toricopies | Reading

1. Does anyone know of a really good tearjerker (preferably something I've not seen and doesn't cost anything). ie. A movie or television series that makes you sob or cry really hard? I'm trying to clear my sinuses, and a really good cry would aid in that tremendously.

I tried the Angel S5 Episodes A Hole in the World and Shells, but alas didn't help. Possibly because I'd seen them before, and I prefer Illyria and Illyria/Wes to Fred and Fred/Wes. I guess I could watch The Body again? But I re-watched recently, so not sure that would work.

2. Oh, weird take away from A Hole in the World (Whedon) and Shells (DeNight)? I preferred Shells, which was written and directed by Stephen DeKnight - that writer has the best written episodes overall, making me think I should try Spartacus at some point. ( Read more... )

3. Another weird tidbit -in response to a question about what he remembers most from filming the episode Smashed, in a recent Youtube Con Q&A, Marsters highlights the chandelier stunt (where Spike jumps onto the Chandelier and flies into Buffy?) - he wanted to do the stunt himself (because it would be a better take), but Jeff (the stunt coordinator) said no, no, that stunt is mine, I'm taking that one - and explained why. ( why actors do not do their own stunts unless they are insane )
The reason I love Marsters Q&A's and interviews - is he doesn't really talk about personal crap or himself all that much, he talks about the process of filming television series, theater, acting in various mediums, and the backstage or all the stuff that goes into creating a television series. I find what people do for a living fascinating - or the process of creating a work of art really interesting. (I'm not sure that's nerdy so much as geeky? Since I could care less about the minutia.)

4. I'm obviously feeling much better today. Even made it into work, which is a good thing - since my doctor's note stated I could come back today. ( the crazy ass process of getting sick time via Crazy Org or why I try to avoid it like the plague and considered using vacation time )

Still have it though. ( Read more... )

canyonwalker

I'm only on Day 3...ish of retirement, and already the days are blurring together. I asked myself a few times today whether it was Wednesday or Thursday... or even Tuesday. Without the defined schedule of work and its M-F cadence it's easy to lose track of which day it is.

One thing I discovered while doing normally weekend stuff on a Wednesday is that one restaurant I enjoy going to for lunch— but have really only ever been to on weekends— is crazy busy during the week. Like, the line to order was 10 people deep when I arrived... and 20 people deep when I left. Yeah, I'mma stick to weekends there.

shadowkat

Headache from hell seems to be lessening and I slept slightly better last night. Still wary of doing any floor or bed exercises even if I'm feeling less congested today than I did the last several days. (Note Aleve works better than Tynenol for this sort of thing.) So, I'll go back to work tomorrow. And from the emails, it's probably piled up. We'll see how much of it I get through, since my head still to some degree feels full of cotton.

Making tea now. I'd intended on doing laundry on Monday during the storm, but alas, was waylaid by the nauseous headache from hell. Haven't up to doing much of anything - outside of doing an urgent care appointment, getting my meds/groceries, and trying to sleep. Did do a few knee exercises.

The snow appears to be melting - from the view outside my windows. So it's not frozen solid like last time.

End of February Memage

22. What is your favourite writing implement – a fountain pen, ballpoint pen, pencil or something else?

Fountain Pen

23. Do you own many mirrors?

Yes, one - and it's turned to the wall in my bedroom and the back is broken off of it. The mirror itself is fine, it's just the siding and back covering that are coming off. I use it occasionally to see what to wear. Also a small bathroom mirror. I'm not a fan of mirrors - they tend to irritate me. I think it has something to do with how my brain processes information and flips things around, don't know.

24. What are you watching this month that you are enjoying?

I'm enjoying the soap opera (General Hospital) this month, more than most, Angel S5 rewatch, and The Pitt.

25. When was the last time the windows in your home were washed?

I don't have a house, and while I've washed the inside occasionally, I can't access the outside of the windows - so no clue.

