2026 Disneyland Trip #2 (1/10/26)

Jan. 10th, 2026 04:19 pm
torachan: arale from dr slump dressed in a penguin suit and smiling (arale penguin)
[personal profile] torachan
We got down to the park right when they opened, so the crowds were very low. Unfortunately they recently reduced the number of restaurants that open when the park does, so we had time to kill before breakfast (even though we were both very hungry).

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three moments

Jan. 10th, 2026 07:06 pm
sixbeforelunch: illustration of bingly proposing to jane in pride and prejudice, no text (pride and prejudice - jane and bingley)
[personal profile] sixbeforelunch posting in [community profile] threeforthememories

This is from a visit to my parents in Pennsylvania in May. I had a difficult trip with delayed and cancelled flights and a mad dash from one end of the Charlotte airport to the other to try and catch a plane. I was stressed and starving by the time I landed. Seeing this mural was just a tiny bit cheering in a moment when I really needed it.

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Long day

Jan. 10th, 2026 06:29 pm
rolanni: (Default)
[personal profile] rolanni

What went before:

Saturday. Sunny and warm. Snow is melting apace.

Breakfast was, as planned, the leftovers from yesterday's chef salad scrambled with two eggs, which made for a pretty big meal. Not sure what lunch is. Cheese and crackers? Could be cheese and crackers.

Got to work early despite having to stop and fix the toilet in Steve's bathroom. I should say, mostly fix. It's stopped the constant running, but the float seems to have sprung a leak, so there's still a little water running out of it. I've been resisting calling a plumber, becau$e, but that may be a false economy.

Wrote about 700 words, and taking a break because that last scene reduced me to, um, tears.

It occurred to me that there ought to be heated mats to go under desks, and there are, byerlady! So -- retail therapy FTW -- a mat for Steve's office, a mat for the studio -- a mat for my office? Oh, why not?

After shopping, I'll go back to write some more until lunch time, after which it's track changes, which, with the application of a bit of elbow grease, I may finish today, and wouldn't that be nice?

Also? Despite having been doing nothing for days, the desk in my office is once again overflowing with stuff. I hope the goblins haven't found another way in.

I bought a very nice "beginner" demonstrator pen from JetPens -- it arrived yesterday. My only beef is that it's a cartridge pen, but there's getting to be some days when I oughtn't be left alone with a bottle of ink, so there is that.

I can't really tell you much about this pen, since the packaging is completely in Japanese. I can say it's a Pilot pen, and it's name appears to be kaküno. Writes nice and smooth; very light in the hand. I haven't dropped it yet, so can't report on its durability. Cheap, too. Under $15US. I got the medium nib, because that's the way I roll. If you've been thinking about trying a fountain pen, this might be worth your time to explore.

Thanks to everyone who suggested anime worthy of watching. I remember I was looking for Spy Family the day Steve died... This is not to lay blame or to invoke the Sad, but to say that I had apparently thought we'd enjoy it, and while I have Crunchyroll, I might as well have a look-in.

And, yes, I am talking about trivialities while the world is on fire. The only thing I can do at this point, is what I always do, and be a witness for civilized behavior.

deep breath

How's everybody doing today?
#
So, yeah -- cheese and crackers and an orange. That's lunch, innit? Am drinking "figgy pudding" tea from my Christmas teas. I had not been sanguine, going in, but it's quite tasty and delivers the warmth that the rest of the meal lacked.

On the writing front, that's +/- 1,340 new words. WIP stands at +/-124,785.

As soon as I've finished my tea, I will do my duty the cats, then clear a space on my desk so I can track me some changes.

The cats think I ought to take a nap, and they're probably not wrong...
#
Toe bean break:


#
Yeah, I should've taken a nap. OTOH, the track changes are done and returned, and! I managed to turn off the water running into the toilet, go me.

I had made a comment the other day in my rant about the cost of Sssses and the prevailing wisdom of adding a "third" S to perfectly good words. Sometimes, in fact, the prevailing wisdom only adds one extra S.

