dunno, rushed-feeling. I had a very busy weekend -- some errands and a much-belated birthday lunch with a friend in Albuquerque on Saturday, and a frenzy of housework and grocery shopping and other annoying but important things on Sunday -- and I do not feel ready to go back to work this afternoon. I want more weekend!
Current music: They Might Be Giants' Flood, a perennial favorite of mine.
Current annoyance: Besides not having more weekend? Well, there are a lot of things I could complain about, but maybe the most significant one is that my plantar fasciitis has been flaring up a little bit again. It's not too bad at the moment, but it always worries me when it does that. Stupid feet.
Current thing: Honestly, probably buying too many things I really don't need. I mean, OK, look, I know I have more than enough coffee mugs, but how could I not buy myself this one?!
Current desktop picture: Yes, yes, it's still the 12th Doctor. Don't act surprised.
Current book: Neutrino Hunters by Ray Jayawardhana.
Current song in head: "We Want a Rock" by They Might Be Giants. See "current music" above.
Current refreshment: Nothing. I should have some lunch soon, though.
Currently watching: I am still on season 4 of Alias. And I still can't quite decide whether it's a good show or a bad one. I suspect the answer to that may be "yes."
Current happy thing: Birthday lunch consisted of a cheesesteak at this place, which was like a wonderful, delightful little taste of my long-lost home. *happysigh*
Current thought: Everybody wants a rock to wind a piece of string around!
Well, there's not a whole lot to say about July, anyway. The main event of note was that I turned 47. Which is maybe not that big of a deal. Certainly I seem to have long since reached the age where I barely pay attention to the number. Mind you, I have little doubt that will change soon. The idea of being -- gasp! -- fifty is just hard to wrap my brain around. It feels wrong, somehow. Fifty is not who or what I am!
Well, I guess I've got a few years yet before I have to face the thought of being wrong about that. In the meantime, here:
Current clothes: Blue jeans. A t-shirt from the National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center, where I got to see the space shuttle Discovery a few years ago. It's got a nice picture of Discovery on the back.
Current mood: OK, but a little, I dunno, rushed-feeling. I had a very busy weekend -- some errands and a much-belated birthday lunch with a friend in Albuquerque on Saturday, and a frenzy of housework and grocery shopping and other annoying but important things on Sunday -- and I do not feel ready to go back to work this afternoon. I want more weekend!
Current music: They Might Be Giants' Flood, a perennial favorite of mine.
Current annoyance: Besides not having more weekend? Well, there are a lot of things I could complain about, but maybe the most significant one is that my plantar fasciitis has been flaring up a little bit again. It's not too bad at the moment, but it always worries me when it does that. Stupid feet.
Current thing: Honestly, probably buying too many things I really don't need. I mean, OK, look, I know I have more than enough coffee mugs, but how could I not buy myself this one?!
Current desktop picture: Yes, yes, it's still the 12th Doctor. Don't act surprised.
Current book: Neutrino Hunters by Ray Jayawardhana.
Current song in head: "We Want a Rock" by They Might Be Giants. See "current music" above.
Current refreshment: Nothing. I should have some lunch soon, though.
Currently watching: I am still on season 4 of Alias. And I still can't quite decide whether it's a good show or a bad one. I suspect the answer to that may be "yes."
Current happy thing: Birthday lunch consisted of a cheesesteak at this place, which was like a wonderful, delightful little taste of my long-lost home. *happysigh*
Current thought: Everybody wants a rock to wind a piece of string around!
Sunday, July 08, 2018
July Currentlies
Yep, still doing this.
Current clothes: Gray sweatpants. A t-shirt with a picture of a Klingon bat'leth sticking out of a book and the words "Today is a good day... to read." Because I am me. White socks.
Current mood: Pretty good. I'm off work today, and glad about it.
Current music: Nothing much.
Current annoyance: I may be off work today, but I've got another extra-long week of night shifts coming up starting tomorrow. Sigh.
Current thing: Still obsessively playing One Hour, One Life.
Current desktop picture: Yes, it's still the 12th Doctor. Clearly I am not ready to let him go yet.
Current book: Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang.
Current song in head: It's been a medley of Imagine Dragons tune all day. Why are so many of their songs so stupidly catchy?
Current refreshment: I have some Moroccan Mint tea steeping.
Currently watching: Just started season 4 of Alias. I will finish watching this show sometime before i die.
Current happy thing: I finally got my sewer pipes replaced last month! After a year of me putting it off, and then nearly another year of the plumbers not being able to do it, either because they were shorthanded and busy, or because I didn't want them to schedule it while I was on night shifts. But it's been done now, and a good thing, too, because apparently those old cast iron pipes were in pretty bad shape. Nice to have that crossed off the list of things that need to be done with this house.
Current thought: I don't even want to think about what other things are or ought to be on the list of things that need to be done with this house...
Current clothes: Gray sweatpants. A t-shirt with a picture of a Klingon bat'leth sticking out of a book and the words "Today is a good day... to read." Because I am me. White socks.
Current mood: Pretty good. I'm off work today, and glad about it.
Current music: Nothing much.
Current annoyance: I may be off work today, but I've got another extra-long week of night shifts coming up starting tomorrow. Sigh.
Current thing: Still obsessively playing One Hour, One Life.
Current desktop picture: Yes, it's still the 12th Doctor. Clearly I am not ready to let him go yet.
Current book: Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang.
Current song in head: It's been a medley of Imagine Dragons tune all day. Why are so many of their songs so stupidly catchy?
Current refreshment: I have some Moroccan Mint tea steeping.
Currently watching: Just started season 4 of Alias. I will finish watching this show sometime before i die.
Current happy thing: I finally got my sewer pipes replaced last month! After a year of me putting it off, and then nearly another year of the plumbers not being able to do it, either because they were shorthanded and busy, or because I didn't want them to schedule it while I was on night shifts. But it's been done now, and a good thing, too, because apparently those old cast iron pipes were in pretty bad shape. Nice to have that crossed off the list of things that need to be done with this house.
Current thought: I don't even want to think about what other things are or ought to be on the list of things that need to be done with this house...
Thursday, June 07, 2018
June Currentlies
Because here we are, in June.
Current clothes: Blue jeans. My Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy t-shirt, and matching socks. Although one of these socks is definitely smaller than the other, and it's weird. I may have to replace them.
Current mood: Not bad. Kind of relaxed, really. I'm on night shifts this week, and I had to get up early yesterday to go in to work for a couple of hours of training in the afternoon, but I was allowed to leave early to make up for it, since it was a maintenance day and there wasn't a lot going on. And, man, that was nice. I went to bed early and got seven hours of sleep, which is often hard to manage when I'm on nights. So nice.
Current music: Nothing much. The other day I did put my iPod on random shuffle for a while -- yes, I'm still using the ol' iPod -- and it gave me mostly soundtracks and other pop culture-y stuff.
