punkymcmunky | Reading

It is rare that I complain about cold - especially in Summer but... Our Safeway thinks it's in the center of the Arizona desert at noon. Holy fuck. I have heard enough TV weather people explain what happens when cold air hits hot to wonder why it's not pour rain at the Safeway door.

Turned in two shoe returns at UPS. Picked up a new pair from the Amazon lockers. They are too short. So my daily trips to UPS continue.

My cortisone foot is hard to walk on. I need it volleyball ready tomorrow. But, actually, I could play volleyball on one foot so no big deal.

My brother told me to watch Dept Q on Netflix. It was very good instruction. Great acting, great plot, good visuals and, honestly, I'm wallowing in this delicious Scottish accent.

I'm working on a test ghost to go with my pumpkin head guy for Halloween shelf giveaways.

althea_valara

Challenge #1

Journaling Prompt: Light up your journal with activity this month. Talk about your goals for July or for the second half of 2025.

Creative Prompt: Shine a light on your own creativity. Create anything you want (an image, an icon, a story, a poem, or a craft) and share it with your community.. Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

Okay, well, I'm a fiber artist and I *love* being a fiber artist, but the craft is S-L-O-W. I could knock out another coaster or Other Brother Darryl in about an hour, but I've done +checks Ravelry+ at least 16 of the coasters and at least 8 of Other Brother Darryl. I really don't need to make any more. So instead of crafting something for this challenge, I will talk about my crafting plans for July and beyond.

...though if you want to see crafts I've made, you can check out my Crafting Update tab to see the pretties!

Gnomes

I have two nieces and four nephews, and I started a tradition of making them something for Christmas. It started with crocheted snowflakes, but last year I did small Christmas stockings. This year, I'm planning to make them gnomes, because gnomes are popular and fun. I've bought some yarn, and have a pattern picked out. I really should get started on these NOW, because last year I spent 100 hours crafting in December and it wore me out.

Incidentally, I participate in a crafting tournament on Ravelry called Nerdopolis. We get themes to craft to each round, that we can then tie to our team's Nerdery for a chance to win a prize. Well, one of the themes this month is Orchard Fruits and cherries, which are red, are orchard fruits. I was going to use red for the nieces' gnomes, so that will work nicely. Just need to sit down and do it.

iPad Mini holder

I crocheted some phone holders for me and mom a few months back, and my older sister was admiring mom's and wanted one for her iPad Mini, so I'm going to bang it out this month. It will fit nicely in the Nerdopolis challenge on Communication, as electronic devices such as iPads can be used to communicate with others.

Sophie Scarf

I started this last month for a Nerdopolis challenge but didn't finish it. I'd like to finish in the next two months. It can be submitted to Nerdopolis' Area 51 which is for completed UFOs (UnFinished Objects).

Secret Project

IT'S A SECRET! I hope to finish this month, but since I am designing it myself, there's a lot of ripping back and redoing to get it perfect. Wish me luck!

Motion Picture Mosaic Cardi

This was supposed to be my January project, but them I effed up my shoulder and couldn't really craft for a while. I did start this in January but HAHAHAHAHA NOPE DIDN'T FINISH. It's a huge project that is taking a lot of time. I mean, not only is it a large oversized long cardigan but it's also large in general as I am a large circumference type person. Getting awfully tired of rows of plain HDC... but I do desire this cardi very much, so I'll keep working on it.

The 42 WIPs (and counting)

...yeah, I have a LOT of projects I started in the past and didn't finish. I did just go through my Ravelry projects today and marked some as completed/frogged if I knew I'd never finish them, but there's still a lot that I'd really like to do someday. So how about making a goal to do, um, I think three is a good choice? by the end of the year? I mean, technically all the ones I listed above are WIPs, but let's face it, I have some that have been hibernating for ages (my oldest WIP is from 2008, yikes) so let's pick a few and get them done.

Current Mood: busy

zesty_pinto

There's a new smell in town.

A week ago there was a sound of scurrying around my room and I thought another squirrel got inside but when I checked the roof it turned out the sound was not from up there (it's too damn hot to be up there anyway), so I figured it was something in the walls. Well I was proven right because now we've got a smell and flies are finding a way inside.

I've used up a tube and a half of sealing caulk and while it's been a great way to figure out where to where the breaches in the walls are, it's been a neverending fight as I fill in door frames, screw holes, and light panels with caulk and then wiping out excess and plastering my hand to mummy status. There is caulk on a bunch of things that I did not want to have caulk on thanks to a faster curing one we just switched to (Michelle wanted it to be quicker) while I am trying my best to figure out why the lower floor is starting to smell like corpse.