Example: Chaos's

That? Is an ugly something or other.

In my day, believe it or don't, when you had a situation where you needed to show that Chaos was being possessive, you indicated that by this: Chaos'

Which looks much better to me than all these random Sssses wriggling all over the page.

All that said? I'm tired, and Rookie is insisting that it's Happy Hour, so it must be time for me to wash the pots 'n pans.

Everybody have a good evening. Stay safe.

I'll check in tomorrow.


rachelmanija: (Books: old)
[personal profile] rachelmanija


A middle-grade novel about a boy who lives in the woods, tagged as "A worthy successor to Hatchet and My Side of the Mountain."

12-year-old Raymond Hurley lives with his beloved dog Rosie and his neglectful, drug addict, emotionally abusive parents, who move constantly, have only cooked a homemade meal for him once in his entire life, and scream at him and stomp out when he cooks Thanksgiving for them. The one time he told anyone about this, he was temporarily placed in a children's home that was even worse than living with his parents, so he has decided to never tell anyone anything ever.

When they take off, ditching him and Rosie, he lives in the woods behind his middle-school. He continues attending school, as they feed him twice a day. Otherwise, he dumpster-dives after hours at the school, and fishes in the river. While this is all going on, he accidentally makes two friends at school despite his resolve to stay under the radar, accidentally befriends an old man who also fishes in the river, and accidentally tames a coyote (!), who he names Hank. But obviously, this is all unsustainable long-term...

This book isn't that much like the classic "kid survives in woods" books. It's not really about wilderness survival, it's about homelessness and the psychological effects of negligence. It doesn't have the vibe at all of something like Hatchet, where there's something satisfying and profound about living off the land and being in nature, even though it's hard and dangerous and uncomfortable. Raymond's life in the woods is just sad. It's closer to something like Homecoming, in which four kids abandoned by their mother make their way across the country in search of a home, but it's sadder and more aimless than that because Raymond is alone in his predicament and doesn't have a goal other than "stay out of the children's home."

The elements that are survival-y, like taming the coyote, clash with the overall feel of suburban social issue fiction. Especially because they're wildly unrealistic - you can't tame a coyote to the point of petting it and playing with it and having it play with your dog! A coyote will EAT your dog! (There's a key scene involving a venomous snake that also pinged my "it doesn't work that way" sense.)

I didn't really like this book, though it's not a bad book at all. I would have liked it better if it had fully committed to being a realistic book about a homeless child. I also would have liked it better if Raymond's big goal wasn't just "stay out of the children's home," but "stay out of the children's home because I hate it and they'll take away Rosie and who knows what will happen to her." He never once worries about that, which seems like a really odd thing to not be concerned about under the circumstances. If he'd been committed to protecting Rosie, it would have given him and the book more drive. I get that the writer wanted to have Raymond be more just drifting through life, but since he's putting a lot of effort into not getting caught, I think it would have made the book more compelling if the effort was connected to a living being he cared about.

The ending is an absolutely typical ending for this sort of book:

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Content notes: child abuse, homelessness, animal death.

The Empty Netters rock!

Jan. 11th, 2026 12:09 pm
mific: (Heated rivalry)
[personal profile] mific
I finally got around to watching the Empty Netters podcast on YT, their breakdowns of HR eps 1 & 2. It's such fun watching them get caught up in the show while still critiquing the hockey details (two of them are brothers and previously high-level hockey players, now in what they call "the beer leagues". And as they get more and more invested in the show they don't care as much about the minor mistakes and unrealistic hockey-world details. Also, the comments are great, very positive and with no trolling or bigotry at all that I've seen so far (maybe they curate that?).
My initial main takeaways from these first two eps are:

The team logos were analysed. Shane's is M for the Metros (a bottom), and Ilya's is a cannon for the Raiders! (obvious symbolism). That has to be deliberate, right? Also hilarious!

Then these two comments, that added details I hadn't known.



I won't do a full transcript but the first says Reid wrote a bonus chapter on her website (a remix of the Vegas penthouse chapter, end of S2 in the show) with a bit more about Ilya's thoughts and feelings, his conflicts about returning to Russia and why he treats Shane badly. Here's the link.