Current annoyance: It's hot outside, and my swamp cooler does not seem to be working very well at all. Ideally, it should be able to cool things down by about 20 degrees from the outside temperature, but it seems to be consistently only doing 10. Which is non-ideal when it's 99 degrees outside. (Oddly, we don't seem to have broken 100 yet, but it's still uncomfortably warm.) I think maybe the water lines are kind of clogged? I really ought to get someone out to look at it, but that's not very practical when I'm sleeping all day. (And I'm still working more night shifts than usual, too. Sigh.)
Current thing: I've become increasingly addicted to playing One Hour, One Life. Which is a very odd kind of game, but it's odd in fascinating ways.
Current desktop picture: Yeah, yeah, it's still Peter Capaldi. Whatever.
Current book: Cocktail Time by P.G. Wodehouse. This appears to actually be the third book in the "Uncle Fred" series, and I haven't read the first two, but my experiences with Jeeves & Wooster convinced me that Wodehouse can certainly be read out of order, and that has, indeed, turned out to be true.
Current song in head: "Berlin (City of Night)" by Peter Schilling. I have no idea why. But, man, it takes me back. I spent a lot of time in college listening to that Peter Schilling album, back in the days when CDs were the exciting new way to listen to music, and the fall of the Berlin Wall was still a very recent memory, indeed. And now I feel old.
Current refreshment: Nothing. But I need some water or something. And probably some food, soon.
Currently watching: I'm now most of the way through season 3 of Alias. I still, I think, am wavering back and forth between thinking it's a pretty good show, kind of a bad show, or some complicated thing in between. But, after a slightly meh start to the season, I find I'm surprisingly caught up in the weird plot stuff going on right now. Also, Arvin Sloane fascinates me deeply. I have interesting tastes in fictional characters, really. Interesting, and yet strangely predictable.
Current happy thing: I defrosted and cleaned the mini fridge we have in the kitchenette at work last night, because it desperately needed to be done -- it was genuinely disgusting, as well as difficult to put much of anything in the freezer compartment because of all the ice -- and clearly nobody else was going to do it. But now it is done! My work environment has slightly improved! Also, go me, being proactive!
Current thought: Having a clean refrigerator at work does not, however, make me crave a vacation any less.
Current clothes: Blue jeans. My Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy t-shirt, and matching socks. Although one of these socks is definitely smaller than the other, and it's weird. I may have to replace them.
Current mood: Not bad. Kind of relaxed, really. I'm on night shifts this week, and I had to get up early yesterday to go in to work for a couple of hours of training in the afternoon, but I was allowed to leave early to make up for it, since it was a maintenance day and there wasn't a lot going on. And, man, that was nice. I went to bed early and got seven hours of sleep, which is often hard to manage when I'm on nights. So nice.
Current music: Nothing much. The other day I did put my iPod on random shuffle for a while -- yes, I'm still using the ol' iPod -- and it gave me mostly soundtracks and other pop culture-y stuff.
Current annoyance: It's hot outside, and my swamp cooler does not seem to be working very well at all. Ideally, it should be able to cool things down by about 20 degrees from the outside temperature, but it seems to be consistently only doing 10. Which is non-ideal when it's 99 degrees outside. (Oddly, we don't seem to have broken 100 yet, but it's still uncomfortably warm.) I think maybe the water lines are kind of clogged? I really ought to get someone out to look at it, but that's not very practical when I'm sleeping all day. (And I'm still working more night shifts than usual, too. Sigh.)
Current thing: I've become increasingly addicted to playing One Hour, One Life. Which is a very odd kind of game, but it's odd in fascinating ways.
Current desktop picture: Yeah, yeah, it's still Peter Capaldi. Whatever.
Current book: Cocktail Time by P.G. Wodehouse. This appears to actually be the third book in the "Uncle Fred" series, and I haven't read the first two, but my experiences with Jeeves & Wooster convinced me that Wodehouse can certainly be read out of order, and that has, indeed, turned out to be true.
Current song in head: "Berlin (City of Night)" by Peter Schilling. I have no idea why. But, man, it takes me back. I spent a lot of time in college listening to that Peter Schilling album, back in the days when CDs were the exciting new way to listen to music, and the fall of the Berlin Wall was still a very recent memory, indeed. And now I feel old.
Current refreshment: Nothing. But I need some water or something. And probably some food, soon.
Currently watching: I'm now most of the way through season 3 of Alias. I still, I think, am wavering back and forth between thinking it's a pretty good show, kind of a bad show, or some complicated thing in between. But, after a slightly meh start to the season, I find I'm surprisingly caught up in the weird plot stuff going on right now. Also, Arvin Sloane fascinates me deeply. I have interesting tastes in fictional characters, really. Interesting, and yet strangely predictable.
Current happy thing: I defrosted and cleaned the mini fridge we have in the kitchenette at work last night, because it desperately needed to be done -- it was genuinely disgusting, as well as difficult to put much of anything in the freezer compartment because of all the ice -- and clearly nobody else was going to do it. But now it is done! My work environment has slightly improved! Also, go me, being proactive!
Current thought: Having a clean refrigerator at work does not, however, make me crave a vacation any less.
Tuesday, May 08, 2018
May Currentlies
See? I'm still checking in for these.
Current clothes: Blue jeans. White socks. A brown t-shirt with a picture of a very groggy-looking owl holding a cup of coffee, which is entirely appropriate for me today. Blue short-sleeved denim shirt unbuttoned on top of that.
Current mood: Not too bad, but the sleep deprivation isn't helping. I'm working a lot of midnight shifts right now, and, more often than not, I'm waking up significantly earlier than I should be. Which is an all-too-common problem when I'm on midnights.
Current music: Nothing much. I'm devoting most of my audio time to podcasts again. Or still. I harbor the ridiculous delusion that one day I might actually be close to catching up on them.
Current annoyance: Working lots of midnight shifts! Or, let's be honest, working at all. I still desperately need some time off. And it's still not happening.
Current thing: I dunno. Feeling proud that my book-budgeting system is still actually working, maybe? My TBR is already down more than twenty books from the beginning of the year!
Current desktop picture: Still the 12th Doctor. At this point, I'm sure no one is surprised.
Current book: Stephen Hawking: An Unfettered Mind by Kitty Ferguson. I've had this biography on my shelves since shortly after it was published, in 2012, and the recent-ish news of Hawking's death finally spurred me to get around to reading it.
Current song in head: Brain Radio has been switching songs almost constantly lately. Right now, it seems to be playing "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" by the Police, but that may not last long.
Current refreshment: Water. Hey, it's definitely summer here in New Mexico now. Gotta keep hydrated.
Currently watching: I've recently finished the entire run of Black Mirror, which was excellent, although, man, that last episode was almost too disturbing. And I'm now about to start season three of Alias. It's taken me longer to get back to that show than I really meant to. I also just watched this week's episode of Elementary, and, man, there are a lot of things I love about that show, but sometimes their plots are just ridiculous.