***

Angel S5 Why We Fight and Smile Time - are kind of both about the same thing thematically speaking, just that Smile handles it better.
When Smile Time aired - way back in 2004, I was friends with a writer and her puppeteer husband, who were in turn close friends with the puppeteers on Smile Time. ( Read more... )

The episode "Smile Time" is among the best of the series. It basically encapsulates all the themes of the season and series with just a few images. Angel is too busy fighting himself to really get anywhere. And,
when he was starting to get somewhere with Doyle and Cordy, then Wes and Cordy - WRH found a way to manipulate him, Cordy and Wes. The noir theme in a nutshell - the hero always falls into the abyss - and more often than not it is of his own making.

( Read more... )

Why We Fight is rather clunky in comparison. ( Read more... )

ranunculus

Today was pepper planting day. Varieties are: Lively Italian (my favorite sweet pepper), King of the North (bell), Jalapeno Black Magic, Paprika, Pimento Sheepnose, Golden Treasure (sweet, Italian style). I need to get Poblano seeds. No, I'm not a hot pepper fan!( Read more... )

canyonwalker

I remarked yesterday that following the start of my retirement I am cleaning out old work-related stuff— both out of my mind as well as out of my shelves. Yesterday I removed a bunch of work stuff from my mobile phone so that it would no longer live rent-free in my head. Today I tackled a bunch of the books I've had on a shelf near my desk and in piles atop my desk and at my nightstand.

I decided I would largely banish those books to "purgatory", the nickname we use for our finished crawlspace. But to do that I first had to make space in purgatory for them. I did that by moving a useful multipurpose shelf we bought when our pantry was out of commission down to purgatory.

Old college and grad school era technical books I decided to donate (Feb 2026)

Old college and grad school era technical books I decided to donate (Feb 2026)

I started by moving really old books onto the shelf. These books (above) were in two boxes stacked on the floor. By shelving the books I'd make better use of vertical space and thus free up floor space— for a second shelf to hold the books coming down from my office!

As I looked at these books, though, I realized I will pretty much never use them again. Ever. Seriously, I sat there for 10 minutes in the crawlspace, just staring at them, weighing what to do next.

I've remarked before I can't bring myself to throw out books. So I decided I would donate them to my local library. Among other reasons why, these technical books were $50-65 in the 1990s. To the extent the material in them is still relevant— and a lot of it is basically applied mathematics, so it is— their newer counterparts probably sell for $150-$200 new today. Each. Times the 25-30 books pictured. I'm not looking to get money for them; but by giving them to the library I hope they help students today who struggle to afford that kind of expense.

So. I hauled those books off to the library today. That freed up my shelf-space. Then I hauled these down from my home office and bedroom nightstand:

A variety of technical & sales books I'm keeping - for now - in purgatory (Feb 2026)

A variety of technical & sales books I'm keeping - for now - in purgatory (Feb 2026)

Okay, the bottom shelf here were already in the crawlspace. Those are mostly proceedings of ACM SIGGRAPH. I decided to hold onto those for the time being in case they have collector value. If nothing else they have sentimental value to me, as that field was my focus of study from my last few semesters of undergrad through 3 years of graduate school through the first 6 years of my post-academic career.

The middle and top shelves are the books I moved downstairs. As you scan the titles I think you can see why they're drastically less relevant in retirement. Oh, and I mentioned above not thinking books should ever be thrown out.... Well, there's one on the shelf I'd make an exception for. See if you can guess.

shadowkat

Did Virtual Urgent Care - who proscribed antibiotics for the sinus infection that I appear to have - congestion that won't go away, made worse by the storm - resulting in the sick sinus headache from hell (which has a sort of vertigo as a symptom). I got a doctor's note for returning to work by Thursday, 2/26/26.