The second comment clarifies that Putin only cracked down on gay people just before the Sochi Olympics. Before 2013 Russia had apparently become reasonably progressive. So Ilya would have been especially paranoid and freaked out at Sochi and would definitely have cold-shouldered Shane, as in canon. Also a nice pick-up that although Carter Vaughan means well, assuming the ice skater is gay was a microaggression, worse for Shane as Carter blithely assumes he's straight (and for Scott, but the Empty Netters don't know about Scott yet!).

I'm going to watch all the Empty Netters vids, but not right now. Jesus, I have to do something other than wallow in HR stuff all the time!

Photos: Contorta Willow

Jan. 10th, 2026 05:11 pm
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith posting in [community profile] common_nature
I took some pictures yesterday but didn't have time to upload and post them until today. The night before, a windstorm blew down the contorta willow sapling that used to stand between the house yard and the south lot, near the big maple tree.

Walk with me ... )

Photos: Contorta Willow

Jan. 10th, 2026 05:07 pm
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
I took some pictures yesterday but didn't have time to upload and post them until today. The night before, a windstorm blew down the contorta willow sapling that used to stand between the house yard and the south lot, near the big maple tree.

Walk with me ... )

Cheese Quest 1

Jan. 10th, 2026 04:23 pm
used_songs: (Default)
[personal profile] used_songs



Before New Year's, E and I went to the HEB at Lincoln Heights which is fancier than a regular HEB, but not as fancy as Central Market. I was looking at cheeses while E was in the bakery and the cheesemonger gave me a coupon for 20% off any of their cheeses in that section. So I went with one I knew I'd like and two that were experiments.

The one I thought was a sure bet was the Chimichurri Gouda because I love gouda. I was hoping it would be a bit spicy, but despite tasting of pepper and chilies it was more earthy than spicy. It was also sharper than I expected, but it was good. 

My favorite was the white cheddar dill which was a surprise. I love dill, but I'm not a fan of cheddar at all. It's generally way too sharp for me. This one was very herbal and salty and just delicious. 

My least favorite, and the one I wouldn't have bought if I hadn't had a coupon, was the smoked cheddar. I took a chance on it because I do like smoked gouda and smokiness in general. However, this was very hard, almost crumbly, and it was way too sharp for me, I'll probably take it to my parents and see if they want it, because I tried it again a couple of days after the first taste and I just don't like it. And honestly I didn't even realize cheddar came in that consistency. 

The only other cheese I've put in my analog cheese journal is HEB Monterey jack with jalapeño and habanero which is something I have with my lunch every day during the week. So, obviously, extremely good!

This week we are having enchiladas, so I will be journaling about oaxaca and queso fresca, both of which are delicious. One of the best things in the world is thinly sliced pan sauteed potatoes topped with mole poblano sauce and queso fresca.

(no subject)

Jan. 10th, 2026 05:29 pm
conuly: (Default)
[personal profile] conuly posting in [community profile] agonyaunt
Dear Care and Feeding,

My ex came from serious money, and our 12-year-old daughter is her parents’ only grandchild. My daughter gets what she wants the moment she voices it; her grandparents claim it is their duty to spoil her. My daughter is very grounded and knows that most people can’t afford everything her family can, but that doesn’t change the fact that her experiences have been very privileged.

My partner’s kids haven’t been so lucky. He provides a good life, but the vacations he can take them on are to the local lake, not Europe. The problem is that my daughter can’t talk about her life without the other kids getting jealous and accusing her of bragging. She can’t say that her favorite city is Paris or identify a castle on TV without them taking offense and ganging up on her. This situation has started to heat up because my daughter has recently been hanging out with a pair of twins who have moved into our neighborhood. Their dad has left military service, but in their lives as military brats, they’ve lived everywhere in the world. They are joined at the hip with my daughter, and my partner hates the fact that his 13-year-old daughter, “Melinda,” doesn’t get automatically included.