Current happy thing: Oooh, it's a big one this time! Are you ready? I now have a full set of teeth again! Well, OK, except for the wisdom teeth, but they were never any use, anyway. Yes, that's right, as of yesterday, I finally, finally have my new artificial tooth. It's actually kind of weird having a tooth there again. Weird, but wonderful. You guys, I can chew on both sides of my mouth! I can smile without immediately feeling hideously self-conscious about it! And there's no longer a stupid little metal cap on my gum that my tongue can't leave alone! It's marvelous. Seriously, I am so happy about this, you have no idea.
Current thought: Thus endeth the first step in my eventual plan to replace all my body parts with artificial ones. I think I need bionic eyes next.
Current clothes: Blue jeans. White socks. A brown t-shirt with a picture of a very groggy-looking owl holding a cup of coffee, which is entirely appropriate for me today. Blue short-sleeved denim shirt unbuttoned on top of that.
Current mood: Not too bad, but the sleep deprivation isn't helping. I'm working a lot of midnight shifts right now, and, more often than not, I'm waking up significantly earlier than I should be. Which is an all-too-common problem when I'm on midnights.
Current music: Nothing much. I'm devoting most of my audio time to podcasts again. Or still. I harbor the ridiculous delusion that one day I might actually be close to catching up on them.
Current annoyance: Working lots of midnight shifts! Or, let's be honest, working at all. I still desperately need some time off. And it's still not happening.
Current thing: I dunno. Feeling proud that my book-budgeting system is still actually working, maybe? My TBR is already down more than twenty books from the beginning of the year!
Current desktop picture: Still the 12th Doctor. At this point, I'm sure no one is surprised.
Current book: Stephen Hawking: An Unfettered Mind by Kitty Ferguson. I've had this biography on my shelves since shortly after it was published, in 2012, and the recent-ish news of Hawking's death finally spurred me to get around to reading it.
Current song in head: Brain Radio has been switching songs almost constantly lately. Right now, it seems to be playing "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" by the Police, but that may not last long.
Current refreshment: Water. Hey, it's definitely summer here in New Mexico now. Gotta keep hydrated.
Currently watching: I've recently finished the entire run of Black Mirror, which was excellent, although, man, that last episode was almost too disturbing. And I'm now about to start season three of Alias. It's taken me longer to get back to that show than I really meant to. I also just watched this week's episode of Elementary, and, man, there are a lot of things I love about that show, but sometimes their plots are just ridiculous.
Current happy thing: Oooh, it's a big one this time! Are you ready? I now have a full set of teeth again! Well, OK, except for the wisdom teeth, but they were never any use, anyway. Yes, that's right, as of yesterday, I finally, finally have my new artificial tooth. It's actually kind of weird having a tooth there again. Weird, but wonderful. You guys, I can chew on both sides of my mouth! I can smile without immediately feeling hideously self-conscious about it! And there's no longer a stupid little metal cap on my gum that my tongue can't leave alone! It's marvelous. Seriously, I am so happy about this, you have no idea.
Current thought: Thus endeth the first step in my eventual plan to replace all my body parts with artificial ones. I think I need bionic eyes next.
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
April Currentlies
See, I said I was going to keep doing these, at least for a while!
I have made one change, though. You can tell this meme dates back a long, long way from that "current DVD in player" entry that's been there from the beginning. I actually still have a Netflix DVD subscription and watch probably more DVDs than most people, and even I am sometimes streaming stuff instead. So I've changed that one to "currently watching." Finally.
Current clothes: Blue jeans. White socks. A really cool t-shirt with an illustration of Terry Pratchett's Discworld in the style of Van Gogh's Starry Night.
Current mood: Not great. It's been one of those days, kind of, and I'm tired and a bit put out.
Current music: H.P. Joelcraft , in which some guy sings the words of an H. P. Lovecraft poem to the tune of "Piano Man." Even though he mispronounces a couple of words, it's pretty amazing.
Current annoyance: Oh, geez, where to even start. Some frustrating stuff at work that I've let get to me. A to do list that just gets longer and longer the more I do. Desperately wanting to take a week or two of vacation time just to de-stress and get some things done, and being entitled to do so, but not being able to because we're constantly short-handed. Enduring seemingly endless rounds of dentistry and still not having a normal mouth with a full complement of teeth. Oh, and the all-encompassing existential angst. Can't forget that.
Current thing: I've been playing One Hour, One Life. Which is an odd little video game thingy, and I'm still trying to decide whether it's something I'm going to want to continue playing for very long, because aspects of it have the potential to get pretty frustrating. But it's a really fascinating idea for a game, and it's been interesting to experience.
Current desktop picture: Still the 12th Doctor. We really, really need to get some 13th Doctor episodes soon, just so I can find the motivation to change my wallpaper.
Current book: I've just finished Oneiron by Laura Lindstedt, a weird Finnish novel. It's well written in a lot of respects, but kind of experimental in ways that didn't entirely work for me. Next up is A Thousand Naked Strangers: A Paramedic's Wild Ride to the Edge and Back by Kevin Hazzard.
Current song in head: Hmm, I'm not sure I have one at the moment.
Current refreshment: Mint tea.
Currently watching: I've been streaming season 2 of Black Mirror. I know I'm way beyond the curve here, but I'm glad to be finally catching up with it now, even though I haven't been nearly as impressed with season 2 as I was with season 1 (to whatever extent you can actually say that when the "seasons" are about three episodes long). It feels very much like a sort of Twilight Zone for the 21st century.
Current happy thing: It's my Friday night. Hooray!
Current thought: Sometimes, inevitably, we all end up thinking, "Man, what am I even doing with my life?" This may be one of those times.
I have made one change, though. You can tell this meme dates back a long, long way from that "current DVD in player" entry that's been there from the beginning. I actually still have a Netflix DVD subscription and watch probably more DVDs than most people, and even I am sometimes streaming stuff instead. So I've changed that one to "currently watching." Finally.
Current clothes: Blue jeans. White socks. A really cool t-shirt with an illustration of Terry Pratchett's Discworld in the style of Van Gogh's Starry Night.
Current mood: Not great. It's been one of those days, kind of, and I'm tired and a bit put out.
Current music: H.P. Joelcraft , in which some guy sings the words of an H. P. Lovecraft poem to the tune of "Piano Man." Even though he mispronounces a couple of words, it's pretty amazing.
Current annoyance: Oh, geez, where to even start. Some frustrating stuff at work that I've let get to me. A to do list that just gets longer and longer the more I do. Desperately wanting to take a week or two of vacation time just to de-stress and get some things done, and being entitled to do so, but not being able to because we're constantly short-handed. Enduring seemingly endless rounds of dentistry and still not having a normal mouth with a full complement of teeth. Oh, and the all-encompassing existential angst. Can't forget that.