Ventured out around 4pm to pick up antibiotics from the pharmacy - wasn't bad considering the pharmacy is about six short blocks from my apartment.
They've plowed the roads, and cleared for the most part the sidewalks. There's puddles in places, and some areas are narrower than others - depends on whether it was a professional building maintenance person, or a home owner. Home owners suck at shoveling city sidewalks for the most part.
Although they did a better job with this storm than the last one - most likely because the city threatened them with sizable fines if they didn't do it.

I wanted to go back to work today - but I only slept three hours last night, even though I went to bed early. Was up all night with the nauseous headache, which made the room spin and came in waves. I went to lie down - it started. I couldn't even sleep sitting up. Standing I was fine. Or sitting on the edge of the bed. Finally, after a sneezing fit, lots of nose blowing, two more mezcline, and decogestants - it cleared a bit for sleep. But I felt horrible the next morning and gave up. Was going to use vacation time - decided sick time made more sense - I'm sick. And I've got more sick time than vacation time.

***

I finished watching All Creatures Great and Small S6 on PBS Passport, and might start up on Miss Scarlet or Maigret again. It didn't require much focus. I couldn't concentrate on anything until now - due to the headache. Last night, if I thought about anything at all - I got nauseous. It was frustrating and weird. It's a cozy series - All Creatures Great and Small - reminds me a little of Call the Midwife. I think the original might have been slightly better and more realistic, but I don't really remember the original that well? I read the books in the third and fourth grades.

Also working my way through Angel S5 - the Spike and Wes episodes so far are the better ones. ( Read more... )

Damage and Soul Purpose are the better episodes in this grouping. ( Read more... )

Off to get something to eat.

canyonwalker

It's curious that today, my last full day of work— or, more precisely, my last morning of work and first day of retirement— I did something that brought me back almost full circle to the start of my career.

In 1996 I moved out to Silicon Valley, California for my first full-time, permanent job after grad school. Oh, I'd worked for years before that; but only part-time, or in job for a defined term, like a college co-op internship or grad school research assistantship. I had a job at a brand-name tech company— it was Apple!— and it was a full-time professional job and I could have it as long as I wanted. (Or until they ultimately laid me off along with 30% of the company a few months later. 🤣)

Shortly after moving out here I saw online advertisements for a new games club forming in the area. It was named "Dukefish", as it met on Monday at the Duke of Edinborough Fish'n'Chips Pub in Cupertino. My girlfriend— who's now my wife— and I went and became regulars.

Dukefish, the games club, has moved venues several times since then. After service at The Duke deteriorated and management became hostile to us (even though their dining room, by that point, was seldom more than 25% full on Mondays) we moved to Harry's Hoffbrau in Mountain View. When Harry's in MV closed up a few years later we decamped to Jake's in Sunnyvale. We were regulars at Jake's for several years as regular membership shifted. My schedule got busy so I attended less and less often. Plus, I disliked some of the newer regular attendees. Others did, too, and the group kind of fell apart. Covid put the nail in the coffin.

But then a few years ago one of the long-time members— not as long-time as my wife or me, but still many years—brought it back to life. He merged his personal friends group with some of the gaming regulars from before Covid and got a critical mass going again. Now we meet at Holder's Country Inn in Cupertino. It's just 1/2 mile down the road from The Duke.

That's where we were tonight. In 2026, much like in 1996. At the start of my retirement, much like in the early days of my career.

ranunculus

Way back in the mid-1960's my mother planted some rosemary. She deliberately chose a variety that would sprawl out and act as a ground cover. For a couple of decades she kept the plants sheered off at about 8 inches. ( Read more... )

canyonwalker

Now that my retirement started 11 days earlier than expected (my company walked me this morning in a fit of pique over me quitting) I've started the process of moving on. Mentally I was moving on— as in mentally checked-out— a few weeks ago. Today I've begun the physical parts of moving on. A lot of that means cleaning out.

Today I cleaned out my phone. I removed company email and calendars. Then I removed apps I only used for work: Slack, Google Meet, Expensify, Navan, and a few conference apps. I kept Zoom because I use it outside of work, too. Okay, so that's not physical cleanup; it's digital. But I felt lighter and less cluttered already.