Sure I'm learning a shitload about how to caulk effectively but also learning that I could not handle living next to a abattoir, to the surprise of no one but also this goddamn smell.

The flies that find a way in here are also annoying as hell as I don't know where they're coming from. There's some holes that I realized are big enough for them to squeeze out of but also I thought I sealed them well enough but maybe not now and the frustration continues.

If this is a rodent of some kind, I'm told this will be a week or two.

It's been awhile since I posted and there's obviously a lot more but this has been my current fixation and I guess since I took a day off (woke up with a nasty headache and all this), I figured I might as well post this.

susandennis

My foot (the shot one) was fine until I stepped on it wrong this morning and now it is very ouchy BUT Dr. Google says this is totally normal and to be expected and should fade away in 48 hours. Meanwhile I should avoid strenuous exercise. Since I have approximately 76 years experience in avoiding strenuous exercise, I'm feeling that won't be an issue.

The laundry is laundrying.

When I finish this, I'm off to UPS to return two pairs of shoes. And then to Safeway for sour cream. And that is my entire to-do list for the day! Retirement rocks.

All my life I've had a large trash bin in the kitchen. So when I moved in here, I got a cheap plastic one and tucked it into a cabinet in the island. Last week, I realized I was running out of bags and thot, hmmm, is this the best solution? The trash shoot is less than 20 steps down the hall. Do I need to keep a dumpster in here? In internetted the shit out of the situation and decided to try a new scheme. I found a 2.5 gallon thing that clips over the cupboard door. (I found lots that clipped over the cupboard door but they were all tiny.) I took the gynormous one out and clipped on the littler one and I love it!!! It's so easy. And now everything goes in first off instead of accumulating on the island like it had been. Glorious little solutions.

The window shade guy says he needs to order new valence pieces and then his installer will come out and fix. No discussion about who pays. I think I know the answer but I'll be interested to hear if his guess is as good as mine. At least it will get fixed and better this time. Just this morning I looked up and saw this:

Not a huge deal but sloppy and easily seen from this table.

My mysterious Amazon package yesterday was drugs. I'd forgotten that I ordered refills. My toe drug arrives tomorrow but today I have new shoes coming.

I would be happy if rain would not wash out my baseball today. And percentages say it won't.

Ok. Time to hit the road (not vigorously - see paragraph above).

andrewducker

1. How Common is Multiple Invention?: (tags:invention research history viaFanf )
2. The death of business attire? Just 7% of workers wear a suit to work: (tags:clothing work UK )
3. FOI Exposes EHRC Anti-Trans Bias: Private Meetings, Legal Echoes, and Policy Capture: (tags:rights UK bigotry OhForFucksSake corruption )

andrewducker

As of this morning (2nd of July), we are now closer to 2050 than 2000.

silver_chipmunk

After being up til 4:00am, I wanted to sleep late but that didn't really happen.

I was woken up around 11:00 by the guy from the place where Oldest Brother's stuff is stored. I arranged for it to be brought to the storage unit I signed up for, and paid by credit card. It was very expensive, let'd leave it at that.

Then I called the Kid and we talked, about various things. I finally got up at 12:00ish.

Then I had breakfast and coffee and proceeded to do things. Lots of things, such as pay the cottage insurance, email the cottage deed information to

mashfanficchick's lawyer, email all the insurance documentation to everyone, and write to the County Clerk of Niagara County to get a physical copy of the deed.

This all took a lot of time. Finally at 6:00ish I went to the bedroom and played solitaire until it was just before 7:00 when I came out and Teamed with the FWiB.

We talked til it was time for my Al-anon meeting. The meeting was pretty good, M and S were both there plus someone else, and it was good.

After the meeting I called John and filled him in on changes in the cottage situation. Denise's father has to go for chemotherapy for cancer all summer, a three hour drive away. So he has been a bit distracted from the cottage situation.

Then I called the Kid and filled her in, and then I had dinner.

Finally I went to the bedroom and lay down and played solitaire, though I almost dozed off, I'm so tired.

Then it was pet feeding time, so I fed the pets, and here I am.

Gratitude List:

1. The FWiB.

2. The Kid.

3. I have good credit now.

4. My fanfiction.net account has been fixed, my stats are showing as of today.

5. My family.

6. Bed soon!

Current Mood: sleepy

susandennis

So. The foot guy was pretty hilarious. ZERO warm and friendly bedside manner. He was all about the solution and he got on it fast.