Current thing: I've been playing One Hour, One Life. Which is an odd little video game thingy, and I'm still trying to decide whether it's something I'm going to want to continue playing for very long, because aspects of it have the potential to get pretty frustrating. But it's a really fascinating idea for a game, and it's been interesting to experience.
Current desktop picture: Still the 12th Doctor. We really, really need to get some 13th Doctor episodes soon, just so I can find the motivation to change my wallpaper.
Current book: I've just finished Oneiron by Laura Lindstedt, a weird Finnish novel. It's well written in a lot of respects, but kind of experimental in ways that didn't entirely work for me. Next up is A Thousand Naked Strangers: A Paramedic's Wild Ride to the Edge and Back by Kevin Hazzard.
Current song in head: Hmm, I'm not sure I have one at the moment.
Current refreshment: Mint tea.
Currently watching: I've been streaming season 2 of Black Mirror. I know I'm way beyond the curve here, but I'm glad to be finally catching up with it now, even though I haven't been nearly as impressed with season 2 as I was with season 1 (to whatever extent you can actually say that when the "seasons" are about three episodes long). It feels very much like a sort of Twilight Zone for the 21st century.
Current happy thing: It's my Friday night. Hooray!
Current thought: Sometimes, inevitably, we all end up thinking, "Man, what am I even doing with my life?" This may be one of those times.
Sunday, April 01, 2018
April Thoughts
Happy Easter! And Happy April Fool's Day! Do try not to fall for any egg-related pranks.
So, it is now April, at least in my time zone, and for the last few years, April has traditionally been the month when I revive my flagging desire to blog by posting something here every day. But this year... I don't know. I think I might be done with that.
Because, honestly, there's a reason why I'm posting here less and less and less. This sort of personal blog, in 2018, feels like a relic of another era. These days, other platforms fill the function that spaces like this once did. The problem is, those other platforms don't really do much for me. I'm too long-winded for Twitter, and, anyway, not many people I know are on Twitter. And I can't even wrap my brain around places like Instagram and Tumblr, where posts seem to mostly revolve around images. I don't think in images. I certainly can't communicate in them.
Nowadays, of course, there is one place for personal thoughts and ruminations of various lengths, with or without pictures, to keep friends and family updated on your life and perhaps to reach out into the world at large. But every day, there are more and more reasons why I don't want to be on Facebook, even though every day it seems to get harder to actually participate in society without a Facebook account.
So, yeah, I dunno. I'm probably not ready to let this ol' place go completely dormant yet. I'm pretty sure I'll at least still pop in once a month and do the "currently" meme. That's a grand old tradition by now, and it's kind of fun, and it seems like a good way to check in. But pretending this thing is still a going cocern seems a little bit silly.
So, it is now April, at least in my time zone, and for the last few years, April has traditionally been the month when I revive my flagging desire to blog by posting something here every day. But this year... I don't know. I think I might be done with that.
Because, honestly, there's a reason why I'm posting here less and less and less. This sort of personal blog, in 2018, feels like a relic of another era. These days, other platforms fill the function that spaces like this once did. The problem is, those other platforms don't really do much for me. I'm too long-winded for Twitter, and, anyway, not many people I know are on Twitter. And I can't even wrap my brain around places like Instagram and Tumblr, where posts seem to mostly revolve around images. I don't think in images. I certainly can't communicate in them.
Nowadays, of course, there is one place for personal thoughts and ruminations of various lengths, with or without pictures, to keep friends and family updated on your life and perhaps to reach out into the world at large. But every day, there are more and more reasons why I don't want to be on Facebook, even though every day it seems to get harder to actually participate in society without a Facebook account.
So, yeah, I dunno. I'm probably not ready to let this ol' place go completely dormant yet. I'm pretty sure I'll at least still pop in once a month and do the "currently" meme. That's a grand old tradition by now, and it's kind of fun, and it seems like a good way to check in. But pretending this thing is still a going cocern seems a little bit silly.
Wednesday, March 07, 2018
And The March Currentlies
Because even if I have nothing else to say for a month, at least I'll still do this.
Current clothes: A blue t-shirt that says "time traveling to the future one moment at a time," which sadly, is the only way I know how to do it. Dark gray sweatpants. White socks.
Current mood: My mood is a bit divided. Today is the first of my days off this week, and I'm really glad to actually have some days off and to not have to get up stupidly early for day shifts now. But, on the other hand, I've got this long list of things, both relaxing and productive, that I really want to make time for, and the time I need to make for it seems to be longer than the time I actually have. Which is irritating.
Current music: Ten New Songs by Leonard Cohen. I just read a book of interviews with Cohen, which gave me the irresistible desire to listen to him again.
Current annoyance: Not having infinite amounts of time with which to do whatever the hell I want. Sigh.
Current thing: Buying too many dorky t-shirts.
Current desktop picture: Still the 12th Doctor. Apparently I'm never going to change it, no matter how many times I say I'm going to.
Current book: The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill.
Current song in head: For above-mentioned reasons, there've been a medley of Leonard Cohen songs stuck in my brain for a while now. Mostly "Sisters of Mercy," Anthem" and "Democracy." Which, man, if you're going to have songs stuck in your brain, that's a damned good collection.
Current refreshment: Mint tea.
Current DVD in player: I'm slowly making my way through season 2 of Alias, which is an interesting study in contrasts for me, because I find the characters compelling, but a lot of the plot stuff painfully dumb.
Current happy thing: I have many small happy things at the moment, I guess. Dorky t-shirts. Days off, even if I can't fit quite as much goofing off into them as I'd like. Shirtsleeve weather. Leonard Cohen albums. Mint tea. How unbelievably loudly Vir was purring this morning as he cuddled me while I sipped my morning coffee and read.
Current thought: That's a rather nice list of small pleasant things, I think.
Current clothes: A blue t-shirt that says "time traveling to the future one moment at a time," which sadly, is the only way I know how to do it. Dark gray sweatpants. White socks.
Current mood: My mood is a bit divided. Today is the first of my days off this week, and I'm really glad to actually have some days off and to not have to get up stupidly early for day shifts now. But, on the other hand, I've got this long list of things, both relaxing and productive, that I really want to make time for, and the time I need to make for it seems to be longer than the time I actually have. Which is irritating.
Current music: Ten New Songs by Leonard Cohen. I just read a book of interviews with Cohen, which gave me the irresistible desire to listen to him again.
Current annoyance: Not having infinite amounts of time with which to do whatever the hell I want. Sigh.
Current thing: Buying too many dorky t-shirts.
Current desktop picture: Still the 12th Doctor. Apparently I'm never going to change it, no matter how many times I say I'm going to.
Current book: The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill.