The next steps in cleaning up will be physical. For example, I've got a bunch of technical books on a shelf near my desk plus a few stacked on the desk itself. There's no reason to keep them close to hand anymore. I can't bring myself to throw out books.... I'm thinking instead I'll move them to shelves in the crawlspace. I'll have to buy shelves for that. 😅

Then there's the bunch of trophies my company has sent me over the years for awards I've won. Several of the most meaningful I've set atop my desk and on a trophy shelf as pleasant reminders. The rest are still in their boxes, stacked in a pile beside my desk or shoved under my armchair. At this point I think I might just throw all of them in the trash. I simply don't care anymore. (I will give myself maybe a week to rethink that call before they go to the dumpster outside.)

Back on the digital side of things, one change I'm making here in Dreamwidth/LiveJournal is renaming my tag job to my last job.

shadowkat

Good news? The storm has more or less ended and with it - my vertigo or so it appears. (I'm not tried to lie down flat as of yet, so hopefully it won't flare up when I go to bed.) So I will probably manage to navigate the mounds of snow to make it into work tomorrow. I don't really have an excuse - since I've got snow boots, and I take the subway, and it's located in the Financial District. Now, if I still worked in Jamaica and had to take the Long Island Rail Road into work that would be a different story - at last report, it was still suspended.

I'll probably make it in and not have a lot to do - because half my work place will be snowbound out on Long Island, including my boss. Although per Outlook - I think they all worked remotely. I couldn't. Vertigo was too bad. It's better now. I'm hoping it continues to improve. God, I hate vertigo.

Below is a "privileged education meme" that vaguely reminds me of a game I once played at church. If you were given certain opportunities - you advanced, if not you took two steps backwards. Myself and my friend at the time MD (who is a Black woman) were both ahead, as were a few young Black women and young men, while the old white British guy, his white Jewish wife, and the old white guys born in the 1940s were at the back. It seemed to divide itself more along class and generational lines then race?

( Privileged Education Meme )

Off to find something for dinner.

shadowkat

So the snowstorm was/is Bomb Cyclone - which I learned ages ago from an allergist -will play havoc on anyone with sinus issues.

A bomb cyclone according to the National Weather Service is : "or the meteorological term "bombogenesis," refers to the central pressure of a low-pressure system dropping at least 24 millibars within 24 hours.

Most bomb cyclones happen off the East Coast, which typically sees about one of these intense storms each year. In the Northeast, they form when there’s a sharp temperature contrast usually between a cold continental air mass meeting the warmer waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

This temperature difference, combined with a strong jet-stream disturbance that forces air upward, sets the stage for bombogenesis. Many nor’easters actually fall into this category, as cold air from Canada collides with the warm Gulf Stream, creating a perfect recipe for explosive storm growth."

The reason it plays havoc on sinus issues - is the barometric pressure drops. The fluid in the head shifts - placing pressure on the inner ear, resulting in vertigo.

It gave me non-stop vertigo, which I've been battling with prescription Dramamine to combat dizziness and nausea. It's kind of like seasickness, if you've never experienced it? But on land.

I went to bed, lay down, the room began to spin, frak that, I slept sitting up. As long as I was upright, not moving my head too much, I was fine. I'm hoping it is gone by tonight. It should be - since I think it is storm related.

Oh well, it could be worse - I could be homeless with vertigo, or stuck in an airport or bus depot with it, and no pills to take for it. (They work just not as well as I'd like? Work better when it is mild and well, we aren't in the middle of a bomb cyclone, and I didn't have a cold the previous week. But they did keep the nausea and vomiting at bay.)

The storm is still going by the way. It's been going since roughly 10 pm last night. Although it's no longer a blizzard.

