Reading

Current Mood: worried
Current Music: nothing now

Tech adaptation.

As I told several people I would, today I cleaned my computer. The physical object. I got the Q-tips, the Isopropyl, the canned air, the screwdriver set, watched a couple of videos and read some manuals, and got to work. It was a delightfully straightforward set of tasks and, unless I'm running a hyper-specific program that has moments of taking up 100% of the CPU, my computer's now nice and quiet. The only issue I've got right now is the front LED is blinking in an irregular frequency, which tells me one of two things: a physical component needs to be replaced at some point, or the LED itself isn't working properly. Absolutely nothing I've done so far today has caused me any further issues, so I'm not going to worry too much. I'll see what happens the next time I get the urge to play Stardew Valley.

Also of note, though much less pleasant, was having to bear through a couple anxiety spikes. It's been a while and I'm out of practice with them, and I haven't forgotten how they keep lingering. I hope it's all gone by tomorrow.

Current Mood: surprised
Current Music: Hudson Line - Mercury Rev

Eleventh of the Eleventh.

One of my clients tasked me to do some computer work for her - it's something I'm doing from my apartment so it's less than the usual rate, and as it's something I'm doing from my apartment, I'm genuinely fine with that. It involves checking to see if her webpage is up to date, going through and seeing if each page that lists certain January events has those events listed on the January masterpost in turn, or if the masterpost for each month is missing certain items.

To keep track of everything as I went, I made a spreadsheet to stay organized. After a couple hours, I sent it her way to make sure I was doing it right from the get-go and wouldn't need to redo more than a couple of hours. She said the work I was doing was fine, and to compile all the missing masterpost items when I was done, but she was confused by the spreadsheet. I explained it to her, and she said that wasn't the issue: she understood what I was doing, it was that she'd never used a spreadsheet.

I understand her professional life began and ended before spreadsheets became a thing, but I hadn't thought she'd never used one. Even as a way to keep track of addresses or manage a list with a lot of moving parts. I'm inclined to believe her that she's been informed they exist and she's simply never had reason to bother.

In some ways, I envy and admire that.

Current Mood: working
Current Music: Shut Up and Kiss Me - Paul McDermott and Fiona Horne

Words poured like wine.

Mid-December 2023, I was chatting with

petra and got an idea for the next novel I could write.

Tonight I sent them the last part of the shitty first draft of said novel, where I simply told myself the story.

Whether it'll be this fast to get through the editing remains to be seen; mostly, I'm tickled that I can pinpoint the date and time, and the exact conversation that helped kick it off.

Current Mood: sore

Entry tags:

How is it only Wednesday?

I don't know what this week is but not a fan of it. Love all the politics stuff but other life things are being a pain. Halloween was fun though I think I didn't do my face makeup dark enough to make a difference. Next year I'll do more and I was feeling a little ill, but had fun doing a picture with other people who were dressed up on staff. I wore my new dress from svaha with kraken on it and felt nice in it. By the time I was home, I was too tired to do trick or treating but someone else in my building did which was nice for the neighborhood.

Then it all got bad when I tried to sleep as I'd lie down and start coughing. I barely slept, so the next day got mucinex which did help. I managed some rest on Sunday, didn't work on Monday as I'm working Saturday. It helped that the past two days I'm working late so I could have later mornings, but next few days I'll have to get up earlier.

But just to add to this weird mix of days, I was driving home tonight and someone rear ended me. There's this annoying stop sign from a one way street onto a crossing. I turn right but there was a tow truck coming out so I was being cautious. Also it was late and raining, it seemed like I could go but saw cars coming down the street then felt a crunch. It took me a moment to realize that I'd been rear ended. I got out and it was an SUV driven by a young woman, so I changed my energy. I've been honked at this corner a lot of times for not turning fast enough. Instead, she was worried, we exchanged info and I drove home, spent an hour entering all my stuff into the online claim form and now trying to plan what's next. My car is driveable, the trunk and part of the bumper is crunched up and don't know when I'm going to figure out the repair. My insurance seems to be working quickly, but I'm tired and still congested.

Good news, my Yuletide is writing something that I haven't done before but a variation on something I've been thinking of.

Current Mood: pleased
Current Music: nothing now

Kitchen work.

Having now made soufflés, I can't see what the big deal and the fuss is all about with them. They're difficult the way risotto and yeast-based breads are difficult: it's all in the technical details. Once you've mastered those, you're fine. I was fine even whipping the egg whites with only one whisk on the electric mixer because I couldn't find the other one, even when I had to leave them for a few minutes while I got the simmering water ready, even when the oven somehow turned off and I had to leave them sitting in the water bath an extra half-hour while it heated back up. They didn't puff up as much the picture promised, and they were astonishingly fragrant. Cakes on top and custards in the middle as they're supposed to be.

It's not something I'll make all that often - I made them today as recipe testing for one of my clients - and it's something I'm not going to be scared of, if I'm ever called on to do so.

Current Mood: calm
Current Music: nothing now

Good time.

Genuine cheering and plate-banging outside my apartment right now is proper celebration on the mayoral race. I'm still a little disappointed I couldn't work the polls today, because it'd have been wonderful to be in the room, but this will do for now.

Other good things of the day really pale in comparison to someone who wants there to be poor people in New York City, because a healthy metropolis is one where people of all stripes thrive. Bring it.

Current Mood: amused
Current Music: I Feel It All - Feist

Take a test.

I'm only a little disappointed I'm not working the polls tomorrow. Only a little, because as much as I'd wanted to get out and participate, I know calling off was the right thing to do. I'm coming off a nasty cold - four negative rapid tests since last Wednesday night, including one this afternoon, seem reasonably trustworthy - and while I'm mostly recovered, working the polls for the full duration tomorrow wouldn't do me any good. It's hard enough when I'm completely healthy.

What I'm finding amusing about this is one of my clients reached out and because I'm not working the polls and the physical demands will be significantly less with far fewer hours, I'll be working with her tomorrow afternoon, which means I've basically gone from the public to the private sector.