Current song in head: For above-mentioned reasons, there've been a medley of Leonard Cohen songs stuck in my brain for a while now. Mostly "Sisters of Mercy," Anthem" and "Democracy." Which, man, if you're going to have songs stuck in your brain, that's a damned good collection.
Current refreshment: Mint tea.
Current DVD in player: I'm slowly making my way through season 2 of Alias, which is an interesting study in contrasts for me, because I find the characters compelling, but a lot of the plot stuff painfully dumb.
Current happy thing: I have many small happy things at the moment, I guess. Dorky t-shirts. Days off, even if I can't fit quite as much goofing off into them as I'd like. Shirtsleeve weather. Leonard Cohen albums. Mint tea. How unbelievably loudly Vir was purring this morning as he cuddled me while I sipped my morning coffee and read.
Current thought: That's a rather nice list of small pleasant things, I think.
Wednesday, February 07, 2018
February Currentlies
Yes, it's this yet again...
Current clothes: Red t-shirt that says "If this shirt is blue, you're going too fast." Dark blue jeans. White socks. Brown boots.
Current mood: Not too bad. I was in a super good mood yesterday, and some of that has carried over into today, but it is tempered by a few annoyances, especially the knowledge that tomorrow my weekend is over and I have to go back into work at stupidly early hours.
Current music: Nothing, really.
Current annoyance: Well, the biggest one is that I really, really want to just get back to having my usual number of teeth. All this dental mucking around is getting very, very old.
Current thing: I may have spent much of my time off last week binge-watching both seasons of The Good Place, and may now be binge-listening to a podcast about The Good Place, whose episodes are at least three times the length of the episodes of the show they're discussing. Maybe.
Current desktop picture: It's still the 12th Doctor. I really, really need to move on. But I'm not ready for 13th Doctor wallpaper yet, no matter how excited I am to meet her, so I'm not sure what to replace it with.
Current book: A Life in Parts by Bryan Cranston.
Current song in head: Nothing at the moment, but when I woke up this morning, it appeared to be "See You in Sepetember" for reasons I do not remotely understand.
Current refreshment: Mint tea.
Current DVD in player: Haven't watched anything since I finished streaming The Good Place. Which I may need to watch again. Maybe.
Current happy thing: It's nice to find shows you enjoy. Also, the weather is lovely.
Current thought: I recently replaced my refrigerator, which was aging, and had a rusty dent in the front, and was experiencing worrying temperature swings. I have now also replaced my microwave, which suddenly stopped working on me, which is kind of nice, because I hated that microwave and have been waiting for it to die on me for years so I could justify replacing it. So, yay for shiny new appliances, I guess!
Current clothes: Red t-shirt that says "If this shirt is blue, you're going too fast." Dark blue jeans. White socks. Brown boots.
Current mood: Not too bad. I was in a super good mood yesterday, and some of that has carried over into today, but it is tempered by a few annoyances, especially the knowledge that tomorrow my weekend is over and I have to go back into work at stupidly early hours.
Current music: Nothing, really.
Current annoyance: Well, the biggest one is that I really, really want to just get back to having my usual number of teeth. All this dental mucking around is getting very, very old.
Current thing: I may have spent much of my time off last week binge-watching both seasons of The Good Place, and may now be binge-listening to a podcast about The Good Place, whose episodes are at least three times the length of the episodes of the show they're discussing. Maybe.
Current desktop picture: It's still the 12th Doctor. I really, really need to move on. But I'm not ready for 13th Doctor wallpaper yet, no matter how excited I am to meet her, so I'm not sure what to replace it with.
Current book: A Life in Parts by Bryan Cranston.
Current song in head: Nothing at the moment, but when I woke up this morning, it appeared to be "See You in Sepetember" for reasons I do not remotely understand.
Current refreshment: Mint tea.
Current DVD in player: Haven't watched anything since I finished streaming The Good Place. Which I may need to watch again. Maybe.
Current happy thing: It's nice to find shows you enjoy. Also, the weather is lovely.
Current thought: I recently replaced my refrigerator, which was aging, and had a rusty dent in the front, and was experiencing worrying temperature swings. I have now also replaced my microwave, which suddenly stopped working on me, which is kind of nice, because I hated that microwave and have been waiting for it to die on me for years so I could justify replacing it. So, yay for shiny new appliances, I guess!
Saturday, January 20, 2018
Our Government Is Bad, And We Should Feel Bad.
Oh, look, our idiot leadership has decided to go from dysfunctional to entirely non-functional yet again. Go, USA.
Well, fortunately, the observatory I work for, while highly dependent on NSF funding, foresaw this possibility and made a point of making sure we'd have enough money to keep going for, hopefully, longer than this will last. (Meaning about a month. If it runs longer than that, we've all got real problems.) So this time, at least, we won't have millions of dollars of taxpayer-funded astronomical equipment sitting idle instead of doing what it was built for and advancing science and our understanding of the universe. All the groceries on the shelves of the military base grocery stores my mother works at are presumably going to be left to rot and have to be thrown out again, though, so fear not, I'm sure the appropriate amount of economic damage will still happen as our country once again cuts its nose off to spite its face.
Well, fortunately, the observatory I work for, while highly dependent on NSF funding, foresaw this possibility and made a point of making sure we'd have enough money to keep going for, hopefully, longer than this will last. (Meaning about a month. If it runs longer than that, we've all got real problems.) So this time, at least, we won't have millions of dollars of taxpayer-funded astronomical equipment sitting idle instead of doing what it was built for and advancing science and our understanding of the universe. All the groceries on the shelves of the military base grocery stores my mother works at are presumably going to be left to rot and have to be thrown out again, though, so fear not, I'm sure the appropriate amount of economic damage will still happen as our country once again cuts its nose off to spite its face.
Thursday, January 18, 2018
I Am Now Partly Titanium
So, I now have a screw implanted in my jaw, which, hopefully, will eventually serve to anchor a new fake tooth.
For the moment, though, it just hurts. A lot more than the extraction did, but that might just be because I got lucky and the extraction barely hurt at all.
But, man. Replacing body parts with technological substitutes is a lot less fun than science fiction usually makes it look.
For the moment, though, it just hurts. A lot more than the extraction did, but that might just be because I got lucky and the extraction barely hurt at all.
But, man. Replacing body parts with technological substitutes is a lot less fun than science fiction usually makes it look.
Tuesday, January 09, 2018
First Currentlies of 2018!
Keeping up with a ridiculously long-standing tradition.
Current clothes: Blue jeans. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy t-shirt, with matching socks. Because I may be a dork, but, today at least, I am a well-coordinated dork.
Current mood: Pretty good. There are any number of things I could feel unreasonably stressed about, but mostly I'm maintaining my equanimity pretty well. I do feel a little bit rushed at the moment, though. I could use an extra hour or two before I have to leave for work. Ah, well.
Current music: Nothing in particular.