Currently or as of 10 a.m. Monday (it's about 11:42 AM now and yes still snowing):https://www.nbcnewyork.com/weather/weather-stories/how-much-snow-totals-inches-nyc-long-island-nj-accumulation-blizzard/6467598/

It's shut NYC down almost completely. The Mayor was smart though - he cancelled all schools, declared a travel ban, and the Governor informed government agencies to keep all non-essential employees home, for remote work, if possible. They have a Full Snow Day for the first time in years (no remote), public transportation has shut down in places, and the travel ban was extended to about 6pm. It's 31 F, and feels like 6 F.

( Transit Adjustments )

https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2026/02/23/what-s-open-closed-nyc-snow-storm-feb-2026

[ETA: The travel ban in NYC has been lifted, but with the caveat that people should drive slowly and with caution.]

"As of 10 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 22, more than 11,200 flights in and out of the U.S. were canceled or delayed.

In the New York City area, disruptions were widespread. At John F. Kennedy International Airport, 42% of departing flights were canceled, along with 7% delayed. Incoming flights were hit even harder, with 63% canceled and 2% delayed."

- https://www.lohud.com/story/weather/2026/02/22/nyc-airports-hit-by-massive-cancellations-ahead-of-blizzard-see-live-flight-status/88762935007/

Vertigo hasn't gone, unfortunately, but the medication has helped a bit.

So how's your day going so far?

canyonwalker

They walked me.

After I submitted notice of resignation from my job on Friday morning, today (Monday) I had a 7:30am meeting with HR. It was scheduled over the weekend. "They're probably going to walk me," I figured. There are few other reasons why HR would plan the meeting on the weekend and schedule it first-thing Monday morning.

Indeed my Slack access was revoked at 7:25am, confirming what was about to happen.

At 7:30 I joined the videoconference call. "I'll get right to it," the HR coordinator said. "To ensure a smooth transition we're decided to make today your last day."

"Are you firing me?" I challenged.

The HR person beat around the bush a bit, so I offered the term I think she was looking for: "You're offering me payment-in-lieu from now until my proposed March 5 resignation date? I'll have full pay and benefits until then?"

She confirmed that (as I expected) and re-stated that this is just standard company policy.

"No it's not," I challenged. "It's standard company policy for when a person is fired. I'll note specifically that when our Chief Revenue Officer announced his resignation a few months ago, he continued to work— with executive responsibilities— until his chosen departure date."

The HR person just stared at me blankly. I didn't expect much else. She's not the person who chose this foolish arrangement; she's just a clerk given a message to deliver.

Then there's also the "To ensure a smooth transition" bullshit....

Ensuring a smooth transition is what I aimed to do by giving two weeks' notice. That would be bare-minimum time to hand over things I've been working on to my replacement. Instead the company has chosen to have me drop everything on the floor as I'm escorted out the proverbial door.

Within 30 seconds after we ended the meeting I was forcibly logged out of my company laptop and my account was disabled.

Buh-bye, you stupid, dishonest clowns!

shadowkat

Crazy Org is prepping for the snow armageddon or snow-hurricane that is set to hit us around midnight tonight. My sinuses and head can feel it coming - I've been struggling with a sick sinus headache all day long, along with vertigo - the only thing keeping it at bay are medications. (antihistimine for vertigo, decongestant (that you can take if you have high blood pressure), and migraine meds.). So far it's kind of working. I did fall asleep while watching All Creatures Great and Small on PBS Passport around 2pm. ( I decided to donate to PBS - and got access to the app again, at least for the year. If you donate more than $60, you can use the PBS Passport app.)