Alas, Melinda is in her mean girl phase. Everything and everyone is stupid and sucks. She routinely picks on her younger brother. There are problems with both her behavior in school and in the after-school activities she is enrolled in. She was asked to leave her sports team for bullying another member to the point where it got physical. My daughter avoids Melinda when she can, and I have to mediate every moment we are together as a family.

My partner does not “see” Melinda’s behavior until another adult points it out. He and I do not live together, and his blindness to his daughter’s flaws is one reason for this, even though I love him. Another reason is that Melinda is hard enough to be around on a good weekend, let alone every day. I have tried to stay in my own lane and let my partner parent his kids his own way, but he keeps pushing that Melinda is being “excluded” by my daughter and her friends. They are in different grades and have very different interests.

Between his kids giving mine a hard time every time she opens her mouth, and all this, things are getting tense. Recently, he commented on how excited my daughter was for the holidays because her dad was taking her skiing and had told her that maybe the twins could come too. My partner insinuated that this enthusiasm was somehow malevolent. I responded by reminding him that both of his kids have been talking nonstop about seeing their grandparents and cousins over the holidays. He said it wasn’t even close to the same and that his kids have never even seen snow. I don’t know how to resolve this. Considering the ages of our kids, and the fact that they’re not even living in the same household, their just being civil toward each other should be enough, but civility is hard to come by, and Melinda is the agitator most of the time. How do I get through to my partner and protect my daughter?

—Mean Melinda


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(no subject)

Jan. 10th, 2026 05:19 pm
conuly: (Default)
[personal profile] conuly posting in [community profile] agonyaunt
Dear Prudence,

I just got married, and while the day was beautiful, my family left me feeling heartbroken. I have a strained relationship with my younger sister. She left her diabetic cat with our parents, and when they had to suddenly leave town, I stepped in to care for it for two weeks.

At our wedding after-party, my husband gently suggested she thank me. Instead, she stormed off, blocked me on social media, and refused to see me for the rest of the trip. When I turned to my parents for support, they sided with her, saying she spent her own time and money to attend the wedding and telling me to “drop the drama” and “be an adult.” I’m left feeling dismissed and deeply hurt, wondering how to move forward from this.

—Bride Without a Break


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This seems unfair

Jan. 10th, 2026 03:56 pm
jadelennox: Wendy from the middleman: "I save the world in my own way." (middleman: wendy saving the world)
[personal profile] jadelennox

IMO vigils and protests shouldn’t cost spoons.

Also when you’re already deep in spoon deficit spending it’s probably not an ideal time to go to the spoon loan shark. They charge a lot.

Anyway my heart will always be here for protest medics who can be trusted to have instant cold packs. ❤️‍🔥

(I’m going to leave comments open on this post, which contains no requests for advice. I trust none of you will make me regret it.)

mayhap: Patrick Mahomes wrapping his arms around Travis Kelce (hold me back)
[personal profile] mayhap
The NFL got me a Wild Card Weekend for my birthday but they neglected to put a Patrick Mahomes in it. Don't think Roger Goodell read my wishlist very carefully, probably because he was too busy concocting evil schemes like blowing out the TV ratings record by making the Chiefs play the Cowboys on Thanksgiving and scheduling us into a bunch of other inconvenient times and places. Oh well, nothing left to do now but watch and root for the teams that I hate the most to lose to the teams that I hate at least somewhat less.

hate ratings, or hatings, if you will )

Life Continues... Interrupted

Jan. 10th, 2026 02:11 pm
lydamorehouse: (Default)
[personal profile] lydamorehouse
 "Ope, Gotta Go!"

My family has been hearing me say that a lot. Though, so far, both of the MONARCA calls for observers that I answered ended up to be false alarms. This morning there was a sighting of a forced entry not far from me on Fairview and Wellesley, which turned out to be real police on actual lawful business.I stood around with neighbors waiting for the official all clear. Until that comes in, people just keep streaming in, so a bunch of us agreed to stand by and wave people off. 

Y'all? A lot of people kept showing up.