Current annoyance: Amazingly enough, nothing big comes to mind! Not that there aren't a thousand small or long-term things I could complain about. Like having to work for a living. Or the fact that one of my dorky socks seems noticeably smaller than the other.
Current thing: Binge-listening to the Imaginary Worlds podcast. (I'm up to September of 2016.) Trying to stay on top of various responsible-adult things that, sadly, need to get done. Still playing Fallen London. (Although my character's a lot more powerful now, I still don't know what's going on. But it's fun. Except for how I keep getting driven insane by nightmares. Or attacked by bees...)
Current desktop picture: I went back to the Twelfth Doctor. Although I feel like I should go for something new.
Current book: The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande.
Current song in head: A minute ago it was "Total Eclipse of the Heart," I think because I was reading about last year's solar eclipse recently.
Current refreshment: I have french fries in the oven. Soon I will have chicken tenders and fries. Because I am a grown-ass woman, and that means I can eat like a toddler when I want to.
Current DVD in player: Well, it was supposed to be the last disk of season 1 of Alias, a show I finally started watching after vaguely intending to for a ridiculously long time. But the disk stopped playing, and the series isn't available streaming (well, OK, it's on Amazon, but not through Prime, so I would have had to pay extra for it), so now I have to wait for Netflix to replace the DVD for me.
Current happy thing: I finally saw the new Star Wars this weekend, so now people can finally stop asking me whether I've seen it yet. I liked it reasonably well, too, which is always good.
Current thought: "I liked it reasonably well" is, I'm afraid, pretty much the only thing I have to say about the new Star Wars, other than observing that Mark Hamill is a much better actor now than he was forty years ago.
Current clothes: Blue jeans. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy t-shirt, with matching socks. Because I may be a dork, but, today at least, I am a well-coordinated dork.
Current mood: Pretty good. There are any number of things I could feel unreasonably stressed about, but mostly I'm maintaining my equanimity pretty well. I do feel a little bit rushed at the moment, though. I could use an extra hour or two before I have to leave for work. Ah, well.
Current music: Nothing in particular.
Current annoyance: Amazingly enough, nothing big comes to mind! Not that there aren't a thousand small or long-term things I could complain about. Like having to work for a living. Or the fact that one of my dorky socks seems noticeably smaller than the other.
Current thing: Binge-listening to the Imaginary Worlds podcast. (I'm up to September of 2016.) Trying to stay on top of various responsible-adult things that, sadly, need to get done. Still playing Fallen London. (Although my character's a lot more powerful now, I still don't know what's going on. But it's fun. Except for how I keep getting driven insane by nightmares. Or attacked by bees...)
Current desktop picture: I went back to the Twelfth Doctor. Although I feel like I should go for something new.
Current book: The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande.
Current song in head: A minute ago it was "Total Eclipse of the Heart," I think because I was reading about last year's solar eclipse recently.
Current refreshment: I have french fries in the oven. Soon I will have chicken tenders and fries. Because I am a grown-ass woman, and that means I can eat like a toddler when I want to.
Current DVD in player: Well, it was supposed to be the last disk of season 1 of Alias, a show I finally started watching after vaguely intending to for a ridiculously long time. But the disk stopped playing, and the series isn't available streaming (well, OK, it's on Amazon, but not through Prime, so I would have had to pay extra for it), so now I have to wait for Netflix to replace the DVD for me.
Current happy thing: I finally saw the new Star Wars this weekend, so now people can finally stop asking me whether I've seen it yet. I liked it reasonably well, too, which is always good.
Current thought: "I liked it reasonably well" is, I'm afraid, pretty much the only thing I have to say about the new Star Wars, other than observing that Mark Hamill is a much better actor now than he was forty years ago.
Saturday, January 06, 2018
Take A Telescopic Tour
Here's a nice little video featuring one of the radio telescopes it's my job to watch over:
Monday, January 01, 2018
2017: The Year In Books
Happy New Year! It's become traditional for me, on the first of the year, to take a look back on the previous year's reading. And it is now the first of the year, even if we're only a couple of hours in. So.
I read a total of 138 books in 2017, a bit less than the previous year, but a respectable total nonetheless, I'm sure. You can see a complete list here, if you're interested.
As is also traditional, I offer a list of the best books of the year, based on which ones I rated 4.5 or 5 stars on LibraryThing at the time I read them:
Fiction:
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
On the Beach by Neville Shute
Tinkers by Paul Harding
The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2015 edited by Joe Hill
Ethan Frome & Other Stories by Edith Wharton
Guards! Guards!, Men at Arms, Feet of Clay, Jingo, and Night Watch by Terry Pratchett
All Grown Up by Jami Attenberg
City of Miracles by Robert Jackson Bennett
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Dragon Springs Road by Janie Chang
The Great Glowing Coils of the Universe: Welcome to Night Vale Episodes, Volume 2 by Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor
Places No One Knows by Brenna Yovanoff
The Mothers by Brit Bennett
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
The Country of Ice Cream Star by Sandra Newman
Non-fiction and humor:
Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman by Lindy West
What Language Is (And What It Isn't and What It Could Be) by John McWhorter
Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan
Star Trek Cats by Jenny Parks
Ascent of the A-Word: Assholism, the First Sixty Years by Geoffrey Nunberg
Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant?: A Memoir by Roz Chast
Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History by Bill Schutt
How We Got to Now: Six Innovations That Made the Modern World by Steven Johnson
Religion: Ruining Everything Since 4004 B.C. by Zach Weinersmith
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson
Some really good stuff there, although I'm a little surprised by how many of them were re-reads. The Prachett, of course, as re-reading the Discworld City Watch books was a year-long project for me, but also Slaughterhouse-Five, On the Beach, and Ethan Frome. Which, now that I think about it, is a really depressing trio of books. Depressing, but excellent.
And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go and get started on 2018's reading...
I read a total of 138 books in 2017, a bit less than the previous year, but a respectable total nonetheless, I'm sure. You can see a complete list here, if you're interested.
As is also traditional, I offer a list of the best books of the year, based on which ones I rated 4.5 or 5 stars on LibraryThing at the time I read them:
Fiction:
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
On the Beach by Neville Shute
Tinkers by Paul Harding
The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2015 edited by Joe Hill
Ethan Frome & Other Stories by Edith Wharton
Guards! Guards!, Men at Arms, Feet of Clay, Jingo, and Night Watch by Terry Pratchett
All Grown Up by Jami Attenberg
City of Miracles by Robert Jackson Bennett
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Dragon Springs Road by Janie Chang
The Great Glowing Coils of the Universe: Welcome to Night Vale Episodes, Volume 2 by Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor
Places No One Knows by Brenna Yovanoff
The Mothers by Brit Bennett
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
The Country of Ice Cream Star by Sandra Newman
Non-fiction and humor:
Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman by Lindy West
What Language Is (And What It Isn't and What It Could Be) by John McWhorter
Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan
Star Trek Cats by Jenny Parks
Ascent of the A-Word: Assholism, the First Sixty Years by Geoffrey Nunberg
Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant?: A Memoir by Roz Chast
Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History by Bill Schutt
How We Got to Now: Six Innovations That Made the Modern World by Steven Johnson
Religion: Ruining Everything Since 4004 B.C. by Zach Weinersmith
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson
Some really good stuff there, although I'm a little surprised by how many of them were re-reads. The Prachett, of course, as re-reading the Discworld City Watch books was a year-long project for me, but also Slaughterhouse-Five, On the Beach, and Ethan Frome. Which, now that I think about it, is a really depressing trio of books. Depressing, but excellent.