The Mayor issued a "travel ban" effective at 9pm today (Sunday) and the Long Island Rail Road suspended service, and Crazy Org (major public transportation agency) has advised its non-essential office workers - that you can tele-work from home if you are set up for it or in the program. (I'm not in the program (union) nor am I certain I have the set up any longer - since they've changed the security protocols again - but I've already chosen to take a personal day or vacation day - since the vertigo is hovering in the background and will be an issue. I have enough left that it won't be an issue.)
( Read more... )

I've been binge-watching All Creatures Great and Small - S6, napping, and fending off a vertigo headache for most of the day. I did go to the grocery store around 1 pm (before the storm really hit - and it was just drizzling) to pick up olive oil, coconut oil, honey, Mrs Dash seasoning, toilet paper, chocolate, and recycling bags and trash bags.
Also spoke to mother. Apparently it's raining in Ohau, Hawaii, and almost spring in Montana (according to my niece) , which has received hardly any snow, the plants are springing to life, and the temperatures are in the fifties and sixties. It's also in the 60s in Hilton Head, SC. Sounds lovely. I want to be there. It's 31 F here and rapidly dropping, and snowing.

Now, have decided to try cubicle mate rec'd "Start-Up". [ETA: tried, gave up (I found the guy tied to the chair with barbed wire a bit much) and the woman wanting to do a crypto start up annoying - plus I am not an Adam Brody fan). Went back to watch Angel S5.]

canyonwalker

I tendered my notice of resignation last week Friday. Before then I was often feeling apprehensive about doing it. Since then I'm just feeling sad.

You might remember me posting this meme a few weeks ago:

Looking forward to retiring soon should feel great. Why am I sad? (Jan 2026)

Looking forward to retiring soon should feel great. Why am I sad? (Jan 2026)

It's still a great summary of how I feel. I think of it basically every day. Some days twice or more.

I've been asking myself why. Why do I feel bad when I should feel great because my plan to retire early— a plan I've worked on for decades— has finally come to fruition?

I'll tell you one thing it is not. It is not "Oh, I will miss working." I will not miss working. I will not miss "friends" from work. Work hasn't provided friends for years, just colleagues with whom I have a mutually amiable working relationship. Our common interests end at the end of the workday.

What has me feeling down are the conditions under which I'm retiring. It doesn't feel like a win.

I am not stepping out at the top of my game. (I got virtually none of what I wanted last year.)

I am leaving not with a bang but a whimper.

I am going gentle into the night.

umadoshi

Reading: Last week I finished Stephanie Burgis' Wooing the Witch Queen (fun!) and read Heated Rivalry. I opted to just skip straight to the actual HR novel rather than first reading the Scott/Kip novel, which worked out fine, since I also had that context from the show. I enjoyed it a fair bit, but now I'm in the awkward position of wanting to see the next chunk for Shane and Ilya but no more urgently than after I finished watching season 1 of the show. The choices now are a) read the entire series (presumably doubling back to actually read book 1), b) skip ahead and read The Long Game, or c) hold off entirely and wait for season 2 of the show.

I also read a few more volumes each of Hikaru no Go and The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service, but I'm still in rereading territory with both. (I think I've already read up to vol. 12 of Kurosagi, but for Hikaru, I think the odds are against me really realizing when I've hit new territory until I go to enter a volume in Goodreads and find it's not already on my Read list there.)

Watching:

scruloose and I are caught up on both The Pitt and Frieren, and we finished Midnight Mass last weekend (a very solid, intense ending).

With my crunch time at work starting, it's not an ideal time for us to start a show that's a significant time commitment or that's going to leave me desperate to see a next episode when work is eating most or all of my evenings. It's possible this will result in me just showing

scruloose Heated Rivalry, since it's apparently our key cultural export of the decade and all. *g* Only six episodes and I don't have to worry about being impatient to see what happens next or about being spoiled.

(I still don't feel actively fannish about HR at all, but am enjoying being adjacent to it and seeing all the fannish excitement and meta and such. I have saved many fic recs to my read-later list on A03, but have yet to actually read a single one [and may never, given how slowly I go through fic--there's still a steady stream of Guardian fic I haven't read that also goes on that list].)

Weathering/Working: We have what sounds like a significant nor'easter blizzard arriving at some point tomorrow, with heavy wet snow. Will this be where our luck fails for the season and we lose power for the first time? (I'm completely astonished that it hasn't happened yet. Probably it's not really because the generator and backup power are warding that off, like carrying an umbrella around...)

