As if it had mattered, all of it, every second

It's warm-your-nose-with-your-fluffy-tail season!

The day started off on a shaky note, when I went to fire up the trusty laptop and it just wouldn't turn on. After I'd roused my in-house IT guy from sleep, it magically turned itself on, and then I felt terrible for robbing him of 20 more minutes snuggled up with the forest creature pictured above.

So, fingers crossed, re: laptop. Mark did something to it that may help? Not sure, he's the IT department around here. I did work through all my stuff to make sure there would be no disaster if I were laptop-less for a few days (i.e. it's all in the cloud, I just need to remember how to find all my passwords, etc.).

And then I slippy slid on the icy front steps and dithered for way too long about which jacket to wear (it was freezing, but raining). I went for the rain jacket, and now I'm trapped at the coffee shop watching snow fall outside. It's so cozy, but long past lunch time and a person can only drink so many cups of coffee (1 caf and 1 decaf) and eat so many slices of pumpkin bread (1) before a person needs some peanut butter or something.

I never feel quite prepared for winter. We have dug out the aforementioned accessories and located the ice cleats/snow pants/bucket of sand/et al. Closed storm windows, found extra blankets and hots bags of corn. Still. 

Okay, wish me luck as I head out into a damp November mini-blizzard.

Etc.

Monday mood.

I'm glad I don't believe it / For it would stop my breath

"Don't too tight when measuring" is my life's motto.

There was a frosty night recently when Clover was all a-shiver on our evening walk, and I entertained the idea of getting her a little jacket. In retrospect, those might have been shivers of anxiety? Not cold? But I'm looking for an excuse to buy her a cute little jacket.

Isaac and Edna are here so briefly this weekend, swooping in for a day and a half, then off again early Monday morning. We have been planning our spectacular Thanksgiving menu.

Here is a $350 bracelet you can buy that...cools you down or warms you up. It's specifically marketed at ladies of a certain age who are experiencing hot flashes. It's described this way: The Wave provides a similar sensation to the refreshing chill of a cold glass or the comforting warmth of a hot mug. Okay, granted, if you're having a hot flash in the middle of the night, you don't want to have to pad down to the kitchen for a glass of ice water. But...it's three hundred and fifty dollars.

If you need a brief but deeply heartwarming story, I have a cat-related anecdote for you.

What else? It's so very November now, silvery-gray and bare, blowing leaves and cold breezes, dogs curled into balls with their noses blanketed by their tails. We dug out the long underwear, scarves and hats and gloves and Bean boots. We've been making soup and tea and pots of coffee and heating up hot bags of corn in the microwave. 

Here is a heart

If you, like me, are frequently overwhelmed by...all of it, perhaps you will enjoy these suggestions of relaxing things to listen to/watch!


Veronica Mars Investigations: I guess your satisfaction will depend on whether you've watched Veronica Mars, and how you feel about podcast pals Helen Zaltzman and Jenny Owen Youngs. They go episode-by-episode, so you can watch along with them. I find their discussion of the plot/plot holes and the characters' outfits immensely soothing, and I'm always sad when each episode ends.

Office Ladies: Again, enjoyment of this is undoubtedly dependent on your level of enthusiasm for The Office, and Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey are silly and chatty and repeat each other's sentences like the real-life BFFs they are ("That was so funny!" "So funny!" "Everyone was really nice!" "Really, really nice!"). It's as sweet as the Great British Baking Show, full of admiration for the cast and crew of the show and fun behind-the-scenes stories. Like Veronica Mars Investigations, it goes episode by episode so you can follow along.

The Great British Baking Show: Obviously. Kind British bakers and judges. Baked goods. Proofing drawers, biscuits, meat pies, Victoria Sponge. 

Schitt's Creek: It took me long enough, but once I started watching this I found it hard to stop. It's funny and charming and Canadian. Moira Rose forever.



Okay, looks like that's only four things, but it's a start. Good luck out there.

November like a train wreck

May I just say that the two guys I was really hoping wouldn't win didn't win. Local politics in a progressive town can be a funny thing. It's not as though it doesn't matter, because it surely does, and there are some who favor bulldozer development and plenty o' Airbnbs and so on, while others are focused on keeping addicts alive and remembering that they, along with homeless folks and poor people and newcomers, are fully human.

But the two guys I don't like I mainly don't like for personal reasons. So it's amusing to be in a city so small that you can vote against someone, say, because they have given you a funny, frowning look as if to say "Do I know you?" every single time you, their neighbor, have waved and called out, "Hi!" in passing. 

More local news:

It's unrelated.

I suspect this anecdote may be apocryphal.

Kevin, sit down. I'm going to explain Airbnb to you.

There’s no difference between flying and thinking you’re flying until you land

Hello, I voted! I love ranked choice voting, it satisfies this part of me that constantly wants to...well, rank things. MY FAVORITE ONE, all the way down to I DON'T CARE FOR THIS GUY.

Here are some funny things I've encountered lately:

Funny because of the Monty Pythonesque image it creates of biers tipping over.

Maybe that becomes YOUR JOB, pal.

This was the sole illustration on a page dedicated to Medieval history for kids.

Let your hands be hands and the wings be wings

Gustopher Robin at rest

Detail: fur

Lately, Blogger has been challenging me to get extra creative and try seven times before it'll let me upload a photo. I've worried for years that this Google-owned free blogging platform will just vanish one day. According to my official profile, I've had this blorg for over 15 years, which is A LOT OF YEARS.

Above, puppy boy napping. Don't ever let me forget how beautiful his fur is.