It was incredibly heartening.

I was glad to be there, but I also need to remember to pace myself. The unfortunate truth is, ICE isn't going anywhere anytime soon. I would like them to GTFO right now? But, that doesn't seem likely at the moment. So, I need to take time to breathe. Pick my battles--maybe even pick a day to battle, a singular day of the week--because dishes still need to be done, food needs to be made and consumed, and gods know the laundry doesn't do itself. Probably a shower and hydration are also important? 

My regular D&D group was supposed to meet today. I'm a little sad that we didn't because just getting on with things, including things that spark joy, is also extremely important right now. But I can also understand how maybe pretending to be "murder hobos" isn't exactly hitting right this week for some folks. Our group actually isn't very murder-y? In fact, we were poised to rescue some folks, but, again, I get it. Still? We're going to need to figure out how to just carry on, especially considering that 2026 seems poised to be a continuation of the very worst timeline.

Ugh.

Well, speaking of, I should probably go do the dishes.

Snowflake Challenge: day 5

Jan. 10th, 2026 07:51 pm
shewhostaples: (Default)
[personal profile] shewhostaples
Snowflake Challenge: A warmly light quaint street of shops at night with heavy snow falling.

In your own space, create a list of at least three things you'd love to receive, a wishlist of sorts.

Hmm, well, nobody can give me leisure time or sleep, so I can't guarantee that I'll be able to follow up on any of the following in a timely fashion, but:

1. I got a mini ice cream maker for Christmas, so I'd love some ice cream or sorbet recipes.

2. Travel tips for Lyon or Montpellier, which we'll be visiting next month.

3. Not recs as such, because they don't need to be tailored to me, but tell me about a book or a fic you've enjoyed recently.

4. Art for any of my fics.

Birdfeeding

Jan. 10th, 2026 02:01 pm
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
Today is mostly cloudy.  It rained again at some point last night.

I fed the birds.  I've seen a large flock of sparrows and a mourning dove.

I heard the owl hooting all night too.  :D

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 1/10/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 1/10/26 -- I put out a fresh suet cake and refilled the hopper feeder.  Sparrows have been mobbing.  There is now a starling in addition to the mourning dove, but he isn't trying to squeeze in there either -- he knows he is outnumbered.

EDIT 1/10/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

It is 5 PM.  The sun has recently set but the sky is still fairly light.

I am done for the night.

Tampopo (1985)

Jan. 10th, 2026 11:54 am
runpunkrun: sunflowers against a blue sky with a huge billowy white cloud (where hydrogen is built into helium)
[personal profile] runpunkrun
A quirky, stylish, and emotional Japanese movie about food, a woman determined make the best ramen she can, and also, in its own way, a Western, as a handsome drifter rides into town, starts a (noodle) bar fight, and shakes up the complacent townsfolk. This was wild and wonderful. It mainly focuses on the owner of the ramen shop—the titular Tampopo—and the band of weirdos she accrues to help her improve her cooking and her business, but while it's doing that it also weaves in short vignettes about the ways other people connect with, and through, food. Recommended!

Contains: lingering shots of food and people eating, first person dentistry (root canal), a murder, two fistfights, some of the weakest bullying I've ever seen on film (almost hilariously so), and a sex scene that incorporates—among other things—live prawns.

Tech Woe

Jan. 10th, 2026 02:35 pm
oracne: turtle (Default)
[personal profile] oracne
The new DVD/BluRay arrived today! Great service from Best Buy! It arrived before today's watchalong! I could tell pulling it out of the box that it is much nicer than the cheap-ish one that I returned.

However, my research was somehow incorrect and it is not multi-region for DVDs. It worked fine with an American DVD. I haven't tested the BluRay yet - I think I only have one, that came packaged with a DVD of the same movie.

I did not scream. I get a sticker, right? Because I didn't scream or cry?

Possibly the DVD region can be hacked, but I don't have the right sort of universal programmable remote to do that. A problem for another day.

So it's back to the little old tv and portable player to watch British DVDs. Sigh. It's not the end of the world.