And of course the spring crunch is set to start tomorrow in the late afternoon, right around when the storm is likely to be in full swing. Will the weather have much impact? (Mainly, I guess, in terms of Those Who Speak all being able to make it there safely; I kinda hope that there's some kind of backup power in their actual building, but I don't know for sure one way or the other.)

shadowkat

Well, I've accomplished a few things at least. Got up early enough to do my knee exercises, eat breakfast, and get distilled water for the humidifier/Nosh Steam Oven, and veggies/fruit, paper towels, and other mildly essential groceries. When I was putting said groceries away, the kitchen light decided to burn out. I notified the super - that it needs to be replaced (I have light bulbs). And transferred the small lamp that I have in the living room to the kitchen. It fits. So it will work for the interim. (Oh to have a ladder and a handy person to fix it - because I can't do it without killing myself. Tempting. But no. Mother would miss me. And knowing me - I wouldn't die, I'd just critically injure myself.)

Finished my taxes (although it cost me more to do them this year than my actual refund, also I have to pay NY State, damn it). ( tax hell )

It was nice weather today - in the upper thirties and forties, high about 45 degrees F (which is practically balmy considering the temps we've been having in NYC this winter). And the grocery store - was surprisingly sparse, not as many customers as expected, considering a big storm is moving in. (People are procrastinators - so they all probably came late in the day or tomorrow.)

I'm trying not to fret too much about the upcoming hellish winter storm. Breaking Bad warned me, but it didn't register and I didn't get it - I was overwhelmed with work this week - being blind sighted by C leaving. (C tracks everything for us and is my liaison with the project team, also one of the few people I can talk to.) Her last day was Friday. So, I was kind of discombobulated, and recovering from a head cold, so didn't pick up on the fact that a huge winter storm was coming on Sunday night. Figured it out when I got home - and saw the weather report. We're supposed to have blizzard conditions between 1 am and 10 am on Monday. I don't know if I can get to work in that? I walk and take the subways, which are above and below ground?
( Read more... )

I really wish the storm hit Friday night into Saturday instead, like last time. When I actually did take Monday off.

Dinner was "shrimp, brussel sprouts, and aspergus in the air fryer" - seasoned with red pepper, teriaki, fauk garlic salt (this is amazing on shrimp and veggies), and Mrs. Dash. (Which I need to get more of at some point.)

Also watched both Destiny and Harm's Way of Angel S5 rewatch. Picked up on the following:

( Read more... )

***

Question a Day - February Meme:

18. What is your favourite shellfish dish (if you have one)?

Lobster, preferably with melted butter, and lemon.

19. Have you ever worn false eyelashes or had eyelash extensions?

No. Or not that I recall? I might have - I have a vague memory of trying to do that - and it not working, and being a mess. Makeup and me are kind of unmixy things - particularly eye-makeup. I can do foundation but that's it.

20. Are you a fan of mayonnaise in a sandwich (either egg-based or vegan)?

No.

( Read more... )

21. When was the last time you heard music played live (at a concert, in a musical)?

The Broadway musical SMASH this past summer.

I'm not really a live concert person, I'm a live theater person. I like sitting in a seat and watching folks dance, sing, act, and tell a story on stage.

Current Mood: accomplished

canyonwalker

Today was "D-Day", the day I tendered my resignation at work.

I didn't do much work today, other than discuss things with my 5 closest colleagues. I didn't really have much on my schedule anyway. My week was concentrated with long days Tue-Wed-Thu.

Curiously the one conversation I didn't have today was with my (new) boss, the VP to whom I sent my notice. That's because he was on PTO today, out enjoying the skiing in Tahoe— and hopefully not taking foolhardy risks and killing himself[1]. I didn't time my notice for his long weekend; that's merely an unfortunate coincidence. Besides, he generally reads and responds to email, Slack, and other notifications even while on vacation. The guy's a 9-9-6 machine. But not today. Maybe he's buried in an avalanche.