And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go and get started on 2018's reading...
Sunday, December 31, 2017
Here We Go, Ready Or Not.
Well, here we are, rapidly nearing the end of 2017. Very rapidly, in fact. I swear, this year has gone by like an eyeblink. I thought I'd accepted the fact that everything seems to go by faster as you age, but it's the rate of acceleration that's getting to me. I figured by the time things seemed to be flying by this fast, I'd be in my 70s, at least.
But however much it might seem to me that we can't possibly be at the end of the year yet, we are, and I guess that means it's time for a look back. I'm not going to talk about the year in the world at large, though. To be honest, at some point in 2017, I kind of got tired of hearing from the world at large and told it to go away and not bother me for a while. I should probably try to be a better, more up-on-current events world citizen in 2018, but we'll see whether or not I'm up to it. For now, all I can say is that, in broad outlines, 2017 seemed like about what I expected after 2016, and that that's not a compliment to either year.
In my own personal life, 2017 was the year I lost a cat and lost a tooth, so maybe there's not a whole lot to recommend it there, either. But it was also the year of my grandmother's 90th birthday celebration, which I'm very glad I was able to make. And I am coming out the other side of the year alive and whole and doing all right, which is all I really ask.
Anyway. I hope all of you have a good and safe New Year's Eve, however you are or aren't celebrating. (Me, I'm not celebrating, as I'm stuck at work. Which on one level I don't mind, as I've never been a New Year's Eve partier, and it's not like I have anything that much better to do. But it does seem like a bad start to the year, somehow. Alas.) And I wish everyone, especially anyone who's been having a tough time in 2017, the best and happiest possible 2018.
See you guys on the flip side of the calendar.
But however much it might seem to me that we can't possibly be at the end of the year yet, we are, and I guess that means it's time for a look back. I'm not going to talk about the year in the world at large, though. To be honest, at some point in 2017, I kind of got tired of hearing from the world at large and told it to go away and not bother me for a while. I should probably try to be a better, more up-on-current events world citizen in 2018, but we'll see whether or not I'm up to it. For now, all I can say is that, in broad outlines, 2017 seemed like about what I expected after 2016, and that that's not a compliment to either year.
In my own personal life, 2017 was the year I lost a cat and lost a tooth, so maybe there's not a whole lot to recommend it there, either. But it was also the year of my grandmother's 90th birthday celebration, which I'm very glad I was able to make. And I am coming out the other side of the year alive and whole and doing all right, which is all I really ask.
Anyway. I hope all of you have a good and safe New Year's Eve, however you are or aren't celebrating. (Me, I'm not celebrating, as I'm stuck at work. Which on one level I don't mind, as I've never been a New Year's Eve partier, and it's not like I have anything that much better to do. But it does seem like a bad start to the year, somehow. Alas.) And I wish everyone, especially anyone who's been having a tough time in 2017, the best and happiest possible 2018.
See you guys on the flip side of the calendar.
Sunday, December 24, 2017
Looks Like It's That Time Of Year Again
Merry Christmas!
I don't have any big plans for the holiday this year. I'm working today (although I get to do an 8-hour shift instead of a 12-hour one, so I guess that's something), and I'm working on Tuesday, so I'm mainly intending to spend Christmas itself relaxing and, y'know, not working. I figure I'll follow the tradition I've established in the last few years of staying up until midnight tonight and opening my presents then, then sleeping in on Christmas morning, that being the sort of luxury that not having children or houseguests affords. (Even if I can't sleep in too late, since I do have to be into work early the next day.) I also have a nice meal to cook, and pie, and a selection of festive beverages. And, of course, there will be Doctor Who, which, let's face it, is the important part of the holiday.
Anyway. Here's wishing a lovely, warm, happy Christmas to everyone who celebrates, in whatever capacity, and a lovely, warm, happy end-of-the-year season to everyone in general.
And don't call me while I'm watching Doctor Who. ;)
I don't have any big plans for the holiday this year. I'm working today (although I get to do an 8-hour shift instead of a 12-hour one, so I guess that's something), and I'm working on Tuesday, so I'm mainly intending to spend Christmas itself relaxing and, y'know, not working. I figure I'll follow the tradition I've established in the last few years of staying up until midnight tonight and opening my presents then, then sleeping in on Christmas morning, that being the sort of luxury that not having children or houseguests affords. (Even if I can't sleep in too late, since I do have to be into work early the next day.) I also have a nice meal to cook, and pie, and a selection of festive beverages. And, of course, there will be Doctor Who, which, let's face it, is the important part of the holiday.
Anyway. Here's wishing a lovely, warm, happy Christmas to everyone who celebrates, in whatever capacity, and a lovely, warm, happy end-of-the-year season to everyone in general.
And don't call me while I'm watching Doctor Who. ;)
Sunday, December 10, 2017
December Currentlies
The last time I will do this this year!
Current clothes: Red sweatpants. A black t-shirt that says "Please go away, I'm reading." Black socks.
Current mood: I've been in a really good mood for the last few days, which I credit to actually getting plenty of sleep. Of course, I'm about to go onto nights, so that probably won't last. But at least I'm on course for adjusting my sleep schedule.
Current music: Nothing, really. I'm still spending most of my listening time trying not to fall any further behind on my podcast subscriptions.
Current annoyance: I've had a far bit of annoying minor (or at least deal-with-able) computer problems lately. My laptop keeps complaining that it can't install a mouse driver update, and I keep telling it "good," because the last time it tried installing that update, the keyboard and the trackpad both stopped working. And then the monitor on my desktop died and I had to get a new one. Of course, living in the middle of nowhere, I had to order it on the internet, and it took a few days to get here. But at least it's here and working now.
Current thing: Working on getting lots of little tasks of varying degrees of importance done. Buying too many t-shirts. Playing Fallen London, which I just recently discovered and don't really understand, but am enjoying quite a bit.
Current desktop picture: It was still the 12th Doctor, until this question reminded me to change it to the traditional seasonally appropriate TARDIS-with-wreath wallpaper.
Current book: Where I'm Reading From: The Changing World of Books by Tim Parks. Because books about books are the best kind of meta.
