Music, Cats, and Coffee

Instead of NaNoWriMo, I'm going to aim for a short essay every day on a topic I feel like yammering about.

Today is the last day of the month! I did a yammer most days, and probably made up for missed days with the length of some of the posts. I wasn't sure what I'd write about today, and now that I'm here, I think I'll post some of my favorite "treat" recipes instead of a normal yammering session because I'm feeling nostalgic for the days I could make and eat and share lots of these kinds of things without any worries or fears.

Recipes presented here in their original forms (some with notes). FWIW, I've used substitutes in all my recipes to make them dairy free (usually coconut oil) and gluten-free or reduced gluten (almond flour, most usually since coconut flour makes it too dry and oat flour is a little too distinct-tasting) and they generally turn out fine. Coconut oil and clarified butter (NOT ghee!) are my friends!

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Instead of NaNoWriMo, I'm going to aim for a short essay every day on a topic I feel like yammering about.

During this evening's flute practice session, I got a double-serving of Humble Pie. I get a high opinion of my playing ever so often, and not too long thereafter, I'm reminded of how much I have to learn.

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Instead of NaNoWriMo, I'm going to aim for a short essay every day on a topic I feel like yammering about.

I tested 3 different varieties of chocolate baking chips today. For SCIENCE.

(By "tested" I mean "ate." I did not test these in baked goods.)

( Read on )

Instead of NaNoWriMo, I'm going to aim for a short essay every day on a topic I feel like yammering about.

Seeing as how I recently finished two painting projects (room, ceiling, and hallway), this seems like a good time to yammer about painting!

( Read on )

Out of cast, back into walking boot for 4 weeks (2 down, 2 to go). Much better now that I can shower and get around without the crutches/scooter. "Necessary walking only" is a drag.

Currently afflicted with a head cold. Just came on. Not in a good brain space today, thanks to that. Not sure how many days of work this will cost me. I will NOT be that asshat who drags their nasty, snot-ridden carcass into work to infect the entire building, though, so home I stay. Gonna make myself some soup today, provided all goes well.

On the plus side:
*Loving my new job! Even if I did make a fairly egregious error (called something a deviation that was plainly fine - I blame this head cold).
*Discovered Poshmark. Had a date weekend with Rin, did some shopping for much-needed shirts (UGH).
*Lifted weights for the first time in YEARS on Monday - felt SO GOOD, still sore today. I'm lending my equipment to my neighbor, who is running a tiny gym out of his garage, in exchange for free use of said gym and hopefully some training from one of his trainers.
*I have been practicing flute regularly! So much to learn. I did manage to improve my ability to play a scale from 60bpm up to 100bpm! We'll see if that top-end holds over the next few days.

Man, my brain is not working well today. I'd better log off and go lay down.

I've invented a game for myself this weekend to help me get things done that I have on my HUGE list of backlogged chores from the past 2 months. I wrote down each task on a piece of paper, then added a bunch of cards like "Draw 3, pick 1" "Redraw" "Speed challenge: 30min" basically game cards to make it more exciting and unpredictable.

Set up some ground rules, Try not to do anything more than 30min; 5 items can be shuffled to a different time this weekend; 5 items can be rescheduled for later (non this weekend); tasks can be skipped if they're Team Tasks (like if Rin wants to do dishes but I haven't drawn that yet); Don't Cheat; Cheat at every opportunity, etc. I will be updating this post throughout the weekend with my progress!

Update 1 - first hour, listened to Beck "Guero" album
Tasks drawn & done:
Stretch, roll out
SPEED: 15 minute challenge
*Divide 1 task into 7, count all 7
*Fix desk drawer
*Clean under fridge and range
**Divided into: 1. pull out fridge 2. vacuum 3. scrub/mop 4. wipe down wall/cabinet etc for dust bunnies (both) 5. pull out range, 6. vacuum, 7. scrub/mop
Ran out of my 15 min at step 6. Not bad!
Order Food (doing that now, good timing, we are both hungry!)

Update 2 - 2nd hour, listened to Bad Religion "The Empire Strikes First" album
Google review
Draw 5 pick 2
*Haircut appt
*$ Personal (budgeting, pay bills)
Watch a cartoon (watched while we ate food!)
Restock paper products

Update 3, listened to Foster the People "Torches" album
Garage light bulb
Clear off/clean table
Fish tank maintenance (3 tanks)
Dishwasher clean/organize (we use ours for storage)
Pet kitty (Percival happily volunteered for this)
SPEED 30min
*Redraw 2, pick 1: picked Windows
*Draw 3, pick 1: picked Kitchen Cart clear off/clean
Write a Thank You note

Update 4, Limp Bizkit "Significant Other"
Vacuum under fridge
Email a friend
Put back next draw and draw 2 more, do both
*Softener salt
*Clean cabinet doors/faces in kitchen
Clean catwalk & cat window (inside/out)
Also drew: Set 1 aside for later, Save for combining 3 like with like, combine any 2 rewards (not sure wtf I meant by that)

Update 5, Run the Jewels (unknown album) Qveen Herby (YouTube playlist) (no idea why but YT isn't working for music! MST3K only...
SPEED Challenge - 1 hour! =X.X=
Eat chocolate chips
Clean top of dresser
Combine 3 like tasks
*Vacuum upstairs
*Vacuum downstairs
*vacuum stairs & cat tree
Free task for challenge! (wipe down exterior of storm door, which wasn't a task but I did when I cleaned the outside of the cat perch window over the entry door!)

Update 6, no specific soundtrack
Went through remaining bowl of tasks that I've been drawing from and removed things I've done that I hadn't drawn yet. Here's those!
Email friends in NC
Fishing (yesterday)
Exercise (fishing w/ lots of walking today)
Dishes
Vacuum stairs
Contact potential new HA board member
Clean mirrors
Kiss Orrin
Fill pill case
Also removed SPEED Challenges 5min & 10min. Not practical!

May continue this into tomorrow, curating items though because I'm tired and I have some other things to do tomorrow that'll take most of the day. Haven't decided what to do with the tasks after the Challenge! is over, have to think on that and come up with something.

Overall, I accomplished less than I had hoped but I did get a LOT of things done that are easy to kick down the road. I feel better knowing it's clean behind the fridge and range, for example. Just knowing certain things are clean and taken care of even though they aren't "urgent" or "important" lessens my anxiety. Hooray!

Tonight, I tried a tone exercise from one of the Trevor Wye books. My teacher had copied a few pages for me so I could try them out before buying.

I played from a middle B-natural down to a low C with a vibrant, resonant tone, full sound, IN TUNE. Took awhile to nail down the tone on the B, but from then on, I could really hear the quality and was able to match it as I descended the chromatic scale. For fun, I turned on my tuner app, and with some additional work, I actually kept the notes in tune!

This is huge. I honestly thought such a thing wasn't physically possible, or if it was, not for ME.

Now I kinda want to go back to school and study flute.

Which is a Bad Idea right now.

Next time I practice, I need to drill down into some measures in the flute choir repertoire that I keep flubbing up. Till then, bedtime for me!

I am hopeful that this year will be one of connection.

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