My left foot has gross thick toenails and peeling skin. Terbenafine. Take it for 90 days. The skin will clear up after 30. The nails will be better after 90 and back to their original shape and texture in six months. 85% chance it will clear everything up.

My right foot gets a sharp pain irregularly, across the toes and cramps up a lot. He had me point where the pain starts and then he put his thumb near the spot and pressed. HOLY FUCK! Ouch. Then he pressed a couple more places. Not quite as ouch. Pinched nerve. Two cortisone shots. One now and one in August cause he's going on a motorcycle tour of the southwest for the rest of July. 75% chance it will make the pain go away completely. (I've had this pain for years and years and if this actually does fix it, I'm going to apply for some of those years to be returned to me.)

Wild. I assumed he was going to tell me to change shoes, wear inserts. Never go barefoot. Always do this, never do that. But, nope. I did take all my shoes with me. He barely looked at them and would not at all had I not asked him. He gave me the names and model numbers of 3 kinds of shoes to get if I wanted to be comfortable walking. And he told me that the inserts I'm wearing in my shoes right now are the best and the only ones I should ever use.

And that was it. The end. of him until August.

I had to go down and give blood to get a liver test which he assumed would not point out any issues so he went ahead and sent the prescription to the pharmacy. Including the blood test, I was on the road back home at 1:24. My appointment was 1.

I feel like I got more than my $30 (co pay) worth.

I had ordered 3 pair of shoes but all 3 now get returned. One, however, is a keeper but I need a longer size. I did all the online return bit. They all go to the same place - UPS. I'll take them in the morning.

It is hotter than a fire cracker out there. I'm in the elbow now waiting for my house cleaner to finish. It's pretty warm in here but she's about done and I can go home where it is very cool.

lynn82md

My daughter and I review Sweet Peach from Spirit of Sweden. Do we like it? Watch and see!

Spirit of Sweden isn't sponsoring this vid

Watch on YouTube

( Vid 2: Hot Pepper Läxerol )

( Vid 3: Battle of the Lactase Supplements )

( Vid 4: Go Well )

andrewducker

"Sophia, will you pose with your brother for a photo?"

"I will, but I'm very angry about it!"
Original is here on Pixelfed.scot.

susandennis

Yesterday, I was on my way down to pick up a package. When I went by Myrna's apartment, the door was open and Dick and Jan were moving in!! I don't know if they slept there last night but they sure got all their shit delivered. It was so good to see them. They were in a tussle about where to put what furniture and so I got the heck out of there.

Marketing usually gives us (neighbors) a few days notice and information about the new neighbor but, apparently, this time, they just dropped the ball. My friend, Martha, who has lots of new neighbors says they pretty much have lost the ball entirely. Marketing was never high on my Timber Ridge list of Things That Are Good anyway.

I picked up the letter from the HOA management group and, yep, they want another month of dues. Fuck you, strong letter to follow. They were to have submitted a final bill to the title company. The title company then weaves it into my closing. The closing shows I paid for 1 day and I'm not even sure how that happened, as I had paid the dues for May already. The letter says to sign on to my account for details. And, of course, they have closed my account. So I sent an email this morning saying that my records show I owe $0. I no longer own the condo. If they want the $832.19, they are going to need to send me a lot more detail about my account activity, why they want the money, what it is for and why they billed the title company incorrectly.

[OOOh. Just got a reply Please disregard the letter received. It was processed as our office was waiting to receive the closing documentation for the sales transaction. Nothing additional is required on your part. Coolio!]

And... last night, I removed 3 stars from my review of the window shade company and added a bit about their lack of response when there was a problem they caused (or didn't see). This morning, I got an email from them. Surprise! It sounds like, after a bit of hassle, they are going to come rehang the shade. Maybe. I'm not changing the review yet, maybe or ever.

I have a UPS package coming today from Amazon but it's not anything I can find an order for... hmmmm

Oh dear. I just got a call from Joan (next door). She is have massive mobility issues and back problems and is confined to her apartment 'and going crazy'. I am sorry, because of all of us she needs to be around people more than anyone. I honestly do not have any sense of the line between offering a little neighborly help and being the designated caregiver. So I'm erring on the side of the line that does as little as possible. She is the official card - welcome, happy birthday, sorry you are sick, etc. person and usually makes a welcome poster for new people when marketing tells us the new person is moving in. But since marketing did not... Jan, yesterday, said it would be great to have a list of the residents here on the hall with photos so I made her one and left a note for Joan that I had done that. She called to thank me and to passive aggressively get my assistance with everything else. I thought about texting Bonny about Joan but, the line... I don't want to trip.