Current song in head: After going crazy for a day or two, Brain Radio seems to finally be mostly quiet again, but when I listen carefully, sometimes it plays Kermit the Frog singing "The Rainbow Connection" for me. Which is pleasant enough.
Current refreshment: A little water.
Current DVD in player: Most recently, Labyrinth. When I heard the news of David Bowie's death, I figured I'd re-watch this in memory. The fact that it took me from then until now to actually get to it is testament to how backed up I am on things to watch, as well as on everything else. But I have watched it now, for the first time since I was a teenager. And, wow. What a weird, weird mixture of the really cool and the really terrible that movie is.
Current happy thing: New Doctor Who Christmas special trailer! Words cannot express how excited I am to see this. (Although whenever I get too excited, I remember that it'll also mean saying goodbye to Peter Capaldi, and then I feel sad on top of it.) Warning: trailer contains spoilers for the end of last season.
Current thought: I just had wax cleaned out of my ears the other day, and, holy crap, I can hear so much better now that it feels like I've gained a superpower. It's actually a little disturbing.
Current clothes: Red sweatpants. A black t-shirt that says "Please go away, I'm reading." Black socks.
Current mood: I've been in a really good mood for the last few days, which I credit to actually getting plenty of sleep. Of course, I'm about to go onto nights, so that probably won't last. But at least I'm on course for adjusting my sleep schedule.
Current music: Nothing, really. I'm still spending most of my listening time trying not to fall any further behind on my podcast subscriptions.
Current annoyance: I've had a far bit of annoying minor (or at least deal-with-able) computer problems lately. My laptop keeps complaining that it can't install a mouse driver update, and I keep telling it "good," because the last time it tried installing that update, the keyboard and the trackpad both stopped working. And then the monitor on my desktop died and I had to get a new one. Of course, living in the middle of nowhere, I had to order it on the internet, and it took a few days to get here. But at least it's here and working now.
Current thing: Working on getting lots of little tasks of varying degrees of importance done. Buying too many t-shirts. Playing Fallen London, which I just recently discovered and don't really understand, but am enjoying quite a bit.
Current desktop picture: It was still the 12th Doctor, until this question reminded me to change it to the traditional seasonally appropriate TARDIS-with-wreath wallpaper.
Current book: Where I'm Reading From: The Changing World of Books by Tim Parks. Because books about books are the best kind of meta.
Current song in head: After going crazy for a day or two, Brain Radio seems to finally be mostly quiet again, but when I listen carefully, sometimes it plays Kermit the Frog singing "The Rainbow Connection" for me. Which is pleasant enough.
Current refreshment: A little water.
Current DVD in player: Most recently, Labyrinth. When I heard the news of David Bowie's death, I figured I'd re-watch this in memory. The fact that it took me from then until now to actually get to it is testament to how backed up I am on things to watch, as well as on everything else. But I have watched it now, for the first time since I was a teenager. And, wow. What a weird, weird mixture of the really cool and the really terrible that movie is.
Current happy thing: New Doctor Who Christmas special trailer! Words cannot express how excited I am to see this. (Although whenever I get too excited, I remember that it'll also mean saying goodbye to Peter Capaldi, and then I feel sad on top of it.) Warning: trailer contains spoilers for the end of last season.
Current thought: I just had wax cleaned out of my ears the other day, and, holy crap, I can hear so much better now that it feels like I've gained a superpower. It's actually a little disturbing.
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Thursday, November 23, 2017
You All Know What Day This Is
Thanks right. Happy Doctor Who day!
Oh, and, yeah, happy turkey day to my fellow turkey-eating Americans, as well!
Oh, and, yeah, happy turkey day to my fellow turkey-eating Americans, as well!
Monday, November 06, 2017
November Currentlies
Might as well do this while I'm thinking about it, even if I feel slightly guilty about typing this instead of working on catching up on my e-mail.
Current clothes: Dark blue jeans. White socks. A white long-sleeve t-shirt that says, "Too many books? I think what you mean is not enough bookshelves." Although, really, my bookshelf space is adequate at the moment. I may be getting close to reaching the limit of what I can fit in my house, but I'm not there yet.
Current mood: Kind of tired and out of it. I really don't want to go back into work tonight, although I suppose one always has to eventually. I'm not thrilled about the fact that I'm going back to a 64-hour week of night shifts, though. And I slept pretty badly today, and not really as late as I would have liked.
Current music: Nothing in particular.
Current annoyance: Aforementioned circadian woes. Seriously, I'll be lucky if my relief doesn't come in in the morning to find me face-down on my keyboard, snoring.
Current thing: Still trying to get back into the swing of things after my vacation. Although maybe not trying very hard.
Current desktop picture: Yep, still the Twelfth Doctor.
Current book: Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior by Ori Brafman and Rom Brafman.
Current song in head: "Ride Like the Wind" by Christopher Cross. Although I actually had no idea who sings it until I looked it up just now. I think I randomly heard it on a radio somewhere in my travels, and bits of it have been stuck in my brain ever since.
Current refreshment: Nothing, but I'm kind of thirsty.
Current DVD in player: Just re-watched the Doctor Who episode "The Husbands of River Song," which was just as delightful this time.
Current happy thing: Delightful Doctor Who, I suppose.
Current thought: Speaking of catching up on e-mail, I am really not looking forward to the very full inbox of work e-mail I'm going to have to wade through tonight.
Current clothes: Dark blue jeans. White socks. A white long-sleeve t-shirt that says, "Too many books? I think what you mean is not enough bookshelves." Although, really, my bookshelf space is adequate at the moment. I may be getting close to reaching the limit of what I can fit in my house, but I'm not there yet.
Current mood: Kind of tired and out of it. I really don't want to go back into work tonight, although I suppose one always has to eventually. I'm not thrilled about the fact that I'm going back to a 64-hour week of night shifts, though. And I slept pretty badly today, and not really as late as I would have liked.
Current music: Nothing in particular.
Current annoyance: Aforementioned circadian woes. Seriously, I'll be lucky if my relief doesn't come in in the morning to find me face-down on my keyboard, snoring.
Current thing: Still trying to get back into the swing of things after my vacation. Although maybe not trying very hard.
Current desktop picture: Yep, still the Twelfth Doctor.
Current book: Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior by Ori Brafman and Rom Brafman.
Current song in head: "Ride Like the Wind" by Christopher Cross. Although I actually had no idea who sings it until I looked it up just now. I think I randomly heard it on a radio somewhere in my travels, and bits of it have been stuck in my brain ever since.
Current refreshment: Nothing, but I'm kind of thirsty.
Current DVD in player: Just re-watched the Doctor Who episode "The Husbands of River Song," which was just as delightful this time.
Current happy thing: Delightful Doctor Who, I suppose.
Current thought: Speaking of catching up on e-mail, I am really not looking forward to the very full inbox of work e-mail I'm going to have to wade through tonight.
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