The 5 conversations I did have today were all amiable. None of my colleagues were particularly surprised at my decision to leave. Some I had shared frustrations with recently, or months ago, or both. And even those I hadn't vented to in the past expressed sympathy with what a tough year it's been for everyone in my department, with multiple rounds of layoffs plus numerous voluntary departures.

Everyone I spoke to today complimented my skills, contributions, and teamwork. That felt good. It no longer matters, though.

_____

[1] News reference. This week several skiers at Tahoe went skiing on a high-risk route in a blizzard and were lost in an avalanche.

canyonwalker

Today is "D-Day", the date I picked a few months ago for when I'd tender notice of resignation from my job unless things improved markedly. Not only did things not improve markedly, conditions deteriorated in a multiple key respects (pay, management changes, being passed over for promotion yet-again). I sent my letter of notice to my manager this morning.

canyonwalker

Dallas Trip #5
Back Home · Thu 19 Feb 2026. 10pm.

It's Thursday night and I'm back home from Dallas. My flight was 25 minutes late because... of course. And the free wifi was inop for most of the flight, so it was way more boring than usual. I tried to nap a bit but couldn't. Partly that was because for the latter half of the flight I kept thinking about one thing: This might be my last business trip ever.

More to come tomorrow morning.

shadowkat

I've finally reached my favorite episode of Angel - Destiny. It's the episode in which Spike and Angel fight for the fake vampire shanshu. I love that episode. Plan on watching tonight or tomorrow night - time permitting.

Rumor has it that Hulu/Disney is waiting for Buffy the Vampire Slayer's 3oth Anniversary - which is next year, to air "Buffy: New Sunnydale". That will be my 60th year on this planet. I was roughly 27 when Buffy first aired. I'd moved to NYC one year prior. And I was watching it live - didn't own a VHS at the time, DVD's didn't exist yet and there was no such thing as streaming. You missed an episode? You prayed for reruns. (And Fox eventually replayed all the episodes of Buffy right before the new episodes aired.) Online fandom back then - was difficult to find, and scattered among various websites, with hidden fan boards. I didn't discover it until November 2001, and fell down the fandom rabbit hole, and haven't really resurfaced since.

**

Feeling much better. Not coughing hardly at all, and not blowing my nose, and no runny eyes. Still wore the mask to and from work, but I'm starting to back off of it.

But have leg cramping and digestive issues tonight. Hmm. I had chickpea mac and cheese, with brussel sprouts, celery, carrots, and broccoli in the air fryer. Maybe too much for the stomach? Sigh.

Eh, no time left. Will do the Question a Day Mememage tomorrow or Saturday.

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toricopies

June 2021

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20	21	22	23	24	25	26
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Page Summary

shadowkat - Hanging in there...anybody know a good tear-jerker?
canyonwalker - The Days are Already Blurring Together
shadowkat - Wednesday is limping along and keeps dozing off in the process
ranunculus - Peppers, rain, greenhouse, Henry St
canyonwalker - Moving On, Cleaning Out: Books
shadowkat - Sinus headaches, Angel Rewatch...
canyonwalker - Coming Almost Full Circle - "Dukefish" Monday Night Games
ranunculus - More Cleanup
canyonwalker - Moving On, Cleaning Out
shadowkat - (no subject)
shadowkat - Snow bound - and struggling with vertigo...
canyonwalker - They Walked Me
shadowkat - Snow-cane or Snow Armageddon 2026
canyonwalker - My Plan Has Come to Fruition. Why Do I Feel Sad?
umadoshi - Weekly proof of life: recent media | Spring Crunch Eve
shadowkat - Saturday....is accomplished but trying not to fret and dread what lies ahead...
canyonwalker - D-Day, H+12 Hours
canyonwalker - D-Day. I Resigned.
canyonwalker - Home from Dallas. For the Last Time?
shadowkat - (no subject)

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Style: Neutral Good for Practicality by timeasmymeasure

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