My podiatrist appointment is at 1 and it's housecleaning day. I think I'll strip the bed this morning and maybe do a load of laundry.

althea_valara

I didn't post one of these last month, because I had been working on a secret project. I intended to finish that project in June, but it was not to be, partially due to busyness but mostly due to the fact that I am designing my own thing and ran into snags. Here's hoping I can finish in July!

(Some folks around Dreamwidth know what the secret project is; I'm keeping it secret HERE though so if you comment here, please don't give it away? Thanks!)

[click pics to embiggen]

A pivot table, showing I crafted for 40 hours in May and 32 hours in June on four projects.

[Image Description: A pivot table, showing I crafted for 40 hours in May and over 32 hours in June on four projects.]

I had hoped to finish several projects in June, not only the secret one. I did manage to finish the Capybara. It's pretty big! And it was for a Nerdopolis challenge. The theme was "Rodents", and of course I chose a Capybara because there is a capybara mount in Final Fantasy XIV, so perfect nerd cred tie-in.

A crocheted capybara, done in the African Flower technique.

[Image description: a stuffed crocheted capybara, done in the African Flower technique. It is made up of different shaped motifs crocheted together. It is largely a light brown in color with creamy white on its neck, belly, and rump.]

The Mosaic Cardi is still in process. I'm on the right front now. It's kinda a weird construction, not one I have encountered before, and I can't say I'm really enjoying it because long rows of HDC are (a) LONG, (b) boring. Can't wait until I get to the mosaic part.

The Sophie Scarf was supposed to be done this month for another Nerdopolis challenge. The theme was "How do the fine folks in your Nerdery travel?" and of course I chose the chocobo, so the scarf is yellow in color. I just, you know, ran out of time. I might finish it this month, we'll see.

Current Mood: bored

cz_unit

So this weekend I drove up to Baitcon. Main roads were clogged so I took back roads up to NY state. And while driving I found something interesting:

I now know the last words I will ever hear, and the last words I will ever say.

It's kind of interesting, you wonder what the last thing you will hear, will it be comforting words from loved ones? Will your last words be those of wisdom or insight or something else?

"AbortABORTABORT!!!!!"

Yep, that's it. I heard it in my ears as I went to pass someone on a 2 lane road and they sped up. Saw the oncoming car, and realized I had a second to make the last decision of my life. The above is what I heard as I gunned the 928, and pulled in front of this guy a second before the car blew by me in the other lane.

At a speed of 100mph and 60mph that would have been the end. And I would have been at fault, no doubt about it. And everything would have gone dark. But apparently that did not happen and I think I'm here typing this. Maybe. Maybe I'm in the final stages of death somewhere on a NY side road and all of this is a hallucination.

It's like being in a bardo, a space between spaces. It was an amazing weekend, perfect camping weather, good food, good people, good times. Cool, nice breeze, good fire in the evening, big comfortable inflatable mattress. Everything was nice.

But it's Tuesday now and things have not winked out so I think I made it. But if I didn't that was an incredibly stupid thing to do, and I will never do something like that again. I still have a lot to live for and about 19 years left to live it. I'd rather enjoy those days, and the people I share them with.

So yeah, my last words may be to abort the bad decision I made except this time there is no way out. Except in this case maybe there was. Maybe I did pull it all out of the fire...

We shall see. On to the day!

silver_chipmunk

Been over at

mashfanficchick's place with zer and zer friend Trish.

Went over after breakfast and coffee and showering and washing my hair.

We spent the time in talking and watching The Lincoln Lawyer. Finished the first season which is why I'm writing so late. We got lunch from Jersey Mike's and had snacks for dinner.

Had discussions by phone with Laurie, John and the Kid about the renting to Ricky situation.

Bed now.

Gratitude List:

1. The FWiB.

2. Bed now.

3. Good TV.

4. The Kid.

5. Family.

6. Friends.

Current Mood: rushed

zhelana

Finished This Month

Finish reading 3 books with a Jewish protagonist

Progress This Month

Exercise every day in 2025
Weight lift every day of 2025
Brush teeth 360 times in 2025
Shower weekly 2025
Go to fighter practice 12 times in 2025
Art Every Day 2025
Paint 12 times in 2025
Write in Spanish every day of 2025
Write in Russian every week of 2025
Finish my memoirs
Write 300k words in 2025
Write weekly 2025
Work through a book of writing exercises
Read 2 pages of Spanish every day 2025
Read 12 new fiction titles 2025
Clean 2 minutes per weekday 2025
Clean 10 minutes per week 2025
Cook 12 times 2025
Watch a video in Spanish every week 2025
Watch a video in Russian every week 2025
Read 3 science textbooks
Read 3 social science textbooks
Read 3 history textbooks
Work through 3 math textbooks
Read 12 new nonfiction titles 2025

nanila

Watch on YouTube

I can't quite believe how much has happened this month. At least 60 days of stuff were packed into June's 30. And now we're halfway through the year. Dear Time, Please slow down, Love, Me.

susandennis

Bonny popped in yesterday. She had some spam email she wanted to check but mainly she was bored and she was killing time til 5 pm when she could have her cocktail. Bonny is an odd duck but a nice, odd duck. I had been out in the elbow working on the puzzle and met 'new girl' Jackie's son. He's large but his hands are massive. He reached out to shake mine and I just wanted to hold and study his - never seen anything like it. Also Hazel and John came out to chat. So I got all my neighborness done with very little effort on my part which is how I like it.

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.

tcpip

My weekend started on Thursday evening, venturing out with Kate R., to the deco Sun Theatre in Yarraville, where a 20th anniversary screening of H.P. Lovecraft's "The Call of Cthulhu" was showing with the making of the film, and with a Q&A session with the director and the producer. It was an especially clever low-budget film, deciding to produce in a 1920s style; black-and-white, silent, and with inexpensive but real special effects. Distacted by dinner, we ended up entering the cinema a good twenty minutes late, so on Monday we decided to watch again at my very local cinema (i.e., my place).

It was all a prelude for Chaosium Con, held at the Moonee Valley Racing Club with some 250 people in attendance. Chaosium is quite a fascinating company, as a producer of board games and role-playing games. Established fifty years ago this year, they have produced a great number of games which are very well received by aficionados, including the high fantasy "RuneQuest" once considered a serious rival to Dungeons & Dragons, "Stormbringer" from the world of Michael Moorcock, Larry Niven's "Ringworld", the highly acclaimed "Call of Cthulhu", and the literary brilliance of the Arthurian "Pendragon", and so many more. The company is "just right" in terms of size; large enough to be a successful global publisher, small enough to have personal connections with the fan base. This probably the right time to mention that my main RPG project for the second half of this year will be writing a campaign for "Call of Cthulhu" with the working title "Fragments of Time, Slices of Mind"; it involves "The Great Race of Yith", and that's all you need to know.

I was there to look after the RPG Review Cooperative stall, which did quite well because RPG fans love rummaging through old games from the 80s, 90s, and 00s. I became good friends with our neighbouring stall run by a blacksmith (Morgan F) and a 3D printer (Ash M). It also turns out that our Cooperative was also the only non-Chaosium sponsor of the convention, albeit with a modest sum. Also from the Cooperative, Liz B., worked on the registration desk, Karl B., ran several sessions of his post-apocalyptic Australian-setting RPG, and Chris McC., ran a session of "Superworld" set in Perth. I am encouraging the committee to release a double-issue of RPG Review for Chaosium games, new and old, this year. They have made an incredible contribution to the gaming world, and it will certainly be a real pleasure to explore and publish with the incredible and creative energy.

Current Mood: accomplished
Current Location: The Rookery
Current Music: Leonard Cohen, Complete Studio Albums

andrewducker

1. The uncomfortable truth about Glastonbury: (tags:festival music business employment OhForFucksSake )
2. Authors hit by bad reviews on Goodreads before review copies are even circulated: (tags:reviews OhForFucksSake books )

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punkymcmunky

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Page generated Jul. 7th, 2025 07:12 am

I reject your reality and substitute my own.

All that we see or seem, Is but a dream within a dream.

Reading

Drive bys

Sunshine Revival #1 (aka, I like journal challenges)

Amontillado, Part 2

Ouch!

Interesting Links for 02-07-2025

Time marches on

Busy day

Well, that was interesting...

Four New Vids

Photo cross-post

Lots of stuff

Crafting Update, May and June 2025

The last sound I will hear....

Interesting Links for 01-07-2025

Very late

Goal Checking

1SE for June 2025

Monday

Chaosium Convention Melbourne

Interesting Links for 30-06-2025

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